#world state: multi origin wardens

[daughterofhighever-blog]

Dance from tav!!

@luna-mxth -

The setting sun glinted through the trees in brilliant shades of gold, amber, and orange. The air in the forest had a pleasant, wet earthy smell, like the air after a heavy rain. Elissa's hair hung down her back in intricate braids woven in with the crown of flowers and sprigs of lavender that Tavrayn had crafted himself, and her dress was of pale green and cream, with accents of gold. It gathered high at her waist, draping down over the round of her belly where their first child grew.

It was their wedding day...

His and his mother's clan owed Elissa a great debt for saving them from werewolves during the Blight - and while it pained her to think that was the only reason they'd opened themselves back up, even just a little to the boy they'd exiled as a defenseless child... she put it away in her mind. Tavrayn was happy to show her... happy to share with her... What did the 'why'of it matter?

She took his offered hand with a bright smile and a laugh. There was even a little music being played still, with others (mostly all the younger folk) in the group dancing about one of the fires. The older members of the clan kept to themselves, with a few whispered to each other and cut displeased glances towards them, but kept their silence.

Elissa let Tavrayn pull her as close as her belly would let him and cupped the back of his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

"I love you..." she whispered against his lips, letting him lead as they began to dance.

[anneapocalypse]

I would be absolutely delighted to hear your thoughts on loghain as a companion <3 very cool to see you back on dragon age!!

(I'm so late getting to this I'm sorry. ❤️)

Not gonna lie, conscripting Loghain to the Grey Wardens, having him do the Dark Ritual, and then leaving him in the Fade ten years later is my favorite world state for Loghain. (It is always sad to lose Alistair, but as I am a multi-worldstate chronic replayer, I get to be BFFs with Alistair in other world states. ❤️)

I like Loghain killing the archdemon as well (I've written fic with that worldstate). But there's something so satisfying to me about saying no, you will not die a martyr or a hero during the Blight, you will serve the Wardens for the next decade in the mundane daily grind of the order in peacetime. And then after serving faithfully for ten years, his redemption arc culminates in a sacrifice that he chooses. I like it a lot.

I don't idealize Loghain or anything; he does a lot of things wrong, ranging from the understandable to the unforgivable. I think he's an interesting and compelling character and after reading The Stolen Throne, I have a lot more understanding for what he did at Ostagar. I realize that it couldn't have been an easy choice to let his best friend's son die, and that after several decades of saving dumbass Thierins (affectionate and derogatory) from themselves, maybe that really seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

After that, I think he really gives in to his paranoia and his decisions start to become a lot less defensible (letting slavers operate in the alienage being, I think, the worst). One of my favorite optional moments in Origins is when you can talk Ser Cauthrien down outside the Landsmeet with a very high Coercion, and she lets you by saying, "Stop him, Warden. Stop him from betraying everything he once loved." This is a man she respects more than anything, to whom she feels she owes everything, and even she can be made to admit that he's gone off the rails.

Yet after he loses the duel, even Loghain accepts his defeat. If sentenced to join the Wardens (and I do tend to approach it as a sentence, not an act of mercy, though there are different ways to interpret it), he approaches it as his duty, and serves his sentence without complain. He can even come to respect the Warden who defeated him, once he actually has to work with them instead of making up stories in his own head about how they're enemies of Ferelden. I think that being forced to actually face the enemy he should have been fighting this whole time, the Blight, has an affect on him too.

Conscripting him also gives you the opportunity to take him with you for the Return to Ostagar DLC, which I highly recommend (and you should take Wynne along, too, so she can give him a good grandmotherly scolding). He also has some hilarious banter with Zevran if you put them in the party together at any point.

I love a villain who thinks they're the hero, and Loghain is my second-favorite villain in Dragon Age. (One guess who the first one is.)

[calicostorms]

DAO OCs Masterlist

Organized alphabetically by last name, IDs are in alt text.

Kahan Aeducan: My canon warden! Grew up as the youngest of the Aeducan brothers, born to a noble hunter and Endrin Aeducan. He took well to the brutal politicking of Orzammar and was known for his enjoyment in crafting deals or taking down lesser noble house plots against his family. He relishes in keeping people he loves safe and got his hands dirty to keep theirs clean. Honor was very important to him until Bhelen's betrayal and after becoming a warden he took every opportunity to further his chances even at the expense of others.

He is especially close with Zevran and Morrigan and after defeating the archdemon he left to chase after a cure for the Blight, using leads from Morrigan and his own research. He occasionally joined up again with Zevran to fight the crows and by Inquisition he uses his political clout in Fereldan to force their hand and require their help in closing the Breach. He has taken in a younger ex-crow Zevran discovered in his travels by the name of Ainara, and taken up a renewed fight against the crows alongside his husband, Zevran.

Aedan Cousland: One of my multi warden world state ocs! Grew up alongside his twin sister and became an accomplished, if untested, swordsman. Lived a plush life until the death of most of the Cousland family before the Blight and fled on his own to escape through the sewers. He worked his nobility to his favor and helped amass allies against the Blight, joining the warden with his warriors and becoming a warden himself. He falls for Morrigan and happily performs the ritual at her request to save them, and spends much of his time after the Blight traveling alongside her and marveling in her magic and caring for their son.

Athras Mahariel: Best friends with Tamlen and known for their budding romance with Merrill before becoming a warden. Originally born to an ex city elven father and Dalish mother, Athras took to hunting like a fish to water and was frequently found in the halla pens in their youth. After Tamlen becomes blighted by the mirror, they reluctantly become a warden and form quick bonds with Alistair at Ostagar. Frequently confused by the shemlen world and its customs, Athras often confided in Morrigan and Alistair, occasionally seeking the advice of Oghren due to his battle prowess. They harden Alistair and place him on the throne due to a concern over elvhen well being, becoming his consort, and are often the one he seeks advice from in his kingship. Functionally they're a shadow ruler of Fereldan, though few would dare to say it.

Rheya Tabris: Born to a night elf who fought alongside Loghain and Maric to retake Fereldan, Rheya was taught the art of subterfuge but took far better to wielding a greatsword and armor. She had a fierce temper and was protective of others around her, particularly Soris, who she viewed like a younger brother. She looked forward to her match with Nelaros, and after his death to save her in the castle, she kept the ring.

She became a fierce warden and a champion of the downtrodden, helping where she could and giving money when she could not. She romanced Leliana, taken in by her idealistic views and her own experiences with loss, and viewed Alistair and Sten like brothers. Outraged by Loghain's betrayal of the city elves, she fought and executed him, placing Anora on the throne after many threats to do the same if her promises to treat the elves well rang shallow. After the Blight she traveled with Leliana for a time, diverging in Kirkwall to help the alienage elves there and investigating rumors of a cured blighted mirror. Became close friends with Merrill and continues to search for a Blight cure though her hope wanes by Inquisition when she begins to hear the false calling.

Cilian Theriel: My bitchy blood mage <3. In the Circle he was very well behaved and quiet, mostly to prevent any extra attention from Templars. He had feelings for his best friend, Enoch Surana, but never acted on them out of concern for causing templars to separate them. A star pupil with a penchant for entropy magic, he relishes in becoming a warden in spite of his worry for Jowan and Enoch.

He swiftly takes the view that he must end the blight no matter the cost, and begins using blood magic to further their chances. Distrusts Alistair and finds kinship in Morrigan, but eventually is charmed by Zevran and becomes his partner. In spite of his determination, he refuses the ritual with Morrigan, arguing that it's a step too far to bring something so powerful and unknown into the world even if it will save his life. He dies slaying the archdemon.

[v-arbellanaris]

there's 2 things you guys need to understand abt my world state: it's based off my first two warden playthroughs.

my first warden was amell and i was absolutely terrified of everything because i had no idea what i was doing. i got redcliffe killed bc i went to camp to clear my inventory and the city fucking died, so i had to reload. i did orzammar first because i had no idea the quests were supposed to be done in any particular order. i had no idea what i was doing, and everything terrified me BECAUSE I WAS UNDERLEVELLED FOR EVERYTHING I ATTEMPTED, but somehow muddled through everything to a somewhat alright/satisfactory ending. i killed loghain, put alistair on the throne -- i cant even remember if i hardened him or not -- and romanced leliana.

but my second playthrough was a tabris playthrough. at this point, amell was my only canon warden. i had no plans for a multi-warden canon but i wanted to try the other origins. i knew a bit more about the world. i wanted to try the alistair romance. and everything went horribly wrong. it all went wrong at the landsmeet because i refused to kill loghain and then alistair told me he didn't want to be king so i accidentally supported anora and then alistair got EXILED!!!

so. i did a second playthrough with her, and FORCED her to kill loghain and then agreed to let alistair be king AND THEN SHE GOT PUBLICALLY DUMPED. this was after i accidentally triggered the zevran romance and then i had to dump zevran to continue the alistair romance. she was so fucking outraged by the AUDACITY.

so i tried ANOTHER playthrough for her. in my third playthrough, which honestly felt like she'd just been reincarnated for the third time at that point, my tabris was so furious and enraged that she dumped alistair for zevran, saved loghain and then got alistair exiled and supported anora on the throne ENTIRELY OUT OF VENGEANCE for the previous playthroughs.

and it still didn't feel right! no matter how i tried to fix it, nothing felt more right or canonical than the first INCREDIBLY FUCKED UP playthrough i did with her. so that just... ended up canon???

[crossdressingdeath]

Your post about the Inquisitor having very little control over their choice of allies, how they're the only ones who are allowed to do anything/them taking over places/factions by force, and the PC wanting to disband the organization got me thinking of how I could apply that more to my multi-Inquisitor world state.

The origin that will for sure have the Mark is Lavellan, Keeper Deshanna Lalvellan. I am mainly using that as an excuse to have the entirety of her clan assemble at Skyhold per her request and to potentially rally more Dalish clans to the fight since she trusts them more than she'll ever trust the Chantry. That and I believe her being a Keeper would make for an Inquisitor that would function as a good leader for a large and varied organization.

Oh and to freak the Chantry out further, her first, Hissera, is half Qunari on her mother's side.

Kaaras Adaar would bring in most if not all of the Valo-Kas. They're heavily based on the Landsknecht, so they wear very flamboyant clothing under their armor and have bronze horn coverings. They do this to distinguish them from "true Qunari" and they have a rather large and expensive reputation.

Cadash would provide connections to the Carta, which could come in very useful for supply lines.

Trevelyan likely would bring in additional former Circle Mage allies.

Deshanna recruits both the Avvar and Fiona's mages.

She does this to nullify the Chantry's influence over the organization, by making the Chantry's forces completely outnumbered by non-Andrastians.

This obviously goes over poorly for Cassandra, who basically grows to hate Deshanna.

Leliana and Josephine secretly approve.

Cullen gets replaced since not only is he a Templar, his mental is pretty fragile due to his lyrium withdraw. With his replacement being the Valo-Kas leader Shokrakar.

The Chantry at large is pretty upset by this, to say the least. To the point where they disown the Inquisition.

I'll probably have Neria Surana join pretty early on for Leliana's sake since they're still a couple.

Merrill shows up with Isabela as their main Elven expert and rightfully takes Morrigan's place in the story.

The organization does disband shortly after Corypheus is killed, as there is nothing else for them to do or to keep them together as a group. Though they do keep in contact with each other, calling favors and whatnot.

Whether or not this affects Solas and Trespasser still needs to be fleshed out.

It would definitely affect Trespasser, since no Inquisition = no Exalted Council = nothing bringing Quiz to the Winter Palace. So you'd definitely need to figure out an alternate way to get the gang back into Solas's plans. But that does sound like an interesting AU! Part of the reason I haven't done any multi-Inquisitor (or multi-Warden, for that matter) AUs is that it's a lot of additional moving parts, and a lot of protagonists who've lost the protagonist slot and now have nothing to do. I do kind of want to do something with Lavellan, Adaar and Cadash, but I feel like that would be more AU than just "multiple potential Inquisitors in the Inquisition"...

Anyway, though. Yeah, having multiple Inquisitors present is very good for giving Quiz allies! That's a very compelling reason to do stuff with multiple Inquisitors.

[the-raven-of-highever]

Well that base looks stupidly heavy. Also I can’t look at the urn without seeing an ampule from Prometheus and Alien Covenant.

[writing-autism]

Character Pairing and Prompt List

All custom PC’s and I don’t write explicit NSFW. (Also theoretically accept Inquisition prompts but it’s my least favorite of the games and it shows.) Also overall world state is multi-warden and multi-Hawke because I’m indecisive and also messy. (Also in a state of reconsidering/remaking said worldstate so very much subject to change.)

Parings

F!Tabris/Leliana

F!Surana/Morrigan

F!Cousland/Alistair

NB!Mahariel/M!Amell/Zevran

F!Brosca/F!Aeducan

F!Hawke/Anders/Justice (Not to be biased on main but I’m biased)

NB!Hawke/Merrill/Isabela

M!Hawke/Fenris

Also completely down for any platonic prompts with the Origins, Awakening and DA2 crew (Minus Sebastian, sorry)

Characters

Overview of all my pcs if you’re interested

Prompt List (Please ignore the NSFW ones on a larger list)

100 ways to say I love you

More ways to say I love you

DA Prompts

More DA Prompts

Dialogue prompts

More Dialogue prompts

Practical Magic Prompts

Childhood Prompts

Platonic Prompts

More Platonic Prompts

Drabble Prompts

Mass Effect Prompts

Lyric Prompts

Hug Prompts

just any prompts you feel like throwing at me

[sapphim]

Map of Duncan’s travels in my headcanon multi-warden world state. (sequel)

Duncan and some wardens (bby warden Alistair included) travel from Ostagar to Orzammar around the north shore of Lake Calenhad. Duncan takes brief detour to Kinloch Hold while the rest of the wardens continue on to Orzammar to get set up for their expedition into the Deep Roads. Surana is recruited.

Duncan and Surana meet the rest of the wardens at Orzammar. Brosca is recruited. While the wardens were previously welcome, they are told that if they are recruiting Brosca they cannot remain in Orzammar, so they depart immediately into the Deep Roads (To check darkspawn have been abandoning the Deep Roads and a Blight has indeeed started.)

Shit happens. Aeducan is banished to the Deep Roads. The wardens encounter Aeducan in the Deep Roads while on their way back to Orzammar. Aeducan is recruited.

The wardens exit the Deep Roads and head south to Redcliffe, where a tournament is held and Jory is recruited. (canonically Jory is from Redcliffe but was recruited in Highever but we’re ignoring that as it’s way out of the way)

From Redcliffe, they continue on to Lothering, where the rest of the wardens and warden recruits go south to rejoin the forces at Ostagar while Duncan continues on alone to Denerim.

By the time Duncan reaches Denerim, the situation in Ostagar has changed, and Cailan has called for the nobles to muster their forces and join him in Ostagar. Duncan cancels his original plans to continue along the coastlands to Highever. The alienage is closed. Daveth is recruited.

Duncan and Daveth return south to Ostagar. Rather than remain on the Imperial Highway, Duncan cuts south into the Southron Hills to follow up on suspicious activity, which is where he encounters the Sabrae clan and the eluvian in the ruins. Mahariel is recruited.

Duncan hastens to bring Mahariel to Ostagar and have the six recruits undertake the joining before Mahariel can succumb to the blight. Shit happens.

Note: Shortly before Duncan’s arrival in Denerim, Tabris attempts to run away and join the dalish prior to their wedding day, Soris tagging along trying to talk them out of it. Right outside the alienage, the two get into an altercation with Vaughan Kendells and his men, and Vaughan is killed. (This is because I hate the Tabris origin out of principle and would rather it not happen at all.) The two flee south into the Brecilian where they get stuck with the Dalish clan there until the wardens resolve the werewolf situation.

Note: After Howe’s betrayal, Cousland and Eleanor flee south through the Bannorn, trying to catch up to Fergus and his men. Unfortunately, they don’t make good time, and they arrive at Lothering around the same time as early deserters from the battle at Ostagar. Hearing the news, Cousland and Eleanor change direction and head to Redcliffe to seek aid from Eamon Guerrin. (Eleanor remains at Redcliffe while Cousland travels to Denerim - accompanied by some of Eamon’s knights in search of a cure for his mysterious illness - to seek further allies against Howe, which is where they are later encountered by the wardens.)

[lesbianarcana]

Also I have a bunch of new followers so hi, I'm Asher (they/them only), I'm basically what it says on the blog description -- white nonbinary bisexual (previously lesbian?) opinionated Jew

This was originally an Arcana blog but it's sort of evolved into a multi fandom but mostly Dragon Age blog cause I'm back on my Thedosian bullshit. You'll see stuff from other fandoms crop up from time to time.

I mostly post OC x Canon stuff including my own OCs. My Arcana OC is under #dayana firestone and my Dragon Age OC is under #nyssa. I also have an Inquisitor I'm playing under #ghil lavellan

I will probably make a page about my Dragon Age world state or a bit about my Warden, Hawke and Inquisitor, as well as my other OCs so watch this space

I also do art #my art and writing #my writing

Minors can follow this blog but I will post nsfw or 18+ from time to time and it is tagged with 🔞. If you're a minor and you interact with those posts I will block you from this blog. I can't stop you from reading or viewing this stuff, but you will not be allowed to interact with my content if you like or reblog something I have told you not to touch. Please respect my boundaries.

Also fyi - I'm generally easy to talk to if you're not rude, condescending or assuming the worst of me. I prefer having actual conversations over DM if we have a misunderstanding rather than just sniping at each other over tumblr, so if you have an issue just treat me with a bit of respect yeah? Don't think that's too much to ask. I have no qualms admitting my own shortcomings but I don't enjoy the self righteous outrage reblog rants people do on here and I'm working on training myself out of that too.

(I'm also recently diagnosed with ADHD and can sometimes have trouble making myself understood, so I appreciate when others ask me for clarity rather than assuming)

Anyway please interact, I like making new friends and talking about OCs and meta and stuff.

Any questions DM me. Thanks for being here.

[theharellan]

Dragon Age Words I’ve Written Over the Years

I say “words” because some of my favourite work I’ve written in threads. Most are Solas-centric because this is a Solas rp blog, but not all. @unofficialdragonageday

Dare to be in the Company of Those Stronger Than You, 2015-2019. Fan written banter between the canon characters of Dragon Age: Inquisition and Solas. Find more (including OC and non-DA:I characters) here in my banter tag.

Tales of Fen’Harel, 2017. There are always two sides to every legend. A series of original legends about Fen'Harel.    

Five Times Defended, 2019. Solas & Mythal, platonic. Five times Solas put his life or word on the line for Mythal.

A Memory That Strains, 2019. Solas & Mythal, platonic. He had always thought of her as the best of them, but when he sees a path forward for the People, she draws back. Solas confronts Mythal in her temple on the eve of the Elvhen Rebellion.

Five Times Enlightened, 2019. Solas & Wisdom, platonic. Wisdom was one of his oldest and dearest friends, and had offered him countless lessons over its existence, and beyond.

It Tastes of Despair, 2017. This world tries to mimic the one Solas knows, the ways in which it falls short leaves him hollow.

I Cannot Come In (Unless You Dream of Me), 2017. (tumblr, ao3) nb!Lavellan x Solas. When word of Ian’s capture reaches Solas, he does everything within his power to see him brought safely home. Strongly recommended that you read @theshirallen​‘s drabble, “And My Heart Cannot Be,” first as this is a response to it.

Never Far From My Mind, 2019. (tumblr: part i, part ii) nb!Lavellan x Solas. Brief moments where Solas thinks of Ian, part of a continuing series.

A Name That Fits, 2019. (tumblr, ao3) nb!Lavellan x Solas. While Dreaming in the Hissing Wastes, Solas finds himself confronted with a spirit sickened with fear. In his efforts to heal it, he is forced to confront uncomfortable feelings about his own identity, and seek comfort in another’s arms.

Five Times Loved, 2016. nb!Lavellan x Solas. Five times Solas demonstrates his love for Ian, set during one of the hardest points in Ian’s life.

Naked, Vulnerable, but Completely Content, 2018. (tumblr, ao3) nb!Lavellan x Solas. Nights of sleeplessness sometimes call for creative solutions. Solas suggests Ian Lavellan try a lavender-scented bath, but Ian would rather not enjoy it by himself.

Five Times Flirted, 2018. nb!Lavellan x Solas. Burgeoning feelings between Solas and Ian are slow to take root. This world and its customs are strange, but he feels he needs to make his affection known.

Five Times Solas Held a Baby, 2018. nb!Lavellan x Solas. Ian keeps handing babies to Solas for some reason.

First Kiss, 2017. (ao3, tumblr) nb!Lavellan x Solas. “For just a moment, I want to be brave in ways I’ve never tried before.” Ian Lavellan kisses Solas for the first time.

Apodyopis, 2019. (tumblr, ao3) nb!Lavellan x Solas. The act of mentally undressing someone. Solas finds himself hoping something more will come of tonight, but knows his desires are not the only ones which matter.

Was It Only a Kiss?, 2018. nb!Lavellan x Solas. A roleplay thread between myself and @theshirallen about Solas and Ian’s first true kiss.  

Five Times Hugged, 2018. (tumblr, ao3) Solas & f!Cadash, platonic.  Solas isn’t much of a hugger, but Thora is.

Expectations, 2019. (tumblr, ao3) Solas & f!Cadash, platonic. Rewrite of the balcony scene between Solas and my Inquisitor, with the conversation taking a different route.

On the Meaning of Names, 2018. Solas & f!Cadash, platonic. Thora takes it upon herself to learn elvhen, and during her lessons happens upon a familiar word.  

The Year That Wasn’t, 2019. nb!Lavellan x Solas, Solas & f!Cadash, platonic. This is technically unfinished but it’s a thread between myself, myself, and @theshirallen​ that I love enough to share in its incomplete state. Set during the quest In Hushed Whispers, where Ian can be picked up alongside other companions.

All We Are is a Promise, 2015. (tumblr, ao3) f!Cadash x Blackwall. Thora and Blackwall spend their first night together after taking him back post-personal quest.

That Mercy you to others show, show that Mercy to Me, 2017. (tumblr, ao3) f!Cadash x Blackwall, Solas x nb!Lavellan. Solas seeks wisdom in an Inquisitor who chose to forgive Blackwall.

Let’s Be Selfish, 2019. (tumblr, ao3) f!Cadash x Harding. The Orlesian Civil War was over, but its conclusion left Thora Cadash feeling hollow and tired. Lace tries to lighten the evening, to do something to reclaim it for themselves.

Morning After Kiss, 2019. (tumblr, ao3) Merrill x Sera. It’s funny, waking up in the wrong bed but the right place. Merrill finds herself at home in Sera’s sheets after a night of fun.

Forbidden Kiss, 2019. (tumblr, ao3) f!Aeducan x Gorim. Gorim and Tamar Aeducan don’t have the luxury of being open with their affection.

You Are Not Alone, 2015. Solas has left the Inquisition, but his ghost lingers in Skyhold’s walls. A short piece on what Solas’ absence might feel like to those he left behind.

Taking Up the Grey, 2014. A series of drabbles following a Warden Carver Hawke and his interactions with the cast of Dragon Age: Awakening.

I don’t want this to take up more space than it already will on the dash, so I’ll link you to my writing tag on Solas and my DA multi and leave it at this. Thank you to my rp partners for the five years of inspiration!  ❤️

[daughterofhighever-blog]

❛ We look up at the same stars and see such different things. ❜ ( hello there 🥰! )

With a long stare up at the night sky from where Elissa lay stretched out on the grass, hands laced behind her head, she took a great space of time to consider Elowen's words. When was the last time the elven woman, quick becoming a friend, had even seen the stars with her own eyes before Elissa and Duncan had come to the Circle on their way to Ostagar?

"Even something so lovely as the night sky would seem... different... if it could only be seen through bars. Perhaps I've taken such sights for granted..."

Elissa had bathed and scrubbed at her skin what felt like dozens of times since they had all left the hollowed, shattered ruins of Kinloch Hold. It had taken them barely a brace of days to cut through all the muck, maleficars, demons, and blood, yet Elissa still felt coated in a filthy grime that might not ever be washed clean.

How much worse did it feel for one as intimately bound to the Fade as her companion? Did it feel worse? Every impulse she had to begin asking died on her tongue. Instead she sighed, rolling over onto her side and digging her elbow into the dirt to prop her head up on her palm.

"Did you never get to see the stars before? I mean truly see them..."

[fandomn00blr]

Author Interview

Tagged by @charlatron for these questions a long, long time ago...thank you, and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get to this! It got lost in my Drafts folder, and I decided to clean that out as I procrastinate on other things, so...umm...yeah!

Name: Adrian

Fandoms: Dragon Age (and everything else, but still mostly Dragon Age)

Where you post: AO3, and here (WIPs and random drabbles, head canons, and excerpts)

Most popular one shot: “...And when it comes...” a tooth-rottingly sweet fenhawke+kids two-chapter thing where I introduced dad!Fenris as a habitual hair-braider (also includes a really disturbing flashback, so CW for slavery and implied/suggested sexual abuse). It was also the first fan fic I ever shared publicly!

Most popular multi-chapter story: lol...I don’t talk about this much (watch me talk a lot about it right now), but it’s a Seven Deadly Sins Jericho-centric fic, called Walls Tumbling Down (har de har har!). I’ve only ever watched the first two seasons of the show on Netflix because me and my real-life partner like to occasionally binge watch anime for shits and giggles, but I’m not involved in the fandom at all (a lot of stuff about the show and I assume the manga is actually a little squicky for me). I started writing this because I really liked one (1) character who deserved more attention and more opportunities to yell at everyone (and she does that! and it’s really cathartic to write!). About once a year I get inspired to add a chapter (it’s all outlined, and ends with some closure for my girl) and somehow, those blessed kudos keep trickling in...

Favourite story you wrote: I think In Deep is my most self-indulgent fic right now, even though it’s not complete, and it’s in a different world state than most of my other stuff. It’s mostly about Anders, post-Inquisition, following Dread Moon, a collab multi-chapter fic I wrote with my buddy, @figgypudz about her our OC Alarion, an elf who was spying on Dorian for this mysterious organization, the Agents of Fen’Harel (it takes place pre-Trespasser). Anders and Alarion are boyfriends now, and they are on the run (sorta) and Anders is getting a chance to process and heal and be adored by someone. Oh, and Cole keeps popping in, too. <3

How you choose your titles: Ok, so I thought that said “titties” and I was like, “I’m not very particular...” and I guess the same goes for my titles. If it’s a multi-chapter thing, I try to figure out a theme or a pattern for naming chapters. Same goes for series. My Lost and Found series was originally all verby-sounding titles, but then I got distracted by spin-offs. Sometimes it’s a character quote or a reference to the source material that is particularly relevant to the theme or situation. I’m terrible about using song lyrics or poems or whatever. So, yeah...IDK...

Complete: 7! Whaaat?! (Most of those are one-shots or parts of a longer series...)

Incomplete: 8...plus everything else I haven’t even started sharing yet...eeeeek!

Do you outline: Yes. Obsessively. Often. All over the place. With arrows and links and omg...my brain needs to just knock it off with all the planning and mapping sometimes.

Coming Soon: Oof...um...I’m three two chapters away from finishing Fly Away of my Lost and Found series and those chapters are already mostly/sort of written! There’s gonna be some more fenhawke smut, and a lot less drinking for one person in particular...

Do you accept prompts: I suck at focusing enough on something I’m not completely passionate about to pull this off, I think, and I find the idea of writing for other people really intimidating! Those of you who can just take someone else’s suggestions and run with them are amazing and I admire you. Maybe once I get all these stories out of my head? So...probably never.

Upcoming story you’re most excited to write: The next part of Lost and Found, Part IV (I think?): Legacy, should be kinda fun (and shorter, I hope!), cuz it will feature a super pregnant Hawke trying to do the stuff from the DA2 Legacy DLC (with some help from some familiar Wardens and some other friends/family members she has been missing since she left Kirkwall)...but I made goals for #theWIPproject2020 of working on some of my current WIPs, so that might have to wait!

I’m tagging @factorykat, @serial-chillr, and @hermiowngranger. Please ignore if you’ve already done this or just like, don’t feel like it, maaannnn...

[red-wardens]

Red-Warden’s OC Page

Because this is all on my OC Page (that I have a link to on my sidebar), but is therefore inaccessible to those who using tumblr app or tumblr from their non-computer devices, I am copy and pasting my OC Page onto a post for anyone interested :) My Warden Squad + Hawkes + Inquisitors 

Under the cut because pictures + descriptions = long post.

------

Picture Credits: Isseya Mahariel (@Vasirah), Kieran Tabris (@noquiethere), Ronan Aeducan (@blue-spectre), Nora Brosca (@chillyrose), Cassian Cousland (@varrric)

Ages: Start of Origins (Dragon 9:30), Start of Inquisition (Dragon 9:41)

Blue Surana: the Leader (my “canon” Warden Commander) and Most Powerful Warden on Squad 

5'4, silence and duty and eccentricity; elf mage, Fire mage (Specialization: Arcane Warrior/Spirit Healer/Battle Mage), royal blue eyes, expressionless face, seldom talks but when she does her voice is very toneless; strong sensitivity to loud sounds/bright lights; generally has a physical touch aversion; True Neutral, Virgo

During Blight: age 18, bobbed white hair tied back and straight-across bangs; has difficulty processing emotions and understanding feelings/actions of others; generally keeps to herself, somewhat scary/spooky aura; 

During Inquisition: age 29, waist-length white hair and straight-across bangs; sclera of eyes is darker and some of her veins are black/blackening due to the taint (affects her more than most Wardens)

LI/sexuality: mutual pining for Sten; Asexual/Grey-romantic

Creator Notes: Though there’s no official word for it in Thedas, in Modern AU Blue is diagnosed as a child with high-functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorder. She is also half-Middle Eastern, half-Indian coded.

Hero of World State 1 (survives Archdemon)

Blue’s Aesthetic Tag

Isseya Mahariel: the Second in Command and the Arlessa of Amaranthine

*also Becomes Warden Commander when Surana steps down to look for Cure for The Calling

5'7, sternness and skill and pride; Dalish Archer, Rogue (Specialization: Ranger), dark green eyes, beautiful but often looks annoyed/disapproving, alcoholic tendencies; low key really likes halla; Lawful Neutral, Capricorn 

During Blight: age 19, thick black hair in long thin braids, impatient but not impulsive, prone to yelling, very prideful and sure of herself, generally unsentimental 

During Inquisition: age 30, the Grey Wardens are her life (married to job trope, but also married to Zev), scars from archdemon fight, firm but fair; wants kids but the Warden taint makes it hard; lost faith in Elven gods but still respects Dalish culture   

LI/sexuality: Zevran Arainai; Heterosexual 

Creator Notes: In Thedas her Mahariel parents are from Rivain; in Modern AU she is Kenyan-Japanese mix coded with predominantly Kenyan culture (understands Swahili). 

Hero of World State 2 (survives Archdemon)

Isseya’s Aesthetic Tag

Alyss Amell: the Healer/medic of Squad; generally non-combatant beyond setting glyphs and in-fight healing

5'2, sweetness and hope and tears; human mage, Creation Mage (Specialization: Spirit Healer/Blood Mage/Rift Mage [by Inquisition time]), pale blue eyes, half-Orlesian and fluent in the language, loves reading/studying, shy and gentle, blushes easily; Chaotic Good, Cancer

During Blight: age 21, light brown hair slightly past shoulders and tied back with a pink ribbon; kind but timid, no self-confidence and no “fight-or-flight” instinct only “freeze and cry"; huge affinity for sweets and breads

During Inquisition: age 32, still kind-hearted but braver and more sure of herself, still shy but can speak up in front of others now, hairstyle now the “bisexual bob”, new hair ribbon is a pale blue 

LI/sexuality: Leliana; Demisexual/Biromantic

Creator Notes: In Thedas her father is Orlesian so her mom Revka Amell decides to keep her maiden name to make it easier on her children; in Modern AU she is French-American coded and was diagnosed with Severe Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder at age 14. 

Hero of World State 3 (dies slaying Archdemon)

Alyss’ Aesthetic Tag

Kieran Tabris: the Vanguard, always first to charge into battle

5'9, candidness and loyalty and a fiery temper; City elf, Two-Handed Sword Warrior (Specialization: Templar/Reaver),  motivated by spite and aesthetic (also attention), talks about his mom a lot; Chaotic Neutral, Aries

During Blight: age 20, pretty but petty with a loud foul mouth, has never had a single chill in his life; raging hatred towards humans (except is neutral to human mages), idiotic tendencies, a pain in the ass to Mahariel 

During Inquisition: age 31, has obtained some chill but not much

LI/sexuality: has a son with Morrigan (one night stand, never sees her again, doesn’t want to), was in an on-and-off relationship for a couple years with Velanna but they eventually broke up for good; Bisexual/Grey-romantic (strong aversion to humans). 

Creator Notes: In Thedas he and his mom came to Ferelden from an island to the East of the Amaranthine Sea. His mom married Cyrion after Adaia and City Elf Warden (the real Tabris Warden) both died. Kyung-jae is his real name and “Kieran” was the name he adopted in Ferelden while learning Trade language. He is not blood related to Sorris or Shianni; in Modern AU he is Korean coded and diagnosed with ADHD and ODD when he was 9. In any AU he has poor eyesight. 

Not a ‘Hero of Ferelden’, exists only in Multi-Warden AU

Kieran’s Aesthetic Tag

Ronan Aeducan: the Battle Strategist of Squad; the Lazy Genius™ 

5'0, naps and brilliance and easy-going neutrality, dwarf noble, Two handed Battle Hammer Warrior (Specialization: Berserker/ Spirit Warrior),  great at sketching and painting; good at remaining impartial towards things; Neutral Good, Aquarius

During Blight: age 27, man-bun and many earrings, avoids responsibilities but is chill to talk to; huge guilt complex and overthinks things but keeps anxiety and intrusive thoughts to himself

During Inquisition: age 38, generally the same but slightly less lazy; has reconciled with his past and mostly found peace

LI/sexuality: n/a; Asexual/Aromantic

Creator Notes: In Thedas, while his brothers look like their father, Ronan looks like his mother. Modern AU he is Indian coded and can speak Hindi and English.

Not a ‘Hero of Ferelden’, exists only in Multi-Warden AU

Ronan’s Aesthetic Tag

Nora Brosca: the Wildcard of Squad; great in battle, not so great at taking orders

4'8, laughter and blades and boldness, dwarf commoner, Dual-Wielding Axe Rogue (Specialization: Assassin/Legionare Scout); Chaotic Neutral, Leo

During Blight: age 22, medium-length wild red hair and freckles, jokes and puns; solves problems with murder, kleptomaniac tendencies and habitual liar; brave but not loyal (self-preserving)

During Inquisition: age 33, shorter red hair and more freckles, even more jokes and puns; has had casteless tattoos removed; nugs are now friends not food; now deeply loyal to friends/wardens

LI/sexuality: Sigrun, Lesbian

Creator Notes: In Modern AU she is German coded born and raised in Brazil, speaks fluent Portuguese. 

Not a ‘Hero of Ferelden’, exists only in Multi-Warden AU

Nora’s Aesthetic Tag

Cassian Cousland: the Tank of Squad; the “Stay Behind Me” Hero

5'11 (slouching) 6'1 (prosper posture), kindness and justice and passion; human noble, Sword and Shield Warrior (Specialization: Champion/Guardian), moves his hands a lot while talking, laughs easily, passionate romantic, will always do The Right Thing™ but often struggles deciding what the “right thing” is; Lawful Good, Libra

During Blight: age 24, scruffy hair, adopts all the dogs, long scar from top to bottom left of face from Rendon Howe; likes to journal everything and write stories,

During Inquisition: age 35, slightly longer scruffy hair, adopts more dogs and orphans of Mage-Templar War, has published some of his books

LI/sexuality: Nathaniel Howe; Gay

Creator Notes: In Thedas his mother’s parents are from Antiva and he can speak Antivan, moderate PTSD from his experiences during the Blight; in Modern AU he is Mexican coded and speaks fluent Spanish and English. 

Not a ‘Hero of Ferelden’, exists only in Multi-Warden AU

Cassian’s Aesthetic Tag

———————————————————-

Aesthetic Boards: Click here to see their pretty aesthetics!

My OC’s Summarized in 5 GIFs: Click here!

What they each think of The Taint/The Calling: Click for Mild Angst

If they each had 1 Pokemon: Click to see their partner!

My OC’s Zodiac/Astrology Sign Explanations: Click if Curious

————————————————————–

Claira Hawke: the “Champion” of Kirkwall; the Hot/Cold Mess

5'5, conversation and anxiety and adaptability; Blue-Red Hawke, human, Dual Sword Rogue (Specialization: Shadow), Alyss Amell’s cousin; dynamic but fickle, brave but get panic attacks, literally runs away from problems, changes demeanor depending on who she is with; Neutral Good, Gemini

Fled to Kirkwall: age 25, good intentions but has no clue what she’s doing, fumbles around and gets by on more luck than skill (sometimes wit), weary around strangers but won’t shut up around friends, her mabari’s name is Bear.

During Inquisition: age 36, takes Anders (and their 3-year old son Silas) to the Wardens to hide them there with her cousin and her friends while she goes help the Inquisition 

LI/sexuality: Anders; disaster Bi

Creator Notes: In Modern AU she is English coded and has had Panic Disorder and several eating disorders since she was 13. Loves cats but is allergic to them (and to many other things).

Champion for World State World State 3 and the Multi-Warden AU

Important Headcanon: In the Multi-Warden AU, both twins live (Varric lies to Cassandra that Carver died to keep his whereabouts hidden) - Carver becomes a Warden and Bethany a Circle Mage; but in her canon World State 3, both of the twins die (Carver is killed by the ogre, Bethany dies during the Deep Roads Expedition)

Click for 5 Facts

Click for Faceclaim

Claira’s Aesthetic Tag

Henley Hawke, The Champion of Kirkwall; the Insomniac Goth 

5'10, tired eyes and sharp edges and blunt apathy; Red Hawke, human, Spirit/Primal focused Mage (Specialization: Blood Mage), tattoos to hide dark-eye bags, rude and anti-social attitude mostly because she’s so exhausted all the time from her insomnia; Neutral Evil, Taurus

Fled to Kirkwall: age 25, cool, capable yet completely uninterested in anything but making gold and keeping her rivaled brother Carver and her mabari “Better Carver” (“BC”) alive. Very “I’m not here to help anyone or make friends,” (Varric is literally her only friend)

LI/sexuality: Sebastian Vael (Rivalmanced); pan-romantic/asexual

Creator Notes: In Modern AU she is Irish coded and still has chronic mediation-treated insomnia. Also she’s very goth punk and dyes her hair often. In Thedas she uses magic to make it that color of burgandy. 

Champion for World State 2 

Described in 5 Gifs

————————————————————

[panticwritten]

Breaking Furnace Book 1: Lockdown

Chapter 6: Family Matters

Table of contents!

All of my writing!

I’ve had to change quite a bit of formatting to post this on tumblr because I am a fiend when it comes to using different fonts and tools and junk in my writing. If you want to read this chapter with its original formatting, you can do so here.

Starting in this chapter, some of the formatting really starts to matter between the original document and the limits of what I can do on here. It doesn’t matter as much until the other four books, but I’m just gonna mention that I’m kind of disappointed in how limiting tumblr is. If you have a chance, I would seriously suggest checking the document.

You can leave comments by highlighting specific text and clicking the bubble that appears to the side!

Super neat.

Remember that this is a daydream taking place in the Escape From Furnace universe, so keep that in mind if you haven’t read EFF.

In this chapter, the POV starts to fracture because Connor and this Sawyer obviously experience this world very differently. So we get a bit of Connor’s point of view!

Yet another reminder, though, that all of this is a daydream pulling many characters and settings from existing media. I don’t claim that any of the characters (other than Sawyer, Connor, and Dominic) are mine.

Mostly because of the new character introduced in this chapter.

Word count: 4832

Possible triggers in this chapter:

Dissociation

Emotional manipulation

Hallucinations

Implied human experimentation

Unreality

Feel free to message me if I’m missing any.

Chapter 7 will be up on February 23rd at 7pm PST.

If you like what I do here, maybe consider buying me a Ko-fi or checking out my Patreon! I love being able to put so much out for free, but this would be a great way to show support and also see cool new content!

~-S-~

“What a sight you are.” Cross’s voice, thin and harried, falls into the cell as his figure comes into focus. “It hasn’t even been a day.”

It’s not a rat.

This is worse.

I try to hide how unsteady I am, wrinkling my nose at him. I can’t find the words to go with the distain, though, leaving me silent in a hole in the ground.

He turns away, gesturing irritably at me before walking out of sight. A blacksuit, taking his place above me, reaches in. I grasp his hand, knowing that this is a peace offering from the soldier to me.

Otherwise he’d have dragged me out by my throat.

Back on solid ground, my legs groan at the sudden expectation of use. So focused on staying upright, I hardly notice when the suit starts forward with a tight grip on my upper arm.

I look up from my tingling feet just in time to see the warden push past the plastic flaps into the infirmary. I falter, my knees deciding they would rather not. My escort doesn’t stop, though, pulling me along with a tighter grip. I resign myself to my fate, regaining my balance as we pass through the flaps.

Hospital beds line both sides of the long room. These cots, hidden by stained curtains, contain the future of Furnace. New specimens, on their way to becoming good little soldiers. From behind the curtains, the occasional shriek of laughter jumps out at us, and I do my best not to flinch when this happens.

The blacksuit speeds up and makes a beeline for the exit on the opposite side of the room. The three wheezers inside watch us as we cross the room. I try not to look at them, holding my breath until we exit on the other end of the cots.

I don’t look into the surgery amphitheatres lining the long hallways beyond, focusing instead on the doors to the incinerator straight ahead. We turn right at the three-way junction and shortly arrive at a familiar door.

Cross faces me for the first time since we started walking, but he doesn’t look at me. Instead, he addresses the soldier at my side.

“Go. Finish your patrol,” he says crisply. 

The blacksuit nods and turns back the way we came. I catch him shoot me a wink behind Cross’s back. I grimace and rub my arm where I was held, trying to return blood flow to my tingling fingers.

Cross says nothing more, giving me no hint as to our destination. He unlocks the door and pushes through. Though he doesn’t check to make sure I follow, I stay close behind him.

I don’t need to hear the eerie music winding through the room to know where we are.

The wheezers, those not hard at work in the rooms we’ve passed, loiter in their cells. Ghostly wailing from the ancient gramophone in the center of the room sends a shiver down my spine, and I can’t help but look at the withered doctors.

Cross hisses a warning at me, but I ignore him. The wheezers see me as nothing more than an inmate now, but they all remain in their cells. They would work on the warden if they got the chance, and would even sooner have me under the knife. 

Neither of us slow until the door closes behind us on the other side.

“Where are we going?” I ask, stopping. 

Nothing back here is friendly to a being without nectar. That could very well be his intention, though I doubt he wants to kill me so soon.

But that could just be wishful thinking.

He doesn’t seem to notice that he’s left me behind until he nearly turns a corner without me.

He snarls, though the sound cuts off in an instant. In an astounding show of patience, he stops and pinpoints me with a glare I can only describe as withering.

“We have business to discuss, yes?” he snaps, his grimace briefly flipping into an ambiguous smile. 

My unease grows with his phrasing, but I follow without another word.

I try to remember the map of the compound, something I’ve worked hard to forget. What lies beyond the wheezer’s cells? There are testing chambers here, and the zoo, but I can’t place anything else in the complex warren of halls.

We turn another corner and I see the last doorway in the corridor. It’s another shock-door like the one in the yard. It swings open before we reach it, and I recognize the room beyond at a glance.

It’s the lab. 

I don’t know why he would bring me here, but I already know that nothing he has to say will be worth the trouble. He’s too far gone, and I know better than to believe his lies.

I pause just inside, jumping when the door closes again. Throughout the room are evenly spaced metal tables cluttered with papers and various devices. The whole space is about the size of a small warehouse. Doors line the four walls, leading to other rooms like this, practical testing labs, and storage closets.

There’s a perfect replica of this complex in the Cube, where Jay now lives. It was on Furnace’s island the last time I saw the real thing, replacing the hackneyed laboratories the island used to have.

After I finally killed Alfred Furnace permanently, Connor, Jay, and I created a new blend of nectar here. It feels like an eternity by Cube standards, though it hasn’t even been a year.

Cross strides through the lab, to a desk I remember Jay practically living at. They have the original in their lab, I think, as a reminder. More memories, more regret. I don’t know what Cross is playing at, and the uncertainty has me on edge.

“Come here,” Cross says, pulling a drawer open.

I comply, though I come to a stop a good distance behind him, next to one of the tables. I scan the papers littering the surface, waiting for him to cut to the chase.

Specimen M017

D1-03-08-2016

Steady feed of N3.22, strength increase, no memory change. Little to be done in this state, no potential at this stage. Observe 24h, move to stage two

Broke free of restraints 3h after start of test, muscle improvement rate higher than anticipated. Quickly returned to gurney under instruction of 82

Sedate after Z102 grew weary of his struggle 

D2-04-08-2016

30cc N4.14 every 6h accompanied by time in screening room. Test each hour for  

Another, blank, paper covers the rest. N3.22 is my nectar—it’s startling enough to know Cross is using it—but what’s N4.14? I nearly reach out to shift the paper but think better of it. Cross is right here, and I still wouldn’t put it past him to kill me if I take a wrong step.

Cross turns to face me just as I’m looking back to him. He offers me a golden tube, his too-wide grin locking the air in my throat when I snatch it out of his hand. 

He brushes past me while I examine the familiar object.

It’s about the size of a PEZ dispenser, the edges smooth and rounded. My own reflection in the metal startles me, a grimy kid with hollow eyes. It hasn’t even been two days.

I run a finger over a divot near one end, then dig a nail under it to pop the cylinder open.

“Where did you get this?”

I don’t turn to look at him when I ask, allowing the dark tablets to roll into my palm. The colored flecks within them wink at me in the fluorescent light. I’ve seen these before, a gift from Connor in my last run.

It’s nectar. 

Condensed into a solid pill, each tablet contains enough of the ancient evil to change a person forever. 

Well. Forever with a few exceptions.

Looking at them awakes a longing in the back of my mind that turns my stomach. They’re right there, and it would be so easy to use them. I could end this right now, couldn’t I?

Lightheaded, I roll the multi-hued pills back where they belong and close it.

The golden tube clenched in my fist, I turn back to face Cross. He watches me intently, eyes narrowed. He’s out of his goddamn mind, handing this kind of power right to me. 

I ask him again, where he got it.

“You have a habit of leaving things lying around.” My grip on the container tightens. “You may choose at anytime to return where you belong.”

~-S-~

I lay in darkness, curled in a ball on the cool stone. The golden container rests in the palm of my hand. I thought about leaving it in the lab, but there wouldn’t have been a point. Now I won’t be helpless if I’m attacked.

“Helpless?”

I curl in tighter, tired of the cold echoes of the hallucinations. Between the nectar and the dark, I’m not surprised I’m hearing things.

“Didn’t you ask for this?”

I close my eyes, though that does nothing. The silent voice sighs. The edges of the figure grow sharper and they move into my line of sight.

It’s Jay. They aren’t really here, I know that, but they still pinpoint me with narrowed eyes, their arms crossed. I don’t think they’ve actually worn that lab coat since I was really fifteen, but if that’s the way my mind decided to conjure them up I don’t have much room to argue.

“Look, I don’t want to be here, either. You called up the universe and you walked through the door.”

“I know.” My voice, barely a breath, doesn’t seem to reach them.

“And now it’s not just you suffering, is it? You could have struggled alone, or found Cross in the Cube, but no.” They shake their head, sighing. “You told Connor it would be fun, got him to convince the others—your friends—to let go of the peace they found. You brought everyone back.”

“I know.” I say it louder this time

“But that was never it, was it? You never came here to have fun. This isn’t a celebration, and deep down you didn’t expect it to be.” They pace back out of view. “This is about Cross, right? He likely wouldn’t have shown his face again for months. You just couldn’t leave well enough alone.”

“I know!” I shriek, the sound tearing at my throat and deadened by the cell. I find myself sitting upright, but when I turn to confront the spectre it’s gone.

I deserve that.

I lean back against the side of the cell, sliding back to the floor. Running my fingers through my hair, I stare into the darkness. I don’t know how long I’ve been down here, and by now I can’t concentrate enough to leave.

With a sigh, I drop my hands to my sides, knocking the pill capsule into the wall. I pick it up and turn it over. I might not want to lose this.

Knowing that I have nectar so easily accessible makes me uneasy. Before I can think about it too hard, I press it against my right arm, mirroring the placement of my key on the left. 

It takes a few minutes, forcing my frazzled mind to make the right connections, but I conceal it under the skin. I flex my arm a few times to make sure it isn’t in the way of anything and find no problems.

I slide further down, laying on my back. For once, my fatigue catches up with me and allows me to sleep in no time at all.

♥♥♥C♥♥♥

In the day they’ve been gone, I haven’t heard more from Sawyer. There have been flashes, fear and regret, and a fading image of Jay, but nothing of substance. I’d like to think I would know if they were in trouble.

Then again, I thought they knew better than to sacrifice themself.

I sigh, dropping another handful of what passes for food here through the grinder. I feel Dominic watching me, but I don’t look up. Instead, I lift a foul glob of mystery meat from the crate beside me and deposit it into the processor.

“They’ll be fine.”

I glance over at Donovan, who also has his eyes on me.

The stained nozzle in his hand sends the mess out the other end of the grinder splattering into an oversized pot. He’s hardly paying attention to it. He doesn’t need to, after so much time spent here.

I clench a fist, wincing at the squelch of a soft tomato in my hand. I drop it in the grinder, scowling.

“They shouldn’t be down there. That’s my fault,” I mutter, wiping my hand on my front. “Your turn, Nick.”

Dominic kicks at my leg as he takes my place at the sink, grumbling. I flash a smile in response to his hostile glare, which wilts after a moment. Little victories.

Donovan chuckles, flicking a bit of raw slop my way. I swat the air negligently, redirecting the attack back into the pot with a point of energy.

“No fair!” Donovan grins, but he doesn’t attempt it again. After a moment, he looks back to the pot and his smile fades. “He’d’ve dragged them down eventually. Kevin had it comin’, anyway.”

I nod, averting my eyes.

Hm.

“You’re out of control. We can’t do any of this without them, so you’d better think carefully before you try to pull shit like that again!”

“Whatchu gonna do about it, Sawyer?”

I took the bait without thinking.

“If it’s a fight you want, I promise you won’t win this one,” I hissed, fists clenched at my sides. He still didn’t back down, so I took it a step further. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep this plan on track. You’re making yourself a real nuisance, Kevin.”

He took a fraction of a step back, and I was ready to call it a win. Looking at the boy’s bloody lip, I wished Sawyer had decided to knock him down a peg after all.

At the thought of them, a wire seemed to arc between us.

… an absolute prick.

I turned to them, about to agree, but their face stopped me in my tracks.

Evident tracks of tears cut through the dirt and blood on their cheeks. Anguish, regret, and hurt rode the wire on the tail of the thought before the connection shattered again. Their eyes, shining in the low light with unshed tears, weren’t on Kevin.

This is my fault.

I shake my head, shooing the memory away. 

I covertly check the other two, and neither of them seem to have noticed my absent behavior. At the very least, they don’t acknowledge it. Dominic is almost out of crap to shove in the grinder, though, so I cross the kitchen to kneel next to the remaining crates.

My temper, it seems, is another new thing I’ll need to get used to.

The next thing I remember is the siren and a pounding in my head. From what I’ve seen, Kevin came off worse in the fight. He got what he wanted, though, riling me up like that.

We shouldn’t even be here. I made some promises I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep, and I’ll have to face up to that when it’s over. We followed them into hell again.

If I’d said no, would we even be here?

Would they have come alone?

I kick the crate a little harder than necessary, knocking it against the counter and making Dominic jump.

“Christ, Connor. Chill out, alright?”

I shrug, leaning against the counter. 

“After this one, we should grab some gloves. We don’t have much time left.”

♥♥♥C♥♥♥

I drop onto my bunk, muscles aching. They had me chipping today, the manual labor made worse by my poor sleep. Dominic climbs up into his own bed, groaning.

“I dunno how much more of this I can take.”

He’s just being dramatic, so I don’t answer. I stretch and lay back, ready to do absolutely nothing until Sawyer comes back through the door. If I’m going to rest, though, I might as well make use of it.

I let my eyes close and roll out of bed without the baggage of my body.

I look back at the bed and grimace at the bruise poking out from under my hairline. Maybe we should set some boundaries for friendly fire from now on. Might keep me from killing Kevin, at least.

I turn away and take the time to go the long way.

Down the stairs, lending any blacksuits I pass some energy to get through their shift, I step. The sound of the world around me echoes and warps, not quite reaching this step out of reality. I rarely give myself the chance to feel the edge of the In-Between like this, normally too focused when I step into it.

In the yard, I pause at the bottom of the stairs to survey the yard.

The only one of our group out here is Kevin. He’s too busy cheating at cards to make too much trouble while I’m gone.

Turning away, I walk through the shock doors leading to the compound. The second door, at the end of a short corridor spits me out in a small control room. If Sawyer wasn’t so set on doing this the right way, the escape would be so much easier.

We could break the defenses from here, we could be out by now.

I pause at a bank of monitors, resting a hand on the shoulder of the blacksuit drowsing at his post. A single jolt of energy has him sitting straight up. These guys really need to start getting some rest. 

I pat his shoulder, smiling when he turns to see no one here.

In an instant I stand in a room nearly a half mile under the main prison. I walk along the empty corridor, musing.

The blacksuits, too, have a life back home. I asked them, and most of them didn’t seem to like the idea of coming here. Then Karl, a friend in the Scouts, talked to them and they were all for it.

I doubt that would have been necessary, in the end, but it makes things easier. I wonder what he said to them.

I stop at the hatches leading to solitary confinement.

Six of them, fitted into the stone of the floor, and only one remains occupied. The tense energy beneath my feet is strong enough to tell me which cell Sawyer’s in, and I drop down to check on them.

It’s dark, so dark I’m surprised they had the strength to come see me at all. I kneel down and grope out until my fingers touch their skin.

In a gentle sigh, a soft glow spreads from the contact on their arm until I can see their sleeping face. They don’t wake up, only shifting under my hand.

The tracks of more tears lay under their eyes, a divot remaining between their brows even in sleep. They curl tighter, like a pill bug, and I smile.

“You’re sleeping better here than I am these days,” I tease, voice low. “That’s new.”

I reach out, brushing their hair away from their eyes. The tension in their body eases, and their brow smooths. I smile, taking in their light, and stand. The glow slowly drains from them until I stand in darkness once again.

“I’m sorry I let this happen,” I say, then climb back out of the cell.

“... cognize him from the outside. This should be interesting.”

I jerk upright, catching sight of Warden Cross just before he walks right through me.

He stops dead, and I turn to watch him peer over his shoulder to look directly at me. He stares long enough for me to snap out of it and start edging around him.

“Sir?”

He turns back to the blacksuit at his side, then resumes his track down the hall. “Yes, this new inmate will certainly make some waves.”

New inmate?

I stare after him, and he takes the turn leading to the elevator. He’s heading up to greet a new inmate.

This feels wrong.

Something brushes against my face back in my cell, and I snap back to my body with a choked gasp.

I sit up, and a piece of paper drifts into my lap.

What. 

I haven’t seen paper, real paper, in years. Tentatively, I lift it.

It’s a normal 8x11 sheet of paper. The thought of Sawyer and all of their notes scattered throughout the Room tugs at the corners of my lips. It’s warm, as if it just came off a printer. At first, when I turn it over, I think it’s blank, but then I catch sight of a note scribbled near the bottom.

Connor I tried to stop it. Sorry. Get rid of it before you get to the compound, yeah?

I swing out of bed, letting the note fall to the ground. Dominic calls out to me, but I’m already on my way out. The air rushes from my lungs when I hit the rail outside. I watch the line of the elevator shaft, not looking away when Dominic joins me.

“What is it?” he asks, but I wave him away. The sound of the elevator drumming down the shaft keeps him from trying again.

Chatter from the yard dies down, then a single shout of glee comes from Kevin. Him and his cronies leap from their seats, while some others drift to the circle in the center of the yard or toward their own cells.

After a long grumble from behind the screen hanging above the doors, the elevator settles and slides open. A single boy walks out, and it takes me a minute to recognize him.

A mane of dark hair flies wildly, nearly unrecognizable without the horns that ordinarily sprout from his head. I scowl down at him, and from the entrance of the elevator he turns a placid smile directly on me.

It’s not nearly as unsettling with those human teeth.

I scoff, backing away. The Skulls can tear him apart for all I care. I return to my cell, dropping back onto my bed and lifting the paper once again.

“Was that—”

“Yeah.” I trace the letters with a finger. “But look—”

He drops onto the bunk next to me, peering at the paper. “From Sawyer?”

“I don’t know.” I stare at the word ‘sorry,’ trying to fit a plan around this. trying to identify the handwriting “I don’t think so.”

“Maybe they’ll know, then.”

Oh, god, no. The last thing we need is another complication in this plan of theirs.

I turn to him, shaking my head. “No, you can’t tell them about this. Keep it between us, alright?”

His brows furrow, and he looks up from the note to regard me. He doesn’t answer at first, eyes flicking back down to the paper.

The siren wails from below. Cross is coming up to welcome the new arrival.

Dominic stands, peering through the bars at the freakshow below. He’s been here for nearly six months, and I can see the strain it’s putting on him. 

At least he can leave the cell here. The precarious leeway Sawyer gave him keeps him free in the Cube, out of the cell blocks where he wouldn’t have that luxury. I doubt he wants to threaten that with a secret.

While I know they wouldn’t throw him back there for this, I can respect that.

I sigh, folding the note and slipping it beneath my pillow under the shriek of a second siren and the pneumatic sigh of opening doors.

“Fine.” 

I look up, surprised to find Dominic watching me. A hardness dwells in his pale eyes that I haven’t seen in years. All trace of his timid facade has vanished, replaced by a stance akin to that of his father.

That memory will follow him around forever, it’s no wonder he tries to hide it.

I nod, and he turns back to watch the prison.

I watch as, before my eyes, his shoulders droop and he falls back into the frightened persona he’s held since he returned to the Cube. I’ve underestimated him. There’s more there than he wants anyone to see, and I wonder how much else he’s hiding.

~-S-~

Warmth fills the room, blotting out something bad. I can’t put my finger on what it was, the horrible thing hidden by the warm light. It’s the sun on my cheeks, a gentle breeze following it.

I sigh, content.

There’s a sound, rough and out of place, and I tilt my head in response.

The illusion shatters when a real light hits my face.

I curl into a nervous, shaking ball. I shout, but even I don’t understand what I’m trying to say. It leaves my throat raw and aching, tearing the last of the calming dream away. 

But nothing follows the light infiltrating my cell.

Slowly, I unfurl myself into a sitting position and peer at the hole in the ceiling with shaded eyes.

The sun, huh?

My eyes sting, struggling to make out the dark shape above me. They wait patiently, and by the time I reach my hand out to be pulled up by the blacksuit, I can see again.

He doesn’t give me a chance to pause or look around before gripping my arm and leading me down the hall. It takes a minute for the hallway to stop spinning, so I’m certain he’s the only thing keeping me upright.

My dry mouth gives away my dehydration, and I nearly laugh aloud. Always forgetting something.

“So, two nights already?” I croak, eyes on the floor. I’m already banged up enough without losing my footing.

“You shouldn’t talk down here,” he says. Short, clipped tones, a vast change from the late-night visit. I keep my mouth shut for the rest of the walk.

We enter the room containing the elevator in no time, and the blacksuit guarding the shaft directs a wave at the two of us. They’re gonna get me killed if the inmates see them treating me like this.

After an awkward wait, the elevator doors open and we board. The instant they close again, my mouth opens.

“Are Cross’s tests on the new kids working?”

He doesn’t respond at first. The elevator starts upward, the steady grinding nearly overpowering his words when he speaks.

“I don’t know. He only tells his ‘loyal soldiers’ anything.” His mouth forms a thin line, the usual shark-like grin gone. “Be careful who you trust.”

I nod, and the rest of the ride continues in silence. 

It isn’t as long as I remember it being. I almost lose my balance when it stops. When the doors open, I step out without prompting. The suit behind the control panel nods at me and chats with my escort.

I flinch when a siren calls out. I missed the warning from the one behind the desk. I think I recover quickly, striding with my guide into the adjoining space as confidently as possible. 

I have to try and seem unshaken, which will be hard to do when I’m seeing spots.

I might as well still be in the hole, back with the hallucinations and darkness. The light in a dream that couldn’t have been there, that shouldn’t have been able to break through the blanket of nectar in the air.

None of it makes sense.

The second siren rings, opening the second door to allow me back into general population. The red stone of the yard, the jeering inmates, the stuffy air, the near-blinding lights, all on top of my thirst and sensitive eyes has my head spinning again.

I end up stumbling along instead of walking with the blacksuit. When he finally lets me go at the edge of the crowd of inmates within the yellow circle, I feel vulnerable and unsteady.

“Whoa, you ain’t looking too hot.”

The familiar voice hits like a slap to the face. 

A hand rests on my shoulder, steadying me, but I swat it away, stumbling away from the source. I bump into someone and look up to see Connor watching the owner of this voice impassively at my side. 

He leans down to whisper in my ear.

“Blacksuits brought him in just after work. He’s been throwing his weight around, but...” He continues, but I’m not listening.

I’m still processing. I’m processing the grinning boy waiting for me to recover. I’m processing his undeniably human skin. His eyes track me as I sway, and I know I can’t deal with this right now.

There’s only one thing I can do.

I collapse to avoid a confrontation with Gamzee Makara, an asshole I’ve been dodging confrontations with for nearly four years.

[the-raven-of-highever]

In addition to the death of her family, Iona’s death really shook Lara. It was so sudden and happened right in front of her. It hurts because in Lara’s mind, Iona died saving her life. If Iona had not been there and gone for the door, Lara is certain that Howe’s men would have killed her in her bed.

Although the game won’t let me do anything for Amethyne, I HC that Lara gave all the gold she had to Shianni and asked her to take care of Amethyne. She also sent Vigilance to the Denerim alienage with a letter saying that if the day ever comes when Amethyne wants to learn how to wield a sword that she should have the best blade possible waiting for her.

[daughterofhighever-blog]

[ 𝐔𝐍𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋 ] + [reversed] ― sender feeds receiver something they’ve never tried before ( specify what )

-- from @luna-mxth (Tav!)

"This isn't the swill that Oghren usually drinks," Elissa said with just the tiniest bit of a pleading pout in her voice as she handed the mug to Tavrayn. "Fereldan mead is sweet, and this one has lemon balm and wormwood in it."

She slipped onto the long bench at the Great Hall's table beside him and took a long draught of her own cup. Elissa hadn't thought she'd ever be particularly happy to see the Vigil given how much of Rendon Howe's fingerprints still lingered everywhere, but it had been a long trip back from the Blackmarsh and everyone was enjoying the warmth, food, and company.