The tadpole bends behind my eye and I wince. My mind is flooded with vague notions of fear and paranoia. The man is tadpoled and by the gods, his mind is a carnival of suffering. I focus, trying to pull myself free from his thoughts.
He clutches his head. "What the… get out of my head!"
I’m suddenly bodied by a whole entire twink. He pushes us both to the ground, dagger at my throat.
"Out! Now!"
He nicks my neck as I pry the blade from his hand.
Shadowheart grabs him and drags him off me.
"Unhand me!" He writhes in her grasp.
She fights to restrain him. "You're a madman!"
He kicks off her and rolls to his feet, standing low and pulling another dagger from his boot.
The man has knives hidden in every nook and cranny. I sit up, touching my neck and looking at the blood on my fingers.
He points his blade. "You fucking bastard! I'm not going to let you violate me again!"
"It was not intentional!" I bark. "Tymora's tits…"
"Wasn't it?" He steps back as I climb to my feet.
"No," I say. "I have no interest in participating in whatever fresh Hells are floating around in your mind."
"Excuse me!"
Shadowheart steps between us. "Perhaps we should all calm down before someone gets stabbed again."
I grunt and hand him his dagger, hilt first.
He hesitates but takes it.
"Vash Neel."
He turns the blade in his hand, then carefully tucks it away, dangling his hand in front of me. "Astarion. A pleasure."
I glance down at it. Soft and pale. The whispers hum in my ears and my fingers twitch. I snatch it and pull him in, headbutting him in the fucking forehead.
He staggers back and grips the bridge of his nose. "Nnngh!" He taps his nostrils, checking for blood. His jaw tightens. "Are we even?"
His scowl could cut glass.
I blink and slowly tuck my hands in my pockets. "…Yes."
Not ideal.