Oh Noooo🥵

Among The Multitudes

(Read on AO3)

Written for the Dragon Age Big Bang 2025. Illustrated by @the-font-bandit

M. 41,111 words.

Summary:

The first word Emmrich learnt to read was Johanna.

His eyes followed the sharp edges of each letter, cutting across his right wrist, staking some wordless claim, the ink as dark as blood. Each edge was distinct from the other, downward strokes hard and impressive, straightforward. Emmrich traced each letter — wrote it out, charcoal on paper, on leaves, fingers in the dirt, until they were identical to his skin, until he knew Johanna by heart.

Then a second name came after, months later, much more surprising than the first.

On his left wrist, all curving swirls, rounded letters, and sweeping lines, much more difficult for his young eyes to follow. The H molded into the A, pressed even closer to the N, as if written in a hurry, ink so light, the word untethered to its writer. Mummy had to help him decipher it, holding him close, her long dark hair plaited, the tips of it tickling his nose. She laughed, bright and tinkling — “Your soulmate has terrible handwriting, my love,” — before settling on Thana. Death.

—

Or, one Emmrich Volkarin, bearer of two soul marks, and a lifetime's exploration of the different faces of love and heartbreak.

Preview under the cut

Emmrich wondered — not for the first time in the last few years — what his soulmates were like.

His thoughts often strayed to them when he accompanied his mother to one of the manors she worked at. Early mornings kneading dough, late evenings cooking for some noble's party, sweat on her brow from the heat of the kitchens. Or when he would stay with his father at the shop, the scent of meat in the air, the rhythmic sound of a knife slicing through flesh, through bone, on a wooden block, the occasional greeting to a customer.

Were their parents like his? Did they go to market days together — spices and fruits and vegetables at every stall? Were there quiet smiles, lingering touches when passing by, eyes that lit up whenever they saw each other? Days off and summer picnics, shaky legs skating on the Minanter in the winter?

(Would there be with him when they grow up? Hands in his, laughter that rang through streets and love that woke with the sun and reminded him of his parents. He imagined Johanna with a grin as sharp as their name on his wrist, and Thana with soft, light hands, fingers making swirling patterns in the air.)

Did they like to read as much as he did?

The Chantry near his home was a tiny, modest thing — very different from the one closer to the heart of Nevarra City, with its tall towers and gleaming windows, always smelling like incense and myrrh — and Mother Dellah said he was turning into quite a studious learner, mind expanding in leaps and bounds. The Chantry opened their doors to the neighborhood children on Sundays, providing lessons on arithmetic, history, religion, and all sorts of other things. Emmrich soaked it all in like a sponge.

(Would they sit and read with him? He hoped they would, pointing to their favorite passages, legs knocking together. Perhaps in the Chantry library, right where he was now, whispering and giggling until Mother Dellah scolded them and kicked them out. He wouldn’t mind it that much as long as they were with him — the three of them would find something else to do together — together — always together.)

(Read on AO3)

what it feels like to take emmrich and davrin with you as your team

it's basically just emmrich 'gentle parenting' volkarin vs davrin 'tough love' the warden

Romance Prompt Questions:

✨ First Times ✨

To spark some positive fandom enthusiasm, I thought I'd try creating a ~fun little ask prompt~, so here goes!

Send an ask with "The first time..." and fill in the rest with whatever you like - then receive snippets, headcanons, or a mix of both!

This can be serious ("the first time character A confided something in character B" / "the first time character B thought about kissing character A" / "the first time they dealt with loss together") or entirely silly ("the first time character A heard character B snoring" / "the first time character A's uniform was horribly out of place in front of character B" / "the first time they laughed so hard they cried together").

I encourage all writers and non-writers alike to participate however they wish! This isn't about creating mesmerizing prose, but about sharing in each others' love of the Characters™.

drop your favorite tarquin/ashur fics below i'm getting desperate

Rook Tarot Ask Game: Romance Edition

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm back with more major arcana-inspired questions for your Rook, this time focused on romance. The questions do contain spoilers, so proceed with caution!

The Fool: Describe the first meeting between Rook and their love interest. What was Rook thinking in that moment? Was it an instant attraction?

The Magician: How does trust develop between Rook and their partner?

The High Priestess: How did Rook respond to their developing feelings? Did they embrace the new feelings or hide from them?

The Empress: What actions do Rook and their love interest take to nurture their relationship?

The Emperor: What is the foundation of Rook’s relationship? What is the bond that holds them and their partner together?

The Hierophant: What is most sacred between Rook and their love interest? How do they honour that?

The Lovers: What does Rook learn about themself and their desires through their relationship with their love interest?

The Chariot: What does Rook do to balance their responsibilities as team leader with their responsibilities to their partner? Does one ever slip in favour of another? Do these two roles ever conflict?

Strength: Who makes the first move? How is it received? Is this reflective of their relationship dynamic in general?

The Hermit: In the quiet moments where it’s just the two of them, how do Rook and their partner share that time?

The Wheel of Fortune: Each of Rook’s potential love interests are dealing with significant personal issues and difficult choices. How do these choices affect their relationship, and how does Rook support them through their personal journey?

Justice: Reflect on the argument Rook and their partner have in the lead-up to the final battle. What emotions are driving the conversation? How is the issue resolved? 

The Hanged Man: How did Rook’s love interest respond to them being trapped in the Fade? If they were unaware (sacrificed or blighted), what was it like for Rook having to confront that in the Fade?

Death La Petite Mort: What does sex mean for Rook and their partner? How do they express themselves through sex, and how does this reflect their relationship in general? If their relationship is non-sexual, what does intimacy mean to them?

Temperance: What does Rook need to heal within themself to become a better partner? What about their SO?

The Devil: This is not a fun card to pull in a romance reading, especially not for Valentine’s Day. Instead, share a song that makes you think of your Rook and their partner. 

The Tower: How do Rook and their partner support each other in coping with the trauma they’ve endured? 

The Star: What does hope in the aftermath look like for Rook and their love interest? When things feel hopeless, how do they act as each other’s light in the darkness?

The Moon: The moon is bright because it reflects the light of the sun. Which qualities do Rook and their partner bring out in each other? Are these qualities positive or negative? 

The Sun: What is something Rook’s partner does that gives them that warm fuzzy feeling?

Judgement: What does Rook see when they look at their partner? What does their partner see when they look back?

The World: Thedas is saved, but changed. Where do Rook and their love interest go from here? Is marriage on the table? Children? What milestones do they have to look forward to?

Me: “Man, Viago looks good with curly hair”

@alsoika: “Say less🖌️”

(Go follow them their art is CRAZY good thank you so much for this commission)

something something "mama y papa" meme but it's rook de riva at teia/viago

I will kill any god you ask.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁