#illario smut

[bitethedemon]

Daggers, Poison, and Shiny Things (Lucanis x Reader x Illario): Chapter 3

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Link to this fic on AO3

Tags: Slow burn, De Riva Reader, Eventual Smut, Messy Love Triangles

Fic summary: You lost everything in Rivain: your family, your home, and your hopes of ever becoming a seer. Treviso offered you revenge, but you were not prepared for the loneliness you would find amongst the Crows. The busiest assassin in Antiva became your only friend. That is, until he died and left you alone to pick up the pieces of yourself and his devastated cousin.

Imagine then, that your dead old flame shows up after a year, very much alive, with a very loud demon at his side and a hot new boss, while you have to explain that you are now dating his cousin. Don't you just hate it when that happens?

WARNING: NSFW Content, Toxic Relationships, Baby-trapping

“How do you work like this?” Viago asked and gestured to your worktable in the laboratory. “No order, ingredients thrown around, solution on the table. River…”

“Good morning to you too,” you mumbled. “There is order to my chaos.”

“A moronic thing to say,” Viago said and started sorting through your mess. “There is no order to chaos. That is why it is called chaos.”

He sighed and swore under his breath in Antivan as he began tidying up your workspace. It had been Viago’s laboratory once. He was a master poison-maker, the best the Crows had to offer, but now he left most of the grunt work to you. 

He looked at you out of the corner of his eye as he tidied up.

“What is you and Illario’s deal?” he asked.

You briefly looked up at him.

“I thought you didn’t care about my love life…”

“I don’t,” he said quickly. “But you are a de Riva. If something is going on, it will reflect badly on all of us. I would simply like to know in advance of the rumors.”

It was all bullshit, of course. Viago was big on gossip even though he acted like he was above it. His nose was solidly planted in everyone’s business.

“Why would you assume that whatever is going on is bad?” you asked. “What have you heard?”

“Nothing…” he said with a frown and a shrug.

He poured a healthy dose of various poisons into his morning coffee. He placed them in front of you afterwards. It was something he had urged you to do when you started working as a poison-maker. A little each day so that you could build up tolerance for your own poisons. You started measuring and pouring a little from each vial into your own cup.

“Although—”

There it was.

“I have seen him walking around slightly inebriated these last couple of days, and Teia swore she saw him flirting with someone a couple of days ago.”

You sighed deeply. Illario really was pissed at what you had said. 

“What do you want me to do about it?” you asked a bit too sharply.

“Well do something,” Viago said and sipped his coffee. “You will look like an idiot if people see him going behind your back. It is shameful.”

“He’s the idiot.”

“Okay, you are both idiots,” he said with a shrug. “Are you happy? Fix it.”

“He proposed to me,” you said calmly.

Viago choked violently on his coffee. He coughed and waved his finger around in the air to signify that he definitely had something to say about that once he was done dying.

“Don’t he dare,” he wheezed in a firm tone and coughed again. “Don’t you dare. I did not invest all this time in you for you to become a Dellamorte. Not that any of the families would approve. Is he—”

“I know,” you said. “I told him that too. I didn’t say yes, obviously. I’m not stupid…Don’t tell anyone.”

Viago opened his mouth to start ranting again before the door to the laboratory opened. It was Lucanis.

“This conversation isn’t over,” Viago said to you before grabbing his coffee and leaving.

He shut the door behind him. Lucanis looked from the door to you.

“Trouble?”

“When isn’t there?” you said with a sigh and then looked up at him with a smile. “Hi.”

He gave you a small smile and walked over to you. He placed a tin container on the table.

“I brought you food,” Lucanis said. “Couscous with mint and bell peppers.”

Your smile widened. It warmed your heart. You had missed his attempts at making Rivaini food dearly. It always tasted amazing, even though it had that distinct Antivan taste that he never quite managed to fix. Not that you ever had the heart to tell him.

“That’s so nice of you,” you said. “I haven’t had Rivaini food in ages, actually. How do you find time to cook when you’re doing…whatever it is you and your new allies are doing?”

He leaned on the edge of the table and looked at what you were doing.

“I don’t sleep,” he said with a shrug. “I try to do something productive with the time.”

You looked up at him. He did look like he had not slept in days. There were dark circles under his eyes.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” you asked with slight worry in your tone.

“Spite,” he said. “He takes over my body when I sleep. So, I don’t.”

You nodded and could not help looking at Spite. He looked as if he was simply listening in on the conversation, though he was observing you intensely. Lucanis cleared his throat in an awkward manner. You blinked and turned your attention back to him.

“Sorry,” you said and shook your head. “He’s difficult to ignore.”

“You are telling me,” Lucanis said with a tired smile.

He most likely wasn’t fond of you seeing him that way, or he was scared of how Spite might act if given too much attention. You decided to change the subject since he seemed uncomfortable.

“Why are you in Treviso?”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Illario didn’t tell you?” he asked.

You weren’t sure if you should tell him that you two were having trouble. Lucanis sure didn’t need more things to worry about, so you simply shook your head.

“He has some information for us,” Lucanis explained. “We are supposed to meet with him at Café Pietra.”

We. 'We', meaning him and Rook. They were just casually going to one of Lucanis’ favorite places in Treviso. That didn’t bother you in the least, obviously…

“Right…” you said quietly.

Then silence fell over both of you. You both just stood there for a moment. It was hard to put a finger on it, but everything was so just odd between the two of you. As if there was an invisible wall between you that hadn’t ever been there before. You hated it.

“Right,” you repeated and scratched your neck awkwardly.

You moved to one of the many bookshelves along the wall to pull out a book. It was one of those he had once given you. You looked through it and bookmarked two chapters with strips of paper before handing it over to him.

“Here,” you said. “You can borrow this. There are a few chapters on seer meditation and how to move out of trance after a possession. I don’t know…It might be helpful.”

He smiled when he recognized the book as one of the ones he gave you.

“Thank you.”

“Of course,” you said and smiled back at him.

“NO BOOK. Help. Us,” Spite hissed. “River is SAFE. Help Lucanis. FREE US!”

Lucanis’ eyes closed and his jaw clenched for a moment.

 “I…need to go. Good luck with Viago,” he said.

“NO!” Spite hissed in frustration.

You nodded and watched him leave in slight puzzlement. Free…us? You couldn’t stop wondering what Spite had meant by that. Something more was going on than just an unruly spirit.

You were tired. You had just closed down the laboratory and were on your way home. You heard close steps behind you and then an arm wrapped around your waist. You jumped slightly and turned to see Teia smiling up at you.

“River…” she said in a low, conspiratorial tone. “One of my fledgling’s just came back here from the bar down the street. The Sun.”

You knew of the Setting Sun, of course. It was Illario’s favorite spot to drink himself into a stupor. You already had a hunch were this was going.

“Yeah?”

“They saw Illario practically eating the face of some poor girl down there. It would just be a shame if you caught him red-handed.”

You felt a flare of anger in your stomach. Your jaw clenched and you looked at Teia.

“Thank you,” you said.

“Give him my best regards,” she said with a smile. “Don’t go easy on him.”

There were so many excuses. Illario could not quite figure out if he should play the victim card or the aggressive card. He was drunk, of course, so that did not help in the least. You had found him with the girl sitting on his lap. Now you were loudly arguing outside the bar.

“You are no different from everyone else,” he snapped at you. “You don’t love me. I am just the next best thing to him, isn’t that it?”

“If I wanted to be with Lucanis, you and I would not be together!” you yelled at him. “You have humiliated me. How stupid do you think I am, Illario?”

“I have humiliated you?” he hissed. “Do you think it is not humiliating to know that you will ever only see me in his shadow? That you will not even marry me?”

“I won't marry you because it is a ridiculous idea,” you snapped back. “Don’t you play the victim with me right now. You went behind my back.”

“As if you have only ever been upfront with me,” he said with a scoff. “Don’t you think I notice how you look at him? How you still pine after him? I hope I was a good replacement until the real thing came back.”

“Oh, shut up,” you gritted out in frustration.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” he said bitterly. “Hm? He still visits you as if nothing has happened. How do you think that makes me feel?”

“You weren’t a fucking replacement!” you snapped at him. “Lucanis and I are still friends, yes, but I love you. We needed each other at a moment in our lives when we both had nothing, and I am loyal to that. Which is why it hurts so much to see that you cannot pay the same respect to me.”

He sneered at you. He ran his hand over his face, shook his head, and sighed.

“It doesn’t matter…” he said with a bitter scoff. “You are going to leave me. Everyone does eventually. My parents, Lucanis, Caterina, and now you. It doesn’t matter what I do.”

He was playing dirty with his sad eyes and bitter tone. It pissed you off to no end. You groaned in frustration and kicked the wall behind you hard. Gods, you wanted to strangle him sometimes.

You closed your eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then looked at him.

You shouldn’t forgive him. You were better than that. Had you been back in your village in Rivain and had you two been married, he would have been shunned from the community for what he just did. You really shouldn’t…

You gave another frustrated groan and then walked up to him until you were in his face.

“If I ever catch you with another woman again, you will wish that I had left you now,” you growled at him. “You humiliate me like this again, Illario, and not even death will give you peace from my anger. Do you understand?”

It was clear in his eyes that he was torn between whether he should let you speak to him like that or if he should simply agree with you. He had not seen this side of you like this before and it clearly threw him for a loop. You were raised in a society where a man should feel honored if a woman like you looked at him twice. Illario grew up in a society that told him that everyone should bow and scrape around him.

He eventually gave you a curt nod and put his hands on your hips. You slapped his hands away.

“You reek of her,” you said with utter disdain.

You turned and walked home, leaving him there alone.

You had removed the key to your house from where it usually was hidden. You did not want to even look at him. You were tired and you were pissed off.

Of course, removing the key did nothing more but send a message that you did not want him there. Illario found a way inside anyway, to no surprise. It was late in the evening when you heard some commotion from your bedroom. You grabbed a knife from your kitchen before going upstairs.

You swung the door open and pointed the knife at him.

“No,” you said firmly and pointed to the window he had come from with the knife. “Go.”

He looked like he had somewhat sobered up since you had yelled at him a few hours ago. He was not impressed with the knife. He knew as well as you did that you had never been good with them. His expression said as much when he looked down at the knife and then smiled at you in slight amusement.

You raised a brow in challenge and slammed the knife down on the top of the drawer beside you. A flash of fire emerged from your hand instead. He frowned slightly then.

“Don’t be like that,” he said.

“I have nothing more to say to you tonight, Illario,” you said. “Leave. I am not playing this game with you.”

“I am not here to play games, love,” he said in an almost pleading tone. “I thought we agreed to put it to rest. You’re sorry, I’m sorry… I just wanted to see you. We’re fine, no?”

Gods, he could be so thickheaded sometimes. You glared at him.

“So let us move on,” he said and slowly walked towards you. “I’ve missed you...”

You did not extinguish the flame in your hand. His eyes flicked from it to you.

“We both know you won’t throw that.”

The flame grew bigger, and your fingers twitched. He took a small step back.

“What do you want me to do? Hm?” he said with a hint of frustration.

“What do I want?” you repeated his question in an irritated voice. “I want you to leave, Illario. Instead, you are here acting as if everything is completely fine. As if you wouldn’t have fucked that girl, had I not intervened.”

“River, amore,” he said in an exasperated voice as if what you were saying was unreasonable. “We talked about this. I was in a bad state of mind. It should never have happened. I told you.”

“I need time.”

He sighed and looked from the flame to your face again. You saw how he relaxed his body language, and you had been around enough assassins to know it was a ruse. You tensed and readied yourself to move away.

He got ahold of you before you could even flinch. He wrapped his arms around both of yours and forced your arms down, making you to extinguish the flame so as to not set fire to yourself. He turned you around and wrapped one arm loosely around your neck and the other tightly around your middle and arms.

“You are cute when you’re jealous,” he spoke into your ear. “Please, love. Don’t be like this.”

You gave a low, irritated groan at his words. It wasn’t his first time pissing you off and then trying to fix it with honeyed words like this. You just felt stupid that it always somehow worked on you.

He slowly kissed his way from your neck to your ear.

“It was hot when you yelled at me earlier,” he said and bit the lobe of your ear. “I’ve missed you so much…”

He pressed himself against your ass and you felt that familiar stir of arousal in your stomach. You cursed yourself for giving in so easily. He loosened his grip on you when he felt you becoming calmer. You turned around to face him.

“Never again,” you said firmly.

“Never…” he agreed.

You sighed. You leaned forward and kissed him. He smiled against your lips and began walking you backwards towards the bed.

He pushed you gently to sit on the bed and started unbuttoning his pants. You sighed internally but took the hint when he started running his hand through your hair. You really ought to bite it off, you morbidly thought to yourself as you started to kiss your way up his shaft, it would save you so many problems with this man.

His breath hitched when your lips closed around him. His grip on your hair tightened slightly when you did. His thumb ran gently over your ear.

“You are so beautiful like this,” he murmured. “Don’t stop.”

You didn’t. You took him as deep as you could go without gagging, eliciting a low groan from him.

You knew this little dance of yours, because you had done it so many times. Illario was a selfish lover. You didn’t particularly mind taking care of him like this, but it was slightly infuriating at times like these where he had been an asshole. Still, you liked making him feel good.

He pulled out of your mouth after a while and helped you out of your clothes. He grabbed your hips and turned you so that you were on all fours in front of him. He ran his fingers over your folds, teasing your clit for only a moment before one of his fingers entered you. You were already wet, which in Illario’s head meant that not much more foreplay was needed.

His fingers pressed into the soft flesh of your hips before he sank his cock into you with a groan. He leaned down to kiss your back. His hands moved from your sides to your chest to play with your tits. He began driving into you in a slow steady rhythm.

“You are mine, aren’t you?” he mumbled into your ear.

“Yes,” you moaned.

He groaned and his thrusts became quicker.

“And you won’t leave me,” he said breathlessly as he moved. “When I become First Talon, we will get married, and no one will be able to take you from me.”

You were used to Illario babbling nonsense when fucking you. You mostly tuned it out, but the First Talon thing was a new one. His thrusts became deeper and harder. He leaned down to whisper in your ear.

“You should have seen how he eye-fucked that elven girl the other day,” he hissed into your ear. “I doubt he ever flirted with you like that. He doesn’t deserve you. He never did.”

You bit the inside of your cheek and tried your hardest to ignore him. He was close. You knew it from the way he bit your neck and shoulders. Your hand went to your clit and you started rubbing it in circles. He fucked you harder, and with your own help, you managed to come half a second before he did.

Though this time, he did not pull out like he had done millions of times before. You panicked when he bottomed out and came deep inside you.

“Are you fucking stu—”

He grabbed you in a way that made sure you couldn’t move, and he pressed you facedown down into the mattress.

“I’m serious about this, River,” he growled into your ear. “I want you.”

You winced as the contents of the bottle violated your tastebuds and went down your throat. You had to make a potion that would ensure you did not get pregnant from Illario’s spontaneous desire for fatherhood. Everything was such a mess right now. What the fuck was up with him these days?

Viago entered at some point and started speaking at you: Something, something, remember to request new ingredients, something, something, five batches behind.

“Are you listening, River?”

“No,” you mumbled absentmindedly.

“I would ask if your ears were for decoration, but I have seen how they look and know that cannot be the case,” Viago chided harshly. “What is wrong with you?”

“So many things,” you mumbled tiredly and started noting down ingredients on a piece of paper. “I’m only three batches behind. I’ll get the remaining two done today.”

“Hey,” Viago said and snapped his fingers in front of your face to catch your attention. “You are not focused. What happens when we are not focused?”

“Mistakes.”

“Correct,” he said, and his tone softened slightly. “Is this because of Illario? Teia told me of his little…fling. I did tell you to do something.”

“We made up,” you said absentmindedly.

You could almost hear Viago roll his eyes across the room. As if he and Teia were any better...

You turned to face him. You needed to talk to someone. You had three someones: Illario, Lucanis, and Viago. One was the problem, the other was riddled with other problems, so there was just Viago left.

“He’s sure he’ll become First Talon,” you said. “Like dead sure. It’s weird.”

“Illario? First Talon?” Viago let out a rare laugh. “Are you serious?”

“It’s weird, don’t you think?” you said, putting the thoughts that had swirled around in your head since he first mentioned it into words. “I mean Caterina just died, his cousin just came back, and now he has mentioned it to me twice.”

“Why does he think that?” Viago asked. “We both know that if another Dellamorte were to take the place of First Talon after Caterina, it would not be Illario.”

“I didn’t ask,” you said with a shrug. “But it’s weird.”

“Someone says something like that, and you don’t think to ask?” Viago asked with a scoff. “He could be planning something.”

“Well, please do forgive me,” you said sarcastically. “Illario was in the middle of proposing the first time he said it, and the second time, he was inside me. It didn’t really seem like the time to bring it up.”

Viago’s face soured as if he had just taken a bite of something utterly disgusting. He raised his finger at you.

“Don’t ever say those words in that order to me ever again,” he said.

You smiled. Making Viago uncomfortable was one of the few joys in life. It was painfully easy.

“I will send someone to sniff around a bit,” he said. “Keep this between us for now, yes?”

You nodded.

[selunesdreams]

Chapter 5: Honorable Intentions

“So how does Spite feel about Illario?”  “SPINELESS. WHINY-” “About how he feels about most people.” “And that is…?” Taking his coffee from the counter, he sipped it slowly before responding.  “Impatient.” “Even me?” She batted her lashes. “Do you ever think he’ll just get fed up and-” “Why don’t we talk about something else, mm?”

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

Summary: With both Spite and Rook keeping him on edge, Lucanis looks for distraction in meal prep...

Word Count: 2.6k

Things of note/warnings: 18+ fic, MDNI! warnings: I use the word cock ONCE. (sorry) Please read on AO3 if you need to track warnings, they will be inevitably detailed better there (or just want to be real sweet and give me hits/kudos/comments).

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Aunt Viama stood barefoot on the couch, peeking through the window nervously. 

“Viago, take Fiamma to her room!” She hissed, “Dante, what is she doing here?”

“Relax, she doesn’t bite. It’s probably a contract,” said Fiamma’s father, as the two children snuck to their favorite eavesdropping spot in the hall and exchanged a look.

“Are you kidding me? My sister’s been in the ground one week! You’re grieving! We’re grieving!”

He motioned her aside and opened the door, ignoring her objections.

“Caterina, to what do I owe the honor?” He beckoned her inside with a polite gesture.

Calm and collected, the First Talon entered the den, her cane tapping against the wooden floor. A boy, roughly Fiamma’s age, clung to her coattails as she walked. Lucanis trailed behind them, his head bowed. 

“I’m sorry to trouble you during such a painful time, Dante,” she kissed him on each cheek in greeting, “but my grandson has gifted your daughter something that was not his to give away.” 

“What did you do, Fiammetta?” Viago demanded, pinching her arm.

“It wasn’t me. It was Lucanis!” she whispered, slapping his hand away and running to her bedroom. Throwing herself under her bed, she retrieved one of her mother’s old hat boxes and pried off the lid, sifting through her trinkets in search of the opal. The sound of Caterina’s muffled voice carried through the wall from the next room.

“I encourage my grandson to steal whatever his heart desires, if he can get away with it, presuming he’d go after sweets or knives. Instead, he takes books and gems.” She huffed. 

“The makings of a good Crow,” Dante said. “An eye for knowledge and beauty.” 

Caterina made a noise of disapproval. “Any other would have been inconsequential, but this one…has history. I was having a new setting made for this one and he swiped it before I could get it to my jeweler…”

With a pounding heart, Fiamma carefully took out the gem and cradled it in her palm one last time, before she closed her fist around it, stashed the box back under her bed, and shuffled into the den.

“Miss Caterina.” She straightened her posture, extending her hand. “Please don’t be mad. Lucanis just wanted to make me feel better.”

Dante’s mouth fell open in surprise as Caterina bent down and plucked the opal from his daughter’s hands. His eyes widened as she held it in the light, examining it. “Is that…”

“Yes.” Caterina retrieved her coin purse from inside her coat and slipped it inside. “You are a very honorable girl, Fiammetta. My grandsons could learn a great deal from you.” 

Behind her, Lucanis raised his head, his brown eyes heavy with embarrassment. “I’m sorry for getting you in trouble, Fiammetta.”

“Nonsense, Lucanis. She isn’t in trouble for your oversight.” Caterina snapped.

Fiamma’s father crouched beside him. “It was a kind gesture, Lucanis.” He said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure you meant well.”

Caterina nodded. “I apologize for the intrusion, Dante. My deepest condolences…but if you don’t mind lending me just a bit more of your time, there’s some Crow business I’d like to discuss.” She glanced around. “Is there somewhere we can chat?”

Dante rose to his feet. “Of course. I’ll have Viama put some coffee on.” He turned to Fiamma and kissed the top of her head. 

“Why don’t you take Lucanis and Illario to play with Viago? I’m sure he’s not far...” her father murmured, frowning with gentle disapproval as his gaze drifted toward the shadow in the hallway. 

As the adults departed, Viago emerged from the hall, nudging Lucanis with his elbow and gesturing towards the front door with a subtle tilt of his head. With a shameful look, Lucanis tore his eyes away from Fiamma’s and followed her cousin outside. 

Charging forward, the youngest Dellamorte seized her hand, shaking it a little too hard.

“I’m Illario.” He said earnestly. “Can I see the rest of your house? I bet it’s not as big as my Nonna’s!”

Fiamma blinked, her gaze moving past him to the door as it shut behind the older boys. Forbidden from leaving the house without her father’s escort, she had no choice but to stay behind.

“Um…sure.” She said, trying to hide the disappointment in her tone. “Do you like art? My papa has lots of paintings in his office.”

Illario grinned, giving a charming bow, as if reenacting something he’d seen an adult do. 

“I like whatever you like.”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Not even a dragon attack could close the Treviso markets. The following day, they opened as usual, with a nervous undercurrent of chatter among the merchants. Lucanis browsed the stalls, taking the opportunity to shop while Rook slept in. Viago and Teia had already left to handle Crow matters at the casino, and he needed some time to clear his head.

Spite’s unpredictable nature gave him an aversion to sleep these days, and thanks to Rook, he wouldn’t have slept last night even if he wanted to. Lying on Viago’s couch, he stared at the ceiling, struggling to dismiss the images her words had evoked as his cock strained uncomfortably against the front of his trousers. Worse, Spite took a maddening amount of delight in Lucanis’ discomfort, and even more so at Rook’s mischievousness. It worried him - how would Spite react to Rook the next time he took control? He couldn’t risk sleeping, couldn’t risk Spite climbing into bed with her when she was inebriated, vulnerable, alone…

“MAYBE ROOK WANTS YOU IN HER BED. SPITE IS JUST HELPING.”

He shuddered and deposited a few gold coins in a merchant’s palm, wrapping up his purchase and heading back to Viago’s apartment. If he was lucky, Rook would wake with a nasty hangover and have forgotten the entire evening.

Upon his return, the house was still quiet. Lucanis deposited his groceries on the counter and lit the stove, setting a kettle of water atop it, before venturing down the hall to knock softly on Rook’s door. He cracked it open, knowing if he let her sleep any longer, she’d be furious at him for not waking her. 

Through the gap, he watched her lift her head, brushing her tousled hair from her face to look over her bare shoulders at him. Her white sheets slid down, settling just below the curve of her waist, and he shifted uncomfortably in the doorway. Holding them over her breasts, she squinted at him and rolled onto her back. 

“Lucanis?” She muttered, shielding her eyes from the light pouring in through her windows, “What time is it?”

He averted his gaze, preferring to stare at the sun than endure this any longer. 

“Midday.”

She jerked forward. “Why did you let me sleep so late?” 

“I thought you might need it.” He said, turning back to the hall, “Get dressed and come get some coffee. I’ll make breakfast.”

Lucanis moved with measured steps, his eyes glued to the floor until he reached the kitchen. He prepped Viago’s glass coffee maker, admiring the craftsmanship, and pulled out a cutting board, peeling and mincing several cloves of garlic. 

Rook wandered in soon after, hair freshly brushed and clearly having capitalized on the availability of her old wardrobe. She wore a lace-necked blouse, a crow brooch pinned at the base of her throat, and a pair of loose, black trousers. Around her shoulders, she had draped a velvet purple cloak that fell just above the soles of her leather boots. 

He glanced up with a raised eyebrow, then returned his focus to the tomato he was coring.  

“I made coffee.” He said stiffly. 

“Of course you did.” As she went to pour herself a cup, her hip brushed against his. 

“SMELLS LIKE LAVENDER AND CITRUS BLOSSOM.”

He cleared his throat, picking up another tomato. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Morning hangover aside?” she sat down across the counter from him and took a sip from her mug. “I appreciate you trying to relieve me of some of my guilt yesterday, but let’s keep the vintage away until after we’ve killed a few gods, hmm?” 

He smiled, letting a huff of air escape from his nose. “Of course.”

“How did you sleep?” 

“Fine.” He lied, dicing a bell pepper while admiring Viago’s kitchen knives. They were sharp enough to make a clean kill if they needed to. Maybe that was the point.

“Can I help?” She nodded towards the stove. Did she remember a single thing she said last night? Was she toying with him? Or too embarrassed to bring it up? 

“YOU BRING IT UP!”

“The pan should be warm enough. You can oil it.”

She stood and rummaged through Viago’s cabinets, retrieving a bottle and uncapping it. “So how does Spite feel about Illario?” 

“SPINELESS. WHINY-”

“About how he feels about most people.” Lucanis scraped garlic and onion into the sizzling oil, adding an assortment of spices. 

“And that is…?”

He incorporated the tomatoes and a dash of cream, stirring as he tried to ignore her curious gaze over his shoulder. Taking his coffee from the counter, he sipped it slowly before responding. 

“Impatient.”

“Even with me?” She batted her lashes. “Do you ever think he’ll just get fed up and-”

“Why don’t we talk about something else, mm?” Lucanis suggested, pulling out one of his market bags and retrieving a few eggs. He steered Rook aside, placing his hands on her shoulders so he could reach the stove.

“THE COUNTER. SHE’D LIKE TO BE BENT OVER-”

“Oh. Sure.” She returned to her seat. “Thanks for making me breakfast.”

“It’s not entirely unselfish. Viago has a nicer kitchen than the Lighthouse does.” He said, breaking the eggs into the stewed tomatoes.

Rook rested her chin on her hands. “True.”

“Is it nice being back?” Lucanis asked, removing the pan from the stovetop and dividing its contents across two plates. He gave her one, then took out a baguette and sliced off a few pieces for them to share. 

“In some ways. When I was on Viago’s bad side, it wasn’t always so nice.”

Lucanis settled beside her, mopping at his eggs with his bread, letting the yoke bleed into the tomatoes. 

“I might still be on his Viago’s bad side. Who knows?” Fiamma said and took a bite of her food. She uttered a soft moan of pleasure, and Lucanis dropped his silverware. Rook remained oblivious and continued eating. 

They finished breakfast in silence, the hallmark of a well-prepared meal, and Lucanis rose, picking up her plate and mug and taking them to the washbasin. They needed to get out of here, for more reasons than one. 

“I told you, Viago is used to picking up after me,” Rook said with a grin. 

So she did remember last night. 

“If he has a good side, I’d like to stay on it.” Lucanis said, scrubbing the dishes clean. Rook joined him near the sink, grabbing a towel and holding her hand out. He passed her a plate, and she dried it carefully. 

“Are we…good?” She asked, pushing the plate aside to take the next one. 

“We’re good.” Lucanis said, shaking water from his hands and wiping them on his pants. “Let’s get back to work.”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

The days that followed dragged on. Devastated by Neve’s absence, Bellara became determined to find a dragon hunter and a Veil Expert, furiously taking notes and charging ahead with renewed vigor. And find them she did. After excursions to Rivain and the Necropolis, Emmrich Volkarin, a Mortalitasi, and Taash, a Qunari with a talent for fire-breathing, joined their team. Emmrich arrived with an animated skeleton assistant, Manfred, who was quickly becoming Rook’s favorite recruit. More odd, but enjoyable personalities, to add to their collective. 

“So Lucanis, you’re an Antivan Crow?” Taash asked, their feet kicked up on the dinner table as Lucanis prepared dinner.

“Yes. Like Rook.” He replied from the stove. Rook could feel his disappointment from across the room - he undoubtedly missed the accommodations of Viago’s kitchen. 

“Do all Antivan Crows have demons?”

“What? No!” He spun around. “Spite was put into me by the Venatori.”

Since their arrival, their new companion had bombarded Lucanis and Rook with endless, bizarre questions about Crow customs. Varric would have relished the chance to spin his wild tales for Taash. Unfortunately, he took most of his meals in his chambers and wasn’t keen on visitors other than Rook.  

“Demons typically infect mages through manipulation, but Lucanis’ situation is…rather unique.” Emmrich explained. 

“Oh. That’s messed up.” Taash removed their feet from the table and leaned forward. “What’s Spite like?”

“Angry. Impulsive. Annoying.” Lucanis said, taking the soup he was making off the fire. 

“If he’s so unhappy, why doesn’t he just leave?”

“It would likely kill me.”

“No offense, but why would he care?”

Lucanis hesitated. 

“Because we have a deal.”

Rook’s head snapped up as she set Emmrich’s bowl down in front of him. “You made a deal with a demon? ”

Manfred let out a hiss of discontent, stomping his feet in a panic. 

“Oh, Lucanis…” Emmrich lamented, shaking his head. “That was a very foolish thing to do…”

“Zara was waiting for Spite to break out of my body like a moth in a cocoon. I convinced him we wanted the same thing and promised I’d give it to him.”

“And that was that?” Asked Taash. 

“Her. Dead.” Lucanis said, bringing the soup to the table and ladling it into the bowls Rook had set out. The large doors to the kitchen swung open, and Davrin entered, Assan playfully nipping at his heels. He took the furthest seat from Lucanis at the head of the table. The two hadn’t gotten on particularly well ever since Davrin found out about Spite. 

“Play nice,” Rook warned in a low voice, handing the Grey Warden a goblet and filling it with port. She took a seat beside Lucanis, whose end of the table always filled up slowly, everyone wary of his demonic passenger. 

As she blew on her spoonful of soup, Rook caught sight of Bellara entering with Harding and, to her astonishment, Neve. The three appeared to be mid conversation, putting her slightly on edge.

“Are they really gods, though?” Harding asked, looking up at the detective.

“They’re gods. Or the closest thing to them.” 

“Neve!” Rook breathed, setting down her silverware and bracing her hands on the table. “You’re back.”

“Yeah.” she said, not sparing her so much as a glance as she took her seat next to Davrin. “I am.”

The cold shoulder stung, and Rook lowered her head, taking a measured inhale. Neve’s feelings were her own, and she had the right to be disappointed.

“A couple of new people have joined our team since you left,” Harding, seeking to ease the tension, chimed in. “This is Professor Emmrich Volkarin, he’s our fade expert. That’s his assistant beside him, Manfred. And there’s Taash, our dragon hunter.”

“Hey.” Taash said.

Emmrich gave an elegant wave. “Charmed.” 

“A dragon hunter?” Neve asked Taash, “Minrathous could have used you.” 

Rook stiffened as something grazed her knee beneath the table. Startled, her eyes flicked to Lucanis, who offered a tight smile and reassuringly squeezed her knee.

Mierda. This was trouble. 

“So what’s going on?” Rook asked Neve, tearing her gaze from Lucanis. He withdrew his hand and glanced down awkwardly, returning to his dinner.  

“Back home? What isn’t?” Neve sighed, mustering all the civility she could. “Look, you made an impossible call without enough information. I get it. It’s the corner the gods put us in. It just…might take time to shake off.”

Rook dipped her chin. “Of course.” 

“You are back, though, right?” Bellara asked. 

Neve lifted her wineglass and took a deep drink. 

“Yeah, Bel. I’m back.”

[annanuna-arts]

Well...

I was working and got distracted into making this... lightly inspired by fic I wrote about them ;-;

[cryinthevortex]

Warning: Lemon lemon lemooon! Very 18+ ! Mature and Explicit! Graphic content of sexual nature and bad language. 

No: This is not a sales pitch - off you go young ones! Yeah! You too, neighbour’s kid! I’ll tell your mom you’re in internet again looking for Veilguard smut, if you do not leave now! There we go. 

Forgot to ask the kid to like this post and writing first. Yup. Here is me, a new writer making rookie mistakes.

Chapter 1: High Culture, Low Expectations

“Not in my house,” came Caterina’s voice, accompanied by the sharp tap of her cane on the floor.

“I believe this house is technically mine, Caterina,” Lucanis said, leaning in for a kiss on her cheek.

“Not until you stop running around Thedas playing hero,” she replied, her expression pinched with discontent. Then she turned to Rook. “Rook. Last time you ignored my instructions, added your own, and seduced my grandson. This time, you appear to have forgotten your shirt."

Lucanis takes Rook to the Opera, and things do not go according to plan. Unless they do.

Chapter 2:  Business as Usual in Treviso

"Illario could be professional too, but he had not much interest in that now. Still, he did what was expected of him, with his own flair. He had already spoken to a lovely lady with a feathered dress and kept her in mind for after the job was done. He looked back at Lucanis, who stood still, flanked now by two men, both of them talking, and his cousin, possibly, listening. Illario truly could not remember the name of the girl in the feathered dress, but filed it away under “we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Nothing a little well-placed mumble couldn’t fix.

Lucanis eventually approached him. “Any sign of her?”"

Illario and Lucanis are working together again killing people after all that.. unpleasantness with rampaging elven gods and minor betrayals.

A Review: from A well moistened quarterly missive of suspect virtue:

“The Lady herself says: Antivan scandals and handsome gentlemen in dark alleys and daggers accurately find their marks. Four scarves fluttered in shock out of Five -The Randy Dowager “ 

A non-apology: 

I have just gotten into fanfic. Be gentle, not like these guys here- nothing gentle about these freaks. 

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game), Dragon Age - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lucanis Dellamorte/Rook, Lucanis Dellamorte/Rook/Spite, Lucanis Dellamorte & Caterina Dellamorte, Illario Dellamorte & Lucanis Dellamorte Characters: Lucanis Dellamorte, Rook (Dragon Age), Caterina Dellamorte, Spite (Dragon Age), Viago de Riva, Andarateia Cantori, Illario Dellamorte Additional Tags: POV Lucanis Dellamorte, opera - Freeform, Semi-Public Sex, Missing Scene, Pool Sex, Vaginal Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Developing Relationship, Caterina's grade A parenting, Established Relationship, Knifeplay, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse

[forallofthedas]

Lucanis Tag Drop

👿

Lucanis is a Master Assassin in the Antivan Crows. He is a companion and romance interest in The Veilguard.

👿 gets paid to deliver death like a letter: about lucanis dellamorte 👿 believes himself a true monster now: lucanis dellamorte headcanons 👿 i don't have illario's gift for flirting: lucanis dellamorte relationships 👿 the demon of vyrantium: lucanis dellamorte visage 👿 gods magic politics things are going to get very bloody: lucanis dellamorte musings 👿 a crow flying on a demon's wings: lucanis dellamorte interactions 👿 the crows send their regards: lucanis dellamorte asks 👿 surviving on coffee and spite: lucanis dellamorte aesthetics 👿 i was afraid of wanting you: lucanis dellamorte smut 👿 my demon says to stab you and i agree with him: lucanis dellamorte crack

[100jewels-between-teeth]

Info•Links

Like my work? Buy me a ko-fi ○ AO3 ○ Masterlist ○ BlueSky ○ Requests ~~•~~ Requests: Open ~~•~~

Disclaimers: All fics are OC or fem!reader unless specified in fic or request. What I write: long running, oneshot, slow burn, romance, smut, alphabet (sfw/nsfw), character requests, "how *insert character here* would ~~"

I will not write incest, a/b/o, daddy kink

Please do not repost my stories

Characters I write

Dragon Age: Solas, Lucanis Dellamorte, Emmrich Volkarin

Baldurs Gate 3: Astarion Ancunin, Enver Gortash

Ongoing Works • Spotlight

𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓 𝕬𝖌𝖊: ~~•~~

𝑴𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊-𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓

An Hour Found (Lucanis Dellamorte x f!Rook de Riva) **ongoing**

𝑶𝑵𝑬𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑻𝑺

You. Only You (Lucanis Dellamorte x f!Rook de Riva) **completed oneshot**

Have you lost your touch? (Lucanis Dellamorte x f!Rook de Riva) **completed oneshot**

Andoral's Breath (Illario Dellamorte & f!Rook de Riva) **completed 18+ oneshot**

You're (Both) Really Here (Lucanis Dellamorte x f!Rook de Riva) **completed 18+ oneshot**

NSFW Alphabet: Lucanis Dellamorte **Headcanon List**

ദ𝒶𝓁𝒹𝓊𝓇𝓈 Ꮆ𝒶𝓉𝑒 3: ~~•~~

𝑴𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊-𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓

Become as Gods (Enver Gortash x Dark Urge) **ongoing**

[karinamay]

pathos

Pairing: Lucanis/Rook de Riva AU: modern, ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Rating: explicit (for eventual smut)

Summary:

Rook has been skating with Viago for as long as she remembers, so when a nasty fall takes him off the ice for the foreseeable future, she figures that’s the end of her career as well. Viago has other plans for his little sister.  Meanwhile, Lucanis sees an opportunity to finally leave the sport altogether when Illario steals his partner away from him, leaving him alone just months shy of the new season. Retiring isn’t quite as easy as he’d hoped though, with Caterina Dellamorte as his coach.  Rook and Lucanis find each other in a reluctant alliance in the race to first place. But can that gold medal really buy off Rook’s guilt? And does Lucanis really want to quit skating when he’s finally finding his joy for the sport again? 

Read it on AO3

[thechosenof]

Ma Halani pt.2

A/N Guys this story... Man. I wanted it to be more clear that Rook was, in all actuality, deeply bothered by Solas and everything she has to deal with. So this was sort of her breaking point. Anyways, one more short part to write and then it's a wrap for Ma Halani. Enjoy!

Warnings: More smut, biting, and slight depression. This one also isn't double checked for errors, just let me know if you see any.

Rook refused to sleep for four days when she finally got back from the prison. Shame and anger warred inside of her mind, a constant, churning dread of falling asleep just to see him again. She couldn’t.

She had returned from the Fade a ghost, silent, withdrawn, and barely cognizant of them. They worried around her, probing for answers to where she had gone, what had happened, if she was okay. Of course, she wasn’t okay. Nothing about what had happened was okay. But she couldn’t bring herself to answer them. Not a single one of their inquiries. Instead, she sat like a corpse on her couch in the lighthouse, in front of the aquarium, just staring at the fish swimming around. Eventually, her friends had left, taking their concerned looks with them. Still, she didn’t move. She felt stuck there, like she was still with him, his eyes boring into her so gently.

The first day passed like that, and before long it was night. The others had left her be, knowing that she might be back with them, but she wasn’t really there. But then Lucanis walked in, bringing two mugs with him. He sat next to her quietly, putting one purple cup in her hand. Ciocolatta calda, she recognized quickly. It was what she had gotten when they had gone to Treviso to meet with Illario. She waited for another onslaught of questions, but it never came. Lucanis just watched the fish silently as she had been, sipping his own black coffee slowly.

There was an unspoken understanding between them: she didn’t need to talk, but he was there for her. Finally, she took a drink from her own mug, a long sigh passing her lips as the tension finally slipped from her stiffened body. Lucanis watched from the corner of his eyes, a small, satisfied smile gracing his lips from behind his coffee. They sat like that for a while, simply drinking in a moment of silence. It was comfortable, and much appreciated. Once their drinks were gone, he stood, collected her mug, murmured a quiet goodnight, and then left her to herself. 

The next morning she met everyone at the dining table, giving them an apology for how she had acted the day before. She explained that she had been sent to the Fade, that the Venatori had hoped she would be trapped there. She didn’t mention aphrodisiac, nor did she dare utter a word about Solas. Venatori, potion, fade, entrapment. That’s it. Each of her friends accepted her explanation, evening if they picked up there was more to it. She was back, she was okay except for some minor scruff, that’s all that mattered. However, after everyone had had their time to wake up and become functioning people, they may have wished she would have stayed in the Fade a bit longer.

Rook wouldn’t fall asleep, so instead, she filled their days with countless duties that need to be done. Assisting her teammates in their respective cities, coffee, countless fights with Venatori and Antaam, more coffee, reading and filling reports, and pausing once more for coffee. The bitter liquid made her face pull back in disgust, but it kept her awake. So she kept drinking it to avoid the unwelcome guest that sat waiting in her mind, haunting her every thought. They were tired. It was nonstop. They new in the long run this was helpful, but they were growing weary. 

Her fourth night back, Neve cornered her in the library. 

“Rook, you need to sleep. You haven’t slept a wink since you got back.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Neve cut her off by holding her hand up.

“Don’t even try. The bags under your eyes could house the homeless in Dock Town.” She guided Rook towards the pantry. “Proper meal, bath, then sleep. Now.”

Once in the pantry, Neve asked Lucanis to make Rook something light to eat and then went off on her way to rest herself. Rook sat at the dining table as Lucanis bustled around the kitchen. She zoned out as he chopped vegetables, the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board reminding her of Solas’ thrust. Deep, measured, calculated. Her fists clenched on top of the table. Why had he done that? Anger filtered up into her throat making it burn, tears stinging at her eyes as she became filled with rage towards him once again.

Lucanis noticed her shift in demeanor, clearing his throat before setting a bowl down between her clenched hands, then he pulled out a chair for himself next to her. She gave a weak ‘thank you’ before picking up the soup he had given her, eating the soup he had made. She ate in silence, Lucanis’s gaze flitting over to her every few minutes. Rook rolled her eyes and sighed.

“I’m fine, Lucanis.” He raised an unbelieving eyebrow at her, his arms crossed as he leaned back in the chair. 

“Are you really okay?” Rook stared at him, her gaze giving no indication to how she was feeling. She just looked empty. Finally, she cast her eyes down to the soup, swirling it around in the bowl slowly.

“I have to be okay.” Her voice was hardly a whisper. Then she offered him a soft, strained smile, stood from the table, and began walking away. As she got to the door, she turned to him,

“Thank you for the soup, and the hot chocolate the other day.” She said before finally leaving, the door closing behind her with a dull thud. Lucanis just stared at where she had stood, his brow furrowed in concern.

Rook walked into her washroom, filled the tub with water, then stepped in slowly. She hissed as the scalding water burned her skin. But the burn felt good. It made her feel real. Her body slouched until only her nose and eyes remained above the surface, her gaze set at the clear liquid, her body rippling underneath as she breathed. After a moment, she sat up, beginning to wash the grime off of her body. Neve was right, she needed this. Her hands rubbed at her hips, and she flinched as a sore pain reverberated. Looking down, she frowned. Solas’s fingerprints were bruised into her skin, nearly engraving her. She let her own fingers trace over the bruises, and then once again, she felt her anger flare. Suddenly she was scrubbing at the marks. Scrubbing, and rubbing, and scouring her skin until it became raw. 

All the while she thought of his hands on her. They had been so rough, heated, and mean; until they weren’t. Then they were soft, and curious. She felt nauseous. Solas’s eyes had been predatory, a quiet amusement from her desperation. Had he only fucked her to win her over? But he had held her so tightly, like he hadn’t wanted to let go. Like he needed her at that moment. At that moment. So he wasn’t alone. She let out an animalistic snarl that turned into a strained cry. This was so fucking irritating. How was she supposed to face him again?

She hated him. With her whole entire being, she wished for nothing but his downfall. This never would have happened if he hadn’t tried to tear down the veil. None of this would be happening. She wouldn’t be fighting blighted gods, blood mages, Qunari Antaam, Weisshaupt wouldn’t have fallen, none of it.

None of it?

She paused for a moment, recounting everything her and her team had done till then. The corruptness they dispelled, the people they helped, everything. Suddenly, she wasn’t so angry. That one revelation didn’t make all the bad go away, but it did make the weight just a little lighter. 

Rook stood from the tub, the water had long become cold, making the chilly air easy to bear. She grabbed a towel and dried herself, the rough fabric scraping against her skin. She dressed in a long, loose tunic, far too exhausted to dress in proper clothing. Once in her room again, she laid herself on the green couch, her gaze drifting to the hypnotic movement of the fish.The rhythmic movements of their fins lulled her into sleep quickly. It didn’t come as a welcome respite, but more of a reluctant surrender, her exhaustion finally winning. 

For just a moment, there was nothing. No thoughts, feelings, or senses. It was just an empty sleep like what she used to have, until she was abruptly thrust in front of Solas. This time, they were back in their normal positions, ready to play their parts. However, this time, the gap normally between them seemed much smaller, almost as though it was only a crack that she could just jump over. She didn’t mention it.

“Rook?” His voice, a low murmur cut through the silence of the fade. She felt the hair on her neck stand on edge, and a shiver run down her spine. She mentally cursed herself for letting this elf have such an adverse effect on her, just from calling her name in surprise. 

Rook met his gaze, her own eyes souring as she finally took in his appearance. He looked the exact same. He looked fine. He wasn’t in any sort of turmoil like she was and that aggravated her. That she allowed herself to be so upset by him while he couldn't care less about what had passed between them. 

“Solas.” She replied. Her voice was clipped. Short and sharp, emotionless. She would not let him hold any place in her head. In her heart. 

“It has been days. Are you alright?” he asked. 

“That’s none of your business,” She deflected him quickly. His brow twitched slightly, hardly noticeable, but still there.

“Elgar’nan is planning to make a lyrium dagger. How do we stop him?”

Solas rolled his head to the side, his body following suit. His jaw was clenched tightly, deep in thought for a moment.

“I see,” He said, sardonic amusement hinting in his tone. 

“Don’t act like a victim. You’re not commiting to a noble sacrifice by being locked away in here. You’re a liar,” She takes a step forward.

“A manipulator,” She continued.

“I won’t be a pawn in your demented game anymore.” Her feet are at the edge of the gap between them, a sneer on her face, daring him to correct her. The bitterness in Rook’s voice was tangible, stemming from her hurt and betrayed trust of him.

“You are not a pawn, more like,” He thinks for a moment.

“An anomaly. Something I had not predicted or ever considered.” He allowed a truth for every 10 of his lies. He really hadn’t expected her. Her defiance, her wit, none of it. Never would he have thought he would be sat locked in a prison of his own creation, with one modern elf to be his life line to the outside world. And he definitely hadn’t expected to fuck her, let alone feel anything more than contempt towards her.

“That’s wonderful. I’m so thrilled that I was here to disrupt your grand schemes.”

This time, Solas stepped forward, like a hooked fish.

“You misunderstand me. My intentions are to make right what I have wronged, even if my methods are-” His voice had been gentle, gradually building in a crescendo as he tried to defend his actions.

“Your methods are monstrous. You use people, Solas. You manipulate them. And if that doesn’t work? You get rid of them by whatever means you deem fit.” She interrupted, her voice raw.

“Why are my actions so important to you?” He knew the answer, he had started this all in order to get her into the palm of his hand. In this moment, he used that to his advantage. He hadn’t known that he would become entangled in her own web, tied around her pinkie finger. Solas regretted that decision.

“Don’t twist this anymore than you already have,” She whispered, her voice trembling at the start. Her eyes looked so sad. Solas raised his eyebrow, his expression unreadable. He put his hands behind his back, taking three large steps backwards and away from her.

“Elgar’nan's power is tied to light and darkness. He will need to perform a ritual during the next eclipse. That will give you and your team some time to prepare.”

Rook nods her head, thinking of everything they may still need to do beforehand, and trying to come up with just how exactly they were supposed to train for this. Then, Solas’s voice rang out, gentle and encouraging,

“I know that you will do everything in your power not to fail them.”

Her eyes drifted back to him, startled by the softness in his voice. When her gaze landed on his face, she was taken aback, taking in a sharp intake of air. There, in front of her, her, the Dread Wolf had shown her a ghost of a smile, not quite reaching his eyes, but still genuine. The soft curve of his lips stood out vastly with the sharp angle of his jaw, and the intensity of his gaze. His violet eyes, usually so calculating and sharp, were half-lidded. The heat she felt forming in her stomach made her feel sick. He looked like just a man at that moment. 

There was a stillness to him, it was a silent intensity that drew her in despite all of her judgements. It was a look that spoke of hidden secrets, more than just regrets, but triumphs and bittersweet happiness. It was the look of a man who carried the weight of this world, and the last, on his very soul. But at this moment, he was offering her some solace. And in her solace, he found his own peace, a peace that she knew that he did not deserve, but thought might be okay for her own peace of mind right now.

They stood like that for a time, just gazing at one another, his face gradually morphing into something new but familiar. He looked like he was yearning for something, or someone, and Rook couldn’t help herself from wishing that it was directed towards her.

“Solas,”

“Rook,” They started at the same time. Both pairs of eyes widened, his softening first,

“Please, go ahead.”

She glanced away, picking at the skin around her nails. A horrible habit she had picked up as a child.

“Why do you look at me like that sometimes?” She finally asked, her voice barely above a ghost of a whisper. 

Her question hung suspended in the tense air between them, delicate and volatile. Like a string frayed to its last thread, taut, threatening to snap with one wrong pull. Solas’s expression shifted; the minutes of softness they had only just shared disappeared, his features that had been warmed briefly now retreated, replaced now by guarded eyes. He didn’t answer her immediately, the ensuing silence was heavy with unspoken emotions. It felt oppressive. 

Rook could hear her own heartbeat beating in her ears like a drum, a frantic sound against the otherwise stillness around them. She hated this, hated the way that under his gaze, her pulse quickened so easily, hated the way that the anger she had been stewing in for days crumbled under the weight of his silence.

“Like what?” He finally asked, his voice a low murmur from deep in his chest. It was cautious, the carefully modulated tones controlling his emotions. Yet, a fleeting quirk of his lips betrayed the underlying amusement.

Rook’s lips pressed into a thin line. She didn’t want to explain herself, she didn’t want to figure out while she felt so antsy under the unsettling intensity of his gaze. A gaze that had the ability to pierce her defenses and feel oddly tender, simultaneously. It was a look that read that he wanted to put his hands into the puzzle that was her mind, try and fit the pieces together to see just why she was the way she was. It wasn’t fair. He wanted to dissect her, but she was expected to just accept the god of lies, trickery, and treachery as he was. Before she could think of the consequences to her words, she spoke,

“It’s like… You’re holding back. Like you’re holding yourself back.” 

The prison shook at the ground moved, pieces falling apart and mashing together to bridge the gap between them. Rook stumbled forward, losing her footing at the quakes. Just as she thought she would fall, Solas’s arms wrapped around her waist just as he’d done only days ago. His grasp made her tense up, frozen in his hold like a rabbit cornered by a wolf. His scent- Fade-like, woodsy, and old, infiltrated her senses. It was all-encompassing and intoxicating. Unsettling. When he next spoke, Rook could feel the rumble in his chest although his voice was controlled, with each syllable measured, each word carefully selected just for her.

“And if I am? What would you do with that knowledge?” Another deflection, an answer inside of a question. With this, he shifted the burden of responsibility of a real answer onto her again. 

Rook frowned, frustration bubbling to the surface one more, threatening to overthrow the control she had promised herself to keep. She pulled away from him, pushing him back by his broad chest. 

“That’s not an answer, Solas. You- you always do this,” She began, beyond exasperated. She turned her back to him, throwing her arms in the air.

“You twist my questions, avoiding giving me answers with riddles, concealing the truth with well-thought half-truths and ambiguities!” She turned to face him once again, this time with space between them so she could think.

“For once,” Her eyes met his,

“Just tell me the truth.” Her voice was pleading, begging him. Rook knew this was a bad idea, letting him in and see this part of her. The part of her that was still immature and childish, wishing and hoping for there to be good in everyone, no matter how miniscule. She understood from the wolf statuettes that manipulation and burden is all he had known, but did he want for more? Did he have dreams and ambitions that didn’t revolve around his past, around Mythal? Did he want redemption?

His gaze locked onto hers, unwavering, stubborn, a stare that caught her breath once more. For a long moment, a beat too long, he simply took her in. His expression was unreadable, a silent battle waging on behind those beautifully sad eyes of his. Finally, he relented, stepping forward and cupping her cheek. She flinched, her eyes closing instinctively. He chuckled.

“Very well. You want my honesty?” He asked her, thumb brushing her cheek delicately.

“Yes.” She whispered. Her stomach twisted and turned on itself, not knowing what to expect from him anymore. He tilted his head to the side and let his thumb trace over her bottom lip.  

“I look at you the way a starved man may look as a coin glistening at the bottom of a well.” He paused, wondering if that was the best way. For once, he wasn’t trying to craft an image of false promises, just how he felt. 

“You are tempting, beyond beautiful, and valuable. But dangerous, out of reach. You remind me of what I can never have. Something I should never have desired.”

Her eyes were wide, tears welling once again, and his thumb moved to brush them away. 

“I- Solas, well I- I don’t know what to say.” She stumbled on her words. A faint breathy chuckle escaped from Salas’s lips. He smiled down at her.

“You are a complication that I never anticipated, one that I cannot ignore, nor do I want to.” 

“How am I supposed to answer that, Solas?” She wanted to be angry. To throw at him everything that she knew he had done, and even then, that wouldn’t be enough. But her chest was tight and her throat was choked. He stayed silent, watching her curiously as she worked through her thoughts and feelings right in the moment, once again in his hands.

“I don’t need your peace,” she insisted, her voice thick with emotion, defying what he offered to her as consolation.

“I don’t need your pity or your excuses. I just-” A whimper escaped her chapped lips, a choked and painful sound. Her hands tightened in the fabric of his shirt. The words were caught in her throat; they were an unspoken plea hanging over them both. Finally, she found the words, barely managing to utter them.

“Tell me this is real. If any of this- your feelings- was any of it ever real?”

Solas leaned down, his forehead coming to rest delicately against hers. Their breaths mingled, a silent blending of their unspoken truths, and untold deceptions. They closed their eyes, surrendering to the intimacy of the moment. They breathed together as one, drawing strength and relinquishing their doubts in each other’s presence. He whispered, his voice not faltering in his answer to her, dangerous and undeniable.

“It was,” His lips brushed hers, a fleeting touch that made her crave more. The words he mustered were soft yet unshakable, a promise whispered to her heart.

“It is.” Finally. Finally the walls were broken and each laid bare to the other. Her chest ached painfully, resonating pain throughout her being. A physical reaction to the emotional turmoil she had felt the past few days, finally coming to a head. She wanted to believe him and his sweet words, to surrender to the hope his words offered, even knowing the inherent risks of trusting Fen’Harel. This one moment could lead to her downfall, but dammit, she wanted so badly to trust in him. So she did. Just this once, she would indulge in what she wanted, no matter how forbidden the fruit was. 

Slowly, she craned her neck upwards, pressing her lips to his, seeking him with urgency. Rook needed him to confirm what he had told her. The instant their mouths met, Solas responded, his body melting into hers like a graceful fall. His arms pulled her even closer, until there was no space to breach between them. Her hands were still balled into fists, clutching at his shirt, her knuckles lightening from the pressure. Meanwhile, his hands gradually moved lower, hesitating for a moment. At least until she whimpered, then his hands made their way to the curve of her hips, and then lower to settle firmly on her ass, pulling her tunic up to feel her skin in his hands. 

And with that, she was his. Completely, utterly, irrevocably, his. 

She could still feel anger deep in her gut, eating away at her, but at present, her need to believe that there was the smallest amount of good in him outweighed that. And honestly, as his hands roamed the expanse of her bruised and spent skin, she couldn’t care less about anything else around them. It was just them, their feelings, and their needs. And right now, she needs him.

Rook’s hands unclenched from his shirt, roaming the expanse of his shoulders until they made their way to cradle his head, comforting him, if only a little bit. Her tongue grazed his bottom lip, asking for permission that he granted without question, letting her lead the moment between them. His hands continued to drift over her body, stopping periodically to grasp at her, making sure she’s real, and still there. 

The kiss became heated, the initial tenderness morphing into a fiery urgency to be one with the other. Solas grabbed the bottom of Rook’s tunic, breaking the kiss to pull it over her head. He looked at her, taking in the dips and crevices of her body. Her skin was flushed with desire, her nipples hardened under his gaze and he smirked, knowing that he could raise such a delicious reaction from her. His hand dropped her tunic to the ground, hand raising to cup her breast, squeezing it and eliciting a whine from her. He let go, hand moving down her rib, to waist, hip, crossing her stomach, and then cupping her sex. 

Rook ground her hips down into his hand, letting him feel how much she wanted him. This time, not out of pure necessity, but actual want. He groaned, not wasting any time to slip one of his lengthy, pale fingers between her folds and inside her. She gasped at the suddenness, hands grabbing to hold on to his forearms. Solas leaned down, nipping at her right ear gently, then letting his tongue run over the tenderness he had created. All the while his finger moved agonizingly slowly, in and out of her. 

“Faster…” She murmured to him, and he couldn’t help himself but to smirk down at her. He liked seeing her like this. So obedient. That would never change for him.

“Please!” Rook continued as she pushed her hips down, trying to make her point more clear. Finally, he relented, adding another finger into her sopping cunt, thrusting them quicker and harder. Her eyes rolled back, mouth falling open, as she moaned without hesitation. His head dipped down to mark her neck like he had done the last time, letting them trail higher and higher, so that people may see. He couldn’t hold back his pride as he pulled away to see the artwork he had created on her body. He angled his fingers to press along the spongy part of her insides, over and over and over, as her eyes squeezed shut, arching her back.

“S-Solas… Don’t stop ‘m so close…” Rook pleaded with him, her eyes furrowed together as she chased her high. He pressed his mouth to her parted lips, swallowing her cries as his thumb circled her clit mercilessly. She could feel his hardness against her thigh, him unconsciously grinding himself against her; it made her clench, she finally let go, her orgasm burning through her like flames licking at wood. It was fiery, hot, and made her scream out, but his mouth muffled her cries. 

Solas didn’t wait to take the rest of his clothing off, tossing it beside them. He grabbed hold of her calves, pulling her to him. She was surprised, but didn’t struggle against him, instead she slackened herself. Her body melted in his hands, legs wrapping around his hips effortlessly. She watched Solas stroke himself a few times, his eyes piercing as he watched her body twitch in the aftershocks of her last orgasm. He painted the image of her flushed skin coated in a thin layer of sweat. Her arms above her head so submissively, nipples hardened and breasts raising and falling with each breath. Her legs spread wide open, presenting herself to him so willingly with slick coating her inner thighs. And her eyes, her fucking eyes, staring at him so openly, so beautiful and full of desire. 

Solas aligned himself with her entrance, the anticipation a torment made tangible by her slick heat. He pressed himself inside her slowly, a delicious friction that stole his breath at the feeling of her tightness wrapping around his length. A hiss passed his lips, but it could hardly be heard over Rook’s own moan that tore from her as he stretched her. He paused for a moment, gazing down at their joined bodies before drawing back and slamming back inside. Her fingers clawed at the dirt above her head, leaving furrows in the ground, Her eyes, dilated and dark with heat, remained locked on his, mirroring the intensity burning in his own gaze. His brow was furrowed in concentration, bottom lip caught between his teeth, his chest flushed with exertion. One of his hands rested on her lower stomach, his thumb finding her sensitive nub between her folds, circling it with an urgent pressure that sent shivers of pleasure. Then, a jolt shocked Rook, Solas’s magic coursing through her from her clit; she let out an involuntary cry, unprepared for the sudden, breathtaking climax that stole her breath. 

He relished in the vise-like grip her cunt locked him in, his cock buried deep within her as she shuddered through her second orgasm. Her body trembled with the aftershocks of pleasure as he withdrew slowly before gently guiding her to roll onto her stomach. He moved her easily, moving himself atop her thighs, right below his ass, where he once again lined himself to her entrance. He let the head slip past her folds, teasingly rocking back and forth as a smirk played on his lips, eyes studying her flushed skin and damp hair. 

“Have I worn you out already, da’len?” he asked, the words laced with a mocking tone that only served to ignite the defiance she had always shown him.

She twisted, her eyes meeting his over her shoulder. She scoffed before responding, “Hardly.”

A low chuckled emanating from him, a sound that vibrated through her as his eyes darkened. Solas leaned over her, the weight of his body pressing into her, as his cock slowly sunk into her once more. It was slow and deliberate, something she hadn’t expected, but it was only a prelude to come. Her defiance soon faltered then dissolved into surrender as after he pulled out the first time, he had slammed into her with such force, Rook swore she had seen stars. His pace was relentless and she was grateful his arms braced her, his weight an anchor as he drove into her, his hips slapping against her ass with a fierce rhythm. 

"Hardly," she scoffed, the word a breathy defiance.

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, a sound that vibrated through her as his eyes darkened, the amusement replaced by a deeper, more primal hunger. He leaned over her, the weight of his body pressing down, his entry slow and deliberate, a prelude to the storm to come. Her defiance faltered, dissolving into surrender as she closed her eyes. Her hips arched instinctively to meet him while his arms braced her, his weight anchoring him as he drove into her. Solas’s rhythm was relentless and powerful, hips slamming against her ass with a fierce, intoxicating rhythm. His mouth found her back as he alternated between kissing and nipping at her skin with each thrust. 

Then, his kisses trailed upwards, landing at her ears where he nipped at them. Rook’s eyes clenched shut as he began to whisper into her ear. Nothings and somethings flooded her mind confusing her as his cock bullied into her. 

“I could not stand you before,” he groaned, his voice a low rasp. “How is it that I do not believe I could survive without you now?” he murmured, pressing a kiss below her ear, his words lost in the flurry of sensation she felt. His hips began to stutter and, and his hand snaked its way under her to find her clit again. His fingers messily, eagerly drew circles in a pattern. Rook whimpered, feeling her climax approaching.

“Fen’Harel ma ghilana,” he whispered, his teeth grazing the space between her neck and shoulder before he unleashed himself inside of her, flooding her inside with hot, thick cum. A cry tore from her throat at the feeling, surrendering to her body’s satisfaction. She twitched under him, eyes rolled back in her head as she panted. Solas’s hand detached from her clit to rub soothing circles on her hip, gently detaching himself from her. 

Rook opened her eyes to look at him, watching as he laid himself next to her, brushing her hair back from her forehead. He gave her a soft, tired smile. She laughed and Solas was taken aback.

“Fen’Harel guides you? Seriously?” she asked, the absurdity of his final statement finally registering to her. Her laugh only grew louder at the way Solas looked off to the side, ears tinted pink. As he turned back to respond, the Fade prison faltered, and then disappeared as Rook woke. Over her stood Lucanis, his eyes were panicked.

“Rook, we have a problem.”

[deputyrook]

things on my to-write list:

- something more realistic with Lucanis re: him being demi/a virgin to balance out my hot-lucanis fics

- Illario/Rook. Possibly him getting drunk at a party and hitting on her, possibly from an AU where things don’t work out between Rook/Lucanis?

- Viago/OC. Probably not Rook. Possibly Viago/Teia. Probably will make no sense. But I must write Viago smut. I MUST.

- Lucanis/Rook YEARNING

[bitethedemon]

Daggers, Poison, and Shiny Things (Lucanis x Reader x Illario): Chapter 2

<-Last Chapter / Next Chapter ->

Link to this fic on AO3

Tags: Slow burn, De Riva Reader, Eventual Smut, Messy Love Triangles

Fic summary: You lost everything in Rivain: your family, your home, and your hopes of ever becoming a seer. Treviso offered you revenge, but you were not prepared for the loneliness you would find amongst the Crows. The busiest assassin in Antiva became your only friend. That is, until he died and left you alone to pick up the pieces of yourself and his devastated cousin.

Imagine then, that your dead old flame shows up after a year, very much alive, with a very loud demon at his side and a hot new boss, while you have to explain that you are now dating his cousin. Don't you just hate it when that happens?

Warning: A little NSFW

You were completely numb as you were led to the others. You registered that Illario embraced and kissed you. You tensed a bit at the gesture. You heard his words too: Caterina is dead. There were just too many things going on at once for you to properly process it.

Viago and Teia were there. Illario was there. Lucanis, who was very much not dead, was there, with a demon at his side. There were a few strangers too. You noticed one in particular: a woman. A very pretty elven woman with a Mourn Watcher pendant around her neck. You did not like the way she looked at Lucanis as if she knew him.

“Rook,” The demon said directly to you. His mouth was not even moving. “Saved Lucanis. From prison.”

Your eyes narrowed at the demon.

“Who are you? What do you want Lucanis for?” you asked the demon mentally.

“Spite,” the demon responded. “Trapped with him. He. Keeps me. HERE! Want out.”

Your eyes narrowed at Spite. You caught Lucanis looking at you. Only a second later you felt Illario snake his arm around your waist and pull you closer. Lucanis averted his eyes.

He looked so broken. Caterina had been the only parental figure he ever had, he was now stuck with a demon too, and gods know what he went through in that prison. You wished you could comfort him.

He was not yours to comfort anymore, your realized. Illario was, and he seemed broken by the news too. What you and Lucanis had was barely a thing before he died. Illario and you had been together for months.

You had found him one day on your way home. It was around two months after Lucanis had died. Illario was outside the Setting Sun, which was a bar that you knew he had also frequently visited before. Although at that time he was so drunk that he could barely stand.

You had heard rumors, since Illario had stopped coming around the Diamond. Caterina did not accept sloppiness or drunkenness, and she certainly did not allow the other Crows at the base to see a Dellamorte in such a shape. He was alone. Utterly alone.

“Illario?”

He was standing with his back up against the wall as to not fall. He looked up at you briefly.

“River…” he mumbled. “I’m so sorry…”

With certain words and phrases, the two cousins sounded so similar. The way he said your name was a knife to the heart. He sounded so much like him. Lucanis would have hated to see him like that…

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” you said and looked from the bottle in his hand to his face. “You don’t look so good. Should I help you home?”

He shook his head.

“There is plenty to be sorry for…” he mumbled solemnly.

You sighed softly and looked him up and down. He was a mess.

“Let me get you home, yeah?”

You gently touched his arm. He moved it away from you.

“Illario, I will get you home now or I will stay here with you until you want to go,” you said firmly. “You will fall into the canal in this state.”

He lifted his head and looked at you. His dark eyes were red and shiny.

“He is gone.”

You took a deep breath and tried to push down your own feelings for a moment.

“I know,” you said, your voice cracking ever so slightly. “Please.”

You held out your hand to him. He took it with a deep sigh and let the bottle in his hand fall to the pavement where it shattered. You put your arm around his back to support him as you started walking.

“Where do you live?” you asked.

“I don’t want to be alone,” he mumbled.

You sighed quietly. Caterina was right, you thought, he was utterly pathetic in this state and no wonder that she kept him away from the others. You scolded yourself mentally for thinking in such a way.

“I’ll take you to my place then,” you said. “It’s not far.”

“Thank you.”

You successfully managed to drag Illario to your house. You placed him on the couch, but he still managed to follow you to your bedroom like a drunk, lost puppy. You gave in and let him. You did not want to be alone either, truth be told.

You both fell asleep in each other’s arms. In the morning, Illario was back to being the Illario you knew.  You didn’t protest when he started slowly exploring your body with his hands or press himself up against you. You found that you needed it too.

Beginning a relationship with him became the most natural thing. You were both all alone in the world with a need for comfort, and you found it in each other. He was so different from Lucanis, despite them growing up together, but you found that you did not mind that either.

Unlike Lucanis, Illario had no problems talking about himself and his feelings, though he might not always have cared a whole lot about yours. You did not mind that either. You found that you mostly did not want to talk about it. He spoke about his childhood, his family, about Lucanis and him. He filled in a lot of gaps that you had always wondered about Lucanis.

It worked out between you two. Illario seemed happy and slowed down on the drinking, and you weren’t alone and had someone to care for. It felt like giving back. Like doing what Lucanis would have wanted. He would have wanted the two of you to take care of each other. It did not fill the hole he had left, but it was something real.

Sometime during the evening, Lucanis joined you on the balcony and the two of you were alone for a moment. You were far from okay, but you put on a brave face. Everything was so weird. A whole year had gone by and now it felt like the two of you were strangers. You broke the silence.

“I’m so sorry to hear about Caterina,” you said.

He was leaning on his elbows on the balcony railing, looking out over the city. He nodded and remained quiet. To no surprise, he did not want to talk about it.

“How have you been, River?” he asked instead.

You gave a bitter laugh, and tears pricked at your eyes at the question.

More alone than ever. I’ve tried every kind of magic known to man just to see you again. I was so sad, scared, and angry that you were gone.

“Let’s not,” you said. “I’m glad that you are home though. I’ve missed you.”

He smiled in a soft but tired way.

“You are staying here…right?”

He sighed quietly and looked down at his hands before looking at you.

“I have a contract,” he said. “With the woman who freed me. Rook.”

Your heart sank.

“You can’t be serious,” you said. “You’re leaving again? You have been gone for a year. Caterina is dead and you have a demon in you. You will run yourself into the ground, Lucanis.”

“I will be fine,” he said firmly and brushed away your concern with a hand gesture.

“Not. Fine.” Spite grumbled. “Tell HIM.”

He winced a bit at Spite’s words. You glanced at the demon beside him. You weren’t sure what to make of him, but he was right. Lucanis clearly wasn’t fine.

“Lucanis…”

“River,” he said firmly, but not unkindly. “Let it go. I will be fine. You know me: contracts first. Then I will figure out all of this. And please, don’t tell the others about Spite. I don’t know how to tell them yet.”

You shook your head but remained quiet. There was no way to talk sense into him and you knew it. You had to just trust him.

“So,” Lucanis said in an even tone. “You and Illario…”

A shiver ran through you. You had not been prepared to talk about the elephant in the room yet quite yet.

“Yes,” you said quietly. “Lucanis, I thought—”

He smiled and held up his hand to stop you.

“A lot can happen in a year,” he said. “I’m very happy for both of you.”

The door to the balcony opened and out came the elven woman you now knew as Rook.

“Lucanis—” she began and stopped when she saw him talking to you. “Oh, I’m sorry for interrupting. I just wanted to say we are planning on leaving soon.”

Gods, she was pretty. With her long silky black hair and emerald eyes. It was a struggle to not frown when Lucanis smiled politely at her.

“In a moment,” he said.

She smiled back with those pretty pouty lips of hers before going back inside. You held back a groan. Spite grinned at you from behind Lucanis. You wondered if he could feel the jealousy radiating off of you. You shook your head and tried to think of something else.

“I will try to visit as often as I can,” Lucanis said and turned to you. “Take care of Illario for me. Please.”

You nodded. He squeezed your shoulder in a fond gesture before leaving. You stood in silence for a while. You had gone through every possible emotion this last hour. You were exhausted.

“RIVER!” you heard from inside.

You groaned at Viago’s voice.

“RI-VER,” his voice cut through again, but interrupted by who you could only imagine was Teia. “What do you mean I— ah, FINE. RIVER—”

“Here, Viago,” you called back tiredly from the balcony.

He came out and made a hand gesture you were intimately familiar with: a closed hand to the side of the head. It usually meant something between ‘are you stupid?’ or ‘why did it take you so long?’.

“You are behind schedule on two batches of Soldier’s Bane, do you know?” he stated urgently.

You rolled your eyes slightly and gave him a tired nod. He looked you over. He gave you a look that someone might give a particularly pathetic little animal. It was somewhere between sympathy and disgust.

“You look like shit,” he said. “Teia insists I speak to you, but I do not want to get involved in your little Dellamorte love triangle.”

“There is no ‘triangle’,” you said. “And even if there was, I certainly wouldn’t want you involved in it either.”

“Ech,” he said in a disgusted tone with a frown. “Not like that.”

He leaned his back on the balcony railing beside you.

“There is nothing going on. Lucanis is back, and I am very happy that he is, but I am still with Illario. That is all there is to it. I don’t want you involved in my love life any more than you do.”

“Good,” he said. “So, we agree.”

You nodded. He looked at you and sighed.

“We are all shaken by what happened,” he said. “Are you fine?”

Despite his harsh tone, you knew Viago enough to know that he cared at least a tiny bit.

“I don’t know,” you said honestly.

“Hm,” he huffed. “I will make the batch. You go home and rest, and by the Maker, take Illario with you. He is making holes in the floor with his pacing, and I think he just opened a bottle of wine. You will be back to work in two days. Do you understand?”

“Thank you, Viago.”

He brushed your thanks away with a hand gesture and walked back inside.

Being at home didn’t work to calm you down in any way. You constantly spent time with Illario. He was acting odd. Obviously, he was acting odd because his grandmother was dead, but there was something else. Something you could not quite put your finger on. He was in a weird almost manic-like state constantly and he lashed out more than usual.

It was almost a relief to come back to the laboratory and have a moment of peace. When you entered, you saw that Viago had cleaned up. No doubt he had been cursing your name while doing so. He had also made a lot of poisons in advance, you noticed, so that your workload was lighter. The man did have a heart after all…

You knew that Lucanis was at the Diamond as well. They were planning Caterina’s wake. You did not intrude. It wasn’t your place, and Illario had not asked you to be there either. You kept working to keep your mind busy instead. Sometime during the early afternoon, Illario went to get you anyway.

“Illario, it’s weird,” you protested as you followed him. “I’m neither a Talon nor a Dellamorte. I shouldn’t be there.”

“Neither are the people who Lucanis brought,” Illario answered. “I want you there. Please, love.”

That made you pause. Had Lucanis seriously brought this ‘Rook’ woman with him for this? That flame of jealousy was lit in your belly again. You hated it, but you could not help it. Why did you feel so jealous? If anyone deserved happiness it was him, no matter who that was with.

You tried to get your mind to shut up. When you entered the room, they were all there. Viago gave you a glance, rolled his eyes and looked at Illario. You also suddenly realized that Illario’s intention of bringing you there might have been less than pure. He did not need you to hold his hand, and there was no real reason for you to be there.

Most likely, he only brought you because Lucanis brought someone, or to show him that you were his, like he had done that first night Lucanis came home. That certainly wasn’t above him. If you had learned anything from your relationship with him, it was that he was easily jealous and very possessive.

This was neither the time nor place for the one-sided competition between the two cousins, and you suddenly wished that you had just told him no.

Despite Illario running around like a chicken without its head throughout the whole thing, he still managed to watch you carefully. Every time you even looked in the direction of Lucanis or Rook, he was watching you like a hawk. Especially when you all said your goodbye’s.

Because of the heavy subject matter of the meeting, Lucanis said goodbye to all of them in true Antivan fashion. There was nothing odd about it. A kiss on each cheek. You had learned long ago that is was simply something Antivans did with those they were close to.

Lucanis did the rounds to all of them and only hesitated for a moment when he got to you. You two were close too, and since you were dating Illario now, you were in some minor way family too. It would also have been weird if he had left you out as the only one. Illario’s body became tense beside you when Lucanis leaned forward and kissed your cheeks.

You could practically feel it coming when he followed you back to the laboratory afterwards. It was Illario’s turn to address the elephant in the room. He was staring at you from the doorway. You fiddled with some equipment in the hopes that he would go away.

“Do you still love him?”

You let out a long sigh.

“Illario—”

“No, no,” he stopped you. “Don’t act like that is such an unreasonable thing to ask. Answer me.”

“You are grieving, Illario,” you said, still not looking at him. “Don’t start this. I know this has nothing to do with me and everything to do with losing your grandmother.”

“That’s not an answer,” he said.

You could hear his footsteps behind you. He wrapped his arms around you from behind. One of his hands came up to trace patterns on your neck, before resting his hand there in a loose grip and pushing your head back to rest against his shoulder.

“Do. You. Still. Love. Him?” he asked slowly into your ear.

You took a deep breath. He was being ridiculous.

“I love you,” you answered.

“That’s not an answer either,” he said and pulled you closer to him, so your back was flush up against his front. “Would you marry me, if I asked you?”

“You have lost your mind, Illario.”

You almost laughed at the suggestion. It was such a ridiculous notion. Dellamortes did not marry people like you. You had never spoken about it, but it was an unspoken agreement that your relationship could never get to that point. It just was not even a possibility. Caterina had appreciated you fixing Illario to the best of your abilities, but she had never approved of your relationship.

“I’m serious,” he mumbled into your neck.

“The other families wouldn’t approve,” you pointed out. “It would also go directly against your grandmother’s wishes. You know that. I hate hypotheticals.”

It just wasn’t possible. You also did not want to even if it was. This was such a transparent plan. It had nothing to do with you. Illario had never even spoken about marriage before. This wasn’t about wanting to marry you. This was about having you so no one else could. He was being childish.

The hand around your throat moved down to your chest. He ran his thumb over the top of one of your breasts and squeezed it gently. You breath hitched slightly.

“Illario,” you said. “Not in here.”

His hand moved under your shirt and found its way under your bra. His thumb started circling your nipple and he kissed your neck.

“I don’t care about them,” he said. “Besides, I couldn’t care less what the other families think once I’m First Talon.”

Your brow furrowed slightly. Your next words flew out of your mouth before you could think:

“Why would you become First Talon when Lucanis is home?”

Wrong thing to say. Oh, very wrong thing to say.

Illario froze completely before removing himself entirely from you. You had unconsciously echoed what he had been told his whole life. Technically, there was a chance. It just seemed so obvious that Lucanis would be the one to inherit the title. It was what Caterina had groomed him for his entire life.

“Shit. I’m sorry,” you quickly said. “I didn’t mean—”

“Oh no, please,” he said bitterly in a cold tone. “I know what you meant. Don’t bother coming by later. I will be busy.”

He shut the door hard when he left.

“Fuck,” you mumbled to yourself under your breath.

[selunesdreams]

Chapter 4: Choke Points

“You know, my room has good choke points, too.” 

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

Summary: Treviso is saved, Minrathous burns, and Rook has a mini-crisis over disappointing Neve. In an attempt to get her to stop moping, Lucanis drags her to spend some quality time with her family.…Link to Chapter 1

Word Count: 3.2k

Things of note/warnings: 18+ fic, MDNI! Blood, injury, the pain and agony of letting down Neve, protective Spite/Lucanis, Illario's snake collection, drunk Rook being a horny little shit. Also some references to plot lines in Tevinter Nights. A highly recommended read, but not necessary to follow the story. Please read on AO3 if you need to track warnings, they will be inevitably detailed better there (or just want to be real sweet and give me hits/kudos/comments).

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Rook used the back of her hand to wipe away the blood and sweat from her face, doubling over to catch her breath. 

“I can’t believe we fought it off.” Teia said, her eyes following the receding silhouette of the dragon on the horizon.

Dense soot fell from the sky as flames simmered on distant rooftops. The air carried the scent of wood smoke, reminiscent of All Souls Day, when Treviso would remember its dead, and the Chantry would light fires across the city to mark the burning of Andraste. Tonight, there was no peaceful remembrance of the fallen, no parades marching through the streets. Only fresh death and palpable despair. Despite their half-victory, Treviso remained shrouded in dread of what lay ahead.

“It’ll be back.” Lucanis’ voice held a haunting quality. “If Ghilan’nain hadn’t called it away…” 

Rook stood up straight. “Next time, it dies.”

“That thing was tough. It’ll be hard to put down for good.” Davrin warned. Behind him, Assan dug holes through the frost coating the governor’s lawn, the remnant of the dragon’s icy attack. No one stopped him - the Crows hated politicians.  

“What happened to Treviso would have been much worse if you hadn’t arrived when you did.” Teia threw her arms around Rook. “I cannot imagine how much worse…”

“Fiammetta!” 

Rook disentangled herself from the embrace and turned in the direction of her cousin’s voice. Viago, ever calm and collected, looked like an utter wreck as he approached.

“So he does have a soft spot,” Lucanis murmured to Teia.

“He has several.” She said with a wink. The Demon of Vyrantium raised both eyebrows and blinked uncomfortably. 

“You saved our city, Fiamma. Our people. Our home…” Viago’s mouth fell open mid-sentence as his gaze drifted over her shoulder. “Is that…a griffin? ”

Rook nodded emphatically and Viago crept forward, staring at Assan with childlike wonder. The griffin squawked and swished its tail in the air. 

“Never thought I’d see him get excited about anything other than snakes and poisons.” Lucanis mused. 

“Says the guy obsessed with wyverns.” Rook said, squatting to clean her blade on the grass.

Davrin sheathed his sword. “While this is all endearing, don’t we need to check in on-”

“Minrathous...” Rook’s eyes widened as she turned to Lucanis. “Neve!”

Davrin whistled, signaling for Assan. “Maybe there’s still time to help.”

Viago reached for Rook’s shoulder. “Fiamma, don’t go running into-“

Lucanis stopped him mid-sentence, laying his hand on his arm. “She’s got this. And if she doesn’t, I’ve got her back.”

A long moment passed as Viago held his gaze before he acknowledged with a nod. 

“Send word when you’re safe.”

“You worry too much!” Fiamma shouted over her shoulder, taking off after Davrin and Assan.

Lucanis delivered two reassuring pats to Viago’s back and then sprinted after them.

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Rook barely recognized Minrathous, relying on Lucanis to navigate its burning streets. It had been a miracle the Eluvian was even in one piece when they stepped through it.

They spotted Neve on a rooftop, along with Asher, the leader of the Shadow Dragons, and Tarquin, his second in command. Rook, with a dramatic flourish, pitched herself onto the roof from the highest rung of a nearby ladder.

“We’re here! What’s the situation?” 

“Look around.” Neve waved her arms in a display of exasperation. “I don’t know where to start. Is Treviso alright?”

“It’ll pull through. I’m asking about Minrathous.” 

“The Venatori had a clear shot at the palace while we faced a dragon we could barely hurt. The Viper drew it away from the safe house and took a claw to the gut as thanks. A healer could fix the wound, but the blight’s already in him...”

“I know of magic that may slow the corruption. It will give me more time.” Asher rasped. From Rook’s vantage point, the wounds appeared severe. Tarquin lunged at her, forcefully jabbing his finger against her chest. 

“This is all you! The risen gods, the blight, the dragon! Now the city’s lost to the Venatori-”

A low growl emanated from Lucanis, his eyes momentarily tinged with violet as he intervened, positioning himself between them.

“Do NOT. Touch. ROOK! ”

He took a step backward, blinking rapidly.

Asher propped himself up on an elbow, suppressing a cough. “Tarquin, it is what it is. You know Rook isn’t to blame.”

A groan of frustration escaped Tarquin’s lips as he returned to his post alongside the Viper, burying his face in his hands. 

“Tensions are a little high.” Neve said apologetically. “You should go for now. I need to be here a while. See to things.”

“Neve…”

“You had to defend your home. I don’t fault you for that, Rook. But it still doesn’t change what happened to mine.” 

Lucanis, seemingly in control of himself again, laid a hand on Rook’s shoulder and gently pulled her towards the ladder. 

“Come on, let’s give her some time.”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Defeated and feeling guilty, Rook paced the halls of the Lighthouse alone. Judging from his snoring in the other room, Varric was asleep, and she didn’t want to interrupt his rest. Solas was an asshole , and confiding in any of the others was only likely to burden them, so Rook summoned her courage and approached the pantry, hoping there’d be at least once person she could commiserate with.

She rapped twice before cracking the door and peeking through. Lucanis lay sprawled on his narrow cot, tossing an apple into the air and catching it over and over again. He turned his head nonchalantly as she stepped inside.

“You know, we have other rooms and plenty of space. I don’t know why you-“

“You don’t know why the trained assassin would choose a room with only one entrance and good choke points?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s worse than I thought. You’ve forgotten all your training, Rook.”  

“Hush. I don’t need to be reminded of any more of my inadequacies today.” 

Lucanis sat up, leaning forward and clasping his hands together. “That bad, huh?”

“That bad.” With her back against the cold stone wall, Rook slid to the floor. “I know Neve doesn’t hold it against me, but…I can’t help but feel like her trust - and faith in me - are fractured.” She confessed grimly. “Just as I earned back Viago’s good graces…”

“Were the tables turned, she would have picked her home. She knows that. That’s why it’s hard for her to work out. She’ll come around. Just like Viago did.”

“I had to fight a dragon to change Viago’s mind.”

“You might have to fight another one to change Neve’s.” A small smile tugged at the corner of Lucanis’ lips as he rose to his feet. “Besides, Viago never really lost faith in you, Rook. You have to know that.”

“I’m not sure how well you know Viago.”

“I know what it’s like to be a big brother - cousin - but I think you know what I mean…” He squatted in front of her, resting his forearms on his knees. “He’s hard on you because he wants you to survive. It’s why Caterina was hard on me. And why I’m hard on Illario.”

“Please don’t compare me to Illario.”

“I would never.” Lucanis said, his grin widening as he rose to his full height. “You’re much more pleasant.” 

“My father was hard on me, too.” Rook said. “Nothing like Caterina, I’m sure, but after my mother died, he changed. He was my protector all my life until he had to teach me to protect myself. I’m grateful, but…”

Lucanis’ expression softened as her voice trailed off. “I’m sorry. I wish I knew how to... comfort you.”

“I just came to strategize. I don’t need comfort .” Rook said coolly. 

“Those are a lot of big emotions for strategizing, De Riva.” He took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet.

“Come on. I think I might know who can help.”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

“Cheer up, Fi. So we didn’t slay the dragon. It flew away! From us! That counts for something, right?”

A trip back to Treviso and a glass of one of her cousin’s best vintages later, Rook found herself on the receiving end of a pep talk from Teia. She sunk deeper into the green velvet cushions of Viago’s couch and glowered across the room at Lucanis. 

“You thought this would make me feel better?” She asked, her voice heavy with exhaustion. She finished off her wine, the glass clinking softly against the side table as she set it down.

Lucanis, nestled in a plush armchair near the fireplace, shrugged, his eyes fixed on the dancing flames.

“Oh, come on, I know you missed us.” Teia extended her wineglass towards Viago as he entered the room with a fresh bottle. He topped her off and filled Rook’s to the brim again.

“You’re in my chair.” He grumbled at Lucanis, who reluctantly pushed himself up with a groan and relocated to the couch.

“I warned you.” Rook said as she made room. “Viago’s very particular about these things.”

Lucanis grunted as he eased himself down beside her.

“Where’s Illario? I thought you invited him?” Teia asked Viago. “Too good to celebrate our victory?” 

“He’s sulking at Caterina’s Villa. I didn’t want to disturb him.” 

“Fine by me,” Rook mumbled, snatching her wine back off the table. As the conversation continued, her gaze wandered towards a large terrarium in the corner of the room. A Death Adder, one of the most venomous snakes in Thedas, was coiled around a twig, flicking its tongue at her.

“So tell me, cousin, what’s up with the new pet?”

“Emil Kortez planted it in my wardrobe at the last Crow summit in Lago di Novo.” 

“It’s bite nearly killed him.” Teia said. “Good thing our Viago takes his morning coffee with dilute poison.” 

“And you let it live?” Lucanis asked. “You really are getting soft, De Riva.”

“That snake came closer to taking me out than any man can say. He deserves my respect and a good home. With all the mice he desires.” He brought his wine to his lips. “Besides, I can extract his venom for Adder’s Kiss.” 

Rook stood, a little unsteadily, and crossed the room. Reaching out to feel the cool glass against her fingertips, she examined the snake, noticing a bulge in its belly, evidence of a recent meal. Its slow blinks seemed content, almost serene. As far as snakes went…it appeared fat and happy.

“Does it have a name?” She asked with a hiccup. 

“Emil.”

Teia raised her glass. “May he rest in pieces.”

Rook flopped back down on the couch beside Lucanis, her wine sloshing dangerously close to the rim of her glass. He frowned and snatched it from her hand, setting it aside.

“With you off saving the world, I needed a new roommate. Emil’s quieter.” Viago said.

Rook ignored her cousin’s sarcasm, knowing it only veiled his hurt feelings. A heavy silence fell between them before he spoke again. 

“I’m turning in, but this is still your home too, Fiamma. Your room is exactly as you left it. Perhaps you should sleep in your old bed tonight. I’m not sure I can endorse traveling through the Fade under the influence.” He rose from his armchair. “Lucanis, you’re welcome to the couch.”

“What about me?” Teia asked with a wink. 

“I’ll expect to find you where you usually end up.” Viago purred, disappearing into the shadows of the hall. 

Rook knocked her head back against the wooden frame of the couch. “I didn’t want to hear any of that.” 

“You two are…?” Lucanis pointed between Teia and the hall, his wine glass balanced delicately between his ring and index fingers. 

“Happened after your…funeral.”

“Teia!” Rook cried. 

“What? Grief is a powerful aphrodisiac. Besides, with Lucanis back, that means someday we’ll get to grieve for him all over again...”

“I think that’s my cue.” Lucanis said, and pushed himself up from his seat. “I’ll give you two some time to catch up.” 

As he slipped through a pair of glass doors onto the balcony, Rook reclaimed her half of the couch. 

“Alright, we’re only doing this once.” She said, throwing back the rest of her wine. “Spill.”

After Teia went to bed, Rook joined Lucanis outside. Silhouetted against the moonlit sky, he leaned over the railing, tracking her out of the corner of his eye as she approached.

With a weary sigh, she sat down on the ground and slotted her legs through the gaps in the rails, dangling them over the ledge.

“I might be back in the Crows’ good graces after saving Treviso.”

“You impressed Viago. That is quite a challenge on its own.” 

“You have no idea…” Rook muttered. 

“Here, not that you need it.” Lucanis picked up a decanter on a nearby table and joined her on the ground, topping off her wine. 

Rook took his offer appreciatively, “Thanks.”

Wordlessly, they sat together while she swung her bare feet in the open air below. A gentle breeze rustled through the night, carrying with it the remnants of the recent chaos. Mist and smoke floated over Treviso, the flames once painting the horizon finally subdued. The city was damaged, but it would come back, as it always did. Stronger. 

“Why do you not mind when Teia calls you by your old name?” Lucanis asked suddenly. “I’ve never heard you correct her.”

Rook sipped her wine. “After everything that happened, nobody used my name to say anything nice to me - or about me. Only to scold me. But Teia…I’ll always be Fi to her. It feels like home when she says it. I think that’s what a name should be.”

“For what it’s worth, I’ve never scolded you.” Lucanis said, leaning in to bump his shoulder into hers.

“Your grandmother did plenty.” Her voice echoed inside the glass as she took another drink. “And your cousin.”

“Caterina only scolds people she likes.” He said with a smile. “Illario too, but I understand it’s not an honor to be liked by him.” 

Rook laughed bitterly. “No, no, it isn’t.” 

“What happened between you two?”

“It was never that serious, Lucanis. Not for me. I think Illario was more enamored with my father’s legacy than with me.” 

“I mean…your father was an impressive man. He wielded fire with more precision than the best of assassins could wield a blade. The way he could set a politician’s home aflame and make it look like an accident, or cauterize a wound before his victim had the chance to draw the poison out…” Lucanis let out a low whistle. 

Rook groaned. “You’re just as bad as Illario!”

Lucanis laughed. “I’m not, I promise. But I did have a high opinion of him. There aren’t many assassins of his caliber who turn down becoming Talon. I envied him most the day I learned Caterina was grooming me to become First.” 

“The mage killer, idolizing a mage.” 

“The Flame of Treviso wasn’t just a mage - he was a beacon of hope , Rook! He valued justice over titles and riches. He would be proud of you, Crow or no. You are the legacy he left behind. His daughter, his little flame, now a formidable fire…”

Lucanis reached out, crooking a finger under her chin and tilting her head towards him.

“It’s in your eyes. Not just the amber of your irises - your drive to do what is right. To protect those who cannot protect themselves. I don’t just owe you a debt - I think you’re a leader worth following. Fiamma, Fiammetta, Rook…”

His hand fell. “I’ll call you whatever you want.”

Warmth spread across Rook’s face as her cheeks flushed, and she tore away her gaze. The balcony spun slightly as she struggled to her feet, the effects of the alcohol pulsing through her body, a gentle buzz at her fingertips. She was a leader, she thought to herself, with some embarrassment. She should be acting like it. 

“Mind if we crash here tonight? I think I’ll fall to my death if I try to venture through the Crossroads like this.” 

“Not at all. I think a break from the Fade would be good for you.” Lucanis glanced at the empty bottle behind them. “Should we clean up?”

“Leave it. Viago’s used to picking up after me.” 

She shuffled through the door and Lucanis followed, ducking under her arm and draping it over his shoulders, one hand encircling her waist as he helped her inside. 

“Let’s get you to bed.”

Rook didn’t protest, allowing him to guide her while the apartment swam around her. He smelled like leather and cardamom, and she suppressed a drunken urge to shove her tongue down his throat. She hadn’t been with anyone since her last assignment in Minrathous several months ago. A one-night stand with a Shadow Dragon. She never bothered to learn his name. After all, he didn’t bother to give her an orgasm.

Down the hall, Teia giggled behind Viago’s closed door. With a grimace, Rook stepped inside her old room as it came into focus, finding it exactly as she remembered. The floor to ceiling windows cast faint lines of light through the panes, falling like stripes upon the furniture. Someone had neatly made her bed, and the vanity remained untouched. On the other side of the room, a thin layer of dust covered her collection of perfumes and poisons on the fireplace mantle. Even her ivy hanging from the ceiling was alive - Viago must have watered it in her absence. Hopefully he didn’t plant another snake in it. 

“You’re okay with the couch?” She asked Lucanis, holding her breath as she waited for his response.

“It will be a slight upgrade from the pantry.” He grinned as he released his hold on her, hands hovering in case she faltered. “But lacking the good choke points.” 

Rook crossed the room, taking a match from her nightstand and lighting a few candles.

“I like the way you say it… Fiammetta.”

Lucanis folded his arms, leaning against the door frame. “Is it so different from the way everyone else says it?” 

“It sounds like poetry when you do it.” She said, a shy smile playing on her lips. The matchstick flickered, and she extinguished the flame with a quick flick of her wrist. “Maybe it would be okay if you used it - just between us.” 

“We’ll see if you change your mind tomorrow. Once the wine has worn off.” 

He let his arms fall to his sides and fell back into the hall. Rook stumbled after him, propping herself up against the wall as she peered around the corner.

“You know, my room has good choke points, too.” 

Lucanis turned slowly, his eyes widening. Eyebrows knitted together, mouth slightly agape, only a quiet sound of surprise left his lips before she retreated inside her room and pressed her weight against the door, shutting it with a soft click.

[punkins-place]

A little smutty wake up in the morning type fic. Usually, I'd write lucanis as a virgin, but for this specific fic, it's just been a while.

It's between my main Rook Esha, and Lucanis. Takes place the morning after confronting Illario at the Dellamorte estate. Esha is a virgin. 4000 words of smut and body worship.

[caitlincat-95]

Ok I have been convinced to post some smut I typed out in my notes app. It's a Viago/Illario fic. It is EXTREMELY amateur-ish and it is also the first fix I have ever posted ever. So please don't judge me too harshly.

18+ Smut Viago/Illario

Illario ws laying on his bed after Lucanis and Viago had left searching for Rook. He pouts. He could have gone to help, too. Instead, Viago refused to allow him to step foot out of his prison. Being trapped in the manor he once grew up in. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying not to think about everything that had happened that led him to this point. He hears doors open and close. Illario opens his eyes, listening. He hears water run and more footsteps. He closes his eyes and thinks to himself. Lucanis must have found Rook. He smirks to himself, wondering if Lucanis realizes how much Illario can hear through these walls. Illario.lets himself relax aginst his bed, starting to.drift to sleep.

His eyes shoot open when he starts to hear it. Loud thumping against the wall. He turns his head towards the sound. He hears the thumping start faster and hears whines and cries in between each bang. Oh. Lucanis DEFINITELY found Rook. Illario smiles wickedly as he hears the moaning coming from Rooks mouth. Sounds so sweet. He feels his cock begin.to harden as he thinks about himself taking Rook aginst his own bed. how sweet he would make them.sound under him. He bites his lip and slips his hand down pants, and strokes himself. He gasps. He begins to stroke himself in time with the thumps of the head board.

He stops.stroking long enough to fully take his pants off. He climbs off the bed and crawls to the wall and leans back. He spreads his legs and grips himself again. He hears growls and whimpers coming from the next room. Illario shudders and begins to stroke himself faster. He thinks to himself how messed up is he getting off to his own cousin fucking his lover. He growls it should be him. He should be the one to fuck Rook into that mattress. He keeps stroking until.he hears one final moan come from Rooks mouth. And then silence. Illario groans quietly, still holding his hard cock. He wasn't finished. He pushes off the wall and lays on his back ahinst the floor. He keeps stroking himself off. He grunts and whimpers softly. It isn't enough. He doesn't hear the other set of footsteps outside the room. Viago pants heavily and begins to fuck into his own hand. Desperately needing to come. But it's still not enough. He can't do it. He can't get off like this. Tears form in his eyes. He doesn't hear the door open and close.

"Look at you. Laying spread out on the floor like a common whore." Illarios eyes shoot open and he looks over and sees Viago de Riva standing with his arms crossed. The man that has been assigned to keep a close watch over Illario. And keep a close eye he did. If Viago was here, that meant only one thing for Illario. He whimperes up at Viago, his hips bucking at the sight of the man. Viago smirks, seeing Illario so desperate. Viago walks further into the room not taking his eyes off of Illario. He sits on the bed. "Well, what are you waiting for? Keep rutting into your hand like a baseless animal

" Illario bites his lip and begins to thrust into his hand again, his eyes not leaving Viago's. Illario would think that this display would have no effect on the older man, if not for the way his nostrils flare and the growing tent in his pants. Illario begins to pant feeling himself finally begin to reach his climax. Viagos cold voice breaks through his trance. "Stop moving." Illarios whole body stills. He whines at the denial of his pleasure. "Stand up." Illario stands and faces Viago.

Viago grabs Illario and pulls him onto his lap. He runs his hands across Illarios body. Up.his sides and down his back. Illario's body trembles and his cock twitches. Viago looks softly at Illario, taking in his glazed over eyes and flushed cheeks. He strokes his fingers across Illario's cheek. "My poor boy, look at you. So desperate for me aren't you." Illario whimpers and nods. His hips rutting aginst Viagos thigh. Viago smirks. He takes Illarios hips and begins to move him aginst his own body. Illario gasps feeling his hardness rub aginst Viago. Illario gasps and clings to Viago's shoulders. Illarios hips begin to move on their own. Viago leans back on his elbows, watching Illario bounce against him. Illario moans, feeling the fabric of Viago's pants run against his hard length. Viago reaches up and pinches on of Illario's nipples, causing Illario to cry out and his back arch, pressing his chest further into Viago's hand. Illario begins to rock his hips faster. Feeling it building up again.

Viago grabs Illarios hips and stops him from.finishing. Illario whines being stopped again. He was so close. Viago shoves him face first into the bed. He stand sup from.the bed. Illario wiggles and whines feeling Viago move from the bed. Afraid that the other man is going to leave him alone on the bed, unsatisfied. He keeps whimpering until he feels the bed shift and a sharp slap across his ass. "Stop whining." Illario quiets down at the sound of his Daddys voice. His sticks his ass up in the air, presenting himself for Viago. Viago smirks at how obedient Illario is being for him. He runs his hands across Illarios perfect ass. Viago would never tell Illario, but no one else comes close to filling so perfectly around his cock. Viago leans in and begins to lick at Illario's opening. Illario gasps, expecting to feel Viago just shove himself inside, not that he's complaining. He lays his head down, losing his mind in the feeling of Viago's mouth on him.

Viago pulls away, feeling Illario is probably prepared. He positions himself aginst Illario, rubbing his cock aginst his hole. Illario moans and pushes back aginst Viago, causing his cock to rub between Illarios ass. Viago grips Illarios hips and holds him still. "Be a good boy for me and stop moving" Normally Illario would do everything he could to not be a good boy for Viago, but he is so desperate. He needs to feel him inside. Illario stills his body. Viago smiles at how easy Illario is being. He grips his cock and runs it aginst Illario. He slowly presses into him, until he is all the way inside, their hips meeting. Illario let's out a loud whine feeling himself be stretched so fully. "Nmmm Viago. Feels so good." Viago thrusts his hips into Illario. Illario cries out, his sensitive body over stimulated. Viago knows Illario won't last long. He grips Illarios legs and push them around him as he leans down and presses his chest into Illarios back holding him down aginst the bed.

Viago beings to fuck into Illario rough. Illario screams out Viagos name. Viago Spanks him "That is not what you call me." He spanks Illario again. "Try again." Illario gasps. "D-Daddy!" Viago rubs Illario ass and kisses his neck. "Good boy." Illario whimpers. "You like beings daddy's good boy tonight.." Viago grunts with every hard thrust into Illario's ass. "Daddy's good boy taking all of his cock." Illario pants heavily. His mind goes blank, all he can feel is Viagos hard cock inside him and his own cock rubbing aginst the fabric of the.mattress. illario starts to.feel the heat inside him.building again. His body starts to tense. Viago can feel Illario tightening around him he knows he is close. Viago leans back up and grabs Illarios ass hard and begins to slam his hips hard and fast into Illario. Illario gasps and cries out griping the bed sheet. "Daddy can feel you close. Be a good boy and come for me. Let Daddy feel you let go. Come for.me Illario" Hearing Viagos words send Illario over the edge. He screams and moans as his orgasm washes over him. His body trembling in relief, finally getting to release. Viago feels Illarios muscle cle ch around him. Hearing the screams coming from Illario, Viago's hips stutter and he empties himself deep inside Illario's ass. He pulls out and collapses next to Illario. Viago opens his eyes and looks at the man panting next to him. He sees Illario's body tremble unable to move. He scoops Illario into his arms and lays him onto his chest holding him close. He rubs Illarios back as he drifts to sleep. Viago sighs and smirks. When he agreed to keep an eye on Illario, he never imagined he would enjoy himself so.much. Viago closes his eyes and let's himself fall deep.into sleep.

[ollypopwrites]

May Our Demons Dance: Chapter 4

May Our Demons Dance (20603 words) by ollypopp Chapters: 4/? Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Lucanis Dellamorte/F!Rook Tags: Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Mostly Canon Compliant, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Fantasizing, Masturbation, Friendship, Found Famliy, Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Gore. Chapter Summary: His dreams were full of the Ossuary. It shifted and changed. He was chained up and all he saw was Calivan’s face, then it became Zara, then Illario. When he closed his eyes to look away, the next time they opened he was staring in a mirror but the reflection was wrong, blurred at the edges and his eyes glowed. He shook his head. Teia stood in front of him scolding him for carelessness but then she was Caterina lamenting her abomination of a grandson and then the fragile memory of his mother’s face stared blankly ahead at him. He was in a cage.

I definitely did not work on anything else but this the past few days. I'm tryyyying to work on other stuff but its just not happening. Too busy with this assassin and his imaginary friend.

[outoftheflames]

Looking for some Lucanis x Rook Epilogue Roleplay (SPOILERS FOR DA:TV and Lucanis' Story below - Proceed at own risk)

Hello! I'm looking for a roleplay partner for Lucanis x Rook, specifically for the Epilogue, after Veilguard. MxM - (Both AMAB) You playing Lucanis, me playing Rook. I can keep my descriptions of Rook to a minimum so to prevent overlap if you'd like, but ideally looking for someone who wouldn't mind having to deal with my humorous / compassionate Rooks quirks and story. This however will be a Lucanis focused roleplay with Rook basically acting as the secondary, as this is exploring Lucanis side. There can be little to no mention of the Veilguard storyline too if you want to keep away from conflicting worldstates. I play a dwarf Grey Warden Rook with a custom background. However I can also keep my descriptions of Rook and their background to a minimum too if you wish.

General Plot Idea (Spoilers for Lucanis' personal quest): With the culmination of the end of the fight with the Evanuris, Lucanis and Rook return to Villa Dellamorte where Lucanis must adjust to his role of First Talon, and decide what to do with the consequences to Illario's actions. It's basic, and we can flesh it out further. Was thinking there is a power vacuum with the Venatori and remaining Antaam, not to mention political unrest after Ivenci's anti-crow propaganda. Of course, perhaps not all the crows are thrilled their First Talon is also now an abomination.

The only requirements for this roleplay is that: - You are over 18 and are not a minor - Have finished Veilguard or are close to finishing - Have discord or willing to download it so we can make a private server to roleplay there. - Can post at least 4 paragraphs per reply - You want to explore and are comfortable with the darker themes of the story - That Illario was imprisoned in the story, and not forgiven.

Themes (Spoilers and dark theme territory, read at own risk): I want to return to the darker themes of the previous games. So the racism, slavery, consequences of blood magic and political upheaval. There can be romance, and I'm more than happy to write smut. This will not be focused on Rook. This is specifically for Lucanis and for Rook to help support him in what comes.

About me: I have over 15 years roleplay experience. I mostly do explicit roleplay. My replies vary in length but I usually post between 5-8+ paragraphs and ideally looking for someone who can either match me or at least put out 4+ paragraphs regularly.

Kinks and Icks: This is best left for DM but be aware I have no icks beyond underage, non-con, generally anything to do with toiletry. I write to please my partner.

If you're interested in more information, or would like to trade ideas with me, please DM me or reply. I am happy to take on someone unexperienced who wants to explore Lucanis' character. I'm happy to mentor too if you'd like. This can remain as a non-smut roleplay too but ideally I'd like to see some romance and bonding. I'm here to support a good epilogue and make a better story where we can potentially find some good closure.

[malfattore]

KNOWING YOUR PARTNER WELL CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE WRITING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER. ( REPOST DO NOT REBLOG ! )

○  NAME: Erin // Xy.

○  PRONOUNS: he/him

○   PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION: Discord or Tumblr, either or is completely fine. I reply to both the same, tho im slow.

○    NAME OF MUSE(S): Malfatto, William de Saint-Prix, Nightstalker Joe, wow i’m really going down the basic names now, I roleplayed artorias and pate from dks but not anymore. I also muse Verulo and a small amount of Illario from acb but on the side, and more so Verulo. He’s a bit of an older muse that I did nothing with besides throw comments in for (still do, since im not sure who he fits with)

○    EXPERIENCE/HOW LONG (MONTHS/YEARS?): 10 years, off and on? Could be more tbh I’ve lost count I feel old

○    PLATFORMS YOU’VE USED: for rp, I mostly use Discord but Tumblr is nice too, when it’s functional lol

○   BEST EXPERIENCE: In General? Musing with people and creating a deep and expansive world around what little canon information we even received from Ubisoft — as well as Personal, @ardentfew @larosafatale @templarlanz @officialcahin (also w/ ur bitch ass (affectionately) baltasar) you guys have added so much to my musings and experiences to define Mal as he continues to age as my oldest muse at like 10 years now? I genuinely appreciate it wholeheartedly. These are probably my best experiences over this whole blog’s lifespan. Also I have to throw in @vilestblood, you always made me feel so welcome and appreciated as a newcomer, it really did make the whole experience for me, and while i’m over here for now, I hope you know how often i still appreciate you. I hope I can repay all of you somehow.

○    RP PET PEEVES / DEALBREAKERS: Treating my muse(s) like he’s either a sex object/disrespecting my boundaries on his sexuality, a Villain to exclusively to fit your narrative/headcanons, or automatically assuming I condone the actions of my muse just bc I am expanding on his emotions or more positive traits. as well as just seeing him as a shipping objective — Besides the fact that I am not interested in shipping Malfatto out as he is single-ship to one character and i’m more interested in defining his friendships than another spouse.

○    FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT: I’m a whore for angst but i’m more of a hurt-comfort kind of guy tbh, I don’t mind the pain of loss and complete defeat and hopelessness, i adore depressing themes but I do want a comforting concept to end off on. I love fluff within plot and smut is the same, I don’t particularly want just baseless smut for the sake of smut (tho it can be interesting sometimes) but if it fits well, it legit makes my heart skip djdjjhdj

○    PLOTS OR MEMES: I love memes on tumblr so much, esp as an icebreaker, but I love plotting things out more extensively so I can learn more about your characters and where they can interact more personally.

○    LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: Both but I prefer longer if the short we are talking about is like one liners. Unless we are in a very fast paced setting like discord chat, one liners make me lose muse pretty quick.

○    BEST TIME TO WRITE: Anytime I can get some quiet, I admittedly cannot write in a noisy setting. My brain is too panicked with stuff going on that I can’t zone in.

○    ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S): I always joke around and say that he’s the kinnie so Honestly, yes? it sounds awful to relate to the serial killing doctor, who also tortures random civilians, guards, and sex workers BUT that aside, I understand his impulsivity and I understand his traumas, at least on a semi-adjacent level. We like similar things and find comfort in the same settings, though i did not expect to build him like this. I’m enough like him that I can somewhat? understand where he is coming from mentally when he does stupid impulsive shit that eventually gets his dumbass floored while also being very aware that his reactions and opinions are not something I would even consider. He’s fun he’s like the little devil on my shoulder telling me to act on impulse and commit arson when i have anxiety even over looking like i’m shoplifting

TAGGED BY: No-one. I stole this from general tags.

TAGGING: @larosafatale @ardentfew yea idk who else is active anymore, steal it