serstolas

[serstolas]

ooh chilling and awesome core vibes

OC Vibes / Wardrobe - Basalit'Reth

I was tagged by the lovely @serstolas and @tactical-errors errors for the OC Vibes game and the latter for OC Wardrobe so I'm doing it all in one.

I think I played this with my Rook awhile back so instead I'm playing with my OC Basalit'Reth - a Qunari loyal to the Qun who has been tasked by the Ben Hasserath to kill as many of the Tal-Vasoth Antaam as a way to protect the foreigners of the coast from them.

soft tagging @converse-luke @wukodork @rook-de-rivas @redheadsramblings @eiluned - show me your ocs pls

[serstolas]

Day 2: Antonia de Riva - Poison|Treviso|Resistance

Ficlet for Rook Appreciation Week, many thanks to @rookappreciationweek for organizing the prompts!

In less than six months she's been widowed and exiled from her home, but Antonia de Riva knows she has no choice but to keep moving. (Also on AO3)

She could sense her brother’s presence slightly behind and to her left. To her right stood the matriarch of House Dellamorte, dressed in a fine but severe looking black down, black lace draped over her iron gray hair. To the old woman’s right stood Illario Dellamorte, his gaze distance, like he wasn’t quite seeing the pyre set before them.

Antonia de Riva wore a gown and lace mantilla similar to Caterina Dellamorte’s. Her gloved hands were clasped in front of her as she watched with a somber expression as her husband’s remains were set aflame. She was careful to keep her cheeks free of tears. Crying in public was not a luxury afforded to the widow of Lucanis Dellamorte.

Viago had agreed to the alliance between House de Riva and House Dellamorte with some reluctance. It had been a marriage of convenience, but she’d grown at least fond of Lucanis in the year they’d been married. She thought he’d been fond of her too. With Lucanis gone, though, she didn’t know what would become of the alliance.

Antonia had learned that Caterina Dellamorte never did anything without a reason. The woman had survived to an age few Crows, let alone Talons, ever saw, and she’d survived the deaths of her entire family save two of her grandsons. It took a woman of steel to do that.

She knew Lucanis must have been set up for the Venatori to get the drop on him, but thus far no one, not Caterina or Viago, had entertained her thoughts on the matter. She kept her expression grave as she watched the flames consume her husband’s body, even as a flame of rage remained buried within her own heart.

****** Four Months Later

“You reckless fool,” Viago cursed at his half sister as he glared at her. “Do you have any idea how many plans you’ve ruined by blundering about the Antaam like a hurricane?”

Antonia’s face, fresh scars like lighting cracking across her skin from the backlash of a powerful spell, remained impassive as she listened to the Fifth Talon and head of House de Riva rage. She was not going to apologize for saving the captives from the Antaam. Too many people, both common and even Crows had vanished from the streets of Treviso since the Antaam had invaded the city. Friends she’d seen only weeks before were gone, either in Antaam custody or dead.

“What do you want me to say, Viago?” Antonia asked. “The Antaam crawl about our city like cockroaches, threatening civilians and Crow alike. There were fledglings in that group of prisoners. I couldn’t leave them to the Butcher.”

“You might have talked to me before you attempted some daring rescue,” Viago snapped. “There are multiple missions that had been planned that all have to be scrapped now.” He clenched his fists. “You’re lucky the other Talons aren’t calling for your head, Antonia,” Viago shook his head. “Caterina would be well within her rights to call for your death or your imprisonment.”

“Which is it to be then?” she asked.

Viago glared at her. “It so happens that two of the captives you saved need help with a job. Maker knows why, but Varric Tethras has asked for your help specifically.”

Antonia looked at him blankly. “The author?”

“And member of the Inquisition and former Viscount of Kirkwall,” Viago snorted. “They’re looking for another former member of the Inquisition, Solas. You’re going with them. It took a lot of talking but I managed to convince Caterina to sentence you to temporary exile. Think of this as a contract. If you succeed, maybe you can begin to get back into the Crows' good graces.”

“What about your good graces?” she asked softly.

He sighed. “Just go pack your things, Antonia. You’re going to be away awhile.”

She watched her brother stalk away then closed her eyes and turned mechanically towards her rooms in his townhouse. If what Viago told her was any indication, she was going to be on the road for some time and she’d need to pack light.

She’d just swung her pack onto her back when Andarateia Cantori appeared in her doorway. The Seventh Talon’s expression was sympathetic as she regarded Antonia. “You know he’s only sending you away because he must, Toni,” she said gently.

“Better he send me away than Caterina ask for my head,” Antonia replied humorously. “Any good will she might have still had for me is probably gone now.”

“Perhaps,” Teia hazarded. “But you know Viago will miss you, no matter how he yells at you now.” Teia then moved her hand from behind her back and presented Antonia with an athame. “You will need this, since you lost yours in the fight against the Antaam.”

Mages weren’t common among the Crows, and the spellblades they used were not cheap. Antonia stared down at the athame in surprise then back at the Seventh Talon. “Teia, I can’t..”

“Yes, you will,” Teia told her firmly and pressed the blade into Antonia’s gloved hands. She waited for the mage to sheath the weapon before she hugged the taller woman. “Be careful, Antonia. Viago or I shall write to you when you may come home.”

“Thank you, Teia,” Antonia whispered into the elven assassin’s hair.

Varric Tethras and Scout Lace Harding of the Inquisition were waiting for her on the street outside of the de Riva townhouse.

“Welcome to the team,” Varric greeted her with a grin. “You’ll remember Harding.”

“Nice to meet you, now that your fingers aren’t crackling with lightning,” Harding offered a wave. “You ready to go?”

She’d lost her husband and her home in less than six months. Now that she’d been exiled, it didn’t really matter if she was ready or not, she had to just keep moving forward.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Antonia shrugged. “I think the sooner I get out of Treviso the better. Most of the Crows are furious with me.”

Harding glanced briefly over her shoulder as if looking to see if there were any Crows lurking nearby. Antonia knew her brother and Teia were watching from the windows of the townhouse and she could make out the shape of at least one Crow on a nearby rooftop.

“”Right, let’s go then,” Varric suggested. “Off we go, Rook.”

Antonia lifted her brows. “Rook? The the bird or the chess piece?”

“Probably the bird?” Harding suggested?

“Could be,” Varric told them, “But I’m thinking of the chess piece. The Rook is a piece that people underestimate. But later in the game, it’s often one of the most powerful pieces on the board.”

“I just fucked up several operations and pissed off at least half the Talons,” Antonia snorted. “I don’t think Rook really fits me that well.”

“Trust me, Rook, it will,” Varric promised as he clapped her on the shoulder. “It will.”

[serstolas]

Day 1: Valassan Aldwir - Maps|Arlathan|Discovery

For Rook Appreciation Week, thank you to @rookappreciationweek for organizing the event!

(also on AO3)

"So how do you become a Veil Jumper?" Davrin asked Bellara as he and Rook followed her up path that wound around the malfunctioning artifact they'd come across.

"Oh, simple," Bellara glanced over her shoulder at him. "You survive Arlathan Forest."

Davrin cocked a brow. "That's it?"

Bellara shrugged and paused when she heard the sound of crackling energy. Rook, recognizing the sound as well, moved up beside her and began shoving pottery and debris away to reveal a crystal that sparked with energy. "This one of the crystals?" Rook asked.

Bellara nodded and held her arm that she wore her artifact glove on over the crystal, her fingers glowing with magical energy as she calmed the crystal. As the crystal stopped crackling, she gestured towards it. "The energies in Arlathan are wrong, scrambled. It's dangerous no matter who you are, and not everyone can stand to be around it."

Davrin gave Bellara and Rook a speculative look. "So if you can, then you've got what it takes. Huh. That sounds a lot like Grey Wardens."

"Except for Archdemons," Bellara agreed. "And griffons. I wish we had a few griffons."

"We get enough problems with the wild magic in Arlathan turning deepstalkers into monsters, Bellara," Rook pointed out dryly. "I'm not sure we really want griffons added into that mix. Can you imagine how the energy might mutate a poor griffon?" He shuddered at the thought.

"I don’t even want to think about that,” Davrin told them. “The griffons have been through enough.”

Assan squawked his agreement as he flew in a circle above their heads the further up the path, his wing beats blowing debris off another crackling crystal.

“Oh, thank you Assan!” Bellara said cheerfully and continued on up the path to address the second crystal.

“So Rook, how’d you become a Veil Jumper?” Davrin asked curiously as they followed Bellara up the path.

Rook’s expression grew somber for a moment before he said, “I’m originally from Ventus. I was captured by the Qunari. Strife and another Dalish rescued me and I remained with their clan awhile. When things started going wild, I followed Strife. Been with the Veil Jumpers since, or I was until about a year ago.”

“Strife really was mad about that map,” Bellara remarked.

Rook groaned. “Believe me, I know. He will never let me forget it.”

“So when all of this is over and you and I and Assan are hunting monsters, I should never leave our maps in your possession?” Davrin joked.

Rook gave his lover a scathing look and stalked further up the path.

“Ooh, don’t think he liked that, Davrin,” Bellara remarked as she suppressed a grin.

“I can hear you both you know,” Rook muttered.

“We know you can,” Davrin replied impudently.

Assan landed near Rook and bumped the Veil Jumper with his head, looking at Rook with his big blue eyes.

“See, you can’t stay mad at that face now, can you?” Davrin gestured to the griffon.

“I can still be mad at you even if I’m not mad at our son,” Rook retorted. He knelt and scratched Assan behind the ears, causing the griffon to purr.

“Okay, but can our son cuddle with you as well as I can?” Davrin suggested.

“Assan’s very cuddly,” Rook informed his lover.

“But Assan can’t give you back rubs the same way I can,” the Warden pointed out.

Rook eyed him for a long moment then snorted. “No, I suppose he can’t. I suppose I can’t be mad at you if you promise me a back rub tonight.”

“Done,” Davrin agreed instantly, grinning brightly, and Rook couldn’t help but grin back.

Bellara, meanwhile, was making notes in her journal.

[serstolas]

No, no i’m sooooo ready to talk about Teia as a complex & flawed character because the way she has a softer & more familial approach to the Crows while also being known as especially ambitious & successful (at *assassinating*) makes me insane to think about.

My read is that she does genuinely believe in both things (being caring & being ruthless) but she’s seriously compartmentalizing… but there’s also the possibility that her “kinder, gentler Crow” bit is as much an act as her seductions?

I’m gnawing at the bars of my enclosure

YESSSS you don't become the youngest talon by being sweet, I wanna know what's going on in that mind. It's so convenient that "the nice crow" is an elven Black woman, and tbh I don't think Teia could get away with acting otherwise either in universe or in the fandom's eyes. It's very chewy to think about what Teia genuinely thinks vs what she presents.

And another thing about Teia! There seems to be this idea that of the crow gang she's the mentally and emotionally healthy one (or at least, as much as a crow can get). Don't get me wrong, I too am a sucker for those posts where's it like a text going "if you show me an ounce of kindness I will swallow it like a stray dog given scraps" set over a picture of Lucanis's big sad cow eyes. But I need to talk about how Teia is just as bad!!!

Bc bestie I'll be honest, any time I started latching on to my coworkers as family, I wasn't exactly doing well mental healthwise. 👀 I'm fascinated by how Teia calls her boss "Nonna" even plans Caterina's funeral....meanwhile Lucanis doesn't even consider her a friend and Illario sticks to calling Teia by her full first name. Those are not the actions of a well adjusted person lol; imo she's just as sad and desperate for affection as the rest of them.

She's so messy and complex 🥰🥰🥰 It just makes me sad when Teia's personality gets flattened to "nice and pegs Viago"

[serstolas]

Heat index of 105 F today. Walking out to my car after work I feel like I am baking. For reference its currently 95 degrees with 47% humidity.

[serstolas]

Warden Illario enlisting Neve's help to find wedding rings for him and Rook because he knows he'll never be able to get his parents' rings from Caterina.

Neve helping him find the perfect rings because she wants Rook to be happy.

[serstolas]

What do you know about romance? part 2

1 part: https://www.tumblr.com/nateeseart/781635797365522432/what-do-you-know-about-romance?source=share

[serstolas]

Thinking about how good the Varric being dead the whole time reveal really was. Like.

We get the trailer and we’re excited and we’re ignoring the dumbasses who think it’s Fortnite (it’s not). We get the gameplay trailer and it’s fifteen minutes of beauty. We go into it and we see Bianca die!! In front of us! And then solas stabs Varric! We’re worried! But no, they wouldn’t kill Varric off before we have the goddamn game right? But we’re scared. We’re oh so scared. Because what if they did??

But we get the game informer article and thank god. They didn’t. It confirms, right there, that we see Varric again. He’s not dead. They didn’t kill him.

And then we get the game and it’s a little weird. Like. Sometimes Varric talks and no one responds. Nobody else visits him. But he’s still there. He still talks to you. You go talk to him before every big quest. He talks about Lucanis.

And it’s the point of no return. You pick if you lose neve or Bellara. You watch Harding or davrin die. Lucanis is just passed out right? What is solas doing? That motherfucker what is he doing? Why is the statue you’re holding… Varric?

You talk to neve or Bellara and it’s about loss. It’s about responsibility. You talk to davrin or Harding and it’s about doing what it takes. It’s about choices. Is it Lucanis yet? No. But you know, now, who it is now.

He was always gone. He’s been gone the whole time (go away Sam Reich, we’re mourning our DAD). He died in our arms at the start of the game and we never got to mourn him. Solas used blood magic to fuck with our brains and denied us that ability to mourn the most beloved character of this franchise. The love of our hawke (platonic or romantic). The best friend of our inquisitor. The storyteller who has been there for us since the beginning. And then solas killed him and never let us mourn.

And how brilliant was that?

They killed him in front of us months before the game released and then did the EXACT SAME THING that solas did to rook. They told us he wasn’t actually dead look he’s perfectly fine see? He’s alive! Look he says things to you! He’s still there!

[serstolas]

neve gallus i love you so much. the world is falling apart. elven gods are trying to destroy everything. it’s all bad. she says “lets go take a walk :)” like it’ll be some nice treat and then all of a sudden you’re in dock town and she’s smoking and speaking like fucking spider-noir.

[serstolas]

What if instead of keeping a pet wyvern Lucanis goes several steps further and founds a Wyvern Sanctuary "The Dellamorte Nature Preserve", inadvertently becoming the first first talon who is actively engaging in environmental conservation entirely because no hunter in their right mind would go near a crow owned nature preserve.

And he can go look at wyverns whenever he wants.

[serstolas]

Rook Week Snippets - Chapter 1 - WoundedSoul - Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own]

Day 1: Veil jumper/ Arlathan

With my NB VJ Rook from my Spite Soulmate AU

@rookappreciationweek

[serstolas]

Yet another AO3 bot situation - please spread the word!

Hi, it's me again, the person who wrote that viral post about fanfiction plagiarism! Today I'm here to warn you about abuse perpetrated by bots who have stolen AO3 usernames.

There's currently an epidemic of bots going around leaving (apparently random) horrible, hateful comments on people's fics. This isn't the first time bots have invaded AO3, but the big problem with this wave is that they're using real AO3 usernames to do it.

I learned about this when another writer contacted me after receiving the following comment on their story:

Now, while that is my username, I DEFINITELY did not leave this comment (and anyone who would leave something like that on a fic should be slapped! What an awful thing to post). This fic is in a completely unrelated fandom that I have never participated in, nor has that author participated in any of my fandoms, so the probability of it being some intentional fandom drama thing to make me look bad is also low.

The writer whose fic the comment was left on enlisted the aid of some friends and tracked down other guest comments with unrelated usernames attached, which is pretty strong evidence that they are being left by bots at random.

The TL;DR: If you receive a cruel comment from a (Guest) with an actual AO3 username attached, it's most likely from a bot. Please do not lash out at or dogpile the AO3 user who owns that name, and who in all likelihood has no idea that their name has been hijacked for evil.

If finding this kind of comment on a fic, even left by a bot, is likely to upset you, I would recommend changing your comment settings so that only users who are logged in can leave comments. To do this, edit your story settings, and under "Privacy," select the radio button that says "Only registered users can comment," as shown below.

Please spread the word to other AO3 users! And if you see mean guest comments on other fics, maybe let the author know that it's probably from a bot and not a real person who thinks their writing is bad.

[serstolas]

Her love language is being a pain in the back 💜🐦‍⬛💃✨

[serstolas]

Tracing Names in Ash

A (complete) post-Tearstone Island twoshot

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Rating: M

Relationship: Rookanis

Words: 4,799

Warnings: Descriptions of canon-typical violence, heavy angst, dissociation

Summary: The sky is bloody, and this is not something anyone can solve with knives. He’d seen this. He’d known. He’d said, “Don’t make promises you might not keep.” The rising wind had moaned in his ears.

Read on AO3

Lucanis goes to her as the rest scatter like leaves, the broken tension blowing each of them to their own preparations. Rook turns as light as a dancer at his fingers on her arm. It is the first time they have touched since Tearstone, and his skin burns against the fabric of her filthy sleeve. Spite’s a physical need clenching in his hands and a frisson clawing its way up his spine. There is too much he—they—he wants in this moment. He wants to weep, and hold her, and scream, maybe not in that order, maybe all at once. He wants to say—the bright thing—anything, everything. He opens his mouth. The words that come out are, “Are you alright?”  The disgust that surges through him is equal parts his own and his demon's, but he can't find anything else to say.  Rook looks at him for a long, thrumming moment out from her baleful mask. Her eyes are less rain-washed sky than they are chips of glazed tile: flat and dead under their shine, more than weary or mourning. Then she grins. It is an awful thing. “I can collapse when this is over,” she says easily. 

[serstolas]

Looking forward to reading this when I'm off work for a bit. Its such a wonderful story

pathos II: flying home - epilogue "home"

Pairing: Lucanis/Rook de Riva AU: modern, ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Rating: explicit (for smut, but it’s not the focus of the fic)

Summary:

After a successful first season skating together, Lucanis and Rook head into their second Grand Prix full of excitement. With the world title fresh in their pocket, they’re well on their way to earning a spot at the Evanuric Winter Games. Lucanis is finally starting to settle in the present, but Rook’s past suddenly starts catching up to her when her long-lost mother reappears. While Rook and Viago navigate her return, Lucanis and Illario try to mend their own relationship. The question remains: who are they really skating for?

Read the epilogue on AO3 (In which everyone gets a happy ending because I said so.)

[serstolas]

“unbothered. moisturized. happy. in my lane. focused. flourishing.”

-Cassandra reading her smutty literature on the beach (don’t tell Varric)

[serstolas]

A Dance

Illario sat on the bench in front of the piano in the Music Rook, staring moodily out the windows. With parts of the city still buried under inert blight, the Wardens aiding in Minrathous's recovery were staying in the Lighthouse and taking the Crossroads to the Dock Town Eluvian every day.

Most of the other Wardens assigned to Minrathous were still in the city, celebrating that they'd been able to complete clearing another neighborhood in the city today. They'd invited him to the Cobbled Swan with him, but Illario found that, for once, he wasn't in a particularly sociable mood.

If only Lucanis could see him now.

He smiled bitterly at that thought and took another swig of the wine from the bottle in his hand. It had been four months since the Siege of Minrathous. He'd written two letters to Lucanis in that time, and his cousin had denied to answer either. He wasn't sure of Lucanis had even read them.

To make it worse, he'd run into one of the Crows messengers in the Crossroads just an hour ago. The look of absolute distain and disgust from the man made him want to lash out, but he knew if he did there'd likely be some retaliation from the Crows. He might technically be a Grey Warden, but he had little doubt that several Crows still wanted him dead.

He heard the door open and footsteps come around to the stool. "Move over." Familiar fingers took the bottle from his hand, and he glanced at Rook as he watched her take a swig of wine.

"Decent vintage," she remarked as she handed the bottle back to him.

Illario frowned at her. "Rook, what are you doing here? Why aren't you at the Swan?"

"Probably for the same reason you are," she murmured as she stared into the fire.

Since his Joining, Illario made a point to spend most of his time around Wardens. Despite his crimes, they still welcomed him among their number. In his free time if he wasn't with a group of Wardens, he was with Rook. He'd found himself spending a lot of time in her company since they'd retaken Minrathous.

"What's wrong, Rook?" he asked, not liking her pensive expression as she stared at the piano.

"The same as usual," she replied. "It doesn't matter how much I help, how much we clear, most of the Shadow Dragons either ignore me outright or refuse to look me in the eye." She snorted. "Consequences of my actions."

He scowled. "They're still at that? What happened to Minrathous was the gods fault, not yours."

She shrugged. "Logically we all know that, but all they see is someone who didn't save her own home when the blighted dragons attacked." She glanced at him and lifted a brow. "What about you, why are you sulking here instead of at the Swan?"

"The usual," he smiled crookedly. "It's been four months since Elgar'nan's fall and my cousin still refuses to acknowledge me. On top of that I ran into a Crow messenger in the Crossroads. It was...unpleasant. I had to restrain myself."

Rook cocked her head. "You know you have to give Lucanis time, Illario. You can be sorry for what you did, but whether he ever truly forgives you."

"Is up to him," Illario finished, glancing back out the windows. "I know. And it's possible he may not want anything to do with me ever again. It's a consequence of my actions, my sins against him.." He sighed and glanced at the bottle in his hands. "So instead of celebrating, I am 'sulking' as you put it, alone with a bottle of wine."

"Not alone anymore," Rook pointed out, grabbing the wine bottle from him again and taking another sip. "If we're supposed to be celebrating, we can celebrate just the two of us."

Despite his mood, she made him laugh.

They sat there for a time, passing the bottle of Antivan white back and forth between the two of them. Being Wardens, it took a bit to get them even tipsy. He looked at the not quite empty body. "You know, if we were at the Swan, we could probably dance to whoever was playing."

"That's one way to celebrate," Rook agreed. "Why, are you asking me to dance, Illario Dellamorte?"

He smirked, "And if I am?"

"Then ask me properly," she replied cheekily.

Illario stood and offered her his hand. "May I have this dance, Warden Mercar?"

She chuckled and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. As he he settled an arm around her waist, they heard the twinkling of wisps. The little creatures began to dance along the surface of the piano keys, and, amazingly, music began to play.

Illario regarded them quizzically before he pulled Rook flush against him and began to lead her in a dance. The unnatural fade light filtered through the windows as they danced, smiles flickering over both their lips. As the song ended, Rook lifted her chin, looking at Illario for a long moment before she placed her hands on either side of his face, and leaned up to kiss him.

Illario's arm tightened around her as he deepened the kiss, and heard her gasp as their bodies pressed closer. When they finally broke the kiss, both breathless, he stared down at her. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her softly.

"Yes," Rook replied firmly.

Both a little drunk on wine and elation, he kissed her again, then let her lead him from the Music Rook and towards her own quarters.