I don't really know enough about Fenris to say whether I'd want him as a love interest or not. It depends on what his personality is like and how he interacts with Hawke in the game. Should be interesting to find out either way.
Wynne wrote...
I think that's important for a second-love romance: if the player has to be the second sweeping, compelling romance in the LI's life, they must have the chance to feel that "*I* suit my LI *now*." At least with Carth it was hard to doubt he saw you as different from his lost wife, whereas if you tell Thane you can't replace his dead wife, he's like, "well, you wouldn't be, but I understand you mean you want to break up," which is pretty unfortunate with the implications there despite how he may have meant it. Bottom line: it just has to be handled right, and not done too often, particularly not in the same way.
I didn't even know who Carth was until I visted these forums so maybe that's why the dead wife/lost love trope doesn't really bother me. I thought Thane's romance in ME2 was done extremely well. What he actually says in response to "I can't replace your wife" is "You wouldn't have. You can love more than one in a lifetime. I'll respect your wishes. I won't speak of it again. I hope it won't offend you if I carry you in my heart."
And looking at the scene in context, he had basically just poured out his heart to Shepard. He explains to her what siha means and says "I confess, I've come to care for you. Perhaps I'm beeing foolish, we are very different". He's going out on a limb confessing this to her and I'm not surprised that he takes it as a rejection when Shepard responds "We are different. I wouldn't be able to replace your wife" The fact that he tells Shepard she wouldn't be a replacement and he'll carry her in his heart anyway prove to me that he does love Shepard whether the feelings are returned or not. Shepard awoke him. Shepard's cause gives him purpose. She challenges him. She makes him feel worthy of more than the isolation of the past ten years. When he mentions Irikah, it's because he wants to explain himself to Shepard. And it's obvious he loved his wife (I would be disturbed if he didn't) but it's clear to me when you do the romance that he loves Shepard now. You
can love more than one person in a lifetime. Thane's romance was the most compelling to me, but I suppose opinions will vary.