NASA
cherry valley forever
No title available
Noah Kahan
we're not kids anymore.
@theartofmadeline
Jules of Nature
⁂
$LAYYYTER
tannertan36
No title available
No title available
wallacepolsom
Fai_Ryy
#extradirty
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
Sade Olutola
Origami Around
No title available
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Venezuela
seen from United States
seen from Kazakhstan
seen from Pakistan
seen from Pakistan
seen from Uzbekistan
seen from Colombia
seen from Malaysia
seen from India
seen from Malaysia
seen from Kenya
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
@thewolfcreepeth-blog
OOC;
Well, this is long time in coming, but with everything going on and my ever shifting priority list, i’m officially dropping this blog.
But I do want to do a quick thank you for those who stopped by (despite me hardly scratching the surface). From the interactions I had, this fandom has been a lot friendlier than a lot of the other ones I’ve ever been in. So with sincerity; Thank You. It meant a lot to me.
Don’t Drink the Tea
(tagging @arcanistdagnarp for this starter call )
The afternoon had reached a comfortable lull of peace. The Inquisitor was away on a mission and the usual rabble rousers had stayed clear of his area. Solas had just been considering a foray into the Fade when a polite knock intruded on his thoughts.
“Come in.” He called out, then immediately regretted it as the door swung open to reveal a familiar dwarf holding a cup of tea and looking as eager as could be.
Dagna was bright and charming, and Solas admired her passion when it came to magic. She was not a magical user in the traditional sense, but it would be foolishness to overlook her talents. Though he had not witnessed her produce any magic herself, she seemed to come up with a variety of special tools and remarkable theories, including ways to improve day-to-day lives.
Which, now, apparently, extended to different methods of tea-making and flavors. The motivation behind it was uncertain, but he desperately wished she hadn’t. Solas had entertained her first attempt at it out of politeness which had ended in near disaster. He had been left gagging for the rest of the day despite drinking a plenty amount of water to wash down the taste. Never again he’d thought, but, try as he might, he could not dissuade her from repeatedly approaching him about the matter. He wasn’t sure why, he didn’t even like tea.
Solas looked at the cup of tea, then at her, back at the tea, and then back to her where his gaze chose to rest. “I thought I told you to take this to someone else?” The tone of displeasure in his voice was quite clear, as was his apprehensive expression. Normally he considered himself very good at denying people what they wanted if it interfered with his interests (in this case, potentially his health) but it was so hard to say No to Dagna. Partially on account of her persistence and partially because of her….enthusiasm.
“Dorian’s not here and Madame de Fer is doing some diplomatic thing.”
Dagna really did like Solas. People tended to shy away from him and some were downright afraid. But Dagna was fascinated, a non-circle trained mage was rare and an elf at that. She had always wanted to learn how the elves used and learned magic, but it was so hard to get close to a Dalish mage. But Solas was so clever and different and right there!
However, he was a little reticent to help right now.
“I mean, I have a few apprentices helping me, but no one else has your experience. You’re my control!”
She had noticed that it took some mages a longer time to slip in to the Fade than others. Some mages had to sleep for hours before they could enter the dream world. She decided to do some experiments with herbal teas to see if it would make the transition easier. As for now, the tea was getting cold.
“I know you don’t like it but please? In the name of research? Here, I got you something to help wash it down.”
She pulled out a little sack and opened it on the table. Inside was a massive, moist, gooey hunk of chocolate cake. She had heard whispers of Solas’ infamous sweet tooth.
Solas had failed to notice the sack at her side before but now that its contents were revealed it was hard to draw his gaze from it. It was a little smashed from being toted around but it otherwise looked delicious. He glanced again at the dwarf’s hopeful face. Did he mention how hard it was to say no to Dagna before?
Her endeavor wasn’t a bad one, if he were being honest. The problem with trying to use tea in an experiment to enter the fade more easily was that under normal circumstances, tea interfered with that connection. Herbal and decaffeinated teas were not much better than the regular, but were acceptable when he needed them. At the same time, tea could be a great calming agent for soothing the nerves which in turn made it easier to address stressful situations…like being in the Fade.
Solas let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. “Very well, Dagna, but only this once. I would prefer if you found someone else after.” He gently grasped the teacup and raised it, staring intensely at the contents with the expression of a child that had stuck a slice of lemon in their mouth. It didn’t smell different from any other tea, but one could never be too sure… “Before I try it out I need to know exactly what you used in this.” At the very least he would not go into this blindly. If it was anything questionably lethal, then he could easily put the cup back down without feeling guilty.
She saw his eyes zoom in to the cake and she knew that she had him. A little bait to, quite literally, sweeten the deal. When he acquiesced the dwarf nearly squealed with joy. She held up the teacup to her eyes and examined it momentarily.
“Well, this kind was an infusion elf root, for it’s calming qualities, with a certain northern lotus which was said to bring on very vivid dreams when ingested. Also some crystal grace for it’s anti-inflammatory prowess. No tummy pains when you’re in the fade, right?”
She pushed the cup into his hands and sat down.
“Ah and you have some parchment, quill and ink. Wonderful. So I’m going to be taking some notes while you sleep and then when you wake up, I need you to tell me how you felt and if anything was different. Drink your tea!”
She felt like her auntie when she said that. That was probably where she got the idea for the cake bribe.
Keep reading
“Shit shit shit shit!” Dagna hissed as the elf keeled over.
She knew she shouldn’t have let it brew for so long. The effects were probably so powerful that even a mage as skilled as Solas would be overwhelmed. Thankfully, he was mostly conscious and could still speak.
“Don’t worry I got you.” she said, as she pulled a small phial from her pocket.
Experiments with sleeping mages always needed a fail-safe in case they went too deep in to the fade or were suffering a nightmare. She pulled out the stopper of the phial and a strong. pungent stench poured out. These smelling salts would snap anyone out of their dreams, no matter how deep the sleep was. She put the phial under Solas’ nose and held his head up so he could get a good whiff.
“Come on, come on.” she whispered to herself.
She only hoped she didn’t mess up too badly.
Keep reading
Good, he was conscious. Bad, still paralyzed. Well….it sort of worked.
“Umm okay here’s what we’re gonna do. We need to get your blood flowing so you can metabolize the tea. This will help.”
Dagna sat down beside the bald elf with the slab of cake. The whole situation would have been hilarious if it wasn’t so embarrassing. However these findings would be interesting to look back on and study later.
“I’m sorry, Solas.” she said sheepishly, taking out a fork and holding a piece of the cake to his lips.
“It should wear off very soon the more you eat. I definitely owe you one for this. Start small, maybe try wiggling your fingers?”
Keep reading
“Oh of course absolutely!” Dagna said emphatically.
“And don’t worry, I promise I won’t tell a soul. This is my mistake, I’ll own up to it should anything happen.”
At the very least she’d be able to take notes about how he was healing and he was pretty much a captive audience.
“So…Before this happened, would you mind telling me what you saw?”
She continued to feed him as she made some mental notes. His face and head were behaving as normal, if not a little angry, but still functioning. Hopefully within an hour or so he’ll have digested the drink.
As always, Dagna was not one to lose sight of her goal even as she helped him out of his tea-induced paralysis. Not that he found fault with this. “There was a connection to the fade...but it wasn’t very stable. I could scarcely see else other than the stone and the flickering of a few shadows.” He paused to take another bite. “I wouldn’t consider the effects strong enough to yield and results of value at this time.” And if getting a better result meant increasing the adverse effects of the tea, then he wasn’t going anywhere near it.
He polished off the cake with her assistance, starting to feel more or less better. With his recovering mobility he finally propped himself up on his own, putting a generous distance between himself and the dwarf. “Should you endeavor to continue this experiment Dagna, I’m going to decline future propositions.” It was good that she had promised not to tell anyone about this predicament, though how long that promise would hold was another matter entirely. He wiped away the comical looking layer of chocolate crumbs that had lined his mouth, giving her a stern, meaningful look.
(tagging @vixenblooded from this starter call)
The calm of the forest was a welcome change from the busy clamor of the Hinterlands Crossroads. Solas stood a short distance away from Mekani, both upon a rocky outcropping overlooking a series of gullies.
Since their arrival in the area he had rarely had the opportunity to speak to her without the crowding of others. Everyone was needing help; apostate mages fleeing the rogue templars, inquisition soldiers trying to maintain some form of order, and those who were simply trying to escape the conflict. Even now their small group had been request to help supply the refugee camp with food. Not for lack of skilled hunters, but for the fighting between apostate and templar among the hills proving particularly hazardous.
He had volunteered to accompany MeKani should any rogue templars or mages attempt to ambush her, but had little to offer in terms of the hunt itself. The use of magic tended to render most flesh inedible, if even recognizable.
Instead Solas observed quietly as she notched her bow, taking aim at an unsuspecting ram that grazed below. Without warning the arrow flew, piercing through the thick fur and directly into the heart of the beast. The ram fell without so much of a cry, crumpling where it had once stood.
“Nice shot.” He lauded her. “Your skill with the bow is most impressive. How long have you trained with it?”
Kani lingered, quiet for a moment as she watched the ram topple over. Sighing with relief as she lowered her bow, standing up now. Ever so glad it died quickly, despite how desperately they needed to supply food for the refugees. There was no need for the animal to suffer a slow death because of it.
Her ear twitched at hearing her partner for the hour speak up. Humbled by the praise of course, however she couldn’t help but smile. The short elf didn’t know much of her traveling partners yet but she already had a large amount of respect for Solas; quite intrigued by the apostate by all means.
“Training was about 3 years, I’ve been using it since I was 15 however so… 14 years all together? Thank you though” her voice genuine and soft. Bowing her head out of respect before kneeling down to slide off the rock. Reaching for a dagger on her hip as she walked towards the dead creature. Wanting to bleed it a bit before attempting to carry it out of the open. Cassandra would have their heads if they came back in bloodied armor.
“I’ve got an eye out but, please do let me know if you see bandits coming up. I would like a little warning before ice or fire gets thrown near me”
“I will do my best.” He stepped forward to help her load the ram onto the sled they’d brought along. The hills had made it difficult to spot any potential ambushes, but so far they had escaped notice of the rogues wandering about. Still…
At least the presence of the local wildlife ruled out the presence of demons. The last thing they needed was to stumble upon a rift. After the ram was loaded up they made their way back onto the main path, dragging the sled along behind them. As they approached the bottom of a cliff there was a sudden loud rumbling and a shudder that almost knocked him off his feet.
Out of instinct he went to her side and threw up a barrier over the both of them, looking around for any source of danger. But aside from the ground shaking violently and the loud noise, nothing seemed to be apparently coming after them.
When the rumbling stopped and no one appeared, Solas deemed it safe enough to step around the bend to see what happened. Where a path once led to the crossroads was now covered in an impressively large rock pile, the dust still settling around it.
He looked around for the possible cause of the rock slide, only to spot a dusty, limp hand laying out from among the pile. He shook his head. “A pity.” Whatever the reason for causing a rock slide to block the path, it seemed there had been unforeseen consequences to the instigator. Unfortunately, it had also left them somewhat stranded. There were paths that led about but it would take time to traverse, possibly the whole day. But there was no climbing the rubble, as unstable and steep as it was.
He turned back to face Mekani. “Well, it seems this path is no longer an option. What do you propose we do, Inquisitor?”
At least the two of them had kept an eye on the bandits, made it significantly easier to get around undetected if they knew where their eyes were. Their job made easier still with two pairs of hands sharing the work. The smaller of the two elves enjoying it as she was used to trying to lug things around on her own.
Still as they walked she kept her ears pricked, hoping maybe she’d catch a fennec or nug by surprise for some extra game, sadly what they got was that rock slide. It took a bit of trust on Kani’s part to stay put. As her first thought was to bolt it away from whatever the loud noise was. Seeing the barrier however kept her in place.
She waited patiently as Solas went to look. Following after when he didn’t come back right away. Head tipped to the side in confusion as to why some third party would want to start a rock slide. Maybe an accident? None the less her mind was wandering when he spoke, bringing her back to the present.
“Huh…? Oh yes, uh” she stuttered for a moment. Chewing on her index for a moment as she looked around. None of these paths seemed to directly lead back to the cross roads, great… “Well, climbing definitely isn’t an option, even if we didn’t have the extra weight to carry. We could try following the stream to its source. If I remember correctly it does come from a lake that was near the refugee’s camps.”
“Then that would be our best option. At the very least, we will not be wanting for resources. There is also the possibility we could find other refugees along the way...or more bandits.” Solas noted. “I wouldn’t be too surprised if our rockslide starter had friends still in the area. Hopefully it will not come to that.”
In isolated areas such as these, it was hard to imagine the conflict that raged all around. The walk to the stream was a quiet one save for the rustling of trees and the few animals that lingered after the rockslide. The water itself let out a pleasant gurgle as it wove its way through the rocky hillside, creating a picturesque scene. Still, Solas could not help but notice several suspicious looking caves further up on the slopes. Bears, perhaps, though thankfully none seemed to been recently occupied.
“What do you think so far of the Inquisition?” Solas asked suddenly, breaking the silence of the woods. “That is, if you can pardon my prying. You’ve been so busy since you’ve arrived here, I wondered if you’ve even given thought to it yourself.”
OCC as I mentioned before I'm in the middle of a move. Currently I'm in the new house but since it is newly constructed they have to send a special technician to make it so they can even connect the house. And THEN I can order the actual service. But because the guy who can do it is on vacation I won't be seeing this all happen until next week (at the earliest....). To those threading with me before I will be contacting after I've got net back to see if there's any interest left. Aaand renewing activity on this blog in general . Thanks again for being patient with me.
Don’t Drink the Tea
(tagging @arcanistdagnarp for this starter call )
The afternoon had reached a comfortable lull of peace. The Inquisitor was away on a mission and the usual rabble rousers had stayed clear of his area. Solas had just been considering a foray into the Fade when a polite knock intruded on his thoughts.
“Come in.” He called out, then immediately regretted it as the door swung open to reveal a familiar dwarf holding a cup of tea and looking as eager as could be.
Dagna was bright and charming, and Solas admired her passion when it came to magic. She was not a magical user in the traditional sense, but it would be foolishness to overlook her talents. Though he had not witnessed her produce any magic herself, she seemed to come up with a variety of special tools and remarkable theories, including ways to improve day-to-day lives.
Which, now, apparently, extended to different methods of tea-making and flavors. The motivation behind it was uncertain, but he desperately wished she hadn’t. Solas had entertained her first attempt at it out of politeness which had ended in near disaster. He had been left gagging for the rest of the day despite drinking a plenty amount of water to wash down the taste. Never again he’d thought, but, try as he might, he could not dissuade her from repeatedly approaching him about the matter. He wasn’t sure why, he didn’t even like tea.
Solas looked at the cup of tea, then at her, back at the tea, and then back to her where his gaze chose to rest. “I thought I told you to take this to someone else?” The tone of displeasure in his voice was quite clear, as was his apprehensive expression. Normally he considered himself very good at denying people what they wanted if it interfered with his interests (in this case, potentially his health) but it was so hard to say No to Dagna. Partially on account of her persistence and partially because of her….enthusiasm.
“Dorian’s not here and Madame de Fer is doing some diplomatic thing.”
Dagna really did like Solas. People tended to shy away from him and some were downright afraid. But Dagna was fascinated, a non-circle trained mage was rare and an elf at that. She had always wanted to learn how the elves used and learned magic, but it was so hard to get close to a Dalish mage. But Solas was so clever and different and right there!
However, he was a little reticent to help right now.
“I mean, I have a few apprentices helping me, but no one else has your experience. You’re my control!”
She had noticed that it took some mages a longer time to slip in to the Fade than others. Some mages had to sleep for hours before they could enter the dream world. She decided to do some experiments with herbal teas to see if it would make the transition easier. As for now, the tea was getting cold.
“I know you don’t like it but please? In the name of research? Here, I got you something to help wash it down.”
She pulled out a little sack and opened it on the table. Inside was a massive, moist, gooey hunk of chocolate cake. She had heard whispers of Solas’ infamous sweet tooth.
Solas had failed to notice the sack at her side before but now that its contents were revealed it was hard to draw his gaze from it. It was a little smashed from being toted around but it otherwise looked delicious. He glanced again at the dwarf’s hopeful face. Did he mention how hard it was to say no to Dagna before?
Her endeavor wasn’t a bad one, if he were being honest. The problem with trying to use tea in an experiment to enter the fade more easily was that under normal circumstances, tea interfered with that connection. Herbal and decaffeinated teas were not much better than the regular, but were acceptable when he needed them. At the same time, tea could be a great calming agent for soothing the nerves which in turn made it easier to address stressful situations…like being in the Fade.
Solas let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. “Very well, Dagna, but only this once. I would prefer if you found someone else after.” He gently grasped the teacup and raised it, staring intensely at the contents with the expression of a child that had stuck a slice of lemon in their mouth. It didn’t smell different from any other tea, but one could never be too sure… “Before I try it out I need to know exactly what you used in this.” At the very least he would not go into this blindly. If it was anything questionably lethal, then he could easily put the cup back down without feeling guilty.
She saw his eyes zoom in to the cake and she knew that she had him. A little bait to, quite literally, sweeten the deal. When he acquiesced the dwarf nearly squealed with joy. She held up the teacup to her eyes and examined it momentarily.
“Well, this kind was an infusion elf root, for it’s calming qualities, with a certain northern lotus which was said to bring on very vivid dreams when ingested. Also some crystal grace for it’s anti-inflammatory prowess. No tummy pains when you’re in the fade, right?”
She pushed the cup into his hands and sat down.
“Ah and you have some parchment, quill and ink. Wonderful. So I’m going to be taking some notes while you sleep and then when you wake up, I need you to tell me how you felt and if anything was different. Drink your tea!”
She felt like her auntie when she said that. That was probably where she got the idea for the cake bribe.
Keep reading
“Shit shit shit shit!” Dagna hissed as the elf keeled over.
She knew she shouldn’t have let it brew for so long. The effects were probably so powerful that even a mage as skilled as Solas would be overwhelmed. Thankfully, he was mostly conscious and could still speak.
“Don’t worry I got you.” she said, as she pulled a small phial from her pocket.
Experiments with sleeping mages always needed a fail-safe in case they went too deep in to the fade or were suffering a nightmare. She pulled out the stopper of the phial and a strong. pungent stench poured out. These smelling salts would snap anyone out of their dreams, no matter how deep the sleep was. She put the phial under Solas’ nose and held his head up so he could get a good whiff.
“Come on, come on.” she whispered to herself.
She only hoped she didn’t mess up too badly.
Keep reading
Good, he was conscious. Bad, still paralyzed. Well….it sort of worked.
“Umm okay here’s what we’re gonna do. We need to get your blood flowing so you can metabolize the tea. This will help.”
Dagna sat down beside the bald elf with the slab of cake. The whole situation would have been hilarious if it wasn’t so embarrassing. However these findings would be interesting to look back on and study later.
“I’m sorry, Solas.” she said sheepishly, taking out a fork and holding a piece of the cake to his lips.
“It should wear off very soon the more you eat. I definitely owe you one for this. Start small, maybe try wiggling your fingers?”
OOC;
Good News: I GOT A CAT (his name is Rudy)
Bad News: I AM ANXIOUS AS HELL ABOUT CARING FOR IT (I haven’t owned a cat since I was like, 7, and technically I wasn’t even the one taking care of him)
Help me to learn | {closed}
@thewolfcreepeth
Ishall had bee, initially, very excited about Solas; another elf, and so soon at the start of his incredible journey! But it soon became clear that Solas was not the same kind of elf he was. Solas was reserved, as Ishall was, but he was also resentful and biting and…sometimes harsh.
Not one to be beaten, Ishall tried his best to make friends with Solas, and he was currently walking through the Hinterlands, just Solas and himself, trying to find an ancient elvhen temple.
“Thankyou for letting me come, Solas. I will take any opportunity I can to learn about my people and my past.”
The moment Solas had mentioned the possibility of elven ruins in the Hinterlands, Ishall had insisted on accompanying him. This, he had no issue with. The continual slew of questions was another matter entirely. “I have heard many others express wanting to hear our history, but none have been particularly found of what I have to say.”
Solas paused, looking regretful. “Forgive me. Past attempts at have left me bitter and cynical. I know you mean well. You may ask anything you wish to know about and I will do my best to answer.”
psa about rping with me
Maybe one day we’ll find that place, where you and I could be together and we’ll catch our dreams within the waves of change. So hear me, you are not alone.
R.M. Drake (via thelovejournals)
As much as I love drawing Diner Solas, Solas in a suit is pretty ok too.
( tagging @iinquiisiitoriisms from this starter call )
Solas had not expected to find anyone in the small kitchenette he liked to frequent so late at night, but the lanterns there were already lit when he stepped in. It took only a moment to identify the Inquisitor who stood in partial view of the door, preparing some sort concoction in a generously sized mug.
He gave her a polite nod as way of greeting but did not immediately pursue a line of conversation. Whatever her reason was for being there, he would leave her to it.
And yet….he could not help but notice the peculiar combination of ingredients she was putting into her drink, as well as an unusually large amount of sugar. He raised an eyebrow at her. “That’s quite a bit you have going on in there. Planning on a late night?” The tone of his voice and a faint smile played it off as a joke, but there was serious concern in his eyes.
Bronwyn piled scoops of dried elfroot leaves, powdered crystal grace, a twig of embrium, a large spoon of sugar and some Halla milk into a mug before she realised someone had entered the room. Solas’ familiar voice drifted to her ears and she couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve got some studying to do.” The young mage responded to his question, pouring in the hot water and stirring. “I don’t suppose you feel like helping me?” She paused, then shook her head, “Actually, that’d be a waste of time.” she hadn’t intended her tone to turn sour, but the hint was there. “You’d probably tell me everything is wrong, given its Dalish history.”
Solas said nothing in direct response to her last line but his eyes darkened somewhat. “I was merely concerned about your welfare. You have so many things to tend to – lack of sleep does not need to be another issue for you.” Was it the flickering of the light that made his face appear softer for a moment, or genuine caring?
“And,” he added, “Just because I don’t agree with their version of events does not mean I am ignorant to what they are. If you desire to learn them, then I am more than willing to assist you should you ask. I can even refrain from interjecting any personal input, if that’s what you desire.”
Bronwyn cracked her neck as she gathered the mug of steaming liquid to her chest, inhaling the scent of herbs and a smile. “You’d do that? I appreciate it. And as for lack of sleep? Tell that to the demons plaguing my nightmares, for they seem not to care of my wellbeing.”
“How curious that they continue plague you, even here.” He commented as he lifted his kettle off the fire, pouring the steaming water into a mug of his own and dropping a peculiar tea bag into it. “This Keep was built on a sacred site created by the old evess. Your magic must truly be potent if it continues to draw their attention.” His eyes drifted to the Anchor on her hand. “Or perhaps there is an interference...In any case, I am not sure depriving yourself of sleep is the answer.”
He shook his head. “But these struggles are your own. What of the Dalish history are you studying?”
Don’t Drink the Tea
(tagging @arcanistdagnarp for this starter call )
The afternoon had reached a comfortable lull of peace. The Inquisitor was away on a mission and the usual rabble rousers had stayed clear of his area. Solas had just been considering a foray into the Fade when a polite knock intruded on his thoughts.
“Come in.” He called out, then immediately regretted it as the door swung open to reveal a familiar dwarf holding a cup of tea and looking as eager as could be.
Dagna was bright and charming, and Solas admired her passion when it came to magic. She was not a magical user in the traditional sense, but it would be foolishness to overlook her talents. Though he had not witnessed her produce any magic herself, she seemed to come up with a variety of special tools and remarkable theories, including ways to improve day-to-day lives.
Which, now, apparently, extended to different methods of tea-making and flavors. The motivation behind it was uncertain, but he desperately wished she hadn’t. Solas had entertained her first attempt at it out of politeness which had ended in near disaster. He had been left gagging for the rest of the day despite drinking a plenty amount of water to wash down the taste. Never again he’d thought, but, try as he might, he could not dissuade her from repeatedly approaching him about the matter. He wasn’t sure why, he didn’t even like tea.
Solas looked at the cup of tea, then at her, back at the tea, and then back to her where his gaze chose to rest. “I thought I told you to take this to someone else?” The tone of displeasure in his voice was quite clear, as was his apprehensive expression. Normally he considered himself very good at denying people what they wanted if it interfered with his interests (in this case, potentially his health) but it was so hard to say No to Dagna. Partially on account of her persistence and partially because of her….enthusiasm.
“Dorian’s not here and Madame de Fer is doing some diplomatic thing.”
Dagna really did like Solas. People tended to shy away from him and some were downright afraid. But Dagna was fascinated, a non-circle trained mage was rare and an elf at that. She had always wanted to learn how the elves used and learned magic, but it was so hard to get close to a Dalish mage. But Solas was so clever and different and right there!
However, he was a little reticent to help right now.
“I mean, I have a few apprentices helping me, but no one else has your experience. You’re my control!”
She had noticed that it took some mages a longer time to slip in to the Fade than others. Some mages had to sleep for hours before they could enter the dream world. She decided to do some experiments with herbal teas to see if it would make the transition easier. As for now, the tea was getting cold.
“I know you don’t like it but please? In the name of research? Here, I got you something to help wash it down.”
She pulled out a little sack and opened it on the table. Inside was a massive, moist, gooey hunk of chocolate cake. She had heard whispers of Solas’ infamous sweet tooth.
Solas had failed to notice the sack at her side before but now that its contents were revealed it was hard to draw his gaze from it. It was a little smashed from being toted around but it otherwise looked delicious. He glanced again at the dwarf’s hopeful face. Did he mention how hard it was to say no to Dagna before?
Her endeavor wasn’t a bad one, if he were being honest. The problem with trying to use tea in an experiment to enter the fade more easily was that under normal circumstances, tea interfered with that connection. Herbal and decaffeinated teas were not much better than the regular, but were acceptable when he needed them. At the same time, tea could be a great calming agent for soothing the nerves which in turn made it easier to address stressful situations…like being in the Fade.
Solas let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. “Very well, Dagna, but only this once. I would prefer if you found someone else after.” He gently grasped the teacup and raised it, staring intensely at the contents with the expression of a child that had stuck a slice of lemon in their mouth. It didn’t smell different from any other tea, but one could never be too sure… “Before I try it out I need to know exactly what you used in this.” At the very least he would not go into this blindly. If it was anything questionably lethal, then he could easily put the cup back down without feeling guilty.
She saw his eyes zoom in to the cake and she knew that she had him. A little bait to, quite literally, sweeten the deal. When he acquiesced the dwarf nearly squealed with joy. She held up the teacup to her eyes and examined it momentarily.
“Well, this kind was an infusion elf root, for it’s calming qualities, with a certain northern lotus which was said to bring on very vivid dreams when ingested. Also some crystal grace for it’s anti-inflammatory prowess. No tummy pains when you’re in the fade, right?”
She pushed the cup into his hands and sat down.
“Ah and you have some parchment, quill and ink. Wonderful. So I’m going to be taking some notes while you sleep and then when you wake up, I need you to tell me how you felt and if anything was different. Drink your tea!”
She felt like her auntie when she said that. That was probably where she got the idea for the cake bribe.
Keep reading
“Shit shit shit shit!” Dagna hissed as the elf keeled over.
She knew she shouldn’t have let it brew for so long. The effects were probably so powerful that even a mage as skilled as Solas would be overwhelmed. Thankfully, he was mostly conscious and could still speak.
“Don’t worry I got you.” she said, as she pulled a small phial from her pocket.
Experiments with sleeping mages always needed a fail-safe in case they went too deep in to the fade or were suffering a nightmare. She pulled out the stopper of the phial and a strong. pungent stench poured out. These smelling salts would snap anyone out of their dreams, no matter how deep the sleep was. She put the phial under Solas’ nose and held his head up so he could get a good whiff.
“Come on, come on.” she whispered to herself.
She only hoped she didn’t mess up too badly.
@thewolfcreepeth liked for a surprise starter
If anyone were to ever ask, Hawke would tell them some grand story. He’d tell them something worthy of being in one of Varric’s books, and tell them how he’d felled every beast on his way out of the fade and jumped gloriously from an eluvian and into a fountain with a pose of victory.
In reality, that was not what had happened at all. Twenty-and-more times Hawke had been sure he was going to die. Thirty-and-more times he had almost done so.
But at last, so many months after being left in the fade, and so many weeks since the defeat of Corypheus-which he knew nothing about as of yet-the champion had crawled out of the fade and collapsed on the ground, in the middle of some unfortunate looking ruins and in an area he was sure he didn’t know.
Though surely, he couldn’t tell, as he was still hallucinating and half-dreaming from the fade.
That was why, when he saw the elf from Skyhold-Solas-looking much different than he had when Hawke had seen him last and striding through the ruins, he thought that too was a hallucination and settled back with a rueful laugh, daggers falling to the ground beside them.
“I met you what, once? Yet the fade sees fit to have me dream of you once I escape her grip. What humor the maker has.”
Coming upon the rift had been purely incidental. With the Breach sealed and Corypheus defeated, it was rare to find one still open. With how far he had isolated himself from known civilization, however, he was not entirely surprised. Though he was no Inquisitor, Solas would normally attempt to at least blockade the rift to prevent any immediate threat - the last thing he needed was a demon interrupting his operations. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the unique presence he felt just lurking among the green ripples.
The signature was neither spirit nor demon. Out of curiosity Solas had left it be, observing the rift until it started to pulse rapidly. Finally a humanoid figure emerged and fell before him at his feet. He did not even need to see the red, horizontal marking on the face to know who it could be – there was only one person who could possibly emerge from the Fade. Alive, even, much to his surprise.
It it seemed the Fade continued to defy expectations – a mortal should not have been able to go without food or water for as long as Hawke had, nevermind the continual horde of demons that had undoubtedly assaulted him during his time in there. Yet, here was the Champion, alive (though hardly hale and hearty). It could have been that Hawke had simply found a source of food from the random appearances of objects in the Fade….but Solas suspected it could be something more.
Warily he approached the fallen figure, but it was obvious that Hawke was in no position to be a threat. However he had survived, he was clearly emaciated and beleagured from his time in the Fade. He could kill this man right now and none would be the wiser for it. And yet something in Solas churned uncomfortably about extinguishing the life of another for the sake of convenience. No, he could not go through with such an action based on that motivation.
His mind made up, knelt down next to Hawke and offered the water flask on him. “Drink. This is no dream, Champion of Kirkwall. Whether by your sheer force of will, a stroke of luck, or the will of the Maker, you have emerged from the Fade.” He scrutinized the other man. “The question is, if you are truly intact as you appear to be.”
thewolfcreepeth:
“It is no trouble to me at all.” Solas shrugged. “And I do agree about sleeping out under the open sky. Unfortunately, most of the rooms in the West Wing do not have a proper floor in which to sleep on.” He nodded in response to her next question, confirming his name. “That is I. My expertise concerns the Fade, and all that dwells within it. I am at your service, should you require it.”
“This space, for the most part, is free for you to make adjustments as you wish. My only request is that you do not tamper with the murals.” He gestured to the walls where the start of several paintings could be observed. One of them seemed to resemble Haven, even. “Though they are only just begun I would prefer not having to fix anything.”
Leilani decided against arguing further. Instead, she nodded gratefully and stepped inside. “We might end up working together a lot these days,” she spoke, regarding the other with a raised eyebrow. “Let me just say I’m glad the Inquisition’s Fade expert is not some Chantry-appointed scholar who’s never left the Circle before.”
She looked up to where he had gestured, only now noticing the deliberate patches of color on otherwise decrepit walls. “Creators, these already look gorgeous,” she whispered, drawing nearer to the curved walls to better observe the intriguing shapes and patterns. “Don’t worry; I’m almost never struck by artistic urges.”
Turning around, she flashed a sunny smile, and settled the backpack with her belongings on the floor. “Sad to think this place may end up chock-full of Andraste statues one day,” she added, crouching down and pulling her bedroll out.
“Fortunately.” Solas snorted at the idea of a fade expert from the Chantry. “Those in the Chantry could not tell a spirit from a demon, nevermind consider the Fade could be used for good. I hail from a village far to the north, far from the grasp of the Templars and their teachings. Though I was never officially tutored, you will not find my skill or knowledge lacking.”
Solas’s actions faltered for the briefest of moments when she brought up the idea of the keep being adorned in statues of Andraste. “Perhaps. I am not much for the Andrastian faith myself. Fortunately, the choosing of the décor will be left to the Inquisitor, not the Chantry. As I understand it, they are not particularly devout in their faith…especially with how many times they’ve refuted the claim to be Andraste’s Herald.” He smiled faintly.
“If you do not mind my inquiring, how would you choose to fill this keep instead? Perhaps with tributes to the Dalish gods? Or would you keep it free of any religious influences?”
(tagging @vixenblooded from this starter call)
The calm of the forest was a welcome change from the busy clamor of the Hinterlands Crossroads. Solas stood a short distance away from Mekani, both upon a rocky outcropping overlooking a series of gullies.
Since their arrival in the area he had rarely had the opportunity to speak to her without the crowding of others. Everyone was needing help; apostate mages fleeing the rogue templars, inquisition soldiers trying to maintain some form of order, and those who were simply trying to escape the conflict. Even now their small group had been request to help supply the refugee camp with food. Not for lack of skilled hunters, but for the fighting between apostate and templar among the hills proving particularly hazardous.
He had volunteered to accompany MeKani should any rogue templars or mages attempt to ambush her, but had little to offer in terms of the hunt itself. The use of magic tended to render most flesh inedible, if even recognizable.
Instead Solas observed quietly as she notched her bow, taking aim at an unsuspecting ram that grazed below. Without warning the arrow flew, piercing through the thick fur and directly into the heart of the beast. The ram fell without so much of a cry, crumpling where it had once stood.
“Nice shot.” He lauded her. “Your skill with the bow is most impressive. How long have you trained with it?”
Kani lingered, quiet for a moment as she watched the ram topple over. Sighing with relief as she lowered her bow, standing up now. Ever so glad it died quickly, despite how desperately they needed to supply food for the refugees. There was no need for the animal to suffer a slow death because of it.
Her ear twitched at hearing her partner for the hour speak up. Humbled by the praise of course, however she couldn’t help but smile. The short elf didn’t know much of her traveling partners yet but she already had a large amount of respect for Solas; quite intrigued by the apostate by all means.
“Training was about 3 years, I’ve been using it since I was 15 however so… 14 years all together? Thank you though” her voice genuine and soft. Bowing her head out of respect before kneeling down to slide off the rock. Reaching for a dagger on her hip as she walked towards the dead creature. Wanting to bleed it a bit before attempting to carry it out of the open. Cassandra would have their heads if they came back in bloodied armor.
“I’ve got an eye out but, please do let me know if you see bandits coming up. I would like a little warning before ice or fire gets thrown near me”
“I will do my best.” He stepped forward to help her load the ram onto the sled they’d brought along. The hills had made it difficult to spot any potential ambushes, but so far they had escaped notice of the rogues wandering about. Still…
At least the presence of the local wildlife ruled out the presence of demons. The last thing they needed was to stumble upon a rift. After the ram was loaded up they made their way back onto the main path, dragging the sled along behind them. As they approached the bottom of a cliff there was a sudden loud rumbling and a shudder that almost knocked him off his feet.
Out of instinct he went to her side and threw up a barrier over the both of them, looking around for any source of danger. But aside from the ground shaking violently and the loud noise, nothing seemed to be apparently coming after them.
When the rumbling stopped and no one appeared, Solas deemed it safe enough to step around the bend to see what happened. Where a path once led to the crossroads was now covered in an impressively large rock pile, the dust still settling around it.
He looked around for the possible cause of the rock slide, only to spot a dusty, limp hand laying out from among the pile. He shook his head. “A pity.” Whatever the reason for causing a rock slide to block the path, it seemed there had been unforeseen consequences to the instigator. Unfortunately, it had also left them somewhat stranded. There were paths that led about but it would take time to traverse, possibly the whole day. But there was no climbing the rubble, as unstable and steep as it was.
He turned back to face Mekani. “Well, it seems this path is no longer an option. What do you propose we do, Inquisitor?”
indie Solas RP blog for Dragon Age Inquisition
“I have seen things in my journeys most can only dream of.”
{ Rules l About l Ask }
Don’t Drink the Tea
(tagging @arcanistdagnarp for this starter call )
The afternoon had reached a comfortable lull of peace. The Inquisitor was away on a mission and the usual rabble rousers had stayed clear of his area. Solas had just been considering a foray into the Fade when a polite knock intruded on his thoughts.
“Come in.” He called out, then immediately regretted it as the door swung open to reveal a familiar dwarf holding a cup of tea and looking as eager as could be.
Dagna was bright and charming, and Solas admired her passion when it came to magic. She was not a magical user in the traditional sense, but it would be foolishness to overlook her talents. Though he had not witnessed her produce any magic herself, she seemed to come up with a variety of special tools and remarkable theories, including ways to improve day-to-day lives.
Which, now, apparently, extended to different methods of tea-making and flavors. The motivation behind it was uncertain, but he desperately wished she hadn’t. Solas had entertained her first attempt at it out of politeness which had ended in near disaster. He had been left gagging for the rest of the day despite drinking a plenty amount of water to wash down the taste. Never again he’d thought, but, try as he might, he could not dissuade her from repeatedly approaching him about the matter. He wasn’t sure why, he didn’t even like tea.
Solas looked at the cup of tea, then at her, back at the tea, and then back to her where his gaze chose to rest. “I thought I told you to take this to someone else?” The tone of displeasure in his voice was quite clear, as was his apprehensive expression. Normally he considered himself very good at denying people what they wanted if it interfered with his interests (in this case, potentially his health) but it was so hard to say No to Dagna. Partially on account of her persistence and partially because of her….enthusiasm.
“Dorian’s not here and Madame de Fer is doing some diplomatic thing.”
Dagna really did like Solas. People tended to shy away from him and some were downright afraid. But Dagna was fascinated, a non-circle trained mage was rare and an elf at that. She had always wanted to learn how the elves used and learned magic, but it was so hard to get close to a Dalish mage. But Solas was so clever and different and right there!
However, he was a little reticent to help right now.
“I mean, I have a few apprentices helping me, but no one else has your experience. You’re my control!”
She had noticed that it took some mages a longer time to slip in to the Fade than others. Some mages had to sleep for hours before they could enter the dream world. She decided to do some experiments with herbal teas to see if it would make the transition easier. As for now, the tea was getting cold.
“I know you don’t like it but please? In the name of research? Here, I got you something to help wash it down.”
She pulled out a little sack and opened it on the table. Inside was a massive, moist, gooey hunk of chocolate cake. She had heard whispers of Solas’ infamous sweet tooth.
Solas had failed to notice the sack at her side before but now that its contents were revealed it was hard to draw his gaze from it. It was a little smashed from being toted around but it otherwise looked delicious. He glanced again at the dwarf’s hopeful face. Did he mention how hard it was to say no to Dagna before?
Her endeavor wasn’t a bad one, if he were being honest. The problem with trying to use tea in an experiment to enter the fade more easily was that under normal circumstances, tea interfered with that connection. Herbal and decaffeinated teas were not much better than the regular, but were acceptable when he needed them. At the same time, tea could be a great calming agent for soothing the nerves which in turn made it easier to address stressful situations…like being in the Fade.
Solas let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. “Very well, Dagna, but only this once. I would prefer if you found someone else after.” He gently grasped the teacup and raised it, staring intensely at the contents with the expression of a child that had stuck a slice of lemon in their mouth. It didn’t smell different from any other tea, but one could never be too sure… “Before I try it out I need to know exactly what you used in this.” At the very least he would not go into this blindly. If it was anything questionably lethal, then he could easily put the cup back down without feeling guilty.
She saw his eyes zoom in to the cake and she knew that she had him. A little bait to, quite literally, sweeten the deal. When he acquiesced the dwarf nearly squealed with joy. She held up the teacup to her eyes and examined it momentarily.
“Well, this kind was an infusion elf root, for it’s calming qualities, with a certain northern lotus which was said to bring on very vivid dreams when ingested. Also some crystal grace for it’s anti-inflammatory prowess. No tummy pains when you’re in the fade, right?”
She pushed the cup into his hands and sat down.
“Ah and you have some parchment, quill and ink. Wonderful. So I’m going to be taking some notes while you sleep and then when you wake up, I need you to tell me how you felt and if anything was different. Drink your tea!”
She felt like her auntie when she said that. That was probably where she got the idea for the cake bribe.
