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'Swords and Shields' is 100% ghost-written by Isabela to fuck with Aveline for shits and giggles, and no one will persuade me otherwise. Varric publishes it and sends her the proceeds, and she spends it all on big hats.

Ok but Varric continuing to write stories for Cassandra is canon. It’s literally in the final scene of the game. Like, future historians of Thedas are going to be writing dissertations on Swords & Shields vol. 7 like “Ah yes, this is the smut that the Viscount of Kirkwall wrote for the Pope.”

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one thing that always bugged me about how gaider wrote isabela is that he seemed to think that she was a brand new character. one that HE came up with. that's why she seemed like a different character than the one we met in da2. because she basically was due to how gaider was writing.

This seems to be exactly what has happened, so I’m going to agree with you, anon.

And it’s a little weird to me, as well, since Gaider is rather protective of the characters that are his own. Which is not a bad thing, and is completely understandable - creators often do care deeply about their own creations, we all love own OCs, and so on. In a couple of bitter posts he made on his tumblr he made it rather clear that he didn’t fully agree with the way Hepler wrote Anders, for example, and he would have done it a little diffetently, would it be in his power. After all, he wrote him in Awakening and intended to write in DA2 as well, before Hepler got this character instead and Gaider ended up being in charge of Fenris. He openly admitted that he was extremely worried about someone writing Cole instead of him, and even though I don’t know what was his final opinion on the result, he did joke a few times that he would pry at Weekes and walk behind his back as he wrote, because he felt like he needed to control the process.

In other words, once he wrote some characters, it was difficult for him to let them go, so, normally, you’d expect him to treat other writers’ characters with a little more respect, but I can’t say he’s shown enough to Isabela when he wrote her into the comics. Like you said, it’s as if he wrote her from the scratch, completely disregarding what her character was originally about.

One of the major things in Isabela’s character arc is that she learned to look out for her self and most of the time, her own safety and well-being is her utmost priority. It’s understandable, considering what she’s been through - she learned that if she can’t protect herself, no one will, and that you should think twice before trusting anyone with your life. Which leads to her often being read as selfish, immoral, or not caring about anyone but herself.

What matters, though, is that it’s not universal, and it doesn’t apply to everything. Despite her own claims that she only cares about herself, she does draw the lines, and she even states it in the very first mission you recruit her. She’s been a pirate, sure, she stole and she smuggled expensive goods for a living. Actual, living people? This is where she draws she line, she doesn’t deal with it, and this refusal to step over said line is what got her into trouble in the first place. This very trouble she keeps running from for the most part of the game, because her former employer might find her and kill her. This is literally her storyline for DA2. And it takes a certain amount of friendship for her to overstep that fear and come back to help you, risking your own life.

So Gaider literally threw out the entire premise of her character, her moral code and the entire DA2 storyline by turning it all around and claiming that she did carry people on her ships and drowned them to get away from the Orlesians, for the sake of nothing but drama and creating more reason for her to hate herself. Because with that addition, her entire DA2 plotline means nothing and makes no sense. There was some weird qunari-related plot in those comics, and he needed to make it work somehow, and yay, what’s better than to create another reason for Isabela to question herself.

I mean, she suffered enough in the original game, because everywhere she goes there is some comment about her personal and sexual life, on the scale of disapproving to curious, or someone trying to lecture her on how they “used to be like her, before they grew up and became better people, so she better hurry up and do that too”. Everyone seems to know what’s best for her, and then only to bring her back for this story and do the same thing, all over again, just on a larger scale? Flip her morals upside down? Make some antagonist guy run around her and throw nasty-ass comments about how she should have been grateful to her terrible husband? Make her doubt and question all her life choices and wonder if she wouldn’t be better off as a qunari convert?

Ffs, give Isabela a break.

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Isabela is way wiser than she often gets credit for.

CONFESSION:

“Our mistakes make us who we are.”  That is one of my favorite lines from Isabela in Dragon Age 2. It still resonates with me to this day and its one of the reasons I don’t have any rabid hatred toward any of the Dragon Age characters. I can still be critical of them yet still love them for who they are.

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Big sis’ Isabela watching over Merrill

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In which no one could properly tell the story

Artist: http://jpshieux.tumblr.com/

[captain-bela]

isabela: i’m selfish and i don’t stick around for anyone

also isabela: immediately cares for merrill and does so deeply that she’s afraid she’ll die in her act 3 quest

also isabela: falls head over heels in love with hawke

also isabela: develops camaraderie with fenris and sebastian to the point where the latter two are friendly, and the former she’ll offer a place on her ship to give him a taste of a new life and protect him from the seneschal’s tax collector

also isabela: will playfully tease carver about his crush on merrill and try to hook them up

also isabela: will befriend aveline despite the fact that they should hate each other

also isabela: writes and sends things to bethany when she’s locked up in the circle

also isabela: does all of this regardless of if hawke is a good person or not

isabela: yep so hardcore i don’t care about anyone or anything

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so i’ve started doing some character positivity posts in order to make the DA fandom a slightly more positive place, and next on the list is isabela so here are some rly neat things about the pirate queen:

isabela is first and foremost here for other women. when you meet her playing as an f!hawke, the first thing she does is warn her about the men in the hanged man and tells her to be careful. 

she snaps at that orlesian dude for speaking degradingly about his wife in act 1 if you take her along. 

she also tells bethany “men are only good for one thing. women are good for six.”

the first time you see her she takes down like five guys singlehandedly. and what does she do when she’s done? finish her drink like a champ.

isabela calls herself “queen of the eastern seas” and i’d believe it 10000%.

she engaged a qunari dreadnaught in battle.

her thigh high boots and swaggering walk are badass.

isabela was married off by her mother to a merchant in a loveless abusive marriage and after he was murdered by zevran she stole his ship, got herself a crew, and became a pirate.

speaking of zevran, they’re both really good friends—and friends with benefits.

she taught herself the art of the duelist—something she can pass on to your warden in dragon age origins if your warden is a rogue.

“i like big boats. i cannot lie.” enough said there.

her official character description includes this: 

“isabela is the pirate scourge of two coastlines, four nations, and countless tavern floors.”

during her time as a smuggler she realized castillion was having her smuggle slaves and having a change of heart, she freed over 200 them—humans and elves, including children. 

at one point she has slept with leliana.

if engaged in a romance or if hawke has enough approval with her, she will return at the end of act 2 after stealing the qunari relic, telling hawke it was his influence that made her come back.

if she is specifically romanced, she will tell hawke she didn’t return to help the people for kirkwall, but rather that she did it for hawke:

”i did it for you. it was always about you.”

before the final battle, isabela tells hawke that she is absolutely loyal to them regardless of what happens.

if you take her to the chantry she has this golden line:

“and then isabela went to the chantry, and saw that it was boring. canticle of isabela, stanza one, verse one.”

isabela is extremely confident and forward looking. she doesn’t really care what anyone thinks of her, stating: “they don’t know me—i know me” and “our mistakes make us who we are.”

she also believes mages should be free on the basis that choices shouldn’t be made for anyone but themselves. even though she sides with hawke whether or not they side with mage or templars, she mocks hawke for siding with the templars.

if you take her to the chantry, she will snap at elthina when she calls the circle a place that was “once a horror” to which isabela responds “once a horror? oh yes i’m sure it’s filled with puppies and kittens and sunshine now.” she’s woke af.

her friendmance with hawke is about accepting who she is without trying to change her. isabela is a free spirit and hawke can stand by and support her, even though isabela doesn’t think she deserves them.

regardless of whether or not she is romanced, she invites hawke to join her crew alongside their respective love interest.

when romanced she says “i have purpose. i have hawke.”

she is one of the only party members who does not look down or belittle merrill—she treats her with respect and like an adult. 

speaking of merrill, both of them are extremely good friends. merrill plays cards with isabela in the hanged man, and when she loses isabela gives her back what she gambles away, telling her “don’t bet anything you’re not prepared to lose.”

she is extremely protective of merrill. in fact if hawke pursues a romance with merrill with an mhawke she tells him:

Isabela: Speaking of romance…

Isabela: You’re interested in Merrill, aren’t you?

Hawke: I have feelings for her/I’m that obvious, am I?

Isabela: Well, that’s good. She always seemed a little lonely.

Isabela: I get the feeling the girl’s messing in something big and dangerous

Isabela: Look out for her, will you? Make sure she doesn’t hurt herself.

Isabela: Oh, and if you do anything nasty to her, I’ll cut off your balls.

there’s also this banter:

Merrill: (Sighs) Why do you even like me? I must seem so dull.

Isabela: What brought this on?

Merrill: Your life has been… so exciting. The adventures, the duels, the passionate love affairs.

Merrill: Compared to that, my life is a stale, dry biscuit. (Sighs) I wish I had your life.

Isabela: No. You don’t want my life.

Merrill: Why?

Isabela: Because you have a good heart, and you deserve better.

she affectionately calls merrill “kitten.”

she teaches merrill how to “strut” when she walks.

isabela wants to do body shots with merrill. im pretty sure she already has though.

oh and isabela calls her “pretty”

seriously they’re the ann perkins and leslie knope of this game:

Merrill: You’re very quiet today. Is something wrong?

Merrill: (Gasps) It’s me. I said something wrong, didn’t I?

Isabela: No, of course not. You could never say anything wrong.

Isabela: I’m happy for you, Kitten. You’ve been alone long enough.

Merrill: I think Hawke likes you, Isabela

Isabela: I certainly hope so!

Merrill: Of course, it’s not surprising at all that anybody would love you, but it’s nice to see you two happy.

Isabela: Merrill, sometimes you’re so sweet I could eat you for dessert.

Merrill: If you weren’t a pirate, what do you think you would’ve been?

Isabela: I haven’t given it much thought. Maybe a poet? (Laughs)

Merrill: You would’ve made a great griffon-wrangler.

Isabela: I’m sorry… what?

Merrill: You’re so quick and clever. You’d be perfect. And you’d get a baby griffon for me, wouldn’t you?

Isabela: Kitten, if griffons existed, and if I was a… griffon-wrangler and not a pirate, yes. I would find you a baby griffon.

Merrill: Thanks. I’ve always wanted a baby griffon called Feathers.

she’s also on really good terms with fenris and flirts with him frequently. they also have some of the best banter in the game like these gems:

Isabela: So what’s with that magical fisting thing you do?

Fenris: I’m… sorry?

Isabela: You know, when you stick your hand into people.

Fenris: Oh. That. Yes. It’s a… talent.

Isabela: You could make so much coin with that.

Fenris: Interesting story I heard about you, Isabela…

Isabela: Yes, yes, all right. I just want it known I never asked for the goat. And the fire was accidental.

Fenris: I… that wasn’t the story.

on a slightly more serious side of their relationship, fenris respects her for freeing slaves:

Fenris: So you freed a group of slaves?

Isabela: Would-be slaves. They weren’t slaves yet.

Fenris: Still, you did the right thing. Many would turn a blind eye.

Isabela: Don’t read too much into it, all right? It just seemed a good idea at the time.

isabela and anders have actually met once before—they both used to frequent the same brothel, where she mentions that he was famous for his “electricity trick.”

anders also treats isabela for STI’s for free.

speaking of which they also apparently bet each other all the time:

Anders: You owe me fifty silvers.

Isabela: You were cheating!

Anders: So were you!

Isabela: You had supernatural help.

Anders: Excuses! Just admit it. I beat you at your own game.

Isabela: Ugh.

Anders: Fifty silvers.

and then there’s this lovely banter:

Anders: You’re not nearly as selfish as you pretend

.Isabela: Hey! You take that back!

Anders: You had your relic. You were gone. There was no reason for you to come back and face the Qunari.

Isabela: I still don’t have a ship. I thought I could get one.

Anders: From a bunch of shipwrecked Qunari?

Isabela: From the Viscount. I just got here late.

Anders: I always knew you had a heart of gold.

Isabela: Shh! Don’t tell anyone.

despite butting heads with aveline most of the time, they do eventually get along by the end of the game. their relationship becomes more humorous than biting, and aveline event invites isabela to her dinner parties.

if carver joins the grey wardens, she has this hilarious banter with him:

Isabela: You’ve certainly…filled out, Carver. Shame, really, I hear joining the Wardens separates the men from their “boys.”

Carver: We rarely have children, true. But don’t worry, that just means I try ever so much harder.

Isabela: Ooh, I like you all grown up.

(If Hawke is in a romance with Isabela) Hawke: No you don’t. No, she doesn’t!

she’s also on really good terms with varric—so much so that all of their banter is friendly and agreeable.

Varric: Rivaini, stop looking at my chest. My eyes are up here.

Isabela: But the chest hair…

Varric: Do you know how much I suffer under your gaze? I am a person, not an object!

Isabela: Uh, Varric?

Varric: (Laughs) Just shitting you.

Varric: Were you listening to that guy in the Hanged Man last night?

Isabela: “Your eyes are like bumblebees, flying into the window of my soul.” (Laughs)

Varric: My favorite was, “Your lips are like the wings of sparrows. Red ones. With no feathers.”

Isabela: “Oh, speak! And send the plucked wings of your lips soaring.”

Varric: I’d buy the guy a drink, but I don’t think he needs one.

it’s also canon that isabela and varric write fanfiction about their friends:

Isabela: Psst. I’ve got some of it written down now.

Varric: Give it here.

Varric: “Her breasts strained against the leather jerkin like two wild stallions corralled against their will.” (Chuckles)

Varric: “She pounced—the smooth moves of a jungle cat—and locked her thighs around Donnic’s waist. He—”

isabela joins the inquisition in multiplayer, and according to varric during the main game she acquired a “really big hat” which she can wear in game.

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when i think about the way the isabela romance plays so perfectly into the themes of hawke’s story i get Many Emotions because like:

act 1 begins with hawke losing a sibling and their home

act 1 ends with hawke losing their remaining sibling

act 2 is marked by hawke losing leandra

and finally, when hawke has lost almost everything she has, she loses isabela.

but then isabela comes back, and i think that’s so symbolic because act 1 and 2 have been about stripping away everything that hawke has so she can rebuild herself into the champion, but isabela, who thinks herself so flighty and unworthy or unable to love, isabela returns. and the instant she does she becomes the one thing hawke can always count on. for me that’s always the moment that hawke realises she loves isabela, when she comes striding through those doors hawke is just like ‘i’m fucking in love with this woman aren’t i’ :’) god dammit

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Tv Tropes → Isabela [x]

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Isabela for mynameishawke

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ship ask: merrill/isabela?

God, I ship them so much. So much.

I think there’s an earnestness to Merrill’s love. It feels rooted in friendship and honest and genuine affection, as well as being attraction. It feels like it is, oddly enough, one of the most wholesome of all the romances I’ve done (but i could be biased, and I admit I haven’t romanced everyone). Not to suggest that Merrill isn’t a sexual person, no, but to say that she is eager and willing to love because she is a loving person, despite everything she’s seen, done, and had happen to her. Merrill is a stranger twice: to her own people, cast out for the way she works and tries to reclaim their heritage and history, not to mention being a dalish among city elves; and to the humans, living on her own in the alienage and making her way through Kirkwall. But she is still so eager to be good, to do good, even if she has to do some sideways things to do it. I appreciate that about her.

Isabela is a sexual being, and is unafraid to be. It’s her enjoyment. It is likely a thing of reclamation for her. Loving Isabela is fun and exhilarating. It’s passionate and powerful and so, so good. But she’s guarded, and reasonably so. Bela is a survivor of sexual violence, of trafficking, and has been forced to partake in it. And when she’s had the opportunity to get out from that she takes it, even though doing so puts her in more trouble and complicates her life further. Bela is complicated and complex in ways that isn’t always recognized.

Isabela is, in my experience, one of the few people who are explicitly kind to Merrill in the game. She laughs when Merrill doesn’t get things, but I also have never gotten a vibe that shes mean about it, whereas everyone else seems to treat her as a stupid person or a child. Its charming to her, in my mind, but not quaint or infantile.

In the interactions I’ve seen with Bela and Merrill, they’re kind. Not always soft, but they don’t have to be. Both women are good at what they do. Powerful and skilled. I think they see that in each other. Merrill doesn’t treat Bela as a whore, or as someone made less by their desire. Bela doesn’t treat Merrill as a child or as a monster. I don’t suggest that they’re a good ship because they’re moderately nice to each other, but that a friendship between them serves to grow a brilliant ship.

Isabela treats her as a person. As an equal. She’s not shy in her attraction for women or elves, but Merrill is never treated as a fetish. There’s no underlying maliciousness to their friendship. And Merrill is honest in wanting to be Isabela’s friend. Wants to get to know her as a person, not just as a potential lover. Treats Bela as an expert in her own field, as more than a woman who has fun and sleeps with who ever she wants. Sees past the fact that Bela runs around without pants, because it’s not a thing to worry about to begin with.

There’s an earnest, honest appreciation that grows between them, is how I see their interactions.

I think Merrill and Bela together bring really great things to the table, and I appreciate the fuck outta this ship.

[captain-bela]

when i think about the way the isabela romance plays so perfectly into the themes of hawke’s story i get Many Emotions because like:

act 1 begins with hawke losing a sibling and their home

act 1 ends with hawke losing their remaining sibling

act 2 is marked by hawke losing leandra

and finally, when hawke has lost almost everything she has, she loses isabela.

but then isabela comes back, and i think that’s so symbolic because act 1 and 2 have been about stripping away everything that hawke has so she can rebuild herself into the champion, but isabela, who thinks herself so flighty and unworthy or unable to love, isabela returns. and the instant she does she becomes the one thing hawke can always count on. for me that’s always the moment that hawke realises she loves isabela, when she comes striding through those doors hawke is just like ‘i’m fucking in love with this woman aren’t i’ :’) god dammit

[captain-bela]

The Right Words

The words that each of the companions is yearning for. What they want to be told more than anything else in the world.

Alistair: You are wanted.

Morrigan: You’re right.

Zevran: You can be good.

Leliana: Trust in yourself.

Oghren: You can do better.

Sten: You’re absolved.

Wynne: You’ve learned.

Shale: *nothing* *Shale is perfect*

Nathaniel: You’re not your father.

Sigrun: It wasn’t your fault.

Velanna: Forgiveness is a process.

Anders: You’re trying now.

Fenris: Your scars don’t define you.

Merrill: You can’t save everyone.

Isabela: It’s okay to care.

Sebastian: It wasn’t your fault.

Aveline: You can’t fix everything.

Varric: Your heart’s in the right place.

Dorian: Never change who you are.

Cassandra: Everyone deserves a moment of happiness.

Sera: You can stay.

Vivienne: A moment of weakness does not destroy you.

Iron Bull: You’re more than your number.

Josephine: You can’t do everything.

Cole: Heal beyond the pain.

Blackwall: You can be better.

Cullen: I still like you.

Solas: I forgive you.

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Fic recs?

I'm super late to the party, I know, but I am currently DYING for good Isabela fics. I've been wandering round AO3 and FF.net, but I'm sure there are tons of great stuff that I've missed.

I'll read Isabela with almost anyone, but I'm not a huge fan of her with m!Hawke (f!Hawke is absolutely wonderful!). Pairings I've loved for her so far, other than with f!Hawke, are with Merrill, Josephine, Fenris, Leiliana, and even odd ones like Cullen or Varric.

I'm also not looking for anything that paints her as just shallow and sex-crazed, a homewrecker or another couple's relationship counsellor. Preferably some great nuanced character studies or dramatic tales of heroism or romances or friendshippy or humorous stories.

Please rec your own stuff or other people's stuff, on any platform. I promise to leave kudos and comments on anything I end up reading!

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Hawke and Isabela. 

I kind of designed these as phone format backgrounds. 

Couldn’t settle on one color so I made both. 

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Okay, wouldn’t be cool for the next dragon age game where you set sail on a giant ship with your companions with Isabella as the captain? And the ship is basically your base as you travel to Tevinter and other places as well?? And sometime you will encounter epic battles with other ships or monsters???