#Even better if it’s Rook x Lucanis or Rook x Emmrich because that would make the subject of eloping even MORE difficult

[lady-ephemeral]

I desperately, DESPERATELY wanna know what Viago’s face looks like if Crow Rook even mentions the word “Elope”

[xaphii]

~ Negative DATV Rant Incoming (with swearing and spoilers) ~

The dichotomy of wanting to love Veilguard because of the crumbs it gives us but also wanting to bully a corporation (bioware and/or ea) into pulling a cyberpunk and releasing a 2.0 update fixing all the JARRINGLY massive issues (slave erasure, solas' cult or lack thereof, the act 1 dialogue, the DALISH, etc) is a very real and unpleasant feeling.

Especially cos the art book shows us that SOMEONE had the right idea.

And I love the lighthouse but it makes no fucking sense, should've put them on the boat. Better base, and it would make more sense to have all their fucking mates turning up all the time. "oh but their moving around to all the places in minutes wouldn't make any sense" IN DAI YOU TAKE A 2 WEEK RIDE TO CRESSWOOD TO HAVE YOUR BUTT GRABBED AND BE BROKEN UP WITH AND THEN YOU GO BACK ALL WITHIN 5 MINUTES WE CAN WITHHOLD OUR DISBELIEF

And Lucanis' romance? Like don't get me wrong I really like it, I have non of the problems others have been having but that gondola scene is everything and we were robbed.

And TF you mean I can't talk to my companions unless specifically prompted? Finished Lucanis' romance in my first playthrough as fast as I could and then couldn't speak to him for 5-10 business days.

And also no fail states? What? I want to see the consequences of my actions for ONCE bioware why would you take this from me.

And no character deaths? (And no health bars in combat but thats a whole other issue) No potential to kill your characters through choices in their personal quests? No real and meaningful consequences for circumstances in which many people could die? There are in fact consequences (not within personal quests which I would've liked but I concede) for your actions I withdraw this statement.

I would've loved companion quest fail saves.

What would Hezenkoss do if Emmrich failed? Show me a sketch of a romanced!Emmrich and Rook entombed together just as Hezenkoss promises in the fight. Show me a sketch of a mindless berserker Taash captured by the Antaam? Show me a full abomination Lucanis or Lucanis fully controlled by Zara? Show me Neve being pupetted by Aelia? I want to see the consequences of failing.

Also on the companions, the ONLY romance break off I've experienced so far is Lucanis if you don't pick Treviso like?? First off it's a kinda dumb reason, I sent at the very least 3 perfectly capable people with you why is it specifically my fault but also I get it can be difficult to resolve those feelings so I'm not totally against it but no one else? No consequences for picking certain dialogues in the Emmrich quest? I want to have picked a dialogue 5 hours ago and then find out that because i picked it emmrich goes lich mode no matter what, I want to have to go "oh ffs and reload 5 hours just to stop pookie giving up on his skeleton son, I want to have the option to break up with Emmrich post lich bit. I want to have prior diologues impact future choices? Like in that other game oh what was it called DRAGON AGE INQUISITION?! No break up from Harding if you're an elf? Or encouragement to go anger mode? I retract this too, companion quest lines do have early dialogues that have far reaching dialogue consequences but other than Neve and Lucanis you can't really lock yourself out of an ending choice even if you made specific decisions early on, I also somewhat dislike the purple circle popping up telling me "because you said x character is now y" but I appreciate it is useful for some players so maybe just an option to turn it off?

Anyway, sorry for rambling, I'm overall having a blast, but you can have a blast and also critique.

These thoughts may have flaws, this is just an off my chest ramble, if you disagree/think I'm wrong I encourage correction 🙂

[superiorn3rd]

A short bit of my first Fanfic in a while

Wrote this cause I got some inspiration to start writing again. Also thank you @skrevel for saying you’d read this lol that was my final push. I’ll probably keep updating this on AO3. It’s called “Contracts” and my user on there is Fandom_Gremlin. I will try and post updates here too but idk how that will work

Contracts Lucanis x Female Rook

This aludes to abuse suffered while becoming a crow. Nothing too intense but be wary if you are sensitive to that <3

The lighthouse was quiet, though no day cycle could be seen from this place in the fade, it seemed as if the team had finally all ended up asleep at one time. That is the team excluding Rook. With tensions high and the Wardens still looking for the gods in Arlathan, Rook couldn’t seem to sleep. It didn’t help that the stress was causing nearly nightly nightmares. Whether they be about Weishaupt, Elger’nan, or her training days as a crow, it seemed none of Rook’s demons wanted her to sleep. So that is why she quietly opened the door to her chambers, hoping the large door wouldn’t wake Emmrich or Varric, and found herself walking through the library and out across the open courtyard to the raised porch on the side of the dining hall. Here, near the newly blossoming tree, Rook really felt like she could think. The cold breeze she felt, either imagined or truly realized by the lighthouse’s connection to their wants and feelings, always calmed her nerves. She could feel it brush softly against her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Sometimes just that was enough to lull her into a state where she could convince her body to give way to sleep. Other times she could swear she could smell the Cafes of Treviso and the ache for home, for almost simpler times, would make her want to yell into the endless fade. But tonight was different.

Beyond the door into the kitchen Rook could hear the faintest humming. She shifted away from the edge of the porch, silently putting her back to the door. She knew it was Lucanis on the other side, the only other person that would be awake right now, but she didn’t want to disturb him. Since becoming First Talon he has been flooded with letters and questions. Most of which he still passed on to Caterina but with the ones he couldn’t pass on the stress had been steadily stacking up. Rook didn’t know how to help and also didn’t feel it was her place anymore now that he was First Talon. Plus she was pretty sure she was developing feelings for the man and that possibility on its own scared her. She would never see the light of day if Viago found out. Or any other crow for that matter. Viago and Teia might fool around but it was different when it was two talons who could kill anyone that questioned how they spent their free time. Rook was just a member of house de Riva. Not a Talon and before all of this end of world crap she wasn’t even in the top ten most famous of Treviso. So the least amount of time spent alone with Lucanis the better. When would she have time anyways to pursue a romantic “entanglement” as Solas would put it.

“Rook?”

Rook was instantly taken out of her thoughts by the sounds of her name. She debated silently slipping away before he came to check the door.

“Rook I can see your shadow at the door and Spite told me it was you.”

Damn Spite. Rook stood, opening the door.

“Hey Lucanis, I was just enjoying the weird twilight fade air, what are you doing”

Lucanis was sitting at the table, as always a cup of coffee sat at his side, and he had paper set in front of him.

“Trying to organize a few contracts for another house, Teia asked me to go over them” he said rubbing his temples.

“Interesting, anything good?”

“No, mostly contracts on Antam officials, some of which we can’t even put into place because it’s just too easy to get citizens caught in the cross fire”

Rook walked down the wooden stairs and looked at the nearly empty pot of coffee.

“Do you want me to brew some more?”

“Hm?” Lucanis looked up, he seemed exhausted. “Oh, it is fine, I’ll make some more. I need a break any how”

He stood and motioned for her to sit. When she did she watched him work. Making sure to perfectly measure out the blend as he went.

“Don’t like my coffee?” Rook said smiling.

“The only person here who makes worse coffee than you is Neve, and that really isn’t much of a high bar”

Rook chuckled, “I make what I need to stay up”

“Speaking of which why are you up Rook? At least I have a demon I am keeping at bay”

“Just some demons of my own, weishaupt and seeing elger’nan hit me hard” Rook shrugged getting up from her seat to find herself a cup.

“Nothing I can’t handle”

Lucanis hummed a response as the coffee finished. He poured into her cup then his resting his back against the fire place.

“You know we haven’t had the chance to talk shop” he said sipping his roast.

“I am not sure you’d find any of my contracts interesting, Mr. Demon of Vyrantium” Rook wiggled her fingers exaggerating the spookiness of the title. Lucanis groaned and laughed a little.

“You asked me before, if I resented Caterina.” He looked into the fire. “I didn’t want to press you then, traveling with Emmrich, but I have been meaning to ask about Viago.”

Rook’s eyebrows knit together.

“What do you mean?”

“No one else here knows what it means to grow up a crow. I understand what we go through, but I also know Viago. How did he treat you during your training.” He looked at her now watching her face and Rook took a long drink of her coffee. She brought a finger to a scar on her cheek.

“Viago was no worse than any other Talon. He pushed me, hard, to keep me alive. But I wasn’t always of house de Riva.” Rook sat at the table. “I once worked for the eighth Talon. They were the one that brought me into the ranks as a child. They were the one that changed me most. After that Viago’s shouting, his disappointed jabs, and his harsh demeanor seemed akin to a warm beach day in Rivain.”

Lucanis thought for a minute and nodded, taking another sip of his coffee. Rook wanted to know what he was thinking. His face was impassive and it took everything in Rook not to push further. Lucanis took the cup from Rook’s hands and set it down on the table.

“You should probably get back to sleep, I have kept you long enough. Spite will get jealous if you stay around too long” he flashed a smile at her and put an arm out to walk her to the door. “If you ever need anything Rook, I am here, the Crows will always have your back.”