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platoniccereal · 2 years

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meet inquisitor allaros lavellan! :)

there are some facts about him under the cut.

★ Allaros is a Dalish elf, but he was taken from an alienage in Orlais at an early age. ★ a big boy!! just like Sera, he’s taller than elves usually are and his build is closer to humans. ★ a knight enchanter. ★ Allaros was raised as a future keeper and would be crying screaming throwing up if he had to work under anyone’s command. ★ due to that he’s very self-conscious about his public appearance as a perfect leader without any weakness, never lacking confidence or will to lead people. ★ so- steadily declining mental health, huh? ★ a bitter miserable fuсker. very pessimistic. ★ well, y’know, this just happens when your life is a trope Homeland vs. Home, but you belong to neither. ★ would never be happy as a politician in Orlais and would’ve never forgiven himself if he chose a less influential life of a Keeper. ★ very good friends with Dorian and Sera, tho both had pretty strained relationships in the beginning. ★ Dorian is also involved in some sort of fwb with Allaros and Bull. ★ listening to Josie ranting for hours on end. ★ Solas as a mentor figure. Allaros wants to drain all the knowledge from this baldussy. Solas teaches him more advanced Elven. ★ immensely in love with Bull. considers himself the luckiest man but is afraid to never be up to par. ★ Allaros escalates, Bull de-escalates. ★ hot-headed and quick-tempered. throws nasty hissy fits when no one sees. ★ and in this prideful fierce elf who wants change Solas sees himself. ★ all bitchy and arrogant when it comes to his magic abilities. ★ especially when someone doubts that he’s the most dangerous person in a room. ★ can you tell Allaros is a pyromaniac fire mage. ★ Allaros is a tattoo master in the modern au. ★ also, a metalhead and a punk together with Sera. ★ prone to substance abuse. ★ looks intimidating and is intimidating. ★ all Allaros’ life seems to be leading to the moment when he becomes a leader. he was taught how to make decisions for a group and deal with their consequences. +1 point to leadership. ★ the tombstone in the ade says “powerlessness”. ★ grew up without an opportunity to stand up for himself safely. is overcompensating now. ★ bitсh is as defensive and tense as a strung bow. ★ will argue with anyone about anything. fuсking medieval sjw. ★ folks are annoyed at first. Allaros grows on some of them when they see that he’s ready to speak out about anything he disagrees with and stands up for them as well. ★ a good orator and rhetorician due to that. Josie would be proud. +1 point to leadership. ★ but he learns how to tone it down. ★ plus, he just grows tired. ★ knows how to play flute and piano. ★ there was a time when Allaros was separated from his clan, so he had to spend a few of teenage years being a city elf. he’s seen some gruesome crаp and very clearly realized what human oppression means. ★ Allaros was able to return to his clan in the year the mage uprising began and shit started hitting the fan. the storage with phylacteries was destroyed along the way as he already was at his breaking point. ★ it’s possible that some part of a circle was damaged as well. it’s ok, though, only the Templars remained there. ★ Allaros led the rest of rebelling mages out and then found them dead because of the leak. went on a killing spree. was captured. the rest you can imagine.

★ you need to tie his knife to a holster when he talks to Cullen for longer than 5 minutes. ★ the temple of Mythal gave Allaros like 100 points of a psychic damage due to all shem bullshit he heard from a crew. ★ he didn’t drink from the Well. neither did Morrigan. Merrill did! what about it? ★ hates the lightning branch of magic. too much things to take into consideration.

★ jumpy as hell. like. as hell. ★ actually arachnophobic. ★ you can’t be adulated if you think all the praise is a lie!

★ there’s a number of things Allaros and Bull have in common. the inner rage that is always there, one that cannot be poured into a battle, originated from the powerlessness to prevent something from happening, whether it’s oppression or violence. ★ the ability to help others but not themselves. ★ there’s a role and a duty, and anything besides is taught to be unimortant. ★ the faith one has to have, defined by the heritage a keeper has to pass or life under the qun, and anything behind that doesn’t matter. ★ Allaros asks Bull how did the re-educators helped him. he asks was there an end goal of his stay on Seheron. Allaros doesn’t do that to trap Bull, it is pure curiosity. still, there’s bite to it, and Bull wants to answer honestly. ★ Allaros has got tattoos all over his body in the canon as well as in the modern au. ★ these hella sick tattoos that appear on Bull when they declare each other Kadan? Allaros has made them for Bull. romantic as hell.

★ cis? trans? it’s anyone’s guess. ★ “if not me then who” kinda attitude is what pervades his every decision. this what makes Bull warm up to him at first. also +1 point to leadership. ★ Allaros is afraid that the power will devour him - and there are all reasons to be afraid of that. ★ trade isn’t his first language, half of the time he thinks in Elven. idgaf. ★ Bull teaches him Qunlat, Allaros teaches him Elven. they have small-talks to train each other.

★ Allaros’ path as the Inquisitor is soul-draining. he’s depressed and pushed to his limit in the beginning due to the events in the past. ★ Haven and Skyhold feel lonely. he has little to none people like him. everything’s andrastian through and through. most of his views clash with the views shems have. he’s tensed up most of the time. ★ he surrounds himself with like-minded people. in the end of the day, Leliana is the new Divine, Briala rules Orlais, chevalier shem is her pet, he keeps in touch with Fiona and the hero of Ferelden. ★ he devours greedily all the knowledge that is available to him because for most of his people it isn’t. ★ he’s still depressed but he drags himself by the ears into the future because he has a new duty now, he has an opportunity none of his people have. he has to make their lives better. he’s back on his feet again. ★ can you tell the Trespasser is a train wreck that sends him into an identity crisis. ★ can you tell Jaws of Hakkon just straight up annihilate him. ★ everything he’s working on will be regressed no matter how hard he tries just because he’s an elven mage trying to win in shem’s politics. everything he hoped for when he accepted the title of the Inquisitor is now torn to shreds.

★ but the Inquisition still stands. he needs political influence and something to his name to make lives of elves and mages better, even if in the end of the day it means nothing. ★ in Home vs. Homeland he ends up in the Homeland. he has to work in Orlais. what the fuсk!! he hates this country. ★ but oh well alrighty then. +1 point to leadership.

★ Allaros has got a pretty strong Dalish accent. ★ Allaros’ fighting style is all about speed and little to no break between spells. lots of field control, doesn’t pay much attention to anyone who tries to attack him. pays no attention to fallen companions preferring to carry the battle to the victory on his shoulders. ★ his romance with Bull is about two scarred decent people just trying to help people however they can, y’know?

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #dai #oc: allaros lavellan #inquisitor lavellan #iron bull #my post #platoniccereal art #iron bull x inquisitor #i was making this one for so long #if youve read this youre a hero and im v grateful

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thatrandombystander · 1 year

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Why do parts of the Dragon Age fandom always say that the mage love interests always betray you? I didn't understand this stance when I played the games initially, and I'm increasingly baffled by this stance. Like:

Morrigan offers to perform a blood magic ritual to save your life. If you refuse to go through with it, she leaves the party because she's frustrated you won't let her help you and she doesn't want to see her friend/lover die. If you go through with it, she literally tells you that she's going to leave after the final battle so she can responsibly raise the potentially dangerous child with the Old God soul away from societal influences that could harm the child/be hurt by the powerful child. There's no betrayal here. She's just a character with her own agency who chooses to leave your side, for perfectly good reasons.

Anders destroying the Kirkwall chantry and instigating a mage rebellion has nothing to do with Hawke. Personally, I'm miffed that he didn't ask me to help him (because fuck the Chantry), but even if you're playing a Hawke who opposed it, it's not a personal betrayal! If my friend murdered someone I wasn't close to tomorrow, that would be fucked up, but it wouldn't be a betrayal! Even after blowing up the Chantry he just sits down and let's you decide his fate. The only time he tries to harm Hawke and team is if you let him live and then side with the Templars to exterminate the mages (unless he's 100% Rival where you can convince him to join you). Of course he's going to do that! Your actions are antithetical to his entire worldview, and frankly it's a betrayal on your part because it shows that you never actually agreed or believed that he and other mages should be able to live free of persecution.

Merrill doesn't do anything to betray or harm you either, except in very specific circumstances she'll fight against a Hawke who sides with the Templars at the end of the game. Again, I'd consider this your betrayal, for the same as it's betraying Anders.

Dorian. What is there even to say about Dorian. He's a sweetheart who never lifts a finger against you. Even a low-approval Dorian will just try to work with an asshole Inquisitor as best he can.

Solas is the ONE exception. Three games in and we've finally got a mage love interest betrayal. Responsible for kicking off the plot of Inquisition and literally uses information from his time as your team member to install spies in the Inquisition and undermine you, and is planning to cause his own little apocalypse event.

And that's all our mage love interests! I refuse to listen to any more slander about "betrayal" against Anders or Morrigan! Solas is the only character who deserves to be shunned! Thank you for coming to my rant!

#ramblings of a bystander #dragon age #i'm not gonna bother tagging all the characters or individual games.

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barbex · 3 years

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@midnightprelude this is all your fault, a dorianders fic. This is for @30daysofdorian

Dorian x Anders, in Skyhold.

Tempted Tevinter

“Have you heard?”

Dorian changes the angle of his head slightly to listen to a former chantry sister and a former circle mage talking behind a column in the garden. They have many “formers” here now, and quite a few unusual friendships have sprouted in this strange hotbed of Skyhold. Dorian has found himself in a disturbingly nice friendship with a dalish mage, a qunari mercenary, and a former knight of the templar order, of all things. A chantry sister and a circle mage sticking their heads together in gentle familiarity is not even that unusual.

“What have I heard?”

“They got him, the rebel.”

“Which one? They’re all apostates now if you listen to the Chantry.” There is a beat of intense silence, for which Dorian can vividly imagine the scrutinizing look the mage gives his friend. “I don’t mean that I listen to the Chantry, you know that.”

The mage clears his throat and holds a dramatic pause before he reveals his knowledge. “It’s Anders, the rebel-mage who blew up the Chantry of Kirkwall.”

“Maker! I thought he was dead. How did they find him?”

“He found us, he came to the Inquisition on his own. Walked up to the gate, said who he is and asked to be let in. They didn’t believe him at first, but they called the Commander over and he recognized him.”

“By Andraste’s heart, he didn’t kill him outright?”

“Welling said the Commander went totally still. His voice was barely more than a whisper when he ordered him to be arrested.”

“When the Commander gets quiet like that —”

“— you know that he’s really angry.”

Dorian closes his book and quietly leaves his secluded corner of the garden. News like these are too interesting to keep working on old tevinter tomes. His steps take him back into the main hall, guided by the cacophony of angry voices yelling over each other. He keeps himself to the shadows, casting a light illusion spell over himself to stay hidden and studies the scene before him.

Inquisitor Lavellan sits on the floor in front of her throne, Varric stands on the step leading up to the throne and Cullen paces around them, stomping up and down the stairs. Josephine leans against the backrest of the throne, frowning at the Commander but keeping quiet. The Commander and Varric are not quite yelling, both of them aware how much Lavellan and Josephine hate yelling, but their tempers are too high to speak reasonably.

Cullen points his finger at Varric, even though he obviously speaks for Lavellan’s benefit. “He doesn’t even deny that he’s guilty, he should be put on trial.”

“And then what?” Varric yells back. “Do you know what kind of figure he is for the mages here? He’s a spirit of guidance by now, they worship him.”

“He still should be punished!” Cullen turns to Lavellan, lowering his voice a little when he catches her frown. “People died, not only in the explosion but also in the aftermath's chaos.” He turns back to Varric. “You should know that.”

Varric pinches the bridge of his nose and then looks up as if he wants to ask for help from the Maker himself. “You know, if you’d asked me maybe six or seven weeks ago, I would have agreed with you. But now, after seeing those templars...”

Tingling under his skin tells Dorian that his illusion spell is running out, and he uses the last bit of stealth to slip past the guard through the door that leads to the dungeon. The air is wet and strangely warm down here from the many hot springs that warm the castle through ingenious plumbing. He steps carefully on the wet stairs; he wouldn’t be the first one to slip here and tumble down.

The guard at the prison cells raises his eyebrow but only nods. Dorian is well known by now as belonging to the so-called inner circle and the days of him being questioned at every step as the evil magister from Tevinter are finally gone. Mostly.

He walks toward the cell with a glowing lock in front. Of course they would use a magic lock for a mage. Looking into the cell through the bars, he sees a slim figure in filthy clothes, leaning back on a stool so that his long, greasy hair sticks to the stones of the cell. Dorian wonders if the man is asleep when he suddenly speaks.

“Well, your’re not a templar.” Dark eyes turn to Dorian, studying him. “Tevinter mage, if I can guess.”

“Guessed correctly, I’m impressed. People usually go for evil magister first.”

Anders grins and Dorian is struck with the impression that all that dirt and greasy hair hides a beautiful man.

Anders touches the metal ring around his throat, a magic suppressing collar. “Can I have another guess? I owe this thing to your expertise.”

Dorian laughs out. “Correct again. I wasn’t convinced that the southern way of lacing food and water with magebane was the best way of going about suppressing magic. Magebane is nasty stuff and poisonous in the long run.”

“And we wouldn’t want to do unhealthy things to mages,” Anders growls bitterly. “I’m sure your fellow mages love you for this.”

Dorian shrugs. “I’m from Tevinter, I’m the first one to tell you of the marvelous and terrible things an angry mage can do. Ask me about time magic sometimes.”

Anders gets up from the stool and walks towards the bars. He is taller than Dorian and despite looking like he hasn’t had a decent meal in weeks, there’s an air of strength and confidence about him that has Dorian take a step back. “Why did you come here? You knew they would arrest you. The Commander seems to know you personally.”

“Curly? Oh, yes.”

Dorian snorts in surprise. “Curly? You call Cullen Curly?”

“Well, Hawke did, and Varric.”

“I must ask Varric why he never told me that.”

“Varric is here too? He just can’t stay out of shit, can he?” Anders wipes the hair from his face, leaving dark streaks on his face. “Cullen, Varric, anybody else here from Kirkwall? Merrill maybe? Dalish elf who knows too much about ancient magic she shouldn’t touch?”

Dorian pulls a handkerchief from his belt and wets it in water that springs from the wall. He hands the cloth to Anders, indicating that he should clean his face. “Never heard of a Merrill, we have Solas for that kind of job.”

Anders cleans his face, revealing a kind face with warm eyes and a cheeky grin in red stubble. “There, pretty enough for you now?”

Dorian lays his head to the side and puts his hand under his chin. “I’m afraid the unwashed hair and coat takes away from the overall effect.”

A smile spreads on Anders’ face and he uses the wet cloth to wipe over his hair, brushing it to the back of his head. The grease keeps it slicked back, and he looks surprisingly serious now, were it not for his smile. The smile makes him look young, daring even, with a livelihood about him that someone in his situation should not even have.

“You are quite beautiful,” Dorian blurts out before he can stop himself.

“Thanks.” Anders turns a bit, draping himself over the bars of his cell as if he’s on display, stretching his arm up and behind him and arching his back.

The whole pose reminds Dorian of body-slaves displaying themselves at one of the many parties he attended. Parties he loved to attend with all their pleasures. Nausea rises in him at the memories. “I would prefer if you didn’t do that,” he presses out between clenched teeth.

Anders looks at him and drops the pose, simply leaning against a bar of the gate. “Can you blame me?”

Dorian steps closer, watching Anders’ brown eyes widen. “Blame you for what?”

“I’ll tell you if you come closer.” Anders looks through the bars, his hands on either side of his face.

Dorian hesitates only a little. He’s one of the best trained mages here and the collar suppresses Anders’ magic, he isn’t a threat. Dorian takes another step closer until he stands right in front of the bars, his nose almost touching Anders’. He studies Anders’ face, the harsh lines carved into it from an equally harsh life, the warm eyes glittering with mischief.

“Closer,” Anders whispers, and when Dorian leans forward, he catches his mouth with his lips, brushing a kiss over it. He suckles on Dorian’s lower lip and then leans back. “Well.” He takes a long breath. “Can you blame me for trying to influence my jailor in my favor?”

Dorian jerks back. “I’m not your jailor.”

Anders laughs out and grabs the collar with both hands. “Certainly looks like it.”

Dorian opens his mouth for a retort when Anders’ hands begin to glow in blue, light traveling up his arms like lightning, and with high pitched noise, the collar snaps in two. Anders throws the pieces through the bars at Dorian’s feet and sits back down on the stool.

“I came here by my own will, I won’t be using magic to fight.” He leans his head back against the wet stone wall and closes his eyes. “I’ve accepted my fate and I’ll accept the judgement.”

“Fasta vass. How did you do that? It should have been impossible.” Dorian steps closer again, regardless of the danger of the unshackled mage in the cell. “Is it that spirit you merged with?”

“Justice is gone.” For the blink of an eye he looks like he is about to cry but he schools his face again. “But he left me with some kind of residue. And I was never...” He trails off, looking into the distance far beyond of his cell’s walls.

Dorian steps right up to the bars. “That’s remarkable. I need to study this, your magic.”

Turning his head, Anders grins at him. “Maybe you should talk to your inquisitor that you need me as a test subject to experiment on.”

“No!” Dorian shouts, his own reaction surprising him, the visceral recoil at this suggestion. “That’s not what I want.” In his imagination, Anders stands by his side as they study the text of an ancient book, flinging spells at each other, laughing, kissing, holding each other. The intense longing in his chest for this idea to become reality has him holding his breath in shock.

Something must have shown on his face because Anders looks at him confused. He shakes his head and leans back again. “Well, pretty jailor, please let me know soon how they’re going to kill me.”

Dorian turns around and storms out of the dungeon. Nobody will kill this man, he'll make sure of that.

#Dorian x Anders #Dorian Pavus #Anders #dragon age fanfiction #dorianders #my writing #30daysofdorian #dorianders fic

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elvesofnoldor · 5 years

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had a thought that MIGHT have been sort of cursed yesterday night. Anyways here goes: “dorian and f*nris swapped places” au where f*nris is in da:i and dorian is in da2, also f*nris x lavellan and dorian x Garrett/male hawke

#yolanda talks #like i always kinda wanna romance fenris with an elf...actually i wanna romance merrill with an elf too #i have been on that elf x elf juice at the age of 13 and the effect never wears off lmao #it was why i wanna ship my female lavellan with merrill for the longest time. and why i was SO DESPERATE to ship sera with an elf #i was so into female lavellan x merrill and i fucking gave them a ship tag lmao.#listen. i never romance fenris but i always think his romance might have been the best romance in dragon age series #BUT! the thing abt fenris x hawke is that...hawke is human. they arent gonna understand a lot of important struggles fenris'd be going thru #it's no wonder that ppl dont talk abt fenris' complicated feelings abt his...what. racial identity?#cause it doesnt pretain to he and hawke's relationship!#listen. my only two problems with fenris is that 1. his apathy towards suffering and struggles of alienage elves and 2. hes mean to merrill!#thats really it tbh. at first it was just that hes mean to merrill. but like 70% of my other negative feelings abt fenris come from his fans #like i dont fuck with fenris stans ok they are all so edgy and i dont fucking like them. and unfortunately that feeling bleed over to fenris #but at the end of the day i want him to have a family like he always wanted. i want him to feel like he belongs with his own ppl #i want him to heal! and he might find a family in hawke but would he heal with hawke? not sure #he def can not find true belonging devoting so much of his time to a human lol #either a dalish mage elf or a tevinter (mage?) elf. maybe not an alienage freedom fighter cause they might be 2 wary of fenris's attitude #anyways. for hawke x dorian. i have to say travelyan x dorian always works better but i just dont like travelyan as the inquisitor #i think he's get along with merrill just fine. he'd get along with anders just fine too. imagine an all mage team with three of them lol #but i guess he also cant go into the qunari compound huh lmao. or maybe he can and just run his mouth in arishok's face instead smh #i think tevinter vs qunari conflict would be more highlighted with dorian tbh #tevinter vs qunari conflict would be more highlighted with dorian around. and it ultimately connects back to perception of mages #which is like. the main theme in da2!#whereas fenris would be way more relevant to the main conflict in da:i #maybe i will draw some art at some point lol...like in the future

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stitchzin · 3 years

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Why I have problems with Sera

In this Video, On Sera’s Break Up With Lavellan there was this comment that I need to share. It was made by Raggedy Animator. He answered this comment

His word made so much sense to me.

Raggedy Animator: Have you actually played the City Elf Origin? Most city elves dismiss the Dalish as "heathens" and "savages" if they believe they exist at all, and Dalish elves who move into the Alienages are often left to struggle on their own. (Zevran's Dalish mother had to sell herself into prostitution after his woodcutter father died, and Merrill and Arianni are semi-pariahs in the Kirkwall Alienage.) We also see the Dalish help city elves: Alarith the shopkeeper in the City Elf Origin told how the Dalish saved him from slave hunters after he fled Tevinter, Clan Sabrae took in Pol the escaped city elf and Feynriel the half-elf, and Clan Lavellan risk their lives (and potentially die) to save the Wycome city elves from being purged. City elves give as good as they get, and Dalish elves help city elves quite often. So, Sera's intolerance of Lavellan's beliefs isn't justified. I get that she was hurt by "elfy" elves in the past, but that doesn't give her the right to hurt Lavellan over it.

NEMusic : So you spend the whole time trying to hear her fears, listen to her problems and help her through it and then she comes out with a load of racist shit about elves stinking of halla shit and stuff because she's got this internalized self-hatred and then she dumps you for disagreeing with her? Sera, here's a tip.

Catriona Pritchard : How about not calling your girlfriend, whom you know believes in this religion, a demon-worshipper? You don't have to believe it yourself, but you still shouldn't gloat over what is probably an immensely traumatising, frightening situation for your girlfriend the Dalish Elf.

My thoughts:

Is so selfish to belive Lavellan would turn her back to her entire culture, just like that. Sera never turns back on what's she wants. She has to be right all the time, or she will disapproves, this is the worst kind of relationship. Even Dorian and Solas accepts you differences believes. Around Slaves or The not Vallaslin removal. And they hear your opinion.

Solas understand that Vallaslin has a different meaning now, and Dorian starts to give his house former slaves a payment for their services. They grow, Sera does not. She is that egoist/girlfriend friend that want you to do what she wants, sometimes I don’t even recruit her. Having her friendship as an elf is the hardest thing, especially if you are a mage. You can only have a healthy romance if you pretend you don’t care about how you were raised. Which is not healthy bellow the surface.

And she is so wrong about the dalish, Arianni was accepted back as before, she says that if you talk to her at the camp, and Fenriel was treat as one of the keeper apprentice. Dalish hunters fight templars, to keep him on the clan. His difficulty was culture shock, which is pretty ok. Live in big city from a life is the wood is hard, and you don’t know anyone. Dalish probably does not like city elves, because city elf bad talk the Dalish, using the humans dialogue on repeat. (Flashback to Mahariel’s father death history, city elves and humans killed him, her mother death of depression shortly after giving birth).

She is a little better in Trespasser, But the hole inquisition time was so hard. Because the is to busy being racist to see and to accept that, She will never be human enough.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #Sera #Sera Romance #Lavellan #inquisitor lavellan #Dorian #Solas #This Game #Long Post #im sorry

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tabriscadash · 3 years

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I was asked this on my old blog right as I set about transitioning to this one, so...

The first character I ever fell in love with: for DA:O, dare I say Daveth? What can I say -- I irrationally got incredibly attached to him. otherwise, DEFINITELY Morrigan, and I have crystal clear memories of my first run through Lothering and looking at Morrigan like 😍 the whole time. For DA:2/E, Carver -- unless you count Anders & Justice since I knew of them from Awakening beforehand, in which case probably Justice. For DA:I, it’s a toss-up between Vivienne or Cole -- I technically liked Cole first but SPECIFICALLY in the supporting material (Asunder), and didn’t vibe with him anywhere near as much in the game, AND I got him as a companion after I got Vivienne, so probably Vivienne.

A character that I used to love/like, but now do not: for DA:O, I guess Oghren? I never loved him, but I liked the idea of him because I really liked the dwarves/Orzammar side of DA’s worldbuilding -- but he’s such an unlikeable character that I just.. don’t vibe with him at all. I debate recruiting him every single time now, and I don’t think I ever do his personal quest (in the base game OR Awakening). for DA:2/E, I don’t really have anyone that fits -- but I REALLY wanted to like Merrill and Aveline more than I did, and especially in Aveline’s case, I can’t stand her and genuinely think she’s the unintended, secret Big Bad of the whole game. for DA:I, probably Cole, bc I was really into the idea of a little walking-corpse serial killer animated by a spirit as per the book, but that’s not really the vibe in DA:I, and combined with the somewhat patronising/ableist language and how significantly he is infantilised (including by the fandom) I just got put off him. I do still like him, but not as much.

A ship that I used to love/like, but now do not: for DA:O, I don’t really have one? I guess see my DA:I answer, lol... for DA:2/E, has to be Anders - I don’t think he’s OOC in 2, but I think his writing does so little with him and he feels v. reductive. Where his relationship could be SO interesting and angsty, it instead is written in a really dull and/or cringey way. It would have been nice to see Anders more like the Anders of Awakening near the beginning of the game (rather than random, infrequent and questionably rare snippets), and then see the progression of his relationship with Justice as the game went on -- I want more interesting abominations, PLEASE. for DA:I, listen I cannot express to you HOW EXCITED I was for my planned Lavellan to romance Sera… also I used to be way more tolerant of Cullen x Amell/Surana ships because, like, hey dark ships are fun, right? But since Cullen’s ~wholesome whitewash~ in DA:I, and his fandom clamouring to absolve him of any wrongdoing ever.. it’s boring to me.

My ultimate favourite character™: for DA:O, probably Sten? or Morrigan. They’re both fantastic, and also are significant comfort chars for me. for DA:2/3, honestly, probably my own Hawke -- I feel so hugely proud of her, and can’t imagine I’d enjoy the game anywhere near as much had I not played it as my Hawke. If not her, maybe Sebastian or Carver? for DA:I, I really love Vivienne, as well as Blackwall, and Solas is a great character even if I probably would not say I liked him.

Prettiest character: for DA:O, we all know it’s Zevran. for DA:2/E, I think Aveline -- although her aggressively bland colour-scheme lets her down in a major way (although I respect her dedication to all orange all day every day). There’s just something about her arms -- very Abby from TLOU:2. for DA:I, maybe Josephine? Ser Barris is very pretty, too...

My most hated character: for DA:O, I really didn’t like Alistair, Wynne and Oghren, and of my companions - Oghren is probably my least favourite. He’s vulgar and also profoundly uninteresting. for DA:2/E, it has to be Aveline. There’s just something about ineptitude and a complete, wilful refusal to take accountability for your actions that I can’t stand. It would be okay if it was an intentional character flaw, but the game/narrative treats her like she’s lawful good and it really annoys me. for DA:I, maybe Iron Bull? He was a huge disappointment for me. I also really dislike Sera, Cassandra, and Varric. I’m so sick of Varric - I never want to see him again.

My OTP: for DA:O, I really loved Zevran’s romance -- but I am also very amused by the fact that Leliana got to ‘love’ status with Kallian accidentally, AND I got the ‘love’ glitch for Justice (👀) and Velanna. I do sometimes wonder about an AU where Kallian is forced to make a politically expedient marriage with Nathaniel Howe for diplomatic reasons in order to consolidate her position as Arlessa, and it being an entirely platonic arrangement (it’s not like anyone expects an heir from an infertile Grey Warden) -- and maybe Zev and Nate kiss sometimes, who knows? I also LOVE my Darkspawn Chronicles AU where Kallian and Nelaros are a happy, married couple each hiding their skills with weapons from each other like dumb, cute sweethearts. They shelter Zevran when he fails to kill Alistair and a poly couple evolves. for DA:2/E, I love the IDEA of a Seb romance that isn’t so strictly conditional around the structures that abused him -- he should be allowed to love, chastely or otherwise, but free from the Chantry OR his position as prince/heir. I’d LOVE to actually have a romance with him where you can actually challenge the abuse he’s experienced. for DA:I, Malika doesn’t have a canon romance (although I think when I replay, I’m going to romance Josephine!) but I think Blackwall has an amazing romance. Solas’ is also iconic, it must be said.

My NOTP: for DA:O, I really dislike Alistair in a shipping capacity; he’s immature and says a lot of misogynistic shit and I don’t think he’s the worst for it, but I don’t really vibe with shipping him, having played the game as a female city elf. for DA:2/E, I wouldn’t say I have one, particularly? although I really dislike Aveline’s relationship with her husband simply because it seems incredibly inappropriate, given that they work together and she has power over him -- and because I dislike her, generally, I don’t feel inclined to do something nice for her. for DA:I, I suppose Sera/Lavellan -- although I’m not AGAINST it, it just really isn’t for me, having attempted it. I also don’t really vibe with Dorian x Iron Bull. Something abt the way the game handled BDSM and their relationship banter specifically I don’t really like.

Favourite episode quest: for DA:O, probs Orzammar/the Deep Roads. I really love the dwarven lore! and, of course, Fort Drakon is really funny, even though it’s not canon in my game iirc. for DA:2/E, maybe the murder mystery with the serial killer, where ultimately Leandra dies? I also really enjoyed all the companion quests. for DA:I, The Descent (just, all of it, lmao) and everything to do with the Avvar. Crestwood also BANGED.

Saddest death: for DA:O, it’s frankly a fucking INJUSTICE that Shianni gets murdered if you make her Bann of the Alienage -- the idea of that happening whilst Kallian is in Amaranthine and unable to protect her :( genuinely very upsetting. I go back and forth on who is made Bann, tbf, so idk how canonical it is: I think maybe Cyrion would get it, but I’m also endeared to Soris holding the position, with Shianni as Hahren. for DA:2/E, Bethany. I wish both twins had had the chance to reach Kirkwall :(. Let Leandra die instead. for DA:I, maybe not the saddest death, but the most memorable for me was that one sleeping dragon in the Hissing Wastes.. leave her alone. Stay out of a womans’ business.

Favourite season game: DA:O!

Least favourite season game: DA:I.

Character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but I hate: for DA:O, Alistair. I cannot deal with his complacency and hypocrisy. for DA:2, I really disliked Merrill but I honestly cannot remember why. DEFINITELY Varric -- I hated how the game forces you to be his best friend, and if you’re low approval, you have to endure these pointless pissy little comments with this little anti-dwarf centrist pissant. After the expedition, I literally have no reason to put up with him, and I NEVER take him out. I hate that he plays the same role in DA:I, too. for DA:I, the Iron Bull was hugely disappointing, and I also really don’t vibe with Cassandra. She just seems very wishy-washy and complacent and hypocritical, and many of her comments about other cultures seem snide for literally no reason other than bigotry.

My ‘you’re a piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: for DA:O, lbr probably Sten. Mans is gonna launch a HORRIFYING invasion in the next game iirc and frankly, I’m ok with it. Just wanna see that big bastard again ❤🥵. for DA:2/E, I LOVE Gamlen, ok? for DA:I, I am not sure if I have one.

My ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: for DA:O, if any of you so much as LOOK at Velanna wrong, it’s hands. That includes Bioware. I also feel incredibly protective of and sad for Morrigan. for DA:2/E, probably Sebastian -- I feel so sad for him, and so frustrated by the limitations with the game. for DA:I, I’m honestly not sure.. maybe Josephine? I don’t really feel this way about Sera, but I do think she deserves better from the game and its writing, and also from fandom: there are valid criticisms of her, but the hate she gets is not proportional to any valid issues with her -- and gee, I wonder why that is.

My ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: for DA:O, I did use to find Cullen x Surana/Amell intriguing as a dark ship -- I actually hc that Neria Surana is actually Nelaros’ sister, and have dabbled with it as a dark ship. I also am interested in Loghain/Alistair - which each pretends the other is someone else. Alistair is wooby, hate ships are, in general, fun -- so long as we acknowledge that they are, indeed, unhealthy ships. for DA:2/E, I kind of feel like Sebastian romances are, invariably, kind of dark... and, similarly, Anders romances -- especially with certain red Hawkes, The way it ends is, invariably, bordering on fucked up. ALSO Hawkecest is weird and wonderful: GET WITH IT.

My ‘they’re kind of cute, and I lowkey ship them, but I’m not too invested’ ship: for DA:O, I joked about Velanna x Leliana once and I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it ever since… Velanna x Sigrun is also something that can be so personal. Ariane x Finn is adorable and are paid DUST by Bioware AND fandom. I actually am really into Anora x Nathaniel & NO I will NOT explain myself; it’s a crackship but it’s MY crackship. for DA:2/E, Isabela x Fenris is super cute, but I don’t pay enough attention to them to really have super committed thoughts & feelings on them. for DA:I, Blackwall x Josephine is cute as a background ship; I also think Maryden x Cole is sweet.

#meta #mun

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crossdressingdeath · 2 years

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how is ur inky's relationship with their companions? <3

In order, from closest to least close (and behind a cut because Long):

Bull and Dorian are Taelan's boyfriends. Yes I know canonically you can't have two LIs but you can in my heart. He would die for them and they'd die for him and they're among the only things keeping him from deciding the world can go fuck itself and returning to his clan in disgust. They might not always understand his culture and customs and religion, but they've never insulted any of it (...mostly, they both have some rather painful dialogue—Dorian re slavery and Bull re the Dalish "abandoning excess mages"—but it's minor enough that I can see it as more Bioware's refusal to let anyone be nice to poor Lavellan about their people than any reflection on their characters) and they're willing to learn, and honestly that alone would put them above most of the inner circle even if they weren't so genuinely good, both to him and in general. Dorian is sweet and genuine and Bull is charming and protective and he loves them both so much.

Solas is basically his dad/older brother. He's Dalish! He was raised to listen to his elders and absorb as much of their knowledge as possible and Solas has so much knowledge and loves sharing it as much as Taelan loves hearing it! Truly, a match made in heaven. ...A match made in the Fade...? I don't know what the Thedas equivalent of that saying would be. But also Solas accidentally got a bit attached in the process of saving Taelan's life right after the Breach opened and Taelan has picked up on that. My headcanon will forever be that Solas teaches Lavellan more Elvish and that goes double for Taelan. Also when they first met Taelan saw an older elf mage who clearly had a great deal of knowledge about Everything and latched onto that small amount of familiarity hard so they accidentally ended up bonding a lot more than either of them originally intended to. Redcliffe was Not Fun for Taelan. He has lost too much family to Chantry-related (even if only slightly) bullshit even without this latest tomfoolery. Also learning the truth about who Solas was... hurt? Just a bit.

Varric: Dad 2, charming dwarf edition. Never forget that Varric is pretty much the only person to ask if Quiz is okay in Haven post-Breach. Also, I believe he tries to track down the remnants of Clan Lavellan if they're destroyed? But I always bring up a guide for that series of missions so I've never actually gotten the clan destroyed, so I don't know for sure. But Varric knows how hard the hero thing is for a person to deal with! He saw what it did to Hawke! And while Taelan's no match for his best friend, he does want him to be happier than Hawke was in Kirkwall, at least. The fact that he invites you to a game of Wicked Grace where you get to just be a normal person for once... it's so good. Also I really do need to find out if you need to have recruited everyone to get that cutscene or if it's designed the way it is so that characters' parts can be cut out if they weren't recruited but that's not important right now. In my canon Varric calls Taelan Quiz and it's the only time he'll tolerate being called anything even vaguely similar to 'Inquisitor' once the Inquisition dissolves because Varric mostly frames it as regarding his habit of constant questions to everyone. Also he invites him to card games with the Kirkwall group sometimes (where it's revealed that Taelan and Merrill already know each other and also Taelan hero-worships Anders just so much).

Cole: He is confused. Taelan is also confused. This is good, they have something in common. Also Cole never asks him to do ~Herald of Andraste~ shit or act as Inquisitor and is happy to just sit in comfortable silence with him when Taelan doesn't want to talk to anyone. Although Taelan is glad the Anchor mostly keeps Cole from reading his thoughts; he does have some things he'd very much rather keep secret with the eyes of the Chantry on him and Cole's not great at keeping his mouth shut. Especially after the whole "talking about Taelan's sex life in front of his surrogate father" thing. Cole has some problems with Things We Do Not Talk About In Front Of People, which is generally fine (if a bit embarrassing), but sometimes there are things that The Chantry Faithful Surrounding Him Might Actually Kill Him If They Found Out About Them. (I bet they have some fascinating conversations when the Anchor's gone.) But he loves Cole like a brother and wants to protect him from anyone who might ever hurt him. Cole is just very good and sweet and always wants to do the right thing and it is wonderful.

Blackwall: It's... a little awkward. Taelan respects him as "Warden Blackwall"; he respects him considerably less once he knows the truth, although he does have a fair amount of respect for his willingness to go to his death to protect one of his men, even when he probably could've invoked the Right of Conscription as a "Warden". Taelan can understand the desire to start over. Blackwall has proved that he genuinely wants to do the right thing; Taelan can get over the whole "lying about his identity" thing, and fighting to save the world is better penance for what he did than dying. They hang out in the stable sometimes. Blackwall carved him a little halla statue after he mentioned missing them and it lives in his bedroom and he adores it. So... friends. More or less.

Vivienne: They share a healthy mutual respect. Taelan likes her, when she's not talking about the Circles being "the best option"; he grew up in the woods being hunted by Templars and more than half his immediate family died and he's still better adjusted than most of the Circle mages he's met! But she's intelligent and good at magic and helps him with the human bullshit he keeps getting trapped in without ever suggesting that his lack of knowledge makes him stupid or backwards or a savage or all the other things Orlesians generally think of the Dalish.

Cassandra: If she doesn't shut up about him being the ~Herald of Andraste~ and how important the ~Maker~ is, he may blast her with lightning. Taelan will never be able to forget her dragging him around, making it clear she intended to kill him for one wrong move because she assumed he killed the Divine and then press-ganging him into helping a Chantry organization. But sometimes he can almost forgive her for it. Almost. She... generally means well. He usually at least vaguely enjoys her company, when she doesn't get too Seeker-y. That's... sufficient.

Sera: Fuck Sera. Just- fuck her. Fuck her so much. I've stopped recruiting her because she makes me want to punch my monitor, but in-universe Taelan does pick her up and she is... dreadful. He... does his best not to react too much to her constant belittling of everything he is and holds dear. They are something close to friendly, most of the time, because Taelan doesn't want to risk rocking the boat by getting into screaming fights about how he's a Dalish mage when that's already pretty much everything the Chantry hates and it's best not to draw attention to it. Still, one day he is going to snap and dump his entire miserable past regarding the Chantry and the Templars on her and it's going to be A Time. He may cry! It won't be pretty! She's more tolerable by the time of Trespasser, but... yeah, they're never going to be friends.

Also bonus advisors, still in order of closest to least close:

Josephine: At least she's apologetic about them forcing him to play figurehead to a Chantry organization. There's that. And she's nice, and at least tries to stamp out any gossip about him. She also occasionally bribes him with snacks so he'll actually play nice with visiting Chantry-affiliated dignitaries. He is a simple man with simple pleasures, like snacks.

Leliana: She... scares him, a little. He likes her, and they agree on most points, but still. Scary, scary lady. He does make her Divine though, because if they're going to give him a say in who goes on the Sunburst Throne he's going to make it the most progressive possible option. But it's her he goes to when he's being told to go smile at Templars and she Gets It and handles the whole thing for him. They're definitely friends, she just... kind of scares him.

Cullen: Taelan has in his life wanted very few people dead as much as he wants Cullen Rutherford dead. He was told they would be a neutral organization, focused only on sealing the Breach and saving the world, and then Knight-Commander Meredith's right-hand man comes swanning up, talking about putting every mage they meet in a damn cage and working with the Templars instead and judging everyone who's ever gotten away with atrocities except for himself. If Taelan could kill one person in the Inquisition without potentially devastating consequences for his people as vaguely related to the guy who publicly murdered an Inquisition bigwig, he'd probably pick Cullen.

#dragon age inquisition #taelan lavellan #long post #asks #oh BOY it's a long one

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contreparry · 3 years

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“Excuse you, I can be as dramatic and ridiculous as I want, outside of work hours. You can’t stop me.” Modern AU Dorian or Anders?

Absolutely! Here's some Modern AU Anders from that Fenders universe I've been working on (seen here and here). This will be pre-Fenders, though, for @dadrunkwriting!

Anders was certain he explained himself quite rationally. His points were reasonable, sensible, perfectly coherent- and it wasn't his fault that no one understood where he was coming from! He explained it several times!

"Fenris is a dick!" he protested, which seemed to make Hawke laugh even louder every time he said it. Isabela clicked her tongue sympathetically and patted his arm, but Anders knew they were pitying pats. He didn't want or need pity, he wanted them to acknowledge that he was right! Fenris was a dick and someone should tell him that! Tell him that right to his stern, handsome face! Someone needed to look the elf right in his big beautiful green eyes and say "You! Are! A! Dick!"

"He IS!" Anders exclaimed again, slamming his open palm against the table. His cheap beer sloshed dangerously over the rim of his glass, but he ignored it. He had more important things to do, like prove his point to all of his doubting friends!

"And how, exactly, is he a dick?" Varric asked with a smile on his broad face. "Please, don't mince words, tell us all what you think."

"As if he's ever found that difficult," Hawke snickered. Merrill shushed her quickly and leaned forward, listening attentively. Well Thank the Maker! Someone was going to listen!

"First! He's too good looking," Anders announced. The good looking ones were always the most dangerous kind, at least in Anders' experience. They knew they were attractive and wormed their way out of all sorts of trouble by being charming- though Fenris didn't even need to do that! He just cracked a joke as dry as desert sand and then he wandered off without consequence! That was even worse! He didn't put any effort into being charming, he just... was baffling!

"And he's a smart ass. And he's always... looking at me! Like I have something on my face!" Anders added triumphantly. He didn't know why Fenris was always staring at him, why he always looked like he didn't approve of what he saw when he looked at Anders, but he was always staring! It was uncomfortable, that's what it was, and Anders could have sworn Fenris liked making him uncomfortable!

"So he's a dick! There!" Anders finished, and he took a great swig of his lukewarm beer and dared anyone in his company to prove him wrong.

"Anders..." Aveline finally said, and she sounded exhausted. "Don't you think you're being a little dramatic?"

"Dramatic? You think I'm being dramatic?!" Anders protested, which made the table at large laugh. Anders glowered at them. Some friends they were!

"And a little ridiculous," Isabela added with a mischievous grin. "This is Fenris we're talking about, Anders. He doesn't have some secret agenda against you, you know."

Lies. All lies. They had never experienced the full weight of Fenris' brooding glare before. They didn't know what they were talking about! Anders, however, was being completely rational about this! It wasn't his fault that all his friends thought this was funny!

Anders drew himself up to his full height when he stood up from the table. "Excuse you," he declared loudly. "I can be as dramatic and ridiculous as I want, outside of work hours. You can't stop me!"

He turned to leave the table, leave the bar, when he ran into a firm, muscular body on his way out. He looked slightly down and met a pair of stunning olive green eyes that were just too damn pretty to be allowed, especially because they were attached to a complete and utter-

"Ugh, you would show up right when I'm leaving," Anders grumbled, even as Fenris took his wrist in his warm hand and tugged him to the side, away from the doorway.

"You're drunk," Fenris observed, but those eyes... they didn't seem so disdainful this time. Must be the alcohol making things all rosy, Anders decided, because Fenris almost looked amused.

"It's a bar. Of course I'm drunk," Anders explained slowly. "Because that's what I tend to do when I go out to a bar with my friends. Have a drink."

"And your friends let you walk home by yourself?"

"I'm a full grown man, I can handle a walk down the block," Anders retorted. Fenris snorted and tugged Anders back towards the table and their (horrible) shared friends.

"I'll call a ride for you. Stay for a while. Sober up. Isabela will go home with you," Fenris said, as if saying it would speak it all into reality. But clearly it wasn't enough, because Fenris gently pushed him into his seat, took out his phone, and proceeded to call him a cab while everyone snickered at him.

"So. Still a dick, eh?" Hawke teased, and Anders stabbed him in the side with his elbow.

"Yeah. I stand by that. Fenris is a bossy dick, and I'm not being dramatic!" Anders declared, and when Fenris turned away Anders saw that he was hiding a smirk behind his hand and phone. Anders glowered at him. Of course everyone thought that Fenris was being a gentleman, with his pretty eyes and handsome face and soft hair and nice ass- but he wouldn't fool Anders! He'd never fool Anders, no matter how many cabs he ordered for him!

Fenris was a dick, and they both knew it!

#da drunk writing circle #my writing #Modern!Thedas Roommates AU

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luobingmeis · 3 years

Note

do you have a da4 wishlist? is there anything you're dying to see from the newest game? (whenever it eventually comes out lol)

I DO IN FACT HAVE A DA4 WISHLIST!!!

bring back the persuasion element. dao did it best with actually being able to persuade/intimidate people but da2 kinda had it with certain personalities being able to sway people

more origin opportunities (like origins)

most romanceable companions that can be romanced by a PC of any gender (basically da2's romance style)

inquisition style fighting

SWIMMING like dai gave us jumping....... i think we should finally have a hero that can swim

maevaris tilani and krem (story permitting) as companions

remember how the ending to awakening actually depended heavily on the choices you made during the game, and how a character living or dying can come down to whether or not you did One side mission? yeah that

i would love to see companions like fenris, merrill, and zevran return as well!!! and i feel like dorian is a given return bc, post-trespasser, he's back in tevinter. this is also much more random but i just have a feeling that josephine will make a cameo as well

(my theories for dorian and josephine's return is also bc, at the end of trespasser, their end is Always the same like dorian is Always back in tevinter and josephine is Always back in antiva, unlike other characters who have multiple endings depending on your choices) (so it's like...... if there's a consistent ending, maybe it means that they're gonna return?) (it's probably not a strong theory, and i don't think they're the only characters with a more determined ending, but it's just a thought!!)

i want elf companions that get along and don't hate the dalish

i do hope that the inq returns for da4 like. as an advisor or like the role hawke took in dai. do i trust bioware to handle my most favored hero? absolutely not. but i want to see him.

i also have a theory that, depending on whether or not the inq drank from the well of sorrows, you will either have an ally in the inquisitor or a possessed enemy in the inquisitor and....... listen if i have to fight my Most Favored Hero, i will cry my eyes out, but it would be narratively fitting because solas can control the inq through the well

in a perfect world, the warden would return as well, but i've just accepted that bioware will probably never touch the wardens again (which like to a degree makes sense bc some wardens Do Die in origins but.... still...............)

and then some more serious things that i am really hoping that bioware follows through on under the cut bc this is getting long:

i really hope da4 isn't just "elves bad everyone else good" bc the ending of trespasser implied that solas is already recruiting elves and i just. really hope that da4 doesn't become "we were right to treat the elves poorly because look! they want the world to end!" and like? i'm torn as to whether or not i have hope. ik there's been a large turnover of writers for dragon age and tbh i'm kinda hoping that that brings about some fresh ideas

^^ my worries for that one come from all the bullshit dai spewed about the dalish

i'm also hoping that bioware just. handles tevinter correctly. like yes tevinter is the most magically advanced place and i'm excited to see that but also tevinter is. morally abhorrent. and honestly i'm so terrified that da4 is gonna pull "well is slavery really that bad?" solely bc the game is taking place in tevinter. like, idk if i'm wording this correctly at all but just....... idk if i trust bioware to follow through on criticizing tevinter when the game is based in tevinter.

on that same note, i want to see the lucerni (dorian and maevaris's faction) and see if bioware will actually follow through on the lucerni's motives to change tevinter or if they're just going to be 1) not even mentioned, 2) fall to bioware's shitty grey morality, or 3) have no effect on the game

^^ i have mixed feelings on the above two points However i have heard that some of the comics/books have given people scraps of hope (specifically tevinter nights w/ how dorian's views have changed and then the comics that [i think] fenris has been in seem to delve into some stuff as well?) (but still i haven't read any of the comics/books so i'm only going off of what people have said) (though i do want to read some!! so if anyone has any recs....)

#answered

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greypetrel · 29 days

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If yyou haven't answered them yet, here come questions

V: Are there certain comments you’ve received on your stories that have stuck with you?

W: What is your favorite pairing to write? Favorite pairing to read?

Please and have a lovely day ^^

I haven't! Thank you very much for asking them! Day has been nice, I hope yours was/will be lovely as well!

Tis the prompt list

V: Are there certain comments you’ve received on your stories that have stuck with you?

Mh. I am deeply grateful for any comment that I get. I'll reply with two things:

First, comments on stuff I write involving other people's OC. I always get SO nervous that positive feedback melts my knees. :"D Thank you all for lending me your babies. Take mine as you'd like.

Then, having one user that punctually comments to each chapter of She of Many Names, which is an AU that was so haphazard, from a fandom and some books I never thought I would have dared touching in fanfic...

But: if you ever wrote a comment, some nice tags, reblogged my work or spoke to me about it directly, I'm extremely grateful, really. But continuous comments on each chapter? Oh damn, that was something unexpected that made me go... "Yeah, go your weirdest, maybe you're not that bad at plotting".

Also: receiving prompts. Each prompt received is a "Yes write more please" and I just...

W: What is your favorite pairing to write? Favorite pairing to read?

To write: with no one's surprise, cullavellan.

Platonically I'm chewing Solas&Inquisitor Lavellan like crazy. I do love Solas to shitpost about <3

And: Mahariel x Morrigan. Just - URGH. *shakes them both in a glass jar* (also because there's little about them >:( )

To read: Fenhawke has some excruciatingly angsty and hurt/comfort fics.

Female Hawke x Merrill (there are a little too many takes with Merrill that is naive and inexperienced and a scaredy cat that I don't like. But when it's done good... *chef's kiss*)

Morrigan x Leliana has some interesting takes too.

I do love me some good Dorian x Cullen (listen- listen.)

I'm all for rarepairs but there's so little about them that *grumbles*

Also give me a well written Zevran, please. More Zevran for everyone.

#fanfic writer ask #petrel replies #I would write all the rarepairs if I could. but THE TIME

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blarrghe · 3 years

Text

would be really great if adorable domestic ficlets about sequel!Twelve Nights (a thing that DOES NOT ACTUALLY EXIST there’s NO PLAN) would stop jumping into my head while I’m trying to finish this chapter of the Merrill Sessions and you can blame Taren and Dorian and the baby if I don’t. anyway this one is called Favourites: -- Kindergarten is a time of self discovery.

Bracha is five years old now, which means she can start kindergarten, and she is very excited. Taren is excited for her, in a your-happiness-is-my-happiness kind of way, even if he’s openly shedding tears as they pull up to the school parking lot. Dorian is not so generous. He is, frankly, just upset. He’d made a very good case as to why she should continue to learn from them, at home, including: they have more advanced degrees between the two of them than the entire staff of the elementary school put together, Bracha can‘t take field trips to the library or the valley to learn about ancient Tevene history or Dalish trail-signs or bugs every day if she goes to Kindergarten, and also, Kindergarten doesn’t have cuddling.

But apparently, Kindergarten actually takes a lot of field trips to the library and to the valley and even to the next town over to the science museum, Kindergarten’s teacher is a well-loved Dalish woman with wonderful credentials and two upstanding young teaching assistants whom Taren knows personally, and apparently having advanced degrees in astrophysics and business does not better suit one to teaching reading and social-emotional skills than ones in early childhood education and developing pedagogy. Also, Bracha really wants to go to Kindergarten, all her friends are going to Kindergarten, and ever since Autie Dee bought her a backpack in preparation, she hasn’t taken it off. So Kindergarten won that argument, though Dorian made a deal with his husband that they would reevaluate the situation in a year or two, because by that time beginning her education in astrophysics would be warranted, anyway. And now they are in the school parking lot and Taren is quietly weeping and Bracha is bouncing up and down in her carseat with her bright green backpack in her lap and her hair in already-messy braided pigtails, and Dorian has to be the one to get them inside.

Taren wipes his eyes as Bracha drags them up to the door, one of her tiny hands in each of her fathers’, and Kindergarten’s teacher is wearing overalls and a bombastic smile, greeting each child with a fun name-tag sticker and slow, patient directions for navigating her classroom: cubbies for their snacks, a reading nook with pillows if they get tired, activity tables, colouring sheets and markers in one station, a table filled with water and toys, bins of costumes and a kitchen set, a colourful carpet by the board where they’ll sit for stories and songs; a five-year-old’s dream. Dorian gets the feeling that the information package is more for them than it is for her, especially considering that Bracha practically sprints off to an easel equipped with water-colour fingerpaints the moment she spots it, and the teacher continues explaining the plans for the day without her.

Taren smiles, somehow finding one at the sound of Bracha’s laugh when she spots a friend across the room, while Dorian wonders if he can inspect the reading nook. But they make it out of there, somehow, and before driving them home, Taren drives them both over to Auntie Dee’s, and she sighs at them and gives them ice cream. Taren blushes, and Dorian is distracted: when Taren was little, ice cream always helped, she says. Taren protests that he has never mended a hurt with ice cream, while digging into the container for more, and Auntie Dee says chocolate chip was his favourite.

Favourite is an interesting word. Someone at Bracha’s school introduces her to the word, the blighted teacher, probably, and then soon Kindergarten is her favourite. It stings the first time, Kindergarten is her favourite, Miss Jessa is her favourite, but then Lara is her favourite, Eirlana is her favourite, Daven is her favourite, rocks are her favourite, animal-shaped cookies are her favourite... Dorian is pretty sure that she doesn’t know what the word actually means, and he calms down. A little.

But Kindergarten teaches her many things, not just new words, but new skills. He still won’t admit it, but when she comes back with letter recognition and blends, reading sight words and rhyming word families, when she starts counting in three languages and subitizes the numbers on the dice during board game night, when she tells him a story one night and evaluates that the problem in it was solved by sharing without any prompting, he starts to think that maybe Kindergarten is actually doing her some good. Soon, she figures out that with ‘favourite‘ you can have as many as you can come up with categories, and so the obsession continues.

Bracha loves to tell anyone who will listen, and with even more enthusiasm ask in turn, about favourites. It makes for surprisingly stimulating dinner conversation. The entire family learns many things about one another. From favourite colours (Bracha’s is rainbow, Dorian’s is green because black isn’t a colour, and Taren’s is also rainbow), to favourite foods (Bracha’s is waffles, Dorian’s is something he had once in Antiva but can’t remember the name of, made better by its unattainable mystique, and Taren’s is soup, which is cheating because anything can be soup — this argument takes up all of dinner, and by the end of it his favourite is determined to actually be pumpkin pie.), to more substantial questions like “what is your favourite day” (clarified to be as in ever in the history of ever — they all pick her birthday), and “what is your favourite book” which all of them flatly refuse to answer.

Dorian learns things he never thought to learn about his husband. His favourite flowers are pink heather, his favourite fish is starfish, his favourite animal is a blackbear, his favourite shirt is the one Dorian gave him three Satinalia’s ago and his favourite number is twelve. He winks at Dorian like it hasn’t always been. Dorian also finds himself taking stock of things he never has before; considering his favourite socks — knitted by Auntie Dee, obviously, his favourite toy — a duck he had when he was little, and hasn’t thought about since, his favourite colour of apples — after determining which, he starts buying the green ones more. She asks for some truly bizare determinations too, such as his favourite sense; Kindergarten went to the science museum that day, so he takes the teachable moment to say proprioception and then teach her the hidden-hand trick, because he needs to solidify that he is still smarter than Miss Jessa.

He learns that Bracha likes green apples too, and that she knows because they did an experiment at school where they tried all the different ones and filled out a graph, that her favourite toy is the bear he got her the day they took her home (though he knew that already, its name is Chauncy and it follows her everywhere), her favourite socks were also knitted by Auntie Dee and they are her favourite because they are rainbow, and her favourite sense is definitely proprioception — she cannot wait to tell Miss Jessa about it. When he puts her to bed, he reads her her favourite story, which they’ve agreed is a designation that can rotate each week, and she points out all the sight words. (Her favourite sight word is “no” — she doesn’t declare this, of course, but considering how often the five year old uses it, Dorian can’t be fooled.) When she is sleepy and slumping, her head nodding into her pillow, she reaches up towards his face and pulls his cheek into a kiss, before he can finish the tale.

“Thanks daddy,” she mumbles, and it squishes into him like a hug every damn time, “you’re my favourite.”

“What about papa?” he smiles softly, returning the kiss with the softest scold — it’s probably not okay to let her pick favourites — and she nods, eyes closing as he pulls the covers up over her.

“Papa is my favourite too. Miss Jessa says you can have lots of favourite people, it’s not like colours.” she says, then opening her eyes with a sudden thought, she adds “and actually, you can have lots of favourite colours,” very seriously. Dorian nods in serious agreement.

“Okay,” he says, “then you and papa are my favourite too.”

In the living room, after he tells him of this new rule to the game of favourites, Taren resoundingly agrees.

#listen I teach kindergarten #and I am having a bad day #so you get kindergarten fluff #my fic #modern au #pavellan #domestic fluff #sometimes you just.......gotta #I'm having a childcare moment don't mind me

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pikapeppa · 4 years

Text

Professor Solas/Lavellan: Oceanic

Chap 4 of Inadvisable (professor Solas modern AU) is posted!

In which Nare Lavellan throws caution to the wind when she officially meets Professor Solas for the first time. 😏 Featuring both Nare and Solas POV!

~4300 words; read on AO3 instead.

*********************

- NARE -

Nare tapped her fingernails on her empty glass as she scanned the bar. I don’t see him, she thought in disappointment, then turned back to face her new labmates with a somewhat perfunctory smile.

Merrill was in the middle of telling a story. She covered her mouth with one hand as she giggled. “After that, Professor Abelas has never eaten any of the baked goods I bring in. It was only the one time, though. I don’t usually put a tablespoon of salt in my cakes, I swear.”

“Don’t take it personally,” Tamlen said. “Professor Abelas doesn’t even eat storebought baked goods that are brought into the lab.”

“I think that’s how he got so tall,” Dagna said. “Not eating baked goods.”

Tamlen smirked. “Dagna, you think everyone is tall.”

She tutted and poked his hip. “Silly. I’ll let you get away with that comment since you always get the files down from the top shelves for me.”

Athera tilted her head quizzically. “Is Professor Abelas going to come to this mixer?”

“He already came and went,” Merrill said. “He always comes right when it starts and leaves within the hour.”

Athera’s eyebrows jumped up. “He came right at eight o’clock? I bet no one was even here yet!”

“That’s why he comes on time,” Tamlen said dryly.

Athera snorted. “That makes so much sense, actually.”

Nare briefly stopped scanning the room to grin at her. “Are you going to gossip about him now since you know he’s not going to show up?”

Athera scoffed. “I’m not going to gossip about a faculty member at the campus bar. I’m not stupid.” Then she smirked and elbowed Nare. “I’ll keep the gossip for when we get home.”

“Oh good,” Nare said brightly. “I still can’t believe you told Tamaris about your day while I was in the shower.”

Merrill clapped her hands. “Athera was so impressive today. You didn’t cry once!”

Nare looked at Merrill and Athera in genuine alarm. “Cry?” she exclaimed. “Why would you cry?”

Athera rolled her eyes, and Tamlen helpfully replied. “Professor Abelas is, uh, stern.”

“I think his face will crack if he smiles too much,” Merrill said.

Tamlen cocked his head thoughtfully. “His frown does kind of look like a golem, doesn’t it?”

“Yep, it really does,” Dagna chirped, “and I would know. Golems were the focus of my undergrad thesis.”

“Were they really?” Athera said keenly. “I only had one single lecture during my undergrad that even talked about golems. What can you tell me about them?”

Dagna launched into an excited explanation of the role of golems in ancient Orzammar, and Nare took the opportunity to scan the room once more, even though she knew she shouldn’t be. Really, if she saw Professor Solas at this mixer, it would be better if she stayed away from him.

But at the same time, if she stayed away from him and he saw her, that would be worse, wouldn’t it? She was his new Master’s student and they’d run into each other earlier today, even though he didn’t know who she was. If he saw her here tonight and she didn’t talk to him, it would be weird when she formally met him tomorrow in his office, as if she’d been avoiding him. And she had no real reason or excuse to avoid him.

Aside from the juvenile but persistent fantasies she kept having about his height looming over her and his gorgeous voice curling out of those plush full lips.

She nibbled the inside of her cheek and tapped her empty glass. Then Athera nudged her. “You’re starting to make me nervous now,” she murmured. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Nare smiled at her. “I’m fine, I promise,” she said. Then she looked at her new labmates. “Does Solas — er, Professor Solas usually come to these mixers?”

Merrill nodded. “He does, yes. He’s probably here somewhere talking to someone.”

“Being told off by someone, you mean,” Tamlen drawled.

Merrill tsked. “They only tell him off because they’re jealous.”

Dagna giggled. “Or because he embarrassed some Orlesian professor in one of their lectures by pointing out something wrong.”

Nare looked at him with wide eyes. “He does that in the middle of other people’s lectures while everyone is watching?”

“Yep,” Tamlen said smugly. “It’s kind of awesome, actually.”

Nare laughed, and Athera sighed happily. “I’d like to see that sometime.”

“You can, if you want,” Tamlen said, to Nare’s surprise. “Solas is insistent that all his lectures be open for anyone to audit. The administration almost had a fit at first because his classrooms were so packed that it violated fire regulations, but it’s calmed down a little bit in the past couple years.”

Nare stared at him. “Open for auditing? Wow.” That basically meant that Solas was doing his world-class lectures for free for anyone who wanted to listen.

She sighed to herself. As if she needed more of a reason to have a crush on him.

Merrill seemed to agree. “I think it’s brilliant. He’s trying to share the knowledge of Arlathan so openly! After so many years of their borders being almost completely closed to outsiders!” She sighed wistfully. “I hope I can go on an exchange to Arlathan someday.”

Dagna nodded enthusiastically. “That would be pretty amazing. Can you imagine how much we could learn?”

Nare smiled in agreement and glanced around, and her heart stopped.

There he was. Professor Solas was standing near the bar in a fitted blazer and a collared shirt, smiling politely as a dark-haired man spoke animatedly to him.

Her frozen heart bolted into a galloping pulse. Oh gods, she thought. Oh gods oh gods. He was here. She was hoping he would be here, and now that he actually was, she thought she might pass out from excitement. Or from anxiety. One of the two.

She tore her eyes away from him and smiled idly at Athera and the others, but she could barely pretend to be paying attention anymore. Professor Solas was there, standing right there not twenty feet away and drawing her attention more readily than a lighthouse beam.

All of a sudden, she couldn’t resist the beacon anymore.

She held out her glass to Athera. “Can you take this? I’m going to the washroom. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure,” Athera said, but Nare was already walking away.

She twined her way through the crowd and slipped into the washroom, then stepped in front of the sink and stared at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were a bit flushed, but that could be chalked up to the crowded bar. Her hair looked good, half pinned-up and the rest spilling down her back in loose waves, and her makeup was surprisingly unsmudged.

She took a deep breath to try and calm herself, but it barely helped; her anxiety was burning away and being taken over by excitement alone — a kind of reckless excitement that Nare was not accustomed to feeling. But then again, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this kind of spine-tingling excitement about anyone.

Honestly, she couldn’t remember ever being this desperately attracted to anyone. Too bad he had to be her fucking supervisor.

It’s fine, she thought. I’ll just introduce myself and talk to him a little bit. It’s fine. It’s perfectly innocent.

She smiled at herself, then pressed her lips together to quell a stupid little giggle. Then, before she could lose her courage, she swept out of the bathroom and back into the bar.

- SOLAS -

Dorian raised his eyebrows winningly. “Come now, Solas, you have to admit that a collaboration would be a huge opportunity. An exhibit developed and created by both of us focusing on the interplay between Tevinter and Arlathani culture over the centuries? People across Thedas will be discussing it.”

“I will consider it,” Solas said.

“You should,” Dorian said. “At most, a collaborative project could garner patrons and sponsors for several years’ worth of funding for both of our departments. At the very least, it will get people talking.”

“That’s not something I have had particular difficulty with over the past few years,” Solas said wryly.

Dorian chuckled. “True, true. You and Abelas and your controversial theories. Come, my friend, your glass is dry.” He leaned over the bar and signalled the bartender.

Solas hastily held up a hand to stop the bartender’s approach. “Thank you, but no,” he said to Dorian. “And I’m afraid I will have to cut our conversation short. This mixer is intended for mingling with the students, after all.”

Dorian sighed playfully. “I hear your message loud and clear. You’re sick and tired of me nattering your ear off.” He stepped away from the bar. “I will let you be. But promise me at least that you’ll consider a collaboration.”

“I will,” Solas said. And he meant it. But just because he considered a collaboration with Dorian didn’t mean he would agree to one, even if it did mean more sponsorship and funding. The Ancient Elvhen Studies program wouldn’t need funding beyond the next couple of years, after all.

Dorian clapped him on the shoulder, then wandered into the boisterous crowd. Once he was gone, Solas let out a sigh of relief. He was far more adept at these sorts of gatherings than Abelas was, and truthfully, Solas didn’t mind coming to these events; he was always willing to engage in a rousing academic debate or an in-depth discussion of art over drinks. But just because he enjoyed the debates and the discussions didn’t mean he wasn’t exhausted by the time the night was done.

And tonight was only half-done. He’d only arrived about a half-hour ago, and he really ought to stay for at least another hour. It was simply unfortunate that tonight’s mixer happened to fall on the sort of lazy weeknight that Solas would have preferred to spend on his couch at home with a book in hand and Fenor purring happily in his lap.

He sighed and glanced around the room. Then his heart flipped in his chest.

A beautiful young elven woman in the crowd was smiling at him. A young woman he recognized, actually. Long russet hair, big blue eyes, long bare legs in a dark red dress…

It was the woman he had bumped into this morning on his way to the library.

Collided with, more like, he thought ruefully. He really should have known better than to read while he was walking, especially when he’d forgotten his reading glasses at home and had to squint hard at the page.

He nodded politely to her. Her smile widened, revealing a dimple in her right cheek, and she slipped deftly through the crowd until she was standing in front of him.

“Hi,” she said. “We meet again.”

“So it seems,” he said. He was a bit taken aback by her confidence; it was a contrast with how shy she’d seemed earlier today.

“I didn’t realize that you were a student here,” he said. As soon as the words left his lips, he felt foolish. How could he have realized she was a student? They hadn’t even encountered each other on campus.

Thankfully, she didn’t point out his inane comment. “That’s okay,” she said. “I wasn’t heading toward campus, anyway.”

He blinked. “That’s right, you weren’t. Where were you headed?”

“I went to the modern art museum to see the neo-Avvar exhibit.”

Solas raised his eyebrows. “Ah. It’s a fascinating display, isn’t it?”

“It is,” she said enthusiastically. “I love the range of mediums they use in their work. The textiles were especially beautiful. I don’t know anything about textile art, but I feel like it would have been so hard to dye the tapestries in that kind of colour blending without any modern tech.”

“The textiles are truly impressive, aren’t they?” Solas agreed. “Incredible that such meticulous weavework could be done with bare hands. The Avvar are known for not using machines for their weaving.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? I just assumed that they used a loom of some kind.”

“No looms,” he confirmed. “Those tapestries were made entirely by hand.” He chuckled. “I believe my fingers would seize if I ever attempted such a feat.”

Her smile curled mischievously. “I can’t imagine that. I think you have the right kind of hands for weaving.”

He looked at her sharply, amused and surprised by her boldness. “Do you, now?”

He was further amused when she blushed. “I just… I can tell you’re an artist by your hands,” she said.

He raised his eyebrows, and her cheeks flushed even further. “I just mean that your… you have beautiful hands.” She laughed and patted her pinkened cheeks.

Solas smiled helplessly at her. There was something utterly charming about her confidence combined with her embarrassment, and… fenedhis, he knew he shouldn’t be encouraging this. He had no idea what department she even belonged to. But regardless of department, she was a student, and he shouldn’t be encouraging any kind of flirtation.

His wayward mouth opened of its own accord. “Do all artists have beautiful hands then, in your estimation?”

She waved her hand haphazardly. “No, no. I’m just being silly. Mine are nothing special, for example.”

He studied her with fresh interest. “Are you an artist yourself, then?”

“I… yes, actually,” she said. “I’m, um… I’m a painter. Digital and traditional.”

A painter as well? That was a happy coincidence. “As am I,” he said. “If you are a painter, you should know that you ought not discount your hands as being nothing special. A person’s hands speak of their character, whether the hands themselves are considered classically beautiful or not.”

She tilted her head. “Can you tell me more about that, professor?”

A warm feeling bloomed in his belly, and he eyed her carefully. Her tone and her expression were innocent, but there was something about the way she said his title that felt… not entirely innocent, somehow.

Against his better judgment, he held out his hand. “Certainly. May I?”

Her eyes widened. But before Solas could retract his unwise words, she lifted her left hand and placed it in his.

He studied her palm and her fingers for a moment, then turned her hand over. “You are left-handed.”

She let out a breathless little laugh. “I… yes, I am. How did you know?”

“A writing bump, right here.” He brushed his thumb over the small callused bump of skin on the knuckle of her fourth finger. “Incidentally, you may want to reconsider the way you hold your stylus or your brushes in order to avoid fatigue.”

She gave him a teasing little smile. “Oh please. You should know better than to mess with how a painter holds her brush.”

He chuckled. “You make a fair point.” He studied her the back of her hand. “No nail polish, tidy short nails: also indicative of a painter.”

“Nice try,” she said. “You knew that already.”

He looked up in surprise at her drawling tone, then grinned and released her hand. “You have caught me. I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything of note about your hands.”

She laughed. “Don’t say that. You figured out that I’m left-handed.”

He bowed his head politely. “You are overly generous with your praise.”

“Maybe you can make it up to me,” she said.

“What do you suggest?”

She cocked her head. “You could draw my hands sometime.”

His belly flipped. Her eyebrow was quirked, and there was no mistaking the coquettish angle of her head.

He cleared his throat and folded his hands behind his back. “I… don’t think so.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“I… anatomy is not…” He faltered before he could tell the lie that anatomy was not a specialty of his. “It has been a long time since I did any anatomy studies,” he said instead.

“Really?” she said. “I got the feeling that you’d be an expert at handling anatomy.”

The warm feeling in his belly flared hotly — and perversely. He gave her a chiding look, but he could feel his traitorous lips curling into a smile. “This is… hardly appropriate,” he said in a low voice.

Her cheeks flushed once more. She smiled at him, then dropped his gaze and tucked a stray strand of hair over her ear. “I know. I’m terrible, I’m sorry. Do you want me to leave you alone?”

No, he thought. Truthfully, there was nothing he wanted more than to continue this conversation with this alluring young woman. But he couldn’t keep this up. It was against university regulations.

“It would be inadvisable for this conversation to continue,” he said carefully.

Her answering smile was sheepish this time. “You’re probably right.”

“The faculty handbook confirms that I am,” he said dryly.

She laughed. “I guess so. Well, will you have a drink with me? Just a drink,” she said quickly. “A collegial drink, I promise.”

Her sky-blue eyes were wide and innocent – deceptively innocent. Solas eyed her shrewdly for a moment, then gave in. “I suppose one drink can’t hurt.”

She beamed at him and leaned over the bar to signal the bartender, and Solas idly studied the shape of her spine. Then his disobedient mind conjured an image of her bending over the desk in his office with her spine curved in a similar shape.

Mortified by his own thoughts, he hastily tore his eyes away from her, but her voice instantly called back his attention. “Professor, what would you like?”

Professor. She couldn’t keep saying his title. It was doing things to his imagination that it shouldn’t be doing.

He looked at the bartender. “Half a pint of Arlathan pale ale, please.” He looked down at his overly-tempting companion. “And for you?”

“Vodka tonic for me,” she said, and she pulled her wallet out of her purse.

Solas held up a hand to stop her. “Allow me.”

A slow smile began to curl her lips. By the time she was grinning, Solas’s heart was pounding in his throat.

She laughed softly. “Buying me a drink? That’s very collegial of you.”

Her tone was suggestive, and he liked it far too much. “It is collegial, in fact,” he said. “I can charge it to my department since this is a university-hosted gathering.” He gestured for the bartender to add the drinks to his tab.

“Ooh,” she said teasingly. “That’s a clever loophole.”

Vixen, he thought incredulously. He couldn’t believe he’d ever thought she was shy. She was bold and beautiful and tempting, and she made him want to be bold as well.

And that thought – that wish to meet and match her boldness – was one that he absolutely could not entertain.

He forced himself to hold back the flirtatious comment at the tip of his tongue. “It is not a loophole. It’s the truth,” he said instead.

She nodded and sipped her drink. Her expression was pleasantly neutral, but her eyes on his face were sly and warm, and Solas knew he ought to look away. He ought to break from her gaze and look at something else – anything else, really, aside from this beautiful woman that he absolutely should not be thinking about in increasingly carnal ways.

But he couldn’t look away. Her eyes were so clear and bright, and even in the dim light of the campus bar, he could see that they were an unusually lush shade of blue: not quite sky-blue like he’d originally thought, but a deeper, richer shade closer to cerulean.

Solas gazed into her cerulean eyes and sipped his ale, and she stared back at him as she sipped her vodka-tonic. By the time Solas had finished half of his drink, he still hadn’t broken from her steady gaze. Neither of them had said a word, and as he stared into her eyes and mindlessly sipped his drink, he slowly realized that not only were they not talking, but that they shouldn’t talk.

No, he shouldn’t talk to her anymore. If he said another word to her, he would only be digging himself deeper into the hole she’d started.

He finally broke from her heated gaze to drain the last drops of his ale, then placed his glass on the bar and leaned toward her slightly. “This is an impossible situation.”

She blinked at him – such an innocent gesture, but her pinkening cheeks betrayed her. “What do you mean?”

He lowered his voice. “You know precisely what I mean.”

She didn’t reply. Instead, she grinned at him again: a bold, beautiful grin full of mischief and heat that made him want to sink into her right here on the spot.

He licked his lips, and her cheeks flushed even more. Then her purse chimed loudly.

He hastily stepped away from her, and she exhaled loudly. “Damn,” she muttered. She pulled her phone out of her purse and checked the screen.

She wrinkled her nose, then looked up at him once more. “I have to go. My friends are leaving and I said I’d leave with them.”

He sighed – with relief, of course, certainly not with disappointment. Truly, he should be thanking whoever had sent her such a timely text. “I see,” he said. He nodded politely. “It was nice talking with you.”

“You too,” she said. But she didn’t step away. She was studying him thoughtfully, and as Solas met her gaze, he realized what her eyes reminded him of.

They reminded him of the ocean: the perfectly clear ocean off the coast of Arlathan. And if he wasn’t careful, he was going to drown himself in her oceanic eyes.

He stared at her, his heart pounding and the blood thrumming through his body in a way that was really not appropriate for such an event. Then she stepped close to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

He froze. She was lifting herself on her tiptoes and leaning in close to him. Her heated eyes were coming closer, and his lungs were frozen and his brain was completely paralyzed with excitement as she raised herself higher and nearer to his face…

He parted his lips – to tell her to stop, to back away, certainly not to invite a kiss – but before he could say a word, she brushed her lips over his cheekbone in a demure Orlesian greeting.

She lowered herself slowly back to her heels, and her hand left his shoulder. “Goodnight, professor,” she murmured.

He didn’t reply. He couldn’t reply. The sound of his title in her voice and the brush of her lips on his cheek had left him utterly stunned.

She smiled at him one last time, then turned away. His hand moved involuntarily to reach for her, but he stopped himself in the nick of time.

A second later, she had disappeared into the crowd.

Solas stood stock-still at the bar for a long moment. His pounding heart was a drumbeat in his ears, drowning out the cacophony of conversation and music and laughter in the bar. Heat and disbelief and desire were thrumming through his limbs and into his cheeks and — fenedhis, he couldn’t ignore it any longer: he was hard. Shamefully hard and throbbing, his mind totally preoccupied with the feeling of her lips on his cheek, brushing over his cheekbone so close to his mouth — such pretty smiling lips. Ah, to imagine those smiling lips wrapping around his shaft and taking him deep into her throat…

He rubbed his hand over his face. He couldn’t think like this. He didn’t understand why he was so deeply affected by this particular woman. It wasn’t like this was the first time a student had come onto him, and it had never been a problem before to tactfully rebuff them while making it seem as though he was unaware of their intentions.

So what was it about this particular young woman — this particular student — that had so captivated him that he was suffering from all sorts of tawdry thoughts that he really shouldn’t be having?

I should avoid her, he thought. If he avoided contact with her, he could avoid having any further carnal thoughts about her. Perhaps if he asked the administration to look up her name, he could…

Suddenly he realized something: he didn’t know her name.

She hadn’t introduced herself before launching straight into a conversation with him.

He laughed softly at his own sheer idiocy. Had he even introduced himself to her? Had his wits entirely left him the second she’d graced him with that mischievous smile?

He drew a deep breath, then exhaled heavily and stepped away from the bar. Enough of this, he thought. You must stop thinking about this. He ought to spend more time speaking with the students; he hadn’t even spoken with any of the students from his own lab yet tonight. What he really should be doing was looking for his new Master’s student, Nare. Surely she was here tonight. Perhaps she had found Merrill and Dagna.

I should have stayed home with Fenor after all, he thought morosely. With one last sigh, Solas stepped back into the crowd.

#solas #solas fic #solavellan #professor solas #professor solas au #inadvisable #pikapeppa writes

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