Rook/Solas is so much more engaging than Solavellan… I said what I said [DAV Act 2 Spoilers]

I think the fact Solas is not a companion and isn’t romanceable in this game, yet he’s an integral part of it and we can interact with him does wonders for the chemistry.

I’ve always felt like Solasmancing in DAI was so… demeaning. Sure, he’d eventually come to respect you if you yielded to his worldview, but romancing a dude who requires crawling up his ass and accepting his, frankly off-putting, opinions on your people never sat right with me.

And don’t get me wrong—this doesn’t mean the romance was badly written or that it didn’t make sense. I can absolutely see the appeal of Solavellan dynamics and, especially with Trespasser, I can understand the longing and the tragedy of it.

That being said, Rook’s ability to just absolutely shit on Solas one on one when he’s in his true form (and not pretending to be a vaguely racist hedge mage) makes for some insanely good chemistry.

It feels like, despite the vast gap in our experiences and power positions, we are on a somehow more equal footing from the get-go. In part, because we already know what he is and in part, because the best he can do is hiss at us while stuck in the Fade.

It makes for a forced truce that can either evolve into a mutual understanding and, eventually, trust OR an absolute cheeky distaste on both sides.

In either case, this paired with the fact he “lives” in our head rent free, makes for some insanely good chemistry—much more than I have ever felt as Inky when trying to romance Solas.

The performance of Solas’s VA and British F!Rook definitely helps as well because they’ve both got insane chops, so it’s a pleasure hearing them interact.

In short, I know fanfiction readers will be FEASTING with this new dynamic we got lmao.