#talenna

[exalted-dawn]

OC Kiss Week 2023

Drew a bunch of hot OCs smooching my OCs uwu it was a good time 😌🥰💖

Thank you again to @inquisimer , @dreadfutures , @rosella-writes , @nirikeehan , and my friends Mel and Jo for lending me your OCs for my brain rot 😂

[exalted-dawn-drabbles]

Last Line Tag Game

I was tagged by @rosella-writes and will tag @nirikeehan @plisuu @iturbide

“Aye, Wolf Queen,” he murmured, his lips curling against her skin. “I missed you too.”

(I love them 😭💖)

[exalted-dawn]

Gif if my girl Talenna Ethera by the wonderfully talented Ichi 🥰🥰🥰 Thank you again!

Commission for @exalted-dawn

Thank you for commissioning me!

[alienturnipp]

Talenna & Saeris for @exalted-dawn and @oxygenforthewicked, respectively ☀️🌙

(Image Description in ALT)

[plisuu]

Saeris (@oxygenforthewicked) and Talenna's Dalish bonding ceremony for @exalted-dawn ♡

[neonteeth]

[ID: Digital drawing of an elven woman in a semi-realistic painted style. Her skin is light brown, her hair is medium brown and straight, and her eyes are golden and looking off to the side. Her mouth is open as if she were speaking and she holds a tankard in an arm that is leaning against a surface off screen. Under her eyes is a variant of Mythal's vallaslin, around her neck and hanging down to her chest is a green scarf, and is also wearing a white sleeveless top, gold and grey fingerless gloves that extend to her shoulder, and a leather armband. The background is brown and she is lit in warm toned lighting. End ID.]

Talenna for @exalted-dawn 🖤

[exalted-dawn]

Beautiful Portrait of Talenna 🥺💖 the vibes are ON POINT

I got to make a portrait of the amazing @exalted-dawn's beautiful Talenna!! She gave me freedom on the direction for the piece so I wanted to make a little painting with some Dragon Age tarot flair 💚

Please go look at her artwork as well, it’s so lovely and she has a treasure trove of DA content!

[exalted-dawn]

My first contribution to the DA4 hype 🤣

Dalish elf with a single, asymmetrical dangly gold earring? Choosing to incorrectly read this as a sign from the universe that someone at BioWare has seen the dozens of Talenna comms I’ve been flooding the internet with and this is a shout out to me personally 😌😂 (Anyway, if they finally put a long-haired side bang option in the CC, I’m smooching Bellara as Tal. It is foreseen.)

inspired by @boycomics ‘s famous ‘The Boys on the Train’.

They’re in love, your Honor 💖

[exalted-dawn-drabbles]

A Return to ‘Us’ | A Calenna Smut Fic

Rated E, Smut, Fluff, 7.3k Words

Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all 😂💖

[risoria]

Commissions of @wolfs-dawn's lovely OCs Shaesa and Talenna! These were a lot of fun to draw! :)

[dreadfutures]

It's Talenna and Ixchel! Now I just need to come up with a story to go with it.

Commission for @exalted-dawn

[alienturnipp]

[Image ID: A bright and lively half-body digital drawing of Talenna and Calder with a circle of decorative swirls and designs behind them. Talenna is a Dalish elf with a medium dark skin tone, Mythal's vallaslin, and she has long dark brown hair. Calder is a tall human with dull blonde hair and beard. The two hold hands while they spin in a dance. Calder smiles fondly at Talenna who has her eyes closed with a serene expression./.End ID]

.

Talenna and Calder for @exalted-dawn ☀️

Update: With image description by @louminescence!

[plisuu]

Calder and Talenna surprise smooch for @exalted-dawn ♡

[dreadfutures]

Commission for my dear friend, beta, collaborator, bestie, @exalted-dawn​, of Talenna Ethera. Tal is a gorgeous non-Inquisitor DA OC you can read about at @exalted-dawn-drabbles​ and on AO3 here.

Talenna, in the vein Mnemosyne, Goddess of Memory and mother of the Muses. Suiting of a skald, isn’t it?

[breninarthur]

HAPP FRIDAY! For DADWC, how about ❛ shed no tears for me. i will be back before you know it. ❜ for Kallian/Alistair OR because im selfish, Kallian & Tal ❛ may I have this dance? ❜ >:3

Happy Friday!!! :]

Here's a quick one in a Kallian as a companion AU <3 Rated G, 580 words, @dadrunkwriting. Thank you for the prompt!

The Herald's Rest was alive with song and dance. Maryden played her tunes and dozens of people raucously joined in, each desperate to forget their worries and foster a little hope despite the losses of the day. Kallian sat alone near the bar, swirling her drink round and around, over and over again, her chin propped up in other hand. A Hero of the Blight, they called her, but her nose always wrinkled in distaste at the title. "May I have this dance?" Talenna slid next to her with a smirk. Kallian gave her a sidelong glance, huffing a laugh. "I don't dance, you know that." "I know that you look miserable." "Oh, cheers!" she said sarcastically, but she smiled reluctantly all the same. Talenna had that way about her - she could always make somebody smile.

"Alright, you don't have to dance," the Dalish elf said, tossing her hair back and leaning against the bar. "But join in, won't you? Or tell me what's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong," Kallian mumbled. "I'm just... awkward. I dunno. It doesn't matter." Talenna studied her a moment, and Kallian flushed under her scrutiny, the back of her head buzzing from the sudden attention. She focused on her drink, swirling the golden liquid around some more. "Do you want me to leave you alone?" A touch of panic lit her face, though she tried to hide it. "No. If you want to. I don't mind." She sighed. "I'm just not... used to it. All of this. I don't know how to... let go. Get involved. I can't dance, my friends are... my friends..." She trailed off, firmly setting down her glass. "I can't dance." Talenna nodded slightly, shifting her gaze back to the drunkards. It was difficult, spending every day with the same people for so long until one day you... weren't with them anymore. Until one day, you were surrounded by strangers and war on all sides. She could understand that. "I could teach you," she offered with a shrug. "I'd just embarrass myself." "Have you seen the state of the rest of 'em in here?" Kallian laughed. "Oh bloody hell... alright." Talenna grinned, holding out her hand. "Come on, then." The crowd was too focused on their own revelry to notice them; to which Kallian was grateful. No amount of honeyed alcohol could help her relax that night, but with Talenna's hands in hers, she considered the possibility that that could be enough. They danced like children around a campfire, Talenna taking the lead. First, she just moved their arms, back and forth, her eyes never leaving Kallian's. Her smile was warm and mischievous, and soon their dance was building. When she swayed, Kallian followed, and when Talenna spun her around she laughed, startled. Seizing her advantage, Tal spun her again, and again, until the Warden was dizzy and giggling. Unsteady on her feet and red-cheeked, Kallian felt brave in her friend's spotlight and raised their linked hands - Talenna immediately twirled with a practised grace. "You're fun when you put your sword down!" Talenna called over the din of off-key, joyous group song. "I'm fun when I keep it up!" Kallian frowned as they somewhat awkwardly turned together as one. Talenna cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "What? Not like - that's not even a - shut up!" she flushed, rolling her eyes. Talenna chuckled, and for all of Kallian's grumbling bluster, they danced and danced until Cabot kicked them all out and the night was over.

[inquisimer]

fic recs

On this fanfic writer appreciation day, I'm going to take a moment to be sappy and sentimental. Whether I knew it or not at the time, fanfiction has gotten me through some Shit™. Even when I had no motivation to keep going irl, I could always count on ffn or ao3 to have that next chapter, that beautifully crafted one shot, that comfort fic that would make an awful day worthwhile. And when I say I could count on ffn or ao3, I mean I could count on the humans behind the usernames who were posting little pieces of themselves online for all the world to share in. So thank you - to my favorite writers, to those I have yet to find, to the ones who write long fics and the ones who write one shots. Thank you to the consistent updaters and the ones who've never posted anything at all. Thank you for being here and I hope you keep going, whatever fic writing means to you.

I've been lucky to meet some amazing people through this hobby and it's opened up spaces to me that I didn't even know I needed. Places of support and kindness and sharing and community and I wouldn't trade the friendships I've made there for anything else.

Thank you everyone for helping make that space possible💜

And now some fic recs! Because my sappiness has sources and you should all check these out (or at least mark them for when you have spoons later):

One-Shots:

Things my heart used to know (things it yearns to remember) by NiriKeehan (@nirikeehan)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Cullen Rutherford/Female Lavellan | Rated: T | 3,647 words Unquestionably one of my favorite pieces, a gift I received as part of the DAFF Discord Server 2023 OC Swap event. NiriKeehan beautifully captured the rocky relationship between my oc Neria Surana Lavellan and Cullen and filled in gaps in their history that I'd been struggling with since her inception. Set after the Inquisition arrives at Skyhold, Neria and Cullen work to find common ground despite their tumultuous past and the insanity of their present. Features: Cullen is good at his job, idiots in love, mage-templar dynamics

Cinnamon by Exalted_Dawn (@exalted-dawn-drabbles)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Calder Eikmann/Talena Ethera | Rated: M | 2,870 words My go-to fluff piece!! Calder and Talenna snuggle and share a sweet (and spicy) moment of peace. Oh, and Calder implies that Talenna (a Dalish elf who has left her clan) is part of his family and his mom thinks so too (I'm super normal about it). Features: tooth-rotting fluff, elf-human relationships, masterful dialogue, love is stored in the apple cider

Lead Her Through the Darkness by BECandCall (@warpedlegacywrites)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Gen, Female Lavellan | Rated: T | 3,121 words A beautiful character study of the moment @dreadfutures' Ixchel Lavellan chose her name. BECandCall does an incredible job with the internal monologue of a child and her prose and symbolism are expertly and beautifully crafted. Features: character study, genfic, ancient ruins, Evanuris, descriptive and immersive POV

last man standing (perhaps) by havvke (Wintertree)

Dragon Age: II | Carver Hawke & Charade Amell & Female Hawke | Rated: T | 6,749 words I'm a little insane about Charade Amell and how little we get of her in canon, so this gift I received as part of the 2023 Platonic Ideal Exchange was an absolute treat. It explores Charade's relationship (or lack thereof) with both Carver and Hawke, expands on her role with the Jennies, and packs a punch with the grief that is almost a given in any story about Hawke. Features: Warden Carver, new POV of canon events, canon-compliant exploration, families of choice

the things we carry by patho (ghostsoldier)

Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall | Daud, The Whalers | Rated: T | 4,158 words *shows up ten years late to the Dishonored fandom* *subjects you all to it anyway* so like. I know everyone followed me for Dragon Age. This is a Dragon Age centric blog. But it's my rec post and these Dishonored one shots have been clawing at my heart SO go play the games and then come back and read these fics 😂 This one is just absolutely heart-wrenching angst, as Daud and the Whalers deal with the aftermath of a tragedy. Features: found family, found family but slightly to the left, grief & mourning, betrayal, death, hurt/no comfort

the four times daud summoned a whaler who was totally unprepared for it (and the one time they were) by patho (ghostsoldier)

Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall | Daud, The Whalers | Rated: T | 1,705 words Unlike the other Dishonored fic on this list, this one is just fluff, fluff, and more fluff. I am a huge fan of when writers interpret game mechanics into narrative format and patho does that SO well here, I could literally picture this happening in the game and it was just a joy to read. Features: found family, humor, begrudging father-figure, slice of life

Long Fics:

Dead Pasts and Dread Futures by youworeblue (@dreadfutures)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Female Lavellan/Solas | Rated: E | Chapters: 170/170 | Complete | CW: depressive & suicidal themes It is flat out impossible for me to articulate a recommendation for this fic, but hell if I'm not going to try anyway. Ixchel Lavellan's story starts with her suicide - and continues with the journey of how she gets better. It is such a rare thing to find a story of recovery that captures the ups and downs, the highs and lows in a way that resonates with reality, but Blue does it. I don't know how, but she does it. Ixchel struggles, she doubts, she despairs, but she always finds a way forward. Despite or in spite of all the world throws at her, she tries to trust and she tries to hope and she keeps fighting. It's a story about choosing hope, even when no one would expect you to. It's a story of platonic love and empathy and morality and theory and lore and minor characters and so much more that I could fill an entire post with this fic alone. This was one of the first DA fics I ever read and it's one I've come back to over and over again. Because it's the kind of message you need to hear that many times and every time I read it I fall in love with Ixchel, her story, and the world and narrative that Blue has crafted a little bit more. If you only have the spoons to invest in one long fic, this is the one💜 It, and the sequel The Brave Guide, are absolutely worth your time.

A Fool's Death and a Hard Choice by RosellaWrites (@rosella-writes)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Loghain Mac Tir/Morrigan | Rated: M | Chapters: 12/12 | Complete A masterful exploration of what the reunion between Loghain and Morrigan who completed the Dark Ritual during Origins would look like. RosellaWrites has the biggest brain ideas about characters that most people gloss over or vilify - including me! I was such a Loghain hater before they started me chewing on his character and this fic is no exception. They interpret Loghain's harshness and Morrigan's aloofness into the multifaceted, heart-breaking characters that they are. This fic will win you over and break your heart exactly when you expect it (and again when you don't). Features: Warden Loghain, Kieran, Morrigan is a good mother, appearances by Hawke, Merrill, Zevran, and Mahariel, character study, beautiful descriptive prose

Boundless by Exalted_Dawn (@exalted-dawn-drabbles)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Calder Eikmann/Talenna Ethera | Rated: E | Chapters: 7/? | Ongoing We get so sparingly little of regular life inside the Circle of Magi, I'm a slut for fics that explore that environment. In this one, Ed explores what is "normal" for a circle mage and how Talenna, as a Dalish elf forced into the Circle, experiences, handles, and fights back against that. Talenna is a spitfire and she plays off the other characters that Ed created in a tantalizingly intense narrative. A must read for circle mage, Templar, and Dalish lovers alike! Features: day-to-day life in a Circle tower, mage-templar dynamics, hurt/comfort, star-crossed lovers, fluff and angst

Letters to the Dead by Demarogue (@demawrites)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Female Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford | Rated: E | Chapters: 7/? | Ongoing This one is for the ones like me, who broke up with Solas and ran off to see if you could romance Cullen afterward - you can! It's great! And also super heartbreaking if you think about it. And Demarogue has clearly thought about it. Told through a narrative in the present and letters that Niva Lavellan writes to an absent Solas, she weaves a tale of loss, grief, mourning, and (ultimately) recovery, with enough humor to break the tension along the way. Features: solavellan breakup, post-Corypheus battle Inquisition, unresolved tension of all kinds, beautiful exploration of how Cullen would feel about being Lavellan's rebound, idiots to lovers, friends to lovers

Keeping Secrets by ElvenSemi (@elvensemi)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Original Female Character/Solas | Rated: E | Chapters: 114/? | Ongoing Another one of my comfort fics, no question. This fic is heavy on the plot in all of the best ways - ElvenSemi's OC Emma is the linguist that the Inquisition hires to translate the dragon tome for Frederic of Serault. I love when authors fill in the gaps of canon or bend the canon details to fit their own ideas like that and it works SO well here. Emma is smooth and awkward and clever - she's well thought out and full of surprises and ElvenSemi writes with a strong voice that's a joy to read. It's the Inquisition behind the scenes, from the perspective of one of the people they're sheltering, rather than the higher ups who are running things (although there's certainly some of that too). Features: Skyhold lore and meta, lore and meta in general, the slowest burn Solas arc, lots of Bull/Chargers content, a very well done Sera subplot, so many minor characters in the most interesting ways, sad Tabris content, literally the Worst™ Inquisitor and Hawke ever (affectionate. kind of.), scary Leliana & Cassandra, bestie Dorian & bestie Varric, bards! so much barding, angst and hurt/comfort to the MAX

Temperance and Templars by NiriKeehan (@nirikeehan)

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Female Trevelyan/Cullen Rutherford | Rated: M | Chapters: 4/? | Ongoing A Jane Austen-inspired AU where Cullen is a private Templar hired by the Trevelyans to keep their mage daughter under control without taking her to the Circle. Cullen has other orders from his superiors, of course. I love a canon-adjacent AU (where the characters could be like this, even if they aren't actually) and this is no exception. It's a light and fluffy story for the most part, and explores what Cullen and the Inquisitor's dynamic might have been like if they were a bit younger (and not responsible for saving the world from multiple crises). Features: mage-templar dynamics, nobility, protector/protectee dynamics, lyrium addiction, political intrigue, Cullen has PTSD

From the Depths of the Void by kawakaeguri

Dragon Age: Inquisition | Cullen Rutherford/Original Female Character, Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan | Rated: M | Chapters: 94/? | Ongoing Another one that's heavy on the plot in a very well done way! It also does one of my favorite things, which is weave together a character's arc across multiple games, namely DA2 & DAI. Liviana is a slave in Tevinter until she escapes and makes her way to Kirkwall. This fic tells the story of her stumbling, failing, learning, and growing, from where she enters during DA2 through Inquisition. It expands on the gaps between games and kawakaeguri's ideas about how that might of looked are clever and inspired and keep you on the edge of your seat while you read. Liviana as an OC has an incredibly well done backstory, that is both fleshed out and consistent throughout the story and will have you falling in love with her as I did. Features: well-developed platonic relationships galore, DA2 crew so well written, Liviana and Fenris bonding over Tevinter Slave Experiences™, a brief Liviana/Sebastian fling that explores learning what love is (and what it isn't), well-developed friendship that predates the romantic relationship, tie in of events from the comics, narratively satisfying reworking of canon backstory, character growth in so many ways for so many characters, well-structured subplots