#also making her and Talon have a close relationship

[nmzuka]

working on Keena's design and drawing her with Talon

[skycowboys]

hi larn ! i've been scrolling and scrolling through your page, i'm so obsessed with your work. any fun facts or trivia about scrubs or peg that you can share? they're such a goofy duo. playing around with making an oc for this world and i want to give scrubs all the cool cameos in my oc's lore that he deserves

thanks :) --atlas

Hi there! Glad you made it to my blog :)

Ahhhh Scrubs, our favorite bandit. You know what, let's do a little lore-drop! Grab some coffee, and get ready to read lol

Born as "Hennison Foyer", he had no true home growing up, instead spending early life with a seedy traveling merchant caravan. There were more snake-oil salesmen in the caravan than actual goods merchants. He learned quickly that strong-arming others rewarded him with more resources, and there were hardly any ethics enforced to stop him. He left the caravan to drift in his early teens, and relied on petty crime for just about everything.

The years that followed were a consistent climbing of the ladder of infamy. Scrubs made a name for himself for being particularly ruthless and for having the guts to pull off dangerous or high-risk heists. From hitting banks to stealing a flashy pegasus, then having the gall to actually fly her and be recognized from a long ways off, most pilots and law enforcement have a mix of respect and disdain for him. He's opportunistic, skilled, and fearless - acting on impulse rather than premeditating against victims. While Scrubs has been plaguing mainly the Talon Lands for a solid 15 years now, he has been spotted in every region over the years.

Said flashy pegasus is Peg. The meanest mare on the planet. She's temperamental, loves to bite, and takes no prisoners. But Peg is also smart. Despite their adversarial "relationship", she's the only pegasus that will tolerate his intense flying, and he's the only pilot that will tolerate her attitude.

Scrubs is now in his upper 30s or so and mainly haunts the Talon Lands, making a "living" via preying on solo pilots and stealing their money/supplies. He also scavenges the remains of ill-fated prospector groups and explorers. The Talon Lands are famous for its legends of gold easily mined from exposed veins amongst the many thin chasms. And while there definitely is gold there, the landscape is a hostile wasteland - hot, windy, and rife with bandits, so actually finding, mining, and escaping with any gold at all is nearly impossible. Scrubs is undeniably top-dog among the riffraff, and they scatter like crows before a vulture when he finds something to scavenge or a victim to steal from.

His sightings recently have been centered in the north of his territory, near a little homestead that's used as a rest-stop by traveling merchants and prospectors. It's situated on beautiful, clear water creek, which has created an oasis for whoever might be hardy enough to live that close to bandit country.

It's run by a woman named Bonnie along with her two adopted kids, and has turned the rundown homestead into a tidy little business. Many assume that Scrubs is using the homestead to case new victims instead of hunting them down out in the wastelands, but rumors whisper that Bonnie has some sort of dirt on him because he, nor any other bandit, have ever robbed her. Or perhaps they have a deal worked out, but he's only been directly witnessed on the homestead property once or twice by traveling tenants so there's a lot of speculation. Bonnie changes the subject when asked about it.

-

So yeah, there's a little rundown on Scrubs. He'll show up in Greenhorn Trail (which I'll be officially announcing soon!!), and I may or may not have another comic outlined that features him specifically lol. But I need to finish Molly's comic first!

~ Larn

--

Sky Cowboys Discord Community | Patreon | Art Prints

[cybershock24601]

Haven't read the wingmaker job yet but keep seeing snippets from it and the best justification I have for why Illario is so different is because he's McFreakin' Losing It during the game. His house of cards is collapsing and to say he is not handling it well would be an understatement.

First, he has the cousin he's been mourning for a year and probably dealing with a very complicated mix of grief, guilt, and regret because he ordered Lucanis' death and still hasn't gotten what he wanted out of it- being made First Talon - and only lost his brother. Only to find out actually his cousin is alive, his grandmother has known the whole time and didn't say anything to him, and now his cousin is going to be coming back and Illario knows he's never going to be First Talon unless he does something. Then Lucanis is back and he's an abomination, a fate a lot of people in Thedas would say is worse than death and I'm sure Illario knows that Caterina would still pick Lucanis anyways even after she finds out what her poor boy has become.

Second, he needs to get rid of Caterina because it's clear she's not going to let him be First Talon ever. But he can't kill her. That's his grandmother who he has an incredibly complex relationship with and still craves her approval even though he knows he isn't going to get it, and after everything with Lucanis, I don't think Illario could go through with killing someone else close him considering how messed up he was after getting rid of Lucanis. Which also presents problems because is he just going to keep Caterina locked up for the rest of her days? What was the end goal in kidnapping her? I don't think Illario really thought it all through because he was panicking and had to think fast when he found out Lucanis was alive and coming back.

Third, Illario also has to deal with Zara. No matter what Illario's actual feelings towards her are, Illario still has to keep her thinking he's still interested and into her even after she betrayed him by capturing and torturing Lucanis for a year. Illario probably started making his deal with the Venetori long before you find out about it in the game seeing as he's already cozied up to Zara, so he's also having to play an entire organization for their support which probably gets a lot more complicated after he kills his main point of contact even if he likely frames it as Rook and Lucanis offing her.

Lastly, Illarrio has to think of the Crows and present himself as a properly grieving grandson and relieved that his cousin is back and manage House Dellamorte with his grandmother gone and Lucanis on contract. He's gotta gather support amongst the other Talons and allay suspicion and with so many different plates to balance and sheer emotional turmoil the guy is going through, it makes sense that he's dropping the ball on a lot of things during the game. Illario is stuck in a nightmare scenario and its one he set in motion himself with no way out and only the title of First Talon as consolation that everything he has done was worth it.

[gamergirlwrites]

Dating Moira O'Deorain HCs

NSFW UTC

SFW

Your relationship with Moira comes as a surprise to both of you. Her attitude has a tendency to outweigh her attractiveness enough that she doesn't care for much more than a fling.

She's not a very attentive partner, but she is very possessive and gets easily upset when you show any amount of attention towards someone else. A few people have disappeared before, but neither of you mention it.

Moira has a taste for the finer things in life, and you learn quickly just how deep Talon's pockets are.

Moira isn't just an "evil scientist" she is also an intellectual, and she takes her studies extremely seriously. Like, she's more likely to get mad at you for interrupting her researching something than she is her actual work.

Moira takes a while to open up to you affectionately. It's not until you have a fight about your own needs that she realizes you need a lot more than what she's giving you.

Cuddling ends up being a bit uncomfortable because her body is best described as sharp, but the two of you find ways around it. After a little while, you're pretty sure that she actually likes having you close to her.

Moira is pretty handy around the house and will fix anything that's broken if you let her know. You're pretty sure that once you start rewarding her with kisses and more (depending o the fix) she starts purposefully breaking things.

Moira does try to be a good partner for you, but she often falls short which leads to a lot of fights. Luckily, she's gotten very good at making things up to you without apologizing. She's very stubborn and hates saying that she's sorry, so she'll distract you instead.

NSFW

A big part of Moira's distractions after or during fights is sexual. She's very dominant and will go several rounds until she's fucked the sense out of you.

Moira prefers to top you, but she always makes sure to get herself off as well. She'll wait until you've cum, but aren't worn out to sit on your face and ride it until she's satisfied.

Moira is a strict domme if she's not using sex to make an argument up to you. She'll punish you pretty harshly, but does work up to you being able to handle whatever she wants to throw your way.

She's stupidly good with the strap and is an absolute cocky asshole about it. She'll tease you relentlessly after about the noises that you made while she fucked you.

Does pull you into her office for sex, but never the labs because that's dangerous. There are toys in the last drawer on the right, which is always locked no matter what.

Moira keeps her nails long, so she only ever uses her mouth and toys on you. She also likes scratching you and looking at the marks later, occasionally taking pictures.

If you're home alone while she's busy in the labs or at the university, she will request that you send her pictures or videos throughout the day. Moira always remembers to show you her gratitude from that later on in the day.

She gets jealous easily, and when she does, expect to be absolutely railed into the bed. Moira can be ruthless when she wants to be, and doesn't care about what you want from her whenever she starts thinking that there's something to prove.

[wishforhome]

random thoughts about viago as king

i've been kind of playing with an eventual fic in which viago becomes the king of antiva, and here are some random related thoughts and history for anyone else thinking about this (in no particular order and kind of rambling):

The succession in Antiva is probably kind of a mess. Fulgeno II has multiple legitimate heirs but countless bastard children, including Viago himself. All the other bastards are living outside of Antiva.

Historically, the succession has often been determined by external forces. The merchant princes likely have a significant say, as do the Crows themselves (World of Thedas Vol. 2 notes: "The Antivan Crows are an order of assassins so entrenched in the nation of Antiva that they have become a political force unto themselves. More than once they have all but dictated who would ascend the throne of Antiva, regardless of who originally stood in the line of succession.")

In order to become king, my guess is that Viago would likely need to accomplish at least two of the following three things: (1) eliminate all the legitimate heirs and any illegitimate heirs with the power or resources to challenge him, (2) have the backing of the merchant princes, and/or (3) have the backing of the Antivan Crows.

The throne in Antiva is extremely weak, with most actual power being held in practice by the Merchant Princes and the Crows. In Eight Little Talons, we learn that Viago apparently believes that if he were to take the throne, he could restore true power to the monarchy; it is my personal suspicion that he would do this by leveraging the Crows to directly support his reign. In order to make the monarchy more powerful, he would need to reduce the influence of the merchant princes while maintaining control of the crows. (Having a close ally as First Talon would undoubtedly make this much easier for him.)

The Merchant Princes are highly unlikely to back Viago for king, since his goal is to centralize power within the monarchy, which would necessarily reduce the influence of the merchant princes.

There's been one civil war in Antiva in recent history, the "Three Queens" era which occurred early in the Dragon Age, sometime after Maric Theirin retook the throne of Ferelden in 9:00-9:02 but before 9:14.

We know that Viago and Fulgeno II have some kind of relationship, as Viago says at the end of Eight Little Talons that he's going to Antiva City to brief the king about what happened at Lago di Novo.

A codex entry notes that "when the Antaam invaded the South, the people there were completely unprepared. Antiva and northern Rivain were overrun quickly, with the invaders pushing down through the Green Dales to the Minanter River, leaving only the southernmost of the Free Marches spared." This suggests Antaam forces likely hold the majority of Antiva, not just Treviso; however, the King apparently remains free [not that he has much actual power], as Viago and Teia send him reports on their efforts against the Antaam in Treviso.

Viago would likely be able to leverage some popular support from the common people given his role in freeing Treviso specifically (and possibly Antiva as a whole) from the clutches of the Antaam, as well as his contributions to defeating the gods.

One potential route for Viago might be if his father legitimatized him in recognition of his contributions to Antiva during the Antaam invasion. I likely won't go this route, but I think it's an angle that could work.

Viago would likely face some opposition in terms of making Teia queen, given that she's both a commoner and an elf, but I believe he would figure it out and make it happen. She might also be popular with commoners given her roots.

It is unclear whether Viago could maintain his position as a Talon while also being King of Antiva. It is apparently not uncommon for members of the Royal family (non-bastard ones, even) to join the Crows (World of Thedas Vol II notes that one royal princess, Liviana, founded the Valisti dynasty of merchant princes and was First Talon at one point). [Talk about overlap: one person was a royal princess, a merchant prince AND First Talon.]

I genuinely think Viago would be a pretty good king. He would be good for the economy, putting the welfare of the nation ahead of the individual fortunes of the merchant princes, and he would be a significant patron of the arts. That said, it would probably be a really scary time to be a noble or merchant prince because if you pissed him off too much, he'd have you killed.

My personal plan for making Viago king is as follows: his father dies of natural causes, and with the succession being extremely contested and with the country on the verge of another civil war, Viago clears the playing field by eliminating everyone else vying for the throne. The Merchant Princes don't want him, but are forced to recognize his claim given the lack of other alternatives, Viago's support from the crows (thanks Lucanis and Teia) and the fact that he is extremely popular with commoners, both because of his role in defeating the Antaam/gods and the rumours that he was behind the string of deaths that prevented another war from breaking out.

[kryptokent]

clark kent (smallville) x male reader

before clark meets up with you for a coffee date, his mother makes an unusual discovery in the laundry basket.

warnings/content: lead up to smut but fade to black, established relationship, you know about his powers, bisexual clark :3

word count: 1.7k

also on ao3!

dinosaur boxers

“Hm,” Martha murmurs, rifling through the laundry basket and grabbing at an item. “I’ve never seen these before.”

“What is it, Martha?” Jonathan asks, peering over that morning’s newspaper. 

She turns around and holds up a pair of boxers. “These aren’t yours, are they?”

Jonathan raises an eyebrow at the design. “No. Must be Clark’s.” He shakes his head with a huff of laughter and turns back to the newspaper. “Although I can’t imagine him wearing that.”

“I dunno. I didn’t buy these for him.”

Chuckling to himself, Jonathan folds the paper and places it on the table, standing up to make his way over to her. “Martha, Clark is 18. I’m sure he’s old enough to buy his own underwear by now.”

“Well, yeah, but he…” She starts, trailing off. Instead, she gives him an embarrassed smile. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

“When am I ever wrong?” He smirks, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Making his way back to the kitchen table, he grabs his jacket and shrugs it on. “Speaking of Clark, where is that–”

“You were speaking about me?” Clark asks, bounding down the stairs with a grin. “Good things, I hope.”

“We were just talking about this mystery underwear your mom found.”

Clark tilts his head and turns to his mother, the smile slipping off his face immediately at the sight. She waves the boxers, still holding them in front of her chest, and asks, “These yours?”

“Uh, y-yes,” Clark manages to get out through a cough. Martha’s eyebrows knit together and Jonathan turns back to face him with his eyebrows reaching his hairline. Clark clears his throat and smiles again. “Yes. Of course they’re mine, mom, who else’s would they be?”

She takes that as an acceptable answer and shrugs, dropping them back into the basket. “Just didn't think dinosaur-themed boxers were your thing.”

His face heats up. “Trying something new. Anyways, gotta go.” He’s out the door before anyone else can say anything.

Staring at the door in confusion, Jonathan shakes his head. “That was weird, wasn’t it?”

“Definitely. Think he’s hiding something?”

He thinks for a moment. “That he really likes dinosaurs.”

Outside, Clark takes a few deep breaths to calm himself. That was close, he thinks, before shooting off toward the Talon. He comes to a stop at the back alley, glancing around to make sure no one's nearby to notice him, and makes his way to the front of the building. To his surprise, you’re already standing at the corner behind a dumpster and he almost jumps out of his skin.

“Jesus, you scared me!”

“Sorry,” you laugh, waiting for him to catch his breath. “I know you like to come this way.”

“Do you now?” Clark laughs, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to your lips. He pulls away, searches the area, finds no one, and presses his lips back to yours. The height difference makes his chest swell with joy and he pulls you closer, wrapping his arms around your lower back. Between kisses, he mutters, “You'll never guess what my parents found earlier.”

“What’d they find?”

Clark pulls away and leans against the wall with a smug look. “Your boxers.”

“What?”

“Mhm.” Pushing off the wall, he gently grabs your arm and leads you toward the entrance of the Talon. “You must have left them there last time you were… over. I figure you took mine instead when you rushed out.”

You take a shaky breath. “Do they suspect anything?”

“You mean do they suspect we’re dating? No, doesn’t seem like it.”

“That’s good,” you reply as you take a seat closest to the door. “I guess you still don’t wanna tell anyone?”

Clark gives you an awkward smile as he sits opposite you and leans in close. “I just don’t know how they’ll react,” he says, voice hushed. “I mean, I know they’ll accept me, but…”

“You’re just not ready to announce you have a boyfriend.”

He looks around quickly, worrying that someone would overhear. “Exactly.”

Your hand twitches, and to Clark it looks as if you’re  about to reach for his hand but have second thoughts. He wants to reach out for you in return, hold your hand with no fear, but he stops himself. “That’s okay,” you smile, a small smile at first before it turns into a loving grin that lights him up like the Fourth of July. “I completely understand. As long as you’re happy, yeah?”

���I am happy.” Clark bumps his foot against yours under the table with a sweet smile. “You make me happy.”

Your grin widens “You make me happy too, Clark.”

He smirks and glances around. “Why don’t we get outta here?”

“Thought you wanted coffee.”

He shrugs. “Coffee can wait.” He stands and brushes a hand over your shoulder casually as he passes you, beckoning you to follow him.

“And this can’t?” You laugh, following outside and back down the alley. “What have you got planned?”

“Something fun,” he grins, looking around before taking you into his arms. “May I?”

“You may.”

Clark’s lips find your cheek. “Hold on.” He waits until you’re in his arms before speeding off, running faster than the speed of light. He runs and runs and runs until he makes it back to the farm, entering the barn and slowing down.

“We’re at the barn,” you state.

“Mhm.”

You smirk at him. “And what do you plan to do here?”

“Well…” he trails off, looking you up and down with his own flustered smile. “Whatever you want. But first, I’ll be back in a minute.”

He speeds off, leaving you standing alone. You shake your head with a laugh at his abrupt exit and make your way upstairs. By the time you’re flopping onto the couch and picking up a book from the table, Clark returns holding two coffees. 

“You couldn’t have gotten them before we left?” You ask, chuckling. 

“I didn’t think.”

“Do you ever?”

Clark rolls his eyes and hands you a cup, gently pushing your legs aside so he can sit next to you. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever, wise guy.” He takes a sip of his coffee and smiles. “I figured we could have our coffee date here. In private. Where no one can see us.”

“That is what private means, Clark.”

He huffs out a laugh. “I can never catch a break with you, can I?”

“Only when I’m dead.”

“Well I hope that’s not soon,” he whispers, leaning in close and looking deep into your eyes. His breath fans your cheek. Leaning closer, he presses a few soft kisses from your lips toward your cheekbone, and he smiles, before pulling back and taking another sip of his drink. “Now I can kiss you whenever I want.”

You giggle at that. “Alright, loverboy. You sure your parents won’t come up here?”

“They’re both out doing their own things. We’re all alone up here.”

“Alone, huh?”

Clark flushes red. “Mhm.”

“Well maybe I can get my boxers back then?”

“Oh…” He glances away. “Yeah, uh, sure. I can go get them for you.”

You roll your eyes in amusement and laugh, leaning forward to press a kiss to his burning cheek. “I mean, Clark, that you'll have to take these ones off first.”

His breath catches in his throat and his wide eyes find yours. “Wh– I– Oh. Oh, heh, yeah. Yeah.”

“You’re so cute,” you laugh, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “But it looks like you might explode if I say anything else like that. Let’s just enjoy this coffee first.”

He nods eagerly, making you laugh even more. “Sure. Yeah. It’s nice coffee. Really nice.”

You shuffle closer so that you’re curling into him, head on his firm chest. His strong arm instinctively wraps around you, pulling you closer, and he drops a kiss to the top of your head. “I’m glad we’re together, Clark.”

“Me too. If you hadn’t flirted with me on that day we met, I don’t know where I’d be right now.”

“Still chasing after girls that already have boyfriends, I bet. And blissfully unaware you could have been chasing after the boyfriends, too.”

He laughs and you can feel the vibrations of it against your cheek. “I’d have figured it out!” You glance up and raise an eyebrow and he gives you a cheeky smile. “Eventually.”

Pressing your lips to his, you smile. “I’m glad I helped you out.”

“Me too.”

The kiss deepens and you can feel rather than see Clark leaning forward to place his coffee on the table behind you. His hand slides up your arm and takes your cup too, placing it beside his. You chuckle against his lips as he pulls you into his lap. “Thought you were enjoying your coffee.”

“I was,” he shrugs, trailing kisses down to your jaw. “But I’ll definitely enjoy this more.”

You tilt your head to give him more access to your neck. “What happened to my cute flustered farm boy?”

Clark pulls back to smirk and there’s a playful glint in his beautiful blue eyes. “You talk too much,” he says, more of a loving statement than an insult. Pushing you against the soft pillows of the couch, he hovers over you confidently. “I guess I need to shut you up.”

You laugh and tug at the hem of his shirt before lifting it up and over his head. “And you need to give me my boxers back.”

He rolls his eyes “What did I just say, mister?”

“I don’t know,” you shrug, eyes stuck to his toned torso. No matter how many times you’ve seen him shirtless, the beauty of him still amazes you. “Wasn’t listening. Was a bit distracted.”

He chuckles and dips back down to trail kisses from your lips to your neck, sliding his hands under your shirt and over your burning skin. “Guess I gotta help you with that.”

“And my bo–”

“And your boxers, I know, I know.” You share a sweet laugh and he removes your shirt, smiling down at you. “You're so beautiful. So, so beautiful.”

“Says you.”

He gives you his usual boyish grin and gives you a sweet kiss. “I do say so.”

It’s safe to say the coffee grows cold a while before the two of you are done.

[magicalqueennightmare]

Got You- Pt 3/3

John Walker x Reader (nicknamed Talon with black canary style powers)

When a mission goes sideways and you get hurt you and John both admit how you feel

Mention of violence, getting stabbed, surgery

You were sitting on the counter in the kitchen next to Yelena. Bob was making pancakes, Bucky and John were down in the gym and you weren’t sure where the other two residents of the watchtower currently were. No one knew what happened between you and John yet. You were hesitant to act any differently in front of the team.  Mainly because you really didn’t want to push a title on whatever was between the two of you. 

You were falling in love with him. You knew it, no matter how much you tried to deny it, tried to tell yourself not. Every time he would crawl into your bed, wrapping himself around you or every time he would pull you into his bed, wanting you as close as possible. You knew that man had taken your heart. The thing was, he’d gone from Olivia who was his high school sweetheart, the mother of his child and the only serious relationship he’d ever had to this.

How could you ask him to be in love with you? What if you told him and this whole thing was a transitional relationship to him? You were a friend, someone who saw past his mistakes and misdoings. You were easy to access due to living together and even if you broke whatever this was off you would still have to be civil because of the rest of the team. 

You sighed a little bit louder than you meant, causing Yelena and Bob to share a look before Bob bumped your leg “Blueberries or chocolate chips?” you smiled “Um whichever you wanna tackle” he nodded “I’m on it” he turned back to the pan as Yelena pushed a mug of coffee into your hands “You’re being quiet” you shrugged “Little tired I guess, also am I the only one waiting for Valentina to pop around the corner? We haven’t had a mission in almost two weeks. That woman is like the plague in designer clothes”

“Bite your tongue!” Yelena laughed. You shrugged “Sorry!” and Bob shook his head “Leave her alone Yelena. She’s going a little stir crazy. She’s used to being out” you winked at him “Thank you!” 

Bob moved your pancakes onto a plate and held them out. The moment the plate got into your hand your phone buzzed with a text from Bucky. “Meeting in ten” Yelena looked up from her phone, glaring at you. You slid off the counter, grabbing the syrup and your coffee “Sorry?”

John was already sitting in the debrief room with Bucky and Alexei when you, Ava and Yelena walked in. “Nice of you all to join us” Bucky teased and you glared at him “Easy Barnes” you took the seat between John and Bucky. 

John cut his eyes at you with a small smile. You smiled then turned your eyes to Bucky “So, what’s the mission?” “Clear an old facility. No big deal” Bucky replied which in turn caused everyone to audibly groan “That’s like a nurse or a firefighter saying it’s a quiet night! Curse of death Bucky!” you scolded and John laughed “It’ll be ok Talon”

You turned to look at him “Says you. You overwork your muscles, you’re sore. I overwork my scream, I pass out” “And I’ll catch you” he replied with no hesitation. Your eyes widened slightly and he realized he’d said that in front of the entire team. 

Yelena chuckled low and Bucky cleared his throat “Anyways. Let’s gear up, I’ll go over basics in the air”

John’s eyes tracked your figure as the two of you cleared hall after hall of your assigned part of the facility. So far you’d found some old research of where they’d been trying to replicate the serum. You’d of course "accidentally"  destroyed the equipment with the research on it. Valentina nor the government needed to get their hands on the formula to make more super soldiers. John and Bucky both agreed on that.

The way you handled yourself, the need to protect you despite knowing you could take care of yourself. He was so damn in love with you and it was so damn confusing trying to face it. How was he supposed to tell you that? You were the one that wanted it to be slow, that wanted to keep it behind closed doors. Now here he was head over heels, thinking about a future with you front and center. Christ have mercy.

_______________________

You could feel John’s eyes. He’d been watching you like he was afraid you would disappear. Was he kicking his own ass for that comment he made during the debrief that really didn’t sound like a friend talking to a friend? Was he hoping you didn’t read too deep into it? 

You shook your head, getting your attention on the task at hand. You’d already destroyed all the equipment you’d found with serum research on it. No one needed that. You looked over at John and his eyes met yours just as a panel in the wall clicked open and guards streamed into the hall. “Fuck” you muttered. You and him were effectively surrounded with at least a four to one ratio and you couldn’t use your scream or risk hurting him. 

“Looks like we’re having fun after all” you scoffed, pulling a gun in your right hand and a knife in your left. You nodded to the nearest guard “Come on then, let’s do it”

______________________

The hallway was a whirlwind of motion. John was trying to fight and keep an eye on you. More guards streamed into the small space, both of you had already hit your coms for back up. He was separated from you by half a dozen men. He slammed his shield into one’s neck, shooting another and was almost to you when his world stopped. You were fighting two men, holding your own and winning when a third clicked out of a wall panel. “TALON” he screamed but his voice was lost to the sounds of fighting. 

He could see the flash of pain through your face as the knife found its mark in your side.

______________________

Yelena and Ava ran to back up you and John. When they got to the northeast corner of the building they both froze. It was a bloodbath. Bodies of guards strewn everywhere, John was on his knees next to your still frame. “Hold on baby, just hold on” 

They both rushed over and saw that somehow a knife had made its way through your suit. John was holding pressure but from the looks of it you were still losing blood fairly fast. “We need evac NOW” Yelena called over the com. “I couldn’t get to her” John muttered as Ava dug her first aid kit out, slipping her hands under his to pack gauze into your wound. You screamed out in pain and that seemed to break John out of the shock he was in. 

“Ava!” he scolded and she glared at him “If she’s in pain, she’s alive!” Ava tightly wrapped your side and nodded to him “Pick her up. She needs you now” he nodded, scooping you up into his arms, you whimpered in pain as your body curled into itself “It’s ok baby, I got you” he whispered and saw you had tears working out of your eyes. “Fucking hurts” you whispered, trying to keep your eyes open. He nodded “I know baby. You just gotta stay awake. Ok?”

You nodded weakly “Stay awake. Talk to me?” he saw Yelena and Ava eye the gauze that was soaking through even as they ran.  “Um.. Olivia wants to give me visitation” your head rolled over onto his chest and for one terrifying moment he worried you passed out or worse until your voice hit his ears, small and broken but there “Really? You get to see him?” 

He nodded, swallowing back tears “Yeah baby” by then they were to the jet and Bucky was reaching for your body to help Yelena and Ava try to triage your injuries while the team back at the watch tower got the med bay prepped. He laid you down on the stretcher, kneeling next to it so he wasn’t in their way. Your head turned to the side so you could see him. You looked so damn weak and a thin sheen of sweat covered your face. 

He cut his eyes up at Bucky. “It hit her spleen, she’s bleeding bad” you winced under Bucky’s hands and it took everything in John to not scream at Bucky that he was hurting you. “I’m ok” you assured everyone, hand reaching out for John’s. “I’m ok” you whispered, eyes fluttering. They were trying and failing to get the bleeding to stop. Every blink of your eyes was getting slower. “Talon, open your eyes” Bucky ordered and you forced your eyes open to say “Don’t boss me around”

“Whatever works” Bucky told you, metal hand wrapping around your side over the gauze, using the strength in it as an attempt to keep enough pressure. Your head lulled slightly, a small whine leaving you “I’m tired” “Do not close your eyes!” John urged and your head turned towards him “I love you. Just in case” he froze, eyes wide. You loved him? “No just in case. You’re gonna be fine” he whispered and more tears slid down your face “It’s ok that you don’t” you whispered and your eyes fluttered shut as Ava cursed “Her pulse is dropping. We need a med team. NOW” 

John held onto your hand, “Wake up baby, please. I do, I love you. Just wake up” you didn’t move, didn’t shift. Even as Bucky started CPR.

John was sitting just outside the surgery wing. He hadn’t bothered with a chair. He was sitting on the floor, staring at his hands that were still stained with your blood. He heard boots before Yelena slid down the wall to sit next to him. “So that’s why she’s been quiet”

He cut his eyes at her “Huh?” she sniffled and he could tell she’d been crying and was trying to distract herself from the fact that she could lose you too.  “We’ve been together since right after Paris” he replied and she nodded “I’m not surprised. You always look at her like you’re seeing her for the first time. She looks at you like she’s safe” 

He laughed humorlessly, swallowing hard “Safe? Like I kept her today?”  “Safe like she doesn’t have to hide any part of herself” she whispered and he leaned his head back “I let yet another person down Belova and if something happens to her…” 

“It won’t!” she bit at him and he nodded, knowing she wasn’t even angry at him. She was scared. “I do love her. I’m in love with her. I was just so afraid of hurting her and she wanted to keep it out of public. I understood if she was ashamed of me” 

The next moment shocked him more than just about anything. Yelena leaned her head over on his shoulder “Talon understands forgiveness more than any of us. She understands doing things you wish you could change. She doesn’t judge for mistakes” he nodded, “She deserves more than me” Yelena laughed “She does, but she loves you” the two of them sat in silence after that, just waiting for news. Eventually Bob, Bucky, Ava and Alexei joined them.

___________________

After what felt like hours the head surgeon walked out.  “We had to remove her spleen. She lost a lot of blood but she’s going to make a full recovery” John hit his knees then and there. He didn’t give a damn who was watching. “Can we see her?” Bucky asked and the surgeon looked around “One of you. She needs rest. She’s here in the tower so you can see her more in the morning”

Bucky looked at him “Get up and go” he nodded, scrambling up to follow the surgeon down the hall.

You felt like your head had gotten stuffed inside of a giant cotton ball or that you were being shoved underwater repeatedly… or both. “Fuck” you groaned when the overhead lights blinded you when you finally managed to open your eyes. “I’ve got you” an achingly familiar voice crooned before the lights dimmed.

You worked your eyes open again and John was next to the bed, still in his suit. All the memories of what happened hit you at once. You told him you loved him. “Hey” you managed and he smiled “Hey. You scared us” “I scared me” you laughed.

He reached for your hand “Can we talk?” you shook your head “If it’s a let me down easy, please don’t” his face fell, “Sweetheart, no” you raised your eyes to his and god those baby blues “What then John?” you whispered and he smiled softly “I was just going to tell you that I love you too”

“You do?” you asked, a little dumbfounded and he nodded “I do” “What about not going public?” you asked and he laughed “That was you darlin. We could’ve gone public the next morning and I would’ve been happy” you groaned, holding your side “What happened to me after all? What’s the verdict?” 

He grimaced “They had to remove your spleen. You’ll be out of missions for a couple weeks and Yelena is overseeing everyone’s suits getting redone” you nodded slowly “Last thing I remember is you taking out a hall full of guards to get to me” he shrugged one shoulder “They needed more men if they wanted to keep me from you” 

You held out a hand and he let you pull him to you. “So, you gonna play nurse?” you teased and he laughed “Gladly honey. I’ll even get the outfit for ya if you’re a good girl” you felt your face warm “You’re an asshole” he grinned “But I’m your asshole” 

“That you are. I love you” you told him and he grinned “I love you too” before pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

[statyx02]

okay actually more assorted moon and turtle and peril thoughts

moon and peril have pretty much no positive interaction within the arc (with the only two exceptions to my knowledge being when moon looked at peril with pity at the end of chapter 8 of escaping peril and when moon laughs at peril’s thoughts in chapter 19 of the same book) and in fact, throughout most of escaping peril moon is outright aggressive towards peril, and describes her thoughts as “disturbing”, (which is interesting given how turtle is noted to have developed violent intrusive thoughts in talons of power following his fight with chameleon-as-shapeshifter in the previous book). It seems almost out of character given her willingness to excuse winter, flame, darkstalker, etc.’s hostility, even when others tell her she shouldn’t. moon is usually portrayed as empathetic to a fault, and yet she switched to being hostile to peril in a way that contradicts their initial interactions in moon rising, especially given that moon saw peril try to save carnelian and bigtail in the fire. she has a level of disdain for her that only makes sense if we assume she’s taken winter’s opinions on her as gospel, which she notably refuses to do later for darkstalker, but i digress*

turtle does have a positive relationship with both of them, in both cases seeming to stem from his feeling of solidarity towards them and their “dangerous” powers. in the case of peril, he goes as far as to say he had considered telling peril about his animus magic, a secret he has kept from everyone his entire life, based solely on the principle that, “we’re not so different, you and i.”

the three do share a narrative similarity as well, being that they all temporarily lose their abilities in their own books. moon becomes unable to read minds when she takes the skyfire necklace from onyx, peril gives up her firescales when she accepts the enchanted pendant from chameleon, and turtle is enchanted to lose his animus magic by darkstalker. interestingly though, they all have different reactions to it. for moon, she is startled and afraid by the sudden quietness, and describes feeling as though she is drowning in silence. she is quick to pass the amulet to qibli, and feels as though she needs to sit and take in the noise after her powers return. turtles reaction is both negative and positive. while he feels that his powers being taken away is worse than his imprisonment, he describes feeling as though he has been “scoured clean” of his power. peril losing her power was a gift to her, she views it as a kindness to “no longer be herself”. she loses this mentality towards the end of the book as she works through her trauma from queen scarlet, but her initial reaction to losing her powers is still positive.

i think turtles neutral view towards his ability is what lets him relate to both moon and peril, he understands what its like to feel anxiety at the thought of that power being taken away, but he also knows why peril feels her firescales are a curse. he approaches both with a kindness and compassion that peril and moon do not show each other.

we started seeing the signs of a more positive relationship between the two towards the end of escaping peril (such as the scene in which peril burns the scroll, qibli and winter are horrified, but moon and turtle are both appreciative of peril), but unfortunately given the group is separated following darkstalker’s release, that dynamic was never explored further, i really think with how turtle cares for both of them, the three of them could have been close friends had they spent more time together

*having reread that scene i realized she’s specifically hostile to peril because she, in her thoughts, insulted qibli’s intelligence and implied it would be easy to defeat him in a fight, which feels like a strange thing to be upset about given several of her close friends (i.e. darkstalker, winter, and qibli himself) plan how they could defeat others in a fight if they had to, and have been known to insult turtle (and others), peril isnt any more hostile than they are, so moons fear of her is based almost entirely on her firescales. its somewhat reciprocated with peril’s reaction to moon’s ability, but peril was upset with turtle having assumed it to be a trap, not moon

[chaosherald]

Thursday bangers 5/8

Lyric prompt game started by @woundedsoul12

Thank you @blackwall-my-tiny-husband for the tag!

Rules: Free form a blurb or drawing based on the weekly lyrics prompt. It doesn't have to include the prompt just whatever you're inspired to write, write it! Then tag some friends so they can play as well. It doesn't have to be finished on Thursday just post it whenever you can (you have a whole week between Thursdays)

This week's prompt is :: taylor swift’s Lover - I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

(Post game Rookanis. This one absolutely got away from me and will need some polishing, but it was definitely fun ^_^ )

My Dear Readers, society's salacious soirees are in full swing as the spring social season has started! For this week’s column, I invite you to look back with me over a lesson hard learned by two of our favorites - the soon to be Lord and Lady Dellamorte of Treviso. Once, our intrepid god slayers attempted the impossible, to keep their torrid love affair behind closed doors. Let this little retrospective be a warning to any other aspiring lovers: be forthright with your passions less you find yourself mistaken for easy prey by those on the hunt for love.

((“We can’t keep doing this,” Rook said, tossing another unsolicited bouquet of flowers into the trash bin of her assigned room at the Starkhaven Keep. There was a note, a profession of love and desire from a local minor noble. It was not the first she had received since arriving for the tourney yesterday and she had already lost count of how many would be companions had approached her in person.

Lucanis was fastidiously pulling perfumed and embroidered scarves from where they had been stuffed into his pockets. Favors from various admirers. They joined the flowers and love note in the trash. He had just arrived this morning and already looked exhausted. “Agreed.”))

To set the scene, dear readers, we must go back to the first social season after the Final Blight. The social calendar of the First Talon of the Antivan Crows was always demanding. The social calendar of the newly appointed Champion of the Veil, Hero of the Final Blight, Savior of Thedas, was even worse. Our beloved Rook, humble Mourn Watcher turned unexpected diplomatic darling of the north, was wholly unused to the scene but found herself the recipient of countless cannot refuse invitations.

We know now they did their best to coordinate, making the rounds together as much as possible, providing support for one another’s agendas and providing cover when one or the other of them needed to make a graceful exit.

But these appearances were all treated as obligations where our lovers were forced to be on display and accessible as Symbols and Policy Makers and Deal Brokers and other dull things. Rumor also has it both also fastidiously intentionally hoarded their true selves for private moments. So while they attended the balls and dinners and endless meetings together, some started to question if they were anything more than politically convenient allies.

I assume you see where this is going, Dear Readers? If one does not make it clear they are spoken for, they are inviting others to try speaking up!

That first season went smoothly enough. Many of the attendees at the glittering galas of the northern kingdoms knew the truth of their relationship and were able to dissuade their companions from attempting anything foolish.

And yes, I hear you Readers. Many in Tevinter knew. Enough of Archon Pavus’ inner circle had seen the lovers clinging to each other after the Battle of Minrathous to remove any question as to the nature of their relationship.

Arlathan knew. Many had shared camps with our heroes, broken bread with them, and saw them without the careful facades.

The Wardens told stories in the Anderfels. The Lords of Fortune in Rivain. 

And of course Antiva knew. Antivans love a dramatic love story and we love them for it. The First Talon and the Champion of the Veil, killing gods to keep each other safe. And we all know there are eyes everywhere in Treviso and they often spied stolen kisses at the cafes, held hands at the markets, and acts of immediate and unforgiving violence against any who dared threaten our trying-to-stay-hidden lovers. Antiva had front row seats and it was better than the opera and I might be a little jealous.

Nevarra was where the first hint of trouble came to be, where dear Rook and Lucanis had a preview of what keeping their private lives private actually meant. One of the many would be heirs of King Markus attempted to woo Lady Rook over the course of a multiday diplomatic summit. Lavish gifts and a surprise private banquet and a dramatic public proposal on the dance floor almost came to blows when he was unwilling to gracefully accept the lady’s refusal. And that was but the beginning.

((After divesting themselves of the unwanted presents, they sprawled on her bed.  Lucanis had his own assigned room at the keep, in a different wing, and should have been heading there to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Another annoyance to add to the list. Lucanis rested his head on her shoulder while Rook threaded her fingers through his hair. “I think it needs to be tonight,” Rook said. “If we don't deal with it now, one of us is going to kill someone and cause a diplomatic incident.”

Lucanis grinned, kissing her collarbone. “I am not adverse to killing people. Especially for you.”

Rook smiled, turning her face to rest on the top of his head. “I know, but it would be terribly unprofessional.”

“Ah, that we cannot have. Tonight then, at the ball. If you are sure?”

“I’m sure.”))

As you can imagine, and as you might have heard, the second social season after the final blight was dramatically worse. The south had stabilized enough that there were more players on the field and more social obligations beyond the Waking Sea and more people who only saw the publicly polite sides of our hidden lovers and firmly rejected any rumors of them being involved with one another.

The attempts at their attentions and affections grew bolder, or so we have heard. After a ball in Val Royeaux, the First Talon found an Orlesian Bard in his room, wearing nothing but a mask and a smile.

A festival in Halamshiral fell to chaos when an elven hunter from the Dales attempted to kidnap Rook, convinced she would only find true love amongst her own.

The tale has also spread that Master Dellamorte had to duel a minor Ferelden noble who called Lady Rook a knife ear when she refused his invitation to dance and later at that same event, Rook had to curse a Templar who had tried to take on the “Crow Abomination” after his daughter’s flirting was rebuffed.

Doesn’t it all just sound exhausting, readers? One can appreciate a desire for privacy, but this is a truth nonnegotiable: one mustn’t hide. Not from us! Not from themselves! A little bird told me that at the end of the season our poor beleaguered lovers turned to their friends for suggestions on how best to stop the insanity. The consensus was simple - as much as they wanted to keep things private, that wasn’t an option. They had to show the world what they were to each other. Dramatically and decisively. And how lucky for us that they did.

((Lucanis helped Rook sneak out the window of her room in Starkhaven and she led them to the nearest active Eluvian. Their friends had been delighted to help them plan their grand debut as an official couple. Too delighted, in some cases. But everything they needed was at the Lighthouse, waiting to be fetched when they decided circumstances warranted it. It seemed counter to who they were, preparing to flaunt the private truths they had forged between them, but inevitable too. And if it meant they could get back to business without the endless distractions, it would be worth it.))

Last season had many memorable moments. Of particular interest to this gossip rag and scandal spreader was of course the behavior of First Talon Lucanis Dellamorte and his now officially intended, the Lady Rook, at the grand ball of the Starkhaven Tourney. They arrived together, fashionably late. He wore Watcher green and plum, Rook’s personal sigil embroidered on a scarf wrapped around his arm. Lady Rook was in a gown of Antivan design, done in the colors of House Dellamorte, a fancy crow blade at her side and a fancier opal ring on her finger. The crowd was stunned to see the normally professional, approachable, boring are-they-aren’t-they couple shut out the rest of the world and have eyes only for each other. They refused to talk business, fed each other canapes, chased with not so chaste kisses, and danced the night away. One of my lovely sources described their final turn of the dance floor as scandalously indecent, practically intercourse with their clothing on, and the couple made no secret of their intention to retire to the same room once the evening concluded.

Delightful, isn’t it readers? May we all be so open with our love! And may we all learn the lesson they did: trying to hide the truth does you no favors.

((Rook kept her eyes stubbornly closed, trying to shut out the light shining through the window. Last night had certainly been something.  Terrifying, at first. Putting themselves on display. By the end of the night, however, dancing with Lucanis, she had genuinely stopped caring about what everyone else thought. “How long do you think we have before Caterina and Teia start planning the wedding?”

Lucanis pulled her closer, his breath tickling her ear. “I’m sure they’ve already started.”))

Of course, that brings us back to the now. The highlight of the social scene this week is expected to be our lovers' grand wedding in Treviso. We wish them joy, a fabulous party, and just a little bit of drama and scandal.

And for the record, a little bird told me Lord and Lady Dellamorte already shared private vows in front of their inner circle, so maybe they did find a way to keep some parts of their lives to themselves. Dear Readers, we may never know for sure.

Until next week!

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

btw i think that it's cowardice that winter, moon and quibli didn't got to be a throuplet. winter wouldn't have been a good partner for either of them one in one, cause he didn't learn yet how to act gentle and how to lower his expectations towards himself and the world, and he is also outragously bad at communication. on the other hand, he thinks of moon and quibli so fondly, he considers them the closest to him, and he really tries. if any dragon on pyrrhia is trying, then it's winter. i imagine him being the stray cat boyfriend in the throuple, eager to learn from the other two and be close to them. and whenever you'd consider him too straight for a guy like quibli, remind yourself that he is a glittery prince of ice, what else would sound more bisexual then that??? from quibli's point of view, what the hell man. this dragon calls the prince of ice i mentioned before gorgeous and handsome and awesome every second page. HE IS SO GAY FOR HIM, AND HE ALSO BELIEVES IN HIM, quibli trusts winter so much that he would have let moon be with him. and on the third talon, moon chose well of course. she never was unable to make choices, she told quibli her decision as soon she figured it out, and we really love her for it. i am not sure how she's feeling, she has so much love for every one of her friends, i really can't speak in her place. But i also believe she would thrive in a polyam relationship, cause she is so honest and good in communication and she would adore her silly goofies loving eachother, she is just so openminded. i, of course, appriciate bromances and also appriciate winter's humble accaptance and sacrifice for his friend and his love, these are great, but i don't think winter should have deserved to be left alone, still feeling like he is unworthy of love and only his sacrifices matter to his loved ones. that really doesn't add to his growth.

.

[crossdressingdeath]

I keep thinking about the possibility of de Riva being (or having been, since they're out of training now) Viago's apprentice... That actually might be what I go for with Percy as long as the game doesn't actively contradict it, honestly, I don't even know if the Crows have an apprenticeship model but it delights me. Partially because it's just a fun concept, but mostly because I feel like it's a really good explanation for what I've seen of the relationship between these two (and also de Riva and Teia). I mean... Viago is the Fifth Talon, head of House de Riva, the head of Rook's house, and yet they're standing there snarking at him in front of the heads of two other houses (although they might not recognize Caterina, they haven't met her before). That doesn't make a lot of sense if the relationship between the two of them is strictly professional; while we haven't seen a huge amount of the inner workings of the Crows as an organization yet—we've mostly only seen it from the outside with Zevran in the games, and while we see a bit more in TN when we're given a clear idea of the hierarchy the characters in the story are on at least mostly equal footing—I don't get the sense they're big on insubordination, and de Riva can get very snarky at Viago in a situation where they're already on thin ice. I do get the impression Viago's going easy on them (and I think Teia's right when she says he was worried and he's happy they're home), which to me suggests that they know each other on a personal level as well as a professional one. I can't imagine there are many ways an assassin barely out of training becomes close enough to the head of their house to get away with talking to him the way de Riva does (can? I'm hoping their dialogue in that first scene is based on a prior conversation we haven't seen, maybe the one with Teia that the video I watched skipped, it feels like a weird decision for Bioware to make for our character), but it is possible that he was involved in their training before becoming Fifth Talon even if the Talons don't generally bother with training apprentices personally (which again is hard to judge since we don't actually know much about what Crow training involves beyond it being brutal).

But in some ways it's even more interesting to me that de Riva is friends with Teia. I mean, they're on nickname terms with the head of a rival house despite barely being out of training! They could send word and arrange for her to meet the party on arrival in Treviso and she did it with as far as we see no complaint or hesitation! That is wild! And it again suggests a close relationship with Viago to me, because while I imagine Crows don't often get to casually chat with Talons, especially Talons from houses other than their own, Viago introducing his friend/apprentice/whatever to his girlfriend friend and ally is a possibility if he and de Riva are close enough. And to me it'd definitely make a lot of sense if his relationship with de Riva was a master/apprentice deal; introducing your colleague to your apprentice and them seeing each other often enough to hit it off is a lot more likely than the same thing happening with a random subordinate (if nothing else Viago's personal apprentice is a lot more likely to be with him when he meets with Teia than a trainee whose only connection was being from Viago's house would be). I don't know! It just makes sense to me for de Riva to have been trained at least in part by Viago, even if it's just enough to have created a starting point for their relationship.

[cybershock24601]

The Rookanis brainworms got me again bc I’ve gone from wouldn’t it be funny if my Rook and Lucanis crossed paths for a moment before Veilguard and never realized it to formulating a whole au where Rook and Lucanis had a long distance friendship that just started to turn into something more right before Rook gets kicked out of the mourn watch and Lucanis gets stuck in the Ossuary. Rook writes like three letters to try and make extra sure that Lucanis knows what happened and that she’s going to be traveling and likely won’t be able to get any letters but she will write when she’s able to so she’s not super concerned when she doesn’t hear anything from him even if she does have a lot of anxiety about the situation she’s doing her best to bury because sure they’re both busy but surely Lucanis would try to get at least one letter to her, she did tell him that he could always leave a message with Myrna and Vorgoth to pass on, why hasn’t he sent her anything??

Meanwhile Lucanis is imprisoned in the Ossuary and all of Watcher Rook’s babbling about spirits had made it easier to deal with Spite but it’s still a very shitty situation. Spite’s probably even more fixated on Rook in this au because Lucanis wants to get out for a lot of reasons and see his family too but Rook’s probably the only person Lucanis wants to see again that he doesn’t have a lot of complicated emotions about because sure the whole long distance thing isn’t a neat situation, Rook doesn’t come with the same sort of emotional baggage Caterina and Illario have.

Anyways, the events of Veilguard happen and Neve suggests they go recruit the Demon of Vyrantium and Rook’s like sure and hopes that while in Antiva she might get a chance to track down her wayward crow. Rook does not know that the famed Demon of Vyrantium is her crow because it’s not like Lucanis ever really told her exactly who he was in the Crows. Rook knew he was a crow, had a complicated relationship with his grandma and cousin, and that Lucanis tended to play a lot of things close to the chest but seeing as Rook is also from a pretty secretive organization, she was never really that bothered by it because it’s not like she doesn’t have her own secrets to keep. Rook may like Lucanis but it’s not like she’s going to be spilling the secrets of the Necropolis to him and assumes Lucanis is dealing with the same thing which for the most part is true. It’s also that Lucanis liked just being Lucanis with Rook rather than Lucanis Dellamorte, the Demon of Vyrantium and didn’t want things to change with Rook if he told her about what exactly his position in the Crows was. Honestly Rook probably wouldn’t have cared that much beyond hitting him with a ‘that’s rough buddy’ and probably encouraging him to try to say no to his grandmother more. (“Have you tried telling her no? It’s just two letters. One syllable. It shouldn’t be that hard to say!”)

Which is a good thing because when Rook goes to meet with the Crows she’s starting to put the pieces together pretty quickly about who Lucanis is to the crows once she meets the talons + Illario and is doing her best to play it cool. Rook’s attempts at composure are not helped by being hit with the double whammy of her kinda boyfriend is dead no wait actually he’s alive he’s just been in the hands of the Venitori for a year. Which is totally not going to give Rook a guilt complex about the fact that her bf has been presumed dead for year and Rook didn’t even know.

Neve and Harding who came along to recruit their assassin (because this is my au and I can have a four person party if I want) are definitely noticing something is up but don’t get a chance to pump answers out an unusually quiet Rook (a quiet Rook is never a good sign) before they find Lucanis and are witness to the most emotionally charged yet emotionally stunted reunion they’ve ever seen. Neve and Harding are definitely trading glances between them like ‘are you seeing this shit?!’ as Rook and Lucanis have the most awkward reunion ever.

Rook is dealing with a lot of new information at once and a lot of guilt over the fact that she didn’t know her boyfriend was supposedly dead and had just been worried that maybe he didn’t like her anymore and would she ever have even found out what happened to Lucanis if she didn’t need his help to kill some ancient eleven gods? She’s even more guilty about the fact that he’s been trapped and tortured for a whole year and again Rook did not know!

Lucanis on the other hand is increadibly surprised to see Rook of all people in the Ossuary and almost thinks it’s some sort of dream that’s she’s in here rescuing him because how many times has he imagined something like that? He’s also dealing with a Spite who’s extra determined to talk to Rook and also the whole fact that he’s an abomination now and has a lot of feelings about that.

The first exchange between these two lovers goes something like this “you have a beard now. it looks.. nice.” “thank you? I didn’t really have a chance to shave in here” “that makes sense” cue awkward silence. Luckily Neve and Harding are there to get things back on track. Somewhat.

Anyways, the slow burn of the canon rookanis romance becomes two people learning to reconnect and navigate a very complex tangle of emotions after everything that happened in their year apart. Might write a fic about all this but I needed to get my idea out in the world one way or another.

Other au highlights include:

Rook and Lucanis met because Lucanis had to assassinate a mortalitasi and is sneaking in through the garden while Rook is there decompressing after dealing with the asshole and they both freeze. Lucanis is trying to decided whether he has to kill her and Rook just goes “guy you’re looking for is two floors up and three rooms to the right. good luck” Lucanis is like why are helping me to which Rook responds “this is the fourth time in as many weeks I’ve had to come deliver the same letter of censure to this guy for trying to supersede the royal charter and have to take time out of my day to come out here one more time I’m going start biting people. you’d really just be doing a public service getting rid of this guy”

Lucanis is the reason Rook switched to fighting with an arcane orb rather than a more traditional staff and helped her a lot with close quarters combat. He also gifted her a spellblade and was almost surprised that giving someone a knife worked.

The knife also tipped off Caterina that whoever this rando showing up to ask the Crows for help has some connection to Lucanis because of course Caterina would recognize the work of her grandson’s favorite blacksmith.

Illario only found out his cousin was involved with someone after Lucanis “died” and ended up going through his things because sure Illario might have ordered his death but that doesn’t mean he can’t be sad about it. Hidden under the floorboards is a small elegant lockbox filled with letters and a wyvern tooth dagger and Illario had a whole lot of feelings reading them and the slow transition from letters to love letters. Illario doesn’t realize it’s Rook though because Rook wasn’t going by Rook back then and was signing her letters with her government name.

[mirensiart]

I have a whole lot of questions.. .(answer at your risk)(oh also some of them are about oc)

1. Who is pen in your oc comic? Wasn’t he in that one where Chain was like, “Who is that girl?” and the girl was literally just Key

2. Do you like when people write fics where Marin is alive? If so, do you like the ones where she lives with Legend and Ravio?

3. Does Legend know who Malon is? Because in Oracle of Seasons, there’s a Cusco girl who says that her dad, Talon, is climbing a mountain or something… I’m pretty sure that girl is named Malon

4. Do you like fics where if Ravio saw Wars he would be like, “Hey! I know you!”?

5. How do you see Twilights and Dusk relationship as friends. I’ve seen a lot of fics where he just isn’t fond of Dusk and like never talks so her.

6. Do you like it when people say Fable and Legend are siblings and like they act goofy around each other?

7. When people write fics with Wind in them, do you prefer it when Wind acts more like a pirate and swears like every second or when he is a baby who just cry’s every minute?

8. This is really random but are Riju and Wild friends? (She’s like one of my favorite Zelda characters that’s why I asked)

9. Do you think Wild still has his champion abilities?

10. Have you read This is an Adjuration? If not… READ IT!! It’s probably the best LU fic I ever read

11. Have you read To Isolate? An also must read! It’s amazing! I love it so much!!

12. Do you think that Hyrule has a blood curse? Like the whole thing that he could revive Ganon?

13. Do you think Four has four different conversations in his mind? A lot of people write it that way which I love however, Jojo in one of comics (the one where four splits) says that he doesn’t have four different voices in his head!

14. Could Chain technically make his chain so long that Key could go where ever she wants without him having to follow her?

15. Have you read any other Zelda comic series? I’ve been reading Bonus Link and I really love it! You should definitely read it.

No pressure to answer any of these. You also don’t have to answer them all! (no pressure!) :) I love your art by the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :3

Ok so first of all, a lot of these questions are fic related and I don't read a lot of fics in general cause I don't have a lot of free time, so between drawing or reading I usually go with drawing lol

That said, I will answer to these without the "fic knowledge" but with just my general opinion on the matter

1. Pen is @chiangyorange 's Link OC! We like to draw our zelink ocs hanging out for fun :) also you should check out chiangy cause their aus are *chef's kiss*

2. Haven't read those fics, but I'm not against the idea? I have seen marin/legend/ravio around as an ot3 here on tumblr and I think that's super cute, so I approve of it

3. When you're asking me this do you mean as in, in my pain sharing au comic? Cause if that's the case then I leave it up to your own interpretation. The boys already know malon in this au, since it's set after the wolfie reveal and at that point in jojo's LU comic they've been to Lon Lon Ranch, so if they meet up with malon in this au, it's not like legend knowing her beforehand means anything lol

4. I do like the idea of ravio knowing wars+time+wind prior to LU, I think I once wrote a post where I mentioned that the idea of ravio gushing embellished stories of his link to the hw trio and then the hw trio finding out it's legend the one he was talking about is absolutely HILARIOUS

5. I would never read a fic like that tbh, I absolutely despise it when people portray the tp link + tp zelda relationship as bad or as strangers. Idc that they didn't interact in game, after what they went through together in the endgame I think it's absolutely insane to believe they wouldn't be close post game??? Like not even in a ship matter but as friends, they'd absolutely be close. So yeah, they're besties to me

6. I've answered this before, but I have no opinion on the fable + legend siblings headcanon, like I don't hate it but also don't love it? I think they can be goofy to each other, siblings or not

7. Neither? I'm very particular when it comes to wind's portrayal, and those 2 extremes are not my cup of tea at all. I like it when people make it more nuanced, like he is a pirate and he is a kid, only portraying one side of him is bad imo and I don't like it

8. Is this in relation to my pain sharing au? If you want wild to be besties with her then go for it lol I don't really mind, you can headcanon whatever when it comes to the boys' relationships outside the chain, I'm leaving them vague on purpose so anyone can insert their own headcanons

9. I do, but only because it has a lot of potential for funny scenarios

10. I haven't, but I do know about it. If I ever get enough free time I'd def read it

11. Again, no i haven't lol between my full time job + being a caretaker it's hard for me to find the time to sit down and read

12. I like this headcanon, idk if I'll use it in the au but I like it

13. My headcanon is more closely to jojo's tbh, but I do picture the colors as taking turns on who's piloting lol

14. No. I've mentioned in previous posts that extending the chain drains his magic, cause the longer the chain is the more magic he uses to maintain it.

15. I do like bonus links! I've been reading it for a while now, it's pretty neat

[kharrisdawndancer]

DWC Nove '24 - Day 4 - Surrender/Tranquil - Tinnaire

Dornogal was an interesting city. Nahilvi had said she hadn’t liked it at the start--too blocky and hard for her. Tinnaire had liked it from the start, but could appreciate Nahi’s viewpoint. It was hard. It was straight lines and stone. But there were so many charming butterfly gardens. And they watered the sheep in one of the courtyards. Tinnaire couldn’t help but be charmed by that. There were flowers and moss and natural hot springs! And a large forge that rang out at all hours, similar to Ironforge. There was magma visible in places. And there were crystalline art structures and sentimental memorials.

Tinnaire sat on a fence, watching the tenders spray down the rocky sheep and their mossy wool. Butterflies ambled aimlessly between brightly colored flowers that dripped from bushes even druidic gardeners would envy. There was the hum of conversations just out of ear shot that added to the tranquil feeling around her. She tried to settle into it and let it affect her.

It wasn’t working. 

The others had told her it was all right, even normal, to be angry. And Tinnaire  was angry. But she didn’t want to be angry. She wanted to be aloof. Removed from it. Logical. She wanted to be elegant and mature. She wanted to be her usual optimistic, confident self. She wanted to be fine.

After all, who wanted to be heartsick?

Perhaps the anger was better. There was a large, fiery part of her that just wanted to surrender and scream at the top of her lungs. Or collapse into a heap and wilt like something melodramatic out of theatrical production. 

Or set something on fire.

Childish though it was, she _had_ done that last bit. So many origami rabbits had been sacrificed to the pyre of what felt like adolescent dramatics. But for a moment, there was small satisfaction.

He said he hadn’t realized how she’d felt. She could still hardly believe that. He’d said she was his _best_ friend. He couldn’t bear to lose the close relationship they’d shared. He’d been scared to try for fear of their possible failure. Rejection and embarrassment kept her shifting all the things she had wanted to say that summer day before she’d left with the mercenary crew. It had shifted everything else she’d wanted to say. Asking him to look in on her place had simply been a soothing favor to ask. To let him know she wasn’t abandoning him. She was looking out for his feelings again, when she should have been looking out for her own.

Yet, in all the months, he hadn’t reached out. Hadn’t had the kindness to warn her, even knowing how things had been left between them. It stung. His best friend that he cared so much about.

Tinnaire loosened her shoulders. Ash fell from her fingertips, singed from the edges of his most recent letter. No, that train of thinking wasn’t fair. Her eyes fell to the paper and the line that said he wanted to talk. What was there to talk about? He hadn’t done anything wrong. Hadn’t besmirched his or anyone else’s honor. She knew she wasn’t always responding logically--gods, it took her a shamefully long time to write the notes she’d sent. She didn’t want to make things worse than they were. But she also wasn’t going out of her way to make it any easier for him. Not again. They’d each take their lumps for the situation. At least he had some happiness in all of it. She was glad that they seemed smitten. He deserved that.

Anger was one of the stages, Fiorenze had said.

Maybe she could talk Talon into letting her off leave early. Work would be distracting. Tinnaire exhaled long and through her mouth before speaking to no one. “Okay. What’s after anger?”

@daily-writing-challenge

Mentions: @andaerosdawnflare

soft mentions: @nahisummerhold @lilyofporcelain @fio-renze

[ghost-bxrd]

Howdy!

Hope you’re having a owl-some day!

For your Court of Owls Au, I was wondering at what point does everyone accept Tim as part of the flock?

I saw one post that said Bruce takes him under his wing as soon as he realizes his parents go south for the winter (and fall, and spring, and summer lol) without him

And another that said that Cobb wouldn’t view him as part of the parliament until Jason does

I feel like Cass would probably probably love her little owlet brother pretty quick? He joined the fray before her so she wouldn’t have known a time before so I think she would be less inclined to think of him as a cuckoo. Do you agree?

I’m curious at what point Dick would. Canon Dick was teaching Tim flying patterns pretty soon after he accepted Tim as a mentee but Talon Dick had a stronger connection to Jason so I wonder how that would impact their relationship

I’d love to know what makes Jason accept him as a bird of a feather instead of seeing his presence as fowl play

Also would Cobb immediately accept him after Jason says Tim is a part of his party or would he have to do something that proves his loyalty or be in some sort of danger that makes Cobb begrudgingly view him as part of the family?

I’m also curious, once they do accept him, how protective of Tim are they all? Do they keep him close to the nest or let him fly free with the expectation that he keeps them in the loop?

How would they react to him being in danger after they’ve claimed him as one of their own?

(Sorry for all the bird puns, I made one and then couldn’t help myself and had to make more lol)

Hi! So the Talon!Dick Au (Owl Song) is a different universe than the one where the entire batfam is part of the Court of Owls (Court Family Au).

But to answer your question: Cobb would really only accept Tim after Jason has warmed up to him.

Before that, Cobb would only ever see him as an imposter. A poor substitute for the son ward him and Bruce lost. Him threatening to gut Tim was a very serious threat, and also one Bruce had to put his foot down with and straight up order his (slightly deranged) Talon not to act on.

Tim’s attempt to help stabilize the Court (and Bruce) doesn’t help his case very much, because while it sure improves the over all dire situation Gotham’s found herself in after Jason’s death, Tim unwittingly had to take over a lot of the operations and projects that used to be Jason’s.

Cobb was… very protective of the “little street rat” turned “Heart of the Court”. Having someone else “bully” their way into their lives to insert himself into the achingly vacant place Jason left behind dialed his murderous instincts up to a million.

The only reason Cobb doesn’t ignore the command to not hurt Tim is because he can see that both Bruce and Dick take comfort in his presence. That’s it. The moment he thinks Tim is “obsolete”… well. Timbers should keep himself useful is what I’m saying. There’s a proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over him at every step and turn.

As for Cass, she wouldn’t have very many contact points with Tim. She rarely stays at the manor for long, usually opting to oversee Court operations from the Shadows to make sure there are no unnecessary deaths or civilian casualties happening. When she’s home she usually also stays hidden, choosing to observe the manor’s occupants. And sometimes, when Dick or Bruce look particularly sad, she curls up in the seat next to them and leans her head on their shoulders. That always seems to make them happy.

Once Bruce finds out about Tim’s parents being a no-show most of the time and he moves into the manor… well, I think Cass would be intrigued, but everyone’s body language is sending her a lot of mixed signals in regard to the newcomer’s presence.

Dick doesn’t have an issue with Tim. He’s… less than happy about it at first though. Especially when he thinks Tim really is supposed to be a replacement for Jason. But Bruce clears that one up very quickly.

Regardless, Cobb doesn’t agree (he rarely does)

Jason would eventually, and very grudgingly, realize that Tim is the personification of a sad wet cat and extend an olive branch to him in the form of just— existing with him in the same room without spitting vitriol.

Tim straight up thinks he’s going to be murdered. Right now. (Because he can totally see Cobb staring at him from the shadows, he’s got a sixth sense for that look by now)

It’s a slow going progress, but over time Jason’s animosity towards Tim morphs into a fierce kind of protectiveness

And Cobb doesn’t like it, not at all. But Jason’s claimed the kid as part of the parliament, so he’s bound to accept him into the flock as well now.

I’m not sure yet whether Cobb ever truly ends up becoming protective and fond of Tim, but there would definitely have to be another catalyst for it.

[dizzified]

Vulture - TIOM OC - Born Glider

Vulture Fun Facts

He has an extremely sharp sense of smell and sight, able to locate his next targets from about a mile away.

He also has great memory, he can circle back to places after returning to report about his findings.

You can usually see him trailing Bloodfangs for an easy meal, and he is also a marker for other Darkones as an indicator of food in an area, as he'll often fly in circles waiting for larger individuals to leave their pickings behind.

Vulture won't only go after souls, he'll go after bodies aswell, apparently, he has some sort of trait or alleged deformity that allows him to utilize mortal flesh and bone as sustenance, even when it's rotten.

He's actually a very skilled flier and can often fly for days without becoming fatigued, unfortunately, due to a recent injury one of his wings has been mildly crippled and he suffers from severe chronic pain.

His primary attacking move is lying in wait within trees, swooping down and attacking wolves who wander underneath or nearby them. When a target is too big to carry off after he's caught them, he'll switch to maiming them with his talons.

He's actually quite weak to physical attacks, due to hollow bones, he could easily be immobilized by a good bite. He'll usually try to fly off if he realizes he's in the line of danger.

Vulture often goes after the weak, vulnerable, or elderly, and almost never attacks healthy wolves due to the risk he'd be putting himself in. But, he will let another more capable Darkone do the work for him.

When threatened, he will throw up on aggressors to deter and disorient them, his vomit is actually quite acidic due to the strong stomach acid he needs to break down most of the things he eats.

Has a very close relationship with a Born Bloodfang named Judas.

"But I am here for you, even if you believe that you have nobody else to turn to, I'll always be here." An inhale through his blood-clogged nostrils. "You're all I have, Judas." He admitted.

"And this is something I brought upon myself, it's something that has uprooted my entire way of life, but you know what, I don't regret a single second." Vulture's eyes wandered to meet hers.

"Staying by your side was the best decision of my life, for the longest time, I've felt shackled underneath the bindings of those above me, a designated pet to a royal guard."

"There was a time I believed I would never be anything more than that, that I should be grateful that I even woke up each day, that they were my only motivation."

"And then I stepped out, I met you, and I realized, there's more to life than the fenced yard they'd bound me within, through the pain, the strife, and anguish, I was reminded of something."

"That I was real, to bleed is to be reminded that the ichor that runs through my veins is tangible enough to slip through my paws, that my life is fragile and I must live."

"I realized to live was not just to survive, but to experience, travelling alongside you has granted me more experience than I've ever had in my entire life.." He sighed.

"I've never wanted to protect someone before, never have I thought of risking my status and my life just to continue the pursuit of the sensation of being real."

His wing shakily cast itself over Judas's back, his gaze wet with tears just barely clinging to the edges of his sharp-creased eyes.

"If nothing else, you make me feel real, Judas, and that means more to me than you'll ever know."

"If it makes you happy, there's nobody else I'd rather lose my life for, that's how much you matter to me." - Vulture talking to Judas after they barely escaped a horrible situation with their lives. He's extremely in love with her, they both gained freedom through eachother and he's realized that feeling is worth more than living the rest of his life in a gilded cage.