nerd-fandom-drabbles

[nerd-fandom-drabbles]

A Special Kind of Stupid pt. 2

Description: Bellara vibe-checks Lucanis while they prepare the evening meal. Part 2 to this piece.

842 words

Characters: Lucanis, Bellara, and Spite

Pairings: Lucanis x femme Rook looms heavily but is unseen

Genre: Friendship <333333

Content warnings: Pining, cuteness, fluff

WARNING: This may contain some very, very light spoilers for Veilguard pre-release gameplay footage.

As usual, this was written before the game's release.

That evening, Lucanis had cleaned up quickly in preparation for another long supper preparation session with Bellara. They stood in the dimming light of the sunset-stained kitchen surrounded by cold baskets of shrimp, oysters, and fish; laughing and recounting the day's battles.

After a few minutes of chopping fish and deveining shrimp for the evening dish - a seafood paella - Bellara started shifting awkwardly. They had spent enough time together by now for Lucanis to know there was something on her mind, but he didn't pry. He figured she'd get to it when she was ready.

“So. A little birdie told me you've been flirting with Rook.”

He nearly chopped off his fingertip, “Ah!” Dammit, Neve.

“Don't freak out! I just wanted to ask... about your intentions,” Bellara's tone was kind but her eyes were piercing, “She's under a lot of pressure, and there's a lot going on. So.”

“You're worried I'll hurt her.”

“Obviously, you'll hurt her,” Spite chimed in nonchalantly, “Or get her killed.”

“I just don't know what kind of man you are... romantically. You're a great friend,” Bellara started, “But, some guys are great as friends and terrible as lovers, you know?”

“Yes, I'm aware." His cousin's many questionable dalliances came to mind immediately. He shook his head to clear it of the past, “My interest in her is genuine.”

“What do you like about her?” She stopped her chopping, watching him closely.

He thought for a few moments, and then sighed deeply, “Everything.”

“Wow. That's heavy.”

“I tend to be intense about these things.”

“No kidding?” She cocked her head and smiled, “I guess I can see that. You're reserved. Intentional.”

Have to be with a demon in your head, he thought.

But the truth was that even before Spite complicated his life, he had been the same way. Always nursing some painful, tortured little crush. He never acted on them. He wouldn't have dreamt of it. And even if he had, he was certain that they wouldn't have reciprocated. The notion was almost absurd. He was a weapon. And weapons didn't take lovers.

Still, he wanted to tell her more. About how terrified he had been when he first noticed he was developing feelings for Rook. The endless nights he'd spent pining or trying to distract himself from pining, only to then be tormented by Spite about the pining. The eventual, slow acceptance of his feelings. Or the fact that, even now, he had no idea what he was doing or why it was that Rook seemed to reciprocate... despite everything.

Rook was a distraction and a curse, but of the very best kind. And the truth was that though he fought desperately to keep his feet on the ground, his heart had threatened other plans.

There were truly so, so many things he wanted to tell his friend about how he felt, but he couldn't find the right words. Nor the courage.

“Are you going to tell her what I've told you?” He asked, after a moment.

“Oh no! I would never interfere. And I'm not, like, compiling a dossier. Just looking out for two of my favorite people.”

“Aw.”

“Disgusting,” Spite snarled.

“Can I hug you?” Bellara asked suddenly, placing down her knife.

He looked down at his bloodied apron, “I'm going to get fish guts all over you.”

“He says, as if I'm not already covered in fish guts,” she raised an eyebrow.

He let out a little chuckle and set down his knife. Once he did, she basically threw herself at him, enveloping him in a huge, warm hug. It was an unusual display of affection for him. He could probably count on one hand the number of times he'd been on the receiving end of a hug from a friend.

“You're alright, Crow,” she murmured into his chest. After a few moments she pulled away, giving him a little tap on the shoulder. “Just take care of our girl, okay?”

He nodded warmly and she turned her attention back to her chopping board.

Lucanis was no stranger to the camaraderie that emerged between Crows. Relying on others to have your back in battle or to provide good intelligence by necessity resulted in a form of closeness. But there was something sweet, gentle, and intimate about his new friendships within the Veilguard. They were different types of people, he supposed. Ones that tended to be emotionally open in a way that made him comfortable expressing and doing things that he wouldn't normally. And in exchange, he found himself feeling full and satisfied in a way he didn't usually feel.

His warm feelings were accompanied by a rush of protectiveness. If anything were to happen to any of these people, he would run rampant and wash the streets red with blood.

“So, what are you going to name your kids? I'm thinking...”

He threw his head back and groaned, as Bellara burst into a powerful bout of laughter.

“Kidding. Kidding,” she giggled, “I'd be a great auntie though, and you know it.”

[nerd-fandom-drabbles]

A Special Kind of Stupid pt. I

Description: While returning home from a mission, Lucanis sticks his whole foot in his mouth. Part 2 is here.

443 words

Characters: Lucanis, non-descript femme Rook, Neve, Spite

Pairings: Lucanis x Rook (sorta, they'll get there eventually, those crazy kids!)

Genre: Romance

Content warnings: none

WARNING: This contains some very, very light spoilers for Veilguard pre-release gameplay footage.

Written pre-release, so could be OOC.

“Doesn't the name Lucanis mean 'wolf' in some languages?” Rook asked one day as her small field team travelled through the countryside. They were on their way back from a quest to collect information on recent Venatori sightings in a nearby village, tired and weary from battle.

“Ah, yes… it does,” He replied, keeping his mount steady, “I was rather hoping no one would notice.”

“Why not?”

“These are suspicious times. And given that our enemy goes by the Dread Wolf, the coincidence may be too much for some to overlook.”

“Are you telling me that I should keep a closer eye on you?” She asked, her tone playful.

“Hardly. Your eyes linger more than enough already.” He caught himself and quickly backtracked, “Uh, not that I mind.”

Why did I just say that? He thought, an internal cringe threatening to work its way out of his body.

He hadn't meant to imply that she was annoying him. He had merely noticed that she spent much of their time together looking at him. Short glances when she thought he couldn't see. Sometimes longer ones. How could he not notice, when A) he found himself doing the same and B) he had Spite in the background commenting about it all the time?

“What?” Rook whipped her head around, turning bright red. She turned to Neve and whisper-shouted over her hart's antlers, “Is that true?”

Neve merely shrugged and pretended to spot something worth looking at on the gloomy evening horizon.

“Spite has been giving me a bit of a hard time about it,” Lucanis noted, a hint of apology in his voice.

“Gosh. I am so sorry. I-I'm just… looking out for you, I swear.” Rook stammered a bit, clearly totally humiliated, “I will watch where I rest my eyes in the future.”

His stomach felt hot with guilt. He needed to salvage this. Something subtle, but that would make it clear that she was not at all unwelcome. How?

“You don't have to do that.” He struggled with his words, “It is… something I am pleased to endure.”

“Spite's chiding or the staring?” Neve asked with a dryness that only she could muster.

“Uh… both?” Lucanis said, feeling suddenly quite hot in his leathers.

“Oh?” A moment passed and Rook's red face somehow turned even redder, “Oh.”

“You're a special kind of stupid," Spite said, from his spot floating nearby.

You think I don't know that by now? Lucanis thought to himself.

In response, Lucanis merely urged his horse on, accelerating slightly so he could ride beside Rook. They shared a sideways glance and an awkward little laugh before continuing the ride ahead.

[nerd-fandom-drabbles]

Entanglements

Description: When Rook invites Lucanis for a nightcap, things do not go according to plan.

(Inspired by this wild VG247 article - contains some light spoilers)

1892 words

Characters: A very oblivious Lucanis, femme elven Rook

Pairings: Lucanis x Rook

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance

Content warnings: sexual themes, some cursing

WARNING: This contains some light spoilers for Veilguard pre-release gameplay footage and maybe The Wigmaker Job if you squint really hard.

Note: This is probably a very OOC version of Lucanis. But Mary Kirby said he was awkward and this is _very_ awkward. I thought it was funny, so here you go!

It was a quiet, ordinary evening at the Lighthouse, when Rook found Lucanis in the kitchen preparing supper for the team. She'd asked him to come find her for a nightcap after dinner; she had gotten a gift she thought he'd enjoy sharing. In response, he'd nodded his agreement and continued chopping vegetables.

After, they had chatted a bit longer, and she did that thing she often did where she stole his favorite coffee mug and took a few sips out of it. She said everything tasted better out of it, and even in his exasperation with her theft, he couldn't exactly deny it. It was a nice mug, and he had fantastic taste in coffee.

And so, that evening after the team had gobbled down two entire lasagna trays, one meat and one veggie, Lucanis went into the larder and spent around an hour pointedly ignoring Spite, who, as expected, eventually got bored and left him alone with his thoughts. In that time, he'd managed to read a few short chapters of the book assigned at this week's book club and prepared to meet with Rook. When he was satisfied, he made his way up the stairs, ignoring the restless feeling in his stomach.

He knocked on the door and within a moment or two Rook opened it. He was hit with a thick waft of sweet fragrance and warmth as she did, the smell of her soap mingling with the scented candles she had burning by her bedside. He looked down at her, and it seemed she had already dressed for bed. Odd. She wore a satin night-robe tied loosely over a satin chemise. It looked soft and comfortable, but perhaps a little chilly, given the way her nipples poked through the fabric.

“Luca?” she said, repeating the nickname she'd given him, “Luca! I'm glad you came! Do you like brandy? I received a really nice gift-bottle and thought you might share it with me?”

Lucanis suddenly saw himself and her as if from the outside looking in. Her big smile and tousled, curly hair let out of its usual braid. The tasteful bit of cleavage peeking from behind the lace trim of her chemise. The fire in the hearth behind her. The two crystal glasses and decanter set out on the coffee table. Her huge bed stacked with velvety pillows and blankets.

He looked at her, then back into the room, then back at her increasingly confused expression. A realization dawned on him.

“Wait...” Lucanis propped himself against the doorframe with squinted, suspicious eyes, “Are you trying to have sex with me?”

She stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, then straightened up a bit and shrugged.

“Uh, yeah,” She blinked, "Kinda."

“Why?”

What do you mean why? She fought to keep her palm from colliding with her face in exasperation, in the hopes the situation was still salvageable. She calmly explained, “Why do you think? Because I like you and find you attractive.”

To that, he merely stared at her a moment, frowned, and then wagged his finger at her, in blame, confusion and disbelief. He then stormed off, disappearing down the hall.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Rook let out a deep breathy growl of frustration and fell face-first onto her bed. How, of all of the men she could have found herself having feelings for, did she manage to pick the most skittish one possible? Getting him to open up had been like pulling teeth, and now that she finally was getting more than half-smiles and three word answers out of him, this happens. After a moment, she heard heavy footsteps returning, and her large, pointed ears perked up in response.

His voice rang out from her room's threshold once more, “And you did not think to tell me this?” She rolled onto her back. “I'm really not sure how much more obvious I could have been.”

“Bah.”

She lifted her head just in time to see him throw his hands up and wander off again. She sighed and sat up to a sitting position facing the door.

“Lucanis, just come back. Can we talk this out? Like adults?”

Suddenly he was back in the doorway, scowling and tapping his foot impatiently, “I don't know. Can you tell me when you hatched this plan of yours?”

“What? There is no plan. Nothing hatched.” She scooted closer to the edge of the mattress, a subtle movement in his direction, “I just want to be closer to you. And tonight seemed... opportune.”

The field team had decided to take a day off tomorrow, which was why she had picked this evening. They wouldn't have to worry about an early rise the next day, and if things went well could have plenty of time together.

“Ah, right,” Then a lengthy pause. On the other side of the doorway, Lucanis' mind was moving a mile a minute, reliving the moments they had shared together leading up until this point and picking them apart for the cues that he had obviously missed. “So, when you suggested we read that book on wyverns for book club?”

“Illario told me you like them.”

“Do you like them?”

“Does it matter?” she pivoted. The fact was, she couldn't care less about wyverns, “I knew you'd find it interesting, so I made the suggestion. I wanted to make you happy.”

“So you could have sex with me!”

“Oh, for fuck's sake, Luca,” she groaned again, “Can you please explain to me what the problem is?”

“The problem is that I thought we were operating as a professional partnership.”

“We are a professional partnership!” She wanted to scream but didn't, “You're in the Veilguard.”

“And now I learn there has been this insidious secret thread woven through the whole thing,” he argued pointedly, not quite raising his voice, but his face already flushed with anger or maybe embarrassment, “If I had noticed earlier I would have- I could have-”

“What?” Now was her turn to throw her hands up in frustration.

“I could have left! I could have put another Crow in my place.”

“Why would you have done that?”

“Because of this!” He gestured wildly between them, more frenzied and emotionally charged than she'd ever seen him. “Entanglement!”

“Contrary to what the chantry preaches, being 'entangled' is not some horrible sin, Lucanis.”

“Oh but it is. Entanglements get you killed. Or they are used to manipulate you. Or they die. Or they are used to manipulate you and then you both die!” He stared at her with pleading eyes, “We can't... do... this! There's too much at stake!” He laughed bitterly, “And you should be the one saying this, by the way, not me.”

That's what this is about?

“You're afraid that something is going to happen to us because you care about me and I care about you,” She followed the thought to its natural conclusion, “Right? You also have feelings? For me?”

“Of course I do. What do you think I am, a moron?”

At that, she couldn't help but laugh, “I wasn't sure I was your type.”

“I'm a mess. Everyone is my type. But even if that were false, you'd be my type.” He was surprisingly self-aware for someone so utterly oblivious. “I just didn't think I actually had a chance what with the demon and the bloody hands and the disastrous social graces.”

“Well, you do, so I guess we're all doomed,” she joked wryly.

“I guess so!” He gave the doorframe a sad little kick and then slid to the floor, arms collapsing over his knees.

She watched him silently, gently kicking her feet back and forth against the bedskirt. Her heart ached to see him so distressed. But so much about this utterly uncharacteristic outburst made sense now; she'd clearly hit on something very raw and sensitive without meaning to. And she'd hit it so hard that the scared little boy from his childhood came out and took over.

She had known about the physically brutal nature of his training by Caterina's hand, but hadn't considered that it might have affected him emotionally. It seemed like everything he thought about romantic feelings, about love, was horribly tainted and warped by fear and anxiety. She wondered if he'd ever been able to accept love from another person. If he'd ever truly been offered it.

“We'll be vulnerable. We could be used against each other. Like my parents-”

Her heart dropped. She'd never heard the full story of what had happened to them, but had assumed it was terribly tragic. He didn't finish the thought, and she wouldn't dare ask him to when he was in this state, but it was obvious now that she had been correct.

He rubbed his face with his hands in a desperate attempt to self-soothe and leaned back against the doorframe. He counted their shared enemies on his fingertips, “The Venatori, the Qunari invasion, the Evanuris. How are we supposed to defeat them like this?”

“I don't know,” she slid to the floor and crawled over to him. He watched her approach for a moment, then shook his head, and sighed. When she got to him she slid in close and rested her chin on his shoulder. “But maybe we do it together?”

He glanced at her again, the worry and resistance clear in his face, and she kissed him on the cheek. She then looped her arm in his and nuzzled in.

He took a deep breath, and then grumbled, matter of factly, “That might have been the first thing Caterina ever taught me: when you're working a job, always keep emotions out of it. Always.” He punctuated his words by chopping his left hand with his right.

“Maybe she was wrong.”

“It wouldn't be fair if she was. It would be like being rewarded for greed.”

“And so instead you should be punished? For wanting connection?” For needing love?

“Everyone can't have everything.”

“Maybe,” she stroked his hand with her own, intertwining their fingers, “Maybe not.”

He was still upset, but the warm sensations of her hand on his and her hair tickling his neck were disarming him in a way he wasn't sure he was ready for. They sat like that for a while; her breath fluttering against his collarbone and her chest pressed against him. He felt like if he concentrated, they were close enough for him to feel her heartbeat. It was... nice.

“I'm sorry for blaming you. I know you are-”

“Not an evil temptress out to steal your soul?”

“Mierda. Is that how I sounded?” He thought for a moment, “Yeah. That's how I sounded.”

“Well, for the record, I still like you. And all is forgiven. As long as you stay,” she brought his hand to her mouth and set a gentle kiss on it, “And work through this with me.”

“I can do that.”

“Good.” He could feel her smiling into his shoulder, “We will find a way to keep each other safe. And we'll be happy. And it'll be fine.”

“Okay.” He sounded a tad unconvinced. He turned her hand over, and as she had done to his, kissed it. Then, with more resolve, he repeated himself, “Okay.”

“Now, can we please get up off the floor?”

“Yeah, I could use a sip of that brandy.”

“Me too.”

[nerd-fandom-drabbles]

When in Antiva...

Description: When a meticulously planned operation in the Rialto red-light district goes awry, the team is split and Lucanis and Rook share a bit of quality time.

1562 words

Characters: femme elven mage Rook, Lucanis, Harding, a whisper of Spite, and a couple of dirty Venatori losers

Pairings: Rook x Lucanis

Genre: Action-adventure, a dash of humor, and a hint of romannnnceee???????

Content Warning: T for Teen for language and adult themes (mild-to-spicy language depending on your mileage for innuendo and debauchery, fantasy violence, sexual themes)

WARNING: There may be spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard gameplay footage and/or Mary Kirby tweets.

Rook, Lucanis, Harding, and Spite stood in a dark alley somewhere in the middle of Rialto's tiny red-light district. A few nights prior, the Veilguard had received a tip that a key associate of Zara Renata had been stashed away in a Vint-owned whorehouse in the Antivan city. There was some sort of Venatori rendezvous planned for tonight, where an artifact of interest to the Veilguard would be passed along.

Lucanis and Harding had done some initial scouting of the location, and together prepared a detailed dossier on what to expect: floor-plans, maps, persons and places of interest. Rook had gone over the information they collected with a fine-toothed comb, and come up with a plan for getting in and out as smoothly as possible.

Being an elf, she would enter through the back, dressed as one of the serving staff. Lucanis and Harding would enter together through the front door in casual clothes with stealth weaponry, and ask for the room the mark was said to be staying in, under the pretense of it having 'personal significance' to them. When denied, they'd settle for one on the same floor, instead, and ask for a jug of wine to be sent up for the sake of appearances. In the meantime, Rook would take a cleaning cart out of the closet for plausible deniability, and use her magic to carefully dispel any wards the Venatori might have placed on the door.

By that point, Lucanis and Harding should have arrived in their room, with the wine following up behind them. Rook would offer to take the wine the rest of the way, and warn that there was a big spill downstairs (which she would have stealthily created upon entry) that needed cleanup. That would hopefully be enough to keep the other servants busy downstairs long enough not to interfere. As for the other patrons: that would, unfortunately, have to fall to luck. At this point, Lucanis would quietly pick the physical lock on the room door, and Harding would secure the fire escape leading out the back.

With luck, they would be able to capture the artifact, and at least one of the Vints for further questioning.

Of course, things never went according to plan. They seemed to, right up until the Vint carrying the artifact tossed an empty ale flagon at Rook and went barreling out of the window. Rook ran to the shattered window and poked her head out; visibility was bad from where she stood – no use trying to zap him. Harding and Rook caught each other's eyes.

“Was that-?” Harding asked, pointing down.

“He had the artifact! After him!” Rook shouted, as Lucanis and the other Vint circled each other.

Lucanis's eyes began to glow their violet glow as Spite joined the fight, and the man realized who he was faced with all at once. The Vint's eyes narrowed, “The Demon of Vyrantium.”

“In the flesh,” Lucanis readied his daggers.

“I owe you for what you did to my cousin. Come now. Duel me for your life, Demon.”

In response, Rook merely rolled her eyes, sighed, and cast a paralysis spell on the guy from her spot near the window. Lucanis relaxed his posture and stared at her, his eyes returning to their normal dark brown shade, amused and questioning.

“Does everyone want to kill you?” She asked, a little annoyed. He gave her a blank-faced shrug and she let out a groan, “Just grab him and gag him.”

“As you say,” Lucanis answered, taking off his cravat and stuffing it in the guy's mouth as a makeshift gag. He began binding him with scraps he tore from the bed's flat-sheet while Rook checked the hallway for backup. After a few quiet moments he looked up at Rook, “The noise: was it too much?”

“Considering the music downstairs and all the moaning... maybe? But probably not.”

Lucanis stopped for a moment, gauging the noise level of his surroundings. A huge wave of cheers erupted from the floor below, overtaking even the sweeping sounds of the lutist, and he stood up, satisfied.

“You're right, there was some sort of naughty show starting in the main hall when we arrived. Unlikely anyone's leaving that to check in on this guy.” He gave the body a little kick for emphasis, then hoisted him up over his shoulder.

Rook blushed as she remembered what she had witnessed on her way upstairs. Trying to remain cool, she responded, “Right. Yeah, I noticed. A lot of... mouth stuff for a Vint whorehouse.”

He shrugged, “When in Antiva, do as the Antivans do,” he shifted his stance, so the weight of the body he carried fell more solidly on his knees and thighs. The Vint growled softly, the effects of the paralysis spell slowly wearing off.

“I'm sorry. What?”

“Here, it's considered bad manners to penetrate a woman without giving her at least one orgasm first,” he spoke coolly and matter-of-factly.

“Uhhh... really?”

He nodded once, amused by how much redder her face turned. Any more and she'd match the drapes.

“Right! This fascinating foray into Antivan culture aside...” She tried to recall the next steps of the plan and failed, still flustered, “How do we get this guy out of here?”

“The roof. Follow me.”

As she followed him, she held her hands to her warm cheeks and hot, pointed ears. Lucanis had proven to be a strange find. A stoic assassin, always on high alert. All business. All the time. He slept in the most nondescript room in the Lighthouse, and spent his free time cooking, training, and compiling intelligence received from the Crows into dossiers for Veilguard missions. He was hard to read, perhaps by nature, but sometimes she got the feeling that he liked making her uncomfortable.

He could probably tell that she was attracted to him, a fact which she couldn't deny. She'd felt it the moment she'd first seen him sweeping down on Spite's indigo wings, graceful and vicious. And when she'd found out the truth about Spite, the feelings only deepened. He carried so much on his shoulders and had survived so much. She liked him and respected him, and made it a point to address the missions of personal import to him first. She told the others it was because they needed to separate him from Spite to boost their chances against the Evanuris, which was partially true. But it was also favoritism, plain and simple, driven by an unshakable desire to get closer to him.

When they got to the roof, she closed the door behind them.

“There should be a container over... here.” He hauled the now wriggling body over to the wooden box, and tossed it in.

Rook watched from a safe distance as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of swirling blue liquid. He crouched beside the crate and, in one smooth motion, ripped his cravat out of the man's mouth and popped the cork on the vial.

“I'll have you know I-” the man in the box squealed angrily, then quieted as Lucanis's hand dove inside.

“Drink up,” he said menacingly, holding open the Vint's jaw with one hand and pouring the potion down his throat with the other. When the vial was empty, he tossed it to the side, it shattering evenly on the gravel rooftop. He put his hand over the man's mouth, leaned in a little, and stared into the box darkly.

“Swallow,” he growled.

Rook found herself unconsciously following the command, too. Lucanis could be a bit... intimidating.

She turned her thoughts to the Vint in the box. It was just a sleeping potion, so he'd stay there a couple of hours, until their scouts could move his body to a nearby safe house and begin the interrogation.

“Open,” Lucanis commanded and inspected the man's mouth. When satisfied, he stood up, still holding the lid to the crate open. “Night night.”

The crate's lid slammed closed with a thud. With that, he turned his attention to his saliva-soaked cravat which lay in a little heap by the crate. “Ugh.”

“Leave it. We can get you another one,” Rook remarked, mildly entertained by his disgust. All of the questionable things they'd seen tonight and this is the one that got a reaction out of him.

“Let's just hope he actually knows something useful,” He said.

“Our intelligence has been good so far.”

He grunted his agreement.

For a moment they stood on the roof, taking in the night air. The city was a quiet cacophony of music, shouting, and from where they were standing, the raucous sounds of lovemaking - if you could call it that. Lucanis did a little stretch, rolling his shoulder in a wide circular motion.

“You okay? That guy looked... heavy.”

He shook his head and then started rolling his neck, “Bad lift. Rookie mistake.”

“I could probably help with that.” It was nothing a quick regeneration spell couldn't fix.

“Later.” He then did the strangest thing she'd ever seen him do. He winked.

Her brain reacted as if struck by lightning. Was this... flirting?

“Lucanis Dellamorte.” She feigned indignation with practiced perfection, “We are standing on top of a whorehouse next to a crate with an unconscious Vint in it.”

“Exactly.” He laughed, “We should get going.”

And so they did.

[nerd-fandom-drabbles]

Paper Trail

Description: Lucanis wrestles with the possibility of betrayal as he delves into the mysteries surrounding his capture and subsequent disappearance. With Rook by his side, they piece together what few clues they have.

2461 Words

Characters: Lucanis Dellamorte and femme, elven Rook

Pairings: Lucanis x Rook, hint of potential Teia x Viago

Genre: Mystery???? Hurt and comfort.

Content Warnings: I'd rate this T for teen. Mostly for a few dirty words in English and Spanish and some adult themes. Adult themes: mentions of violence, betrayal, suspicion, sex. Spite being less of a physical gremlin and more of a voice in Lucanis's mind.

WARNING: Spoilers for all released Dragon Age: The Veilguard gameplay footage as of 10/26/24, The Wigmaker Job, and Eight Little Talons. Not necessary to have read the Tevinter Nights stories, though. I probably over-exposit for clarity.

Note: Probably will be OOC once the game comes out. Story details will probably be totally wrong, too.

Note 2: This is a part 1 of ???? If anyone actually reads it I might feel cute and write more.

Lucanis Dellamorte was tiring of sifting through papers. Although normally he was happy to compile and review intelligence dossiers or post-op status reports, today, he faced another beast entirely.

He sat at an old oak desk in Emmrich's library facing off against a tall stack of envelopes, the newest of which were freshly delivered. The twine bindings and wax seals all broken, their contents had been dumped out and arranged in some vague groupings for analysis. He had read through them all at least once already, but felt like he was missing something obvious. Exhaustion aside, he wasn't ready to stop digging for clues just yet.

He let out a big sigh.

His positioning in the room wasn't ideal and he knew he struggled to concentrate because of it. He would have preferred to be sitting with his back to a wall, as would be usual for him, but that wasn't currently possible due to the layout of Emmrich's furniture. It was already kind enough of Emmrich to let him use his space without a condition of said use being a complete reorganization of the room. So, he was instead situated as close to the door as he could be, relying on the sounds of footsteps, gait recognition, and the wide oak door's creaks to give away any potential intruders.

As a result, when he heard those familiar, soft-heeled footsteps make their way to the door, he already knew what to expect. Still, she opened the door ever-so-slowly and crossed the room quietly, maybe on tip-toes. Probably trying to surprise him.

“Boo!” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his cheek, “Did I get you?”

“Ah, yes, mi amor.” He responded flatly, and softly stroked her arm, “You got me.”

“Lies,” she whispered in his ear, “What are you up to?”

“Tying together loose ends... or trying to, anyway.”

“Loose ends?” she asked and pulled away from him. He instantly missed her warmth.

She leaned against the desk now, pawing at his papers inquisitively.

“Old ship records. You're looking for details of your capture?”

“You know the one,” He leaned back in his chair, and met her eyes, now giving her his full attention.

And indeed she did. A year before they had met, Lucanis had been the target of a devastating kidnapping plot on his return voyage to Antiva from Tevinter. Venatori had surrounded and overrun his vessel, and with nowhere to escape, he was captured. He had spent nearly a year in their custody, subject to endless torture and experimentation in retaliation for the assassinations that earned him his moniker: “The Demon of Vyrantium.”

By the time Rook and Neve found him in his underwater prison, he had been saddled with more than a few extra demons of his own. One of them more literal than any of them could have expected.

She swallowed, “Hmm.”

“Months ago, when we were in Vyrantium looking for Zara, I went seeking the manifest of my ship from that night.”

“Alone? I would have come with you.”

“I... didn't entirely trust you yet.”

She wasn't hurt by this. Knowing everything he had been through, his caution was more than warranted. Still, she wished she could have joined him.

“Anyway, with the ship's captain having been killed in the attack, I went to the local port authority and asked for a copy of any documents. They said the ship I was on was with an independent trading company, and they'd inquire to the local merchant's guild.”

“And it took this long for them to get back to you?”

“It seems that particular ship had an incomplete record. It took months of back and forth between the three of us to confirm that some parts of the manifest simply did not exist.”

“Convenient.”

He shot her a knowing look of agreement. He gestured to the mountain of papers and envelopes on his desk, “This is the result of those exchanges.”

Her heart skipped a beat as his glance returned to her. The quiet intensity in his eyes never ceased to strike her.

“I've been scouring for clues, but... nothing stands out,” he said, rubbing his beard and leaning over his papers, “Any thoroughly incriminating evidence must have been among the redactions.”

“Still, there might be something they missed. Even a fake name or suspicious piece of cargo might be of interest to us,” Rook replied, and when Lucanis nodded, she then continued, “Have you shared this with Neve, yet? Following this sort of paper trail is her bread and butter.”

“Ah no, not yet,” Lucanis swallowed, “I wanted to reach a conclusion on my own before getting a second opinion.”

Rook sighed. She knew the real reason was that he was still sorting out who among the Veilguard he could trust. She had earned his good opinion through ceaseless dedication, honesty, and an uncanny ability to help him through his arguments with Spite. The hot, soul-bearing sex had probably helped, as well. The others on the Veilguard team, however, had presumably not been so lucky.

“Well, there is one thing. Something I expected to see that, conspicuously, wasn't there.”

“What?”

“I don't want to say. Not yet. Not until I'm sure.”

She sighed. This was a lot. “You know, your grandmother suspected that you were betrayed. By an ally.”

He stared blankly, “She said that? To you? When?”

“When Neve and I first met with Crows regarding your whereabouts. Before we met.” Rook fiddled with one of the pens on his desk, “She said it was why she didn't tell anyone about the fake body at your wake. She didn't know who to trust.”

“Mi amor. That is an important detail,” His forehead creased with frustration and he rubbed his furrowed brow, “Why didn't you mention it earlier?”

“I planned to tell you eventually, but I knew the rest of the Crows were looking into it and would report to you if they found anything. Besides, I didn’t want to add to your worries if there wasn’t anything you could do in the meantime.” She shook her head, “You had enough on your plate.”

“That is for me to decide, Rook. I know you were trying to protect me. But that was for me to decide.”

“I'm sorry. I... should have told you sooner.”

“I'm a big boy. Don't leave me in the dark.”

He could feel Spite weaving a sickly web in the back of his mind. She hides. She lies. And you think she loves you? He fought against the thoughts, knowing Spite's only interest was in isolating him further.

He met her pleading eyes and sighed; he was utterly unable to stay angry at her. “That changes things. She may have kept records of her thoughts on the matter somewhere... But where?”

The obvious place to look would be their ancestral home, however, this was Caterina they were talking about. She had kept a million secrets, and probably had a million different places to stash them. Plus, if Caterina had been correct, and the traitor was a close ally, it's possible they may have already been beaten to the punch, with any evidence destroyed or altered... But even if so, it was another lead.

He wondered briefly if she might have kept a safety deposit box in a bank vault somewhere. As next of kin, he would be able to get his hands on it, but anyone else would likely have more trouble. Anyone else except...

He thought for a moment, and then asked, “Who else knows about that little tidbit?”

“Uh, just those of us who were in the room, I assume.” She counted on her fingers, “Teia, Viago, Neve, and your cousin.”

“Illario?” He paled and she nodded, “Shit.”

“Why, what's wrong?” She paused in her tracks, blood running cool in her veins, “You suspect him.”

“He was supposed to be on that ship with me, but ran off on a 'job' last minute. If he bought a ticket, his name would have been on the manifest next to mine, but it wasn't. The page was ripped out.” He growled, “I know. Convenient.”

“Your own cousin? Luca, but why would he-?” She stopped, her mouth becoming dry, “Oh.”

“Oh?”

More secrets. Spite hissed.

“I've been... spending some casual friend time with Teia.”

He raised an eyebrow. This was news to him. Not good or bad. Just... news.

“What? She's fun! And I think when she and Viago finally hook up, they'll be great for double dates.”

He cracked the slightest hint of a smile. He actually liked that idea, even if the chances were slim. Those two were utterly hopeless.

“Anyway, she told me about your rivalry.”

“Rivalry? What rivalry? There is no rivalry.” At least, no more than any other set of boy-cousins around a similar age.

“She also told me you'd say that,” she chuckled dryly, “That Illario was always comparing himself to you but you always brushed it off.”

“What? No, that's a misreading of the situation,” he shook his head, “No, I was just older, and so he followed me around like a puppy.”

“Vhenan, I love you. But you are literally brushing it off right now,” he let out an annoyed little groan, and she continued, “You were Caterina's favorite. Everyone thinks you should be the heir. He's barely even a contender. He's jealous.”

He blinked. He had considered Illario a suspect, but hadn't been able to pin down a compelling motive. There had been conflicts in their past, over everything from jobs to girls, sure, but enough to collaborate with their enemies to take down family?

And jealousy? What even was a little jealousy among relatives, anyway? He was jealous of Illario's even bronze skin, ease with women, and ceaseless, grating charm, but he would never wish him harm over it. They were different, yes, but that was what made their friendship work.

Still, he was pulled back to the Wigmaker job. That entire night, Illario had seemed preoccupied with the possibility that Lucanis would be selected by Caterina to take on the role of First Talon in her stead. In fact, Illario had asked on one - no - two separate occasions, what Lucanis would do if she tapped him. In response, Lucanis had been honest and told him that he had no desire for the role, and would prefer Illario have it for himself. But he'd also been honest that Caterina could force him into it if she wanted to, and that they would need a plan to convince her to name Illario instead. And at the time, Lucanis had assumed that was enough to sate him.

But maybe he'd gotten impatient. Maybe he was more ambitious than Lucanis had given him credit for? Maybe he wanted his dear cousin out of the picture entirely?

Fuck off, Spite. I feel you in there. The entity merely cackled and retreated to the deeper parts of his sub-conscious, done stoking his fire, for now.

Truthfully, Illario was only a somewhat skilled stealth infiltrator, but he certainly had enough skill to break into a lightly-guarded private shipyard and alter the records unseen. If the Venatori had reached out to him and made him an offer... maybe let him in on the plan to get rid of their Demon problem...

The simmering in Lucanis's blood turned to a boil. That made motive, means, and opportunity. He gripped the armrests of his chair so hard he thought they might break. After a few tense moments, he bit his thumb and muttered under his breath, “Ay, ese mierdito. Imbécil. ¡Bastardo, coño!” He clenched his fist.

The air in the library was thick with silence. It wasn't a huge outburst; he'd hardly moved, but still, Rook was surprised. She didn't have to speak Antivan to know that he was angrier than she'd ever seen him. This was highly unusual, to say the least, and she wasn't sure what to do. It was far more common for her to have to pry his feelings out of him, or ply him with alcohol or affection to get him to emote at all. And even then, even with Spite's chiding haunting his waking thoughts, she'd never seen him so volatile. And yes, the circumstances were dire, but there were still so many unknowns.

“Luca, please. We don't know it was him.” She firmly placed her hand on the table and leaned towards him, “Besides, doesn't this all feel a little too easy? Anyone – anyone – could have requested copies of these documents. They're public record. Whoever did this knew we would get them eventually.”

“So?”

“So... The page was removed. His name might have been on it, but we can't know now. This could all be a frame job to tear you two apart when you need each other.”

He blinked hard, breathing heavy, slowly coming down from his rage.

“You're right. You're right. Thank you.” He took her hand and gave it a little kiss, “I'm sorry I-”

“We need more information,” she interrupted his apology. It wasn't necessary. Not from him. Not now. His rage, though perhaps momentarily misdirected, was perfectly valid in her eyes. And she knew that when the time was right, it would be useful.

He gave her hand a little rub with his thumb and then let it go. He took a deep breath. He fastened the nearest group of papers with a paper clip and set them down on the desk in a neat stack. He took another deep breath, firmly gripping the desk's edge. He needed to set aside his feelings and think clearly. Think. After a moment, he looked up at her.

“Let's set up a meeting with Teia and Viago. You, me and Neve. If we meet at Caterina's, we can kill two birds with one stone: go through her effects to see if we can dig up anything, and get a status report on anything they've uncovered through their investigations.”

“That's a good plan, Luca.”

He nodded. To anyone else, his expression might look neutral, but Rook knew him well enough by now to see the distress clearly on his face. Something about where he held his tension, probably. To be surrounded by so many enemies, and not know who to trust? Her heart sank for him. No wonder it had taken so long for him to open up to her.

“I hate seeing you like this, vhenan.” She reached out and placed a tender hand on his jaw. “Come.”

She pulled him into a warm embrace, and he melted into her, nuzzling into her neck as she snaked her arms around to stroke his hair and lower back.

“We will find who did this. I promise you."