Main blog: @rielzero
bg3 fancomic: @ohnoestherestadpoles
Check out my ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActualEvil
This Sideblog for writing fics, main purpose is for me to express myself.
If you don't like the content, please block me and don't harass me. I have no interest in pointless drama in this fandom.
I am not an experienced fanfiction writer, I'm not looking for criticism either. My english may not be good all the time. Please be nice.
Some concepts used in my fanfics are aligned with backstory elements of my own Tav oc, they are just used differently.
OP
You can refer to me as ''Riel'' or ''AE'' my pronouns are he/him.
I am an adult. Born in 1998.
Boundaries, etc.
-If you are a minor, you should not be playing BG3 to begin with, its a 18+ game. Do not interact with me. Block me.
-Please don't come to this blog to argue lore or anything else with me, I'm just some guy. I don't have time for that.
-Dead dove don't eat. I will do my best to add content warnings, I'm not perfect and may not be aware of triggers of strangers. Please curate your experience.
-I will not write gender neutral or fem content.
-Astarion is pan/bi, reader/tav in my fics will always be gay.
-My fics will include headcanons of characters and might not be dnd lore friendly.
-Tav in my fics will always be a ''slender'' smaller man, a twink. This is for my personal comfort.
-Do not reupload my fics anywhere. Reblogs are fine!
Can I request a fic or oneshot?
Yes, but do not expect too much. If I don't like the idea, I'll pass on it.
I might abandon things if I lose interest or inspiration.
I will NOT write about this.
-Astarion physically abusing tav.
-Adult Astarion knowing tav before they were an adult.
-Mpreg, or omegaverse stuff.
-An Extremely Heroic Tav or pure good aligned Tav. We killed 7000 people for this route.
-Adopting children or raising them.
Maybe.. Yes.. Depends.
-Manipulation.
-Possessiveness, obsessiveness.
-Angst.
-Stalking.
-Usage of Mind Control spells like Charm or Calm Emotions in some situations. (see my Charmed fic for example) I don't want to write about straight-up brainwashing.
Preferences.
-Vampire Groom Lore.
-Fluff, comfort.
-Tav is evil too.
-Consent is a love language.
If you have any questions about the blog, drop them in my inbox.
DNI if you are a minor.
Dead dove don’t eat.
Please read my about before replying.
Content: Ascended Astarion x Male tav, this is post epilogue.
Summary: Someone's not so eager to continue the coffeeshop AU vibes.. Tav is dealing with some shit and Astarion really wants to strangle his disguised reflection in real yandere fashion.
Content Warnings: I don't think this one has any notable TWs? If I need to add new tags by the way, please let me know!
A/N: This one took a while since I've been unwell and pre-occupied with other projects. I cannot promise regular updates, when they do drop I try to make them lengthy enough. I've been trying to figure out how to get this back to my intended direction, and I think I got it!
Not typo proof-checked or double proof-read, sorry.
Read on Ao3
Another.. And Another.. And another.. The work never ends. Part of you wants to take a break, but that would mean being left alone with your thoughts.. And currently, there’s just no part of you that really wants that, or at least can’t cope with it at the moment.
It was only a few days since the awkward visit from Bouke, his advances were sweet, but.. No. Something told you it wasn’t an option to begin with. And the forwardness bothered you more than the person himself. You were working! You weren’t looking for a date.
Embarrassing. That’s the easiest way to describe this sensation, something you lost quite a time ago.
You felt much more of a pull towards the tiefling that visited daily to read his book, something about him felt warm.. Maybe you had a crush on him, maybe that’s why you rejected Bouke the way you did.. Or, maybe the emptiness forbade you from seeking out others.
It stung, really, really badly.
As you glance at Morlock, he looks back at you, his eyes unblinking until he eventually winks. He then turns his attention to the door, which swings open and puts him on edge.
And so do you.. The hair in your neck rises as a shiver runs down your spine.
A woman in a wintershield captain uniform enters the place. She does not appear to be on break, but on business.. And immediately, struts forward to your counter and slams her hands down, causing you to drop the glass you were drying.
The lady doesn’t say anything, just observes your reaction, asserting dominance..? Or, is she looking for someone? Does she know you stabbed a man?
‘’Where is the halfling that owns this establishment?’’
You pause, pondering whatever she’d want Jilvy for. Was she going to question her about you..? ‘’Uhm.. She’s-’’
‘’Not indisposed at the moment, aye. Tav. Hello, you.’’ Jilvy, with her halfling height, slinks from around the corner like a shadow. She’s carrying a broom, which she hands over to you, gesturing towards the glass.
You try to gather the context from their eye contact, unsure, whilst you clean up your mess. They appear to know each other, and there’s a hostility. A large amount of it.
‘’If this is about my past again, m’lady, do know I’ve been operating a valid business for a few months now. I’ve just gotten more customers over the holiday, nothing suspicious. I don’t know what you’re looking for, but ye won’t find it. Now, either order some tea, calm yourself, or leave. I can sense how eager you are to reopen old wounds, but I’ve changed. I’m not so eager to bleed over nonsense these days.’’
A mouthful, but it seems to settle the nerves. The captain decides to take a seat in front of the counter, she watches you remove the glass from the ground. ‘’Hmm.’’ Her eyes go from Jilvy’s intense expression towards the portrait of her son. ‘’Hmm..’’ The tavern falls quiet.
‘’Fine.’’ She drops a pouch of coins on the counter then, ‘’I’m not picky, remainder is for the broken glass.’’
On signal, Jilvy brushes past you and climbs up on the counter to pour her a drink herself. She then grabs the coin pouch and shoves it in her shirt, tucking it away.
The silence remains, so does the tension. Even if the captain looks pretty relaxed now. She takes a lot of time to blow the heat off her drink and sip in small quantities.
The captain continues to examine her surroundings, observing the clientele, Jilvy, her decor.. You. She takes a long time to observe you. Pondering, then her eyes fall back to the portrait on the wall again.
‘’So, if you’re legitimate these days.. You no longer have those contacts, then?’’ The captain speaks in a lower tone, a near whisper, not too soft, not too loud.
‘’Really? Let me guess, you actually need them, and now you’re upset that I don’t do that anymore? Cute. If I remember…’’ Jilvy’s expression reminds you of a wolf, one that is trying really hard to reel in their aggression. ‘’You’re the reason why I quit.’’
‘’Land pirate.’’
‘’Cheating homewrecking wretch-’’
Before Jilvy can finish her sentence, the captain abruptly stands, her glass almost falls over, but she stops it. The woman takes a deep breath.
‘’You still blame me?’’
‘’Just get to the point, m’lady.’’ Jilvy cocks her head to the side, clearly running out of patience. Her hand rests on one of the counter’s cupboards in front of her, as if she’s ready to pull out a weapon from underneath.
‘’Look, I’m at a dead end. There was an attempted murder, and now the victim is missing.. I’ve got a lot of people depending on me. If you know someone who knows..’’
The captain stops mid speech as Jilvy begins to laugh.
‘’No, you’re looking for someone to pin it on. I know, I can vouch for it because I remember very well how much you wanted the position of captain..’’ The halfling woman grins.
At that accusation, the captain is suddenly quiet. Her confidence is gone.
‘’I just need to know, if anyone.. Anything, noteworthy..’’
‘’Yeah, yeah, do you a service and report it to the guard. I’m not a criminal, Cap. Now, please. Leave, you’re making my bartender nervous.’’
The captain turns her eyes back to you, which makes you stiffen.
‘’Is he sick or something?’’
You just quietly nod your head, hoping that being agreeable will make her go away faster.
‘’Okay, now, please. Leave. I don’t think you want to lose your current career, do you? You think you’re a threat to me now, but I actually know you, I know how you play.’’
The captain leaves without a word, and a minute passes. Suddenly, the customers return to their usual chatter like nothing happened.
It’s a bit disorienting how quickly they readjust. The world just continues to move on, not even gossiping.. There’s something you don’t know.
Jilvy has history, then?
‘’Don’t look at me like that Tav, really. You have nothing to worry about. She and I go way back, and.. Well, she used me. You don’t need to know why, how, or what. It’s behind me.’’
The halfling gets back to her floor work, asking the customers if they need anything else and going over the supplies. Refilling drinks whilst you continue to mindlessly broom the floor.
You turn to the contents of your journal when you put away the shards, once more wondering what Gale is up to.. And when he’ll be back to talk to you about your lost memories. At the same time, a part of your brain demands you to turn to Morlock. There’s a pull of sorts.. You assume the psionic abilities within your body are trying to tell you something.
No, you’re just eager to converse with someone you feel you can trust.
If Gale isn’t here, there’s also Jilvy.. But you’re not sure she understands. Does she even know you’re hiding? That you’re the person the guards are looking for..?
Would they even listen if you tried to explain why you stabbed the man..?
It’s almost as if Morlock can read your mind, because he looks at you with concern. You walk over to him and take a seat in front of him without much thought. Jilvy eyeballs you for a moment, but brushes it off. She’s not going to tell you to get back to work, knowing her.. She’d prefer it if you worked less.
…..
As Tav seats himself in front of him, Astarion, disguised as the Tiefling Morlock, blinks. He puts away his book and folds his hands in front of him. Not sure how to even.. Start a conversation. He’d made a mental note to have someone look into whatever that was that transpired earlier.. But otherwise, his plans remained the same.
Observe Tav, get Tav to trust ‘’Morlock’’, Learn more about the surroundings.. And set up enough theatrics to lure Tav back to his true self, Astarion.
He knows why Tav attacked the man, but he’s still not sure why he is in Neverwinter to begin with. According to Jilvy, he was homeless.. So he’d have to been living off the streets all that time...
It reminded Astarion of Tav’s vague backstory.. Back when they travelled together. He wouldn’t speak of it much, he was a charlatan that scammed people out of their money.. Pocketed what he could find, and easily travelled from place to place, never belonging. He’d lived in Baldur’s gate for some time until the mind flayers kidnapped him.
Ah, but there's beauty in it.. The mystery.. Tav, who yearned for power.. Who stole things for the thrill of it.. Only to be harmed by both every step of the way towards the end goal.
Never really knowing what’s truly going on in that head of his. But he was always open and honest about the kind of person he was. The other companions ignored it.
He may appear docile now, tired.. Sick.. But underneath that was a person who knows how to take things, and not just things. Lives, too.
‘’Can I help you?’’ Morlock raises a brow, giving Tav an attractive toothy smile.
Tav smiles back, he looks a little silly, scratching the back of his neck before leaning one elbow on the table. ‘’You’ve just.. Been staring at me a lot.’’
Oh- Yeah.. Hopefully it wasn’t too suspicious. He shouldn’t- Or could he? Would he be able to tell that it was Astarion..? It puts the vampire lord on edge. If he did know, perhaps they could.. Converse properly about what happened so long ago.
The sadness nearly overthrows the elf’s confidence, the guilt is agonising to him.
‘’You remind me of someone.’’ Is all he can muster, not sure where that conversation will lead..
‘’Oh- Well, I hope he’s.. Your type.’’ Tav chuckles, he’s cute.
Wait-what?
‘’My.. Type? Certainly.’’ As Morlock, Astarion leans back in his chair, he perks his lips up, the illusionary tail swishes around.
Tav is about to say something, but his face turns red and he quickly stands, walking out of the conversation.. Oof. So he was flirting- and.. Then he stops in his tracks.
‘’Do you want to hang out sometime?’’ Tav’s voice cracks as he asks this.
Astarion is baffled. But he takes too long to answer, Tav shrinks.. He scutters off, immediately departing to what is the private area of the building. Shit.
‘’..Did that just happen?’’ Disguised As ‘’Morlock’’, he somehow struggles to put one and two together.. Maybe his charm was universal. Maybe it’s the curls.. Maybe Morlock needs to be strangled by a vampire lord later this evening.
He turns his head to the halfling, who shakes her head disapprovingly, mouthing something pitiful that Astarion misses.
‘’..Huh.’’ He’s just about to drift back to his own little world.. Fantasies and guilt intertwine and he snaps out of it right away. ‘’Jilvy, I uhm, Would you mind if I..’’ He begins to wildly gesture with his hands.
Jilvy catches the hint that ‘’Morlock’’ needs to take a break, but keeps up the act of him not being a fake customer. ‘’I’ll just put it on your tab.’’
Astarion fakes a smile. ‘’I’ll be back in an hour or so with my wallet.’’
…..
Through the backdoor, you manage to slip outside unnoticed. Wearing a jacket Jilvy got you, and comfortable boots that crunch through the snow. You take a deep breath.
There’s this… Unresolved feeling you got back there. Like you’re not supposed to flirt with anyone. Quite similar to when Bouke tried to ask you out.
As if there’s someone else, you’re waiting for. But this ‘’absent’’ theoretical person feels.. What does it feel like?
Hurt? Or.. Nothingness? A prolonged silence that bangs in your brain, like this hole… You can tell there’s a hole burned into your skull. And whatever put that hole there, also poured psionic abilities into it. Everytime the headaches come back, you reach for the same spot.
Something’s been etched there, eating away at your memories.. Then it just disappeared afterwards.
Not a ‘’just’’.. More of a burning, explosive disintegration of something that had been stuck there for a long time. Numbing you inside out.
Maybe Morlock made something stir inside, this desire to reach out to someone. Someone you would like to open up to. Someone… You can’t quite put anywhere, anymore.
Perhaps there was a time you could. But now is not the time.
You start your walk towards the pier, a little location distant from the usual docks and fisheries. It’s out of order and heavily damaged. A prime spot for the homeless to rest.. Too wet and cold during the winter. All you can do is ponder about where you want to go from here..
Something wants to run away from others, it gnaws at you. It reminds you of the desire to pilfer things and store them away for later use. Maybe that kleptomania had a cause.
Playing arm-chair psychologist for yourself, you determine its an instinctual need to have an escape plan of sorts.
When you stop in your tracks, you spot a lone, middle-aged homeless woman covered in thick sheets on the pier. Next to her, is a barrel filled with junk and a lantern. She’s shambling in her self-made cocoon for friction, generating warmth to keep herself awake.
Somehow, a part of you screams ‘’threat’’ at the sight of this stranger…
Not because she was a stranger, but.. Because she was resting near your secret hoard.
It takes a minute or two for you to settle down your nerves as you realise she is very unlikely to brave the icy cold water to dive towards your hidden treasure.
You, on the other hand, could fish it out with telekinesis easily. Barely an inconvenience.
If not for the throbbing headaches..
The lady barely acknowledges you as you wander past, so you choose to ignore her back, to sit down at the edge of the pier and stare out at the water.
With a little mental prodding, you can sense your treasure is still where it's supposed to be.. Good. You might need it later.
If anything, the visit of the guard captain still had you on edge. There will likely be an end to this.. Break from things. Unfortunately for Gale, he might have to find you again.
Morlock was sweet too, fun to be around.. But,
Everything inside you screams to run away again, before this sickness inside you takes hold once more.
….
Acting like the awkward customer he is not, Astarion settles down again, having paid his ‘’tab’’ to wait for Tav.. But.. He’s not here. Maybe he’s taking a nap? Jilvy doesn’t seem all that worried this time.. She’s cheerfully humming in the background, like she’s anticipating something exciting. The customers are chatting about all sorts of things, so there’s no telling what exactly is going on..
Wait, wasn’t it time for the book club meeting? Astarion didn’t quite finish the novel..
As the tavern’s new doorbell rings, the sound of a small group entering makes his ears perk up until he remembers Tav did not depart through the front door. So he looks over his shoulder briefly only to see one of the annoying customers that was bugging him for small talk recently. He pretends to not have spotted him and looks towards the door he had last seen Tav use. It’s as tightly shut as it had been hours ago.
Good. Morlock doesn’t get to be with Tav. He’s just here to.. Gather information. A player in this scheme. No need to get too worked up about the lack of appearances.. Tav lives here. Tav can be found here, if necessary.
‘’Ah, still on your vacation?’’ Jilvy says in this overly joyful tone. Apparently regulars come in all sorts of..
‘’No, no.. I’m doing a job, remember? Investigating.. All though, this is what I like to do with my free time, so maybe it's still kind of a vacation.’’
‘’Aye, Neverwinter never disappoints. Work, fun, and drama. Oh, and crimes.. Don’t get me started on those.. Ugh.’’
‘’Isn’t that just every major city in faerun..? All though, Waterdeep does have its own quirks.. I wouldn’t know where to begin..’’
Gale of fucking waterdeep is here. He has been here. For a while.
‘’Jilvy! Who is this chatty chap?’’ ‘’Morlock’’ stands up from his seat to approach the counter, reaching out his clawed hand to the wizard. ‘’I thought I’d met everyone from the book club already..’’
‘’Well, he’s a seasonal addition, I suppose?’’ Jilvy shrugs. ‘’He’s investigating the disappearance of the.. Nutjob that was threatening my bartender. Mage college drama.’’
‘’..And classified.’’ Gale has this embarrassed look on his face when Jilvy mentions the connection.. Even if Astarion cannot completely assemble the puzzle, he figures Gale brought that troublemaker here on his own and is trying to fix it.
‘’Is that so?’’ Morlock raises a brow. He withdraws his hands before Gale can shake it.
‘’Oh, forgive me, I didn’t mean to drop the mood! I’m Gale of waterdeep..’’ He makes an overly done polite bow, as if he’d just broken a law and upset the locals.. ‘’Actually, Gale Dekarios would be- Yes. I’m Gale Dekarios, archmage, poet, and professor of-’’
‘’Awkward introductions? I’m Morlock Grey. Adventurer, thrillseeker. Perhaps I could be of assistance?’’ He makes a bow.
Gale examines the tiefling form for a bit. For a second Astarion worries he sees through the illusion, but determines his vampiric prowess must be above the wizard’s current senses.. That, or he’s too distracted to discern the nature of the fellow before him.
‘’Huh, you do seem like you could handle trouble. Perhaps- If.. If your rate is fair, You don’t seem like you offer free labour, but I could certainly use a second set of eyes or a back-up.’’
Astarion looks to Jilvy for a second, who proceeds to hand gesture something akin to ‘’he’s rich’’ He chuckles at that. The halfling just really enjoyed sharing business connections, didn’t she? Well.. Not with that wintershield guardswoman.. He will have Ty and Vand look into that later.
‘’I could give you a discount, if the job’s interesting.’’ Morlock whispers, leaning forward for a dramatic touch.
‘’Well, this work.. does take precedence over book-club.. It’s very important to me- If you don’t mind skipping the early festivities?’’ The wizard points to the party of regulars collecting chairs and assembling them in a circle.
‘’I didn’t finish the book.’’ Morlock whispers with a rather cheeky grin. ‘’That should suit your schedule just fine, I think.’’
‘’Oh- Of course! It shouldn’t take too long.. I do need to expel my criticism of this novel later, I’m sure you’ll agree on how I feel about that one..’’ Gale clicks against his teeth. He gestures for Morlock to follow him outside for the moment.
The vampire lord rolls his eyes at that. Gale never changes, does he? Well, at least he’s fooled for now.. If he knows something of use, He’d better stick close..
Can’t have old friends throw a foil into his plans, not now. Not. Now.
Don't have time for fic writing, (Been sick and behind on my fancomic at @ohnoestherestadpoles) but I am open to oneshot / drabble requests since thats much more manageable at the moment.
Please do read my about (pinned post) before sending me anything. I also turned anon off because I was getting weird messages in my inbox..
I made Tyselius and Vandelion in the bg3 character creator :) They're not exact, but its kind of what I picture these guys to look like. I intend to turn them into genuine ocs outside of npcs in the Apathy fic.
Both are Rogues, but I picture them multiclassing. Maybe Ty multiclasses in bard. Vand is a fighter/rogue.
This is a one-shot request/idea suggestion! I love the idea of Astarion and his consort redecorating the palace once the events of the game are finished. Obviously the city needs repairing, but what better place than to start with their home first? Cute things like picking out the color of the walls or deciding what rooms should be used for what. Maybe arguing over curtains or something.
Oneshot: What Remains
Ascended Astarion x male reader
(tav = reader)
DNI if you are a minor.
Please read my about before replying.
I'll upload this to my ao3 a bit later. Thank you for the request!
You can’t tell how long you’ve been counting the hairs curling around Astarion’s ear, but it’s been some time. The light of sun down creeps through the construction site, getting more intense as it hits the paler aspects of his appearance.
He brushes and fidgets with it, tucking some strands away while he focuses on documents in his hands.
‘’The building’s barely there, and you’re pondering about.. Wallpaper?’’ You manage to get a glimpse of what he’s holding. They’re samples, in a variety of colors.
He appears startled for a second, realizing you’re not staying in the luxurious inn room you’ve been sharing for months, instead.. You’ve sneaked your way to the ruins of the crimson palace. It’s unsettling to the elf, since he’s usually fixated on your presence.
‘’The red one’s a bit too on the nose, don’t you think?’’ Astarion smiles as turns to you for a moment. His attention once more set on the remaining light in the sky.
You smirk, amused that you’ve caught him off guard.
‘’...I’m not judging, yet, but I don’t exactly see how you can be so fixated on wallpaper when the construction crew hasn’t even begun working on building a roof.’’ It’s just wood, materials, everything’s scattered about. A few lines drawn in the sand, a few holes dug. The crew itself is currently sharing a meal around a campfire.
‘’I’ve been mapping the layout in my mind, you can’t get a feel for it unless you’re walking here.’’ He gestures as he begins to trail around the markers. ‘’A nice long hallway, fitted.. Long glass windows, to let in light, but not too much.’’ He trails back towards you. ‘’Over there, a courtyard that leads to several sections of the palace itself.’’ He pauses, taking notes in his documents. ‘’Hmm, a fountain would fit the aesthetic.. But some guests might disagree with having running water so close to… Well, not that my spawn have to worry about that, it’s our estate.’’ He begins to mumble, returning to his thoughts before turning to you.
You ponder about it yourself for a moment, he keeps calling it a palace. A palace… You certainly had enough land for it to be a palace, Not a manor, not a mansion. The estate was a palace. The servants would call it their home, but its true owners would be you and Astarion. Heroes, nobility. Saviours of Baldur’s gate. Vampires.
‘’There’s a lot of land marked.. A lot more than I remember.’’
‘’Well, my treasure.. The duke was so kind as to reward us with some extra, seeing as the netherbrain blew up large portions of the city, including.. The.. Szarr estate.’’ Astarion briefly shudders at the mention of that name. ‘’Saves the trouble of taking it down myself, but now I get to be expensively creative.’’
He steps on what remains of the old office space. The elevator has been locked down and hidden with protective glamour.
He traces the broken walls as he walks up to a very dusty desk. ‘’What a waste of all the champagne he had laying about.’’
He stress tests the wood before sitting down on it. The chair itself rests on the floor, missing a leg.
Astarion’s fingers then glide towards the drawers as he peeks inside and pulls out a tiny bottle of alcohol. ‘’Unopened, too.’’ With a giddy expression he rips off the bottle’s lid and takes a whiff. ‘’My love, I think you might like this one.’’
You walk up to the desk, eyeing it with some concerns. It’s sturdy, but you don’t want to sit down and potentially ruin the moment in the event it breaks. The vampire lord gives you a playful look as you take the bottle and bring it to your lips.
‘’There’s blood in it.’’ The irony sweet flavour surprises you. You peer at the bottle, all it says is the name of what you assume is one of Cazador’s victims.. Or someone he had blood taken from. ‘’..Elven? It’s been well preserved with something..’’ You take another sip before you hand it back to Astarion.
‘’Not familiar at all? Hmm. Interesting.’’
It takes a moment for you to realise the bottle says ‘’ancuinin’’ Which is Astarion’s last name.
‘’..Did you just feed me your 200 year old own blood?’’
The vampire lord bursts out laughing.
‘’..I’ve always liked your wicked side, but this is a little..’’
‘’Oh darling, if anything, I’d want you to have the last reminder of my mortal days.. I drained you myself, it’s only fair.’’ He begins to stare off in the distance, possibly possessed by some old memory. His eyes lower to the ground, he lets out a sigh.
‘’He just kept yours..?’’
‘’I figure he kept it for a special occasion, one long since passed. It’s odd, the scent is different. Out of everything, you’d think I’d recognise my own perfume? But my taste changed.’’
You casually take a swig from the bottle. Astarion grins.
‘’It is two hundred years old.. Preserved like wine.’’ You reach out with it towards him. ‘’It may be the past, still, it is part of you.’’
He looks hesitant, The earlier comfort and confidence he bore on his pale face fades as the sun goes down. His red eyes glow with unclear intent. His fingers trace your hand as he takes it.
The silence is earth shattering, he rolls the bottle in his hand. ‘’First time I saw it was when we.. Went to take my revenge.’’ The tips of his fingers trace the writing on the label.
‘’Out of all the cruel things he’s done.. This one simply.. Strikes me as odd. It could’ve been for magic purposes, or.. The blood of a family member, but no.’’
‘’When could he have taken it? Before I was gutted..? Did he scrape it off the cold stone floor, or did he take it before..’’ Astarion sighs.
‘’He possibly tried to preserve the memory, the reason for his fixation on me. And with this gone, I’ll bury that too.’’ He pauses before taking a small sip. A smile comes over his face.
‘’..I can even taste the arrogance I once had. Curious.’’
‘’Luckily it’s been replaced by this bigger, better ego.’’ You chime in, placing a hand on his cheek.
Astarion turns his attention back to you, leaning in onto your touch, despite your reluctance to sit on the desk he pulls you onto his lap dexterously.
You audibly gasp, as the wood shakes and creaks for a moment.
Astarion doesn’t mind it though, he puts the bottle to your lips, and you take another swig.. Savoring every drop as it pours down your throat.
‘’Handsome little consort.’’ Astarion speaks in a cheeky tone, enjoying the expression on your face.
You picture the night he turned you again, climbing over you, draining you empty.. It’s almost as if your minds collide in that shared fantasy, your hands reach out to grab hold of his shoulders, he falls down with you as the table collapses under the shared weight.
He doesn’t cry out in pain, he welcomes the floor. Your lips are touching and he moans in harmony with you.
‘’..Tav..’’ He heaves, arms locking you in by the hips. He licks the blood off your lips.
You can hear the sound of the construction crew nearby, their chattering breaks you out of the moment.
Astarion lets you go and gets up on his own.
‘’Oh, no marble floors.’’
‘’..What?’’
‘’No marble floors, you heard me. Slippery, it stains, too.’’ You point to the blood on the carpet. ‘’It’s going to cost more to make servants clean it up or to replace it..’’
‘’What about black marble..?’’
‘’No! And I saw the note about white curtains.. That’s a no too.’’
‘’..Darling..’’
‘’Being rich doesn’t mean we should be wasteful. We should be resourceful! That’s the deal.’’
‘’A little waste is just what nobles do! And flaunt the wealth.. Like we’re-’’
‘’We’re better than that.’’
‘’What about a summer estate..? It would be-’’
‘’Astarion.’’
‘’Fine.. I’ll cut out the plans for being a spoiled nuisance for now, but you’ll change your mind soon enough.’’
You fold your arm into his as you begin to walk back towards the inn together. ‘’The silken sheets are an exception.’’ You stick out your tongue as he scoffs.
‘’Of course they are! What’s the point of them otherwise?’’ He begins to rant about different fabrics as your mind drifts towards the dusky night sky.
🥺 are you willing to, mayhaps, just a little bit, maybe, kinda, rate my tav concept? I have an idea I think is cool, but don't know if it's good enough lore to start a new bg3 run over... Also, I just checked the age in your bio, you're 27-ish????
I'm a bit lost on what exactly you're asking for? Making ocs isn't always a done deal, I tend to evolve mine over time. (And this is a fanfic blog)
If you're worried about stuff like that, you can always change it mid playthrough.
Lastly, I'm 26. Why does that bother you? This is a game for ages 18+ and up with adult themes we're talking about.
If you are a minor you shouldn't be interacting with my blog let alone the fandom.
oooo one shots are open??? Can I maybe kinda sorta request AAstarion with, like, a cleric tav who now that everything's over and they're more settled *desperately* wants to start a family with him. Maybe tav had one in the past, maybe he just really wants kids with the vampire. All I can imagine is Astarion trying to be the dark, evil, intimidating vampire ascendant, but tav won't stop volunteering at the orphanage and bringing kids home. Hope your pain gets better, remember to drink water!
as stated in my about, I don't feel comfortable writing about anything that involves children, raising or having them.
You'll have to send this request to someone else!
I generally prefer writing a tav that's not good-aligned, but more morally grey, neutral, or evil themselves. so I'm not sure orphanage volunteer is my cup of tea... Unless its a scheme of sorts and the orphanage isn't real.. Hmm. Hmmm..
Riel, u good, man? Haven't posted in a while, sitting on the edge of my seat for the next Apathy part. Anyway, happy late new year and holiday season! Remember to drink water. 🫶
I haven't had time to write, working on other projects over at @ohnoestherestadpoles takes priority over fanfics.
I've been trying to figure out how to fix my draft of part 8, I don't want this to be stuck in ''coffeeshop AU'' vibe forever lol, theres drama coming. I want it to be good and not rushed.
Have been dealing with a lot of chronic pain the past year, being sick, and all that jazz.
I'm so sorry ;w; If you have oneshot or drabble requests, I might write something!
Here's a snippet of what I did write for the apathy p8, some of it might not make the final work or be altered, since I've been feeling bummed about it.
Maybe if the pain keeps me from drawing, I'll look into writing a bit more of the draft.
For those wondering, I do have an outline of the overall story I've planned, I'm just really slow and juggling other things.
An oneshot or drabble request is something I'm open to, though!
Heyy friendly reminder this is an AA fanfic blog, even if in some of my fics its implied to be pre ascension, don't be rude when reblogging my stuff just because you feel bad about reblogging from my blog.
DNI if you are a minor.
Dead dove don’t eat.
Please read my about before replying.
Content: Ascended Astarion x Male tav, this is post epilogue.
Summary: Astarion continues to carefully observe Tav while being a little jealous of Morlock.. Amongst others.
Content Warnings: I don't think this one has any notable TWs? If I need to add new tags by the way, please let me know!
A/N: heiii it's been a bit. I was GOING AND GOING with this one.
Hope you enjoy the banter.
Read on ao3
Nauseous. Ever since the Dharma incident, you can’t help but feel incredibly nauseous. Something’s been nagging at the edge of your skull, as if there’s a physically missing piece. No, really, like there was a hole in your skull itself, rather than a lack of memory.
Perhaps you had a traumatic brain injury before you got yourself to Neverwinter, still not sure why you were here, or why there was this driving desire to hide away.
Jilvy’s tavern definitely fulfilled a portion of that desire, tucked away in a neat corner across a rather busy street, it garnered only a niche attention for most of the time. Jilvy’s efforts weren’t wasted though, and it showed in the diversity of new clientele popping up over time. The busy hours meant Jilvy would spend more time helping in the kitchen and less chatting up the customers. Not that she was complaining about it, she had you walk around as her personal handyman.. With the height difference and all.
Your work routine was so in sync that Jilvy no longer had to ask for things out of reach, you’d just hand them over without much thought.
To your own surprise, it was starting to get easier to just exist among people and be seen by them or looked at. Still, the nervous mannerisms remained. To the common folk, they found it endearing. You slowly came to realise Jilvy may have hired you because people were naturally drawn to you. Interested in mystery perhaps, or.. Your stuttering and overall attitude was entertaining in some way. The charisma was there, even when you’re not trying.
‘’He’s a real looker, isn’t he?’’ The average tavern gossip kept you on your toes, but as time went on it bothered you less.
The presence of the Tiefling adventurer had eased some of the stress, still the colour orange itself would put you on high alert.
Gale hadn’t shown up in a while. You figured he was too busy investigating the mage’s whereabouts. Perhaps he got into trouble, or maybe he had gone back to Waterdeep to handle business. He promised he’d come back after.
On Jilvy’s request, you started to write notes for yourself in a journal to share with Gale later, for your questions.. Ones he surely had answers to. There was a particular memory that would pop up over time, a city on fire.. A flying ship. Some aberrant creature speaking to you as if you were familiar. He was upset, insulted. Someone you had betrayed. Then there was a vision of corpses of creatures similar to him..
‘’You look beautiful when you’re lost in that pretty head of yours, boy.’’ The voice of a stoic man interrupted your trail of thoughts. ‘’That, or a mindflayer gobbled on your head-’’
‘’Mind flayer..? Sorry?’’ You blinked, the words pierced your skull. Examining the man before you, you assume he’s an adventurer, a barbarian type. Intimidating, and.. Really bad at flirting.
‘’Ha! Bad joke. I just arrived back home after touring Baldur’s gate, there was a whole thing over there. The Absolute Crisis. But you Neverwinter city folks don’t know anything about that, do you?’’
He cocks his head to the side, winking. You still can’t tell if he’s trying to flirt or insult you.
‘’But I like the dolly-looking guys. They let me talk.’’ No.. Now he’s talking to himself, about you.
Behind him, Morlock stands on his feet, withdrawing from a book he was reading, making eye contact with you.
You think back to the Barbarian’s mumbling for a bit and decide to write down some of the keywords he was talking about before turning your attention to him.
‘’Sir, this is a tavern- Well.. More of a teahouse. People always come here to chat, its an average day.’’ You blow him off, but he doesn’t take the hint.
‘’I was hoping to do more than chat.’’
‘’Okay, I think you’ve misread the sign that says no drunks.’’ Morlock taps the Barbarian’s shoulder. ‘’Leave the bartender be, For someone all talk, you seem to struggle with language a lot.’’ You’d hoped he’d do the mature thing and walk off, but he stands up tall to try and intimidate Morlock, who barely reacts to the attempt.
‘’Hmm. Almost adorable, you do look like a squealer.’’ Morlock mutters to himself.
The man then proceeds to reach forward and try to Grab Morlock’s horn, but he either slips or misses his aim, as Morlock steps sideways and grabs his arm, pulling him forward. He quickly loses balance and falls on a knee, trying to pull himself free. Morlock just squeezes him, digging his nails into the barbarian’s arm, who starts whining. ‘’Bastard!’’
‘’Last warning. Get. Out. If you get violent, I will not hold back.’’ He eyes the clientele. ‘’And I don’t think the good folk here appreciate violence.’’
The barbarian eyes you for a moment, almost to see if the conflict interests you. He’s likely looking for an excuse to try and impress you, only to stop at the lack of care in your expression.. You already went back to drying off glasses, listening in on the conversation.
As you turn your head back,There’s a faint glimmer in Morlock’s eyes. The barbarian walks out without another word, and the Tiefling drops a pouch of coins on the counter.
‘’Did you pickpocket him?’’ You gasp, quietly hiding your admiration for the deed.
‘’A tip for the damages, it’s only fair.’’ Morlock shrugs. He retains eye contact while licking the barbarian’s blood off of his fingertips, noticing you’re starting to drown in his gaze. You shake your head, dizzy. Unsure.
Morlock puts a finger to his lips, grins, and shoves the pouch further in your direction.
‘’If you catch my meaning, darling.’’ He then walks back to his table and continues reading without a care in the world.
You blink, grabbing the pouch and pocketting it. A feeling of playful mischief makes you quietly smirk.. All too familiar. You maybe were a big game thief of sorts before coming here.. It was what you did to keep yourself fed before you started working for Jilvy.. If the weather allowed it, you could go back to the docks and find your hidden stash of stolen goods..
Even if you weren’t exactly aiming to be a criminal, some gut feeling told you it was necessary to have a plan B in case things went awry and living here wasn’t suitable anymore.
Another scribble for the journal.. A question to Gale. Why do you feel drawn to stealing? Would the wizard even have an answer to that? An instinctive need to take things you could take? A kleptomaniac? No.. Nothing in Jilvy’s tavern and living space had called upon that desire to put things in your pocket. So you assume it wasn’t an impulse.
You hadn’t called upon the telekinetic powers you used to grab things for a while, hoping it would lessen the headaches. Out of mild curiosity or just to make sure you still had them, you briefly make the cup you were working on float while no one is looking. ‘’Hmm..’’ Yep. Still got them.
And then it shatters on the ground before you realise you dropped it..
‘’Fuck.’’ Another thing to clean up.. Time to find the broom.
Morlock continues to watch from the corner of your eyes, subtly. You’ve noticed him stare, but figured he was just worried about you. He had been here daily since Jilvy reopened after the Dharma accident. A new book club member nonetheless. One stranger you felt you could trust.
There’s just.. Something about him that puts your guard down.
—
It’s not been too long, just a few days since Astarion started being a subtle bouncer pretending to be a customer, pretending to be a Tiefling called Morlock just so he could be near Tav without upsetting him.
He’d thought about it for quite some time, but simply couldn’t picture Tav wanting to look at the real him, let alone speak to him. Their last real conversation haunts him.
Figures.. After his lashing out they sparingly spoke, only focussing on dealing with the netherbrain. Tav was quieter than he had been throughout the entire journey. That quietness remains even now. He only speaks when spoken to, avoiding conflict.
Tav couldn’t even retain eye contact during that last week of prepping for the netherbrain, Astarion recalls the taste of the lingering saltiness that coated his tongue back then.
At the time, Astarion convinced himself he deserved better; His enlarged ego made him forget the world around him. The struggles of mortals. And Tav, was very much mortal.
Warm, but distant. Emotionally he closed himself off entirely, focussing on getting the job done.
Offering the eternal gift would’ve sweetened the deal, right? He had cattle knocking on his doors begging for it when he got busy spreading his influence.
But it’s never been that simple with Tav.. Tav wasn’t as outspoken as he was, just blunt. He never demanded anything outside of the battlefield. He didn’t bark orders without reason, he wouldn’t force anyone to do something they didn’t like unless they were his enemy. Then.. You’d see a different side of him entirely.
Astarion’s glamored eyes linger on the page of his book, but the words escape from his mind’s eye. He visualised the memories he repressed, searching for answers on where things went awry, and why Tav pushed him away. All he could think of was the tadpoles, starting with Nere’s, and then.. In the shadowlands, he only regressed more after Moonrise..
Even now, the scent of illithid and netherese influence lingers on Tav. Astarion can smell it from here.
There was a pause in that inner conflict back then when Astarion confessed. Tav defended him from this… Vile drow. Someone he’d rather forget about. The blood merchant.
Astarion’s confession led to their relationship evolving into something more, but before it could develop further, Astarion snapped the bridge they were building in half.
Or, he let it wither when it hadn’t sprouted fully. A waste.
No.. There’s one simple answer. Astarion had made everything about him. The confession, then his scars.. Killing the orthorn, Raphael, the ascension.. That night. Everything was about what he wanted and what he needed. Tav went along with it throughout most of the journey, but did he ever stop to ask what Tav wanted?
He just assumed. He plotted and planned.. Even now, he schemes.
But still, stubbornly so, he feels that he needs to plot and plan ahead. He cannot fail. He cannot let him slip from his grasp again, he just needs to.. Create the right opportunity to apologise. A scheme where he can get the two of them alone. To open his heart to him.
Otherwise.. He just pictures his dearest Tav staring at him blankly and walking off into smoke and dust again. Hiding from him.
Was he truly here to hide from him? Like Jaheira so confidently claimed? Out of all places, Astarion would have never put Neverwinter atop the list.. But, maybe he didn’t know Tav as well as he’d thought.
He mourns the time lost, as Morlock he could make up for it.. Learn a little. Tav deserved better from him.
Was he going about this the wrong way..? Certainly. But he wouldn’t willingly admit that.
As smoothly as this was going.. Astarion did notice the occasional glances from Tav, if he wasn’t glamoured, this would excite him. All he could really think of was that Morlock had game while he didn’t. If Morlock and he were separate people, and not an Elf wearing a disguise to spy on his ex.. He would strangle Morlock then and there for getting this much attention.
The fantasy itself was starting to become a habit. Every Time they exchanged brief eye contact, Tav looked so trusting at the tiefling.
When was the last time Tav looked at Astarion this way..? He can’t recall.
As much as he’d love to ponder more, time was passing and during the later hours of such a cold weekday, one customer is eager to get a warm drink in their body.
A beautiful human man, dark hair and bright blue eyes, walks in. Astarion notices Tav perk up immediately, recognising this person.. What’s this? Familiarity? Is he.. Seeing someone?
To not arouse suspicion, Astarion pulls the book closer to his face and pretends to be bewildered by the writing in utter suspense. What a performance..
He was youthful looking, but physically older than Tav. As for his manners.. There was a brief awkward staredown between the two as he sat down in a seat in front of the counter. ‘’Remember me?’’
‘’Oh- Mint guy.’’ Tav stutters.
‘’..Mint guy? Shit- I didn’t tell you my name.’’ He awkwardly scratches the back of his neck.
Good. Tav wasn’t seeing anyone..
‘’..I’m Tav.’’ Tav initiates small talk now? ‘’Just Tav.’’ A forced smile grows on his lips. He twitches nervously.
Fuck. The human is indeed very attractive..
‘’Well, ‘’Just’’ Tav. I’m Bouke. But you can call me Bo, if that’s easier.’’ He winks at him..
Tav lets out a soft chuckle. ‘’I like your name, it’s.. Unusual.’’
‘’Is it? You think I’m the rare sort? Well.. I’d love to try the rare chrysanthemum tea, with extra sugar please.’’ He points at a named menu item with his finger, then plants the same finger on his chin. He got the body language and lines for basic flirting down unlike the barbarian from earlier.. And Tav isn’t telling him no.
Tav! Have some standards!
‘’Of course, it’ll take only a moment.’’ A bit of pink coats his cheeks.
Why isn’t he telling him no?! Gods.
He’d rather ‘’Morlock’’ get action than this… ‘’Average’’ good-looking person.
There’s a shift in the atmosphere of the teahouse tavern as Tav serves the man his drink and continues cleaning off dishes, checking on baked goods.. The other patrons have started to huddle together, whispering. The gossip was obviously about the cute bartender and the very good-looking patron getting actual attention from him.
‘’Calm down Astarion.. If you tense up more, it’ll be obvious you want to kill this guy on the spot..’’ He thinks to himself, untensing and turning a page of his book.
As he’s about to eye Tav and Bouke again, another patron approaches his table and points at the book. ‘’Oh, you’re reading this week’s book too?’’ Small talk.. Great. Now he has to multitask chatter too.
‘’Hmm? Yes. I’ve joined a bit late, I’m trying to catch up before the club meeting, if you don’t mind...’’ He replies, hoping that was enough of a sign that he wasn’t up for chatter. Instead.. The patron sits down at the other seat of his table and begins to talk about how happy he is to see a new face.. Something about wanting tieflings to feel more included in public spaces. But Astarion struggled to listen to their blabbering.
Bouke appears to be making conversation with Tav, as uninterested as he is in what the human has to say, Tav seems engaged, nodding and asking more.
He’s jotting down something in a notebook.. Is that an agenda? What is happening??
‘’And that’s why- If you’ve got any tiefling friends or family, don’t be afraid to invite them, this is a welcoming space.’’ The patron continues.
‘’Sorry- What?’’ By this point he can’t focus on holding the book in front of his face anymore.
‘’Oh- I spoke too fast, let me rephrase that..’’
‘’I appreciate the gesture, but as I said I was trying to read-’’
‘’..And there’s also this.. Y’know, it’s just not fair? Do tell me if anyone insults you for-’’
‘’Gods. Genuinely, Thank you for your concern, but I am trying to read.’’
‘’-My bad, So what do you like about the book? I think the plot takes a while to catch on..’’
He gives up.. At this point it's not his responsibility for this peasant to take a hint, they continue talking not even waiting for an answer.. Enough, back to whatever Bouke is doing-
‘’Hey uhm, Tav. I was wondering- I’ve been thinking about you since I first visited. Have- Uh.. Do you..? Are you.. Interested in me? I mean, to go on a date with me?’’ Bouke DARES. Oh, he is going to die for that if he-
‘’Oh. I-’’ Tav’s little smile starts turning into a frown, he clutches the notebook to his chest as he looks aside. ‘’I don’t know if I should.’’ Good boy. Tell him to fuck off already!
‘’..Why? ..Got your heart broken? You’re so sweet! I promise I won’t push you.’’ Bouke, Bouke, Bouke, Bo? Little Bo. You are digging yourself a grave right now. Don’t.
There’s not a brief silence, it's longer than some, Tav stops responding entirely, thinking.. Processing an answer. He seemed eager earlier, so this rejection has a reason. Astarion swallows, he hears a pin drop somewhere. The entire tavern is in suspense.
‘’I.. Am broken in places, where I shouldn’t be. I can’t. I’m sorry.’’ Throb. Damn, that stung Astarion more than he’d like it to. Deserved. He drops his book, reaching over to pick it up.
Even the annoying patron in front of him has stopped talking.
The entire tavern is quiet. There’s some coughs and awkward huffs. Bouke finishes his drink, not having a comeback to answer with. He seemed confident enough to try another pick-up line at first, but even he knows he can’t fill whatever void Tav appears to be dealing with. He pays and leaves with a simple gesture and a nod.
Tav is extremely dreary, Jilvy hadn’t interfered at first, keeping a watchful eye while she focussed on other chores. ‘’Tav, dear. If you need a break-’’
He withholds a sob. ‘’I’m fine. I want to finish this batch.’’ Then interrupts her, standing his ground. Jilvy sighs. She can boss him around, but it probably won’t help him much here. Then, Jilvy notices Astarion’s staring and just shrugs. He just shrugs back.
The tavern’s energy shifts again as some new folks drop inside for a late evening drink, and everyone forgets about the unfortunate rejection from earlier. Even Astarion’s undead, yet living lungs, release a sigh of relief that the tension has faded. It was so uncomfortable.
Slowly, the numbers of present patrons decrease. Once more, it’s quiet.
Tav walks away from his usual spot to clean up some of the tavern floor, as he paces near Astarion, he finally speaks up. ‘’Darling, I would love for a refill of this one.’’ He points to his cup with an extended finger, tapping it with his nail. A gentle cling sound echoes.
While he refills the cup, his hands tremble, so he stops before he can spill. ‘’..Sorry, I’m a little tired.’’ He managed to get the last bit of boiled water in the cup after taking a breath.
‘’It’s alright.’’
‘’You probably want to ask what that was all about.. There’s this, uh.. Gut feeling.’’
‘’Well, I certainly love prying and sharing gossip, but I don’t think you want me to ask.. Unless?’’
‘’Hmmh.’’
‘’Really, dear. You don’t have to share. I am curious to know what's on your mind, though.’’ Astarion, as Morlock, speaks in a gentle tone, his eyes softened.
Tav looks back at the active workload, determining if now is a good time to take a break.. Jilvy looks up and gives him a reassuring smile. Tav sighs with some relief and sits down in the chair in front of ‘’Morlock.’’
‘’I’ve been hurt really badly.’’ Tav opens up. ‘’I can’t say how, where, or why.’’ Vague wording, certainly secretive. Perhaps he’s hiding from everyone after all. Or is he simply wording it that way to keep it private?
‘’..And.. I’m empty.’’ He raises a hand, before clutching it towards his chest, atop his heart. ‘’I don’t know why I’m still here sometimes.. I’m sorry if that’s- Dark, I.. Sorry. You’re just so easy to talk to. I feel like I know you.. But I don’t, right?’’
‘’Don’t apologise. It’s alright.’’ Astarion hesitates, not sure if he should interrupt his venting. What’s there to say? To ask? Think.. You’re better at conversation than this.
‘’It sounds like Bouke did hit a nail on the head, heartbreak, I take it? Don’t hold back, Complain, insult, or vent as much as you’d like.’’
‘’Insult..?’’ Tav stammers. ‘’I’ve nothing bad to say about anyone.’’ He pauses. ‘’Well, perhaps that stoic guy from earlier today.. He.. Yeah.’’ He grins for a bit, lightening up. ‘’You’re really light fingered. I would love to see you do that again without Jilvy noticing.’’ He whispers.
Astarion smirks, showing some teeth in his wicked smile. ‘’Maybe I just might, if another bad-tempered fool comes along.’’ He winks. ‘’But, then I won’t have enough time for this.. Novel.’’ He eyes the book again. It did have some interesting premise, but the plot.. Dragged on. There was too much thinking and too little happening in the start of it. How frustrating.
‘’Bit of a headache, to be honest.’’
‘’Ah.. I’ve been having nothing but headache since I’ve come to Neverwinter.’’ Oh, Tav is dropping details now? ..No, calm down. Don’t push. Be casual.
‘’I’ve come here mostly looking for work, and ways to pass time. The book club isn’t really my thing, I admit. But you ought to try new things sometimes.. I have too much time on my hands, and yet so little fits in a single day.’’ Astarion pauses, ‘’I’m running from one thing to the next. It’s.. Eh, chaotic. But necessary. What’s life without chaos? Plain. Tasteless.’’
‘’Tasteless..’’ Tav whispers, repeating him. ‘’In my.. Experience, chaos makes it hard to focus on taste. There’s too much of it, and you lose track of the little things.’’ He fidgets with his hands. ‘’..Do you ever stop running?’’
Astarion thinks, realising Tav is being indirect with his phrasing. They’re not talking about particulars. They’re expressing feelings. Tav is seeking words for whatever he’s feeling. Relating, but not saying how or why.
‘’I’m not sure if I’ve ever stopped running. There’s always someplace to run to, or from.’’ He responds. Truthfully, that’s how he felt himself.. Vampire ascendant, vampire lord. No longer a slave, but he’s running away from his ongoing plans and running to Tav, scheming.
Tav looks lost in thought, his eyes on the ceiling. He’s distracted by a spider weaving a web somewhere.. Then..
‘’It’s.. So much, and so little at once.’’ He whispers. ‘’But this tavern.. It brings me some peace.’’ He closes his eyes and releases a sigh. ‘’Don’t let me keep you.’’ Stands, and goes back to finishing up his cleaning work. He looks relieved and peaceful, which sets Astarion at ease. Too much stimulation for one day..
The queue for closing hour is there.. Astarion wraps up drinking his tea and leaves for the night, heading back to the building he was renting.
He may have gentle caress for Tav, patience, and obsessive love.. But anyone else is in the way. He is but a man of desire, but he was also a vampire.
And vampires are all about fulfilling desires.
At the first sight of his spawn, who eagerly await an update on the romance drama..
He stands firm while Morlock’s visage disappears and his white curls shine in the fresh moonlight. Next, he grins.
‘’Tyselius, Vandelion. There’s someone I need you to get rid off. Just a little side-character, nothing big. Make him disappear, an accident. Snack on the cattle too, if you wish. Just don’t leave a stain to be found.’’
Precious and annoying little pretty Bouke was never seen again.
—
Tara never took a liking to inns before, but she is relishing in this one.. It seems someone was suddenly opposed to going back home to Waterdeep. The tressym loved the idea of vacation, but travel..? Sometimes, yes. Now.. There’s Neverwinter.. And snow everywhere-
Tara would’ve preferred it warm. Yet, these silks and the fireplace.. It's enough. She can sleep, read, eat, and sleep.. And read.. And nap, and get all the scritches she wants. And not think about anything else now that Gale doesn’t have a bomb in his chest.
‘’Gale, dear.. Stop shifting around.’’
‘’I’m trying to go through my notes, Tara. It’s important.’’ Gale replies with an awkward smile.
‘’Okay.. You’ve been in a mood after your last search. No sign of Dharma, I take it?’’
‘’Concerningly little, which I would’ve preferred.. If she wasn’t a problem.’’ Gale sighs, putting his notes away. ‘’Putting the pieces together, and the people I’ve interviewed.. I think someone may have kidnapped her. But the question… Is who?’’
‘’There’s always something they leave behind. You’ll figure it out. You’re a smart boy.’’ Tara purrs, then her eyes shift. ‘’If only you’d shave-’’
‘’AHA-’’ Gale interrupts Tara’s complaint about his beard and pulls up a drawing from his pile.
‘’Eureka! It’s.. A doodle. Drawn by a child.’’ Tara rolls her eyes. ‘’Care to explain what I’m missing?’’
‘’It’s not a doodle, it’s a symbol, one left behind by psionic magic. Just poorly transcribed and scribbled by the witness.’’
‘’Psionic..? Doesn’t your friend Tav have psionic abilities?’’
‘’Yes, but the source.. Is Illithid. We might be dealing with mind flayers.’’
‘’Why would mind flayers kidnap your deranged student..?’’ Tara licks her paw.
Gale thinks for a moment, biting on the metallic part of his quill. ‘’Hmm, I’ve theorised for a while, but I think Tav might have been leaving some sort of trace, like.. An unconscious signal. One that attracts Illithids and blocks out others. He might be mistaken for a rogue or a lost hivemind member.’’
‘’And why would they grab Dharma if they want Tav?’’
‘’To question her maybe..? Huh.. I think it’s time I ask a professional on the matter.’’ Gale rises from his comfortable sitting position, forcing Tara to jump off with an annoyed huff.
‘’Now where did I leave my sending scrolls..? By Mystra’s watchful eye, This place is starting to look like my tower..’’
‘’Careful, don’t put Mystra’s name in your mouth, Gale. She might bat an eye.’’
‘’Oh trust me, I made sure she’d leave me be, I am a thriving single man!’’ Gale puts his hands to his hips while he leans over a crowded desk.
‘’So you say..’’ Tara mumbles, ‘’I still would love some grand-kittens.’’
‘’Oof, and here I was thinking you were proud of me choosing myself. That hurt, Tara.. Ah, there it is!’’ Gale rolls open a scroll, before he puts the quill to the paper itself, he thinks of direct words without wasting the spell..
Hopefully his dear friend, foe of Vlaakith and great warrior, Lae’zel herself, was eager for a little trip to Neverwinter.
DNI if you are a minor.
Dead dove don’t eat.
Please read my about before replying.
Content: Ascended Astarion x Male tav, this is post epilogue.
Summary: Astarion's experience of the hand-holding got a little too intense for him.. Meanwhile Gale is trying to figure out what's going on with Tav.
Content Warnings: This part contains some smut! NSFT!!
A/N: We get some much-needed Gale pov! Hell yeah. Hope you enjoy. Read on ao3 as well!
......
On the way back to the homestead Astarion was renting, his head was racing with many conflicting thoughts. He thought he could keep his cool.. But didn’t expect to so quickly lose sense of his composure after Tav ran off.
The smell.. He was obsessing over it and certainly needed some privacy to come to terms with what happened today. He made a mental note to look into the crazy woman situation, since she would likely show up again sooner or later, his tiefling disguise may have another role to play soon. Just in case, he had commanded the local vermin to keep an eye out for Tav.
Tav may have tried to hide his magic powers due the guard incident, strange as it was for him to cower behind a complete stranger, perhaps he was trying to lie low.. Something about how helpless Tav behaved put Astarion on edge. He’d never seen him like that.
Then again, if he’d been here all this time without anyone knowing he would have built a new identity for himself. No hero of Baldur’s gate, just a barkeep at a tavern which serves tea apparently. Perhaps the final fight with the netherbrain made Tav want to retire into a simpler life, leaving the idea of adventuring behind. Astarion could only speculate on the reasoning.
Astarion didn’t say a word to either Vand or Ty when he entered the house, just traded eye contact and dismissed them by silent command. He headed up the stairs to the bigger bedroom, taking off all his garments and clothes until but the undershirt and pants were left.
With an annoyed grunt, he settled down on the bed in a meditative position, only to swap resting angles several times.. Reverie would not come for him as easily today.
‘’What am I doing..?’’ The mumble tumbled out of his mouth, his fingers slid over the soft covers, finding a pillow to dig his face in.
‘’..Tav..’’ He moaned, squeezing his hands together. The vision of their fingers intertwined returned to him. ‘’Oh.. Dearest..’’ his voice muffled under a deep breath.
A cold hard yearning welled within him, building and building, becoming harder to contain with every second. A single tear escaped from his eyes.
He needed to clear his head as soon as possible.. There were things to be done.
For his trance, he decided to focus on a memory, a particularly fond one he hadn’t revisited since the break up. It was the second time he slept with Tav, only to realise he had grown fond of him in ways he never perceived himself to be able to.
The tiefling party was definitely not to his taste, even now, it still made him feel weird to be celebrated as a hero. Back in Baldur’s gate, that's what he now was known for. It took a lot of manipulating and gaslighting to make sure no one questioned him taking over the szarr estate, ensuring his road to securing the city as his territory.
Back during the adventure, the parasites were the furthest from his mind, he could only think of how worried it made him a monster hunter had joined the band of travellers.. Playing hero had never been part of the plan, the plan was to just survive and slay Cazador.. The road to freedom.
The very first time he slept with Tav was almost no different from when he slept with his marks. The smell of alcohol and dopamine intertwined with adrenaline was Cazador’s favourite part of his ritual. Only to end it with watching his slaves dine on dead putrid rats while he had finished feasting on his victims.
But the second time, at the party, it.. The air had changed. While Tav had not been a victim or target in his mind, the first one night stand was without feeling, just sex.
Asking him the first time was easy, the second time not so much. He was more hesitant, nervous about the journey and going out to sleep in the woods again.
With every pick-up line possible, Astarion kept shooting his shot, wondering to himself why he had been so insistent to sleep with him again even though his protection should be guaranteed by now.
It was less ‘’need to’’ and more ‘’want to’’ or.. ‘’I yearn to,’’ With a lack of better words to explain what he was feeling.. Unsure how to express it beyond physical touch.
When he eventually managed to convince Tav he would be safe, they sneaked away from the festivities to their previous spot.
He recalls walking to the little moonlight lit grove, only to turn around to see Tav quietly and slowly slid his shirt off his shoulders. The light reflected off his skin, glimmering.
While Astarion had pictured this is what he looked like to Tav that first time together, now the roles were reversed and he was mesmerised. There was something incredibly dreamy to him, unforgettable. An ache in his chest and a throb to his undead heart.
Astarion stalled, his fingers firmly clenching his own shirt while he watched Tav never take his eyes off him while undressing himself.
He didn’t realise he had frozen until Tav walked up to him bare, laying a hand on his and guiding him only to stop. ‘’Are you alright..?’’ Tav questioned in a gentle tone.
‘’Are you sure you want this right now?’’
‘’I want you.. I want to devour you.’’ Astarion replied, unfreezing and quickly undoing his clothes to join him bare.
The kiss that followed left him wanting more and more as he drowned into the touch, that uncomfortable feeling of arousal rose up and down until it found its rhythm, sending a wave of pleasure flowing through him.
His hands travelled over Tav’s skin, dancing across tiny hidden scars, pinching the subtle curves in his body. Tav’s back arched, he moaned the second Astarion’s lips found his neck.
He could bite him right there and then, but preferred to tease him.
The scent of alcohol intertwined with dopamine had something to it.. It was much sweeter without the addition of Adrenaline, which had a salty and unsettling flavour to it.
Tav kept drawing him in, his hands caressing gentle patterns over Astarion’s back and his arms. It wasn’t long until their bodies crashed onto the bedroll, with Astarion thrusting himself into Tav’s embrace.
Tav moaned so sweetly, covering his face with his arm out of vulnerability. Astarion wanted to yank his arms above his head, but decided on a gentler approach, kissing his neck until he relaxed in between the thrusts.
When they found a common ground within the rhythm, Astarion started moaning loudly into Tav’s skin. Burying himself with sloppy kisses across his collar bone, licking the sweat off his neck.
He cried out Tav’s name, who only moaned in response at their shared climax. He took a loud breath before opening his eyes looking into Astarion’s directly. Astarion stared back dreamily, pondering in silence.
This was bliss.. It must be. It has to be.
Tav looked at him with cheeks flushed, brushing Hair out of his face. ‘’Careful now, if you’re going to keep looking at me like that I might actually start to believe you’re in love with me.’’ His chest heaved, a pure moment of honesty.
Astarion remembers the weight of the pit in his stomach. Such a sweet moment, one he ruined like so many others.. ‘’Only for tonight, darling.’’ A charming line, perhaps the biggest lie he’s ever said, and he did it so confidently. Scripted, rehearsed.
Tav’s eyes glazed over somewhat, he released a sigh, stretching beneath Astarion. ‘’You haven’t pulled out.’’ He muttered, looking away almost embarrassed as if they did not just have extremely hot passionate sex.
Astarion smirked, feeling rather gloomy when he pulled away, he frowned at Tav, who had now turned to his side, avoiding eye contact.
The vision of the memory began shifting by force, making Astarion roll his head during trance. He couldn’t control what he’d see next.
Astarion could see Tav’s vulnerable bare body one moment, only to be exchanged with a tearful and exhausted expression of shock back at the elfsong inn.
‘’You’re asking too much of me right now, I just want to sleep, to rest.’’
‘’You want to rest? Right now? Walk away in the middle of the most important conversation you’ve ever had?’’
‘’Astarion I-’’
‘’You know what, forget it. I don’t need this.’’
‘’What? I didn’t mean to insult you- today has been a lot for both of us-’’
Astarion couldn’t hear the words he shouted even though they came out of his own mouth, the once so sweet dream now ruined by the night of his enlarged ego. The rush of power fresh in his veins, only to be aimed in the wrong direction.. He didn’t mean it, he didn’t. He was overcome with emotions he could not control, and in that moment he broke his own heart in two.
‘’I’m just so tired..’’
The exhaustive look on Tav’s face came back into his mind, as he turned around and disappeared through smoke and dust.
‘’I’m sorry.’’
The words echoed loudly, sounding just as real and new as the first time he’d spoken them. Astarion could envision the scared look on Tav’s face back in the alley, the nervous glances before he ran off.
He could feel the pressure of his squeeze in the palm on his hand, which shook him out of trance. The wet dream had been pleasant, but now there was just the scent of guilt hanging in the air.
‘’I need a bath..’’
……
The wizard of Waterdeep! Gale Dekarios.. A Teacher at Blackstaff Academy teaching Illusion. Exalted wizard of a and Ex-chosen of Mystra. Son of Morena Dekarios and beloved friend of Tara the tressym.
Not too long ago, he visited his friends 6 months after the defeat of the netherbrain on invitation by Withers.
Gale had been elated, exhausted, as his new job came with a lot of complications.. And he was much in need of seeing familiar faces. ‘’A social palette cleanser’’ Tara called it, ‘’Since you have no other friends,’’ and it had been.. Refreshing. Surely.. Up until the revelation that everyone’s busy lives meant no one had actively looked for Tav. Except for Jaheira perhaps..
Gale’s priority had been to fulfil his promise to deliver the crown to Mystra and be rid of the orb, at the time he had hoped to run into his friends again as soon as it was over with. Eager to get out of Mystra’s hair and her eye, her hands and her whims.
Who would’ve thought that being a goddess’ lover was to be a sour experience? He was over her, that much was certain.. But his acceptance of his mortality and station somehow invoked in her the idea that she could potentially influence him again. To control him.
Requesting Gale to kamikaze had been the tipping point for him to realise their power dynamic, he nearly went over the edge, compelled to take the crown for himself and pursue godhood. But no, he was above it. He was above her antics, even as a mortal.
And this time.. Gale rejected Mystra. He worried she’d smite him for the act, but no. She was satisfied and tossed him out of her realm after business had finished.
No more social calls from Elminster occurred since. Nothing, not even a letter. Perhaps the centuries old arch mage tried to distance himself from Gale for good reasons. Or, Mystra had demanded it. And Mystra gets everything she wants.
Not that it mattered to Gale anymore, he was on a different mission now. One that had nothing to do with mindflayer invasions, hoax cults on the rise, ancient artefacts, or the goddamn goddess of magic herself.
Tara had looked forward to Gale taking a vacation from his stressful job of teaching young adults the wonders of illusion magic, so she could perch in his lap without him enduring overtime on writing original lesson material..
Gale was a stickler for details, much to the academy’s dismay.. He could not keep his word to give his class a beginner friendly course, so they saddled him with a class of chaotic mages instead. A challenge he gladly undertook, enjoying the opportunity to put his students in their place by threatening to blow himself up every now and then.
To his students' obliviousness, the orb was long gone. No more netherese influence for Gale. No more worries about blowing up the wrong place at the wrong time.
Unfortunately for Gale, his life had become chaotic still. Not because of orbs or goddesses, but because the quest to locate Tav in neverwinter had been much easier than he thought it would be.
He’d only just arrived at his holiday location and secured a place of stay when he came across a quirky little tavern tucked away in a very busy district of the city. Gale made a mental note to visit it, when he was stopped by a sending spell sent directly into his mind.
‘’Professor Dekarios. Urgent. Dharma’s gone missing. Think she went after you. Very worried. Please be lenient. Need the class. Send her home.’’
Twenty-two words, three short for a sending spell. But he recognised the voice of Dharma's mother. The woman had been dismissive of her daughter’s increasingly concerning demeanour towards him. If she was coming after him on his vacation, Gale could finally begin the procedure to ban her from his class formally…
With a flash of orange hair dye, she was right behind him, not moments later. He eyed the young woman trying to convey his disappointment by facial expression alone. He could lecture her of course, but she wasn’t worth his personal time nor his elaborate vocabulary. Learning from his past relationship alone, he opted to ignore her to see if she could take a hint.. But it simply invited her to follow him into the tavern.
After scolding Dharma with much needed help from the halfling tavern owner, Gale clapped eyes on a malnourished and gloomy looking Tav. They never spoke a word, but it kept him thinking. At first Gale thought Tav was pretending to not know him.. He looked depressed at most. Gale felt guilty.. But also suspicioned something else was going on.
The halfling was too excited for his repeated visits, and Tav’s quick glances were that of a complete stranger. Gale hoped Tav would call him out, tell him to leave. Yell at him for not coming after him.. For not helping him with whatever he appears to be going through.
Yet.. He never does. Never, even if he had every opportunity to do so as Gale kept visiting.
Gale enjoyed his little vacation exploring books with Jilvy’s other customers during club hours. A means to pass the time.. To observe.
Tav’s body language did not change. Tav’s expression did not change. A moment had passed where he could’ve feigned a look of recognition, and Gale wanted to speak up, he simply couldn’t make himself do it. Tav never questioned his silent attempts to make conversation. Didn’t question him for staring. He kept working, never sitting still for too long unless he started feeling sick. And he was sick very often.
Finally, he concluded that Tav was experiencing some sort of memory loss. Unsure of the cause, he reflected to the last moment he saw his dear friend. The absent-minded glossed over eyes, apathetic and exhausted. The same look that he bears on his doll-like expression every single day nowadays.
What could’ve caused this? The trauma of the final fight? He recalls some debris hitting Tav’s head during the fall into the chiontar.. But shadowheart fixed him up before he suddenly walked off, so..
They’ve been through many battles and Tav always kept standing right back up leading the party through the fray bravely.
Gale searched his memories, pondering for some time.. Quickly he came to a stop. There simply was no way to be sure about Tav’s situation if he didn’t talk to Tav to begin with.
Observing him quietly was weird and doing so made Gale feel creeped out by himself.
He’d hoped to run into Jaheira, Shadowheart… Or anyone else really, to converse about the situation. No. It was time to take the matter into his own hands.
He had to confront Tav. To confront his guilt for abandoning him. Surely Tav would understand he had to rid himself of the orb? But.. Then he got a job as a professor and lost track of time..
Tav was an empathetic person, but also a survival-centred individual. He definitely would’ve understood it wasn’t personal.
This conversation had to happen regardless of how Gale felt about it. He owed it to Tav.
When he made it to the tavern, it was the closing hour. He’d hoped to pass a letter to Jilvy to request a private conversation with Tav in a safe environment outside of work. He wasn’t sure how Tav would take it if he really had amnesia.
Only.. The door was left wide open. Gale stared at it, sensing an arcane disturbance in the air. He turned his head to see Jilvy waltz up to him with suspicious eyes.
‘’What’s the meaning of this?’’ The halfling looked up, carrying a large bag of supplies over her shoulder. Her suspicion faded when she recognized the worry in Gale’s eyes and took note of the letter in his hand.
‘’I shouldn’t have taken too long..’’ Jilvy drops the bag into Gale’s arms forcefully as she inspects the door. One of the hinges had come loose and it was dangling from the spare.
‘’Tav is your lost friend, isn’t he?’’ Jilvy continued, looking for the door’s missing screws in the snow. ‘’You knew?’’ Gale’s eyebrows raised in surprise from Jilvy’s casual tone.
‘’I figured as much, the boy clearly has amnesia. And I assume you figured that out yourself as well?’’ She turned her head up to Gale with the recovered metals in her hands.
Gale didn’t answer her, he looked at the footsteps in the snow, noticing a disparity in pacing. He turned around to follow the pattern, recognizing fresh imprints. One was from someone who’d have jumped abnormally far, blowing snow out of the way while doing so.. The others were dragging their heels, moving with force, as if carrying something heavy that needed focus to maintain stability.
‘’A moment, miss Fogwater.’’ Gale handed back the bag of supplies to Jilvy as she watched him draw a few symbols by hand and mutter some incantations.
‘’vide magica.’’
The divination ritual spell takes hold, and Gale sees the traces of magic. Psionic, and very familiar.. One he had only rid himself off months ago. Netherse magic. Tav must’ve retained a semblance of his illithid abilities to make that forceful jump forward. The psionic energy lingered on the ground and the door..
The remainder of the arcane traces of weave he saw were much more worrying. A failed charm spell, and a disintegrate spell, unfired.
‘’This is bad.’’ Gale mumbled, Jilvy was about to ask him what he meant by that when Tav came running back out of breath. He nearly tripped over a pile of toppled snow when he saw the wizard with his boss.
‘’Tav! You’re back.. Oh dear. I’m sorry-’’ Jilvy puts her groceries down on the ground this time, not pausing to make sure it wouldn’t fall to its side.
Gale puts away the letter in his coat, silently watching the halfling comfort Tav as if he were a lost boy.
Tav, out of breath, barely able to speak, manages to stutter. ‘’T..The- Door..’’
‘’Dharma.’’ Gale can barely hear the name as it falls from his lips, only to see Tav shockingly look behind him, trying to find Dharma. He figured out she went after Tav because of his visits.. Tav’s reaction speaks volumes.
‘’Dharma who? She owes me a new door. The brat.’’ Jilvy continues patting Tav’s back as he’s trying to regain composure. ‘’I’m fine..’’ He mutters, walking over to grab her groceries for her, the halfling stops him midway. ‘’You’re not fine! You’re sweating rivers in the middle of a very cold winter evening!’’ She pulls his hands away and holds them together.
‘’Come, come, come inside. Tell me what happened.’’ She nods to Gale, suggesting he better join them.
Tav, nauseous from his experience, takes a moment to recuperate so Jilvy serves him a hot drink. Not tea, chocolate milk.
He takes a large gulp before he speaks his story, retelling from his weird night time experiences and hearing movements.. To the visit during closing hours and being pursued.
‘’Why didn’t you ask the guards for help? No- you would.. They’re.. Ugh, no matter! Those folks are too busy trying to catch a homicidal freak. Dharma owes me a door and food supplies!’’ Jilvy huffs. ‘’Has no one respect for small business owners these days?’’
Jilvy stops mid tantrum when she takes notice of Tav’s posture stiffening. ‘’And my dear employee, of course.’’ She puts her hand on his, trying to comfort him.. Tav’s stiffness does not let up. He lets out a nervous breath.
Gale raises his eyebrows at that. There’s a homicidal freak going around neverwinter? He’s only been here for little more than a week and he’s never heard of it. ‘’Homicidal freak..? I thought neverwinter was the most civilised place out there.. Well, I guess Volo doesn’t know the splendours of Waterdeep very well.’’ He jests, referencing a quote of one of Volo’s guides.
Then again.. There was some commotion in the town squares not too long ago. Perhaps he overlooked something, too busy with his vacation activities.
‘’Aye, red curved dagger. Attacked a wintershield guard during his off duties. Unusual, there’s posters of it drawn up everywhere.’’ Jilvy interrupts his thoughts.
The description, it just.. It just clicks. For Gale at least. A red curved dagger.. Unusual design, and the only likely culprit.. Tav may appear nervous on the outside from Dharma’s murder attempt, but he might in fact be hiding for committing a crime.. Whatever for?
Tav wasn’t someone who’d just lash out against authority figures on a whim. He was very particular about avoiding the flaming fist while they were trying to figure out how to get rid of the steel watch.
‘’I’ll make sure to write a lengthy report to the blackstaff academy, if you could.. Write a complaint I can add, seeing as your business was damaged in the drama of uh.. This student’s behaviour.’’ Gale swallows. ‘’If you could, keep it out of the wintershield’s hands, I aim to look for Dharma and have her sent off as soon as possible. This is my problem to begin with.’’ He searches his pockets for his wallet. ‘’And mine to fix..’’
‘’No, no.. I can’t just take your money, dear. I’ll write a lengthy report of expenses with my complaint.’’ Jilvy answers. ‘’I prefer earning it the normal way. Besides, Tav is a victim here as well. And.. You two need to talk.’’ She brushes gently against Tav’s arm, giving his hand another squeeze. ‘’Just yell my name if you need me, dear.’’ Then, she departs with the bag of groceries in hand, not before putting a curtain in place of the broken door.
The chill creeps in, Gale takes a sip of his cup of water, watching Tav’s absent-minded eyes for a moment. He can see him shiver.
‘’Do you remember me?’’ Gale asks, finally. And to his dismay, Tav’s eyes remain the same. He looks to him as if he’s a barely familiar stranger.
‘’You’re the wizard that’s here on vacation.. Gale, right?’’ Tav answers, he brushes his hand through his hair, fidgeting with his cup.
Gale tries to figure out if now is really the best time to break the news.. Tav is vulnerable, but he isn’t sure how vulnerable.
‘’Yes, that’s correct.’’ He pauses. ‘’And I came here, looking for you.’’ He looks into his water, avoiding eye contact.
Tav stammers a bit, he puts his cup down and avoids looking at Gale as well. ‘’A-ah..’’ The room grows quiet as more of the eerie wind outside creeps in.
‘’..Am I a bad person..?’’ Tav whispers.
‘’What..?’’
‘’..I.. Must be.. I keep seeing these flashes..’’
Gale isn’t sure how to answer that, but it does answer some of the riddles.. Tav’s amnesia is definitely traumatic. He should’ve known. The signs were all there.. The absent eyes, the apathy and gloom. His self-neglect, he isn’t acting like himself.
‘’I think I’m being punished.’’ Tav sobs, hiding his face in his hands. ‘’You came looking for me.. I don’t even know if I deserve it-’’ He wails softly, trying to hold back his cries and plants his face on the table.
Gale stands from his seat and sits beside him with his knees on the floor, pulling Tav from his position into a hug. ‘’You were a hero. At least to me.’’ He allows him to stain his coat with tears and mucus as Tav continues to cry in his confusion. When he calms down, he wipes the snot from his nose, looking uncomfortable from his own actions.
‘’I don’t even know who you are.’’
Gale gives him a gentle smile and grabs his hand, reassuring him. ‘’I’ll tell you all you want to know my friend.. But first, I need to take care of this Dharma problem. I endangered you necessarily.. This is my fault. You shouldn’t be..’’ Gale shakes his head. ‘’I’ll come back, make sure to stay with your boss, Jilvy, you’re safe here.’’
Tav looks confused by his words and gentleness, the wizard is determined to act and return as soon as possible so he could help Tav. To repay the favour.
It wasn’t too long ago Gale had spent days thinking of ending his own life.. And Tav was the one to tell him he deserved to live. And live he did.. Time is of the essence.
…
It wasn’t just Gale who was concerned with spending his time wisely. The next day, Astarion stumbled on towards the tavern, noticing the posters plastered all over the windows.
As a Tiefling adventurer, he did look a little similar to his noble Elf self.. But only a keenly trained eye could notice the similarities. His curls were black and long, and so were his sclera dark and intimidating in this form. The red skin and ridges matched with glamoured armour did a lot for this disguise. Attractive on its own, he thinks.
He casually stood there, reading the advertisements the tavern owner had put up.. Something about a book club and a bookstore offering discounts for members.
He pondered for a moment if he should just knock on the door and act as an oblivious customer when a halfling popped the crooked door open and started chattering about the posters to him.
Astarion barely listened to her rambling when he turned around and smiled friendly.
‘’..And I suppose I could really hire someone to look after my employee.’’
Oh, damn. He really should’ve listened to what she was saying.
Given the context, this was Tav’s boss.. She likely heard of the attack yesterday and worried about him. A little odd, he thought. This halfling spends money to protect her lone employee..? A motherly look in her eyes softened his suspicious concerns for her reasoning.
But.. The door looked awfully damaged.. Perhaps she was just looking out for her business.. No, she could fire Tav from his job if she didn’t care for him.
What an opportunity!
‘’You want to hire me as a bouncer..? For your.. Tea tavern?’’ Astarion asked, making sure.
‘’Yes, that’s what I was getting at, you look like the opportune sort? Fancy the job? I don’t want my employee and customers to worry though.. So you could pretend to be a regular.’’ The halfling nodded, clearly happy with her idea.
‘’That makes sense.. I’m expensive though.’’ Astarion thought about it, he needed to look professional to make sure the woman didn’t get second thoughts. ‘’To be honest, I think I ran into your employee yesterday- he was being chased by a.. Mage. Asked me to pretend to be his boyfriend. Are you sure hiring me is a good idea?’’
‘’Hmm.’’ Jilvy eyed his tiefling form, thinking long and hard. Then she grins. ‘’If you give me a discount on hiring you, you eat for free.’’ This halfling.. He liked her attitude. ‘’Just don’t eat all my supplies, deal?’’
‘’I wouldn’t dream of it. My name is..’’ He paused, trying to think of a good tiefling name. He had to decide fast so hoped the name wasn’t too unusual for a tiefling. ‘’Morlock.. Grey.’’ He’d almost used Karlach’s last name, but that wouldn’t be good for cover. If his friends were around, they’d put one and two together.
‘’Your name means Black Grey? Huh. Parents weren’t the creative sort.’’ The halfling then realised her tone may have been a bit.. Offensive. ‘’Oh, sorry. That was unprofessional. I am Jilvy fogwater.’’
‘’Hah! I’m a tiefling Ma’am. I don’t need to explain my.. Past, obviously.. It’s not the pleasant kind, all too common for someone growing up with horns and a tail.’’ He figured that she wouldn’t ask more, considering how he remembers the elturel tiefling refugees being treated by their surroundings. All tieflings experience some sort of discrimination. Many aren’t even born to tiefling parents..
Jilvy grows a sympathetic look, she stares at the ground for a moment. ‘’Well, nice to meet you, Morlock.’’
‘’Let's talk business, how many hours per day? How much? Will I be paid weekly or per hours?’’
‘’I knew I liked you from the moment I saw you, Morlock.’’
‘’Likewise.. Mrs fogwater.’’
He follows her into the tavern, partially listening to Jilvy pretending that he’s signing up for the book club and discussing the latest hot novella gossip.
He’s only been there barely three seconds when his eyes meet with Tav again. He doesn’t seem too surprised, just put off by a familiar face with a raised brow. Then, without a worry in the world he continues checking on his baked goods.. Working efficiently and unbothered by Astarion’s presence..
To him, there wasn’t Astarion though.. There was Morlock, the tiefling adventurer who’d saved him the day before.
‘’Aye, Tav, come here for a sec. I heard you met Morlock?’’ Jilvy chimes in, it's almost as if she read Astarion’s mind.
‘’Oh, yeah- I didn’t catch your name…B-before.. Hi.’’ He looks flustered. If only for a little bit, the glazed-over doll eyes disappear. There is a light in the darkness.
Even in this disguise, Astarion has some hold over him. Not that he can tell it’s Astarion though.. Which is the point.
But, that aside.. Astarion feels a little jealous at the looks he’s giving to Morlock.
So.. His plot thickens, while he schemes to create the perfect scenario to get Tav back in his arms, as soon as possible.
A little epilogue to my oneshot Charmed.
Ascended Astarion x male reader
DNI if you're a minor.
Contains nudity.
You feel stiff. Cold, empty. There’s barely any strength in your body to move, so you focus what strength you do have towards your fingers. ‘’Hmmgh..’’ You grunt as the sensation of soft silk soothes your aching fingertips.
The disorientation was making it difficult to figure out what transpired last time you were awake, so you simply waited for the stiffness to wear off. Except, it wouldn’t wear off at all.
Your head was spinning, everything’s heavy. Even your eyelids.
Suddenly, your sense of self returns you to a flash of the bed you are lying on, and you recall Astarion holding your wrist affectionately. The sting of his fangs in your skin.. A moan escapes your lips as you turn your head to the side. ‘’Ast..ar..’’ You can’t pronounce his name, it just tumbles out like a sigh. Your tongue rolls over the walls on the inside of your mouth to comfort it, but then the realisation hits you as you figure out that you’re incredibly dehydrated.. And the cause of it.
‘’Hmmhn..’’ An uncomfortable grunt escapes you again while you seek warmth on the silks. There’s a faint glow to your right, so you reach for it. You open your eyes to see the sun dancing on your skin.
‘’Ugh..’’ You try to sit up, but your body refuses, so you lay still. Readjusting somewhat, it would take a bit longer for you to get more accustomed to your surroundings.
Flashes of the escape through the tunnels return to your mind’s eye, from the heartfelt confession towards the way it ended. Astarion, the sword stabbed through your chests.
You gently rouse yourself to make your arm reach for where the sword would’ve been.
‘’Gods..’’ The uncomfortable sensation of the scar tissue has you shiver. But it wasn’t fresh, closed up. Healed, but it was there. Sensitive as well, and not a little.
You remember the sword going all the way through your spine, pondering if it may have affected your ability to move around. But no.. You can move your arms just fine, everything is simply too heavy. And you are too tired..
Rubbing your hands together offers warmth by friction, but it is too little. You desperately try to roll towards the sunnier part on the bed, only to thud into something. Whatever it is, it’s warmer than you are. And thus, you remain put.
Unfortunately for you, it moves and rises, depriving you from the warmth you so crave.
‘’Tav..?’’ His voice rings through your ears, making you flinch.
Everything was too much.. ‘’I’m cold..’’ You mutter.
Astarion’s arms wrap around your still poorly dressed body, and you can feel your aching muscles start to relax more. The stiffness has yet to leave, but at least this was more comfortable.
Little by little, you can feel more. The pounding headache, the absence in your chest. The dryness in the back of your throat, and a growling stomach.
Almost instinctively, Astarion perks up. He quietly ponders on what to say, not sure if you’re aware of what happened. His voice is warm as he finally speaks.
‘’I was willing to wait.’’ He states. ‘’But in that same moment, we were robbed of that time.’’ He sighs, struggling between emotions. On one, he appears elated. Happy that he finally had done it. On the other, he’s annoyed that he could not keep his promise right after he made it. He worries about how that makes you feel.
‘’It can’t be undone now.’’ Is all you can answer, planting your face against his chest. ‘’..I can smell the grime on me.’’ You add, noticing how overwhelming every sensation is as it returns to you. Astarion chuckles at that remark.
‘’You have time now.’’ Astarion caresses through your hair. ‘’I’m not leaving your side.’’
‘’If you need anything, all you have to do is ask.’’ He adds after a brief pause.
You two lay there quietly for a while as you process all your senses. Smell, Vision, sensation.. Thirst. The hypersensitivity calmed down eventually, allowing you to ask.
‘’I’m.. Thirsty.. Or hungry.. I don’t know if they’re the same.’’
With that, Astarion unfortunately releases you from his hold to get up and walk towards a cabinet near the bed. You manage to sit up and position yourself against a pillow.
Now that you’re fully awake, you see the dirt of yesterday’s scuffle still on you. Dried blood, some yours, some not. Your old little party outfit that was ripped to shreds. And the scar..
For some reason you feel flustered, even if he has seen you bare before. The pants of the outfit remained, but the chilliness makes you cover up your nipples.
‘’I’ll draw you a warm bath, but first..’’ Astarion approaches you, holding a breakfast plate with only a cup on it. He puts it on your lap as he climbs back on the bed next to you.
The smell of the cup’s contents is almost intoxicating. You instinctively reach for it, but he stops you. Grabbing the cup himself and holding it out as you drink from it.
‘’Slowly..’’ You don’t listen to his words, you instinctively gulp it down as if it's liquid gold.
‘’Okay, that’s to be expected.’’ He wipes his thumb over your mouth as the rush makes you spill a little. He puts the empty cup down and observes your face.
‘’It doesn’t taste like iron.’’ While you lick the inside of your mouth, you notice the new fangs that have replaced your canines. Your tongue rolls a bit over them out of curiosity, but by doing so you cut yourself.
‘’Oof-’’ You flinch, not expecting them to be THAT sharp.. But here we are.
He looks amused by your expression and caresses your cheek gently before he rises from the bed again. By now you notice he’s wearing different clothes.
‘’How long have I..’’ You stop, the blood on your tongue keeps you from speaking comfortably.
‘’Almost an entire day.. I’ve been.. Busy. Getting things in order.’’ Astarion answers, he looks over his shoulder. ‘’I’m going to draw you a bath, and then we’ll.. Talk about it.’’
You watch him turn around a corner, there’s a folding screen acting as a privacy curtain. Behind it, you presume is the bath he keeps talking about. You can hear the subtle movements of everything he does even though you don’t see it. Drawing water, pouring perfume into the bath, and feeling it to make sure it's warm enough.
Some flush falls to your cheeks, the blood that reaches your stomach has kicked in..You take the opportunity to get up from the bed to stretch, cracking your shoulders and back muscles.
While Astarion continues to prepare the bath, you gather your thoughts back to the scar..
It must look really ugly, but would your reflection have remained..? Your hand trails down on your back to find the other end of the scar, it's more subtle, smaller. Like a tiny slit from the other end of the sword, right next to your spine.
You turn around to see Astarion watching you, he observes happily until your eyes meet. Then there’s.. A hint of shame in his eyes. Guilt.
‘’We don’t need to talk about it.’’ You say, walking up to him. ‘’It’s already happened.’’
You place your hand on his chest in hopes to comfort him, he grabs it and intertwines your fingers, squeezing you. ‘’Whatever happens next.. I want you to stay with me.’’ He puts your hand to his lips and places a gentle kiss. ‘’I can’t let you leave, not again.’’ You expect him to compel you.. Heck, even charm you again.. But no. It’s less of a demand even if he words it so, it's more a request. He can’t be without you anymore.
‘’Tav, I’ll do everything I can to give you a comfortable.. Happy life. But-’’ You stop him with a kiss, holding him by the collar of his shirt. He kisses back, before he can get more out of you, you pull away.
‘’You’re still full of surprises..’’ Astarion’s eyes are wide and he smiles. ‘’I made up my mind.’’ You answer, confirming your desire to stay.
‘’Tav..’’
Your hands trail down his chest as you turn towards the bath and slowly undress the remainder of your clothes in front of him, eagerly stepping into the warm water. ‘’Aah..’’ You moan, comfortably setting in. ‘’It smells nice.’’
‘’I’ve put out some clothes for you, please let me know if they’re not to your taste..’’ Astarion gestures to a little table with neatly folded garments. You eye them, thinking they’re likely your exact measurements.. You ponder if this is what he meant with getting things in order, but it is more likely remembered by heart.
You give him a nod of approval, and he turns around, lost in thought. Even with his back turned, you could tell he was smiling. You swore you could tell how he was feeling by his scent.. Which was a bit weird to you.
‘’Are you joining me or not?’’ You eye him, hearing how his fingers work down the clasps on his vest.
Once he’s finished, he steps in the water and immediately gets close to you.
‘’You’re so beautiful.’’ He mutters dreamily, putting his hand on your cheek and observing your features. ‘’All yours.’’ The words come out of you with a breath, he grins in response.
‘’Finally.’’ There is a sense of release, satisfaction. In the tone of his voice, you can hear his relief. This is the exact thing he’s been waiting for you to say for a long time.
‘’Finally..’’ He repeats, a tear streams down his cheek and he sighs.
Astarion’s fingers trail down the scar on your chest, making you flinch. He gently caresses it, moving towards your neck and finding the bitemarks he left last night. You hadn’t noticed them before. You take a moment to look at your wrist, seeing marks there as well.
He then gently holds your chin to redirect your attention.
‘’I have everything I have ever wanted. You’ve given me.. Everything.’’ He pauses, smiling. ‘’Thank you.’’
DNI if you are a minor.
Dead dove don’t eat.
Please read my about before replying.
Content: Ascended Astarion x Male tav, this is post epilogue.
Summary: Astarion is scheming a plot to get the guards off Tav's back. Tav is dealing with weird feelings at the tavern.
Reminders: Astarion is the vampire ascendant, Tav is not a heroic figure. Contains headcanons for several characters, contains headcanons for illithid brain alteration but not evolving. Tav uses daggers and magic. Astarion is an Arcane Trickster Rogue. I created several npcs. Some Neverwinter lore is mentioned but might not be lore friendly.
Content Warnings: Tav suffering from depression / ptsd, self-neglect.
A/N: Heyy I post to ao3 now too! it is under username actualevil. It's been a while but I found some energy to work on it c: There's a lot- hope you enjoy!
.......
‘’Please.. I’ve told you everything already- I confessed! Why are you doing this?’’
‘’Confessed? You committed worse than a crime. You put your hands on him.’’
The once so proud and corrupted guardsman was reduced to a shaking mess, tied to a chair. The bruises on his body left him marked and mostly discoloured, you’d think he was a blueberry, if it weren’t for the fact that he had been turned into a spawn. Undead. Pale.
‘’Tell me, pig. What makes you think you’re- Oh, so charming? What gave you the impression you had the authority to do whatever you wanted to whomever you wanted?’’ Astarion hovered above him, boot resting on his victim’s knee.
‘’I…’’ Almost in a shameful tone, the guardsman is compelled to speak his truth. ‘’I thought myself irresistible, for my age.. My hair and beard alone being my proudest features-’’
Before he could continue on about how infatuated he was with his own face and body, Astarion laughed to himself, as if he had been told the most ridiculous joke in history.
‘’Your hair?’’ It took a moment for him to come down from his laughter. ‘’Well, if I had to pick something.. Hmm.’’ His thoughts trailed off, kicking the kneecap of the man, causing him to fall on his back in the hair. ‘’What a waste.’’ Astarion mumbled to himself. ‘’Time should be spent pondering about more important things, but if you’re that attached to it, I suppose… Vand could shave it all off.’’
While he rambled, he spinned Tav’s curved blade in his hand. ‘’Eyebrows included.’’ He eyed the guardsman, not able to see his expression from this position.
Astarion walked back so he could lift up the chair, bringing his face close to the guardsman. He drinked in the fear on the man’s face, and his smirk grew. ‘’How- How would one ever grow tired of expressions like these?’’ He let out a joyful sigh as he dropped him to the floor again.
‘’Perhaps my old, old, buried.. Dead and gone- Master, understood one thing at least.’’ As it rolled out of his mouth, a wash of disgust flew over him. ‘’But no, I am not that plain. There are other uses for you.’’ He turned around to watch Vandelion lift the man up in his chair again, holding a shaving knife. ‘’I could beat you up some more as satisfying as that is, but I’d rather see you put to death by the person you wronged.’’ He pointed the curved dagger towards the man’s neck. ‘’Luckily for you, I can just compel you to take the stage yourself, seeing as you’re a pretty good actor already.. But what if..’’
He paused, pacing around while unsheathing Orin’s other weapon from his side, a short sword. ‘’Poor, poor, old guardsman- Corrupted, greedy. Shameful. He tried to commit one of the worst crimes imaginable on an innocent, then frame the victim as an attempted murderer.. How unfortunate for him, that the victim’s friends came to his hospital bed and killed him- Oh! But it doesn’t end there..’’ He twists the blade in his hand. ‘’The man woke up from his grave, undead. He wants revenge..’’ Astarion crosses the dagger and blade together, pausing a moment.
‘’And when he tries to exact his revenge, out in the open, in public.. His guilt compels him to save his soul- to confess to all his sins in public view..’’ He lifts the blades up, pointing them to the ceiling. ‘’Theatrical, but who will give the finishing blow..? Your victim? The public? Or yourself..’’ He turns his head to Tyselius entering the room, who had been too captured by his master’s performance to speak up.
Astarion sheathes the short sword before putting the dagger away as well. ‘’Hmm.’’ He paces around, wanting to finish his monologue dramatically.
‘’Such a hard choice, I’d rather leave it up to the future audience.’’ He waves his hand, gesturing to Vandelion that he was finished speaking and could now shave the man’s head.
Tyselius makes a bow, before revealing his find. ‘’I’ve searched over the area, the inn’s keeper described Tav’s appearance as a dishevelled young beggar.. The trail went cold, but then I found boots with the same scent as the dagger tossed away in some fishmonger shed.’’ He revealed the scraps that remained of Tav’s old boots.
Astarion was nearly overcome with emotion at the sight, reaching out before backtracking his hand. They were dirty and covered in mold at this point. ‘’That can’t be good..’’ He muttered.
‘’I’ve followed the trail further, but it grows cold every time in the same area. A fountain in the middle of one of the city’s business squares. It’s a very busy area.’’ Ty put the boots down, the smell was getting to him. ‘’..Should I toss them?’’
‘’No.. I need..’’ Astarion paused. ‘’Just put them in the corner for now, just in case.’’
Ty winched as he grabbed the boots again, slowly walking over to a corner while Astarion collected his thoughts.
He looked back to the dagger. ‘’Soon, I’ll be reunited with my other, just like these two blades..’’ The spark in his eyes returned, glowing with obsession. ‘’Forgive me, my love..’’
The guardsman listened in still, even in his miserable position he dared to plot ahead, taking in account all the information provided here. He wouldn’t be able to withstand the commands of his new master, but perhaps the situation could still be set in his favour.. He just had to be smart. For now, he would sob and cry as Vandellion shaved him, sniffling pathetically.
‘’My living yet undead lungs are in need of fresh air.’’ Astarion spoke again after a long silence. ‘’To plot ahead, get all the right pieces in place.. I need to locate Tav.’’ His scheming mind snickered at the play he had begun to orchestrate.
With a deep inhale, the elf focussed his collective memory, recalling the distinct scent of Tav’s blood. If Tyselius could not find the rest of the trail with just the smell of moldy boots, then it was up to Astarion himself.
He didn’t plan on meeting Tav directly however. That reunion had to wait, he didn’t know what state Tav was in.. And so, the vampire ascendant disguised himself again, this time taking the guise of a young handsome tiefling with curly black locks as he climbed the stairs to the main floor. He could hear the corrupt guardsman whine while closing the cellar door behind him.
Operating in Neverwinter had some pros and cons, while he couldn’t bestow his protection over the city the same way he could in baldur’s gate, his spawn did not have to worry.
Keeping a low profile and sticking to the shadows was a skill Astarion was all too familiar with. His bodyguards and assassins were essentially trained with those skills in mind.
Vandelion and Tyselius could operate just fine without their sunwalking regent during the day.. Something tells him they’re positively enjoying the work he left them behind with.
For now, he strolled in his disguise, tracing back the trail Tyselius spoke of. From the fishery to the town square with the fountain.
There were several town squares with fountains in neverwinter, but he went directly to the most populated one. From there, he took a minute to observe his disguise in the reflection of the ice water.
It wasn’t that long ago that running water once burned through his body like acid, and now a wading river was merely pleasantry on hot summer days. It being winter, it could look strange to the average pedestrian to dip your fingers in ice cold water absentmindedly.
Sniff. Astarion takes a deep breath.
Ah! There it is- The trail Ty spoke of. It was faint, a couple of weeks old. But the distinct flavour of Tav’s sweat filled Astarion’s head with memories, it was overwhelming. The emotions nearly punched him out of his disguise spell. No! Hold.. Think..
Adrenaline, and.. Other hormones coated the smell. Fear.
Tav’s sweat had been coated in fear when he walked here.. Or ran? Astarion paced around a bit and sat down on the fountain’s bench, observing the snowflakes that fell from the sky.
He closed his eyes to observe the trail in his inner vision, seeing the faint silhouette of Tav change colour in the back of his mind.
The colour changed a few more times, only to come back to a dull, blueish grey, a stillness you would only be able to observe during the hours of dusk in the evening.
Once the blueish grey became so still that it was nearly invisible, would another silhouette appear.. That of someone the size of a gnome.. Or halfling. Dwarf? No, there was a distinct earthy but flowery smell, it had to be a halfling.
The silhouette touches Tav’s dull grey colour, and his silhouette stills even more, shrinking.
Any emotion or hormonal response that lingered in the trail of his sweat faded the second the halfling touched his hand..
Astarion tried to focus on the smell of this person, only to see it walking off with their tiny arm stretched outwards, pulling whatever invisible glimmer of Tav’s silhouette remained towards a different direction.
When his eyes opened again, he had returned to the busy festive view of Neverwinter. People flocked around, loud sounds.. Children screaming and playing. Parents yelling, and merchants trying to keep up with growing lines of impatient customers.
Amongst the chaos, of course- even a Professional as Ty would potentially lose track of the subject he had to trace.. But Astarion was from a different Caliber, a Vampire lord, nay! The vampire ascendant. His senses were superior, above any spawn and meagre vampire lord.
Now.. Back to the hunt.
…….
Everything was going well, the bedrest certainly did you good. Jilvy’s clientele, however.. Had grown a lot over the weekend. And so, rush hour became a consistent thing.
With the expanding horizons of your patron’s business, came more chattier customers. Your short-witted and quiet responses for some reason gained you some popularity.
While the storm calmed, Jilvy had run out of wares due to some shortage of ingredients, thus leaving you to man the business on your own for a couple of hours while she went out to get fresh supplies.
Rush hour came and went, with a lack of cookies and snacks to sell, most folks lost quick interest beyond the occasional tea-crazy regulars. The quiet made you realise how much tension had built in your lower back so you took the moment to stretch.
‘’He’s so handsome.’’ The muttering came from a group of ladies settled in a corner right across the bar. With their eyes digging in your back you could swear you pulled a muscle and winched. ‘’Oof.’’ That little awkward display earned you a few giggles, making you feel nervous.
You weren’t sure how to respond to all the flirting that took place, shrugging it off and trying to stay professional.. It made you wonder if Jilvy’s intentions for hiring you were less and less motherly, and more business oriented. She definitely was thriving off how useful you made yourself.. But she mothered you too, pushing you back to take more than enough breaks when your body wore you down.
‘’It’s getting late.’’ You mumbled to yourself, checking back on the dishes that had piled up. Another couple of rubs and they were dry and ready to be used again.
The bell of the tavern door rang everytime someone left and entered the building, making you perk up instinctively.
‘’Certainly not late enough for another cup of tea?’’ A handsome, human man around your physical age had approached the bar. ‘’I swear, this has got to be the cutest tavern I’ve ever seen. I’m parched for a hot drink.’’
His blue eyes made you stall, unsure whether he was flirting or just looking for conversation.
A weird, flowery feeling came over your gut. ‘’Oh, right, what’s your poison? I mean- It’s not alcoholic- Or poisonous.. Uhm..’’ You stuttered over your words, earning more giggles from the ladies in the corner.
‘’Surprise me.’’ He didn’t take too long while looking at the menu.
‘’Uh..’’ It gave you pause.
‘’I’m-’’ You wanted to tell him this wasn’t your brightest skill. ‘’I mean, Are you-’’ You paused again. ‘’Sir, you could be allergic to mint.. I’m sorry-’’ All the while his big beautiful eyes looked at you. Why were you being weird?!
‘’Oh! How considerate..’’ Your flustered attitude seemed to have an effect on him, his sudden confidence withdrawing. He looked over the menu, blushing. ‘’Winterberry special.. Now that sounds immaculate.’’
It didn’t take you long to fulfil the order and pour his drink, popping in the corresponding bag of leaves and herbs in the hot water.
He paid for his drink and sat at the bar, quietly flicking a spoon with honey through his drink while your eyes drifted with the motion.
You shook your head, unable to discern the meaning behind your emotions. Anxiety? Yes, certainly.. But beyond that empty overwhelming and loud noise that thrummed in the back of your head, was a warmth.
This man was attractive, very attractive, and it was having an effect on you. The feeling seemed to be somewhat mutual. He avoided your gaze notably.
You clutch the fabric on your chest as you turn around to sort your freshly cleaned cutlery.
Whatever this feeling is, it’s kind of nice.
The warmth unfortunately dissipated soon after, like a weight came back to shove it down your guts. And then, nothing. A quiet.
Only for the quiet to be distilled in a throb as you turned your head back to glance at the human while he took a sip. He nearly choked when your eyes met.
Your own identity had been a mystery for some time, but this was somewhat familiar. Attraction. You liked men, and you liked men liking you back. A piece of who you were had been returned to you, giving back an influx of emotions you didn’t know you were capable of.
It made you fidget with your apron, quietly counting the minutes it took for him to finish his drink and eventually leave.
The sensation dropped again, a certain gloominess overcame you when he said his friendly goodbyes and left, the door’s bell echoed through your skill.
There was a unanimous disappointed ‘’D’aww.’’ From the group of ladies who had watched and observed the entire spectacle, all the while quietly finishing their drinks.
Given the hour and decrease of customers, it was probably a good idea to start wrapping up for the day. Jilvy seemed to be taking her sweet time.. You weren’t too worried about her, she probably got caught up in a conversation and was networking on the streets.
The last of the regular customers left, loudly giving their goodbyes and complimenting you on your work ethic. Now the tavern was empty, only with the memory of the doorbell ringing in the back of your head.
There was a long silence before you could feel something shift around the place, only to sit itself in front of you.
A flash of bright orange hair dye reminded you of the first time you met the holiday regular Gale. He wasn’t around today, but this person.. This was Dharma.
‘’Oh, I didn’t hear you, I was preparing to close.. I’m unfortunately still out of snacks, but there’s enough hot water left for a single cup of tea.’’ Your words came out almost robotic, rehearsed. Fast, stumbling.
Dharma didn’t respond, she placed her elbows on the bar and rested her head on the palms of her hands.
‘’Okay..’’ You looked dazed, a little confused. Usually people wouldn’t shut up after your first sentence. The quiet stare continued, leaving you to look at the door and ponder how Jilvy could take so long.
‘’I’ve been observing you.’’ Dharma confidently spoke, her tone was formal, almost like an authority figure.. Unlike the crazy, nervous tone she had around Gale when she followed him into the tavern that first evening. ‘’You seem to be a strapping young man, and.. If I’m correct, a bachelor?’’ She leaned in a little further as she said this.
‘’Do you have a girlfriend?’’ Her eyes sparked with something strange, but it didn’t take a hold of you, she blinked in confusion.
You could feel a strange energy thrum in the back of your head again, giving you a flashback towards that hellish moment with the guardsman..
Yes.. You stabbed him.. Felt his blood pour over you, a sick sense of satisfaction alongside it. But there was also terror, the need to run away from the violence. With that well of power sparked an explosion, shooting you out of the inn and into the water.
The flashback ended, and you could see Dharma’s eyes stare right through you intensely. ‘’What?’’ Your response was a near whisper.
‘’Do you have a girlfriend?’’ Dharma repeated, staring you down almost predatory.
You wanted to say no, but her advances were putting you on edge.
Without much further thought behind it, remembering the strange breeze you’ve been feeling during the night.. The sound of rats running around in the wardrobe near your bed, and the storage cupboard in the hallway.. No rat is human-sized. And there was no door bell to alert you of Dharma’s entry into the building just now.. Perhaps that would explain how Jilvy ran out of food so fast?
‘’I- I have a boyfriend.’’ In the back of your head, your mind recalled the brief encounter you had with the beautiful man earlier. Hoping that if she did indeed sneak around here, she might have observed your awkwardness earlier.
But.. That didn’t seem to change her mind. ‘’It’s Gale, isn’t it? He’s here.. To sneak around and.. Cheat on me.’’
‘’What?’’ You worded in disbelief. No, she didn’t come here to stalk you.. Of course not. This weirdo was convinced the wizard was here for you! But why? You never even talked to him. And- Cheat? Oh gods.. This woman is nuts.
‘’My charm spell didn’t work on you, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll remove you, and he’ll return to Waterdeep. Sit tight, it won’t take long!’’ While she spoke the words in a cheerful tone, and moved her hands to cast a spell, the thrumming energy that was building up earlier burst out of you, causing you to dash forward with psionic energy and swing right out of the door.
‘’I’m going to find my boyfriend- Bye!’’ Is all you could utter, hoping it would keep her from chasing you down in public..
Certainly the guard would not take kindly to an attempted public murder attempt, only for you to quickly remember that you have done the same yourself not too long ago.
Shit.
Without a weapon to defend yourself, all you could rely on were these strange bursts of power, bursts that gave you horrible headaches and made you lose sight of where you were walking..
You took your chances and avoided the guards, running down a street, stumbling only to see Dharma chase after you. She was much slower, and thus you kept running.
A few turns later brought you to an empty alleyway, familiar enough for you to know where you were. Just a couple of turns and you could hide in a busy town square.. However, seeing as it was getting late, hiding in the crowd might not be ideal. There weren’t enough people walking around at this hour to get lost between.
Turning your head around and round while catching a breath, you got spooked by the slightest hint of orange in your near vicinity, only to realise it was just a carpet hanging on someone’s window. Perhaps you had shaken her off for now.
Then, as you regained your balance, your eyes with those of a tiefling. Earlier you’d hoped to run into the handsome man again, but the tiefling looked like.. An adventurer. Perhaps he’d be more understanding of your situation.
The tiefling however, had frozen in place at the sight of you, causing you to freeze as well.
This sensation wasn’t pleasant, but you had to fight through it, Dharma could enter the alley any moment.
You could call out for help, but no words would leave your mouth, so you awkwardly strutted over to him, whispering loudly. ‘’Please- For a moment- Could you pretend to be my boyfriend?’’ You grit your teeth at how awkward the request must sound, looking over your shoulder, wary of the colour orange.
The Tiefling had a strangely calm aura around him, his shocked and startled expression faded and gave you a familiar, warm smile. He was about to speak when you could smell the arcane energy of whatever spell the woman was holding.
‘’THERE YOU ARE! You fiance-stealing-piece of shit-’’ Dharma’s voice rattled on about whatever insane delusions she had come up with the past week. You took your chance and hid behind the Tiefling, who tensed up as you brushed against him.
‘’What seems to be the problem, miss?’’ The tiefling’s voice was stern, mature. He kept up an act. ‘’Why are you chasing my darling around town?’’ Darling. That word made you feel weird.
‘’Wait.. Does he have a boyfriend? Oh.’’ Dharma lowered her hands, her magic waning.
‘’So you weren’t..’’ Dharma paused, trying to process this new information.
‘’This all seems to be a big misunderstanding.’’ Dharma smiled with a teethy expression, stumbling. ‘’I thought he was.. No. Sorry.’’ She grew quiet.
Then she pulled her head upwards, almost in a sense of clarity. ‘’You don’t look like you’re dating, though. I’ve never seen you at the tavern before.. This is.. a ruse!’’ The mage put her hands back together, ready to load up whatever insane spell she was ready to cast earlier.
‘’I assure you, you don’t want to do that.’’ The Tiefling confidently placed his hand around yours, interlocking your fingers. You squeezed his hand, trembling.
‘’Murdering a young couple out on the streets.. Wouldn’t that be a crime?’’ His voice.. It was teasing, challenging. And his eyes, malice. He wanted her to try.
To give him a reason to kill her out in the open. But.. He kept his composure. There was intelligence behind the quiet aggression.
For a stranger you’ve only just met, he seemed pretty heroic to you. It did concern you a little though.. What if.. The second Dharma was dealt with, the tiefling would turn on you?
It’d be back to running off.. No more tavern.. No more Jilvy.. No more bed.. Just ice cold neverwinter and guards you could not trust. Hide.. Please let me hide.. You thought.
Then, he gave you a reassuring squeeze, the tension disappeared. ‘’Have you nothing to say for yourself, mage?’’ The tiefling spoke up again. Dharma began to mumble incomprehensibly. Her spell dissipated again. She started pulling at her orange dyed hair, then turned around.. And just walked off.
You let out a loud wheeze of air, realising you held your breath earlier. On reflex, you pull your hand away and stumble, leaning on the wall of the alley. ‘’Fuck.’’
The tiefling turns to you, with a worried look. ‘’Are you alright, T- … Terribly sorry.. Take your time.’’ his stutter caught you off guard, almost as if he was about to speak your name.
You took a few deep breaths, ‘’Thank you,’’ holding on to the wall behind you, ‘’I’m grateful-’’ And then you turn around and just.. Unwind whatever bile had risen in your stomach and release it to the cold snow. ‘’.. There goes my lunch.’’ You mutter as you wipe your mouth.
….
It’s Tav! As the scene had unfolded in front of him, he almost did not recognize his dearest treasure. He looked out of breath, scared. The scent of his adrenaline had led Astarion straight to him.
He wasn’t as dishevelled as Astarion thought he would be.. Tidied up.. But, thinner. His hair was a little longer than he’d remembered. And his eyes had lost some of their once so rich colour.
He was excited.. And frightened, when he stumbled over towards him asking for help. That was all it took for Astarion to keep on his mask and pretend to be this strong willed and helpful Tiefling adventurer..
When the insane wizard walked off, he quietly cursed the fires in his mind that craved to kill her on the spot.. No, he couldn’t just kill at random without understanding the situation.
Everything was going well.. And then Tav threw up his lunch from the shock. He wanted to hold him, pat his back, tell him everything was going to be alright.. But right now, he wasn’t Astarion. He was some random tiefling adventurer, so he had to act the part.
He needed to know where Tav had been hiding all this time.
‘’Nasty.. I would’ve done the same if I was in your position.’’ He turned his disguised face to look at the footsteps Dharma left behind in the snow. ‘’I mean the vomiting, walking up to strangers and asking them to pretend to be their boyfriend though..? An unusual call for help. What was she after?’’ Astarion eyed Tav as he leaned on the wall, trying to balance himself.
‘’I don’t know.. She’s nuts.’’ He paused, recollecting his thoughts. ‘’She’s some student that chased after her teacher into the tavern I work at.’’
‘’And.. I take it she was stalking this teacher?’’ Astarion quickly read into the situation with the new context.
‘’Yes, she was practically begging him to marry him.. I think after my boss sent her away, she must’ve snuck into my room somehow and hid there for .. Weeks? Gods.. She was plotting to kill me.’’
From the strange rant Dharma had earlier, she likely convinced herself she was going to marry this teacher.. He probably was a regular customer.. Tav is wearing an apron. He works at the front of the bar in a tavern, then. It all comes together..
‘’She was plotting to kill me..’’ Tav repeated, sinking to the snowy stone floor. His facial expression contorted with one of fear and withdrawal.
‘’Hold on,’’ Astarion reached out with his hand. ‘’I’ll stick around as long as you need. Talk to me.’’ Tav quietly took his hand and allowed him to pull him up.
‘’Okay.’’
Tav guided him down the street, holding his hand tightly for a moment as they walked a bit, he tensed up and released Astarion’s hand. ‘’Sorry-’’
‘’It’s alright. You work at a tavern?’’
‘’Yes.’’
‘’You smell awfully fruity though, are you sure?’’
‘’Oh, it’s.. It’s not the kind that serves alcohol. I pour tea.’’
‘’Wouldn’t that make it a teahouse..?’’
‘’No-no. More like a tiny restaurant, but operated like a tavern I guess.. There’s a bar.’’
‘’That sounds like a teahouse.’’
‘’Well my boss says it's a tavern, so.. I think it’s a tavern..?’’
The awkward silence cut in, making Astarion withdraw from his usual cool and get lost in Tav’s eyes. He definitely changed, but he hadn’t aged. The clothes he was wearing were concealing the loss of weight, his hair was messy but it wasn’t dirty. His hands were covered in bandages from small cuts, the kind you get from peeling potatoes.
He had been here working all this time.. Forgetting about Baldur’s gate, forgetting about him.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have worried so much.. No. Tav was in danger just now!
He didn’t seem happy at all. Astarion could smell the hormones in his sweat, and combine that reading with his expression. Behind all the masking and fearful spikes of adrenaline was a stilling emptiness, something familiar.
The chill of illithid magic that he had used during their adventure resonated off of him, quietly. Subtly. Psionic magicks.
Netherse magic, a remainder.. There’s no tadpole left in his head. There couldn’t be. He’d have transformed long ago. Whatever brain-altering the tadpoles he’d absorbed have done, it left a mark.
‘’Oh SHIT- SHIT! I left the door unlocked- Jilvy could come back any moment-’’ Tav erupted, turning around and about to wander off. ‘’Sorry- I’m sorry, and thanks so much again! I’ll figure this out-’’ He sputtered, running off and not giving Astarion a chance to ask where he worked.
But that wasn’t a problem, he got Tav’s fresh scent now. It was only a matter of time..
Astarion walks in on Tav, checking himself out.. Shenanigans?
Minors DNI.
Some mild male nudity, fluff, comfort.
Ah, the elfsong inn. Finally, a place of privacy and.. Dividers? The camp room left a lot to be desired. Bunking out like this and still being able to hear your companions snore? The average adventurer calls that a dream. Bonding through nightly noise complaints.
Astarion had seen Tav naked before, having managed to wringle himself into his pants. During the many adventures they've shared thus far, Astarion had come forward with his own insecurities.. Towards intimacy.
To his suprise, Tav didn't seem all too bothered, in fact, he was comforted by being told the truth. Tav never initiated anything afterwards.. The situation was awkward at times. One sight at this couple and people would just call them room mates.
He wanted to kiss him so badly. It made him pace around during the night. Astarion cursed under his breath when Gale's snoring kept him from entering his trance. He was starting to feel pent up. No.. This won't do. He has to talk to Tav.
Turning his heel, he walked off to were Tav was resting. Tav's bed was surrounded by several dividers.. That's new.
Pacing.. pacing.. The vampire finally decides to peek around the dividers and sees Tav looking at himself in the mirror. He appears to be looking at a scar on his back in particular. There's a nervous expression pressing on his face.
Not noticing the pale elf due to his lack of reflection, Tav turns a bit and lifts his skin to check out another scar. "Is this ever going to heal..?" He mumbles.
"They're not that bad." Astarion interrupts the man, making him nearly jump through the roof, but instead, Tav falls against one of his dividers. It falls over, making a soft papery thud sound.
"Shit.." Tav whimpers, pulling his blanket from the bed to cover himself up. "Since when are you prude?" Astarion grins, moving over to put the divider back were it was.
Tav plops down on his bed. "It's been a while, and.. How long have you been staring?"
A suspicious look befalls Tav's face, making Astarion flinch. "Only a minute, I wanted to talk to you."
"I thought you'd trance around this hour."
"Is that why you're up right now..? Hmm.. Suspicious."
Silence.
"Did.. I do something wrong?" Astarion eventually breaks the ice.
"I.. No. I've been wondering if I did something wrong myself, but I didn't want you to be uncomfortable."
"..Right."
"Do you.. want to stay the night?" Nervously, with a small smile, Tav presses his index fingers together while he speaks. "I mean- Just.. to cuddle. I'll put my shirt back on-"
Before Tav can finish that sentence, Astarion slips into the other's bed, pressing himself against his chest. "I forgot how warm you were." He whispers.
Tav frowns. "Oh. I'll try to be a bit more memorable.."
"And here I thought I was the insecure one.. By the gods. We are a mess." The elf presses his face against Tav's sternum. "Keep your shirt off." He then gently caresses Tav's side, taking in his warmth. "Did your heart rate just spike..? Love.."
"I want to kiss you."
Astarion holds his breath. "I thought you'd never ask."
Are you still working on ''The Apathy'' ? It's been a while.
It's on pause for now, I have a lot of ideas for it but it takes time to write multi-chapter stuff since I want the pacing to be better. I don't have time to invest in it currently. Maybe during a holiday.
In the meantime I'm open to Drabble and one-shot requests and suggestions.
I might be open to NSFW stuff but I don't feel super confident to write smut openly yet.
Nightmares aren't welcome guests, but here we are again. Another night were Tav's body rocks from side to side, struggling internally.
It was hard to tell the reason why, perhaps old memories resurfaced subconsciously only to be swallowed by the void of dreamless sleep.
Astarion had watched over him like he had done almost every other right, with furrowed brows and concerns lodged in the back of his throat. It took some time for the vampire lord to even consider nudging his love awake. While he disliked disturbing his consort's sleep, this did not feel like it was giving him any rest otherwise.
Tav let out a gasp, adjusting to the candlelight. His eyes reflected light intensely, like a scared animal in the midsts of the night.. Or a predator, perhaps.
He turned to Astarion almost immediately, confused. "What's wrong? Are we being attacked?" The notion of Tav feeling unsafe for whatever reason was a punch in the gut to the vampire ascendant. "No, but given your nightly pattern, I'm starting to wonder if we are."
"Ah.. right." Tav's tired eyes had a spark of defeat in them. The man had his own past chasing him, yet he never eagerly shared the contents of his dreams. The terrors were never this prevalent before, increasing in intensity the past few weeks.
"If you weren't cold to the touch, I'd say you'd have a fever." Astarion put the back of his hand against Tav's front head. Instinctively, the skin to skin contact made Tav lean in.
"Oh, my dearest.." Astarion removed his hand and placed a kiss on his consort's fronthead.
"I'll manage.. I always have." Tav mumbles.
Astarion let out an annoyed sigh at that response, pressing him back into the bed. "You burden yourself unnessarily. Tell me what you need."
Moments pass in silence. "Just hold me when it happens. The shaking. I have to fight it somehow."
"A simple request." His eyes glister with a hint of unease, yet he allows Tav the space he needs. When the time comes, he'll tell him.
"I'll cover you, if you cover me." Tav responds with a gentle smile, reminiscing their camping days.
"Funny little thing." Astarion smirks. "Rest your eyes. I'm not leaving you alone for even a second."
With another sigh, Tav's conscious once more retreats from the waking world, fighting another battlefield of long-lost memories.
Astarion watches on, every gasp, every inhale and exhale. He tenses when his lover pinches him, clinging and burying himself while he dreams of painful things. Only when the rolling of his head stops, does Astarion dare to enter his trance.
Astarion holds his arms around Tav's naked form as he rests on the bed. Gently caressing some old faded scars, causing Tav to let out a half conscious gasp.
"What do I do with you..? Hmm." Astarion mumbles, watching his undead lungs softly inhale and exhale out of habit. Tav's chest rises up and down without a heartbeat.
"So cute.." Astarion chuckles, releasing his lover so he could better view him as he sat up. He could watch tav's tired serene form rest for hours, unwilling to disturb him.
