Ohhhh, I'm 100% in favor of his quitting lyrium. And 100% Gonna Need To Write Fic About That Sometime, incidentally.

I might have been a little more leery if he wasn't so honest about it, and if he hadn't specifically put the safeguard of Cassandra in place. He doesn't hide it, or make it a secret. He doesn't pretend he's immune to the things he's seen others suffer. It is so obvious how much he wants to be free of the lyrium's hold, and I think it's an extremely important bit of forward character development to let him take the risk. I (and my Inquisitor) completely trust Cassandra to be intensely diligent about something like this, and to act without hesitation should something go awry (I mean, she's Cassandra). So, really, as long as Cassandra's got her eye on him, Cullen's in good hands.

Because I am always willing to suffer For Science, I did play the scene every possible way and man, I... I couldn't push him to take the lyrium, even if I wanted to. The way the scene ends if you do is so heartbreaking, right down to the shadows and the camera angle and the bitter sorrow of his body language. 

See, here's the thing: the Inquisition (at least the way my Inquisitor's running things, certainly) is ostensibly trying to make the world a better place. Yes, it may not be the ideal time to stop taking the might-kill-you, might-drive-you-mad drug, but if the Inquisition can't even grant its Commander the same choice it's trying to offer so many others--freedom, hope, survival, second chances--I think it's doing its own message a disservice. And it's doing Cullen a disservice, too. Because he absolutely, 100% does not want to be taking lyrium anymore--that much is exceedingly clear--and though he'll follow the Inquisitor's orders without question (because he's Cullen), I think it does actually kill something in him to do it.

DEFINITELY DIFFICULT QUESTION.

I wish I could give you a window into my brain while I’ve been turning it over. There’s a very pinball-esque thing happening where a moment will pop into my head and I think “oh! yes! that one!” and then I remember something different and it’s all “oh! wait! this one!” and then something else is all “but what about me!?”

Can I do two? Can I do a romance one and a storyline one?

Bless you, anon, may you find twenty dollars on the ground and get all the holiday presents you most desire.

(For anyone else as interested as I am, the link is here. ENJOY.)

I don’t mind sharing. Um, I don’t know how familiar you are with my Shepard and her various stories, but I’m going to kinda talk as if you have some passing knowledge anyway.

why

would

you

even

Actually, this is pretty much exactly what I thought they would do if an ultimate sacrifice option was on the table. Early on, I would've put money on something like it happening. Tranquility came up so much throughout the game, but didn't really have a payoff/consequence/personal relevance. Even with a non-mage, I think it would've worked because of the nature of the mark. (And then, given Cassandra's reveal of information, there might've been a bit of hope for reversal, so it wouldn't have been 110% TRAGEDY?) 

Dragon Age: An Armory of Chekhov's Guns.

But this is freaking awful and because I'm a horrible person I kind of want to write a(n AU) fic where it happens, because heartbreaking. (And also a kind of awesome way to chew on facets of characterization.)

Aww, thank you

I'm not replaying it yet. I'm going to, but probably not until they get a patch out; the bugginess was very frustrating. I'm going back to Canada for Christmas, and probably won't tackle a replay until I get home in January. I don't want to get caught mid-playthrough. :)

I am pretty sure the next playthrough will actually be a canon replay of Rose Trevelyan. Now that I'm through the game and know what's what, I think I have a better handle on her and what her decisions would be (she and I are both not quite content with the way some things shook out). I'm 99% sure she's going to be my canon Inquisitor because I love her, and usually my canon character gets more than one crack at things as I refine her.

I would like to see the Solas romance, I think, and maybe Bull's. I am also, for the first time in my BioWare life, thinking I might play a MAN, so I can see what's what with the Cassandra romance, even though I am also perfectly content with her as a friend (precious Cassandra, my darling angry Seeker). Buuuut... I don't know. It might be all talk; I tend to be as ridiculously monogamous in video game land as I am in real life. ;D I love, love, love Cullen and am not sure I envision any other pairings leaping to the same OTP status?

DEFIRA

I CAN'T REPLY TO THIS PRIVATELY

BECAUSE IT'S TOO CUTE FOR ME TO NEVER SEE AGAIN