dead star, shine

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Some DC redheads 🫶

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What if one sunny Spring day, Tamlin was in his room, hiding from the prying eyes of his brothers?

What if this sunny Spring day, Tamlin was packing a bag light enough to carry for long distances? What if it had enough clothing to last him a few days in Illyria?

What if the week before this sunny Spring day, Tamlin had shown up on Rhysand's doorstep, broken and bloodied from his brothers? What if Rhysand decided that day, enough was enough?

What if the week before this sunny Spring day, Rhysand told Tamlin soon he would be going to Illyria, that his mother and sister would be there before him? What if he told Tamlin to pack whatever he could and run from Spring? What if he told Tamlin that he could disown his title of Prince of Spring and run for Velaris?

What if Tamlin threw his bag over his shoulder and gave his room once last look around, knowing he'd hopefully never see it again? What if he took in a deep breath, barely able to control his anxiety and pure excitement?

What if he couldn't wait to be rid of this place? What if he couldn't wait to finally be free of his abusive household and finally reside in the place where stars filled the sky, and people were free? What if he couldn't wait too finally just be him? Unapologetically him? To be in a place where he could dance and make music to his hearts content, along with his friend?

What if his mother came in as he was preparing to climb out the window? What if with tears in her eyes she asked where he was going? What if Tamlin looked between his mother and the sunny sky and realized he couldn't just disappear like this? He couldn't just leave her in the same abusive position he was running from, not at least without closure on where he had gone?

What if Tamlin sucked in a breath, turned to her and hurriedly explained where he was going, what he was doing, that he would be safe and miss her dearly?

What if his mother nodded? What if Tamlin's father stepped out from behind her? What if Tamlin's blood ran cold and his heart seemed to stop in his chest? What if Tamlin's father said, that's all he needed to know?

What if Tamlin was dragged kicking and screaming by his brother's to Illyria? What if he saw the life leave Rhys' sister's eyes? What if he cradled her broken body and begged her to forgive him? What if in her last few breaths, she smiled up at him, because she knew Tamlin? She knew what he was like, and she knew that he was supposed to have met her there so she could take him back to Rhys? What if she told him to run to Velaris the first chance he got? What if she told him Rhys would take care of him? What if she told him she knew it wasn't his fault?

What if everything became a haze that only cleared when Tamlin stood before Rhysand, covered in the former High lord of Night's blood as Rhys' father slumped to the ground, dead forever? What if silence passed them just for a moment before Tamlin was leaping for Rhysand, trying to explain? Trying to find comfort in his friend's arms as he always had?

What if Rhysand told him he was murderer and he hated him?

What if Rhysand left that night and only ever tormented him whenever he saw him after? What if Tamlin grieved and grieved and grieved, not just for the loss of his mother, but of Rhys' sister, of Rhys' mother? Of Velaris which he once longed to simply play music in for the rest of his eternal life?

What if Tamlin was punished for centuries for a crime he never committed? What if Rhys despised him for lives he never took?

Violet x Xaden (Fourth Wing)

Tairn: “He cares for you. That’s already hard enough for him.”

Violet: “He cares about keeping me alive. There’s a difference.”

I have this headcanon that when my Warden Cousland was a young girl in Highever, she loved dancing. And she was really good at it too! Like she wasn’t super great at a lot of the “noble lady” things, and big social events and small talk with nobility weren’t usually her cup of tea. But if there was ever a castle party, you’d for sure find her dancing all night long. Maybe something about it reminded her of swordplay? The footwork, the balance, the energy of it? The interplay between two people? Either way, young Lady Cousland was always an excellent dancer as well as a warrior

Fast forward to the middle of Origins. One night at camp, Leliana is playing some music by the fire, maybe some other companions are joining her, and the Warden can’t remember the last time she danced but listening to the music, she suddenly misses it. Zevran whose sitting nearby and listening, offers to be a dancing partner for a song if she misses it so much, because of course he does and I could imagine he’s a damn good dancer himself lol. Nothing flirtatious about this offer, he just wants to enjoy the entertainment of it. And Cousland agrees.

Now Alistair, also nearby, is NOT a dancer. Never really had the chance to learn, thinks he can’t dance for the life of him and doesn’t really want to be seen trying, doesn't want to look the fool. So when others at camp begin to join in the fun he is quick to back out of it (alongside Morrigan because she would not be caught dead lol). 

Until he sees his Warden twirling and laughing by the firelight, almost glowing it seems like, and he’s just so fucking smitten. She’s smiling so widely, he doesn’t know if he’s ever seen her smile like that before and Maker she’s just beautiful. And her laugh, it’s like music. Alistair knows that he cares deeply for his fellow Grey Warden by now but he hasn’t shared these feeling yet. Though it’s harder to ignore them now…

When the dance ends, the Warden is nearer to Alistair than before, laughing and clapping and as another song strikes up, Lady Cousland specifically asks Alistair if he’ll dance with her. Promises that it’ll be fun. When he admits that he doesn’t really know how, she says she’ll teach him and he agrees. Because he’d be willing to look the fool a dozen times over if it meant getting to dance with her like that.

 Insert a VERY CUTE SCENE when the Warden teaches Alistair how to dance and he’s all left feet at first but he eventually starts to find his footing and they get into a proper rhythm and it is so much fun. And Alistair admits he’s surprised that the Warden enjoys dancing so much and she talks about the dances in Highever and how her father taught her how to when she was very small, and during castle parties visiting nobleman’s sons would try to ask her to dance in order to "woo" the Teyrn's daughter, so she'd make her brother Fergus dance with her most of the night to keep them at bay. They both laugh at the silly stories, and it’s the first time she’s talked about her family or her life before the blight with any real joy in her voice and Alistair thinks that he would have liked to know her then, before all of this death and tragedy and the loss that she had suffered. The Warden mirrors these thoughts back to him by saying that he would have loved a party thrown by the Couslands, and she would have liked to show him her home before…before Howe and...

Her face falls, the light leaving her eyes a bit, and Alistair feels an ache in his chest. He tries to lighten the mood and bring back her smile by stumbling a bit and joking that he would have made an awful dancing partner if he’d ever attended a party in Highever. Cousland laughs softly and assures him that he’s doing fine, and they continue in the dance as the music picks up. A couple knowing eyes watch them together, because neither one of them are as subtle about their feelings at they think that they are. But it hardly matters; they’re both having so much fun, joking and smiling, and maybe even flirting just a bit. Then the song comes to a close and they realize how close they are and the Warden actually starts to blush a bit. And damnit if Alistair wasn’t completely smitten before he sure as hell is now. If he forgot himself too much, he might have even leaned ever so slightly towards her lips, they were right there after all. Her face so near to his, her frame fitting into his arms perfectly. She was right there…

The couple are bumped into by Zevran who is trying to teach other partners the steps to the dance, without much success. This takes the two lovebirds out of their moment together, and Cousland laughs to break the tension, and makes an awkward mock curtsy before excusing herself, leaving Alistair slightly red-faced and gazing after her, trying to figure out how he’s going to ever admit that he’d really like nothing more than to to dance with her every day for the rest of his life...