#viago and rook

[trialsofthedas]

Lucanis, trying to sneak out after spending the night with Rook:

Viago, twirling a vial of poison: What are you doing here?

Lucanis: …I could ask you the same question.

Viago: I live here. This is my house.

Lucanis: I should probably ask you a different question.

[wishforhome]

of wine and wiles

1,560 words | Teen + | Single Chapter | Complete

Main pairings: Lucanis/Rook is mentioned, but mostly just Viago & Rook

Rook’s head spins as Viago walks her through the intricacies of Crow politics. It is nothing like the Wardens. She is used to discipline and clear ranks, and the fluid, faction-driven structure of the Crows is dizzying in its complexity.   “What you need to understand is that this is a world of shifting alliances,” Viago says, his tone low and grim. “Everyone’s positions – mine, Andarateia’s, Lucanis’s, especially Lucanis’s – they’re fragile. We hold them as long as we can keep them, as long as we can stay useful, stay dangerous. Nothing is guaranteed, and there’s always someone coming up behind you, wanting to take what’s yours.” He has set his glass on the table; she realizes that while hers is nearly empty, his remains full. He’s had a few sips, nothing more.

Read on AO3

Viago tries to explain the complexities of Crow politics to Rook, and what it will take to make her relationship with Lucanis work. Viago plays a game and Rook passes a test.

This is mostly kind of a Viago character study. I am truly obsessed with this man, and the strange, affectionate relationship my Rook ends up having with him.

Headcanon: He tried this on Teia once and she kept insisting the wine he poured was corked; he opened four bottles before realizing she was fucking with him and then they had to drink all of them.

Another headcanon: Viago is constantly coming up with weird tests like this to see if Rook notices, and he preens every time she does.

[scalycat]

Father figure Viago?

[rin-hanarin]

I love Viago, he's so funny for no reason.

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

Viago, when playing as Rook De Riva: you IDIOT you were my favorite fledgling why did you have to make a mess of this now I have to jump through all these convoluted hoops to keep you safe. Teia stop telling Rook how much I missed them it's not funny they could have DIED. also your room is exactly the way you left it please come home

Strife, when playing as Rook Aldwir: Why hasn't this weird bug i kicked out of our camp ages ago died yet :|

[necromosss]

my telenovela heart yearns for crownovela drama

part 1 (HERE) || part 2 || part 3 || part 4 - END

[thatwavephenomenon]

me: i sure hope the crows are not gonna be solely depicted in veilguard as a brave force who 'fight for all' when they are at their core a criminal organization who is known to buy children to indoctrinate them and turn them into assassins, by putting them in overcrowded warehouses and making them fight for scrapes in order not to starve, to later torture those who reach adulthood to finish their initiations and kill them anyways if they dare to try getting out

bioware: i cooka da pizza

[felixora]

Rook and Lucanis, always there to get on Viago's nerves just by breathing.

On side note - I'm glad that that little mishap was generally well received (and no-one game Zach a hard time about it), it's all fun in good faith

[eidothean]

My Crow Rook headcanon is that sometime during the story Rook goes home for family dinner and is like ‘… so I’m seeing someone … he’s a Dalish grey warden’ and Viago spits out a five hundred euro mouthful of wine (which Rook has poisoned just to see if he notices) and experiences one million catastrophic war flashbacks to the last time an Antivan Crow was ‘seeing’ a Dalish grey warden and gets up to find a quill to put a contract on Davrin’s life and Teia yanks him back by his coat and is like ‘ooh is that the handsome one’ and Rook is nodding enthusiastically while Viago stares into his dinner plate like it’s the abyss

[part-time-pixie]

that one b99 cold open

[blossomhead]

pictured here: surly 14 year old rook, surly 22 year old viago, and teia being teia

(click for higher res!!)

[trialsofthedas]

SPOILERS FOR VEILGUARD —>

For those of you who have played and/or watched the scene that takes place after the dragon attack if you are a crow!rook who chose to save minrathous, you know this little line Viago throws at you?

“Because you always think of something. You always do. Except this time.”

Once again, I’m asking you guys to think about Lucanis having to tell Viago that rook is missing post-tearstone island. Because they don’t know where Rook is. They don’t even know if Rook is alive. All they know is they killed one of the gods, they did it, but the smoke cleared and solas is free but Rook is gone. and it’s WEEKS according to that Bellara romance scene.

Viago refuses to believe Rook is gone. Not Rook. Not the stubborn little idiot who had more lives than the feral street cats of treviso they so loved to pet. Not the little crow who spent years following Viago around with one hand always fisted in his cape until it was beat out of them to not show that kind of weakness. Not the little scrap of a being that succeeded for always being quick, but fell for their mouth that ran that much quicker. Not Rook, who he sent away to learn patience, to get them out of the hot seat and away from the other houses who wanted their head. Rook, who fought and won against gods and dragons and the blight. Not a crow who always completes their contract. Not Rook who was supposed to come home.

Not Rook. So Viago refuses to believe it. The first few days he clings so hard to the mantra. “Rook always thinks of something.��� And they will come back and laugh and laugh and laugh at how worried Viago was and Viago will sigh and ring their neck and slip poison into their food to make sure they’ve been keeping up with their daily antivenoms— and Rook will be there.

But those days turn into a week, and then into two, and Viago hasn’t received any update from this so called ‘veilguard’ and all of the sudden “Rook always thinks of something.” is crumbling because what if this is the exception? this is the “except this time.” Because it is always until it’s not. and there is no time to truly mourn is there? there is still one god left to slay and very little time left to do it.

And Viago will fight. The loss of his… the loss to House de Riva is felt, but Viago is a professional. His wings are not clipped. ( his feathers are broken, hard shafts digging in and pulling blood from oozing cuts. they need clipped, groomed, removed. but his wings still work. they just hurt. ) He will finish this contract, in their name if nothing else.

But Viago let himself forget. “Rook always thinks of something.” And he let himself doubt and underestimate when he swore he would never be caught by those things again. but maybe this once, it’s okay. it’s okay because Rook stands in front of him, alive. Broken, but alive.

because a Crow always completes their contract, and a Rook will always come home to bother Viago.

Until they don’t

[kabsey]

lucanis: i am stuck with a demon who is reckless, impulsive, and never listens to me

viago: (sighs) i know exactly what you mean

crow!rook: (wanders over) what are we talking about?

viago: you

[bargu]

Rook will obliterate every barrel and crate he finds like any graceful and sublime assassin should. He is truly the pride of Antiva.

And Viago is at his limit.

Lucien de Riva and art made by Barguest, do not copy or reupload please.

[biowho]

I’m in tears

Edit: the tears have increased

[thismission]

these two gossiping about their love lives is so fucking cute

bonus lucanis confirmed canonically having had a crush on viago!!!