55378 réponses à ce sujet

[springacres]

^ Haha! But I like the sad puppy eyes!

And that gentle caress awwwww

[Melbella]

Awww descent is a dlc?i couldn get it. Dagna, the dwarf what abt her?

Dagna is part of the main game in DAI. You need to do a war table op to get her to Skyhold.

[Dutchess]

Yeah, I felt like the issue of "is it because I'm a man?" was something that should have been addressed during act 2 QB, when Fenris is discussing his feelings for Hawke, rather than after they've slept together.

 

They made some odd choices for the romance with male Hawke. The diplo question from female Hawke in that scene is about the markings ("Your markings... they hurt, don't they?"), which is a much better and more relevant question to ask there. By the time they end up sleeping together Fenris has had three years to realize and accept that Hawke is a dude, and with all the previous flirting he has never given any indication that the idea of a same-sex relationship bothers him. Fenris going "nope" after Hawke pulled down his pants makes no sense. You might make it about comparisons with Danarius and instantly making the relationship even more complicated than it already is, but at that point there have been no clear hints that Fenris was "intimate" with his Master beyond having to be by his side at all times as a bodyguard. His reaction to shove Hawke against the wall when his arm is grabbed in the aftermath of A Bitter Pill suggests an underlying issue with being touched but that alone doesn't seem enough to jump to conclusions about sexual abuse.

Then in QB2 female Hawke can (if the romance is active) ask whether he has been involved with anyone else before her, to which Fenris replies that if there was someone, he has no memory of them. I have no clue why they removed the opportunity to ask that question from male Hawke. Is implied virginity not cool among guys? Is the lack of the question in this scenario another strange sort of hint at Fenris' relationship with Danarius? I really don't see the sense behind this example of Bioware logic.

[springacres]

They made some odd choices for the romance with male Hawke. The diplo question from female Hawke in that scene is about the markings ("Your markings... they hurt, don't they?"), which is a much better and more relevant question to ask there. By the time they end up sleeping together Fenris has had three years to realize and accept that Hawke is a dude, and with all the previous flirting he has never given any indication that the idea of a same-sex relationship bothers him. Fenris going "nope" after Hawke pulled down his pants makes no sense. You might make it about comparisons with Danarius and instantly making the relationship even more complicated than it already is, but at that point there have been no clear hints that Fenris was "intimate" with his Master beyond having to be by his side at all times as a bodyguard. His reaction to shove Hawke against the wall when his arm is grabbed in the aftermath of A Bitter Pill suggests an underlying issue with being touched but that alone doesn't seem enough to jump to conclusions about sexual abuse.

Then in QB2 female Hawke can (if the romance is active) ask whether he has been involved with anyone else before her, to which Fenris replies that if there was someone, he has no memory of them. I have no clue why they removed the opportunity to ask that question from male Hawke. Is implied virginity not cool among guys? Is the lack of the question in this scenario another strange sort of hint at Fenris' relationship with Danarius? I really don't see the sense behind this example of Bioware logic.

They made some odd choices for this romance, period.  However, in retrospect, some of the dialogue with a female Hawke makes sense - especially the fact that he says nothing whatever about the time between the ritual and his escape.  That silence didn't mean anything to my Hawke until after they'd slept together.  His reaction after that might have been just because of his memories returning, or there might have been other, post-ritual memories....

 

There's also his reaction to Sebastian when Seb suggests Fenris confess to him and makes the comment, "I know Danarius made you... do things."  It's not completely clear from the context what Sebastian is referring to, but Fenris' response - something along the lines of "Does everyone need to hear every sordid detail?" - seems pretty telling to me.  (He has a similar, if less intense, reaction to Isabela's comment about slaves being oiled.) 

 

It would be nice to be able to ask Fenris the question about previous romantic partners when playing as a Hawke of either gender, for sure.  When I'm romancing him with a male Hawke, it feels odd not to be able to ask him that, particularly if I've also flirted with Anders - because then I get the scoop on Anders' relationship with Karl.  Whereas with Fenris, there's no clear indication whether he's attracted to men as well as women, or if he's only bi for m!Hawke.

[nightscrawl]

Then in QB2 female Hawke can (if the romance is active) ask whether he has been involved with anyone else before her, to which Fenris replies that if there was someone, he has no memory of them. I have no clue why they removed the opportunity to ask that question from male Hawke. Is implied virginity not cool among guys? Is the lack of the question in this scenario another strange sort of hint at Fenris' relationship with Danarius? I really don't see the sense behind this example of Bioware logic.

I had no idea that was not an option for the male Hawke. I've done the m/m Fenris romance just once and don't remember very much of it. 
 
 

It would be nice to be able to ask Fenris the question about previous romantic partners when playing as a Hawke of either gender, for sure.  When I'm romancing him with a male Hawke, it feels odd not to be able to ask him that, particularly if I've also flirted with Anders - because then I get the scoop on Anders' relationship with Karl.  Whereas with Fenris, there's no clear indication whether he's attracted to men as well as women, or if he's only bi for m!Hawke.

Well, to be fair, the fem Hawke doesn't the get the Karl dialogue for Anders either, so it breaks even IMO.

[Gervaise]

Thought I'd pop in to add my two pennies worth.  From what I recall there are hints that it was Hadriana who was making unwelcome advances on Fenris.   So may be both Denarius and Hadriana were using him.  After all the Tevinter attitude to sex seems to be you have to be conventional and discrete with other citizens but you can do anything you like with your slaves.   The use of the word "favoured" when Genitivi is discussing this suggest that Tevinter nobility think a slave should feel privileged to be singled out to service their master.

 

I must admit I always felt a bit awkward when manhandling Fenris against the wall, particularly my big, strong, male Hawke.  Then when he walks out because of the memories it is triggering  that could imply something bad rather than he can't cope with the good vibes.   In some ways that would explain why it takes him so long to get around to talking about it.   However, he doesn't seem to have any problems when it comes to Isabella, so clearly it is the emotional connection he is struggling with rather than any bad memories from his past life.

 

I also agree that male Hawke not being able to talk about Fenris' past experience is balanced out by female Hawke not being told about Anders and Karl.   That made even less sense after reading Anders' biography in WoT2 because Karl was apparently the reason he kept trying to escape from Kinloch Hold and clearly did mean a great deal to him, which was relevant whether you were male or female.

[vertigomez]

Yeah, I just think it's a writing flub. From his various conversations I mostly came away with the feeling that 1) he had in fact been sexually abused by Danarius and possibly others, and 2) those were his only experiences with any kind of sexual contact since the ritual (until Hawke or Isabela comes along).

In another vein, does anyone think it's really charming that Fenris gets along with your dog? I thought their interactions were sweet.

[Gervaise]

Yes, mabari are great judges of character and I really missed not having one in DAI.   I like to think that the two of them work together when playing Wicked Grace just to scam Anders, though that may be unnecessary because Varric seems to think that dog can out play him on his own.   I also like the fact that Fenris doesn't object to dog sleeping on the bed, although I suppose he isn't around long enough to realise that's where the dog likes to sleep.

[Catilina]

I must admit I always felt a bit awkward when manhandling Fenris against the wall, particularly my big, strong, male Hawke.  Then when he walks out because of the memories it is triggering  that could imply something bad rather than he can't cope with the good vibes.   In some ways that would explain why it takes him so long to get around to talking about it.   However, he doesn't seem to have any problems when it comes to Isabella, so clearly it is the emotional connection he is struggling with rather than any bad memories from his past life.

In rivalry Fenris pushes Hawke against the wall first. (Hawke is a bit shocked )

 

Spoiler

[Dutchess]

They made some odd choices for this romance, period.  However, in retrospect, some of the dialogue with a female Hawke makes sense - especially the fact that he says nothing whatever about the time between the ritual and his escape.  That silence didn't mean anything to my Hawke until after they'd slept together.  His reaction after that might have been just because of his memories returning, or there might have been other, post-ritual memories....

 

I'm confused by what you mean. While I agree he doesn't go into great detail, everything that Fenris tells Hawke about Danarius, Hadriana and his life as a slave dates from after the ritual, because he doesn't remember anything before it. He talked about how Danarius treated him as a pet, his prized possession. He alludes to the complete conditioning he was controlled by, that he had no thoughts or concerns towards his own needs and freedom and only thought about his Master's desires. He is very reluctant to share specific scenarios like "on one day, Danarius said X and did Y to me" but over the course of the game he does open up here and there to Hawke or some of the companions he gets along with.

If he experienced a post-ritual flashback related to sexual abuse I'd say it occurred when Hawke grabs his arm in the Bitter Pill aftermath. With the actual return of his memories in the bedroom I never got the impression he was upset about post-ritual memories as well. Having all of that knowledge about his entire life return to him, only to lose it all over again moments later, must have been very overwhelming and difficult enough to deal with. 

 

[quote]There's also his reaction to Sebastian when Seb suggests Fenris confess to him and makes the comment, "I know Danarius made you... do things."  It's not completely clear from the context what Sebastian is referring to, but Fenris' response - something along the lines of "Does everyone need to hear every sordid detail?" - seems pretty telling to me.  (He has a similar, if less intense, reaction to Isabela's comment about slaves being oiled.) 

[/quote

 

As Danarius' bodyguard, Fenris was ordered to kill people. Sebastian elaborates that he was referring to murder in that same banter, by stating "a murder committed under duress is a sin on the one who ordered it, not the one whose hands carried out the deed."

Fenris' reaction to Isabela I'd actually consider surprisingly mild, given what she's implying (and if the sexual abuse really happened). He sounds exasperated at most ("I was his bodyguard") and just kind of... like he's resigning to her wild imagination and perhaps a tiny bit amused by it ("You have an entire story written in your head already, don't you?").

 

Well, to be fair, the fem Hawke doesn't the get the Karl dialogue for Anders either, so it breaks even IMO.

I don't know, maybe I'm biased because I care a whole lot less about Anders and what he does or doesn't say :P but I don't think it's entirely the same. With femHawke Anders apparently chooses not to reveal his romantic history with Karl, whereas with Fenris' QB2, maleHawke simply doesn't get the opportunity to ask the question femHawke can ask. I can sort of see the reasoning with Anders, that bringing up his romance with a man might decrease his chances with femHawke while indirectly making it clear for maleHawke that he is attracted to guys. I can't think of any logical reason behind maleHawke not being allowed to ask Fenris whether there has been anyone else before.

 

 

Thought I'd pop in to add my two pennies worth.  From what I recall there are hints that it was Hadriana who was making unwelcome advances on Fenris.   So may be both Denarius and Hadriana were using him.  After all the Tevinter attitude to sex seems to be you have to be conventional and discrete with other citizens but you can do anything you like with your slaves.   The use of the word "favoured" when Genitivi is discussing this suggest that Tevinter nobility think a slave should feel privileged to be singled out to service their master.

There's no way of knowing for certain, but Fenris' dialogue about Hadriana gave me the impression she was more of a bully and not a (sexual) abuser. "Hadriana was a torment. She would ridicule me, deny my meals, hound my sleep." Fenris never mentions Danarius' possible more intimate interests either, so I suppose Hadriana taking advantage of Fenris as well is still possible too, but based on what he says it seems Danarius was the creepy one with the intimate attachment to Fenris. It's strongly hinted that Fenris was like a favorite pet to his Master, the twisted relationship between the one in power and the subordinate that Danarius liked to interpret as affection. 

 

Genitivi's codex entry is about same-sex relationships. In Tevinter, homosexual relationships are seen as something deviant and shameful, not something for nobles to participate in. Except when with a favored slave. Then it's okay. If sex for those with tastes that deviate from the "norm" is encouraged with slaves, however, it seems likely this doesn't have to be limited to homosexual relationships alone.

[Catilina]

 

[..]

 

As Danarius' bodyguard, Fenris was ordered to kill people. Sebastian elaborates that he was referring to murder in that same banter, by stating "a murder committed under duress is a sin on the one who ordered it, not the one whose hands carried out the deed."

 

[...]

 

 

There's no way of knowing for certain, but Fenris' dialogue about Hadriana gave me the impression she was more of a bully and not a (sexual) abuser. "Hadriana was a torment. She would ridicule me, deny my meals, hound my sleep." Fenris never mentions Danarius' possible more intimate interests either, so I suppose Hadriana taking advantage of Fenris as well is still possible too, but based on what he says it seems Danarius was the creepy one with the intimate attachment to Fenris. It's strongly hinted that Fenris was like a favorite pet to his Master, the twisted relationship between the one in power and the subordinate that Danarius liked to interpret as affection.

 

[...]

Sebastian probably referred to killing, but Fenris response maybe referred more:  "Does everyone need to hear every sordid detail?" – interesting wording. (But Fenris don't talk welcome also about the killings...)

I also don't think Hadriana used Fenris as sex toy. In one conversation it did not turn out like that.

[nightscrawl]

With the actual return of his memories in the bedroom I never got the impression he was upset about post-ritual memories as well. Having all of that knowledge about his entire life return to him, only to lose it all over again moments later, must have been very overwhelming and difficult enough to deal with.

He basically says exactly that. I've gotten the impression that, with the momentary return of his memories and his emotional reaction to that experience, combined with his feelings for Hawke and wanting to be with him/her, it's just so all overwhelming that he can't deal with it.

It also seems like there is a sense of "I can't inflict myself on Hawke in this way" type of mentality, which is one of the reasons they finally get together after things are resolved and he is in a better place mentally and emotionally. Fenris feels that he is unstable, which is a pretty honest assessment of himself, so he keeps his distance.
 

As Danarius' bodyguard, Fenris was ordered to kill people. Sebastian elaborates that he was referring to murder in that same banter, by stating "a murder committed under duress is a sin on the one who ordered it, not the one whose hands carried out the deed."
Fenris' reaction to Isabela I'd actually consider surprisingly mild, given what she's implying (and if the sexual abuse really happened). He sounds exasperated at most ("I was his bodyguard") and just kind of... like he's resigning to her wild imagination and perhaps a tiny bit amused by it ("You have an entire story written in your head already, don't you?").

...

There's no way of knowing for certain, but Fenris' dialogue about Hadriana gave me the impression she was more of a bully and not a (sexual) abuser. "Hadriana was a torment. She would ridicule me, deny my meals, hound my sleep."

Yes, this is exactly how I heard these conversations play out.

 

Fenris never mentions Danarius' possible more intimate interests either, so I suppose Hadriana taking advantage of Fenris as well is still possible too, but based on what he says it seems Danarius was the creepy one with the intimate attachment to Fenris. It's strongly hinted that Fenris was like a favorite pet to his Master, the twisted relationship between the one in power and the subordinate that Danarius liked to interpret as affection.

I'm not sure from your wording here. Are you doubting the Danarius sexual abuse? David Gaider basically confirmed that in an interview he gave with a fan and has never stated anything to the contrary.

 

Also, from the game itself, the actual confrontation with Danarius where he makes a suggestive remark and Fenris replies,"Shut your mouth, Danarius," in the most emphatic tone used in the entire game pretty much says it all.

[springacres]

I'm confused by what you mean. While I agree he doesn't go into great detail, everything that Fenris tells Hawke about Danarius, Hadriana and his life as a slave dates from after the ritual, because he doesn't remember anything before it. He talked about how Danarius treated him as a pet, his prized possession. He alludes to the complete conditioning he was controlled by, that he had no thoughts or concerns towards his own needs and freedom and only thought about his Master's desires. He is very reluctant to share specific scenarios like "on one day, Danarius said X and did Y to me" but over the course of the game he does open up here and there to Hawke or some of the companions he gets along with.

If he experienced a post-ritual flashback related to sexual abuse I'd say it occurred when Hawke grabs his arm in the Bitter Pill aftermath. With the actual return of his memories in the bedroom I never got the impression he was upset about post-ritual memories as well. Having all of that knowledge about his entire life return to him, only to lose it all over again moments later, must have been very overwhelming and difficult enough to deal with.

Ah, I'm sorry. I should have clarified.  During the QB convo with a romanced female Hawke, in response to the "So you've never..." option, Fenris says that ater he escaped and before he got to Kirkwall, he'd never stayed in one place long enough to find someone he could trust that deeply.  Hawke's next question is something like, "And what about before?" to which Fenris says sadly that he can't remember anything from before the ritual - "If there was someone before... it's lost."  The dialogue options don't let Hawke ask further about his history, but I think it's significant that he doesn't bring up any sexual relationships during the post-ritual, pre-escape years.

 

I will also say that my impression of Fenris being a sexual abuse survivor came solely from seeing his "morning after" reaction on a YouTube video, before I ever played the game.  Even though he says it was the return and subsequent re-loss of his pre-ritual memories that upset him so much, I don't feel like he would have reacted that way if those were the only things bothering him.

 

 

There's also his reaction to Sebastian when Seb suggests Fenris confess to him and makes the comment, "I know Danarius made you... do things."  It's not completely clear from the context what Sebastian is referring to, but Fenris' response - something along the lines of "Does everyone need to hear every sordid detail?" - seems pretty telling to me.  (He has a similar, if less intense, reaction to Isabela's comment about slaves being oiled.)

As Danarius' bodyguard, Fenris was ordered to kill people. Sebastian elaborates that he was referring to murder in that same banter, by stating "a murder committed under duress is a sin on the one who ordered it, not the one whose hands carried out the deed."

Fenris' reaction to Isabela I'd actually consider surprisingly mild, given what she's implying (and if the sexual abuse really happened). He sounds exasperated at most ("I was his bodyguard") and just kind of... like he's resigning to her wild imagination and perhaps a tiny bit amused by it ("You have an entire story written in your head already, don't you?").

Well, Isabela's banter is delivered in her usual, lightly teasing/flirtatious tone, and she's already made it clear she's attracted to Fenris, which might make it easier for him to ignore the insinuations.  He also knows that no matter what he says, she's already got some sort of picture in her head, and his non-answer seems to me like his way of telling her not to push any further on the subject.  I think it's because she approaches the subject indirectly that Fenris feels less threatened and more able to head her off like that.

 

Sebastian's tone, by contrast, is concerned and could come off as patronizing, especially to someone who isn't expecting to hear what he's saying:

•     Sebastian: You know, Fenris, as a brother in the Chantry, I'm allowed to hear confessions.
•     Fenris: Why would you tell me this?
•     Sebastian: I know Danarius made you do things. I thought you might be more comfortable talking to a friend.
•     Sebastian: You should know, a murder committed under duress is a sin on the one who ordered it, not the one whose hands carried out the deed.
•     Fenris: Have I not spoken enough of my past? Does everyone in Kirkwall wish to hear every sordid detail?

Sebastian may not have been referring to sexual abuse, but the tone of Fenris' reply suggests to me that he thought the implication was there.

 

Really, though, I suspect the details of Fenris' sexual history are best left to the individual player's headcanon.  (I do agree that Hadriana was probably more of a bully than a sexual abuser, although Fenris' sneering comment to a sarcastic Hawke before you enter the slaver caverns - "She's not a 'flowers' kind of woman" - has a certain ambiguity to it, particularly given his act 3 banter with Isabela if you don't romance either of them.)

Modifié par springacres, 31 mars 2016 - 05:57 .

[Fenris8]

Yea i know who dagna is, i meant i didn ustand what the reference was. For the danarius thing i also didn like the sexual abuse part, it was alr bad enough that Fen must have been punished mentally n phy for small mistakes or at their own venting. So long as we take care of him in our own little fantasies, does it matter whos right or wrong?

[Fenris8]

Indeed isa is attracted to Fen but i dun like how rude she is to talk abt the past. I mean if u like someone we oughta be more tactful. Aren rogues supp to be tactful? I was ok with Seb's banter n his compassion tho cant listen to it repeatedlycoz he's so holier than thou gahhh! @dutchess

[springacres]

For the danarius thing i also didn like the sexual abuse part, it was alr bad enough that Fen must have been punished mentally n phy for small mistakes or at their own venting. So long as we take care of him in our own little fantasies, does it matter whos right or wrong?

Probably not?  As Dutchess has pointed out, there are no explicit references to Fenris having been sexually abused in-game, and even the one reference elsewhere in the canon could be construed multiple ways.  It's just that it's hard for me not to hear the in-game dialogue as referring to sexual abuse.

 

By the way, I apologize if I came across as attacking anyone's headcanon in previous posts.  My intention was to explain how I came to see Fenris as a survivor of sexual abuse, not to brand anyone else as being wrong for not seeing him that way.

[Dutchess]

He basically says exactly that. I've gotten the impression that, with the momentary return of his memories and his emotional reaction to that experience, combined with his feelings for Hawke and wanting to be with him/her, it's just so all overwhelming that he can't deal with it.

I know he does, that's why I said it was the impression he gave. Should have worded it differently though. Ultimately this is a game, not a book, and we are forced to rely on what the (limited) cutscenes and dialogue reveal about Fenris' character and his past. There tends to be room to headcanon a lot of different things in conjunction with that, but in the case of Fenris leaving Hawke after their first night together I prefer to focus on what little he does say. So the flashbacks he had were of the life he normally can't recall anything of and that is the main reason he freaks out and backs out of the relationship. He thought he was ready for it, but the brief return of his memory throws him off and makes the balance drop back to his doubt and insecurities. 

 

It also seems like there is a sense of "I can't inflict myself on Hawke in this way" type of mentality, which is one of the reasons they finally get together after things are resolved and he is in a better place mentally and emotionally. Fenris feels that he is unstable, which is a pretty honest assessment of himself, so he keeps his distance.

Yes, while Fenris is pretty prideful, he actually has low self-esteem. Everything he has ever known was how to be Danarius' slave. There was no room for the person he himself was and is, so after his escape he not only has to find out what it's like to be an live free, but also who he is. Who he is beyond his Master's little wolf, the elf with the special, flashy markings that allow him to stick his hand into people. A daunting taks to accomplish no matter what, but on top of that Danarius is still out there sending hunters after him. It's why Fenris is so desperate to find and meet his family as well. They should know who he is, and love and accept him for it. They know who he was before Danarius made him the perfect bodyguard.

The flashbacks briefly give him what he craves to learn, only to disappear again. I think that was just too much to take and made all of those uncertainties and self-esteem issues blow up. Whether he's friend or rival, Fenris has a lot of respect for Hawke and feels indebted to them. That makes him feel unworthy of a relationship with Hawke.

 

I'm not sure from your wording here. Are you doubting the Danarius sexual abuse? David Gaider basically confirmed that in an interview he gave with a fan and has never stated anything to the contrary.

Also, from the game itself, the actual confrontation with Danarius where he makes a suggestive remark and Fenris replies,"Shut your mouth, Danarius," in the most emphatic tone used in the entire game pretty much says it all.

 

I know Gaider has apparently said that the relationship between Danarius and Fenris was "intimate", but that's a statement made outside of the game. Gaider has had the habit of saying things that are not clear from the games or outright contradict them. I'm not dismissing the abuse Fenris' suffered at Danarius' hands but I still maintain that the game doesn't offer many indications for it to have occurred. I can understand if people don't consider it something that has to have happened. I certainly did not catch on to the one hint that is Danarius' line ("The lad is rather skilled, isn't he?"). The line really isn't that suggestive to me and Fenris probably wants to hear as few words from the magister as possible no matter what.

 

Ah, I'm sorry. I should have clarified.  During the QB convo with a romanced female Hawke, in response to the "So you've never..." option, Fenris says that ater he escaped and before he got to Kirkwall, he'd never stayed in one place long enough to find someone he could trust that deeply.  Hawke's next question is something like, "And what about before?" to which Fenris says sadly that he can't remember anything from before the ritual - "If there was someone before... it's lost."  The dialogue options don't let Hawke ask further about his history, but I think it's significant that he doesn't bring up any sexual relationships during the post-ritual, pre-escape years.

 

Ah, I see. I had not looked at it that way. Although I think he doesn't specifically mention before the ritual, just says "if there was someone before, I have no memory of it". Which is interesting actually, because if Danarius abused Fenris in that way that would be the only instance where Fenris lies to Hawke. Although he easily could refuse to count Danarius because it was hardly a true romantic relationship based on love between equals.

[vertigomez]

Just my two cents, but I have always taken the "I have no memory of it..." line as referring to his memory loss. He literally has no memory of being with anyone before that time, and afterwards there was only (possibly) Danarius and who knows who else from his time as a slave - which I only really infer based on him saying "with you, it might be different." with that tentative, hopeful voice. Implying that he may be comparing the idea of being with Hawke to his past experiences? And after all that, he was on the run.

Hawke: There was no one after you escaped, even?
Fenris: I stayed nowhere for long. Who would I trust? I didn't think I needed anyone. Or wanted anyone. Until now.

*shrug*

[springacres]

Like vertigomez, I always took the "no memory" line to mean he was referring to events that might have occurred before the ritual.  In any case, it seems pretty clear that he still didn't want to discuss his relationship with Danarius.

[nightscrawl]

I know he does, that's why I said it was the impression he gave.

Oh, I was agreeing with you there. I tend to do that with posts: highlight a portion that I agree with and elaborate on that. Sorry for the confusion.
 

I know Gaider has apparently said that the relationship between Danarius and Fenris was "intimate", but that's a statement made outside of the game. Gaider has had the habit of saying things that are not clear from the games or outright contradict them. I'm not dismissing the abuse Fenris' suffered at Danarius' hands but I still maintain that the game doesn't offer many indications for it to have occurred. I can understand if people don't consider it something that has to have happened. I certainly did not catch on to the one hint that is Danarius' line ("The lad is rather skilled, isn't he?"). The line really isn't that suggestive to me and Fenris probably wants to hear as few words from the magister as possible no matter what.

To me, it's not about Danarius's exact words, but his tone and how Fenris reacts to it.
 
In the "interview" I posted, the only thing said is, "Did you get the sense that Danarius had a really sketchy (*cough* intimate *cough*) relationship with Fenris? Yeah, you weren’t exactly wrong…. :/"
 
The interview itself is paraphrased nuggets of information, with no direct quotes from DG himself. Unfortunately, the author in their paraphrase chose to be vague with the wording, leading to further confusion. To my knowledge, this is the only source we have for this information. As I said before, DG has never refuted this or come out saying that his comment was misrepresented.
 
You are correct that the game isn't completely clear, which I think is unfortunate. I do not think this is something that should be open for debate, but because the devs chose to be vague, we are stuck with it being open to interpretation.

 

Ah, I see. I had not looked at it that way. Although I think he doesn't specifically mention before the ritual, just says "if there was someone before, I have no memory of it". Which is interesting actually, because if Danarius abused Fenris in that way that would be the only instance where Fenris lies to Hawke.

I do not in the least consider Fenris's response to be a lie. Being sexually abused is not the same as having a consensual, intimate sexual encounter with someone, which is what Hawke will be referring to, and Fenris knows Hawke is referring to that as well because he knows the kind of person Hawke is, and based on their continued flirting.
 

Although he easily could refuse to count Danarius because it was hardly a true romantic relationship based on love between equals.

Precisely. Even leaving love out of it, having a one-off fling is still not the same.

[Fenris8]

@GervaiseI "also agree that male Hawke not being able to talk about Fenris' past experience is balanced out by female Hawke not being told about Anders and Karl" Er i don't get what u mean by this? How does anders x karl show abt fenris??

[Fenris8]

Indeed, many ppl say varania isn't evil and yea he would want his family and identity to reaffirm his turmoil, belonging, yet she betrayed him. She undermined his selfworth. (Aside from all the AUs n how people alter their dynamics... ) my fren and i were joking what if insurance agencies show up in DA maybe can buy protection for elves

[vertigomez]

Red Lyrium Fenris. O____O I am not okay!

Spoiler

source

[Catilina]

Red Lyrium Fenris. O____O I am not okay!

Varric will appreciate ... or Dagna...

[Dutchess]

Varric will appreciate ... or Dagna...

Why would Varric appreciate it when Fenris gets infected with red lyrium?