a shred of blue would be denied

hey I'm Bec, self-titled #1 Grey Wardens fan, definitely not starting another Dragon Age: Origins playthrough as we speak

this is mostly a Dragon Age* blog but I'm also into various other RPGs (Pillars of Eternity, Baldur's Gate 3 and Mass Effect are the ones you're most likely to see) and video games in general, I play a lot of stuff

(*expect mostly Origins, Awakening, and DA2. I enjoy Inquisition and have mixed feelings on Veilguard but am ultimately just not as attached to them)

I also like ttrpgs, fantasy novels, and movies (letterboxd)

this is not a sideblog, this is just where everything goes

I write! take a look at these if you want:

in progress: In Armour of Bright Steel, Cousland/Nathaniel Howe

finished: Greetings From Sunny Antiva!, Surana/Zevran Arainai

Just For Tonight, Cousland/Nathaniel Howe/Anders (rated E, PWP)

I got tagged by @chalkituptofate! I've been off the grid for a bit dealing with real life (and work, so much work) but I always always appreciate being tagged.

some friends have definitely seen this already, but anyway! enjoy Bryn and Nate being put in a compromising situation for my own satisfaction!

She pulls her sword back just enough to avoid puncturing his skin, and breathes out, "Do you yield, Howe?"

He says nothing in response, but holds out an open palm. Bryn shifts her grip on her sword and reaches out to grab his hand and pull him up, but she's not expecting what comes next—he tugs on her hand, hard enough that she loses balance, landing on her knees beside him. And his daggers are still abandoned in the sand but he's moving anyway, at her back with a rasped-out, "Remember your opponents won't always play by the rules."

Bryn laughs in surprise, her own sword forgotten as she squirms around and evades his attempt to grapple her, pushing back against him as she reaches for his wrist. There's a complicated movement as she presses her advantage, and then—

She finds herself straddling him as he pitches onto his back, pinning his wrist above his head. His heartbeat bumps harshly against her palm. Her stomach clenches as she looks down at him, sure that he'll be humiliated, that this is the second and last time they'll ever spar with each other like this.

His pupils are wide, his breathing shallow, and he tips his head back to look at her with that same smile on his face. "That's your round," he murmurs. "I yield."