#sola + chase

[soladarv]

“it still feels weird being a soloist instead of promoting with you,” sola admitted, twirling her pigtail around her finger with a frown. “it makes sense, and i understand it in theory, but we just trained so long together as if we were going to be a group.... being separate from that is very odd.” @rvchase​ @woorvi​ @rvjulie​ @rvmyungji​ 

[tempestclerics]

8 and 52!

8. between my teeth by orla gartland

52. chasing twisters by delta rae

[a-world-in-grey]

Stand String Sola going through the Galahdian stealth training after she joins the Glaives.

(@secret-engima because this is too funny not to share XD)

Sola is never so grateful for the glaives' habit of suppressing their scents as when Nyx tells her she's due to start stealth training.

With Libertus.

Nyx, because he's a petty asshole and Sola will take his kneecaps for this, snickers at the obvious flush creeping up her neck and cheeks. Sola gives in to the urge to kick his shins and yanks her hood and mask up until she no longer resembles a tomato.

She manages to fight it down before she meets with Libertus. Only to learn that stealth training involves holding hands, and all thoughts promptly flee Sola's brain.

When asked later, Sola will be unable to recount what the training involved. She's just glad Libertus remains unaware of her crush on him and stalks off to kick Nyx's kneecaps in.

[faerune]

Tagged by @risingsh0t, @chuckhansen, and @jackiesarch to post nine of my favorite characters and have people guess my type in the comments! ok so why there are two sets.........i wasn’t gunna be able to fit everyone and i’m a whore and also bisexual so :)

Steve Harrington (Stranger Things) | Sam Drake (Uncharted) | Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil) | Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption) | Joel Miller (The Last of Us) | Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead) | Johnny Silverhand (Cyberpunk 2077) | Zevran Arainai (Dragon Age) | Angel & Spike (BTVS/ATS)

Cristina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy) | Kisa (From Dusk Till Dawn) | Love Quinn (You) | Judy Alvarez (Cyberpunk 2077) | Isabela (Dragon Age) | Claire Redfield (Resident Evil) | Peggy Olson (Mad Men) | Kiara Carrera (Outer Banks) | Addison Montgomery (Grey’s Anatomy)

Tagging: @solasan, @arborstone, @faarkas, @queennymeria, @battlevest, @arklay, @shadowglens, @lvllns, @jennystahl, @aartyom, and anyone else who would like to do this! 💗

[nieloxychen]

you know how sometimes you read an opinion post in fandom and youre like torn between wanting to respect everyones opinion bc not everyone can know everything and perhaps their interpretation relied on half remembered or not fully thought through ideas. but youre also like HOLY SHIT YOURE WRONG YOURE SO WRONG I CANT EVEN DESCRIBE HOW WRONG YOU ARE YOURE ACTUALLY JUST BEING AN ASSHOLE WTF

[malkaviian]

me metí a un servidor nuevo hace unos días y antes de ayer estábamos haciendo posts falsos de am i the asshole? con nuestros ocs y la verdad que finnley y chase pongan su propia versión de lo que pasó entre ellos a la vez me causa mucha risa(???)

[arlathvhenan]

Bianca Had To Go

Throwing in my two cents regarding the moment Solas destroys Bianca, and why this moment was so significant, and it’s not for the reason you think. It’s already been pointed out that this moment told us right off the bat that Solas still very much loves and cares for people, especially his friends. Varric draws a weapon on him, and instead of harming him Solas simply destroys his weapon.

Now let’s consider what that weapon actually symbolized.

If you’ve played the last two games, you might have a sentimental attachment to Bianca, and that’s because Varric does. Varric is sentimental about Bianca, not just because she’s a bitchin crossbow, but because of who she represents. And Bianca represents…well, the actual Bianca and Varric’s lingering feelings for her.

Here’s the thing about Bianca though. She’s kind of awful. We met Bianca in Inquisition, and while she’s not the worst person in the world, she’s not exactly a great person either. They clearly do care about eachother, but at the end of the day their relationship is not a healthy one, and a part of Varric might know this but he still can't seem to let it go. In his own way, Varric is just as stuck in the past as Solas is, if on a much smaller scale. He clings to a relationship that ultimately hurts him and is prevents him from moving on with his life.

I can't help seeing a parallel to Solas and Mythal here. Regardless of wether you interpret Solas and Mythal's relationship as romantic, it's clear that what they have isn't healthy. And make no mistake, Mythal isn't gone. She may not be physically present, but her spirit is. Solas carries it with him, he has for a long time, just as Varric's been hauling around Bianca. They are both men carrying the burden of a loved one they lost in one sense or another, but simply can't let go of. And that inability to let go is hurting them both.

Bianca the crossbow needed to go, because Varric needs to finally admit that Bianca the person just isn't someone he should have in his life. He needs to accept that whatever they once had, it's broken, toxic, and it can never be what it was. So long as he keeps clinging to the past, so long as he keeps chasing after this person who he just can't let go of, he can never truly live for the here and now. And it's the same for Solas and Mythal. It's not just Solas who needs to let go, it's both of them. That is what that moment symbolized.

[felassan]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard info compilation Post 2

[Link to Part 1]

Post is under a cut due to length.

There is a lot of information coming out right now about DA:TV from many different sources. This post is just an effort to compile as much as I can in one place, in case that helps anyone. Sources for where the information came from have been included. Where I am linking to a social media user’s post, the person is either a dev, a Dragon Age community council member or other person who has had a sneak peek at and played the game. nb, this post is more of a ‘info that came out in snippets from articles and social media posts’ collection rather than a 'regurgitating the information on the official website or writing out what happened in the trailer/gameplay reveal’ post. The post is broken down into headings on various topics. A few points are repeated under multiple headings where relevant. Where I am speculating without a source, I have clearly demarcated this.

Character Creation

It is the best CC BioWare has ever made in a game [source]

The faction we choose will determine who we as protagonist Rook were before they were recruited to put a stop to Solas [source]

Certain conversation options are only available to Rooks of certain factions. For example, Grey Wardens get conversation options that are focused on the Blight, as they know more about it from other people. It also impacts how people talk to Rook (reactivity from characters and then faction reactivity from plots relating to that faction) [source]

Faction choice affects a lot of things [source]

There aren't unique missions (I think this means like the playable Origins in DA:O), but faction choice does set the course for Rook for the rest of the game [source]

"body customization and morphing. From more muscular characters, to curvier builds, and just about any shape you want to give your character, there are all sorts of toggles to adjust so you can give them any figure you want". "There's even features that let you choose proportions, so you can alter their height, give them wider shoulders, and much more" [source]

There are makeup options [source]

There are tattoo options [source]

The hair uses a "Strand system" to "make them behave and move in a believable way for the different races" [source]. (Fel note/speculation: I think "race" here refers to irl, as opposed to like human vs qunari or something, as the language they are using for human/elf/dwarf/qunari is "Lineage")

There are 4 voices to choose from for Rook: two feminine and tow masculine (one American, one British for each) [source]

In CC, 'Lineage' is the game's parlance for race i.e. human, elf, dwarf, qunari [source]

We can pick Rook's name, but the dialogue calls them 'Rook' [source]

In CC we can "make a few key decisions that will impact how The Veilguard begins" [source]

"I really do think its our most feature-ful character creator ever." [source]

Story and lore

In the opening segment of the game (see more on the story's opening moments here), we're too late and Solas' ritual worsens, so Rook and the companions go to stop him. When travelling to the next location (Arlathan Forest) in the chase after Solas, the characters travel through an eluvian [source]. The Forest is where his ritual is taking place. Varric then asks the player if he should confront Solas, and players then work to take down the surrounding statues in order to stop the ritual. "I won’t spoil what happens next, but I’ll just say the player and Veilguard have a tall task ahead of them if they want to save Thedas." [source]

Four of the 6 faction options for Rook (Mourn Watch, Lords of Fortune, Veil Jumpers, Shadow Dragons) are "rooted in northern Thedas" [source]

Certain conversation options are only available to Rooks of certain factions. For example, Grey Wardens get conversation options that are focused on the Blight, as they know more about it from other people. It also impacts how people talk to Rook (reactivity from characters and then faction reactivity from plots relating to that faction) [source]

There aren't unique missions (I think this means like the playable Origins in DA:O), but faction choice does set the course for Rook for the rest of the game [source]

A line of dialogue Dorian had at the Winter Palace in DA:I about what Tevinter is like informed the devs' approach to bringing to life the setting of Tevinter: ""There's a line in Dragon Age Inquisition that we always like to call back to," Epler says. "Dorian goes to the Winter Palace, which, up to that point, is probably the most impressive thing you've seen [as the Inquisitor], and [he] says something like, 'Oh, this is cute.' And we had to ask, what does it look like? What is Tevinter if Dorian sees that [the Winter Palace] and thinks that?"" [source]

The fact that Minrathous used to be the land of the elves was factored into the location's design. John Epler: "You can see the architecture has changed. It's become a lot more elven focused. And something that we've kind of hinted at, but we've never really shown explicitly, is the idea that Tevinter is built on the bones of the ancient elven empire. Tevinter itself, Minrathous itself, all the magic you see, that's just a pale imitation of what the elves are capable of. So you'll start to see as you get deeper into the game, the elves, for example, worked Lyrium into their building materials. Tevinter can't quite figure out how to do that. So instead, you'll see more gold and gems, kind of imitating it, but not ever quite approaching what the elves are able to do, and really creating that continuity of the space. Obviously, Solas isn't too thrilled that this world is the way it is, because he lived in a time of miracles and magic, and even the most magical place in Thedas isn't magic like the elven people used to be able to do" [source]

At the end of the opening portion of the game there is a "jaw-dropping title card cliffhanger" [source]

On the opening sequence: ""One of the things we wanted to do with this game is make the prolog feel like the final mission of a different game," John Epler says. "We really needed to get the stakes, the spectacle, right off the bat. Obviously, players who had been waiting to confront Solas have been waiting for just this moment."" [source]

Each companion has their own storyline that runs parallel to the main story [source]

You cannot succeed without the companions. Each of them has a reason why they need to be part of your party, why they need to help you stop the end of the world [source]

All 7 companions are recruited in the game's first act [source]

The firey demon looking guys shown near the start of the Gameplay Reveal are Rage Demons. Demons in general got a revamp in this game "to more closely align their look", this can be seen with the shades and the Pride demons as well. "they’re creatures of emotion so they have a spectral nervous system look" [source]

The Pride demon the group fight at the Solas face-off in the Gameplay Reveal video "was more a direct tie to Solas than anything else, but it didn't escape us how much it echoed the beginning of DA:I". they wanted to show the stakes and the scale of Solas' power [source]

Characters, companions, romance

Harding was one of the earliest characters that the devs wanted to bring into DA4, because she was such a fan favorite. She is this game's 'traditional returning' character [source]

Each character's romance flavor or style is different. They don't want every character for the romance to feel the same. They want everyone to have their own flavor that's appropriate to them as a character [source] [two]

"We found as we were building a story, more than ever before, it's a story about the people around you; a story about building this team, and working with them." [source]

Each companion has their own storyline that runs parallel to the main story [source]

You cannot succeed without the companions. Each of them has a reason why they need to be part of your party, why they need to help you stop the end of the world [source]

All companions are pansexual (specifically pansexual, not playersexual) [source]

Their pansexuality may come through in what we learn about their backstories [source]

No companion romance is race-locked [source]

Companions reference their past experiences or partners, and they reference who they'll become romantic with. [source]

If you don't romance a character, they may find a different partner for themselves. This could be within the companion roster itself or outside of it in the broader world. [source] For example, if the player does not romance Harding, she may get together with Taash [source]

The game is rated M [source]

The game contains nudity [source]

We can start flirting with the companions pretty early [source]

All 7 companions are recruited in the game's first act [source]

It is not until later parts of the game that you really commit to romance and things get pretty spicy [source]

The nudity, spicy things etc is more towards the end of the game [source]

The devs want the companions to be relatable and fully realized. So things get spicy, but in a more relatable way for people than e.g. some of the more shocking and comical scenes of this nature in Baldur's Gate 3 [source]

How sexually explicit the scenes are varies between characters. Some are more spicy than others. They have diverse personalities like in real life. "Some of them are more physical, more aggressive, and some of them are more... we have a gentleman necromancer [Emmrich], for instance, that is more intimate and sensual." [source] "some characters may be a little more steamy while some characters maybe a little bit more innocent" [source]

The romance and relationship system is more fleshed out than in previous BioWare games. A character's romance will be better woven into their personal story arc and into their involvement in the core questline of the game [source]

"BioWare has also worked to ensure that getting to know your characters as friends feels just as satisfying - and that just because you're not banging your buddy, their (platonic) relationship with you will still continue." ""One of the things we tried to do with The Veilguard is it's not just romantic relationship building," Epler continued. "You need to get to know a person before you can really build that kind of relationship with them, and if you choose not to build a [romantic] relationship, we never want to feel like you're being cut off. There's no 'okay, well, their arc isn't progressing, I'm done'." We want to make sure the non-romantic relationships are deep as well, with friendships not just for companions and yourself, but also between companions across the party."" [source]

GDL reprises his role as Solas [source]

Gameplay, presentation, performance etc

The game has a photo mode [source]

Combat is fast-paced [source]

If you pause the game using the ability wheel you can scan enemies to learn more information about them [source]

Each of the 3 main classes is distinguished by how it generates and spends energy for abilities [source]

Each of the 3 subclasses for each 3 main class promise to offer some meaningful distinctions from each other [source]

for this, rogues have momentum. You build momentum by attacking, by dodging, by parrying, and you lose it by being hit, so there's really a focus with rogues on avoiding damage, avoiding attacks. They build momentum quickly, but they lose it quickly. Warriors have rage, which they build a little bit more slowly, but they don't lose [source]

Attacks can be cancelled [source]

Regarding enemy weaknesses, some of these are elemental. In other cases their defenses are more vulnerable to specific types of abilities [source]

Combat seems to be a matter of managing our abilities as best we can to whittle down enemy defenses and take advantage of their weaknesses [source]

Over the course of the game we get access to three abilities per companion as well as an additional two abilities we can slot, and an additional ability that coms off of items that the devs will not talk about for now [source]

Fully offline single player, no EA account linking, no micro-transactions [source]

The game uses advanced rendering tech in Frostbite, nice subsurface scattering, high quality meshes, while having a striking pseudo-painterly look [source]

There are blood spatters in the game [source]

Production values on the game have gone through the roof. It looks like a big improvement on what came before [source]

On the music: "lots of foreboding tunes mixed with epic flair" [source]

Good voice acting, great facial animations, good hair tech, busy-looking environments and worlds [source]

It's not open world. "There are open areas you can explore around in, but it's mostly structured/mission based, sort of like Mass Effect." [source]

There are difficulty options [source]

They will talk about PC spec stuff at a later time [source]

There is probably an option to see damage numbers [source]

There are many reasons why the game is M-rated [source]

There are lots of abilities, with 3 swapped in on the wheel at any one time [source]

There are a bunch of accessibility options and they will talk about these soon [source]

The ability wheel gives you flexibility to enhance your playstyle. If you don't want to use it at all, you don't have to and that's no issue as shortcuts are available [source]

[�� found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

[copperbadge]

"So, done. The cooking competition's theme this year will be curried chicken salad," Ori said. "Ylias, get me a little paragraph about that and I'll put it on all the social things this week."

"By which he means our niece will put it on all the socials," Sola said.

"Why keep a cat and chase mice yourself?" Ori asked.

I normally don't like Canva much, which is a prejudice born of being forced to use it weekly by a boss I truly despised, but I will say for some things it gets the job done. It looks credibly like a newsletter a middle-aged shopkeeper is underpaying his wife's teenage niece to assemble.

[ID: A screengrab of an email newsletter, which reads "Reclamation Day" in hippie lettering at the top. Underneath it is headed "Weekly Update: Eight Weeks to Go!" There is an article about the Cooking Competition for the festival, which will feature curried chicken salad, flanked by a clipart image of a fried chicken leg labeled "AWESOME!". Beneath that is a second article, only partly visible, about how retailers and handcrafters can now apply for stalls in the shopping and arts fair portions of the festival. Don't worry, in the book there will be a transcript included.]

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

I love the idea of Bodhi coming to you for comfort after a long day, especially given all the additional stress that he and the other marked ones are under

Changed it a bit because you know me but here we go... My first little something something for our lover boy!

warning: contains some slight spoilers from iron flame. Nothing major but still wanted to give you a warning.

Not giving up on us

Almost nothing managed to get under Bodhi's skin. Just like his cousin Xaden, he could pull up a cold wall and no one would manage to get a single look at what was going inside. He was able to shut off his visible emotions. Leave all the problem-solving and brooding over something when he was alone or at least among the people he trusted but this mess that unfolded after the Parapet... God damn... At this point, Bodhi didn't even know who he was blaming and who was he mad at.

All he remembered was how he instantly reached for you the moment that flames erupted. He wasn't even thinking about it. His brain worked on its own. And in sight of danger, the only thing that mattered to Bodhi was that you were safe. Even if it wasn't what a good rider should have thought of first. He had pulled you both on the ground. His larger frame practically covered all of your body. And that all would have been fine. Everyone would have presumed that he as a section leader was protecting one of the cadets in his wing. If only...

The moment the heat died down and Tairn had chased Solas away, Bodhi had pulled away ever so slightly, his palm instantly cupping your face as he looked you over. The way your eyes seemed slightly glassy. And that's when the panic set in and all of his instincts kicked in. "Hey, look at me", he tapped your cheek as he pulled away, "Love, can you hear me?". You blinked up at him feeling your head throbbing from the impact. You were sure it was nothing you just had to let it pass. Lay low for a few minutes.

Bodhi had carefully brushed the hair away from your face, panic slowly settling in. You caught his hand pulling it away. There was no room for little touches like that. Not here. You shook your head slowly, "People", you muttered and Bodhi's eyes instantly snapped up. Verish and other wing leaders had their eyes set on him. And even if they hadn't, they've seen it. Don't think too much of it, Cuir, Bodhi's dragon, had mused but he knew better. Should have known better.

Nor was he surprised when he got pulled for an urgent conversation. Nor when he was assigned to the flame section. He saw it coming. They were going to do everything to separate you two. Weed out the threats of whatever that was starting to form between you two. Bodhi missed Xaden often but now even more so. In situations like this, he realized just how much having his cousin around meant. Was he pissed to find out that you were made the section leader of the tail section now? Yes. Sure, it was a higher rang and you deserved it but something deep within Bodhi screamed that it was done on purpose so you two would have even less time together.

And it slowly was driving Bodhi insane because the whole day after the incident he didn't get to see you. Nor did he know anything about your health. Did anyone even take you to the healer? Did you have a concussion? He had shoved his stuff angrily into the bag, so he could change rooms. It was almost unbearable considering that most of your stuff was already there. You two had quietly settled in. Your smell was all over his stuff. It felt safe. It felt like home. His haven. But more than most Bodhi hated the thought that all of this might put you in some kind of danger. Varrish was already all up on Violet what if that wasn't enough? What if he will want to have another play toy? That could very well be you.

"Sulking much?", your voice made Bodhi flinch. He had slipped out to stroll through the fields after an excessively long conversation with his new wing leader. "No", he muttered back, already hating the way his tone sounded. "Right, Ceir said just that", you rolled your eyes as you moved to sit down next to him. Both of your dragons were on rather friendly terms meaning that even if you two couldn't talk directly to them, they still were willing to help you find one another or warn one another when needed.

You leaned against your boyfriend's shoulder, letting your chin rest there. His stiff demeanor softened but you could sense the distress lingering. "How's your head?", Bodhi murmured, turning to kiss the side of it. "It's okay, just a little whiplash. I feel perfectly fine now", you reassured him. Hoping that it would ease his nerves but to no success. "What is it Bodhi?", you breathed slowly pulling away so you could see it better.

"What do you mean what is it?", he huffed, throwing the bits of grass he's been plucking from the ground across the field as he stood up. "I'm not hurt, all the people we care about are fine too", you stated. "They fucking pulled us apart because they know", Bodhi hissed through gritted teeth. "They would have changed your position regardless of what happened out there, Bo", you tried to reason with him. The loss was too big, they were lacking options when it came to repositioning.

"They know, that's the problem. Did you see the way Varrish was looking at us?", Bodhi tried to stay as quiet as he could but his angry gestures spoke loud and clear. "So what? We're breaking up now?", you said, crossing your arms over your chest. Bodhi instantly frowned as he moved closer to you, "Of course, we're fucking not". You let him wrap his arms around your lower body as you held onto his toned arms, "Then don't stress over it. We've got this", you cupped his face softly, "You can handle yourself so can I". You reassured him, leaning in to kiss the side of his jaw. "I just hate the thought you haven't to go through extra shit just because you're with me", Bodhi hissed through gritted teeth. "Watch me do it with my head held high", you smirked at him, "I'm not giving up on us", you whispered. Bodhi let out a sigh. His grip on you tightened as he rested his forehead against yours. "I'll never give up on us", he breathed. You smiled up at him, pushing up to kiss his slowly. Missing the feeling of him against your lips after such a long day. The warmth. The smell of him. "You know now that I think about if...", he breathed, "We're a dang hot couple. Both section leaders", Bodhi mussed. You let out a chuckle as you shook your head, "And it had only taken a couple of minutes for your ego to grow twice the size". Bodhi let out an awful fake hurt hiss as he wrapped you up in his arms pulling you even closer into his embrace, "With a girlfriend like you, what do you expect?", he purred against your ear.

[dragonageconfessions]

CONFESSION:

Romancing Solas not only angered me, it made me extremely uncomfortable. It just felt like you had to push through all these barriers just to prove that you are truly worthy of him. I also did not like Solas treating my Lavellan like a child who needs to be taught despite all she has been through. And in the romance it just felt like my Lavellan was chasing after him despite the condescending behavior he had. It made me realize I am just not into roleplaying a female protagonist who loses herself for a man. And thats why I only romanced him one time

[tempestclerics]

I am gonna make it through this week if it kills me

[solas-backpack-mug]

when i play dai i usually take solas with me because i love him, especially during the main missons. but there is one mission i don't choose solas for - adamant fortress

him being in the fade and having emotions about it is cool and all but you know what's cooler? imagining him thinking that lavellan is dead and everything he worked for is lost

a handful of inquisition soldiers saw lavellan and her companions chase after clarel. they could only watch as the fortress wall crumbled beneath their feet.

that was all they saw, so reasonably enough they thought everyone who was there fell to their death

solas realises he lost both of the things he was torn between - the power of the focus which would allow him to tear the veil down and return the world into its natural state, and lavellan - the possibility of abandoning his duty and living peacefully. losing one or the other would be excruciating but at the very least he could embrace unwaveringly what the fate had prepared for him. the choice that was tearing his heart apart was ripped from him and all that was left was the terrifying void

but lavellan returns, and with them solas' doubts. later, after their wounds were bandaged and the two of them are alone, they tell him about what they saw. they promise solas to not let him die alone, no matter the cost

and solas is once again plunged into uncertainty that threatens to undo him

[barnabeetheraven]

Companion Reactions to the Inquisitor waking up from a nightmare

Cassandra: When she stumbles on the Inquisitor outside, she can tell from their face that they are having a rough night. Cassandra asks them if they’d like to do some training, maybe it would help take their mind off of things; she knows that works with herself sometimes, and the two of them spar until the early morning light begins peaking over the Skyhold mountains. If Romanced: When she feels them startle beside her, she is instantly on high alert for any threat. But when she notices the Inquisitor shaking and breathing heavily, she takes a deep breath and leans over to wrap her arms around them. When the Inquisitor remarks that they dont want to go back to sleep, Cassandra gets up and grabs one of her favorite books, and they spend the rest of the night in each others arms, with Cassandra reading softly to her love.

Varric: He can tell instantly that they are having a bad night; he’s seen his fair share of that look from Hawke, Fenris, and Anders before. He starts off with some of his favorite jokes until he can see just a hint of a smile on their face, before he tells the Inquisitor that they can always come and talk to him if they need to. Not that he’s any good at doing anything about it, but hell, sometimes you just need a shoulder. Afterwards, to break the emotional tension, he has them sit down and they spend the rest of the resting hours playing Wicked Grace.

Solas: He knew even before he saw the bags under their eyes, as he had felt the intense emotions from the Inquisitor’s nightmares in his own dreams. He offers to help them with the problem, not wanting to overstep his boundaries but also wanting them to know he can help chase the nightmares away. He also makes sure to send them with a decent sleeping drought, one that is designed for dreamless sleep. He prefers not to use it, as he enjoys his nighttime adventures, but he also knows that most people cannot control their dreams as he can. If Romanced: The Inquisitor begins to notice less and less nightmares, but in each dream they see the same thing; a large, dark wolf, always at the edges of their sight, as if watching or guarding them. The Inquisitor goes to sleep at night wrapped tight in the arms of the Dread Wolf, who chases away any nightmare that might harm his Vhenan.

Sera: As she was sneaking her way across the courtyard from the kitchens, arms full of cookies and pastries she had nicked when no one was looking, she almost knocked over the Inquisitor in her hurry. After making a joke about how they look like shite, and seeing how it hit home, Sera offers to share her bounty of stolen goods, and her and the Inquisitor spend the night on the rooftop, munching their goodies and talking about all manner of silly things to take the Inquisitor’s mind off of their night. If Romanced: There are all manner of ways for her to distract the Inquisitor, late in the night hours away from prying eyes. But when she can see in the Inky’s eyes how badly they are hurting, her favorite form of love comes out; SHARED PRANKS! Skyhold spent the next two weeks being terrorized by any and all manner of joke and prank, while Sera and the Inquisitor have never looked happier or more rested.

Vivienne: She cannot help but make a comment about how terrible the Inquisitor looks, and how important appearances can be, especially when dealing with the Chantry and them being the Herald of Andraste, after all! She makes them sit down for a spa day, and sends them back to their quarters with arms full of different sleeping aids, lotions for their face and eyes, and a book that Vivienne swears will put ANYONE who reads it to sleep, because of “how unbelievably droll” it is (It might or might not end up being Swords and Shields)

Blackwall: He has his own nights like that, where you wake up and just dont want to go back to sleep for fear of the nightmare returning. He asks them if they would want to help him with the horses, as it relaxes him taking care of them, and the two spend the night brushing the horses and harts, feeding the nugs and drakes, and talking about the universe and old war stories. If Romanced: After they get done taking care of the animals, Blackwall makes a nice, roaring fire, and he starts teaching the Inquisitor how to carve and whittle, making sure to touch and brush against them as often as possible, so they know that he is always there.

Iron Bull: He has a lot of nights like that on his own, and he’s seen the Charger’s experience more than a few. He offers to buy the Inquisitor a drink, and openly talks to them about how bad his are sometimes. He and whichever of the Chargers are awake end up sitting around in a circle, playing Wicked Grace and sharing stories, until everyone is smiling and looking more content as the sun comes up. If Romanced: When he feels them shaking next to him, Iron Bull rolls over, wraps his long arms around the Inquisitor, and pulls them to him. He rocks them just like that, with their head cradled against his chest, and begins to him an old song he remembers his Tamassran singing to him when he was young, and he feels the Inquisitor slowly fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, feeling more at home and loved than either of them ever has.

Dorian: He scoffs jokingly, talking about how much work it is to keep their eyes looking young when they dont sleep, but he steers them to his favorite chair in the library and makes sure they get comfortable. He pulls out books left and right, criticizing or complimenting, joking and laughing until the Inquisitor falls asleep, softly dozing in the chair, and Dorian cant help but smile as he pulls up a chair of his own next to them, determined to defend the rest of his friend. If Romanced: When they wake with a start, he rubs their back, speaking comfortingly in his language, and when he gets the Inquisitor calmed down, goes and grabs a book off of the table. He cradles them against his shoulder and begins to read to them, softly stroking their hair until they fall peacefully asleep, nestled against Dorian and listening to the rise of fall of his chest.

Cole: Fear, building and building, until all that’s left is a cloud of hurt and fog of pain. He can feel the Inquisitor’s pain, so he begins softly patrolling their dreams. Sometimes he and Solas trade off, but Cole is always watching to see if he can help the Inquisitor with their stress. They dont always know when he is doing it, but Cole makes sure to give that little push every now and then to help ease the Inquisitor’s stress and anxiety, that way they can sleep easier at night.

Bonus:

Leliana: She has many of her own nightmares, and she remembers how bad the Warden’s would get, especially when they got closer to ending the Blight. She offers to get the Inquisitor whatever they need; coffee to stay awake, or tea to help with sleep. But they spend many nights taking care of the ravens, letting them take their fears and worries up into the sky as they brush and feed them. It isn’t much, but it’s a strange sort of relaxing.

Josephine: She tuts softly, mentioning how the Inquisitor has way too much on their plate, and she begins shuffling meetings and tasks, trying to only bring things to the Inquisitor’s attention if it is absolutely necessary. The hope is that if she takes more off the Inquisitor’s mind, maybe they wont have as much to stress about before they are going to bed. If Romanced: It’s hard for her, but she tries to intentionally put down her own work and cuddle with the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor finds it relaxing to run their fingers through Josephine’s hair, so every time a nightmare happens, she softly brushed her hair and lets the Inquisitor run their fingers through it, sighing softly as the vestiges of the nightmare vanish into the night.

Cullen: He has a lot of his own, especially as he is going through Lyrium withdrawals. Often, he and the Inquisitor spend many nights walking the grounds, unable to sleep, or sparring to help get their tension out. The two became good friends, where they can go to each other in the middle of the night and the other will wake instantly and get up to walk and talk with them. If Romanced: He startles when the Inquisitor flips up, but he wraps his strong arms around them and murmurs to them how they are safe, they are here with him, and nothing is going to hurt them. Over and over, he softly whispers his reassurances against their soft skin, until he can feel their shaking subside and he can get them to lay down on his chest, cradled safely in his arms.

[mrs-gauche]

I realize that this is not nearly all of it, when I feel like half of his entire dialogue is actually using some form of rhetorical device. lol But much like him being an artist in creating the frescoes, I just love how Solas tends to paint a picture with his words, too?

There's something about the "But not everyone wants to go to Rivain!" line that always cracks me up though. Like, the subtle frustration in his delivery is so funny to me. The fact that the Creator of the Veil is comparing spirits' expectations of crossing the barrier between the worlds to a nice summer holiday trip to Rivain. lmao I picture Solas and his very skeptical "pro-Fade" spirit buddies watching some of the memories of the waking world like it would be the worst possible vacation spot, like when he told Blackwall how he quickly left that memory of the old Val Royeaux market because of "the smell". 😂 And now he's stuck here in "exotic Rivain" desperately searching for a ticket back home. lol

Also, that comparison of the Grey Wardens killing the Archdemons to a "fair maiden chasing a butterfly off a cliff"... You just know we're so screwed if the last Archdemon is slayed. lol

[mogwaei]

Solas appreciation? (as prompted by the compassionate Solas post which also that)

The snark and the rebllious side (I will never get rid of the halamshiral hat. Let the old fart have some fun)

When he talks back to someone? Love that.

SOLAS APPRECIATION PARTY!!!!

The Helm of Drasca!! was such a brilliant move (kudos to the devs for that too). And I'll never get over the moment with Low-Approval that he just lays out his whole plan because he knows you won't take him seriously. The tone he gets when he equates the Wardens to "a fair maiden chasing a butterfly off a cliff"?! Oh man, and for a real good glimpse at the Rebel Wolf, all his banter with Vivienne is delicious.

The writing for low-approval Solas is so bloody good and underrated when compared to the romanced/friend version. It's been a long time since I played, but from what I recall, Low-Approval is a bit more emotional/expressive? RIGHT, CARRIED AWAY AGAIN - you're SO VALID ANON. 💚

bonus: smug little grin after bringing an Ass-quisitor to their knees skjfhjkf