#ler!tav

[vqler]

day 9 - vampire

i have a feeling that Astarion hasn't been tickled

[thepigeoninboots]

Something as Ridiculous as Tickling

i am experiencing monthly astarion brainrot. i need him tickled bad. took matters into my own hands. oh and because i'm a fucking nerd i decided to write a short fic to accompany it. also click for better quality!

Warning: This is a tickle fic.

Features: lee!astarion, ler!tav and ler!karlach (with lee!tav and ler!karlach at the beginning, couldn't help myself)

Spoilers?: None! This does take place in Act 3, though.

Word Count: 885 (short... can you even call this a fic </3)

Karlach’s laughter rings through the camp, disturbing Astarion's tranquil, meditative state. Tav’s laugh follows. The vampire huffs and opens his eyes, rising from his bedroll. The sun has only risen minutes ago, he assumes, and it is not time for the party to set off yet. Any individual with a brain, whether it be infected with a parasite or not, would still be asleep, or awake and avoiding waking the others until they decide to wake themselves. And of course, as Astarion had learned long ago, Tav and Karlach lack said brain. What are they up to now?

Stepping out of his tent, sunlight hits Astarion’s face. The elf squints; he’s yet to get used to it. Tav’s laughter, by now, has risen an octave, assaulting his ears. A frown painting his face, he approaches the source of the noise – Karlach’s tent – to perhaps grasp what could be so funny this early in the morning. He is met with a sight that… he has not seen before.

“KAHAHARLAHAHACH!” Tav is red to the face, lying on the ground with their arms and legs flailing around helplessly. Karlach, clearly overpowering them, is sitting on their thighs, fingers mercilessly wiggling around their entire torso. Astarion barely registered their movement, as no spot on Tav’s torso was left untouched. The tiefling has a smile on her face, a devilish one, as her hands move, skillfully dodging Tav’s almost pathetic attempts at grabbing her wrists to cease their torment. 

“What? You started this. Revenge is best served hot, my friend,” Karlach says, not stopping her hands for even a second. And there was Tav, losing their shit. Children, is all Astarion can think to himself at their behavior.

The elf clears his throat loudly, catching the attention of Karlach, who finally stops her hands, hovering them over Tav’s sides. They continue to giggle, panting to catch their breath as they open their eyes, wiping tears of mirth. Both look up at Astarion.

“What, if I may ask, in the Nine Hells, are you doing?” Astarion crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised. He wasn’t exactly mad with them, simply annoyed at how loud their antics can get. 

Karlach released Tav, finally, standing up and dusting her hands off. “Tickling the shit out of Tav. That’s obvious, isn’t it, soldier?” She smirks, eyeing them as they sit up, rubbing tingles off their sides. 

“I have two functioning eyes, darling, I can see that.” Astarion’s gaze follows hers, watching Tav recover. He never understood why some fold so quickly at something as silly as tickling. Not that he has experienced it in the past two centuries of his life, but that doesn’t change his stance. The act is ridiculous on its own. “My question is why you felt the need to do it now, and this early in the morning. The whole damn camp must be up in arms, thinking our poor Tav has been hit with Tasha’s Hideous Laughter by an enemy.”

“Sorry, Astarion,” Karlach replies, shrugging. “But blame Tav. They tried tickling me first.” 

“To be fair, you have vampiric hearing,” Tav mutters as they sit up, dusting off their clothes. Seems they have finally recovered. “I didn’t laugh that loud.” 

“Trust me, you laughed louder than an owlbear squeals,” Astarion retorts, earning a huff from Tav. 

“You’d laugh too,” notes Karlach, backing up the one who was her victim a mere minute ago. “If I got my hands on you.” 

“My dear, I am nearly two centuries old. Do you really think I’d succumb to tickling? Don’t make me laugh,” taunts Astarion, tilting his head to the side. Not that knows if he would succumb or not. He’d rather not wait here to find out, though. The vampire was not liking the look Karlach and Tav exchanged as he said that. “Anyway, as lovely as it was conversing with you… intellectually challenged individuals, I do believe our dear Wyll is making breakfast for us.” 

“Won’t succumb, huh Astarion? Sure, let’s see about that.” Karlach’s voice sends a shiver down his spine. The elf spins to face the duo again, just for his arms to be caught by Karlach’s hands. He has to give it to her, she is one strong woman, and he can not pull his wrists from her grip. In an attempt to save himself, he steps back, only to feel Tav’s chest against his back. They were smiling too. Fuck. 

“Seriously, this is childish- mmh!” His back arches as Tav’s hands meet his hips, earning them a panicked smile on Astarion’s face. 

“If it’s so childish, you won’t laugh, right?” Tav adds on with a sing-song tone, and to Astarion’s demise, they begin to wiggle their fingers. 

“Yeah, soldier. You can handle some silly tickling, can’t you?” Karlach’s voice did not make Astarion’s situation any better. Pulling away from her is no use, even if his body is fighting her hands on its own anyway, and he has too much pride to say anything that would get him out of this ridiculous position. 

All he has left to do is pray to the gods that he can handle himself, or that someone will come to his rescue. Though, knowing the band of idiots he’s found himself with… they will only join in. “Ah!” Tav’s hands have found his sides. Gods, help him.

[sideshow-cellophane-blog]

hi omg this is probably a huuuge long shot but did you ever finish writing the fic you sent a snippet of here?

https://www.tumblr.com/sideshow-cellophane-blog/776505648249716736/you-actually-pinned-it-that-means-so-much-to

of course no worries if not, i can’t even begin to count the amount of things ive just deleted/given up on writing after a while, i am merely on an insane raphael kick so i thought i would try my luck and ask hehe

have a lovely day !!

Hey anon, I hope this finds you! I actually had most of it done but I couldn't decide on an ending until you sent this. Thanks! Never be afraid to reach out! I love this devil man. He deserves hell. I'm just exploring other fandoms before I inevitably circle back around.

Such A Tease...

“My sweet, perhaps our Little Mouse will help to cheer you up?” Haarlep drawled without looking back at Tav, who was stunned from the sudden summon to the boudoir. “You can't stay in this sour mood all evening.”

“What the hells?” Tav splayed their hands out as they approached the massive bed. Raphael was fuming beneath Haarlep in his human form. “I thought we discussed asking for permission or a bloody warning before you summon me.”

“With emergency exceptions!” Haarlep finally turned back to Tav with an impish grin. “Our dearest master has asked me to perform a most silly activity he says you two have enjoyed before-”

“Shut up,” Raphael hissed, “and return my Mouse back to the hole they came from this instant!”

“-Anyways, I can't get him to giggle quite like he does with you. Help us bring joy to his otherwise rotten day, won't you dear?” Haarlep emphasized this by squeezing Raphael's sides, making the master of the house's scowl waver and lift.

Upon getting closer, Tav was relieved to see that Raphael still had underwear on. The rest of him was bare, and his arms stretched to either corner of the bed where his wrists were tied. They sighed and deflated. “...Well…Now that's not fair! I can't be mad when you ask me to bloody tickle him.”

“Mouse,” Raphael snickered, but it was probably meant to be a warning. “G-get ba…haaah…” He twisted from side to side, vehemently fighting and denying the obvious ticklish sensations Haarlep was administering between his ribs. His legs tried to find their footing on the bed, but Haarlep was playing a game by whacking or tugging his legs back down with their tail. 

 Raphael growled and grunted as Tav climbed onto the bed, and both demons paused their actions. Haarlep chuckled and slid themselves down to Raphael's legs, turning to face his feet. Now the cambion was trapped.

“Haarlep!” Raphael warned with a bright red face that could match his cambion form. "Take. Tav. BaHAHAck! D-don't you dare scratch my - SOHOHOLES! STahaha, s-stahp! AH NO TOES EITHER THAT'S MY-! STAHAstahp stahp, stop!" He twisted his lips back down, biting the lower one hard.

Tav seated themselves on Raphael's thighs, smiling brightly as they did so. Their hands rested on his stomach, and it twitched. 

“I-I mean it, Little Mouse…I-if...I'll...” He panted. His eyes did not leave their hands on his belly, and he didn't continue his threat. He was definitely not nervous.

“You let Haarlep use oil? You said I couldn't use oil! Why do they get that privilege?” The indignant tone was followed by sliding their fingers around the oiled belly, and Raphael bit his lip hard again with a whine. “No, no no. You laugh it out, there's no fighting it this time. It's personal now.”

“Tell him how it is,” Haarlep chuckled. “Better yet, show us.”

Raphael was fighting back the bubbling laughter so hard he had tears forming in his eyes. A few high-pitched squeaks of protest escaped, but he remained uncharacteristically quiet in the face of the tickle torture. He raised his head to grunt and look at where Tav's hands were going - that sometimes helped - but a finger slipped into his navel and his head whipped back. He wheezed, and finally couldn't fend off the tickle-induced giggling fit. His hands balled into fists, then opened and tried to beat the corners of the bed into submission as Haarlep attacked the soles of his feet again with their claws. Raphael cackled and bounced like a fish out of water.

“NAHAHAHAT BOTH OF YOHOHOHOU!”

“Our sweet ticklish baby,” Tav cooed. “Throw that tantrum all you want, you haven't said stop once since I started.” Their free hand slid around his waistline, then squeezed his hip. 

Raphael couldn't quiet or control himself now. His ankles twisted in Haarlep's grasp uselessly as they were toyed with, and his torso bounced Tav up and down. 

“Gods, it's like riding a bucking horse. Haarlep, go easy back there.”

“Not even I have heard the master of the house in such humors,” The incubus hummed thoughtfully. “We will make it last, you and I.”

Raphael's face was scrunched in anger. He appeared to be pissed off they were tickling him, but Tav knew this was his way of trying to maintain his control over the helpless situation. They moved to pinch his sides up and down, and grabbed his hips while he cackled. His expression quickly changed to panic while they dug into the bone with their thumbs. His jaw went slack and he tossed his head back, and his voice broke into a higher pitch than before. 

“Stahahap! STAHAHAHAP!” Raphael finally begged. Tav noted he was smiling more than frowning now, and they thought it was the most lovely look they'd ever seen him make. “Nahahahat thehehehere!” He snickered and snorted. “M-mohohohove!”

Tav quickly stopped the pinching to rub soothing circles into his skin. “Okay, okay,” They said softly, watching his initial panic settle into a more resigned giggle fit. They turned around and swatted Haarlep's shoulder. 

“He said stop.”

The incubus huffed and gave Tav a look over their shoulder. “It's not the safe word. He said to move to another spot, sweet mouse. The master's ribs are especially sensitive in this form. Tweak them and play his royalty like a lute!”

“S-stah, hhhaa!” Raphael wheezed and growled from somewhere deep in his chest. “NnnnnNNn! Nahahaa, ahahahahaha!” His voice broke into boyish giggles when Tav skittered their nails between his ridges, lightly scratching and rubbing and poking and oh Asmodeus, there were the fingers between his ribs. Raphael tried to curl in on himself, thrusting his chest and head up, but with his arms tied the way they were he only exposed more of himself. Haarlep was tugging his toes as they tried to curl uselessly, keeping his legs shaking but immobile under their weight. He choked for a moment and crashed back down, slack-jawed in his giddy expressions and shaking. "MAHAHAHAHAUSE! EEHeeheeheehee! TahahahaHAHAV!"

“Oh my gods,” Tav awed. “Raphael, you're positively delightful like this! Thank you for inviting me, Harleep. This made my night, I-”

They had turned back to give Harleep a grin, but was faced with the demon's impish grin. Their stomach dropped.

“I am grateful you teased the master into submission,” Harleep began, “but now it is time for me to finally give you some incentive to get the crown. You may finish our session after its acquisition. The master requested me to send you back some minutes ago, and I must follow through now. Goodnight, Little Mouse.”

Even Raphael's eyes widened at that. “You traitorous little-!”

“No!” Tav's playfulness gave way to disappointment as they were snapped back to their tent at camp. “NO, HARLEEP!”

“You good?” Karlach yelled from her tent. Apparently Tav had been loud. 

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,” They called, and the usual noises of camp followed. Astarion snickered. Tav huffed and plotted, imagining Raphael's continued laughter under their fingers. He liked it. Tav hoped it wasn't nearly as fun for the demonic couple without their third mischief maker, but it sure was one hell of a way to leave a session off and inspire Tav to get that fucking crown. 

[angelatmidnight1]

God, your fics are a delight to read! So cute and orgsnic and I feel for Tav everytime, I can feel the adrenaline drum up in my chest. And I saw your requests are open!

Not to be a basic bitch, but I would love, love, love something with lee! Astarion. You know that sour, grouchy way he gets sometimes? His haughty complaining at the tiefling party, "Go away I'm brooding", teasing him to thank you and him going, "Hmm? 🤨 Hmmph. 😒 Thank you for helping me, it was very kind 😡😡😡". He really starts earning his 10 charisma stat when he's flustered or embarassed.

Could you whip up something along those lines? There's some mishap or situation that has Astarion snappy and scowling and probably playing at being mad a bit more than he actually is. Tav makes it their mission to coax him into a better mood. (Or forgiveness depending on the circumstance). It just so happens that, as they're laying on the charm, they happen to brush against a ticklish spot...

A Little TLC

Who knew that stealing the Blood of Lathander would lead to an explosion strong enough to level the Rosymorn Monastery? Tav’s curiosity got the better of them, and all of their companions made it out safely, save for Astarion. He is understandably cross with them, and Tav makes it their mission to earn his forgiveness. Sweet words and a little massage can go a long way...especially if the recipient is ticklish. 

Pairing- Astarion x Tav

WC: 2.9k

Warnings- Spoilers for Act(s) 1-2 for Gith creche.

“What in the sweet hells were you thinking, activating that lance? I was right there!” 

Tav recoiled as Astarion, brought back from the dead, shouted at them. There were hidden secrets in the Rosymorn Monastery that promised a powerful, holy relic up for grabs. Tav led their party through secret passageways and found the Blood of Lathander in all of its glowing, shiny glory. All they had to do was reach out and take it.

The next thing they knew, the entire monastery was primed to explode. Gale had teleported himself and Shadowheart to safety. Karlach managed to leap out of the blast radius through a window. That left Tav and Astarion. Tav was sprinting as fast as their legs would take them.They ran through collapsing corridors, turning wildly with no thought but escape. Astarion had been right on their heels—until he wasn’t.

They hadn’t even realized they’d lost him until they burst out into the open air, lungs burning. Only then, as the radiant explosion consumed the monastery behind them, did Tav see no sign of him.

Oh no. No, no, no!

“ASTARION!”

Their shout echoed through the now ruined monastery, mingled with coughing. He didn’t answer. That sinking, guilty feeling weighed them down all the way back to camp, where Withers waited to bring back fallen companions. 

When Astarion materialized in front of them, his clothes and hair were covered in soot. And he was not happy. 

“I’m sorry, Astarion! I didn’t know the temple would explode—I wasn’t thinking!” Tav blurted, hands raised in a placating gesture. “I just... I thought about the relic and what it could do for us. I didn’t mean to put you in danger!”

“Well, I suppose that makes up for this, doesn’t it?” He hissed, “A quick apology with a dash of whining. Never mind the fact that I was obliterated into ash all because you couldn’t keep your grubby little hands to yourself.” 

“But-”

“I mean honestly, what did you think would happen?” Astarion shook the dust from his curls in frustration. “Did you really think you’d just waltz in and take it? That all of the bloody traps were just for show? Gods! It’s one thing to be impulsive, but to be a damned fool-”

“I’m sorry!” Tav frowned. “I swear, I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Next time?” Astarion echoed indignantly. “No, no, no! If there is a ‘next time’, I’ll be pointing the all powerful weapon, thank you.” 

Tav winced at Astarion’s words. They hadn’t meant for things to go so wrong, but the sharp sting of Astarion’s anger made it harder to explain.

“Astarion, I… I really didn’t think it would get that bad,” Tav muttered, lowering their hands to their sides. “You’re right, I should have been more careful. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences, but I didn’t want you to get hurt.” They paused, taking a breath. “I never want to put you in danger. You know that, right?”

Astarion fixed his gaze on them, still looking angry, but the look had softened slightly. “I know,” he muttered. “And yet you did put me in danger and I got hurt. Blown to pieces if I’m being more accurate. If we’re going to reach Baldur’s Gate, I want to be in one piece, if it’s all the same to you.”

“You will! I promise. Next time I find an ancient relic, I’ll make sure you’re at a safe distance, okay?” Tav took a hopeful step towards him. Astarion crossed his arms, but didn’t move away. 

“I suppose that’s better than nothing.”

There was a sudden bout of silence before Tav spoke up. “Can I, um,” they hesitated. “Can I help clean you up?”

“No, you’ve done quite enough already,” Astarion huffed and finally moved out of their reach. “If you want to be useful, draw me a bath and get me some clean clothes. And I don’t want cheap rags.”

Tav slowly nodded. “Alright. Give me a moment, and I’ll have a nice, warm bath for you.” 

It took a little bit of Gale’s magic and a lot of Karlach’s heat to get the water warm. You’d already done the hard work of filling up the wooden bath in your shared tent. Now, you kept on checking the temperature, waiting for it to be soothingly warm. Once satisfied, Tav withdrew their hand, calling, “It’s ready, Astarion.”

“Finally.” Astarion entered the tent shirtless and huffed. “Took you long enough. It is freezing out here.” 

Tav stepped aside, letting him approach the steaming bath. “I wanted to make sure it was perfect,” they admitted, watching as Astarion eyed the water with something almost like approval—almost.

“Are you certain this won’t explode? No hidden traps anywhere?” 

Tav deflated. “I’m positive, love,” they sighed. “This is completely safe.”

“Hmph. As you say..” Astarion put one hand on the edge of the bathtub, waving Tav away with the other. “Now, off with you. I've got layers of dirt to scrub off..”

It stung to be abruptly dismissed, especially since they usually helped with washing his back, but Astarion was still understandably annoyed. So, with a curt nod, they left him to take his bath. 

While they waited for him to finish, their heart raced. It wasn’t the first time Astarion was cross with them. But this was something that was their fault. They paced outside of the tent, intermittently wringing their hands, until a metaphorical light bulb went off in their head. 

If he was willing, a massage was the perfect solution.  What better way to make him feel better than to rub that tension away?

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

By the time Tav returned back to camp, Astarion was finished with his bath. He reclined outside of the shared tent with plush cushions underneath him. Tav eyed him from a distance. They were trying to read his face, but with his nose buried in his book, it was difficult. They approached him slowly, trying not to make a sound, but the crunching of their boots gave them away. 

Astarion’s red eyes flicked up to them. He sighed heavily. “Gods above, what do you want now?” 

Unlike before, his words didn’t carry a sharp bite. It was a grumble if anything. Tav hoped this meant that the bath had softened his anger. 

“I was hoping I could make all of this up to you,” They murmured softly. They stood a couple of paces away with something held behind their back. “If you’ll let me.”

He glanced between their face and whatever it was that they were hiding behind their back. He looked wairly intrigued. “Hm, now there’s an idea. Though you should know by now that I am not somebody who’s won over easily. So, what is it you have there? A gift? A bribe?”

“Well, maybe a little of both,” Tav admitted and brought their hands from behind their back, revealing the lavender massage oil. “I can’t stand you being mad at me. So, I was hoping I could give you a massage? You know, something to work out all of that tension?”

Astarion blinked. “Oh. That is a little…novel, I suppose. If anything, I half expected you’d bring me some wine. A couple of swigs down and I’d probably forget about all of this exploding temple business. But no, you’d rather dote on me?”

“Yes.” Tav smiled hopefully. It was one of those damned adorable smiles that he’d come to like so much. “It’s the least I can do. I expect you’re still a bit sore?”

“A bit. No thanks to you, I might add.” He huffed dramatically, looking between them and the massage oil. “But if you’re serious, and you’re not god awful at this, then I suppose I can tolerate a massage.” 

Tav brightened and cheered. Their cheeriness tugged at Astarion’s undead heartstrings, but his face remained neutral. “Thank you, Astarion. You won’t regret this.”

“We shall see, won’t we? Now, make good on your promise..” He turned so that he was laying on his stomach, letting his loose shirt slip down to expose some skin. Tav nodded obligingly. They knelt down to straddle his back, already having taken the cap off the bottle to put a few drops in their hand. They rubbed their hands together to warm it up, then pressed their fingertips where his shoulders met his back. 

They started out gentle as they kneaded into the tight muscles. Astarion initially tensed and rolled his shoulders until they found the right spot at the base of his neck. Then, he let out an almost imperceptible sigh, head tilted to the side. Tav let out a breath they’d been holding and chuckled quietly. 

“Feel good, love?” They slid both hands up his neck, moving their palms in circular motions before sliding back down. Astarion gave a minimal hum. 

“Mm— you’re not—not terrible at this,”  he mumbled. He almost purred when they rubbed down his spine, careful to avoid pressing on his scars. He picked up the quiet hush of their giggle and quickly added, “Don’t let it get to your head, dear.”   

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Tav chuckled. They rubbed along his back and shoulders for a few moments more before switching over to his sides. They used their knuckles to knead over his skin, and he shivered. 

Tav momentarily froze. “Everything okay?”

“Yes. Keep going.” Astarion shifted under them, clearing his throat. Tav’s brows furrowed, but they went back to massaging his sides. They felt him shiver again and lightened their touch so that they were barely caressing his skin. They couldn’t see it from where they sat on his back, but he briefly grinned. A successful perception check helped them detect the faintest giggle. Tav smiled and, not wanting to immediately call him out, decided to play along.

“You know,” they started softly. “I really am sorry about what happened earlier. I hope you can forgive me.” Their fingers ghosted over his waist, and he sucked in air through his teeth. Tav craned their head to try and look at him, but he turned his head out of their view. “Astarion?”

“Hmm?” He propped himself up on his elbows, shoulders shaking a bit, as if holding back a laugh. He pursed his lips to conceal a smile. “I heard you, Tav. Now would you shut up and let me relax?”

Tav huffed lightly. Their smile widened.  “Oh, I do apologize. How careless of me. Of course I want you to relax. I shall be as quiet as a mouse, my love.”

Astarion finally gave them a quizzical look. The way they were smiling at them now made him fidget, but he made no move to get up. Slowly, he lowered himself back onto his stomach. “Good. Keep it that way.”

Ah, so that’s how he wanted to play this?

 Tav smirked to themselves and, as promised, didn’t say another word. Instead, they doubled down on their efforts. They wriggled their fingertips ever so slightly up his sides and across his ribs. Again, Astarion fidgeted, but it was becoming more difficult for him to stifle his giggling. 

Whenever he squirmed, Tav’s fingers weren’t far behind, lightly scribbling and kneading over his skin. They didn’t hone in on any one area; instead, they leisurely went from one spot to the other. Tav’s fingers traced a slow path down his sides, brushing across his ribs and making their way back to his waist, where they gently danced over the curve of his hips. This time, Astarion jolted and belted out a loud, startled giggle. He swiveled his head to give a lighthearted glare, and Tav was already grinning at him. 

“You wretch-”

Tav laughed in earnest. They continued their gentle pinching and tickling over his hips, and Astarion squealed. His hands shot out behind him to grip their wrists, but he didn’t make any move to truly stop them. “Come on, Astarion. I just want to see you smile. You wear it so much better than a scowl.”

“You are delusional if you think you can-” His sharp words were dulled as he tittered and grit his teeth as Tav traced along his waist. “C-Can tickle mehehe into forgiving your idihihidocy!”

“Maybe. But, it’s worth a shot, no?” Tav giggled and pried their hands out of his grip. Then, their hands scampered back up his sides, finding purchase on his ribs. Astarion sputtered and writhed, giggling frantically. He tried to sit up and turn around, but Tav wouldn’t let him. They flattened themselves on top of his back and alternated between gently pinching at the bones and scritching over them. They scooched up a bit just so they could nuzzle their head into the crook of his neck. He tried to shut them out by raising his shoulders, shrieking. 

“Please forgive me, Star..” They murmured into his ear, pressing a kiss to the shell. He shook his head as those ticklish kisses continued, his high pitched giggles rounding out to laughter. “I didn’t mean to blow up the temple with you in it. It’ll never happen again.”

“GAhahaha! Oho, I’m going tohoho end you, Tahahav!” He threatened and leaned his head far enough away to avoid the ticklish kisses. So, they moved to his other ear. Meanwhile, they were still tickling along the length of his ribs. 

“But then how would I be able to say I’m sorry?” Tav laughed. After a couple more kisses on his ear, they relented, not wanting to get headbutted accidentally on purpose. They suddenly raised their hands higher and plunged them underneath his arms. Astarion arched his back and cackled. 

“AHA! Nohohoht thehehehre—!” He shrieked and clamped his arms down, trapping their wriggling fingers against him. With a sudden burst of strength, he rolled both of them over, and Tav yelped. Before he could recover, Tav hooked one leg over his waist, returning to their gentle scritches over his armpits. Astarion threw his head back in laughter, hands gripping their arms, but still not fully pushing them away. 

Tav chuckled fondly. They halted their tickle attack to bring both of his hands up to their lips, kissing the tops softly. “See? You’re beautiful when you laugh…and even more so when you aren’t angry with me.”

“Y-Yehehes, well, I’m afraid you’re not off the hook, darling.” He breathed and chased after the warmth in their touch. “In fact I think I need an even longer massage now because of your antics.”

“Oh? I can manage that,” They grinned. “Do you have any suggestions for where I should t—er, massage next? I’m nothing if not a good listener.”

Astarion leered, squeezing their hands. “Tickle me again, and you just might lose these hands.”

“Huh. Decisions, decisions..” Tav pursed their lips as if they were thinking. “Make my dashingly handsome lover laugh, or help him feel good?”

There was a beat, and Tav slowly pulled their hands out of his grip. They idly wriggled their fingers just a hair above his torso, not quite touching. He narrowed his eyes, still playful, and lowered one protective arm over the same area. 

“Tav, my love, I do hope you make the right decision..” He whispered in a low, suspicious purr. He watched their movements like a hawk and, for a moment, it looked like they were going to resume the massage. 

But then, they tentatively poked him in the tummy, and he flinched. Tav grinned a playful grin. 

“I’m gonna go with option one~” They sang, continuing to poke and prod at his belly at a pace that he couldn’t keep up with. He growled in between his giggling and tried, and failed, to grab their hand. 

“Nahahaha! Youhuhu little- ah! Nohoho! When I geheheheht my HAHAHAHNDS on youhuhu!” Astarion squealed and buckled at each poke, opting to cover his face with his hand. His face was flushed from laughing and his fangs were 100% visible, if he hadn’t been covering his face, that is. Tav laughed along with him and pressed their thumbs into his hips, kneading softly. He jolted and lurched forward, uncovering his face to wrestle with their hands.

 Again, he threw his head back in laughter, but he still wasn’t quite stopping them. He’d grip their wrists or hands and push them, though if he really wanted to, he could’ve stopped them ages ago. Tav’s heart warmed with the notion that he was having fun, and that maybe he wasn’t quite as angry with them compared to when they blew up the temple. Tav alternated between kneading his hips and running their nails along the bones, and their lover was in stitches. To add fuel to the metaphorical fire, they leaned back down to press kisses into his cheeks and ears. Astarion wheezed. 

“TAHAHA! Y-you’re sohoho dehEHEAD—!” Astarion’s shrieked threats dissolved into squealing cackles. He pushed his head into theirs as his legs drummed against the ground. Tav snuck a quick kiss to his nose with a giggle. 

“Promises, promises, my darling. You already said—” 

But before they could finish, Astarion found a last ditch burst of strength, and he lunged. Tav barely had time to react before the world flipped—one moment, they were on top, and the next, they were pinned on their back, staring up at a panting, wild-haired Astarion. He gathered up their wrists and held them above their head with one hand. Tav blinked and looked up at him with a wobbly smile. 

“Oh. Um, heh. H-Hang on, Astarion..”

After Astarion caught his breath, his slow, wicked grin returned. “I warned you, darling.”

Well, he certainly didn’t seem angry anymore. After all, he believed that the best apology was well placed revenge. 

A/N: I really hope this fic is to your liking, anon! I'm nervous to post it if I'm being honest because I was juggling this idea with another one and I finished this fic whilst sick, so I don't know about the quality. Anyways, I hope you like it. Also I love how you depicted Astarion's grouchiness through emojis- that was the favorite part of this ask 😆

[thebardnemo]

Gavin, An Unlikely Hero of Baldur's Gate

Introduction

A bard with humble beginnings, Gavin spent his days performing for all walks of life throughout the Sword Coast, using his charm, stories and magical gifts to captivate his audiences. Then the mindflayers attacked Baldur's Gate. The Illithid menace swept him up into their clutches during a performance in the Lower City. Following his escape, he was thrust into an impossible journey of danger, love, and adventure.

The experience left him with stories for years to come...

Details

Age: 30 Gender: Male (he/him) Race: Human Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Class: Bard, College of Lore Background: Entertainer Romance: Gale Best Friend(s): Astarion, Shadowheart, Karlach, Halsin, Minsc Family: Father (retired adventurer), Mother (apothecary)

Background

Gavin was born to a common household in the Lower City. His father was an adventurer of little renown, earning just enough to provide for his wife, a local apothecary and his son, a mischievous little imp who one day dreamed of traveling the Sword Coast like his father. Though the family struggled, they loved each other very much and supported Gavin in all of his endeavors.

As a young adult, Gavin witnessed a traveling troupe weave magic and story in a performance he'd never forget. He begged the ringleader and his parents to let him join the troupe as an apprentice. And the following day, he left his family and Baldur's Gate behind for a years-long study to become a legitimate bard.

When the mindflayers attacked the city, Gavin had been struggling for a while to get good performances, despite his growing popularity along the coast. His homecoming performance in the Lower City was supposed to be another opportunity for a patron, since a few of the city council were said to attend the event. Alas, the event would be short lived. On that day, he didn't get a new patron, but an unwelcome Ilithid visitor in his brain...

Relationships

Astarion took to Gavin immediately, despite his upper class origins. The bard shared his taste for fashion and wine, and was more capable and practical than many of the other entertainment-types he'd encountered (and some of their companions, in a lot of ways). He was also highly amused by Gavin's eccentricity and quirks, especially his incredible ticklishness, taking advantage of it whenever he could.

When Gavin accepted his vampirism and later supported his autonomy and revenge, he grew fond of the bard and would eventually consider Gavin to be one of his closest friends.

Gale and Gavin were also fast friends, particularly over the Weave and their mutual love for books. During their adventure to Baldur's Gate, Gale often helped Gavin hone his magical abilities for the battles to come, impressed by his ability to learn what he was teaching so quickly. In return, Gavin would tell him stories and become his closest confidant. The wizard came to enjoy the bard's company, so much so that he allowed the bard to be physically affectionate with him.

During Gale's struggles with the Orb and Mystra, he found Gavin to be a steadfast support, unable to imagine a life without him, even after accomplishing their objectives at Baldur's Gate. Gavin helped Gale with his resolve and the two proved to be a force to be reckoned with against the Netherbrain.

Quirks

As mentioned above, our red-headed bard is notably ticklish. A trait that is often taken advantage of by his companions – however! It is not unwelcome.

Gavin is quite fond of being tickled but is embarrassed to admit it, until his friends help him learn to accept it. He is also one to initiate tickle fights or attacks, particularly with Gale.

Below are some drabbles regaling Gavin's ticklish encounters with his companions...

A Ticklish Remedy (lee!Gavin, ler!Shadowheart)

The Wizard's Hat (lee!Gavin, ler!Astarion)

A/N

Thank you for reading about my self-indulgent Baldur's Gate 3 OC, travelers! I've been sitting on this post for a while until @angelatmidnight1 inspired me to touch it again thanks to sharing her darling Tav with us, Phoebe. I'll be posting more about Gavin in the future regarding his relationships with his companions and his ticklish journey. Also – you're welcome to ask any questions about him in the meantime! Thanks again and have a good evening~

[angelatmidnight1]

A/N I’ve become obsessed with writing for bg3. I cannot stop. Send help.

I hope everyone enjoys part two of “Astarion opens up to the concept of tickling and might actually enjoy it, oh no.”

Some mentions of sex but nothing explicit. Other than that, it’s pretty much SFW.

Wattpad version: https://www.wattpad.com/1525366886?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_reading&wp_page=reading&wp_uname=cutefluff177

Another phenomenal fic submitted to me by @bexorok !

————————————————————————

Touch was a strange thing for Asterion. Usually, he used it as a means of seduction, a way of making someone drop their guard after flattery and flirting, all in a ruse to lure them to Cazador. Night after night, year after year, he grew numb to it all as he went through the motions, letting himself float somewhere far away while his body did the work.

That all changed after meeting Tav. The parasite they were all infected with brought them together, and gave him freedoms he’d never dared to dream of. He could walk in the sun, cross water, go where he pleased without the compelling voice of a master ordering him around, but it didn’t take long for him to realize that he was still trapped. Trying to seduce Tav, he cycled through the same routine he always had, drifting away emotionally any time he did so. But the moments when he wasn’t trying to flirt or manipulate, he felt something akin to attraction. Not a sexual kind, or a drive for power, but a spark of real connection.

Tav made him realize that he had the freedom to make choices for himself now. They never forced him to do anything he didn’t want to do, never belittled him for having his own wants and needs. Even more than that, they supported those wants and needs. He came to his own conclusion that he didn’t just want some superficial relationship to protect himself, he wanted Tav.

He had no idea that confessing his feelings would go so well. Any sane person would hear him admit that he was trying to manipulate them and show him the door. Tav was truly unhinged to let him stay, much less give him a chance at a real relationship, and he was grateful for it. He was even more nervous to ask that they hold off on having sex for now, but he was surprised to find that they weren’t in it for the sex. Tav explained to him that they preferred to be intimate for the sake of their partner rather than their own desires. Basically, if he wasn’t in the mood, they weren’t in the mood either. It was a perfect arrangement.

After that, Tav slowly introduced him to physical affection that wasn’t inherently sexual. A hug, a cuddle, a try at being the little spoon, and soon he felt himself becoming emotionally receptive to touch, no longer letting his consciousness drift. Which brought him to his current predicament.

The entire camp seemed to be getting closer, both physically and emotionally. He chalked it up to being forced to travel through the shadowlands. The curse that hung over their heads, the despair that surrounded them every moment, made every day a challenge. The only thing they had to hang on to was each other, taking care of one another, lifting each other's spirits, being each other's light in the dark. Yes, physical affection had become much more common amongst the group. From hugs, to pats on the back, a hand on the shoulder, the occasional head nudge, and thanks to what was dubbed “the timmusk incident” even tickling was a common occurrence.

It wasn’t that Astarion minded, to each their own after all, but he couldn’t ignore the feelings it would elicit in him when he saw Tav poke Gale in the side, or when Karlach would find something to graze over an unexpecting companion's ribs. At first he thought the feeling was of annoyance. They were in the middle of the darkest, most dangerous lands, and they were behaving like children. But he found he couldn’t stop staring any time it happened in front of him. After thinking about it, he realized the feeling was a combination of curiosity, jealousy, and a bit of fear. Why fear? He wasn’t sure. Hell, he had no idea why he was so infatuated by something so ridiculous, and it was eating away at him. 

It all came to a head one night after having a few too many drinks. The party managed to find an old wine cellar in the ruins of the shadowlands, somehow untouched by the curse, unlike all the food that appeared to rot there. It was rare to find good booze, especially in a place as inhabitable as this, so of course they all decided to indulge, and it didn’t take long for everyone to loosen up.

“Kahahaharlack!” Wyll suddenly giggled from his seat at the fire pit, trying to hold onto his drink in hand, “Knock it ohohohoff!”

Karlach had taken quite the liking to sneaking up on her party members with whatever she could find to graze their sides with. This time she found an old cattail to try. 

“You know, you should really wear something other than that crop top,” she smirked. “It leaves you vulnerable.”

“Myhyhy wardrobe is none of your concern,” he said, swatting the plant away. 

Tav, from the other side of the fire pit, got a mischievous gland in their eyes. “Oh, but I think Karlach’s right. You have no idea when someone might try something.” They got up from their seat and made their way towards him.

“Oh no, you stay back!” He got to his feet and stumbled a bit, a wobbly smile on his face.

Everyone looked at the spectacle from their own seats, fondly rolling their eyes and continuing their own conversations, now used to the occasional sound of laughter whenever a tickle fight broke out.

Astarion watched from his own seat near the camping supplies, looking for more booze to hammer away. He stared at Tav as they and Karlach closed in on Wyll, giggling and swatting their hands and cattails away.

In his drunken state, he felt more antsy than usual watching them. He itched to move, to squirm, to feel what it was like to have fingers scribble along his sides, to feel the carefreeness Wyll must have felt in this moment, tipsy and helpless to defend himself from the playful attack. 

“Eh, better him than us,” Gale approached him, holding out a glass of wine. 

Astarion huffed as he got up. “You know, I think I’ve had quite enough for tonight. You all have fun, I’m going to do something actually worth my time.” He left for his tent that he had been sharing with Tav, trying to not make eye contact with them as he walked past. Tav noticed his sudden disposition and stopped their current assault on Wyll as they all watched him walk away.

Everyone assumed his dismissive attitude was just Astarion being himself. Tav was the only one who saw through him. The pained look in his eyes seemed obvious to them, but they knew if they asked about it he would deny it and shut down. No, they knew he would talk when he was ready. He always did.

They decided to let Wyll go after that, unable to get Astarion’s sudden departure out of their head. As the rest of the party continued drinking before inevitably turning in for the night, they decided to call it early and join him. 

They tripped a bit as they made their way back to the tent, a goofy grin still on their face as they felt the effects of the alcohol. They pulled the bit of fabric covering the entrance and crawled into the space. Once inside, they whispered an incantation that would sound proof the tent, giving them a bit of privacy for the night.

Astarion laid on his bedroll with a book in hand and a lantern by his head to light the pages. He had taken his shirt off for the night as he always did before bed, though he wasn’t tucked into his bedroll.

“Turning in already?” He commented without looking up from his book.

“I figured I’ve had enough to drink,” Tav yawned as they stretched. They undressed down to their underwear before they laid down next to him, making sure not to jostle him too much as they drew close. “I’m surprised you’re reading right now, I can barely focus my eyes after drinking.”

Astarion tried to keep pretending he was focused on the book, determined to not give away that he’d previously been staring up at the tent, fantasizing about Tav ticking him.

He coughed, “well, I’m not that drunk.” He still put the book down as he finally worked up the nerve to roll on his side to face Tav.

“There’s… something I wanted to ask you.”

“Yes, dear?” They smiled, taking his hand in their own.

“Do you remember, after tormenting Gale for the first time, when I told you to never try that with me?”

“Like it was yesterday,” they chuckled.

“Well, I suppose I’ve been having… mixed feelings about that.”

He could tell Tav was excited, they always were when he chose to open up a bit. They usually curbed their enthusiasm in an effort to not scare him away. Sometimes he wished they didn’t. He didn’t want them thinking he could be dissuaded too easily, and they talked together about it before, but he appreciated the sentiment. This time though, after the drinks from that night, they couldn’t hide their stupid grin.

“Mixed feelings? How so?” They tried to play it off.

“I suppose I’m just… curious.” He concluded. Yes, of course. These thoughts were just the result of his own curiosity. He still hadn’t had much experience in these physical forms of affection, and it was only natural for him to want to at least try it out for himself. There was no deeper desire of longing to let go of all his worries and completely put his trust in someone for once.

“Oh,” Tav said as nonchalantly as they could muster. “And you’re sure this isn’t the alcohol talking?”

“Pfft, as if I’m a lightweight,” he sniffed. “I just thought that since we’re experimenting with things like cuddling and hugging, a bit of- ah hem- tickling, wouldn’t hurt to try.” He could feel his heart skip a beat uttering the word. 

Tav could hardly contain their excitement before, but now there was no hope. “Of course,” they beamed as they clapped their hands. “Honestly, I’ve been dying for you to ask!”

Astarion regained his composure, at least enough to look the part on the outside. “So eager to get your hands on me,” he flirted, “I’m flattered.” 

Tav playfully rolled their eyes. “Alright, love. I do love any excuse to touch you. But now I have an excuse to touch you and make you laugh.” Their enthusiasm returned to their face, overjoyed at the prospect. 

“So,” Astarion trailed off, now a bit awkward. “What exactly should I do?”

“Nothing much, I’d just say lay on your back and you’ll be good to go,” they grinned. 

Astarion did just that, rolling back over, resting his head in the middle of the pillow.

“Do you want to keep your arms up?” 

This is how they always were with Astarion. They never instructed him to do anything when they were being intimate, they asked. It was never “you be the little spoon tonight”, instead it was “would you like to try being the little spoon tonight?” It was a small distinction that Astarion found made a big difference, and he was fascinated that Tav picked up on it so easily. He didn’t even have to tell them that he didn’t like being told what to do, as it brought back bad memories. Just one of the many reasons they were amazing.

“I’ll… try, I suppose,” he stumbled over his words. He did as he said and lifted his arms above his head, resting them on the pillow he laid on. 

“Don’t worry,” Tav reassured him, “I won’t do anything that would restrain you. You can put them down whenever you need to.”

“Hm, bold of you to assume I would “need” to. I still don’t even know if I’m ticklish.” He sassed. 

Tav chuckled. “Okay, okay. But seriously, just say the word and I’ll stop.”

He would never admit it, but butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he looked at Tav, nervous in anticipation for what he knew would come next. He wanted this, so why was it so intimidating? Not even in a bad way, no anxiety rushed through his veins, only a strange, gleeful buzz. Perhaps it was just the alcohol.

“I know you will,” he finally whispered back. 

Tav beamed as they looked at him. It wasn’t every day they got to see him flustered like this. 

“I should ask first, is there anywhere off limits?” They said as they laid on their side, close enough to reach around his body when given the okay. 

Astarion huffed as he thought about it. He wished he considered it before now.

“Just not my neck, if you please,” he asked. Unsurprising, that was an area he wasn’t too fond of anyone touching for obvious reasons.

“Of course, love.” They promised. “How about I start with your hands and work my way down?”

“Hands? Really?” He scoffed. “Is that even a thing?”

“Anywhere can be sensitive,” they winked, “if it has nerves, it can be ticklish.”

“Oh, alright, but don’t be disappointed when I don’t laugh.”

They grinned in amusement as they reached a hand to him, gently making contact with his palm facing up. They lightly brushed their fingers down, slowly, feather-like. To his surprise, Astarion felt a sort of tingle. Not enough to make him laugh, but enough to notice. They continued past his wrist and down his forearm, and the same sensation followed. It wasn’t until they brushed along his inner bicep that he felt a shiver run up his spine. The feeling there was more noticeable, and he felt his arm twitch a bit. 

“Oh?” Tav noted, “looks like I found a spot.”

“Oh please,” Astarion rolled his eyes. “That was hardly anything.”  

Tav wasn’t hearing anything that indicated he wanted them to stop, so they traced back up and down the bicep until they reached his underarm. That’s when the sensation grew far greater. Astarion let out a gasp of surprise as he shot his arm back down. 

“Too much?” Tav asked, obviously amused.

“N-no. Just a surprise,” he replied, stubbornly lifting his arm back up.

“Okay, I’ll keep going then.”

This time they took a single finger and traced along the edge of his armpit. Astarion felt a smile forming, and fought the urge to slam his arm back down. He twitched as Tav teased at the spot.

“I’m going to try a bit rougher. Is that okay?”

Cringing as he tried to resist smiling, he gave a grunt of approval.

As promised, Tav scribbled with a bit more pressure, earning themselves a gasp as Astarion squirmed, small huffs of laughter escaping. The touch was firm, yet gentle as it lingered. It felt… strange, but not in a bad way, in a way he hadn’t expected. It didn’t feel like he was losing control like he worried it would, it was more like a fuzzy, playful tingle. He tried as long as he could, but his arm slammed down in an effort to block the wiggling fingers.

“Okay,” Tav laughed, “How about I just try some other spots?”

Astarion never liked admitting defeat, but keeping his arms up was more difficult than he anticipated. 

“Alright,” he sighed, deciding it would be easier to lay his arms at his sides. “You know, I can’t help but feel like you're going easy on me.”

“Just want to make sure I don’t go too far,” they said sheepishly.

“Perhaps we need a safe word,” he remarked with a raised brow, always having to sprinkle in a little flirting in anything he did. “‘Blood’, that’s always been my favorite to use.”

 

“So, you give me permission to tickle away until you tap out?” They smirked, wiggling their fingers just above his ribs.

Astarion felt giddy anticipation at the sight, but was determined to keep up his suave attitude. “Do your worst, darling.”

Tav grinned as they took their fingers and brushed further down to his ribs. The sensation was far greater than it was with his arms, and the second they made contact with his first rib, Astarion let out a sudden giggle. His eyes widened in shock at the involuntary noise and he brought a hand to his mouth. 

He wasn’t the only one surprised at the outburst. Tav stared in wonder at their lover, with possibly the most fondness they had ever felt at his delightful little laugh. It was much more goofy than they imagined it would be, and it made them fall even more head over heels for him.

“Well, looks like you're quite ticklish after all,” they goaded, continuing to scribble along.

Asterion's giggling continued as he kept his face covered, unable to bring himself to block Tav’s ticklish onslaught. He no longer had much control over his reactions, but it didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would. Originally, the image of losing control of himself intimidated him, but something about the situation made him feel safe. Like the only purpose those spidering, wiggling fingers had was to make him laugh and enjoy himself. 

Meanwhile, Tav was entranced by his giggles. They stared at him as he lay in a heap under their touch, noting how he kept his hands covering his face. It seemed he was more keen on keeping his smile hidden from them than actually making them stop, and though he squirmed from side to side, he made no real effort to escape. 

“Love,” they purred, “it’s only us two in here. No one outside can hear us. You don’t have to be afraid of looking silly or foolish. Your smile and laughter is the only thing I desire right now.”

He was well aware of that, and in a way that was exactly what he desired as well, but why just give up what Tav wanted? If he was going to give himself like this, to lay vulnerable with the only person in the world he trusted while he laughed helplessly, he wanted Tav to earn it, even if he found himself enjoying the treatment.

“Nahaha! Nehehehever!” He replied defiantly.

Tav gave a mocking gasp. “Oh, you're really asking for it now.”

Taking their other hand, they sat up on their knees, leaning over him as they reached to spider their fingers across both sides of his ribs. Astarion managed to keep his face covered even as he threw his head back in laughter. 

“Let’s see,” Tav sang while meticulously scribbling over every rib, “there must be a spot that gets you howling.”

“Ihihihi do not hohohowl!” He retorted. 

“Oh, we’ll see about that.”

Excruciatingly slowly, they drifted their hands to his belly, tweaking at the sides. His giggles continued, though less frantic. It seemed this spot absolutely made him melt. Each touch made the butterflies in his stomach flutter all the more, adding to the sensation in a way that felt like he was buzzing with energy. 

“Ah, a real sweet spot,” Tav smirked. “Not quite the hysterical cackling I was looking for, but a pleasant surprise.”

“Ihihis that ahahahall you gohohot?” It was amazing how Astarion could keep up his sass in this position.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve got plenty more.” 

Suddenly, the light squeezing at his sides shifted to his hips, and that’s where things took a turn. The feeling of gentle buzzing turned into a sudden jolt of ticklishness, and his steady giggling turned into a shout, followed by more frantic laughter.

“Tahahahahahav! Ihihihihihts bahahahad!” He snickered as he finally brought his hands down, attempting to grasp at his partners hands. 

His face was scrunched up, eyes crinkled with the widest grin plastered on his face, his fangs just barely visible in the dim light of the lantern.

“There’s that smile,” they cheered in triumph.

“Yohoho are suhuhuch a dork!” Astarion half heartedly insulted, struggling to grab onto Tav’s hands as they wreaked havoc.

“Ah, you really think grabbing my hands will save you?”

“Whahahat are you ohohon about?” He asked through his laughter. He sighed in relief as he finally managed to catch both of Tav’s hands, holding them to his chest. “See? No way of getting at me now, is there?”

The jab was clearly a challenge. Either he was expecting Tav to make a great escape or find some new way of sending him into hysteria. 

“You’ll see, love.” They purred as they pushed their hands out of the way, resting at Astarion’s sides, then lowered their head to his stomach.

“What are you-“

He was interrupted as Tav blew a raspberry onto his lower belly. The buzzing from before returned, feeling twice as powerful, the vibrations seemingly reverberating across his entire midriff. 

“TAHAHAHAV! WHAHAHAHAT IS THIHIHIHIS?” 

Tav smiled against his stomach, feeling it shake as his belly laughter filled their tent.

“It’s called a raspberry,” they said proudly, “tickles a lot, doesn’t it?”

“Ihhihihits uhuhunbearable!” He snickered as let go of Tav’s hands, halfheartedly trying to push their head away from his torso to no avail.

“I haven’t heard you say ‘blood’ yet.” They teased in a sing-song tone.

“Ihihihi don’t want to give you the satisfaction!” 

“Alright then,” they smirked right before lowering their head back down to deliver another, just as loud and ridiculous sounding as the first.

“NAHAHAHAHAHA YOHOHOU AHAHASS!” 

Tav laid their head down on his stomach, now laughing along with him as he hurled insults at them while he tried to regain his composure.

“Ahahahare you done?” He finally asked, feeling warmth radiating in his chest as he felt Tav lay on him, seemingly in a drunken, tired, blissful state. 

“If you’d like me to be,” they answered. “But there is one more spot I’d like to try, if you're willing.”

Astarion groaned, though it was only to prevent himself from breaking into another fit of laughter. His own drunken state certainly wasn’t helping his composure.

“Oh, I suppose if you really want,” he said as nonchalantly as he could muster. 

Tav delightedly rose from off their lover, sitting down comfortably near his legs.

“You can rest your feet in my lap, if you please,” they asked, “it’ll make it more comfortable for you, and perhaps will keep you from accidentally kicking me in the face.”

He was a bit apprehensive at that, unsure just how bad this could tickle. He’d been enjoying himself so far, but nothing had gotten him hysterical yet. Still, his curiosity was palpable, unsatisfied. He had to know how it felt to completely lose himself to mirth, or he feared he would never be satiated. 

Cautiously, he moved his feet to rest in Tav’s lap. They grinned their goofy, fond grin, and wiggled their fingers close. After making such a big show, Astarion was surprised that they only used a single finger to gently trace along his arch, and-

“BAHAHAHAHAHA!” The sensation was unlike any that came before. He felt his leg involuntarily kick as he smacked a fist at his side, pounding the ground as he threw his head back in laughter. Fortunately, Tav prevented him from kicking too far up, keeping an arm just a couple of inches above his leg to stop it from rising too high, but not to restrain it.

“Seems you have devilishly ticklish feet,” Tav said, absolutely thrilled at the discovery.

“IHIHIHITS- ACK! NAHAHAHAHAHA!” He cackled as Tav switched to scribbling all their fingers down the soles of his foot, the sensation made ten times worse.  He claimed the raspberry earlier was unbearable, completely naive to the feeling that now tormented him. 

Though it was the strongest he’d felt so far, he revealed the feeling. Any worries that plagued him before disappeared at that moment. The only two people in the world were him and Tav, and the only feeling he had was of joy and bliss.

Still, he was far from used to the sensation, and though he enjoyed it, he found that even that had its limits.

“BLOHOHOHOOD!” He called out, nearly exhausted from thrashing about. As promised, Tav stopped immediately, holding their hands in the air to show they would no longer be a threat.

Astarion tucked his legs in, rubbing at the foot that had been so brutally tortured, trying to get rid of the phantom tingling that he found still radiating throughout his soles.

Tav grew worried for a moment. “Are you alright, love? Did I push it too far?”

Astarion took a moment to steady his breathing, before giving a last giggle. He sat up, still drunkenly smiling, as he pulled Tav into a deep kiss.

They lingered for a moment, tasting the alcohol and a faint metallic flavor, before breaking away.

“So, I take it that you enjoyed yourself then,” they goaded.

Astarion rolled his eyes. “I suppose I didn’t hate it.” 

The glint in his eyes told Tav everything they needed to know; he didn’t just enjoy himself; he loved it.

“And,” he continued, “I suppose I’d be open to doing this more often. Just in the privacy of our tent.”

Tav laughed at that. “That’s fine by me.” In time he may change his mind again, being more open to connecting with his other companions, but for now Tav was perfectly content keeping this their little secret.

“And one more thing,” he said before he crashed into Tav, knocking them on their back on the bedroll. “I do expect to get a bit of revenge.”

Again, the sound of laughter boomed in the tent, unnoticed by the world outside. Eventually, the two would grow tired and fall asleep in each other's arms, but for now, they would continue their journey of discovery in the privacy of their own, small tent.

[angelatmidnight1]

Playing With Fire

A/N: I've had a hard time these last few weeks and needed to write something fluffy. This fic includes a tickle fight with Tav and Wyll trying to tickle Karlach, only to have the roles reversed. I had these #augtickletober2024 prompts in mind: #18 Tickle Fight and #22 Role Reversal by @august-anon.

What happens when you prank your favorite barbarian? Well, you won’t get burned, but you will get tickled. Fret not, though, the Blade of Frontiers will protect you, or go down trying. 

Fandom- Baldur's Gate 3.

WC: 3.1k

Characters: Wyll, Tav, and Karlach. Wyll and Tav are romantic partners, and they're both close friends with Karlach.

It was a classic, silly prank. It turns out that Baldur’s Gate had just about everything if you knew where to shop.

Alone in your camp, you inflated a whoopee cushion, grinning. Fifty gold well spent. And, out of all your companions, you were certain that Karlach wouldn’t kill you. 

You tiptoed over to the gathering spot around the campfire. Your companions hadn’t returned from the city yet, so the coast was clear. You went over to Karlach’s usual spot and positioned the whoopee cushion under her seat. Scratch watched you from not that far away, tilting his head to the side. He abandoned the bone he was chewing on and bounded up to you. His cold nose pressing against your leg made you flinch and squeal. This startled the doggy too. You turned to him, patting his head affectionately. 

“Hells, you scared me.” You scritched underneath the dog’s chin, chuckling as he wagged his tail. “This is our little secret, okay?”

Scratch licked your hand and returned to his bone. Soon enough, you heard someone approaching, and the excitement hit you like a lightning bolt. You got up to meet them halfway. “Hey!”

“Well hello,” Astarion drawled with a little wave. He approached you with a noticeably heavier bag compared to when he left. No doubt he acquired most of those items with a five finger discount. He gave you a quick once over, chuckling. “Don’t you look cheery. You must have missed us terribly.”

“Oh, you know me, not a day goes by that I don’t think of that handsome face of yours..” You smirked, quickly adding, “Although you don’t hold a candle to Wyll.”

Astarion was ready to bask in the praise, only to huff in a way that only a haughty vampire could. “How dare you! And here I thought we were friends. I even went out of my way to pick up a little trinket for you.”

Your eyes brightened as he revealed a gold and sapphire amulet. It pulsed with a magic that was unfamiliar to you, and dazzled even in the low light. You reached for it and he yanked it back at the last minute. He smirked.

“Though, if we aren’t friends, I’m happy to keep this beauty for myself.”

“Oh, come on..” You whined and made grabby hands at him, but he wouldn’t budge. His smirk broadened. “You know we’re friends!”

“Are we now?” Astarion moved the amulet along his fingers. “It’s interesting that you would change your tune once I come bearing gifts. I’m starting to think you only like me for my things.”

“That’s not true!” You pouted, “Gods, you’re not going to make me beg, are you?”

“It wouldn’t hurt,” Astarion paused and raised an expectant brow. But just before you acquiesced, he handed the amulet over. “But fine, I suppose I could let bygones be bygones.”

“Yay! Thanks.” You put the amulet on with his help. Then, you peered in the direction where he’d come from, still not seeing the rest of your companions. You blinked up at him. “Where’re the others? Wyll? Gale? …Karlach?”

“Oh,” Astarion sighed and rolled his eyes. “They were talking about some trash novel that they bought on the way back. Probably weren’t watching where they were going and fell into a ditch…pardon me.”

While Astarion went to retrieve your companions, you took your usual spot by the campfire. The excitement returned in full force, and you could hardly hold still. You picked up the sound of your companions’ chatter moments later. 

“What’cha got there, love?” You called to Wyll and patted the seat beside you. He walked with the open book in his hand, looking up at random intervals so he didn’t walk into anything. He approached you with a smile.

“Gale recommended this,” he explained after he sat down and kissed you. “The Warden’s Grimoire. The three of us are going to read this after dinner. Perhaps you’d like to join us?”

He went into his pack to pull out another copy of the book. He extended it to you, and you happily accepted. 

“Of course, it’s a date.” You smiled and pecked his lips again. Gale, Karlach, and Astarion brought up the rear. Your eyes flitted to her, and your smile widened to a grin. 

“So there’s no devils in this, right? And it’s not sad?” Karlach was asking Gale, pausing to greet you with a wave. Gale shook his head. 

“I assure you, there are no characters of the devilish persuasion,” he answered. “As for the mood, no, it isn’t sad. But if I say anything else, I’ll risk spoiling the ending.”

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it.” Karlach finally turned her full attention to you and beamed. “Heya, soldier! I suppose Wyll’s already told you, but I’m so excited to read this. It’s got magic, heroes, a dragon..”

While speaking, she finally took a seat in her usual spot. The loud, unmistakable sound of flatulence sounded over the camp. Astarion’s face twisted in disgust.

“What in the Nine Hells was that?” Astarion pinched his nose and gagged. “Gods, Karlach, you’re going to burn this camp down! And that’s if the stench doesn’t kill us first.”

Karlach jumped up, cheeks flushed and flames bright. “Wha- that wasn’t me!” She protested. Her protests did nothing to convince him. You leaned into Wyll, laughing into his shoulder.

Wyll sat in stunned silence before he wrapped an arm around you. He started grinning despite himself, leaning in to whisper, “What did you do?”

You couldn’t answer with how hard you were laughing. Karlach’s cushion ended up flying across the camp. She threw the flattened whoopee cushion at your feet. 

“The fuck is that, Tav? Why’s that under my seat?” There wasn’t any malice in her voice as she pointed an accusatory finger at you. Your laughter made it hard for her to act mad.

“I-I don’t know…” You snickered, “I just thought you’d eaten a bad can of beans.” 

Wyll tried to hide his snort with a cough. Karlach narrowed her eyes. 

“Beans, huh? C’mere, I owe you one.” Karlach stomped towards you with a playfully malicious intent. Your eyes widened, and you scrambled to your feet. 

“No, NO! Get away from me!” You laughed and moved to run. Then, much to your surprise and glee, Wyll stood and pulled you behind him. 

“Stay back!” Wyll demanded, grinning. Moments like these were a rarity in your journey, and he was eager to be a part of this. “I won’t let you lay a finger on my love. Not while I’m here.”

You hugged Wyll from behind, giving Karlach a smug little grin. “My hero,” you sang, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek and then to the shell of his ear. “My blade…~”

Wyll gave you a quick, loving smile before he looked up to Karlach, who now towered over both of you. She cracked her knuckles and smirked. 

“You two are adorable. But if you’re getting in my way, Sir Hero, then you’re in for it too.” Karlach crossed her arms. “What’s it gonna be mate?”

“It’s going to be this,” Wyll straightened up and backed away with you in tow. “You’ll have to get through me first.”

Blue flames flickered around Karlach. She grinned, “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Karlach lunged towards both of you. Wyll pushed you out of the way as gently as he could so that you didn’t go down with him. He wrestled with her, but he was losing fast, especially as she scritched up his sides. His heroic stance started crumbling as he started chuckling. You weren’t willing to leave him at her mercy, so you leaped on the tiefling’s back. 

“Leave him alone!” You yelled, hooking your legs around her waist. You dropped your hands to her sides and squeezed them with gusto. Karlach squealed, abandoning her own attack to fend off yours. 

“Wahaha! Tahahav y-youhu fuckin’ sneheheak!” She giggled and reached around to grab your hands. She did her best not to grab too hard and stopped you, but you weren’t deterred. You leaned forward and blew a raspberry into her neck, making her shriek. “Gehehehet off!”

“Never!” You fired back and blew another raspberry into her skin. Karlach leaned back, giggling madly. She tried scrunching up her neck to block you, but you were quick to find another unprotected spot. All of her squirming made her forget to keep your hands at bay. You managed to wriggle your hands out of her grip, skittering your nails across her stomach. Karlach yelled again and fell into a deeper giggle fit. 

“NAhahahaha! Youhu’re sohohoho deheHEHAHAD!” Karlach squealed again when Wyll reached up to squeeze at her hips. Her loud giggling jumped to louder laughter and she collapsed onto her knees. 

“Ah, so the mighty Karlach is ticklish herself,” he chuckled. He sat up fully and knelt in front of her, gently prodding and kneading into her hip bones. Karlach buckled and laughed harder. She alternated between battling with his and your hands, yet failed at both. Wyll had a playful glint in his eye and nodded to you. “I applaud your quick thinking, love. Let’s take her down together.” 

“NOHOHOHO!” Karlach cackled. You grinned and increased your efforts, thumbs kneading into the spot just underneath her ribs. Karlach wound her arms around her torso, trapping your hands, only to flop onto her back as Wyll continued to squeeze her hips. “CHEHEHATERS! Youhu two are gonnahahaha regret this!”

“Yeah? Big talk from someone who’s so ticklish,” You teased. “Maybe the beans would’ve been a safer option, huh?”

Karlach let out a wheeze between her laughter. “Youhuhu little—I’m gonna—”

“Going to…?” Encouraged by your antics, Wyll leaned in as if to hear her better, snickering when her response got lost in her laughter. “There doesn’t seem to be any heat behind that threat. Just a heap of laughter, if I’ve ever heard any.” 

You two were pushing it. If Karlach managed to break away, you two were gonna be in a world of trouble. It was safer to tickle her until she admitted defeat, and that’s exactly what you’d planned on doing. 

Then again, when has anything in your party ever gone to plan?

Just as you two thought you had her on the ropes, especially as she cackled with your hands in her armpits, Karlach seized your arms with a surprising amount of speed. She pulled you down on the ground with her, and you went down screaming. 

“Thought you could win, huh?” She growled playfully, breathless but grinning wide, “You two are finished.”

Karlach flipped your positions so that you were rendered fully immobile underneath her legs. Wyll stumbled back from the sudden movement. Before he could scurry away, Karlach grabbed a handful of his tunic and pulled him down beside you. Both of your arms were pinned at your sides, and her grin spelled trouble in every spoken language in Faerûn.

“Alright, love birds,” she sang, putting a hand on your side and her other one on Wyll’s ribs. “Who wants to sing first?”

“S-Shihihit,” Wyll stammered and giggled as she tapped her claws expectantly over his ribs. Squirming was futile, as was trying to reach you, who’d also started giggling as Karlach poked into your skin. “Hold on, Karlach! We can still tahahalk!”

“Talk?” Karlach snorted. “After you two ganged up on me? To hells with that. It's payback time. And I’ll start with you, hero.”

She wiggled her claws over his ribs with more purpose, knuckles kneading into the spaces between the bones. Wyll jolted and giggled louder. He tried to roll away from her tickling hand, but she was persistent, easily following his movements. She noticed that his giggling grew frantic when her hand ventured near his sides or stomach, and she’d definitely use that to her advantage later. 

“Wahahait!” Wyll yelled and arched upwards when she suddenly jumped to his armpit. She used her thumb to dig into the muscle, and he shook his head through his laughter. “Wahahit, Karlach!”

“Nope! You brought this on yourselves,” Karlach smirked and explored his armpit with her wriggling claws. She was still absentmindedly poking at your sides, and you squealed when she poked into an especially ticklish spot. Her gaze flitted to you and her smirk widened. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Tav.”

Karlach’s hand now scampered across your waist, finding purchase on your hip bones. She squeezed and squeezed and squeezed until you were squealing with laughter. 

“Cohohohme ohohohn!” You squeaked and bucked around as she alternated the squeezes along your hips. “It was juhuhust a prahahank!”

Karlach grinned as she kept up the relentless assault, alternating between gentle and firm squeezes along your hips. "Oh, just a prank, huh?" she teased, her voice full of mock innocence. "Well, this is just payback!"

While she spoke, she prodded into Wyll’s tummy, and his frantic giggling jumped into loud laughter. She poked into his abdomen a few more times before reaching under his shirt to tickle. Wyll’s laughter got even louder. His volume rivaled yours as he tried to turn over onto his side. 

“Gods, nohohoho!” Wyll’s legs drummed against the ground as her claws circled his navel. “HAhahaha! N-Not thehere—”

But Karlach stayed right there. She lightly raked her nails around his navel, spidered up and down his belly, and ended each ticklish touch with a playful poke. It didn’t take much else to get him into stitches, and you weren’t far behind him. 

“Man, after all that talk and bravado, this is where you end up?” Karlach addressed Wyll while she continued to tickle his belly. She giggled, “This’ll teach you two not to mess with me.”

During all of the commotion, a mage hand slinked its way in not too far away. You almost missed it from how hard you were laughing. Hope surged in you; maybe instead of the Blade of Frontiers, a knight in magical armor would save the day. 

“Gahahale! GALE!” You laughed and bucked as Karlach tickled up your side. “Help us!”

Gale was smiling as he used the mage hand to pick up the discarded books. When Karlach looked his way, he raised both his and the magical hand in surrender. “No, no. I’m just going to get these books to safety. Creases can prove difficult to remove. And, well, fire and paper certainly don’t mix…”

“Smart man,” Karlach chuckled. “More than I can say for these two troublemakers.” 

She doubled down on tickling you and Wyll. She leaned down to blow raspberries into his belly while she suddenly pushed her hand under your arm. Both of you screamed, and your cackles echoed over the camp. 

Astarion was sitting not too far away from Gale. He was shaking his head from the silliness of the situation, and the wizard’s nerdy love for books. “Well, there goes my hopes of having a quiet evening,” he sighed. “Ridiculous. I am traveling with children…”

“I’d say Karlach is owed some revenge for the mischief Tav started,” Gale answered. He made the mage hand set the books away in his tent. “Surely, with your background as a magistrate, you’d agree that this is fair retribution?”

“No, not exactly,” Astarion snorted. “I’d prefer a little bloodshed if it’s all the same to you. But I’ll settle for this…entertainment.” He poured himself a glass of wine and sat down to watch the show. 

Gale tsked and lit a fire under the cooking pot. “You’d have them draw blades over a whoopee cushion? That is not a court that I’d want to involve myself in.”

Astarion ignored his chiding. He shook his head as he watched the one-sided tickle fight from the comfort of his tent. 

Wyll howled as Karlach nuzzled further into his stomach and continued blowing raspberries. His cheeks flushed and his legs kicked wildly at the ground. His resolve cracked, and he could barely get a word out in between his howling laughter. 

“AHAHAHAH! Ka-Karlach, plehehease!” he gasped, barely able to get a word out in between the bursts of uncontrollable laughter. “I only wahahnted t-toohoo help Tahahav!” His breath hitched as she nuzzled into his side. 

“Oh? You mean this lil’ shit right here?” Karlach sat up, grinning, and turned her attention to you. She already had one large hand kneading into your armpit, and now honed in on both. You shrieked again and arched your back. 

“WYLL!” You uselessly tried to pull your trapped arms down to your sides. Karlach paused her tickling only to pin both of your arms above your head, giving her more room to tickle. “NOHOHO!”

Wyll was grateful for the reprieve; still, he gave you a half playful, half apologetic smile as Karlach wrecked ticklish havoc on your armpits. “Apologies, my love.”

Trying to pull your arms out of Karlach’s grip was similar to trying to pry something out of a Steel Watcher’s hand: impossible. Her hand jumped from one armpit to the other, alternating between skittering and prodding into the hollows. Your laughter went up in pitch and you bucked your hips. 

“KAHAHARLAHACH!” You squealed and threw your head back, laughing loudly. “STAHAHAHA!”

Surprisingly, Karlach slowed down, but she didn’t let up. “Yeah? You ready to tap out?”

  In a logical world, you should’ve said yes. But logic wasn’t always fun, and you were having a lot of fun. You shook your head despite yourself, grinning widely. 

“Never,” You blurted out before falling into a deeper pit of laughter. “I r-reehehegret nothing!”

Even Astarion looked surprised at your defiance. Karlach busted out laughing and re-pinned your arms underneath her. This gave her free range to resume her fervent scribbling along your armpit, while using her free hand to squeeze at the side of Wyll’s stomach. 

“You hear that, Wyll? Your love’s got more fight in ‘em than I thought.” Karlach smiled at the warlock’s surprised shriek and laughter. “Guess we can’t bury the hatchet after all.”

“WEHEHE CAHAHN!” Wyll yelped and protested as he tried and failed to turn onto his side. “We cahan! Kahahrlach-”

This time, Karlach didn’t stop until there were tears in your eyes. She gave both of you one last ticklish poke to the armpits and belly before backing off. 

“What about now?” Karlach cocked her head to the side, looking at both of you expectantly. “Think we can call it even?”

“Yes!” You immediately chimed in, still giggling. You laid on your side facing Wyll once she let the two of you go. “We can call it even. Truce, please…”

“That’s what I thought.” Karlach giggled and helped the two of you sit up. You laid against your boyfriend, and Karlach smiled fondly. “Later, lovebirds. I’m gonna go get some dinner.”

“...Next time,” Wyll whispered in your ear and playfully leered at you. “Let me do the talking.”

Having finished his wine, Astarion stretched out over his cushions, grateful that the chaos concluded. “Ridiculous,” he repeated to himself, though an almost imperceptible smile laid on his lips.

[august-anon]

no longer taking these prompts, just catching up!

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Here's your second prompt @sideshow-cellophane-blog! Alas, I went with Astarion (and Tav) because I really don't feel like i know Rolan's character well enough to write him, so unfortunately the world will have to continue without Rolan tickles for a while longer! (and once again the warning that this is probably ooc, sorry!)

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Pout

Fandom: Baldur’s Gate 3

Ship(s): Astarion/Tav

Characters (lee/ler): Lee!Astarion/Ler!Tav

Word Count: 294 words

Summary: Astarion's been moping. Tav has a tried and true cure.

[ao3 link]

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“Go away,” Astarion said as Tav entered his tent. “I’m moping.”

“Been moping for quite a while there. Is it helping any?”

He scowled at them over his shoulder. “As a matter of fact, it is.”

Tav hummed, nodding as they lowered themselves to sit next to him. “Of course. You totally haven’t been in here pretending to read that book for the past thirty minutes while pouting.”

He whirled on them, snapping his book shut. “I do not pout.”

Tav’s lips ticked up as they poked him in the cheek. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Better get that pout off your face before someone else sees, then.”

Astarion scowled harder.

Tav cocked their head to the side. “Want some help? My father was an expert on getting rid of pouts, he passed down this ancient knowledge to me.”

Astarion rolled his eyes. “And what might this ancient knowledge entail?”

“You really wanna know?”

“Less by the second, in fact.”

“Don’t worry, it’s foolproof.”

“I’m on the edge of my seat darling, truly.”

Tav grinned, wrapping their arms around Astarion’s waist and squeezing. His lips ticked up on one side and he made no effort to get away.

“Really? A hug. That’s it.”

“That’s step one. Now we turn that frown upside down.”

“I’m not a child, Tav–”

Astarion cut himself off, snapping his mouth shut as Tav’s fingers began wiggling deviously into his stomach and side. He jerked away from them, but their hug remained firm. Instead, he tossed his book to the side and half-heartedly tugged at their arms. Though he would never admit it, he didn’t quite mind this – at least not the closeness, or Tav’s own smile at seeing him start to crack.

“Told you,” they said cheekily. “Works every time.”