Greetings from Seleny; the weather is simply gorgeous here in the summers. I do hope you are faring as well in Salle.
I’ve been asked to write to you regarding a matter of discussion amongst some of the Talons. They have recently expressed concern about a certain member of your House, who is known for their unorthodox methods. I believe you know of whom I speak.
The others have found that this agent— while often as efficacious as you say— can be disruptive. They seldom carry out orders as directed. Their technique, while impressive, lacks discipline. Surely, House de Riva does not wish to be represented by such an indecorous individual. I can say for certain that your predecessor would never have allowed it.
We wish to extend our assistance (should it prove necessary) in removing this cowbird from your nest, so to speak. I have heard that the weather in Ventus is beautiful this time of year-- perhaps they might enjoy a sojourn in the Imperium? I can arrange it.
The Way to a Detective's Heart (Is Through Her Stomach)
Treat gift made for the @aromanceforthedragonages gift exchange for @bygonesigh and @uchidachi. I loved that both of you wanted some Neve/Lucanis so here is some lighthearted fun for these cuties!
Fandom: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Pairing: Neve Gallus/Lucanis Dellamorte
Rating: General
Summary: After Lucanis shows his displeasure at Neve's latest culinary adventure, Neve offers a compromise.
Words: 2590
Additional Tags: Food, Teasing, Flirting, Cultural Differences, Minrathous, The Lighthouse
Read on AO3
“Mierda.”
Glancing up from her plate of fried dumplings, Neve Gallus found the assassin hovering over her, and at first, she wasn’t sure what he was upset about. His face was distorted with a frown, though that wasn’t particularly different than most of his waking hours. But he was also standing strangely stiff, his fingers digging into the edge of the wooden table, and it was then she caught a glimpse of his dark eyes as they glared at her food, left eye twitching almost imperceptibly.
“Is there a problem?” She asked, leaning back in her comfortable chair and raising an eyebrow. There had to be rant somewhere inside of him. There always was when it came to the lack of nutrition found in the Lighthouse’s kitchen. Immediately since he’d arrived, he was judging her love of fried foods, and how Rook always ate handfuls of nuts and chocolate, not a vegetable in sight in either of their diets.
“Neve.” He sounded exasperated, white knuckled and tense, the frustration rolling off of him in waves. She wondered what the demon was thinking in his head.
Neve smothered a grin, hoping he didn’t notice the movement of her mouth. “Lucanis.”
“Please tell me you eat more than just fried food.” He reached forward to nudge the plate away from her and she stabbed one of the dumplings with her fork, broth oozing around the prongs and onto the plate before she lifted it to her mouth. Some of the grease from the dumpling escaped her mouth and dripped down her chin. She caught it with her tongue, trying not to smile at as Lucanis’ eyes slanted dangerously.
He was so upset, it was almost comical.
“I also eat cheese. And tomatoes, depending on what they’re in.”
Lucanis pinched his nose between his index finger and thumb, a harsh breath escaping his mouth. “You are doing nothing for your palate… and your health-”
Neve stabbed another dumpling, popping it in her mouth with a satisfied sound. The movement caught his attention and she smiled up at him, knowing how hard it was for him to keep his tongue in check. Once swallowing the food in her mouth, she continued on as if he hadn’t even spoken. “Lucanis, you worry too much. I’ve eaten food like this for years and I’m doing alright.”
“You rarely sleep, you eat food drenched in reheated oils-”
“And I assume you take issue with this?” Neve waved her hand towards the plate, indicating the greasy mess left behind. Lucanis cringed at the sight, opening his mouth as if he was about to tell her exactly how he felt, when Rook entered the dining room, pausing on the threshold at the sight of them staring each other down.
“Uh… Am I interrupting something?” The woman asked, eyes darting between her friends with open suspicion.
“Rook!” Lucanis exclaimed, much to both of the women’s shock. He sounded entirely too pleased to see the former Shadow Dragon standing there. “I need your help-”
Eyes widening, Rook shook her head, hands up as she backed out of the dining room. “Nuh uh, you aren’t roping me into whatever insanity the two of you are arguing about.”
He couldn’t get another word out as Rook scrambled to escape, the door slamming shut behind her with a sound of finality. Neve smirked, the sight almost getting a real laugh out of her for the first time since Varric had…
Shoving that thought away, Neve leaned forward to place an elbow on the table, settling her chin in her hand and deciding, there was only one solution to this. “Fine. If it really bothers you that much, let’s find a compromise.”
“A compromise? Why does this feel like a trap?”
“Because it is.”
Lucanis said nothing, not even a single curse at how nonchalantly she was behaving about the entire thing. Neve was sure he had many thoughts about everything that came from her mouth, he didn’t trust her to not favor herself when it came to these sorts of matters, and sure, she loved her fried fish. But she wasn’t completely hardheaded and impossible.
Though Tarquin would say differently.
“I know you think I should eat anything other than what I usually do. And I will, but-” Lifting a finger to halt any argument or comment from the man next to her, she waited for him to close his mouth, a frown as his only response. “If I eat whatever vegetable or meat monstrosity you make for me, then you have to eat whatever I choose in Docktown.”
Lucanis shook his head, sensing the danger he was wading into. “You’ve got to be kidding. How unsanitary are these stalls you buy food at? Do they even follow any sort of cleanliness standard?”
Standing, she leaned forward, as close as she dared to get when teasing an actual assassin. She brushed her hand across his shirt, admiring the crow ornaments hooked into his vest. “For someone who is surrounded by so much death, I thought you’d be more adventurous, more willing to live a little.”
Lucanis lifted a corner of his mouth, clearly interested in the challenge though he’d never admit as much. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”
“Am I? Maybe I like a little danger.” She teased, letting her hand fall between them, enjoying the sparkle in his eyes. Lucanis always looked haunted, the exhaustion from insomnia etched into the skin beneath his eyes. But perhaps, she could take his mind off of everything for a little while.
Maybe they both needed this.
A laugh escaped his mouth before he shifted his gaze away from her and to the abandoned plate still on the table. “If it’ll get you to eat something that isn’t beige, I accept your challenge.”
Neve knew she was going to regret this, but all she did was smile and shake his hand to seal the deal, knowing he had a trick up his sleeve and she wasn’t going to like it.
~~~~
The dining room smelled divine, although when she approached the table, the sight of a few different dishes made her halt. Lucanis was pouring white wine into two glasses, setting each by their designated place settings. He’d gone all out… way too much. There was some sort of dip sitting in the center of the table, toasted bread on a small plate beside it. For dipping, it seemed. She didn’t know what it was made of, but it was light in color, dusted with some red spice and looking slightly tempting.
The main dish was sitting in the spot she sat in the night before, a pasta dish piled high with all types of vegetables, ones she’d seen before and others she couldn’t place. Everything smelled delicious, but there was one thing making her rethink this entire thing.
Lucanis faced her, handing one of the wine glasses to her with a smile, one that lit up his face and softened his eyes. He was in his comfort zone here, creating beautiful things with whatever ingredients he was given, taking care of others… especially when they wouldn’t take care of themselves.
She was grateful even if she’d never say it aloud.
He must’ve seen something on her face that she hadn’t intended because he cocked his head to the right slightly, concern crossing his face. “Is everything alright, Neve?”
“Yes, it’s just…” She eyed the pasta again, hoping she’d be able to eat it without choking. “Food shouldn’t be green.”
Lucanis stared at her for a moment, processing the words she’d spoken. Then a laugh burst from him, a surprise for sure because Neve couldn’t recall ever seeing him laugh. It was… sweet.
“Neve, I-” He paused to briefly catch his breath, covering his eyes with a hand, trying to contain himself before he continued. “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard you say yet.”
Putting her free hand on her hip, she sipped on the wine, eyes slanted as he let another small chuckle out. The taste was light, crisp, a little bit fruity with a sweetness that lingered on the tongue. Neve wasn’t a wine connoisseur but she swore she tasted apples.
“Try the food, you may be pleasantly surprised.” Walking around to the back of her chair, he pulled it away from the table, offering her a seat.
With a sigh, she sat without argument, hating how her stomach grumbled at the scent. “If I end up ill after this-”
Lucanis leaned closer, his mouth hovering near her ear, the ends of his long hair brushing against her shoulder. “Wasn’t this your plan?”
It was, but he didn’t need to rub it in. “Fine. If you’ve poisoned me, I will come back to haunt you.”
“That’s fair.” He said with a smile in his voice. He pushed her chair closer to the table before returning to his side, sliding into the chair with a grace she envied. “I look forward to it.”
Neve managed to keep her composure, reaching for the bread and inspecting it. It was grilled, the markings on the piece making that much obvious. It reminded her of when she was young, the smell of fish curry and flatbread permeating every inch of the small apartment she shared with her parents. For a moment, she was back home in Minrathous, the smell of fish and spices in her nose, the sweetness of mango fried rice on her tongue, the doughy flatbread drenched in sauce as she dug in, the view of the marina out of her window.
She missed those simpler times, almost desperately some days.
Lucanis watched her out of the corner of his eye as she dipped the bread into the thick dip, shoving it into her mouth to keep from thinking about it overmuch. The tang of lemon was the first flavor she detected, followed by the familiar nutty flavor of tahini and she smiled around the second bite.
Pretending he didn’t notice the smile, Lucanis pushed the grilled flatbread closer, covering his own mouth with a hand, presumably to hide his own grin.
“This tastes nearly like something my father used to make.” She admitted, feeling like she’d put a blanket around her shoulders, warm and comforting. “I’m not entirely sure what he put in it, but it’s similar. And delicious.”
Lucanis appeared to appreciate the compliment, waving to the pasta in front of her. “And the vegetables-”
Neve glanced at the plate, the strange dish tormenting her. “We’ll see.”
Maybe, he wouldn’t notice if she ate around the vegetables, or only ate a few before stuffing herself with the bread and dip. But when she glanced up beneath her lashes at him, his dark eyes were watching the movement of her fork and she knew he’d never let her get away with it.
So Neve twirled the long pasta around the fork, stabbing a smaller sized squash looking vegetable, before closing her eyes and popping the entire forkful into her mouth. She chewed experimentally, the softness of the noodles at odds with the crisp squash, the buttery cream sauce so flavorful that she was surprised at how not boring and how not gross the dish was.
Lucanis already knew he’d won her over before she even swallowed the bite. “And? How did I do?”
She snorted, an undignified sound, but she didn’t care, not with the way he was watching her. “Must I say it.”
“Hmmm. I suppose not. Though, it would be beneficial for you to hear you humble yourself.”
Ass.
“I think your ego can use a little less inflating.”
He laughed, turning to his own food, the mood lighter than it’d been in weeks.
~~~~
The docks were busy at this time in the evening.
Lucanis trailed behind her slightly, his eyes sweeping their surroundings, taking in the guards as they stood at their posts, and the fishmongers as they sold their catch of the day, and fishermen pulling their nets and preparing their boats for tomorrow. Neve wondered what sort of things Lucanis might be able to do with fresh fish, but she stored the thought for another day, their destination waiting ahead.
Hal smiled at the sight of her. “Neve! Keeping out of trouble?”
“Hal. You know I never do. Hope the city’s been treating you well.”
Halos handed over two sticks of his famous fried fish (famous to Neve and perhaps more than half of Docktown) before shyly accepting payment. “Next time-”
“Next time.” Neve grinned at him before saying her goodbyes and walking further down the walkway. Lucanis took the offered fish a few moments later, studying the crispy golden crust, his nose scrunched in what could only be described as disgust. A light chilly breeze blew in from the Nocen Sea with the smells of salt and kelp, sharp and tangy, very nearly overwhelmed by the scent of body odor and days old frying oil. It wasn’t an altogether pleasant smell, but it was comforting.
It was home.
Lucanis stood beside her at the edge of one of the quieter docks, staring off into the distance, the setting sun painting the sky in vibrant orange and gold, the encroaching night bringing on a softer hues of navy and violet. She bit into her meal, the crunchy breading outside giving to the tender fish inside, warm and cooked to perfection. There was something so grounding about eating waterside, forcing her to slow down and watch the sunset. There weren’t enough days like this, without the fear of risen elven gods, or blighted monsters, or demons.
Once the mission was over, she wasn’t sure what was going to be left to return to.
Glancing to her left, Neve noticed Lucanis was sniffing the fish in his hand. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, the image burned into her brain for later blackmail. “It’s not poisoned, you know.”
Lucanis shot her an unamused glance. “You don’t know that. Besides, the amount of oil used to fry this in can kill you alone. Not to mention how long it’s been sitt-”
Pressing a finger to his mouth, she halted any further words, tiny puffs of breath escaping his slightly parted lips and ghosting against her skin. Neve stifled a shiver before pulling away, hoping he didn’t notice how his closeness affected her. How embarrassing to be betrayed by her own body. “Lucanis, shut up and eat it.”
His lips thinned, clearly not wanting to, but she’d done as he asked and ate a traditional Antivan meal, complete with vegetables. Now, it was his turn to follow through.
Lucanis sighed, and without any more hesitation, took the smallest bite of Hal’s fried fish, chewing with a curious expression on his face. Neve waited as he tasted the food, studying his expressions for a hint of what he was thinking.
After an antagonizing minute, he side eyed her, a grin playing on his mouth. “It’s not awful. Could use with some more seasoning.”
“Lucanis.”
“Fine. I enjoyed it. Perhaps, you’re right. We could learn more from each other’s cultures, it seems.”
Feeling a little pride, Neve crossed her arms across her chest, not bothering to hide her returning smile. “You should try the fried ice cream next.”
His eyes widened at her words. “Do they fry everything here?”
Laughing, she turned on her heel, tossing a look over her shoulder in his direction. “You’d be surprised by the things people fry.”
Lucanis’ groan was lost amidst the chaos of the docks.
Lucanis closed his eyes as Elsbeth trailed her fingers across his back, feeling himself finally relax.
It had been a long day at the Dellamorte estate, running both the grounds as well as conducting meetings with the Talons of each house. "Being First Talon is certainly exhausting." he idly thought, letting the sensation of the nails on his back sooth him.
"Lower." he half-muttered into the pillow and a half second later Elsbeth moved her hand down, gently scratching the area he'd indicated.
"That good?" Elsbeth asked, a slight smile appearing at Lucanis arching his back at the motion.
"Yes." he grunted out, shifting slightly. "You're amazing you know."
"I seem to have my moments."
Lucanis just hummed, closing his eyes and drifting off as Elsbeth talked about the contract she'd just taken while continuing to scratch his back.
Oh i’d love to hear the story of Rook trying to impress someone.
Thank you for the ask! I hope you enjoy a little story about my Horrible Nepo Baby!
From the Rook Storytime Prompts:
The biggest problem with Skyhold, at least in the eyes of Cara Hawke-Laidir, was that she mostly ended up there because her mother was doing something too scary and interesting to take her along. She understood her mother worried about her, but she was almost thirteen now, and practically a full mage! In a Circle, they might already be talking about Harrowing her, but apparently, that did not make her mature or useful enough to be taken anywhere Actually Interesting.
There were, however, some significant advantages to Skyhold: endless walls to climb, far more people to watch than she'd seen since Kirkwall, and of course, there was Lace. Scout 'Call me Lace!' Harding with her beautiful red hair pinned up in braids, who was only seven years older than her, and not even a mage, but so quick and so clever that even the Herald called her 'invaluable'.
Lace never treated her like a baby. Lace was always ready to talk to her about the problems or dangers of scouting, and if Cara had ideas or suggestions, she listened to her as she might listen to anyone. Lace had even, after much persuasion, shown her how to light campfires without magic and to shoot a bow, which her mother said they might all come to regret, but Cara thought was an excellent and useful skill.
All this to say that Lace was quite possibly the most beautiful and interesting person that Cara had met in her twelve years of life, and the crush she had on the older girl could quite reasonably be described as 'devastating'. Cara certainly felt devastated by it, every time she remembered that she was in fact only nearly thirteen and it would be years before Lace might reasonably return her feelings. Right now, she knew, Lace had her own crush on the Inquisitor, who was in fairness very handsome and charming and could do absolutely insane things like jump off the battlements and walk away unscathed.
"It's a knack," he told Cara, breezily, the one time she got the opportunity to ask. "When you're as old as me, you'll have figured it out too, I'm sure."
The problem was, Cara was getting unbelievably tired of waiting to be old enough for things like going adventuring with her mother, or getting Lace to fall in love with her, and really, jumping off things didn't look that hard.
So, really, it was Inquisitor Trevelyan's fault when she yelled "Lace, look!" and jumped off the Skyhold steps. She broke two ribs and her arm in three places, but to her credit, it did very much get Lace Harding's attention.
Hype meme!!! Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to? (e.g. reading/writing fic, the bounty of gorgeous art, getting to know new people, etc.)
various answers to some askmeme-related messages under the cut. :)
(hello everyone!! ◕‿◕)
^ I love seeing the abundance of beautiful art, and I'm also just really happy to see the community so active, creating, hyped and filled with people and chatter once again :')
a-tear-in-the-veil asked: "Dragon Age Hype Questions 1-4 (those are like the r questions I want to ask everyone who plays, sorry 😂)"
no worries hh :D
1. the first Dragon Age game I ever played was Dragon Age: Origins!
2. my favorite DA game so far is a rly tough question!! probably DA:O or DA:I, though an answer with two games in it is kind of a cop-out ik hh. (I do also really love DAII)
3. in games like these my go-to is usually warrior or another fighter-type class ^^ my Inquisitor is a warrior, and my Warden began life as a warrior (I only changed them in the runup to DA:I's release to create a bit more differentiation between my PCs). in DA:TV I think Spellblade especially sounds super fun
4. my worldstate is that the Inquisitor romanced Solas, disbanded the Inquisition, and then vowed to stop Solas at all costs.. ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ )
celinou asked: "For the datv q&a ask game: 6, 10 and 16. Thank you for all the news and info you share with us 🤍"
(tysm for the lovely ask 🥺)
6. I have them planned to a degree yea!! I think it would be fun to play them as a Spellblade
10. 'Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?'. most excited out of the confirmed/for sure locations - Arlathan Forest!! I've been wanting to explore Arlathan Forest since forever, since DA:O. I'm so curious about all the ancient elven history, lore and secrets it might hold. runner-ups are Weisshaupt (another place I've been wanting to see since DA:O) and the Crossroads again (since it seems that it also holds lots of cool lore and secrets to find out, again). hoping to explore - speculation aside, I'm really hoping we will visit Kal-Sharok in this game. it's so intriguing and mysterious-sounding. (btw, if Kal-Sharok has now been confirmed beyond speculation like in a preview video or something somewhere, I'm not aware of it as I'm dwelling in a spoiler bunker rn - so if you're reading this and know, pls don't tell me if it is or not, or any other spoilers hh).
16. that Felassan lives. my fav crack theory is my theory that Ghilan'nain has something to do with the Executors.. I put it out there in ~March 2020. it's based on the fact that the Ghil monster pools in Horror of Hormak were said to smell of brine/salt/the sea, and the fact that the Executor in Dread Wolf Take You was said to smell of the ocean under their robes.
sophiasartandgaming asked: "16 for the Veilguard Ask Game"
for 16 pls see above ^^
ellstersmash asked: "hi! 3 & 10 for that ask game? 🙏"
for 3 and 10 pls see above ^^
sky-fire-forever asked: "7, 9, 16, and 19 for the Veilguard meme!"
7. Felassan fr 🧎🧎🧎 even if this is only in the form of some kind of Fade dream or flashback/memory sequence
9. I'm stuck between Davrin, Neve, Lucanis, Taash and Bellara :D
16. for 16 pls see above ^^
19. I'm currently doing a re-read of Tevinter Nights to brush up on it before release! I think re-reading the other DA:TV-era/DA:TV-promo materials (DA: The Missing, the shorts) and replaying Trespasser will also be a good idea for me before release.
mewsly asked: "8 and 19 for the Hype Q&A? :D Also thank you so much for all that you do to keep us all in the know! <3"
(thanku sm for the lovely msg.. 🥺)
8. I think I'm most excited to learn more about the Shadow Dragons (like who leads the Shadow Dragons? do they have ties to the Lucerni, and therefore Dorian and Mae? is the Viper associated with them?) and the Veil Jumpers. I'm also excited for more Crow lore.
19. for 19 pls see above ^^
kirkwallsquad asked: "4, 13, 14, and 20 for the hype q&a please :D"
4. for 4 pls see above ^^
13. I think the CC looks fantastic and is really cool!
14. I will miss having three companions with me.
20. 'Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!' - here is a picture -
and here is a bonus moodboard -
thanku sm everyone for the asks and questions, this was fun to do!!
For @uchidachi and @dadrunkwriting Thank you for this prompt! I know it's short, but I had so much fun imagining this.
Tobias Rook x Emmrich Volkarin (SFW, established relationship) 132 words
-----------------------------
“That’s new,” Lucanis says with a raised eyebrow over his morning cup of coffee, as Tobias leans against the opposite counter sipping their tea, the Crow gesturing towards the glint of gold on Tobias’ ordinarily naked fingers. “You’ve been holding out on us. Did you find that on the body of someone we killed yesterday or something.”
“Or something,” Tobias replies softly from behind their cup, grateful for the way their long and still sleep tousled hair covers the flush they feel at the tips of their ears. From across the kitchen, where he is preparing his own cup, the elf can see the twitch of a smile behind Emmrich’s thin mustache, and the tan-line of a thin, presently absent band on his ornamented fingers as he carefully stirs in the cream.
🛏 Is there a new trope you'd like to write this year?
God this is a hard one because I generally don't think about tropes beyond kind of noticing when they end up places, and also because I like sticking to the same kinds of things.
I'm not sure "dissolution of messy relationships into something new" counts, but Pathfinder campaign is on-track for a potential character divorce as a result of a plot apex which is going to inevitably kick my writing brain into overdrive, and the two main things currently encircling my brain like a hornet's nest are world's messiest Rookcanis (where it starts from an entirely unromantic place given... two crows. and then sheer raw panic when it evolves from Colleagues Who Get Each Other's Idiosyncrasies to Oh God There's Feelings) and then Miquella.
Ghosts and hauntings, maybe, actually, now that I think about it. Foils & Doubles a little as well, but that's not exactly newwww...
Oh i think you’ve mentioned Fenhawke royalty AU before, because i remember being 😍 about it!! I’m also giving heart eyes to cullrian arranged marriage, though, because i’m predictable like that 😂
;u; It's my oldest Dragon Age fic, the one that gave me the url "storybookhawke" since it's supposed to be like a fairytale.
Summary: Being the Prince of Kirkwall, Garrett Hawke finds the whole ordeal quite boring. Between dull royal tutors and stifling court banquets, he’s rather desperate to get out and explore the land that he may one day rule. Thankfully, he’s made interesting friends outside the castle walls—particularly a handsome Tevinter elven mercenary who spends his time doing the dirty work of anyone who hires him.
There's comedy, drama, an epic rescue attempt, and romance. It 17,735 words but I fear it's been so long that my writing has changed too much to finish it. I have commissioned two pieces of art for it, though, and my url stays to honor it.
And hell yeah, you have good taste!
My cullrian + arranged marriage AU is much less planned out. It involves Dorian arriving to Ferelden in an arranged marriage, and of course he's unhappy about it. He sneaks out of where he is staying and meets a wonderful handsome blonde at a tavern in the city, and they hit it off immediately. Dorian explains that he is arranged to be wed (though doesn't mention to who) and that he's quite upset by it all because he wants to marry someone he loves, not someone who is politically advantageous for his family. They shortly fall in love for the few days that Dorian is there, meeting in the same place every night. Then the day comes that he must finally meet his betrothed, who is!! that handsome blonde! Dorian feels a little heartbroken, because he thinks it was all a lie, like a trap to see if he'd be unfaithful, and Cullen is like "wait, no, I was in that tavern for the same reason as you, because I was scared" and then like. happy ending
