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Thinking about how Lex Foster views responsibility.

Which is a crazy thing to say, I know. We meet Lex as a disgruntled teen smoking 'a bud' outside her job before her shift starts. Normally, this is based (it still is), however we get hints that she has had issues with this habit in the past AND the background that not only has she picked it back up, but she is now supplying her mother as well.

In her very first appearance we hear that when Lex was in school she struggled, seemingly with grades and attendance. Enough that Tom points out in a positive light that she was 'back in school' and 'on top of her classes'. Lex meets this flippantly, initially saying that she was hardly valedictorian, and when pushed, goes on to say the one class that Tom has proof she was doing alright in, is extremely easy and anyone can get an A.

This was the very same class that as soon as the teacher stopped showing up, her raised grades seemingly dropped low enough that her GPA tanked to a failing grade. Lex attributes her choice to drop out as being inspired by Tom so she just stopped showing up completely.

Keep in mind, Lex wants to hurt Tom here. She wants to see if any part of him actually ever cared about her. That still doesn't erase the fact that if Tom is correct, and Lex was doing better, she saw someone she respected deem school as not an important enough responsibility and moved on.

She didn't give up. This is important. In this first scene, Lex dropping out is supposed to be seen as just a teen who doesn't care about her future making a selfish decision to give up when things got hard.

But that's not the full story.

Because the musical shifts perspectives. We aren't following Tom anymore, we follow Lex. Something important to note here, is that we already know Lex arrived not only on time, but early. She had time to casually smoke outside and have a conversation with Tom before going inside to meet with her boss. I want to come back to that, but right now we're in the process of finding out more about Lex's work ethic.

"You know you've got a real attitude problem. You're snippy with customers, your no good boyfriend's always hanging around, you'd think a drop-out with a record would be grateful to have a job."

Look. Frank's not a good person. He's not meant to be. He is meant to show us how the rest of the town views Lex. Tom greets Lex with hope and positivity until she pushes him back. Then we see the themes of greed start to set in place as he tries to use her to guarantee himself a Wiggly. It establishes a complicated relationship between these two characters. (One I absolutely adore.)

Frank's opinion of her is clear from the beginning. He views her as a delinquent and makes that clear even as she tries to keep things between them light. She's patient and almost playful with Frank up until the moment he starts lecturing her. Of course we learn more about her through his expositive lecture, but we also learn just as much through her reactions. When Frank starts his lecture, there is a moment where Lex looks genuinely surprised and taken aback. It switches quickly to irritation the moment her mother and her past is brought up but importantly her demeanor only changes to hostile when Frank mentions the part of the puzzle we haven't seen yet.

Hannah.

(Quick interruption because I will always credit incredible talent when I see it, all of this is conveyed completely silently through Angela's acting. Lex doesn't have a lot of lines in Black Friday, but she's still one of the most fleshed out characters in the entire musical. The way she genuinely looks pissed and ready to swing the moment Hannah gets mentioned is insanely telling and we haven't even learned the why yet. While I'm here, the back and forth between Corey as Frank and Angela as Lex is top tier. I don't how these two managed to perfectly capture the begrudging love/hate relationship you have for your coworkers, especially in retail, but they did.)

Up until this point Lex has been sarcastic, cruel and defensive. We get an idea of how bad her home life is, but not the full story. We know she's got some sort of criminal record and we know she's dropped out of school. In the next scene, we find out she's not above stealing either.

So now let's get into meeting Ethan, and more importantly, meeting Hannah.

Because, and I know it's hard to remember, this post is about Lex's views on responsibility. As of right now, we are set to expect Lex not to be responsible. She dropped out. She's got a record. She steals. She is sarcastic with people looking out for her interests and defensive against people calling her out on her behavior.

The first thing she asks her boyfriend is: Where’s my sister?

It's established immediately that once her shock and excitement at seeing him passes her first concern is: Hannah.

We also hear this concern is not just a knee-jerk realization. She's been telling Ethan every day for 4 weeks straight that he needs to pick up her sister.

The line is glossed over quickly, because of the introduction and the way in which Ethan reassures her almost immediately that he hasn't forgotten.

But I want you to think about it for a minute.

It's clear by even this seconds long introduction scene of Ethan that Lex cares about him. We see her genuinely smile for the first time the entire day and rush over to him. Yet, her concern for her sister is still very present. So present in fact, that she's been thinking about this one moment, this one instance she trusts someone else with Hannah's wellbeing, for a month straight. We know Lex trusts Ethan. She trusts him to clear everything with the buyer. She trusts him on fixing up his car to get them out of town and across the country. She even trusts him to be the 'smarter' of the two and takes his word on how to spell 'liar'.

The fact that she has been pestering Ethan about this for as long as she has tells us Hannah is an exception. Because the rest of those things she can handle being wrong on, losing control on.

Hannah is her responsibility and we'll end up seeing just how important that responsibility is to Lex in every single appearance we follow her character.

Ok. So our delinquent has a soft spot for her sister and a chip on her shoulder about her home life. What else did we learn from this scene?

Let's go over what we know, we know that Lex being back in school is a good thing. Immediately my instinct was to assume that was because of bad attendance that she had to work on improving. However, thanks to the Tarot Cards revealed this year, we finally know exactly what Lex's record officially is. She went to juvie for arson. Now it doesn't eliminate the possibility of bad attendance but it does recontextualize what Tom meant when he said Lex was, 'back in school'.

Importantly, we see that bad attendance doesn't seem to be the case for her job either. She's shown to be on time to her shifts, if not early. Frank lets us know that her boyfriend is always hanging around, implying that he's there often, waiting for Lex. However it's not implied that Lex ever leaves her shift or shirks her work to be with him. In fact, we know Ethan gets up to trouble on his own because the cop later tells us he's not allowed in Lakeside anymore. If Lex was associated with him during whatever trouble he caused to get that ban, we can assume she would've lost her job.

We only hear Frank complain about Lex's attitude at work. Not her work ethic or any other problem we would normally associate to a teenager working a minimum wage stocking position such as laziness, tardiness or absences. Those would all be very easy to bring up to accomplish his goal of reminding her to be grateful she has a job. But he doesn't. He has to pull on her past and her family to really dig into her.

Furthermore, in this scene we hear Lex tell Ethan that he'll watch Hannah until she gets off at noon. THEN they'll leave.

The thing is, Lex HAS the doll. She has enough money to leave right then. They're getting $6,500 more than what they initially planned on leaving with. Finishing up the last few hours of her shift isn't going to make a difference now. That paycheck would not be worth it. And yet? She still doesn't leave. She takes a smoke break and goes back in to what she knows is going to be a very long and difficult shift.

Even after their fight in the loading bay, Lex comes back in with patience for Frank's over-the-topness about this 'holy day'. She holds his hand to lead him out in front of the crowd as if he's a princess, begrudgingly, of course. (The choice to sniff him here is always hilarious.) She even starts dancing with him, looking genuinely surprised and amused as he includes her before willingly making sure he's put back together in time for the doors to open.

Lex's patience for her job is crazy. She's dealing with an overbearing manager (who is acting so weird she had to make sure he wasn't the one who smoked before their shift), and a long, long line of customers. Customers who we already know aren't her strong suit. AND, as a reminder, Lex can leave at any time. She has no reason to finish her shift with a buyer lined up.

For someone who we are supposed to assume is a no-good delinquent, all signs point to Lex being a very responsible worker. For someone who we are supposed to assume is a disgruntled uncaring teenager, we've seen her weirdly caring about the adults who hurt her. Both with Tom who she tries to get to move his car so it doesn't get towed, even after his blatant attempt to use her AND to Frank who very personally laid into her after a few too many jokes.

The narrative to paint her as just another uncaring teenager is quickly falling apart. And we've only known Lex for about 15 minutes. 

We know how the rest of Black Friday goes. We know that when her and Frank are taken away by the cult and bound her first thought is about Hannah's safety. How the first time we finally see her drop the tough persona she puts on is when the mob turns to finding her sister, breaking down immediately and begging them to not hurt her.

How later on, when she's told to 'wake the warrior' she goes to the only adult she knows how to trust.

The irony of her story is that she is a kid who should fit the mold all these adults fit into, with holes she doesn't know how to fill. All these worries, all these responsibilities that are dragging these people into going insane, it doesn't work on her.

Because Lex doesn't see her responsibilities as burdens.

Let's talk about Witch in the Web.

We don't see Lex in it. We see Willabella, disguised as Lex. But Lex isn't here.

Yet we still learn a lot about Lex's view on responsibility through this episode. Specifically her responsibility to her sister. In Witch in the Web we meet Duke, aka Douglas Keane. A social worker assigned to Hannah.

We hear from him that Lex has been gone and why. She's in prison. 5 years. Picked up selling her mother's pills.

Only, selling them wasn't her idea. It was Pam's.

Lex could have faced a much shorter sentence, could have argued for her innocence, she goes so far as to confide in Duke this information but still chooses to deny it in court. Duke suggests it's because she was worried about leaving Hannah completely alone. He admits that Lex was more of a mother to Hannah than the horrible woman we finally have the displeasure of meeting in this episode ever was.

There is no nuance to this. It may have been revealed in one small conversation but Lex's love and care for her sister is evident throughout the episode.

It's in the fact that as soon as Lex goes away, the nightmares start for Hannah. It's in the fact that the reason she's able to hold the witch off for as long as she does is because Lex gave her the ukulele. (A gift Pam tries to take credit for, a gift that neither her nor the witch could ever understand. Because it's not about simply about having it. It was always about Lex being the one to give it to her.) It's in the way that Hannah's first safe space she thinks about when she's back in her mind is her room, the one she shared with Lex. In the way the happiest we see Hannah at all in the entire episode is the moment Lex comes in. The moment she comes back.

(Hi! Another talent appreciation break. Can I just say that I love Kendall's version of Hannah so so much. Genuinely in Black Friday and in WitW she kills it. Even in a format like NMT we see her give it her all and nearly steal the show away from everyone else once again. From something as small and endearing as: 'Hiya Duke.' To the infamous 'Lexi!'. I love watching Nick's little smile as Kendall builds up to the line, I also love watching Angela melt in reaction, breaking character in the most in-character way possible.)

Importantly, we learn through WitW that Lex's responsibility to Hannah is always chosen.

Their dynamic could easily fall into the trope of an older sibling burdened with taking care of their younger sibling because of a failing parent. But it doesn't. Even in Black Friday the precedent that is set that Lex chooses to care about her sister. That she doesn't see it as a burden, but rather one of the only good things she has.

That the love she has for her sister is a need.

At first I didn't know what she was to me. At first I didn't know why I cared, or why I wanted, To hold her and rock her to sleep. Did I need her more then she needed me?

This character makes me normal, I swear.

Let's move into Yellow Jacket.

Though we already knew it in Black Friday, it's more explicitly made clear here that Lex has been diligently working since she was 16. We know that she dropped out of school only a year before Black Friday takes place, but we also hear her say later that she has worked at Toyzone for 2 years. So not only did she struggle with school in general, she also willingly picked up a job while attending, juggling the two for about a year.

Yellow Jacket also reinforces the points I brought up during the breakdown of Black Friday. Lex is a hard worker. She takes her responsibility seriously. So seriously, that we now finally start seeing the cracks forming under the surface.

Lex knows she now has a debt she's going to be struggling under for a long time. She's been working for 4 years and has only managed to put away $4,000 in that time. All of it is immediately gone over the course of a single day.

That very night she pivots into taking on more responsibilities, knowing she has to get another job. Which means picking back up the studying and school work we already know she struggled with in the past. All of this on TOP of working a full-time job with some really shitty hours. We know she's being called in early, but also she seems to be closing multiple nights as well? (I don't know, Toyzone only having two employees is so fucking funny to me. Frank, what the hell are you doing man? What is the schedule? What are the hours?! How the hell are you cutting them if only 2 of you work there?!)

Also, quick aside, Lex had a savings account.

That's it. That's the whole point. I mean what more can I say? We know she's definitely living paycheck to paycheck with what money her and Ethan bring in. Which means that every single extra cent Lex earned she never even entertained the idea of spending it on herself. It was put away to be used in emergencies. We also see that later on in the episode when they DO have the extra money, Ethan is understandably thinking about filling out their new home and Lex can only think about putting that money towards her sister.

I swear I'm normal about this character.

I've already somewhat covered the Happy Birthday Hannah scene, BUT WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN. (This will not be the last time either)

The amount of stress we see Lex go into the day with is crazy. Which makes sense, she has been working her ass off for this test for probably a few weeks at this point. She knows she's forgetting something. Even stressed out and panicked, her brain won't let her forget about Hannah. Not completely.

She only barely gets off in time to make it to the test, and even then she's still late and can't get the full time.

She doesn't make it past the first question.

As soon as she realizes what day it is, Lex throws away everything she's worked herself past exhaustion for. All for a chance of trying to get something together for Hannah before the day is over. She rushes to Partyzone, all the way back across town, to drop what little money she had on something fun only to find it closed. She doesn't give up though. She finds something that could work, anything.

She comes home and waits.

When her boyfriend and her sister do return home, she is genuinely relieved to hear that Hannah had a good time. Because at the end of the day, that was all that mattered to Lex. So much so, that she can't help but blame herself for missing it. For being unable to provide the day she would have given Hannah.

Hannah is her responsibility. It's the one she chooses, every time. Even at the cost of everything she has worked for. Because of that she won't ever come home empty-handed.

Even when the best she can do, is a half-filled, stolen balloon and a lousy cupcake.

Yellow Jacket isn't done however.

Even without this absolute WALL I have typed out, even without yet another instance of Lex still going to work despite having enough money to not have to anymore, I really wouldn't have needed to do anything but point out one single line in Ethan's Letter.

You say you're irresponsible. I am too. I don't know if either of us has what it takes to protect Hannah, but she's my sister, not yours.

I think a lot about how Lex views responsibility. I think about how her character is built around the stereotypical disgruntled delinquent teen. I think about how she should fit into the mold of the adults around her. Bitter about responsibilities that are burdens, riddled with holes they don't know how to fill.

I think about how Lex views responsibility as a choice. A choice that she makes out of care, out of love. That responsibility is sacrifice and it's one she makes willingly.

Lex views responsibility as something she isn't capable of, despite everything she does to prove the contrary.

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You ever think about how Lex Foster canonically holds a gun like she's allergic to it? Or the fact that Alice Woodward has an almost supernatural ability to shoot bullseyes as easy as breathing?

Because as someone who wants to push these two characters together like dolls and see how they interact, I sure have.

And I'll tell you what. The result is gay as hell.

You can read about it in the newest chapter of my 'Pushing the Caliwood Agenda' fic. This chapter also features some other little potential ship details I think many people might be sleeping on.

Check it out. You know you want to. See my vision.

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NOTICE: As more and more fanfic writers are using generative AI for their works (you uncreative dweebs), I hereby swear on everything I hold dear that I have not and will NEVER use generative AI in ANY of my written work. Everything I post will be organically and creatively my own.

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Smoke rolled overhead as the late night breeze brought in the smell of ash. It wasn't just the mall that had caught fire. There were columns of smoke rising out all over the city.

Lex watched the adults move around her warily, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that might still be lingering in the back of their minds. Deep down she knew that Wiggly's presence had been all but burned away, but the night had been long and there were several things she would rather avoid thinking about.

Possibly forever.

Black Friday. The Shopping Day from Hell. Lex Foster made it through only to find her entire world changed in a single night. In the aftermath she's left to figure out what's left.

So people were too nice to me on the one-shot I posted. There are some dynamics that I feel like are just being slept on in this fandom and I want to see them.

Anyways. Comments work and while I am fueled by spite, I am also fueled by nice words. Also when people tell me some form of: 'Lex and Alice together never occurred to me, but they're cute!'

Feels like I’m doing something right.

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With TGWDLM's reprise on the horizon, I've been seeing a couple of posts about the Guy timeloop theory. Which is great! Especially with the Reprise trailer there's a lot more evidence and fun to be had with it. (I personally subscribe to the in-universe Pokey sponsored musical myself though.)

But I did want to check in with the fandom to make sure people are aware that there is a timeloop musical in the Hatchetfield Trilogy. One that I feel a lot of people might miss because you're designed to forget the biggest piece of evidence unless you're paying attention. Unless you rewatch it.

If you don't already know where I'm going with this, do me a favor. Right now. Open up Black Friday on youtube, or even pull up the cast album and click the very very first song (Prologue). You only have to play it for a few seconds at most. Now, tell me what you hear.

Because the answer should be ticking.

The musical starts, with ticking.

Which, ok, the countdown for renowned American holiday, Black Friday, is something that we do (unfortunately) see in the real world. People wait outside for doors to open, for sales to drop etc.

The thing is, this ticking and the musical accompaniment that eventually starts up is meant to parallel the exact same ticking and theme we hear again at the end of the night. At the end of the musical. If it was just supposed to be a thematic opening title sequence made for the pro-shot release, then why is it included on the cast album? The other two musicals in the trilogy don't include their title card sequence in their cast album. Prologue's inclusion tells me that parallel is purposeful. This is supposed to tell us something.

But ok. Musicals are meant to carry musical themes throughout them. That could reasonably explain the theme being played at the beginning and at the end. Just a thematic nod. The ticking itself could be explained by it referencing the count down to the sale of Wiggly (and the resulting chaos) in the beginning and the countdown to flip the day at the end. Both are reasonable and would fit within the story Black Friday tells.

So if I want to seal this theory, I should probably be bringing something else to the table. If only I had a song... with lyrics that loop. With lyrics that literally ask the question: Will tomorrow come today?

Oh. Huh. Would you look at that...

Well since you already either have the cast album up, or the musical itself up, go ahead and do yourself a favor and listen to What if Tomorrow Comes again. Besides the fact that Kendall absolutely kills it (the whole cast does actually), really listen to the lyrics. Because you'll probably notice little gems such as:

Do you all see the memories, tomorrow, reminds me.

What if tomorrow comes and takes the night away?

And of course:

Will tomorrow come today?

If you still want more, trust me, I got it. Take a look at this:

The choreography in this moment specifically has almost everyone on stage look down at their hands, almost as if 'waking up', almost as if realizing something. Remembering something. (God I wish I could get my hands on a copy of the digital ticket and see the full number. Kendall gets her deserved spotlight in this moment for the pro-shot but I just love this musical so much and would love to see the full stage and every little detail they put into the show.)

So. If you're now on board with where I'm going with this, then I suppose we need a reason for the loop to be occurring in the first place. Something or someone needs to have triggered it.

Black Friday is specifically and unapologetically Wiggly's musical. The Lang brothers have confirmed and reinforced that fact on various livestreams. Also, I mean, we see him so much. So while The Bastard of Time and Space would be a fitting culprit for trapping a bunch of people into repeating the same horrible day over and over, I don't think that's what we're meant to be inferring.

So if it's not Tinky, then who else would even fit as a suspect?

Gosh, if only there was one other character who every time their powers have been described by the Lang brother's, either in livestreams or narrated in released media, as having the ability to 'reach through space and time' and oh...

Oh.

Oh pookie. You really are the biggest walking tragedy Hatchetfield has ever seen.

Now. To be clear. I don't think Lex triggers the loop on purpose or even fully by herself. I mean, she really wouldn't know how nor do I believe she would even want to. But through existing lore we already know that Lex's powers will end up triggering on their own when Hannah's life is in danger. (Read about said lore and the trivia question it stems from in this wonderful post here.) And I don't know about you, but I can't think of a more dangerous and lethal situation than the possibility of nuclear retaliation.

Let's combine that knowledge with the fact that Hannah's powers have been confirmed by Willy boy himself to be alike to a nuclear power plant in terms of potential. Throw in two absolutely terrified magical sisters whose goal is not to be separated, and I think there's a very reasonable case to be made that Lex's powers to bend space and time probably activated the moment they heard that whirring noise at the end of the night.

That they not only activated, but were actually heightened to such a degree by Hannah's own powers that it kick-started a timeloop, resetting everyone back to the start of the day without any memory of the tragedy that awaits them in the mall. Every time they do reach the end of the night, Hannah realizes the loop and helps everyone else to see it too. That the real reason the survivors all huddle around and wait for the night to flip over together is because it hasn't yet.

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A whistle cracked through the air, splintering the silence of the night. Lex's blood turned to ice. Her eyes flicked back towards the house for just a moment as she pulled Hannah behind her and faced the trees.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Naughty List herself." A familiar voice called out as Lex swallowed.

There was no one in front of them.

"Was wondering when you would finally show up." It drawled, a hint of irritation behind it's otherwise smooth delivery. "But I suppose a gift like yours is worth the wait."

Her heart thudded heavily in her throat as Hannah pulled at her sleeve.

"Cross." Her sister whispered, her voice choked with fear.

Literally Lex Foster has been rotating around in my head for 2 months straight now. And with the Lex brainrot comes story ideas. Specifically, a what-if scenario of what would happen after the events of Black Friday happen and the world doesn't end. I'm not saying I have 50k written for it already... but I am also saying that, yes. Anyways, I was really proud of this small scene and figured it stood well enough on it's own to post. 

Psst psst, Caliwood shippers. There's stuff in there for you. (Did you know there's like, 5 fics tagged Caliwood?! Really makes me want to finish whatever the fuck this monster of a fic will be. Since the whole thing started as a Lex character study and the slowest of burns possible for Caliwood.)

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I am not immune to making shitty Game Changer memes.

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I love Starkid and their costumes. I love that the same actor can play several different characters all existing in the same universe and you can see a man come out in a suit and know that's just Paul. Not Richie, who we saw earlier. Or Wiggly, as we'll see later.

No. That's definitely Paul. Look at his suit!!

All of this is to say that despite my appreciation, I still have a bone to pick with them. Specifically, because it took until my 3rd watchthrough of Yellow Jacket to finally clock that Lex's fucking beanie is yellow.

Which sure. Duh. It's the title of the video and the song that both mention the color.

But Lex very specifically is NOT Yellow Jacket.

Lex is a character with an established outfit consistenting of dark grey's and blacks. In her debut, she has black and silver rings and black nail polish. She's built to be coated in these dark colors. The bright pink of her Toyzone vest is meant to seem jarring by comparison. Like she's fit into something that isn't her.

So let's take that analysis and look again at Yellow Jacket's music video.

Lex is in her home environment and is, of course, rocking all blacks now. Black pants and a black shirt. She even has a black bracelet on. The pop of color as she pulls on the yellow beanie actually blends in very well with the lighting of the rest of the video, for everything to take on a dusty yellow-ish 'trailer' visual. But that doesn't take away from the fact that the beanie is still a very unique addition to her wardrobe.

That is until you realize that the color itself is not unique to the Foster family.

The only colorful clothing item we see Lex own and willingly wear is a beanie that just so happens to be her sister's favorite color?

Yeah. In a world where outfit design IS part of the character, that isn't just a coincidence. It isn't just a fun nod to the title of the video and song.

It's almost as if Lex bought it, knowing it might make Hannah smile. Almost as if Hannah is the pop of color in her life. One she willingly accepts and loves.

And fuck if that knowledge doesn't do something to my already fragile emotions regarding these two sisters.

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Because I have mental illness, and it's hanging on by a thread and the Dragon Age brainrot, I've been writing a lot about Neve and (my) Rook. Specifically developing Rook as a character while working on nailing down writing Neve more consistently. I've never struggled so much writing in the voice of my favorite character as I have with Neve. (Did you think all those analysis posts of mine were JUST for Neve appreciation? Nah! They were case studies!) 

Anways, @antivan-sprig created a list of some really compelling and incredibly fun Rook Mythology Asks. Link here. Go give them some love!!  

While I've since answered all of them, the prompt for Eris was so compelling to me that I just had to expand the original answer (627 words) into a full blown scene (almost 4k words long). It turned out much better than I thought it would, so I figured I'd put it somewhere in case someone might appreciate some soft and vulnerable Neve x Rook nonsense and some light angst of what would happen when a former slave owner asks a former slave who she thinks should be the next Archon.  

Eris: Does Rook ever have any disagreements with any NPCs/Companions 

Neve leaned against the bookshelf as she took a moment to listen to Rook's laughter echoing from within the shop. She hadn't been deaf to the irritation Rook had been trying to keep under wraps for the better part of the evening. It was a small relief knowing that even while she had been busy, Rook had still managed to find somewhere to relax. 

"No. No way." Rook's voice rumbled from the other side of the shop. 

"Arent you the one who was curious about Ferelden culture?" Loreli's voice asked.  

"There's no way you guys call cheese 'knickers' because you serve it in: 'the softest cloth you own'. Even for Ferelden's that just doesn't make any sense." Rook laughed.  

"You aren't messing with us again, are you?" Bren's voice cracked as the Quanari genuinely sounded close to irritated.  

There was a beat of silence as Neve could tell the elven merchant was carefully considering her answer. 

"Is it really messing with you if it's funny?" 

Rook howled as Neve heard Bren sigh. 

"I suppose that's on us then buddy. We might actually have to crack open a history book or something one of these days." Rook conceded as Neve peeled herself off the shelf and started to walk into the room.  

The sound of her prosthetic echoing in the small space caused the trio to turn and face the newcomer. The shopkeeper herself was lounging against her counter as Bren knelt on the floor and put away various odds and ends on the shelf.  

Rook had taken up a position on top of a smaller bookcase, her legs swinging over the side as she sat up straight.  

"Neve! Done looking through all the stuff with Rana?" Rook asked as her shoulders stiffened, her tone even. 

It wasn't as if Rook wasn't excited to see her. Neve could see it in the way those mismatched eyes lit up when they saw her enter. However, it was impossible to hide the rest of her body language. To hide the unasked question behind the one that was aired. If Neve was done sorting through the evidence they had collected then that likely meant her time avoiding what was in the next room was over. 

"For now. Rana has a new case she asked for some help collecting information on. Up for a walk?" Neve offered with a half-smile.  

Rook seemed to light up at the thought, jumping down from the bookcase with a thud that rattled the display Bren had been working on. He shot Rook a dry look as the elf merely grinned apologetically.  

"I'm sure you won't mind if I take her off your hands?" Neve asked, turning to Loreli.  

"Please." Bren groaned as Rook and the shopkeeper laughed.  

"You two stay safe. Or I'll go and get Lace." 

"And tell her what? That you were lying to people about Ferelden cheese? I'd be more worried for your safety at that point." Rook smirked as Neve rolled her eyes with a smile.  

"Come on, Trouble."  

"Yes ma'am." Rook smiled as she dutifully followed Neve out the door.  

They walked out into the street beyond the shop, Rook waving hi to Tick and pretending to be interested in Ret's 'treasures'. It had become a custom for her every time they visited. Neve watched as Ret glared at Rook as she leaned in a bit too close to the closest thing that could be counted as shiny in his cart. Holding up her hands in mock surrender, Rook turned around stiffly, as if his threats meant something and the man smiled atop his cart, unaware of the ruse meant to give him that exact satisfaction.  

Rook caught up quickly to where Neve had stopped as she swiped some rain water out of her hair. As if that would stop her from getting soaked anyways. 

"Alright, what's the case? Who are we visiting first?" The elf asked eagerly. 

Neve knew that if Rook had her way, they wouldn't be going back to the shop any time soon. She watched those mismatched eyes look at her with an eager earnestness that caused the detective's heart to stutter in her chest.   

If Neve had her way, she would've ignored Ashur's request to have Rook back to the shop at all today. 

Sighing, Neve simply turned and started walking down the alley they had walked together countless times now. The Shadows had agreed to let Neve have a bit of time, but she knew as well as they did just how urgent a decision such as this was. The longer they waited, the more ground was lost. There was only one person they all trusted to have a clear head about Tevinter's possible future.  

It was the same person who was now leaning over and petting one of the many strays that had become a little too used to Rook's signature neck scratches. 

"It's the case of what we're getting for dinner. And I have just the place to start looking." 

"Why do we need clues? I could've answered that for Rana back at the shop myself." Rook laughed as she gave the cat one last scratch under its chin before standing up and moving towards the docks. 

"Are you saying you don't want to spend the time looking with me?" Neve teased back. 

Together they passed the Lamplighter, the paper vendor outside looking between Rook and Neve with a knowing smile. Neve had noticed a lot more of those same knowing smiles since bringing Rook back from skipping rocks that very first time. 

Her mouth dried at the thought, her eyes darting around them as they walked through the familiar streets. The idea that others could see her, that they could see Rook and know how happy she made her, it certainly wasn't comforting. It had been weeks since they had put Aelia away and Dock Town had fallen back into it's normal routine of misery. But how long would that last? How long until- 

"You know if you wanted to take me on a date, you could've just asked."  Rook asked, her hand snaking down to hold Neve's as her voice brought her back to the present. 

"Is that not what I did?" Neve playfully bumped into the warrior as Rook's own steps lightened. 

"Oh no, you led me out of the shop on false pretenses of helping Rana. I can't imagine what she'd think of you using her name to lie to her favorite person in the whole world."  

Neve hid her smirk in her shoulder as she could feel Rook grinning at her. She knew better than to boost Rook's ego by acknowledging just how charming she could be. 

"I have some rather bad news for you if you think that's the case. Rana has a new favorite person, and it's certainly not either of us. You remember Warden Vesta?" 

Rook gasped, drawing the attention, and ire, of some of the nearby shoppers as they made their way through the northern markets. Her hand dropped from the hold as it tapped excitedly at her side. 

"Wait, really?"  

"Not that she's said anything outright. But Rana has never been subtle about hiding her feelings. Doesn't take a detective to realize that our dear friend has a crush."  

"Oh like you're the master of hiding feelings. If I recall, most nights I left you gripping the furniture simply with a few smooth lines." Rook teased back gently as Neve raised an eyebrow. 

As if they both hadn't both been a complete mess about that. 

"Careful, Trouble." Neve warned quietly, smirking at the way Rook's eyes widened with the familiar tone change. "I have quite a few stories that involve you gripping onto more furniture for far more... interesting reasons." 

"And ruin my shining reputation? You wouldn't Gallus." Rook feigned offense while Neve couldn't help but see the blush now growing on her face and down her neck. 

"I suppose I can play nice. If you buy the fish." Neve conceded as Rook led the way down the steps leading to the Swan.   

The elf's ear twitched as they passed the front door, listening for whoever was performing for the night. Neve knew that tonight was Cida's night off, and saw it reflected in the way Rook's shoulders slouched just slightly with the realization. It was for the best, Neve mused. After all, they were expected back before the night was over and Cida's shows always went late. 

Though that wasn't always because of the singer herself. 

"I suppose that's fair payment for sparing me." Rook shrugged as they walked up to wait in line at Hal's. 

Since Rana had rebuilt his cart with brighter colors and nicer silk accents, Neve had definitely noticed the uptick in customers. Something she was relieved to know had been easing Hal's worries about money. Even if it was just slightly. Rook knew the deal by now, sliding over the money first as Hal merely shot them both a dry look before adding a few extra vegetables to the ends of both of their sticks. He sent them away with a smile and told them that they didn't owe him for the next visit.  

"Sure Hal. Next time." Rook lied in an echo of Neve's usual line. 

As they walked away, Neve allowed herself a small moment of vulnerability. It wasn't as if everyone on these docks hadn't seen them grab fish together before. Once clear from the lines of the small market, Neve leaned over on Rook's shoulder, her head resting gently in the crook of her neck. Rook leaned almost immediately back into her, turning her head as she placed a gentle kiss to Neve's rain-soaked temple. 

"Let's go somewhere quieter." Rook whispered gently, tapping her forehead to Neve's before straightening.  

The walk back through the city streets was quiet as Rook led them to the grey stony beach they always went to gather rocks on. The sounds of the bustling markets faded away as they passed through the old wooden cottage that had fallen to ruin. Rook held up the remains of an old cloth doorway as Neve slipped through to the other side. The view here was almost equal to the view on the docks, though it was noticeably much quieter, tucked behind the cliffs that bordered the edge of Docktown. Neve watched the ships float lazily in and out of the port. Rook's eyes went to the slaver's cages, still laying destroyed against the sand. Their bars had quickly rusted from the spray of the sea. 

"We need to bring Taash here. Get these things burned to ash." Rook growled, swiping away the water that had gathered on one laying half buried. 

She sat atop it as she took a bite of her fish, closing her eyes as a lazy smile made it's way onto her face. 

"Eventually. For now they make a good enough warning I think." 

"Don't let your tools rust?" Rook asked dryly, swallowing her bite as her eyes darkened, looking around them. 

"Good advice, not the point I was going for though."  

"I know. I'm sorry. Just..." Rook sighed heavily as Neve heard the groan of old metal shift as Rook jumped down. "It's been a long day." 

"It's not over yet." Neve reminded her. 

As much as Neve wanted to simply take Rook away from all the reminders that caused her so much pain, they both knew that wasn't the life they lived.  

"I really wish it would be." Rook said quietly as she moved to stand next to Neve. Her eyes were on the horizon. "It feels like they're taking the cheap way out, making me choose. As if my opinion matters any more than Loreli's or Bren's or even Tick's." 

"Maybe. Or maybe it's because you think of them first that they trust you."  

Rook breathed out her nose in a short laugh. Her free hand slicked back her rain-soaked hair, spraying the excess to the ground as she sighed.  

"He's just never going to see it, will he?" Rook asked quietly. 

Through the sounds of the harbor, the creaking of wood and the gentle lapping of the waves on the coast, Neve still made out the way Rook's voice cracked. It didn't take much to figure out just how Rook really felt about Magister Pavus. Anyone could see the way her entire demeanor would change when he was near. The way she bristled at him when his eyes were adverted. The way she almost physically hid herself behind her companions when he would approach. 

Rook had once told her that she had been lucky. That she ended up with a family that treated her well. Knowing what she knew now, Neve knew it was simply another of Rook's lies. One she had told herself many times. 

Dorian challenged the very morals that Rook had developed to cope in a life outside of servitude. That a person could so fundamentally change in their views. That someone like Dorian could be trusted to fight for freedom, despite having once held a similar position of power over people who had been just like her.   

"Rook..." Neve started, unsure of what to say. 

"I tried making them see how bad of an idea it is. I mean, you probably heard how well that turned out." Rook continued, saving her with a small sheepish smile. 

"It has been awhile since you and Tarquin last went at it." 

"Yeah, well, of course he'd be for Magister Pavus's plan." Rook mumbled. She took another bite of her fish before her shoulders fell from her ears as she sighed. "Though, I can't really blame him. It's exactly the same shit I would come up with." 

"It would work." Neve admitted with more certainty then she had felt when Dorian first suggested his tactic. "Rana and I found plenty of evidence. Things that nobody would want getting out. Magister or otherwise. The Shadows could take the entire Magisterium in just a few short weeks using it." 

"It would be what they deserve. They deserve to know exactly the sword hanging over their heads. Some of them deserve to have that sword drop." Rook growled as her eyes darkened. "Either way, it would get results. And anything is better than letting it stay like this."  

Rook's head turned to glare at the cages that had been gathered, her foot lifting to kick sharply at the one closest to them, the rusted metal bending and snapping with the force.  

"But?" Neve asked, recognizing the hesitation behind the anger.   

"But that's just the way Tevinter has worked for a long time now... isn't it?" Rook continued quietly, still facing away from Neve as she stared down at the cage beside her. 

Her eyes were on the flecks of the rust that had been knocked loose with her kick as they scattered into the surrounding grey sand. The metal mixed with the water as the tide rose in the late evening, staining the entire area around it in red. 

"Mae's approach is nice to think about. It's what the rest of Minrathous actually deserves. It would make for one hell of a story, but it's one that could take years to write." 

"And we don't even know if it would work." Neve added, her eyes following the stained water as it returned to the harbor with the pull of the waves. 

It was getting late. The ships coming in for the day had all but stopped, their hulls rocking with the increased force of the evening tide. Neve knew that Mae had been given a chance before. When her and Dorian first formed the party that eventually became the current group of Shadow Dragons. It didn't work back then, there was no guarantee it would now. Even with all the information they had.  

Still Neve couldn't fight the part of her heart that beat just a little faster as she let herself consider the possibility that it might. 

"I know it would." Rook said gently, her voice so full of confidence that it pulled Neve's eyes to her.  

"And you know the people of Tevinter?" Neve asked, her voice light and teasing. 

"You showed me them." Rook said genuinely, her eyes meeting Neve's as they sparkled in the setting sun.  

For a moment, Neve felt her shoulders fall. Her brow unfurrowed as she focused on Rook's face, letting the rest of the world fall away. She recognized the foreign feeling growing in her chest as a rare moment where she felt completely safe. It was in the way Rook was looking her right now, seeing everything that she was and feeling seen in return.  

Neve smiled as she shook her head, her eyes closing as she breathed out her nose in a laugh.  

And Rook wondered why people always seemed to trust her.  

"So you're dragging me into this decision now?" Neve tried to deflect, finding it difficult to catch her breath fully. 

"If they're so annoyingly insistent that my voice matters enough to make this decision, then I would like to hear your opinion on it, yes." 

"And why's that?"  

"Because this is your city." Rook smiled as Neve rolled her eyes. Seeing as it was ineffective, Rook took another step forward and grabbed Neve's free hand, her thumb rubbing up and down in a comforting, familiar way. "Because your opinion matters to me. More so than anyone else's. You are the one who really fights for them. The Shadows, me? We're just trying our best to help." 

"You guys do alright." Neve shrugged, feeling her face heat up with Rook's words. She could still feel Rook waiting for her to answer.  

"I've known Mae for a long time. I still remember the excitement behind the moment she first claimed her father's seat. We felt it all the way down here in Dock Town. She's never been afraid to let the city see her and she's always been working for the people, even after she lost her seat." Neve mused quietly. She sighed as she closed her eyes, trying to find her own feelings in the sea of doubts.  

"I think it would be nice to see what she could do from the very top." 

Rook squeezed her hand in thanks before dropping it, sighing deeply. She took another bite of her fish as she stared back towards the setting sun.  

"I think so too." Rook said quietly as if letting Neve in on secret. "But... what if it doesn't work? What if I choose wrong?" 

"Then I suppose we won't be getting a retirement any time soon." Neve mused as Rook choked on her fish. 

"Neve Gallus retire?" Rook coughed as she doubled over, trying to catch her breath and dislodge the bit of food that had somehow become trapped in her throat.  

"And what's so unbelievable about that?" Neve narrowed her eyes. 

Wiping her mouth and face from her near death experience, Rook's eyes widened as she realized how much trouble she might be in. 

"You'd just be bored! So bored." She pleaded her case as Neve raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to Rook. 

She traced an icy finger down the center of Rook's chest, enjoying Rook's sheepish face turn to a blushing mess with just the light touch. Rook was only slightly smaller than her, but there were times that Neve really enjoyed looking down into her eyes. 

"I could think of a few things I could do to entertain myself." 

"And uh... those would be?" Rook stumbled over her words as she couldn't tear her eyes away from the detective's lips.  

Those same lips parted in a sly smile as Neve simply bent forward and gently broke the tension by placing a soft kiss to Rook's forehead. She felt as the elf's body finally unwound itself, melting into the gentle touch. Her eyes were closed as Neve gently swiped some rainwater off of the face paint Rook was always religious about applying, thankful that it didn't smear as she did.  

"They're waiting for us to come back." Neve spoke gently, her hand lingering on Rook's face. 

"I know." Rook sighed as her eyes slowly opened to meet Neve's. "Mind being there with me? To make sure I don't snap at Ashur again? Tarquin's fine. I'm pretty sure yelling is just his love language, but for a man named The Viper, Ashur always looks more like a kicked puppy when he gets yelled at." 

Neve shook her head as she smiled. 

"I was already planning on it Trouble."  

"Do we need to bring back some fish for Rana?"  

"If you do that you'll need to bring some back for everyone." Neve warned. 

Rook was stalling, and Neve knew that. As much as Neve knew they both had a responsibility to get back sooner than later, she couldn't bring herself to rush Rook.  

They stayed on the beach, watching the sun set down below the water. Eventually when Rook was ready to move again, they made their way back through the streets and nightlife that had emerged in their time tucked away from the city. Back to the shop and the decision that would determine Tevinter's foreseeable future.  

It was a terrifying prospect. Yet it wasn't the one that sent a shiver down Neve's spine, watching as Rook delivered her decision with a confidence that Neve knew wasn't honest. The fate of the city she had given her entire life to wasn't what kept her up that night, a pit growing in her stomach as her mind refused to think about anything else. 

They had spent the rest of that night with the Shadow Dragons, planning out the next several weeks, but Neve couldn't recite what they discussed would take place when. 

All she knew is that at some point, Rook had stopped the conversation to discuss their plans for the eclipse and how they would work around it. They had a mostly intact plan, and Rook bounced several ideas for distractions back and forth with both Ashur, Tarquin and Mae with ease. Dorian had several suggestions as well that Rook was able to take in stride almost as seamlessly as the others. The entire time they discussed it however, Neve couldn't shake a familiar and growing dread.  

They still had so much time, yet it still felt like they were being rushed. With every passing second Neve knew her feelings towards Rook only grew more and more treacherous.    

The eclipse was coming... and Neve knew she wasn't ready to say goodbye

[polar534]

Hi! I want to talk about the missive Neve Gallus sends Rook: After the Dragon.

I want to talk about how there are 2 versions of the letter. I want to talk about how important both letters are as an insight into her character and who she is as a person. I want to talk a lot about this letter. So much so that I'm probably going to have to write 2 posts. I have TRIED to talk about both of the major take-aways I got from reading the letters in one cohesive long post. It didn't work. The problem is there is something this letter addresses very directly that I want to talk about and something that both versions of the letter can add to the overall narrative of Neve as a companion. To talk about both in one post would muddy the discussion I'd like to have on each.

So let's start with the less dense takeaway first.

Neve Gallus does not mention the Shadow Dragons at all in her missive she sends while she is away.

'But Polar!' I hear you cry (or maybe you don't, I'm not a cop), 'That's because her trust in Rook has been shaken! That's because the Shadow Dragons were all but wiped out due to the Venatori! That’s because Neve doesn't know the state they're currently in!

Well. No. While all those points are fair conclusions to draw in a normal narrative sense, I don't believe that's what the writers intended.

Neve would know the state the Shadows are in, she has connections with them that she will mention getting ahold of them in ambient dialogue and in conversations you have with her after she returns. Yes it is true that so many Shadows end up dead because of the Ventatori takeover, but the faction is still functioning albeit at a much smaller scale then it was previously. Rook is still allied with them as a group at the end of the day, even when the Viper is taken into custody and set for execution.

And most importantly, Neve absolutely still trusts Rook.

How do I know?

Because in both versions of the letter Neve will mention 3 people who, and I cannot stress this enough, have absolutely zero impact on the main story of Veilguard. (Rana can be argued as a potential ally given the letter she'll send at the end of the game but I will touch upon that later.)

Both letters are written by Neve to inform Rook of the small family of people she trusts and cares about. Something, Neve, 'If Aelia knows what my heart wants, she'll take it', Gallus would not write down and send to someone she didn't trust.

However, that unwavering trust and faith in Rook is going to be saved for the second, somehow longer, post I'll eventually get to. Instead, for now, I want to focus on this small Dock Town group that Neve finds so important that she will mention them in both letters. Even if Rook never bothered to meet them.

We'll start where Neve starts, with Templar Rana Savas.

Rana is notably the only one exempt from the: 'You never have to meet her.' rule. She is a part of the main story questline. How absolutely fitting that the one person Neve always seems to bring up is the one person Rook cannot avoiding meeting as well. Now, I've never read Tevinter Nights, (I'm so sorry Brianne Battye, I love your work so much though, obviously, and I will pick it up eventually) but I do know that, importantly, in Neve's debut to the series as a whole, Templar Rana Savas is right there with her.

I believe she is meant to be, on the very very surface level, the 'straight-man' cop to Neve's 'wild-card' PI. A dynamic that is already beloved for a reason. The thing is however, as with all notable 'noir' theming in Neve's storyline, it is a stereotypical base, the very basic starting point, for what is much deeper character development and motivations just under the surface.

Going back to the The Smuggled Relic Case that you meet Rana through in the main story, it's important for me to note that even if you skip past all of Rana's dialogue, you CANNOT skip the fact that Neve has overworld dialogue that will tell you about who Rana is. Notably it plays during a section that you cannot accidently trigger any other dialogue cues to happen during. (Trust me on this one, I've been working on a speedrun category that mostly just focuses on the first part of the game – shout out The Silent Caw % that like only 3 people in the world know about.) It doesn't matter how fast you move, Neve's going to tell you two very important things to know about Rana.

She's clean.

She's reliable.

Importantly you'll hear Neve, expects the worst in everybody, people always let you down, say that Rana is an exception.

Neve will go so far as to freely admit going to Rana when she needs someone to trust. Something that is only revealed later on in her questline when she'll tell you about how when Aelia first escaped, Neve tracked her down, but went looking for someone she could trust before going in after her. That person being Rana.

Brom only got involved because Neve found him first.

The thing is, this care and trust is not one-sided. Rana cares about Neve as much as Neve cares about her. When she sees Neve tracking this Red Lyrium deal, she expresses concern that Neve is going at it once again, alone (funny considering that's literally Neve's line when she finds out Rana is working the same case), and she'll regard Rook with suspicion and ask if they are someone that Rana (and Neve) can trust.

Which I want to do a quick aside as to why this suspicion is important. It's safe to assume Rana has known Neve for a long time now. While she's never detailed about the the how and why, a lot of Neve's stories back at the Lighthouse involve a client fucking her over. Like, a frankly concerning amount of them. Which of course, Neve is going to take in stride, (Until she doesn't. Re: 'It feels like the city itself stabs me in the back.'), she's used to it after all. Or at least she's supposed to be anyways.

So I do believe it's less Rana being a naturally suspicious person and more that she is only suspicious when it comes to Neve and the possibility of her getting hurt on seemingly her quest to become Dock Town's Dutiful Matyr. Something that can only be further proved by interacting with Rana out in the world after this quest, where she'll consistently greet Rook and their companions warmly throughout the game, no matter your choices.

Rana has to secure the area for the safety of the public and Neve knows that's exactly what she'll do, going so far as to point it out when she feels like Rana is trying to get too involved in what Neve sees as the more dangerous part of the job. Notably in this scene we see that she trusts Rana with the safety of Dock Town's people. Something our girl obviously has some serious AND JUSTIFIABLE issues doing with just anyone. Rana however, despite Neve's attempts at distance, makes sure she gets the location Neve is heading next, telling her that she'll be there for back-up just as soon as she can.

And then low and behold, in the boss fight Rana DOES show up!

This is something we know isn't normally the case in Neve's life. The boss fight banter that plays between Neve and Rana shows just how often of an occurrence this is for them, with neither of them seeming particularly surprised that the other is there. (It's very cute, please go back and play it if you have time. The Smuggled Relic case is one of the more satisfying main story quests to run through fast.)

Rana and Neve sincerely care about one another. They're truly the 'best friends but would never admit it' trope more than the 'noir' themed trope that you might first assume.

They are truly each others most special-est pain in the ass.

If you don't track down Aelia by the end of the game, just like with all the other end-game affected companion questlines, you'll receive a letter from the faction leaders warning Rook and the companion of what has happened. All the faction leaders except Ashur. Because it's Rana who sends Neve's letter. It's Rana that writes to warn Rook and Neve just how bad things are. It's Rana that pleads with Neve to stay safe, to stay alive, because she knows exactly the kind of person Neve is.

But Rana isn't the only one mentioned in the After the Dragon Missive. (I just think she's just arguably the most important one.)

Elek Tavor is pretty overlooked as a whole when it comes to Neve's storyline and the posts I've read through. Which is unfortunate, because this specific Missive concretes the fact that Elek is still very, very important to Neve. I find his relationship to Neve almost as interesting as Rana's, even if it's not nearly as detailed. There are only 3 Codex entries that involve him, with each one revealing just a bit more about why Neve would care about this person who she introduces as merely her Thread contact. Aside from that, he is featured frequently in her Questline. So much so that on the surface it feels like he could be the flipside of the coin for Rana, with both meant to represent the two directions Neve is being pulled in. Do things the right way and let people have hope that it will stick, or get down and dirty and make sure the 'right thing' gets done no matter what.

However, I don't think that specific different side of a coin comparison is fair to either Elek OR Rana as characters. (I really believe it's better done later on in the game anyways with the choice between Dorian or Maevaris)

Keep in mind, Rana is the one who very much volunteers to go behind her bosses back to make sure Aelia doesn't get away. It was entirely her idea. Not exactly a 'by the books' way of achieving one's goal. And Elek has a note you can find in-game that grants mercy to someone who compromised and endangered one of the Thread's biggest operations (a private table) by inviting a Venatori. Which is a surprising loose end coming from a literal Crime Syndicate built around secrecy.

This isn't the only instance where you'll see a more merciful side to a the con-man either. In Neve's first official companion quest, he'll stop pursuing a con the moment he is caught, saving face, but also, importantly, dropping the potential mark. Finding Elek outside of the Cat Café lets you have some really interesting and revealing conversations with him that you can otherwise completely miss, even when running through Neve's full questline. Let's take for example, the 10 high-quality, broken, mage staffs he'll ask Rook to take off his hands. Notably, at this point Elek would know that Rook is wise to his scams, even if Neve isn't with them at the moment. He's not trying to scam Rook here. He admits that they are broken. When Rook obviously follows up on that point, he'll let them in on the fact that it's the fault of a new Thread. And here I want to really focus on just the ridiculous number of these staffs that are broken. It's safe to assume that if Elek was being honest on the fact that they were broken, he's probably being honest about the fact that the staffs are high quality.

The Threads are based in Dock Town, it's where their 'Market' is. Dock Town is primarily a lower-class neighborhood, full of Soporati in a city where the only way to be truly successful is to be a Mage. Elek would know just how much revenue is lost in having just 1 staff return to the Threads broken. Now here he is trying to pawn off 10 to help save a job he wasn't even a part of. He might be a little rat-boy conman, but he's also letting people escape the city with their lives and protecting new hires even when they fuck up royally. During the first time meeting him, he'll show you that his loyalty is to the city first and not exactly to his boss.

Almost immediately after he will be sure to assure Neve that whenever he finds out something, he's always going to share the information with her. That she'll be the 'first to know'. But this isn't just something he'll say just for a quick platitude, he goes so far as to back that assurance twice in Neve's questline.

The first instance is in The Cobbled Swan case. Where the only thing he wants from Neve in return for some relatively MASSIVE information is her assurance that she isn't about to make things worse for his people by taking in back-up.

Elek knows Neve isn't about to go in alone in a literal sense. Rook is standing right there. But he's as much of a realist as Neve is about what might count as 'help' in Dock Town. He knows that even Neve's cleanest Templar buddy should not be trusted with going into the heart of the Threads market to rescue the literal CRIME BOSS of the town.

It would cost people their lives and their livelihood.

The second time he backs the assurance up comes at a meeting with the Thread boss, Damas himself. Where Elek mentions multiple times that Dock Town is their home (looking towards Neve specifically) and he wants to protect his neighborhood. Notably, here he is dropping the 'act' of merely protecting Thread interests (money). He wants to protect lives.

Which lines up with exactly what we see in his very first mention of the entire game. A traded line between two NPC's who just escaped a demon attack in The Smuggled Relic Case.

And wait... why does that feel familiar?

The above is a line that plays if you give coin to a beggar in that same quest. Notably this happens mere minutes before you can trigger the Elek mention. It's meant to be discovered back to back.

So what have we found out about Elek? He's merciful, is fiercely loyal to the streets he grew up, and is realistic in knowing just how fucked the world can and usually will be and navigates his way through it to survive.

I don't need to tell you just who that SHOULD remind you of. The game sets it up in Neve's very first 'companion' quest. What is essentially the stand-in for her 'recruitment' mission.

I like to think that Elek is actually the flipside of Neve's coin. Both are born and raised Dock Town street kids, used to fighting for their home because both know that nobody else will. While they both do fairly well for themselves, Elek seemingly having a high position in the Threads and Neve being with the Shadow Dragons and trusted enough to know Ashur's real name, it's two different paths that started from the same place.

Two sides of the same coin.

Neve cares about Elek not because he's her go-to contact, but because he's just like her. Elek is the same street kid Neve is. Elek is the love of breaking into places they shouldn't be, the love for drama and pushing other's buttons, will gladly throw hands when needed, Dock Town survivor. Elek values what Neve does. The idea that everyone in Dock Town deserves a chance at life. Even if it's giving them a day to get out of town. Even if it's some new guy's first job and he goes and gets 10 useless broken staffs. He goes to Neve ALWAYS when there is trouble because he knows she wants to make sure home is still standing at the end of the night. He trusts her so much that his boss is aware of his connection and knows that if Neve is ever involved, it's because of Elek. And Neve trusts him so much that the moment he calls and says it's something serious, she's there. 

So… that just leaves Hal now doesn't it?

But it's not just Hal. Of course Neve loves that man, but he represents something far larger that Neve is trying to get Rook to notice. Specifically her battle for the normal, every day people of Dock Town. Hal being alive tells Neve that there's still a chance for them. Even after demons tore from the sky, even after the dragon, even after the Venatori start snatching people off the street in waves and harass beggars just looking for coin for their next meal.

Hal is still alive. And because he's a man with a job (and the knowledge that Neve isn't going to eat if he doesn't) he'll open up his stand and sell his fish.

I think it's important to mention here that in the Non-Hardened version of The Cobbled Swan Case, you'll get the knowledge that not only is Hal familiar with Neve, but that he also knows his neighbors well, pointing Rook and Neve to someone who frequents the Swan when they come asking about a performer.

In the same version of this quest you'll meet many of Dock Town's normal every day citizens. All of whom will point you to another person they'll know usually by name and always by habits. Take for example, Benny, a man in the market who Neve points out might know something.

I love this small interaction so much, because it tells you about the community that exists behind the crime syndicate, the corrupt templars, the murderous cultists and the radical freedom fighters. There's not actually bad blood between these two members of Dock Town. They might fight sure, but it's nothing that won't be healed by a simple game. These are the people that Neve wants to protect. They're the reason why she's fighting. Why she gets back up when Magister's betray her. When she loses her leg to a wayward ritual, when the papers take hit after hit out on her. It's for Hal. It's for these people.

Curiously the non-hardened Cobbled Swan Case quest lets you meet people you'd never otherwise if you end up receiving the Missive I started this journey with.

I don't have as much on Hal specifically that I could dig up, not like the stuff I found looking deeper into Rana and Elek (and surprisingly there's even more to be said about those two that I had to leave on the cutting room floor). There was still something I did find however that I feel like helps further cement my point that Hal's inclusion in the letter is supposed to represent the people Neve's fighting for.

And that's the taunt that Aelia uses him specifically for:

What could possibly hurt Neve more than anything else? Using this man, the very definition of the community that Neve wants so desperately to fight for, to let her know that she's going to fail this time. She'll fail them. Neve won't save them. Even if Aelia falls, Dock Town is a just a trial. Just the beginning. It's full of people only meant to be used.

But Neve is going to be the difference. She might have her doubts, but the Missive's are all the proof anyone should need to see that she IS the hope for Dock Town. Whether protecting or inspiring. Her heart belongs to the city she grew up in.

It belongs to Templar Rana Savas, the one exception to Neve's cynicism. She is the constant in Neve's life that will keep her going. She is the one who is always good, who is always clean. The one who will be there for back-up and that Neve can put her trust in when push comes to shove.

It belongs to Elek Tavor, the flipside of her coin. The street kid survivor that grew up just like her. With a fierce love and protective streak for what he considers is his home. Where sometimes breaking in where you're not supposed to, bending the rules, bending the truth can be what saves people at the end of the day.

It belongs to Hal. To his fried fish. To his contributions to the community that Neve values so much. Her heart belongs to making sure that his cart will be standing at the end of the day, that he can sell his fish and go about just another day in Dock Town. Alive and free to live his life.

The letter she writes isn't an update for Rook to find out how their allies stand in the aftermath of the attack. It's why the Shadows aren't mentioned.

Neve wants to share her life with Rook. She wants to share what she's fighting for, why she's staying away. Why she'll be back.

But those are all points for another, longer and more exhaustive look into Neve's companion quests as a whole and how these missives fit into it. Tumblr's meant for long text posts right?!

Anyways, have a poor exhausted Neve because nobody seems to bring this expression up and it's one of my favorites.

Someone please save her, she has such a headache.

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You know what isn't talked about enough? Bellara's companion questline. And just how devastating it is. Do me a favor and really think about it. Think about a person in your life that has effected you greatly. That maybe influenced you more than you've realized.  

I think we all have someone who could fit that bill.  

Now imagine that person left your life. Uncontrollable circumstances, or maybe they were controllable. Maybe it was something you did wrong. Or maybe it wasn't. Either way, they're not in your life anymore. He's not in your life anymore. Not like you'll ever have a chance to ask him. Or that you'll ever get a chance to be forgiven... 

You try and keep moving forward but you've attached so much of yourself to this person that it feels like with every step forward you're being torn in two. Will you even recognize the person you might be when you get to the other side? When you turn back and see the tattered remains of yourself lying in a trail left behind?  

Nobody seems to fill the hole left where he once was. The tear that is slowly destroying you down the middle. Others just don't understand. They'll never understand, they didn't know him like you did. They'll never know you like he did. 

You try and live for what you think he would've wanted. The idea you've created of who he was. Maybe you can keep him around just a little longer by continuing to search for what you both searched for together. Living on so you might never let anything slip by you ever again. Because that has to be the answer. That has to be what fixes what's broken inside of you without him. 

And then, that thing you were searching for? That he was searching for all those years? You find it. Against all odds, you find it. It falls right into your lap. And then it breaks. But that's ok, that's good news actually. Because it's longer you get to keep him around. Working on fixing it, late into the night, it feels like he is back with you, even for a moment. Every late night, aching back, aching hands. It keeps you focused. It keeps you grounded.  

It keeps him with you.   

The small family and life you've built up in the wake of his disappearance is under attack, so you do what you've always done and go to fix it. To triple check that they'll be safe. That you don't lose anyone else. But there's a dreadful feeling to this rescue. A familiar feeling. If it's familiar, if it... him, why does it feel so wrong? It's impossible that it's him. It's impossible that he would be tied to the horrors that are around you. So it's not him. He can't come back after all. He's gone.  

Then the impossible becomes reality. He returns.  

And he's come back wrong. 

Suddenly your entire world shatters all over again. Those crippling doubts return. Can I fix this? Do I fix this? What went wrong?  

The torn parts of who you are after he left separate further. Why does part of you want to stop him? Isn't being together what you've always wanted at the end of the day? If he's always been the one who knows you best, why don't you trust him in the way he is begging you to? If he loved you as much as you thought he did, why doesn't he trust you that this is all wrong?  

Why does accepting that he's back, that the thing you have wanted for so long, come at the cost of the world he left you alone to rebuild yourself in? 

You are Bellara Lutare and in a world full of gods and demons, dragons and nugs, your story feels so overwhelmingly human. 

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The canonical Neve Gallus romance experience.

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When I say I cackled.

I had no idea this animation for failing a jump existed.

And then it just so happens to play right when Bell is opening up about something quite heartbreaking.

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Was anyone going to tell me that Rook and Neve mirror each other's phrases depending on who you choose to dismantle the ward? Or was I just supposed to find that out myself after my 2nd full playthrough?!

First of all, I'm ill. Thank you writers. You deserve so much better than you get. To make up for that, I'm going to gush about the writing and more importantly the performance of the actors I got to experience said writing through. I think this post I want to specifically focus on Rook, since so many people have taken apart the Category 5 event that is Neve's full romance plot. But trust me, at the end of this analysis I plan on touching on something I haven't yet seen from the Neve romance takes. And if it is out there, it's not getting nearly the attention it deserves.

I think it's absolutely fascinating the character development that happens for Rook specifically if you choose Neve and subsequently she gets blighted. Despite all the personality choices you can make in regards to the romantic scenes. (Shout out to the Stoic option breaking my heart every time during the Eclipse scene.) One thing Rook is for Neve, always, is there. Rook makes sure to let Neve know, out loud and through their actions, that they are there. They'll always try to be there, even when they might not be fast enough, when the tables turn or when gods break promises. Now I'm not sure about the other VA's performance because I've just been running through this romance as one character, but Bryony Corrigan does an absolutely phenomenal job of breaking my heart in the aftermath of Tearstone Island. Through her performance you can really begin to see the flipside of this coin. The other reflection in the mirror.

If any companion speaks to you about Neve, Bryony does a fantastic job of letting the emotion come through her small lines just enough that it sounds like Rook is really on the edge of tears. Ask Rook about their plans, or what they have to do next? Fine. Can handle that. She will get the job done. But ask her about Neve? Reassure her that they'll find her? Suddenly Rook is the smallest person in the world. Her voice cracks, she's hardly even able to thank Davrin or Bellara for their support because she is actively choking back what sounds like tears.

Don't even get me started on the animation rigging for Rook when you DO find Neve and she reveals just what happened while Rook wasn't there.

Look at that devastation! I can tell they turned up the rigging specifically to make sure that no matter what your Rook looks like, you will KNOW just how broken they must feel in that moment. (Regret Prison could never.) Rook wasn't there and Neve had someone in her head. Someone who used her to break her own city.

(Important note that this animation will NOT play for just a normal companion rescue. Rook is only going to be this devastated when it's someone they love. In a normal run you'll get more of relieved and happy grin rather than whatever pathetic, wet beast looking thing this is.)

Moving forward, the very next time you can choose the 'Romantic' option, Rook will reflect in some way that they 'lost' Neve. That is not something you can change. You, as a player, CANNOT change the fact that a romantically involved Rook will see the time spent apart as an overwhelming loss. They lost Neve. Once you do click the 'Romantic' option however, the dialogue will change to some variation of 'found'. Which reflects exactly what Rook has dedicated themselves to proving to Neve. That they will be there. That they will always try.

That spoken dialogue doesn't stop the choices from showing what Rook is really feeling however. In their mind, they lost her. Neve is desperate to remind Rook that they can't even consider her being there as a win. Not while they still have so much left to do. And yet? It doesn't stop Rook from believing it anyways. That is the win in their eyes, no matter what comes next.

The only thing that can come close to getting that final win now is killing Elgar'nan, and I'm feral for the fact that Rook's view of killing the last blighted god can, canonically, become revenge for what he did to Neve. (On top of saving the world of course)

You'll get further 'lost and found' references in the dialogue after. Again, I feel like it's really important to see that it is Rook saying all of this. It has nothing to do with your choices beforehand. If you choose the romantic option, this is what Rook is truly feeling. It becomes canon to whatever kind of Rook you're playing. They wouldn't know what to do if they hadn't found Neve.

(Bryony Corrigan you have me on the floor with this entire sequence. From the line above to: "Every moment." To "I'm right here. I promise." It knocks me to the floor. Every time. Insanely heart-wrenching delivery.)

Lastly in the post credit scene of the Blighted Neve storyline, 2 of your 3 options can include one final instance of the 'lost and found' wording that is so prevalently a theme for Rook in this version of events.

(Fun fact, the non-blighted version of the same scene will of course, also throw a nod to the theme of 'lost and found'. "Finding you was a lost cause.", As well as an option to tap into Rook's own feelings in regards to that theme: "That place, I was so lost...")

So why is this so interesting to me? Why does the mirrored dialogue from the very moment that scene starts mean so much to me? It's pretty simple.

In Neve's experience, lost things don't just come back. I think it's absolutely fascinating that her storyline, romance or not, has a nebulous theme around the idea that lost things don't just come back. In Neve's experience, once something goes missing, it's gone. The city will move on without a spare thought. That's why she tries to be the difference. To be the one that finds things. If you're hunting for people who are taken she will always make sure to slip in a line about the fact that even if you're too late, she intends to find them anyways. She will provide closure, a follow-up to whoever might need it. It's about the small temporary wins. It's the cynic with a heart of gold that's so deeply imbedded in her character.

You're supposed to play as the one that helps slowly change that idea. Rook is meant to be the exception to the rule Neve has held tight in an attempt at survival for so long. (Along with all of the other companions of course.) Rook is the 'found' part of lost and found. They're going to find a way through any situation. Whatever it takes.

So yeah, when Neve comes in to Rook's room during the non-blighted storyline, of course she's completely shaken by the fact that Rook is actually there. That they came back. That they found a way to come back. 

But on the flipside, what you can discover through the writing and through the incredible work by the VA, is the fact that without Neve? Rook can also become lost. The fact that the other came back at all means the world to them BOTH. The fact that they will mirror each other's thoughts, the very idea of coming back at all being a parallel to being lost and found, it's a payoff to something that gets set up at the very start of the game.

When they needed to find someone, Varric went to the best damn detective he had ever met. Neve Gallus, the local expert, the one person in Minrathous that people turn to when things or people go missing. In the same breath he'll introduce Rook as their expert on trouble. The very same kind of trouble that Neve knows to avoid and yet always finds her anyways.

Because lost things are always meant to be found. And Trouble isn't always a bad thing.

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You can pry: Isabella helped raise LOF, "I bet it came in handy", Rook Ladair from my cold dead hands.

Isabela's comment on Emmrich romance

You and the professor, huh? Friends with... bone-efits? (Giggles) Yeah. Taash gave me the same look...

My DAVG Extracted Audio Masterlist

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I've been thinking about what after means for my Rook and Neve. Writing it out as an exercise more than anything. Then I remembered that before there was an after, there were two weeks of hell. Those two weeks sticking with Neve on some of her darkest nights even when after seems to finally stick.

Because of course there are nights where Rook is out late. That Neve's normal exhaustion from the cases she works during the day finally hits her shoulders. The weight of the never-ending work she puts in with the remaining members of the Veilguard to try and patch up the world left behind finally catching up to her. She passes out at her desk, not remembering where Rook said she'd be. She wakes to find herself alone...

And suddenly Neve is thrown right back to those two weeks of waiting in the Lighthouse. To the quiet aftermath of Tearstone Island.

Thrown back to the days with Emmrich consulting her on ways to narrow the search, his hair an absolute mess. Blood hastily wiped across his face, his cheek cut from the shaking of his hand as his razor reminds him just how uncertain he really is. Books tossed and piled high in his office, all dead ends. She hears Taash's rage, throwing furniture that always seemed to mend itself back together. Hears them roaring into the night, trying to get their voice to carry far enough for Rook to hear. To just find them already. Remembers Lucanis locking himself in his room, his eyes bloodshot from wrestling control between him and Spite. Both unable to do anything but wait. Both blaming themselves. His questions seem to echo her own. Why had Rook called out to him before she disappeared? He was right behind her. He was the closest. Why didn't he catch her before she fell?

She's brought back to Harding's quiet sobbing hiccups and the scout swiftly drying her eyes when she saw Neve approaching. Inexplicably trying to hold it together all for her sake. Even as reports came in from all over Northern Thedas. As the news breaks of the world to the South falling to the blight. The deafening silence coming out of Minrathous, from Dock Town, somehow echoing even louder than the world's cries for help.

She's brought back to the times she was asked to enter Bellara's room to find something. Maybe an artifact that Bel had been tinkering with would help. Of course Neve would find it, she understood Bel's system better than anyone else. Nevermind the fact that her hands shook as she picked it up. That the entire room felt wrong, and her stomach flipped to stand within it.

That unease never leaves her, even as her eyes are unable to look up at the decaying nest of feathers and fur that Assan had left behind in his favorite spot. Closing her eyes only makes her see Davrin. Makes her think of just how much she would give to hear his confidence one last time. To see the determination he carried in his shoulders with everything he did, inspiring the rest of them to keep going.

His never-ending faith in Rook.

The Grey Warden's oaths her uncle taught her echo in her head.

In death, sacrifice.

She's brought back to the nights where she shakily entered Rook's room, taking care to make sure no one else would see. Neve isn't one to hope for anything, she's played that game and lost too many times. But maybe, maybe she'd catch the world off-guard. That this nightmare would come to it's end and she'd walk in to see Rook, passed out on the couch in her room, snoring loudly enough to cause an echo down the hallway.

Telling herself she knew better when the room is empty, letting the door shut behind her and ignoring the frost gathering on the glass, preventing her from seeing the water beyond...

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I genuinely think Bellara's Questline is one of my favorites in the entire game. From start to finish, it's intriguing and emotional, and Jee Young Han does a phenomenal job in every scene.

That being said, it's absolutely unfair that the build-up to the finale and what is supposed to be a very somber scene instead just makes me giggle every time.