#gelya tabris

[firjii]

@fadewalking had an interesting idea and now I’m stealing it as suggested. There’s a neat font site with a lot of options for “handwritten” fonts (here) so I picked two of each for my DA children.

Gelya Tabris:

Marian Hawke:

Mervyn Lavellan:

Bae Lavellan:

Radi Lavellan:

Fonts are fun, so y’all join in if you want.  :)))

[firjii]

OC words of wisdom

I saw this idea floating around some other blogs, but somehow my turtle brain can’t actually find any of them now. D:  Sooooo without further ado, here are my kids’ takes. (I’ll limit myself to DA chars for now because my Shep is on hold indefinitely and my Ryder is kinda boring xD)

Gelya Tabris "It's hard to look at something happy and expect happiness just from reaching whatever that is. Happiness is a lot of things. If everything always overwhelms you, having a fine house or a fetching partner won't help very much for very long. Sometimes it starts with knowing how to safely stand back up when you get knocked down, or resting when you know you're too tired to do something right. Sometimes it's about knowing how much you can take before you break, and not cowering until you've hit that point. Sometimes it's about making someone else happy first. Sometimes, all of that is happiness."  

Marian Hawke "There are people who are insufferable idiots simply because they don't know how to think another way and there are people who are insufferable idiots because they're always looking for a fight. Learn the difference. Learn how to take the middle ground until you're sure which type they are. Don't waste too much energy on the fools or you won't have enough left to fight the real villains."

Mervyn Lavellan "Life is a lot like chess. It's not always smart to waste your best moves at the outset, and there's often more than one way to win. It's pointless to make an enemy of someone before you've even heard them speak. It's wasteful to spend a clever move on a dull-witted opponent and it's naive to assume that you can outmatch all of them. If you do that often enough, you'll be too flustered and exhausted to remember to make the move you intended to because you'll just be worried about being right all the time, not maneuvering for a favorable outcome."

Bae Lavellan "Demons don't all have the same face. Some people who pretend to be kind are cruel - they hide behind reputation or wealth or trust because they're the same race as someone else. Some people who are cruel don't know they're doing it, or they're only trying to look that way to protect themselves, or they only became that way because they were wronged. Sometimes the evil in the world isn't also clever, and sometimes the good in the world doesn't come from strength. Anyone can betray. Anyone can save a life. Most people do both at some point."

Radi Lavellan "If you really believe in protecting people, you'll do it no matter who they are. You won't think about whether they're worthy and you won't care if they believe in the same things as you. If they're in danger, you'll leap for the other side without caring what it might look like the next day because the point is to help someone. Grudges are usually for people who have never stared death in the eyes. Sometimes, heroes are just people who jumped to action sooner than others."

[firjii]

OC Aesthetic Meme

Tagged by @urdnott <3 <3 <3

Let us commence the development of sadly neglected OC’s...

Gelya Tabris who is trapped in the PS3, sorry for the crap pic

[ COLORS ] red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green.

[ ELEMENTS ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops. magic.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. piercing. tattoos. lithe.

[ WEAPONS ] fists. sword. dagger. spear. arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. pyre. teeth.  rifles.

[ MATERIALS ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.

[ NATURE ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. lavender. petals.thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds. mountains. poppies.

[ ANIMALS ] lions. wolves. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes.turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. crickets. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks.horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. praying mantises. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dragons. rats. livestock. foxes.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ] sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. french fries. ambrosia.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theatre. libraries. books. comic books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. violin.guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. bells. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. climbing. running. exploring.

[ STYLE ] lingerie. armour. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. sweater. boots.heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. gorget. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. duster. trenchcoat. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. visor. eye contacts. makeup. ties. uniform.

[firjii]

For the oc's past ask meme: what was your Tabris life in the Alienage like when she was little and how did it change overtime? Did Adaia's death impact their relationship with the community? (I also hope you get to enjoy DAO, friend! It's a really good game)

[ah thanks!

Gelya is a frail mess. Truly.

It’s so popular to make every Tabris out to be a fierce, cunning, independent, sharp-tongued-but-sharper-with-weapons type (and granted, mine is a rogue), but not Gelya.

She’s had crippling panic attacks for as long as she can remember. She was prone to intense nightmares as a toddler and she was a bedwetter until she was 9. She’s frequently been dangerously underweight because she’s one of those types who won’t eat when she’s nervous - and she’s nervous most of the time. She’s not remotely snarky or outspoken. She’s afraid of saying “no” in most contexts. She’s not a fabulous strategist, she doesn’t have the best reflexes, and she doesn’t consider herself particularly smart (note: *her perception - she does have talents but they weren’t always appreciated or noticed in the Alienage). She just wants to be left. the hell. alone.

The community always took a very polarizing view of her. Half of them deeply sympathized and tried to make things easier in any way they could. Some would give her treats if they could spare them and others gave her opportunities to help them in low-stress environments (need someone to hold your yarn skein? Roll dough for supper? Brush the dogs? Yup, you want Gelya).

But the other half of the community was always mouthing off at her about standing up for herself and taking some personal pride (this always had the opposite effect, of course). They didn’t have an inch of understanding about anxiety problems, maybe just because it was so common in the Alienage that they didn’t think she was anything special and just needed to learn to deal with it. Some of them thought that she was a bit “wrong in the head” and kept their children away from her for fear of either catching her malady - or, when she became a teenager, being a “useless distraction” and, shall we say, less than viable in the marriage department in genetic terms. [which we all know is 1000% nonsense, of course]

Tbh she didn’t really change much as she grew up. Her place in the community improved a little after Adaia’s death, although Gelya probably couldn’t see it. I think that the sympathizing half of the community was kind to her in part because they knew how much she relied on her mother and missed her (Gelya’s problems became fivefold worse after Adaia’s death). Gelya isn’t like her mother. That endlessly, profoundly frustrates her, partly for the very practical reason of survival but also because parental personal traits rubbing off on children is an easy way for friends and loved ones to remember them. Gelya feels that the only trait that *might* have rubbed off on her is her relentless desire to learn, which is often overshadowed or hindered by her anxiety.

She often worries about forgetting her mother because of their vastly different attitudes towards life. She wonders what she really learned from Adaia after all. (Plenty, but she can’t see that yet.) The awful thing is that the only - and I do mean the ONLY - way that she was ever going to heal and grow (both as a person and in terms of moving through grief for her mother) was precisely because of the events of DAO: a marriage day gone horrifically wrong in which the only choices were to fight back or completely fall apart. Ever since then, she’s only had two choices: fight what comes or completely fall apart.

[firjii]

A5, C1, F1, G4, J5, L3, N2, R4, U4, Y2, and Z4! Any OC you like, mix and match, up to you.

A fine list. I had to think about these overnight.

~For Bae Lavellan~

A5. what is their most impressive talent?

She actually excels at many things, but her most uniqueskill is that she can speak backwards. She’ll do it when she’s bored, she’ll doit when she’s upset, she’ll do it to unsettle someone she dislikes. She cansustain it for quite awhile if she’s feeling talkative. Leliana thought that itwas a secret code or cipher at first. When pressed, Bae didn’t have a goodanswer for why or how she’d learned to do it. It’s especially surprising whenyou consider that she’s not fluently multilingual – she was a hopeless studentwhen it came to elven, so she mostly gets by in Common.

J5. what brings them the most joy in the world?

Interesting question. Her skills aren’t necessarily what shetakes pleasure in – they’re just things that she happens to be good at. Sheenjoys problem solving and looking for things that other people miss (it’s anuncontrollable reflex anyway), so she enjoys climbing, especially if the goalis a quiet and private spot with a good view. When she was still living withher clan, it was one of the only ways that she could really clear her head. Shecan be a bit clumsy with other kinds of movement and doesn’t have big muscles,but she’s very flexible and climbing just…makes sense somehow. She could alwaysreach heights that others didn’t dare to go to or couldn’t see a way to get to,although she rarely did it for competition’s sake and not everyone realize howgood at it she was.

~For Gelya Tabris:~

G4. what parts of them do they like and dislike?

She always wanted more muscle. Life in the alienage meant alot of crime, and not just involving humans. There were few depths thatpickpockets and muggers wouldn’t stoop to. As befits a rogue, Gelya always hadfair reflexes, but no matter how much she tried to build muscle mass, she couldnever make real progress (partly because she was never exactly well-fed andpartly because she was born very prematurely and was never going to have alarge frame anyway). A man of even middling strength could have easilyoverpowered her, though luckily many elves pitied her instead and sometimesshunned her a little or even regarded her as mentally ill (which isn’tcompletely incorrect, though most of her psychological issues are directly dueto alienage life, not genetic predisposition).

She is, however, a very fast learner, and she knows it. Shecan improve greatly after making just one mistake, and once she’s learned howto do something, she never forgets it. She’s not especially skilled inanything, but it’s always been obvious – even to her – that her chances ofsurvival are ultimately better than many others’ because she understands how toadapt and adjust (even if it kills her a little inside sometimes). It’s a small comfort, but it’s enough to get her through the day.

~For Mervyn Lavellan~ [y’all haven’t seen him yet since he’strapped in the PS3, but he was my first Inquisitor and first DA build]

F1. what do they do for fun?

Though he didn’t grow up playing it, he ADORES chess and anyother games that even vaguely resemble it. He’s not always the absolute bestplayer, but his strategizing skills are a perfect foundation for learning it.He frequently hounds his advisors for a chance to hone his skills and learn newmoves. He can be quite cynical about non-elves sometimes, but he greatly admiresthe other races’ board games and sees the value in applying the skills neededfor them to real life and vice versa.

~For Radi Lavellan~

C1. how do they sit in a chair?

At a formal dinner table? Tidily and carefully. Her sitting posturein front of others is so polished that you’d think she’d grown up in Orlesianhigh society.

But in an armchair by a roaring hearth? All bets are off.She usually just ragdolls and passes out because she’s very prone to worrying andlong days and basically never gets enough sleep.

L3. are there any foods they hate?

Bread pudding, rosemary, and most pickled foods. She’s alsonot crazy about most liquor unless it’s cider, beer, or wine.

N2. what have they never done that they want to do?

While she’s socially confident and isn’t particularlyinhibited, she was never in a relationship pre-Inquisition. Growing up, she sawteenaged friends and family gradually marry off or at least get involved inmatchmaking, but she never even spent private time for a picnic with someone,never mind a kiss or something more. Cullen is her first everything.

It’s not that she didn’t want anyone prior to that (she’s not ace or aro), butshe saw enough families get separated by war, feuds, etc. that she couldn’tquite commit to the idea herself. She also always focused on protecting othersin the clan, so tbh she was honestly too busy keeping track of the clan’ssafety most of the time to really step back from worrying long enough to thinkabout it.

R4. have they broken any rules they now regret breaking?

I think she regrets that she doesn’t regret breaking rules. She’s usually done so for thegreater good and she only defies authority when its logic no longer serves agood purpose, but it’s happened often enough over the years that she waspainted as a cocky youngster early on. Some in the clan praised this and otherscalled her a traitor for it.

Now and then, she has a quiet moment of reflectionand wonders if things would have been better if she’d let others share some ofthe load. She’s not assertive by default and didn’t quite choose to be theguardian type – it sort of just happened in some moments when others didn’thave the same willpower. By the time she’d realized what she’d become, it wastoo late to change course…especially considering there was nothing actually wrongwith who she was.

U4. have they ever been doubted?

Considering she’s fairly atheist for an elf? You betcha.Plenty of people in her clan always resented her input/advice/opinions onimportant matters. Even the Keeper only let her be Second – Radi doesn’t try tostep on others’ toes and she doesn’t openly try to tell other people how tothink, but her lack of firm belief in the gods definitely meant that she waslooked down on, held back, and not always taken seriously.

Y2. what inspired you to create them?

It’s like this: my last DA OC was pretty nondescript on theoutside but basically scarred beyond recognition on the inside. I thought I’dtry the opposite with Radi: someone with a lot of literal scars but a bit lessof the “acute psychological trauma” side of things (not that there isn’t any,but it’s not the outright paralyzing sort like Bae has). She’s alsoneurotypical, so the scores of things that bother/confuse/upset Bae don’tnecessarily stand out to Radi.

I also have a bit of a hangup about making my OC’s look “tooperfect.” Granted, none of mine have horrible deformities and I’m thrilledevery time someone calls one of them cute, but mine don’t have fancy hair, alot of makeup, large eyes, flawless skin, etc. I’m not complaining becausethat’s 10000% deliberate. I spend much moretime making them look the way they do, not less.

While I definitely wouldn’t call Radi ugly, she does have some verydistinctive features which may or may not be attractive according tostereotypical beauty standards (a very angular jaw, noticeable cheek hollowsthat point to her scarily underweight tendencies rather than nice bonestructure, a cleft and sort of puffy chin, recessed eye sockets and puffy eyes that make her look a lot more squinty/suspicious than she actually is, etc.).

Furthermore, although she’s cis female, I wanted her to bean example of a woman who doesn’t necessarily get positively recognized for heroutward appearances since her features aren’t widely praised (or even widely acknowledged) for women. In fact, a fewpeople have already misgendered her. That actually makes me happy because it shows that Idid my job right.

And, of course, I loved the idea of having a character whohas very visible, very striking scars but actually isn’t that bothered by themcosmetically because they’re proof of just how tough someone can be – even ascrawny mage.

Z4. what’s their dream pet?

She’ll take every opportunity she gets to have a new pet, regardless of species, but she’s fascinated by turtles and tortoises. She’s goodaround most domesticated animals but appreciates the ones that have a quietsteadiness.

[firjii]

Yes I know, this is a screwy pic because I’m playing DAO on PS3 and had to take a shot of my TV screen, but here’s my Warden, rogue Gelya Tabris.

Despite her upbringing, she really isn’t that assertive (although she profoundly understands Sten for some reason and likes the idea of having such a huge bodyguard around). She’s terrified of her own shadow (and yes, she sold her friends out). Back in the alienage, she had constant and debilitating panic attacks, so everyone else always decided things for her. She hates conflict of any kind and is having trouble dealing with the fact that she’s now part of one of the most elite fighting forces in Thedas. She is very smol and doesn’t have a lot of confidence yet, even for the most basic self-defense. She took Duncan’s death so hard because he was the first person (human or otherwise) to truly step up and help her, even if that meant an equally dangerous new life.

She’s quite clumsy with her fighting and tends to be covered in more blood than her companions for some reason. I think she thinks that getting elbow-deep in someone’s guts will toughen her up sooner. Frankly, I’m worried about her.

[firjii]

Marian “I’d rather not snark at you but it looks my choice is between that and punching you” Hawke. (ehhh skintone isn’t quite right but y’all have never seen her anyway so it’s close enough)

Bae “everything is on fire and people probably know I’m dying inside but I can’t impose the truth on them by actually admitting it” Lavellan.

Radi “perpetual internal screaming especially if you don’t leave me the last cup of coffee” Lavellan. 

Gelya “the only cripplingly meek elf in the entire alienage” Tabris.

I’ll make Mervyn one of these days but it’s a little harder to find a dollmaker that decently makes 40something men.

Made in a Picrew thingy (https://picrew.me/image_maker/152665).

[firjii]

Five Senses OC Aesthetic Meme

@silvertonguedelf tagged me, thank you! I don’t think I’ve done this one for my Warden yet so here we go.....

Gelya Tabris

SIGHT

small towns. big cities. six thirty curfews. lights that take the place of stars. blanket nests. light through the blinds as a wake-up call. found family. finding a single star in the middle of new york city. window shopping. watching something terrible and enjoying it. growing numb to the sight of injustice. wilted flowers. faded caricatures. bright, bold colours.

HEARING

crickets and lightning bugs. car engines and a/c units. a phone call to mum/dad. laughing with friends. jokes that are so bad you have to laugh. the clicking of computer keys. noise canceling headphones. the sound of silence. muffled music from another room. drumming fingertips on a table. the clicking of pens. listening to a clock and swearing the ticks get slower. ringing in the ears. the voice of someone you love. pitch shifted songs

TOUCH

being held close during a long night. fleeting reassurances. holding hands when you’re scared. brushing fingers through strands of hair. freshly dried clothes. bruises on your knuckles. silk and satin. your favourite pet’s fur or feather. wringing your hands anxiously. snuggles. comforters in the dead of winter. nails against skin. cold metal. leather in summer.

TASTE

coffee in the morning. tea in the evening. bubblegum that lost its flavor. alcohol burning the back of your throat. homemade cooking, no matter what’s made. blood in your mouth. stale air. mint. fresh vegetables. that processed taste of citrus candy. the first meal you cook by yourself that tastes good. foreign sweets. fast food. bittersweet. sour. spicy. sweet. bitter. too much salt on fries.

SMELL

morning glories and honeysuckles. freshly cut grass. hot chocolate in the middle of winter. nail polish. acetone. hospital rooms. smoke. hair spray. your favourite shampoo /conditioner. the scent of home. perfume. cologne. mint. something burning. wet dogs. copper. metal. unemptied ashtrays. something familiar yet different. campfires.

[firjii]

How does your OC drive?

In a modern AU, what are your OC’s like as drivers?

@gugle1980 tagged me <3 <3 Let’s do the whole gang, but mine are a little boring.

Gelya Tabris - doesn’t drive but she’s always up for a ride, like the cat:

Marian Hawke

Mervyn Lavellan

Bae Lavellan

Radi Lavellan

Hmm I can’t remember who’s done this yet, but totally at random off the top of my head right now I’ll tag @solverne-02 @fuckyeahmagesrights @mermpy0315 @urdnott @oneshallop @veridium-bye

[firjii]

OC fears meme

@cadashh tagged me, thank youuu.  <3 <3

So I think usually italics mean “somewhat/kinda” and bold means “HELL YES” with these things, so anyway that’s how I’m doing it.

 Gelya Tabris    

the dark ⋆ fire ⋆ open water ⋆ deep water ⋆ being alone ⋆ crowded spaces ⋆ confined spaces ⋆ change ⋆ failure ⋆ war ⋆ loss of control ⋆ powerlessness ⋆ prison ⋆ blood ⋆ drowning ⋆ suffocation ⋆ public speaking ⋆ natural animals ⋆ the supernatural ⋆ heights ⋆ death ⋆ dying ⋆ intimacy ⋆ rejection ⋆ abandonment ⋆ loss ⋆ the unknown ⋆ the future ⋆ not being good enough ⋆ scary stories ⋆ speaking to new people ⋆ poverty ⋆ loud noises ⋆ being touched ⋆ forgetting ⋆ being forgotten

Bae Lavellan

the dark ⋆ fire ⋆ open water ⋆ deep water ⋆ being alone ⋆ crowded spaces ⋆ confined spaces ⋆ change ⋆ failure ⋆ war ⋆ loss of control ⋆ powerlessness ⋆ prison ⋆ blood ⋆ drowning ⋆ suffocation ⋆ public speaking ⋆ natural animals ⋆ the supernatural ⋆ heights ⋆ death ⋆ dying ⋆ intimacy ⋆ rejection ⋆ abandonment ⋆ loss ⋆ the unknown ⋆ the future ⋆ not being good enough ⋆ scary stories ⋆ speaking to new people ⋆ poverty ⋆ loud noises ⋆ being touched ⋆ forgetting ⋆ being forgotten

Radi Lavellan

the dark ⋆ fire ⋆ open water ⋆ deep water ⋆ being alone ⋆ crowded spaces ⋆ confined spaces ⋆ change ⋆ failure ⋆ war ⋆ loss of control ⋆ powerlessness ⋆ prison ⋆ blood ⋆ drowning ⋆ suffocation ⋆ public speaking ⋆ natural animals ⋆ the supernatural ⋆ heights ⋆ death ⋆ dying ⋆ intimacy ⋆ rejection ⋆ abandonment ⋆ loss ⋆ the unknown ⋆ the future ⋆ not being good enough ⋆ scary stories ⋆ speaking to new people ⋆ poverty ⋆ loud noises ⋆ being touched ⋆ forgetting ⋆ being forgotten

Idk who to tag because I think this meme has been making the rounds lately? But if you see it and it looks fun, feel free to tag me. :))