Something else I adore playing as a Rook De Riva is that you can literally get Viago’s armour and you can bet your sweet little asses I made that June’s permanent suit as soon as I realised
But I’m just imagining Viago commissioning those leathers (which as well as the wing cape have a little crow tail too!) for himself, looks out of a window or something to see Rook fighting for their life with something or someone and sighs
It's another Lucanis/Rook, and this takes place after Veilguard. Caterina is throwing his grandson and his novia a little party in their honor.
AO3
Rating: T, Word Count: 1348
Isabella stood in front of the mirror as she wore the fanciest dress she probably had ever seen in her life. Teia and Illario had chosen it for her, insisting that she needed to wear something that would stand out amongst the rest of the party goers. She, personally, would have preferred to have something that was more subdued and less feathers, but her suggestions had fallen on deaf ears.
Although, she would be lying if she said she didn't look good. It was a floor length gown with a stiff bodice and off the shoulder sleeves that showed her shoulders. It had a tall enough neckline to cover her scars, but it still showed off enough skin to be considered trendy, whatever that meant. It was dark purple with black accents with black feathers to match, accentuating the rest of the dress. It flowed beautifully when she spun, making it perfect for when she was supposed to dance. Another thing that she wanted to actively avoid, but she knew that was also out of the question.
Caterina had planned an engagement party in the form of a masquerade ball for her and Lucanis, as was Dellamorte tradition. Isabella was excited that the matriarch approved of her well enough to throw a party in their honor, but she still wasn't comfortable with being the center of attention. It was more than she usually dealt with, especially since Viago never took her to any when she was training. He was invited to a few, and he rarely attended those. When he did, he insisted that he wouldn't be gone long and that she wasn't missing anything. Now she was about to see if he was lying to her or not.
Thankfully, she was invited to get ready at the Dellamorte estate, so she didn't have to find a ride or anything. She simply had to walk down the stairs and into the ballroom, which was still wild to think was in the villa. Isabella placed the feathered mask on her face, completing her look, and she opened the door to the hallway. There were a few maids in the hallway, likely hoping for a sneak peek into what she was going to wear for the evening. They stared at her for a moment before ducking back to their duties when they realized that they were gawking.
Isabella heard music and chatter in the hallway below her as she made her way down. She took a deep breath, knowing that Viago and Teia were likely down there with the other Talons and the Dellamortes. She wasn't late, but she wasn't early either. She descended down the side stairs, not wanting to make a big entrance in front of the small crowd that had gathered.
Just as she made it down the bottom of the stairs, Illario caught her hand and spun her in surprise. He wore a dark blue suit with a silver mask and accents to match, just as gorgeous and flashy as Isabella expected.
"My my, Corva Bella, you look stunning," Illario praised, appreciating the dress he helped design. "Are you excited to show off your gorgeous self?"
"As excited as I can be, Illario," she sighed with a forced smile. "You know this isn't really my thing."
"Enjoy yourself tonight, Bella. I know that this isn't usually what you would constitute as fun, but dancing and drinking is always a good time. At least save a dance for me."
"As long as you promise not to antagonize Luca, then I will save a dance for you," Isabella sighed with a smile. Illario tucked her arm in the crook of his elbow as he hummed.
"You drive a hard bargain, Bella, but I can agree to those terms," he chuckled, guiding her towards the ballroom. Isabella exhaled, feeling slightly more at ease with Illario showing her where to go. "It will be nice to have you around more often, though."
"Luca driving you crazy?"
"Partly. He is more relaxed and happier when you're around, I will admit. I also enjoy your company, too."
"It will be a strange transition. A good one, but it will be a big change," she reminded before he patted her hand.
"It's not like you haven't lived together before. You were practically roommates in the Fade," Illario laughed as she grimaced, nodding. "I know what you mean, though. This won't be like when you were parading around, taking down gods. You are going to be a figurehead now, in a manner of speaking. Only, you do have a job to do, I suppose."
"True. It will be strange to have people know who I am when I walk down the street now," Isabella sighed, shaking her head. Illario stopped near the ballroom, surprising her. He chuckled before kissing her knuckles. "Are you not going to escort me inside?"
"I think Lucanis would actually kill me if I did that," Illario answered before stepping away from her. Isabella nodded, remembering what the purpose of the ball was. "I did bring you exactly where you need to be, though. Lucanis will be here momentarily."
"You didn't antagonize him already, did you?"
"Of course not, Bella. I just told him that I would bring you to these doors. I'll see you inside."
Illario winked at her before he disappeared behind the doors before closing them again. Isabella clenched her jaw, growing anxious now that she was alone. She did her best not to fiddle with her dress as she glanced around and listened for any sign of her fiancé. Then she heard soft footsteps approach.
She quickly turned to see Lucanis dressed in a formal black outfit with bright silver and navy filigree and embroidered crows. He also wore a black crow mask covering most of his face, but she would recognize him anywhere. She smiled at him as he walked up to her, taking her hand in his, both donning formal gloves.
"You are a vision," Lucanis whispered as she smiled. "You are going to blow them out of the water in there."
"Teia and Illario out did themselves," Isabella mentioned as Lucanis chuckled.
"They certainly know how to join your taste and beauty with the fashion trends," he commented, glancing over her violet dress. Isabella made a gentle spin for him, letting the skirt flare out as it was meant to. "You are going to make every person in there envious."
"Maybe, but I'm not going to be focused on them," she reminded, taking in his figure. For the first time since it was announced, she was looking forward to the masquerade if it meant she got to stand next to Lucanis for the whole night. "So, when do we make our appearance? Do we need to be fashionably late? Illario says that's important, but I don't know what that really means."
"We can go in whenever you are ready to," Lucanis answered as she exhaled in contentment.
"I suppose we should go in," Isabella teased before pulling on his hand. Lucanis stepped forward, and she caught him in a kiss. It was a quick peck on his lips, and she wiped off the dark lipstick that remained on his face. Lucanis hummed, his chest rumbling beneath her touch. "A promise for later."
"For later, eh?" Lucanis whispered, his voice deep.
"For when this is over and we get a moment for ourselves again. I can't imagine anyone would be surprised if I used the guestroom at the villa tonight," she mentioned as Lucanis wrapped an arm around her waist.
"I doubt it. Especially since these events can sometimes go all night," Lucanis warned as she grinned, catching on.
"Then we better get started, amore," Isabella suggested, gesturing towards the door. Lucanis grinned before opening the door for her, bringing her into the larger room and into the awaiting crowd. Isabella held her chin high with a light smile on her lips. It would be a long night indeed, but she always did have something to look forward to with Lucanis by her side.
Day 6 for Reunion! I'll say, it's a bit of a loose interpretation, but I think it still works.
A Lucanis/Rook fic, ft Isabella de Riva, which takes place after the events of Veilguard where Isabella returns to the Crows and accepts more contracts.
AO3
Rating: T, Word Count: 1541
Isabella climbed in through her bedroom window, not wanting to accidentally run into Viago. She could see him in the morning after she had a decent night’s sleep.
She had just finished her latest assassination contract against a nobleman who was ripping off the merchant princes down at the docks. The war against Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain had been costly, and now there were powerful people seeking to gain their own wealth from the aftermath. The Crows had been busy with contracts and meetings for weeks now, and Isabella had returned to the fold as she had asked.
However, that also meant that with the increase of contracts and the loss of Crows in battle during the war, she needed to complete more than she usually did. Viago only gave her contracts that kept her in Treviso or the surrounding area in an effort to keep her identity secret still. Rook was a masked vigilante as far as most people were concerned, and very few outside those who worked close to Rook knew what she looked like. There weren't any bounties on her head or calls for her arrest, but Viago didn't want her life to get more complicated.
She walked over to her wardrobe and started to disrobe. She removed her cape and her belt of poisons and knives, placing her bow next to her leg just in case there was an incident. That was when she heard something behind her, and she grabbed her bow and an arrow before turning.
Isabella nearly doubled over in relief to see Lucanis had sneaked into her room. She still held her bow in her hands, wondering why he was in her room to begin with. They had made plans to see each other once the contract was over, but it was to meet at Cafe Pietra. Not at the de Riva estate.
"Luca, what are you doing here?" Isabella asked, shaking her head. Lucanis stepped forward, gently taking her weapon from her. She narrowed her eyes, her mind still in work mode. He smiled, seeing the well-trained Crow that she was.
"I wanted to see you, and I heard that you had finished your contract today," he informed before she released her weapon. She frowned, finding that hard to believe.
"You heard about that? I killed the man barely an hour ago, amore mio," Isabella pointed out, her tone a little sharper than he expected. He sighed, realizing what this looked like from her stance.
"Alright, I knew you were on a job, and I've been waiting for you to come back," Lucanis admitted, his cheeks heating up. Isabella relaxed, surprised at him, and she smiled.
"Shouldn't the First Talon have more important things to do than lurk in a Crow's quarters?" she teased lightly, soothing over her earlier words. "I'm sure that your grandmother would have words with you."
"Oh, I'm positive that she would disapprove, but she doesn't need to know about my whereabouts all the time," he countered, stepping closer to her. He threaded an arm around her waist, pulling her in. "We were supposed to meet up for coffee, Isa."
"Yes, when the job was done."
"Two jobs ago."
"It wasn't two jobs ago," she argued, shaking her head before thinking about it. Viago had been handing her several contracts at a time. She had been seeing each meeting with Viago as a job rather than the individual contracts. Lucanis likely saw it in a different light. "I was going to reach out when the nobleman was dead. Viago has me working on a few at a time."
"Are you efficient working like that? I don't want there to be any mistakes," he reminded, his voice growing with concern. Any mistakes would likely go to him, and he wasn't sure he would be able to remain impartial when it came to her punishments within the Crows. Isabella rolled her eyes.
"Viago is monitoring everything, and I'm fine. It's easier than managing seven different people and saving Thedas," Isabella reminded, resting her hands on his chest as she looked at him. "I promise that I have everything under control, caro mio. It's just busier than normal."
"I've noticed. We've started letting Illario pick up contracts."
"Are you alright with that?"
"He'll be fine. He still cares about the Crows in the end, and he will do right by us," Lucanis admitted with a sigh. "But I think you need a break."
"Everyone needs a break, Luca. I'm hardly the only one who has been taking multiple jobs at once," Isabella reminded, rolling her eyes. "I want to pull my weight and show that I am still up to par with everyone now that I'm back with the Crows."
"You have nothing to prove."
"I have nothing to prove to you, Viago, or Teia. That still leaves the rest of the Crows and five other Talons who still remember me by my stunt that got me banished. If I can prove that I am up to par now that I'm back, then I can rest," Isabella reassured, stepping away from his embrace. Lucanis frowned as Isabella started to take off her armor.
"Isa, I haven't seen or heard from you in nearly a week," Lucanis pointed out, leaning against the wall as he stared at the ground. He folded his arms, doing his best not to be too upset. "Viago is the only source I have to know that you are okay. I thought that we were going to go out on assignments together?"
"We still can, Signor First Talon, but you need to find the time to come with me," Isabella answered plainly. Lucanis remained quiet, not liking that answer. She sighed as she pulled on her sleep clothes. "Look, I don't have any more contracts for now. I need to report my success to Viago so he knows that I've completed my jobs, but then I'm free until my next set of contracts."
"Just until then?" Lucanis asked as Isabella nodded, walking back to him. She cupped his cheek, bringing his gaze to hers.
"Once we have my reputation fixed, then we can go out together on jobs."
"And how long will that take?"
"I can't imagine much longer. This last one needed a little bit of flourish, so it likely garnered a little bit of attention," Isabella smiled, moving her hands to his before pulling him off the wall. Lucanis grumbled as she tilted her head. "I think another batch of contracts, and then I can calm it down a little, amore. Would that make you less grumpy?"
"I am not grumpy, and I would prefer that you weren't constantly away for work," Lucanis answered, touching his forehead to hers. Isabella exhaled as she closed her eyes.
"I know," she whispered before staring at him. "Will you stay with me tonight?"
"Won't Viago be pissed if he finds out?" he wondered as she shrugged.
"Probably, but he can't be too upset with the First Talon, at least publicly. You just have to be gone by morning," she answered, staring at him. He frowned, still on the fence. "Why don't we go out tomorrow? Not just for coffee. We can do whatever you want, amore."
"And then you are going to disappear on me again."
"For a few days, Luca," she whispered, pulling away from him. "You knew that this would be the deal when we finished the blighted gods contract. I can't skirt my de Riva duties."
"I count the days until you're a Dellamorte," Lucanis murmured, stepping towards her. Isabella chuckled, letting him bring a hand to her cheek.
"I'm sure you do," she whispered before leaning into him. "I look forward to that day, too, caro mio. We just have to get through this point of our lives first," she reminded. Lucanis growled, and Isabella was sure that Spite was behind the sound as well. "So, do you want to meet for coffee tomorrow or not?"
"I would like to spend every waking moment with you," Lucanis reminded quietly.
"Then we will go to Cafe Pietra after I stop by the Diamond to drop off my good news," she added, holding his hand against her cheek. "Then the rest of the day is yours, Dellamorte. We can do whatever you want."
"Anything?"
"Anything. Within reason, of course. I'm not interested in fighting anymore gods or anything like that."
"I will keep that in mind," Lucanis answered before leaning in, capturing her lips with his.
Isabella moaned as she pressed herself against him, finally feeling at home after so many days on contracts. She never felt safer than in her lover's arms, and she was grateful that he came to see her. If she had known that he was waiting for her, she would have rushed back home much faster than she had.
With a gasp, she broke the kiss, looking at him with adoration. He smiled with a similar feeling filling his chest.
"I'll stay tonight," Lucanis informed, kissing her again.
"Good," she whispered against his lips, grinning widely. She felt his chest rumble with his light laugh, and she melted in his embrace.
Maybe she could push off the contracts for a few more days.
