#rook/neve

[nevesserialwriter]

Minrathous is a city of secrets, and detective Neve Gallus makes her living uncovering them. When a string of disappearances pulls her into the depths of Dock Town, she finds a case that refuses to stay buried. The trail winds through the slums and into the halls of power, where every answer comes with a price and every ally has something to hide. As the city’s shadows close in, Neve must tread carefully—because in Minrathous, asking the wrong questions isn’t just dangerous. It’s deadly.

My new Rook/Neve fic. A detective AU.

"Your favor of the drink choice is curious, too. You don’t sip it the way someone drinks for leisure. You taste it. Like someone recalibrating after being buried in details too long. That means you don’t just drink for distraction or to get drunk—you drink to shift gears."

Neve remained still, aside from tapping of her fingers against her glass as she listened. She had to admit, the elf was astute. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but she could at least think it.

"You’re tired, but not just because of the work. Something about whatever you’re working on is frustrating you. The way you’re tapping your fingers—not impatient, but measured, rhythmic. Like you’re turning over a problem in your head."

The mage’s brow arched now, her fingers stilling.

Hazel eyes gleamed. "You don’t even realize when you do it, do you?"

[icescrabblerjerky]

In relief for Malavai and Neve, please!

He knocked on the doorframe, which was stupid of him. The door was open, wisps hovering here and there about it like they always did, and Neve had told him if it was open she was fine with anyone coming in. Assan tended to scratch at it if she shut it and it was more irritating to hear the noise than to just give him free reign of the entire lighthouse.

Neve was good for treats and scritches, according to Assan, and Malavai agreed, although they differed on what kinds of treats.

But he still stood awkwardly in the doorframe and knocked at it, admiring the fall of her hair over one eye as she scrutinised her notes, the curve of her cheek, the gentle tapping of one finger on her full lips.

She looked up, and her smile was bright and perfect and instant and he felt a flutter in his stomach that made him feel all of sixteen summers.

"I told you you could come in if the door was open," she said, still smiling.

"Oh. Yeah," he swallowed. "I know. Just. You seemed..." he waved a hand at her desk, "...involved."

She sighed and shut her notebook. "I wish I was," she said, then smiled. "And trouble at my door is far more interesting."

He sidled inside, ignoring her amused raised eyebrow. "I wanted to um... just check in. About... about what Taash said today. On the beach."

Neve's cheeks coloured a little and she bit her lip. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the fact that they can..."

"Smell it on us?" Malavai completed. She let out a small laugh.

"Yeah," she said.

They looked at each other for a long moment.

"You don't..." he started.

"Is it okay that..." she said at the same time and they both let out breaths of laughter that faded as he looked into her eyes.

"You don't mind that Taash knows?" Malavai asked, finally, and Neve shook her head.

"I... wouldn't mind if everyone knew," she said, softly surprised, looking down at her hands, and Malavai's heart tripped over itself.

He crossed the room in a quick stride and she looked up as he took her hand, grinning. Her cheeks were still pink and it was too hard to resist leaning down and pressing his lips to one, then the other. "I'm glad," he said. "Because I kind of want everyone to know."

She laughed again, and he gently tilted her chin upwards so he could kiss her properly, ignoring the wisps that fluttered around them, too happy to care.

[fanfoolishness]

Just losing my mind at the implications that the companions have all been trying to help Rook grieve Varric, and Rook doesn’t know

Emmrich, wise and long-familiar with grief, being told by Neve and Harding what happened; understanding why sometimes he overhears Rook’s muffled voice in the Infirmary, talking to no one. He takes Rook to the Memorial Gardens and mentions he talks to his parents, thinking Rook might be comfortable with the same. Rook lights candles and rings bells but Emmrich watches, sorrowed, to see Rook still seems in deep denial.

Neve takes Rook to the Wall of Light; a Shadow Dragon Rook knows just what this means but any Rook can understand the solemnity, the power of remembrance. Neve reenergizes Brom’s light and looks to Rook, hoping Rook will mention wanting to make one for Varric. Rook is kind and comforting to Neve, but Neve is lost in wondering why Rook doesn’t take the chance to open up. She can’t figure it. Maybe Rook just can’t face it, not yet. Maybe Rook does something privately. She isn’t sure but it nags at her.

Davrin’s not big on talking about feelings. He’d rather just move on. But he sees the way Rook seems a little hollow sometimes, a little distant; he sees how Rook takes so quickly to Assan. “Hey Rook,” he says, and invites them to come with him and Assan to safe places in Arlathan, where the woods are clean and green and growing, where real sunlight dapples through the trees. Rook always seems to love these outings, seems lighter afterwards. But Davrin feels a little confused in that Rook never seems to realize the outings are mostly for them.

Taash is another person not big on feelings. But they know how much feelings can twist you up and mess with your head. When Lace tells them about Varric they feel badly for Rook, and think to how they feel when they’re struggling. Epic fights, dragon fights, drinks with the Lords. Taash is perfectly capable of doing all that on their own. But maybe bringing Rook along will help get them out of their head a little bit. Does it help? Taash isn’t sure.

Bellara’s double-versed in grief after what happens to Cyrian. Rook helped her through trying to reach him, and Bellara wonders, in her own pain, if she can help Rook a little bit too. Especially if Rook is elven, teaching Rook about the braziers and the challenges is another tool she can share about her or their people, another way that might help Rook with their grief. Neve’s told her that the Wall of Light didn’t seem to help Rook much, but maybe a different funeral tradition could help them instead. Rook helps her light the braziers and Bellara feels her heart lightening, though she wonders at Rook, who seems more moved by Bellara’s reactions than anything else.

Lucanis is nearly as allergic to dealing with feelings as Davrin is, but he immediately clocks how Neve and Harding are acting, and asks what happened before he joined them. They tell him about Varric and that they’re worried about Rook, that Rook seems to just be shoving those feelings down without dealing with them. Lucanis is no stranger to that, but while it’s fine for him, he doesn’t want to see someone who risked their life to save him share that struggle. He brings Rook to Caterina’s funeral planning to show Rook it’s okay to admit the loss and honor it. When that doesn’t seem to make a dent, he falls back to his standard - lavish meals, small gifts, coffee. He knows it would help him. He just wishes it helped Rook too.

Lace hurts the worst after losing Varric and Lace is where Solas’ magic comes the closest to faltering. Rook can see Lace is down, she’s quiet, she’s afraid after what happens with the gods escaping; but Solas’ magic holds and Rook can still never see quite why. Lace would love to sit over drinks one night and share stories about Varric, but she sees that Rook doesn’t seem ready, and she doesn’t want to push. Instead she writes letters to Ma, to the Inquisitor, to Cassandra, to Aveline, maybe even to Hawke. She writes out her stories with Varric’s old quill and she carries a bolt of Bianca with her. A dozen times she goes to talk to Rook about him, and when she tries Rook turns away or changes the subject. It hurts, but Lace knows she can’t make Rook talk about him, and she hopes in time it will get better.

This just absolutely crushes me the more I think about it 😭

Edit: Varric’s death is Rook’s personal companion quest every other single companion tries to help them with, and can’t 😭😭😭

[chanafehs]

skyhold maid to a dreadwolf hunter? never underestimate a lesbian

[wepepe-draws]

The Veilguard companions + Varric Tethras

The crew who took the picture:

(Yes, it’s prosthetic arm)

[heyitsjaki]

—Nobody tell him.

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[k-0re]

Don’t bet against rook

[20genderchild]

They will volunteer.

[ryuuna]

some more rook wips

(she occasionally wears the mournwatch disguise in tevinter since as a qunari I’m sure most ppl there are still sour about the war)

[sango-blep]

write that down, write that down!

[densewentz]

no im not thinking constantly about the early game hilarity of when its just the ladies of da:v lounging around the dining room watching a freshly freed Lucanis bus about the stoves making food for his new strange flock of poorly fed women.

[nevesserialwriter]

Chapter 2: Blood and Whispers

A shift in the city's undercurrent. A night of uneasy answers. As the morning unfolds, Neve finds herself drawn deeper into Dock Town’s tangled web, where every step forward unearths more questions than it answers.

“He certainly seems spooked,” Lennox remarked, already behind her as he draped her jacket back over her shoulders. She adjusted it instinctively, smoothing the collar into place.

“He doesn’t need a gang war on his hands,” she murmured, tying the last knot in the fabric before tucking the wrapped dagger into her coat. “He’s on the outs enough as it is. If this escalates, the magistrates will have even more fuel to lock us down—more than they do already.”

Lennox exhaled, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “So, what happens next?”

Neve rolled her shoulders, the weight of the morning settling in. “We need answers. Vespera is important, but I think I can kill two nugs with one stone here.” Her fingers brushed over her coat pocket where the dagger rested. “I’ll send the missive out on our way to Elek’s. I hope he has a good excuse for this. This is his favorite dagger—he wouldn’t part with it for just anything.”

Lennox let out a low hum, his expression unreadable. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

[icescrabblerjerky]

The Progression of Trouble

[psin314]

i was thinking about this again yeah…😔its a shame there wasn't a scene right after the fade prison. because damn that could've hurt. so i did it myself. sorry i made it a bit different.

so, for murat it really was a couple of hours. and when he finally left the fade prison, he knew that his friends are scared af right now. so he tried to cheer them up by fooling around a bit. little did he know that it wasn't hours at all.

[necromosss]

age reveal after everything they went through? wack

[caitmayart]

Neve you cannot stop me