Boinking Fade Spirits: A Very Important Meta

Continuing in the vein of fantasizing out loud about what I want to see in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, I think it would be great if the game would allow players to romance and/or sleep with a Fade spirit. Below I’ll elaborate on what we know about Fade spirit sexuality, both as a review and as a way to demonstrate that a Fade spirit romance would be consistent with prior lore.

Cole/Compassion

We know it’s possible for a Fade spirit to fall in (romantic/sexual) love because that is one potential outcome of Cole/Compassion’s character arc in Dragon Age: Inquisition. If the player’s influence leads Cole to become more human during Subjected to His Will (his companion quest), he eventually pursues a romance with the minstrel/bard Maryden in the Trespasser DLC, set two years after the end of the main story. We’re introduced to the relationship during a heartwarming scene during the companion catch-up conversations, transcribed below:

Maryden: Oh, Cole, good day! I didn’t see you there.
Cole: But I saw you, as lovely as your songs.
(Cole gives her a kiss on the cheek)
Inquisitor: (“I’m happy for you”) I’m pleased for both of you.
Maryden: The world has ample pain, Inquisitor. The kindness found in Cole is rare indeed.
Cole: Her songs bring happiness to those who hear… and I can make her happy in return.

It’s implied that the attraction has turned physical during a banter in Trespasser (emphasis mine):

Cole: Some of the stones here are pretty. I should get one for Maryden.
Dorian: You’ve got a lady friend? Really?
Iron Bull: You and the bard, huh?
Cole: I am human now.
Iron Bull: Good for you, kid! Let me know if you need any tips.
Dorian: No, no, that’s fine. You’re a real boy now. Would’ve lost gold on it being a girl, but that’s probably just me.
Cole: She’s kind, and her voice helps people. And her bodice smells good. Wait, I shouldn’t have said that. Forget! Oh, that doesn’t work anymore. Forget?

Granted, by this time Cole isn’t a “pure” or “true” Fade spirit (for lack of a better term), given that the romance only begins if Cole has turned more human over time (otherwise, spirit-Cole likes Maryden as a person and helps her out but has no romantic interest in her; in fact, he even facilitates a romance between Maryden and another human, Krem, during Trespasser). It is, however, evidence that Fade spirits can come to develop romantic feelings for humans (or rather mortals), at least under certain circumstances.

But what about sex with Fade spirits?

butchofthewilds reblogged

midnight-octopus

mourn-and-watch

the way cole makes varric conflicted is so delicious i think. most of the characters are uncomfortable around him because they're genuinely terrified of demons and the fade and magic in general but varric is a completely different case. the thing is, he doesn't see cole as a demon at all because he doesn't want to.

he acts like he doesn't care about this stuff. that's a little weird kiddo around here and he wants to befriend him. teach him something even. why not. that's a little guy who's a little too good with knives and can't pick up a single social clue at the same time.

but there it is. the "he could have been a person" line if cole is made more spirit. varric is so upset about it because it's not like he saw cole as, well, a spirit who got a little too human. for varric, he was a human first, a weird kid second. the spirit part didn't even come into consideration because. well. it would make him question things. you know where it goes.

every time he starts bitching about anders he brings up justice. justice drove him mad. justice took over him. justice this, justice that. justice is a scapegoat because the thought that someone varric was friends with was actually willing to blow up the chantry and it wasn't just some evil demon's wish is a very unsettling one. varric's friends may be crazy but they're cool and make no irreversible life decisions of that extent, don't they? blondie turned out this way because he let a demon possess him and make him do terrible things. completely out of the blue.

it's either varric's ex-friend has never been driven crazy by some inherently evil entity and there was a whole other person around him all along and that anger he used to mock was coming from the same place as compassion's urge to become a killer or that little weird but kind kid he started to care about has never been and will never be a real kid. he can't have both. a bitter pill to swallow for someone who has never picked a side in his life

#Dragon age #varric tethras #cole #cole dragon age #anders #anders dragon age #justice #justice dragon age

butchofthewilds reblogged

midnight-octopus

deedeemactir

Anders and Hawke having dinner, Anders holds up a pastry.

Anders: Aura used to love these.

Hawke: Who’s Aura?

Anders: My wife.

Hawke: Your…? You were married?

Anders: No. Justice. Well, not Justice. Kristoff. Aura was Kristoff’s wife.

Hawke: Who is Kristoff?

Anders: *takes a slow, deep breath as he remembers ~~his~~ ~~Justice’s~~ their brief time as a reanimated corpse* Actually, let’s just stop talking.

deedeemactir

NOT THE TURDUCKEN

#Dragon age #dragon age 2 #da2 #anders #anders dragon age #justice #justice dragon age #all queue; faded for her

butchofthewilds reblogged

carabas

Anders: He’s gone now. He’s part of me. It’s not like we can… have a conversation. I feel his thoughts as my own. Not even the greatest scholar could tell you where I end and he begins.
Isabela: Hello? Is Anders there? Can I speak to Anders?
Anders: You can stop yelling. It’s always me.
Isabela: Oh, good. I didn’t want to talk to that other guy. You know, the stick-in-the-mud.
Anders: He can still hear you. Justice and I are one.
Aveline: So you’re two people, Anders and… Justice?
Anders: That’s not strictly accurate.
Aveline: But you are of two minds.
Anders: Many people are.
Aveline: Now you’re the one not being accurate.
Anders: I thought those were the rules of this game.
Hawke: This is Justice talking, not you.
Anders: We are the same. It is my passion for this cause that drives him.
Hawke: Who’s telling me this, Justice or you?
Anders: Who would you listen to?
Hawke: This is Anders’s decision, not yours!
Justice: I am Anders.
Hawke: Did that spirit tell you to do this?
Anders: No. When we merged, he ceased to be. We are one now.

#Dragon age #dragon age 2 #da2 #anders #anders dragon age #justice #justice dragon age #fade spirits

butchofthewilds reblogged

carabas

Sorting through my Justice-Anders merger headcanons and other assorted observations.

Keep reading

#dragon age #dragon age 2 #da2 #anders #anders dragon age #justice #justice dragon age #imo when anders and justice “disagree” it’s basically like a person being conflicted rather than like. an argument between 2 #like if you’re driving and someone cuts you off you can identify that perhaps the part that wants to honk back is petty you #and the part that wants to just ignore it and keep driving is the part that’s too tired for this shit/doesn’t want to get attacked/whatever #but of course those parts aren’t too different people

butchofthewilds reblogged

carabas

mintcrows

''not even the greatest scholar could tell you where i end and he begins''

inspired by this post in specific:

#Dragon age #justice #justice dragon age #anders #anders dragon age #not my art #cw body horror

butchofthewilds reblogged

bubonickitten

uvradical asked:

(Part 1) So I saw this post were someone said that one of the reasons they don't like Anders is because he has a bit of a 'Nice Guy' attitude. Since he disapproves if you don't flirt with him and if you have someone else as a LI he says something about how 'you could do better'. They also said that the fact that he's still in love with you after you turn him down is kinda creepy. I love anders, but I can see where they're coming from.

bubonickitten answered:

(Part 2) Personally, I feel that his ‘clinginess’ is mainly a symptom of his past abuse. While I don’t blame him for still being in love with Hawke even if you don’t romance him, I can see why it might make some people uncomfortable. I was wondering what you think about Anders’s reaction to Hawke being in a relationship with someone else and if you think it has to do with Anders past abuse or if it’s just Anders being jealous? I’d love to hear your opinion!

I’m gonna try to break my thoughts down into two parts, which are sometimes treated as mutually exclusive but I think are both important to acknowledge: (1) I absolutely think that this behavior is a result of his abuse and trauma history, and his behavior makes sense in that context, and (2) that still does not excuse those times when this behavior is harmful to others and I totally understand that it makes some people uncomfortable and creeped out.

It’s definitely heavily implied that Anders falls in love with Hawke regardless of whether he’s romanced. I talked about this in more detail here, but that reaction makes a lot of sense in context of his past experiences. I sometimes see people joke about how Anders has low standards and how he gives so much friendship just for like… not being shitty to mages, but it makes sense. Anders is simply not accustomed to being treated like a person. Mages are exploited as useful tools and simultaneously demonized for their abilities (and honestly, the true purpose of the Circle is likely for the economic and symbolic benefits to the Chantry, rather than any genuine desire to protect against the dangers of magic). They’re seen as a problem to be solved and as potential abominations rather than as people, so it’s not exactly strange that any time he sees mages get treated like people, he’s pleasantly surprised.

When Karl is made Tranquil, Anders blames himself for not getting him out sooner and he’s the one to kill him… and along comes Hawke, who doesn’t run away when he tells them the truth about Justice, who doesn’t immediately turn him over to the templars – which might not seem like much of a big deal, but to Anders, it’s more kindness than he’s been shown most of his life. He’s not used to people showing him even the most basic decency. And he immediately gets attached. He was taught to fear and hate himself, so he does – if you tell someone enough times that they’re a monster, they might start to believe it. All of his “I don’t deserve” talk is entirely genuine – he truly does not feel deserving of Hawke’s friendship or love. And the society he lives in and the people he’s surrounded by often only reinforce that message. So I honestly don’t think his behavior is a result of ‘nice guy’ entitlement – he doesn’t even feel deserving, let alone entitled. I think it’s more a result of him clinging to one of the only people who tells him, “no, you do deserve love and friendship” (on a friendship route, anyway – rivalry route is a bit different and I’ll talk about that in a bit).

Keep reading

#dragon age #dragon age 2 #da2 #anders #anders dragon age #justice #justice dragon age #cw abuse #cw gaslighting #ask to tag #cw suicide

butchofthewilds reblogged

bubonickitten

Anonymous asked:

Why would DA2 Anders spout the chantry's explanation of demons and spirits? Wouldn't his merger with justice allow him to know better?

bubonickitten answered:

In my interpretation?

Anders has endured pretty much an entire lifetime of abuse,and a lot of that abuse was spiritual abuse. That means he’s internalized a lot of toxic beliefs about himself and the world that he’s still struggling to unlearn. A lifetime of indoctrination telling you to fear everything you are is just not something that goes away easily. And one of the things the Chantry and Circle harp on the most is how scary the Fade and spirits are and how mages can never ever let their guard down even a little bit or they’ll get corrupted by demons or their own power/temptation/sin/weakness/whatever. Because mages just get held to a higher standard of scrutiny when it comes to this stuff than non-mages ever do.

Keep reading

#dragon age #dragon age 2 #da2 #anders #anders dragon age #justice #justice dragon age #fuck the chantry #fuck the circle #cw abuse #cw child abuse #cw spiritual abuse #cw suicide