Eyes locked on hers, he half smiled, the other half like her own expression was something else, something still fearful and unsure.
“As soon as I begin to feel certain, you change everything again,” he whispered.
“Sorry.” She smiled again, this one less tainted than the last.
This is it! The illustration I promised! We finally made it to Part 17 and maybe my favorite line I've ever written for these two along with this wonderful illustration I commissioned by @ruxandralache ! I absolutely adore it and I can't wait for you all to read the new chapter on Monday (6/15)! I will say that some of you are going to be very pleased 😏
I was tagged by both @galacticsparkles and @rhoxxia ! This is such a fun little trend! Thank you so much for thinking of me! I'm tagging @vhen-harel and @youhowltome
I decided to think of this as a fun little glimpse into the very rare modern au Solas and Althima. In this scenario, I imagine he's a professor of archaeology, she's the director of a small museum, and their daughter is in elementary school. Anyways, enjoy!
Aahh! Thank you for the tag @galacticsparkles and @rhoxxia! This was so much fun to put together! I'll be giving out very gentle, no pressure tags to @youhowltome @lanafofana and @exia-1
And of course, I had to do this for my favorite lady inquisitor, Althima Lavellan 💚 (Apologies from the get-go because I am nothing if not an overwriter lol)
• A Clothing Item They Would Wear
A woven belt she made herself or perhaps her mother made her. Her mother is a weaver and taught her some of the trade when she was young, before she spent the majority of her time training under Keeper Deshanna. For their last project together, she and her mother wove a crimson sash with silver halla for Deshanna before Althima officially became First. It would have passed to her after Deshanna’s death if she hadn't become the Inquisitor. The belt she wears is one of the few items she keeps on her that isn't necessarily practical but primarily aesthetic and sentimental.
• A Texture in Their Signature Color
A selection of woolen weaves in deep greens. Beautiful in their variety but durable and practical.
• An Animal That Suits Their Personality
The lioness carries a more quiet power than her male counterparts. She is strategic in her hunting and devoted to nurturing her cubs and her community. She balances herself between ferocity and compassion, always acting in the interests of the pride.
• An Environment That Captures Their Story
Where she grew up: somewhere between the forests of the Vimmark Mountains and the grasslands and rocky coastline that borders the sea. The foothills that stretched through the Free Marches were where her people roamed with the seasons and where she learned how to be Dalish, to be a mage, what it meant to be both and to carry on the legacy of her people.
• An Object in Their Bag
A small leather folio that functioned partly like a journal, grimoire, sketchbook, and repository for observations of the flora and fauna she took interest in while out traveling. It includes mission notes but mostly contains pressed flowers and herbs along with illustrations and notes on their properties and uses. She is competent at sketching plants, but animals are harder. She tried sketching her companions at times but was never satisfied with the results and would frequently just glue another pressed leaf or flower over the offending sketch to hide it. Several attempted sketches of Solas are now hidden behind flowers. Solas is aware of this and secretly very amused by it.
• An Interest of Theirs
After they were in Skyhold a while, she made her own small frame loom to keep her hands busy late in the evenings when she couldn’t sleep or needed to think through so problem but couldn't stay still. She wove small tokens for each member of her inner circle with symbols and patterns that reminded her of them. Some of the small woven patches were made into new items that the companion kept with them, and some remained simple, small tokens that they kept in their pocket. Varric kept his in the pocket of his coat, and he would fidget with it late in the evening while sitting around the campfire. Dorian’s got singed during a battle once, and he had the remaining piece encased in a pendant that he now keeps close to his chest. Vivienne had a whole new coat designed with the patch in mind. Cassandra's was affixed to the inner side of her breastplate for safekeeping, also the sentimental reason of it being the first gift she'd received from a such a dear female friend. Cullen kept his token at his desk in Skyhold and would pull it out on occasion when he prayed for her continued safety. Cole’s is still proudly stitched to his jacket. Otherwise, he's afraid he would lose it.
• An Abstraction That Captures Their Vibe
The rush of a cold mountain stream around your feet. It can be a welcome retreat on a hot summer's day or a treacherous crossing if your footing isn't sure.
• A Food or Beverage They Enjoy
She never ate much in the way of sweets when she was growing up, but her time with the Inquisition spoiled her taste buds. She developed a taste for these little Orlesian petit fours while visiting the Ghislain estate to meet Vivienne and later during their time in Halamshiral. Whenever she circled round to Solas again that night, she picked a few up from the dessert table nearby and shared one with him. She knew he liked them too but wouldn't ask for them, so she would make a point to get a few anytime she had the opportunity, just so she could share them with him. Years later, she still craves them from time to time and indulges whenever she has the opportunity. She really likes ones with citrus flavors like orange or bergamot.
