Vil says that he has taught Rook everything Rook knows about cosmetics, and tried a lot of different brands on him before they eventually settled on Felicity Cosmetics.
Ace says he thought that Rook has always been fashionable, but we learn in Book 6 that this was not the case.
Rook says that one of the first things that Vil told him to do once they became acquainted was to take care of his nails. Vil says that they spoke for the first time a few months after starting school at NRC, and Rook did not give a very good first impression.
Vil explains that they once had an intense discussion about how the audience plays just as large a role as the performers in plays and concerts and he encouraged Rook to dress up for a play for which he had a front-row seat.
Rook said the hadn’t had any interest in dressing up before then, but Vil gave him wonderful advice and even coordinated his entire ensemble, and he has had an appreciation for personal care ever since.
(Vil: “I now know the actor Rook mentioned was Neige. And Neige wouldn’t mind a bit if his fans saw him in tattered sweats or patchwork pants. So my advice was entirely unwarranted.”)
Vil says that the first time Rook approached him was when he was sitting on a bench I the courtyard, reading a script for his next play. Rook says he was “terribly nervous” but Vil calls him a liar, saying that he will never forget their first conversation, where Rook comments on how convincingly Vil played a “cold, tyrannical, tantrum-prone fiend.” Rook says he meant it as a compliment.
Vil explains, “From then onward, Rook would come up and talk to me even when I didn’t engage him at all. He’d share his completely unsolicited opinions on my performances, then go on his way. Both his positive impressions AND negative ones. At first, I thought he was no more than an armchair critic, trying to tell an actor how to do their job. But over time, I realized that his observations were oddly perceptive.”
Vil says that, at one point, he asked how he would have performed a particular scene, and Rook proceeded to go on for five hours straight (Rook: “What a rewarding discussion that was.”)
Vil says that he had been fully convinced, at the time, that no one his age knew as much about theater and art as he did, but Rook quickly disabused him of that notion with his breadth of knowledge (Rook says that he simply had more free time).
Rook says that he eventually transferred from Savanaclaw into Pomefiore because he wished to gain a deeper understanding of beauty, but also because of his desire to watch Vil hone his own beauty up close: “After all, two swordsmiths hammering a blade can give it an even keener edge. I volunteered to swing the second hammer upon Vil’s blade of beauty.”
Vil says that he actually tried to dissuade Rook from transferring, but before he knew it Rook was a Pomefiore dorm member. During his second birthday interview Vil tells Trey, “I’ve never understood why some people insist on changing their dorm after the Dark Mirror selected one for them…”
Rook will defend others from Vil’s ire, as seen during opening ceremonies (after Vil refers to the new students as half-priced potatoes).
It is Rook who encourages Vil to accept Ace and Deuce into the VDC team despite their faults, saying, “Imagine, if you will, a tiara packed with previous tones all crowding one another out. But another option is a tiara in which a single, grand diamond has a smaller, more colorful array of gems inlaid around it. Personally, I would find the latter more tasteful and appealing.”
Rook often advises Vil during Book 5, encouraging him to show Epel “the power of (Vil’s) beauty” after Epel runs out of a dance rehearsal in frustration, effectively saving their relationship. Rook also asks Vil to forgive Epel for his rudeness after Epel returns to the school.
While Vil is originally against the NRC team watching Neige’s performance Rook convinces him to allow it, indirectly leading to Vil’s overblot. (All three light-magic users—Kalim, Rook and Silver—were each overblot catalysts.)
Rook may have saved Neige’s life when he insisted upon drinking the poisoned apple juice that Vil gave to Neige.
It is unclear if Vil was going to stop Rook from drinking the juice himself (he is stopped by Kalim), and when he asks why Rook tried to do so despite knowing that it was not going to end well for him, Rook responds, “I wanted to believe in you. You, who strives harder and reaches for greater heights than any other. I didn’t want you to besmirch yourself by doing anything foolish. And if the apple juice WAS cursed, I wanted to taste it. I wanted to taste the fruit of a poison derived from an obsession with beauty bordering on madness.”
Rook describes Vil’s overblot form as both a “frightful, sorrowful sight” but also “so darkly dazzling. I can scarcely take my eyes off you, however clouded they may be.”
When Vil’s overblot and the VDC performances are over, Rook reveals that he didn’t vote for the NRC team.
Rook explains, “Neige’s group believed in themselves and each other when they danced and sang. When I saw them up there, they struck me as powerful…and as the fairest of all in that exact moment.”
Rook tells Vil, “Even if you wind up old, emaciated, grimy and stooped over…if you were to truly believe that you are the fairest of all despite that, even the Magic Mirror of legend wouldn’t contest your claim. The strength and pride to believe in yourself is what marks the true fairest one of all”.
It is then revealed that Rook is a secret fan of Neige LeBlanche and writes poems about every single photo that Neige publishes, submitting them to Neige under the pseudonym “R”.
(During Vil’s birthday we learn that Rook also writes poems about Vil, gifting Vil with a collection of one hundred that he wrote, extolling Vil’s beauty.)
Vil reacts with surprise that he has known Rook for two years without the slightest clue that he was a fan of Neige’s, assuring him that—despite the last-minute betrayal—he knows Rook is not the type to act on personal bias.
During Halloween it is revealed that Rook may have been a fan of Neige since the latter was 12 years old, when Rook saw him in a musical called “King’s Road”.
But, Rook explains, “it wasn’t Neige himself who moved me…other cast members were spectacular—especially the villains!”, but it is not confirmed if child-Vil was a villain in King’s Road, opposite Neige.
Rook is often complimenting Vil but whether or not Vil believes most of his platitudes is unclear. Rook insists he would “never do anything to reflect poorly on (Vil)” and, during Phantom Bride, insists that he found himself lost without Vil to light his way.
Epel points out that Rook was actually “busting up ghosts with giddy abandon”.
Before Beanfest Rook says “Just imagining the rush of exhilaration I’ll feel when I capture you is going to keep me up all night”, and Vil responds, “Don’t come crying to me later if you try to hunt a chicken, only to find yourself cornered by a fox.”
When the two finally meet during Beanfest Rook dismisses Trey to take Vil on personally and ultimately overpowers him.
During Halloween Vil is possessed by a ghost that bemoans Vil’s beauty and Rook insists, “You never fail to rise again after shedding some tears. That is what makes you beautiful! For you to abandon your hope would be a terrible tragedy. Allow me to see my dear Roi du Poison once again.”
Rook acknowledges that Pomefiore’s rules may be strict, “but if they are important to Vil, then I will certainly comply”.
In a vignette Rook asks Vil when he will be beginning his diet, as he has put on weight over the past three days. Vil insists, “I haven’t indulged in anything unhealthy. I have over five million followers on Magicam and none of them have made any such remarks. And more to the point, I haven’t noticed anything different about myself when I look in the mirror.”
Rook responds, “Who do you believe: Me? Or everyone else? As I often remind you, I spend more time looking at you than you do looking at yourself in the mirror. That should be all the evidence you need.” Vil agrees to take the warning seriously.
(In a chat, however, when Rook says that he will grade Vil’s looks any time he likes, Vil says, “I’d rather not let your subjective viewpoint define my reality.”)
After this interaction with Rook Vil is immediately offered cake by Trey which he refuses, telling Trey to force-feed it to Rook, instead.
Rook’s ability to fulfill his duties as vice-housewarden may be questionable: When Vil describes Jade as “a gifted secretary who fulfills Azul’s every wish” Rook says he is becoming jealous, to which Vil responds, “You’ve never once taken on the role of secretary, so the comparison is moot.”
When Vil assures Jade that the rumors about his capabilities were true, he also adds that “Rook could stand to learn a thing or two.”
Vil is suspicious of how Epel will conduct himself in Fleur City, and when Rook assures him that Epel will have his full support Vi responds, “You don’t exactly inspire confidence.”
Rook says, “I implore you to forgive me for leaving you alone in such a way. I leave you this flower ere my departure. I shall return by the time this bud blooms. Please, keep it and do not forget me…” (Vil: “You do realize you’ll be gone 72 hours, not 72 weeks, right?”)
After the drama of Glorious Masquerade Rook is moved to tears, telling Epel that he will regale Vil with tales of Epel’s exploits.
Vil describes Rook as “quirky at times” but says the he turns a blind eye to it, “For now”.
Vil threatens to remove Rook from his role in a bid to keep Rook from bothering Leona, and Rook assures him, “I’ll tread carefully to avoid getting sacked. I happen to quite like my position, you see.”
When Vil and the rest of the overblotters are kidnapped by STYX Rook pursues them on the excuse of needing to provide Vil with skincare products to ensure he is ready for an upcoming photoshoot, but he later admits that he hadn’t been able to stand by while Vil came to harm.
Rook successfully reaches STYX and delivers Vil’s skincare products and Vil observes, “I thought I was used to Rook’s antics, but this truly takes the cake…Rook can certainly be eccentric, but once you get used to it, you see he’s quite affable and honest. Honest to fault sometimes, and utterly devoid of tact…”
Vil notes a “special serum” amongst the products that Rook has managed to provide him, taking it with him after escaping from his cell at STYX, and the serum is revealed to have been under Rook’s unique magic and acting as a homing beacon for him to locate Vil.
When the Pomefiore group begins the descent into Tartarus Vil takes a moment to scold Rook for abandoning the dorm, saying that while he knows that Rook does not usually act like a proper vice housewarden anyway, he cannot overlook how he went out “gallivanting around” when the campus was in chaos.
Vil says, “I’m ashamed of my poor judgment in nominating a vice housewarden so irresponsible he’d abandon his dorm at the drop of a hat,” and Rook acknowledges that he was prepared to be dismissed as vice housewarden the moment he left campus.
After speaking as the Housewarden of Pomefiore Vil then speaks for himself, saying that he had been beside himself with joy upon hearing that Rook and the others had come for him, giving each member of the group a hug and a kiss and promising to return them safely to school.
After Vil loses his youth to the Underworld Rook assures him that he is still “the fairest one of all.” (Vil: “I know. But that’s not the point!”)
Vil visits the school store during New Year’s while Rook is resupplying and Rook appears in the front of the store anyway, saying, “how I so wish I could give your shopping experience my personal touch…”
When Vil is working at the school store instead they fail to overlap, with Rook saying that he came “to burn Vil’s brave figure into (his) mind,” but he would want to disturb him while he is working.
When Rook’s tsum appears at NRC Rook gives him a tour of Pomefiore, leaving a “special place” for last, somewhere where the tsum will be able to gaze upon a special beauty, and lets himself into Vil’s bedroom.
Vil seems pleased by a tsum with a fondness for beauty wanting a long look at his face and even keeping a proper distance while it admires him.
Vil excuses himself for a Film Club Research meeting and Rook responds, “I could bask in your glory ’til the end of time…but I wouldn’t dare delay you.”
Rook later follows his tsum into bushes on campus in order to watch Vil from afar without disturbing him or the rest of the Film Research Club.
Rook does not intend to follow Vil into the entertainment industry in his fourth year, choosing to intern at an archeological research institute, instead.
Vil gives a speech on Founding Day and Grim says that Rook gave him a standing ovation, continuing to clap even after Vil told him that he was overdoing it. (Grim: “And then he threw flowers at Vil’s feet!”)
When the Cloudcalling group decides to take a photo together Vil says that he normally doesn’t do photographs for free, but he concedes as Rook asked him for pictures.
In Rook’s dream in Book 7 Vil is a Royal Sword Academy student with Neige, and the two are famously best friends.
Rook quotes multiple lines that he has memorized from an interview with Neige and Vil on the subject, saying that their relationship is “sublime.”
Rook has forgotten the events of Book 5 in his dream, saying that the VDC was where Neige and Vil performed a children’s song together.
Ortho guesses that Rook’s dream-world is a timeline where Vil never quit acting and Grim wonders if this means that Rook never really wanted to be close with Vil.
Idia explains that the dream worlds’ “happiness” filters are superficial, and if Rook wanted both Neige and Vil to be happy it’s possible that the world adapted by removing the cattiness, jealousy and sabotage of standard showbiz.
Epel, however, guesses that there is more to it, as the real-world Vil feels a strong sense of rivalry toward Neige and “he did something during the VDC that he’d never normally do,” even though it would have ruined everything he’d accomplished.
Epel explains, “Vil wasn’t the only one who got hit hard. It must have been an awful, heartbreaking experience for Rook, too. I mean, he had more faith in Vil than anyone…” Epel guesses that Rook “was so devastated, he actually WANTED to be cursed to sleep forever.”
The darkness of Rook’s dream tries to convince him to stay asleep by showing him Neige and Vil performing together and Epel begins to yell at him about how the real Vil is way less friendly, and “way, way, WAY more poisonous and beautiful.”
Epel tells Rook, “You’re more of a traitor right now than you were when you cast that vote for Royal Sword Academy,” successfully awakening him.
Rook then aims his bow and arrow at the dream-versions of Neige and Vil as they try to protect one another, saying, “What noble friendship you share… And yet that very harmony is proof of my terrible betrayal!”
Rook joins the group, saying, “If I simply let you leave, I’ll never be able to lift my eyes from the floor in our queen’s presence again.”
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 