I was tagged by the incomparable @idunnaldwir twice in the past two weeks, and I'm finally getting around to it this week. In response I'm going to tag @sheeradarkphoenix, @wickedviago, @fenrelmercar,& @amellderiva
I'm kind of excited for the way this fic is going, and it's kind of consumed by life, so here's a snippet of the latest chapter I've been writing and also creating little posters when I can.
Previews of the posters, one I'm not to sure if I should continue here:↓
Both are for my Dragon Age x Cyberpunk 2077 crossover AU in which Solas is trapped beyond the Blackwall, with a tenuous connection to Rook on the other side. As he's trying to save lost ghosts and young AI born of the digital wasteland, a rather determined spirit trying to find sanctuary at his datafort, the Lighthouse. Read the first 3 chapters here: [LINK]
Snippet below~
There was indeed an AI trying to force its way into the Lighthouse, the seamless security confusing it. It scratched and yowled at the fortress like a cat left out in the rain.
“Get away! Must get inside! She calls. Don’t let her get meee!”
Solas reached a hand to try and sense where the tether had latch onto the AI.
“Scentsing the BEYOND. Smells like blood…and bullets.”
The cries of the AI warped its figure, the ultraviolet mass dipping into a grey as static frilled its edges.
“It’s alright, I am here,” Solas approached with a soothing voice, focusing on the trace that caused its distress before its colour dulled any futher, “be still, I will free you.”
A sharp pull yanked the entity back a few feet towards the Blackwall, the tapestry of code bent inward as the stubborn thread held strong. The AI forced itself towards the Lighthouse, willed its many legs to march towards it. The line tugged again, and in a last-ditch effort to fight its way out of capture, wings plumed out from its back, beating furiously against the pull. It managed to gain a few inches before its wings only got caught in the vacuum of the newly formed rift, flying another mile away towards it.
Solas chased after it, straining to home in on the signal as he zapped through cyberspace to edge of the Blackwall. He found the AI latching its claws into the folds of code, fighting to push itself back over to this side as the haze of black and red spilled over its fingers, infecting it and changing its hue. The once white and pale blue code darkened into a menacing purplish hue.
Solas countered the line of code forcing the AI to cross over, his hacking capabilities out of sync with this tangled string of measures. He pressed deeper, searching through the heart of its code until he found a weakness to exploit, forcing his commands through the noise of the Blackwall until at last it cut the AI loose. He reached in and pulled the entity back through the barrier, the AI latched its talons into Solas’s arms, desperately and violently ripping through his projection until he too began to stammer and shake with the interference of the Black ICE, the torn rift closing around its body.
“No!” it howled, “Take me out!”
Solas mustered the rest of his will to haul the AI through, its wings thrashing wildly. Exhaustion crept up on him as he tried to stave off the corruption slowly infecting them both. His strength waned as more lines of code lassoed themselves around the AI, its eyes wide with anger and fear.
Solas caught glimpses of the space beyond, the fractured yet clear subnets splintered in all directions, the simple fortresses like bland, unfinished pillars. He heard voices of the ignorant and unaware masses going about their lives, driven to consumption, exploitation and cruelty. An idea sparked, and he relaxed as he cradled the face of the AI.
“Listen to me, Child of the wastes,” he said, the song of his voice trying to soothe the struggling victim before him, “I am sorry, I cannot save you. But your purpose may yet serve to dispel the curse of the Blackwall.”
The AI’s eyes bled a bright purple, still hoisting itself through the rift, though its strength failed against the tether.
“Find Rook. Bring her to me, and I will ensure you your freedom.”
He released the AI and stepped back as it fell through, the rift slowly stitched itself together again to reinforce the Wall. The AI stared at him, the ICE seeping into its code until it was consumed by it. Its face contorted into a snarl dripping with spite as it screamed, clawed, gnashed against the reformed barrier, dragged away by the chains forcing into the New Net.
Solas turned away and transferred himself back to the Lighthouse.
