Tagged by @elfyroot - thank you for the tag! This looked like a lot of fun.
*****
HIGHLIGHTS
Most Popular Fic: That Year at Arlathan University
Solavellan | Explicit | 137,509 words
This is the thing. The fic that started all this. The sheer amount of writing I've done this year is because of this goofy ass story that started from just a couple of doodles from @sky-blue-siha over on the Fen'Harem server. It was supposed to be a collection of comedy vignettes/shorts meant to be jokey and fun and light hearted.
Somewhere along the way, plot bit me in the ass and it turned into all that (gesturing wildly). Some vague retelling of DAI and DATV through the lens of an AU where the Dalish got their shit together and Thedas is more or less comparable to the Modern Age by the time we get to 9:40. Literally none of that was true when I started writing it, but I poured a lot of world-building into this sucker over six months.
I'm honestly really proud of it, and you can tell how much I grew as a writer by reading Chapter 1 and Chapter 26 back to back.
Aloth Corfiser/F!Watcher | Explicit | 3,060 words
This is a weird exception because it was already a one-shot I went back and basically added smut to, lol. Hilariously the chapter of smut is longer than the original piece, making it more than half of the overall wordcount now.
This is a retelling of the "confession" moment in Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire when you're romancing Aloth. Written as the climax (tee hee) of a slow burn romance that took five years to get its shit together.
Longest Completed Fic: That Year at Arlathan University
Solavellan | Explicit | 137,509 words
I won't say a whole lot more here since I talked about it above already (even though I could ramble on forever about this crack universe). But this is also the longest singular piece of work I've ever written, and it's just become so every special to me. I even have a physical binding of it because @opal-apparition is a factual angelic being.
Look at how happy this thing makes me. What a gift!
In Progress Fic that I want to work on More: Raid Nights
Solavellan | Explicit | 30,031 (at time of posting)
This is the current hyper-fixation. Also originally a cracked out idea who I'm like 99% sure was @elynnism's fault (also on the Fen'Harem server - this is a trend).
This is resonating with people in a way I didn't fully expect and has been one of my fastest growing readerships/subscriptions. It's also becoming special to me in that it's vaguely a retelling of how I met my husband (with quite a few key changes, but a lot of broad strokes). It's kind of turning into a love letter to him, even though I know he'll never read it. 😂
Spiciest Fic: A Cascade of Kindness
Solavellan | Explicit | 78,242 words
I'm giving this one to Cascade because I took everything i learned about writing smut from That Year at Arlathan University and did my best to up the ante. I think I did pretty well. There's more than one scene I can see perhaps a little too vividly in my head, lol.
Also it's got a muscle mommy Lavellan throwing Solas' skinny ass around. If that doesn't sell you on it, I don't know what will.
Most Updated Fic: That Year at Arlathan University
Solavellan | Explicit | 137,509 words
Prof!AU in here sweeping the awards ceremony. 😂 Really though, this wound up being a 26-chapter monstrosity that I've definitely gone back to ninja edit some typos from time to time when I do a reread, so it's definitely had the most edits on it.
Raid Nights might be right behind it despite it being so much shorter right now; I do a LOT of editorial to get the formatting right for all those text boxes and character portraits.
Tagging: No pressure or need to respond, but tagging all the people who really inspired me to write and keep writing this year. This is all here and real because of you. So thank you for cheering me on, offering concrit, taking the time to read and comment, collaborating with me, and (most importantly) for being my friends. 💖
@opal-apparition @sky-blue-siha @crittadownunder @elynnism @christeeenith @theriothag @kithsana @gefionne @luzial @psykergirl @aliceis-dead @ingellvarphd @tulipathy @virshiral and honestly I could soft tag most of the Fen'Harem population.
「Blond locks bounce against his cheeks as he springs upright in irritation from the question. Who did Sensei think he was talking to? Hands press against the soft couch cushions when he’s leaning forward a little, Joshua’s lips forming a pout; he wasn’t really able to hide that he was kind of flustered.」
“ I’m not five! Of course I realized right away. ”
I would like to know, from my fellow writers, their favorite romance scenes that they have written. Kisses, dramatic confessions, tragic partings, tearful reunions, I want to know.
Tagging: I'd adore seeing which scenes are @gefionne, @luzial, and @christeeenith's favorites! Please do share (though no pressure if you want to pass).
I'd like to pick one from each of my three Lavellan OCs: Prof!AU Ellana, HallaAtMe, and of course my girl Ame'lin. So they'll be in order under the cut (as this post will wind up being quite long):
From: That Year at Arlathan University, Chapter 23: The Inquisitor:
(Spoilers I guess since this is near the end of the story.)
“Our history… We were so wrong about you,“
“Were you? Have I not lied to you? Deceived you? Perhaps your Dalish curse best suits the occasion,” he laughed pitifully. “‘May the Dread Wolf take you,’ indeed,”
“Well, I mean, in all fairness… you did… several times actually-“
“You should know I never laid with you under false pretenses,” the intensity in his voice drew her gaze, and she had never believed any words more than those that he had just uttered. She didn’t care about any technicalities; whatever name he went by and whatever his past was, a part of her had accepted him for all he was despite missing so much of the picture. She had deliberately given him time to process and share his secrets at his own pace. Now he was just being too severe for his own good.
“Is this why we’ve never done doggy style?”
“Ellana-“
“You know, I thought that dick in the frescoes was familiar-“
“This is serious, my love,” his hand graced her cheek again, forcing her to meet his eye, but the slight twinge of a smirk on his lips told her she’d made her point.
The thing I like about this particular scene the most is that it hits all my favorite things about writing fanfiction: it's the core of the romance, it's a reframing of a canon event, and I still got to be silly with it with a dumb joke or two that I feel landed well. It's Ellana and Solas at their most refined essence in this story, even though it's a conversation in the Fade. It came very easily when I wrote it and, to me, that's the sign of a scene that was always going to be core to the story.
From: Raid Nights, Chapter 8: Side Quest:
Solas would have been humiliated if the whole song and dance of it all wasn't so incredibly attractive. It turned out that when Ellana was confident in her skill at something, she showed it whole-heartedly, even while making mistakes. It was a trait he’d noticed as she’d gotten better in WoW, and it was fully on display now in the arcade.
He liked it.
With a chuckle, he gestured to the cabinet to let her play out the bonus match against the AI. She shook her head with a laugh.
“It’s okay. Someone else can enjoy the credit. After all, I’m here to play with you.” He was grateful that as she turned to lead him further down the aisle the arcade was too dim to show the flush running up his ears. Her tone clearly hadn’t meant it the way his brain had run away with it. “Come on now, it’s your turn. What do you think you can trounce me at?”
Solas paused for a moment, tilting his head thoughtfully, before he moved forward with a gentle, tentative touch to her lower back to guide her to another row of machines. When he stopped in front of a pair of racing seats, she looked up at him incredulously.
“Initial D? You’re a racing game guy?”
“Actually,” he started, reaching his hand around her waist from behind and sliding his hand downward, pressing into the curve of her hip just long enough to draw a staggered breath from her, only to then pluck the game card from where it stuck out from her front jean pocket. When he leaned in to speak into her ear, he thought he heard her inhale. “I’m a race car guy. Or I was, once. Surely you noticed my vehicle isn’t standard?”
She bit at her lip and looked up at him apologetically, slowly turning to face him. They were close now, impossibly close, and as his eyes flicked down to her lips, he knew it would only take leaning in just a little further to—
The fun thing about Raid Nights was (and is) pulling from my own personal experiences and relationship and translating them to Solavellan. I get to exaggerate some and inject a little extra romance, but I also get to hide little nuggets of real life that feel like secrets between me and my spouse (and even though he doesn't actually read any of it, he's subject to me reading most of it out loud and cross-checking his banter).
I leaned on him a lot for car stuff in this chapter because Mr. Dayntee was exactly like this when we first started dating; in fact, on our first date, he zoomied in the same kind of car I describe Solas having in Raid Nights and I spent most of the ride with my hand white-knuckled on his car door handle (much to his amusement). This was over a decade and a half ago at this point and he's chilled out a lot (much like I indicate Solas has with years past), but he's still cheeky and playful and there will always be that slightly reckless side of him I can't say isn't terribly attractive.
Plus I really murdered myself with this whole pulling-the-arcade-card-out-of-her-pocket move and I'd be lying if I said I can't stop thinking about it. 🫦
Last, but not least, we have Ame'lin, from A Cascade of Kindness, Chapter 2: To Live:
The longer his story stretched on, the quieter Ame'lin grew and in the few glances he threw her way, her face was impassive and neutral. She was listening, absorbing, taking in every word, but showing no emotion one way or another. Now, in front of the place of his awakening, she slowly stepped forward, placing her hand on the crude, worn outline of what was, once, an intricately engraved outline of a wolf’s head. Her fingers traced over it slowly, and as she reached the bottom, her hand fell away and she turned to look at him.
“That is quite the tale, Fen’Harel,” she whispered, and he took in a shuddering breath. The title sounded foul, spoiled from her mouth.
He did not like that.
“It has been an age since I have worn that mantle. I am not eager to wear it again.”
“But it is true? You’re… him?”
He couldn’t bear to say it out loud, as it felt too heavy a sin, so he simply nodded.
She watched him for a moment, and a scatter of emotions crossed her face. Sadness. Pity. Perhaps a bit of confusion. Finally, she sighed, stepping over to an outcropping of rock on the hill that housed the shrine, and sat. She gestured him over. Eventually, he found the will to join her.
They sat quietly for a time, simply existing, little more on the air than the sound of the wind through the trees or the occasional songbird enjoying the warmth of spring that had finally broken through. The roads would be safe to travel soon. His recovery had come a long way.
Solas’ time with the Dalish had every reason to end.
“So what’s next?” Ame’lin turned to him and, when he met her eyes, he realized now she was truly seeing him for what he was. Everything he was.
And, as far as he could tell, she had rejected none of it.
“I admit that I have thought little of it since I first woke. You have been… Your clan has been a distraction, if a welcome and… needed one.”
“So the Dread Wolf has no plan?” The smallest smile curled her lips, and she chuckled. “Well, at least some of the stories are right then. You are a little mad.”
He couldn’t help the stretch of his lips to a self-deprecating smile. She was unbelievable.
“I suppose my next steps begin with leaving Clan Lavellan.”
Her smile faltered, and she turned away, looking back out over the tree line they were only just barely above. It was late afternoon; they would either need to hurry back, or camp for the evening on the way.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
What?
“That is- There is no need-“
“There is every need. You have no one else, at least that you know of, to call an ally. You have no plan. You don’t know this age or the people that live in this world. And correct me if I’m wrong, but have I not, at the very least, become your friend?” At the question, she returned her eyes to his, and there was nothing but warmth within them.
Ridiculous. Impossible. Undeniably stubborn.
“You are…” He breathed a sigh and shook his head helplessly. “You are.”
This scene is special for a number of reasons. It's a very vulnerable one for both characters: they're both trusting someone utterly and totally for the first time in their lives. In all likelihood, I think this might actually be where they start falling in actual love with one another, but it takes more time for them to move to that next stage given both their hang ups.
There's also the fact that while I felt really great about this scene, I didn't expect it to be the one @ingellvarphd would pick to be the inspiration for her DABB art. In retrospect, I'm not sure why I was surprised, because like the other scenes I've discussed, this one was written so easily it was likely to always have been a defining moment. But it was a nice moment of connection for me; not just for the characters, but with my DABB partner and someone whom I'm now so honored to call friend. ☺️ That was, and always will be, very special to me!
Did I last minute decide to put together my topic choices for Kinktober at 9pm on day 1 and then try to challenge myself to 100 word blurbs for each one even though I’m still waist deep in my Dragon Age Big Bang project?
Yes. Yes I did. I’m going to blame @opal-apparition. She knows what she did. (Or maybe she doesn’t and should just take credit anyway.)
They may or may not all end up Dragon Age. Heck, I’m not confident they won’t end up Bellassan. I make no promises either way, but it seemed achievable so we’re going to try.
Day 1 - Masturbation
Fandom: Dragon Age
Pairing: Bellara/Felassan
Notes: You can consider this one Arlathan University canon compliant.
Kink under the cut!
*****
They had been at the dig site for a few weeks and after the third dream in a row, Bellara had decided it would be better to just give up.
It was innocent enough at first. Just one of those little crushes, you know? He was just a cute guy on the dig site. No big deal! Say hi, be friendly, get to know him, stay professional.
Easy.
The problem with Felassan was that he was charming. Friendly and funny and always smiling. And as she pumped her hand furiously in her bunk, that smile was all she could see.
*****
For more Bellassan wanking enjoyment, Chapter 2 of Eternal Arrow has you covered.
I’ve had a few tags and I know this front has been awful quiet. Thank you @alice-dead and @pooyaaaaan for keeping me grounded. 😘
The Dragon Age Big Bang continues to occupy most of my time. My counter broke 30k yesterday, and I’m roughly at the halfway point and at risk of falling behind. With September often being busy for me, it probably means continuing to limit my extra writing projects…
But man y’all I cannot wait to share my DABB stuff and I will be yelling an inordinate amount about it when we get there.
I have a commission in queue for a Prof!AU piece that I just received an incredible update on that has me back in the throes of a very special couple, so of course what do I do?
Pick up an in progress PWP of course:
“There’s wine chilling in the fridge.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And I got everything to make that Antivan dish you like.”
“Mmm.”
“But I didn’t know what you’d want for dessert-“
With a short toss, Felassan dropped her onto their bed, falling over her with an arm at each side holding him up. He threw her a wicked grin.
“I think I want my dessert first.”
The smut demon was around in full force yesterday and I get the feeling it’s gonna stick around for a while.
If you’ve never heard of Bellassan (Bellara/Felassan) and are curious about how that even works, you can get some of the vibes from my collection of Prof!AU fluff/smut here. Prof!AU not required but heavily encouraged.
Tagging all the people I know hungrily eye the Bellassan updates, not necessarily to post unless you want to, but to alert you to more Bellassan PWP in progress (and when y’all joining this train?): @opal-apparition @theriothag @crittadownunder @christinabindon @elynnism @virshiral @kithsana
It's not Wednesday, but I have a tag from @elynnism that came in after I posted my little game dev thing, so eff it, we'll use it as an excuse to post something else this fine Friday.
DABB is heating up now that we have been assigned artists, and that's likely going to consume most of my writing time, but sometimes you need a break from one project just to refresh.
So, of course... I'm back on my Bellassan bullshit. Part of Prof!AU greater canon here, after Chapter 26, but before the epilogue.
Felassan dropped his face into his hands for what felt like the hundredth time today. Why was this so difficult? How was it that, after a year of everything that could happen, he could still get such dense shemlen questions on a daily basis, most of which were covered in the first week of classes?
What do you mean Halamshiral wasn’t the capital of Ancient Elvhenan?
If the Dalish have aravels, why do they need alienages?
How did the ancient elves use the bathroom while they were in uthenera?
He swore by Fen’Harel’s hairy balls (which he could, in fact, personally attest to) that teaching this class would be the death of him.
Open tags as usual, my lovelies. Have a wonderful weekend. ☺️
