#so this will just end the in tragedy. and alistair not killing loghain

[anakinh]

lasted approximately 2 hours into a new playthrough of Dragon Age: Origins before I downloaded a mod. god those mage cowls are ugly af

[wardencallings]

Codex Entry -- Hero of Ferelden

A portrait of the then Warden Commander Alym Surana taken in 9:32 Dragon, or approximately one year following the conclusion of the Fifth Blight. (art by: @kittyoperas)

Alym Surana was born near Lothering. His mother was an elven servant to a family of human corn farmers. Hope Surana, an eccentric woman known for her uncanny ability to diagnose and treat "abnormalities in the biles," refused to disclose the identity of her son's father. Many believed Alym's sire to be a man named E'lio, a Dalish hunter who'd visited the farm around the time of the boy's conception, but he was never located to confirm or deny the parentage.

When Alym was five years old, his magic manifested for the first time, and the templars were contacted to escort him to the Circle near Lake Calenhad. It is unknown how Hope reacted to her son's departure as she was away selling crops in Lothering at the time. While initially resistant to the idea of leaving his home and his mother, Alym very quickly took to the structure of living within the Circle Tower. He enjoyed his studies and the routine such a lifestyle brought him.

Alym is a talented and determined student. He has a particular proficiency with Spirit and Ice, but he manages well with other schools of magic. However, Alym is too lax on matters of the Fade. The boy does not fear possession of himself nor his peers. This may prove to be a problem someday. I will keep an eye on his progress and mentor him personally to avoid a potentially undue outcome. -- The personal notes of First Enchanter Irving, found in his office within Kinloch Hold

When Warden-Commander Duncan arrived in search of a mage to help fight against the emerging Fifth Blight, Irving recommended Alym to the cause immediately. Regarding his choice, Irving later explained to his colleagues that Alym had both the skill and the resolve Duncan was looking for in a recruit, and it was Irving's belief that time outside of the Circle was necessary for Alym's growth as mage and person. While anxious about leaving the Tower and his friends, Alym felt pride in being chosen for such an important task and looked forward to fulfilling his new role.

Following the tragedy in Ostegar, Alym, one of the only surviving Grey Wardens, began to travel across Ferelden, searching for support in ending the Fifth Blight. Commander Loghain declared all Grey Wardens to be traitors to the crown, but Alym and fellow Warden Alistair made use of the conflicting information regarding the events at Ostegar and the chaos brought by the Darkspawn to escape Loghain's soldiers and others loyal to him.

On his return to Lothering, Alym attempted to find his mother. Despite much hostility from the local farmers, Alym was able to discover that his mother and the family she'd served had been killed by the Darkspawn when their farm had been attacked. The Warden visited the site of his childhood home and destroyed the Darkspawn that roamed its property. He then buried his mother and the humans, taking only one thing for himself: an amulet Hope had worn every day, one she'd believed kept her healthy and strong enough to work to earn her keep.

I was actually there when the Hero of Ferelden came to Lothering! None of us actually believed he was a Grey Warden at first. I mean, can you blame us? He was this awkward, gawky elf who asked all these weird questions. And he looked so weak! But then he killed all those bandits and Darkspawn. We believed him after that. Lothering still fell, but we had a renewed sense of hope after we'd seen what he accomplished there. He helped everyone, even that Qunari our Chantry had left to die. None of us understood it at the time, but I think I get it now. Uhh, just don't ask me to explain it. -- A former citizen of Lothering who relocated to Amaranthine following its destruction

It was in Lothering that Alym met Leliana, an Orlesian bard turned Chantry sister turned member of his traveling party. Leliana claimed to have seen a vision from the Maker himself urging her to help Alym. Despite not believing in the Maker and worshiping the Elven gods (casually) instead, Alym welcomed Leliana to his party readily. Later, Alym would admit to being taken by Leliana, both in her beauty and her resolve, which supplied much of his motivation to believe her story and accept her offer of aid.

Of his companions, Alym was closest to Leliana, Sten, Wynne, and of course, Puppy, the Mabari hound rescued from the Darkspawn taint at Ostegar. Later, Alym would meet and befriend Zevran Arainai, an Antivan Crow, and Shale, a dwarf-turned-golem in Honnleath. Despite both being Grey Wardens, Alym struggled to connect with Alistair, finding it difficult to penetrate the humor that masked his true self. Morrigan, alleged daughter of the Witch of the Wilds, and Alym held an antagonistic relationship (mostly from her end), and Alym, despite later allowing his entry into the Wardens, didn't know what to make of the dwarf Oghren, recruited from Orzammar. However, in the wake of the Blight, Alym spoke only highly of his companions. Likewise, those who traveled with the Hero and could be found also spoke highly of him.

The Warden Commander? Ha, you mean Alym? No one calls him that but the kissass recruits who don’t know better. He’s a decent guy – can’t hold his liquor, but decent. We kicked ass together, and not just the blasted Darkspawn. I tell you, we made Orzammar almost tolerable by the time we were through there! Blighter talks too much about his woman, though. He’d probably hit me if he found out I called Leliana that. Heh, you won't tell him I said that, will you? -- An excerpt of a conversation between Warden Oghren and a journalist in Redcliffe.

In Denerim, things took a considerable turn for the worse for the Warden. While assisting Alistair with an undisclosed personal matter, Alym learned of a blood mage apostate wreaking havoc across the city. The mage was known as "The Surgeon," and he had founded a cult called The Free Acolytes that was quickly gaining ground in Denerim. To make matters more dire, Alym learned that Arl Rendon was aiding the cult, and in exchange, The Free Acolytes were assisting in the new Tevinter slaver foothold forming in Denerim.

When Alym began investigating both Arl Rendon and the dark trade occurring in the Alienage, waves of assassination attempts began to plague the Warden and his company. Eventually, with no choice but to seek the source of the cult, Alym hunted down the Surgeon, finding his lair among the derelict buildings in the warehouse district. When the two met, however, Alym was shocked to learn that the Surgeon, whose real name was Vacen Cyrahel, was in fact Alym's own father. Not only did the two look extraordinarily alike, but Vacen told him he could sense their connection in their blood, and he expressed a desire for his son to join him as a free mage, one who did not fear demons nor those who tried to control the mages.

Only Wynne, Zevran, and Sten were present for this meeting with the Surgeon, and Alym persuaded them to keep Vacen's identity a secret from the rest of their companions. Wynne urged Alym to speak to Leliana on the subject, but the Warden feared her reaction to learning of Alym's tainted heritage. Things reached a boiling point when Vacen arrived to camp one night, offering Alym a place by his side for when he killed Rendon Howe and forged himself as the new Arl of Denerim. Alym, embarrassed and ashamed, ran off into the night, hoping to draw Vacen and The Free Acolytes away from his friends.

Alym has left us, as I feared he would should his father make another untimely appearance. I am afraid for the boy's sanity and his well-being. I had tried so hard to convince him that telling the others was a necessity; and if not Alistair and Morrigan, then Leliana, at the least. He told me that he "feared how she'd look at him" when she learned of his father and his crimes. I reminded him that Leliana saw him as more than the blood of his absent father, but he had a wild, terrified look in his eyes. There was no talking sense in him, then. -- An entry in the diary of Wynne

After a few weeks, Sten, accompanied by Puppy, found Alym hiding in the Alienage of Denerim. While blending in with the other elves, Alym had learned where the Tevinter slavers were operating their trade. Sten, Puppy, and Alym killed the traders, freed those about to be sold as slaves, and returned to camp. Alym explained himself to the party, apologized, and began to make a plan to kill both Arl Rendon and the Surgeon. To Leliana, he swore that he'd never abandon her again, and as a sign of his dedication and devotion to her, he began to wear an Andraste's Grace within the braid in his hair, marking the official start of their relationship.

After rescuing Anora and killing Arl Rendon, the Surgeon arrived to the palace, intending to seize claim to the throne alongside his cult. A terrible and bloody fight commenced, one that ended only when Alym launched shards of ice into his father's throat, killing him. Despite knowing his father's death as necessary, Alym struggled with his demise. Arl Rendon was similarly dispatched, and the Landsmeet was called. Alym supported Anora as queen, pushing back against the suggestion of Alistair due to his companion's seeming disinterest in the position of king. Alistair killed Loghain in a duel and thanked Alym for allowing him to remain a Warden and finally granting justice for Cailan and Duncan.

After the Archdemon was killed and Anora formally made Queen of Ferelden, Alym was appointed Warden Commander. Alym strove to reform the Wardens as stronger and more prepared than ever should they be needed again. One of his first actions was to rebuild Vigil's Keep as a base for the Grey Wardens. There he met and conscripted Nathaniel Howe, Anders, Velanna, and Sigrun, reunited with Oghren, and killed the Architect, a sentient Darkspawn Emissary.

A couple of years after the Fifth Blight, The Hero of Ferelden vanished. He is believed to be searching for a cure for the Calling, the point in which Grey Wardens succumb to the Darkspawn taint.

You are very brave to reach out to Lady Nightingale herself to ask of the Hero's whereabouts. I will spare you much of her scathing words to your inquiry, but leave you with this quote: "Keep looking and the crows will have your eyes." -- A letter from one of Nightingale's agents in response to a curious journalist in search of Alym

[victoriousscarf]

Okay so I finally managed to get Alistair to stick around as king while still sparing Loghain and... I have assorted feelings about that.

Like firstly I find it even worse than when he just runs off and becomes drunk when you spare/recruit Loghian because he... He sticks around and yet refuses to participate in the final battle. He in fact says oh I'm going to become king just to overrule you and execute him myself while Anora looks at him and looks at you and goes /this/ is who you want me to marry and make king? (And honestly... Yeah that's not a great recommendation for your leadership my friend). After that he has some cutting words for you and then disappears until the party at the end. Like. There's a grand total of four wardens in the country. And giving that up at all sorta soured me on his character during my first playthrough when I accidentally recruited Loghain and lost him. Like dude we absolutely need all the wardens we can get and you--who have actively seen the archdemon in the deep roads--are just cutting out and leaving?

But it's so much worse when he sticks around to become king instead of running because he's still /there/ he's still watching the battle. Like sure if he's not gonna be in my party fine but I should run into him fighting in the marketplace, protecting the gates of Eamons fortress where he's hidden as many as he can from the darkspawn. He doesn't even show up with Anora to give the big speech before the battle, nor at the gates. He may fight we can make these headcanons but he basically declares he's not going to.

You're a grey warden. The arch demon is directly overhead and you're going to be childish? (This is why I don't believe the slides insisting he becomes a good king like you're trying too hard after showing me all the ways he wouldn't guys).

But there's something else really interesting about this path:

He mentions you should have died killing the arch demon.

Like first the thing about this path is Alistair hates the HoF now and it honestly gives me life because he's making a lot of like verbal jabs while I feel like the warden is just sorta sighing like why's it gotta be like this? Cos the warden doesn't really have a reason to hate Alistair but oh does Alistair hate them. (This feels like it continues into Awakening too which is halirious to me).

So at the final party after the war is won Alistair is still pretty bitter and he mentions you should be dead except... He left before that revelation came out. He wasn't even in Redcliff at the time. (Loghain's reaction meanwhile is haha I knew those wardens were fucking with us while you sorta go haha right? *Shifty look*)

So how the fuck did he know you were supposed to die killing the archdemon? Unless he knew all along.

(Now I'm pretty sure the mechanic reason is getting both of them to stay is difficult and not common so this line is probably King Alistair with low approval's basic line. But in game it opens the very real possibility he knew the whole time one of you was going to die to end the Blight and that is... Really something.)

(Actually that makes him leaving even worse).

... you know I actually do like Alistair as a character quite a bit. He's affable and awkward and passionate and a bit lost and so many good things. And the playthrough of his romance I did was fantastic as high tragedy. But he never quite recovered from leaving his duty on the eve of battle. You really think Duncan would have been proud of you for abandoning the order he gave his life for in it's hour of need?

So basically making Alistair king while recruiting Loghain was really interesting ahahaha. Also Loghain has some... Pointed views about Alistairs abilities as king but tbh who does Loghain actually believe can rule that's not either directly Marric or his daughter?

[irhinoceri]

Finished The Stolen Throne.

Thoughts...

I ranted about Maric’s initial characterization as The Dummy Prince, and Rowan’s propensity to punch and slap him enough already and won’t rehash it. Thankfully that falls away somewhat as the book goes on, and it does contribute to understanding why Maric falls in love with Katriel and seriously contemplates breaking off his engagement to Rowan for her. The speech he gives Loghain about how Rowan thinks of him as a stupid boy and Katriel sees him as “a man” made me gag a little, but thankfully it made Loghain gag a little too so I felt solidarity with Loghain there.

The scene where Katriel is outed as a spy and and Maric kills her was just as weird and gross as I feared it would be. It also reminds me of that comic where Gaider had Alistair run Yavana through with a sword, so apparently that’s a pattern of his, to have the hero prove he’s grown up by murdering a woman. Now I’m getting flashbacks to Jon Snow shanking Daenerys and please can we end that particular trope in fiction of having the male protagonist “have to” murder a woman for Reasons? PLEASE?

Katriel as a character just in general made me cringe hard because she is done so dirty. The descriptions of her are so creepy and overly sexual, but also she’s this hyper competent bard, who nevertheless falls in love with her target, which wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t fall apart into a weeping, weak woman who just stands there and cries up until the moment Maric kills her. That whole thing was just icky and I did not like it.

Ironically I did love the other super violent shock value parts, i.e. Loghain stabbing a man who was suggesting handing Maric over to the Orlesians, and Maric just straight up going all Red Wedding on the nobles who were loyal to Orlais.

I think one might enjoy this book a lot more if they actively ship Maric x Loghain, because canonically they have an epic bromance, and there’s already so much weird sexual tension between Maric, Loghain, and Rowan... they definitely would have been happier as an OT3 rather than an awkward love triangle. Just saying.

It’s worth a read for people specifically interested in Loghain, understanding his backstory and why he did what he did in Origins. It doesn’t make me into a Loghain stan or anything, because I’m already ride or die for Alistair and nothing can change that. But it adds a layer of tragedy to that whole situation, that you don’t get if you just dismiss Loghain as some paranoid, power hungry villain who exists to make your warden’s life hard. He’s definitely more on the Solas slider scale of Dragon Age villains (assuming that Solas is the main antagonist of DA4) than an asshole like Meredith or a Sauronesque figure like Corypheus.

So yeah. The book has a lot of issues, but the ending epilogue did make me feel sad, because it hammers home the Dragon Age credo of no neat and tidy happy endings, that everything is a continuing struggle.

[celestialarcadia]

Dear Chocolatier

This ended up kind of long. I really hope this doesn’t come across as too picky! While I’ve included prompts and general rambling, I can’t predict everything that I’d be interested in--so as long as your idea doesn’t fall under my DNWs, I’ll be happy to read whatever you come up with! This is mostly geared towards fic, since I’m not very good at talking about art, but I’d also be ecstatic about art fills. Full letter under the cut. (Note that I missed nominations, so I was limited to whatever was in the tagset; not all of my favorite relationships in these works are represented.)

What you need to know about me is that most, if not all, of my favorite pairings include some element of opposites attract. I’m not sure that’s the right phrase to use, since it’s often not literal opposites that attract me to a pairing. What I love is when characters have some sort of large difference(s) between them that is impossible to ignore, requires there to be communication between the members of the pairing, and (this is the big one!!) all the members of the relationship love each other in part because of the differences between them as well as recognizing the similarities they have. It’s a bit hard to explain in words, but I hope that helps. To use examples from the pairings I’ve requested: human/elf, human/alien, alien/different alien, human/robot AI, mage/warrior, warrior/diplomat, witch/fairy, angel/demon...I let out a dreamy sigh just typing those out, which should explain how much I love this trope lmao.

I want happy endings. There’s a place for tragedies, but I need to be in a very specific mood to gain satisfaction from them, and right now in my life I can’t really appreciate them much. I generally prefer a “happily ever after”, but “happy for now” is also acceptable (and is more appropriate for several of the pairings on this list). While I enjoy fluff, I’d also be happy with something more dramatic as long as it ultimately has a HEA/HFN. I’ve enjoyed hurt/comfort, but I usually prefer them to be heavy on the comfort.

Regarding smut: I’m fine with or without it. I’m asexual and porn does nothing for me sexually, but I can enjoy erotica, even PWPs, as an exploration of intimacy between characters. (Not necessarily even romantic intimacy--I’ve enjoyed smut about friends with benefits.) Stuff I enjoy in smut: blindfolds; body worship; bondage; cunnilingus; edging; facesitting; femdom/malesub; gentle domination; intercrural; mirror sex; multiple orgasms; mutual masturbation; pegging; praise kink; service topping; vibrators; wax play. And if the scene goes into BDSM territory, aftercare!

However! I am also a very, very big fan of non-sexual intimacy. Kissing, hugging, cuddling, spooning, literal sleeping together, massages, holding hands, words of affirmation...I could go on and on. Love it all. If you headcanon a character in a requested pairing as asexual, go for it!

Special shoutout to characters bathing together (preferably in a very large bathtub or similar body of water). It can easily lead to sex, and I don’t mind if it does, but I almost prefer if it doesn’t cross that line.

General DNW: 24/7 D/s, A/B/O, abuse between characters in requested pairings, ageplay, amnesia, ass to mouth, BDSM society AU, bestiality, bloodplay in settings without magical healing, breathplay, cancer, canon bi character portrayed as straight or gay, canon gay character portrayed as straight or bi, cheating/infidelity by character in a requested pairing, crossovers, daddy/mommy kink, death of a character's parent(s) as a major plot element (references to canon parent death OK but try not to linger too long on it), describing genitals of any kind as "weeping", dub-con, eating disorders, enemas, explicit underage, fake relationship, feederism, fisting, guro, hatesex, humiliation kink, incest, inflation, kidfic (canon kids OK but I'd rather not have a fic centering around them), lactation kink, love triangles, maledom/femsub, necrophilia, nipple clamps, permanent death of a character in a requested pairing, petplay, plots centered around prejudice or -isms, pregnancy, rape/non-con, rape roleplay/consensual non-consent, reader insert, rimming, scat, school-related AU, self-harm, sex in public places, soulmates AU, sounding, spanking, vore, watersports/omorashi, zombies

Some of these fandoms/pairings have more written about them than others. Please don’t take that as an indication that I’ll be disappointed if you pick a pairing or fandom I’ve written less about here--I really will be happy with any of these pairings!

Cinderella Phenomenon

(Psst...this is a free game...consider playing it?)

Delora/Parfait: I didn’t consider this pairing until I saw it in the tagset and now I 100% ship it. Love me a goth witch and pastel fairy couple. I’d like to see them negotiating around the drastically different perceptions of witches and fairies in Angielle. Or maybe something a bit fluffy, like sharing a stolen moment away from the Marchen, or just taking a break from the trials of everyday life.

Pairing-specific DNW: Work set during/after Rumpel’s, Waltz’s, or Fritz’s routes

Lucette Riella Britton/Karma: While I enjoyed the game as a whole, I think Karma’s route was my favorite. For all his eccentricities, Karma recognizes Lucette’s terrible upbringing and how it affected her before the other characters do, and the fact that he’s a prince means that you can get up to some really nice royal intrigue and politics with this pairing. (Also, I wonder--does Karma continue to wear dresses after his curse is broken, just for the fun of it?)

Pairing-specific DNW: Explicit smut (fade-to-black is fine)

Dragon Age

Fandom-specific DNW: Warden/Hawke/Inquisitor sides with templars, rivalmances for DA2 LIs, Cullen as major character

Alistair/Male Surana: Oh, Alistair, my first DA love. Even though he never actually became a templar, he was still trained as one, and I think that could cause some issues in a relationship with a mage. And being an elf mage? Whew. Even though I don’t want something where Alistair becomes king, I’m fine with something where they discuss the possibility of Alistair becoming king, as long as they ultimately decide not to put him on the throne. You could also do something set after DAO/Awakening, where both are active Wardens--maybe they’ve been separated for a few months for Warden-y reasons and they’ve just reunited?

Pairing-specific DNW: Alistair as king, Loghain recruited into Wardens

Fenris/Hawke: Any gender Hawke is fine (I just have m!Fenhawke tagged because it was in the tagset). My Hawke is female, but feel free to write male or nb Hawke; my Hawke is also a mage, because I like the idea of them falling in love despite the tension that causes between them--but if you’d rather write a warrior/rogue Hawke, that’s also good. (If you want to include specific details about my Hawke: she’s named Samantha, specializes in healing, and is mostly purple/joking with a blue/diplomatic streak. I headcanon her as asexual even if it can’t really be replicated in the game. But I’ll be fine with whatever Hawke you choose to write.)

Zevran Arainai/Warden: Like with Fenris, I’m not picky about which genre or origin you pick and only put in the tags in the set for matching purposes. My Zev-romancing Warden is a f!Brosca, but if you prefer another gender/origin, do whatever you want. These two are my favorite enemies-to-lovers pairing, in part because Zevran never had any hard feelings for the Warden in the first place. (And the Warden telling Nathaniel “Some of my best friends have attempted to kill me” during Awakening gains a whole new level of hilarity with romanced Zev.) Zev comes across as a devil-may-care flirt, but he turns out to be a respectful lover if you actually put the effort to get to know him beyond surface level. (Also, that cool-ass Crow armor from the World of Thedas artbook. A+)

Female Lavellan/Josephine Montilyet: Josie! (｡♥‿♥｡) And I romance her with a f!Lavellan, so it’s a nice coincidence that this was in the tagset lol. I’ll be good with just about anything you come up with for this pairing. Josephine is one of the few non-Dalish characters who at least tries to be respectful of Lavellan’s Dalish heritage, even if she is a bit clumsy about it sometimes. My Lavellan is a lesbian mage named Ilena if you’re interested in including those details, but I’ll be happy with any f!Lavellan.

Josephine Montilyet/Cassandra Pentaghast: Fun fact--I ship this because of a bondage fic I read lmao. They have a very interesting dynamic--a warrior who kills on a regular basis (even if for a good cause); a diplomat who has renounced violence. I won’t be picky about anything for this pairing, either.

Good Omens

Fandom-specific DNW: Reverse AU (I don’t mind these but I’m not interested in receiving one), Aziraphale falling, smut involving Crowley’s snake form, work set before Crowley’s fall, strict top/bottom dynamics

Note: I’ve read the book and watched the series. I’m fine with stuff set in either canon (hence why I requested both). If you want to combine elements from both, that’s cool too.

Aziraphale/Crowley: My most recent love. I have lots and lots of feelings (at least a billion) about these two. Enough that I have a goddamn LIST.

I’m fine with any combination of genders/presentations/efforts/pronouns for these two. I headcanon Aziraphale as being agender with he/him pronouns and Crowley as genderfluid, but again, anything works. Lately I’ve adored fics and art of butch female-presenting Aziraphale, too.

Chubby Aziraphale!! I love!! So much!! Dovetails very well with my interest in body worship (sexual or otherwise). Crowley loves his soft angel!! So much!! And! So much cuddling potential!! (More serious note: I’m not a huge fan of stuff where Aziraphale is extremely self-conscious about his body. Surely he’d miracle himself a different shape if he hated it so much? And he’s been around for millennia, so he’s witnessed beauty standards change drastically over time. It makes more sense in human AUs, but it’s still something I tolerate more than enjoy.)

I’m a big fan of “Aziraphale and Crowley through history” stuff. Pick a time period you like and go wild. Personally, I have a huge soft spot for the 1920s--Crowley would look amazing in a flapper dress. (Realistic or Hollywood-style, take your pick.) (I know that according to the TV script they didn’t see each other between the fight at St James and the church scene, but...bah. Flapper Crowley!!) Some great opportunities for mutual pining, or if you want to write an AU where they got together before the Notpocalypse, go for it.

I have a big soft spot for stuff where Crowley is in his snake form (no smut, please--if the story turns that way I want him in his human form for sex)

I will never ever get tired of “first love confession” or “first kiss” stories for these two because I am a romantic sap who just wants them to be happy (they’ve spent so long not being able to be close to each other! they deserve it!!)

Outsider POVs: “random normal person weirded out by bizarre relationship between fussy bookseller and his goth husband” is one of my favorite fandom tropes

Praise kink! I mentioned this in my general smut likes but it bears repeating here. The major fanon is Crowley having a praise kink, which is wonderful and valid (tfw your crush calls you nice and it turns you on so much you try to play it cool by shoving him against a wall). I’ve seen some stuff recently with Aziraphale having a praise kink and now that’s an idea. (He’s spent so long just wanting to be good for Heaven! Even though Heaven’s standard for what’s good is kind of terrible and they hate him anyway so he’d never be good enough for them! But Crowley knows that Aziraphale is good and he’s more than willing to tell him every little thing he loves about him! aaaaaaaa) Regardless of who has the kink, I think they’d be a bit embarrassed at first at having it found out (Crowley: “Being turned on by compliments? C’mon, that’s not me” [it’s totally him]/Aziraphale: “It’s...a bit selfish, isn’t it?” [but since when has that stopped him]), but the other would be more than willing to indulge. (And while Aziraphale is naturally suited to provide praise, given how good he is with words, I think Crowley could grow into the role too, in his own way.)

Heart of the Woods

Tara Bryck/Morgan Fischer, Abigail Dalsing/Madison Raines: I put these two together because they’re so intertwined in the original game, but if you want to focus on one pairing over the other, that’s great! Something that really interests me would be seeing how Morgan and especially Abby would react to the...idiosyncrasies of modern-day America. Also, Abby being introduced to the internet could be hilarious. (Also also, Morgan getting to live her best butch life, and Tara being her slightly overly enthusiastic cheerleader.) On a more serious note, how does Maddie move on after leaving Taranormal?

Lake of Voices

(Psst...this is also a free game...consider playing it too?)

Kikka/Margret: I’m less interested in fluff for this pairing thanks to how dark the original material is, but I’d still rather not have something totally grim. Margret’s route isn’t truly romantic, not really, but considering the short period of time the game takes place during, that’s not surprising--so I’d like to see how their relationship progresses after the events of the game.

Mass Effect Trilogy

Fandom-specific DNW: Sabotaging the genophage cure; Control/Synthesis/Refusal endings; synthetics dying in Destroy ending (yes I know this is canon, no I don’t care; please don’t do post-ME3 if you aren’t willing to work around this); dead Wrex; no peace between geth and quarians (for ME3)

Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian: While Shakarian isn’t my favorite ME pairing, I do still love it. No Shepard without Vakarian, after all. They work so well as a battle couple and have such great chemistry. My Garrus-romancing Shepard is a Paragade Vanguard named Elliott, Earthborn/War Hero if you want those details.

Female Shepard & Mordin Solus: Death DNW doesn’t apply to this one; hit me with all the feels over Mordin’s death (I don’t like what you have to do for him to survive). Or avoid the issue by doing something set during ME2. Alien Sex Ed is always a classic trope, or something more serious regarding Mordin’s past as an STG operative or his work with the genophage.

Grunt & Female Shepard: Shepard is very proud of her strong krogan vat bby.

Kolyat Krios & Female Shepard: With or without Shep/Thane (”YOU’RE NOT MY REAL MOM”), either works. If there’s romance, how does Kolyat react to his missing dad showing up with a human girlfriend? Does Shepard try to become a part of Kolyat’s life or does she try to stay out of it? There’s less reason for Shepard to get involved if there’s no Thanemance, but I think there’s still opportunity there, since Kolyat and Thane keep in contact after the loyalty mission is completed.

Pairing-specific DNW: Thane dying

Thane Krios/Female Shepard: My favorite ME pairing! At least until BW fucked it up in ME3. (I still kind of haven’t forgiven them.) They have a very mature relationship, I think--both of them a bit weary--and they find solace in each other, at least until the inevitable. I would prefer a fic set during ME2, or in the time period between the end of ME2 and Shepard being detained before ME3. If you want to make something set during ME3, I’d like to see him receive treatment (not necessarily a cure, though I won’t complain if you go that route, but preferably something more realistic than “oh I took a pill and now I’m all better!” or similar) for Kepral’s. I also don’t like the defeatist “well, I guess I’m just gonna lay down and die now” attitude he has when you meet him at Huerta in ME3; it clashes so much with his entire ME2 arc, which has him realize that he does still have things to live for (his son, for one, and Shepard if you romance him). If you’re interested in details about my Shepard: her name is Diana; she’s a Paragon Infiltrator, Colonist/War Hero.

Pairing-specific DNW: Excessive focus on his illness (I know it’s a big part of his character, and I don’t expect people to avoid it entirely, but I don’t enjoy stuff that’s centered totally around it); Irikah bashing or trying to portray her as unimportant

Nyreen Kandros/Aria T’Loak: (STILL SCREAMING ABOUT BADASS TURIAN LADY) I want to see something from when these two were still together, or a fix-it where Nyreen doesn’t die and she and Aria enter a (possibly uneasy) truce. Less concerned about happiness for this one as long as neither of them dies; I’m fine if it ends up that their relationship just doesn’t work out.

EDI/Samantha Traynor: Geeky lesbian with a robot kink + sexy fembot = ooh la la. On a serious note, how would a human/AI relationship work? There’s a lot of possibilities here.

Stardew Valley

Fandom-specific DNW: Player siding with Joja-Mart

Abigail/Female Player, Elliott/Player, Leah/Female Player, Maru/Female Player: I’m putting these together not because I think they’re interchangeable (they’re not), but because what I want is basically the same for each of them--slice-of-life about the farmer and their partner (either dating or married...or dating then married; no kids please), with emphasis on how the partner’s personality and lifestyle meshes, or doesn’t mesh, with the player’s farm life. Maybe there’s conflicts that have to be resolved, compromises that have to be made. (But I do want them to eventually work it out and be happy together.) If you pick Elliott/Player, I’m fine with whatever gender farmer you want.

Sweet Fuse: At Your Side

Inafune Saki/Meoshi Kouta: One thing I enjoyed about Meoshi’s route is how he doesn’t have to give up games entirely in order to deserve love and improve as a person, he just develops a healthier relationship with gaming. I like the idea of Kouta participating in a fighting game tournament with Saki cheering him on...or maybe he taught her how to play and she’s a competitor too now? DUN DUN DUN. (but it’s all in good fun)

Pairing-specific DNW: Explicit smut (fade-to-black is fine)

Original Work

Dethroned and Dishonored Queen/Lone Loyal Female Knight

Lady Locked in a Tower/Lady Who Turns Into a Hawk

Female Werewolf Hunter/Her Boyfriend Who Gets Turned Into a Werewolf

Female Tall Muscular Badass/Female Short Chubby Nerd

Hiker/Sporty Girl Who Sprained Her Ankle Miles from Nowhere

Grumpy Lonely Sorceress/Female Courtesan She Hires for a Ritual

Female Witch/Female Werewolf

Female Witch/Female Demon She Accidentally Summons

Female Knight/Female Bath Attendant with a Crush

Female Gamer/Female Bookworm

Female Court Painter/Impatient Princess Sitting for a Painting

Female Armorsmith/Female Warrior Who Needs Frequent Repairs

Female Adventurer Lost in the Snow/Female Fire Spirit

Male Speakeasy Bartender/Male Speakeasy Piano Player

Librarian/Her Monster-Hunting Wife Who Keeps Dragging Her Into Wacky Supernatural Adventures

Sensible Royal Guardswoman/Arrogant but Skilled Court Sorceress

Dark Mage/Light Mage

Beleaguered Playwright/Actress Cursed to Ruin Any Show She’s In

Female Vampire/Female Vampire Hunter

Victorian Lady/Victorian Lady

GO WILD. Just don’t hit my DNWs. For the pairings that don’t specify the genders of both members, I’d prefer f/f works.

[thinkdragonage]

Elissa’s Journal - 1st Entry

[This is a bit rough, but I haven’t written and posted in so long, I feel compelled to share it. These entries might wind up comprising the next chapter, but for now I’ll post them one at a time here, just because... I haven’t written in so long and I’m desperate for attention :P But seriously, I’m just happy to be finally getting out of this writing block,even if it’s just a little bit.]

[In large writing, covering the top of the first page of a leather-bound journal.]

Diary of Elissa M. Cousland, Warden of the Grey, Rightful Teyrna of Highever, daughter of Teyrn Bryce Cousland (8:80 Blessed - 9:30 Dragon) and Teyrna Eleanor Cousland (8:85 Blessed - 9:30 Dragon).

I am the last remaining survivor to the great Fereldan House of Cousland. My parents perished, along with the Lady Oriana Cousland (9:03-9:30 Dragon) and her son and heir, Oren Cousland (9:25-9:30 Dragon), when Bann Howe (8:79 Blessed, and will die in 9:30 should the Maker guide my hand to retribution) diabolically murdered and betrayed his old friend, attacking Cousland Castle in the night, after our soldiers had departed. Fergus Cousland (9:03 - 9:30 Dragon) died in battle in the Korcari Wilds around the time of the Battle of Ostagar, presumably.

[The entry ends here. There are several pages torn from the journal, and then the writing begins again in the same script, with different ink.]

I had thought to record our travels and travails in an objective and complete fashion, omitting opinion where it was not warranted, and divulging only the important events and decisions. I have recorded our mission and goals, our objectives to meet at each of the locations we visited, and what was accomplished and was not.

However, it is of my fellow warden’s ([Alistair Theirin is crossed out, replaced by Warden Alistair, which is then again crossed out and replaced by simply ‘Alistair (9:10 Dragon).’]) opinion that my writing does not engage the reader’s interest. Whereas I held my objective and factual prose to be a benefit, Alistair informed me it was anything but, and that my factual rendition would do little good if “no one can stand to finish it.” 

I have given the matter some thought, as I feel a great reluctance to taint my recollection with subjective analysis and individual perspective. However, the point nevertheless remains. If my personal style is too dry and academic, it would behoove me to adapt one more accommodating of my reader’s limited attention span.

As such, I shall swallow my trepidation, and attempt to record here not just the details of events, but my personal opinions and situational analyses, in the hopes that including this somewhat irrelevant information will increase the likelihood of my work retaining its worth.

I have little wish to recollect the particulars of my early days as a warden. Suffice it to say that I came to the organization through great tragedy, but not, as I first suspected, through any sentiment of charity. Duncan recruited me from my dying father, knowing that I had no martial skills or experience. I was much too overcome with grief and fear to challenge this negotiation, and by the time I regained my senses, I had accepted the additional weight of another duty. Thus I began my career with twin missions: avenge my family, fight the Blight.

I had little sense of what it all meant at the time, of course. Overcome with grief as I was, it was a simple thing for Duncan to guide my mute form to Ostagar.

Others have no doubt told the tale of that fateful battle, and I’ll not weigh down this narrative with tactical details that have surely been thoroughly examined and discussed by everyone with the free will to form an opinion by now. I’ll say just this: Alistair and I survived.

We were, improbably though it seems, rescued by a figure out of legend--at least according to the subject in question. Flemeth, she claimed to be, and while this writer can not ascertain what truth may lie in this assertion, I nevertheless must conclude that the power dwelling inside this individual is no small thing. Indeed, we are not quite sure how the seemingly old woman collected us and transported us to her hut in the Korcari Wilds, but as I have no other explanation for how we wound up waking therein, I can offer no alternative explanation.

It proved fortuitous in any case, as the witch woman knew of the Grey Warden treaties we held, and in fact considered our quest so grave and important as to offer up her only daughter as our companion, to help guide us out of the wilds and lend us aid in battle. And so, Morrigan joined our party.

It was also in the Korcari Wilds that I forged the beginning of an alliance with my fellow Warden. We vowed to each other to not rest until we’d fulfilled the treaties and seen to our personal vendettas (him, to the traitor Loghain, whose betrayal cost us the victory at Ostagar and our young king’s life, and for me, of course, the despicable Howe).

From there, we set out to call upon the aid of Arl Eamon, who had served as Alistair’s guardian in his youth. We discovered a village in turmoil when we arrived. The Arl, we would come to discover, had been poisoned by agents of Loghain, while the townsfolk were plagued by a horde of undead monstrosities. With our help, as well as the cooperation of the Templars and mages of Kinloch Hold, we managed to quell the undead uprising, kill the demon and save the Arl’s young son. 

Our success required a brief sojourn to the Circle Tower, where Alistair and I discovered yet another calamity was taking place. A group of blood mages had staged an insurrection, and the resulting fighting had torn open the veil, infesting the tower with all manner of demons and undead. Unwilling to walk away from the Tower without meeting our objectives, I insisted that Alistair and I attempt what the Templars were afraid to: we entered the Tower, and discovered a few survivors that helped us re-establish order by finding and defeating the demons, blood mages, and possessed Templars. When we discovered the First Enchanter alive and rescued him, we were finally able to deliver our treaty and gain their alliance for our upcoming war. 

By the time we arrived in Denerim a few weeks later, we had acquired a few more travelers to our party, including an Antivan Crow named Zevran Arainai (birth, unknown, and was offended when I asked), a sister of the Chantry, Leliana (8:98 Blessed), a Qun warrior (birth, unknown) and two mages from the Circle Tower, Solona Amell (9:10 Dragon) and Wynne (8:?? Blessed). Having failed at reproducing an antidote, it occurred to me that our best strategy to procure one would be to steal the original back from Loghain.

It took several weeks to put the pieces in place, and during this time the Wardens (including now, Solona) set off to discover an ancient keep in the hopes of reclaiming it for our use. We discovered more than just history within its crumbling walls--there was another living Warden residing there still. The old mage had extended his lifespan through who knows what magical methodology. He provided us few solid answers… though the recipe for the Joining proved to be a useful one soon enough.

Whilst in Denerim, we aided a young elf by the name of Darrian Tabris (9:10-, presumed 9:30 Dragon) by uncovering and dismantling through force the illegal Tevinter slave operation taking place in the city’s alienage. Our work captured the attention of the city guard, who kept a few members of the party gainfully employed during our stay in the city.

Our planning culminated into a covert operation at the Howe estate. Though it pained me greatly, I held back my vengeance during the mission. Securing the antidote for Arl Eamon was my utmost priority--I did not have the luxury of being selfish. But, perhaps irrationally, I am optimistic that my vengeance will not remain unfulfilled for long. My reckoning with my vile enemy is inevitable… so long as I am patient, I’m confident I shall be rewarded.

Through great planning and no small sacrifice, we managed to procure a cure for the poison that afflicted the Arl, and sent a vial of the antidote back to Redcliffe, born by the witch woman Morrigan, who possesses the ability to shapeshift into various animals, including a raven.

We escaped Denerim, barely, and unfortunately… the Tabris elf did not make it. I’ll not spend ink relitigating my decisions here. As I said, no small sacrifice…

In any case, once Morrigan departed toward Redcliffe, the rest of the party (save the dwarves and my devoted mabari, Prince, who I sent on ahead) ventured into the Brecilian forest, seeking the Dalish. We bore a treaty to enlist their aid during a Blight, and it was our intention to see this treaty fulfilled. Unfortunately, in something of a pattern, the Dalish were besieged by their own troubles when we finally met them. A band of hostile werewolves had attacked the clan, cursing several of their tribe with an ancient magical affliction. Though the clan’s elder… the Keeper, as the Dalish refer to him… appeared reluctant to request our help, we committed to the cause of curing them, and thus embarked on a wild and unpredictable adventure in the forest.

We entered the woods seeking the heart of a monstrous wolf named Witherfang, as the clan’s Keeper (Name? birth?) intimated that it’s acquisition was key to reversing the curse. As it turned out, the situation was a bit more complicated than presented to us, and by the time we saw it’s resolution, both my partner and I succumbed to the lycanthropic curse.

I don’t think I can properly describe the surreal and painful experience of transforming into a werewolf… Alistair has a flair for the dramatic and would likely provide a more salacious account of that ordeal. Nevertheless, I will say this: it wasn’t just a transformation of bodies that took place in the forest. Our relationship transformed as well.

I find myself struggling to form the words to describe this series of events, for reasons that are quite personal in nature. However, I suspect this is just the information Alistair meant for me to include (no doubt so he can gain the pleasure of reading my complimentary comments about him once I’ve finished). But I think this entry has taken long enough, so Alistair, my dear, when you read this, I’ll be happy to demonstrate explicitly my feelings about our relationship, in lieu of a written explanation here. I hope that will suffice…