#my rook has two dads

[arainywriter]

I love how veilguard is just rook being adopted by retired but helpful dad varric and reluctant deadbeat father solas

[moeblob]

Rice. From my plot that's literally just a game of chess. (he's a rook)

[damallarky]

So nothing gets me out of a ten year writer's slump like Dragon Age, apparently. I was going to write a quick character study for my Rook, but then it took a life of its own and turned into a 5000+ word monstrosity.

You can also read it on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57135346

Anyway, my first fic in ten years. Enjoy!

-

At the Black Swan tavern in Minrathous, an elven man with bright red hair sat on a massive barrel, tuning a lute. At first glance, it would appear that he was entirely engrossed in the instrument. If they paid close attention, however, they would notice his green eyes dart imperceptibly from guest to guest as if taking stock of each person who entered the tavern. 

To be fair, this was exactly what Renan was doing. The Shadow Dragons had been given a tip that the Venatori were having a meeting here tonight. He had been given instructions to keep an eye on them, make a note of how many attended, and if there was anyone there he recognized. 

Ren was good at that, using his talent at the lute, voice, and good looks to get him information, and he used his particular skill set often. Sometimes, he played in chamber halls and ballrooms of the Minrathous elite, and they were goldmines, to be sure. But if he was honest, he preferred the establishments of the working class. One would be surprised at how much information could be gained at the taverns and brothels of the world. 

Even better, Ren was familiar with this particular tavern, having played here countless times before. 

‘See anything good yet, Hope?’ He thought through the bond to his spirit companion, currently flitting between the rafters somewhere. He thought he had caught a glimpse of black feathers once or twice, but he couldn’t be sure. 

‘No. Not yet.’ He heard her say. 

Suddenly, in his mind’s eye, he saw the vision of a mouse cleaning itself on one of the rafters, not noticing the great, winged beast lurking in the shadows a mere foot away.

‘Hope…’, Ren moaned internally, ‘I just fed you.’

‘Well, yes… But I am still hungry.’

‘Well, I don’t want to find puked-up mouse bones on my pillow tonight. Again.'

‘Ugh. Fine.’ Hope grumbled.

Ren could practically feel the eye roll from his companion, and he struggled to keep his face neutral. He was halfway through tuning a string to A when his own stomach began to grumble. He hadn’t had much to eat today, or at all, what little he did have going to fill his daughter Esana’s belly. 

‘Maybe I should catch a mouse for you to eat.’ He heard Hope say. 

‘Thanks, but no…’

‘When was the last time you ate?’

‘In the morning.’

‘Which morning?’

‘…’

‘Renan…’

‘…Yesterday.’

‘RENAN.’

Ren winced against the shrill voice echoing in his head. A man sitting at a table nearby gave him an odd look, to which Ren responded with a sheepish wave.

“Lute strings!” He said in way of explanation. “They don’t make them like they used to.”

The man merely grunted and went back to his tankard. 

‘Look, Hope.’ He said. ‘I promise I will get something to eat tonight after we’re through.’

‘I will hold you to that, Renan.’

The tavern began to fill in earnest as more workers ended their day shift. Amongst the crowd, Ren noticed a group of shifty-eyed men gathering at a nondescript table closer to the back of the bar. It had probably the worst lighting in the entire tavern, but the darkness made it particularly well suited for those who maybe didn’t want to be watched too closely, such as lovers…. Or secretive organizations.

Interesting…

‘Is Esana still in our room?’ Ren asked as he tuned a string to E flat. 

‘Yes,’ came Hope’s reply, ‘She was asleep when I left. Why?’

‘Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I don’t want a repeat of last time, where she snuck out for an entire hour without anyone noticing after I explicitly told her not to?’

‘Ah, yes. Wherever does your daughter get her complete and utter disregard for authority? It is truly a mystery for the ages.’

Ren couldn’t help but laugh at that. Hope had become quite adept at using sarcasm over the years. 

‘Fair.’ He said. ‘I suppose she does come by it naturally.’

‘What is that mortal saying about apples and trees?’

‘Har har. Alright you made your point.’

Out of the corner of his eye, Ren saw a man walk in that he recognized. The thin, balding man was a Magister, albeit a low-ranking one. Ren couldn’t remember what the man actually did in the Magisterium, exactly, only that it was something asinine.

Asinine or note, that didn’t explain what he was doing here, of all places. The Black Swan was a little too plebeian for most Magisters.

‘Well, well.’ He thought ‘Look who’s slummin’ it up with the rest of us. Interesting.’

‘That is the man in charge of grain tax collection!’ He heard Hope say.

‘He is?’ Ren asked. ‘How do you know that?’

‘Because I pay attention, Renan.’

‘Oh… Well, I’m glad one of us does…’

Ren’s interest peaked even further as he watched as the magister walk to the back, taking a seat at the table with the group Ren had noticed earlier.

Very interesting…

‘Alright, it looks like the Venatori dinner party has started. Table in the back.’ He said. ‘Let’s get to work, shall we?’           

‘We shall. Good luck, Ren.’

‘You as well, Hope.’

Ren walked up the stairs to the small stage at the front of the bar. With a bright grin, he played the first few notes of the song on his lute and began to sing.

“Oh, come along with me, love.

Come along with me.

Come for one night and be my wife.

And come along with me.”

While still playing the notes to the chorus on the lute, Ren stopped singing to address the crowd.

“Grata! Bienviedo! Welcome good people of Minrathous.” He said. “My name is Rook, and I am here to add a little song to your evening. But enough with the pleasantries! The night is young, and I don’t know about you lot, but I am far, far too sober!”

His grin broadened as the crowd began to laugh and cheer. Ren heard a few of them shout, “Here, here!” and his playing grew stronger as he egged the crowd on further. 

“So, let’s raise a glass,” Ren crowed, “and let the night of drinking and debauchery begin!”

And, with that, he began to sing once more, his voice strong and clear.

“Well it is of a jolly butcher, as you might plainly see,

As he roved out one morning in search of company.

He went into a tavern and a fair girl he did see

And said ‘Come for one night and be my wife,

Oh come along with me!’”

Ren jumped off of the stage and began to weave in and around the tables as he continued his song. 

“He called for liquor of the best

And he made such fortune play

‘Come have a drink, it'll make us think

That it is our wedding day’”

‘I cannot hear them, Renan.’ He heard Hope’s voice say in his head as he played. ‘Distract them so I can fly down and slip underneath their table.’

Ren began to maneuver himself to the back of the bar, stopping every so often to play at another table to make it look less conspicuous. He danced around a waitress as she was carrying mugs of ale, giving her a bright smile that made her blush prettily. Finally, he stopped at the Venatori’s table, placing his foot on the edge of the table top with a thunk. Balancing his lute on his knee while he played, he leaned forward and winked at the Magister, who fumed. So focused were they all at the elf and his sheer audacity, that they didn’t notice the small black figure silently fly down from the rafters, dodge the various foot traffic, and tiptoe underneath the table.

‘I made it, Ren!’ Hope crowed, triumphantly.

Ren beamed at the crowd and continued his song.

“Well, he called for a candle to light their way to bed

And when he had her in the room these words to her he said

‘A sovereign I will give to you for to embrace your charms.’

And all that night, that fair young maid lied in the butcher's arms.

Oh, come along with me, love

Come along with me!

Come for one night and be my wife

And come along with me.

Well, about one year later he went roving out once more,

And he went into the tavern where he'd often been before.

He wasn't in there very long when his fair maid he did see,

And she brought forth a baby three months old and placed it on his knee.”

Some of the crowd began to chuckle as they realized where the song was going. Ren’s playing picked up in volume as he reached the punch line. 

“And when he saw the baby, he began to curse and swear

And he said unto that fair young maid, ‘Why did you bring him here?!’

‘Well, he is your own, kind sir’, she said, ‘Do not think me strange

Well, that sovereign that you gave to me, well I gives you back your change!’”

The crowd burst into raucous laughter, and Ren couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride as he finished the song.

“Oh, come along with me, love

Come along with me!

Come for one night and be my wife

And come along with me!”

With a flourish he played the last few chords as the crowd’s laughter turned into applause. He gave a bow, and as he stood back up he saw a flash of red dart through the crowd.

“Dammit.” He muttered. 

‘What happened?’ He heard Hope ask. He turned to the crowd.

“Thank you! You have been a wonderful audience!” Ren exclaimed. “Don’t forget to tip your waitresses! If you need me, I’ll be by the bar.”

The crowd quickly went back to their food and drink, and Ren made a beeline for the bar. 

‘I thought you said Esana was sleeping.’ He demanded through the bond. 

‘She was!’ The spirit replied. ‘I thought she was. Oh! But she might have been faking, now that I think about it. The snoring was a bit too loud.’

To which Ren could only groan.

The Maker had to have it out for him. That was the only explanation. 

‘Don’t move, Hope.’ He said. ‘Keep listening in on the Venatori. I want to have something to report back to the Dragons before the night is over.’

“Only one song tonight, Rook?” Asked one of the waitresses, Rosa, as she carried a tray full of food and drink.

“Can’t be helped, Rosa.” He said as he approached the bar. The barkeeper, a jovial older man with a wiry frame and bright eyes named Julius, poured him a glass of water with a knowing grin.

“Loose something?” He asked.

“Ugh.” Was Ren’s articulate response. Julius only laughed as Ren downed the water in one gulp before setting the glass back down on the counter with a thunk.

“You didn’t happen to see which way she went, did you?” Ren asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“Aye. She snuck out the back door.” 

“Thank you, Julius.”

“Best of luck, Rook!” 

-

Ren stepped outside, taking a deep breath of the cool night air to center himself. He needed to remain calm. Esana couldn’t have gotten far.

In the distance he heard the sound of cheering. Children cheering. He relaxed slightly; he had a feeling whatever was going on, Esana was probably around, if not directly involved.

He followed the sound of cheering until he turned a corner and found himself staring at a veritable horde of children all gathered around a circle. In the middle, playing what looked like a game of bones against an older human boy, was Esana.

“That looks like another game for me!” She exclaimed as she grabbed the copper pieces and put it in her already fairly substantial pile of winnings.

The boy didn’t seem too pleased. 

“That’s not fair!” He cried. “You cheated!”

“How do you cheat at bones, Dax?” One of the other children asked. Dax’s face only grew more red as the other children began to laugh. 

“Yeah, Dax.” Esana taunted as she began to count her winnings. “Don’t be a sore looser.”

“Why you-“

Whatever Dax was about to say was cut short by the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the alley. Out of the darkness, a behemoth of a man emerged. He had lank, dark hair that clung to his face and a scar that ran from one side of his neck to the other. He approached the children, most of whom had already scurried away, and sneered at them with yellowing teeth. 

“What do we have here?” The large man asked as he loomed over the children eyeing the pile of money. “You brats got some money for me?”

“No!” Esana cried. “That’s mine!” She stood up, putting herself between the man and the coin. 

Ren could have sworn his heart had stopped beating then, as he watched the giant man loom over his daughter. His daughter, who looked so very small standing in that man’s shadow. Thinking quickly, Ren grabbed a bottle from a nearby drunkard and flicked a coin his way before the man could complain too much.  

“What did you say, little knife ear?” The man sneered as he pulled an out a wicked looking dagger. “Perhaps I should teach you a lesson of what happens when pests like you talk back to your betters.”

Esana’s eyes widened as the knife was held merely inches from her face. The man made to grab her, but before he could do anything, Ren staggered out of the darkness as if drunk, practically barreling into the man. He made a show of spilling the contents of his bottle all over the man’s clothes. 

“M’so sorry, serah.” He said, slurring his words together. “It seems I-“ and he hiccuped here for effect “-I can’t seem to hold me liquor! Can’t seem to carry it neither.”

Ren gave his best drunken laugh as he pointed to the almost empty bottle of booze. Predictably, the man took the bait, grabbing Ren by the collar and shoving him hard against the wall. 

“Stupid elf! I should gut you here and now!” 

Too busy threatening him, the man didn’t notice Ren pull on the Fade, summoning flames in his left hand. 

“Gut me?” Ren asked, feigning innocence. “While you’re on fire?”

The man stared at Ren in confusion before bursting into laughter.

“On fire? You must be drunker than I-“

Suddenly, the man let out an inhuman screech as Ren held the flame against the man’s alcohol drenched clothes, quickly setting them ablaze with a satisfying woosh. The man dropped Ren as he tried to quickly strip off his burning clothes.

Ren, for his part, didn’t need to be told twice. Grabbing his daughter, he took off running down the narrow alley. 

They had made it almost halfway back to the Black Swan when he stopped to catch his breath. He looked down at his daughter and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. Getting down on one knee he began to look her over.

“Are you alright?” He asked. “Did he hurt you?”

“No. I’m fine.” 

Ren nodded. That would have to do. For now, at least.

Together, father and daughter ran the rest of the way back to the Black Swan. When finally they arrived at the back entrance, the adrenaline seemed to leave Ren all at once, leaving him drained. He sank onto one of the large crates nearby, placing his head in his hands as the reality of what almost happened hit him like a druffalo. 

Esana stood there nervously, sensing, perhaps, that she had crossed a line somewhere. 

“Papa, I’m-“

Ren cut her off. 

“Esana,” he began, frustration filling the void where fear and adrenaline once were, “How many times have I told you that you cannot go out at night on your own?”

“I was just-“

“And yet, you continue to deliberately disobey me. And for what? A handful of coin?”

“It wasn’t just a handful…” she muttered. 

Something inside Ren snapped.

“HE COULD HAVE TAKEN YOU!” Ren shouted as he gripped his daughter’s shoulders desperately. “PAWNED YOU OFF AT THE SLAVE MARKET! OR WORSE, HE COULD HAVE KILLED YOU! DUMPED YOUR BODY SOMEWHERE AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN NONE THE WISER. WOULD THE COIN HAVE BEEN WORTH IT THEN? WELL?”

Hot, angry tears streamed down Esana’s face as she pulled herself out of her father’s grip and ran into the tavern. Ren tried to grab her but she was too quick.

“Esana!” He yelled. “Esana get back here!”

Instead, he heard the sound of a door slamming from upstairs, where the guest rooms were. He looked around the tavern and noticed that it was mostly empty, save for a few stragglers who seemed too deep into their cups to notice the elven family drama going on around them. He also noticed a distinct lack of Venatori. They must have left earlier as well. 

Shit.

With a sigh, Ren felt all of the previous anger bleed out of him, leaving him bone-tired. With great effort, Ren dragged himself to the bar, rubbing at his eyes before anyone could see the moisture in them. 

“Julius,” he called, “Can I have another glass of water, please?”

The barkeep popped out from the kitchen, a bowl of something heavenly smelling in one hand and a tall glass of water in the other.

“I’ll do you one better.” He said, setting the bowl, some sort of stew, in front of Ren. “Here, eat. You look like you’re about to keel over where you stand.”

“Julius, you are a gentleman and a scholar.”

“Yes, yes. Tell me something I don’t know.”

Ren took a few spoonfuls before his appetite left him entirely as the monster currently gnawing at his stomach felt more akin to guilt than hunger. He stirred the soup in lazy circles with his spoon, occasionally making a half-hearted attempt at taking a bite before giving up entirely. 

“I need to go talk to Esana.” He said with a sigh.

“Rook, wait…”

Ren looked up and was surprised to see the old barkeep looking at him with eyes full of understanding… and a bit of sorrow.

“I don’t usually tell people this for obvious reasons, but… my father was also a freeman.” He said. “And an elf, too.”

Ren’s eyes widened. A lot of things about Julius suddenly made sense. The slight build, the bright eyes…

The easiness in which he accepted Ren and Esana… 

He looked at the man in a whole new light then, silently wondering how he never noticed the way Julius’s ears tapered to a point, a tell-tale sign of the man’s heritage.

“I’ll be.” Ren exclaimed. “I’d had no idea I was in the presence of a fellow knife-ear. I’ll make you a flower crown. Maybe even show you some of my favorite places to frolic naked in the moonlight.”

“I am quite capable of going to a whore house on my own, thank you.”

Both men burst into laughter, loud enough in the almost empty tavern to draw the attention of the last remaining guests. The confused stares sobered both men up fairly quickly, and Julius continued whatever point he was getting at.

“Before I was born,” he said, “my father had somehow managed to buy his and my mother’s freedom. Never did quite figure out how he managed to pull it off...”

Julius’s eyes grew distant as he stared at something only he could see. After a moment, he blinked, and turned his attention back to Ren. In all the years he had known the man, Ren had never seen an expression so solemn on his face as he did now.

“When I was Esana’s age, I also never… appreciated the sacrifices my father had made for my family. For me... And Maker, there were so many…”

“And you do now?” Ren asked.

“Aye.” Said Julius. “I do now. Very much so. And I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but Esana will too.”

Ren considered the older man’s words as he took a few more bites of his stew. He pushed himself off of the counter and dusted himself off. 

“Thank you, Julius.” He said. “For everything.”

“Anytime, Rook.“

Ren made his way up the stairs and down the hall to where he and Esana were staying. As quietly as he could, he crept in, closing the door behind him. 

They were fortunate enough to stay in a room with two cots this time, an upgrade to their usual fair. He noticed that the cot on the left was occupied by a relatively Esana sized lump buried underneath the blankets. On the desk , underneath an open window, was a rook. It sat atop a wooden perch as it cleaned its feathers with its long, grey beak. 

Hearing the door close, it looked up and flew over to where Ren sat on the empty cot, silently landing on his knee.

“Hey, Hope.” He uttered.

“…Why is your doublet singed?” Was the spirit’s response.

“Good to see you too.”

“Renan…”

Ren looked down at his doublet, his favorite one too, and, sure enough, he noticed singe marks all long the bottom hem. 

And lo, did the Maker say “Fuck this Elf in particular.” He thought.

“I suppose it does not matter. I am sure it can be fixed.” Hope said kindly. Then, through the bond, he heard: ‘Esana was very upset, but she would not tell me what happened.’

‘She decided to pick fights with grown men and then I lost my temper and yelled at her.’

‘Ah. I see.’

Hope climbed up Ren’s arm to perch on his shoulder.

“I think I am going to go out.” She announced. “Stretch my wings for a bit.”

“Have fun.”

Hope rubbed up against his cheek affectionately, nuzzling him much like she had when he was a boy, newly arrived in the Tevinter Imperium and being sold off like chattel.

‘You can fix this.’ He heard her say through the bond. 

With that, Hope flew out the open window and into the warm summer’s night, leaving father and daughter alone to talk. After a minute or two of sitting silently in the dark, Ren spoke.

“I know you’re awake, Esana.” He said. “Can we talk? Please?”

A loud sniffle from underneath the covers was the only response he got. With a sigh, Ren pulled off his boots and set them neatly by his bedside table.

“It’s ok, Esana. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” He said as he took off his now singed doublet. “I’ll talk then, ok?”

Ren took a moment to gather his thoughts. He stared down at his hands, looking at the small knicks and callouses from years of playing the lute. He unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt, and let the loose sleeves reveal old scar tissue across his wrists from where too-heavy shackles had rubbed his skin raw years ago. They certainly weren’t pretty, which was part of the reason why he always covered them, but they weren’t the worst of his scars. He knew his back was a gnarled web of lash marks, fifty in total. They still ached from time to time, too…

He made a vow, long ago, that the Imperium would never hurt him, or his loved ones, ever again. And he intended to keep that promise.

“I love you, Esana.” He said, finally. “And I am very sorry that I yelled at you like I did. I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”

In the darkness, Ren saw two bright blue eyes (her mother’s eyes, he thought distantly) peek out from underneath the covers, watching him warily. Taking that as progress, he continued.

“The truth is, I was scared. What you did was incredibly dangerous. I truly thought that man was going to hurt you, and that terrified me.”

Esana crawled out from underneath the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, hunched over and refusing to look anywhere but her bare feet. Ren noticed that she was already in her nightgown. She must have changed after she stormed upstairs. 

With a small smile, Ren patted the empty space beside him in invitation. Esana quickly crossed the short distance to sit with her father, but still refused to look up at him, even after he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to his side. 

“I just wanted to help.” She said miserably, swiping at her eyes as fresh tears  began to fall. “I thought that if I could earn money like you do, then you would let me join you for once.” 

“Esana…”

“I just wanted to be like you. I’m tired of being treated like a baby.”

Ren tucked an errant lock of red hair behind his daughter’s ear. 

“Esana,” he said, “I don’t need you to be like me. In fact, that’s the last thing in the world I want you to be. And while I appreciate the help, I’m your father. It’s my job to take care of you, not the other way around.” 

“But I want to help!” Esana cried, almost desperately. “I want to be out there, with you!”

Ren chewed his bottom lip as he pondered Esana’s words. He certainly did not want to expose her to the drunks of Minrathous, but he also knew that soon she would be turning thirteen. Too old to stay willingly cloistered away. Maybe he could bring her along every now and then, introduce her little by little to his world in a way where he could monitor her and keep her safe, rather than having her go out behind his back…

Still, he couldn’t help but feel he was missing something. Something important. There was a frantic edge to Esana’s pleading that Ren couldn’t understand. Not for the first time, Ren wished his wife were still alive. Leena would have known what to do. She was good at that sort of thing.

“I’ll tell you what,” Ren began, cupping his daughter’s chin gently, “how about I teach you how to play that spare flute I have? Then, you could play with me. Sometimes.”

Esana stared up at her father with wide, disbelieving eyes. 

“Sometimes!” He reiterated. “Only the jobs that I think are safe, ok?”

“Really?” she asked, excitement and a strange tinge of something akin to relief shining in her eyes.

“Yes.” Ren laughed. “Really.”

Esana launched herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug which he returned without a thought. 

“I love you, papa.” She said.

“I love you, too, Esana.”

Not long after Ren noticed his daughter’s eyelids grow heavy and her shoulders begin to droop. He chuckled as he watched her try to stifle a yawn.

“Alright little Nuglette, I think that’s enough excitement for one day. To bed with you.” 

“Ok, papa.” Esana murmured sleepily as she crawled back into her own cot. Suddenly, that frantic edge that Ren noticed earlier returned.

“Papa…” she said, “Could I stay in your cot? Until I fall asleep?”

“Sure.” Ren said with a small smile.

Esana quickly scurried from her cot to join her father. She snuggled herself up against him, and he felt her relax as if she had been holding in some sort of tension. 

“Esana,” Ren asked as she tucked herself in the crook of his arm, “Is everything alright?”

Esana hastily nodded, not quite looking her father in the eye. Ren sighed.

“You know you can talk to me, right?”

Another nod. 

“Ok. Good night, Esana. Sweet dreams.”

Ren didn’t notice Esana wince at the mention of dreams. He didn’t notice his daughter squeeze her eyes shut, desperately trying not to think of the monsters in her dreams that hounded her, begging her to let them in. 

Instead Ren began to sing softly, voice barely above a whisper as he sang an old Elvish lullaby, one that his own mother sang to him when he was little. It didn’t take long for Esana to drift off into the Fade. No nightmares plagued her this time, safe as she was in her father’s arms and a song promising only pleasant things echoing in her ears. 

For Ren, however, sleep evaded him despite his exhaustion. If he was honest with himself, he didn’t mind and was content to watch the rise and fall of Esana’s chest as his daughter slept soundly, snuggled up against him. Truth be told, he cherished moments such as these because he knew that sooner rather than later, his daughter would grow too old to cuddle with her papa. For now, though, he placed a kiss upon his little girl’s brow and held her as tightly as he could without waking her.

He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, only that it was near dawn when Hope flew in through the window, the first rays of light gently reflecting off of her feathers, giving them a purplish hue. 

“Morning, Hope.” Whispered Ren as he watched her land on the bedside table. 

“Good morning, Renan.” She whispered back. “I am happy to see you two worked it out.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Ren shifted slightly to face his friend. “You were gone an awfully long time. Did something happen?”

“I ran into Neve Gallius. She would like you to meet her later this evening.” 

“Ah… and what did our favorite Ice Queen want? Did she say?”

“Only that she would like to introduce you to an aquantence of hers. Some sort of… novelist?”

“Of course she does…” Ren murmured tiredly, not really paying attention. 

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the silence of the early morning. Ren was just about to finally drift off to sleep when Hope looked up from where she was preening her feathers and stared out of the window with an unusually concerned expression.

“Renan…” she whispered, so quietly Ren barely heard her. 

“Mmm?”

“There is a storm coming.” Was all she said.

-

Little did Ren know, as he later found himself staring up at the terrifying visages of his Dalish mother's myths, how true those words were about to become. 

[loony-n-moony]

Some bitchass TWST hcs (feel free to request someeee)

Epel is trans (fight me) 

Vil has to be hyper-aware of his facial expression because he has resting bitch face

Leona is a piece of shit stoner

Adding to that, Jack always is on the verge of tears around Leona because the stench of marijuana is PUNGENT

Riddle has naturally rosy red cheeks, so a lot of people think he’s either embarrassed or irritated with something

Rook has freckles from all the time he’s spent in the sun, and uses makeup to cover them (CANON?!?)

Floyd watches National Geographic like it’s the Super Bowl

Azul is like Velma, where he always drops his goddamn glasses, and sometimes Floyd purposely pushes him so his glasses fall off

Cater almost leaked his own nudes like the dumbass he is

Ruggie decided to steal some of Leona’s edibles thinking they were normal brownies, and claims he saw the face of God (it was Mickey)

Rook was found in the school vents at least once

Ortho has threatened to dox someone via an anonymous account because they bullied Idia online

Ortho has successfully doxxed someone

Idia’s hair has almost burnt down his room because he couldn’t defeat a boss

Lilia has a tattoo, but he refuses to reveal where (it’s a tramp stamp)

Malleus has fallen for every single deez nuts joke known to man

Sebek has also fallen for every single deez nuts joke known to man

Ace is scared of spiders, and Jamil canonically hates bugs, so one time the entire school freaked out because they had heard the most HIGH PITCHED and LOUDEST scream they’ve ever heard. Turns out it was Ace and Jamil cooking when they found a spider.

Kalim smacked his head on the top of a door frame while riding a magic carpet

Ortho accidentally leaked Idia’s fanfic account, and Cater bookmarked his fics

Jade knows Lilia is Silver’s dad, and has threatened to have make out with him just to make Silver uncomfortable 

Silver listens to the shittiest music you can think of

Deuce sings in the shower

Trey unironically thinks minion memes are funny, and it has made Cater cry

Riddle can eat an entire cake in one sitting without feeling an inkling of nausea

Kalim, Lilia, and Cater made the shittiest track you could ever think of and posted it to SoundCloud

Idia found their track and almost threw up

After Idia’s fanfic account was leaked, Cater showed it to Kalim and Kalim tried ask what ABO was. 

Ortho told him what the acronym stood for, and Kalim thought he was talking about robots, so Jamil shut off the internet for a week

Jack tried to high-hive Epel, and Epel’s hand was red afterwards

Trey and Che’nya made an entire cake and sent it to Riddle’s mom anonymously with the words ��eat my ass” written in frosting

Neige secretly owns a Vil stan account

Vil secretly owns a Neige hate account 

Someone tried to make a “ur mom” joke to Malleus and he just responded with “my mother is dead.” With a completely straight face

Idia is the pinnacle of toxic k-pop stans (kinda canon but-) like it’s so bad that it blows the toxicity of the k-pop stans in this world out of the water

Vil had to slap the sense back into Epel because he was binding unsafely 

He also got him the most boujee ass binder you’ve ever seen

Trey has a model of teeth. Not even like dentures just like- a model of the average human mouth. 

Leona is a thigh man. Argue with the wall.

Cater and Idia have gotten into the CRAZIEST internet beef

Somehow, out of the two of them, Cater got cancelled

edit: YUHHH so I made a masterlist and a pinned post!!! For all that like my HCs PRETTY PLEASE send me some requests!! I wanna get to writing again! •v•

[harunayuuka2060]

Vil: Would you like to repeat that, Idia?

Idia: No. I said what I said.

Vil: ...

Vil: Rook, what did he say just now?

Rook: Roi de Ta Chambre wants a makeover, Roi du Poison!

Vil: ...

Vil: Why? What happened?

Idia: It's none of your business.

Rook: Is it because of the incident at the mall? *smiles mischievously*

Idia: !!!

Vil: What happened at the mall?

Rook: Roi de Ta Chambre, MC, and Monsieur Sleepyhead were together when someone approached them.

Rook: And that person said to MC and Monsieur Sleepyhead,

Rook: "Are you two couple? You look great together!"

Vil: ...

Idia: ...

Vil: *smirks* I understand it now.

Idia: I've changed my mind. I don't want a makeover.

Vil: Too late. *stops him from leaving*

Idia: This is so embarrassing, Ortho... *Vil turned him into a total heartthrob*

Ortho: *taking pictures of him* Mom and Dad will like this.

Idia: Please stop...

Ortho: *giggles*

MC: Idia, Ortho, I'm back-

MC: ...

Idia: ...

Ortho: Welcome back, MC! Idia has been waiting for you!

Idia: ...

MC: ...

MC: *pinches their own cheek to see if it's just a dream*

Idia: That's it! I'm changing! *embarrassed noises*

MC: No- Wait!

Ortho: *laughs*

Silver: Idia got jealous of me?

Vil: Yes.

Silver: Why? MC corrected the person who had mistaken us.

Silver: They proudly said that Idia is their husband.

Lilia: *chuckles* He probably didn't notice.

Vil: Idia sure was hopeless when he wanted to.

Idia: *hiding under his blanket*

MC: ...

MC: Idia.

Idia: What? You're just going to tease me.

MC: ...

MC: *gets under his blanket*

Idia: I- No- I don't want you here!

MC: *cuddles him*

Idia: ...

Idia: I know it's stupid of me to get jealous.

MC: But I'm more stupid for making you feel that way.

Idia: Why? We're just besties.

MC: Married besties. *smiles*

Idia: ...

Idia: *screaming internally*

[littlemissayu]

“YOU SPOKE!!” – Their kids first words (Night Raven 3rd Years-Malleus & Lilia)

A/n: Yes I ‘m well aware I haven’t updated/posted my other oc request from my event, even though it ended over a month ago BUT it’s getting done and I will try to finish as fast as I can. I ‘m just posting this because it’s been delayed forever and I need something to get my writing juices going.

If you see me mention gender it’s based off of my Twst boys as Parents series that you can find here!!

Warnings: FEM! Reader, pregnancy,domestic fluff, babies(ofc), google translate translations, I’m only doing their first kids/first set of kids

pairing(s):3rd Years x fem!Reader(separate/romantic)

Yummy/Delicious- Hears you say it everytime Trey makes a really good baked treat(aka all the time). Now I know delicious is probably a hard word for a baby to say which is why I also have ‘yummy’. They say it for the first time after Trey gives them a small part of a macaroon. You could just see how Trey’s eyes lit up when he heard his little one speak for the first time!!

Smile!!/Cheese!!- The two of you (mostly Cater) always say these phrases to your kids, so it’s no surprise when their first words are smile and cheese. With the family album(that I 100% believe Cater would start making once you get pregnant). When Cater heard his babies speak for the very first time he got super sentimental and excited calling you over(if you weren’t already there)

Papa!- Now this is solely based on my personal headcanon that Leona’s first kid would be a girl and a total Daddy’s girl. Always with him, even though you carried her for 9 MONTHS, homegirl got evicted from the womb and wanted to follow around papa. I also believe this happened as he was getting something and turned his back to her so she tried to get his attention. His ears immediately shoot up and his eyes open wide. He instantly picks up his cub and rushes over to you to tell you what your daughter just said. But dw, her next word ended up being mama. Is so proud of his little girl~

Pretty!- You’re always saying this to your husband so she eventually just picks up on it. Also hears other people saying it about either you or Vil; not to mention you and Vil do occasionally call her “pretty girl”. So she’s just surrounded by the word so it's no shocker when it’s her first word. Vil just beamed at his daughter, truly feeling the sentiment. His little girl, his pride and joy has spoken for the first time BUTTTT sadly he wasn’t there to witness it. So all that happened when he came back from work. He almost left early after you told him over the phone. But he could be more proud of his kleiner engel.

Up!!- Now this is because this little Hunt loves being picked up, especially when her father is flying on his broom. They love the feeling of being high up and flying through the sky with her father. Rook is always open to giving his petit oiseau what they ask. When his little one said their first words he couldn’t help but outburst with joy. He couldn’t stop praising them for speaking, then when you came in or called out to him/your child, he began praising you for giving this wonderful child.

Play!!/Uh oh- Now 2 things to establish, 1. Ik “uh oh isn’t a word” but I’m just gonna have to count it and I will explain why 2. Why are there 2 different words, well if you read this fic here!!, you’ll learn that I believe Idia has twin boys therefore I wrote 2 different words. Now onto my explanation; for ‘play’ it just makes sense, sitting on his dad’s lap watching him play games that say and display the word ‘play’ on the title screen ofc that would be his kid’s first word it just makes sense. Now for your other twin boy this was his first “word” because whenever Idia gets frustrated on the game at a certain point he hears you say “uh oh”, meaning “Dad’s about to burst”. They also have learnt(bc they're a very smart child) that they can use this for other times when something is about to go wrong so they do say it when something might go wrong. Idia seemed nonchalant at first place but then a smile grew on Idia’s face from his adorable talking twins.<3

Heartsabyul Masterlist

Savanaclaw Masterlist

Pomefiore Masterlist

Ignihyde Masterlist

[oepionie]

—"IT WAS JUST TWO LOVERS" various

💭masterlist

⊹ [ tags ] — hurt/comfort fluff, insecurities, mentions of overthinking, past relationship, they are down bad◞

HE LEISURELY PEPPERS KISSES against your cheek, hands dragging up and down your sides as you giggle at his saccharine affections. Both of you were entangled in bed, legs and arms drawn together as you had fleeting conversations about whatever came to mind. 

"First love? Is that a term back in your world?" He murmurs, burying his face deep into the crook of your neck. Your lover wraps his arms tight around you, pulling your body flush against his.

A tender laugh leaves your lips as you thread your fingers through his hair. "Yes, that's a term. It's the first person you've ever loved. That one person that you will never forget. It's special since their love will leave an imprint on your heart, which will be there for all of eternity."

"I see." He hums, a forthright tone settling onto his tongue. "Well, in all honesty, you certainly wouldn't be my first love."

Oh.

Hand halting its ministrations in his hair, a bitter and agonizing feeling creeps up your chest as you force out a laugh. "I-Is that so?"

Well...perhaps you should have expected this. It was a thought you didn't want to admit to for the longest time. It only fueled your insecurities and left you feeling vulnerable, spiralling into a dishevelled mess of crying and overthinking.

Perhaps it was not so surprising, you lament.

He was a prince straight out of a fairy tale. Surely he has loved and has been loved by many other before? An uncomfortable silence followed soon after as you tried to muster up a response but couldn't. Your voice lodged itself in your throat, words failing you. 

"I think the term has no merit to it, anyway." He murmurs, a soft smile gracing his lips. Your lover gazed at you affectionately as you blinked down at him and tilted your head in confusion. His love tinted stare pours over every detail of your face, observing how strands of hair fell over your cheeks, how your eyebrows drew together or how your lips pulled itself into a frown—he delighted in all of it. 

"If I had love so impactful and grand as the first, why would I need another love?" Brushing his thumb against the corners of your lips, he eased your frown away. "First love, hm? That would be you then, dearest. Though, it would be far more fitting to say that you're my only one true love."

✩— MALLEUS, JADE, Lilia, VIL, ROOK, Jamil

Likes, Comments, and Reblogs are greatly appreciated and really motivating on my end!

Taglist: @keedas @spadecentral @crypticbibliophile @pastellepastary @cassidycampfire @cocomollo @poisonioushearts @kawaiipotatoghost @ramvuda @the-lost-anime-dad @kyraxiyn @mayaaaeo @rainybeebs

↳ want to be added?

[letterstoear]

Picking you up from Sam’s shop at 2am for no apparent reason

Synopsis: What happens when he picks you up from Sam’s shop? 

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia | Bonus characters |

Notes: Character x gn reader, short drabbles, twisted wonderland, can be read as lovers or friends, Diasomnia ver.

Please check out my shop too: Shop — Letters to Ear (squarespace.com)

🐉 Impossible to think he would check his text messages, boy rarely charges that thing

🐉Doesn’t get your text till the next time he charges it and is like oh, that happened

🐉Yeah, you’re like left sitting there at Sam’s shop thinking to yourself why you sent it to him in the first place

🐉The moment he reads said text, Malleus is asking you all sorts of questions about what he missed

🐉This should have been a precious moment for him to get invited somewhere and he messed it up

🐉Apologizes and promises that he’ll pay better attention to his phone, yeah good luck dragon boy

🐉The two of you schedule a proper late night hang out which Malleus is super excited about

🦇Is up and ready to pick you up like a little kid from school

🦇It actually does remind him of those little kids who would get picked up from school by their parents

🦇Lilia, of course has never done so for Silver, that boy was homeschooled

🦇Arrives at Sam’s shop fully prepared to walk you home and take care of you like his own kid

🦇You are to him a child who is miles behind life

🦇Imagine his surprise when you wanna hang out with him late at night for like no reason

🦇Abandons his dad role for a friend role in a flash

🦇Late night talks, playing video games, and just crying about life

🦇Lilia is prepared to do it all

🦇It’s also a first for him too, so he’s pretty amazed by it all

⚔️He’s fast asleep

⚔️Yeah there’s no way he’s getting up for you

⚔️However he will see the text and confront you about it

⚔️Silver’s concerned, why were you wanting to see him so late at night? Did you get home safely?

⚔️Ease his worries please

⚔️To make up for not making it to you last night, Silver plans a new hangout session with you

⚔️This time around he’s going to try his best to stay awake

⚔️Is like a 50/50

⚔️If he is awake he’s probably having the time of his life, if he’s asleep he’s like oh dang I messed up

⚡Doesn’t rush to your side

⚡Calls you up and is like how dare you mess with my sleep schedule

⚡Takes his sleep very seriously. Malleus’ bodyguard needs their sleep!

⚡After calling you about whatever it is you’re on about Sebek is tempted to pick you up

⚡If you did really need him to pick you up late at night he would rush over to you

⚡Mainly because he knows you’re not going back to bed anytime soon

⚡Similar to Rook and Vil, Sebek would probably say you should go back to bed too

⚡That’s it, end of conversation

⚡The next morning you probably got a bunch of bags from staying out late at night and boy does Sebek yell at you for it

⚡Sebek’s got good intentions

⚡Has you promise not to stay out late at night

[kiame-sama]

Hello, I have some questions for Humans are Extinct au that kept me up last night. Tw. Teeth and oral surgery

Is Sebek’s dad still a dentist in your au? And what if human needs their wisdom teeth removed? What would be the laws and regulations of disposing human teeth in this context? If human asked, would they let them keep their teeth? I once asked my dentist if when they remove mine if I could keep them and they said sure so I’m kinda curious if they would let reader keep theirs

Who is offering to buy reader’s wisdom teeth if they are allowed to keep them? Or are they gonna be put in a museum bc hey, modern human teeth?

Yes, he will remove them, there are complex laws regarding Human teeth, yes, they all would try to buy them, and yes museums will fight for those teeth.

- Sebek's father is still a dentist and is likely the only dentist Malleus will allow near his Human as he is the father of one of Malleus' Hoard members. Naturally, Sebek's dad will be sweating bullets and very nervous to be the only dentist allowed to operate on an extinct species. Those nerves and stress will begin to fade as he realizes the Human has teeth like that of many Fae- duller and less sturdy, but still close enough- and his own professional confidence will return.

- He will likely be the only one who can remove the Human's wisdom teeth and will genuinely feel badly for the Human when their face gets all swollen and painful after surgery. He will want to keep the teeth- because Human teeth are good luck and these are Premium Human Teeth- but will happily let the Human keep them should they want them. He may ask to keep one just because of the Fae's proclivity towards Human teeth and he is excited to show he is trusted enough to work on a Human (literally a trophy to him that other Fae would be exceeding jealous over).

- There are laws about the buying, selling, and trading of Human artifacts and many Historical societies demand all Human artifacts be taken and put on display/studied but most Fae will not part easily with remnants of their Humans. Human teeth are Fae family heirlooms and are considered good luck, often passed down through generations from Fae who raised their own Humans and gathered the baby teeth. Some places such as the Queendom of Roses and the Coral Sea also have family heirloom Human artifacts that they hold tightly to. (Crowley has a full collection of Human artifacts, from baby toys to several sets of teeth, the crow loves the shiny things Humans made and loved Humans in general)

- Malleus and Lilia both desperately want those teeth to keep but they won't push for the teeth if the Human wants to keep them. Leona may offer to buy one or two just for the hell of it. Riddle will honestly cry if he is given one of these teeth and he will literally put it on a pedestal to show it off. Rook wants one and will wear it as a necklace ornament for the remainder of his life. Vil will add it to his collection of beautiful things and won't let anyone take it from him. Malleus, Ortho, and Idia would get the teeth to gift to their respective ancestor. Malleus would give a tooth to Maleficent who will be pleased as punch with the offering. Ortho and Idia would give a tooth to Hades (who has literal hundreds of Human teeth already due to his genuine love for the Humans he kept on the Isle of Woe) but he would treasure it all the same.

- Museums can try to push to get those teeth, but they would have to go to the Human directly about it as Malleus will burn them and none of the others would willingly give up such a gift. If the Museum wants the teeth, they will have to fight for them and there is no one who would win against Malleus in a fight other than Hades or Maleficent.

[yuri-is-online]

For all of the yutu's, which ones are more papa's boy(s) and which ones are more parent's (yuu) boy(s)?

Ah good question lets see... I think most of them start out having Yuu as the favorite because that's who raised him, but that changes after they finally get to meet their dad. For some of them anyway.

notes: this is part of my fyuuture kid au, information about which can be found on my masterlist under the series section.

Heartslabyul

Riddle

Bad timeline! Riddle Yutu is Yuu's little baby with massive daddy issues because it's hard to be a papa's boy when he's not around ;-;. Good timeline! Yutu is a Papa's boy, he wants Riddle's approval so so so badly, he's always bringing his tests home to be hung up on the fridge so he can be praised.

Trey

Yutu likes Yuu best, Yutres is a daddy's girl, and Yushi says she has no preference but her favorite parent is whichever one is going to give her permission to do what she wants at that particular moment.

Cater

Doesn't have a preference. He loves both of his parents equally and just wants them both to be together in the same house. He relates to his father heavily, but one of the things they have in common is how fun they find it to be around Yuu.

Ace

Ace! Yutu takes after his father in a lot of ways! One of those is that Yuu is his favorite person and everyone else is mid in comparison (he does love his dad too ofc he just enjoys getting under his skin.)

Deuce

Bad timeline! Yutu is very much a parent's boy but I think good timeline! Yutu is actually a grandma's boy. I can see Dilla spending a lot of time helping Yuu and Deuce out and she just screams that she would be a cool grandma. Hopefully Yutu also really likes eggs.

Savanaclaw

Leona

Daddy's boy. Leona! Yutu loves Yuu don't get it twisted but he wants to be like his dad so badly. There's just something about that grumpy lion that makes little kids ask "is this a role model?" and then not wait for an answer before trying to climb all over his back while he pretends to swat them off.

Ruggie

Bad timeline! Yutu is a parents boy, good timeline! Yutu has no preference. He loves both of you so much! His dad is so cool and Yuu are the best, how could he possibly pick which one of his parents is better?

Jack

Doesn't have a preference. He acts super aloof about it, like he's beyond the need for his parents but really he wants to make the two of you super proud with how self sufficient he is. It makes his tail wag really fast.

Octavinelle

Azul

Parent's boy. He does mend a lot of his issues with his father in the good timeline, but he just likes being spoiled by Yuu no matter what timeline he's in.

Jade

As previously established the only form of authority Yutu respects is his parent, Yuu. He does get softer on his dad in the good timeline, but Yuu is still number one in his heart.

Floyd

Depends on his mood. Sometimes Yutu is a daddy's boy, other times he's yuu's baby. There's no real rhyme or reason to when or why, unless he's in serious trouble then he always goes to Floyd because he's at least got a 50/50 shot of leniency there.

Scarabia

Kalim

You are both his favorite. His father is wonderful and so full of life and his parent loves him so much. He thinks you are both the most important, and gets very defensive about it.

Jamil

Good timeline! Yutu is a parent's boy as a baby but grows into a daddy's boy as he ages and comes into his own. He loves both of you so much it could be a burden under the wrong circumstances.

Pomefiore

Vil

Daddy's boy. It runs in the family and Vil embraces it wholeheartedly. A part of him has always wanted this, he didn't think it was possible to be even more grateful for your love than he was but Yutu is such a gift he swears he's re-learned the meaning all over again.

Rook

Roland is the daddy's boy, and Yutu is the parent's boy. It makes Rook weep to wonder about what would happen if perhaps if you had a little girl? ( •̯́ ^ •̯̀) no? ( •̯́ ^ •̯̀) he just thinks that maybe it would be fun to see what would happen- (he is on his knees begging please please please he wants to be a girl dad so bad)

Epel

Parent's boy. He has an alliance with his dad though, it's super sweet to see them run up to you in the middle of the fields with apple blossoms they spent lunch picking to give you. Your boys love you very much.

Ignihyde

Idia

Uncle's boy. He loves both of his parents equally but Ortho is easily his favorite person and can you really blame him? Idia doesn't he's really happy to see Ortho embraced by his son as part of the family.

Diasomnia

Malleus

Princess Tamago is daddy's little princess of course, but I think both of the kids like Yuu best. Malleus isn't jealous at all, no not at all say Yuu, he is your favorite right? Because you are his too and he was here first-

Lilia

Silver is his favorite person, but Yuu is a close second. Lilia likes to fake cry about this because baby Yutu would get all offended and scream about how he was being silly because he loved him too! Ah yes but he's not Yutu's favorite oh woe is him.

Silver

Daddy's boy in theory, parent's boy in practice. He loves his dad but they're both a bit dense so connecting with each other can be difficult sometimes. It doesn't diminish the strength of their connection any, but it does cause some angst in those teen years.

Sebek

Parent's boy. Sebek Yutu thinks of Yuu the same way Sebek does Malleus, but he's much more normal about it as he gets older than Sebek ever was. (He does think his dad is cool but he doesn't want to admit it.)

Extra

Rollo

Parent's boy but Rollo is absolutely whipped for his child. Rollo isn't always the best at communicating his feelings, and he's very determined to not have the same thing happen to his child as happened to his brother. When Yutu looks up at him with his little eyes and calls him Papa... it melts him. He's very proud of him he's just not always as loud about it as Yutu might like.

[mellosdrawings]

Twisted boys worst to best, GO!!

I'll make it my fav to my meh if thats fine with you. I fear I would spend hours on a detailed analysis for what I consider to be perfect chara design and motivations otherwise.

-Azul (perfect, 12/10, makes my autism go brr, I still need to do that full analysis for him because I love him too much and have too many thoughts, must pull)

-Jamil (perfect, 11/10, someone please give this man freedom and his weight in cookies, must pull)

-Cater (perfect, 10/10, flashy guy with completely dead eyes, reminds me of Childe, pull if possible)

-Rook (perfect, 10/10, makes my autism go brr, perfect world view ideology, rewired my brain chemistry, pull if possible)

-Idia (perfect, 10/10, peak brother, family angst makes my heart go brr, insufferable asshole, pull if possible)

-Jade (9/10, creepy, would go mushroom hunting with him so we could see who's the most autistic about fungi, sometimes pull)

-Vil (9/10, perfection, made me fall in love instantly during his chapter despite me expecting to dislike him, fawn whenever I see him, pull if possible)

-Leona (8/10, absolute asshole, insufferable dick, wish his flashback was done better so we could see how horrendous it could have truly been, plan on rewriting something someday about that, should be on the pull if possible list but I have no self control for this fucker so I always pull for him)

-Riddle (7/10, made me fall in love with the game, used to kin him in all the wrong ways lol, would've overblotted too in his place, no pull)

-Ruggie (7/10, freaky evil little guy syndrome, has the funniest synergy with Leona, love him, would pull for him if I was rich)

-Kalim (10/10, best character ever and people underestimate him and his potential too much, would smother him in kisses, despite being perfect he is still low on the list coz I'm a mess, sometimes pull)

-Floyd (7/10, creepy asshole, love his mood swings and how everybody just works around it, perfect trio with the two others, sometimes pull)

-Deuce (6/10, lovely little mama boy, doing his best, I want to cheer for him, no pull)

-Trey (6/10, perfect house husband, love how hard he tries to be normal even though he's just as much a freak as everybody else, no pull though was tempted once)

-Sebek (5/10, I see potential but I'm not yet familiar with him, golden retriever vibe, would give him a smooch, no pull though I was tempted once)

-Silver (5/10, not familiar with him yet but he has very interesting themes, no pull)

-Epel (5/10, little dick, needs to learn to move past his misogyny and I love that theme for him, but keeps being done dirty by the story who refuses to have him learn the lesson, no pull)

-Lilia (4/10, should be one of my fav coz I absolutely love the "retired war god who settled down to become a father" trope, but I just can't get the spark with him for some reason..., no pull though I was tempted once)

-Ortho (5/10, best baby bro, has a lot of potential, but rarely ever used properly, no pull)

-Jack (4/10, best tsundere boy but kinda boring in my opinion, no pull)

-Ace (5/10, very good character but I would've blocked him so hard coz I can't stand that kind of behavior lol, no pull)

-Malleus (3/10, just like Lilia his trope is usually one I love but I seriously can't care about him no matter how hard I try, no pull)

Others:

-Crowley (10/10, peak character, would punch him in the face if he was real, must pull)

-Sam (9/10, very interesting, would love to see his card or have him more often on screen, would pull)

-Crewel (9/10, dom daddy, gives a mix of Vil and Leona vibe lol, must pull)

-Trein (9/10, father and widower, cat dad, would make him tea and scones, must pull)

-Vargas (3/10, surprisingly one dimensional when the game is so good at fully fleshing its characters, waiting to see more)

-Rollo (9/10, absolute asshole, desperately needs a hug and therapy, should also probably go in prison lol, very interesting fodder for Idia, would have pulled if I had any extra gems)

-Fellow and Gidel (10/10, brothers, assholes, completely out if it and loving them for it, still need to read their stories but I already love them, must pull)

-Skully/Skelly (10/10, looks like the weirdest little shit, super cringe, already loving him but still need to see, must pull)

[etheries1015]

Hi, I hope you're well and I'm sorry to randomly pop in but I finished reading this and I just have to let my sad brain that's obsessed with Lilia go off.

You had Vil and Rook help give Mc a makeover right? What if they found out Mc got stood up. Me personally (I'm biased), I feel like they'd become subtly more protective. Not intrusive, not controlling, but they'd keep a more watchful eye on Mc because they don't want to see them get hurt again.

Okay, okay, but then my brain needs an extra layer added in with angst, so Lilia notices this change in behavior from the Pomefiore beans. At first he's glad Mc has people looking out for them, glad they have a support system. But Rook figures out it was Lilia who stood Mc up and tells Vil. The two start trying to find reasons why Mc shouldn't be around Lilia without telling them that's what they're trying to do directly, just "Oh Lilia’s in there, hey let's go hang out in the courtyard instead!" Subtle diversions.

Lilia starts becoming more aware of their behavior. He tries to convince himself that it isn't a big deal and things were awkward there anyway, maybe distance was the best for him and Mc. However, Silver starts noticing Lilia is more focused on Mc, and starts voicing that he misses their company. Silver has a general understanding of what happened that rainy day, as his father let a bit of it off his chest "Oh, Don't worry, there was just an unfortunate misunderstanding that needed to be cleared up!" Silver isn't taking any shit, he confronts his dad. When Lilia explains that he's too old for romance, much less romance with a human, Silver scolds him about how he never raised him to be that way. Why did Lilia believe so differently than he tended to in this singular instance? What did race have to do with the situation? "If Mc is undeserving of a chance with you, why did you take me in and give me a chance to be in your life?"

Kinda went on a tangent...if none of that made sense I apologize, I'm very sleep-deprived and angsty rn lmao. Anyway, take care of yourself and have a good day 😊

I absolutely love this take!!! I'll give you a little more detail below, however, you outlined it very well.

Part 2 of Lilia X reader Rejection

Time had passed agonizingly slow at ramshackle dorm. Not only had you contracted a cold during your outside endeavors of rain and heartbreak from Lilias rejection, you also couldn't bring yourself to face any other students in the state of misery you were in. This, of course, had not gone unnoticed by a few. Ace and Deuce were naturally worried for you, however Rook and Vil were also left out of the loop with what happened that day raising their worries and causing them to come to you about it.

Coming by ramshackle and seeing you in such a state of misery was truly heartbreaking for the two. You opened the door with puffy eyes and a running nose, hunched over with a blanket covering the majority of your body. Immediately Vil sprung into action, pulling the blanket off of you and preparing a bath while Rook had made soup and medicine for you. Whilst chastising you for your sudden disappearance and sickly state, you had finally broken down and had given them the rundown of all that night's events. You needed support, and luckily the two were more than happy to give it to you. After learning it had been Lilia who stood you up and then humiliate you in front of the gates of the school, by the time you had indeed returned to the school, you noticed the way Vil and Rook would try and steer you away from any places that Lilia could be. They couldn't hide this very well, I mean, you knew all of Lilias's classes and the places he often visited in the school. Who wouldn't be able to notice the way your close friends had tried to distract you from this?

They noticed how standoffish you now were, how your look off in the distance was so distracted, so empty. They were, however, not the only ones to see this change in you. Lilia would steal glances from you from across the room and the halls, and simply thinking to himself you would soon forget your silly feelings and move forward with your smile per usual. He was grateful for Vil and Rook being by your side and figured this would be for the best. Being away from Lilia for the time being while you sorted out your emotions was going to be much better for you, and perhaps you'd be able to find yourself around Lilia like you used to. The time when you stayed up late with him playing video games, how you called him at the most random of times to tell him of your day, the way you would always be surrounded by so much fun. He was excited to get back to that, to the day you forgot your romantic feelings for the fae, and he could enjoy your company once more.

however...those days did not come as he had hoped.

It can be hard to imagine Lilia regretting something he believed so strongly on initially, however, he can't stop the stinging of pain that plagued his heart after seeing you in such disarray. The way you sat in the rain alone the way the rain blended in with your tears and the way your eyes were red...from him. He caused that pain. The bitterness he had felt from your confrontation hadn't gone unnoticed, those around him had begun to realize there was a shift ever so slightly around him. The air had become thicker and his smiles seemed to be far more forced, much like this instance with his son.

"Father," Silver approached the fae, "I haven't seen (y/n) around per usual. Has something happened between the two of you?" He inquired. Silver had rather missed your company, your cooking and the kindness you had shown him. He found you almost like another parental figure, Silver was incredibly fond of you and since the moment you had confided in your feelings for Lilia he was cheering you on from the sidelines in your advances to his father. When you had vanished without as much as a letter, Silver had become anxious and decided it be best to follow up with Lilia. The red eyed fae couldn't bring himself to meet the gaze of his child , avoiding it by staring at the computer screen had had been playing games on with a forced smile painted upon his lips.

"Don't worry, Silver. (Y/n) and I had a simple misunderstanding, and they are simply processing their emotions right now. Sometimes distance is the best cure for such fallouts," he said. The room became silent for a moment that felt like an eternity, before Silver took in a deep sigh and confronted his thoughts to Lilia.

"You rejected them?" He said quietly, Lilias head perking up in slight alarm at the sudden question. The turned on his chair to face the taller human, gaze far more serious than before.

"I see you knew about the prefects growing affections for me?" Lilia asked, attempting to keep his tone at a calm and collected manor. Silver flinched at the look his father was giving him, yet cringing ever so slightly at the idea of confronting his guardian in such a way. He nodded gently and fiddled with his fingers nervously.

"...why?" Silver asked, his gaze seemingly afraid to look into his fathers eyes. He knew he had kept this from him and indeed felt a little bit guilty, however what was he to do? He was certain Lilia returned the feelings, why the sudden change of behavior?

"They're a human, and I'm an aging fae. It simply was not meant to be," Lilia tried to quickly wave off his explanation to his son in hopes the subject would be dropped, yet the words he had used stung silvers heart. With his eyebrows furrowing and the increasingly frustrated feeling bursting in his chest, Silver began to question the fae far more sternly than before.

"What do you mean?" He asked, "So what if (y/n) is a human? They obviously are very important to you. Weren't you the one to tell me that fae and humans should live together in peace despite those differences?" Silver sounded almost desperate, hoping for some sort of explanation from the contrarian that sat before him. Lilia let out a deep sigh, he could tell that his patience for this conversation was running thin.

"Silver. This is...different. Perhaps you don't fully understand seeing as you're human as well, but we live...a very long time. I am a very old age, and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to properly handle a romantic relationship, much less with a human who has time to find someone who will grow with them instead of focusing their time on a...dying fae," Lilia hesitated the final words, quickly attempting to dismiss this with a wave of his hand as he turned away from his son, however the silver-haired boy scowled with astonishment at this with a hint of sadness in his shaking voice.

"Yet you took me in as your own, father," Silver pointed out. Before Lilia could respond to his, he continued.

"I thought you raised me to see our races as equals. You gave me the chance to grow as your son, yet you won't give (y/n) the chance to grow as your lover? They care about you very much, that is plain to see as day. I think...those feelings are far more important than the way you see age. You can't throw aside how they feel because they should find another "human" to share their lives with, we both know that is not what (y/n) wants. I'm very sad you are talking like this, Father. I'm disappointed in you, I thought you were wiser than that." Leaving Lilia stunned and wide-eyed, Silver walked out of the room. Lilia let out a shaky sigh as he shook his head and scoffed at the ridiculous situation, his head burying into his hands. A moment of silence rang before his eyes closed and head lay upon his desk, muttering beneath his breath;

"I miss them..."

--

Check out my masterlist!

[ryuichirou]

Replies

Catching up! So today we’re mostly having replies related to all the stuff we posted recently.

Starting with the most important question.

Anonymous asked:

Wait, Idia got called a brocon? When?

He did! Grim called him a brocon in 5-13 right after we saw Ortho for the first time :3 (timestamp on 5:42 just in case)

Anonymous asked:

How does that smoke beer donut taste?

(this is about this drawing)

Very smoky! And like something Gidel isn’t supposed to eat…

Anonymous asked:

I wanna see some of your traditional art

Actually, Anon, you’re looking at it…

The majority of things that we post daily was originally drawn traditionally, and then coloured digitally. I really want to do more art that is 100% traditional, but never get a chance to for a bunch of reasons :(

Anonymous asked:

I love your analysis holy cow! see its because of Book 5 that i cant stop seeing Vil and Rook as mom and dad. i love this ship mind you, (they are my comfort ship and it gives me life whenever you draw them you beautiful soul) but even if some didnt see them as a romantic couple--in my opinion they still have that VIBE you know? Like whenever they're there you just cant help but feel like BRO THEY WOULD BEAT UP YOUR BULLIES AND THEN GROUND YOU AND SEND YOU TO YOUR ROOM FOR FIGHTING IN THE FIRST PLACE LOL is it just a me feeling?

(this is related to this post)

Thank you for your kind words, Anon! I am very happy you enjoyed the analysis and that you like my RookVil art <3

Yeah, I think these two being very parental is pretty obvious and pretty intentional! All jokes aside, Pomefiore trio really feels like it was written in a way that they would read as a family. We don’t usually like this trope because characters playing house could get pretty boring, and a lot of family-related tropes don’t resonate with us at all. So I am surprised to this day that we love Pomefiore’s vibes so much. I’m guessing that it’s because of how unusual of a family they are, how Epel actually fights with Vil a lot, and how he grows from being a little brat to being a little brat that is eager to grow and excited to show his senpais his new cool magic tricks, while they tease him but still are very proud and excited for him. Like, they’re strict and would smack him (well, Vil would) but they also want him to grow. Woah, that sounds way too wholesome ew lol

Anyways! Even if we exclude Epel, and this is another thing I’ve talked about a lot, I genuinely feel like Rook and Vil were intentionally written as a couple that has been together for quite some time, at least coding-wise. There are just too many tropes and situations that they have that are usually used for couples… Alright I’ll stop myself or I’ll rant about them again even though I just did a couple of weeks ago.

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

I just love baby Vil so much, makes me wonder what happened

(this is about this drawing)

Adults with shitty opinions + kids that can’t separate reality from fiction happened… truly, two of the worst things that could happen to a possible friendship between actors.

A couple of asks about this drawing:

Anonymous asked:

Oh oh! I saw! Che'nya art! We (smiley kitty fans) are starving! Thank you for the food! It is delicious! May we have another plate, please?

Poor smiley kitty fans! :( I am so sorry you’re starving! Please enjoy your food.

Unfortunately I don’t have any more smiley catfood for you…….. yet.

Anonymous asked:

*see Chenya *

*starts biting at the bars of my containment*

Better question for him..... What that tongue do??? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

What that tongue doesn’t do, Anon? Wink

Anonymous asked:

Question. How much of Riddle's body do you think Che'nya would lick to clean him?

In theory, he’d probably get bored pretty quickly, but I kind of want him to just keep licking… Riddle thought it would be over 15 minutes ago, but Che’nya’s still licking… The moment he would be done with his face, ears and head (cat saliva in Riddle’s hair…), Riddle would realise that Che’nya is determined to lick him all over. Time to call Trey…

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

Riddle gets licked my Chenya often in my lil delulu ass world

Sometimes Che’nya randomly appears, licks his cheek and disappears again.

Anonymous asked:

Bro I gotta know, what do the tweel's dick(s) look like on their merform? I was scrolling on ur bluesky and saw this one with jade and idia and something between idia's legs and I was like "is that his dick?" If so DAYUM! May that bussy rest in peace

Love your art and speedpaints btw💗

Thank you for enjoying my art and especially my speedpaints! I am very happy to hear that <3

Hehe I’m glad you liked that one! I had a lot of fun with that piece.

I feel like I draw merpeen differently every single time lol but I love the design we came up with for that Jade/Idia drawing, and in fact I do have a post in which I talk about how it probably works! There aren’t any pictures there, but there are some interesting thoughts…

[veilkeeper]

The Sacrifice of Souls, Part 1

alt title: the completely surmountable issue of dying

welcome to my 2-part essay about the conclusion of emmrich's story line. this part will focus on the actual quest(s) involved and analyze the decisions we make. part two will be about the effects on the romance, particularly as i am approaching it with my rook, corentin.

spoilers ahead! beware that both essays are going to assume you have completed The Sacrifice of Souls and at least one of the follow up quests, Heir to the Dead or Will and Testament. if you have not, i suggest returning to this later and playing it out yourself.

so what are we even talking about?

for my purposes, about 90% of the sacrifice of souls is irrelevant. here are the important bits: hezenkoss puppets a giant skeleton monster powered by the gloaming lantern, manfred sacrifices himself to rip it out of the thing's chest, and emmrich risks his life to free the souls trapped inside, symbolically overcoming his fear of death (for the moment).

when manfred's beautiful skeleton body is brought before the lich lords in the necropolis to ask if his spirit can be recovered, the lich lords give an ultimatum: they will allow emmrich to bring manfred back, but it will remove his candidacy for lichdom.

"how many exceptions 'til tyranny?" they say. if emmrich is to become a lich, he must be able to accept that people he cares about will die as he lives on.

emmrich is obviously extremely conflicted. he's being forced to choose between his life's work or having his pseudo-child back; he is torn because he at once wishes to spare himself the pain of losing someone, while also wanting to "honour death and let him rest."

from there, the choice is given to the player: encourage emmrich to bring manfred back, or encourage him to pursue his life's work and become a lich.

if you save manfred, it starts heir to the dead. you accompany emmrich to the necropolis, reminisce about manfred, and summon his wisp back to his body. he shows a newfound knack for magic and becomes an apprentice, while emmrich gets to go full dad-mode and commit to preparing manfred for the now inevitable future where, one day, emmrich will pass on. but when asked how he feels about that, emmrich simply says that though he will always wonder about what could have been, he "would not trade this for anything."

it's been brought to my attention that most people have probably picked the manfred ending without really thinking about it. which makes sense, everyone wants to save emmrich's (and if you're romancing him, your) skeleton son. but it does mean you haven't seen the lich ending, which is kind of a shame because it's also really good.

first, it does take a little convincing. it's not enough to simply say "but this is your life's work!" emmrich expresses that he wasn't prepared for the reality of what it actually meant to have people he cared about die (which is an interesting thing, because even though he is an orphan, his parents died when he was quite young. this may be the first time someone as important to him as manfred is has passed away while he was an adult who was able to fully process what that feels like). rook goes on to tell emmrich that it's enough to just remember those who have passed—while acknowledging that one day, they too will count among that number.

with that encouragement, emmrich agrees that he has to let manfred go, and he decides to begin preparation for his final rites into lichdom, starting the quest will and testament. like before, you accompany him to the necropolis, only this time you will be acting as his chosen witness as he enters the chambers beyond to have his soul measured by the dead and, if successful, will emerge as a lich.

as an aside, even if you have no intention to play the rest of the game with lich!emmrich, i highly recommend playing far enough to see the conclusion of this quest. there's a weight to it all, particularly if you've romanced him, and the cinematic is quite beautiful. you very much get the sense that you're sending your friend/lover away to potentially die.

when he emerges, it is as a lich—exactly as he said he would be. skeletal, but still in complete "possession of himself." it transitions to a short scene where he informs the rest of his friends of his transformation, and after receiving a response of support, his quest line is concluded.

okay, so why are you talking about this?

well, because it makes me insane, if you can't tell already by the fact that we're 600+ words into the first of two essays on the topic. but why does it make me insane?

the first answer to that, and perhaps the most important, is that the writing is really good. i'm going to say some critical things after this, so i want to be clear up-front that the writing is really good. sylvia feketekuty has managed to make a decision that otherwise would feel like a very black and white "good end" vs "bad end" feel like two viable, valid endings that just have different pros and cons lists.

and it's also just ludonarratively extremely good. all of the endings for our companions are meant to translate into a more support focused or a more combat focused "hero of the veilguard" ability, and for emmrich's these mesh extremely well with the conclusion of his story. an emmrich that has accepted a role as a caretaker for manfred is more supportive on the field, and an emmrich that has accepted a role as a powerful defender of the necropolis is more effective while fighting. it's by far the least important aspect of all this, but i enjoyed it and it's useful for something i'm going to say next so i wanted to put it here.

the second reason this makes me insane is that we are making two completely separate choices at the same time. we are answering two vastly different questions ("should you save manfred?" and "should you become a lich?") with a single dialogue option.

i understand why. combining these two choices and making them interdependent on each other raises the stakes. it's a really clever way to complicate what would otherwise be a wildly easy decision. it also, as said before, creates two extremely distinct endings for emmrich (see, i do these things for a reason), which is important not just for replayability but also for narrative satisfaction. endings that are extremely similar or that have no stakes make your choices as a player feel irrelevant, which is something that you don't want in an RPG. a non-lich emmrich without manfred is not going to feel like a significantly different ending than what emmrich had been doing before these quests concluded, and thus would not be satisfying. likewise, lich!emmrich with manfred would mean that emmrich would have everything he ever wanted with zero sacrifice, which is boring.

however... making these two choices at once puts us in a sticky spot, because they're contradictory. emmrich's arc has largely been about his inability to accept mortality—and not just his own. if you bring him along on blood of arlathan, you can overhear him responding to elgar'nan's attempts to entice him with the promise of being able to bring back the dead. despite being a Mourn Watcher, he just hasn't been able to bring himself to accept that people die, and you shouldn't be able to do anything about that (remember that big, bold lich lord quote up near the top?).

so when the climax for his arc comes along, you get to tell him to accept his death but not manfred's, or to accept manfred's death but not his own.

do you see the contradiction? nowhere in there are we truly encouraging him to accept the natural, inevitable cycle of life and death (as a Watcher probably should). we're just telling him which death he should accept as natural.

conclusion...?

i'm not saying either ending is unsatisfying, nor am i saying that there wasn't good reasons to write the endings as they are. for the purposes of this game, feketekuty did an amazing job with emmrich. she managed to take a character that i think in any other game would have been written off as boring and make his story extremely compelling.

but in a way, looking at it holistically and outside of the context of what bioware's writers were required to do, it feels like there's this massive gap there, where we've failed to properly address the actual underlying issue that made this choice so difficult for emmrich. and his brief bout of bravery at the end of the sacrifice of souls is forgotten, when it could have been potent fuel for an argument against lichdom as proof that he can face death when he has something to fight for (or even as an argument for lichdom; facing his death head-on like that may have only intensified his fear of his own fragility), but instead it just goes unaddressed.

additionally, by combining the choice to save manfred and the choice to become a lich, it removes the possibility for us as the player (and rook as a character) to voice concerns about what lichdom means and represents. to be fair, other characters largely handle this in banter (lucanis in particular has excellent banter about the cost of immortality, which i have briefly discussed before), but not being able to voice concerns, especially as emmrich's lover, feels like a missed opportunity.

in the most ideal world, we as the player would have been able to discuss lichdom, mourning and grief, our thoughts and feelings on death, etc with emmrich over multiple conversations, and through a tally of our expression of opinion on the topic, emmrich would come to a decision on lichdom and saving manfred himself. but due to the constraints of this being a video game, for obvious reasons that is not the case.

again, i cannot stress enough that i actually loved this quest line. regardless of your decision, emmrich ends up in a place he can find satisfaction, and his journey feels earned. i fully recommend trying out both endings in replays, because i think you might be surprised by how well they both work. i just think there's a little bit left on the table still.

which gives me something to play with. stay tuned for part 2 on the romance stuff. we're going to need a scalpel for the gutting we're doing.

(link to part 2)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

So, i don't know how you would react at this BUT, i just read all of your posts and i think you're really amazing while answering ask's, so i just thought it might be good to share with you a ( kind of? ) headcanon that i have about Silver.

Like, i don't know if it actually makes sense. And pardon me if there's any grammar erros, i'm quite bad at english.

BUT i just feel that he is pretty "incapable" of truly expressing himself, unless it's when his knight mode are on, but even in this mode, has some difficulties. ( and by incapable i mean he has some pretty relevant difficulties with expressing himself in a sentimental way ).

I just have this sort of feeling that his creation with two non-human ( and one half-human ) beings as he was human have a large impact on him mentally, specially because Malleus and Lilia are not the most open ones in terms of sentimentality and Sebek is just bad at this as them and also have some issues with expressing himslef and being sociable.

Like, despite all the efforts Lilia put to make sure Silver grew up to be a good person, he couldn't really be that good on the social and emotional part and Malleus weren't the perfect teacher of it either, not even Sebek. So Silver just grew up subconsciously trying to follow their behaviors and manners, while the culture from Biar Valley also moulded his way.

( and I also see Lilia as someone who hides his true feelings behind this mask of energetic and teasingly playful guy. )

The sleep curse might had put some extra inner barrier in Silver's mind, as or he is completely afraid to trying be sociable or he just are indiferent to this because he don't actually think he is capable of something like that due to the curse making him sleep anytime plus all the baggage of being raised in a country were his specie in not viewied with good eyes and being raised by people he eventually knew that would live a lot many years than him, that compared to them, he's really just a common human with a short lifespan. I doubt this hasn't fucked up his mind.

I don't remember if it's actually mentioned something detailed about his relationship with his club partners but, i do think he can be respectful and chit chat for a few minutes, but just having a long, deep and intimate conversation with someone might be too overwhelming to him, since he practically lived his entire life having constant interactions only with his family. He's just caught in this cycle where his adopted dad hide his true feelings, Malleus pretty much do this too and Sebek probably doesn't even think about how he really feels, so he just follow them and lock himself in his own bubble.

So, i really don't know if this make any kind of sense. But i would enjoy if you share your opinion on this silly headcanon i have.

Hello and thank you for sharing your thoughts ^^

I originally wanted to keep this short, but I kept having more and more thoughts and continuously added to the post until it became an absolute behemoth 😅 I still feel like I could have said even more, but I’ll leave it at this for now.

Please look below the cut to read my response!! (Note: the focus will be mainly on Silver and Lilia’s relationship, as those two are usually the ones described as father and son + we know the most about those two as Silver grew up.)

Mmm… Firstly, I don’t know if “being incapable of truly expressing himself” is something that’s exclusive to Silver; this is a pretty consistent trait among the prideful students of NRC. They demonstrate this in different ways (Rook is secretive, the twins claim they would throw Azul away if he becomes boring, Jamil represses his desire to be free while serving Kalim, Cater does not outright tell Trey he wants to be besties but implies he wishes Trey were as close with him as he is with Riddle, etc.). Very few are willing to allow themselves to be vulnerable with one another, and this feeds into a lack of “deep and intimate conversations” amongst all of them, not just between Silver and his peers.

That being said, I do not believe that Silver generally has issues expressing himself. In fact, I would actually argue for the opposite: that Silver is one of the more open students (at least when it comes to his feelings). He has talked about his deep love and respect for his father on multiple occasions. He has many animal companions whom he communicates with. He has given various speeches about how he wishes for a world in which living beings of all races and live happily together. (This last example was vital in Fairy Gala: If; it was Silver’s heartfelt words that moved the pixies to return what they had originally taken from NRC.) He has said on more than one occasion that be is thankful for his father and owes him a debt, that he must somehow “repay” Lilia. He becomes concerned about not being alert and that others may think of him as rude for falling asleep mid-conversation and seeks to correct this. He also worries about his classmates thinking of him as scary and emotionless (and, again, tries to solve this problem). He sees the best in others, he lets them know it (for example, assuming that Jamil is worried about Kalim in Endless Halloween Night), and he gives earnest advice. He understands that Sebek’s abrasiveness is a way of hiding his embarrassment and expressing gratitude, knowing that, deep down, Sebek is caring—so Silver is patient with him and asks others to do the same. He has no trouble asking for help either (something which the other NRC boys have trouble doing). He openly demonstrates awareness of his shortcomings (such as how he always falls asleep at bad times) and is happy just knowing that others may lend an ear to him. He has a lot of tenderness that’s hard to find at NRC. Silver is simply earnest and speaks his mind, even if it can come off as blunt or perhaps a naive way of responding to the world. He has a very simple way of thinking and forming opinions (Vil asks him what’s the most beautiful? “You,” Silver says. Azul asks him what he thought of the food? “Good,” Silver says.)—and his lack of facial expression certainly doesn't help in conveying his emotions, no matter how earnest they may be.

The one major time Silver actively demonstrates repressing his emotions is in book 7, when he stows away his true sadness for the sake of seeing his father off with a smile. He breaks down when he’s away from the party and with Malleus, venting his frustrations about himself and how he cannot even fulfill his father’s final wish. Silver apologizes to Malleus for his “unsightly behavior”, referring to his tears, indicative of a negative emotion, as something to be ashamed of. This, in of itself, is not odd. There’s always a handful of subjects a person may feel uncomfortable talking about even with their friends and family. Maybe it’s finances, personal flaws, or failures. For Silver, it’s in relation to his life span and “owing” Lilia. That’s nothing unusual; most people are not willing to divulge everything to their loved ones; there’s typically something negative or shameful held back. (For example, Deuce wouldn’t be so eager to tell his mom about the violent outbursts he had at school since he’s trying to reform himself. I doubt the OB boys would be eager to tell their own families about their overblots, etc.)

What I deem to be Silver's greatest strength is his empathy, and I think that comes across in how he communicates. When he's talking with others, Silver is entirely emotionally capable, willing to hear them out, and even lend his support. Where he falters is when it specifically comes to matters of his place within his family (which is not present most of the time; most of the time, Silver is in that default empathetic state). This is a point of insecurity for Silver, and it is a large part of his character arc in book 7.

One can say Silver repressing his emotions related to this occurrence is a learned response due to a combination of things. For one, he doesn't want to disappoint his father by ruining his celebration with tears. (Silver cares a lot about others, usually prioritizing them over himself, whether it's putting their needs over his own or literally throwing himself in harm's way to defend them.) For another, Silver, as a human, may have developed insecurities or a complex from having grown up in Briar Valley, a place known to have a very low human population AND a history of war with humans (meaning it's possible that humans are discriminated against). I don't know if the "culture" of Briar Valley had an impact on Silver's communication, since we ourselves are not fully aware of what this "culture" is or how people normally express themselves. Just because fae can be standoffish to outsiders doesn't mean fae are standoffish to other fae when Silver happens to be in the immediate vicinity. We don't really know if Silver has previously expressed worries about the difference in his life span versus those of fae either, but I'd imagine this is something he had to learn for himself and come to terms with, much like the discovery of his adoption. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this "fucked him up" since it wasn't touched on or implied prior to book 7. Because of this, I don't get the impression that it's deeply concerning to Silver until the point it became relevant for his father and paying back the "debt" Silver feels he owes. (Then again, I acknowledge that perhaps these thoughts were not shared due to Silver's... unique style of communication.) I’m not going to speculate about the sleeping curse since we don’t fully understand how it works and I don’t want to make assumptions while I’m still uninformed.

While it’s true that Silver had limited interactions with people outside of Lilia, Malleus, and Sebek in his childhood, I wouldn’t attribute all of Silver’s characteristics to “he learned how to repress his emotions from them”. There were many other factors that contributed to the kind of person Silver would eventually become. His level-headedness comes in part from having to “grow up” fast since Lilia lacks the homemaking skills to look after him. Silver had to learn to cook (have you tasted Lilia’s food?) and clean (have you seen Lilia’s room?) in his place, as well as look after their cottage home whenever Lilia left on trips. He’s the calm that balances out his father. I’m not going to comment on Malleus since I’m not sure how frequently he visited Silver (which would impact the degree to which he affects him). Sebek, however, is also someone that Silver spent a lot of time with because 1) his grandpa already knows Lilia and 2) there are very few kids Silver’s age in Briar Valley. The circumstances just worked out that way. This also exposes Silver to Sebek and his family, as they looked after him on occasions when Lilia could not. Sebek’s two older siblings and parents, then, are also people Silver could look to as models. Otherwise, he seems to have mostly lived in their forest cabin and interacting with few living beings aside from the animals. He states that he rarely went to the capital (which we learn is because Lilia is banned from there) and that he didn’t even go to a middle school (implying Lilia home schooled him before NRC), so… yeah, he’s mainly isolated in the woods. This grants Silver a lot of time to slow down, to be introspective, and to consider both his own feelings and those of others. His awkwardness, then, may come from his social circle being small and not having an opportunity to interact with people beyond it. This creates a lack of awareness for how he may come off to others, as he’s so used to how acclimated Lilia, Malleus, and Sebek are to his usual demeanor. Silver doesn’t realize that his stoic expressions can read as unfriendly to others.

I think there are flaws in saying that Lilia is the type of person to hide his true emotions behind a smile: it’s true from the understanding of the PLAYER because we’ve learned in book 7 that Lilia kept secrets from Diasomnia. Silver’s origins, about the war, why he’s in a hurry to leave early, how Malleus hatched, etc. We as the players understand that Lilia tries to hide his own pain and suffering from those he loves. But… the issue is that Silver doesn’t know this (so how could he “copy” Lilia’s penchant for covering up his true emotions if he never picked up on the initial deception?). Silver fully trusts his father and does not really suspect Lilia of hiding anything from him (excluding maybe the occasional prank). Additionally, I would not conflate keeping secrets and hiding own’s emotions with discouraging sentimentality in Silver. Lilia has hard conversations with his son (like in book 7 right before he handed over the ring from Silver’s deceased parents), and that shows some degree of emotional intelligence and vulnerability. Isn’t he modeling a healthy way of dealing with feelings here? Isn’t Lilia right here, right now, telling Silver how proud he is of him? Lilia is able to be vulnerable too in these moments, regardless of what other secrets he may keep.

Another discrepancy is that both Lilia and Sebek (the ones whom Silver probably spent the most time with as a child, since Malleus had to stay in the castle and be trained and tutored) tend to “hide” their real feelings with very emotional methods (ie covering up one feeling with another feeling)—yet Silver himself didn’t learn to use do the same thing. If we include Malleus in the count, he’s the more consistently “emotionally repressed” character but still has his outbursts of rage and upset. Silver does not “copy” this either. He and Malleus are both calm, yes, but they come from different backgrounds which could breed this calm personality, not necessarily from one mimicking the other. (Silver was mostly in his cottage, Malleus is as in his castle.) This is, again, why I say that it would be faulty to attribute how Silver acts in large part or entirely to Lilia, Sebek, and Malleus. He has been impacted by far more than them and does not pull all of his knowledge on how to socialize from his dorm mates.

The last point I’d like to bring up is that wearing your emotions on your sleeve isn’t necessarily a good thing all the time, nor is it the only way one can express themselves. You can show your love through acts (Silver often thinks about what he can do to best support his father) or gifts too (Silver mentions Lilia puts a lot of thought into picking gifts for everyone). From this angle, we can see that Lilia (Silver’s primary caregiver and guardian) has demonstrated and taught healthy ways of expressing one’s feelings too, and how Silver is capable of reciprocating in his own ways.

Now, am I saying that Lilia and the others were perfect in modeling emotions to Silver? Obviously, no. Misunderstandings happened—but what’s important is learning and growing from them. For example, Lilia failed to understand that Silver might be hurt to learn that he was adopted and thus Lilia acted in a callous way by laughing. But given how their relationship in present day is not strained, we can surmise that Lilia and Silver made up and that Lilia has become more attuned to his son’s sensitivities (as Lilia states that he can easily read Silver’s emotions). Lilia says as much in Malleus’s Dorm Uniform vignettes, telling Malleus that humans have different sensitivities than fae do. A lot of the values Silver had—such as the importance of unity among the races—must have also been instilled in him through Lilia and extensive talks. Again though, Lilia’s not perfect and sometimes he acts in ways which still earn Silver’s ire (Endless Halloween Night is a big one). Malleus himself also makes multiple mistakes when interacting with humans (overstepping with his powers, not paying attention to times, scaring them with his presence, not making an effort himself to reach out). Sebek regularly insults them despite being half human himself. (That’s a whole other can of worms; I’d recommend this analysis for my thoughts on Sebek and his whole deal.) But what I really love about the Diasomnia found family unit is that they balance out each other's flaws really well. Silver's empathy is a great asset to the group, as he's often the one settling disputes between Sebek and his peers or apologizing for Lilia's mischief. He's simultaneously the "heart" of the group and, to some extent, also the "brains" when the others need to be reeled in.

Ultimately, I don’t agree with the suggestion that Silver is “afraid of trying to be sociable”, is “indifferent to socializing”, or that “he doesn’t think he is capable of socializing”. I don’t think Silver would find long, deep, intimate conversations “overwhelming” either (unless, of course, it relates to his own particular insecurities. Recall that he has given those speeches about his hopes for all races to be united; that requires a degree of vulnerability on his part and Silver laid it out smoothly. Lilia has also had tough conversations with him too!). Silver is not a socially anxious person; I think it would be more accurate to say that he comes off in the eyes of his peers as someone who is hard to approach because of how stone-faced he is. Silver himself does not fear or shy away from socializing. He just speaks in a plain way to get his point across and because that’s how he communicates—it’s not the result of him wanting to close the conversation ASAP so he can get away. His sleepiness is another factor to consider (Silver worries others think of it as impolite), but it never outright discourages him from speaking to people to avoiding social interactions altogether to minimize the drowsiness impacting his life. He tries to find ways to stay more alert instead (trying to fix the root of the problem rather than a symptom of it)

I think an excellent encapsulation of Silver’s entire character is his Dorm Uniform vignettes; in them, Silver’s classmates express that they think he is unapproachable and that he has no emotions. Silver overhears these comments and becomes concerned that his peers do not like him, so he asks his friend, Kalim, and Jamil for help learning how to smile. We then learn through a series of comedic events that it is physically hard for Silver to smile or to make a different facial expression which matches his feelings more. What finally gets Silver to smile naturally is when he gets so lost in an activity that he isn’t even aware his expression has changed. Lilia and Malleus, who are watching him, remark on Silver’s uncanny empathy. Then Lilia says, “[Silver] conceals some powerful emotions beneath that poker face of his.” To this, Malleus corrects him: “I wouldn't say he actively conceals [his emotions], per se. I suspect he simply doesn't betray much emotion.” Lilia agrees: “I suppose that's fair. Not that I find him difficult to read, of course!” It’s then that Silver’s classmates realize they were wrong about him and they begin to act more friendly.

To summarize: Malleus outright says it in Silver’s Dorm Uniform vignettes; it’s not that Silver does not have emotions or finds it difficult to communicate in a sentimental way, it’s that peers tend to misread him because of his face and his frank way of speaking. He thinks a lot of the people around him and makes numerous attempts to adjust his behavior so that they are more comfortable being around him. He asks for help and offers help in return. His one weakness is not being able to fully come to terms with the fact that Lilia loves and accepts him as he is, that Silver IS enough for the family he now finds himself in. He may have learned things from Lilia, Malleus, and Sebek, but those three should NOT be held entirely accountable for Silver being the way he is. Several other factors played a role in shaping him to be the cool, level-headed knight we know and love. Silver is… Silver, and sometimes Silver is hard to read or struggles with self-acceptance! That’s just who he is, and that’s part of his appeal.

[selunesdreams]

Chapter 16: The Right Dellamorte

“You can do with your body what you please, I just…think you deserve better.” “Sweet of you, but I haven’t had time for intimacy in months. If I find myself hot and bothered, I can promise you Damas won’t be my first stop.” She said as he dipped her towards the floor, one hand supporting her back while the other remained at her waist. “Any other romantic advice?” Lucanis smirked. “Only to kiss the right Dellamorte next time.” Rook’s pulse quickened as she clung to his greatcoat. Slowly, Lucanis eased her up, his expression suggesting his own forwardness equally surprised him. There was a raggedness to his breathing, and he reached out tentatively to comb a hand through her hair. When she remained still, he let the strands slip through his fingertips until he was cradling the back of her neck. A soft rattling of bones behind them broke the moment, and Rook turned to find Manfred offering her a thick tome on his serving platter. She straightened, smoothing the front of her gown with a thin-lipped smile. “Excellent work, Manfred.”

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

Summary: Emmrich requests Lucanis and Rook's assistance infiltrating a former colleague's soiree, Rook grants Lucanis a rare moment of vulnerability, and Spite grapples with existentialism and…zippers.

Word count: 4.5k

Things of note/warnings: 18+ fic, MDNI! This chapter contains content from Emmrich's veilguard quest, A Sacrifice of Souls. Warnings for: mention of shitty dads, dead parents, temporary character demise, panting/heavy breathing/risque touching. 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).

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

The days following the rescue of the Dalish passed without incident, but Neve managed to keep Rook occupied. After an agonizing and unnecessary Threads meeting (that Damas called just to flirt with Rook), she and Neve returned to the Lighthouse after a quick dinner at the docks.

“Someone’s on Damas’ good side,” Neve teased. “I suppose your little tryst last year did us some good.”

Just as Rook began a cutting remark, they ascended the stairs to find a small group of friends waiting for them. Talking amongst themselves, their companions sat around the table, joined by one of the Mourn Watchers, Myrna. Coffee in hand, Lucanis leaned against Emmrich’s chair. His agitated expression suggested he’d overheard Neve’s mention of Damas.

“We have her, Rook!” Emmrich shot to his feet, excitedly clenching his fists. “We know exactly what she’s planning!”

Manfred echoed the necromancer with a delighted hiss, and Rook glanced at the others expectantly for clarification. 

“Is this about your old friend? Johanna?” Neve asked as she took a seat beside Harding on the couch, “Did you find out anything about that artifact she’s been wielding, then?”

“She carries a glowing lantern.”

“Shit!”

Rook jumped at the sound of Vorgoth’s voice as the phantom-like figure appeared behind her, and Lucanis tensed, instinctively reaching for the sword at his hip. The two had shared some discomfort around Emmrich’s collection of spirits and Fade-touched acquaintances, as spirit magic wasn’t common amongst Crows. Lucanis was guilty of being more vocal about his discomfort, while Rook tried desperately to conceal hers behind a mask of polite deference.

“The lanterns were fashioned by unscrupulous necromancers of the past. They steal and concentrate life.” Myrna explained as Vorgoth took his place at her side. “Hezenkoss intends to hold a soiree at Blackthorne Manor, likely to lure such a pool for her to draw from.”

“Johanna could leech life from hundreds at a time. An endless source of power!” Emmrich lamented. “We must do something. Everyone here has already agreed to assist me in infiltrating Johanna’s lair while she’s distracted. Once we’ve destroyed her lantern, all will be well.”

“What can I do?” Rook asked.

“I could use you and Lucanis’ unique set of skills to glean whatever information you can from the other attendees.” He said and laid a hand on Manfred’s shoulder. “I’m afraid my companion is not quite ready to attend a soiree all on his own.”

“He wants us to attend the party.” Lucanis said, brushing past her on his way to the courtyard. He leaned over, his breath ghosting over Rook’s ear, “Wear something nice.”

A chill ran up her spine, the air only becoming colder as Vorgath and Myrna strode past, taking their leave.

“Happy hunting.” 

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

“No, Manfred, you pinch and pull…ow!”

Rook held the silk dress together where the skeleton had been trying to zip it up. He sulked, clicking the tips of his boned fingers together in exasperation. 

“You’re right, your hands are too smooth. It’s okay, we can try again, you just-”

“Having trouble?” Lucanis asked, peering through the crack in the doorway. He pushed his way inside, dressed in a black-on-black suit, a dark green greatcoat pulled over his shoulders. Perched atop a neatly knotted grey cravat, his usual Crow-embellished buttons gleamed subtly in the light as they held the chain across his collar in place.

Typical that a Dellamorte would have her feeling underdressed in an evening gown.

“Manfred is struggling with the zipper…through no fault of his own!” She reassured the skeleton, “I think skin is key for traction.”

“CURIOSITY DRESSED ROOK NICELY.” Spite interjected, causing Lucanis’ face to flush. He cleared his throat, giving Manfred an appreciative nod. 

“I can take things from here.” He offered as he regained control. Manfred’s teeth chattered excitedly as stooped and eagerly gathered several discarded gowns from the floor, piling them in his arms until they towered over his skull. He fled from the room, disappearing down the hall.

“Little thief.” Rook muttered as Lucanis stepped behind her, sweeping her hair over her shoulders. “I’m sure I’ll find him playing dress-up later.”

“Well, I don’t think he’ll be moonlighting as a tailor anytime soon.”

Lucanis slipped one hand to the base of her spine, pulling the dress’ fabric taut and zipping it slowly. One thumb slid up the stretch of her spine, protecting her skin from becoming pinched in the metal again. Goosebumps broke out in the wake of his touch, and Rook stepped out of his reach as soon as he was finished.

“Thank you.” Rook gathered her hair in her hands, letting it cascade down her back again.

“Don’t mention it.”

Lucanis wandered the room, inspecting her keepsakes and trinkets, before picking up her knives on the dresser and passing them to her. She affixed one to the strap on her thigh and tucked the other inside her boot. She wasn’t risking getting caught in battle wearing heels ever again, and the length of the dress concealed them well.

“It’s been some time since I’ve seen you in formalwear.” Lucanis said, offering her his arm.

“Likewise.” She hooked her elbow in Lucanis’, matching her steps to his as he led her down the staircase. “I think I’m looking forward to a rare occasion of anonymity.”

Lucanis hummed in agreement, taking a sharp turn towards the eluvian room as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

“So you and Neve met with the Threads again today?”

“What, feeling left out?” Rook sneered. “I thought you didn’t want to come if there wasn’t killing?”

“Better to be consistent. Let them know I’m still here.” 

“I don’t need you to protect me.” 

“You don’t. But take me next time, anyway.” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Perhaps I’ll find an opportunity to dirty my blade.” 

“Something tells me you’d like to use it on Damas.”

He shrugged. “Spite doesn’t like the way he looks at you.” 

Rook stopped before the eluvian, placing her hands on her hips. “Is that true, Spite?”

“LUCANIS-”

He coughed forcefully, suppressing the demon’s response.

“Fine. I don’t like it either.” Lucanis growled, ushering her into the eluvian. 

Blackthorne Manor loomed ominously before them on the horizon as they surfaced outside the eluvian at the edge of the woods. Chatter and music emanated from within, reaching their ears even from a distance. The evening air nipped at Rook’s skin, and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself for warmth, carefully stepping over the dirt-covered cobblestone path. Each uneven stone was a challenge to not muddy her gown.

“How exactly does Damas look at me?” She asked as Lucanis led her inside.

He tensed, a puff of hot air leaving his nostrils in the chill.

“Like he’s undressing you with his eyes.” 

“Men are vile. That’s just how it is. You and Spite can’t possibly pluck the eyes from every ill-intentioned gentleman who stares at me too long.”

“We could try.”

As they entered the manor, they found the grand hall alive with lively conversation and posturing, voices reverberating off the walls. The ballroom was bathed in green light, as so many Mourn Watcher spaces and dwellings were. The marbled floors reminded her of the Dellamorte Operahouse as she stepped over their gold embellishments. From her periphery, Rook could see their companions observing from a nearby balcony.

"I've never been to a party with so many mages without being hired to kill one of them." Lucanis murmured.

"Try to place nice, for now." Rook said, catching on to a nearby conversation between two mages and tugging Lucanis aside toward a pillar to eavesdrop. “Emmrich wants us to determine where Johanna’s workshop is, first.”

“A shrine in the manor? You’re kidding.”

“Not in the slightest. As an expert, I could read the spectral tome that reveals it, if our host ever let us into the library.” The other man griped. There was a soft hiss behind them and Rook discovered Manfred waiting with an empty serving platter behind her.

“Manfred, I need a spectral tome from the library.” She asked in a hushed tone, “Could you send the others to look for it?”

The skeleton nodded and scurried away into the masses.

“And now we wait.” Rook said, eyeing the bar and cursing her vow of sobriety. Feeling Lucanis’ eyes on her, she turned to him, her voice laced with irritation. “What?”

Lucanis, undeterred, offered his hand with a gentle smile. “Care for a dance?”

“I suppose neither of our cousins are here to object.”

Rook accepted the dance, allowing him to escort her to the center of the room. To her surprise, he placed his free hand on her hip, drawing her into a slow, Antivan waltz.

“I apologize if I was critical earlier. It was not my intention…” Lucanis said, guiding her through each step with admirable grace. “I just…struggle to understand your history.”

“I suppose I didn’t realize you took such an issue with my sexual track record,” Rook mused.

Lucanis swallowed. “That’s your business.”

“You seem quite eager to make it your business,” she said, doing her best to keep synced with his movements.

“Wouldn’t you enjoy it more if it was…someone you cared for? Not some slimy Thread lying about his identity?”

“To answer that question, I’d have to sleep with someone I cared about first.” Rook replied as he gave her a brief twirl, pulling her tightly against him. “Why don’t you list off some of your ex-partners? I wouldn’t mind scrutinizing you for every regrettable evening of intimacy you’ve had.”

“There aren’t many to speak of,” Lucanis mumbled. “You can do with your body what you please, I just…think you deserve better.”

“Sweet of you, but I haven’t had time for intimacy in months. If I find myself hot and bothered, I can promise you Damas won’t be my first stop.” She said as he dipped her towards the floor, one hand supporting her back while the other remained at her waist. “Any other romantic advice?”

Lucanis smirked. “Only to kiss the right Dellamorte next time.”

Rook’s pulse quickened as she clung to his greatcoat. Slowly, Lucanis eased her up, his expression suggesting his own forwardness equally surprised him. There was a raggedness to his breathing, and he reached out tentatively to comb a hand through her hair. When she remained still, he let the strands slip through his fingertips until he was cradling the back of her neck.

A soft rattling of bones behind them broke the moment, and Rook turned to find Manfred offering her a thick tome on his serving platter. She straightened, smoothing the front of her gown with a thin-lipped smile.

“Excellent work, Manfred.”

She held the volume, sliding a thumb along its dusty spine before turning to Lucanis, who was struggling to hide his disappointment. 

“Would you like to take the lead on this, or should I?”

“By all means.” He said and gestured in front of them. Rook slipped her arm back in his, approaching the two mages from before, still engrossed in conversation.

“Excuse me, my husband and I are dear friends of the host. We’re looking for an expert to decipher this spectral tome, and someone pointed you out from across the room!” She flashed a dazzling smile that made up for her lack of natural charm. Beauty could mask even the worst charisma, Teia had always said.

The Mortalitasi Mage grinned smugly, eyes fixed upon the tome with intense desire, and extended both hands expectantly. “I’d be happy to look it over for you.” 

The spectral tome growled as Rook handed it over, and she fought to remain unbothered. If they were to appear as if they belonged here, they couldn’t risk reacting to phenomena common amongst those present.

“Shh, there now.” The mage reprimanded the tome like one would a child, “I just want to know one thing…”

He thumbed through the pages before slapping the book with one hand. 

“Ah!” He pointed a passage out to his companion, “There is an ancestral shrine! In the northwest wing!”

“Fascinating…” Rook glanced up at the balcony, where an eavesdropping Bellara gave a thumbs up before disappearing from sight.

Lucanis leaned forward, cutting into the conversation. “Any other useful information?” 

The mage hugged the tome closer. “I may need time to research it. I could return it then, if you’d like?”

“Sure. Thank you.” Lucanis said pleasantly, offering a brief bow before pulling Rook aside. “Excuse us. Enjoy your evening.”

“Johanna probably has a key...” Rook whispered as Lucanis drew her into another dance.

“Any sign of her?” He asked, standing straighter to peer over the crowd. 

“Nothing yet...” She ducked under his arm as he circled her. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to dance. Or dance well, for that matter.” 

“Killing is a dance too, no?” He asked. “Caterina insisted my parents put me in ballroom lessons the moment I could walk. It was the one part of Crow training my mother consented to at such a young age. She tried to shield me from the rest for as long as she could.”

“But your mother was a skilled assassin, was she not?”

“Doesn’t mean she agreed with the Crows’ methods. She married into the Dellamortes, and Caterina adored her, but she didn’t put on any airs, and wasn’t concerned with being agreeable to appease my grandmother.”

“It sounds like she was a lovely woman, for all I’ve heard of her.”

“Caterina said I take after her,” Lucanis said wistfully. “I take some comfort in that.”

“Do you remember much of your parents?”

“I was so young when they passed, and many of my memories are clouded from my time in the Ossuary. I distanced myself from so much to survive...” Lucanis’ words trailed off. “What about you?”

“I try to remember good things about my mother. That’s how I’d like to keep her memory. As for my father…” Rook hesitated, and Lucanis nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“I loved my father. But a part of him died with my mother. The part that was gentle, understanding - you saw a glimpse of it the day Caterina brought you over to retrieve her ring. The man I knew withered away, increasingly overcome by his own paranoia, likely after making an enemy of the Antaam.”

“Is that when he left the Crows?” 

Rook nodded. No longer in the mood to dance, she slowed her steps, dropping Lucanis’ hand.

“He trained me to fight, to survive, but never wanted me to become an assassin. All of us Crows had trying childhoods but… my father’s methods were cruel and unusual. Viago and my aunt tried to intervene, but my father only drove them away, isolating us, refusing assistance no matter how poor or hungry we got, saying their money was tainted by the king’s hand. After a lifetime of taunting from other children for being the King’s bastard, that hurt Viago more than anything. In the absence of his own father, he looked up to mine, only to face rejection from him as well.”

Lucanis’ eyes widened. “I had no idea…”

“I grieved my father when he died, and he did not deserve the brutal execution the Antaam gave him. But in so many ways, moving in with Viago was liberation. He took care of me. And later, Varric taught me to take care of myself. Taught me to endure, to laugh, to strive for a better world. Qualities that made me a poor Crow made me a strong leader. I was born Fiammetta de Riva, and that will never change, but Rook is the name I made for myself. In spite of my father. I don’t want his legacy. And I do not want to remember those years alone with him.”

As he listened, a look of compassion, not pity, softened Lucanis’ features. Rook fell silent, a blush creeping up her neck as she questioned her impulsive honesty.

“I’m sorry, you didn’t ask for my life story-”

“I appreciate you telling it. That legacy shadowed you for a lifetime. Letting it go in pursuit of who you truly are?” Lucanis reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It suits you.”

Rook’s lips parted slightly, and her chest ached as she met his gaze. Everyone on her team accepted her wholeheartedly, but Lucanis knew who she was before, and still was willing to let that version go and appreciate who she was now... 

While struggling to find the right words, Rook spotted Johanna out of the corner of her eye, storming through the ballroom.

“Kiss me.” She said, grabbing him by the collar of his shit.

His brow furrowed. “What-”

Without hesitation, she pulled him in and pressed her mouth to his ardently, backing him into a pillar. He tasted like dark, bitter coffee as she deepened the kiss, tangling her hands in his hair. Even using the moment as an opportunity, something passed between them she knew she couldn’t take back. This wasn’t about seeing what made the Demon of Vyrantium tick, or trying to soothe her ache for physical contact with an old crush. This was driven by a longing to let Lucanis Dellamorte see parts of her she’d never dared to show anyone else…

As Johanna passed them, Rook dismissed her thoughts and focused on the task at hand. She positioned herself to intercept Johanna, their shoulders colliding and sending Johanna reeling backward. Frantically, she broke the kiss, turning around and feigning panic.

“I am so, so sorry!” she cried, adjusting Johanna’s attire and subtly checking for any outlines of keys.

“You should carry yourself with more decorum at a gathering such as this!” Johanna snarled, shoving her off. Rook’s eyes flitted to Lucanis, who discreetly slipped a hand into Johanna’s coat and retrieved a keyring, inconspicuously dropping it into his pocket.

“My apologies. My wife has had a bit too much to drink tonight.” Lucanis stepped forward from behind Johanna, wrapping his arm around Rook’s shoulders and guiding her aside. “Excuse us, madame.”

As an oblivious Johanna stalked off, Lucanis steered Rook to a nearby wall, concealing them in shadow.

“You got lucky,” she said with a grin, waving Manfred over.

“You never fail to impress, Rook.” He said, retrieving the keyring from his pocket and dangling it between them.

As Manfred hobbled through the crowd with his serving tray, Rook took an empty tankard from a nearby table, plopping the keys inside.

“Get these to the others.” She directed, setting the tankard down on the platter. The skeleton hissed in understanding and ambled towards a nearby corridor, searching for Emmrich. Rook beckoned Lucanis to follow her in the opposite direction to the balcony stairwell.

“So…did I kiss the right Dellamorte this time?” She asked under lowered lashes, hoisting herself up on the railing.

Something burned in his eyes. Yearning. His, not Spite’s. Encouraged, she pressed him further, tugging at his coat and drawing him in by wrapping one leg behind his calves. The movement of her gown exposed the gleaming weapon at her thigh, and Lucanis paled at the sight, bracing one palm on the wall above her head.

“Rook…” He nuzzled his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. Their rhythmic panting was audible over the music and chatter as he grasped her waist with both hands, thumbs digging in just below her ribs. 

“Are you going to answer my question?” She leaned forward and nipped at his earlobe. “Or were you in over your head earlier with that line?”

“I don’t decide what is right for you, Rook…” he rasped, “No matter how much I…” 

She pulled back, staring in disbelief. 

“You think there’s a choice involved.” She breathed. “Between you and Illario? Lucanis…if I didn’t-I wouldn’t toy with your-”

Faint tremors shook the walls, the ground rumbling beneath their feet as the crystals in the chandeliers overhead clinked together. A cloud of dust and debris billowed as a colossal skeletal figure crashed through the marble ballroom floor, prompting widespread panic. Its eyes glowed a bejeweled green, and Johanna sat perched atop its head, her voice booming throughout the room. 

“How good to see you, friends! Scoffing colleagues, interfering Templars, inept rivals - you all have a place in my heart! And tonight you will fuel my inception at the cost of your miserable lives!” 

Harding appeared from around the corner, followed closely by their other companions, and pushed Rook and Lucanis up the stairs just as the room was enveloped in emerald light, the essence of every living creature below being drained from them.

“Go, go!”

“What did you do?” Rook hissed at Emmrich as they watch the ritual below unfold.

“Got a little too cocky.” Davrin grumbled.  

“You can’t free the spirits in that lantern?” Neve asked Emmrich, shielding her eyes from the light.

“It might kill me and not even work!” He protested, “No living thing can approach it, and-”

Manfred suddenly raised his head, rising from his crouch and rushing towards the ledge. 

“I go!”

“No!” Emmrich cried, “Come back!” 

They watched in horror as the skeleton shed its backpack, leaping off the balcony and climbing the ribcage of Johanna’s monstrosity. Manfred tore at the lantern in the giant skeleton’s chest until he dislodged it, flying free with it grasped in his bony hands. The ritual came to a stop, the hostages below freed from Johanna’s control as the spirit of curiosity landed on its back, holding up the lantern triumphantly as it swung in the air. 

“Ugh! You miserable little-” Johanna swore and directed her skeletal thrall forward. With booming steps, it stomped closer to Manfred, and with a forceful thrust, he hurled the enchanted lantern towards Emmrich. The larger skeleton brought its foot down with a deafening boom, crushing their companion underneath.

“Manfred!” Emmrich whimpered as the lantern rocked on its side against the marble floor. Rook rushed forward to retrieve it, thrusting it into the necromancer’s hands.

“Don’t let his sacrifice be in vain.”

With a mournful gaze, Emmrich raised it overhead, focusing on Johanna.

“By the spirits bound here…”

“Spite, leave it.” Lucanis said under his breath, straining to keep the demon at bay. 

“What’s wrong?” Rook asked, kneeling beside him and resting a hand on his back as Emmrich continued the ritual. Lucanis’ eyes flashed with Spite’s presence. 

“I want-”

“No.” Lucanis commanded Spite through gritted teeth as a pair of purple wings unfurled at his back. Rook’s grip on his shoulder tightened, a silent plea to the demon not to interfere, and Lucanis slouched back against the railing, brow slick with sweat.

Before them, Johanna and her skeleton toppled to the ground as she cried out, first in rage, then in a strangled, cut off shriek of terror as her body landed on the marble with a heavy thud. As the dust settled and the soiree attendees regained their footing, Emmrich raced down the stairwell and across the ballroom to Manfred’s side, stifling a sob. Everyone followed solemnly, Rook lacing her fingers through Lucanis’ as she sensed Spite slipping through again.

“Bring…CURIOSITY BACK!”

She squeezed tightly, willing the demon to calm itself. “Spite…please. Not now.”

“It’s alright. Spirits are often confused by death, especially amongst their own.” Emmrich said, cradling Manfred’s limp form in his hands as he looked up at them. “His body could only take so much. I underestimated him…”

“I didn’t realize Spite was so attached to Manfred…” Bellara said sorrowfully. “Can you bring him back?”

“Spite may be grappling with some of his own fears at the moment. Best to get he and Lucanis home.” Emmrich suggested. “As for Manfred…I will ask.”

He wiped a stray tear and gathered his fallen companion, rising to his feet. “I must go to the Necropolis. I can…I will…fix this.”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Rook accompanied Bellara and Emmrich to the Necropolis while the others returned to the Lighthouse. It turned out Manfred could be brought back, but only if Emmrich was willing to give up Lichdom — eternal life, to achieve the best interests of spirits and the dead.

Almost certain the necromancer would be hesitant to give up a lifelong dream well within his reach, Rook was surprised to find how willing Emmrich was to sacrifice everything for his companion. It would take a few days to gather the necessary elements to perform the revival rites, but the three returned home with hope, rather than despair. 

As the others departed for their chambers, Rook returned to her own, finding her bed already occupied. On his back, Lucanis dozed with one hand on his chest, the other extended overhead, hanging over the edge.

“ROOK?”

Spite sat up, assessing her through Lucanis’ eyes over the back of the chaise.

“Whose idea was this?” Rook asked, taking off her cloak and hanging it up in the wardrobe.

“LUCANIS SAID TO STAY IN THE KITCHEN. BUT I WAIT UNTIL HE SLEEP. BRING HIM HERE. TO WAIT FOR ROOK.”

“Better than leaving through the eluvian.” She sighed, “What had you so shaken back at the manor, Spite?”

The demon remained silent, and she knew well enough to leave the matter alone.

“Do you know how zippers work, Spite?” She asked, changing the subject.

He rose, footsteps echoing through her chambers as she offered her back to him. Lucanis’ fingertips were cold as they skimmed against her bare shoulders, Spite tracing mesmerized circles on her skin. With a curious tug, he studied the zipper of her dress, bringing it down just a few notches before tilting his head to the side and sliding it down the rest of the way. With a hand behind her, holding the gown together, Rook shooed him aside. The demon’s gaze lingered, but it carried for more fascination than desire.

“What do you like about me so much, Spite?” Rook asked suddenly, realizing the potential danger in her question only after she had asked it. The spirit blinked, as if the answer should be obvious.

“ROOK DOES NOT FEAR SPITE. MAKES LUCANIS FEEL…”

He paced, gazing at the arched windows, struggling to articulate Lucanis’ unspoken feelings with such a limited mortal vocabulary. Taking advantage of his lapse in attention, Rook slipped off her dress and hurriedly changed into a white silk chemise.

“DETERMINED!” Spite finished eagerly. “LUCANIS DETERMINED TO PROTECT. TO UNDERSTAND. TO IMPRESS.”

In a flash of violet, his wings unfolded behind him, and Spite took to the air, landing with a quiet thud before her again.

“TO BE NEAR. TO TOUCH.” He extended a hand, Lucanis’ thumb trailing down her cheek. “TO BE GENTLE…”

With a sudden jerk, Spite’s presence faded from his eyes, and Lucanis’ face slackened. Worry lined his face as he recoiled in confusion.

“Rook? What happened?”

“Spite came to visit. We talked. That’s all.” She reassured him, “He’s surprisingly a perfect gentleman.”

“Mierda.” Lucanis dragged a hand down his face. “My apologies. I can’t believe he’d intrude on you like this.”

“I don’t mind. I would have been up for hours trying to get that dress off if he hadn’t helped me out.”

Lucanis glanced down at the thin chemise just barely covering her breasts, and worked his jaw, averting his gaze.

“You should rest. It’s been a long day.”

“What about you?”

“I need coffee.” He said, pulling open her door.

“In the middle of the night?”

“Especially in the middle of the night.” He replied with a tired smile, stepping into the hall, “Sleep well, Rook.”