After a disastrous moment where he said that outloud, he had to watch that person get dragged away by men in white suits.
Apparently the white suits were a government organization, and if anyone mentioned a specific phrase or wording near recording devices, they would jump on it.
Duke would never forget the fear in the biker guys face as they dragged him away.
He'd actually had to call Jason in to stage a heist. Jason didn't ask questions, Duke didn't provide answers; both agreed that whatever Duke had mentioned about the guy was something that he could never say again.
They both agree to not tell Bruce. Since the government is involved and they're pulling people from the streets, that means that Bruce definitely knows and either can't do anything about it or doesn't care to.
Ever since then, he keeps that information to himself.
Aura? What aura? He didn't see anything, no thank you.
So when Damian's new online friend, Danny Fenton, comes over to meet him in person, and said friend has no aura, Duke keeps his mouth shut.
He also maybe goes a little bit out of his way to make absolutely certain that the kid is safe.
I said I wasn't going to get started on the topic of Aveline ruining Carver's chances with the guard but I lied okay, it's Carver Hawke defense hours.
Here's the thing; it doesn't matter if you believe Carver was or wasn't fit for the guard. That's a different debate that I'll get to. What matters is Aveline's in no position to tell the guard not to accept his application. Why does she think that's her right to judge whether or not he's fit?
Carver should've had the chance to prove himself one way or another. If it turns out he's not a good fit, then let him fail. Let him learn from it.
"Oh but failure could mean lost lives-"
Aveline doesn't get to talk shit about failure and the people. Plenty have died on her watch yet she still believes she's a good guard and Guard-Captain.
"maybe Aveline's protecting him, Carver could die while on patrol-"
Carver could die working in the Bone Pit, or serving as a templar, or when he's running around with Hawke. Carver could trip and fall down a set of stairs and die. In fact, he can die in the Deep Roads, somewhere he wouldn't have to go if the Hawke's weren't desperate.
Either Carver fails as a guard, or more likely, he succeeds and proves himself worthy of it.
But let's be real, Carver probably kept getting rejected due to being a Fereldan with a past of smuggling/mercenary work and Aveline only reaffirmed the decision, either because they asked her what she thought or she stuck her nose in unprompted.
But what irritates me is that she admits to telling them not to accept his application, and then has the balls to call Carver too proud to take up a trade or find another line of work.
Carver tells her, "And who would take on a Fereldan apprentice? Maybe in another year I could work my way up to pissboy." He has a good point here. Aside from the guard, the only other place Carver could work and use his skillset is with the Templars. Or go back to mercenary/smuggling work.
And Aveline doesn't even have a real answer for him. No suggestions, no encouragement, nothing. Just "Fine, let's crawl down some holes. Good bloody luck for your sake."
Also, if you do the Mark of the Assassin DLC in Act 1-
Aveline: You should see if any of the noblemen are looking for new men-at-arms.
Carver: Are you trying to get rid of me?
Aveline: It's a role with some autonomy. A good fit with your training and... tendencies.
Carver: After serving King Cailan? You want me to suffer some poncy git who needs two servants to wipe his own ass? I'll find my own way, thanks.
Aveline: I wish you would.
You wish he would?? Aveline, he was trying to find his way into the guard, a position he'd make a good fit for, and you helped deny him of it because YOU didn't think he would be good enough, I just-
If I haven't made it clear yet, I firmly believe that Carver would've made a great guard. He wants to help people, to be a protector. He's loyal, and despite what Aveline claims, he can follow orders and take his duty seriously. We see him do incredibly well with the Grey Wardens, after all. If he were a guard, he wouldn't have to go down into the Deep Roads with Hawke, and I think he would've been okay with that! He's so hurt and bitter when you leave him behind because that effectively tells him, "I don't need you." Carver's spent the whole first act telling you he wants to go on the expedition aka that he wants to be needed.
But if he were a guard, he would be needed elsewhere. He'd be in training as a recruit. He'd look after Leandra while you go. He wouldn't be backed into a corner with no income and only the templars left as his chance at forging his own path and providing for his family.
He doesn't get that opportunity, though.
By the way, if he becomes a warden, you can get this banter:
Aveline: I'm glad you found a place with the Wardens.
Carver: Well, it's not the city guard, but it'll do.
Aveline: Carver... it wasn't the place for you.
Carver: No, it's all right. It is. It cost a lot, but I get it. I really was a bit of a tit those days, wasn't I?
Aveline: Well...
This banter makes me want to scream.
Aveline's just... she's so insistent that she's right. She's someone who will double down rather than entertain the idea that she's wrong and it's not just with Carver and the guard, it's with everything. The "my beef with Aveline" list gets longer and longer every time I replay da2, I swear.
Say what you will about Carver, whether you think he would've been a good fit or if Aveline's right and it wasn't for him, he was denied a chance and it cost him so much in the end. He either dies, or he joins the templars where he deals with Chantry's bullshit trying to brainwash him with "mages aren't people" and "magic is a cancer in this world", or he's infected with the blight and becomes a Grey Warden, forced to serve the rest of his life fighting darkspawn, tormented by voices and nightmares.
I have a lotta fic ideas so yall r gonna vote which one you want me to do cause why not
1) a fic where tim is moving out after an argument with bruce and for some reason damian keeps following him around striking small conversations as tim tries to pack (he wants him to stay but isnt sure how to tell him)
2) A danny x tim fic which is basically a chickflick where batfam vote on who will get a date at the end of the night and no one votes for tim (little do they know the power of loser rizz)
3) A danny x damian fic where danny poses for damians paintings in his art club and they slowly fall for eachother (damian is crushing SO hard my son is head in hands in love)
4) A heavily inspired fic ill link in a sec where the Justice League have the horrible privilege to be caught having to save a obnoxious Bruce Wayne and his equally horrible family from shit tons of kidnappings (batfam let it happen for fun to bully JL and the justice league members sort of start to become fond of bruce and his idiotic charms)
Maverick: *being a general nuisance in the rec room with the flyboys*
Slider: All right, enough already! You’re annoying the hell out of me. Did your parents not pay enough attention to you as a child, or what?
Maverick, tearing up instantly: I-... I-I’m sorry. I’ll just-
The flyboys: O.O
Slider, realizing what he said and who he said it to (because, of course, Mav’s parents didn’t pay enough attention to him. They’re gone): Don’t you dare leave
Mav: But I-
Slider: Come here, kid
Mav: *creeps closer*
Slider, pulling Mav onto the couch with him and shoving down concern when Maverick goes stiff as a board: You can be right here, okay? Just... stay put. Nap, twiddle your thumbs, whatever. You don’t have to be obnoxious to get our attention
Maverick: *sniffs* Okay
Slider, minutes later with a sleepy aviator dozing on him: Huh. Well, that was easy
Cornelius complaining that he has no special talent compared to all of Rozemyne's other retainers makes me think of him as the token neurotypical of the team.