Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything.
Completely SFW.
Timeline: Pre-Romance.
Sight
Dorian first noticed it when Varas wouldn't ever quite look at a person when talking to them. Sure, he looked at them, but he never really made direct eye contact or really saw the person in front of him. Dorian then noticed in battle that the man's eyes were closed half the time, ears twitching a half a second before anything happened. The elf then sprang into action with spinning daggers and quick feet that seemed to operate completely independently of where he was looking. Finally came the reading. Not once had Dorian ever seen Varas read or write. It was odd considering the man always enjoyed hearing stories or history or really anything that could be easily found in a book. It all drove Dorian to one conclusion: Varas was partially blind. Or at least terribly near-sighted.
It was a calm day at Skyhold when Dorian decided to confront Varas about these many observations. The elf made it easy, stopping by as per usual at the library.
"Hey lethallin," Varas said.
"Inquisitor, there you are. I have a question," Dorian stated, snapping close the book he had been reading.
"What kind of question?" The elf asked, bright green eyes not quite meeting Dorian's grey ones.
"About you, actually," Dorian said as he stepped closer. Varas didn't move, but his eyes did get closer to actually looking in Dorian's, curious.
"What a wonderful subject. Please, ask your question."
"How long have you had trouble seeing?" Dorian asked and Varas stiffened immediately. Gone was the easy smile that he usually wore, and his brow furrowed in either annoyance or embarrassment. Maybe both.
"I've always been like this. The Keeper examined me when I was little and said that I would need to be watched carefully so I would not wander off from the clan." Varas shrugged, trying to feint indifference and failing miserably. Clearly it was a sore point for him.
"Has it gotten worse over time or has it remained consistent?" Now Dorian just sounded clinical, not his favorite thing, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.
"I would say consistent, I just got better at ignoring it and using other senses. I hear everything, Dorian. Everything." Dorian was sure that Varas was telling the truth in this. Even without his large elven ears, the blind and visually impaired had been recorded as having an improved sense of hearing.
"So how do you read? Write? Can you?" Now Varas actually frowned and crossed his arms. He never moved back though.
"I can read…kind of, but it makes my head hurt and I have to be really close to the book. Writing is…I have been told that all my attempts are illegible," this time Varas's eyes dipped purposefully away from Dorian. Shame, the man is ashamed, well this would not do. The leader of the Inquisition could not be feeling ashamed of himself for something he was born with.
"Ah, I see," shit, wrong thing to say.
"Well I don't. I'll…talk to you later," Varas left Dorian then, quickly walking up the stairs to go talk to Leliana about something. Dorian sighed and plopped back down into his seat and mentally reviewed what Varas had just told him. He was obviously born near-sighted to the point where he could not make out fine details on shapes that were not right up in his face. He did not like reading because of the hassle and pain, but loved learning new things (as evidence by his previous unending curiosity about Tevinter). Varas had also tried writing multiple times to only be told that he was not good enough. And finally, the man was ashamed of his lack of sight.
Dorian knew a thing or two about being ashamed of something you were born with. Cue the first twenty-five years of Dorian's life. He also knew what it felt like to be ostracized for said trait, and from what he knew of the Dalish…they would not have taken kindly to Varas's near sightedness.
It was a common enough thing in Tevinter, though there were ways of remedying it. No, those remedies did not involve blood magic (most of the time), what they did have, however, were magically enchanted glass lenses that could be configured specifically to the wearer.
Normally Dorian was not much a giver, he liked being on the receiving end of gifts, but something about this situation made the mage want to give Varas this one thing. It of course had nothing to do with the fact that Varas was mightily attractive, kind, and terribly charming. It particularly had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that whenever Varas smiled, Dorian's stomach did this weird flippy thing. And it most certainly did not have anything to do with Dorian wanting to feel more of that weird flippy thing.
The Tevinter mage began researching the lenses and practical installments of them for everyday and combat use. He found varying results. Everyday lenses could be crafted into things called spectacles, or colloquially, glasses. Combat was a bit trickier; the best solution Dorian could find was having the lenses installed in a helmet. It would have to do, since now that he knew the Inquisitor was flying about on the battle field unable to properly see, he could not ignore it. It was downright stupid to go into battle with your senses that damaged, especially against the foes they were facing. Preposterous.
Dorian took his research to Dagna who read over it quickly, looked up and smiled in that adorable but crazed way of hers.
"This will be perfect!" She had declared before taking all of his notes, books, and stray papers.
"And how long will this take, exactly?" Dorian asked.
"Uh, a couple of days?" The girl supposed as she began to set up her work station.
"I will come back in two, will that suffice?"
"Yeah, yeah, totally. Now go! I have work to do," she then began to giggle in a cute but still maniacal way that Dorian was sure was an indication that these glasses he was procuring had at least a thirty percent chance at exploding.
Two days passed and Dorian was back in the Undercroft waiting for Dagna to fish out the glasses and helmet. She clanged, banged, and otherwise rattled about in a large trunk, shoving whatever contraptions she had tinkered with in the meantime out of the way.
"Ah ha!" She exclaimed as she launched herself back out of the trunk clutching a helmet in one hand a simple wooden case in the other.
"Here is the helmet, just a nice simple thing…though it isn't the prettiest. See, it has large enchanted glass so that his peripheral vision isn't compromised. I also made sure to make large cutouts for his ears so that he can still rely on hearing. These," she set the helmet down and opened the case, revealing small rectangular sheets of glass surrounded by an obsidian frame. The arms of the frame appeared to have small glowing spots that Dagna stared lovingly at.
"The smallest runes I have ever made! It was quite the challenge, but a good one. Imagine if I could shrink all runes and put multiple on a blade or a staff or-
"Are they ready, Dagna?" Dorian asked, knowing that the enthusiastic dwarf was about to go off on a little hypothetical thought trip.
"Oh, not quite. I need him here so I can adjust the enchantment to his needs," she explained and Dorian nodded. So much for his big dramatic reveal, but still, he was sure that Varas would appreciate the gift.
"I will go fetch him, then, don't…explode anything while I'm gone," Dorian said as he left. Harrit snorted in the background.
"I've been telling her that for months."
Dorian left the Undercroft in search of Varas, wondering where the restless elf was this time. He was always moving, seeming not content to simply stay put. He had a new favorite place around Skyhold every few days, though Maker knew what he did to occupy his time. He obviously didn't read, write, sketch or people watch, so what else was there to do?
The mage found Sera before he found Varas. The girl was in the middle of a kitchen raid, grabbing cookies and other various items…like jerky and…was that a slice of pie?
"Sera! Have you seen Varas?" He asked and she snorted, wiping icing on her tunic.
"Yea, he's up, like always. Blindy is always going up," she commented on the man's eyesight casually, shrugging as she slung the bag of food over her shoulder.
"Yes, but where?" Dorian prodded. Sera rolled her eyes and began to saunter off.
"C'mon, keep up. Elfy is this way," she left the kitchen and Dorian followed only to be dismayed that instead of loping down the stairs, the girl was climbing up what appeared to be a very rickety and unstable wooden structure that lead to the roof of the kitchen. With a huff, a sigh, and a silent lament about his robes being too nice for such ridiculousness, Dorian too began to scale the structure. His footing was unsure and he questioned almost every move, but he eventually made it to the roof.
There sat Varas, eyes closed against the brightness of the sun, head cocked to the side. His ear twitched as Sera approached and he smiled, reaching up to precisely where Sera was handing him a cookie.
"'Ere," she said then plopped down next to him. Minding his footing, Dorian wobbled over to the two elves.
"Not exactly a cozy restaurant with five course meals, I have to say," he commented as he slowly lowered himself next to Varas.
"Exactly," Varas said as he chomped down on the cookie. He frowned, "Raisins again, Sera?"
"I ate all the chocolate chips and was gonna be sick, so yeah, raisins. They don't make you sick," she muttered and Varas sighed.
"Fine, but maybe we could have peanut butter next time? Or macadamia nuts?" Varas suggested and Sera smirked.
"You would like nuts!" Sera laughed, kicking her legs out. Varas shook his head, smiling and turned to Dorian.
"What brought you here, Dorian?" The elf asked.
"Oh you know me, I just couldn't resist the allure of dangerous rooftops and disgusting raisin cookies," he quipped.
"They are shite!" Sera claimed. Dorian no longer even bothered to be confused by the girl, he just took it in stride at this point.
"You're in good company then, complaining about Sera's cookies is a favorite past time of mine,"
"Pfffbbt, like yours are better," Sera said.
"Shit yeah, they are," Varas replied.
"Oh eeewww, you're doing that gay thing again," Sera grimaced, mock (at least Dorian thought it was mock) squinting her face in disgust.
"Oh please, like you weren't ogling that Qunari chick from last week," Varas shot back.
"What Qunari chick?"
"Uh, Varas, are you talking about when we went to that town and encountered that Vashoth company that Iron Bull got into a drinking contest with?" Dorian asked, still not recalling seeing any Qunari women.
"Yeah! There was that Qunari chick! Tav- something or other," Varas gestured vaguely and Dorian shook his head.
"That was a man," he clarified and Varas's brows shot up in shock.
"Oh…well, shit then."
"HA! You really are blind as a barn!" Sera guffawed, snorting and spitting cookie crumbs as she laughed. After a moment, Varas joined in, laughing heartily. Dorian's brow furrowed as he watched the two elves laugh about Varas's disability.
"How is that funny? The man can't see!"
"If you have to explain the joke, it ain't funny," Sera groused.
"Hey, fluff-head, mind if I spoke with Dorian in private?" Varas asked after he regain his breath.
"Ugh, fine." The girl grumbled as she hoisted her bag of treats back up and actually leapt off the roof. Varas then turned to Dorian, still not meeting his eyes of course but obviously making the effort to look at Dorian. It was a courtesy that he had not extended to Sera, Dorian noticed.
"Dorian, I appreciate you trying to come to rescue with the hole 'don't make fun of his disability' but please don't. Sera is the only person who doesn't give a rat's ass that I can't see shite, and I would like that to continue." Varas explained and Dorian was confused. The other day, Varas had reacted as if he were ashamed of his disability, but here he was laughing at it, at himself easily.
"The other day you seemed quite upset at the fact," Dorian said and Varas shook his head.
"Only that you had noticed it and that you would potentially pity me. I don't want people to pity me…especially you," Varas said quietly.
"Oh…well, then it's good then that I don't," Dorian replied. Varas smiled and leaned back.
"Good. I also hope that you didn't go to some insane lengths to create glasses for me because that would be embarrassing."
"Who told you?!" Dorian demanded and Varas laughed.
"I hear everything, remember? Dagna is not quiet, and neither is Harrit," the elf teased. Dorian sighed and shook his head.
"I actually was trying to fetch you for Dagna to complete them," Dorian confessed and Varas sighed.
"I guess I am going to go try on glasses, then," he then pushed himself up then offered a hand to Dorian. Dorian took his warm, callused hand, allowing the elf to pull him up. Varas didn't let go until they had to climb back down the wooden structure.
"So Dagna, I hear you have something for me to try," Varas said as he strode into the Undercroft, Dorian by his side.
"Oh yes! It was Dorian's idea! Here!" The tiny dwarf scurried about, bringing forth rectangular wooden case. He took the case from her and opened it. He couldn't see the glasses, so he tentatively moved his fingers into the case, feeling out them out. Thankfully Dorian and Dagna didn't assist him in this. Varas valued his independence, a thing that had been denied him for so long. Now that he was here, not just with the Inquisition but leading it…it was a new found freedom that he reveled in. He was defined by his abilities here, not just his disability.
Varas plucked the glasses out and then set the case down. He fiddled with the spectacles for a moment before figuring out how to properly unfold them. Putting them on his face took a little more maneuvering but he eventually got them so that they sat perched on his nose. He wiggled his nose in response to the new weight, it was odd but not completely uncomfortable.
"Alright, if you could sit down please," Dagna kicked out a chair for Varas to plop down on, "I am now going to start adjusting the enchantment, let me know when the world comes into focus."
"And how will I know that?" Varas asked, still skeptical that this would work.
"From what I read, you will just know," She then began to fidget by his face at the glasses. Varas jerked in his seat when the world around him suddenly began to change. It was indescribable, what he had seen as amorphous blobs or swaths of color were now shapes…he thought. Everything around him seemed to gradually harden and take a more defined shape. It was incredible and overwhelming and absolutely amazing.
"How's that?" Dagna asked, somehow sensing before he could tell her that the world was in focus.
"It's…it's…" there were no words for truly seeing the world for the first time. Never before had he known that the world was defined. Everything was delineated and taking up its own space. Nothing bled into each other. Order.
"Inquisitor?" Dorian. Varas turned and his eyes widened when he saw the Tevinter mage. He had no expectation of what the man would like, and truly he had no idea if the man was attractive by just looking at him. He had to feel his face to know that, but just seeing him, draped in shiny, green-tinted robes accented by dark leathers was astounding. This was Dorian Pavus.
"I…I can see," was all Varas could say as he looked all around the room. He lingered upon small Dagna and haggard Harrit. He had never known that Dagna's hair was pulled back into a bun, and not just short and frizzy. Also, Harrit had a huge mustache! That was a mustache, right? The things he had never known, that he could now see…
"The Keeper tried for many years to craft glasses for me, but it never worked. I stopped trying to see when I was twelve…." For fifteen years, Varas had been nearly blind, and now…now he was not. He did not know whether it was a good or bad thing. He didn't know how to interact with a world he could see.
"This is wonderful news," Dorian commented. Varas stared at the man as he...smiled, yes smiled. Varas openly stared at Dorian, marveled at the contrasts between his skin, hair, robes, and eyes. There was just so much that Varas had never known before. He gobbled the information right up, storing it lovingly in his memory.
"Ma serannas, Dorian," Varas whispered, still enraptured in Dorian's gaze.
"My pleasure, Inquisitor." Dorian smiled down at the elf, his stomach doing that flippy thing. Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?
Thank you for reading! Please review!
This is what happens when I wake up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Weird, fluffy Pavellan comes out. For anyone who is reading my Solavellan story, don't worry, it will still be updated on Friday.