#the ideal romance

[daitranscripts]

The Ideal Romance Pt. 4

A Bouquet of Flowers

Related Location: Val Royeaux

Cassandra Masterpost First: It Is Impossible Previous: The Bookseller

The PC travels to the markets of Val Royeaux and speaks to an elf there.

Gardener: By the Maker, it’s the Inquisitor himself! Would you care for a bouquet of flowers, Your Worship? The roses have been exceptional this season.

1 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: You sell flowers? [2]

General: [Get flowers for Cassandra.] [3]

General: No, thanks. [4]

2 - Investigate: You sell flowers? PC: You sell flowers, I take it? Gardener: Oh, I don’t sell them as much as I grow them—all for the halls of the Winter Palace.

Gardener (Celene died): I once received an honor from Empress Celene herself. Alas, the poor dear. Gardener (Celene alive): Empress Celene does so love the pink daisies. They’re quite difficult to cultivate.

Gardener: But I don’t think they’d begrudge a few flowers for the Herald of Andraste. It can be our little secret. [back to 1]

3 - General: [Get flowers for Cassandra.] PC: I was looking for some flowers, in fact. Gardener: Indeed? For what occasion, if I may ask? PC: For… a lady friend. Gardener: Oh! No simple wildflowers for you, then. I have just the thing. I’ll send them to Skyhold, in fact—rare beauties your lady will adore!

4 - General: No, thanks. PC: Sorry, I’m a bit busy at the moment. Gardener: Of course. Au revoir, Your Worship.

5 - Scene ends.

If the PC speaks to her again:

Gardener: Lovely day, isn’t it? So bright and sunny.

Gardener: Strange how the flowers still grow even with that thing in the sky.

Gardener: You’re always a welcome sight, Inquisitor.

Next: I'd Like to Talk. Privately.

[nhura]

QUICK NO ONE'S LOOKING

(See readmore for thoughts, cope, bonus, etc.)

Anyone else up thinking about Ratio's big, strong, secure arms and how warm and all-consuming they could be in a hug or embrace. :/ Anyway

I just wanted to draw them being cute and seizing a sliver of a moment where they could have some PDA silly time without actually having any eyes on them. They're public figures and working adults with very clear boundaries between public persona and private life (to varying degrees of "in a sad way"), so while it may be in Aventurine's nature to constantly blur lines for various agendas and self-preservation (read: play "the flirt" without an aligned goal), I believe that in an actual relationship they'd be fairly private.

It's kind of fun to break your own rules, though! Ratio would be more upset about the consequences, though. He's a little bit of a hypocrite, which is devastating for someone of such discipline, but nobody's perfect.

I'm of the mentality of, "If you're tired of working on it, then just post it!", so here are some fun peripherals that I didn't feel like adding:

Some staff in the background sweeping up to evoke a blended sense of fragile privacy and liminal time.

A laptop on the aquarium/bar/counter because there's something fascinating about seeing people on their work laptops in public.

The rest of their clothes (casual friday)

[rookflower]

to me there's a kind of bonus meta horror in the bristlefrost's death 'only love' scene where like. ok discussion of misogyny in the series has shifted a bit since then but you know how a few years ago people's main gripe used to be that after completing their arcs female characters would lose their personality and fade into the background to fulfill the generic role of 'mother'? and you also know how bristlefrost's personality and focus began to shift and diminish halfway through the arc where out of nowhere she suddenly reciprocated rootspring's feelings and was rushed into a poorly written romance arc? yeah well there's something really chilling (though not in a way that is in any way tonally intentional. in fact kind of the direct opposite of what the erins were going for and i think i would feel differently about it if her relationship with rootspring was not so uncompelling and short lived until this point) about how in her final moments before her existence ceases and she is denied her afterlife the visions she sees are of romance and love and rootspring and babies. just a total loss of individuality into generic warrior cats love interest and mother. to not be feeling for yourself at the end of it all but what you bring to another character. to just kind of embody the status quo of your series and fade away.

[hana-no-seiiki]

yanderes with darlings who only dated them because they were too horny to say no

yandere: i love you so much. i would die for you even if you hated me. you’re the light of my life. the only thing in this world that seems bearable - no utterly beautiful. immaculate.

reader: cool. now let’s fuck.

[fanvoidkeith]

sometimes being aroacespec is confusing. what do you mean, most people can tell the difference between platonic and romantic and sexual attraction? what do you mean people don't "choose" crushes? what do you mean that people can imagine themselves in a physical situation with someone else?? isn't dating just Friendship Plus??? hell, isn't marriage just Friendship Plus?????????

what do they mean??????????? what are feelings???? why am i so confused????????

*edit: changed "aroace" to "aroacespec", since several aromantic people felt that this was not an Aromantic Feeling. i see you, i hear you, and so i changed it to be more accurate to me personally, since i am Confused About Feelings Always

[artoriarts]

I think that being alone in frasco made aba a very sensory-oriented person. and that translates a lot into how she shows affection, especially given paracelsus, while he can be hugged or kissed or humped, can’t really reciprocate too terribly much and probably doesn’t feel it as vividly or in the same way as those of biological body. basically what I’m saying is aba does asmr for paracelsus as a form of intimacy

[rawrsatthetree]

Sorry for loving Ascended Astarion so much. Hearing David Bowie tell Sarah “Fear me. Love me. Obey me in all things, and I will be your slave.” when I was five changed me as a person.

[thesoftestcowboy]

I'm curious about something... (and fucked up the last poll. if u saw no u didnt)

*As in, you enjoy listening to it, like it aesthetically, think of it as attractive, whatever. This is NOT about whether or not you understand the language or if you like whatever you associate with it or whether or not it's "useful" (e.g. If you do not speak a single word of japanese but really love how it sounds, vote for it. if you think italian sounds sexy but don't really care about visiting Italy, vote for it. If you like the look of the hebrew alphabet but not how it sounds, DONT vote for that. It's about the sound.)

Before you come at me: These categories are not perfect. Some of them are sub-categories of a bigger family (Indo-European), some languages are in the same category but sound really different etc etc. I had to leave out or group some of these together in a way that I felt made most sense for what I wanna know & the demographics of this site. I'm not a linguistics expert.

Feel free to share your thoughts in comments or tags! 👍

[bunnymajo]

Move over WcDonalds, there's a new hot bootleg date spot in town.

[can-a-tuna-fish]

He is not listening. (Bonus)

[daitranscripts]

The Ideal Romance Pt. 5

I'd Like to Talk. Privately.

Cassandra Masterpost First: It Is Impossible Previous: A Bouquet of Flowers

Available after the PC finds the poetry book, flowers, and candles for Cassandra.

(Pursue a romance with Cassandra)

PC: I’d like to speak with you—in private.

Cassandra: Oh? How private?

PC: There’s a grove just outside of Skyhold. Meet me there.

Cassandra: If… you’re certain…

PC: I am. Trust me.

They meet in the evening, Cassandra following a trail of candles into the trees.

PC: “On aching branch do blossoms grow, the window a hallowed breath.”

The PC approaches, book in hand.

PC: “It carries the scent of honeysuckle, sweet at the lover’s kiss.”

Cassandra shoves them, but they continue.

PC: “It brings the promise of more tomorrows, of sighs and whispered bliss.”

The PC kneels.

Cassandra: You can’t be serious.

Dialogue options:

General: This is what you wanted. PC: As I recall, your list was very specific. ㅤㅤ ㅤ

General: No room for fun? PC: We don’t need to be serious every single minute, do we? ㅤㅤ ㅤ

General: I am absolutely serious. PC: I can, and I am.

Cassandra: And that’s the poem you chose?

Dialogue options:

General: You don’t like it? PC: What’s wrong with it? ㅤㅤ ㅤ

General: You’re so picky. PC: Oh, so the list is more detailed than I thought. ㅤㅤ ㅤ

General: Can you do better? PC: You have a better one in mind?

Cassandra takes the book

Cassandra: “Carmenum di Amatus.” I thought this one was banned.

She begins to walk away, pausing to lean on a nearby tree.

Cassandra: “His lips on mine speak words not voiced, a prayer. Which travels down my spine like flames that shatter night. His eyes reflect the heaven’s stars, the Maker’s light.”

Cassandra: “My body opens, filled and blessed, my spirit there.”

The PC approaches her from behind.

PC: “Not merely housed in flesh, but brought to life.” Shall we read another?

They kiss passionately, falling to the ground, and the scene fades to black. It fades back in to them laying naked, looking at the stars.

Cassandra: They will say one of two things about me. That I stood at the Inquisitor’s side, his protector and his lover. That it was meant to be.

Cassandra (Qunari PC): Or they will say I was led astray by the wiles of a Qunari madman. Cassandra (dwarf PC): Or they will say I was led astray by the wiles of an dwarven madman. Cassandra (Dalish PC): Or they will say I was led astray by the wiles of an elven madman. Cassandra (human PC): Or they will say I was led from the path of faith by the wiles of a madman.

Dialogue options:

General: Which do you believe? [1]

General: Way to kill the mood. [2]

General: You’re still afraid. [3]

1 - General: Which do you believe? PC: I don’t care what “they” say. What do you believe?

Cassandra (Andrastian PC): I believe you are a faithful man. Cassandra (non-Andrastian PC): I believe you are a man who does not share my faith.

Cassandra (PC denied being chosen): I believe you are the Herald of Andraste, even if you do not. Cassandra (PC claims being chosen): I believe you are part of the Maker’s plan.

Cassandra: Beyond that, I believe only that you are capable of anything, and it frightens me. [4]

2 - General: Way to kill the mood. PC: Is this is your idea of pillow talk? Cassandra: If you wanted sweetness and light, you picked the wrong woman. PC: (Chuckles.) Point taken. Cassandra: I’ve feared you since the moment I laid eyes upon you. I have never known anything like it. [4]

3 - General: You’re still afraid. PC: You’re still not sure about me. Cassandra: I’ve feared you since the moment I laid eyes upon you. I have never known anything like it. [4]

4 - Scene continues.

Cassandra: I’ve been with only one other man in my life. A mage, with whom I adventured when I was still very young. He died at the Conclave. I will not let Corypheus win. I will not let him take you from me.

Dialogue options:

General: You may have no choice. [5]

General: I love you. [6]

General: I believe it. [7]

End Romance: No, stop… (This will end the romance with Cassandra) [8]

5 - General: You may have no choice. PC: You can’t control what will happen, Cassandra. Cassandra: Perhaps, but that will not prevent me from trying. They kiss again as Cassandra climbs on top of the PC. [9]

6 - General: I love you. PC: I love you. Cassandra: Here, tonight… I believe you. They kiss again as Cassandra climbs on top of the PC. [9]

7 - General: I believe it. PC: The way you say that, I believe it. Cassandra: Good. They kiss again as Cassandra climbs on top of the PC. [9]

8 - End Romance: No, stop… PC: Cassandra, we can’t… Cassandra: No, don’t say it. I knew you would break my heart. I knew it, and I wanted this anyway. Let us pretend a while longer. Let tomorrow be tomorrow. [9]

9 - Scene ends.

[warlordfelwinter]

i wanted to do one of these :> very quick and messy but here's my farmer

[ratanslily]

my gallery and my head is full of these two wives of mine btw. if you even care.

[bookshelf-in-progress]

Having story thoughts about the fourth wall:

It defines the difference between allegory and applicability. An allegorical story leans on our world to find its full meaning. Ideas, characters, settings, all symbolize something else that's in our world, thus obliterating the fourth wall and bringing the two worlds together. This can be useful for a message-forward story, but it has the side effect of making the world and characters seem less real, because it's not a place with its own independent existence--it relies on our world.

In an applicable story, the fourth wall is firmly in place. The character is a character. The setting is its own setting. They have an independent existence within their own little world. We can draw parallels to our world, but even without that meaning, the characters and setting still feel like they exist in a real, independent world.

An applicable story often has more impact and a stronger message, because the message comes out of the story and character, rather than being pulled from our world and pasted on top of the story.

As an example--I was thinking about this because I saw Ratatouille recently. In Remy's situation, there are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between his world and ours--an oppressed subculture, a life of poverty--but instead of trying to map that onto a specific real-world situation, they're still just rats, living in this weird version of Paris where sometimes the worldbuilding elements are just weird. The actual message of the movie is about art, which comes from character, not from the way the world is built. Compare this to something like Elemental, which started out as a way to explore real-world racism and the immigrant experience. Because the message is built into the world, commentators get distracted by the ways it doesn't map onto our world, and have a harder time connecting to the characters.

The fourth wall is also important to romance. The reason so much of the romance genre feels so fake and unreal is because it's so often concerned with the effect the story has on the reader--reaching through the fourth wall to give the reader things the reader finds romantic or arousing, regardless of anything that's specific to the characters or world of the book.

In a well-done romance, the fourth wall is firmly in place. The characters are not avatars for the reader and their romantic ideal, but people with their own independent existence and relationship. They live in a well-built world that has shaped both of their personalities and affects their relationships. The development of their romance is specific to these two people, and would exist independent of any audience reading about it. The story has more impact on the reader, because it's coming from outside our world and gives the reader unique characters to love, instead of just pulling the reader's desires out of our world and pasting them on top of the story.

[isbergillustration]

Hey guys let's guard this veil or something

[undead-moth]

I know I've been on about this for a while now and I'm being a hater but you're telling me SydCarmy was "always meant to be platonic" even though there are two seasons of writing making use of tried-and-true explicitly romantic tropes, themes and writing signals, and SydLuca is going to be romantic because...he was nice to her on screen for a few minutes?

I don't even care if people ship SydLuca, or if they just prefer it, but you can't honestly tell me that you believe Carmy was always meant to be a friend but Luca is an obvious love interest.

Just because Syd and Carmy haven't kissed or confessed their love to each other doesn't mean that isn't very obviously the direction this show is going. The Bear has already shown you who is endgame. It has shown you every episode of the show so far.

Honestly I really don't think The Bear fanbase understands this show or cares about these characters or the story being told here, which is unfortunate because this show is shockingly well-written in comparison to most shows right now, and we should be so grateful for it but all we're doing is complaining that the writers led us on by not making a ship canon fast enough. It's just. Sad.