#ayden de riva

[nonagesimus]

OC Kiss Week Day 1 - Desperate

Starting off OC Kiss Week with my De Riva, Ayden, and @marvelous-goose's OC Jasper Thorne

-

The aftermath of a fight was always the worst part.

Ayden was shaking with the adrenaline of it but there was nowhere to put it anymore. Fighting darkspawn always made their skin crawl, it felt like the more time they spent around the blight the more sensitive they were to it. Like they could taste it around the boils massed on the ground, around the bigger ogres. And they’d all known, going in, that is was going to be a bad night. The horde encroaching Lavendel, the ragged group of villagers in the middle of the perimeter the Wardens had kept. Ayden was used to fighting, but not in a battle like this. Multiple fronts, swords and shields, it was nothing like any of the contracts they’d ever been on.

Even the occupation wasn’t anything like it.

Everything had been in extremes since the Antaam.

Magic, and Blight, and the Fade, and dragons, and darkspawn, and cleaning mud off their boots from a dozen places they never thought they’d ever visit.

A week beforehand, desperate for some kind of break, they’d dragged Jasper to the rooftop roads in Treviso. Stolen a bottle of wine from the stash Viago kept for his visits to the Diamond, gone up to their favourite spot to look over the canals from. Ayden had mostly been in Treviso when Viago and Teia were at their most involved, but they’d learned to love it along the way. And Jasper was always so generous with the things he loved; Ayden might not be used to sharing, but they’d wanted to try all the same.

Besides there was something kind of wonderful in the way Jasper’s eyes got bright when they used the ziplines, the way he seemed to relax when they talked him into doing something risky.

And it was high above the canals when Jasper, pink-cheeked and smiling, had taken a swig from the bottle they were sharing and said, “Anyone would think you’re trying to romance me.”

And they’d shot back, “If it’s romantic does that mean you’ll let me kiss you?”

But the thought of that only had them whirling around, scanning the battlefield. The two of them had started off fighting near each other, but things never went like they planned. Mages needed to spread out, cover more bases. Too many horns going off at once; Jasper had gone to cover the caves, Ayden had headed out to the battlements. But the fighting was over, people were checking bodies, dragging darkspawn corpses into piles to burn them, drifting towards medics to get their wounds treated, or towards the buildings to get new orders. All of Ayden’s nerves were jangling and they couldn’t see him.

���Where’s Jasper?” they asked, though after all the shouting in the fight it came out as a croak. They got a couple of glances from Wardens walking past but no answer. Had the look on their faces been pitying or just exhausted? The jangling nerves were starting to seem more like alarm bells. They swallowed, frantically trying to soothe the sandpaper-feeling in their throat, and tried again, “Anyone seen Jasper?”

There was a more desperate scream building in their throat before they heard a familiar voice call, “Over here.”

They turned so fast they nearly slipped in the mud, saw Jasper and Emmy leaning on each other as they walked back from the caves. Ayden ignored the way their legs were screaming, pushed themselves into a jog to meet them.

“You’re both ok?” they asked, feeling like they were vibrating with the effort of holding back, not sure if the twins were hurt or just exhausted, they didn’t want to make anything worse.

Jasper said, “We’re both fine,” in a soft voice, at the same time as Emmy snorted and said, “Calm down, sparky, he’s all yours,” and stepped aside.

Ayden burst into motion, genuinely might’ve lost control and fade-stepped into the space right in front of Jasper, reached up to cup his face and yanked it down to their own. Jasper’s hands grasped at their elbows, then one shifted to the side of their face and his other arm wrapped around their waist. His thumb slid along their cheekbone, and his mouth was gentle, and despite everything, Ayden felt themselves slowly start to relax.

[nonagesimus]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Viago de Riva & Rook Characters: Viago de Riva, Rook (Dragon Age) Additional Tags: Named Rook (Dragon Age), de Riva Rook - Freeform, Found Family, Dysfunctional Family, Minor Andarateia Cantori/Viago de Riva, Minor Lucanis Dellamorte/Rook - Freeform, Blood Magic, Phylacteries (Dragon Age), Child Abuse, Torture, Trauma, Antivan Crows, Antivan Crows Training (Dragon Age), Antivan Crow Rook (Dragon Age), Nonbinary Character, Misgendering Summary:

Early into his career as a Crow, Viago de Riva was sent to lead a group of recruits through basic training. He did not expect this to have far-reaching consequences.

Or, five times Viago made his protégé bleed, and one time he did not.

[nonagesimus]

7 and 10 for Rook & companions questions? 👀

7. Does your Rook join Bellara in her technical talks about the Fade and various artifacts or are they more content to listen?

rose yes absolutely! she’s very interested in the way magic is understood places that aren’t tevinter, and bellara is so eager to explain, it’s a nice match. most of it DOES go over ayden’s head, they are a combat mage through and though, so they mostly listen but they love the enthusiasm.

10. What would Lucanis buy for your Rook at the Grande Market?

oooo so ayden i think he would get them jewellery, they don’t have a ton and he notices they like it, and then they would NEVER take it off. rose he gets books, they’re ostensibly for the library but they’re all on topics she’s mentioned

[nonagesimus]

2, 4, and 15 for Ayden and/or Rose!

gonna be obnoxious and answer for both

2. Do they like Harding's cooking?

rose, no. she appreciates the creativity and she will eat it and she'll be SO nice about it. ayden i think genuinely does. they'll eat anything and they like weird flavour combinations. viago will say they have no taste but he's the one who's weird about poisons and adding things to food to see if it's poisoned, so it's at least partially his fault.

4. Does your Rook like the walks in Arlathan with Davrin?

rose likes spending time with davrin and she loves assan, but she is a city girl through and through. as much as she appreciates the time and the fresh air and clearing her head, and she really appreciates that davrin cares about her, she would much prefer being back in docktown lmao. meanwhile ayden grew up dalish until they were 8 or 9 they think it's GREAT they MISSED THE WOODS they're having the time of their life, and esp davrin asking them for help with the halla is SO meaningful to them.

15. Bonus: What is one thing a companion does to cheer up your Rook if they're feeling down?

neve knows rose's favourite bakery in minrathous and will bring her pastries if she thinks she needs cheering up, or if there's bad news to deliver.

i think for ayden it is. lmao i was fully about to say 'walked like a dog' LETS NOT PUT IT THAT WAY but it's the walks in arlathan, or a jaunt in the crow road in treviso's rooftops, like let's get Outside lets do something Physical let's Move.

[nonagesimus]

since the ayden fic is out i figured i needed some pictures of them on my blog

[marvelous-goose]

THIS IS SO PERFECT OH MY GODDDDDDDD

OC Kiss Week Day 1 - Desperate

Starting off OC Kiss Week with my De Riva, Ayden, and @marvelous-goose's OC Jasper Thorne

-

The aftermath of a fight was always the worst part.

Ayden was shaking with the adrenaline of it but there was nowhere to put it anymore. Fighting darkspawn always made their skin crawl, it felt like the more time they spent around the blight the more sensitive they were to it. Like they could taste it around the boils massed on the ground, around the bigger ogres. And they’d all known, going in, that is was going to be a bad night. The horde encroaching Lavendel, the ragged group of villagers in the middle of the perimeter the Wardens had kept. Ayden was used to fighting, but not in a battle like this. Multiple fronts, swords and shields, it was nothing like any of the contracts they’d ever been on.

Even the occupation wasn’t anything like it.

Everything had been in extremes since the Antaam.

Magic, and Blight, and the Fade, and dragons, and darkspawn, and cleaning mud off their boots from a dozen places they never thought they’d ever visit.

A week beforehand, desperate for some kind of break, they’d dragged Jasper to the rooftop roads in Treviso. Stolen a bottle of wine from the stash Viago kept for his visits to the Diamond, gone up to their favourite spot to look over the canals from. Ayden had mostly been in Treviso when Viago and Teia were at their most involved, but they’d learned to love it along the way. And Jasper was always so generous with the things he loved; Ayden might not be used to sharing, but they’d wanted to try all the same.

Besides there was something kind of wonderful in the way Jasper’s eyes got bright when they used the ziplines, the way he seemed to relax when they talked him into doing something risky.

And it was high above the canals when Jasper, pink-cheeked and smiling, had taken a swig from the bottle they were sharing and said, “Anyone would think you’re trying to romance me.”

And they’d shot back, “If it’s romantic does that mean you’ll let me kiss you?”

But the thought of that only had them whirling around, scanning the battlefield. The two of them had started off fighting near each other, but things never went like they planned. Mages needed to spread out, cover more bases. Too many horns going off at one; Jasper had gone to cover the caves, Ayden had headed out to the battlements. But the fighting was over, people were checking bodies, dragging darkspawn corpses into piles to burn them, drifting towards medics to get their wounds treated, or towards the buildings to get new orders. All of Ayden’s nerves were jangling and they couldn’t see him.

“Where’s Jasper?” they asked, though after all the shouting in the fight it came out as a croak. They got a couple of glances from Wardens walking past but no answer. Had the look on their faces been pitying or just exhausted? The jangling nerves were starting to seem more like alarm bells. They swallowed, frantically trying to soothe the sandpaper-feeling in their throat, and tried again, “Anyone seen Jasper?”

There was a more desperate scream building in their throat before they heard a familiar voice call, “Over here.”

They turned so fast they nearly slipped in the mud, saw Jasper and Emmy leaning on each other as they walked back from the caves. Ayden ignored the way their legs were screaming, pushed themselves into a jog to meet them.

“You’re both ok?” they asked, feeling like they were vibrating with the effort of holding back, not sure if the twins were hurt or just exhausted, they didn’t want to make anything worse.

Jasper said, “We’re both fine,” in a soft voice, at the same time as Emmy snorted and said, “Calm down, sparky, he’s all yours,” and stepped aside.

Ayden burst into motion, genuinely might’ve lost control and fade-stepped into the space right in front of Jasper, reached up to cup his face and yanked it down to their own. Jasper’s hands grasped at their elbows, then one shifted to the side of their face and his other arm wrapped around their waist. His thumb slid along their cheekbone, and his mouth was gentle, and despite everything, Ayden felt themselves slowly start to relax.