#belle lavellan

[ivee-draws]

doodle dump of various blorbos :)

[palipunk]

La Belle Dame sans Merci (cullsma edition), as a little birthday present to myself ✨

[niceness-before-knives]

Replays are fun because I can remember all my silly headcanons. Like Mir does not vibe with Solas immediately because he just grabs his hand and forces a rift close.

Mir is instantly suspicious in a way he can't verbalize, and while they do eventually become something shade of friendly, that odd note suspicion never really leaves him.

[greypetrel]

Three-Songs Playlists

I was tagged by @herearedragons to compile three songs playlists for as many OC as I can manage.

It is a lovely idea, thank you very much!! :D

(linking also the full playlists on Spotify if anyone's interested. They're not in order, so just listen to them in shuffle. The one I'm most convinced of is Alyra's.)

Tagging: @salsedinepicta @ndostairlyrium @shivunin @melisusthewee @pinayelf @whimsyswastry @theluckywizard @zenstrike @rowanisawriter and YOU!

Aisling Lavellan (🎶)

Cry a river, yearn with all your heart, but never back down.

Queen of Peace - Florence + The Machine

The Water - Johnny Flynn feat. Laura Marling

Blood in the Wine - AURORA

Alyra Mahariel (🎶)

It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.

Keep the Streets Empty for me - Fever Ray

No Rest for the Wicked - Lykke Li

War Pigs - Black Sabbath

Radha Lavellan (🎶)

The world keeps spinning outside of books, and you can't fight it.

Primavera - Luigi Einaudi

Bells for Her - Tori Amos

Brutus - The Buttress

Raina Hawke (🎶)

Pierced to the heart but never killed.

Anti-Hero - Taylor Swift

Blood in the Cut - K.Flay

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

Max Shepard (🎶)

It's never too late to tell everyone off and become a pirate.

Que el Viento Sople a Tu Favor - Mago de Oz

On the Loose - Europe

Il Ballo di San Vito - Vinicio Capossela

Garrett Hawke

Home will be there to wait for you.

Pottsfield C.M. - The Blasting Company

Stay Alive - José Gonzalez

Buckets of Rain - Bob Dylan

[stephschoices]

Tagged by @fenharel to to use these uquizes (WAYDH? + WAYC) for some ocs, thank you ~!

Tagging @dakotawritesif @if-addiction @gloomcat-mess @sysba @griffin-wood @honeyveebeevee @wiinryrockbell and anyone else ~

Athena Lavellan (DA:I)

thriving (for yourself)

You are beautiful, and there is a light in your eyes now. There wasn't, before. You feel light and you hug people tight because you know what loss feels like. You are sunsets and throw-your-head-back-laughs and 2-am-shopping-sprees and looking-over-your-shoulder-for-ghosts-of-the-past, but you are thriving. There are fifteen things you've never checked off your to-do list and never will, but you're determined to find your way to them anyway. You are glowing and it's admirable. You crawled your way from somewhere terrible and now you stand, breathing in the sun. You are admirable, never forget.

warped metal

it's not working out the way you want it to. no matter how hard you try to look scary, the very picture of karmic retribution, your efforts will inevitably fall short. you're out of place here, a broken doll and a used marionette. there's nothing to gain in pretending you can't be hurt like anyone else. there's nothing to gain in pretending you aren't human, that you're made of twisted steel and distorted memories. embrace your humanity. embrace your vulnerability. give in to trust.

Este (@pavedinashes-if )

shining (for the world)

You are sunshine. You are too bright for this world and you know too much for your experiences. You are not naive, but you are not a cynic. You are not an optimist, but you don't see the point in pessimism. You are bright bells of energy and great pealing laughter and coffee-shop-dates and meet-in-person-lunches and you draw people to you like a magnet with the way you shine. You are bright and drained, drained, drained. You are restless nights, heavy days, broken moons. You deserve a rest. You deserve to release. You cannot carry the weight of the world alone. Share the tasks, be the light, and create the connections.

acerbic wit

you're a mentor — an old scarred wolf, an injured soldier, a disgraced paladin. your teachings read as shamelessly pretentious, speaking in rhymes and biting down hard into anyone stupid enough to make the wrong move. this isn't your first life, nor your second, nor your sixth — you'll make the most of your time shackled to this world, no matter how many loops it takes to get it right. with every defeat, you reincarnate; a little smarter, a little quicker, crueler and nastier. will you choose to be brutal, equalizing, that final strike in the face of your enemies? will you go soft, become tender and domesticated? the choice is yours. it's not like i can stop you.

Jade (@inkandlaces-if )

shining (for the world)

You are sunshine. You are too bright for this world and you know too much for your experiences. You are not naive, but you are not a cynic. You are not an optimist, but you don't see the point in pessimism. You are bright bells of energy and great pealing laughter and coffee-shop-dates and meet-in-person-lunches and you draw people to you like a magnet with the way you shine. You are bright and drained, drained, drained. You are restless nights, heavy days, broken moons. You deserve a rest. You deserve to release. You cannot carry the weight of the world alone. Share the tasks, be the light, and create the connections.

cauterizing rage

the house has burned around you, and you’re the only one left standing. is it gratifying to be the survivor? fear and anger are weapons in your capable hands, used only to serve your agenda of fighting back when deemed necessary. you're a powerful person, built from the ashes of your despair and your family's mistakes. with time, you'll bloom into someone softer, like the full blossoms that grow each spring and wither away with the leaves in fall. they won't disappear if you take your eyes off of them. you're enough.

[shivunin]

aaaaaaaah the flower list!!

Just giving you your OCs, pair them up with whomever you'd think would fit best, even platonically!

Elder for Arianwen

Kingcup for Maria

Witch hazel for Emmaera

Sweet Pea for Elowen

(Of course pick the ones you'd like!)

Thank you, Arja! <3 I am putting Emma's in a separate post, because it went a little longer than I expected. These are lovely prompts, btw, thank you for finding them!

(Animal injury CW for the first one)

(Flower Prompts)

Elder (compassion) Arianwen

The hound lay in the shadows of the tree beside the road, soft whines spilling from a brindled throat. Tabris was swinging from her horse at once, telling it to stay put and stay away. A wounded dog still had sharp teeth, after all; she knew that better than anyone. 

It had been run down by a horse; she could see that even from a distance, from the hoof marks on its back. As always, she’d carried healing potions with her when she left Vigil’s Keep. The healers would be angry with her for using it on another stray, but she didn’t especially care. Let them be angry as long as the poor thing lived. 

The potion was red when it spilled over the poor dog’s fur, washing clean some of the blood, and Wen could watch the skin and bone mend before her eyes. When the whimpers had faded to panting, she offered her knuckles to be sniffed and then poured some water into her cupped palm for it to drunk. 

“Welcome to the family,” she told the hound, and something in her chest went soft and bright when it licked her cheek in response. 

Kingcup (youth, innocence, dawn) for Maria

Maria was surprised to wake with the dawn, when the baby should long since have roused her with his cries. The crib was empty, but so was the other side of the bed. Though she could guess what had happened, Hawke slid from the bed with a yawn, padding out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and to the back door. 

As she’d expected, Fenris sat outside, his back against one of the posts that held the porch up, Leander balanced against his angled lap. Dawn splayed careful hands across their cheeks, turning Fenris’s hair to pink and yellow and pale lavender. She knew he must have heard her open the door, but she said nothing for a moment anyway, content just to watch the two of them in the quiet newness of the day.

At last, Fenris angled his face toward her. Maria stepped outside and settled beside him. When she rested her head on his shoulder, Fenris kissed her hair and Leander cooed his morning greeting. 

“Good morning to you, too,” she told them, and she was right. 

It was a good morning. 

Sweet Pea (delicate pleasures) for Elowen

She didn’t need to call for Cole; he came as soon as she wanted him to, darting through the undergrowth to her side. Elowen smiled over her shoulder at him and made space to her side. 

“What is it?” he asked, cocking his head. Lavellan lifted a hand to brush it over the bell of the flower. 

It glowed faintly in the twilight, casting the surrounding forest in a soft light. The petals made a soft sound between sighing and the ringing of distant bells when she brushed her fingertips over them. Flowers that were also music; her mother had shown them to her a lifetime ago, when she’d been very small and fascinated by the woods. 

“Strong hands carry and point, music and light, and the world is made of magic; magic that is not on the other side of anything, but here and now and alive. It is a flower.”

Cole said the last part with a note of surprise. Elowen smiled wistfully, caught in the memory he’d voiced aloud, and drew her hand away. 

“It’s a flower,” she agreed. 

The two of them stayed there for a long time, until the sun had faded from the sky and the glow had dimmed from the petals. There was a certain sort of happiness in sharing joy with a friend, she decided, and the two of them walked back to camp in a companionable quiet.

[ell-vellan]

Ooh for the WIP game!! Bull introduces El to Zevran.... and Untitled Document 😈

So as it turns out, I didn't check what "untitled document" was specifically as it was an old doc I recently found again (old enough that El had a different name!). And it's part of the Bull introduces Zevran to El lead-in, just like...longer. 🤣 But some of the details may not line up right. It needs editing for sure.

So you'll get both! Sorry to disappoint it's not something more salacious!

--

"Hey, kadan. See that elf over there? The one with the tattoo?"

They were sitting in Herald's Rest, enjoying a lull between crises, for once, in their usual corner.

El had to lean out from her seat. She just caught the profile of a swarthy male elf, blond, with an amiable face, his eyes crinkling with laughter as he apparently charmed the bartender. His tattoo wasn’t Dalish, and neither were his clothes – leather, but not a craftsmanship she recognized. "I've never seen him before."

"He's not one of ours. He's just passing through. I met him on a job some five or six years ago. Name's Zevran."

The name rung a little bell in the back of her mind, but she couldn't place it. “That isn't a Dalish name, as far as I'm aware.”

"He's Antivan, not Dalish. Former assassin for the Antivan Crows. Well, former member, anyway. Pretty sure he's still an assassin."

Ellawayn reeled, starting to stand. "An assassin? Here?"

Bull chuckled. "Relax, kadan, he's not here for you. He’s a friend. He left the Crows over ten years ago – and the Crows don't exactly allow their members to leave. Last I heard, he had taken out a handful of their leaders, to boot. So the fact that he's still alive is pretty impressive." Bull took a nonchalant sip from his tankard and said casually, "Guess it's not too surprising that he was one of the hero of Ferelden’s best buddies during the Blight. Helped him take down the Archdemon in Denerim."

El stared at Bull. Mahariel was the most famous elf in an age – that is, until she got herself into this mess – and her personal hero as a girl.

“Pretty sure they’re married now, though,” Bull continued conversationally. “Or whatever the Dalish equivalent is. Definitely seemed like it when I met ‘em.”

Ellawyn lowered herself to the table and hissed under her breath. “He’s – that’s – that’s Zevran Arainai?”

She looked at him again. Other than the daggers strapped conspicuously to his waist and thigh, she wouldn't have initially considered him a threat. He was a handsome older elf, lively and engaging the patrons around him, making them laugh. Bits and pieces of his lyrical accent floated about the bar noise.

“So, funny thing,” Bull continued. “He’s here because I wrote to him.”

--

“Zev, I'd like to introduce you to Inquisitor Lavellan.”

Zevran stood with a bow. When he spoke, it was with a lilting Activan accent. "My dear lady – your eminence – it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He kissed the back of her hand with the most courtly of manners, as though he were a prince and not a former member of the Crows, and El froze, feeling an absurd blush rush to her cheeks. All of her diplomatic training fled in the face of this charming man – the bonded of the most famous elf in Thedas before her.

Zevran’s golden eyes flashed to Bull, questioning. "But, ah, I thought it was Herald? This is the Herald's Rest, yes?"

"It's both, I'm afraid," she answered with a self effacing smile. "But please. Call me Ellawyn. Neither title really suits me. And anyway…I've heard so much about you, I feel as though we're already acquainted.”

Zevran lifted a mischievous brow at Bull. “Has she, now? What silly tales have you filled the Inquisitor’s head with, my friend?”

Bull laughed heartily. “Not from me!” He cocked his thumb at El. “El’s been hearing about your Warden’s exploits since she was a kid.”

Zevran’s eyes widened on Ellawyn.

“I was perhaps fourteen during the Blight,” she explained. “News of Warden Mahariel’s heroism reached far and wide, even to my clan in the Free Marches. He was a hero to us all.”

Zevran clutched his chest and pretended to stumble backwards. “Oh, you do wound me. Alas, it is not your fault, my dear! But no, I suppose time marches on. Come, come, let us speak somewhere with perhaps fewer ears to overhear. I believe all three of us have many people who want us dead, yes?”

[smiletimeisrunningout]

ROLEPLAY HISTORY!

The rules are simple! Post characters you’d like to roleplay as, have roleplayed as, and might bring back. Then tag ten people to do the same (if you can’t think of ten, just write down however many you can and tag that number of people). Please repost, don’t reblog!

CURRENT MUSE(S):

here on smiletimeisrunningout but also previous blogs:

Emma since before 2012. Though she kinda counts like more than one muse considering she has several main universes and then adaptations to other shows lol

on my multi savingthrcw but they are all either severely canon divergent or even alternate universe versions or ocs, with only a few exceptions:

Sarah Walker (Chuck) (closest to canon)

Jenny II (Doctor Who)

Stella (oc)

Terra from (ff6)

AU Jemma Simmons (Agents of SHIELD)

Kate Austen (Lost)

Ana Lucia Cortez (Lost)

the Book and Tvshow versions of Alina Starkov (Grishaverse) (may sorta be put on hiatus soon because I didn't write them as soon as I added them and I feel I'm forgetting how I meant to write them lol)

Ellie Bartowski (Chuck) (like Sarah she's close to canon but has canon divergent verses)

Alex McHugh (Chuck) (like Ellie)

Solona Amell (DAO) modded player's character

Neria Surana (DAO), player's character

Lily Tabris (DAO) same as Neria

Ellana Lavellan (DAI) player's character

Lex (BG3) player's character

Tauriel (The Hobbit)

Rose Tyler (Doctor Who) Bad Wolfed version

Emma Swan but nearly closed (OUAT)

Clarke Griffin (The 100)

WANT TO WRITE:

(But will not write for sure because I don't have a grasp of 'historical' English language and I could never write the correct dialogue for them, and I'm not going to butcher canon characters making them speak in an unjustified modern way)

Penelope Featherington (Bridgerton)

Young Queen Charlotte (from Bridgerton universe)

Mary Woodhull (Turn WS)

Yennefer (The Witcher)

(But I will not write because I don't think I can channel them properly)

Inej Ghafa (Shadow and Bone tvshow)

Parker (Leverage)

Claire Littleton (Lost)

Daisy Johnson (AoS)

(And I might write)

ocs I'm picturing in my head

HAVE WRITTEN:

Bucky Barnes (MCU) around 2012 when characterization didn't really matter and we were tremendously ooc but having fun

Ruby and Belle from OUAT, same as Bucky

Maria Hill/Robin Scherbatski as mentioned above

oc inspired by Lara Croft

other versions of canon Emma Swan (OUAT)

Snow White and her mother Eva (OUAT)

Elizabeth Swann (POTC)

canon Jemma Simmons and more canon divergent versions with their own (surprisingly long lived) blogs

Britta Perry (Community)

Lily Evans (HP)

more that I have forgotten

WOULD WRITE AGAIN:

my oc Ada

tagged by: @honorhearted and @pagetreader tagging: @retrograderesemblance @writtenxbeginnings @annastrxng @hqlfbloods @trcstme @serpcntes @gccdstories @forthewinn and anyone who wants to jump in!

[britcision]

So my partner @ekwolfwood got me into Dragon Age Inquisition

I warned you I would become something terrible

SO HERE HAVE A FICLET FROM THE FOUR HERALDS AU IN WHICH TIME MAGIC FUCKERY HAS CAUSED THERE TO BE FOUR HERALDS OF ANDRASTE INSTEAD OF ONE

(It’s fine they unionized early the plot relevant parts are in progress)

Today’s bullshit featuring the talents of:

Corin Cadash - Carta blacksmith sent to the Conclave because the actual smuggler and spy got sick and literally no one else was available, as discrete and stealthy as a bag of loose bells (they/them Problem On Purpose )

Lluciano Lavellan - Dalish rogue and spy sent to the Conclave because in his heart he is a fucking golden retriever and outsiders are suckers for his big puppy eyes (he/him omnisexual disaster)

(Do you see the pattern? Good cuz the other two are Tavi Adaar and Séamus Trevelyan)

——————

Herbs

No one had specifically mentioned what species the healer in Redcliffe was, and Cadash hadn’t expected it to matter this far into the chaos.

The exhausted elf tucking herself back into a corner did not agree. Lavellan did most of the talking, since he was the nice one.

He’d had a bug in his ass since someone had mentioned needing a healer down at the crossroads, and someone else mentioned there was one here, in Redcliffe.

One healer for two settlements was a guaranteed shit show either way, but at least Redcliffe was still tucked in the woods. And apparently not treating one of their most valuable citizens well.

“Look, I don’t care,” the healer finally cut Lluciano off, raising a hand. “The people here barely tolerate me as it is, and that only because their human healer is dead. I’m not looking for a new place to be called a knife-ear.”

Lavellan’s earnest, hopeful smile crumpled almost at once, and Cadash was just glad they hadn’t brought Solas along for this trip. He always seemed to know just what to say to upset vulnerable elves.

They’d heard the derogatory words humans used for elves, dwarves, qunari for as long as they’d known humans. Hell, the Inquisition was the longest they’d gone in their life without hearing most of them.

Lavellan though… well, Lluciano Lavellan hadn’t had much to do with humans until he’d been sent to spy on the Conclave. The fact that even he clearly knew the word was… telling.

“Look,” Corin cut in, stepping forward neatly to dodge Cassandra reaching for their shoulder. Probably specifically to prevent this.

They might not be the most tactful member of the Inquisition, but sometimes straight talk helped.

“Times are shit and you’re a healer. No matter what blood you’ve got in you, it’s worth more than gold right now. You’re under personal protection of the Heralds and if anyone says one word to you at the crossroads, I’ll walk you to Haven myself and let them remember how well their bullshit treats their wounds.”

As far as they were concerned, anyone stupid enough to buy into any of this speciesist crap deserved whatever joys it brought them.

Cassandra subsided back, her lips pressed together in a tight line. The elven healer didn’t look convinced either, though something like a smile danced on her lips.

Lavellan stepped forward again, his hand coming up to hover between them, an offer for her to reach out.

“These are strange times,” he agreed with a slight nod to Corin, “but there is a lot all of us can do to help. I know I’ve been hearing it less than I thought I would. Perhaps this is how we change things?”

The healer hesitated for a moment longer, her gaze flicking from Lavellan to Cassandra, to Cadash and to the Iron Bull. Always back to Lluciano.

Finally she sighed and nodded, glancing around the small house.

“Alright. I suppose I’ll be safer with the Inquisition soldiers around than I am here anyway. But there are some things I’ll need first, for my patients here. I can’t just leave them,” she added, sounding almost bitter.

A damn good healer then. Cadash nodded as Lavellan happily stepped back, all adorable and flushed with success.

“Sure. What do you need?” They could probably find it while she packed, solve the whole thing, bring the healer to the crossroads themselves on their way back to Haven.

It’d give Corin a chance to impress their personal opinion on Corporal Vale. While dropping off some of the other supplies they’d grabbed. Carrot and stick and all.

“Just some herbs,” the healer explained, already turning to the shelf behind her to pick through what she could carry, “elfroot and spindleweed.”

And it meant she just so happened to be looking the other way when Lavellan lit up like a little sunbeam, practically bouncing on the spot in excitement.

And all four of his companions groaning loudly, though the noise grabbed her attention at once.

“I can help!” Lluciano told the now puzzled healer enthusiastically, already digging into his pack.

Varric sighed heavily and leaned back against the wall. Unlike Cadash, he didn’t always bother pushing through the taller people. He didn’t need to to be heard.

“Lavellan picked every elfroot in the Hinterlands on our way here,” he explained dryly while Lavellan pushed his pack into Iron Bull’s hands so he could root in to the shoulder.

How the damn herbs slipped from the top when he’d been grabbing them half an hour ago at most was beyond Cadash. But Lavellan did like when the Iron Bull flexed his muscles.

The healer looked like she was torn between laughing and shock, her mouth opening and closing until she finally settled into a startled laugh when Lluciano dropped double fistfuls of herbs into her arms.

“Is that all? Are there any other herbs you’ll need?” He asked hopefully, looking for all the world like an excited puppy.

The poor healer just stared at him for a moment, her mouth opening and closing.

By the door, Varric snickered.

“We’ve travelled from the Storm Coast to Val Royeaux, and the Herald’s picked every damn plant that even might be useful. Anything you need is in that bag,” he added with a nod to the Iron Bull.

“And the other one hauling every damn scrap of iron and serpentstone out of the rocks,” Iron Bull grumbled good naturedly, because he was a traitor.

Cadash huffed, settling their heavy and clinking pack more comfortably over their back brace.

“And here was me, about to measure you for some nice new gauntlets. I suppose I can put it all back,” they said archly.

Bull chuckled and shook his head, still holding Lavellan’s pack even as he bounced in place, waiting for the healer’s next request.

“Point taken, Cadash,” he said simply, and Cassandra huffed an exasperated laugh.

“Yes, well… that is one more thing we can promise you with the Inquisition,” she told the healer, her usual stiff formality cracking with the release of tension, “the Heralds will personally ensure that you want for nothing that could be foraged from the hills.”

Cadash narrowed their eyes as the healer fell back into shaky giggles.

“Was that sarcasm, Cassandra? Did you forage sarcasm in the Hinterland hills?” They asked mock suspiciously, grinning in triumph when Cassandra rolled her eyes at them.

“It was the only thing in abundance with you, Lavellan, and Varric that was not already snatched up,” she said simply.

The healer shook her head, tension slipping from her shoulders as she gave Lluciano a proper smile.

“Thank you… yes, there are a few other herbs I need, and then I can go. I suppose the Inquisition forces at the crossroads will have an easier time with the supplies I need.” She didn’t sound like she quite believed what was happening.

That was pretty much the normal reaction to a visit from the Heralds though, so she would find herself in good company at the crossroads.

Lluciano dived straight back into his pack, pulling out his various bundles and sorting them as the healer listed the different herbs she needed.

Nothing he didn’t already have in abundance either, as he happily dug through his bulging pack.

The Iron Bull just held it out for him, watching with a fond amusement that was just fucking adorable while Lavellan rooted around, chatting cheerfully about the different herbs and where he’d found each damned leaf.

So what if it was cute. Lluciano was always cute, it was like a fucking curse. Cute, weak ankles, prone to jumping or falling off things.

Catching Varric’s eye, Cadash nodded to the door and the two dwarves slipped outside. Cassandra followed, leaving the elves to their talk.

“It’s about time we headed back to the crossroads,” Corin mused, glancing up at the sky and frowning.

There was a lot that was wrong in Redcliffe, a lot that didn’t make sense and what did was absolutely not good.

Though they were pretty sure Vivienne was going to get a real kick out of what Fiona might have gotten herself into. And how many of the other mages were not on board.

A smile tugging at their lips, Corin stuffed their hands in their pockets. They could see it already; Vivienne’s smug smile, her plans to use the other mages’ discontent.

The complete unawareness that she could have probably actually done something useful for them before joining the Inquisition.

The fact that she could probably gain something by listening to them now. Learn something about the world beyond her circles.

Nope, Vivienne was going to thoroughly enjoy someone else’s plan failing, and Cadash would enjoy watching her try to weave it into all her own plans, blissfully unaware that the discontented mages wouldn’t follow her either.

Sure, a couple wanted to go back to circle life. But those outside, who saw more of the world, would be much less likely to fold themselves in under Vivienne’s plans.

Those now talking to all the other mages who had been pushed to breaking, who’d been living together, hearing their concerns.

They still wanted to reform the circles instead of burning the system down, sure, but that was all part of the system too. And when Vivienne failed to make any of the substantial changes, they’d decide it was because she was wrong.

Not that the system had been designed from the start with all of them in mind, and had channels to turn those who wanted to change the system from within into its strongest supporters.

It was a depressing ass pipeline, but Vivienne was a very intelligent woman. There was a chance she’d work it out before it was too late, if the Inquisition kept the circles empty long enough.

And if she hung around more templars, and mages whose towers were made of something less glamorous than her own.

And if that meant Vivienne travelling back to Redcliffe with them, if only to be smug at Fiona in person? It’d be good for her to spend some time with her feet in the mud.

She could join them all following Lavellan up and down every blasted hill and cranny, scooping up every weed in the fucking Hinterlands. Again.

———————

Because there is nothing I like more in DAI fanfic than Inquisitors who are explicitly and obviously still video game characters, with every stupid and nonsensical thing that entails 😁

Quite a few have been spun off from little side quests or pieces of party banter, and of course none of that would be half so easy without the fabulous work of @missnovelist at the Genitivi Chronicles!

It’s the full transcript, they’ve got most of the way through the main plot so check it out and I bullied them into making a Patreon so if you love this resource as much as I do

(You will the party banter is fucking killer and if your play through is anything like ours those MOTHERFUCKERS will NOT talk to each other no matter how little you fast travel

Vivienne is the villain of Varric’s new series)

Send them a few bucks for this massive labour of love! You get different dialogue options for each species of Inquisitor, for each background, and for half the decision trees so it’s one hell of an undertaking

EDIT: BEHOLD! The masterpost!

[vodka-and-ocs]

WELCOME TO MY PERSONAL OC HELL

Abby Idris

Ada Amakiir (later Galanodel)

Adel Weiss

Alexana

Amber

Andromeda

Andy

Antares

Arbus Lawrence

Ari

Ariane Serta

Aster Nordström

Audrey

Bajern

Basil

Clarabell "Bell"

Barnard "Bernie"

Bleuet

Nathaniel "Brownie" Brown

Calliope

Camille James

Canopus

Cantique

Cassandra

Cecil

Cepheus

Cerys

Charlie

Cirrus

Claudia

Cobalt Nightingale (formerly Song)

Corbin

Dante

Daryl Galanodel

David Ceese

Deneb

Dust

El

Elaine

Eris Winberg

Etna

Eugenia

Eve

Fireweed

Narangerel "Gan" Purev

Gary Khan

George

Grace

Halley

Hazel Brown

Hedd

Helen C.C. Kobena (the C.C. stands for Craterellus Cornucopioides)

Hemlock

(The) Hero

Herophilus

Hillen Eke

Himari Fujimori

Hortense

Hyacinth

Hyo

Irina

Isabelle de la Tour

Jak'raadun'zaerazylym "Silver Jack"

Jackie Lantern

Jessica

Jupiter

Kal Idris

Kamon

Keion Galanis

Kohaku

Kris "Krill"

Lakar

Laurel Walters

(Idris) Lavellan

Leco

Levi Eke

Lewis Glory

Lian

Linus

Liz (short for Lizard, allegedly)

Loveshot

Lyr Galanodel

Malachite

Marcus

Marine

Mars

Mashael

Maul

Mavra

Megrim

Mercury ? (later Lawrence)

Mercy

Merryweather

Messier

Miel

Miracle

Mirage

Mournblade

Mushi ? (later Skoll)

Nadeem

Narcissus

Neptune

Nero

Nora Eke

Nur

Octave

Opal

Ophélie

Orpheus

Ortica

Ouroboros

Owen

Pea

Pendula

Persimmon "Percy"

Philomena

Phoebe Hobbes

Pickle

Pluto Cedeño

Poe K. Amon

Poem

Polaris

Prisme

Proxima

Rat

Ravi

Rena Idris

Rigel

Robjorn "Rob"

Sanctity

Saturn

Scylla

Sedna Ramanantsoa

Sepsha

Shrimp

Silas

Sinistre

Sirius

Sol Nordström

Swift J1818.0

Sylvia

Teeth

Temperance

Thej Mahariel

Tobias

Turmoil

Ulysses

Valerie (Valentine, Raphael, ...) Heart

Vega

Vell

Vincenza "Vinny" Fontanelli

Violet

Viridian

Will Frey

Willow

Wisteria

Yori Kamiya

Zelda

[lonely avatar]

[ivee-draws]

asymmetrical elf fashion save me…save me asymmetrical elf fashion

[palipunk]

Happy wip Wednesday- I’m actually rlly sick rn so please have this fever sketch that went a little too far (mayhaps I will finish it on a later date)

[fergus-cousland]

9 Ship Songs

I was tagged by @transprincecaspian for this game and after spending days agonising over whether I even know 9 songs, I'm finally ready. Splitting it (unevenly whoops) across a few ships because I don't have nine tunes for one ship unfortunately--

Gwydion Amell/Zevran Arainai

Like Real People Do - Hozier

I knew that look dear Eyes always seeking Was there in someone That dug long ago So I will not ask you Why you were creeping In some sad way I already know I will not ask you where you came from I would not ask and neither would you Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips We should just kiss like real people do

2) Hunter - Heather Dale

Slip the jesses, my love This hunter you own from the hood to the glove When the circling and striking are done, and I land Let me come back to your hand Let me come back to your hand

Garrett Hawke/Anders

The Bones - Maren Morris & Hozier

When the bones are good, the rest don't matter Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter Let it break, 'cause you and I remain the same When there ain't a crack in the foundation Baby, I know any storm we're facing will Blow right over while we stay put The house don't fall when the bones are good

2) Secret Crowds - Angels & Airwaves

Let me feel you, carry you higher Watch our words spread hope like fire Secret crowds rise up and gather Hear your voices sing back louder

3) In Our Bedroom After the War - Stars

Lift your head and look out the window Stay that way for the rest of the day and watch the time go Listen, the birds sing Listen, the bells ring All the living are dead and the dead are all living The war is over, we are beginning

Mabon Lavellan/Dorian Pavus

Forever Ago - Woodlock

For my love for you grows stronger when we are apart My love for you grows stronger when we are apart It's hard To let you go chasing your dreams But I know You will return back to me So I'll wait here With the love that sets me apart

2) I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie

In Catholic school, as vicious as Roman rule I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black And I held my tongue as she told me "Son, fear is the heart of love, " so I never went back And if Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks Then I'll follow you into the dark

Fergus Cousland/Nathaniel Howe 🥰

Secret Worlds - The Amazing Devil

You were a king and his castle, I was every dirty rascal If you asked me for my lighter mate, I gave you my fire I'd call as you climbed And I'd catch you every time you fell 'Cause I will suffer silence for the strings you tune And I'll withstand what's written for the writer in you Write me well, my love, write me weird Write me willing, write me well

Garrett Hawke/Fenris

All This And Heaven Too - Florence + the Machine

No words, poor language It doesn't deserve such treatment And all my stumbling phrases Never amounted to anything worth this feeling All this heaven never could describe Such a feeling as I'm hearing Words were never so useful So I was screaming out a language That I never knew existed before

I can't think of anyone to tag who hasn't been tagged so sorry! I am not playing the game right!

[dreadfutures]

happy happy HAPPY FRIDAY BLUE💜💜💜 I'm still on my dirthxchel kick, so could we perhaps see those two with: "one lives in the hope of becoming a memory." from the quotes about death prompts?

happy writing friend, mwah🥰

Thank you so very much!!!! For @dadrunkwriting

Pairing: Ixchel Lavellan x Dirthamen (#sunbird, Elvhenan AU)

Rating: um there is an off-screen mass sacrifice mentioned

words: 1841

notes: imagine this is the Haligtree from Elden Ring, at blazing sunset.

-:-:-

The sun filters slantwise through the great tree and paints the world in blood and flame and gold. She finds the metaphor flitting into her mind before she can stop it, and then she thinks that perhaps it is not so much a metaphor as the truth. It would require a Dream to discern if that is so, but before she can ask her companion, he has climbed up onto the stone balustrade that guards against the precipitous drop—and he drops.

She is still unused to these things, and she flinches toward the edge, half expecting to see him falling. Logically, she knows what she will find: her lord drawing the Fade close to warp his form, the darkest of spectral rainbows made into corporeal feathers to grant him flight. That is indeed the case, and today he has let himself embody his spirit-self fully, for gone are all traces of manhood as this serpentlike raven flaps its mighty wings and takes off over this once-great city.

Ixchel clambers onto the stone railing as well, brushing aside rust-red leaves and the bleached-white remains of vines, and takes a seat. Dirthamen warned her not to stray far into this place ("the Husk," Deceit had called it) until he has done his reconnaissance, so she will keep vigil here over this vision of decrepit beauty. On either side of her, braziers burn with eternal flame, and as Dirthamen flies through the city, more light up in response to his presence. They blaze, too hot for the weather; this place is in the early stages of a perpetual autumn, where the summer sun stickily lingers as long as it can. Or perhaps this place was never meant for this season. She has heard of places crafted so that time may never touch them and where the perfect moment is preserved, undying, as long as its dreamers live.

It would be difficult to say. As far as Ixchel can tell, all life has fled this place. No birds call, no reptiles whisper, no insects hum. The only sound is of the dead leaves falling, and the distant whisper and groan of the giant boughs above her jostled by the wind.

She imagines what it might be like to see the city in a more…vigorous state. The bones are there in the stone of this tiered city, ringed around the petrified tree; each level is connected by raised pathways, each featuring a watch tower or bell tower (or both) that points skyward, roofs jagged as though to spear the very heavens. She imagines the sounds of those bells and the occassions that might call for them to ring, although from what she can see they are tangled in the same dead, dry vines that have infected the veins of this place. Carpets of leaves cascade like waterfalls down the intricately-carved walls of the towers, and they glow blood red in the dying light of day.

She looks down, following their spillage, at the raised, circular avenues that top each of the walls. They are so wide a drake might crawl down one, wings comfortably unfurled, and she wonders if that was who once lived here. She knows drakes like cliffs honeycombed with caves, and beneath these avenues, set in the walls, are dwellings and plazas open to the air—perhaps they are similar enough to satisfy spirits-made-serpent?

As her vision scans down the face of a wall, she sees vases full of wilted flowers and mostly wooden stems, and every surface—yes, every surface bears the faintest trace of gilding, long stripped away by the elements.

Shadows fill the courtyards and alleys far, far below, at the bottom of this ringed basin of a city. She can see the ghosts of once-grand trees (mere sprouts, in comparison to the one this city clings to) dimly lit with the glow that pervades the air, reflected off the dull, dead walls. She wonders if the sun ever touches the ground nestled so deep within these walls or if, instead, these trees had to be sustained by caretakers with constant, living magic.

Outside the city walls lies a vast sea of silver water. It is the only thing here that is not burnished, browned, by this static sun. Somehow it, and the sky above, remain pale and nearly white, untouched. Ixchel is almost dizzied, looking at the motion of the waves and their ephemeral caps. They break against the bases of watchtowers that stick out like spokes from the city's rings, connected by thin, crumbling bridges; the waves and the wind contrast with the stillness of the Husk, the crypt, the empty echo of a civilization.

Ixchel is startled from her reverie by another motion, this time from the periphery of her vision. She nearly loses her balance but catches herself with an iron grip on the cracked granite balustrade, and a startled gasp leaves her as she looks to where Dirthamen approaches. His black cloak is covered in dust, as is his hair—or maybe ash, white as it is. He seems not to have noticed her fumble, for his eyes are downcast and a pensive frown creases his brow.

"Did trouble find you?" she asks in a low voice as she hefts herself back onto the appropriate side of the railing.

He does not even glance at her. "None," he replies, "nor did it find those who once lived here."

Dirthamen extends his hand for her, and she reaches out to meet him.

Into her palm, he presses something small.

It is…

"A seed?" she guesses.

Dirthamen nods. "The center of the tree was once reachable by pathways hidden in the city," he says, "but no longer. There is only thick overgrowth where those portals once lay, and I was only able to breach it from above." He took a heavy breath. "It is like the crater of a volcano but so much deeper, and it is scorched and blackened within. I thought to alight upon the bottom, but I sank into a sea of ash so deep and cold I might drown."

Ixchel can almost feel her throat close, breath stolen at the thought, and she clutches the seed closer. She can feel how precious it is, if it came from such carnage.

Her lord blinks his yellow eyes with lashes frosted by ash, too.

"The people here worshiped the Sun, for they grew up around this tree from the time it was a sapling, and they afforded its might to the light it basked in. Thus, when it began to die, they called upon the Eldest of the Sun himself to burn it all."

Dirthamen swallows, then licks his dry and cracking lips. He still stares at the seed in her hand, though she does not think he sees it, or her.

"And them in it."

His words catch in his throat, and Ixchel cannot tell if this discovery makes his voice hitch with swallowed sobs or choked laughter or both. Ixchel is horrified at the thought—how many people must have lived in this city and within the great tree, and what might drive them to such a terrible death by fire. But she bites her tongue, because no matter her unease with it, she knows there is no end to bloodshed in Elvhenan…but sometimes it is given for a beautiful purpose.

She hopes that this is one such time. Dirthamen's manner is not reassuring, however. There are tears in his owl-like eyes; he scrubs at them with the back of his hand quickly, but they splatter across the parched stone and leave unmistakable dark scars in the dust.

"What I thought were cries of anguish rose up, an entire civilization bound in ecstasy and gratitude to Elgar'nan's fire." His smile is joyful, and agonized, all together at once. "The seeds of this tree are coated in a thick resin that is nearly indestructible. Generations of its caretakers collected them. And when it came time for them to die—when they gathered within the hollow of this tree—each resident held a seed in their mouths. Their voices lifted, their senses overcome, they died in flame so that these seeds might find new life!"

Dirthamen draws a shaky breath and pushes back his hair from his forehead, looking up at the Husk with wild eyes. More tears drip from his chin and water the stones beneath their feet. "Isn't it beautiful, Davahn?" he asks. "They freed each seed with their death, and now they await fertile soil—soil that I can give them in my orchard, and across the Fade and the Waking, in places known only to me—where each one may live in hope of becoming a new memory!"

His words are spoken like a fervent oath or prayer, perhaps to the spirits that hold memories of this place, or perhaps to the seeds, or perhaps to the tree itself. Ixchel cannot deny that something in this tale has touched her, too. It still seems senseless to her, but…maybe it is the senselessness of the sacrifice itself that gives it weight. Those lives, if willingly given, put a hefty price on every seed. They demanded action, reverence, remembrance.

They demanded their hope to be fulfilled.

Dirthamen is not one to let such acts be performed in vain, Ixchel knows. But for the first time now… Ixchel feels drawn not merely to bear witness to the strange customs of the Elvhen, as she has before. Instead, she feels called to participate.

There is no one else, after all.

"How can I help?" she asks.

Dirthamen looks back at her with an expression of unschooled shock.

She tightens her fist around the seed, against her breast. "I was here," she says. "I heard the story. You have made me responsible for these memories by telling me, and I want to help."

The sun is setting. It catches the tear tracks on Dirthamen's cheeks like the cracked and fading gilding on the walls,  like he is as ancient and brittle as the land they tread. But in his eyes is a heat, a flame, that is more alive than she has seen it in weeks.

"Very well," he says. "I would not deny you, vun'ean. Let us begin our first task: gathering the rest of the seeds.

-:-:-

Later, she will ask him what and why 'vun'ean.' He will not quite look at her as he describes her: framed by the flaming sunset, the ferocity of her gaze in the face of such a monumental task, the way she speaks to him—as she has always spoken to him—as an equal. She is more fearless and far quicker than he can predict, in spite of or despite her status…like vun'ean. Little sunbird.

"A sparrow?" she repeats, fists gripping the hem of her dress tightl so that she will not spill the seeds gathered in it like an apron.

He does not look at her, but she can hear his smile.

[greypetrel]

Hey!! 11 and 13 for all of them, 14 for Aisling 💗

Hey there! ✨

Ok, these were a lot, but thank you! I remembered some artists that I haven't listened to in... A lot. (and I didn't expect that deciding two of them are poly would have lead to "Spend a very long time deciding ship songs, but it's been lovely!)

Tis the prompt list

11. a song that reminds my muse of their family

Alyra: And your Bird Can Sing, the Beatles. She didn't have the best of relationships with her clan. Thought them too closed. When the Keeper told her that looking for Tamlen was a loss of time, she decided that was it. When Tamlen actually came around? Let's say that if Merethari showed up at the celebrations after the last battle, instead of Ashalle, she would have headbutted her on the spot. Hard.

Raina: Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen. Bismillah no, we will not let you go - Never never never let me go.

Aisling: No Roots, Alice Merton. She doesn't share blood with her family. Never has, she decided she didn't want to know anything of the family she was born with. But, Home was never on the ground, she's extremely grateful to the Lavellan, even if she looks nothing like any of them. And, it taught her that anyone can become family, doesn't matter where you were born.

13. a song dedicated to on of my muse’s ships (specify ship) (this made me regret the "Let's go poly!" choices, argh.)

Alyra + Alistair: Siúil a Rúin, Clannad I'll sell my rock, I'll sell my reel, / I'll sell my only spinning wheel, / To buy my love a sword of steel Alyra + Morrigan: Kamikaze, Susanne Sundfør Did you ever feel your heart broken? / Did you ever feel it's the end of the world? / The bells are ringing, but the blood stopped pumping / As I feel the weight of the fall

Raina + Merrill: Too Late to Turn Back Now, Cornelius Brothers and Sisters I'll tell you, I can't sleep at night / For wanting to hold her tight / I've tried so hard to convince myself / This feeling just can't be right

Raina + Isabela: Wetsuit, The Vaccines Does holy water make you pure? / Submerged, your vision's just obscured / You're a lot like me / In up to our knees / In over your chest is way too deep

Aisling + Cullen: Jackie and Wilson, Hozier She blows outta nowhere, roman candle of the wild / Laughing away through my feeble disguise / No other version of me I would rather be tonight. / And, Lord, she found me just in time

14. a song that my muse would sing to their children

Aisling: ... This could be its own playlist because I can picture her singing non stop about all kind of things. Here's some in canon.

- Damhsa na gCoiníní- Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola (A lullaby) - The Golden Afternoon - Alice in Wonderland OST (i don't like Alice in Wonderland in any form, nor the book nor the movie, but this is something Aisling could make up out of thin air just because. Also "Tiger lily loves the dandeLION", come on.) - And of course the VERY necessary Bean Phaidin to tell the little bean of Doris the Rage Demon.

In modern times it's a lot of classic rock, lots of Beatles and those poor children would be annoyied to the death with Magic Dance from the Labyrinth soundtrack, when they'll stop laughing at random Aisling starting with "You remind me of the babe!" to which Cullen has the moral obligation to reply "What babe?" so they can go on. Every time someone cries they start. Every. Time.

[little-lightning-lavellan]

Character Song Tag Meme

Thank you so much for the tag, @bluecadash​! I’m absolutely obsessed with character playlists so this was a lot of fun for me. ^_^ The only difficult part was picking just three songs for each character, ack--!

Mellan [sometimes Lavellan] - Dragon Age

↳ The Vincent Black Shadow - Stupid Intruders

I don't know why I bother fronting a nice face, it's fake

I took a test and found out things that I knew before

It's all genetic that I find you a huge bore

[...]

I'm rabid and hibernating, simultaneously

Who are you to give me tips on me?

You don't know me, and that's the problem

↳ Richard White - Belle

Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar

I wonder if she's feeling well

With a dreamy far off look

And her nose stuck in a book

[...]

I'm afraid she's rather odd

Very different from the rest of us

She's nothing like the rest of us

Yes, different from the rest of us is (Mel ;))

↳ Lola Blanc - Angry Too

They have forgotten what they did

And does it get your blood boiling? And does it make you see red?

And do you wanna destroy it? Does it get in your head?

'Cause it gets my blood boiling, and I'm coming unglued

It would hit you like poison if you knew what I knew

You would be angry, too

Nizana - Star Wars

↳ Mitski - Cop Car

I get mean when I'm nervous like a bad dog

I want to jump into blue water

And I miss riding horses, I miss running fast

[...]

I am cruel, I am gentle, I can make you laugh

I've loved many boys, I've loved many girls

I don't think about the past, it's always there anyway

Don't think about the past, always there anyway

And I will never die, I will never die

↳ The Grisworlds - Aliens

In the city lights

Running downtown

Looking like a murderer

Oh no slowly, I won't give you up

Just say my name

I can't change it

That smile upon your face

Want to break it

And I'll fake it

It's harder than you know

And you know

People fuckin' bore me

Just say that you don't know me

Ya treat me like love sick alien

↳ Meg Myers - Tear Me to Pieces

Hush, hush, ashes and dust

Trouble's not worth the pleasure but I feel alive

Lust, lust, never enough

Indelible human nature keeps me up at night

It's a pretty fixation, It's a pretty fixation

But it's a wicked temptation, It's a wicked temptation

I know this love will tear me to pieces

I know his hands will dig up my secrets

It's in your eyes, ah, you fucking liar

I know this love will tear me to pieces

Sister Milquetoast (ie, Clara Benson) - TTRPG

↳ Half Alive - Creature

I know I'm made of clay that's worn

Blinded by imperfect form

But I will trust the artist molding me

In a room that's growing dim

Illuminated from within

The pull of tension's empathy

I am creation, both haunted and holy

Made in glory

Even the depths of the night cannot blind me

When You guide me

↳ The Oh Hellos - Like the Dawn

You broke the dark and my whole earth shook

I was sleeping in the garden

When I saw you

At last, at last

Bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh, at last

You were the brightest shade

Of sun I had ever seen

↳ Soap&Skin - Me and the Devil

Early this morning

When you knocked upon my door

Early this morning

When you knocked upon my door

And I said hello Satan, ah

I believe it is time to go

Me and the devil walkin' side by side

[...]

It must be that old evil spirit

So deep down in your ground

~

Tagging lovelies @because-im-hap-hap​ @rosella-writes​ @dreadfutures​ @palepinkycat​ @drunken-drengr​ and anyone else who would like to participate! I want to see what your playlists look like. :)