Idk anymore I’m just here for the vibes and accepting the challenge to share something I’m proud of given by @ofcrowsanddragons & @biowaredisasterbisexual
And even though ik some of you have done this or been tagged already I’m tagging you anyway bc I want tags back so I can share your stuff 😤 (and also hi): @thedissonantverses, @hyperions-light, @bygonesigh , @mythals-whore, @introvertedfangrl, @muqington, @operative-arrow, @mercars-musings, @corvus-frugilegus, @propenseverbosity, @pavuslavellan
And taking this opportunity to share something I have not really shared here yet beyond the first line! Mostlyyyy because I’ve barely done any editing on it yet (I’m working on it I swear, for those of you who’ve already read it) but I’m still really proud of how this section turned out 😅
For those of you also reading Per Esseri Veri, it is the one mentioned in chapter 6 :)
Anyhoo, have a bit of a lighthearted piece about a silly (informal) contract Lucanis accepted from Viago (vaguely set around the same time as the infamous dagger gift who knows exactly, not me) feat. a young gambling Rook de Riva and a very ugly hat
Viago de Riva had squandered the last of the goodwill he’d accrued with House Dellamorte. If not with that house entire then, most certainly, with one of its three primary members. However, two facts presented themselves as challenges to how Lucanis might make this change in status known to the Talon of House de Riva.
For the first, he was forced to acknowledge that he did not have nearly enough sway with the Talon of his own house as being the more favored of her grandsons might suggest. As for the second… his present irritation with the man in question did not run deep enough to inspire any genuine vindictive feeling.
Instead, he entertained himself imagining a series of minor slights that would, perhaps, get the point across. Unfortunately, the Talon was already so devastatingly unimpressed with him that none of them were likely to cause more than brief irritation.
Entertaining to think about, nonetheless.
Rather, it kept him occupied while he waited for his mark to make an appearance.
Viago had given him little in that regard. Look for the ugliest hat in the place, the Talon had instructed him in his missive, alongside little else but the name of the tavern and an address.
Lucanis had to give it to him: the hat was, indeed, very ugly.
An old, wide-brimmed felt thing not unlike something he’d seen in the country. Whatever color it had been before had faded to a muddled gray, pinned up on one side, and a scraggly black feather stuck through it to make it all the worse. Illario would have deemed it an insult to hats had he been there to see it, Lucanis was certain, he could almost hear the droll remark in his cousin’s voice. The youth wore it tilted high on their forehead in a jaunty fashion that matched the confidence with which they sauntered into the tavern, a silk cape that had seen better days tossed back over their shoulders.
He tracked them from his corner table as they crossed the smoke-filled taproom to a group of rough-looking men already deep in their cups.
Sailors, by the look of them. Or, more likely, fishermen. In their flat caps, and threadbare linen shirts stained with old sweat, fully brined from a day’s labor hauling in nets—he could smell them from where he sat. They’d been telling ribald stories over their card game for the last hour, growing more brazen with the barmaid who kept their tankards filled.
Now, they laughed loudly and elbowed one another as the youth approached. There was a telling flash of coin. A pause. Then the scrape of stools as the group made room for one more in their game.
He caught an expression that passed between a few of them, but the youth took no notice as they settled in, hat firmly in place. The first round, unsurprisingly, went to the youth. Then the second and the third. Their pile of coins quite high, they now wagered the entirety on a fourth round. Confident in their winning streak, and aided by ale, with no little encouragement from the woman serving the table, they had no idea they were about to lose it all.
Internally, he sighed from his corner, ready to finish this contract and be done with it—and Viago de Riva—for good. Once the youth lost their winnings, there would be his opening.
As expected, the youth was sorely fleeced and Lucanis prepared to move as they begged for another hand to be dealt. The men rebuffed them at first, demanding to know what they would wager now their money had been claimed. Silence fell among the group as the youth produced a gold andris—the single coin worth more than what they’d won.
Lucanis sat up a little straighter, his eyes narrowing as he watched the group regather. There was some argument as to who would meet the bet until they put forth their agreed upon representative, pooling their earnings together in an attempt to win the andris off the youth. Eventually, they all settled once more at the table, while the cards were shuffled and dealt between them.
The energy in the tavern seemed to shift, becoming quieter, breaths bated, as all eyes turned to the game.
For folks new to this blog (hi! Welcome to the chaos!), every Sunday I make myself post something I’ve written in the past week in order to create a false deadline and trick my ADHD such that I can get work done.
Writer’s block has its sights set on me, so I’ve been experimenting with various ways to avoid it. Mixed success there, and to be fair this last week sure was a hell of a year, so hoping working on my Davrin Week ficlets for Davrin Week will shake things lose.
Still, I did manage to write a little. And so, as proof-of-work and also Sample Sunday (thanks for the tag @thatgaymerguyb!), some unedited/unbeta’d Modern AU (tm) below the cut.
I’ll tag, for Sample Sunday (exceedingly gently): @hyperions-light, @ofcrowsanddragons, @bygonesigh, @basedonconjecture, @dymme, @mageofquandrix, @thedissonantverses, @mythals-whore, @jouskaroo, @davrinsleftpectoral, @cocoboots, @galluslonging, @grimrevolution, @becausedragonage, and anyone reading this who wants to!
Rook watched her for a long moment, and Neve could almost feel him deciding whether or not to ask more questions, before he nodded, seemingly satisfied. “I talked to Tarquin this morning—”
How early had he woken up, and how had Neve not noticed him leaving?
“— he’s got people watching the warehouse. Said he and Ashur could come by whenever you were ready.”
Neve raised an eyebrow. “You invited them here? To my place?”
Rook smiled sheepishly. “I figured you probably wouldn’t want to move whatever was in that box again. I saw all the wards you set.”
He was right, which was oddly annoying. But the annoyance faded as he tacked on, “Sorry. I should’ve asked first. If it helps, I only told them to come to the office, not up here.”
“You seem to have a habit of asking for forgiveness rather than permission,” she said, keeping her tone light so as to mitigate any potential sting in the observation.
“Guilty,” he conceded. “What was it Varric said? I tend to think in straight lines?”
“So you do what you see needs to be done, and then think about the branching consequences later?” Neve interpreted. She made a mental note to prod Varric for more information when she had the time.
He chuckled. “Something like that.”
“How are you still alive?” She wondered, shaking her head.
Before I went to bed, I thought I'd post a little sample of Hope and Fear.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/63570856
"Can anyone get up on him?" yelled Rook. They came to a stop at a small clearing as Assan had dropped down in front of Dav'ari causing the child to pause. "Dav'ari what's wrong calm down, you're safe now." Davrin watched as the child lunged for Assan, and the griffon jumped over him before circling back around.
"Dav'ari that's Assan. Remember? He's your buddy," called Davrin. Suddenly random patches of ground in the clearing began to catch fire. "Rook, what are you doing?"
"That's not me," Rook said his voice laced with panic.
"I'll get it," said Neve as the last person to catch up. "Rook, Bel, can you feel that?" Neve cast an ice spell to put out the fires.
"Feel what?" asked Davrin looking to Rook. He could see a worry he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Mierda, he's become an abomination," Lucanis took a step forward as purple wings emerged from his back. "Spite can feel it."
"Lucanis what're you doing?" Davrin tensed up not sure what was about to happen but ready to act if needed. "Rook, can't you do something?"
Rook shook his head. Davrin could see the helplessness on Rook's face as Dav'ari turned to face them and rose in the air. Without warning Lucanis flew through the air everything seemed to slow as Davrin ran toward the child as well.
"Lucanis, please!" he yelled. Lucanis made it to the child first and grabbed him mid-air, the two took a tumble as Spite's wings wrapped around them breaking their fall. They hit the ground and the wings disappeared, but Davrin could see that Spite had control of Lucanis's body, as Dav'ari continued to struggle against him.
"Child is not yours!" Spite growled, Davrin fell to his knees a few feet from them not sure what to do. He watched as Dav'ari bit, kicked and punched at Lucanis' body. Spite held him by the chest and head. The fires continued to sprinkle the clearing at an alarming speed, Neve was barely keeping up with them.
"Dav'ari I know you're in there! If you can hear my voice you have to come back, don't let this thing win!" called Davrin feeling like he was calling into the void. Bellara walked up beside him her artifact swirling around her arm in strange patterns.
"Hang on Lucanis I've got this!" she yelled. "Come on almost there." Bellara waved her hands around a bit in front of her casting some kind of spell. Her artifact bracelet made a snapping noise and there was a flicker of light as Dav'ari fell asleep and went limp in Lucanis' arms. Spite was still in control as he stood and held Dav'ari in his arms. Davrin stood up and Spite passed the child to him.
"Thank you, Spite," Davrin felt weird even speaking the words. He had long accepted Spite as part of Lucanis, but never had he been grateful to it.
"We help little Davrin," said Spite as it gave control back to Lucanis, who clutched at his side where Dav'ari had kicked him.
"Is he okay?" asked Lucanis, stepping in close to look the child over.
"For now," answered Davrin the others came running over, and Rook reached out and touched Dav'ari's face. "Thank you too Bellara, what did you do to him?"
"Don't thank me yet it's a temporary sleep spell, it'll keep him like this for a while to give us time," explained Bellara. "Let's get him back to the aravel." They turned to leave just as Lorrik, Junai and a couple of the other Dalish elves walked into the clearing. His parents ran over to them and the others cleared giving them space.
My dear @pixiedurango tagged me in this writing trend, so here It is! A small sample of the NSFW fic I've finished last night, a Viago x Rook one. I'll post It in a few days (It depends on my anxiety)
And as always, I'm going to tag @nyx-de-riva @antivan-sprig @ezriell @dragonagegayz , their works inspire me so much! (And I blame some of them for my NSFW works!!)
Text (Not spicy yet) after the cut!
Viago walked the path to his villa automatically, paying virtually no attention to anything around
him, causing the guards to have to step aside at full speed to open the gates. He climbed the
stairs with an expression that aroused the fear of those who passed by, and without a word he
reached his chamber, which he closed behind him with a quick flick of the wrist. He was alone at
last.
His own behavior was unacceptable. He, fetching her from a bar, dragging her out simply to enjoy her? A Talon of the Antivan Crows wasn't a youngster craving contact, he wasn't that. No matter
how many lovers he had in the past, the effect Alecto had on him was completely
incomprehensible. The pressure inside his pants reminded Viago that, despite himself, he still
had the boner that the fleeting encounter in the alley had given him. The memory sent a wave
of heat through his body. He needed to calm down, to think clearly. But it was clear he wouldn't
be able to as long as he was this aroused. He had to do something about it.
He took off his clothes, folding them carefully in place, and grabbed the garments he used to
sleep in. He pondered for a second whether or not he was going to put them on, though he
decided to postpone it for the moment. He needed to calm that arousal first, but then he would
indeed get dressed, though if Alecto kept her word - and he was sure she would - he wasn't going
to last long dressed either. But she didn't need to know that, Viago wasn't going to let her find
him naked, as if he were a fervently waiting teenager, ready for her.
A tag from the so very kind @thedissonantverses that got dropped into my notifs.
I just posted a new chapter of Children of the Dark on Friday evening. I haven't started on the next chapter past an outline and a vague inclination of where my characters are taking me.
Anyway! Here's a sample from the latest chapter.
"Okay, Emmrich, if you had to choose, " Veryl started. She was energized by the discussion, high on the feeling of talking about the subject she knew the most about. She put her hands up and gave him his options, "of all the things we could possibly encounter back home, Blood Rain or Chronological Incontinence?"
"Both unappealing options, I must say." Emmrich seemed to take her question seriously, however. He leaned back in his chair and contemplated it with all of the gravity of a consequential academic hypothesis. "I suppose I would rather lose a few minutes rather than have to deal with the repercussions of the rain."
"You've never disappeared, have you?" Veryl accused. She wouldn't choose to disappear again for anything. Chronological Incontinence was painful and disorienting. One moment you were standing amongst the library stacks, the next you were coming back to as though you had passed out. Books scattered across the floor everywhere as a librarian was trying to stifle a scream and you tried not to throw up all over them. There would be a sharp ache behind your ears as your brain tried to make sense of the sudden error of communication in your consciousness.
You can read all of chapter 4 now on ao3, no really, here's a link.
I'm tagging anyone that wants to participate. It's always a good time to share what you're working on.
Oh and specifically @tkwritesdumbassassins cause I need to know what the context of that last line was ;)
As requested, here's the context. Pulled from my still ongoing Chapter 9, Dolor :) Still a WIP so expect rough edges lmao
It was the stranger who moved first with poise and precision. Pale eyes—the same shade as her own she realized—pinned her where she stood, Not unlike the butterflies presented behind glass that her father used to collect. The same ones that had went up in flame not three months ago.
Three months since her mother had burned with them.
Her chest constricted, but the hands hiding behind her back twisted into balls. Thumbnails pressing against skin so tight she wondered briefly about the possibility of skin breaking. Yet she did not avert her gaze.
"My condolences to your loss, messere," Nonna consoled, bringing the man's attention back to her, and finally, Isotta felt safe to let out the breath she had been holding, and she blinked rapidly to offset the sudden dryness in her eyes before switching to the other person in the room. She set aside her plate of crumbs. And yet, her words carried no sincerity within them for they were an expected formality as hollow as her mother's empty urn that sat on the mantle.
A single black manicured nail tapped against her porcelain cup as nonna expanded: "Losing not only your children but your wife as well—"
The Crow said nothing, only sipping from his tea again. His only real acknowledgment a slight incline of his head. The man's ethereal eyes flicked her way again, and Isotta resisted the urge to shudder. She had looked into the literal eyes of madness, and yet an unnamed cold fear coiled itself around her throat, nearly choking her when he looked over—no, inspected—her. "How old is she?"
"I'm twelve," Isotta interjected already not liking the man. She ignored nonna's withering stare as she jutted her chin in quiet defiance. "…Ser," she tactfully added, remembering her spoon-taught manners last minute.
But the Crow sat, unoffended. In fact, a corner of his lip ticked up before he sipped from his cup again. "I sees she's got spirit. That's good."
Here’s a sample of what’s coming next in When Did This Happen?
There is ZERO editing in this sample, but Eric and Hyde are going to have the conversation that they have been avoiding. Here is Showdown....
Eric stood outside Hyde’s hospital room. He had tried three times in the last week to go in and do what he need to do, but he either chickened out, Jackie was guarding Hyde like a dragon, or when he finally got around Jackie, he found Hyde asleep. He was determined today was the day. If he had to kick Jackie out, he would. He would just deal with her fit later. He had visited Hyde a few times, but little had been said between them. Even if either knew what to say to each other, someone was always in the room, and that person was usually Jackie. The person that they needed to talk about. The person who stood between them. They had still hadn’t addressed everything that went down before everything that went to hell. It didn’t matter that Hyde was hurt. They had to clear the air, because Eric knew instinctively that Hyde needed another port in the storm beside Jackie. Even if he didn’t he wouldn’t let Jackie kill herself over this.
Eric wasn’t looking forward to what he had to say, but he couldn’t avoid conflict anymore. He had to face a Hyde whose only outlet for his rage and despair was whatever human had the misfortune to be in the room with him when his mood was shit. Eric knew that Jackie and Hyde had come to some sort of terms that forced him to try at his PT. Neither of them would say what it was, but whatever it was caused them to stare at each other stonily. Despite the terms of whatever their agreement was on a bad day Hyde could be particularly nasty to Jackie. Eric suspected it was because he knew she would weather the storm for him. No matter his mood Jackie could not be deterred. The more patient Jackie was, the more pissed Hyde got. He was starting to wonder if it was some sort of game they played to get a rise out of each other. Whatever it was, Jackie was burning her life from both ends, and it worried Eric. He pushed into Hyde’s room and told himself he could do this.
Eric walked into find Hyde with his eyes closed, looking exhausted. He was about to walk out, disappointed he once again caught Hyde at time that blocked the conversation he felt compelled to have. Before he could move out of the room, Hyde’s grouchy voice called him back,
“What the hell do you want Forman?”
He turned to find a sullen Hyde who looked perturbed he was there. Eric didn’t know why he did it, but he knew sometimes the best way to get Hyde to talk or react was to piss him off, so he went for a grand slam.
“I see you managed to get Jackie to actually leave. What shit ass thing did you say to her now?”
Hyde glared at Eric and snarled back at him
“Fuck off”
Eric rolled his eyes and returned,
“Fuck off. That’s all you got. Damn Hyde….that’s lame.”
Hyde wanted to get out of the bed and kick his friends ass, but he couldn’t and that just pissed him off even more.
“Go to hell Forman.” Hyde spit out. Then he glared at his friend and spewed “actually this is hell. My hell. Feel free to stay and revel in it.”
Every word was full of venom, but Eric could hear the devastation and it near broke him. He didn’t know how Jackie did this. How she could stand to see his despair. He steadied his breathing and pressed on. All of the sudden he found he wanted to make know where Jackie was. Maybe it was so he could clear the hurt he felt for his best friend? Maybe it was because Jackie was his best shield? Or maybe it was a dig to get the conservation he needed to have to the surface. Whatever it was he jumped in,
“Seriously Hyde where did Jackie go?”
Hyde immediately returned with,
“what are you her father now? You have to know where she is every fucking minute of the day?”
Eric knew his best friend was hurting. He couldn’t imagine the pain and fear he was feeling but good God…. Hyde could drive a saint to want to punch someone.
“Okay it’s your turn to fuck off. She’s been practically living here and I’m pretty sure she didn’t come home last night. She’s supposed to come home and sleep. So unless she’s dead, I assume she stayed here with you again. I just want to check in with her and make sure….” Eric trailed off knowing this line of conversation could get ugly fast.
Hyde’s eyes narrowed at his friend “make sure she is what?”
“Nothing Hyde. I’ll try to check in with her later. I need to talk you about something else.”
Hyde absolutely wouldn’t allow Forman to distract him. He knew exactly what Eric was going to say. He wanted him to say, because it was going to Piss him off and he wanted to be pissed. Because he was working his ass of in physical therapy so Jackie wouldn’t do what she threaten. If she wasn’t keeping up her end of the bargain they were going to go a round. A round he wouldn’t lose. Even if he couldn’t get up and shake her stubborn ass.
Man this one is not coming as easily. I'm struggling to write this even though it's been in my head for weeks I'm not sure it's going on "paper" as well as I want it too.
I've got a sick kitty as of today and my job's been picking up and is quite brain draining by end of day.
Catch Up on A Life After here!
Working title is Stolen Archive
Bellara stood in front of the large mirror that glimmered with magic with Assan standing next to her. She was wearing her Arlathan’s Splendor armour, with her veil piercer bow on her back. Rook could tell she was configuring the Eluvian. “Rook, Davrin, are you ready?” she asked looking back at them. There was a determination Rook didn’t think he’d ever seen in Bellara’s eyes before today.
“As ever,” said Rook. Bellara nodded at them and they stepped through the mirror and it took them right to the Veil Jumpers camp. Rook was disoriented at first as he looked at Bellara and Davrin, seeing the same surprise in Davrin’s face.
“I made a few changes,” said Bellara. “Come on.” They ran up into the camp and met a couple young Veil Jumpers that Rook had seen around camp before. It wasn’t long before they took them through a series of paths Rook had never seen before. It wasn’t long before they were guided up a mountain path which led to a magical bridge that led them into the ruins of Arlathan City. “We’ll take it from here, go back to the archive and make sure all the artifacts are properly stabilized, triple check it,” ordered Bellara.
“But how will you find the way there Bellara?” asked one of the jumpers.
Rook looked ahead of them to see undead seemingly forming out of the ground arcane energy swirling up from the ground. He and Davrin armed themselves and took a couple steps forward. “We’ve got incoming.”
“We’ll manage,” answered Bellara as she thrust her hand toward the undead causing a Galvanized Tear to pull in the undead and shred them. The three of them started moving quickly, keeping their weapons in hand. They shoved open a large door that took them inside Assan flew in overhead the architecture was large enough for him to stay in the air occasionally landing on the tops of the pillars that towered over them. “The veil here is thin, be ready for anything.”
“Got it,” said Rook leading the way forward. He could feel what she was talking about, almost like he could feel the spirits pulling at him. “Do you know where this leads?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had any reason to come up here, it’s dangerous even for Arlathan, we don’t come to this part of the city if we can avoid it,” Bellara explained. “But if I remember correctly it’ll take us to a large central chamber. It’s a dead end. There’s nowhere to go.”
“If this is who we think it is, the last time we thought we had them cornered they made out okay,” groaned Davrin. More undead rose from the ground ahead of them. “Got company!”
I know this doesn't really fit the prompts for Davrin Week but its all I got so far.
thanks for some recent tags from @master-of-the-elements @thedissonantverses and @gingervitus
throwing it out there at @mythals-whore @gaysebastianvael @biowaredisasterbisexual
