MANic Monday

We're not out of the A's yet. It might be a while.

MANic Monday is my excuse to pay homage to the men in books, movies, shows, and even video games who make our hearts beat just a little bit faster. I've already introduced you to Aiden St. Delphi from Jennifer Armentrout's Half-Blood (due out sooooon) and my beloved Altair from Assassin's Creed. They have that brooding thing in common. Both are cool, calm and collected, and they make you wonder what it'd take to push them over the edge. (You'll find out with Aiden; Altair, not so much *grrr*.) Today, I'd like to lighten the mood with the pixelated sweetheart Lisa Fox and I might come to fisticuffs over one day.

Oh, where to start with our dear Alistair?

"Your desire is my command."

I have a confession to make. Alistair was the reason I bought Dragon Age Origins. Yes, I know it won Game of the Year and all that, but I've been burned by highly-praised games before, so I was hesitant. It wasn't until I hooked up with Lisa, and later Eliza, that I heard about the awesomeness of the game in general, and about Alistair's awesomeness in particular. So, I bought it.

And I fell in love.

Voiced by the ever-wonderful Steve Valentine (Crossing Jordan) Alistair isn't broody. He's not melancholy or morose. He's shy, he prefers to follow rather than to lead, and he can kick MAJOR ass on his own (because Templars are awesome that way in Dragon Age [not so much in the Assassin's Creed games]). He's incredibly witty as well. Some fabulous one-liners:

(If you initially refuse to allow Leliana to join your group when you meet her in the Dane and instead she stops you leaving Lothering)

• Warden: "Alistair, she's one Archdemon short of a blight."
• Alistair: "Yes, but she seems more... "Ooh, pretty colors!" than "Muahaha! I am Princess Stabbity! Stab, kill, kill!"  <---made me laugh until I cried

•  "What? Lead? Me? No, no, no. No leading. Bad things happen when I lead. We get lost, people die, and the next thing you know I'm stranded somewhere without any pants."
  

Also, he's a virgin. Yes. That's right. A virgin. In the game's society, Templars make vows of chastity, so ol' Al's never had women luvins. AND AND AND AND AND he woos your female player. I don't just mean Sims wooing or even Fable 2 wooing. I mean, romantic sentiments, a rose, and some very tasteful pixelated lovin'...

Also, whenever he says, "What do you need, my dear?" my heart just kinda goes, "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ZOMG." And he also tells your player he loves her. It's so sweet and kinda gushy and...*sigh*. I'm making a machine to make video game characters real. When I perfect it, I'm making myself and Lisa an Alistair apiece.

I'm gonna have to go home and play Dragon Age tonight.

And I'm gonna have to review this game *headdesk*.