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i just can't stop leaving town

dragon age masterlist -> read on ao3 ->

MDNI: i block all minors & ageless blogs. this isn't mature, but everything i write is intended for adult audiences.

pairings: davrin x rook (nonbinary oc, named narashan) words: ~1.2 summary: davrin attempts to sneak out while rook is sleeping. notes: shout out to @datvcompanionweeks and @thedissonantverses, this was inspired by a mix of prompts they created, particularly hunter & thrill of the chase / i just can't stop leaving town. fluff! takes place sometime during the game but it's vague and no spoilers are mentioned.

for once, he's grateful for the eerie glow of the towering aquarium, casting just a few well-placed shadows for him to make out the crumpled fabric strewn across the floor. a seam pops through tired cotton as his tunic stretches into place over his chest, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure the small noise isn't enough to wake rook. they barely stir as he fishes his underpants out from under an accent table, only mumble and turn when he hops through the leg holes on his way to the door.

they're by no means a heavy sleeper— so when his belt buckle softly clinks against the stone floor as he gathers his trousers, he immediately seeks them out through a sea of furs and blankets. his own chest stills, tongue pinched between his teeth as he watches them like prey, covers shifting in tune with their breath. still asleep, accounted for.

unaware.

the word finds him, standing stock still just a stone's throw from the chamber door, and settles sour and heavy in his gut. he always hated hunting with an advantage. bait was a last resort, traps and tricks were rarities. he prefered the adrenaline of a chase, the drive that came from needing to be faster, quieter, stronger than your prey.

here, in the lighthouse, there is no hunt. no feat or trophy to be earned.

it's enough weight to pull him back towards the center of the room, carefully perching at the foot of the awkward chaise lounge. sleeping on the damned thing left him with a crick in his neck, and narashan even admitted to hating the room as a whole.

"none of this feels like it's mine," they'd confessed just a few hours prior, cheek pressed into davrin's chest as their fingertips wandered over his bare sides, tracing patterns he hadn't untangled yet.

"do you have a place back in minrathous?" he had asked in turn, curious.

"in dock town, so nothing fancy. but i can smell hal's from my window—"

"prime real estate, then, by your standards," he interjected with a grin, an arm bending to cradle his head.

"exactly," he wasn't able to properly see it, but he could feel their lips parting in a wide smile to match. "there's this big window, facing the ocean. i could watch storms roll in from miles away…and on the off chance i actually got home before sunset, they were stunning..."

their voice drifts off wistfully, and for a moment he loses them to a rosy nostalgia only a dock town citizen could create. the beauty of a sunset painted over a dock bustling with people too fearful, preoccupied, or ungrateful to witness it. bright jazz and warm voices flowing out of busy taverns, where masked venatori blend in with all the other magisters drunk with power. a towering monument to andraste, surrounded by sprawling gardens dedicated in her name, often writhing with bloodied and broken. where most saw tragedy, they saw a city— no, home worth fighting for. he couldn't blame them either, not when they spoke of minrathous as he did the wardens: a necessary piece that naturally fell into place.

"when's the last time you went back?" he questioned gently, not willing to let go of the conversation that easily.

it was nice, actually, to talk and lie together afterwards. he'd become quite comfortable in casual arrangements with other wardens, where cuddling or aftercare was often substituted for quietly sneaking out of whatever dark and foreboding nook they'd managed to find privacy in. but this, lying on his back, warm and sated with narashan tucked under his arm? this was comfortable. easy.

"when we found the dock town eluvian, just to get some clothes and things. i hadn't been there since the nessus job, so…" their voice drifted again, but they didn't allow it to linger as they smiled softly once more. "all my plants wilted. there were a few dead mice by my door, too — the stray cats i tend to, they leave gifts. even when i'm not there, i guess."

"we should visit the next time we're in dock town. repot the plants, feed the cats, get hal's and watch a sunset."

that had finally caught their attention enough to earn their gaze, face turning until they could rest their chin over his heartbeat.

"that's an entire afternoon, at least, dav. we don't have the time to spare."

"yesterday you spent an entire afternoon in arlathan sifting through nug droppings to get assan more truffles—" he reasoned. "and i know your market trips with lucanis take even longer."

"are you tracking how much time i spend with the possessed assassin, monster hunter?" their smile had grown, eyes wrinkling near the corners where their eyeliner had become smudged. there was no venom laced between their words, only fondness. in the moment, he had reached out, using his thumb to wipe it back into something closer to a sharp line.

"i'm making sure my quarry stays within range."

it took a few more moments, both of them staring intently as if the other might break. when neither do, nara spoke again.

"hmm, guess it's not the worst way i could spend an afternoon."

it was a plan.

not concrete or definitive by any means, but a plan for the future nonetheless. which felt very much like concrete, sinking to the bottom of his gut, when all he'd known for the past several years was the here and now. wardens didn't even have a future to plan, let alone promise.

he brings a hand up to wipe at his brow, frustrated by his own indecision, abruptly catching sight of black kohl smudged into the pad of his thumb. he attempts to rub it away with his pointer finger, but it only smears, catching and building on in every crevice of his fingerprints.

it wasn't as if a shadow dragons' life was any more predictable. narashan stated they were rarely home in time to see the sunset, not to mention they were still (technically) exiled from said home. who knew where all the pieces would settle after the gods were dead— if some of those pieces would even land in tact.

was it even considered a plan if it was formed near the end of the world? was it a promise if neither of them could keep it?

or was it just…hope? something impossibly mundane to look forward to while they trekked all over northern thedas?

he exhales, for what feels like the first time since his belt buckle hit stone, before standing to undress. his clothing makes very little noise as its discarded to the floor, and he takes great care in shuffling back to the place he held just ten minutes ago. left leg bent to frame theirs, an arm secured around their waist to keep them close, face hidden in the crook of their neck — where even the aquarium's glow couldn't find him.

in the morning, his neck will ache as he suggests moving their things to the guesthouse, somewhere they can both sleep soundly. but it will subside, however marginally and momentarily, when they begin to pack.

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♡ ➝ You're a softy. ⚔︎ THE THRILL OF THE CHASE (2/∞)

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obligatory cut of just Taash from prev post because I like how they turned out too much to only share in joke form lmao

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"I just like surprising you."

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@pinayelf i still can't comment on posts smh but "dear" and "love" feel like bee bee to me! 🩵

I'm trying to figure out what term of endearment Biyaya would call Davrin. She's not Dalish and didn't grow up connected to her Seheron (Pinoy in my hc) heritage so it'd be pretty "basic"

trying to figure out which one would be in her "voice" so to speak

dear

sweetie

love

darling

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@anderfels i feel the same about neve's threads armor bc it's ismeria's armor (defiant plate) in her white and teal colors 🗿 i'm sorry bb girl but yaya ain't letting you leave the lighthouse in her outfit please be fr

guys can i be honest and you won't hate me.

i don't like the outfit davrin gets when you send the griffons to the wardens and i think he should've gotten a unique outfit for sending them to arlathan.

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when davrin goes "i killed the other one, i'll kill you" at lusacan on tearstone island

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they're my spouse <3

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tagged by @pinayelf for wip wednesday friday ❤️‍🔥

this is an excerpt from ch. 2 of my longfic, a pit of snakes 🐍 next update we're taking an indulgent desire path through a Battle Couple Classic™️ (sparring as flirting) before firmly getting into the plot 🤭

tagging: @mixupmycota @livingthedragonlife @master-of-the-elements @anderfels and anyone who sees this post and has something juicy to share with the class!

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https://www.tumblr.com/tododeku-or-bust/744837858426339328/yes-nonblack-people-can-reblog-id-appreciate

i apologise if i come off as rude and i know it’s not black fans’ responsibility to educate white fans. but as a white fan, what do you think white fans can do to fight racism in fandom spaces? because even when i stumble upon something that reads to me as racist, i don’t know if it’s my wrong interpretation as a white person and if i should say something or be quiet. /gen

I have a reblog in that post that answers this question, but that post is now at least 150k strong with only half really getting the point and I'm not scrolling that long so 😅 I'll just say it again.

(the post was about BLACK PEOPLE. So I'm going to discuss antiblackness, bc that's who I was talking to)

1. Actually share community with Black people!

Half the reason people "don't see" antiblackness when it's happening is because you're not around any Black people in your fandoms to begin with. So when you see what is inevitably racism, you probably dismiss it as "drama" because that's what the racists (!) around you are framing it as. If you actually saw the responses from the party being wronged, you'd learn what to look out for when it happened. And even if you weren't confident, someone that IS confident could use the support- bc they're gonna be far meaner to that Black fan than they'll ever be to you! But ofc you don't see racism when there are conveniently no Black people around you to point it out. Bc trust, there is no fandom space- no space period- free of it. So... Try listening to the Black people that ARE in your spaces! Support their voices, so that you can start fighting that fight on your own!

2. Think about how much antiblackness you let slide, and try to be active about not doing so!

One of the hardest things for me to swallow is not usually the OG racist poster, but the thousands of people who usually agree with them, and then the tens of thousands of others who might not agree, but continue to support that person otherwise because antiblackness is not a deal breaker for them! You might think you're a friend to Black people, but based off the people you hang around... probably not! And we see that!

So you'll watch someone be mask-off antiblack, but "oh their art is so good though" or "but I love their LGBTQ/fandom takes" yeah okay so I see that I am not a part of the safe community that you value or picture, got it.

You have to actually ask yourself, consistently- because antiracism is an active thing, it's decisions you make- "is this thing I'm participating in worth the antiblackness I'm allowing?" Sometimes you're gonna say yes. But if you find yourself saying "yes" far more often than you're saying "no", it's time to admit that you're not being antiracist 😅 and if that identity actually means anything to you, you'll have to start making some better choices!

So, is this person's cool art worth them being a whitewasher? Is this video game series worth the creators being racist? Is this musical worth the racist stereotypes it's perpetuating? Is this person's otherwise cool politics worth them treating Black people like shit? Is being seen as a racist worth keeping me safe in this fandom (that would treat me horribly if I didn't? Are they really my community, then?)? Is my temporary entertainment worth more than someone's humanity?

I think when we choose to be honest with ourselves, and are willing to ask ourselves questions like that, we might recognize just how much control we have over our own racism, and at least how we can minimize our own harm. Bc you can only control you! And you don't have to do or allow the things you allow!

3. Call it out!

I don't think everything warrants a call out. But, sometimes y'all got to be willing to say "hey, this isn't cool, dude". The whole "1 Nazi, 9 patrons, 10 Nazis" thing. I have a post about it somewhere on the CBC page 😭 But yeah. Sometimes things will be right in y'alls faces and you say nothing. And all that does is encourage others with those same beliefs to show up and think that you're okay with them. I really do wish that when you were confident, you spoke up. Or at least told your peers in private "hey, such and such did this antiblack thing and it made me uncomfortable so I'm not going to support them anymore". SOMETHING.

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@anderfels i wanted to respond to your tags but since i can't comment on anything i gotta post it this way!! thanks for bearing with me kskskks

BUT THANK YOU SO MUCHHHHH

i wish i could inject the fic into your veins but i will send you davmeria brainwaves instead 🙇🏽‍♀️

'yaya' was very much inspired by how us pinoys do nicknames lmao (in a similar vein, i think that later into their relationship davrin's Super Special Nickname That Only He Can Use for ismeria is isa 💓)

and yesss i had so much fun with fleshing out a shadow dragon's minrathous! the city is definitely still a dangerous place but i think that the people would be very supportive of the shadows. there's a codex entry in vg about how anti-slavery sentiment has existed since the formation of the empire, it's just not something that is widely taught. the shadows have also been around for almost a decade now and i wanted to show their political positioning as a scrappy underdog with a few strategically earned wins under its belt. there's so much TENSION there and i wanted to play in that (and infuse my own politics into the worldbuilding teehee)

WE LOVE INTIMACYYYYYY! ismeria is such a guarded person and davrin is truly the Right One because it's so safe to be brave with him. at this stage of the courtship, they're both definitely very interested in seeing where things can go so they're being super intentional in getting to know each other and exploring if they're compatible. discovering parts of themselves through each other, being mirrors through which they face uncomfortable truths, THAT'S THAT GOOD SHIT

the "bruh." at the end of the chapter KILLSSSS MEEEE LMAO AMAZING!!!! that's what we like to hear 🙂‍↕️

the soap detail was one of the last things i added to the draft actually! i had been thinking a lot about ismeria's role in the shadows and what examples i wanted to use to support that/how best to use marcianus as an npc. ismeria is clever as fuck in the most lowkey way and i love being inside her meticulous ass head

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!! (never be quiet)

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♡ ➝ You're a softy. ⚔︎ THE THRILL OF THE CHASE (2/∞)

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🩸 a pit of snakes (ao3)

pairing: davrin/rook rating: E word count: 11,470/? chapter: 1/? art by: @crxwes

“Is Rook asking for help?” Davrin teases her, though the way he leans in makes his support unquestionable. Ismeria sucks her cheeks in and pushes a palm against his shoulder, mostly playful. Rook is a spymaster’s alias. An unassuming chess piece playing from the edges of the board. Rook is the helmet she never takes off in battle, the glamour she wears to blend in. It has worked for the most part—but now gods are involved. “Ismeria is asking for help,” She’s trying to be more than Rook with Davrin, with the team—even though sometimes it feels like digging herself out of a sand dune. “Don’t make me regret it.” He takes her palm from his shoulder and kisses it. “I’ll give you my best. I told you: I’m here.”

[read more on ao3]

tagging: @pinayelf @thedissonantverses @master-of-the-elements @livingthedragonlife @gaudebo @myxomycota @bladeoffrontiers @sketchytea @invinciblerodent @anderfels @gayturians @swoleas

i hope y'all don't mind the tag—figured you'd appreciate the davrook content sent straight to you 🤭

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WHY do i love the way cities look so much why am i so enamored with the tall glittering constant-motion stinking shadows blinding glare biting pavement sunsmog skies windowlight stars tomorrow’s to-do list penned in neon and movie theater marquees and the fate of the world on the back of a crumpled receipt Aesthetic

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Witch of the Wilds ? Such idle fancies those legends. Have you no minds of your own ? You there, handsome lad. Tell me your name and i shall tell you mine. Let us be civilized. 

(x)