#continuing with commission examples!

[gabester-sketch]

There’s just something about kazuma I love drawing

[spearxwind]

Hello everyone! I am opening up for commissions for hopefully the next couple of months.

This time around I have crafted a google forms with all my offered options and all the pertinent info, so if you'd like a commission go fill this form out:

Form will remain open for a few days, or until I am at order capacity, and then will (hopefully) be reopened when I work through the current set. I will contact you when the form is closed!

Here are some examples of stuff I've done recently:

As always, if you want more examples feel free to peruse my art tag/art blog, and/or my commisions tag. If you'd like something from me that is not an option in the form feel free to email me at windydraws@gmail.com and we can discuss it.

Cheers!

[davidzochi]

anyone else experiencing this? asking for a friend

who else remembers this quote from the book of bill? do yall think he is getting angsty?

[oriiduckko]

how often do you open Commissions?

It depends from time to time, I have a list of commissions I have to work on so once that is complete I usually just open it again, but because of college It might not be as often and usually depend on when I have most of my free time to do so.

[tundrakatiebean]

I have so much more work to do but I am absolutely fried lol I got a LOT done today tho

[booksinmythorax]

Some tips from a librarian for today and the future:

Go to the library. Get a card. Borrow things. Buying books is neat, but the books the fascists want to ban are still there, on the shelf, at your local library, and if they aren't, you can request them. While book bans can happen and are happening in public libraries, the vast majority of "successful" challenges are happening in school libraries. You can still get books from your public library, and getting the books from the library tells your library they should keep them on the shelf. Borrowing anything, walking in the door, and/or attending programs all help get your library more funding. Fighting censorship in this way is effective and costs you $0.

Pay attention to local government. Read your local newspaper, or the local-est paper you can find. (You wanna know who can probably help you read your local paper for free? Your local library.) Look up your representatives in your state and local governments, not just federal. Read their biographies online. Find out what they stand for.

When something divisive is happening in your local community (a book ban, a school board ruling on bathrooms or sports, a change in curriculum), show up. No, literally. Show up to the school board meeting, the library board meeting, the county commission meeting. If you can't show up, make a phone call. If you can't make a phone call, write an email. Your voice has the most effect on the local and state level.

Now, counterintuitively, is a really good time to get to know your neighbors. Do not self isolate out of suspicion. We are stronger together. If you need suggestions for ways to get to know those neighbors, your local library probably has groups you can join, or will start them if you ask nicely and promise to show up. Hand to the gods, a once-monthly book club or gardening club or crochet circle might be your difference between total despair and feeling maybe pretty okay.

Only talk about your personal identities and experiences if you think you will be physically safe doing so. Consider limiting your social media posting. Buy a paper diary. Talk to people in person or via secure direct message if you really want to grow relationships and make an impact. Educating others is great and important. It's also most effective when you have an existing personal relationship with the person involved in the conversation with you. Consider starting new accounts without your face or name if you choose to continue using social media.

Avoid talking about others' personal identities and experiences, particularly without their consent. Your friends, family members, children, and partners are not tools you should use to win an argument. Point to the lives of writers, activists, educators, and artists who are out if you need an illustrative example in a teaching moment with someone you know. Others' religious beliefs, immigration statuses, queer identities, and pregnancy statuses are nobody's fucking business but their own, unless they choose to tell others for their own reasons.

[fading-event-608]

A fig tree for pixel dailies.

"Figs are planted in most Palestinian cities. However, it is most common in two districts, Nablus — especially in the village of Tell — and Ramallah — namely in Silwad, which became known as Im-Qutteen (mother of dried figs). Other villages also have names relating to the fig, such as Teeneh (fig). There are also flat areas called masateeh referring to the places where figs are dried to produce qutteen.

The fig has long been linked to Palestinian cultural heritage because it is nutritious and filling, and thus a staple of the Palestinian diet. It was known in Palestine as far back as the Canaanites. Palestinians have their own terms for the fig: while it is forming, the fruit is taqsh, then faj and then ‘ajr. Other used terms are nafal and thbeel.

Old traditional sayings reflect the importance of figs in Palestine. For example: ‘I tasted the first fruit, I hope my life has a long route’; ‘Eat the figs from the early season and the grapes from the late season’;* and ‘If we have qutteen (dried figs), we are safe from hunger.'"

-from The Palestinian Museum which took that info from 'A Garden Among the Hills: The Floral Heritage of Palestine'

Trees, would it be olive trees (which I also have a drawing of) or fig ones are important in Palestine. Just like in other countries, they provide shade, fresh air and produce. But in Palestine, they are also a symbol of resistance - as long as family's tree is growing, they are growing too; as long as the tree is alive, they are alive too.

When Israeli occupiers takes Palestinian's homes that they've built over multiple generations, they take their trees that they groomed too. When IOF drops bombs on civilians, they take trees with them. They uproot the trees, they burn them - because those trees remind them of people they've killed and whose land they have taken.

It seems like the world is slowly growing numb to cries for help; it seems like people are closing their eyes and covering their ears to not see the Palestinian blood on their screens, to not hear them scream. And Israel sees that and continues it's aggression on Lebanon. After all, if they can get away with a year (76 years) of genocide, why not start another one?

Please take any action you can. Protest, boycott, keep your eyes on Palestine and please, please, please donate to Palestinian fundraisers. I have spotlighted one fundraiser, for Falastin's family evacuation funds from Gaza that she organized in late June - it is still very far away from it's goal.

There are 24 family members that depend on that fundraiser. They need not only evacuation funds but also money to buy basic necessities like food and medicine that are very expensive in Gaza right now. Recently Falastin started hearing them talk about waiting for their fate because the funds this campaign gets daily are not enough to ease their suffering and cover evacuation.

Please, do not let it happen. Please, donate and check conversion rates before you do as:

10$ = 103 SEK

25$ = 257 SEK

50$ = 515 SEK

100$ = 1,030 SEK

I've talked about this fundraiser before numerous times, a lot of info can be found on this post [here] or [here].

Vetting info: #282 in El-Shab-Hussein and Nabulsi's spreadsheet [here], #957 in the Butterfly Project spreadsheet [here]

I do semi-regular art updates (last one [here]) and accept commissions for proof of donations, please dm me for info as my art blog was terminated recenty.

[noirandchocolate]

RICE Alzheimer's Research Institute

Terry died on 12 March 2015, having given his PCA a run for its money.  Open about his diagnosis, he has helped to unlock the secrecy and stigma that often surrounds dementia.  His legion of fans is undoubtedly grateful that despite the inevitable progression of the PCA he was able to fight his ‘embuggerance’ and continue to produce a number of both well-received and well-reviewed books.  Terry was also a great example to me in emphasizing how important it is that, in caring for people with any type of dementia, we always look for what people with a condition like PCA can still do, rather than what they can’t: by maximizing what is possible, a person can still live well with dementia for a significant time.

–Professor Roy Jones, Director of RICE (taken from “Terry Pratchett: His World”)

I wanted to post something for the Glorious 25th about the Research Institute for the Care of Older People (RICE) in Bath, where Sir Terry Pratchett received treatment for Post-Cortical Atrophy, the type of Alzheimer’s disease that eventually took his life. From the organization’s website:

RICE established one of the first memory clinic services in the UK in 1987 – a service which has since been widely replicated and is now considered standard and best practice by the NHS. In fact, RICE now runs the NHS Memory Clinic in Bath and North East Somerset on behalf of the local clinical commissioning group and local authority through a sub-contract with HCRG Care Group. To date, we’ve assessed, diagnosed, treated and advised 12,000 people with memory problems and their families in our memory clinic. 

Most of RICE’s clinical services and research activities take place in our own purpose built, specialist centre located on the Royal United Hospital site. The building of the RICE Centre was possible as a result of generous donations from major donors, trusts and foundations, and members of the public. RICE moved into the ground and first floor of the centre in 2008. Following the success of the DementiaPlus Appeal and further generous donations from major donors, trusts and foundations and members of the public, RICE converted the attic floor in 2019 to create more office space. This has given us access to much needed additional rooms and offices which will enable us to grow and run more services and activities. We’ve worked hard to ensure that the areas of the centre visited by our patients meets their needs and we regularly receive feedback on how much our patients enjoy their visit to our centre.

RICE not only provides clinical services to patients, but also conducts research into aging and dementia, including performing clinical trials for new drug treatments for memory-related diseases and developing other “techniques for diagnosing, managing, treating and understanding dementia and memory changes in older adults.”

Lady Lyn Pratchett is the patron of the organization, and the website includes a page about how people can donate funds or volunteer at the clinic and participate in fundraising events.

SO, if you’d like to help fund Alzheimer’s research on this Glorious 25th of May–or at any time–in honor of the Man in the Hat, take a look!

[deltasblue]

Hello and welcome to the Art raffle for Gaza!

This art raffle is an initiative to help Aya Hassouna, a Palestinian mother of three living in Gaza, to afford basic life necessities, like food, water, shelter and medical care for her and her children, and fixing her phone so she can continue to access financial help!

Important information

How to enter

Donate your desired amount to Aya’s campaign and take a screenshot of the donation confirmation.

Fill in the linked Google form with proof of donation (screenshot), your choice of raffle ticket or commission purchase and what account + platform to contact you.

OBS!!!The first google submission that you send in will be the only counted towards any raffle entries.

Guaranteed commissions are not effected by previous rule.

Raffles:

Raffle 1. Donations of at least 5€. Prize can be:

Half body sketch

Bust with lineart

One character max

Example:

Raffle 2. Donations of at least 25 Prize can be:

Bust in colour

Half body with lineart

Full body sketch

One character max

Examples:

Raffle 3. Donations of at least 50€. Prize can be:

Free choice from other tiers

Full body coloured illustration with shading

Full watercolour illustration

One character max

Example:

30 € to enter both raffle 1 and raffle 2

70 € to enter all raffles

Guaranteed illustration. Donations of at least 150€. Prizes can be:

Guaranteed Illustration of your choosing.

Up to two characters.

How winners are chosen

Winners are picked on the first of August (1/8/2025)

Any submissions, both raffle and guaranteed must be submitted by the thirty-first of June (31/7/2025).

One person in each raffle is randomly chosen as the winner and receives a custom commission of one of the prize options in their corresponding tier.

Timeframe

The completion of both raffle winner’s and the guaranteed commissions will depend on the complexity of the requests and how many guaranteed commissions I get.

Unlike raffle commissions, guaranteed commission will begin as soon as possible and will not wait until the raffle is closed. I will reach out once I see the guaranteed commission request on the Google form so we can begin discussing your commission. Please take note that even if you are contacted, how long it takes for me to complete/ get to your commission will depend on the complexity of the commission and how manny guaranteed commissions I get.

Rules

No NSFW

No hatful content

No gore

I am allowed to refuse any request I don’t feel comfortable with drawing.

Be respectful and don’t harass anyone.

Any of my art is not to be used for AI training or commercial purposes

Breaking rules will get u blacklisted and removed from all tiers

Suggestions

Donate even if you don’t want to enter the raffle, it can make a big difference for Aya and her family.

Share, like, comment, reblog and repost to increase reach and engagement.

Post this to your own social media’s, including those separate form Tumblr, just don’t forget to add Aya’s campaign link and the Google forms link!

If you have any questions send me an ask!

Vetted by @90-ghost

Submission forms:

https://forms.gle/YQVP5EkNa7LvQ7j87

[lesbianboyfriends]

I am making an updated post as I have received very bad and unexpected news. I was wrongfully terminated from my job today and plan on at the very least getting a consult with a lawyer regarding the situation. Right now I have no savings and I am applying for unemployment, but I am $60 short for rent this Friday, and I need $150 for gas and groceries for the next 2 weeks totaling $210 that I am in need of immediately. If anyone would like to commission something, please DM me for more info.. Here are examples of some of my work, and if you want something else just dm me with your ideas. I will give my v*nmo and p*ypal to ppl who want to help and ask me. Thank you all for your continued support. I am devastated and confused and at a loss.

Cardigans start at $175, throw blankets are $150, heart bags start at $150. Other items anyone has interest in commissioning, we can discuss a price. Thank you all again.

[jessicalprice]

I think the thing that most Christian atheists who are rebelling against authoritarian Christian backgrounds don't get is why Jews remain Jewish.

Like, I get it, you engaged in your practices because you were told that God would punish you if you didn't, because you're told you're supposed to fear God.

(Incidentally, we don't even use the same language about this. The term that gets translated in most English bibles as "fear" is, like many classical Hebrew words, a lot more multivalent than the English term, and has more of a connotation of "awe." (See, for example, the Gilgamesh dream sequence: "Why am I trembling? No god passed this way." A god is something in whose wake one trembles.) It's what one feels when one is faced with something bigger than oneself, something overwhelming. For some people that may be fear of being harmed. For others it may be wonder or even ecstasy, standing outside oneself.)

But in 2023, Jews have the option (and, indeed, still the cultural pressure) to completely abandon Judaism. Very easily. We can, in fact, do it quite passively. If we're not actively trying to engage with it, it will very much drift away from us.

And it's not fear of divine punishment keeping most of us engaged.

The thing is, if you proved to me tomorrow that God doesn't exist, I'm not sure anything about my life or my practice would change. (I'm already agnostic, so *shrug*. I don't believe in a God-person. Sometimes I believe in a unity to reality, a life and a direction to it. Sometimes I don't. I just don't have the arrogance to think I understand definitively the way the universe does or doesn't work.) I still would celebrate Shabbat, I still wouldn't eat pork, I still would have a mezuzah on my doorway.

I do all that stuff because I'm Jewish, not because I think God will get mad if I don't. I do all that stuff because it's part of a cultural system that I see as wise and life-giving and therapeutic and worth maintaining.

And the thing is, the cultural system that Christian antitheists want us to assimilate into, under the guise of "getting rid of religion", is very much a white Protestant culture. It's not culturally neutral. It has practices, and it has a particular worldview, and it has cultural norms that are just as irrational as any other culture's.

It's also very telling that Christian antitheists purport to be harmed by Jews continuing to be Jewish. Why? We don't impose our norms on anyone else, and we overwhelmingly vote (and organize, and engage in activism) against the imposition of Christian "religious" norms, such as the curtailing of reproductive freedom, blue laws, etc.

So you're only "harmed" by our continued existence in the same way Christians purport to be harmed by it: by claiming that the very existence of a group that doesn't share your worldview and practices is somehow an act of oppression against you.

Which is, you know, white supremacist logic.

You're still upholding the logic of Jesus's genocidal, colonial Great Commission even though you supposedly don't believe in the god that ordered it anymore.

That's gotta be one of the saddest things I encounter among my fellow humans.

You took down all the crosses in the church of your mind and chucked them out the window, but you still refuse to step foot outside the church building, contenting yourself with claiming it's not a church, and firing out the windows at the synagogue and mosque down the road, the same way you used to.

[ill-kidnap-all-the-stars]

Sokka

[ image description: digital drawing of Sokka from Avatar: the Last Airbender in my style. He is a dark-skinned man walking towards the camera but looking to the right/his left. He has blue eyes and his head is mostly shaved, with the top portion long and tied back into a ponytail. He is wearing a blue changshan with silver frog closures, silver moons on the collar and silver lion embroidery on his shoulders. He is wearing pale blue trousers and blue shoes with silver embroidery, and holding his space sword behind him. He is standing in front of a brown Water Tribe symbol ]

prints ✨ commissions

Continuing to repost older art, I have just decided that I am going to inflict upon you this entire project because it's cool as balls :) once again, the original influences and cultural exploration is under the cut (and once again noting that there is just so much nuance missing from these, since it's impossible to condense thousands of years and miles worth of culture into a few Instagram slides):

A Bit of Background:

The Water Tribes' culture is based primarily on those of Arctic and Siberian peoples. The Northern Tribe has more influence from Siberian peoples (for example, the Yakut, the Buryat, and the Evenk), while the Southern Tribe has more influence from Arctic peoples (such as the Inuit, the Sireniki, and the Yupik). Since the Southern Tribe was founded by ancient immigrants from the Northern Tribe, this reflects the real world relationship between Arctic and Siberian peoples. However, the Water Tribes also draw from other Indigenous peoples, such as Native American, Aboriginal Australian, and Polynesian cultures. And, like all cultures in the ATLA world, the Water Tribes also have extensive Chinese influence.

Some examples include: the igloos used by the Southern Tribe, which resemble those used by the Inuit; the Water Tribes' reliance on hunting and fishing, similar to the Inuit; Water Tribe warriors wear face paint into battle, a practice associated with Native Americans, as well as African and Southeast Asian tribes; Water Tribe boats are based on Polynesian catamarans; Water Tribe boomerangs are based on the ��returning boomerangs” used by Aboriginal Australian tribes.

Standard Water Tribe Clothing:

Water Tribe clothing typically resembles the clothing of Arctic peoples. For example, the large, pullover coats are drawn from Inuit anoraks (also called parkas, although they are strictly speaking not the same). Anoraks are typically made from reindeer or seal skin and lined with fur.

Water Tribe shoes are influenced by the mukluks worn by Arctic peoples. These shoes are also made from reindeer or seal skin and are often worn with an inner liner and protective overshoe.

‘Hair loopies’ are also based on an Inuit hairstyle. While braided hairstyles are found in cultures all over the world, ‘hair loopies’ are based on a uniquely Canadian Inuit hairstyle and are called qilliqti in Inuktitut.

My Design:

Katara's warm-weather clothes are inspired by the Chinese cheongsam (Cantonese: 長衫; literally 'long shirt/dress'). It is typically a long, form-fitting, one-piece garment with a standing (mandarin) collar, an asymmetrical, left-over-right closure (右衽; youren), two side slits, and Chinese frog closures (盤扣; pankou).

However, Sokka's warm-weather clothing doesn't have a similar parallel, or even a less-clear influence. For this reason, I decided to draw Sokka in the closest male equivalent to the cheongsam, the changshan (Mandarin: 長衫; literally 'long shirt').

I embellished Sokka's changshan with embroidery of lions, which are a symbol of military prowess in Chinese culture — perfect for Sokka's smart strategies, don't you think? His shoes also have irises on them, which can represent insight, communication and conviction. Finally, I added two crescent moons on his collar because, while his sister of course has a connection to the moon, I also believe Sokka has one as well through Yue

[akakay31]

So much for Legends Celebi or B3W3, lmao.

But for real, before anyone starts theorizing about ultimate weapons or ancient wars in Pokémon Legends ZA, there are a few important things to consider first:

1. The game will be set entirely in Lumiose City.

A bit disappointing, though Lumiose is already a big place, and it’ll only be bigger now that it’s the central focus. A smaller scope will also probably mean a higher-quality product in the end, too. Though it does makes me wonder how catching wild Pokémon will work within an urban city. Maybe the game will be more battle-focused, as opposed to the catching-focused Legends Arceus.

2. The game will (almost certainly) not be about the events of 3,000 years ago.

If it wasn’t already obvious by the limited setting, Legends ZA will most likely have little to do with the events of the ancient war and ultimate weapon. If it’s anything like Legends Arceus, Legends ZA will instead be set in a period based on the latter half of the 19th century, soon after the invention of Poké Balls. Anything set before this period would predate the invention of Poké Balls, and thus have to have drastic changes to its gameplay, which is something I just don’t see happening.

And we know that Legends Arceus is set during the mid-to-late 1800s because of the events it is based on, i.e. the Japanese annexation of Hokkaido in 1869, as well as the subsequent colonization efforts.

Similarly, we can guess that Legends ZA will be set during this same period because of the event it is seemingly based on, Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s renovation of Paris from 1850 to 1870.

For those unaware, Haussmann’s renovation was an urban renewal project, commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III, that included the demolition of old medieval neighborhoods, the annexation of surrounding suburbs, the construction of new sewers, etc. The renovation was extremely unpopular, what with the whole bulldozing thousands of houses and replacing them with standardized streets and buildings thing, resulting in Haussmann’s dismissal in 1870. However, work on his plans continued until 1927, and ultimately are what made Paris what it is today.

While Legends ZA likely won’t go too far into the nitty-gritty of the real-world events, knowing what the game will be drawing from is essential for any speculation on what we can expect to see.

In fact, using this same method, we can probably even guess what future Legends games will be like by looking for historical events during the mid-to-late 1800s period. Take Unova, for example, which could…

Oh.

Oh no.

[winged-thinged]

I keep circling back trying to understand how it is that so-called Christian "unconditional love" is at once both extremely conditional and also extremely mandatory.

Christian love is not unconditional in the sense that there are no conditions placed on you by God when you are loved. There are, quite famously, a whole book's worth of conditions that you are expected to follow in order to prove your devotion, signs of God's loving presence moving through you. Depending on your denomination, those conditions might be enforced by the threat of hell or just plain social ostracization or Bible study cliques or elaborate rituals of penance and forgiveness. But consistently and across many denominations, once you are Christian, you are expected to comply with these conditions. You must conform. You are not free to be as you once were.

But neither are you free to reject their love. It is universal, and therefore definitionally boundaryless, all-encompassing, and heavily enforced. Welcoming in the lost sheep is not a passive process. It is an active process of going out and hunting for the sinner, of teaching them the example of Jesus's life, of bringing them into the fold. And once they are fully indoctrinated, they are expected to continue to actively practice, to abstain from "sin," and to show a high degree of conformity to the group standard, whatever that means for the particular community. If you don't—you get hunted down and re-educated, pestered and threatened, shunted back into rituals of sin and repentance. There is no saying, "no I'm not interested" that the loving Christian can accept, because Christian love is for everybody. There is no opt out. There is no consent.

It comes of viewing the whole world as sinful, I think—human beings as not worthwhile in their own right but only in so far as they are potential conduits for God's grace—potential converts—everybody a broken people needing to be saved. The Great Commission ("go make of all disciplines") means that everyone must be converted—not welcomed, converted—and this is mandatory for everyone forever.

[lunawlw]

Drawing for Palestine

A while ago, I was part of the Raffles For Palestine where I was an artist selected to raffle art as a prize for those who donated to a Palestinian family in need. The winners of that raffle have been contacted and I am still working on their prizes.

I am continuing to make art till this family gets to their goal, except this time it isn't a raffle. You can get a commission from me as long as you DM me your proof of donation! There is no grand prize winner, you all can get a piece of art from me if you donate!

STARTING: September 30th, 2024

If you donate to THIS PALESTINIAN FAMILY and DM me proof of your donation, you can get a Bust Commission from me! (Examples of work show above)

WHERE TO DONATE & HOW TO ENTER:

Donate a minimum of €5 HERE.

DM a screenshot of your donation as proof.

Dm me what you would like as your Bust Commission!

You can also let me know in DMs if you would like a simple background or not (as shown above) along if you'd like for me to publish the commission online or not!

NOTE: MY TERMS OF SERVICE STILL APPLY Please read them if you have any questions regarding your commission!

This family is currently at €23,320 raised of €70,000 goal ! Please donate if you can, even if you do not want a commission from me! If you cannot donate, reblog/share/repost the donation link alongside this post. Please help this family!

[thevulturesquadron]

I've seen a couple of takes on what Varric is in Veilguard, what Solas's role is in 'keeping Varric alive' and I love to read people's interpretation of it, so I thought I'd throw my own two cents on the table.

I never saw Varric as a spirit or something Solas created/ manipulated through the blood connection. Varric was something Rook constructed. The only thing Solas did was to make Rook completely forget he was dead. Turn their confusion into denial, both through the use of blood magic (literally reshape their memory) and through lies. The rest was Rook. This is very important to me because it's a key element of the story: a story about guilt, about the strength you need to overcome it lest it cripples you. Varric's presence for Rook is about traumatic events that you just push out of your conscious mind because guilt and grief, and emotions in general, can be strong enough to take you out of commission. It's a recurring theme in the game - as an example, Lucanis in his quest is literally paralyzed because he doesn't want to face the outcomes of the choices he needs to make. It feels well woven into the story how Varric's presence is something Rook made up.

He's the voice in their head that they talk to when they panic and don't know what to do. As an aside, the absolute contrast between the fact that the dialogue options when dealing with the companions' problems are always reassuring vs. the doubt and exhaustion in Rook's voice when they're talking to Varric is striking! Varric is the conviction that keeps them going. It's what Rook thinks Varric would have said. So in a way EVERYTHING that Varric says to Rook is what Rook says to themselves. It's why the last thing you tell Varric, at the end of the proper goodbye, is 'I know where to find you when I need you': because it shows acceptance, and it shows that Varric will always be the voice in Rook's head that will provide reassurance. It's what people go through: grief, doubt, and finding answers within themselves. It's not uncommon for throughs in your head (both negative and positive) to take on the voices of people in your life. For me, in this bittersweet instance, it's all Rook. Moving on to Solas and how he plays into all of this. I don't think there was any good intent behind Solas's manipulation. There was no benevolence, there was just selfishness, but in the most painful way. The only heartfelt thing Solas did was when he said to Rook 'Tell Varric I am sorry'. That line was so twisted and beautiful because it had two edges: on one side it was manipulative, to check that Rook still believed the lie and to continue building on it, and on the other, it was pity and selfishness. He didn't say that for Rook or Varric. Not really. He said it for himself. Because the only Varric that was still alive was in Rook's head. So if Rook's version of Varric accepts his apology, it gives him a bit of comfort, forgiveness, and absolves him of murdering his friend. That line is SO, SO selfish and intricate. It's beautiful! Such fantastic writing.

The only reason Solas played with Rook's mind in this manner is because he thought it could chain Rook to his prison through their own grief and guilt. That was his plan because his own shortcomings meant that he could only perceive Rook as a mirror of himself. Pridefully, he couldn't see Rook through any other lens. As a result, he is fully convinced that once Rook realizes Varric is dead, after so much time spent in denial, it will break them and keep them trapped in there forever. He allowed Rook to forget his death so he could drown them in so much guilt that his prison would mold itself to them. Solas thought Rook is just like him. That his pain, grief and loneliness are justified punishments, that they are absolutes. He was convinced there was no way of interacting with these emotions other than his. And Rook proved him wrong. I can go as far as saying it's the proof that Solas has been looking for for the past 10 years. That he is wrong and that there IS another way. Rook outgrowing their guilt and self-pity for the benefit of others: that is the first real crack in Solas's own prison.

I could talk endlessly about how the game deals so fantastically with the motifs of guilt, grief, and choice, with the ideas of using others as mirrors of ourselves, but I think this at least sums up how I feel about the whole Rook - Varric - Solas dynamic.