#regardless of what datv tells me

[relidraws]

to everyone's great surprise, i did get to finish my canon world-state characters! just in time for veilguard woo!

[konnie-shitpost]

i've written some fake banters with my inquisitor because i'm actively going insane before datv release and i need to do something. here they are!

cole & lavellan

Cole: Laila. Dannet. Arianni. Loren. Kendrick.   Lavellan: What?  Cole: You keep repeating their names so you don’t forget.   Cole: But it’s not your fault. Corypheus killed them, not you.   Lavellan: I know that.  Cole: Not fully. If I had done more, if I had found them earlier, if they hadn’t followed me...  Cole: Forgive yourself, and forgive them for believing in you. The blame is his.  Lavellan: I... will try to, Cole.  

Lavellan: Cole, about the other day...  Lavellan: Thank you. You wanted to comfort me.   Cole: You were hurt. I heal hurts.   Lavellan: Yes... But did you have to say it all out loud?  Cole: How should I say it otherwise? Can you feel my emotions too?  Lavellan: No, sorry, I phrased it incorrectly. I’ve meant, can’t you say such things when we’re alone?   Cole: Why?  Lavellan: Because it’s personal.  Cole: They are your friends. They can help too if they know you’re hurt.  Dorian (if in party): Tell her, Cole.  Lavellan: I guess I can’t argue with that, yes?  Cole: You like his hands. His grip on the staff is strong and skillful. You wonder if it’d feel the same on you.  Lavellan: I- Cole, it’s not a hurt!  Cole: No, but it’s similar. A longing.  Lavellan: And how are my friends supposed to help me with that? 

If Solas is in party:   Solas: I can come up with a few ideas.  Lavellan: Oh! well... Giggles.   Cole: See. I’ve helped.  

Otherwise:  Cole: It’s not something to hide. He would like to hear that.   Lavellan: He would?  Cole: Yes.  Lavellan: Well, if you say so... I’ll keep that in mind.  

Cole: It’s names again.   Cole: You knew all names in Haven, and it meant that you all were a little bit like clan, and you were their First again. Сole: You helped them, and they knew you, so you became Ishali and not the Herald.  Cole: But now there is too much of them. You can’t know all, and they barely know you. You’re afraid that they will get you wrong.  Cole: Does it matter?  Lavellan: Yes, to me. I want to be me.   Cole: But they don’t change you. You remain you, and they are just wrong.  Lavellan: I’m not sure if it’s that simple. 

Lavellan: How does your body feel, Cole? Is it strange to have one? Spirits are usually shapeless, as far as I know.   Cole: I’m not sure. Sometimes. I used to fall often.  Cole: And not all armour feels right. It’s itchy, or too tight, or not enough.  Lavellan: We can get you some clothes specifically tailored for your tastes and needs.    Cole: That sounds nice.  

Lavellan: Cole, are you alright?  Cole: I am me. Why?  Lavellan: I know not everyone is happy to see you there. You should tell me if someone hurts you.  Cole: I don’t understand. I heal hurts. I am not being hurt.   Lavellan: Are you okay with the way Sera treats you? Vivienne?   Sera (if in party): This bloody thing gets inside my mind and I am the bad one here?  Vivienne (if in party): It's a demon, dear. I treat it as such.  Cole: They are afraid, and their fear makes it hard to help. I try to find different ways inside, but I haven’t found the one that works yet.   Lavellan: Some people don’t deserve your help.  Cole: Some. They do. 

Lavellan: How is it in the Fade? You’ve been there physically; it should be different from going there in dreams.  Cole: I don’t sleep.   Lavellan: Oh, right. Can you say something regardless?  Cole: The Fade is light, always changing, moving. Your world is heavier, stuck in place, but it’s good sometimes, to feel the ground not running away from you.   Lavellan: Is that why demons seek to cross the Veil?  Cole: They need to feel something real, only then they can break it.  

[antivan-leather-boot]

Remember when we all freaked out over only getting to import three choices from dai to datv? I definitely did.

[random thoughts on this, may contain mild spoilers regarding how the game treats past games but I've really tried to not give anything concrete. Though if you've really stayed away from any information about the game then ig this is a bit spoilery so maybe skip? ]

But honestly, my two cents now is that they handled the entire thing really well. The little nods and acknowledgements we get, especially through Harding (but also Morrigan!... And well, obviously Inky) are satisfying and cohesive enough. Maybe some people might take issue that they're too open and/or broad, but I am really into how they've done it. Given the context and who Rook is (aka. nobody who would need or have all the info from what we did in dai), I think the openness of the dialogue lines is evocative enough for nice player nostalgia, and flexible enough for most of us to picture the story drawing from our own headcanons.

I can easily believe that there is no reason for Morrigan, a private person to begin with, to tell Rook whether she has a son or not.

I can understand why we don't need to know exactly who the Divine is given the circumstances we're under, and the fact that we're handling the story from Northern, rather than Southern, Thedas. It's enough for me to know it's someone from the inquisition still - I can fill in my own blanks.

Hell, I can even forgive the well of sorrows not being that big of a deal, ultimately. Plus, it kind of works in my worldstate, and Rook doesn't need the details anyway. [minor spoiler, the grin I grinned when Harding referred to it as a 'big pond']

There's a couple of things that do irk me a bit, a few personal disappointments, or things I wish we could've gotten that we didn't. But this would've happened for most people anyway, regardless of how they handled it.

That being said, I'm satisfied with the balance they found with acknowledging the player has been in on the story right from the beginning (dao) and focusing on enhancing the present story and driving it forward.

Though, I will admit, a part of me will never get over the lack of closure I have with Hawke... Still, I can overlook it, because I see how it wouldn't have really fit this particular story.

I think the initial sense of betrayal I felt at having my choices not really matter was smoothed over by realizing that they still can and do matter in how I read the story we've been given. And I'm liking the story so far a lot, so I'm choosing joy and glee every time something gets mentioned that links me to past games.