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It's been a few days since Antoine and Evka separated.
The Dwarven woman stayed back at the cabin with their children while the Elf crashed at their best friend’s Villa, trying to sort himself out.
But not without squeezing in some good Uncle time with his Nephews and Nieces and having quality conversation with his friends.
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Lucanis rubbed his tired eyes as he made his way to the kitchen, the Crow nearly tripping over his own feet from just waking up.
The man let out a long yawn before entering the threshold.
“Bonjour, Lucanis!”
Lucanis’ coffee brown eyes widen, looking at the man standing at the counter.
Antoine, surprisingly bright eyed and bushy tailed, stood in front of the sink washing the dishes from dinner last night, his sapphire eyes twinkling.
But the assassin knew it was him hiding something.
“Good morning, Antoine, you’re awake early”
“As are you, mon ami”
“Fair, how are feeling?”
The Elf paused, placing the freshly washed plate on the drying rack, “I’m fine...”
Lucanis tried to investigate his friend’s blue eyes, but Antoine just turned around, grabbing something behind him, “made you some coffee” the Elf exclaimed turning around to his dear friend.
“Oh, thank you, Anto-”
The Crow looked down at the cup of coffee Antoine made for him, only to find it wasn’t a cup.... it was in a bowl.
“Uuuh, Antoine”
“Something wrong?”
“You know that we have mugs, right?”
“Oui”
Lucanis took the bowl off the Elf, the fresh coffee smelt amazing, “why... is it in a bowl?”
“That’s actually very normal in Orlais”
“Really?”
The Crow raised an eyebrow in interest as he watched Antoine pick up another bowl with coffee in it for himself, “it’s a typical part of the morning routine to drink coffee, tea or hot cocoa from a bowl” he explained before taking a sip of his own drink.
“Why is that?”
Antoine reached over and picked up a decent size pastry from a plate on the counter, “you can dunk bigger pastries into it”, the Elf easily dipped the treat into the coffee before taking at a bite.
“That is genius”
The Elf chuckled at Lucanis’ amazement.
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Kage and Spite came into the kitchen shortly after.
The Qunari and the Demon looked at the two men drinking their morning coffees out of bowls in confusion.
“Where there no clean mugs?” Kage asked, earning a giggle out of his husband and fellow Warden.
Leaving the man even more confused.
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Evka rubbed Marigold’s back, the little girl let out a tiny burp after her feeding.
“There you go, sweetie”, the Dwarven woman kissed the baby girl on the forehead, earning a small giggle out of her.
“Mama?”
Evka turned around at the voice behind her, her eldest son stood there with tired eyes, still in his pyjamas, “good morning, sweetheart, is your brother awake?” the woman asked her son, putting Marigold in her highchair.
Claude just gave her a sad nod.
Evka knelt down in front of the little boy.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
The dark-haired Dwarf boy fiddled with his fingers.
“Is Papa coming home soon...?”
The woman sighed and cupped her child’s face, looking into his sapphire eyes that he got from his father, “Claude, we talked about this... your father and I need to spend some time apart”
“But why?”
“Grown-ups have... problems sometimes, hun... your Papa and I are just having an issue right now, we’ll figure it out though, yeah?”
“... what is the problem?”
Shit. Evka wasn’t ready for that.
“Well... it’s... it’s a little complicated, sweetie”
“You’re not gonna say ‘I’ll understand when I’m older’ right?”
The woman paused, trying to think of how to explain her and Antoine’s martial problems to their nearly five-year-old son until Marigold started babbling for her mother’s attention.
“You know how... you and Clemmie accidental broke one of the plates and you were scared to tell Papa and I?” Evka asked, standing up and sitting in the chair beside the baby Elf girl.
“Yeah, but we told you guys... and you forgive us”
“Yes, you did... well, your father did the opposite... he lied about something”
“Did he break something?”
That earned a little chuckle out of Evka, “no... he just... didn’t tell me about something important, and... I got really mad at him, so we’re staying separate for a while until he learns his lesson, and until we’re both ready to talk it out”
“So... Papa is in timeout?”
Evka just smiled at her innocent son, “yes sweetie, Papa is in timeout...”
“Well... how much longer does he need to be away?”
“... I’m not entirely sure, baby... I... I don’t think either of us are ready to talk yet”
“Can Clemmie, Mari and I visit him?”
The Dwarven woman frowned for a moment, lifting her daughter back into her arms, “sometime, honey... I’ll ask Kage if he’ll be okay with you and the kids staying”, for the first time in a while, Claude smiled, giving his mother a big hug.
“Thank you, Mama”
“Of course, baby....”
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Antoine laid on his side, snuggling a pillow close.
The man was missing the love of his life so dearly.
He nuzzled into the top of the soft pillow, pretending it was Evka’s gorgeous hair, but of course it wasn’t at all the same.
Antoine, in a big bed all alone, no one to cuddle, no one to talk to after a nightmare... no one to love.
He never thought he’d feel this lonely ever again.
The Elf got up, wiping the silent tears from his eyes, and exited the guestroom for a walk to try and clear his mind.
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Kage stretched his arms in the air, letting out a strained groan as he woke.
The Qunari looked down at his sleeping husband, Lucanis was fast asleep in the foetal position, his arm curled up in is chest indicating that Spite was cuddling him from behind.
The Warden smiled watching his sweet partner peacefully sleep, until he heard footsteps in the hallway.
He stood up and peaked out the bedroom door.
Barely seeing who it was, a shadow walked down the stairs at the end of the hallway.
Kage stepped out to investigate, readying himself in case it was an intruder.
The Qunari made his way down the stairs, walking down the main hall when he passed the smaller living room.
Antoine sat there on one of the many couches surrounding the coffee table.
Completely silent.
His lanky finger cupped in his lap as he stared into space.
“Antoine?”
Antoine quickly turned at the sound of his name, turning back again to rub the rest of his sadness out of his eyes.
Tear marks ran down his cheeks.
“Hey, you okay?” the tall Warden asked, walking up to the sofa his friend was sitting on and joined him.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine-”
“Don’t start that, you know that doesn’t work on me”
Antoine shut his mouth and looked down in shame again, his leg bouncing slightly from stress.
“Homesick?”
“... kinda... I just miss Evka and the kids...” the Elf choked on his words a bit as tears started to form in his eyes again, causing the Qunari man to pull his dear friend into a hug.
“Sshhh, it’s okay, I get it”
“I’m sorry.... it’s my fault...”
“No, no, don’t start blaming yourself-”
“But it is my fault, Kage”, the Elf pulled away from his fellow Warden, looking up at him with flooded sapphire eyes, “you all told me to talk to her, and I should’ve said something to her sooner, but the one time I was actually going to, I turn, and now my wife doesn’t trust me-”
“Hey”
Kage held Antoine’s head in his massive, muscular hands, making the Elf look into his fiery orange eyes.
“It isn’t your fault. You were scared, I get it, you didn’t want to worry Evka, yeah, you fucked up but... hey, we all do”
Antoine wrapped his long arms around Kage’s back, sobbing into the big man’s shoulder, “there, there, it’s okay, I’ve got you...”
“I miss her...”
“I know, but surely it won’t be too long now, right? It’s been nearly a week since you’ve seen each other, I bet she’s missing you just as much right now”
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Kage was correct.
Evka was sat up in their empty bed in the cabin, watching Marigold in her bassinet with the warm fire going.
But it felt so cold without her husband’s arms wrapped around her.
The Dwarven woman contemplated calling Antoine right now to ask him to come home, she missed him so much.
But she still couldn’t shake the feeling she felt after figuring out her husband was lying to her.
Although it felt selfish and overdramatic, that she should just suck it up and forgive him already, Evka was so hurt.
Antoine had the best intentions, she knew that.
It didn’t stop her from feeling betrayed though.
He promised, he promised Evka that he wasn’t going to withhold anything from her again, and he did.
That one breach of trust made Evka doubt the things he’s told her, and what he may tell her in the future. Guilt also creeped up her into her thoughts, making him stay in a different part of Thedas for an undisclosed amount of time felt cruel but she knew that was the only way to make him understand just how hurt she was.
Punishing him, per say.
But the more she thought about it, the more she knew how bad this may be torturing him, and it sucked.
Evka’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a low knock on her slightly ajar door.
Clement stood there in the doorway with his pyjamas on and carried one of his many books in his arms, “Clemmie, sweetie, why are you awake?” his mother asked, signing along with her words.
The curly-haired boy trotted up to the bed and climbed up after tossing his book onto the blankets, {can I stay with you and Marigold tonight?}
“Of course you can, baby, come here”
Evka patted the spot next to her, the spot Antoine usually occupied.
Clement snuggled up with his Mama, wriggling in under the covers, book in hand.
“What are you reading, Clem?”
{One of Great Uncle Varric’s books, Tales of the Champion}
“Oh, I remember that one, about his rebellion at Kirkwall and his friendship with Hawke”
Clem nodded happily, {It’s so cool, Miss Isabela is in it too}
Evka chuckled at her son’s excitement.
“You really love Varric’s books, don’t you?”
{Yep, Aunt Lace said that there is one called Swords and Shields, but I’m not old enough to read it yet}
The Dwarven woman struggled to hold back a snicker, “yeah, that one is not exactly fit for your age group”
{I like the stories about his adventures though, I wanna be like him someday}
“You want to go on adventures?”
{Not really, I want to write books, tell stories that people will enjoy, just like Varric}
Evka’s heart filled with so much love and affection from her son, she hugged her youngest boy to her chest and kissed his forehead, “well, I can’t wait to read your first book, baby”
{Thank you, Mama}
“Of course, baby... do you wanna read together?”
Clement smiled wide and frantically nodded his head before scooting onto his mother’s lap, opening the book where his little bookmark was and began reading.
The only noise in the room being the crackling of the fireplace and Marigold’s tiny snores as she slept.
Evka couldn’t help but think about Antoine though.
Reading was always their favourite thing to do together.
Those cold nights in their tent, the Dwarf would just lean into her love’s chest and follow along, listening to his low, smooth voice as he read to her.
Her heart ached from the memories.
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It was a nice day in Treviso.
The whole house was outside enjoying the lovely morning in the back garden.
Kage, Lucanis and Spite sat on the dry grass in the middle of the garden, watching their children play around, Bianca and Draven where fluttering about in the air, weaving through the small trees that were lined up along the perimeter of the garden.
Luno was sat close to his parents, happily and contently doodling on some paper, various coloured crayons next to him.
Then Layla and Aster, they were over by the flower beds with their Uncle Antoine, the Elf and two young Qunari children had many small flowers in their laps, using them to make flower-crowns.
“Then you split a hole in the stem, then pull another flower through it”
Antoine weaved his chain together with yellow and purple Viola flowers.
Aster made his from Snapdragons and white Alyssums.
And Layla put her crown together with Bluebells and Forget me nots.
“Make sure the stems are long and sturdy so they can stay together properly”
“How is this, Uncle Antoine?”, Aster held up his creation to the Elven man, the bright red Snapdragons were so beautiful with the small Alyssums scattered along the crown.
“Amazing, Aster, brilliant job, mon cher!”
The orange-haired boy giggled in delight before standing up on the edge of the flowerbed, “oh!”, Aster reached up and placed the flower crown on his Uncle’s head, “oh my, is it for me?”
Aster nodded proudly.
“Why thank you, Aster, that is so sweet”
The Qunari boy smiled and hugged his Uncle tight, “it’s so pretty on you, you can wear it when you go home to Auntie Evka, I think she’ll love it to”
“... yeah, I think she will”
Lucanis looked over at Antoine and his son, noticing the older man’s face and knowing what he was feeling right now.
“Aster, my son, let us see what you made!”
The orange haired boy tugged on Antoine’s sleeve, dragging him over to his three fathers sat together, “look, doesn’t Uncle Ani look so pretty!”
“Oh, he does” Kage exclaimed, looking up at his fellow Warden wearing the fiery coloured flower crown.
“Papi!”
Layla came running over with her own crown, gingerly placing it on her father’s head, nestled behind his big horns.
“Aww, thank you, my love”
The purple haired Qunaris hugged each other close, the man smothering his daughter’s face with kisses.
“PAPI!”
Kage and the others got a massive jump-scare from Bianca yelling for him from the far end of the garden, “LITTLE. BIRDIE. WHATS. WRONG?!?!” Spite leaped up in a panic.
“Draven got stuck on the roof again!!”
“Oh Draven...” Kage sighed, sitting up from where he was, “we’re coming, honey, hold on!!”, the Demon and the Qunari man trotted off to where their son was stuck, leaving Lucanis and Antoine along together as Aster and Layla followed them to watch again.
“That boy, the number of times I tell him to stop flying too high or stay off the roof, mierda...” Lucanis pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
The Elven Warden chuckled as he sat beside the assassin, placing the Viola crown he made on his head, “boys will be boys” Antoine said.
“He’s definitely Spite’s son, I’ll say that” Lucanis snickered.
Antoine laughed along with his friend.
“How are you doing, Ann?”
The Warden looked at the Crow and paused for a moment, looking down at his fidgeting hands, “I’m okay... just...”
“When do you think you and Evka will start talking again?”
“... I don’t know.... I want to call her, but I feel like I should wait until she comes back to me, but I also think that I should be trying to get her back and I just-”
“Hey, hey, relax, it’s okay” Lucanis halted the other man’s spiral, taking his hands in his own.
“Look, remember when Kage and I separated for a little while after Wylan’s death?”
“Yes, why?”
“Well, from what I experienced, Kage left because he wanted me to work on myself for a while, so, don’t worry so much about going home right now, rather, focus on figuring out what is going on with you, so that you and Evka can have a proper conversation about it after”
Antoine listened, he knew exactly what the other man meant, he still didn’t at all understand his possession and lycanthropy.
“Yes... but how?”
“Listen... I know someone who can help you, they are willing to meet and discuss your situation”
“They’re a... possession expert?”
“Yes, you’ve met them already, but I’ll schedule for you to speak with them”
Although the Elf was slightly confused by the Crow’s vagueness, he accepted, awaiting to meet this ‘possession expert’ tomorrow.
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“Mari... please, sweetie... shhhh”
It was no use; Marigold had been bawling her eyes out for the past hour now.
Evka had been trying her absolute best to settle her.
She tried feeding her, but she wasn’t latching.
She tried burping her, but nothing came out except for more cries.
She already checked if she needed changing, she was totally clean.
Marigold just wouldn’t stop.
Evka was started to reach her limit, the time was already half-past two and she’s had zero sleep, the boys were fast asleep in their room.
She envied her sons for being able to stay asleep through their little sister’s whaling.
“Come on, sweetie, you have to be tired now”, she wasn’t, the little Elf baby continued to cry louder now.
Evka racked her brain for more ideas on how to calm her distressed daughter until one in particular came to mind... but she wasn’t too sure how to go about it.
In the past, Antoine always sang this melodic lullaby to the children, and it always made them calm down within seconds... but the only one who knew the lyrics was all the way in Treviso right now, and Evka was, in all honesty, afraid to call her husband.
Neither of them had spoken in over a week now.
What was Antoine gonna say once she calls, will he be upset, relieved?
Hard to say, but the woman was desperate.
Hesitantly, Evka retrieved her sending crystal from the bedside drawer, calling Antoine with their crying baby in her arms.
The crystal chimed before it was replaced with a voice on the other end.
“Hello?”
“Antoine”
“Evka?”
Marigold’s cries were so loud they likely echoed through the signal, “is that Marigold, is everything okay?!” the Elf asked in panic.
“Yeah... look, Mari has been crying for ages now, she’s driving me insane”
“Okay?”
“Could you... sing to her, that one song you always use to sing to the boys because I have no clue what the lyrics are”
Silence fell on the other end for a moment, “of course... is the crystal close to her?”
“Yeah”
“Okay...”, Evka could hear the sound of her distant husband clear his throat on the other end of the signal.
“L’était une poule grise, qu’allait pondre dans l’Eglise, pondait un p’tit coco, que l’enfant mangeait tout chaud~”
Gods... it’s beautiful... the soft, low tone of Antoine’s voice was like pure honey to the soul.
“L’était une poule blanche, qu’allait pondre dans la grange, pondait un p’tit coco, que l’enfant mangeait tout chaud~”
As the man kept singing, Evka couldn’t help but feel her heart swoon, Marigold’s tears slowly drying away as she listened to her father’s childhood lullaby. No loud cries, no screaming, just Antoine’s relaxing voice presenting perfect notes after perfect notes.
Soon enough, the little girl was totally calm, with zero tears, just silently focusing on her father’s voice.
Once Antoine finished, Marigold giggled before she started falling asleep again.
“Thank the Maker... she’s sleeping”
“Ah, good...”
Evka kissed their little girl in her golden hair, “well... goodnight, mon cheries-”
“Wait” the woman stopped Antoine, “yes?”
Fuck. Evka did not know what to say. She just... didn’t want him to leave yet.
“How... how are you doing?”
“I’m okay... I... I’ve been missing you, and the children”
“Ani...”
“It’s okay, darling... I hope you are doing well and... I am.... I am working on figuring this out, the... possession”
Evka stood up, gently placing Mari back into her crib while listening to her husband, “I’m going to see an expert on possession soon... so that I can understand better about... what has happened to me...... and maybe we can work this out, together”
“Oh Antoine... thats... really good to hear”
“Yes, perhaps... we can see each other again soon... when you are ready”
Evka could not think of what to say... her eyes just welled up in tears as her husband proceeded to say bye, “goodnight, mon amour... give the children a kiss goodnight from me, please”
“... I will.... I love you”
“I love you too, Evka...”
The crystal then powered down after, indicating the call had concluded.
Evka couldn’t take it.
She was then the one to burst into tears, burying her face into her pillow at the first conversation she had with her husband for over a week.
The Dwarven woman slowly cried herself to sleep that night.
Cuddling her pillow as if it was Antoine’s warm, lanky torso that she greatly longed to hug again.
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Antoine walked along the halls of the Cantori, very early memories creeping back.
The pain transformation, Mila nearly getting killed.... and Evka leaving.
The Elf did his best to repress those memories as he made his way to meet this mysterious ‘possession expert’ Lucanis set him up with to chat to.
He was told to meet them in the botanical gardens, the same place where the ambush started, Antoine couldn’t picture that place in the Cantori anymore without mutilated Crow corpses scattered across it.
It had been cleaned up of course, but that introduction would most definitely stick with Antoine for a while.
The Elf arrived at the garden, the morning sun reflected off the leaves of the Carob tree in the centre of the yard.
Many colourful flowers grew around the edges of the green and surrounded the tree’s base.
As Antoine entered the courtyard, he spotted a figure.
A tall, cloaked individual standing in front of the Carob tree, straight and still.
Antoine could only assume that was the person he was meeting today.
“Salut, I’m Antoine Ivo, are you the ‘possession expert’ I am meet-”
Suddenly, the taller figure turned around to face Antoine, dropping their hood to reveal themself.
“...Zephyr?”
“Chamberlain Antoine” the blind Qunari greeted the Elven Warden with a slight bow again, treating him like the royalty he certainly was not.
“Sorry, I thought you were-”
“I am”
Antoine paused in confusion for a second, “you’re the expert I’m meeting?”
“Correct”
The Crow approached the Elf closer, towering over him, “when Lucanis said I had met you before, this is not what I was expecting.... I didn’t even know you were a mage”
“I only use my abilities for work and in dire situations like last week... but my gift to commune with spirits is one I find useful every day, come”
Zephyr gestured for the man to walk with them.
They circled the garden together calmly as they spoke, “from what I have witnessed and what the First Talon has told me about your possession, you do not bare an evil demon as you’d say... the two times you’ve turned were moments of distress, correct?”
“Oui”
The horse-like clop of Zephyr’s heels lightly echoed across the yard, “it is quite rare to find someone possessed with good intention... this spirit has spoken to you, yes?”
“It did once directly... in my dreams, but most of the time it’s like... an echo in my head, which I am used to noises in head being a Warden and everything, but it’s different, like... like they are trying to... convince me?”
“Does it ever show you the past?”
“Yes... yes, it did...”
“Were there certain aspects of your past that brought on a feeling of dread, or angry perhaps... revenge?”
Antoine didn’t even have to think about that question, almost every moment of his early life before meeting Evka warranted a feeling of injustice, “...yes”
Zephyr nodded, thinking to themself for a bit before turning back to the Elf.
“May I show you something?” the Qunari asked, stopping in their path.
Antoine looked up at them in intrigue, “sure...”
A deep exhale emerged from the taller person’s covered mouth, lifting their sharp, clawed hands up and cupping the Elf’s head.
“Relax”
Antoine obliged, taking in a breath and exhaled, laxing himself in the blind Qunari’s hands.
All of a sudden, a surge of heat overcomes his vision, not unbearable, but what he saw shortly after was horrific, heart-retching even.
Fire and destruction everywhere.
Blood-curdling screams coming from all directions as groups of much taller people squeezed past him.
He turned in disorientation.
Antaam soldiers, canons, explosions.
“ZINNIA!!”
A woman yelled to him; he turned back again.
A Qunari woman pinned under a wooden beam with another dead Qunari woman beside her, blood seeping from her waist, “ZINNIA, RUN, STAY ALIVE!!!!”
The woman screamed, tears rolling down her face.
The imagine was too much to handle, he grabbed Zephyr’s wrists and shoved them away, the Qunari barely moved.
“What... what was that?!”
“... the last memory I have of my mothers...”
Antoine’s eyes widen as tears of sudden kinship welled up.
“The Antaam attacked our village years ago... barely anyone survived... including most of my family... it’s just been Tama and I ever since...”
The Elf slowly approached the Qunari again, Zephyr didn’t cry or express any emotion in that moment, but Antoine could tell they were in pain.
“... Zephyr... I’m so sorry...”
They don’t respond in gratitude, the blind Crow returns to the Elf’s situation immediately before Antoine continues to sympathise with them, “your memories... they are what your demon focuses on... pain, suffering, trauma... they use them to remind you of who you are and what your purpose is...”
“... you are possessed... aren’t you?”
“Sometimes, but a certain spirit... lingers with me... they aid me in my work and everyday life, but most importantly... they’ve moulded me, trained me, made me into what I am to kill and protect so that no one ever has to go through the pain I went through...”
Antoine looked up at the blind Qunari, opening his mouth to say something until they spoke again.
“I can help you speak with the demon within you... understand what it truly needs you for... and help you adapt to your transformation like I can, but I need to know that you trust me to train you... I can’t guarantee that this will be easy... or painless, but I’ll do my best to aid you in your journey... what say you, Chamberlain?”
Zephyr out their obsidian claws to Antoine, offering a firm handshake of confirmation.
After a moment of consideration, the Elf took the Qunari’s big hand in his, “I accept your help, Zephyr”
“Good... we shall begin training on your watch, but first...”
The blind Crow turned ninety degrees towards the exit, walking off before saying, “I believe there is one more person to converse with beforehand”, Zephyr disappeared from Antoine’s site, the Elf somehow knowing exactly who they were talking about.
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Evka.
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“MAMA, ARE YOU READY YET!?” Claude shouted from the sitting room, clearly fed up waiting for his mother.
Today was the day they were finally going to see their father again, so it’s no surprise that the children are so eager to leave.
“Just hold on, baby, Papa isn’t running off on us!”
Evka’s hair issues were arising again, she had been wrestling with it throughout her husband’s absence as the man was usually the one to do her hair in the mornings.
She was well able to do it herself, but recently she’d discovered how annoying she found it to do it herself all the time.
The hairbrush kept getting caught on knots and tangles in her dark brown locks, braiding it was torture to do alone without long, skinny fingers weaving effortlessly into it.
“MAMA!!”
“I’M COMING!!”
And now, her toddler's impatience was greatly adding onto her frustration.
Evka stared at her unruly do in the mirror, then... at the scissors on the table.
“Fuck it” she said to herself.
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Antoine glared at himself in the mirror.
Inspecting every part of his face.
His now shoulder-length hair tied up in a ponytail, his fast-growing stubble spread across his jaw, his hard, sharp teeth, eyes, ears.
Everything.
His nerves in bits at the anticipation for his wife and children’s arrival.
Nearly two weeks apart they were.
Safe to say, Antoine was anxious to see Evka again, not just after their fight and being separated for ages, but the fact that he was now going to go through more transformations in the future, with the possibility of parts of his body changing permanently.
The Elf wasn’t exactly excited for that conversation with his wife, but as all his family warned him, both yesterday and this morning.
“No. More. Lies.”
Antoine agreed of course.
He spent the majority of the night replaying his own script in his mind of how he was going to explain the plan to Evka.
How he was going to train with Zephyr, learn to communicate with the spirit possessing him and most importantly... control his transformations, or at least they were hoping to achieve that.
As Antoine talked to himself in the mirror, he got a little fright from an excited yell coming from the hallway.
“AUNTIE EVKA!!!”
Bianca and Layla’s screeches of joy echoed from the main hall to the upstairs corridor, and very clearly into all the rooms.
Evka arrived.
Antoine just took a shaky breath, pepping himself up to see the love of his life again.
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Walking down the stairs, Antoine could see his Nieces and Nephews swarming around in a circle together.
He could only imagine they were ambushing Evka and the children with hugs.
“Auntie Evka, you look so pretty!”
“It’s so cute!!”
“You look amazing, Evka” Kage added, looking down at the woman who Antoine still couldn’t see with the Qunari children in the way.
“Si, it’s a good look on you” Lucanis said.
Spite fluttered his wings as he was the one to notice Antoine coming down the stairs, “Antoine. Evka. New Look. She. Is Really. Pretty”
The Elf made it down to the bottom of the stairs and walked over to the group.
All his Nephews and Nieces parted, revealing his dear wife in the middle, and he could believe what he saw.
Evka’s hair.
Her long braids that hung over her shoulders were now gone, chopped off.
He stared at his wife in awe, the Dwarven woman had a wavy bob haircut stopping just at her neck, the ends were a little choppy, implying that this may have been an impulse decision.
A nice impulse by Antoine’s account.
“Evka...”
“Hey Ann...”
Evka tucked her newly cut hair behind her ear with her free hand, the other was busy holding baby Marigold.
The Elf was silently freaking out from desire on the inside.
She was gorgeous.
“Your hair... it’s...”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d like it, but it was-”
“It’s beautiful~”
The woman’s sky-blue eyes widen at the man’s reaction to her new look, a light blush spread across her face, “your hair looks nice too...”
Antoine draped his mid-length ponytail over his shoulder, “merci... mon amour-”
“PAPA!!!”
Claude came running over to his father, clutching onto the man’s legs with tears pouring from his eyes, “Papa, we missed you so much!!!”
“Oh, my son, I’ve missed you all too, come here”
Clement quickly scurried up to his father with his older twin, making a grabby hand gesture asking to be picked up.
Antoine scooped his eldest children into his arms, giving them both a tight hug and smothered them in kisses.
“How have you been doing at home, Evka?” the Qunari Warden asked.
“Oh, it’s been tough but... I did my best” the woman said, looking down at the little Elf girl in her arms, her shimmering yellow and green eyes stare up at her mother.
“Oooh, where’s my little girl~”
“Baa~!” little Marigold reached out to her father, “come here, mon petite fleur!”.
Antoine put his sons down and knelt toward his wife, who was holding their daughter, scooping the baby Elf girl into his hold.
“How are you, my little one~?”
Marigold giggled as her father nuzzled her nose with his, “baa~”
Antoine chuckled before planting a little kiss on her head, “she missed you a lot...” Evka said, folding her arms as she looked up at her partner.
“I missed her too... I miss all of you”
Evka shot a sad little smile before saying, “me too....”.
.
.
.
The family spent the whole day together.
All the cousins played for hours.
Draven showing off his flying skills to Claude.
Luno and Clement silently drew together.
And Bianca, Aster and Layla sat with their fathers, Aunt, Uncle and baby cousin, practicing their flower crowns again.
The whole time Antoine and Evka barely said anything to each other.
It was like they just met for the first time again.
Silently admiring each other.
Not knowing what to say.
It doesn’t help that they were going to be going home together afterwards.... alone.
The thought made them both shiver.
But it’s a bridge they need to cross... and they’re gonna cross it... together.