#(it was anders. so you know how it is)

[marigraphia]

Hey remember when Kory was a Justice League member with a bangin' costume

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

You ever think about how in spite of knowing their exact locations, the game never gives any indication that templar Carver has reported his mage sibling, Merril (a blood mage) or Anders (an abomination) to his superiors?

I do think about that a lot, even though I tend to ignore the Templar Carver route because I know Warden Carver to be true in my heart and soul... but I totally get the appeal of Templar Carver within DA2's narrative, y'know?

It's so fascinating, really. I've never played a run with Templar Carver, I just can't bring myself to do it, so I know I'm missing out on smaller details of it. From what I do know, this drives me crazy in the best way possible.

Deciding whether to bring him or not to the Deep Roads is such an important choice, not only because it affects his fate, but how it affects his relationship to Hawke. He tells you that he wants to go, he makes it very clear that it's important to him that he goes, too... and Hawke can just leave him behind and it hurts him. I don't think that registers enough with some people just because of how Carver is, like it doesn't matter what Hawke's motivations are [staying behind for his safety, not wanting to bring him, thinking someone should stay with Leandra, etc] it still hurts him because it tells him that Hawke doesn't need him, and Carver wants to be needed.

And yes, there are other contributing factors to why he joins the templars, but it doesn't matter what your relationship is to him, it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't turn Hawke or his companions in.

Sure, the meta reason is it's a video game and you're playing the main character. You're never in any actual danger of being captured by templars, and you're not going to lose your companions to them that easy.

But if we look at it through the narrative and Carver's character, that's when it gets interesting. You can max out his rivalry and be an utter asshole to him [there's a point where you can call him a brat and mock him for being stuck in your shadow, like Hawke can be real cruel about it] but it doesn't matter, you're still his sibling. He even makes a remark about how you might not know what that means [referring to leaving him behind] but he does. He refuses to kill Hawke in the end when Meredith makes the order, too.

Which can I just point out that Hawke has the option to let Bethany die in the end if she's with the circle and they side with the templars? Just saying, Carver NEVER does that no matter what, but Hawke has the option to betray Bethany like that and it's fucked and interesting and it makes me want to eat my chair-

As for Merrill and Anders, I think he knows that if he turns either of them in, then the chances of Hawke being brought in as well skyrocket. They're all friends, they're in the same group... bring one in, and you'll probably get the other two.

I also think Carver just genuinely likes Merrill. Yes, I'm a Carver/Merrill shipper, so I have a bias, but even if you remove anything romantic from their dynamic I believe that's true. Of all the companions, Merrill is the only one who doesn't make fun of him, or find him annoying, in party banters. He never snaps back at her, like he's never defensive with her, he's just a little awkward and nice.

Like, HE'S SO NICE TO HER! He tries to find common ground with her! She asks him about "swording" and he's taken aback by her saying he's good at it, but you KNOW that if someone like Anders asked him the same question, he's be all, "shut up, you're stupid, stop talking to me >:["

Think back to that banter Carver can have with Aveline post-act 1 where they're talking about how the guard wasn't the right place for him [hard disagree with you there, Aveline] and Carver says he was a bit of a tit, wasn't he.... and every companion will agree except Merrill. She doesn't say anything, whereas other companions like Anders will be like "ugh maker YES" and if you have a purple Hawke, they'll go on to other ways Carver was a tit like?? I think Carver and Merrill got along and he doesn't want to turn her in because she was nice to him! And she's a blood mage! He knows what will happen to her if the templars get ahold of her! He doesn't want to see her made tranquil or killed!

At that point, he's witnessed what bad blood mages can do, assuming you've brought him along for those quests, but even so. He knows Merrill isn't like that and he likes her, so of course he's not going to turn her in despite that being his literal duty.

Then there's Anders who Carver doesn't like. If you're in a romance with him, Carver will tell him that's why he doesn't turn him in but c'mon Carver, you know that's not the only reason. My theory is Carver may not like Anders and he knows the man's got a spirit of justice inside of him... but Anders also runs a free clinic. If he's ever taken in by templars, then so many people [including a LOT of Fereldan refugees] will be without free health care and will suffer for it. I think in Carver's eyes, Anders might be irritating but he doesn't more good than harm. Carver knows first hand how shitty refugees and poorer people are treated in Kirkwall. Anders' clinic is the one place they can go for help and actually get it, and he's not going to be the one to take that away because the templars say "magic bad."

So yeah, I'm not as informed about the Templar Carver route, but I do think about how if I did do that route, he wouldn't betray Hawke or their companions no matter what and what that says about him.

[perenians]

oh merrill...

[luckycl0ve]

🎶 i'm not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be 🎶

[huldrabitch]

All the DA2 romances alsmost feel a bit unfullfilling to me, are there many others that prefer Hawke single with the subtext of an unspoken Varric thing?

[mellowthorn]

i finished my da2 replay with anders rivalmance and i chose to kill him and now i can't stop listening to "i'm not calling you a liar" and it's making me very very sad :(

[mourn-and-watch]

do you guys think that anders who is also known for his eagerness to drown kirkwall in blood to keep hawke safe among other things has ever half-jokingly told karl that he would burn the circle down for his sake just to become a sparkle that finally set the circle that killed him on fire

[moonilit]

really thinking about how Dick pulled off his acting abilities to their 110% to fake being different lovers for kory for the sake of maintaining his secret identity and relationship with her, like its hilarious, do you think kory have a picture book of all her lovers (dick) and showed them to his sibs and they use it as ammo lmao

[elvenmoans]

When I was 20 I really liked Anders with no notes and no I look back and I'm like "damn love that guy but he's like the final boss of the annoying Portland leftist that doesn't think of the consequences of his actions for the little people"

[acgamesda]

The faster Veilguard comes out the faster I can know about Lucanis' wings the faster my mind will be at peace...

[libartz]

What if Nathaniel was a companion in DA2??

We could’ve had him and Anders sharing Awakening tales and making inside jokes and confusing the fuck out of everyone

We could’ve had an interesting dynamic between him and the Warden sibling who he’d be senior to and might even command

We could’ve had Varric thinking he’s the ‘normal one’ until it becomes clear he’s just as kooky as the rest of them

We could’ve had a moment when Justice comes out and while every other companion is freaking out Nathaniel is like ‘oh hey man how’s it going’ which starts people fearing Justice less

(Also it comes out that the janders merger was Nate’s idea and the reactions to that would be interesting)

We could’ve had him and Anders getting together if neither was romanced like how Fenris and Isabela have a thing!!!

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

Listen, Carver should be allowed to lockpick.

You think he didn't teach himself how to pick locks at some point as a kid or teen just in case Bethany and/or Hawke got caught by templars and he needed to plan a prison break? C'mon now.

I don't care if he's a warrior and that's not allowed, give him a lockpick and let him open chests for me damn it.

Or y'know... he could just bust the chests open with his sword.

That would work, too.

[gutshift]

merrill knows what sex is. she has had sex. she likes sex its just not an active interest of hers the way other things are. i like to imagine learning this makes varric faint

[coffee-keith]

Doing a fucked up mage run in Dragon Age II. Anders and I going down hand in unlovable hand.

[princess-aeducan]

Very close to the end of my DAI replay. Instead of finishing it, I opened up DA2 and started playing some Prince Charming from Shrek looking ass motherfucker.

[lyriumlullaby-ao3]

god they really did do Justice kinda dirty in da2, huh