#IT ROOK 14 HOURS TO MAKE | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

it-happened-one-fic · 17 days ago

Text

Hours in the Moonlight: Rose Red Dawn - 14. Careful Choices

Summary: The debate of which vampire you were going to ask to bite you was quite honestly a mess. Because even as you went down the now long list of vampires you knew, you already knew who you were going to choose. Because for better or worse, there was really only one choice you wanted to make.

Series Type: Gender-neutral reader/ Vampire AU/ series/ romantic/ angst/ angst with comfort/ fluff/ sfw/ platonic interactions too!

Trigger Warning: Vampire

Word Count: 1904

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

I walked around my apartment restlessly as I considered my options.

Last night, I’d stopped by the Savanaclaw clan to keep my promise of notifying Leona first when I found the cause of the insane vampires, only for him to ask me what my plan was, which had been an ordeal in and of itself. And then, first thing this evening, I’d called Ace and Deuce to tell them that I wouldn’t be coming by tonight because I needed more time to consider my options.

And in no way had that been a lie. Because that was exactly what I was doing as I paced around.

The more I’d considered it all, the more it seemed to make sense for me to do what Riddle and Trey had suggested and get ‘marked’ so that I could feign being claimed.

But as I’d thought about it all, I’d realized that line of action had more benefits than just preventing Riddle’s ‘mother’ from attacking me.

Being claimed would mean that I would come across as less of a threat. She’d possibly be more open to talking to a silly little mortal that had been claimed but hadn’t fully committed to vampirism than a vampire hunter working under Crowley.

Of course, it was also quite possible that she would already know I was Crowley's vampire hunter. It certainly seemed like everyone else did at this point. But even then, being supposedly claimed could possibly still work to make her less wary. At least then I would come across as foolish at best, and she might be less wary.

And then, if it turned out that Riddle was correct in his suspicions and she was creating insane vampires for some heinous reason, I would probably end up having to ‘handle’ her.

But even by considering that, I was getting ahead of myself. I needed to decide who, exactly, I was going to let bite me first.

Even thinking of it made me grimace, but now that I’d come this far, I certainly wasn’t going to get cowed here. I would just have to make my choice carefully.

Vil was, of course, the first one that came to mind, but I wasn’t entirely certain he’d agree. At the very least he wouldn’t like this plan since it put me at risk, but he would quite possibly outright refuse.

In fact, he might even be appalled that I would ask. After all, I didn’t know what vampire decorum there might be about getting bitten, claimed, marked, or any of the above.

Rook and Epel were options too, but I was less confident in their control. I knew neither of them would ever intentionally hurt me, but they were younger vampires, which meant their control was probably lacking.

And if a vampire's reaction to me when I simply walked by was anything to go off of, then I definitely didn’t want any vampire that lacked in terms of control in any way for my own safety.

And on top of all of that, I knew for a fact neither of them had ever drunk blood from a human, which wasn’t something I couldn’t say for any of the other vampires I knew.

Bluntly put, if I was going to have to get bitten, I would prefer it be someone experienced for my own sake, as uncomfortable as the whole idea made me. And frankly, I didn’t even want to think about whether technique was an important part of the equation or not.

So Rook and Epel were out.

Adding quickly to that pile were Ace, Deuce, Sebek, Jack, and Azul. I knew all of them were younger vampires, which meant they possibly had less control.

Jade and Floyd were both young too, of course, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that they would somehow be more competent in terms of drinking blood or the entire biting situation in general.

Another thing that I didn’t entirely want to consider.

And then there was the fact that I also wasn’t sure that I was entirely comfortable with the thought of them biting me. I doubted they would outright hurt me on purpose, but there was something about them that made me hesitate to outright choose them.

I wasn’t actually sure how old Ruggie, Jamil, Kalim, Cater, Trey, or Riddle were, which made judging them a bit more difficult. Though Riddle had mentioned being one of the older members of the Heartslabyul clan.

Ruggie would possibly be okay, but somehow I was also against it being him. In truth, I was concerned that he would have less control, though I couldn’t actually put a finger on why that would be the case.

I knew for a fact that I didn’t want it to be Jamil, simply due to our past. With the entire hypnosis thing, I was just against the idea of it all, even though I was pretty confident that Jamil wouldn’t intentionally hurt me outside of the general, unavoidable injury that came with being bitten.

Kalim was someone I was reasonably comfortable with, but I was also worried he would get excited, for lack of a better word. Plus, I honestly wasn’t sure he would even be able to handle hurting me to the degree the biting itself would take.

I didn’t know Cater, Trey, or Riddle as well as any of the others I’d considered so far. And though it was true Riddle had offered, he’d also done so in a way that implied he would only be willing if there were no other options.

Which brought to mind another person who’d once made a similar offer.

Malleus had told me that, should I ever wish for it, he would be willing to turn me. And while I wasn’t sure about being turned, his offering implied he was confident in his capabilities of controlling himself, so at the very least he might not drain me by accident.

Malleus was also old, as was Lilia, and with how old they had implied they were, they had probably drunk blood from a human rather than a baggie before, which meant they had experience.

I somewhat leaned away from picking either of them, though, simply due to how my interactions with both Malleus and Lilia had gone. Though between the two, things had been less weird with Lilia, the simple fact Malleus had offered to turn me made me hesitate to pick him.

And there were still other options too.

Idia, for instance, wasn’t affected by me, which made him a very good option. But, being totally honest, I didn’t actually think he would do it. Not with how anxious he was.

In fact, I was worried he’d pass out at the very thought of having to get that close to me, much less having to bite me.

Finally, as the only remaining option, there was Leona.

Leona had controlled himself when I’d bled in front of him before, which was a comforting thought in regard to the level of control he probably had. And while I didn’t know about his biting experience, it was honestly hard to picture him losing control of himself.

In fact, it was easier to picture Malleus or Lilia losing control of themselves, which was odd, considering they were probably the oldest vampires in my list of options.

Finally, as another point towards the Leona option, when I’d told him what Riddle had told me, he’d been rather disgruntled but grudgingly accepting of the possible necessity of my being bitten.

I frowned, at last plopping down on my couch as I realized I’d already narrowed down my list to two main options. Leona and Vil.

I didn’t know if either of them would agree, though. Vil would probably be the more likely one to refuse, but he was also the one I leaned towards. In fact, if I were to be wholly honest with myself, he was the only one I wanted to do it anyway.

I was comfortable with Vil and trusted him implicitly. I’d known him for so long, though I’d also known for quite some time that my affection for him edged just a little too far beyond the line known as friendship, which could definitely complicate matters when I considered exactly how close to me he’d have to get to actually bite me.

On the flipside, I didn’t exactly think Leona would outright hurt me intentionally either. He was both reliable and trustworthy, but I also wasn’t nearly as close to him as I was to Vil. By the same token, though, there was safety in that I didn’t have near the feelings for him that I held for Vil.

But, at the end of the day… I didn’t want it to be him. I wanted it to be Vil. A thought that was somewhat frightening in and of itself. Because was I truly that insane? That I could have such a strong preference even though I knew the issues it could cause between Vil and me.

I leaned back, letting my head rest against the back of my couch as I stared up at the ceiling and let my fingers curl around the cross charm that hung, as it always did, from my necklace that had been latched around my neck all evening.

A small reminder that I knew exactly who my choice was going to be, even though I’d spent so much time debating my numerous options.

I smiled tiredly, almost disappointed in myself. But I was going to prove all of those rumors right.

I’d gone from being beyond wary of Vil, to befriending him, to relying on both his protection and him as a companion, and now I was quite literally going to ask him to bite me.

I’d pretty much done a 180 in my relationship with Vil, and now spent most of my time with him ignoring the feelings I had for him simply because it was all just too complicated. And that wasn’t even considering the way he’d always dodged the matter.

After a while, I’d simply stopped trying to broach it long before Crowley had ever gotten himself involved in my life.

Because, no matter how I thought of what a relationship between us could truly be like, Vil was a vampire, and I wasn’t. In fact, I was a vampire hunter.

It was both cliché and ridiculous, and I knew that. Especially since even though I was going to ask him to do the one thing vampires were best known for, I probably still wouldn’t come clean with him about my feelings. Not when I knew he’d likely turn me down.

But then I’d known for quite some time now that I was a coward.

I inhaled, closing my eyes as I resolved myself. It was asking enough of me to deal with the idea of him biting me, much less requesting it, when I’d been avoiding being bitten by a vampire for over a year now.

Besides, I didn’t even know if he would agree. And if he didn’t, I supposed that would mean going on to my next option and dealing with that entire mess.

I could face my feelings for Vil and what exactly they meant for my future and our relationship later. Maybe after the entire insane vampire issue was resolved.

Assuming everything went well, I would have more time then anyway.

If you would like to read more:

21 notes · View notes

swamp-jello · 4 months ago

Note

14 for the kiss prompt

#14: Casually

Still in the Green universe, but an alternative timeline to how this conversation plays out in the fic. Check it out below the cut:

Neve was a private person.

While it wasn't realistic to expect no one would notice their relationship, she was adamant about dodging probing questions.

Although she'd made an exception for Bellara, Neve had no intention of sharing her newfound relationship with the entire team. Thus, when Harding, Davrin and Lucanis had each made varying attempts to pry the information from her, Neve had deflected their questions with practiced ease.

That only left Emmrich and Taash. Emmrich, mercifully, appeared too polite to press. Taash, however, was a wildcard.

It came in the early hours of the morning. While Rook was in the kitchen, assisting Lucanis with breakfast, Neve was in the library. Scanning the bookcase for a specific title, Neve's ears perk at the sound of a heavy door opening and closing upstairs. A few moments later, she turns her head in time to see Taash descending the stairs.

"Sup," Taash calls, rounding the base of the stairs.

"Good morning," Neve laughs. "Sleep well?"

"Meh," Taash shrugs. "You?"

"Well enough."

"I'm sure Rook can help with that," Taash smirks.

"I've got the feeling I've missed something," Neve replies, feigning ignorance.

"I'm Adaari," Taash pushes back. "I can smell it."

Neve's mind goes blank. It was one thing to dismiss questions, but another entirely to downplay pheromones. As her brain restarts, she feels a sense of dread; how much did Taash smell? Could they tell when Neve had taken care of herself?

Clearing her throat, Neve forces a smile. "That's...interesting."

Taash doesn't hesitate. "On both of you."

Oh.

Mortification gives way to relief and, for the first time, Neve mentally acknowledges a fear she'd been avoiding. What if Rook doesn't feel the same way? What if she's just being nice?

But if Taash smelled it on both of them...

"Well," Neve begins again, her voice confident and bright. "That is interesting."

Taash chuckles, shaking their head as they walk away. As they disappear out the heavy double doors, Neve makes a bold decision. Her chest is warm, head buzzing and she cannot shake the delight that curls the corners of her mouth.

Neve turns and quickly follows, making her way through the doors and across the courtyard. She catches up with Taash just as they pull the door to the kitchen open, sparing them a grateful look as they cross the threshold.

There, on the far side of the room, is Rook. She's smiling, joking playfully with Lucanis as they stand over the stove. Neve presses forward, rounding the table. Rook turns around when she's only a few feet away, the smile on her face softening when she sees her.

"Good morning," she begins, holding up a spatula. "I hope you're hungr-"

Neve's hands cup her cheeks and pull her into a gentle kiss. It's chaste, short and casual. A celebration disguised as a simple salutation.

Pulling back, Neve smiles at the way Rook's eyelids flutter, her face blank with shock.

"I'm famished," Neve whispers before stepping back. Turning, she saunters over to the table. As she pulls a chair back and takes her seat, she hears Lucanis mutter three words:

"I knew it."

#neverook #neve x rook #rook x neve #neve gallus #dragon age veilguard #swampjello #myart

27 notes · View notes

rook-laidir · 4 months ago

Note

story time! 11, 14, or 15

15. Rook breaking the law.

They had a plan. Well, sort of. They mostly had a plan. They had an objective, at least. They had to get to Treviso’s main plaza, destroy some blight growths, kill the darkspawn, and get back to the Crows with hopefully good news. All in all, it was supposed to be an average job for them.

Then they saw an immaculately kept mansion right in the middle of the plaza, untouched by the blight surrounding it.

It was Ivenci’s mansion. It had to be. Of course, the pompous ass would find a way to keep their humble abode free of darkspawn and Antaam. With a scowl, Rook scanned the estate until spotting a window opened just a crack.

“Rook, what are you doing?” Harding asked as the elf grabbed onto a nearby support beam, testing how much weight they could put onto the bricks.

“Making a quick detour,” they answered simply as they jumped up and grabbed a ledge, scaling the mansion with practiced ease.

Rook emerged a few minutes later, scaling back down carefully before hopping down from the last few feet. With a smirk, they tossed a coin purse to Harding and Taash. “There, now we’re paid for our service.”

“Rook!” Harding protested, “you can’t just steal from people you don’t like!”

“It’s Ivenci,” they defended, stowing away the rest of their newly acquired goodies. “It’s not stealing if it’s from the government.”

A few hours later, the blight was cleared and Rook was back in the Lighthouse, knocking on the door to the pantry.

“Rook,” Lucanis greeted. “Viago wrote to me earlier. He told me you cleared out some more of the blight poisoning my city.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Rook said with a shrug. Lucanis might’ve forgiven them for Treviso, but Rook would never fully forgive themselves.

“He also told me a few Crows spotted you breaking into Ivenci’s mansion.”

“Ivenci’s an ass, they deserve it,”. With that, Rook tossed a jewelry box to Lucanis. “Here. Rivaini wear their stories and Ivenci has enough of those stupid rings to go around. If anyone deserves to show how they protect Treviso more than their shitty governor, it’s you.”

Lucanis opened the jewelry box, studying the pieces inside. It didn’t do well for an assassin to wear such identifiable jewelry, but the sentiment alone was enough to make the Crow smile. “I’ll do my best to be worthy.”

“You already are,” they promised.

Things between the two of them were still tense, but maybe with time and effort, they could heal. If Treviso wouldn’t fall to the blight, neither would their friendship.

#dragon age #datv #dragon age the veilguard #rook #da4 #dragon age veilguard #da veilguard #dragon age rook #rook laidir #lucanis dellamorte #datv ask game

20 notes · View notes

jenn2d2 · 2 months ago

Text

WIP Wednesday | 5-14

Thank you @notyourmamasdeerbat for the tag!

Ushering out a gentle tag for @serensama, @strugglinggranola, @hightowerqueen, and @the-font-bandit if you've got stuff you want to share. No pressure at all 💖

I finally got Chapter 4 (AND 5) for Crow Parties are Murder out the dang door, so I'm pouring a little bit of love into one of my earliest attempts at an after-game story with Illario and Rook in it, "Memory Braid," taking place in the same world state, just 6-9 months earlier.

(no romance, but def. angst and blood magic consequences)

Rook blinked and found herself in an altered Treviso, standing on the edge of the Markets just after dusk. Or, at least it appeared to be around that time, but it was impossible to tell. The air around her had hints of the familiar scents and sounds, but her vision grayed out around the edges in a way that reminded her more of the Fade than the place itself.

"I need to pick something up before I return to The Diamond," a somewhat younger version of Illario stood next to her, contemplating the stall in front of them. To her eyes, it looked empty, but he was clearly seeing more than she could in his memory.

"Alright, take your time," Rook responded automatically, feeling it was the right thing to say. Feeling like someone had said it. "I can wait, it isn't like I have anywhere I need to be."

"You will not miss your appointment, cousin," Illario rolled his eyes, and gave her a slight smirk. His face was relaxed, with a pronounced five-o'clock shadow, and his outfit was much less uniform than the one she had seen him favoring when they met. "The captain knows you will arrive on the hour."

"Yes, yes," Rook laughed, and gave a small shrug. "I mean it, take your time. Just make sure to bring Teia the tea she asked for."

"I don't have time to indulge your vanity, cousin," Lucanis said, with a clear edge to his voice, and Illario scowled in response. "You can expand your glove collection another time."

Rook stepped back, and in her place was the ghost of a man she hadn't met, Lucanis Dellamorte on the night he was captured by Venatori and supposedly died. He'd spoken when she had, but his words felt wrong and out of place. The image of him floated where she had stood, blurred around the edges with a reddish brown aura. He smelled of iron and sulfur.

"Absolutely not," Rook gestured sharply through the outline, and could feel the magic resist, but give way as she pressed. It dissolved in an aftertaste of blood.

Illario's expression went slack, then pinched as he squinted at where his 'cousin' had been standing.

"That is … not how it happened," Illario shook his head. "He had been so condescending in the weeks leading up to his mission, taking every opportunity to twist my words. It made it easier that night. Not easy, just not impossible. But that isn't what happened at all."

"No," Rook responded, "And I suspect there are a few more of these shadows on your way to the docks."

#WIP Wednesday #my fanfiction #illario dellamorte #rook de riva #dragon age fanfiction #dragon age veilguard #dragon age the veilguard

15 notes · View notes

felassan · 7 months ago

Text

New BioWare Blog post: "Journal 14 - New Trial with EA Play"

Try out Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s new demo

Rest of post under cut due to length.

"Hey everyone, A timed trial of Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases on all platforms today for anyone with an EA Play* subscription! We’re excited to share this opportunity to experience the game with more people this holiday season. If you’ve been looking for a demo to try out the game before you buy, now is your chance, especially while the game is on sale. It’s the perfect time to grab TIME’s #1 Game of 2024. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the newest installation in the beloved fantasy RPG Dragon Age franchise. You play as Rook, a customizable character, on a journey with your mentor, Varric, and his team to stop elven gods from destroying the world. The timed trial concludes after five hours of play. You’ll start right at the beginning with the opportunity to create your Rook and fight alongside series-favorite Varris Tethras through a chaotic moment in Minrathous, a city which has been long-spoken about in Dragon Age but never seen until now. Your team is trying to stop Solas’ tumultuous ritual, which threatens to flood the world in demons and cause massive devastation. Along the way, you’ll meet a few of Rook’s companions who will open up a wealth of new combat options as you progress through the trial. If you don’t spend too long in our in-depth Character Creator, you may get as far as recruiting the Veil Jumper Bellara, our elven artifact expert, along your journey. If you’re a Character Creator aficionado like many of us but don’t want that to cut into your five hour trial, we recommend you check out the stand alone Character Creator we released on Dragon Age Day to make your Rook first**. You can take your time to perfect your Rook, as there is no time limit for the stand alone Character Creator. We’ve ensured that you can import your customized Rook from there into the timed trial. When creating your Rook, there will be an “import” button to use any pre-created Rooks from the same device/console."

"Before you begin, we have multiple blogs and guides to help so you can maximize your time within the trial, covering some overall tips, progression, combat, and our accessibility options. We have three classes - Mage, Rogue, and Warrior - to choose from, and lots of options to make sure you can play the game your way, from difficulty level to our skill tree that you can respec at any time in case you want to try out new techniques. Start by picking the class that resonates with you most and have fun exploring all they have to offer. Here are a few resources we recommend reading through ahead of getting started: - Overview & Tips - Progression Guide - Combat Spotlight - Accessibility Spotlight"

"We’ve also worked with some excellent content creators within our community to make class and build guides! For those of you getting into the trial, we hope you enjoy the latest chapter in the Dragon Age series and experience what critics are calling “a high fantasy romp fueled by fast, fluid combat” (EMPIRE) and “one of the year’s best” (Rolling Stone) in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Make sure your platform account is linked to your EA Play account in order to access the trial! We have loved seeing the community’s reaction to Dragon Age: The Veilguard and sharing this adventure with all of you. We still have another planned patch for early 2025 - so stay tuned and have a great rest of the year. Talk soon. (Dareth shiral!) — The Dragon Age Team"

**Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/us/en/pc/ for details. **Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/legal for details.

[source]

#dragon age: the veilguard #dragon age the veilguard spoilers #dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #solas #long post #longpost

24 notes · View notes

selunesdreams · 7 months ago

Text

Chapter 14: For A Minute There, I Lost Myself

“Pick up any other souvenirs while you were visiting my family’s home?” A dangerous voice inquired from across the room. Her eyes flicked to where Lucanis was posted, arms and legs crossed as he glowered at her.

“You told him?” She asked Neve.

“Who do you think carried you back from the villa?” She replied with a shrug, “He’s the only reason we got you to Viago in time.”

Rook glanced at Lucanis, filled with remorse. He dipped his chin and averted his gaze, jaw clenched tightly. The tension in the room became suffocating as he pushed off the wall, walking towards her with calculated steps. Shoving a hand in his pocket, he produced a small ring and deposited it onto the nightstand. It scratched across the wood as he slid it toward her with two fingers.

“Explain.”

Pairing: Lucanis x Fem Rook/OFC x Spite???

Summary: Rook faces the consequences of trying to talk Illario out of his plans. Lucanis finds a familiar ring that carries some serious news. Spite recruits Rook for some help with a sad, sad Lucanis.

Word count: 4k

Things of note/warnings: 18+ fic, MDNI! warnings: : Attempted SA, violence, blood, bodily injury, death, glass-related injuries, drugging/poisoning. Please read on AO3 if you need to track warnings, they will be inevitably detailed better there (or just want to be real sweet and give me hits/kudos/comments).

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Lucanis shut the doors of the kitchen behind him with a deep exhale. Although happy to let Taash take credit for his cooking, he had learned his lesson about sticking around. Confined to the pantry during the last meal, with no hope of escape, he endured their ceaseless bickering with their mother for hours. Already living with one incessant voice of outrage, he couldn’t bear a chorus of them.

Cracking his neck and flexing his fingers at his sides, he scanned the empty courtyard for signs of Rook. Their earlier encounter still had him on edge. Even as he’d prepared dinner, the rhythmic knocking of his knife against the cutting board as he diced vegetables was the only thing marking the passage of time. He stared at the dining room table, unable to shake the memory of her hair in his hands, her body underneath him, nails digging into his sweater, tongue in his mouth…

He squeezed his left thumb, a bandage now wrapped around it to mark where his wandering thoughts had cost him a piece of flesh. Distracted, he hadn’t even noticed his blood amongst the tomato juice on the counter until it began to sting.

Something about Rook completely unraveled him, making him a liability she couldn’t afford. Worse, Spite was fascinated by Lucanis’ desire for her, yearning clearly a favored emotion amongst spirits of determination. Anytime she was within arm’s reach, his ears rang with thoughts he’d once held privately, vocalized in Spite’s persistent timbre.

Neve emerged from Bellara’s chambers, her prosthetic clicking against the stone as she ascended the steps and waved him over with a puzzled look.

“Have you seen Bell?”

He shook his head and met her in the center of the courtyard. “Everything alright?”

“It’s fine. It’s just-” She let out an exasperated sigh, retrieving a worn notebook from her pocket and flipping through the pages. “I needed to pick her brain about something, and she’s been gone for hours. It’s getting late…not like her to be away for so long. I stopped by Rook’s room and she wasn’t there either.”

“They’re probably working on something together. I wouldn’t worry about it, Neve.” He said, trying to disguise his unease at the mention of Rook’s name.

The detective hummed to herself, scribbling in her notes and pocketing them. “Right, of course. It’s just-”

“Lucanis!”

The library doors burst open and Bellara fell through, doubling over to catch her breath.

“Bell?” Neve grasped her by the shoulders. “Slow down. What happened?”

“Can’t find Viago…Rook, Illario…I think she was poisoned? She won’t wake up-”

ROOK. In DANGER?

He straightened, his racing thoughts competing with Spite’s own concerned ramblings.

Bellara gasped to catch her breath. “With Teia. Under the villa. I told her it was a bad idea to talk to Illario on her own-”

Lucanis didn’t wait for her to finish, heaving open the library doors and sprinting towards the eluvian room.

“If anyone sees you in Treviso-” Neve’s warning trailed off, drowned out by the pounding in his ears as his boots hit the pavement.

“Keep looking for Viago!” He called over his shoulder. “If he’s not at the casino this time of night, he won’t be far!”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

HELP ROOK. KILL ILLARIO.

“No! Damnit! I’ll deal with Illario later, Spite.”

Lucanis leapt off a rooftop into the alley below, folding the demon’s wings behind him. Before he could react, he was slammed against a brick wall, a silver blade gleaming against the base of his throat. He peered down at his attacker and disarmed them in a single, deliberate movement.

“Lucanis?” Teia asked, eyes widening as she wrenched her dagger from his hand. “Thank the Maker. Here, I’ve gotten Fi halfway, but I can’t carry her seven city blocks on my own. She wanted to talk down Illario, but you can imagine how it went…”

Directed to where she had propped an unconscious Rook against a wall, Lucanis crouched and pressed two fingers to her neck. Although her pulse was strong, it was far too slow. Roused by his touch, Rook shifted with a pained moan before her head slumped onto her shoulder. He sighed, rising to his feet and brushing himself off.

“Bellara and Neve are looking for Viago. We need to get her to the apartment.”

“Let’s not waste time then.” Teia said, taking off down the alley to scout ahead. With no other options, Lucanis prayed to the Maker that Illario’s spies were preoccupied elsewhere and scooped Rook into his arms, pressing his chin against her head to keep it from lolling back.

“Damnit, Fiammetta.” He whispered into her hair, “Why couldn’t you just listen to me?”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Draped across her white sheets, Lucanis assessed Rook’s face in the low light, noting several bruises and scrapes on her cheek. Blood and lipstick stained her mouth and chin, and he tentatively reached out, tracing a thumb over her bottom lip. An oily substance adhered to his skin, and he hesitated, throat bobbing as he inspected the faint emerald gleam on his fingertips.

“Try not to be upset with her,” Teia said, steering him aside as he wiped his hands clean on his trousers. She dabbed Rook’s face using a damp cloth and scrubbed the remaining pigment from her lips. “I know Fi’s methods are questionable, but she did it for you.”

“She did it for Illario.” Lucanis said bitterly, leaning against the wall. He folded his arms, watching as she set the rag aside, turning over Rook’s palms and picking out fragments of glass.

“She did it for you.” Teia reiterated firmly, “Fi doesn’t want Illario dead, but even more, she doesn’t want to see you hurt.”

“Did she tell you that?” Lucanis asked doubtfully.

“She didn’t have to say a thing.” Teia wiped the dried blood from Rook’s hands, searching them one last time before resting them on the pristine sheets. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but she doesn’t put herself on the line for people like this. And I promise you, she wouldn’t do it for Illario.”

They each exchanged a glance at the sound of the footsteps in the hall, and Lucanis unsheathed the dagger at his chest. In a defensive crouch, he crept towards the bedroom door. Concerned, muffled voices filtered through the walls just before Viago swung the door open and shoved past him.

“Save me the hero act, Dellamorte.” He sneered, shooing Teia out of his path as he crouched beside the bed to check Rook’s vitals. Neve and Bellara appeared in the doorway, looking on anxiously.

Muttering to himself, Viago threw a case on the mattress, fingertips drifting over dozens of glass cylinders as he searched for the right one.

“You know, I expected this from my cousin, but not from you, Teia.” He snarled over his shoulder, retrieving a flask of antitoxin, uncorking it, and tipping it into Rook’s mouth. She coughed and sputtered in her sleep as it went down before settling back against the pillows.

“Vi,” Teia protested, “she would have done it with or without me-”

Viago discarded the empty vial inside his poisons case and stood to face her.

“But you could have come to me.” He said in a low voice, full of fury and betrayal.

“Can anyone tell me what’s happening?” Neve asked, clearly losing patience with more Crow drama. “Is Rook going to live?”

“My cousin will be fine.” Viago worked his jaw, tearing his gaze away from Teia. “Let me know when she wakes. I have words for her. Several, in fact.”

Bellara flinched and pressed herself against the doorframe as Viago stormed past her into the hall. Lucanis sighed, rolling his shoulders and giving Teia a sympathetic smile.

“You should go after him, Andarateia. We’ve got it from here.”

She nodded, sparing one last guilty look at her unconscious friend.

“Thanks.” she said, squeezing Lucanis on the shoulder before hurrying after Viago.

“You go too, Bell.” Neve said, inclining her head towards the den. “Get some rest.”

“But-”

“Neve’s right.” Lucanis interjected. “Besides, you don’t want to be here when Rook wakes and Viago comes back in here.”

Reluctantly, Bellara nodded and vanished down the hall. As Neve sat on the edge of Rook’s mattress, Lucanis closed the door and leaned over the footboard.

“My idiot cousin nearly killed her.” He muttered, watching Rook with a tortured expression.

“Can’t say I like the circumstances, but maybe the forced nap is a good thing for her.” Neve said, examining Rook’s injured hands, “She’s going to be pissed when she wakes up. Maybe Emmrich can do something about these…”

An iridescent glimmer caught Lucanis’ attention, and he frowned, hand dragging across the bedpost as he shifted closer.

“This was my grandmother’s…” He slipped an opal ring from Rook’s finger, inspecting it more closely over a lit candle. “Caterina never took this off.”

“Pretty. Did your cousin give it to her as some kind of token?”

Lucanis closed his fist around the ring, carefully sliding it into his pocket.

“That’s what I would like to find out.”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

To her relief, Rook woke in her own room and not Illario’s. From her place near the window, Neve smirked and silently handed her a cup of tea from the bedside table.

“Feeling better? You scared Bell half to death.”

“Marginally.”

She accepted the mug with shaking hands and raised it to her lips. The tea was lukewarm and oversteeped, but she savored it anyway.

“Your cousin and friend are fighting in the den,” Neve said. “Hopefully that buys you some time to gather yourself.”

“Of course they are.” Rook mumbled, setting the tea back on the nightstand. Shards of glass glimmered against the wood grain and she examined the swathes of minor cuts they’d left behind on her palms.

“You told him?” She asked Neve.

“Who do you think carried you back from the villa?” She replied with a shrug, “He’s the only reason we got you to Viago in time.”

“Explain.”

She reached out slowly, still feeling weak, and turned the opal over between her fingertips.

“I heard something when Illario was taking me to his room,” she recalled, trying to ignore Lucanis’ visible scowl. “He blamed a cat, but your grandmother was never an animal person. When I was escaping, I found this on the ground. I didn’t have a chance to see it clearly then…”

Her mouth fell open in recognition.

“She’s still alive.” Rook breathed, “She had to have slipped this under the door as a message.”

“As hopeful as I am that you’re right, why not just call for help?” Neve asked.

“Reasonable caution. My cousin is messy, impulsive when he panics.” Lucanis explained, taking the ring from between Rook’s fingertips and pocketing it. “He could still kill her if we move against him.”

“As long as he thinks we don’t know, Caterina is safe.” Rook said, “He has no reason to suspect any of us would return to the villa.

“So we plan a rescue.” Neve suggested, “The sooner we get her out of there, the better.”

“We have to deal with Illario first.” Rook said. “Too much pressure, and he’ll do something rash.”

Distraught, Lucanis sat down on the corner of the bed, burying his face in his hands. “What if I go after him and get Caterina killed?”

Rook bit her lip, watching his breathing become ragged. “Neve, could you…give us a moment?”

“Take all the time you need.”

As the door shut behind her, Rook crawled closer, reaching out tentatively to touch his shoulder.

“Talk to me.” She begged, tugging at his sleeve. The muscles in his neck tensed as he stiffened under her fingertips.

“Rook, I…”

Suddenly, he swiveled towards her, a violet gleam in his irises. Afraid to move, she swallowed as Spite desperately seized her by the shoulders.

“Help us. He listen. He always listens to you!”

A bright flash of light enveloped the room, and Rook blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the dark ruins surrounding them. A thick fog hung over the landscape, but there was something familiar about it. Schools of fish swam through clouds of bubbles that rose against an invisible barrier, bearing some resemblance to the mediation chamber.

“Is this the Fade?” She asked, taking a tentative step after Spite, who waited impatiently at the end of a sandy downhill path.

“Lucanis is here. Always! Behind locked doors. I can’t break through.”

“A prison?” She mused, “It looks exactly like the Ossuary.”

“Yes! Locks everywhere! I can’t touch them!”

“Take me to him.” Rook demanded. Spite beckoned her on, eyes shifting across the landscape warily. Rare to see a demon so anxious.

“Rook opens doors. Not close them. Rook can’t be here!”

“I…don’t know what that means…” she said under her breath, moving toward a figure in the distance. As she drew closer, she found Caterina Dellamorte leaning on her cane, grey hair swept neatly in a bun, as it always was.

“Tenderness and terror. Rage and relief. Old, stale fear of disappointment.” Spite grumbled beside her.

“Oh Fiammetta, you were supposed to bring me back my Lucanis!” Caterina cried, shaking her head. “Not this abomination! ”

Rook gave Spite a sideways glance. “Is this a spirit playing tricks?”

“No! They wouldn’t dare! Lucanis belongs to ME! She is an idea!”

She grunted in acknowledgement. If Caterina was lingering in Lucanis’ mind like this, she had to be attached to something heavy. This was a prison of his own shame.

“Caterina, Lucanis is trapped here because he believes he’s let you down. But we both know he’s not to blame. This was done to him. There was no choice in this. No failure on his part.”

The old woman’s face crumpled as her memory faded away into fragments of light.

“My poor boy!” she wailed, and disappeared into nothingness.

“Yes!” Spite exclaimed, “Good. Come. There are more.”

Uncertain of how time passed in this realm, Rook followed Spite through the prison for what felt like hours, convincing the figures in his head that he was in control of himself, capable, worthy. Harding, Davrin, Neve - they all bore their own voices, but spoke with Lucanis’ self doubt. It wasn’t until she came face to face with a mirror image of herself that she took pause. Her reflection peered at her curiously, but said nothing.

“Fascination and desire. Yearning and avoidance. Something familiar and foreign at the same time. With a little guilt.”

“Why am I here?” She asked, reaching out towards the ghostlike figure. Her fingertips met nothingness, distorting her likeness, but it did not react.

“People come in three kinds. Family. Enemies. Contracts…” Spite rambled, moving closer.

“I hope that’s just you talking…” She inhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves before addressing her visage. “Let us pass.”

The phantom-like version of herself didn’t answer. Rook scoffed, pacing around the room and gathering parchment from nearby tables, reading the scrawled thoughts and insecurities written upon them in Lucanis’ hand.

I didn’t want you to see that. Again… (I’m not this. I cannot be this.)

I’m sorry for getting you in trouble, Fiammetta. (I never should have brought you into my mess.)

Everyone in my life has suffered because of me. I will only bring you pain. Can’t you see that? (Rook…I can’t.)

These were about her…had Lucanis been the one to write them? Is this truly what he thought?

“You really think you can help him?” Viago’s condescending asked from behind. She whipped around, scowling as he circled her.

“He will ruin you, cousin. I have tried to protect you from this abomination for too long. The two of you will never have my blessing.”

“Do you exist in everyone’s nightmares, Viago, or just Lucanis and I’s?”

“Kissing two Dellamortes in one day, Fiammetta? Which did you prefer?”

“Strange way to tell me you’re jealous, Lucanis.” She sneered at Viago’s image. “Quit hiding behind my cousin’s form. Although your impression of him is…spot on.”

“He’s a coward. You said it yourself.” Rook’s reflection taunted, breaking her silence. “We said it.”

“And I took it back! I’m not leaving Lucanis in here alone. Get out, both of you!”

“Your funeral.” Viago said, sweeping the vision of her aside, and disappearing. Rook threw Lucanis’ notes aside, letting them drift to the ground, and pushed through the rubble into a thick cloud of fog.

“Somehow, I knew you’d be here.” She said in greeting to the memory of Illario standing before her.

Spite sniffed, leaning in close. “Sharp. Jagged edges. Hurt with every breath. Grief and relief. Hope and anger. Mixed.”

“Fiammetta, you’re too good to be wasting your time in a place like this. Forget about my cousin.”

Rook ignored him, picking up more of Lucanis’ memos of self-loathing from around the chamber.

She came after me. She came after Caterina. She will come after you too… (Cousin, what about you?)

But we’re more like brothers. Caterina took us both in. (We’re brothers…)

Death is my calling. Just as yours is to become First Talon. (I don’t want it, Illario.)

“I can give you everything,” Illario said, following her around the room. “I can protect you from him. All I’ve tried to do is protect you, Fi.”

“I can handle myself.”

Rook crumpled Lucanis’ memos in her fist, igniting them in flame and letting the ashes drift in the wind. Illario glared disapprovingly.

“You know what happened last time the Crows fought a war of succession, Fiammetta! The Dellamortes lost everything, except the seat of First Talon. This time, we fight ourselves. What will be left then? Ashes?”

“He. Put us HERE!” Spite roared.

“Your father would have never wanted this for you, Fiammetta-”

“I don’t give a damn what my father wanted!” She shouted, pushing through Illario’s image. It evaporated around her.

“I’ve had enough, Lucanis! Where are you?”

She stormed through the halls, ignoring echoes of Illario’s voice until they reached a vast, empty chamber. Lucanis stood in the center, not waiting, not searching for a way out, just…there. Defeated by his own mind. Startled as she came into view, he took a step back, eyes wide.

“Rook?” He asked in disbelief, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m getting you out. You can’t stay here forever.”

“There’s nowhere to go…” His face fell. “It’s better I stay here than risk losing you. Can’t you see that, Fiammetta?”

“You SEE? He BREAKS our AGREEMENT!” Spite stepped between them, furious. “His mind is still here. So he wants to STAY HERE. So he keeps. ME HERE!”

“Mierda! Why would I want to stay?” Lucanis gestured around the Ossuary. “Even in my head, this place is a nightmare.”

Rook stepped around Spite, her hand coming to cup the side of Lucanis’ face. “But it’s a nightmare you’ve already defeated. What’s waiting for you out there? That’s new. That’s risk.” She said, her thumb caressing his cheek. “You can survive this, Lucanis. You won’t hurt me. I know you.”

“No!” Lucanis growled. “Damnit, Fiammetta! This is not… ”

“MAKE HIM LEAVE!”

Rook threw her head back and groaned.

“Find a way to coexist! You two can’t live this way forever. Make a contract, an alliance, I don’t care. Figure it out.”

Lucanis gave her a helpless look before stepping forward and confronting Spite.

“My grandmother is alive. We free her. Together.” He proposed, “And we protect Rook, whatever the cost.”

A wide smile spread across Spite’s face.

“Together. We will fight.”

Lucanis merged with Spite’s form, the demon disappearing in a flurry of violet. In a blinding flash, Rook’s bedroom materialized around them, unchanged. Disoriented, she blinked rapidly, her gaze meeting Lucanis’ as he studied her face in the candlelight. Curiosity and wonder were etched on his features, as if he’d never seen her before.

Reality suddenly set in, and his expression wavered. He recoiled, muffling a cough in his fist as his eyes wandered over the wound on her temple. Davrin’s stitching from the week before.

“You haven’t taken those out yet?” He asked, clearing his throat and rising from the bed. Glass bottles and trinkets rolled around in the wooden drawers as he rummaged through her vanity for a sewing kit. Typical Lucanis, always finding work to do rather than facing his feelings.

“I can do it myself-” Rook propped herself up, wincing as her palms touched the sheets. She pulled her hand away, frowning at the crimson stain left in its wake.

“I’ll do it.” He insisted, the mattress dipping under his weight as he knelt over her. This close, she could feel the warmth radiating from him, smell the leather of his jacket and the spices lingering on his skin from so much time over a stove. She held her breath, focusing on the intricate fibers of his sweater, the crow-shaped buttons on his collar, anything to distract her from the way his body hovered over her own.

“You should have had me do this in the first place.” He murmured as he expertly tucked a needle under the thread and clipped it with a small pair of scissors. “Our Warden friend isn’t known for having a delicate touch. I can sew, at the very least.

“You were unconscious.” She said as he pulled the final stitch free. “You’ve got quite the jealous streak, Dellamorte.”

Needle pursed between his lips, Lucanis leaned back and inspected his handiwork. Satisfied, he tucked his tools away in the sewing kit and set it aside on the sheets.

“Just recalling a conversation where you had bragged about not having a single scar on your face.”

Tentatively, he reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, his thumb ghosting over the friction burn on her cheek, a scabbed over reminder of the runner she’d dragged herself across to escape the villa.

“This is twice now that my cousin’s actions have harmed you.”

“Physically.” Rook added with a smirk.

Lucanis reached for her palms, examining where the glass had left behind several deep cuts. “You won’t be able to wield a blade for at least a week.”

“They’ll heal.” Rook said, pulling her hands back. “It’s my fault, anyway. I should have listened to you.”

“All that just to kiss my cousin.” A faint grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he precariously arranged her pillows behind her. “Was I that bad, Rook?”

“N-no! Lucanis-”

Flustered, her cheeks burned bright red as he leaned forward, sweeping his lips across her forehead and pressing a firm kiss to its center. As he retreated from her bedside, even he appeared surprised by the gesture.

“Rest.” He said, nodding towards the den. “I’ll go debrief the others. Spare you one of Viago’s big speeches.”

Guilt gnawed at her as she watched him leave. Maybe he could forgive her, shake this evening’s events off and make light of them as if her actions hadn’t hurt him, but she couldn’t. There was nothing she wanted more than to erase it all. As if sensing her ruminating, Lucanis rested a hand on the doorframe, casting a glance backward.

“Your sacrifices tonight didn’t go unnoticed. What you did for me…” He hung his head, staring at the floor. “If there’s one person I trust my thoughts to, it’s you, Fiammetta.”

Lucanis slipped into the hall and Rook bit her lip, rolling over in bed and stifling a sob. She allowed only a few tears to stain her pillowcase, knowing the time he'd buy her would be brief. With a sniff, she wiped her eyes and stared at the wall, waiting for the weight of Viago’s disappointment, and drowning in her own shame.

27 notes · View notes

nevesserialwriter · 2 months ago

Text

New Chapter: Dock Town Noir

Dock Town Noir: Chapter 14 - Senses

Pairing: Rook/Neve

Rated: E

Summary: As the celebrations fade and the city stirs with secrets, Neve finds herself balancing hard-won triumphs with the weight of what comes next. In the space between duty and desire, new truths take root; and the path ahead demands both courage and a steady resolve.

Preview:

She heard glass shatter, a goblet breaking into glittering shards across the marble floor of Serapha’s study.

"Shit."

Neve glanced up from the spread of documents she’d been reviewing just in time to see Fin swaying slightly, a half-empty wine bottle in one hand and the other rubbing the back of his head as he looked down at the damage.

"Sorry, I, uh—" A hiccup cut him off. "I was checking if you needed anything."

He was drunk—obviously—but he deserved it. Today had been a gauntlet: blood, beasts, chaos, and of course Serapha’s ever shifting moods. But through it all, he’d proven himself. He hadn’t just managed the logistics of his first games; he’d shown instinct.

The way he handled the animals—especially Lynx—had been something to see. Calm, confident, and intuitive. The creatures responded to him like he spoke a language no one else could. Just as striking was his eye for weapon craft and rune structure; subtle, but precise. The Archon would’ve made an asset out of him in Minrathous without hesitation. Probably a high-ranking one, too.

It was probably for the best he wasn’t.

He thrived here, and—though she’d never say it aloud—Serapha was surprisingly good with him. Impatient, yes, but good all the same.

"There’s a lot here," she said, her attention still fixed on the parchment in front of her. "These diagrams are fascinating, but I can’t read this variation of Elven. It looks older than anything I studied at the Circle."

She traced a fingertip along the etched lines and curving symbols, brow pulling together; not in confusion, but recognition she couldn’t place.

Fin crouched beside the broken glass, wobbling slightly.

"I think it's some really old runecraft workflow—" another hiccup, "—older than anything in the records. If I ever got my hands on a real archive... man, the runes I could fix.”

Neve stilled.

Akia.

The name surfaced before she could stop it, dragging with it the mental image of her and Ivy in the same room.

Absolutely not.

Dock Town would burn before the hour was out; and she didn’t have the patience to play peace maker.

Even if she lived only a short walk from the archive...

No, she’d send Elek to make copies at his printer and deliver a formal request.

"Ow!" Fin yelped.

The sound snapped Neve out of her thoughts. She looked over to find him crouched awkwardly, finger in his mouth, clearly nursing a fresh cut.

She clicked her tongue and walked over, shaking her head. "Maybe set the wine bottle down before you lose the rest of your fingers.”

Fin looked up at her, sheepish. "It's pretty bad. Might need stitches.”

"I'll be the judge of that," she said, kneeling beside him. "Let me see.”

He offered his hand, and she turned it gently in her grip. The cut was shallow, barely more than a scratch, already drying.

"Yes," she deadpanned. "A truly devastating injury. How are you still standing?”

A faint glow followed her fingertip as she ran it over the wound, the skin knitting shut in seconds.

"It was really bad," Fin grumbled, though the smile tugging at his mouth softened the complaint. “Thanks."

He stood, dropped the shards into a nearby bin, and wiped his hands on his trousers before straightening.

Neve waved him off, her gaze snagging on the bloodstain soaking into the rug.

She grimaced.

Definitely not something that would wash out easily.

She glanced around. Dust clung to the corners, parchment edges curled and yellowing. Serapha clearly didn’t spend much time in this room.

Fin would probably get away with it.

#dragon age veilguard #datv #dragon age fanfiction #dragon age veilguard fanfic #neve romance #rook x neve #neve gallus #rook/neve #rook #fanfiction #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #archive of our own

15 notes · View notes

rederiswrites · 5 months ago

Note

Arden codex: 8, 14, 20, 23. the play one could be Very fun

Oooh, lots to work with!

8. A future historian’s analysis of Rook’s actions (Bonus: featuring a relevant primary source)

From the dissertation of Henry Darrow, University of Starkhaven.

Details as to how Arden Mercar, commonly known as Rook, became involved in the Blight of the Gods are often confused, with one source making a claim entirely contradicted by another. Some point to his involvement with the underground movement the Shadow Dragons as the point of connection, suggesting that he became involved due to Venatori alliance with the gods. Others propose that he was secretly an agent of the Tevinter military, serving under his father Charon Mercar, and his involvement with the Shadow Dragons merely a red herring.

I propose a rather radical revision of this timeline. I believe that Rook was in fact involved with a splinter faction of the Inquisition, and was in pursuit of the elven god Fen'harel before Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan broke free of their prison. In support of this bold claim, I offer a series of fragmentary letters between one Lace Harding and known agents of the Inquisition, kept in the archives of the Mortalitasi in Nevarra.

While portions of these letters are sadly rendered illegible, what is clear is that Rook was working with this Lace Harding, as well as author and known Inquisition agent Varric Tethras, as much as a year before the Blight of the Gods began, and that they were in pursuit of an unidentified powerful figure. As you will see in the following transcriptions, we can guess a great deal that was previously hidden from these correspondences.

14. A letter from a faction leader to a companion about Rook’s actions.

Davrin--

Out of respect for your services to the Wardens to date I will not have you arrested, should you return promptly, but if I see that insolent whelp "Rook" again, I assure you, he will spend time in Weisshaupt's cells.

--First Warden Glastrum

20. Something written about Rook on a historical plaque. Oh Hmm!

ARDEN MERCAR BRAVE SON OF TEVINTER LEAD OUR FORCES AGAINST THE BLIGHTED GODS AND RETURNED THE SUN

[A more cynical scholar once noted that this statue and plaque are notably revisionist, as Rook did not carry the heraldry of Tevinter, and while the phrasing permits the viewer to believe that it was the forces of Tevinter which Arden led, in fact the Tevinter military was in disarray following the disappearance of Archon Radonis, and many of those who led the fight against the Blighted gods were from outside Tevinter's borders.]

23. Excerpt from a play dramatizing Rook’s actions (Bonus: include a review of this play)

I apologize, but the first thing that popped into my mind was the Gaang watching that terrible play together and I couldn't get past it so I've gone off prompt a bit.

"Maker, that was agonizing," Arden said, eyes squeezed shut.

"Speak for yourself. I thought my actor was amazing," said Taash. "'Raargghhh! Woarrghhh! Die, darkspawn!' Plus I had my own little mage stage hand to do the fire."

"Mhm. And you said 'therefore' and 'most certainly' and 'charge, my fair warriors' a lot less than me. So, you know, appreciate your fortune." Arden rolled his shoulders as if trying to shake off the last hour and a half.

Lucanis laughed. "Come now. You were terribly dashing. The actor is not nearly so handsome, of course, but you can't fault his commitment to the role."

"And I'll bet you loved your actor's commitment to completely destroying an Antivan accent?" Arden said.

"Very much so, actually. It had the added benefit of rendering all 'my' lines completely incomprehensible."

"Look lively, people," Neve cut in. "Here comes the director, along with a couple of aldermen if I'm not mistaken."

"Fasta vass. I need a drink," Arden muttered, straightening up and plastering a smile on his face.

#stuff red wrote #arden mercar #dragon age #veilguard spoilers

10 notes · View notes

kaija-rayne-author · 8 months ago

Text

13th review in series of Dragon Age Veilguard

98 steam hours logged, 84 game hours logged on final save, (the listing in the game itself) actual gameplay hours (-2 for time in CC) either 96 or 82... depending.

14 hour discrepancy between game logged hours and steam logged hours is likely how much trouble the game gave me in loading, reloading, glitching, and crashing. Do I get to charge Bioware for those lost hours of my life?

Obligatory disclaimer, feel free to skip it if you've read it.

Something came to my attention. I need to make it crystal clear that I utterly love the diversity in DAV. It's fantastic. I'm also a heavily left leaning, non-binary, queer as fuck reviewer, editor, and author.

I'm on media blackout while I play this, so I'm only getting second-hand info on how awful it is right now in the DA Fandom. Please be safe and take care of yourselves. Arguing with incels and white supremacists is completely pointless. They sea lion worse than an actual sea lion. Your mental health is important.

Though., every single time the anti-queer brigade comes out for a new DA game, I sit there thinking 'have you bozos ever played any DA game, like, ever?' My guess is nope.

Spoilers for Dragon Age Veilguard and everything else DA, I'm a Lore fiend.

My pithy pre-end sequence commentary.

Section 12 here.

END GAME SPOILERS

End game spoilers for BG3 too.

13 is my lucky number, but even that couldn't save it. I can't think of a single thing that can save this disaster of a game. I'll write a more professional wrap-up review post too, this is my reaction portion.

I've finished the final sequence of the game. Sat through the credits of probably a thousand people who worked on this piece of shit and still thought it releasable. AND saw the 'easter egg/future game possibility scene'. My kid said I got a hint of hope back in my eyes for about 10 seconds when that final scene popped up then the light faded again. Apparently the 'long slow horrified stare of death' was all over my face again.

Loading in, I dreaded everything I was about to see. Veilguard had already disappointed me in so many ways. I didn't have any hope the final sequence would be any better.

It wasn't as bad as I expected. It was worse. Yes. Honestly.

In all fairness (even if I really don't want to be fair right now) the last sequence does contain some of the best material in the game. If they'd actually written the rest of it with that kind of passion it probably would've been a better game. But that doesn't actually make it good. And how any average person makes it to the final sequence is beyond me. I'm stuck in bed. I've got an excuse.

So. I expected it to be long. That part didn't bother me that much. Most Dragon Age games have long final sequences.

The positive! Ummmm? Oh! I actually did get an intimate scene with Lucanis. His timing stinks but whatever. I did actually get one. I mean, it was one your aunt who's a nun probably wouldn't have found racey, but it exists! Dude. It's 2024, there's this cool toggle function you can click off if you don’t want nudity. It's a Mature rated game and I'm pretty sure most of us know what sex is. Give paying customers what they want!

My least favourite character died.

I called it on Solas killing Varric in the first scene. Interesting twist they did with that, though. Told y'all. I didn't want it to happen either, but the writing was on the wall in great big letters in drippy red paint from the second they fired Mary Kirby (Varric's writer.) In case you want more details than snark on that? Varric did indeed die when Solas stabbed him in the beginning. What you see throughout the game is Solas messing with Rook's mind because Solas needs Rook to work with him. Varric died before the story actually started. That last line of his 'take care of the team' told me. But I got taken in by the twist too. Bet that was a Weekes twist. 'It’s right in front of you the whole time.'

Elgar'nan made a WAY better final boss fight than Coryphyfish.

I did legitimately love watching Teia and Viago fight as crows. That was a really awesome section. (They're two of my favourite characters from Tevinter Nights.)

The bad.

There is no way for me to list it all. So here's the highlight reel.

Varric died.

They lifted almost the entire final battle sequence from BG3. The tentacle they have to climb to the fancy building in the sky. People falling and almost dying by tumbling down the tentacle, having to fight through said self-destructing fancy building in the sky... I know you can't copyright an idea. As an author, I understand and approve of that. But you should at least make the idea a wee bit unrecognizable as to where you lifted it from. Y'know?

Yay! We got to see Solas in wolfie form! He looks like a Chinese hairless crested dog on a really bad day. Like... really needs to go to the salon and have a bath day. I really wish I were joking.

Called it on the Solavellan ending. And NO. Trick Weekes. That DOES NOT give a suggestion of a Happy Fucking Ending. Read some fucking Romance. GOOD romance. (They do. And I'm being very mature by not calling out one of the authors they read who was one of the ones who harassed me off of Twitter. Oh. No. Two of them I've seen Trick mention as books they've read were involved in that. I guess looking at the people someone likes and respects is kinda indicative... isn't it?)

What's that say about me? I don't like very many people. I get along with people as best as my autistic/AuDHD ass can but I don't LIKE very many people at all. Nor do people tend to like me. I have no compunction about calling someone on bullshit. It makes people cranky, but I've had enough bullshit in my life. And I respect about the same amount of people as I like. If I can't respect you? I can't like you. (For anyone who does actually know me... I don't mean you. If I talk with you privately? Or even if I'm willing to? I both like and respect you. Or I wouldn't bother talking to you privately. I'm shit at reaching out. But if we've talked more than once in any form of privacy? You've made the list of my cranky ass.)

Am I a bitch? Probably. Live my life and see if you'd be any different.

No intimate scene for Solas and Inky. After ten years of waiting for Solavellans. After all the shitting on Solas we had to put up with in DAV (and OMFG there was soooo much!!) No actual happy ending. No intimate scene. Oh, but you do get a rather grody kiss between them because he's just been fighting and has blight all over his face. But yay? They get to kiss? With absolutely no passion at all. Maybe the passion of a bavarian cream pastry? A rotten one? Ew. Before dissolving into fade gook.

The entire time I spent in CC for my Inky to make her look like my player character from DAI? It didn't show up in the final sequence. And no way was I replaying that hellscape to see if it MIGHT could be coaxed into actually showing her the way I made her. I just got the stock body.

So... y'know the veil? That edge of reality that has been getting more and more holes in it throughout the entire history of the Dragon Age Franchise? The veil that the Lore has been pretty clear about it strangling both the magic and the life out of THEDAS? Not to mention everything the elves lost because of it? That veil?

It's all better now. Regardless of the Lore. Because Solas bound his life force to it. So instead of a quick bandage being pulled off to get rid of the veil that really does need to go (y'know if Bioware writers actually gave a rat's ass about the fucking lore of the world they're writing in)... Now it's there until Solas dies... which he can't really do easily being one of the first Elves. Sooooo by the very lore of the world they've crafted... THEDAS is now doomed to die.

Congrats Bioware. Well done. /s

Oh, but THAT doesn't matter. Because everything from the very beginning of DAO has been 'influenced' by 'the ones from across the sea'.

Pardon me while I gag.

The entirety of THEDAS and everything that's ever gone wrong with it is the fault of 'the foreigners from across the sea who wear clothing that's kiiiinda a lot like a Burqa.' Y'know... the black over gowns and veils Afghani women and some other Muslim folks wear?

Cause... uh... yeah. That's a GREAT idea. I legitimately cannot believe they went there. I just... I can't. Bioware hasn't ever really been great on the racism front but I'd hoped they'd gotten at least a little bit better.

Nooooope.

There were a couple of mentions of something like 'the gathering storm' in Taash's quests and how she's a weapon against them. HUGE spoiler I'm sure, but I'm pretty sure they want to make a game that deals with 'the foreign invaders who have been subtly influencing everything wearing black burqas and veils' as the next Dragon Age. Or maybe they'll call it a spin off since it has to be getting close to the end of the actual Dragon Age in the calendar.

I really hope I'm not the only one who can see the issues there. Not that I expect Bioware to. Honestly? I used to pray that DAV would save Bioware. I've liked them as a company for a while, but this is it for me. I'm done.

I might enjoy the first three DA games occasionally if I feel like it. But DAV does not exist for me. Anything they make going forward does not exist for me. That fucking bullshit about no one having had any free choices in the entire history of the games/books/comics etc.? AND the next game's bad guys looking like they wear burqas?

Bioware has made my boycott list. And I honestly hope they sink like the fucking Titanic for the shit they've pulled in DAV and that last fucking scene.

With that scene, they not only shit on many cultures who veil, they shit specifically on Afghani people who are required to wear that. Whether they want to or not.

They also, from a writing perspective, removed every single bit of agency from any of their previous characters. Making every single game pointless in the history of the world.

I'm just done. My boycott list is pretty long. I have these pesky standards. I'd already compromised them by continuing on with playing Bioware games regardless of their well known issues. But nope. Done. Finite. Time to cut the rope and watch it sink.

I would never, in a million years, recommend this game. On those two reasons alone. But also because it doesn't do anything a good CRPG (Computer Role Playing Game) is supposed to do very well.

It doesn't hold up the Dragon Age expectations for anyone who has played the games or enjoyed the lore. They basically shoved all the lore under the proverbial carpet. (Must have made a hell of a lump. That's a LOT of Lore. Trust me. I know. I've marinated myself in it.) On the surface it LOOKS like a CRPG. It has the elements of one... but so few of the elements are carried through that it's kinda shocking to me that they dared to advertise it as one. I mean... didn't someone tell them pissing off people by advertising something they aren't delivering is a bad idea?

It's full of easily fixable plot holes. Seriously, they'd be so easy to fix! They just didn't bother.

Where DAI was an intricately woven adult CRPG masterpiece? DAV is a poorly woven bedsheet with arm sized holes in it and lots and lots of stains. Made for kids.

CRPGs have a long history. Bioware and Dragon Age do too. DAO came out in 2009, Dragon Age 2 released in 2011, both were solid CRPGs. You felt like you were playing a role playing game. Bioware then released DAI in 2014. And in the Dragon Age series, DAI is the crown jewel.

It had everything a CRPG is supposed to have. It wasn’t perfect, no, but it's definitely the best of all 4 games for being what it's supposed to be.

CRPGs generally do not challenge the player as far as manual dexterity or physical response time. That's for action/fighting games. I'm not a professional level gamer. But gaming is my number one hobby and source of entertainment. I play on hard level for most games I play, if not ultra hard. I struggled with the shitty DAV fighting system. Dear gods, who had the brilliant idea of tying accumulation of skill points to how high your bond is with your companions? That's just... the kindest thing I can say is poorly thought out. Especially when you can only take two of them with you on missions. My not-a-fucking-rogue should never have had aggro. And they always did. I'm intimately acquainted with the inside the mouth animations on the dragons.

RPGs are supposed to have intricate, layered world building, a levelling system that makes your characters grow and develop as they progress through a well developed world, often they have fighting, puzzles, and other mechanics to spice things up. But there's some very specific things an RPG needs. And DAV has so few of them. They focussed so much on that shitty gods damned fighting system that had my not-a-fucking-rogue always plastered with the 'come eat me' aggro flag that they failed to deliver on so much else that an RPG needs to have. Especially a CRPG.

I think I heard someone on the dev team say they were quite happy with how the characters and romances came out and um. Well. Might I politely suggest learning how to write better? Cause they weren't. From both a professional and consumer level? They just weren't good.

The characters were dishwater boring with no character development possible. The romances were... not. I'll just leave it there.

Those are a few things I KNOW I'm good at. Just because my fans have told me often enough that I've almost internalized it by now. What? Characterization, writing intimate scenes, and writing romance. My writing voice is very love/hate like many authors. If you love my voice and read kinky romance, you'd probably like it. If you don't like my voice? No story I tell will satisfy you. But from an editorial and writing standpoint? The characters and romances in DAV needed so much work. As much as the plot.

I'm no stranger to trauma. And yes. I did it to myself. I needed to play the ending for myself and I wanted to see what the game was like. I feel traumatized. Abso-fucking-lutely traumatized.

If you're Solavellan and looking for reviews to tell you whether it's worth buying and playing? It. Is. Not. On any level.

Oh and you know those Steam Achievements you get? At the beginning they were like in the high 90s and 80s percentages. The last two I got were from the end game. 2.2% and 6.8%. Respectively. According to my kid (who usually knows more than I do about things like that) that means people stopped playing before they got there. (Or possibly just haven't gotten there yet. I did play it reasonably fast because of my current circumstances.)

I really wish I could say better things about this game. I wanted to love it as much as I loved the other three. As much as I've loved most Dragon Age material. Something about it just captured me. Until DAV.

More professional review to follow at some point.

If my review series has been helpful... and I really really hate to ask, but if it has been? My work of words is my family's only income. My partner is still recovering from a broken back, and I'm recovering from a pulmonary embolism. Money is so tight it squeaks. If you're not gonna buy the game anyway after reading my blather, a tip would surely be appreciated.

All my links are at the bottom of my website. And the tips button up top is set up too.

My response to breaking media blackout.

#dragon age veilguard #da veilguard #veilguard #dragonage #solas #bioware critical #dragon age #dragon age veilguard review #veilguard review #veilguard spoilers #Solavellan #Solas dragon age

12 notes · View notes

laurelsofhighever · 4 months ago

Text

Rosemary and Citrus Ch. 14

To live truly is to live fully, but for the Demon of Vyrantium, it's never been that simple, no matter how hard he tries. There's always duty, and politics, and now the end of the world. Wren Thorne found herself facing down Blighted gods not entirely by accident, and not entirely unprepared, but of course it's more complicated than that. The fate of Thedas was never supposed to be in her hands - and really, what can one Grey Warden do? Slowburn Rookanis

All Wardens together

“Her name was Isseya.”

Valya paced in the small infirmary room where Caronel and Remi had been convalescing since the battle, from the low-silled window to Davrin leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed and Assan pressed up against his leg as if attached with glue. Rook had found space for herself perched on the low table that separated the two narrow cots, though she had to keep her back braced against the wall to avoid aggravating her broken ribs. The lamp hanging from the ceiling guttered low enough to paint stark hollows over Valya’s face, the first pink streaks of dawn though the window not yet strong enough to warm her cheeks.

“She was a Warden assigned as a griffon rider at the start of the Fourth Blight,” she explained as she turned to pace again. “A mage. As the Blight went on and things became more desperate, she was caught in an ambush trying to collapse a darkspawn tunnel, and one of the other griffons in her formation was blighted. She used blood magic to put it through the Joining but the results were… mixed.”

Rook glanced to Davrin. From the force of his scowl, she guessed he hadn’t heard the story before, either.

“Why blood magic?” he asked. “Surely she knew better than to mess around with that stuff.”

“It was the only way,” Remi answered. She had only shed her fever an hour before, but despite the remaining physical weakness, her mind was sharp. “You’ve seen the way they are with the darkspawn corpses we train with. Whatever it is that drives their hatred of the Blight, it meant that any beast put through the Joining would tear itself apart. Literally. The blood magic was to quiet their minds and make them think the taint in their blood was only an infection.”

Valya nodded. “The problem was that it still drove the griffon insane. It was uncontrollable, and when it saw darkspawn it went into a frenzy and kept fighting long after it should have died of its wounds.”

“I can see where this is going,” Rook muttered. Anything to stop the darkspawn, no matter the cost. The Orlesian Wardens had once gathered in Jader, content to sacrifice the whole of Ferelden to bolster their own defences.

“It wasn’t like that. Isseya was only ordered to Join a small number that were too old or injured to fight. They made the difference against Andoral, but something in the spell she used to subdue them changed the nature of the taint in griffon blood. It morphed into a plague that spread through the entire population and by the time the First Warden declared a quarantine, it was too late. there was no choice but to put them down.”

Read the rest on AO3

#rookanis #lucanis x rook #rook x lucanis #dragon age #dragon age the veilguard #datv #dragon age fanfic #grey warden rook #rosemary and citrus #wren thorne #davrin #assan dragon age #last flight

9 notes · View notes

seaglassmelody · 5 months ago

Note

10, 14, 16 for the Rook asks please!!!

Thanks so much for the ask!! It's been...a very long time since I've done any fanfic so here goes!

All are for my main Rook, Mourn Watch elf Sabriel "Sabi" Ingellvar (she/they, demiromantic asexual)!

Prompts from the Rook Story Time Asks

I actually did all 3 so this got pretty long. All under the cut:

10. Rook attending a funeral-

Sabriel released a shuddering sigh as she anxiously adjusted the burial shroud on the corpse before her.

Fine embroidery, elegant weave…this was a family of some means, I suppose.

Not for the first time, she found herself wondering if her parents had the dignity of even a rough-spun shroud.

She shook her head quickly to shake the thought out. “Can’t get distracted now.”

This was far from her first time preparing a body for the Necropolis, but it would be her first time performing the burial rite on her own.

She mouthed the words to herself silently as she finished preparations. Everything was perfect. Everything had to be perfect. The man on the table left behind a beloved family and a mourning community. They deserved her best work.

For how can one truly grieve without a proper chance to say goodbye?

With one last deep breath, she patted the hand of the corpse in front of her.

“Well ser, shall we go say our farewells?”

-----

14. Rook attending a celebration-

“Hey Lucanis, finally decided to stop lurking in the pantry for once?” Davrin’s question was goading as he climbed up the stairs from the Vi’Revas chamber.

“Rook kicked him out of the kitchen.” Taash’s reply came before Lucanis could respond, and he gave them an exasperated look.

“Rook has kicked us all out of the kitchen for the foreseeable future.” He retorted, before turning back to Davrin, “So don’t even try going in there.”

“She said it was for a surprise!” Harding chimed in from the couch, looking up from the book she was reading - The Count of Bloodhill Manor. Emmrich had scoffed at it when he found it on the shelf, but still kept a hold of it for Harding anyway.

Davrin’s face turned skeptical. “Should I be worried about that?”

Neve’s laugh came from the stairs behind Davrin as she entered the room behind him. “Guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”

“Rook’s not that bad of a cook!” Bellara spoke up, her legs crossed in front of her in Rook’s usual chair. “She’s pretty good when she actually makes something instead of…eating the ingredients individually…”

“I did see Rook and Taash bringing in quite a haul from the market yesterday,” Emmrich supplied from the upper balcony, having just exited his room to investigate the hubbub.

Taash nodded. “Dunno what she needed all those potatoes for, but it sure was a lot of em.”

“So how long has she been in there?” Neve asked, coming around to take a seat on the couch next to Harding.

“3 hours and 23 minutes.” Came Lucanis’s prompt reply, spurring a laugh from Neve.

Davrin sighed deeply. “Guess there’s nothing we can do but wait then. C’mon Assan, let’s go preen your feathers.”

The young griffon trilled in joyful assent before bounding off towards the door.

~~~

It was another several hours later before everyone was summoned to the kitchen by a few wisps that had been coaxed into Sabriel’s service by offering them a few curious notes from her personal desk (and potentially one of Neve’s. Not that Neve needed to know).

The group entered to a table sprawling with a variety of foods - fresh cut fruits, some sort of stuffed mushroom dish, a few pots of what appeared to be sauces, cups filled with drinks and in the center of it all- 3 large pies lovingly decorated with dragon motifs.

“You made all of this yourself?!” Harding exclaimed as Sabriel wiped her hands on her apron.

(She played it off as getting off some stray flour but really her palms were sweating. Were they going to like it? Was she going to give everyone food poisoning? Only time would tell.)

Setting aside her anxieties, Sabriel smiled broadly at her team. “I found my old recipe notes from when some of the other elves in the Watch gave me some cooking tips.” She pointed at each pie in succession. “This one’s a fish-based one, this one is root vegetables with herbs, and this one at the end is an extra spicy curried vegetables.” She smiled at Taash. “Hopefully it’ll be to your taste.”

Taash’s responding toothy grin helped settle her nerves enough to explain herself.

“I just figured…we’ve killed an archdemon. We took down two dragons. And we’ve even drawn blood from Ghilan’nain. I wanted to do something to thank you guys for all your hard work and…celebrate how far we’ve made it.” Her courage faltered a bit at their stares and her smile turned a bit nervous. “So umm…bon appetit?”

The silence that threatened was immediately broken by Assan noisily crowing and bounding the table, followed quickly by Manfred, who picked up a stuffed mushroom and began poking at the cheese mixture in the middle.

As both skeleton and griffon received a sound scolding for lack of manners from their respective fathers, the group laughed and took their seats, happy chatter echoing through the kitchen as everyone discovered that Bellara was right.

Turns out Rook is a pretty good cook when she tries.

-----

16. Rook falling in love for the first time-

Love was never an easy thing for Sabriel to understand.

Attachment? This she knew. She had her friends in the wisps and spirits, in her fellow Watchers and the friendlier undead.

Obligation? Certainly, she had her duties to the Watch, to the living, to the memory of the dead.

Affection? More difficult, but still known. She watched her agemates form bonds, experiment with public displays, experienced friendly nudges and hair ruffling.

It was the sum total of these parts that eluded her.

What was it that drove others to write entire operas about the passion of romance? What spurred heartbroken poetry and the lovers’ suicides that she had heard rumor of in the Necropolis? How overwhelming was this experience of seeing and being seen?

Was it joy? She had seen it described as a feeling of floating, of wanting to burst into song.

Was it pain? She had heard tales of excruciating attachment, so strong it hurt more than helped.

It was a question she had resigned herself to never fully receiving an answer, no matter how hard she tried.

It felt like a wall she could never break through— A glass barrier where she could watch everyone on the other side experience transcendence. She was never bitter, but a bit confused, and very resigned to her fate as a companion of only spirits and the dead.

And yet, when she sat at the Lighthouse’s table, cup of cioccolata calda made especially for her in her hands, watching Lucanis’s face light up with silent laughter at something Harding said-

The glass began to crack.

#these helped me develop a couple rook ideas of mine #the 'making dinner for the team as a thank you' is one I've been sitting on for a while #and developing sabi's relationship with romance is something I've been meaning to do #so thanks so much for the ask!!!#answered asks #oc: sabriel ingellvar #dragon age #veilguard #rook ingellvar

7 notes · View notes