Y’all Complaining About Varric Being The One To Confront Solas Instead Of Lavellen.

Solas, Rook, and Mirroring

One important thing we learned about Solas in Inquisition is that he mirrors: if you approach him with ego, he responds with sarcasm and cutting words, but if you approach him with openness and curiosity, he responds with humility and kindness.  And this is very much carried through to Veilguard: it's simply less obvious there, because Rook is only able to approach Solas as an enemy, so Solas always mirrors by treating Rook as an enemy. This isn't a criticism of Rook, of course: given the circumstances of their meeting, it's natural that they see Solas first and foremost as a threat. But it's important to Solas' characterization in the game that even if you choose the nicest dialogue options, Rook makes no secret of the fact that they see Solas that way. For example, Rook never asks Solas about his motivations for taking down the Veil, and instead projects assumptions on him, insisting repeatedly that he was trying to 'destroy the world.' They also make no attempt to treat him with kindness: is Solas suffering from the isolation? Is he starving to death in the prison? Rook could have asked, but they never do. And perhaps most importantly, Rook never makes any mention of getting Solas out of the prison: it seems clear that they intend to leave Solas trapped there forever. Here, it's easy to forget how truly desperate Solas must be, because through it all he maintains his composed and even smug facade; he doesn't want Rook to see his vulnerability. As we know from Inquisition, he's only snarky like this with people he doesn't like and doesn't trust: it's the same dynamic he has with Vivienne, and in his early dialogues with Dorian and Iron Bull. From that point of view, it's clear that Solas is trading verbal jabs with Rook precisely as a way of keeping them at a distance. But the reality is that he's trapped alone in a prison designed to psychologically torture him, and since Rook clearly isn't going to release him, he'll be trapped alone forever unless he finds a way out. For a man whose greatest fear is dying alone, this must be a terrible prospect. This is why I find it hard to really blame Solas for what he does to Rook - it's hurtful and unkind, yes, but it's his only way out of an eternity of torment, and who among us would not take desperate measures to escape that? Moreover, it's here that Solas' actions towards Rook most clearly mirror those of Rook towards Solas. Rook intended to leave Solas trapped in the prison forever; so Solas literally switches them, leaving Rook trapped there instead. Rook doesn't show kindness toward Solas, so Solas responds with unkindness towards Rook. And although what Solas does is in a superficial sense a 'betrayal,' in many ways it isn't really a betrayal, because you can only betray friends or allies, and Solas is not either of those things to Rook: they might have worked together out of necessity, but ultimately Rook treats Solas as an enemy, and so that's what he becomes. All of this makes me very curious about what might have happened if Rook had treated Solas differently. For the sake of the plot, clearly it was necessary that Rook should treat Solas as an enemy, so Solas could mirror that back. But I wonder what might have happened if Rook had showed kindness, or had some curiosity about Solas' motivations, or even been willing to discuss with Solas some options for eventually getting him out of the prison. By the logic of Solas as a mirror, this would have necessarily changed Solas' behaviour, and thus there might have been a different outcome. How might the ending might have looked if Rook had genuinely tried to befriend Solas? Could there have been a different way out for both of them?

“The Inquisitor is gone.”

Ellana Lavellan did not survive the fight with Corypheus, though she defeated her enemy and closed the Breach.

——

That cruel twist of fate, in the unnatural twist of her limbs. She was looking directly at him, her eyes open wide, her lips slightly parted like she had been surprised. "Ellana?" he said, voice cracking, dry, hopeful. Slowly he rose and walked cautiously down to where she lay, a hand extended before him in the decline. Her eyes did not move to meet him, she did not beg him to pull the slabs of stone off her, did not move or make a sound. She did not move or make a sound, and never would again. "…Ellana?" he asked again…

A Secret Chord, Chapter 1 - A Sullied Defeat

Imagine a young, "hot blooded and cocky" always ready for a fight Solas, who enjoys courtly intrigue, scandal and sex, meeting inquisitor Lavellen who gets time travelled back to ancient arlathan in the height of it's glory after his future self leaves her. The angst. The drama. Lavellen trying to stay away from him and him making it impossible once intrigued. Fen harel falling for her again but for the first time and not remembering it until she's back in the present. I need 20 fics of this stat.

I've brainstormed a whole ass concept

*please dont repost the audio to other platforms. share link to this post instead

I got a cameo, with male solasmancers in mind. Apparently this falls under an acting commission rather than a cameo (smth about going through their agent instead of a regular cameo..?) but GDL was very kind in reading my script anyway ;w;

Transcript:

Vhenan, will you dance with me? You may lead if you'd like. I would not refuse to be in the arms of a beautiful man such as yourself. You’ve remarkable strength, having forged your identity for yourself. You stand deservedly proud of the man that you are. Let no one tell you otherwise. Ar lath ma, vhenan.

this is from march 😓😓

me, when my friends tell me about their little interests

Times other people discussed Solavellan + Times Solas and Lavellan talked about each other (dav)

"I've seen how you look at him. You're in it" - Sera

"Is it my imagination, dear, or have certain... lingering looks passed between you and our Solas?" - Vivienne

"You're real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can't" - Cole

"The two of you were close. Perhaps he had no choice? He might return at any moment" - Leliana

"How have you been? It seems ages since we've spoken. I know you were cruely disappointed when Solas left" - Vivienne

"Are you hoping for word on Solas? I'm sorry, Inquisitor. I'm afraid I have nothing" - Leliana

"I've been meaning to ask... Solas hasn't come back? Sent word? Anything?" - Thom

"Oh, and Inquisitor? Feels weird, but I'm sorry Solas never came back. Well, no, I'm not, but... I'm sorry he left you." - Sera

"I am not a god, Charter. I am prideful, hotheaded, and foolish, and I am doing what I must. When you report back to the Inquisitor…. Say that I am sorry.” - Solas

"Maybe it's gullible of me, but I know the Inquisitor feels the same: Solas isn't too far gone to bring back" - Varric

"Solas was... important to me. If this statuette helps you understand him, if it uncovers something that... Honestly, I don't know. I wish I did. But this feels like a part of him, and whatever he and I once were... I think... I-I hope... it might help you" - Lavellan

"And when I served the Inquisition, I tried to avoid entanglements" - Solas

"Except for Inquisitor Lavellan" - Rook

"I said that I resolved to do so, not that I succeeded. She's a good woman. Growing close to her was... selfish of me" - Solas

"Do you regret it?" - Rook

"I live with countless regrets. Some of them I have grown to cherish more than my victories" - Solas

"Solas took this path because he thinks he has no choice. But the Inquisitor believes there is another way for him. For them. She could save him, if he would just let her" - Harding

"God of Lies, Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel. They're titles he earned from enemies, followers and fractured history. He and I shared another name: Vhenan" - Lavellan

"You've spoken to him in your dreams. You've felt the power of that mind. His love could burn against me like a bonfire. He seemed so kind, and wise, and sad, and looked at me as if I somehow mattered more than anything around us. For a time... I thought I would have followed anywhere he asked me to" - Lavellan

"Or maybe I'm the prideful one, imagining his broken heart so that I never have to face my folly. That I loved someone who made such grave mistakes. That I might love him still" - Lavellan

"He really made you happy?" - Rook

"Yes, he really did" - Lavellan

"Harding... I am sorry" - Solas

"For what, Solas? Betraying the Inquisitor and breaking her heart?" - Harding

"Is there any chance - any chance at all - that he would listen to reason?" - Lavellan

"Speaking from the heart, Inquisitor?" - Morrigan

"With Elgar'nan and and Ghilan'nain dead, and the Inquisitor finally reunited with her true love... it looked like one of the biggest stories this world had ever seen was finally drawing to a close" - Varric