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pikapeppa · 4 years

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Zevran/f!Mahariel: Jellied Ham

I have no business writing for this ship yet. I HAVE BARELY PLAYED THE GAME. But I wanted to write some Alistair and Inala Mahariel being gossipy bitches, and Zev has me feeling PROTECC feels already, so here we go. (IF I HAVE READ ANYONE’S CHARACTER ALL WRONG, FORGIVE ME. I WILL RETCON AS NEEDED.)

Read on AO3 instead; ~1800 words.

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Inala pushed open the flap of Alistair’s tent. “Ali, can I–”

“Hey!” Alistair complained. “What if I was naked in here? Or practicing an Antivan jig for the next time we’re bored on the road? You’d have ruined the surprise.”

Inala unrepentantly crawled into his tent. “Practicing an Antivan jig while sitting on your ass? That’s a special skill.”

Alistair nodded sagely. “It really is, and I’m really good at it. Want to see?” He started wiggling his shoulders and snapping his fingers.

Inala snorted. “Amazing. Fascinating. Really, I’m honoured to have witnessed it. Can I ask you something?”

He stopped his so-called dancing and sighed. “Since you burst into my tent like this and interrupted my dance routine, I guess you might as well.”

She settled herself cross-legged on his bedroll. “Have you ever, uh…” She trailed off awkwardly. She’d only ever talked about this with the other girls in her clan, and with Ashalle when she’d hit puberty. It was weird talking about it with a man, even if the man was just Alistair.

He raised his eyebrows. “Have I ever what? Had a good pair of shoes?”

She tutted. “No. You know.” She gave him a pointed look.

Alistair smiled. “I don’t, actually! Have I ever seen a basilisk? Ate jellied ham? Have I ever licked a lamppost in winter?” He wiggled his eyebrows salaciously.

Inala rolled her eyes. He knew exactly what she was talking about. “Look, I don’t know what jellied ham is, but it sounds disgusting. I’m talking about, you know.” She waved her hand vaguely. “Sex.”

“Oh, is that what we’re talking about?” he exclaimed. “I could have sworn this conversation was about the jellied ham.”

Inala whined and poked his arm. “Come on, just tell me. Have you ever, uh, done it before?”

“All right, all right, twist my arm,” he drawled. “I haven’t ever eaten jellied ham, no. Why, have you?”

Inala gasped mockingly. “What a question to ask a proper lady.”

Alistair snorted. “That’s a no, then. Besides, you’re not a proper lady. You’re a Dalish wildwoman.”

“And you’re a smelly human brute,” she retorted.

He sighed happily. “Isn’t it so nice to recognize each other for who we really are?”

Inala snickered, then sighed and picked idly at the fabric of his bedroll. Alistair tilted his head. “Why are you asking about this? You’re not, uh, offering, are you?”

She scoffed and elbowed him. “No, you dummy. Not to you, at least.”

His eyes went wide. “So you’re going to offer to someone! Who? Let me guess, let me guess: Sten. It’s Sten, isn’t it?”

Inala looked up with a grin. “How much would you dare me to offer my virginity to Sten?”

“I would dare you…” He eagerly dug around in his pouch of coin, but his smile faded into disappointment. He gave her a hangdog look. “How about three coppers and the first viewing of my Antivan jig routine once it’s complete?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Not good enough.”

He clicked his tongue. “Shame. Seriously though, are you thinking about, uh, eating jellied ham with someone?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.” She scratched idly at his bedroll for a moment more, then smiled at him. “You know who’s eaten a lot of jellied ham? Zevran.”

Alistair scoffed. “That’s hardly a secret. Jellied ham during assassinations, jellied ham when he had the flu, two types of jellied ham at once…” His eyes widened. “Wait. You’re… you’re thinking of sleeping with Zevran?”

She shrugged and looked down at her fingers, which were still scratching at the bedroll. “I don’t know. Maybe.” In truth, Inala wasn’t sure she did want to sleep with Zevran. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t interested in him; she found him fascinating, actually. He was the first non-Dalish elf she’d ever spent a significant amount of time with. Every time she talked to him, she got this strange sense of vertigo about just how different their lives had been. Marethari had always told her that the city elves had very different lives from the Dalish, but she’d never really appreciated just how different their lives were until she’d met Zevran.

She’d also never really been attracted to anyone before she’d met Zevran. It was hard to feel attracted to anyone in her clan when she saw them all as her family.

Or she used to, at least, before they’d forced her to become a Grey Warden.

She pushed aside the bitterness and turned her thoughts back to Zevran. But thinking of Zevran was difficult as well, in a very different way. She liked Zevran; she thought he was handsome and charming and funny, and the way he flirted with her… Creators, no one had ever flirted with her like that before. No one had ever looked at her the way Zevran did, like she was more than just one of the boys. Like she was something… desirable.

But the way he talked about… about sex, and about being raised in a whorehouse? She didn’t have the whole story, but the hints he’d given her were enough to chill her blood. He told amusing stories about the people he’d slept with, but if those stories had happened during jobs he’d done for the Antivan Crows, had he actually enjoyed the sex? How could he be enjoying it when it had been drilled into him as something he had to be good at rather than something to enjoy?

But then again, who was Inala to question Zevran’s sexual motives when the only experience she had was an awkward experimental kiss here and there?

She nibbled the inside of her cheek and shot Alistair a sideways glance. “Do you think Zevran would care that I’ve never eaten jellied ham before?” she asked.

“Are you sure you want to offer him your jellied ham?” Alistair said.

His tone was uncharacteristically serious. Inala softened at the concern in his face. “You still think he might try to assassinate us? After everything he said about those awful Crows?”

“We can’t say for sure that he won’t,” Alistair said. “I mean, I don’t think he’ll succeed, not with Sten and Shale watching, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try. And what if he tries while you’re, you know. Halfway through the jellied ham?”

Inala gave him a cheeky smile. “Well, that’s the real reason I came to you. Will you stand guard outside my tent while I eat jellied ham with Zevran?”

“Maker, no,” Alistair said loudly. “Get the mabari to do that.”

“I wouldn’t make Keebs do that!” she protested.

Alistair raised his eyebrows. “So you wouldn’t force Keebs to listen to you eating jellied ham, but you’d ask me to do it? Are you saying you value the mabari over me?”

Inala hesitated, and Alistair grunted and clutched his chest. “Ouch. You wound me. No really, I’m hurt. I’m… I’m devastated, actually. I might just take a vow of silence right now in protest.”

Inala widened her eyes. “Creators, really? Do you promise? I could use the peace and quiet.”

Alistair laughed, and Inala couldn’t help but join in. When they’d both caught their breath, Alistair elbowed her gently. “I don’t think Zevran will care that you’ve never eaten jellied ham before, for what it’s worth.”

She gave him a little half-smile, and they were quiet for a moment. Then Inala tilted her head. “Do you think Morrigan is a virgin?”

Alistair wrinkled his nose. “I think Morrigan is a praying mantis. She probably pops the heads off of her partners after sex and eats them.”

Inala barked out a laugh. “You’re so stupid.”

“It takes one to know one, my friend,” he retorted.

She tsked and punched him in the arm, and he flicked her ear. She punched him once more, then unfolded her legs and crawled over to the flap of his tent. “Goodnight, Alistair,” she drawled.

“Goodnight, Inala,” he said just as mockingly.

She shot him a swift grin, then left his tent. Everyone else seemed to be in their tents already – everyone except Zevran, in fact.

He was sitting by the fire and humming to himself as he sharpened one of his knives. He glanced up as she emerged from Alistair’s tent, and her heart did a little flip-flop as he met her gaze. Zevran had this way of smiling at her, like the curl of his lips and the heat in his eyes was only meant for her, and it just made her feel more confused.

Confused about whether she wanted to offer her jellied ham to him, or whether she really just wanted to hug him and keep him away from anyone who would value him only for his ill-begotten ‘skills’.

Her heart twisted again, but in a painful way this time, and she dropped his heated gaze. “Goodnight, Zevran,” she said. “Sweet dreams.”

“Pray that I dream of you, then,” he said. He tilted his head and sighed. “Ah, what a sweet dream that would be.”

A stupid grin burst across her face, and she rubbed her nose. Fenedhis, she could feel her face going hot. “I’ll… I’ll do that,” she said lamely, then immediately wanted to smack herself for the inane response.

He chuckled, and the smooth and rolling sound chased her toward her tent. Once she was in the safety of her tent, she breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled off her boots and slid into her bedroll.

She closed her eyes, but thoughts of Zevran played through her mind. His devilish little smile and that devilish quirk of his eyebrows. The lovely rolling cadence of his accent and the lovely veins in his elegant hands. What he must have looked like as a bony underfed seven-year-old slave.

Her gut twisted at the thought. She sighed and closed her eyes, then segued into the before-bed meditation that Ashalle had taught her when she was a moody and restless adolescent. A few minutes later, just as she was falling asleep, she had one last thought of Zevran.

It was a memory from when they’d first met, when he was tied up on the ground after failing to kill her and Alistair. He’d been charming even then, gazing boldly up at her with that warm and mischievous grin, and there was blood dripping down his chin thanks to a punch he’d taken from Sten.

As Inala finally fell asleep, that’s what she was thinking about: Zevran’s broad and bloodstained smile.

#zevran #zevran arainai #zevran/warden #zevran x warden #zevran x mahariel #zevran/mahariel #WHAT TAGS DO PEOPLE USE FOR THIS SHIP #THERE ARE SO MANY POSSIBLE ORIGINS UGH #alistair theirin #pikapeppa writes

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patricianandclerk · 5 years

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Since your taking fic recs again I am intrigued by wynne/zevran? Or I mean if that doesn't float your literary boat atm I'll also be happy with some Blackwall/Dorian?

dsghgskshg I die because like

so Wynne and Zevran actually have one of my favourite dynamics around, because the thing is like... I have some Feelings about Wynne’s general thing in Origins, because she’s old, she’s tired, and you know what?

the Warden treats her like she’s worth having along - they take the time to let her rest when she’s about to drop dead, and they treat her as strong and wise. sure, maybe they’re impatient at times, but that’s fine, they’re young

but God, Alistair? Alistair treats Wynne like she’s his mother. He absolutely plays the “i’m just a poor baby” thing to the extreme, and he knows that he’s handsome and that he’s a little baby templar and that she feels sad for him and that she’ll let him, and Wynne feels a more general sense of being protective toward the Warden, Sten, Leliana, and even of Shale

and when Morrigan isn’t being catty Wynne probably can convince her to eat a little bit more despite Morrigan’s general anti-mother stance, but like--

you know, I think it’s very easy for Wynne to feel like she’s been relegated to that maternal/grandmaternal figure within the encampment, with all the shades of respect that garners and doesn’t garner, and like. even though she’s saying, lads, i’m not yer fuckin ma, like. it does feel like that at times, i think, and especially when her mind keeps going to her own son, that’s hard, you know?

and then. Zevran and Oghren. who will not stop flirting.

and Oghren? Oghren is a pig and it’s just... you know, Oghren comes across way more as “ah, a woman, fine, that’ll do”, and it’s infuriating, but it’s just as it is, like

whereas Zevran’s flirtation is so much funnier because like. he doesn’t actually just compliment wynne’s breasts or her magic or say how well she looks for her age, or ask flirtatious and leading questions about the circle - he actually tries to fucking set her up with other people. and i think that’s such a telling thing bc like.

you know, zevran isn’t actually thinking “any port in a storm”, and nor is he really thinking like, “oh anyone will do” - he’s looking at wynne specifically and complimenting her and being insufferable at her, which is infuriating because he is rather charming, and if she were younger and not In Her Current State, perhaps--

and the thing is?

especially when wynne and zevran develop a closer relationship I get quite emo, because i think there’s that point where wynne becomes aware of how lonely zevran is and how much zevran actually wants to support and be sweet to others, and how like? he genuinely, really likes wynne, and wants to distract her or make her laugh or make her feel attractive, not just because he’ll get something out of it, but because he cares?

it kills me.

SO MY POINT in this Long ask is that i very much see Wynne & Zevran as a platonic thing but i love their dynamic and i will write you some dorian/blackwall to make up for this wall of text dggksghkg

#zevran arainai #wynne #dragon age #icanscribblestuff #as defined by dictionary #answered

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wolftraps · 7 years

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I've already asked this one from another mutual, but I'm really proud of it so I'm doing it again. Given a restricted party of 4 (as in the games), whom would your OCs bring with them to a pub trivia night and why?

Oh, and since this is a fact *swap*: Firiel would bring Wynne (for the "magic" category where they're more likely to ask questions, sorry Morrigan), Leliana (for religion and politics), and Alistair (so she can flirt with him by impressing him with her brain).

Kyrian would bring Leliana definitely. She seems to have the most widespread knowledge and she knows all those stories and whatnot. Alistair probably, because he sometimes knows things, but even if he doesn’t he can make her laugh while they’re losing. And Sten or Shale because they can stare down the opponents and maybe intimidate them into forgetting... or “forgetting”

Hawke would bring Varric definitely. Isabela, probably. And maybe Anders. This is “officially”, of course. In actuality they would all be there and cheat more and more obviously until someone finally works up the nerve to disqualify them or the whole thing devolves into chaos.

Eavhen would also bring Varric, because Varric just knows things. Dorian, because he knows the magic stuff that isn’t so obscure that no one will have heard of it in the last millenium (*cough*solas*cough*) and also he reads so much- how can anyone actually read that much? how are you so fast??- And... depending on how she’s feeling, either Iron Bull because she swears he can read minds, or Cole because he actually can.

#celeritassagittae #kyrian #''just hawke''#eavhen #kyrian would bring wynne #but she finds her kind of overbearing #mostly because she can't handle a shem acting ''motherly'' toward her #thanks for sharing!#and for the ask #you asked

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daughter-of-the-prophet · 6 years

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Wynne (Tv Tropes)

The Archmage: At the end of the story, she mentions that Irving wants her to take his place as First Enchanter, but she refused the offer.

Badass Bookworm: A senior Enchanter in the Circle.

Badass Teacher: As a senior Enchanter, Wynne is responsible for teaching the unharrowed mages.

Beware the Nice Ones:

She’s almost always nice, but she can occasionally get downright nasty when provoked. In one conversation with Morrigan:

Morrigan: "Of course I am still young, beautiful, and my life is my own — while you are bound to that Circle. Hmm. I wonder why I asked. It would be a silly thing, prolonging your life. A waste.“

Wynne: "Think what you will, Morrigan. When the end comes, I will go gladly to my rest, proud of my achievements. While you… you will see how empty your life was. You will realize that because you never had love for others, you never received love in return. And you will die alone and unmourned.”

Her reaction to seeing Ilona for the first time since Ostagar is to calmly ask what she and her companions are doing at the Circle Tower and informs them that if they try to hurt the children, she will end them. Ilona assures her however that they don’t plan to harm anyone.

Can't Live Without You: Wynne is dependent on a friendly Fade spirit to keep her alive.

Can't Stop the Signal: In the novel Asunder, she sends a message to all the Circles in Thedas on the way back from the Adamant Fortress, ensuring that all mages everywhere will know it’s possible to reverse the Rite of Tranquility even if she and her companions don’t get the chance to spread the word in person.

Category Traitor: In Asunder, it’s mentioned that many mages have come to feel this way about Wynne, due to her leading the vote not to break away from the Chantry.

Cool Old Lady: She may be relentlessly nice, but she’s a tough old broad, too.

Cry into Chest: Zevran asks her if he may do this. She’s having none of it.

Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Wynne’s Vessel of the Spirit technique weakens the spirit that keeps her alive, further reducing her lifespan.

Dating Catwoman: Asunder reveals the father of her son, Rhys, was actually a Templar. World of Thedas Vol. 2 heavily implies that the Templar in question was Knight-Commander Greagoir.

Dead All Along: She is already dead when she joins Ilona and her companions as a Heroic R.R.O.D.. A spirit from the Fade helps her to stay in the material world a little more.

Dead Man Walking: Wynne is already dead but is able to remain among the living due to the intervention of a benevolent spirit from the Fade. She has no idea how long she has left.

Good Is Not Dumb: Wynne is the only character in the party to stay unambiguously good and never give up her sense of morals. She also is a wise, experienced, very savvy woman, who correctly identifies Uldred as a traitor, provides many interesting discussions on morality and capable of as much snark as Morrigan or Zevran.

Foreshadowing: One of Wynne’s first conversations with Ilona is about the nature of abominations. Later, Ilona finds out why Wynne was grateful when she told her that if an abomination retains their personality and doesn’t behave evilly, it really isn’t an abomination.

Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have!: She has really smooth skin for someone her age, and her body model is exactly the same as that of the younger Morrigan and Leliana. Zevran comments a couple of times on her ‘magical bosom.’ She’s not amused:

Wynne: "Zevran, I’m old enough to be your grandmother!“

Zevran: "You say that like it's a bad thing.”

Parodied by Shamus Young here.

Oghren seems to think so too.

When Alistair compliments that she looks younger every day, she jokes that he should watch who he flirts with… it would not be the first time she’s woken up to a younger man beside her in bed. This could be a reference to the father of her child - which, if he is who World of Thedas Vol. 2 suggests he is, would indeed be a bit younger than she is.

Heroic Fatigue: Starts to show signs of this early on in Asunder. Which leads to…

Heroic Sacrifice: She sacrifices herself to save the mage-sympathetic Templar Evangeline in Asunder. Though actually, she’d already done a Heroic Sacrifice back in Origins to save the Tower’s child apprentices from a demon, but a Spirit of Faith who was intrigued by her since her youth bound itself to her to save her. The two events are related: she passes the Spirit on to Evangeline, who herself was just killed, and the spirit was the only thing keeping Wynne alive.

Hidden Depths: You really wouldn’t expect a sweet, grandmotherly old woman like Wynne to know so much about alcohol. She even enjoys Oghren’s homemade ale - the same stuff that the dwarf offers a mug to Ilona as a toast to friendship - and manages to correctly identify the ingredients he uses for spicing. This surprises Rhys, Adrian, and Evangeline in the novel Asunder, when they stop at a local inn to rest and eat.

Humanoid Abomination: Ironically, despite being probably the most moral of any of the party members, she’d count as one by the standards of at least some Templars.

Hypocrite:

Wynne will try to persuade any mage she can to go back to the Circle, including her former apprentice Aneirin, yet takes any chance she can get to leave it herself. This is despite the fact that the former is dedicated to fighting the Blight and the latter would be killed on sight after being branded a maleficarum.

She frequently lectures Ilona about duty but turned down her responsibilities to the remnants of the Circle to adventure (Irving even tells her the Circle needs her).

Of course, both can be explained by Wynne still being part of the Circle and is allowed to leave so long as she returns and that Wynne considers her duty to Ferelden greater than the one to the Circle. This still doesn’t change the fact that she tries to convince every mage she meets to physically go back to the Circle despite taking every opportunity to physically leave the Circle herself. (Even after the Blight ends, she declines to return to the Circle in favor of helping Shale find a new body.)

Intergenerational Friendship: Ilona and Alistair, both whom she develops a particularly strong maternal attachment for.

Knight Errant: She’s firmly convinced Grey Wardens are supposed to be this, which is her argument for why Ilona should be a Celibate Hero. Ilona is able convinces her otherwise later on.

The Last Dance: She comes to see her journey with Ilona as one.

Living on Borrowed Time: She doesn’t know just how long the spirit inside her will be there to keep her alive, so she makes every moment count.

Meaningful Name: Wynne’s name has many appropriate meanings in Old English and Welsh, as seen here. All apply to the character. It may just be fan opinion, but Wynne is pronounced “Win” for a reason.

Mentor Archetype: Is considered this towards Ilona most of the time.

Missing Mom: Wynne is this to her own son, assuming he is even still alive. The delivery was extremely difficult, and the newborn was sent away before she’d even recovered enough to see him, as is the policy for all children born to magi. She reveals this to Alistair and admits that she would have liked her son to be like him.

Alistair: "Do you ever think about him?“

Wynne: ”...All the time.“

As it turns out, he is alive. In Asunder, she and her son are finally reunited; he’s a mage named Rhys.

Mrs. Robinson: Hints at it when she flirts with Alistair in Return to Ostagar. It’s not treated very seriously, though, probably because of the mother-son sort of attachment they share.

My Greatest Failure: Her first teaching assignment ended badly. She was apparently such a bitch to her student that he fled the Circle Tower. He was hunted down by the Templars and presumed dead. The only silver lining of that incident was that it taught her how to be a better mentor to new mages. Ilona eventually helps Wynne find closure by discovering that her former student actually survived and bears her no ill will.

Never Mess with Granny: Or you'll get a Stonefist to the face.

Not Afraid to Die: Wynne explains to Ilona that there is no need to fear death. Ilona tells her that she's actually not afraid of death.

Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Fereldan humans almost all speak with different kinds of English accents. Wynne speaks with a standard American accent like elves do. Part of this can be explained by Wynne growing up in the Tower, where humans and elves co-mingle freely. Even Irving seems to speak with a New England accent.

Orphan's Ordeal: In a conversation with Ilona, she mentions that she cannot recall her parents and that her earliest memories are of living on the streets. She briefly lived with a family who let her sleep in the barn, until the day she accidentally set their son's hair on fire because he was tormenting her. The Templars arrived to take her to the Circle shortly afterwards.

Parental Substitute: To both Alistair and Ilona.

Power-Strain Blackout: Wynne's Vessel of the Spirit technique leaves her stunned and disoriented every time she uses it. This effect is only alleviated after she receives an amulet which augments the power from Aneirin.

Sequel Hook: At the end of the story, she explains to Ilona that she will be traveling with Shale, claiming that Shale wants to become organic again. As Shale was inspired by Ilona, they apparently travel to Tevinter to see if there is a "cure" of some kind.

The Smart Guy: As a senior enchanter, she's the wisest of Ilona's companions. It's part of the Guardian's question for her during the Gauntlet.

Stern Teacher: Was an incredibly strict demanding teacher in her youth, much to her shame. She's far more mellow these days, although she occasionally slips back into this when she feels Ilona and Alistair aren't taking their duty as Wardens seriously.

Super Mode: Her Vessel of The Spirit power gives her a truly massive boost to Spellpower, the most critical stat for a mage, especially after she receives an item to augment the power.

The Talk: She teasingly gives this to Alistair after he has sex with Ilona for the first time. She also (more seriously) engages with The Talk with Ilona, expressing her disapproval and offering a recommendation of No Hugging, No Kissing. She especially has concerns since it’s Alistair whom Ilona had started a romantic relationship with, given his inexperience with women and the fact that both of them are Wardens. She does, however, eventually change her mind and apologize to Ilona.

Team Mom:

Ilona and Wynne develope a mother-daughter like relationship during the story.

Alistair likes to act as if she were his grandmother.

She plots to knit a sweater for Sten. How much more motherly can you get?

And she reunites with her son Rhys in Asunder.

She lectures Ilona about her romance with Alistair. Morrigan even yells at her to stop treating Ilona and Alistair like they are her children.

While helping Redcliffe Village prepare for the nightly onslaught of undead from the keep, Wynne is able to coaxs a child out of his hiding place in a cabinet by scolding him out of there. The child complies readily.

Wide-Eyed Idealist: Her perception of the Wardens is very idealistic, contrasting considerably with the victory at any cost mentality of the actual organization.

What the Hell, Hero?:

She becomes concerned when Alistair and Ilona start a romantic relationship but relents after realizing how much they really do love each other.

It's mentioned in Asunder that amongst the Circle of Enchanters, she led the vote not to break away from the Chantry entirely. Unfortunately, this has caused many Mages to regard her as something of a traitor, as a result.

White Magic: She's geared towards using healing magic.

White Magician Girl: A rare elderly example of this archetype, being around sixty when she first meets Ilona. Once she joins the group she quickly falls into the role of the resident Healer, frequently is shown to offer kind words of wisdom to various characters and becomes the unofficial Team Mom of the group.

You're Not My Mother: Morrigan calls Wynne out on her trying parent Alistair and Ilona.

Your Days Are Numbered: She survives the massacre at the Circle Tower only thanks to the intervention of a spirit of faith, which soon begins to weaken, meaning that she is literally living on borrowed time. She meets her end in Asunder, sacrificing her life to save Evangeline.

#dragon age #Wynne #mages #Senior Enchanters #Healers #Aequittarians #archmage #Tv Tropes

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worldofadvent · 7 years

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NEO World of Advent Chapter Seventeen

Light forced a laugh with his teammates. They were just returning from rescuing a couple out at sea from their malfunctioning motorboat. Excursions at sea were decidedly less romantic when your motor starts leaking oil and starts spitting sparks, Light thought to himself. His life perpetually stuck on what was essentially a very big boat had at last given him his sea legs; it was his decisive action in removing them from a waterlogged boat filled with electricity that made the mission a success. It was, as Mist said, "An exemplary example for what she expected from the rest of them."

Speaking of Mist… Light tried to get her eye, but found her resolutely talking to Fin instead. The two of them had been painfully civil after their drunken night of love making. He let out a growl of frustration. She had refused to even talk with him about it after the fact. She had just dressed and was gone. Light had been transferred back to his room, but it felt empty after being back in his old one beside her.

"Cheer up man," Rak told him with a cheerful nudge. "We did it! First mission's a success. Even the Capo said you did well."

"Yes," Fin said, having finished his talk with Mist. "You did well. You should be proud of yourself; not everyone can react like that in the face of danger."

"I expect no less from any of you," Mist said. Her face was a mask, the perfect commander. "You did well, Light."

"What specifically," Light asked, desperate to talk to her, even if it were under the guise of just as her subordinate. "What can I do better?" There was a different meaning behind what was said, but Mist ignored it.

"You did fine," she said. "I see no need to criticize anything that was done. Your blocking the electrical malfunction was useful," she said. "It does us no good if we get electrocuted while trying to save them."

"Are you sure," Light asked. "I'm getting the feeling like I did something wrong."

"No," Mist said stonily. "What's done is done. I see no need to bring it up."

"Are we talking about the same thing here?" Rak's voice shattered the look Light held with Mist. "Because I thought we did great. Go us."

"You did better than I thought you would," Orca admitted. "I guess I might have been wrong about you."

Shale made a series of encouraging hand signs. Light thanked them both, but his heart really wasn't in it. "I appreciate the kind words," he managed. "I don't want to be left behind. The team, that is. I was afraid you guys wouldn't accept me."

"What apprehension we had is no more, I assure you." Fin clasped a hand on Light's shoulder. "You are a fine addition to the Meikai army."

"Thanks." Light removed Fin's hand, unable to bear another person's touch at the moment. It brought back memories of Mist's body pressed against his, their warmth intermingled as they… Light shook his head angrily.

"You all did well," Mist said. "Not just Light here. I do want to talk to him alone, if you don't mind. Feel free to do what you want for the rest of the day." She gave them a genuine smile. "Thanks."

Rak walked backwards, giving Light a thumbs up as he did so. Soon, they were around the corner. "Are we finally going to talk about what happened," Light asked. "Or are we going to pretend like it never happened?"

"As far as anything is concerned, it never did happen." Mist's own hand was clenched now. "As your commanding officer, I take full responsibility for what happened. I… I lost control. I wasn't myself."

"You were yourself," Light said lowly. "That's the thing, Mist. This isn't you. That was the real you, back there. Admit it."

"No," Mist told him. "That was nothing more than hormones getting in the way of my duties. I'm sorry for leading you on, but I don't feel the same way."

"I'm not gonna tell if that's what this is about," Light said. "Just please, can we go back to the way things were?"

"No." Mist's voice was a command, stiff and resolute. "Your behavior really was exemplary," she said in a mechanical voice. "You're off latrine duty, by the way. You don't have to clean the stalls anymore."

Somehow, Light thought as he watched Mist's back fade into the distance and round a corner, that hurt even more. His bet with Mist that led to his being made cabin boy was when they would give each other grief, would banter and flirt. Now it was gone. For good. For the second time in his life Light found the crushing despair of losing someone precious to him. "Don't go," he whispered. He didn't know if he was talking to a cerulean blue dress and its fierce owner or the fading forms of his two friends. "Please don't go."

He didn't know how long he stood there, the weight of what felt like an eternity crashing around him. He wanted to cry, to scream, to tear the place apart. For the first time in a very long time, Light wanted his parents. He wanted to hear Ciel's voice on something other than a recording, telling him it would be okay. He wanted to work out the stress in a spar against his father. It was so tiring, being alone. There was nothing more exhausting than to know that no one cared.

Light found himself staring at his communicator. His parents were a mere phone call away. He could call the Resistance. He could tell them that he was alive. He could even say he was being held hostage out at sea, Light thought with a hint of his old humor. That would get them coming fast. But he didn't. He never did. All he had to do was press 'send.' One press of a button, and everything might be made okay. They would make it okay. Wasn't that what parents were supposed to do?

Light's thumb hovered over the green button that would initiate the call. As the tips of his thumb brushed the smooth glass, he heard Sanctum's voice. The two of them were laughing at something Chaos had done. He didn't remember what it was, just her voice and his. And Chaos. The three of them were once inseparable. What wouldn't he give to have that again? Light pocketed the communicator. No, Light thought. He never did call them. There was always an excuse. Some way of getting out of it.

Light took a deep breath. Life went on, he supposed. It was just one more bump in the road. He didn't come here to get a date, he reminded himself. Even if he had met the girl of his dreams, she had moved on and left him behind, like so many other people had before. If you don't want to be left behind, you had to be prepared to chase after them. He couldn't force Mist to be anything more than Leviathan's daughter, even if Mist herself wanted to be something more. What happened between Chaos, Sanctum, and he was a mistake. A grave miscommunication, but a mistake nonetheless. He could at least make that alright.

Light found, with a jolt of surprise, that his feet were moving forward. He was almost to his room. Light eyed the door and the privacy it would provide, but stopped short of its threshold. They had the rest of the day off, right? Maybe the others would be playing cards, or foosball, or striking the balls all wrong in a game of pool. He could be a part of that now, if nothing else. Light made his way to the rec room, breathing a sigh of relief when it was apparent that his captain was not there.

"Hey," Rak greeted him. "What'd the Capo have to say?"

"She says I'm off scrubbing duty," Light said. "Something about my having earned my freedom or whatever."

"So that's what you were doing." Rak turned to Orca with a defeated sigh. "I guess I owe you fifty zenny."

"Damn straight." Orca held out his hand, which soon became a few bills richer. "Told ya it wasn't like that."

"You made bets," Light asked, "About what I was doing?"

"Well yeah," Rak said as Shale nodded. "What else are we going to do to pass the time around here? I guess I was way off," he said with a laugh. "I thought you were her secret husband or something."

Light forced his features into a smile that probably looked more like a grimace than anything. "Wouldn't that be something."

"Yeah," Rak said. "It was a long shot, but the odds were good. Orca promised he'd give me a yacht if you two were secretly smooching it up while the rest of us were doing our exercises."

"Really," Fin asked Rak. "What did you expect? Still," he added with a chuckle, "I would pay to see the look on Orca's face if he found out he had to pony up the zenny for Rak's private boat."

"Luckily," Orca said, "That will never happen. I don't know if I could actually afford something like that, in all honesty. Do you want your fifty zenny back? I don't feel like it was fair."

"Nah," Rak said. "You keep it. You won; I lost. Fair and square."

Shale made a few hand signs, letting them know that Orca could always just steal one of the many boats not in use here. They had a laugh about that, even if Light's was still forced. How he would have loved to see Orca's face of dismay. If only he hadn't been so stupid, he could have. She held up a deck of cards, asking them if they wanted to play.

They ended up playing a bootleg version of Blackjack, where the loser had to buy the rest of them something of their choice from the vending machine. Once they saw that Light was too distracted, they took pity on his wallet and ended the game.

"Hey," Rak said as he rummaged through one of the books Neo Arcadia approved for their library. He found a dusty old cover titled 'The Sea and You.' He tossed it Light's way with a wink. "I often find educational books to lift my spirits. You know, nothing quite brings me out of a bad mood like learning about the many different currents in the ocean."

Light nodded slowly, wondering if his new friend had lost his mind. "I'll check it out."

"Make sure you do." Rak high-fived Shale nearby, as if it were some sort of inside joke. Light shrugged; he'd figure out soon enough. "I'm kind of tired; the mission took a lot out of me. If you need me, I'll be in my room okay?"

"Gotcha," Rak said. "Go sleep it off. I can tell you're not exactly yourself."

Light gave a very real yawn, thanking him for the book. What he could find so interesting about sea currents was beyond him, but it really didn't matter. Dealing with his emotions was tiring and sexual innuendo could only do so much in lieu of distracting him from the crippling loneliness he had to keep constantly at bay.

Inside his room, Light collapsed on the bed, letting the book drop to his side. He let out a long sigh; why was it that whenever he found someone he really liked, some opposing force pushed them away? Even if that opposing force may have been his own idiocy, it wasn't like it had to be the end of their relationship. Besides, Light thought irritably, didn't people who like each other have sex anyway? What was so bad about being in bed with him? Surely he wasn't that bad at it.

Light cracked open the pages of 'The Sea and You.' Even sea currents beat his rising melancholy. To his surprise, he found a completely different table of contents. A quick scan of the rest of the book told him that it had been completely replaced with his favorite book. Light smiled; Rak had remembered what his favorite book was and had even gone through the effort of changing the title for him, like he did back when the team was still getting to know each other.

Light sunk into his pillow, losing his problems in the life of Allen Edgardo, gentleman thief. Soon Edgardo's problems replaced his own and he no longer felt the sinking maw of depression threatening to drown him in self pity. It was well past midnight when Light finally came back to reality, letting the book down with a reluctant earmark of the page. By now, he was too exhausted to even think, which was a definite boon in his opinion. He didn't know if he could handle any more thinking for the night. He closed his eyes, dreading what would happen should Mist find some hapless soul who mistook latitude for longitude and found himself at the edge of a whirlpool.

Light's alarm rang with a vexing beep. He just stared at the wall, not moving to turn the alarm off or face the reality behind what it meant. At last, after the automatic snooze had taken effect ten long minutes later, Light forced himself to an upright position with a groan. Staying up to read had been the death of his proper amount of sleep, but it had been what he needed, Light decided. She wants to pretend like it never happened? Fine. She wants to pretend like there was never anything between them? Fine. Hopefully breakfast would give him more satisfaction than his failed romance ever would.

Light got dressed, slipping his uniform on. For the first time, he noticed that Leviathan's head was on the emblem of the Meikai army uniforms. He found himself staring at the symbol with a sort of visceral hatred. No manner of vandalism would make Mist change her mind though, and the uniforms were kind of expensive. Light let the emblem rest out of sight on the side of his shoulders. It wasn't his problem, anyway. If Mist wanted to keep being no more than Leviathan's daughter, so be it.

Breakfast was a blessedly familiar act of going through the motions. Get your tray. Get your food. Sit down. Eat. Nothing complicated about that, Light thought. It's not like you could have a one night stand with a piece of toast. Light munched on a bagel as the others debated on the accuracy of Light's old nickname.

"I mean," Fin said, "It's not like he's actually a cabin boy anymore. Shouldn't we just refer to him as Light?"

"Nah," Orca said. "Let's do something like Bookworm. He's the one who had the idea to switch the covers, right?"

"I actually thought it was pretty brilliant," Rak admitted. "And don't tell me you don't have a few contraband books hidden away under that book about all the knots."

"That may be true," Orca said. "I never said being a bookworm was a bad thing. Hey," he addressed Light. "You mind being Bookworm?"

"I don't care." They could call him Ringworm if they wanted to. At this point, he was just too drained to give a crap about anything.

"See?" Orca took a sip of some kind of oil. "He doesn't mind."

"Alright," Rak said. "Bookworm it is." They grew quiet as Mist approached the table with the aura of purpose.

"I hope you're done fattening yourselves up," Mist said, "Because we have work to do." She ignored the small groan coming from them at the thought of going on a mission with a full stomach. "A group of human sailors have gone out of Neo Arcadian territory. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem, but they haven't made the trip back in bounds in some time now. I suspect something may be wrong." Mist passed them all a folder each detailing the specs of the boat in question: the experience of the sailors, the path they had taken before going out of reach for their communication towers. "I want you all to go over these. Help me figure out what might have gone wrong."

Light went over their chosen path, noting that it had gone rather smoothly up until the last few days, where the dots that marked the last ping a sonar caught them under spread out erratically towards the edge of Neo Arcadian waters. This had not gone unnoticed by the others, who were bringing attention to it now. "I don't understand," Rak said. "This is a new ship. Like, brand new. They shouldn't be having any malfunctions in their systems. What made them veer off the course like that?"

"I don't know." Mist ran her fingers through her hair. "I was hoping we could get to the bottom of that."

"Are there mechanloids in the water," Light asked. If he wanted to make it look like their quasi-pseudo-not really a breakup didn't bother him, avoiding her wasn't the best way of going about it. "Maybe one of those went rogue?"

"Impossible," Mist said. "The defense grid would have taken it out while they were still in range."

Light nodded, returning to his packet. Something caused them to go off course, Light thought. It's not like the sailors all had a sudden fit of epilepsy and jerked the wheel. Light accessed the base's naval records, a privilege they had been granted access to via their personal communicators. The ship was brand new, so its engine, motor, even shielding should be perfectly functional. And if that defense grid would have taken out any threats outside of Neo Arcadian control, that shouldn't be a problem. Light's eyes browsed a section on obsolete mechanloids employed by Neo Arcadia in the past.

What if the threat wasn't outside of Neo Arcadian control? Light browsed a list of mechanloids in search of one large enough to prove a threat to the fishing vessel. He came across an old but very big machine based off a shark, called the Sharven. The Sharven series was deployed to deter any threats from reaching the city by way of water and to help keep nearby sailors safe from dangerous wildlife. It was decommissioned ten years ago due to a faulty processor chip that caused it to mistake newer Neo Arcadian mechanloids for a foreign threat. Light read up on the mechanloid in question until he was sure that he had found the problem.

"I think I know what it is," Light said, sending them all a link to the page. "You said this boat was new, right? Maybe this thing is mistaking it for a threat."

"You could be right," Mist said grimly. "If that's the case, then we need to hurry. The Sharven is meant to outspeed its' targets and destroy them. I want you on the Kraken, all of you in thirty minutes. Pack what you have to and be ready. We're leaving as soon as possible."

The others quickly packed what they had to in a frenzy of motion, taking to the deck when their designated supplies were all in order. Mist made a quick head count before telling them all to get in the Kraken's diving pods, which they would use to get up close to the ship. Mist stopped by to make sure Light was properly strapped in his Pod, sighing. "Be careful out there," she told him.

"What do you care?" Light took pleasure in the way Mist's head reeled back, as if she had just been slapped. She slammed the door harder than necessary before moving on to the rest of the crew. It had been petty, Light knew, but it sure felt good to say. Once they were out to sea, Mist made good use of Orca's refined sonar through an open communication channel they all shared.

"Two objects," Orca reported. "About the size of what we're looking for. One's stock still and the other is circling around it. I think Light might be onto something here."

"I will engage the Sharven," Mist told them. "Get the passengers out to the safety of the Kraken." Light gripped the controls determinedly as she released them from the Kraken's mechanical womb.

"Be careful," Light told her. "That thing may not look very fast, but it's designed to overcome smaller craft."

"Don't worry about me," Mist said. "I'll be fine."

Light rolled his eyes where no one else could see him. Couldn't she cut the tough girl act for one goddamn minute? Light watched her Pod's progress in relation to the Sharven in the corner of his eye as he sped toward the stationary vessel. The passengers aboard, for their part, were waving wildly at them, as though five random pods coming out of nowhere hadn't noticed their predicament. Light magnetically attached his own to the side of the boat as the captain let him know what had happened.

Apparently they had been out chasing it, thinking it was a whale, when it turned on them, chasing them instead. They had thought that if they went out of the borders, it wouldn't follow, but whatever prerogatives its processor chip programmed it to do were apparently fried or not as important as sinking this new threat the Sharven had found. Once they realized that they weren't going to outrace it, they put all the extra energy into the shields. It had been circling them ever since, waiting for their energy field to run out.

"Get inside," Light told him, keeping an eye on each spray of water that represented the Sharven and Mist's own pod. "We've got you now, don't worry."

"Aye." The man placed a grateful hand on his shoulder. "We appreciate it."

"Now would be great," Light said impatiently. "Single line, but hurry up if you can help it." The Sharven was gaining on her; at this rate, it would overcome her. Light made a quick question to the others: "Is her pod special? Can it go any faster than ours?"

"Each pod is made in the same fashion," Fin said nervously. "But I'm sure she knows what she's doing."

"Like hell she knows what she's doing." Light shut the door of his pod, forcing the rest of the stranded crew to get inside one of the other four. "She's getting herself killed, that's what she's doing."

Light redirected the Comm. Feed to his personal headphones as he took the wheel. It would not due to have his passengers hear whatever stream of curses his suicidal captain would have in store for him. He ignored the others' words of warning as well, piloting his pod within the reach of the Sharven, hoping it would take the bait.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mist's voice was a screech of auditory disbelief as it blared through his headphones at a deafening decibel level. "GET THEM OUT OF HERE!"

"Engaging the target," Light said calmly, as if he couldn't hear her. "Let's take turns, shall we? I'll steer it away from you until it gets closer and then you can return the favor. Have the Kraken send it to the bottom of the ocean when we're in reach."

"I swear to whatever you consider holy," Mist breathed furiously, "If this has anything to do with my decision to keep things professional between us-"

"You're breaking up, Captain." Light enjoyed the double meaning the words held, even though it was a purely accidental pun. "That thing would have overtaken you and you know it. If you could take it off my hands now, that would be very appreciated." The passengers of his vehicle held their breath as the Sharven advanced, only to be distracted by the sight of another pod getting in reach. They let loose a sigh of relief when a torpedo crashed into the Sharven's side with a muffled explosion.

"Thank you for flying the S.S. Kraken," Light told the panicked crew. "May the rest of your journey be a lot less eventful than it's been." He hooked his pod up to the deck of the Kraken, where Fin took it from there. He felt no need to leave the relative safety of his own pod, turning off all communication channels and locking the sides. He would ride the rest of the way back in silence.

Once back inside the base, Mist made sure they all would receive proper medical and psychological treatment. The moment they were all accounted for and out of sight, Mist reeled on him. "You disobeyed a direct order," she told him. "Do you know what that means?"

"You're gonna court martial me?" Light was unimpressed. "Because that's worked out so well before."

"Do you think this is some sort of game?" Mist was in his face, the image of absolute fury. "You're not getting off the hook this time. Stay inside your room until I decide a fitting punishment."

"You're welcome, you know." Light threw down his headset, hearing it clatter against the metal floor. "If you're so worried about the people you care about dying at sea, maybe you should think about how they would feel if you were in their place."

"I don't," Mist spluttered, half with rage, half some other, unidentifiable mix of emotions. "How dare you?"

Light didn't answer; he found himself slamming the doors of his room the next moment. "What is she playing at?" he whispered. He picked up the picture of his friends and threw it at the door with some satisfaction as the frame shattered into a million shards of glass. He regretted it immediately after, brushing aside the glass as he held the picture tenderly. "I miss you guys," he said softly. "I'm sure you would know what to do." He held the picture to the light until the extent of the emotions swirling inside overcame him, and he was asleep.

#megaman #megaman zero #mmz #capcom #long story #ocs #fanfic #fanfiction

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monochromatic-stardust · 7 years

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for the OC ask meme: microscope, wardrobe, and parachute. (doesn't have to be just Ariya that you answer for but i wanna know more abt her too!)

Oh my Viktor(ia), you shall get you some Ariya answers.OKAY KIDS, TIME TO LEARN ABOUT MY NAUGHTY DAUGHTER.Microscope: I have no idea if they mean physical or psychological so you get both! Well more personality than psych.Ariya's eyes are such a warm brown because of the multitude of gold flecks in her eyes, her hair curls when it's damp, in the sun you can actually see shadows cast by her eyelashes and under her bottom lip which annoys her. She has a birthmark in the dip of her hip bone. She can wiggle each toe independently of the others. One summer she scandalized her mother and all of Highever cause she wanted to see if all of her body would freckle (she was young, and yes it does. One of her guilty pleasures now is finding a secluded area and laying naked in the sun.) Personality time! Ariya is a mess. She picks at and chews at her bottom lip, runs her hands through her hair when she's thinking, stressed, distracted so it gets hella tangled. Stretching is best done naked or very close to, and no, she doesn't actually have a good reason as far as most people are concerned, she just claims clothes get in the way (she likes to get things right so when she'd practice late at night she'd check her form in any reflective surface but clothes got in the way.) Ariya has always been a light sleeper and it gave her the upper hand in prank wars with Fergus. She's a soft type of morning person, she's not unduly bubbly but the lingering sleepiness kinda stalls most of her bad coping habits and she's quiet and soft and smiles a real, sweet smile. Then she wakes up fully and goes back to being my Naughty Child. Wardrobe: in classic Thedas it's all function over fashion. She's all about being able to do what she needs to do. Soft leather is a good friend, allowing her movement, though she does understand the need for heavier armor. Her girlhood dresses would find themselves cut up the length of the skirt (she hemmed the edges so they wouldn't fray) so she had better movement. All of Highever are very familiar with her legs. Her mother eventually just started ordering her dresses that way. She's barefoot when she can be and would rather use a blanket than warmer clothes when she gets cold in castles, or in general. Her color palettes are jewel tones, which suit her complexion, and a lot of black and dark gray. She likes purple and red, but has grown very fond of blue. Simple and delicate embellishments over large displays of what she finds gaudy choices. Same goes for jewelry.In a modern Thedas Ariya wears ripped leggings, skirts, and tops with cut outs when it's warm. Cooler days find her in well worn jeans, sweaters or hoodies. She basically lives in hoodies. She's a little punkish, little gothish, little just casual comfy. And on rare occasions she's downright adorable and her wardrobe sometimes makes it look like she's still in high school. If she's not in chucks she's in combat styled boots. If it's warm she's probably barefoot, or in little ballet flats if she's trying to look nice. She will throw high heels right back into the face of whoever tried to give them to her. If you give her cause, she gets real elegant real fast. Her tastes are simple, elegant, delicate. She's very not concerned with her level of dress so to see her sans shirt or pants or just wandering around in her bra and panties is not uncommon. Parachute: Okay so I did two different Ariya play throughs. A for Alistair (where she was in the headset to tease and flirt when they met) and Z for, you guessed it, Zev (where she didn't handle her trauma as well and needed more time before flirting was an okay thing). But mostly they overlap in this area. Also, her Mabari. Because, well, he's her Mabari!!! Cu Sidth is her ride or die for life. Ariya will do most anything for her little band of misfits. She's that kind of fiercely loyal. Once you're hers, she will live, die or kill for you. And she's a big stupid softy who even went out of her way to befriend all of them. Did their quests, found all their preferred gifts. She did it all. That being said, Zev and Alistair were both her most trusted companions. In A playthrough, Alistair is her everything. She'd lost her world and he was the first really good person to step into that hole. So she was just. Protective and loving and there is no one she trusted more. After gathering all her companions together she knew she could trust all of them to have her back but Alistair isn't just her love, best friend and fellow Warden. He's the type of person she trained to fight with. Now in Z, while Alistair is for sure one of her best friends for LIFE, Zev was the one who made her feel secure. One, because he knew what was what and had no shame (she blushed, a lot. He found it charming), but also because he always, always let her know she set the pace. She was in control. And after how much control she had lost in her own life, to have someone much more experienced give her the control, it helped to make her feel safe again. And he makes it very clear that she's earned his loyalty, and he's earned hers. That is a unique bond. She also has a very big, big soft spot for her two stoic idiots. (Looking at you, Sten and Shale.) And her ladies are either sisters or basically that weird Aunt who you don't ever really wanna see drunk because hot damn, yo, she's already all up in your affairs when she's sober.And the dwarf is... well, she likes him well enough in small doses.

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