#evelyn vc: gee i hope this won't be used to manipulate me in the future

[prophetries]

What kind of traits does Evelyn look for in a significant other?

*twirls hair* well....

i can list a few things she does not care about: height, weight, gender, hair/eye color, disability. she can/has found people across all spectrums attractive, including other races (dwarves, elves, qunari, etc)

now to things that she actively has found attractive/finds attractive in theory

propriety, manners, politeness, general care for thedas norms/mores: most of her exposure to love and romance in her youth was through (forbidden) romance novels, usually featuring some sort of concept of courtly love ala knights and fair maidens. she is of noble stock, and learned her etiquette, so she really values that in others. people who show her some kind of "feminine" deference [in western context fyi] (holding the door, bowing, pulling out her chair, kissing her hand, etc) is something that she's found really endears someone to her. in some ways she's very traditional.

nobility: as a noble herself and someone with a vast amount of political power, someone with a noble name and the potential of entering into a mutually-beneficial marriage contract is, on its own, very attractive to her for strictly strategic reasons.

faith/tolerance of faith: her faith has been her only salvation for much of her life, so she would likely abhor anyone who spurns the faithful or makes fun of people who have faith. even when she goes full atheist in veilguard, she still holds that opinion. she finds it cruel to put others down for finding comfort in their religion. now, mind you, FAITH. not organized religion. she does not blindly accept every single thing the chantry has done ; her faith is/was very personal to her, and is viewed through a highly personalized lens. she's also not afraid to stand up to members of her own religion when they cross those lines.

devotion: she functions on two complete opposite ends of the spectrum with regards to romantic love. she must either have a partner who is totally devoted to her (worshipful, almost. obsessive) or she has to be totally devoted to her partner. there is nothing casual or easy about her love. it's all-consuming and frequently crosses the lines between the sacred and profane. she wants to either worship or be worshipped. (ideally both!!!)

strength: of constitution, but also physical strength. she appreciates strong women and men. she's been known to ogle the soldiers as they train in the yard 👀 subtlely, of course.

intelligence: she genuinely loves to learn, loves to be read to, loves to hear people talk about things they're passionate about. (she used to hand-write copies of the chant and do illuminations, so she's very adept at reading herself.) she's also partial to artists, musicians, etc.

as much as she idealizes the idea of her prince/princess charming, white knight, etc. she is secretly drawn to the "darker side": things that are profane, borderline blasphemous. the darker sides of people attract her, especially if something lurks under a pristine surface. for example, someone who is normally exceedingly kind taking extreme measures against an enemy, or a normally put-together person having their hair/clothes mussed for whatever reason. she finds beauty in imperfections, though strives tirelessly to conceal her own. she craves to be with someone she can be her complete, total self with. someone she can indulge with. this very well could be a romance she hides from everyone, but she covets it.

and then your standard stuff: personal hygiene, kindness, etc. the stuff most people value.