Shallow's space

....he then proceeded to flirt with Morrigan

The question becomes: who to romance?

*starts outline*

Me:...ok...this is getting long...maybe if I split this into parts?

*breaks story into 4 parts*

Me: There! much more manageable

* outlines part 1, 2 and 3. gets part 4*

Me,: I am almost done outling! ....wait...this part seems a little long....

Oh god, I am going to have to add a 5th part to this!

Here is a random head cannon post about how each of my DA couples spend the day:

Rhea and Alistair:

Rhea and Alistair would definitely be the type to go on a hike and camp overnight somewhere secluded.

Not only to escape the day to pressures of Ruling...but just to remind themselves of how they fell in love.

But minus the darkspawn, assassins, giant spiders.....

Theodora and Anders:

Theodora would be the kind to take Anders to a Taven, steal a pricy bottle of wine, run off to a spot with a view.

Where they would drink...then Anders would suprise Theodora with some new...chains to enjoy 😉

Afterwards they would eat whatever is in the kitchen and just be happy.

Ailsa and Solas:

Alisa and Solas would explore a long forgotten ruin. While Ailsa would look for artifects and setting wards, Solas would take time to draw the ruins (part of my headcannon for him) they would then, fall asleep in each other's arms. And see what secrets they could find in the fade...

Katari and Lucanis:

Katari would try and make Lucanis the most perfect meal.

But she isn't the best cook, and things quickly grow chaotic.

Lucanis is the kind to appreciate the thought behind its action, and he ends up teaching her. Complete with flirty little touches.

But, no matter how the meal turns out, they do just end up hanging out in Katari's room. Just being in each other's company.

So, I need to get something off my chest.

I am a hard core Solvellen. I loved the story between my Lavellen, Ailsa and Solas.

A love story that starts with a mix of mutual curiosity and respect. That builds into something so incredibly deep, that you know its inevitable.

Combine that with the bitter-sweet tragedy of them torn away by their needs to fix the world ( Lavellen form the Breach/ Corpyphous and Solas form his own guilt)

And you have something beautifully tragic.

And while, objectively, i loved their reunion in Vailgaurd. ( The way Solas pauses, says "Vhernan" but can't bring himself to look at her...it lives rent free in my head.)

I can help but feel the build up to it was...lacking.

You have Lavellen making a speech about how much she loves/d solas. The complicated feelings of if she even would take him back....

And then you have Solas boiling it down to " she's a good woman"

Like, Solas, honey. This was the woman you were literally going to give up everything for! A woman who, while dying, was racing against a squad of Qunari to find you.

She's more than a "good woman"

If we had gotten a few extra lines form Solas. To show that he still loves her as much or more than Mythal ( don't even get me started on her!) ...it would have made the build up to their reunion hold so much more weight....

I still stand by the notion that this is one of my favourite romantic plotlines in gaming. But I also feel there should have been more to it.

Here is a list of all the work I've done on my unpublished DA fanfiction.

Mostly to prove to myself that, yes, i have done work on it.

1) I started writing draft one

2) I got a notebook

3) used notebook for the following things - random ideas/notes, writing out random scene ideas, bare bones outline,

4) recorded my cannon playthough of all 4 dragon age games - for reference

5) started working on a more detailed outline (part one and 2 are outlined, started part 3)

6) realised I couldn't find an organic way to introduce certain characters or all compaion quests -thus had to cut them

7) realised i need to split the story into four parts - and what point to split them

8) worked out an overall title for the series, and each part

9) worked out a timeline of my cannon (including the books)

10) reserched how long the travel between locations would take

11) started writing part one

12) got a copy of the dalish lexicon of the DA wiki for reference

Combine all of this standard writing doubt, reading fanfiction, life getting in the way... Yeah....that's it.

Hopefully, next year, I can get to a place where I feel confident enough to start publishing

When people talk about the characters, such as Fenris, Anders, even Merrill. They tend take everything in the game as fact:

Fenris is broody mcbroody pants

Merrill is lost and neive

Anders is only cares about the Mages.

But people never seem to consider one important thing:

Varric Tethras.

Aside from the scenes with Cassandra, the entire game is Varric's Story. Which means that the characters we grew to know, love and murder knife. Is 100% Varric's peresption of them.

A good example of this is Merrill.

She appears in Dragon Age Origins, we meet Merrill is the Dalish Origin.

She's only there for like 5 minutes. But the Merrill we meet is serious, doesn't go against the Keeper, and trusts her word.

In DA2, she's awkward, optimistic, defiant of her Keeper, a blood Mage, and a lost soul almost everyone treats with kid gloves.

Is this how Varric saw her?

This question is something I think more people need to consider.

Was Fenris really that nasty to Merrill?

Did Aveline and Isabela really fight that often?

Was Anders really that manipulative?

This also makes me question scenes we players witnessed that Varric was clearly never a part of.

Did Hawke really tell Varric that Fenris threw a bottle of wine at the wall? Or about how their mother blamed them for Bethany/Carver's death?

There is nothing to suggest that those conversations didn't happen But we know that Varric is prone to exaggeration. Especially if it tells a good story.

So, it makes sense that the characters in DA2, are exaggerated versions, of people Varric knew. How he saw them.

It also applies to the romance scenes. How did Varric know that Fenris pushed Hawke against the wall? All the knives Isabela hides? I don't think Varric was watching two friends of his hooking up. ( that would be creepy) but I do believe he made up those details.

Why? Well, every scene ends with a fade to black. A pan to a flickering torchlight or candle. Which is a common writing trope. Also, as much as I love the writing in Dragon Age 2.... the romance lines come across as melodramatic.

Like a stereotypical romance novel.

Again, we know form DAI, that Romance is a genre that Varric struggles with when it comes to writing. So it makes sense that the Romances come off that way.

So, the thing that annoyed me about the Trick dagger isn't the existence of it...

It's that that it would only take two cut scenes to properly set it up.

Scene 1

taking place after the Blood of Arlathan quest.

Bellara and Emmrich approach Rook. Asking to study Solas's Dagger. Not only because its a powerful magical object. But if Elgar'nan is trying to make his own, then maybe they can find a way to nullify the magic.

Rook agrees, the scene fades and Emmrich and Bellara come back. They explain that the enchantments are simple in theory, but complex in design. That it would take a lot of power to even make somewhat useful.

The scene ends and there is a fun codex entry of Bellara and Emmrich's notes.

Scene 2

Takes place after Rook is freed form the prison. Instead of Elgar'nan being like " Muhahaha! I have taken over Minrathras! Bow before me!"

We get the companions narrating what happened:

Rook had been in the fade for weeks.

Elgar'nan has taken over Minrathras

Solas has teamed up with the Shadow Dragons to help get people out

The other's decided their best bet to save Rook was to recreate the Dagger. BUT since none of them are gods, and they have very little time, they only had enough power for one use. Which they did on getting Rook out.

You can even have shots of what each member does. Lucanis (and Harding if alive) are gathering supplies and keeping tabs on Elgar'nan.

Taash ( and Davrin if alive) are building an apparatus

Bellara or Neve ( depending who was taken) is helping Emmrich find a weak spot in the fade....

Is it a perfect fix? No.

I want to talk about why I picked their romances, and how it makes sense for each of them.

Now obviously, the number one reason is I love each of these characters and their individual journeys. But I also love to explore something different with each.

1) Alistair ( found family)

Oh, Alistair. The one who started it all. He had me form " I deliver unpleasant news and witty one liners"

He was also how my Sister convinced me to play Dragon Age in the first place.

I pair him with Rhea because, while their individual circumstances are different; their story is the same.

They are both outcasts from their respective societies due to the nature of their births.

Rhea was outcast for being born castless.

Alistair was outcast for being born a royal barsted.

But they both find purpose and family with the Wardens and with each other. They both have a fundamental understanding of each other's experiences. Because while they are different, they are the same.

He doesn't judge her for being castless, she doesn't judge him for being a prince.

Alistair and Rhea also fall into a trope i can't help but love. The Prince who falls for the Commoner.

2) Anders ( the tragic rebel)

So..Anders.

I know their relationship is toxic.

But i have 2 reasons why I romance Anders.

The first is, probably my most controversial one: I don't like the other options.

Isabela is too selfish - and that led to the Qunari's attempt takeover.

Fenris has too much truma around mages to have a good relationship with a Mage Hawke (which is my main class in DA2)

And Merrill is too infantilised by the story to make that a comfortable option.

The other reason is:

Anders fits the tragedy of Hawkes life.

Every act ends with Hawke losing someone they love:

Escape lothering, lose a sibling

Come back rich form the deep roads

Loses the other

Becomes champion loses their mother

So it makes sense that Theodora Hawke sees the love of her life comit a terrible crime...but still does everything she can to keep him safe.

Because she lost too much, and can't lose more.

Both Theodora and Anders bond together over how they are both carers at heart. Theodora is not only the caretaker of her family, but of her friends and then of Kirkwall.

Anders is a healer by nature. Risking his very freedom to heal the sick of Darktown.

They both also believe in Mage freedom. While Anders experienced the Worse of the Templars, and was conscripted into the Wardens. Theodora saw everything her father and mother did to keep their freedom

It's natural that these two would be drawn to each other...

3: Solas ( the bitter-sweet)

So. When DAI was coming out. I had every intention of romancing Iron Bull.

Because, in the marketing, there was little to no information about Solas.

All i knew was that he was a Mage, a romance option, and Voiced by Gareth David-Loyd.

But then that elf chuckled and said "was that a serious question?"

I sat there, controller in hand, and had a full " oh no...i like him" moment. And all my Bull riding plans went out the window.

I love his romance for Ailsa because it starts with mutual respect and curiosity for both.

For Ailsa its "who is this guy and how does he know so much about the mark?"

For Solas its" how did she survive and come to bare it?"

From there, it grows to love. then to heartbreak, and then, bitter-sweet. Ailsa saved Thedas, but her lover is gone. Along with all the answers he promised.

Meanwhile Solas, doesn't think himself deserving of love. Not after what Mythal did to him. He also doesn't want to Ailsa to see him as the Dread Wolf - the monster of her mythologies. He loves her too much to let her see that side of him.

But neither of them can put their feelings for each other aside. And in the end, Ailsa sees that side anyway and still chooses to be at his side.

Their story is bitter sweet. But is ultimately about love and forgiveness.

4) Lucanis ( easy chemistry)

I knew I was going to romance this guy, when I listened to his episode of the Audio Drama " Vows and Vengeance " ( a weekly audio drama more about introducing the new companions than anything else)

Lucanis episode was so fun, and he wasn't who I'd expected the character to be like after the promos were released. I had expected a broody sad boi assassin. Instead, I got a quite sweetheart who cooks, drinks way too much coffee, is funny, and reads romance novels. ( and isn't afraid to geek out about them with Bellara)

Since Katari is also a mess, and knows what it's like to have an unwanted person in your head....

She can empathise with him. On top of they, they have an easy and chill chemistry together. A nice change of pace form

A prince, a rebel and a god.

And comparing him to the other romances ( i watched on youtube) .his scene comes across as more genuine. Less about the spice times and more about two partners being there for each other.

Before that scene, Rook had lost two of her new friends, helped killed a god, set one free, got sucked into a prison, forced to face all her regrets, found out her mentor had been dead the whole time, is rescued by her friends, only to be told a god has taken over a city, and another god is marching to stop him....oh and they have maybe a day to Marshall her allies to stop both gods.

That's a freaking lot.

Meanwhile, Lucanis.. who's has just opened himself up to a romanced with Rook, thinks he lost her forever

Is just greatful to get Katari back.

In that scene, she's finally able to process everything, and Lucanis is able to help her though it. Especially after She helped him with not only Spite but proces his own truma over what happened to him.

It just a wonderful moment.

There is another reason, a more personal one that I won't go into. But It remains to say that Lucanis is special to me.

All of these characters are.

(Cause why not?)

From Left to Right - top to bottom:

Warden Rhea Brosca (DAO), Champion of Kirkwall Theodora Hawke (DA2), Inquisitor Ailsa Lavellen (DAI) and Katari "Rook" de Riva (DAVG)

Here is some basic information about each.

Rhea Brosca

Castless Dwarf Warrior.

Name is a reference to Rhea the mother of titans in Greek myth.

Romances Alistair.

Fun fact: can't read and is the only blond.

Theodora Hawke

Human Mage- specialises in healing and Force magic

Name means " Gods gift" which seems appropriate given all Malcolm and Leandra went though to be together.

Romances Anders.

Fun Fact hates cheese.

Ailsa Lavellen

Elf Mage - Knight Enchanter Specialisation

But also has a knack for lighting spells

Name means " Elf Victory" - which again fits her devotion to her clan.

Romances Solas

Fun Fact had a small crush on Blackwall.

Katari de Riva

Qunari rouge

Antivan Crow.

Name means " Bringer of death" in Qunlet. Fitting for an Assassin.

Romances Lucanis