#t: varric tethras

[lifetime-want]

My Varric Tethras townie <3

[sammakesart]

Varric’s chest hair (nsfw full on patreon)

[olessan]

[hedwigoprah]

Shameless Self-Promotion Saturday :)

If you see this, I encouragingly tag you to shamelessly promote yourself for whatever work you have going on, this weekend. If you tag me I'll reblog it too, you deserve to be seen ;)

Long before Varric Tethras gave her the name Rook, Veryl Ingellvar was just another body amongst those that served in the Mourn Watch. Under the cover of darkness she served whims and circumvented chaos. Her role was legendary and never more than a mere rumor. Before she was known as Rook, she was never known to be The Spectre of the Grand Necropolis.

Hello, Hello! Sparkles here to tell you about a fic you might like! There are currently 5 chapters available at 20.9k words. I try to update every week but I'm writing as I go and sometimes life gets in the way of the one joy I have in life. What you can expect (not tropes, just the facts):

🔎 A Psych-esq Mystery Dynamic 🔍🍍 🌝 Multiple original characters to love or hate 🌝 💀 Quirky Necropolis Horrors 💀 💚 A completely made up version of the Mourn Watch Order 💜 ❗️Nobody is dead that isn't supposed to be - yet❗️

This fic does fall under the EmmRook ship, and Emmrich will play a big role in later chapters. It is a slow burn however and the relationship serves as a device for character development and exploration of the world. Will there be smut? Maybe? Currently, it's rated T for language and a gratuitous amount of blood 🙆‍♀️ Read all available chapters now on ao3

I hope you give it a try. Personally, I think it's buckets of fun and I have an excellent time writing it. Feedback, Reasonable Critiques, Suggestions, Collaborations, Questions, Comments - it's all welcome here. Just remember I'm human and not a lich, please.

Trivia for your time: Koalas have the same kind of finger print patterning as humans

[lilac-sweet]

Dragon Age Theory of the day: the regret prison is inside Varric’s corpse.

1) The regret is about killing him

2) the Fade exists within people when they sleep

3) where would Solas have gone? He would have seen himself outmatched and would want to flee - Varric’s corpse was right there.

4) Varric is the connection between Solas and Rook both in terms of who the regret is centered on, and through blood magic

5) Solas is very upset about bLoOd MaGiC when first entering the prison

6) the prison is made of rocks/stone indicating its Titan-ness/Dwarf-ness

7) the prison is faded - much like Varric’s colour palette - this is only seen when we come across memories in the crossroads - Varric calls himself a memory in the prison.

8) Emmrich makes a point to convey the belief that part of the deceased remains in the corpse after death - who helps us out of the prison? Varric - or at least his memory.

9) the point of exit is the point of entry: Varric’s corpse.

10) Solas suddenly pops up in Minrathous after exiting the prison - wasn’t Varric’s corpse sent there or am I misremembering?

11) how the fuck would the companions know where to look for Rook in the physical world? There MUST have been a doorway/object in the physical world if that was a thing.

12) Varric’s memory has bandaids on his chest the entire game - indicating the wound but also the doorway.

13) Varric has always proudly shown his chest, indicating that he is proud of his heart - the regret prison is his pierced heart.

14) the hands in the abyss between Solas and Rook: what do hands do? Grab. What are envy demons made out of? Hands. What do envy demons do? Grab things that aren’t theirs. The abyss between them may be a symbol of the wound inflicted on Varric, and the hands may be a symbol of Solas clawing his way inside.

15) Solas can not leave the prison because he can not face what he has done to Varric - that’s why he can’t leave at the exit of the corpse: he can not face him.

16) if a heart has a realm inside it, that explains demon realms. It also explains Solas and Somniari in general: if they can jump from world to world (heart to heart) then killing people in their sleep makes sense.

17) we know Solas’ orb is a heart - his heart most likely (as indicated by Cole in Trespasser) - we also see Solas constantly drawing “eyes” - an orb with a vessel (a leaf?) around it: if the orbs are hearts then the vessel around is a person, meaning there are multiple worlds belonging to many people - the biggest of them probably gods or “Makers” - what I’m getting at is Thedas is a heart.

17.5) if Thedas is a heart then who did it belong to? Most likely Dirthamen as his name is an anagram of “Heart Mind” or “Earth Mind” - it is not a coincidence it can be both, since “Vhenan” means the exact same thing.

17.6) What would Dirthamen be like? Well in order to make such a big world he would need a lot of imagination and many stories to tell. He would most likely be a writer = Varric is an original sin: Dirthamen - his brother Bartrand would then be or represent Falon’din.

17.7) Varric has a ring around his neck above his heart (one ring to rule them all yall - this reference indicates it is also a burden) - a hollow ring? Not an eye? He is missing a heart… but the regret prison exists so he pulled a Grinch and grew a new one OR it is a memory of a heart - the executors are tied to rings and they are first introduced by name through Varric’s stories, indicating a repressed memory. He calls his stories fiction, but they are most likely memories.

17.8) Varric’s last name “Tethras” is “heart” or “earth” with a T at the front and S at the end - his whole name is most likely an anagram for his role.

17.9) Solas has always shown reverence for Varric, calling him “Master Tethras” - a reference to “Master Frodo” but also because he respects the fuck out of his host and his creation. No wonder the bastard can’t face having murdered his ass.

18) Varric is in the clouds at the end…. He is watching over us still and has been narrating the whole story UNTIL Solas and Rook left his corpse/prison.

19) Varric didn’t help Solas in the prison like he did Rook - his passivity stalled Solas for a long time and so he was really a secret companion trapping Solas just as the Inquisitor was a secret companion holding the rest of Thedas together.

20) where the fuck did Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain come from? Why did they appear after Solas stabbed Varric? Varric has to have had some sort of connection to them. The ring he carried being a symbol of the One Ring has to indicate a darker purpose: maybe he WAS the original prison and Solas lured him purposely to get the ring and trap the gods in a new prison (since they would be released once Varric died?) - Formless One says he will be trapped for a thousand years after Rook kills him, so there is something about reincarnation and the fact Andraste was murdered 1000 years ago. It also adds to Solas’ sin: it was premeditated. He counted on Varric doing exactly what he did - what he did NOT anticipate was Rook. Varric was always the sacrificial lamb - Varric knew this and took Rook in specifically because he knew Solas was playing him like a fiddle. Solas blames Rook and ONLY Rook for having fucked up the ritual. Varric was the first to outsmart Fen’harel. This also means the only reason he left a trail for Varric to follow was to use him. Solas cut his own heart out because he saw it as a weakness (thinking of that Korth story), and his proximity to it in inquisition is the only reason he is Like That. Veilguard shows his “true colours” without his heart. No wonder he did not want Lavellan to see what he would become.

21) it would be a fucking good story and Varric is known for those.

[clairdeleon]

Clairdeleon's Neve/Rook Fic Masterlist

Your go-to source for every fic about Neve Gallus and Victoria Mercar! Will be updated as I continue to post about them.

Maroon - Rated E - Filthy Little Tags: Hickeys, Oral, Desk Sex, Fingering, Marking, Bruises 5 times Neve left her mark on Rook, and the 1 time Rook left her mark on Neve. A small series of hickeys, bites, scratches, bruises, and everything else.

maker, i'm actually invested, haven't even met yet - Rated E - Filthy little tags: Modern AU (nothing spicy has happened yet, will be updated)

The most interesting cases always come from unknown numbers, this is just a fact of solving crime in Dock Town. Unfortunately for Neve Gallus, Tarquin and Ashur fully took advantage of that fact to set her up on a blind text conversation with someone they think may be good for her. The catch? No asking personal questions - no asking for name, gender, hair color, build, anything that could identify Neve's Unknown. The goal? Get the detective a partner in crime (solving).

Between solving her Unknown case and the one Varric Tethras brought her, Neve's booked and busy. But not so distracted that she doesn't notice the former Dragon that Varric brought with him.

you'll be my favorite mistake - Rated E - Filthy little tags: Sex pollen trope, grinding/humping, fingering, oral

The merchants of Dock Town aren't always the most trustworthy sorts. Emmrich learned his lesson, but he's from Nevarra, of course he didn't know. Neve assumed Rook would, being from Minrathous herself, but when Vic accidentally purchases what the merchant told her were sleeping potions and turns out they're actually more of a "sleeping" potion... well, they're just going to have to work through it, aren't they?

the age old curse - Rated M - Filthy Little Tags: ANGST, religion

Neve isn't religious. And yet, when Victoria 'Rook' Mercar is tricked, trapped, gone - she figures it's worth a try. Anything is worth a try if it could bring Vic back. Right?

Post Point of No Return. Neve's dealing with her feelings of faith while Rook is stuck in the Fade.

leather covered and rain soaked - Rated E - Filthy Little Tags: Desk sex, leather kink, glove kink, oral, fingering, voyeurism

It's both a blessing and a curse to have Taash as a good friend. A blessing, because Taash is one of if not the most capable dragon hunter in northern Thedas. A curse, because Taash can smell - and call out - a part of Neve's outfits that Vic has a particular attraction to. Rook's appreciation for Neve's gloves is about the aesthetic only, and certainly not about imagining those gloves on her bare skin. Not at all.

Set sometime after first kiss but before the point of no return, implied Neve and Rook have hooked up before.

bitter and broken and blighted - Rated T - Filthy Little Tags: blighted Neve, angst

“She’s still standing,” Davrin promises. “She’s still alive.” “She’s blighted,” Vic whispers. “I didn’t—” Davrin’s hand wraps around her wrist, the touch of his sword-calloused fingers warm and grounding. “She’s here,” the Warden says, firmer.

A missing moment from after rescuing Neve. Because she deserves to be reassured with more than just words.

a little distraction and a little interruption - Rated E - Filthy Little Tags: Desk sex, oral, fingering, mild exhibitionism

"I'll stop soon, I promise."

"No."

"No?"

Vic picks up a random note, puts it on top of the page in Neve’s notebook as a makeshift bookmark. Then, very deliberately and with barely disguised annoyance, slams Neve’s notebook shut. And then puts her hand on it, leaning forward and putting her body weight on it. “No.”

Neve needs to take a break from looking over her most recent case files, and Victoria Mercar's not going to let her return to work. Even if she needs to distract Neve with something else.

i'm not going anywhere - Rated M - Filthy Little Tags: angst, kissing

It's only natural for them all to have nightmares when they're fighting gods, and darkspawn, and Venatori. Neve just wishes they weren't so realistic. And that they didn't involve Vic.

i knew it were trouble - Rated E - Filthy Little Tags: Wet t-shirt theme, bath makeouts

Healing potions help with broken bones and big cuts, sure. But after fighting darkspawn (and not getting out of the way when Taash and Davrin told her to) and ending up black and blue, Vic's in need of something a little more relaxing and a little more home-remedy - a good bath with soothing oils borrowed from Emmrich. Nobody ever comes to look for her, she always looks for them, why would this time be any different?

a discussion of women and bad coffee - Rated M - Filthy Little Tags: just two girls talking about liking girls

It's become habit, to linger in the study with Neve when the both of them should be asleep. Sometimes Rook reads one of Bellara's serials, or one of Emmrich's books. Sometimes she just watches Neve put the pieces together. And sometimes she wants to talk. Tonight, she wants to talk. About a few things, but mainly women.

[thedragonagelesbian]

a monument to more than bone and tissue

Fandom: Dragon Age (II/Veilguard)

Ship: M!HawkeXVarric

Word Count: 2,992

Rating: T

Summary:

In 9:37, Cyrus Hawke flees Kirkwall, a man broken by his failure to save it. In 9:41, when the Herald of Andraste closes the Veil on the Nightmare, he finds himself dragged back to the city of chains, pressed into the Fade and hungry for its wayward champion. In 9:50, the Veil Jumpers pull him out again.

A meditation on bodies and their changes in grief, in healing, and in love.

“Sunshine says you’re not letting her look at you.”

Ashes in his stomach. Lungs. Eyes. But Cyrus Hawke does not blink.

“Come on.” Kirkwall is a haze on the horizon now, a smudge of red curling into the darkness from their perch high in the Vimmark Mountains, but that horizon is soon blotted out by Varric Tethras. For want of something tangible to fix, his hands twist at his side, matching the nervous working of his jaw, though Cyrus scarcely registers either. Staring without looking, unable to join mind and body. “Let’s at least get you out of the armor, yeah?”

Varric catches him beneath the chin with one finger, and for a moment, the elf feels it. A worn glove of thick leather. A tightness in his knuckles. The hard objects pressed into his palms. A pulse of sensation. And then everything is dull again. Empty. Smoke curling between his ribs.

“Alright, fine,” frown, shudder, exhale, “why don’t we start here instead: just drink some water.” Varric can’t press the canteen into Cyrus’ hands, occupied as they are with their charges, so he brings it to his lips instead. “Just a little. Please…”

The word breaks in his throat, the silver stripped from his tongue and left raw, and it is this catch that makes Cyrus tilt his head back. Reflexive compliance met by Varric cradling the back of his skull. Oriented, blinking up at the stars, before the water begins to trickle into his mouth. It responds slow. Lips haphazard in their suckling, tongue twitching around the droplets, throat clotted and struggling to swallow something tinged copper.

Keep reading on Ao3

[warpedlegacywrites]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤️

Thank you for this ask @blarrghe!

Swept Away: Josephine Montilyet/Isabela. M. 75,162 words. This project was a real labor of love from start to finish. It was also the first work I ever made a concentrated effort to finishing before I published it. And the result, I think, is all the stronger for it. I adore this pairing as well, and I'm not usually given to rare pairs, but these two just sing to me. They fit so perfectly together, and I had so much fun imagining how that might happen. Major thanks to @rakshadow for being my ever-patient and ever-wise beta. And to @theluckywizard for the lovely artwork she contributed. You both helped this story take shape!

Lead Her Through the Darkness: Genfic. T. 3,121 words. One-shot. This was my first gift fic for an OC swap exchange, and I swear from start to finish I was possessed with this character. Ixchel is such an amazing protagonist and the symbolism around her, especially her name, felt such a vital piece of that, I wanted to explore that a bit. I am humbled and honored that @dreadfutures has taken this idea and run with it in her own canon. <3

Seeker, It's Cold Outside: Varric Tethras/Cassandra Pentaghast. T. 5,242 words. One-shot. Writing vitriolic banter is like 95% of the reason why I adore this pairing so much. Their dynamic is so messy, doomed from the start, but no less worthy of a story to be told just because the ending I foresee for them isn't an unambiguously happy one. It's moments like this one where I see them able to unpack themselves a little bit around each other, and that's so important for them both.

Fiercely Perish: Dorian Pavus/The Iron Bull. M. 23,033 words. Die Hard, but in Thedas. This was an April Fool's Day fic some years ago, and it remains a fic I look on fondly for how much unbridled fun it was to write. I especially love people recognizing the source material as they read and leave comments. It brings me such joy. This is also probably one of the sillier fics I've written, and I don't give myself the opportunity to lean into humor as often as angst. This is just. Fun. It's fun. I love it. ^_^

While Time Remains: Series. Cullen Rutherford/OC!mage!Trevelyan. M. 189,699 words, 2/4 planned arcs published. WIP. I'm cheating a little bit on this one since it's a series rather than one isolated fic. But the series is one continuous story, so I think I can count that. This was the series I turned to when I stalled on my main DAI-timeline longfic. Writing this gave me a chance to finally sink my teeth into the Cullen/Theresa pairing that I was longing for so badly with my main fic's slow burn. It also helped me really start to shape my voice as a writer, learning how to pace a story so that one arc felt complete while still being part of a greater whole. And it helped me discover my strengths as a writer, and grow in my confidence. But more than that, I was able to develop Theresa and Cullen's relationship beyond my wildest dreams. They've grown just as much as I have throughout the course of writing and planning this story for them, that was only originally conceived as a sweet and lighthearted domestic fluff series of vignettes. An epic, vast-sweeping story has grown out of those humble origins, and I can't wait until it's all finished and published so people can enjoy it in its entirety! ^_^

[mlm-writer]

Character list

Hey so this is the new character list. You might see characters/fandoms in my masterlist which do not appear here. This is not a mistake. I probably just lost interest in them and moved on to the next shiny thing.

You can always request characters/fandoms that are not on this list. Worst I can say is that I won't write it. Please do respect my choices here on whom to write nsfw content for and whom not.

Deadpool

Wade Wilson: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Logan (pathetic edition): Platonic / Romantic / Sexual

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dorian Pavus: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Cullen Rutherford: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Cassandra Pentaghast: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Varric Tethras: Platonic Iron Bull: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Cole: Platonic / Romantic

Kpop

Choi Soobin (TXT): Platonic / Romantic Choi Minho (SHINee): Platonic / Romantic Song Yuqi ((G)I-DLE): Platonic / Romantic Shin Ryujin (ITZY): Platonic / Romantic Hwang Yeji (ITZY): Platonic / Romantic

Mass Effect Trilogy

Kaidan Alenko: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Urdnot Wrex: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Samara: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Liara T'Soni: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Garrus Vakarian: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Urdnot Grunt: Platonic Aria T'Loak: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Mordin Solus: Platonic / Romantic

Peacemaker

Adrian Chase: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual

Shrek

Shrek (gotta have him in here): Romantic / Sexual

Star Trek (TOS/AOS)

James T. Kirk: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Leonard H. McCoy: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual S'chn T'gai Spock: Platonic / Romantic

Transformers Earthspark

Megatron: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual

Transformers Prime

Ratchet: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Optimus Prime: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Smokescreen: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Soundwave: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Megatron: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Knockout: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual Predaking: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual

Transformers Rescue Bots

Heatwave: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual

Venom (2018)

Eddie Brock: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual (but only when Venom is there too) Venom: Platonic / Romantic / Sexual

The Way of the Househusband

Tatsu: Platonic

[theoriginalladya]

Will & Might: The Test of Time

Title: Will & Might: The Test of Time

Fandom: Dragon Age

Word Count: about 12,000

Rating: T and Up

Summary:

William Trevelyan and Cullen Rutherford spent ten years together as Templar recruits at the Chantry monastery in Jader. Closer than brothers, until a revelation forced William to leave the Templar life behind. Reunited fifteen years later, their friendship is put to the test a second time by the same choice that drove William from the monastery. The world may be falling apart around them, but perhaps a reforged friendship is just what these two old soldiers need.

Characters: William Trevelyan, Cullen Rutherford, Varric Tethras, Solas

Pairings: William Trevelyan & Cullen Rutherford, William Trevelyan/Dorian Pavus

Tags: Friendship, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Drinking, Drunkenness, Mentions of addiction (lyrium), mentions of withdrawal (lyrium) Chess, get by with a little help from my friends

Snippet:

He should have gone the other way. “You look like you’ve got your hands full there, Inquisitor. Let me get that door for you.” In all his days, back in the Free Marches or even during his years at the monastery for training, William Trevelyan had always maintained a fine sense of humor. Puns, witty one-liners, word play of any kind – “It’s knight errant, not knight errand, you arse!” – Will savored and appreciated it all. He’d built a reputation for himself of being quick witted and, when necessary, as vicious with his words as he was with his blade.  Until tonight. Maker, but he’d forgotten that the easier route to his destination would bring him right past the dwarf currently sitting at the table in the Great Hall in front of the hearth, an inkwell, quill, and bare pages open before him. Right in front of the door Will needed to get through, and almost as if expecting he would come by. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I decided to go back to my roots in Dragon Age to try to get my writing mojo back and participated in the Dragon Age Big Bang this year with a (not so) simple story about friendship, separation, and the reforging of that friendship fifteen years later.

I was fortunate enough to get paired up with @blasteddoodles as my artist, and oh man, did she bring my Inquisitor, William, to life! Thank you, my friend! Also huge thanks to @shadoedseptmbr and @happychica for betaing for me!

Enjoy!

[sammakesart]

Varric and Hawke enjoying their retirement | full on patreon

[jazzmckay]

Field Experience on ao3

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: T Relationships: Cassandra Pentaghast & Female Trevelyan, Solas & Female Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Varric Tethras & Female Trevelyan Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Mage Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Team Bonding, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Vomiting Summary:

Having spent most of her life confined to the Circle, Evelyn isn't familiar with true combat. She's never had to kill another person before. Protecting the Crossroads changes that.

[impuretale]

Part 2 of the as yet untitled crosscanon AU fic featuring my Warden Rook. See part 1 here. Feedback still wanted. I don't know how this looks, if the voices are right, etc. Like you ever write an argument and think "yeah this sounds good!" but it could just look good in your head while also just being garbage? That is what it could be, as far as I know.

Grier Thorne was a "cheery" sort. This was what Varric Tethras would say of him later if candidly asked, in a tone that would have screamed "punchline" in the most obvious of ways. The mage was not exactly dour, but as comfortable as he was arguing his case in front of that tribunal, he did not command a bar with anywhere near the same level of gravitas. His entire frame denoted something quieter, going from occupying a space where he was a master to another where he was lowlier than a squire. Shoulders dropped, gaze flitting with clockwork timing between the stranger addressing him and the patrons coming and going around them.

Varric noticed right away that while he had ordered them both a mug of ale, the man had barely looked at his own since it was set down in front of him, save the odd uncomfortable glance that said it was only there because someone else had placed it there. It was such that when he had drained his own and someone came around to ask if he would care for another, the dwarf wordlessly slid the other mug over to himself, intoning "I've got plenty, thank you, but please get my friend here whatever he's craving!"

Softly, he asked for tea, capping it with an understanding thanks when they were alone again.

"Not a drinker?" He could have said something.

Thorne shook his head. "I did not wish to be rude, or give the impression that I was trying to send you away." For half a second too long, imperiously, his gaze lingered, suggesting an unspoken but I considered it.

Cheery, indeed.

"So I apologize," he concluded after a pause.

Varric waved it off. "Once bread becomes toast, it can't go back to being bread. There's no harm done."

Introductions were had back when court had adjourned, and probably unsurprising: he had not heard of the Grey Warden — not necessarily a bad thing. Often secluded from the world, it was not unusual for their numbers to really only enter the public consciousness when the Darkspawn were on the move, and while the odd Warden could be known in many circles for good things instead of bad things, far too often it was only after their deaths.

Sacrifice and all that.

More surprising, though, was that Grier Thorne, wherever he hailed from before the Joining or after, seemed to not have the vaguest idea who Varric was. Not an insult, but maybe it stung just a little. You get on in years and get up to a lot of trouble while doing it, and it's always more that have heard of your exploits than not.

Ears seemed to perk up a bit on mentioning himself as a writer, though.

Curiosity as to whether the locale had been chosen as a subject of interest for a story, somehow, or perhaps a hopefully quiet hamlet to do some concentrating.

In truth, he wished he had just been looking for a piece of pleasant nowhere to settle down and write. Clearly, he would have chosen poorly, if that were the case, but otherwise it would have meant things were still for the time being. That the leagues to go were at last behind him, and visits to corners of the Fade (that he was beginning to dislike nearly as much as the Deep Roads) were at an end. That there was news, good or bad, for Harding to send back to the Inquisitor. No such luck, really.

…His best stuff came to him while he was on the move, anyway.

"Chasing a lead," was all he said at the time.

Once Thorne's drink was in front of him, and he actually seemed keen to touch it now, Varric finally let go of the question he had been itching to ask since he testified:

"So how'd you do it?"

He quirked an eyebrow, a silent bid for clarification.

The tavern might have had patrons but most of them were soldiers, with only a few of the villagers back from their impromptu evacuation and up for socializing.

No one was eavesdropping.

But he kept his voice low, between the two of them as he recounted what he had witnessed and what he understood from feet on the ground. Maybe more than the court needed to know: that he seemed to understand that the tunnel the Darkspawn were seeping out of directly bottle-necked under that building before leading out. That upsetting the structural supports, and maybe more? Would bring the whole thing down, spilling debris even into the wider passages beyond. But that sort of work, that fast, would have required more manpower to set off that chain reaction than the paltry two that followed Thorne (an elf and a dwarf), with none likely to return, as it would be impossible to get to the lowest point of that building and then out again before collapsing. At least not without explosives — which definitely no one had. That he not only sent away the Wardens that had followed him but that he also apparently set it off alone and then emerged with not a scratch on him?

Grier chuckled. It wasn't necessarily a hollow sound, just something very rarely taken out of storage. This was not a man who smiled often, much less laughed — even in disbelief. "It all sounds rather fantastical when you put it that way."

Which just made it far too apparent for the hunch not to rear its head: That's not how this went down.

All the more reason to ask.

"How would you put it, then?"

"Exactly as I have already; an official story that did not end in anyone being court-martialed." Matter-of-fact and pointedly so. It put him in mind of a certain Elven God. Another questioning glance, his look caught. "What, you can be vague about chasing a lead and I cannot about this?"

Point. "That mean you're curious, by chance?"

"'Chasing a lead' is an unusual way to describe what would be among the common pursuits of all but a very specific kind of writer. And author is not the way those types describe themselves." A short glance between his drink and the man across from him as he spoke, organizing his thoughts on the spot. Some of what could be seen in the courtroom came back: a man who put himself forward from the very beginning as one who uses all the things he knows with precision, like pieces on a board. "So I am going to guess it has to do with something else. You made a point to bring it around later in the conversation, rather than coming right out at the start — with an invitation, no less. 'Oh, you wish to hear more?' I surmise that's a proposal waiting to be dropped. Am I correct?"

Once again, nothing he was saying was boring, but it was level. No rise or drop in his cadence, nothing to betray an emotion (probably useful when you're facing superiors that might consider visible irritation or anger as a reason to punish or disregard).

Varric exhaled a little gasp of a laugh. "…Oh, I bet they love you here."

"I'm very popular at parties." Tonelessly sarcastic. "It's my boisterous nature."

"I could tell that about you the second you walked into that courtroom," the writer said with a wink.

"So a lead on what, Messere Tethras?"

The man took in his explanation of his quarry. An elven mage by the name of Solas, known before as the Dread Wolf and by other names, the creation of the Veil to capture the corrupt people that once ruled over the elves as gods. His expression was measured, but the revelation of the Veil in such a way that did not align with the mores of the Andrastian Chantry did not seem to phase him as it would for many others of that particular faith (not that everyone was). But there was something in his face that almost read like he was coming to some manner of internal conclusion.

And what he mused under his breath did give Varric half a second of pause: "…That actually makes perfect sense."

"Glad you think so." But he continued, making clear how this made the elves into what they are today: their histories lost, their immortality, even the true magic they once knew. And that wasn't even mentioning the eons of slavery and bigotry, like their poor treatment at the hands of their supposed gods changed hands and managed to survive the cataclysm that way. "But now Solas wants to tear the Veil down again, put things back how they once were — but that's gonna destroy this world in the process. Somebody's gotta stop him, and that's what I, and my colleagues, are trying to do. I think someone like you could be just what we need. A piece we haven't added to the board yet, if you will."

That smile again. Underused, just as surprised that it was there as the man wearing it. "And what sort of piece is that?"

"The kind that can think in straight lines. …A Rook, I guess."

Thorne lips pursed thoughtfully, the facial equivalent of a shrug as he rolled it over. "That's the glossy version of the pitch, at least. And you have my attention. Happens to be a good time for me to step away. So let's go over the details."

Varric motioned for another round of drinks.

[inquisimer]

Accidentally got possessed by my handers rivalmance this week, but I'm not complaining. I can't remember the last time I wrote so many words at once and I'm rolling in the catnip about it :3

Summary

Mari meets an infuriating mage in Darktown. And for some reason he doesn't leave - and she can't make him. - Missing scenes & expansions on the rivalmance between Mari Hawke & Anders.

tags/word count/etc below the cut

Rating: T

Relationships: Anders/Female Hawke, Varric Tethras & Female Hawke, Bethany Hawke & Female Hawke

Chapters: 7/7 (complete)

Word Count: 12,469

Other Tags: Canon compliant, Missing scenes, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Purple Hawke, Enemies to Lovers, Rivalmance, Warden Bethany Hawke, Rogue Hawke, Protective Hawke, Post-Dragon Age II Quest - All That Remains, Dragon Age II Quest - The Last Straw

Tagging the DAFF crew 💜

@warpedlegacy | @rakshadow | @rosella-writes | @effelants | @bluewren | @breninarthur | @ar-lath-ma-cully | @dreadfutures | @theluckywizard | @nirikeehan | @oxygenforthewicked | @exalted-dawn-drabbles | @blarrghe | @agentkatie

[hedwigoprah]

Shameless Self-Promotion Saturday :)

If you've seen this before it's because I posted this last Saturday and I'm still shamelessly proud of both my work and my post/cover. I was tagged by @thedissonantverses, @bubblecat-co, @notyourmamasdeerbat I wasn't gonna repost this today because I didn't wanna bother anyone with my work again, but that's what Shameless Self-Promotion is all about.

Long before Varric Tethras gave her the name Rook, Veryl Ingellvar was just another body amongst those that served in the Mourn Watch. Under the cover of darkness she served whims and circumvented chaos. Her role was legendary and never more than a mere rumor. Before she was known as Rook, she was never known to be The Spectre of the Grand Necropolis.

Hello, Hello! Sparkles here to tell you about a fic you might like! There are currently 6 chapters available at 25k words. I try to update every week but I'm writing as I go and sometimes life gets in the way of the one joy I have in life. What you can expect (not tropes, just the facts):

🔎 A Psych-esq Mystery Dynamic 🔍🍍 🌝 Multiple original characters to love or hate 🌝 💀 Quirky Necropolis Horrors 💀 💚 A completely made up version of the Mourn Watch Order 💜 ❗️Nobody is dead that isn't supposed to be - yet❗️

This fic does fall under the EmmRook ship, and Emmrich will play a big role in later chapters. It is a slow burn however and the relationship serves as a device for character development and exploration of the world. Will there be smut? Maybe? Currently, it's rated T for language and a gratuitous amount of blood 🙆‍♀️ Read all available chapters now on ao3

I am so happy to see Shameless Self-Promotion Saturday be improved upon and take on a life of its own. Never stop sharing the things you care about!

@strugglinggranola tag you’re it!