dracaeons

[dracaeons]

currently in toronto on a little vacation so things will be even sparser but once i return i'm planning on being a little more Present here <3

[dracaeons]

the chances of a british actor you like willingly associating themselves with jk rowling after she's shown her true colours are ........... actually not all that low unfortunately. shockingly high.

[dracaeons]

"I cannot imagine that anyone here is foolish enough to do anything with them." Not if they wanted to remain part of the Inquisition, at the very least, or if they wanted to continue unbothered by Sister Nightingale's agents. Fenris was not especially interested in turning away help offered, especially in the face of something so dire; nevertheless, if the gossip was accurate, he would not have danger brought to anyone here from the inside, just for the sake of diplomacy.

If the world — or the Inquisition itself — struggled with one of their number having fled Tevinter, well... he doubted very much that they would remain long allied anyway, given that a runaway was at its heart. Whether he wanted to be there or not.

"As for diplomatic repercussions, I believe that if Ambassador Montilyet can circumvent my own complications, I have no doubt she will be able to handle any ... issues that Tevinter may have about you — or anyone else who may seek refuge here." It occurred to him, then— it was one thing for them to speak to each other about this. But how was it that other people might react to this sort of information? How would the rest of the people, gathered here and still in such disarray, respond if and when the news came out? Fenris imagined a whole organization's worth of Sebastian's fumbling attempts at conversation, early on, and grimaced sympathetically.

"Whatever truth there is to the talk— you remain welcome here, as far as I am concerned. I have no need of your entire story for that — though," he glanced behind himself, lest curious ears might be listening in, "I cannot promise Lord Pavus will exercise any kind of discretion." There would be others with questions, no doubt, but ... Pavus had a way of saying exactly the wrong thing at exactly the right time.

"... But in truth, if this place can truly be a refuge, then— " He shrugged a shoulder, offered a quick, grim quirk of his mouth instead of the pitying smile he had seen all too often shot in his direction. "It is worth the risk, is it not? It can hardly be worse than the danger we already face."

Solas’ face gave nothing away as he, too, watched the eastern clouds. Talk about his presence had his jaw clench. Such talk was inevitable but no less unwelcome. He knew that the spymaster at least had never been wholly satisfied with his story, even if she’d accepted it out of necessity. He’d been careful in his behavior, but fading into the background of the Inquisition was a futile endeavor.

“Ah,” Solas said flatly. A refugee. He glanced sidelong at Fenris, and thought he recognized a similar grim understanding on his brow.

He sighed, but though it sounded heavy, it was, in truth, relieved. This was a manageable rumor, however distasteful. He laced his arms behind his back in thought, his thumb tapping absently against his wrist. “I don’t suppose the gossip gives any indication of what they plan to do with these rumors,” he said, half a question and half a condemnation. People did like to talk, even if it came with foreseeable consequences. Especially for elves.

“What of your advisors? I imagine such a rumor could…complicate any diplomatic relations your Ambassador may seek to cultivate with Tevinter. More so than they might already be complicated,” he added, and this with genuine sympathy. Varric’s Tale had done Fenris few favors in total anonymity. He wondered how many people of the Inquisition could imagine what it must be like for a refugee of Fenris’ stature to be pitted against a godlike Magister. Solas did not envy his position. It was a familiar one. He knew that flicker of old fear in facing down the class of person who once held one’s life and freedom in their hand, and could close their fist on a whim. “I would not make things more difficult for you.”

[dracaeons]

the fenquisitor of it all would be hysterical in a horrifying way too. pov you're solas, leader of the evanuris, and the guy who accidentally stole your big anchor is, um. well. uh oh!

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Ancient Elven "Lyrium Knights" Theory

So, I used a cheat to unlock all the codex entries in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and had a field day reading them. One of the first things I started to piece together was various mentions of "lyrium knights" used in Ancient Elvhenan to serve the Evanuris. Now, to quote Bellara, I have a theory...

This is exactly what happened to Fenris.

In the codex entry "Against the So-Called Gods", Solas writes:

They are infusing lyrium into warriors not gifted with the sense of magic. This has not been done since the Great War, when honoured knights willingly sacrificed their own flesh in defence of the people. But what enemy will the lyrium knights defend you from? The Forgotten Ones? They have fled the empire. Me? I am only a danger to the powerful. No, the lyrium knights are meant to defend against you, to stifle resistance and protect the Evanuris.

The description "infusing lyrium into warriors not gifted with the sense of magic" immediately invokes the image of the lyrium branded to Fenris. But there's more!

In the codex entry "Aftermath of Disparaging the Gods", Felassan writes:

The good news is that public sentiment has turned against the lyrium knights, and our agents got information that let us destroy one of the sarcophagi.

At the mention of sarcophagi, combined with the mention of lyrium infusion... well, anyone who has read the comics Dragon Age: Blue Wraith and Dragon Age: Dark Fortress would find that familiar. In these comics, we learn Danarius that Danarius accomplished his ritual on Fenris by uncovering an ancient elven sarcophagus that can infuse lyrium into an elf. It only works on elves, though. Any non-elf explodes.

So, yeah. Fenris is a lyrium knight.

[dracaeons]

second old guard castmember fc oc still percolating but i'm thinking about an ancient elf whose uthenera was interrupted by ... well, pick your mess, depending on era. maybe an ancient lyrium knight, even :)

[dracaeons]

Gemstone Headcanons

Another set of questions aligned to gemstones to help develop characters! Send in some gemstones to learn more about the muse(s)!

Agate: What or who will your muse protect with their life?

Amazonite: How do they go about comforting or calming down others? Are they good at it?

Amethyst: Do they have a good intuition? If so, do they typically heed it or not?

Apatite: Do they find it easy to communicate with new people, or do they avoid it as much as possible?

Aquamarine: How insightful are they?

Aventurine: Are they the opportunistic sort, or do they typically let chances slip by?

Blue Topaz: Are they the courageous sort? Do they find they can overcome obstacles in their way with relative ease?

Cat’s Eye: What sorts of things soothes them when they’re worked up?

Chalcedony: How do they consider their allies in regards to themself? Do they reach out to them, or do they typically keep to themself?

Citrine: How open are they to new ideas or cultures?

Diamond: Do they find themselves getting sick often or do they have a relatively strong immune system?

Diopside: Are they a creative person in any way? How so?

Emerald: Do they suffer from any sort of mental illness?

Fluorite: Are they able to concentrate easily no matter where they are, or do they need a quiet space with little distracts?

Garnet: What are they most passionate about and who are they most devoted to?

Iolite: Are they financially responsible or do they tend to blow their money as soon as they have it?

Jade: What are their opinions on luck? Do they believe in it?

Jasper: What do they typically do to relax?

Kyanite: What is their temper like?

Lapis Lazuli: How aware are they of others and of their surroundings?

Moonstone: What inspires them? Why?

Onyx: How do they handle hostility from others, whether verbally or physically?

Opal: Are they the emotional sort?

Peridot: Are they open to new growth and change in any way, or are they resistant to it?

Prehnite: Do they find it easy to recall their dreams or do they hardly remember them?

Rose Quartz: Do they typically hold grudges? Are they the type to compromise as best they can during a conflict?

Ruby: Do they typically keep their heart on their sleeve?

Rutile Quartz: Do they have a habit of looking for the source of a problem? Are they the type to attempt to solve it if they’re able, or do they try to avoid it?

Sapphire: What makes them happiest? Is there a reason why?

Smoky Quartz: How is their physical endurance? Are they the active sort of person or not?

Spinel: Are they a worry-wort or are they carefree?

Tanzanite: Do they heal quickly or do bruises and cuts tend to heal slowly?

Tiger’s Eye: Are they self-confident or wracked with doubt?

Topaz: Are they the type to cheer on others or do they prefer to be center stage?

Tourmaline: Are they the understanding sort or do they have trouble connecting with others?

Turquoise: Do they strive for success or do they typically prefer to go with the flow?

Zircon: How wise are they?

[dracaeons]

isn't the view spectacular?

dialogue prompts from 7x4-11 of the wb's smallville.

is it a human thing to be so secretive and cautious, or what?

trust is a luxury you cannot afford.

i didn't know you had a secret plan to save the world.

if you want to save me, let me go.

you're a really patient teacher.

you're the last person i thought would save you.

you're just as guilty as _____.

i don't think things will ever be normal between the two of us.

right now, fiction's a lot more appealing than reality.

nobody goes to bed satan and wakes up oprah.

maybe it's time you found some better friends.

i don't have any secrets left.

we're leaving now. this place isn't safe anymore.

i've only seen love like that once in my life.

you are on the edge of a dangerous precipice.

it's only a matter of time before i find out what it is you're hiding.

why don't we get a bit more comfortable?

this conversation is officially off the record.

is this the part where you give me a stern talking-to?

we may be family, but i don't have to like you.

i don't know what's worse: finding out the truth, or losing who i thought ___ was.

you can probably fool yourself, but not me. you can never fool me.

revenge is like an addiction.

saving the world isn't in your nature.

i know nothing in your world comes without payback. what are you gonna do?

it's hard to face what you've created, isn't it?

i wish you wouldn't look at me like you haven't seen me before.

i guess i'm just trying to find a part of you i recognize.

you can't tell me that you haven't trust the moral line in order to save somebody.

i have to live with the decisions that i've made.

do not allow human emotions to cloud your judgment.

i want to start over with you.

okay, so i strayed into the minefield of misguided romance. again.

gossip spreads faster than a bad rash, and sooner or later, people are gonna start scratching.

it's okay to feel. your emotions are a part of who you are.

everyone makes mistakes. it's how we come back from the mistakes, that's what matters.

i'm not a rat in one of your labs.

i just wish it didn't take a near-death experience for you to feel comfortable telling me the truth.

i'm living proof you've forgotten how to love.

i don't know where i'd be without you.

did i mention that i missed you?

i've missed that smile.

you make me feel like i can fly.

you've fallen far from your ivory tower, haven't you?

lying to you would be like lying to a mollusk. there's no point.

i may have underestimated the power of the media.

haven't you gotten used to it by now? people leaving you?

i don't take to the morally murky.

i want proof. i know you can get it for me.

call me when you're ready for movie night.

i can't even look at you without you taking it the wrong way.

no one can live up to your self-righteous standards.

i'm hoping we just got off on the wrong foot.

sometimes justice comes at too high a price.

i'm not much for philosophical debates.

sorry. i never meant to hide who i was from you.

i can't share you with the rest of the world.

i thought rocky road would help, but nothing. nada. not a dent.

i can't be left behind one more time.

why settle for hot, rich, and famous when i can hang out with you?

i'm not really much of a team player.

you can have all the right motives and still do all the wrong things.

i promise i'm gonna do every thing i can to make sure we can trust each other again.

[dracaeons]

in his veilguard-specific verse, gabriele sets himself up - regardless of city-choice - as a crow contact on the outside of the main group. he can generally be found in the treviso market (/field hospital). if treviso is not saved, he lends his services to the field hospital on occasion. if treviso is saved, he can be found chatting with the merchants - gathering information. he tends to be more open with rook and the chess club if other members of the crows (including lucanis) are not around, due in part to his relatively lower-ranking status among the organization and his snooping around the crows' relative instability at the time of veilguard.

[dracaeons]

❝ Don’t be sorry. Do your fucking job. ❞ for Claudia

OKAY, WOW. RUDE. Claudia hadn't even meant to say it, it'd just— snuck out. Maybe she'd been making nice with too many people for too long, because fuck, I'm sorry, had just slipped through her teeth, and now look where they were.

Defensive, she crossed her arms. ❝ You don't have to be a dick about it. ❞ What else was she doing here, and out there, in the world, which was covered in Blight more and more every time she stepped out of an Eluvian, which kept falling down around her ears. What, was she just supposed to produce the Evanuris out of thin air and kill them right here and now?

Whatever. She was doing her job. It was just that her job was taking a lot longer than she'd thought.

❝ If it's such a big deal, you do it. You wanna? Comes with a free lecture every couple days, and everything, whether you wanna listen or not. ❞ She really hoped Solas heard that. Only you, and all that bullshit. As if the dagger'd glued itself to her hand, like she was the Inquisitor with a magic mark branded into her, instead of just having some ancient bastard rattling around her head and a bounty stuck on there from a couple of ancient whatevers, to boot. Claudia barrelled onward, not giving Vauquelin a chance to respond, just in case: ❝ No? Cool. I don't tell you how to do your thing. ❞

Actually— maybe she'd been hanging around Taash, just the right amount. Claudia sighed, waved it off. ❝ — Okay, whatever. It's fine. ❞

@bithand

[dracaeons]

be my memory.

dialogue prompts from 6x21-7x3 of the wb's smallville.

if anything comes down this tunnel, kill it.

it takes more than a bullet to stop a _____.

well, doesn't that just fill you with the warm fuzzies?

you should try picking up a phone occasionally.

letting go never was one of your strong points, was it?

you're accusing me of what, exactly?

it's surprising what people will do when they feel they have no other options.

was that jab directed at my chin?

that's not a newspaper, that's a cat box liner.

you're always welcome here. you're practically family.

i know that look. it's usually followed by you almost getting yourself killed.

we all have our secrets. sometimes we have to keep them to protect the people we care about.

you never could handle your liquor.

you're gonna be fine. do you understand me?

don't let them do this to anyone else.

you just stay with me, okay? don't leave me.

you're not a cat. don't skulk around like one.

i'm gonna make damn sure ____ doesn't do this to anyone else.

i don't think you're gonna get rid of me that easily.

why would i knowingly walk straight into enemy fire?

i never asked you for your help, and i never will.

what kind of a monster are you?

don't lie. it's too late for all that.

that's the last time you'll ever touch me.

'hope' isn't a word in my vocabulary. i need results.

i know you're looking for a guy who doesn't play by the rules.

you just died and came back to life. don't you think you should at least have your blood pressure taken?

redemption doesn't suit you.

i thought i'd come by and see if i could get more than two words out of you.

loving someone is hard. anger is so clean.

at first you don't know how you'll make it through, but somehow you do. just trust me on this one.

keeping you out of trouble has become a bad habit of mine.

you can't break up with me. we're not even a couple.

i haven't killed anyone yet, but you're starting to tempt me.

since when is truth in journalism 'old guard'?

i laid out the breadcrumbs and waited for the wolf to come knocking.

with a gun pointed at your head, you'll say anything, won't you?

you'll never hurt another person again.

if you want to come home, you'll be safe.

your prose leaps off the page like a bengal tiger.

am i hearing things, or did you just offer me a job?

be my memory, then. tell me about ____.

we can't always be everything our fathers expect us to be.

i guess i'm not used to being the one who needs to be protected.

i guess i don't have to ask which side of the family you come from.

has anyone ever told you you're a little uptight?

i'm not a big fan of small talk.

looks like you don't know me as well as you thought you did.

____ saved me from drowning in the evil of my ways.

i want us to wake up every morning and be there for each other.

[dracaeons]

i do not fear death. willa . . . for fenris

This was not even the first time he had heard such a thing from her, was the problem. Between everything that had happened in Kirkwall, and everything that has been happening here, and now, it comes not as a surprise at all.

Willa, it would seem, has never feared death. It was everyone else who would have to fear it, on her behalf. Too many times, Fenris found himself sharing a look with Varric. Too many times, he found himself reminded of standing, helpless, watching the erstwhile Arishok nearly kill her, or as her mother was murdered, or any of the other hundreds of times that Willa had looked death in the eye since they came to know each other, and been unafraid.

Such bravery could be such an infuriating thing.

❝ Perhaps you ought to! ❞ he snapped, palms pressed against the rough stone of Skyhold's ramparts.

Some things are worse than death, Anders had once told him. But Anders was not here anymore to argue for anyone's point; Fenris hoped at was at least comforted by that belief, if he was anywhere, now. Fenris certainly found no comfort in the thought, now. ❝ ... That was a cruel demand to make. ❞ This time, Fenris forced his voice to come more evenly. He had agreed, at the time, after all; with the Seeker on one side, and Cullen on the other, what else could he do? When it came to Willa, asking it of him, what else could he have said? But now... ❝ What is it, then, that you do fear enough to make it? ❞

@chanticle

[dracaeons]

@dreadblaidd | starter call.

If there was one thing people of all sorts were good at, Fenris knew, it was gossip. From the highest-ranked noble to the lowest of the low, nothing sustained people the way a rumour could. The Inquisition was no different; how could it be, with so many disparate people brought together under such circumstances? People were bound to talk.

People had been talking, not very subtly, about Solas. For an organization — speaking generously — of such dissimilar positions, it seemed that everyone could agree on two things: the threat to the world, and the ... interest surrounding Solas's presence amongst them.

And if anyone was going to raise the issue, it might as well be him. Before Pavus stuck his foot in it, at least. It mattered not, in truth; Solas's business was his own, no matter what any others might think of it. If he had something he was escaping, in being here, what made him so different than anyone else? They were all here for reasons that laid beyond just the torn Veil, whether anyone wished to admit it or not. But if there was any truth to it, then— Fenris knew the feeling of being watched. It would not help, to have everyone talking behind his back about it.

"There is talk," he said, carefully, gaze fixed upon the grey skies to the east. Somewhere, behind the clouds, the sun would be tracking its morning path. "About your presence here. And since I would hate for Varric to raise it with you first as a plot point," he added, wryly, "I thought it might be best to inform you of it directly." Tact, perhaps, might be in order; but there were more tactless here than he. Fenris took a breath, sighed. Gossip. "The rumour is that you have come to the Inquisition from Tevinter. As a— refugee."

[dracaeons]

hope everybody's okay with isabela robbing them a little bit for fun and profit after she outdrinks everyone

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gabriele is an orphan like four times over at this point. i think there's probably a running joke that he's cursed, or something. if it's had any positive impact on his life it's that it's made him very good at staying detached, because there's no point in getting sentimental about your house or your family if they're just going to die on you, again

[dracaeons]

okay one oc down. gabriele [SURNAME REDACTED], antivan crow from a minor house, probably a minor noble or noble bastard by blood, not that that really matters. currently tasked with investigating murders within the crows' ranks as part of an ongoing attempt to help his house rise among the crows' structure.

[dracaeons]

How do we know you haven't sold us out again, Book? Well, I, uh... I guess you don't.