#queerdeerling

[rookanis-de-riva]

Oh! And I forgot to ask, where does spite fall in your rookanis romance? Hands on involved, confused but enthusiastic voyer, closes his eyes and hums a song and ignores what's going on, goes to sleep while rook and lucanis spend time together because he doesn't care about romance, etc etc?

There's a lot of ways it go, depending on a number of factors (mostly being the player's preference). I like to think Spite is obsessive af about rook and is like.. my rook. Our rook? No, mine. (Potential for massive jealousy when Rook is talking to just lucanis is 😘👌) esp if Lucanis isn't moving fast enough with the courting spite would be soooo frustrated. Lots of nosebleeds for our favorite crow lmao

Or I see him as being very open minded to start and just being like, Lucanis go fuck Rook. Why won't we mate with Rook?? Rook smells so good and looks so soft and (blah blah blah). Or some combination of both. Spite is involved one way or another in my lucanis romances, it just varies slightly based on who Rook is, designation, etc. But I know some people like to hc Spite just... goes to sleep or otherwise is not present when Rook and lucanis fuck lmao

I love spite tho, and he's part of lucanis so 🤷‍♀️

LOVE including Spite in my rookanis ship! I mentioned in the other ask that I hc him as an Alpha, and I like playing around with the different "roles" and instincts he has vs Lucanis

one thing I dislike about veilguard though is how it expects us to suspend our disbelief about basic logistics for anything even slightly off screen. ie, The Ossuary:

we see Lucanis has already broken free but also that he's fully dressed? they just ... saved all the personal clothes of This One Prisoner in a nice easily accessible cubby for an entire year and he hit that up First Thing instead of completing his contract with Caliban?

also! how the FUCK did my rook even get down there, get the fuck outta my face with *swirling whirlpool* [the end.] [don't think about it] [what did that DO? I said don't think about it!]

clearly, the writers had way too much shit on fire in development to care about this, but I cannot write this tom foolery in my fics

SO. my Rook gets down there by diving most of the way (did some work with the Lords of Fortune during his exile, has diving experience), then curls up in a ball and makes the biggest barrier he can (not much, good thing he's an Tiny Elf) and uses it essentially like a pressurized diving suit to drop the rest of the way. gets through the wards holding up the Ossuary bc they only keep out [water] and [living creatures] (fish) but hey! you don't need to breathe as much if you stop your heart, and LUCKILY Viago has poisons to do just that!

(temporarily!!) (SHHHH don't tell him this part of the plan) (Rook will just replace it before Viago notices it's missing)

Rook flops through the wards literally half-dead and the Venatori on guard are just like ??? but. y'know. it's already dead. and just one tiny elf. does anyone have like ... a stick? Claudius, YOU poke it

gets taken to the torture chamber where Lucanis is currently being tortured as one last hurrah / revenge for all the shit he's put his captors through (multiple escape attempts + killing sprees) so now they're going to violate and murder this pathetic little beta (omega?) elf in front of him bc Fuck It Why Not

condensing this part but: Rook provides a distraction, Lucanis breaks free, they murder spree Together <3 and also kill Caliban <3 <3

now they have to get OUT of the Ossuary, the part Lucanis could never actually accomplish, esp bc the wards are actively failing now that Zara's gone (and Rook's stunt maaaybe didn't help)

Rook uses the lyrium knife to cut a tear into the veil so they can essentially crawl into the fade and then trek to the Crossroads, but right after he makes the cut, the wards fail

Lucanis(+Spite) is still across the room collecting a trophy from Caliban as proof of the completed contract. Rook is right in front of the tear and could go through RightTheFuckNowImmediately but once he (and the knife) go, it will shut

the wards in this particular room haven't failed YET but they can hear-feel the apocalyptic crushing doom of an entire ocean worth of water pressure crushing the rest of the Ossuary as each room gets essentially vaporized one by one with the failing wards

Rook stays. he is visibly scared absolutely shitless. he stays. Spite pops the wings. Rook stays. Spite+Lucanis literally flying across the room to get to the tear. Rook STAYS.

Spite is forevermore obsessed with Rook. absolute loyalty. Spite + Lucanis + Rook as pack 5ever with little heart doodles on all the grocery lists

and then even more shit with my Rook personally considering the concept of "spite" to be, quote (said in front of Lucanis+Spite), "an old friend" / arguing NOT that Spite is actually a spirit of Determination but that Spite itself as its own concept can be helpful! and GOOD!! Rook is a good person BECAUSE OF SPITE (refusing to become his abusers)

violet eyes to signify Spite peeking through? FALSE. Heart Eyes at his friend, his pack, his beta, his Talon, his master, his lover, his mate, all the mortal words are stupid and small

Spite loves Rook with his entire being

[victorclays]

https://www.tumblr.com/lihhelsing/730376611581640704/hey-the-next-customer-has-chocolate-brown-eyes?source=share

I think this is what you're looking for 😊

Yesss! Thank you so much!!! Y'all are so nice! Two people came to my rescue!!!

[kinley-cafe]

@queerdeerling

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[rookanis-de-riva]

I would love to hear your thoughts on a/b/o in the DA-verse!! Two of my favorite subjects lmao

Like, I just imagine Taash such a weirdo about scents and being completely unashamed about it. That combined with lack of social cues, chronic idgaf, and a love of mischief? Perfect recipe for embarrassing any and every lighthouse paramour, pre or post getting together 🤣

I imagine openly scenting and overt sniffing would be considered rude in most cultures (Shathan *tried* to instill some manners in her child but it's not their fault they have such a strong sense of smell!!) So Mx. Taash "she smells so good" (in *canon*) would be such an instigator, pointing out crushes, asking why don't you just bone already, etc.

Okay, sorry, that was just in my head re the post you reblogged about taash smelling lucanis and rook's attraction to each other 🤣 back to the topic in genersl, whats your hc for the companions' presentations? Your rook's too, and how their relationship with Lucanis is affected by presentation dynamics, etc? No pressure, I'm just curious 💕

YES, I love talking about this!! my personal headcanons for companions:

Alphas: Neve, Taash, Davrin, Spite

Betas: Varric, Harding, Lucanis, Rook

Omegas: Bellara, Emmrich

some fun worldbuilding I've done with my dragon age A/B/O idea is that Alphas are most commonly warriors, Betas are rogues, and Omegas are mages. this isn't a hard rule, just more of a social norm. so if someone's presentation doesn't match up with their role, that's Interesting(tm) about them

my Rook doesn't have a lot of mana, so he fights like a Rogue with a few extra zaps and some very small square barriers. he has to be really accurate with placement on his "barriers" bc they're only a few inches wide, so he usually keeps them up around his wrists and forearms for a more natural blocking motion

likewise, he's also a Beta on the cusp of being considered an Omega, but without enough of those hormones to actually present as one or go into heat

the Crows are primarily Betas, who have naturally lighter scents or sometimes never even develop scent glands at all. this means they're also far less likely to have a soulmate (or at least the instinct for it) and some people believe Betas form weaker pack bonds overall

so: more difficult to track, easier to hide, less messy attachments

Illario is an Alpha though, which is just so juicy-fun to play with and gnaw on! he would be the presumed heir in any other situation, but he got born into the ONE family + profession where Betas are preferred, and Alphas are seen as too volatile, too brash and hard-headed, too bulky and muscular for stealth, too likely to mate with an Omega and start their own pack

so now we have Illario, who is so deliberate about his appearance, to be well-dressed and sophisticated, with long hair and kohl-lined eyes on the pretty side of handsome. outfits that slim down his profile, always smiling and charming, aggressive yes--but never a threat

and the worst part is, Caterina is also an Alpha so she gets it. but self-recognition self-loathing through the other has her being twice as hard on him as Lucanis because she lost her entire family and she will move golden and black cities both to make her grandsons unkillable

but for Illario, that means nothing he ever does (as an Alpha) will be good enough

[rookanis-de-riva]

Cw breeding, infertility, very vaguely referenced/insinuated assault and forced impregnation re omega discrimination (trying to cover my bases here, I was typing everything up and was like… probs should put a content warning first.)

That is such a cool take on everything and everyone! I'd never have thought of it that way, assigning each presentation to a class, at least for the most part. I can definitely see the stigma against non-alphas being warriors, like it would be just about unheard of for an omega to be one and extremely taboo to boot.

And it would definitely help crows slip under the radar if they were betas, no pesky heat or rut cycles to worry about while on a job- alphas and omegas would be a liability. Poor Illario never stood a chance against Lucanis huh 😭

My hc for Lucanis’ presentation changes vastly depending on which playthrough. I have 3 where I romance him:

(After typing them all up I just realized they're all at least part qunari 😅 methinks the height difference makes my brain go brrrr)

1.Daemon de Riva- a qunari alpha mage, and he romances Lucanis (beta). This is the only playthrough I'm “legally” romancing Lucanis, the rest of them are poly relationships which are just hc because I play on console so no modding for me 😭 Illario is an alpha and is pissed that Catarina still wants Lucanis to be First Talon. He is bigger and stronger than his cousin, more aggressive. He feels very strongly that he should be leader and will never forgive Lucanis for stealing the title from him. This is pretty universal in every playthrough, it's just fueled by some pig headed alpha supremacy nonsense in this one.

2.Priya Mercar- a qunari alpha warrior, and she romances Neve (alpha) and Lucanis (omega). Catarina still favors him over Illario (beta), which drives Illario insane because rationally he should be the better assassin, the better choice for first talon. But add some strong suppressants (elaborated on below) and it evens the playing field. As an omega, Lucanis is extremely protective of his pack (the Dellamortes) but it also extends to other crows. Catarina sees this as an advantage for a leader to have. And Illario is ripping his hair out in the corner because she always told him that emotions were weakness, to keep everyone at an arm's length, never get too close, etc etc. Lucanis is 1000% uninterested in the role of first talon, which makes it even worse.

3.Azi Thorne- a half qunari half elf omega mage, and they're eventually in a throuple with Lucanis and Davrin (both alphas). Lucanis may technically be an alpha in this playthrough, but just barely. He doesn't fit the stereotype very well. He's smaller than the average (short and lean) and generally not suited for leadership roles (hates confrontation, social anxiety up the wazoo, etc). And Catarina always favored him, even as a pup, so when he presented alpha it just solidified her assumption that he was the better candidate for first talon. Illario is a beta or omega (I can't decide) but as an alpha, Catarina has very stereotypical ideas about who should be in charge of things.

(I hc her alpha in all of the playthroughs, so it's interesting to imagine all her different rationalizations as to why Lucanis is better than Illario regardless of designation. Again, poor Illario 😅)

I technically have a 4th rookanis playthrough that I haven't even fiddled with character creator for, and the only thing I know is that it'd be omega elven rook (faction tbd) x omega lucanis. I just really love Lucanis 😭😭😭

I imagine the crows would have some of the best potion masters in thedas for poisons, tonics, etc, so why not have them create potent as fuck suppressants for those who need it? Most of the crows would still be betas, since alphas and omegas are rarer, but presentation wouldn't make or break it for an assassin. Maybe it would in the past, but the potions have come a long way in the last 100 years or so.

The suppressants are extremely effective, take them and you'll have no heat or rut almost guaranteed (its extremely rare for accidents to occur. There have only been 2 in recent crow history and they aren't talked about). A couple times a year, you need to go off them to fulfill your body's necessary cycle, for hormonal reasons, but this way, it can be scheduled between jobs.

However, there's a cost (though some would say a bonus lmao). The potions have a severe adverse reaction that often affects fertility, making it extremely difficult/impossible for omegas to carry to term or alphas to sire their own child. Weaker suppressants, available to the general population, are less dangerous to reproductive health, but the crows can't afford the risk. Either take the stronger dose, or you can't be a crow.

I do like the idea of most omegas being mages. It could definitely play a huge role in both mage and omega discrimination, treating omegas as weak and inferior, more likely to be possessed, so obviously they don't deserve the same rights as alphas and betas 🙄 They can't be trusted, etc etc.

(Of course, this depends on whether you include omega discrimination in your a/b/o-verse. Most seem to, but not all.)

Could also bring up interesting discussions of the circles, how strict they are, etc. In most a/b/o content, omegas are considered extremely fertile compared to betas, and alphas who have the parts necessary for pregnancy seem to often range from completely infertile to hostile uterus situations (difficult to conceive/carry to term), but the average person wouldn't want to breed with an omega mage, right? That would drastically increase the chances of mage children, which the world wants less of, not more. The ethics get sooo dicey here, and it'd be kinder if the omegas were considered useless due to their magic, as opposed to the alternative. The way mages are treated… yeah. You can fill in the blanks. (Don't wanna go too into this cuz no clue what your comfort level, I'm happy to avoid the topic entirely if you'd like)

I imagine non mage omegas would be extremely sought after for breeding purposes then, or would they still be seen as tainted, not worth the risk? So many questions, so many variables.

I'm gonna stop myself before I accidentally write a dissertation. I'm just totally normal about both a/b/o and dragon age. Yup, normal as can be. No foaming at the mouth or bouncing off the walls here…

(Was gonna start going into all my companion hc but again this is getting really long, I'm happy to add more if you'd like but I feel bad inundating you with unasked for rambling 😅)

I totally get the "legally" romancing Lucanis lol. I'm just barely resisting poly throuple rook x lucanis x davrin but it's TOUGH

Davrin as an alpha who fulfills a lot of the stereotypes (warrior, tall, strong, hunter, stoic) but underneath the surface being a sweet big-hearted goof who loves teasing his packmates and may-or-may-not sing Assan bedtime stories 🥺

he would be such a great foil to alpha!Illario in this AU, and since Rook + Lucanis aren't mates with each other but Lucanis has such insane chemistry with Davrin, I've been reeeally tempted to make Lucanis and Davrin soulmates. Davrin can see how badly Lucanis is pining for Rook though and chooses to step aside (to let his mate be happy) but Lucanis has two hands!! Rook and Davrin might not love each other the same way, but they do both care deeply *and* they're both just happy the other makes Lucanis happy

also: Lucanis finally getting his shit sorted with Spite, confessing his feelings to Rook, experiencing love and sexual attraction for the first time as a demisexual beta--only to immediately get hit by Rook casually referring to Davrin as his mate???

Rook honestly thought he knew. what do you mean you didn't know you're mates. it's a big rush of feeling when you first meet and then a borderline obsession with all this intense passion and--

Lucanis really thought that was just normal male rivalry. totally heterosexual behavior. what do you mean the constant urge to Bother This Man isn't normal???

anyway, getting off track but please imagine Davrin and his mini-pack of murder betas <3

LOVE the bit about extra strong suppressants for Crows and how that can affect fertility, that's a great bit of world-building! I have Viago (alpha) and Teia (omega) as mates and Rook's adoptive parents, already with the hc that Teia is infertile and couldn't ever have children of her own, but that detail really helps tie it together!

and I'm keeping with what seems to be DA canon that mages are a minority subset of the population. for my a/b/o dynamics, I like to divide it up as 50% betas, 25% alphas, 25% omegas for the general population bc most people are just kind of ... normal. boring. no extra strong hormones either way, since alphas tend to be drawn to leadership positions, too many of them in one pack / city / organization causes conflict and too many omegas overall could cause overpopulation

so let's say 10% of 25% for combination of omegas that are *also* mages, and it's not a super huge number. maybe it's one of those social stereotypes bc the majority of mages really are omegas (more than half) but then again, maybe it's more like even amounts of mostly-omega, mostly-beta, and a few rare alphas

like the opposite of how omegas and alphas can take suppressants, betas can sort of play "up" or "down" with their presentation to pass as alphas or omegas. some cultures think all betas naturally lean more toward one presentation, or are essentially like lighter, weaker versions of "real" omegas and alphas

which gives plenty of wiggle room for headcanons about companions, plus the mage / omega birth rates!

[kinley-cafe]

@queerdeerling

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