nivasichakano

[nivasichakano]

[nivasichakano]

I can't. I'm a puddle.

I've loved @captainneedsnosleep's art for so long, this is blowing my mind. Look at them. My very first Bloodweave boys, and they're absolutely perfect. The atmosphere! The details! Look at them! They're so beautiful.

@patheticfangirl You're the absolute best — thank you both so much. I'm going to have to go and have a quiet lie down.

I commissioned the wildly talented @captainneedsnosleep to draw a scene from @nivasichakano's "What Friends Are For"

Nivasi's entire catalogue is full of gold and this one is an underrated gem. Once I read Gale licking blood from Astarion's lips I couldn't get it out of my mind.

I am once again begging everyone to go read more Niv.

[nivasichakano]

Crashing Out — Chapter 3: Braking

Gale and Astarion get to know each other better on their second driving lesson.

He winds down the window, and Astarion bends over to peer into the car, resting his forearms on the open frame with easy elegance.

"Oh dear," he murmurs when he sees that Gale is sitting in the driver's seat. "Have I been relegated to the passenger side for my misdemeanors?"

"A temporary measure, rest assured," Gale chuckles as Astarion opens the door and drops into his seat. "I'm going to take you to a mostly empty car park today, where you're less likely to hurt any poor unsuspecting Range Rovers."

Astarion hums. "Forget the Range Rover, how's Violet doing? Has she recovered?"

"She's quite well, thank you. No harm done." That's a lie. Gale had popped the car into his local garage to assess the damage. He'd been expecting the dent to be an easy fix, but the entire bumper needed replacing in the end. Even with Dammon's mates' rates, it cost him a fortune. "Though, I must say, I did get the distinct impression that she started shaking the minute you walked over. She doesn't do that with the other learners."

He glances sideways to see Astarion's reaction, smiling as the man gasps in faux shock and lays a graceful hand on his chest.

"You have other learners??"

Gale plays along. "It's not what it sounds like, I swear! They mean nothing to me!"

Perhaps he overdoes it a bit, because Astarion shoots him an odd look — sort of wryly amused — before laughing politely. "I should hope not."

What are you doing, Gale?

"And how are you?" He attempts to change the subject as he starts the drive, trying to make his voice sound more serious. "Are you feeling okay about driving today?"

"I'm fine," replies Astarion, so quickly and evenly that it almost sounds practiced.

Read the rest on AO3!

[nivasichakano]

Last Line Tag / WIP Whateverday

Thanks @badmarilynart (I cannot wait for more Bloodweave Wrestling AU). Here's a last (few) line(s)/WIP snippet from Crashing Out, my driving instructor AU that I didn't intend to get so invested in ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🚙

"We're going to Hyde Park?" "Yes," Gale nods, following the wide, tree-lined road. "The Serpentine, to be precise. Well, the Serpentine car park, rather. Slightly less glamorous but well-suited to our purpose. Do you come here often?" He didn't mean it like that but Astarion snorts anyhow. Of course he does. "I bet you say that to all the learners." He's definitely teasing this time, Gale is almost completely sure. His voice has dropped to that low register again. Not sincerity, then, Gale thinks. In fact, it almost sounds… flirtatious?

🚙 New chapter coming soon! Read the first two on AO3.

Tag, you're it (if you'd like to be): @linenandspice @hylianworrier @misslillianvalentine

[nivasichakano]

[nivasichakano]

em dash is so fucking sexy. puts her in a paragraph 8 times.

[nivasichakano]

I don't have the next chapter of Trains ready yet, but I did spend an evening drawing them being soft, so here you go...

[nivasichakano]

No.

[nivasichakano]

a doodle of the most rancid man alive (affectionate)

[nivasichakano]

One of my first portraits of Astarion, made in January 🥹

Based on a screenshot from Cedastarions on Instagram 💜 made on procreate as usual 🙂‍↕️

[nivasichakano]

"Is watering your plants with left-over peppermint-tea forcing your leafy friends into horticultural cannibalism? And what about using compost?" These questions keep me up at night but they are probably not what you are here for. So, first of all thank you for the warm reception my recent fanart received. I feel humbled by so much attention.

Today, I have something older to share (there will be quite a few old things while I feed tumblr with my back-log), it's an image that is very dear to me because of all the hardship it put me through. It was conceived, so to speak, when patch 6 dropped and I was wondering how Astarion & Gale would deal with patch-day. Gale, I imagine, would read the patch-notes start to finish, while I can see Astarion crawling into the screen, trying to urge on the download-bar with his nose. So the initial idea was Astarion doing the patching while Gale kept him entertained by reading the notes.

As you can see, I started out with that Leyendecker painting in mind - and it went nowhere. I even put them in a landscape and went down a rabbit hole of researching how tailors sit while working - and it still went nowhere. What finally helped to give me the companionship-vibes that I was looking for, was shifting the focus to Gale.

[nivasichakano]

This is going on my driving instructor Gale mood board 😍

[nivasichakano]

You can and should write fanfiction that isn't perfect. You can and should write whatever fanfiction you want. You can and should write fanfiction that brings you joy even if it's silly or goofy or weird.

Except for me. My fanfic has to be perfect and read like a novel and ruin at least one person's sleep schedule.

[nivasichakano]

Crashing Out — Chapter 2: Maneuvering

Astarion's first driving lesson ends in disaster.

(aka Gale folds like a wet paper towel when presented with ✨orbs✨)

🚙

"It's important to master the basic controls before we even think about picking up speed," Gale retorts pompously, attempting to regain command of the situation.

This is another of Gale's rules. He has the final say in whether a student is ready to progress to the next stage of learning. It's his decision, not theirs. He is always, always in control.

"Gale…" Astarion pouts, resting one pale cheek against his outstretched arms and somehow making his eyes look even bigger than they did before. "I'm bored."

"Okay," Gale relents with a tut. "If you can make it around the square once without taking your hands off the wheel to gesture at me, we can move to a different road and try second gear."

Read the rest on AO3!

[nivasichakano]

WIP (nearly the) Weekend

Thanks for the tag @badmarilynart <3 I already posted this on BWBR but, for anyone who's not on there, more Driving Instructor AU coming later today! 🚗

Perhaps I misjudged Cazador, Gale thinks as Astarion sets off again with a smug smile. From the way the couple had acted when Gale first met them, he almost suspected something sinister was going on. Now, he wonders whether they were merely annoyed at each other earlier. Perhaps they fought this morning or something. Gale could certainly picture Astarion being the sort to throw a fit should he not get what he wants. He can definitely understand how Astarion might be described as 'flighty' or impulsive. Perhaps what Gale took to be nastiness from Cazador was actually affectionate resignation from a man who's spent a marriage indulging the whims of a fickle spouse.

"There!" Astarion pulls the car to a smooth stop, his grin showing off a set of perfectly straight white teeth, their one imperfection a pair of slightly pointed canines that somehow only add to the charm. "I did it."

Gale could imagine how it might be hard not to indulge him.

🚗 Tags if you fancy it: @nyxueaurelia @pretty-sick-actually @kalaidekalou

[nivasichakano]

Oh look it's my old best friends the bookshop boys <3

WIP Wfriday

I was tagged by @herondahlia and @busy-baker !

Have a bookshop so far 📚📚📚

'Gale, love, take a breath,' Astarion cooed, running his hands up and down the bookkeeper's shoulders in slow, deliberate motions. Gale nodded, breathing deep in time with Astarion's counting.

He hadn't seen him quite so frazzled. The signing wasn't due to start for another few hours, but Gale was already a bumbling mess. The silver rimmed specs sat crooked on the bridge of his nose, on account of being unable to find his contact lenses in his tizz. Usually glossy curls were frizzy as all hells, whisps falling into his eyes and surrounding his head in a halo of fuzz.

'You've got this, pup. Everything is going to be fine, alright? Just let Volo do his thing.' Astarion smoothed down the collar of his wine coloured shirt, before cupping his cheeks gently and smiling up at him. 'All you need to do is sit there looking gorgeous.'

'You're right, I know,' Gale attempted, nodding erratically as if he was trying to convince himself. But his nerve broke immediately, and he began chewing at his thumbnail. 'He should already be here, though... What if he doesn't show up? What if he's decided it's beneath him..? So many people will be let down, they'll--'

'Sounds like a lot of what if's to me,' Astarion laughed, taking his hands and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, shutting him up. Gale's stiff posture dissolved, melting against his touch.

'I'm sorry, I'm just not used to this,' the bookkeeper sighed, allowing his forehead to rest against Astarions's. 'I don't think I've held an event since... well, ever, if I'm honest.'

'Do I need to get Karlach to bring you some tequila?' He grinned. 'Settle the nerves?

'Gods, no,' Gale shuddered. 'I can't think of anything worse.'

No Pressure Tags:

@patheticfangirl @nivasichakano @linnetagain

[nivasichakano]

Make it rain

Gale's forty years old and has lost everything in the divorce: his home, his car, his job, his savings, and pretty much everything else. Now, he's crashing at his friends' place and working as an underpaid elementary school teacher while the bills keep piling up. After a drunk night out, Gale signs up to a website as a sugar baby – despite being way too old. To his surprise, he gets contacted by a wealthy gentleman, Astarion Szarr.

Trigger Warning (18+): Alternate Universe – Modern, No Magic, No Vampire, Background Lae'zel/Karlach, Past Gale/Mystra, Past Astarion/Cazador, Past Abuse, Past Non-Con/Rape, Sugar Daddy/Sugar Baby Dynamic, Old Men Yaoi, Astarion Is In his Sixties, Gale Is Forty, Lawyer Astarion, Teacher Gale, Astarion Is A Sexy And Wealthy Widower, Gale Is A Tired Divorée And Desperate, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Blowjobs/Fellatio, Handjobs, Fingering, Cum-Eating, Cum-Feeding, Sex Toys, Dom/Sub Elements, Massages, Definitely Sex Without Feelings (That's A Lie), Emotional Rollercoaster, Canon-Typical Self-Loathing, Mentioning Of Addiction, Tea Superiority, Trans Karlach

Read on AO3

Thanks for the brainworm, @nivasichakano.💜