#the archmage | threads (mccnrxse: astarion)

[fereldensheroesa]

@mccnrxse, Gale for Astarion (the wheel has spoken)

As pressing as matters were and as odd as the group's situation was, he couldn't help but think the vampire of this motley crew was a particularly curious case. The parasite had changed him in ways that shouldn't be possible. Like it was... protecting. A vampire who could no longer burn in the sun... yet the thirst remained? Where was the line in what this illithid creature would do? And how could it save Astarion in ways that it wasn't saving himself or Karlach, both were approaching what could easily be their dooms...

As all of this ran through his mind, he was absolutely unaware of the passage of time. And the fact that his gaze had never once left Astarion in the process. Wonderful and accidental staring.

[fereldensheroesa]

@mccnrxse asked:

“ you're really cute, you know. “ ( gale + astarion if that's ok)

The comment threw him. It seemed to come out of no where and from such an unexpected source--- well, unexpected if Astarion wasn't the flirty sort. Which he was. It took the wizard a moment to figure out how to react. Did he do so with suspicion? Of course, that could go poorly. Perhaps a safer version of that.

"You know, normally that's said when someone is trying to get me to stop talking or they want something..."

[fereldensheroesa]

The change in Astarion's tone wasn't missed. The conversation had taken quite the shift from the vampire's original attempts at flirting. Which... Gale realized now, he wasn't used to such things anymore. Flirting, being desirable. Not since he was in his teenage years as a student. Once Mystra had taken an interest in him, that had really been the end of anything else. She was quite the jealous goddess, after all.

Soft, warm brown gaze followed the other as Astarion moved to sit in front of him. His fingers wrapped around the hand set in his own. "I'll... let you feel first... then answer any questions you have after." Perhaps that was the best course, he already had the other's hand, after all. And he rose it, turning Astarion's palm towards his chest, pressing it to the mark where the orb was:

Gale, opening a book of great power. A flash of black mass and teeth lashing out. Sharp bite burrowing deep into his chest. Hunger. Gods, what hunger. Insatiable. Unending. Cavernous as the deeps, gnawing, painful. A need to scream, yet nothing comes.

And there it was. A scoff, an amused roll of his eyes, and a barely visible smile that accompanied it. Mission accomplished. But to his own surprise, he actually enjoyed the lightheartedness and the amused glint in the wizard's eyes.

But it went away after his question. As he listened to him describing the feeling he couldn't help but compare it with a vampire's hunger. Of course, it was not as bad as it was for Gale, but at some point, two centuries ago it was close. He had to learn to control his hunger when he had been just created, and it wasn't easy. ❝That sounds hellishly awful.❞ His voice was lower, somehow the path this conversation was taking felt somewhat personal. Intimate.

He pushed himself up and sat in front of Gale cross-legged, curiosity getting the best of him. ❝I do,❞ he nodded and put his hand in Gale's.

[fereldensheroesa]

Would that go away with the removal of these parasites? The wizard had to imagine it would. With that line of thought, it was entirely understandable that Astarion would wish for control over the parasite rather than purification. Perhaps there was something out there. Something that could give him, at the least, just the ability to not burn under the sun's rays. Perhaps, if they had time, Gale would look into that. Why shouldn't he, after all?

There was a little scoff as Astarion pointed out that he was more than just a pretty face. He shook his head, an amused roll of his eyes as his gaze shifted away--- until the other brought up what lay within his chest. That moment of lightness the mage had shown flickered away as quickly as it had formed.

"A chasm. An ache that could be fallen into at any moment. It feels like having to watch my every thought, every emotion... lest I tempt it to destruction." His gaze flicked to meet red and he offered out a hand. "You can see, if you wish." An offering he extended with small hesitation. He didn't think Astarion would have too terrible a reaction to the darkness, however.

It didn't take long for the wizard to change seats and come sit next to Astarion. To be honest, the same thought had crossed his mind, but he was too comfortable lying like that and he didn't want to get up. He was thankful Gale did it instead.

❝And you're absolutely right. It does feel fantastic,❞ he agreed with a nod and turned on his side, propping himself up just on one elbow now to face the other man. Honestly, feeling the sun on his skin again without having the side effects was amazing. If he could, he would spend a day just basking in the warm sunlight and nothing else. But he couldn't. Neither of them knew when the ceremorphosis would come. Maybe it was never going to happen, or maybe it was just delayed. His face slightly fell just by thinking about it.

His eyes followed Gale's hand to the orb on his chest as he spoke. It was nothing like he had ever seen before. How did he come to possess it? What did it feel like to have it in his chest, hungry for magic? There were quite a few questions in his mind, but all in due time. This evening wasn't for discussing such heavy things. But he was curious, he couldn't deny that.

❝Of course,❞ he replied as if it was the most obvious thing. ❝I'm not just a pretty face and sharp teeth, darling,❞ he added with a perfectly curated small laugh. He couldn't help but look at the orb again though. His curiosity was piqued. Gale had certainly devoured his fair share of magical items they had found along the way. ❝What does it feel like to have it in your chest?❞

[fereldensheroesa]

It had absolutely gone over his head, to some extent. Gale had been too stuck in his own thoughts to even process it. He did, however, catch the gaze that raked over him. It made him feel... quite seen. He didn't know how he felt about that. Why would Astarion be looking at him that way? Calling him 'love'? Was it interest? Actual interest?

Whatever the case, he moved from where he sat to sit closer to the vampire, choosing not to have the conversation over a distance. "I understand, don't get me wrong. It has to feel absolutely fantastic to be able to do such things again, after so long." He couldn't even imagine. To never see the sun... never feel its warmth... "We just don't want the negatives, right? Like the... ceremorphosis. Also... why does it stabilize you, but not..." And hand rose to brush fingertips over the tattoo-like mark that stretched from his chest to his neck. Why couldn't it stabilize the orb? Was the orb just too much for it?

"A different diet. Reasonable, when you put it that way."

He expected a slight flush to the other man's cheeks, a laugh, even something as small as a smile, but he got nothing. The flirting had gone over the wizard's head. Well, that was boring. But Astarion didn't give up. It just meant he had to have a different approach if he wanted to make him all cute and flustered.

❝I don't,❞ he quickly inserted while shamelessly taking in Gale's appearance in this rather alluring position. The rogue let his eyes wander while the other spoke. Trying to figure out the tadpole was quite boring, he didn't care for anything else besides it letting him walk in the sunlight and giving him more powers, but he did listen to his words out of the fact that people loved it when others listened to them. ❝Honestly, I don't really care how it works,❞ he revealed, his eyes finally landing on Gale's, ❝it gives me more powers and lets me feel the sun on my skin without me bursting into flames, and I am happy about it.❞ And he honestly was. Over two hundred years he had been living in the shadows and darkness, but now he could walk freely.

As much as he didn't want to get involved in existential discussions or whatever, something that Gale said made him wonder. ❝I guess it left the thirst because it's not really a bad side effect, so to speak. It's just... a different diet.❞ He shrugged.

[fereldensheroesa]

He was staring, lost somewhere still in his own thoughts on how tadpoles might affect vampirism versus anything else--- until the voice brought him back to the present. Brought him back to catch Astarion stretching out now. It threw him, quite obviously, too. He just blinked for a moment, processing tone and posture. And words.

"---I'm fairly certain I'm not that to you." A brow rose as he repositioned. A leg bent, drawing up to his chest as he leaned back, and he let an arm drape over the knee. "I do apologize for the staring, though. I'm... attempting to work it all out. The tadpole. Its abilities, its limits. It's caused psychic connections, influence over others--- but you're different. It's keeping you alive in conditions that shouldn't be possible for a vampire. As if it's... nullifying the condition. Yet, it leaves the thirst?"

He felt eery and uneasy in a way. They were at their camp just hanging around, relaxing after a long day, there shouldn't be any threats nearby, yet he couldn't quite shake the feeling off. Involuntarily he glanced around, that's when he noticed a certain wizard looking at him. Gale's eyes were on him, yet it seemed his mind was somewhere else.

❝You're staring,❞ he pointed out with a pleased smile spread across his face. A little teasing could be fun. He had been sitting on a blanket near the campfire, basking in the warmth it gave, one leg pulled to his chest, the other stretched out in front of him. But noticing the wizard's eyes on him, Astarion leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows in a somewhat seductive manner. ❝See something you like, my love?❞ he asked in a sweet voice, his attention solely on Gale.