#Technical Officer Rook

[deputyrook]

Alliance of Three - 18+, Lucanis/Rook/Spite

A03 Link! Can be read as a soft-sequel to - Playing Cards (18+)

As Lucanis is called to Treviso to plan a gathering of Crows, Spite ends up feeling sidelined and unwanted. Can Rook and Lucanis play the game of politics that being the First Talon requires? And how can they make things up to Spite? Lucanis/Female De Riva Rook/Spite. Some hurt/comfort, some Crow politics. Eventual threesome smut. 18+

Word count: 7816

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Lucanis presses the palms of his hands against his eyes, and groans.

“We’ve created a monster,” He mutters, and when Rook laughs, delighted, he sighs.

“So Spite wants to take a break,” Rook says with a grin, “What do you want to do?” She stands from her chair, stretching out her arms over her head, and lets out a soft groan as her shoulders pop. Her shirt hikes up, revealing just a sliver of skin across her stomach.

“Híjole. You know exactly what you’re doing,” Lucanis murmurs, leaning back in his chair. Maybe he’d intended it to be accusatory, but there’s only fondness in his tone, and he can’t stop the exasperated smile that crosses his face.

Slowly, Rook walks around to his side of the desk and leans against it. With the way he’s looking at her, his eyes darting across her body, Rook’s willing to bet that Lucanis wants a break as much as Spite does.

They’ve been in Treviso for the past four days, and the meetings never seemed to end. Rook had hoped that they’d both get some time off after killing a God, but here she was, helping Lucanis to plan a celebration party and meet with wealthy donors to the Antivan Crows. According to Catarina, the sooner House De Riva, House Cantori, and House Dellamorte presented a united front to the Crows writ large, the better Lucanis would be received as First-Talon-to-be by the other houses.

Technically, she wasn’t supposed to be present in these meetings with Lucanis, but he’d all but begged her to stay so that he wouldn’t have to go through them alone. A faux pas, perhaps, for a junior Crow of House de Riva to sit in on meetings with the First Talon of House Dellamorte.

But she’d just saved the world. She figured some allowances were permitted. For now, at least.

Even still, a tiny part of Rook wishes they’d said no. They could be at a spa somewhere right now. She could be resting at a hot spring, relaxing her body, which was still bruised and battered from her fight with Elgar’nan. They could be eating little chocolate cakes.

“You know I want to. But this is...” Lucanis’ eyes scan around the new office, a small, windowless room on the upper floor of the Dellamorte Villa. He’d insisted on moving everything out of the much larger, wide-open office on the ground floor, which had been an abysmal pain in the ass with all of the stairs.

Worth it for an office with a single entrance, he’d insisted.

“Not the time or place,” Rook finishes with a frown, placing her hand gently overtop of his, “I know.”

“All the more reason we should,” Spite cuts in, with a grin and a flash of violet light overtaking Lucanis’ eyes. He leans forward, grabbing a fistful of Rook’s shirt, and yanks her toward his chair, until she’s standing between his legs.

“We’ve got to be careful here, Spite. This isn’t the Lighthouse. It’s not safe for you to be... out,” Rook tries to explain, but with his possessive grip on the back of her thighs, it’s becoming harder for Rook to remember why exactly this is a bad idea. His grip travels, moving down her legs and then back up, trying to pull her closer. Feeling her.

“Fine, yes. But we want to kiss you,” Spite grumbles, still pulling at her legs as though he can’t get her close enough, “And Lucanis won’t.”

Rook can’t help herself. Putting her hands on Spite’s shoulders, she leans forward and kisses him. He makes a needy noise into her mouth, somewhere between a groan and a growl, and it’s loud. The kiss quickly turns filthy, with Spite’s tongue pressing insistently past her lips, licking into her mouth. He kisses her like he wants to devour her. Like he can’t get enough of her taste. 

Rook shudders. Lucanis is right. They have created a monster.

“Okay! Okay,” She laughs, cupping his cheek and pulling away. When she does, Lucanis’ beautiful brown eyes stare back up at her.

“I can’t blame him,” Lucanis sighs wistfully, “Truth be told, I, too, would rather be kissing you.”

Rook grins at him, leans forward, and kisses him again. This time, it’s just a short kiss, but she can feel Lucanis smiling against her mouth even as she pulls back.

“After this party,” she says, “We take a vacation. I don’t know how or where, but we get a break. You, me, a beach house, and the sea. We eat good food, we read bad romance books in the sun, and you fuck me on every surface we can find. Sound good?”

Lucanis laughs, his hands still settled on Rook’s hips like he doesn’t want to let her go. 

“Well, if you’re going to twist my arm-”

A knock on the door breaks them apart. Taking a few steps back, Rook tries to look nonplussed as Lucanis smooths back his hair and calls out, “Come in,” his hand compulsively moving to hover by his blade.

Viago de Riva strides in like he’s on a contract. With not a hair out of place, he looks as impeccably put together as always, in the same way that’s always made Rook feel like a bit of a mess by comparison. The only sign that less than a week ago he’d been storming the streets of Minrathous battling darkspawn is a mottled dark purple bruise splashed across his cheek. Although first focused on Lucanis, his step slightly falters when his gaze lands on Rook.

“Mina? What are you doing here?” Viago snaps, looking from Rook to Lucanis. He’s one of the few people that still defaults to using Rook’s actual name, having known her longer than anyone else still in her life. “Don’t tell me you’ve been here all morning.” 

Busted. Rook grimaces in a way that tells him everything he needs to know, and Viago lets out an annoyed huff.

“You are a Crow of House De Riva,” He snaps, voice severe, “You cannot simply lounge around House Dellamorte as though it is your home now, because it is not.”

“For now,” Lucanis murmurs, voice dark and full of promise. The glare Viago levels at him could dissolve iron. 

“Who’s lounging? Maker, Viago. You know I don’t have a contract right now. I think I’ve earned a few weeks off before I pick up my next one,” Rook replies, crossing her arms, “And unless I’m mistaken, I can spend my time off where I want.” Viago stares at her, hard. He’s always had the unique ability to make her feel like a teenager again, sulking and petulant. She’d been going for firm and professional, but somehow, Rook feels like she missed the mark.

“Whining doesn’t suit you,” he says. “You know as well as I do that if Catarina was aware you were sitting in on these meetings, she would not be pleased. The other houses could take it as a sign of collusion, beyond a mere alliance. Not to mention it undercuts my authority as Fifth Talon,” Rook cringes, but Viago isn’t finished with his scolding.

“With so many new Talons, we don’t yet know how they will react to any of us,” he continues, “Least of all Lucanis. House Dellamorte remains on tenuous ground after the stunt Illario tried to pull. While I can appreciate you’ve just slayed a God, Lucanis, you are still an abomination. We need to account for a suspicious and cautious reception, at best.” It’s Lucanis’ turn to wince, and Rook feels a swoop of protectiveness run through her, even though she can admit Viago is right.

Viago must see it in her face, because he holds up his hands, as if to placate her before she starts trying to argue.

“I am not making any judgments about it,” He looks to Lucanis, “You seem the same to me as you’ve always been, save for the wings. Completely in control of yourself. But others will be wary.”

“I understand,” Lucanis replies with a curt nod, “And you’re not wrong. Forgive me for my selfishness, in wanting Rook by my side through the morning. I did not think through the optics of it.” Viago’s face softens and he sighs, adjusting his grip on his cane. For all the freedom that being a Crow has given Rook, it’s a rare moment where she wonders what would happen if she and Lucanis were to quit and do something else with their lives- something that wouldn’t leave them subject to the scrutiny of hundreds of assassins, hungry to climb up the ranks.

It’s an errant thought that leaves as quickly as it came. There is no quitting the Antivan Crows, particularly not for Lucanis. And because of that, even if she could leave, Rook knows that she wouldn’t. 

“I didn’t come here to lecture you,” Viago says, “Caterina wants to speak with you- alone, I expect. Mina, come with me and I’ll brief you further on House politics.” Lucanis’ expression settles into a tired frown, the kind of exhausted look that makes Rook want to tell him terrible jokes until he smiles again. Walking back over to him, she takes one of his hands in her own, and gently kisses his knuckles before letting go.

“We’ll meet back at the Lighthouse after?” She asks, and feels a swell of love at the affection in his gaze.

“I wouldn’t miss it, mi cielo.”

By the time that Lucanis does get back to the Lighthouse, however, it’s so late that the most he can do is crawl into bed with Rook and fall asleep by her side. Over the next few days, the work keeps him so busy that Rook hardly sees him. He’s gone by the time he gets up, and in bed by the time he gets home- if he returns home at all.

She doesn’t hold it against him, of course. He still has a hard time saying no to Catarina, and this is an admittedly important event for the future of House Dellamorte, even if it does vex her to be away from him for such long days. 

Viago’s been keeping her busy as well, though. Although it’s unlikely the Talons of the other houses themselves will be attending the party- not after the last event Catarina organized, where most of the Talons ended up dead- representatives will no doubt attend and report back to the Talons. 

“Given the closeness between Catarina and Teia, it’s unsurprising that House Cantori will support House Dellamorte. It is our House which will solidify their strength. Two Houses unified is a challenge. Three is a war,” Viago tells her one day, as they work on mixing extra potions and poisons in preparation for the party. It reminds her of days long gone by, well before she had left with Varric, where Viago had drilled into her head the differences between the various venoms and antidotes.

“If it wasn’t for Teia and I, would you be supporting House Dellamorte?” Rook asks him, curious. It takes him a long time to respond, which is in itself an answer.

“There is a reason Caterina has always encouraged my ...partnership with Teia,” He replies finally, his gaze focused on the bubbling, smoking mixture, “And why I expect she will not take issue with yours. For the few Talons to survive her prior summit to be almost entirely the ones which are loyal to her... it makes us look as suspicious as she does,” Viago’s lip quirks into a wry smile, “But I have a feeling if I told you that we were hanging House Dellamorte out to dry, you and Lucanis would put me in an awkward position by getting engaged. So my options are limited.”

Once he sets down the canister of poison he’s holding, Rook elbows him lightly, unable to hide her grin at the thought of getting married to Lucanis. It’s not something they’ve discussed, even though the political reasons to do so are clear. It really hasn’t been that long that they’ve been together, but the thought makes her feel good rather than nervous or unsure. If he asked her then and there, she knows she’d say yes.

“Besides. The two of you are not to be trifled with,” Viago adds, still not looking away from the poison. He adds a few drops of a dark purple liquid, and carefully caps the vial, “I know who I want on my side if I- if I ever need backup. An alliance goes two ways, after all.”

Rook clocks the stutter, but says nothing. Whatever his own machinations may be, she trusts him. 

She finds herself wondering how Spite is doing, cooped up in Lucanis’ head with no real avenue to express himself over the last few days. Lucanis wouldn’t want to expose Caterina to Spite- or perhaps, Spite to Caterina. She hopes he’s alright, and that he’s able to be patient with them both. 

By the time the party rolls around, Rook is eagerly anticipating the end of the night. She’s pulled her hair back into braids, and wears a pretty, though understated dress. Fitted tight to her chest, the dress flows out from her waist, the swathes of floor-length fabric hiding several knives and poisons strapped to her body. She’s not looking to stand out any more than necessary. For the purposes of this party, it is Viago who is allying with House Dellamorte, not her.

She arrives early, but hangs back around the outside of the Villa until more people have filtered in. In a show of strength, Catarina had insisted the gathering be held at the Dellamorte Estate ballroom, another detail which had not eased her nerves about the affair. With that said, there's a clear a home turf advantage.

The ballroom is beautifully decorated, with subtle, crow-themed motifs adorning the banisters. The Dellamorte wealth is being displayed, but not flaunted. It reminds Rook eerily of the necromancer party Johanna Hezenkoss had hosted, yet somehow, with even more people wearing black. 

It’s easy to tell which Crows are local by who carries bruises and stitches from their final fight in Minrathous. Even done up as well as they are, there are still a lot of injured people here. She hopes it will be taken as a sign of strength, rather than a weakness.

Eyes scanning through the crowd, Rook can’t find the one person she most wants to see. She does, however, spot Teia and Viago mingling with others, arm-in-arm. Teia looks gorgeous, the deep red gown she wears expertly tailored to accentuate her curves. With her gold jewellery, impeccably done makeup, and easy charm, it’s almost hard to believe she’s a Crow and not a celebrity. Viago, in contrast, looks handsome but deeply uncomfortable. He’s gripping his cane so tightly that Rook is shocked it hasn’t snapped.

“Oh! You’re her!” A Southern-Antivan accent says, before Rook is able to start making her way over to the pair. When she turns, she sees a young, dark-haired human woman in a suit, standing beside her with a smile. “Eloise, Antivan Crow of House Balazar,” Cautiously, Rook shakes her hand. The woman doesn’t seem to have ill-intentions, but it’s always hard to be sure.

“There’s still a lot of confusion about what happened with those two elven mages spreading the blight, but the word is out on we should be thanking,” She tells Rook, “A lot of us came just to see you. Well, you and The Demon of Vyrantium himself.”

Before Rook can respond, another woman comes up to greet her, and then a man. Soon, a small crowd has formed around her, of people clapping her on the back and congratulating her victory. The attention doesn’t make Rook feel proud. It makes her want to crawl out of her skin. She looks around, trying to find an escape route.

The escape route finds her.

“You’re all going to trample the poor woman. Give her some space,” A deep, smooth voice cuts through the others, and the noise of the crowd dies down as people look to its source. Rook immediately recognizes Illario, expensively dressed and holding a glass of some amber-coloured liquid. The Crow who had first approached her, Eloise, leans over to whisper to a man beside her. The small crowd has clearly recognized him as well.

“Illario,” Rook responds evenly. It had surprised her to see him in Minrathous with the Crows, ready to fight the Venatori by her side. And it surprises her to see him now. He smiles disarmingly at her, waltzes through the crowd, and loops an arm through hers with an easy confidence.

“Lucanis and Catarina were just looking for you. How lucky of me to have found you first,” Rook has to admit, if she hadn’t already seen past it, the charm may have worked on her. Despite everything, Illario projects an air of likeable charisma, exerting control over the situation easily. Within a few seconds, he’s leading her away from the crowd, patting her arm as his calculating eyes scan their surroundings.

It won’t take him long before he’s made people forget all about the attempted coup, Rook muses, though judging by the reactions of those around us, we aren’t there yet.

“I think you enjoyed that,” Rook says quietly, once the crowd has dispersed and they’re out of earshot. Inwardly, she debates whether she wants to yank her arm away and tell him to fuck off, but there are still a fair amount of eyes on them. Any tension or issues would be recognized and noted by the other Houses, even if such issues were to be expected. It would be better, optics wise, for Rook to play nice.

“Being a pariah?” Illario asks, taking a swig of the drink in his hand as he casts her a glance. “It has certain benefits. Like being able to swoop in and steal the girl away while everyone stands and gawks.”

“Is Lucanis actually looking for me, or was that a lie?” She asks. It’s odd to be arm-in-arm with someone who tried to kill you not that long ago, but she’s pretty sure he knows better than to try again, here in a ballroom full of Crows.

“Well, he didn’t ask me to come find you. But I have no doubt he’s looking,” Illario shoots her a grin, but when she doesn’t smile back, it slides off his face. The next look he shoots her is more of a sneer. “Loosen up. I’m hardly a threat to you now, disgraced as I am. Isn’t that right?”

“I will always consider you a threat,” she replies back to him, voice low and hard.

It’s the right thing to say. Illario freezes for a moment, and seems genuinely pleased when he responds, his voice so low it’s nearly a purr, “Rook, you say the nicest things to me.”

“Are you bringing me anywhere in particular, or are you just looking to take me in circles until I get dizzy?” Rook asks Illario, as he starts to lead her around the edge of the ballroom. As she looks back around, she catches Viago’s eye, who is watching them with a clear look of concern and suspicion. She gives a small shrug in his direction.

“You haven’t seen Lucanis yet tonight, have you?” He mutters, quiet in Rook’s ear, and Rook shakes her head. “He’s making the rounds, but something’s...wrong. Earlier this evening, the...demon was acting up. I don’t think Catarina noticed. But I know Lucanis better than anyone. I can tell when he’s distracted. And since I don’t have any handy magic to control that thing anymore...” 

Illario shrugs, and finishes his drink. He subtly points a finger to Rook’s right, and she follows the line to see Lucanis, standing tense with Catarina and a few other Crows. “Help or don’t. I don’t particularly care. I’m getting another drink.”

Lucanis’ eyes land on them, and when they narrow, Rook swears she can see a glint of purple light in them. He looks so handsome, done up in an impeccably tailored suit and cape, that it almost stops her dead in her path.

“...That’s my cue to leave.” Illario notes with a soft laugh. Letting go of Rook’s arm, Illario takes a step back, turns on his heel, and stalks away.  

She’ll no doubt get an earful about being seen with Illario from Viago later, but for now, Rook is more concerned with Lucanis. Even from this distance, Rook can tell Illario was right- something is going on with him. As she makes her way toward him, he begins to head in her direction as well, leaving the group he was speaking with to meet her halfway. 

An arm snakes around her waist, pulling Rook flush to Lucanis’ side before he even says a word to her. She’d been pretty sure the plan had been to play it cool tonight, but Lucanis appears to have changed his mind. He leans in close, to speak into her ear.

“Why were you with Illario?” He asks, voice tinged with a strained desperation, “Did he threaten you?”

“No, no,” Rook whispers back. Caterina’s eyes are on them, as are the eyes of the other Crows she’s still speaking with. Even still, it feels good to be beside him again, and to feel his arm around her waist. Rook can’t be too chagrined by the change of plans. “He brought me over because he noticed something was up with you. What’s going on?”

Lucanis breathes out a laugh, and shakes his head. His grip on Rook tightens. “He noticed? It’s Spite. He’s freaking out.” Lucanis holds onto her like she’s the only thing keeping him moored to the ground. His eyes keep darting around the room, from exit-to-exit, like a caged animal.

“Why? Is it the amount of people here?” Rook asks, shifting to stand in front of Lucanis. She looks to his face for answers, trying to find Spite in his eyes. They’re too busy scanning and re-scanning the room for threats.

“Partially. I overheard someone talking about me being an abomination earlier, which didn’t help,” Lucanis sighs, meeting Rook’s gaze. “He keeps wanting to find you, to talk to you, to get out of here. But I have to keep telling him we need to wait. He can’t be seen right now.”

Glancing around them, Rook winces as she realizes just how many people are both subtly and not-so-subtly watching them. If Spite were to burst forward right now, his voice coming from Lucanis’ lips or his wings extending out from his back...

“Hold on,” Rook whispers to both of them, reaching up to place a steadying hand on Lucanis' shoulder, “Let’s step outside for a moment.” Lucanis nods, and in a move that Rook knows will be the subject to much discussion later, leans forward to press a quick kiss to her lips.

“Please,” He breathes.

No one knows this house better than Lucanis, and he’s able to lead her, quite quickly, out of the ballroom to a small library on the second floor, where they’ll be able to have some privacy. Disappearing with Lucanis part way through the event is yet another impropriety, but his hands are starting to shake like he’s going through lyrium withdrawal. Rook has to assume this qualifies as an emergency.

When they finally lock the door behind them, Lucanis takes a few deep, ragged breaths, trying to calm himself. Slowly, he sinks to the floor, sitting with his back against one of the bookshelves. Rook walks over, sitting down in front of him and taking his hands in her own.

“Spite, can you tell me what’s bothering you?” Rook asks. Lucanis’ face spasms, finally relenting to allow Spite to speak. He looks so wrought with emotion that all Rook wants to do is get him out of here, and find a way to make things better.

“We were supposed to share,” Spite hisses, “But it’s been Lucanis, Lucanis. A party for Lucanis, surrounded by people who have hurt him and hate me. Didn’t see you for days. Everyone forgets about me. Trapped, again. I want to go back. I hate it here. And he hates it here too. Not home, not without you. Both of us, missing you, but Lucanis won’t let me do anything about it.” 

Rook’s heart hurts for him, “I’ve missed you too, Spite. But Lucanis is just trying to keep you safe-” Spite scoffs, shaking his head. He doesn’t want to hear it.

“It was mine first,” Lucanis grinds out, breaking to the front, his eyes squeezed shut in frustration. “My family. My life. I need to keep it together. Rook might understand you, but the rest won’t. I’m trying to keep them from seeing us as a monster.”

The words hang in the air. A long moment passes, with no response. And then-

“Fine,” Spite spits out. 

And then he’s gone. 

Lucanis lifts his head in confusion, looking around. The library is silent, save for the sound of their breathing, and the faint sound of chatter down the hall.

“He’s hiding. Far back in my head, I think,” He finally says, his shoulders sagging. “What a mess.”

“The night could have gone better,” Rook admits, before slowly moving forward to pull Lucanis into a hug. He allows himself to be held, pressing his face into Rook’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around her to hold her back for a long moment.

“What would I do without you?” He asks fondly, voice soft as he pulls away, “Once again, you’ve come to my rescue.”

“We’re not out of the hot water yet,” Rook murmurs, guilt still thrumming through her. “We should have expected this. It’s not going to be easy, for either of you.” With a frown, Lucanis nods.

“I know,” He says quietly, “But first, let’s make it through this night. Then...” Lucanis takes a deep breath. “I’ll introduce him. To Catarina, and Viago and Teia. Even Illario, if he agrees- though I guess they’ve already met.” He gives a bit of a smile, running a hand across his beard. “I was trying to protect him. But maybe I’ve just been trying to protect myself. This isn’t going to just go away.”

Rook smiles back at him, standing and offering him a hand. She straightens his suit and smooths his hair down as best as she can, trying to help him look as presentable as possible.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way. No matter what.” She tells him.

The rest of the night is a bit of a blur. True to his word, Spite doesn’t rear his head again, leaving Lucanis in relative peace to try to smooth out any poor impressions his earlier appearance garnered. The relief on Catarina’s face when Rook and Lucanis appear back in the ballroom tells Rook she’s managed to net some points with the woman- though if they’re going introduce her to Spite, it seems fairly likely to Rook that she won’t stay in her good graces for long.

Gone, too, is any pretence that Rook and Lucanis are not together. Lucanis had firmly cemented their relationship as public when he kissed her in front of everyone. It’s not ideal for the First Talon to have such an obvious weak point. And it’s unusual for a member of another House to be so close with a Talon without being one themselves. 

Still, the night isn’t nearly the disaster they’d feared. Especially given the lack of assassination attempts as Lucanis, Viago, and Teia all raise their glasses and drink with one another, toasting the alliance of their Houses.

“Rook,” Teia puts her hands on Rook’s shoulders as the night begins to wind down, pulling her aside, “Look at me. I need you to promise me something, darling.” Teia is either tipsy, or playing up being tipsy to fool anyone looking her way. 

“What’s that?” Rook raises an eyebrow.

“Get out of here. Lucanis looks like a dead man walking,” She glances at Viago, and then Catarina. “You know Lucanis. He’ll work until he collapses, if you let him, even though he’d rather be anywhere else. I’ll distract them. You make a break for it.”

Rook grins, patting Teia’s arm. “You’re the best, Teia. I owe you one. Way more than one by now, actually.”

Teia winks at her. “Us girls gotta stick together Rook. Now, don’t come back for at least a week.” Teia claps her shoulder, and turns away, swaying over to where Viago, Caterina, and Lucanis stand talking. With a deftness fit only for a Crow, she sweeps into the circle, gracefully sliding in front of Lucanis to separate him from the others. 

Rook knows her time to act when she sees it. As stealthily as she can, she sneaks up and grabs Lucanis by the arm. He sends her a confused look, before she gestures to the exit. Lucanis looks at her, and then to Catarina- who is now fully engaged in speaking with Teia- and nods.

It’s a relief to exit the Villa, and an even greater relief to get back to the Eluvian. Lucanis knows enough passages through the Estate to get them out without running into anyone vying for their time, and like phantoms they glide through Treviso, giddy to know they’ll soon be home.

“Finally,” Rook says, stepping back through to the crossroads, “Hold on, Spite. We’re almost back now.”

Spite doesn’t respond. Lucanis too, tries to talk to him and rouse him into saying something, but he ignores them both, refusing to reply. By the time they’re entering the main doors to the Lighthouse, Rook is starting to worry.

“He can definitely hear us, right?” The Lighthouse is quiet, with only the wisps to keep them company now. Sometimes, Bellara or Emmrich return to stay for a few days, but tonight it is just them, alone in the structure.

“I believe he is ignoring us. He’ll come around,” Lucanis replies, taking a step toward Rook. “I cannot believe how glad I am to be back here with you. I thought this night would never end.”

“I know. And you didn’t have to spend time with Illario,” She jokes, and Lucanis wrinkles his nose like he’s smelled something foul.

“Forget Illario. I’ve been waiting all night to do this again,” Leaning forward, Lucanis puts a hand on Rook’s waist as he leans forward to kiss her.

The kiss lasts for a beat, and then two. They break apart. 

They stare at each other for another beat.

“It… kind of feels wrong to do this without working things out with Spite first,” Rook admits, and Lucanis nods. 

“I thought it was just me,” He says, voice relieved as he brushes his thumb across Rook’s cheek. “After what I said to him tonight... But how do we convince him to speak to us? I’ve never met such a stubborn bastard.”

An idea occurs to Rook then, one which she’s not sure will work. “When Spite asked for my help to break you out of your mental prison, we went through the fade. The three of us could talk there, remember? I think that if we found some lyrium, I could do the same, so that we could go find him.”

“Are you sure you want that? To go back into the fade?” Lucanis’ voice is edged with worry, and Rook shudders, thinking of the prison she’d been stuck in for weeks. The smell of it had never quite left her dreams. But she steels herself and nods, resolute.

“If you’re there with me,” she says, “you’ll keep me safe. I want to find him, Lucanis. I want him to know that I’ll always come for him, too. I won’t leave him alone there.”

Lucanis’ gaze softens. “I’ll be right beside you.”

The components don’t take that long to assemble with the Caretaker’s assistance, and even though Rook hasn’t done a ritual like this before, it’s not too difficult to figure out. She is a mage, and sending mages into the fade spiritually rather than physically is as commonplace as apprentices trying to learn how to sling fire. 

With a bit of lyrium, some patience, and nearly forty minutes of meditation, she successfully pulls Lucanis into the fade with her. 

All around them, the rocky, desolate landscape of the fade stretches as far as their eyes can see, misshapen and floating at strange junctures. The fade is cold, and smells faintly of ozone. In the distance, Rook can see collapsed walls and a broken structure, the remnants of the Ossuary that Lucanis had built here. Part of her hates being back here, and she’s sure Lucanis feels the same.

“How are we going to find him here?” Lucanis asks, incredulous. He eyes the fortress with no small amount of apprehension.

“As much as I hate to say it, I think he’s probably in there,” Rook answers with a wince. Bracing herself, she grabs hold of Lucanis’ hand, and together they start to make their way back toward the prison.

It’s a lot faster, the third time through. They weave through the hallways and doors, which they both know now well enough to navigate without much trouble. Attempting to lighten the mood, Rook even quips, “You know, if I’d have known I’d be back again, I would have left markings on the walls. Or snacks. Maker have mercy if there’s a fourth time.” It gets a groan, rather than a chuckle, from Lucanis.

Finally, after it feels like they’ve been walking for ages, they reach the centre of the ruined prison. Sitting against one of the walls, with his knees to his chest and a scowl on his face, is Spite.

“Spite!” Rook calls out, the two of them rushing over to him. His head snaps up, and he blinks at them in owlish surprise.

“Rook?” He repeats back, “Lucanis? Why are you here?”

“To get you,” Lucanis says, before Rook can. His voice is steady, as he kneels down in front of Spite. “Spite. I’m sorry. I cut you out, and forced you back...here. We had a deal. We live together. You, me, Rook. And I haven’t been fair.”

“No. You. Haven’t,” Spite snarls, reaching out and shoving Lucanis on the chest. It’s more a gesture of annoyance than real anger, though, as Lucanis easily catches Spite’s hands to hold them in place. Still, he glowers at Lucanis, shooting an annoyed look in Rook’s direction as well.

“What do you want to do, then?” Rook asks him, also kneeling down so the three of them are at eye-level. Spite looks from Lucanis to Rook, and his tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip almost nervously. “We haven’t asked you. It’s obviously not planning Crow parties in Treviso.”

“Lucanis doesn’t want to do that either!” He snaps, before he answers truthfully. “...Villa on the beach. Romance novels in the sun. Pinning you against every surface and kissing you until your lips feel numb. But you don’t want me there. You said: you, me, a beach house. The sea. You didn’t say you both.” 

Before Rook can respond, Lucanis does something that surprises her. He leans forward, still holding Spite’s hands in his own, and kisses him on the lips. Spite makes a confused noise into Lucanis’ mouth, which tapers into a groan as he presses into the kiss. And then Spite is surging forward, kissing Lucanis with a heat and passion that makes Rook feel lightheaded just from watching it. Chuckling into the kiss, Lucanis pulls back after a few moments to catch his breath. Spite seems to want to chase after him, but thinks better of it, tilting his head as he looks from Lucanis to Rook.

“We do. And not just for kissing,” Lucanis emphasizes, letting go of Spite’s hands, “Not just for sex. I’ve gotten used to having you around. To have you suddenly not answering, not making your comments in my head... it was too quiet. Don’t do that again.” Spite looks apprehensive, hesitating before he responds.

“Like when Rook was lost in the other fade prison,” He mumbles. “Couldn’t find her. Lonely.” Lucanis nods in confirmation.

“I do want you there, with us. And you want to be with us too, right?” Rook adds, nervous suddenly. Spite looks at her like she’s started speaking Elven.

“Don’t joke,” he huffs, “I always want you. I do nothing but want you.” He looks almost annoyed as he adds, “Tasting you, yes. But sleeping beside you. Holding you in our arms. When Lucanis cooks food, when you kill with the flick of your wrist. When Lucanis kisses you. Want, want, want.”

“...Good,” Rook breathes. This time, she’s the one to lean forward and kiss Spite. It’s a gentle kiss, for him, and he sighs contentedly into her mouth as she holds his face in her hands.

“Not sure I believe you,” Spite mutters as she leans away, eyes sliding from Rook to Lucanis, “After you called me a monster.”

It takes Rook a second to realize Spite is messing with them. Lucanis catches on first.

“You little shit,” Lucanis says with a surprised laugh, and a sly grin breaks out across Spite’s face. He reaches out, grabbing a fistful of fabric of Rook’s dress, and pulls her back toward him. 

“Make it up to me,” Spite murmurs, still grinning mischievously as he tugs Rook between his legs, “You still smell like so many people. You should only smell like us.”

“That I can agree with,” Lucanis says, voice low with desire as he moves to kneel on Rook’s other side. His chest brushes against her back, his hands settling on her hips as he ducks his head and presses his lips to her neck. Arousal pulses through her, hot and fierce, as Rook is pressed between the two men. 

“Maker,” She whispers, closing her eyes in pleasure before Spite kisses her again. This time, the kiss isn’t gentle- it’s untamed and aggressive, almost desperate as he moans into her mouth. He kisses her like he wants to erase every other memory from her mind, like the taste of her alone sustains him. With Lucanis also biting and sucking down the skin of her neck, Rook feels nearly overwhelmed by the sensation. Lucanis’ hands move along her hips, grabbing her and keeping her body pressed flush against him.

She whines, a needy noise into Spite’s mouth as he reaches under her dress, feeling up her legs. Rook’s glad she left her knives and poisons at the Lighthouse as his rough hands travel up, groping her thighs. He grabs once at her ass, before he hooks a finger under her undergarments and tugs them off. Unceremoniously, he tosses them aside, completely unconcerned with where they land.

Rook doesn’t care much either. Not with the way Spite presses two fingers against her wet cunt, nor with the way Lucanis cups her breasts in his hands and squeezes. Together- with Lucanis unlacing the back of her dress, and Spite tugging it off of her- they undress Rook with a coordination that almost seems rehearsed.

Spite moves back away from her, watching for a moment as Lucanis presses his lips to Rook’s and steals a kiss. His eyes move from Lucanis to Rook, and then back down her body to her cunt.

“He wants you to sit on his face,” Lucanis groans in her ear, his hands skimming across her skin, “He’s been thinking about it all the time. It’s been torture for me, too, believe me.”

“Yeah?” Rook asks, pupils blown wide with lust. Spite nods, lips parted slightly before he swallows, hunger evident on his face. As Rook nods back at him, moving forward, Spite swiftly shifts back, until he’s lying on his back and reaching out for her. She half-crawls forward, until she’s kneeling over Spite’s face. Rook’s so wet it’s almost embarrassing, but if anything it seems to spur Spite on, his hands settling on the back of her thighs.

“Tap me if you need to breathe,” Rook tells him, trying and failing to keep the whimper from her voice. Spite shoots her a bewildered look.

“I don’t need to breathe,” He answers.

“Oh.”

Slowly, Rook lowers her hips, until she feels Spite’s nose and mouth and beard against her skin and oh maker, he’s licking up into her like it’s his one true purpose in life. Throwing her head back with a long, stuttering moan, Rook’s hands find purchase on Spite’s shoulders as Spite devours her, groaning loudly against her cunt. Any insecurity she’d had evaporates, dashed into pieces by the waves of pleasure which crash against her. With the enthusiasm Spite’s bringing to eating her out, Rook has no doubt that he has been thinking about this.

Behind her, Lucanis moves, and she half-turns to watch as he settles between Spite’s legs. Slowly- giving Spite ample time to stop him- Lucanis unbuttons Spite’s trousers, cupping his hard cock with one hand through the material. Instead, Spite moans in approval, the sound a gentle rumble against her skin.

Rook continues to watch over her shoulder, as Lucanis peels down Spite’s pants and underwear, and takes his cock into his hand. He gives a couple of slow, experimental pumps down the length, before leaning forward to press the flat of his tongue against the head of his cock. Spite gasps against her, his grip on Rook’s thighs tightening to the point that his fingers are sure to leave bruises.

Licking down the shaft, it doesn’t take Lucanis long before he’s taking Spite’s cock fully into his mouth, groaning around the length as he makes eye contact with Rook over her shoulder. Keeping one hand on Spite’s cock, Lucanis brings the other down between his own legs, palming himself through his pants as he sucks Spite off. 

It might be the hottest thing Rook’s ever fucking seen. Lucanis is a mess, spit and drool smeared across his lips as he takes Spite deeper into his mouth, gagging around his cock.

With Spite nearly purring in pleasure against Rook’s cunt, his groans unbidden and unrestrained, Rook can’t help but to grind down against his face. He doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, Spite’s grip on her thighs tightens, urging her to repeat the motion. The message is clear- Spite is going to keep working his jaw against her, licking at her clit and cunt until she comes. And that is not going to take that much longer.

She knows she’s going to have a wicked beard burn on the inside of her thighs the next day, but Rook can’t care less. She’s close, and chasing her own pleasure, it only takes a few more cants of her hips before she’s pushing herself over the edge. 

Her orgasm crashes over her like a tidal wave, the repeated pulses of pleasure shooting out across her skin and setting her body ablaze. Spite continues to eat her out through the orgasm, as her thighs start to tremble through the sheer force of it.

When she’s ridden the orgasm through, Rook slides back, off of Spite’s face and onto his chest, panting. His lips are red and swollen as he looks up at her, Rook’s wet coating his cheeks, beard, and neck. Turning around to see what Lucanis is doing, Rook watches as he licks between Spite’s legs, everywhere his tongue can reach, his own cock hard in his hand.

“Lucanis,” Spite hisses out, “Wait, wait. You’re going to make me come- want to fuck Rook first.”

With a groan of his own, Lucanis pulls himself off of Spite with a nod. Rook shifts, getting off of Spite and turning around so that she’s facing Lucanis on her hands and knees. Lucanis, as if knowing instinctively what Rook wants from him, pushes himself to stand, his cock in front of her face. He threads his fingers through Rook’s hair, combing through it as she looks up at him in need. Behind her, Spite also stands, pressing his cock against the cleft of her ass.

“So beautiful,” Lucanis murmurs, as Rook licks a stripe across the base of his cock, “Maker, your mouth was made for us.”

As Spite pushes into her cunt, Rook takes Lucanis into her mouth, and the three of them groan in tandem. It’s clear, as Spite starts to thrust into her, that they won’t last long. With her cunt stretching to accommodate Spite’s girth, and Lucanis heavy on her tongue, Rook feels magnificently filled and fucked, her body pulled and pushed between the two men.

“That’s our girl. A little deeper,” Lucanis coaxes, and Rook groans around his cock as she tries to take him deeper into her throat. Over her body, she feels Spite’s weight pressing down on her as he leans forward, grabbing a fistfull of Lucanis’ shirt. As they both fuck further into her, Spite pulls Lucanis into another kiss, the wet across his face soaking Lucanis’ beard as they make out above her.

The sensation is too much. Rook comes again, nearly wailing around Lucanis’ cock. With a muted growl, Spite follows, his hands letting go of Lucanis to hold onto Rook’s hips as he spills inside of her. Lucanis is third, coming down Rook’s throat. He shoots her an almost apologetic look, which turns to awe and  affection as Rook swallows around his cock, continuing to suck and lick until he’s clean.

“Next time we come to the fade,” Lucanis breathes out, after Rook pulls back with a smile, “We’re bringing lube with us.”

Spite laughs first, pulling off of Rook and collapsing against some rubble. He sighs happily, before his face sobers, as he looks contemplatively at Rook and Lucanis.

“Can’t promise I won’t ruin any more parties,” He says, gently. Lucanis sits down beside them both, running a hand softly across some scratches that have formed across Rook’s knees.

“We can talk about it more tomorrow. It might help if you get to know them. Viago and Teia, at least to start,” Lucanis says to Spite, before he smirks, “No more parties for a while though. First: a vacation.”

“Eh. We’ll figure it out,” Rook answers, grinning at them both, “It’ll be a team effort. But Spite? We don’t want you anywhere else.”

When they get back to the Lighthouse, three figures become two, and Rook no longer has scratches on her knees or a hair out of place. Fade sex, it seems, makes for an incredibly quick cleanup process. But Lucanis seems calmer.

And as they crawl into bed, to sleep well into the next day, Lucanis steps back to let Spite be the one to hold Rook through the night.

[robot-reference]

hey guys can i ask for help to crowd source this? this is reference technically

i am looking for any and all minor (and minor-ish) transformer characters who are/were medics, firefighters, engineers, police officers and first responder types or could be implied to be so, any series is fine but you can specify! (they don't need to be autobots only)

i need this for reasons 👀 feel free to add your unsung blorbos to the list (bonus points for tf wiki links)

this is mostly off of the LL crew list as a starting point (i may have missed some)

medic

Hoist , Lancet (presumably), Medix

firefighter

Fervor , Kindle , Inferno , Hosehead , Hot Spot

police

Ore , Shock , Streetwise

engineer

Huffer

msc.

Grapple (engineer arguably) Rook (unspecified rescue) Heatrock (probably rescue) Skyfeather (probably rescue) Groove (probably rescue, maybe police?)

[theangrycomet-art]

Technology Officer Warner

finally got around to finishing this guys character sheet

Notes:

Technician/Technology Officer

technically works under Blukic and Driba, but ends up doing 95% of the departments work

the guy who keeps the Earth Plumber HQ running (he took a week off and the place nearly fell apart)

constantly being reassigned tasks outside of his division, which while he is technically qualified to do, aren't in his job description

not notorious is security detail and monitor duty

incredibly grumpy at this, especially since the Plumbers don't consider it over time due to his species cloning abilities

grumpy workaholic

though Max is in charge/higher ranking, Warner prefers to go to Magister Patelliday for reports as Magister Tennyson doesn't tend to take his concerns seriously

actually tries to avoid all of the Tennyson's on principle (he likes his work to remain in one piece)

went to Plumbers academy the same time as Rook, though the two didn't interact beyond a cursory hello in the hallway, they shared a few tech classes

completed his additional technician's course in record time due to taking multiple classes at once (he didn't get a full nights sleep as a whole unit for nearly 2 years straight)

highly intelligent, though limited in-field experience

a surprisingly good singer

does have a mischievous side, as he is known to readily help his fellow officers prank their higher ups or fellow agents (not that any of them can prove it)

[blankd]

(I was going to attach this text to a reblog but I lost the original post, I'm appending more text to make it stand on it's own since it's a topic worth discussing IMO)

The Problem with Taash, an opinion from a ~*Mixed Race Queer Person and a Writer*~

spoilers for Veilguard and Taash's quest- while I haven't seen the ending of the game yet these are egregious writing issues that a 3rd act revelation isn't going to fix

Taash is technically not a "bad character" in a vacuum, they are bad because they are in a Dragon Age game with preexisting lore and this game has writing that is inconsistent with the tone and setting of the previous entries.

Their language is as anachronistic as the rest of Veilguard's main cast dialogue, with disbelief finally shattering at the idea that this Dark Medieval Fantasy suddenly manifests a damn about the gender binary, much less echo the same contemporary terms of 2024 Americans. If they took the time to come up with their own term (or god forbid, something UNIQUE to the setting), I PERSONALLY wouldn't quibble about it. The use of nonbinary is just a symptom of a bigger problem, bad/weak writing, and it is the most emblematic of the lack of care or priority in keeping DA's tone consistent.

Some may argue that using "modern terms" is good, but like anything that isn't a capsule of a specific time period, this kind of writing will age POORLY at best.

More subjectively, but still related to the bad writing problem: I initially didn't mind Taash being blunt and immature, but when no other companion pushed back on them (and Rook is mostly an enabler), it rapidly wore out its welcome. As the focus shifted (with the grace of an anvil) that their plot would be about Gender, I felt the interesting avenues for the character perish in real time. I KNEW more unique in-game hooks were being sacrificed to focus on this, and later scenes would show I wasn't wrong. I PERSONALLY would have preferred if Taash was NB out the gate so that their personal quest could be about literally anything more unique to Dragon Age.

The real crime is that the game literally sits you down to have a 101 chat, despite it being an M-rated game, it's insulting to everyone involved. That this is an inexorable part of Taash is not a "win" unless your litmus for quality is built entirely on reactionary "owns". If you are part of this group, I ask you to consider how practical it is to punish an audience for the words of people who are NOT in that audience. The people who were already reacting with disgust about the option to be NB in the character creator are NOT going to make it to Taash's personal quest.

Some may argue it's "good" it's mandatory, but to that I beg the question of what is LOST by having Taash being NB right out the gate. I know what the game would gain- it would have to actually put something else into Taash's character and maybe we'd be spared the hamfisted sensitivity conversation about pronouns. Like for fuck's sake the end of the world is happening, but sure let's pause the Dark Fantasy Apocalypse to attend an HR meeting in a pirate queen's office- yeah that's the MOST interesting thing that could happen there.

But really this all acts as setup for how despite taking great pains to make sure the player understands that Taash is NB (and that's heckin' valid), they then "have to decide" which SINGULAR culture they will embrace/identify with.

I genuinely don't know why this beat is here at all, but it's baffling to bludgeon that gender is not limited to a binary while presenting CULTURE as mutually exclusive. That ROOK has any input at all is just as staggering display of either a disrespect for the fiction or the player, or both. If you're going to have a sacrificial Very Special Episode character, you can't have it end as having shifted the same 'problem' over to a different topic.

I don't hold ill will to anyone who likes Taash as a character, but as a writer, queer rep is WELL beyond a character looking at the camera and saying they're Nonbinary. "But people will argue against it, they HAD to!" That is a bullshit excuse, GOOD writing doesn't cater to bad faith losers. The painter does not paint for the arsonist.

Misc Points I disagreed with more directly but had no real segue points (and some futureproofing against people who might use these to disregard what I've said): "Taash is only getting crit b/c they're BIPOC coded and queer [therefore this crit is founded in racism]" -Neve and Davrin ARE BIPOC, so unless they are bundled with the "unfair crit", this is not a substantiated assumption. As a tangent, if we're going to dig this deep whatever happened to the outrage at "making 'nonhuman species' NB". Diversity WIN the most inhuman party member is NB! (I personally don't have any strong feelings about that point, but I'm familiar with this being a common complaint from those who seek NB rep.)

"Taash gets crit but these NPCs don't [that's suspicious]" the NPCs don't have cutscenes dedicated to them coming out. The NPCs keep the game moving, but Taash's ~journey~ requires the player be invested and give input which creates the strange dissonance that Taash is trading out their mother's approval for Rook's (which is weird since NEVE is the one that introduces Taash to ~queer identities~ but is relatively ABSENT for the rest of it). Party members ought to have a sliver more autonomy- they can hook up without Rook, yet they can't be true to themselves unless Rook is there, what are the writers implying or achieving with this? The writers also tip their hand about what they want, defeating the point of having options at all in any of these scenes. The removal of player agency is not going to endear ANYONE to this character!

"Taash is also autistic [and is being unfairly criticized]" Taash can still be unpleasant and the lack of pushback from others is what makes it irritating since it comes across as the writers holding back for the sake of optics rather than committing to writing sensible to the fiction.

[twinsunstars]

Bad Batch Ask Game number 13 & 31

13. What jobs do you think each of the Batchers would have in a Modern AU?

Hunter: Maybe be a former soldier in the Army and after retiring, working in retail to help keep the bills going.

Wrecker: A barista or a cook at a restaurant/fast food.

Tech: Work in a technical-based place that has a lot of work with computers or also work in a field focused in science, or also be an analyst.

Crosshair: A police officer or a tattoo artist (I feel like he would nail both)

Echo: A coach/trainer for life skills (swimming, etc)

Omega: Starts with fast food, goes on to work in mechanics or become an Army pilot

31. What other Star Wars characters (regardless of the timeline) do you think would be BFFs with each Batcher?

(this was a very difficult one for me lol)

For Hunter: Din Djarin

For Wrecker: Ezra Bridger, Baze Malbus

For Tech: Chopper, Bodhi Rook

For Crosshair: Anakin Skywalker, Garazeb Orrelios, Sabine Wren

For Echo: Cassian Andor

For Omega: Leia Organa, Jyn Erso, Hera Syndulla

[yomogi-mogi-mochi]

Pygmalion (I)

Pairings: Rook/ (Pygmalion) MC // Idia/MC (Platonic)

Summary: You were frequently told that your career as a renowned sculptor did not match your dull and less than colorful personality. With your cybernetic hands, you carve the lives and deaths of those long gone‒ producing pieces which have been held in both technical and emotional high regard, dubbing you with the title “Pygm.AI.lion” despite your human heart and brain. When you accidentally still the usually flamboyant archer into silence after he comes across you working in your atelier‒ you find that you’ve become a victim to one of his ceaseless stalkings. Though, you’ve been prey long enough to know how hunt the huntsman himself.

Notes: Reader/OC based off of the myth of Pygmalion, but with a twist of sci-fi/cybernetic enhancements courtesy of the Shroud family. Rook is certainly a tricky character to write because part of his characterization being “mysterious and distant”, but as all humans have, there are layers underneath this simplicity that I thought would be interesting to explore through the avenue of the artist and the cyborg. GN pronouns and TW for some grooming, toxic adult presence, human experimentation mentioned (none of which are perpetrated by Twst characters). Also, inspired by "Apathy Wrapped in Kindness" by @twst-hanaya

CW: Human experimentation, verbal abuse in coming chapters

AO3 Link Here.

Part 1 (Here) // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6

Masterlist

————————————————-

Cold blood that gradually began to pump through your plastic arteries and into your preserved heart traced your emerging body from the darkness of your recovery pod. Your synthetic arms twitched as the pod brought you into an upright position, and though the consistent palpitation of liquid throughout your cybernetic body prevented blood from rushing to your head, it took a few heavy breaths for your eyes to adjust to this resurrection that occurred every morning. Stepping out of the container, you felt the weight of your body return, swaying your head a bit as you pulled on your new Ignihyde uniform.

The floating tablet read: “Function: stable”, illuminating your room in a ghostly blue in confirmation of your body’s successful resurrection. An icon floated below it, a glowing version of the photo sitting on your desk, the man in the photo piercing his gaze into yours as if to scold you for your late morning as he had done centuries before. “Good morning Doctor Krios.*”, you greeted as always, before heading out for the Headmage’s office to finalize your delayed enrollment.

“Ah! Finally, (name), I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up!”

“Good morning, Headmage Crowley. I apologize for the delay.” You bowed towards him, watching him shuffle through a mess of papers on his desk. “Is this what you are looking for?” Picking up a file with your name stamped on the front, you handed it to Crowley.

He beamed. “Ah! Yes, exactly that. You robots are so useful with your sensors and such.”

“I am not a robot.”

“Because I am so kind‒ I will forgive you for your delay!” The headmage completely ignored your statement. Not that you really cared. He flipped through several pages of the file, before pulling one out and shoving it in front of your face. “Now, here is your schedule. Since you are a sculptor, and because I am so gracious‒ I took the liberty of setting up a tour led by one of our brightest third year art students before the week begins.” Just then, a knock was heard at the office doors.”Ah, right on cue. Come in!”

The heavy walnut doors opened, revealing a tall blonde with a purple uniform, and wide brimmed, purple hat to match. The red feather on it swooshed as he brought it to his chest, adorning a fox-like smile on his slender face.

“Enchante, Maître d’Ivoire. My name is Rook Hunt, vice dorm leader of the Pomefiore dorm and your guide today.” He sat his hat back on his head, reaching his hand out for a handshake. “What an honor it is to finally meet the one and only ‘Pygm.AI.lion’!”

You took his hand into your artificial one, tasting the warmth that came from the red blood flowing underneath his skin. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is (Name) Jupiter. I don’t go by Pygm.AI.lion.” A look of surprise adorned his face when you mentioned the name.

“Likewise, I apologize, I’ve only seen you associated with that name. And,” he lifted a hand to rest his knuckles under his chin in an inquisitive manner. “Jupiter? Of the Jupiter Enterprises?”

You nodded. “Yes. That Jupiter. My cybernetics that were the first in the world to be as automated as they are, were produced by the scientists of Jupiter Enterprises.” You explained, reminded of Dr.Krios’ words. You are the precious child to all in the Jupiter Family. It was as if you could feel him holding your beating heart in his hands once more, stringing various tubes and needles through them.

“Alright, you two. You have much to see, go on now!” The headmage shooed you away, returning to the pile of papers on his desk. Rook held the door open for you, before closing it behind him to lead you on your tour.

“So,” Rook began, pointing his sharp gaze to the bionic components peaking through your Ignihyde uniform. “how ever did a robot‒ excuse me‒ AI make their way into Night Raven College?”

“I am not a robot. Nor am I an AI.” You simply stated. “And a carriage arrived at the lab one day, just like any of the other students here.”

“My apologies. It seems the information on you spread by the media is unfortunately very lacking, I’m a fan of your work. Ah, may I see your schedule?” You handed him your schedule. He hummed in thanks. “What are you then, Maître d’Ivoire?”

“A cyborg.” The hungry glint in his eyes seemed a bit dissatisfied with your curt answer.

“Interesting, I do not see any human components‒ though that synthetic skin is very convincing‒ it reminds me of a student here, Ortho Shroud, you’ll meet him eventually.” He tipped his neck forward to get a better look at your bare skin.

You hummed, gaze stilled forward, a bit bored of his interrogation. Though you were used to pompous aristocrats hogging your time with their ceaseless blabbering of their own mediocre lives, this was equally as dull. You weren’t here really to make friends or experience the school life‒ just to escape the invasive testing and prodding back at the lab now that Dr.Krios was finally gone, which unfortunately ended the little protection you had under him. You ignored Rook’s first statement, reminded of the human heart and brain that were not able to be bionically replaced during your reconstruction. “I already know of him. He’s a member of the Shroud family, after all.” Rook swung his neck back, looking at the paper between his fingers.

“Mon dieu!” His volume made you wince your eyes, cringing at the sudden outburst. “I must be blessed by the great seven‒ we have the same period for art! How lucky am I to lay these eyes directly upon your creations! Ah, I simply cannot wait….” Rook tittered, a Iively energy singing in his footsteps, before he stops in front of heavyset double doors. “This room here is actually the art classroom.” He leads you into a closed classroom, a spacious floor with various mediums stored in all corners of the room. Your eyes shifted towards the unfinished marble structures clustered at the lengthy windows letting in golden sunlight that bounced off the soft skin of the figures. Despite most sculptures being half finished, there were no preliminary wax, clay, or plaster sculptures in sight*. With leisure movements, you circled around the forms, scrutinizing each crevice of soft marble, observing a bit in disappointment. Amateur technique, you thought. But you excuse it with the fact that this was not a specialized college for the arts, and rather one with magic; as well as your eyes being trained through centuries of perfecting your own carving technique, enabled by the prolonged life the cybernetic enhancements allowed you.

“Do we have an atelier here? Or just this classroom?” You asked, resuming an upright position to look at Rook, observing you with an amused look swimming in his eyes. You felt like you were being slowly trapped under the viridian of his gaze, tracking every movement of your synthetic muscles and whir of your polymer joints to trail you back to the inner processing of your brain. His name was fitting, you thought, you felt hunted by the slender slits on his face. However you were used to such hungry color saturating the eyes that met your form‒ so you paid no mind, silently stalking his movements back‒ a game of par force*. His lips curved into a smile that was not at all kind, sorry, or warm‒ but rather, above all, polite. It was with a cool distance stretching far into his eyes that you had become accustomed to within yourself, over the centuries of bearing the weight of time like a feather.

“Unfortunately no, just this classroom. Does this space not satisfy you?”

“I’d rather have more space to work with all of my tools at my disposal. This place is lacking in terms of proper maintenance and available materials. The oils and other mediums of this room will taint the stone, and I don’t see a single block of wax in sight.”

Your guide let out a laugh. “As expected from Maître d’Ivoire, I can certainly lend you the key to one of the abandoned sheds in the gardens on campus…” he decorated an artful smile on his face, positioning his hand below his chin as if to think. You quirked your eyebrow.

“Great. Take me there.”

“Ah but alas, I have one request.” He dangled the keys on a hooked finger. “I am a devotee to archaeology and unearthing ancient beauties which sleep beneath this earth you see. I happen to catch wind of the fact that you bear direct knowledge of ancient techniques, lost to the modern day?*” He eyes scanned your response through the brim of his hat, measuring the change in your features with the knowledge that he knew of your extended life. You didn’t really care much, he didn’t seem like the type to be going around and sharing people’s business.

“If you allow me to stop by periodically to study your technique, I will lend you this key in my hand.” His hand reached out to seal the deal. “What do you say, Maître d’Ivoire?”

You weighed out the options. On one hand, this guy seemed to be a hassle to deal with and you didn’t like people disturbing you during your process…on the other hand, even if you were able to avoid him during class, it wouldn’t matter if your final product would turn out imperfect and even potentially damaged. Which seemed likely with the clumsy handiwork you observed in the sloppy expressions decorating marble. You took his hand into yours, reflecting his own hunger in the glass of your bionic eyes. “Alright, we have a deal.”

He shook your hand with vigor. “Magnifique! Splendid! Surely, you will not regret this.” You wiggled your hand out of his tight grasp, already drained from his antics. Gods, you hoped the students of this school weren’t all like this.

————————————————-

It was good this time period was full of technological innovations that made your life much easier than it had been when you were younger. Ah the marvels of technology, it made transferring all of your materials and works from the lab to your new atelier much easier rather than having to haul heavy materials from the lab, to your dorm, onto campus‒ not that it would be an issue with your cybernetics. Still, you were thankful that with a simple click of a button, everything was sent over with expedited shipping. You arrived early in the morning to unpack everything, picking the heavy materials up with ease with the help of your enhanced strength.

You were eager to get to work‒ finally out of the lab that scrutinized every move of yours. Do this, make that, carve this, don’t do that. You didn’t necessarily think sculpting was a personal expression for you per say, but you were tired of having to make such lifeless art appealing to the easily amused mob of aristocrats and stuffy high end clients that swamped your galleries. The rhythm in which you tapped your hammer onto the pointed chisel echoed through your gloves, into the microscopic sensors on your synthetic skin, reverberating into your metallic skeleton and into your human heart. You quietly relished the feeling so close to warm flesh.

“Such dutiful dedication! Already at work, I see.” Rook beamed, rested his hand on his chin, examining the detailed ivory ornaments sitting next to your drafting desk. Your flow interrupted, your hand hovered over the stone, phasing out of your automated trance. “Oh, apologies for interrupting.” He weaved through the statues littering the room making his way towards you.

Bit late for that goddammit.

“Just…knock next time.” You say monotonously. Anger would only feed them, him. Rook hummed in response.

“What are you working on?”

You motioned towards the wax sculpture next to you, he bent his neck down to examine it closer.

“What is this supposed to be?” His head turned to the side, positioning it to see if it would give him a better perspective.

“Whatever it wants to be.” You stated, getting back into the rhythm. In your mind there was no intention, no meticulously crafted idea that came deep within. An image descended to you like a dream, and you thawed it out, warming the figure of a life and death chilled by the stillness of time. You merely carved this life and death into stone‒ taking the past into your hands and infusing it to this present moment. Historians, archaeologists, and academics often labored over the meanings of your work‒ and you let them, knowing they would never understand the lack of novelty or personal intention within your creations, induced by the experience of eternity washing over you like a light breeze hardening in your still beating human heart.

“Whatever it wants to be?” His eyes held surprise above all, trained on your hands as his own pulled out a purple pen and leather notepad.

“Whatever it wants to be. The years I’ve lived have made me an observer to humanity.” Your gloved hands worked with a lightness almost impossible to the heavy mechanical components packed inside your synthetic skin. “I am possessed by it.”*

A hardened smile grew on his lips, as he steadied his hand on the surface of the notepad. “Beaute‒ such inspiring words! Such love and beauty felt through your art…” He scribbled something down on the paper.

“Love? Art? Beauty? No. This is not art, not knowledge‒ it is possession. Possession of life, of death, of ugliness, of nuance no longer…” found within yourself. You reeled yourself from your daze, pausing mid-way through your sentence. Perhaps you had lied when you said you weren’t an AI. An AI can only replicate the human brain efficiently because it cannot do so with the human heart‒ because when a heart emerges, it becomes something entirely new‒ too fearful, too longing, too passionate it then yearns, it wants more, more, more‒ feel something, reach out, call out, the heart says. It is not an AI then, it becomes a monster. That voice existed in you at some point in time, but now you merely stand in front of it to reflect if onto stone. Your gloved hands trembled when you stopped your hammer. To lull them, you continued your rhythm. This French bastard was really messing with your flow, humming carelessly as he continued to scribble in his notepad.

You two sat in silence after that, you continuing your work with the material as he sat and studied your every move before he announced it was time for lunch. Wanting to continue with your piece, you merely hummed in response, glad that he was no longer scrutinizing you under that falcon-like gaze. This hunt didn’t feel as dehumanizing as it was in the lab, but it definitely kept you on your guard enough that it was disturbing your usual rapid pace with production. But maybe it was because, for the first time in a while, it was not mere production‒ you had to allow yourself to be possessed by humanity, rather than the vapid requests of the people in lab coats or garish jewelry. Hearing Rook close the door, you ascended into a deep trance, your hands dancing across the surface of the marble to realize the vision.

————————————————-

The joints in your arm rasped with exhaustion when you finished the piece. Stretching your stiffened body, you searched the room for your maintenance box, hoping it wasn’t buried in the several boxes that littered the corners that you had forgotten to unpack. Finding it under your drafting table, you opened it, revealing various tools to tweak the cybernetics on your body for better performance. You grabbed a wrench, opening a compartment on your arm before loosening the tension within it with a few twists.

“Bonsoir, still in the studio at this late hour?” You turned to the voice, revealing Rook, the crimson feather on his head bobbing as he waltzed into the atelier. Giving a grunt in response, you continued to work on the weariness of your arm.

“I was just about to lock up since I’m finished.”

“Won’t you indulge me in your latest creation?” That smile, those hungry eyes again.

You let out a silent huff through your nose, getting up to flick on the light that illuminated the sculpture. There lay a hunk of marble that held its fleshy luster under the delicate layers of plaster and wax you stratified on top of the stone‒ emerging from it a disembodied figure resembling the pose of a crouched fetus despite its large, meaty form, cracked and dismembered. The wax, dyed in splotchy bursts of red, glowed pink like human tissue under the warm lamp, and supple like soft skin you could almost squeeze. You were satisfied with your handiwork today, this was exactly the image which descended upon you‒ fleshy, poignant, ghostly, writhing with hot blood. You had once known her, the figure imprinted onto the stone. She always wore a woeful smile on her flowery face until the sickness overtook her entire body. The last night you met with her to hold her hand through the eternal darkness, she cried like a worn infant, rasping in your ear a covet for another life, sweet as a summer’s child. You don’t remember her name, or your tears‒ but you remember the feather light touch of her fingers and salt on your tongue. Her divine thirst seized your hands today‒ and you carved it into the tender wax over soft marble.

You curiously looked over at Rook, who turned his back to you, stilled at the moment you flickered the lights. Stepping closer, you saw that he had an unreadable, if not, slightly perturbed expression on his face‒ the creases made between his deep set eyes feeling unnatural to his demeanor. Drinking it in with slight surprise, you stepped back quietly, gathering your tools in your canvas wrap case to let him sort out..whatever was happening to him.

“This is…different from your usual pieces, no?”

“My usual pieces are patroned by Jupiter Enterprises. I have no patron currently so I can allow my sculptures to do as they like.”

“You speak as if…this is alive.”

A phantom sensation grazed your palm. “It is very much so. I can even make it more alive, but I won’t do that.” Rook looked at you, searching your flat expression for an answer. Ah, you had forgotten Dr.Krios had framed your sculptures as a technological wonder, rather than a result of your magic. Grabbing an ivory sculpture off of your shelf, you pulled off your glove with your teeth. “With my touch, Aphrodite’s Kiss,”* the creature began to flutter in your hands. “I can animate my carvings.” The bird chirped, snuggling its soft ivory wings into your hold hands, before it began to gradually lose the lively jitter of its body, petrifying it before its heart stopped. “But it does not last for long. It will harden again before its short lived life is over.” You carefully set the bird back in its spot, encasing your synthetic hand back in the glove. How desperately you wanted to lock your hands inside that fabric to veil them for eternity, or tear them off your body entirely. But your body shook with a quiet tremor, even with the cold blood and metal‒ create, create, create.

Rook observed your movements silently, then slowly turned his head back to the pink statue, lips pursed in a thin line, breathing slowly rising his chest up and down.

“Not her though, it would be cruel.”

He flashed a polite, distanced smile again. “Thank you for indulging me. Sweet dreams, Maître d’Ivoire.” A gloved hand tipped his hat as he bade his goodbye, leaving you in the chilled room, sharp eyes tracking his movements. A slight fragrance of bitter anger wafted from his passing expression‒ you felt that it wasn’t directed towards you, but it also seemed it wasn’t not directed towards you. You weren’t really sure. Gathering your supplies, you readied yourself for a full schedule tomorrow, hopefully with less weird students than the one that you met today.

————————————————-

Notes:

Much of the cybernetic inspiration comes from media like Ghost in the Shell, Battle Angel Alita, Violet Evergarden, etc.. since I grew up with them during my childhood in my mother country lol. But also some of it comes from my academic research area, mainly addressing feminism and queer theory through the allegory of the cyborg (ie Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway). I hope to continue with these ideas because I think it’s such an interesting concept that holds a lot of relevance to our current world.

Krios is a translation of “Aries” in Greek‒ both a representation of the animal symbolizing the god of war, and the god of death (black ram specifically). Like a ram, both war and death stops for no one, and charges straight through with force. Kind of like a mad scientist breeching on ethical codes lol

Marble sculptors usually make preliminary drafts made of more malleable materials like clay, plaster, or wax to tackle any potential technical issues that might have to deal with. Also results in a better replication of soft things like skin and fabric because of the malleable material. Kind of like a sketch, studies, or etchings that oil painters do before starting their piece.

Par Force: A style of hunting used for centuries, which became the preferred method of hunting during the medieval period during the cultural shift of hunting to an activity for nobles, because it was considered to be the “purest” and most elegant form, requiring lots of technical and intellectual skill in heightening danger within a controlled context. It basically exhausts (some theorize heat exhaustion) the prey into yielding. However some, even during this period, claimed that this was not pure‒ and liked to take their prey with “gentleness” and “nobility” with a bow and arrow or with traps, favoring the process and rituals to the hunt rather than say, exhausting the biggest hunt to capture it. ALSO hunting has a lot of romantic/sexual implications during medieval periods (especially in France, as they decorated many illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, and wooden chests) so I’ll definitely be using this analogy a lot lol

Though ivory sculpting has been traditionally used in ornamental pieces since prehistoric times, it was usually a very rare and expensive material to work with before the colonization (robbery) of Africa in the 19th century. Though marble is favored for sculptures with human forms because its luster is similar to that of human skin‒ ivory was favored in religious and decorative objects (mostly for high political/social classes like the church or the Chinese royal dynasty) because of its softness, creamy color, and smooth grain/texture. Ivory is also the tusks of elephants or walruses, so it’s hard to create grandeur with just size alone, so many ivory sculptures are extremely detailed.

Unlike metal it also can’t be recycled or reused, so not only is it a precious material to start with, but it also becomes even more important over time because its higher survival rate (used a lot in Byzantine art, and we actually still have a lot of well-preserved pieces, such as the throne of Maximianus).

Unfortunately because ivory doesn’t survive so well underground or in certain climates, our knowledge of Ancient Greek ivory carving is very restricted, though most Roman (the later half towards Constantine’s rule) are well preserved because they were kept above ground in church treasuries. So most of our knowledge on Ancient Greek ivory sculpting comes from the plaques and relief carvings of the Roman/Byzantine times. So I think Rook would be very interested, as an aspiring archaeologist, to get the inside scoop about Ancient Greek ivory carving, especially as its trade has been forbidden since the late 20th century.

In the Odyssey when describing the materials for the palace of Menelaos as “the heavenly palace…There was a gleam there, which was like the gleam of he sun of the moon…I want you to notice something, so of Nestor, you who are so dear to my heart. Notice the flash of bronze as its ight pervades the echoing hall and also the flash of gold and of electrum and of silver and ivory. I’m guessing that Zeus, who lives on Olympus, has such a hall inside his palace, and he would have as many indescribable things as are here. A sense of holy awe takes hold of me as I look at these things.”

Ivory is illustrated as a material favored by the gods, specifically to Zeus. SIDENOTE‒ the Iliad/Odyssey are set during the Mycenaean Greece (though written during Archaic/Ancient Greece) and therefore Zeus is not yet the headgod he is known to be in the Hellenistic Pantheon (Mycenaean Greece put more of a emphasis on Chthonic/Underworld gods like Psidon, who fulfilled the head god role). But Homer go off I guess I get what you’re trying to say‒ Ivory is a material favored by the gods, and even associated with the head god of the time period it was written in.

Side note to side note: there are so many inconsistencies like this in Homer’s narratives lol. Like Aphrodite isn’t even found in any Mycenaean texts but she’s like the main person responsible for the Trojan war?? Make it make sense lmao

In Plato's Ion, he discusses with Socrates how artists preform and create. He states that art is form of divine possession and inspiration, a type of divine madness that acts as a vessel to gods' truth. It comes not solely from a place of knowledge but experience and inspiration (capturing the essence). I think this would definitely be an interesting perspective to take with art (not one I personally believe in), especially with a being infused with the eternity of time.

The piece was inspired by both Medardo Rosso’s The Golden Age (L ‘Ea d’oro) (the materials and technique), and Jean Fautrier’s Sarah ad Petit nu Assis (the form and concept). I wanted to mainly focus on abstract pieces for the stuff created outside of the lab since it elicits a feeling, an experience, and a life and death than an image. Tachisme, which is the art movement Jean Fautrier belongs to, also is very intuitive‒ so I wanted to show the essence of memory‒ something which doesn’t take a clear form but can still make us feel depth and emotion. Memory is also something which betrays our heart and mind in the end as well, so that is also something which shows that there is still humanity inside the character, despite their willful distance away from it.

Rook is a bit ticked off when he can’t really intellectualize your art, because I think he sees beauty as truth above anything else, which can only really be pulled from objective reality and observation (explains his vote for RSA‒ he saw that the students had passion in what they did, rather than justifying his vote with his adoration for Vil). So when he can’t really put a finger on what makes his body feel the beauty of the piece, he feels like he’s being denied a part of him‒ which is something that instills a cold anger and green inside him because I think he really values “I” in the holistic sense. He won’t give parts of himself to anyone because of this greed‒ he wants to take things and run‒ hunt, kill, and move on to the next thing. Also why he admires Trey for the respectable distance he keeps from others because Rook himself wants to maintain that distance from almost everyone. He’s so complicated lmao

Aphrodite’s Kiss is a reference to the original myth of Pygmalion‒ in which Pygmalion quietly pleads to Aphrodite to bring his beloved Galatea to life. When he goes home to kiss his ivory statue, he finds that her lips are warm and soft, discovering that the goddess grande his wish. Thought it’d be cute, ya know?

[danielnelsen]

answers to rook questions from @argentleif, thanks!!!!!!

brief backstory of my rook first, particularly to explain my answer to the first question: he was raised qunari and became saarebas. he was travelling somewhere in mainland thedas with his arvaarad and they got attacked (maybe by darkspawn, but it doesnt really matter). his arvaarad died, but he was rescued by a grey warden who was manning a largely inactive outpost alone. the warden helped him recover and also encouraged him to find his own path, and they were there together for a few years. eventually rook decided to become a warden himself. he still considers himself qunari but knows that it's not technically true

answers below the cut

2. How did Rook get the nickname? What do they think of it?

ok this is the one ive probably been doing the most thinking about and im kinda between two answers

so, first option: when he picks his new name (because he's now a grey warden, rather than saarebas), it's something that can get shortened to rook. im currently delving into qunlat, trying to get a grasp on the language, and seeing if i can come up with something. i dont know if this will work, but i do still plan to find him a qunlat name that works for being a warden, regardless

second option: in my current qunari research, i read 'the straight path', which is a qunari children's story that definitely contains the type of values he tries to adhere to. maybe he gets into chess with his warden pal and then talks about that story and following the straight path and the warden's like "oh like the rook!" idk. i think that's sweet

4. Which faction did they join, and why? How long has it been?

they grey wardens for the reasons above. from the way his interactions have gone so far in-game, id say he hasnt been a warden for very long, maybe a few years. it's probably only been about 5 years since he met that warden; maybe 3 years staying with them, and then 2 as a proper warden himself

10. Does Rook know their history? Do they know of the HoF, Hawke, the Inquisitor?

prior to becoming a warden, he would have heard of hawke because the qunari invasion of kirkwall would have caused a huge stir, especially after it was disavowed by the arigena and ariqun. he probably didnt hear much, if anything, about the mage-templar war, though. he likes reading, so maybe he's read the tale of the champion since meeting varric

he would have learned about the hof as a grey warden. my hof also has an office or something at weisshaupt, so they've probably briefly met. similarly, he would have heard of the inquisitor in relation to the wardens and also the concerns about corypheus and a potential archdemon during all that. he was still saarebas during the events of inquisition, though, so he wouldnt have had any direct involvement

15. What’s the first thing people notice when Rook enters a room?

not to make absolutely everything about the fact that he's qunari, but... the fact that he's qunari lmao. it's pissing me off that nobody in-game reacts to it, especially given the qunari are one of the main antagonist factions

16. Got any tattoos? What’s the story behind them?

idk why im drawing a blank about whether i gave him any tattoos in cc..... but i didnt have his backstory planned then, so the proper answer is no, i think

17. How’d Rook get those scars?

he was a qunari living in seheron for a while (before becoming saarebas). even though he wasnt part of the antaam, he would have encountered plenty of hostility. i gave him the lightning tattoos because they looked cool, so i imagine he got into a fight with some tevinters. i feel his magic would have manifested in response to some sudden dangerous conflict, so maybe that's when it happened

i also gave him top surgery scars just because i could, but i dont think those would be canon for him. ive been constructing a whole qunari gender theory but it's still heavily in the works so im not going into that yet

28. Does Rook have any pets/animal companions?

nope :(

30. What is Rook’s class? Did they choose it?

he's a mage, so definitely didnt choose it! prior to gaining his magic, he wasnt a fighter, so he would never have become any other class otherwise

42. Something Rook regrets:

he doesnt tend to have regrets. he truly believes in the philosophy of the qun and finding stillness, which helps him make good decisions and also accept the decisions that he makes

he probably regrets not doing more to save his arvaarad because his life has been a bit of a mess since then, but he's trying to make the most of it

45. Who was Rook’s closest friend before joining the Veilguard?

that one warden, i guess. i havent thought about his friendships before becoming saarebas, and while he was saarebas he didnt really have friends, but he had a pretty peaceful relationship with his arvaarad, which is probably the closest he got. once he joined the wardens, he had a lot of trouble making friends because he was still trying to get the hang of human culture

[beheamothscreamoth]

TWST Characters as the Cast of Les Misérables

So recently, I’ve been getting back into the Les Misérables musical, but I’ve also been having heavy brainrot for Twisted Wonderland,, So, of course, I got the random thought of combining these two fandoms, and for the fun of it, I decided to match characters from TWST with people from Les Mis - Who matches the vibe with this other character the best? Who would be who? This is all incredibly self-indulgent, but what the heck, why not?

You’ll see a few repeated TWST characters under some Les Mis people, but that’s because I think that character would fit them too! If you’re also confused about the question marks, that’s because I’m a little unsure of the TWST character’s placement in that role,, The more question marks, the more unsure I am- Again, I’m mostly basing my choices on pure vibes and delusions-

(Warning: Book 6 and 7 spoilers [There’s a pretty heavy implication for 7 + spoilery vibes, and I basically spoil the premise for 6] below! They’re under the ‘Read More’ section, but still, be careful when proceeding! And of course, I’m essentially spoiling the entirety of Les Misérables, and if you haven’t watched the musical, please do! It’s really good :D)

Jean Valjean:

Lilia Vanrouge

Trey Clover???

Inspector Javert:

Riddle Rosehearts

Rollo Flamme

Fantine:

Lilia Vanrouge???

Malleus’s mother-

I’ll be honest, I’ve debated a lot on who would fit Fantine, but I’ve come up with a lot of mixed results,, What do you guys think?

Cosette:

Malleus Draconia??

Silver

Yuu / MC

Marius Pontmercy:

Yuu / MC

Deuce Spade

Enjolras: 

Ace Trappola?? (It’s mainly because he gives off a lot of main character energy,,)

Sebek Zigvolt???

Silver??

Éponine:

Ace Trappola????

Jack Howl

Epel Felmier???

Monsieur Thénardier:

Ruggie Bucchi

Azul Ashengrotto

Fellow Honest

Madame Thénardier:

Ruggie Bucchie again

Floyd Leech

Jade Leech

Gidel

Gavroche:

Grim

Grantaire:

Cater Diamond (/lh)

Rook Hunt (even for me, this is a WILD reach,,)

Other Thoughts + Random Quotes from the Musical

I definitely feel like Kalim would be the bishop that houses Valjean after he gets out of prison! 

I was a little unsure about Jack's placement as Éponine, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it? There was something funny about someone with a strong sense of justice living with such scammy people like the Thénardiers- And that moment where Éponine turns on her father, and takes the gunshot to protect Marius? Yeah, Jack betrayed his dorm to do what he thought was right, and I can see him getting in harm’s way to protect the person/people that he loves,,,

I’ll admit, while Azul does fit with the more “scammy” category of Monsieur Thénardier, I have to say, I think he’s a bit too,, “clean,” for him if that makes sense??

I do like the image of all the TWST characters fighting side by side and saving the world,, Technically that already happened in Book 6, but still,,

While I did slap Sebek with the role of Enjolras, a part of me thought that the army officer who sings to the student revolutionaries that they “have no chance at all,” would also fit him, considering Sebek is serving a royal,,

‘Little People,’ but with Grim,,

Okay but why does Deuce kinda match with the pipeline of Valjean so well though. Valjean used to be a prisoner and stole from a bishop, but he became a better man and a mayor. Deuce used to be a delinquent, but he became a better person and aims to be an honour student. Deuce doesn’t really match the old man energy Valjean has, but do you see how deep my delusions go??

Ace/Sebek, to a pining Deuce/Yuu: Who cares about your lonely soul?

Sebek: Diamond, pUT THAT BOTTLE DOWN

Ruggie: At the end of the day you’re another day older, and that’s all you can say for the life of the poor.

Ruggie/Azul: Nothing gets you nothing. Everything has got a little price!

Sebek: You have no friends. [Wow, thanks.]

Grim: This only goes to show what little people can do!

Ruggie: It’s a world where the dogs eat the dogs, where they kill for the bones in the street... I raise my eyes to see the heavens, and only the moon looks down. The harvest moon shines down!

Riddle: I am the law, and the law is not mocked!

Rollo: And if you fall as Lucifer fell, you fall in flames. And so it must be, for so it is written on the doorway to paradise - that those who falter and those who fall must pay the price.

Malleus: How strange, this feeling that my life’s begun at last. This change - can people really fall in love so fast? ...What’s the matter with you, Malleus? Have you been too much on your own? So many things unclear, so many things unknown...

Lilia: Dear Malleus, you’re such a lonely child. How pensive, how sad you seem to me. Believe me, if it were in my power, I’d fill each passing hour! How quiet it must be, I can see, with only me for company.

Yuu / MC: Get out before the trouble starts. Get out Ace, you might get shot!

Ace: I’ve got you worried now, I have! That shows you like me quite a lot!

Yuu/Deuce: As for you, take this too! *PUNCHES AZUL/RUGGIE AND THROWS MONEY AT HIM* God forgive us the things that we do!

Ruggie: Paris at my feet, Paris in the dust. And here’s me breaking bread with the upper crust!

[senka-mesecine]

Super late to the party on this but I played Far Cry 3 for the first time ever recently and just wanted to say your Hoyt content is INCREDIBLE. You really fleshed out a villain who deserved far more development and screen time than he got.

also v random but I’ve seen a semi-common thing mentioned in any fic about him owning five villas but I don’t remember hearing anyone say that in the game? Do you have any idea where it came from? You seem like pretty much the definitive expert on his character lol

Won't lie, but I don't remember either (😬) because the last time I played this game was eons ago (and I'm not active in this fandom anymore) so frankly, I would definitely have to brush up my lore to see where the 'Hoyt Volker owns five villas' thing originated from in the first place (Maybe a side-character mentions it? I don't recall anymore. Sorry. Would be hilarious if it originated from me and I have no recollection of it.) but I like to think it is simply a logical piece of fanon, among others. Man's a slave trafficker. Arms dealer. Drug peddler. A whoremongerer. The biggest one in the South Pacific. It's a very lucrative, albeit horrendously ethically wrong sort of business. It's easy to become filthy rich when you've no qualms about stepping on other people's backs to acquire it. Stands to reason that outside of his bubble on Rook Island, the man actually lives, boasts and maintains a lavish lifestyle...that is, if he was ever off of that archipelago enough to actually enjoy it, because that damned place doesn't let anyone get off, invertedly tying and trapping everyone and everything in its midst and most people aren't even aware of it. Therein lies a huge bit of irony about Hoyt.

Man's richer than God.

He runs everything he surveys within this microcosm, sure, but he's also overworked, greasy, cranky and looks like he's seen better days. Has the appearance of a common street pimp too, rather than someone who's effectively a millionaire. Looks like he hasn't left Rook Island in ages either, so whatever bit of revenue, real estate, ships, boats, money, wealth, cars and luxuries this guy owns, and I'm certain he technically owns a lot, is let unattended, unused and unsavoured somewhere abroad, because even Hoyt himself might not realize just why he has never left his base on Rook Island to actually indulge in the spoils of his own hard work. But, that's why Rook Island is so eerie and accursed. Why it has such a mystical quality to it, almost like an entity with a will of its own. Because Volker has profited off of exploiting the place for decades. The people on it. He turned its hallowed wildlife and sacred grounds into a base for his illegal operations. Its nature into fields where he grows his narcotics. Transformed the place into a gathering place for privateers, pirates, junkies and hookers. Rook Island has a way to repay that offence, ensuring Volker never leaves to actually be able to find joy in any of the material goods he's earned through his labor, in some beautiful villa somewhere, soaking in a jacuzzi with a martini glass, even though he owns that and much, much more.

Nope. Rook and his office is where he stays.

Occasionally going out dish out some order and authority when it's required to the other ends of the islands and come back and continue his same old routine, at that very desk, in that very chair, overlooking the courtyard to his equally decrepit looking compound.

Of course he has five villas.

Never lived in them a day in his life, though.

[coochiequeens]

USA Cycling will be enforcing a policy to ensure some level of fairness in races and of course some TIM is crying transphobia.

 BY ANNE-MARIJE ROOK

PUBLISHED 14 HOURS AGO

When USA Cycling introduced its revised Transgender Athlete Participation Policy earlier this month, the new two-tiered system didn't sit well with all racers.

One trans woman and amateur racer from Washington State was so put off by the new policy that she filed a complaint with the state's Attorney General's Office, imploring Attorney General Bob Ferguson to file an injunction against USA Cycling. She also filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.

The racer, whose identity will remain anonymous for her protection, argues that the new policy only heightens the trans community's concern of "exclusionary, discriminating and humiliating scrutinization."

Starting on 1 January 2024, transgender athletes wanting to participate in USA Cycling-sanctioned events will be categorized as either Group A or Group B athletes, depending on their discipline and race category. 

Group A athletes are those racing at the elite level (Pro, Category 1 and 2). Transgender women in Group A must undergo a so-called "elite athlete fairness evaluation application," which involves submitting medical documentation demonstrating that their serum testosterone level has been consistently below 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months.

Group B athletes are those competing at the amateur and novice levels. These transgender athletes, both men and women, wishing to compete at this level must complete a self-identity verification request, which the USA Cycling Technical Director, Bonnie Walker, will review. 

In introducing the new policy, USA Cycling said it aimed to maintain "fair competition standards while providing a welcoming environment for all athletes, irrespective of gender identities."

But in this racer's eyes, the new policy does quite the opposite. 

"Outing ourselves for amateur sanctioned racing does not make us feel safe or welcome; instead, it shines an uninvited bright light on our private life, further threatening our safety, as well as our rights on a federal and state level. This rule change creates an exclusionary environment, sets a dangerous precedent and opens a Pandora's box for organized amateur sports with transgender athletes," she says.

This rider was active in the Washington State racing scene for four years. During that time, she says, "no individual, organization or local USAC official harassed or required me to out myself, nor was a complaint filed against me. Many people were aware that I was transgender because it is a small community. I trained just as hard as other female athletes and still did not have a competitive advantage. In fact, most of the time, I rarely finished in the top three in Cat 4 races."

But she hasn't raced in some time, partly due to the changing climate and the fact that a USA Cycling racing license is required to partake in cycling events in Washington, even at the amateur level. By buying a license, she'd be supporting a governing body whose policies she doesn't agree with. 

"I know that my racing days are probably done, but for me, it's about the next generation of racers and the freedom I hope they can have like what I had. The freedom to be themselves and just race to race," the source says.

An injunction, if successful, would prohibit USA Cycling from requiring amateur athletes to "out themselves."

"My hope is that the injunction will put a stop to this prejudicial discriminatory rule. I advocate that transgender athletes should be allowed to race as they identify at the amateur level races," the source says. "We are not paid athletes, just weekend warrior bike racers testing our skills against other like-minded individuals." 

USA Cycling told Cycling Weekly that it does not wish to comment at this time.

[fumikomiyasaki]

I do love the little callback to our talk about Fuan... actually given I have time this morning let me Join with mostly my canon NRC ocs too:

🎲 - Biological parents

Carol- Catherine and Jonathan Ann, one a housewife the other an engineer

Camilla- Her old family is no more

Bengal- His family never cared for him

Eiji- Kano Hiranori and Itsuki Hiranori are both not his biological parents, more the ones who oversee his changes as Homunculus

Kumo- He barely remembers them

Meyra- The Voldaria family married her off to someone so... she prefers the Last name Palledino as a cover up

Fuan- Laverna who was a godess of Thievery and Artyom who was an angel but he sadly passed away

Beelby- Mr and Mrs Zetron were the kind of parents to bring him to a trial of Fire... so he barely remembers them

👑 - Person who raised your OC and/or was important during their formative years

Carol- Partly her best friend Eve

Camilla- The Maids and Butlers in the castle she served under

Bengal- Technically he raised himself

Eiji- N/A

Kumo- Does his best friends teaching him the world count... technically he had a mentor too that is no more

Meyra- The Servants really did a better job than her parents

Fuan- Plutus counts, he is the god of wealth and only cared for him cause he had the hots for his mom but... he still was like an uncle to him,

Beelby- There was this huge Rhinobug that he was close with

📎 - Siblings/close family

Carol- Megan Ann... police officer and one Carol idolized

Camilla-N/A

Bengal- He would count his bandmates like his siblings, his former ones not his current ones, the ones in Feral cheshires.

Eiji- N/A

Kumo- Tsuki felt like an annoying little sister

Meyra- N/A

Fuan- Back when he still endured in the heavens... ther was this guy called Aeron who felt like one

Beelby- N/A

✨ - Children (current or future) (Going Canon ship and my ocs for this one cause I have too many oc ships)

Carol- Poppy Clover they/them (Carol x Trey)

Camilla- Rosella Dawnrose (Camilla x Phobetor if they made up)

Bengal- Annie Pharon (Vanessa x Bengal)

Eiji- N/A

Kumo- Vega Starwing (Kumo x Silver)

Meyra- Aminella Hunt (Meyra x Rook)

Fuan- N/A

Beelby- N/A

🧸 - Childhood friends

Carol- Eve who tought her Piano and was her main support this whole time... the two known each other forever...

Camilla- Technically we would have counter Dragiselle if... tragedy didn't happen

Bengal- Again call his bandmates

Eiji- Funny you think he has them

Kumo- Taiyo and Tsuki definetly

Meyra- Andrew sadly

Fuan- He did but his whole situation made him barely remember them

Beelby- N/A

🏆 - Best friends (past, current or future)

Carol- Leroy, Lyla, Louis, Kaeru

Camilla- Meyra, Serena,

Bengal- Joel, Gilly, Eikichi, Gregory,

Eiji- Slice

Kumo- Taiyo, Tsuki

Meyra- Camilla, Rubina,

Fuan- *lonely*

Beelby-Flynn, Leroy, Gregory,

💌 - First crush/love

Carol- There was an old friends called Curls who she regrets not confessing too

Camilla- Phobetor,

Bengal- There was his first fan... it didn't end well

Eiji- *blank stare*

Kumo- Silver,

Meyra- There was this other noble she was more interested in then who she got married to.

Fuan- He is uncertain

Beelby- There was a mortal he observed but... sadly they are no more

💋 - First kiss

Carol- Any of her oc ships or Trey

Camilla- Phobetor

Bengal-He probably forgot,

Eiji- Try to get to him to feel anything at all first

Kumo- Taiyo funny enough

Meyra- Her husband... regretably

Fuan- He is unkissed

Beelby- There was this succubus woman who placed one on him

🌹 - First relationship

Carol- Same answer as the kiss one

Camilla-Phobetor

Bengal-He had more casual kissing than relationships maybe Vanessa counts

Eiji- Funny again

Kumo- It will also be his crush with either Silver or an oc

Meyra-Again her Husband

Fuan- ahhhhhhhh

Beelby- Funny enough it was a poly with some Demon ladies

🌶️ - First intimacy

Carol- .... we do not talk about the Aus in this one but usually its her partner she chose.

Camilla- Phobetor

Bengal- Again a Fan

Eiji- ...

Kumo- He did give a woman a time but that didn't go so well making him the wary one he is now

Meyra- Her husband again and she is not wanting to remember

Fuan- N/A

Beelby- Its been so long agon

💔 - Exes -

Carol- None of yet

Camilla- Phobetor

Bengal- Too many

Eiji- Nah

Kumo- Not really

Meyra- She would love to count her husband.

Fuan- Nope...

Beelby- You want to have like 100 of a list

✏️ - Classmates

Carol-2-C with Azul and Jamil

Camilla- 3-C with Vil

Bengal- 4-C but none notable yet

Eiji- 3-C with Vil

Kumo-3-A with Leona and Rook

Meyra-2-D with Flyod

Fuan-1-C Lonely

Beelby- 4-D Lonely

🐾 - Pets-

N/A

💢 - Person they can't stand

Carol- Jamil,

Camilla- Dragiselle

Bengal- Idia

Eiji- The world at this point

Kumo- Ace

Meyra- Her husband, Dorothy,

Fuan- He hates to admit it but his mom given his curse

Beelby- Alioth cause of this one sided Rivalry

⚰️ - Someone they lost (not necessarily dead)

Carol- Not... yet...

Camilla- Technically Phobetor counts... he is not the same man she fell in love with but... her whole birthplace is more of a loss... all those people

Bengal- His bandmates he... is seperated from so

Eiji- His pet rabbit of the past

Kumo- technically his friends count

Meyra- many were pulled away from her cause they stood in the way of the marriage

Fuan-His dad, also some old friends cause of his parasite

Beelby- Too many to count given his immortality

🩹 - Someone who was a source of trauma

Carol- Ms Lumina, the teacher who pushed her whole down out of jealousy, probably would have did worse if she stayed

Camilla- Dragiselle... given the distruction

Bengal- Trauma? What Trauma?

Eiji- his whole life is a trauma he is living himself

Kumo- The first woman who got interested in him as said who put him in this mess

Meyra- Her husband as usual.

Fuan- His mom

Beelby- Technically the one who gave him his overseer job when he was still in hell... thanks to him he always had to fight so many people in this hellhole.

OK IT STARTED OUT AS 'haha I think I wanna answer ALL of these questions that'd be fun' BUT @screamintoad YOU ASKED FOR IT

I'M GONNA ANSWER ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS FOR ALL OF MY OCS

ALL OF THEM

ALSO YOU KNOW WHAT? THROWING IN MY SIDE OC FLÉCHER TOO BC WHY NOT (oop— how many of you even know he exists???)

Everything under the cut bc this is gonna be longgggggggggggg

I tried my best to make all the answers interesting but there are like 2 questions where almost every character just has 'N/A' written for them

🎲 - Biological parents Tomoe - father Takahiro & mother Hanae, very loving Irina - mother Diana & father Anthony - both absolutely terrible. Diana is dead and who knows where Anthony is. Both were neglectful and verbally abusive Spike - mother Marta & father Dino - no idea where mom is and dad only the guy who fathered him Junia - father Argus & mother Lydia - father died before Junia could meet him and Lydia was very controlling and often put Junia's confidence down Lisle - mother Carla & father Elliot - raised him, maybe a bit TOO loving, almost to the point of being yes-men. See him as some sort of miracle. Veronica - father Vladimir & mother Cecilia (both dead) Veronica does not remember much about either of them Victor - mother Cecilia & father Vladimir (both dead) Victor remembers them very well and misses them both Artemisia - father Simeon & mother Marigold - the king and queen of the Land of Dawning. father has barely been in her life at all and mother has tried to hide her away from the world bc she's worried what people will say about Artemisia- both for Artemisia's sake and her own Flécher - Dad Angelo & mom Lisa. Angelo and Lisa broke up when he was a baby, and Angelo got custody

👑 - Person who raised your OC and/or was important during their formative years Tomoe - Her parents, her grandparents, her history teacher Irina - Her childhood friend 'Clover'- her at that point only experience of a love that wasn't toxic or abusive. But losing him was so painful she practically repressed her memories of him Spike - His grandmother Junia - Her mother Lydia Lisle - His mother Carla and father Elliot Veronica - Her adoptive father, who she just calls 'father', and her teacher miss Averesch who was the closest she ever had to a maternal figure Victor - Veronica who always protected him when they were children. Also Idia and Ortho; even if it was just for a short while, they were a comfort in his daily life of fear Artemisia - Her sister Cerise was incredibly important to her Flécher - His dad Angelo. Angelo was pretty young when he had Rocky (Flécher's first name - Flécher is both of their surname) so they're pretty close

❓ - Estranged family/relatives they've never met Tomoe - Her mother's parents (never met) Irina - Her father (estranged- she has no idea where he is but thinks he's probably alive) Spike - His mom (never met) Junia - Her dad (died before she was born) Lisle - His uncle and cousin (FORMERLY estranged) Veronica - The relatives who kidnapped Victor (only met once- WHEN Victor was being kidnapped) Victor - His and Veronica's adoptive father (estranged) Artemisia - Her father (so distant they might as well be estranged. She cannot remember ever speaking a single word to him, or vise versa) Flécher - His mom (can't remember)

📎 - Siblings/close family Tomoe - Sachie, Kouta Irina - Her uncle(though 'close' is a bit of a stretch) Spike - His gran Junia - N/A Lisle - N/A Veronica - Victor Victor - Veronica Artemisia - Cerise, Valerian Flécher - His dad

✨ - Children (current or future) Tomoe - Grim(kinda counts), Nuru(f) Irina - Malina(f), Malachi(m), Mallory(nb), Malek(m), Maleah(f), Malcolm(m), Malindt(nb), Malissa(f) Spike - Roza(f) Junia - Hilda(f), Julian(m), Hazel(nb) Lisle - N/A Veronica - N/A Victor - Toby(m), Genevieve(f) Artemisia - N/A Flécher - Does fur babies count? If so he ends up having a BUNCH of dogs in the future.

💎 - Chosen family Tomoe - Grim, Irina Irina - Tomoe, Grim Spike - Leona Junia - Jade, Floyd, Azul, (later on Trey's family) Lisle - Idia Veronica - Victor(does it count if they're blood-family too?), Vil, Rook, Epel Victor - Veronica Artemisia - Lilia, Malleus, Sebek, Silver Flécher - His best friend Valentine, probably

🧸 - Childhood friends Tomoe - Tooru, Kaede, Miki Irina - She has forgotten his name Spike - Oscar + his other friends in the gang Junia - Some kids she used to play with as a child Lisle - All the kids in his village (though he thought he was better than them) Veronica - Victor, Sebek(? 'friends' isn't exactly the right word) Victor - Veronica, Idia, Ortho Artemisia - N/A :( Flécher - Some people from his class in school. Sage Island isn't a very big place, so there aren't a lot of kids there, so they're all pretty tight with each other

🏆 - Best friends (past, current or future) Tomoe - Tooru, Karde & Miki (past), Ace & Deuce Irina - Malleus, Jamil, Ruggie Spike - Oscar (past), Leona, Floyd Junia - Jade, Floyd, Kalim, Lilia, Cater, Skully Lisle - Cater, Idia Veronica - Victor, Cater Victor - Veronica, Idia, Ortho Artemisia - Idia Flécher - A guy in his class named Valentine; they've been seat-neighbors since they were 10

💌 - First crush/love Tomoe - Leona Irina - Her childhood friend Spike - A store clerk a few years older than him when he was 9 Junia - A neighbor's son Lisle - N/A Veronica - A crush on a girl in her class from when she was 10 Victor - A crush on a teacher when he was 6 Artemisia - Jamil Flécher - Irina (his first serious crush at least. And since she's only a year older than him he at first thinks he might have a chance. Is a bit sad/disappointed when he finds out she likes someone, but isn't too upset about it)

💋 - First kiss Tomoe - Leona Irina - A guy she had an infatuation with before TWST Spike - Neige Junia - A boy who had a crush on her when she was 12— she didn't like him back, she was just incredibly confused Lisle - N/A Veronica - That girl she had a crush on when she was 10. Veronica was going to just kiss her on the cheek, but her crush moved her face at the last second. Afterwards Veronica ran away out of embarrassment. Victor - Jack Artemisia - Jamil Flécher - Has not had it yet

🌹 - First relationship Tomoe - Leona Irina - Malleus (That guy she was infatuated with does not count bc he never said the two were an item. He basically just lead her on) Spike - Neige Junia - Trey Lisle - N/A Veronica - Cater Victor - Jack Artemisia - Jamil Flécher - When he was 7 he and one of his classmates were 'dating' for 2 days

🌶️ - First intimacy Tomoe - Leona Irina - Again, that one guy she had an infatuation with before TWST (everything about the situation wasn't great. She didn't even start out liking him— but when he showed some kind of interest in her, she was drawn to it, since no one ever really had before then. It didn't feel particularly satisfying, but she didn't mind, because someone actually wanted to touch her AT ALL for like the first time. And he kissed her sometimes, and sometimes held her for a little while after, which were more than enough for her— starved for affection as she was— to fall in love with him. She was hoping it would become a relationship, but he was also an inexperienced teenager and instead of just saying he didn't want a relationship he lead her on and used her for a LONG time. But she kept being around him because she'd developed feelings for him and she was just hoping that if she waited long enough, at some point he'd come to love her, too.) Spike - Neige (he's a hopeless romantic and had never been in a relationship before Neige) Junia - Trey (Junia had wanted to do stuff with other guys she was attracted to before Trey— but how controlling her mother was meant she just didn't have any opportunity to) Lisle - N/A (he is not interested at all. In fact, imagining himself in those kind of scenarios actively disgusts him) Veronica - Cater (she does not let anyone even come near her unless she trusts them. And that kind of intimacy for her is reserved only for someone she trusts and loves a LOT, and who she can sense returns those feelings. And she just didn't trust anyone her age who she found attractive in that way before Cater) Victor - Jack (his trauma means he's veeeeery choosy about who can or cannot touch him even strictly platonically, so he never felt safe enough with anyone before Jack) Artemisia - Jamil (she was never interested before him) Flécher - N/A

💍 - Partners (current or future) Tomoe - Leona (Leomoe 🦁x🌻) Irina - Malleus (Mallina 🐉x🐰) they get together directly after his Overblot, because she confesses to him right after it Spike - Neige (Spineige ❄️x🥊) they got together about a year before the start of TWST's plot Junia - Trey (Trenia ♣️x🐚) Lisle - N/A Veronica - Cater (Catonica ♦️x🐝) they get together after NRC Victor - Jack (Jacktor 🐺x🩸) Artemisia - Jamil (Artemil 🐍x🦢) they get together during GloMas- but secretly Flécher - I'm thinking he might end up with Valentine eventually? In like a sorta casual on-and-off thing?

💔 - Exes Tomoe - N/A Irina - Again, infatuation guy does not count Spike - N/A Junia - N/A Lisle - N/A Veronica - N/A Victor - N/A Artemisia - N/A Flécher - He and his classmate he 'dated' when they were 7 'broke up' because his 'partner' said his favorite animal wasn't cool

🍑 - Notable flings Tomoe - N/A Irina - infatuation guy (who knows maybe I'll give him a name one day) Spike - N/A Junia - N/A Lisle - N/A Veronica - N/A Victor - N/A Artemisia - N/A Flécher - N/A

✏️ - Classmates Tomoe - Grim, Deuce, Ace (1A) Irina - Sebek (1D) Spike - Vil (3C) Junia - Ruggie, Victor (2B) Lisle - Cater, Idia (3B) Veronica - Floyd (2D) Victor - Ruggie, Junia (2B) Artemisia - Literally no one 🥲 I put her in the ONLY otherwise empty class (1E) she and Malleus are both the only ones in their class. Sibling vibes Flécher - He does not go NRC but his class in the school he goes to on Sage Island has around 15 kids, including himself

⚙️ - Coworkers/boss Tomoe - Crowley (boss) Irina - Crowley (boss) Jade, Floyd, Ruggie, Junia, Lisle (coworkers, former), Azul (boss, former) Spike - Leona (boss) Junia - Jade, Floyd, Lisle, Ruggie (coworkers) irina (coworker, former), Azul (boss) Lisle - Jade, Floyd, Junia, Ruggie (coworkers) Irina (coworker, former), Azul (boss) Veronica - N/A Victor - N/A Artemisia - N/A Flécher - Crowley (boss) Sam (also boss, just the level under Crowley)

🐾 - Pets Tomoe - Cat named Mochi (pre-TWST) Irina - Wanted but never had bunnies Spike - N/A Junia - N/A Lisle - Some fish growing up Veronica - N/A Victor - Too many to count, almost all dead now. But still around :) Artemisia - N/A Flécher - A big golden retriever named Bonnie

🔪 - Enemy/nemesis Tomoe - Azul (Lawful Good straight-A student vs Lawful Evil straight-A student) Irina - Victor (bc he hates Malleus and is very open about that fact) Spike - N/A (unless he finds out what happened in Book 5, in which case it'd be Vil. He literally tried to poison Spike's boyfriend Neige) Junia - N/A Lisle - N/A Veronica - Leona Victor - Malleus, Lilia, Sebek, Rook, Vil, Epel, Victor Sandersson ( @theolivetree123 ), Fuan Abbysnor ( @fumikomiyasaki ) Artemisia - Rook Flécher - Riddle. He always tries to stop him from having fun dancing while at work >:( so now whenever he sees Riddle he's made it his personal mission to annoy him. 'Off With Your Head' does nothing to Flécher bc he's magicless anyway so he considers it something he can live with.

💢 - Person they can't stand Tomoe - Crowley (not for her own sake, she's independent enough to manage herself, but how well she can take care of Irina and Grim directly depends on him) Irina - Ace (he's just so mean, and she's incredibly sensitive to that sort of thing bc she believes if someone is treating her badly, it must be bc she did something to deserve it) Spike - N/A (UNLESS he finds out what happened in Book 4. Then it'd be Jamil, for betraying Kalim. Spike would have trouble even being in the same room as jamil and their friendship would be instantly over) Junia - Vil (reminds her of her mother) Lisle - Leona, Idia (former) Veronica - Leona (they're in very similar positions, but Leona has just decided to, in Veronica's eyes, 'give up', instead of fighting against other people's perception of him) Victor - Kalim (Victor's happy-go-lucky thing is 100% a facade, made entirely out of whole cloth. And Kalim never understands Victor subtly insulting him) Artemisia - Rook (she wants him to stop stalking her so badly) Flécher - Anyone who litters

⚰️ - Someone they lost (not necessarily dead) Tomoe - Her entire family Irina - Her childhood friend Spike - His gran, Oscar, all his friends Junia - her mother Lisle - N/A Veronica - Victor Victor - Veronica Artemisia - Older sister Cerise Flécher - His mom? Although he doesn't remember her

🩹 - Someone who was a source of trauma Tomoe - Whoever sent her to twisted Wonderland? She didn't have any notable trauma before being separated from her family through coming to Twisted Wonderland. Irina - Her parents. They MESSED HER UP. Spike - The former friend who betrayed their gang Junia - Her mother Lisle - His cousin Briallen Veronica - Her father leaving her alone at her school Victor - His 'adoptive' (surprise adoption, that is) 'father' (now dead at the bottom of a cliff in some mountains— probably already eaten by mountain lions or something). He was verbally and physically abusive to Victor and put him through a lot of traumatic, invasive medical procedures that basically turned him into a magitech cyborg. Artemisia - basically everyone around her growing up (with the exceptions of her sister Cerise and brother Valerian), they all treated her like a freak or monster Flécher - A cat scratched him in the face once when he was a toddler and now he's afraid of them. Grim 'gives him the heebie-jeebies'

🗑️ - "It's complicated" Tomoe - Whether she'd choose to go home or stay in Twisted Wonderland Irina - Her opinions of her parents Spike - His relationship with his 'dad' Junia - What she thinks are her actual good qualities Lisle - His opinions of his parents Veronica - Her relationship with her father Victor - How many lives he's taken (both human and animal) Artemisia - Her upbringing in general Flécher - His future plans

©️ - Bonus: Canon NPC important to them Tomoe - Grim (basically her son. Him being taken away in Book 6 is the catalyst for Tomoe finally making up her mind that she's staying in Twisted Wonderland Irina - Malleus (Her Favorite Person, and the first person to ever return all her love in full) Spike - Leona (his first and closest friend at NRC) Junia - Azul (Junia feels she owes him a life debt for saving her, she's eternally grateful) Lisle - Cater (his first true friend- the first person who saw his true colors) Veronica - Vil (she looks up to and admires him a lot) Victor - Jack (absolutely the healthiest thing Victor's ever had in his life) Artemisia - Lilia (Lilia is 0.1 seconds away from literally going 'my child now') Flécher - Sam (basically manages him at work, and has actually taught him lots of good life lessons)

AND I'M DONE [ collapses ]

Tag list: @another-random-paradise @thehollowwriter @faefum @cactus13-rolloflammesimp @beneathsakurashade

@nyx-of-night @theolivetree123 @babyghoul138 @skibidibabygirl @screamintoad

PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU WANNA BE TAGGED IN FUTURE STUFF!

[the-roanoke-society]

now i have a story that i’d like to tell...

about this guy you all know him, he had me scared as hell! / he comes to me at night after i crawl into bed / he's burnt up like a weenie and his name is fred!

horror aus part trois. part one can be found here, and two, here. all warnings and disclaimers still apply--as does the love.

do you dare dare journey below the cut...?

it’s a long way down, a long way down - a holy hell au inspired by the creep series

there are stories are stories on stories on stories about matches made in heaven. about two pure souls destined for the other, finally reaching a ‘happily ever after’ after going through trials and tribulations that, honestly, are played out and boring.

that’s exactly what fergus macleod would tell you, anway.

he’s been inhabiting his mortal coil for a few decades now, engaging in his favorite activity--serial murder.

but lately, something has--gone out.

he’s lost his light. his passion for killing.

so he gets an idea, and puts out an ad for a videographer.

he’ll make a documentary, he decides. a magnum opus to relight the blood and the violence that had brought him so much joy over the years.

what he didn’t expect was andi.

not her beauty. not her courage. not her wit, sharp enough to make a god bleed.

and not her fangs, and a thirst to rival his--even if her moral compass was a bit more lawful.

enough of stories about matches made in heaven.

talk to me about a match made in hell.

(these--particular films are not easy watches, though i personally enjoy them. the sequel is my favorite, but remember when i said ‘explicit sexuality’ in the first warning post? the especially applies to creep 2. when i imagined this au it was less in-line with the main narrative of the movies and more, say, a meet-cute story you’d overhear at an addams’ family function.)

mini soundtrack sampler includes: lovelytheband, ‘buzz cut’ + catfish & the bottlemen, ‘longshot’ + albert natural, ‘sara loves her juicy fruit’

red sun rises like an early warning - an ancient cares au inspired by sleepy hollow

sleepy hollow was often called a “sleepy” village, in the way that meant that nothing ever happened there. marie van tassel, daughter of the richest man in town--and immediately intrigued by the arrival of one police constable walter vaughn, sent all the way from new york city--would disagree. especially in recent years.

the headless horseman had returned.

and marie, for all the occult studying she’d done far from the gaze of her father’s watchful eyes, still so haunted after her mother’s brutal and untimely passing--couldn’t figure out why.

she knew exactly who he was. what he was. but why had he returned? what had woken him?

and could see really be that mournful, when it had sprung start the machinations of fate that brought walter right to her doorstep?

“i have shed my tears for boom... and yet my heart is not broken. do you think me wicked?”

“no... but perhaps there is a little bit of witch in you, marie.”

“walter, why do you say that?”

“because you have bewitched me.”

mini soundtrack sampler includes: frank sinatra, ‘witchcraft’ + creedence clearwater revival, ‘i put a spell on you’ + the rolling stones, ‘sympathy for the devil’

drunk and driven by a devil’s hunger - a safety nets au inspired by apostle, co-starring @agent-thorn​

it was only five years into the birth of an entirely new century, and her twin brother had been taken; her father, lost in his grief, was utterly useless.

it was all up to parker jensen.

she found a fake pass easy enough, slyly dancing her way through conversations with began with “you know, i don’t remember seeing you at any of the prayer meetings...” until finally, finally, they reached that accursed island.

she’d never been to wales before.

she had no idea what to expect.

what are you supposed to expect, when you’re all alone on a solo rescue mission going toe-to-toe with what can only be described as a cult?

but ivar--son of the enigmatic priest of the island, malcolm--was a nice surprise.

the only nice surprise that she’d find.

it wasn’t until she caught jeremy, sneaking home after what she could only guess had something to do with ffion, that she got her first flash of what would be a more and more grisly truth.

this island had its own god.

and something much more sinister than genesis had happened on this soil.

mini soundtrack sampler includes: bakar, ‘hell n back’ + mumford & sons, ‘little lion man’ + neil reid, ‘mother of mine’

let that fever make the water rise - a grace & choice au inspired by the ritual

it was supposed to be like a vacation. diana hadn’t had one in at least fifteen years. vida, even longer.

so why not hiking? why not the kungsleden--the king’s trail--in northern sweden?

the first two days were bliss. nothing but rolling hills, clear skies. up until:

“ah fuck!”

“vida--shit, vida, are you okay?”

“yeah, i’m--urk!”

“all right, that was not a reassuring noise, let’s have a look at that--”

vida’s left knee went from pink to a swollen blue to an agonized, deep purple tinged with green over the course of next day. diana couldn’t bear to watch her struggle to keep up, especially when this was supposed to be a romantic break, nothing as taxing as the fieldwork happening back home.

by the light of a campfire, diana studied their map, humming. “what if we just cut through the forest?” she asked. “if we just went as the crow flies... it cuts the time in half. and you need medical attention, vida, we can’t keep going on like this.”

“has the battalion cleared this area?” vida returned her question with one of her own, eyes shining. the reflection of the fire made them look like stones polished by a river. “we wouldn’t run into anything, would we?”

diana smiled. “nothing we couldn’t handle, love, i’m sure.”

and diana didn’t change her mind when they set off the next morning... up until they found the disembowled carcass of an elk, placed up high in a tree like a religious icon.

she thought of morgan.

“diana, what--what put that up there? something had to have put that up there!”

mini soundtrack sampler includes: billie eilish, ‘bury a friend’ + two feet, ‘i feel like i’m drowning’ + coldplay, ‘paradise’

you can hear the river from my burial bed - a secret gardens au inspired by the legends of slenderman & mercy black, co-starring @agent-hood​

she wouldn’t say she wouldn’t remember. she did.

it was just that caroline janson had been in therapy for so long... she was no longer sure what of shards of her memories were real, and what would be, as dr. ward would say, hallucinations.

but she knew one thing: she was glad to be coming home.

“i hope chicken’s okay for your first night back,” parker began gently. “i’m just now realizing i forgot to ask--”

caroline smiled at her, “chicken would be great.”

she watched parker’s profile, as she opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. finally, she inhaled, then began, “you know... carter’s missed you since you’ve been gone...”

caroline rolled her eyes. “parker. it’s been a decade and a half. i seriously doubt it.”

“hey, who knows my brother better right now, me or you?”

that earned a huff... and a grin. subdued, but still there. “... okay. fine. but... maybe not tonight.” parker glanced at her once, and nodded.

“i understand. besides, maybe i want you all to myself for the first few days, anybody think about that?”

and caroline laughed.

and she wished that it felt like she wasn’t still being haunted.

mini soundtrack sampler includes:  oingo boingo, ‘dead man’s party’ + shaed, ‘trampoline’ + corrina repp, ‘only a beat’

don’t let it shake your steady thread-cutting hand - a royals & robots au inspired by kristy

it was hardly tilde’s idea to spend thanksgiving alone harvard. but between the pandemic, the weather, and her own growing agitation at her father’s behavior...

it just seemed easier.

and it wasn’t all bad. she still had prudence, who opted to stay with her out of love (and perhaps a lack of family--but she didn’t ask). and they had run of essentially the entire campus--there were several buildings that stayed opened, even over the holiday. the library being one.

but it wasn’t until one night, when they made a late night trip to a convenience store not far from tilde’s housing that things became... strange.

“pru. ... pru!” she whispered, snacks in one hand, the other on pru’s elbow. “... i think she’s following us.”

“she?” pru asked, lowly, careful to keep her eyes down, as if they were just having a very, very difficult time decided on what kind of poptarts they wanted.

tilde, face oddly blanched, couldn’t find her voice, so she just nodded.

at the end of the aisle, a figure in dark hoodie and skinny jeans passed out of view.

one of pru’s arms went around tilde’s waist. “don’t worry. i’m sure she’s just here at the same time as us. it’s a small store.”

tilde would remember that when she got home in time to find a snuff film loaded onto her laptop.

“oh shit--oh shit, oh god--!”

this is why she preferred halloween.

mini soundtrack sampler includes: yeah yeah yeahs, ‘heads will roll’ + rihanna, ‘disturbia’ + nonono, ‘pumpin’ blood’

[agent-hood]

Secret Santa 2K19 Cheat-Sheet

@the-roanoke-society (sorry I’m late on this)

Parker (Agent Hood) Jensen: face claim- Lily Collins, Position- kind of an ‘odd job’ for the society (like she’ll go on mission, but can also be support, extraction, and/or run the paperwork. It’s hard to have a “job” when you’re just sort of ‘extra’), so she gets to interact with a lot of different agents and offices. Very attentive to detail and concerned about doing a good job she is a good Agent (even if she doesn’t always agree with the Society or trust their motives). She can come across as being very emotionally closed off or ‘cold’, but those who know her understand it’s born from a desire to not be seen as lacking.

Carter (Agent Thorn) Jensen: face claim- Brendon Urie, Position- given his talents as a fae, works particularly well with any mission involving plant life or ‘deception’. Given his status as a lovable idiot, he is unofficially the Society’s go-to ‘Party guy’. Many would mistake him for being dumb and lackadaisical, and they’d be right- but they’re also *so* wrong. He just experiences reality a little differently and has the capacity to shape it how he sees fit.

Ivar (Former Agent/Technical Officer Rook) Mayhew: face claim- Charlie Cox, position- former Agent of the Borley Council, was on a specialized task force with his ex partner/fiancé, Agent Bishop. After receiving an accident on a mission that left him paralyzed, the mistreatment from his superiors and colleagues left him not only transferring to Roanoke, but also seeking a risky medical procedure that would reconnect his nerves and give him the ability to walk again (so long as he maintained a charge that is). Sadly, nothing was able to restore his ability to fully shift as a werewolf. Affable and friendly, he gets along with/sees the good in just about everyone, and when coupled with his experience and tactical knowledge, there isn’t a better choice as backup or a friend.

Hampton: position- best boy and grim reaper. We all know Hampton, we all love Hampton. It is unknown just how powerful he is or will become, but what is known is that he mostly only listens to Parker. He is the sweetest and goofiest and biggest dog out there, which makes him the perfect thing to see when it’s your time to go.

What I’d like: Those who know me know I’m all about shipping and romance and just showing my dummies some love

[mood-by-raccoon]

Moodboard for ot3 @agent-hood, @roanoke-etc, and @agentargus as requested by @spookylilmoonpie

[agent-hood]

@agent-lycan

Full Pink Moon in Scorpio by Rami Ammoun (Apr. 2021)

[faegents]

Just a little Valentine's somethin' for @agent-hood.