Cole x Reader (A New Enemy)

Out of Character

As you walk to the tavern, murmurs of you could be heard in small groups of people.

"Is that the Inquisitor?"

"Then he/she made it through the poisin."

"Survived the fade, survived Corypheous, And now the poison no one thought she/he could get through."

A few of these people tried to approach you to see how you were feeling and after a few they became tiresome. As much as you would like to stay and talk you had to shake them off in order to get to where Cole was.

Scout Harding was at the door of the tavern, ecstatic to see you awake, "Inquisitor! You're up! Boy, am I glad you're alive. I don't think we could've  functioned without you. Not that Cullen, Josephine, and Lilliana aren't great, but you know all the bickering that would go on and..."

"I'm really sorry Scout Harding, but I am a bit busy at the moment. Could we continue this conversation later?" You cut her off before she gets too invested into conversation.

"Oh, yeah of course. It's just good to finally see you up." She stands by the door as you rush into the tavern.

In the tavern, you scan for Cole. Dorian said he was at the bar last time you saw him, but why would he be there? As a precaution you check, but he isn't there. You decide it would be most logical if he was in the attic, like he normally was, so you start marching upstairs.

On your way up a mug flies towards your head and you duck in time. It was Sera playing a game if Wicked Grace with, Cole? Well at least you found him. They played at the large table behind the railings. They both had multiple pints beside them. Some empty, some full.

"Damn! These no way I..hic..lost! You cheated you lil demon!" Sera spits.

"'Iss not cheetin if ya...hic...if ya...play fair..." Cole sputters and throws his arms around sloppily.

"Um...is Cole okay?" You walk to their table.

"Oh! Hi (Y/N). You're...hic...hmmm. You're looking good. Like...hic...ha! Here...hic...have a drink!" Sera drops her head on the table along with her cards.

"(Y/N)! You're...hic...alive! I thoguht Copper Nicks killed ya!" Cole was drunk? Is that even possible? He's a spirit after all. Isn't he? Well I guess he is part human, though you aren't sure whether he would be affected by alcohol the same way.

"Well I'm alive. Cole are you okay? I've never seen you like..." You begin but Cole interrupts.

"Well yeah...hic...I'm...buuuhh...I'm great. Sera showed me this drink. Now the voices in my head are aaalllll muffled. Like....hic....Like the feet....hic Like the feet.... Kitten paws." He holds up a pint in the air for you to see and falls back into his seat.

"I thought you liked the voices. Cole this is not like you. You use the voices to help people..."

"Help! Ha! Hic! Helping got you killed! Well...I guess not seeing as...hic...seeing as you're here." He slurs with water in his eyes.

"What are you talking about? You saved me. You stopped Copernicus from..."

"I let Copper Nicks in! Averil...hic... Averil let him in. And I let Averil in! I wanted....to help him...hic... He hid, like when you...hic...hid. I almost killed you. You didn't leave me...hic...and I almost...hic... I almost kill you!" Cole begins to break down his eyes overflowing with tears as he stares at the floor.

"Cole, please don't think that way. You had no way of know what Averil was planning if he hid from you," you walk towards him and kneel down to his sitting height, (unless you're a dwarf, otherwise you'd just walk up to him.)