howling all night

 I was curious about whether Solas looks at Lavellan differently from an inquisitor he is friends with, so I watched both cutscenes simultaneously. The differences are subtle, but present. These were taken during the same pauses after the same lines. He looks much sadder talking to you when you are in a romance with him.

When asked “What about the future?” his expression is hardened, bitter, and focused around the romanced inquisitor throughout the entirety of his next line. The conversation is difficult for him. He is neutral with a high approval inquisitor.

 Interestingly enough, his expressions are almost exactly the same when answering the questions about his plans. It does not deviate again (save for the few special lines only romanced Lavellans can say) until you bring up the mark (right before he removes it), but that one involves different camera angles and completely different actions on his part.

“It’s getting worse.”

 High Approval Inquisitor response: *pause* Yes. I’m sorry. And we are almost out of time.  Romanced Lavellan response: I know, vhenan. And we are running out of time.

 It looks like he had to prepare himself much more for a conversation with a romanced inquisitor vs a friendly one. He is hardening himself, shutting her out, almost the entire time. The only time his guard drops are in the beginning when he first sees her, and when he has to make physical contact with her to remove the mark.  

Come with me, vhenan.

Gifset of the happy half of meeting up with Solas in Crestwood and getting the vallaslin removed. I kinda dig the aerial cut of the last few seconds of removing it, it turned out better than I expected.

SPOILERS! So … I’m impressed with the latest DLC. Very fast and very terrible sketch, but I had to do it at least schematically

solas immediately going to help an injured couple while you speak to giselle on your first trip to the hinterlands. while some cutscenes in inquisition end up having generic animations for when the character could be one of any of the companions, this animation is unique to solas. should you choose them in the opposite order, it’s still him who goes to see to the injured refugees. so the choice for it to be him was a deliberate one.

solas approving of placing flowers upon the grave of a widower’s dearly departed, saying nothing when the inquisitor invokes the name of one who would not care to guide her.

solas, upon finding the bodies of inquisition scouts gone missing, immediately thinking of the families they left behind.

solas accepting a glass or two of wine at the winter palace, getting a little wine drunk, and then admitting he lives for the drama.

calling blackwall an ass when he asks about his experience with “relationships” with spirits.

solas seeing nugs in the deep roads and musing about what they must think of these giants passing them by.

solas not so much grunting when he jumps but going “mneh!”

the line “you are always you” when talking to cole about change.

speaking of cole, the times where cole says something observant and pushes back against someone who was rude to him, and solas chimes in with the solas equivalent of “he’s right and he should say it.”

talking to arrken feldsen in JoH and solas restating something just said to him in solas-speak then getting low-key embarrassed about being overexcited.

being one of two companions to address sigrid and talk to her as a person rather than someone to be feared, not damning her for wanting to remain with her spirit companion but encouraging her to reflect upon her reasoning and ask if it’s help she thinks she needs or companionship.

immediately thinking of what taven would have wanted when finding the documents about the history of red crossing.

calling iron bull “my friend” during their chess game.