#sidhe writes

A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE FANDOM.

I been playing the BG3s. Did a Monk Tav (kissing Wyll) run and am now in act 3 of my Warlock/Ranger/Fighter Durge (kissing Gale) run. Thinking I'll do a bad guy next 😈

Anyway, I figured it was a good time to jump into writing some BG3 stuff, but I wanted to practice voices of NPCs and such first. So I have some drabbles. I'd love CONSTRUCTIVE thoughts on how people are sounding, and if anyone would like to see me play around with anything specific, my asks are open!

The current doc has chapters for each of the six origin characters, just exploring their POV at various moments in the game. I tried to do act 1 for everyone but Shadowheart and Karlach's ended up being act 2 🤷

Anyway, enjoy. I will post followups as I add chapters 😊

I'm back ( kind of) and I jumped on the pic crew bandwagon for my Godling kids.

I loved how all of them turned out, although Drakon looks a bit too young. I might try and find another and one and play around with them.

From left to right:

Aislinn: Godling daughter of Zeus.

Drakon: aka Drake, immortal son of Hades and Persephone.

James: demi god - parentage unknown

Chapter 12: Never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister

Something was wrong. Cicero felt it in his bones even before he could smell the smoke. By the time he could hear the crackle of fire and the raised voices of combatants, he was running; muscles burning and lungs heaving as he slid into the clearing where the Black Door lay at a sprint. The Sanctuary, his Mother, was under attack, and petty things like his own forced nonexistence had been knocked from his panicked mind like scattering teeth. Penitus Oculatus agents swarmed the area, their attention and bows aimed squarely at a wizard, fire erupting from his hands in a swathe of death. Festus cackled madly as those enemies closest to him screamed in agony, the skin melting from their faces and armor charring to a crisp. Arrows flew, striking the mage and sending him stumbling back against a tree, but he refused to relent, another wall of fire scorching the stones and burning up the air. More arrows found their mark, those Oculatus agents who remained untouched by flames sending them in drives, pinning Festus to the wood like a macabre art installation. Even as he faded, lifeblood pouring from dozens of punctures, the wizard screamed his defiance, a final ball of fire catching all but two of those who had stolen his life, then he hung limply, eyes wide and mouth frozen in fury. Cicero felt the rage building in his gut, felt the blade in his hand. Another Sanctuary destroyed. Another family decimated. Cicero didn't even like them, had considered flaying their skin off himself, but this was different. This was like Bravil; this was an attack on all of them. An attack on Mother and Sithis himself. Rip their guts out. Show them their insides while they scream. No time for torture. Not when the Sanctuary was burning. The agents didn't have time to react as Cicero's razor-sharp dagger split the skin of their throats to the spine, their throats yawning open as they choked on the waterfalls of blood pouring down their chests. The Black Door was open, dangling precariously from broken hinges—an odious assault in and of itself—and he charged for it; only to skitter to a halt immediately. Oculatus at the door Vixen in a box While his men flush out the den Maro kills the fox Diem.

Full Chapter:

I know it's not Monday, but I already had the header and I didn't want to make another one. Shoot me.

The beautiful miss @hazelestelle tagged me for a round of last line sharing. Deal is, share the last line you wrote, then tag as many people as there are words (which I won't be doing because it's too long).

Everyone understand the rules? Cool. Here we go.

It was enough to see the strain melt from his shoulders while they talked and walked and shaped the Fade. It was enough to know he was less burdened when he left than when he came to her.

There you go. Now get off my lawn.

The lovely @hazelestelle tagged me ☺️

Rules: List the First Line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

I love this one. Let's jump in.

Every Man to his Taste

Dragon Age - Zevran Arainai/Jowan - M Rating

Jowan hadn't known what to expect from Orzammar.

Magical Mishap

Dragon Age - Jowan/Merrill - E Rating

"Uh oh."

Let Sleeping Hawkes Lie

Dragon Age - Female Hawke/Cullen Rutherford - E Rating ⚠️ Consent Warning

It was dark when Cullen woke, the faded edges of a nightmare fading from his memory before he even opened his eyes.

Show Me the Steep and Thorny Way to Heaven

Pillars of Eternity - Aloth Corfiser/The Watcher - E Rating ⚠️ Consent Warning

It was a fine, clear evening; a welcome relief given the recent abysmal weather.

Five Times Alim and Fenris Said Goodbye and One Time They Didn't

Dragon Age - Fenris/Male Surana - G Rating

It had been a bad idea to come alone.

Firestorm

Dragon Age - Anders/Nathaniel Howe - E Rating

The Darkspawn were tenacious, Nathaniel would give them that.

To Serve at my Lady's Pleasure

Dragon Age - Female Hawke/Sebastian Vael - E Rating

Even in the dim light of the street lamps, the bright wood of the Amell Estate’s front door gleamed like a beacon.

Respite in Redcliffe

Dragon Age - Zevran Arainai/Female Cousland - E Rating

“You know,” Zevran commented lightly, removing his shirt. “I have despoiled noble ladies before; though you are the first to be so direct in your request.”

Listen Closely - Chapter 12: Never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister

Skyrim - Cicero/Female Listener - M Rating

Blending in with a crowd, being invisible while walking openly among people, was a careful line to walk.

Title is Mutable and Subject to Change

Balder's Gate 3 - General - G Rating

They looked so peaceful, didn't they?

Sorry for all the smut 😅 caught me during Smutquisition season.

Looking for trends: 3/10 start with the word "It" which is interesting. Outside of that, I set up the setting and/or the POV in the first sentence a bit, or try to catch attention with a short, unresolved statement. Not too much exact overlap though, which I'll take.

@kittynomsdeplume has brought me back to the land of the living with her tags, and for that we thank her.

The words I have been given to search for are Seek, Fault, Bruise, Wisdom, and Cherish

Letsa go!

Seek - Listen Closely (Skyrim)

Above his disemboweled torso, the vampire's expression was frozen in shock. He had not expected death to come calling, despite what he was. A mistake Diem would do well to learn from. There was no complacency in half life, no peace for creatures like them. To seek it was to invite destruction. To forget their nature was to welcome annihilation.

Fault - Pitfall (Dragon Age Inquisition)

Shaking her head, she put her arms around his neck. "No, don't do that. It's not your fault." She sighed. "I should have known better than to wander off in the middle of the night when there's a contract on my head." "The only one at fault is the asshole who did this," Bull stated firmly. "And he's not going to hurt anyone again."

Bruise - I'm Sorry I Ruined Your Party (Dragon Age 2)

Of course not. At dawn the very next day, like vultures, the nobles had descended, no thought in their minuscule minds but their own advancement and, knowingly or not, Bran's suffering. The onslaught had continued, unabated, since then. He turned all of them away, much as he had done before Marlowe's death, but the insistence with which they reappeared was reminiscent of rats flocking to a garbage heap. It would begin again come morning, he knew, and Bran let his head thump against the door again in something like despair. "You're going to give yourself a nasty bruise," a slight, feminine voice informed him. "Not the best look for when the nobles come nipping at your heels."

Wisdom - I Guess We Have Some Time to Kill (The Mariner's Revenge Song)

So I did as you taught me to in times of uncertainty. I prayed, and asked the Lord for guidance. And the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, provided.

Cherish - Crowns of Violets and Roses (Dragon Age Inquisition)

"Loghain?! That is who I was thrown aside for?" There was fire in her eyes and her body rigid with fury. "I threw you aside for no one! Had I not done what I did, one of them would have perished slaying the Archdemon, leaving the Wardens without a Commander or taking yet another cherished life from Hero. Would you have chosen either for the sake of fidelity?"

Sorry if that last one seems like cheating, it was the closest I could find.

Tagging: @beaubartley @crown-laurel @fiannans @hezjena @jrastegar @noire-pandora @rosella-writes @starsandskies @the-cryptographer

The Black Emporium Exchange Works Reveal

Yeah, I'm late. I know. Sue me.

Basically I was picking up a few extra treats after the deadline because I discovered a few people had slipped through the cracks and I can't live with that. I was also busy, I'm an adult with responsibilities, it happens.

BUT I'M HERE NOW

I ended up completing 26 works for the exchange this year totaling 62,968 words. That is twice the fics I wrote last year and very nearly double the words. I'm pretty proud of it.

Before we get into the full list and links, here are some general stats for the group:

Date of first posting: July 18, 2023

Date of final posting: September 26, 2023

Longest work: 8,473 words

Shortest work: 1,147 words

Most Featured Character: Anders (5 works)

Most Featured Pairing: Solas/Trevelyan (3 works)

Rating Breakdown: 15 General; 3 Teen; 1 Mature; 7 Explicit

Category Breakdown: 13 F/M; 6 M/M; 5 F/F; 2 Other; and 2 Multi

Game Breakdown: 5 Origins; 3 Awakening; 6 DA2; and 12 Inquisition

With that out of the way, lets get into the links!

Chapter 11: Never Betray the Dark Brotherhood or its Secrets

"So you are alive. I was starting to wonder." Nazir jogged to her side, sheathing his blade.

Diem nodded, her mouth set in a furious line. "The Oculatus knew I was coming. It was all a trap. We were set up."

"Considering most of us are now dead, I assumed as much. And before you ask, no -- I don't think it was you." He coughed, wiping the smoke from his eyes. "Well, maybe I did, but you saving my sorry hide just now sort of erased any doubts. So thanks."

Behind him, the stairs to the sleeping quarters collapsed in a shower of embers, making them both jump.

"We need to get out of here!" Diem growled, looking back the way she had come. It had been clear moments before, but with the state of the Sanctuary, it may not remain so for long.

Nazir followed her gaze and started in that direction. "You've got that right. Only a matter of time before we're roasted alive. You most of all. Come on!"

Around them the timbers creaked and groaned, the sound chasing them out through the winding caves which were, Diem noted unhappily, supported by wooden beams. The main chamber opened up before them, the destruction more palpable now that the vengeful bloodlust had faded. Everything that could catch fire was burning, flames licking the high ceiling and choking the air with deadly fumes. Nazir struck ahead, running for the stairway that led out, but Diem caught his arm, pulling him back.

"Nazir, the forge!" She shouted, a moment before it exploded. They covered their faces as razor-sharp shrapnel ripped through the air, the force of the explosion knocking them off their feet.

Coughing violently, Nazir rolled up to a knee, squinting through the smog towards the exit. "Damn it all," he growled. The way was blocked, the blast knocking loose massive stones between them and the stair. While the boulders may have been maneuverable under normal circumstances, in the current conditions Diem and Nazir would not last long enough to do so. Even stalling her breathing, the toxic air seeped into Diem's lungs, making them itch, and Nazir was coughing furiously.

"There has to be another—" Diem shouted above the roar of the fire, her voice cutting off as a cascade of vibrations rang through her skull like it were a gong.

"Listener," the Night Mother's voice reverberated behind Diem's eyes. "I am your only salvation. Come. Embrace me."

Full Chapter: