Its WIP Wednesday anyways, so while this isn't a current WIP, I thought I'd share it. While working on updating other things, I realized I never shared a little one-shot I did for DA Big Bang in like 2024. I did a little entry from Anou's food journal which is something I'm still chipping away with but its a lot different. I'm still pretty proud of this!
The Food Journal of Anjou Baskar (1656 words) by Exhausted_Archivist
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Food
Series: Part 1 of Thedas Cookery
Summary:
Anjou Baskar is from a dwarven house of scholars on the surface. She, having decided on the specialty of food history, roams around Thedas collecting various recipes and experiencing all sorts of cuisine.
💌 : How would they plan a romantic evening for a significant other?
Oh boy, so this really has a lot of range and to not make this too long I'll do Anjou and Isala since they're pretty similar and honestly the ones I have most thought out because I have them outside any canon romance.
Anjou Baskar
Anjou's romantic evening centers around food and care. She goes out of her way to make time with them. A precious commodity after all.
She'd get up early to start the preparations for dinner. Start prepping the bread and desserts. Start things marinating if needed. By the time they come around, she's ready to go to the market with them. A mundane task, but they pick out things for dinner. They sample snacks and street food. They have a little trip just between them. If a trip to the market isn't the vibe, then a very lazy bit of cuddling and snacking at the house till its time to make dinner.
As they cook together, it would be the time to tell stories, flirt when the urge arises. They enjoy their company and between mixing ingredients and stolen kisses, she is probably smacking a wandering hand aiming to steal a bite of dessert early.
Her entire plan revolves around making a memory that they can think of fondly when they're apart.
Isala Lavellan
It would be a very stressful thing for her, but she'd do it with joy. She'd be stressed to make sure that everything was perfect, that something will come up. That her job will interfere.
She'd plan something simple, so to lessen the chance of things getting spoiled. Isala would try to get them away from everyone. Whether that's sneaking into the kitchen at night in Skyhold, going off a little from camp while traveling, or planning a little trip through the market or village while they're in a town.
She'd bring food, wine, and a little token for the night. A romantic evening of stolen moments, smiles, maybe a kiss or two, and just forgetting their responsibilities. For her, even as she tries to make this moment for them, it would be something she tries to make up for all the time apart.
I thought I hit send but tumblr sent it to my drafts???? Sorry for the delay!
Anjou generally finds compassion, passion, and competency irresistible. As far as physical qualities, being taller than her is really up there (pun intended). She could listen to someone talk about their passion all day and she would just be more than a little dreamy eyed about it. Seeing someone who makes the time to show compassion to others - and not just animals - is a real draw for her. They show the ability to think outside themselves but also really appreciate things, and for her that is really attractive.
Competency is also something that will draw her in because it ties in with a lot. Generally something someone is passionate about they are competent, or at the very least taking steps to get there. Which furthers their passion and really draws her in.
As for being tall, she will shamelessly admit that it is a real knee-wobbler for her. For the simple fact that it means either they can reach a thing she can't or they can help her! And they don't have to be much taller. Half a head or so is enough to make her consider offering a bit of her attention.
Past that, there are small details that she'd get lost in what makes someone irresistible. Those are just the more consistent ones if that makes sense.
ANJOU HAS TWO HANDS. She gets two knights. They don't have names. I've been enabled and I'm running with them full speed. Have their bios:
Grey Warden Knight
13th of Kingsway 9:00 Dragon
Childhood friend of Anjou
Stoic, stern, and serious
Sent after her when she left home without a guard, her parents worried about her safety with the post-Breach conflicts and perils. They would have preferred she returned home but he doesn't commit to doing so and does them a "favor" of escorting her.
His favorite food is any food. He has horrible taste and thinks oats for livestock is just as good as human oats. He will use water to stretch soup and thinks all you need is a bit of salt.
He does not like the Grey Wardens, he is pretty cynical and thinks the order isn't inherently a redeeming factor. He's of the opinion that monster hunting is part of the order and an occupational expectation and hazard. If one hypes it up he thinks they're a swindler and full of themselves and shouldn't be trusted as they aren't truly a Warden.
"We recruit the hopeful and the dreadful. Lining our ranks with the noble and dredges of society. An order is only as honorable as its worst members. There is no honor in our ranks." - Warden Knight
Avvar "Knight"
Justinia 9:12 Dragon
Chatty, curious, lively, truly golden retriever energy
Rescued Anjou in some dire scenario she accidentally got herself in and inevitably he joins her on her journey down the Frostbacks to make sure she arrives safely and ends up traveling with her.
He is a very big foodie, having gotten the taste of lowland spices at a big feast at the age of 12 and has since been trying to find substitutes in the Frostbacks. His favorite food is a puff pastry flavoured with elderflower water and an orange cream filling that Anjou made him. When they leave the Frostbacks and get to Orlais he learns that he's actually lactose intolerant.
He is also introduced to sour candies (think the sour altoids) and he gets enthralled with them. Sour/tart is a favored flavour. He also sends spices back home every time they stop in a town.
He is a super big chatter box and will ask a ton of questions. But gets easily overwhelmed by the sounds, crowds, and smells of urban space but the moment he's out he launches into a volley of questions.
"Your spices are only how much? I had to trade several red lion furs for a small jar of antivan cordseed last summer, this is quite the windfall of a bargain." - Avvar "Knight"
Two talls and their nerdy, scholarly smol they escort across Thedas and keep her from being eaten by the mega fauna and keep her from getting into fights she can't win.
While working on the new thruple of the hour, I realized several things:
I’ve never made a warden who wasn’t cynical about the order save for one and he is also my only other human male warden lol I honestly think it’s because I wanted a warden companion (or just npc in general) who called out the Grey Wardens with less forgiveness than what we’ve ever seen.
Avvar while super cool THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CONCEPT ART. I desperately need them to release a dao art book or just dig into the Avvar more. Like the dwarves, I crave more.
Anjou, who started off as a nebulous being is now firmly bisexual. She just prefers masc presenting but if the right femme came along she would definitely not complain.
I have an aesthetic/type I have to fight against really hard when I make male characters. Why? Because I want to have different characters in my sandbox. But my type is heavily influenced by a very niche selection of male characters and I struggle. But it’s worth it. I’m quite satisfied with these boys.
I’m still really bad at names. Picking them and remembering them.
Making characters is hard, and I feel extremely guilty of using anything I associate with a friend/moot’s oc. Imposter syndrome is a pain guys.
I’m still very food oriented so I was this close to creating a bunch of food puns and I just kept thinking of funny scenarios and bits.
This thruple is super indulgent for me.
I am going to use Anjou to spread anti-apple propaganda. She’s named and themed for pears so it’s fine. I have no shame. I will fight Johnny Appleseed.
I want more ask memes for these three but I don’t have any good ones. This realization made me sad.
Audur is lactose intolerant because it’s what he deserves. I made this decision while making myself hot coco with heavy cream instead of milk.
I don’t have enough Avvar food headcanons and I need to fix that.
I still need to give Silas a last name and Audur I’m making a whole hold for and he already has a sister and I cannot do surface level worldbuilding dear sweet cheesus save me. (Don’t tell anyone but I’ve already named 20 of the other Avvar in the hold.)
I'm just gonna talk about Anjou cause I can't sleep and this has been all the things running through my head the past few days. I can't find a good ask meme for her to riff off of (if you have one do feel free to send it my way.) I'm also writing this with the end point being the start of her cookery journey in 9:44 Dragon.
Anjou Baskar
She/Her
Born: 8th of Harvestmere 9:06 Dragon
Favorite Colour: Greens and Creme colours
Favorite Food: Spiced pears and pomegranates with goat cheese
Favorite Drink: Elderflower tea
Family:
Daughter to Ottilie and Markus Baskar
Sister to Myrtille, Cassi, and Ambra Baskar
Cousin to Lichen and Milena "Greenie" Gundaar, Lorena and Eliseo Gunnarr
Home:
Anjou grew up on the border to Nevarra, the Anderfels, and Tevinter in a small city between Nessum and Perendale. Honestly, haven't nailed down exactly where, but leaning more towards the river. Her family does finance themselves through being merchants.
This city is where Anjou's family keep their main warehouses, a library, museum, and their estate. Most of the city's population are dwarves, humans, and elves. Grey Wardens are common visitors, partially because the city acts as a small way station and because the Baskar House has strong connections with the Wardens going back to the First Blight.
Anjou grew up on the house estate, being part of the main family line. She would often visit the house farms run by the Gundaar family, where she would take lessons with her cousins Lichen and Greenie as both of them specialized in natural areas of study. Lichen preferring geology and Greenie being focused on botanical studies.
Her cousins Lorena and Eliseo were a branch of the family that focused on the studies of combat and weapons. Eliseo is a skilled smith and Lorena a skilled warrior. Lorena left when Anjou was 16 to join the Wardens, and Eliseo joined her, aiming to be a smith for the Order.
Timeline
At the young age of 17, Anjou set off to study the culinary practices of Nevarran chefs, having taken interest in their attention for food pageantry as well being a hot spot for not only cultural food trades, but a hub for traditional practices of the Mourn Watch. (9:23 Dragon)
At the age of 21, she set off to apprentice with an Orlesian pastry chef; endeavoring to master their various desserts. It was around this time that she started hearing whispers about the Fifth Blight in Ferelden through her friend Silas' letters and other dwarven merchants who came from Orzammar. But she, and many others in western Orlais - as well as the surface in general - expressed a fair bit of doubt. (9:27 Dragon)
At the age of 25, she goes home at her parents request. Their refusal to allow her to continue her studies in Ferelden where the blight just ended the primary reason. Silas' confirmation on there actually having been a blight convinces her to listen.
When she is home, Silas stops by for a visit. This is the first time Silas meets Anjou's parents, who were expecting a nice dwarven man that was suitor trying to woo their daughter. Having heard about him and his good character from Anjou's cousin Lorena, they approved of him as a marriage prospect. They were surprised to be greeted by a very tall human Grey Warden. It was also this visit home, that Silas took Anjou on a date for the first time and Anjou realized that Silas not only had feelings for her but that she was open to the idea of a relationship with him. (9:31 Dragon)
At the age of 26, Silas was sent on a mission to Kirkwall after some curious events there. Anjou took the opportunity to travel with him and then make her way up to Antiva. (9:32 Dragon)
At the age of 28, news of the First Battle of Kirkwall reaches her parents and they urge Anjou to leave Markham and continue to Antiva where they got her a position in a well known kitchen. She relents, and makes the move. (9:34 Dragon)
At the age of 32, she was welcomed into the kitchen of a Fereldan noble, Mila Khans. There she studied fermentation, smoking, and other utilitarian food preparations while also the proper presentation. While in service of the Khans house, Anjou learned a surprising amount of eel and apple recipes - not that many overlapped between the two. (9:38 Dragon)
At the age of 34, the conflict brewing between mages, templars, and the Chantry and the brewing Orlesian civil war cut her Ferelden studies short. Her family worried she'd be trapped there should conflict break out, summoned her home in the summer of 9:40 Dragon. A month after she arrived home, news of the civil war washed through Orlais. (9:40 Dragon)
At the age of 35, the Breach. Anjou was more or less confined to the family estate for the entirety of 9:41, as was most of the children of House Baskar. During that time she spent most of her time working at the Merchant branch. They received word from Weisshaupt they needed supplies and support in the Anderfels and Anjou jumped at the chance to leave as well as go to visit Silas. For the next two years Anjou worked with the Wardens and during this time their romantic relationship deepened, though no formal courtship was started. She was called away by her parents and at Silas' urging as a civil war among the Wardens was brewing and tensions were rising.
At the age of 38, Anjou and a majority of the House Baskar and the offshoot houses met with concerns. Troubling information was pouring in through their contacts was reinforcing the 14 year old rumor of the incoming Blight in the Anderfels, Qun movement in the south, continued disruptions by the Venatori, the weakening grip of the Archon on Tevinter, and many more. The debate to begin the call for mass archive goes on long before the consensus is reached.
With the decision to start the process, Anjou informs her parents of her intention to document the foods across Thedas as well. They implore her to travel with a guard as she's never been without company. While she agrees initially, at dawn the next morning she leaves the family home on her little shetlend pony.
A few months into her journey, she finds herself traversing into the Frostbacks. Making her way up the slops with her pony, solo, she gets herself in a little situation that puts her in need of rescue. Luckily Audur and his sister happen to be traveling by when they see her and her pony get buried in snow from the trees above.
Audur pulls her out the siblings take Audur to their hold. It is from there that she begins her first point of archiving. She asks about and writes down a wealth of recipes over the course of the next two months till the weather clears enough for travel. Audur and Anjou become quite close and since Anjou made it to the hold with more or less sheer luck, Audur offers to escort her down.
But once they reach the base, Audur decides to continue traveling with her. They later meet up with Silas once back on the main road at the first tavern they reach. Silas had been tracking Anjou down since he received word from her parents, they had asked for him to do them the favor of escorting Anjou. More than willing, he started on his way to meet up at the estate, only to find she had a month head start on him. Winter weather and the like slowed him down despite his best efforts, and he was genuinely surprised she had made it to the Frostbacks.
Silas joins Audur in escorting Anjou and this is pretty much where I'm at.
