Reunited

-"Inquisitor.”

The two greet with respect, and Ameridan seems so relieved/happy to see a fellow elf...

-“Andaran atish’an. I am glad Drakon’s friendship with our people has remained strong.”

Yeah, about that...

-”It has not. Drakon’s son, Kordillius the Second, destroyed the Dales.”

Tamris tries to be gentle about it. The voice-acting (Went with the American voice for Tamris for change :D) here felt spot on. “It h-... It has not.” The hesitation makes it sound like he’s really not sure how to break it to him. Shit, this is awkward.

-“Drakon’s son... How long?”

-“There has not been an inquisitor since you disappeared... 800 years ago.”

Ameridan looks so done, but of course it just gets better.

-“Drakon was my oldest friend. He would have sent someone to find me.”

-”I’m afraid Drakon was a little busy with the darkspawn pouring down from the Anderfels.”

IDK what to think of Dorian’s expression. An awkward smile, I suppose. “Yeah, sucks, right?”

-”I see. Telana escaped the battle. Do the records say what became of her?”

Here we could approach her fate through a positive outlook and talk about how she lived...

-“She returned to the island. From what we can tell, she died trying to reach you through dreams.”

...But this is Tamris Lavellan and he enjoys his gloom.

-”I asked her not to. She was a good hunter and the love of my life, but she never... “(Sighs.)

Again, great voice acting, here. Poor Ameridan sounds a tad frustrated. When you tell someone to stay out of trouble and they never listen...

-”I never wanted this job. Hunting demons was so much simpler than politics. But Drakon told me I was needed... As I suspect you were needed.”

...

I always squirm when I cannot save before an important cutscene because I always want to go through it a few times to both satisfy my curiosity and to pick the most RP-friendly dialogue option... The fight before this one is tedious, however, so I had to freerun it this time. I would’ve gone for something else than the teary eye-option, but Tamris had just lost his clan before I headed for Frostback Basin. I am monster and knowingly let them die for roleplay’s sake, just because my edgy elf prefers Cullen’s direct, often violent approach with most table missions. Now he is left to deal with survivor’s guilt, and really feels like the heavy burden of the Inquisitor does take everything from you.

-”I wasn’t Inquisitor by choice. Whatever my life was before...”

I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten this invested with my DA-characters, probably because they’ve so far mostly been based on my old roleplay characters and haven’t been so grounded in the Dragon Age-setting. But Tamris is really well fleshed out in my head.

Here he is, still recovering from the loss of his clan, probably only functioning because of the support he gets from Dorian (His lover and his best friend), struggling in the bargaining-phase of his grief. If only he had been with his clan, if only they had sent someone else to the conclave. Sense tells him he is not that omnipotent to have solely changed the clan’s fate, but what-ifs keep haunting him. And now, for a minute or two, he sees someone who knows the same burden that has been pushed to his shoulders.

-”Take moments of happiness where you find them. The world will take the rest.”

Lavellan looks to his sides, at the two who have kept him standing, and then nods to his predecessor. He is not alone in the world, he has people (Cole is so a person!) who care for him, and his life is not void of moments of happiness. And perhaps he can find the time to mourn among all his duties.

-”The dragon carries the spirit of an Avvar god. I lacked the strength to kill it. My own magic was able to bind us all, locked in time. But when the cultists drew that spirit into another vessel, it disrupted my bindings. It is breaking free.”

-”I’d be honored to finish what you started.”

CONFESSION:

I wish others hadn't ruined Lavellan/Dorian for the rest of the fandom. I play a Lavellan, and a lot of times it feels like I get left out of the general Dorianmance fandom because many fewer people who don't play an elf want to interact with someone who does anymore.

MOD NOTE:

“I told you to drop it!” Dorian huffed in annoyance, setting the amulet down on the table and crossing his arms. “That I would handle it myself!”

“Considering that Ponchard wanted to trade it for influence, I daresay I would have been dragged into it anyway.” Lavellan pointed out patiently. “I don’t understand, Dorian. You wanted it back, and I got it for you. I thought you’d be happy?”

“Happy?” It was impossible to miss the flash of hurt in his Inquisitor’s eyes, and really how could anything about this situation make him happy? “Why would I be happy when you gave in to that influence-mongering... cretin! I am now in your debt, kaffas, do you have any idea what this is going to look like? To the public?”

“There’s already rumors and complaints, the most powerful man in Thedas, bending ear to the whispers of a Tevinter Magister. Now you go and throw around your influence on my behalf?” He shook his head. “Someone intelligent would cozy up to the Inquisitor if they could, get him to shower them in gifts, and power... that’s what they’ll say. That I’m using you.”

“Fen’harel’s ass Dorian, forget what they’ll say! I don’t care! I did it to make you happy--I’d do anything to make you happy. That’s what you do for the people you love.”

And that was the crux of it, wasn’t it? Because Dorian believed those words, could hear the truth in them, and it was a dangerous thing. A dangerous thing to hope, and believe them.

“Nothing has ever scared me more than being with you.” He admitted with a sigh, reaching forward to take the elf by the shoulders. “I love you, so wholly, so deeply, more than I’ve ever loved anyone else. It terrifies me that one day you will care what they say.” 

He looked up anxiously, fearful that he’d find rejection in the eyes of the Inquisitor. Instead, he was met with warmth, with love, and it was a frightening, exhilarating sensation.

So my very Dalish Inquisitor gets drawn into a boast-off with Stone-Bear Hold’s Master of the Hunt. :’) His Tevinter paramour most likely finds this ridiculous, but perhaps a tad endearing...

-My leg aches, one eye can’t see in the dark, and I bring more meat than anyone in the hold!

-I suppose you’d also best me with one hand tied behind your back.

-Eh, I’d bind my eyes to make it fair.

-If I have to knock sense into you, I’d have you see it coming.

-If I beat sense into you, you’ll not see for a week!

Dorian, stepping in: 

-Perhaps you both should beat your chests a little, just to get the point across~.

-Old man, I will not be your suicide...

-Hrmph. Hehehhehheh. There’s spine to you, eh? HahHAHHAHHAH!

Despite Tamris’ cool demeanor, Dorian’s teasing gets to him more than he’d like to admit, and the elf ends up worrying that his SO, with his fancy-pants noble background might find him embarrassing in all his supposed primitiveness. Confrontation happens later in the Inquisition’s camp.

-”Are you ashamed of me?”

-”Am I what, now?” The mage asks, having no clue what amatus is going on about.

-”That hunter, you thought we were being ridiculous. You must think me an utter savage.”

-Of course you are. It’s part of your charm~.

The elf, a simple man, finds some solace in this, shrugs, chuckles, shakes his head and moves on from such silly concerns.

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Male Lavellan/Dorian Pavus Characters: Dorian Pavus, Male Lavellan, Arcturus Lavellan, Dagna Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, arty is impressive dorian is impressed, advocation for the recreational use of elfroot Summary: