Satinalia was a few days away and Skyhold was beginning to look beautiful. Garlands hung everywhere inside the fortress, shiny trinkets littered wherever they would be safe (and even some places they could possibly be stepped on), and some sprigs of mistletoe hung over multiple doorways. Nolan had tried to hang some in Dorian's alcove, but the mage quickly rejected that particular idea. It was only meant as a joke but he and Elisa spent too much time there and he was afraid any potential admirers of either of them would use it as an excuse. His sister would be the likelier victim as Dorian was openly in a relationship with the Inquisitor, and Elisa was woefully oblivious to another's interest. Cullen was not her only admirer and already the mage had to secretly scare them off.
He was not having all his hard work be spoiled by silly holiday traditions.
Dorian was not making choices of potential partners for Elisa, in reality she had made the choice herself, but if Dorian hadn't been looking for the signs he would have missed it. Elisa's gaze always lingered just a tad bit longer on their Commander than with anyone else, but that was where it stayed. Just lingering gazes from both parties, and it frustrated Dorian to no end.
"Is Josephine throwing a party?"
Dorian's head snaps up in surprise and he stares at Elisa as she approaches his alcove from the top of the stairs. "What do you mean?"
"The decorations. Is someone important coming to Skyhold?" Elisa sits on the arm of his chair.
"Sorora…Satinalia is three days away." At the confused look on the younger's face, the mage gapes. "It is a holiday. There is usually a large feast and exchanging of gifts. Did you have nothing like it back home?"
Elisa tilts her head as she ponders his question. "There was something like it. I wasn't home for it though. I was hunting a monster that was giving the town trouble."
Dorian frowns. "What about your birthday? When is your birthday?"
The ravenette shrugs. "According to the calendar here…in Ferventis. What's so special about a birthday?"
Dorian was speechless. Elisa had no idea what a holiday was like and if it was true that her birthday was five months ago, that would have set the time at shortly before the attack on Haven. If he had known, he would have gotten something for her. They were close enough at the time that it wouldn't have been strange. If he knew her though (and he did), she would have said that she wanted nothing and that it was more than enough that he had saved her life. The mage lifts an eyebrow at the thought. He might as well test that theory.
"This all leads me to my next question. What would you like?"
Elisa gently pats the head of the fennec dozing in his lap before answering. "Nothing."
She then gracefully hops off the arm of his chair and over the railing (something that still gave Dorian a bit of a start) just as the necromancer swears under his breath in Tevene. Of course she would make this hard for him. He already took care of her needs, and she was far too selfless to ask for anything she wanted. Anything she did want was already given to her, and it was only by admission on her part that anyone even knew. Chocolate was off the list, as Cullen would unquestionably add that to the gift Dorian was sure he was scrambling for himself, and that really left nothing. Elisa was used to having nothing. She only ever got anything she needed and sometimes even that was scarce.
Before they had joined the Inquisition, money was tight, and they shared everything they could. At one point, their funds were so low that Elisa lied to him. There was nothing nearby their camp to hunt and they could not afford to buy more food unless they came across an enemy or two and looted their bodies. Foes were scarce as well.
Even though she lied, she meant well. Elisa told him she had eaten and he took her word for it and ate what little dinner they had. Thankfully the tight coin purse only lasted about three days, but he still found out about the fibs and scolded her. Dorian also made her promise not to do that again no matter the situation, which she begrudgingly agreed to.
Her excuse was that his magic drained him more than her fighting did her. It was terrible.
Dorian scratches Kit's back gently. "You don't happen to know what Elisa would want do you?" Kit sleepily chirps in response and the mage sighs. "Yes. Very helpful vulpeso."
He would have to find something that she could use at the very least.
Then he had a realization.
Her blade.
Dorian scruffs Kit and holds him up to one of his shoulder and the fennec lazily drapes around his neck as the mage stands and hurries to his shared room. Once inside and confirming his sister wasn't with him, he grabs her gunblade from beside his staff and opens the compartment she said were meant for bullets. He had seen her open it multiple times when she cleaned her weapon so it didn't take much for him to figure it out. Elisa had a few on her person when he first found her (she had also explained that was the reason her wounds were strange to him. They were caused by bullets), and she had run out after a few battles. The sound reminded Dorian of his storm magic, and that was the whole reason for his investigation. With Dagna's help, he may just be able to make Elisa her gift.
The night before Satinalia, Dorian was actually too agitated to sleep. His idea for Elisa's gift was successful and it would be incredibly useful to her, not to mention everyone around her. Dorian only hoped she would like it, and that nervousness was what had him in his chair reading late at night. It was also where Elisa found him, drowsily dragged him back to their room, and made him change into his sleeping clothes. Once she successfully got him to at least sit in bed, she threw the blankets over herself, laid her head in his lap, and swiftly fell asleep.
Since he still wasn't tired, he produced a small magelight and continued his reading while altering head pets between Kit and Elisa. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning when he finally got weary enough to slide down onto his back (he had to resituate Elisa onto her pillow) and doze off once Kit burrowed himself under his chin after turning onto his side.
It was how Iron Bull found them later that morning. He of course, poked them both with a meaty finger and a grin. The grin was for the grumpy look Dorian gave him.
"What do you want you big oaf?"
"I was told to come get you two. Even if I have to drag you out of bed."
Dorian grumbles and closes his eyes again. "If Nolan wants us to join so badly, he can come himself."
"Nope. Sorry."
Elisa complains loudly when the Qunari grabs her and throws her over his shoulder, and Dorian holds up a sparking hand when Iron Bull reaches for him.
"I will follow with my dignity thank you."
"Alright. I'll take the baby with me. I'm coming back if I don't see you in five minutes."
Elisa scowls. "I still have my robe on Bull."
He laughs. "It's covering you isn't it?"
Dorian scrubs at his face as the ox man leaves the room with his grumpy burden, and then quickly makes himself as presentable as possible in the five minutes Iron Bull had given him. His threat was not an empty one and he did not want the same treatment as Elisa. She could get away with her state of dress, but Dorian could not. He didn't want to anyway.
Everyone, excluding Cullen, viewed Elisa as the baby so her lack of wardrobe wouldn't bother them. Most of them had seen her without anything on anyway while out on trips. All of the females had, Dorian obviously, Nolan, and Iron Bull. Even Blackwall had seen her.
Those last two were accidents. Iron Bull thoroughly enjoyed the view, and Blackwall just coughed and turned away with a few muttered apologies. Dorian was pretty sure Cole had seen her too but nudity didn't really bother him.
As the mage moves to stand, Kit quickly jumps up to his shoulder and drapes himself around Dorian's neck as he leaves the room. When the necromancer joins the inner circle at their table for breakfast, the fennec carefully slides off of him and onto the floor to patiently wait at his feet. It was another trick Dorian taught him. Although he was originally a wild animal, Dorian knew he was smarter than the fennec led on and so he taught him to eat his food slowly whenever the mage rewarded him with some fruit. Which Dorian did eventually reward him with a piece of an apple.
The mage sucks the juice off of his fingers as he glances at Elisa. Then to her plate devoid of food or any hints that there had been anything on it. "Sorora are you ill?"
The younger hides her pout. "No. Iron Bull just won't give me what I ask for."
Dorian glares at the offending man, but before he could say anything, the bowl of biscuits in the qunari's hand is forcibly taken by Krem and passed over to Elisa. "Anything else?"
"Cream…and the fruit please."
Satisfied that his sister was finally piling food onto her plate, Dorian fills his own and eats his breakfast while conversing with Varric. Eating together like this was rare so it was likely why he and Elisa were woken up. Nolan probably wanted them all to have at least breakfast and dinner as a group for Satinalia, in celebration for the holiday. Dorian also told him that Elisa had never celebrated any holiday before (including her birthday), so it was probably a way to show her what she had been missing.
Elisa seemed to take pleasure in the day's festivities when Dorian dragged her away from the table after breakfast. Getting her into proper clothing was first on his list. He and Nolan both agreed to give her one of the best days of her life, and it had started with a mug of warmed chocolate. The three of them played traditional games, drank more chocolate, and even participated in the children's snowball fight. Dorian didn't much care for that but he would put aside his aversion for the icy game for Elisa. She actually laughed when Nolan took the children's side and declared war on the mage and the warrior.
The two lost spectacularly. Children had surprisingly good aim when it came to orbs of slush.
Slush that was currently freezing Dorian's unmentionables. Kit had cleverly gone into hiding after the first snowball, and the mage didn't think he would be seeing the fennec again until he was back inside. Dorian shivers as the three of them do finally retreat inside once the sun begins to set and huddle around the fire by Varric's table. The dwarf joins them with a deck of cards and the four plays Wicked Grace until the other's approach them with any gifts they had for them. They only stopped their card game because Elisa had been essentially showered with gifts to her surprise.
Nolan leans over to whisper in Dorian's ear. "I may have told everyone she's never celebrated before."
The mage chuckles loud enough for only his lover's ears. "I haven't even given her mine yet."
Across from him, Elisa frowns. "I can't accept these. I didn't get anything for any of you. I didn't have time when I found out what this was."
Leliana smiles at her from her perch on the edge of the table. "You do not need to. We know you care because you show it every day. Besides, you give us gifts all the time."
Dorian digs around his satchel and then pulls out a small package that he drops in front of Elisa. "Speaking of gifts…"
The ravenette sighs and opens the box, dumping the contents out in her hand with disbelief. Six metal casings roll onto her palm and she examines them in wonderment.
"Did you make these Dorian?"
"With Dagna's help. These are the only ones you will need."
Elisa furrows her brows. "They're a little light."
"That's because they're empty. They are reusable, thus they don't need the powder you told me of."
"Then how exactly do I use them?" Elisa picks up one of the bullets and examines it more closely after slapping away Varric's hand.
"The shells go into—"
"I mean how do they work?"
"They will adhere to the chambers and produce a bullet made of magic. Only the magic comes out when you pull the trigger. No shells to pick up."
"Dorian, I appreciate the thought…but I don't have magic."
Grey eyes twinkle. "I do. The magic will be drawn from me." Elisa opens her mouth but Dorian shushes her. "This magic is trivial compared to my normal spells. I didn't even notice when we tested it."
Nolan laughs. "You used her blade?!"
"No. Too awkward. Cassandra helped."
The Seeker looks at Elisa apologetically. "Dorian said you would trust me with your weapon."
"I do!"
Elisa then jumps to her feet and rushes out of the room, coming back a few minutes later with her gunblade in hand and lands a quick kiss on Dorian's cheek. She hurries out of the Great Hall and everyone else stares at Dorian as the mage inspects his nails. Elisa was definitely trying out the new bullets for herself, and if he remembered correctly from the brief time she had bullets, they would all know—
BANG.
Dorian smiles and the others startle at the sudden noise.
"You'll get used to it."
"Vint…can the baby use your necromancy?" Iron Bull eyes Dorian suspiciously and the altus smirks.
"Not yet. It was a last minute gift so I had to get by with elemental magic."
"Do you need to be near for her to use it?" Vivienne asks and Dorian simply shakes his head.
"It figures Sparkler would best us with his present." Varric grouses.