#emmrich like of course rook loves manfred and trusts Lucanis

[drysia]

So I'm putting actual effort into my replay now and looking at things. For my whole first run I had my head glammed to the giant realistic Crow head because...well, it'd be funny even though I had it turned off for cutscenes. Like, imagine, after the first quests in Treviso Rook is like, aw yeah, I can finally after a year dress like a Crow (and thus become Viago's best PR machine as she saves the world.) and that's what she chose.

I've head cannoned that this originally was my Rook's gear. It's what she wore during the whole Antaam fiasco that got her temporarily exiled so there was no way to deny it was one of the Crows that did it. Viago sold it after Rook left with Varric out of...I don't know anger? Annoyance (Maybe he always hated the damn thing, couldn't Rook wear a normal crow mask?)

Rook sees her favorite mask for sale and obviously buys it back. As I was buying it this time, though, I finally paid attention to the flavor text.

Now obviously this could just be something that's been made up, the stuff about the spirit. Some over the top lore Rook made up, or was made up about it by Viago to sell the ugly thing, or a brand new legend attached to it by the starry eyes fledglings that don't think Rook's actions warranted an exile, but they can't say that part out loud.

But what if there is a spirit hanging out in that feathery little headgear after all. Tossing and turning it in my brain, thinking about what kind of spirit could be hanging out there. Another reason for Spite to like Rook, she also has a spirit friend even if its quiet. Manfred having one of his first words be "Rook!" because another spirit already vouched for her when they met.

[therookandthecrow]

I'm thinking of my canon Rook Lethanavir (aka Aloisius) and Lucanis getting married and how so many people want for it to be a high-profile event as Lucanis is the First Talon, and he and my Rook are like, "No, no, no! We want a low-profile wedding with just us and our closest friends."

I can actually see the two of them eloping and choosing to get married in Nevarra instead of Antiva and they both act coy about it until someone outside their closest friend circle sees the wedding bands on each of them and pries into it until my Rook who has a worse poker-face than he thinks he has admitted that they got married.

[There is a lot more under the cut; now I need to design the wedding wings for Lethanavir and Lucanis. Hmm.]

Their remaining companions after [redacted] all are given invitations, along with other friends they'd made along the way, such as Antoine and Evka. Due to the fact that they've kept the Lighthouse, everyone is able to travel to the wedding in a very timely manner. By then, Lucanis was accustomed to the swarm of spirits of curiosity that wanted to attend said wedding as well. He actually found the Necropolis a comfort, especially when getting married to the love of his life.

Not everyone was happy for the married couple, as Davrin's unrequited crush on Lucanis wasn't just something he can get over in a short period of time. Even though he'd found a relationship with Rook's former-wife. Dhaveira, he feels as if he is wasting her time as using her as a placement for the person whom he had wanted more. With that said, he grows to love her and to see her as more than a "replacement" for Lucanis and appreciate what she has to offer.

Neve and Rana will likely have gotten together by that point in time, although Lucanis didn't get over his crush on her overnight, even after he got into a relationship with my Rook. It was actually due to an unintended suggestion from Lethanavir about something completely different that prompted Rana and Neve's relationship. With that said, Lethanavir feels less guilty about "stealing" Neve's boyfriend.

Because I don't like any of the non-romanced companions remaining lonely if Rook romances the person who they would have romanced if otherwise, I like to give everyone a partner, so Bellara gets together with Yenarel, seemingly unable to rekindle a relationship with Irelin. Emmrich and Strife are as happy as ever with one another, raising Manfred together in-between their respective duties.

Taash is still grieving over Harding, and they are not ready for someone new for quite a long time. I like to think that they eventually kindle something with Seer Rowan after some amount of years, after they get time to mourn Harding and not feel as if they are replacing her. Lethanavir's guidance helps Taash a lot with this, that being said, processing both their mother's death and Harding's.

Viago and Teia are at the wedding of course, as are Vorgoth, Myrna and other friends whom both Lucanis and Lethanavir have from their respective factions, even though Lucanis sadly had far fewer friends than Rook did, due to his trust issues. With that said, he gained not just a husband, but a whole family's worth of friends as well from his time in the Veil guard.

[mediumsizedwildcat]

For the Rook questionnaire, 25 and 45 for all four of your Rooks!

Very interesting questions and something I've wondered and thought about before! Thank you for asking! <3

Unfortunately, my answers will probably be very basic xD but i also don't know that many characters off the top of my head, so... Forgive me for being basic? xD

If you want to ask more questions from the Rook questionnaire (it's spoiler free), my ask box is open and I welcome any and all questions about them! (my rooks)

This is a looong post, so I'm putting a read more cut here :3

25. How does Rook like to spend their free time?

a. Luke definitely likes to read, though he hasn't allowed himself much free time. With the Shadow Dragons he was mostly working, only brushing up on some things so he wouldn't stand out too much. Of course he had to hone his skills, too. In a way, the Veilguard actually show him how to relax. Now he watches Davrin carve and might even take up drawing in the future, who knows? He also sews so he doesn't forget how to fix his armors and clothes.

b. Before the Veilguard, Stellan never really had free time. They're too used to being the target, so they've been doing stuff that looked intimidating, like sharpening weapons or training. In the Lighthouse, they're trying to learn about the things the others like. They're learning how to make coffee for Lucanis, trying to figure out how to get through to him that Spite is a person, too, reading the books the Lighthouse's bookclub is up to, learning the finer arts of cooking... They're also writing down what transpired so far and sometimes just sit and stare at the walls, thinking everything that's happened so far through.

c. Nalaya absolutely loves entertaining Manfred. He helps him with his chores, asks him for tea, tries to get a closer look at everything in and around Manfred. She enjoys dragon talk, too, or listening to Emmrich's seemingly endless wisdom. Training with Davrin and Lucanis, philosophical conversations with the Caretaker, you name it. Only reading gives him a headache, so he leaves that up to the professor. And when Nalaya's really lucky, he can find Emmrich in a position where he can just slot in and get some cuddles.

d. Robin has spent the last few years fighting darkspawn and is secretly terrified by their new forms, so he's using Davrin's carvings and some rough drawings he made himself to study them. Antoine is right, the Blight is changed, and it scares the shit out of Robin. However, when he's not studying one of his new fears, he likes to explore. The Lighthouse, the save parts of the Crossroads, and of course Solas. Which means going through drawers and every conversation he's had with the man. He keeps busy with work and tries his best to help people, so there isn't much free time for him, anyway.

45. Who was Rook’s closest friend before joining the Veilguard?

a. Luke didn't have that many friends. Of course he knows fellow Shadow Dragons and could cooperate with them, but what does “close” even mean? He did like to get on Tarquin's nerves and Tarquin let him get away with it the most, but does that make them close friends? Probably not. Luke may also be a bit too paranoid to have close friends, always looking where he could help the most people and how. Unfortunately, the answer is Tarquin, and Luke wouldn't like this question.

b. Stellan's closest friend... Well, as an Antivan Crow, Stellan didn't make friends with most others. There's a sort of friendship going on with Viago, but Stellan has a hard time trusting people. They weren't born into a house and became a Talon's favourite, so friendship tends to mean a dagger in their back. No, thank you. Even with Viago it is a very tentative relationship, though it might count as the “closest” friendship he's had. They work hard, alone, and don't mess up contracts. (Being able to leave was a blessing in disguise.)

c. Nalaya's closest friends before the Veilguard were wisps. There are many of them in the Necropolis and Nalaya trusted them with a lot of things. He even went on a date with a wisp once! They were both children then, but wisps tend to be more understanding than mortal people, in his experience. If hard pressed about his closest mortal friends, he'd have to say VORGOTH and Myrna. Really, he prefers the company of fadefolk.

d. Robin's closest friends are hands down Anotine and Evka. When he joined the Wardens he was in a bad place, mentally and physically, and he fought every Darkspawn he could see. While he wasn't the friendliest (Evka had to knock him out a few times) Antoine and Evka never gave up on him. He wouldn't be the man he is today without them, and he's not afraid to admit that anymore. They taught him kindness and compassion and blighted or not, he wouldn't have it any other way.