I'm on my phone so am avoiding quoting anybody:
@eggcrusher I like how you included best egg in to your post and rounded things off with Solas discussion. We were getting a little OT haha. Good job
@illyria also thank you for spoilering that top post. Something so sinfully good looking must be kept under wraps.
It's by the far the sexiest picture of Solas I've ever seen. I'm surprised that I found it on a Sunday and not a Saturday!
I had only seen videos of Fenris friendmance so I really didn't know that the rivalmance would disturb me like that. I have a tendency to make Fenris grumpy so definitely not taking that path.
Isn't there another way for it to play? If you don't use that exact flirt option, but flirted with him during Questioning Beliefs?
...
Ok, I found video. 26:10.
He leaves first, but then's back next time you enter Amell Estate. I really prefer it that way.
This is how I remeber playing my romances with Fenris. Lovely voice 
Solas has a lovley voice to, but they are too different to compare...
I decided to take a short nap, nothing much, just an hour or so. Suddenly, I was awakened by a VERY loud, sudden religious parade outside, complete with float, speaker system, crowd of people singing, waving flags, and shrill, repetitive music. It was so loud I could hear everything super clearly from inside this apartment, down the block, with the windows closed.
So I got about 10 minutes of sleep and they finally left a few minutes ago. No warning, no consideration for the residents here, nothing.
That got me thinking about Falon'Din (because he seemed to have been ultra demanding) or pantheon demands in general. Maybe Solas and Mythal were rudely awakened by really loud worship parties thrown by the other Evanuris to feed their egos and couldn't study or get any work or spirit chats accomplished with all the noise.
For Rivalmances, I feel like there are some characters it could work with and some characters in which it would be just wrong, and some where it's both.
It Solas had a rivalmance option:
positives: challenge his pride, argue with him on the value of ignorant (not ancient elven or just elves in general) people, prove to him, in a more harsh way, that you're a person
negatives: it would just never happen (solas is too old and set in his ways for an angry romance to change his mind imo), isn't in his character to have a romance or relationship at all (I think) with someone who so heavily disagrees with him, especially when he's used to ridicule from the gremlins on his beliefs already, solas has a lot more power than the Inquisitor, and think a rivalmance could be a little .... dangerous?
I'm a dirty, depraved person who can't help loving the idea of a Solas rivalmance and greatly enjoys writing it. I'm too scared to defend my preferences anymore, so I'll just say I love his rivalmance, and rivalmances in general. I'm a sucker for pixel drama. But I respect anybody who does not enjoy it or it makes them uncomfortable.
I'm a dirty, depraved person who can't help loving the idea of a Solas rivalmance and greatly enjoys writing it. I'm too scared to defend my preferences anymore, so I'll just say I love his rivalmance, and rivalmances in general. I'm a sucker for pixel drama. But I respect anybody who does not enjoy it or it makes them uncomfortable.
lol I love it too XD I've written fanfiction with a solas rivalmance and it was really fun. The idea of disagreeing with him completely and proving him wrong is just so fun to me
that being said, a full-on rivalmance equal to Fenris's in "rivalry" would be a bit too much, imo
I think if you disagree with him, in a respectful way, and present evidence to him calmly then I think it could work. I'm not saying they wouldn't have arguments, but the base of their relationship would be respectful disagreement, where Solas is actually proven wrong and he knows it. In other words, a half rivalmance.
I just don't know. I mean, I love Merrill's rivalmance, and I have no problems with Anders'. Those are the two that tend to get the 'abusive' lable thrown at them the most. It may just be my own love of Fenris' friendship romance, and of the character in general that stops me from wanting to rivalmance him.
Some of us who have actually been in relationships like that and experienced how toxic and unhealthy it is firsthand don't throw the abuse label at it lightly. Sure, from your perspective it's "hot" and "sexy" when one person is constantly angry and frustration so you can fantasize about steamy hate sex, but those of us who actually lived it or had loved ones who lived it have seen that that constant anger, frustration, and misery comes from feeling antagonized and invalidated by the person who should have our back the most. Feeling that alone and antagonized all the time is not cute or sexy, its very distressing, and emotionally damaging in the long run. Add that to how "rivalmance" is obtained by Hawke constantly insulting/belittling their loved one and/or invalidating their core beliefs, and it is the core definition of emotional abuse. Take it from someone who actually lived it.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I don't normally use the 'abuse' lable lightly. I'm sorry you had to go through that.
Some of us who have actually been in relationships like that and experienced how toxic and unhealthy it is firsthand don't throw the abuse label at it lightly. Sure, from your perspective it's "hot" and "sexy" when one person is constantly angry and frustration so you can fantasize about steamy hate sex, but those of us who actually lived it or had loved ones who lived it have seen that that constant anger, frustration, and misery comes from feeling antagonized and invalidated by the person who should have our back the most. Feeling that alone and antagonized all the time is not cute or sexy, its very distressing, and emotionally damaging in the long run. Add that to how "rivalmance" is obtained by Hawke constantly insulting/belittling their loved one and/or invalidating their core beliefs, and it is the core definition of emotional abuse. Take it from someone who actually lived it.
Rival romances don't make sense to me. I haven't played them in the game, but I just don't see how they would work unless the romanced character is someone who relishes debates. Debates are different from arguments and insults though.
Can we all agree to disagree? This is a pretty touchy subject for a lot of people, and I feel like we've entered some dangerous territory ;-;
Can we all agree to disagree? This is a pretty touchy subject for a lot of people, and I feel like we've entered some dangerous territory ;-;
It seems that topics on how we should treat people are pretty sensitive except for situations in which the right thing to do is obvious.
Can we all agree to disagree? This is a pretty touchy subject for a lot of people, and I feel like we've entered some dangerous territory ;-;
Agreed. We all love Solas. And I love his face and the colors in this image. http://solas-sahlin.tumblr.com/
Can we all agree to disagree? This is a pretty touchy subject for a lot of people, and I feel like we've entered some dangerous territory ;-;
Changing topics: I make werid facial expressions when writing Alistair.
Agreed. We all love Solas. And I love his face and the colors in this image. http://solas-sahlin.tumblr.com/
You know, that armor looks like it's very hard to take off.
You know, that armor looks like it's very hard to take off.
I've seriosuly been trying for the last 5 min to come up with a response to this that is not, "Lavellan can lend him a hand anytime."
I'm sorry 
Rival romances don't make sense to me. I haven't played them in the game, but I just don't see how they would work unless the romanced character is someone who relishes debates. Debates are different from arguments and insults though.
I think the idea is that people can react different to one another, based partly on behavior and personality, but the execution wasn't always the best, I think. Sometimes an idea that aims to expand the options doesn't always do so in the best of ways, and they can wind up lazier than intended. DA2, if given some more time, might have been able to hammer it out a little better. The idea of rivalmances, I can get the appeal some people see in angry/ makeup sex (and to anyone who enjoys this sort of snarky, a bit tense by nature relationship, that isn't what I'm talking about - so drosophila, TheEggCrusher, nothing wrong with liking this sense as long as everyone is still respected).
To be slightly personal, I've also been abused before, a long time ago, and I've been pushed into a wall like that on one occasion. So that one sort of got to me, which I suppose is on me a bit for starting this line of discussion. I see this from all sides.
In any case, I'm glad they did away with the rivalmance as an actual concept in practice because the romances in DAI felt a little more natural and less gamey, even though they were spelled out quite explicitly due to all the player feedback. Characters can still take issue with you and dislike you, though sometimes a romance is still possible, or it might be cut off somehow.
The romances here just felt done better. Even though with a character like Solas who has very tight elven plot armor, it can feel difficult based on lowish approval romances, but still not disrespectful of boundaries. Maybe of beliefs and culture, ignorant Dalish gremlins and all, but it still feels better done.
Changing topics: I make werid facial expressions when writing Alistair.
i think this is appropriate.
Reading through the romance related banter with Alistair is making me gigglesnort ('so what did you do with her legs?' is a highlight, thanks Oghren) and making me wish that there was more than just one piece of Solas romance banter.
Reading through the romance related banter with Alistair is making me gigglesnort ('so what did you do with her legs?' is a highlight, thanks Oghren) and making me wish that there was more than just one piece of Solas romance banter.
in response, but not really
yesterday, I went on this country battle game and played as "Elvhen Glory." People who recognized the reference kept giving their power to me voluntarily, for the Elven glory, and I was like HAHAHAH YES. MY FELLOW DRAGON AGE GEEKS. SACRIFICE YOURSELVES FOR THE PEOPLE
it was more funny than it sounds =3=
in responce, but not really
yesterday, I went on this country battle game and played as "Elvhen Glory." People who recognized the reference kept giving their power to me voluntarily, for the Elven glory, and I was like HAHAHAH YES. MY FELLOW DRAGON AGE GEEKS. SACRIFICE YOURSELVES FOR THE PEOPLE
it was more funny than it sounds =3=
This sounds awesome.
I like the idea of a relationship with Solas where you can call him out on some of his more questionable views, take him on in debate, pull into question his points of view, and in a few areas, change his mind. I like the idea of a relationship where playful teasing and highly-charged debate create sexual tension, but the debates themselves are framed and posed in such a way as not to be soul-crushing or belittling, which they're often designed to be in an abusive or unhealthy situation.
I'd like to believe that - if both characters are confident with their views and happy to discuss them - that you can have a relationship which begins out of debate that isn't invalidating or confidence-destroying as an abusive relationship. Whether you would term this rivalmance or not, I'm not really sure.
I say this as a person who frequently engages in debate, takes politics relatively seriously, and has in the past been very, very wrong (a large number of times). I've been glad for friends who taken the time to call me out on my bullshit and engage me with debate even when they didn't have to, rather than let me continue to think I'm right and continued to hurt other people indirectly. I think the problem comes when someone tries to disagree with you just to make the *person* feel awful, to destroy their confidence and exert control, rather than the conflict stemming from a genuine problem with the point of view.
Given that Solas is confident in his beliefs, driven by his beliefs, and wrong about a number of them (e.g. humans are gremlins, not people), you could make a case for a relationship where Lavellan would argue with him and oppose him on moral grounds about a number of things, without the two of them losing respect for each other, undermining each other's confidence, or hurting each other.
in responce, but not really
yesterday, I went on this country battle game and played as "Elvhen Glory." People who recognized the reference kept giving their power to me voluntarily, for the Elven glory, and I was like HAHAHAH YES. MY FELLOW DRAGON AGE GEEKS. SACRIFICE YOURSELVES FOR THE PEOPLE
it was more funny than it sounds =3=
Well, I played as Captain Teemo in GW2 and I either got people helping me or wishing me death. loll
I like the idea of a relationship with Solas where you can call him out on some of his more questionable views, take him on in debate, pull into question his points of view, and in a few areas, change his mind. I like the idea of a relationship where playful teasing and highly-charged debate create sexual tension, but the debates themselves are framed and posed in such a way as not to soul-crushing or confidence-destroying, which they're often designed to be in an abusive or unhealthy situation.
I'd like to believe that - if both characters are confident with their views and happy to discuss them - that you can have a relationship which begins out of debate that isn't invalidating or confidence-destroying as an abusive relationship. Whether you would term this rivalmance or not, I'm not really sure.
I say this as a person who frequently engages in debate, takes politics relatively seriously, and has in the past been very, very wrong (a large number of times). I've been glad for friends who taken the time to call me out on my bullshit and engage me with debate even when they didn't have to, rather than let me continue to think I'm right and continued to hurt other people indirectly. I think the problem comes when someone tries to disagree with you just to make the *person* feel awful, to destroy their confidence and exert control, rather than the conflict stemming from a genuine problem with the point of view.
Given that Solas is confident in his beliefs, driven by his beliefs, and wrong about a number of them (e.g. humans are gremlins, not people), you could make a case for a relationship where Lavellan would argue with him and oppose him on moral grounds about a number of things, without the two of them losing respect for each other, undermining each other's confidence, or hurting each other.
My frustration with the game is that when you debate with Solas, it's just one exchange that results in "Solas disapproves." 
Edit: Come to think of it, Varric, Iron Bull, Vivienne, and Dorian got to have more interesting conversations with Solas than we did.
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