#crow!rook

Just posting this again because I cannot function.

He's not like Lucanis! He doesn't come from a Crow house! He had to make his own! And he probably found Rook in a dumpster somewhere looking all sad and alone and understood what it was like to be a lost, forgotten child.

And I think that's probably why he pushes Rook so hard. Crow politics heavily favor people who come from a long line of Crows, like Lucanis and Illario. Viago probably had to prove his worth over and over again, and now impresses the same thing upon Rook.

And we can all agree that Viago sent Rook away because the other Talons wanted them killed, right? That's what Viago was mad about, not necessarily just that they fucked up a Crow operation. They were reckless and nearly died for it. How many times did Viago have to air on the side of caution, be the perfect assassin, just because he didn't have a Crow family to protect him if he messed up? And now Rook has done the exact opposite, diving head first into a fight without thinking about the consequences, and Viago now has to protect them from those consequences.

It's established that Rook and Viago have a loving but disgruntled relationship. Viago is the type to bully the crap out of Rook and pick apart everything about them, but if anyone even dared to do the same he'd set out a hit on them. The type to groan whenever they enter a room, to criticise them...but if anything happned to Rook he'd be inconsolable.

That's the reality. But often, being on the end of a relationship such as Rook's, it's hard to realise that type of person DOES love you. Maybe you know deep down, but with the whole 'professional' context surrounding their relationship. I can imagine Rook does feel like an 'investment' to Viago and nothing more. That anything remotely affectionate, might just be Rook being hopeful or making it up in their head.

And the state of their relationship in Veilguard is this. Rook went against orders, maybe even Viago's direct orders. In order to save some people from the Antaam. As a consequence, Rook was essentially exiled from the Crows.

You just know Rook and Viago said some horrible things to each other before Rook left. Things both of them probably regret but that they'll never bring up again. Viago was most definitely, furious with Rook. And Rook can potentially feel like they did let Viago down, or betrayed him. Even if they don't regret what they did, even if they know it was the right thing to do. Rook might regret what it did to Viago.

Even when Rook comes to Treviso, and Teia tries to reassure them that Viago has missed them. Rook immediately doesn't believe it. That is VERY telling of the type of bond Rook and Viago have.

So when Rook is fighting the dragons, and it feels like the day might be lost. the fact it is VIAGO, that comes to rescue Rook. Must've been reassuring for two different reasons. A) The day is not lost B) Viago came himself to save me.

doodles of viago de riva and his little protegee, Rookie!