Caterina died a few months after the events of Veilguard. Her actions, however, continued to shape the fate of her two grandsons. Or more specifically, cutting the life of her favorite one short. Lucanis remained First Talon for three more years, after the death of his grandmother. He didn't want to step down or couldn't step down. He wanted to honor the last wish of her late grandmother. Illario didn't try to convince him, not at first. Everything was fine for the first few months. But slowly, everything began to crumble. Lucanis was not suited for the position, he didn't even like it. He thrived for stability, but when it came to rivals, he was too much on the defensive side. The Talons began to doubt him. Eventually Lucanis did ask for Illario's help, but he was still bitter. Angry at Lucanis, angry at Caterina, angry at himself. Was it really Caterina's actions that led them here, or his? He could have done things differently. Should have done things differently. Would it have made any difference? He will never know.
It was around midnight when Marcus knocked on Lucanis's door. He wasn't seen the whole evening. It was unlike Lucanis to retire without saying good night to Vincenzo, Lorina and him. Even to Illario. At this point, their relationship seemed to have improved. Illario assisted him more. When Marcus stepped into the bedroom, he thought Lucanis was just sleeping. But he sensed something was off. He tried to wake him up, but Lucanis didn't open his eyes, he didn't move at all. Everything happened so fast. Marcus shouting for help, Illario running into the room with the servants behind him. Soon the healer arrived as well. It was too late, Lucanis was gone. No injuries were found on his body. They barely had any time to react, because there was movement outside the mansion. Crows that did not belong to House Dellamorte.
Everything became a blur for Marcus. He couldn't react as fast as Illario did. He didn't even notice being dragged out of Lucanis's room. Illario was talking to him, but he didn't hear it. Lucanis was his friend and a part of his family. More and more Dellamorte Crows appeared inside the mansion and this is when Marcus managed to snap back into reality. He woke up Vincenzo, who was two years old and Lorina, who was only one. He wanted to help Illario, but he also needed to protect their children. Even if he wanted to, Illario would have not let him leave the mansion. He witnessed his own parents being murdered in a surprise attack and he wouldn't allow the same to happen to his family. He already lost Lucanis.
A few enemy Crows managed to get inside the mansion, but Marcus and the Dellamorte Crows who stayed in the building cut them all down. The enemies who got close to the room where Vincenzo and Lorina were hiding were burned to death by Marcus. Illario and the other Crows fought outside, killing everyone. Illario didn't know who was behind this, or at least not yet. It could have been a Talon, several Talons, or people from a lesser House. The Crows who broke into the estate didn't seem to have belonged to any House.
Illario knew the Talons or at least some of them thought was a weak First Talon. They claimed he was soft, despite having high hopes for him when he succeeded Caterina. Illario feared it would come to this. He blamed himself. He blamed Lucanis. He blamed Caterina. He blamed the ones who did it.
Illario's actions following the assault on the estate later became known as "Massacro di mezzanotte" (Midnight Massacre). Despite still remembering the things Illario has done, some Talons made the mistake of putting Lucanis and Illario under the same hat. But Illario wasn't as merciful as his cousin. He didn't spare anyone. His enemies weren't prepared for the brutality of the attack. Servants, Crows, Talons, bigger and smaller Houses, submitting, fleeing or retaliating, it didn't matter to him. When Viago and Teia, who were in Treviso, heard the news of Lucanis's death, they sided with Illario and his Crows. They weren't best friends with Illario, but after the years, their relationship improved somewhat. But more importantly, they wanted revenge for Lucanis. Because he was their friend. Illario's sudden attack, the large number of Dellamorte Crows, and the lack of unity among the other Talons was already enough for victory, but after Viago and Teia joined Illario, it was really just a massacre.
When the one behind Lucanis's assassination was found, it still wasn't enough for Illario. Even after the Crow was interrogated and tortured, Illario craved more revenge. He was so blinded by his anger he didn't care if he was killing innocents. Marcus, however, managed to eventually calm him down. Illario, Marcus and their children were the only remaining memories of Lucanis. This was one of the reasons Viago and Teia supported Illario as the new First Talon. After the events of the past days, there wasn't really anyone left to oppose him. Those who were still alive were wise enough to not oppose him.
The Midnight Massacre became a very divisive event in the history of the Crows. Many thought Illario acted rightfully, but others thought he took his revenge too far when he murdered so many Crows who were innocent in the matter.
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Illario Dellamorte/Rook, Lucanis Dellamorte/Original Female Character(s)
Characters: Illario Dellamorte, Rook (Dragon Age), Shadow Dragon Rook - Character, Lucanis Dellamorte, Original Female Character(s), Rook: Lennox Mercar, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Pre-Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Explicit Sexual Content, Past Relationship(s), One Night Stands, Action/Adventure, Tragic Romance, Prequel to Hunter’s Mark, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Trans Male Character, Trans Rook (Dragon Age), Trans Male Rook (Dragon Age)
Summary:
the prequel to the events of Hunter’s Mark
What was supposed to be a one-night stand turns complicated as Rook finds himself reluctantly allying with an Antivan Crow by the name of Illario… who is every bit alluring, charming, and dangerous as he claims to be. The tension between them only grows whilst navigating the viper’s nest of blood magic, cults, and masquerade parties. So, will the two find a simmering solace or will it all go up in flames?
They had a few spats. And only in the beginning, Mira used physical force to check Illario. This was when she was still purely his guard, and when he made attempts to flee or touch her in ways she didn't want.
The one true shouting match they had was about Illario's betrayal/actions during Veilguard. Neither of them held back, but it didn't turn physically violent, since Mira was still injured, and Illario ran off once his words failed him.
They still quarrel about a lot of things, though it stays within the bounds of healthy relationship squabbles. Or at least what Antivans might consider "healthy". 😉
I suspect this one is more of a surprise than the Carver/Merrill ficlet. 😏
For my final entry, I decided to tease a little another ship I have for my canon worldstate: Illario/Neve. I largely landed on the pairing on my own, mostly as a little "what-if" seed that took root, but I was also little bit inspired by @himluv's Illario/Bellara stuff, and definitely reinforced (reassured? that I wasn't just being daft) by @jenn2d2's Illario/Neve stuff (which I still need to read). What can I say? The idea of a redemption arc and a little "oops I fell in love when I didn't intend to" for Illario appeals to me.
Doesn't mean I won't smack him around a little emotionally first. Penance.
Space Enough for Breath
Seven kisses, seven pairs, not all of them good ideas.
Rating: T
And for the other parts:
Day 1 (Camp) | Day 2 (Injury) | Day 3 (Courtyard) | Day 4 (Exploration) | Day 5 (Beach) | Day 6 (Mourning)
Read the whole thing on AO3
Day 7: Sneaky(Illario/Neve)
(Set sometime after the events of Veilguard.)
Note: "nievita" means "little snow" in Spanish (thank you to my husband for help picking it). I couldn't pass up the play on Neve's name.
Illario let out a soft grunt as his back hit the shelves in the small closet, and he nearly sneezed on the dust that kicked up before a firm hand pressed over his mouth. The close quarters meant he had very little room to maneuver, even less to get out of the way as a body—compact, curved, smelling of sandalwood and cedar perfume—pressed into his with the closing of the door.
Not that he wanted to get out of the way, anyway. Not from this particular assailant.
He let his hands drift toward hips that dug into his, but the hand on his lips turned ice-cold, a clear warning, and he stopped. He knew better than to push. Knew better than to antagonize her, even if the frigid look in her eyes—not quite visible in the wan light seeping through the gap at the bottom of the door—was as much temptation as it was threat.
Instead, he left a kiss in her palm, slow and sensual, and smirked when he felt her shiver against him. Her hand clenched tighter around his mouth, fingers pressing into his jaw, just shy of hard enough to bruise. He heard a sharp hiss of breath, the barest of whispers.
His charms were no match for the will of Neve Gallus, and that intrigued him more than anything.
So he waited. Let her take charge, like she usually did, and amused himself with fantasizing how things would play out this time.
Continue reading on AO3
Final tag for the event week. Hope you enjoyed them all!
There are two rules of Illario and Maes's relationship: Never play a competitive game against each other, and never let that game be Wicked Grace.
Illario can give Teia a run for her money on a good day, he's easily better at the game than his cousin (although Lucanis can still fleece an entire table in a couple of hands if his cousin and Teia aren't playing), and Viago's only ever beaten him twice. It should surprise nobody to learn that Illario's a very competitive man. He hates losing.
To his great frustration, he has yet to win a hand of Wicked Grace against Maes. The first time they played, they mentioned off-handedly that they learned to play from a Rivaini friend of their father's, and had played a simplified version with him a number of times, but were a little rusty on the full game.
They made off with his smallclothes and his dignity in under 3 hands.
He played to win the second time, and the third, and the tenth, and so on. One of their biggest arguments was about how Maes was definitely cheating, which got the game banned from the Villa Dellamorte entirely.
Among their mutual friends, the only person who has ever beaten Maes at Wicked Grace was Teia, and she's only managed it a handful of times.
Illario, however, continuously beats Grey at pretty much any other card game. Perhaps this is why his continued losses at Wicked Grace frustrate him so much.
Nothing is sneakier than Illario and Kala from my Mafia AU 🥰 Of course they'd sneak a kiss!
Illario knew it was Kala behind him without turning to see who had entered his office. He knew the sound of her soft tread on the carpet by heart and would have known the smell of her perfume anywhere, so he wasn't surprised when she slid her fingers over his eyes and lowered her lips to his ear.
"Guess who?" she sang softly, her warm breath tickling his ear.
He smirked. "Lucanis? Is that you?"
"Asshole!" Kala pulled her hands away and flicked his ear. "I'm much better looking than him."
"Definitely," he agreed and pulled Kala onto his lap, claiming her lips in a quick passionate kiss as desire got the better of him.
It had been several weeks since they had started dating, and things between them only seemed to be getting hotter. The more he had of Kala the more he wanted. Like she was a drug. Like her name had been etched on his very soul.
They were trying to keep their relationship secret from everyone else in their organisation for the time being. Lucanis most of all - who Illario knew would be insufferable if he learned his meddling had paid off and he and Kala had actually got together. But it was difficult to keep things quiet when he wanted to kiss her senseless every time they were in the same room.
Kala cupped his face in her hands and sighed happily as the kiss deepened, the ever present hunger between them flickering to life. She teased his lips open and swirled her tongue around his, tasting of strawberries and maple syrup.
So sweet...
The door to his office opened without warning.
"Illario, do you have the file on the new shipment coming in-"
Kala jumped like a cat on a hot tin roof, ducking down under his desk as Illario schooled his features into neutrality as Lucanis strode in, a frown creasing his forehead as he looked down at his phone.
"Knock!" Illario snapped, spinning around in his office chair to hide Kala as she tucked herself away.
His cousin stopped, his frown deepening as he glanced up and narrowed his eyes. "Why would I knock? Have I ever knocked?” He glanced around the room. “You don't have someone in here, do you?"
"Of course not!" Illario tried to look innocent as he snatched the file that Lucanis wanted off his desk and jumped up before he could come any closer. "Take it and go. I'm just busy, and I'm in the middle of something."
Lucanis snickered and took the file without comment. He let Illario usher him to the door, but paused in the door frame and turned without warning. His cousin met his eyes, amusement stamped across his features as he leaned close.
"Tell Kala her left boot is showing just a little bit." Lucanis winked and vanished out the door before Illario could reply.
Fuck.
So much for their secret.
Art is by @artofcorinne and Kala belongs to her // Writing is by me // Thank you to @dragonagekissweek
This took ages but I have zero regrets! 🫡💞
Illario kissing his wifey's port-wine stains!! 🥹🤌
I missed these two <3
Creative process:⤵
It's a rotoscope animation of this kiss scene from the canadian movie "Matthias & Maxime" released in 2019!
It was supposed to be a quick animation exercise but I kept adding details, and then colours, and welp 😂🙈Mission successfully failed!✨
Some WIPs and notes, if anyone is interested in learning how to do efficient rotoscope animation! Unlike other types of animation where the final focus is on the flow, stay focused on one element at the time.
I started with Illario's eye, and then carefully added one bit at the time, switching between all 54 frames of this animation! I only did the first frame "fully" to have a blueprint of what I wanted to do! Focusing on only one element maintains a cohesiveness that can be lost if you're tracing each frames entirely! Also yes, rotoscope IS tracing. And tracing isn't nearly as bad as people loves to make it seem online haha
It's a very common technique in animated movies, and I recommend you to check out the making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (made in 1937, back when Disney was doing good stuff lol)
I hope you enjoyed seeing more of the process and maybe learning a thing or two! >w</♥
It’s Marcus and sultan Illario from your Harem AU. I know it’s the most tragic and dark one, and despite how much I don’t want to any of them suffer, sometimes inspiration doesn’t ask 🥲
But as for official prompt list
Day 1: Camp
Dawn Aldwir of @adhd-riddled-crow and Bellara 💜
They are so sweet and cosy and they were so pleasant to draw^^
And how could I miss my beloved love fools indifferent professionals X3
