#the viper dragon age

[merrinla]

More finds in the cut content. What's interesting is that this is post-game content. I don't know if these are pieces of DLC or an extended epilogue. Rook and Lucanis drink wine in a gondola. In one version, Lucanis refused to be First Talon and left the crows. The Viper arrives to Treviso to hire Lucanis to kill the local Venatori. The lines in the localization file are out of order. I've organized them as best I could, but I'm not sure if everything is correct.

The gondola scene

Rook: What are we celebrating? Revenge? Saving the world? Lucanis: How about a quiet moment? Rook: Is it quiet? Really? Lucanis: If it's not quiet, it's at least clear.

Option: If only the Antaam were gone. Rook: Treviso's beautiful. Too bad it's filled with Antaam.

Option: You're surprisingly romantic. Rook: Who knew you were a romantic? Lucanis: You bring it out in me. Rook: Yeah, yeah. I'm a bad influence.

Option: Let's not go back. Rook: Let's stay here forever. Lucanis: A little. Not forever.

Rook: What? No fancy glasses? Lucanis: That's Caterina's style. I'm more pragmatic. Lucanis: Well, more pragmatic than her anyway.

Option: Learn from your elders. Rook: There's nothing wrong with a bit of class. Lucanis: (Chuckles) I'll remember for next time. Rook: Oh yes. This is so pragmatic. Lucanis: I know.

Option: Casual's better. Rook: Less clean up. Rook: That's why we're having drinks in a gondola instead of the kitchen. Lucanis: Knew you'd understand.

Lucanis: Is it wrong? Enjoying ourselves while the Antaam terrorize our home... (Crow Origin) Lucanis: Is it wrong? Enjoying ourselves while the Antaam terrorize Antiva... Rook: Does it feel wrong?

(apparently Rook moved, causing the boat to rock.) Lucanis: Careful. Gondolas are more fashionable than they are stable. Rook: They're plenty sturdy. Rook: See. Nothing to— Rook: Oops? Lucanis: You were saying? Rook: Sorry. Lucanis: (Chuckles) Classic Rook. Rook: Classic Rook, he'll/she'll/tehey'll never change. Rook: I've made things awkward. Lucanis: I like this side of you. Lucanis: More wine? Rook: I saved the wine? Lucanis: (Laughs)

(Talon's version) Rook: How are you settling in as First Talon? Lucanis: There was some initial... friction with Caterina, but she got over it. Lucanis: She thought I'd do things her way and was surprised when I had my own ideas. Rook: Really? You'd think she'd be the most welcoming. Lucanis: No.

Rook: Have you spoken to Caterina or the others? Lucanis: Letters here and there. We haven't met since the party. Lucanis: I don't want to cut ties. Lucanis: But Caterina needs to get used to the fact that I'm no longer her heir. Rook: Are you used to it? Lucanis: I was never comfortable with the role to begin with. Rook: So, no regrets? Lucanis: (Sigh) Rook: It's a yes or no question, Lucanis. Lucanis: It's not. You've enough experience with regret to know that.

Rook: I respect your decision to walk away. Lucanis: It wasn't an easy decision. Lucanis: It was hard. Walking away. Rook: It was hard watching it. Lucanis: Let's not talk about me.

Rook: It's not an interrogation if you care. Lucanis: Why not? I've been thoroughly interrogated. Rook: (Snorts) Is that how it works?

Option: Your priorities have changed. Rook: You've changed your tune. Lucanis: I am. On what's important.

Lucanis: Rook. I owe you. For my life, my freedom.

Option: Consider it paid in full. Rook: That debt was paid when you helped us defeat the elven gods. Lucanis: No. That was a job. What you've done for me...

Option: I needed a mage killer. Rook: I had selfish reasons. Lucanis: Rook. I'm serious. Lucanis: Whatever your reasons...

Lucanis: The Venatori killed the man I was. Lucanis: You put the fight—the life—back into me. Rook: I... Thanks.

Lucanis: If you need someone taken care of... Just say the word. Lucanis: Your enemies are House Dellamorte's enemies. (Talon's line) Lucanis: Your enemies are my enemies.

Option: You make murder sound sweet. Rook: Awww. That's sweet. And scary. Lucanis: Of course those are the same thing to you. Rook: I was only teasing. Lucanis: How am I supposed to argue when you say things like that?

Option: I'll settle for friendship. Rook: Or we could just be friends? No killing required. Rook: I still care about you—as a friend. Lucanis: Didn't want you to get the wrong idea... Lucanis: We're still friends. Lucanis: If that's what you want... Rook: Appreciate it.

(non romance/friendship version?) Rook: Oh, I'm aware. Just haven't figured out what I want in return. Lucanis: (Chuckles) Lucanis: For a price. Rook: And you'll charge me... Lucanis: Like I said—a fair rate. (Talon's line) Lucanis: I'm not a Crow anymore. Rates are negotiable. Rook: Still sounds pretty Crow-y to me.

Rook: It's passed sundown. Lucanis: (Sighs) Rook: Time to go? Lucanis: I've business before we return. Rook: What kind of business? Lucanis: Competitive analysis.

Lucanis: Don't worry. I'll collect. Rook: Fun time over? Lucanis: I've business before we return. Rook: What kind of business? Lucanis: Competitive analysis.

Possibly lines from a subsequent quest.

Rook: Business at a Chantry. Not very Andrastian of you. Lucanis: What in our experience together makes you think I'm a good Andrastian? Rook: (Chuckles) Fair enough.

Rook: You sound like you have a plan. Lucanis: Always another mark. Rook: I take it the Antaam are the subject of this so-called analysis? Rook: Why do I get the feeling there's going to be less "analysis" and more stabby-stab? Lucanis: Keeps Wrath content. (Wrath is Spite's previous name?)

Lucanis: Viago said it'd be a fitting spot. Rook: You've proven it's a good spot for an ambush. Lucanis: And you're loud. Which do you think will attract the Antaam?

Meeting with Ashur. It seems as if Lucanis and the Viper were discussing their business, and then Rook came.

The Viper: If you don't trust my intel— Lucanis: I trust your intel and... Lucanis: Fortunate the Rook is here to save the day. Rook: The Rook can detect sarcasm!

Option: Ashur, you shouldn't be here. Rook: This isn't Minrathous. Rook: Ashur, if the Antaam find out you're here... The Viper: I've paid the right people so that they don't.

Option: You two make quite the pair. Rook: The Viper and the Demon. Sounds like a nursery rhyme to scare children.

The Viper: I was just leaving. Rook: Leaving so soon? Rook: You don't have to. Lucanis and I could show you the sights. Rook: There's wine tasting, Antaam assassinating, gambling— Lucanis: Rook. The Viper: You're ruining Rook's fun. Rook: Think about my offer.

The Viper: Should I pay now or— Lucanis: Just go.

Rook: What did he want? Lucanis: Some of us have work to do. Lucanis: It's about time I take care of things at home.

Rook: Who's the mark? Lucanis: Venatori who fled Minrathous after Elgar'nan's fall. Rook: That's why Ashur was here. Lucanis: He's the one who hired me to dismantle the Venatori in the first place. Lucanis: Might as well finish the job.

The most unclear part. Maybe it's related to the quest to kill the Venatori that Viper pointed out.

Rook: Can't take the huge door. Lucanis: The Venatori are inside. Strike from above and we'll take them by surprise. Rook: Above, eh? Rook: Good thing I'm not afraid of heights.

Rook: Not sure why Antivans even build doors. Rook: We never use them. (Crow Origin) Rook: You never use them. Lucanis: We're the Antivan-fucking-Crows.

Rook: We need to be cautious. Rook: If we're not careful, he'll kill the girl. Lucanis: Not if he's dead.

Lucanis: Focus on the self-important bastard. I'll take care of the rest. Rook: They're all self-important—and why do you get so many? Lucanis: Their predictability makes them easy targets.

Venatori: Two, four, six piggies come to slaughter. Venatori: Be grateful. Your meager existence will serve a higher cause. Rook: I'll show you a higher cause right up your— Venatori: (Grunts!) Venatori: Uh—God killer! Right he— Lucanis: Mage killer. Venatori: (Yells in pain) Rook: Lucanis! That's cheating! Lucanis!

Lucanis: Fucking Venatori. Rook: (Sigh) You can take the blood mages out of Minrathous, but…

[thatrandombystander]

Ashur's whole Deal in Veilguard is extremely ripe for the sorts of identity shenanigans I love very dearly. I think Tarquin shouldn't know who he is so he can get to have a whole crisis because he's got a crush on both his day job boss (the Pope) AND his extracurricular job masked revolutionary leader (basically Batman)

Throw in a bit of religious imagery and devotion, and we are COOKING

[biowho]

wha-wait a second... computer enhance!

[cadaveerie]

this mod of the viper without a mask....... my prayers have been answered..

[weaveandwood]

The Snake and The Crow

Pairing: The Viper x Female Rook (Bianca, an Antivan Crow mage) Words: 3.4K NSFW Summary: The Viper and Rook had chemistry that was instantaneous, obvious. It was only a matter of time before they acted on it. And then kept acting on it over and over again. This takes place on one such night.

AN: I have never been more feral for a non-romanceable NPC before, and now...I get it.

Read on AO3! Read Chapter Two

He met her, as always, by the Eluvian at the shop. She crossed through, as always, wearing Shadow Dragon robes to blend in, though she knew they wouldn’t stay on long enough for it to really matter. He stepped forward, pulling her into his arms for the quickest of moments before leading her through the hideout, taking a path she had grown very familiar with these past weeks. Though it was the middle of the night when only the fewest and most discreet Dragons were around, he would remain vigilant and masked, only unveiling himself once they were alone in his quarters at the hideout. Not much longer, she thought, ready to rid herself of both her clothes and her tension with a few hours spent tangled up in him. 

Their chemistry had been instantaneous, palpable to the point where even Neve commented that she felt like she was intruding on something after the first time they met. It seemed like a forgone conclusion then, that by their third meeting they found themselves in hidden corridors, entwined in each other. Since then, she made appearances every other night, and the two spent hurried hours forgetting about duty for the first time in a long time. 

Tonight though, something was different - they turned left instead of right. The went out the entrance to the streets of Dock Town instead of to his small converted office that she intimately knew every flat surface of. 

“Viper, where are you taking me?” Bianca asked, following him through the streets, crowded even at this hour. He pulled her into a side alleyway and pressed her back against the wall of a building. He looked left and right before unhooking his mask and kissed her - deeply, and far, far too quickly - before pulling away. She was left breathless and desperate for more, clinging on to his coat to regain her balance as he fastened his mask back into place. 

“The hideout is too busy for me to be able to do all the things I want to do to you,” he said softly into her ear. He tucked a curl behind it, his fingers tracing the outline of the elegantly pointed tip, sending a shock through her. 

“Oh,” she whispered, a hot flush creeping up her neck though she couldn’t recall seeing more than the usual handful of Dragons when they cut through the hideout before. She could sense something simmering under the carefully crafted veneer he exhibited as The Viper, and wondered what was in store for her when he could be Ashur once more. He took her hand and led her on a winding path through alleys, side streets, and up some ladders before finally arriving at a small apartment. 

“Did you bring me to…your home?” she questioned with a teasing smile, looking around while walking through the front door. It was modest, sparsely furnished - the mark of a man who never spent any time there. She leaned against a wall and watched him take off his hat and mask, finally revealing the handsome face that she had grown so fond of over these last weeks, specifically his full lips. 

He knew what he was doing with those lips. 

“I know I can trust you,” he said matter-of-factly, hanging up his coat. “Now, where were we?” 

“I believe you were going to elaborate on all the things you wanted to do to me,” she said. He stepped close to her, unfastening the closure of the robes she had hastily thrown on before leaving the Lighthouse that night and sliding them off her shoulders, leaving her in just a pair of leggings. 

His fingers traced the outlines of the feather shaped scars she had gotten carved into her skin the night she was initiated as a Crow. The pain had been worth it for the feeling of his light touch, tonight and every night they were together.

“I want to touch every one of these feathers,” he rumbled in her ear. “With my fingers, with my mouth…especially your wings.” Bianca’s breath caught at the mere thought of him behind her, mental images from previous nights creeping to the forefront of her memory - one hand on her waist, pulling her back into him, the other in her hair, tugging slightly to turn her head to kiss him roughly. He had always been particularly drawn to the feathers carved into the shape of wings on her back. His mouth trailed from her earlobe to the side of her neck, kisses following a path left by his touch, causing her magic to react wildly within her. Sparks of lightning felt like they followed each press of his lips against her heated skin, bringing a gasp from her own. Her neck, her collarbone, the lowest scarred feather between her breasts - nowhere escaped Ashur’s diligence.

Still, he moved lower, and the sparks within her ignited to fire as she watched him. She was ready to self combust when she felt his fingers reaching inside the waistband of her leggings. He let out an approving hum when he realized she didn't wear undergarments - she never did on nights they spent in each other’s company.

“You’re lucky I even wore those.”

“You shouldn’t have.”

“That would have made for one awkward walk through Dock Town,” she laughed seeing the smirk on his face looking up at her. “It wouldn’t be good for Mr. Anonymity to be seen walking the streets in the middle of the night with a pantsless woman, don’t you agree?” 

“It may have been worth it,” he smiled against her stomach, kissing it once more before sliding off the slippers she wore and pushing her leggings off her hips, the dim light in his apartment revealing the curves and dips of her strong frame. He traced the outlines of her legs from her ankles to her calves to her thighs before settling his hands on her hips. Bianca admitted to herself that there was something very pleasing about a fully clothed Ashur kneeling before her naked body. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the wall and felt his warm breath on her. He kissed each hip bone, each thigh, her lower stomach as if he had all the time in the world, his soft lips branding her yet never moving to the place she wanted them the most. 

“Ashur,” she whispered, “it isn’t like you to tease me so much.” Most nights were frenzied with him - there was never time for much else. They had a simple arrangement, and it worked. Or so she thought, until she felt him kissing almost every inch of her skin. Things couldn’t be different between them, but…what if? 

“There is less of a chance of someone flinging my door open with an emergency here,” he looked up at her before draping her leg over his shoulder, kissing the crease of her thigh. “Besides, here you can be as loud as you want,” he smiled before flattening his tongue, dragging it from her entrance to her clit, the lightning within her raging once more. She tightened her grip on his shoulders and arched against the wall, soft moans spilling from her mouth as he continued licking, alternating between soft slow laps and fervent flicks against her, reading her body like a book he was well acquainted with. Her hips rocked against his face, and she wanted more, more, more…

His fingers dug into the soft skin of her hips, his tongue keeping its steady rhythm like a dutiful soldier. She tensed up and shuddered against him, her cries echoing through the apartment as he tasted her pleasure.  

He stood and swept his hand from her hips to her stomach to her breasts in an agonizingly slow path.  It was pleasant torture - every second he spent exploring her body increased her want of him tenfold. The warmth of his lips soon followed as he took each nipple into his mouth - sucking, flicking, biting gently. She felt him hum against her as each one hardened at his ministrations. He dragged his tongue in a path between her breasts, following the outlines of her scars back up to her collarbone, her throat, then finally her lips, where he kissed her like he would never kiss her again. Kissing Ashur was what she assumed a religious experience would be like, if she had been religious at all - he kissed her deeply, intensely, and with a fervor that was unmatched by all the others she had kissed before. Their tongues slid together, well-practiced at knowing what the other liked. His hands threaded through her hair, wrapping in her tangle of curls, while hers busied themselves by pulling his shirt free from his pants. He had been wearing it far too long. She began fumbling with the buttons blindly, distracted by both the heat of his kiss and the hardness pressing against her hip, letting out a frustrated groan when they did not yield easily. She was desperate to have him inside her and in that moment, those buttons were proving to be almost as big a foe as the gods they were fighting. 

He pulled away, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth before grabbing her hand and leading her down a small hallway to his bedroom - as sparsely furnished as the rest of the apartment, but comfortable enough. Bianca perched on his bed, watching him. 

“I thought I was lucky just seeing the entryway to your apartment, I didn’t realize I’d be seeing your bedroom too,” she laughed. “You’re pulling out all… the…”

She was quickly silenced by the sight of him undressing. Ashur had a grace that was hidden by the layers he wore. He surprised her that first night they were together, how elegant his movements were when unconstrained by large jackets and layers of clothing, layers of duty, layers of pressure. He never shied under her gaze, even when she watched him as intently as she was now - head tilted, eyes following the path of his hands. Sliding his shirt off, pushing down his pants, taking off his undergarments. It had to be said Ashur in no clothing was her favorite Ashur of all. Completely unburdened, completely himself. It was a rare occasion they had the opportunity to fully undress as most nights were stolen moments, a rearrangement of clothing to allow for quick access and an easy exit. Tonight…well tonight there felt like there was time, even if they both knew there wasn’t. Not really. 

“Now you’re really spoiling me,” she said. “A girl could get used to this, you better watch out. Soon, I won’t want to be bent over your desk anymore,” she laughed. 

He laughed as he crossed the room, climbing on to the bed behind her. He made good on his promise from earlier as she felt the first touch of his fingers softly tracing the scars on her left shoulder, followed by his lips. Slowly, methodically, he traced each one from her shoulder blade to her arm and back. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, focusing solely on the feeling of him on her skin, anticipation of his next move adding to the bonfire raging within her. 

“We both know that’s a lie,” he whispered into her ear, gently nipping at her earlobe and eliciting a soft gasp from her. Bianca was wound so tightly she felt she could explode at any moment, and though she hadn’t even touched him yet, she could tell he must be feeling similarly - he was hard as stone against her backside. She pressed her hips back into him, smiling at the moan he used her shoulder to muffle while he resumed his careful appreciation of the scars on her right arm. 

He ran a finger lightly up and down her spine, goosebumps spreading all over her body. She wasn’t sure what magic he possessed to cause her to react so vividly to his touch, but she would not complain, not when it felt like this. His hands went to her waist, pulling her against him, her back now pressed against his firm chest. She rocked back against his hardness, wanting him even more if that were possible. She wanted him to push her forward into the mattress and take her. Instead, she felt a hand slide to her center, parting her and finding her swollen clit before rubbing it gently. The other hand slid up to her breast, his palm fully covering it as it kneaded the soft flesh, his hips rocking in time with hers. 

“Ashur…please…” she moaned. This wasn’t fair - they didn’t tease each other, they didn’t drag it out. That was something for normal people with normal lives who weren’t trying to save the world. That was something for…feelings. Something they agreed they couldn’t — wouldn’t — risk. “Don’t make me beg.” 

He stopped moving. 

“Would you beg for me?” he whispered into her ear. She could almost hear the smile in his voice. “You want me that badly?”

“I want you inside me right now,” she whispered, her voice dripping with lust. “Don’t make me wait any longer.” 

“Lie down for me. I want to be able to watch you while I have you,” he said. If she thought she was heated before, it was nothing compared to how she felt then. Her body was molten - she was liquid fire in his hands as he pushed her back onto the mattress, her head resting against his pillow. It was faint, but it smelled of him. She guessed this was probably the first time he’d been here in over a week. She watched him through half-lidded eyes as he settled himself between her spread legs, pressing them farther apart with his muscular thighs. 

“You are beautiful, you know that right?” he said, leaning down to kiss her as he took himself in one hand, guiding himself into her slowly, steadily, just the way she liked it. The initial burn gave way to pleasure as she felt herself open and give around him. Ashur was a large man, especially where it counted. She moaned into his mouth as he pressed deeply inside of her, filling and stretching her perfectly. Any worries she had during the day left her mind whenever he was inside her and tonight was no exception. 

He set a deliberate pace from the beginning. There was no need for easing her into it, she preferred it this way - with him pulling almost completely out of her before driving back in fully. Each time his hips snapped against hers she felt the world melt away. She arched against his bed, her arms wrapped around his back just as his were around hers - the two of them clinging tightly to each other as they sought to forget everything outside of this moment, if only for a moment. She knew her nails were digging into his skin, and selfishly hoped they would leave a mark, even if no one would be able to see it. 

“More, Ashur, more,” she whispered into his ear. “Have me. Take me. I’m yours.” 

He looked into her eyes, something quickly flashing across them but gone in an instant before he sat up on his knees, his hands on her hips. He drove into her faster, harder, grunting with effort. His eyes darkened as he watched where they were joined, his hardness glistening with her arousal.

For a long while, the only noises in the bedroom were the sounds of their collective moans, their bodies hitting together, and the creaking of the bed. Ashur managed to hit every spot that drove Bianca crazy, even some she didn’t even know he could hit from this position. He moved her feet to his shoulders, using her thighs as leverage as he continued his relentless pace - long, driving strokes that hit every inch of her. She felt herself starting to tighten around him, wanting that release so badly but not wanting this night to end. She could be like this with him all night every night and never be satisfied. She was selfish when it came to being with him, that she knew. How could she not be? She was certain she was ruined, that no one else could possibly make her feel this good. The scary thing that raced through her mind occasionally was that she wasn’t sure if she wanted anyone else to try. 

“Ashur, I -” she panted, unable to get a complete sentence out before he started to rub her clit once more, a jolt running through her, causing her hips to buck at his touch. He knew what she needed. He kept the same pace, watching her face as she got closer and closer to the edge, ready to throw herself over that great precipice. She cried out his name, sending it to whatever gods were listening, if there even were gods anymore and came hard around him. Pleasure crashed over her in waves as her orgasm shuddered through her body once more. 

He lost control, thrusting into her roughly as he raced to the peak of his own desire. He kept eye contact as he finally, blissfully reached it, driving into her once more before crying out loudly, his release filling her. He was beautiful when he came, she couldn’t deny it. He was beautiful always, but unguarded, unfiltered, and knowing nothing but pleasure was a side of Ashur no one else got to see but her, at least at this moment in time.

A small consolation. 

Sweaty and panting, he pulled out of her and lay beside her on the bed to catch his breath. She turned to her side to look at him, unused to having time to relax after finishing their near nightly ritual. 

“Why don’t you stay tonight?” he asked quietly, breaking the silence. His finger played with a wild curl that had fallen across her face before pushing it back into place with all the others. 

“That doesn’t sound very ‘no strings attached,’ Ashur,” she laughed. She wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to.

“Maybe we could have a couple strings,” he replied. 

“Hmm...and what would a couple strings be like?” she asked, her fingers tracing the shell of his ear, the sharpness of his jaw, the fullness of his lips. He responded with a gentle kiss to her fingertips. 

“Maybe sometimes we come here if there’s time. Maybe you stay the night instead of running off straight back to the eluvian.” He sighed. “There are other, more dangerous strings I am thinking of, but those are not possible.” 

She laughed. “And what constitutes a dangerous string?”

“Something like us not hiding, something like us seeing what this even is. Or could be.”  

“Those are…dangerous strings. You know that. I know that. If anyone found out, the Venatori would use me against you and Elgar'nan and Ghilan’nain would use you to get to me. We…can’t,” she said, her brow furrowed as her heart sank. “As much as I want to.” 

“So…I’m not alone in feeling this way?” he asked, his fingers intertwining with hers. 

“No, you’re not. Which may be dangerous in its own way. We both have important work to do. When that is done, we can revisit the dangerous strings.” Relief poured through her veins as he nodded in agreement. 

“And until then?” he asked, kissing each one of her knuckles, the inside of her wrist, her shoulder, her neck. He was relentless, and she was already cursing herself for being logical for once in her short life. And he knew it. 

“We can have a couple…non-dangerous strings. I do think I like being in your bed.” 

“And you staying here?” 

“I like that too,” she smiled. “Just not tonight. I have to leave in a few hours to meet with Grey Wardens in the Anderfels and find a monster hunter named Davrin. I should be back in a couple days, though. If it's a night where there’s time…I’d like a repeat of tonight. More than one.” She paused, her heart racing. “I like this. I like us. If it were any other world…” 

He kissed her then, softly. 

“If it were any other world, we wouldn’t have met. It is what it is. I’m happy to revisit the dangerous strings later. Come on, let’s get you home. Unless…” he pulled her back on top of him, making her laugh in surprise. She felt him already starting to harden beneath her once more. “You have time for a quick round two?” 

“I think I can make the time. Who needs sleep anyway?” she smiled before kissing him.

[shanjedi]

“Being so close to the epicenter of that change has stripped the Blight in Minrathous of its vitality. It’s calcified now - dead”

Am I the only one who reads this as “If the Viper survives the final battle, he’s cured of the blight?”

[mt07131]

Shadows stand together

[vorchagirl]

ANGST PROMPT ❛ i don’t even recognize you anymore. ❜ for Rook x Ashur 👀

Thank you for the drabble request! I decided to write something for my Ashur x Rook x Lucanis fic The Dragon and the Crow. I hope you like it!

Demons

"Leave you with him? You can't be serious!" Ashur thundered angrily, his expression ferocious as glared at Lucanis. "Rook, he's possessed by a demon! Get out of the way so I can take care of him before he hurts you."

"What?! No!" Rook tried to shove them away from each other, but Ashur refused to move as he took hold of her arm. She shook him off, furious. "I'm not letting you attack each other. Stop this!"

The air between the two men was tense, and Ashur's magic seethed beneath his skin as Lucanis' hand tightened on the hilt of the dagger. One move was all it would take for him to throw up a shield and launch an attack at the other man. It would be fast. Instantaneous. The only question was who would be faster - The Viper or the Demon of Vyrantium. A crow or a snake.

The magic continued to build, burning along his nerve endings in a demand to be unleashed. He wouldn't let this Crow - this murderer - close to Rook. Lucanis watched him closely, as though reading his mind, and suddenly bared his teeth in a grin, his eyes flashing purple as he smirked, egging him on.

"Lucanis' condition is complicated," Rook snapped, refusing to move from between the two men. Ashur blinked as she shoved him back a step and then moved to stand with Lucanis. "Both of you need to back down, now!"

The Crow nodded his agreement, but didn't take his eyes off Ashur as he eased his hand away from his dagger and straightened, his body language still radiating aggression and potential violence as he allowed Rook to take his hands. He blinked, his eyes returning to normal as he dragged his gaze away from the other man and onto Rook. He let out a slow breath and the tension drained out of him.

"Thank you," he muttered quietly to her. "That could have become ... messy."

He has no idea how true that is, Ashur thought to himself.

"What are you doing here?" Rook made to step away as she spoke, but Lucanis kept hold of her hands.

The Crow drew in a slow breath, and Ashur saw him squeeze her hands. "I didn't like how we left things in Treviso. I know I said I needed time after what happened, but I was upset. Seeing my home blighted and so many people - friends - killed, I wasn't thinking clearly, and I lashed out. I don't want to lose you, mi corazon. You mean too much to me."

Jealousy twisted through Ashur as Rook - his Rook - made a small sobbing sound and threw herself into Lucanis' arms. She buried her face in the crook of his neck while Lucanis opened his eyes and met Ashur's gaze, his expression smug as he tightened his arms around her as if to rub it in that she had chosen him.

It was too much.

"No!" Ashur strode forward, unwilling to let her throw her life away. Not now. Not when they had finally breached that gap between them. "Rook, get away from him! He's a monster."

She swore softly and pulled away from Lucanis, still keeping herself between them. "What is wrong with you, Ashur? I don't even recognise you anymore."

"Why? Because I don’t want to stand here and watch you throw your life away? Not this time. Not for a demon. Not when you were sobbing in my arms earlier because of him!"

Ashur saw Lucanis flinch at that, and he felt a primitive surge of pride. He hoped it hurt the bastard to know that Rook had run back to him the moment he hurt her. He hoped the knowledge stung and burned for him, just as it bothered Ashur to know that Rook was with another.

She paled slightly at the memory of their kiss but didn't back down. "Ashur, don't do this. Please."

Her soft little please hit him like a bucket of cold water, and he fell back a step, feeling like an absolute bastard as he realised how scared she was of losing the Crow. For better or worse, she loved him, and he was acting like a demon himself as he lashed out and tried to separate them. The surge of jealousy faded, replaced by shame.

No matter how much he wanted her back, this wasn’t the way to go about it.

"I'm sorry, Rook." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, something deep in his core aching with disappointment and loneliness. "You should go. Just ... be careful."

Ashur turned and strode from the room before she could reply. He didn't want to see the emotion in her eyes as he walked away. If she was relieved, it would break his heart, and if she were disappointed, he would falter ... and might not have the strength to walk away again.

[thevulturesquadron]

Wait. Wait. So IF the blight got ‘semi-cured’ for those closest to the events in Minrathous… does that mean that the Viper (if blighted) is also cured? Cause I am SO here for it. There is a Maker after all.

[danielsarmand]

tarquin is trans??????? WHERE are my tarquin/viper fics. fanarts. where. Give Me

[theoldgaylion]

I've been thinking about a Shadow Dragons metal band au...

Tarquin could be the lead singer, Ashur the drummer, can't decide who can be the guitarist and bassist tho

[bg3daydream]

It's been a long time since I've done a poll!

[biowho]

You guys know how I keep ragging on BioWare for *gestures vaguely*? Guess who the Black Divine is

King you could be changing the system from the top down at the drop of a hat why are you starting at the bottom

[waterdeepthroat]

i have so many thoughts about the viper rn… which should i focus on primarily for my next fic?

[weaveandwood]

The Viper and Bianca 🐍❤️🐦‍⬛ Commission from @alsoika!

I love them so muchhhhh! It’s so beautiful!

[shanjedi]

AWOO! JUMPSCARE. MASKLESS VIPER!

Screencaps of my Shadow Dragon, Isera Mercar, and one of her husbands, thanks to @pinkyjulien's NPC Swap - Davrin mod and Otis_inf's Photomode Tools (patreon).