Had he done this instead of trying to justify his actions--- I might have let him live. Plus, the reactions to the 'victory dance' would probably be priceless.
maybe something like--
Hawke: "Buh... wait... I... can't decide what I'm supposed to do. Is he crazy? Horny? He just keeps dancing... is this Justice... Anders.... if he's mad, is any of this their fault...?" Fenris: "You should come to expect betrayal from other mages, Hawke. They are not like you--- this one... even less so." Aveline: "That's probably the least helpful thing you could have said, Fenris. Hawke-- knock Anders in the head. It's the kindest way to put a stop to this. He'd never know." Orsino: "... and now I have seen everything. Strange. I thought I would feel better for it, not worse." Meredith: "This is proof of possession, as if we needed more! This man is infected with dancing madness. They call it 'tarantella' in Antiva... It will spread through all the mages of Kirkwall if we allow it..." Orsino: "Ahh... 'tarantella'. The Maker sends you messages in your morning gruel and in the cracks in the pavement and tells you these things. No, don't bother to deny it. I understand now." * makes spiral motion at his temple * Meredith: "Be silent, mage. Your tone is overly familiar and your opinion matters little when you can see the proof before you now." Orsino: "All I see is a madman. And now a madwoman as well." Hawke: * still watching Anders shimmy and boogie while dust rains down on them * "...Am I crazy? Horny?" Sebastian: "H-horn... HAWKE!" Hawke: * blinks slowly * "Yes?" Sebastian: "You're mesmerized." Hawke: "...mesmerized... yes." Merril: "Tis... a kind of magic. ...Perhaps." Isabela: "I've seen this before. Shake your ass, Sebastian! It's the only way to break his hold on her!" Varric: * snorts * Sebastian: "Oh, Maker... You've got to be joking." Isabela: "Out of all of us, I'm the only one who's spent time in Antiva. She's enthralled but she loves you. Pretend you're one of those Seheron silkboys. Shake your ass for Hawke and distract her or we'll all end up blowing up buildings and dancing like we've got spiders in our knickers..." Sebastian: * grave expression * "For Hawke then... Andraste forgive me." Varric: "Slick, Issy. Slick." * fistbump * Isabela: "I make the most of any situation. Hawke will thank me later. And hey, we'll all live to see it. A definite bonus."
-Meanwhile-
Cassandra: "Bullshit, Tethras." Varric: "Have it your way. But that's what * really * happened."
maybe something like--
Hawke: "Buh... wait... I... can't decide what I'm supposed to do. Is he crazy? Horny? He just keeps dancing... is this Justice... Anders.... if he's mad, is any of this their fault...?"
Fenris: "You should come to expect betrayal from other mages, Hawke. They are not like you--- this one... even less so."
Aveline: "That's probably the least helpful thing you could have said, Fenris. Hawke-- knock Anders in the head. It's the kindest way to put a stop to this. He'd never know."
Orsino: "... and now I have seen everything. Strange. I thought I would feel better for it, not worse."
Meredith: "This is proof of possession, as if we needed more! This man is infected with dancing madness. They call it 'tarantella' in Antiva... It will spread through all the mages of Kirkwall if we allow it..."
Orsino: "Ahh... 'tarantella'. The Maker sends you messages in your morning gruel and in the cracks in the pavement and tells you these things. No, don't bother to deny it. I understand now." * makes spiral motion at his temple *
Meredith: "Be silent, mage. Your tone is overly familiar and your opinion matters little when you can see the proof before you now."
Orsino: "All I see is a madman. And now a madwoman as well."
Hawke: * still watching Anders shimmy and boogie while dust rains down on them * "...Am I crazy? Horny?"
Sebastian: "H-horn... HAWKE!"
Hawke: * blinks slowly * "Yes?"
Sebastian: "You're mesmerized."
Hawke: "...mesmerized... yes."
Merril: "Tis... a kind of magic. ...Perhaps."
Isabela: "I've seen this before. Shake your ass, Sebastian! It's the only way to break his hold on her!"
Varric: * snorts *
Sebastian: "Oh, Maker... You've got to be joking."
Isabela: "Out of all of us, I'm the only one who's spent time in Antiva. She's enthralled but she loves you. Pretend you're one of those Seheron silkboys. Shake your ass for Hawke and distract her or we'll all end up blowing up buildings and dancing like we've got spiders in our knickers..."
Sebastian: * grave expression * "For Hawke then... Andraste forgive me."
Varric: "Slick, Issy. Slick." * fistbump *
Isabela: "I make the most of any situation. Hawke will thank me later. And hey, we'll all live to see it. A definite bonus."
-Meanwhile-
Cassandra: "Bullshit, Tethras."
Varric: "Have it your way. But that's what * really * happened."