Among the Roses
First fic for OC Kiss Week 2026! This one is for the amazing @daisywalletchains, here is some fun Antivan Crow chaos with Turnin and Ava. <3
Fandom: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Pairing: Rook de Riva/Rook de Riva Rating: Teen Summary: Two Crows, a bouquet of flowers, and a mission to complete. Words: 2386 Additional Tags: OC Kiss Week 2026, Day 1- Impulse, Qunari Rook, Elf Rook, Antivan Crows
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“Why did I let you talk me into this?”
Ava de Riva glanced up to see her mentor and self-proclaimed brother standing above her, arms crossed over his chest, mouth twisted in his usual grimace. He was always so grumpy, and while it usually made for a fun game of ‘see how long she could push his buttons until he snapped’, she was in a bit of a hurry at the moment.
“Stupider people than us have done this.”
“Not. Helping.”
“No, you’re not helping.” Ava huffed, holding up the bouquet of flowers in her hands: a beautiful arrangement of pink roses, Andraste’s Grace, elfroot, and lavender. The scent was a little strong, sure, but the colors were stunning and she almost wished it was meant for her instead. “So shut your mouth and do what I hired you to do.”
Viago glared, the leather of his well maintained gloves straining tightly over his fingers, the grip against his bicep almost painful to witness. “How do you plan on sneaking into her room? You know she traps it.”
“Yes, and you poison every surface in yours.” Ava lifted the vase holding the blooms, catching the scent of rose and lavender and she had to stop herself from pressing her nose against the nearest flower and sniffing. “What’s your point?”
Viago grumbled some insult in Antivan she didn’t quite catch, but she ignored him, opting to concentrate on not dropping the vase. She was certain Lucanis would be put out if she destroyed one of his favorite pieces. Especially since she hadn’t even mentioned she’d be borrowing it for her ‘make sure Teia gets flowers for being as amazing as she is’ plot. The one that Viago was supposed to be helpful with considering he spent as much time in Teia’s quarters as she did.
Not for the same reasons, however.
Viago settled on a “she’s not going to be happy about this plan,” meeting Ava’s violet-hazel eyes as if he was challenging her to deny it. He knew better her than that. In fact, he practically raised her.
“She might be unhappy with you, maybe.” Ava muttered, brushing past Viago to the door, prepared to fight him if that’s what it took, but all her brother did was sigh and run a gloved hand through his waves. “You should be the one coming up with plans to woo her, not me.”
The exasperation Viago felt was nearly palpable, an annoyed noise slipping out when she bumped into him on purpose. “Just… be careful.”
“So you actually care?” Ava’s hand curled around the doorknob as she waited for Viago’s response, knowing it would most likely be mean, but Viago was never cruel with her. He was incapable of it.
“I don’t want to be the one to explain to Teia why your dead body is in one of her traps.”
Ava hid a smile as she slipped out of the room, knowing he wouldn’t let her live it down if she failed in her mission, but willing to take the risk anyway. Because Teia deserved something to smile about and if Viago wasn’t going to show her, then she gods-damned would.
~~~~
Turnin was waiting for her at the entrance to the Cantori Diamond, eyes on Crows and Antivan citizens alike as they came and went from the casino. Her hands were in her pockets, her entire appearance exuding confidence and calm, but Ava could see the small things that anyone not trained in assassination would ever notice.
Like the slight tension in her shoulders, or how her strange pink eyes kept glancing to the shadows, trying to find enemies in the places the Diamond’s lights didn’t touch. Or how the hands in her pockets were probably curled around daggers, ready to strike whatever adversary approached…
The Qunari turned just as Ava exited a side alley, and as she passed into the light from the casino, Turnin grinned. The scars across Turnin’s face were cast in shadow, but Ava knew every one of them. She knew her friend as well as she knew herself, each scar a story of survival, of resilience.
And sometimes of stupidity.
Ok, mostly of stupidity. Or at least, that’s what Viago would tell her.
She never listened to him anyway.
Turnin opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she noticed the bouquet in Ava’s hand, the beautifully painted vase the next place her gaze traveled. “Isn’t Lucanis going to miss that?”
“Only if he realizes it’s missing.” The two of them continued down the street, keeping out of sight of their fellow Crows as much as possible. They didn’t need Fletcher or Chance running off to report to Teia that they were lurking.
Turnin let out a laugh, quiet yet nonetheless amused. “Oh, I’m sure he already has.”
Ava didn’t acknowledge her words, but she picked up her pace, the skin of her neck prickling uncomfortably as if someone was watching their movements. A quick glance didn’t alert her to another presence besides her and Turnin, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t there. She’d made that mistake before and certainly wouldn’t be making it again.
“Something wrong?” Turnin asked, eyes also peering into the shadows, hand palming a dagger by her side. “Is someone there?”
“Maybe.” Ava shook it off, knowing she was in too deep now and if Lucanis knew his vase was missing, he was going to kill her regardless. If he could get passed Viago. “Too late either way. Lucanis can kill me after.”
Turnin chuckled as Ava secured the bouquet and vase against her body, strapping them down so neither fell to the ground in their climb and rendering the entire mission pointless. Once she was certain they wasn’t going anywhere, she reached up to grab the first of the hand holds in the stone wall, spots between the bricks where she could easily grip with nimble fingers, and she pulled her body along the building, making sure her footing was secure before looking for the next.
“I guess we’re doing this the hard way.” Turnin said, not bothering to hide the excitement in her voice. “Excellent. It makes it more fun this way.”
The Cantori Diamond was surprisingly climbable, especially as the headquarters of one of the top Crow families. Maybe if she told Viago about it, he could be the one to get the knife to the gut when he finally told Teia about the breach. Teia’s bedroom was high up in the building, probably near the top of the casino, so the climbing took quite some time, but her persistence paid off. Ava heaved herself over the edge of a balcony, landing on her feet, sweat pooling in uncomfortable places, but she’d done it.
She wished Viago could see her now.
Turnin followed only moments later, looking a lot more energetic and a lot less sweaty, the only evidence she’d climbed twenty floors was the perspiration at her temples. Ava glanced away, trying to quell the sudden urge to wipe the sweat away and instead, approached the door that led from the balcony into Teia’s room. It was locked, of course, so she immediately dug into the pouch at her hip for a lockpick, crouching to eye level with the lock.
Turnin leaned against the wall beside the door, gaze on their surroundings, keeping an ear to the night’s sounds, prepared with a hand on a dagger. Just in case.
A few turns and the lock clicked. Ava clamped down her excitement, trying not to dance a little at how easy this was. That probably should have been her first warning.
Standing, Ava put her tools back in her pouch, turning to where her friend waited silently. Still watching.
“Viago said there’d be traps. So be prepared for that.” Turnin glanced at her expectantly. Ava tried not to laugh with her next words. “And expect poison too. Viago’s been here enough that nothing would surprise me.”
“All that and Viago still let you go out and risk your life?” Turnin fought a grin, but lost the battle. Her teeth gleamed in the light spilling onto the balcony. “Either he has complete faith in your abilities or he wants you to kill yourself.”
“Maybe a little of both.” The doorknob didn’t look trapped, but that meant it definitely was. “Do you want to do the honors or would you like me to?”
Turnin’s hands slipped over her waist, easily moving her out of the way, but even when the Qunari finally released her, Ava still felt her touch searing her skin, the slight pressure of her fingers still molded to her hips. Clearing her throat, she glanced off into the darkness, hoping to find something to kill to at least take her mind off of the sudden flash of heat in her chest.
“Ava?”
“Huh?”
Turnin was waiting for her by the opened door, the trap attached to the doorknob rendered useless at her feet. “You good?”
Ava’s hands felt damp, but they were secured in gloves to protect her skin (in case of poison, as was her usual method of killing) so she was unable to wipe them on anything. So, with a shrug, she stepped past Turnin into the room, refusing to let her feelings for her fellow Crow distract from her mission. They were so close to success, she could feel it. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Turnin reached out, the tips of her fingers brushing Ava’s shoulder, trying to stop her from entering. Ava sidestepped her quickly, her entire focus on the warmth of Turnin’s touch and the scratch of her fingernails on leather that she didn’t even realize she hadn’t checked for the next trap.
“Ava, wait-”
She’d barely stepped into Teia’s bedroom when something slithered around her foot, yanking her across the floor without warning, each grasp she made for something to hold onto was thwarted until she was suddenly hanging upside down, dangling from the elaborate chandelier centered in the ceiling. The bouquet she’d secured so well came loose from her belt, flowers floating to the ground in a cascade of pink, purple, and white petals.
“Shit!”
Her body swung back and forth, the momentum of the trap keeping her in constant movement, her long hair nearly brushing the floor each time she took a pass by. Turnin was busy trying to undo other traps she’d stumbled on, her back turned to Ava’s predicament. She was positive that the Qunari would be laughing her ass off if she had the chance to admire her misfortune.
Ava heard the click of a disarmed trap, but she wasn’t sure how many there were. There could be a dozen. There could be ten dozen. All she knew was that she needed to get down before all of the blood rushed to her head. Then she remembered: There was a knife in her boot. There was always a knife in her boot. If she could reach it, she could cut herself down, and maybe she could salvage the rest of the mission.
On the next swing, she used the momentum to bend at the waist, grabbing her calves and holding herself in position, the dagger slipping easily into her hand. The sudden movement put her off balance, the chandelier rattling as it barely held her weight, the wires securing it to the ceiling straining to keep the light fixture attached.
If she didn’t cut herself free, the chandelier would do it for her.
With the dagger in her dominant hand, Ava used whatever flexibility she had left to force herself closer to where her ankle was caught, making sure not to cut her own flesh as she tucked the blade beneath the wire. It took more strength she expected to snap it, but when it finally broke, she fell to the floor.
Only to collide with someone standing beneath her.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around her as she fell, pulling her tightly against a large muscular body as they finally tumbled to the ground among a pile of roses and lavender. A crack echoed through the room, the vase giving way beneath her, crushed from the combined force of her weight and the fall.
It took her a moment to orient herself. Then she glanced up, her gaze meeting a familiar pair of pink irises set in black sclera. Ava blinked a few times, uncertain of what to do when her body was pressed so firmly against Turnin.
Almost like they were meant to be together.
She swallowed nervously, intending to apologize for the sudden drop when Turnin gripped her chin, leaning down to capture her lips in a searing kiss. One that curled her toes and made butterflies dance in her stomach. Ava smiled into the kiss, unable to resist responding, her fingers curling into Turnin’s leathers, shifting closer even though there wasn’t any more room between them.
“Didn’t I tell you to be careful?”
Ava bit back a groan, untangling herself from Turnin’s arms though it took a moment for her friend to let her stand. Viago was standing in the doorway, his piercing gaze focused on the chandelier as it hung above them at an odd angle, some of the crystal shattered on the floor along with Lucanis’s vase.
She needed an excuse for that one.
“Teia is going to kill me for what happened here.” Viago hissed, rubbing at a spot at his temple. Ava swore she could see a vein throbbing there. “The First Talon warned me against getting attached to my charges.”
Turnin appeared at Ava’s side, rubbing a thumb over her lips and it took everything in Ava not to stare at her. “Just tell Teia it’s an excuse to redecorate. I know how she likes to spend your money.”
Ava bit her lip, trying not to let the giggle slip out.
Viago’s response was a sigh. There was little else he could do. “Go. Before she stumbles on the mess.”
She didn’t need to be told twice.
Grabbing Turnin’s hand, she yanked the Qunari after her as they ran out of the door. She wasn’t willing to wait for Viago to change his mind. Before they completely disappeared down the hallway, Viago’s final words followed them, “And you’re telling Lucanis about his grandmother’s vase!”
