#I'm a rogue guys

[edvervain]

Wrote a snippet today of the first time my Rook cast real, unmistakable magic in front of Neve. This is the Rook from my Rookanis fic, with Primarily Lucanis POV. This bit likely won't make it into the fic as it's well before Lucanis joins the team, but it was nagging me so I write it out.

(Under the cut) It looks like Neve also decided to weigh in (just a note) introducing the Rook-shaped enigma she found herself following around.

An enigma named Rook

There is one defining moment in which Rook became a puzzle for Neve Gallus to solve. Before, he was just a coworker, of sorts, and not a particularly useful one. But she'd known Varric for years, give or take, and he wouldn't have put someone useless in charge. "One of the most powerful pieces on the board, but he tends to think in straight lines." That's how Varric had described Rook's namesake and how he'd linked the two.

Neve had thought Varric had been alluding to the way Rook could make decisions on the fly and, despite herself, she was coming to appreciate how he did so with a thought towards each opinion he'd been offered. Rook didn't need someone hand holding him through the process and didn't seem too concerned about the reception of his choices. He'd even made some of the same calls she would have, logical and reasoned, even if she hadn't appreciated them as such in the moment.

But Rook was almost dead weight in combat. That didn't bring to mind a powerful piece. Until the moment she or Lace were in a tight spot and he came barreling in with that bull-in-a-china-shop energy that she'd seen in other Qunari she'd seen fight and, somehow their ragtag group had all made it this far alive. There was the odd fire bolt that flew across the field that she'd never found the source of, and that one time she had thought she'd caught a blinding flicker of lightning out of the corner of her eye, those things were curious, but enchanted items did exist, and she was certain he had some kind of trinket.

Until the ghoul had sunk it's claws into Rook's guts. Neve had caught her breath, certain she was about to watch Rook fall to the ground, just like she'd watched Varric- but Rook didn't fall. Instead he'd let the ghoul dig into his guts and raised his hands and Neve had thought she was about to see the source of those odd bits of fire. Watching the raw magic pour out of Rook's hands in the form of blue tipped gouts of flame for more seconds then she'd had the presence of mind to count was more then impressive. Where had he been keeping all that power, and why hadn't he been using it before?

Raw Magic

Rook remembered casting raw magic in front of Neve for the first time. 

He’d thrown a few bolts of fire and one sweat-inducing lash of lightening beforehand, as they chased the ghoul with the Lyrium dagger, but catching up to the actual ghoul had been more of a fight then they’d bargained for. The lightning cone it could fling out was easy enough to dodge after Rook had underestimated the first painful strike that skittered over his shoulder. But when it got close, it flung itself into a whirling frenzy of slashing claws and Rook had to get in range of the tearing claws to use his dagger. 

Even throwing bolts of fire only seemed to sear the crust of blight from its flesh. Pain and fear and desperation built, Harding must have brought extra potions from all the places he remembered the thin glass shattering against him. But Harding’s hands had been plenty full enough with the darkspawn throwing javelins to keep a constant eye on him and when the ghoul’s blackened claws sunk into his guts, ripping and tearing, Rook found his magic surging. 

The pain and fear turned into fury, primal and raw, and he had only the choice of where the magic spilled from. He knew Neve was just a few steps behind him, he couldn’t let it go wild. It was hard enough to force it into a single burning beam that his palms seared from the heat of containing the beam. But the ghoul had been so close to him, claws still buried in his flesh, that it had never had the chance to dodge or flee. Fire consumed it. Burned the blight from the things skin and blackened the corrupted flesh as it’s blood spit and sizzled from the heat. 

The fire finally failed and Rook stumbled back, not sure when the blackened claws had fallen from the wounds in his abdomen. The fire that had welled inside him had licked the blight from the gashes in his skin and Harding’s last potion closed the wounds to the point that he could stand without help. “Well, would you look at that.” Neve’s drawl poured ice down his spine and he didn’t know what to do with the smug satisfaction in her tone so he ignored it. He ignored it until Harding stumbled into his vision, pale and staring at her hands. Rook understood that look. His palms were still seared from the burn of the magic he’d used.

“That… that dagger. What did it do to me?” Harding asked, as though either he or Neve could possibly have an answer to such a question. But then — somehow, Neve did have an answer. Not a good one, but something that made this seem, if not normal, at least not the strangest thing she’d seen today. 

“Not sure,” Her voice was even, thoughtful, but when Rook chanced a glance at her from the corner of his eye, he found her dark, unreadable eyes on him. “But we should get back, we’ll talk it through there.” Harding looked up at Neve, relief plain on her features and nodded. 

Rook had no option but to lead the two women back the way they’d came, through the mirror that made him want to hold his breath when he passed through it, and then into the cool basement of the Lighthouse.

[spinjitsuburst]

listen listen listen i know most of everyone has seen the leaked episodes at this point so the trailer isn't anything new for them but I haven't seen any of the leaks. so.

LOOK AT MY BOY LOOK AT HIMMMMM LOOK AT HIM LOOK AT HIM LOOK AT HIM OHHHHH YES KICK ASS LOOK AT HIM GOOOOOO BREAK SOME SPINES YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA GOD IM SO EXCITEDHFDSHGKJFDHGKJEHEHEHHEE

[fishblade-koi]

I'm certainly NOT doing a 100% on Rogue however I will farm for his cutie coat with fluffy hoodie to keep him warm 😔

look at him go~ ❄️

[deadpoets]

DIEGO LUNA as CASSIAN ANDOR ROGUE ONE (2016) dir. Gareth Edwards

[soupsicled]

the struggle will always come first, we take what's left

[bachaboska]

Are you there god? It's me, Bill Stirling.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

The Fantasy High player characters get in so many combat situations where I would just leave. I would just be like 'this isn't our problem' and encourage the rest of my party to withdraw as quickly and safely as possible. They're teenagers. Apologies to all my GMs but if I don't have to be in a fight and there's no clear benefit I simply will not be. I would've prioritised getting my party out of the nightclub and left the zombie DJ to his bloodbath. Now they're facing a concrete golem, fuck that. I would just leave.

[davids-spinal-contusion]

the dreamer & the madman poet

the most "hear me out" post of all time, but David and Paddy have beautiful chemistry and I think reducing their relationship to pure hatred and antagonism completely misses the nuances and profound respect they have for one another, while also driving one another completely spare. <3 two things can be true at once.

under the cut because I got carried away.

firstly, I'm particularly offended by the implication that the famous tent scene constitutes some sudden wellspring of homophobic sentiment on David's part. I will return to this, but first, let me preface this post with the following:

David is utterly neutral about the sexuality of his men. Even Dudley Clarke receives no negative reaction from David when he openly confesses in ep. 6 to David that he has 'found someone' (which David understands the full meaning of, given that later in s2 Paddy remarks that around a fire in Jalo he learned about Dudley's cross-dressing proclivities, and doubtless his others). In fact, the only person to say anything openly, as it were, 'homophobic' is Paddy. "Just not the right bloodline. Just a yeoman farmer. They'd have had me as a beater [...] those landowning, gentrified, boy-buggering toffs would never have countenanced my presence."

This is obviously more about Paddy asserting himself as more of a 'man' than David, based on class division, he's using 'boy-buggering' as a way of effeminising the gentleman class to which David belongs. It isn't as simple as internalised homophobia, though of course that is obviously an enormously important part of his character. In this scene, he weaponises homosexuality to undermine David. Which David then takes in his stride when he repeats this comment verbatum as he leaves. But I digress, the point of this post is that it is obvious, from the first moment we see David on screen, that this is often how they operate. They fight, because they both have something over the other that makes the other man feel inadequate; for Paddy, David's birth makes him feel common, and for David, Paddy's courageousness makes him feel unfit for the task, but they have a respect for one another. Firstly, the fact that Paddy inquires about what happened to David and Jock demonstrates he cares about them, and so does his hesitation when he finds out about David's parachute malfunctioning. When Paddy talks about David to Eoin he flashes the chip on his shoulder about class, but he also makes some sensitive and revealing remarks about their grudging respect, and even friendship. PADDY: See the problem with Stirling is that he is a dreamer. EOIN: So are you, Paddy. PADDY: He is from that class of men who do things imagining that they are writing it down in their autobiography. Until their biography reaches an unexpected full stop. [pause] If he dies, I will attend his funeral. Because, for some reason, he actually liked me. It seems fairly obvious to me that we are meant to understand that, for all Paddy finds objectionable about David, he also likes him. This is a sentiment that runs both ways, 'for some reason, he actually liked me' as if to say, 'for some reason, I actually liked him'.

That is more or less the state of play up until recruitment. The shot-reverse-shot we get of David and Paddy when David hands around the blank pages more or less visually tells us this:

This is a conversation in a room full of men that momentarily sharpens into an intimate exchange between two men in particular, who both know they have no other place in the British Military.

This sentiment is repeated when David promotes Paddy, and then gives him a little boot up the arse about undermining him. they antagonise one another, but there's always a grinning playfullness under the surface.

When Paddy loses Eoin, David understands the significance of that loss. He almost touches his arm to comfort him but changes his mind and opts instead to urge Paddy to sit and have a cup of tea. It is a remarkably subtle, and to our modern eyes a complete underestimation of the significance of the event, but the subtlty of the thing I think is what makes it such a potent example. David doesn't know how to comfort Paddy, and also knows that whatever comfort he offers will be inadequate. We also know David finds it difficult to express himself emotionally, Eve tells us openly in s2.

Later, when Paddy asks David to stay behind, David grants him permission. He even then asks Paddy if he found Eoin's body, even though on-screen, we never saw Paddy tell David this. Either Paddy confided in David that he was going to look for Eoin, or David intuited it.

Later, when Paddy is in deep mourning for Eoin, though he's unwilling to admit it, David calls him out on it. It's extremely painful, of course, but ultimately that is the point. David is trying to incite Paddy both because he is Paddy's superior officer, and needs Paddy operational, and because it is ultimately cathartic for them both. David isn't, as I've seen some people imply, expressing veiled homophobia, particularly when he makes the "sulking like Achilles in his tent" line. First of all, we have evidence from earlier in the show that David is a bit obsessed with Homer, that makes sense for his class-background, education, and standing. Second of all, the acknowledgement of Paddy and Eoin's bond as being like Achilles and Patroclus is an allusion that speaks to Paddy. It is literally poetic, in the sense that it invokes epic poetry, and it also acknowledges the signficance of Eoin to Paddy, while underscoring that, like Achilles, Paddy's grief doesn't exist in a vaccuum. The Greek army needs it's best warrior back. David's frustration with Paddy earlier in their conversation and his own admittance that he feels the need to compete with Paddy is tacit acknowledgemnt that he thinks Paddy is the best of them.

I don't mean to suggest that David handled that situation with all the sensitivity and nuance that modern psychology would dictate, but these are soldiers in a high-pressure environment with an existing sense competitiveness. The fact that Paddy confesses that he didn't find Eoin to David underscores that, even if it wasn't the most sensitive approach, David has gotten through to Paddy, and Paddy still trusts David enough to reveal these intimate details.

Of course, they fight again after this. David's plan to help the ships heading to matla starts another intense argument, but that's simply how they operate. Never forget.

The last time that David and Paddy interact, it is in such peace, as equals. When Paddy approaches, he touches David's shoulder, completing the gesture David offered toward him in the desert when he found out about Eoin. It is significant that he touches David, here, and that David not only accepts it, but almost reaches up to touch Paddy in return. He drops his hand, again. but Paddy maintains the contact, he is touching David on purpose, and even if David is too shy to return it (and I use that word intentionally) he doesn't shrug it off.

They end in such intentional visual harmony, and clink cups. thus completing the cycle from frenemies to lovers. yes this post was covert paddy x david propaganda, but even if you have absolutely no interest in that ship, please, consider spicing up your understanding of David and his relationship with Paddy by peppering in some nuance.

[lexsnotdead]

made a little animation for my last work

[gaypiratesandangels]

he gets Bill Fraser

[causalityparadoxes]

Absolutely obsessed with the decision to make a character who's really into DnD and also absolutely shit at improv btw.

It would have been be soooo easy to make him good at it. I like to imagine the Doctor expected him to be good at it too. But some of us ARE really awkward at roleplay when it comes down to it and thats okay. Rogue's one of us <3

[avalost]

Severin von Valancius

It seems you have attracted the Lord Captain's attention. This... does not bode well for you.

[the-dragon-hearted]

I procrastinated again so y'all get more Fairy Tail dragon slayer memes

[jewishcissiekj]

Psylocke, Temper, & Magik in Uncanny X-Men (2024) #7 | art by David Marquez and Edgar Salazar

[grymkoena]

Do you love me?

[dekkkkinai]

1 AM? no, marazhai drawing hours