That anon made me think about a hypothetical scenario of Peng trying to move up on Reader, but tbh I don't think Peng would EVER stand a chance against the twice as bad AU monkey husband duo.

Azure contantly gets the L but he is nice to Reader + he's friends enough with the two warlords to not make them immediately consider killing him if he treats Reader a lil too nicely in the beginning.

He's suspicious but he's a likeable guy, so it's not too weird of him to be genuinely polite to the queen of FFM.

Peng, though? bro's getting COOKED. literally. He's not slick like Azure, if he tried anything it'd be over for him. He's a bird-shaped mean girl, so it would immediately draw suspicion on everyone if he suddenly started being super nice to Reader after being so vocal of his disapproval towards a human queen.

I bet Wukong and Macaque (especially macaque since peng likes antagonizing him so much) would love to have a reason to destroy him in a fight 💀

FR.

like, this feathery fuck could make that mental and emotional switch from "ugh, mortals" to "but this one's kinda ok/how funny would it be to steal her" and you can bet the boys (but mostly macaque) would be on them in a second. there is no way they wouldn't clock the birds' intent the minute the bastard sidles up to reader. they sorta trust azure, they're fine with yellowtusk, but the monkeys KNOW that you canNOT trust peng.

any time the bird has the chance to get reader alone, macaque makes sure to be there or at least within striking distance. he knows reader doesn't trust peng either (and why would she, after their history of shit talking and belittling her), so he's not worried about her falling for any smooth talking, but he is worried that they might cross a line.

i could see this situation coming to a head with peng making some sort of big move on reader, mac hears it and stops it, then challenges them to a fight (like a serious challenge, to the death kinda shit).

and while wukong wants to make that bird into a roast as much as his brother, he knows that it'll be important for macaque to beat the shit out of peng by himself. despite knowing how dangerous the monkey bros can be, peng continued to poke and prod and test the limits of macaque's patience. the monkey king won't deprive his brother of getting to serve some well-deserved comeuppance. in fact, he makes a sort of show of it, announcing the fight and inviting his allies to watch.

the battle is a brutal one. normally wukong is the one to fly into a jealous rage at any slight against reader, while mac is the one to keep a cool head. but this time, the shadowy simian lets aaaaall that carefully controlled anger out in a truly vicious display of power. the bird demon has a tough time keeping up with their rival's attacks. though both combatants take some heavy hits, it's clear that peng is losing.

like. macaque could beat peng to death here, and there really wouldn't be anything anyone could do. the bird broke a rule. they pissed off the wrong demon at the wrong time. given their history, nobody has any reason to stop macaque from slaughtering his rival, and it'd be within his rights to kill them for disrespecting his wife. wukong finds it all far too hilarious to do anything but laugh at peng getting their ass handed to them, and reader knows it's going too far but won't speak on peng's behalf (both because she doesn't like them and she feels like she has no right to deprive mac of his revenge).

azure would have to beg a pardon on behalf of his stupid chicken of a sworn brother before they actually die.

wukong is hesitant to grant it. azure knows what that birdbrain did. they laid hands on the monkey king's queen, and he knows wukong has killed others for far less. that miserable pile of feathers should consider themselves lucky that the monkey king hasn't joined in on their punishment. if azure didn't want his lackey to get beaten bloody, he should've kept them in check. not to mention the fact that peng has had this macaque-issued beat down coming for a loooong time.

by the end of it, peng is nothing more than a crumpled pile of bloody feathers in the dirt. azure and yellowtusk have to scrape them off the ground and portal back to camel ridge in disgrace and defeat. they don't show their faces on flower fruit mountain for a good long while.

as for macaque...despite being clawed, tired, and a little bruised, he reigns victorious. in his adrenaline induced stupor, still covered in dirt and blood, he storms right up to reader and steals a nice, long kiss. it leaves her lightheaded, his hands on her the only thing keeping her up. he huskily promises that they'll "celebrate his victory" later. reader feels a little faint.

wukong would normally protest his brother getting peaches all to himself, but after that fight? eh, he's earned it.

In honour of dorianmance week: did any of the ingame romance scenes play out vastly different in your headcanon? What did you love most about Dorian's romance path and when did Fael fall in love with him?

Hi! Thanks for the ask :D (and it’s still Day 2 somewhere in the world so~)

(spamming again one of @razildor‘s screens because yes)

♦ ~ So let’s see, one scene that played somewhat different from canon was the first kiss one, after speaking with Dorian’s father. I’m not going to say more right now because I’ll hopefully finish a comic about it soon! Apart from that one, none of the dialogue paths go very differently in my hc, but I applied some tweaks here and there. Ah! But there’s that one. One that I am particularly attached to is Fael’s response in the cutscene after the Temple of Mythal. In game you get the options between asking him to stay or supporting him to go, but in my headcanon I prefer a mix of the two. Dorian telling him he’s considering leaving is a cold shower to Fael. At that point in the story he’s barely holding himself together with everything that happens (Adamant, nightmares, the final battle coming near, not to mention the whole “becoming a vessel for the well of sorrow thing and meeting Mythal that looks like a human woman”) and Dorian is, admittedly, an anchor (ha) to him. He basically panicks when Dorian tells him that (which for Fael means blank stare and putting emotional distance now now now). That’s why his first response after Dorian refuses his offer to go with him is to plead “I need you by my side”. 

But soon he steels himself, actually registers what Dorian had said, and realizes that to stop him would be the hugest hypocrisy of his life. Still, he’s a selfish man, and he wants to lay down all the cards he can to make the situation clear, to make the real importance of their relationship clear. So he tells Dorian that no, he’s not emotionally blackmailing him, and if that’s what Dorian truly wants then he will support his cause however he can. But he does ask him to think more about it. Dorian does. And eventually decides that what they have is not a fleeting thing that he can shrug off like everything else, and tells him his decision not during the afterbattle party, but the day after :) 

(on a sidenote: I feel that the fact you get to choose what Dorian will do in his life in game isn’t very good. I think a system of approval points that would eventually decide if Dorian stays or not would have been nicer) ♦ ~ oH BOY WHAT A QUESTION. Well, I absolutely loved the feeling of healing that the whole romance has. For Dorian of course, but also for Fael. Funnily enough, since it’s Dorian who claims he is inspired by the Inquisitor, Dorian himself inspires Fael to be a better person, and to face certain unsolved things of his past. Then it’s so...sweet. Sweet but not overly so, not the mushy mushy chocolate and flowers sweet of other romance. I loved the feeling of quiet love, a growing feeling that doesn’t necessarily need big words. And of course, the adorable old-married-couple banter they tend to have ♥ Then, and this is something that is admittedly strictly related to Fael being an elf mage, I love how their lovestory doesn’t affect only themselves. They’re both going to leave a mark on their world, hopefully change it by the core, and that makes them one hell of a story-driven power couple, which is a thing that I adore. Plus, I think having an elf lover would really prompt Dorian to do a 180° turn on his views on slavery and general treatment of the elves in Tevinter, and possibly put the “end slavery thing” on top of his to-do list.

♦ ~ There wasn’t really a moment you know? Fael was totally head over the heels for him since like, the beginning, but he recognized that as a simple crush for an handsome and exceptionally talented man. “Crush” that grew and grew with every little and big thing they shared alongh the path. Until calling him ma vhenan became as natural as breathing, and Fael realizes that he wouldn’t give up on them for anything unless it meant hurting him. Then you have those little moment of realization in a random moment like “Oh, so that what it was”