#stenshale

[joy-jpg]

[a-gay-bloodmage]

Never Have I Ever Sucked a Cock

(Thom x Mallory Trevelyan)

With the Iron Bull now a tal-vashoth, Blackwall revealed to be a murderer, and the Herald of Andraste now an open cross-dresser, the Inquisition in dire need of a morale boost. Thankfully, Sera knows just the drinking game to get everyone's mind off of the less fun secrets.

What's this? A "Keep Reading" divider on one of my fics? Insane!

First off, I'd like to extend a special thank you to @stenshale for spurring me to commit to re-doing this fic! I'm so glad I did! Hope you enjoy, beloved mutual!

I thought it'd be fun to include a list of all the questions played in the game of Never Have I Ever, mainly because I'm so curious to know how many drinks other peoples' characters would have had to take!

Never have I ever... 

1. ... fucked a girl  2. ... gotten kicked by a horse 3. ... vomited after drinking  4. ... knitted  5. ... had hair longer than my nipple  6. ... gone more than a week without a bath (including streams, so long as there's soap) 7. ... been to the opera  8. ... pantsed myself on the battlefield  9. ... gotten challenged to a fight in the middle of a piss  10. ... been picked up and dangled by a Qunari  11. ... instigated a tavern brawl by slapping a man on the ass  12. ... pissed myself  13. ... fisted someone  14. ... sucked a cock  15. ... faked my identity  16. ... slept with a man  17. ... accepted coin for sex  18. ... stripped in public  19. ... bottomed for a bas 20. ... had sex drunk  21. ... worn a dress  22. ... slept with a mage  23. ... slept with a dwarf  24. ... had sex in a barn  25. ... watched two unknowing people go at it  26. ... taken it up the back entrance  27. ... used a sex toy  28. ... been eaten out  29. ... slept with an elf  30. ... been tied up during sex  31. ... fucked a shem 32. ... had my cock sucked 

[stenshale]

just realized i've never babbled about my favorite stenshale fic despite. yknow. the url. everyone go read it ok

[abyssal-ilk]

re: Bull's nicknames and Qunari gender. I (personally) headcanon that Krem's nickname is his name on account of him being trans, specifically. Bull has, in essence, given him a Qunari name by naming him after his "role". This is both a nod to how close they are and the choices Krem has made.

yes, i agree! @stenshale brought up a really good point to me a little while back that in cole's dialogue with the iron bull, he specifically makes an effort of asking krem what he wants to be called.

so i do think bull referring to cremisius as krem rather than a nickname based on background or personality is intentional! it's an extra level of care given to krem; an acknowledgement of who he is and a refusal to box krem in with a name that doesn't fit him as krem has likely had to deal with in the past. it does also generally tie into the fact that krem seems to be the closest to the iron bull out of all of the chargers and is the charger we interact the most, so it makes sense we get a more personalized name for him!

and on an unrelated note with your ask but related to that banter, it does mean that we have two trans characters in dragon age (krem and maevaris) that were outed as being trans either to other characters or to the audience by their clothes being ripped open/with the subtext of them being assaulted. which isn't exactly Great.

[sha-brytols]

oc tag game

tagged by @stenshale i'm literally so bad about doing these normally but i love yapping about my ladies so ❤️ doing elnora for this since i like dont ever talk about her LOL

Name: Elnora Lavellan

Alias: do varrics nicknames count. Boots

Gender: sexy genderbent gijinka of Nick Wilde (female)

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Age: i'm not joking it changes everytime i write her but generally late 20s - early 30s. i know she doesnt look it inquisitions cc is a fucking nightmare for me ok?

Spoken Language: Elvish, Trade, I imagine Josephine got her to a diplomatic level of the major political languages (Antivan, Tevene, Orlesian, etc) but literally only the level needed to conduct politics

Occupation: Secondcoming of girl Jesus

FAVORITE:

Color: Green 💚

Entertainment: Booby trapping Cullen's room

Pastime: Booby trapping the Keeper's aravel

Food: (googles thedosian dishes)

yeah sure this

Drink: Mint tea

HAVE THEY...

Passed university: no she got kicked out for putting tacks on chairs

Had sex: Not in the game LMAO

Had sex in public: she got fucked hard by the exalted council in front of all of thedas does that count

Gotten tattoos: June vallaslin ❤️

Gotten piercings: Yes! She actually has these pretty feather earrings in Trespasser

Gotten scarred: In my canon the Anchor caused these huge jagged lightning strike scars to run all the way up from her left arm to her chest and collarbone. Also a scar on her lip from a nasty fight with a black wolf while she was still a hunter

Had a broken heart: yes and it was so embarrassing he's literally bald

ARE THEY...

A cuddler: Yes ❤️ She has no respect for personal space she is literally constantly touching people

Scared easily: Nope! If anything she's something of a thrillseeker

Jealous easily: No LOL literally the most laidback partner you can imagine

Trustworthy: Yes she's also incredibly honest and has a very clear moral center. The problem is literally everyone around her seems to have a lot of fucking personal issues and never listens to her .

FAMILY:

Parents/siblings: Orphan, but she has a very close paternal relationship to the clan's craftmaster

Children: Varric won the custody battle over Cole unfortunately. sad!

Pets: She has a halla named Dhul'iana (hair eater. her name is hair eater.)

tagging @thewardenisonthecase @mournmage @vanilladella @kirkwallguy @cacturne and im missing a lot of people but its ok im gonna do this again with esther xoxo

[heylavellan]

a post by @stenshale had me thinking about my dalish gender headcanons again. bc i have a lot of thoughts about gender, sexuality, and relationships in non-human societies. a lot of the ideas for this comes from the pdf/book Elf Genders by Lucian Kahn. it really shaped how i explore gender in fantasy and sci-fi settings!

sticking my thoughts under the cut cause she's long.

i think it's important to explain what i'm talking about when i say gender here because it can mean a lot of things. mainly, i'm talking about the sociocultural construct and the behaviours of people associated with it.

my thought is that gender is a reflection of the dalish lore surrounding the gods (note: nothing to do with the da:i or vg revelations. specifically the body of dalish lore). it's already an important part of the culture, as the dalish get their vallaslin as part of a coming of age ceremony. why not take it further? the vallaslin are already a dedication to a particular god. it doesn't feel too far of a stretch to say that part of taking a certain god's vallaslin is encouraging young adults to emulate the great feats of the gods and their characteristics.

to me, this makes vallaslin more meaningful. it becomes an indication of the kind of person to your clan, not a job or caste as seen under the qun and orzammar. it also explains to me why hunters aren't always wearing vallaslin to andruil or ghilan'ain and why a crafter might not have june's vallaslin. it also adds an aspect of self-determination to gender -- you don't decide until you've come of age the path you will take.

gender isn't tied to reproduction, in this case. it happens outside of gender, but is an important part of relationships.

mythal

associated with justice, love, and protection. mythal elves are considered patient and good mediators. they dress plainly so they are easier to spot amidst the rest of the elves. others find them spineless and meddling.

mythal elves generally take whatever role the clan needs of them, though they have a preference for leadership, trade, or welfare. they use a variety of pronouns, though use feminine ones most often.

elgar'nan

associated with authority, creation, and light. elgar'nan elves are considered passionate and strong. these elves cover their faces until they've undergone a trial to prove their prowess. other elves find them conceited and rash.

elgar'nan elves believe they can succeed in any area, but usually end up devoting themselves to leadership, warfare, or crafting. they typically use masculine pronouns or choose to accept any as an indication of their mastery of self.

dirthamen

associated with history, memory, and family. dirthamen elves are considered loyal and determined. all dirthamen elves carry a list with things they deem important, though the relevance tends to be inscrutable to others. other elves think they're confusing and condescending.

dirthamen elves thrive in roles related to history, religion, and magic. they tend to use both masculine and feminine pronouns, with neutral being practically unheard of.

falon'din

associated with death, dreams, and magic. falon'din elves are seen as stoic and dutiful. these elves frequently leave the clan to learn more about the world but always return back to the clan. other elves think they are cold and unfeeling, but recognise that their duty is important.

falon'din elves thrive in roles relating to religion, warfare, and magic. they usually take neutral pronouns, though using other pronouns in addition is common enough.

ghilan'ain

associated with farming, navigation, and animals. ghilan'ain elves are seen as devoted and resourceful. many believe that these elves have a supernatural ability to sense where the clan is at all times. they like to get into arguments and have one-track minds.

ghilan'ain elves thrive in roles involving farming, logistics, and crafting. they usually take masculine or neutral pronouns to honour the role andruil played in saving ghilan'ain.

andruil

associated with hunting, combat, and forestry. andruil elves are seen as fierce and quiet. they are easy to identify in a clan due to the tokens and trophies they wear as symbols of struggles overcome. they tend to turn everything into a competition and struggle to turn off their vigilance.

andruil elves are largely considered to be combatants by outsiders, but this is not the case. an andruil elf is just as likely to forage and tend to the health of the land as they are to be a hunter or warrior. they excel in roles which emphasise warfare, logistics, and farming. andruil elves tend to take feminine or neutral pronouns to honour the relationship between andruil and ghilan'ain. masculine pronouns are practically unheard of.

sylaise

associated with community, artistry, healing. sylaise elves are seen as wise and empathetic. dalish consider them the heart of their clans. the absence of a sylaise elf in a clan is considered a poor omen. sylaise elves struggle with taking care of themselves and others consider them to be coddling.

sylaise elves excel in most roles. most dalish associate them with welfare, education, and art. like sylaise herself, many elves of this gender use feminine pronouns. neutral or masculine pronouns are rarer, but not unheard of.

june

associated with mystery, craft, and forging. june elves are seen as problem solvers and hard workers. these elves are considered fashionable due to the fine details in their clothing, usually intricate lacework or embroidery. these elves struggle with seeing the larger picture and have difficulties separating their identity from their creations.

june elves are commonly found in roles which emphasize art, crafting, magic, and trade. outside of these roles, they often have small side projects they are working on. they have no pronoun preference, and often will change them frequently to align with their most recent creation.

---

with vallaslin = gender, it has interesting implications for what being trans and nonbinary in this system means. being trans means changing gods. it is possible to remove vallaslin (solas trans ally <3). i imagine most keepers know how to remove it in case of infection during the vallaslin process or to ensure that youth who aren't ready can start with a clean slate. but there are probably folks who instead adapt their existing vallaslin to create something unique or emphasize their gender using the other social signifiers despite wearing the 'wrong vallaslin'.

nonbinary (non-octal, in this case?) elves are also interesting. perhaps an elf can't commit to a gender. maybe they want to reject it and keep their face bare. maybe they have a nonstandard vallaslin design dedicated to an emerald knight, an important ancestor, or another grand elven figure such as shartan. maybe they take aspects of multiple genders and have hybrid vallaslin (bigender up to octogender).

gender non-conformity is also intriguing. emphasizing 'unusual' traits or an alternative aspect of a god (mythal's aspect of vengeance, for example) or fulfilling a role not usual for their gender (a falon'din elf taking up leadership, for example).

---

it also made me consider what relationships look like. i can imagine that there are some types of relationships that are surrounded by some degree of romanticism. falon'din/dirthamen, sylaise/june, and mythal/elgar'nan might be idealised by those looking for life partners.

but then i was reflecting on how gender is quite divorced from procreation by virtue of being chosen in adulthood. it would make sense for poly relationships to be normal, with societal expectations that at least one partner is for procreation.

---

lastly, i think theres a lot of interesting ways clans and characters can interact with this. maybe in your version of thedas, this system is only prevalent in really traditional clans. or maybe traditional clans use this gender system and newer clans have abandoned the system. or they find somewhere in between.

[j0ypatron]

joy - he/him - adult

mostly anime bullshit (madoka, blue period, vocaloid) but sometimes other things as well

art @joy-jpg

dragon age sideblog @stenshale

[crystalbull]

I have a lot of ships no one likes or has thought about.

[joy-jpg]

i think sten is actually taller than shale but i’ve chosen to ignore that

[joy-jpg]

“Kadan,” he greeted with a relieved sigh. He said the word like a squishier thing might say a soft and sappy nothing name like sweetheart or beloved. From any other being, the Viddathari would find it intolerable, but from the Qunari, it made the Viddathari’s crystals hum pleasantly.

sten/shale, 1k, rated g. vaguely veilguard-era with qun convert shale

[a-gay-bloodmage]

OC Tag Game

Tagged by @stenshale! Thank you so much! Took me a hot minute to get to it, but I'm glad I did! It was so lovely to think more about Ozol! He's currently eluding me when it comes to writing a fic about him... Hopefully, this'll wrangle him!

(Hand-drawn art from my lovely friend @taloswitch and picrew from Djarn)

Name: Ozol Adaar

Alias: He used to be Arvaarad under the Qun, changed his name to Özil when he got to Hercinia. Over time, it shifted into Ozol.

Gender: Assigned "Male" by the Qun, vibed with it enough to stick to it after becoming tal-vashoth. Incidentally cisgender.

Sexual orientation: Bisexual. Bas sexuality and all the strange baggage that comes with it confuses him, so he keeps quiet about not having a gender or genital preference.

Age: 35 at the start of Inquisition.

Spoken language: His native language is Qunlat, but he learned Trade while in Hercinia. Even if he's been speaking Trade for a decade, he still finds it easier to speak in Qunlat. Being able to talk in his native language with the Iron Bull was a blessing beyond belief.

Occupation: An Arvaarad from the age of twelve to the age of twenty-three. Specifically, he was the caretaker of one specific saarebas that he ended up fleeing the Qun with. He was the accountant and job facilitator for the Valo-Kas in Hercinia, alongside being the "caretaker" of Mama, his saarebas. Unofficially, he was also the resident braider and dreadlocker. While he didn't initially want the role of Inquisitor, he has always had a responsibility to "hold back evil," so he embraces the role despite not being Andrastian.

FAVORITE:

Color: Light blue. He thinks there's something deeply beautiful about a clear sky and the way it reflects on the ocean.

Entertainment: He adores poetry and novels. Any poetry he can get his hands on, he enjoys, regardless of if they're seen as "bad" or not. He wishes that he spoke more languages, as he thinks that translations of poetry always do the original spirit of the work a disservice.

Pastime: He loves baking. After leaving the Qun, he was utterly captivated by the bas' baked goods, and jokes that a love of sugar is "the curse that all Qunari fall to after leaving the Qun." He always shares whatever he makes with both friends and strangers.

Food: While he does love baked goods, he has a deep love for fruits, especially oranges. The act of peeling an orange for a loved one is sacred in his mind, and he always tries to keep at least two of them in his bag at all times.

Drink: He doesn't drink to get drunk often. He can, however, go almost toe-to-toe with the Iron Bull when he needs to. But, if he were to pick a favorite, it would be hot chocolate, especially on those cold, Southern nights.

HAVE THEY...

Passed university: Being born under the Qun, he was educated in being an arvaarad and nothing else. If he were to go to higher education, however, his immense language and mathematical skills would get him far.

Had sex: Absolutely. After he turned around eighteen, he would regularly visit the tamassrans, even if he would usually keep the sessions brief in order to not leave his saarebas in the hands of another arvaarad for too long. He had a bit of casual sex amongst the Valo-Kas, as well. Once he gets into a relationship with Cassandra, he tries to make it a habit to have some form of sex with her around once a week, even if it always leaves her limping the next day.

Had sex in public: He's had sex in the glen outside of Skyhold, so... yes.

Gotten tattoos: Nope! He thinks they look good on others, but he would rather stick to vitaar.

Gotten piercings: He does have his ears pierced, but he doesn't wear earrings constantly. He got his first pair of silver hoops as payment for a day-long braiding session back in Hercinia.

Gotten scarred: Surprisingly, Ozol doesn't have any distinct scars. Being an arvaarad meant standing back as his saarebas did most of the fighting, and he purposefully avoided all fights after leaving the Qun, following a life of pacifism. He does, of course, have a few scars from minor things, like nicking himself with a knife while peeling apples or running chin-first into a bas-sized doorway.

Had a broken heart: Not from anything romantic, no. The only romantic relationship he's ever been in has been with Cassandra, as the Qunari don't have romantic relationships. His heart does break, however, whenever he thinks of the members of the Valo-Kas forever trapped in the rubble of the Conclave.

ARE THEY...

A cuddler: Yes. Absolutely. Ozol believes wholeheartedly in the beauty of touch, and thinks that people who deny themselves skin-to-skin contact are dying a slow death. He wishes that people weren't so apprehensive around Qunari and that the bas didn't have so many assumptions on what it means to be physically affectionate with people. If he can press his nose against the crook of a neck and inhale, he will do so, regardless of if it's a romantic partner or not.

Scared easily: Ozol does get worried often, and that sometimes leads to fear. He mainly gets scared on behalf of others, and uses the adrenaline rush to try and protect people. He doesn't shut down when afraid, his military training too ingrained in him.

Jealous easily: No. Ozol doesn't get jealous. As someone raised to be a part of a collective, he doesn't see items or people as "his," and therefore doesn't get hurt when he sees people enjoying another's company. He doesn't really value material items, either.

Trustworthy: Very. Ozol is a rock to depend on. He has a very good sense of judgement, and can keep a secret easily, even if he would rather everyone just be honest with each other. He is gentle and poetic, but he doesn't sugar-coat his words, either.

FAMILY:

Parents/siblings: Being a Qunari means that he doesn't have any "parents," nor any "siblings." He calls his saarebas "Mama," because, after fleeing the Qun, he heard bas children calling an older female "mama," and decided that would be a safe thing to call his saarebas. It took him a long time to understand why the bas assumed that him calling an older female Qunari "Mama" meant that she birthed him.

Children: He doesn't have any. That he knows of, at least. There's a good chance that he may have had a few biological children under the Qun, as he was a stellar arvaarad who was likely used in "breeding" a few times, but he has no feelings whatsoever about it. While he thinks it could be nice to have children as the bas view it, he is confident that he and Cassandra aren't going to be having any kids. Biological ones, at least.

Pets: He doesn't have any pets. He's good with animals, however, and would always feed the stray cats around Hercinia. He was under no impression that he "owned" them, however. They were free spirits, welcome to come and go as they pleased. He has a fondness for Leliana's ravens, and has taught them to say several things, including lines from the Qun.

tagging: @queenofangrymoths, @taloswitch, @kierarhawke, @caedharlowe, @themontess, and anyone else who would like to do it!

[a-gay-bloodmage]

I think my favorite part of publishing my writing is seeing similar names pop up in the kudos of my works

Like, here are a good half dozen or so people I've never met, most of which I've never exchanged a word with, whose names popping up at the end of my writing fills me with genuine affection

And that isn't even to say anything about the fact that there's people, now, that I've had the privilege of talking to about my work

Talking. To another human being. About the things that I made because they like them.

It's surreal

[stenshale]

though i suppose that is an expected level of sten enthusiasm here on stenshale dot tumblr dot com.

i did not, in fact, mean to reblog that gifset 11 times

[stenshale]

incredibly funny tag for me, tumblr user stenshale, to get