#that it feels wrong playing dragon age as anything other than an elf

[birb--birb]

Don't get me wrong I'm glad I'm playing a male Cousland this run, but I miss my Mahariel😭 she was my first rpg character and I had no idea what I was doing but I look back on that playthrough with so much fondness aside from my ending Alistar choice I'm so sorry sweet boy maybe im just getting hit with nostalgia now that I'm progressing my new origins run

[thekingofwinterblog]

What do you think of the people you can romance in DAI? Who is the best in your opinion?

I honestly don't have a good answer. For all my time playing Dragon Age Inquisition, for good or bad, it's romances are something I've mostly left untouched simply because unlike Origins, and even DA2, Inquisition doesn't lend itself all that well to replaying the game with a different origins.

A Kossith Mage Herald is unfortunately not nearly as different compared to playing as anything else as it should be. The only exception is playing as an elf, and unlike Origins, that only opens up all the cracks and flaws to the Inquisitor as a character.

The end result is that i effectively only have two Inquisitors I use, and as a result, i have only two romances i've gone through.

With that in mind, i can only comment on those, and what i've seen in other's playthroughs.

Josephine

Josephine is a good character, and if you go her romance, it does feel like you forge a connection... But the game unfortunately does not let you delve into her deepest secrets on such a route the way it should.

One common thing I've seen is a big problem with all the romances is that because Bioware didn't want to touch any of the inquisitors pasts in any meaningful way, it's impossible to open up to anyone about one's past, and get their take on it all.

Josephine tells you of her past, her family, siblings, etc. But you cannot really do the same.

Do the inquisitor have siblings? How do they feel about their parents? Have you had previous relationships? I have no idea.

If the Inquisitor was written as an actual in game person, defined by their background like hawke and the Warden, then the game's way of handling romance would have hit way harder and better. Because there is good stuff here, as I know just going through two romances.

The best highlight of Josephine's romance of course is her personal romance quest where you decide to engage in a duel for her hand, a very, very antivan thing to do, and a display that goes more to flesh out the actual Antivan culture than almost anything else in the games.

This kind of open, grand, romantic displays is what actual antivan society is all about, far, far more than it ever is about the tiny minority of assassins that are their most famous part to the world ever was...

And subsequently, it's excellent to showcase how Josephine differs greatly from other Antivan noblewomen. Rather than be taken in by it all, or swept of the feet, she is angry, and terrified, a results of her own history as a failed bard in the monstrosity that is the great game.

But if the Inquisitor choses to just anounce their love then and there for all to hear(also a very antivan thing to do), she is ultimately swept off her feet, and the lord you're fighting also choses to back down as he realises it's an actual duel for love, while he merely wanted a challnge and the honor of having dueled the inquisitor.

Again, this is a very great way of showcasing actual Antivan culture.

Overall i would say that though there is nothing wrong with Josephine's romance, and i do like the way it's a departure from previous ones by being all about courtly love, it didn't exactly wow me by being outstanding the way Morrigan's and Alistair's did in Origins.

Cassandra

Cassandra's romance meanwhile is both better, and worse than Josephine's.

Better in that you have a much, much more defined and in many ways more nuanced relationship with her, which can actually have some real weight depending on your choices. Like if you decide to actually make her divine... And she no longer feels she can have a relationship with you, despite how much she wants to, because she feels it would not be proper.

I would also say i greatly do like how the game handles the fact that Cassandra's an older woman, who is also a romantic at heart, but not very experienced in such matters... Which leads to an intentionally corny, but very enjoyable wooing scene after setting up a romantic date.

Subsequently, if you are a woman, i do like how she actually does go through a moment where she intentionally turns you down due to incompatible orientations. It's a small moment that shows her awkwardly fumbling as she usually does, but showcases that she is a good girl at heart, as she tries to let you down gently.

Now to the bad stuff.

Namely if you woo her off her feet as an elf... Like I did.

Now there is the core of something good here... But it's not fleshed out at all.

As i've said before, cassandra's biggest issue as a character is that like most of the companions, there are aspects of her personality you are not even allowed to change, and in this case, it's her less than flattering opinions on Elven religion(which even if completely true in the end, it doesn't exactly paint her in the best light).

There is a moment where she questions a dalish inquistor about possible Synchronization between creator worship and Andrastian, but you are not allowed to go any deeper on the subject, either positively, or negatively.

Which sucks, because if it had been, this could have added some much needed peraonal growth for her on the subject, either if you affirm the idea that there is room for such(as we know from lore, you would not be the first dalish to think so) and through that maybe Cassandra might actually learn that Creator worship isn't quite as scary as she has been led to believe, or reject it, and she eventually grows to love you anyway.

Because that is one of the strengths of this romance playing as a dalish. For all the way she talks shit about the creator religion, she comes to both love the inquisitor, and respect them like absolutely no other, felling that they are force of nature, that can do anything. And she does that regardless of whether you convert, is an atheist, or remain steadfast creators worshipper, all the way to tresspasser.

Now, we could debate whether he actually does, but the important thing here is that she believes it.

There was room here to really make something really special by delving into this, as cassandra has a moment where she notes that in the future, she will either be recognized as the lover of a saint, or an elven madman.

It's a poignant moment, which is echoed by what happened with other historical elven related figures in the game, but unfortunately you aren't allowed to ask her the simple, yet extremely important question "Do you care what they think?", instead the closest being "I don't care what they think, what do you believe?" Which ultimately is there to affirm Cassandra's belief in the maker, and that she does fully believe you were chosen by god, rather than allow her to express that regardless of what other people might think, she does love you, and will stick by you to the very end.

That kind of thinking is obviously still there... But it's subtext, when it should have been the main thesis around which her character arc was built.

All in all, Cassandra's romance arc is good... But if you're playing as Dalish, there is a lot of jank that mirrors the way the game handles so much about a dalish inquisitor.

Sera

From here on I haven't actually played any of these, so this is more observation more than anything else.

Sera seems to be okay enough, if you like her brand of humor, and personality, but i've seen a lot of people who greatly dislike the fact that if youre dalish and you refuse to abandon the elvhen gods, she breaks up with you, and is another reason Sera is a terrible character.

I disagree heavily on that front. The fact that Sera refuses to compromise on her beliefs and accept a "pagan" partner is a character flaw... But it's a very human one, and unlike so much else, I would say it's a character aspect you should not be able to change.

Its something that makes her a fundamentally different person than Cassandra, and that is good... But if you hate her as a character already, this really doesn't help much with that.

Blackwall

From what I can tell, this romance doesn't really add much to his character... Though it does add much to the Inquisitor, by showing how badly she wants it, and is willing to play the part of the sub for some love.

Solas

Ah, the Solavellan Hell.

Cullen

I don't really have any bigger thoughts on this one, other than to note it seems to be a better told version of the blackwall romance. Also it tells us that Cullen is not into women who are either taller than him, or way shorter.

Dorian

The most interesting thing about this romance from a character perspective is how the romance quest brings out Dorian's Tsundere side, something not seen much elsewhere in the game.

You only briefly see it in his personal quest depending on your choice of words, and far more in his banter and relationship with The Iron Bull.

Other than that it seems a perfectly decent romance quest.

The Iron Bull

Now this one is interesting for a number of reasons... But by far the most facinating thing about it, is that while Bull is not being disgenious, tresspasser shows us two things.

1. That regardless of how he feels about you, you ARE second to the Qun in his eyes, and 2. The thing he truly, truly cares about more than both the Qun and You if you romance him, is his mercenary crew.

They are his true family, his home, his soul.

That adds a lot of interesting hidden subtext for his romance as far as I'm concerned.

Bull is facinating, because as Cole reveals if he betrays you, there is no malice, no hatred, nothing. This really was not anything personal. He really did like you... But you were essentially just a bond girl of the week to him, and him the great spy, the glamorous Bond, moving on from yet another conquest.

Of course bond doesn't tend to get brutually murdered by said Bond girl(or guy, Bull ain't picky) after the fling, so there is that.

That is a fascinating dynamic, and great and interesting way to handle a romance with a spy.

[sea-side-scribbles]

Solas wakes up in the strange new world of his own making and it terrifies him. Ridden with guilt, he joins the Inquisition and begins his lonely research in order to correct his mistake.

He doesn’t expect to find consolation in the presence of a human who wields ancient elven magic without knowing it. Who is way too gentle for an elgar’thanelan, but doesn’t know that either.

Solas, for his part, doesn’t know how to stay away.

Dorian wonders if the mysterious elf just enjoys playing with a Tevinter. He wouldn’t expect anything else.

_____________________

Chapter 1- 13 | Right after uthenera, Solas is found by a Dalish clan. This goes well until it doesn’t. (Basically my excuse for world building and hilarious misunderstandings.)

Chapter 14 | Solas joins the Inquisition.

Chapter 20 | Dorian appears in Haven.

After waking up with a hangover, followed by fussing around with potions and other measures, it seemed like everything went back to normal. No quarrelling with Solas, no disgusted looks out of squinted eyes, no awkward tension and no pressure on Dorian to impress or avoid disappointment.

Actually, the preferred outcome after all they've been through.

Solas visited him again that day, sooner than expected, seeking him out in the Chantry for this purpose alone. This time, he was all calm and mellow, taking one humble step backwards after approaching him in the polite manner of Ferelden that Dorian hadn't witnessed to be directed at himself until then. He acted all courteously, but never in a submissive way, with his hands behind his straightened back. His expression became mildly confused when Dorian floundered, trying to make up for his terrible behaviour the last time they met in the Chantry, gesturing and stuttering nice nonsense. If anyone had watched them, rumours would've spread about the Tevinter fawning upon an elf. Not that it would've helped his reputation.

In the end, Solas had come to tell him that the required Lyrium supply had finally arrived. Apparently, the apostate now combed Haven giving everyone instructions for the ritual that would close the Breach. He was all but soft and friendly as he told Dorian how to channel his magic through the mark on Ellana's hand, with no comments on the Circles' lacking education in that regard. Dorian felt even tempted to pass a comment on his own, but luckily managed to stop himself.

Solas' thoughts revolved around the mark, anyway, and the Herald herself. There was all that responsibility on her shoulders and it made complete sense for Solas to focus on her. Because of that, their conversation was kept short.

Admittedly, also because Dorian had been out of things to say. He could've asked Solas to smile at him more, but that would've been ridiculous.

He could've said something about being excited to finally see the Breach for himself. Or scared, depending on what he'd expect to happen the moment they meddled with it. But to be fair, Solas handled the matter well, giving everyone the impression that he had it under control. And thus, people trusted him. Him, the strange apostate that came out of nowhere to save their ungrateful asses.

Dorian had to admit to himself that he was still struck by Solas. And he couldn't help the wistfulness settling in his chest.

It didn't feel good to be right.

To have known all along that it had been nothing but an accident. As much as he could've blamed Solas for losing control – and it did hurt, even thought he'd never admit it – he blamed himself even more, for giving in to the temptation. There had been everything wrong with this situation, any fool would've seen that. His better judgement should've told him to resist, to excuse himself, get the blighted sleeping potion and go back to bed. But no...he had acted like an imbecile and lied to himself. Again. About an elf even, as a Tevinter. There was no way there would ever be more than polite tolerance between them.

He even pitied Solas, for having been surrendered to a Tevinter. No wonder he had been uptight the entire time. No wonder it had looked like the Tevinter did this to him, since he would've never entertained the idea himself.

And now, Dorian was left to lick his wounds. To pity himself for having been involved in this, when all he wanted was to help the Inquisition. But his self-pity didn't win over his self-loathing, and in the back of his head a thought took hold: He deserved this.

On the faithful day, when the Inquisition's inner circle travelled to the Breach, along with Cullen's troops, Leliana's rogues and Fiona's mages, Dorian's mind was elsewhere. His vital position right next to Ellana, who needed all the support and optimism he could give, kept him within earshot of Solas, who, undoubtedly, was the most important ally in this moment. Ellana hung on his every word, drilling him with questions about the mark, the veil and the fade. All topics Solas was glad to help with.

Dorian shot glances at the two elves whenever he could handle the sight. They surely had a lot to talk about, having a lot in common, more than their ears. Dalish or not. And granted, they looked good together His stomach cramped when Solas wove a few elvhen words into his explanations and she answered in kind. Trawling through his own memories, he found a few elvhen phrases, hastily scribbled down when he had been Alexius' apprentice. After a thorough debate with himself, he gloomily concluded it wasn't worth the effort. Redundant at best, offensive at worst.

When they entered the ruined temple, where the walls grew like teeth biting into the air, he regretted refusing Solas' invitation. The apostate, having proceeded to answering Cassandra Pentaghast's questions, had been right. There was no time to fully satisfy his curiosity now. The Breach wasn't stable and could collapse any moment. Its humming began to press against his ears with a force that unsettled him. So close to it, even the ashes seemed to whisper. Sadly, the clanking of armour plates and boots on stone made it difficult to listen.

Eventually, Cassandra left to speak to the troops and Dorian saw his chance. Quickening his pace, he noticed to his embarrassment that he was out of breath when he reached Solas. The elf's eyes widened a little. Dorian dared to assume that he worried about him. “Are you alright, Dorian?” Dorian's heart skipped a beat. Perhaps his assumption was right. He attempted to say with nothing but professional curiosity: “Splendid, splendid! This is a terribly interesting place. I believe I can hear the ashes whisper.” His voice cracked a little at the end, but after all, he was exhausted.

“Memories leak into this place...”, Solas confirmed without hesitation. “And they are many. Every soul in the conclave left its imprint in the fade. This is what you hear...” He sounded calm and a little dreamy as if they were witnessing the beauty of a sunset. The phenomenon didn't trouble him at all. “So if we would listen to all these voices, we would reconstruct what happened here.” Dorian's excitement for this place came back. Solas regarded him with a - pitiful? - smile. Dorian puffed his chest, convinced that his suggestion had been very helpful. “Memories are easily muddied, just like the events described in history books”, Solas explained carefully. “They contain some truth, but reason and sense are required to extract it.” Dorian opened his arms. “And there you have both, reason and sense, at your service, embellished with dazzling beauty. Could you ask for more?”

Idiot, he thought right after, with his heart pounding in his throat. Solas never approved of coquetry.

This time, however, the elf's smile didn't fade. It shifted to one side, as if preparing a witty remark. Dorian couldn't get enough of his smirking, slightly narrowed eyes.

But their magical moment was ruined by Grand Enchanter Fiona, who called for Solas, and he, sadly, complied promptly. Dorian frowned at her, unnoticed. Who did she think he was? Some kind of elven servant? His asserted reason answered a moment later. She needed him, just like everyone else, mages and soldiers as well, needed him now. If not the Herald, who they silently prayed to as she walked ahead of the procession, a glowing symbol of hope. Dorian sighed and yielded to his fate.

During the ritual, he did as he was told by the booming voice of Solas, who took the leash out of Cullen's and Fiona's hands as if he was used to do that. Perhaps he got encouraged by the silent outcry of all the mages who focused on him anyway. Dorian felt the pull of the mark itself when Ellana directed it at the Breach. A force that was able to channel all this energy...he still wondered how Solas contained it in her hand.

As the Breach finally closed with an eruption, the recoil knocked everyone onto their backs, including Dorian who coughed and cussed in Tevene with his mouth full of ash. But then it was over. No demons appeared, no curse came upon them, almost disappointingly so. The first silent cheers developed into a roar of hundreds of voices, people clapping backs and hugging each other, with the Herald in the middle beaming at Cassandra.

“Is it done?”, The Lady Seeker turned to Solas, her stern face betraying worry and fatigue. For weeks now, she had delved deeper into the matters of the fade than she had ever wished to. To her, it was nothing but the realm of demons, unpredictable and deadly. Solas eyed the sky. The clouds still swirled around a shade of green where the sky had been torn open. “A scar remains but it will heal over time”, he confirmed with a faint nod. “The Breach is sealed.” She closed her eyes. Her lids twitched like the corners of her mouth. “Thank the Maker!”

That was all there was to say.

While the people celebrated in Haven, Solas kept to himself, his mood not quite so solemn. The veil was sealed once again and although he welcomed not having to worry about more demon outbreaks, the ritual had left a bitter taste in his mouth. The fade had been so close, almost within reach. Now, this accomplishment was undone and the hope of ever opening again lay behind an obstacle that posed a danger even for his agents. It lurked out there somewhere, hidden from him even in the fade. Today's victory was only a tiny step on the long way ahead and only he knew what this young organisation was up against. Amidst their laughter, he considered to leave them. To find another way.

The Herald had done all she could as she closed the Breach. She would never gain control over the power that ate into her hand. Never understand it.

As he watched these people dance and sing, he realized he'd remember them – their courage, their faith, their laughter. His heart sank as he sighed out a heavy breath.

From among the crowd, a man caught his attention, chatting and joking around with the others. His white robe made him easy to recognise. Solas had to smile when he saw him, out of relief and with a sense of melancholy. Now he knew that he had terribly misjudged the Tevinter all this time. With his behaviour, he had humiliated himself more than anyone else. His hands clasped his staff tighter as he thought about it.

But it seemed that the scars were healing now. Pavus looked happier, finally able to apply himself to the people he belonged to. Solas kept his distance and it seemed to work. He would remove as much of himself from Pavus' life as possible. The man would never know the truth, but it was better this way. Solas would leave no open wounds departing from Haven. He tensed when he noticed that Pavus made his way through the crowd into his direction.

Dorian didn't exactly think this through. It was only that his eyes had met Solas' and the elf had granted him yet another overwhelming smile. He just wasn't used to a smiling Solas yet. He looked so genuine. And so very inviting. It only made sense to be curious. To want more. More friendly conversations, of course. Nobody else occupied Solas for now, so he thought he better took the chance as long as it lasted. Motivating himself like this, he went up the stairs to test the waters.

Standing in front of Solas, his mood dropped a few levels. Now from up close, his smile looked rather stiff. Did he misjudge the situation again? But there was no way out anymore. With the most appealing expression he himself could manage, he handed Solas the mug of mead he had snatched for him. “I saw you empty handed and I thought – why keeping your throat dry on an evening like this?” Solas' slim fingers curled around the mug. Dorian of course didn't stare, but noticed. The hands of a mage. Curious, how an apostate living in the wilds managed to keep his hands so...tender. He probably solved most issues with magic, that he had also mastered somehow without proper education by a Circle.

Solas' heart fluttered at the gesture. Not because of it alone, it certainly meant nothing. Handing out drinks at a party in a courtesy way, that was just what people did. But because of what he knew about Pavus. The Tevinter cared about people. It was perfectly possible that he would look after the well-being of others, even an elf. He worried about the Herald. Him and Sera got along well, too. For some curious reason, he made no difference between elves and humans and it seemed to come effortlessly.

“This is the third time you provide me with a drink, Dorian Pavus. Are you really from Tevinter or is this your pick-up line?” The words were out before he could stop himself. But Pavus lightened up. “I don't believe it would work very well on elves”, he quipped. Solas couldn't help eyeing the twirls of his moustache that were lifted by his smirk. “I did not say it would be a good idea.” Both of them began to chuckle. Solas was out of words already, thinking that they amused themselves over an inside joke and nobody dared to say out loud. “But to satisfy your curiosity, I am from Tevinter, born in Quarinus, before it was renamed Ventus”, Dorian rescued him from his own embarrassment, implying a bow. “The coastal city?”, Solas blurted out. “You must terribly miss the ocean then.”

“Well...” Before Dorian could ramble on about how he actually despised the ocean, especially on a ship, or ask why an elven apostate knew a city that no Fereldan had ever heard about, he was interrupted by a ring of bells. The music stopped and Commander Cullen's voice rose above all the others. Solas and Dorian both hurried to see what was going on.

[dervampireprince]

hi Prince! it's been a while since I've been around and seeing your Astarion stuff has me wondering, have you played/looked into Dragon Age at all? Its one of my favourite series and we have a lot of similar interests - it seems like it would be up your alley! (particularly a brooding elf character in the second game lol)

i haven't and i don't want too.

i really don't want this to come across as rude, but i really don't like when people recommend me things it makes me uncomfortable and makes my brain never want to engage with whatever has been recommended to me on the principal that it has been recommended, that someone has told me should watch it. and especially when its a stranger who doesn't know me telling me they think i'll like it, or they know i'll like it. when you don't know what i'd like because you don't know me and its parasocial to say that you would accurately be able to recommend me things when you don't know me. us having similar interests does not mean you know me.

it makes me uncomfortable to me told i should watch something even if it's by someone i'm close too. telling me i should watch something/will like something/seems right up my alley is a guaranteed way to make sure i never watch the thing, regardless of who you are. it feels like pressure. it feels like if i don't like the thing i've disappointed or wronged someone somehow. and the majority of the time, i don't like the thing i've been told i'll really like. something being the same genre or having similarities with something i already like doesn't mean i'll like it.

a better way to get me into something is someone i know just talking or showing me something, without telling me i should watch it. and if it seems interesting then i'll get curious and look into it and maybe watch it. like my partner loves jujutsu kaisen and talks about it all the time but has never pressured me into watching it and has never said i should watch it or that she knows i'll like it, and just by seeing her enjoy it makes me want to watch it.

this got long, probably because i just got a comment on youtube telling me how much they think i'll like some horror game despite me not playing horror games nor consuming horror content because i find it too upsetting. seeing that i like 'fear and hunger' doesn't mean you can make the assumption that i like horror stuff or want to play horror games. that might sound strange, but me liking one horror thing doesn't mean i like other horror things and i'm very careful about how i consume fear and hunger stuff as it's full of uncomfortable topics.

i'm guessing dragon age is being recommended because i've made baldur's gate audios. but i've never played baldur's gate and i don't want too, i heavily dislike playing RPGs, i hate playing turned based combat, i hate playing any sort of combat in games (there are exceptions when i love the game's art/story/characters/music enough like hades and undertale), and i don't know anything much about any character other than astarion. i've just watched all of astarion's cutscenes and dialogue and connected to him.

none of this was meant to sound rude or like i'm angry at you, i just am a bit fed up at the moment of these comments. unless i ask for recommendation of new shows/games/etc then please don't tell me how i should watch something or would like something. by all means you guys are allowed to talk about things i haven't seen in my comments/asks/discord/request characters for fandoms i haven't made audios for before/etc but the moment it turns into telling me i should watch something or will like something is the moment i'm going to get uncomfortable.

[tuwasduwillst]

I Finished Veilguard (Spoilers Version)

This is my spoilery Veilguard post! And also my screenshot dumping post, because I didn't want to have to worry about spoilers when I have an entire game worth of screenshots to share (I meant to make more posts while I was playing, but I wanted to finish before I had to go back to work, so I was on a time limit... and Firefox has been crashing my PC lately, so I had to keep it closed while I was playing u_u).

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

I have no idea where to even start.

Like I said in the other post, I really enjoyed the game. I've been waiting almost a decade for some of these plot threads to get resolved, or have literally anything done with them, and now it's over.

I played as a Mourn Watch elf, romancing Lucanis, with an Inquisitor that romanced Solas and vowed to save him.

And it was a great first playthrough! I loved my faction, I loved that I got to react to all of the elf stuff as an elf without any "What's Mythal?" moments*, and I absolutely loved what ended up happening with Solas and the Inquisitor in my playthrough. I expected nothing, maybe a throwaway line at most, but there was so much more than that.

(* speaking of this, it was funny to me how much elven Lavellan used while speaking to Solas. Making up for the past, I see. :P (Though she uses a fair amount in Trespasser as well, I suppose.))

The game was gorgeous, IMO, especially when it came to textures and lighting. I'm so glad a BioWare game finally has good hair, it's like a miracle.

I can't think of much I didn't enjoy, in the end, especially when thinking about the game as a whole. I do think it's too bad there's a forced sacrifice, I guess, but IMO that's necessary sometimes, unfortunately. I'm not sure how poorly everything could go because I got the "best" ending; I might experiment with it eventually, especially if it's needed for achievements.

I think the companion quests were pretty good, and I enjoyed the ones where you're just hanging out with a companion somewhere. Sometimes they got a little overwhelming? But that's probably because I was pushing myself to finish the game before I had to go back to work, at least partially.

Rook is a fun protagonist, IMO; a good balance between Hawke and the Inquisitor. I'm not sure how "same-y" Rooks will feel between playthroughs, but hopefully there's enough of a difference with tonal options that it doesn't feel like I'm playing the same character over and over again...?

My biggest criticism about Rook (and kind of the start of the game) is that I really wish they would have allowed players to play through The Incident that got them sent away from their factions for a while. It would've been a good intro to the factions and game mechanics, a good intro to Rook meeting Varric, and then you could've had a time skip to where the game starts now. It also would've provided the space for some of the roleplaying decisions you make in the meditation room in the Lighthouse, if they wanted.

That said! Rook grew on me very quickly, and I'm genuinely sad to leave them behind now. I would love at least one DLC or something, but I know that BioWare has said they've got everyone working on the next Mass Effect now... :( And I love Mass Effect, don't get me wrong! But I really love Dragon Age.

Like I said above, I don't know how poorly things can go in the ending, so maybe that complicates things too. The more variables you add, the more you have to account for when it comes to DLC, which means more time and money spent. The game coming out at all is a miracle, so hoping for more might just be greedy at this point. (Still going to hope, though...)

I read the comics and read through Tevinter Nights/the site's short stories, so I picked up on all of the cameo appearances. I think my favourites were Antoine and Evka (they made Antoine so cute), Teia, and Myrna, appearance-wise! I was happy to see Viago as well, but for some reason I imagined him being a little heavier?? So seeing him skinny was a bit of a shock to me haha.

I thought it was a bit weird sometimes to be making life decisions for the companions, but overall I was happy with my decisions. I was torn about the one for Emmrich, because my Rook could've gone either way... but eventually I went with the more emotional option rather than the straightforwardly intellectual one (my Rook is a compassionate, peppy, goth nerd (without the goth clothing options sob)).

I only felt bad about one decision I made... but I would have felt bad either way for that one, so... RIP me I guess. Well, actually, I felt bad about two decisions and both of them were ones I would've felt bad about either way haha (but one would've also locked me out of my Lucanis romance, which is obviously unacceptable).

The Lucanis romance was something that I loved, but definitely wished there was a little more to. Not enough to be upset about it, but... I feel like I'll definitely be glad it was my first romance once I do another playthrough, judging by comments I've heard. Even just one more scene between acknowledging that Rook was interested and them being together would've been fine, IMO! Or after them getting together but before the other stuff, I don't know.

In the end they're super cute together so I don't really care too much, it's just something that I noticed while playing. I'm definitely hoping there'll be fanfic to fill in some blanks... or I might have to actually write something myself (unlikely, but not impossible).

To be honest, there were some moments during Crow quests too where I thought Lucanis would speak up for sure and he just... didn't, so I'm not sure what's up with that, either. Bugged companion responses? Nothing written for some reason? Maybe he was half-asleep and Spite was bored. Who knows, I guess. (Again, though, overall I really enjoyed Lucanis and his romance.)

I loved the wing thing in his romance scene. Very cute.

Look at the cute smile on his face as he looks at Rook 😭Augh they're adorable, I just wish there was more... maybe I'll have to commission something. Probably them cuddling and drinking coffee or Lucanis napping on Rook's lap or something, idk. Something cute, more than likely. (If you know of any artists that might be interested and has comms open, let me know. >_>)

Getting sidetracked, oops...

I enjoyed all of the companions; if I had to pick a least favourite, it would probably be either Davrin or Taash. I enjoyed them both still! But the former has the problem of griffons being nearly his entire identity, and the latter has the problem of their... well, identity being nearly their entire identity. There's enough other stuff there that I don't dislike them, but in comparison to the others I just felt they weren't as interesting, personally.

I'm hoping that maybe their romances will add more to them...? But we'll see.

I swear I had more specific things to say, but I can't remember them at all, so I guess I'll end things here! I'm happy to answer any questions anyone might have, with spoilers or as spoiler-free as I can make it, and I guess now I've got to decide what to do next.

[agendratum]

okay so i just spent a really long time looking though all my old notebooks in order to find my notes on coming up with names for my dragon age characters, because i thought that remembering the logic i used for them might help me come up with a rook's name that would be more natural for my world state. and in the process i discovered several things:

a. it is NOT easy to find something specific like that in my notebooks. i kind of remembered how the page where the names were written on looked (i was wrong), but i didn't remember the exact year. and for context i have been leading some kind of a diary/journal since literally the day i learnt how to write. and i still have all of them. yes, after high school diaries mostly transformed into bullet journals, and after i dropped out those transformed into notebooks for anything and everything with no system other than dates, but i never stopped actually having a notebook. which is also where most of my creative drafts are

b. i very rarely wrote years on my notebooks. dates always. years - FOR SOME REASON NOT

c. i have two places where i keep my journals, apparently. and i didn't sort them chronologically very well

d. there are A LOT of notes on some creative ideas i had in the past that i have no idea what they mean now at all. what if i was cooking back then......

this is where i slowly started to find my da notes, thank god. read more to spare your dashes, but by god i'm noting my discoveries down

so first of all i discovered, which is something i forgot about, that i was trying to come up with a full name for ruth, my warden. because at some point i thought that ruth, the name i originally came up with, didn't sound very elven, so it had to be a nickname for an actual full name

well, i didn't exactly come up with ruth. i guess it wasn't long after i read fried green tomatoes, and when the game asked me for a name, i probably looked back at my bookshelf, thought, HEY the old time lesbians book! and named my warden after one of them lesbians from the book

so my notes on her full name are....

first of all, i looked at this and was like, what was the fucking reference. i had no idea. didn't feel like some dragon age inspired elven language, but i filed this for later research, cause i still haven't found others' names

second of all, i don't know how i feel about this "final" full name. not surprised i forgot i even had this thought process. but let's just say this is non canon. and besides, considering she's trans, that would make even more sense that her name is just ruth. that is her name that she chose and it doesn't matter much if she had any other names before that. that is all left behind, if not in her clan's memory, than in that cursed mirror

moving on i found the pages where i was making my hawke's name

so i just, while writing this, realised what happened. i think back then i was still mad you can only play as a human in da2 (listen i was yet to find out da2 is one of the best games ever made) so i was trying to headcanon my hawke as a half elf and make him a name that would reference his "elven" name. i don't think it makes any sense, there is not a single elf in amell's family (who i learnt a lot about today, while scrolling da wiki again). but yeah, his elven name was tariam? and that in human was tarjei

i will decree this also non canon. he's just tarjei, it's fine.

then i found the notes on my first, now also non canon, inquisitor, lavellan, who things didn't work out with

i do think corriro is a fun name tho, i'm happy with it

but once again, i used the same mysterious reference for elven names. what the fuck is this. anyway, i tried googling what i might have looked for back then, and i think i found exactly that. it was a pikabu (russian reddit basically) post from 10 years ago with a guide on how to make elven names, where op gave a link to their source, which was a post from 2010 made on one of them text roleplaying forums that i used to love so much (i mean i never rped on this one specifically but still the nostalgia)

links for my personal peace of mind:

pikabu post - https://pikabu.ru/story/yelfiyskie_imena_mozhet_komu_interesno_budet_1690760

rp forum - http://elfs.f-rpg.me/viewtopic.php?id=6

still no actual source given to what elven language this all is referencing. tolkien maybe?? idk, but not dragon age's elven that is for sure

and then i found one little note from january 2019, when my canon inquisitor, kehaar, was born, that just listed all my canon names again: ruth, tarjei, kehaar. with no notes on how kehaar's name was made. thanks me

overall, idk if this will help me come up with rook's name. especially since rook would be growing up in rivain, not in ferelden, and not with dalish elves. BUT fun journey

i need to sort my belongings oh my god

[disasterdrvid]

6, 15, 17

Long time follower first time caller! I've been wary to get excited cause bioware has been playing with my emotions for over a decade at this point. I avoid most news and stuff about DA at this point but I appreciate your takes

Awww thank you so much! I've gone through cycles of wariness and excitement over the years, but tbh what's been coming out lately has me generally hopeful

6. Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

I have a canon worldstate and I've had my "canon" Rook locked in since December 2020 when the Game Awards trailer dropped! Iori (last name currently redacted) is a city elf born in southern Orlais who left following the civil war. She wound up in Rivain where she became a Lord of Fortune! (I've had her planned as one since I started writing her concept, well before any factions were confirmed. I just really loved Hollix in "Luck in the Gardens.") I've taken a lot of inspiration for her character from Long John Silver in Black Sails and, more recently, Izutsumi from Dungeon Meshi!

She has an older brother who disappeared after they left their village. Iori thought he went to join the Inquisition but he actually joined the Agents of Fen'Harel. I'm hoping some of Rook's story is open-ended enough that Bioware lets me get away with keeping that aspect because I find their rivalry really interesting--especially with how that plays into her and Solas' relationship.

If you want to see more of her I currently have her tagged on my blog under "#iori dragon age"!

15. Do you have any unpopular opinions about DAV so far?

Not many given that we don't really know much about the story. But I've been pretty vocal that I think the 10 year timeskip is a huge mistake. Trespasser ended with a massive thread of tension hanging over the story, and I genuinely feel that jump cutting to Solas already starting the ritual within the game's prologue feels anticlimactic. Like, Bioware had 10 years to build up this plot point and to me the writing indicated they were going to stretch this a little further into Veilguard. I'd even speculated the better way to handle it would be to treat Solas like Origins treated Loghain, and make his confrontation a late act 2 plot point and then make him a late game companion. Hell, I even wanted them to bring back DA2's structure where the game takes place over multiple years. The technology has caught up where something that ambitious should be at least achievable now.

I also think as time goes on the Game Informer articles are going to get reevaluated. Some of them are a little silly and I think the reporter is highlighting things that are just part and parcel for the series. I get that this is marketing to build hype (probably leading up to GamesCom in August) but just... idk. I think specifically the one about companions and romances rubbed me the wrong way. Companions from previous games also had rich inner lives and romanced each other when not romancing the PC. So yeah I think some of them are a little silly to write whole pieces about like they're brand new ideas.

17. Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

Sometimes? I don't go out of my way to read meta and speculation since I think speculation just builds hopes for things that were never going to exist in the first place. (Like my bitterness about no multi-year story in Veilguard.) I've done speculation in the past and I even did a bit of speculative fic for Iori. I was wildly off base for a lot but I found it to be a fun exercise to finding her character. I've also posted my own speculation here but that was more for fun than anything serious.

As for lore I have way too much brain space dedicated to this series than a person should 😅 I've been meaning to re-read my copy of World of Thedas vol 2 in preparation for the game. I think lore is a fun thing to learn so I can play around with it for my characters. I'll also say that I've read a majority of the ancillary works (thus far the only ones I haven't read are The Calling and The Missing) because I like seeing the world of DA outside of what the games have established!

Send me DAV hype questions!

[mushroomweather]

Cale Being Mistaken as a Dragon

Some of my favorite sections to reread

ch77

Litana could see that the man had a magic bag on him, but did not have a sword or anything else, as if he had just come into the forest for a stroll. He also seemed to know his way around. He had an odd atmosphere around him. She suddenly thought of something.‘…Is he a dragon?’ She recalled the legend about the dragon that would grant your wish. The legend did not say anything about the dragon’s appearance nor how it showed up. Litana knew her thoughts were probably wrong, but she could not help but become full of anticipation. It was at that moment. Litana made eye contact with this man named Cale and could see him start to smile. “I am not a dragon.”

ch100-101

“Young master-nim, are you perhaps a dragon-.” Shawn and Tasha both froze up, while Choi Han’s pupils started to shake.”No.” Cale was very stern. “I am not a dragon.”

ch109

The Elf who stopped Cale did not budge at Pendrick’s actuals and became chaotic as he looked toward Cale.“T, tha-.”The Elf started to speak in a shaking voice. “Do, do you believe in mana?” Cale thought the Elf was asking if he was religious. Cale started to laugh out of nervousness. The middle-aged Elf flinched after seeing Cale’s smirk. This relaxed demeanor and those cruel eyes that looked down on anything other than himself. It was the same as the great gaze of a Dragon. ‘The feeling of a Dragon that is floating around in the air.’ There was no way a Dragon would be spinning around in circles like this. The Elf was certain that Cale was using his aura and spinning it in a circle to play around with the lifeforms in the restaurant. It was something a Dragon would do. If that was the case, then there was only one person the Dragon it could be. ‘That person has the strongest scent of nature on him.’

… He had to be a Dragon. But he did not dare to say that out loud….“I do not believe in something like mana.”A Dragon would have responded that he believed in mana. However, Cale answered that he did not believe in mana.

Cale looked directly into the Elf’s eyes and made his stance clear.

The Elf slowly started to look down. “… I will proceed as you wish.”…“I apologize for disturbing you. I will pretend not to know you in the future, sir. I pray that you are not upset.” ‘…This is too weird. It definitely feels like he is treating me like a Dragon. An Elemental that has met a Dragon would definitely tell this Elf that I am a human. What is going on?

ch222

He flattened himself against the silver shield and observed Cale, who was on the other side. To be more accurate, he was observing the area around Cale. “…I smell a Lord. That power from earlier was definitely a Dragon Lord. I know it was. I’ve smelled it before.” ‘This crazy bastard.’ Cale could not help but think that way after seeing this scene that. seemed to be straight out of a horror movie. “Are you a Dragon?” The mage’s eyes sparkled. The fiery thunderbolt. That thunderbolt was made up of pure natural power and mana. This was not something a human mage could do…. “You’re a Dragon. Hmm? Are you a Dragon that came out to play? Is it you? Or is it that thing next to you? Hmm?” Bang! Bang! The Dragon half-blood’s two fists slammed against the shield. ‘This crazy bastard. Does Arm only have lunatics like this?’ Cale looked toward the completely insane person and started to speak “A Dragon that came out to play my ass. Sounds more like your brain went out to play. Stop spewing such nonsense.” “Hahahaha!” The Dragon half-blood started to laugh at Cale’s response. “Yes, I knew you would be that way. Dragons are always good at doing things like this. They feign ignorance and then play around with people much weaker than them. Kahaha, how fun. This is so much-.”

Edit: ch639

[Bakehe] could see the long vertical pupils after seeing Rasheel’s eyes up close. He then started to think about the spells Rasheel used that even the Royal Mage could not use. Rasheel’s mana and skills were also strong enough to take down a sword master like himself. ... The person calling him a human bastard was not human. ‘…A Dragon! Smile. Rasheel started to smile. “You finally get it? You finally understand who I am?”

The young boy walked over to Bakehe and made a comment. “We gathered to prevent you from working with the White Star to create chaos in the world.” Bakehe recalled how Rasheel couldn’t even talk back to this young boy. He had acted as if he was addressing a superior. Who could a Dragon address as a superior? '…Another Dragon!’ It would be impossible unless it was another Dragon. “I heard that the kingdoms on the Eastern continent are working with the White Star to cause chaos on the Western and Eastern continents.” The young boy gave off a noble demeanor. He seemed even more Dragon-like than Rasheel and naturally gave off a sense of being a ruler. “We could not sit back and let you do as you pleased. Did you really think you could survive after pulling this kind of crap?” ... “If you continue your alliance… Your future will only consist of chaos, destruction, and despair.”

The young boy looked toward Rasheel, who added on in a growling voice. “Human, make sure to heed our warning as we are saying it as the representative of the Dragons." Cale nodded his head. ‘I’m not a Dragon, so Rasheel needs to say it as the representative of the Dragons.' However, Bakehe thought that Cale nodding his head looked more majestic and caused him to think. ‘The Dragons are gathering because of what the White Star is trying to do!’ Dragons were too strong. They were able to easily handle a sword master like Bakehe. ‘And if there are multiple Dragons……?!’ Would he be able to survive?

There's probably some im missing

[mllemaenad]

So I just started a new DA2 playthrough, and remembered something that I'd love to get your thoughts and opinions on, especially since your Joanna romanced Anders. If you give Fenris to Danarius, basically everyone disapproves, except Anders, who actually *approves*. I understand the basics: he's so far gone to his cause he wants everyone who disagrees with him *gone*, fellow ex-slave or no, but I'd love to see if you had a more in-depth thought process on it. Thanks!

Hi. :)

I ... honestly don’t have much in the way of deep thoughts on Anders himself here, because I don’t think Anders is the core problem. I’ve seen people wring their hands over that +5 before, and it’s always confused me. I feel like if you’re worrying about the minutiae of a +5 to friendship you are not grappling with the full horror of what just happened. This whole quest is a catastrophic failure of the friendship/rivalry system.

So - the quest page is here.

Digging a little further tells me that on XBox, at least, Isabela will give a +5 to rivalry for the threat to Fenris’s sister, but nothing for Fenris himself. She has a line, objecting to Hawke’s actions, but no friendship/rivalry change.

I mean - what the hell are we looking at here? Do you know? Because I absolutely do not.

We have a solid +10 rivalry average for handing a friend over to a slaver. I can make that back with two moderately funny purple responses in the right places. In fact, as this is an Act 3 quest I would imagine that many people are missing some or all of these changes because they’ve already maxed out their companions’ scores one way or another. It’s an utter non-event.

Merrill, whose people were enslaved en masse by Tevinter, who lost her whole culture to them and is scrabbling to reclaim it, gives a +10 to rivalry when a fellow elf is handed over to a Tevinter Magister for enslavement and torture. Isabela, the pirate captain who liberates slaves has no followup on that at all. Our biggest rivalry gain is from Aveline, at +15, and - wow. Impressive. A whole 15 rivalry points for doing the worst possible thing to a long-time friend and comrade.

+10! +10! What does it mean? “We can still go for drinks later, but we’re going to sulk”? “Hawke, you’re barred from game night for the next two weeks for that silliness”? I can’t let it go. Those little +10s to rivalry make me much angrier than Anders’s +5 to friendship because they’re treated as sufficient. Anders’s +5 causes distress and dismay, because it worries people that he approves of slavery, but a tiny +10 to rivalry for one of the worst things you can do in this game - and we are not a little bit worried about everyone else’s moral compass?

This isn’t the dealbreaker? This isn’t the day we all leave and never talk to Hawke again? Why the fuck not?

So - for context, in The Urn of Sacred Ashes, back in Origins, Leliana will literally fight you to the death over desecrating the relic; if you spare Loghain in The Landsmeet, Alistair will leave you; if you don’t murder Anders in The Last Straw in retaliation for the death of Grand Cleric Elthina, Sebastian will leave and wage war on Kirkwall. But we can give Fenris to a slaver and it’s fucking fine. Oh, we’re a little annoyed, but we’ll get over it

I am so angry. Not at you, for talking about it, but at the writing in this quest. I don’t think there’s anything very meaningful to be said about Anders specifically. He and Fenris loathe each other. They fight and they poke each other’s sore spots. It seemed like a good idea to someone to give Anders a minor friendship bump if Fenris leaves. When the positions are (broadly speaking) reversed, and Fenris gets to comment on Anders’s fate in The Last Straw he says “He wants to die. Kill him and be done with it”. This is not Fenris having strong opinions about the mage rebellion - although he does have those elsewhere. This is a very broad, facile “fuck that guy”. Obviously the circumstances differ, but in terms of caring about each other’s wellbeing they’re about the same. Fuck that guy. If he’s going away, I’m having a good day.

Was it tacky for Bioware to put that +5 friendship into Alone? Yes. Definitely. But I don’t think it means anything at all about Anders or his view on slavery or his cause, because if I did think that, I’d have to think the other companions’ responses were significant too. I’d have to think that their firm position on this is to wrinkle their collective noses a little and then forget about it. And - I’m just going to do the obvious and gesture emphatically at Isabela’s whole character arc here in refutation of that.

I’m not opposed to evil choices in RPGs. That’s ... kind of how role playing works. But this one is so utterly facile as to be revolting. There are no meaningful consequences for this. And while it is possible to do other revolting things in Dragon Age, things done to companions stand out, because from a narrative perspective they matter. We can say in theory that the deaths of unnamed NPCs are bad and wrong - but it will be the characters we know and love that we mourn over. This isn’t the only bad choice you can make, but it’s a really big one.

For Joanna - this is a non-issue. She’s not going to hand anyone over to a slaver, much less her friend, so (mercifully) I do not have to try to rationalise this nonsense.

For anyone going to because they’ve committed to an evil playthrough? This might be a really good time to bring in “Varric is an unreliable narrator” and head canon yourself some reasonable fallout.

[numbaoneflaya]

Can I get a list of all ur ocs?

Well anon youve done it, you made me make a list of all my major OCS in one place. I hope your happy with yourself. Under the cut for obvious reasons, may link in my blog desc later.

Modern/BTD verse!!

Jilly- Ferret beastkin little creature, was recently turned into a werewolf by vincent as well so she's running around on full moons in a wereferret wolf hybrid creature form. Chaotic and friendly and wants to be everyone's bestie. She has the most energy in the world and is very kind hearted. Banned from most Claires for stealing and from one Home Depot for climbing the shelves. Prone to living life with rose colored glasses on and seeing the best in everything/everything even when there's nothing there. Socialization is a must for her and is why being basemented/kidnapped broke her psych so quickly and developed severe stockholm. Sometimes overly talkative/enthusiastic and can scare people off. Even if she sees someone shes decided shes friends with be noticeably 'evil', will convince herself it must be for some reason/her fault and ignore it.

Ciggy- Undead punk still learning to harness his powers to interact with the world as a ghost. Was sacrificed by a cult he joined for free concert tickets and to get laid. Likes to cause problems on purpose both pre and prior death and he's not above possessing someone once he learns how to. Was called Rooster in high school before he dropped out because he's loud, obnoxious and always screaming. And also has bright red dyed hair. Looking 4 ways to become less ghosty bcs he wants to be able to help raise his infant daughter, whom he died before he could meet. Bit annoying and in your face, likes poking at bruises, his or others. Kind of a sad heart seeking attention through volume and persistence.

Mike: Vampire loser! Sells drugs and lives at raves. Was turned when she was attacked by a coked out vampire (whom she supplied the product to) and has major scarring on her face and chest. Needs a somewhat constant influx of blood so shell sometimes take victims back to her place and chain them up, slowly draining them over time. Feels bad (ish) about it tho so it is possible to survive her if you are nice and or interesting enough. Kind of desperate for a friend and for love. Is a stalker. If she likes you enough/finds you interesting, she might just appear in your house one night and start rummaging through your fridge like nothing is wrong and youve been besties for years. Its best to indulge her and be friendly, otherwise she could turn violent quickly if her feelings are hurt.

Kilaine- Regular human woman, but fucked up. Born and raised by an elite waspy society she had an interest in the human body and pain tolerance since she was young. Quickly learned that these traits were socially unacceptable in most professions, so she became a doctor. The only family she cared about was her younger sister who she lost in a car accident, where they were flipped over and trapped inside while it was afire. While her sister burned up in front of her Kilaine only lost her left arm and had major burns on her body. This tipped her descent into sadism and she is now madly obsessed with bringing her sister back no matter the cost. Rude and offstandish, clinical.

Dragon age verse!

Thurwen- My main Hero of Ferelden with a bad temper and a heart of gold. City elf from the Denerim Alienage, 18 at the start of origins. She's a reaver warrior with a lot of pent up rage which sometimes scares others when she lets it out in battle. Over the years she's grown less moody as she's had to take the role of Commander. Crude sense of humor and violent impulses, very sensitive to the plights of others and tries often to help. Never seen crying in public but only cries to herself at night- major martyr and hanged man complex.

Caz- My circle mage elf inquisitor who was an apostate before the conclave. Blood magic, but make it sneaky. Wary of strangers and new faces, always dealing with the impulse to flee/find a high vantage point. Endless curiosity about the unknown/ the forbidden/ naughty, was supposed to be made tranquil for it but she escaped. Kind of a little creature as well, lived on her own for a while as an apostate in the woods, filed her teeth down to sharp ends to make herself look more intimidating (shes 5 ft tall) and less cute (her elf ears are huge and expressive, which shes embarrassed about)

Dag and Thagna- Carta twins! Professional lyrium smugglers since birth pretty much. Raised casteless in dust town and had to work their way up the chain of command by themselves. Dag is the brother, Thagna the sister. Their father traded them to the carta for drinking money and their mom died in childbirth so they have somewhat of a codependent relationship. Both charismatic and calculating, friendly and agreeable but won't hesitate to put a dagger in your back. Hard to pin down morally or physically, squirrelly bastards.

Reila: Dalish elf who works for the inquisition/ is the inquisitor in some aus. She has an extreme fixation on elvhen history and rebuilding what they have lost. Not a people person, prefers solitude. Takes some time to warm up to shemhlen as she has a hard history with them. Good friends with Caz, who recruited her in the first place. Doesn't understand very many social cues and finds societal expectations limiting and frustrating. Fondness for halla and hooved animals, which she finds graceful.

Elder scrolls verse!

Valkya: Near seven foot nord woman whos over a thousand years old by the events of skyrim. Tall and buff, two handed warrior and compulsive hero there to bask in the spotlight save the day. She was killed at the start of the events of Elder scrolls online and had her soul ripped out and sent to coldharbor and she's just been a pain in the ass about it since then. Her body can physically die and will not regrow pieces. Her soul however will escape and teleport to the nearest source of power where her body will regrow from an aetherial plasm until its whole again. Loud and brash, friendly and jovial. Actually pretty keen especially after centuries of life but prefers to play dumb as it makes people underestimate her. Plus, she really does enjoy mud wrestling and drinking contests and acting generally like a rambunctious frat boy. Ha developed a bit of a substance problem and a problem with acting out, as after being alive so long she would turn to anything to dull the ache inside of her that never goes away.

Espira- My Dragonborn! Redguard from Hammerfell who was briefly in the Ash’abah due to killing undead while protecting her parents water farm as a child. Ran away from them after years and went to Cyrodille, then to Skyrim and was caught crossing the border. Reserved, kind and soft spoken, she's a sword and shield warrior who's committed herself to doing good in the world by helping others. Dislikes killing and anything messy but believes it is often necessary in order to protect the weak. She blacksmiths often to save money on the upkeep of her own equipment, and takes up metal jewelry working as a hobby with the excess material. Prone to trusting others too much and giving too many second chances, as shes always looking for ways to make even the most hardened criminal a second look at life.

Riley- Espiras little brother who she locked in the wardrobe during the event of the water farm attack. In preventing him from doing violence against the undead she kept him from being conscripted into the Ash’abah. He's way more chaotic than his sister, and suffers from a case of little sibling syndrome in which he will often pester/poke at people just to get a rise out of them. Still kind hearted as his sister, he tries to hide it because he believes that the world is a cruel place and the cruel survive. Despite that belief he is often still unable to force himself to be cruel/careless, only making a show of it so that others leave him alone and don't see that he's very sensitive and emotional. Deaf in one ear due to a magic mishap in his youth, he trained and enchanted his most beloved rats to live for years and sit on his shoulder, alerting him to noises he would not otherwise notice.

Felria: Evil vamp :/ chaotic evil dunmer necromancer. Small and devilish and likes dead bodies too much. Manipulative and cunning, she loves acting. She's a trained assassin for the dark brotherhood and is the speaker. Likes dressing up for missions and wearing disguises like its all a play. Loves toying with people more than she loves killing them, will act in ways that cause as much trauma as possible for other people just for fun and she finds the reactions interesting. Considers herself too far removed from most people's perception of morality and of her so it's hard for her to trust someone or see them as worthy of knowing her. Finds the psychology of grief and fear to be interesting and wants to study them first hand. The hero of kvatch.

Herren: Fifty something year old rat woman looking for something to keep her going. Ran away from her wealthy family in her youth when they wanted her to take charge of the household, instead became an infamous jewel thief and swashbuckler. Spent most of her life traveling and stealing and double dealing. She's smarmy and sarcastic, a serial romancer of the highest caliber. Bit of a show off and a hedonist, always looking for the next good party or new product to snort. Her family died off due to the hard times she wasn't there for and she keeps looking for bigger and bigger heists to fill her appetite as she's chronically bored and lonely, though wont accept intimacy and will scoff at it out of the belief she doesn't deserve it. Irresponsible and selfish, lonely and terrified of any sort of commitment. Fun to party with though!

[planesofduality]

Full Transcript edition:

“The Story Behind Solas with Dragon Age Lead Writer Patrick Weekes” by Dialogue Wheel/Video Game Sophistry

Reblog of one of my first posts ever. I didn’t understand how tumblr worked back then really, and long story short, I split the transcript of this interview  into 3 parts :) I’d probably do things differently now. Reblogging it as a single transcript for my own convenience, as I still refer to some of the things Weekes said here from time to time!

Interview is from before Trespasser DLC; posted to YouTube 12/20/2019 

Note: pseudo-reblog

“Interview with lead writer for Dragon Age Patrick Weekes years ago about how the enigmatic character Solas was created, here is what that magic elf could have up his sleeve for us in Dragon Age 4.” Not my interview, just wrote transcript of questions and answers for reference. 

Full video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFx1nCdZFjw&t=1s

Time: 2:54

Solas, tell us about little old Solas. Talking about your other characters you created we always start at the beginning. Pen to paper - How did the idea of Solas first start? What was that first iteration?

So actually Dave and Mike both, you know, we - everyone knew who Solas was - everyone knew what the ending was going to be with him. And, you know, Dave and Mike said, “Well Dave is writing a ton of the crit path, the main part of the game. Dave really wants to do Dorian, that’s very important to him, and are you comfortable writing this guy? Are you comfortable writing someone who is going to be, in some respects, deceiving the Inquisitor for the entirety of the game?” And, honestly, how do you turn that down?

Time: 4:02

So really it was that simple then - from there, in the way you described it, they already had some ideas and some concepts about what Solas needed to bring?

Oh, yeah. Originally, one of the most difficult parts of writing him - and, you know, I said Iron Bull was the one closest to how I originally planned him - Solas and Cole are probably tied for least like how I originally wrote them. And, really, it was getting past the secret. It was getting past Fen’Harel.

Iron Bull: badass former spy, the opposite of Sten.

Blackwall: awesome Grey Warden who is not actually a Grey Warden.

Solas: He’s Fen’Harel…

Okay, can he tell you he’s Fen’Harel? No.

Okay, well what are we going to talk about?

[Pretending to be Solas:] “Hey Inquisitor, I’m still not Fen’Harel, do you have any questions?”,  “I will not take any questions about whether I am Fen’Harel.” That was the big stumbling block of writing him.

I remember the first draft… the first draft all we talked about was elves. It was elves all the time. Every conversation went “Elves, elves… Elves were awesome back in the old days.. Everything was great with the elves.” And then you’d go, “You really like elves huh?” “No, shut up - I’m not Fen’Harel.” And we all kind of looked at that and went, that’s not really much of a character hook. You cannot have a character hook built on something that you only reveal after the play has watched the credits. That is how we got to Fade expert. That is something where, if something had gone terribly wrong, if we were six months from shipped and we decided not to do anything with elves in the future, we could have taken the Dread Wolf out of the equation entirely and a mage named Solas who loves the Fade, is an apostate but without all of the fear and anger that you think of when you think of an apostate, but is just this guy who wants to travel through dreams and find mysteries and explore… that was a good enough character to stand by itself. That is what it took us a couple of drafts to get to.

Time: 7:04

You mentioned the first two phases of Solas - share with us a little more of that journey, when you finally go to this character that could stand on its own. If you don’t mind, a little more of that journey- was it just those first two and now everything’s cool?

First draft was “ ‘Elves, elves’ but ‘I don’t like elves’”. Second draft was about how much to tell. I think in the next draft it was significantly closer. Anyone who looked at that draft - and, you know, I apologize to anyone who looked at that draft - but, anyone who looked at that draft you would find places where “Oh okay that’s the Solas I know and love. There he is. He likes the Fade.” That’s something that’s actually interesting. But, he lied a lot more. And it actually really weakened his character. We played it so close with both Blackwall and Solas - both characters are the liars who don’t actually lie. They will tell you almost truths. With Blackwall - he never actually flat-out says “I am a Grey Warden.” If you ask him what it’s like being a Grey Warden he will say "Well  a warden embodies this and a warden embodies that… I’ve been blessed in my travels.” You know, he never actually quite says “I’m a Warden.” With Solas it’s the same way with the hand wave of ‘in the Fade’. I would start putting ‘in the Fade’ at the end of a lot of sentences.  “Yeah turns out that all of the stuff you thought was true in history was wrong… because I saw it…. in the Fade.”

In revision 2, he lied a lot more. On the one hand it worked, on the other hand it made him less tragic, more of jerk when we got to the reveal. So that is how we got to what we made him into: this character who is intelligent, wise… Solas will think very carefully before he tells you anything and anything he tells you is exactly as much as he wants you to know. That actually led to one of the funny little game moments - one of the last things we do is add the places where characters will approve or disapprove. I think what I want Solas to approve us is you actually asking questions . He’s kind of unique in that regard -  What Solas approves us is people who are interested in finding out knowledge. Whether they are finding it out from him or they’re talking with other people, Solas wants people to explore, he wants people to find information, he wants people to learn. What he disapproves of, honestly, more than what you do, is in many ways how you do it. You can do the thing that he wants you to do, but if you do it in a knee-jerk way, Solas hates that. He wants to know that you are carefully considering your options and taking a measured approach.

Time: 12:16

When it comes the characterization of a character that you’ve already been give at least some sort of name to. We know that this character is some sort of trickster god - when you were trying to develop and make him some a stand-alone character, did you ever have to rely on what the mythos already established of this particular kind of eighth-seat god that maybe a lot people hadn’t heard a lot about?

Well, I think, like we talked about before, one of the great things about the Dragon Age universe is everything that you learn in a codex entry is something that someone else heard in a story and wrote it down somewhere and you’re reading half of the book. So the good news on that is anything we wanted to do with Fen’Harel, there was so little and what was in there was already so sketchy that we had all the freedom we needed to play with him.

That turned out to be a nice thing because I think if we had someone that was completely by-the-books, already established, their character already given, it would feel like more of a letdown to write that as a character or you would have to play against type, you’d have to do something completely different to show he wasn’t just what the stories wrote about him. And, you know, in some ways that is both liberating but also disappointing to people who might have liked  the original stories. This was a fun experience of getting to fill in some of the gaps.

The only thing I think we had to struggle against is that anyone who hears “trickster” or anyone who hears “oh, he’s chaotic and unpredictable” it feels like there is a natural urge to go to “He’s Loki in the Avengers. He’s the guy who’s gonna make large grand-standing plans.” Or, you know, “He’s the Riddler, who’s gonna leave clues to test you.” We had to get away from that: “Let’s tone that back a little bit, let’s not have him be the Jack Nicholson Joker version of the Dread Wolf.”

That’s quite a quote.

You got Dorian as a large, grandiose , extravagant figure and it would have been easy to have him go that way. It was fortunate that we had Dorian as the mage who had the larger-than-life persona already to make Solas be the quiet one.

Time: 15:21

Was there ever an instance where you were really pushed with giving some indicators to the player that Solas may have some connection to this going through the gameplay? Because you do see a lot statues of Fen’Harel. There’s many instances of where you’re discussing it, you’re traveling through those lands. Where do you walk that line, how do you walk that line, or do you just completely disregard it whatsoever?

The goal we had is we wanted the very careful players, the very sensitive players, who were playing attention and watching every scene with Solas to know that something was up and to want more answers and then go to “OH MAN” as soon as the stinger after the credits rolled. But we wanted most players to just go “Oh, okay, he’s like ‘Fade nerd.’ He’s like ‘hippie guy.’”

The other thing we wanted was everyone on their second playthrough, as soon as they talked to Solas to be like “Oh, man, he’s just saying it. He just flat-out said it right there and I missed it completely the first time!” I think we called it the “inevitable in retrospect”- or the “slap the forehead on the second playthrough” style of writing, where we wanted people to see that the most interesting thing about the trickster god is he’s not actually that great of a liar - He is almost telling you a lot of the time. And, you know, some of the tragedy is it that you never had the chance to actually ask, “Wait -are you Fen’harel?”

Time: 17:13

We talked about leaving breadcrumbs, what that meant. Now the big turn, the big scene at the ending:  How did this come about, were you really involved in that sort of process and are you happy with it?

Oh, I’m absolutely happy with it. It went through several iterations,. Mike was hugely involved. The writing was definitely done by Dave; it was a huge crit path moment. He had me give a look at the Solas voice, I think I looked at it, I don’t think I actually changed a single word in the final one.

We had versions where after the main plot it was actually going to be a full plot where you the player went and were actually present when Solas confronts Mythal. We had a part where we said, “Wow that’s too big, a lot of players are gonna miss that, we’ll make it a DLC.” So it was gonna be a separate DLC where that happened. At one point we said “No, this is too big, we actually - let’s cut it and address it next game.” So it was going to be this thing that we pushed off into some future content.

I am really happy with what we went with, because, I think, you know, for my money, that short, little Marvel-style, after-the-credits stinger is what we needed. We needed something so that everyone who was paying attention and everyone who was really invested could go “oh my god!” And go, “Okay, so, just in case you were wondering, we’re not done, we have more stories to tell, and we are confident enough in what we are doing that we are willing to throw that ball.” That stinger is essentially us throwing a football to future us, trusting that we are going to catch it. Because, you know, at the end, we had that level of confidence. We felt that we had that level of confidence, we felt we made a really good game. Dave led an amazing team of writers, and I’m really touched that he has the confidence to believe that I’ll be able to carry that on for him.

Time: 19:49

When we spoke to Dave, one of the big moments that he mentioned, was when he created kind of a long-term idea for what’s going to happen in the Dragon Age universe. And to hear him say it, he mentioned that what he originally wanted for Dragon Age: Inquisition couldn’t happen - it was far too big - it wouldn’t work. And you guys had talked about  taking that concept, finishing Inquisition somewhere in the middle of that concept arc, and then using at least an influence or something like that to affect the franchise going forward.  Speaking with you now, as someone who has taken up the reins, do you know what I’m talking about? Am I talking crazy? Where do you see it going?

Um…

Reasonably - of what you can say on this.

So here’s the last scene of the next game… (laughs). I think there’s an extent to which no plan really survives contact with the audience when it comes to video games. We look at how fans react, we look at what hit, what rang true with everyone. You know, it’s funny, having people react angrily actually isn’t as bad as having people ignore things sometimes. Having people react angrily  means they were definitely emotionally engaged, so you know you hit something there. Whereas having fans go, “I don’t know, fine, I guess, whatever” and move on means, “Okay, I don’t know if that’s what we want to go back to. We didn’t actually get anything from them there, they didn’t actually remember that later.” So that’s a phase that comes after every game we ship. We look at what hit, what missed, and where we want to go from there.

Now that said, Dave’s future plan is, I think, fantastic, epic, and heartbreaking. Our plan is to use that as our starting point. To look at where we want to go, what we want to do, and it will not be - and I, you know, Dave and I have talked about this - it will not be the story that Dave would tell if he were still here as lead writer. Because it could never be that. We can get into that when we talk about Cole a little bit, but if I tried to do that I would just be doing a bad impersonation of Dave Gaider and no one is ever going to be as good at that as Dave is. My goal going forward is to, as lead, put my own spin on that process, put my own spin on the plots going forward, on the thematic elements, while keeping those same thematic elements that we had. Because, I think, what Dave has set in motion in three games, countless DLCs and expansions, is something that can endure: The idea that no choice is ever really that easy and that the great events always stem from human-understandable motivations.

So, that is where I think where we are going to go, as vaguely as I can say.

Time: 23:30

Speaking of specifically to Solas: His continuation of the story. Adding that little “Marvel moment” at the end - what do you think that did for the crit path and the overall arc of the story that players experienced in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Do you think they would have been more satisfied if there was  a DLC or is that just us gamers complaining because we can’t get everything we want right away?

Well, I think you want to leave people wanting more. “Man I wish you guys had done more” is a better problem to have than “Man I wish you guys had done less.” So, I think, looking at it from inside the studio, we didn’t have the resources to do much more than we did. So it was never going to be the big moment right then anyway. From my perspective, the reason I’m really happy we have it is, like I said, I thought it was a vote of confidence. The team is still the Dragon Age team and it is still the writers and designers who did everything else, who made such wonderful characters and were responsible for such fantastic plots.

Time 25:10

Well, again, looking at that in its completion, it’s good to see that even a character that needed to give you a stinger in your estimation didn’t take away, I guess, from the overall story you were trying to tell.

Well, thank you. Yeah it was obviously the moment we were building toward, but again, the goal was even if we didn’t have that stringer, he was still an interesting enough character that people would have not felt cheated that he was in the party.

Time: 25:35

One of the most beautiful scenes I think in Dragon Age Inquisition is the scene that you get with Solas if you play as a female elf Inquisitor. Talk a little bit about that choice to have this romance option very, very specific. It’s race- and gender- specific. Why that scene - what that scene meant and a lot of the subtext, because it is a very rich sequence of scenes, not just one. And, I think it’s really one of the most interesting romances in the game.

I love that scene because that scene for me shows how far we’ve gone past - not the make myself irrelevant anymore - but how far we’ve gone with the digital acting. Jonathan Epp the cine-designer for that scene put it together and when you take everything that Gareth David Lloyd - the voice actor - everything he did on his lines. And just putting so much tragedy, and making it clear in every line that he wants to say more than he can. And with Jon Epp the cine-designer, just in the wordless scenes: showing the tragedy, showing the heartbreak, showing how much he does genuinely care against his better judgement, and how he finally forces himself to step away.,

You know how I said when we were talking about the Iron Bull - everything, every major moment we do, is there for a specific type of player fantasy fulfillment. And you know, not all types of fantasies are the happy ones. There’s a reason why The Phantom of the Opera was on Broadway for so many years and it’s not because it has a happy ending.

The Phantom of the Opera isn’t exactly the theme for the romance -  the razor was something closer to almost professor and student in some ways. He definitely comes across as a mentor in some ways. When he finally steps back it is him beating himself up, not you, saying “Wow what I have done here is actually really unfair to you, and you, player, at the time don’t know that I’m beating myself up because I’m actually  1000s of years old and not the person you think I am and it’s disrespectful to you for me to continue this relationship.” So it’s a very moral perspective for our ancient, quasi-evil, trickster god to come with.

Time: 28:41

And it’s amazing because it’s another instance of content that so few players would actually get an opportunity to see. When it comes to making it that specific, I guess, why was that choice made? Because usually a lot of your content - most of the Dragon Age content - it’s very easy to get really rich, wonderful characters right in your face and have those wonderful “eat-em-up” experiences, why for this one was it such a steep price to get in?

You know, I won’t lie, a lot of it came from some of our designers. Some of the women in the design department really, really loving his voice and saying, “You are absolutely fools if you do not make him romance-able in some capacity.” And, really, his story overall is - and, you know, I think we’ve only hinted at that but I think we have hinted at it enough that I can at least say this part of it - his story isn’t a happy one. His story is one, where, if you look at him and Mythal, there is clearly some grief, there is clearly some tragedy. And, adding in the option - even for players who don’t take it - on my end as a writer,  knowing that some players will have this as a star-crossed, forbidden romance, you know, it makes him more sympathetic. It’s important to me as a writer because when you’re writing about someone who, according to Flemeth, is at least somewhat responsible for the bad guy getting the magical item that he used to blow up half a mountain in the prologue, it’s important to have something in there that you can always have, as a writer, look at as your touchstone and go “This is a real person. This is someone who experiences sadness. This is someone who falls in love.” Even if he doesn’t do it with that Inquisitor on that playthrough, this is always someone who can be like that.

Time: 30:58

Where do you see a character like Solas ending up?

(Big sigh) Musical theater.

(laughs) Right when we reach those beautiful moments, Patrick!

I think that it is fantastic that people have emotionally engaged with Solas and I hope we get a chance to explore that in some future content.

Alright and that’s the most that we’re getting right now.

Time: 31:37

Oh, and here’s a little tie in: Here Lies the Abyss, the demon that spoke to Solas - what was all that about, what was that going on?

Oh yes - the demon who speaks perfect Elven!

Yes perfectly to him, and if you remember any of that - did you have anything to do with that?

Yes, Here Lies the Abyss was mine. It was a fun plot. It was a terrifyingly difficult plot, because - I’m not sure how clear this is to players that have one done one playthrough or with one import state - but your key characters throughout the events at Adamant Fortress and then the events of the Fade, it’s a customizable Hawke. Which means it could be a male Hawke or a female Hawke and within that, Hawke from Dragon Age 2 is characterized by one of three different attitudes: friendly, grim, or sarcastic. So, that’s three attitudes times two genders, that’s six different Hawkes and three different possible Grey Wardens: Alistair, Loghain, or Stroud.  So, the process of going through Adamant Fortress and then going through the Fade was a crazy juggling act of trying to keep track of “Okay, now one of these five people, these five Schrodinger’s cat quantum people, will say this line, and then another of these five Schrodinger’s cat quantum people will respond with this line.”

It’s important to remember that as we went through everything in Adamant Fortress and the Fade was taking place in that contest. There was a long period time when we were looking at that really going, “Okay, I just have to hope this actually makes sense when it’s nothing but Alistair and my sarcastic female Hawke.”

But, to actually answer your question. As I recall, the Nightmare, who as a friendly, chipper guy was basically - I do basically two types of villains: I do the villain who thinks he or she is the hero, and is misguided and has opposed goals, and is kind of tragic and tortured in that way. And then I do the mean-girl villain who says snotty high school insults.

That’s it - that’s the gambit.

Well, just about, yes. I’m looking forward to see who writes the villain in the future Dragon Age games - so get ready for either tragic pathos or really, really good high school mean-girl zingers.

As I recall, he was speaking Elven to Solas and if I remember right, he said, “Your pride is responsible for everything that has gone wrong” and I think he said “You will die alone.” And then Solas said something that translates to either “Nothing is known for certain” or “Not necessarily.”

And what does all that mean?

Well I think it’s fascinating that people are emotionally engaged, and I hope we have the chance -

It was a very asked question - it was a question that was asked a lot. Specific to that.

Oh, I’m not surprised, and I hope one day that we can tell you. But, obviously, that demon knows that Solas is hurting and Solas feels guilty about some stuff and really wanted to dig in there, and Solas was shouting back.

Literally just describing what happened (laughs). All right, so something that will clearly be talked about in other games.

TIme: 36:22

Dealing with this particular quest I really think that this was one opportunity to involve the Grey Wardens in a story, and a world, that kind of progressingly, after the first game had less and less of a need to exist - let alone in the world - but in the main characters arc. Talking to David I remember initially there was some idea for this particular mission they would just fall into the hole and be hanging out in the Deep Roads, and having out with the dwarves, so tell us a little bit about this creation.

A lot of the process of writing these large plots, like I talked about the razor, you figure out what the core concept is, you always start with a lot of things, and in most cases what you then end up having to do is cut. And if you’re not someone in the studio, talking about having to cut things sounds like you’re losing awesome content, you’re ruining what would have been clearly the best part of the plot. Inside the studio though, most cases what you’re cutting is the stuff that didn’t actually help tell the story you wanted to tell.

So yes in the original version, in a very early draft, actually this was before I was actually on the plot - this predates me - there was, yes, going into the Deep Roads, and when you fell in instead of ending up in the Fade you ended up down in the dark. And finding out what the Grey Wardens in this version of the story had been involved with the Architect from Dragon Age: Awakening. It was an interesting direction, and it was, I think, a very cool direction, but it did not help tell the story of the Inquisition. It was more a story of ���Hey, if we wanted to do more with the Hero of Fereldan, here is an interesting place we could go” and it did not help tell the story of “What is the Inquisition doing?” “What is Corypheus doing?”, “How do these two organizations bounce off each other and who’s caught in the middle?” So trying to come to terms with the Grey Wardens in this game not being the protagonists, not being the group that is in the center of the action but being the group that is caught in the middle of this power struggle was something that led to us having to eventually do the re-jiggering that got us to the plot you saw.

[trolleybitch]

the trolley witch backstory

okay this is long overdue but i thought it was about time that i shared the official trolley witch backstory from this thread. before we start, what we know about the hogwarts express trolley witch from canon: she was hired by ottaline gambol, had been working on the hogwarts express for around 190 years by the time she met albus potter and scorpius malfoy, she had pumpkin pasty grenades and extendable fingernail spikes, and when she failed to stop the boys from escaping the train, she was inconsolable and talked about letting down ottaline gambol.

so, without further ado, her story:

the year is 1802. trolley witch is born into a poor muggle family in rural northern england and her father leaves shortly after she's born. she grows up lonely and isolated, working from a young age to help her mum make ends meet. age 11, she gets her hogwarts letter.

her mother is a bit dubious but lets her go - it's a good opportunity to get rid of the burden of looking after her. she arrives at hogwarts and is sorted into gryffindor, although she doesn't really know what that means. she doesn't make friends easily.

other kids mock her background and upbringing, and her magic skills. she never really learned to read, and with no magical family she's behind on spells and has never been academically inclined. she doesn't ask for help and her teachers don't always notice she needs it.

mid-second year, her mother dies. she doesn't find out for several weeks because who would write to tell her? she spends all her holidays at hogwarts, often alone. the gryffindor common room is all snide comments and judgemental looks so she starts to explore the castle.

in her third year she finds the kitchens. the house-elves are wary of her at first, this strange, solitary girl coming to spy on them, but she becomes fascinated by cooking and after a while they grow to appreciate her interest. they start to teach her.

by fourth year she spends all of her free time in the kitchens, cooking and baking with the elves. homework and lessons get forgotten and she lags even further behind in her schoolwork, but she learns to follow recipes and then to invent her own.

o.w.l.s and n.e.w.t.s come and go and her grades are poor, barely passing half her classes. a few teachers try to offer specialist tutoring and she accepts half-heartedly but her mind is elsewhere - she only wants to cook, to do the thing she does best.

she leaves hogwarts with nowhere to go and no friends to rely on. who would hire the lowly muggleborn girl with no qualifications? she makes her way to london - she's never been but she's heard people say it's the best place to find work.

the city is overwhelming, but she manages to find diagon alley and the wizarding community. one day when she's lurking outside the back entrance to the leaky cauldron, hoping for scraps, an old teacher passes by and recognises her.

the teacher takes pity and asks if there's anything they can do. trolley witch tells her the only thing she can do is cook. the teacher's sister works at the ministry and she knows they are often looking to take on kitchen assistants - she'll get in touch.

after a few days, she's nervously making her way to the ministry of magic for her first day. the hogwarts kitchens were big and busy but they've got nothing on the ministry; a scene of vast, barely organised chaos. her boss is shrewd and fierce, and she's set to work on the most basic tasks to prove herself.

that afternoon, a senior ministry official comes down to check on catering preparations for an event she's hosting in a couple of days. trolley witch has just finished glazing several pans of pastries. the senior ministry official tries one.

'she's new, miss' says a nearby chef, excusing trolley witch's skills.

'impressive, for a new recruit,' says ottaline gambol, looking trolley witch straight in the eye, 'this glaze is excellent. welcome to the ministry.'

an obsession begins.

ottaline visits the kitchens only occasionally but trolley witch is always waiting for her. she works harder than ever, picking up every recipe, designing new dishes, honing flavour combinations, all to make sure she's got something impressive for the next visit.

it works. the older official is mildly impressed, if a little unsettled by trolley witch's solitary, strange nature. she rarely seems to go home or interact with anyone apart from necessary conversations in the kitchens.

one day, they meet in an elevator as trolley witch is taking food to an important ministry hearing. ottaline asks for a sample and their fingers brush as trolley witch hands her a pumpkin pasty. ottaline doesn't notice, but compliments the pasty. trolley witch tries to keep her composure.

'my department is in need of an assistant catering manager, helping to design event menus and so on. think about it.'

trolley witch doesn't need to think. she accepts and begins work in ottaline's department, seeing her almost every day, watching her closely.

ottaline gambol is a force to be reckoned with - strong-willed, assertive, a powerfully skilled witch. over the next 6 years she charts a meteoric rise in power, from senior official to head of department to - in 1827 - minister for magic.

trolley witch never leaves her side. she works hard to keep honing her culinary skills, but she does more. she waits for ottaline outside meetings to walk her back to the office. she analyses the smallest gesture, the most offhand of comments. she's desperate for approval and attention from this woman who showed her kindess on her first day. by her appointment as minister, ottaline has noticed the girl's obsession. she's got more important things to do than navigate an intense crush and figure out how to let this odd, lonely girl down gently.

in 1830, ottaline is finalising plans for the hogwarts express - a new form of transport to safely deliver students to hogwarts, managed by the ministry. it's revolutionary, it's creating a storm of attention across the wizarding world. and it needs a trolley witch.

someone to cook and sell food on the journey, but someone with a keen eye to watch over the students and make sure they don't come to harm. ottaline calls trolley witch into her ministerial office and offers her the job. it's the greatest honour of trolley witch's life.

to be chosen, so specifically, by ottaline. she feels like she's finally been recognised, she's finally achieved something. she realises she'll be apart from ottaline for a while, but probably just a year or two and then they can be together again, right? she begins work.

1st september, 1830. her first day.

'good luck,' says ottaline on platform 9 3/4. 'keep these children on the train, and keep them safe. i trust you to do an excellent job for me.'

those were the last words ottaline ever spoke to trolley witch.

the train departs. trolley witch walks the corridors, distributing pasties and sweets, watching the children. they are all delivered on time and in perfect health to hogwarts - a great success. trolley witch writes to ottaline straight away to tell her the good news.

'thank you for you letter, i'm pleased to hear the journey was a success. best wishes' is ottaline's reply.

she's probably very busy, will write a longer letter soon, thinks trolley witch. she never does.

trolley witch works back in the hogwarts kitchens during the year, with only the elves for company. years pass and trolley witch continues to write long, rambling letters to ottaline, never receiving a reply. she makes the journey back and forth to london at the beginning and end of every holiday, dutifully watching over the students.

she hopes to see ottaline at the station, but never does. in 1835, tragedy strikes - ottaline, nearing the end of her second term as minister, contracts a severe case of dragon pox and dies. trolley witch sees the news in a student's copy of the daily prophet and is inconsolable. she speaks to nobody for weeks, not even the elves, even when a few other members of staff ask her what's wrong.

one day in the kitchens an elf passes by with a full tray of pumpkin pasties, perfectly glazed. she remembers the first day she met ottaline, back in that busy kitchen, and she vows to protect her legacy. she works tirelessly, baking and cooking and watching the children. they test her patience, play cruel tricks, tease her, never ask her name. she forgets the outside world, forgets who she is, thinks only of ottaline.

every journey on the hogwarts express becomes more perilous - she cannot let the children get the better of her, cannot let ottaline's work be in vain. over the decades she picks up elfish magic, learning to weaponise her food, and later herself.

she goes unnoticed by staff and students alike, existing as a constant feature of their hogwarts life, always present but never worthy of attention. staff come and go, and nobody thinks to ask how long she's been at hogwarts. she stays alive through sheer willpower.

1st september 2020.

a normal hogwarts express journey - or so the trolley witch thinks. all is well until albus potter and scorpius malfoy climb onto the roof of the train to try and escape. it's the greatest test of trolley witch's career.

it's been a long time since she was challenged like this. she does her best - pumpkin pasty grenades, armoured fingernails, but the boys escape. her world shatters around her. ottaline would be so disappointed in her - she's failed in her sole duty.

it's been two hundred years and she has never failed before. mcgonagall tries to comfort her, but it's no use. what purpose does she serve now? trolley witch hands in her notice and leaves the castle the next day, never to be seen again. she wanders the forests near the castle, thinking only of ottaline. perhaps ottaline had known all along that she would fail, and that's why she never replied to her letters, why she never visited. she gets lost, deeper and deeper in the forest, until the cold and the dark envelop her.

when the hogwarts express departs for the christmas holidays, something is missing - someone. students start to get impatient.

'where's the trolley witch? i'm hungry.'

complaints are made. eventually the ministry hires a replacement, service resumes. trolley witch fades into history, unremembered.

so next time you are thinking about cursed child, about your cute albus and scorpius headcanons - remember the trolley witch.

remember what they did to her. remember her story.

🛒 1802-2020 🛒

the end

[fanficoutlet]

The Friend

Ian Lightfoot x Male!Reader

Fandom: Onward

Genre: Fluff

Description: Barley brings the reader over to his house to play Quests of Yore, where he finally meets his brother Ian.

Warning: Ian being all flustered and cute, reader is also an elf, pretty fast developed feelings, dumb pickup lines, forehead kisses 🥺

Words: 1,822

Y/N had never been over to Barley Lightfoot’s house. They’ve been best friends for years, and yet he had never set foot inside.

Until today.

“Welcome to my humble abode, dear friend!” Barley clasped his hand onto Y/N’s shoulder and shook him.

The other elf laughed and wrapped his arm around Barley’s neck, “Thank you, kind sir! Would you escort me inside like the good host you are?” He gestured to the small yet cozy looking home. Barley nodded enthusiastically and practically kicked open the door. The two of them laughed rather loudly as they entered the house. The noise immediately attracted Blazey, who Y/N had seen pictures of in Barley’s phone. The dragon sped up to them in a hurry, tackling Barley to the ground before licking his face like she hadn’t seen him in ages. Barley cackled and gently pushed her off of him. Then the dragon’s attention was turned to Y/N. She lit up like a lightbulb at the sight of someone new, jumping up and into Y/N’s arms. The elf was startled, but immediately took a liking to the pet. He scratched under her chin, “Oh you are just the sweetest!”

“Blazey!” A woman’s voice sounded from down the hall. She ran up with a squirt bottle and squeezed the plastic trigger, shooting water at her, “Get down, we do not jump on people!” Blazey blew a tiny flicker of fire before scurrying off to her lair. The woman from before adjusted her glasses with a smile and raised her hand out, “I am so sorry about that. She’s just easily excited. I’m Laurel, Barley’s mom.” Y/N took her hand and shook it.

“It’s really no problem! I’m Y/N. It’s so great to finally meet you.”

“Right back at you,” Laurel grinned, “Barley’s talked about you and your campaigns quite a lot. We were wondering when you would finally show up.”

Y/N shrugged and stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, “My mother… She can be a little controlling. My sister and I aren’t normally allowed over other’s houses.”

Laurel cocked an eyebrow, “So what changed for today?”

“Well I’m eighteen,” Y/N started, “She can’t really tell me what I can and can’t do now.” Laurel nodded her head in understanding.

“I see… Well! We’re happy to have you here.” She set a hand onto Y/N’s shoulder before yelling, “IAN!” Her sudden shout made both Y/N and Barley jump. She didn’t sound mean or angry, she was just trying to get his attention.

“Yeah?” A timid voice yelled back, muffled by the distance between him and everyone else.

“WE HAVE A GUEST!”

“I’ll be there in a minute!”

“Hurry up, brother of mine!” Barley declared. He grabbed a fake sword out of the cane holder near the door and held it triumphantly in the air, “We have quests to begin and people to save!” He then ran to the dining room and began setting up the game. Y/N chuckled to himself and waited by the front door. He didn’t really know what to do with himself. Laurel had already walked away, probably to the living room or her bedroom, and Y/N hadn’t really been to another friend’s house before. He was about to take out his phone when he heard a creak from the top of the stairs. His head shot up and saw a lanky elf walking down. The boy didn’t seem to notice the company as he struggled to fix the flannel he was wearing. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, fighting with one of the buttons on the shirt.

“Hi there.” Y/N said, making the boy jump.

“H-Hey!” His cheeks flushed when he saw Y/N leaning against the front door, “You must be the friend that Barley’s been talking about!” Y/N smiled at how easily flustered he got, “I-I’m Ian, by the way.”

“I’m Y/N. AKA, the friend. It’s nice to meet you, Ian.”

“Yeah, you too!” Ian rocked back and forth on his feet, “So how come I’ve never seen you before?”

Y/N rubbed the back of his neck, “Strict mom. But I’m eighteen now! So that’s why I’m finally here.” Ian nodded. The two of them sat in silence for what seemed like hours. It didn’t feel awkward, at least not to Y/N. Ian on the other hand, felt like the entire weight of the conversation rested on his shoulders. He felt an obligation to keep it going, like he wanted to keep talking, but he didn’t know how or why.

Barley peeked in from the dining room, “Y/N, the game’s almost set up!”

“Alright. Now we just gotta wait for the others to show up, right?” Barley nodded and went back to finish setting up.

Y/N glanced over at Ian to see him fidgeting, “Hey, Ian. You play?” He gestured to the dining room. Ian shook his head.

“No, no, I don’t.”

“Have you ever played?”

“No?”

“Well, if you wanna join this campaign, we could use another party member.” Ian didn’t respond, just looked away from him, still fidgeting. Y/N frowned, “I’m sure everyone would love to have you.” He said, before leaving to join Barley.

•

Later that night, the campaign was in full swing. Y/N was the Quest Master, of course, guiding the travelers through epic quests and dangerous obstacles. Ian could hear everything from his room. He didn’t think he would ever want to play the dumb game, but something about tonight made him want to go downstairs and join the party. Even if it was just for one night. Suddenly, he thought about Barley’s friend, Y/N. He felt his cheeks heat up and he groaned.

“What is wrong with me?” He barely even knew the guy, and yet he had him as flustered as a school girl looking at her crush. A loud groan from downstairs shook him out of his thoughts.

“Oh my god, we need a wizard,” Ian heard one of Barley’s friends say, “if we try to fight even one more monster, we’re done for.”

“You can say that again!” Barley shouted. Ian groaned and ran a hand through his hair. He was going to regret this.

“I-I wanna join the party,” Ian said. He found himself standing in the doorway to the dining room. Barley’s mouth dropped in absolute shock.

“You’re kidding,” he said.

Ian shook his head, “No, I wanna join.”

Y/N’s face lit up, “That's great! Do you have a character?” Ian’s cheeks flushed once again and he nodded.

“Y-Yeah! I wanna be a… A wizard?”

“Perfect,” Y/N smiled and gave him a character sheet along with a pencil. He gestured to the seat next to him, “Take a seat! The real quest is just about to begin.”

That night was one Ian was never going to forget. His first time playing Quests of Yore was better than he ever thought it would be. Y/N seemed to be a great Quest Master, and the rest of the party was happy to take him in. Ian had never felt so accepted into a group before, and he was so happy that Y/N was the most accepting out of all of them, save for his brother.

Time flew by as if it was nothing. It got late, and everyone had to leave. Y/N was the last one to go, as he was helping the brothers clean up.

“This was possibly one of the best campaigns yet,” he said, glancing up at Ian.

Ian gave him a shy smile, then looked down to the character figurines he was picking up, “Yeah. That was fun.” When they finished picking up all the pieces and parts, they realized that Barley was nowhere to be seen.

“Did you see where Barley went?” Y/N asked, Ian shook his head.

“No…”

The two of them leaned onto the dining room table next to one another, in a period of silence similar to the one they had earlier. Ian felt the familiar heaviness of needing to continue the conversation.

“Say something, say anything!”

“You’re really cool, Y/N.”

“No! No, not that!”

Y/N’s eyes widened in surprise, “Really? You think so?” Ian felt a drop of sweat trickle down the side of his head as he tried to avoid looking at Y/N. He definitely just weirded him out.

“Yeah, I do,” Ian nodded and let out a nervous laugh, “You put on a really awesome campaign, and I had a lot of fun.” When he looked up, he noticed that Y/N had inched closer to him, their faces were only inches away from one another’s.

“I’m really glad to hear that,” Y/N gave him a soft smile and slid his hand over Ian’s. Maybe he hadn’t ruined everything. Ian’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink than they were before, making Y/N chuckle to himself, “Maybe we could hang out sometime, without the guys? Would you be down?”

Ian grinned, “Yeah! I mean— Yeah, I’d totally be down…” he tried to play it cool, but failed rather miserably. Y/N laughed, his hand lightly squeezing Ian’s.

“Awesome.”

Barley suddenly barged into the doorway, forcing the two of them to pull away from each other, “Till next time, my friend!” He pat Y/N on the back, “I bid you adieu…”

“I-I’ll walk you out!” Ian stuttered and sped to the front door.

“Such a gentleman, Ian! That’s my boy!” Barley shouted. Him and Y/N said their goodbyes before Y/N walked out the front door. He turned to Ian, taking his hand in his own and putting on his best proper accent he could.

“Till we meet again, sweet prince.” The sentence alone could’ve made Ian laugh, but the effort Y/N put in just to say it made him snort. It was probably the most embarrassing line he had ever heard.

The elf clutched his stomach, his laughter making it almost impossible for him to say anything, “Y-You did not just say that!”

“But I did!” Y/N kept up the accent. He used his free hand to move Ian’s curly hair away from his forehead, leaned in, and placed a small kiss upon it. Ian’s laughter ceased immediately, blush creeping onto his cheeks instead. A chuckle erupted from Y/N’s throat, “Goodnight, Ian.” Before he could say a word, Y/N had let go of his hand and walked away. The moment before he got into his car, Y/N waved goodbye. Ian couldn’t stop himself from waving back with an obvious glee. He didn’t know what it was, but something about that boy made him absolutely thrilled for the next time they met. He sighed and leaned against the front door, watching as Y/N drove off.

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

[bonsaiiiiiii]

100 Weird AU's? Yes.

So, I had these AU prompts on my phone for quite a while, and I was actually thinking about using them. And what better way to do it than using them with the Tracy's?

Reading and reading these prompts again (and under the gentle guidance of @willow-salix ) I thought that these prompts doesn't exactly match the brothers' everyday situation, but what if we push it past its limit? Yes, biting more that you can chew can be a little difficult, but I don't think it will be impossible. And that's where this challenge is born!

Get the Tracy's out of International Rescue's bubble and let them live an everyday situation as normal people! They can also be medieval nobles or even futuristic robots, the choice's up to you! You can choose from soo many things others don't even think about (and not even me, for a while)!

Many thanks to @tag2060 for the cover and @willow-salix for the support (both emotional and 'fic-ical'. I love both of you💚

NOTE: THESE PROMPTS AREN'T ALL MINE. I TOOK THEM FROM A GIRL I'M NOT IN CONTACT WITH ANYMORE, BUT I WAS TOLD I COULD USE THEM. ALL CREDITS FOR THESE AU'S GO TO HER, WHATEVER IS HER NAME (lmao). THE GOLD MARKED ONES (7, 11, 20, 23, 39, 47, 63, 64, 70, 83, 89, 91, 93, 96, 100) ARE ALL MINE, IN SUBSITUTION OF A FEW THAT WERE THERE, SO CREDIT FOR THE GOLDEN MARKED ONES GOES TO ME, BUT NOT EVERY ONE OF THEM.

NOTE²: SOME OF THE PROMPTS CONTAIN STRONG THEMES, LIKE DEPRESSION AND SEXUAL CONTENT. IF YOU'RE SENSIBLE TO THESE THEMES, DON'T DO THEM, NOBODY FORCES YOU IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ:･ﾟ✧(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ:･ﾟ✧(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

To participate in this challenge, all you have to do is take one of the AU prompts from the list, one or more (or all) Tracy characters, and post your fic (can be a ficlet, or a series) under the tag #100weirdTracys and #100weirdAUs.

If you don't want to participate, please don't harass/bully me. I made this challenge just for fun, and I don't want for it to feel like something bad. In fact, I don't even regret doing this thing, even if it's strange.

Ah, I almost forgot: this challenge will be over in December, so you have 4 months to choose a prompt and make a fic about it. On December I'll review all the fics, but I'll always be reblogging and reading during these 4 months lol.

If you want to tell me something, hit me up on DM's! I hope you have fun with those prompts and those bois!

(づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)づ

TO RESUME:

• Swearing is allowed.

• You can write as many words as you want!

• Oc's and muses can pop in too!

• Make sure to tag your fic(s) under the '#100weirdTracys' and '#100weirdAUs' tags, so that I can find them easily.

• Always tag or contact me if you need help with anything! I'll be more than glad to help you!

• If you decide to do the mature prompts (19, 90, just to state an example) please refrain from using a too mature language and don't go further than making up. I don't like that kind of language, so it would be peachy to just avoid writing so they make wild sex behind a bush. Any kind of very mature fic or language won't be read by me, I'm sorry. You can still use those prompts, but don't work their bed life too much.

• Any dialect or first language apart from english is more than welcome in this yard! I would love even to read snippets of foreign language in fics, as long as there's a translation near it, but you're not forced to write in another language. If you don't feel comfortable doing it just don't do it, even if I'm telling you. (For the record, I love Irish so much I could listen to a person speaking this language for hours and you won't hear me complaining).

• I will accept this challenge in whatever form it takes, be it a fic, a drawing, a song, etc. I’m open to anything and I watch everything that comes before me!

φ(．．)φ(．．)φ(．．)φ(．．)__φ(．．)

That said, you can find the prompts down here:⬇️

 #1 I saved you from drowning!AU

#2 I broke into your house at two in the morning because I was drunk and I thought it was my house!AU

#3 I am a door-to-door seller please buy something!AU

#4 I grabbed the wrong luggage at the airport!AU

#5 I know we hate each other, but a wedding would be more convenient for both of us!AU

#6 I accidentally poured you a love potion!AU

#7 I sent you 12 messages but you left me on read!AU

#8 I am your secret admirer and I leave you anonymous cards!AU

#9 Sorry, but I was first in line!AU

#10 We don’t know each other but let's pretend to be together because someone is bothering me!AU

#11 We pack up to do a funny trip but we end up in Bolivia without fuel!AU

#12 Locked in quarantine and we're bored! AU

#13 I do everything to find out the identity of this superhero and you try to mislead me because it’s really you!AU

#14 I got into a taxi just to find out it was already occupied!AU

#15 I called the wrong number!AU

#16 I got into the wrong car OMG I'm ashamed, but while you’re there why don’t you give me a ride!AU

#17 I found a wallet and my business is to find the owner and return it!AU

#18 I am a street artist and you complain that I play in front of your house at night!AU

#19 I caught you watching porn!AU

#20 We're two strangers that start chatting while waiting for the bus!AU

#21 Nosy and sloppy roommates!AU

#22 Old childhood friends who come back after years!AU

#23 I got shot to the arm/leg but you're there to save me and OMG ILY!AU

#24 We’re sitting next to each other on a plane and please don’t throw up on me!AU

#25 We accidentally switched phones!AU

#26 We are both contestants in a reality show and let's pretend to be together because the audience will ship us!AU

#27 I am a wedding planner and my ex’s wedding had to happen to me!AU

#28 I learned sign language to communicate with you!AU

#29 Professional model and novice photographer!AU

#30 Sorry I ran you over!AU

#31 We make out and then I find out that you are my roommate’s boyfriend!AU

#32 I’m quoting aloud the last book of a series and I’m spoiling you!AU

#33 It is a universally acknowledged truth that a bachelor with a large fortune must be looking for a wife!AU

#34 I am a Partisan and you are a fascist!AU(Italy during World War II!AU)

#35 I am the blood of the dragon!AU (Iron Throne!AU)

#36 Your dog is hitting on mine!AU

#37 I’m depressed and I decide to call a hotline!AU

#38 You are my soulmate but I am in love with someone else!AU

#39 Strange encounter at tattoo shop!AU

#40 On my mark, unleash hell!AU(Roman Empire!AU)

#41 I am an Elf, don’t look at me for ears I am ashamed of!AU(The Lord of the Rings!AU)

#42 Maybe my life should be more than just survival!AU(The 100!AU)

#43 I am an activist and I am trying to convert you to the cause!AU

#44 We are occupying the school but you are a spoilsport!AU

#45 All our friends are drunk and we're not!AU

#46 We’ve been together for three months and now you’re telling me you’re a werewolf!AU

#47 X has to go into a rocket to the moon and Y has to train X!

#48 Knight in shining armor and damsel in distress!AU

#49 We reluctantly team up against the zombie apocalypse!AU

#50 I’m a vampire and your smell is driving me nuts!AU(Twilight!AU)

#51 Monsters have attacked the Earth and the only way to save humanity is aboard giant robots piloted by two people who must maintain a mental union!AU(Pacific Rim!AU)

#52 My timer stopped as soon as I saw you!AU(Soulmate!AU)

#53 I need a lawyer and you are the best!AU

#54 I’m a Viking and I plundered your ship!AU

#55 I’m a classic dandy from the Regency Age and you’re just a silly girl from the lower middle class!AU

#56 I’m a policeman and you’re an intrusive journalist and I really shouldn’t give you any information about the new murder!AU

#57 You are a wannabe actress and I am a theatrical director who is losing patience and health!AU

#58 Due to a computer error, X and Y become college roommates!AU

#59 X wants to see the world of Y, how he lives and what he usually does, and ends up spending a night in prison!AU

#60 I attend the yoga course just to watch how flexible the instructor is!AU

#61 I am a bounty hunter and you are my prey!AU

#62 I am a secret spy and pretend to be your friend only to get information about your father!AU

#63 I discuss with you about a thing but you have in mind another!AU

#64 We are forced to be best friends just because our moms were best friends too but you're too bossy for me!AU

#65 We broke up but I never changed emergency contacts and now I’m in the hospital and they called you!AU

#66 I am an angel and you are a demon!AU

#67 I hit you on the balls during a game of paintball and oh my god I am so sorry!AU

#68 We live in a dystopian world where your partner is chosen by society!AU(Matched!AU)

#69 I’m a dragon trainer I’ll prove to you that they are peaceful creatures!AU(Dragon Trainer!AU)

#70 Date at japanese restaurant!AU

#71 You’re a cheerleader and I’m a punk and we live in two different worlds!AU

#72 I was a zombie and I was "re-animated" but you treat me like I’m still a monster!AU(In the Flesh!AU)

#73 I am your son’s teacher and I am calling to talk to you about his conduct, would he also come to dinner with me!AU

#74 I am an Achaean warrior and you Trojan and we are fighting the Trojan War!AU

#75 I met my asshole boss at the bar but I found out he’s pretty cool!AU

#76 It was not my intention to touch your ass, it’s just that the bus is crowded, it’s not my fault ok!AU

#77 I went fishing and accidentally fished a mermaid!AU

#78 I just committed a crime and I need to use you as a hostage!AU

#79 You’re the bastard who always parks in front of my door and in spite I’ll scratch your car!AU

#80 I accidentally went back in time and fell in love with you, too bad you’re a barbarian!AU

#81 I urgently need you to fix my computer but please don’t judge me for my chronology!AU

#82 I work on the cruise ship where you are spending your holidays!AU

#83 I'm out in the rainstorm without an umbrella because the weather forecast was sunny!AU

#84 I hugged the wrong person from behind!AU

#85 Celebrity on the run and ordinary citizen confused!AU

#86 Stuck in a ranch cleaning horse poop but it doesn’t matter because that cowboy is a badass!AU

#87 We got married in Vegas, but we’re total strangers!AU

#88 But, officer, I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I was just smoking a joint, want a hit!AU

#89 X is an astronaut and Y is a weird but funny alien that likes to scream, overreact and laugh!AU

#90 I slept with you for a bet but I loved it and I’d like to keep seeing you!AU

#91 I reveal to some friends that you wear boxers/underwear with green aliens on them but you're behind me and oh gosh total shame!AU

#92 Oops I accidentally entered a busy dressing room!AU

#93 You're a stranger but I keep crossing paths with you and I'm kinda confused right now!AU

#94 X is a medium and Y a ghost!AU

#95 X is a guardian angel and Y wants to die!AU

#96 X accidentally enters in a cat and Y has to rescue it from up a tree!AU

#97 X risks losing the house because Y’s company wants to buy the land!AU

#98 I’m an artist and I need a model do you want to pose for me!AU

#99 I’m not really sick but the new doctor is so beautiful that I found out I have a disease with an unpronounceable name!AU

#100 A strange job application!AU

φ(．．)φ(．．)φ(．．)φ(．．)__φ(．．)

If you find them more practical, I also have some photos down here with all the prompts organized:⬇️

That said, enjoy! Hope it brings you joy and makes you happy while you do it!💙💚🧡💛❤💜💖🖤

[emerald-amidst-gold]

10, 16, and 24 for the DA OC ask? :)

*waves excitedly* Hello, hello! :D Welcome to my curiosity shop, but instead of selling curiosities; I supply them! >:D

Thank you so much! Let's ramble! >:3

10. Do your protagonists share the same opinions on the Chantry?

For the most part, yes. Fane is simply the more volatile of the three. He just...does not do good with religion or faith or divinity in any capacity. His kin suffered under the hands of beings who believed themselves gods, and he doesn't want see the same thing happen again. He's also very, very sensitive about Tranquility, the whole Chantry's habit of turning their gazes away while still spouting that, 'We're here. We'll protect you. The Maker will see us through this.', and the self-righteousness, the corruption, the double standard. He also doesn't like the whole act of racial profiling, how the Chantry makes one faction greater or lesser than the other and practically signals them out every time something goes wrong on their end. Fane may refer to most by their race (elf, qunari, dwarf, human, creatures), but that's only because he's laying the base; he's seeing the natural aspect. He never means it as an insult or a slur. Sadly, his tone can come across that way, but it's something he does work on. People are people. No more, no less.

Fane values freedom of thought, of a world where people can think and depend on themselves rather than run to a priest or cleric for certainty. He wants people to believe in themselves. That's all. He knows what it means to be met with silence, to cry and cry and cry for mercy and receive nothing from those that are said to answer with swiftness and benevolence. He doesn't want that to continue. The world is weeping from that kind of attitude, and Fane will do anything to see those tears dry up.

And well, he's also very bitter on the military side of things, too. Templars that get within even a five mile radius of Mhairi or Solas get a claw to the face, especially if they manage to silence or smite them. Fane sees nothing but ruin with the Chantry in place. Rylen and Elise see its importance, its relevance in some capacity, but even they can agree it needs to either change or just go.

Rylen would probably be more close to Fane's reaction though. The Chantry fucked Rylen royally before and after his mother died, and now they continue to play innocent, like everything was his fault? Yeah, no.

Elise is devout. She believes in the Maker, looks up to Andraste and follows her guiding principle to some length, but Anders' predicament before Awakening and after, and the Circle Tower during the Blight had her shaken, had her eyes opening. In those moments, she didn't see magic as the villain, the cause. All she saw was the Chantry, hands bloody, but a smile on their faces and a brand waiting along the sidelines.

'It's to protect you, and those from you. Magic must serve man, and never rule over him.' Elise used to find comfort in those words, believing it was a well thought out plan to ensure everyone was on the same page. Now, she wonders who truly rules over who. It most certainly isn't magic or mages. And motherly smiles of clerics and vacant eyes of those she once knew for their passion, their fears, their hopes and dreams, don't feel like safety anymore.

16. Would your protagonists have the same Hogwarts house?

I'm not too versed in Harry Potter-esque stuff, but I know the houses! And I think I can safely say that, no, they wouldn't have the same house. XD

Fane would probably be Slytherin or Ravenclaw. He's ALWAYS two! I can never just go with one for him! XD

Elise would be Ravenclaw. Without a doubt. She's curiosity and learning incarnate. More than Fane, honestly. PFFT!

Rylen probably Gyrffindor, if I had to choose one for him!

Me: You're a wizard, Fane! >:3

Fane: ...I'm a dragon.

24. How do each of your protagonists handle loss?

Elise:

This girl becomes a mess. Not joking. She's lost so much in such a short amount of time. Her family, who she can't even remember, Jowan, Alistair, Anders. The list goes on and on. Loss to Elise doesn't just mean in death. It could mean someone parting ways with her, whether through an argument or just cruel, cruel fate and the flow of the world. She has a hard time letting go, and even ten years later she still thinks about Jowan and how she wished she could have helped him more, done right by him. And it takes a while, but Nathaniel helps her learn how to let go, to restart and look forward, not back.

Rylen:

...Heh. Rylen also has lost a lot in a short period of time. His losses were like a domino effect, too. Malcolm, then Carver, then Bethany, then Leandra. Boom, boom, boom, boom. Each lost, each one given a silent burial. Rylen never had time to grieve properly, so he bottles all of it, holds it tight and close. He's actually amazed he's been able to keep the cork on his heart for so long, but he knows eventually it'll burst; all the pain and sorrow finally getting a chance to scream as he wants to. Until then, he smiles, he jokes, and he crumbles in silence. Fenris and Sebastian, especially Sebastian, help coax Rylen into caving eventually, but the man's stubborn and prone to holding up a front.

Fane:

Like Rylen, Fane bottles his emotions. He encourages others to let their emotions out because he understands from a practical standpoint that it's detrimental, but it's harder to make himself let go. When his mother died, Fane went mute for several months; no one could get him to speak. He had receded into himself, only acknowledging others with a sidelong glance and a contempt twitch of his mouth. He wouldn't pick up a book of poetry, he wouldn't look at Mhairi half the time because of her eyes and hair, and he wouldn't go near the halla pen or the tree she would guide him to when a bout of rage took him at a young age.

Fane had reconnected to his nature without knowing after her death. He chose silence and vacant observation to cope. But, all it did was sow the seed of resentment and disassociation. Eventually, Fane began to speak again and look at his sister and run his fingers along a stanza of measured words and reach a hand out to a halla, even knowing it would spook, but his mother's absence lingers like the ghostly eyes of his kin and all he wishes is for her to appear one day, maybe just in the Fade, and tell him, 'It'll be all right, da'len. I love you. I will always love you, no matter what. You are my da'isenatha (little dragon)'. She didn't know, of course, but when Fane hears that term in her voice, he breaks and he weeps until he's numb.

...I made myself cry agiaaaaain! *wails*

[liveinink]

A multi Inquisitor friendship fic with a F!Adaar/Cassandra focus

Follows a previous fic but can be read alone

“Okay,” Nikka Adaar dispelled the flame in her hand as she finished lighting the candles. “Okay,” She took a steadying breath. “Everything’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” Maxwell teased. “It’s not like you’ve spent countless hours, weeks, months, however long, planning this in intricate detail.”

It would probably be wrong to mind blast the Herald of Andraste. Tempting though.

Nikka looked around the space she’d set up. She picked the spot where she and Cassandra had first begun their relationship. It was private, peaceful, symbolic. It was perfect. And Cassandra deserved perfect.

But was it perfect? Nikka inspected the small space her fellow inquisitors had helped her set up. The candles, the flowers... she had tried to keep it romantic but simple, she worried she’d overdo it otherwise, but was it enough? She supposed what she was going to say was more important than the setting, but she couldn’t afford to worry about that right now. She’d planned, she’d practiced, she couldn’t allow herself to become even more anxious and distracted.

“Nikka,” Trista called over to her gently. “Don’t listen to Max, everything is fine.”

The human mage was finishing stringing magically lit baubles in the nearby trees. She and Nikka had created them together, and now they looked even better than Nikka had envisioned.

“Trista’s right,” Blair agreed with her sister, handing her another string of lights. “Nikka, you’ve thought of pretty much everything. In fact, you’ve probably over planned. Not to a ridiculous degree, but... I think Cassandra would love almost anything you did for her.”

Nikka felt her heart rate slow just a little. Even if it didn’t take away the fear, deep down she knew Blair was right.

“And you,” Blair gently kicked her brother. “We’re here for moral support, not to make things worse.”

Maxwell held up his one hand in false surrender.

“I’m sorry, Nikka,” he said. “No more teasing.”

“I forgive you,” Nikka said. “I’m also not sure if I believe you.”

“That’s fair.”

Nikka watched the Trevelyan siblings continue their tasks, and satisfied with their efforts, checked in on her dwarven and elven friends.

Kyla and Alariel were stringing flower petals into garlands, and doing a lovely job of it.

“These are wonderful,” Nikka said warmly. “Thank you.”

“Alariel deserves most of the credit,” Kyla clasped the elf’s shoulder. “I had no idea what I was doing at first, he had to teach me how to get started.”

“And you learned quickly, and did just as much of the work as I did,” Alariel said. “Do not give yourself too little credit.”

“Alright, we did it together,” Kyla agreed as she picked up another handful of petals. “Shared credit.”

“Honestly, shared credit applies to most things we do, doesn’t it?” Nikka said.

“We Inquisitors?” Alariel said. “Yes, we have done a great deal together. Though, arguably, Maxwell has borne the burnt of it all as the Herald.”

“Oh, what’s one hand in exchange for a safer world?”

Maxwell sauntered over, a big smile on his face as per usual. His sisters followed just behind him, presumably finished with their task.

Whatever was said next, Nikka missed. She had noticed the sun going down, dusk falling, and realized that Cassandra would arrive soon. Because Nikka had asked her to meet her here at dusk. Just like once before. Why had she been so confident then, yet so nervous now? The fear of her efforts not being good enough, her plans not prepared enough... adrenaline had already been coursing through her all day, but now, with so little time left before Cassandra arrived, doubt had gripped her heart.

“Nikka?”

Trista’s brought Nikka out of her trance.

“Nikka,” Trista said very gently. “Do you honestly think Cassandra will say no?”

Nikka took a deep breath.

“No, I wouldn’t be proposing if I didn’t know this was what we both wanted. That’s not what I’m nervous about.”

The others allowed her a pause.

“Cassandra deserves to have everything she wants. I just want to know I got it right for her.”

Her fellow Inquisitors threw glances at each other. They were all smiling.

“Nikka,” Blair said warmly. “You did.”

“How do you know?” Nikka said.

“Because I’ve been proposed to.” Blair said. “I didn’t anticipate Sera’s proposal, but it was exactly what I wanted. Because it was her. And it was us, and I loved every moment of it.”

“I can concur,” Kyla said. “It didn’t matter to me how Cullen proposed, I was just happy that he did.”

“And speaking as someone who has been the proposer,” Trista said. “At least for me... once Josie was in front of me it was easy. Because... you know those moments where you feel the full strength of your love for someone?”

Nikka nodded.

“When I knew I was going to ask her, and she was there in front of me, any nervousness I may have had was overwhelmed by love. I needed to ask her to marry me, and it wasn’t difficult at all. Everything was exactly right because we loved each other.”

Nikka closed her eyes, let herself steady.

“You’re right,” she smiled softly. “Cass and I have already discussed marriage, we both know it’s something we want. I still want it all to be perfect, and against all reason a small part of me still doubts, but I do know that nothing else matters as much as me asking and her saying yes.”

“Exactly,” Kyla said. “It will be perfect because of the two of you. I get wanting to make it special, but you have to know it already is.”

“Right,” Nikka nodded. “It’s already special.”

“Now,” Kyla said, laying down her finished garland. “How about we distracted you by teasing the boys about dragging their feet?”

“I’m not dragging my feet,” Alariel offered a small smile. “Dorian has many other important things he has to manage. I would not wish to put any further burden on him.”

“You think you proposing would be a burden?” Kyla asked.

Alariel laid down his last garland.

“Not exactly,” he said. “If I ask him to marry me, he may feel it unfair to make me wait. I wouldn’t want him to feel any pressure to rush into a wedding to please me.”

“Alariel, that’s a conversation you can have with him,” Blair said. “You can tell him you’re happy to wait.”

“Perhaps so.” Alariel said. “I just worry that my asking in itself will seem like an unwillingness to wait, even if I explain otherwise.”

“That can be part of that conversation between the two of you,” Blair said.

“Well, you do make communication sound awfully sensible,” Alariel said.

“Indeed,” Kyla said. “And what about you, Max?”

Maxwell was uncharacteristically silent.

“Thom and I have been through a lot, both together and apart,” Maxwell absentmindedly cradled the end of his arm in his hand. “We’ve helped each other heal. You know I’m not much good at planning ahead. There were always other things to think about, other ways we were building our relationship. Other ways we were growing as people.”

He paused.

“Perhaps it is time to start thinking about further commitment. Marriage hadn’t been on my mind, but... I think that is what I want. And maybe he doesn’t want to wait anymore. There is a bit of an age gap between us, maybe he’s ready for settling down. And maybe I don’t mind.”

It was rare to see Maxwell so unguardedly thoughtful. But that meant he was serious, and that he cared a great deal.

“It’s a conversation to have with him, at least,” Maxwell said. “We talk about what we want.”

They all let the silence be for a moment. They could be comfortable in it together.

“Well,” Alariel said. “I think this is as long as we can be by your side. Any longer and we risk ruining your solitude with Cassandra.”

“Of course,” Nikka could feel her nerves coming back at the thought of being left alone.

Alariel gently clasped her shoulders.

“I think I can speak for all of us when I say we were glad to be here, offering solace for as long as we could. But now it is time for just you and your beloved. It would not be the same if we were here when she arrived.” “And you know it, because that was exactly the plan you laid out for us,” Maxwell said, his smile returning.

“I know,” Nikka nodded. “I know.”

“Trust me,” Trista said. “It will be easier than you fear.”

“You’re right,” Nikka said. “I’ll be alright.”

It was not said with great confidence, but it was a start.

Nikka watched her friends disappear, and tried not to scare herself in the solitude. Over thinking was easier to curtail with someone to talk to. That was why she’d asked her friends to wait with her in the first place. In the silence worry was harder to overcome.

She inspected the all the elements of her setup too many times; candles, flowers, strung lights and garlands, nothing was out of place. Yet she kept checking. And pacing.

She heard footsteps approaching.

A wave of adrenaline rushed through her. The waiting was ending, and now all she could do was play out her plan. Possibly with some spur-of-the-moment alterations, she knew not everything was likely to go according to script.

But they would go right.

A sense of calm overtook her. Now that the moment was here... she knew it would be alright. However it went, it would be alright. Because Cassandra loved her. She knew that.

Cassandra stepped into view. And she smiled so fondly at Nikka.

The fear was gone, at least in this moment. Because Nikka loved Cassandra. And that, in all its depth, was all she felt. And it was all that she needed to make this night perfect.