#De Riva Crow

[marmie-noir]

I just had the dumbest headcannon idea thing ever so buckle up.

You are a De Riva Crow, a cousin for Viago, live at the De Riva estates most of the time (most crows I feel have little hidden apartments or places to stay that aren't at the estate just in case, ya know?)

Anyway, we all know Lucanis at one point had a crush on Viago, right? He gave that man a dagger, but it wasn't received well. I saw the headcanon floating around that cracked me up, that Viago didn't reject Lucanis' dagger because it didn't meet his standards (which is totally fair, he is a diva but we love him), but because he took the dagger as a threat. A threat against him, his house, not uncommon amongst crows. (And yeah, maybe Viago started the nickname 'Demon of Vyrantium, but how did Lucanis even figure that out? (He hasn't.) And a threat over something so silly? Come now Lucanis, be rational.)

So you, as far as you know, think Lucanis has the hots for your cousin. That ended a long time ago, and he's since set his eyes on you. Viago of course notices, and is suspicious, until Teia has him see a bit of reason.

Anyway, imagine. You wake up one day, head from your room towards the kitchen for coffee, and who else is there but the Demon of Vyrantium. Already making coffee, clothing a little ruffled, looking exhausted.

You have no idea he showed up to celebrate a contract with Teia, loving to bother Viago with her, and ended up drinking a bit too much of his best wine, hung over and cranky. But to you, that man spent the evening getting his back broken, learning the dimensions of Viago's expensive hardwood desk in a more intimate setting.

Never mind that Teia comes in and you get all weird because 'Does she know? Is she okay with Viago and Lucanis being a thing? Are they ALL a thing?' And ew, that is your cousin who is basically your brother, no. So you stutter out an excuse and leave, Teia looking amused as you pass Viago in the entryway, the only one to see the whole picture.

You and Lucanis like one another but are both inexperienced in anything beyond brief physical encounters. Viago is still suspicious of Lucanis and thinks the dagger was a threat to this day but that they have moved past it, and Lucanis is completely clueless to it all.

All he knows is you have the prettiest eyes and you have a great dagger collection and the way you make this poison is the hottest thing ever. And when he sees you diving off the rooftops of Treviso, more like a falcon at it's prey than a crow, he could propose.

Idiots in love, that is it.

[trialsofthedas]

Viago: Teia and I are having a baby.

Rook: That's gre-

Viago, slamming adoption papers on the table: It's you, sign here

[night-orchids]

[housederiva]

I feel like a kid watching their parents flirt at the dinner table

[avernusreject]

Genuinely obsessed with the fact that Viago wrote crow Rook a letter after the Antaam incident and literally just addressed them as idiot. I love their dynamic so much

[wardenantoine]

we really have to appreciate whatever it is viago brings to the de riva/lucanis dynamic. per eight little talons, he knows that if he betrayed the crows caterina would send lucanis to take him out. lucanis apparently tried to flirt with viago by giving him a knife. viago is a little scared of him. and now the favorite grandson of the first talon lives in viago's protege's pantry and cooks their meals and they go grocery shopping together. anyway congrats to lucanis who managed to bag a de riva after all, can't imagine what the family dinners must be like

[proffbon]

Viago: Rook, last time you 'did things your way' you fucked up a major Crow operation. What went wrong this time?

Rook, trying to think of a way to tell about two blighted elven gods they accidentally released:

[twifairy]

I'm gonna make a Rook that is so Viago Migraine Coded

[anotherramblingfangirl]

Viago: I am at a loss for words-! Rook de Riva, narrating: Though he claimed he was speechless, Viago yelled at me for 45 minutes.

[nightingaletrash]

Viago and Teia: *forever maintaining the balance of will-they-won't-they, always keeping the other Houses guessing if they're actually a united front or if it's all an alliance of convenience, meant to disrupt the confidence of their rivals and ensure their own strength* Lucanis and Rook: *declaring their undying love for each other within five feet of Morrigan, who has already proven to be a horrible gossip*

[roocharfferarts]

okay i've finally read all the books & comics and listened to the podcast, and I'm here to say that Teia and Vi are good.

[toritelling]

Viago de Riva being proud and supportive "older brother" (when he's not scolding or lecturing you)

[trialsofthedas]

Lucanis, trying to sneak out after spending the night with Rook:

Viago, twirling a vial of poison: What are you doing here?

Lucanis: …I could ask you the same question.

Viago: I live here. This is my house.

Lucanis: I should probably ask you a different question.

[tahopo]

this guy brought a gun to a blight

[housederiva]

I’m still thinking about this tweet and more specifically what it means if Viago is giving away a Crow Rook. Viago de Riva, the only son of the king who chose to be a Crow over being banished and who holds a bit of resentment knowing that he could be ruling the country better than his father and that he has more power than he does

It was summed up beautifully here but I want to know how much of that lecture would entail what it means for a de Riva to marry into the Dellamorte's. As much as Lucanis and Rook love each other, that's not what the foundation of their wedding would be in the eyes of every other Crow. Lucanis is on a downward spiral to being the sole member of a failing house, he's not going to make it as the First Talon, nearly every other House will have a blade at his throat the second Catarina dies. It's not even a position he wants and it's not one Illario is qualified for

But Viago ticks off both those boxes and I'm thinking about the amount of responsibility/sway he and Teia have to the point Teia is the one planning Caterina's funeral and how they seem to be the Talons leading the resistance against the Antaam

I'm thinking about how Lucanis could essentially use the de Riva's as a shield willingly or otherwise. Because no one's going to target him if he has a well known alliance with de Riva because they have a well known alliance with Cantori. It would be a domino effect leading to another civil war within the Crows and the wedding - the act of Viago giving Rook, his protege, to Lucanis would be the clearest signal of that I can think of

[ammyramblings]

Maybe it’s the imaginary Crow Rook in me but I think it’s super sweet that when Crow Rook asks Lucanis

“What was it like training under the first talon?”

And he says “What was your own training like?”

And Rook replies “Torture”

Then Lucanis says “There you go.”

That it’s super super sweet that when Rook follows up with “and you don’t resent her for it?”

Lucanis says “not anymore” rather than being like do you resent Viago? It’s almost like he’s aware that’s a huge possibility and refuses to ask Rook to put her trauma out there like that in front of another member of the team.