#will i

She has Saria by the throat with just a look, fist closed over her heart, eyes boring into her like sunlight through pointed glass. It burns so often. 

Saria stares back into the shadows. She has no answer they want to hear. 

They're in the car at a drive-in theatre, watching a film she's never seen, drinking soda she's never heard of, feeling tension she's never felt. She cannot know what has changed, only that it's wedged itself between their seats, stifling the air. 

Muelsyse places a single piece of popcorn onto her tongue and lets it melt before taking it into her mouth. Saria looks away abruptly. 

“You mean the movie? The plot?”

Muelsyse pauses chewing, a waver in her breath. “Yeah.”

“I think—” Truth be told, Saria hasn't really been thinking at all, hasn't been paying attention. Within the metal confines of her car, every sound is amplified, every movement obvious. Hair strands, clothing creases, hands, hands, hands. 

“Right… Makes sense…” Muelsyse answers vaguely to whatever Saria says, eyes glazed over at the giant screen ahead. 

Saria thinks she needs a cigarette. Or a drink. She turns up the air-conditioning, hoping it will chill her nerves. 

From the corner of her eye, in an adjacent car, she realises there is a couple kissing, no longer interested in the film either. She glances over as the movie lighting changes, flashing and flickering scenes, each time revealing snippets of motion through the blanket of night: silhouettes of an arm, a shoulder, a jawline. Things not even the dark tint of their windows could obscure. Of course not. Then, silence. 

The action has subsided on screen and all that remains are two shadows closer than ever. She sees it, almost feels it, when their bodies begin rocking. 

“Nice,” Muelsyse comments, crunching on more popcorn. She's peering over Saria's shoulder with a playfulness that's been sorely missed tonight. 

Saria doesn't jump, doesn't feel embarrassed, simply turns to take Muelsyse’s hand out of the container, holding it aloft. 

It's true.

What was the point of anything? 

“Saria—?” 

Air unfurls from their lungs in soft breaths. So close. Could be closer. Should be closer. Saria lowers her gaze, ever guarded, and it seems to say, blink slowly. 

Saria inspects the hand, stained with traces of butter, and brings it to her lips. She licks a finger, bites a knuckle, tastes the savoury and the sweet. Muelsyse's breath hitches at the sudden contact. Darkness settles, leaving only the dimmest lights to dance about the space, tunnelling their vision. Languid touches keep them occupied when words aren't necessary. Muelsyse only watches, letting Saria kiss her slender wrist. Once. Twice. 

Muelsyse sighs softly.

“Mine?” she asks, speaking of a place. 

thank you SO much for the tags @davrinsleftpectoral @rooks-dagger @antivan-sprig

I have thought a great deal about all of this, thank you so much for asking and being curious. keep being curious keep asking questions

CLOTHING

What’s your OC’s go-to aesthetic for a ball? Is it consistent or varied? What’s their goal behind this? are they just trying to fit in, to distract, to mislead?

some of these were in my OC Wardrobe post, which I obviously still stand by. So part of this is just in my mind Tevinter style, which of course mimics a Roman Chiton, but with a funkier/modern(?) twist.

The more Cyri part of these (to me) is the cutouts and the slits. But ALSO, of these I think the gold is SO her. something about the structured shoulders is really giving military to me and I just know she'd fuck with it heavy.

Also, because I pinned this to her board weeks ago and didn't know when I'd have the chance to use it:

she may not have piercings, but she'd fuck with a body chain like down the back or over a thigh? Also the snake hair jewelry is just so her.

DANCING

What’s their opinion on dancing? Do they have a favorite type of dance?

So obviously the Mercars aren't an Altus family, but assuming they've been a high ranking military family for a long time, I think they get invited to The Events sometimes and I have this headcanon that Cyri's mom was sort of big into trying to 'fit into society'. (this is also why Cyri plays piano) So Cyri definitely knows how to do all the dances (I think waltz is her fav and yes that's solely based on the fact that when I was researching for this drabble, that's what I pictured.) And I think she likes it fine.

However, I also think that Tevinter has dancing that's the equivalent of West Coast Swing and that's very much Not for big fancy balls, and more so the kind of dancing they do in Dock Town Taverns (to me.) and I think Cyri definitely prefers that.

LOCATION

Where are you most likely to find your OC during a ball? Balcony? Bar? Spying behind privacy screens?

My headcanon for this is a little angsty? Cyri would love to dance, but the rality is that in her youth when she went to big events like this, she was rarely asked (elf, soporati) so I think she definitely made a habit of lurking. Probably in the Mezzanine drinking the Thedas equivalent of champagne and people watching.

Post-Veilguard there's a high chance she ducks out early and/or that she and Davrin sneak away to fuck in some back hallway somewhere. (Which incidentally, she definitely also did back in the day;)

OKAY