#tymber responds

4) First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight? Not … really.  Ruari could appreciate Fenris’ finer qualities on sight, but she certainly wouldn’t call it love.  Fenris was intrigued by the woman who had fought her way through a surprise attack by several of Danarius’ hunters and who was willing to face slavers for someone she just met, but he wouldn’t say it was love either.  It took a while for them to grow on each other, but bit by bit … after many conversations, they grew to love each other.

8) What do the like best about their partner?Fenris adores her willingness to help, even total strangers.  He may complain and point out that certain instances are likely traps, or people taking advantage, but even after everything that has been thrown at her, she’s still willing to help people.  That is such a rare thing in his experienceRegan loves that despite his obvious skill in combat, and staying alive in general, he is actually willing to admit he needs help.  First with the slavers, and even going so far as to deal with more … personal things, like reading.  (And … shhh… she absolutely adores his voice.  When he says her name, she just about melts.)

12) Is there a wedding? What was the proposal like? Any kind of honeymoon?It was just a small affair; their closest friends in the Viscount’s hall.  With Elthina dead, Sebastian was asked to officiate.  Aveline, Varric, Merrill, Isabella and Bethany were in attendance. 

Ruari proposed after an extremely annoying meeting with the remaining Kirkwall nobility.  She’d had four proposals from nobles who had barely given her the time of day before everything had happened, and one hadn’t wanted to take no for an answer.  So as soon as the meeting was over, she stormed over to Fenris’ mansion (which had finally been cleaned) and asked him to marry her.  After getting over his initial shock, he said yes and swept her off her feet. 

Unfortunately, they didn’t really have much of a honeymoon after the ceremony.  There was far too much for them to do in Kirkwall to really think about one.  Ruari promised Fenris they would as soon as things slowed down, and once the events of Trespasser happened, they finally got the chance to discuss one (but they haven’t actually gone yet)

19) What do they fight about? What are their arguments like? How do they make up?For a while, they fought about how she handled Anders after the chantry went boom (headcanon – she planned on having a public trial after cleaning up the mess, but he slipped out in the confusion; she convinced Sebastian not to attack Kirkwall, then spent far too long hunting him down (see here)). 

Their arguments would almost sound like normal discussions, if not for the very even, clipped tones used on both sides.  They both know yelling doesn’t seem to help, and honestly, it kind of upsets Sandal (and nobody wants that) and Orana, so they just … don’t.  Making up usually involves one person (not always the person who was wrong; sometimes it’s just the person who’s tired of the argument) making the other’s favorite dinner or desert, and potentially make-up sex.

24) Any doubts about the relationshipIgnoring the three year “issue” (where any sane person would doubt), their relationship is the one thing that Ruari has zero doubts about.  Fenris wonders how he could have found someone like her, that treats him as an equal, but he has no doubts, especially once Danarius is gone.

26) How do their friends feel about their relationship? Their families?Merrill thinks it’s cute and she can’t help but smile when she sees the two of them together.  Aveline thinks that Ruari is good for Fenris; he’s been more … relaxed the longer he’s with her.  Bethany thinks it’s a little odd, but she’s happy her sister is happy (and that Fenris’ opinion of mages doesn’t seem to extend to her).  Isabela enjoys teasing the pair, offering suggestions and occasionally angling for an invitation to join in (they’ve never accepted.  Not sure if they ever would).  Sebastian is a little concerned; he remembers what Ruari was like right after Fenris left that night.  But as long as she’s happy, he’s content (she’s also attempting to find him a proper princess to continue the Vael line in Starkhaven.  It’s a really difficult task, since so few women seem to meet her standards for her friend).  Varric just keeps trying to get details for yet another story.  It’s almost like he considers them his own personal muse.

Since Hawke and Fenris have … really no family to speak of … with the exception of Bethany, there’s no one to really object or approve.

31) Do they finish each other’s sentences? Pick up any phrases or habits from each other? Know when the other is hiding something?They never really finish each other’s sentences, though they do often seem to know what the other is thinking.  It’s as simple as an exchanged look sometimes, but it’s almost as if they could read each other’s minds. 

Ruari starts swearing in qunlat … and occasionally tevene, thanks to Fenris.  It amuses him to no end that this woman who has taught him so much could possibly learn anything from him.  

As much as Ruari claims to be able to hide her feelings, especially when she’s hurting, Fenris always seems to know.  No one knows quite how he knows, but he does.  He won’t call her out on it in public, but as soon as they’re alone, he’s doing his best to find out what’s wrong and how he can help.

Ruari/Fenris:

Losing each other.  Ruari has lost everyone she’s cared about, except Carth.  For a while, she felt like she even lost Fenris (3 years?  Really?  3 flippin’ years?).  She talks a good game … says she’s fine; she misses them, but she’s fine.  Nothing wrong at all.  But at night, when no one else is around, Bodahn is certain he hears crying coming from her room.  He sent Orana up to check, once.  The poor girl came running back with the report that the door was locked, but she’d never heard the mistress make those sounds before.

 And Fenris?  He’s lost his family as well, though that pretty much happened long before.  He would have sworn he’d always be alone, and been fine with that.  But meeting Hawke … falling for Ruari … gave him someone he didn’t want to lose, someone he would fight to the death to stay beside (not that he would fight her; he’d fight anything and everything else in order to stay with her)

Regan T/Cullen: There’s the obvious – the effect the mark had (and still may have) on her.  Even after losing her arm, they both wonder how much time she actually has.  Solas had hinted more than once, and then come right out and said, that the mark was slowly killing her.  How much progress had it made before her arm was taken?  Did taking her arm stop the effects, or just … slow it more?  Cullen worries more openly when it’s just the two of them, while Regan tries to hide her fear as much as possible because she doesn’t want to worry him.  Also, there’s the uncertainty of the effect years of lyrium use will have on Cullen in the long run.  Regan has little knowledge of the side effects (both of taking, and not taking) lyrium – only what Cullen tells her.  Cullen is aware of far more than he’s usually willing to burden her with, only explaining when some symptoms get to be too bad for even him to weather alone.

Regan S/Kaidan: Other than the prospect of the Reapers somehow managing to return, again, they try not to focus on things they might worry about.  Kaidan will always worry about Shepard, and vice-versa, but dread …?  Really, the only thing Kaidan dreads is that … somehow … all the work Cerberus did on Shepard will have some adverse effect on her system somewhere down the road (especially after they reunite once the reapers go boom).  With limited technology, and even more limited travel options, he worries that the best medical care might not be within reach.  Of course, with Chakwas and Miranda floating around, maybe there’s not a lot of reason for this worry.

2) Any tasks that are always left to one person?Regan C/Alistair:

If they’re not in the castle, where they have access to actual people who know how to actually prepare food, Regan cooks.  Alistair’s not as horrible as he would lead you to believe, but he never really learned to appreciate proper spices and flavors (growing up in a kennel probably did a lot to dull his sense of taste). 

When the kidlets come along (twins; the only children they end up having), Alistair actually refuses to let Regan change them.  He insists that it be his task, since there are so many things that require her presence, especially when they are infants.  Once they are old enough that they do not require breastfeeding, he takes over any late night feedings that are required.  

Regan also takes care of training any mabari pups that they might keep, when she’s at the castle, at least (when she’s not, she has a specific process written out for the kennel master to follow; and Maker help him if it’s not followed to the letter).  Alistair was so impressed with the way Jasper had behaved … almost as if he could read her mind.  And while none of the pups exhibited quite the same bond with anyone that they did with her, they were some of the best-trained mabari in Ferelden.

Ruari/Fenris:

Mabari duty falls solely to Fenris.  They don’t have children, just several mabari pups, and try as she might, none of them take to Hawke as well as they take to Fenris.  So it falls to him to take care of the little beasts … feeding, bathing … training.  Maker, are they well trained.  They’re almost as clever as the Ferelden royal family’s mabari (with good reason.  At least one or two pups are from litters that came from the Cousland’s line of mabari).

Dealing with Kirkwall’s Circle, and Starkhaven’s new ruler (Sebastian), pretty much falls on Hawke’s shoulders alone while she’s Viscount.  (Sebastian sorely misses Hawke as viscount once Varric takes over, and try as she might, she cannot get Varric to play nice with him.  So after Trespasser, when Hawke finally returns to Kirkwall, with Fenris, she takes it upon herself to play liaison between Varric and Sebastian.  As for the Circle, Fenris’ distrust of mages as a whole (especially right after the “incident” involving Anders) that just his presence at the Gallows puts everyone on edge.  Ruari either goes with just Jasper, or Varric and Jasper whenever she needs to meet with the mages (usually Bethany and a few others)    

Regan T/Cullen:

They share as many duties as possible, especially after she loses her arm. (I still haven’t decided if they disband the Inquisition or not.)  But Cullen does do most of the cooking, while Regan … somehow … takes care of the hunting (traps are your friend, and once Dagna and Sera put their heads together and come up with this snappy crossbow attachment, food doesn’t stand a chance.)

Regan takes over writing to Cullen’s family, because he constantly forgets.  She sends a short weekly update to both his family and hers (so really, what’s one more letter when you are already writing 5?) and a longer one each month, if something major happens.  With the increased updates, Mia can finally somewhat relax where her brother is concerned.

Cullen, if the Inquisition remains, is still in charge of training the troops, though his training methods have changed slightly, knowing what they might be up against.  He is in frequent contact with The Iron Bull, for both information and training methods to counteract whatever an elven “god” might throw at them.  If the Inquisition disbands, Cullen somehow manages to find himself training anyone in the small village they call home that asks.  He manages to put together a surprisingly well-coordinated little militia-like group, complete with a small mabari contingent.

Regan S/Kaidan:

Kaidan cooks, whether Regan admits to liking it or not.  (In reality, Regan can cook a grand total of two meals without somehow burning things – pizza and pasta, and even then … it’s a little iffy.  So to save face, Kaidan cooks, and Regan pretends to insist she could cook if he’d only let her.

Regan takes care of the little garden she’s somehow managed to convince to grow.  Kaidan can’t figure out exactly what she does, or where she got whatever magical soil she uses, but she can manage to grow almost any vegetable known to man in the little greenhouse the pair built (using a design she remembered from her childhood)

Kaidan takes care of helping their child with homework, especially once the child starts exhibiting biotic tendencies which flare a bit out of control when she gets frustrated.  Regan has no clue what to do with a child, and while Kaidan was an only child, it seems to come naturally to him.  (he won’t admit it, but he uses his omnitool to look up anything and everything he can once they find out Shepard is pregnant, because … truthfully, they didn’t think it would ever happen … not with everything her body’s gone through.

Regan teaches her how to shoot like Uncle Garrus, when she’s old enough to hold a gun.  Kaidan’s a little hesitant for his daughter to learn how to use a sniper rifle, but knows better to argue with his wife when she has her mind made up.  And really, Regan was always a better shot.

3) How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?Regan C/Alistair:

While she’s gone on that crazy quest to find a cure, she sleeps with a small charcoal drawing of Alistair all but clenched in her hand.  By the time she’s on her way back, the charcoal has smudged to the point it’s barely recognizable as a person, with creases and areas nearly worn through, but the parchment it was done on still smells like him, so no matter what, it stays with her.  She wakes up quickly, eager to get through another day, because the sooner she finds the cure, the sooner she can get back to him.

He sleeps with her most recent letter tucked under his pillow and the small throw pillow she had commissioned just before leaving clutched to his chest.  He sleeps fitfully, and if the pillow or letter ever falls, he shoots up in a heartbeat to retrieve them.  He just … knows … if they’re missing, and he knows as long as he holds them tight, she’s still ok, and still on her way back to him.  He wakes up groggy, as if he hasn’t slept well enough, and immediately checks to make sure that the pillow and letter are with him.  He whispers a soft prayer that she makes it home safe, soon, tucks the letter under the pillow, and proceeds to get ready for his day.

When they are back together, they fall asleep clinging to each other.  Too many years apart and constantly facing death (Regan with various “adventures” while on her quest; Alistair while dealing with assassination attempts and Eamon’s constant badgering to at least take a mistress to produce an heir.)  The actual position may differ from night to night, but they will always be in contact … at least one arm or leg draped over the other. 

Regan wakes up first; three years of waking up early has her conditioned to be up before the sun.  But now that she’s home, she has no desire to get out of bed; there’s nothing pressing enough to drag her away from her husband.  She’ll trace along his jaw (she’s still enraptured by the beard he’d managed to grow while she was gone) and down his chest with her fingertips while she watches him sleep.  Alistair wakes up far earlier than expected, but pretends to be asleep so he can watch her through barely open eyes, reassuring himself that she really is here.

Ruari/Fenris:

She can’t quite convince Fenris to move in; something about him wanting a place that’s his.  So she doesn’t press, and he chooses to spend at least two nights a week at the estate.  When they do share a bed, they don’t really cuddle.  They sleep side by side, holding hands or possibly Fenris’ head on Ruari’s shoulder, with Ruari’s arm around him. 

Fenris is always the first to wake up; too many years as a slave, then on the run, has taught him to get only a few hours sleep at a time and wake immediately.  He’ll often slip out of the bed and head to the kitchens to either fix Ruari breakfast (so they can do the whole breakfast in bed thing).  If Orana is up and nearby, they’ll work together to make breakfast. 

Ruari tries to put off waking up.  She knows as soon as she’s up and mobile, shit’s going to start happening; it always does.

Regan T/Cullen:

Once their relationship is out in the open, they spend most evenings in Regan’s chambers – the lack of hole in the ceiling is a big plus … especially when the temperatures drop.  If the weather’s nice, they’ll use Cullen’s loft so they can stare up at the stars until they pass out.  They’ll usually fall asleep with Regan’s head on Cullen’s chest, arm draped over his stomach.  She likes listening to his heartbeat and breathing and will fall asleep quickly when he’s content.  This position also comes in handy when he has nightmares; she’s right there and can easily sit up to talk him through whatever’s woken him up.  

They both wake reluctantly, though Cullen is more likely to try and get out of bed before Regan.  It usually doesn’t work, especially on a day that she plans on riding out for one issue or another.  She has this tendency to pull him back into bed, either for more sleep … or something more active.  But work be damned when her Commander is with her.

Regan S/Kaidan: Before they reconcile after the Reapers invade, Kaidan would sleep holding onto the spare set of dog tags Shepard had made (early on, she was notorious for misplacing during showers – she’d hang them on a hook that wasn’t nearly secure enough, so half the time, they’d fall to the floor and get kicked under the desk or get buried under clothes.  So she’d requested to have a second set made, and kept that one in a drawer until she needed it.  Once she found the misplaced set, they went into the drawer to wait until they were needed.  After she and Kaidan actually confessed how they felt (in ME1), he asked to hold onto them for her, instead of hiding them in a drawer, and she agreed; she never asked for them back).  He would wrap the chain around his wrist and cling to the tags like his life depended on it. 

Regan spent the entirety of her time working with (using?) Cerberus with Kaidan’s picture next to her bed.  She wouldn’t go so far as to sleep with the picture, but knowing he was out there, still alive and fighting for the Alliance, helped her sleep.  Before Horizon, she’d fall asleep with this little fantasy that she would stumble across him while on a mission and their reunion would be nothing short of perfect.  Needless to say, after Horizon, that fantasy was kind of … squashed.  But even after, that picture stayed by her bedside; she wouldn’t let herself believe that there was no hope for them.  She knew it was stupid, but she was hopeful.