highly new, slightly improved open post

[appliances]

assorted morons

☆ @ the muselist

optional prompts/ideas

☆ caught in the rain meme ☆ little steps meme ☆ affectionate physical contact meme ☆ picture prompt also acceptable but link them so it's tidy ☆ AU ideas: soulmates AU, reincarnation AU, Bad End AU, canon divergent/roleswap AU, dorky college AU, crossover AU, super indulgent high fantasy AU ☆ melodrama is ultimate tier ★ SHIPPING AND FUCC: ☆ non-fluffy relationship types I'm down for: codependent, master/servant power imbalance type ships, "we're bad for each other but worse for anyone else," other things I am failing to think of tbh ☆ things I am not into: noncon (includes "dubcon"), incest, tsundere shit if your tsundere is just verbally abusive, gratuitous torture porn, you'll probably have to ask me about harder kinks and they will vary by character ☆ I don't have a kink list so pitch me an idea if u thirsty ☆ if you would prefer a locked post I can also make that happen

Comments

you're writing the next great american novel apparently

[quickprayer]

[The Chantry can provide, for its followers, a certain measure of faith and purpose; ruling a Free Marches city state can provide a certain measure of responsibility unto one's people, a drive that may not have been so easy to find while mucking about in Kirkwall for the better part of the decade. But nothing in all of Thedas can gift Sebastian with impulse control, and so it is for that reason that he winds up marching all the way to Skyhold on a whim.

Mostly. Kind of. In his defense, he lasts longer in Starkhaven than one might have expected. A city with competent leadership can run itself, after all, and for all his past doubts about what he ought to do, there is no question that he's more than competent at the actual doing: Starkhaven, this long after Sebastian's passionate return, is doing just fine. Better than fine; good enough to reach out to Kirkwall, to other cities having a Circle problem, and put good resources to work there.

Still: it's not overnight, and so Sebastian does not begrudge it much, when his earliest letters to Cullen go unanswered. He'd be faintly embarrassed by them now anyway, far too much putting to paper every little doubt he might have felt about his ability to rule, rude things about local nobles that should not ever see the light of day— it's fine. He lets those go.

But the rest. The months and months and years that pass, and yes, the Inquisition has sent Starkhaven some polite missives, correspondence in a hand that is not Cullen's but nonetheless has some of his influence underneath the niceties, Sebastian can tell— but Cullen has not returned a single letter to him, and as the dust settles somewhat (somewhat) in the Free Marches, it starts to... grate. Chafe, even. Missing Cullen's presence becomes part of the routine, and while it would admittedly make that feeling more if he were to write, it would be better than nothing at all.

He still writes because of course he does, and when a letter from someone in the Inquisition for him finally arrives, the surge of joy in his heart is completely unbecoming from a prince and— and it's from damnable Varric, Maker, spare him. Sebastian has poor impulse control; his party is mounted up and headed for Skyhold the very next morning, and oh, did he forget to send a message in advance? Pity.

The journey is what it is and Skyhold is remarkable, really, Starkhaven is all but a city fortress and so he likes Skyhold at once, earnestly he does, but— well, nothing quite compares to the moment the front doors open and the Inquisition's esteemed leadership comes down the steps to greet his delegation. Specifically, nothing quite compares to seeing Cullen among them, there and in one piece, and Sebastian had known he wasn't injured or anything because Varric would have mentioned it, but it's still... a relief.

It doesn't soothe his temper. No, what eases the anger that sent him marching all the way here in the first place is Cullen just standing there, letting other people do the talking, catching his eye in a completely overt way and fumbling over being left to give him the grand tour. Sebastian performs all the requisite bows and polite thanks and then finally really looks at Cullen when they're alone.

Listen to this guy... Sebastian holds up a couple fingers, humming.]

Right. I can see how that much would be difficult to fit on a single page to send all the way to Starkhaven.

[Punk. He's still kind of mad and he will continue to lean on this point until it pops but first, because, hm, because:]

It's good to see you. [And then,] You're supposed to show me the battlements?