#zevran smut

[glasvera]

Partner Swap (Day 2)

Isabela x Zevran & Fenris x Fem!Hawke

Description: Smutember Day 2!!! (Just pretend it's 2 days ago it's fine) Before Zevran leaves after killing the pursuant Antivan Crows, he offers a proposition to the Champion of Kirkwall. Fenris outright refuses, but Isabela is more than ready. Hawke can’t deny her attraction to the former assassin, and she’s seen Fenris’s gaze linger on their pirate companion more than once, so she offers a proposition.

Warnings: SMUT (18+ only, Minors DNI!!!) vaginal sex, fingering, oral (F and M receiving)

A/N: this is the first time I've written for Dragon Age in like... 7? 8 years? It was nice to go back to some of my fanfiction roots. But as with all of these prompts, it's mostly unedited. Just pure word spewing.

Word Count: 3876

“That depends. How much do you want to test that luck of yours?” Fenris’s gaze was that of cold steel as he stared down the Antivan elf in front of them, the sand crunching under his boots as he stepped forward possessively. Hawke huffed quietly to herself in mild frustration as her lover shot down the proposition before she’d gotten a say herself, shooting him a glance out of the corner of her eye.

Hawke was by no means unfaithful. She just grew up with a starkly different idea of what sex meant in the terms of a relationship, and she was more than a little excited to find a kindred soul in Zevran. The adrenaline of the recent fight was still pumping through her veins, and she’d be lying if she hadn’t fantasized about a few different scenarios upon being asked such a question.

“Well if you lot aren’t going to fuck him, then I suppose I will,” Isabella offered bluntly as she walked up from behind the two of them. 

“Ah, Isabela! It would be my pleasure,” Zevran replied with a curt bow of his head.

The pirate rolled her eyes at his gesture. “There better be some pleasure in it for me as well, or I won’t be sticking around for long,” she chided as they began to walk away. “I’ll catch up with you all later!” she called back with a wave of her hand.

Hawke crossed her arms with a grimace, disappointed in the outcome but not wanting to show it too much on her face.

“That girl has curious standards,” Varric observed, breaking the awkward silence in the group.

Hawke shrugged her shoulders. “I can kind of see it.”

Fenris stepped in front of her, looking at her as though she’d grown a second head. “You can’t be serious?” he snapped.

“What can I say?” she retorted, gesturing to him, “I have a type.”

He snarled at that. “Don’t even think about comparing me to him. We are nothing alike.”

Hawke cocked her head to the side, holding up a fist as she started counting on her fingers. “Tall, lithe, handsome, mysterious, sharp features, puppy eyes-”

“There are no puppy eyes,” he interrupted with a bark.

Varric chuckled as he watched their spat. “She’s got you pegged there, Broody.”

Fenris’s head snapped towards him, staring daggers at the dwarf as the lyrium flared in his markings with their telltale blue glow.

Varric raised his hands defensively, slowly backing away. “Alright, alright. I’ll be over here. Let you guys work this out,” he stated, heading over to one of the newly vacant tents left by the Crows.

“Fenris, what is your problem? It’s just sex,” Hawke complained. “Two attractive people appreciating each other’s attractiveness.”

His icy stare was redirected at her as his hands balled into fists. “Just sex? So did we just have sex then?” There was a hint of betrayal in his voice that made Hawke’s heart clench.

“Of course not!” she reassured, taking his hands in hers. “You’ve always been more than that to me. You know that.”

“And what if this Crow becomes more than just sex?” he asked, his tone laced with worry as his gaze softened. Ah. There were the puppy eyes.

Hawke sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. “Do you want more than sex when you look at Isabela?” She couldn’t help but snort when his eyes flashed open in defiant surprise. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you staring. It doesn’t bother me, you know,” she spoke softly as she brought a hand up to brush his cheek softly. 

Shamed, he avoided her gaze and turned his head to the side. “Hawke, I…”

“Hey,” she stopped him as she rested her hands on his shoulders. “How about we forget all this, and…” she gave him a little wink as she nodded her head in the direction of their departed companions, “go take care of some of our more… unique desires?” She bit her lip as she stared at him, waiting for him to meet her gaze again and consider her proposal.

He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow in thought for a moment as Hawke waited with baited breath. Blinking slowly, he finally looked back up at her.

“Just sex?” he asked, face twisting slightly as the unfamiliar concept left his lips.

Hawke nodded. “Just sex.”

-------

Fenris had his hand firmly clasped around Hawke’s as they strolled between the rocky outcrops towards Zevran and Isabela’s tent. It looked rather spacious, likely something akin to a commander’s tent or whatever the Antivan Crow equivalent might be. Before they had even rounded the corner towards it, his face began to heat up as he heard Isabela practically screaming Zevran’s name like a prayer.

He moved to turn around and go back whence they came. “Perhaps this was a bad ide-”

Hawke gripped his hand tighter and pulled him into her, crashing her lips to his. Instinctively, his other hand clawed at her waist and held her fast against him. The familiarness of her taste, her plush lips against his own, coupled with the sounds of the nearby lovemaking began to set a fire ablaze in his loins. He growled into her mouth and released her hand to grab the back of her head, lacing his fingers through her hair and pulling slightly. Hawke gasped against his lips as she smirked at his roughness.

“I think this was a great idea,” she teased, bringing a hand to cup his already hardening cock through his skin tight pants.

Fenris retaliated by biting her bottom lip, tugging it slightly as he angled his head to better devour her. They were so absorbed in themselves and feeling each other that they had yet to notice the moans subsiding and the flap of the tent opening next to them.

“Oh? Looks like we’re not the only ones having fun after all,” Isabela chortled as she watched the two of them.

“I’ve always been told I have a way with my lovemaking, but never did I think I could have this effect on others,” Zevran chuckled, lounging brazenly with his half hard cock out on display and Isabela’s slick decorating his face.

Fenris and Hawke snapped back to reality and pulled away from each other quickly, startled by their new voyeurs.

“Don’t stop on our account,” Zevran teased as he began to stroke himself. She stammered and struggled to say something in return, but Hawke’s eyes couldn’t help but be glued to the motions of his hand. Zevran took notice and raised a brow at the realization. “Unless you see something you like after all…?”

Meanwhile, Fenris was fighting for dear life to look Isabela in the eyes and not at her ample bosom. She chuckled and swayed her breasts back and forth, biting her lip as she gazed up at him through her long lashes as his Adam's apple bobbed with a gulp. “I think they both do, Zev.”

Hawke cleared her throat, suddenly feeling incredibly parched. “I, that is, we would like to erm… join you both?” she offered shyly. She felt herself getting weak in the knees at the sight of the assassin naked as the day he was born. “But we would like to, well,” she swallowed, gathering her thoughts, “we’d like to switch if that’s alright?”

“My dear Champion, I’m afraid I do not catch your meaning,” Zevran replied with a sly smirk as he ran the pad of his thumb across the tip of his dick.

“I would have Isabela, if you would have Hawke,” Fenris finally spoke up, now openly staring at the pirate’s chest.

“Oh! Now you are speaking my language!” Zevran chimed before gesturing at the two of them, “but you are both far too dressed for the occasion!” He stood up and strolled up to Hawke, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Do not fret, my angel. I am rather skilled in the disrobing of others,” he whispered with a wink. 

Hawke felt frozen in place as her eyes traced the contours of his face. Zevran chuckled as he began to unclasp the buckles and unravel the straps of her outer armor.

“So tense! This should be a time for relaxation.” He placed a kiss upon her soft lips, earning a soft whine as he copped a feel of her chest through her clothes while discarding her breastplate. He was seemingly an expert at both removing clothes as well as turning every delicate touch into a sensuous caress that sent heat straight to her core. He buried his face in the crook of her neck as he continued lower, sucking on a spot behind her ear as she keened.

Fenris’s ears twitched at hearing the pleasured sounds of his lover, somehow only turned on further by them as he began to approach Isabela. She stood up in front of him, placing a hand on his chest as she ran it lazily across his body while she walked around him. Pressing herself against his back, she danced her fingers across the planes of his chest and stomach, slowly trailing them lower. Fenris groaned at the feeling of Isabela’s breasts through the thin leather of his armor. He hissed as her fingers traced the outline of his cock while her other hand began to remove his armor as well.

“Oh my, I knew you would be a big one,” Isabela giggled as her breath tickled his ear. She pulled away from him to finish removing his upper armor, whistling as the taut muscles of his chest and back were revealed to her. “Hawke! It should be a crime to keep all of this to yourself,” she chastised jokingly as she immediately began to run her hands along his body again. She followed the lines of his tattoos with her finger, and they thrummed with a gentle glow at the attention.

Breaking out of his initial fog, Fenris began to reciprocate her touch. His eyes followed his hands as he felt the smooth skin under his fingers. He pulled her in by the waist, earning a soft squeak of surprise as his lips met hers. She tasted like spiced wine and smoke, and she was definitely more experienced at kissing than Hawke was. One of his hands reached up and palmed her breast, grunting into the kiss as he felt himself strain against his trousers.

Zevran had already led Hawke back into the tent, lying her down against the bedroll as he began to roll her pants down her legs with tantalizing slowness. She braced herself up on her elbows as she watched him, entranced by the way his every movement was stoking the flames of her arousal. She knew she would be dripping even before he removed her smalls but gasped all the same as the cool breeze of the open tent blew against her sopping core.

“My,” he admired as he stared at her openly as her chest heaved, “I have had many a conquest in my time, but you are sure to be one I will think back on often.”

Hawke blushed as he hovered over her, cock hanging low just above her entrance. He stopped for a moment, pondering something as Hawke lie back in wait. His eyes darted about the spacious tent before stopping on what appeared to be a large mirror in the far corner.

“Ah, yes. That will do.”

Isabela broke away from the kiss to watch her Antivan friend as he positioned the mirror in front of himself and Hawke. “Your vanity never ceases to amaze, Zevran,” she chastised as she fell to her knees in front of Fenris.

“This is just as much for me as it is for our lovely Champion!” he retorted. “It is only fair she gets to see both my beauty as well as hers during our coupling.”

Hawke blushed as he returned to her, offering her a hand for her to sit up. She complied and he pulled her into a kiss, his hands grabbing her ass as he squeezed the ample flesh in his fingers. He opened his eyes for a moment to watch in the mirror the way his nimble fingers groped her backside.

Fenris’s eyes widened as he watched the pirate drop in front of him, watching as she began to pull his pants and smalls down in one go. His cock bent uncomfortably for a moment before bobbing free and at attention in front of her face. She hummed contently before taking him in hand, stroking him languidly as his head fell back for a moment. When her mouth enveloped the tip of him, he let out a low, throaty moan.

“My, your lover truly makes the prettiest noises,” Zevran observed as he motioned for Hawke to turn around towards the mirror.

“Wait until you hear the way he growls,” Hawke replied as she reminisced about their previous sessions. “I swear I could cum from just his voice alone,” she chuckled.

“Now that I would pay to see, my dear,” he laughed as he massaged his palms into her shoulders and back. He reached his hands around to cup her breasts, relishing in the way her breath hitched when he tugged on her nipples. His cock nestled against the curve of her ass as he began to grind into her, trailing one hand down as he teased a finger at her wetness. She whimpered in his hold, bringing a hand up around his neck as the other held fast to his wrist as he toyed with her folds. He circled two of his fingers around his clit, making her buck into his hand as he peppered kisses along her shoulder and neck.

Fenris braced a hand against Isabela’s head as she took him fully into her mouth, sucking on him with wet, sloppy sounds as she leaned her hands on his thighs. He thrust into her lightly, not wanting to gag her, but found it harder and harder to control himself as she did her best to swirl her tongue around his shaft and licked at the tip with every thrust out. His fingers threaded themselves through her hair as her bandana slipped off, and he watched as she stared up at him, enraptured as she was by the way his face contorted in pleasure.

She pulled off him suddenly with a pop, laughing at his confused expression. “As much as I’d love to swallow every last drop,” she began, noting the way his eyes darkened at her words, “I’d much rather feel every last inch of you inside of me.” She stood up, taking his hand in hers as she led him back into the tent with Zevran and Hawke.

Zevran had already lined himself up with her entrance, sliding into her as he gently pushed her back forward and encouraged her to position herself on all fours. She keened at the feeling of him stretching inside her, her arousal amplified as she watched herself in the mirror and saw the way Zevran’s jaw dropped slightly.

Isabela twisted them around as they approached the adjacent bedroll, nearly throwing Fenris to the ground on his back as she straddled on top of him. She wasted no time as she positioned herself over him, sinking down onto his cock as she let out a moan at the feeling. Fenris was speechless, brow furrowing as he instinctively placed his hands on her hips. She bounced up and down on him, breathy moans spilling out of her mouth with every thrust.

“Hawke,” she gasped out between thrusts, “I say this with all the love in my heart, but-Oh! Fenris, fuck,” she interrupted herself as he began snapping his hips up into her from below, hitting a spot that made her eyes roll back, “you are a greedy whore for keeping him all to yourself until now.”

Hawke giggled between her own whimpers as Zevran began to fuck her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the mirror, locking eyes with him as he grinned devilishly at her. He leaned forward, pushing her further down to the ground until her chest was flush with the blankets.

“Give me your arms, sweetheart,” he commanded, and she complied as she balanced her weight on her head and shoulders long enough to reach her arms back behind her. Zevran grabbed her wrists in his hands, pulling her towards him and using them as leverage as he began to fuck her harder. Every thrust was hitting her perfectly and she was almost certain she was seeing stars.

“Oh! Fuck! Zevran!” She couldn’t hold her voice back any longer as she began to scream his praises, her head thrown back as her hair fell in her face.

Zevran huffed with his exertions as he lost himself to the pleasure, watching in the mirror as her breasts bounced in time with the snapping of his hips.. “There are those sweet angelic noises I yearned for,” he chuckled as he picked up his pace, sweat beading on his forehead.

Fenris turned towards Hawke, watching the way her lips parted with each gasp and moan. She felt his gaze on her and glanced at him from the corners of her eyes with a love drunk smile that he couldn’t help but return. 

“I hope you haven’t forgotten about me so quickly, Fenris,” Isabella chided as she braced her hands on his chest. Her breasts hung in front of his face as her ass bounced up and down with a renewed vigor.

“As if you’d ever let anyone forget about you,” he shot back as he grabbed one of her breasts in his hand and sucked her nipple into his mouth. She gasped as her pace stuttered, and he snaked his other hand between her legs to toy with her clit.

“Shit!” Isabela cursed, feeling herself getting close. Fenris felt the way her walls fluttered around him and knew he couldn’t hold on much longer either. While laving his tongue around her nipple, he adjusted the angle of his thrusts until he knew from her keening that he’d hit the right spot, hammering into it while pleasuring her clit until she was seeing stars. “Shit, fuck, shit! Fenris!” she nearly screamed his name as she came around him, her whole body shuddering as she nearly fell on top of him.

He pulled away from her chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her flush to him as he pounded into her from below. Almost animalistic growls were drawn from his lips as he chased his own release, flipping them over halfway through so that she was beneath him as he continued. Isabela couldn’t help but be enamored by the way he bared his teeth in a snarl and screwed his eyes shut as he focused on the pleasure. His tattoos glowed brightly, flashing fiercely as his thrusts began to falter. He pulled out of her quickly, moving to take himself in hand until she swatted him away with her own and began stroking him fervently. His eyes flashed open as he watched her, huffing before finally cumming hard all over her stomach and tits. A rope of it landed on her lips and she licked it off, winking at him as she did so.

Zevran, never one to be shown up in acts of a sexual nature, yanked Hawke up by the arms so that she was on her knees with her arms and back flush against his chest. His thrusts never ceased and he used the new angle to capture her wrists in one hand while the other moved to rub her clit. He buried his face in the crook of her neck as he kissed and sucked marks into her skin.

“So beautiful,” he breathed as she whined and whimpered under his ministrations. “I can feel you getting close.” He looked over to Fenris who was watching her, completely enraptured by the sight of her completely losing herself on Zevran’s cock. “Would you like to assist her, my newfound friend?”

Hawke found it difficult to speak as she was left powerless and subject to his manhandling, and her head was spinning from the pleasure. Sure enough, she could feel the knot building in her core as he kept hitting her just right, but it wasn’t quite enough. She peeked through one eye just in time to see Fenris approach and he took her head in both hands, kissing her passionately as Zevran continued pounding into her. She gasped into his mouth and he took the opportunity, shoving his tongue in her mouth as he entwined it with hers. Her moans were lost in his mouth, turned into little more than pathetic squeaks and whimpers as she neared her peak.

“Can’t let you two have all of the fun,” Isabela commented as she came up to them, maneuvering between Fenris and Hawke as she propped herself on one elbow. She shooed Zevran’s hand away before gripping Hawke’s thigh and placing her lips on the woman’s clit, earning a high pitched squeal as she bucked into Zevran behind her. The pirate chuckled as she began to suck at the bud and swirl her tongue around it, occasionally dipping her tongue low enough to lick at the shaft of Zevran’s cock as it pistoned in and out.

Zevran hissed at the added stimulation. “You are truly a minx, my dear Isabela.”

Isabela simply giggled as she continued, the vibrations sending shocks through Hawke’s body as she felt herself getting dangerously close. Fenris’s kisses grew greedier as he listened to her coming undone, bringing his hands up to cup and massage her breasts. He pulled away for a moment, pressing his forehead against hers as she bounced from the thrusts. 

“Are you going to cum for us, my love?”

She opened her eyes to look into his, gasping softly at the way he looked at her, his pupils blown out with lust. All of the sensations of Zevran’s cock pounding into her walls and Isabela’s practiced lips on her clit coupled with the familiarity of Fenris’s hands and eyes on her sent her over the edge, convulsing as she cried out in ecstasy. Zevran let out a low moan before pulling out, shooting his seed onto her back as he finished moments after.

Isabela moved away just in time as Hawke collapsed onto the bedroll beneath her, completely spent. Zevran chuckled, his breathing heavy as he used a nearby rag to clean the mess off of her and Isabela both. Fenris sat cross legged next to her as he ran his fingers soothingly through her hair, and Zevran lied down next to Isabela as they all recovered from their exertions.

“Yes, I think I will definitely be thinking about this little session of ours for a while,” he chortled.

[blue-velvet-valentina]

Toxic Dudebros listing the bare minimum: "I caN Do All thIs, I don't NeeD yoUu FEemMAales!"

Me staring at sexy fictional men:

"We don't need you either.."

Toxic Dude Bros:

"Nuuu you're supposed to want usss!" * throwing epic tantrum like a toddler while I just walk away to read the filthy smut my lovely writers make*

Me: "Too bad, I go both ways too..."

Love you guys keep up the good work with the art and smut writings!!

[shivunin]

Desk Job

(Arianwen Tabris/Zevran Arainai | 2,461 Words | CW: explicit sexual content/smut (on AO3, not this post)

For @zevraholics' Zevwarden Week Day 4: Work and Pleasure:

Zevran had donned his usual dark armor for the day, though she supposed he’d done so more to intimidate her slate of visitors than because he actually expected to be attacked here. The nobility was not especially fond of his presence at these meetings. Wen didn’t care. She’d told them all he was her bodyguard—very few knew that she was married at all, even now—and glared at them until they’d left it alone. 

“I am going to strangle someone,” she informed him, her hands squeezing into claws before loosening again. “I cannot take another afternoon of this.”

“Of course you can,” Zevran tilted his head until a lock of pale hair drifted across it. “You have done it these past four days, have you not?”

“Agh!” she said, with feeling. Zevran laughed. 

“Is that so? Well, then. Perhaps some light sparring before the next visitor. Are you game?”

Arianwen felt that ragged, angry little thing in her chest straighten up and focus. A spar—not as good as a real fight, but Zevran was a treat to spar with. Always had been, since the very first time he’d offered to teach her what he knew. Fighting with him was like—oh, she didn’t know. No—she did know. It was like dancing, knowing where your partner would be in the next breath and being thrilled when you found them there nonetheless. 

“Yes,” she said, and reached up to unclasp her cloak. It fell heavy over the visitor’s chair. Wen backed up, giving herself space. The anger unwound itself into a beautiful, bright line; her scattered thoughts pulled themselves into one cohesive whole. 

“I thought you might find the idea enticing.”

Zevran shifted to his right and Arianwen paced him until they circled each other on the empty patch of floor. There was little warning when he struck—just the faintest tensing of the muscles in his legs. Wen saw it anyway, and was moving before he could connect. She knew his body almost better than she knew her own, had fought beside him more than any other. 

Read More (Explicit)

[lilllithdraagon]

Fanfiction Fridays

So it's now mid-autumn in Australia, which doesn't mean much... but you know.

Have some smut on this most auspicious of occasions. (My best friend is pagan. Also all you Christians have a happy fertility festival as well.)

[prophetandprincess]

A Visit From A Crow

Not me being MIA for almost two years and then dropping a Dragon Age Fanfic like the little chaos gremlin that I am. 

*

“Warden-Commander,” Seneschal Varel looked uncomfortable as three wardens looked up as he entered the room. “There is a…gentlemen here to see you.”

Cassandra Amell, current Warden-Commander of Ferelden, had asked Anders and Nathaniel Howe to help her plan a course to take out a particularly nasty darkspawn horde in the Arling. Nathaniel had grown up in the Arling, it had belonged to his father before he turned traitor, and therefore knew more about the land than Cassandra could ever hope to. Anders had escaped from the Tower of Magi enough times to have a good idea about how to travel unseen as well as avoid things that could cause someone, like her troops, to become lost or entangled. His humor also stopped her from going completely mad and it was nice to have another mage who had grown up in the Tower around.  

“If it’s another noble, tell them I’m neck-deep in darkspawn and can’t come to settle their petty disputes at the moment. If they are here for another assassination attempt, tell them to reschedule,” Cassandra said in her normal icy tones, looking back down at the map, figuring that the Seneschal would leave. Varel was good at running Vigil's Keep, thankfully, and usually made it so that only the most important or annoying nobles were brought to her attention. 

Yet, the Seneschal remained, though by his tone of voice he wasn’t happy about it. “It’s not a noble, Commander, it’s an elf. He says that he is a former Antivan Crow and wishes an audience with you.” 

Nathaniel and Anders looked at one another, a question evident on both their faces. Of course, they had heard of the Antivan Crows, but usually, when they took a contract they didn’t walk into the throne room and announce themselves. Cassandra would probably just march into the room, turn him to ice, and come back to finish planning the mission without so much as breaking a sweat. Also, neither of them had ever heard of a former Crow before. Much like the Grey Wardens, it was not an easy order to leave. 

“Did this former Antivan Crow give his name?” Cassandra asked without looking up from the map, though it was apparent she was not focused on it anymore. Tempest, her Mabari, lifted her head and sniffed the air as if she had caught a familiar scent. 

Nathaniel and Anders looked at one another. Was that a hint of warmth in her voice? Was she smirking slightly? While they had grown to know that the icy exterior, the Ice Queen as Oghren called her, had protected her both in the Tower and during the Blight, warmth, and smirking were two things they didn’t think she was possible of doing. Was she amused with an assassin pronouncing himself or was it something else?

“He said you would know who it was, Warden-Commander,” The Seneschal said slowly as if he was as confused by Cassandra’s slightly warmer tone as the two wardens. 

“Of course he did,” Cassandra said with a smile. 

Anders almost fell out of his chair at seeing her smile and Nathaniel was slack-jawed. Neither had seen her smile before and it truly transformed her appearance. She looked like the twenty-year-old woman that she was, not the Hero of Ferelden and Warden-Commander who had the fate of the Arling on her shoulders. Not many people smiled that brightly when they were told a Crow was after them. In fact, they didn’t smile at all. 

“Tell him that I am busy at the moment, but I will see him as soon as possible. Have him situated in one of the guest rooms and provide him anything he asks for, within reason.” All the normal briskness was gone from her voice, making it almost light and airy. “Though I am sure he will ask for something completely unreasonable.”

The Seneschal paused as if not sure what to do until Cassandra leveled her grey eyes at him. “Of course, Warden-Commander. At once.” 

“You’re familiar with a member of the Antivan Crows? Haven’t three crows attempted to kill you within the last month?” Nathaniel asked as Cassandra turned her attention back to the map. 

“He’s a former Crow and we traveled together when we were gathering the army to defeat the Blight. He is also none of your concern right now, Nathaniel. We have three bands of darkspawn attacking farmers and they need to be taken care of. What is the easiest approach that will also result in the least amount of casualties?” Cassandra asked her tone once again clipped and ice cold. 

Nathaniel shot a look at Anders but then started to talk combat and strategy. Anders had known Cassandra in the Circle, though they had never been close due to age difference and he was usually in solitary confinement after his multiple escape attempt. Still, aside from himself, she was the most talked-about mage in the Ferelden Tower of Magi. Both were spirit healers by training and sometimes would end up in the same section of the library, though Cassandra rarely deemed it worthy to even look at him, let alone talk with him. If he remembered correctly, she usually had a young Templar shadowing her when she became old enough for Anders to take an interest in her beyond her being another apprentice. He regretted that now. 

“I still don’t like these talking darkspawn,” Nathaniel stated after they had come up with a somewhat suitable plan. “We are working under the assumption that they will act like normal darkspawn and that hasn’t been the case. This plan is based on flawed information.” 

“Unfortunately, flawed information is all we have at present,” Cassandra sighed as she slumped into a chair and rubbed her temples. “The farmers demand protection, as do the merchants and the nobles of Amaranthine hold the purse strings and want a military force to make them feel safe in their estates. There aren’t enough men to go around. If we can break a couple of these bands, perhaps it will relieve some of the pressure.” 

“The nobles will just find somewhere else to apply pressure,” Nathaniel huffed, folding his arms. 

“Weren’t you supposed to be a noble until your father went and decided to murder and torture everyone?” Anders asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“And weren’t you supposed to be made Tranquil because you couldn’t stop murdering Templars?” Nathaniel shot back. 

“Enough,” Cassandra snap as she got to her feet. “You’re both dismissed as it is obvious I won’t get anything useful out of the two of you now. Go and get some rest. Andraste knows that someone deserves it.” 

Neither man objected though Anders did stop in the doorway as if he wanted to ask her a question. If he was going to say something, a flick of her hand slamming the door in his face stopped that from happening. Cassandra continued to stare at the map as if staring at it long enough would tell her what the hell the darkspawn were planning. Yet, no matter how hard she stared, no answer came to her. Tempest whined, sensing her frustration, and rested her large head on Cassandra’s lap. 

Eventually, she got to her feet and decided to go and see what her unexpected visitor wanted. Well, Cassandra knew exactly what he wanted, but she had no idea why he was here now to get it. Oddly, anxiety was bubbling in her stomach at the thought of seeing him again after being apart for a couple of months. While she hadn’t had time to even think of another man since Zevran went to deal with the Crows, she couldn’t be sure he had been as busy. He was a notorious flirt, what if he had finally decided that she wasn’t worth the trouble or the wait?

“Warden-Commander,” the captain of the guard, Garevel, called as she started to make her way toward the guest wing of the Vigil. “A moment of your time, please.” 

Cassandra took a deep breath before turning to face the Guard Captain. “I’m guessing whatever this matter is, it cannot wait until later?” 

“I’m afraid not, Commander. There is a concern about deserting in the ranks and we need you to come and speak with the men and help me root out this discontent among them before it gets worse. We scarcely have enough men as it is,” Garevel explained in that rapid-fire way of his.

“I don’t exactly inspire loyalty,” Cassandra muttered as she started to straighten her clothes, though they weren’t that rumpled. The Tower had instilled a very good posture in her, all those hours sitting in those straight back chairs studying.   

“Nonsense, Warden-Commander,” Garevel seemed a little surprised by Cassandra’s lack of confidence. It was not something she had shown since coming to Vigil’s Keep, though she had hardly had time between crises. 

“Fear, perhaps, but not loyalty,” Cassandra amended as they continued toward the barracks and she made sure not a single hair was out of place in her bun. 

“Commander,” Garevel stopped and turned to look at her, which was surprising because not many people looked her in the eye, “you raised an entire army to face down the darkspawn, killed an Archdemon, and have pulled the Vigil back from the brink by showing compassion and fairness, if not always kindness. The people might fear you because you are a mage, but the soldiers respect you. I assure you of that.”

Cassandra felt rather touched by the assessment and wasn’t sure what to say. So, she just turned and continued toward the barracks. It turned out that the individual who had been captured trying to desert and take others with him was not even a member of the Vigil’s forces. He was a plant from one of the nobility attempting to stir up animosity within the ranks so that they would be able to dispose of Cassandra. It was far more underhanded than the last assassination attempt but lacked finesse. Once the man was exposed as not even being part of the forces, the men turned on him instantly and morale was greatly improved when Cassandra let the men decide what should be done to the interloper. Garevel stayed to watch over the proceedings to make sure they didn’t get out of hand. 

By the time Cassandra got to her rooms all the lights had been lit and she was weary to her bones. She decided to take a quick bath, change, and then go to see why Zevran was at the Vigil. Cassandra unlocked the door, an old habit from the Tower of not trusting people to not mess with or steal her things, and stepped inside. 

“You have let your guard down, mi amore,” Zevran said from his place lounging on the bed. “If I was still a Crow with a contract, I would have easily killed you before you even finished closing the door.” 

“Lucky for me you are no longer a Crow and didn’t I already show you once that I am not that easy to kill,” Cassandra said with a smile as she leaned against the door while Tempest went bounding over to get scratched behind the ears. “Besides, Tempest would have ripped you to pieces. I told them to give you a room of your own.” 

“Oh, they did, with an armed guard as well,” Zevran laughed as he easily slipped off the bed and walked over to her with that liquid grace he possessed. “However, when my love didn’t instantly come to me with open arms and declarations of love, I got worried and wanted to see what was keeping you.” 

“Apparently I need to train my guards as well,” Cassandra huffed, but then shook her head and let herself smile. 

It didn’t take more than three steps to make it to him and Cassandra threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly to her. Zevran smelled of leather, sun, sea, and a hint of debauchery which was almost enough to make her cry from the comfort it brought her. It reminded her of those nights in her tent on the road, stealing happiness and warmth from one another when they could. Marker, she had missed him. 

“What are you doing here?” Cassandra asked against his neck, holding him close.

“I heard that the Crows had taken another contract on you, I hurried back as soon as I could. I should have known they would be no match for you,” Zevran laughed against her hair, gently stroking her back. “I took care of a couple of others before they even left Antiva. Still, I could not deny myself the pleasure of seeing you again. It’s been far too long.”  

“It seems like years,” Cassandra said as she continued to hold onto him, scared that he would disappear the moment she let go. 

“It’s barely been half a year and yet it seems like ages since I last held you,” Zevran laughed before he pulled away slightly and cupped her cheek. “And yet you already look different. This position is wearing on you, I do not like how tired you look, my dear.” 

Cassandra closed her eyes and let him run his calloused thumb along the bags underneath her eyes. She had been up before dawn, nightmares of the Blight, of Alistair dying as he murdered the Archdemon, waking her up in a cold sweat more mornings than not. Tempest always attempted to comfort her, but it was never enough for her to go back to bed. After getting out of bed, it had been crisis after crisis and now she was planning a campaign that would take even more time walking across the wilds of Ferelden. It would all be bearable if she felt like it would mean something, as if at the end of all this fighting there would be an actual end, but it never did. If there was peace in the future, it was too far in the future for her to see. It made it hard to keep fighting. 

“Here I planned on ravishing you all about the Keep, but that doesn’t seem like what you need right now,” Zevran said in a soft voice that he only used for her. “Come, let me get the servants to draw you a bath and you can tell me all about what troubles you so.” 

“There is no need to bother them,” Cassandra said with a smile. “Despite what Wynne says, I am not above using the mystical arts for basic household tasks.” 

With a flick of her wrist water started to fill the stone tub that occupied the corner of her room. It took a couple of spells to fill it completely and then a couple more to heat the water until it was steaming. Zevran pulled a vial out of his bag and dumps it into the bath, filling the room with the smell of something sweet and slightly sharp. He sat down on the edge of the tub and curled his fingers for her to come and join him. 

“Is there a reason that you are just carrying about scented oils on you?” Cassandra asked with only a hint of jealousy as she walked over to join him.

Somehow Zevran made the very innocent gesture of trailing his finger through the water seem sensual and lurid, though maybe it was just because they had been apart for a couple of months. “This particular concoction has pepper and other things in it that make dogs sneeze uncontrollably and makes it very difficult for them to track you through the alleys of Antiva while not raising suspicion because of the smell. Now, come over here so I can undress you.” 

Tempest did sneeze at this and then again. The Mabari whimpered and started to attempt to wipe her nose on the carpet. 

“I guess I have to believe that you weren’t using it on some unsuspecting mark now,” Cassandra said as she walked over and opened the door so that Tempest could escape out into the hallway before walking back to the tub. “However, you’re going to owe my dog an apology.” 

“She is very forgiving,” Zevran laughed as Cassandra moved to stand between his legs, her fingers trailing through his golden hair.

As always, his hair was unfairly soft for a man who routinely fell into trash heaps and was covered in blood. Her fingers then slipped down to lightly trace the tattoo on the side of Zevran’s face, which caused him to turn his head and lightly kiss her fingers as his deft fingers started undoing the buckles and straps that held her supplies and robes. While she had been given the official robes of a Grey Warden mage, she didn’t feel comfortable in them and only wore the familiar robes of the Circle. She preferred them to the skin-showing options of apostates and the plain showy outfits of the Tevinter Imperium. 

“It is very rare that I do not have the full attention of someone I am undressing,” Zevran said as his fingers slipped into her robes, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer. “Either my skills have diminished greatly since the last time I saw you, my love, or you are taking this job far too serious.” 

“Maybe it’s both,” Cassandra said with a smile as she reached up and started taking all the pins out of her tight bun to allow her long white hair to fall down her back. “I guess I am going to have to assess all your skills for myself, just to make sure.” 

“Oh, is that so?” Zevran’s fingers started to slide the robe off her shoulders, raising to kiss each inch of exposed skin as it appeared. “Well, I can hardly say no to a beautiful woman who saved my life so many times, now can I?” 

As if to prove his point, Zevran let the rest of the fabric fall to the ground in one fluid movement. Cassandra shook out her hair and enjoyed the feeling of being completely free and unbound. Zevran kissed down her chest, sucking softly, before kissing down her stomach, stopping right below her belly button. He looked up at her, his brown eyes sparkling, as his fingers made short work of the rest of her clothing. 

“How I have missed having you this close,” Zervan said against her skin as he kissed up her body to behind her ear. “The smell of you, the feel of you, the taste of you.” 

Cassandra melted into his attentions, her hands resting on his arms as his lips reintroduced themselves to one side of her neck and then the other, kissing and nipping as he went. He was murmuring to her in Ativan and while she had every intention of learning the language, she just hadn’t had time. Knowing Zevran, it was probably something positively lewd but caring. That made her smile and slip her fingers underneath his chin and tip his head up so that she could kiss him full on the mouth. She had only meant for it to be one kiss, but it was hard not to lose herself in Zevran. 

It wouldn’t be so intoxicated if he was just an elf very skilled at being intimate, but it was the care and complete focus he had when he drew her in. Cassandra had a number of dalliances in the Tower of Magi, men who bet one another to bed the Ice Queen, but it had never been like the first night that Zevran had focused all his attention on her with each touch and each kiss. He never just used her for his pleasure, to have it be over as soon as possible. He wanted her to enjoy herself and looked after her in every way possible. It was still new to her, even after all the times they were together, so each time was exhilarating and slightly terrifying.

“While I would happily kiss you all night,” Zevran said when they finally pulled apart, panting slightly as he ticked a piece of hair behind her ear, “there is no reason to waste this perfectly nice bath. Get in and try to relax.”  

Cassandra started to protest, already missing his lips on hers, but his hand on her waist was guiding her into the bath before she could form the words. The warm water, which was now sharp with citrus, felt good on her muscles and she let out of groan once she was finally settled in with the water up to her shoulders. When was the last time she took a moment to herself? There truly hadn’t been time since getting to Vigil’s Keep. 

“See, isn’t that better?” Zevran asked with a smile as he stepped out of his leathers with the ease of a man with a lot of experience doing it. “I’m glad to see I can still put a smile on your face.” 

“And yet you went a whole ocean away from me at the earliest opportunity.” Cassandra had meant the statement to sound joking, but it came out sharper than she had intended. 

“Cassandra,” Zevran looked sad as he walked over and knelt beside the tub, “I didn’t want to leave you, please believe me. I had too many contracts out for me once it came out I traveled with the Hero of Ferelden who then became the Warden-Commander. I had to take care of the threats in Antiva, to show them that neither of us is worth the coin anyone wanted to pay.” 

She closed her eyes and sighed, taking his hand and pulling him up so that he could get into the tub. Zevran kissed her forehead before stepping into the water, setting in behind her and pulling Cassandra back so that she was resting against his chest. He kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

“I am doing my work in Antiva so eventually there will be no reason for us to be apart,” Zevran whispered against her skin. 

“There just always seems to be something or someone else that needs to be taken care of that keeps us apart,” Cassandra pouted as she tugged his arms tighter around her. “I didn’t ask for any of this responsibility. From the moment I was forced to leave the Tower to become a Grey Warden, again and again, I have been forced to be a leader. The only thing I was able to choose in the past year and a half is you, Zevran. I’m so tired of being forced into positions and responsibilities I don’t want.” 

“Well, I do love being an exception,” Zevran chuckled as he kissed her hair. “If there is one thing that I have learned in this world, it is that you have to steal happiness when it presents itself. Whether it is daring to ask a deadly and powerful mage to spare your life or share your bedroll or sailing across the ocean to do nothing but sit in a warm bath with her. There is too much horror in the world to deny yourself these pleasures.”  

Cassandra hummed as she skimmed her hand over the water to warm it up again, sinking a little further down to help with the tightness in her shoulders. “Tell me about your adventures, Zev. Tell me everything that you haven’t put in your letters. Tell me something that had nothing to do with darkspawn and Grey Wardens.” 

“You mean all the naughty dreams I had about you while I was surrounded by brutish sailors and sleeping in trash heaps?” Zevran laughed as he kissed her hair again. “The ship was Captained by the beautiful and dangerous Isabella, you remember we met her at The Pearl.” 

“I remember she cheated at cards,” Cassandra said with a huff, “and that she was interested in getting both of us into bed in whatever combination we preferred.” 

Zevran laughed that infectious laugh of his as he gave her a tight hug, which made her feel slightly better. “Jealous, mi amor? While Isabella is a very ravishing woman, no one holds a candle to you, my star. No, she was just someone I knew and could trust wouldn’t throw me overboard if the Crow’s paid her enough. As you can see, she did not. Now…”

For the next hour, Zevran regaled Cassandra with his tales of hunting down the Antivan Crows and killing everyone that wanted to kill him for leaving the order or her because they knew they were close. At times, she gripped his arms tighter when he was in a bad spot, not sure if he was just being dramatic because that is who he was as a storyteller or if he was truly that close to death. Eventually, the water had cooled and Cassandra was ready to get out and get into bed before she fell asleep.

She stood, water cascading down her body as she reached for the towel. Zevran’s teeth grazed against one of her buttocks, his other finger coming around to graze the inside of her thigh. Cassandra gasped softly before looking over her shoulder to see his dazzling smile. 

“What? I’m hungry,” Zevran said as he kissed the spot he bit. 

“Yes, well, this water is rather dirty and I’d rather be out of it before you do any more eating,” Cassandra said as she grabbed the towel and wrapped it around herself. 

“As if I would do sometime so vulgar,” Zevran laughed as he stood up and stretched so that his whole body was on display. “Exposing a lady’s most delicate parts to such conditions can’t be good for her overall health.” 

Cassandra’s eyes traveled over his body, from his golden hair to the deep V at his hips that lead down to his impressive cock. His tanned skin was covered in scars, but they did nothing to distract from his beauty. In fact, Cassandra thought it added to it, showing the life he lead was hard and brutal, yet he still found joy in life. Before Cassandra had met him, her life had very little joy, and that was even before being forced to become a Grey Warden. He had changed her life for the better and she would never be able to repay him.  

Marker, she was sappy this evening. 

“You are thinking again,” Zevran stepped out of the bath, not bothering with a towel and letting water splash all over the stone floor and rug that was there,  brushing his thumb across her forehead. “We cannot have that. Instead, I believe, I have to prove that I haven’t lost my touch or skills as was previously suggested.”  

Before Cassandra could come up with a reply, Zevran had dropped to his knees on the small rug, which squished slightly due to the water he had just thrown onto it. His fingers grabbed the bottom of the towel and tugged her toward him. Usually, she would make him work for it, but she wanted to forget everything but him for a while, so she moved forward, though she didn’t drop the towel. Zevran gave her a little smirk, before grabbing one of her legs and flinging it over his shoulder. He gave her a devilish wink before disappearing underneath the towel. 

Cassandra almost fell over when his tongue gently slid against her, fingers scrambling to get purchase on the side of the tub so that she didn’t fall over. Her muscles tightened at the simple contact and Zevran kissed the inside of her thigh to help relax her a little. As soon as her muscles relaxed, his tongue went back to its gentle and frustrating work. Cassandra continued to hold onto the tub while Zevran’s name tumbled off her lips as the heat grew in her core. All the other thoughts were chased out of her head as she moved her hips along with him to chase her pleasure.

Zevran shifted forward, moving her leg higher to get his tongue deeper inside her. Cassandra bit her lip and let her head fall back, closing her eyes as her body started to shake. The stone walls were thick enough that she could probably scream her throat sore and no one would hear her, but that hadn’t ever been an option for her before. In the Tower, if the Templars caught you entangled with another apprentice, you would either be thrown into solitary confinement or they would try and have a go themselves, so secrecy and being quiet was key. On the road, Cassandra didn’t want to bother their companions. It became a game where Zevran would do his best to try and get her to make noise while Cassandra tried to not wake the rest of their companions. There was something that Cassandra loved about those shared panting breaths and whispered words of lust between them. It made it more private, more theirs, and added a bit of danger to it all.   

While Cassandra had teased Zevran that his skill was diminished, she had to swallow all those words as he sucked on her clit. Her leg hooked over his shoulder, his other hand gripping onto her thigh was the only thing keeping her from falling over as she approached the climax. When he gently slid one of his fingers into her, Cassandra came, biting her lip until she felt herself bleed. Zevran gently worked her through the aftershocks before appearing from underneath the towel, cheeks flushed and lips shiny. 

“You are still far too tense for my likening,” Zevran said as he got to his feet and kissed her softly. 

She could taste herself on his lips, which made her pull him into a deeper kiss before breaking apart. “I also believe that I said that your skills with your fingers were losing their touch, not your tongue.”  

“Ah, apologies, I will have to prove my skills with my fingers now,” Zevran laughed as he kissed her again, his fingers sliding down to disappear underneath the towel again. 

“There will be time for that,” Cassandra said as her hand slid down his chest and ran her fingers down his shaft. “First, I believe we need to test my riding skills and it is far too late to get one of the horses out of their stalls.” 

Cassandra wrapped her fingers around his cock, pulling him closer to her so that she could kiss him hot and deep. Zevran met her slowly growing heat, hand coming up to tangle in her wet hair. He tilted her head to the side and kissed from her shoulder all the way up to her ear.

“We have an audience,” Zevran whispered, letting his tongue flick across the shell of her ear, causing her to shiver. 

Cassandra’s eyes flicked to the door, which was open only an inch or two. She must not have closed it completely when she let Tempest out. Now, there were two sets of eyes peering through the crack with great interest. While she was not at all embarrassed by her lover, she would rather her subordinates didn’t see her cheeks flushed in only a towel with her hand on said lover’s cock.

Then again, she wasn’t the one being a voyeur. 

“Should we give them a show?” Cassandra whispered as she trailed her fingers around to his ass and gave it a gentle slap. 

“Maybe we should ask them,” Zevran said with a wicked smile. 

Cassandra flicked her hand toward the door, a paralysis spell flying from her fingers easily and trapping the two individuals at the door. Zevran took the time to help her adjust to her towel before grabbing one of his own. Then they both walked to the door and opened it wide. 

Nathaniel and Anders were frozen in the position of little kids attempting to overhear what their parents were talking about in a study, one stacked on top of the other. Cassandra looked down at them and just shook her head. While their bodies were paralyzed, both men’s eyes could still move and they looked up absolutely terrified. 

“Who are your friends, mi amour?” Zevran asked, coming up beside her, his hand resting gently on the small of her back. 

“These are some of the brave recruits to the Grey Wardens,” Cassandra said as she tilted her head as stared at them. “One is the son of Arl Rendon Howe who came here to kill me but was caught by the soldiers before he could attempt that assassination. The other is Anders, another mage from the Tower of Magi, who I enlisted to save him from the Rite of Tranquility. As you know, Zevran, I only enlist the best.” 

“An assassin you say,” Zevran gave a long look up at Nathaniel Howe, some of the mirth leaving his eyes as he sized up the archer. “I do hope that you are not extending the same courtesies to this assassin as you did the last one.” 

“What was that about jealousy that you said earlier,” Cassandra said softly over her shoulder. “However, I hate to talk for others. Let’s see what our intruders have to say for themselves.” 

Cassandra waved her hand, dispelling the paralysis magic, and watched both men fall onto the stone at her feet. They squabbled with each other until they untangled and got up. Anders rubbed the back of his neck but Nathaniel’s cheeks were bright red and he couldn’t meet her eye. These are men that she had murdered countless darkspawn, monsters, and other humans with, but seeing her in a towel was making it so that they were unable to look her in the eye. 

“Nathaniel Howe, Anders, this is Zevran Arainai, former Antivan Crow and one of the people who helped me end the Blight,” Cassandra said as a way of introduction. “Now that everyone is acquainted, what are you two doing outside my doorway?” 

“Oh, us, we just got here,” Anders said in a way that made it very obvious that he was lying. 

“Captain Gareval sent us as a small band of darkspawn has been spotted not too far from the Vigil. He wants to know if you are going to deal with it yourself or if you want him to send out some of the men,” Nathaniel said, giving Anders a look of disgust at his poor lying skills. “That’s why we were sent.” 

“How many,” Cassandra asked, feeling the weight of her responsibilities come slamming back onto her shoulders. 

“A small band, no more than twenty,” Nathaniel said, though now his eyes were on Zevran and the two men were sizing each other up. “Two alphas and an emissary among them.” 

“You two are Grey Wardens?” Zevran said before Cassandra could say anything else. “Are you the only Grey Wardens here, besides the Commander?” 

“There are three other recruits, Oghren, Sigrun, and Velanna, but what does that matter?” Anders asked, finally finding his voice again. 

“Oghren? that loud and smelly dwarf is now a Warden?” Zevran laughed and shook his head. “Only the best indeed. To answer your question, I asked the number of wardens because I have seen Cassandra demolish twenty darkspawn with one of her spells in a matter of moments. Surely, another mage with the support of four other wardens can take out a small band of darkspawn, no?” 

Cassandra blinked. It had never occurred to her that she did have five highly skilled individuals that were operating underneath her and therefore could take care of some of the threats on their own. Everything had seemed like it was her problem, her burden, and she dragged people along with her, but besides the two men in front of her, the other three had asked to be wardens. As soon as everything is done with the Architect and the Mother, they may not even be under her command anymore. They were competent enough to go on a mission on their own. Why hadn’t she sent them?

“If that is what the Commander wants us to do…” Nathaniel seemed equal parts offended and confused. 

Cassandra couldn’t blame him. An elf that he did not know, who was currently in only a towel, was questioning his ability as a fighter. Then his Commander was standing there, also in a towel, who appeared to be letting said naked elf give commands. Best to end this conversation for everyone’s benefit before things got out of hand. 

“Get Sigrun and Oghren and take care of this problem. Nathaniel, you know the area best so discuss with Oghren the best plan of attack and then execute it,” Cassandra’s voice was commanding, though being in a towel surely dampened the effect. 

“Yes, Warden-Commander,” Nathaniel looked her up and down once again before taking a step away from the door. “Come on, Anders. You heard the Commander.” 

“I mean I did, but I have a lot of questions,” Anders said with a mischievous smile. “The first one being, what do you mean the last person you recruited who tried to kill you?” 

“Not now, Anders,” Nathaniel grabbed the mage by the arm and dragged him away. 

“I like the mage,” Zevran said with a chuckle as he closed the door and threw the latch to close it. “I am not sure about that Howe fellow.” 

“I’d rather not think about either of them right now,” Cassandra put her hand on his chest and slid down until it was on the top of the towel. “I do believe we have some unfinished business.” 

Zevran hummed deep in his throat, his fingers moving to slide just underneath Cassandra’s towel. “Don’t think I don’t notice you are changing the subject, but I do hate unfinished business.” 

“That must be how I keep you coming back to me,” Cassandra said with a smile, kissing him hot and hard while she ripped the towel off his hips. 

Zevran tried to say something, but the moment his lips parted, Cassandra slid her tongue into his mouth. That was enough for him to realize that the time for talking was over. He didn’t seem upset by this, tugging Cassandra’s towel off as well as they walked back toward the bed, stumbling a little since they refused to stop kissing. He was also letting her take control of the situation, offering no resistance as she pushed him onto the bed and crawled on top of him. Her teeth scraped against his bottom lip, pulling a soft groan out of her lover. 

Zevran's hands came up to tangle into her hair, attempting to hold her closer even though there was no space between them. For a couple of minutes, they just clung to one another, kissing so fiercely that Cassandra’s lips started to hurt. It was is they were attempting to become one person after so much time apart. 

“If I did nothing else but this with the rest of my life,” Zevran said when they finally broke apart, his lips pressing soft kisses to her neck and collar bone. “I would be content.” 

“I would not,” Cassandra said as she kissed him softly before making him look her in the eyes. “I will not be content until you are safe and free to do whatever your heart desires. However, I will be content to do this for the rest of the night.” 

“I am not the only one who is in constant danger, my love,” Zevran said as, though his eyes were shining at her statement. “I swear that at some point in the future we will be laying somewhere warm with people bringing us trays of food and wine so we won’t have to leave the bed for days if we do not wish.” 

It was a ludicrous fantasy, but Cassandra let herself imagine it for a moment. Freedom, no commitments or responsibilities, no world needing to be saved from itself, no one trying to kill either of them. She could spend the 28 years she had left traveling the world with Zevran, studying magic while he slept and letting the days slip by like the sun through the leaves. The Calling a far-off threat that didn’t need to mar the present if they didn’t let it. Cassandra hardly remembered a time when there wasn’t some burden weighing on her shoulder, whether it was her magic or her duties as a Grey Warden. It was a dream that would never be realized, but she could hold onto it for the night.  

Cassandra gave herself a shake. She had a beautiful man who loved her underneath her, naked and at her mercy, and she was sitting there daydreaming. Why worry about pleasure in the future when there was pleasure in her present she could have? Cassandra kissed Zevran again, hot and slow, as her legs straddled his hips. His skin was so hot it almost burned before she sat up so that she could see his face as she slid onto his cock. The look of pure pleasure on his face, the way his eyes fluttered closed and his lips parted was intoxicating. Cassandra had killed dragons and shaped the political landscape of Ferelden, yet nothing made her feel more powerful than pleasuring this man. 

“I’ve changed my mind,” Zevran said, his voice husky, “I am never letting you out of this bed. To hell with the Wardens, darkspawn, and everything else.”

Cassandra let herself adjust to having him inside her, running her nails lightly down his chest, before starting to move her hips. They both moaned at that. Zevran gripped onto one of her thighs and the other slipped between Cassandra’s legs. Just that tiny bit of pressure sent pleasure shooting through her body and she leaned into it. Cassandra put her hand on his chest and started to move with more purpose, her eyes closing at the feeling of pure pleasure. 

“I wish I could paint you like this,” Zevran panted as his hand moved up to her waist to help her move. “All undone, not hiding behind a mask or furrowing with concerns, just purely enraptured in pleasure.” 

There were no words that Cassandra could say other than moaning his name again and moving her hips faster. She slid her hand up so that her nails were digging into Zevran’s shoulder, giving her more leverage, as she started to chase another climax. Zevran let her use him however she wished, his thumb still gently moving against her clit. He murmured to her in Antivan while Cassandra’s nails dug into his skin and she panted his name and curses. When she finally came, it almost hurt, it was so powerful.

Cassandra attempted to get off him, but his fingers gripped onto her waist and kept her on top of him. “Ah, not yet, love. We are just getting started.” 

Zevran shifted down the bed and started to thrust up into her while her body was still clenching from the last orgasm. They both gasped at that, but he didn’t stop the pace, moving his hips with a talent that he had honed over the years. Cassandra leaned back, placing her hand on the bed between Zevran’s legs, and letting her head fall back.

While making Zevran moan made her feel powerful, the absolute freedom of letting go and having Zevran bring her pleasure was exquisite. She had never trusted a man with her pleasure before Zevran, her tryst in the tower a mutually agreed means to an end. Even the first time they had slept together when Zevran swore that it was just to release stress, there was a care and attention to Cassandra’s wants and needs that had struck her as tender even while he was sucking bruises into her thighs and chest. Now he knew exactly what she like and used that knowledge with startling efficiency. 

Right when Cassandra was on the edge again, Zevran tolled her over, pinning her to the bed underneath him. “Much more comfortable than all those nights on the ground, rocks digging into your back, no?”

Cassandra hooked her legs around his back and pulled his body down toward her, attempting to get him inside her again. “I don’t know, there was something kind of romantic of the glowing embers casting weak light through the fabric of the tent and the stars visible through the tent flap.”  

Zevran pressed one of his hands against her collar bone, in a subtle act of possession, before grabbing her leg and putting it up on his shoulder. “Come now, we both know that you are not the romantic in this relationship.” 

Cassandra laughed breathlessly, but it was cut off by a gasp as he slowly slid all the way into her. He paused there, leaning down to kiss her long and slow, his tongue flicking out against her bottom lip. He kissed her for so long that she lost track of time and everything else besides his lips against hers. When Zevran finally slid out of her, at such a slow pace that it made her whole body shutter, it was like waking up from a pleasant dream into a very different, but still very pleasant reality. A snap of his hips and Cassandra’s hand went over her head to brace against the headboard. 

“Ah,” Zevran sighed as he started to move at a slow, but very hard, pace, “so wet and ready for me, love.” 

“Well, you have already made me cum twice,” Cassandra panted out as he continued to move, unable to let him have the upper hand. “If I wasn’t wet, I would be concerned.” 

“Always have to have the last word,” Zevran smiled as he shook his head. “Well, you better brace yourself, my dove. I am going to fuck that attitude right out of you.” 

To make sure that Cassandra didn’t get the last word, his fingers gently wrapped around her throat, restricting her airway as he started to set a brutal pace with the thrust of his hips. Cassandra gasped out his name, as she pressed harder on the headboard to give more resistance, to feel every inch of Zevran’s cock slamming into her. When he moaned out her name in a ragged and hoarse moan Cassandra climaxed again. 

Zevran let go of her neck, placing his hands on either side of Cassandra’s head, and pressed his body against hers. “If I had not seen you slay many desire demons I would say that you are one, the way that you grant my every desire, fulfill my every want.” 

“You know,” Cassandra whispered into his ear, “some mages might consider it an insult to compare them to a demon.” 

Zevran chuckled as he brought her other leg up to rest over his shoulder. “I guess it’s a good thing that you’re not like some mages then, isn’t it?” 

“Why don’t you show me how good of a thing it is,” Cassandra said with a smile, using her legs on his shoulders to pull him down for a kiss, even though it made her sore legs ache.

“I live to serve you,” Zevran laughed before he started to move again in long slow strokes, both of them moaning softly, foreheads pressed together.  

Cassandra kept her eyes on Zevran as long as possible, losing herself in the feeling of him inside her and the closeness between them. She wanted to stay in that moment forever, her hands pressing onto the headboard as he moved inside her, feeling full and content. However, soon the heat started to build in her again and they both started to move faster, whispering and panting as they chased their climaxes. 

Zevran reached his first, his thrust becoming more erratic as he kissed against the inside of her legs between panting breaths. Cassandra whimpered a little, both at the feeling of his cum but also because she was so close to another climax of her own. Zevran seemed to realize this, slid out of her and pressed his thumb against her clit. The little bit of pressure sent Cassandra over the edge, leaving her a sweaty shaky mess on the bed. 

“Ah,” Zevran said as he flopped down next to her, panting and smiling, “Mi Amor, spectacular as always.” 

“Are you sure you have to go back to Antiva?” Cassandra said with a soft laugh, though she was too spent and sore to move. “I could use that far more often.” 

“Let’s not spoil the moment, love,” Zevran said, kissing her shoulder softly before getting off the bed. 

Cassandra closed her eyes and sighed, trying to do what he said and not spoil the moment. However, she already missed his warmth and his body beside her. It didn’t matter that he returned in a moment with a wet cloth to clean her up gently. A few whimpers escaped from her lips, but then Zevran had tugged the sheets over them and had her pressed against his side.

“When are you leaving,” Cassandra finally asked, able to stop from ruining the moment.

“Tomorrow, probably before noon if not at dawn, it will depend on the tides and how quickly I can get to Amaranthine,” Zevran said with a sigh. “There are many moving pieces in Antiva right now and it was foolish for me to leave, but I had to make sure that you were safe.”

Cassandra settled her head on his shoulder and sighed. “While I am not happy about it, that is probably for the best. I doubt I will be allowed to ignore my duties for more than one evening. I have trade routes being plagued by bandits that must be dealt with and talking darkspawn to figure out. I might make a trip to see Avernus at Soldiers Peak and what he makes of this statement that Grey Warden blood is needed to bring darkspawn to consciousness.”

“Be wary of that old mage, I don’t trust him,” Zevran said as he wrapped a protective arm around Cassandra and pulled her closer. “He’s a step away from an abomination himself, consorting with spirits and extending his life with blood magic. He looked at you as if he wanted you in one of his cages the last time we spoke with him.” 

“As if I would let that little man put me in a cage,” Cassandra snuggled closer to him. “However, his research may find a way to protect the Grey Wardens from the Calling as he has avoided it all these years. Perhaps he will finally make himself useful before he dies.” 

It had been hard to let the blood mage live, it went against all of her morals. Hadn’t she turned in her only friend when she found out he was dabbling in blood magic?  Yet, even then, she had been in love with Zevran and was selfishly grasping at any hope that she wouldn’t die alone in the Deep Roads. Or worse, Zevran would come and sacrifice himself with her way before he should die. She wanted them to die old and content in each other’s arms. 

“When things are a bit more settled, we’ll travel the world and find an answer to that particular problem,” Zevran promised as he kissed her hair. “Right now, we both need a good night’s rest. Sleep, my love. I’ll be here when you awake.” 

A sleepy bark came from the door Zevran laughed before slipping out of bed. “Apologies, Tempest,” he said as he opened the door to allow the Mabari in. “I did not mean to leave you in the hall all night. I do request that you don’t sleep on the bed, however.”

There was an offended bark, but only the weight of a male elf joined Cassandra on the bed. She had meant to stay awake, to gently run her fingers over Zevran’s scars to once again memorize the feeling of his skin, the sound of his breath, the warmth and protection that he made her feel until the sun rose and he left her again. Unfortunately, they had used a lot of energy during their reunion and she was already tired from the night before. Her eyes started to droop after only a couple of moments and soon she was walking through the Fade, chasing her numerous dreams. 

Zevran sliding out of bed the next morning woke her, the sun already shining through the windows. Cassandra clung to his arm, but he made calming sounds toward her before walking away from his reach. She peeled one eye open to see Zevran, still completely naked, open the door and let Tempest out before coming back to the bed. 

“I fear that the morning is upon us,” he said softly, kissing her cheek. “We better rise to greet it before more of your subordinates see you almost completely naked.” 

Cassandra groaned, even though she knew he was right. Life at the Vigil had started without her, not that she could find the energy to care, but it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for her. She could only imagine what the Seneschal would look like if he came in to find the newly appointed Warden-Commander in bed with a Crow assassin, covered in bruises among tangled sheets. 

Zevran kissed her forehead softly as Cassandra sat up, pushing snarled and tangled hair out of her face. A deep purple bruise on her inner thigh caught her attention and she pulled back the sheets to take a better look at herself. While Zevran had been kind enough to keep her neck free from markings, her chest and thighs were a collage of deep red and purple markings. She smiled a little, fingers gently skimming over a deep purple bruise on her inner right thigh. 

“Apologies, my love,” Zevran said as he kissed her softly on the cheek before starting to tug on his underclothes. “I was a little too excited about our reunion. I didn’t mean to make my desire a burden last night.” 

“Your desire for me is never a burden,” Cassandra said quickly as she watched him dress, “and you know I don’t mind.” 

“That doesn’t mean I should do it without your expressed approval first,” Zevran said as he started to push things around her vanity, muttering to himself. 

“What are you looking for?” Cassandra asked as she finally got out of bed and start to get dressed.

“A brush and comb,” Zevran said as he triumphantly held up the items in question.”While I would never say anything disparaging about your beauty, it will take you all day in an attempt to style your hair on your own. Best to let a professional handle it.” 

“A professional?” Cassandra shook her head and moved toward the mirror. “And it can’t be that bad.”  

“Don’t look in the mirror,” Zevran laughed as he pulled a stool over to the bed and patted it. “Now, come and sit. It will only take a moment.” 

Cassandra huffed, grabbed a blanket from the bed to wrap around herself, and sat on the stool as she had been asked. Zevran sat behind her on the bed, his warm legs on either side of her torso, and started to gently brush her hair. While he was extremely gentle, humming softly as he worked, the finer hairs tugged while he used the comb to untangle the nest of hair at the nape of her neck. Neither of them said anything, they didn’t need to, while he worked. Now and again Zevran would place a kiss on her shoulder or the top of her head, murmuring words in Antivan to her before going back to work. 

“Should I even ask what you’re doing?” Cassandra finally asked once he had brushed out all the knots and his fingers started to twist strands of hair together. 

“While I find you very charming in that tight and perfect bun you always wear your hair in,” Zevran explained while his fingers kept working, “I learned to do hair at a young age in the brothel and have rarely had the opportunity to do it since them. Humor me.” 

Cassandra hummed, not wanting to move her head in fear of messing up his work. When he was finally finished, he kissed her shoulder one more time before slipping off the bed and starting to pull on his leathers. Their time was running out and Cassandra couldn’t do anything to stop it. So, she got off the bed and started to help Zevran with the buckles and clasps that were difficult for him to reach. 

“I usually prefer when women are undressing me,” Zevran laughed when he was dressed. “I will go find some food while you finish getting dressed so I don’t lose all control and get you back into bed.” 

He said it as a joke, but they both knew they were trying to readjust to the idea of being without one another. They hadn’t even had a day together, yet the thought of him leaving again felt like a dagger being plunged into her chest. She attempted to ignore the pain, as she did all the other times she had been stabbed, and went to pull on a new set of robes. Unfortunately, the only clean ones were the deep blue and silver detailed robes of the Grey Wardens. After a moment's hesitation, she pulled them on. They were comfortable enough, but Cassandra still didn’t feel comfortable in them. She didn’t feel like a Warden, she felt like a mage that had been pulled into something she didn’t understand. Still, after everything yesterday, it was probably a good idea to put the best foot forward possible.  

Cassandra pulled the stool in front of the vanity to do her make-up and paused mid-movement when she saw herself. Zevran has pulled her hair into several braids and twists so that it almost resembled a crown before the rest is gathered up into a braided bun on the back of her head. It made her look older and more in charge, but also gave her a bit of personality. Cassandra snorted in annoyance as her eyes started to water as she sat down and did her makeup. 

“Where is the Warden-Commander and who are you to tell me to leave?” An angry voice came from the main hall of the Vigil as Cassandra made her way to the dining room. 

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” Zevran’s accent came out smoothly, “what matters is that your petty dispute does you no credit and does not need to be brought to the Warden-Commander’s attention while she is attempting to keep you all safe from these bands of darkspawn. Do you really want her to be distracted while they are raizing your fields and threatening Amaranthine? No? No, I didn’t think so. I will make sure that Seneschal Varel is aware of your concern and someone will deal with it presently.” 

Cassandra waited for a couple of minutes before stepping into the Main Hall. Zevran was escorting someone out of the main door, closing it very definitively before turning around and smiling at her. Sigrun was in the Hall, a book in her hand, but the way she looked at Cassandra she knew that Nathaniel and Anders had told her what they saw the night before. 

“Should I even ask what that was about?” Cassandra asked as Zevran came up beside her and they both walked out of the main hall.

“A petty concern that they can deal with themselves,” Zevran said with a wave of his hand. “Unfortunately, I’ve gotten word that my ship is going to leave earlier than I anticipated. I am going to have to leave very soon.” 

“You cannot argue with the tides,” Cassandra said, her icy tones sliding back into place. “I’ll walk you to the stables and make sure you have food for the travel.” 

“I’ve already taken care of the food and your subordinates have been most helpful, though full of questions.” Zevran took her hand and kissed it. “Soon, we will not have to say goodbye anymore. I promise.”

“I will hold you to that,” Cassandra said with a smile. 

Anders and Nathaniel were both in the stables, whispering to one another. They stopped instantly when the two of them appeared and Anders held out the basket as if that explained why they were there. Zevran ignored them both and jumped up onto the pretty white mare that he must have brought with him. 

“Are you sure he can’t stay?” Nathaniel asked as they watched Zevran adjust all the gear on the saddle for a smooth and comfortable ride. 

“He does wonders for your disposition,” Anders agreed. 

“He has work to do and so do we,” Cassandra said simply, but her grey eyes watched Zevran’s fingers work on the stirrups warmly. She remembered the magic that those fingers had worked the night before. 

“While I would love to, matters in Antiva need my attention,” Zevran said with a smile as he turned back to Cassandra. “Until next time.” 

“Until next time,” she said simply. 

Zevran winked at her before he clicked his tongue and the horse sprang into action. Oghren appeared out from the stables, looking as if he had slept in that last night, but belched. Cassandra sighed inwardly. 

“Warden-Commander, there are reports of strange happenings in the Black Marsh. The Senshal wants to see you at once,” the soldier reported. Cassandra waited until Zevran and his horse could no longer be seen before she turned away. 

“Tell him I will be there presently,” Cassandra said. The soldier saluted and went to deliver the message. Cassandra then turned to look at the three men who were staring at her. 

“Is there something you gentlemen wanted to say?” Cassandra asked, back to her flat tone. Anders and Nathaniel looked at each other, smiled, but said nothing.

“Good to know that pointy ears can still do something that can set your knickers ablaze,” Oghren laughed. “I was starting to worry that you weren’t alive anymore.”

“And we all appreciated not being run ragged while you were…entertaining your guest,” Nathaniel added. 

“And it is good to let off some steam to make your magic flow better,” Anders said finally. 

Cassandra looked at each of them in turn, her icy eyes sizing up each man. Nathaniel shifted his weight and Anders gave her a nervous smile. Oghren just burped again. After what seemed like three years, Cassandra smiled at the three of them. It did transform her appearance and almost made her seem approachable, maybe even likable. 

“Well, playtime is over boys. Let’s get back to work.” Cassandra said as she turned and walked back to the fortress. Tall, elegant, but not as frosty as she had been before.  

[rosella-writes]

My Fics for the Arlathan 2022 Exchange

I received many gifts this year in the @arlathanxchange, and somehow managed to write even more! I had a blast waiting for reveals and kept adding to the pile. Here's what I made (all are one-shots):

you are the angel that I couldn't kill, for @wickedwitchofthewilds

Pairing: Andarateia Cantori x Viago de Riva

Rating: Explicit

Tags/Warnings: bondage, rape roleplay, knifeplay, pegging, femdom, forced orgasm — all in the context of a fully consensual established relationship based on respect and love

Summary: “You were such a tricky little mark,” she coos, turning one corner of her mouth up in a promising smirk. “Just out of reach all evening, flirting with the danger that tailed you. You should have poisoned the wine.”

it's enough to be better, for @melisusthewee

Pairing: Quinn Trevelyan x Solas

Rating: Explicit

Tags/Warnings: top!Trev, bottom!Solas, established relationship fluff, teasing and banter, background poly with Cassandra, emotional constipation, confession of feelings in Elvhen

Summary: Quinn Trevelyan is bored, and Solas isn't paying attention to him. Something must be done.

memory is the poison in our veins, for @melisusthewee

Pairing: Hawthorne x Quinn Trevelyan, Hawthorne & Hygge, Hawthorne & Fen'Harel

Rating: Teen

Tags/Warnings: blood magic to access dreams, mild body horror and trippy Fade sequences, derealisation/depersonalisation, past Solas x Quinn

Summary: Hawthorne never asked for any of this. He's just a simple apostate elf with no clan and no name, making his way in the world as best he can. But things get complicated when one tangles fates with the former Inquisitor and Herald of Andraste.

oily marks appear on walls (where pleasure moments hung before), for @dreadfutures

Pairing: Solas x Felassan

Rating: Mature

Tags/Warnings: angst, non-explicit sexual themes, Arlathan

Summary: Solas loved Felassan in the gaps. They hardly had time—in between covert meetings and strikes in the dark—for each other. But for two who were so entangled, in both day-to-day and in dreams, it was difficult not to want. And so they gave in.

The Needle and the Shield, for @settiai, @razzaroo, and @thedastrash

Pairing: Alistair x Zevran Arainai

Rating: Explicit

Tags/Warnings: needles (tattoo needles), arousal from pain, mild painplay, first time bj, virgin Alistair

Summary: Alistair takes Zevran up on his offer to give him a tattoo—Zevran learns that Alistair likes pain.

Fill My Cup, for @bogunicorn and @darethshirl

Pairing: Virelan Lavellan x Solas

Rating: Explicit

Tags/Warnings: established relationship, 69 (nice), teasing and banter, fisting of the vaginal variety, hand kink if you squint

Summary: Virelan wants to come. Solas wants to teach her something new.

Amatus, Kadan, Vhenan, for @noire-pandora, @enigmalea, and @thefoxinboots

Pairing: Dorian Pavus x Solas x The Iron Bull

Rating: Explicit

Tags/Warnings: misunderstandings/arguments and resolution thereof, sex as therapy, sex as apology, top/dom!Dorian, bottom!Solas, bottom!Bull, bottoming from the top, dom/sub elements, semi-public sex

Summary: Solas shoots him another look over his shoulder. His eyes are bright under furrowed brows. “Do not assume I cannot see this ploy for what it is. Perhaps I want to remain upset with Dorian. Did you consider that, oh benevolent peacekeeper?” Iron Bull shrugs. “Or you could fuck about it and stay mad. Makes no difference to me.”

And there you have it! A veritable mountain of smut with one (1) piece of T-rated world-exploration lol. These were so fun to write and have consumed my focus for the last few months, so it's exciting to get to share them at last.

[shivunin]

“Be right there,” she told Alistair tersely when he would have hung back with her. Arianwen knelt and toyed with the ties on her boot as if fixing the laces, willing the other Warden to walk away.

“I will wait with you, my dear Warden,” Zevran said right on cue. “It would be terribly bad form for me to leave you unprotected in the open like this, no?”

“Right,” Alistair said, plainly not fooled. “If you don’t find us in half an hour or so, I’m coming back.”

Wen looked at him and deliberately rolled her eyes, making sure he could see her.

“I’m telling you so you know,” he said impatiently, hoisting his pack higher on his shoulders. “Half an hour.”

“We will be exceedingly punctual,” Zevran said, his voice indicating no such thing.

“Yes, of course we will,” Wen agreed, untying and retying her boot.

The rest of them filed off, talking and arguing and laughing in turns. They’d barely cleared the hill ahead before Wen was on her feet again, dragging Zevran off behind the nearest hedgerow. He kept pace easily, vaulting the greenery with her, and they were hardly on the other side before their hands were on each other.

Keep Reading (explicit)

[rpgchoices]

This is for me an impossible choice! An assassin who slowly starts to trust the Warden and falls in love vs an eternal romantic hero who also reads smut in his spare time and twirls you in a kiss!

Pinned post about the tournament / round two voting tag

[pisscrossiant]

Part two of my dragon age: origins headcanons because It's my current hyperfixation 😋

I'm honestly just writing these down here when I think of em

Oghren will stop doing whatever he's doing if he sees the Warden just to wave at them like a goof, he could be in the middle of fighting for his life and he stops to wave to them.

Morrigan can go MONTHS without bathing and look exactly the same as she did the last time she took a bath. She doesn't smell either she smells like roses 24/7 and no one knows how she doesn't smell after not bathing for like three months.

Leliana puts ribbons around her boots to make them prettier

Zevran tends to linger behind the party when walking somewhere just so he can stare at their asses without it being obvious.

Alistair keeps cheese in his pockets at all times, he has like three big ass cheese wheels in his tent at camp so he will take little pieces of cheese off the wheels and put them in his pocket so he has a snack later.

Wynne cooks the most out of everyone, she always takes requests from the party members so she can make them their favorite dishes for dinner so they can enjoy something during the blight.

Leliana often has auditory hallucinations and the most common one she has is of a woman screaming bloody murder, she'll jump a bit and if no one reacts to it she just carries on with what she's doing while waiting for it to stop.

Alistair has insomnia most of the time when he's "sleeping" he just lays in his bed roll and waits for sun rise, sometimes he'll talk to Zevran or Leliana if they get up before everyone else.

Zevran has Paranoia and has visual hallucinations, though they don't happen all that often, they still freak him out. He mostly see's shadow people which freaks him out alot because he thinks they could be assassins, watching him.

Oghren will pass out sometimes from his drunkenness, thankfully this doesn't happen during fights.

After Zevran got mad at the warden saying "there are other things to do besides me, go do those." The Warden gets upset and goes to sit by their tent and shale see's this and tries comforting them by saying "Would you like me to crush the painted elf" which actually does make the warden feel better.

Zevran and Leliana are polyamorous and wouldn't mind being in a poly relationship.

Leliana has a FAT crush on Morrigan, even if the warden romances her she can't help but fall for the tall lesbian.

Zevran has a crush on Sten, not in a romantic sense but more so he's attracted to him because Zev loves tall people.

Alistair is a bisexual in denial, he thinks he's straight but when he sees men without shirts on he gets all flustered.

Wynne reads 24/7 and she reads smut. Like hardcore smut. She reads it with a straight face.

Once Alistair asked what she was reading and she handed him the book to read the synopsis outloud and he became so embarrassed about it, Zevran and Morrigan made fun of him for it for weeks, he still can't see Wynne the same way again.

Elfroot is like weed, that's why it's called Elfroot because ancient elves would smoke it.

Leliana will wash and style Zevran's hair for him, during his time with the crows he didn't get to have his hair all nice and clean and styled properly so he doesn't really know how to take care of it all to well, so Leliana does it for him.

Zevran gets jealous easily believe it or not, if he sees another person flirting with the warden he gets mad and will go up to the Warden and interrupt their conversation. At first when he doesn't realize he's fallen for the Warden he keeps thinking he's stupid for it and tries to ignore it.

Leliana doesn't have a tendency to get jealous but if someone is getting too touchy with the Warden she'll just stand behind the warden glaring at them to get them to back off.

Morrigan can be very possessive of the Warden even if the warden hasn't romanced her she still will be very possessive especially if the warden is around someone she doesn't like (like Alistair)

Alistair gets jealous but doesn't show it or anything he's more tame and doesn't act on it or anything.

Morrigan is a raging lesbian she has no romantic interest for men, the only time she'd even sleep with a man would be for her to have a child. But she doesn't try to pursue any romantic relationship with women due to her pushing the people she loves away.

Oghren misses Branka before she left him but is glad to be a part from her at the same time.

Shale pets your Mabari 24/7 she loves animals especially dogs

Zevran is very weary around dogs, there were stray dogs all around Antivia City and they'd attack a lot unprovoked, he's been attacked by them numerous times so he was of course nervous when joining the warden's party seeing they had not just a dog but a wardog. Over time though he grew to actually like the dog alot however.

Leliana is a cat person, she's fine with dogs but she loves cats. But if she did have to choose between a Nug and a Cat she'd ofc choose a Nug.

Alistair is a major dog person, when he was living with the Arl he would usually hang around the kennels rather then being around people. When he says "I was raised by dogs" he wasn't actually that far off.

Morrigan doesn't like Dogs or cats, she's a bird person. She only tolerates the wardens Mabari because she knows the warden loves him.

Oghren is actually fond of dogs believe it or not, he hates cats though he says "they're stuck up"

Sten doesn't have a preference between cats or dogs however he respects dogs alot more then he respects cats.

Wynne is a cat lady, like if the tower let her she'd have like 20 cats.

Alistair has elf ears but not like how full blooded elves have, half elves have small points to their ears, they look like human ears but have a point to them instead of being rounded fully.

Leliana has a tattoo of a sun on her right shoulder.

Zevran has tattoos all over similar to the ones on his face, but he also has a tramp stamp that says " amor ''

Morrigan at first meeting her has no tattoos, I mean where would she get them living in the wilds. Once she leaves though she does get a tattoo of a raven on her left arm.

Alistair got drunk and got a tattoo of a dragon on his back, he thought it was cool at first but now that he's having to fight dragons and the arch demon he hates it.

The circle doesn't let mage's have tattoos so Wynne doesn't have any.

Sten does not have any tattoos because the Qun does not allow it, he does put markings on his body with face paint however.

Oghren has a tattoo of two beer mugs clanking together in between his shoulder blades.

That's all for now I'm most likely gonna do another part because I actually like writing these it's just nice to do when I'm not doing anything. Also the first part did pretty well and got a decent amount of attraction so definitely gonna do more 🤭

Plus I love fueling the dragon age fandom I wish there was a lot more stuff ab it 😭

[spoiledblogif]

What ROs would you recommend for what kind of people?

Hm. An interesting question. I suppose I haven't thought about it.

R's route is probably going to be the least dramatic. Which isn't to say that it's not going to have ups and downs, it's just not going to have them to the same extent as Z's and Kestrel's routes. If you're a sucker for characters like Howl from Howl's Moving Castle or even say Zevran from Dragon Age? R's probably a good fit. (R's not a playboy like Zev, but they've got the fear of intimacy and gadfly bits down pat.) Their arc with the MC is basically going to be strangers to partners to friends to lovers (if you romance them). Maybe hints of a mentor romance too if you want to look at it like that.

So, Z is going to probably have THE most dramatic path. Carter is going to be extremely against the idea of them even being friends with MC let alone them being in a relationship. There are also plot things I can't spoil that are going to contribute to that. So, Z is going to be the "nice" but stoic one who is kind and empathic but holds themself back. And their route is going to be the rockiest. (And I know exactly who will prefer their path because I know exactly who to compare them to, but I can't because spoilers.)

As for Kestrel: If you're here for smut, their route is probably going to get there first? So there's that. If you're a sucker for "amoral non-human with no concept of deeper emotions catches the disease of human feelings" then K is for you.

[inquisimer]

2023 writing round up

bringing back this fun little year-end writing review from last year :3 it's always so fun to look back and see what all the little pieces and all the time adds up to!

tagging if you'd like to join in: @shivunin | @rosella-writes | @fadedsweater | @exalted-dawn-drabbles | @kiastirling-fanfic | and @warpedlegacy

words posted: 109,617

additional words written: 84,453

grand total of words: 194,070

fandoms: 2 - Dragon Age & Dishonored

highest kudos: The Lie Upon Your Sleep at 20 - a bit of fluff & hurt/comfort with my healer OC Ness and Cullen

highest hit oneshot: to be seen feeling at 200 - a piece I wrote for my friend @dreadfutures as part of the DAFF Discord OC Swap. An exploration of her Mahariel as Warden-Commander and Teryn during Awakening and his life with Morrigan and Kieran in the Crossroads.

new things I tried: Writing non-canon romances! And participating in a lot more fandom exchanges.

fic I spent the most time on: hard to say, probably my unpublished Surana Lavellan rewrite! Of my published fics, I think it would be if our demons cannot dance - angst, hurt/comfort, and missing scenes for my anders rivalmance.

fic I spent the least time on: either Not Like This, a character study of Emily's guilt/regret as she flees Dunwall in D2, or I carried my own ashes to the mountain, some light hurt/comfort and fluffy friendship between Brosca & Zevran on their way back to Orzammar

favorite thing I wrote: any of my pieces with Siobhan Hawke, my Blorbo of the Year for sure. She's so different than the type of Hawke I usually play, being Red-Purple and leaning into the politicking aspect of her role in Kirkwall. I've loved exploring a Hawke who doesn't run away from Kirkwall, who stays and works within the system to make things better. And of course writing her different dynamics with Loghain and Sebastian have been both interesting and challenging for me creatively.

favorite thing(s) I read:

Things my heart used to know (things it yearns to remember) by NiriKeehan (@nirikeehan) - the gift I received as part of the DAFF Discord OC swap, an incredibly well-done piece of my OC Neria and Cullen finding common ground in their respective roles in the Inquisition

A Fool's Death and a Hard Choice by RosellaWrite (@rosella-writes) - an beautiful study of Warden Loghain leading up to and through DAI, his journey looking for Mahariel, how he meets up with Hawke, and his reunion with Morrigan & Kieran at Skyhold.

In Flame Forged Anew by Plisuu (@plisuu) - DAI as experienced by Connor Trevelyan, Templar turned mage turned Tranquil turned Herald of Andraste. He's a little fucked up by it all and this compelling story will tear you to shreds right from the start.

Dirty Little Secrets by SylvanRain (@sylvanraindrop) - DAI retold from the perspective of one of Leliana's agents, featuring the smoothest motherfucker Lavellan, lots of intrigue and spy shenanigans, and Cullen being both endearingly soft and Good At His Job

what we talk about when we talk about whalers by patho (ghostsoldier) - a collection of one shots set in and around the Knife of Dunwall DLC for Dishonored, ranging from lighthearted and funny to absolutely heart-wrenching ;-; beautifully well-done snippets that build out the in-game mechanics and lore!

writing goals for 2024: finish my Surana Lavellan rewrite up through IYHSB, which is when I've promised myself I'll start posting it again 😤 and also to finish at least one of the smut pieces that I have half-started in various drafts

new works: 21

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