#juniper aldwir

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

Nice little things

tagged by @serbarris whose post/format for this was way cuter than mine will be ahaha, so look at hers for better inspiration

Rules: Choose 10 objects that you will place in the room of your Rooks on the places intended for customization. These should be small objects that can be placed in the following places: 2 on the tables by the doors, 2 on the tables by the aquarium, 4 on the bookcases and 2 on the walls. Attach a photo of these objects and give a short description of why your Rooks chose them

okay so i know the point of this game is to make things up and pick real decor. but i'm breaking the rules because a real thing i do in the dragon age games that's a sign of how neurotic fun i am is treat the inventory like my character's actual pockets/refuse to sell junk items i think they would enjoy collecting on their travels. you know normal gamer behavior. so this is canonically what my Juniper Aldwir's pockets looked like at the end of the game, which i still refused to sell even then (i have never once hit the 'sell all' button i will dole out my gifts one at a time with INTENTION):

but if i could transfer them to her bedroom i would! so this is where she'd shove all the junk instead:

Tables by the door:

Jewelry box (containing dragon scales, jeweled brooch, colorful gems, gold bead, fizzling fragments, forgotten coins, mysterious coins, stone polyhedrons (dice lol), iridescent jewel, old amulet, curious stone, smooth pebble). Just transfers all the collected shiny trinkets from her pockets into this at the end of the day.

Sturdy pouch with apples, smoked sausages, chipped mug, antivan house wine, and at least one type of cheese from the game: this is Juniper's lunchbox :) as a veil jumper she would not leave home unprepared!! and that includes snacks

Tables by the aquarium:

Silver music box. Pretty, plays a song she doesn't know. i like to think it's Antivan and Lucanis does recognize the song from an old opera.

Dragon carving (6 of them): the description for this item says they're "intricate" and she keeps them around to compare different high dragons.

Bookcases:

Chess piece: you can find a "worn-down rook from a chess set" in so many places in the game. I kept every single one. They remind Juniper of Varric and so she just pockets each as a good luck charm/reassurance she's on the right path. they become extra sentimental after she Finds Out post regret prison.

Original poetry. You can just pick this up in the Ossuary, it's "of reasonable quality signed by a long-dead Tevinter poet" and this tickled me SO MUCH. it's the only one i've found in the game. i'm keeping it forever so so is Rook.

Bear carving: the image for this one looks like a very fat bear and i liked that. onto the shelf.

Bundle of herbs: medicinal herbs. Rook gets migraines and these are some painkillers she keeps nearby about it 😔

On the walls:

LIKE HELL AM I SELLING THOSE DRAGON SKULLS TO THE LORDS OF FORTUNE. hello???? i did all that work slaying a dragon? i don't care if they love me for 75 influence i don't need it. the skulls get hung above the mantlepiece fishtank as a trophy of my triumph

Mangled limb: this is just the funniest item the entire game. in what way is a MANGLED LIMB a "valuable" you want to carry around????? you can get it off darkspawn but i pulled at LEAST one out of a chest too. excuse me. who put that inside there to keep safe for later?? anyway I keep at least 4 on rook at all times because they're so funny. in theory they just give you some points with the grey wardens but NOT any more, clearly they're "valuable" and thus display worthy on Rook's wall

aaaand that's everything in the chart! not a very aesthetic mismash but it's hers 🧡

For the people I tag, feel free to follow the original spirit of the meme, or if you wanna pick other random things from the game like I did go for it lol: @imasithduh @guacamolleee @fury-brand @crimsonphantasmagoria @handsignals @thegeminisage

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

oc emoji asks! for atashi and juniper!

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast?

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears? (also what form would fearlings take?)

👖 JEANS - what is their go-to outfit?

thank you!! from this OC ask game :)

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

Ataashi Adaar: helplessness and indecision. She's a very decisive and take-charge person, and hates not knowing what to do next or being unable to see a clear way forward. Similarly, being trapped or otherwise unable to do anything about her circumstances.

Juniper Aldwir: has a hard time with rejection. but, it takes some effort to get there/people have to be really firmly telling her off for it not to just bounce off lol (I think spending time with Strife would give anyone thick skin). But she's lost a lot of people prior to Veilguard and so hates the idea of losing more.

🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast?

Ataashi: I think Ataashi is fairly unmotivated by food in general, but tends to prefer savory dishes and meats so let's go with bacon.

Juniper: Hearthcakes & honey :)

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears? (also what form would fearlings take?)

Ataashi: Losing control of herself/her magic--my headcanon background for her is she was actually raised in the Qun & was formerly a Saarebas, until the group handling her ended up dying, and the mercenary tal-vashoth taking her in. So she still has a lot of wariness about her own powers and that her discipline will fail. I think her fearlings would beeeeee some kind of like... black engulfing ooze that holds you in place/freezes you and leaves you helpless.

Juniper: answered here! :)

👖 JEANS - what is their go-to outfit?

Ataashi: I wish i could draw for this lol... but i imagine like bull she doesn't like shirts you have to pull over the head because of her horns. So tops that wrap around & tie on instead, and looser pants that allow for a lot of movement. She's a fire mage so mostly sleeveless! Sometimes with dar-saam but someitmes not. i mostly keep her in the various Qunari or Avaar armors while playing DAI :)

Juniper: man i opened the first chest i came to in DAV, which was the Jumper's Deft Leathers, and I kept her in them the entire game. i didn't like the veil jumper casual wear so i had it on as her just as a full time outfit. honestly it feels WRONG to see her in colors besides orange/yellow/purple now lmao.

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

how about moon and spider for your rook?

Thank you!! From this oc emoji ask game :) Answering for my Juniper Aldwir!

🌙 MOON - what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?

Hmmm i think at the start of the game/pre-game timeline, Juniper is really floundering for any kind of place/purpose. She's no longer with her Dalish Clan, and then she gets kicked out of the Veil Jumpers, and both things end up being kind of massive ego hits/shake her sense of self. Teaming up with Varric & co rather than striking off on her own definitely comes from that scramble for some sense of community to replace those things. so over the course of Veilguard getting more accustomed to being independent/making choices goes a long way to her realizing she can just decide what kind of life she wants for herself. Plus of course romancing Lucanis & having another person invested enough to stick with her long term!! though also, god, getting saddled with all the crow drama + Caterina is NOT quite what she had in mind lol. so i think her 'greatest wish' in a sense is finding that sort of community and she ends up getting a type of it but also coming to not actually need it as much as she thought. she's keeping the lighthouse though and making maps of the crossroads as a Veil Jumper offshoot though lol. Strife can stick to Arlathan and they can have the worlds most awkward meetings to compare notes.

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

In a previous ask game when scrambling for an answer to what Juniper would see fearlings as, I came up with amorphous blobs with random limbs/mouths/body parts of various creatures sticking out of them to pull itself forward. so i think that sort of like... corruption and body horror type of thing. As a Veil Jumper she's probably seen a fair share of magic going wrong leading to stuff like that, including to friends. As for mundane fears: like probably everyone I've made her afraid of water/swimming as justification for her panicked drowning in anything deeper than a puddle haha

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

one of the things I didn't get a chance to post before my computer drama was this commission of my rook, so here it is now! Juniper Aldwir, art from @/littlestpersimmon :)

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

Rate Your OC

tag game, tagged by @trash-begging thank you!! :) a tumblr game i can still participate in while my main/writing laptop is out of commission... i have been writing a lot about my Rook lately but also wanna flesh out my Adaar replay more so gonna do both of em :)

Juniper Aldwir

Compassion: 7/10, generally a caring/helpful person but has learned better than to let it override what needs to be done

Bitterness: 2/10, if you live with Strife i think you get used to letting go of arguments/insults preeetty fast

Happiness: 5/10 before Veilguard; 7/10 running around with Varric, after the game 8/10 figuring out more what to do with life/with Lucanis

Politeness: 3/10, waves at the tactful option as she blasts past it

Chivalry: 7/10, definitely sees herself as the protector/guardian role but loses out on this score for the aspect of 'politeness' probably lol

Pride: 8/10, definitely stubborn and doesn't like admitting she's wrong/has made mistakes--hence the major fallout with Strife where she gets kicked out of the Veiljumpers pre game...

Honesty: 7/10, we can call it honesty but 'bluntness' may be more accurate tbh

Bravery: 7/10, less relevant than recklessness in her life, but in general yeah even when she understands the risks she'll still charge in--the Veiljumper spirit

Recklessness: 11/10, most of the time just goes right for it and figures it out on the fly. does NOT always work out. one of her major personality traits probably

Ambition: 4/10, has general goals/desires for life but they're not about being the best or most powerful

Loyalty: 8/10, she's a staunch ally but has her own lines in the sand if pushed to them

Love: 8/10, feels thing deeply even if she tries to brush them off/act unaffected, after a life of mostly casual or complicated relationships she falls hard for Lucanis

Sense of family: 4/10 pre Veilguard--estranged from her brother/lost or lost touch with most of her former Dalish clan, and then the whole Veiljumper drama after, and then during Veilguard lost Varric/Harding :( so struggles with that but post game i think does get there eventually, i think she'll be my only OC who winds up with kids probably

Attractiveness: 10/10 every OC ive ever made is so hot. even if i dont think so in the CC i always think so by the end of the game.

Agility: 7/10, due to my failures as a player we are mage-knife slashing our way through this game but i refuse to ever learn how to parry in a videogame. thats simply not a button i care about and thus my poor OCs will deal.

Ataashi Adaar

Compassion: 4/10, something she consciously squashes down--she knows how precarious her situation + fate of Thedas is, and doesn't want to let feelings get in the way of action

Bitterness: 5/10, she's the type to silently hold a grudge for many years--not necessarily acting on it but it def impacts where she will put effort or not

Happiness: 5/10, doesn't think of herself as Unhappy but doesn't prioritize her own emotions over making the 'right' choice

Politeness: 8/10, being a qunari in southern Thedas this is in part a self defense thing, since people will be extra likely to interpret her as rude, so always is sure to phrase things . but she IS also blunt/aggressive when it comes to actually making decisions/taking action.

Chivalry: 6/10 i would say she is extremely courteous, but doesn't necessarily go out of her way for others the way the word chivalry implies. nevermind that i am still doing every fetchquest possible shh. probably she wouldnt but i the player must.

Pride: 8/10 she isn't necessarily opposed to being proven wrong about things, but she has a pretty deeply ingrained sense of self

Honesty: 6/10 she will be truthful (and frankly so) when appropriate but also isn't opposed to playing things close to the chest if the truth will cause more chaos or problems. doesn't lie for fun but is pragmatic about sharing information

Bravery: 10/10. fear is a weakness so DONT show that

Recklessness: 3/10, would vastly prefer to have a plan going in but isn't going to be paralyzed if improvising is the only option

Ambition: 8/10, the better she can position herself while she has power, the less likely she is to be taken advantage of later if she loses it

Loyalty: 4/10 to start but 7/10 later.. doesn't necessarily trust/believe others are in things for reasons other than their own gain, but comes around a bit over time. part of why she likes Vivienne right away is how upfront Viv is about what she wants/why she's there, though they do become very close with time.

Love: ???/10 Blackwall is the THIRD romance i am trying for her but i think it'll stick this time round. but i dont know much about how it plays out SO we shall see

Sense of family: 7/10 pre Inq and 3-5/10 during... def loved the camaraderie of being one of the mercenary company she was with, and so being thrown up to the forefront/head of a major institution was pretty isolating in a way that was hard for her to move past

Attractiveness: 10/10 even with the CC's (now corrected) blush crimes, f!adaar are always soooo hot

Agility: 4/10 she is a mage but otherwise built for power not speed i think!

tagging in return: @bettydice @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai @stealthflower @hellionil :) aaaand @baejax-the-great u told me about your DD2 pawn but NOT your pc so pls share them too

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

13 and 15 for Juniper and Lucanis?

thank you!! from this OC ask game :)

13. How do they comfort or reassure one another?

I think that a lot of their relationship starts out as small gestures that don't look like much but mean a lot. So Juniper is a very physical person, especially with hugs/touch/sparring/any sort of contact. But since from the start Lucanis is basically having a freakout/ptsd moment and not being ready for any physical aspects of their flirting (hence: backing off in the pantry almost-kiss scene), that's something Juniper sort of has to reign in instead. so where her impulse might be to hug someone she's instead trying to find other ways to comfort or distract him like bringing him fun ingredients from wherever she's been that day, leaving extra pillows in the pantry when he's not looking, etc. And while Lucanis' early forms of giving comfort to everyone are cooking/gifts/etc I think as time goes on and he gets more comfortable, he does recognize how much touch is important to Juniper, and even if he feels awkward about it at first makes the effort to put a hand on her shoulder/let her lean against him on the couch/etc. And by the end once they're for real together it's a lot of spending time together while cuddling, Lucanis reading & Juniper working on maps/notes/whatever else.

15. Would they let the world burn for their relationship or would they make sacrifices for the greater good?

ohhh that's a good one. man. i feeeeeel like Lucanis by the end of Veilguard is very burn-it-all in theory--ready to kill a god, defeat a monster, assassinate every venatori in tevinter--but has very little idea of what that actually entails in day to day in terms of like... standing up to Caterina or the established Crow order in ways that are best for him & Juniper's relationship at times (bc I do think Caterina would be a hellish MIL at first, at least to my Aldwir lmao). like i think Lucanis would intend well but doesn't actually have the experience advocating for himself/what he wants, and doesn't like rocking the boat, and that's something Juniper has to push him on at first. And i think the way she'd do that is actually by showing she doesn't just accept love as enough without actions, and if she disagrees with him or how he's handling something, she will just go do what she thinks is the better course of action instead without him. Which I think he'd be hurt by at first until he learns to be more assertive/argue for his own viewpoints, at which point Juniper is satisfied that if he's doing somehting it's because he truly thinks it's the right choice at least, and then they are much more aligned going forward.

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

Snapdragon and babies breath for the Rook flower asks!

you guys were on the same wavelength here haha thank you!! For the Rook flower asks :) for my Juniper Aldwir

Snapdragon: What’s the most selfish thing they’ve ever done?

Pre-game, Juniper definitely has some self-worth issues (being a veil jumper under Strife did NOT help there lmao), which she mostly covers up with bravado. I think she views the fact that she ended up leaving her former clan and the Veil Jumpers as selfish acts, even though the clan thing was complicated/Strife straight up kicks you out. so it's more regrets that if she'd been more agreeable/put aside what she thinks is right/compromise her personality, she could still be doing what she sees as an important job, rather than off traveling with Varric and feeling like she's not actually contributing where she should.

Post-game, she is going to fight to maintain access and control of the Lighthouse/Crossroads. While she has good intentions with this, she absolutely recognizes that a lot of it is because she's invested in learning more about them and doesn't want other groups coming in to fuck that up before she decides the best path forward for opening up access more.

Babies Breath: Would Rook want children? Do they ever have any?

I think she wants kids in a nebulous, far-off sort of way, and hasn't thought about the details/specifics much. I also think she is 1. reckless 2. impulsive 3. forgetful (or, preoccupied with 'more important things' is maybe a better way to put it), so is the most likely of any character i've made to get pregnant on accident. what even IS the birth control situation in Thedas??? there's bastards running around all over in the plots so we know it's not perfect. i haven't given any other of my DA protags children (what with Wardens having a hard time getting pregnant, Solas romance, and Hawke uhhhh well ive just put her through a Lot otherwise) so this is new territory for me lol.

So I do think at least the first kid she has with Lucanis was NOT planned, and only a year or two after the game events. I think this would also kind of force them to take a long hard look at their lives/work & Lucanis would have to have a crisis over raising his children as Crows or not. And Juniper about probably not putting herself in so many dangerous situations in Arlathan/the Crossroads. I haven't really worked out specific details in that regard, though I have considered giving them a pair of twins bc then I get to add in the extra chaos/angst Lucanis could have about siblings, but undecided if i wanna put poor Juniper through all that lmao. I DO think though that whenever the time comes to give birth she IS going to just ignore whatever Caterina's/Lucanis' elaborate Dellamorte Estate doctors and birthing plans were and fucks off to the forest to... idk i will invent some Dalish midwife or other from her clan or the veiljumpers. But yeah she lets them overplan and freak out and then sneaks off to the woods where things are practical and no-nonsense instead. She does send someone to tell Lucanis so he's still there in the end but lol. I just think its funny that he would be way more the detail-oriented plan for every contingency parent and she's more laid back and deals with the fuss by simply Opting Out.

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

thinkin bout the Lucanis in Teia's Armor Mod (edit: made by @emmavakarian-theirin!!) again and i can't draw comics so--

“Mireda,” Lucanis mutters as the chaos of battle recedes back to silence, and Rook glances over out of habit. He’s holding the shredded remains of his cape, and as he shakes it out, both the Venatori’s knife and severed hand tumble from the folds to the grass.

“Gross,” she comments, as he inspects the long slashes in the fabric.

“Spite got overenthusiastic. Just blood would have washed out, but now I’ll have to replace the fabric,” he complains. “And carry this around until we get back to the Lighthouse.”

“Just toss it over the edge,” Davrin suggests as he wipes down his own sword. “Maybe it’ll fall forever, or whatever lives beneath the Crossroads can eat it.”

“Do you think there’s monsters down there?” Rook asks, curious. “Just like, floating around?”

“I try not to think too hard about this place at all, Rook. Nothing here makes sense.”

Lucanis looks down at the fabric, considering, and begins to walk over to the gap between stone walls at the edge of the clearing, where the ground ceases and rocks tumble away into the Fade’s twisted sense of gravity. Rook watches him head away with a sudden intensity.

“Wow,” she says. “That cape really was hiding a lot.”

“Really, Rook?” Davrin rolls his eyes, and then also turns to watch as the assassin steps up to the edge, peering over. “Huh,” he amends a moment later. “Not wrong.”

“Do you think he’d notice if I threw away the rest of his capes, too?”

“He’s a Crow. He’s rich enough to have a different one for every day of the year. It might take you a while.” He pauses, and Rook can feel him turn to look at her. She keeps her own gaze on Lucanis, watching as he seems to debate whether or not to actually throw the blood-soaked bundle over the side. Why hadn’t she noticed before that his armor had so much leather hidden under the cloaks? They were far tighter than the trousers he wore at the lighthouse.

“You know, you’re not the only one I’ve caught admiring the view,” Davrin comments. “You are usually the one walking up front.” Rooks face and ears flush, and she knows he’s noticed by the way he elbows her side suggestively. “You’ve been spending a lot time with Lucanis lately.”

“Ah, well, you know me,” Rook tries to deflect. “I flirt with everyone. I flirt with you all the time. We all have our hobbies.” 

“You used to flirt with everyone,” Davrin corrects. “Lately you’ve seemed more… targeted in your pursuit.”

“Not that it’s doing me much good,” she confesses. Across the field, Lucanis seems to think better of the plan, and turns to head back with the cape still in his hands.

“See any monsters?” Rook calls.

“No, but I decided if there really was something down there, it’d be better not to give it my scent. Or blood, if any of mine made it on there.” He shakes his head as he rejoins their circle. “Back to the Lighthouse?”

“You’ve got some more Venatori blood on the back of your boot,” Davrin points out, and Lucanis twists to inspect the leather.

Rook shoots the warrior a pointed gaze, but he simply mouths a silent You’re welcome, as Lucanis pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and bends over to wipe the red flecks away before they dry. 

Rook pretends not to stare again.