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ALLERGY
Asa, Solas
It is his sneeze that startles the golden halla.
"Allergic to halla?" Solas calls, a twinkle in his eye as the questions begin.
"Inquisitor, is this true?"
"No, it's—"
"Is that why they asked him to leave?"
"I'm right here. They did not ask—"
"A shame, truly."
ARROW
Asa/Dorian
He'd always imagined falling for someone would be a slow process. Instead, the certainty of it hit Asa like an arrow, piercing and acute.
—twang—
Oh, he thought, gaze trailing Dorian as he clambered inelegantly across the stony riverbed.
Oh, so this was love.
BEE
A curious Skyhold bee
Through the gate, around the wall,
To the garden, survey all.
Embrium, elfroot, crystal grace too
There in the center, the elf in blue.
Alight upon the golden strands
Gentle voice, and gentle hands.
Busy, busy, softly hummed
Then off you go, buzz buzz buzz.
BERRIES
Asa/Dorian
Asa's hand closes over Dorian's, stopping him.
"Not those ones," he explains patiently, guiding him to a smaller plant, one with clusters of tiny purple berries. "These."
He traces their fingers gently over the leaves.
"See the pattern here? This is elderberry."
BIRD
Asa, Iron Bull
"What is that?" Whatever it was, it had been following them.
"A bird?"
Asa frowned. "Not with that wingspan."
It turned then, wings curled tight as it plummeted downward. Without warning, the ground erupted in flame.
Iron Bull whooped, axe raised high.
"DRAGON!"
BONES
Storvacker the bear
The village was bristling today, air charged with an urgency that only humans ever seemed to carry. They buzzed, like bees.
At the center of it sat Sun-Hair, though Storvacker did not know why.
She was, after all, only a bear.
And bears had bear things to do.
The forest welcomed her, casting dappled patterns on her fur as the sunlight danced through the trees.
She stayed until dusk fell and the birds hushed, snuffling through underbrush, and when she spied something new, Storvacker gave it a lick.
Yes, these were good bones.
BURGUNDY
Asa, Solas
The rotunda is quiet as Solas works, hands steady and sure as he mixes the powder before him.
Reds, blues, browns.
A splash of water. Then a brush.
Asa, for his part, sits cross legged on the desk, observing. This is not a time for words.
A master is at work.
BUTTERFLY
Josephine, Minaeve
"Josephine! You simply must see!"
Minaeve was beaming, hands busy as she sketched furiously.
"It's a Black Fens butterfly! They're rumored to carry the same energy as the dragon—"
As if on cue, weak sparks flickered along the wings, and she gasped.
"Magic!"
CAKE
Cole, Iron Bull/Dorian
"The Iron Bull, what does 'you can have your cake and eat it too' mean? You think it when you look at Dorian."
Silence fell, broken only by Dorian coughing, face a brilliant shade of red.
"Well, on that note, I'm going to bed."
Iron Bull grinned. "That's cake!"
CANDLE
Ameridan, Telana
They are down to one stub.
One measly stub with the weakest of flames against the ice.
Before him lies a choice. To press forward was certain death. To go back...
"Take this." Ameridan presses the candle into Telana's hands, confident and sure. "I'll go on alone."
COOKING
Varric, Cassandra
"And all you've gotta do is..."
Without warning, Varric picked up Cassandra's shield, flipped it, and placed it atop the fledgling fire, wresting a strangled gasp from the Seeker.
"Shh, I'll tell you the next chapter if you just let me cook."
"Cook fast, dwarf."
CRAZY
Calpernia
Tevinter's pull was like blood magic. Wild, crazy, kinetic, and pulsing underneath it all, people like her.
She was a little crazy too.
And so, when Corypheus emerged with extravagant gestures and half baked promises, Calpernia did what she always did.
She adapted.
ELFROOT
Asa, Cole
"Do we really need—" Asa pauses to count, nearly missing the freshly turned soil in the trough "—nine plots of elfroot in the garden?"
"Yes, Sera says they help. Tossing, turning, trying—the elfroot makes the thoughts behave."
"I'm not sure that's elfroot, Cole."
FAILURE
Loghain
Death would be his final atonement.
But age was not on his side and when Loghain raised his arm to strike, his knee buckled.
As did his pride when Cousland knocked him aside, delivering the final blow.
They mourned her.
History would not be kind to him.
FAMILY
Isabela, Hawke
"This is your damned influence, Hawke."
She spoke flippantly, but Isabela held Hawke's gaze, daring him to read the truth hidden behind her lie.
Her days of running were over.
They were her family now, and that wasn't a title she gave away freely.
It was earned.
FLIRTING
Asa/Dorian
"That cluster there? That's Equinor."
Below them the grass was plush, cradling them as they gazed up at the stars, close, but not quite touching.
"The horse?"
Asa laughed, just a soft exhale of breath, but Dorian heard the smile behind it.
"The halla, clearly."
FLOWER
Asa
Madame de Fer's salon was, well, frankly, not ideal.
For one, they were touching him.
"Ma petite fleur!" With a practiced flourish, a woman's arm twined through his. "You simply must dance with me!"
The glance Asa cast at his host simply said one thing: help.
FRIENDSHIP
Asa, Calpernia
"What's it like?" Calpernia asked, and Asa couldn't quite parse out the look on her face.
"What is what like?"
"To have people follow you so blindly?"
"You mean to have friends?"
Her gaze faltered, just long enough for the mask to slip.
Ah. It was jealousy.
GAME
F!Lavellan, Cullen
'To love is a dangerous game, lethallan.'
She understands now, studying Cullen, why her Keeper cautioned her. The emotion has been hard to name, but the foundation is there.
She's not sure she likes it, but she can no longer deny it.
"It's your move, Inquisitor."
GLASSES
Gatsi
Gatsi had always been a dreamer.
As a child, it started with a mosaic formed of shattered glasses and his mother had tsked.
After all, a casteless dwarf with artistic flair?
Unheard of.
But when he arranged the pieces just so, he loved watching the world unfold.
GREED
Asa, Valta
"It was because of our greed," Valta murmured, voice hushed as she read.
A chill ran through them, bone deep and sobering. What future had the ancient dwarves seen to take such drastic measures?
"So they locked themselves in," Asa mused.
"The titans protected us."
JAIL
Bethany, Sten
"I brought you a cookie."
Her voice was timid, but when Sten of the Beresaad opened his eyes Bethany did not waver.
"I do not deserve kindness."
"Who does?"
His people had a saying: Ataash varin kata. 'In the end lies glory.'
But, perhaps, this was not the end.
LAKE
Asa, Dagna, Sera
"And this was," Asa paused, leaping lightly over to the table where the girls sat. Water gushed from a crack in the stone wall, flooding the room into a small lake. "Necessary?"
"Well, you see, we were—" Dagna began as Sera clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Sure was!"
LEADER
Briala, Asa
"You're sure you're ready?"
Darkness shrouded them as Briala shifted, coolly assessing the defiant spark in Gaspard's gaze.
It would not be easy, but, then again, when were things ever easy?
"Lead the inquisition, Asa," she replied. "Leave everything else to me."
LUTE
Cassandra
"Seeker! Bet you've never dabbled with one of these!"
A simple lute, yet it transported her. To hot summer days. To a girl not calloused by war.
She huffed.
Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast did not dabble.
She honed.
And she certainly played.
LYRIUM
Meredith
A tickle, a tingle, a turn at the truth.
The truth is heavy, dark.
Meredith knows power is slipping. She doesn't need the idol to whisper for it to be true.
But it does.
So her heart beats, beats, beats until one day the world explodes—
—and, finally, she sees.
MELODY
Asa
Storms were not something to be feared. For his people, they were a blessing. They were the parting sigh and opening cry as life sprouted anew. A harmony, softly sung.
And so Asa sat, listening to the melody of the rain, remembering the Dalish.
Remembering home.
MENTOR
Dagna, Irving, Sandal
"Go on."
As she peered in, she noted the study was empty, save one lone figure. A dwarven boy.
Dagna was, well, she was confused.
"I–I'm supposed to learn with him?"
Irving smiled, so she sidled up, peaking at the tome in his hands.
"Enchantment?"
"Enchantment!"
MISTAKE
Asa/Dorian
In the space between the press of lips and open air, the weight of the world settled in.
"Ah," Dorian whispered, voice tinged with wistful regret. "That was a mistake."
"Not a mistake." Asa mind spun. It wasn't wrong, but it was too much, too soon. "Just, maybe slower."
NAKED
Cullen, Cole
"Curled, quiet, content. Skin glistening, but not from panic. Cold, but she warms him. The demons can't reach when she is near."
Cullen coughs, face blooming a brilliant red as he sneaks a glance at the woman seated beside him.
"Cole, not over lunch, if you please."
NAPKIN
Varric, Hawke
"I thought you were sick."
"Norah took pity on me. She's teaching me how to make napkin animals. Look, this one's a nug."
The bundle of white linen Varric holds up is the worst looking nug Hawke has ever seen.
"Say, have you ever heard the story of the nug king?"
PAGE
Asa, Leliana
In the end, it was Leliana who found him, tucked away in his hidden place, knees drawn tight as if the simple action could make him disappear.
She lifted the single, tear stained page from Asa's hands.
'It is with sympathy we inform you of the end of Clan Lavellan—'
PLUSHIE
Asa, Varric, Lord Woolsley’s Keeper
"And this, this is his likeness." The man waved a golden ram plushie in the air. "Please find Lord Woolsley. Please."
Asa stilled at the sight. They'd already found the lost ram, and, well...
"Are you going to tell him," Varric muttered dryly, "or should I?"
PROMISE
M!Lavellan/Cullen
The cold metal pressed into his palm was offset by the warmth of Cullen's fingers coming to wrap around his own, but Lavellan knew.
It was more than a gift.
It was a promise, an assurance that whatever life threw at them, he would always have an anchor in the storm.
RAIN
Shale
Shale likes the rain.
For one, there are no birds. They hide, cowards, waiting for the storm to pass.
The humans are quiet, their noise a gentle hum, pesky questions forgotten.
But mostly the water just feels nice, reminding her of the touch of a life she once lived.
RESPECT
Asa, Solas
Stillness crept over Asa as Solas explained the skull.
It was no spyglass, no useful tool. They were once tranquil, forced to endure the unthinkable before death.
And for what?
Solemnly, he drew his blade.
"Herald?"
"Help me. We give them a proper release."
RISK
Asa, Dorian, Iron Bull
"There's no reward without a little risk, Dorian."
"A little risk? That's a chasm! You'll fall to your death!"
Asa peered across the gap at the shard, gauging. It was far, but he could do it.
"Would you like me to throw you, boss?" Bull offered.
"Sure—"
"NO."
SACRIFICE
Varric, Fenris
'For what it's worth, he never hesitated, never once questioned–'
Varric hesitated, ink pooling on the page until he collected himself and opted to move to a clean line instead of continuing the thought.
'He loved you, but he didn’t make it. I'm sorry, Fenris.'
SAND
The Titans, Valta
The darkness was never absolute. Not here, where the walls shone with secrets. Not in their fortress.
The Titans had lain still, uncaring as the sands of time passed them by, not sleeping, only resting.
Until one day a Daughter of Stone called out, and they answered.
SERENADE
Asa, Cole
The world is smaller when they're alone, sitting side-by-side as Maryden serenades them unknowingly from below.
"Do you know what a best friend is, Cole?" Asa asks quietly.
Cole is silent for a moment, then smiles.
"Quiet, comfort, constant. Yes, that's you."
SHARD
Asa, Cullen
Glass is everywhere.
"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't throw the vial at me."
"I know."
Asa eyes Cullen warily. They're always dancing around each other, unsure of how to take the other.
"Listen. You won't take the lyrium again. Am I clear?"
A sunbeam catches the shards, refracting the light.
"Crystal."
SHIELD
Sacrificed Warden
There is nothing left to do as the archdemon descends.
Alistair will be king and he'll be a fine one. He'll lead, strong and steady. With Anora, they'll be the sharpest blade Ferelden has ever seen.
And her? She'll be the shield.
To fully live. It was an honor.
SMILE
Merrill
The loss of her clan was sharp. It was a sliver buried deep within her heart, invisible, but capable of great pain.
And yet, this was her choice, her chosen path.
So Merrill smiled every day.
If she lied to herself, she wouldn't have the time to be lonely, right?
SPRING
Destroyed Haven
Haven is no longer that.
Rubble and ash. That is what remains.
It would be haunted, but there is no sound, so instead it is merely haunting.
So, it sits. Waiting.
Until, finally, spring arrives, promising new life as the first tiny sprouts take root, and grow.
STUBBORN
Asa, Calpernia
"Why is it always you?"
Asa doesn't miss as Calpernia shifts. He's always one step behind her, but not today.
"You'd miss me otherwise."
She laughs at that, something soft, not sweet, but not bitter either. She won't back down, but neither will he.
"Pity, that."
SUMMER
Asa, Iron Bull
The sweat was the worst part.
Even now, in the shade of the canyon, Asa could feel the beads forming on his skin, taunting him until they broke free.
"Doing okay there, boss?"
His fingers flexed on his dagger.
"If I had an arrow right now I'd shoot the sun."
TOUGH
Carver, Malcolm
"Again."
"I can't."
"Carver, you 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵."
Scowling, he focuses, but his father's magic is slippery, eluding every attempt to suppress it. Tears well in his eyes.
Malcolm sighs. "I forget you're still young."
"I'm eight."
"Come on. We'll try again tomorrow."
TURMOIL
Varric, Asa
"We found Bartrand on his knees, begging for mercy. He said the idol was calling to him. That it sang." Varric trailed off, gaze distant.
The camp was silent.
"What happened next?" Asa asked. When Varric met his eyes again, he looked haunted.
"Hawke handled it."
UNFAIR
Jory, Duncan
Three things flash through Jory's mind as Duncan strikes.
First is the curve of his wife's smile, always gentle, always kind.
Second, the spark of life within her.
Last, he will never meet his child.
That his life ends here is unfair. There is no glory in this.
WAR
Flemeth, Morrigan
Did she love her daughter?
Such thoughts made Flemeth uncomfortable. Morrigan's entire life had been crafted with purpose, a finely honed knife meant to strike with deadly precision.
It was her destiny. Just as Mythal's vengeance was hers.
Such was the price of war.
WHITE
Asa, Leliana, Josephine
"Are the clothes not to your liking, Inquisitor?"
The question is innocent, but he isn't even dressed yet and Asa can already feel the itch.
They're just so formal, and pressed, and...and white.
Leliana rescues him, laughing. "Josie, the boy is a magnet for blood."
WIND
Asa, Cole
The chill that swept through the great hall was undeniable.
"Must be the wind," Asa said quietly, stilling the speculation, the fear that Skyhold provided shelter, not safety.
He'd caught the flicker, the shadow passing through.
Cole would show himself when ready.
WORKAHOLIC
Anders
Tranquil. He feels sick. Even with all his skill, he cannot fix this. He needs sleep. And time.
But time does not wait for men, and he cannot wait for more time.
With a weary sigh, Anders dips his quill and writes.
The oppression of mages –