#where she is a clock mage

[abysskeeper]

As my bard goes into act 3, I followed through on wizard4wizard and rolled the only PC I have who has seen significant table time, Nox.

Multiclassing her and adding a level 1 cleric (of Selune, for rp reasons) has granted my wildest dreams and made her stats reflect that she's the biggest nerd in existence.

[rookinthecrownest]

Pictured here, one Master Dellamorte who has learned precisely nothing about seducing hot Tevinter mages.

Also pictured here, said Tevinter mage about to be swindled in the Treviso marketplace.

Some info about Pompeiia:

She comes from a very old Tevinter family, who are virtually all involved with the Venatori. They saw her as nothing more than a pretty face, a socialite, and a thing to be sold off to the highest bidder with the best pedigree. Pompeiia started spying on her family for the shadow dragons when they were about to marry her off to a magister, in exchange for digging up dirt on him and publicly disgracing him. She continued to spy for the shadow dragons until the events of the game. Eventually she was found out and disowned by her family. She decides to start over in Antiva (post game), but finds starting over in a new country where you dont know anyone and only sort of speak the language, and without access your family’s wealth is a bit harder than she thought.

In comes a certain Illario, who although forgiven and allowed to remain in Treviso, is under the watchful eyes of the Crows and sees an opportunity.

Something something two people who are used to charming the pants off everyone they meet and becoming social chameleons are forced to abandon that when they clock each other’s motives almost instantly. Immovable object v Unstoppable force.

Im disgustingly obsessed with them. This is what happens when @juneiper-art and @teawithshakespeare enable me 😩

[izzabela]

Could you write headcanons for the Lin Kuei trio (Cyrax & Sektor too if possible) with an Autistic reader helping them deal with a sensory overload? Thank you! ^_^

Too Much - Lin Kuei x GN!autistic!reader (headcanons)

in which you experience a sensory overload

a/n: i'm back

ship[s]: tomas vrbada, kuai liang, bi han, cyrax, sektor x GN!autistic!reader (separate)

warning(s): sensory overload (i did my best on research guys), pre-lin kuei split

Sensory overload: "...occurs when one or more of the body's senses is overstimulated to a point where a person is unable to cope."

While it can be used for PTSD and OCD, for the purposes of this fic, it will be related to autism and people on the spectrum

Tomas Vrbada - Ear-clapping

- ear-clapping is one of the more serious mechanisms that could happen with a sensory overload, which involves the person with autism to aggressively clap their ears. in the most severe cases, screaming and crying can occur

- Tomas learned this was caused by very loud sounds

- to help you, he learned that immediately moving you to a quieter area works wonders

- if there were no available quiet spaces, he did his best to hold you very tightly (and i mean very tightly) and cover your ears for you himself

- sometimes, during the severe attacks, you scratched his arm because they were in the way, but he powered through because you would not only calm down, but according to him- "tis but a scratch!"

Kuai Liang - Foot-tapping

- Kuai Liang used to think you foot-tapped when you were annoyed

- it always happened during the meetings where they were held in the old meeting hall, where the flames always seemed to flicker a bit too much

- or it happened when you heard the ancient clock in your shared room tick-tick-tick too much (he had it removed after weeks of back-and-forth between one of the elders)

- Kuai helps you out during these moments by just sitting next to you. he'll even talk to you (only when you say so)

- he learns that holding your hand is the best way to help you overcome the overload

Bi Han - Sensory-seeking Behavior

- Bi Han though you were really odd when he first saw you intensely smelling the unlit candle in your shared room, he realized though it was much more

- Bi Han definitely has "asian dad vibes" because his response to that was buying the entire stock of the candle you liked in case you were going somewhere and had an overload without him

- if you couldn't get your hands on the candle scent, Bi Han juggled ice balls (no you will not correct me on my headcanon that Bi Han juggles). he even mastered how to do multiple ice balls at once

- he learned this was caused by the intense smell of the incense that's burned in the training room. a combination of smelling salts plus some weird potion the elder mages imbued with the salts

- he prohibited the use of it immediately, but you occasionally smell it due to the centuries of use

- still, when you do smell it, he'll help you anyway he can

Sektor - Distraction Behavior

- Sektor thought it was weird that you fiddled with the stylistic wires that stuck out on the back of her helmet, but after learning it was to cope with sensory overload, she was more than happy to help

- sektor made you a personal "sensory toy," a stick with the exact wires that stuck out on one end. you use it often, but when it isn't on you, Sektor has other ideas

- she brought you this toad sculpture made of wood, with ridges sculpted in them for you to touch (you find it rather soothing)

- if it those things aren't present, Sektor doesn't mind that you fiddle with her hand: tracing pictures with your finger, playing with her fingers, etc

Cyrax - Sensory Avoidance Behavior

- after Cyrax watched you shut your eyes as tight as possible while rocking in place after dropping a huge aluminum tube, she felt really really bad

- caused by loud sounds, she learned your overload coping behavior was to not feel, see, or hear everyday sounds

- she made you a helmet that's blacked inside and out, and has incredible noise cancelling abilities

- she also made you earplugs, a combination of technology and soft materials so that you wouldn't be uncomfortable. she paired it with a simple blindfold made with the "blackest fabric dye in the world" (with what funds?)

- while there were days you wanted Cyrax to hold you, other overloads weren't as kind. sometimes you didn't want her with you, and thank the elder gods she didn't take it personal. she still felt bad leaving you alone, so she always left a pillow that was heavily doused in her natural smell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

okay two of my mass-posts

i really did my best with research on this guys, but if i wrote anything wrong or anything else, please let me know! constructive feedback is accepted, but as soon as i see insults or berating, those will be deleted and your blog will be blocked

see yall in the next fic

[monbons]

Stitches and Sentences Roundup 2024

Thanks for the tags on your writing round ups @run-for-chamo-miles, @drowninginships, and @emeryhall! I just got back from a weeklong trip and instead of doing laundry, I'm joining in on the roundup fun.

FIC I moved from lurker to active fandom participant this year with a bang. I posted my first fic ever for EGF and have basically been writing or posting non-stop since then. I wrote/co-wrote 5 fics this year and clocked in at 101, 725 words.

Kill Em With Kindness - rated T, 6.5k, Watford-Era, getting together fic

When no one seems to care that Baz is sad, Simon steps in to help. The only reasonable explanation for all Simon's kindness is that he's trying to kill Baz, right? (My most popular fic as measured by kudos.)

Knock Your Socks Off - rated T, 4k, Watford-Era, 7th year fic

Baz steals Simon's socks. Simon blames the sock monster. Chaos ensues.

The Eternal Life of Baz Pitch - rated M, 42k, Addie LaRue AU, a truly epic romance

Told in two alternating timelines that span from 1700s Hampshire all the way to early 2000's Washington, DC, this fic follows Baz as he spends centuries searching for the love of all his lives. (This was the fic that convinced me I could write long and holds a very special place in my heart. Is it angsty? Yes. Is it some of the most beautiful prose I've ever written? Also yes.)

The Boy Next Door - rated M, 47k, and they were neighbors AU, a coming of age romance

When Simon moves in with his gran, he decides to befriend the mysterious boy next door. He changes both their lives in the process. (My most popular fic by literally every other measure.)

The Reason for The Season - rated T, 1.6k, text fic, co-written with @thewholelemon

Dev and Niall make a list. Holiday hijinks abound. (A bday gift for @mooncello)

ART I do not currently have a great way to track my dolls and searched my Instagram to do the math, only to realize I hadn't posted every doll I made either! (If anyone has a good art tracking system, I'm open to ideas.) If my count is correct, I clocked in at a grand total of 35 dolls this year, including:

10 Simons

15 Bazzes

2 Pennys

2 Nialls

2 Devs

1 Mage

1 Fiona

1 Agatha

1 Shep

The picture below shows my earliest dolls, where I was still experimenting with style and form. As you can see, many of them are quite flat. (Fun fact: All of these dolls--including their clothing--were made before I owned a sewing machine.)

Going 3D was actually an accident, but we have the Watford Baz and Simon below to thank for it! After committing to 3D dolls, I kept evolving my pattern---improving joints, proportions, and adding details like ears!---until we reached my most current iterations.

Now every doll has their own special pattern that takes into account their canon proportions, where available. Notice Baz is tall and slender where Simon is extra fluffy!

I did not include any of the dolls I created for COC 2024 since I assume everyone has seen them already, but I linked the master post in case you missed a day.

Finally, in addition to dolls, I also created 2 plushies (a merwolf and a bunbaz) plus 12 finger puppets this year.

It's hard to quantify dolls like fics, especially since almost every doll before COC did not have a dedicated tumblr post. However, here are some fun art stats:

Most Popular Art Post: The Watford Map

Most Popular Doll: FIONA!

Second Most Popular Doll: Felt Smut (Look @emeryhall! Dragonboy Simon is indeed the sexiest given that this is my duplicate of your doll!)

I also had three art collaborations this year:

Baz and The Prophecy - Doll and Tapestry, a COTTA collaboration with @iamamythologicalcreature

Ballet Baz and Disco Simon - a CORB collaboration with @melodysmash (Read the fic she wrote--Body Language. It is as adorable as these dolls!)

Watford Advent Map - a tapestry made for COC 2024 with help from @rimeswithpurple

While it has definitely been a fabulously productive year, I think my greatest achievement has been all the new friendships I've fostered because of fandom. Y'all bring me so much joy, and I am so happy I found this little corner of the internet.

I am currently drained of all creative energy (I can't imagine why!), so you may not hear from me for a while. However, I promise I am still around---likely catching up on all the fic and art I've missed while being a literal word and doll factory. With all that said, if you have an idea and wanna collab in the new year, I'm all ears and tons of fun!

Hellos and high-fives for the last time in 2024! @alexalexinii, @argumentativeantitheticalg, @aristocratic-otter, @arthurkko, @artsyunderstudy

@best--dress, @blackberrysummerblog, @brilla-brilla-estrellita, @bookish-bogwitch, @confused-bi-queer

@cutestkilla, @emeryhall, @facewithoutheart, @harrie-leithillustration, @hushed-chorus

@ic3que3n, @ileadacharmedlife, @katatsumuli, @larkral, @letraspal

@martsonmars, @messofthejess, @mooncello, @noblecorgi, @orange-peony

@raenestee, @rbkzz, @roomwithanopenfire, @shrekgogurt, @skeedelvee

@stitchyqueer, @supercutedinosaurs, @talentpiper11, @twinkle-twinkle-up-above, @theimpossibledemon

@valeffelees, @whatevertheweather, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @youarenevertooold

[solarisfortuneia]

— 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟.

✦ info: kaeya returns home wearing his master thief costume. (takes place after the events of 'secret summer paradise' in version 3.8)

✦ warnings: not proofread.

✦ notes: where can i get myself a kaeya pls why isn't he here with me

the clock strikes nine just as the knob to your front door turns, the little bird in the wooden device chirping out the counts at precise intervals. the creaks of the door are not loud, yet they still have you jolting awake from your impromptu after-shower nap. 

“sorry, did we wake you?” a very familiar voice whispers into the dark from near the hallway. kaeya’s back! you realize, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.

you shake your head, closing the book that lays open on your lap. “no, no. i just dozed off.” you laugh it off, smiling at your boyfriend and at klee, who’s dozing off comfortably in kaeya’s arms. she stirs when he moves a little too abruptly. 

“hey, it’s okay, you can go back to sleep.” he coos softly, patting her head. he sets her down on the couch, gently laying her head on a cushion.

“we had a little too much fun in sumeru,” he tells you after he’s made sure she’s sound asleep, pulling you close and wrapping his arms around your waist. “she’s all tired out. albedo’ll be here to take her home soon.”

“i can tell. i love her mage costume.” you squint at his indigo and peacock feather get up. “and you’re supposed to be a…?”

he huffs playfully, pouting. “you can’t tell? i’m a master thief, clearly.”

“the style suits you.” you tap at his lips and his mouth spreads into a grin underneath your fingers, lighting up his entire face. “though, you’re not you without the boob-window. or that fluffy monstrosity you call a cape. it’s characteristic, but unnecessary. ”

he gasps in mock offense. “how could you slander my cape that way? you call it an unnecessary fluffy monstrosity, yet you still steal it when you’re cold, do you not?”

you exhale forcefully through your nose despite your best efforts to keep a straight face. “touché. drama queen.” 

“besides, i was born for this role, you know,” he says, mischief glinting in his periwinkle eye. “after all, did i not manage to steal your heart?” 

you roll your eyes, undoing the peacock feather tie and tugging at the braid he has his hair in to free it. he gives you a fond look, shaking his head to assist once you’ve loosened it enough. azure cascades down his shoulders, a slight wave throughout. “so, master thief kaeya, wearer of feathers, stealer of hearts.” your expression mirrors the still-present grin on his face as you loop your arms around his neck, his hair a silky waterfall on your fingers. “what caper are you chasing next?” 

“since i already have the most precious of hearts in my hands, i believe i need to steal a few kisses to complete my collection, yes?” 

“but good sir, are you sure you’d be satisfied with just a few?”

“oh, haven’t you heard, darling?” you feel his mouth curl into a slow smile against your neck, his voice a caress against your skin.

 “i’m insatiable.”

taglist: @number-one-love-lover

new taglist form (old one had issues): here.

[toskarin]

Wait, how does the UBW anime spoil heaven's feel? I've seen it and since then played HF but I have no memory

spoilers below the break for UBW and HF

the anime makes it much more obvious that rin is disappearing to check on sakura at school, along with her directly referencing sakura being adopted when talking to shirou in a way that assumes the viewer knows sakura is rin's sister

rin telling shirou that the only other mage at school wasn't a threat was more than just her writing off shinji: it's a deliberate misdirection. rin didn't consider shinji to be a factor and was checking to see if sakura had placed the sigils

because the command spell was being proxied to shinji, it wouldn't have appeared on her body. because shinji didn't actually have aptitude for magecraft, she wouldn't have sensed it on him

this also ties into rin's whole thing of being a near-perfectionist who always blindspots a single detail by getting too comfortable with how competent she is[1]

[1]: first shown with the clock trick sabotaging her summoning, despite her having noticed and remarked on it happening. she identified the trap, but didn't consider a scenario where she could fall for it

[scaryanneee]

VEILPUNK 9:52 ⚡️

Narrative parallels between [and MAJOR SPOILERS for] Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Cyberpunk 2077

Wake up, Samurai, we have a Thedas to burn. Let’s play a game:

Meet [V]/[Rook]. She is living her life as a [nomad/streetkid/corpo]/[Dragon/Crow/Lord/Watcher/Warden] when circumstances (aka, some kind of fuck-up) lead her to begin a new adventure with her friend [Jackie Welles]/[Varric Tethras]. 

The pair embark on a mission that involves a history lesson about a mercurial and rebellious [rockerboy]/[ancient elven mage] who made a questionable choice [50]/[8000] years ago when he [detonated a nuclear bomb]/[created the Veil]. That decision had dire consequences, but was done with good intentions: to take down a corrupt and powerful group – the [Arasakas]/[Evanuris]. 

Anyway, the job that [V]/[Rook] is on goes really, really bad: needless to say, we won't be working with [Jackie]/[Varric] anymore. [V]/[Rook] finds herself injured but alive… and the previously mentioned grumpy old [rockerboy]/[elven god] is now living in her head, somehow?! 

[Jackie]/[Varric]’s fate is not the only consequence of [V]/[Rook]’s actions. In fact, the clock is ticking: if [V]/[Rook] does not find a way to fix her mistake soon, she faces certain death. Not to mention, she promised [Jackie]/[Varric] that she would take care of the [biochip]/[team] for him. 

As she works to undo what she has done, [V]/[Rook] either bonds with the [Johnny Silverhand]/[Solas] living in her head, or hates him, or something in between. There’s lots of snarky jabs traded between mind-resident and host, but also moments of genuine understanding that build over time. 

It is kind of weird walking around the world, though, because you see symbols of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s legacy in the form of [Samurai memorabilia]/[Fen’Harel statues] pretty much everywhere... anyway.

In an optional questline, [V]/[Rook] can watch some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s memories. She learns that his [nuclear bomb]/[creating the Veil] was about more than just fighting [corpo]/[godly] corruption. It was also about avenging the death of a woman he cared for deeply: [Alt]/[Mythal], who was killed by the [Arasakas]/[Evanuris]. [Alt]/[Mythal] and [Johnny]/[Solas] may have had a complicated and at times turbulent relationship, but there was no doubt he loved her. There’s also no doubt that [Johnny]/[Solas] feels, in part, personally responsible for her death.

[V]/[Rook] also gets to meet some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s old friends: [Kerry]/[Dorian] and [Nancy]/[Morrigan], who both worked alongside him in [Samurai]/[the Inquisition], and [Rogue]/[Inquisitor Lavellan], a highly competent woman who [Johnny]/[Solas] had a romantic relationship with at one point (and who [Johnny]/[Solas] regrets not having treated better). [V]/[Rook] also meets some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s greatest enemies from his past – like [Adam Smasher]/[Elgar’nan] – and gets to make [Johnny]/[Solas] proud by kicking their asses on his behalf. 

Finally, at the very end of the game, [V]/[Rook] can choose to either redeem [Johnny]/[Solas] or condemn him. They can even get help from a version of [Alt]/[Mythal] to do so!

Roll credits.

This is all to say: I love both of these franchises very much and, so it is very delightful to find all of these parallels between them. To be very clear, this is not an accusation of stealing or anything – stories echo, history rhymes, etc. – just an affectionate observation.

BUT.

It also highlights, for me at least, a few things Cyberpunk did well that Veilguard would have benefitted from incorporating. Namely:

A prologue based on character origin, where Rook meets/bonds with Varric, like V does with Jackie

More interaction between Protagonist and Guy Living in the Protagonist’s Head

Deeper engagement with the universe’s lore, particularly the setting and its impact on our protagonist. Night City feels like another character in Cyberpunk in a way that Veilguard's Thedas really does not.

The protagonist having a smaller scale, more personal investment in the outcome of events – V’s race against the biochip is instantly understandable, and her tenacity and strong will to survive make her very easy to relate to and like. I never quite felt the same level of investment in Rook, and I think that’s in part because her fight against the gods is so enormous in scale that it feels quite impersonal at times. 

Story parallels aside, these two games are also both examples of games that were rushed through development and suffered for it. For Cyberpunk, that meant infamous technical failures; for Veilguard, that apparently means writing that is inconsistent at best and baffling at worst.

Fortunately, CD Projekt Red was able to add tons of post-release updates (and the excellent Phantom Liberty DLC) to Cyberpunk, that really helped it ultimately evolve into the game it was intended to be. 

Unfortunately, I think it is extremely unlikely that EA/Bioware will ever give Veilguard the same treatment.

But if I’m looking for something to hope for about this franchise (despite the long odds)... I think that would be it. 

Anyway, if you read this far: thanks, [chooms]/[lethallen]! 🖤

[ellssbellss]

day two

prompt: firsts/comfort

@allaboutnalu - @thenaluarchive

-> word count: 3.85k, rated T for langauge

-> summary: Lucy really shouldn't be as worried as she is. Natsu can take care of himself. But she can't help it when her mind turns to the worst as she is stumbling through the forest, separated from her team. She can't help but wonder if he's alive.

.oOo.

alive

Lucy hated the outdoors. 

Okay, well, no, she didn’t. Not really. Lucy liked fresh air, the way Magnolia smelled like actual magnolias in the spring, the buds of her city’s namesake in early bloom. She liked the festivals her guild held out in the open fields, bingo and rainbow sakura trees with her friends as they sat around piles of fresh cooked foods, her favorites stacked in front of her like jenga pieces. Lucy even appreciated the hikes to her missions, even if they were forced to walk due to Natsu’s incredible motion sickness. It gave her time to clear her head, think through her plan of action when they arrived to wherever they were going, and to actually hear her inner voice for a change. 

And, of course, Lucy loved the stars. They were always glittering and majestic above her as she laid down to rest, her team beside her as the magic firelight never truly dimmed. The constellations reflected in her eyes, the connecting stars reminding her of her loyal friends who had, and forever will, fight by her side. 

But, as the celestial mage fought for breath after breath, sweat turning her blonde, manicured hair into a mustard splat on her forehead, she could say she hated it.

She hated the heat that burned into the wound on her shoulder and above her knees, and because she had three gashes and two hands, she had to choose which ones to cradle as she pushed her way through the trees. The key-holder despised the way the sun beat down on her, smiting her skin with its rays as she trudged through endless forest, the leaves seeming never ending and particularly revengeful as they smacked her when she passed. 

She hated the absence of her team, not knowing where they were after the explosion of the enemy’s base sent them flying in every direction. Natsu had done his best to hold onto her wrist as the blast came through, but the force was too great, and their exhaustion from their battles had already taken its toll. So his grip broke, and the ball of fire that was the core of their enemy’s power finally blasted out of its confinements, wedging distance between them. 

With Team Natsu scattered through every edge of the forest, Lucy had no idea where to start. 

She smacked, rolled, fell, and finally landed on ranges of mountains and dirt paths, coughing up soil and leaves while picking branches out of her hair. She thanked the wonderful, beautiful magic that swirled through her veins from her own power, making her more durable to the violences of a Fairy Tail mage’s lifestyle. And Wendy’s protection support magic didn’t hurt either. 

She had stood up in the clearing gravity decided to drop her into, and then fell immediately back onto her knees. Her hands smacked the ground as she cried, whined, cursed, whatever she wanted to do, really, until her body had released every large, frustrated emotion she had. 

Eventually, she would make a plan to go back to the town square of the city that hired them, an unspoken base for her team that had been settled long ago if they ever got separated like this, but not now. Right now, with the pain shooting through her body and the worry for her friends in her heart, she needed this. 

Then, finally taking her last shuddering breath, she stood back up, summoned Pyxis with what little magic she had so that she knew which way was east, and set on her way. 

First, Horologium had come through the gate via his own volition, sensing that Lucy’s magic power was already drained from her fights and her pain, and offered to carry her. She had nearly cried again, quickly hopping into the clock and relaxing her joints. Or her limbs. Or her eyes. Basically everything that was too sore to think about. 

But when she woke up about two hours later, dropping onto the ground with a hard smack!, she had to come to terms that she needed to walk on her own. Horologium had stayed as long as he was able, and she was grateful. But, fuck, did this suck. 

She was hurt, sweaty, grimy, and in desperate need of a bath when she got back home. 

More than ever, though, she was worried. 

Which was stupid, Lucy knew. Her team was a group of strong, almost seemingly unreal warriors who have fought greater foes than an explosion of some low-level mages. So strong that she would admire them from the cover of their shadows, not always quite knowing where she fit in. 

But they were still alone, like she was. 

They could be severely wounded. Erza could have landed on her leg wrong and broke it to pieces, or Wendy could’ve fallen onto something sharp. 

Or maybe they were scared? Gray put up a tough facade, but she knew him. He would put up an icy front, and he would fight through it, but his heart would be rapidly beating out of his chest as he turned every corner. 

And Natsu. Her heart didn’t want to think about Natsu. 

The look on his face when her hand had slipped from his nearly wrecked her. He called her name, the sound twisting with the way she called his, and it echoed across the chasms of the forest. Her name was cracked on his lips as he took the blunt of the explosion, pulling her out of the way and behind him the best he could. But there hadn’t been time. 

And now, he was lost somewhere to her. 

“Someone remind me to kick him when I find him.” She mumbled to herself, gritting her teeth as she lugged herself up an incline. For putting her health before his own, again. 

For making her worry about him, again. 

She really shouldn’t be. The pink-haired man bragged about being raised by Igneel in the woods. Everything that they needed to survive, they forged and hunted for, but only needed each other to be truly satisfied. Natsu was brought up in the most unlikely circumstances, and, somewhere along the way, that spirit of chaos and uncertainty bled into his bones like wildfire, shaping his DNA into a constant state of anarchy. 

It also embedded a natural survival instinct into him, one that has never steered him wrong before. The forest was his home, and deep down, Lucy knew it still was. He could never truly be hurt, or broken, or even dead. No, not in the place that raised him. 

Lucy raised her palm and wiped away the tears that fell down her cheeks. 

Damn it, he was fine! He’s Natsu, her Natsu! He’s Salamander, one of Fairy Tail’s strongest wizards, son of Igneel. Natsu was E.N.D, the brother of a dark wizard, destroyer of evil. 

Natsu is the man who brought her to Fairy Tail, her teammate, her partner. He…he sneaks into her bed, and eats her food. He protects her to a fault, but never lets her do that same for him. He just smiles that crooked grin of his, calls her ‘Luce’ and always looks on the bright side to everything. He brings her warmth whenever she has none, and he makes sure it stays, no matter how hard it might be. 

And she needed that. More and more each day, she came to rely on it, on him and who he was until she couldn’t imagine her life any other way. She didn’t want to. The celestial mage would do everything she could not to lose her dragonslayer because she needed him.

She needed to see him, to hold him, to kick him until he apologized for driving her absolutely crazy with worry. However she could have Natsu, she knew she would need him until her last breath. 

Through tears, she spots the arch to the townsquare, the circular walls around the marketplace acting like gates to heaven as they towered over the endless forest. Breathing a sigh of relief, she forced herself to push. No matter how tired she was after the hours of walking, how much her exhausted heart sputtered in her chest, Lucy dragged her ass under that arch and leaned against the cool stone with her good shoulder. 

Her eyes slid over every detail of the spherical square, the walls lined with apartment buildings and bakeries, restaurants and shops. Then, concentrically, it melted into carts or wagons, then into one fountain in the middle. 

Hastily, she looked for bursts of red, blue, black and pink, her anxiety spiking when she saw none. She checked every entrance into the square, an arch posted at each of the four corners of the world. But, from where she rested, she couldn’t see a single sign of her friends, of her family, and it made her want to scream until her throat gave out. 

Limping, she began to ask the citizens. A pretty blonde girl, dragging her feet as she clutched her arms and knees, speaking through tears as she waves them down. “Excuse me! Please, have you seen a scary lady with red hair? Like blood?” 

The mother tucked her daughter behind her back. 

“No, no, sorry.” The celestial mage did her best to smile, but by this family’s reaction, she probably had something in her teeth. “Have you seen a young girl, then? Blue hair? We were out in the woods, and we were fighting, and she got away from me.”

The woman took an offended breath, squeezing her daughter's arm. Lucy’s eyes widened.

“No! No, not like that! I’m just looking for my friends!” The key-holder pleaded, trying again as she gestured an inch above her head. “What about a grumpy guy this tall, hm? He uses ice magic, wears a necklace, and…uh, oh! He was probably stripping! He has a bad habit, especially when he’s stressed, so he was probably just–

“Listen, lady, if you don’t back away from me, I’m going to call the police–”

Lucy just shook her head. “It’s not what it sounds like, I swear. Just please, have you seen–”

“Get away from us.” The mother hisses and promptly turns around, giving Lucy a concerned look as she practically sprints away. 

“No!” Lucy calls out to her, hobbling forward. “Have you seen a pink haired dragon guy who breathes fire?” The mother didn’t respond, only walking faster. “Oh! He has a talking cat!”

And, the lady was gone. 

Groaning, Lucy dug the heels of her hands into the sockets of her eyes. She had to find them before she actually went crazy. Swallowing, she tried to control the panic in her chest, the way it slammed into her sternum with each stuttering breath. 

God, it wasn’t working. She inhaled again, shaky and wet as she wiped her cheek on the back of her hand and looked up to the sky. The sun blurred into the sky as she noted that nothing would really calm her down. Not until she found them, not until she found–

“Lucy!”

Gasping, that voice struck chords in her heartstrings, the volume of it making her jump as she turned around. 

Through the rippling water of the fountain, Lucy saw Natsu sniffing the air, gaze intense and focused as he gripped the side of the west arch with so much force, the stone was cracking. Happy was resting on his head, a hand over his eyes as he looked far and wide, his wings hanging by his side weakly. 

Lucy met eyes with the cat first, and she had never been more Happy to see that stupid feline. His eyes nearly lit up, and he jumped up and down on Natsu’s head, pointing and waving at his blonde friend. 

“Natsu! She’s right there! It’s Lucy!” 

Natsu’s eyes immediately snapped to hers, onyx meeting brown through the bubbling current of the fountain, and he slumped, his grip easing off the stone arch. 

“Natsu!” She called, her voice cracking with fatigue. “Happy!” 

She didn’t know who started it, but they were running. Her feet made the same trip as the sun, starting in the east only to finish in the west as she called out their names, ignoring the strange looks they were getting or the pain that had tormented her on her journey back to them. Everything else just blurred around her, becoming background noise to her want, her need to have him again. 

Happy made it to her first, his weak wings barely lifting him into the air as he stopped her at the fountain, his flight path taking a crash landing into her chest. She curled her arms around him tight, holding the cat close enough that his fur tickled under her chin. He shook against her, and she scratched that space behind his ear that calmed him down, feeling his crocodile tears on her skin. 

“Lushee!” Happy squealed against her collarbone, and she released him so that he could breathe, his wings barely lifting him in the air. “We were so worried!”

“You were?” She panted, swallowing her emotion. She hadn’t even wondered if they were thinking about her. Lucy had only focused on Natsu’s well-being. 

“‘Course we were.” Husk and smoke filled the space around her as Natsu seized her shoulders, dark eyes turning to emerald in the sun as he stared at her. “Luce, what happened? You okay?”

He was in front of her. Really in front of her. His hands, calloused and scarred, gripped her sweat-slicked skin with a fervor, and his gaze truly lingered on her scrapes and bruises that were visible on her person. 

Natsu’s pink hair was really catching sunlight so perfectly, that it made the strands seem more blush than salmon, and his guild mark on his shoulder was actually rippling over his skin as he asked her again, shaking her slightly to get her to focus back in. 

Her partner was here, in front of her. And he was hurt. 

“Lucy,” The fire wizard repeated sharply. “Are you–”

“Am I okay?” She gasped, finally seeing the marks and scratches that littered his skin, bruises starting to form on his biceps and over his knuckles. She broke from his grip on her shoulder, holding his palm in her own, tracing the damage with her fingertip. 

“Look at you! Your hands, Natsu.” She whined, turning his palms in her grip. “They must be fractured at least.” Experimentally, she pressed down on one, watching his face carefully. “Does it hurt when I do this? Or when I pull it this way?”

“Oi! Mavis, don’t pull it like that, Luce! The hell are you thinking?” He says, ripping his hands from her grasp. “It’s fine, just a sprain. What about–”

“And your chest! What happened to you?” The celestial wizard exclaimed, running her hands over a large slice across his pectorals. It wasn’t as deep as some other wounds she had seen, but it was definitely worrisome, and the dried blood around it only made her anxiety spike. “Did you land on something? Was it one of the wizards you fought?”

“No, no, I hit a tree when I fell, and the branch cut me.” He pushed away her prodding hands, gripping her wrists in a pleading gesture. “You have scrapes all over you, I need to know–”

“Your face, Natsu.” Natsu’s voice was nice, but it was drowning over the beat of her heart when she saw his busted lip and the scratches on his cheek, dirt freckling over the line of his jaw. Her hand went to touch his bottom lip, mindlessly pulling the skin there with her thumb so see the depth. “Did you land on your face? Are you okay? Does your head hurt? When Wendy gets here, we need to make sure–”

“Lucy!” Her pale hand on his lip was seized with a firm grasp, and she was forced to follow its path as he placed her hand on his cheek, the sunkissed skin under her touch flaming and soiled. 

Natsu’s other hand brought her gaze to his, his touch gentle but firm as he guided her to his gaze. “Shut up for one second, you’re talkin’ too much and I’m tryna ask you a goddamn question.”

Lucy felt him squeeze the hand that was against his face, like a silent apology for interrupting her with harsh language. But his voice was ragged, and his stare was enough to effectively shut her up. 

“I’m fine. I may not look it, but nothin’ is too deep or too painful enough to where I can’t fight through it. I have a cut across my chest, my shoulder blade is shot, and I’m sure there are a million other things I’m missin’ that I just haven’t found yet.”

His hand let her go, and now both his palms framed her face, bringing her closer. “What about you?” Natsu asked slowly, fiercely emphasizing each syllable. “I smell blood on ya’ Luce, and you look like you just crawled through hell. I need you to tell me if you’re okay, but you keep interrupting me every five damn seconds.”

The dragonslayer's wounded chest was panting, his clothes ripped and torn just like her’s were, she was sure. But she was speechless. She just stared into his eyes, the desperation swirling in them making her lose all sense of where she was, what she was doing. 

It had never occurred to her that all the time she spent worrying about him, he was worried for her as well. 

Natsu shook her again. “C’mon, Luce, you gotta work with me! Where does it hu–”

“I’m fine!” Snapping out of her trance, she smiles wetly, and Natsu looks like she’s grown two heads. “I’m-I’m banged up, but I’m okay.”

“What’re you smilin’ for?” He asks, and the hands on her head turn her skull on her neck, clearly searching for some kind of brain injury. “Happy, I think she hit her head too hard.”

“Stop it, Natsu!” She shoves him back slightly, but it still laughing, her cheeks hurting from her grin, and probably a sunburn. “I’m okay, I’m alive!”

Those eyes zero in on her. 

She puts his hand over her heart. “I’m alive, and so are you. Even though we got separated, we both made it back here in one piece.” 

“You’re alive.” Natsu repeats, swallowing, the hand on her chest tightening. 

She holds it there. “You are, too.”

Natsu looks at her for a long moment before his busted up face, bleeding and splintered, breaks out into the brightest smile she’s ever seen. Lucy kicked herself for being so scared that she’d never see it again. 

“We’re alive!” He cheered, shouting into the townsquare, jumping around as a tired, battered Happy sat on the fountain, raising his own arms weakly in support. 

Natsu pumped his fists, chanting and drawing attention to their spot as he spun, and Lucy bathed in his happiness. “We’re alive, and Lucy’s alive, and nothing will ever tear us down!” 

Natsu comes back to her, and brings her into his celebration. Despite both of their injuries, he scoops her up in the tightest hug imaginable, his defined arms wrapping around her waist and twirling her in the air. She was startled at first as her sore feet left the ground, gripping onto his shoulders to balance herself. 

But his hold was assuring, and he just couldn’t stop smiling about how he was here with her, and she relaxed. Instead, Lucy threw her head back and called out to the townspeople who were surely staring at them already. 

“You hear that?” Her tired voice carried over the cobblestones, laughing into the open sky. “We’re alive!”

She looked down to see that he was already looking at her, his chin on her chest as he kept her in the air. 

His crooked, wide, real smile washed over her in fiery waves, and his arms felt so assuring as they folded themselves around her waist. She knew he would never drop her, never let her fall, never leave her without a fight. 

And, Mavis, she couldn’t help what she did next. Nothing could’ve stopped her from cupping her hands over his cheekbones again, her thumbs supporting the line of his jaw, and pulling his lips to hers. 

She had to lean down a great deal, keep his chin tilted towards hers, but she got there. Slotting her lips over his full ones under such a rush of adrenaline, she forgot about his busted lip. The taste of iron flooded into her mouth, but she ignored it over the sparks that shot down her spine as she kissed him, her fingers moving to thread through his hair and bring him closer. 

His arms around her tightened in what she could only assume to be shock. She silenced his cheers enough to hear the bubbling of the fountain next to them, and felt his sharp intake of breath. But her adrenaline was too high to stop, to go back to a life without his lips on hers. So as long as he wasn’t pushing her away, she would selfishly kiss him until he did. 

And he wasn’t. Instead, she felt herself being slowly lowered to the ground, their lips still connected as their bodies dragged against each other, clothes rumpling between them. One of her toes touched the ground as she was delicately placed back onto her feet, erasing the feeling of weightlessness she’d been feeling. 

Apparently, her courage left with it. 

Lucy pulled back, her brown eyes wide over blushing cheeks as she loosened her grip on his locks, immediately looking for her partner's reaction while screaming on the inside. 

His eyes had closed at some point, and they were still shut when she backed away a little, as much as she could with his arms still wrapped around her. But then they opened, and she swallowed at his dilated pupils, eyes dazed as he looked down at her. 

“What…” Natsu spoke first, hushed breath scraping over gravel, and she tensed under his hold. “What was that?”

Swallowing, she wanted to retreat, wanted to actually go back into that forest and hide in those vengeful leaves. “A, uh, a kiss.”

Her first kiss, and probably his too. Their first kiss. 

The corners of his lips, the same pair that had fit so perfectly against hers, quirked up. “I know that, weirdo.” He cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. “But what was it for?”

“I…I don’t know.” Lucy sputtered, her hands moving down to the base of his throat. “It just…felt right, I guess.” 

Her heart was beating too loudly, and she knew he heard it as she looked at him with uncertainty. 

But then one of his hands that had an iron lock on her waist trailed up her side, holding her face in his palm. 

“Okay.” He said, simply, before pulling her back in and kissing her with more confidence, giving her ample time to embroider her fingers back through his hair. 

Her body arched into him, and they kissed at their meeting point, gingerly avoiding the injuries and tender bruises they had suffered to get back to each other. 

But she was alive. And, at this moment, she had never felt more like it. 

thank you for reading! see you tomorrow!

day one | day three

[book--brackets]

The 13 Clocks by James Thurber (1950)

The hands of all thirteen clocks stand still in the gloomy castle on a lonely hill where a wicked Duke lives with his niece, the beautiful Princess Saralinda. The Duke fancies he has frozen time, for he is afraid that one day a Prince may come and win away the hand of the Princess—the only warm hand in the castle. To thwart that fate, he sets impossible tasks for Saralinda’s suitors. But when the bold Prince Zorn of Zorna arrives, disguised as a wandering minstrel, and helped by the enigmatic Golux, the cold Duke may at last have met his match.

The Edge Chronicles by John Stewart and Chris Riddell (1998-2019)

Fourteen-year-old Quint Verginix is the only remaining son of famous sky-pirate Wind Jackal. He and his father have journeyed to the city of Sanctaphrax – a great floating rock, bound to the ground below by a chain, its inhabitants living with their heads literally in the clouds.

But the city hides a dangerous secret: deep inside the great rock, something horrible lurks. With his father away, Quint may be the only one who can save Sanctaphrax from the dreaded curse of the gloamglozer . . .

The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba (2018-present)

“No killing Goblins.”

So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.

It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.

In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn.

She’s an [Innkeeper].

The Moorchild by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (1996)

Half moorfolk and half human, and unable to shape-shift or disappear at will, Moql threatens the safety of the Band. So the Folk banish her and send her to live among humans as a changeling. Named Saaski by the couple for whose real baby she was swapped, she grows up taunted and feared by the villagers for being different, and is comfortable only on the moor, playing strange music on her bagpipes.

As Saaski grows up, memories from her forgotten past with the Folks slowly emerge. But so do emotions from her human side, and she begins to realizethe terrible wrong the Folk have done to the humans she calls Da and Mumma. She is determined to restore their child to them, even if it means a dangerous return to the world that has already rejected her once.

Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean (2006)

In August 2004 the Special Trustees of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, who hold the copyright in Peter Pan, launched a worldwide search for a writer to create a sequel to J. M. Barrie's timeless masterpiece. Renowned and multi award-winning English author Geraldine McCaughrean won the honor to write this official sequel, Peter Pan in Scarlet. Illustrated by Scott M. Fischer and set in the 1930s, Peter Pan in Scarlet takes readers flying back to Neverland in an adventure filled with tension, danger, and swashbuckling derring-do

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V. (2022)

Humanity is on the verge of discovering immortality. As a result, the avatar of Death is cast down to Earth to live a mortal life in Mumbai as twenty-something Laila Starr. Struggling with her newfound mortality, Laila has found a way to be placed in the time and place where the creator of immortality will be born. Will Laila take her chance to stop mankind from permanently altering the cycle of life, or will death really become a thing of the past?

Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton (1937-2000)

Once Mollie and Peter have discovered the Wishing-Chair, their lives are full of adventure. It takes them to all sorts of magical places, from the giant's castle where they rescue Chinky the Pixie, to the amazing party at Magician Greatheart's castle.

Die by Kieron Gillan (2018-2020)

DIE is a pitch-black fantasy where a group of forty-something adults have to deal with the returning unearthly horror they barely survived as teenage role-players.

Poison by Chris Wooding (2003)

Poison has always been a willful, contrary girl, prone to being argumentative and stubborn. So when she discovers that her younger sister has been abducted by the phaeries, she decides to seek out the Phaerie Lord to get her back.

But finding the Phaerie Lord is just the start of it. By leaving home, Poison steps into a murderous world of intrigue and danger, where the Lords of the Realm, a sinister pantheon of demigods, are conspiring to overthrow the Hierophant- the most powerful lord of all. For the Hierophant is writing again, and his pen will decide all their fates... including Poison's.

With only her wits and her friends to aid her, Poison must survive the lethal attentions of the Phaerie Lord, rescue her sister, and thwart a plot that could mean the end of her people. What awaits her is beyond anything she can imagine.

Deeplight by Francis Hardinge (2019)

The gods are dead. Decades ago, they turned on one another and tore each other apart. Nobody knows why. But are they really gone forever?

When 15-year-old Hark finds the still-beating heart of a terrifying deity, he risks everything to keep it out of the hands of smugglers, military scientists, and a secret fanatical cult so that he can use it to save the life of his best friend, Jelt. But with the heart, Jelt gradually and eerily transforms. How long should Hark stay loyal to his friend when he’s becoming a monster—and what is Hark willing to sacrifice to save him?

[nerdanel01]

Rook Questionaire - Agnes Gallatus

tagged by @eavangeek, thank you!

Under the cut due to length! Tagging @ass-deep-in-demons @nostalgiaclown @starfleetteddybear @racheloleo @the-grand-gemini @truebluedreamer @jusbeinkt @blindvogel @erikonil @hmserebusadjacent (no pressure!) in case you want to join + play :) (also anyone else who sees this should also feel free to join in and tag me if you fill it out :D)

Where in Thedas is your Rook from? Agnes grew up in the countryside, in the part of western Nevarra that has changed hands between Nevarra and Orlais a few times. I headcanon this to mean there are some people who live their who consider themselves “Orlesian” and have a more Orlesian culture, although this is exclusively the peasant/lower class. Agnes’ mother Madeline would have been one of those peasants. Her father is a Nevarran noble, but very minor nobility; she was raised on his estate, first as a servant, then later as one of the members of the household after her mother passed away. Because her father’s estate is so far west, she was sent to the Circle at Perendale when her magic manifested, rather than the fancier Circle in Cumberland. She also has a slight southern inflection to her pronounciation because of all this, which means everyone else in the Mourn Watch clocks her as a hayseed pretty much from day one.

What is your character’s alignment? She’d like to think she’s lawful good, but despite how hard she tries she’s really a messy, chaotic good.

Race and subclass? Human, Spellblade mage.

If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found? Minrathous, because Agnes is definitely still getting run out of Nevarra by the nobility after the War of the Banners one way or the other, even if she doesn't end up as "Rook" Rook. 😬

What emotion did they usually pick? Aggressive/stoic, but it’s a mask. She mellows out to the soft supportive/approving Rook when she’s talking to someone she likes (mostly just the companions.)

What companion are they platonically close with? Agnes is closest with Bellara, although Davrin is probably a close second.

Romantically close with? She’s been disgustingly obsessed with Emmrich since she was like, 19, if that counts as “close.”

Who are they suspicious of? ILLARIO FROM DAY ONE. FROM GO SHE DOESN’T TRUST THAT MAN. Also, every time Solas so much as breathes in her direction she thinks he’s planning something awful for her. She's not always wrong.

Does your Rook get along with their chosen faction? For the most part, Agnes “got along” with the rest of the Mourn Watch in the way that oil and water “get along.” But there were a few rare exceptions where she made a friend… or an enemy. :)

Are they proficient in playing any instruments? Solas is trying to teach her the harpsichord. It isn’t going well!

Weapon of choice? Orb & dagger babeyyyyy. Let her get up close with her magic and stabby stab.

What is their orientation? Like, I know this, but I don’t know that Agnes does…. She’s not 100% hetero but she’s been obsessed with Emmrich for so long I don’t think she’s ever really had the chance to discover that she’s maybe a little bi.

What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it? Don’t tell anyone, but she likes it. Not because of anything to do with the bloodshed itself—she’s not really bloodthirsty—but it gives her great satisfaction to know that she is strong enough (and capable enough) to protect the people, communities, and ideas she cares about. She enjoys killing because she’s good at it; because she thinks it can help keep the people she loves safe, and protect her, in some measure, from grief. (It won’t.)

What hobbies does your Rook have? Agnes draws, although she doesn’t really consider herself an ‘artist’ in the typical sense. Her drawings are meant to be renderings, not artistic depictions: true to scale diagrams of monuments and anomalies in the Necropolis that Emmrich has asked her to draw to illustrate his scholar’s logs. She maintains this ‘hobby’ after she leaves the Mourn Watch, but never really considers herself an artist so much as a person who looks at things carefully. I would say her drawing style is more architectural than expressive. She loves the opera, it’s her #1 fixation. Not really a hobby so much as a coping mechanism, but she’s also frequently found to be cleaning—either her Mourn Watch cell or Emmrich’s study.

What NPCs do they like? Which ones do they dislike? I mean, as indicated above, she dislikes Illario pretty much from ‘go.’ No one else is really able to get under her skin that way… although she doesn’t really love the dude selling conspiracy theory newspapers in Minrathous either, even if he is Neve’s contact.  As far as the ones she likes… I’m not sure that she and Viago have a warm relationship, exactly, but they have common interests and a mutual respect for each other. She likes Shathaan a lot, because in some ways her protectiveness over Taash reminds Agnes of her own mother. Of course, she has a complicated relationship with Myrna and Vorgoth because of the War of the Banners and her own damage about being part of the Mourn Watch in general, but those are also positive relationships.  She has a… complicated history with Johanna Hezenkoss, who advocated for her inclusion in the Mourn Watch. :)  In general though she tends to keep people at arms’ length, so she doesn’t have super strong opinions about most of the NPCs.

Do they have a favorite creature in Thedas? She’s not really a big animal lover, but Agnes has a massive weak spot for Assan.

Do they enjoy life as an adventurer? I’m not sure it’s that she likes her life as an adventurer so much as she really wasn’t so hot about her life in the Mourn Watch…. She does enjoy the things that life as an adventurer has brought her, though, specifically all her new friends in the Veilguard. It’s really the first time in her life she gets to feel that kind of camaraderie.

What would your Rook be doing if they weren’t recruited by Varric? Getting cauliflower ear and developing chronic pain while fighting for her dinner in Dock Town.

How do you think they’ll meet their end? Spoilers for when I am laid in earth, sorry! :)

Would they side with Solas or fight him? Their relationship is so volatile it really depends on the day. Ask her again tomorrow.

What is your Rook’s favorite ability? Omg that Voidblade though. Rush in and stabby stab stab and EVISCERATE

What languages is your character fluent in? Common, Tombscript (written)

What do they do after an absolute crisis? Sit in silence staring at a wall, not processing, not talking to anyone. Shoving it down as deep as she possibly can.

Does your character believe in the afterlife? Yes, but she doesn’t have any concrete ideas about what that looks like or feels like. But she has a high sense of conviction that there is something beyond death; that it is more like stepping through a door than a curtain coming down at the end of a play.

What specialization best represents your Rook? Spellblade. Get up in their business and fuck shit up.

What animal best represents your Rook? Mabari—capable of cuddling at your feet in front of a fire but also capable of chewing someone’s face off if pushed. But distinctly a domesticated animal; not a wolf.

What was their life like before the events of Veilguard? Immediately proceeding? Pretty grim—having left Nevarra and the Mourn Watch, she’s basically having a midlife crisis. Has left her boo behind. Has chopped off all her hair. Is feeding herself every day from the betting proceeds she earns in an illegal dueling ring. It’s not a good time! Agnes did not love Minratous, and most of the time she lived there she spent punishing herself for things that were probably out of her control.

Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader? Oh no, she’s totally the leader. She hates it, but she owns up to it and what it means. It’s not the first time she’s had that burden, so when Varric asks her to take over in his place, she’s not half-assing it—she becomes boss.

If you could choose a different faction for your Rook, which one would they have joined and why? I mean, I wouldn’t… but there’s definitely a world where Agnes could have gotten involved with the Shadow Dragons in Minrathous if she hadn’t had the Depression so bad. She doesn’t really get over that until Varric recruits her.

What’s your favorite thing about your Rook? Hard to name one thing… in general, I really like that compared to my Inquisitor, Rook is a total mess. I like that she can be selfish, I like that she can be manipulative, but mostly I like that she’s just kind of… pathetic, on some level, most of the time, despite her higher-than-average capacity for physical violence. I do quite love that she saw an opera about someone killing themselves due to the pain of unrequited love, said “skill issue” and just started to repress her affection for Emmrich even harder. I think what I especially like is the way her psychic damage aligns in the most fucked-up perfect way with Emmrich’s… like I maybe thought before the game came out her being in love with him for 20 years without saying anything was a stretch, but in reality it is absolutely not. These two are so down bad for each other but both so unaccustomed to unrequited love that of course they don’t want to risk what warmth and affection already exists between them, of course they are just willing to take what they can get from each other and not risk rocking the boat because their partnership is the closest thing they’ve felt to family… which they are both suffering from a lack of. 

Bonus: some of the characters that inspired her :) not exhaustive

[bookerwrites]

Hope Has a Place (In a Lover's Heart)

Cross posted on AO3 here!

Pairing: Solas/Lavellan

Summery: Lavellan let's Solas in on a little game she used to play.

Word Count: 1,302

Content: Fluff, light angst, some good old hurt/comfort, discussion of spirits. Spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

“I was right about you.” Lavellan sighs as she turns the page of her book, squeezing Solas’ hand softly. They’re sat beside each other on the sofa in the reflection room, thighs pressed together as they read quietly.

“Oh? How so, vehnan?” Solas asks, his attention not quite wrested from his reading. Lavellan shifts next to him, untucking one leg from under herself as she dog ears her page and turns to face him, a mischievous smile slipping onto her face that he doesn’t quite catch.

“I always knew you’d be a spirit of wisdom.”

Solas is startled, momentarily, by her words, his book tumbling into his lap as he looks up at her in shock. “You-You knew?” He asks, his voice almost imperceptibly higher as he swallows nervously before clocking the teasing look on Lavellan’s face.

“Oh.” He murmurs, his brows creasing as he picks up his book and tries to find his place. As she presses closer to him she catches the wry little smile that he’s trying to stop from tugging at the corner of his lips.

“It was a game I liked to play on long journeys.” She says softly as she leans down and wraps her arms around his waist, making herself comfortable between his legs, chin resting on his chest as she looks up at him. “I’d try to match you all up with which spirit I thought represented you best.”

“Ah, an…interesting thought experiment.” Solas replies, trying his best to feign disinterest.

Lavellan shrugs half-heartedly, smile curling further across her face. “It staved off the boredom, and the cold.” She says as she digs her fingers into his sides to get at his attention.

Solas lets out what anyone else might describe as an entirely undignified yelp, snapping his book shut as he looks down at the woman currently using him as a glorified pillow. Instinct dictates he berate her – all be it gently – for such conduct in a place where anyone could see them, a remnant of their Inquisition days that he realises all to quickly no longer applies.

He catches the tail end of her laughter, soft and rich as she sits up again, legs splayed either side of his own, hands resting against his chest. He finds he misses her warmth almost as soon as it’s gone.

“Alright.” He smiles, and this time it reaches his eyes as he concedes. “Colour me intrigued.”

“Well, as I said- you were an easy read, vehnan.” She says as she leans down to press a kiss to the divot in his chin. Solas would deny it if asked, but he feels the way his cheeks heat up at how casually she preforms the gesture. “So was Cole, obviously.”

“Obviously.” Solas replies, recalling the young man fondly. “Who else?”

Lavellan takes a moment, tracing an idle pattern across the neckline of his shirt as she tries to remember. “Well okay, so- Vivienne always seemed like she’d be Command to me.”

“Makes sense.” Solas can’t help the way he huffs derisively at the mention of the mage, earning himself a playful smack on the shoulder that spirals them both into laughter again.

As Lavellan regains her poise above him she continues, “Josie…always seemed like a shoe in for Love.”

“Really now?” Solas asks, book relegated to the floor as he moves his hands to rest on her hips. “Not Cassandra?”

“No, Cassandra was always Duty.” She replies easily, as if the answer were obvious. Solas supposes with the amount of travelling they had done in the past she may well have considered the topic thoroughly.

“I see.” He nods softly in agreement, already invested in her line of thinking; in this little game she’s let him in on. “And what of our brave commander and cunning spymaster?”

“Oh, Honour and Faith, respectively.” She shrugs softly, shifting above him to ease the press of her knees into the plush of the cushions. Solas hums in thought as she does so, contemplating her words as his thumbs stroke softly across her hips.

“Blackwall…” Lavellan trails off for a moment, her brow quirking in the way it does when she’s deep in contemplation; in the way he loves so much. “Blackwall was Valour. But Thom Rainier is Justice.”

“Who else vehnan?” He asks, curious to see what she’ll say next. This time, he catches the mischievous glint in her eyes as she opens her mouth.

“Sera would be Courage!” The look on his face must have been clear as day, not that he cared to school his expression under these circumstances. “No-don’t look at me like that!” Lavellan laughs as she taps his nose with her finger. “You know I’m right!”

Solas makes a point of trying to nip at her finger with his teeth, feeling the frown on his face crack as she shrieks and giggles above him. He lets a long suffering sigh escape him. “I suppose-”

“Aha!” She shouts, and he feels himself pout. The look on his face only seems to spur her on, her giggling devolving into laughter again. He can’t help the smile that works its way onto his face now, despite his best efforts.

“Alright!” He laughs, grasping her wrists as she tries to dig her fingers into his sides again. “Alright, vehnan! Who else?”

“Bull- he’s Purpose.”

“And what of Dorian?”

He catches himself too late, the association between the two men spurring on his line of questioning before his brain can catch up with his mouth. Unusual for him, he thinks. Solas watches as her face falls a little, laughter dying on her tongue, her smile wistful now; no longer meeting her eyes as she stares just over his shoulder.

“Learning.” She affirms quietly, nodding to herself in conformation. Solas feels a pang of guilt settling in his chest, washing over him like cold water. She’d not gotten to say goodbye to her dear friend when she’d followed him into the Fade, something he knows she still isn’t at ease with. The feeling intensifies when he realises that there’s only one member of the Inquisition’s inner circle unaccounted for.

As he peers up at her, he sees the uncertainty work its way across her face. He moves to hold her arms, steadying her as their eyes meet again. They don’t need to say Varric’s name to know that’s both who they’re thinking of. Solas watches as she swallows around the lump forming in her throat, a tear pricking at the corner of her eye before he reaches up to wipe it away.

“Oh-vehnan, ir abelas.” He speaks quietly, like she’ some suddenly some skittish halla he’s afraid of spooking. She takes a steadying breath; deep into her lungs before she releases it all in one go.

“Perseverance.” She says, the waver in her voice lilting gently as she says it. “He’d be Perseverance.” She looks back to him in that moment, and he is sure that even if it takes him another thousand lifetimes he will never be done trying to make up for all he has put her through.

As she settles herself back down into him, he wraps her in his arms and thanks whoever will listen that she still finds him a source of comfort after all this time; even when the cause of her pain was inflicted by his own hand.

They lie together for a while, his breathing falling into tandem with the now steady rise and fall of her own. The silence between them is soft, lulling, and he almost doesn’t want to break it when a thought crosses his mind that he simply must voice.

“Hope.” He says softly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

“Hm?” She's drifting now, barely registering his words.

“You’d be Hope.” He murmurs. “Ma vehnan. My hope.”

[roman-cup]

Notes/quotes I wrote down in my phone while rereading Carry on

I thought some of them where funny so I'll share

*man using his son as a pawn voice* (The Mage):" I won't see you become anyone's pawn Simon" DAVY WHEN I GET YOU I SWEAR-

Simom talking about Baz being a vampire: "...his cheeks get really full when he has a nightmare" ^ Baz is very open that he watches Simon sleep, not enough talk about how Simon does the same thing.

Simon and Baz both watch each other sleep they are so weird/affectionate

Simon: who knows what he's capable of in his sleep/ Penny: you do, as much as you watch him.

Simon saying the only nights of his life  where he sleeps is when Baz is not there vs Baz coming back from being kidnapped and not letting himself fall sleep until he see Simon there sleeping

Simom chewed on his cross. I would too.  Someone give him a fidget cube I think he'd like one.

Penny "You don't want to know why your girlfriend was snagging your sworn enemy?" Simon "I don't know about 'sworn, I've never taken a oath"  hes so silly

Penny: "If I caught miach golding hands with Baz, I'd want an explanation" Simon: "So would I" <-- he's so silly

"Fuck Baz, he'll do whatever he can to get to me" that's true Simom, just not the way you think

According to Simon Baz's family's politics is apparently  "Dow with the Mage, peacefully and legally" which is too nice for the Mage really. Kill him. Also very funnily peaceful considering how much Simon is shit talking him

Simon called Niall Baz's best friend like there is a lot of competition there. Baz knows 2 people and 1 is his cousin

"Penny to Agatha: you know Baz better than any of us /Simon: she doesn't know him better than I do" /Simon you aren't straight

"Ebb about Baz: Well you know him best/ Simon: that's what I said too! "/ Don't validate his obsession Ebb

I think Ebb has long clocked what's going on with Baz and Simon.

Ebb you are my favorite sad lesbain

Simon starts talking about how Baz's cousin Marcus was taken out of school by the Old Familes and Penny only vaguely knows who's he's talking about. Anyways Simom you know too much about Baz's family. Meanwhile you have not mentioned your girlfriend in any meaningful way in awhile.

"But Simon Snow--- my Simon-- still can't beat his power" <-- closest The Mage has come to acknowledge Simon as a son. Also David keep his name out of your fucking mouth.

Simon " We (him and Agatha) haven't spent any time alone since our argument. Honesty it's been a relief" Simon what do you mean its been a relif that you havent hung out with your girlfriend. Simon you do not like this girl. Neither of you like each other. (He goes on to say it's "one fewer perosn asking if he's okay" but still Simon. You don't like.this girl)

[crossdressingdeath]

Morrigan as the self-proclaimed "elven lore expert" doesn't even work with a human Inquisitor because she doesn't really know what she's doing. She brings to mind someone who discovers some ancient room, and the mere discovery of it makes her think she's special. Bonus points if she also found some trinkets, and by finding them, she considers herself the rightful owner and "expert" on all things about them. Like, no real knowledge, just a desire to preserve ancient stuff that she has no idea what it does. A human Inquisitor should be able to question her knowledge like any Dalish elf, but no one is allowed to, so.. she gets to flaunt her non-existent knowledge and it is irritating.

It's an annoying thing that applies to a lot of DAI's writing, where... Morrigan being so full of herself and thinking that stealing one book from the Dalish made her smarter than them could've been fine as a character flaw! Hell, the game even gently nudges at that with the moment where if Quiz has the arcane knowledge perk—which has the description "A detailed study of magic and the places and creatures that interact with it"—their training allows them to immediately clock that the Well has a magical geas on it, something Morrigan is completely flabbergasted by because she had no idea. There's also a moment earlier where Morrigan is confused by the presence of wolf statues outside the temple; Lavellan and Solas aren't, but if Lavellan explains why the Dalish do that Morrigan completely dismisses it as silly Dalish superstition and so meaningless even though "okay this is the reasoning that has been passed down to me, so it's the best guess I've got for why my ancestors did it" is in fact way better than anything Morrigan can figure out (which is... nothing), a solid line of reasoning to follow, and a decent guess in general. We haven't heard the full reasoning at this point but based on what we know about Solas and Mythal and the Evanuris the Dalish story probably isn't far off the mark! But instead of any acknowledgement of that Morrigan's complete dismissal of Lavellan's explanation as worthless superstition that has nothing to do with the decisions of Lavellan's ancestors is allowed to stand unchallenged.

And it really drives me nuts that the game just lets Morrigan's claim that she's a real expert stand, because it could have been really interesting if they'd done something similar to what they do with Solas's spirit friend where Lavellan can understand the dialogue but no one else can because it's in elven. It makes sense for a human, dwarf or Qunari to take Morrigan at her word; they're told she's an expert, and elven religion and magic aren't things they likely would've studied. But Lavellan should absolutely be able to recognize she's full of shit. Especially mage Lavellan, I will never be over the fact that Dalish mages are priests but mage Lavellan has nothing exclusive to them to say about visiting the temples of their gods (not that Lavellan in general gets to say much about visiting Evanuris temples but y'know). I made a post a while ago about how great it would be if Solas and Lavellan could fuck with Morrigan by lying outright about what the writing in the temple says and watching her go along with everything they say because she absolutely cannot read more of it than the ancient elf or the Dalish elf who seems unusually fluent in the language (and unusually fluent for a Dalish elf is insanely fluent for anyone else) and doesn't want to admit that she can't tell what it says.

At the end of the day Morrigan is an "expert" just because very few people know anything about the eluvians. I don't know how active the Veil Jumpers are at this point in the timeline, so the only people I can say with confidence understand anything about them (discounting ancient elves like Solas and Mythal) are Merrill and Briala. And I mean... Merrill repaired and purified a Blighted eluvian on her own (Morrigan, for context since The Last Court was taken down and not everyone played it, required the help of the incredible Serault glassworks and her eluvian wasn't even Blighted as far as we know) and Briala from what I understand (still haven't read TME, I keep meaning to) controlled a decent chunk of the network for at least a while. Both of them make Morrigan look at best unimpressive in comparison; look at them, and then remember that Morrigan's claim to knowing more about the eluvians than the Dalish is that she found one and fixed it... using a book... that she stole... from the Dalish. It's a combination of the bad vibes of this human woman claiming she knows more than the elves about their own history, the fact that the only knowledge we've seen her collect on the subject is one book that she stole from the Dalish, and the way Quiz can show her up with basically zero effort and the game just brushes past that without acknowledging that it's a massive blow to her credentials. If they'd acknowledged that she clearly doesn't know as much as she thinks she does or had her admit that to some extent she's figuring it out as she goes (and fucking listen to the people around her who know more than her, the way she belittles the Dalish when Lavellan offers an explanation for why there are Fen'Harel statues at the temple—which is more explanation than Morrigan offers, by the way—really makes me want to punch her) it would've been fine! Either acknowledge that her being so sure she knows best is a flaw in her character instead of trying to pretend she's right or have her admit she doesn't know what's best but does know more than a lot of people and wants to help as best she can; the way they handled it is just incredibly messy and really put me off ever seeing her in a game again.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Adventure: War's Bitter Dregs

Discontent with the recent declaration of peace and looking to gain favour with an increasingly influential demagogue, a group of brigands sought to assassinate a foreign ambassador who they held responsible for ending the conflict that had been their livelihood. Things didn't go to plan, and the brigands ended up capturing the ambassador's daughter instead, fleeing with her into the hinterlands

The Ambassador wants her daughter returned, the kingdom's rulers want to avoid a diplomatic incident, and so the party has been sent for and promised a great reward if they can get the woman back safe.

Challenges & Complications:

Trekking through the wilderness is difficult enough, to say nothing about doing so with ticking clock with lives on the line. To make matters worse, the brigands KNOW someone will likely be coming after them, and so will have scouts and lookouts keeping an eye out for any form of pursuit. If the party barrel in and raise the alarm, they might not find the hostage at all, or worse yet get her killed. They'll need to be quick, careful, and pin down exactly where the ambassador's daughter is before risking an assault.

Though they have hidden camps and boltholes scattered about the region, the most obvious place for the brigands to be based out of is the ruined fortress overlooking the river. From there they not only have an extremely defensible position, but the ability to flee quickly over water should they be cornered. Both the party and the brigands know that this is the most obvious fallback point, so either group going there first is a gamble.

For her part, Patriana the ambassador's daughter is waiting for an opportunity to make her own escape. Her captors haven't yet realized she's a mage, and she aims to keep them in the dark up until she finds an opening. Perhaps the party can give her one.

The kidnappers are divided on whether they want to ransom Patriana, brutalize her as an outlet for their grievances, or use her in a trap to ensnare the dignitary, but it won't be too long before one faction or the next loses patience. Managing to infiltrate the brigands may present an opportunity to turn one group against another and mount an escape in the ensuing chaos.

Art 1

Art 2

[midnigtartist]

SpellBomb au where Gale has yet to become Mystra’s chosen/ up in coming arch mage and meets Dotty while her family is doing politics in Waterdeep and she doesn’t like him much at first bc he comes off very pompous but as he drops his guard around her she starts to warm up to him and its very regency and they start courting and maybe Gale is spending less time pursuing that Chosen statues and maybe Mystra shows up and tells him not to let himself get distracted and maybe hes trying to manage everyone’s expectations of him while trying to maintain a mortal relationship and also there’s a ticking clock bc Dotty won’t stay in Waterdeep forever and I just won’t think about how Gale would have short hair and no beard in this au

[ebongawk]

hellcheer au: Eddie as a magician that might have real magic powers

oooh interesting! okay:

I'm thinking actually a modern AU (or maybe canon-era AU) where Eddie's always had an unexplainable affinity for sleight of hand tricks (like sometimes he's not even sure how he pulls it off) and he uses it to show off a little but also to win bets and card games.

Maybe he's made something of a name for himself as a performer who will actually steal your socks (after he blows them off, of course) but he also bets the bigger fish in the audience all the money in their wallet that, by the end of the game, without touching them, he'll have their wallets in his possession. (this is one of the tricks he's not sure how he pulls off, but the wallet always ends up in his vest pocket.)

One day he gets in it with some shady dealer who has way too much money on him. Eddie ofc never knows how much money he's going to end up with after these tricks, he can just tell who has the most. Plus, the dude's date is, like, way too hot. And though he wins, fair and square, the guy and his goons try to corner him after the show to take it back.

The aforementioned arm candy of the shady dealer is a hired date (just a date, nothing more) and she realizes what's going to happen. Watching from the distance, all these guys converge on the poor magician, and he manages to catch her eye after a few punches to the face. Suddenly, an inexplicable power bursts from him, sending all the guys to their backs. Unconscious.

Before he can say or do anything, the girl walks up and says, "I knew you had potential, and I've been watching you, but it's impossible to get an invitation to your show without knowing someone. Come with me, you have so much to learn." Eddie's like wtf who are you? And she smiles and says, "My name is Chrissy. You and I are mages."

BONUS ALTERNATIVE: everything happens as I listed it except Chrissy isn't present for the show, Eddie's freaked out by his own power and starts researching magic at a little metaphysical/esoteric shop owned by Chrissy and she immediately clocks him for what he is.

send a prompt and I'll make up five facts about it!