dandiestbard

[dandiestbard]

🧺* ― 𝑭𝑶𝑳𝑲 𝑯𝑶𝑹𝑹𝑶𝑹 𝑺𝑬𝑻𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺.

001, a deserted road with only one house.

002, a circle of standing stones perched atop a desolate hill.

003, an old patio with creaking floorboards and a swing.

004, a small cathedral in the middle of nowhere.

005, an abandoned barn.

006, a slaughter house at the outskirts of town.

007, the woods but all the trees are marked and maybe you are too.

008, a wild and overgrown yard in an otherwise very suburban neighborhood.

009, a gas station in the middle of the night.

010, branch tents in the woods.

011, behind a clothesline in the morning hours.

012, hay bales under a blue sky in the summer.

013, the nearby sea with skeleton floating.

014, the empty grave in a forest.

015, a rusty red metal gate on a meadow.

016, a house situated in a field of overgrown grass.

017, a tree in a wooded area adorned with numerous animal skulls and bones. 

018, an old, rustic barn with tire swings hanging from the rafters

019, a set dining table with floral arrangement positioned near a body of water.

020, a chicken coop that smells of rot.

021, an open field surrounded by scarecrows.

022, a bus stop in the middle of nowhere.

023, a paddock at night.

024, a tractor in front of a corn field.

025, an unguarded barn that is too quiet to be trustworthy.

026, an empty church/cathedral at night.

027, a perched hill with dry, brown earth.

[dandiestbard]

ADVENTURE TIME: FIONNA & CAKE | Ep. 7 Feel free to edit as needed

★ Nothing's gonna top that universe. ★ What's the matter? ★ He deserved exactly what he got ★ I still feel bad, okay? ★ I wanna make things better, not worse. ★ It's a lot harder in real life. ★ That was awesome. ★ You left yourself vulnerable out there. ★ My team is on an urgent mission, and I could really use your murder skills. ★ I got my own mission to think about. ★ I'm gonna slay him or die trying. ★ I don't remember this part of downtown being so… gothic. ★ You've been quiet tonight. ★ I just gotta steel myself before I see my mom. ★ Hey, I got your back. ★ How could you bring a child into this? ★ It was an accident. ★ Shut up. I can solve this. ★ I've been chasing the wrong thing. ★ Ugh, leave me alone. ★ Hey, uh, you should really answer that. ★ Is that what you're wearing? ★ You know about that? ★ I can't believe you live in such a swanky place ★ I used to live here. ★ I've never been a big-picture person ★ Like I always say, pay it forward. ★ Did you like my welcome? ★ Don't you look tasty. ★ Where I come from, you two fell in love. ★ It's your fault I'm down one man. ★ It's just… you could get hurt. ★ I can do this. ★ Well, you're not going without me. ★ Yeah, it sucks. But you should enjoy yourself. ★ We've all humored you long enough, but you're not a rock star. ★ We've got almost one hour till sundown. ★ Why don't you kill her already? ★ Are you questioning me? ★ In this world she didn't have you. ★ I'm so happy our little artiste is finally ready to get serious and join the family business. ★ Stop toying with your prey and finish her off. ★ I don't care. You deserve better than anything that creep could do for me. ★ It'd be so easy to stake you.

[dandiestbard]

he’s in my head so much i might as well give him some

[dandiestbard]

For a moment there, the bard is still perplexed as to why Astarion seems so upset. He doesn't want to see the elf upset, especially over this situation. How unfortunate it is, yes, but at least he's alive... or, rather... unalive? undead? ...he's not sure which word he likes better, maybe it depends on the verse and the rhyme...

But those rambling thoughts are interrupted when Astarion's frozen and suddenly reaching for his face and holding him still, tilting his head, holding onto his hair. What in the Nine Hells is he--

Jaskier freezes when he hears those words tumbling out of his sire's mouth. An uncomfortable cold settles in the base of his spine. He hasn't heard Astarion speak with such ice cold malice before, and it's as shocking as glacial water tossed into his face.

Once the shock wears off, he scrambles to swat away his sire's hands and the horrid words that came from Astarion's lips.

"I will most certainly not!" Jaskier squeaks out in raspy defense, feeling his skin crawl and the very thought of tearing any of their companions, their friends, apart. Well, most were friends, he's still not sure about Lae'zel.

"Why would you even--oh! Oh! Oh..." Jaskier goes through the realization as he speaks, realizing his voice may carry as he uses a bit much of his diaphragm in his exclamation, and he reduces to a hushed whisper, brows furrowed and sharp red eyes staring pointedly at Astarion with a finger wagging in his face.

"You were trying to compel me, weren't you?"

𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰. and so it seems to hit astarion all at once that there they are , his own eyes staring back at him. as they are now , purged of their blues and greens and his mouth hangs open at the realisation. they aren't like his brothers and sisters. don't glow with that awful blazing red , and perhaps they're the only two spawn that don't. maybe it's the tadpoles , or a lack of control ----

oh.

astarion is still frozen to the spot , but how he reaches for jaskier's face. to hold him still , to tilt his face up to the moonlight so he might see it bathed in that silver glow. mind searches for something , anything , that he knows the bard would never do , never want to do. hand curls against his hair in a threat , pulling slightly , simply to add to the lack of how it might persuade.

' you're going to do whatever i say. you're going to kill everyone in this camp , one by one , tear them apart and drain them dry while they're still screaming , and you're going to enjoy it. ' the words fall merciless and cold from his tongue , as if otherworldly and possessed by something. he needs to know. if he has that control. because otherwise ... he might not know how to stop it if he does. @dandiestbard

[dandiestbard]

’ 𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴𝚂 ’ 𝙳𝚁𝙰𝙱𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂.

so i was looking at THIS MEME and THIS MEME and like. there’s something that i just love so much about these?? so essentially, the sender might send in smth like. “five times cried”. and the receiver can respond with a drabble about five times the receiver’s muse cried because of the sender’s muse! if you’re confused, that’s my fault, and that’s also why i have links to two of the memes that inspired this. i hope you all enjoy! as always, do NOT add more to these, i WILL be making a part 2!

five times kissed:     ( five times the receiver and sender kissed )

five times hugged:     ( five times the receiver hugged the sender )

five times called:      ( five times the receiver called the sender’s phone )

five times texted:      ( five times the receiver texted the sender )

five times cried:      ( five times the receiver cried over the sender )

five times smiled:      ( five times the sender made the receiver smile )

five times touched:      ( five times the receiver touched the sender (platonically or romantically or otherwise!) )

five times saved:     ( five times the sender’s life was saved by the receiver )

five times saved by:      ( five times the receiver was saved by the sender. )

five times protected:     ( five times the receiver was protected by the sender )

five times protective:      ( five times the receiver was protective of the sender )

five times thanked:      ( five times the receiver thanked, or felt gratitude towards, the sender )

five times comforted:      ( five times the receiver comforted the sender )

five times angered:      ( five times the sender made the receiver angry )

five times betrayed:      ( five times the receiver was, or felt, betrayed by the sender )

five times saddened:      ( five times the receiver felt sad for or because of the sender )

five times worried:      ( five times the receiver worried about the sender )

five times relieved:      ( five times the receiver felt relieved about the sender )

five times safe:      ( five times the receiver felt safe because of the sender )

five times happy:     ( five times the sender made the receiver happy. )

five times afraid:     ( five times the sender made the receiver feel afraid )

five times hurt:      ( five times the sender hurt the receiver or made them feel hurt. )

five times visited:      ( five times the sender and receiver visited each other )

five times left:      ( five times the sender and receiver parted ways )

five times reunited:      ( five times the sender and receiver reunited after being apart for a considerable length of time. )

five times stayed:      ( five times the receiver stayed with the sender )

five times glanced:     ( five times the receiver stole glances at the sender )

five times glanced at:      ( five times the receiver noticed the sender stealing glances at them )

five times healed:      ( five times the receiver nursed the sender back to health, or tended to their wounds )

five times watched:      ( five times the receiver watched the sender while they were working or doing something )

five times shared:      ( five times the receiver shared something (either a material or feelings or secrets!) with the sender )

five times flirted:      ( five times the receiver flirted with the sender )

five times blurted:      ( five times the receiver impulsively blurted something out to the sender )

five times confessed:     ( five times the receiver confessed a secret or feeling to the sender )

five times noticed:      ( five times the receiver noticed the sender properly )

[dandiestbard]

𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒

🧑‍🤝‍🧑🧑‍🤝‍🧑how do they feel about having multiple partners at once? have they ever done it? 🪢do they have a kink? if so, what is it? 💸have they ever or would they ever accept money or gifts in exchange for sex? 🍆how do they feel about toys? do they have any? what’s their favorite? do they use them with partners? 🌙do they need an emotional connection or are one-night-stands an option? 🫂how do they feel about friends with benefits? 🍒how old were they when they lost their virginity? to whom? was it significant? 🏳️‍🌈what’s their sexual orientation? have they ever experimented outside of that [for more binary orientations such as heterosexual/homosexual]? 👄do they prefer oral or penetrative sex more? ↕️are they a sub, dom, or switch? top, bottom, or switch? 🛏️what’s their favorite position? 🔢what’s their body count? 🕒what’s the longest time they went without engaging in sexual activity with a partner? [masturbation doesn’t count] 👀how do they feel about voyeurism? exhibitionism? 🏬would they have sex in public? if so, how public is too public? 🤪what’s the wildest place they’ve ever done something sexual? ❤️‍🔥what’s their most erogenous zone? 💋do they like to kiss while having sex? do they cuddle afterward? 💦what’s their immediate post-orgasm reaction? 🫶what does after care look like for them?

[dandiestbard]

⋆｡‧˚ʚ💋ɞ˚‧｡⋆ 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐦𝐞. 𝐧𝐨𝐰. (VERY USFT!!!!) 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - send ‘reverse’ for the sender and receiver to swap. adjust wording as needed!

[ grind ] sender straddles receiver’s lap and starts grinding against them, slow and intentional

[ whisper ] sender leans in and whispers exactly what they want to do to receiver in excruciating detail

[ wristgrab ] in the middle of a heated moment, sender pins receiver’s wrists above their head

[ needy ] sender pulls receiver into their lap, desperate and breathless, kissing them like it’s not enough

[ tease ] sender drags their lips and tongue down the length of receiver’s stomach, but stops just before going lower

[ undone ] sender undresses receiver one piece of clothing at a time, dragging it out with loaded glances

[ taste ] sender drops to their knees and starts kissing up the inside of receiver’s thighs

[ lapfull ] sender drags receiver onto their lap in the middle of a conversation, their hands already wandering

[ control ] sender takes full control, guiding receiver’s hands, body, and every motion

[ tug ] sender grips receiver’s hair and yanks their head back to kiss them roughly

[ choke ] sender wraps a hand lightly around receiver’s throat while their lips are barely apart

[ lipbite ] sender bites down on receiver’s bottom lip while grinding against them

[ praise ] in the middle of it all, sender whispers praise between every movement "just like that," "you're doing so good," "don’t stop"

[ beg ] sender makes receiver beg for it

[ mouthy ] sender licks into receiver’s mouth mid-kiss, messy and aggressive

[ suck ] sender sucks a mark into receiver’s neck, possessive and without shame

[ edge ] sender brings receiver right to the brink, over and over, refusing to let them finish

[ wrecked ] sender has one goal: to leave receiver trembling and ruined beneath them

[ needy grind ] clothes still on, sender grinds against receiver until they’re both panting, desperate for more

[ between ] sender slips a hand between receiver’s thighs while whispering, “you’ve been wanting this, haven’t you?”

[ ride ] sender pushes receiver down and climbs on top, holding eye contact the entire time

[ spit ] sender leans over and lets spit drip into receiver’s mouth before kissing them hard

[ mess ] clothes scattered, sheets ruined, bodies tangled—sender and receiver didn’t hold back

[ slow ] sender draws everything out. every stroke, every breath, every motion unbearably slow

[ possessive ] sender fucks receiver like they’re trying to make sure no one else ever will

[ overstim ] sender keeps going even after receiver's already shaking from release

[ grip ] sender grabs receiver by the hips, holding them in place while taking full control

[ hot & heavy ] sender and receiver go at it somewhere they absolutely shouldn’t

[ control freak ] sender lets receiver think they're in charge… until they flip the roles mid-way

[ lips everywhere ] sender kisses every part of receiver’s body.

[ breathless ] sender doesn’t let up until receiver is clawing at their back, gasping for air

[ all night ] sender makes sure receiver doesn’t sleep... again, and again, and again

[ tongue ] sender slides their tongue along receiver’s skin, taking their time tasting every inch

[ dark corner ] they don’t make it home! sender drags receiver into a shadowed corner and gets to work

[ eye contact ] sender holds eye contact the entire time they’re going down on receiver

[ mirror ] sender takes receiver in front of the mirror so they can both watch

𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

❝ i want to hear every sound you make. don’t hold back. ❞

❝ get on your knees—now. ❞

❝ you’re not leaving this bed until i say so. ❞

❝ look at you. all mine and dripping for it. ❞

❝ you said 'just one more time' last time, remember? ❞

❝ keep quiet, or they’ll hear. ❞

❝ is this what you wanted? me, like this, ruining you? ❞

❝ you’re shaking—already? we’ve barely started. ❞

❝ i haven’t even touched you yet, and you're already begging. ❞

❝ be good for me and spread your legs. ❞

❝ don’t you dare finish until i tell you to. ❞

❝ you’re going to be the death of me, but i’ll die happy. ❞

❝ say it. say you need me. say it louder. ❞

❝ i could do this all night. want to test me? ❞

❝ if you want more, use your words. ❞

❝ you look so pretty when you beg. ❞

❝ you’re not shy now, are you? ❞

❝ take it. like that. good. ❞

❝ tell me where you want my mouth. ❞

❝ don’t bite your lip—moan. i want to hear it. ❞

[dandiestbard]

ADVENTURE TIME: FIONNA & CAKE | Ep. 3 & 4 Feel free to edit as needed

★ Are you thinking what I'm thinking? ★ He's dead, dude. ★ What the heck is wrong with you? ★ That's where I want to go. ★ Hey. Sorry I ran into you. ★ Do you want to exchange information? ★ You talk, too?! ★ Wow. I've never been able to say what I want like this before. ★ Yeah, two-way communication is great. ★ Thanks to you two geniuses, I've been searching for hours. ★ Don't doubt yourself. Listen to your guts! ★ I'll do whatever it takes. ★ Well, I love her, but she's more like a bossy roommate. ★ It'll be fun to make my own decisions. ★ Right now I'm just gonna follow my instincts. ★ Now my instincts tell me something is off. ★ Took you long enough! ★ I'm so glad you're safe. ★ This will be your life now, ★ You care so much if I should live or die. ★ You care so much if I should live or die. ★ Ooh. They do not look happy. ★ I don't know. I'm working on instinct. ★ Do you even know what "here" is? ★ Welp. I'm out of ideas. ★ You scared me half to death! ★ Is there anything I can do? ★ Maybe you should take a nap. ★ You're not real! ★ This was my last chance to see her! ★ Hey, you! Have you seen my cat? ★ I think you're gonna like it here. ★ I thought I'd lost you forever! ★ I'm sorry, sir, but we're about to close. ★ I almost understand why you abandoned your post ★ I'm not going back! ★ Aren't you gonna answer that? ★ Just ignore it. ★ Make your wish. ★ It's kinda… distracting. ★ You have no idea what it took. ★ The terrible things I did just to get here. ★ It's like a video game, and we're getting upgrades ★ I've got limits to my power, bro. ★ That doesn't give you an excuse to mess with my stuff. ★ Just because it's in your head doesn't mean it's yours. ★ Who do you think you are, you big bully? ★ I knew my life was supposed to be magic. ★ And everything went great… until you got cured. ★ It's good to be seen. ★ You guys follow me to the exit. ★ I always thought you had an open door policy. ★ No one calls me that anymore. ★ It almost seems like you're trying to get rid of me.. ★ I love it when you stop by. ★ Let's bro out! We can party like we used to. ★ I was never invited to parties. ★ Why are we hiding? ★ Now, see, you said that word before, and I pretended to understand. ★ I am not going through that heartache again. ★ Pssh, what am I worried about?

[dandiestbard]

’ 𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴𝚂 ’ 𝙳𝚁𝙰𝙱𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂.

so i was looking at THIS MEME and THIS MEME and like. there’s something that i just love so much about these?? so essentially, the sender might send in smth like. “five times cried”. and the receiver can respond with a drabble about five times the receiver’s muse cried because of the sender’s muse! if you’re confused, that’s my fault, and that’s also why i have links to two of the memes that inspired this. i hope you all enjoy! as always, do NOT add more to these, i WILL be making a part 2!

five times kissed:     ( five times the receiver and sender kissed )

five times hugged:     ( five times the receiver hugged the sender )

five times called:      ( five times the receiver called the sender’s phone )

five times texted:      ( five times the receiver texted the sender )

five times cried:      ( five times the receiver cried over the sender )

five times smiled:      ( five times the sender made the receiver smile )

five times touched:      ( five times the receiver touched the sender (platonically or romantically or otherwise!) )

five times saved:     ( five times the sender’s life was saved by the receiver )

five times saved by:      ( five times the receiver was saved by the sender. )

five times protected:     ( five times the receiver was protected by the sender )

five times protective:      ( five times the receiver was protective of the sender )

five times thanked:      ( five times the receiver thanked, or felt gratitude towards, the sender )

five times comforted:      ( five times the receiver comforted the sender )

five times angered:      ( five times the sender made the receiver angry )

five times betrayed:      ( five times the receiver was, or felt, betrayed by the sender )

five times saddened:      ( five times the receiver felt sad for or because of the sender )

five times worried:      ( five times the receiver worried about the sender )

five times relieved:      ( five times the receiver felt relieved about the sender )

five times safe:      ( five times the receiver felt safe because of the sender )

five times happy:     ( five times the sender made the receiver happy. )

five times afraid:     ( five times the sender made the receiver feel afraid )

five times hurt:      ( five times the sender hurt the receiver or made them feel hurt. )

five times visited:      ( five times the sender and receiver visited each other )

five times left:      ( five times the sender and receiver parted ways )

five times reunited:      ( five times the sender and receiver reunited after being apart for a considerable length of time. )

five times stayed:      ( five times the receiver stayed with the sender )

five times glanced:     ( five times the receiver stole glances at the sender )

five times glanced at:      ( five times the receiver noticed the sender stealing glances at them )

five times healed:      ( five times the receiver nursed the sender back to health, or tended to their wounds )

five times watched:      ( five times the receiver watched the sender while they were working or doing something )

five times shared:      ( five times the receiver shared something (either a material or feelings or secrets!) with the sender )

five times flirted:      ( five times the receiver flirted with the sender )

five times blurted:      ( five times the receiver impulsively blurted something out to the sender )

five times confessed:     ( five times the receiver confessed a secret or feeling to the sender )

five times noticed:      ( five times the receiver noticed the sender properly )

[dandiestbard]

I'm making a slight adjustment/addition to Jaskier's BG3 verse.

He's gonna be a Harper you can recruit at the Last Light Inn, but that's about the only change. He's still a runaway noble who'd rather be a bard and get in silly adventures with tragic white haired men.

[dandiestbard]

He's starting to really realize the predicament he's gotten himself into here. Foolish poet, silly creative, thinking always with a romantic mind and a compassionate, empathetic lens. His warm and giving heart that thrummed so loudly with the rhythm of music in his very veins was now stilled, drumming no more. Gods, he wasn't going to lose his rhythm now, was he? What was a bard without his rhythm? What was a poet without a heart to beat or bleed?

Oh, what misery he's starting to let his mind sink down into. The dawning revelation that he is no longer alive is settling uncomfortably on his cold and pale skin. His hands shake from hunger and panic as he looks down at them while Astarion leads him away from the camp, towards the forest, towards the dark, and towards the blood he can already smell from a dozen or more animals hidden in the shadows nearby.

Such hunger.

He's snapped more back into awareness again when his sire's voice pierces through his thoughts and he locks his scarlet gaze back on to Astarion. He's answering a question, what was it? Oh yes, his eyes...

He notices the older vampire seems to bristle at the question and admission, and for a moment he wonders, then realizes that Astarion may think he's angry or upset or mournful for his eyes. He doesn't want to think about that, he doesn't want to think about his own vanity which threatens to crumble him further as he curses his selfish thoughts of his own looks.

"Don't look so sad, Starry. Our eyes match now, and yours are quite stunning."

𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐞. and part of him had relied on it , in convincing the bard it was a good idea. to just let him take a little. that it would make him stronger in the coming fight , help him recover , he's been starved all these years. such a case of only the finest and most drawn out pity that it would've been cruel to say no , surely? and that's how it happened. the taste of his blood unlike anything astarion had ever known and there had been so much , there on the tip of his tongue. and then there wasn't any more.

he'd panicked , of course. left him there in his bedroll and scuttled back to his own tent , hoping that someone would find him in the morning and do what they could. they'd brought gale back from much worse after he'd been taken down by that wretched flock of harpies , couldn't they? and maybe it would've slipped the bard's mind exactly what had happened as he'd lost consciousness , and the world would've kept turning on the cusp of their impending ceremorphosis. except it didn't.

so now here they are , him leading what just about amounts to a feral , hungry child out to the forest to go and kill some wild animals with their bare hands. it's better than the hunger being sated by more of them dropping like flies , and with the rotten smell that's been coming off gale and the sizzle he can imagine karlach might make on one's tongue if a bite was attempted ... he can't let this fledgling suffer mistakes that even he has learned better of in his two hundred years.

the night is quiet , at the edge of the forest. still hums with life but they might need to venture deeper into the trees in order to find something suitable , for he doesn't think a squirrel or badger will do much when he can sense the pain in jaskier at how starved he is for blood. but the question catches him as vines at his feet might , ensnared but nowhere near a battlefield. he stops in his smooth , confident steps as another reality of it all sinks in. jaskier doesn't know what he looks like and he'll never know what he looks like ever again.

he half turns back to the bard , hand still clasped around his , but he can't look at him. his own scarlet stare just remains on the ground , at the patch of sun-scorched moss that sits before the nearest tree. a nod , for he knows it's true. astarion mourns the loss of it suddenly , that beautiful blue , with a faltering little sigh as he breathes out any guilt he might feel at the matter. how would he ever have known? ' they're ... like mine. yes. we should go now. make sure you're fed. ' @dandiestbard

[dandiestbard]

@taleswritten, @roguefangs

[dandiestbard]

*:･ﾟ✧ “ 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙄𝙁 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝘾𝘼𝙉'𝙏 𝙆𝙄𝙇𝙇 𝙄𝙏? ”  “ THEN   I   DIE. ”    /     ind   geralt   of   rivia.     netflix’s   the   witcher   &   game   lore   based    /   major canon divergence.

[dandiestbard]

He doesn't blame Astarion. Not really. It isn't really his fault. Not entirely. Jaskier is to blame for their predicament a bit. He'd willingly offered his neck up to the starving vampire knowing full well the danger behind it. He'd given himself up to the chance of death, and maybe the illithid parasite in his head was a bit of a motivator in that.

The prospect of ceremorphosis is terrifying. Indeed, the way Lae'zel described the process to him painted a lovely picture he'd rather claw his eyes out than see in real life. Losing his dashing good looks and charming smile was bad enough, it is what happens to ones mind and sense of self that truly strikes a terrifying fear into the bard that he never knew he had. Losing his identity, his soul, the very core of his being which includes that creative spirit he holds so dear.

But what happens now?

Now he is thrust into the unknown. Astarion's a spawn, spawn aren't supposed to be able to turn. Yet here he is, the spawn of a spawn, and an infected one at that, so what really does that make him?

Hungry. Oh, he hungers, deep into his skin and his bones. His teeth, his fangs, they ache to sink into tender and supple flesh, and Shadowheart's tent isn't very far...

Astarion's words snap him to attention. It isn't compulsion, he doesn't think, not the way his sire had described it, but how can he not help but listen to the elder vampire's voice? To his command? He is a fledgling, new, and if he has any hope to survive through this, he must stay close to his sire. His creator.

He's almost like a ragdoll, or a puppet on strings as Astarion pulls him up and he follows. He has a choice to follow or not, he knows he does, but does he really? If the choice is between staying in the camp and risking the others, sleeping so soundly it would be so easy, and following Astarion to something safer for them all...

He shuffles behind the elf, eyes seeing the night in ways he had never dreamed of. Eyes, his eyes, once the brightest shade of cornflower blue... now he wondered did they match Astarion's?

"Are my eyes red?" His question is weak, expecting, frightened. Vespula had written about those blue eyes. What would she think if she could see him now? "Are they like yours now, Astarion?"

𝐣𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞. it's what tells him to back off , make space. and so astarion flinches away from him a mere moment before he sits bolt upright , leaning away to avoid his panic. but then there's his ruby stare darting about their surroundings , the stillness of the camp and how everyone else is asleep. vulnerable. so easily bitten into ....

hands are upon his spawn in effort to calm him it seems. to soothe the plague of nightmares and the unsure start that had woken him. but in reality , he might be the only one equally matched to hold him down if he becomes furious with his hunger. soft shushing , as if jaskier merely wakes from a nightmare and the others need not concern themselves , but there's some steely edge to it.

' i'm here , ' he mutters gently , soft touch meeting the bard's jaw. tilts his head up despite his pain , despite the agony of a fresh hunger that has had no time to settle into the corpse it now lives in. it is said somewhere in history they all came from some dark , malevolent power , and maybe that's what it is. an unrelenting starvation that manifests itself in the departed , seeking blood all for itself. at least that's what it feels like at first. something else inside you that is eventually embraced as one.

' look at me. i know. ' he speaks with a quiet authority , and he has no idea if his influence would command jaskier like his master's does him. well , did. perhaps they are such different creatures with the tadpoles and their interference that jaskier will never be forced to carry out a single word he says. he doesn't know if that's better or for worse right now , with the erratic uncertainty that sits in those gleaming , rust red eyes. dull , not like rubies. he's hungry.

' quiet now , quiet , darling. come with me. ' it sounds like promise of a solution , and that's at least what astarion intends it to be. begins to rise slowly from his spot on the ground , and would be a slight more graceful if he were not trying to pull his spawn along with him by the hand. he can walk like a whisper , but jaskier has not quite gained such a skill yet and so he simply has to get him out of earshot of everyone else in the camp. but it's only once these words leave him that Astarion realises how easily he's stepped into caring ; ' we'll get you fed. i promise you. ' @dandiestbard

[dandiestbard]

He's always wondered what death would feel like. How couldn't he? Could he even call himself a bard if he never thinks on the dreaded final curtain that faces everyone but the most cosmic entities in the end? Has there been a single poet that didn't write a eulogy to their own written immortality that would fade as surely as the words on an old a crumbling page?

Jaskier has never thought much on how he would die. There's all manner of possibilities. A jealous lover, a monster that finally gets past Geralt and finishes off the hapless companion in one gulp, disease, magical accident... what can't kill you in Faerun, truly?

Dying at the hands of a friend he was offering sustenance to had never been on the list. Could he even call Astarion a friend? They'd known each other so little, just two unfortunate souls thrust into the wildest adventure he's certainly ever seen. A charming, toothy smile and sharp red eyes full of danger, mischief, and tragedy were all it took to hook the bard in.

Always a pretty faced loner with white hair.

The memory of his death is still faded, tattered, and it wracks his tadpoled brain as he lays in a fitful sleep, halfway between waking and dreams... nightmares. Fangs, blood, pain... and then overwhelming calm, overstimulating silence, overbearing darkness. It all repeats, again and again, digging and burrowing into the darkest centers of his psyche.

At one point, it seems the nightmare replaying in his mind completely stops, and there is a feeling of ice on his forehead as he wonders for a moment if actual death has taken him. He can't tell. His heart doesn't beat anymore. He doesn't need to breath anymore.

And yet he's awaking with a gasping breath, as if he'd been choked and suffocated by dirt, hands gripping onto whatever or whoever is leaning over him and he can smell it's Astarion. He can tell its his sire.

He lurches forward to sit up, gripping his stomach as an overwhelming pain wracks through his gut and he's doubled over and shaking. Gods above and below, was the blood he had before not enough?

"Astarion..." he says his sire's name so weakly, so uncertainly, he isn't sure that the other vampire can even hear him say it. "The hunger... it hurts."

@dandiestbard asked; i want the k - a kiss to the top of the head

𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭. something long eroded before he'd ever known the chill of existing undead. always some bitter justification in mind , and there are tens of them twisting their way through his clouded mind right about now. it had taken more than two hours to calm the bard down , another to wrestle him into drinking some deer's blood from a mug so that he didn't attack anyone in his thirst , and another for him to become so exhausted from his sobbing to actually go to sleep.

and now here astarion sits , miserable in his fate and staring into the flames of the campfire. contemplates if he'd die quick enough if he threw a few logs on and really launched himself in there , but no doubt he'd have withers' bony hands drag him back from the abyss when everyone else noticed his charred bones. he supposes he's stuck with the consequences of a terribly misguided feed , then. he doesn't know why jaskier has risen as a spawn. had no idea he could even do it , still technically being a spawn himself.

just his luck to be the biggest fucking outlier in the whole of faerûn , isn't it? sunlight doesn't touch him , running water can't stop him and neither can the threshold of any home in the land ... and now apparently he can create spawn of his own , all thanks to the squirming little parasite living in his brain. he really can't fault it's evolutionary prowess , nor how it seems to want to shit on the status quo wherever it goes. but ... there are some things that are beyond it.

that being the uneasy , guilty glances that he gives jaskier as he sleeps fitfully , and knows that it's his own thirst to blame. even if he'd not come back like this , the bard would still be dead and that fate is quite on him. a moment or two more of watching him dream , knowing all too well the terrible visions that plague a newly undead mind. and so astarion does wonder , if the horrid little worm squirming in their skulls could be a help. a swift glance around. everyone else asleep , or absent. good.

it's like reaching through the dark with one's eyes closed , trying to find something that you have no idea what it may look or feel like. that cautious seeking to find jaskier's sleeping mind , but to avoid seeing inside of it ---- flashes of blood , his own snarling face and cold , so cold. astarion hisses softly as he pushes the image away , but not just for him. both of them. cradles the former human's face in his hands as he leans over him now , and that seems to have done it. the dream is gone , but so is astarion's energy.

sinks in defeat , curling up next to him and now feeling as if his brain is rattling against the inside of his skull. needling pain behind his eyes that only makes him feel all the more sorry for himself , and he won't be telling anyone about this. they can try the same and suffer trying to pry the truth out of him with their own tadpoles. curled up there on the cold earth next to jaskier's makeshift bed near the campfire , delicate fingers of his right hand still tangled loosely in his long chestnut hair. a kiss to the top of his head , subtle and in shadow. he's sorry , if it hurt. if it all hurts. @dandiestbard

[dandiestbard]

PROMPTS FOR ORDINARY THINGS THAT FEEL INTIMATE *  inspired by this post. these don't have to be romantic - you can specify romantic or not when you send them. in essence, these are simply intimate, affectionate moments to share with someone you love and care about. adjust as necessary, send 'reverse' for the reversal of the prompt

[ lean ] sender rests their head on receiver's shoulder

[ shop ] sender and receiver go to the grocery store together

[ brush ] sender brushes receiver's hair

[ tie ] sender helps receiver with their tie, either by putting it on or adjusting it

[ necklace ] sender helps receiver with the clasp of their necklace from behind

[ zip up ] sender assists receiver with zipping up a piece of clothing

[ unzip ] sender assists receiver with unzipping a piece of clothing

[ shoelaces ] sender bends down to tie receiver's shoelaces

[ swipe ] sender notices a smudge of something on receiver's face and gently wipes it off

[ braid ] sender braids receiver's hair

[ jacket ] sender takes their jacket off and hangs it on receiver's shoulders

[ puddle ] sender hurries to stop receiver from stepping into a puddle

[ drinks ] sender brings receiver a drink from a bar/their kitchen

[ feed ] sender feeds receiver's pet/s for them

[ cook ] sender and receiver cook a meal together

[ feed ] sender allows receiver to try a bite of their dish, holding their fork out for receiver to taste

[ teach ] sender, an expert at something, takes time to teach receiver how it works and how they can get better at it, too

[ readjust ] sender comes up behind receiver and readjusts their stance (maybe holding a gun, holding a golf club, aiming for something, etc.) to help them

[ makeup ] sender fixes receiver's makeup for them

[ bathroom ] sender and receiver go to a public restroom together and have a normal conversation in between the stalls

[ aloud ] sender reads aloud to receiver

[ refill ] sender refills receiver's glass without asking

[ massage ] sender notices receiver looks tense, steps up behind them, and massages their shoulders

[ listen ] sender listens to receiver explain something they're passionate about

[ silence ] sender and receiver comfortably exist in silence together, both of them working or reading or focusing on something different

[ food ] sender brings food over to receiver's house

[ hum ] sender hums along to a song receiver is singing

[ see ] sender sees something that reminds them of receiver and texts them a picture of it

[ admire ] sender stares at receiver across a room, silently admiring and appreciating them from afar

[ win ] sender lets receiver beat them in a game

[ puzzle ] sender helps receiver solve/put together a puzzle

[ carry ] after receiver falls asleep in an inconvenient place, sender carries them to a bed and tucks them in

[ kneel ] sender finds receiver sick in the bathroom ("tossing their cookies"), and kneels beside them, holding their hair back and cleaning their face

[ clean ] sender helps bathe receiver

[ wash ] sender helps receiver wash their hair

[ patch ] sender carefully patches one of receiver's wounds

[dandiestbard]

Few things could get Jaskier to shut up, truthfully. But Geralt explaining something that has to do with Witcher business or what sort of monster it is he's going for is one of them. So he stays quiet while Geralt explains all about how much worse a wraith is than his own sour demeanor, and for a moment Jaskier doesn't believe it one bit.

Until Geralt is pulling out the bombs and explaining it to Jaskier what it is they do. "What, you want me to throw them?"

The bard is used to being an observer of the action, perhaps now and again helping from the sidelines. Being asked to actually actively participate has him both shocked and maybe a little annoyed. Annoyed at himself, because he knows damn well he shouldn't have actually come along on this hunt, and instead stayed back at the tavern like Geralt had told him.

"Well, in for a pence, in for a pound and all that." Jaskier says, uncertainly as he picks up one of the round things and raises a brow, inspecting it carefully. "Do I... do I just lob it at the wraiths, then?"

The muscles around Geralt's jaw tightened at that comment. He could have blamed it all on the bard and fuck he wanted to. It might have been Jaskier's fault that he was there, but it wasn't his fault that the Witcher mocked destiny and got punished for it within seconds. So the Witcher said no more about that subject.

Geralt looked at the bard, a brow cocked. "Have you ever dealt with ghosts before?" His voice skeptical. "My grumbling and growling is nothing compared what a wraith can do. They're spirits often stuck here because of a tragic event. They hate the living and are also often jealous of it. We have to find the corpse and burn its remains. Or... just fighting it. I got all need. But I need you to do something for me if you really want stay."

The Witcher rummaged through a bag and pulled out a couple of bombs. "Moon dust bombs. It makes me capable of harming it. And I need you to throw them and actually hit. It would be easier..." Maybe now Jaskier would back off? Probably not. On the other hand, it was getting too late for the man to wonder off on their own and he'd rather keep him near now.