#aubergion

Naturally! 🤣

You could still list those if you wanted to! 🤣

Anyway!

I actually just rediscovered a separate (currently untitled -_-) document that I do have for Teddy with a single fic concept in it, but I can't talk about that one yet. 😭 It's heavy and I need to put more brainpower into it before I say anything more about it.

As for the stuff I'm toying with unpacking...

NPC Teddy, which very much plays into what their life is/was like outside of VG. I've talked about this before, but not written anything official.

Teddy's personal quest to gain a connection with the Stone. I want to unpack how this works and to get into the pros and cons.

How things actually play out with Tahni in that one conversation about her and Solas. It's not at all like how it goes in canon. This is arguably the closest to actually being written, but I don't have the spoons or time at the moment. Thinking it'll be from Tahni's POV, though, much the way that the one Adamant fic with Allison was Allison's POV. (Going with the PC that isn't featured in that game.)

It's a short list, but at least it's a list!

A letter from the Left Hand of the Divine to King Alistair of Ferelden. 9:38 Dragon.

Dear Alistair,

How is life back in Ferelden? It has been a while since we last saw each other, but whenever I think of you and Mara and the kids, I get a rush of warmth in my heart. You have done so well for yourselves; it is a balm to sore souls. I hope this letter finds all of you in great spirits, despite the current events. 

However, it is because of current events that I write. The conflicts between mages, templars and the Chantry are escalating, as you must know, and we are in dire need of someone of strong resolve to assist us. Alec came to mind. Some in the Chantry do not believe an elven mage to be quite the spokesperson they need, but I think it is about time we opened the doors of Chantry leadership to everyone, regardless of what their ears look like or what powers the Maker found fit to bestow upon them.

As a mage, I am sure that Alec would have more luck appeasing to the rebel mages than anyone else. Not to mention what I have seen him accomplish when we were all fighting together against the Blight. Alec turns plans into reality; he makes things happen. His assistance could prevent so many deaths. I have seen so many young mages left devoid of a house, of food, because of this conflict. So many have died on both sides. If he would champion a platform for peace, we might end this war, and we might bring real change to the Circles -- long overdue.

The problem is… I cannot seem to find him. I have sent an agent to Soldier’s Peak, but Sigrun, his Second-in-Command, informed them that Alec was out on confidential businesses. That he had been away for months I sent missives to Vigil’s Keep and Weisshaupt to no avail. He hasn’t been to either lately. That is why I turn to you, old friend. You are his family. Perhaps he has told Mara of his whereabouts, or sent a letter as of recently?

I would appreciate any information on where Alec might be. It could mean the end of this conflict, if we can just find him.

Please send Mara and the kids all of my love,

Best wishes,

Leliana.

And the reply:

A letter from King Alistair to the Left Hand of the Divine. 9:38 Dragon.

First of all, I am offended you did not mean me by “someone of strong resolve,” but I will let that slide. Unfortunately, I do not think I can help you on this one. 

The last time Alec was here was some eight months ago, and he hasn’t sent any letters since. He stayed a while, but didn’t tell me or Mara where he was going next – I mean, he did, but even I am not that stupid to believe him, right? Getting him to tell you of his plans when he doesn’t want to share them is like trying to wring milk out of a feral bronto or something. I’d rather not, so I didn’t even try. 

He did say something about a dwarven resort and hot springs? Sounded like just another one of his lies, but I admit I was actually tempted to check that out myself. You know, if it weren’t for mages breaking out of Circles and Templars going rogue and all of that lovely fun. Can you believe no one told me Kings didn’t have paid holidays when I signed up for this? Beats me why anyone would willingly want to be King – except maybe for the fact you don’t have to write your own letters.

Anyhow… About Alec. I’m sorry I can’t help. To be honest, however, I doubt he would be willing to play puppet for the Chantry in the current conflicts, but what do I know of that man? He’s weird.

You should stop by sometime. The kids loved the Orlesian toys you sent, and they sometimes ask about the auntie who plays music. 

Something something, good luck, best wishes, you know the drill.

King Alistair of Ferelden

on the corner, in rustier handwriting and containing a few spelling errors: This scribe says he is honor-bound to write every single word I say. I know he’s having me on, but I can’t really fire him. He’s got a baby kid.

Brezha Stormspeaker, the awesome Tempest Cleric of .... Herself! XD I love that idea so much! She doesn’t have any followers yet, but she’s doing her best and I love her for it :D

Oh man this is a cultural thing I am constantly caught on the horns of, because I live in a shoes-off cultural area, but one of my legs is two inches shorter than the other, meaning one of my shoes is two inches higher than the other, and if I walk or stand barefoot I end up in huge amounts of pain. 

Like I mentioned earlier, Christianity, especially Western Christianity, leaned really hard away from the idea that parts of the body were ‘clean’ or ‘unclean’. It was part of how Christianity distinguished itself from other religions--if they thought feet were spiritually unclean, Christianity decided it ~spiritually transcended~ that. We don’t need to remove our shoes; we’re Christian! 

So there is some shoe-off culture, but it’s varied and weird and not the same as Asian cultures. In Canada, generally, we take our shoes off when entering a house, but generally do not treat businesses or offices the same; they’re viewed as public areas, thus, shoes, and businesses that want a shoe-off policy because half the year shoes bring in mud and slush and are a pain to clean up after often struggle to make people follow those instructions, because the social expectation isn’t there.  Canadian elementary schools usually have boot rooms where students change from “outdoor shoes” to “indoor shoes”, but after that, everyone’s expected to know how to stamp their boots clear of snow when they come inside.

And then European buildings have had... somewhat ambivalent classifications of “indoor” and “outdoor”, “public space” and “private space”, so the place you might expect people to take their shoes off really varied. A rich person’s house was also the gathering place for the community. The hall where they received visitors during the day would be the sleeping-space for their servants at night. Poor people shared their houses with their livestock. It all gets really tangled up; sometimes the shape of clothes determined the behaviour, and sometimes the behaviour demanded the shape of clothes. People took to wearing shoes and hose that were difficult to remove. Increasingly, wearing shoes indoors became associated with status and prestige. Rich people began wearing impractical high heels all the time, a way of flaunting their money and prestige. The more people wore shoes, the more objectionable feet smelled after being encased in them, and the more objectionable unshod feet became. 

Did not get any ask from you other than this, so I’m gonna say no... :/

There’s a whole gym on the other side of campus from your major (you just go on a walk one day after class is cancelled, and it emerges from the cold fog like a rabbit fun a hat) and a dining hall that’s open at midnight inhabited entirely by haunted-looking art majors with stained fingers (also you, sometimes, and what may be the best mac and cheese in the known universe, on Fridays)

There’s always someone else there. Of course there is. It didn’t not exist when you didn’t know. Somewhere, there’s a jock who hasn’t done anything beyond high school algebra and doesn’t know that there’s a lion statue outside the math building that protects you from failing classes if you offer it greens (sometimes lettuce, sometimes cellophane or bubblegum). Still, it’s odd to think that thousands of people could go to the same school and each walk away with a different campus in their minds.

The next guest to the Dragon Age Party is the gorgeous Imera Adaar, who belongs to the wonderful @aubergion! She’s here to be smooth and charm All the pretty ladies ;)