#lysander ingellvar

[soupandsorcery]

I haven't played in a few days, but Lysander is still a sweet, lovely boy. In case anyone was wondering.

[idleindy]

Lysander Ingellvar

"Had I the power to control you I would already have used it."

Version with no hands below the cut!

[soupandsorcery]

Lysander's room is the most fleshed out in my head, and I like to think it reflects his mental state better than even he realizes. The fish tank stays because he finds it soothing to watch the fish move and go about their business, even when things are chaotic and terrible outside. It's comforting that some things can't be disrupted by the mess of the world that he's supposed to fix somehow.

The room shrinks down to be more of a nook than a room, but that's how Lys prefers it. The room being small and mostly dark makes him feel less like he's spinning out of control in the big, wide world. It's stuffed to the brim with bookshelves and all kinds of books, from magical texts to romances and mysteries, as well as things he brought with him from the Necropolis and the little trinkets he picks up during the course of the game. Pretty rocks, a plant that Harding gave him when he told her he has no practice keeping things alive, broken pieces of pottery that he plans to turn into some sort of mosaic one day.

There's one window that looks out over the expanse of the Fade that grows or shrinks depending on how antsy Lysander is feeling about open spaces that day. There's heavy green velvet curtains that he can draw across the window or the fish tank when he wants darkness in the room.

If the window is being covered, then there are sconces on the wall that flicker with Veilfire, covered with glass that makes the light go all dappled and rainbow colored sometimes.

He doesn't have a proper bed, but one wall of the room is dedicated to what is basically a human sized, memory foam dog bed if such a thing could exist in Thedas. It's low to the ground, incredibly comfortable, and piled high with blankets and pillows. It's the most comfortable thing Lysander has, and he loves it. He's always cold, so if he's not out in the field or sitting with his team, he can be found in this little nest with a book, most likely. Or writing in his journal, of which there are several volumes. Varric turned him on to writing down his experiences, so he can go back over them later and process them after things happen. It's a habit that he finds almost meditative, since things are Happening All the Time.

so, since the lighthouse adapts everyone's dwellings to the person using that living space, what does your rook's room look like? is it everything they've ever wanted? does it reflect some uncomfortable truth about them? do they prefer sleeping somewhere else in the lighthouse?

i'll start! ippolita's room is only one floor, but has gorgeous vaulted ceilings that make the room feel absolutely massive — a far cry from the tiny rooms she lived in while she was a fledgling and even after she became a full crow. the windows are all stained glass in oranges and reds and golds, and the floors are covered in thick flatweave rugs in an array of styles and patterns to keep her feet warm with the help of the massive fireplace. her bed is a low and cushy thing, piled impossibly high with blankets and pillows, with curtains strung between four ivory posters that keep the light of the fade out of her eyes while she's trying to sleep. she keeps a small chest next to her bed that's oftentimes unlocked, hiding a vial of red pigment and a stack of old letters.

[inkberrry]

Lysander Ingellvar, perfectly done by @needlesslycryptic! I'm absolutely in love.

[soupandsorcery]

Rook doesn't sleep.

This is the fourth thing Lucanis learns about him. The first three being that he is odd, quiet, and unfairly beautiful. Not quite in that order.

Rook haunts the Lighthouse at night, flitting between the library, the bathing chamber that popped into existence sometime during Lucanis' second week here, and his own room on silent feet, given away only by his occasional muttering to himself.

Lucanis also doesn't sleep, so the two of them cross paths often, usually in the kitchen at some unholy hour of night. Rook pops his head up guiltily whenever Lucanis comes out of the pantry, like he's worried he's invading Lucanis' space. Or because he's committing some sin against caffeine with the coffee he's making. That seems more likely, considering Lucanis only has a space here by Rook's good graces anyway.

"Neve made it," is the first thing out of Rook's mouth tonight, and there's the expression of a child caught doing something they shouldn't be.

"You're drinking it," Lucanis points out.

"I didn't want to waste it."

Hard to waste something that isn't worth much to begin with, Lucanis doesn't say. He doesn't know the detective from Minrathous well enough yet to be casting aspersions on her coffee. But that doesn't mean he has to drink it.

He holds Rook's gaze as he walks over, appropriates the cup in his hand, and goes to the sink to dump it down the drain to wherever their waste goes in the Fade. It makes the insides of his eyelids itch just thinking about it.

Rook makes a face, confused and concerned. He makes that face often.

"I will make you something better," Lucanis says. "Sit."

Rook sits. Rook watches. Rook is always watching, a thoughtful expression on his (unfairly) beautiful face, like he's scrutinizing the world and the people around him, trying to figure out how they work.

Silence dominates the room, other than the sounds of Lucanis heating water and measuring out coffee. "Is this a Watcher thing?" he asks after a bit. "Not sleeping?"

Rook laughs softly, propping his head up with one hand, elbow on the table. "No. Although I don't know if Vorgoth can sleep, now that I think about it. I suppose it could be possible, and they must rest somehow... What was I...? No. The not sleeping is a me thing, I'm afraid."

Lucanis nods, passing him a steaming cup.

"Thank you," Rook says. He closes his eyes, inhaling the fragrance deeply. Appreciating it, the way it should be appreciated.

Lucanis ignores the way that pulls at him.

"This is...much better than Neve's," Rook says after his first sip. "Much better than mine, too."

"Coffee is an art," Lucanis tells him. "The two of you treat it like a necessity."

Rook smiles around another sip. "Well. I mean, it is a necessity."

"Granted. But think of it this way, if you needed a tool for a job, would you not want the best tool to do it? The best quality, crafted just for that purpose?"

"I...suppose so. Yes."

Lucanis waves a hand in a 'there you go' gesture.

"I will consider your wisdom," Rook says. "Thank you."

[soupandsorcery]

Oh, how about Lysander with #26?

What do they usually do after? Are they a couple that likes to cuddle?

26. What do they usually do after? Are they a couple that likes to cuddle?

Lysander didn't know he loved cuddling, but he learns pretty quickly. It starts slow with him and Lucanis because they are both working with a touch starved/touch averse combination at first for different reasons, but they get over that pretty quickly. Once Emmrich gets added in, the cuddles go up a notch because Emmrich absolutely adores tactile affection. He has the biggest bed (read: he doesn't live in a pantry or sleep on a pile of cushions), and he loves having Lys on one side and Lucanis on the other while he reads a book and they catch up on much needed sleep after sexy times.

Thanks for the ask!!

[soupandsorcery]

Lysander has a head for languages, so besides his own native languages, he can read and is at least conversational in Antivan, Orlesian, and is learning some Elven from Bellara. He also learned how to embroider when he first left the Necropolis because he needed something to take his mind off of how overwhelmed he was and wanted something to do with his hands.

if you see this, tell me a little tidbit of your rook, mayhaps? 👉👈

[soupandsorcery]

19, 21 and 48 for the Rook ask game? 🩷

Because I want to ramble, I'll answer for my three main Rooks.

19. What is Rook’s love language? What love languages do they respond best to?

Beaux is all about acts of service and words of affirmation, which has a lot to do with his fear that he's not useful if he's not doing things for people. But it also does bring him joy to make people happy. He responds best to words of affirmation and quality time, with a heavy emphasis on quality time. It's that fear of abandonment rearing its head there. Fiore is physical touch person and quality time person, and she's always hanging out with and touching people she likes a lot. She responds to physical touch and she's learning that words of affirmation are also good for her. Growing up with Viago, she didn't get a lot of compliments, so hearing them now is really doing it for her. Lysander shows love with physical touch and giving gifts. It brings him a lot of pleasure to find little trinkets and things that remind him of his companions and partners. He responds best to physical touch and quality time because it makes him feel less like a burden people don't like, oops.

21. What does Rook’s voice sound like? One of the voice options available, or do they have a different accent/voicecast?

Beaux uses the American male voice in game, and it's very good for him, actually. He is fluent in Orlesian, since his mother was from Orlais, and he can do a passable accent, but most of the time he just sounds like your run of the mill commoner.

Fiore uses the British female (low) voice, and the deepness of it is perfect, though she has more of an Antivan accent than a British one. Viago made her learn a bunch of languages growing up, but her accents are terrible. It's all Antiva through and through.

Lysander is the hardest one to do because he would have more of a British accent, like Emmrich, but the one in game is much deeper than his would be. He's much softer spoken, and has a higher pitched voice.

48. A color, flower, animal, and weather to describe Rook:

Beaux: Blue. Hydrangea. Golden Retriever. One of those days that starts out overcast and then the sun comes out and it gets really warm.

Fiore: Red. Alstroemeria. Falcon. Just a straight up lightning storm.

Lysander: Pale purple. Hyacinth. Sugar Glider. The sort of cleansing rain that happens after a really hot day.

Thanks for the ask!!

[soupandsorcery]

the duality of man

[soupandsorcery]

🌻 and 🌼 for lysander, please?

🌻 How old is your Rook? How do they feel about celebrating their birthday? What gift has meant the most to them?

According to Vorgoth, Lysander was found about 26 years before the start of the game, and he celebrates that day as his birthday. The Watchers, and even some of the spirits and undead always have a nice little party for him, with a few gifts and a small, but elaborately done cake. Usually, the gifts are new pieces of jewelry. He's got a collection of bracelets from Myrna, a gold ring with a stone the color of his hair from Vorgoth, and tons of books from other Watchers. The ring means a lot to him, because he thinks of it as sort of a family thing. Like how noble houses have signet rings they pass down or something like that. He mostly wears it on a chain around his neck, so it won't get lost, and because it's getting a little small for him as he gets older.

🌼 If someone was to ask Spite what Rook smells like, what would he say?

SHARP. Bitter. Warm. Fresh soil and rainfall. Hazelnuts and caramel, burnt sugar, sticky sweet. Loneliness and regret. Cautious, desperate hope breaking through.

Thanks for the ask!!

[soupandsorcery]

15 & 18 for the spicy Rooks

15. Do they have names for each other in bed?

Beaux is big on the pet names and he gets very sappy when they're in bed together. It's all 'sweetheart' and 'love' and 'darling', and if he's trying to be flirty he will slip into Orlesian just to make Lucanis blush a little. Lucanis calls him all manner of pet names in Antivan that Beaux is too shy to ask for a translation for, lol.

Fiore isn't huge on pet names, but she does tell Lucanis that he's beautiful all the time. He calls her mi vida and when she's in the right mood for it, he whispers that she's a very good girl, and she very much likes that.

Lysander doesn't think it's sexy or smooth when he calls Lucanis love or Emmrich Professor or sir, but it is and it works for them. He's Lucanis' tesoro and Emmrich calls him a good boy so often that Lysander is practically wagging his tail most of the time.

18. Are they into (consensual) pain?

Beaux definitely isn't. At least not like. Real pain. Hair pulling, a swat on the ass here and there, he's fine with, but anything more than that would be too much for him. Fiore hasn't really tried it, but she could be into it from either side. She's one of those people who will try pretty much anything once if her partner is down for it. It wouldn't be for the sake of the pain really, but for bonding with whoever she's doing it with.

Lysander is very into it, not that he knows that yet. He finds pain clarifying and cleansing in a way, and also very hot. There's also a lot of trust there, and that does it for him too.

Thanks for the ask!!

[soupandsorcery]

There was a post on here about how Davrin is single handedly propping up Rook's mental health by taking them out to touch grass, and that is so true for Davrin and Lysander. I like to think that Davrin times those little excursions for when he sees that Lys is really going through it and stressed out.

Lysander tends to burrow when he's fretting, to curl up in the darkness where he feels like he belongs, and Davrin's like nope, this isn't happening right now. You need sunlight.

But he's smart enough to know that if he phrases it like that, Lysander will insist he's fine and Davrin should take Assan out without him, so he works around it. Says it's for Assan's benefit because Lysander loves Assan. And then they go walk around in Arlathan, and Davrin talks about Eldrin and the Wardens and the griffons and whatever else. Lys is an amazing listener and asks good questions, and eventually he feels comfortable enough spilling his own problems. And Davrin's no therapist. He doesn't know how to help half the time, but he can tell that Lys feels better for getting stuff off his chest, and that's worth a lot. His eyes lose some of that haunted quality, his skin is a bit less pale.

They get back to the Lighthouse and Davrin turns Lysander over to Bellara and Lucanis so they can feed him and finish the job.

[soupandsorcery]

For the Rook ask, 22, 36, 42 :)

22. Most embarrassing memory as a teenager:

There was a girl that Beaux had a huge crush on when he was like 15 and was working to protect his aunt and uncle's merchant caravan. He was getting taller and stronger and wanted to show off for her, so he was carrying a pile of boxes, tripped, and fell right in a pile of horse poop. All in front of this girl.

One of Fiore's first contracts went horribly wrong, and before she could kill her mark, he managed to fall off a roof and smash his head on the ground, essentially killing himself. It was very messy, and other Crows saw it, so up until that whole thing with the Antaam, that was the thing people remembered about her.

Lysander definitely knocked over one of those skeleton tableaus in the Memorial Gardens and tried to put it back together. It uh...didn't go great, and he got a very long lecture from Myrna about it that he still has nightmares about.

36. What would Rook say are their flaws?

Beaux can't let things go and he really does care too much. He knows it. He knows it makes him weaker for not being able to move on. He still thinks about how he wishes the man responsible for his parents' deaths hadn't been killed by someone else so he could confront him, and it's been like 12 years.

Fiore's flaws all echo in her head in Viago's voice. She's impulsive. She's reckless. She doesn't stop and think. She thinks too highly of her own skills and doesn't understand that there's always someone out there who might be better than her. She confuses what's right with what's best, and it gets her into trouble every single time.

Lysander has a laundry list that keeps him up at night. He's timid. He's not well spoken. He's not brave enough to be a leader. He's just so, so odd. He doesn't understand people, and he doesn't know how to get better at it. He does not know how to 'read a room'. If he can't use magic in a fight, he's largely useless.

42. Something Rook regrets:

Beaux regrets not being there to protect his parents most of all (even though he was like 13 when they were killed and he probably would have died to). He regrets every person he couldn't save like a physical wound.

Fiore regrets going off on Viago every time it happens. She feels like it sets them back further and further, but he's just so frustrating all the time and she doesn't know how to not get offended when he nitpicks her. But he's all the family she has and that means something to her, even if she really doesn't know how to show it.

Lysander regrets pretty much everything that comes out of his mouth, lol. More than that, he regrets that Varric was the one to get hurt during the initial confrontation with Solas. Varric would know how to do handle all the everything that keeps happening, and Lysander could do fine from a bed recovering from a wound, offering whatever weird knowledge might be helpful. Of course, once he realizes the truth, he changes his tune a bit. Though then he starts to regret that he didn't realize sooner what was actually going on.

Thanks for the ask!!

[soupandsorcery]

help, his adorable pouty face is too much for me

[soupandsorcery]

what is your waist so tiny for, Lys??

[soupandsorcery]

just a sweet boy trying to keep up in the big, wide world