❝ on your right! ❞ his voice bellows, ripping his shield out of the skull of a dearly departed darkspawn with a kick to it's chest for good measure. before he can offer a hand, however, he watches as his fellow warden makes quick work of the beast and two more in such rapid succession, alistair has to pause to simply watch her at work. darkspawn blood and ichor drips off his chest plate as he moves toward her, flicking his brow as his gaze zeros in on browyn. there's a combination of admiration, fear, and something else entirely in the amber of his eyes. with a flick of his brow, alistair remarks almost salaciously, ❝ remind me to never get on your bad side. ❞
totally anonymous heeheehoohoo. bree you are literally one of my favourite people to talk to and it shows because we can literally talk all fucking day LMAO i love everything we’ve ever written and i adore how we’ve truly gone so in-depth with what we’ve talked about. i’m smothering u with my unfiltered thoughts all day and i love all of your shaylas
ANONYMOUSLY TELL ME YOUR HONEST OPINION ABOUT ME. I CAN’T REPLY/COMMENT, JUST PUBLISH.
leliana and bronwyn ( @ttabr1s ) were destined to be connected before they had even met.
during her time imprisoned in the arl of denerim's dungeon, leliana decides to free the other prisoners being held there. one of those being adaia tabris, bronwyn's mother. leliana's selfless act gave adaia more time with her family. leliana was spoken of as an example of the rare kindness of humans.
but, from the moment that they met, in the tavern in lothering, leliana had a feeling that her and bronwyn's fates would be intertwined. at first, she believes that it's just the maker guiding her on the correct path to help put an end to the blight. bronwyn was just the hero that was going to do that, and she is supposed to follow.
the two become fast friends, immediately drawn to one another. small talk becomes deep conversations that lead them late into the night. and while leliana is still guarded about her past, she trusts bronwyn with her future, knowing that she is going to be in it, in some capacity.
leliana, being fully aware of her attraction to women, begins to test the waters - embraces that last just a little longer, drunken kisses and longing stares. she approaches bronwyn about her feelings soon after they develop, only to be met with a rejection that feels like a dagger through her heart.
perhaps they are only meant to be friends.
despite this, their friendship only deepens, burns bright like a fire. leliana confides in bronwyn about her past, and bronwyn finds herself waking up in leliana's tent often - having crawled in there in the middle of the night to seek comfort in her friend. of course, leliana obliges, wrapping arms around bronwyn until the small hours, until they fall asleep.
after the slaying of the archdemon, they go their separate ways, leliana being called to work for the divine as her left hand and bronwyn becoming the warden commander and hero of ferelden. despite the distance, they communicate often in lengthy letters, each one filled with stories of their lives, and how much they miss being in each other's company.
leliana pursues other relationships. though, nothing becomes any deeper than a fling. her mind is always somewhere else, she is never able to fully commit herself to somebody else - she begins to wonder if it's a problem with herself, although she knows deep down that it is because her heart still belongs to her dearest friend.
it's after the death of lady cecilie that leliana begins to reevaluate their relationship. she is reminded that she will not live forever, perhaps even less than her guardian, given her work. she calls bronwyn to her newly inherited home upon the waking sea and confesses to her that she hasn't been able to move on, that ten years have passed and she still cannot love anybody else.
the kiss that follows is different to the kisses shared in their youth. it is sober and honest, not drunken and ashamed. the breath that leliana has held for a decade is released, after waiting for so long.
they aren't allowed to enjoy each other's company long before leliana is called to the conclave held by divine justinia and ends up reforming the inquisition, which bronwyn would later assist with.
although she is deeply in love, leliana never presses the topic of marriage, it's a wound that she doesn't wish to reopen - but she does begin signing correspondence as 'leliana tabris', she has never had a true last name and knows she will never be with anybody else.
it is bronwyn who brings up the subject of marriage, and while leliana has always dreamed of a fairytale wedding, the two wed in relative secrecy, with only a few close friends and family present.
" leliana - " it's like she's looking into a wretched mirror . a girl , still just a girl with her whole life ahead of her , standing over the corpse of the person who hurt her most , blood-drenched and weeping . bronwyn can't not intervene - steadies her trembling hands upon leliana's shoulders , then curls her arms around her friend's waist , tugging firmly yet gently all the same . she wrestles leliana to her feet , turning her away from the sight of marjolaine's body , tucking her beloved friend into the cradle of her arms , uncaring of the blood staining her . " hey , hey - it's okay . i've got ye . it's okay . i'm here . "
@ttabr1s
the smell of blood fills her senses, her hands tremble around the hilt of her dagger. physically, she knows that marjolaine is dead, she has long since choked her last breath, jolted her last and lies still. but she doesn't feel 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄, she doesn't feel relief.
so her dagger is tossed aside, clumsily, and leliana pounds her fists against the woman's chest, 𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐒 against her silent ribcage with every inch of strength in her body. LET ME GO, LET ME GO, LET ME-
and it hits her all at once.
she exhales, breath trembling as it escapes her lips. it's over. she's finally gone. but, she's gone. the woman who had helped raise her lies dead in front of her and it's her 𝐅𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐓. the tears well in her eyes, she chokes back a sob as a firm but caring grip takes over her. everybody else had let her be, but bronwyn pulls her back, pulls her to safety and leliana clings to the other woman's frame.
her body shakes with sobs as she buries her face into the crook of bronwyn's shoulder and neck. blood that stains her hands spreading over the two of them, as though bonding them together in a way. in a bizarre moment, she has never felt 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐑 to another person. bronwyn is everything, in this exact moment, she is all that is safe and kind and 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃.
a quiet corridor, away from the rest of the party, finds leliana tangled in the arms of the warden-commander. nothing between them but heat as leliana pushes the other against the wall further, lips beginning to trail from lips to her jaw.
her lipstick, that she may have worn intentionally, with a feeling that they would end up in this exact spot, leaves behind a distinctive mark as she presses her lips to the underside of bronwyn's jaw now, moving down to her neck.
it's possessive, and it's messy. if her previous mentor could see her now, exposing herself to such scandal and leaving her mark in such a clear way, there would be hell to pay. but, as she leans back to admire her work, she finds herself caring less and less.
