tagged by @mxkelsifer, thank you! no-pressure tagging @milesmentis, @galfrey, @spindleweedss, and @dr-paine to play

favorite oc - They're all special to me, but current favorite is a tie between Shion Miller and Neri Surana

newest oc - Winter Shepard-- wait, no, Ria Hawke

oldest oc - Neri, albeit not in their current form

meanest oc - Hmmm. Probably Winter. With Dana Hawke a close second.

softest oc - Every OC has at least some steel in them, but Aryn Lavellan and Shion can be quite soft

most aloof/standoffish oc - Winter

dumbest (affectionate) oc - Dana, though say that to her face and you'll end up very hurt (tbf I tend to write intelligent OCs, making this a somewhat challenging pick)

smartest oc - Uhhhh… Aryn and Shion, perhaps?

horniest oc - Winter, though Heather Cousland is up there

oc you'd bang - none of them; this thought has never crossed my mind before 😅

Rating: Teen Word count: ~35,000 Category: F/M Relationships: Female Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford Characters: Female Lavellan, Cullen Rutherford, Dorian Pavus, Cassandra Pentaghast, Varric Tethras, Leliana, Cole, The Iron Bull, Morrigan, Solas, Josephine Montilyet, Sera Summary: They kissed, they danced, he gave her his lucky coin. But Cullen Rutherford's prejudices against mages haven't lessened, no matter how much he claims to care for mage Inquisitor Aryn Lavellan. After a heated argument sparked by the discovery of Samson's lair, Aryn breaks up with him. Too late, Cullen realizes the harm he's done. Yet Aryn must continue leading the Inquisition while fighting to fall out of love with its commander.

Click here for the full fic on AO3 [must be logged in to read].

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Her long-simmering rage boils over. “Don’t call Maddox a blighted resource. He’s a person. Just like me.”

“He is nothing like you.”

“Really? I’m a mage, someone you seem to think could transform into an abomination at any moment.”

“I trust you!”

“Because I’m the Inquisitor? Because you have to?”

“Because you’re different!”

“Different from…” She leans toward him, for once hoping her fury is clearly visible on her face. “Different from what, Cullen? From all the other mages you’ve ever watched? No, not watched, imprisoned.”

He slams his right fist into his left palm. “Mages have to be protected from themselves! As soon as they gain their freedom, they turn to blood magic or worse—”

She flings one arm toward Skyhold. “Have any of our mage allies become abominations now that they’re out of the Circles? Or fallen to the lure of blood magic? No! I haven’t, Solas hasn’t, Dorian hasn’t, and none of them have, either. Despite the Breach, the Rifts, the all-too-thinness of the Veil. Perhaps so many of the mages you watched turned to such terrible deeds because of what you did to them.”

“I didn’t—”

“You demanded the annulment of the Fereldan Circle just in case any of the survivors had used blood magic! You were ready to condemn innocents out of fear!”

“How do you—” Shock writes itself across his face. “You didn’t see what Uldred and his followers had done!”

“Oh, that excuses you condoning murder? Do you realize how many people—how many of my people have died thanks to similar excuses?” Aryn throws her hands in the air. “You believe you care about me. You’ve decided I’m different enough to tolerate my race, my background, your deep-seated fear of magic. But that’s wrong. I won’t remain in a relationship with someone who has to excuse what I am.”

The volume of his voice abruptly drops. “You’re breaking up with me?”

“I am.” I have to. This can’t work.

“I thought… I thought we had something special.”

“We’re at war. And you…” He steps closer. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

Something hot and angry flares beneath her skin. “Because I’m the Inquisitor? Or because I’m a mage?”

He freezes. “Both, if I’m honest.”

“I prefer honesty.”

“I was a templar, you know.”

“I know. Believe me, I know.”

His hand remains on her elbow, but his grip loosens. “So why tell me that you…”

“That I care about you?” She rubs her forehead. “I suppose it’s because we’re at war. Because there’s so much uncertainty and darkness around us. I wanted one bright light amidst it all.”

Rules: We would like to ask you to recommend us 3 of YOUR fics: 1 that is "most popular" and 2 that are "hidden gems”!

Most popular:

it's always darkest before the dawn -- the first fic I posted to AO3 that imagines part of Dragon Age Inquisition in which Aryn Lavellan breaks up with Cullen over his attitude toward mages. (They repair their relationship. Eventually.) I re-read it from time to time because it makes me happy, so I'm grateful others have enjoyed it too!

Hidden gems:

An emotion I won't name -- the fic that launched an entire worldstate and my first-ever art request, this one focuses on agender Warden Neri Surana during Dragon Age Origins: Awakening and the unexpected home (and more) they find at Vigil's Keep. Neri is very open to physical intimacy but struggles with romantic feelings; mind the tags here.

Darker Sky, Brighter Stars -- my on-hiatus fic during Dragon Age Origins about Blake Mahariel and how woefully unprepared she feels for navigating the motley crew of personalities she assembles trying to stop the Blight. The plan is for all chapters to be set in or around party camp to capture the moments between major plot/character events.

*flails* My first-ever tumblr ask, thank you!!

Neri

During the Blight, Neri struggled to understand Alistair's resistance to taking on the leadership role, which kept them from growing closer. They also had a hard time getting along with Morrigan, ultimately rejecting her offer of the ritual. Neri didn't always like Wynne's advice, but they were secretly glad for a parent-like figure who happened to be a mage and cared enough to offer advice and, at times, a willing ear. They weren't sure how to handle Leliana's surprisingly strong faith at first but eventually appreciated Leliana holding fast to that faith despite everything going on around them. Zevran's wit and banter was a comfort, as was Sten's stoic and brusque manner. (Sten was the one who helped Neri condition their muscles so that they could better wield a sword in battle and is likely the Origins companion Neri most respects.) Neri disliked Oghren's crude dialogue and propensity to drink, but they also sensed something more to him and eventually encouraged him to reunite with Felsi.

Neri eventually cares for all the Awakening companions. (To different degrees! But, at minimum, they're family.) That said, Justice is the one Neri can never fully understand, being a Fade spirit. Plus Velanna can be an enigma at times. Neri really likes Sigrun and may feel extra protective given the fates of other female dwarves they witnessed in the Deep Roads. I'll explore Neri's evolving perspective of Oghren in at least one upcoming chapter of their fic. Their relationships with Anders and (eventually) Nathaniel are... complicated, haha. But Neri respects both of them and trusts each with their life.

Aryn

Dorian is her best friend, hands down; he's been her rock since they were thrown into that dystopian future together. She gained respect for Iron Bull after he made her hang out with Inquisition soldiers while in disguise and took him on more missions after that (and to most dragon fights, of course). She enjoys Varric's insight and company, and she's both fond and in awe of Cassandra (with a subconscious crush that never fully manifests). She and Sera didn't get along well at first, but as Aryn got to know her, their friendship grew.