#she does have herbal tea as well :)//

[hopeturned]

Despite there being a coffee vending machine, Anya has several types of loose tea on board alongside a kettle and infuser. She prefers lapsang Souchong, Oolong, Green tea and on the occasion some breakfast tea.

[felassan]

August 30th 2024 Developer Q&A (from the official BioWare Discord) - Complete transcript

Under a cut due to length and spoilers.

Update: This post has now been updated into a word-for-word transcript.

[Link to video recording of Q&A] | [Link to equivalent post for first Q&A (June 14th)] | [Link to video recording for first Q&A]

Update: This post has now been updated into a word-for-word transcript.

If you would like to listen to the Q&A for yourself in video format, or listen to it again, Ghil Dirthalen recorded it and has now uploaded a video of it here. This blog post is linked in the description under the video. ( ˶´ ᵕ `˶ )

Please note before proceeding that the devs advised that this Q&A may contain minor spoilers!

Corinne Busche, John Epler and Community Manager Katey were the devs that were there.

KFM: Community Manager Katey JE: John Epler CB: Corinne Busche

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KFM: We’re gonna be joined by John and Corinne here in a sec, just waiting for them to get on. Hey John, hey Corinne, thanks for joining - hey!

JE: Hello! Thank you for having us. It's a pleasure.

CB: Hey y’all. It's so good to see so many people, I see some familiar names here. Good to see you again.

KFM: Yeah, yeah, I'm excited to, you know, bring us this second Q&A on the Discord server. Last time we were really, really happy, with the way it happened, y'know, it turned out and how everyone seemed to really enjoy it so we're back again. Thank you for submitting your questions on the ask-bioware channel. I am going to start and kick that off in just a second, but, for those of you who might be new here, I'm the Community Manager, and I'm going to let Corinne and John introduce themselves as well.

CB: Hey y'all, I'm Corinne Busche, Game Director on Dragon Age: The Veilguard. I just generally help people on the team do cool things and create this world.

JE: And I'm John Epler, the Creative Director on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Corinne picked probably the best way to describe what I do, too, so I'm just gonna steal that. I'm there to make sure the team can, is enabled to do their best work and I'm super excited to share all this with you.

KFM: Awesome. Yeah before we start I also wanna give a quick heads-up, you might have seen in Announcements, but there are a couple of questions in here that we have answers to that we would consider minor spoilers. I'll give a heads-up before that minor spoiler answer is given, or even the question is read, so you can go, y'know, grab some water, or y'know, go outside for a second, or just do anything, to decide if you want to listen to the answer or not. But, I promise, these spoilers are, y'know, we'll call them out before we say anything.  

CB: That is kinda the coolest part of this session, we're getting closer to launch now, so I think we can do a little bit deeper on some of the questions this time.

KFM: Yes, no this is so exciting! Okay, are you guys ready?

JE: Yes! Yes I am.

CB: Let's do it.

KFM: Let's do it.

KFM: Let's start with a fun one. Do all Evanuris hate tea? Does Ghilly-Flower exclusively drink haunted bog water?

JE: Alright. That is a fun one. Y'know, it's funny because I think Solas is the only one of the elven gods that actually really has a tremendous aversion to tea. That said, we don't really get too into what they drink, I would say though, knowing what I know about Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain, I think Elgar'nan probably drinks a combination of gas station coffee and the Thedas equivalent of an energy drink, at all times he's got a big Thermos with him. Whereas Ghilan'nain is all about the herbal concoctions that are supposed to be really good for like, your gut health, things like that - she really takes care of herself, so.

CB: John, I think you just described you, and then me. Interesting.

JE: Hurtful, Corinne, accurate but hurtful.

KFM: Okay, next one. So we know that we can hug Assan, but will we be able to hug any of our companions?

JE: So you can't hug your companions at all times. There's not an option to just walk up and give them a hug. They've got their boundaries, they've got their preferences. But there are opportunities in conversations, in dialogue, in scenes where you will, you know - a companion may ask you for a hug because they're having a rough time and you are able to give it to them.

KFM: And will there be a lot of politicking involved? And by politicking they mean quests like Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts.

JE: Yeah, so I mean, there's not gonna be a quest quite like the Halamshiral Ball, I mean that was very specific to the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor was trying to gain favor with a bunch of different factions, they were trying to form an army. Rook's struggle and Rook's, honestly,  challenge is much more immediate and visceral. That said, it's Dragon Age. It wouldn't be Dragon Age if there weren't politics. You'll have influence on the, y'know, things that are happening, and the fate of nations, that are happening around the world, and Rook, I mean, throughout the game, across this adventure, Rook does become a fairly important figure, so it's natural that you’ll have some influence and some involvement with the affairs of the different factions and nations.

KFM: Gotcha. So this question, this next question comes from Onomatopoeia. I know this has been asked before, but they didn't see an answer for it - is there a way to toggle off nudity and sex scenes?

CB: Yeah, let me take this one. It's so funny, John, you get the fun questions and I get the thirsty nudity questions - I'm here for it. So, let me, let me answer and maybe elaborate. So, there is a toggle for on and off nudity. That is one of the settings we have. And we'll be going deeper into settings and accessibility and things like that as we get a little bit closer to launch. But let me also expand on this. So when you're in character creator, you'll actually be able to select what underclothes your Rook wears, and whether that exposes your chest or your breasts. So, by default nudity is on, chest or breast, that is up to you by your underclothing that you select, particularly as you get into, say, romance scenes, but, at any point you can toggle the setting to be non-nudity and it will override your undergarments. 

KFM: Gotcha. This question comes from DarkGoddessEris. What are the companions’ ages? That was a question that actually came up a bunch, so I'm excited for somebody to be able to answer this one.

JE: Yeah,  I can take this one. So the companions in The Veilguard range anywhere from kind of early-mid twenties with Taash at the youngest, all the way up to Emmrich who is in his early fifties. The rest of the companions tend to be in their late twenties, early thirties, again though, they're all experts in their field, they're all people who have been through a lot, so even the ones that are at the younger end of the age spectrum, their experience, they've been through a tremendous amount by this point by the time you meet them, so, yeah. So I mean, I guess, Taash is the closest to Sera at early twenties, but they’re all in kinda that age range, so.

KFM: This next question I'll pitch to Corinne. How linear is the quest experience? Are there going to be side quests that you can stumble upon and resolve within areas or are you locked into a golden path?

CB: This is such a good one. Yeah, a lot of people have been asking about this so thank you to whoever submitted it. So the content in the game is a mix of directed, kinda like story quest missions, and then explorable content. Or you might say optional content. I don't even like calling it side content because it's a lot of fun, it's really good content. So to give you an idea, a lot of the main story quests are critical path missions if we want to call it that. They're very highly crafted. They're more linear than some of the other parts of the game, because we feel that’s how we can tell the best stories, give you a very intentionally-paced experience, y'know, with lulls and climaxes, so it really hits you. But that's only part of it. You're also gonna explore, fully explore a bunch of the locations in The Veilguard, so like, let me just lay a few on you: Arlathan Forest, Hossberg Wetlands, those are probably two of the biggest ones, the Crossroads - now we've seen Crossroads before in Trespasser, but this, isn't necessarily the Crossroads as you remember it. So you'll be able to explore this, this part of the Crossroads, and as you're there, you're absolutely gonna be discovering new areas, new quests, mysteries and new challenges. So exploration in the game is absolutely about player agency in these larger, less linear levels, and it's really an important part of the overall experience and core to our design. Now, as a player - and I'm just speaking for me personally - I'm the kind of player that wants to 100% every area. I want to go find all the optional quests, all the treasures, I wanna see that big 100% completed on my map. That's gonna take you quite a bit of time. So hopefully that answers the question. It is both.

KFM: I think that's a great answer, thanks, Corinne. This next one is from a user named Benedictus: Will we ever get the Venatori gear?

CB: Yeah, I can take that one as well. Venatori gear - so like, I'm assuming what we mean is for to like, wear on Rooks or on companions. Gosh, y'all, I'm gonna be honest - we really, really tried on that one. Hopefully you've seen in the videos our cloth sim, our hair sim, I think it's quite beautiful. The Venatori gear, generally we couldn't make that work to the quality we'd expect within combat. So, no you can't get most of the Venatori gear, but I will say there is a unique Venatori-themed helmet. I, I don't want to spoil what that is exactly, but, so, you can get a helmet, it is unique, it's pretty interesting and ties into some of the events that can happen in the game but I'm just gonna leave it there.

KFM: Gotcha. So, now we're getting into our first real minor spoiler question, so - consider yourself warned, do whatever you need to do, either listen or don't for the next, like, I don't know, minute. So this question is from Kala: Will there be any romanceable NPCs outside of the companions?

JE: I'll take this one. So, no - not this time. This time the romances for Rook are strictly within the companions. We wanted to really focus on those relationships and make sure that they were as developed and as deep as we could make them. And yet honestly and part of it - the other side of it is - Harding was a great example in DA:I, that was a character that as we were building the game, it really struck us, stuck out to us, this is a character that, actually, y'know, you see a lot, you build this very specific rapport with, and the writer, Sheryl, wanted to create that light romance with Harding. None of the characters in The Veilguard really jumped out to us in that same way as, this is a character we really want to build a relationship with, for Rook, but again, y'know, really focusing down on making sure the companion romances were as deep and meaningful as we could make them.

KFM: And this question is just for fun. So we're passed a spoiler, we'll get back into other spoilers in a bit, but this one's just for fun. We have so many cute, silly bird videos on the internet - Lucanis' Ninth Dagger, by the way, says that birds are their favorite animal - if you could just snap your fingers and a bird Easter Egg would be added for Assan, what would it be?

JE: Oh, that's a good question. So actually I'm gonna cheat, because I am trying to think of bird memes, or bird videos specifically, and I'm having a hard time, but, y'know, the thing about griffons is that they're half bird and also half lion, so I'm gonna go with a cat meme, say my favorite meme, and this is one that still brings me joy years after it came out, is the video of the cat grooving to the guy playing Finnish polka on the drum. Again, years old, I've loved - that's one of my favorite videos on the internet, so y'know, if we were gonna give Assan any kind of Easter Egg it would be that one.

KFM: I love that one - 

CB: You know, don't judge me on this, you're putting me on the spot here, but, the only thing I can picture in my head - y'all remember that video a few years back where the kid unleashes the rabbit into the field and then immediately that hawk comes down and snatches it up?

JE: Yes!

CB: Don't judge me, y'all! Don't judge me. But that's where my head goes.

JE: Oh, man.

CB: Assan just getting a little treat.

JE: I love that.

KFM: I love that.

JE: That's a great, that’s a great answer, Corinne. Fantastic.

KFM: So this next one is from a user named Ash. So Taash breathes fire, Lucanis has wings, Harding is a dwarf who has magic. A lot of our companions have some strange abilities - is this because the Veil is compromised?

JE: Oh, I'd say it's, I mean partially yeah. I mean, we've talked before about how over the course of the time since Dragon Age: Inquisition, I mean, it started at the end of Trespasser. The Veil's not in great shape. Corypheus already did a number on it, and Solas has very clearly, as you saw, in the [inaudible] preview, not been making things better in the intervening times. So, there is to some degree, y'know, I'll use Bellara as an example - Bellara's someone who's seeing these artifacts turn on, and being able to interface with them because there's all this magic that's coming back to the world through the torn Veil. Other characters though, I mean, you are recruiting people to stop the end of the world. You're recruiting extraordinary people, they're gonna have extraordinary abilities, and you know, someone like Davrin, a lot of his abilities are focused around Assan and the fact that he's got this partnership, this, almost, you know, familial bond with Assan, his griffon, so.

KFM: Can we get some Assans in the chat?

JE: I think I'm seeing a lot of Assans in the chat, so I think we're well covered there.

KFM: Me too.

KFM: Alright. This next one is for both of you, and I will say, another quick little spoiler, minor spoiler warning, depending on the way that either of you might want to answer this question. This is, of all the companions, who's the team's favorite and what companion was the most difficult to design?

JE: Ooh. I'm gonna cheat, I wrote Bellara so, I’m definitely not gonna say the companion I wrote because that would be weird, but I will say I loved the companion interactions so I'm gonna go with two of my favorite relationships that Bellara has within the team, friendships that she has within the team. So, Bellara and Lucanis start off as two characters who feel like they're from completely different worlds, their experience growing up was very different, where they lived, what they do, and over the course of the game, they kinda build this friendship over all these things that despite again - very different upbringings - they have a lot of things in common. They're both the, y'know, characters who just believe family is deeply important and that shows up in a lot of their interactions, a lot of, y’know, the way they talk to each other, they interact with each other, both within the Lighthouse but also out in the field. The other one - and this was one that came up organically as we were building the game - is Neve and Bellara and they, y'know, Bellara is a character who, y’know, despite being out in Arlathan is very big on stories, very big on - she finds - gets all the newspapers from Tevinter and she has kind’ve learnt who Neve is through that, and they build this very sisterly relationship that I love and that over the course of the game, I mean, we started out without this kind of as the intention, we started finding all these places that this can show up and it turned into, again, one of my favorite friendships that exists between the companions, so.

CB: Oh, that was such a good answer. Yeah, I think I might cheat as well, John, because, first of all, I don't want to speak on behalf of the entire team. So I'm gonna give you my two faves if that's alright. And I feel like y'all already know me on this. Every time we have a chance to talk about Taash and Emmrich I'm right there for it. I'd say they're probably my two favorites, but here's the thing y'all, here's why I love them so much. When you're out in the field like exploring, or on missions with them, their banter is so good, because they do not see eye-to-eye on necromancy, like, at all, and, it's really funny, it's really delightful, I love seeing how it evolves - so like, look - if you wanted a recommendation from me on like, banter in the field, you've got to hear Taash and Emmrich. Most difficult to design, let's touch on that really quickly. I, so, I'm gonna answer, but I don't want to say that like we put more effort into one versus another, but I would say the most challenging was probably Harding, just because you've probably seen if you saw some of the teaser footage, the pre-release trailer, we have teased some strange new powers for Harding, and when we do that we have to figure out how that layers into her combat kit, and when we onboard that, and, yeah it was an interesting challenge, it was a really fun one.

KFM: Awesome. Backing away from spoilers for a quick second, I'm going to ask this question to Corinne. With only two companions per party, as a Nightmare mode player, how can we balance not having a warrior in the team to tank? Will higher difficulty players be forced to bring Davrin or Taash for a melee instead of bringing the characters that we want?

CB: Oh super good - I was hoping this would come up, especially after we released the combat deep-dive for warrior trailer - hopefully y'all enjoyed that. So, let me start by telling you what's happening under the hood. Well, first of all, I'm not gonna bury the lede - you're not gonna have to bring a tank if you don't want to. But, let me first tell you what's happening under the hood, this is gonna be kind of high level, maybe we can go a little bit deeper when we have more time. Behind the scenes when you walk into an enemy encounter, we generally know how much pressure, or you could say intensity or aggression, we want to be putting on Rook to maintain that satisfying moment-to-moment experience. So to give you an idea of some of the levers we have for each encounter, that is the number of enemies that could be specifically focused on you versus your companions, how many enemies can be attacking at once, and even when you have multiple enemies coming at Rook, we have a ticketing system.

[text block character limit reached]

CB: And what that means is each enemy basically knows when it is allowed to attack or not. So, I tell you all that because basically when we're looking at the different types of classes and team compositions, those levers exist underneath the hood, so that we give you the most autonomy and flexibility, but also maintain that, that pressure, that engagement for you the player. So, a couple of other things on that. Now that you kinda get a sense of like what's happening under the hood, it is absolutely beneficial, but not required to have one of each class in your party. We did go into this with the goal of giving players more flexibility than perhaps we've seen in past entries. It's just a different approach. What we know is that players tend to get very attached to certain characters. If you've got your favorites, you oftentimes wanna bring them with you or if you're romancing a character, sometimes it's a feelbad to feel like you have to leave them behind because maybe they're the same class as you. So, the whole game is built and balanced around flexibility, and giving you the agency. So you can be successful, you can mix it up, but you gotta plan for it. So what, what do I mean by that? If you're not using teamwork, if you're not planning for your party composition for those synergies, it's definitely not gonna end super well. Right? Like, I've done no tank runs, but it takes some foresight in the strategy here. So I'll give you an example if you don't mind, I think I've been pretty out there that my favorite class and specialization right now - could change tomorrow - is the rogue Veil Ranger specialization. And this is very much a ranged archery-based specialization. So, I want to keep enemies at ranged, because I want to get those well-aimed critical hits, right, if those enemies are right up on top of me, I'm not gonna be able to do that. So if I don't have a tank in my party, a couple of the tools that I turn to - and I have done this, in fact, in my last playthrough I did this quite a bit - I might bring Bellara and use her Galvanic Tear, which pulls all the enemies towards like this really cool-looking gravity well and gets them off of me. I might instead use Neve's Time Slow. So the cool thing about this is it slows time for everything in the world except for you and your team, right? So I'm running away, I'm doing a Heavy Draw, getting those headshots, or making other tactical decisions. I could also turn to my rune loadout - hopefully y'all saw runes in the warrior combat deep-dive - that's an important part, especially if you're playing on Nightmare Mode, the strategic and tactical options that gives you, will allow you to overcome things like not having a tank. I think everyone may have saw the rune where you're doing a, basically an AoE freeze, and freezing everything in place. So it's kind of a long-winded answer, I'm sorry, it's complicated, but point is, is I think you're gonna have more flexibility in your build crafting and your synergies, but it's gonna depend on the strategy and composition that you feel works best for you and your own preferences. And then you did mention Nightmare, let me just finish with saying, and this is anecdotal, but in our own Nightmare playthroughs, we actually find that the most challenging aspect to plan around isn't necessarily aggro management, but making sure you have coverage on all the various elemental damage types. So, I just say this for anyone planning to go into Nightmare - plan well.

KFM: Staying on the topic of combat, it was noticed during the high-level combat videos that weapons and armor seem to be tied to different factions. Are there bonuses or something similar involved if Rook is a Grey Warden while using Grey Warden equipment? Are these removed if a Shadow Dragon Rook is using Grey Warden equipment? 

CB: Oh, interesting. You know, everyone went deep on that gameplay video, hey, I’m glad you noticed that. Yeah, so, to answer this, you're going to be working really closely with the factions in the game, right? Like the threat you’re up against is a world-ending threat so you’re going to interact with each of these factions. So that means that you’re gonna get a lot of the gear that that faction tends to use, and especially the stronger you help them become, the more gear you’ll have available from that faction. So when you see a piece of gear that has like the Veil Jumper icon on it, that signifies that it is aligned with that faction, but you can use it regardless of if that’s your faction background or not. All it means is that, you know, if I want to maybe improve it or get more gear in that vein, or that looks similar, I can see it’s from the Veil Jumpers, I’m going to go back to the Veil Jumper quartermaster, and that’s where I will find more items of that type or upgrade possibilities. But it also leans into the thematic identity. So, you know, I think in that video we were using the transmog system, but if I’m using a Veil Jumper gear like an armor, it’s gonna look like it was crafted by the Veil Jumpers, and it’s gonna lean into the mechanical themes of the Veil Jumpers as well, which, one of those themes tends to be lightning damage. Now, I will also say, and this is a little specific, but occasionally you will find gear, or even like skill nodes, that will occasionally be empowered, they’ll get stronger relative to your strength with that given faction. So like if you find a piece of gear that’s really core to your build, and it strengthens the stronger the Veil Jumpers are, like that gives you a pretty good signifier that maybe that’s a faction you wanna focus on.

CB: Katey, I don't know if you're still there.

JE: Yeah.

CB: Did we lose you?

[there is silence on KFM’s line]

JE: Ope.

CB: We may have lost Katey, y’all. 

JE: We can start, just, you know, let’s - 

CB: Yeah. Why don’t, why don’t, I do have the list of questions here so why don’t I ask the next one until Katey comes back. I hope everything’s okay on your side Katey. Alright. Next question I see, the Evoker description on the blog-post highlights ice-based magic. Does that mean we will not be able to have lightning- and fire-themed playstyles as the Evoker? No, no, absolutely not. The Evoker can lean into all of the elements, in fact, all mages can to a degree. You probably have seen the skill trees, you’re gonna pick up abilities, perks, traits, of all elemental types, and powering up those elements. So just because you’re an Evoker, doesn’t mean you’re like pigeon-holed into ice spells. What I will say is, if you’re heading towards that specialization, you’re gonna pass through the section of the skill tree where you’re more easily going to be able to naturally pick up those ice spells, right? So it might lean towards ice, but you can expand it. The name of the game is agency here.

JE: Corinne, why don’t I ask you the question so we can still kinda do a Q&A thing? CB: Yeah, that, that sounds good.

JE: Corinne, can I set the gear to look however I want without losing stats? And that is a question from YoCallMeRob.

CB: Alright, well, y’all know, fashion’s the true end game. So, we did confirm we have a full transmog system, so what I’m gonna do is spend some time going a little more in-depth for y’all, so that we’re getting new information. So yeah, if anyone’s not aware, transmog basically is, I have a piece of gear, but I apply an appearance to it that makes it look like something else that I like better so I can be fabulous. So, how this is gonna work is you’re of course gonna find gear as you adventure through the world, and you can equip that. But any piece of gear you find is also going to unlock the appearance for that gear. So you might find something that you really like, and you wanna look that way, and then you replace it, anything that you’ve already acquired, you can apply the appearance to whatever gear you want. Additionally, and this is one of my favorite parts, is, you’ll also find some appearance-only cosmetics that are specifically used just for transmog. So sometimes these are some of the fancier or more niche pieces of gear, maybe end up looking like a training dummy for instance. So you’ll get these appearance datas from opening treasure chests, exploring the world, and more frequently from vendors. So, look, if you’re in it for fashion, check out those vendor inventories because they got you. I would also say that you can transmog your casual wear, so field wear and casual wear, fully transmoggable. If you wanna be platemail while you’re hanging around the Lighthouse as a mage, more power to you. And then if I were just to give you a practical example of this, like on the Blood Dragon Armor, the pre-order bonus, those are cosmetics, those are just appearance datas, right, so they’re effectively evergreen, you can use them anytime you like without compromising your stats.

JE: I will say that I don’t think I’ve spent as much time in any other menu other than transmog, because as Corinne mentioned at the beginning of this, fashion is the true end-game, so. Katey, have we gotcha back yet?

JE: Katey, have we gotcha back yet?

KFM: Am I back? Can you hear me?

JE: Yay, you’re back. 

CB: Katey, we did our best Katey.

JE: Yeah.

CB: But I don’t think we were very impressive -

KFM: No, I think you both did a great job. It was one of those weird situations where Discord force-quit, but I could still hear everything everyone was saying. I don’t really know what that was about, but.

CB: I just assumed you didn’t like my answer.

KFM: Yeah, I rage-quit actually Corinne, it’s all your fault.

JE: Taken by the Fade.

KFM: No, thank you for taking over while I was figuring that out. There is a non-zero chance that that happens again, so just keep an eye out. 

JE: We’ll keep an eye out for it, we gotcha.

KFM: Thank you.

KFM: So I’ll just pick it up from the next question. The latest, latest - wow, I can’t even talk anymore - video series mentioned how each companion can set up or detonate specific combos. Are those always set in stone or would we get opportunities to change it up, through the skill-trees or otherwise? 

CB: Cool, cool, cool. I eat up these really specific combat questions. So first, let me give you an overview of how the primer-detonator relationship works between the classes. Like, this is very nitty-gritty y’all, if this is your jam, get your pencils out. So here’s the overview. Mages, and this whether, this is true of companions and Rook, mages apply weakened and overwhelmed debuffs, and those are two of the debuffs we call primers. Magers detonate the sundered debuff. Then if we go to rogues, rogues apply weakened and sundered debuffs, and rogues detonate overwhelmed. Warriors apply sundered and overwhelmed, and warriors detonate weakened. So you can see, kinda the interesting rock-paper-scissors relationship there. And when I talk about it as beneficial to bring one of each class? It’s just the inherent nature of that rock-paper-scissors relationship that I’m really thinking of. But, to answer your question, that is just the baseline, that is the default if you don’t modify it. Throughout the game, you will find opportunities, whether it’s from gear, skill-tree nodes, even runes, that allow you to break this paradigm. So when it comes to your companion builds, again it all comes down to the abilities you choose, what gear you’re equipping them with, how you allocate your skill points. Yeah, does that answer the question? There’s quite a bit of flexibility but there is a baseline paradigm as well.

KFM: Yeah, I think that answers the question.

KFM: Let’s see. The next one is, will we see a bit more the Lighthouse before release, as well as non-combat gameplay?

CB: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. We’ll keep it brief here because we are gonna be talking more about exploration and the Lighthouse next month, so forgive me, but I’ll say stay tuned on that one.

KFM: Alright. Then, this next one I believe is a little bit of a spoiler. I know that some people have, can’t hear me still for some reason, if you can’t, tell folks to quit Discord and rejoin it, but -

CB: Okay, minor spoiler y’all, if you can’t hear Katey, this one’s a minor spoiler.

KFM: Yes. Thanks Corinne. This one is, will we be able to give gifts to our companions, either generic or plot-specific?

CB: Yeah, you sure can! I actually wanna shout-out one of our lovely designers, Dusty. This was a passion project from him. He was advocating for this. So, the cool thing about this is, it’s not like a transactional thing, like where I’m gonna go farm a bunch of like nonsensical items and just like, mechanically turn them over. Out in the world, and there in various locations, so you kinda stumble upon them, you can buy a gift that is very personal to any one of the companions, and then you go, you turn that into them, you give it to them, they have a nice acknowledgement. And then, the thing that’s just like so sweet about it, we’ve talked about how the companion rooms evolve over time, but if you go and get them one of these, like, very personalized gifts, they’ll display it in their room. Like it doesn’t go into some stats void. It’s actually on display.

KFM: I love that.

KFM: This next question, I'll pitch it to John. Some of our companions like Neve, Emmrich and Lucanis have been in past short stories and comics and there's also a passing resemblance to some of the old concept art from years ago. What is the process like for making a character at some point and then planning to bring them back as a companion, or were they always written or designed and intended to be companions?

JE: Alright, that's a great question, and it's actually one I'm gonna go a little deep on. So, as we build the game, as we start writing companions we see how they fit in the story, see how they fit together. Some characters have been around, some character concepts have been around for quite some time, others come in a little bit later in development as we realise we have a gap, you know, something in the story that we need someone, who makes sense to fill that gap, to be that character. But part of it’s also just as the writers we want to make sure that the people who are writing these companions are passionate, and they're writing a character they want to write. We don't want to just say "we need X, Y and Z. Write a companion to fill these gaps", but it'll be "hey, in this story, it really doesn't make sense that we don't have somebody, ah, doing X, is there a character we can build for that?" And so, y'know, you'll see the old concept art and a lot of those concepts, y'know, a lot of those, kinda the core of those characters remains intact, we may have changed details of them, we may have decided "okay, they were going to be X but now Y makes a little bit more sense" - Or as a writer I'm a little bit more interested in why, y’know, what, this particular concept speaks to me more. In terms of comics, short stories and such, generally speaking - and this isn't universal - but generally speaking, writers are writing these short stories in particular, it’s a volunteer, we ask the team, like, "hey, does anyone - we've got this short story anthology, who wants to write something for it?”, so writers are going to pick characters that they're passionate about and in those cases they tend to be their companions, so for example. You know, Neve’s shown, is mentioned. Neve, Emmrich, Lucanis have all shown up. Those were written by people who are passionate about those characters and we had already intended for them to be companions. Other characters, though - I mean, and Harding is an excellent example - we create a character to fill a role. In the case of Harding, she was in Inquisition largely to be there to kind of connect those exploration spaces together and give you a sense of the Inquisition’s presence, and then we saw the fan reaction, but beyond that, Sheryl really wanted to explore Harding's arc more deeply, so she got promoted to be a companion as well, so, yeah, I mean, it's an organic process, and I mean again, it comes down to, we want to make sure the people who are building these characters, ah, not just the writers but also the artists, y'know, the cinematic designers, the editors, y'know, the gameplay people, are excited to build these characters. And you know, and actually, I'm gonna go a little bit side topic on that. Bellara's a great example where we knew what Bellara wanted to be, needed to be in the story, but gameplay-wise it took a bit to kinda land on how her gameplay and her character arc and who she was melded together. Y'know, Corinne’s talked earlier about the companions and how they show up in gameplay. A really big thing for us on this project is making sure that the gameplay reflects the characters, their arc and their personality as much as possible, so. Yeah, kind’ve a long answer to say, it depends, but yeah, generally if they show up, especially in something like a short story, we’ve already intended for them to be a companion because, those are the characters that people, the writers are most passionate about, so.

KFM: I love that.

KFM: Apart from wanting to try different classes, what are the main incentives for multiple playthroughs now that, now that stuff seems more overall universal, to be attempted all in a single playthrough. Are there choices presented freely - are there choices presented that are impactful, that wildly different outcomes will come from, while - wow, wow, wow, let me start that one again. I think it’s just, I’m reading it straight off the sheet. 

JE: No worries.

KFM: I'll start from the top. Apart from wanting to try different classes, what are the main incentives for multiple playthroughs now that stuff seems more universal, to be attempted all in a single playthrough? Are there choices that are impactful and wildly different, and different outcomes and decision paths?

JE: So, I mean, there's a few incentives, one of which, is, and I mean, the most basic is, the three classes from a gameplay perspective do play differently and, you know, I’ve, it’s funny, Corinne was talking about how her favorite is the Veil Ranger but that might change. Mine literally changes every time I play, I start a new playthrough, I develop a new favorite class, which is the class I'm currently playing. But more generally, yeah there are choices in the game, there are different outcomes, there’s content that does, that you will see or won't see based on choices you make both within the critical path of the game but also with the followers themselves so, y'know. You're not going to see everything in a single playthrough, you're not even going to see everything necessarily in a couple of playthroughs, but, y'know, you want to see how your choices have different outcomes, that's the best way to do it. 

KFM: This question is - I understand mages having very magical-looking moves, but why do rogues and warriors also have very magical-looking moves? Was making every class look like a mage a purposeful choice? 

CB: Cool, cool, cool. So it's a multi-part answer, but yes, everything we've done has been with intention towards supporting the overall player experience. So I guess the first place I'd go to answer this is from a game-tuning and balance perspective. We knew that supporting multiple damage types like physical, fire, electric etc, that was gonna be an important factor in the strategic depth of the combat system, particularly as it leans into builds and the strategies you'd use to take on various enemies. It’s not the extent of it, but it's an important part of it. So that meant that making sure the various classes in some capacity have access to some or all of these damage types. And that then means that we need to make them read visually as such on the battlefield. So the first part is about making sure you have those strategic options on the battlefield. But there is more to it than that I'd say, we also found - and I've heard this from a lot of you, that some of our magical hybrid classes have been amongst the favorites. My goodness the discourse around Knight Enchanter - 

JE: M-hm -

CB: - So this felt like a very thematic way for us to support that goal if that makes sense, the goal of game balance but also leaning into the things that seem to resonate the most. If I was to just focus on the Warriors out there for a minute though, because we just released the warrior deep dive, we've actually long had a goal within the team of making them more visually interesting and impactful. We know, and I’ve heard from a bunch of you that warrior, y'know, tends not to be peoples’ first choice, but hey, any of the warrior fans out there - big props to you, because I love them, too. So this was like our chance, really, to show what a warrior can do, to make them feel like they have a presence on the battlefield that could be as interesting as some of the other classes, but I will say, I absolutely recognize that there are those of you that like, if you're playing a melee class, you even want a pure, like, physical-based warrior aesthetic, maybe something that's a little more grounded, you can generally make a build that's more physical-focused if that’s more your taste.

KFM: In addition to playing the first three games, what comic books or novels do you recommend reading before playing The Veilguard?

JE: Oh, that's a great question. I mean, generally speaking, one of the things we wanted to make sure with The Veilguard was that players could get into the story, understand what was going on without needing to, y'know, get into the ancillary material. I love the comics, I love the novels, I love the short stories, but they are intended to be kinda side content. One of the things that we hear loud and clear is sometimes folks don't really want that to feel like I need to have read this, I need to have seen this comic, I need to have watched that show for it to make sense. That said, I’d say The Missing, the most recent comic series. is a very clear lead-up to the beginning of The Veilguard, it's setting up events, it’s kinda setting up, y'know, Varric and Harding's search for Solas, it sets up some of the characters that you'll see in the game. Tevinter Nights is another one, not - we mentioned earlier that some of the companions show up there. Beyond just the companions, there’s some thematic stuff that comes out of that as well, some things that we kinda wanted to set up when we wrote those short stories, like, giving you an idea of what the worldstate is, how things have changed over time, and then I’d say, you know, more very recently, we have the podcast, Vows & Vengeance, which is intended to give you a taste of the companions and also, again, talk about the worldstate of Thedas at this point, you know, giving you kind’ve the lead-up to weeks before the events of the Veilguard, so you do have that sense of what’s going on, who are these people, and how, you know, when I first meet them in The Veilguard, you kinda have an idea of who they are. Again, though, this is all stuff that I think enhances the experience, but it’s not required, there’s never going to be, we’re never gonna put you in a situation where a character shows up and, you know, everyone makes a big deal out of it, and you’re sitting there wondering like, who, who is this person? Because they were introduced in other media. We always wanna make sure that you understand, that the only thing that you need to have done to understand The Veilguard is play The Veilguard, so.

KFM: Awesome. Also, yes, Vows & Vengeance is so good, so definitely, you know, give it a chance. The first episode is out now. I think a lot of people in the Vows & Vengeance Discord server, Discord channel are, are really stoked about it.

KFM: This next question. Will we be able to adjust how much damage the companions do in the accessibility settings?

CB: Yeah, so our customized difficulty, and accessibility settings as well, they’re more focused on how you the player experience the game while in control of Rook. So, things like enemy health, timing, things of that nature. So not in the settings, no, but if you really wanna be that kind of player that wants to amp up your companions, like have them do a greater share of the overall damage, there’s a number of ways to accomplish this. You’ll get gear that just strictly says, your companions do more damage. And then there are some unique buffs we support like Rally Party, so you as Rook can trigger this surge in your companions’ ability. So, again, we know how diverse the motivations are within the player-base, so we wanted to make sure those tools were there for y’all.

KFM: So now we’re getting back into spoiler territory. There’s minor spoilers, but, you know, definitely, take heed, for the next couple of minutes if you don’t wanna hear them. Okay, we ready? Will we finally meet Maevaris Tevani in Tevinter?

CB: Oh my goodness, y’all. Alright, you got the spoiler warning, so when I talk about cameos and appearances, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Okay, this one’s very near and dear to my heart as a trans woman myself, I’m pretty open about that. Yeah, yeah, our dear Mae, she’s in the game, happy to confirm it, and I am, every time I see her I absolutely freak out. What I’m not gonna tell you though is what role or capacity she plays, so you’re just gonna have to wait and see. But Maevaris Tilani, she’s in.

KFM: I am living for chat right now. Like, I try not to look at it too much during these, because it’ll distract me, but I’m living for chat right now.

KFM: This next one is also a minor spoiler. Will we find out what happened to Lucanis' parents, for his grandmother to have had charge of him?

JE: Yeah, so I mean, Lucanis is an Antivan Crow. If you know anything about the Antivan Crows you know that they are, well, assassins, and assassins tend to have fairly deadly politics, and the daggers are a lot more literal than you would see somewhere like Orlais, so. That’s all I’m gonna say. You’ll find out, you’ll find out at some point for sure.

KFM: We’re doing a great job at not giving too much away.

KFM: Do we get any jealousy dialogues from any of the companions if you switch up your romance plans partway through? Are any of the romances hard-locked at any point?

JE: Yeah so, you can, I mean, once, there is an opportunity, or there is a place in a romance where you essentially commit to it being exclusive. And we really wanted to make sure that, A), we were very up front about the fact that you were committing to an exclusive romance at that point, and before that, it is portrayed as, you’re flirting, you’re kind’ve, you know, figuring out each other. So, not, there’s no jealousy dialogues, but there are - places where you commit, and we wanted to be very clear to fans. There’s also going to be a place, because I think I’m reading this right, where, there’s a point in the story where if you haven’t committed, if you haven’t said like, yeah, let’s, let’s, you know, I’m in for it, I’m up for this, let’s do this, where you no longer have that opportunity. We’re very clear about what that point is, because again, we don’t want people to be missing out on a romance, to think like, I’ve got some time, you know, I really wanna romance Neve, but, I’ve got a little, and then find out that no, in fact, you don’t have anymore time, so. 

KFM: Are class specializations locked to a particular faction, or can Rook only learn a specialization from a particular faction, like through a faction trainer?

JE: So, the specializations are a lot more thematically tied to the factions than they are a strict, you must be X faction, you must get it from this person. You know, for example, I’ll use the Veil Ranger is all themed, as Corinne said earlier, around electricity, around the use of the Veil, around the use of that kinda magic. So while they are thematically tied, there is no, you must be a Crow to be a Spellblade for example, and part of that is because, while we do like having that connection between gameplay and, you know, roleplay, we also don’t want you to feel like, well, I really wanted to be a Spellblade, but I also really want to be a Grey Warden. We don’t want those two things, sometimes we want gameplay to influence narrative, but we never want you to feel restricted by one against the other, if that makes sense.

KFM: Yeah, definitely

CB: Katey, can I go off-script really quickly?

KFM: Of course.

CB: Alright, so I saw someone post in chat, “okay, poly next time, though”. Let me just say, I cannot make promises, I cannot, but I’m with you. I’m with you. 

KFM: I love it. Anytime you wanna address anything that’s happening in chat, by all means.

JE: Oh, shit, copy that.

KFM: I mean, don’t go too crazy. Alright.

KFM: This next question is from Que Sera Sera. Will we be able to change the font size in the UI, subtitles etc?

CB: I can take that one. So, quick reminder, we are gonna do a deeper dive as we get closer to launch on accessibility settings, but let me just answer this one. Yeah, yeah you absolutely can. There are limits of course, but as a fellow person who often has to squint, I’m 42 y’all, my eyes are starting to go. I can play comfortably, I suspect most players will be able to play comfortably.

KFM: Will there be a way to save characters we make so we don't have to start from scratch each time?

CB: Heck yeah, you absolutely can. We, I mean, look, all of you playing Inquisition, you’re still sharing your OC and your characters ten years on. We know how much you love it, so yeah, yeah, absolutely. I do wanna have a, some caveats here though. So, it’s when you’re in the character creator, you can import the character appearance, it’s just gonna be the appearance data, from an existing save of yours. So when I say an existing save, just let me put a very fine point on it, that save has to be local to the machine. Remember, we’re an offline game, there’s no online character sharing built in. But for those of you that like, your OC, are very near and dear to your heart and every time you replay you like to have the same character, and you’ve spent hours and hours and hours working on it, yeah, you can import that.

JE: We saw how many of you were saving screenshots of sliders in DA:I, and that was not a great experience, as we’re well aware, so.

KFM: This next one is, are companion quests going to focus on internal factors or external personal events? Like will it be a growth in character and self-discovery, or are they firmly-rooted in their sense of self and will ask for/need help with their factions, interpersonal relationships, etc?

JE: So that’s a great, another great question. It’s a mix of both. I mean, each companion has their own personal arc over the course of the game. You know, you go on missions with them, you solve problems with them and the nature of those problems, you know, it’s, the problems are a lot, often-times very external in nature, you know, something’s happening that they need help with, but most of the time those problems are also tied to their own personal growth as a character. Again, you know, we really want to make sure that players feel invested in these characters, feel invested in their stories. And we also want to show that these characters do grow over the course of The Veilguard, this is, there aren’t characters that remain completely static from moment one to the end-game. These are characters who grow, and you help them grow. They’re still, their problems are still not going to like, they’re not sitting there saying, well, Rook, you need to do everything for me, but you are, you’re intended to be the leader of this group, but also, you can be their friend and help them with things that, their challenges, so. Yeah, I mean, it’s, it’s a mix of both, we really just, it comes down to the individual character and there is a lot of nuance in that answer I think too.

KFM: This next question from XenoGabby is a minor spoiler, so you’ve been warned once again. The question is, is Lucanis possessed?

JE: So, again, spoilers, everyone has been warned, fairly warned. So Lucanis Dellamorte is also known as The Demon of Vyrantium. And, he has spent a lot of time killing Venatori, who are mages, and who do know a lot about demons, so. Yeah, somebody decided that it might be a good idea to make that nickname stick.

KFM: And this next one, from a user named Crom, is there reactivity towards the specialization that you chose? Like some people might trust more Champions, or maybe freak, others will freak out with Death Callers or Reapers? 

CB: Yeah, what a good question, so, in general the reactivity is reserved for things that aren’t necessarily likely to change, things that can create a throughline that we can keep building and building upon, so like your faction, your lineage, your class, your choices. So that keeps a consistent narrative thread with those elements, and then we can assume that thread continues from A to B. So the answer is no, they don’t react to your specialization, but in part that’s because you can full refund, you can respec at any time, you might a Death Caller one moment and another specialization on the next encounter.

KFM: And, this next question. You mentioned encountering companions on their own missions in the world. If I keep my party mostly the same, does that mean that I miss out on their side missions, or are they unavailable to be picked up during that time? 

CB: Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, you’re, you have all the tools that you’re not gonna miss out on quests based on who’s in your party. How would I answer this - so, there are certain plot elements that can change what quests are available to you, and in some cases, some quests that you might have in your journal can actually expire based on choices and how you advance the plot. So there are ways that quest content gets cut off, or alters. But in general you have the visibility and the tools so that you won’t miss out on it. I can give you a couple of examples, that might be helpful. So when you meet companions out in the world, there’s kinda like a couple of different ways that they can show up. In a recent playthrough, I was exploring Hossberg Wetlands. It was technically for a quest that should’ve been more oriented towards Davrin, but I didn’t have him in my party, and as I got close to the objective, he showed up with Assan and helped me clear the path forward. The other way this will happen, I was out in Arlathan, actually doing, on my way to do a main story mission, and I get to the far reaches of Arlathan Forest, and I already knew that Taash wanted to help me with some of the challenges of that arc. Well, Taash is right there waiting for me, so I actually chose to instead like, ah, Taash seems impatient, I’m gonna actually jump on that story arc right now instead of what I intended to do, so. Just some examples of the way that as you’re journeying through this world, opportunities are gonna show up, but they allow you just to express more agency, you’re generally not going to miss them.

KFM: Awesome. This next one is, minor spoiler, you’ve been warned. This next question is from Tazaba. What's the difference between the Veil Jumper faction and the Veil Ranger Specialization?

CB: Yeah, okay, so, yeah we just wanted to kinda flag this as a spoiler, just because there might be assumptions about how you take on specializations in this game. So John touched on this a little bit already, but specializations really represent the training and fighting styles used by a given faction. As John mentioned, you do not have to be a Veil Jumper to choose a specialization that’s associated with the Veil Jumpers. You’ve just been around them, you’re aware of their techniques, and you wanna take that on yourself. So, in this particular case, and I get the confusion because Veil Jumper and Veil Ranger sound very similar. If I’m playing as a rogue, using the Veil Ranger specialization, all that means is I’m fighting in the style of the Veil Jumpers, like they do, with bow and arrow, typically with electric damage, that sort’ve thing. So just, to be super clear, it’s not required that you have to play a Veil Jumper in order to be a Veil Ranger.

KFM: This next question is, where is the equator in Thedas, or the planet Thedas is on, relative to places we’ve explored?

JE: That is a great question. So, I will say that, you know, it’s funny until I saw this question, it’s not something I’d ever thought a lot about, but as I started thinking about it a little bit more deeply, based on how the climate changes across Thedas, you know, obviously, to the south are the Avvar and things get a little bit more wintry, and then up north is a lot more tropical, I’d say that Thedas is a southern continent on this world, so.

KFM: Are there any main story missions that require you to use a specific companion? Kinda similar to a previous question.

CB: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, there are a few, yes, again, in the warrior deep dive, I’m not gonna describe it, just in case anyone, you know, didn’t wanna have spoilers, you can see that a companion was required for that. However, that’s the exception rather than the rule. In general, we try to give players the agency to bring who they want for these moments. There are these times where a companion, either their faction or their story arc is so closely tied or intersects with the events of a main story mission that they do become required, but it’s not the standard. And then of course, in general, if you’re doing your companions’ arcs, those are the moments where they’re more than likely gonna be required.

KFM: Will we be - 

CB: It's pretty flexible, like if, if you’re worried about like, every mission I go through, like am I gonna have someone that is gonna be mandated? Generally not.

KFM: Sorry, I almost talked over you there Corinne, my bad.

KFM: This next question is, will we be able to pause cutscenes? Will there be any kind of dialogue history to look back on if we miss what was said? 

JE: So, you can pause every cutscene in the game. Obviously, life happens, you know, somebody, maybe you’re cat’s, you know, just to use an example that definitely doesn’t happen to me regularly, my cat might be throwing up in the next room and I need to find a way to get her off the carpet and on to, you know, not the carpet, so you can pause any cutscene, and conversation. There is no dialogue history at the moment unfortunately, and that’s not something, we did look into it but it’s just based on how the dialogue is structured and how it’s built in this game, that’s not something that we are going to have unfortunately. 

KFM: I saw somebody say “cat vomiting is so real”, and I agree, sometimes when I’m playing games, my dog decides to do something insane.

KFM: So, this next question is, since companions can get into relationships with each other, is there a mechanic behind which companions get together? Can a companion leave due to your world decisions, and if so, will their partners leave with them?

JE: I’m gonna answer half this question, the other half is a spoiler that we’re not gonna get into right now. Companions, there is not actually a mechanic behind the companions getting together. We never wanted it to feel like a mechanical thing, and obviously, different companions are gonna have different attractions. One of the fun things is, as you’re going through, especially if you’re not flirting with one of the companions, you can see these relationships starting to develop, and the thing that actually allows them to, you know, completely develop is, generally committing to another relationship, or, you know, not being engaging, not engaging in a romance with those companions at all. So, yeah, I mean, there’s not a mechanic, it’s just what we felt made the most sense and, I think that’s honestly one of my favorite things about the companions is, they’re all written to feel like real people with real preferences and real, you know, attractions. So beyond just romances, they also develop friendships and even rivalries with each other, because of these, them feeling like these characters that exist outside of just the game, so. 

KFM: Awesome.

KFM: This question is all about Davrin. Hildrana would love to know more about Davrin. What’s his personality like, what kind of hobbies or things does he like, and what his relationship with Assan is like?

JE: So Davrin is one of my favorite, I mean, I say one of my favorite characters, honestly I love all seven companions so it’s challenging for me to say which. But Davrin is stern, thoughtful and considerate though, he has a soft side for sure. You see that develop over time as he starts to warm up to the other companions. He has, you know, a kindness to him that is brought out in particular by certain companions, and also a strong sense of pride and when he develops a rivalry with some of the companions. So there’s that sense of, he knows who he wants to be, he knows who he is, and a lot of his arc is making that journey. In terms of how he relates to Assan, you know, his relationship over, evolves over time, I’m not gonna get too deep into spoilers because there are spoilers for that in his quest. The other interesting thing about, about Davrin, and this shows up, we’ve talked about this before. He’s a monster hunter. He’s not just a Warden who sees fighting monsters as, you know, just part of the job. He believes in turning this into a skill-set that he alone, you know like, he has more than anyone else. Learning how to defeat monsters, learning their weaknesses, and that does show up a lot in his character arc, so.

KFM: This next question came through our askbox on Tumblr, so shoutout the BioWare Tumblr. Rosered is asking why do elves seem to not like wearing shoes? Is there a lore reason behind it? Are they not afraid of getting frostbite or stepping in something gross?

JE: So the shoeless elves thing is in part a, it’s a, Dalish are very close to nature, they walk, go around shoeless, in large part, to become closer to nature. It’s part of their culture, it’s part of who they are. But, you know, especially, and it’s not true of every Dalish clan, the Dalish are a tremendously widely-spread and widely-varied people, so. For example, Bellara does not go around shoeless. She wears boots. She’s climbing around on ancient ruins, walking through maybe a shattered eluvian, or a place where eluvian’s shattered, it’s a great way to get your feet sliced up on the hard rocks and on the hard glass. And in general Veil Jumpers are a little bit more, where they go and what they do really requires a lot more care and a lot more protection, so. I mean you’ll notice in Bellara’s visual design but also in the visual design of the other Veil Jumpers, they’re very practically minded, they know that what they’re doing is dangerous, and, you know, and, again, not every Dalish clan goes round shoeless, so.

KFM: ZJ wants to know, do all companions have aesthetic changes when in the Lighthouse and outside of the Lighthouse?

CB: Amazing. Yeah, yeah, they absolutely do. So, just like Rook, each of the companions has what we refer to as their casual wear. This is how they look in their downtime, their more relaxed moments. It’s definitely different from how they look headed into battle. And I’ll tell you this. If Emmrich’s casual wear doesn’t send you, I just don’t know what to tell you.

KFM: I’ve got a fun one coming up. Do they companions have favorite foods, and if so, what are they?

JE: Oh I love this one, so they do. Each of them does have favorite foods. It’s funny, I’d say that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is probably the most we’ve talked about food in a context of Dragon Age, ever. But yeah, I mean, you know, some of them are a little bit more, you know, they have simpler tastes, and in large part that’s because that’s what they’re used to or what they can cook. We talked, I’m gonna actually give a little bit of a, I don’t know if I consider this a spoiler, but maybe if you’re really sensitive to spoilers you don’t wanna listen to this last part. We’ve talked about how there’s people on the team who are better cooks and people on the team who maybe don’t have necessarily the skill-set, who could burn water. So one of the things I really love is, you know, Bellara and Lucanis actually end up being, essentially, the team cooks. Bellara, you know, spending a lot of time out in nature, learning a lot about, you know, different types of cooking, is really big on experimentation, she likes to, you know, try different things. Lucanis comes from the Crows, Lucanis is very big on the finer things, so between the two of them, there’s a point in the story where they basically decide, if we don’t do this, the entire team is going to starve, so let’s just call ourselves the cook, cooks, and make sure that nobody dies of food poisoning, so.

KFM: This next one, I believe we actually might’ve even touched on this in the first Q&A, but, Trev has noticed a lack of dwarves in our promotional material concerning Rook. Inquisition had them sharing facial hair options with humans. So their question is, will dwarves return to more braided, grander beards, or will the facial hair options be shared like previously?

CB: Yeah, we did touch on this briefly, so let me go a little bit deeper. Yeah, there are some grander dwarven beards, like braids, beads woven in, it’s really lovely and really thematic. And y’all have seen our Strand hair, how great that looks, I think it looks just as great for the beards. And I do know, we’re gonna, at some point leading up to launch, we are gonna be showing some dwarf Rooks. So, let’s see if we can’t get some beard options on display there. It actually really was quite the challenge to get the physics to work with all the armor variance we have on those beards. So I’ll tell you what y’all. The team loves hearing from you. Would it be okay if I just asked in chat, could we get some love for our character art and tech anim teams because they put their heart and soul into make sure this would work for y’all. 

JE: It is, it is incredible how good the beards look, like, it just, they did, the work that they’ve done is just spectacular.

CB: Aw y'all are too kind. And then I guess just to finish up this question, we try and let you use as many options as the character creator has for any character you wanna create. So we definitely created bears in mind that are more dwarven in nature. You can use that on a qunari if you want, or you can use a more traditional human beard on a dwarf if you want, but your options are there. Aw, y’all are lovely, thank you so much.

KFM: So we didn't tag this next one as a minor spoiler. I don’t think that it is. But, definitely want to flag it anyway. Will the Solavellans have a chance at a happy ending?

JE: Corinne, I’m gonna let you do this one. 

CB: Oh my goodness, this is the question. Look! I mean, I thought y’all wanted the pain? Didn’t you tell me you wanted the pain, that tortured romance that rips your heart out? Honestly though, I just wouldn’t feel right about spoiling anything there. I’ll just say this, I’ll just say this. Trick has done a fantastic job with Solas, they always do, this is some of ther best work I think. And then I’ll also say, as, for myself as the resident shipper on the leadership team, I’m repping y’all, but that’s all I’m gonna say.

KFM: That’s definitely what I meant by, not really a spoiler, but some people might’ve thought that in the beginning.  

KFM: Okay, next question is, since you can choose to be part of the same faction for most of the companions, will that give you an advantage when trying to befriend them?

JE: So you will get some unique dialogue with the companions that are part of your own faction. The first time you meet them, they may not all know you by face, but they’ve at least heard of you, I’ve heard of who you are, maybe even heard of you leaving the faction to go help Varric to track down Solas. But that said, you know the faction, you don’t necessarily as people. So they will know you but you still have to work to earn their trust and learn, you know, get them, help them with their problems.

KFM: Next question is, will there be more connections between the Veilguard? Like will we see them hanging out together without out us?

JE: Oh, I love this one. Yeah, I mean, honestly, I think I’ve said this twice already, but my favorite thing is how much the companions feel like a, end up feeling like a found family. They’re invested in each others problems, you know they’re, invested in each others’ success and failures, and this manifests through a bunch of different ways. Scenes, banter, even interactions in the Lighthouse itself. Because one of the things that I think is important, I know Corinne also thinks is super important, these worlds, these games feel the best when they don’t feel like they’re there as a theme-park just for you, just to exist for Rook as a protagonist. These are characters that have relationships, have, you know, things going on that don’t necessarily directly involve Rook all the time. They have their own relationships, their own feelings, and we really want them to feel like their own people, and feel like they do exist outside of just the sphere of Rook. So, you know, they’ll follow, you’re the one leading this fight, but the companions don’t just exist for you.

KFM: So this next one is a real minor spoiler warning. Will the companions have interactions with Solas? I imagine the companions will comment on Rook’s decisions regarding Solas, but was wondering if the potential relationship between Solas and the companions will play any part?

JE: Oh, this is a good question. So a lot of Solas’ relationship is with Rook. Rook and Solas have a connection, they have a bond, and part of that is, and I’ve said this before, but Solas sees a lot of himself in Rook. He sees, you know, the person, you know the person he was before, the person he thinks he is, in Rook, and becomes, you know, again, we, they develop a connection. You get to flavor how it is, you can make it more antagonistic, make it friendlier, but ultimately it is a connection between the two of you. Now, that said, the companions are much a part of Rook’s story as Solas is, and sometimes those relationships can cross over, as well as, there are followers who, you know, are going to have a more complicated connection and complicated relationship with just, Solas as an entity, you know, Bellara, for example, is an elf, she’s Dalish, and this a person from her pantheon, so. There’s going to be a lot more of a, I guess, like I said, complex relationship between the two of them. Davrin is another example, someone else who is Dalish, so, you know, their views on the gods in general are going to be a little bit different. And then on the other side,you have someone like Emmrich who is very big on magic and the Fade, so they’ll have their own [inaudible] and their own thoughts. 

KFM: Before I get to this next question I do wanna say we’ve got about a fifteen minute warning, we’ve got about fifteen minutes left, so we’ll get through as many questions as we can in that time. And with that said, our next one is, and, I feel like we might have actually touched on this one earlier, but, keep me honest. Would it be possible to hide some of the combat UI, such as companion trackers and enemy HP bars, for even more immersion? 

CB: Yeah, good question. It’s actually, it’s reasonably robust what you can do with your UI. So let me give you some examples. If, normally when you hit an enemy you’ll see damage floaties come off of it. If you wanna turn those off, you can. If you want to play without, say, the minimap or the wayfinding markers, have a more organic experience, you can. I challenged myself to do a, it was really difficult to do a really difficult run where I turned off my own health bar, you can do that too. And then, I know one of them that a lot of people have been asking about is, we do have the incoming attack indicators, that just help you react. But, if you’re the kind’ve player that wants to turn those off, cut down on the noise, yeah, you can do that too, so. You know, I can’t say that we support every single option that you might have in mind, but it’s reasonably robust. 

KFM: And then, another, just small, minor spoiler, you’ve been warned yet again, is there lock-picking in the game?

CB: Oh gosh lock-picking, notorious lock-picking. Well let me answer it this way. I think the approach we took in The Veilguard is that each companion has a unique, what we’re calling, exploration ability, or abilities, that you can use to solve puzzle, access new areas and find treasure. So, like in that regard it’s not actually dissimilar to lockpicking, it’s just that it is more thematic to the companions and their unique skill-sets within The Veilguard. It’s very specialized, I guess you could say. And, look, I’ve been there when you’re playing and you feel like you have to take a rogue, otherwise you’re not gonna be open the lockpick chests. Some players like that, some players dislike it, but the option that we wanted to give to y’all is that, you know, we did say this is a spoiler right? We did, yeah. So Rook does find a certain dagger and through it a method to channel these exploration abilities of their companions, even when the companion is not in your party. So like, look, if I’m exploring Hossberg, and there’s a puzzle and I know how to solve it, like I’m not running all the way back to like a party swap-point, you can just use the dagger.

KFM: This is not a spoiler, and it is actually something we confirmed a little bit earlier in the Q&A, but it doesn’t hurt to be clear. Can we freely reallocate or refund skillpoints?

CB: Yeah, so we’ve confirmed this, I’m just gonna keep it brief, yes, absolutely. Refund all, refund last, no cost. It’s an entirely friendly refund system. Go experiment, and then let me know what you do.

KFM: Will the acts be broken down into acts or stages at all? Mainly wondering for like spoiler discussion purposes, while they’re all playing and wanting to talk to one another about it?

JE: So while we don’t officially within the game say this is this act, this is the next act, there are some pretty obvious narrative breakpoints where the context changes, or there is, you know, events that make it clear that things are now advancing into a different stage. That’s now, to be clear, that’s largely around the critical path. Other content can largely be done at any time, but even there we do unlock certain things over the course of time, because, again, it makes, it maybe doesn’t make narrative sense in the context of, say, an earlier act, but now, you know, you’re into act two, it feels a lot more meaningful and makes a lot more sense in the world. You can do a lot of content in any order, but the critical path is largely broken into acts.

KFM: Now, I think this next question might be the most important question we can answer. A user by the name of doggiesnores says, would you please tell me happy birthday? 

JE: Happy birthday doggiesnores.

CB: Aww, happy birthday doggie - I feel weird saying doggiesnores. I mean, listen -

JE: You gotta roll with it Corinne.

CB: John, Katey, do we wanna sing? Do we wanna sing?

JE: No!

KFM: Oh we can - oh, okay.

JE: You can sing.

CB: Alright. [sings] Happy birthday to you -

KFM: - [sings] to you - [stops singing] are we gonna stop now? Okay.

CB: We’ll stop, we’ll stop. 

JE: Yeah, I think, yeah. 

CB: We gotta get back to the questions.

KFM: Yeah, we do have a time limit now.

KFM: Alright, next question, alright. This is from Guapa. Okay. I wanna know the helmet situation. Back in Inquisition, there were helmets exclusive to races, and to be honest, most helmets were exclusive to humans. Will elves and humans share helmets since their head shape seems to be more similar now, and will there be qunari helmets rather than just facepaints?

CB: Love this described as “the helmet situation”. I love it. Yeah, so let me describe this to you. All the helmets can be worn by all the lineages with one big exception. The qunari still use the vitaar face paint. So each helmet has a unique look, and if you’re using the vitaar variant of that instead, that too has a unique look, so you’ll wear that facepaint instead of the helmet. And we, we felt that this was just generally a good precedent following Inquisition and, really what led us to this decision is that, when you see horn customization, and hair customization with the horns in character creator, we didn’t want to sacrifice that aspect of it in character creator. It’s just effing cool, that’s all I can say about it. So, yeah, the qunari will use vitaar. All the other helmets can be worn by all lineages. We’ve talked a lot about transmog, so of course you can transmog them, you can hide your helmet, you can hide your helmet in certain situations. So I’d say, as a “situation”, we’re pretty happy with it.

KFM: This next question is, will we be able to tint and change the color of our armours, or have they, or do they have their default colors only?

CB: Oh cool, yeah, that kinda gets to transmog in a way. Gosh, what’s the, the best way to answer this I think is that each armor piece, like gear piece you have, will have bespoke colors, but for almost every single armor piece, while you can’t dye them, we have created color-variant cosmetics and they’re very often aligned with the various factions in the world, right? So like, there’s one, for instance, that has this like, incredible, like flowing cape, I use it all the time. There’s a variant of it for each faction with different faction, with different colors and logos and things of that nature. So you can’t dye, but it really is flexible and very thematic. And then I guess, going back to the Venatori armor question we had way at the beginning, while I wouldn’t say they’re explicitly Venatori, there are some very Venatori-like color schemes in some of the armors you’ll find.

KFM: I think this might be our last minor spoiler question, so once again, you’ve been warned. AelaFireheart asks, will we be seeing other griffons from The Last Flight? 

JE: So, again, just to be clear, spoilers, but yeah, Assan has brothers and sisters, so Assan is not the only griffon that shows up in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. 

CB: Hey, I just gotta respond to something in comment, that somebody says, wait, does that mean I can’t be pink? And I’m assuming we’re talking about armors. There are some pink armors. Don’t worry -

KFM: Confirmed.

CB: - there’s some pink.

KFM: As some of the companions come from media outside of the games, were they already chosen as companions for the game and then integrated into the additional media, or were they characters outside of the game, and the team wanted to bring them in?

JE: I think this is pretty similar to a question we answered earlier, so I mean, again, it depends, but if they showed up, especially in Tevinter Nights, they were already intended to be companions at that point, so.

KFM: Are there any lineage-based surnames or is it just based on the background?

JE: So surnames in this game are entirely based on your background choice. The reason for this is we do reference your surname in dialogue, a not inconsiderable amount, and we didn’t, at a certain point it becomes unsustainable in terms of how many different variations, so. We reference it based on your surnames, sorry, your background.

KFM: Is there any chance that we will be getting any audio snippets of some of the companions and Rook’s voicelines before release?

JE: Well that’s the great news about the, Vows & Vengeance, is that, each companion will show up in one of the episodes, and you’ll be able to hear their voice in there, so. First episode yesterday, and there’s more to come.  

KFM: Remember when I said that was the last, or we had already read the last minor spoiler, I was wrong, there is one more. So, once again, you’ve been warned, minor spoiler upcoming. This question is from SammyCherryLee. Considering Varric’s timeskip, looks are a direct, Varric’s timeskip looks are a direct translation of how he looked in the comics. What thought process went into Morrigan’s new design, and what do you usually consider when bringing in old beloved characters back, but also make sure to adapt them to the years that have passed within the game?

JE: So, in every case, any time we’re bringing back a character, we want to think about, what would, what’s changed for that character in the time since you’ve last saw them, so, Varric, Morrigan, any other characters we bring back, there is this thought of, okay, it’s been, in this case, you know, almost ten years, what’s changed for these characters in that intervening time? In the case of Morrigan, she’s coming to terms with a lot of truths about both herself but also her mother, you know, you see her with Flemeth’s crown, or a variation of it, and that’s speaking to her personal journey of, what I would call, kind’ve acceptance of who she is and how she connects to Flemeth, because ultimately we want this to feel like a real world. It’s, they’re not the same person they are ten years ago, none of us are, and we don’t want characters to feel like, either ten years have passed, and hey, I’m exactly the same, because that’s stagnation for the character, and it’s just not believable or, honestly, fun, for you. And it doesn’t do justice to those characters.

KFM: Can we clarify - ooh, fuck, I think my Discord just went down again.

JE: Yep, I can still hear you.

CB: We can, we can hear you Katey, so.

KFM: Oh, good!

CB: Yeah.

KFM: I’ll just keep talking!

CB: Great, let’s do it!

KFM: I’m so sorry for the f-bomb, I didn’t know you could still hear me. 

CB: Hey, we’ve all been there.

JE: Cursing, in our Discord, my goodness!

CB: How very human of you.

KFM: Ban me, ban me. This next question is, can you clarify if Spellblade will be forced to use a dagger, or can we still use staff as a melee combat weapon?

CB: Oh, heck yeah, let’s go. You know, I was wondering if this was gonna be clear in the combat video we put out, so I’ll speak about mage, but this is generally true of all the classes. So they each have two weapon sets, if you’ve seen the character sheet. So for mage, you’re gonna have your staff slot and then you’re gonna have the orb-and-dagger slot. So, at any point, like even between weapon swings, you can swap to your class alternate weapon set by hitting down on the D-pad. So you’re not locked down into one weapon set or the other, even if you’re in a given class or specialization. Now, like what I would say is that the Spellblade specialization has a lot of extra functionality and depth that like is augmented when using the orb-and-dagger, but, like if I give you an anecdote of how I play, the staff heavy-attack armor, I take this, or, the staff heavy attack charge, I take a trait where when I’m doing damage and playing, it’s building up that heavy attack charge on my staff. Even when I’m playing as my Spellblade. So I’ll be, just going to down with orb and dagger, I’ll notice that my staff is fully-charged, I’ll swap at a convenient moment, use my heavy staff attack, blast the enemies down, I was telling y’all, like, these Nightmare players, like planning around your elemental damage types, it’s really great to have weapons of multiple elemental types, right? So I go up against something that’s resistant to fire, I’m gonna hit down and maybe swap to my necrotic weapon.

KFM: I'm back, in record time. 

JE: Welcome back! 

KFM: Okay, did we get to the next one, or was that just the Spellblade question?

CB: Oh that was, sorry I was geeking out too much Katey.

KFM: Oh that’s okay, no, it’s great!

CB: We hit upon a favorite topic of mine.

KFM: That’s okay. Do we think we have time for one more, or do we think it’s time to wrap up?

JE: I can go a little late, we’ve got, I think we can do a couple more, for sure.

KFM: Okay, we do only have three left, so.

JE: Let’s finish the list!

KFM: Let’s do it.

KFM: Alright, next question. Since it was mentioned that playing as an elf in the Veil Jumpers will see you more of a, see you as more of a Dalish elf, and a City elf if you play as a Shadow Dragon, what kind of elf would you be in the other factions?

JE: So this is actually a really interesting question for me because I think one of the things I’d say is, while City Elf versus Dalish Elf is a lot more of a useful distinction in, you know, Ferelden, Orlais, we’re in northern Thedas, things are different up here. And a great example is Rivain. Dalish settlements, you know, they have Dalish settlements within cities, integrated into the cities, because, again, they don’t have that same bias, that same distinction. So it’s not really a City Elf versus Dalish Elf thing in a lot of those cases. It’s a lot more about, how you play into the faction, you know, and, in some cases it matters more that you’re an elf, in other cases it doesn’t actually matter to the people of that faction, they’re just looking for someone who could do the work. A great example, and I’ll just, very, very light spoilers, Mourn Watch is a great example where, they just care that you are capable of, you know, executing the duties that you’re given, so.

KFM: This next question, we’ve definitely confirmed a few times today already, but I’m sure there’s been a couple of people who cycled in and out. Will, when will we be releasing detailed information on the full list of accessibility features in the game?

JE: So yeah, so I mean, we mentioned, we’re not quite ready to talk about them, but we will be diving into them before launch. We wanna make sure as many people as possible can enjoy and play the game, so.

CB: Yeah, I think we’re doing a feature, some kind of blogpost on that, but, that’ll be a good format where we can be a little bit more in-depth.

JE: Yeah.

KFM: Alright, and the final question that I have on my list. It’s about localization. WoodenSmith says, I’d like to hear more about how localization works. What sorts of things have to be changed or adjusted so they make sense in different regions? Do localization teams have to be super careful when they translate to make sure they’re not accidentally revealing more than was intended in other versions? I’ve also always been very curious about accents in other versions. For example, do the, I’m gonna butcher this, do the Orl - Orlesian -

JE: Orlesian.

KFM: Orlesian, thank you, John. Character voice -

CB: That was really good, Katey!

KFM: I tried!

JE: Yeah, you tried, you got most of the way there, yeah!

KFM: For example, do the Orlesian character voice actors speak in a French accent in the Japanese version, or dwarf characters speak with an American accent in the French version?

JE: So I’m going to talk broadly about localization, and I’ll get a little bit into the accent question. So, localization is a thing that we’re doing constantly. We’re almost working with the teams, we have regular syncs with them, and a lot of that is because localization is not just, a lot of people think of it like, yeah, you’re just translating. Well, you’re not, you’re, you know, you’re, again, there’s different things to understand about different languages, they have different rules around grammar and, I will say, I think every writer has at least one story where they wrote, kind’ve, a fun double-entendre into a conversation, and then they got a ping from some of the localization teams saying, hey, can you very thoroughly explain what you meant there? And that’s what I like to describe as being hoist on your own petard because, sometimes, you’re like, oh I said this, it was really ribald, and now I don’t want to talk to this person who is very seriously and very concernedly, looking, it’s just like, ‘can you please tell us what that means?’ But yeah, I mean, in general, it’s an art-form of its own. You know, different sayings translate differently into different languages, different metaphors translate differently to different languages, and we always wanna make sure that other people, you know, people are playing this game in every language have an experience that feels authentic and meaningful, and doesn’t feel like it’s just kind’ve, you know, phoned in, we just, we just ran it through Google Translate or something, so. Again, localization is a huge part of what we do, the localization team we have is amazing, they do fantastic work, I love working with them. As far as accents, yeah, we do try to keep some consistency, it’s not always going to be a one to one, but we do try to say like, okay, so, this character, this group of characters needs to sound similar, and they’ll find an accent that works with the language that they’re trying, because, again, different accents work differently with different languages, and we wanna make sure that there’s that consistency, so, yeah.

KFM: We did it!

JE: Yeah!

KFM: That’s all of our questions that we’re able to get to you today. Wanna just say a quick thanks again to the community for submitting all of these really questions, it was a lot of fun going through them and, you know, making sure that we were able to give you some new stuff this time around. Yeah, anything you guys wanna say before we hop off?

CB: Yeah, can I just say, look, we love here, being here answering questions for you but the support, the interest you all show, it really fuels us in the team.

JE: Mhm.

CB: You all are a big part of us being able to make this game what it is, and I really hope we do you proud, so just, sincere thank you to everyone. 

JE: Yeah, just, I just wanna echo that. I’ve been on this project for a while, and it’s been a lot of, not getting to talk about it, and quietly saying I don’t know, are we making more new Dragon Age? So being able to actually have these conversations and give you the details that you want without spoiling the game, it’s, it’s a lot of fun. This is genuinely the funnest part of my week, so thank you everyone.

KFM: Awesome, well thank you both so much for your time, Corinne and John. And, yeah, we have recorded the audio for this, so we’re going to turn that into a transcription, and put that in the Q&A archive channel, which lives underneath ask-bioware. That will be coming, you know, in the next couple of days to a week or so, you know, we’ll, we’ll be working away at it as soon as possible, so just let, let me know if you have any questions.

JE: Awesome. Thank you so much everyone, have a good Friday, good weekend, and I’m gonna go eat a sandwich, so.

CB: Happy Friday!

KFM: Happy Friday, and happy sandwich day!

CB: Bye bye.

JE: Thank you.

KFM: Bye.

JE: Bye.

[source: the official BioWare Discord server, August 30th dev Q&A]

Update: If you would like to listen to the Q&A for yourself in video format, or listen to it again, Ghil Dirthalen recorded it and has now uploaded a video of it here.

[hydrangeapartridge]

Manfred learns about rings (EmmRook post game short fic)

I have so many ideas for domestic post game EmmRook... Here's another one featuring their favourite skeleton son. This is pure tooth-rotting fluff (with mild spoilers for the end of the game of course but still spoilers)

Enjoy! (Update: part 2 can be found here)

Fire cracking in the hearth, a warm cup of herbal tea and a good book; Rook loved those peaceful and cosy evenings. While she was lying on the living room’s plush meridian, Emmrich and Manfred were discussing magical artefacts near the fireplace. Manfred was sitting crosslegged on the carpet, listening with undivided attention to his teacher’s lessons. The subject of the night seemed to be the use of enchanted rings to enhance one’s magic. Comfortably sitting on an armchair, Emmrich took his time taking off his rings one by one, explaining which enchantement they bore and their purpose before placing them neatly on the coffee table when he was done.

Manfred’s shiny eyes reviewed the display of jewels intently, with his signature curiosity. Carefully, he pointed to each of them in order, and repeated what he learned. Emmrich nodded along, gently correcting his apprentice’s few mistakes or sharing more details.

Rook couldn’t help but be distracted by the scene. Manfred made so much progress in so little time, making her, and mostly Emmrich, both ecstatic and proud. During the last Blight, she had no opportunity to witness the extent of Emmrich’s love for learning and mostly his love for teaching. It was an area in which all his generosity, patience and intelligence shone through. Being knowledgeable didn’t necessarily imply being pedagogical, but Emmrich excelled in it, and thrived in discussing and challenging his own wisdom.

There was one ring left on Emmrich’s left ring finger. Manfred noticed and asked about it.

“Ah” A small private smile graced Emmrich’s thin lips as he gazed down to the simple but finely chiselled golden band. “This one like you noticed holds no enchantment” He said.

Manfred was present at their wedding of course, but Rook wasn’t sure how much he grasped the meaning of such an event. For all his practical knowledge, Manfred, as a spirit, had a different take on emotions; one that Rook and Emmrich didn’t always understand.

“What for?” Manfred asked and Rook waited on Emmrich’s answer with renewed interest.

“Well, it is a symbol. A reminder of the bond between Rook and I, and the promise we made each other to be together” He gulped before he added “Until death does us appart”

“Until forever” Rook corrected him with a gentle smile.

Emmrich quickly turned to her, surprised to find she had been listening. He shook his head but a relaxed smile graced his features. “Right. Forever. In this world and beyond”

Manfred tilted his head, and Rook could almost see the gears turning in his skull.

Emmrich started putting his rings back on, leaving the lessons of the evening to sink in for now.

Rook took a sip of her lukewarm tea and was about to go back to her book when Manfred asked: “Can I have one? Ring?”

Emmrich stopped mid gesture and blinked in surprise, but he was quick to regain his composure and welcomed the question. “Well, I am happy to see you’re interested in them Manfred. I would offer you one but apprentices in training aren’t authorised to use them. No exceptions. I wouldn’t want the other teachers to think I play favourites.”

Rook snorted a little at that. It was a nice sentiment, and she admired Emmrich’s will to be just and fair. But in other instances, she knew he did play favourites without even being aware of it. How could he not? His relationship with Manfred was most special.

“Not those. The other one” Manfred said, poiting to Emmrich’s ring finger.

Rook perked up from her book. What an unexpected twist. Even after all this time, Manfred always managed to surprise them every day.

“Oh” Emmrich half breathed half chuckled. “Oh” He repeated, visibly taken aback. He ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair before he set on asking: “And why would you want one?”

Smart move to choose not to assume what meaning Manfred puts behind that ring. Rook waited intently for the answer. Manfred couldn’t possibly want to marry someone; and her poor husband was most definitely not ready for that either.

“To be with you. Forever?” Manfred asked, visibly unsure of what the last part meant.

Rook’s heart positively melted in her chest. She looked to Emmrich, who had brought his gloved hand in front of his mouth, eyes wide and shiny with both joy and disbelief. Neither of them trusted themselves to talk for now.

Manfred rocked on his back bones, self conscious. “I can’t? Bad?” He asked lowly.

Emmrich leaped out of the armchair and knelt before the curiosity spirit. He took both Manfred’s bony hands in his. “Of course you can Manfred! Of course you can” He reassured him, eyes teary and voice shaky with emotion. “That would be wonderful! We’ll get you one of your choosing”

“Yeay!” Manfred beamed.

Emmrich sat back onto his heels “But to be clear, you must understand that if the meaning of matching rings is that we share a bond, the one we share isn’t the exact same one I share with Rook?” He felt the need to clarify, once his initial shock had passed.

“I know” Manfred immediately replied, like it was obvious to him.

“Good” Emmrich clasped his hands together, considering the matter settled. “The anniversary of your return from the fade grows near. We’ll get the two matching rings then. It would make for a most perfect occasion” He decided excitedly as he got up, dusting his perfectly clean trousers in the process.

“Rook gets one too” Manfred stated and Emmrich turned to his wife, that baffled expression that reminded her of their first flirts painting his refined features.

“Really?” Rook replied, flabbergasted too. “ Thank you Manfred! I’d be honored” Her heart squeezed in her chest, full of overflowing love for them both.

Emmrich and Manfred had a very special relationship in which she didn’t want to intrude too much. But feeling included by the curiosity spirit was an incredibly touching surprise.

- - -

A few days later, they found themselves shopping in one of Nevarra’s most famous jeweller's shops. Emmrich let Manfred in, and let the spirit survey the displays while he explained their needs to the clerc. Rook wondered if they often sold jewellery destined to undead; none the less, the clerc didn’t bat an eye at the weird family’s request. Perfect client service was expected from such a place, and Emmrich was a regular customer.

They waited patiently for Manfred to choose a ring, watching him ponder the options. At one point he came to Emmrich to ask what price was the limit. Thoughtful of him; he was well taught, and more and more proficient in calculus as well as assessing the value of things. Unsurprisingly, Emmrich told him not to worry about it. The watcher now earned a more than comfortable living yet he didn’t throw money away and was often more frugal than most would expect. He had consequent savings but wouldn’t be stingy when the expanse was deemed important. Of course he wouldn’t put a price limit to the symbol of his bond with Manfred. Rook was sure her husband would pluck the stars from the sky to satisfy his protégé’s curiosity. Thankfully Manfred was too pure to purposefully take advantage of it.

Manfred’s final choice was a thin golden double band joined with a discrete pale turquoise green emeral in the center. Its color reminded Rook of the skeleton’s eyes, and she would be happy to wear the same one on her left pinky finger, close to her wedding ring. Emmrich decided on the same finger placement, and the clerc happily took their meisurements, not commenting except to praise their taste in gems. They would receive the rings just in time for Manfred’s ressurection anniversary.

Emmrich was last to go for measurements, and while waiting for him, Rook joined Manfred, who was still admiring the jewels in the display cases. His attention was completely taken it seemed by a tiny silver hairpin shaped like a coiled up snake, a pale zircon in place of its eye.

“You do have great taste in jewellery Manfred” Rook commented “Too bad you don’t have luscious hair to wear that”

Emmrich arrived just when her joke flopped. “Are we good to go?” He asked, and Manfred finally took his gaze off the hairpin. Only to point at it with his finger.

“I get it for Neve”

Emmrich stepped back and Rook hid a snorted chuckle in her hand at the way his jaw almost dropped to the floor.

While his caretaker was having an existencial crisis, Manfred took out his personnal money pouch from his hip satchel. He started sorting the coins, and when he was done, showed Emmrich the large amount resting in his opened palm. “Is this enough?” He asked, still unsure about his calculus skills.

It turned up he did get the amount right, but even if that hairpin was small and amongst the cheapest articles in the shop, its price still represented a good two-thirds of Manfred’s savings.

Emmrich cleared his throat and eyed the coins with uncertainty. “That would be the exact price indeed, well done on your calculus. But are you sure you wish to spend that amount on this gift?” He asked gently. “It represents a few months of your earnings as an apprentice, and I won’t be compensating it with a rise of your allowance”

“I buy” Manfred brushed off Emmrich’s concerns, and the watcher sighed in defeat.

What more could he say? Manfred needed guidance to prevent him from getting into dangerous situations but he wasn’t a child. He was his own person, and deserved to be able to make enlightened decisions of his own.

“I’m sure Neve is going to love it” Rook encouraged him. “We’ll have to invite her as quickly as possible”

“It is a very beautiful and thoughtful gift indeed” Emmrich agreed.

While Manfred paid, Emmrich placed a hand on Rook’s waist, bringing her closer, pressing her to his side.

“Our skeleton son has grown so much” She teased him, resting her head against his arm with a content sigh.

Emmrich didn’t correct her anymore; he knew now that it was a lost cause to stop her from fondly calling Manfred their son.

“I wish he wouldn’t grow so fast” He confessed his worries to her.

“Next thing we’ll know he’ll be getting married” Rook couldn’t resist teasing him. It had always been her way of trying to lift up his spirits. “I hope you’re ready for grandchildren” She said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Emmrich almost choked on his saliva. He gave Rook a chidding look and she only grinned in return.

“We should probably warn Lucanis that he’s got some serious competition”

“That is quite enough dearest” Emmrich reprimanded, but at the same time, he squeezed her waist harder.

A few meters away, the clerc was handing Manfred a small blue gift bag that the spirit took with a giddy sort of caution. It was adorable.

“I believe we’ll remember this day for a long time” Rook whispered, looking up to the beautiful face of her husband.

Emmrich placed a small kiss atop her head. “I treasure the memories of each day I am allowed in your company”

[yoursweetwife]

Warning: the reader has a period, it is implied that the period is painful, a female reader, fluff, a little ooc? Does Ruan Mei have a bonjo?

Characters: Ruan Mei, Aventurine, Veritas Ratio

The same girl who knows that you started your period before you did.

Ruan Mei knows the human body perfectly well, besides, she is a girl herself. She knows that many girls experience very severe pain during menstruation, so the scientist will conduct several studies to make an herbal drink that will help relieve pain. She doesn't want you to drink something not made by her, May doesn't trust other manufacturers. Only the best for her girlfriend!

In addition, Ruan Mei will treat you with more care these days. After spending a lot of time with you, she no longer finds it difficult to cope with your changeable mood. She will bring you tea and a cake, stroke your sore spots, give you a massage, along the way telling you about her research. Or he will listen to you, depending on your mood. This concern is the least Ruan Mei can do to thank you.

Ruan Mei knows several songs, she can sing them while playing the bonjo.

Dr. Ratio, of course, knows about menstruation, but he has never encountered it in person. And at first he didn't betray much importance to them, thinking that you were just being childish. But when he see that you are really suffering, man can quickly learn to cope.

He will be fully ready for all periods, it's not for nothing that he has read hundreds of articles in a few days.. He's bad at comforting, but he has a lot of ways to take care of you. Veritas will even become much softer in his words, due to the fact that you are more emotional in this state.

Ratio writes to you much more often, sometimes during class, to find out how you feel. He will always have painkillers in his desk, once he came up with the idea to make a drug specifically for you, and he was very offended that you eventually refused the offer.

Ratio is still fixated on learning, but he is multitasking, so when he reads/writes/ checks something, you can sit on his lap or next to him to hug him, ask him to massage sore spots and he will do it without even complaining. Veritas rarely unconditionally fulfills requests, he does not like to waste his time "in vain", but you have fooled this fool around his finger, and he does not mind.

Aventurine knows little about female physiology. He had heard his sister talk about it, but it didn't really matter in those days. And for the rest of his life, Aventurine was only busy with work and gambling in order to start a serious relationship, at least until he realized that he fell in love with you.

Aventurine may not be serious most of the time, but once he sees your condition, there will be no end to his anxiety. He will cancel your work and assignments, he will circle around you until you kick him out, otherwise corporation would have suspected something due to the absence of two of the best employees. And even after that, he will write almost every hour to find out your condition.

He'll ask for Topaz what to do for a girlfriend during her period, ignoring her suspicious look. He will remember her advice and try to apply it. Aventurine will also bring at least one gift to please his beloved. He will do whatever you ask (the first time when he doesn't mind being used) Aventurine will spoil you even more than usual, but he'll stop if you get annoyed by it.

[amorgansgal]

So in talking about Halsin being excited to hold his first baby, I thought it would be fun to write a little hc piece about all the gang holding your baby for the first time. This is more them just being a friend of yours, rather than being the partner.

Baldur's Gate 3 - The Gang Meeting Your Baby For the First Time

Karlach - There’s a whole exaggerated tiptoe thing as she walks into the room, though she’s not very quiet as she’s practically vibrating with excitement and carrying gifts, just so many gifts, gifts for you, gifts for your partner, gifts for the baby, gifts for the healers. ‘Oh… my… gods!’ she’ll whisper on seeing the baby. ‘They’re so cute! They’re so small and cute!’ She’ll grab anyone nearby so they’re forced to look at the baby. ‘Look at them! LOOK AT HOW SMALL AND CUTE THEY ARE! I just want to squish their tiny, little face.’ Oh absolutely wants to hold the baby. If you want a break at any time Auntie K will be there!

Gale - Has to have a healer help him through the door because he’s carrying a load of books. He’ll greet you first and see how you’re doing before having a look at the baby. ‘Oh, they’re lovely, congratulations to you both.’ Morena Dekarios has already sent a small mountain of meals to your house, so you won’t have to cook or go hungry and she’s made a little baby grow. Gale has brought what he considers ‘essential reading’ for the baby and gives a small lecture as to his choices. ‘This concerns conjuration magic, very essential to know, even if they don’t become a wizard or cleric or bard…’ Will definitely want to hold the baby, though he’s a bit awkward while doing so.

Astarion - He waltzes in, though is very quiet. He brings a large bouquet of flowers, some very good wine and the fanciest collection of soaps and bath paraphernalia. If someone points out he should’ve brought something for the baby too, he’ll say, ‘Why? It’s not as if they care or can lodge a complaint!’ He’ll inspect the baby with pursed lips, then give a little shrug and say, ‘Well, I'll hand it to you, darling, that’s a surprisingly cute baby. You know how usually babies are ugly, wrinkled potato looking things and you have to lie and pretend they don’t look like that. That one is actually quite endearing, so well done on making a rather pretty baby.’ Does not want to hold the baby.

Halsin - Absolutely beaming when he walks through the door. He’s carved a whole little wooden menagerie for the baby and also brought some healing potions and herbal teas to bring back your strength. Definitely has heart shaped eyes whilst looking at your baby and really wants to hold them, but doesn’t want to overstep your boundaries. He’ll instead gently murmur to them, stroke their little cheek and their belly. ‘Silvanus’ blessings upon you, little one.’ He’ll smile at you. ‘They are perfect, congratulations.’ The baby loves being held by him, they are out like a light as soon as he’s holding them against his chest, slightly rocking them and mumbling a lullaby.

Lae’zel - Her attention is mostly on you, after all you just went through the toughest battle known to your kind and given the baby is healthy, alive and sleeping, really all praise and attention should be on the mother. If your partner was there she’d probably chastise them for not fetching you everything you needed right this second. If Xan is with her then she’ll introduce them to the baby. ‘This is a baby, we are expected to tell the parents that they are cute, even if such a thing is a lie.’ She’d probably bring a little training sword and shield. ‘Once they are able to stand and walk and hold a sword, inform me, and I will begin their training. You and your child are lucky, it is an honour to receive the training the Githyanki do.’ Doesn’t want to hold the baby, but if Xan is interested then she may relent.

Wyll - Perfect guest, he does not stay too long, but gives attention to everyone and brings food, a well chosen toy and a lovely woven shawl for you. He doesn’t want to overload you with gifts and says if there’s anything he can do to help around your house, be it cleaning, mending or gardening, he will be there. With your say so he holds the baby and smiles as they grip tightly onto his little finger. ‘They are a fine little boy/girl.’ He actually speaks to the baby ‘When you are bigger I shall tell you all that we and your mother did. Defending Baldur’s Gate, fighting Ansur the dragon, defeating the Dead Three and the Netherbrain. I am sure you will not believe it, but it is so.’ He’s very comfortable holding the baby.

Shadowheart - She is so nervous and probably would prefer to wait for you to be back home, rather than coming to see you in a hospital. She doesn’t want to overcrowd you. She may even be a little apprehensive in asking how you are and while she asks if the birth was alright, she’s not sure if she wants to know the answer. But she does bring a beautiful baby’s mobile with a crescent shaped moon and stars carved out of crystal, so the light can glimmer on them and cast rainbows about the room. She surprisingly relaxes when she does get to hold the baby. ‘Oh, you’re quite lovely, aren’t you?’

[dragonotaku-justineverything]

What are Team RWBY + P's reactions when Jaune has a nightmare or if he's sick

This is from 2019 everyone! I have some sickeningly old asks that I’ve never got around to writing… This is seriously so old that it still uses the old format to edit asks! I hope to fix the amount of asks I’ve let slip by me (for the past 5-6 years) a bit this year! I just need to keep the asks contained and not get carried away.

By the way, I never knew if the “+ P” meant Pyrrha or Penny so I’m finally just doing both, but these will be for them individually being shipped with Jaune, not a harem type situation.

Ruby Rose

Nightmare - Would softly crawl into bed next to him and hold his hand, not trying to startle him and just being there to comfort him if and when he wakes up

Sick - Gets him warm whole milk, their favorite video games to play together, and inspirational cat posters to cheer him up

Weiss Schnee

Nightmare - Will softly hum and softly sing for him and try to ease his fright/turmoil while he sleeps, while holding his hand or playing with his hair

Sick - Gets him the proper medicine he needs, and lots of it

Blake Belladonna

Nightmare - She doesn’t really know what to do while he’s asleep, so she just gently tries to wake him up and then help him calm down afterwards to get back to peaceful sleep that way. 

Sick - She knows how to make some good herbal teas to help his symptoms and keeps him supplied with them and other medicine he might need. Also she’s happy to read to him if he isn’t feeling well enough to do anything and is bored

Yang Xiao Long

Nightmare - Will just pull him into a cuddle hug and hold him tightly. If he wakes up from it, they can talk, but if not then she’ll just lay there, holding him and whispering comforting things to him. She’ll ask about it whenever he does wake up either way

Sick - Gets him warm whole milk, their favorite video games to play together, and turns up her jokes to eleven to try and cheer him up

Penny Polendina

Nightmare - She knows the signs of when to wake someone up or just to comfort them while they keep sleeping, so she always picks the right one to do for Jaune if he starts having a bad dream or a nightmare.

Sick - She will have his sickness analyzed and named in 20 minutes or less and gets him the medicine he needs along with properly measured out dosages

Pyrrha Nikos

Nightmare - She’ll wake him up because she gets scared for him, then runs her hand through his hair while holding him and letting him talk about the dream if he wants to, or just to whisper assurances to help them both calm back down

Sick - She does her absolute best to keep him comfortable and grabs whatever he needs or asks for, but she does need to be told not to kiss him several times by Jaune and others while he is sick.

[doki-doki-imagines]

Are requests open? I would like a long haired and extremely sweet and gentle Earthrealm fem, being in a relationship with the lin kuei brothers, Raiden and Liu Kang. sorry english is not my native language

author note: don't worry dear! English isn't my first language either.

Bi Han: -Your sweetness is a panacea for Bi Han. Nobody gets treated nicely in Lin Kuei, and even enemies don't resort to flirty spies to get info. -So finding a partner that treats him well because they want to, not because they want something out of him, make his withered heart beats with new life. -Bi Han doesn't care about long hair, mostly because it is common in the clan for both males and females to have them. -He won't brush them. He prefers when you do that to him, but he likes to touch them and play around, curling around his index finger.

Kuai Liang: -Way more used to being treated with sweetness. However, it doesn't mean that you aren't appreciated. -When you let him lay his head on your thighs and massage his scalp, Liang reaches paradise. -Brush his hair, make his bun, and he'll do the same to you, with the same amount of reverence and love. He will pinch your cheek between his index and middle fingers when he finishes tho, a boyish grin on his face. -He is so good at hairstyles! High ponytail, tresses, buns name it, and Liang will make it!

Tomas Vrbada: -You made teeth rot to half of Lin Kueis (Bi Han isn't saved by this fate) and now also Shirai Ryu. -Tomas isn't that sweet to the core like you are (there is a hint of malice in his heart, but the good kind), but your sugar level is still the highest between all the couples. -He really likes your long hair! Sadly, he never looked at either is mom or sister, so he isn't able to style them in any way. -Doesn't mean Tomas won't play with them! He also really likes when you style them in a high ponytail…

Raiden: -He beats your sweetness with his one, Kung Lao often does the gag sound because looking at you two is like eating a bowl of caramel. -Loves when you make herbal tea for him before going to bed. It's a nice gesture that warms his heart (and tummy). -Raiden knows how to style your hair! He used to play around with his sister, and she taught him a lot of useful stuff. -He isn't as stylish with his own hair tho, preferring a practical style rather than a fashionable one, but if you wanna try a look on him, go for it! Raiden is like a doll in your hands. Have fun.

Liu Kang: -He loves you. After years of loneliness coming home to a warm hug and a loving smile is all he needs. -He doesn't really care about your hair, I mean, he'd like you anyway so you can do with them whatever you want. -While Liu Kang got godhood he made sure for his hair to be always perfect, but he knows the pain of having long hair, so he'll gladly help you out. -When Liu Kang massages your scalp with his strong and precise fingers, after a long day with your hair always up, you admit you reach paradise.

[bowsnstrings]

It was a quiet evening at Milana’s apartment, the kind where the only sounds were the hum of the city far below and the occasional creak of the old wooden floorboards. The soft golden glow of her lamp illuminated the room, casting a warm and intimate light over the space. Milana sat cross-legged on the couch, a cup of herbal tea in her hands, while Ony, leaned back next to her, petting Oreo lazily as his eyes gazed thoughtfully at her.

“So,” Milana began, setting her tea down carefully on the coffee table, her voice a little more tentative than usual. “I’ve been thinking... we’ve been talking about- well everything, but maybe we should talk about now, too. Like, what do we want from each other right now?”

Ony raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips twitching upward as if he already knew where this was going, he’d just been waiting forever for her to get the courage to speak up. “You mean... right now, right now? Like, in the middle of a perfectly nice, quiet evening?” He teased, his deep voice carrying a playful edge.

Milana rolled her eyes, but there was warmth in her smile. “Yeah, exactly. Like, I want to make sure we’re on the same page about everything. I mean, we’re both—”

“—Cleary not afraid of complicated conversations,” Ony finished her ramble with a half-smile tugging at his mouth. “Go ‘head. Hit me with the questions, Mama.”

Milana giggled lightly and settled deeper into the cushions. “Okay, serious question. What do you want from me, right now? In this moment? In this relationship?” She leaned forward a little, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and affection.

Ony let out a breath, thinking for a moment. He sat up straighter next to her, his gaze turning soft as he met her eyes. “Well, I want your honesty, always. Even when it’s hard. And, honestly, I just want... your presence. It’s the little things you do that matter most to me.”

Milana smiled softly, her heart swelling a little. She reached over and placed her hand on his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You’re so perfect,” She said quietly, her voice warm and tender.

Ony’s smile softened in response, his hand giving hers a squeeze back. “That’s all you, Baby. But you already know that.” He paused, his tone turning more playful as he leaned in slightly. “Now, your turn. What do you want from me, right now?”

Milana blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in the question. She bit her lip, trying to hold back a smile. “Okay, let’s see… I want you to stop stealing my snacks when I leave the room.”

Ony’s face broke into a full grin, and he shook his head dramatically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have never stolen your snacks.”

Milana raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? So you didn’t eat half of my cookies today, right after I left?” She nudged his arm, knocking it away from her as he smacked his lips.

Ony feigned innocence. “I’m just... helping you finish. You’re welcome.” He had to look away to pretend that he wasn’t smiling right then, suddenly finding her cat more interesting as he tried to climb up and sniff his hand.

She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”

He leaned forward and put on a mock-serious face, lifting a hand like he was swearing an oath. “I promise I’ll leave your snacks alone, for now. Deal?”

Milana giggled, the tension from earlier completely gone. “Deal,” she agreed, her voice soft and light. She stuck her pinkie out playfully, reaching up so he could lock his larger one onto hers, giving a small tug just so he looked at her. She stuck out her lips, exaggerating with big doe eyes staring expectantly at him, and he was more than happy to oblige with a kiss.

There was a pause, the air between them charged with an easy, comfortable intimacy. Ony’s expression softened, and he looked at her with more seriousness than before. “But really, Milana… I want to be better. I want to always be there for you, even on the days I’m not perfect. I want us to grow together.”

Milana’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a sudden urge to be closer. She shuffled a bit, but fell into his arms comfortably as he caught her, voice low and steady when she responded. “I want that too. I want us to keep talking, keep figuring this out. And I want us to never stop laughing together. I don’t ever want that to change.”

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Ony shifted slightly, his hand moving to gently brush through her hair. Milana looked up at him, noticing the change in his demeanor. He wasn’t smiling as he usually was, his eyes distant for a brief moment before meeting hers with an almost vulnerable expression, and she could tell something was on his mind.

“Ony," She prodded softly, her voice breaking through the quiet like a warm touch. “You don't have to keep it in anymore. I can tell you want to say something.”

He hesitated, his mouth opening but then closing again with a heavy sigh. He'd always found it hard to talk about the past. His childhood, his family—those were things he locked away, buried so deep that it felt like unearthing them would mean losing control. However, he reminded himself that Milana was different, and maybe, just maybe, he didn’t need to hide.

“Milana…” His voice cracked just slightly, and he cleared his throat. “I don’t know if I’ve ever told anyone this, but I didn’t get much affection growing up.” She didn’t say anything, simply nodding, her eyes soft as she took it in.

“You know my parents were separated before I was born?” Ony continued, his gaze now on the floor, feeling a bit of shame. “I never saw them together. I never saw them hug, kiss, nothing. The only time I ever saw them interact was when they had to talk about me, about what I needed… but that was just logistics, not love.” He paused, his mind reminiscing over the years, the emptiness.

“They couldn’t stand each other, and I was... just a part of the equation they couldn’t ignore. My dad…” He only shook his head, like he was trying to get the image of his father out of it. “My mom tried, I think, but... I was always a reminder of something that went wrong.” Ony’s voice was tight, almost like a knot he was trying to unravel but couldn't. “Everytime they were in the same room they were arguing. So I guess... I just thought that shit was normal.”

Milana’s heart ached, and she reached out, her hand finding his. She didn’t say anything, just let her fingers brush against his, grounding him, giving him the space he needed. “That’s why…” Ony swallowed, blinking hard as if the words were lodged in his throat. “That’s why I need affection. I crave it, Milana. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like a hole inside of me, one that... no one ever filled. Not my parents, not anyone.”

Milana squeezed onto him tighter, her thumb tracing over his knuckles as she gently held his hand. “Ony, you don’t have to apologize for that. You’ve been through things that most people can’t imagine. It’s okay to want affection. It’s okay to need it.”

He shook his head, a bitter chuckle escaping him. “I know. But it’s not just that I want it. I want it from you. All the time. I want to feel like someone cares about me the way I never saw anyone care about each other when I was a kid.” His voice faltered. “And I don’t know what to do about that.”

Milana pulled him toward her, wrapping her arms around him, holding him close as if she could erase the years of neglect and distance from his life with just a simple embrace. Her hands clinging to him like she needed him too. She didn’t ask him to be anything other than himself. She didn’t question his need for love or affection. She just offered him what he’d never had: connection, warmth, and the silent promise that he wasn’t alone anymore.

“You don’t have to do anything but hold me.” Ony’s body relaxed into her arms, his heart beating a little steadier as he felt the weight of his past start to loosen. For the first time in years, he allowed himself to be held without the fear that he would suffocate someone in the process. And in that moment, he realized that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t broken after all.

“So I guess that means I can’t get rid of you, huh?” He just couldn’t stop trying to make her smile even for a moment, using the time to commit her to memory, wanting to bask in this feeling forever.

Milana laughed softly, lifting her head to look at him. “Nope. If anything, I’m going to make sure you get all the hugs and kisses you need.”

Ony chuckled, pulling her in for a slow, lingering kiss. As their lips met, Milana realized that this moment—this conversation—was a turning point. And as they broke the kiss, Milana whispered, “I’ll always be here for you, Ony. You don’t ever have to worry about that.” He smiled, his eyes softening with affection.

“I know. And it feels really good.”

More of Milana here 🎀

[supernotnatural2005]

A Christmas Miracle

Paring: Dean x Reader

Summary: An imaginative and innocent request to Santa leads to a Christmas morning revelation that brings a new level of joy and excitement to your family.

Prompt-Mas - Day one: “All i want for Christmas”

Word Count: 1K

AN: This is my first tackle at @chevroletdean Prompt-Mas for the Supernatural Writers Community. It’s short and sweet but hopefully some fluff overload to start December off 💕

Warnings: Just tooth-rotting fluff!! Daddy!Dean

Read part two HERE!!!

Main Masterlist

It was the eve of Christmas Day, and you found yourself basking in the ‘calm before the storm’ as you sat at the kitchen table opposite Dean, nursing one of your herbal teas. 

“All I want for Christmas,” Dean began, his eyes flicking between you and the piece of paper in his hand with a raised brow. You gave him a small nod to continue, and he did, his lips twitching at the corners as he read the letter aloud.

“All I want for Christmas is to have a little brother, just like my daddy. I promise I’ll be his best friend and watch over him, just like Daddy does. I’ll be good and never be on the naughty list. Please, Santa. Will you help me? Olivia.”

Dean’s gaze lifted from the paper to you, his expression a mix of surprise and mild amusement. 

“Wow,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “So, we’ve got our four-year-old already planning out our future, huh?”

You chuckled, your gaze dropping to your cup. “You know how she is. Once she gets an idea in her head, it’s hard to shake. A little brother is all she talks about lately.”

Dean stared at the letter a beat longer, clearly considering the implications. "So... she wants me to get her a brother for Christmas? I work fast, but not that fast,” he scoffed, and you burst into laughter.

“Well, maybe not exactly,” you teased, a sly smile tugging at your lips. “I do have something I—”

Before you could finish, Olivia came charging into the room; her face lit up with excitement. “Mommy! Daddy! I wrote Santa a letter! Do you think he got it? Do you think he’ll get me what I asked for? I’ve been really good, I promise!”

Dean looked from you to Olivia, his expression shifting from humour to something a little more thoughtful. 

“Uh, sweetheart, I don’t think it works exactly like that,” he began gently. “But maybe, one day, you’ll get that brother.” 

His eyes flicked to you, noticing the slight shift in your posture, the way your lip caught between your teeth, a trace of worry in your eyes. But before he could ask, Olivia was bouncing again, caught up in her excitement, and the moment passed.

Christmas morning arrived with the usual flurry of activity: wrapping paper flying, laughter echoing through the bunker’s library, and the warm, familiar scent of cinnamon and pine filling the air. Olivia couldn’t contain her excitement, bounding from one present to the next, her face a blur of joy and holiday cheer.

Dean, in a particularly good mood this year, was handing out gifts with an easy grin, his eyes softening as he watched his daughter. You exchanged a quiet look with him, your heart swelling at how much he adored Olivia.

Sam had been on the receiving end of several hug attacks from his niece. Every gift he gave her was the best one she’d ever received, while Dean playfully sulked in the background.

“I think this one’s for you, Liv,” Dean said with a slight frown, handing her a small box wrapped in sparkly paper. He didn’t recognise it as one you two had gotten.

“Actually, it’s for both of you,” you corrected with a small smile, and Dean’s confusion deepened. Olivia’s eyes met Dean’s in a silent question, asking if she could open it. He nodded; his curiosity piqued.

Olivia’s hands flew over the wrapping, her excitement palpable, until she uncovered a neatly folded piece of tissue paper. As she unfolded it, her gasp made both you and Dean pause.

“What is it, Mommy?” she asked, holding up the small velvet box, looking at you in confusion.

You took it from her, your heart thudding as you carefully opened it. Inside, nestled in the soft velvet, was a pregnancy test.

Dean froze. His eyes moved from the test to you, then back to Olivia, still staring at the little box with innocent curiosity.

"You… you’re telling me…" Dean’s voice faltered as he processed the situation. His eyes widened, and he slowly reached out to grab the test from the box, inspecting it for confirmation. 

“Baby, you’re pregnant?” Dean asked in disbelief, a wave of emotion creeping into his voice. 

You nodded, tears pricking at your eyes. The weight of the moment settled over you, a mixture of nerves and joy. 

Dean’s expression softened, and before you could even react, he was pulling you into his arms. He whispered words of joy and relief into your neck, his own eyes misting over as he held you close. 

Olivia perked up, her face lighting with realization. “Does this mean I’m getting my baby brother? ‘Cause Santa really did it!” She squealed, clapping her hands together in excitement.

Tears welled up in your eyes, half sobbing, half laughing as you pulled away from Dean’s embrace. Dean, still holding Olivia in his arms, blinks away his own tears and kisses her forehead.

“Yeah, kid. Looks like you’re getting that little brother after all.”

A beat of silence passed as Olivia processed the news, and then she threw her arms around both of you, shouting, “I’m gonna be a big sister!” as she practically jumped in Dean’s arms.

Dean chuckled, his voice warm with affection as he looked over Olivia’s head at you. “Well, looks like I’m in for a whole new level of trouble.”

You laughed, your heart full of love, the warmth of the moment filling the room. “You wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Congratulations, guys,” Sam said, his voice thick with emotion as he stepped forward, pulling you into a tight hug. Dean rose to join in, accepting his own warm brotherly embrace, before Olivia broke them apart, demanding a hug from her Uncle Sammy.

Dean smiled as he watched Sam lift Olivia into the air, her infectious giggles echoing through the room as he spun her around. Sam, ever the strategist, tactically gave you and Dean a moment of peace.

When Dean’s eyes finally met yours, a quiet understanding passed between you two. You were the woman who had given him everything—his family, his purpose—and now, a little more love than either of you ever thought possible. No matter how chaotic things had gotten or would get, he knew one thing for sure: the road ahead, though unpredictable, was going to be filled with more love than either of you could have imagined.

AN: So I hope everyone enjoyed this little one shot, I want to try and commit to everyday posting for the prompt-mas, but I won't promise anything... we'll see what my mind can conjure 😅 Anyways let me know what you think 💕

[h0neysp1ce]

Hello, Saw your request open, Can I request fluff Headcanons, (Tighnari, Cyno and Gaming) how they would take care of Sick s/o, but here's the thing, she has anemia so it takes longer for her to get better.

(This is basically me just seeking out comfort from my fav characters because I'm currently sick lol)

Fʅυϝϝ Hҽαԃ ƈαɳσɳʂ

Summary: How does he take care of s/o when she's sick?

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Characters: Tighnari, Cyno, Fem! Reader Tags: Established Relationship, Fluff Constellation: Head canons Warning(s): Mentions of sickness, nothing too graphic or detailed, mentions of reader being Anemic, mentions of anemia symptoms, just general illness/sickness mentions. Reader Is fem! alined uses of the word Girlfriend. °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

A/N: Hello Anonie, I'm so sorry to hear that :( I hope this brings you comfort, get well soon 💛

Extra Side Note: Also I did a little research on Anemia to help write this, I hope it's not too scuffed . (Edited Post)

Word count: 1139

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Tιɠԋɳαɾι 🌻

He had been aware of your anemia since you first met, so he was always prepared for when you might become ill.

He would keep plenty of herbs and remedies on hand to ease your sickness and discomfort, especially since it tended to take longer for you to recover.

He’d make you soup (specifically a vegetable type ) or prepare foods rich in iron, as anemia results in low iron deficiency.

The moment he noticed a hint of illness, he’d immediately have you sit down or lie down, especially if you mentioned feeling dizzy or weak.

Since you’d often have cold hands due to your condition, he had a habit of interlocking his hands with yours and warming your hands with his. He did this often when you weren’t feeling well, and it was incredibly comforting. You soaked up his warmth as much as you could.

Your symptoms ranged from dizziness and tiredness to general weakness. Tighnari was more than prepared to take care of you and attend to your needs.

He’d give you forehead kisses, always hold your hands, and place kisses on them every now and then.

He’d have you cuddle up to him for warmth, holding you close while you slept or simply throughout the day.

He frequently checked up on you, asking how you were feeling. He wanted you to be upfront and honest; your well-being meant everything to him.

If your condition worsened, he’d take you to the Bimarstan for more advanced treatment if his remedies weren’t effective.

He’d always brew some herbal tea or another type of tea when you felt an illness coming on. That was his first line of defense.

He wouldn’t let you get up from bed because of your condition. It was imperative that you stay put and avoid straining yourself.

He wanted you to take it easy throughout your long recovery.

He’d get you anything you needed if you asked, so don’t be shy about making requests.

He always reassured you that he was there for you.

He had a habit of cupping your chin and the sides of your face with his hands. Not in a negative way, but because he considered you his delicate flower, needing to be taken care of with utmost care.

It pained him to see you unwell, and he’d do anything to alleviate your discomfort- even trade places with you if he could.

You’d scold him when he leaned in to kiss you, warning him that he might get sick from you. He’d always insist he’d be fine.

He would definitely shower you with love throughout your illness, not just by taking care of you but also by giving you loads of affection and attention.

If you were tired, he’d have you rest, and he’d wake you up periodically to ensure you took your medication, ate before taking it (as medicine on an empty stomach isn’t ideal), and stayed hydrated. If you allowed him, he’d even feed you himself.

He always kept extra blankets on hand for you and would wrap you up in them for sure.

Cყɳσ 🌙

He’s knowledgeable about your condition, and when you’re ill, he’s prepared for the most part.

If you’re up and about and start to feel dizzy or experience a spell, he’ll be right by your side to prevent you from fainting and hurting yourself.

His arms will be wrapped around your middle to support you if you do faint.

If you insist on doing things yourself, he’ll agree, but only if you let him carry you to where you need to go (ex: living room, kitchen).

He’s always one to kiss your inner wrists when you’re unwell, as a form of comfort.

Though his hands are calloused from wielding a spear, they’re comforting when he draws small circles on the back of your hands.

He doesn’t mind kissing you while you’re sick; nothing will stop him from loving you and giving you the care you deserve.

When you both lay down, you’d be on top of him with his arms wrapped around your lower back. Sometimes, if you want, he might rub circles on your back to help you fall asleep and might even tell you jokes as you drift off.

He’d try to limit his duties as General Mahamatra to stay by your side when you’re ill. He wouldn’t leave you unattended.

In the morning, while you’re still recovering, he might wake you up with a kiss on the cheek or a soft whisper that it’s time to get up (likely to take meds, eat, and drink something).

If you fall asleep before him, he’d gently run his hand across your forehead, combing through your hair, slightly frowning as he hates seeing you in pain or discomfort.

As your boyfriend, he loves you immensely and would do anything for you.

He’d let you sit sideways on his lap whenever you wanted and lean into him. No matter if you’re sick or not, he finds you to be the prettiest woman he’s ever known, even in sickness.

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[vulpixisananimal]

[A:4 C:66.5] (Siffrin) {Mal Du Pays} <Null> |Asterion| +Rosmarinus+ [Loop] [(Saffron)] 

(Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa you felt so sooooooore.)

(It was late evening, and you, Isa, and Alex just got back from visiting Ark at her watchtower. She offered to help you train, and Null really wanted to. And he went hard with it! Pushed yourself to learn every little thing you could! Unfortunately, he dipped out right as the pains and aches kicked in.)

(Luckily Isa helped you home, and by helping you meant you had to beg him not to pick you up for the whole trip. This was not helped by Alex, who had very, very quickly learned the best ways to tease you, and was quickly rising in the ranks of “who’s the best at bullying Siffrin.”)

“Tea for you!” (You open your eye, Isa’s placing a cup next to you.)

“Mmm thanks, Stardrop. . .” (You giggle softly as Isabeaus face turns a deep shade at the nickname.)

“Y-you’rewelcome-!” (He sits down next to you.) “L-love you, Sif.”

“I love you too, Isa.” (You take a sip from the cup.) “Mmmmm. . . What kinda tea?”

“An herbal tea, I strained it and everything!”

“Hehe, thought so.” (You stuck your tongue out.) “It’s really helping with my muscle strain.”

“HAHA! HAHA! YES!!”

+. . . PFFTHehehehe.+

(??? Who- Oh! Rosmarinus? I-is, that you? Taking a peek at the favor tree, there’s another person here. A bit like you, but not really, dark clothes, a loop-like star chest, and stary hair.)

+O-oh! Uh, right! We haven’t met! Yeah I’m, Rosmarinus. I showed up. . . I think a few days ago?+

(Seems about right. You take another sip, then put the tea to the side so you could lean on Isabeau. Uh, well, welcome!)

(Isa leans down and kisses your head, speaking softly.) “Oh cute little wish, what’s going on in that cheeky head of yours.”

(You smile up at him.) “Meeting the new not-guy-”

+not-girl+

“-Not-girl.” (You correct. Right, they/she, right?)

+Mmhm! It felt, more right?+

(Haha, that’s fair. Isabeau strokes your hair as he talks.) “Oooh! Right, you told me about that the other day. Hi Rosmarinus!”

+Hi Isabeau!+

“They say hi.” (You stick out your tongue.) “It looks like you have more eyepatches to make, Stardrop~”

“F-for you all? I’d do anything.” (He kisses your head again, and you blush.) “. . I-is Rose okay with that ki-”

“Yes! Isabeau.” +You roll your eye, reaching up to pull him down for another kiss, and holding it for just a second.+

(You shudder, then let him go, you felt very, very hot. S-stars. .) 

(Isabeau covers his face with a hand, before mumbling out,) “Y-you’re all, so, cute. . .”

“H-hey!” (You reply.) +You reply.+ “Y-you are too!”

“Sorry, you guys out number me. So you win!” 

“That’s not how that-”

“Hey, lovebirds.” (Alex interrupts, poking their head from around the corner.) “Do you k-”

“Odile’s out with Nille Bonnie and Mira.” (You give them a Look.) “You’ll have to wait, lovebird.”

“I wasn’t-” (She starts, before huffing and heading upstairs.)

(You couldn’t help but laugh at that. Altiare had spilled the beans a day or two ago and you were STILL riding high off of it- oh stars you forgot to ask them about the cloak again.)

+It’s alright, Asterion asked them the other day.+

(Oh thank stars. Isabeau kissed your head again.) “Someone’s gotten their teeth back!”

“Maybe~” +You sit up and stretch.+ “A taciturn I am; no longer!”

“Huh?” +Isa scoots next to you.+ “Taciturn?”

“Someone who doesn’t speak up very often.” +You say almost automatically.+ “First floor, right side, second door on the left. Openphrase is “stostorage roomoom.” there's an open dictionary on the table.”

“Oh! You remember the specific room?” +He chuckles.+ “I’m always surprised you can remember specifics like that.”

“I can do better than that, ahem.” +You wink, and speak in an exaggerated rendition of your family's voices.+ ““Taciturn, What does "taciturn" mean?” “It's someone who doesn't speak up very often, Boniface.” “Oh, like Frin, okay.” “Yes, just like Siffrin.””

“YOU REMEMBER THE WHOLE EXCHANGE?!?”

+You do a sitting bow.+ “I’m here all week! Or until someone else takes over.”

(Stars, showoff. How do you remember that?)

+I just. . . Do?+

(That’s weird. Isabeau looks at you, amazed.) “Wow that’s, amazing!”

(You smile softly at him, and rub your neck.) “W-well, actually uh, Mari remembered most of it. It was really weird actually!”

“Because you remembered something?” (He’s smiling smugly at you)

“Shut uuuup.” (You whine.)

+Speaking of, Journal!+

(Oh right! You sit up and dig around your endless pockets for your journal.) “Whaaaat day of the week is it again?”

“It’s friday!” (Isabeau hands you a pen as you find your journal.) “Has that been helping? Writing stuff down?”

“Mmhm!” (You open the journal and flip to today.) “I-it really has! It’s really hard to keep track of how fast everything goes by b-but, but I think I’ve been remembering a lot beeee. . .”

+You’re staring at the entry from the other day. Oh, I didn’t tell you?+

(NO!?!!?? You squint at the entry from the other day. It was just one line, short, and a bit messy. “VERY GOOD DAY!” - Socks.) “. . . Who, uh, who’s Socks?”

“Socks?” (Isabeau leans over your shoulder.) “. . . Oh! That explains it.”

“Explains what?” (You turn and give him a suspicious expression.) 

“W-well uh, the other day, you were, uh. . .” (He sinks down into his shoulders.) “R-really, really, really cuddly.”

“H-HUH?!?!?” (HUH?!? WHAT?!?!?)

+Hehe, alright alright g-gimmie a second. You shake your head and close your eye for a second, drift to your room, step inside. . .+

+You walk across your room, a stage, and to the rows and rows of plays. Drifting to one, you pluck it out. Ah yes, here's the memory. With a motion, it was shared. Oh don’t worry, Sif, it’s not THAT embarrassing.+

(You shake your head again, that was- WH- Memory, you, cuddling Isa, being pat, no cloak, wrapped in blankets, puh-PURRING?!?!? a-and- o-oh stARS ABOVE--)

“. . . U-uh, you, alright Sif?” (Isa asks, putting a hand on your shoulder.) 

(Your face feels so hot.) “I-I, just, R-rosmarinus just shared the m-memory a-a-and.”

“Awww.” (Hair pat.) “W-well I guess you got a kitty in there now!”

“Hhhhhhh. . .” (You rub your face, and take a deeeeep breath in, and, out.)

(Looking through the rest of the entries, there weren’t any other surprises. But there was one entry from Saffron from a few days ago. Saffron never writes in the journal, never wants to be seen, never wants to talk, even. He’s a persecutor, an embodiment of all the pain you’ve gone through. But that entry. . .)

(“PLEASE DON’T LET THEM FORGET ME.”)

(Loop refused to talk about it, but they saw it too. Whatever ‘it’ was. You and Null talked about it, that maybe Saffron finally snapped. Or maybe Loop had someone new. Or Saffron just had a nightmare.)

(The front door opened as Mira, Odile, Nille and Bonnie came in from visiting the old Wolworth keep. You smile and wave.) “Welcome home!”

“Heya Isa, Siffy!” 

“Hello!! Did the training go well?”

“Very!!” (Isabeau beams.) “Ark knows her stuff!”

“Oh good!!”

“Excuse me,” (Odile interrupts.) “Do you kn-”

“Upstairs~” (You stick your tongue out, but Odile was already heading up.) “And there she goes.”

“Off to do some very important research I imagine.” (Isabeau pulls you back into a hug.) 

“Oh very important.” (You chuckle.) “How was the keep?”

“It looked so cool!!” (Mirabelle beamed.) “Ooooh I want to go back as soon as I visit here again!!”

“Yeah it was alright.” (Nille shrugged, she had a bag over her shoulder that she took to the kitchen.)

(You were turning to ask something else before Bonnie interrupted.) “Hey.”

(You turn back.) “Yeah-?” 

(Bonnie shoved a tiny, lightless, toy crown into your hand. It was a novelty thing, meant to be pinned in your hair, if worn at all. You look at it, then back up at Bonnie.)

“. . . Still don’t wanna talk to him, but he’s. . .” (They grumbled.) “. . . He’s ok. I just, ‘snot his fault, ‘m just, being. . .”

(. . . You tilt your head, curious.) “Y-yeah?”

“YEAH!” (They yelled, and started running off to the kitchen.) “JUST GIVE HIM THE STUPID CROWN! STUPIDFACE!!”

(You watch them go, Mirabelle sits down, she and Isabeau start talking about winter clothes. You look down at the tiny crown in your hands. Cute, harmless, a copy of the original. You close your eye. . .)

(A copy of your greatest enemy, a shadow of yourself, a copy from a play, a guide, and the person they used to be. A part of you who remembered, a cat, and now, maybe, a sadness. . .)

(And. . . You.)

(Who even are you, anymore. Are you still Siffrin? You are, and you’re sure you’ve been the same Siffrin for a long time, but. . . But who were you before that? Who were you before meeting your family? Who were you before washing up on Vaugarde? You don’t even remember that anymore, you just, know that it happened.)

(. . . You flip back a few pages. A few weeks ago. An entry marked with a star. You made sure to mark important entries with a star. This entry was a rare day where you remembered something, remembered running away.)

(. . . Who was that little Siffrin who wouldn’t eat their veggies? Who took a boat and ran from home? Who memorized each star and constellation and where they were? Who slept in the day and looked to the stars at night. Who wanted to. . . . .)

(. . . You hurriedly flip back to today's date and scribble that down. Stardust, that’s what you are. What’s left, a piece of a whole.)

(Or, maybe. . . Maybe you’re just one of the many pieces that formed this protostar named Siffrin. . . Will you still be here in a few years time? Or will it be another Siffrin holding Isabeaus hand. Eating Bonnie's food. Listening to Mirabelles rambles. Going on secret trips with Odile. Will it be another Siffrin going fishing with Nille? Or another Siffrin teaching Ramos and the other Groundskeepers about the stars?)

(. . .)

(That’s a problem for future you. But for now, you close the book, and put your head in Isabeau’s lap.)

[iamtired10]

newjeans headcanons to when ur sick/unwell 🫶🫶 i really adore ur writing so much! but dont feel pressured to write this suggestion :)) i reqlly hope your having a great day and i hope for many great ones to come.

under the weather

— ☘︎ fluffy headcanons

pairing: newjeans members x female reader

synopsis: how each newjeans member would react when you're sick and feeling unwell.

warning: just too much cuteness, really! :((

a/n: hey guys, im finishing up other requests tomorrow. this was the first request saurr i worked on it first. ive got some drafts im not happy with (so re-writing them) if u have any requests let me know! but bear with me—i have exams!

— kim minji

minji is the type to immediately notice when you’re not feeling well.

she’ll place her hand on your forehead, gently tucking your hair behind your ear as her brows furrow with concern.

“why didn’t you tell me earlier, baby? you’re burning up.”

minji would insist on taking care of you the entire day.

she’ll make you soup, even if she’s not the best cook, just because it’s something warm for you.

you’d hear her asking google how to make the perfect tea for sore throats or colds.

she’s naturally nurturing, always nearby with a soft blanket, making sure you're warm but not too hot, gently adjusting your pillow.

she’d also have her calm, patient smile on, trying to reassure you, even though you can tell she’s a little worried.

she’ll hum quietly while cuddling you, making sure you get the rest you need, checking in with soft whispers like, “does this feel better, love?” or “i’m right here if you need anything.”

— pham hanni

hanni will panic for like, two seconds, and then immediately jump into action.

she’ll text you, “don’t move!! i’m coming over!!” and show up at your door with way too many things – snacks, cough drops, drinks, and possibly some of the cutest plushies you’ve ever seen.

she’s the type to watch funny movies with you because laughter is the best medicine, right?

hanni’s focus would be on keeping you entertained and distracted from the fact that you’re feeling awful.

she’d wrap herself up in a blanket like a burrito and say, “look, if you’re sick, then i’m sick too. we suffer together.”

expect her to crack jokes, make goofy faces, and maybe do a little silly dance, anything to make you smile through the discomfort.

she’ll hold your hand whenever you’re not feeling great, squeezing it tight and assuring you that you’ll get better soon.

— danielle marsh

danielle will go above and beyond to make sure you're comfortable and smiling.

she’s got that sweet, caring energy that feels like sunshine, so being around her would feel so comforting.

she’d take one look at you and go, “oh no, my poor baby!”

before immediately wrapping you up in the coziest hug.

danielle would come over with a bag full of wellness goodies—think vitamins, fresh fruit, and some herbal teas that her mom probably recommended.

but, she wouldn’t stop there.

danielle would sit beside you, making sure you have water nearby and taking your temperature like a little nurse.

she’d read to you, tell you stories, and probably come up with silly scenarios to make you giggle.

“i know you’re sick right now, but you know what? i’m here to make sure you get better in the cutest way possible!”

she’d offer a shoulder massage or gently rub your back as you rest.

just being with her would make you feel instantly at ease, like you’re already healing just from her presence.

— kang haerin

haerin might not be the most vocal, but she shows her love through actions, and her quiet support would be so soothing when you’re unwell.

she’d notice you feeling off right away and probably wouldn’t say much, but she’d hover around, checking up on you constantly.

she’s the type to sit beside you and just stay close, not overwhelming you with questions but making sure you know she’s there.

she’ll bring you a cool washcloth for your forehead or your favorite drink without even asking, like she already knows what you need before you do.

if you’re too tired to talk, haerin would just hold your hand, her thumb brushing over your knuckles in slow, comforting strokes.

there’s something about her presence that feels calming, like she’s a grounding force when everything else feels off.

haerin would definitely put on some calming music, or better yet, hum softly as she brushes your hair away from your face.

she won’t leave your side, and even though she’s not saying much, you can feel how much she cares.

—lee hyein

hyein would be the most eager to take care of you.

she’ll probably rush to the store to get all kinds of things for you—medicine, soup, snacks, and maybe even some cute little gifts to cheer you up.

she’s very hands-on and would want to help you feel better immediately.

“don’t worry, i got this! you just lay there and look cute.” hyein would say, flashing that confident grin of hers.

she’s the type to bundle you up in blankets, but she’s also a little bit of a tease, so she’ll jokingly smother you in the covers and go, “stay wrapped up like a burrito so you can sweat out the sickness!”

you’ll catch her running around, trying to fix everything at once, even if it’s just making sure the pillows are fluffed or you have the perfect temperature drink by your side.

but the moment you look up at her with those puppy-dog eyes because you’re tired or feeling extra unwell, she’ll soften instantly, sitting by your side and stroking your cheek.

“i got you, babe. just rest, i’ll be here the whole time.”

she’ll make it a point to stick by you, even if it means staying up until she’s sure you’re sleeping peacefully.

a/n: good night 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔..

[alluringnectar]

Timeless

abby anderson x fem!reader

a/n: this is the final chapter, if u want a bonus lmk . not proof read yet!! i will tmr .

summary: abby takes care of you while you’re sick .

warnings: very fem reader, slow burn, angst, use of petnames, gentle abby, taking care of r, sweetheart!abby, fingering (r! receiving), cunnilingus (r! receiving), aftercare, happy ending

pt.1 , pt. 2 , pt. 3

after abby was informed of her duty “to supervise” you she took it instead as protecting you.

not that you were complaining, her undivided sweet attention was heavenly.

you wish you hurt yourself more if that meant abby could take care of you more.

the door to your bedroom creaked, causing you to flinch.

“hey, did you sleep well?” abby asks.

“jesus you scared the shit outta me.”

“yea, i did abby. thank you for everything.” you reply softly.

abby grins “do you need anything? herbal tea? pancakes?” “some tea would be nice”. you say. abby grins and she walks up to your bed. you motion her to come over and, she sinks into your bed as she sits. the closer she gets to you, the more jittery you feel. she pulls some hairs out of your face and behind your ear. her gazed softened as her eyes returned to yours.

“how are you feeling princess?”

after the couple days of her taking care of you, she started giving you cute nicknames, and every time she would call you one your throat would go dry and your heart would flutter.

“im doing really good abs…. i don’t know how i could ever make this up to you.”

“you don’t have to, i don’t expect anything.”

and it was true, she didn’t expect anything to come out of this, but she hoped.

she was close to your face, and you were close to hers.

she glanced at your lips and moved closer.

you leaned in.

but you heard a loud knock which had abby and you recoiling, abby shuffling to get the door.

“stay there, i have this baby.”

5 minutes passed by, and no Abigail.

she was taking a long time, and curiosity got the best of you, you walked out of your bedroom to the door and saw Mel and Abby,,, arguing?

“the fuck abby? you just met her and you’re already going after her. owen, now this?” mel yells.

“look mel, I know you’re upset at me and you have every right to be-”

“damn well I am! she’s my friend y’know. i don’t wanna see her hurt.”

then abby and mel spot you, leaning on your doorway, with a guilt of look in your eyes. you didn’t want to be the reason abby and mel were divided. “hey abby, i’ll talk to mel outside.” she nodded and gave no fight, she trusted you.

as you close the door to your apartment, you’re facing mel. “what was going on?” you asked. “look,, i warned you about abby I dont want her to hurt you.”

“she won’t. and if she does, it is what it is.”

“do you know what happened between her and i?” mel asked.

“no, i don’t” you eased up after hearing those words as you understood that she isn’t trying to sabotage you she is just worried.

“abby and owen… they had something before me and owen. i thought it was over & after they broke up, we all became friends. i started dating owen, and-” mel’s eyes welled up. “i was pregnant. and she got with owen.”

you were stunned, and you realized why she was worried for you. “thank you mel for caring about me, but I’m not owen or you. i’m not excusing anything abby did, but it isn’t all on abby. sex requires two people, it’s unfair to put this all on her. she changed, and im sure she realized what she did was wrong from what i heard earlier. you cannot change the past, and if you continue fixating on it you won’t have a future.”

mel broke down, and you hold her. you let go and tell her. “forgive both of them for yourself and your baby, you deserve to be happy.” mel smiled and thanked you. “im sorry.. for intruding, it wasn’t my intention. i know it isnt all on abby,, i miss her i guess i just didn’t realize how much i did now.” you smile at her softly, “take your time, im sure abby misses you too.”

mel thanks you for your words, and as she walks away, she looks behind twice and you are still standing at the door way, letting her know it will be okay.

you walk back into your apartment, and closed your door. you see abby sitting on the sofa, with your tea in her hand. as she passes it to you, you see her tremble a bit.

“are you alright abby?” you ask, concerned.

“yea, im fine princess thank you.”

“you don’t have to be okay, we’re human” you giggle, trying to lighten the mood.

“do you still like me?”

“what?”

“im sorry i asked-”

you shut up abby by closing her lips with a kiss.

“of course i like you silly, nothing will change that.”

abby loosens up a little bit after hearing those words.

you sit closer to her on the couch, and you begin to straddle her waist with your legs. you hold her face and press another kiss onto her mouth, this time sliding your tongue into hers. she groans & reciprocates by holding your waist rubbing small circles onto each side.

as the kiss deepens, her fingers start toying with the bottom of your tank top.

abby breaks of your kiss to say “can i take this off?”

“anything, abs.” you smile with full teeth.

abby chuckles. “up baby”, you put your arms up as she takes your top off.

“this too?” abby asks as she pulls on your small shorts.

you laugh and shimmy your way out of your shorts leaving you in nothing but your bra & panties.

“absss” you whine, as she starts kissing up and leaving love bites on your collarbone and your chest.

“yeah baby?”

“you have have to at least take your top off, i wanna see you too!” you pout.

abby laughs and takes off her top, leaving her in her sport’s bra. you and abby start kissing again, abby getting more rougher.

you massage her breasts, and she whimpers a bit.

you giggle a bit but its cut off quickly as she starts rubbing your nipples.

“ahhh abs,,,”

“is this okay?”

“keep going,, please abs” you nearly beg.

abby isn’t mean and she won’t tease you, so she listens to your commands like a dog. she takes off your bra & licks your nipple, starting to suck.

you moan loudly, toes curling.

abby unlatches herself from one and goes to the other nipple.

“feel good baby?” she asks

“more abs…” you barely get out.

abby yanks your underwear off, and pushes you onto your back.

abby and you hold eye contact, and you tell her.

“please, i’d only want this with you.”

and that’s abby’s green light because shes rubbing lazy circles on your bud, eliciting moans that gradually get louder as she speeds up.

you’re so lost in pleasure, you didn’t even realize she was gonna slip a finger in you.

“aaahh abby!” you claw her back, and she curls her fingers in and out.

abby inserts another finger into your cunt, and curls them back and forth hitting your g-spot repeatedly.

your legs start shaking, and you feel that funny feeling in your tummy. you start tapping her forearm, too out of it to form words but as a way to let her know you’re close.

she goes even faster, and your back arches. you close your eyes and hear abby say “it’s okay love, come for me.” and it’s like you were waiting for her to say that, bc you release on command. cum all over her fingers.

as you’re panting, trying to get ahold of yourself abby asks you

“can you give me one more?”

“what abs?” you laugh, “i want you to feel good too.” you look at her guiltily.

“nono, seeing you feel good makes me feel good too.”

you smile at her words and relax yourself again, the couch’s fabric a little soaked from your sweat.

“im gonna go ahead and start again okay?”

you laugh at abby’s assurance and roll your eyes at her playfully.

“yes captain,” you chuckle as looking down at her between your legs.

she smiles, and still staring into your eyes she licks a long stride onto your slit.

you moan and put your head back, but abby tells you

“nono look at me baby.”

and as you look back down at her, she latches onto your clit starts sucking.

“abby- i cant !”

“you can take it , right?”

you nod, and your thighs clench around her head, bringing them closer to your cunt.

she kitten licks your hole and folds, eating you out like she hasn’t ate in forever.

“mmph im close!!”

“let it out, its okay ma im here.”

you come all on her face, and abby looks up at you and smiles, licking her lips.

you start laughing at the sight.

“don’t look at me like that when you just ate me out!” you yell. laughing, you get a pillow and hit her with it.

abby gets another pillow and starts playfully hitting you with it, leaving your faces close again.

you lean in and close your eyes, abby closing the gap and kissing you passionately with no urgency.

both of you pull back, saliva connecting your lips.

“soo,” abby goes on.

“sooo..” you mock her jokingly.

“are we girlfriends then?”

“of course we are abs.” and you pull her into the tightest hug you could ever imagine.

“i don’t think I ever finished the tea you served me though.”

-

you’re 5 months into a relationship with abs, and as you’re holding her hand, fingers intertwined in eachothers, mel approaches you guys.

“hey abby, can i talk to you?” she requests timidly.

abby looks confused, but she nods. “can she stay though?”

mel straightens up, of course she can. “i just really wanted to say, im sorry, and i miss you. i think there’s a lot we need to talk about, and i’d regret it if i turned my back on you forever. one choice doesn’t define you.”

abby grins and tells the short hair woman, “i miss you more and it’s okay.” she looks up at you, approvingly. “would you want to join us for breakfast?”

[jaijeijayjei]

What's in a Name? - Fic

Viktor meets Mel and Jayce's daughter for the first time, and is pleasantly surprised upon learning her name. Pure fluff, AU where Viktor has recovered from his illness. Inspired by @cluelessrockcollector 's art!

Relationships: Mel/Jayce, Jayce & Viktor, Mel & Viktor.

Word count: 971

Rating: General Audiences, no warnings.

For once it was nice visiting Piltover’s General Hospital as a guest, and not a patient. Upon learning Mel gave birth overnight, Viktor immediately left to visit her.

“Viktor! Thanks for coming,” Jayce said happily, embracing Viktor before leading him to Mel’s hospital room. 

While there was always respect between Viktor and Mel, it was only recently that their relationship developed beyond mere acquaintances. 

Viktor was curious about the woman who had captured his closest friend’s heart and so an unexpected friendship blossomed. Councilor Medarda was a brilliant woman and one of the few able to match his quick wit. Unlike most of Piltover’s elite, Mel neither pitied nor derided him. Likewise, Viktor was neither sycophantic or intimidated by Mel, a refreshing difference. Although he once claimed this interest was purely for Jayce’s sake, he had developed a genuine fondness for the beguiling woman.

Perhaps he didn’t show his affection in the sweeping, sentimental ways Jayce preferred, but it was present nonetheless. Among other acts, Viktor took it upon himself to thoroughly investigate Mel’s healthcare providers (and made sure they rejected the ones who didn’t pass his standards). He also sought out Sky’s assistance in gathering herbal remedies for expectant mothers and subtly rearranged their project schedules to allow Jayce more time with his growing family. 

While walking down the hallway, Jayce enthusiastically updated him on the sudden events of the previous day and reassured him both mother and child were well. While he insisted on protecting his wife’s privacy during her pregnancy and birth, both him and Mel agreed Viktor, Caitlyn, and Ximena are always welcome. 

“Fatherhood suits you Jayce,” Viktor remarked fondly as they entered the private room.  

“Viktor! Welcome” Caitlyn exclaimed, a cup of tea in hand. Ximena gave a warm smile and gestured for him to take a seat.

Mel was seated upright in her bed, cradling her daughter. Viktor was extraordinarily curious to meet her, yet turned his attention first to his dear friend. 

“Thank you for welcoming my presence, Mel. Jayce tells me you are recovering well.”

“The pleasure is mine, Viktor. I am thankful to have such good company,” she said fondly while stroking her daughter's cheek.  

Viktor caught sight of the sleeping baby nestled against Mel’s chest. Her delicate skin was a few shades deeper than Jayce’s and she had a soft halo of dark curly hair just like her mother. He wondered what color her eyes would be.

“Would you like to hold her, Viktor?” Mel offered.

“I would be honored,” he replied softly.

Jayce walked over to carefully place the child into his nervous, yet steady arms. 

Such a delicate creature- her fragile breaths a mere whisper against his face. And yet each breath promised a lifetime of endless possibilities. Her eyes fluttered open. Amber, just like Jayce’s.

Viktor’s breath caught in his throat as her hand reached out to him, grasping his index finger. 

“And does the little one have a name?” he questioned, careful to keep his voice low. 

===============

Some months ago

Mel sat on the floor of her daughter’s nursery adding the finishing details to the mural. She was inspired by Ximena’s wistful memories of her homeland’s mountain ranges and created a beautiful landscape. 

Jayce had insisted on building most of the furniture himself. A dresser housing baby clothes gifted by Caitlyn, a crib painted blue, and a practical changing table were neatly arranged against the far wall. 

Her husband was across the room, carefully carving out little birds for his daughter’s wooden mobile. 

“How about Vivienne?” Mel called out

“Eh, too prissy for me. Clara?”

“Hm, I know too many Claras. Estella?”

Jayce gave a noncommittal hum. “Evelynn?” he suggested with a hopeful lilt to his voice. 

“Jayce, we are not naming our daughter after a pop star,” Mel sighed. 

“Worth a shot,” he shrugged. 

Although the baby would be their beloved daughter first and foremost, she would also be a scion of both House Medarda and House Talis. They knew their daughter will have the world’s eyes on her the moment she is born. Thus, she should have a strong, respectable, yet meaningful name, Mel believed. 

Mel traced her fingers over the dried portion of the painted background- a cheerful yellow that would reflect the sunshine streaming in from the skylights. The mural was full of soft, gentle colors, yet in the shadows of the trees and glints in the streaming rivers, she included accents of Medarda red. A silent acknowledgement to her daughter’s roots. 

Still, she and Jayce agreed to hold off conversations about Mel’s heritage until their daughter was older. Until she could better understand the complex feelings of respect and rejection, of love and regret. Mel wished to give her daughter a clean slate, free from the weight associated with the Medarda name. And for that reason she chose to break from tradition- her firstborn would not be named after a family member.

But there was one person she considered worthy of such recognition…

==========

“Her name is Viktoria,” Jayce murmured softly. 

His gaze snapped up at Jayce, who eagerly awaited his reaction. 

A flood of emotions rushed through Viktor, surprise, joy, and gratitude at the forefront. He thought back to his fears of being forgotten, of becoming nothing more than a footnote in history.

As soon as Jayce realized his partner’s name was missing from the Hexgate plans, he went on a tirade combing through all the documentation he could find, ensuring Viktor’s name had its rightful place. Yet now, every accolade and attribution paled next to this honor. A testament to the unbreakable bonds he has made. His legacy would be preserved, not just as a scientist, but as a beloved friend and partner.

“How… sentimental,” he muttered, unable to hide the joyful smile creeping up his face. The others laughed.

[solivagant242]

losing you pt.7

remus lupin x f!reader

warnings: strong angst, losing a relationship, minor swearing (?)

pt. 1 pt. 2 pt. 3 pt. 4 pt. 5 pt. 6 pt.8

amberly is used as the MC here since i used to write a lot of fanfics with her, but feel free to self-insert or use whatever name you’d like <3

________________________________________

Amberly is fighting what feels like a losing battle.

She’s stopped trying to reach out. Stopped trying to talk, to hang out, to make plans. Every day the shell she’s built around herself gets a little thicker, a little harder.

She gets up in the morning. Early, which hasn’t changed at least. She goes for a walk by herself, her only company the fat gray squirrels chasing each other over the brown leaves in the gutter. She doesn’t kiss Remus’ forehead or ask him if he’d like her to warm some bread or start the kettle for tea. She makes him a plate of food, placed neatly under another one in the oven so it will stay warm, and then takes a shower and dresses in clothes she lay out the night before. Gone are the days of sleepy cuddles, of clinging to each other in the early morning hours, curled into each other like tired cats.

By the time Remus is out of bed, she tries to be gone and out of the house. Her job as a high-school math tutor has gone fully remote, as most of the students in the district are just starting school, so she’s taking calls from kids across the country or even the world. She takes her laptop, charger, and headphones to the little cafe down the street and curls up in her favorite window seat that overlooks the entrance. 

She heads back around four every day, so that she has time to make dinner and warm it up for him. After that she makes herself scarce. Heads to the library, headphones on, buries herself in a book or writing so that she doesn’t have to think. Loses herself so well there’s always a slight shock when she looks up and sees the dimming light around her.

And at night? Amberly keeps to her side of the bed. Curls herself around her pillow, hugging it to her chest, teetering on the very edge of the mattress with her back to Remus if she can help it. She doesn’t hug him. Doesn’t touch him or reach for him in her sleep. The nightmares that used to plague her are back, back with a vengeance now that she doesn’t have the solid comfort of Remus’ warmth against her. More often than not she finds herself leaving the bed in the gray hours of dawn, teeth chattering in the early chilliness of the house, to plaster herself against the soft plush of the couch and close her eyes, praying for the bad dream to end.

She doesn’t feel…anything? Maybe that’s not accurate; she knows she should feel something. Anger, like Lily had suggested. Or sadness at the rapidly growing pit that had once been their relationship. 

But all Amberly can feel is numb.

Every time she wants so, so so badly to reach out to Remus, to pet his hair or ask for a hug or rest her head on his shoulder, she just remembers that bitter, hateful rage behind her eyes when he spat those words at her.

“I don’t want you…”

And she wraps herself in gray silence like a cloak, the weight of unspoken words heavy on her tongue. 

Remus feels like he’s losing his mind. 

What’s worse is that he has exactly what he wanted. But now he doesn’t want it, not unless Amberly is there. 

He wanted to be left alone. He wanted for her to stop clinging to him, always asking if he was okay, if he wanted to do something together. He wanted some space to breathe, neglecting to realize that the only reason Amberly had been in his space was because she was trying to take care of him.

Well, now he has that.

She doesn’t text him anymore. Well, she does, but not like she used to. She’d send him good morning, i love you, i had a CRAZY dream about a bunny rabbit mixed with a Niffler…

Now he gets a morning, love you, food is in the oven.

She used to answer him right away. Always there, always ready- do you need me to make you that herbal mix for your bath? How about I fill you a hot water bottle? Love, would you like some popcorn or is your headache too bad?

He’s lucky if he gets a response within two hours now.

For the first time he knows how she felt. As it turns out, seeing the response ty to have a good day today love really, really hurts. 

She doesn’t hug him anymore. Well, she does, but not like she used to, wrapping her arms around him and burrowing into the crook of his neck like a sleepy cat. Her warm embrace has become a one-armed, uncomfortable bump together that she always stiffens at and leans away from as soon as possible. 

Amberly used to rest her head on his shoulder, grab his hand and interlock the fingers, hug him from behind, curl up in his lap. Now she barely touches him, and if she does, it’s quick and very plainly not wanted. She doesn’t look at him that much anymore either. That beautiful light from her brown eyes that he’d loved from the moment he met her is now dulled, maybe even extinguished completely.

Her presence in the house reminds him of a ghost. She dodges in and out like autumn mist, timing her leaving and arriving with his. He can’t remember the last time they sat in a room to have a conversation. Fuck, he can’t remember the last time they even talked, outside of short, brief exchanges: dinner’s on the table. I got your meds, they’re on the dresser. Already locked the door.

But through all that growing blackness, all he can think, a dull pulse in his ears, is this is exactly how you treated her, and you were stupid enough to think it was okay.

Amberly can feel herself fading. 

She’s lost weight. She doesn’t know how. Maybe when the whole thing had gotten really bad, when she had entirely lost her appetite for anything at all. Sleep. Physical affection (she cringed at the thought, imagining what Remus’ mind was probably on when he touched her- does she ever leave me alone? Why does she have to be around me, clinging to me, every second of the day?). Food. Water. 

Her eyes have shadows under them. In dim light, they look like bruises. As if she’s some weeping, scar-faced ghoul.

The only thing that she wants to do is watch the sunset. Watch the sky, and remember happier times. Even though that just makes her sadder with the memories that might have been but now probably never would be. 

She closes her eyes, curls around the pillow, and slips uneasily into a jerky sleep.

Remus stares at the ceiling next to her. 

He can feel it. Can feel his girlfriend slipping away from him, shutting down more and more every day. 

His eyes burn at the memory of those hateful words. Of what he’d said to her.

You fucking ruined things with the one person who cared more about you than themselves. All because you couldn’t just admit that you needed her.

And now she’s gone.

The guilt sloshes in his stomach. He can still see her brown eyes in front of him, puddled with tears. He can still hear the little noise she’d made when he spoke the words that broke her. As if a part of her had been suddenly, irreparably shattered. 

How could I have said that to her?

He turns to peer at Amberly, sleeping next to him.

She’s curled into a little ball around her pillow, and his throat swells with tears as he remembers how she used to cling to him. How she’d cuddle into his shoulder with a happy sigh, and he’d kiss her hair and tell her how much he loved her, how much he wanted her.

Now she doesn’t even want to look at me.

Remus closes his eyes.

I fucked up.

[allisluv]

Hiii!! Me again (🕸️).

Just been thinking about my girl, Emily, and how she absolutely, 110%, deserves the princess treatment.

I'm talking full on bubble baths w/ rose petals and candles, having her shoes tied/zipped up for her, cuddling/kissing her while she sleeps (cause i just know that mf has insomnia, and is clingy af), the old "taking your jacket off, and putting it around her shoulders, cause it's cold out, and she forgot to bring one, to wherever you are at that point in time", having her sit on the counter and look pretty, while you cook for the both of you (like a home date night, cause working at the BAU and scheduling dates, does not mix well. also i'm sorry, but her fancy-shmancy ass, can't cook to save her life), bringing her coffee/herbal tea (cause yk, self-care. that mf cannot keep living off caffeine) and a croissant from the cafe nearest Quantico. F-ING EVERYTHING!!

Would love to know your thoughts xxx

anon its good to have you back! one thing about emily prentiss is that she is horrible at letting people take care of her. she's just got this me against the world mindset so far engraved into her head that it's hard to get rid of. so on a rare night when she's too tired to insist that she's fully capable of taking care of herself, you pull out all the stops. youve drew her a bath and left a glass of wine there for when she lands back in virgina. you make her dinner and watch reruns of old game shows while she (reluctantly) melts into the sofa.

the little things that you do dont go amiss either -- her heart swells in her chest when you bend down to fasten her laces or when you drape your leather jacket over the slope of her shoulders. she simply adores it when you make an impromptu stop by the BAU to drop in a drink or her favourite snack.

bonuses: emily's the little spoon and is super clingy after a long day at work. she loves it when you scratch her scalp; it helps her drift off.