shivunin

[shivunin]

FLORENCE! ✨✨✨✨

Ok, choose only one if it's too much but this list is cool and...

12. What a thing to admit for Elowen

And/or

48. Sweeter than heaven and harder than hell for Maria

Ahhh sorry this has taken so long! I've been fiddling with the last part for what feels like eons. As always, the second prompt will be in a separate post c:

(Florence + the Machine Prompts)

A Sudden Squall

(Cullen/Elowen Lavellan | 1,613 Words | No warnings)

Summary: An unexpected storm forces Cullen and the Inquisitor into close quarters.

“What a thing to admit that when someone looks at me with real love, I don't like it very much Kinda makes me feel like I'm being crushed.” —Florence + the Machine, “Girls Against God”

The rain came all at once, with no warning at all. 

One moment, Lavellan and Cullen were sparring in the ring as usual and the next, sleet was pouring from the sky, frigid and grasping. When it first struck her, Elowen sucked in a breath and froze, but Cullen gathered himself more quickly. He reversed his hold on his sword hilt at once, snatched his mantle from the training ring fence, and towed her along behind him by the elbow. The closest shelter was the armory, and he ran there as quickly as possible, head bent against the stinging cold of the rain. The door was, of course, locked—as happened sometimes when inventory was being done. 

“Maker’s b-breath,” he snapped, but the sleet was still pouring down, and the Inquisitor had begun to shiver. The path to the great hall would take too long—and though they might manage Herald’s Rest, the idea did not appeal. At least here there was a slight overhang here that they might huddle under; the worst of it would pass soon enough. He hoped. 

“Here,” he said, hefting his already damp mantle over one arm and bracing it on the wall above her, “This should keep off the worst of it.”

It had seemed like a good idea—truly, it had. This was simply the most sensible way to shield them both from the worst of the frigid rain, and keeping the cloak close to their heads would help them retain any heat they generated. But. 

But. 

Cullen hadn’t bargained on how it would feel to lean so close to her, both of them soaked to the skin, her tunic plastered to her torso. Before he’d covered them both, he hadn’t imagined what it would be to feel her breath across his cheek, to see the way her eyes looked when they dropped to his mouth. 

Maker—she couldn’t be thinking…but—what else could that expression mean? 

“Elowen?” he said, her name slipping out despite himself, and her eyes drifted up to his. 

“You called me by my name,” she whispered. 

Her hand lifted, hesitated, touched the stubble along Cullen’s jaw. Her hands were like ice. The thought of her so cold ought to have worried him, but all he could think about was that she was touching him. Not for training, not to pass a report, but—for no other apparent reason than the desire to do so. 

Cullen was drifting toward her before he decided to do it, drawn closer despite all knowledge that it was foolish, that it was wiser to keep a distance, that she might stop him at any moment. But she wasn’t stopping him; she was tilting her head to the side, shifting her grip on his jaw until she was cupping it, one thumb leisurely stroking an arc over his lower cheek. Was she—were they—he wanted—

As he shifted, the mantle shifted, too; it was only a little, but it was enough to send a wash of frigid, icy water right down his back. Cullen pulled back with a yelp, struggling to set the cloak right again, and by the time he’d corrected himself and hoisted it back into place she was looking away. 

He couldn’t read her face; he wished desperately that he could read her face. What was she thinking? Was she wishing they hadn’t…? Was she wishing they had? 

His thoughts were interrupted by the creak of a door, and an equally creaky voice. 

“That you under there, Commander? Ey, it’s a mite chilly to be standing about, no? Come inside where it’s warm.” 

Elowen had slid out from under the cloak almost before the woman stopped speaking, and she’d already darted inside by the time Cullen had slung the sodden cloak over one arm and sloshed in the direction of the door. 

“Won’t tell no one about this, Commander,” the woman said in an undertone with a wink, “Keep it between ourselves, yeah? Old Mays knows how to keep her mouth shut, she does.” 

“Ah—” Cullen began, then abruptly realized what she was actually saying. He would have flushed bright red if he hadn’t been freezing, but even so he barely mustered a fumbled “Ah—thank you,” before making his way into the room after Elowen. 

The Inquisitor stood in front of the massive fire, hands outstretched, shuddering faintly. All of a sudden, he saw not the Inquisitor, slayer of dragons, doer of impossible deeds, but only a woman, cold and alone before a fire. It occurred to Cullen then that before this moment he’d never once seen her as small, though of course she was two heads shorter than he and built more like an archer than a swordsman. She was smaller—and yet, until now, she’d never seemed so to him. 

As if she knew what he was thinking, Elowen turned her head and looked up at him. 

“Determined to suffer the cold in silence, Cullen?” she said quietly, and he realized he’d just been staring at her, his cloak wetting whatever parts of him had remained dry until now. 

Cullen dipped his head, cleared his throat, and drew closer. His cloak spread easily before the fire and began to steam faintly after a moment—a worrying sight for the fabric, but well enough for time being. He wrung out the hem of his tunic and stretched his hands before him, as she had. Heat returned in an uncomfortable tingle up both arms, and he flexed his fingers to disperse some of it. 

Maker—he had to say something. That moment in the closeness of the cloak…

“About…what happened just now,” he began, and she looked up at him again. Her hazel eyes flickered with fire, the flames illuminating and shading her face by turns. 

“I…can’t,” she said softly, and Cullen straightened. 

How to apologize for overstepping—how to make things as they had been before—but she was already speaking again.

“Not yet,” she said, and the words took several seconds to penetrate the haze of panic he’d been collecting around himself. 

“I’m…not ready,” she added. “But…I think I want to. Someday. If that’s…if you…”

“I do,” he said, before he could rein the words in. “That is—when you’re ready.”

She nodded once, biting her bottom lip faintly before turning back to the fire. 

Neither of them spoke again, but he saw the smile curling her mouth whenever she glanced up at him. For the moment, that was enough.

He held his hands out to the fire and let himself smile into its warmth. 

Someday—someday wasn’t never. If Cullen had learned one thing these past months, it was how to wait. 

|

When Elowen reached her bedroom at last, she cast off her damp clothes and stood before her fire wrapped in the warm dressing robe Varric had gifted her months ago. It beat away some of the chill that had settled into her bones, but none of the comforts of her own space slowed the hammering of her heart. 

It was as if, for just a moment, Cullen’s cloak had shielded them from her own fears as much as it had shielded them from the rain. For a moment, he had leaned close and she had wanted him, but the moment he’d looked away…

It was ridiculous to be scared of wanting him after everything else, but she was. The fear had tangled its cold hands in her lungs until she had been entirely unable to breathe. IWhat a relief it had been to make some space between them, to think again when he was not looking at her like he’d never wanted anything else. Now, in the warmth of her own room, she could draw the moment out and think about it again. 

In the armory, his cheeks had been red with the cold, eyes fixed on hers; he had smiled when she’d told him someday. Cullen could be horribly impatient—she’d seen it herself—but she knew that he would not rush her in this. Whatever pressure she felt, it did not come from him. 

What would it be like, to feel his face in her hands and know that she could go on touching him? What would it be like to feel his lips against hers? 

It was absurd to be standing here in the middle of the night thinking about his eyes, his hands, the way he’d taken her arm and shielded her from the rain. It would be wisest to climb under the covers and get some rest. She would no doubt need it; tomorrow would be another busy day. 

Elowen moved to the edge of the rug and sat down instead, pulling her dressing gown more tightly around her chest. She did not know how long she sat before the fire, palms outstretched. Light that she could not touch brushed over her hands, gold and red and warming every inch of her that had been cold for too long. She could not live forever torn between fear and wanting or she would lose herself entirely. 

Yes. She wanted him, too. She admitted it to herself at last and sighed, closing her eyes in relief. Someday, she’d told him. Soon, she hoped. If she could get around the horrible weight in her chest—yes. Yes. She wanted him, just like he wanted her and she no longer wished to pretend otherwise. 

When she finally uncrossed stiff legs and climbed into the bed, her hair had dried entirely. The fire went on crackling and glowing well into the night, long after she’d finally drifted off to sleep.

#thinking about them tonight #elowen lavellan #my messy bb #long post

[shivunin]

ALISTAIR 💀💀💀

#hun 😔 #alistair theirin #dao #q

[shivunin]

Changed up what I'm offering for commissions right now. Place your orders through Ko-Fi!

I still have 2 slots left for my God/dess style inspired by Hades!

Unlimited slots left for:

Hades-inspired high contrast lineart, half- to 3/4 body, 1 character

Colorable lineart, extra characters available! The lines are carefully closed so you can paint-bucket yourself, OR you can pay me to color it too.

Plain lineart, extra characters available! You can pay me to color this too in a flat style.

Every comm helps me with this old man. <3

[shivunin]

✨When you are a giga-strong mountain of stone muscles crushing the heads of weak people, and your wife a diplomatic, intelligent mage who needs to be protected✨

#you know. you're onto something here #wynne #shale #dao #q

[shivunin]

I wonder if she’s ever had a portrait done because she’s a delight to draw

Ko-fi

#josephine montilyet #dai #q

[shivunin]

I'm incapable of sticking to one hobby at a time, so I crocheted a snuggly little halla. Dragon Age brainrot is forever

#oh this is so delightful!!

[shivunin]

Inquisition version of this poll can be found by clicking here!

It'd be interesting to see who your wardens/hawkes actually romance vs. who you'd romance in the tags if you wanna share!

#merrill #like. hands down haha #polls

[shivunin]

The DAO/DA2 poll can be found clicking here!

I'd be interested to hear if they're the same person as your inky romances or not if you'd like to share!

#josie #dai #polls

[shivunin]

Madame Vivienne

#vivienne de fer #dai #oooh this is gorgeous! #q

[shivunin]

something something devotion

sketch under the bridge

#cullen rutherford #this is so beautiful T.T #q

[shivunin]

✨The Lyrium Ghost ✨

I miss Fenris so much, I hope he's in Dreadwolf

(if you like my art and want a print of this guy or just a print every month you should check out my patreon!! Patreon.com/levandjackcreate)

#fenris #da2 #love the light in this op! #q

[shivunin]

fuck therapy i wanna beat the shit out of someone

#arianwen tabris #q

[shivunin]

dragon age character study fic recs

I'm back with another fic rec list, this time focusing on character studies! There were so many more than five that I flagged as interesting 👀 when I was putting this together, so there's definitely a chance that this theme makes a repeat in the future.

Check these awesome fics out! And leave a comment + kudos to let the author know you did💜

Vote in this poll to help me choose a theme for next week's rec list (:

-

New Tricks by Penknife (@penknife)

Dorian Pavus & Cullen Rutherford, Josephine Montilyet & Cullen Rutherford & Leliana | G | 1968 words | No Archive Warnings Apply Author's Summary: Five times Cullen found that he didn't have to do everything the hard way. Mer's Rec: If you're into Cullen & Dorian friendship, or really any Cullen friendship, this fic will be right up your alley. Penknife does an excellent job of contrasting Dorian as a beleaguered academic (beloved) with Cullen's quieter intelligence. They also highlight Cullen as a strategist and commander, not just the "send the troops" guy, and the advisor interactions resonate with coworker friend energy, which I loved. I always adore fics that explore Cullen's habits and traits leftover from so many years as a Templar and this story seamlessly weaves in those details, which brings a real depth to both Cullen and his interactions.

Names Are Cloaks by EllanaSan

Female Adaar & Josephine Montilyet | G | 2963 words | No Archive Warnings Apply Author's Summary: They can’t have that, she supposes, the Herald of Andraste being called names behind her back… The only way the situation could have been worse is if she had been an elf. She could tell the ambassador that there are people in this very camp disrespecting her at every turn but she is far too used to it to care. They call her oxwoman. They call her witch. They call her chosen or your worship. They call her Tal-Vashoth. Names are weapons. For the bearer to hold and to wield. Names are cloaks. For the bearer to wrap themselves in and discard when outgrown. Mer's Rec: With Bioware's scant lore about Qunari and the Qun, I was impressed by how this story immersed me in Adaar's history. Tidbits from canon interwoven with fascinating-slash-heartbreaking details about the Qun, Vashoth, and Saarebas, plus her introspective musings on the past and her identity make this Adaar stand out from the cookie-cutter protagonist in the best way. I want to know more about her! From Josephine's dialogue and mannerisms to the uncertainty, fear, and alienation the Herald can experience in Haven, everything about this story feels like it could be straight out of the DAI canon.

I have outlived the night by lilith_morgana (@senseandaccountability)

Loghain Mac Tir, Minor/Background Relationships | T | 2106 words | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Author's Summary: He's five, he's eighteen, nineteen, twenty, forty-six, and fifty-five, he's fifty-six, fifty-seven and ready to die. Instead, he lives. Mer's Rec: The emotion in this fic is so palpable, so visceral, and it slaps you in the face the way careful consideration of complicated characters should. With repeated contrasts between Loghain in his youth versus his later years, the author takes us on a journey from hot-headed kid to weary veteran, and it just makes your heart ache😭 It features strong exposition on Loghain's motives, feelings, and regrets during the Fifth Blight, which I love to see since it's fairly absent from the game itself. Their portrayal of Loghain in Inquisition also felt fresh and different, including a conversation with Cullen, which is a dynamic I hadn't considered before and found incredibly interesting to read. And of course it ends on a bittersweet note, as it always does with Loghain.

To Yield Is Not Weak by disasterhawke

Alistair/Anora Mac Tir | M | 4018 words | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Author's Summary: She may not like her new husband, but Anora Theirin is not about to let the world treat him like it has treated her. She will do whatever it takes to earn his trust. This is not quite what he expects. An Anora character study that explores her arranged marriage to her husband's bastard brother. Mer's Rec: this 👏 was 👏 everything I wanted out of an Alistair/Anora fic! While I think antagonism between those two has a place, this fic explored their relationship through the lens of teaching and working together, rather than animosity. It works SO well and there was a definite give-and-take, with Anora running the show immediately post-coronation, but gradually softening her harsher edges and highlighting Alistair's strengths while they grow as rulers. Anora's internal monologue, not only about Alistair, but also Cailan and Loghain, does a fantastic job showing the humanity she usually has to hide, without diminishing her competence in the least.

when the bough breaks by gummies (orphaned)

Morrigan, Flemeth | G | 1124 words | No Archive Warnings Apply Author's Summary: In her hands, the mouse is kept still. The only movement Morrigan feels from it is the beating of its tiny heart. With her eyes closed, it almost seems that she is holding in her hands its heart alone. Tiny, vulnerable, and so stutteringly fast. It must be afraid, Morrigan muses. Something twinges in her chest. Empathy. She cannot help the flare of protectiveness inside her. For now, the mouse is hers. Plucked from the world from whence it came, tucked away and safe. She wonders if this is how Mother feels of her. Mer's Rec: What struck me most about this fic was the author's grasp of character voices. Flemeth is just as cunning and calculating as she comes across in game, but I was beyond impressed by their young!Morrigan. I could see and hear so clearly how Morrigan would get from the childlike hope she has in this story to the harsher, bitter Morrigan we meet in game. I don't even know how they did that, but it was incredible to read, even as this slice of Morrigan's childhood and her abuse at Flemeth's hands was breaking my heart.

Don't forget to get your fic and art recs lined up for tomorrow's Fan Work Friday!

#when the bough breaks is sooo good #fic rec list #ty for these suggestions!

[shivunin]

Dragon Age Fic Recs

In honor of the Just Leave a Comment Fest, and with no particular theme, here are a few of my favorite Dragon Age Fics:

(If you wrote one of these fics and want me to tag your blog, please let me know and I'm happy to do so!)

**Always check the tags before jumping in; this list is no exception.**

Origins: 

be my mirror by ella_vellan: (T; 5,798) Alistair & Morrigan. Alistair meets Kieran for the first time in Orlais. The dialogue in this feels so well-paced and authentic, and it really navigates a fraught situation with grace. One of those fics that feels bittersweet in the most cathartic way. 

a gentle, beating heart by rynleaf: (M; 5,115 Words) Warden/Zevran. The Warden finds out she is pregnant sometime after Origins and puts off telling Zevran. The epistolary pieces of this frame the underlying story so well, and the flow of the fic itself is extremely well-paced.

A Man’s Word is His Bond by howlsmovinglibrary: (M; 35,135 Words/9 chapters) Zevran/Warden Soulmate AU. Honestly? This Surana cracks me up and I adore this fic. She is just having absolutely none of his nonsense. No thank you. Also, the implications of a soulmate-identifying mark are really well-explored here.

Dragon Age II:

see me bare my teeth for you by calypsid: (T; 2,978 Words) Fenris/Hawke vampire AU. This one has really good pacing and Fenris’s POV is really effective. Would absolutely read way more about the dynamic between this Hawke and Fenris. 

to hold you by the edges by vesperics: (T; 4,059 Words) Fenris/Hawke wound-tending set sometime in Act 1. I am a sucker for wound-tending anything, but I really enjoyed the way this fic explores Hawke and Fenris’s early dynamic and the way she navigates his boundaries about magical healing. 

River Stone by loquaciousquark: (M; 45,633 Words) Fenris/Hawke. Hawke is captured and subjected to a botched Rite of Tranquility. Hawke survives by pretending it worked while Fenris tries to find her. The pain in this fic is so delicately and thoughtfully depicted; it might be my favorite hurt/comfort fic ever. There is an art to writing something that hurts like this while still making the catharsis of resolution feel earned, and this author absolutely knows how to do it right. 

Inquisition: 

Portrait of a Man by Dulcidyne: (T; 3,136 Words) Cullen/Inquisitor. Cullen sits for a portrait. Love the dynamic of person vs. role here, and the idea of how someone is depicted potentially outliving who they actually are. A fic I would hug if I could. 

Truth-Telling by todisturbtheuniverse: (M; 3,988 Words; CW: Fantasy Racism) Adaar/Josephine. Adaar tells several stories about how she lost her horn, but saves the truth for Josie. There are so many great pieces in this about the faces shown to people we trust vs. people who pry for information. Love the almost-but-not-quite together state of their relationship here, too. Yearning, my beloved. 

Port in the Storm by kvella: (E; 89,445 Words/19 Chapters) After nearly hooking up, Cullen and Josephine navigate their tensions while trying to build a memorial for Haven. A lovely slow burn! Characterization is enjoyable and consistent, smut is well-written, and the tension is palpable. The sections involving Josie’s family were some of my favorites.

#fic recs

[shivunin]

asma in the bird Thobe

#asma lavellan #asma!!!! #how gorgeous!!

[shivunin]

Ossuaries, Dionne Brand

#q #tav tag

[shivunin]

I was tagged by @vakarians-babe (hi O:) & @greypetrel 💛✨ thank you so much!!!

I'm working on um, different things I can't show here (or yet lol), so I'll just present you with the things I'm carrying forward at the moment, among the moltitude of wips I'll finish after the armageddon, probably :'D

Hopefully I'll finish Ankhie's outfits before the next artfight ;; send help

So! Here we have:

A back! Which I'm trying to render correctly (along with the rest). I was looking through my old notes of Anatomia Artistica 2, but everything looked very off because that sketchbook has um, almost 15 years of existence lol so I had to make new studies from scratch. tl;dr: it's taking me a while. From the skintone alone, you know who the subject is :' also it's the base I'm using for her new outfits so you already saw the front

A stranger! O: you'll get a small post before the weekend 👀

Two familiar idiots <3 I'm trying to finalize it but I went for another approach on some sections and I think at this point this picture can be used under the definition of self-sabotage hahah <3

Cassandra being all cute and fancy <33 I'm not super sure on that palette, maybe I'll ditch the greens (argh)

I'm tagging (no pressure, no obligation <3): @daggerbean @shivunin @underneathestars @alienturnipp @magspy & @herearedragons

#oooo what a fantastic smile!! #i love all of this!!