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 😭😭😭
one tiny little detail i love about Veilguard is the absolutely random Memento and codex entry – one of the shortest in the game – that simply notes that if the Chantry ever tries an Exalted March against the elves again, the Antivan Crows (and thus Antiva itself) are going to fucking throw hands. Functionally, it’s a conditional but perpetual declaration of war.
No long-winded sanctimony about their guilt, no long annoying thinkpiece, just: “If they or anyone else ever try anything like that again against the elves, either The Chantry (or whoever else) won’t be left standing or Antiva won’t.”
I left my classroom. I stopped teaching. And those last three weeks in May everyone kept asking me about my feelings. (Which I already think is weird, but ok). And I felt (and feel) great. I like endings. I like being finished. Did I think what I was doing was important and did I love doing it? Yes, and yes. But also? Fine to be done. I am still working on getting all of my things out of the classroom (the ugh part). But one of the great joys of the last few weeks was bringing home my gorgeous, loved (and been paid homage with reports, observations, poetry and drawings!) by so many of my students, been with me 13 out of my 15 teaching years ajolote.
True. But not just access to books. A safe place to hang out. Seeds. Telescopes. Movies. Tax information. Board games. Toys. Tools. Access to the internet. Sewing patterns.
An origami ninja star that has straight points instead of slanted. This easy modular origami star is made from 2 sheets of square paper. – Paper Kawaii
My students adore making this one. The number of these I have been gifted after a read aloud session do not bear counting. One I was gifted recently came to me after a learner asked me my favorite colors. :) The careful, sweet thoughtfulness of elementary children is hard to match.
So, if you have a young friend in the elementary age range and need to occupy them for a few minutes (or sometimes many, many minutes), I highly recommend teaching them how to make these.
For the Montessori inclined, this activity provides and excellent arc for the human tendency of mastery, because they can relatively quickly refine their folds and see how much better the modules come together when they exert greater precision and care.
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