okay i received literally the most amazing three (3????? how i deserve??? me????) gifts for the @black-emporium-exchange and i HAVE to scream about them otherwise i'm going to self-combust jUST LOOK AT ALL THE PERFECTION UNDER THE CUT👀👀👀😍😍😍
Treatise on Towers
Male Amell/Morrigan | T | Words: 1714
Two domestically-inept mages try to raise a god-baby.
~~~
They told me the perfect Male Amell/Morrigan fic doesn't exist WELL I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT IT FUCKING DOES AND THIS!!! THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are the cutest and so is Kieran and I my soul haven't stopped shedding tears of happiness because this is literally E V E R Y T H I N G. And if you are, by any chance, as enamored with this pairing as I am, you can find it right over here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32980231
Me the whole time reading this:
rules of conduct
Anders/Male Hawke/Dorian Pavus | E | Words: 6343
“Excuse me,” said Dorian, so scandalized he sounded horrifyingly like his own mother, “this is private property. You can’t just squat here!”
The other man’s expression switched from apprehensive to outraged. “Oh really! And what law says that?”
Dorian gaped at him, momentarily speechless. “...Inquisition law?” he tried.
Brown eyes flashed an unearthly blue. “Land is part of nature, and cannot be owned. Any attempts to do so are fundamentally unjust.”
—
Hawke attempts to hide Anders in Skyhold. The ruse doesn’t last long.
~~~
okay but HOLY HEAVENS ABOVE AND HELLS BELOW this is spectacular, hilarious, fantastic, unBELIEVABLY hot Dorihanders and I will keep it treasured close to my heart until eternity itself implodes and even then I shall not let the void take this perfection with it. Read AND PLEASE SCREAM W ME ABOUT it over here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33701074
Me the whole time reading this:
Sirens
Anders/Nathaniel Howe/Justice | E | Words: 15504
“Why would a mortal ever allow such a thing?” Justice asks.
Nathaniel ponders the question. “For life,” he says finally. Thoughtfully. “For love. Perhaps together, you can do what they cannot do alone. If you gave instead of taking, I would consider you no demon.”
It is something to consider, Justice thinks. Somehow, he is far more preoccupied with the way Nathaniel offers a smile: like he is someone who deserves to be loved.
~~~
WHEN I SAY I DIED—
IN THE BEST OF WAYS POSSIBLE MIND YOU
AND NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE WORD COUNT BUT BECAUSE OF EVERY SINGLE WORD OF THIS STORY THAT LITERALLY HAD ME CRYING DURING WORK HOURS AND LAUGHING AND SQUEALING AND FANNING MYSELF (thank god i work from home lmao) AND
*S C R E A M S AGAIN*
okay just holy shit if you love Nanders and if you love Justice and you haven't read it yet, I have no idea what's stopping you save from not having the link well here it is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33722368/chapters/83816623
Me the whole time reading this:
If any of the wonderful authors are seeing this post KNOW THAT I SHALL LOVE AND WORSHIP YOU TILL THE END OF TIME I CAN NEVER HOPE TO EXPRESS THE FULL EXTENT OF MY GRATITUDE BUT THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCKING!!!!!!!!! MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tranquil Anders, Cure for Tranquility, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Whump, Canon-Typical Violence, Sexual Content, Suicidal Thoughts
Summary: After Anders is captured by templars and made Tranquil, Nathaniel finds himself grieving both the man he loves and the relationship they had barely had a chance to begin.
Hope appears in an unexpected form when Justice returns from a mission in the south, restoring Anders to something like his former self. But the cure Justice’s proximity provides is only temporary, and fades whenever they are apart. Now Nathaniel and Anders must figure out how to move forward, knowing their relationship has likely been changed forever.
Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tranquil Anders, Cure for Tranquility, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Whump, Canon-Typical Violence, Sexual Content, Suicidal Thoughts
Summary: After Anders is captured by templars and made Tranquil, Nathaniel finds himself grieving both the man he loves and the relationship they had barely had a chance to begin.
Hope appears in an unexpected form when Justice returns from a mission in the south, restoring Anders to something like his former self. But the cure Justice’s proximity provides is only temporary, and fades whenever they are apart. Now Nathaniel and Anders must figure out how to move forward, knowing their relationship has likely been changed forever.
Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tranquil Anders, Cure for Tranquility, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Whump, Canon-Typical Violence, Sexual Content
Summary: After Anders is captured by templars and made Tranquil, Nathaniel finds himself grieving both the man he loves and the relationship they had barely had a chance to begin.
Hope appears in an unexpected form when Justice returns from a mission in the south, restoring Anders to something like his former self. But the cure Justice’s proximity provides is only temporary, and fades whenever they are apart. Now Nathaniel and Anders must figure out how to move forward, knowing their relationship has likely been changed forever.
Rating: Mature
Pairing: Anders/Nathaniel Howe, Anders/Nathaniel Howe/Justice
Chapters: 3/8
Words: 15810
Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tranquil Anders, Cure for Tranquility, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Whump, Canon-Typical Violence, Sexual Content
Summary: After Anders is captured by templars and made Tranquil, Nathaniel finds himself grieving both the man he loves and the relationship they had barely had a chance to begin.
Hope appears in an unexpected form when Justice returns from a mission in the south, restoring Anders to something like his former self. But the cure Justice’s proximity provides is only temporary, and fades whenever they are apart. Now Nathaniel and Anders must figure out how to move forward, knowing their relationship has likely been changed forever.
Start at the beginning
Chapter 3 excerpt:
The door to the infirmary swung open and Amell stepped inside. The way his gaze went straight to Anders made it clear that Velanna had explained what happened. His dark eyebrows drew together as he took in the obvious signs of emotion, the way he was slumped against Nathaniel, where they both sat on the floor, the puffy red skin around his eyes as he looked up.
"Amell," he said, his voice wavering. A fresh wave of emotion seemed to wash over him at the sight of the Commander and Nathaniel had no doubt he was remembering how Amell had been the one to rescue him from the Circle tower. "Justice, he..."
"Cured you," Amell finished for him, as Anders' voice shook under the weight of his intensified emotions. "Velanna told me. I confess, I was unsure if I truly believed it."
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Rating: Mature
Pairing: Anders/Nathaniel Howe, Anders/Nathaniel Howe/Justice
Chapters: 2/8
Words: 10271
Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tranquil Anders,Cure for Tranquility, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Whump, Canon-Typical Violence, Sexual Content
Summary: After Anders is captured by templars and made Tranquil, Nathaniel finds himself grieving both the man he loves and the relationship they had barely had a chance to begin.
Hope appears in an unexpected form when Justice returns from a mission in the south, restoring Anders to something like his former self. But the cure Justice’s proximity provides is only temporary, and fades whenever they are apart. Now Nathaniel and Anders must figure out how to move forward, knowing their relationship has likely been changed forever.
Start at the beginning
Chapter 2 excerpt:
Nathaniel had thought that remaining in Vigil’s Keep with Anders in his Tranquil state would mean seeing him often. He quickly found that he was mistaken about that. For the rest of the day and the one following, Nathaniel saw no sign of him. When he didn't show up for meals during either of the two days, Nathaniel began to wonder if Amell had told him to stay away. He didn't understand much about the Tranquil but it didn't seem like forgetting to eat should be a problem for them. They would surely feel hunger like anyone else.
After supper on the second night, Nathaniel found himself worrying about it. He couldn't help it. As much as he dreaded the thought of seeing those empty eyes that had once been so full of life and passion and mischief staring at him from beneath a sunburst brand, none of that changed the fact that Nathaniel cared about him deeply. The thought of him being left vulnerable didn't sit well with him.
So Nathaniel sought him out. The infirmary was closer to the dining hall than their bedrooms, which was why Nathaniel decided to look for him there first. He was surprised to find him so easily, still working even at this late hour, at a table in the corner, surrounded by a large pile of books.
"What are you doing?" He had thought he would have trouble bringing himself to speak to Anders now but his curiosity won out in the end.
"I am reading." He looked up from the page to look blankly up at Nathaniel and elaborated, "Studying. If I'm to take up the role of a mundane physician then there are some things I will need to revise. Perhaps in time I might learn enough to tend even to serious wounds."
"In time…? You don't think the Commander will have a cure by then?"
"Perhaps, but I have never heard of such a cure. It seems logical to prepare for the possibility that one might not be found."
Anders waited while Nathaniel frowned at him and tried to pull his thoughts together. It had never occurred to him to ask yesterday because it seemed obvious what the Anders he knew would have wanted, but this Anders was different. So he found himself asking, "If he succeeded, would you want it? Would you agree to go through with it?"
"Those are two different questions. I remember the distress I experienced before the rite was performed and I have no wish to experience it again. But my fear was of the rite itself. I did not want this. If you had asked me then I would have told you I'd prefer death to living like this. I no longer feel that way. If there is another option I would take that instead."
The response took some time for Nathaniel to wrap his mind around. The idea that Anders would accept a cure only because it was preferable to being killed out of mercy was too much to take in. As was the thought that just keeping him alive in this state was going against Anders' wishes.
"You seem upset by what I've told you. Perhaps I should clarify. The cure is what I would have wanted once. Knowing that, I will agree to it. If it can be done."
Unable to form words to reply, Nathaniel simply nodded.
"Is there anything else you wanted to ask? It's clear that being here is distressing for you and I have no need of assistance. You can leave if you want to."
"I will go. Soon. I just thought someone should check on you. I haven't seen you once during mealtimes and I thought… well I don't know how much assistance you might need now." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he felt stupid, though the unaffected look Anders gave him had not changed throughout their conversation. He was clearly in no discomfort. He just looked busy. Almost as though Nathaniel was interrupting and Anders was just politely waiting for him to leave.
"I need nothing from you. Everything I could do without magic before, I can do now. The rest I intend to figure out. I have been eating later, away from the dining hall because I suspected my presence would be upsetting for you and some of the others there. That is all."
"Oh…" In that case Nathaniel supposed there was no reason for him to stay. Anders appeared to be waiting patiently, either for more questions or for Nathaniel to leave.
"Is there something else that I should say or do? I know we were often intimate before. I cared about you in ways I am no longer able to. But if there's something I can do to make this change easier for you I will try."
Nathaniel didn't know what Anders could give him that would make this easier. As much as he longed to be held by him, it wouldn't be the same without any feeling behind it. Without knowing Anders wanted it too. There was no point. "There's nothing you can do. I'll… simply have to endure it. If there's nothing you need then… good night Anders."
"Good night, Nathaniel.”
Nathaniel barely registered the walk back to his own room, as focused as he was on simply trying to hold it together. He’d been more successful at it last night. Nathaniel knew little about magic. Last night he’d told himself that if Amell thought he could find a way to reverse Anders’ Tranquillity then there was no reason not to believe him. But Anders had been unconvinced. Nathaniel didn’t have to fully understand what had become of him to know that there was no use for optimism or pessimism for a Tranquil. All that would matter to them was the truth of the matter. And in this case, Anders didn’t seem to believe it could be done.
He’d accepted this as his fate and was now preparing to live with it.
The hope that had kept Nathaniel from falling apart this far now crumbled. He’d lost him. They’d barely even had a chance. Nathaniel had never told him how he felt. He’d fallen into this thing with Anders without even meaning to, swept away by this attraction that had overwhelmed all logic. He’d wanted Anders so much he couldn’t think and when it all finally caught up with him and he’d begun to fear that his feelings for Anders were far more than Anders would ever want from him, he’d still been unable to give it up. Being close to him had always felt too good in the moment. It was too easy to pretend that Anders felt the same way. At least until the moments when he’d pull away too soon, or laugh off some sentimental thing that Nathaniel had said in the heat of the moment.
So he’d never told him. He’d been afraid that the intensity of his feelings would scare Anders away. It seemed so stupid now.
He’d never thought he was a coward, or a fool, but this thing with Anders had had him acting in ways he never thought he would. If he’d only told Anders how he felt, and he’d walked away, perhaps he never would have fallen in so deep. If he’d accepted his feelings, well, he wouldn’t feel like such a coward. Though he doubted it would hurt any less.
He closed the door to his room behind him and sank to the floor. The hopelessness he felt was such a heavy weight. He didn’t know how he was supposed to keep going beneath it. Only that he had to. There was nothing else he could do.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Rating: Mature
Pairing: Anders/Nathaniel Howe, Anders/Nathaniel Howe/Justice
Chapters: 1/8
Words: 4436
Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tranquil Anders,Cure for Tranquility, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Whump, Canon-Typical Violence, Sexual Content
Summary: After Anders is captured by templars and made Tranquil, Nathaniel finds himself grieving both the man he loves and the relationship they had barely had a chance to begin.
Hope appears in an unexpected form when Justice returns from a mission in the south, restoring Anders to something like his former self. But the cure Justice's proximity provides is only temporary, and fades whenever they are apart. Now Nathaniel and Anders must figure out how to move forward, knowing their relationship has likely been changed forever.
It’s finally here! I’ve been making an effort not to rush through editing this since I finished the first draft. So far, I feel like it’s paid off because it’s more or less done and I haven’t made myself hate it yet. There are still some minor edits that I want to make to later chapters so I’ll be updating weekly to give myself time to get those done.
Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter:
Out getting breakfast. Sick of the gruel they keep serving up here so I’m going to see if I can bring us something decent back from the market. Be back soon - A
It had been hours since Nathaniel found the note, since he’d woken up with it there on the pillow next to his and Anders’ side of the bed empty and cold. At first he’d smiled at the thought of Anders going to such efforts to treat him, assuming the market was currently any better stocked than the kitchen at the inn.
Only then he didn’t come back.
The most likely possibility, in that first hour Nathaniel had waited, seemed to be that Anders had been distracted and would return soon enough with a reason for his prolonged absence. Then hours passed with no sign of him, even after Nathaniel had dressed and found the others, and a few of them had headed out to search the city. That was when the worst of Nathaniel's worries started to trickle in past the more practical thoughts of how he and his fellow Wardens might continue their search.
They had stayed the night at the Crown and Lion. After the darkspawn attack on Amaranthine, it had been largely up to the Wardens and the surviving soldiers from Vigil’s Keep to assist with the relief efforts. A significant number of the city guard and templars had died in the attack but there were survivors, civilians included, who were well enough to help rebuild the city.
It was a testament to the good Anders had done over the past week, working tirelessly to heal those wounded in the attack, that when asked, there were few who thought to question the necessity of putting their work on hold to search for the missing mage. It didn’t take long after that to determine that he was no longer in the city. By then, Nathaniel's trickling fears had pooled into a sickly weight in the pit of his stomach.
How many hours had they wasted, thinking they might find him in Amaranthine?
Amell had looked at Nathaniel then, his dark eyebrows drawn together as he had considered their next move.
“We should consider the possibility that he simply took this opportunity to run.”
“Why would he do that?” Nathaniel asked sharply, appalled by the suggestion.
Amell was unaffected by Nathaniel’s tone and answered easily, “He has expressed displeasure with several of my decisions recently. He convinced me to let the Wardens do what we could for the city, but my decision to work with the Architect was hardly well received." He paused before adding, "He was a notorious runner back in the Circle…”
“He’s not in the Circle anymore. He’s happy with the Wardens.” He’s happy with me… But even as Nathaniel vehemently denied the possibility that Anders left of his own volition, he began to wonder about Amell’s suggestion. Had he been happy? Last night he had seemed it, but the weeks prior had been some of the most difficult they had faced. It made him wonder if there was a chance Amell could be right, that Anders had come to him for one last night together, a goodbye of sorts, before he went on his way.
Nathaniel had never quite known where he stood with Anders. He was a shameless flirt most of the time, and yet there were moments between them where he’d thought he’d caught a glimpse of something deeper. Last night was one of those times. It had been on the tip of Nathaniel’s tongue just to tell him finally how he truly felt, but something had held him back. His fear that this intimacy between them all meant so much more to Nathaniel than it did to Anders had won out in the end.
Thank you for the tag @anderstrevelyan! As of today my Justnanders fic is only still a WIP because I haven’t edited it yet. I just finished the first draft about an hour ago! I still have 8k left to write for nanowrimo though so I guess I’ll have to look for something else work on for that XD
This excerpt is from the last chapter so if you want to read the fic and are bothered about spoilers feel free to skip this (though I really doubt anyone is going to be surprised by how the story ends)
Anders was there. His hair was a little damp but he was just sitting on the step, below a narrow overhang, out of the rain. He seemed surprised when Nathaniel sat beside him and handed him the mug of tea.
"How did you know I'd be here?"
"I had a hunch. I thought when I found you there would be more glowing."
Anders smirked slightly. "Seemed too risky. Justice agreed to keep it to a minimum."
"But he wanted to know what it was like to feel the rain on his skin."
Anders shrugged. "I tried to tell him it's not all it's cracked up to be but when we made it out here, I had to admit he has a point..." he closed his eyes and breathed in, and for a moment just seemed to listen to the sound of the rain falling around them. "There is beauty in it."
Was that Anders speaking, Nathaniel wondered, or Justice? Did the distinction really matter any more?
He took a sip of his tea, enjoying the warmth of the liquid in contrast with the cold, wet air around him, and just watching as Anders enjoyed the first morning of this strange new freedom he'd found.
tagging: @fandomn00blr, @goth-surana, @aria-i-adagio, @johaeryslavellan, @dalish-rogue, @sulky-valkyrie, @glowing-blue-feathermage and anyone else who wants to join in. Please feel free to tag me if you want to share something you’ve been working on.
