Wyheree's Musings

Fandom: Dragon Age Inquisition Pairing: Cole & Varric Tethras Rating: General Summary: In post-Inquisition Kirkwall, a friend helps Varric heal his city, one person at a time. Words: 499 Additional Tags: Gift Fic, Friendship, Post-Canon, Pre-Trespasser, Spirits, Compassion, Grief, Kirkwall

Treat fic for Inquisitor_Inquisitor! How about a little post-DAI friendship with Varric and Cole? I used an in-game quote for inspiration and set this between the end of DAI and the beginning of Trespasser. Also decided to keep Cole closer to a spirit since it goes with the overall theme here. I hope you like it!

Viscount.

He hadn’t wanted it. In fact, neither had Hawke, which was why trying to find them now was proving especially difficult. But Varric Tethras cared about Kirkwall, so much that he’d spent a lot of funds trying to restore the city back to something close to what it’d once been. And it’d worked. People had returned. And the merchants were selling their wares again, though he’d had to threaten a few to keep the prices down.

Hope had returned to Kirkwall.

Well, to a point.

There was still sorrow. And pain. And loss. But those things were a natural part of living. He knew, he wrote about them often in his novels. It didn’t make the grief any less difficult (grief was a nug humper when you tried to fight against it), but there would come a time when it became bearable.

A man sat a few tables away from him. From what little of the conversation he’d had with the waitress, his wife had passed away recently. Thankfully, it seemed to be a natural death and not the blood mage/red lyrium type, but it still caused a lot of sorrow. Almost so much that even Varric felt it from where he lingered.

Thankfully, there was a little compassion to go around.

A young man stood beside the older one, floppy hat hiding his face. Varric knew everything about him from the color of his eyes to the shade of his hair. He didn’t know when he’d arrived in Kirkwall, but for the last few weeks, he’d been helping the people find peace.

What little could be found in a place like Kirkwall.

“It hurts. Love always does. But she doesn’t hurt anymore.” His words were directed at the man, but Varric heard each one. And he was the only one who could. Even the older gentleman wasn’t aware of the presence beside him. Maybe that was for the best.

The man wiped a stray tear from his cheek. Varric noticed the scarf wrapped around his wrist: lace with embroidered flowers. His heart squeezed painfully at the sight.

“Raindrops on the window pane. Lavender in vases. The scent of vanilla like cookies fresh out of the oven. She smiles. I love you.” Cole brushed his fingers against the man’s forehead. While it appeared like nothing had happened, Varric knew it had when the man’s shoulders didn’t slump so far forward anymore.

A moment later, he stood, taking the scarf with him, his footsteps a little lighter as he headed to a flower vendor. He purchased a bouquet of lavender before disappearing into the crowd. Varric’s gaze returned to where Cole still stood by the abandoned table, strange blue eyes focused on something in the distance. Then, he disappeared as if he’d never been there.

Helping the hurt, that’s what Cole used to say. And even now, he helped people.

You're holding an actual child to higher standards than you hold yourself, but it's the child that should be removed from public and community spaces. For your comfort.

I feel confident enough to post these now. A collection of all the existing posters after some edits from the other post that got 13k notes! These are full size/quality. Go nuts.

you. you get it.

“Game on, then.”

Blossom season in the Netherlands 🌸

Did a drawing of a running wolf because I can