#ship: cullen x melisande

[fereldanwench]

I just realized I never shared how Melisande turned out in Veilguard:

Overall I was pretty happy with how she turned out! She was always meant to have dark brown eyes, but I remember that being impossible to achieve in the vanilla DAI CC. Her jawline and cheeks in DATV are also closer to how I envisioned her.

I didn't get any body shots in the CC, but I also liked that I was finally able to give her the muscular bod she was always meant to have. The DAI bodies are so spindly--It never looked right to me on her.

But I couldn't get the mouth anywhere near her DAI shape, which I think is one of her most defining features, and I do wish that she had scars a little closer to her DAI version, namely the ones on her lip for the same reason. I wish there were more damage scars in DATV in general--There are a lot of cool body mod/art options, but I felt like the injury ones were lacking.

I also wish that wrinkles weren't tied to complexion, because this was the best complexion for her, but she does look too young. I think if I remember my own timeline right, she'd be in her mid-40s, so some crows' feet and laugh lines would have been nice.

I always loved Alix Wilton Regan's voice for Melisande, so hearing her speak again was very nostalgic for me. <33 I do feel like the characterization of the Inquisitor missed the mark for me, though. It wasn't terrible, but Melisande is a lot more stern and no-nonsense than she came across in Veilguard.

There was one part when she told Rook she missed the companionship in the Inquisition, and I was like hmmmm. I don't know if she does, lmao. She'd miss Cassandra a lot, since they were besties and Mel made her the Divine, so they presumably don't get to see each other that often. She'd probably miss Josie and Varric, too, if they didn't stay in touch--And I think if she knew Varric was hunting Solas, she would have wanted to be a lot more involved.

I was also dying to see how her romance, Cullen, would be handled. He was obviously not going to appear in-game given his knucklehead of a VA burned those bridges, but I was surprised he wasn't mentioned by name at all. At least not in any of the conversations I had with her. And I was a little bummed by that if only because I just love how Regan says his name, haha. Just something like "I need to return to Cullen in Ferelden" would have been nice.

The only thing that indicated she was in a relationship was Dorian's vague line at the very end about "a certain someone worrying about her." That was a little underwhelming for my sappy ass, but whatever. It's fine.

I think I was a minority in this, but I personally never really wanted the Inquisitor to come back, especially not as a protagonist. I was content with the "My adventuring days are over" (or whatever) line at the end of Trespasser to indicate that she was passing the torch to someone else, as per Dragon Age protagonist tradition. I was also very dissatisfied with how Hawke's cameo in Inquisition played out, so generally I'm of the opinion that BioWare should leave my retired protagonists alone, lmao. But despite some characterization gripes, it was fun to see her again, especially from another perspective.

[fereldanwench]

started thinking about what worldstate i wanna create for my first run in veilguard because of course i have.

we can't import past saves and we won't be using the keep anymore, so I'm not sure how detailed we'll be able to get with it but I've got a few possibilities to play with:

the first and most likely is my mostly canon-compliant worldstate with these bbs:

lorelei cousland [rogue; double-wield] warden / queen of ferelden / li: king!alistair

daphne caron [rogue; double-wield] warden commander / ruler of vigil's keep / li: warden!bethany

ansley hawke [warrior; board & sword] champion of kirkwall / pirate / li: isabela

melisande trevelyan [rogue; archer] herald of andraste / inquisitor / li: cullen

rosalind hendry [mage; knight-enchanter] former chantry scholar / inquisition agent for leliana / li: blackwall

the second is my slightly less canon-compliant worldstate that i never brought into inquisition because i didn't want to have to choose between alistair and my favorite hawke in the fade lmao:

karina amell [mage; i do not remember her spec] warden-commander / li: warden!alistair

rhiannon hawke [force & elemental mage] champion of kirkwall / temp viscount of kirkwall / li: cullen or fenris*

*last summer i did replay da2 with an iteration of rhiannon that actually romanced fenris and i loved it and I've complicated shit for her, lmao. rhiannon x cullen were my goro x valerie of 2013-2014 and making her officially with someone else feels wrong bc i loved them together so much. but i just can't enjoy cullen anymore. so do i do i give rhiannon a boyfriend upgrade? do i make a whole 'nother hawke inspired by her? do i just let rhiannon x cullen and rhiannon x fenris exist in different AUs? i don't know!

and the third is kind of the opposite of the second one: a worldstate i made just for inquisition in the keep with some choices i had never made in the previous games. i don't even have the worldstate in the keep anymore so i don't remember everything but i think it was like this:

default f!mahariel [rogue; archer] no li / recruited loghain / made alistair marry anora

default m!hawke [mage] li: anders / sided with mages

keagan trevelyan [mage; knight-enchanter] herald of andraste / inquisitor / li: cullen (although i headcanoned a polycule with her, cullen, and josie)

one of my conundrums with all of these is, as i mentioned, i can't enjoy cullen anymore. he was obviously a big fave, i think his arc is fascinating especially in da2 and especially if you side with the templars and he has to contend with the shit he's done for meredith, and i enjoyed all the different shipping dynamics with all different kinds of ocs. but i can't separate him from his dipshit VA at this point. hearing his voice is just an instant NOPE for me now

i am 99% positive cullen will not be in veilguard for 2 reasons: 1) the writers said during inquisition that they were no longer trying to work in characters whose fates could be too varied depending on player choice and 2) that twitter shitstorm a few years seemed to guarantee ellis will never work with bioware again lmao

now i suppose there's a possibility that ellis could have recorded lines before that happened and somehow they would be able to be used despite all the changes that happened, but I'm trying to be an optimist here

nevertheless, all of the inquisitors i played were with him, and it sounds like we'll be able to engage with our inquisitors in some capacity in veilguard so do i even want to have a passing mention of cullen? idk. i mean, my disdain for his VA isn't so bad that this would ruin the game for me or anything, but i also feel like this is an opportunity to enjoy another character

between keagan and melisande, melisande was definitely my more developed OC, but i just loved playing as a knight-enchanter gameplay-wise so keagan is actually the only one of the two who did trespasser and jaws of hakkon. i never did the descent--the only DLC in all the games that i haven't played. I've been debating firing up my inquisitor!valerie game again to play that with her but i know the descent recommends a pretty high level and i can't remember how far i got in the story with her (I think i just reached skyhold that last time i played)

so anyway, i've got some decisions to make!

as for what i'm leaning towards playing in veilguard: at this point in time, i'm pretty sure my first rook will be a mage of some kind and lucanis sounds like he was made specifically for me lmao so odds are looking good that'll be my first ship

[fereldanwench]

I don’t really see Cullen as the kind of guy who would be especially doting, but my current happy place right now is thinking about Cullen getting Melisande some extra warm armor and gear for Emprise du Lion because he knows she hates the cold and it’s a small, practical way for him to show he cares.  (◡‿◡✿)

[fereldanwench]

2,11,17 for... Mellen 😆

Mellen! 😂😂

2) Who is always horny and will have sex at any time, at any place and at any time?So Cullen is not horny at the time, but he is a very reciprocal, eager-to-please lover, and more often than not, he’s pretty much down for whatever Mel wants whenever or where ever she wants it. Which isn’t to say that Mel is a selfish lover, at all–Only that she usually takes the lead and Cullen is happy to follow.

11) Who makes fun of the other for having a crush on them, and who has to remind them that they are in a relationship?Melisande would definitely do the teasing and Cullen would definitely be ready with a very dry observation about their relationship status.

17) Who is more protective?I think they’re pretty equal here. They’re both very aware (and proud) of each other’s strengths and capabilities, so neither would be overbearing. But they are living in dangerous times, and that can certainly provoke a lot of protectiveness and worry. Cullen probably gets more opportunity to feel protective, since Mel is thrown into the thick of things more often, but the feelings would be comparable if their situations were reversed.

[fereldanwench]

multiples of 5, pairing of your choice!

Wheeeee! ♥♥

I’m gonna do Cullen and Mel.

5) Who sleeps on the couch when they get into a fight?Cullen would be more likely to isolate himself if they were in a fight, and he’d probably take the couch just as a means of getting some distance.  

10) Who is more likely to cheat?Relationship-wise? I could not see either of them cheating or having any inclination for it. But Mel cheats in games and casual competitions and whatnot. 

15) Who likes writing the others name on their wrist?I’m not sure if this means writing it on their own wrist or writing it on the other person’s wrist but either way… I think the act would be weird to both of them, like a subtle expression that one “owns” the other, and neither Mel nor Cullen really roll like that. Cullen might write her name on reports with little hearts floating around it, though.

20) Who falls asleep in the others lap and who carries them to bed?This is totally 50/50 because they are both workaholics who push their own limits while the other is like chill pls. 

25) Who says shitty puns and sex jokes just to see the other giggle and blush?Mel is terrible at puns, but she loves provoking a good, earnest, excited blush from Cullen by telling him all the sexy things she wants to do with him. 

30) Who is embarrassed when they have to wear their glasses and who thinks they look super cute? Cullen would clearly be embarrassed and Mel would think it’s precious. 

[fereldanwench]

23, 24, 26, and 27 for Cullen and Mel!

I love these questions–Thank you!!!

23) Who thinks they are not good enough for the others love? and who’s more afraid of loosing the other? Who thinks they keep messing up, only for the other to tell them they don’t need to worry?I’m actually working on a one-shot right now that addresses some of these fears! Cullen suffers from it a little more generally because he feels so widely inexperienced with romance, but he confronts it a little more openly. Melisande, though, had a pattern of being far too emotionally distant and self-absorbed in her past–She is terrified she’ll repeat the same mistakes with Cullen. And it kind of becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy–The more worried about ruining their relationship she is, the more closed off she becomes. It’s definitely a part of the reason she waits so long to tell Cullen how she feels, and it’s probably one of the biggest obstacles for them early in their relationship.

24) Who starts random slow dancing with the other in the kitchen? Who holds the other just above the ground and kisses them?Melisande loves dancing! She would totally be the one to randomly intiate dances. Cullen is super awkward about it, and protests a little, but most of the time he’s just happy to have her smiling and holding him.

And they’re about the same height–There’s not a lot of picking up for kisses since they’re mouths are right there, so to speak.

26) Who kissed first?I accept the canon first kiss–Melisande tells Cullen he knows how she feels, and after an interruption that almost makes Mel feel like she should back out, Cullen smooches her.

27) Who orders take out at two in a morning? and who wakes the other up at three in the morning to go downstairs with them to get a glass of water because it’s too dark?They’re both prone to really late dinners and skipping meals, but Mel is definitely the one to notice the grumbling stomaches first and order some tasty treats. I can’t really see either of them ordering the other one around for favors–I think the one would sooner just offer getting a glass of water than the other asking it. And they’re both troubled sleepers–They definitely wouldn’t disturb the other for something they could do on their own.

[fereldanwench]

Tagged by @starsandskies a while ago! ♥ Sorry for the delay; I think it was like right when the notifications got all wonky.

First ship you ever read fic for: The first fanfic I ever read was for Star Wars, but to be completely candid, I was just looking for smut and wasn’t too particular about the pairing. One of the hottest ones I read that always stuck with me was with a female OC, Wedge, and another Rogue Squadron guy I can’t even remember. And I remember some Padme x Obi-Wan fic that I really liked.

First ship you ever wrote fic for: Also Star Wars--Mara & Karrde. For better or worse, it was before I ever had Internet access or knew fanfic was A Thing, and it was in a notebook that has long been lost to time. 

Ship you write the most now: I guess in terms of sheer volume, it’d be Cullen x Rhiannon Hawke or Cullen x Melisande Trevelyan. But in terms of what I’m writing now, it goes back and forth between Zaeed x Rylie Shepard and Harry Carlyle x Sara Ryder. 

Ship you read the most now: I’m on a bit of a fanfic hiatus at the moment while I catch up with non-fanfic reading, but it was Zaeed x Shepard most recently.

Newest ship: I had been into Zaeed x Shepard since I first played ME2 some years ago, but I’ve only recently started working on my own take on it.

Rare ship you wanna read more of: Bethany Hawke x Isabela

Your taboo ship: I wouldn’t consider any of them taboo, but I do have some that could lean more, uh, problematic, I guess, than others, especially depending on how they’re written. Cullen with a mage other than the Inquisitor seems to get that take the most often.

They never met in canon ship: I’m not sure I have one.

Your unexpected ship: I guess Harry x Sara? I remember when thinking “Oh, this guy is dying first” when we first met him in Andromeda and he was putting on that beautiful show of bravado, and then the next thing I know he’s saying stuff like “it’s a hell of a thing” and telling my Ryder not to be a stranger in that voice and I’m completely smitten.

The ship you always forget to give love to: I tend to mostly write fic for my f/m ships; I need to stop falling into old habits so much and write for my f/f babies. ♥

Ship your OC with a canon character (if applicable): Like a non-romanceable canon character? I guess I have quite a few of those. Cullen x Rhiannon Hawke, Bethany Hawke x Daphne Caron, Harry x Sara, Rylie x Zaeed. Probably more.

A ship you’re embarrassed to ship: Um. I wouldn’t say I’m embarrassed by the ship itself, but there’s a lot of stuff in the Cullen x Inquisitor realm I would also rather not be associated with.

Your most romantic ship: I’m personally not a very romantic person, so I don’t think any of my ships really are either.

Your sexiest ship: Isabela x Ansley Hawke without a doubt, omg. ♥

Your most tragic ship: I don’t really like tragic ships, honestly. Cullen and Rhiannon are probably the angstiest I have, but they still get a happy ending.  

A ship you want more content for: Hackett x Shepard

Tagging @black-rose4, @noonvraith, @tieflingbi, @ladytrevelyan, @sarasa-cat, and @carolyntheclockworkangel90

[fereldanwench]

D, O, G, S!

ARE THE BEST! ♥

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.I don’t dislike it, but I’ve never been able to get into Zevran x Warden. Although I generally like Zev himself, and I hear his romance is beautifully done, his immediate flirting with the Warden was always off-putting to me. I never really felt compelled to work beyond that, especially with Alistair and Leliana as romance options. 

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?I’m kind of cheating using the playlist for my bbs, but here we go. Shuffle picked Castle - Halsey! That one was for Melisande Trevelyan, although it kind of works for Lorelei Cousland, too. 

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?Prior to Dragon Age I wasn’t much of a shipper at all. I enjoyed romantic relationships in stories, but I wasn’t super invested to the point of creating fan content for them. But my high school boyfriend and I did Star Wars RPGs together, and our characters were in a relationship, too. I (begrudgingly, painfully, embarrassingly) would have to say that was probably my first “OTP.”

That said, nowadays I use “OTP” kind of loosely–They’re like my preferred, very personal ships, usually with an OC, but I generally like smooshing two (or more) characters together and seeing what kind of chemistry could work there. So Cullen and Melisande are OTP, but I’ll still read the shit out of Cullen x Sebastian, Cullen x Alistair, Cullen x Josie, Cullen x Bethany, etc.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)I haven’t really fleshed out all the details of my Orlesian Warden-Commander, Daphne, and Bethany’s relationship, but I fell in love with the idea of a very bitter, unhappy Warden Bethany finding unexpected joy and peace in the Wardens, particularly with her ex-Templar Warden-Commander. I need to devote more time to them.  

[fereldanwench]

This is one of my favorite shots of them. Melisande, leaning back, looking all suave and cool, with Cullen leaning forward, clearly interested and engaged. Both starting to feel something a little more butterflies-in-stomach than work friendship. Lots of bashful eye contact and warm smiles and flushed cheeks. They’d both leave the table replaying and analyzing all their conversations and mannerisms, wondering what exactly the other meant by wanting to see more of each other. 

[fereldanwench]

Despite the dreams, is it still a good morning? It’s perfect.