Another attempt at Cole. Obviously still a lot to do but I'm taking a break and thought I might share. Can't decide if I should make it a pencil-only job or add colour/ink or something.
Not pictured: Inquisitor yelling at Cole to stop staring at the damn squirrel and come stab some people NOWPLZ.
Aw, your squirrel is soooo darn cute.
Yaaaaay, finally another Cole thread! He's one of my favorite DA characters, let me share with you some of the art I've done for him~!!
After picnic naps:
My Mucha bookmark:
Flower Cole, I think everyone has drawn one of these hahaha
And my romance page for Inquisitors Week is the most recent!
The writing was done by Meer on the BSN. We're cooking up a bunch more stuff too!
Also, if any of you guys are into fanfics, Hazel has been writing a really really beautiful OC x Cole fic that I've been enjoying. You can find it here on her Tumblr.
@redbowlingball: I guess we should agree to disagree then, because this is a rather fundamental thing we see from totally opposite sides.
I'm a little surprised that people resent Varric for him trying to push Cole to the more human side of things, even well before the amulet quest.
I understand, to a degree, where he is coming from. Everyone's got their biases. What annoys me is that his isn't recognized as such -- yet Varric himself gets to call out Solas' pro-spirit bias. There's a distinct double standard in that. And as I said, it also bugs me that after all these months of close friendship, Varric does not even seem to try to understand the spirit-side. It's not even that hard, IMO, if one pays even a little attention and approaches it with a little respect. Everything Cole says and does makes sense, which is part of what is so very fascinating and rewarding about really trying to "get" him.
(Since spirits and demons tend to be mirrors of each other....what would be Compassion's demonic mirror, I wonder?
)
I'd say both callousness and deliberate cruelty are Compassion's opposites -- translated into the demons we know of, most would kind of work for that? He explicitly fears Despair, which springs from Compassion thwarted, and would mean cruelly feeding people's pain instead of easing it. Fear/Terror would have a similar effect. His reaction to the ex-templar was Rage, which has a lot of potential for cruelty. Sloth could embody callousness in an "I don't care, I can't be arsed" kind of way. Desire and Pride put one's own base lusts and ego above everything and everyone else, which also flies directly in the face of Compassion.
If he's worried after the Inquisitor makes him more spirit, well, he should be.
He should worry as much or more about a more-human Cole, then. It's not like there aren't countless examples for the depth of humanity's and other mortals' potential for evil, for how easily we are corrupted even via supposedly good intentions. But since we have the power to define ourselves as "normal" and "right" and "superior", we also demand the right to be viewed as individuals. It's always the "other", the "inferior", who are expected to answer for every real or imaginary crime or shortcoming of their kind as if they were some sort of hivemind.
Positive exposure can help reduce prejudice, but at the same time prejudice easily gets in the way of positive exposure. You have to be willing to make an effort, and that is what I'd hoped to see from Varric, somewhere.
This, all this. Ignore the snipped parts. And just ... this.
Thank you. It is good to know I wasn't the only one so affected by that scene. 
Cole romance fic?
(Seriously, do what you want. Just know that I am morally obligated to oppose you and everything you stand for.)
Yeah, to me that is just nopenopenope. But whatever people want.
Another attempt at Cole. Obviously still a lot to do but I'm taking a break and thought I might share. Can't decide if I should make it a pencil-only job or add colour/ink or something.
Not pictured: Inquisitor yelling at Cole to stop staring at the damn squirrel and come stab some people NOWPLZ.
Spoiler
It looks great in pencil. But either way, do post when finished! 
"The squirrels can see me."
Guest_lady0635_*
Yeah, to me that is just nopenopenope. But whatever people want.
I don't ship it, but I don't see the problem if he's made human. At the end of the game it's implied he might experiment later on, and Iron Bull even tried it before he was ready, with Candy.
And I have to say that moment Sebastian reacts that way I always want to facepalm. The woman tragically died yes, but she sat on her butt doing nothing for 7 years! I can't feel anything for her but "I told you so" and if only Hawke had the option to slap Meredith and Orsino I would have been very happy!
@redbowlingball: I guess we should agree to disagree then, because this is a rather fundamental thing we see from totally opposite sides.
Seems that way! At least we can both agree that Cole is an amazing character
It looks great in pencil. But either way, do post when finished!
Thank you, I will!
I don't ship it, but I don't see the problem if he's made human. At the end of the game it's implied he might experiment later on, and Iron Bull even tried it before he was ready, with Candy.
I've only competed the game once (it seems on all my subsequent play-throughs I don't like going past the temple of Mythal...) so could you let me know what dialogue you're referring to? It's...for research.
I'm not against the ColexInquisitor like I use to be, especially if you decided that he should take the full human's route. He's going to start feeling emotionally attached to people soon (can't make them forget you now, Cole). Cole already had that a little with Rhys, and he never could understand the feeling, but I knew that it was love that he felt.
Guest_lady0635_*
I've only competed the game once (it seems on all my subsequent play-throughs I don't like going past the temple of Mythal...) so could you let me know what dialogue you're referring to? It's...for research.
It's put weirdly but it's about how Cole is seeing people celebrating by drinking and doing other things. The Inquisitor asks him if he wants to try some of those things and he says not yet. It would complicate things but maybe he will be ready someday. He's shy when he says it. It's only a possible convo if you don't take him to fight Corypheus or he will talk about how he couldn't be binded.
I'm not against the ColexInquisitor like I use to be, especially if you decided that he should take the full human's route. He's going to start feeling emotionally attached to people soon (can't make them forget you now, Cole). Cole already had that a little with Rhys, and he never could understand the feeling, but I knew that it was love that he felt.
I do think there is a touch of "how could this be replicated and used" in the banter about whether Cole could change his form, but the way Cole reacts to that immediately makes Dorian realize it was out of line. I appreciated that.
You took this banter differently than I did.
Dorian: Can you change your form, Cole? If you wanted to look like something else?
Cole: But I don't want to look like something else.
Dorian: Hmm. There are magisters who'd be ecstatic if they could summon a demon who could pass for human.
Cole: They would use it to hurt people.
Dorian: You're right about that. They would.
Particularly as this is a follow-up to...
Dorian: You're not possessing a human body, Cole? You... actually look like that?
Cole: Yes.
Dorian: But a spirit's true form is always monstrous, or at least unnatural.
Cole: The world doesn't make sense to them. It's too real. That's why they look wrong.
Dorian: And... this is how you want to look?
Cole: I want to help. Looking doesn't matter.
To me it just seems like another one of Dorian's curiosity-driven questions that he asks to satisfy his own intellect. To me his tone in the question itself doesn't imply that he was even thinking about anything untoward. Rather, to me this seems more like his cynicism showing just how corrupt he knows some of his countrymen to be. Varric does directly allude to hiding smuggled goods in another banter, which I think is more overt.
However, I will say that his question to Varric about red lyrium does lean in that direction, yes, which is why Varric responds as he does to it.
Dorian: Varric, you've seen this "red lyrium" before, yes?
Varric: Wish I hadn't.
Dorian: Do you know if a mage could access its power?
Varric: Don't go there, Sparkler. Don't wonder if it's useful. Don't even think about it.
Varric: Just stay far away, and hope none of it gets to your stupider cousins back home.
Despite the abuse he got for his orientation and intregrity, Dorian is still used to having an immense amount of power and privilege at the expense of other beings -- but unlike many, he can recognize and examine that given the "right" motivation. His reaction to Cole's question what a slave is, and to the offer of drinking from the Well later on shows how much self-reflection he must have engaged in over the course of the game. I do want to see where his "Redeemer" role takes him.
I have never suggested that any of the mage followers drink from the well; I've never seen any of the responses. While I highly doubt there is different dialog for a romance, I am sorely tempted to pick it the next time I reach the Well in the game since you make it sound so intriguing, just to see what he says, especially since he does have a romance-based line for not wanting the Inquisitor to drink.
Post-Adamant when he suggests that you keep the information quiet and says "too many will see this as a challenge," and his response to "You don't number among them?" of "It's... tempting," was quite interesting. Emotional issues aside, he IS incredibly self-aware as a mage, and I think DG carried off the "genuinely good mage" quite well in that.
... or the gravestones and the Nightmare's taunts in Inquisition...
Ah yes, I forgot about those. That also seems like a missed opportunity for some more follower depth, even if, as with Blackwall, they're likely to lie or obfuscate. I think Dorian might try to be evasive as well with his "temptation" one, but maybe not. I find it difficult to tell when he is willing to be communicative.
Cole romance fic?
(Seriously, do what you want. Just know that I am morally obligated to oppose you and everything you stand for.)
As a magister, just know, I am obligated by the dark gods to oppose such vacuous thinking.
Also, the Maker is dead.
I don't ship it, but I don't see the problem if he's made human. At the end of the game it's implied he might experiment later on, and Iron Bull even tried it before he was ready, with Candy.
And I have to say that moment Sebastian reacts that way I always want to facepalm. The woman tragically died yes, but she sat on her butt doing nothing for 7 years! I can't feel anything for her but "I told you so" and if only Hawke had the option to slap Meredith and Orsino I would have been very happy!
It's put weirdly but it's about how Cole is seeing people celebrating by drinking and doing other things. The Inquisitor asks him if he wants to try some of those things and he says not yet. It would complicate things but maybe he will be ready someday. He's shy when he says it. It's only a possible convo if you don't take him to fight Corypheus or he will talk about how he couldn't be binded.
Personally, I feel a certain parental instinct towards Cole. Not because he's a child, but because he is a being new to this world whom the Inquisitor guided, helped learn and adjust. As such, I regard the possibility of a Cole romance the same way I would regard my future children eventually starting relationships. I recognize it's OK and something he might eventually do if he is made more human, but I do not want to think about it in further detail. I especially do *not* want to read fic about it.
But Cole asking Varric or the Inquisitor for relationship advice... that would be cute
Guest_lady0635_*
Personally, I feel a certain parental instinct towards Cole. Not because he's a child, but because he is a being new to this world whom the Inquisitor guided, helped learn and adjust. As such, I regard the possibility of a Cole romance the same way I would regard my future children eventually starting relationships. I recognize it's OK and something he might eventually do if he is made more human, but I do not want to think about it in further detail. I especially do *not* want to read fic about it.
But Cole asking Varric or the Inquisitor for relationship advice... that would be cute
I see it that way myself, but more of a sibling thing since my Lavellen is a young lady and the way Cole was trying to find out why Soals left her, felt like a brother/sister moment, or when he dumped her and she sat outside that night with Cole before the final battle and they comforted each other in my headcanon. Only thing is, if we get a Cole romance in another game, can we get a cameo from the Inquisitor? It shouldn't be too hard, and probably not as out of character like Hawke was.
I do find one thing interesting though. The Warden can die, Hawke can be assumed dead in Inquisition, but what of the Inquisitor? In DA4 I can't see them playing any large role, but they are the safest PC yet and I wonder if that luck will run out?
Personally, I feel a certain parental instinct towards Cole. Not because he's a child, but because he is a being new to this world whom the Inquisitor guided, helped learn and adjust. As such, I regard the possibility of a Cole romance the same way I would regard my future children eventually starting relationships. I recognize it's OK and something he might eventually do if he is made more human, but I do not want to think about it in further detail. I especially do *not* want to read fic about it.
But Cole asking Varric or the Inquisitor for relationship advice... that would be cute
That's exactly how I feel about Cole. Perhaps because his candour and his happy-go-lucky way of seeing things remind me of my own daughter (although she obviously doesn't go around stabbing people. Or speaking in cryptic language - well... in fact she does, she's 2 1/2)...
It's put weirdly but it's about how Cole is seeing people celebrating by drinking and doing other things. The Inquisitor asks him if he wants to try some of those things and he says not yet. It would complicate things but maybe he will be ready someday. He's shy when he says it. It's only a possible convo if you don't take him to fight Corypheus or he will talk about how he couldn't be binded.
That sounds very sweet. Maybe on my current run I'll leave him at Skyhold for the final battle, I'd like to hear this chat.
I'm not against the ColexInquisitor like I use to be, especially if you decided that he should take the full human's route. He's going to start feeling emotionally attached to people soon (can't make them forget you now, Cole). Cole already had that a little with Rhys, and he never could understand the feeling, but I knew that it was love that he felt.
There's also that tingle he felt down to his toes when Evangeline kissed him. Having seen Gaider's thoughts on romance and Cole before I read Asunder, I read that line and thought 'really?'. Seemed a bit rich for him to make strong statements against it when there's scenes like that. I was like 'dude, do you know you wrote this?' Even my husband picked up on it.
I'm fine with it myself if it's post-game in fanfiction. If someday the devs cave and make him a romance option, it won't be the Inquisitor but a new hero most likely. Same with what happened with Cullen. I like romancing him but I still feel it should have been the Warden, and with the Inquisitor or not, if your Warden was an Amell or Surana, he still has feelings for her no questions about it.
Based on what Cole says if you make him more human ('what do you think I'll learn next' etc) and the fact that they pulled out any option of him being bound/killed in the game, I wouldn't be surprised if they plan to bring him back in future content and have him as a possible romance.
I had no interest in Cole romance/fanfiction at all when I first played the game, but now? Let's just say I swing between two points of view when it come to him. Obviously there's the nurturing, protective aspect, but there's also undeniable interest in seeing how something like that might play out between Cole and another character (other than the Inquisitor or an OC). Maybe I spent too much time reading fanfiction when I was a teenager, but I feel there's the seeds there for something special.
Since we're talking about fanfiction, does anyone have any Cole-based recs? Any genre/rating is fine by me as long as it's well written.
While I see a couple of you guys are a bit weirded out by a Cole romance, I think it would be interesting to note that Solas asks Cole during one of their banters if he is starting to be interested in women/have sexual feelings. Given that human!Cole asks Solas where he had "seen this before," it can be inferred that Solas has known of other spirits who have changed themselves into a mortal enough form that they has their own sexual desires, more complex human traits, etc.
Cole is the sole spirit that we know of who is in that "in between" state of spirit and human, and can be pushed toward being more human in a more rapid change than the rate it has been happening naturally, when DO you think Cole will manifest more mortal traits like romantic love?
Like, for those of you with the parental instinct, how long would you consider Cole to be your Fade son that needs to be protected?
I really must return when my likes are refilled. 
I would want Cole to meet Justice or Merrill. Justice, because it would be interesting just to see how they would react to each other. Justice and Compassion does compliment each other rather well. Merrill, because she seemed very interesting in the spirits, and he could give her that up close study. That relationship probably would go way smoother than Liara and Javik relationship.
These are the two I'd most want him to meet too! Anders as well. Merrill was the first character I remember having an open-mind about spirits, so I don't think she would be put off. Like you say, she'd probably be very interested on an intellectual study. I think they'd also get along great on a personal level. Both are very sweet, and I think Merrill's desire to help her clan, even at the cost of her own life would appeal to Cole. Maybe he could help her to heal too?
Part of why I'd like to see Cole with Justice is because we only ever see snippets of him speaking with other spirits and helping them. I'd love to see him trying to help a fellow spirit, if that can be done. Could he use his powers on one? Since Cole came so close to having his true nature corrupted, I think he'd definitely understand what happened on a personal level. We never really get an opportunity in DA2 to understand what exactly is going on with Justice.
I'm very glad it was not implemented, not only because it would have been horrifying both in that scene (apparently Cole would essentially have tortured the ex-templar to death in front of our eyes) and in the eventual outcome (Corypheus taking over and making us kill Cole), not only because I generally dislike nonsensical "evil" options, not only because I can't imagine either Solas or Varric stand by and watch it happen ... but also because Cole is (despite the bittersweet nature of his quest) a hopeful and positive character at the core and should be allowed to remain as such. Not everything or everyone has to be tragic and bitter and grimmedarque. And I say that as someone who does think Inquisition is way too smooth sailing and needs more setbacks, and as someone who can't imagine any ending for Origins other than the ultimate sacrifice.
Same here! I am eternally thankful that they just kept Cole's development as 'more human' or 'more spirit'. Even if one did lead to him becoming corrupted, it would be heart-wrenching, but at least it was only done with the Inquisitor's best intentions. Encouraging him to become demon-like would be such a malevolent thing to do. More evil than anything Warden/Hawke can do, imo. Even in DAI's neutral/grey choices, that one thing would make the Inquisitor the most potentially evil for me. 
It's bad enough with the option for Hawke to sell Fenris back into slavery, but corrupting a spirit of compassion like that? A being whose only desire is to help and heal? *disgusted noise*
That is where they colosally screwed that scene up, yes. IMO the best cutscenes with a companion/advisor are usually the ones that show closure and connection by ending with a shot of the two characters together. It doesn't have to be a happy kind of togetherness, that isn't the point -- one character quietly supporting another character in a difficult moment by staying with them is just as poignant and important, if not moreso. They did this with Cullen's (friendship/platonic) scenes, which is one reason why I ended up liking that character a lot more than expected. Cassandra's friendship scene in the war room ends that way, too, and I absolutely love it. Just a few quiet seconds of companionship help the bond feel real and tangible in a "show, don't tell" kind of way that is often worth more than words.
*snip*
I just wanted to say this entire bit sums up perfectly how I feel about that scene! Such a let-down after how perfect his 'dinner' scene is ("...thank you for helping me find this again, you don't know what it means." 
). The tiny snatch of dialogue during the after-party is the one shining light after that. Knowing he's happy and safe (at least for now), and planning to stick with the Inquisition when most people are bailing.
Good to see you in here again too, btw!
In regard to your point about the Nightmare demon - I think it would've had more impact if our companions had been trapped in nightmares again, like DAO. It's a lot easier to remain confident/brave when you're surrounded by friends and simply being trash-talked. A lot harder when your mind is being warped!
(I tend to focus on Dorian because he's my fav, so pardon me.)
*snip*
I've never seen the spirit path and am sorry to learn that Varric reacts this way =/.
I like that! I don't find many in-depth looks at Cole and Dorian's interactions. It's a real shame, considering that they have one of my favourite friendships in the game. I really wasn't expecting them to get along well, especially since I heard Dorian's banter with Solas about 'spirit servants' in Tevinter long before recruiting Cole. I thought he might view Cole as a tool or something sub-human. Instead, there was some wonderful bonding and insight there. It comes second only to Cassandra's friendship, for me.
I like to think Varric eventually sees that he hasn't really lost Cole, especially since he's still at Wicked Grace. He might be a little more wary because of the whole Anders thing, but I doubt he'd stay that way forvever.
There's a poignant tragedy to Justice's fate, that in trying to help a friend he's ultimately destroyed, twisted into something so terrible that hundreds are destroyed as a result. And his friend is ruined and broken and destroyed right along with him; it always breaks my heart.
This affected my choice for Cole too. It's so tragic to see a spirit (especially one you've befriended) being twisted from a good purpose. I spent ages wondering if making him more of a spirit while he's living in the human world would lead to that problem. Or whether making a spirit more human would force the problem. I am so glad that the choice seems to benefit Cole either way (even if some part of himself does become more muted).
Cole romance fic?
*snip*
(Seriously, do what you want. Just know that I am morally obligated to oppose you and everything you stand for.)
I once went hunting for Cole/Inquisitor friend-fic and found that the most popular was a smutty fic. Yeah. Not quite as bad as when I looked for Hawke/Bethany friend-fic, but Cole/Inky is a definite 'notp' for me. I tend to see him as asexual and aromantic anyway, but pairing him with the Inquisitor feels particularly off. Their bond in-game feels a lot more like a strong platonic friendship. Like family.
Like, for those of you with the parental instinct, how long would you consider Cole to be your Fade son that needs to be protected?
When do you stop being your parents' child?
While I see a couple of you guys are a bit weirded out by a Cole romance, I think it would be interesting to note that Solas asks Cole during one of their banters if he is starting to be interested in women/have sexual feelings. Given that human!Cole asks Solas where he had "seen this before," it can be inferred that Solas has known of other spirits who have changed themselves into a mortal enough form that they has their own sexual desires, more complex human traits, etc.
Cole is the sole spirit that we know of who is in that "in between" state of spirit and human, and can be pushed toward being more human in a more rapid change than the rate it has been happening naturally, when DO you think Cole will manifest more mortal traits like romantic love?
Like, for those of you with the parental instinct, how long would you consider Cole to be your Fade son that needs to be protected?
How long would I protect my child? Forever, although protection means different things at different ages. In Cole's case, I think the best you can do is offer advice and be there when he needs you. Which is what the Inquisitor essentially does if they have a good relationship with Cole.
I think Cole romance is OK if and when he develops an interest in women. It would just make me really uncomfortable to read fanfic about it, even if it's not with the Inquisitor. I really wouldn't want to know all the details about his love life.
I find thinking of Cole as my child/a child a little hard to do when I'm busy crafting some seriously lethal daggers for him to slice people open with. He's just so good at it!
He's...complex. I love how he embodies both sweet innocence and such darkness. Getting those two sides of him to make sense together is fun.
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