Rook 2B4

Family and past:

Harding's parents split up a few years ago. Her father lives in Amaranthine. She's okay with that and thinks her parents are happier apart

Harding’s mother never taught her how to cook, she's entirely self-taught

Harding carries around the first letter her Mother sent her after joining the Inquisition

Harding doesn't have siblings 

Harding had a mabari named Contessa who passed away from old age

(If in romance) Taash offers Harding to get a mabari together

Time with the Inquisition:

Back in Skyhold, Solas once told Harding he was sorry dwarves couldn’t dream

Harding thinks that if she had never joined the Inquisition, she probably would’ve got married and tended to goats

Harding volunteered for the Inquisition because their soldiers kept scaring the sheep because they all had super old maps. And because she didn't want to spend the rest of her life watching sheep

General: 

Harding likes sandwiches, they are one of her favourite foods 

Harding finds Treviso very beautiful (who doesn’t) 

Harding would bring a bow, clean socks and a spoon to a deserted island

Harding likes books about blood and gore

Harding doesn't like killing, but she doesn't feel bad about it. She compares it to farmers having to kill wild animals that get too close to their land, as sometimes a quick kill can prevent more suffering (i.e. if a wolf gets inside your sheepfold, your own animals will die in pain)

She says that this kind of mindset is the reason why a lot of Inquisition scouts came from farmers, as they need to kill people when necessary (even if those people aren’t their enemies personally), but don’t go out looking for it

Harding likes almonds. They are crunchy :) 

Harding is fascinated by Minrathous’s nightlife 

Harding doesn't drink alcohol 

Harding really likes puns

Harding has fought a Stormrider dragon before 

Harding has a detailed and decorated scrapbook with her kills (with doodles. Including a cute giant spider)

Harding never visited Nevarra before the Veilguard, though she had heard of Cumberland’s Summer Exhibition. Emmrich disregards it as just a market with a horse show 

Dwarves and magic:

Harding finds herself more hungry than usual since getting hew new powers

Neve and Emmrich hypothesise that Harding developing Titan powers may have increased her lifespan (or even granted her eternal life) 

Harding describes using her magic as “touching something vast and eternal, a well, deep inside”. Lucanis says that it sounds similar to him using his demon powers

Relationships with companions:

Bellara, Neve and Taash call her “Lace”. Davrin and Lucanis call her “Harding”

Emmrich calls her "Harding" most of the time, though he calls her "Lace" on two occasions (in a banter about Emmrook, and the one where he talks about seeing her aura differently after he becomes a Lich)

Harding grows special plants for Davrin to help him mask the griffon smell in his room

Harding grows truffles for Assan

Harding lets Assan sleep on her

To Lich!Emmrich, Harding appears different from other dwarves. She has a special aura (but it comes and goes)

Harding buys an enchanted barbed arrow to take out Lucanis/Spite if push comes to shove. She later tries to give it to Lucanis and apologises, but he insists she keeps it as a sign of his trust

Harding finds Teia intimidating because she is “polished” (Lucanis disagrees but notes she keeps good track of all utensils Viago poisoned at the table) 

Teia called Harding fearless in a conversation with Lucanis

Harding invites Neve to her house in Ferelden after Neve's apartment in Minrathous burns down, in case she wants to get away from the Lighthouse 

Harding is very excited about Neve taking over the Threads (“Do they have to kiss your hand?”) and wishes she were a crime boss

Harding once dreamt of Neve stealing her strawberry tarts

Harding starts humming Taash’s name to herself after they get together

About gifts from Taash: 

Harding doesn’t use the archery bracer because it feels so special she’s afraid it could get lost or get dirty

She also doesn’t wear the hairpin because she’s afraid to lose it

Taash got the cheese in Minrathous

Conclusion: get Harding cheese, it’s the only thing she isn’t afraid to actually use

Garden and plants: 

It's enough to mention a plant for it to start growing in Harding’s garden

The Fade plants normally don’t need tending. However, they may begin to wilt if that’s what you expect them to do 

Smuggler’s Rose clouds the person’s mind if you are wearing it like perfume, letting you pickpocket other people more easily

It was in her eyes, in her freckles, making the constellation of Lace Harding light up like a night sky. He could coax it out with a joke or a honeyed word. Lirio found it lovely, like many things about her. And to think, all this time, he’d been to blame!

Or at least, that seemed to be what she was trying to explain to him. The truth of how and why she activated her lyrium when they were together.

“I just want to make sure I’m hearing you right. Are you trying to say you lose control of your powers—when you’re feeling affectionate?”

“O-oh,” Lace stammered, blushing brightly. “Don’t make fun.”

“I would never,” he said, and he hopped up to sit beside her on the table.

Lace gasped at his nearness, and scooted away at once.

Lirio looked at her. He could see that this had been bothering her since their kiss. He liked to think he’d gained an understanding of the matter that was her heart; the heart of a shepherd turned scout turned soldier.

She was a woman who felt things deeply, who acted with intent when something mattered to her. No doubt she felt it was her responsibility to fix this.

But she didn’t have to do it alone, and he wanted, desperately, to show her this.

Lace sighed. “Lyrium is the blood of the Titans…” she said carefully. “If my heart’s beating, and my blood’s racing around… but then wouldn’t it happen at other times, too? Running from Darkspawn! Climbing… stairs?”

“Stairs?” Lirio asked with a chuckle.

“The steps are harder for me! I’ve got short legs!” she expressed desperately.

Lirio covered his scarred mouth, suppressing warm laughter.

“It’s not funny, Rook!”

“I like your short legs,” Lirio said, and quickly piped down. “I’m sorry, my love. How can I help?”

“No, no,” she groaned. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For… I don’t know. Snapping.” She sighed, frustrated, then, continued, distracted. “Did you just call me ‘love’?”

He held her gaze and nodded. Her glow returned, with a vengeance.

“Emotions,” she whispered. “You do these things to me, Rook.”

“Well if I had lyrium-blood, I’d be glowing too,” he said, and that, at least earned him a smile.

Anyway, it wasn’t a bad thing, her glow. It was part of her now. He liked the entirety of her; the gestalt of what made Lace Harding. He liked her quirks, and her giggle, and her voice when she was reading the goriest lines out of her favorite book, and her furrowed brow when she was aiming her bow.

“Tell me what you’re thinking?” he prompts suddenly, needing to know.

“That I want to kiss you,” she said at once. “And it crushes me that I can’t.”

Lirio nodded slowly. “Close your eyes, Lace.”

She did. Her eyelids, dappled and long-lashed, veins all aglow, fluttered shut. After a moment, he reached for her necklace, the cornicello he had gifted her to help with her dreams. With utter care, lifted the little charm of red coral to his lips.

Lace’s eyes blinked open. He let the charm go, allowing it to fall against her chest once more.

“We’ll handle this, Lace. The way we handle everything else. Together.”

She nodded. Her eyes flicked across his features, and lingered on his lips for a beat.