#taylor’s a yapper 🗣️

[girlwithadragonheart]

“I thought I’d never see you again…”

“Just don’t leave…”

“Never.”

“You need to sleep sometimes.”

“With you here, like this, I’d rather stay awake.”

“However shall we pass the time?”

“Would you talk to me? Your voice is a comfort.”

“I’ll tell you the tale of a charming rogue who stole the heart of a hapless hero.”

“Not even Gods can keep me from you.”

“They cannot even try.”

[girlwithadragonheart]

Thinking about Halsin again.

Thinking about looking at him with desperation and despair and him knowing that you just need someone to take the load off of you for one second just so you can breathe.

Thinking about him seeing that look on your face and just sweeping you up in his arms, wrapped up and safe. One thick arm around your shoulders, the other around your waist, hand gripping your hip.

You bury your face in the juncture between his neck and shoulder as he’s bent down to your height. Taking a deep breath of that earthy calming scent with hints of lavender (that he only started keeping for your stress levels).

Anyone else would let go after thirty seconds but not Halsin, no, he just holds onto you. He just wraps you up in the safety blanket that is his arms and keeps you there as long as you’re holding onto him. And you don’t let go either. Your hands bunch up in his tunic, and he presses soft lips to your hair.

You stay like that until your heart rate slows and your breathing evens out. Only then do you carefully let go of him.

He gently sets you steadily on your feet, standing back up to full height. His large palm cups your cheek delicately. Those mossy green eyes gaze at you with all the warmth in Faerûn.

Carefully, he leans down again, pressing his lips to your forehead. “Be steady, my heart. Know that you are not alone in this. None of us are.”

[girlwithadragonheart]

The look he gives you with his head tipped back OAUGHHH folded like a lawn chair

Also say hi to my Rook, Kalais Mercar

[girlwithadragonheart]

No one from House Dellamorte kneels

[girlwithadragonheart]

Thinking about Halsin and a depressed reader. Someone who knows they aren't alright, and is frustrated with themselves for not being able to communicate that. Someone who, when asked what's wrong? will answer, nothing, I'm okay, or I don't know because that's the only way they can properly communicate that something is, in fact, wrong.

Someone who starts to feel guilty because they can't ease their companions' minds because that would effectively be lying to them and telling them they're okay when they obviously aren't isn't alright. But they also can't just come out and say what the issue is because there is no issue, they just don't feel good.

Halsin sees the gradual change. The way you stop coming out around the others. The way your sentences get shorter and shorter, and you smile less and less. The few times you do, it doesn't quite reach your eyes. You have moments of joy, of course, but it quickly dissipates, leaving you with that emptiness that won't leave you alone.

Halsin would like to say he knows how to help that because he's lived it, but the truth is he doesn't. He spent a century feeling how you feel and the only way it lifted was to solve the root of the problem---the Shadow Curse. But how do you kill the weed if you can't find its roots?

He doesn't know, and watching you sleep more and more, becoming less inclined to solve anything that's a threat to you, it just kills him inside.

He finds himself approaching your tent one night when you skip dinner. He finds you near-asleep, rolled away from him with an arm supporting your head. Halsin kneels down beside you, resting one hand on your shoulder and the other on your hips, gently squeezing you awake.

You roll toward him slowly, and he looks down at your bleary eyes. "I'm worried about you."

You huff, sitting up and throwing the blankets aside. "Everyone is. I don't know what you want me to say."

"Can you at least talk to me about it?" Halsin asks gently.

Gods, but you want to. "I don't know how. I don't know what's wrong with me," your eyes tear up.

Halsin's brow furrows. The last thing he intended was to make you cry, but perhaps letting something out would do you some good. "Come here," he says in a gentle, commanding tone.

Following directions is all you know how to do right now, so you crawl over to him, settling yourself against his chest. He shifts his weight as though you aren't even there until he settles, wrapping his thick arms around you. He's soft. Comforting.

Gradually, your tears start to fall. Everything comes out as though a dam has burst and you can't reel it in if you try. Halsin pets your hair gently, smoothing it down, his other hand wrapped protectively around your waist where you straddle him.

The hand in your hair moves to your back, rubbing and massaging his fingertips into your taught muscles. "It's okay to not be okay," he says quietly. "All you have to tell me is 'I'm not okay' and I'm right here, alright, little dove?"

You nod blearily, sniffling against his shoulder.

"We'll get through this together. One step at a time, even if I have to hold your hand the whole way through."

-----------

This got so much longer than I thought it would oops, I'm having a night.

@halsinsgate Daddy Issues, rise!

[girlwithadragonheart]

Craving the peace Halsin’s presence would bring me right now. I need a quiet moment in the forest to sit on a patch of moss and curl up in his warm embrace.

I would probably cry and let everything out and he would just pet your hair while allowing you this moment of solace.

Give me that pocket of warmth away from the stress of the world. Give me that little bit of peace with Halsin where I can forget what I’m worried about. Or let me talk to him about it and find comfort in him. I just…

I just need it and there’s an ache in my chest where that comfort is supposed to be.

And I think he might be the only one who could fill it.

[girlwithadragonheart]

Do you have any headcanons for caregiver Halsin? 🥺

I'm not ignoring you sweet anon! I was asleep <3

I don't have any hc's specifically for caregiver Halsin, but I do have some that go with that !!

~ Braiding your hair! I imagine considering elven traditions, he got very good at the intricacies of braiding hair, and if you ask him to, he'll do yours in any way you want. I think it would be calming for him as well to be able to take care of you in that way.

~ He always makes sure you've eaten before you fall asleep! More often than not, you're so exhausted you end up passing out before having a proper meal. Halsin sits you in his lap, practically spoon feeding you just to make sure you eat. "Can't have our fearsome leader starving, now can we, love?"

~ He helps you wash when you're too tired to do it yourself. His poor cub is barely able to sit up straight, let alone scrub the dirt from your skin and hair. He's remarkably gentle for someone so large and his palms though callused are soft for you. He makes sure to use all the scents you prefer and does your proper hair routine. (He took care to learn it just to take care of you better)

~ Can't sleep? Don't worry, Halsin is already making tea for you. Lavender and licorice, since licorice root is helpful to make your body settle. He'll bring the steaming mug to your lips, running his fingers through your hair as he coaxes you to drink it. "It'll help, my heart, hush now."

~ Daddy? Daddy. Need I say more? I will. He doesn't have a super strong reaction to it the first time. I mean, he's not surprised in the least, and it kind of slips out of you one day while you're super tired and out of it, so he shrugs it off, not wanting to embarrass you. But in the event that it happens again whilst you're more aware, he might even tease you about it cause he's a rascal like that. He'll just raise an eyebrow and smirk. "Daddy, hm? Not the first time I've been called that, but it certainly is nice coming from you."

~ He's a caretaker even in bear form! Especially during the night. Some days you just need that extra fluff that comes from cuddling up with him in wildshape <3

I hope this lived up to your expectations anon! This was fun to really think about. I've had those things floating around in the back of my mind for awhile, but putting them to paper makes it more real<3

[girlwithadragonheart]

I need to yap desperately about one single gripe I have with this game. MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD read at your own discretion

The first half is me ranting about how much certain things mean to me and how impacted I was, and the actual gripe comes closer to the end.

I'll preface this by saying this post is about Varric's death and my rage and despair regarding it, but more so about my Rook's.

I've seen people who said they picked up on the hints about whatnot, who knew before the Fade Prison. I was not one of those people. I was so relieved when I saw him after the Prologue that I didn't think twice, because I knew that it would destroy me the second shit started going wrong.

I was already not having a good time when I started the game simply because Varric was getting older. I don't handle aging well or death, and his design showing his age, and the comments he would make about "getting too old for this" just made my heart break.

And then shit got worse. I sobbed disgustingly when that knife went into Varric's chest.

After Rook woke up from talking to Solas and she heard Varric, I was so gods damned relieved. And my Rook was better taken care of by Varric in that year she spent with him than she was in the rest of her entire life.

I cried from the end of Ghilan'nain's fight until the romance scene and on and off after that. I got so used to visiting Varric just to be comforted by his presence. Inquisition was the biggest part of my life for a year and a half when I was just a kid.

I did really bad middle school age writing for it but regardless of the quality, those characters were built up in my head becoming even more than they were in the game. Varric was my biggest support character through everything I was going through at the time.

I don't talk about it much, but I didn't have a great childhood, and I know a lot of people didn't, but I coped with it through writing and video games. Varric was the one supporting me through the abuse I suffered and writing was the way I processed how bad things really were.

When Rook was in the prison she said "What am I going to find here?" And Varric said "I think you already know, kid." I DIDN'T until he said that. The second he said that my entire chest tightened and I just said "No" out loud as I watched Rook find his body.

Now for my real complaint!!!

Rook never gets the chance to grieve Varric. They go from talking to him every day to finding out he's dead and it was all a lie. I have personally never been more fucking pissed at Solas than I am now. But Rook comes back and they have that kind of "closing off" scene with Varric's empty bed (which was so hard to go through btw). And then they fuck their pookie LIKE I CANNOT BE THE ONLY ONE UPSET ABT THAT

FYM I gotta find out my dad is dead and then Rook is up for boning like there's no fucking way unless it's to cope. And at least pertaining to the Lucanis romance, Rook is processing everything that happened and they can say "So much has happened, I just don't know how to feel."

And rather than getting to process that in some kind of way, the devs said nah this scene serves one singular purpose, and Lucanis says "I do" and then dicks them down.

Personally, I felt very dismissed despite being overjoyed about finally having the romance scene, I couldn't even enjoy it with everything that happened prior.

Rook deserved the chance to completely break down after everything they went through. Tbh i don't know how they kept it together. Varric said "don't get all misty eyed" and i thought to myself that's way too delicate a term for what's happening here, I was fully ugly crying.

Fuck your "I had a good run" I still need you bitch.

All this to say I'm very upset, and I'm running my second playthrough and every time I look at, hear, or talk to Varric I tear up again. Wtf Bioware.

Rook should've gotten the chance to actually talk about what Solas did to them, especially in the sense that he made them believe Varric was still there. Or at least get to properly grieve the person who was their closest friend for a long time.

I have very strong feelings about this obviously

[girlwithadragonheart]

“Mierda. This place makes my eyeballs itch.”

BABE. HONEY. WHAT 💀

[girlwithadragonheart]

Something about the way this is written really puts it in perspective the inner turmoil he’s feeling and it broke my heart.

the more I play the more I think lucanis basically knows it's illario who betrayed him right from the beginning (he's had a year in the ossuary to think. not that many people knew where he was going. when you ask him 'did Illario know you'd be on that ship' his only answer is the hardest flattest 'yes' you ever heard). so it's not so much about figuring out who the traitor is (because that's ludicrous. we all know. immediately. they didn't really bother to hide it lmao) as about methodically closing off every single avenue of denial lucanis has clung to that whole time with as much or little gentleness as you might prefer until he has no choice but to admit it. because the moment he has to admit it, he'll have to do something -- feel something -- about it. and that's such a catastrophic event in lucanis' inner landscape (he has had TWO people in this whole entire world up until now and will do anything to hold on to them with a heartbreaking child-like desperation, even at and especially through the detriment of his own self) that he'd rather just. not. what if we quite simply. didn't. what if we just stayed here in the emptiness where we can both pretend you didn't hurt me in a way I should never forgive. I have so much practice in that with caterina already it's always worked out great for everyone so far. (press x to fucking doubt but that's trauma logic for you lol)

after everything illario did, so much of the storm of lucanis' emotions around it is 'what the FUCK did you get yourself tangled up in this time and how do I get you out of this mess safely'. what's worse: the fact that your brother murdered you, or that he put himself in horrible danger doing so and thus exposed you to the risk of losing him forever. lucanis' heart certainly has an opinion here and it's fucking unhinged (affectionate)

the themes of dissociation in lucanis' character in general makes me feel nuts. allllll these contradictory messy things he needs to cut off from each other because they can't coexist or be easily reconciled inside him. but all remain stubbornly true separately anyway and will have their due one day. love and resentment. tenderness and fear and rage. terror and longing. love and freedom don't coexist. the burned out golden child anthem is playing in the background. he was always caterina's favourite and he has to keep striving to deserve that dubious honour with every breath he takes and then, presumably, mercifully, some day he will die and be excused and can rest. and until now he's suppressed all the -- natural, healthy, protective! -- negative feelings that threaten the few attachment relationships he actually has, at the cost of ever actually having his needs for connection and safety met and leaving his core self imprisoned and compromised. and spite goes 'what. no. that's dumb fuck that' (*spite voice* I do not understand that and even if I did I would not respect it) and does not allow him to fall back into that, which I think is what saves his life, ultimately. it took being possessed by a demon for lucanis to even contemplate telling anyone he loves 'no' in any way, but hey. whatever gets you there right lol

lucanis is dealing with the freeze response allll the way down baby. and he was even before the ossuary, that just turbo powered it and brought it to a breaking point way before it could happen naturally. but something was going to break eventually no matter what, and I'm just glad that in the end, through the power of friendship and also pure spite, it doesn't have to be him

[girlwithadragonheart]

WIP Thursday

Halsin x Fem!Reader

“You remind me of a willow tree,” Halsin said, his deep voice cutting through the noise in your mind. “Strong, but flexible. A willow bends in the fiercest storms to withstand it but never breaks. It sways with the wind, rooted deeply in the earth, steady and enduring. You are like that---resilient. Even when the world presses against you, you bend, you adapt. But your roots remain strong.”

His thumb brushed over your cheeks, wiping your tears gently. His voice was quiet, but filled with warmth. You found yourself unable to tear your gaze away from him as he speaks, your mind stilling to his gentle tone.

“And yet, like the willow, there is a softness to you, a grace. The way you move, the way you face life’s challenges with quiet strength… it reminds me of the branches that gently sweep the ground, giving shelter and peace to those who need it.”

He paused, his eyes meeting yours as he gathered you against his chest, cradling you like a mere babe.

“But you are also like the forest,” he continued, his tone shifting as though he were speaking of something sacred. Perhaps it was sacred to him. Perhaps you were sacred. “Vast, full of life, ever-changing.” He said, standing with you as though you weighed nothing. “There is a wildness to you. Something untamed and beautiful. The forest does not seek to control or be controlled; it simply exists in harmony with itself, with all its seasons and cycles. Like the forest, you have a depth that cannot be easily understood---mysteries, strength, and a wild spirit that draws others in. You are captivating.”

He pressed his forehead to yours, green eyes filled with sincerity. “In the forest, there is peace, but there is also power. You hold both within you. Like the trees that grow tall and proud, and the earth that nourishes all, you are a source of strength for others, even when you don’t see it.” His voice was barely over a whisper. This was meant for your ears only, to soothe your mind alone. “And like the forest, you are ever-growing. You change with the seasons of your life, becoming something new, something more, while still holding the essence of who you are.”

Halsin’s gaze lingered on you, as if he saw not just your present self, but the many versions of you that had come before and those still to come. “You are the willow---graceful, strong. And you are the forest---wild, deep, and full of life. Both are beautiful, in their own ways, just as you are,” he said softly. “You are far more complex than the drunks of this city like to think, and more beautiful than the sun filtering through autumn leaves.”

You heard everything he told you and everything he didn’t. You heard him say that you were worth more than just your beauty and your body. You were worth more than what they made you out to be. And you knew now. You knew he could see you for what you truly were. For what you always had been.

[girlwithadragonheart]

currently imagining Halsin rubbing my back and calling me a good girl 😍

Duuuuude same now thank you for that. I need it frfr. Me and my migraine over here barely surviving I just wanna hide my face in his tits like

Credit to @/velnna for the art!

[girlwithadragonheart]

do you have any headcanons about Halsin being able to help Tav through a tummy ache? :(

~ The first thing he does is make you peppermint tea. It’s great for tummy aches and helps get something in your stomach even if it’s not much

~ depending on the type of tummy ache, he may use his massive hand like a heating pad against your belly, holding you against him while he presses soft kisses to your head.

~ belly rubs! You just look so uncomfortable and he can’t help but care for his love. He’s spooning you, fingers and palm gently massaging your tummy.

~ He definitely has a mix of herbs that’s made for all kinds of stomach aches. He can mix them into your tea or put it in a capsule for you to take, however you prefer it.

~ He puts honey in your tea, of course

~ Cuddles. He might not be able to cure it but he can sit with you through it. He’s heard of a remedy or two if ya catch my drift 😉

[girlwithadragonheart]

Sobbing

I hope Bianca knows and finds space away from her husband to grieve her decades-old situationship. I hope she's just a little bit sorry. I hope, if he's still alive, someone cares for Bartrand. I hope there's a moment of silence at the Kirkwall Merchants' Guild he would've hated, and many rounds of drinks and Wicked Grace at the Hanged Man he would've loved. I hope Bellara does tell the story, not as he would have but honoring his memory nonetheless. I hope his books are printed for years to come.

[girlwithadragonheart]

I wish I could romance Halsin all the way through the game. Like I wanna see him be the one durge tries to kill bc he’s their lover. I wanna see his reaction to it I fucking know it would be comforting as hell especially if you’re trying to fight it.

[girlwithadragonheart]

WIP

This should be posted sometime tomorrow 🤭

In the meantime have this little friend ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ