#taash friendship

[therookandthecrow]

I can definitely see how a buff warrior elf such as Davrin would make Lethanavir's old insecurities come back, even after he thought that he'd accepted he'd always be lanky. Even when he lived among the Dalish, he was always encouraged to 'eat more' even though he ate enough. Actually, he loves food, thank you.

When he disclosed to his Dalish peers that he was training to be a member of the Mourn Watch, he got teased a lot by being called 'bone-boy'/'death-boy' and things like that, or just as bad, 'crypt-baby' which oddly enough he grew to embrace each of those titled bestowed upon him by his Dalish bullies.

It's sufficient to say that these kinds of experiences didn't make him fond of the Dalish, although as an elf, he feels the obligation to defend his people from discrimination on behalf of being elves. Just don't ask him to make a good case for being Dalish. He has no love for that way of life, despite his Vallaslin.

[Rookanis is at the very bottom]

That was the toughest time of his life, apart from meeting his parents, who abandoned him. He was a lot happier when he returned full-time to the Mourn Watch and his studies among the dead, the undead, spirits and those of a like-mind who 'get him' such as Myrna, Vorgoth and the numerous curiosity spirits.

While he likes Taash a lot, and finds them refreshingly candid and direct, he felt the sting on Emmrich's behalf when they called him a 'skull-f***er' among other colorful terms, although he was able to intuitively grasp the core reasons behind their initial hostility towards him, he defended Emmrich, nonetheless while still being empathetic towards Taash. He grasped the core of their lashing out.

He already surmised that those who bullied him when he lived among the Dalish had something at their cores which they were insecure about, and that they projected it onto him. Likewise, he's very emotionally intelligent, but socially, not so much. Lethanavir struggles with the unusual affliction of being book-smart, but not so much people-smart. This is one reason why he didn't hold it against Taash, personally.

I think that he became aggressive at that point in his life, as a defense mechanism (aside from his teenage hormones), only to return to being his usual self when returning to the Mourn Watch. Lethanavir is still wrapping his head around being a leader, as confident as he shows himself to be. Even while he directly proclaims that he is confident with leading, he inwardly doubts himself.

He and Emmrich become very good friends even after their budding romance didn't take off, because they not only found common ground among being Nevarran and Mourn Watchers, but for being accused of "not eating" because the both of them are so thin! I'll definitely need to write that into my fic, about how my Rook perceives his body in that respect.

Having a boyfriend, such as Lucanis who'd love him even if he were a wyrm, definitely helps a lot with him feeling accepted at his core. Another thing, having Dalish elves around such as Bellara, Davrin, Irelin, Strife, Yenarel and company help him to see the Dalish overall in a better light, as his previous experiences were subjectively bad.

Having Lucanis whisper in his ear about how beautiful he is, and how his eyes soften whenever he looks at him has helped him to accept that his slender, willowy frame is not a curse and that his beauty is not some mistake or an aberration and that someone can actually appreciate his looks and what he has on the inside, without wanting to change him.

While Lucanis' love language includes food, he's never once told Lethanavir to go for a second helping or poked his sides and told him that he can see his ribs. To Lucanis, Lethanavir is not 'bone-boy' or 'crypt-baby' but the most beautiful man he's ever seen with cheekbones like he'd never seen before, and honestly, a beautiful body.

Lucanis just wants to make sure that Lethanavir is looked after well and that he knows that he loves him unconditionally, and that he's the best thing that has happened to him in his whole entire life and that for the longest time he thought that he was unworthy of him, while Lethanavir had thought the same until [insert story event.]

[vaguely-concerned]

having seen at least the rough outlines of all the romances now I have to say that I think emmrich's is probably objectively the best in terms of coherence and completeness of story arc (with the understanding that ultimately the 'best' romance is whichever one makes YOUR heart sing anyway so objectivity is a silly thing to claim that way, it just felt like it's the arc with the most well-paced focused content and the least dangling threads)... but lucanis' is my favourite haha. just. the whole kneeling before your beloved full of reverence but without any of the distance that usually implies??? his complete undramatic certainty and calm in every scene with rook after this, having spent the whole game caught between fear and longing???? mr. lives in a pantry but it says nothing about my psyche don't worry about it it's purely for tactical reasons that I keep myself contained in a small dark room not entirely unlike a cell, love among the parsnips -- finally coming to rook in their room and it's so comfortable and comforting???? after all the times rook supports and comforts him through the game he's finally able to return the same to them when they need it while being so calm and steady and it's so fucking sweet and feels so effortless and with no price attached?????? he basically assigns himself the role of your bodyguard and he WILL stab a god over it??????????????? the turn to protector (which was in his heart all along longing to get out and find a place) of it all????? he sounds like he's found himself unexpectedly stumbling into such a soul-lightening state of revelatory existential relief, full on 'you only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves' mary oliver style, and he goes and he shares that with rook and protectively envelops them in it when they're hurting??????????????????????????? hello for the maker's sake hello can anyone hear me?????

[emmavakarian-theirin]

the way the music died at just the right moment made this so perfect

[heliomanteia]

Caught these on the second replay as Taash's commentary on one of the regrets and I think it's very demonstrative of why I adore Taash & think that people who believe that Taash is a "stereotypical comic relief with no depth" are a bit stupid.

Aside from this specific sentiment of "you waited too long to tell someone you care about something important and now you will never get to" being personally relevant to Taash, I think the whole scene is very telling of their character. Because Taash is the one to make a joking comment about Solas and Mythal "doing it" — and Taash is the one to deliver a profound reading of the regret. It's not even the case of deceitful appearances, Taash is just both direct and without a filter & wise in their own way. And I adore it about them.

Taash functionally does what Sera did, and if you cared enough about Sera to do her questline in DA:I you know she's got more depth to her than she lets out; same is true for Taash. I think a lot of people stumble over their direct/brash approach (that they themselves admit helps them because they don't always understand what people mean) and assume that Taash has no depth but Taash is genuinely my favorite companion because they challenge your ability to look past the surface and actually listen to what the character is saying, analyze them, consider them.

No big conclusion here but I genuinely feel like people hating/disregarding Taash-like characters are the reason less and less exposition is offered in meaningful ways and instead gets served like the player is a toddler. Because an alarming number of people cannot handle characters that challenge you to listen to them. Anyways I love Taash.

[beetlethebug]

Okay now that I started thinking about Emmrich teaching my Rook, Quil, to read I cannot stop thinking about the rest of the Veilguard chipping in.

Bellara who's always making lists, writing down notes, and leaving little reminders. She writes out the labels of artifacts in big, clunky letters for Quil to practice his handwriting. She doodles pictures besides the names of artifacts when she gives lists for Quil to practice reading and finding objects. She also doodles the pictures on the grocery list. Bellara who's handwriting is very, very bad but she takes the time to write slow and big for Quil. She encourages him to write, handing them scraps of paper and telling them to come up with names for artefacts or jot down questions for the Archive Spirit. She also invites Quil to book club and will sit and read the passages aloud. Quil is pretty shy at first, but eventually it's common place to see Bellara and Quil curled up on any comfy surface in the lighthouse, Quil's quiet voice tentatively reading pages aloud. Plans to teach them Elvish once they're more comfortable with the standard language

Harding who will try and make letters out of stones for Quil to practice letter recognition. She embroiders his name on his clothes for him so that he at least recognizes his own name. It's a fun hobby, teaching him cross-stich and embroidery. Watching him stitch together letters in a shaky hand, always complimentary whenever he shows off their work. She asks him to make labels for her plants. Harding picked up on Varric's tendency to read missives aloud for Quil; she assumed it was because of him being second in command, but now that she knows it's because he's learning to read, she takes his place, reading and de-briefing Quil on missions before they bring it to the rest of the Veilguard.

Neve, who makes little detective stories for Quil to solve. Putting notes with simple sentences for them to decipher and put together. Always leaving little treats for Quil at the end to celebrate their solving of the puzzle. She has Quil organize case files for her, working on them recognizing names and places. She's very patient with Quil and helps them on their pronunciation. Not as formal a teacher as Emmrich but still working on the fundamentals of reading. She really helps Quil with interpreting and learning what sentences mean and helping him find deeper meaning within them.

Taash who doesn't really read casually but is definitely better than Quil. They've got clunky handwriting. Will use their fire-breathing to write letters and words for them. Tries to make it more fun/like a competition by saying that if Quil can spell the word, then they get the piece of treasure from a kill. Since they're so tall, they like to stand behind Quil when they find notes in the field and read it over their shoulder--or peer at whatever people are writing and tell them about it afterwards. Will kill anyone who dares to say anything about Quil's nerves when they're reading in front of groups who aren't the Veilguard.

Lucanis who will often write grocery lists in his native tongue just because it's easier for him. Who then rewrites a second list for Quil to hold onto while they shop so that he can cross-reference and make sure that Quil is grabbing the right things. Spite is reading everything aloud even though Quil can't hear it because he wants to help. Spite being the best audience for Quil when they practice reading aloud to them because Spite always has nice things to say about Quil. Lucanis teaching Quil some crow-short hands for poisons and tactical moves as a "just in case" sort of thing. Lucanis asking Quil to write recipe cards for him when he makes dishes. Taking the time to slowly explain each step, patiently spelling out words and treasuring the list of cards with handwriting that gets surer and surer with each card that's made.

Davrin who also isn't much of a reader in my opinion but loves to read tales of monsters and manuals about their habits. He definitely has a good voice for reading aloud. He'll ask Quil to read passages about the monsters he's carving while he works on them. Davrin who carves out the entire alphabet for Quil so they can practice rearranging the letters into words. Davrin who jokes about teaching Assan to read, too, so that Quil isn't alone. Quil and Davrin finding out Assan can learn to read with enough practice at pattern recognition and making it a competition to see who can learn more words first. Davrin who always is there with a pat on the back or a hand to ruffle Quil's hair when he gets tough passages right.

Emmrich who is so, so patient. Who loves to teach at the very core of his being and has an entire lesson plan made within the week. Who spends many nights finding research about the best ways to teach a person to read and write. Who will absolutely find a place in his office to hang up Quil's first attempts at writing like a proud parent. Emmrich who can sometimes get caught up in the technicalities and correct grammar but changes their speech for Quil. Emmrich who wants nothing more than to open up a whole new world of possibility for them. Manfred will color pictures and Quil will caption and write stories for them; Emmrich spends many evenings just watching the two of them fondly.

Just. The entire Veilguard being patient and kind and helping them succeed with a skill they never thought they would learn. Never making them feel stupid or less than for not knowing words or stumbling through sentences. The pride they feel when Quil confidently takes a missive and reads them aloud to the group alone for the first time. Quil penning very heartfelt letters to each of them once they're confident enough in their handwriting to express their gratitude.

[squash-the-dork]

[starfaise]

Not to be annoying, my friends, but I added in Neve and Taash bracelets! And everything is currently 25% all orders to try to keep my shop open. Its been rough and sales were down 30% last year so I really need something to take off so I can finish paying off my medical bills from last year.

You can find these here: Romances of Thedas Bracelets

[neves-trouble]

Taash: I'm still trying to figure out why you're friends with me.

Rook: Because you're sweet and funny.

Taash: My mother says I'm bitter and grumpy.

Taash: So one of you is lying.

[fenharel-babe]

Okay. Gotta rant about something I was thinking about when it comes to DATV and how I feel like they messed up (or at least missed out on some good stuff).

Okay I (personally) don’t like how the romance banter is sooooo short. With Lucanis And Spite together? They could’ve had *sooo* many ones. And some scenes of Spite taking over and talking to Rook instead of just him showing the wings during the sex scene.

Like in DAI it was at least actual banter. Like party banter and not just around Skyhold or when you’re talking to the character themselves. And DAO I remember Leliana and many companions teasing the Warden AND Alistair (on separate occasions) about the romance. At least ten minutes or so. Even Wynn teased him! About his eyes focusing on her swaying hips. Love her for that but anyways. Even in DA2 there was some banter! Cannot remember how long exactly but it was by other companions and not just the MC and the LI themselves.

I just miss it :(. I enjoyed when companions noticed and mentioned it! Especially when they encouraged it!!! Like Wynn in DAO! Telling the Warden that Ali and their relationship was goood for both of them!! Super sweet and grandma like.

BUT they did do good when Harding was talking to Emmrich about his and Rook’s age difference. I guess she was concerned about Rook (just like Emmrich was about their age differences near the end) and I really did like that. Showed one companion DID notice their relationship and actually thought about it. They actually care about the two involved and want to talk about it.

I was looking up the banter for Lucanis and it’s literally only 1 minute if you’re excluding the dialogue between Rook and Lucanis since I mean it’s banter but I was looking for the party banter. And only 2-3 comments from other companions in DATV about Lucanis and idk if there’s more for other romances. It’s just something I really didn’t like and I wish they did more for.

For example, Spite could’ve been in A LOT of romance dialogue. I, personally, believe Spite could’ve interacted with Rook at least in banter because we’ve seen him do it for others!! He’s sooo funny when talking to others, so it could’ve genuinely been great to see HIS reaction/feelings to a romance and not just Lucanis. It would’ve been funny at times (which I love when Banter is) since Spite is very blunt while Lucanis is a little shy, so Spite could’ve been spreading his true feelings while Rook is around (and others) and Lucanis is like “HUSH PLEASE😭”. Like how he was during the fireplace scene! “I want. To talk. To Rook!” LET HIM DO IT IN PARTY BANTER. IT WOULD’VE BEEN SOOOO GOOD. DON’T JUST HAVE HIM TALKING ABOUT MANFRED AND HOW HE HAS FEET BUT HE (Spite) DOESN’T HAVE HIS OWN.

I haven’t gotten to others’ romance, but I have a feeling it’s very similar. It would’ve been great to have more dialogue and not just little ones around the lighthouse and like 1 minute (or maybe less) of actual PARTY BANTER.

[waspgrave]

me being nb and feeling bad that I think Taash’s whole story is a mess. I want to like them. I do like them as long as I’m ignoring The Family Friendly pirates, the irl modern words for sexuality right down to a codex entry, ‘anyone can leave the qun’ despite you complaining about it and your mother who is clearly a victim of it enough to smuggle you out, the forced binary choice to choose either embrace Rivaini culture or the Qun like ?? The cringe growling….. What is happening? Did they really need to be written in the whitest queer person way possible?

[aldwirlavellan]

I need to talk more about Davrin’s friendship arc and how much I love him.

Cause Rook’s a bit odd and will say weird shit and he is so frequently very annoyed by it. But! He also loves it.

He becomes so protective of Rook and not in a physical way at all. For someone who was literally a bodyguard there is almost none of the “get behind me” protection.

Instead he takes Rook to the forest. To where he feels most comfortable and safe. He organizes little chill excursions where neither of them will have to fight anything, they just have to walk and breathe and enjoy.

Because he’s learning how to enjoy life again, how to make it worth while, and this weirdo is a part of it. And yes they are annoying, that’s part of their charm. Yes they drank that tea and started hearing Assan talk, of course they would, and they had so much fun.

[thesummerstorms]

*Arsinoë de Riva has been succinctly explaining that the Crows took her from the Circle/Templars with perhaps a bit more admiration/respect than is called for given that there was an exchange of coin involved for her life and then she was immediately bartered between houses in exchange for a gambling debt*

Davrin (disapproving): So the Crows whisk you away and... what. Immediately start teaching the kidnapped ten year old to stab people?

Arsinoë, unruffled: Twelve year old. I was a late starter. But, no, actually, my mother taught me to stab people first. Didn't have much practice, but the intent was there. Helped with the late start.

Davrin: Wait...

Arsinoë: Apostates, remember? And she'd been one a lot longer than me, obviously. She always told me growing up that a Templar would never hesitate to Smite you, but most of the time they weren't going to expect a mage to go for a knife.

Lucanis: Amateurs.

Arsinoë, with perhaps just a touch of side eye: And good thing, too. I'm just as glad they didn't have your expertise.

Davrin: And your mother told you this theory when you were...?

Arsinoë: Dunno. Templars took me at eight, and I'd definitely been practicing before then, but I don't really remember details by now. Ma was always a pragmatist though.

Harding, who has been silently sitting in the corner with a cup of tea listening to this conversation unspool (silently, to herself): What the fuck.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

Carver's really come a long way since, "So... you're not like a lot of other girls."

[transmasc-tabris]

Anyway it's been said by others before but I can't find the post anyway I am once again thinking about how there absolutely needs to be a pull-up/push up contest with Taash that rook either can lose or is scripted to lose.

[volkoss]

what about: 5. Emmrich; Taash - Visiting Harding's Ma ???? ; ;

For the WIP folder ask game:

This one is very much exactly what it says on the tin! Inspired by the cut codex entry where Emmrich offers to help Taash visit Harding’s Ma if Harding is the one to lead the distraction.

The actual text of this document is little more than basic story beats at the moment. What I really want to drill down into is both how Emmrich and Taash’s friendship developed over the game, as well as Taash’s grief over not only what happened with Harding, but with their mother.

I see both Emmrich and Taash being very emotionally intelligent but in very different ways, and I think I also want to just explore their similarities a bit more in general!

[pausegame]

HARDING'S LEGENDARY ARMOR IS SO CUTE 😭😭😭😭😭✨💚💚💚💚😭💚😭💚✨✨😭💚🙏😭🙏✨💚😭😭🙏✨🙏✨🙏💚