I have reached the "I want to be done with this" phase of my latest artistic endeavour.
Last Line / paragraph written
I got tagged by @dreamywritingdragon and @motleymercurialmarionette, so here goes: ---
Rook took a deep breath, held it for a second, then let it out slowly as she leaned against the door to the dining hall, head tipped backward to stare at the bright Fade sky.
Was this his way of letting her down easy? --- This is from a highly unfinished drabble, because I am currently procrastinating on writing the last two chapters / chapter and epilogue of the regency romance au because I don't want it to end yet and I'm way ahead of schedule anyhow. Also sometimes I just need to go back and dissect their canon romance under a microscope.
Not tagging anyone because I feel like all the people I would tag are already doing this, but feel free to join the fun if you want to :)
Chapter 17 is up! In which Rook asks Neve to look into how & why Lucanis quit the military; Later, Rook and Lucanis attend another ball together where we meet Davrin again. Come feast on their awkward pining ;) Snippet:
Neve shook her head. “You’re unbelievable. You should count yourself lucky that he is the decent sort.”
Her friend looked down at her hands, now definitely blushing.
Neve stared. “... Rook?”
“...”
“... please tell me he still is the decent sort.”
“It’s nothing, I swear!”
Neve narrowed her eyes. “Elenore Nadesca Thorne, I’ve known you for almost 10 years now, I know exactly when you’re withholding information.”
Rook cringed, squirming under her stare, eyes flicking up to Neve’s and away again.
“... so I may have done something monumentally stupid,” she eventually muttered.
“Do tell.”
She met Neve’s gaze then, taking a deep breath before letting it out with a sigh.
“This was before he ran off. They have these tiny lanterns everywhere, even up in the trees, that look almost like fireflies, you know? And I wanted to get a closer look at some of them, so I ducked under the branches of this willow to see if I could get a clearer view.
When he followed, he noticed that I had ditched Lace. And then he started sort of … teasing me about that. Telling me that I was playing with fire and would end up getting burned and some such. And I’m pretty sure he only meant to taunt me a little, but you know me, I can never back down from any sort of challenge.
And then he somehow ended up standing so close to me that I could feel his breath on my face and I’m pretty sure he would have kissed me if it hadn’t been for that firework announcement and I would have let him and now I don’t know what to do about that.”
The words left her in a rush and she dropped her head into her hands, just as they heard a high-pitched squeak from outside the door, which fell open as Bellara tumbled into the room.
Reblogged
„I‘m just going to explore this location real quick” is the “just one more chapter” of open world games and suddenly it’s past midnight and I’m in a location that I’m very underleveled for but I just need to do one more thing
Cause at 10pm I went „wow i‘m getting tired, I should go to bed soon“ and next time I looked at the clock it was 23:45 and I was no longer tired
The artist version of this is „I’ll just fix this one detail/ layer / tidbit and then I’ll stop“ and „man it’s 10 pm I should really stop doodling and get my butt off the couch“ and then suddenly it’s an hour later and you know if you don’t move now you never will.
Lucanis Romance Ramblings
I want to piggyback off this post on the Nevecanis romance to make some additional arguments. Sorry for the rambling!
To;dr: No, the Nevecanis romance is not objectively better than the Rookanis one, learn to read the fucking room people. You can dislike it, but that doesn’t make it bad.
Firstly, I feel like most of the people who complain that his romance with Neve feels better and more intense than the Rookanis romance forget that it happens in a much shorter timeframe.
Due to the structure of Veilguard and its romances, all companion romances happen very late in the game (to allow the player to shoot their shot with anyone for a long time even if they avoided flirting earlier on).
You get some actually flirty banter (the regular banter between Neve and Lucanis just maybe feels that way because Neve is being Neve and both of them are actually quite funny), then you get the one companion asking you for advice (which would be the lock-in scene on a Rookanis run), and then you get the resolution where their relationship is actually confirmed, and then some more banter with other companions about the relationship.
The feelings between Rook and Lucanis develop much more gradually and undergo some setbacks because of his story arc. (By the time he expresses his interest in Neve, you have already helped him overcome his most pressing issues, leaving him some breathing room to actually feel his feelings.)
First, there is the easy, surface level flirtation during the coffee date, after you just freed him from a year of torture prison and he is happy to be home and among his people again. He will never bee this relaxed and happy again until after you deal with Ivenci.
But then The Horrors start happening, beginning with the realisation that being an abomination is much more difficult outside the Ossuary (Spite trying to walk out of the Lighthouse) - and who knows what else the demon might do while Lucanis sleeps?
Then there’s Weisshaupt and the anxiety of failing a job for what is perhaps the first time in his life - and what is left of him if he can’t even do his job anymore? Of course he he essentially blocks Rook off when they try to comfort him, because he Cannot Be Distracted again (and something tells me he might be talking about more than Spite here).
Then Spite takes control of him while he is fully awake and aware to try and kill the only family he has left (and he starts suspecting that there is something wrong in the state of Denmark for the first time). How can he have Feelings for Rook when he cannot even trust Spite not to hurt those he holds most dear?
Our pookie is understandably terrified! Of and for himself, but also for Rook, who is important to him and has shown him nothing but care and consideration! Of course he keeps shooting them down until he breaks (almost-kiss), but even then his mouth keeps saying No, Don’t, This is a Bad Idea!
Yes, the actual lock-in could have been a little longer and more elaborated, but of course he doesn’t talk about his feelings for you the same way he talks about his feelings for someone else with you, his best friend? ("[Illario was] my only friend, before you" will never not crush my soul ;_;)
Have none of you ever been smitten and gushed about your crush (shyly) to friends, and then felt all the words dry up when talking to the actual object of your desire?
Especially when you know you fucked up before, and cannot figure out why they even liked you in the first place.
Especially someone who canonically hates talking about his feelings (that one banter with Taash) and has no confidence in his charm and ability to flirt (that banter with Emmrich)? Yes, I know we disagree with him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't absolutely believe these things about himself.
But once he gets over his hang-ups? He is SO in, full on life-or-death devotion, that man is so utterly in love he cannot keep his hands off you (that Isabella comment if you manage to get him killed ;_;). So don't tell me he doesn't even really like Rook just because you didn't get the little things.
Personally, I see a lot of parallels between Lucanis' romance and the things Astarion says in his Graveyard scene (come on people, I know the pipeline is there, even if it technically makes mor sense to come here from Gale):
"You've been with me through all of this, through bloodlust and misery and pain. You've been patient. You cared. You trusted me, even when that was an objectively stupid thing to do."
(Did I just paraphrase that from memory? Yes I did. Astarion may have grown on me more like a fungus, instead of the instant 'Yes, that is for me, thank you!' I had with Lucanis, but grow on me he did. And I am so very fond of his more tender romance scenes.)
You even get that "It's time to try living again", during Inner Demons, it just takes him a little longer to get to the "with all that life has to offer" part.
Lucanis may not be able to articulate that stuff, especially not in a coherently and all at once, but it's definitely there and he's definitely aware of it (i.e. "How do you always do that? Break apart my perfectly gathered cluds of doom." - "It's better if I stay in here than risk losing you").
It's perfectly ok if Lucanis romance is not for you. All the romances in Veilguard have different flavours, to appeal to a multitude of different people, and I think that's a good thing.
Just, you know, don't say it was objectively bad, because it's not.
Chapter 16 is up! In which Rook and Lucanis visit the Festival of Lights. This is the one that starts the pining, and I love it *so* much :D
Snippet:
He found her squinting up into the treetop, hand on her hips. “See the lights up there? I wonder how they put them up in the branches without risking a fire.”
“Please don’t tell me you intend to climb the tree to find out," he commented with an amused smile.
She looked back over her shoulder at him, a mischievous grin on her face. “I’m afraid I’ve outgrown the age where I would return home in a torn dress because I was chasing squirrels up a tree. You’re not wearing a dress though…”
He studied the trunk of the tree to the point where the branches spread out to create decent footholds. “... not in these shoes.”
She chuckled. “Too bad.”
He looked around, noticing for the first time that they appeared to have misplaced her chaperone. He frowned. “When did we lose your maid?” “We didn’t lose her at all," she explained, slowly sauntering closer to the tree. “She wanted to look at some of the games, and I told her to meet us at the entrance later.” He raised a dubious brow at her. “You sent your chaperone away on purpose?” “Eh, let’s be honest, she wasn’t much of a chaperone in the first place," she retorted with a lighthearted shrug. “And she works hard; she deserves to have some fun, too. Besides, there really is very little need for a chaperone in a well lit park with people everywhere.”
He shook his head. Her trust in him was commendable, but she had to know how this would look. She really needed to take more care with her reputation. Despite her affected nonchalance, he was pretty sure she would not enjoy the notoriety that came with the assumed ruination of character. Maybe, he thought to himself, someone needed to remind her, just a little.
Sweet Romantic Drabble
I have a bunch of scenes and introspections I want to eventually pen down for my canon SD!Rook Ceres and Lucanis, but I don't know when I'll get around to it and if I want to make a bunch of loosely connected one-shots or a whole fic out of it. I've only done half a chapter of one so far, set just after the romance lock-in, but I really like it, so I thought I'd just share it here for now (it's tooth-rotting fluff).
---
Perchance to Sleep
Last Line game
I was tagged by @himluv to share the last line I had written - but because the actual last line is super boring (“Yes, Master Cortez.”), you're getting the last line of the section I finished before that ;) (This is all chapter 20, because I cannot seem to stop racing to the finish line)
--
It was probably a good thing they needed to head back, before his self-control absconded him entirely.
--
Tagging @dreamwritingdragon and whoever feels like it ;)
Chapter 15 is up! In which Lucanis delivers Rook’s invitation to Caterina’s ball personally (attendance is mandatory) and Illario learns about his fathers debts after incurring some more of his own.
Snippet:
“… what exactly are we doing here, Lord Dellamorte?” “I’m buying you a dress,” he informed her with a grin. She gaped at him. “But … you can’t!” “Why ever not?” “Because … it’s just too much!” Yes, this whole charade was his idea, and without his attention she would never have earned the dubious honor of receiving an invitation to one of his grandmother’s events, but that didn’t mean she could just accept expensive gifts. She was not a charity case. He just raised an eyebrow at her, apparently still waiting for a proper explanation. She sighed. “My lord, an entirely new dress is expensive. It’s not just some throwaway gift. I … couldn’t accept that.” He really couldn’t simply buy her a dress. It was entirely inappropriate, and she didn’t want to feel indebted to him for that. “Miss Thorne. You do know that I’m a marquess, yes?” he asked, looking amused. “I’m well aware.” “That title comes with a rather substantial estate. And since I have spent the last several days getting intimately acquainted with that estate’s finances, I have a pretty good idea of what I can and cannot afford.” “But -” “No. Look at it this way - it is my fault that you find yourself in this predicament, isn’t it?” “Well, yes, but…” “And it is my family you’re trying to impress?” “Impress is a strong word. I was going for ‘not immediately offend’.” “But you wouldn’t feel bad about impressing those who have spent years looking down on you, would you?” “Well, if you put it that way, no, I wouldn’t …” His grin widened, as if sensing her imminent surrender. “So it is only fair that I should help you out on this, don’t you think?” She crossed her arms, scowling at him while mulling over his reasoning. He was not exactly wrong, but … “… I still don’t like it.”
Hot Take
You may fight me on this, but IMO:
No, Lucanis' personal arc should not have been about dealing with the abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of his grandmother, because he already dealt with that.
He’s had over 20 years to deal with that, and has clearly worked his way through those feelings. He's made his peace with it. Just because you don't like the conclusions he drew doesn't mean they're wrong and need to be changed. Victims are allowed to find their own way to deal with their trauma. (In a way, Caterina's treatment of her grandsons is also a trauma response, what with losing all of her children and almost all of her grandchildren - which, as a parent, OOOF. But because her reaction messes with the kids, it can and should be viewed under a different light.)
Yes, it would have been awesome if we *had* been allowed to delve into the issue that he did not, in fact, want to become First Talon and how he plans to deal with that particular can of worms, but I can totally see how it would have been difficult within the scope of the game (when his main arc is about dealing with all the other trauma, accepting himself as a changed person and finding a way to move forward despite it all). Also I didn't really get the feeling that he had too much of a problem with accpeting that mantle after all; he may not have coveted the position, but that doesn't automatically mean that he is not prepared to deal with it when it *does* fall into his lap.
In text, it sounds more like he thought Illario better suited to it than that he was violently opposed to it himself.
For the uninitiated, the screenshots are from The Wigmaker Job 😉
Lucanis' Room
Theory time!
You know how it's weird that every companion's room changes over time, except for Lucanis' pantry?
That's because the pantry isn't really his space. The dining hall is.
Dining space before Lucanis.
Dining space immediately after Lucanis arrival.
Dining hall by the end of the game (notice the fucking chandelier and the art on the walls).
And that just ... does things to me.
Of course he wouldn't decorate the utalitarien space where he (refuses to) sleep. He adds his personal touch to a communal space instead, one that is warm and welcoming to everyone on the team. A space for good food and conversation, where he can do something he enjoys for people he cares about.
Almost forgot y'all are due another chapter today, too ;) Chapter 14 is up! In which Rook and Lucanis take to the skies, after a rather grounding encounter with Davrin.
Snippet:
The air was awash in what felt like a hundred different smells and sounds, but he noticed how Miss Thorne’s eyes kept being drawn back to the main attraction. The hot air balloon was stationed a little ways off from the other exhibits, to reduce the chance of wind-related accidents. “Do you think they’ll actually demonstrate it flying up?” she asked, trying - and failing - to keep the excitement from her voice. “It’s possible? Though I’ve heard that you can’t really steer these things, so there’s no telling where it would come down again.” “I’ve read about that! they can only determine if it goes up or down with the burner and a number of weights, right? … do you think they’ll let anyone fly up with it?” She was staring at the brightly colored balloon wistfully, a strange kind of longing in her gaze. Like a child peering at the display of a confectionery, knowing that their parent will never buy them a cake, but unable to keep from hoping. “You sound like you would really like to fly,” he teased with a soft smile. She turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. “Well, yes. Of course. Who wouldn’t want to fly?” He chuckled. “I can think of plenty of people who would rather keep their feet firmly on the ground.” “Yourself among them?” “Is that a challenge?” His smile widened. “Maybe. Are you up for it?” “Let’s find out, shall we?” He offered her his arm then, pulling her through the crowds towards the object of her desire.
Family portrait of my canon Rook Ceres and Lucanis with their two girls (and Spite!) - the little one is a bit of a handful ;)
Am not suuuper happy with it, but don't wanna keep fiddling either.
Yes, the little one is dangling of Lucanis' back, so you can't see the rest of her at the moment ;)
Headcanon:
When their second kid is one the way (say, 4-5 years post Veilguard), Lucanis realises that actually, he really would rather focus on his own little family for a while, so he dumps his First Talon job on Illario (you wanted to be First Talon? Have fun with it) and they fuck off to Rivain for a while.
Until they get bored, another 3-5 years later, and return to Treviso so Lucanis can have his little cafe/restaurant and help out Illario on the side (because it turns out that people-skills don't entirely make up for being feared as a damon possessed god-killer).
https://archiveofourown.org/works/63170740/chapters/164180431 Aaand here we go! Chapter 13, in which Lucanis has a good time at Neve's dinner party, and Illario has a much less pleasant evening.
Snippet:
“A marquess canceled his existing plans for our small party? I am flattered,” interjected Mrs. Ivo from his left. He turned around to look at her. “They were hardly my plans, and my cousin will still make an attendance, so I shouldn’t be too sorely missed.” Miss Thorne leaned forward to glance around him. “Miss Ivo, I don’t believe you’ve told us yet what you have been up to this winter!” “You’re correct, I haven’t,” the adventurer replied smugly. “You and your husband spend a lot of time traveling, yes?” Lucanis inquired, his curiosity piqued. “We do. We just returned from the silent plains last month; a colleague of ours stumbled onto some interesting ruins up there a short while ago.” “So you are archeologists?” “Eh, not quite. Explorers would be a more apt description. I have the necessary education to help out deciphering old runes, and my Antoine is a bit of an inventor, which makes us a good team when it comes to finding hidden rooms and passages.” “That sounds like quite an exciting life!” “It is, most of the time! Also exhausting, but somehow we always keep going back to it,” the explorer replied with a rueful smile. “Have you been to the Nahashin Marshes at some point?” Miss Thorne threw in. “I hear it’s quite a habitat for Wyverns,” she added with a wink in his direction. Had she just asked that for his sake? “We have! Magnificent beasts. Let me tell you about the time one stole Antoine’s trousers…” Miss Ivo turned out to be an excellent storyteller, and Miss Thorne’s contributions were both clever and kind. He found himself so pleasantly distracted that he couldn’t even remember what he’d eaten.