#some Isabela lovin' in here

[gayhawkelatehomicide]

Alike In Sorrow pt. 2

Here's the next section of this! This one's a bit chonky but yanno. We're doing our best.

***

Words: 1646

Rating: T for alcohol and swearing

Additional Tags: some Isabela lovin' in here, also Varric being the world's best bestie, more questionable coping mechanisms though this time there's less murder, Kiera be nice to Cole or I will turn this Inquisition around, brief cameo from my Trevelyan tho he's got his own problems

***

     "Liquor and laughing, sea salt spray and spices. She dances through the dark, daggers darting, dangerous and daring. Glint of teeth when she grins, leather boots and spilled ale, gold gleaming and her voice soft in the early morning. She misses you." 

     Kiera scowls at the kid. This time, he's materialized sitting on the other end of the table, feet on the bench. She's had about four drinks too many and was getting close to comfortably wasted, listening to the Chargers' raucous laughter and slowly relaxing into her corner chair. The noise and the smells are almost right, just missing the faint fishy tang you can never escape in Lowtown, and the sound of Norah complaining about the customers. Hawke was beginning to feel vaguely at home; any minute now someone would burst through the door with a problem only the Champion can solve. 

     Trust Varric's little mind reader to show up and ruin a decent drinking session. She's really going to have to have words with him about the kind of people he decides to adopt. First it was her—probably the best thing to ever happen to him—and his judgment has gone downhill from there. Merrill was kind of a mutual mistake, but Cole is a different issue entirely.

     "Do you ever ask before you go rooting around in people's heads, or is that too much effort?" She asks, finishing her drink because if she's going to have a conversation with the spirit kid, she'd like to be drunker than this.

     "I can only hear people who need me," he explains. She's not sure how she knows, because the hat still obscures most of his face, but he's watching the drinking with concerned disapproval. It's uncomfortably similar to how Varric used to watch her, in the months after the fight with the Arishok and Isabella's disappearance. 

     Hawke quirks a sardonic eyebrow at him, not feeling quite up to her usual witty repartee. "And I need you?"

     "You're... sad. Hurt and hurting. Waiting, weighed down with wars you didn't win, too heavy to fly. People who need protecting. A hall with a hundred doors, each one locked by loss. A tower deep in the ground with barriers built by blood. Father's voice in the shadows. Some doors should stay shut. You think you let the darkness out, but it isn't your fault. None of it was your fault." 

     Kiera looks at him for a long moment, trying to summon up the energy to get mad. Her analogy about the closed doors in her heart isn't one she's ever spoken out loud, not even to Varric, and they haven't told anyone the details of her father's work with the Gray Wardens to bind Corryphyus. If she had any doubts that the kid was reading minds, they're gone now. She wants to be pissed that he's sticking his nose in her head and looking for the really painful stuff she locked away, but her own Maker-damned sense of fairness intrudes. He's only trying to help. And hell, maybe she needed to hear some of this shit. She sighs.

     "So Isabela misses me, huh?" 

     "A swagger in her step like the swell of the sea, eyes distant as the horizon and just as beautiful, freedom feels like my ship under my soles and her sword-rough hand in my hand, Maker bring her back to me." His voice is rhythmic, like he's reciting something he memorized, but Hawke recognizes her lover's sentiments all the same. Isabela rarely says such things aloud, of course. The two of them don't need romantic words to understand how much they mean to each other. She knows Isabela worries when they're apart, because Hawke's conscience drives her into danger wherever she goes, but worrying has never been a good enough reason for either of them to change how they act. Still, she appreciates hearing it.

     "I miss her too," Kiera hears herself mumble into her drink, which has been refilled by a passing barmaid. She didn't mean to say it. Something about this kid inspires her to uncharacteristic honesty. Better figure out how to quit that before someone notices. 

     "I know."

     "She's not even here," Hawke rallies, sitting up straighter to squint curiously at Cole. "How can you read her mind from all the way in Llomeryn?" 

     He shrugs, a gesture which looks a little too stiff to be natural for him. "Her hurt touches yours."

     "Huh."

     Before she can come up with something else to ask—anything so they don't have to talk about Corryphyus and all the people she made it possible for him to hurt—a commotion at the door draws both of their attention. Inquisitor Trevelyan, Varric, and Warden Blackwall come trooping in looking like they've been dragged ass-first through Darktown, which means they were probably out looking for Maker-knows-what in that awful swamp to the southeast. She has a distant memory of listening to Varric gripe about the trip before leaving, and the vague impression that his lengthy absence might have something to do with her decision to get absolutely wasted. Regardless of her motivations, he's here now, so Hawke lifts a hand to wave him over, favoring the Inquisitor with a halfhearted salute. 

     Trevelyan returns it, bemused, then follows Blackwall to the bar. Varric changes course to join Hawke and Cole. Except now there's no Cole, and it's just Hawke sitting by herself at her corner table, looking drunk and a little pathetic. Varric coasts to a stop as soon as he gets close enough to be heard, staying well out of range of any potential retribution for his obligatory quip about the number of empty mugs she hasn't let the waitresses take away. (You learn to hang onto them, in the Hanged Man, if only as a way to keep track of how many you've had. Corrf likes to charge you for at least three extras if you don't count them yourself. Hawke usually lets him—it's not like she doesn't have the coin—but it's a hard habit to break.)

     "We've got to talk about the company you keep, Varric," she beats him to the punch. Her words come out a little blurry, but she's sure he gets the gist.

     "Oh, this I've gotta hear." Varric's worried expression slides easily into a practiced grin as he pulls up a chair. "You getting on my case for hanging out with crazies. Somebody alert the Empress." 

     She sticks out her tongue at him, with great dignity. "Your little..." Hawke waves a hand vaguely attic-ward, too drunk to come up with anything more polite than 'shit' and pretty certain that she'd get in trouble for saying it. "He keeps fuckin' around in my head."

     An eyebrow goes up. "And you remember it? The kid slips through most people's memory like water."

     "Prolonged exposure to Merrill and Anders," she suggests by way of explanation, though most of the syllables get lost on the way from her brain to her mouth. 

     Varric is, by now, an expert at translating her drunken slurring into coherent speech. "That might make sense if you squint. Good enough for me, but don't let Sparkler hear it. He'll haul you off for tests." He starts consolidating the empty cups into rows to make them easier to collect. "Maybe you can help me talk to Cole sometime. I can't keep most of our conversations straight unless he's trying real hard to be present." 

     "Nah, that's part of the problem," she squints over the rim of her most recent mug as she takes another hearty swig. "Can't really keep hold of what he said, just know I'm mad about it."

     "Yeah, that sounds like you," Varric agrees in a tone somewhere between resigned and exasperated. "You know, Hawke, he's a spirit of compassion. He helps people work out whatever's eating them, and you've got more baggage than most people. A lot more."

     "What, are you trying to imply I'm not a well-adjusted member of society?" Hawke grins, settling her chin on her arms to be closer to eye level with her best friend. It's harder to see him through the mugs from this angle, but her neck doesn't ache as much.

     "No, no. I'd never spread such obvious slander," Varric assures her. "Just saying, maybe let the kid help. If he messes up too badly, you won't remember it anyways."

     This seems like a sensible approach, so she nods without sitting up again. Hawke is awfully comfortable all of a sudden—since she stopped wearing her breastplate to the tavern it's much easier to slouch against the table without the gorget getting in the way. Her eyes slide shut. She's tired and drunk and warm, and she's just going to close them for a minute. Besides, Varric is here now and she can relax for the first time in days. Varric won't let anything happen while she rests. He'll wake her up if anything comes to burn down their city. It's safe.

     She wakes up in her room, bleary and momentarily panicked, sitting bolt upright before the familiar smell of ink, leather, and Bianca's distinctive rail lubricant sinks in. Varric has his back to her—though Hawke doesn't for a moment make the mistake of thinking he doesn't know she's awake—and is humming softly to himself as he lovingly works oil into the wheels and wires of his crossbow. The windows are closed, the door is bolted, there's a fire in the grate, her boots are by the door, her armor is on its stand, and Hawke is tucked into her bed. The muscles in her shoulders relax. She lies back down, feeling the tension go out of her neck and forehead, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly a few times to force herself to calm down. Bethany taught her that, when they were very young. She's not alone.

     It is safe.

[sapphim]

Legacy DLC - Cut Content

This one goes out to the anon who asked about some entries in the Legacy talktable~ Remnants of two quests that were cut from the DA2 Legacy DLC. First up:

Gorathan’s Gold / X Marks The Spot

codex entry: "Gorathan's Gold" (zz_cod_hst_gorathan)

From the Dwarven drinking song "Gorathan's Gold." Lyrium armor and silverite shield Tincture of lovin' to make ladies yield A magical vault filled with treasures of old, But best of all will be Gorathan's gold! Gorathan's gold! Gorathan's gold! I'm gonna find me great Gorathan's gold! Hero of Blights Pride of Kal Sharok But the best thing about him, his gigantic (everyone drinks)

codex entry: Gorathan's Gold (cod_hst_gorathan_sharok)

Lyrium armor and silverite shield Tincture of lovin' to make ladies yield A magical vault filled with treasures of old But best of all will be Gorathan's gold! Gorathan's gold! Gorathan's gold! I'm gonna find me great Gorathan's gold! Hero of Blights Pride of Kal Sharok But the best thing about him, his gigantic (everyone drinks) —From the dwarven drinking song "Gorathan's Gold"

untitled codex entry (zz_cod_ltr_treasuremap)

The dwarves' treasure map shows a series of doors marked with a certain sigil. These must be opened in the correct order before the main tomb door will open.

much of the audio from the following two conversations can be heard on youtube.

drk000_xmarks_carta_dwarf

Carta Dwarf: Son of a nug! Watch out! Carta Dwarf: Aaah! Sodding darkspawn! I never seen 'em like this! Carta Dwarf: Help!

Carta Dwarf: You didn't have to do that for us, stranger. But I'm sodding glad you did. Carta Dwarf: I'm going back to the surface. If I wanted to die fighting darkspawn, I'd have joined the Legion, not the Carta. Hawke: [Why were you down here?] Did the Carta send you down for something? Carta Dwarf: Sent us to die, most like. Hawke: [There's no way out.] You won't be able to get back to the surface. Carta Dwarf: Sod that! I'll dig my way out. I got no interest in being food for darkspawn. Hawke: [You don't look tainted.] Are you from a different Carta? Not the one that's trying to free Corypheus? Carta Dwarf: Look, the buggers here may have some strange fetish for drinking darkspawn blood, but I'm just in it for the coin. Carta Dwarf: We came for the treasure of Gorathan Sharok, hero of Kal Sharok. Carta Dwarf: If you want, take our map. It's supposed to activate the magic in this place, but all it did was attract darkspawn. Carta Dwarf: I hope it serves you better than it did us. I'm going home. Isabela: I've heard of Gorathan Sharok. Every few years, some pirate crew gets it in their heads to ditch ship and go spelunking. Isabela: He was some ancient dwarven hero. Complete crazy, from what they say. Tried to hide his fortune from the darkspawn. Varric: Gorathan Sharok? Really? The Carta's usually more interested in extorting protection payments, not chasing old legends. Hawke: What legend? Varric: Gorathan was king of Kal Sharok during the First Blight. Before he died, he hid his wealth away, to keep it from his enemies. Varric: Half the young bucks in the Warrior Caste try to make their name by finding where it's buried. Hawke: A treasure map, huh? I wonder what it leads to.

Carta Dwarf: What did those blighters do the door?

drk000_xmarks_party_barks

Sebastian: I don't see any way to open it. There must be a switch. Sebastian: Why do they always put those as far from the door as possible? Sebastian: For convenience, they might occasionally hide one nearby...

Varric: Well there's something you don't see every day. Fenris: This is someone's idea of a joke, isn't it? Anders: What sort of magic is this? Bethany: What's doing that? Are you feeling all right? Aveline: That's a little unexpected. Isabela: That can't be healthy.

Isabela: Huh. What do you know? Looks like the map was accurate. Anders: Well, well. X marks the spot. Aveline: This location is marked on the map. Be careful. I don't know what we'll find here. Bethany: This map is amazing! I wonder who made it. Varric: Here I figured they were as full of shit as the rest of the Carta. There's really something to this treasure map... Sebastian: This looks like one of the doors marked on that map. But what are we supposed to do with it? Carver: Looks like this location's marked on the map. You really think we're going to find treasure? Fenris: (Scoffs) Magic. I say this map is more likely to lead us into a trap than to treasure. Hawke: I guess I'll just have to see where this goes.

Hawke: What do you know? I hope this map can be trusted. Isabela: What's wrong with this place? Why don't they have one decent, regular lock to pick? Isabela: No, it's got to be all magic and glowy lights... (Spits) Varric: Hawke, let me just say I'm glad you're the one doing all the experimenting. Hawke: There must be something around here...

Isabela: If this contains the treasure of Gorathan Sharok, I owe some dead pirates a lot of money. Isabela: What do you think's inside? Isabela: Rumor says his cache contains everything from lyrium armor to potions of eternal youth. Isabela: My favorite rumor was the lyrium-based aphrodisiac. But I suspect that was just how Tyrol got his men to go along. Varric: Who knew? The treasure of bloody Gorathan Sharok. If I were a proper dwarf, I'd be all reverent or something. Fenris: Time to find out if there's any truth to these stories about hidden treasure. Carver: You think we'll find anything in here? Or just more traps from this madman? Bethany: Someone went through a lot of trouble to hide this treasure. Aveline: And now we find out if there's anything here, or if he just wanted to lead treasure-hunters on a merry chase. Anders: There better be something worthwhile in here. Sebastian: This is why people should burn their dead decently. Not leave them lying around to be possessed by who-knows-what.

Coded Letter / COH?

Unlike the Gorathan's Gold quest above, which has a decent amount of content, there's very little available for this other quest. There's one possible plot file that might have been meant for its codex entry (cod_ltr_coded_letter) but it's completely blank, so I can't even guess what it might have been called. The only files that allude to its existence are two sparse conversation files.

drk000_party_barks_coh

Fenris: What? Can you not read it? Maybe it's in code. Carver: Is that written in code or something? Bethany: That doesn't make any sense. Do you think it's a code? Aveline: That must be a code. Who would write so much nonsense? Isabela: What the—? Is that some kind of code? Sebastian: That must be a code. Some kind of letter-substitution cipher? Varric: Whatever that says, they didn't want just anyone reading it. A code, you figure? Anders: It's a Grey Warden code. I've seen it used. But they never trusted me enough to teach me the cipher. Hawke: It's in code.

Isabela: Hey! That looks like a cipher. Maybe for that code we found? Sebastian: That looks like part of a cipher. Let's see what that letter was trying to hide. Varric: Well, lookie here. This may help break the code on that letter. Fenris: More writing. Is this a part of that code you found? Carver: Part of the cipher. That should help us figure out what was in that letter. Bethany: The cipher! That should help us figure out what's in that letter. Aveline: Maybe this will help us decrypt some of that letter. Anders: There we are! Now we can figure out what the Grey Wardens were trying to keep secret. Hawke: Looks like a piece of that cipher I need... Hawke: And another piece of the cipher. This should make things clearer.

Hawke: Jarmaine Ohela...

drk600_jarmaine_coh

Jarmaine: You are no Wardens! Anders: Beg pardon? Varric: Let me guess. Jarmaine Ohela. Pleased to meet you. Aveline: I think that's him! Sebastian: He's here! Bethany: I think that's him! Carver: That's the blood mage! Fenris: The blood mage. In the flesh. Isabela: So glad we got to meet like this. Jarmaine: You will all die!

Jarmaine: You are no Warden! Jarmaine: You will die!

DRK600 is Riannon's Floor of the tower, which in the completed DLC contains the power nexus puzzle to obtain the Regalia of Weisshaupt, if Hawke sides with Larius. Considering that DRK700, Daneken's Floor, contains the same puzzle and reward if Hawke sides with Janeka, I wonder if they realized early on that they had overscoped and essentially just ended up cutting a floor's worth of content.

Anyway, looks like we'll never find out what the wardens were trying to keep secret. RIP Jarmaine Ohela whoever the fuck you are

[ahelpfulpeach]

favorite queer ships?

:D I had an answer typed up and i hit backspace and it sent me back a page, deleting everything

SO LET’S TRY AGAIN, SHALL WE?

Video games: Leliana and F!Warden in Dragon Age origins was my first meaningful experience with a queer couple that like, actually was a couple. Because my early baby gay years were full of many queerbait-y things (as longtime followers and irl friends know), it meant a lot that my character got to romance a girl and they got to kiss and say they loved each other.

In Dragon Age 2, I fuckin love F!Hawke, Isabela, and Merrill as a happy loving triad sailing the seas together.

Dragon Age Inquisition gave me my F!Adaar and Josephine and that was just. Fuckin precious. So cute. holy shit.

Mass Effect, well. rather predictably, a friend told me I could romance a girl and I was like “cool, sold.” Shiara is precious and kind of tragic and I love it. I also ship F!Shepard and Tali and am incredibly bitter I cannot romance her as a woman.

Shows: I shipped Korrasami kind of jokingly back when s1 was airing because Korra just pinged my gaydar and I thought it was cute, but also never thought it would happen. Then I basically stopped watching the show because I went to college and didn’t have cable, and only got clued back in when a friend told me I should catch up. I knew everyone was freaking out about the ending, but had managed to avoid spoilers, so i was like sure. Caught up and just. I was so happy. It was such a little thing, but it meant a lot to me at the time.

And now, of course, if you follow me which I assume you do if you sent an ask, there’s Catradora. Which just. Wow. Has kinda taken over my brain and blog.

That said, I also ship like. Everything. for this show. Scorfuma is precious, Glimbow (those two are def both bi, and I headcanon Bow as trans) is very cute.

I’m also definitely here for Glitradora (mainly thanks to one specific artist in the fandom who made it so FUCKIGN cute) and for like- Adora: hi, this is my wife catra, our girlfriend Glimmer, and her husband Bow. We are all bffs and live together.

One of my first ships for this show was Adora and Scorpia because I was THERE for some buff, sweet, dumb ladies lovin’ each other.

[mariposalass]

Defying Time Self Ship Playlist

(Full Playlist Link here)

A playlist for a dorky librarian and a revived guy lost to time and history falling hard for each other.

Collide - Leona Lewis feat. Avicii

That Would Be Enough - Philippa Soo and Lin-Manuel Miranda

Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield

Music of My Heart - Gloria Estefan and *NSYNC

Bring Me to Life (Synthesis version) - Evanesence

Donde Están Mis Sueños - Marta Sanchez

You’ll Be in My Heart - Phil Collins

Breathe - Michelle Branch

Misteryo - Sarah Geronimo

Crush - David Archuleta

Gotta Be Somebody - Nickelback

Lovin’ You Lovin’ Me - Jason Raize

Till They Take My Heart Away - Clair Marlo

I’m Your Angel - Celine Dion and R. Kelly

Face My Fears - Utuda Hikaru and Skrillex

Feels Like Tonight - Daughtry

Another Part of Me - Michael Jackson

This I Swear - Sam Milby

Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows

Head Above Water - Avril Lavinge

When I Dream About You - Gracenote

We Got This - Isabela Vinzon and Alvin Chong

Gravity - Sara Bareilles

Mahal Na Mahal - Archie D

The Moon Represent My Love - Teresa Teng

Blue Sky - Hale

The Curtain Shall Rise Soon - U2 Akiyama (Antimony of Common Flower Pre-Battle Theme)

Walk Beside You - Celeste Buckingham

Love Someone - Lukas Graham

Breathing Underwater - Marie Digby

Sorry for the really long list, guys: I picked up a mix of old & new, well-known & less-known, and there are some songs made by foreign artists as well (The UK, Canada, Sweden, Japan, Philippines, Spain, Taiwan, Slovakia, and Denmark), plus a couple of them are not in English. This is not final: I might update this from time to time, which I will explain in the reblogs.

If you want to ask me about why I chose them, send in a DM or an ask, and maybe I can explain them someday. But get ready for the information overload: it’s going to be a popcorn feast!

[pathcrier]

5, 35 and 47 for the OC asks.

Hohoho, ty!!! I just woke up so please bear with me. I’m doing these for Delaney AND Avalon because they need lovins. The answers are under the cut.

5. What is your OC’s first memory?

Avalon: Avalon can’t truly remember much of her childhood yet one memory sticks out from the rest. It was the day Fergus’ son, Oren, was born. She was nearly 11 years old when her nephew was born. She remembers not being able to enter Oriana’s room because she was too young, she was stubborn and quite annoyed. Bryce decided to take Avalon’s mind off of this, since it will still be quite some time before the babe is born. The two of them went to her father’s study and had spent much of the time playing chess together- sneaking treats in for the wee lass despite Eleanor stating it’ll spoil her appetite later. Avalon kept talking about how she’s going to be the greatest warrior in the world and also the Queen. Bryce’s eyes gleamed with love and adoration at this small, spritely child. Knowing she’s the most pure and wonderful thing to ever happen to him. What only felt like minutes was evidently a couple of hours- Fergus and Eleanor came dashing into the study and excitedly stating that it’s a boy. Fergus carried the excited Avalon on his back as they made their way back to his family. Upon entering the room, Oriana, drained and tired, asked if Avalon wanted to hold her nephew. Avalon had graciously accepted, quick to state that he’s funny looking. “You weren’t so cute yourself, sister.” Fergus quipped. Avalon peered down at the tiny human, with a loving smile on her face, “I think I’ll enjoy having him in the family.”Delaney: Laney’s most vivid memory was the day Bethany’s magic manifested, Bethany was only 6 when it happened and Delaney was 12. (By DA2 when the twins are 18 - Hawke is only 24) Delaney was helping her mother prepare for dinner when the two of them heard Carver yelling. Delaney rushed outside to see their shed was on fire, Carver was angrily yelling at Bethany who was sitting on the ground, sobbing, not even sure what was going on. Delaney who was very protective of her sister, shoved Carver away from her, exclaiming that screaming at her wasn’t going to make this any better.. Leandra sent Carver to go find Malcolm, who was off fishing at a nearby creek. Delaney cradled the distraught Bethany in her lap, who was shakily repeating “I don’t want magic, I don’t want to go to the Circle.”  Delaney could remember thinking that it was dangerous enough living with one apostate, let alone the fact they’re elf-blooded.. and already seen as outsiders. She worried more at Bethany, who seemed to resent the fact that she was the only child to inherit Malcolm’s magic. Soon enough Malcolm and Carver returned, and their father brought Bethany to his study while Carver and Delaney doused the shed with water to rid themselves of the remaining flames. She could hear Carver muttering something about being a cursed family- to which Delaney responded by smacking him upside the head and calling him a brat. 

35. How’s your OC’s imagination? Daydreaming a lot? Constantly worrying? Living in memories?Avalon: Since Avalon and Alistair are the only living Wardens in Fereldon, there is a lot riding on her shoulders. She doesn’t have time to daydream, she is constantly worried, which eventually sends her overboard into a full blown panic attack that took Leliana, Wynne, and Alistair to calm her down. She can’t sleep because of the dreams, she hates being awake because the continuous threat of Darkspawn lurking around the corner- which she can’t sense yet; this causes her to worry even more so. How can she be a Warden without being able to sense darkspawn? After that one ambush on their camp, she couldn’t sense them. She wasn’t even sure if Alistair sensed them. She is so high strung and anxious all the time, and constantly thinking of the worst. She often confided in Alistair about not being good enough to save Fereldon. She worries that they won’t gather an army in time, and she worries that eventually Howe and Loghain will catch up to her and all but end the Cousland line.Delaney: She always has her head up in the clouds, daydreaming. Wondering what life could’ve been if they had been a normal family or if they had been born into nobility. But this doesn’t effect her work or how she lives. She knows that this reality, right now in Kirkwall, is her top priority and can’t afford to live in a fantasy. She knows that there’s no one else who can put Meredith down, she needs to be focused on the task ahead of her and not on what could have been. She does find herself reminiscing her childhood and old life to Fenris quite often. He is usually the one who instigates it with curiosity , they spend hours in bed just talking about her previous life in Fereldon and often enough the question of “Would you ever return home?” pops up. Delaney will admit that Fereldon is always going to be her home and she wonders if she should go back eventually but quite honestly she has nothing for her there and the people she loves are here with her now. 47. Can your character draw? What do they like to draw? Do they doodle?Avalon: Avalon is talented at the art of swordsmanship and battle, she jokingly states that the battlefield is her canvas, but she cannot actually draw. Her mother had often tried getting her to take on softer arts, such as painting. But she found them dull and monotonous and ultimately gave up on learning the skill. She’s a warrior, I have no need for silly doodles. To which Eamon was state “My girl, you are soon to be the Queen, perhaps its time to take up a more delicate trade..?” Which Avalon always snorts and declares that this isn’t Orlais and she won’t succumb to anything overly frilly and boring.Delaney: Delaney used drawing as an escape since there wasn’t much to do in Lothering, she would say she is quite talented. In Kirkwall she had a whole shelf full of both filled and empty sketchbooks. She uses her friends as her muses, and if you looked at her books they would be full of very detailed, very thorough portraits her buds. Namely Fenris, who she saw the most, as they lived together. Many nights were spent with Fenris submerged in his reading, and Laney with her legs draped over his lap, sketchbook in hers, studying his profile. She does also mindlessly doodle, usually over letters and invitations from nobles. Often enough of crude or immature images thanks isabela.

[scurvgirl]

Tonlen meeting Laurent for the first time?

Laurent belongs to @justanartsysideblog

Rissa hasn’t dated anyone since that little maggot bitch in high school, which is both good and bad. Good because there hasn’t been anyone to hurt her, but bad because no one has been really lovin’ on her either. While it’s not necessary, of course, to have a romantic partner, Tonlen’s aware that Rissa’d like one. And she is so smart, and so gorgeous, and so incredible that it’s a bit of a mystery to him why people aren’t just falling over themselves to get with her. Though there was that one guy in high school who admitted to Tonlen that the reason he didn’t ask Rissa out was because she intimidated the shit out of him with all of that brain power. 

It wasn’t a huge loss though, the guy was an idiot who refused to believe Isabela is in fact Rissa’s older sister and Tonlen’s cousin. 

So it’s pretty interesting when Rissa starts talking about her neighbor. An older guy who apparently likes to star gaze with her. A man who has taken her out on several dates, hasn’t pressured her, and is in fact not intimidated or threatened whatsoever by Rissa’s intellect. 

He’s also apparently easy on the eyes, which is a little harder for Tonlen to believe because then he’d be too perfect. Entirely too perfect, perfect people like that just don’t exist…right? 

He arrives at Rissa’s apartment for their usual Sunday brunch, only this time this new man will be there in all of his supposed perfection. Tonlen knocks on the door and it quickly opens, a man shimmies as close to the door jam as possible and shuts it behind him, making Tonlen step back.

“Excuse me?” Tonlen says, leaning back, his eyebrows lifting at the admittedly handsome man in front of him.

“Sorry, but Rissa said that you have issues with your lungs and she was cooking -

“You let her cook? Are you daft?!” Well there it is! He’s an idiot! He is in fact not perfect, ha!

“No, it wasn’t exactly that. I just got here about fifteen minutes ago and there was all this smoke because she wanted food, I thought we were going out,” he explains and Tonlen sighs. As smart as she is, Rissa can make odd choices, and stress over a situation tends to exaggerate the tendency. But cooking? Of all things - she knows damn well that she shouldn’t. 

Tonlen pulls his hair back into a bun, revealing the shaved sides of his head, and pulls up his shirt to cover his mouth. His hands move, slowly casting a chilling and control spell before he heads into the apartment. Most of the smoke is gone, but there is some lingering as Rissa bats at the main flume over the stove. She’s coughing and sputtering and otherwise compromising herself. He narrows his eyes and directs the water in the air to coalesce around the smoke, then freezes it, making it all disappear at once. Dirty snow falls around Rissa instead of the smoke and she turns around, eyes wide.

“I told Laurent to keep you outside!”

“Which was stupid, I can help with this,” Tonlen replies matter of fact. Rissa narrows her eyes.

“The last time you did this, you ended up in the ER and needed an endoscopy,” she shoots back. Tonlen rolls his eyes.

“That was different, that a lot of smoke -

“Wait, this has happened before?” Rissa’s beau asks. 

“Not exactly, a bonfire went astray, I wrangled with it - that was much more intense, Ris, you know that. This was nothing.” Though he says that and his lungs do feel a little…itchy. 

Nonetheless, Rissa puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head, “You’re so stubborn!”

“Like you’re not!” He snips. 

“I think we’re all a little hungry, so how about we go to IHop and eat some pancakes?” New man interjects making Tonlen and Rissa pause.

Tonlen crosses his arms and shakes his head, making his shirt return to its intended spot, “Yes. Let’s go, we can throw the ruined pan away later.”  He takes his cousin’s arm and practically drags her out of the apartment, allowing her just enough time to grab her keys. New guy follows and they pile into Tonlen’s car. Now way is he letting some new guy drive him and Rissa. 

“Rissa gets car sick so she rides in front,” Tonlen says. Rissa gives him a look but the guy doesn’t complain as he slides into the backseat. 

Tonlen puts on music he knows both he and Rissa like and again, no complaints. He makes small talk and talks about his fencing career and how he’s very excited to meet Tonlen. Rissa blushes again. 

They make it to IHop and end up ordering quite a bit of food. Rissa gets a heart healthy omelet while Tonlen decides to treat himself with a stack of pancakes. Rissa’s date orders eggs and Orlesian toast. 

Talk starts up about space and science and while Rissa’s neighbor is clearly not as proficient as Rissa is (which is not to harsh on him, nobody is really as proficient except for maybe Maibrit) and Tonlen throws in bits and pieces about his neuroscience studies. 

Their food arrives but the conversation continues…and continues and continues. And the longer things draw on, the more he relaxes. Laurent is not just a good guy, but a good guy. He’s the kind of guy that you want sweeping people of their feet, the guy who can. 

Good, he thinks, smiling at Rissa, she deserves it. And it’s nice to see that there are these people out there, not necessarily perfect because no one is but so close, people’s whose imperfections fit well against another’s. 

But the best part about it is Rissa is actually happy. Their romance is slow, steady, but natural and she is glowing with it. She steals a bite of his toast and he snags a piece of her omelet and giggles when she pokes his bicep. 

It’s so cute, Tonlen may gag. 

By the time they get back to Rissa’s apartment, Tonlen has just about made up his mind, though it is subject to change should anything happen. He stops Laurent just outside of the apartment and hugs him. 

“Be good to her, she’s worth more than all those stars you look at,” he whispers. Laurent hugs him back.

“I know.”