#sweatermonster5736

[ivadeshin]

can i request either molly or caleb getting a really bad fever and becoming delirious? i just read "the echo valley" by vandenburg and i need MORE!

I love this cliche, definitely gonna do this

[minwrathous]

could i request fenris and/or dorian dealing with a their male partners who have a chronic cough? the kind that wont ever go away. let me know if something doesnt make sense. please take your time, there is no rush.

[ Thank you for the prompt, and I’m sorry I was sitting on it so long! I hope this turned out okay! ] 

As long as Fenris had known Hawke, the man had been plagued by a cough that never seemed to leave him.

It took a bit of time for Fenris to notice. But the more work they did together, the more Fenris began to see it. Here, walking along the Wounded Coast, Hawke would have to stop as a deep cough rattled his solid frame. There, patrolling the docks at night, Hawke would try to muffle a cough before it gave away their position.

It was worst in Darktown. The choked air was unpleasant to most of the party, but to Hawke it was unbearable at times. Staying there for any prolonged stretch of time set him to wheezing and coughing until he was nearly gasping for breath.

None of their companions seemed to comment on Hawke’s ailment openly, so Fenris decided he would just have to ask the man for himself. And so one night at the Hanged Man, Fenris did.

“So you noticed then?” Hawke asked with a sheepish grin. There’d been a lull in the night’s activities, and the two were alone at the table for once.

“It’s hard not to,” Fenris replied dryly.

“Yes, well. I try not to let it get in the way of things,” Hawke explained. “I’ve had trouble with it as long as I can remember. Things got worse once we came here to Kirkwall though - Mother blames the air. Carver just blames me.” Hawke shrugged.

“You’re a mage,” Fenris said. “Can’t you do something about it?”

“Magic can’t grow me new lungs,” Hawke laughed. “If it could, believe me, I would’ve tried long ago. I’ve seen healers - Anders included - and I get the same answer. Bad luck. Bad lungs.” Hawke shrugged helplessly.

Fenris processed this for a moment. Of course Hawke would have thought about using magic. “Apologies,” he said, frowning. “If there is any way I can assist you, I will do my best.” He’d just have to keep closer watch over the mage during battle.

“No need to apologize,” Hawke said. “It’s nice to know you’re keeping an eye on me.” He flashed Fenris one of his most charming smiles and the elf felt his stomach do a little flip.

Not long after that, Hawke disappeared into the Deeproads.

When Hawke miraculously returned some time later, he brought back the wealth he needed to regain his family’s title. Hawke also brought back a worsened cough. Something in the air down there had exacerbated things, and now it was more frequent. Deeper.

It was harder to ignore, and Fenris worried. He did his best to keep an eye on the mage when they traveled together. He learned to gauge the tone of things. The rhythm. He could tell when one cough would stay one cough, or when it would turn into a fit that would halt their progress.

One such day on the Wounded Coast, he called for a halt. Anders moved to Hawke’s side and put a hand on the larger mage’s shoulder.

“Steady, Hawke,” Anders said. “Remember. You need to try and relax.” Anders moved his hand down to touch Hawke’s chest instead and Fenris bristled. “That’s the best thing for it.”

Hawke caught his breath after a moment and managed to steady himself. “It’s easy for you to say that,” he said, and cleared his throat. “I’m relaxing as hard as I can. Honestly, you don’t have to dote on me like that,” he grumbled. He seemed self-conscious over having held the group up again. “Let’s just keep going.”

Anders pulled his hand away and made a face. He caught Fenris watching the two of them and threw the elf an annoyed look.

Fenris, embarrassed, turned away. Why did he care if Anders was touching Hawke like that? It was nothing. The man was just trying to help Hawke relax. And honestly, that was how they expected to help ease the coughing? That was… Well, it hadn’t occurred to Fenris before; he’d assumed that the mages had been practicing some (ineffective) magic to sooth Hawke. Maybe they were, in a way. But trying to get the man’s lungs to relax in the middle of a fit? You couldn’t just will that to happen. You needed to… Relax.

A sudden thought struck Fenris. Of course! If magic couldn’t help Hawke cope with his affliction, then maybe Fenris had an idea.

Once they were back in Kirkwall, Fenris made his way to Darktown. He found Tomwise at his usual place and asked the man about obtaining a certain flower.

“Blueslip? Isn’t that what they also call Widow’s Kiss?” Tomwise asked, giving Fenris a suspicious look. “Who you trying to poison?”

“It’s more than a poison,” Fenris insisted. “And why does it matter? Can you get it or not?”

“Aye, I can,” Tomwise replied, still warily regarding Fenris. “But it’s going to cost you.”

Fenris agreed and paid up front. About a week later, he returned to Tomwise to collect his flower. Unfortunately, it had been harder to obtain than expected, so the cost had gone up twofold. Fenris cursed and considered his options. He didn’t have the coin now, and there was no guarantee that Tomwise would hold onto the goods until he did.

“You’re a friend of Hawke’s, aren’t you? I see you with him whenever he’s down here,” Tomwise observed as Fenris fretted over the payment. “Is this for him?”

“I…yes,” Fenris admitted.

“Oh, good. Well. Seeing as you’re his friend, I can just put it on his tab.” Tomwise smirked at him.

Fenris didn’t like it, but it was his only choice. He’d just have to pay Hawke back as soon as he could. Fenris agreed to the terms and walked out of Darktown with a small satchel of dried blue flowers.

Widow’s Kiss? That was fitting. But back in Seheron, they’d known it as blueslip. Yes, it was used as a poison. A certain dose of it would quickly stop someone’s lungs from working; the Fog Warriors had often used it as an arrow coating. But they’d also used it in medicines - a smaller amount of the flower could be mixed in with a paste that helped ease the effects of the chest colds that went around in the wet season.

It was Fenris’s hope that it would have a similar effect on Hawke. He knew it couldn’t cure the man, but it wasn’t about a cure. It was about helping to ease the symptoms.

And so Fenris went home and made the paste like he’d learned. He substituted elfroot in as the base, and added in a pinch of embrium. Last came the blueslip. He was careful as he cut and ground down the petals of one of the flowers. Once confident it was mixed correctly, he tried a small bit of it on himself. It felt right.

Now, to get it to Hawke.

Fenris decided that he needed to be there when Hawke used it for the first time, if only to make sure he didn’t use too much. So, Fenris ended up carrying the small jar around with him. He felt foolish, following after Hawke and hoping that the man would start coughing. He also felt guilty about the tab Hawke would soon find out about. Was this entire thing just one big bad idea?

Lucky for Fenris, it didn’t take long for Hawke’s lungs to betray him. It happened one night, when they were walking back from the Hanged Man together. The two of them had just finished climbing the steps Hightown. Right near the top of the stairs, the coughing began.

“Hawke,” Fenris said. “Here.” Hesitantly, he put a hand out to touch Hawke’s arm and draw him closer. He guided him out of the way, into an alcove near the stairs. “I have something for you,” Fenris said as Hawke tried to catch his breath.

As he pulled the jar out of one of his belt pouches, Hawke did his best to watch curiously. Fenris unscrewed the top and offered it to Hawke. “Here. Take a small bit of this and put it under your nose.” He gestured with his gauntleted finger at his own nostrils.

Hawke didn’t hesitate at all. He carefully took a bit of the paste and smeared it around his own nostrils. He coughed and wrinkled his nose at the strong scent of it.

“Now inhale slowly, deeply. If you can,” Fenris said, screwing the jar shut.

“Mmph,” Hawke replied. He followed the instructions as best he could. And slowly, his breathing began to even out. Fenris felt a little thrill. It was working!

“What…what is this?” Hawke asked after a moment. He looked at Fenris, eyes wide.

“A mix of elfroot and a flower called blueslip,” he said, offering the jar to Hawke.

The man took it and looked it over, still amazed. “It…I can feel it working,” he murmured. “How?”

“It’s…well. Usually used as a poison,” Fenris admitted. “It is often called Widow’s Kiss, but I also know it as blueslip. It isn’t a cure; it only relaxes the lungs for a time. I just thought…” He trailed off. Hawke was looking at him now, a beaming smile on his face. “I thought it might help.”

Fenris was suddenly realizing how small the alcove really was. How close the two of them were in this space. He could see how beautiful Hawke’s smile was.

“I can show you how to make it. You’ll need to get the flower from Tomwise, or some other supplier,” Fenris explained. He was trying not to stare at the other man. He should also…probably tell Hawke that technically the mage had bought this batch. 

“Thank you, Fenris,” Hawke said, eyes shining with excitement, and Fenris hesitated. Maybe he’d tell him about the tab later. “It’s amazing.”

“Just be careful with it, Hawke,” Fenris said. He felt warm, pleased that he’d been able to help Hawke in a way that nobody else had. “Use it sparingly, only when things get bad. Too much of it can be dangerous.”

“That’s all right, Fenris,” Hawke replied. He was close to Fenris now. When had he gotten so very close? “I like a little danger.” Hawke was leaning in toward him. Even closer.

“Be serious,” Fenris murmured, though there wasn’t much force behind his words. Hawke…wasn’t really talking about the blueslip now, was he? No. Fenris found himself stretching up to meet Hawke.

The distance closed between them.

Fenris breathed Hawke in as their lips met. He caught the unmistakable medicinal scent of elfroot, mixed with the heavier, almost sweet floral smell of the blueslip.

They kissed.

[barthosprompts]

bartender prompts? if you havent already

sure thing

🍷 She tried to conceal her rolling eyes, but this person had been talking to them for far too long and she was tired.

🍷 He did elaborate tricks even as he talked about mundane things like the weather. People tended to tip well when he did.

🍷 Nothing happened around here. They liked that about this bar. It was better for them. They’d had enough of chaos.

🍷He pressed his lips together, fumbling another mix. He hated that he was so clumsy, even after all this time.

🍷 They glanced down at the money on the counter and pushed it back, “Sorry, you’ve been cut off.” They didn’t care how rich and powerful their customer was, they’d had enough drinks.

🍷 “Wanna see something dangerous?” She asked as raised her eyes from the glass she was filling, her free hand playing with the lighter on the counter. The smile on her lips spoke of mischief.

🍷 When they could, they would try new recipes and have someone else try them, but they never suspected the drinks would actually attract attention.

🍷 “Your secret’s safe with me,” they lied to their customer, fully intending on sharing the gossip with their coworker.

[novice-to-novelist]

I have a writing question, I often hear the advice “in order to keep the plot interesting imagine the worst thing that could happen to you or the ones you care about and do that to your character.” in varying forms. My question is: do I have to? Can the plot be interesting and engaging while things are either going right or the character not dealing with tragedy? Thank you for your time.

To answer your question simply: Yes. I do think your plot can be interesting and be engaging while things are going right. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. People do relate to the normal and good things. It doesn’t always have to be doom and gloom. 

Now, I’m not saying that “imagine the worst thing” advice isn’t good advice, it is. It can definitely push a plot forward and show the true colours of your character - but in moderation. And it also depends on the genre you’re writing. If bad things always happen to a character, then there will come a point in time where the reader will stop caring because why should they get invested when it’s just going to be a repetitive shit storm. They become immune and their hope and suspension of belief pitters out. At least it does for me. I’ve stopped reading and watching things that just take grim to a whole new level. 

Your readers need the quiet moments and they need to have hope. Even if the story is going to have an unhappy ending, it’ll be more crushing if there’s the hope that things are going well - though if bad things have been constantly happening, this slice of happiness is just going to make your readers suspicious. 

Personally, I like the small slice of life sections and tranquil moments in books that show who a character is when they aren’t mired in the bad. I think those moments are truly fascinating. They keep me reading and I’ll go back and reread those moments. Yes, things can be exciting when it’s darkest before the dawn but I don’t think that applies to every genre. I’ve read plenty of really good books where the protagonist is not dealing with any bad shit but there’s still thing happenings that keep me invested.

Also, that advice doesn’t have to translate to tragedy - it can be simpler than that. Maybe it would be more helpful to think of what would be the worst thing to happen to your character at that moment. If they were trying to get somewhere important and their car died out, they’d have to frantically think of another way to get there. Do they call a taxi? Does the taxi arrive on time? Is there traffic? Do they need to hop out of the car and run to their destination? This would crank up the interest in the scene without it turning into something monumentally horrible. 

You don’t even have to do the terrible thing to your character as part of the current plot, it could have happened already and you’re now showing them dealing with that while things are going right. Because that’s incredibly motivating too. 

The advice I truly go with when it comes to writing is: write what you want to read. If you want to read those moments when things are going right, there’s a huge chance others will want to read that too. 

Tl;dr Yes you can absolutely have an interesting story when things are going right. If you do want to include the worst thing, it doesn’t have to be the worst thing you can imagine, it can just be the worst thing that could happen to your character in that moment in time. Write what you want to read, it’s surprising what comes out of that. 

[imagine-this-overwatch-blog]

Hanzo, Reaper and McCree reacting to an s/o who has a non-verbal learning disability. Non-Verbal Learning Disability-Has trouble interpreting nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language and may have poor coordination.

I did a lil extra research just to be safe. 👌 Apologies for any inaccuracies. 

Hanzo:

Noticed you were having trouble during some basic training exercises and became concerned.

He was unaware of NVLD before you explained it to him. But he immediately did his research so he could understand how to help when he can.

Hanzo often attends training with you so he can help with coordination techniques, which is something he excels at.

Will fucking destroy anyone he catches poking fun. (i.e, someone saying “great job” sarcastically when you miss a target, rookies making smug grins in the background while you struggle)

Will always remind you of your progress whenever your self esteem may be feeling particularly low. 

He is so bad at verbally expressing his emotions, but you really help him do that. When he’s feeling down, he won’t just pout and sigh. He will clearly state that he isn’t feeling his best and could really use some support. So really you’re a big help for him!

Hanzo loves to listen to you talk. It actually keeps him grounded whenever he’s feeling particularly low.

Reaper:

He has so much trouble because he heavily relies on nonverbal cues.

Reaper trains himself to be more talkative (only around you), but he’d still rather just listen to you speak.

Will literally murder anyone who dares to make fun of you.

He’s not the most patient man in the world, so sometimes helping you with your struggles can be hard.

But boy does he try so hard.

He always catches himself before saying something rude, and if he does happen to upset you with anything, he does everything in his power to make it right. 

McCree:

This guy is spewing sarcastic remarks 24/7.

He experiences a bit of a crisis because he makes so many sarcastic jokes that he’s sure are funny— but you don’t laugh. Did he offend you? Are you not interested in him? Is he actually not funny?? oh god– oh gOD.

Had no idea what NVLD was. He isn’t quite sure what he can do to make things easier for you– he’ll stumble a bit, maybe need some reminding here or there that you’re having trouble, but he will do his best!!

Will chat with you for hours and not even realize how much time has passed. 

McCree keeps giving you flirtatious glances from across the room during meetings and he had to remind himself that’s not effective. He has resorted to passing notes like a little school kid. Complete with crudely doodled hearts. 

[acerwatch]

Hanzo, Reaper and McCree reacting to an s/o who has a non-verbal learning disability. Non-Verbal Learning Disability-Has trouble interpreting nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language and may have poor coordination.

I’ll do my best. Let me know if I miss the mark though.

Hanzo:

Tries really hard to be more vocal with his s/o to minimize miscommunication. Occasionally tells them that he’s not being silent because of them or because he’s angry, he’s just not used to talking.

If their coordination is quite bad or is causing them problems, he asks Winston or Mercy if they know of anything that could help his s/o.

Reaper:

It’s not like they had much to go off as far as facial expressions or body language with him anyway. But when he finds out he makes a point to vocalize things more often.

If they have poor coordination, he refuses to let them near any sort of weaponry, and makes sure there’s someone to protect them in fights.

McCree: 

When he finds out about their learning disability he realizes that it explains why they didn’t pick up when he was winking at them to signify jokes or affection. When he winks at them in future, he’ll do it again afterward while pointing to his eye and say “hey sweetheart, that means I was joking.”

Offers to dance with them/teach them to dance as a way to potentially help their coordination and motor skills.

[greypetrel]

Hi, just wondering if you write free-style companions reacts for dragon age 2, or prompt list only? Thank you for your time.

Hello! :)

Thank you for your ask, first of all!

I can try! I never attempted it, but I can surely try if you're not expecting me to write it in the blink of an eye. :)

If you were thinking of requesting one, otherwise... On my own, unprompted, I'm much more brought towards writing OCs, I fear.

I do have an AO3 for fics, tho!

Thank you for considering me for this!

[vampslxsher]

do you have any rules for deltarune asks?

Sot necessarily though pls don’t send me nsfw asks. They’re kids and that’s really gross.