oghren, aveline, cullen... i'm not saying i'm biased, but who will be a warrior character i absolutely can't stand in dreadwolf?

Carver Hawke - Guardsman

Gonna put this under the cut (It kind of went on an Aveline rant so...take it as a warning)

I know I made that post about the idea of Carver being the Captain-Guardsman but the more I think about it, the more it feels right to me.

Now let me get this out on why I feel this way.

Aveline says Carver doesn't follow orders.

Carver does. But you know what else Carver does? He questions orders.

He breaks orders and keeps fighting (like in World of Thedas where it is said that Carver fought like hell to fight the Darkspawns to the point that it took his comrades to pull him away and force/order him to run. He refused because he wanted to stay with them, to keep fighting. Because he wanted to protect them.

Aveline says it herself - when you do her quest - that Jevan had made her wonder about him sometimes.

Wonder. She never took her feelings to another guardsman, and never went above Jevan's head about her suspicions. She kept it to herself. When it was exposed to the schencal, and she was offered the promotion, I admit it - I had a nagging feeling that she wanted the promotion and she manoeuvred her way into the position.

Probably just me being biased (but I will do another run-through and see if I seel feel the same way).

Now when I think about it - No wonder she didn't want Carver in the Guardsman.

Carver would have protested over the orders. Would have questioned the orders. Carver isn't someone who would sit back and just wonder and keep it to himself. He would shine a light on the situation and bring it up.

He would have done everything Aveline wouldn't have wanted to be done - he would have proven that yes, the Captain is corrupted and was using his people to do it.

Yes, the Guardsmen are not immune to corruption (just like it is everywhere) and he would be transparent about it. He would give people chances in the job.

Carver wouldn't have coddled his people. He would have trained them and sent them out to do their jobs. He'd be protective but he knew that he had to trust in them to be able to do the job.

He wouldn't have gone to Hawke and asked them to step in to clear up the mess. He would have patrols in each area to ensure that criminals wouldn't have gotten their hooks in.

He wouldn't have given the guardsman 10 patrols on the wall for abandoning his duties in protecting the Delegates. he would have fired the guy on the spot (and his friends) because fuck that, the Guardsmen are there to protect the people, regardless of species and taking Qunari while their weapons were sheathed - not on his watch.

He would have taken the elves' accusations of rape seriously and he would have arrested the guard.

He wouldn't have gone to the Arishok and demanded the elves be handed over to him because he would have understood.

He wouldn't have dismissed Emeric either - he knows how sneaky mages could be. He would have investigated deeper. Maybe he would have been able to stop his mother's death, maybe not but he wouldn't have just dismissed it as a rambling of an old templar who was going crazy.

And a part of me is so pissed off that Aveline gets the job after showing the corruption yet she is still corrupted. She hides and covers up things her people have done.

10 days patrol of the wall for abandoning his duties?! That lead to a group of qunari being killed by a bunch of zealots in a bid to start a war. How the hell is that even comparable? He should have been fired on the spot (next time, I'll probably see if I can fight/kill him because that's what he deserves).

And covering up that the guard is a rapist and demanding the elves to be brought to her for justice? Like seriously? Didn't we just go through this shit with Kelder killing elven children because they were beautiful and it was being covered up by his father (who had a high position).

Her guardsman's death was more important to get justice than a young girl who had been sexually assaulted and she tells Hawke off for saying they are not making the situation any better when Hawke says she would have done the same?

And she tells the Arishok off for killing Petrice in the Chantry as justice for Seamus!! At least the Qunari did something. She was sure as hell wasn't aiming to arrest Petrice for killing an innocent man just to start a war and was willing to kill Hawke.

Yet Hawke killing the guy who murdered her mother was ok. I think I can see where Aveline's interest lies.

And all I can see is how much better the guardsmen could have been if Carver was in charge. How much better Kirkwall could have become. How much shitty stuff wouldn't have happened if Aveline hadn't decided that her guardsmen meant more than the people of Kirkwall.

Cause Kirkwall deserves better. And so did Carver.

(and yes, I'd might have enjoyed Hawke/Donnic instead).

OOH! By the way, before I forget - when you give Aveline the Shield, and she gets all pissy about it - saying that Hawke wanted her to give up everything about her past - Hawke can reply (if you're aggressive) that someone should tell Donnic that.

Damn - my mouth dropped open and I was like - she really went there!! Damn. I still get shivers down my spine at the thought of that scene.

hawke should’ve had the option to stick up for carver when aveline refuses to give him a chance in the city guard. i feel like it’d really bother them that aveline sees how desperate their family is for coin and still won’t give their brother a job he may well be good at, all because she...what? assumes he’ll buckle under the pressure of answering to somebody? we know that he won’t because if he goes on to join the wardens, carver thrives. i think he could’ve thrived in the kirkwall guard, too.  

i cannot get over pro anders argument of him sexually harassing aveline as a "coping mechanism" for her being part of the city guard & him being in the circle. blegh.

Okay so out of all the companions we can get over the course of the games which one do you hate the most and why?

Aveline. Without a doubt.

There are other companions I’m far from fond of (Oghren, Wynne, Cassandra) but all of those were more of a mild dislike that developed into borderline/definite hatred as I realized how truly awful they are. 

But with Aveline, as soon as her character was introduced there was something about her that just rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn’t until I started putting her in my party and did her Act 1 quest that it became clearer why I didn’t like her and my dislike turned into hatred.

By the end of the game, I absolutely loathed her. Now my Hawke was friends with her (and all the companions) because I used to be a companion pleaser/wanted every achievement for the game.

Plus it was kind of easy to get there, I just did her quest, chose the diplomatic or humorous dialogue options when forced to talk to her and only put her in my party for quests where she would approve of the choices I already knew I was going to make. (Killing Kelder for instance)

There are SOOOO many reasons why I hate Aveline so I’m going to list a few.

Constantly attacking Isabela and calling her a whore. 

Constantly calling Merrill stupid (which was the “kindest” of the things she called Merrill)

Her quest where you can play cupid for her and Donnic. She wants your help to land him but is all pissy if you take Isabela’s advice on the matter. 

If you take her to Lowtown, Hightown, The Docks at night you get that fucking line. “I don’t make my guards fight gangs in dark corners but if you want to help...” So she’s saying she doesn’t make her guards do their jobs and in not so many words is asking Hawke to do it instead.

After clearing out the gangs in Kirkwall each Act, does Aveline reward Hawke for doing the guard’s job? No. If it weren’t for Red Jenny there wouldn’t be so much as a thank you for Hawke risking their life to keep the people of Kirkwall safe. 

She has the nerve to insinuate Hawke is to blame for all the trouble in Kirkwall and whinges at them for doing what they do. Which is what? The job of the city guard without the pay. After asking Hawke to do so.

Givings mages (read: victims) to Meredith.

She was there with Hawke when they investigated Ninette’s disappearance (at least in my canon) so she saw the suspect running from the Foundry, she fought the demons that appeared obviously to buy time for the suspect’s escape and she saw the bag of bones and severed hand with her own eyes. And she still insisted that all those women that disappeared and were murdered in identical ways over the years were ‘random murders’. She is the reason Leandra died. **

There are so many more reasons (i.e. corruption, refusing to do her job, being an all-around bitch) but I’ll end up going on forever. So if you’re really curious, I’d suggest checking out @dalishious anti-Aveline tag because it is spot on. 

** Even if she isn't WITH Hawke during the Act 1 part of the investigation it's safe to assume Hawke probably told her all about it. So why did she still not believe Emric or take the investigation seriously?

Someone: Why can't you romance Aveline

Me: ...you wanna fuck the cop? :[[

the most ooc thing that bioware ever expected me to believe is that cassandra was in kirkwall going ‘dang i gotta find someone with military experience and huge muscles to join the inquisition’

and she recruited fucking cullen over aveline

marian yelling @ aveline dfjhgksldfjghk SAME MARIAN

I stopped stanning Aveline at the climax of Act 2, when the elves who converted to the Qun said that they killed a guardsman for raping their sister. If Hawke confronts her about it, she deflects with ‘I will investigate the rumors.’ Like the game expects you to buy that she’s this fair and just captain who single-handedly reformed the guardsmen, but things like that still happen under her watch and she dismissed it as rumors until the Arishok forced her to face it.

Y eah honestly there are a lot of moments when Aveline as a guard is. kind of corrupt, but that one is just so big and terrible. And like “rumours”. The elves straight up told the guard what happened. The game consistently shows Aveline going really easy on her guards and not punishing any that commit crimes, and yet we’re still told she’s a hard captain??

I recently finished playing DA2 with a Hawke whose main motivation ended up as getting rid of Aveline as Guard captain because she was so corrupt. I was bored of playing the same backstory for Hawke every time so decided that instead of actually being a Hawke, my new character Rose was Gamlen’s kid. It brought a great new perspective on Aveline and Kirkwall, when she’d lived there her whole life, first in the brothel with her mother, and then with her father in his house in the slums. She started working with the Red Iron when she was about 15 to pay off some of Gamlen’s gambling debts and has spent a long time seeing how the ordinary citizens of Kirkwall struggle. Like, Aveline would absolutely look down on someone like that. And Rose knows the people of Kirkwall and knows they’re not doing any better under Aveline than they have been under any of the other captains in the last 20 years. Not that Aveline will listen to Rose telling her that because Rose is a Dirty Criminal who’s the bastard of a gambler and a sex worker. And shouldn’t be annoyed that Aveline doesn’t make the guards look after people like her when they’re going about their terrible criminal, gambling, sex working ways.

So yeah. I was not a massive Aveline fan before playing Rose, but playing Rose made her corruption even clearer. She is really, really not a fair or just captain.

Do you have any ideas as to how you would have written Aveline differently?

(Anyway this turned out to be one of my favourite things I’ve ever written and oh man I would never claim to be a professional writer, and don’t meaning to sound like I’m bragging, but I think I’m in love with my alternate Aveline concept.)

Have you ever heard the song Bobcaygeon by The Tragically Hip? If you’re Canadian I’m gonna go ahead and assume you have, but if not, it’s about an RCMP officer who has become disillusioned with his job, having to sit back and watch fascists/white nationalists. Gord said the song is about asking “evil in the open or evil below the surface?” (Apparently he may specifically be drawing parallels to the Swastika Clubs and Christie Pits riot. You should look it up; no one ever talks about antisemitism in Canada.)

I highly suggest watching the music video for this song, and then imagining if in place of Aveline constantly being validated by how pure she is, we instead had a character who had her “Lawful Good” nature challenged and questioned.

Every other companion has to look at themselves, question themselves, even if not always deserved. But Aveline never does, because even when other characters challenge her, it is always written so she has the narrative’s moral high ground. And no, I’m not counting her Act 2 quest with Donnic, because that is such surface level shit in comparison to the others. Fenris is out here wondering if he’s ever been and ever will be truly free, Merrill and Anders are afraid they’re monsters, Sebastian doesn’t know if he deserves to be prince… And Aveline is afraid to talk to a man.

Imagine instead…

Act 1

Now, Act 1 as it stands I probably wouldn’t change that much, actually. Aveline is a new member of the guard, full of preconceived romantic notions of how good and upstanding the guard is, because that’s the life she’s lived. She’s a white human, the daughter of a chevalier, the widow of a templar. The law was designed to work for her, and she’s oblivious to the corruption of it.But then she finds out the shady business Jeven is involved with, brings it all to light, and is subsequently named the new Captain of the Guard. She also at this time grows closer to Donnic. She’s feeling pretty proud of herself at this point.

The only other thing quest-wise I would change, is her reaction to Magistrate’s Orders. When the elven father says that no one takes crimes committed against elves seriously, instead of her saying “You have so little faith in the law?” maybe have her, I don’t know, show a little compassion and surprise? Something other than passive-aggressively insulting him for calling out the guard?

Act 2

The Long Road quest? Scrapped. Aveline is a grown ass woman who doesn’t need Hawke managing her love life to such ridiculous extremes. We’re instead just plain shown that she and Donnic have become a couple, and maybe during Calling on the Captain, Hawke could ask about that, IDK. I’m not trying to take away her love life, just not make it as much of a forefront of her character. (I still can’t get over that we’re told Aveline either has the support of her guard or not and is better at her job or not depending on whether or not she marries Donnic. What the absolute fuck. Way to make your female character’s whole life about her male love interest, Kristjanson.)

Instead, Aveline tells Hawke that being Captain of the Guard is a lot harder than she imagined, because she fears she can’t trust her own men. After all, Jevan was hardly the upstanding citizen she expected him to be. If Hawke asks what Aveline means, she could mention that there are hundreds of outstanding reports from civilians, some filed against her very own guardsmen, that apparently have been stacking up for some time. (One of which she might mention being from the two elves in Demands of the Qun.) Another is Emeric’s investigation for the murdered and missing women. But instead of treating this like a chore, Aveline is rightly concerned that the guard is not doing its job. She asks Hawke to help her look into one of these things, because she feels an outside pair of eyes would be helpful/she doesn’t know if she can do it alone. 

As such, Hawke and Aveline then go investigate a murder mystery. The body was found hidden by the docks, and Hawke and Aveline go talk to the two guards who reported it. They say they thought the matter was put to rest but if Aveline really wants to waste her time as Captain chasing closed cases, she’s welcome to go after the Coterie, since he was carrying a letter written in some sort of Coterie code, most likely. The guard gives Hawke the letter. There’s also an optional point to go and talk to the victim’s family in the alienage, who deny any involvement with the Coterie, and that they were a good person.All this of course leads Hawke and Aveline to go after the Coterie, but after fighting their way through the hideout until reaching someone actually willing to talk, they deny even knowing who the victim is. Aveline doesn’t believe them, saying that of course they’d say that, and accuses that’s just want people like them do. But the Coterie then points out that the letter Aveline presents as evidence of their crime isn’t even written in their code, but that it’s elven. The Coterie suggests returning to the guards who told them such bullshit.Hawke and Aveline return to the two guards who found the body, and either a Hawke with an aggressive or charming personality is able to get them to confess that they were the murderers, or Aveline pulls it out of them, getting increasingly aggravated. The guards defend themselves by saying how were they supposed to know the letter wasn’t some Coterie code, and that no one will miss the victim anyway. Aveline will tell them to say that to the victim’s family, before having the guards arrested. She is visibly distressed over this.

The follow up Questioning Beliefs quest has Aveline distraught, saying that the Guard is part of Kirkwall’s problem, and asking if she’s stupid for having been so blind to it. Hawke can either encourage her to try and make things better, or quit her job. Either way, Aveline is left with some tough reality checks to confront.

(This also, of course, changes her reaction to the elves in Demands of the Qun and in The Captain’s Condolences as well.)

Act 3

Depending on what advice Hawke gave Aveline in Act 2, in Champions and Captains we either see that Aveline has stood her ground against the templars trying to take over, or let them do so. Hawke can then later either compliment or criticize her decision, criticism of which will be met with Aveline reminding “wasn’t it you who told me to try and make the guard better?” or “wasn’t it you who told me to give up on the guard?” 

Either way, Favour and Fault occurs, with Hawke receiving a letter that there are claims that Aveline is not suitable to be Captain of the Guard. Again, depending on Hawke’s advice, she’ll either be frustrated that despite trying so hard she still hears this, or wonder if they’re right.Skipping past the filler that is talking to Donnic and going right to Jeven’s confrontation, taking him down will leave Aveline feeling confident that at least she’s not him, and will never be him. Hawke once again has two options of encouraging Aveline: To stay as Guard Captain, by pointing out that Jeven’s power came from his allies, and that instead of trying to turn things around all by herself, she should look to the people of Kirkwall to help (because change isn’t going to come overnight, especially one that takes such a large culture shift,) or say that the law only keeps people from getting things done, and that if she really wanted to make a difference, she should be more like Hawke.

In the follow up Questioning Beliefs, Aveline will have renewed faith in herself that she can make a difference, either by changing the guard or announcing that she’s resigned as guard Captain and plans on fixing things herself, following Hawke’s vigilantism.

A few other Miscellaneous Things

You know I’d throw all Aveline’s dialogue insulting Isabela’s openness and comfortableness about her sexuality right in the trash where it belongs

Actually there’s just a lot of party banter I would scrap and replace with more positive interactions, with Merrill, Carver, Fenris, etc. 

I’d have her directly say that she’s bi because it’s tiring hearing people say she’s straight even though any Hawke can flirt with her, she’ll ask any Hawke that flirts with her if they ever thought about them getting together, and any Hawke can receive a kiss from her

The saddest thing about Aveline is, in my opinion, so much wasted potential. Are my ideas here perfect? Definitely not, but I do think it would make for a more interesting story and less stagnant character than what Kristjanson gave us.

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A Song of Love From Long Ago

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2XE7jRV

by Lesetoilesfous

Fenris didn't hate Anders, not really.

Once upon a time, but not so long ago, an elf fell in love with a mage.

A canon-divergent AU set during Act 2, in which Anders is taken to the Circle.

'Cause here's the thing: to know how it ends, and still begin to sing it again - as if it might turn out this time...I learned that from a friend of mine

Words: 10103, Chapters: 2/24, Language: English

Fandoms: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: F/F, F/M

Characters: Fenris (Dragon Age), Anders (Dragon Age), Justice (Dragon Age), Isabela (Dragon Age), Varric Tethras, Merrill (Dragon Age), Aveline Vallen

Relationships: Anders/Fenris (Dragon Age), Female Hawke/Isabela

Additional Tags: Purple Hawke (Dragon Age), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, The Gallows, anti-chantry, Anders Was Right, Mage Rights, Past Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Canon-Typical Violence, Anders' Manifesto - Freeform, the author got very sidetracked by revolution, Cullen critical, Rite of Tranquility, Past Anders/Karl Thekla

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2XE7jRV

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Anders/Fenris (Dragon Age) Characters: Anders (Dragon Age), Fenris (Dragon Age), Aveline Vallen, Female Hawke (Dragon Age) Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Past Abuse, Abuse, Mage Rights, anti chantry, Pre-Relationship, talking about feelings, Fluff and Angst Summary:

Anders is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

A hapless farmer outside Kirkwall has triggered a five hundred year old enchantment and cursed his town into an unnatural slumber. Hawke's best lead to break the curse is one Ser Robert d'Estienne. When Ser Robert requests the use of a mage to help him break the curse's series of magical defences, Marian loans him Anders. Not that Anders gets a say in the matter.

Accompanied by Aveline, Fenris and one pompous mage-hating knight, Anders is due for a very long, very bad day. He just wishes the elf would stop staring at him, and let him daydream in peace about a world in which this had never happened.

Weekend oneshot! This one is a collaboration between Muirgen_Lys and I (check out her work on Ao3 here!) Inspired by what has to be a really, really weird power dynamic for mages who get loaned out from the Circle, and how likely it is that a Spirit Healer would be in high demand...

Enjoy!

About the Character: Akono Hawke

Tagged by: 3 people so I’ll do separate ones :) second one is for @mocha-writes ‘s tag, thank you! 

Tagging: @keeperscompanionsdai @a-roaming-halla @fade-footprints @briarfox13 @bitchesofostwick @norroendyrd @lipstickhawke​ and tagging back: @astraielle  (in case they want an excuse to do this for another one of their OC’s <3)

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― your muse’s name:

Akono Hawke

―  a favorite picture / faceclaim of your muse:

I adore this commissioned art of him, his piercing are on point!

― two headcannons you have for your muse:

Akono’s always struggled between wanting to behave and the insatiable urge to rebel against any rule he didn’t see the good in. He was a quiet kid growing up, polite and adept at doing his chores, taking care of his siblings, and not fighting with other kids. But his tendency to grow his hair long and collect tattoos (he currently has full sleeves and his back is completely covered. He doesn’t intend to stop) and piercings despite his mother’s protests- along with his absolute refusal to eat his vegetables- drove Leandra up the walls. Gradually these little rebellions grew bigger and towards more serious issues, but never without reason. “It’s not a fair rule...” he would insist under his breath each time he was punished. Malcolm always found it amusing though and would subtly wink at his eldest son, proud of him for not mindlessly bowing to authority.

He was bullied as a kid for his size and speech impediment. Akono used to be a very short and scrawny child, and for a couple years the twins were taller than him. Carver often got into fights with older village kids who would mock Akono for his stutter. Being anti-violence, Akono was inclined to just smile mockingly and ignore them- but Carver wouldn't have it. It strengthened their brotherhood though, even if Carver would often lose and scrappy Bethy would have to finish the fights for him. Hitting puberty in his late teens, Akono eventually shot up to 6′4 by the time he arrived to Kirkwall and filled out into a muscular frame. Carver was a little salty about that, but he still likes to tease his “little brother” from time to time, telling him to let him know if anyone is picking on him.

― three things that your muse likes doing in their free time:

Writing. He’s an excellent written communicator, capable of swaying even the most doubtful or stubborn of people with his written word. He won many over in the parts he contributed to Anders’ manifestos, and it was because of him the people of Kirkwall began to grow sympathetic to their cause. The passion and soul he puts into his writing style may seem incongruent with his cool, nonchalant demeanor, but that often only adds intrigue to those who read his words. He and Varric like to proof-read for each other, often sending each other drafts of their latest works.

Reading. He and Fenris like to read books together and discuss them. As part of Fenris’ literacy lessons, they even correspond when they’re apart, reading a chapter a day and writing letters to discuss the intricacies of the plot or the folly of the characters.  When they’re alone Akono likes to listen to Fenris read aloud in their bed while he holds him. 

Playing the Vielle. Being rather self-conscious about his stutter, Akono hardly talked as a child. To build his confidence, Malcolm taught him how to play the vielle and Akono loved it. Being dedicated to practice, he soon surpassed his father. He still plays often to keep up his skill and because of the nostalgia of it. He can almost hear his father’s laugh in the music. (In Modern AU he plays the violin.)

― seven people your muse loves / likes:

in no particular oder: Carver Hawke, Fenris, Isabela, Varric Tethras, Aveline Vallen, Sebastian Vael, eventually Helios Adaar. Isabela is the friend he’s most platonically intimate with, and he and Varric are like soul brothers, but everyone on the list is like family to him (jokes in a serious tone, “You’re like family to me, Carver.” much to his brother’s eye rolling). 

― a phobia your muse has:

Arachnophobia; Akono hates spiders. He did not have fun in the Sundermount Caves. Or in the Fade during Here Lies the Abyss. He keeps his cool and there's only mild discomfort visible on his face if others are around, but on the inside he’s yelling and trying not to bolt. In Modern AU, Fenris is the one that has to kill or remove the spiders in their home while 6′4, stone-faced Akono stands behind him pointing emphatically at the tiny home invader. 

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[Helios Adaar Edition]

**Yeets final chapter of Part One into the Void, accompanied by pterodactyl shrieks of victory**

AHHHHH what a journey this has been, @dismalzelenka!!!! Thank you so much and I can’t wait for Part Two!!

Chapters: 37/37 Fandom: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Amell/Jowan (Dragon Age), Amell/Cullen Rutherford, Rylen (Dragon Age)/Original Female Character(s), Cullen Rutherford/Trevelyan (past) Characters: Solona Amell, Abigail Henderson, Cullen Rutherford, Rylen (Dragon Age), Jowan (Dragon Age), Raleigh Samson, Rylee Hawke, Anders, Isabela, Carver Hawke, Fenris, Varric Tethras, Merrill, Minaeve, Aveline Vallen, Evangeline de Brassard, Lysette, Delrin Barris, Corff, Hannah Trevelyan, Dorian Pavus, Blackwall | Thom Rainier, Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Modern Thedas, Liberal Canon Butchery, Misc Ridiculousness, Jowan's last name is Penrose and I will die on this hill, Kirkwall is a Shithole, Self-Medication, Drug Use, Explicit Language, References to Infertility, Mage Rights, Social Issues, anti-mage prejudice is going to be a huge thing, POV Multiple, Eventual Romance, eventual shit hitting the fan, this was supposed to be fluffy and funny, whoops our hands slipped, have some social commentary instead, Trauma, PTSD Triggers, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Anders Positive, samson positive, Jowan Positive, everyone is just complex ok, except for Alrik, that guy deserves to rot in the lowest levels of hell, to the void with ye otto, Messy adult relationships, Because we're dealing with human beings, Bisexual Cullen, Casual Sex, bathroom blowies, Friends With Benefits, Sexual Tension, Explicit Sexual Content, Banter, Teasing, Part One of a Story, lots of world building, Complicated Relationships, complicated world, Social Commentary, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Post-Divorce, Infidelity, Past Infidelity, stay tuned for more, Alcoholism, References to Suicide, Suicidal Ideation, Canon has been slow roasted @ 225 and carved for juicy bits, no one in this fic knows how to take care of their damn phones, RIP cell phones, Blood Magic, Cliffhangers, Real World Parallels, Again, Angst, Part 2 Coming Soon! Series: Part 1 of And the Sky Will Burn Summary:

Two women with no connection to each other. A chance meeting and a quick goodbye. Neither of them expected everything to change.

Abigail Henderson was enduring a blind date turned cautionary Tinder tale. Solona Amell was just doing her job bounty hunting for a local bail bonds office. When Abby's date and Solona's target turn out to be one and the same, neither of them expects how quickly their lives will turn upside down.

When an altercation with local law enforcement is caught on video and begins to circulate the Internet, they both find themselves thrown headfirst into the lingering mage-templar conflict still gripping the Free Marches twenty years after the violent destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry. Their personal lives aren't left unscathed either, as both women find themselves grappling with strange new acquaintances and relatively unwanted attractions to two former Templars now working as detectives with the Kirkwall City Police Department.

Tensions rise as past transgressions begin to surface, but everyone has secrets to hide.

Chapters: 15/? Fandom: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Amell/Jowan (Dragon Age), Amell/Cullen Rutherford, Rylen (Dragon Age)/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Solona Amell, Abigail Henderson, Cullen Rutherford, Rylen (Dragon Age), Jowan (Dragon Age), Raleigh Samson, Rylee Hawke, Anders, Isabela, Carver Hawke, Fenris, Varric Tethras, Merrill, Minaeve, Aveline Vallen, Evangeline de Brassard, Lysette Additional Tags: Modern Thedas, Love Triangles, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Liberal Canon Butchery, Misc Ridiculousness, Jowan's last name is Penrose and I will die on this hill, Kirkwall is a Shithole, Self-Medication, Drug Use, Explicit Language, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Solona's cat might actually be the Old God Razikale., References to Infertility, Although is she?, guess we'll have to wait and see, Mage Rights, Social Issues, anti-mage prejudice is going to be a huge thing, POV Multiple, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, eventual shit hitting the fan, this was supposed to be fluffy and funny, whoops our hands slipped, have some social commentary instead, Trauma, PTSD Triggers, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Anders Positive, samson positive, Jowan Positive, everyone is just complex ok, except for Alrik, that guy deserves to rot in the lowest levels of hell, to the void with ye otto, Messy adult relationships, Because we're dealing with human beings, Bisexual Cullen, Casual Sex, bathroom blowies Summary:

Twenty years ago, mage rights extremists destroyed half of Kirkwall and decimated its population. The United Marcher States retaliated with harsh legislative measures mandating all mages caught within city limits to be made Tranquil and housed in a community psychiatric facility. Threats of international intervention caused the ruling to be reversed six years later, but by then, irreversible damage had been done.

Abigail's family fled to Tevinter to start a new life away from anti mage sentiments. Solona spent her adolescence in a Tranquil facility.

A decade later, the two of them find themselves in the center of civil unrest in Kirkwall City as tensions from the last twenty years begin to reach critical mass.

What can two mages do against a government that would prefer them both dead?

As it turns out, quite a bit.

LOOK AN UPDATE me and @laraslandlockedblues have been on a roll this week :D :D :D

i beat dragon age 2 in like a week bc i had so much free time and no self control so here’s a lot of thoughts about it. spoilers for this game that came out in 2011 but also its sequel that came out in 2014

i’m jrpg trash and so much of this game edged into tropes that i’m VERY comfortable returning to. the weird imbalance between tactical and realtime combat in origins is gone and replaced with fast-paced combat based on an ai/tactics system and it is...so much more lightweight and easier to use. holy shit. i actually used grenades n shit in hoard battles and it was ACTUALLY useful and now i’ll probably use them when i inevitably play inquisition for a third time

literally the last battle was jrpg caliber except i was fighting neither a god nor my father. that was all it was lacking. it was a giant battle with moving statues and a lot of guest party members and just general chaos and it was good. fenris gets special mention for being a man who would 100% pass as a character in any final fantasy but specifically ff7

my hawke was a sarcastic and jerkish spirit healer with a secret heart of gold (basically the fantasy dr. cox) and i just need to save him. he’s so sad. how could bioware even ask me to sacrifice him in inquisition

it felt so good playing a mage again tho. goddamn. i love melee but i’ve missed being a ranged unit,,,but i’ll say that other mages being able to teleport when codex entries specifically said they CAN’T teleport was super annoying. those fucking saarebas kept full party KOing my team in like 3 seconds with that lightning bomb spell and i’m still mad

i think there was a lot that was super tight about da2 but it’s certainly not perfect, like the other da games - the repetitive environments, writing that was overly Edgy and Dark (mostly the whole leandra situation. jesus that was unnecessarily cruel), the completely unintuitive crafting materials system - but i had a shitload of fun and it only felt like a slog when i was doing quests like trying to find where the fuck all those qunari swords went. it was a rushed game and you can definitely feel it at times

i went full rival with merrill and it felt a lot like kicking a dog over and over again. for some reason when i first started i couldn’t bring my MAGE hawke to be a dick to ANTI-MAGIC fenris so i got full friendship with everyone else except carver and it was very strange

finally bridged the gap between tortured and broken origins!cullen and traumatized, repentant, PTSD inquisition!cullen and it makes a lot of sense. he and my hawke were amiable in a sort of enemy mine, cops-and-robbers dynamic and it was good. cullen is garbage and i love him for it

my dude romanced isabela and i thought i wouldn’t like her romance but it’s so clear she genuinely cares abt him and the cause by the end! also she kicks ass in the comics and im.....love her

i would die over and over again for varric tethras and aveline vallen

overall: SUCH a fun game. super dark but good writing. i need to lie down for 3 years after playing it