#dragon age inquisition cut content

[exhausted-archivist]

Cut Content: Plants

I'm slowly making my way through my Herbalist's Handbook project and through the process I've been yanking out references of all fauna in dai, cut or final. So, I thought I'd share some of the cut plants/fungi I've found. They fall into three categories: Cut but Canon through other sources, Cut but Canon - different design, or Cut Entirely.

Personally, I enjoy finding the remnants of such assets in the game files, there is a bittersweet joy in it. Knowing that BioWare did consider adding in the elements and variety I craved but also knowing they likely got cut due to time, scope, or mechanic limitations. I really hope they continue to add new flora for us, and I hope to discover even more in the next game. I'll be interested to see if any of these make an appearance later and if they'll have any of the uses I'm outlining in my herb project.

For more plant posts see: Flora of Thedas Real Plants in Thedas

**Edit - changed the language because tumblr decided to post the image arrangement differently than I had it.**

Cut, but Canon Plants

These first two are actually the same plant- or rather fungus. On the left is a weird one that technically falls into the cut but canon - different design but wanted them side by side.

This is spongeroot. A little surface mushroom that we only know by name thanks to the World of Thedas (WoT) vol. 2 book and by the file names. The left is the cut design, the right is the final design (sans colouration) that we actually see in WoT. It's found in the Trespasser DLC files.

ALT

The second is called ghoul's mushroom. This is a deep mushroom codex. It is one of the most commonly used mushroom by herbalists. [source] Other then that we don't know much about them, but they're found in the base game Inquisition files. Given that they have garden cards, we can presume they were at the very least harvestable at one point.

ALT

Cut, but Canon - Different Design

From top to bottom we have the cut designs of Ghoul's Beard - Short, Blightcap, and Spindleweed - Landform.

Ghoul's Beard Short This has no real difference from the final game version other than it is stockier and bushier than what we see in-game. Personally, I enjoy the exploration into such a simple variation as it would be rather common to have differences in length.

Blighcap This is another common deep mushroom used by herbalists in Thedas. We also see mention of blightcap in WoT vol. 2: "Flat-capped and gray that grows in clay: Blightcap, the hunter's bane." Given the image is stylized, I can't tell accurately the colours, but it isn't flat-capped and thus why it's placed here.

Spindleweed - Landform Interestingly, DA2 had a similar model for when it introduced spindleweed. Though the leaves here are only a single lobe instead of three lobes on the DA2 spindleweed. This is an interesting variation to me because it would lend more variety in the spindleweed family but it would also explain how people could grow spindleweed in their garden away from water.

ALT

Cut Entirely

From top to bottom we have blade lotus, desert bloom, and desert rose. There is no information on either as they seem to be completely new plants that were intended to be introduced into Inquisition's base game.

ALT

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[godsofyfirheim]

Cut Content: Blackwall's response to being called Thom by the inquisitor at the end of the main game.

[anneapocalypse]

On Cullen's Earnestness

In my current playthrough of Dragon Age: Inquisition, this one early war table quest caught my eye that I think offers a good bit of insight into Cullen’s character.

In “Truth or Dare: The Imperial Court,” Vivienne alerts Josephine to a letter she’s received from an acquaintance, purporting to “warn” Vivienne of the suspect company she has taken up in joining the Inquisition. The letter reads thus:

My dearest Vivienne,

You cannot have heard the shocking allegations against the Inquisition, or surely you would never have been seen with them. Allow me, as a friend, to open your eyes. People are saying that Divine Justinia is, indeed, alive, but that the Inquisition—her closest advisors and most trusted servants—have orchestrated all this chaos on her orders. That it was Seeker Pentaghast and Sister Nightingale who sabotaged the Conclave in order to eliminate the opposition within the Chantry, and cut off the heads of the mage rebellion and templars in a single stroke. To save your own reputation, you must escape this acquaintance immediately.

With deepest concern, Vicomtesse Elodie de Morreau

In the context of the Game, we may understand that this Vicomtesse, while she may call Vivienne a friend, likely has no great concern for her reputation.

The Inquisition is the horse on which Vivienne is betting in order to better her own position (which is considerably shakier than she lets on, but that’s another post); Vicomtesse Elodie is simply making a different bet. If Vivienne heeds her warnings, and the Inquisition never achieves public favor, then Elodie’s advice was correct and Vivienne is indebted to her. If Vivienne heeds her warnings and the Inquisition does gain public acclaim, then Elodie has disrupted Vivienne’s opportunity for advancement, and she also wins. And if Vivienne does not heed her advice and the Inquisition remains a pariah, Elodie gets to watch Vivienne go down with it, smugly saying “I told you so.” Only if the Inquisition thrives and Vivienne with it does Elodie lose this bet—and Vivienne is clearly interested in seeing that outcome, and helping it come about.

The important thing is that the specifics of the accusations against the Inquisition are absolutely irrelevant here. This conspiracy theory about Justinia being secretly alive and the Left and Right Hand doing a sabotage to secure Chantry power—it’s all nonsense, and I doubt the Vicomtesse truly believes it. More critically, she likely does not care whether it is true. Repeating this rumor is just a means to a desired outcome.

If you’ve ever argued with a conspiracy theorist who seemed to simply change their position every time you backed them into a rhetorical corner, you may have realized that facts are largely ineffective at combating this sort of thing.

And of the three advisors, Cullen is the only one to get hung up on the content of the rumor, rather than its source and its purpose. Josephine and Leliana, seasoned players of the Game, both recognize this stupid rumor for what it is. Both of them ignore the substance of it and instead focus on its purpose: turning public opinion against the Inquisition. Josephine proposes to combat it by seeking noble favor elsewhere and leaving it to those allies to do the work of actually arguing against the rumors. Leliana is more interested in finding out with whom the rumor originated.

Leliana also makes the particularly savvy observation that if they were to combat the rumor by attempting to prove Justinia’s death, they would simply be providing their opponents more ammunition to use against them later. Leliana recognizes that “The Divine is alive, and you’re hiding her!” isn’t an earnest accusation, it’s bait. And if you take the bait, if you say, “Actually the Divine did die; here’s her remains to prove it,” then your enemies can say, “Aha! And how do you know she’s dead? It’s because you people killed her!” Or, best case scenario is they just bait you into wasting a lot of your time proving the accusation false, which is exactly what happens if you let Cullen take the bait.

Again, you might have had a similar experience if you’ve ever tried to “debate” a person whose strategy is making outrageous claims, letting you waste a lot of time earnestly debunking them, and then ignoring all your arguments and simply making another, equally outrageous claim.

In Cullen’s case, what happens is poor Knight-Captain Rylen is tasked with leading a field trip of Orlesian nobles through the grisly ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes, while asking them to please not touch the red lyrium, and no, you cannot take a charred corpse home as a souvenir, please milord I must ask you not to touch the red lyrium. I’m sure that was an excellent use of everyone’s time and resources.

But it’s easy to understand why Cullen responds this way! It’s a very instinctual and human response! “Well, you’ve just said a thing that is very obviously untrue. I’ll prove to you that it’s untrue! And this will solve the problem of you being wrong, and then we can all move forward together. Right?”

It’s an eminently reasonable response, so long as you assume that the other party is being reasonable and engaging with you in good faith.

Cullen assumes they are. Josephine and Leliana know they’re not. (Vivienne also knew this; hence her handing the letter over to Josephine to deal with instead of bothering to reply herself.)

And you can probably see how Cullen’s earnestness, his desire to believe that other people are also operating earnestly and in good faith, could lead him down some dangerous paths.

Knight-Commander Meredith was also a conspiracy theorist. The difference is that her conspiracy theories were about people she had near-absolute power over, with terrible consequences. And working under the authority of someone he wanted to believe in, someone he absolutely would have taken as entirely earnest (because in many ways she was earnest, at least in her belief that magic was dangerous and must be controlled), it would have been easy for Cullen to assume she must be acting in good faith, even when his misgivings arose. “She needs a spine of iron to survive her position,” he says to Hawke. And like anyone arguing in bad faith, Meredith could move the goalposts when it suited her. No signs of blood magic discovered? That only proves how well they’re hiding it. The tower must be searched top to bottom. The First Enchanter objects? He must be one of them. Dissent among her own templar ranks? Must be the blood magic controlling their minds. As Dan Olson puts it in his video In Search of a Flat Earth, conspiracy theories make facts subservient to outcomes, which is why the "facts" can easily be rearranged and discarded at will—all that matters is the actions those facts justify.

Of course Meredith’s beliefs were, again, quite different—more dangerous, and far more earnestly held than this silly Orlesian rumor about the Inquisition. She was also under the influence of red lyrium at the height of her paranoia. But conspiracy theories often feed on paranoia, and Meredith’s beliefs were still ultimately beliefs that could be bent to justify the outcome she (and her superior, Grand Cleric Elthina) desired: mages must be controlled, whatever the cost.

Cullen has managed to extricate himself from Meredith’s mindset. But he hasn’t yet learned, I think, that conspiracy theories and irrational beliefs can’t be overcome simply by reason. That’s also very understandable for someone in his position. When you’re in the process of overcoming some very wrong beliefs yourself, things you earnestly believed, it’s very natural to want to believe that everyone else is just as earnest and can be persuaded; in fact, you have a personal stake in believing that, because if other people can be redeemed, that means there’s hope for you.

Do I think this justifies the things Cullen was complicit in during his time as a templar, or any misguided opinions he may voice during his time with the Inquisition? No, that’s not why I’m saying all this. But I think it’s an interesting aspect of his character and one worth exploring. Cullen is often characterized as the blunt instrument advisor, his answer to most war table questions being “send troops”; in Josie’s words “the hammer for whom every problem looks like a nail.” But I think some of his offered solutions do offer compelling insights into his character, and this one certainly does—as well as an interesting example of how this approach to the world and other people can go wrong.

[dragonagecompanions]

Dragon Age: Inquisition. Companions react to romanced companion and Inquisitor's child getting hit on in front of them. (ex. Dorian and Inquisitor's adopted child, Sera and Inquisitor's adopted child, Cullen and Inquisitor's child, etc.)

Cassandra:

She is torn between the protective rush of a mother whose child needs a shield and sword to protect them from the world, and the romantic rush of young love playing out before them. Her beloved's gently guiding hand lets the second instinct win the day, but there is no question that her child's admirer is met with the image of the Lady Seeker and Herald of Andraste in the distance watching their every move.

It is a very honorable exchange.

Solas: As he does not love the inquisitor enough to contemplate a family, he is not gifted the benefits of protecting one.

Blackwall: Thom Rainier was a feckless and faithless young man, and Blackwall has no intentions of his child being exposed to anything like that. The proverbial papa bear, such exchanges are cut short by a firm hand and a conversation on just what exactly this vagabond (no matter their birth or station) thinks they are about.

It will take the work of someone serious in their intent to get past those shields, but he will respect a sincere effort.

Dorian: The victim and recipient of some early flirting attempts of his own once upon a time, Magister Pavus constrains himself to simply listening around the corner with his amatus-- both to cringe together at the early attempts at young love and to keep their very precious child from any true harm. His attitude is jovial, their whispered remembrances of the first steps their own love in Skyhold took a loving memory between them.

And in the hand kept behind his back no one else will ever see the corrosive fire kept in check, in case this suitor takes even a step out of line towards the heir of House Pavus and the child he had never even dared hope for.

Iron Bull: Like Dorian he knows his way around some awkward flirting, and is generally content to let young people figure things out for themselves as long as they are safe and boundaries are respected.

It's the Chargers this young upstart needs to be afraid of.

Sera: Ha, knob wants to make kissy faces at her little love, they've got arrows and pies and all kind of shite coming their way! No it doesn't matter that if they hadn't flirted on their own she wouldn't have her herald, thats not the point! Arrows! Pies! No one talking to her child!

Thankfully both child and wife know Sera well enough to lure the argument away, and so by the time Red Jenny turns on the admirer both they and the object of their affection have scattered. This means words, 'quisitor.

Cullen: Maker's breathe, no. Assemble the armies of Skyhold, his child will not be pursuing a romance until they are forty!

Josephine: Before the day is over she knows their lineage, their parentage, how they take their tea and the worst secrets in their family for four generations.

Let them have their moment, if that moment is respectful and honorable. If not, divine or otherwise Leliana will have a situation to handle.

Mod Fereldone

[dragonageconfessions]

CONFESSION:

Count me as part of the group that does not want any Dragon Age game to be influenced by Baulder's Gate 3. I really really enjoyed BG3, although given the state of the third act, and the fact a lot content was cut from characters or rewritten, I don't consider it a flawless game. Its a solid 8 for me.

I just really missed the banter. Now I do understand there are many branching narratives in BG3 that can give me new content to explore by trying it differently but there are only twenty four hours in a day and thats not really enough to get me to replay it over and over. I just realized  the urge to replay is lowered for me when the  only true connection my protag develops during the game is with their love interest. And while that is great for many, I need more than that.

And while I agree bioware should be more open with the fandom,I've come to believe there is a such thing as too much fan feedback because I do believe some characters got sacrificed because of it. If Bioware had the same sort of feedback for Inquisition, characters like Vivienne would not exist the same way they do.

I just think both games have their place. I'll shut up now. I just needed to vent because I'm tired of the bashing

[felassan]

A conversation/interview video with Mark Darrah called "Mark Darrah on Mass Effect, open world games, and sustaining a fandom (Channel 44 Chat)": [source and watch link]

Video description:

"Fred and Dan chat with Mark Darrah about his career at BioWare, including his work on Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate, and more. Join the veteran game devs as they discuss the art of storytelling in an open world, and highlight the influence of The Ur-Quan Masters on the Mass Effect series. 0:00 - Theme music 0:14 - Introductions 1:54 - Ur-Quan Masters and Mass Effect 4:14 - Exploring open worlds 10:25 - Storytelling in open worlds 12:18 - Multiplayer storytelling 23:27 - Main content vs side content 25:14 - What do fandoms like 30:30 - Storytelling techniques 34:18 - Making games in teams 43:25 - Conflicting visions and Dragon Age: Inquisition 53:23 - Making a satisfying sequel 1:10:56 - Mark and UQM"

Some quotes under the cut:

"Now I'm consulting with [BioWare] on finishing up Dragon Age: Dreadwolf right now." (Introductions segment. it sounds like the video was recorded around Thanksgiving/the holiday period in 2023)

"Something that Mass Effect 2 struggled with is a lot of people just went planet-scanning, for, like, they basically planet-scanned every single planet, stopped playing the game, planet-scanned every single planet and then sort've picked it up. So it's almost like they had, ME2 for some people turned into essentially three games: everything you did before you started planet-scanning, all of the planet-scanning, and then 'in the end'. And then a lot of people just kinda stopped playing in the middle of planet-scanning because it was pretty thin. So I think if you want people to dip in and out you do sometimes kind of have to force the issue. So something that was discussed after the fact for ME2 was, you know, if the Normandy can only carry 9 probes or something, then it's like, you go out, probe 9 planets, then you gotta do something else, get more probes." "If you want people to be dipping in and out, it's important to push them back and forth somehow. So if they're on the critical path, there's something that's gonna push them back out into the open world, if that's what you want them to do. Dragon Age: Inquisition does that with Power. You need more Power in order to advance the crit path. So you've reached a blocking point, you have to engage in the open world. Now what DA:I didn't do a very good job of was, now that you're out in the open world, pushing you back to the critical path. So you've got some people kinda getting lost out there forever." (Exploring open worlds segment)

"If there’s too much there, if everything is in the box, like, 'I’m gonna give you the box and it contains literally the entire universe', then there’s nothing to kinda chew on. You want there to be unanswered questions and things to think like, 'well how did we get into this situation? Let’s talk about it on the Reddit board/post'. In fact, I’ve seen this happen with Dragon Age games when, like, David Gaider, back when BioWare had its own forums, would go into the discussions about lore and stuff, and answer the questions. They didn’t really want that. But they thought they did, but when he did it it just, it just sucks all the life out of the conversation, because if I’m like, ‘oh, I really wonder if maybe the Qunari are secretly bird people??’. And someone comes in, ‘no, they’re not’, and you’re like ‘ohh… well.. Okay…’" (What do fandoms like segment)

"With a Dragon Age game, you're sort've trying to get people, the writers thinking from the perspective of, imagine this is a television show, or a movie or something like that, and if you wouldn't say it out loud in a television show or a movie you probably don't, you probably shouldn't be saying it out loud or writing it down in this game. But it's still incredibly expensive to do cinematics. So sometimes you succeed at that, you get them to trust, and that trust is, maybe not misplaced, but simply we didn't have the budget to do the three minute long cinematic that would've been a better way to do this and in fact we needed you to say, 'and then a castle full of castles crashed into another castle and blew the entire universe up'. Like you're not filming that. You gotta just say that. Or you gotta find another way to do it through visual storytelling, like during a 2D scene or something. So I guess my short answer is I don't know that I've ever successfully gotten the departments to fully trust the others to do this properly." (Storytelling techniques segment)

"One thing that has been a struggle for me is even just getting players to engage in the environment art. Like, it's the most expensive thing in your entire game, in most cases, and a lot of times players just sorta stare at the minimap and dive around on the minimap and it's like well, wait a minute, why are we spending all this money on this beautiful vista if you're not even looking at it?" (Storytelling techniques segment)

[source]

[fandom-friday]

Thank you so much to everyone that submitted recommendations this week! A comprehensive list of this week’s submissions can be found under the cut! Recommendations are organized by show/media, and any main pairings will be listed after the title.

🎆 = 18+ content ✨ = contains spoilers of a currently running show

Fics:

The Clone Wars: 🎆 A Girls Night Out (Jesse x OC Lina, Fives x OC Sue) by @marierg & @the-rain-on-kamino 🎆 Let's Call It Love (Barriss Offee x Ahsoka Tano) by @stellanslashgeode Fire in the Frying Pan by @barbaricyawn In Spite of Everything, We Thrive by @chaosgoblinhours The Tattooist by @whiskeygoldwings-blog

The Bad Batch: As Iron Sharpens Iron (Hunter x f!Reader) by @arctrooper69 ✨ (TBB S3) Revelation by RheaShay (AO3)

The Book of Boba Fett: Life Day (Boba Fett x OC Seba) by @kimiheartblade 🎆 Biscuits and Beskar (Boba Fett x OC Kaylee Manu) by @marierg

Batman: He's Ours Now by Lulu_Rythmea (AO3) Batman Beyond: Days of Future Past by @blightwritesfic Cards on the Table by @wesslan Family You Made (Go Back, Do it Again) by @jube514 Dragon-Tamer and the Wing of Night by @evergreena I Don't Belong Here (I Wish I Was Special) by @the-booty-crusader The Bat Trap by Threee (AO3)

Star Trek: We Have Engaged the Borg: The Oral History of the Battle of Wolf 359 by TranquilityPress (AO3)

Crossover AUs: Family Bonding and Other Perilous Pursuits (Batman X Danny Phantom Crossover) by Shynnohwen (AO3) La Petite Mort (Barbie X Dracula Crossover) (Barbie Roberts x Dracula) by @howlingmoonrise How is This My Life? (Pokemon X Dragon Age: Inquisition Crossover) by @thequietdreamerposts

Art:

The Clone Wars: Commander Cody Art by @cc3542taki Jedi Temple Guard OC Ren Art by @archfey-edda Thick Healthy Clones Art Series by @rexxdjarin Good Morning, Mesh'la by @the-rain-on-kamino Quinlan Vos Art by @purgetrooperfox

The Bad Batch: ✨ (TBB S3) Shadow of Tantiss Supremacy by @madsayo

The Book of Boba Fett: OC Kaylee Manu Art by @the-little-moment

Star Wars Legends: Jaster Mereel Art by @corrie-guard-things

[darkfeanix]

Thedas Tuesday

I started this last Tuesday, and you wanna know how many relationships I wrote between then and yesterday?

Varric. I wrote up Ariel's relationship with Varric last Tuesday, and then didn't get around to writing any of the others until this afternoon. Even having a clear idea of most of them, that took a lot out of me. Aveline in particular completely surprised me with the direction her relationship with Ariel took.

This is where I realised that my canon, while it aligns with the games it takes place, doesn't necessary line up with the game that followed. Again, this is about Aveline. In Dragon Age II, it is canonically possible to get her to a point where she will resign from the City Guard, and I decided that that I wanted to write that into her relationship with Ariel. That does mean it contradicts literally everything about her in relation to Dragon Age Inquisition, but you know what? That's Bioware's fault for giving me the option in Dragon Age II and not considering the follow-through in Inquisition.

Anway, without further adieu, please find the companion relationships for Dragon Age II under the cut (including Dog, because Dog counts, dammit).

Dermid Hawke

Ariel's shrewd mabari hound, undeniably the fourth Hawke child, and overall good boy. Expert card shark and frequent player at Varric's weekly Wicked Grace games.

Bethany Hawke

Ariel always got on better with Bethany than she did with Carver, and while that initially led to some tension between them after his death ("Could I have done more if I hadn't been so focused on protecting my sister?" is a question they both ask themselves many times in the years to come), ultimately the love they have for each other is deeper than any outside force. While Bethany initially resented Ariel for leaving her out of the Deep Roads Expedition, and was scared when the templars arrived to take her to the Circle, over time it grew to be more of a relief to not be looking over her shoulder anymore. This only reinforced Ariel's own beliefs that the Circles served a necessary role, and she would spend the next few years maintaining this perspective as their correspondence continued.

It wasn't until Bethany was abducted by Thrask and Grace, who hoped to use her as leverage to force Ariel to act, that Ariel was forced to admit that the situation in Kirkwall had gotten out of control. Even then, she resisted all efforts to force her to pick a side, toeing the line with Meredith right up until the moment when Meredith took it upon herself to annul the Kirkwall Circle of Magi in response to Anders destroying the Chantry. At long last, Ariel was forced to open her eyes and admit that she couldn't stand by and watch while the templars continued to abuse their authority. When the templars came to execute their charges, the Hawke sisters stood side by side and held the line, rebuking the attack and, when it came to it, striking down Knight-Commander Meredith.

Aveline Vallen

Initially tentative friends after fleeing from Lothering, the two of them grew distant in the year of indentured servitude to Athenril and her smugglers, as Aveline resented being made to do illegal work. The very day that their debt was cleared, Aveline enlisted with the Kirkwall city guard, and that put additional strain on their relationship as Ariel continued to associate with Kirkwall's criminal underworld. Even so, it was to Hawke that Aveline turned to when she began to suspect something untoward was happening with Guard Captain Jeven, and in the years to come, she would credit Hawke with her own rapid rise to the role of Guard Captain.

The relationship took another serious hit when a blood mage abducted and killing Ariel's mother. Ariel blamed the City Guards' inaction during an earlier investigation – and Aveline in particular – for her mother's death, while Aveline viewed it as a tragedy that she could not have prevents despite how much she wished it. It became a point of contention between them that wouldn't be resolved until a couple of years later. Aveline's involvement in the Arishok being moved to take action against Kirkwall drove an additional wedge between them.

With little in the way of friends and no family to speak of, Aveline threw herself into her role as Guard Captain for the next three years, taking the lessons she had learned from Leandra's death and the Qunari invasion and applying them to the City Guard with ruthless determination. Her new exacting standards produced a higher quality of guard overall, at the cost of quantity. And despite herself, Ariel's respect for Aveline grew, particularly as Meredith blocked all efforts to crown and new viscount, while the templars refused to step up and support the Guard. They finally mended fences after Jeven returned to stir up resentment in both the current guards and those who had failed to meet Aveline's standards. Realising that she had been trying to save something that was determined to destroy itself, Aveline decided to resign from her position and dedicate herself full time to the cause of keeping the city safe, alongside Ariel.

Varric Tethras

They get on like a house on fire. What began as a mutually beneficial business arrangement quickly evolved into a lasting friendship, and it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Varric is Ariel’s best friend. In the early days, Varric helped Ariel practice her lockpicking skills, giving her pointers and advice. As the years passed, she became his confidante and the person he turned to whenever he needed help. Similarly, Varric was always ready with a flagon of ale and an ear to listen when Ariel was fed up dealing with the Kirkwall nobility.

When Varric’s traitorous brother returned to Kirkwall, Ariel was eager to get some good old-fashioned revenge along with her friend, but she changed her mind after seeing the state he was in. She persuaded Varric to spare Bartrand’s life, and with her family’s connections to the Chantry, was able to help him find a sanitarium where he could receive the care he needed. For the remainder of her time in Kirkwall, Ariel would pay fortnightly visits to Bartrand, bringing flowers and reading to him. And a couple of years later, as the situation with the templars got worse and the Veil in Kirkwall grew ever more fragile, the two of them needed to return to the manor where Bartrand had been holed up, recovering a piece of the red lyrium idol that had driven him mad. The two of them debated for several tense minutes before Varric convinced Ariel that keeping the chip of the idol was worth the trouble, as it might help him help Bartrand.

When things finally came to a head with Knight-Commander Meredith, Varric expressed concerns about actively opposing the Templar Order, but he still backed Ariel a hundred percent.

Sebastian Vael

Grand Cleric Elthina might have said that Ariel brought out the worst in Sebastian, but the truth is that she only ever encouraged him to pursue what was rightfully his. Their relationship was tempestuous at times, but they developed real feelings for each other as the years passed, and the result was that Sebastian did begin to pull away from the Chantry as his focus turned to Starkhaven and how its people continued to suffer.

After Elthina's death at Anders' hands, Sebastian realised he had nothing left to hold him back. With Ariel's support, he returned to Starkhaven and claimed the throne that had been his all along.

Fenris

Ariel met Fenris through her connections with Athenril's smuggling ring, and the two became fast friends, with Fenris accompanying Ariel and Varric on the expedition into the Deep Roads along with another of their friends, Isabela. In the years the followed, he became one of Ariel's most reliable allies, and she his. Though they would never quite see eye-to-eye on the issue of mages, Ariel did help him to heal from many of his worst traumas, and in the end he stood side-by-side with her to protect the mages of Kirkwall when Meredith tried to annul the Circle of Magi.

Merrill

The relationship between Ariel and Merrill did not get off on the right foot, as Merrill's use of blood magic and consorting with a demon in the pursuit of knowledge to restore an ancient elven mirror immediately put Ariel on edge. It was not until after Bethany was taken by the templars that things began to change. Ariel, for all intents and purposes, adopted Merrill as a surrogate sister to protect, just as she had been taught all her life to protect Bethany. This didn't always go well. Merrill was no Bethany, and Ariel didn't always make the right choices in her efforts to "protect" Merrill. She always walked a thin line between trying to support Merrill's pursuit of lost knowledge and showing an interest in elven culture, and trying to discourage Merrill's use of "forbidden" magic.

Things finally came to a head some six or seven years after their first meeting, when Merril's former teacher and maternal figure, Keeper Marethari, took it upon herself to put a permanent end to Merrill's pursuit of the knowledge she sought by taking the demon into herself and becoming an abomination. Merrill was forced to fight and kill Marethari, and when the last remnants of her clan – those who hadn't already departed to find a home with other clans – found out what had happened, they turned on her and attempted to kill her. And Ariel did what she had been taught to do: she protected her sister.

Filled with shame and despair for her role in the death of her clan, Merrill shattered the mirror that she had poured so much of her life into. Ariel, surprising both of them, told Merrill that she couldn't hold herself responsible for the actions of Marethari or the clan, and encouraged Merrill to not give up on her pursuit of ancient elven knowledge.

Anders

Ariel had a great many concerns about Anders from the beginning, and the only reason the didn't turn him over to the templars on the spot was because of the potential attention it could bring to Bethany. As time went on, she had to concede that he did a lot of good work for the residents of Darktown, in particular the Fereldan refugees, but she never fully trusted him.

Isabela

While nobody looking from the outside would have called Ariel and Isabela friends, they did move in similar circles, and had a relationship built on mutual respect and sometimes also flirting. They both knew nothing would ever come of it, as Ariel was too pious for Isabela's tastes and Isabela too reckless by half from Ariel's perspective, but it was fun to play pretend all the same (and they did play, that one time, but again, nothing ever came of it). The two of them were also bonded by their shared love for Merrill.

Isabela blamed Ariel's influence on her for her decision to bring the Tome of Koslun back to return it to the Arishok, and also for her decisions to keep coming back to Kirkwall again and again over the next few years. For her part, Ariel did really appreciate Isabela's company, and was always happy to buy a round or three at the Hanged Man in Lowtown and listen to the latest tales of Isabela's attempts to leave Kirkwall behind.

Tallis

A Qunari agent who tricked Ariel into helping her recover a list of names that would have identified countless other Qunari working undercover in southern Thedas. Ariel bitterly regrets not being fast enough to put an end to Tallis and recover that list for herself.

[teadreamsims]

Okay guys, I THINK I'm ready to come back to posting gameplay content. Having a break has been good for me. Super good for me, in fact. And it's given me time to really think about what kind of content I would enjoy playing and posting more. (More under the cut bc this post is kind of a long boy oops)

I've come to the realisation that as much as I love playing with families, I was always giving myself rules of "this is when your sim needs to have kids, you must get married soon, you must be as realistic with your posts and storytelling as possible, you must give these builds this aesthetic and style or it won't look good when you post it". And that as well as telling myself I MUST have at least one post a day was really making me dread playing as well as posting. And when I start dreading those things is when I know smth is going wrong with how I'm doing stuff.

So, I took myself away from posting. I played casually, with no goals. I played how my favourite sims YouTubers play to give myself different experiences. And then, to get myself out of a general sims funk, I played Stardew Valley and Dragon Age Inquisition and even started to replay Code Vein, which I genuinely haven't touched since early 2020. And doing all that has been so good for me and given me the break I needed. It's also given me the space to decide on how I play and post in the future and think about the gameplay I enjoyed most, which turns out was actually my current household gameplay from a while back. There were no goals other than "see if you can complete this aspiration you've never completed before" and having that freedom with no other goals was so much fun. I don't necessary wanna copy that exact format again bc it'll get too repetitive, but I wanna give myself that freedom again by having less restrictions and goals that I feel I must meet, you know?

All that being said, ty to everyone who has stuck around while I've been on my break! And sorry I've not been too active or interacting with ppl as much, I truly appreciate the following that I have and love seeing everyone's gameplay ❤️ you're all so talented and inspirational and I love seeing what everyone does and the stories everyone tells with this game!

I'll be back very soon with new gameplay stuff, and I'm so excited to be coming back.

Love,

Goore/Kaisarion 💜

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

Love reading all the new articles and updates about Dragon Age and it's really hard at this point to reign in my expectations. The gameplay showcase made me want to go back to the Inquisition demos that I watched during 2014 that got me super hyped. I was curious just how much from those gameplay reveals didn't make it into the release version of the game; I could remember bits and pieces that I was disappointed didn't make it in, but going back over these vids I'm shocked at just how much was overpromised in the months leading up to release. The demos Bioware showed during 2014 were a completely different beast from the final game. Just in the PAX (Sept 2013, so a year pre-release) and post-E3 demos (Jul 2014, four months pre-release) we've got:

Different camera controls allowing for a more over-the-shoulder style, very similar to what we've seen for Veilguard actually

Combat while moving for mages, as well as drastically different combat animations for everyone, including autoattacking with one's hand rather than the staff

Hyperviolence that never made it into the final game like that one enemy being magicked into a skeleton

The mounts actually speeding up travel

Promises of dwindling bear numbers in the environments the more you kill

Environmental things like boats actually moving across the water in real time

Dynamic events and attacks on the keeps the Inquisitor can claim, rather than the keeps sitting around

On that note, I didn't even remember one of the most bold-faced lies during that Crestwood demos "You can burn these boats to cut off the Red Templar's retreat", crazy stuff

Big choices like choosing between saving villagers or saving your keep

The promise that you can upgrade the keeps once captured

That whole cutscene with Varric that didn't make it into the final game

The content from that post-E3 demo in particular is from pretty much where Veilguard is now. You can see in this IGN vid from August 2014 (roughly two months pre-release and two months after the post-E3 demo) just how much changed in that marketing cycle.

Something I think is really interesting about this retrospective is just how much the gameplay of this unrealised Inquisition game is similar to the Veilguard content. Does that mean that the Reveal gameplay, with the camera POV and smooth action combat isn't representative of the final result? I should hope not. I would hope that the faster gameplay is what Bioware has been aiming towards all along, and have just been stuck with platform limitations until now.

Anyway this was an interesting exercise in examining my own history with the games and why I take everything Bioware tries to market to me in the next few months with a very healthy dose of skepticism. Don't get me wrong, the game looks great, but Inquisition also looked a little too good to be true in a lot of aspects

[exhausted-archivist]

I had this sitting in my drafts from back when I was ripping the cut lines from Inquisition's files for shenanigans. I put together some of the cut lines to get the "vibe" for my writing.

Thought I'd share it cause yeah, I enjoy the cut dialogue a lot more. I shared the boards for what was cut in another post, but here it is again so you can see how it flows (if you're like me and can't visualize things easily).

[ungodly-amounts-of-godly-trauma]

wotw round 1

propaganda under the cut!

leliana:

shes a companion in the first game and a major character in the third. between these games she becomes the spymaster for the girlpope and actively aids in and supports its various atrocities. this is NEVER EVER AKNOWLEDGED BY THE FANDOM. this isnt a bit! i go through her tag on ao3 and tumblr regularly and NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THIS??? all her content about her romance is fluffy and nice (which. Um. Yeah im sure thats not due to lesbophobia at all. (shes bi, but the majority of people who romance her do so as a woman)) EVEN DURING THE TIME PERIOD WHERE SHE IS APART OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT IS DOING LIKE SIX SEPARATE GENOCIDES AT ONCE AND IS ACTIVELY DISENFRANCHISING THE PEOPLES THAT HER LOVER CAN BELONG TO???? HUH??? just because she Says she supports certain things (and to her credit she does later. just way after the helping with genocide) does not erase her active role in furthering the oppression of various peoples in thedas. this isnt even getting into all of her other more minor flaws people erase all the time(i am very tired but otherwise i WOULD) if only because this is enough. Can people please please like women without pretending they dont have flaws come the fuck on

martin blackwood:

listen my memory of this podcast is so loose BUT in canon he's a cunning and competent person, he actively works to sabotage the evil organization he's forced to work for, he gets trapped in a sort of limbo-state version of reality meant to isolate him from the world and decides on his own to try to get out instead of submitting to it, he was literally theorized to be working for the Web by some people and YET everyone just sort of takes the way he was in s1 (in love with the main character, very timid, etc) and ignores all of his character development 👍 there are some major martin soldiers who could explain this better

he's great actually he's committed minor arson. he killed his boyfriend (necessary). he's got incredible mommy issues. he's manipulative. he's angry and wonderful and kind and the fandom has dumbed him down to this uwu chubby tea lover softboi and i HATE IT

Hated by his sick single mother, but still cared for her till she died. Spent two weeks trapped in his apartment by a worm lady and didn't lose his head. Always tries to be kind and give people tea, but beware the nice ones. He will murder you once the apocalypse comes around. Especially if you hurt him or his boyfriend. The fandom may sometimes only remember the tea and the meekness but don't be fooled!

so many things. mainly a shitty mom and Spooky Depression though

[slasheru]

game dev/design tips you didn't ask for, at random:

don't start by designing your game around the engine; come up with/refine/design/test your core mechanics INDEPENDENT of an engine and then FIND AN ENGINE that suits your game's purpose! (aka the Reverse Dragon Age Inquisition)

Fun Fact: The devs of Mass Effect said that, roughly, even though there's an equal amount of Paragon/Renegade (aka "good"/"evil") content in ME, 90% of players just chose all the Paragon options every time. Take this shit to heart!! Design choices that go beyond "good" or "bad". Design choices that are interesting and would make an "all good" or "all bad" etc player actually HAVE to choose between more than one option that's VIABLE for the character they're roleplaying! Like, in BG3 terms, no "tiefling village vs goblin camp" choices. I wanna make you choose between keeping Lae'zel and Shadowheart in your party permanently. Don't be afraid to cut off content that players can't all access in one playthrough, but DO hint that the other content is ABLE TO BE ACCESSED if you make different choices!

Don't forget about sound design, especially UI/UX feedback. That shit makes or breaks an environment. Never QA test with your sound off, I can feel my old boss breathing down my neck RIGHT NOW

Organize your production pipeline, no matter how small of a project! I use Trello for producer shit and Jira for my bug list. Familiarizing yourself with how to properly log your own bugs by component and priority is key, especially with more than one team member! (I might actually make a QA megapost sometime ahdjks)

When you do something in the game that you wanna reward your player for (e.g.: selecting a dialogue choice that an NPC approves of! succeeding a skill check! new DM from your crush! you just looted 1 goblin bong! etc), remember to include JUICY FEEDBACK! This is a very unfortunate industry term wherein the JUICY refers to the actual crunchiness of the feedback: A textural response from the player that Feels Good. Like, Candy Crush has the juiciest feedback. Remember: Feedback should include UI/UX/a visual element, sound, be a clear result of a player action, and give a sense of WHAT you just accomplished at the correct SCALE (bigger bang feedback for, like, killing a world boss vs opening a lockpick chest). (You can Pavlov's Dog players into getting hype at repeated sounds by ensuring your feedback retains notes of the same sound or foley, or even just using the same sound fx across different progression points. Like layering in the same chimes with a level-up noise AND when you do something that gets you closer to leveling up, like earning XP)

When designing elements, remember: What does like LOOK like? What does this SOUND like? What does this DO to the world state of the game? What else does this AFFECT? Be cognizant of how stuff can chain affect the tone of the rest of your game!! QA often!!

Achieving a balance between HIDING all the numbers/systems/guts of your game vs having the player be aware of the systems and how they work can be a tightrope to walk! I personally err on the side of Hiding Too Much, but checking in with your testers or players to see if they can "feel" how the game works, or if it makes them get too minmaxy, can be super helpful! Remember to keep your design choices in line with your "x statement" (aka one-sentence directive about what you want YOUR game to be/feel like).

Save a fucking backup zip file of your dev environment RIGHT NOW and put in a separate place from your main PC. Like right the fuck now

[satansapostle6]

folie à deux

Sometimes poison is sweet.

Selina Romanov and Draco Malfoy met when they were only eleven years old. The two of them have always shared an intense bond, always having gravitated towards one another. But the question still remains, as the years pass by, is their connection one of passion, or delusion?

Warnings: Contains Mature Themes/Language, Themes Such As Sexual Content, Violence, Abuse, Sexual Assault, Eating Disorders

Nineteen.

It was still nonstop partying for Selina as her fourth year at Hogwarts continued. It seemed Kelly and Blaise were more determined to fry their brains with adrenaline and extravagance than usual. All of Slytherin's elite were prone to indulgent, addictive behavior, but they weren't addicted to anything that was treatable. Everyone Selina knew was just addicted to excitement.

Kelly Cross and Blaise Zabini both reveled in the luxurious lifestyles they lived as part of Slytherin's court. Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson commanded the attention of their entire school with their antics, humiliation he damned, knowing they'd rather have their dirty laundry out on display than be passed over. 

Selina and Jasper knew that they both had different places in all of it. Jasper was so enamored with Selina, he hardly recognized anyone else, including himself, while Selina went insane any time she processed anything from the outside world. 

The two of them worked very interestingly together, because while they both had strong beliefs in individuality, they both utilized their individuality very differently.

  "I don't see what the big deal is," Selina remarked passively as she walked down the steps of the stands where they were going to be watching the first of three tasks in the Triwizard Tournament.

  "You don't see what the big deal is?" Jasper questioned in disbelief. "You're drunk."

  "Not drunk, tipsy, at best," she provided with disappointment in her tone. "I barely drank, and I can hold my liquor."

  "You're at a school event," he argued.

  "Exactly!" she pointed out. "I'm not the only one, and I'm definitely not the worst one."

  "You sound like Fred," Jasper groaned. 

  "Everyone loves Fred," Selina pointed out. 

  "Fred also blows up toilets," Jasper reasoned with a dry smile.

Selina sat beside Amana and Pansy as they waited for the First Task to begin, eager to see bloodshed. 

  "Want any Firewhisky?" Pansy called to her.

  "Had some cognac with Fred and George," she responded. "Mum says no, so I suppose I'm all set for today."

  "How moderate of you," Amana said with a smile.

It seemed almost everyone at least nearly of age at Hogwarts was drinking today, heavily. It was the start of the event of the century. As students from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang alike all watched as the four champions each took on a dragon in their objective to capture a single golden egg, the yelling and cheering was like nothing Selina had ever heard before.

This wasn't like any Quidditch game she'd ever been to, or played in. She watched as Cedric Diggory, the captain of the Hufflepuff team, took on a Swedish Short-Snout, just about everyone in their school cheering for him. 

Selina inquisitively watched Cedric evade the creature with curiosity, wondering if their fantastical perception of him was similar to the way they perceived her, as Slytherin's 'star Chaser' and Amana Tesfaye's best friend. She eventually came to the disturbing conclusion that she and Cedric Diggory certainly had one that in common; they had both done everything, and nothing, to earn everyone's praise. 

She then observed that, although she and Draco Malfoy definitely did not have the same sort of character, that didn't seem to matter to anyone on the outside. Draco and Selina, although being vastly different people, were still cut from the same lush, exorbitant cloth. As she watched Draco tripping a third-year Gryffindor boy as Crabbe and Goyle laughed brutishly, she became increasingly aware of the other side of how people saw her. 

Sometimes, it didn't matter who she really was. Sometimes, all that mattered was what people saw, whether it was something she presented on her own, or something that was only a part of their perception. 

  "Hey. Something wrong?" 

  "Hmm?"

A bit startled, Selina looked up at Jasper, who was sitting in the seat beside her. 

  "No," she said quickly, "Why?"

  "No reason," Jasper assured her in his soft Irish accent.

  "What is it?" she wondered, not understanding the reason behind his gaze. 

  He just smiled, already forgetting his worries as he neatly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Nothing. Just... admiring, is all."

It hit her like a train. He looked at her the same way he looked at Freya when he played with her, as if she were the most pure, precious thing on earth. 

Selina knew she had always liked Jasper simply because his perception of her perfectly matched her own; she didn't feel the need to translate herself to him the way she did with others. With him, she felt understood, like she could be at her most vulnerable with him. 

It hurt Selina a bit that even after all the things she'd done, all the insane and reckless things she'd done that she'd had no business doing at thirteen and fourteen, Jasper still saw the same person he'd seen the day he met. And of course he did. He was willing to put up with Draco Malfoy to be with her; he loved her. 

  "Jas, I..." she cut herself off, deciding that there was only one thing she had to say. "I love you," she reminded him, hoping he knew just how much. 

  "I love you too," he said happily, as if waiting for her to say it. 

He smiled and leaned in for a kiss, a sweet peck on the lips before they both smiled with satisfaction and returned to watching the first task with their friends. Selina eventually joined in on Amana's side conversation with Blaise, the three of them commentating on Viktor Krum's boarish performance against the Chinese Firevall he'd been assigned. 

Draco Malfoy had been sitting between Crabbe and Pansy, and just happened to glance over at the two of them at that moment. He watched as their lips met and they shared a beautiful smile together as if no one else was there. He scoffed in disgust, not understanding Selina's affection for Jasper, someone he felt was decidedly inferior, and ultimately a complete and utter waste of time for her. 

Tiring of seeing her and Jasper Carroll parading about together, he turned to his own girlfriend, who was returning an open flask to Daphne Greengrass in a seat in the row below them, laughing as Firewhisky dribbled down her chin. Making a face as he ignored the unflattering moment, Draco pulled Pansy's face toward him, his hand holding her face almost in captivity as he kissed her. 

Selina and Blaise were laughing at something Jasper had said, and for a moment, she saw Draco. And then, she didn't see Draco, because of the way he aggressively pulled Pansy in toward him. She was a bit startled, but eventually giggled and went along with it. This kiss was nothing like the kiss Selina had shared with Jasper. This kiss was less of a kiss, and more so a declaration of war. 

Draco Malfoy was violently smashing his face against Pansy's, a whole mess of tongue involved that frankly no one wanted anything to do with, even Daphne, who seemed envious of her friend. Selina was disgusted as she watched Draco desperately trying to bite, or bite off, his girlfriend's bottom lip. She was alarmed at the sight, but also concerned that she'd once been kissed by the same person. 

Quickly disregarding the disturbing display, Selina did her best to discard it completely from her memory, cheering loudly for Harry with Amana as he went up against arguably the most aggressive of the dragons, the Hungarian Horntail. By the end of the first task, Selina had completely sobered up, and was headed back to the Slytherin common room with everyone else.

  "Hey!"

One of Jasper's friends interrupted as Selina and Blaise stopped.

  "You two go ahead," Jasper said, planting a quick kiss atop Selina's head, "I'll catch up."

Selina and Blaise turned toward the castle, just as they saw Daphne struggling to keep Pansy's hair out of her own vomit as she nearly collapsed into a bush. 

  "Oh. I'd better go help," Blaise said very reluctantly as he tentatively came to Daphne's aid.

  "I'd better go far away," Selina decided as she turned away.

  "Going somewhere?" 

  She let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through her hair. "What is it, Draco?" she questioned reluctantly.

  "What are you, too good to talk to me now?" he questioned.

She just looked at him, flabbergasted, as he looked her in the eyes, expecting a genuine response. 

  "I talked to you five minutes ago," she said flatly.

  "Yeah; you said 'excuse me'," he huffed.

  "Yeah. I was being polite," her eyes widened with exasperation, "Maybe consider it once in a while."

  "No. No, you weren't being 'polite'," Draco insisted, an air of entitlement about him, "You were icing me out."

  "So what if I was?" she demanded. "You tried to get with me, and I have a boyfriend."

  "Please, you're being completely ridiculous," he complained, "Why would I ever try to snog you? I have Pansy for that."

  "Yeah, we've noticed," Selina pointed out, "Thanks."

  "Oh. I see what it is," he laughed, a wide grin spreading across his features, "Yeah, I saw the way you looked at us, you felt a little jealous."

  "'Jealous'?" she repeated. "That's what we're going with? You were sucking her teeth while Crabbe fixed your hair, and I was jealous?"

  "Come on. It's okay, Sel," Draco chuckled, looking left and right to ensure that no one was around, "We've always had a little thing between us. Everyone knows it, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You're cute."

  "I'm cute?" Selina stared. "I've had pictures taken up my skirt on the way to Charms."

  "And I bought two of them," Draco agreed diplomatically.

She scoffed at his immaturity. Draco couldn't stand to be humiliated, especially when his audience was himself. 

  "Okay. I don't see any point in continuing this conversation, so I'm going to leave," she concluded. 

Draco stopped her, jumping in front of her before she could try to head back towards the castle with everyone else. 

  "You're so predictable, you know," he added, mocking her for the sole purpose of eliciting an emotional response of any kind. "You tease me, and then you play innocent. But don't worry. I think I kind of like this little game we play," he smirked. 

Selina would have punched him if she knew for certain he wouldn't enjoy it.

  "This... This thing we have..." he expressed. "It's the only thing that really makes me feel alive."

She paused for a moment, regathering her composure as she realized this interaction wasn't quite as cut and dry as she thought. 

  "I don't want to stop this, Selina," he said her whole name. "You're fun. You keep me guessing. I'd tell you to break up with Carroll, but I kind of like watching you pretend he feels like me when you kiss him."

  "Listen, Draco, I'm not who I was when I kissed you that night," Selina admitted, a mixture of feelings toward the fact. "That person... That person was reckless, and naive. That person really thought that you actually loved me, one way or another."

Draco stopped, realizing that the 'game' had been ruined for him. 

  "I don't know if you realize this, but I've only ever regretted being there for you to try and kiss," she snapped. "Giving you the benefit of the doubt has done nothing but bite me in the arse. So yes, perhaps I am 'icing you out'."

Selina was too busy storming off to realize that, not ten feet behind her, Fred had heard what she had hoped was only a snippet of the conversation. 

  "What are you looking at, Weasley?"

Draco, furious and glaring at him as he noticed him, disappeared towards the castle, fuming. Selina looked between Draco and Fred, not knowing at all how to respond to the situation. Fred's face was absent of color as he took in everything he heard. 

  "You and Malfoy?" Fred Weasley asked, a look of disgust in his eyes for the first time.

  Selina blinked back tears, horrified. "How much of that did you hear?"

  "Enough!" he exclaimed. "Seriously, Selina, you and Malfoy?! I thought that was just a rumor!"

  "You thought what was just a rumor?!"she cried.

  "You know what!" he gasped. "You kissed him?!"

Selina trembled as tears fell. 

  "I didn't kiss him!" she pleaded with him. "He kissed me, and I stopped him. Jasper knows. We got past it."

  "Clearly you didn't," Fred pointed out.

  "What you heard... That was just Draco being a prick, he does this just to torture me—"

  "He does this, just to fuck with you?" he demanded. "Selina, that's fucked..."

  "You don't know him," she sighed, "He's just a fucking arsehole, there's nothing to it."

  "Clearly there is," he reminded her. "There's obviously something going on between the two of you."

  "No, there isn't, because I made myself very clear to him," Selina reasoned. "He knows I want nothing to do with him."

  "No, he doesn't."

  "Fred," she sighed, exhausted by her own panic, "I told him—"

  "It doesn't matter, Selina," he breathed, a defeated look in his eyes.

Something told her he wasn't just addressing her own situation.

  "If he even thinks he has a chance, he's going to want to take it. Believe me."

  "I didn't want this," she protested, "I never asked him to be anything other than a friend. It's not my problem if he won't accept that."

  "Yes, it is," Fred told her, a faint darkness behind his eyes. "You know it is."

She didn't say anything for a moment.

  "You know I hate Malfoy just as much as the next bloke," he pointed out, "But even I can see it. He fancies you."

  "Please. Draco doesn't 'fancy' anyone," Selina insisted, "This is all just some power play to him."

  "Yeah, it is," Fred nodded in agreement, "But that doesn't mean he doesn't feel something for you, whatever that might be. Everyone knows it; you're his only weakness. He doesn't like it, but he can't keep away, either."

  "You think Draco Malfoy's in love? With me?" she scoffed.

  "Well, it's definitely not with Pansy Parkinson," he remarked. "And you're friends with both of them. That's just a disaster waiting to happen."

  "I can handle it myself," she told him.

  "For your sake. I hope that's true."

Glancing awkwardly at him once more, Selina turned away and left, no longer having anything much to say. On her way back to the common room, Selina came upon Amana and Pansy in the corridor, accompanied by Daphne, who was whispering something as Elspeth and her friends, two Ravenclaw girls, passed by. 

  "I heard from Bulstrode Thomas Gray stood her up at The Three Broomsticks," Daphne barely whispered as Pansy cackled with laughter.

  "Of course he did!"

Selina looked at Elspeth, who seemed embarrassed as she walked past them with her head lowered, whether she'd heard Daphne or not. Selina would have felt sorry for her if she hadn't been so cruel before. Selina knew that they'd had a falling out for a reason. 

  "Selina!" Pansy Parkinson yelled, immediately catching her attention.

Selina approached the girls, wondering what they were up to.

  "Come look at Lavender Brown's top. It's awful!" Pansy giggled, almost as if she were trying to be heard.

Lavender looked over at the girls in humiliation, quickly closing her sweater over her top as she ran off.

  "She looked like she was trying to smuggle two slugs into the castle," Daphne laughed.

  "Oh my God, you're bloody brilliant!" Pansy chuckled.

  "I count on her being Longbottom's date to The Three Broomsticks this weekend," she muttered.

There was a celebration for the Tournament happening that weekend.

  "Oh yeah? Who are you going with?" Amana asked her.

  "Miles has asked me," she told them, a haughty pride to her announcement.

  "Really?" Pansy questioned in surprise. "Draco still hasn't asked me. Or even mentioned it."

Selina remained silent.

  "Really?" Daphne wondered. "But you're together."

  "That's what I was thinking!" Pansy agreed. 

No longer comfortable standing around while they talked, Selina decided she would retire to the dorms after all.

  "I'll catch up with you lot later," she decided.

They all waved to her without a second thought as she left for the dungeons. As Selina entered the dimly lit common room, she found that outside her dormitory, Blaise Zabini was there, waiting for her. 

  "Blaise?" Selina questioned in surprise.

He had been waiting for her, seeming very curious about something. 

  "Selina," he said finally, looking around to make sure no one was listening in, "There you are."

  "What is it?" she questioned, not understanding.

  "You and Draco. Tell me everything," he demanded, not bothering to be polite.

Selina's eyes widened slightly as she realized how much he must've known.

  "Who told you—"

  "Inside," Blaise hissed, following as she quickly led him into her dorm room.

Selina quickly closed the door, alarmed by how much Blaise seemed to know.

  "What do you know about that?" she demanded.

  He rolled his eyes at her, expecting her to understand by now. "You realize Draco will tell

me just about anything, right? Especially after a little Firewhisky."

  "What the hell did he tell you?!" she demanded in horror.

  "Enough," Blaise promised her, "I just don't know how much of it is true-true, and how much of it is Draco-true."

  "Nothing happened. He tried to kiss me at the Valentine's Day party, and we've fought about it a lot," she admitted. "I think he tried to convince me to be with him."

Blaise seemed incredibly perturbed by the idea. 

  "Well, whatever happened, you've got a problem on your hands," he informed her. 

  "Why?" Selina asked him. "Is he going to break up with Pansy?" she realized, horrified.

  "No, it's worse; he isn't," Blaise told her. 

  "I'm not sure I follow," she admitted.

  "Listen. If Draco and Pansy stay together, even with all this, it'll become a mess we'll all have to deal with," he reasoned. "If those two keep going at the same rate, eventually, something will slip, and our entire social ecosystem will fall apart. We'll all be fucked, specifically you."

  "Thanks, Blaise," Selina frowned.

  "I'm serious. You have to fix this," he sighed, "The bigger the argument Draco and Pansy have, the more they tend to implicate other people. And I'm at the top of that list!" he exclaimed.

  "Why do you care so much?" Selina demanded, not understanding his agenda. "You don't care about people, you care about gossip. You've never shown this much interest in anything that has anything to do with other people."

  "Never mind why," Blaise snapped, "Just fix this!"

  "I don't know that I can!" she pointed out in frustration. "Draco's Draco. If he wants to be insane, there's nothing any of us could do to stop him," she stated.

Blaise groaned in frustration, leaving the room and practically slamming the door behind him as he left. Glad he was at least done, Selina sat down on her bed where her cat was resting on her pillow. Why everyone seemed to have something to do with whatever was happening at any given time between her and Draco, she had no idea. 

*****

Upon waking up the next day, Selina found she was in no mood to fake her way through polite conversations. Luckily, it was Igor Karkaroff, the Durmstrang headmaster who stopped her in the hall on the way to class that morning.

  "You. Selina Romanov," the dark-haired man barked her down. 

Selina was automatically irritated upon hearing her name so early in the day. 

  "Yes, sir?" she questioned. 

  "You," Karkaroff repeated, pulling her aside, away from the other students, "Come here."

Selina awkwardly followed him to a more secluded corner, partially concealed by a stone pillar. 

  "Yes?" she asked him again, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

  "You are the youngest of the Romanovs, correct?" Igor Karkaroff asked her, his arms crossed.

Selina did her best not to gauge her brain out through her ears.

  "Yes, I am."

  "You know, many generations of Romanovs attended the Durmstrang Institute," he informed her.

She silently pleaded that that wasn't all he wanted to tell her.

  "Yes, that's true," she said patiently.

  "Your grandfather was the first of the Romanovs not to attend Durmstrang. He and your father would have done well at my school," Karkaroff said in his thick accent.

Selina just listened as he spoke.

  "I have heard great things about you from the staff of Hogwarts," the man continued. "Even Professor Snape speaks highly of you. I would say that I am regretful you aren't of age put your name in the goblet of fire, but I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I'm very glad Krum won't have to compete against a witch like yourself."

  "I see," she followed along, not actually seeing what the point of the conversation was.

  "You know, Selina Romanova, I believe you, too, would have done very well for yourself at the Durmstrang Institute," he thought.

  "Thank you," Selina nodded respectfully.

  "Miss Romanova... I may not be able to indefinitely have you under my tutelage, but I believe you could benefit from lessons different from your current curriculum," Karkaroff explained.

Selina eyed him curiously, wondering where this idea had come from.

  "What are you asking me?" 

  "I believe that I have much to teach to someone like you," he simplified, beady eyes staring down at her for a response, "Without Dumbledore having any part in it, of course."

She immediately knew what the High Master was offering, and decided she wanted no part in it whatsoever.

  "I'm sorry. I don't think so," she replied politely, "If you'll excuse me, I've got to get to class. 

  "I understand. Good day to you, Miss Romanova," he nodded. "You know where to find me if you change your mind, yes?"

Selina just nodded quickly before heading off to class. Draco and Pansy had been lurking about in the hall, half watching as they held hands, judging everyone together as a couple. 

  "Sel. What did Karkaroff want?" Draco asked her once he disappeared.

Selina looked at him, taking a moment to decide whether or not she felt like answering.

  "I don't know, he said he wanted to teach me," she relayed, "Without Dumbledore knowing. So I said 'no'."

  "Why?" Draco scoffed. "It's Igor Karkaroff, he probably would've taught you all kinds of dark magic."

  "You should've said yes," Pansy agreed. 

  "I'd rather not get on Dumbledore's radar," Selina said as they all walked to class. 

  "To hell with Dumbledore," Pansy rolled her eyes, "If you can become an even more powerful witch, you should do it."

  "Hmm," Selina murmured, not having much to offer. 

She was still completely distracted, by more than just Karkaroff's lack of respect for authority. 

*****

Defense Against the Dark Arts was its own headache for Selina. She sat down alone after getting to class early, not feeling she had much to say to anyone. She had been with Jasper earlier in the morning, but that was about it. Selina sat closer to the front, in Professor Moody's line of fire, hoping that would make it easier for her to avoid anyone she normally spoke to. But this wasn't the case.

To her dismay, Draco Malfoy decided to sit down in the empty seat beside her upon entering the room, Crabbe and Goyle taking the seats behind them. Pansy sat in the back of the classroom with Daphne, no doubt quietly discussing something to do with Draco. Selina looked up at him as he sat next to her, calmly rubbing the ring on his finger that matched hers. She could feel the cool metal on her finger warming slightly against her skin.

  "What do you want?" she asked him softly, not in the mood for an aggressive spat.

  "...To sit down," the blond replied, choosing to play his own game. "What's the matter with you?"

  "Nothing," she said coldly, facing forward as Alastor Moody began his eccentric and fairly horrifying lesson.

  "Are you angry?" Draco questioned slyly, studying her as she ignored him. "I know you wanted that peach this morning, but I got to it first, you see."

  "Shut up, Draco," Selina murmured, jotting down unnecessary details of the lesson as she avoided his gaze.

  "That's not nice," he frowned.

  "Mr. Malfoy," a loud bark interrupted their conversation.

Selina looked up at the professor in front of them, who seemed to be in a less-than-pleasant mood today.

  "Do listen to your friend, and shut up," Moody snapped.

Everyone in the room, Slytherin or Gryffindor, snickered as Draco looked around at all of them in anger. 

  "'Shut up'?! My father'll have you sacked!" he spat unpleasantly.

  "Not going down this road again, are we?" Professor Moody demanded, glaring at Draco with his one good eye. 

He gulped in fear, remembering exactly what had happened the last time he decided to act up in front of the former auror. Selina shot him an irritated look, no longer amused by the attention that was being drawn to the two of them. 

  "Now. You'd best give Miss Romanov here a real good apology for pestering her and being an obnoxious little twat before I make you, is that understood?" he warned.

Draco glanced at her awkwardly, fearing the repercussions as he decided not to further provoke her. 

  "Apologize!" Moody thundered.

Some of the Slytherins were whispering and murmuring as they observed. 

  "Sorry, Sel," Draco mumbled unintelligibly.

  "What's that?!" Moody barked. "Can't hear you!"

Draco hung his head in shame as he found he couldn't get out of this one. 

  "I'm sorry, Selina," he said more clearly, as the room teetered with laughter.

Selina no longer cared about the situation at all.

  "What was that?!" the professor demanded. "Can't hear you!"

  Draco cleared his throat quietly, petrified by the mad look in Moody's eyes, or rather, eye. "I'm sorry, Selina."

  "For what?!" Professor Moody yelled. "Say it!"

This startled Draco.

  "For... being an obnoxious little twat!" Draco cried, genuinely afraid of what he might do.

Everyone except for Pansy laughed, as Selina just looked down at the surface of her desk. 

  "You'd better be," Moody reminded him. "Miss Romanov here comes from a family that deserves far more recognition than your own. The Romanov family has a legacy of blood and power that no one in this room could possibly imagine," he declared.

Selina was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

  "Now. Speaking of the Romanovs... Who can tell me which of the Unforgivable Curses is said to have come from that family, before we move on?"

This, naturally, was one of Selina's least favorite rumors that happened to often be brought up at Hogwarts, one way or another. She remembered that during her second year, someone had brought up the question to Professor McGonagall during a class, which she had eventually personally apologized for afterwards.  

Selina saw Hermione glance at her from the other side of the room. She knew that Hermione knew the answer to the question, of course, but didn't feel like answering upon seeing the expression on Selina's face. Instead, Moody had called on Dean Thomas. 

  "The Cruciatus Curse, sir," he stated promptly.

  "Yes. Correct," Moody nodded.

Selina saw Neville Longbottom glance over at her, seemingly realizing that one of her ancestors was said to have invented the curse that had afflicted both of his parents since he was a baby. She saw the sadness and fear in his eyes, and felt horrible. She wanted to apologize, but for what, exactly, she didn't know. 

  "The curse is said to have been invented sometime during the early fifteenth century by Vladimir the Wicked, but no such records or evidence exist," the former Auror explained to the class of fourth-years. "However, Ivan the Terrible was certainly noted for his use of it. Anyways. On with today's actual lesson."

Selina hated to be reminded that her father's lineage could be traced back to the very worst of the czars of Russia. Even her mother's side of the family had enough scandals to last a lifetime.

*****

  "Alright. It's time for you lot to get out," Professor Moody announced gruffly at the end of the lesson. "Go on. It's nice out."

  "But, sir, class doesn't end for another ten minutes," Hermione reminded him, earning her a spiteful glare from Ron.

  "And?" the man questioned impatiently.

No one said another word. Draco and the others, as well as just about everyone in class, nearly ran out of the room. Only a few remained even after just a few seconds. 

  "Go on! Everyone out! Except Romanov."

Selina looked up at her teacher worriedly, glancing back at her friends. Amana gave her a nervous look before leaving the room with Pansy and Blaise, not wanting to be in the madman's presence any longer than necessary. Selina slowly put her leather book bag over her shoulder, approaching Moody's desk with apprehension. 

  "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked.

  "Yes, take a seat if you want," he muttered, still distracted by the objects on his desk. "Don't worry. You're not in trouble," he said passively, coming around to the other side. 

  "Then why did you want to see me?" Selina responded, figuring if she could abandon all pretenses of socially acceptable niceties with any teacher, it would be him. 

  "I've been made aware of your private lessons with Professor Snape," Moody informed her, leaning against his desk.

  "Yes, Professor Snape teaches me advanced spells," Selina nodded.

  "Interesting," Moody stated, "That it's Snape who teaches you, and not Flitwick, who, as I understand it, is the Charms professor. Why is that, Miss Romanov?"

  Selina just shrugged, not providing a complete response. "He's my Head of House. He saw my work, and he took an interest."

  "And does Professor Snape... teach you anything particularly off-curricular?" he asked with curiosity. 

Selina did her best not to actually answer the question.

  "Professor Snape teaches me things he believes I might find useful. I'm sorry, but is there anything you need from me?" she asked him.

  Moody studied her carefully, the same way he would a suspect as an Auror, narrowing his eye at her. "Everyone knows you're a talented witch, Romanov. They all want to see your abilities up close, to their full extent," he told her. "Hell. I'm sure Karkaroff's going to try to poach you for Durmstrang if he hasn't already."

  Selina was astounded by his perceptiveness. "You're right about that."

  "I'm guessing you didn't take him up on that?"

  "No," she shook her head. "He said Dumbledore can't know. I wanted no part in that."

  "Smart," Moody nodded his approval. "Karkaroff's a fairly strong wizard, but he's also an idiot. Don't get mixed up in that. You're better off learning from someone who knows what they're doing."

  "Professor Snape knows what he's doing," Selina pointed out coldly, trying to find a way out of the conversation. 

  "Yeah, but does Professor Snape let you reach your full potential? Huh?" Moody demanded, staring her down.

Selina didn't know how to interpret his unorthodox methods in that moment. 

  "What are you playing at?" she asked him.

  Moody just looked down at her, tempting her as best as he could. "Does Professor Snape recognize the full extent of your abilities? Does he really play to your strengths?"

  "I'm not sure I follow," Selina crossed her arms.

  "I'll put it this way," he provided frankly. "You can learn from Snape, and learn the love-and-light approach to things, and achieve mediocrity. Or you can learn from someone who's seen it all. Someone who knows what'll save you out in the real world."

  "I said no to Karkaroff," Selina reminded him, "What makes you think I wouldn't say the same to you?"

  "Because. You know that I used to see true evil every day of my life. You know... that I'm just like you," Moody whispered, the craziest look in his eyes, even apart from his glass eye moving constantly. "Unlike the rest of them, I understand that sometimes, to fight evil, you have to use the same methods."

Selina went silent for a moment, considering her options. Mad-Eye Moody stared at her eagerly, with the tenacity of an entire pack of hungry dogs. 

  "Let's say I was interested," she said carefully, unfazed by his insanity, "What would our first lesson be?"

*****

Selina didn't return to the Slytherin common room until later in the afternoon, closer to dinner time. Jasper was waiting for her, completing his studies in her empty dorm room while Amana was off with Pansy and the others. His face lit up as soon as she entered the room, not unlike a dog waiting for its master. 

  "Selina. There you are," Jasper said, closing his textbook as he got up off her bed, "Where've you been?"

  "Er, I had a lesson with Snape," she lied, as Moody had instructed her to.

  "Really? I thought he scheduled it for tomorrow," her boyfriend remarked curiously.

  "Yeah, he did. He just wanted me to have extra instruction time."

  "Oh. That's oddly considerate of him," he thought. "Well," he shook his head, taking his mind off Snape.

Selina threw off her robe, trying to get comfortable in the clothes that she had on underneath. 

  "Want to go to the Great Hall with Amana?"

  "No, I think I'll rest up before dinner," she decided. "I'm exhausted."

  "Okay. We'll stay in," Jasper Carroll concluded, smiling as he sat beside her on the bed. 

  "Jasper?" Selina spoke up, looking at him with guilt.

  "What is it?" he asked her.

  "I, er... I'm sorry," she said finally, "For everything."

He took a moment to process what she'd said, not  necessarily understanding the reasoning behind it.

  "Why?" 

That was all he had to say.

  "Because... I'm an arsehole," Selina pointed out, feeling as if it were obvious. "I'm not a good person. I don't deserve you."

  "Selina," Jasper murmured, cupping her face with his hand, "I don't believe that's true. At all."

Selina knew that what he said should've comforted her, but somehow it didn't. She was beyond that. Hearing him say that, she didn't immediately feel relieved. Instead, she felt strangely a bit disappointed, subconsciously realizing that her boyfriend wasn't as smart as she believed him to be. 

  "I love you, Selina. I really do," he told her. "You never have to apologize to me, for anything. I love you, for who you are, and I'd do anything for you."

Not knowing what else to say to him, Selina reached up to kiss him, her hands tangling into his hair. She realized she loved him, far too much to allow her own flaws to get in the way. It wasn't long before the two of them ultimately decided their friends could survive without them for the afternoon, and a tie was placed carefully on the doorknob outside. 

*****

  "Hey," Selina said softly, choosing not to head downstairs immediately after dinner. 

Harry looked up at her as he sat on a bench in the hall. He gave her a meek smile and allowed her to sit down next to him.

  "How are you doing?" she asked. 

  "Better, I guess," he thought after a moment. "Ron finally came around."

  "Oh, yeah... Well, that's good then," she said optimistically.

  Harry nodded. "Yeah. Things are normal with my friends again."

  "Then what are you doing down here?" she wondered. 

  Harry just shrugged. "I don't know. Just wanted a moment to myself."

  "Fair enough," she nodded. "I suppose I kind of had the same idea."

  "How are you doing?" Harry asked her. "I feel like we haven't talked in a while."

  "Yeah."

  "How are things with Jasper?" he inquired. "Any better?"

  "Yeah. Yeah, things are better," Selina told him. "It feels like... Like it used to. Or, almost, anyway."

  "I get what you mean," he offered sympathetically, looking down at his lap.

  "Anything on your mind in particular?" she asked.

  "The second task, I suppose."

  "Yeah... That definitely makes sense," Selina thought. "I think you'll do good, though. You're good with challenges," she remarked.

  "Yeah, well, maybe I'm not so sure this time around," Harry expressed worriedly. "I'm afraid this isn't like anything I've ever faced before."

  "Well, you'd be stupid if you weren't," she pointed out. "At least you're smart enough to work out your disadvantages before you go up against everyone else. I think as long as you don't overcomplicate things, you'll do great."

  "Thanks, Selina," he said genuinely. 

  "Of course," she nodded.

  "Hey... I never did get to thank you for what you said in the Prophet," he remembered suddenly.

  "In the Prophet?" she questioned.

She couldn't think of what he was referring to.

  "What you said to Rita Skeeter," he elaborated, reminding her of the interviews that had taken place the day after the Triwizard Champions were announced. 

  "Oh," Selina realized quickly, recalling the interview she'd given that morning, "Yeah."

Despite how problematic Rita Skeeter's interpretation of Selina's interview was, Harry had been able to read in between the lines. 

'Selina Romanov, daughter of Ilya Romanov, infamous for the murder of his wife Adeline, is a close friend of suspect entrant Harry Potter's. When asked about his upcoming participation in the Triwizard Tournament, the notoriously beautiful part-Veela responded, "I think Harry will do well. Now—" Let my record of the conversation reflect that the language that followed cannot, regrettably, be printed. 

Miss Romanov's crass remarks beg the question, is there something between our royalty descendant and Harry Potter?'

  "Thank you for telling Rita Skeeter to fuck off for me," Harry said appreciatively.

  Selina nodded. "What are friends for?"

  "I'm sorry she insinuated that there's something going on between you and me," he apologized.

  "It's what she does," Selina shrugged dismissively, never having been too concerned about it at all.

  "Yeah, it definitely is," he nodded in agreement. "Jasper didn't mind, though?"

  "Oh, no," she assured him, "He definitely doesn't take anything that woman says seriously."

  "Who would?" Harry remarked, as the two of them sat together. 

Selina saw as he looked up, seeing Fred and George Weasley approaching.

  "Hiya, Harry,"  Fred said teasingly, "Why so mopey?"

He and George both ruffled Harry's hair and sat on either side of him, as Fred and Selina made awkward eye contact for a moment. 

  "You're a Champion!" George reminded him. "You should be jumping for joy! You could piss on the walls, and everyone would cheer you on."

  "Well, I'm not particularly in the mood to be pissing on the walls," Harry Potter considered.

  "But you should be!" George encouraged him. "Come on. Cheer up, mate!"

Fred stood and turned to Selina, who was somewhat surprised he had anything to say to her. 

  "You want to go to the library?" Fred asked her.

  She frowned. "That's the first time I've ever heard you say that."

  "It's private," he shrugged, offering her an escape. "Plus, Madam Pince is too busy closing up shop to pay anyone any mind."

  "Alright," Selina agreed, accompanying him. "Let's go."

He nodded with a soft smile, nodding to his twin as the two of them separated from the group. They were both awkwardly silent for a moment, before Fred decided to interrupt.

  "I hope you didn't think I was judging you, before," Fred said politely. "I know, of all people, I have no right to judge."

  "It's alright," she said quietly, in an attempt to retire the subject. 

The two soon found a private corner in the library, as far away from Madam Pince, and anyone else as they could get.

  "You know I don't care about the thing from the other day anymore, right?" Selina asked cautiously. "You and I, we're fine."

  "No, this isn't about that," Fred promised her, "What, we can't just talk?"

  "I never said that," she told him. "If this isn't about yesterday, then... Why'd you ask me here?"

  "Isn't it obvious?" Fred grinned, the conversation taking a happier turn. "I've got gossip for you. We're friends, after all."

Selina smiled as the two of them shared a simple, pleasant moment, as she sat beside him, listening to his story about Angelina Johnson. 

  "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, eager to feel like just a teenage girl again. "She definitely fancies you!"

  "I know. I just... Don't know what I'd do if I fucked it all up," he admitted.

  "I'm afraid there's no real way to avoid all that," she said truthfully. "Fucking up is unavoidable. However, fucking up and being the arsehole is completely avoidable. Speaking from experience, of course," she provided.

  Fred grimaced guiltily. "I'm sorry. That's not what I meant to say..."

  "No, I know. But it's true," Selina sighed. "I fucked up in an insane, avoidable sort of way. And I know you wouldn't do the same," she provided kindly.

  "You're not a bad person, Selina," Fred promised her. "You... You're just a good person, who gets mixed up with bad people."

She smiled, genuinely appreciating the way that he cared. 

*****

  "Did Igor Karkaroff offer to give you private lessons?!"

  Selina frowned. "What happened to 'hi'? 'Hello'? 'How are you'?"

  "This isn't a laughing matter, Romanov, now answer my question," Professor Snape commanded impatiently.

  "How does everyone keep finding out about that?!" Selina cried. "Yes, he did. But I said no."

  "Good," Snape nodded as the two of them stood in the middle of the hall. "Do not trust that man."

  "Why?" Selina questioned inquisitively. "Because he was a Death Eater?"

  Severus Snape scowled at her sarcasm. "Because he's untrustworthy," he replied simply.

  "Great. Very informative, thank you. Can I go now?" 

  "Yes, go," he waved her off, cloak billowing behind him as he rushed off. 

She just shook her head, ignoring the interaction completely as she continued about her day. The school was crawling with people, no matter what school they were from. From what she saw of Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum, she assumed that a Hogwarts student would eventually be named Triwizard Champion. 

She figured although Harry had a decent chance of winning, Cedric still could easily win. Selina Romanov didn't actually know Cedric Diggory very well. She had played against him and the rest of the Hufflepuff team on the Quidditch pitch multiple times, and knew that he was dating Cho Chang, but other than that, they'd had no actual contact.

After it had been announced that Hogwarts would have two Champions in the Tournament this year, Draco Malfoy, like many Hogwarts students, favored Cedric Diggory purely because he wasn't Harry Potter. But even from what little Selina knew about Cedric Diggory, she knew that this wasn't the type of attention Cedric had intended to garner as a Triwizard Champion.

Cedric was a Hufflepuff, and a seemingly decent sort of person. Everyone knew him to be kind, responsible, and humble. Cedric didn't boast, and he certainly didn't look down on others the way Draco and some of the others did. He was a genuinely kind person who treated everyone as equals, on and off the pitch. Selina had observed that he had a very sportsmanlike attitude, even in situations that had nothing to do with sports at all.

She figured it was the reason he was so popular. He was handsome, and talented, and whatever else, but he was also just likable. Selina had been mostly indifferent to Cedric, until the day she saw him coming to Neville Longbottom's aid.

  "Come on, Malfoy, please!" Neville complained, trying to grab his book bag as Draco, Theo, and Goyle played catch with it. "I need to get to class—"

  "Guess you'd better get running then, eh?" Draco grinned.

Selina rolled her eyes as the boys continued playing with the bag, taunting him as they threw it over his head. 

  "Draco, don't be a prat," Selina remarked in a bored tone.

  "Come on, Sel, you're such a bore nowadays!" he groaned. "You used to love torturing Longbottom."

  "Twat," she said under her breath.

  "Slag," Draco joked, coming across as even less funny than he'd intended. 

He caught the bag from Goyle, and threw it back to Theo. Before Selina could say anything, a voice interrupted from behind her. 

  "Hey. Give it back to him," Cedric Diggory intervened. 

Draco's amusement slowly faded as he saw it was Cedric who was stopping him. Stone-faced and trying to avoid conflict with one of the most popular boys at Hogwarts, he begrudgingly threw the book bag back at Neville, who was startled by the sudden movement. Looking back and forth between Draco and Cedric, Neville took it and ran. Draco took another look at Cedric before taking off. 

Cedric just shook his head, noticing Selina.

  "Romanov. Are you alright?" he asked, seeming livid on her behalf. 

  "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks, Diggory," Selina said politely. "It's okay."

  "Are you sure?!" he questioned. "That was awful, what he said to you."

  "It's fine," she assured him, hardly surprised, "Really, it's just Draco."

  "I don't care who he is. You just don't talk to people like that," Cedric pointed out.

Selina thought it was almost endearing how simplistic his view of the world was. 

  "It's okay, Cedric. Really. That's just how we are," she promised him.

  Cedric nodded, respecting her wishes, but still adamant about his views. "Still. No one should talk to a girl like that," he insisted.

  "No," Selina agreed softly, considering what he had to say. "They shouldn't."

[felassan]

Article: 'All Cut Content in Dragon Age: Inquisition Explained'

Dragon Age: Inquisition was an exciting chapter in the saga of the series, but not all the planned content made it into the finished game.

[source]

[meowsgirldrawing]

Chance Encounters

Dragon age: Inquisition- Cullen x Bellatrix (Female Lavellan)

Cullen has some doubts, some that Bellatrix feels the need to get rid of.

Warning- Slight suggestive content but not really, violence (Battle), mention of stupid elf slavers 

AO3 Link

Word Count- 3,249

“I think we met before..” Cullen mumbles, rubbing his thumb over her arm. With her sitting/laying sideways on his lap, in his chair, it’s easily the comfiest way to show affection without moving too much(at least in their opinions.)

 “What, the hell you talkin’ about, Blondie?” Despite her words, no discourtesy is detected, only confusion. Even with her tight grip on his rarely worn tunic, he knows it’s simply Bellatrix’s way to stay closer. 

 “I mean…” He pauses, pressing his lips against her short hair. “I..swear I remember meeting you before. Before all of this, before the Inquisition, the Breach.” 

Bellatrix sighs, “Blondie, I adore you, but if this is another sentimental line of yours..”

 He chuckles, giving her a gentle squeeze, “I hope I don’t sound that emotional.”

She shrugs and leans against him more, nudging at his neck, “No comment.” She smiles at his laugh, kissing his cheek. 

He returns the topic, “I assure you though, I remember speaking with an elven white-haired girl at Kirkwall,”

 “There are many elves with white hair, dear. Take Hawke’s lover for example if you're that desperate.” 

 “I remember her having  purple eyes  that startled me some.”

 That causes a better reaction. Bellatrix jerks up with eyes wide as plates, a grin as her hands grab his shoulders, “I startled you?!” her wild laugh gets cut short when he smirks, “So, you remember?” 

He earns a pout, a roll of eyes, her letting go and turning away from him slightly. His grin seems to double, patting her arm with his palm. “You definitely do.”

 “Shove it.” 

 Ignoring her reply, he tugs her closer. “Come, Love. I’m only returning your jokes.”

Cullen’s chuckles continue more as the elf keeps her vague sights on the latter that leads up to his private quarters. Her teeth are threatening to grit while her cheeks burn red.  She’s really rubbing off on him, ain’t she? She almost growls. A bit back smile it’s only obstacle from turning full.

 Creators yes, she remembers. It was all a simple encounter. A random one. Maybe normal. Something that happens to all- well… She smirks….maybe not  all …

  Cullen strides past alleyways of Hightown, hand tight on his hilt with eyes similar to a Hawke’s. His armor glints against the moonlight, proof of the un-eventful day he’s had. He’s already decided by now that he’ll just wrap up this last patrol before heading back to the barracks. 

     A huff as he adjusted his poster. Just as he’s turning the corner, the street holding Blooming Rose and several manors in view, a yell from the alleyway he just passed up erupts along with the clattering of crates and other various objects.

  “-UCK! GET THE HELL-ARG-” His body jerks, swiftly turning to the alleyway and pulling his sword out. Without thinking, his instincts drive him to enter. The sight..surprises him.

  A person, who by their attire tells him it’s a slaver, is thrown on the ground, a knife doused into their side as the other one swings at their opponent. Their opponent, being an elven woman with white, undercut hair, shines a wicked grin as her hand summons an enchanter blade from her knuckles. She doesn't hesitate to slash at the Slaver’s neck, growling curses. Blood splatters against the walls and her unarmored outfit but she doesn’t seem to care. 

Cullen stands frozen, watching as the woman grabs the remaining enemy and pulls him up before smashing him harshly against the wall. Finally, he finds his voice.

  “You there!”

  The Slaver looks too dazed from the blow to notice, but the elf does. Her purple eyes still him longer. A searing glare joins an exhausted smirk.

  “What? The hell you want?”

  He unconsciously readies his sword,    just  in case..he thinks. “What is going on here?”

She rolls her eyes, “What do ya think? These bastards thought they could get a nice little elf to add to their collection of ‘em.” She sends a glance to the pinned man, “..Guessed they didn’t expect some claws?” She shrugs. Cullen’s eyes stay on her as he moves closer.

  Nor does hers. The smirk turned into a grimace. Her body stays tense, ready to strike out at any sudden move. “I’ll ask again..what do you want, Tempe?”

  Before he can move, or say anything else, the Slaver calls out, “HERE! THE KNIFE-EAR IS H-” His words cut as the elf slashes with her returned blade, “Goddamn it…” Her mutter is followed by elven words. Curses, he assumes, judging by the glare.

Cullen straightens when she spins towards him while dropping the Slaver to the ground, “Leave or fucking fight. I don’t care, just don’t get in my damn way.” With that, she turns and launches a fireball at one of the coming reinforcements.

  Screw it, with nothing to do, and quite frankly for being bored, he joins in, starting to cut down enemies. 

It was an easy fight. Fairly similar to the normal ones of patrol really. The Slavers must’ve been new recruits or just weren't expecting a templar to help the mage. 

Soon, the last Slaver falls. The two take a moment to catch their breaths. The elf leans against the wall, holding her side. “Mother..” She growls as she returns the kick from the prior alive man on the ground, “Fucking-shit!” 

  “Hey..” The Templar glares as she turns to him, reciprocating the look. “They’re dead. No need for that.” He pants heavily, back against the other wall and keeping her in view. Yes, the fight was easy, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t take a good ounce of energy from him.

  She rolls her eyes, “Let me guess: Some fucking honor? Respect the dead?” With an obnoxious wave of the hand, she gestures towards the body, “You should’ve heard the crap spilling out of his mouth before you interfered. Talking about how   great    of an elf helper I’d be. “   Just needs to be tamed  ” How’s that respect for ya?“ She quotes, then gives the body a middle finger. …..She certainly has a thing for courtesy.

  “Tamed my ass.” 

  “What happened, anyway?”

  “What do you think? Asshole and his goons tried to screw me over, they came, and I kicked their asses.” She pauses, tilting her head in ponder. Her skeptical gaze gives him a once over,, “I suppose I should say we, though.”

Cullen shakes his head, hilting his sword away. He glances over the corpses, grimacing at the paperwork he’s soon to handle. He guesses he forgot that bodies come with it, not just their soon-to-be rotting stench.

  In the midst of his recuperation, he never realized the elf was still staring at him. “..Why did you interfere?”

  He jerks up, looking back at her. He hides his fumbling hand by grasping his hilt, only to take it off when she tenses with a harsher glare.   Right, He’s already exhausted and doesn't need an angry mage to turn her rage onto him  . The excuse he inwardly explains as he instead stands straight with hand taut at his side. “I….” 

A moment of silence. The two standstill. Eyes straying on one another. The brother of goosebumps chills on his neck the more the purple eyes linger on him. By now, he’s sure she can tell what he’s feeling just by looks alone- despite all his efforts for otherwise.

He clears his throat finally, finding his voice. “ I was on patrol. I overheard some yelling and believed it was in my right to investigate.”

  She crosses her arms, “Ok..Then why stay?”

  He can’t even try to hide the raised brow, “What?”

  “You could’ve just turned a blind eye and left, there was no need to join the fight. You realized that, yeah?”

  He finds himself in a pause, thinking over her words and events. No matter how much he wants to say the opposite, the mage is right, he could’ve just left. Let her try and fight her way out. She seemed more than capable; even without proper armor like the Champion and others wear daily, she’s clearly one to not back down from simple Slavers. “..I suppose…I’m not sure.”

“Well, whatever it was, there’s no need. I’m fine. My goods are fine, “She signals towards the boxes beside her before smirking at him, “The wee elf can handle herself, sweetheart.”

  “Unless…” She pauses, staring at his chest plate. He doesn’t have to look down to understand.

  He shakes his head- a recurring motion tonight, “I’m….”   Not going to kill you? Not going to capture you and force you to the circles? 

  “I was only doing patrols. No need for any more violence tonight.” He nods, mostly to himself. 

  “Good.” She nods back and grins a feral one. As he is set on edge once more, a strained frown while she simply walks over to a crate and pops open the lid with minimal effort. After reaching in and searching around, she finds one of the saveable wine bottles then holds it out to him. Cullen studies it in exasperation.

“You’re just giving that to me? After all that?”

  She shrugs, waving it lightly in place, “Why the fuck not. Consider it a peace offer. A payment for not sending me to your human circles, something to go get drunk with, a token for my ‘elfy’ appreciation- whatever you please, Tempe.”

Without waiting for his response, she tosses it at him, forcing his decision. Grasping it in his free hand, he watches with a frown as she grabs ahold of one of the crates. She kicks a body out of the way- he doesn’t even try to speak up, he knows she won’t listen either way- and packs it back into the now noticeable cart. 

  Even after, he stands there, unsure what to do as she continues cleaning up. She raises a brow at him when she takes over, “..Thanks for guarding?”

With an awkward nod, he turns, walking out of the ally. He hears a small grunt and looks back. She has everything back in her cart, dusting off her hands and blood on her pants, wincing at her side. 

  “What’s your name?” The question startles both of them. Her watchful gaze falls on him and he narrows his eyes at her curling smirk.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know…”

“Yeah yeah, anyway-” Present Bellatrix waves her hand, “Since you’re clearly not going to let this off. What about it?”

 Cullen goes quiet. His hand slowly and gently runs along her tall boots, which were thrown over the side of his chair, bouncing lightly. Moving over her knees and to her side, his thumb pressing against her white, buttoned up tunic. Like him with his armor and hilted sword, she rarely parts with her corset. It being a core aspect to her usual outfit with her dark purple, leather tailcoat. This time they have gotten comfortable enough to both change into different attire, something to relax in on their matched off day. 

The thought, which usually gives a flutter to his chest of her trust in him, only adds to his sudden solen tone. She seems to have already taken notice.

 “Blondie?” Her palm at his shoulder, “Hey, what’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Bellatrix forces a giggle, but it comes out hollow. Too nervous at his silence.

 “Cullen, Hun?” 

“...I could’ve hated you.”

 She blinks. She sits up as her brow furrows, “You’re talking about your time at Kirkwall, yeah?”

 He looks up at her. Eyes filled to the brim with guilt. Oh, she can’t even ignore the tightening of her gut . A look that screams at her instincts to soothe the down feelings from him. She listens without a second to waste.

Her legs sit against his outer thighs, straddling his lap as her pale fingers gently run through his hair. It makes Cullen instinctively lean his head back a slight, not that he minds. 

 “Cullen.” His eyes match hers, boring in, “Yes, you could have. Hell, I probably hated you at that time as well just for being a Templar. We had different lives, completely different viewpoints back then.”

 She continues, “Especially,” she lifts her hands and slips off her gloves, his gaze stays on her. “Since I had my sister and I to watch out for.”

“And I could’ve fought you instead. I could-”

 “I would have killed ya, honestly. Or at the very least, wounded ya.” She smirks at his chuckle. It’s still solen, but at least it’s something. Her smile grows at his response.

 “True. You’re very violent at times.”

 “Hey,  talk shit, get hit.  You know how it goes.”

 He rolls his eyes, despite his own smile. “Say that when I have to bandage you up for trying to spar with Cassandra and Bull at the same time..again.”

She shrugs. Then she returns back to the topic. , “Remember what I said at the Winter Palace though?” 

Cullen does. Of course he does. It was the moment he realized how much he truly loved her, wanted to stay with her, the moment he stopped caring about appearances or faces when around her. 

   “I don’t think this is a great idea…”

  A groan in reply is followed by, “Blondie, don’t, just don’t.”

  “But-” He erases the nerves in his throat, glancing around them as if waiting for the lingering looks to attack him at any second. His eyes land back on a glaring Bellatrix. “You’re the Inquisitor and I, the Commander. Honestly, we should just return to the balcony, it’s better for-”

“The Inquisition? The so-called precious image of the Lady Cirdan Inquisitor? Please, I’ve heard much worse when I was just a low ranged mercenary. Besides,” She crosses her arms, before noticing a lady noble glancing at her and putting them behind her back with a silent growl. Cullen chuckles at her reaction, not stopping at her directed glare towards him. “If Josie thought our relationship would damage our images then she would’ve made it known and told us to stay apart during this. At least in public.”

  “Yes, but-”

  “But nothing, Blondie.” She turns to him, “If it’s a human and elf, a mage and a templar, a mercenary-”

  “They don’t know you were one,” He mutters, earning a smirk. 

  “..and a Former Knight-Captain- it doesn’t matter. I don’t give a damn about what people add to any of those. I don’t give a damn if they go and say impossible rumors or any other made up scandal. I’m just a woman who wants to dance with her handsome boyfriend.”

A short smirk lifts on his lips as he crosses his arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees some nobles watching them, some he recognizes as the ones corning him at his previous post. Before, when Empress Celene was still in danger, it was an annoyance, but now…

  He manages to keep his smirk from growing at Bellatrix’s increasingly harsh glare at the pillar near his shoulder. No doubt she sees them too. 

“...You want to establish that I’m   your  lover.”

  She doesn’t miss a beat. “Figured you want that too since I keep seeing some guy staring at my ass the past hour I’ve been over here.”

“What.” His arms unfold, narrowed gaze flicking around the ballroom. It turns back to the elf who just grins at him, “Seeee?”

  “So there was no one?”

  “Oh no, there was. Dorian and I acted as if we were planning something while sending him the strangest of looks. You could practically see the color of his cheeks turn as pale as his obnoxiously made suit.” 

  His deadpan face gives Bellatrix a fit of laughter. Ignoring the looks from around them, he shakes his head, a barely hidden smile on his lips. A reluctant sigh soon comes from him as she calms down. Giggles still manage to escape nevertheless.

  “Alright, but if you have any second th-” .A groan. 

  Without a moment too soon, the snow-elf grabs ahold of his front collar, pulling him close enough to smash her lips onto his. Wide eyes before lowering into a close, pulling her closer. An arm wraps around his neck, teasing at the soothed back hair. His gloved hands rest on her hips and grip tightly as her other hand cups his cheek. She smirks against him, chuckling at the shocked gasps and murmurs. 

  “Second thoughts who?” Her head tilts after she pulls away, grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary. Cullen can just barely hear Dorian’s wolf-whistle and Sera’s high-pitched laughter from the sidelines. Blood pulses through his ears, his cheeks burn red but he doesn’t care at this point. The woman in front of him is all he cares about. Her bright, purple eyes staring up at him, half lidded but full of adortion. A lazy smirk graced across her lips, quirking at the reactions of the people around them. Josephine is going to flip her lid on them. 

  Just like her, however, he can care less. He quickly takes her hand, pulling her towards the stairs that lead down to the dancefloor. Her heels click and ring like her laugh, making his smile finally appear outwardly. They pass by The Iron Bull and Estel; the qunari laughing before bending down a slight to whisper in his lover’s ear, who gapes then turns to wack his chest. Bellatrix, as if hearing whatever comment he made, hugs Cullen’s arm closer before turning her head and winking at Bull. The couple can hear another laugh trail behind them.

Cullen puts his hand on hers and leads her down the steps. Once at the bottom, footsteps away from the dancefloor, he looks at her only to find her already watching him. “Second thoughts, Blondie?” She asks, almost smug.

  He actually returns her grin. With a pull at her hand, his lips land a kiss on her gloved knuckles. “Not a single one, love.”

  “Good. Now let’s get on with it!.” She chuckles. He doesn’t waste a single second in tugging her into the dancing groups.

 Cullen’s smile softens. He tugs her hand to his lips, exactly like he did that night. Her hand then moves to cup his chin and gently direct it towards her. 

 “You know what I mean then, yes?” She tilts her head.

 His free hand shifts to her hip, rubbing his thumb against the fabric. She continues, “ I don’t care about our differences, nor our pasts. I only care about us in the now.” 

Her hand moves the side of his face which he nudges against, unconsciously tugging her closer as his brown-filled eyes regard her form. Bellatrix suddenly smirks, causing him to furrow his brow, “So…”

 “So?”

 She leans closer, purple eyes half-lidded and zoned completely on him as she starts to slowly ruffle his hair. Her fingers run through, pressing against and pushing up the curls. It’s always her favorite thing to do for some odd reason. A cat fascinated by her favorite toy is the picture-perfect image that ponders his mind. 

Cullen delved too far into the feeling of her soothing hands that he just barely catches her next words, “-You with me, Blondie?”

 “Hm?” 

 She giggles, kissing his forehead, “I said, from now on, are you with me?”

 He smiles, “Till as long as you’ll have me.”

“Good. Cause I plan to keep you for a very, long, time.” Bellatrix smirks, and leans down to give a well wanted needed  kiss on his lips.