Title: Unchained Melody
Chapter: 1 (Aria Trevelyan)
Authors: Khirsah
Fandom: Dragon Age – VOICEverse
Pairings: Cullen/Female Trevelyan
Summary: All mages are born with a soulmate: a voice they hear in the darkness of the Fade all their lives. The lucky ones find their soulmates and forge a bond strong enough to threaten the very foundations of the Chantry.
Aria Trevelyan found Cullen in the darkness of the Fade when she was a child, and yet nothing has ever been simple. As the world crumbles around them, these two star-crossed lovers are left to discover what fate has in store--and whether true love can ever survive the fall.
This Chapter: This is how all good tragedies begin.
This one is still young, so who knows what will be added with time? But for now, the songs I use to inspire me are...
I Will Follow You into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie
“Love of mine, someday you will die
But I'll be close behind and I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark.”
Khirsah: I mean, this one is pretty obvious. It’s in the title. At least one of you has already grokked onto what this means for the end of the story. Yes, you. I’m talking to you, reader who pretty much guessed the entire story before I’d written more than a chapter. How dare.
The Space Between by Dave Matthews Band
“We're strange allies
With warring hearts:
What wild-eyed beast you be
...
Look at us spinning out in
The madness of a roller coaster.
You know you went off like a devil
In a church in the middle of a crowded room.
All we can do, my love
Is hope we don't take this ship down.
...
The space between
What's wrong and right
Is where you'll find me hiding, waiting for you.
The space between
Your heart and mine
Is the space we'll fill with time.”
Khirsah: No matter how deeply these two idiots fall in love, they’re always going to spark off each other. I love that, personally--I love that their love isn’t all softness and tenderness. There’s real tension there, and real chances for them to drive each other nuts, but their love only feels stronger because they, well, love that too.
Here Comes a Thought from the Steven Universe soundtrack
“Here comes a thought that might alarm you
What someone said and how it harmed you
Something you did that failed to be charming
Things that you said are suddenly swarming
And, oh, you're losing sight, you're losing touch
All these little things seem to matter so much
That they confuse you
That I might lose you.”
Khirsah: This is more of a bonus Cullen and Aria song, so it’ll also show up in Unchained Melody. Some of their...most difficult...moments happen during this time of their lives however, so it really fits this story more.
So, ages ago I was asked what songs I specifically equate with different stories in the Voice-verse. I didn’t answer at the time because one of the songs would be a major spoiler. It is still a pretty big spoiler, but since we’re right around the corner from it finally being applicable, it doesn’t feel quite so out of place.
But still, you know...spoilers. I divided this up into the different fics so you can avoid whichever spoilers your want to.
FIRE WALK WITH ME:
I have an entire playlist for Fire Walk with Me! But the two key songs/lyrics (with a special bonus at the end) are:
Time as sung by Tori Amos
“And they all pretend they're orphans
And their memory's like a train:
You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away.
And the things you can't remember
Tell the things you can't forget that
History puts a saint in every dream.”
Khirsah: This song has always been on rotation in my head, but it wasn’t until I was working on this story that it finally found its home in my work. It hits on those notes of found family and loss and sacrifice that we see so clearly in Hawke’s journey. It also touches on the sense of the greatness of the Champion, and how there exists this man behind that long shadow. The Champion and Hawke may be the same person, but they’re nothing alike at all.
It also echoes pretty strongly in Taran’s story, but since I deliberately mirrored Taran and Aidan, that’s not really surprising.
Thistle & Weeds by Mumford and Sons
“Spare me your judgments and spare me your dreams
'Cause recently mine have been tearing my seams
I sit alone in this winter clarity which clouds my mind.
Alone in the wind and the rain you left me;
It's getting dark darling, too dark to see
And I'm on my knees, and your faith in shreds, it seems.
Corrupted by the simple sniff of riches blown
I know you have felt much more love than you've shown
And I'm on my knees and the water creeps to my chest.
But plant your hope with good seeds,
Don't cover yourself with thistle and weeds:
Rain down, rain down on me.
Look over your hills and be still
The sky above us shoots to kill
Rain down, rain down on me.
Oh I will hold on
I will hold on hope
Oh I will hold on
I will hold on hope
Oh I will hold on
I will hold on hope.
I begged you to hear me, there's more than flesh and bones,
Let the dead bury their dead, they will come out in droves.
But take the spade from my hands and fill in the holes you've made
Plant your hope with good seeds
Don't cover yourself with thistle and weeds
Rain down, rain down on me ”
Khirsah: Yes, I just quoted the entire song. This one MAY have been playing on constant loop when I was psyching myself up to write all the scenes from Fenris leaving to Aidan’s recovery.
BONUS! You know, it’s funny. There USED to be an Anders song, but it stopped fitting the story midway through.
Untouchable Face by Ani DiFranco
“Tell you the truth I prefer the worst of you;
Too bad you had to have a better half.
She's not really my type
But I think you two are forever
And I hate to say it, but you're perfect together.
So fuck you
And your untouchable face
Fuck you
For existing in the first place.
And who am I?
That I should be vying for your touch
I said who am I?
I bet you can't even tell me that much.”
Khisah: Anders was not always going to get his own happy ending, as crazy as that seems to me now. I’m much happier things ended up how they did.
“It's the season of grace coming out of the void
Where a man is saved by a voice in the distance.
It's the season of possible miracle cures,
Where hope is currency and death is not the last unknown:
Where time begins to fade
And age is welcome home.
It's the season of eyes meeting over the noise
And holding fast with sharp realization.
It's the season of cold making warmth a divine intervention:
You are safe here, you know.
Don't forget
Don't forget I love
I love
I love you.
It's the season of scars and of wounds in the heart
Of feeling the full weight of our burdens.
It's the season of bowing our heads in the wind
And knowing we are not alone in fear,
Not alone in the dark.”
Khirsah: Yes, it may technically be a “Christmas” song, at least according to the title, but the themes of love and longing and potential loss are too perfect. It was playing right before I wrote the scene where Taran and Dorian met in that church, and it’ll likely be playing before many future scenes.
Wicked Little Town as seen in Hedwig and the Angry Inch
“The fates are vicious and they're cruel.
You learn too late you've used two wishes like a fool
and then you're someone you are not,
and Junction City ain't the spot,
remember Mrs. Lot and when she turned around.
And if you've got no other choice
You know you can follow my voice
through the dark turns and noise of this wicked little town.”
Khirsah: You know, when you think about it, the idea of the Herald--and what it means for an ordinary person to be thrust into that world--is horrifying. The whole world has its eyes on you, and whether or not you believe in the Maker, you are suddenly forever part of the pantheon. It’s NUTS and can really do a number on anyone’s head.
And finally...
...
...
Are you SURE you want to be spoiled?
Hold On by Sarah Mclachlan
“Hold on
Hold on to yourself,
for this is gonna hurt like hell.
Hold on
Hold on to yourself,
you know that only time will tell.
What is it in me that refuses to believe:
this isn't easier than the real thing.
My love
you know that you're my best friend;
you know I'd do anything for you.
My love
let nothing come between us;
my love for you is strong and true.
Am I in heaven here or am I...
at the crossroads I am standing?
So now you're sleeping peaceful,
I lie awake and pray
that you'll be strong tomorrow and we'll
see another day and we will praise it:
and love the light that brings a smile
across your face.
Oh god if you're out there won't you hear me;
I know that we've never talked before.
Oh god the man I love is leaving;
won't you take him when he comes to your door?
Am I in heaven here or am I in hell;
at the crossroads I am standing.
Now you're sleeping peaceful;
I lie awake and pray
that you'll be strong tomorrow and we'll
see another day and we will praise it
and love the light that brings a smile
across your face...
Hold on
hold on to yourself
for this is gonna hurt like hell.”
Khirsah: I’m just going to say I only write happy endings and leave it there.
Hi there! I have a voice question for you and delazeur, if i may. How does an unum vinctum bond differ from a voice? Could a voice be turned into one by accident or mistake on the mages part? And how do vinctum differ from power slaves or blood magic slaves, like fenris (and others, presumably)
I’m going to let @delazeur step in and take over, since I shoved much of the Tevinter stuff her way–but generally, there isn’t a huge difference except in how they’re treated. It’s just like an apostate is the same thing as a free mage or what-have-you. It’s a cultural distinction, not a magical one.
(Though there’s likely a LOT more abuse of the benefits in Tevinter.)
Vinctum differ from power slaves in intensity and power level. I like to imagine that Fenris and other lyrium slaves were attempts to replicate the vinctum benefits for mages without a living bondmate.
So, think of it this way. Bonding to your unum vinctum gives you the mage an incredible power boost. You’re able to tap into your vinctum (or Voice) unconsciously as a source of power. Sorta like blood magic, I suppose, but because it is a closed circuit, it doesn’t deal with demons. It’s like your Voice/vinctum is an additional renewable power source.
Blood slaves are also additional power sources, but they have limits vinctum do not. Vinctum can be more powerful, longer-lasting, and able to be out in the open–plus they make you immune to any pesky demons you don’t want around. They’re a flood light when a blood slave is a flashlight.
Now, lyrium slaves seem like they’d be even more powerful, but perhaps more difficult to control. Which is why I like to think that Fenris and others like him were meant to be replacements for mages who do not have a living unum vinctum.
…which is why Aidan got super powerful, by the way. Fenris was not only his Voice, but he was full of lyrium too. Taran is an open vein to the Fade, so imagine what that might do to/for Dorian…
Do people get a sense of who their Voice is before they actually meet them, or is it just a voice that they hear? And are Voices always a potential romantic partner, or can you have a platonic Voice? (also feel free to make this public, I don't mind at all c:)
Hello!
It all depends on the person and their situation. Some people are either skilled enough or lucky enough to be able to push through their dreams and stumble into their Voice’s without outside help. These people are semi-rare, but it does happen.
When that happens, they are able to essentially be an audience to their Voice’s dreams, but they cannot be seen or heard by their Voice. They’re just a fade ghost, essentially, watching their Voice as they dream.
(This is different from a solmniara. Feynriel, for example, can enter dreams and interact at will. If he chooses, the dreamer can either be aware or unaware of his presence. So in By Any Other Name, Feynriel can watch Krem’s dreams without Krem being aware of him, but he can also go into Dorian’s dreams and talk to him, with Dorian fully aware that Feynriel is there.)
Most mages aren’t able to find their Voices on their own, which is why the Chantry doesn’t try to do more about them. The Chantry mostly relies on misinformation, rumors, and ignorance to keep mages from realizing that to find their Voice, they need a large amount of lyrium and a focused search. In Tevinter, this is highly ritualized. Dorian had to undergo a couple different rituals to find his unum vinctum, first because Taran was too young to show up in his search, and later because Dorian was lying and pretending he hadn’t found anything.
For apostates or Circle mages that somehow manage to both get enough lyrium, enough knowledge, and enough privacy, there’s no ritual involved–it’s just a matter of drinking the lyrium and going into a deep guided sleep and searching. In Aidan’s case (and Bethany’s!), his father also took lyrium and did his best to guard Aidan against demons. Going that deep in the Fade can be dangerous…as Cullen’s LI is going to find out the hard way.
You didn’t ask about this part, but others have, so: you can hear echoes of other potential matches in the Fade sometimes. Usually that’s thanks to a blood connection or other deep spiritual connection. So Aidan, when he entered the Fade, first heard Alistair. That’s because Alistair is the Voice of Aidan’s cousin, Solona. Then he heard Anders, the Voice of his sister, Bethany. Then he found Fenris, and immediately knew Fenris was his Voice.
Bethany briefly mentions finding empty landscapes before she found Anders in the Circle library. I was hinting at deep connections she may have had in the future, had she survived…but that’s more an easter egg I added for myself and note official “lore”.
That blood-echo, by the way, is why Anders fixated on Aidan from the beginning. He felt in Aidan a weak echo of Bethany, because Aidan is a mage and her older brother.
ANYWAY. So, yes, mages who are lucky or who are shown how through ritual (Tevinter) or luck + lyrium (everywhere else) can find their Voices and watch them through their dreams, if they want. The only times a Voice can see or respond (or even be aware that it’s happening) are if: 1) it’s a dual-mage soulbond, which carries its own problems; 2) the Voice is also present in the Fade due to, say, a lyrium ritual. …or the fact that they are now the Herald of Andraste. (COUGH.)
As for platonic Voices, absolutely! I firmly believe that soulmate doesn’t automatically mean a romantic pairing–it is a perfect matching of people. If a mage is asexual, their perfect match wouldn’t be a sexual one. If they are aromantic, their perfect match wouldn’t be romantic. There are plenty of cases, too, of romantic/sexual individuals forming platonic soulmate bonds and having a second romantic/sexual partner. There are also cases of multi-soulmate bonds. It’s meant to fit the people within the bond, not some other narrow definition. I’m sure there are other combinations I haven’t even thought of, but they’re all valid.
I do tend to write romantic and sexual bonds, because that’s the kind of story I write. I would love to include platonic pairings in the Voiceverse, however. Maybe since I plan to have Merrill become a stronger character in Into the Dark (because of her friendship with Carver), I can delve deeper into her bond with Tamlen.
But overall, every possible orientation is wonderful and welcome.
wrt your voice verse, what happens if two mages bond? in FWWM it's implied to be really bad, but i don't know if that's true or if it's meant to be the chantry spreading bullshit like usual
The funny thing is, I don’t really know for 100% sure. I’ve tried notto form a firm answer because the world doesn’t have a firm answer–and I don’twant to Joss myself just in case something ever comes up in the series and I need to change my mind.
It’s super-duper-duper-DUPER rare, so it has a sort of mystery surroundingit. In my head, I envisioned Malcolm as being fairly knowledgeable aboutVoices–or at least as much as someone could be when the people in power wentout of their way to stifle information. It was something he was passionateabout, largely due to Leandra and largely just his own middle finger to thesystem.
But even though he made it his mission to learn as much about Voices as hecould, he barely knows anything about mage-mage pairings. No one does.People whisper about it, but it’s essentially an urban legend.
If I were to write a mage/mage bond in this universe… I dunno, man. I have this feeling it wouldend in mass tragedy for everyone involved. And not the fun kind of tragedy–the Shakespearean kind where people end up as smears of red on the ceiling and there’s one survivor left wondering wtf comes next. I don’t think it would be a good scene. I’ve always sort ofmentally hated that Bethany died but thought it was probably better those twodidn’t meet–unless something changes. Like I said, I’m trying to keep a door open just in case and not completely Joss myself. But I think I lean epic badness of badland. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day and all that.
ALL THAT SAID, if someone wanted to do an AU where things turned out great or there were tons of mage/mage pairings, I wouldn’t have a problem with it! I’m okay with people changing the rules to fit their needs. :)
I know currently that in the Voice-Verse you've mentioned lyrium's use to give power for finding one's Voice. Have you given any thoughts as to the consequences that might happen if someone used blood magic as a power source during their search instead?
Yes, a bit! I’m sure there were plenty of desperate mages who used blood magic to find their Voice. It would be more accurate/easier than the search & hope method, certainly. It also would potentially open you up to trouble with demons. Depending on the character and their views on blood magic and demons, that could be a problem.
I’m planning to play with something similar but not quite the same in Unchained Melody (the Cullen story).
