#bdafic

[crackinglamb]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Tagged by @theluckywizard, thank you! 💕

Tagging @lilbittymonster, @bogunicorn, @bdafic, @shretl, @mordinette, @fogsblue, @effelants, @sociallyacceptablemadness and @natsora. No pressure!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

107!

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

1,776,919, as of this morning.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Currently only Dragon Age and Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood. But in the past I've written for Fallout 4, Mass Effect Trilogy, Dr. Who, Borderlands, and The Wayhaven Chronicles.

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

What a Wicked Game to Play - the Behemoth, the Epic, the...story that ate my life for nearly two years straight. It currently sits at a cool 400K words and will be the focus of my NaNo goal this year. I'd like to have it finished. Solas/OFC, rated E.

Twist - the fic that got me really going in DA. An MGIT re-envisioning of the base game and all the what happens next? 197K words, complete. Solas/OFC, rated E. Fun fact, I started writing this fic before I'd ever played the game. 2020 was...uh...quite a year.

Junkyard Dogs - my very first fic. I started writing this before I really even knew what fic was. Before I even had heard of AO3. My sibspring got me an invite and the rest is history. I'm still incredibly proud of this fic, although I don't write quite like this anymore. 107K words, complete. Hancock/F!SoSu, rated E. (Are you noticing a trend? Yes, I write a lot of smut.)

Twist Some More - you guessed it, the sequel to Twist. My love letter to Carly and Solas and the happily ever after the game didn't give us. Baby included. 67K words, complete. Solas/OFC, rated E.

Humans Are Just...Like That - okay, so there's a story that goes with this one. This is a oneshot for Mass Effect, and it was brought to life via a long, hilarious thread in an ME discord server. I made a comment to the effect of 'someone should turn this into a fic' and everyone told me to go for it. So I did. It's a little bit crack, a little bit everybody lives and a whole lot of yup, humans are just like that. ~3K words. Background FemShep/Garrus, rated T.

5. do you respond to comments?

Yes, always! (Caveat: as long as it's polite. If you're rude, I'll call you on it, then freeze the thread.)

6. what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

No More My Heart Beats Without You, one of only 4 of my works with the Major Character Death warning. Solas/F!Trevelyan, 5555 words (I didn't plan that, but it's cool), rated E.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

TSM, without a doubt. The whole point of it was to write a fluffy, gloriously happy tribute to my first DA OC, Carly Lavellan. It'll make your teeth ache, I promise.

8. do you get hate on fics?

I've gotten some on WG, which is why I now moderate comments on it. It's gotten statistically big enough (in terms of both hits and word length) that some people are just not gonna groove with it. And hey, that's fine. But you don't need to tell me about it, okay? Just hit the back button.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yes. And...yes. I've written all kinds. My only rule for smut is consenting adults.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Nope!

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

I got asked about a fic being translated, but I don't know if it ever happened.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have written two fics with my beloved @ir0n-angel. One for FO4 (a Deacon/F!SoSu oneshot) and one for DA (Solavellan modern AU, incomplete, been on hiatus for a couple years. Someday we'll finish it.)

And I've participated in three years' worth of round robin style collaboration with the DAFF server.

14. what’s your all-time favorite ship?

*snort Poly here. Don't ask me to pick a favorite, it doesn't work like that. 🤣🤣🤣

15. what’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Just Like Fire. It started out as a prompt fic to get me out of a slump. Actual Solavellan, canon compliant even. So you see where my problem is, right? I mean, I am the one whose blog title is Canon Shall Be YEETED. I've thought about maybe just tying up the loose ends and skipping ahead to the ending I've already written for it, but then I lose interest again after about five minutes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

16. what are your writing strengths?

Good dialogue, lots of banter. I am routinely told by readers how well I keep characterization believable.

Good smut, realistic without being clinical.

Headcannon glitter. Being detailed oriented means I overthink and come up with some really deep ideas.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

FINISHING THE DAMN THING. *ahem* I'm okay, I'm good.

Endings are rough for me. Not in that I don't know what I want to do with them, but more by the time I get to them, I've either lost interest or lost motivation. Or both. I know it looks like I'm on top of it when you look at my archive (only three incomplete WIP's out of 107), but some of them caused me Stress(tm) to finish and I've never been really happy with them.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I do it sparingly so it doesn't bog down the story. I translate it at the end, be that by chapter or oneshot. I know better than to fully trust google translate. And I'm careful with using fanon resources if the language is made up.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Fallout 4, with the above mentioned JD. I stayed there for quite a while too. To date it's still my second most written fandom.

20. favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Again, poly. But I have some notables that I've returned to time and again. An incomplete sampling:

Maker Damned Fools - this is actually the first thing I wrote for DA. Varric/F!Hawke. 32K words, rated E. Initially it was a Fluffuary fic, but I always planned to expand on it. This year I did. Highlights for me reading it: chapters 4, 7 and 9.

Soft In Skyhold - another Fluffuary entry. Written as part of WG's overarching 'verse. So, Imogen and Solas, Adoribull, Varric and Elly Hawke, Terisin Mahariel and Morrigan. Cassandra and the Sky-Watcher. ~29K words, rated T. Highlights for me: chapters 5, 11, 13, 22, and 25.

She's My Plus One - my Dr. Who fic. Nine/Rose. Written x +1 style. 12K words, rated M. Highlights for me: chapters 4-6.

Unrepentant - a Solavellan oneshot. It's smutty, it's a little bit kinky, it's all in her head, right? Cuz it's the Fade. Look, sometimes you just need a particular flavor of dark!Solas. Not too dark, just like 62% cacao. 3100 words, obviously rated E.

Unexpected - an FO4 fic with a Kellogg/F!SoSu pairing. Yup, you read that right. Don't judge me. This was an early attempt at writing canon divergence and I'm still super pleased with how it came out. It even has a happy ending. 30K words, rated E. Highlights for me: honestly, all of it. I'll read the whole thing in a sitting when the mood strikes me.

[kirkwallsokayesthero]

🎶✨Rules: When u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, publish. then, send this ask/tag 10 of your favourite followers 🎶✨

Tagged by the lovely @justanotherflemethstan ❤️ here's a wee list of my current faves:

1. Ghost Stories by The Narcissist Cookbook

2. C'mon My Darlin' by Wic Whitney and the Big Dam Horns

3. Preacher by Roe Kapara

4. Hard Out Here. by RAYE

5. Cure For Me by AURORA

Tagging all of these lovelies:

@dreadfutures, @bogunicorn, @rosella-writes, @darethshirl, @bluewren, @bdafic, @little-lightning-lavellan, @crackinglamb, @ir0n-angel, @lyriumfever

[bogunicorn]

Last Line Meme

Share the last line of your writing, tag as many people as there are words! I was tagged by both @crackinglamb and @ziskandra!

The last line I wrote was in your heart's a foreign house, gifted to @rosella-writes during the @black-emporium-exchange. It's literally the last line so it's not interesting lol oops.

The Herald is alive, and so are they. Dorian is even starting to think they’ll stay that way.

Tags, if you want them! @rosella-writes @jellydishes @little-lightning-lavellan @rakshadow @ir0n-angel @whataboutbugs-art @thefoxinboots @noire-pandora @anatidae-dragonage @sidhelives @illusivesoul @celemee @bdafic @barbex @thevikingwoman @nirikeehan @oxygenforthewicked @edda-grenade

[thebookworm0001]

💖 🖊 💻

@bdafic (Tumblr pls let ppl send asks on side blogs it's 2022)

Thank you so much @bdafic for the ask! Let’s pretend I answered this in a reasonable amount of time, shall we 😅

💖 I love my descriptions. Sometimes I dance on the line of purple prose, bit I really do think I’m damn good at making my readers see and feel exactly what I want them to in descriptions.

💻 I don’t tend to do a lot of research for my fics. I try to have my fics be the place where I just get to mess around a bit. Because when I do research, I fall down wild rabbit holes. The novel I wrote is set in a fictional Victorian England, so I did a lot of research for that just to get the set dressing right. And now I know weird stuff that was completely unrelated like a guy starting a nudist coconut cult.

🖊 from a scene in the happy end fic:

Under her hand, Solas’s hair stood on end and back began to vibrate. A low, deep growl filled the space between her and the Duke. Behind his mask, Gaspard’s gaze flicked to the wolf at her side as if suddenly realizing that the animal at her side was not some well-trained pet.

Ellana locked her eyes to his.

“Solas. Heel.”

The growling ceased. Ellana could still feel his raised hackles and the tension in his shoulders, but he had done as she asked. Enough of an acquiescence to demonstrate to anyone observing that he would not be a threat unless she instructed him to be. She resisted the urge to run her fingers through his pelt to comfort them both. There would be time later to untangle the bitter knot in her chest and the bloom of warmth that had accompanied the knowledge that his warning was no empty threat.

[errata98]

Fanfiction I Read in 2020 

I didn’t realize how long this post was going to be until I was about halfway through. And it still is not even close to exhaustive. 

Soo, while 2020 has been such a tumultuous year one great thing about this time in my life is that I’ve had more time than ever to read. I am always so blown away by how much talent there is in fanfiction, so big, big thank you to all the writers that share their work and for whisking me away from real life into something far more pleasurable. It definitely makes my whole day when a fic I love has been updated, and I enjoy catching glimpses of rough drafts and the writing process via tumblr (I’m still trying to understand how their galaxy brains even work lolol). 

It’s long, but I am not putting it under a cut! They’re too good!

Long Fics (>= 50k words)

Roses From Where Thorns Grow by @bdafic​ [incomplete]- I started this a while ago, must have lost track of it, and then found it again this summer. Feels weird to type because this is not really me irl lol but accidental pregnancy fics are one of my favorites kinds of fics. Papa Solas is amazing. Somewhere, I once tagged something with ‘solas dad best dad’ and I think that probably sums up my feelings on the matter. The last chapter I read has left me anxious for more, so I’m eagerly awaiting what will likely be the first chapter posted in 2021. 

Ruins by @luzial [incomplete] - A real story of a couple who broke up, fought each other for twenty years, got sent back in time, and are now trying to make things work again ;) Lavellan here is older and wiser in all the ways that matter, and Solas is... well Solas in many ways is everything we wish he would (and could) be now. Had the most wonderful realization that I somehow missed the last chapter that apparently came out on my birthday, so I know what I’ll be doing later.

Fen’Harel’s Teeth by @5lazarus​  [incomplete] - the conversations in this fic are one of my favorite parts. They’re in character, but they’re also just interesting to read. The words just fly across the page -- it’s smooth, seamless, pithy. I love politics and I love a main character who has her wits about her -- both are in this fic. Also features fatherly!Solas, which I just adore.

By the Still Waters by [orphan account]. This is older, but I knew it was popular so I gave it a shot and... yes, I understand now. I loved reading something from Fenris’ perspective. I loved how he’s a foil for Solas. I love seeing Lavellan as this near mythical person because we see everything through Fenris’ eyes. I love Hawke and Fenris together. Merrill also featured more heavily than I anticipated and she had some of the best lines I’ve ever read.

Pressure Point by 17734 [incomplete] - this fic leaves me constantly unsettled (in the best, most addictive, under-your-skin kind of way). I’ve read the first 18 or so chapters twice, and it’s one of those stories that’s slightly different the second time you read it. I really like the author’s take on immortal beings, some of it is very reminiscent of some of the Greek mythology I read in school - characters are at turns both magnificent and terrifying. The language is also very beautiful, and I’m a sucker for anything close to prosaic. 

Out of Time by destinies - so, I don’t know how I found this beyond just “Twitter.” This isn’t Dragon Age related -- it’s from The Greisha Trilogy, which I had never heard of before -- something just told me I would really like this story. Forced/political marriages’, memory loss, enemies to lovers, the dichotomy between light and dark embodied by a single couple... yes, thank you. I had to kind of piece the world together as I read, which was admittedly a lot of fun, and um... wow, I really loved this! Another one of my ‘binged in a single night’ fics.  

Message Sent by @aicosu [incomplete]- this is coincidentally how I got my former partner into Dragon Age lol. I had originally read it the first time as it was coming out. The second time I read it aloud to them over the course of a few days, feeling very much like Cassandra trying to do certain character’s voices. It reminded me of how much I loved it, and so I feel like it deserves a mention here. Definitely an unorthodox but memorable way of cursing someone with being emotionally invested in the Solavellan romance 

Short Fics (< 50k words)

nothing on my tongue by @ellstersmash - the chapters here are short, and I loved seeing the fic updated put of order. This was my first time experiencing that, and I loved guessing where we were in the in-game timeline, and also, as more chapters were posted, which chapter numbers were still missing and therefore what the missing chapters might be about. I associate this fic with feeling kind of melancholy a lot. I think the word constraints really lent itself well to the Solavallen romance -- beautiful and poignant, but always leaving me wanting more.

In and Out of Time Again by @luzial - hoo boy did I have a fun time reading this one. I actually rarely go for AU’s this “AU”, but I trusted this author, and it paid off. In fact, I think I subconsciously had more doubts than I thought because what started a curious perusal ended in one of those “up until 3 am reading” kind of nights. It was such a fast-paced, interesting read, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Ink is one of my favorite Lavellans; she’s just too cool.

The Fourth Day by sass_bot (@knightava) [incomplete] - this was just such a perfect example of how to build tension and dread for the reader, that I still think about it frequently. Also, who wouldn’t love a Skyhold murder mystery?

Beyond the Veil by Pyreite [incomplete] - A 200 years post-Veil fic. Abelas is in it, which is how I knew it was gonna be good hehe. I really like the world-building, and I like explorations of the romance with a more hardened Lavellan. 

I Come to You With Nothing by CommonEvilMasterMind. I’ll preface this by writing that this made me cry with a mixture of sorrow and happiness. The premise is an undercover mission in an alienage which involves Solas and Ellana masquerading as a married couple. It’s beautifully written, and just honestly kind of bittersweet. The writing is itself very touching but I also think it’s almost difficult to read because the Solavellan romance has an arc that looks like it’s just exponentially deviating from anything remotely happy lolol 

That Girl Is Like A Sunburn by @yourstrulycommandershepard - I just discovered this person’s writing this year and I’m kind of obsessed? I went on a whole binge this past summer and *fans self*. I picked this one for my list because I haven’t read that many Solas/Trevelyan fics, and hers are by far some of my favorites. I also love that the titles of some of her fics are Taylor Swift lyrics. I get Solavellan vibes from so many of Taylor’s songs - glad it’s not just me!

Aravel by @playwithdinos - More Papa Solas. I can’t say anything more than it hit me right in the vhenan. 

Wake Up by queenofkadara (@pikapeppa) - One of those fics I thought about for days afterward. The characterization was incredible, and it hurt me to read about Varric brining up Lavellan and seeing Solas’ reaction, and it hurt even more to be left wanting for more, just like Solas. 

[luzial]

No question I just wanted to say I hope your kitty is okay. <3 -bdafic

Thank you so much @bdafic! Things are going pretty well. I’ve been away from Tumblr (and honestly a lot of online stuff) just because it’s been a lot of work looking after him. He has a follow-up appointment on Tuesday, and hopefully things will start to get back to normal for us after that.

[b-daman]

Upstream Theory & amygdaloidal

I’ve come to the decision that I’ll just use this blog to share when I’ve posted a new fic. I’ve been minimizing the amount of time I spend on tumblr now because of how I feel about their new policies and such.

That said, I’ve posted two more fics in this series in the time that I was away.

Upstream Theory

~6k words. Terry-centric fic, two chapters. In which Terry travels out of Tsubakura City to find his fortune and his name.

Notes:

Trans boy Terry! This is something I’ve thought about for a long time and wanted to handle properly with this fic. Terry has a...particular history with the way his gender has been treated by the western fandom, and having grown up with that and coming to new opinions on it, I wanted to do right by his character.

Alan and Karen are from the GBA game. I love the characters in the game and I wanted to more directly involve them with characters that aren’t just Yamato.

Kit is a Cat person OC who I’ve had for a long time, though they were much older originally.

This is the first time where I let my more original world building slip into the story, as seen in the garden scene. Only one of the characters spoken about is an OC though. I think it’s fairly obvious who the other is.

I don’t think inserting prejudice into a fantasy setting that didn’t explicitly rely on it for a narrative is a good move, so there’s none of that here.

Armada is really fun to write when you remember he’s a huge memer in the anime.

amygdaloidal

~2k words. Bull-centric fic, oneshot. Bull and Gray’s original first meeting several months before Cobalt Blade’s debut, from Bull’s POV (all three of them).

Notes:

This was another WIP just sitting there for ages tbh

POV pronouns swapping is one of my favorite little tricks.

Not unlike most passes at Bull’s backstory, he’s had a hard life in this one, but I’ve tried to keep it fairly vague and it involves a sentient robot.

Everyone’s hot for Gray, but Bull is hot for Chrome Zephyr

[thedreadblog]

wait wait wait how did solas learn common

Dunno! There's no official explanation (though he'd probably say "The Fade", and for once it might be true). But @bdafic has Solas learn it with a very...hands on method, which led to my train of thought. You can read that particular part of Roses Where Thorns Grow here, though the entire fic is worth it imo :)

[dragonageficrecs]

Trope: Whoopsie Baby fic recs

Hey we're pregnant and gonna have all the feels! Fics. Attempted to distinguish between fics that actually involve a pregnancy to some degree and those that involve adopting a baby or kid (though some fics in this list have both).

~*~*~ DAO ~*~*~

Alistair/Warden

The Long Way Home by zinjadu. Separate fic rec post here. Also a kid!fic.

...And Even the Wind Will Not Blow Me Down by Eadgyth. WC >50k. Technically a deadfic but whatever is there is worth reading.

-

Zevran/Warden

a gentle, beating heart by rynleaf. WC 5-10k. soooo much pining in this fic.

A Child Unexpected by skybound2. WC >50k. Takes place in Seheron and has a Sten appearance which is swell!

-

~*~*~ DA2 ~*~*~

Fenris/Hawke

The Hawke Child by CaptainStormChaser. WC <10k. Per author, "self-indulgent pregnancy AU".

No Labor Like Love by loquaciousquark. WC 10-25k. Fluffy, Romance, a feel-good fic. Kirkwall gang bends over backwards for the Hawke baby.

Tread Softly by hauntedjaeger (saellys), saellys. WC 10-25k. The Fade has changed Hawke, including her desires.

Fate's Burden by RiversEnd. WC 10-25k. Author summary: "Fenris leaves Hawke with more than a broken heart after their initial night together."

I Remain At Your Side by Lourdes23. WC 50-100k. Past Anders/Hawke. Accidental Pregnancy comes later in the fic. This fic is one of my personal faves.

-

Bethany/Varric

Neither Chick Nor Child by lucyrne. WC 10-25k. I blame lucyrne for roping me into this rarepair. Varric is a gentleman.

-

~*~*~ DAI ~*~*~

Solas/Inquisitor

Roses Where Thorns Grow by bdafic. WC >300k. Feels!

Twist Some More by CrackingLamb, a sequel to Twist, an MGiT fic. WC 50-100k.

Aravel by playwithdinos. WC <10k. Worth reading the entire series; the third fic was especially endearing and hopeful.

Surprise Developments (Recalculating) by 0Rocky41_7. WC 10-25k. Solas pines a lot.

-

Cullen/Inquisitor

This Pregnancy Keeps Dragon On by HarbingerofWhimsy (WhimsicalCivet). WC 25-50k. Sort of established relationship?

You're Say You're Sorry When You're Not by astuarian. WC >100k. Past Lavellan/Solas. Lavellan realizes that one of her dear friends has held a candle for her for a long time.

[fadedsweater]

word search tag game

This was a lot of fun! Thank you @inquisimer for tagging me! 💛

I'll tag @darethshirl, @bdafic, @crackinglamb, @dreadfutures, and anyone else who wants to participate!

You can use published fics, wips, or a mix of both. You're looking for the words:

soft, bare, sun, place, deserve

My snippets below the cut!

Comfortable from no cracking open of heaven (but quiet and still), a Cassandra/Solas fic I wrote for @weatheredlaw for the 2023 Solas Lovers Exchange:

Cassandra felt out of her depth, inexperienced and clumsy. Perhaps she was misreading his intentions. Perhaps he wasn’t flirting at all. “You flatter me so,” she said, and Maker, she sounded awkward and fumbling and she wished she could disappear through the floorboards of this wretched cabin. “And here I had meant to make you feel more comfortable.”

Touch, from a lovely patch of earth, a gift for @rosella-writes featuring her OCs Virelan Lavellan and Tulin, which I wrote for the Arlathan eXchange 2023:

Without warning, Virelan came up from behind him, dragging her warm palm along the short, fuzzy hair beginning to grow on his scalp. It was an unfamiliar feeling, still—to have hair, certainly, but also to be touched so casually, so lovingly, by someone he loved in return. It shook him out of his haze, opened a bloom of warmth in his chest. He leaned into her palm. But it was more than her touch; everything Virelan did, whether it be a look or a gesture or a word, filled him with warmth. She was blazing and bright. Her passion, her temper, her ferocity, her love all burned so intensely that it was impossible not to feel it, too.

I had such a hard time finding the word Mood, but I finally found it in unpublished, pre-relationship solavellan wip that I honestly forgot about and now have feelings about again:

"Well," Eira said, and gave him a grim smile. "It looks like a lovely dinner of…hardtack and peasant bread." Solas's nose scrunched a fraction. "How appetizing." This time her smile was real. She divided up what remained of the rations, which was not very much at all. The bread at least was close enough to real food she could imagine a better taste for it. "It's not so bad," she said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. Solas gave her a dry look. "I've eaten worse," she amended.

Opposite from my smutty solavellan fic, Interrupted Plans:

Everything about this feels frantic. She feels frantic. And Solas does, too, from the sound and the look of him, which sends her reeling because he’s usually slow, deliberate, patient—the opposite of whatever has come over them both.

Answer from an unpublished solavellan wip, featuring post-trespasser angst and the "I didn't know where else to go" trope:

Solas does not see the blood at first. And then it is all he can see. She clutches at her stomach and it pours out from between her fingers. It soaks into her clothes. It's dripping onto the floor with each strained step she takes toward him. Solas has far too many questions that she is in no state to answer, the foremost of them being how did you access this Eluvian? Before he can find his voice, she speaks. “I didn’t know where else to go,” she says. She stumbles, and despite all of his better instincts, he rushes to catch her.

[crackinglamb]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @anneapocalypse, @theluckywizard AND @effelants. Heck, okay, okay! 🥰

Tagging @bogunicorn, @espressocomfort, @serial-chillr, @mogwaei, @bdafic and @about2dance. No pressure.

I've dragged OR&R out of storage recently and realized 'hey, this is pretty good, where's the rest OP?' So in an effort to get my brain back into Lark space, have a bit of spicy. This is just for you, Effe, since we were just talking about it.

Hawke stood sheepishly at the top of the stairs. He was sporting a black eye, a shiny burn across his bicep and an apology in his expression.

She gave him a look over her paperwork and then went back to it without letting him speak. He settled himself onto the sofa at the far end of the chamber and watched her as he had the first night they'd spent together. In some ways, nothing had changed. In others...

Well...

The candle was guttering by the time she finished and she looked up to see Hawke still sitting there. She lit a fresh taper and carried it to the sofa, setting it down on the table there. Then she crawled into his lap, her short legs barely bending around his larger ones.

“Don't tell me who won,” she murmured. “Don't make me choose.”

“I won't,” he promised.

They stripped in silence, baring their skin in place of their souls. Lark muffled her hiss as he entered her against his lips and his broad hands held her tight. She knew he would leave imprints of his fingers on her body and didn't stop him. The sofa squeaked under them, making them both smile in memory, but no words were exchanged. The pleasure crested like a rolling wave and still they did not speak. Even after, when they were sweating and gasping, their foreheads bent together. Lark closed her eyes and wished her life had fewer complications to it. She imagined that Hawke felt the same.

Nothing to be done about it, they tacitly agreed. Nothing but to take what the other offered and be grateful. She took his hand and led him to bed and they began all over again.

[nivenor-krosis]

OC Interview : Amala

Introduction

Can you introduce yourself?

I am Amala, a member of the Shyhold staff.

What is your gender identity, orientation, and relationship status?

Oh! Well, I see myself as a woman but have enjoyed the company of both men and women. I am officially single (wink wink) 

Where and when were you born?

I was born in Ferelden 28 years ago. 

What is your weapon of choice and fighting style?

Knowledge ! And I know how to use a dagger. A deadly combination.

And finally, are you happy?

You know what ? I think I am. 

Family and friends

What is your family like? What is your relationship like with them?

My family is all over the place. My mother died in childbirth years ago, and my father has been raising us with the help of other elves from the alienage. All my sisters work as maid or servants for some lords or other as far as I know. I’m very close to the youngest, Risa.  I had two brothers but one died during the Fifth Blight and the other is… What’s the next question, please ?

Have you ever run away from home?

Haha. Did I ever want to get away from six other siblings and an overprotective dad ?  No, of course not, perish the thought.

“Would you want to get married or have children?

I uh… Maybe, but someone in my situation shouldn’t think too much ahead. 

Do you secretly hate any of your friends?

Hate no. Sometimes wishes they would mind their own business ? Hmmmm yes.

What friend knows everything about you?

That would be Ninette, we share out quarters together and she began working at Skyhold at the same time I did. I swear, you chose the wrong person to do this interview, she knows me more than I do myself !

Asked by fans

Can you read and write? Did you go to school?

I do and I thank my father every waking moment for forcing us to learn to read and write. I went to a private school in order to serve the best houses in Orlais and get good recommendations.

The scariest prediction you made that later came true?

That my brother Fayne was going to cause nothing but trouble… I would have given anything in the whole world to be proven wrong.

What is something you embarrassingly realised too late?

I apparently snore very loudly when I sleep, so Ninette tells me...

Do you have mental or physical problems?

My back hurts like hell, not a good sign for a maid like me. And my shoulder sometimes dislocates itself, charming image, no ?

What’s your main goal right now?

Helping out the Inquisition in any way that I can.

Choices

Drink or eat?

Oooh food! But then the wine…. but the cheese… but the ale...and the cakes…

Both ?

Cats or dogs?

Did I say I was born in Ferelden ?  I had no choice but to like dogs. I do love those stray cats that live in Skyhold, which makes the winter less harsh to live through. And they can sit on my lap without breaking my knees, which is nice.

Optimist or pessimist?

There’s enough pessimists out there, don’t you think ?

Sassy or sarcastic?

You tell me! 

HAVE YOU EVER:

Been caught sneaking out?

I have, but it only made me better at it! At the sneaking part, not the uh, getting caught part. You got that.

Broken a bone?

Oh yeah broke my shoulder once, a horse ran right through me. The cats and conversation with Warden Blackwall are the only reasons I get close to the stables...

Did you get flowers?

I did, and still do sometimes ! Sometimes it’s genuine and sometimes it’s just someone trying to gain access to the keep. I’ve long learned to spot the difference.

Ghosting someone?

The horses.

You pretended to laugh at a joke you did not get?

Haha that’s what my whole job is about !

This is so much fun and actually really useful to get content for OCs ! The credit for Amala’s faceclaim goes to the wonderful Joanne Froggatt and her character in Dark Angel.

Should I tag ? I feel I should tag

@silvanils | @musetta3 | @lorkaji-writes | @darethshirl | @rosella-writes| @melisusthewee​ | @bdafic​ | @kittynomsdeplume​

@morganlefaye79​ I know you did one already, but I also know you have a plenty more OCs, so go crazy ;)

@inquisitoracorn​ I get the feeling this could be useful for you...

[fiadhaisteach]

Things I’ve Read This Week* - 2021.04.10

New Stories

Any Dream Will Do by enigmalea (@enigmalea) - Solas/Male Lavellan - 644 words, complete

Vhenan by Noire12 (@noire-pandora) - Solas/Cassandra - 4,627 words, complete

we found each other hungry by cedarmoons (@cedarmoons) - Solas/Iron Bull - 4,453 words, complete

Ar Lasa Mara Revas: You Are Free, ⚜️Harmless Dalliances, ⚜️The Red Wolf by RosellaWrites (@rosella-writes) - Solas/Female Lavellan, Solas & Sera - 27,867 words, 1st work complete, 2nd work & series WIP

Smoke and Mirrors by TeriTheTacticalUnicorn (@terithetacticalunicorn) - Solas/MGiT - 4,354 words, WIP

As Dreams Fade in the Light by WizardofOzymandias (@wizardofozymandias) - Solas/Dagna - 4,754 words, WIP

Rereads

Together-verse: Iwyn/Solas/Ellana OT3, ⚜️Together, ⚜️Antivan Vacation (Sand & Coffee on Tumblr), ⚜️Possibilities by Viking_woman (@thevikingwoman) - Solas/Female Lavellan/Female Lavellan - 6,584 words, each work complete, series HSE WIP (see Tumblr Reads)

Setting Fires, ⚜️Punch Drunk Kiss, ⚜️Codeine, ⚜️Addiction by cedarmoons (@cedarmoons) - Solas/Female Trevelyan - 17,696 words, complete

Love, It's Summer by jenny_of_oldstones - Solas/Male Trevelyan - 2,954 words, complete

Reflection by jenny_of_oldstones - Solas/Male Trevelyan - 2,579 words, complete

Tumblr (re)Reads

Together-verse, ⚜️First Date, ⚜️Chalk, ⚜️Pleading and Pleasing, ⚜️Here and Now, ⚜️Home, ⚜️Belonging, ⚜️A Softer World, ⚜️Family, ⚜️Closer, ⚜️Neon Lights micro-prompt by @buttsonthebeach & @thevikingwoman - Solas/Female Lavellan/Female Lavellan

Solas gets sent to Earth prompt by @crackinglamb - Solas/OFC née MGiT

Short Solavellan piece by @ironbullsvitaar - Solas/Female Lavellan

Subscription Updates

Bloodied and Broken, Dead Pasts and Dread Futures by youworeblue (@dreadfutures) - Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 143-145)

miles to go before the fall of night, across the ocean and over the ruins, the forest is dark and deep and i've seen you here before by victoriousscarf (@victoriousscarf) - Solas/Male Lavellan (Ch. 131-132)

Fen'Harel's Teeth, Fen'Harel's Teeth by hes5thlazarus (@5lazarus) - Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 12)

Beyond the Veil by Pyreite - Solas/Female Lavellan, Fen'Harel/Female Lavellan, Abelas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 10)

Bloodied and Broken, Our Careless Heads with Roses Bound by youworeblue (@dreadfutures) - Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 4)

Diary of a Dislocated Knife-ear, Dislocated Souls: Skyhold by LonelyAgain (@thereallonelyagain) - Solas/MGiT, OFC/ OMC (Ch. 215)

Roses Where Thorns Grow by Bdafic (@bdafic)- Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 30), complete

Sugar Honey Iced Tea by AntlersandFangs (@thededfa), Beckily (@beckily), & Celtic_Lass (@thecelticlass) - Female Adaar/MBiT, Varric/MGiT, Krem/MGiT (Ch. 28)

No Longer A Game by Here_To_Be (@nolongeragameart) - Solas/MGiT (Ch. 56)

What We Have Lost, Into the Imperium by midnightprelude (@midnightprelude) - Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 19-20) Hope Sprang!

lover, your back is bruised from what you carry, In the face of your light by noverture (@noverturemusings) - Solas/Male Lavellan (Ch. 75-76)

Dovetail by ByJoveWhatASpend - MBiT/everyone (Ch. 6)

Echoes Across Time by JLHall (@jlhallares) - Solas/MGiT (Ch. 232)

Til It Squeaks: A Modern Girl's Take on Thedas, Twist Some More by CrackingLamb (@crackinglamb) - Solas/MGiT (Ch. 6)

Overgrown by luzial (@luzial) & maerisk (@maerisk-writes) - Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 18)

Sweetened by the thorn by elo_elo (@junkbabelna) - Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 3)

The Guardian by HumblePeasant (@solas-disapproves) - Solas/OFC, Dorian/Male Lavellan (Ch. 139)

Solas/Ayala, Seventh Time's Not a Charm by Fairfaxleasee (@fairfaxleasee) - Solas/Female Trevelyan (Ch. 1), complete, series sub

The Taming of Fen'Harel by beaubashley (@beaubartley) - Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 8)

When the World Fell by Psalacanthea - Fen'harel|Solas/Female Lavellan (Ch. 11)

» side note - multiple chapters may mean multiple updates; or might just be me refreshing my memory, reorienting myself in the story, or rereading some for fun. 😊

*TIRTW & can recommend (previous weeks)

[thebookworm0001]

Hi I just binged through Roses Where Thorns Grow by @bdafic and I need the rest of you to read it

[luzial]

Fanfic asks: 5, 10, 21, 35 for Ruins. -bdafic

Thanks for the questions, @bdafic​ !!

5. Do you listen to music when writing?

Pretty much always. Songs with lyrics (usually in big playlists) are mostly for brainstorming or getting me in the right state of mind to begin writing. Very rarely, I may put a song on repeat while I’m writing (which I discussed a bit in this answer). But most of the time when I’m actually drafting, I need instrumental tracks only. I’ve tried video game soundtracks but I usually find those a little distracting because, especially with DA music, I’m thinking too much about the scenes when I heard that music. Most of the time, I just use one of Spotify’s generic classical or jazz playlists during drafting and editing. They’re just enough music to help me zone in without being too distracting.

10. What is the line you’re proudest of from Ruins?

I’m going to cheat and pick two (and one is a little longer than a line but OH WELL):

“To love someone with your entire heart when you have seen the ugliness of the world - that is an act of faith.”

“When one is lucky enough to find a torch burning brightly amid the deepest night, the flame illuminates him as well. He glows in its fire, enlightened simply by proximity. So it was for me when I was near you. I imagined for myself the sort of person I might have been were I better, stronger, and braver.” 

21. Is there an idea you’ve always wanted to write, but haven’t yet?

There are two Solas-related ideas that are absolutely not mine, but that I’ve seen floating around in Tumblr posts over the years that I’m sort of dying to write something for someday. The first is the idea of an impostor joining the Inquisition and claiming to be the Dread Wolf, all while Solas absolutely fumes in the background (from this post). And the second is an AU where Solas is a programmer with some very cool ideas about Veil / Blight / viruses as they translate to programming (from this post). Not sure if I quite have the tech knowledge to do the second idea justice, but I think there’s so much potential in it.

35. Where’s your favorite place to write?

I work from home and I use one room in our house as my office. While I think it’s generally good advice to use your home workspace for only that purpose if you can, I still like to write in there most days. I’m often writing on my work laptop when I have downtime during the workday anyway. That room has lots of plants and great sunlight in it, a good-quality speaker if I want to listen to music without putting on headphones, and it just feels cozy. 

Occasionally I like to write on my personal PC for a very silly reason: it has a mechanical keyboard that is extremely satisfying to type on. (I’m typing on it now and it just sounds GREAT.) 

For fanfic writer asks

[b-daman]

Here we go, folks! Enjyu’s first entry in the series at a whopping 19k+ words. This one’s a big fic with a lot going on, so here’s some notes:

Once again Gray takes a spotlight in someone’s else fic, but there’s a good reason this time, I swear!

Trans man Ababa

The brief scene with Armada at the start was mostly meant to be an introduction to this version of Enjyu in an environment readers should be familiar with—ruining Armada’s day.

Enjyu’s motorbike is from the manga

There are four OCs in this fic, and I hope they were enjoyable.

Similarly, there are several major plotlines going on, and a lot more minor ones interwoven into the “between” sections. 

Since the story takes place over three years, and then a fourth year passes, Enjyu is 17 in the final scene.

This also means puberty was happening throughout the fic, and Enjyu was the first to get a growth spurt that stuck. He’s quite proud of being the tallest kid around.

When I think about it, this fic kind of makes Gray a bad person, because wind at his back showed how little he thought of Wen after all the scenes they share together here happened...teen drama huzzah

Speaking of, because the events of this fic had not been fully planned yet when I wrote wind at his back and frostbite, I had to write around some of the things already there. Hopefully I managed to do this naturally without any glaring plot holes

That said, the structure of the story taking place over three years came about because frostbite said Gray only really left for Cobalt Blade three years after he arrived

Fics from this point on will have a more solid foundation and continuity

Arsen and Jupiter are meant to be opposites in the way their scenes play out and eventually conclude.

If this anime can get away with saying Castillo is from Luchatoon, I can get away with naming a town Heltoon and giving it the nickname Hell

#POV Edgelord

I may have wanted Arsen and Nara to be scary as Shadow Alliance elites, but Ababa will always pull through as top Cat

I know nothing about wine except what I learned from the game Last Word, so the Petro Jade is a reference to it!

Ababa fucks

This fic is where I’ve truly, truly solidified my personal worldbuilding, particularly when it comes to the Legend Stones and the Shadow Alliance.

The Legend Stones from the manga being involved has always been planned for this series, and I seeded some of the ideas for them in Upstream Theory, but this is the first time they’ve actually appeared. 

There are only six Legend Stones in the manga, but the final one was never named, so I can do whatever I want with it and make more Legend Stones!

Gray going full SA might seem out of nowhere, but remember in his final battle he mentioned being exactly that until Yamato changed him

See if you can spot the one (1) callback to amygdaloidal!

I wanted to do Liena justice, and there was no way I was going to have her sit around and do nothing for three whole years

I will be better prepared to write Goldo’s dialogue in the future

Arsen, Nara, and Amy (the girl in Jupiter’s shop) all began life as Battle B-daman OCs before going to their own original world. Now they’ve been imported back in, new and improved.

I actually had no idea Ludo existed when I came up with Jupiter.

Arsen’s B-daman is named Boreas

Jupiter’s B-daman is named Eminent Flare.

There’s a lot of loose ends in this fic actually...I plan to address them all in the future!

LIENA WILL RETURN

Enjoy!