What A Day (Cullrian Mini-fic)

So TheLadyMagician asked me to write some Cullrian fluff since what I usually end up writing is angst, tragedy, and feels. So here is her prompt, asked for while she was in the throes of a boring, useless training for work.

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Rating: Mature
Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Relationships: Dorian Pavus/Cullen Rutherford
Characters: Cullen Rutherford, Dorian Pavus, Josephine Montilyet, Iron Bull
Additional Tags: Fluff, Smut

Summary: Josephine has called the Inquisitor and the inner circle to a meeting to give them important information. Cullen and Dorian quickly grow bored, and look for something to do.

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What A Day


"And that is how you properly drink in a civilized fashion at an Orlesian court event," Josephine said, then looked up from her clipboard. "Any questions? No? Excellent. Now, how to use a napkin without embarrassing the Inquisition."

What a dreadfully dull day, Dorian thought with an internal sigh. As he felt his chin begin to slide off the palm upon which it was propped, he quickly straightened, blinking for a few moments to force himself to wake up. When he heard a quiet chuckle next to him, his foot lashed out and landed solidly on an ankle, making Cullen yelp.

"Did you have a question, Commander?" Josephine asked, partially lowering the napkin with which she was providing a detailed demonstration.

Cullen cleared his throat while Dorian covered his grin and looked at him expectantly. "Ah, no, Ambassador. My... belt pinched me when I shifted, that's all."

"Of course." With a nod, Josephine raised the napkin once more and resumed the lesson.

Just when Dorian felt his eyelids begin to droop again, he felt a sharp kick against his leg, and spluttered, "Ow!"

"Yes, Dorian? You had something to say?" Josephine asked in an irritated voice.

"No, no, not at all, Ambassador," Dorian said with a charming smile, resisting the urge to kick Cullen back. "A bug bit me, that's all."

"Oh, yes, the summer brought a whole horde of the nasty gnats." Josephine's annoyance faded, and she looked at Dorian sympathetically. "Perhaps you should cover your arm? I assume that's where the horrid thing got you."

No, my leg, actually. "I'll be fine. Pray continue," Dorian assured her with aplomb. As Josephine continued her lecture, he turned and directed a glare at Cullen, who blinked innocently and leaned in close.

"Do be careful about those bugs. I'd hate to see anyone else mark that perfect skin of yours," he murmured, then leaned back and gave all his apparent attention to Josephine.

Well, that was just cruel. With a sigh, Dorian tried to be good and concentrate, but when Josephine began to expound on the virtues of eating with delicacy, he mentally groaned. Kaffas, I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.

( NSFW from here on out... )

General musings

The end of the year is fast approaching, and I must say 2015 has taken me several places I never expected. I won't bore anyone with the details, but in hindsight, I think I am where I need to be. I'm looking into all sorts of possible paths to go from here, and I *still* wake up and am grateful I don't have to go back to that job.

Yes, finances are tight; yes, it is worrying that I have so much up in the air; yes, the future concerns me. But it's taken me weeks to pull myself out of the pit that I had slowly descended into due to work. I'm not completely out of it, but having this time off to really and truly recharge my batteries has been so amazing, I feel more like 'me' than I have in years, at least, without having to fake it till I made it.

So that's good, I think.

Mainly, I'm just exciting that I'm writing again, that I'm excited about my writing again. I have one more major fanfic work to complete, and then the next big projects will be my Inquisitor fic and my original novel. I have such feels for both, it's weird to think about actually writing them. But it's better to concentrate on that than to worry about the job (or lack of it), or to fret about low readership numbers, or to experience existential morbid dread.

I'll write, and play, and enjoy myself, and try not to worry. Easier said than done, but I couldn't even formulate those words two months ago. So I've made progress.

Here's to 2016!