#vaelaan adaar

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My Dragon Age main characters (and their partners) for Pride Month

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He's not wrong

Dorian saying the Inquisitor is "not exactly subtle" about being gay is so funny to me askldfjdasjkfls basically just called him flaming

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This took so long oh God why do I do this to myself

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Val's main mlm couples in Dragon Age

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Some art I've made since the news of Veilguard came out and my hiperfixation on Dragon Age punched me back full force

(It's mostly my ocs looking older but also the amount of necromancers in this game (although Leah is just one of my characters)

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I interrupt your very important scroll for a very necessary publicity stunt

Tiddys

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Main Dragon Age ships but wlw because I almost have no wlw ships and I feel like a traitor to my kind

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I don't know, that day I was thinking a lot about body language

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Vael/Dorian/Adaarian from when I'm in an Inquisition mood

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Dual story telling

While Vael was forced to deal with the templars

Aeryn was helping the mages with Dorian

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I wanted to prove to people the Inquisitor's suit had an easy fix

BioWare just hire me for more pretty clothes

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Some anatomy studies (or something like that) for my DA protagonists

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Lonely bed

Dorian stretched looking at the candle next to him, he promised himself he would finally go to sleep when the wick was dying, using candles for this sort of thing, surely another habit he picked up during his time in the South.

He opened the case to his crystal again, some lucky nights he would hear him sing, sweet little lullabies he kept close to his heart, but this was not such a lucky night. It was too late for such matters anyway, he wouldn't pine like a maiden on a book, not when he had to catch Up on his beauty sleep. But sometimes he just had to catch up on work, maybe that way he'll be able to go to sleep every night to the arms of the man he loved (well…arm)

He flickered a flame into existence on the palm of his hand and finally blew the candle to rest. Walking to his lonely bed.

Or that's what he thought until he saw Leah, laying on a window frame…quietly crying, probably trying not to wake Kaira up. When she saw him she quickly got up with an apologetic bow she tugged her pajamas with shame:

"I'm sorry master Pavus I was just…"

"Such formalities we're not even on one of our lessons, or an event we need to save face in…" maybe he'd need to use some other night to catch up on that sleep of his "Follow me"

She did as she was told, quite the rebellious kind she was but not with him. She followed him to the kitchen where he lit the room and walked to get utensils, some black tea, milk, spices…

"Are you making-?" she started asking

"No, no, no, you go sit and we'll talk"

Once again she did as told, got a little comfortable and looked at her mentor as he made some tea for her. She chuckled slightly:

"You remind me of my zaza" she said with a little smile "They also did that for me when I was feeling moody"

"Oh do I? Well I'll take it as a compliment, Ryann is a good parent"

"Did you learn this from your mom too?"

"Well…more or less, I got it from my mother in law…my mother, she would make the sl- the servants do it, if at all…"

He placed the tea in front of her, and got some for himself too while they were at it:

"But we're not here to talk about me starlight, won't you tell me why you were crying your little heart out?"

"It's…it's really not important…"

"It's important to me"

She blew onto her cup pouting, she wanted to be strong, she really did, but her mentor already knew her way too well. Also he probably got tips from her parents:

"Last visit to Ferelden I noticed how big my sister was getting…and that I couldn't hold her anymore…" she said

"Go on"

"And I…realized I'm going to lose all of her life…and my brothers too…and…"

"And your parents…"

"On everything I knew before I came here…Ferelden seems more and more like a distant memory every time I go…and I recognize less and less of it…

And there's so much I miss…I miss the mountains, and the cold, and the snow…

And sometimes I just get like this…"

"I see"

"I know it's stupid"

"My dear do you really think I of all people will judge you for missing?" he fiddled with his wedding ring

"Sorry I didn't mean to-"

"Non taken starlight" he rested his face on his hand "So tell me, what do you want to do?"

"I…I just don't know! Because even though I miss it I don't want to leave! When I'm there I'm so happy to be with my family but I miss the hot, and the fruit and you and Kaira"

"Oh I'm honored" she pouted at him "Sorry, sorry, go on"

"I'm happy here, I want to keep studying, I want to make a place with you and the rest that won't hurt people like my uncle Fenris, or Aeryn, or Kaira anymore…"

"Yes…me too…And you starlight, are such a brilliant young lady, I know with the right education you'll be one of the best mages of your generation"

She blushed from her mentor's compliment and sipped on her tea:

"This is really good"

"Well thank you, Adaar family recipe" he winked and she giggled

She bounced her legs a bit:

"Sometimes…the letters are just not enough…and I'm sure it's like that for them too…"

He thought of Anders and Ryann Hawke, waiting anxiously for their daughter's letters, how they ran to her every time they went to Ferelden. And his mind went to Vaelaan, when he hunched down to let their daughter run straight into his chest so he could hold her, and their late night talks speaking of how much of their lives were passing by without each other.

And what to tell this little girl when he was much older than her and still as lost as she was? Was she still young enough to believe adults had all the answers? Was she old enough to learn that life isn't always fair?

He was circling back through these conflicts until she just hugged him, he hugged her back, still a little confused:

"Thank you…I needed to talk"

"Oh yes, of course" well maybe in a way he dodged a spell, raising kids was hard

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"I don't know…" she looked at him with puppy eyes "Agh, not that…well fine, but only because you're feeling blue"

"Okay I'll call Kaira"

"Wait wh-"

But she was already gone, ten minutes later he was sleeping (well, trying) with two girls, a cat and a mabari. He opened the case of his crystal one last time and left it on the table. Still no luck, no noise, no voice…but maybe he'd wake up to it and that was still a blessing.

As much as the family he had with him at times like that, when he felt like he was going to a lonely room, and a lonely bed.

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Part one…

It had been a week since they found him. No sign of Solas, just the Inquisitor missing a body part, the arm that used to hold the Anchor. Could've been the pain or maybe the shock, but he hadn't awakened since the accident.

So there was no information, just a good excuse to keep postponing the Exalted Council, at least they knew he trusted lady Montiliet to handle such matters, or at least Aeryn and Dorian were quite sure of it.

Cassandra wasn't that sure, Aeryn looked for any excuse to sing praises for her lover. And Dorian saw the Inquisitor screaming in pain while his arm…what would be a good word for it? Disintegrated? He hadn't been the same since then, he barricaded himself in a room with the Inquisitor, only coming out under extreme need, or to send messengers to his homeland, that his arrival would be postponed once more.

So clearly their tevinter companions were quite blinded by love, which was terribly romantic, and horribly misplaced given the circumstances.

Cassandra made her rounds around the palace, walking near the Inquisitor's quarters often enough that she would be the first to have news. Well except for Dorian, obviously.

Who was engaged on a well too known scene once more:

"The Imperium will have me for the rest of my life! They can wait a couple of months until I've made sure the Inquisitor is okay! So you can tell them to shove every other messenger down Corypheus dead arse!" he shouted to a messenger

But this time he wasn't alone, the dwarf put a hand on his arm reassuringly:

"Come on Sparkler" said Varric with a softer tone of voice

Dorian sighed, exhausted, rubbing his eyes:

"That…was uncalled for and I apologize… It's not your fault, but please tell them to stop sending people" he explained apologetically

The messenger bowed and left the scene in a hurry, while Varric rubbed Dorian's arms:

"I did tell you not to get involved with a protagonist" he said, Dorian exhaled a faint laugh

"That you did…"

"He'll be happy to see you there when he wakes up"

"I…don't know if happy would be the word…"

"Yes…the arm, his hand…"

"He'll be glad to see the Anchor gone" said the Seeker, invading the conversation "He seemed… quite uncomfortable since he got it, followed by sporadic bouts of pain in particularly stressful situations…and now…"

Varric rubbed his neck, looking desperately at Dorian, but the mage was just starting furiously at what was once his companion. Varric coughed awkwardly:

"Yes it was…killing him…"

"But Cassandra-" started Dorian, quite visibly trying to calm his nerves "You do notice finding himself one-armed now…will also kill him, right? Maybe not literally but-"

"Will he really be that upset that he won't be able to go close rifts anymore?"

"Oh Seeker…" Varric shook his head disappointedly

"That's all you ever did see, huh?"

Dorian tried to leave, who knows what stopped him in his tracks, maybe he'd been mulling over this feeling for way too long now:

"Do you really think Vaelaan is going to keep the Inquisition running? After everything?"

"Everything?" she asked, she covered her mouth slightly

Remembering the Battle with Corypheus, the shock in his face when he hell his horn in his hand, his face covered in blood:

"Sparkler don't take it there" Varric tried to mediate

"I try to…because it's not my place, it shouldn't be me saying it but…Seeker do you really think we were discussing the ability to close rifts when we talked about the loss of his arm? After all this time…did you understand nothing? It's been two years and you still don't know Vaelaan at all?"

"What-? Of course I-"

"Yes? Did you just remember why Varric calls him Mandolin!?" he looked at her, intently, with his hand still holding tightly on the doorknob "Or did you just care about how he was useful for the Inquisition?"

Varric looked down, heartbroken. While Cassandra stood there in silence. She frowned slightly, couldn't tell if she was disappointed in herself or just angry at the sudden burst of passion:

"Why do you care what happens to him or the Inquisition Pavus? Aren't you going to abandon them both?"

She covered her mouth immediately, but the damage was already done. Couldn't tell if Dorian looked more angry or sad, but he held the doorknob so tightly the palm of his hand was turning red.

Whatever friendship they had gained over the years, gone just like that, in a few seconds.

Could probably say the same for Varric, shaking his head, disappointed…and hurt:

"Playing dirty I see…" said Dorian with a shaky voice "I'll refrain myself because…It still isn't me who needs to have this discussion with you…and the rest…" he explained repressing a quiet sob "Consider yourself lucky I've decided to keep to myself some choice words…"

Whatever else they could've said was interrupted by the sound of a loud crash inside the Inquisitor's chambers. Dorian bursted through the door with Varric and Cassandra following close.

This is precisely the reason Dorian wanted to keep an eye on him, to make sure he would be there when he woke up…

Images flashed through his eyes when he saw the man he loved, tired and defeated. Images of a future he long thought they had avoided, when he met that very same man, this very same moment. And he was different, but so similar…

So young, and still looking so old, so miserable…He wanted to protect him from so many things, but…some things are inevitable…

"Amatus…"

Vaelaan smiled weakly:

"Hey…sorry I worried you Beloved…"

He tried to laugh but…he just stared down, motionless, dead…

With the remains of a broken down mandolin on his hand.

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February was a really bad month for my health and I'm not fully recovered yet

But I'm finally able to draw again so here's a bit of an art dump