#bard babbles

[ohimjustabard]

A double update (because I forgot to update one on tumblr)

Chapter 2: Read on Ao3

Josephine is caught flat-footed by an unexpected arrival

Chapter 3: Read on Ao3

S’vari and Josephine take a moment to digest the aftermath of their impromptu meal with Josephine’s mother, Claudia Montilyet.

Want to start from the beginning? The first fic of The Dawn Will Come series, Shadows Fall, can be found here on Ao3

Hope you enjoy!

[radiantbard]

Next person to say that Dimitri's psychosis comes from him being weak minded; especially in service to a pointless argument, owes me $500 US. I didn't go through years of prolonged physical and psychological abuse and come out the other side Like This to see my literal illness treated that way.

And while we're here, ageusia isn't funny. It sucks. Not being able to taste food is horribly depressing and leaves you feeling broken. That's a real thing. I experience it. Real people experience this stuff. When we say the 'Dimitri is a feral rat that loves cheese' thing is offensive and not funny, it's not because we hate fun. It's because seeing our illnesses used as the butt of a lame joke constantly gets real old.

The reason I get heated when I see yandere Dimitri headcanons and block you isn't because I think you're a bad person for liking that kind of thing, it's because it becomes harmful when attached to him in particular. It helps perpetuate the stereotype that people like me are violent, dangerous, and lacking in humanity. Yes. Fiction is fiction, but it absolutely effects the way we see and interact with the world. A lot of the times it's harmless, but sometimes it isn't; and normalizing certain things through fiction has consequences.

[ohimjustabard]

Messy WIP Share

I was tagged by @tarasmom, thank you for the tag!

Let's make this a tag challenge. I dare you to show me the "messy middle" of something of yours. It doesn't have to be art. Show me a shot of your fiction rough draft. Show me your cake batter before it's mixed. Show me the pieces of that sewing project before it's fully assembled (or show me your raw seams on the inside). Show me the tangled threads on the back of your latest cross-stitch project. Show me all the clips dumped into the media pool of your video edit

I am a little in the trenches of a fic right now (I want to write other things but I gotta finish this one first). So here is a sneak peek into my drafting process. This is what the bottom of all of my draft documents look like. A lot of false starts, half-done and discarded, often even mid-sentence.

“Cullen, what” indeed.

As an example of just how many words stops and starts I usually have at the bottom of the doc, please see how many words my editing cut out from the draft from Shadows Fall (my Inquisitor/Josie fic that takes place in the direct aftermath of Trespasser). A 4.5k word difference.

And finally an example of my favorite way that I draft sometimes when I want to move onto the next scene (snippet taken from a hibernating BG3 fic)

It makes me giggle each time when I go back to look through my drafts.

Thank you very much for the tag, it’s a nice reminder that everyone has a WIP process and nobody is making things perfect the first time!

A kind and non-obligatory tag to: @natsora, @crackedskel, @justskipit, and anyone else who would like to share or commiserate the rough parts of the WIP process.

[ohimjustabard]

S’vari Lavellan Montilyet

A more long-winded introduction to my canon Inquisitor, S’vari Lavellan Montilyet

The Basics

She/Her, Lesbian, Dalish Elf, Apostate Mage, 25 at the start of Inquisition, 38 by Veilguard (see the above pictures for Inquisition to Veilguard)

Inherently a storm mage, specialized into Rift magic with an emphasis in healing during the Inquisition

Could not be further from a true believer Herald, but kept up appearances as she realized the importance of being a symbol of hope for people

Fic series chronicling major events of her life: Bellanaris

More details under the cut!

Appearance

S’vari has tanned but fair skin, with green eyes.

She has thick raven black hair, shorn short on one side, with her hair long on the other side. She has multiple braids woven into her hair, but the majority of it is loose.

S’var is slightly more tall than average and runs on the slimmer side compared to many humans.

S’vari has June’s Vallaslin, with the lines of the vallaslin extending down her spine.

S’vari has a few scars on her face. Her older ones are a scar under her chin and across the bridge of her nose from a run-in with wolf which lead to her storm magic manifesting, extremely faded. Her more recent ones are patterns of lightning extending down her cheek and neck from when her magic ran wild after Solas removed the anchor (you can read about that moment in the fic Shadows Fall on Ao3).

She typically dresses plainly but as blatantly Dalish as possible.

Personality

S’vari is a natural-born leader, she would have made an excellent Keeper if her life had gone that way. She is able to command attention easily and speaks with an air of authority.

S’vari hated being Inquisitor, especially being an Andrastian religious figurehead as the Herald, but she understood the necessity of people needing a symbol and leader in a time of utter chaos. She was the right person in the wrong time. Only Josephine knew of S’vari’s hatred of the role during the Inquisition.

S’vari also loathed the political wheeling and dealing, much preferring to speak plainly, but played the Game quite well with the assistance of Josephine and Leliana. Once the Inquisition disbanded however, she ducks out of social engagements whenever possible, which Josephine does her best to assist her on.

Extremely aware of the historical significance of what she is doing, and takes great care with her decision making, often consulting friends and other opinions before making a final choice.

Passionate about the things she cares about, she’s never been one to half-ass anything. This also includes things she despises, she can carry a grudge like no other (i.e. Solas).

A sense of wry humor, she will tease her friends and loved ones but typically speaks sincerely and genuinely.

Wants desperately to retire and have a decidedly plain life raising her children and growing her family with Josephine, but resigns herself to answering the world’s call.

Family and Friends

Romanced and married Josephine Montilyet secretly on the first night of the Exalted Council, later having a much more public wedding in Antiva and undergoing a private Dalish wedding ritual. Drinks all the wife-loving juice, and S’vari is utterly and completely devoted to her vhenan.

Much later in life, about halfway between Inquisition and Veilguard and after much confusion and tribulations, Cassandra Pentaghast joins the two in their relationship, forming a triad relationship. The romantic aspect of their relationship with Cassandra was kept strictly under wraps until after the events of Veilguard when everyone got tired of playing pretend. Outside of Cassandra and Josephine, S’vari has no interest in anyone else romantically. A sentiment shared by both Cassandra and Josephine.

While who she considers to be her family varies by the world state, S’vari normally has four children. Aya Montilyet: a Dalish child with odd magic who was found in the midst of a tragedy and adopted by Josephine and S’vari shortly after the pair left Skyhold for good. Esha Ingellvar: (@crackedskel’s Rook), Aya’s best friend whom S’vari and Josephine consider to be one of their children. Valeria Casandra Var’Glandival Montilyet and Antony Cole Var’Mahvir Montilyet: twins and the only biological children of S’vari and Josephine, conceived via a magical apparatuses created between Dorian and Dagna, something that Dorian never allows them to live down. The twins were named after both Cassandra and Cole in honor of everything that the two have done for Josephine and S’vari both.

Cassandra and Dorian serve as godparents to their children, with the children referring to them as Aunt Cassandra and Uncle Dorian.

The former first of Clan Lavellan, S’vari had a strong bond with her clan and fully intended to serve as Keeper before everything exploded. While she does have blood parents within the clan, she considers the entire clan as her parents rather than having specific ties to blood.

S'vari was close, or at least respectfully cordial, with everyone in the Inquisition, but her dearest friends are Cassandra, Dorian, Cole and, of course, Josephine.

Inquisition Choices

Allied with the Mage Rebellion, welcoming them in as equal allies as she heavily distrusted the Templars.

Specialized into Rift magic with the help of Your Trainer

Saved Celene and reunited her with Briala, seeing an echo of a future together that she could have with Josephine.

Chose Stroud to stay in the Fade to fight the Fear Demon, feeling that Hawke deserved to live.

Exiled the Orlesian Wardens, her one gut choice where she took no counsel or insight, she was so horrified by what they had done that she wanted them as far away as possible from the realm.

Allowed Morrigan to drink from the Well, trusting the input of her oh-so-wise friend Solas.

Leliana became Divine Victoria, with S’vari actively dissuading Cassandra and Vivienne from pursuing the path further.

Closed every single rift in Thedas.

Married Josephine in secret at the Exalted Council.

Vowed to stop Solas at all costs, seeing that her friend was already somewhere that she could not reach him, despite the respect they shared for each other.

Disbanded the Inquisition, glad to be rid of it finally.

Major Companion Choices

Blackwall: Send Blackwall to the Wardens, feeling that while he did not deserve execution for what he did, he did not deserve full freedom. A life as a true Warden would be the redemption and justice he deserved.

Iron Bull: Saved the Chargers, S’vari simply didn’t want them to die, she wasn’t thinking of the politics of the moment.

Cassandra: Encouraged Cassandra to rebuild the Seekers, trusting the impeccable morality of her best friend to build it back better.

Cole: Kept him as a Spirit. At the time, S’vari was extremely in tune with the Fade as a Rift mage and felt that Cole deserved to be the spirit he was rather than turning into something new and painful for him to grapple with.

Cullen: Insisted that he did not take Lyrium.

Leliana: Managed to soften Leliana and have her let go of her debt to Justinia.

Josephine: Used force to remove the House of Repose contract, only after the assassin broke into Skyhold.

Solas: Vowed to stop him at all costs. If he wouldn’t listen to her reasoning within the Crossroads after years of friendship and support, while S’vari was at her weakest point, he never would.

[ohimjustabard]

Chapter Update

Chapter 4

S’vari jumps at the chance to be a stranger in the crowd

Read on Ao3

Want to start from the beginning of the series? You can find the first fic “Shadows Fall” here on Ao3

[ohimjustabard]

Shameless Self-Promotion Someday

I saw this idea from @biowaredisasterbisexual and decided to be brave. Thank you for throwing up the idea and encouraging people to give it a try.

I’ve written a lot in the last year and a half, but the ones I always love to share is below

The Dawn Will Come

This fic series centers around Josephine Montilyet and Inquisitor S’vari Lavellan in the direct aftermath of the events of Trespasser with the first fic in the series starting mere minutes after the Inquisitor confronts Solas. Josephine is forced to make a terrible choice regarding S’vari, a choice that both of the two and their friends in the Inquisition have to learn how to live with as the Grand Inquisition itself finally comes to a close.

It’s a four part series, with the four and final part currently in the editing process, but my favorite of the series are the first two fics Shadows Fall and The Night is Long and the Path is Dark.

They’ve got tranquility, suffocating guilt, a violent cult, red lyrium, kidnapping, beatings, and even death. A good whumpy angsty blender for all!

Those two fics (which was actually one giant fic that I decided to break into two while editing) are just so near and dear to my heart as it was my first big fic that I ever posted on Ao3 (which terrified the absolute shit out of me, I could barely sleep the night I posted it). People were so very kind about the story, and it lead to some really truly amazing new friends that inspired me to write more and more and continue to grow both the series and the future of S’vari and Josephine together, which moved me to creating my two Rooks and on and on. I wouldn’t be here on tumblr doing things if I hadn’t started with this fic, it’s truly where this all began.

Thank you for making the space for me to share and self-promo!

Gently tagging @justskipit, @natsora, @crackedskel because I always want to shout out what y’all love!

[ohimjustabard]

For Valentine's Day, please enjoy one of my favorite photos of my wife and I at our wedding. With our twin doc marten's, because we embrace the stereotypes every chance we get haha!

Happy Valentine's day to the woman I met through the old school tumblr RP days, crossed oceans to be with, and finally married in my hometown. What a story we've written, may we make many many more!

[ohimjustabard]

🙃 — A weird little habit they have ⚔️ — What would they fight for? 🥀 — A memory that still hurts 😨 — Their biggest fear For Tel, For S'Vari, For Josie, For Neve. Your choice who gets what.

|| This is from the OC Ask Game: Still Accepting questions! ||

Thank you Nat!

🙃 — A weird little habit they have: I’m going to allot this one for my fave Josephine Montilyet. Josephine always trims and carves her own quills. From stripping the feathers off to carving the point. She likely goes through quills by the bucket-loads, but she feels like she’s the only one that can really get the nib done the exact way that she needs to write quickly and clearly. So she does them all herself. She uses a small knife that Leliana gifted her back during their time together in Val Royeaux that Josephine uses solely to carve the nibs. It wasn’t until the event of Inquisition that Josie realized that wasn’t at all why Leliana gifted her a knife.

⚔️ — What would they fight for?: For detective Neve Gallus! I honestly don’t think there is much that Neve wouldn’t fight for. She loves an underdog and a losing battle. In her heart of hearts, I think Neve is a deeply kind and empathetic person who tries desperately to hide that from everyone else because of how vulnerable that makes her. Doesn’t stop her from caring and fighting though. Until there’s nothing left of her, Neve will always fight for people who have no one else to fight for them.

😨 — Their biggest fear: This one’s for Warden Tel “Rook” Laidir. Tel is terrified of dying for something not worthwhile. She isn’t afraid of death, she joined the Wardens of her own free will, she knows that she’s on borrowed time. She feels like she’s been on borrowed time for her entire life, after all, she was the child who should have Not been. It’s in her very name. Tel has found a peace with that fact. But she wants, she needs her death to be for something. People around her have died, and for some reason she keeps surviving. It has to be for something, everything she’s lost, all that she’s endured, it must be for a reason. Please let it be for a reason.

🥀 — A memory that still hurts: Had to be for Inquisitor S’vari Lavellan Montilyet. This one is a big ole spoiler for the Dawn Will Come series, specifically the end of The Night is Long fic so I’m going to put it under a cut.

S’vari sees Josephine dead all of the time. The sight of her, the memory of that moment, of the light leaving Josephine’s eyes, her body going limp in S’vari’s arms, her life blood sluggishly pumping out of her body over S’vari’s false wedding dress. The entirety and enormity of that moment is painted on the back of her eyelids, it is a constant companion. Parts of her memory of that time while the two were kidnapped is cloudy, the edges and corners rounded by the veil of Tranquility. But that moment, when Josephine died in her arms on a dagger that was meant for S’vari, is sharp and viciously clear in her mind. It doesn’t matter how long it has been, by the events of Veilguard it’s been almost a decade since that happened. S’vari still sees it all the time. It will never truly leave her. But it does make the life that S’vari snatched back all the sweeter. When the memory looms and doesn’t relent, S’vari thinks about how alive Josephine is. Their children, their life they sculpted for each other. And she can endure the memory for a bit longer.