Birds Of a Feather - Chapter 42 - Settling In - Is now up on Ao3
Snippet:
Life at the Villa is very different to what Manuelle and Devotion are used to, but they are settling in well. They were still reeling from Lucanis, Altara, and Spites offer to adopt them. Meanwhile, Pike gets a promotion, becoming the Representative for House Cantori for Tiea, and is given leave to take up full residence in Villa Dellamorte, and he asks Dante and Toya on dates, wanting to get to know them better.
READ CHAPTER 42 HERE
Snippet under the cut
Snippet:
"It's very relaxing, taking care of the plants. Maybe we can look and see if the vegetable patch needs some tending to? I wouldn't approach the rest of the flowers too close, they are poisonous, but we can definitely go pick some fruits." Dante babbles, leading them toward the trees.
"We probably shouldn't interfere with the plants without Lucanis or Altara here, but they probably won't mind if we pick some apples, oranges an lemons," Toya says, picking an apple and biting into it. "They're really sweet," she says in surprise.
Manuelle reaches up and picks an apple, and takes a little bite to
"Oh shes, right, these are lovely, and the flesh is pink too, see." She shows Dante with a smile.
"Maybe we can ask for an apple pie?"Dante grins as they pick an apple of their own and take a bite. "Oh! They're so good!" They gasp.
"Oh, that's a great idea, Lucanis is a great cook." Toya smiles.
"I suppose he did make a nice dinner on the ship." Manuelle muses, with a blush. Lucanis was so handsome, Altara and Spite were so lucky.
Dante notices the blush and grins.
"Does someone have a bit of a crush?" They tease.
"What, me, oh, um, no, of course not...I." Manuelle blushes furiously.
"I mean, we wouldn't blame you if you did, Lucanis is hot." Toya grins, making Manuelle blush even more.
"I shouldn't, he's married," Manuelle says shyly.
"There is nothing wrong with appreciating a handsome Antivan." Toya grins.
"Definitely not blaming you, I swear we've all been there!" Dante chuckles. "Like, I swear it's a prerequisite that all Crows have to be hot." They Laugh.
"You should have seen him and Spite spar." Toya laughs, fanning herself.
"They took their shirts off." She giggles.
"She was fanning herself. It was that hot. I should feel a teeny bit jealous at that." Dante laughs.
"Like you weren't checking them out too." Toya grins.
"Yeah, but I totally checked you out too, you know! When you two were sparring! " Dante grinned.
"I still cant believe Lucanis is training me." Toya grins wider. "The Demon of Vyrantium." she laughs, no crow could boast that.
"whats he like?" Manuelle asks excitedly.
"Strict but fair, and nice to look at too, as long as I dont get distracted." She laughs, she was only half joking. "He's the kindest man I know, well Pike is to of course, and Spite." She smiles.
Birds Of A Feather Chapter 19 - Unlocked Memories is up on a03
Summary:
Trapped within his own mind, Spite relives his memories of the Ossuary, the echoes of what he once was. He realises the demons they’ve been hunting are fragments of himself, cut away by the Venatori. They had made him small, leaving behind a rage he barely recognises. Afraid that this anger will harm the ones he loves, Spite retreats inward, hiding in his own mind the same way Lucanis had done years before. Refusing to leave him trapped, Dante does what they can to reach him. They understand now, this mission to save the demons of the Ossuary, it was never just about doing the right thing. It was about saving Spite, too.
READ CHAPTER 19 HERE
Snippet under the cut
Snippet:
Spite didn't seem to be anywhere nearby. Had he flown off? He probably wouldn't leave the Villa grounds at least, but it was a big area to search, then Dante remembered where he took them for training, he had said it was a good place to think.
They head straight there, trying to calm down their own worries.
"Spite?" They call out softly.
They hear muttering and the sound of someone pacing. As they walk through the archway, they spot Spite. He seems agitated and is scratching his arm occasionally, as if it irritates him.
"Need to get out, can't leave." He growls in frustration. "Don't want to be here again." He sounded panicked. "Don't want to hurt them." He whines.
"Altara helped us leave. Why are we here now? Talked to Frances, shouldn't be here again." He tugs at his hair, pulling at the strands, getting angry as he does so.
Dante approaches carefully, slowly, making sure he sees them.
"Hey." They say softly.
He startles, his eyes wide.
"Shouldn't be here." He mutters. Dante wasn't sure if he was talking about them or himself.
"You help?" He steps closer to them, his eyes desperate and afraid. "Get me OUT!" He pleads, reaching for their hand.
Dante takes his hand even though they are not sure what is about to happen.
Suddenly, they feel like they are falling, a familiar sensation, but when their vision clears, Spites is nowhere to be seen.
Birds Of A Feather - Chapter 41 - Family - is up on A03
Summary:
The crows were finally home, and Dante's sister was safe and settling in, when Spite let's slip more than he should. Lucanis & Altara reveal they would like to formally adopt Dante and Manuelle, not just into House Dellamorte, but as their children, an offer of family and protection. The sisters are unsure what to make of the offer, they still have unfinished business to take care of, but Lucanis assures them the offer will stay open, that they can have all the time they need to decide.
READ CHAPTER 41 HERE
Snippet under the cut
Snippet:
They hear conversation in the dining room. Lucanis sounds upset.
"It was like looking into a mirror, Altara." He says, he sounds like he is pacing.
"She is going to be fine, she has you and Spite, and the rest of us. I'm just sorry I wasn't much help back then." Altara sighs.
"You...You were what kept me going...without you, Spite and I...We never would have reached an understanding." Lucanis confesses.
"Opens doors, helps, loved us when we hated us." Spite chimes in.
"I love you so much," Lucanis whispers.
"I love you, too, both of you." She whispers back.
Dante thinks they are kissing before they hear Lucanis clear his throat.
"I would be lost without you." He chuckles. "We should compose ourselves before our little crows join us." They can hear the smile in his voice.
"But you're so cute with your hair all messed up like that." Altara teases.
"Teases us, naughty Rook." Spite purs.
"Spite, please, I am First Talon, I cant be looking a mess." Lucanis scolds.
Dante looks at Manuelle as they hear that, wondering what she was thinking about all of it, but not wanting to push.
Instead, they clear their throat loudly, making sure they are heard.
"Are we the firsts here?" Dante says by the door.
They hear the sound of chairs moving inside and Lucanis clearing his throat again. Spite was snickering in the background.
Dante and Manuelle step into the dining hall together.
"We're not interrupting anything, are we? I'm surprised Toya isn't here yet, she went ahead of me. I guess she's been distracted..." Dante chuckles.
"Interrupting anything? Not at all." Lucanis clears his throat, running a hand through his hair, hoping it didnt look too messy.
Spite snickers again, looking pleased, his eyes settle on Manuelle a moment later.
OK?
Manuelle looks at Spite, confused for a moment, she had not seen him open his mouth to speak, yet she had heard him loud and clear.
Wait, how?
Devotion is mine, can speak with my children.
Is Devotion is your daughter?
Spite chuckles at her reaction.
No, but in a way, yes.
Manuelle smiles, glad that Devotion had someone other than her.
My origin, I am part of the whole, Determination, Father.
Birds Of A Feather - Chapter 32 - Nightmare - Is now up on A03
Summary:
The contract was finally here, a way into Feraldan for the crows, but the words on paper were Dante's worst nightmare. For Lucanis, History was repeating itself, a non-mage just like him has had a demon forced into them. This was no longer about rescuing a fragment of Spite, they were rescuing an abomination before it became a true abomination, twisted by the Venatori's machinations. The contract states they want the host Dead. They paid double Lucanis's usual fee to hire him personally, but Lucanis has a plan. Dante just had to trust him.
READ CHAPTER 32 HERE
Snippet under the cut
Snippet:
"They went into the meeting room, come on." She sneaks down the hall and slips into the dining room. It's dark inside, it would be a few hours before the servants prepared it for dinner service.
They hear raised voices from the meeting room next door, the tail end of a conversation.
"When will this nightmare end!" Lucanis growls angrily, his hands slamming on the desk.
"Last one, no more experiments. We kill Venatori, stop them!" Spite says softly.
"What does the contract say exactly?" Altara asks, sounding concerned.
"They asked for me specifically. 80,000 Andris, that's more than my usual fee, but the target, I cant...." Lucanis sounds incredibly distressed.
Did he know the target?
"We find another way." Spite growls.
"There must be a way for both parties to be satisfied." Lucanis sighs.
"We tricked a god once, how hard can it be to trick the Petitioner? We could fake the target's death." Altara jokes.
"That's.....actually not a bad idea." Lucanis muses, sounding amused. "I would be lost without you." They can hear the smile in his voice.
"Rook fixes everything." Spite husks.
"She does." He purrs. "My darling Wife." Lucanis chuckles huskily.
They hear Altara gasp, followed by a muffled moan.
where they were kissing.
"Lucanis." Spite purrs.
They hear the sound of someone hitting the wall.
Toya pulls away from the wall and blushes furiously.
"We should go." She hisses.
Dante nods, and they make a hasty exit.
"Do you think it's the Feraldan Contract, Spite said the last one. Toya muses out loud as they walk back down the stairs.
"It sounded like it. I know we don't want to kill the hosts if we can, but why did he sound so distraught about this one specifically?" Dante ponders.
"I have a feeling we will find out, either tonight at dinner or tomorrow after breakfast," Toya says, fiddling with her sleeve nervously.
"He sounded really upset, maybe he knows the target." She shrugs.
"Yeah. I know..." Dante sighs. "Let's go back. Pike said he would stay in the training grounds." They say heading for the exit.
"Right." Toya nods and runs out into the courtyard to head back.
Pike darts across the obstacle course, flipping and jumping over gaps, weaving between posts, shooting targets with throwing daggers with each jump and hitting the bullseye on each one before flipping off the end and landing on his feet, surveying his targets with a grin.
He spots them both coming back and quickly collects his daggers.
"Any luck?" he asked curiously.
"Something got Lucanis upset about the contract, as if he knew the target and it's uh...It's a really big one. They reached out to him directly for it. That can't be good." Dante sighs.
"They could afford to hire the Demon of Vyrantium?" Pike says, looking surprised.
"Must be a big contract indeed." He muses, rubbing his beard.
Birds Of A Feather Chapter 34 - The House of Repose is now up on A03
Summary:
Lucanis struggles with nightmares of the past, before the ship finally reaches its destination in Denerim. The gang disguises themselves as a rich noble, his son and two servants, and as they go about acquiring a coach and horses to Lothering, they are approached by someone claiming to be from the House of Repose with a warning. After they deal with them, they realise he's from the same splinter group that attacked Lucanis in Treviso. eventually the real House of Repose requests an audience, and Lucanis finds himself having to make a deal that could land him in trouble with the crows. Luckily, he had not informed them of his visit to Feraldan, but that was a problem he could deal with later, right now, they had a mission and time was running out.
READ CHAPTER 34 HERE
Snippet under the cut
Snippet:
For several hours, there is only the sound of the ship rocking and creaking, and soft breathing in the cabin, but then there is movement, the whisper of fabric and a choked sound of pain coming from Lucanis's side of the cabin.
The noise is enough to wake Dante. They carefully sit up, not wanting to wake the two others in their bed. They glance over to Lucanis and realise he was having a nightmare.
"No, I cant let them, no....please...." He whimpers, stirring Spite.
"They're taking too much......I dont....dont make me...." Lucanis thrashed on the bed as if fighting restraints.
Spite pulled Lucanis close and whispered to him gently.
"Just a dream, safe, loved." He cooed. Dante got the feeling this wasn't an unusual occurrence. Spite looks over to Dante for a moment, worried.
"Sp...spite...." Lucanis murmurs in his sleep.
"Spites here, I protect." He smiled as Lucanis rolled onto his side, his nightmare abating. Spite spoons him, curling an arm around his middle protectively and settling back down.
Has nightmares, boat reminds him of bad things
Spite whispers to Dante through their connection to the fade in explanation.
Will be ok, keep secret. Scared to look weak, needs to be strong to lead his birdies
It's okay, I'll keep it secret. I understand. But... Even with that, I don't think he's weak, you know? If there's a way to let him know that.
Dante whispers back
I tell him, always, but stubborn, Grandmother punished weakness, still believes her even now she is gone, tries not to, Rook helps, I help, but hard.
He explains.
I get that too. At least he has you and Altara, like I have Pike and Toya. Makes the fear a little more bearable.
Luca helps Spite, always helping others, forgets himself, we remind him yes.
Spite pulls Lucanis closer, burying his face in his neck.
Lucanis's face relaxes completely, and he looks years younger, even with the greying at his temples and the crows feet around his eyes.
we sleep now, be better in morning.
"What's wrong, you ok?" Pike mumbles, still half asleep, feeling Dante moving around. They kiss Pike's nose.
"I'm okay. I just had a weird dream. Nothing serious." They whisper.
"Alright." He settles back down and pulls them down with him, settling them back down between Toya and himself. He presses a kiss to their temple and falls back to sleep.
Birds Of A Feather Chapter 37 - Family - is up on A03
Summary:
Their mission in the Silken Caress does not go according to plan, the demon was stronger than they anticipated, and Spite falls under its influence, causing a scene that attracts the templars. Luckily, Lucanis and Pike managed to pull through, and everyone escaped relatively unscathed. The team fled the scene with help from an old friend and finds a moment to rest.
READ CHAPTER 37 HERE
Snippet under the cut
Snippet:
They can hear music downstairs, and a familiar voice Dante has not heard in years. They are singing, but the voice is tainted by something dark and seductive, with a hint of malice, as the demon uses her voice to sing a seductive melody meant to ensnare and trap.
Maker Spite, how old is this fragment? I've never felt such power.
Old, first to be cut, strong and pretty
Beautiful...fuck!....Snap out of it, Spite.
Now would be a good time to find that blood. What's taking so long? I do not know how much longer I can resist. I dont want to hurt her, Dante, but I won't have a choice soon.
I'll be fine, I'll be fine. We need to...
Dante gasps in pain, their eyes watering as they clutch their side. Hopefully, they have enough time.
We need to find her blood now.
Toya riffles in her hidden pockets and hands them a small red vial.
Drink this and let's go, it sounds like the others are in trouble if Spites is struggling.
She opens the door and creeps down the hall, then she pauses, glancing down the stairs.
The voice is Hypnotic.
Worship me, love me, crawl on your knees and beg for me.
A sinister feminine laugh echoes from downstairs.
There's a low murmur from the patrons downstairs, chanting her name.
They were lucky to be upstairs, the voice was far enough away that they were not affected by the song.
There are several rooms in the hallway they were in, there was a left and right corners with more rooms and hallways further down.
Dante freezes for a moment, listening to the siren song. They shake their head and carefully head out to listen at the closed door to see if there are any signs of activity. They open the first door on the left side, where it seems quiet on the other side.
It seemed to be a storage room, full of towels and not much else save for a few cobwebs that had been missed by whoever cleaned this place. They move on to the next quiet room.
It was a Vacant room, there was a large bed with silk sheets and velvet curtains. They surmise it was probably a room for meeting with courtesans, the bed is the only furniture in the room.
"I bet they would keep secrets away from the main rooms. Let's check one of the other hallways," Toya whispers, grabbing Dante's shoulder and tugging.
Spite helps Dante and Toya, bringing their minds together so they can share each other’s pain, and through that vulnerability, truly understand one another. The experience helps ease the misunderstanding between them, though it leaves them feeling a little raw. Later, Lucanis offers to cook them anything they want. He sends them to the markets with a list of ingredients, hoping the simple task and a day out might help them recover from their ordeal. It becomes increasingly clear that Spite has grown attached to the young crows, and that Lucanis, despite being First Talon and in a position of authority over them, cares for them more than he lets on.
READ CHAPTER 21 HERE
Snippet under the cut
Snippet:
They find themselves back in the kitchen by the fire, still holding Spite's hands, pink tears trail down his cheeks as he looks at them, and they find themselves both crying too.
Altara had joined Lucanis at some point, and they stood by the kitchen counter with worried expressions. Lucanis arms were around his wife, holding her in a loose hug. They both had tears in their eyes.
Spite sniffs, wiping at his eyes, trying to hide his tears before he looked at Lucanis and Altara, his lower lip trembling.
"They hurt," He sniffs.
"I know," Lucanis said, his voice cracking with emotion.
"We saw, I..." Altara trails off. "I'm so sorry for what you both went through." She says softly.
"I promise you, we will kill every single Blood mage." Lucanis growl's, "For all they have taken." He says, bringing over two cups of hot chocolate.
Dante picks up one of the cups and hands it to Toya before taking their own. They take a small sip, still shaking.
"How many more, though? How many more spirits are in their hands? How many will they hurt in the meantime?" Dante sighs.
"There are two left on the list," Lucanis says, pouring himself a coffee and bringing a plate of Churros over to them.
"I thought you might like something sweet." He smiles, placing the plate on the table between their chairs.
"I have Illario and my entire spy network looking for any leads, but I have to keep up with the usual running of the crows, as First Talon. There is only so much I can do. The crows are a neutral organisation, any resources I use will be under alot of scrutiny by other countries." He explains.
"I have the veilguard helping, of course, Harding might have a lead on one of the remaining demons in the Anderfels, but she needs more time." He sighs.
"For now, we continue your training." He says, sipping his coffee.
"Thank you." The sweet pastries made Dante smile a little as they took a bite.
"You're okay, though? It wouldn't do if you wear yourself too thin. Is there anything we can do to help?" They asked in concern, seeing how tired he looked.
"What's a few more grey hairs?" Lucanis jokes.
"Silver fox." Spite snickers, making Lucanis blush.
"He's right, you know, I think you look rather dashing." Altara teases.
Lucanis clears his throat.
"I appreciate the offer, Dante. It's Nothing I can't handle, right now I need you to concentrate on your training, and that means I need you both to be ok." He kneels in front of them both.
"That means you take care of your mental health, too. I want you both to have regular sessions with Dr Frances." He says, looking between them as he smiles warmly.
It was clear Lucanis cared about them both, it was plain to see in his eyes that he wasn't just saying this as their First Talon.
"We will, right? We will. Although not today. I..." Dante chuckles and rubs their face. "I kinda still want to have a date. But okay, definitely tomorrow." They sniffle and nod.
Lucanis raises an eyebrow.
"I have an idea." He grins, looking between them.
"Why not have a romantic meal here, theres a dining room in the guest house, I could cook whatever you like and have the servants serve it to you." He smiles.
"Anything we like?" Toya asks, sounding a little excited.
"Of course, I still haven't thanked Dante for helping Spite, and you both have been through alot today, it's the least I can do." He smiles.
Birds Of A Feather - Chapter 29 - Influence is now up on A03
Summary:
The gang need to train to resist Demonic influence for their mission in Feraldan, and Spite is all too happy to help. The young crows struggle to resist at first, easily made to kneel, but eventually their determination wins out, and they pass the first test. After Lucanis then makes them spar to see how well they could resist Spite's influence while distracted, when Pike starts joking around and not taking it seriously, the First Talon gets angry and makes an example of Pike to the others, embarrassing him and reminding him how serious their mission was. When training is over, Dante needs a moment to collect their thoughts, and Passion reminds them they are not alone.
READ CHAPTER 29 HERE
Snippet under the cut:
Snippet:
The dining room is quiet this morning, Lucanis, Altara and Spite in their usual places, with Pike sitting next to Spite.
Lucanis was nursing his coffee like it was sacred, he looked like he had been up all night. Altara didnt look much better, even Spite looked a little tired.
It seemed the First Talon was working tirelessly to establish diplomatic relations with Feraldan.
"Seriously, how do you make these pastries so flaky? Mine are always so brittle." Pike grumbles.
"I'm happy to share my methods. Perhaps after training, you can join me in the kitchen. It would be nice to talk to a fellow cook." Lucanis chuckles.
"Anyone want more coffee?" Dante asks before making their own, and some for Toya. They look up at Pike as they settle the mugs. "Want me to make you one?" They smile, despite the general mood of tiredness permeating the place.
"I uh actually prefer tea," Pike says, rubbing his neck when Lucanis, Altara and Spite all stare at him like he had grown a second head.
They laugh.
"Oh, that probably wasn't the best thing to say, but okay. I'll make you a cup." They wave at the others with a chuckle.
"I know coffee is a popular drink, but I always found it too bitter." Pike sighs.
"Have you tried it with sugar and cream?" Lucanis asks, as always, eager to convert tea drinkers.
"It's pretty nice like that, Pike, you should try it." Altara grins knowingly at Lucanis.
"Coffee good, tea like dirt." Spite grins, pretending to gag.
"If Tea tastes like dirt, it's because you either overstepped it or it's a blend you don't like. I can't do floral teas at all. But give me a good spice blend, one with a splash of milk and sugar in it? That one is great. If you really think about it, it's all plant juice either way." Dante chuckles and shrugs.
"Personally, coffee is for the morning, and tea is for the evening. The rest is just a matter of preference," they add.
"Bah!" Spite grumbled, turning his nose up at the very idea of tea.
Lucanis always found Spite's reaction to tea drinkers entertaining. While he himself hated tea, other than trying to convince tea drinkers that coffee was better, he kept his distaste to himself.
"You will never convince Spite tea is nice, believe me, Emmrich has tried so many times." Altara chuckles.
"To each their own." Dante shrugs with a smile.
"Regardless, please eat your fill, you will need your energy for training today," Lucanis says, sounding serious.
"So this demon resistance training, what exactly does it entail?" Pike asks curiously.
"I must admit im curious to," Toya says, glancing at Spite nervously.
"Will find out." He says, grinning at her.
Dante brings Toya and Pike their drinks and eats their food without any further commentary.
They were curious as well, but at the same time, they were nervous and didn't want to think too much about it.
"No Fear, won't hurt." Spite soothes, "Never hurt, what's mine." He says, hoping to reassure them.
Pike raises an eyebrow at the term and glances at Lucanis and Altara. When they dont react negatively to the comment, he shrugs. He was pretty certain he didnt mean romantically, or at least he hoped not.
Spite snorted, glancing at Pike and grinning.
"Silly crow." He laughs.
Pike shoots him a glare but says nothing more. There was no hiding thoughts from Spite, it seemed.
He wonders if that's why Spite isn't allowed to play Wicked Grace in the Diamond anymore.
