2022/10/12 WIP Wednesday
Happy Wednesday!
Thanks for tagging, @kittynomsdeplume and @a11sha11fade!
I’ve been obsessing over my modern AU finale fic, so today will also feature an excerpt from that. I am really excited to post it eventually.
In my modern AU, Cullen and Blackwall served in the U.S. Navy together. Cullen met Tharin, who then introduced Josephine to Blackwall. Now, they are all living in Seoul for Tharin’s and Josephine’s careers. And Cullen is in a bad mood - definitely related to the reason why he asked Tharin for a divorce two WIP Wednesday posts ago.
It’s on the longer side, but I think it’s worth it just for the friends’ interaction.
From Jamwon Station, Josephine and Thom’s apartment was five minutes on foot.
Gangnam was drafty. The gale coming from the river was relentless, emitting a shrill noise as it bypassed high-rises and swept over the streets. People in masks and padded jackets rushed by, their bodies scrunched and their heads looking down. Only the thin white breaths rising like smoke let Cullen know they were living beings. Before venturing out from the sheltered entrance of the subway station, Cullen zipped up his own padded jacket and exhaled harshly.
In no time, Cullen’s eyes teared up and cheeks turned numb, forcing him to cup his own masked face with his gloved hands. He was nonetheless grateful for the cold. Fretting about the cold helped him push away the predicament he faced. The more he thought of it, the more insurmountable it seemed to get, and so, being distracted enough to forget for a few minutes was a blessing.
He exited a narrow street and stood in front of a thoroughfare. Cars zoomed past him, worsening the gale. The complex where Josephine and Thom lived stood tall across the thoroughfare, looking intimidating. A veritable fortress of affluence and privilege.
It was higher than other apartments in the area, and the design was different too. Refined, tony, and minimalist, the upscale apartment in the heart of Gangnam was a testament to the Montilyets’ wealth.
Well, it had to be Josephine. Thom was a country boy from Montana turned a sailor turned a househusband. Cullen could not imagine he was the one with the money.
When Cullen rang the doorbell to the unit on the thirtieth floor, a little boy with a mop of black curly hair peeped through the door. It was Guillem.
“Hiiiii!” The boy immediately hugged Cullen, his head bobbing just below Cullen’s navel.
“Hi, Guim.” Cullen chuckled and bent down to dispense a firm hug to the boy.
Thom followed, looking domestic with a worn kitchen towel slung over his shoulder, his shaggy hair pulled into a bun, and his beard well-groomed. He asked in a voice half an octave higher than his usual, “Have you brought anything? A cake, maybe?”
Cullen knew Thom was simply being jocund, yet he could not muster any joviality. In fact, he spoke harsher than he intended to, “No. You explicitly told me not to bring anything.”
Josephine, who managed to look stylish even in a knitted sienna sweater and fitted sweatpants, pushed past Thom and leaned against the front door. With one corner of her lips raised, she droned, “He was being polite obviously. You make a terrible Korean, not bringing any gift…”
Cullen could not help but be sullen. “Good thing I’m not, then.”
Thom and Josephine looked at each other. When he turned back, Thom had a divot on his brow, worry transparent. “Did something happen?”
Cullen merely looked down at Guillem as the boy wrapped himself around his leg and looked up. The boy’s face broke out in the sunniest smile, and Cullen felt his heart break a little.
Ending the silence, Thom reached and lifted Guillem into his arms. He bounced his son, making him giggle. After placing a quick peck on the boy’s cheek, Thom declared, “Right, let’s go for a walk. The river park sound alright?”
With his gaze still glued to Guillem’s beaming face, Cullen mumbled crossly, “Sure.”
Thanks for reading! I would like to tag @jonogueira, @tessa1972, @kemvee, @raflesia65, @noire-pandora, and anyone else who would like to participate!
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varric: This reminds me of a story.
inquisitor: Shocking.
varric: It’s about an impossibly handsome dwarf and his friend who get crowned King of the Nugs.
inquisitor: A nug king, really?
varric: It’s not as good as it sounds. Nugs mostly just shit on the floor and roll in it. Welcome to the Deep Roads.
blackwall: Always wondered if I’d die down here.
inquisitor: You’re not dead yet.
blackwall: The day’s just starting.
solas: Dwarves cannot dream, yet they devise the most fascinating inventions.
inquisitor: Not all ideas come from the Fade.
solas: True. But these designs must be inspired by something.
~WELCOME TO THE DEEP ROADS
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