Catalina grinned and nearly vibrated with excitement as she caught sight of Iona’s cottage in a large clearing among the trees. Feeding off of her own emotions, Itzel cocked her head and said in Spanish, “I suppose it has been a while, hasn’t it? It’ll be nice to see them again.”
“It has! Last time was when she came to visit us in Spain…when? Goodness, it’s been maybe two years?” Catalina began the descent on her broom, Itzel keeping right at her side. “Just imagine the look on her face!”
The two spotted her as they got closer, seeing movement in one of her many greenhouses. Iona’s setup was really quite impressive - she had journals of notes on all of her different herbs: what kind of zone they grew in, the amount of water and sunlight they needed, what grew good close together, and so on. She then took all of that information and carefully created each greenhouse to be a suitable habitat to grow what she needed. All of her regular flowers that she cared for decorated the outside of the cottage and the property. She was most definitely creating a botanist’s paradise and Catalina was so proud of her.
The witch landed outside of the greenhouse where she had seen the figure moving. Broom remaining in hand, Itzel landed at the top of it as Catalina skipped inside and sang out in English, “Surpriiise! I’m here, cariño mío!”
Iona shrieked with surprise and exclaimed something in Gaelic, but a wide smile was on her face. She’d been hunched over, digging into the dirt of her raised beds, but was now running towards her while Marvin’s eyes sparkled, watching the interaction. Iona was about to throw her arms around Catalina, but she stopped just short, hesitating. “I- Well, I’m so happy to see you, but I’m rather dirty…”
Catalina scoffed and closed the gap, pulling Iona into a hug, though she could tell her friend was still trying to be careful to not smudge dirt on her brightly colored shirt or fair skin. Catalina swatted her shoulder lightly. “Give me a real hug!”
“But I don’t-!”
“I don’t care! It’ll come clean!”
Iona caved and engulfed her in a full hug. They remained there for several long seconds before separating. “I wasn’t expecting you for a while longer! I thought you had things to wrap up?”
“I took care of it! I just couldn’t wait any longer.” Itzel flew off from the perch of the broom as Catalina made it vanish and found a new resting spot on the edge of one of the beds near Marvin, the two familiars sharing a silent exchange. “Come, come, start talking! What is new, what are you doing, what’s planned?!”
Iona laughed weakly. “I think you underestimate how slow the pace of life is out here compared to yours. My big goal for the day was harvesting some of my echinacea and making some new stores.”
“Wonderful! How can I help?”
Iona’s eyes immediately darted down to Catalina’s dangling bracelets, multiple stacking rings on each finger, and her well manicured nails. “I think I can find a pair of gloves inside if you’d really like to help. I prefer to do this part by hand instead of by magic. It’s soothing for me.”
Catalina nodded rapidly. “Yes? No, I don’t need gloves.” She started removing her jewelry. “If it’s how you want to do it, I’m willing to learn! Let’s go!”
“You just arrived! I can at least take a break and go prepare some food and drink for you.”
“Nonsense, I’m fine. I don’t want to interrupt what you were already doing. Come on, put me to work!”
Iona still paused, but finally gestured her over to where she had been working. She began to explain the process, the proper way to harvest it and how she needed to handle it after having done so. Catalina listened intently, not wanting to mess up anything if she could help it. She watched Iona do it twice before attempting it herself under a watchful gaze. She was a little startled to feel how cool the soil was when she made contact with it. It wasn’t like she’d never touched dirt before, but it had been some time since she’d dug her hands fully in. It sent a slight tingle up her arms and she felt herself relaxing a little, not realizing she’d been tense at all. Once she uprooted it carefully, she held it out to Iona to let her handle cutting the roots and removing what other parts she needed. Catalina immediately went in for the next one, not even pausing to remove some of the dirt from under her fingernails, though she could feel it compacting under there. Just because she was a well respected and renowned witch in the big city didn’t mean that she couldn’t get down and dirty when she wanted to, especially when for the sake of her best friend. Iona had clearly already been at it for a good part of the day - her sleeves were rolled up and there was dirt all over her lap, some on her shirt, and it was smudged on her arms as high as her elbows. With a glance at Marvin, she saw that even he had some dirt on his massive antlers, suggesting he’d done something to help out.
The two formed a good system with leaving most of the uprooting to Catalina and the harvesting to Iona that they finished an entire bed at a relatively quick pace. Once she deemed them finished, Iona fetched one of the buckets of water and invited Catalina to dip her hands in and wash them off. “Thank you for helping. I appreciate it. And you didn’t have to, especially when you just got here.”
“Of course! Anything for you! Now…I do believe you mentioned something earlier about some food, yes?”
“Yes! Let me bring these in and clean up and I’ll make something! Itzel, would you like anything?”
Itzel got a twinkle in her eye. “I recall we both like flan, yes?”
“You know I have some.” Iona winked. “Come on, let’s head inside!”
Okay, I hope you guys don’t mind, but this post from @roguelioness and @ma-sulevin sparked a little bit of inspiration for this drabble that got out of control very quickly. I tweaked it minorly to where it isn’t a full AU of Lavellan dreaming about the events of DAI and Trespasser, but rather, where she is still living in that timeline. Angst fuels my soul, I’m sorry!
I hope you like it! ><
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Falling asleep with Solas next to her in bed, Lavellan couldn’t help but smile as she curled up into his embrace, her arm extended across his chest while he held her close to his side. She’d hoped she would be able to fall asleep like that, before she got too warm and had to move away. She felt like she always had far more pleasant dreams when she drifted off with her head resting on his upper arm. The comfort of someone being so close to her when she’d never felt like this ever before drowned out the nightmares she’d gotten since the Anchor etched itself into her skin. Sure, she still had them from time to time, but they felt much less threatening to her now.
Yet, that night...was quite different. It felt like a hand was grasping her neck and slowly squeezing, making her gasp for breath and toss and turn in her sleep almost to the point of it being violent. No matter what she saw flashing behind her closed lids, she couldn’t open them and break free. The longer she watched, the more mystified she became, unable to look away and not truly wanting to wake up until she saw how this horrific scene ended.
It started with a man in the shadows, hand extending into the light and offering the orb of power to Corypheus. She watched as his disfigured, clawed hand reached out and clutched it tightly, the orb sparking to life and illuminating the room. The man in the shadows was none other than an emotionless Solas. She had just barely managed to part her lips to call out to him when everything changed in an instant around her. She felt like she was being held by hand wrists and being tugged in different directions every time she started to see something else.
There was Haven and its destruction with another good look at Corypheus, the orb, and his decaying dragon. The ripple in time at Redcliffe and the deaths of her companions from the future...including watching Solas’s lifeless corpse get tossed around by a demon. A choked sob rose in her throat, but she had no time to linger. There were many fights with red Templars, there was a masked gathering at an elegant looking palace, wanderings in an ancient forest, trekking across a desert, fighting dragons from snowy peaks to marshy swamps. There was a pool of water with whispering voices and strange elves looking at her. It seemed like Solas was there in every flash, his expressions ever changing, but remaining within the same spectrum. He was smiling and looking at her with adoration. He was twisted up with anger as he shouted and cast spells. He was concerned and rushing to her, looking her over for wounds. He was solemn and stoic, gazing off into the distance and getting lost in thought. He was then standing in front of her with deep regret and shaking his head while taking a step back from her. “I’m sorry,” she heard echo around her, clear as day. She could feel tears brimming on her eyes as he turned away and she reached out to him. Then laying before her feet was the orb, cracked and broken and lifeless...and Solas was nowhere to be seen.
It changed again. Lavellan was back in that palace, wearing strange clothes and looking around at what appeared to be a gathering. She couldn’t fully understand the words being said, but she could tell that tensions were high. Hands were being thrown around, gestures being made, and fingers being pointed. Then she was suddenly roaming the halls, her sword in hand, looking around for...something. Something important. There were bodies of dead qunari littering the halls and the...wait...was she outdoors? Where was this place? It seemed ethereal and in the clouds and...spirits floated about her. They spoke to her in an old tongue that she both did and didn’t understand. There was an explosion from so far away that rattled her bones, there was another dragon, qunari charging them - was one of them Bull?!
But that all faded away when she stood before Solas, wearing strange armor and holding himself with a different demeanor that she’d never seen before. There were strange qunari statues all around them, all bearing weapons pointed in his direction. She was falling to her knees in pain, the Anchor flashing and flaring with powerful activity. He came to her and cradled her hand, his eyes displaying great sadness and flashing a strange blue. He spoke to her and she couldn’t catch all the words from the pain thrumming in her ears, but she knew that she felt rage and betrayal.
“I was Solas first… Fen’harel came later.”
More words were spoken, but Lavellan’s head spun from overwhelming confusion and the aching migraine. Solas knelt before her and drew her in for a passionate, sorrowful kiss as he held her left hand and brushed her cheek with his other. “I will never forget you.”
Lavellan jolted awake, eyes bolting open and inhaling sharply. She could feel the sweat on her brow and the sheets, making her feel like she was clung to that spot on her bed. She was turned on her side, her back to Solas, legs partially entangled in the blanket. She went to go sit up and realized as she pushed herself up with her arms that she was trembling. She tried to take deep, calming breaths to slow her racing heart while her eyes glanced over at Solas. He was still on his back, his hands folded across his stomach, breathing evenly. If she had been moving about in her sleep, it didn’t seem to have disturbed him. She carefully pried herself off of the sheets and out of bed, changed her nightgown, and stepped out onto the balcony for some fresh air.
What in the Creators’ name was all of that? It felt so incredibly real, not anything like a dream she’d ever had before. Sure, they’d all been more vivid since the Anchor entered her life, but that felt...different. Everything seemed to have a green glow about it, much like how the breach looked and the color that the Anchor flared with. It felt more like a premonition, but there was so much involved. How could she even start to untangle all of that? The things that stood out most to her were those scenarios involving Solas. All of the ways he looked at her and acted around her. That heartbroken look as he turned away from her...he had left her. Left her alone in the dark, wherever she was. And that orb! The orb Corypheus had...he got from Solas? He was the first to point out to her that it was an elven artifact, but...there were too many pieces there that didn’t fit. And that last bit, right before she woke...that made the least sense of all. Fen’harel...and Solas? He was one and the same?
With a glance over her shoulder, she couldn’t help but admit to herself that he was an enigma. He didn’t freely offer much detail about himself, but was more than happy to speak of historical things or discoveries made in the Fade.
Wait. The green glow everything seemed to have. Had she been in the Fade the entire time during her dreams? How was it that Solas described the Fade to her during one of their first discussions? Hosts of spirits reenacting events. If it was possible for them to do that...could they put on a display of things yet to occur?
She pressed her face into her hand. She could feel a headache coming on and regardless of how refreshing the chilly night air was, Lavellan knew she wasn’t getting any further sleep that night.
Several days passed and she found herself growing increasingly irritated, but anytime a moment presented itself for her to open up a discussion with Solas, she found that she couldn’t. She sounded crazy, even to herself. “Oh, hey there, Solas! I’m just a little pissed off at you because of things I dreamed about that seemed far too real and could possibly have been events of the future!”
There was no way she could go to him with that. She kept trying to tell herself that it was just a dream, just a dream...but there was a large piece of her that couldn’t forget the things she’d seen and those pent up frustrations were taking a toll. She was short and snippy with Solas, though he’d truly done nothing (yet) to deserve it. She wasn’t spending as much time with him in the rotunda or at meals. She was finding other things to do to try and keep her mind occupied: she struggled to catch up on the mountain of things Josephine had for her to do, she checked in frequently with Leliana and Cullen, and when those things were either finished or she got too tired of them, she wandered down to the training ring and demanded that someone spar with her. She went a few bouts with Blackwall before they took a break. Spotting the action, Bull made an appearance and offered to spar next, which Lavellan gladly accepted. However, when Bull took a stance and charged at her, she had a vivid flash from her dream of him going at her, his eyes emotionless and his jaw set firmly. She froze and couldn’t block his attack in time at all and she was sent flying backwards into the dirt. She could hear the panicked cursing coming from the spy as he rushed to her side.
“Boss, you okay? What was that? Were you not ready?”
“I’m sorry,” she muttered as he helped her sit up. Her vision swam a little in front of her and she shut her eyes tight, pressing a hand to the back of her head, where she’d smacked it on the ground. “I got distracted.”
“I know I’m dashing, but I’ve never seen you be so caught off guard before, even in spars.” Bull furrowed his brows. “Is everything okay?”
“I just- I haven’t been sleeping well is all.” She pried her eyes open and found that everything was moving around just a little bit less. “I’m okay. I’m fine. Let’s go again, I’m ready this time.”
“Nuh-uh, no way.” Bull offered her a hand to stand and gave a firm shake of his head. “If I knocked you that hard right at the start, no way am I taking another swing at you. You need to go get some rest. You’ve been running yourself into the ground this past week.”
A week? It had already been a week since her dreams? That made Lavellan purse her lips with concern. It had felt like a few days, four at most. Had it really been that long? Bull was observant, so he was most likely right…
“Boss? Come on. Do you want me to help you to your room? That’s a lot of stairs.”
“N-no, thank you. I’ll be fine. I guess I’ll try to go get a small nap or something.”
“Okay… Well, you know I’m always here to listen if you need to talk.”
“I know. Thanks, Bull.”
Lavellan began making the long climb to her room atop Skyhold. She kept a hand against the wall, just in case her dizziness returned. She at least took the time to move a little more slowly, just in case. As she was about halfway up the very last flight of stairs, Solas’s voice echoed up from behind her, “Vhenan?”
She spun around, unsure of how he managed to sneak up behind her. He was many steps below her, but he was looking up with concern. Instantly, her teeth gritted together and her body went rigid. It seemed that every time he appeared before her, a different piece of dialogue from her dream would ring in her ears.
“They are slave markings.”
Her fingers rushed up to brush the lines of her vallaslin before she even knew she was doing it. “Solas,” she returned coldly.
Her tone seemed to make him recoil slightly. “I was hoping we could speak.”
“Fine,” she bit out, though she wasn’t prepared for any conversation with him at all. She turned back around and finished the climb to her door and went through, leaving it open for him. He sounded unsure in his words. Was this what she dreamed? This wasn’t where he left her, they had been somewhere outside. She remembered hearing the sound of water and the rustling of leaves. Still, perhaps the premise was the same. He was fed up with her and wanted to end things. As she all but fell onto the couch, waiting for him to join her, she had a mix of emotions between just wanting to get it over with and not wanting it to end.
He appeared before her and gestured to the empty spot beside her. “May I?”
She nodded silently, not raising her eyes to look at him.
He sank down at her side and twisted his body to face her, though she refused to look at him. He took a deep breath. “Vhenan, something has clearly been bothering you for some time now. I didn’t think it wise to push you, so I wanted to give you some space and time to come to me to discuss whatever was bothering you, but…” He paused. “If I have done something wrong, I would ask you to please tell me. I am unsure of what I’ve done, but clearly it was something to upset you.”
She felt a cold shiver rush across the surface of her skin. Her hands clenched up into fists and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
“If you tell me what it was, I will do my best to make sure that I correct my-”
“It isn’t what you’ve done… Or maybe it is...on top of what you will do.”
“I-... I’m sorry?”
Lavellan snapped. She looked over at him with fury and hurt burning in her gaze. “I saw things in the Fade - or at least I think it was the Fade! I saw you give that orb to Corypheus! I saw all the stuff that’s happened from when I first fell into this damned situation up until now and beyond!” Solas’ eyes widened and he tried to speak, but she wasn’t finished. “You-you took me somewhere and then left me! You told me things about-about my vallaslin and then you were gone! You left me twice, then I found you again and you-you…” Her voice cracked as a couple of tears broke free from her eyes. “You told me you were Fen’harel.”
He was indescribably still. It didn’t even seem like he was breathing. It took a few seconds for his posture and expression to relax. “Vhenan, you cannot truly be upset with me over something you saw in the Fade. No, I have never given an artifact to a corrupt magister. No, not everything you see in the Fade is a memory, nor can it show anything resembling the future.”
He tried to reach out to her, but she smacked his hand away and shied back. “Then why was it all so real?!”
“Vhe-vhenan, please,” he whispered, his eyes reflecting the hurt she was feeling. “I am here with you, supporting you, endeavoring for your success and happiness. The Anchor is clearly continuing to affect you in negative ways. Please...let me help you.”
There was a massive part of her that sagged in relief. She did not feel like he was lying. She had been telling herself that she was crazy for even thinking that spirits could show her the future, but...there had just been that small ‘what if’ part inside of her that grew and grew up to the point of her exploding. She had acted like a child. She leaned into him, closing her eyes as his arms wrapped around her and held her tight. His lips pressed to the top of her head multiple times. She was safe with him, she could trust him. He wouldn’t betray her and leave her behind.
Fun prompt, coming right up! "You fell asleep on me and now there's a drool stain on my shirt."
Thank you sooo much for indulging me and giving me a fun little prompt and my inspiration for my first prompt of 2020 (that fact also kind of stabs me in the chest)!
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All in all, the evening had been wonderful. Rienmar had just returned from a business trip for his work and before he even went home to his own place, he called Aravae, wanting to meet up with her. She admitted that she didn’t feel like going out anywhere, though she was excited to see him again for the first time in nearly two weeks, and he said it didn’t matter. With a light flush on her cheeks, she told him to come to her place. It would be his third or fourth time there, but only his first being invited in to stay for an extended period of time.
Knowing she only had a short span of time before he would get there, she rushed around her apartment in a flurry to straighten up and actually throw her clothes away in a hamper or her dresser. She put on appropriate clothes and not just her sweatpants and loose tank top with no bra. She checked herself in the mirror and made a scoffing noise of dismissal as she ran her fingers through her hair to tame it just a little. Just as she’d lit one of her favorite candles - an autumn scented one - there came the knock at her door and the butterflies in her chest.
When she opened it, Rienmar gave her that sweet smile she’d fallen for so hard, one that felt reserved just for her. She felt even more elated than she thought she would when she saw him. They simultaneously moved to hug each other and she took a deep inhale of his scent. Outdoors, mountain air, wood shavings. It was starting to feel so familiar to her. That both excited her and slightly worried her, since she’d never gotten so close to someone so fast like him before.
She invited him in and asked if he wanted any dinner since it was getting late. He gave a sheepish chuckle and said, “I actually already ordered to have a pizza brought. Hope that’s okay.”
She laughed lightly. “That’s perfect. The less dishes to wash, the better.”
Aravae gave him a small tour around her apartment, which he complimented a couple of times. Once it was done, she invited him to sit on the couch. He exhaled long and hard when he did, beginning to tell her about the trip once she asked about it. She listened intently, pulling her feet up onto the couch to get more comfortable and to lean a little closer to him. It was rare that he spoke so much at once, let alone about something he was passionate about. There was a light shining in his eyes and his hands gestured about every once in a while. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, because just as he was wrapping up, there was another knock at the door. Aravae started to move, but Rienmar insisted, “I’ll get it. It’s probably the pizza.”
He returned shortly with a large pizza box, moving rather casually until he glanced up at her and his eyes darted around nervously. “Sorry. Umm, where should I set this?”
She smirked. “Forget you weren’t at your house?”
“I- Yes.”
“The coffee table is fine. I have some paper plates sitting on my counter in the kitchen if you want some.”
He brought some back and set the box down on her coffee table, just in between them. He served her a slice, then grabbed one for himself and sat back with another sigh. When he caught Aravae looking at him with a questioning brow raised, he said, “Sorry. Just feels nice to be able to unwind.”
“It’s nothing to apologize for,” she assured him. They both took a bite of the pizza and as the silence started to settle, her gaze slowly went up to the television in front of them. “Would you like to watch a movie?”
“Sure.”
“Any preference?”
“No, whatever you want to watch is fine. It’s your place.”
“I don’t want to torture you with something boring!”
“Honestly, whatever you feel like watching.”
It didn’t take long. Aravae put on Looper, just because it was mainly one of the first recommended things that popped up when she opened her streaming service and she didn’t want to risk throwing on a girlier movie in case it really did bore him, no matter what he said. As it started, they continued to eat, casually moving closer to each other each time they leaned in to get another slice of pizza. Once it was all gone, Rienmar reached an arm out to rest behind her on the back of the couch. She snuggled closer to him, giving him silent permission for him to move his hand down and lightly stroke her shoulder with his fingers. The longer it went on, the more comfortable they got, leaning into each other until Rienmar started to feel...relatively heavy to her. She glanced over slowly and saw that he had completely fallen asleep on her shoulder. A smile danced across her lips as she carefully leaned her head against his. He had seemed so tired, so it didn’t fully surprise her. At least she couldn’t blame it on being a boring movie.
She surprised herself by not moving much until the end of the movie, though by then her legs were very much numb and her shoulder was beginning to ache. Rienmar had snored a little on and off, occasionally seeming like he was either going to wake up or shift away from her, but he never quite did. Aravae let the credits roll and end. With the loud silence, Rienmar seemed to be more disturbed then. He inhaled sharply and smacked his lips together a couple of times. Realizing where he was and what he was doing, he leaned up quickly. He cleared his throat and looked at her with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, I-...?”
"You fell asleep on me and now there's a drool stain on my shirt,” she said with a laugh, eyeing the small spot on her shoulder.
Rienmar looked horrified. Absolutely, positively horrified. So much so that he couldn’t even properly form words.
Aravae could only laugh. “It’s okay, really! You were tired!”
He held his face in his hands and muttered, “I am so sorry.”
She reached out, took hold of his wrists, and gently tugged them. “I know how you can make it up to me if you feel so bad.”
He peeked at her through his fingers.
“I’ll accept a kiss.”
He allowed her to lower his hands from his face. His expression was nothing short of a puppy dog face, which made it hard for her to suppress another giggle. But when he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, she nearly sighed and melted against him. It definitely seemed like a suitable apology for such a minor offense.
1) “Don’t look at me like that.” - Aravae, to someone she cares about a lot
2) “I love you.” - Said in awe, realizing it for the first time
3) “I’m so proud of you, you know that?” - Aravae x Rienmar
4) “It’s like you’re screaming and no one can hear you.” - No preference listed
5) “Oh, kiss me, you idiot!” - Samahl to Solas
6) “Please look at me.” + “Am I too late?” - Samahl x Solas
7) “The more ignorant they are, the more opinions they have.” - Solas
8) “The way I feel when I’m with you...” - Aravae x Solas
9) “You look beautiful/handsome in the moonlight.” - Aravae x Solas
10) “You may be an idiot, but you’re my idiot.” - Samahl x Solas
11) “You’re in no condition to be walking around.” - Aravae x Solas
12) “It was a mistake and I know I can never fix this.” - Aravae x Solas
13) “It’s your turn to make dinner.” - No preference listed
14) “You’re the only one I trust to do this.” - Aravae x Solas
15) “You’re the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your head.” - Ena x Bull
16) Bandaging each other’s wounds - Aravae x Solas
17) One of Aravae’s children giving her a gift for the first time
18) Someone does something stupid: “Sorry, you’re just...really adorable.” - No preference listed
19) Tackle hug - Aravae x Rienmar
20) Things you said after you kissed me - Aravae x Solas
21) Unbind me (write a drabble about one character freeing another, or the other way around, or something among the lines) - No preference listed
22) Unexpected kiss - Ena x Bull
23) “I failed.” + A quiet campsite - No preference listed
24) Aravae absentmindedly gives a non-wolfy Solas tummy rubs and discovers he is incredibly ticklish.
25) Happy prompt (for once in my life!) for Athelas Lavellan and Solas
26) Solas being jealous over Aravae
27) Samahl and Solas exploring ruins and stumbling upon treasures
28) “There are times when I can’t stop speaking, when a million words leave my mouth in a matter of seconds… a million words that mean nothing… but when I want to find some words that mean everything, I just can’t speak. Like: I miss you. Like: I love you. Like: My world is falling apart and I need you by my side.” - Samahl x Solas
29) “We still have tomorrow.” + Nighttime - No preference listed
30) Napping in sunshine - No preference listed
31) When words aren’t enough - Aravae x Rienmar
32) The way you said I love you: With a shuddering gasp - Samahl x Solas
Aravae & Rienmar; dancing under the stars? Or beach trip?
“Listen to the waves! Look at the sky, the water! I’ve never seen anything like this!” Aravae breathed with excitement, her eyes wide and taking in all the sights before her. “This is nothing like the forest!”
Rienmar grinned at her childish enthusiasm, taking slow but long strides to catch up with her as she all but skipped down into the sand. She paused and looked down at it, wriggling her toes into the foreign ground. Just past her, the light of the moons shimmered on the water’s surface as it broke and washed up onto shore. Above her, the stars were endless, seeming like an ocean themselves. In the midst of it all, Aravae beamed and spun around and gazed with wonder. To him, she was as bright and wondrous as any of the lights that shone in the evening.
“I think there’s more stars here than out in the field where we typically stargaze.” Aravae tilted her head up, drinking in the sight.
“There is at least one more that I can see,” he purred into her ear as he came to her side. He smirked at the flush in her cheeks, then laughed as she lightly swatted at him. “Do you like it?”
“I love it. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Of course. Now, there is one more thing I wanted to show you…” He came to stand in front of her, then slid his hands into hers, positioning one of them on his shoulder. Once it was in place, he rested his free hand on the small of her back, eyes twinkling at Aravae’s puzzled expression. As he started to sway, Aravae taking a few moments before relaxing, realizing what he was doing, he explained, “I’ve been practicing my dancing.”
“So you have,” she hummed.
For those that had no concept of time, dancing in an ocean of stars with the sound of waves as the music, that night seemed to not last quite long enough.
For this, I picked “A touch to say goodnight.” I also paired it with not one, but two other prompts I’ve had sitting around! It’s a combination kind of night, so many of these work well together!
This also includes “I can’t sleep, can I stay here?” requested by @dreadhobo with the Aravae x Solas pairing
and one that was from my old account, but I had the prompt saved. I can’t fully remember who asked for it (I think it might have been @sasshole-for-rent? I’m so sorry if it wasn’t! ;_;), but it was a combo prompt also for Aravae x Solas and it was “Can I kiss you?” / “You didn’t have to ask.”
Thank you so much for the prompts! These new ones are helping to spark some creative twists for ones I’ve had for a whillle. Please enjoy!
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Insomnia
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Aravae twisted and turned for several hours, forcibly keeping her eyes shut to the point where they were beginning to ache from not resting naturally. Each time she rolled over, she inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to force her body to relax. But any time she started to get close to the edge of sleep, images would flash in her head of her torture at the hands of Viddathari and she would jerk back awake with a strangled gasp. Banal’ras stirred at the foot of the bed and crawled on, trying to comfort her with his body heat and touch, but she couldn’t get her mind to rest.
She sat up and lit her bedside candles - manually, because she was too hesitant to try using magic when she was so unsteady. She grabbed a book with more force than was necessary and opened it, beginning to read. Rather, trying to. Her eyes refused to focus on the words. They shook before her gaze and she tried to blink it away, but it didn’t stop. With an annoyed grunt, she tossed the book across the room. She rubbed her eyes and hung her head. Should she go to the healing tent and see if they would give her a sleeping draught? She’d already gone so long without sleeping...partially because she was afraid to, partially because she just couldn’t. Insomnia wouldn’t let her rest, no matter how exhausted her body was.
There was one thing missing that might help. Solas was not in her room that night. He said that he had a lot of research to do for something that Leliana needed and he didn’t want to keep her awake, so he was going to stay in his own room. But the emptiness on that side of the bed made her feel lonely and incomplete. She sighed and looked at the panther as she stroked his head. “Ir abelas, ma falon. I don’t mean to keep waking you up. Would you accompany me to Solas’s room? Maybe then we can both get some rest.”
He didn’t seem pleased, but he at least stood and stretched when she moved about. She remained in her sleeping clothes, but she found her cloak and threw it on, drawing it closed with her hands so that she wouldn’t get stared at by the patrol. She didn’t bother with grabbing her staff, but she made sure to blow the candles out before leaving.
The night was dark, not illuminated by any moon or starlight. Banal’ras could hardly be seen walking at her side, blending in perfectly with the shadows of the battlements. Aravae walked as quickly as she could, though her steps wobbled somewhat due to her weariness. She passed by one patrol that happened to be two elven men. They saluted as she walked by, murmuring quickly, “Era’tarasyl’nin.”
She didn’t have the energy to tell them that they didn’t need to call her that. She barely managed to nod at them as she pressed on. Once she entered the line of doors that led to Solas’s, she began to feel some immediate relief. She was ready to be out of sight. She wasn’t sure if she looked like it, but she felt as though she appeared weak and worn down. Even her hand trembled with exhaustion as she raised it to knock on his door. It took several long moments for Solas to open it and when he did, his brows were raised with surprise. “Vhenan?”
“I can’t sleep,” she murmured, blinking heavily. “Can I stay here?”
“Of course.” He stepped out of the doorway and let her in. A fire crackled in the hearth and many candles were lit all across the room. Books and papers were strewn about, even on the bed. She immediately walked to a clear space on the bed and sank down on it. Banal’ras curled up by the fire and promptly watched them.
Solas closed the door and went to Aravae, kneeling before her. “What’s wrong? Is it the dreams again?”
“The ones with Viddathari,” she confirmed, her voice sounding far away to her own ears. “I just can’t...fall or stay asleep.”
“You have shadows under your eyes,” he observed aloud, his face contorted with worry. “I’ve been busy with this research, but- How long has this been going on?”
“A few days, I suppose?”
He frowned. “You should have come to me sooner.”
She tried to look at him and see his face, but in an instant, all she could see was Viddathari reaching out towards her and touching her arm. She inhaled sharply and flinched away, but when she blinked, all that was there was Solas reeling back. She immediately buried her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m so tired, I can’t even see straight…”
“Should I help? Would you like me to help you in the Fade and guard your dreams?”
“No, I know it’s important that you finish your task as soon as possible… If I could just...fall asleep and...stay there, it would help. Even just a little…”
“I think I know what could help. Here, stand up and take off your cloak.” She did as he asked and he tossed the article of clothing off to rest on a chair. “Lay down on your stomach.” She scooted a few things around and all but melted into the bed, her face resting against his pillow. She inhaled his scent and instantly felt better, but that wasn’t what he had in mind. He hovered over her and wrapped his hands with a heating spell. He slowly lowered his hands onto her shoulders and began to rub methodically.
Aravae sighed and let her eyes try to slide closed. She could practically feel him burning the tension off of her, though the heat was not that strong. He worked at her shoulders for a time, then he moved lower, rubbing with just enough pressure on her back, making sure to cover every inch. By time the heat of his hands left her back, she wasn’t sure if she was in a dream anymore or not. Everything felt hazy and like she wasn’t really there in Solas’s room. She felt as though she were far away from so much, even herself.
But his voice whispered in her ear, “Aravae? Is that better?”
“Mm? Mmhmm,” she hummed, not feeling able to even form coherent words.
It sounded like he chuckled. “Come, let’s get you under the covers.” It stirred her a little, having to shift about in order to slide under the thick blankets. When she did, she rolled over to be on her side, facing Solas. Her eyes were simply too heavy to open anymore, but she could tell that he was still there, just at the bedside. She felt the warmth of his body as he must have leaned closer. “Can I kiss you, Vhenan?”
She just barely managed to curve the corners of her lips upward and murmur sleepily, “You didn’t have to ask.”
His soft lips pressed against hers and she hummed pleasantly. As he pulled away and just before she was pulled into the deep comfort of sleep, she felt his hand brush hair away from her face and cup her cheek. His thumb gently caressed the skin of her cheek and that was the last thing she remembered.
The relief washed over her once her eyes landed upon Solas’s approaching figure in the crowd. Well, what was left of the crowd, since it parted for him as he walked with his head held high, hands clasped behind his back. With a glance about the room, he parted his lips and spoke to them all, but Samahl was too focused on looking into his eyes that she missed what his mouth had said. Whatever it was, the room cleared out quickly, leaving only the two of them. She waited until his stance relaxed before asking with desperate urgency, “Where were you? I was starting to lose control of them. They don’t listen to a deaf woman for long while you’re gone.”
“I’m sorry, Vhenan. I had urgent business to attend to in Tevinter.”
“Tevinter? Doing what? Aren’t there slavers there?”
“Precisely, there were those in slavery that I was helping to free. Don’t worry,” he assured her with a warm smile, “I was perfectly safe.”
“Why couldn’t I have gone with you?” She pursed her lips. “I worry about you while you’re gone.”
“I needed you here to take control of things for me...and I wanted you to stay safe. I want you as far away from slavers as possible.” He rubbed his hands on her arms before leaning in to press his lips to the top of her head. She sighed softly and leaned her head against his chest, feeling the pounding of his heart against her.
Prompt: Solavellan, 20, "Sometimes, I have no idea what I'm doing, vhenan."
The sounds of Ena’s pained grunts resounded throughout the room as she fought to bite down screams of pain. She cradled her left hand, flexing her fingers and clenching them into fists, repeating it over and over. At her side, Bull was rubbing a hand along her back and pressing gentle kisses to her head, shushing her gently, trying to help her think about relaxing. On Ena’s other side, Aravae was all but glowering at the mark upon her hand, as if that could will away her pain. For many weeks now, the Anchor had been flaring up to the point where Solas was having to be nearly constant at the Inquisitor’s side, feeding it with his magic to calm it. Now, his nose was buried in many open books, all written in ancient elvhen, trying to figure out the safest way to remove it from her body now that it was no longer needed.
He’d been trying. Aravae knew he was. But judging by the deep creases in his face and the irritated look in his eyes, it didn’t look like he was having much luck. She’d tried offering to help, but he assured her he had it until control. It was his magic and his creation, after all. Who would know it better than him? He just wanted to make sure there were ways of removing it that didn’t result in either Ena’s death or loss of limbs.
Quite unlike him, he stood up from the desk in Ena’s room, the chair scraping along the floor, and he stormed out onto the balcony, gripping the stone railings tightly. Aravae squeezed Ena’s shoulder and went out to Solas’s side, murmuring, “It’s okay; you just need to take a break.”
“Sometimes,” he all but whispered, his voice uneasy, “I have no idea what I’m doing, vhenan.”
“If it’s presenting to be an obstacle to you, let me help you,” she pleaded, placing her hand atop his. “Perhaps a set of fresh eyes will open up some new perspective. Don’t shut me out.”
With a weary and grim sigh, he nodded and leaned into her, wrapping an arm around her and giving her an exhausted peck on her forehead.
