#love u rook!!!

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

Viago, when playing as Rook De Riva: you IDIOT you were my favorite fledgling why did you have to make a mess of this now I have to jump through all these convoluted hoops to keep you safe. Teia stop telling Rook how much I missed them it's not funny they could have DIED. also your room is exactly the way you left it please come home

Strife, when playing as Rook Aldwir: Why hasn't this weird bug i kicked out of our camp ages ago died yet :|

[psin314]

here's a scene from my a bit edited version of their romance. one "almost kiss" moment wasn't enough, so i made another one haha. now it's rook's turn.

it happened after the inner demons. murat thought it would be the perfect moment for their first kiss, but then immediately panicked (what if this what if that) and ran away. now they're even. but don't worry, after a couple of weeks of insane sexual tension between them, this happened.

[stygiusfic]

hijacking this beautiful post, which is full of good insights, to add my perspective as a serial befriender:

✨️how to make fandom friends 101✨️

First, an important distinction that rook also made, because I feel it's worth repeating: a "fandom friend" isn't necessarily someone who will read/look at all your work/follow you through fandoms, nor should they have to be. They'll most often be people who happen to like the same characters or media, that you enjoy talking to and become close with (hopefully beyond that initial common interest). They can (and likely will!) encourage you to create whatever you like, but don't get sucked into the idea that their support is incomplete unless they read all your stuff.

Think of it this way: if you were an aspiring chef, and had friends who like food, you wouldn't (or shouldn't) consider their support of your dreams less real if they don't try every single dish you make. This is the same principle.

It's natural to want your friends to like the stuff you make. We all want that, and we're happy when it happens. But it's not something you can force or expect. (And besides, your friends' enthusiasm is a lot more rewarding when they don't feel obligated to give it.)

OKAY, NOW WE GET INTO THE MEAT OF IT.

This is, in broad strokes, how I've made about 90% of the many close (and not-so-close, and intermittently-close) fandom friends I've had over the past decade and a half.

Look for people in your fandom whose work you like (whether that's art, fic, meta, gifsets on tumblr, whatever) or who you think would be interesting to talk to. Maybe they like the same things you like, or you like their vibe, etc.

Tell those people that you like their work. Talk to them. The person who sent that ask was very brave in doing so and very kind about it, and I think that's a good attitude to have. The truth is you can't be friends with someone who doesn't know you're around. At this stage, think of yourself as someone who sees a stranger wearing a cool hat and says, "hey, I love your hat!". The person you're complimenting likely won't become your friend on the spot, but you've probably made their day a bit brighter, and they'll probably remember you for that. Isn't that nice?

Caveat: the compliment on their hat/fic/art is not a down payment to buy their friendship. The goal is simply to gift them a bit of joy in the midst of whatever else they have going on. (That is also, ultimately, the point of all friendships, as well as the point of fandom.)

Showing up often helps; repetition is key. This is why it's famously easier to make friends in school than out in the world: school gives you a place where you'll be meeting the same other people regularly, and you have something already in common with them that becomes a basis for friendship. Fandom also gives you a common link, so you just need to complete that by being around often. A lot of my fandom friends started out being people I admired whose work I engaged with often, because I loved seeing it and wanted to let them know.

Discord servers are great for making fandom friends, btw: even if you're not there 24/7, if you take part in conversations here and there, and you're not a complete jerk, often people will become fond of you over time, just by virtue of familiarity. That may be a jumping-off point for one-on-one conversations and friendships.

An optional step that I enjoy: like a cat that brings you a dead mouse as a show of affection, I like to make fanworks for people I consider cool. I'm a writer, so if I see fanart that sparks my imagination, I will sometimes write a little fic based on that and send a link to the artist. I don't expect them to read it or like it, though I'll be happy if they do. My intention is, again, to let them know their work has moved me; it's a more convoluted version of the "nice hat!" compliment.

And finally, an important caveat: sometimes an attempt at friendship won't pan out, and that's ok. Maybe you want to be someone's friend, but they don't want to be closer than casual fandom acquaintances. Or maybe you start talking to someone you admire, and then realize, "actually, I really like their work, but I don't enjoy talking to them very much". That's fine! It happens! Conversely, you'll also meet people you love talking to, but their work is not your cup of tea at all; in which case you can still be friends and encourage each other even if you're not engaging with the work.

TL;DR:

Talk to people you want to befriend. Be kind. Be thoughtful. Show interest in them, as creators and as people. If you hit it off, congratulations! You've made a friend! If not, respect their boundaries and don't push! Move on!✨️ There are other friends waiting for you ✨️

hello! how do you find consistent friends in fandom? as in, how do you find people who stick with you through different fandoms and listen and read your work. also, how long have you been writing for and how long did it take you to get so good at writing and character analysis.... your work is such an inspiration to me, genuinely one of my top 3 authors across ao3. i hope the writing goes well!

hey! this is really sweet, thank you very much for your lovely kind words. 💖

re: friendship: i don't mean to be a downer about this so i hope it doesn't come across this way, but i do think the concept of friends where you follow each other through all your fandoms and continue to read each other's work etc kind of... either doesn't exist or is just a rare phenomenon and not a 'type' of friend per se more than it is something that just happens out of luck. i am lucky enough to have friendships which have persisted through all of us changing fandoms, but the reason those friendships last is actually because we found connections that went beyond common interests. i think sharing a fandom/interest is great as an initial point of connection and a way to meet, but for a relationship to last, you need to have a deeper bond than both being into the same thing--so contrary to what you've asked about (oops sorry) those friendships im speaking of only last because we didn't follow each other into different fandoms, really. we didn't have to. along the same vein, i'd respectfully argue that it wouldn't be productive or fair of me to group 'reading my work' in as an element of friendship, so to speak--i definitely don't expect my friends to read my fic and vice versa, we all understand that we can support each other in our creative pursuits and lives in general / in the abstract without needing to be a fan of the same things or even necessarily being fans of each other's work (although of course it's always nice). i know this doesn't really answer your specific question but i hope it doesn't come across as pessimistic as it might sound. i truly and genuinely believe it's a positive thing that the idealised friendgroup traipsing through fandoms together doesn't really exist (or if it does exist, it's luck and not something to shoot for in itself), because this just tells me to look out for these great opportunities to form bonds that last beyond superficial interests.

in terms of how to make those friendships to begin with, im honestly even less help. my friendships kind of just happened to me. im actually quite terrible at reaching out to people and i am notoriously difficult to reach myself hahaha so honestly all the credit for my friendships goes to my friends for being patient and sticking with me despite that. i am honestly just very lucky in that i've been able to talk out loud into the void and have had wonderful people reach out to me because of it, but that's hardly a reliable strategy... i guess i'd encourage you to be more like my friends, who are the anime protagonists wielding the power of friendship to my prickly antagonist, or whatever. oh another thing to remember i guess is that some friendships just don't last this way and will stay within fandoms and may peter out, and that's ok. i don't consider those relationships less real or valuable for being less lasting.

re: writing: i want to caveat that i don't think i'm fairly able to say (or comfortable saying) that i'm particularly good at writing or character analysis, certainly not to an extent that i'd be willing to hold myself up as an example of it, but i really appreciate that you feel that way about my work and am incredibly honoured to be considered an inspiration in any capacity!!

with that disclaimer made, i'll do my best to answer for whatever it's worth. i've liked writing ever since i was a very little kid, but i will credit any actual progress i've made in developing the skill to writing fanfic because i think that being able to focus on building character and logical flow in plot progression over other things like creating characters, worldbuilding, inventing plots wholesale, etc--which has allowed me to sort of expedite those skills in particular and which i think are helpful in writing more broadly. (this also answers the 'character analysis' part specifically--when you don't have to/get to invent a character, you have to spend more time taking them apart.) anyway, i started writing fic about twelve or thirteen years ago, and there have been periods within that where i've progressed faster or slower depending what's going on in my life haha. i do think time played a massive role in any skill developments i've made, but i also know people take less time or more time to make similar progress (caveat again: progression is subjective, this is very approximate), so i think the other key ingredient besides time is engagement. if it's helpful, i went into that a little bit more here, but as stated i have a lot more to learn and would never present myself as an expert lol

[aventvrines]

i'm so sorry, but i had to

[kiivg]

.Tip: always kiss your LI after big boss fights to receive HP boosts.

[darlinglute]

i think it's extremely fun to pair rook and solas together in any regard, no matter if he previously was being romanced because as clear narrative foils, having an enemies to lovers (and in tandem, bitch4bitch, hater x hater) dynamic feeds into that delicious 'whenever I see you I see myself and I hate that' and 'you are everything I hate about myself' soup.

I once saw a post with a collection of quotes that had this certain vibe, in the 'you and I are the same' (negative) way. if i had a quote to represent them it would be:

so shipping them feels very complex and interesting to think about, because, like in that one dialogue

(first of all, like c'mon) furthermore it's the cycle. rook is to solas what solas was to elgar'nan, there are several times in the game, especially the end, where they can see each other in each other. even if you dont see it in a shipping lenses (which you dont have to!) this is a juicy story.

moreover, at the end of the game if rook outwits solas by giving him the fake ritual dagger, solas not only recognizes that he was out played by 'wits alone' he also says that he's met his match. this mimics the several stories of fen'harel who uses his wits, wisdom etc to get out of a situation

(example: the story of fen'harel, andruil and anaris, solas goading them both into fighting each other so he could get out paralleling solas making rook fight the gods and in addition a thousand other enemies in order to get himself enough time to get out of the fade prison without rook getting ahead of it)

the betrayal too, i don't have much to say that hasn't been said already about the prison switcheroo, (evokes solas's betrayal of felassan yada yada) other then it's really tasty.

[trappolia]

mister rook hunt and his gorgeous little partner who soaks up his praise and attention like an eager variant of spongebob squarepants. whereas most people find his sharp eye and flamboyant acclamations almost... unnerving, it's a joy and even a norm when it comes to your relationship. why shouldn't your loving boyfriend climb in through your window on a sick day to give you soup and a little gift he knows you'll appreciate than the pollen of flowers that make your nose itch? why shouldn't he have a whole photo album that unfolds into pages larger than what an actual page should be, filled to the brim of pictures of you (and of course he made you look flattering! because you are!) and not to mention the obnoxious amounts of money he spends on you... vil warns epel when you come to visit your boyfriend in night raven college and neither epel nor the other first-years understand what you mean until rook is rolling out the red carpet at the door, the orchestra he hired playing a grandiose tune as he announces your arrival over a loud mic while you just giggle and go to pepper his face with kisses.

[stellabyystarlight]

Rookvil fanart i made for a contest with the theme "love", unfortunately i lost but i suuuuper love how it came out so i wanna share it here hehe 🫶

[treviso-nights]

i like my men broken and bleeding (solas) with an incredibly tragic backstory (solas) that only i am privy to (solas) because the idea of eternal loneliness is more horrifying than the idea of finally opening up to someone (solas) even if doing so makes them want to be sick on the cold, hard ground (solas) before they inevitably realize that we are stronger together (solas) and continue to struggle for dominance in the never-ending abyss of 'i love you and that love has destroyed me' (solas!!!)

[beresaad]

Painted in 9:50 Dragon by renowned (and notoriously tight-lipped) Tevene artist Otho Mercar, this portrait of his adopted daughter Kehda has hung in his Minrathous estate since the time of painting. Anyone familiar with his work will recognize marked similarities between her and another dwarven woman featured in his earlier works.

— Codex entry for a potrait of KEHDA MERCAR, penned by @pavus

[goblinalchemist]

when you realize Lucanis believes gifting someone a knife is a way to flirt/court them and Rook was the one to buy him a wyvern-tooth dagger early on "just because"

[suntails]

soooo eepy sleepy

[scalpelsister]

one gif from every Neve romance scene 🩵

[basedonconjecture]

I believe it is every Veilguard fic writer’s right to include a scene of Rook drowning and their LI saving them and I’ll eat it up every time idc idc

[lucaanis]

There's a malaise amongst the spirits here. Some form of confinement. This must be the place.

[kiivg]

.He jingle jangles when he..uh .. well.. most of the time 💛.