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Rook's chin rested on their hand as their eyes half-read a recent missive from their contacts. The scrawled letters began to swirl, blur, and merge the harder they tried to focus. They sighed as they set the parchment down and rubbed their tired eyes.
No wonder the Crows had people just for reading and writing contracts. After this, they didn't want to read anything for a long time.
There was a knock on the door, and before they could reply, he heard it open.
"Lucanis," they said, perking up as they recognized the sound of their partner's boots on the stone floor.
"I brought tea," Lucanis said warmly as he set the tray on the dresser behind the couch.
"Tea?"
"Emmrich suggested a 'calming' blend," he said with a shrug as he settled beside Rook on the couch.
Rook gently picked up a cup from the tray and held the warm item in their hands as they inspected the color and aroma. "It's not gingerwort, is it?"
Lucanis chuckled lightly. "No. No. It's a chamomile, lemon balm, and lavender blend. As suggested by Strife."
Rook nodded and took a small sip. The light floral taste and warmth slowly spread throughout their body. They stared into the cup for a long moment as they attempted to push all their concerns and plans to the back of their mind.
"Is Solas speaking to you again?"
"Hm?" Rook hummed, looking at their partner.
"You've been staring into that cup for a few minutes."
Rook set the cup on the tray. "He's quiet for now." They sighed, running a hand through their hair. "Sorry."
Lucanis touched Rook's shoulder. "You don't need to apologize." He could see the exhaustion taking hold of Rook's face. The dark circles under their eyes seemed darker, and their choppy haircuts seemed even more disheveled and unkempt. Had they even managed to shave in the past few days? "You need a haircut." He playfully teased.
Rook softly chuckled. "As I've told Viago, it's on my to-do list."
"I'm surprised he hasn't done it himself," Lucanis said as he brushed his fingers through Rook's raven hair. "The Crows have some standards."
"I know. I know. Teia was heartbroken when she saw that I lost most of my hair."
"Lost?"
"I got into a tight spot just before Varric recruited me. I cut most of it off to get out of it." They played with one of the long locks that hung beside their face, twisting it around their finger.
"How long was it before?"
Rook thought for a moment. "Lower back." They indicated with a hand at their waist.
"Mierda. Really?"
"I kept it tied up most of the time." Rook shrugged. "I like having short hair. It just took a while to get used to it. It feels... right. If that makes sense."
Lucanis nodded. "It does."
Rook smiled softly. "Before I had to cut it, I was hesitant to do it. I got a lot of compliments about my hair, and for the longest time, it felt like the one thing I had control over." They took the cup back off the tray. "It makes sense that I cut it before all of this. A fresh start with a new name, 'Rook.'"
"I thought 'Rook' was a nickname," Lucanis said, taking his cup. "Harding mentioned that Varric gave it to you."
"He did. It was just a nickname initially, but I'll keep it. It's better than 'Ward.'"
"Ward?"
Rook nodded. "The Crows gave me that name when they took me in."
9
"What was your name before that?"
Rook smirked and sipped their tea. "Come now, I have to keep some secrets. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm Rook De Riva now."