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darkened-writer · 7 months

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imagine| On The Nature Of Daylight

This is a part two to 'Star', since I feel like it deserved a happy ending, despite the bittersweetness of the first part. I honestly could expand this into a series if I want to, so let me know what you all think! Enjoy!

PAIRING || Astarion x Tav (Reader)

WORD COUNT || 1,090

Daylight always felt so odd, because even in a big city, the night was always more comforting. Especially for those who could never truly sleep well. ‘Insomniacs’.

The times that Tav did sleep, they’d see glimpses of stark white locks, red speckled irises, and a cheeky grin. All unfamiliar to see in a society where the only white hair you would see is on older people and people with odd hair dying choices. And, red eyes? It’d be associated with Albinism. The dots could never really connect on who this person plaguing their dream were.

Every night.

Every nap.

Every single time.

Doctors prescribed meds for PTSD, Insomnia, but nothing ever worked.

So, Their nights were filled with mindless activities and scrolling their phone, as most people do.

Wondering who exactly this man could be.

And, why his skin felt so natural against theirs.

The sun peeked just out of the curtain of their room, only slightly illuminating the space that was covered with various papers that had sketches scrawled across them, some with eyes, some with swirls to resemble curls, and mouths, shaped into smirks, two sharp teeth peeking out from under them. So beautiful yet out of reach, even so slightly.

The bed felt so empty.

But, at least there was the library.

It was a small job, paid decently well, gave Tav access to all types of books, ranging from non-fiction to fantasy to even greek tellings and local legends.

Though, fantasy was always one that piqued their interest.

Busy streets, walking with a blazer wrapped around their figure, a coffee in their hands, messenger bag in the other.

Eventually, the quietness of the library surrounded them, a few people sat at table reading books or typing away at computers. A few stood inbetween shelves, examining every aspect of the books they hold from the front to the spine.

Wyll, he was the head of the library, was clocking out and waved with a smile, glasses pushing up towards his nose as he walks away, carrying a stack of books. He was the nicest coworker you could ever have, always leaving a tupperware full of baked goods. Assortments of cookies, cupcakes, mini pies, all very sweet. Though, his hobbies outside of work were always involving sword fighting and fencing.

Cookies, this time around.

Red velvet.

The red looked practically bloody.

There was a ding, and Tav looked up, a red-haired woman holding a few books.

Demonology?

“Will these be all?”

“Yes…”

“Demonology, huh?”

She was quiet, opting to hug herself as she waited for the books to be checked out, hand rubbing against the muscle under her leather jacket.

Tav slides the books across the counter.

“Hope these help your studies!”

“Thank you.”

She walks away, Tav now opening the tupperware to grab a cookie, taking a large bite and humming a bit at the taste of the white chocolate chips.

Always so good.

“Hello? Earth to Librarian?”

Her hair was stark white, next to her snowy complexion, a silver necklace adorning her neck as she waved a petite hand in from of their face.

“Oh… sorry.”

The girl handed the books over, watching closely as Tav scanned them.

“You ever dabble in witchcraft?”

Tav perks up.

“Uh. No. But, it does seem interesting.”

“You should check these out once I’m done with them. Spells of protection are major within witchcraft, you know?”

She takes the books, grinning.

“Have a good one, Librarian.”

Sauntered off, leaving Tav to contemplate why no one ever read their nametag.

But, there was no time for that, there were books to put away.

So, they grabbed a cart, stacking returned books onto it before pushing it to certain aisles, sliding books in their rightful places, humming a small tune that's been stuck in their head. Eventually, the fantasy section comes up, a lot of empty slots to fill as they stop and begin to put boots in, until someone snatches up the book they just put in.

Red-Speckled eyes.

A devilish grin.

White locks.

“Oh, hello…”

His voice was smooth, an accent buried underneath it all.

“Hi.”

“Apologies for snatching this book from you, Love. You see… I’m very fascinated by fictional works, especially fantasy and this work, from Ms. Tyler, well, it’s an excellent work.”

He shows the cover of the book, which had a piece of art that depicted a small group of people.

“It’s okay, uh… we are getting a shipment soon of the next part after that one. The conclusion. If you’d like, I can have a reminder sent to you for it?”

His grin widens.

“That’d be perfect, Darling, Thank you.”

He peers down.

“Tav.”

“That’s me.”

“My name is Aster, but you can call me Astarion.”

Tav smiles a bit.

“You seem vaguely familiar, have we met before?”

“I believe we haven’t but, we can get to know each other?”

He was charming, his eyes looking directly into Tav’s with a familiar intensity.

“Sure. But, check out the book first?”

He nods, smiling as Tav walks away with the cart, mind swirling with thoughts.

Exactly like the dreams.

They looked just like the person in his dreams.

And, he had to know more.

“Just this book?”

He had just set the one book onto the counter, eyes more trained on Tav then anywhere else.

But, the sun through the window was hitting him just right, the red of his eyes more bright in the unexpected light, giving a odd sense of comfort. He was all too known in Tav’s mind, the resemblance uncanny of the man in their dreams. His touch could practically be felt still, his hands brushing the hair out of their face.

“Yes. And, red velvet? Good choice.”

A grin sprouts on Tav’s face.

“My coworker made them for me, they're good. Want one?”

“Sure.”

Their hands graze as Tav hands him a cookie, scanning the book and handing it over to him again as he grabs it, other hand holding the cookie as he take a bite, nodding to himself.

“Quite good.”

“I know right?”

A beat of silence.

“I’m sorry if its weird but, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve met you..”

“I feel the same way.”

Both perk up.

“Would you want to maybe… go get coffee or something? I know a place down main street, ran by this really nice guy, Halsin.”

“I’d love to, my dear.”

Both just look at eachother, a knowing look, red eyes looking into theirs.

“See you soon?”

“See you soon.”

#xreader #fanfiction #astarion #astarion x reader #baldurs gate astarion #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #fluff #soulmates #found love

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thatfreshi · 7 months

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"Tough Crowd" (Uni AU P. 1)

Really embracing the catty queerness of these fuckers LMAO. Anyways, here's our little intro to Ravenguard Univeristy and Tav's living situation :)

Tw - mention of alcohol

@justporo (If you want me to tag you in part two, leave a comment!)

It's finally move-in day. After getting your Associate's degree at some small-town community college, you finally transferred to Ravenguard University, probably through sheer luck. Perhaps someone dropped out of the waitlist, but you're here now, moving into the place that'll be your home for the upcoming semesters. Soon enough you're asked for your name, and given the key to your room, quickly being ushered to the elevators. The volunteering students are clearly stressed by all the newcomers, so you don't exactly blame them for seeming impersonal.

You read your key, which has deemed you to be in room 717. Sneaking your way over to the floor buttons, you lightly tap 7, and place yourself in one of the empty corners of the elevator. After dropping off a few strangers on lower floors, you finally get to your destination, and find your dorm room shortly after. When you unlock the door, you immediately hear arguing.

"I need the room with the desk! I have far too many exams to study for. Besides, you don't seem like the studying type anyways."

Two women are yelling at each other, one with jet-black hair and the other with piercing eyes and an intimidating demeanor.

"We're all here to study fool."

"Well, as far as I know, you don't want to be a doctor. Besides, aren't you just here as an athlete? Or, my bad, were here as an athlete?"

At this point the ginger is fuming, fists clenched, but simply takes the room they were arguing over and slams the door, locking it immediately. The med student slams her fist on the door.

"Just wait til I tell the RA about this Lae'zel!"

She sighs, clearly still trying to let go of her anger. When she turns from the closed door, she finally realizes you're standing there.

"Sorry about that. Roommate problems, am I right?"

The pale woman nervously chuckles. Dressed in all black, she looks ready for a funeral, well if funerals were comfy and full of college students.

"Uh, yeah. Please don't tell me you're going to be arguing like this every night."

"Well, her and I don't particularly get along. I'm surprised housing even let us be in the same room after how many issues we've had. Though I'm sure I'll learn to tolerate her better in our living situation."

The woman ponders the thought for a moment, and then her eyes light up.

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Shadowheart, and yes my parents are hippies. Most people call me Shadow since it's less cringe."

"Well, nice to meet you. Please tell me there's a room I can snag that you aren't fighting about."

"Oh, go down the hall and to the right. That one has a bigger wardrobe, but Lae and I both really wanted the desk."

Your phone vibrates, with a notification from some online magazine.

'Szarr: The Seven Models Behind the Magic'

"Why has this man been doing so many interviews?"

Shadowheart's ears perk up.

"You know Szarr, that fashion guy right? He's been all over the news, I cannot escape it."

"Oh. You may want to be careful how you talk about him. One of his precious prodigies goes here. Kind of a bitch honestly."

She makes a fake throw-up noise, rolling her eyes.

"Wait. One of his models goes here? I assumed they were all full-time."

"He's full-time alright. I've never seen Astarion pause for anything other than himself. Anyways, I suppose I need to unpack my things IN THE ROOM WITHOUT A DESK."

Shadowheart yells the last part loud enough for Lae'zel to hear, which coerces a groan from her behind the locked door. And just like that, she's locked away in her own room, leaving you with the room at the end of the hall. At least it has the nice wardrobe? You put on some music and start to unpack all your bags, soaking in the space. It leaves some to be desired, but you're excited nonetheless. You're woken from the trance however when there's a very loud knock at your dorm door. You wait for a moment, hoping one of the other two will get it, but the knocking simply continues obnoxiously. Making your way to the front door with a scowl on your face, you throw it open.

"Floor meeting in thirty minutes. If you or any of your roommates are late, I'll kill you."

You're met with the topic of your previous conversation: Astarion. While you aren't necessarily into fashion, you've seen so much about this guy as of recent, mostly from people thirsting on Twitter. You almost laugh, knowing Shadowheart will be pissed when she hears that he's the RA for their floor. He doesn't wait for you to respond and simply walks down to the next room. After closing the door, you call for your new gossipy friend.

"Oh Shadow, I have wonderful news!"

She opens her door and leans in the frame.

"Please tell me I heard that voice wrong."

"Nope. I guess if you want to complain about Lae'zel, you'll have to see your favorite person!"

She lets out a heavy sigh.

"Fine. I guess I'll just deal with her. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't."

You knock on Lae'zel's door to tell her about the meeting, but you're simply met with a yell of 'I know!'

"Geez, tough crowd."

"She's the toughest crowd you'll meet. Don't ever try to impress her, you'll die trying."

Shadowheart gives you this slice of advice while putting her hair in a black claw clip.

The next thirty minutes pass by quickly as you decorate the walls of your room. Posters, little pieces of art, pictures of friends from home. When you leave the room to go to the floor meeting, you're met with the overlapping voices of everyone from floor seven, clearly annoyed that they have to be here. You and Shadowheart sit on a couch in the common area, and Lae'zel stands off to the side.

"Okay, I'm going to make this quick."

The room gets quiet quickly as Astarion speaks up, pushing his shades down his nose slightly so he can make intense eye contact with anyone who interrupts him.

"I'm your RA for the year. No, I will not answer your calls. If I'm sleeping, you better not wake me up. I do not care if you have an air fryer in your room, but if you burn down the university I will be pissed. To make it entirely clear, I'm only doing this to make a little extra cash, so do not expect me to be, how do you say... present."

The room is silent, both pleased that he doesn't seem to care and entirely annoyed by his attitude.

"Any questions?"

Once again, no one speaks.

"Great! If you truly need something, I would suggest you go to the RA on floor eight, my wonderful friend Gale, as he actually cares about the well-being of strangers. Good day!"

The large group mutters as they all make their way back to their rooms. Shadowheart turns to whisper to you.

"Oh Gale fucking hates him, and I guarantee you he didn't sign off on being the RA of two floors. Can't wait to see that catfight."

You laugh at her comment, not noticing the white-haired man approaching the two of you.

"Shadowheart."

"Astarion."

"Who's your new friend?"

She then realizes she never actually asked your name.

"Tav. It's Tav."

Astarion makes a noise that lies somewhere between a laugh and a scoff.

"Fascinating. Well Tav, how would you like to be my plus-one to a party tonight? I would ask our emo queen here, but I'm sure she has some sulking and studying to do already."

"And I thought you'd be selling out on another Instagram post, but I guess you just really love bothering people. Have fun though, if you even know how to do that."

And with that comment. Shadowheart is back off to her room, most likely to sulk and study like Astarion said.

"Ugh, don't mind her. She just doesn't understand the hustle. Anyways, Tav was it? You seem like just the kind of person I'd love to silently drink champagne with."

You're silent for a moment, unsure if he really is as bad as Shadowheart makes him out to be.

"The champagne is free by the way."

What better way to sell a broke college student on a night out?

"Alright, guess I'm in."

#baldur's gate 3 #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #au #shadowheart #lae'zel #astarion #gale of waterdeep #freshiau

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four-leaf-loco · 5 months

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I've seen absolutely not enough Omegaverse Gale/reader (or Tav) fics and so I will becometh the giver of fruits.

A Breath Forever Kept

Gale/Reader (NSFW | 🔞)

Tags under cut

Breeding kink, heats, pitifully short sex cause lets be real if the effects of heat were real sex would be so short... BUT ITS NOT ABOUT THAT it's about the DEVOTION, gender neutral terms but also not beta read I wrote this on my phone in one go so read at own hornyyy risk friends

Act2 spoilers too so BEWARE

You poke at the fire from under the blanket you stole from Gale's tent. It still smells like him, parchment of looted books and his musk. The part you have tucked over your scraped knees is easily sniffed at absently. The iron fire poker you hold grows heavy while the crickets and frogs chirp with their delicate songs of love.

"Growing comfortable, my love? Are you in need of any more nesting materials? Blankets, capes, robes-" Gale pauses as you pull him down to kneel besides you in the dirt.

Karlach whistles teasingly and the two of you blush. "Just sit with me." You ask of him.

"Easily, and may I say: enthusiastically done." He smiles, pulling closer to you and wrapping his arm around your waist. You smile back at him feeling warmer already. "And your heat? Has it erupted yet?" He asks hushed, the twinge of barely concealed eagerness in his voice making your insides twist and squeeze. His pupils blow wide, no doubt getting a whiff of your fresh release of pheromones.

"Not quite yet..." You murmur, nose burying into his soft tunic collar. Setting the poker down to wrap around completely against Gale's torso. It's so soft and warm, his body sturdy like most alphas. He pets your back and runs his other hand over your forehead to check your temperature. His every touch pulls a shiver from your core.

You can hear Karlach lament about wanting the touch of an omega, and Astarion scoffing. Lae'zel offers a comment from her infinite githyanki wisdom, "Quiet, beta, for the touch of even an istik omega can quell a gith alpha. You know not of the power held-"

"That's quite enough, we're already disturbing those two love birds from their little courting ritual." Shadowheart scoffs. The conversation ensues to other albeit similar topics and easy laughter.

You relax at the banter of your friends, feeling safe despite the lack of a truly safe nest. Gale's tent will have to do. Being the only omega in the party is difficult, well asides from Isobel, but her heats are well managed by her goddess' will over cycles. Isobel's alpha lover, Aylin, gave Gale a stern warning, something about Selune's wrath if he fails to protect those Selune blesses most, especially since you had saved her and Shadowheart from the grasp of Shar. Gale gave her a full hearted promise to never betray your heart. A promise he gave to you earlier under Moonrise.

It was quite handsome of him, to assert himself against the threat of Aylin's wrath. She could easily break him but alas...

"Take us to your tent, Gale." You whisper into his neck. His hands exit the blanket, scooping you up into his arms. He smiles charmingly as ever as you wrap your arms around his neck to stroke his locks and aching glands. His pheromones puff out in excitement, "I promise you a night of fully fulfilled needs and freely granted wants in our tent." He whispers.

You kiss his neck glands and his hands tighten around the softness of your thigh. Your muscles are relaxed from his ministrations. He's all you need in this moment, through the night, and forever beyond that.

The tent had been set up further away than usual to give the two of you more privacy. You can still see the glow of the fire from this distance but the escalating conversation can only vaguely be heard. Everyone begrudgingly agreed that leaving the real vicinity of camp was dangerous seeing as their enemies still lurk. With the two of you distracted by passions driven by heat it would leave you two unawares.

"Ready, my love? Anything else you need from me before we begin our intrepid night of bonding?" He asks and you shake your head. You had set up refreshments and food with Gale earlier as he dote on you.

"I'm ready." You whisper, nibbling his neck, "Anything you'll give me."

"Gods, you're everything. I'd give you the yolk of the world to consume, if only you'd ask for it."

"I don't want the world, I just want you." You sigh, "You are a greater treasure than you think, Gale Dekarios." The man in question blushes and squeezes his eyes shut; pushing his face into your neck. When he reconstitutes his tempered arousal he sets you and himself into the tent. You're set on the small nest Gale had secretly made for you, and you huff. This man is truly a romantic. He takes your hand in his, kissing each finger and several times on your palm. He trails his finger down you wrist, then holding your hand. His other hand moves up to stroke with a single deft finger to your chin and down your neck.

It pulls waves of heat from your core like the moon and tides. His cock twitches in his night pants, and you see it in your lower periphery. You touch the bulge, pulling Gale further into your orbit. He falls on his hands and knees over you, sniffing at your neck desperately. His warm breath puffs in time with your pounding hearts. You want to steal his breath, kissing him voraciously like a starving artist trying to please the Goddess Sune with your new masterpiece. You leave your bite marks on his neck, marking him with your love and your claim. He returns the favor, hands working to undo the buttons of your shirt and pants. He's ravenous, and you tell him so, pulling a laugh from him so husky and sweet.

You free his cock from his pants. It springs up and the heat from it radiates onto your stomach. His own shudders at your touch. His muscles clench and release.

"Let go, take me, breed me. Make me yours completely Gale." You pray to him, beg him like you're on death's door, your last hope looming over you with equal need and devotion. He gives into instinct, lifting your hips to meet his and nudge his head against your wet hole. It's so slick due to your heat, already marking your nest with it. The slick cooling against your thighs. "The one folly of heats is that I do not need to worship you." He laments, "But Gods-" he cuts off as he enters you, for once his thoughts interrupted and stolen from him, mind smothered by you.

His nose buried into your hair he presses further until his hips greet yours and his hands press divots into your flesh. They flex in time with your thighs shaking around Gale's own as they propel his cock into your willing, no, eager form. The tadpoles in your brains link your minds and share the pleasure you're feeling. His hips stutter out feeling the warmth of your gut in his, and the plain need for him to claim you as his omega. He bites into your neck glands, the tips of his canines sending bliss through you, and orgasm shaking your core and bringing him to his own end. Returning the claim makes his hips buck uselessly as he gasps, hands gripping your hips to grind your bodies together as he knots your hole. It's extra warm when he fills you with his seed, forgetting for a moment the herbs you'll take come morning to be enveloped by the bliss of being bred by your alpha.

"When we reach Waterdeep, when this is all over;" he pauses to catch his breath, "I'll make sure to treat you to the mating you deserve. Our lovemaking accompanied by the piano and the aroma of our favorite candles. A proper nest I'll make for you." Panting he kisses your hand, starting with your pinky and making his way lazily over to your thumb. Kissing your palm, then your wrist. "I've never been as utterly devoted as I am to you. Look at me, for the second time tonight wishing to put a ring on your finger."

"Gale..." You respond weakly, wishing nothing but to return the sentiment but words escape you. All you can do is give a dreamy smile. Gods, it feels like a dream.

He helps you get the most comfortable in the nest you can be as the knot calms. The stretch is intense, but the pain is indiscernible with the addled state of your mind due to heat. All you know is a foggy state of euphoria.

He situates you on top, secure in his arms and your weight pressing downwards, further connecting your cores. His arms make sure the connection is comfortable, as lax for you as possible.

The night wanders onwards as you enjoy your heat with your mate. Over and over again you'll make love. Whimper and scream out your devotion as the others try to sleep. Gale quiets you with kisses though it pains him to have to do so. To silence such a beautiful creature, a handsome visage.

When morning comes your heat extinguishes with the night. You wake with Gale fast asleep. His arms are around you, protecting you best he can with his body against the entrance to the tent. The morning light is bright and warm, casting liquid gold onto your forms. You feel his seed dried against your thighs and hole, sighing in bliss at the knowledge that he had come inside many times, knotting you. Loving you. He stirs as you do, his instincts in tuned with yours now more acutely now that you're mated. He smiles as his eyes crack open.

"The light of morning illuminates your welcome sight." He says with a handsome morning grumble. His scent smells chuffed, happy. Content.

"We should get married." You blurt.

Gale coughs in surprise.

"You said you wanted to last night." You tease, hand reaching up to playfully tug at a lock of hair.

"Of course I'd want nothing more than to marry you. But perhaps we wait for a more opportune time. Back at my tower at Waterdeep- wait until it's our tower. Until we are properly settled." He placates as he grooms your hair with his fingers.

You give a fake pout, tugging a bit harder than you maybe should. "That's acceptable, I suppose... But you can't stop me from ring shopping when we reach Baldur's Gate proper." You tease.

"I can't say I would be upset at that prospect. I for one will be waiting to commission you a respectable Waterdhavian proposal ring." He says with a playful, but equally serious, lift to his voice.

You sigh in bliss. "What more could I ever ask for?"

"Maybe-" he starts, but you catch him in a kiss.

It continues until Halsin comes to check in on the two of you.

"I was sent to ask if you are interested in joining the group to Rivington? Though, I doubt it if last night was any indication." He chuckles and you groan.

"Thank you, friend, but we will be staying in today." Gale answers, stroking your head with a bit of a chuckle. You know he's eager to show off his claim to the other alphas, it's only natural. But it's also natural to want to keep you safe in the nest until you have recovered.

Gale sighs, content. His body fully relaxes again but awake and aware. He stares down at you. You look at him. The urge to mate has largely subsided, the heat short because of the bonding. His eyes gleam with warmth of the sun, like beautiful cracked marbles filled with hopes and dreams. He reaches to close the tent fully, keeping your scents trapt inside and his eyes darkened like endless pools of devotion.

He arches a brow at your silent observation, kissing you again to steal your breath.

You count it stolen, and forever kept.

#gale x reader #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #the whole crew is here lol #omegaverse #a/b/o dynamics

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crowfeatherquill · 8 months

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Mint or Ginger?

First installment of what will likely be several contributions to @colormywords' coffee shop AU. This...was meant to just be Sickfic of Astarion being a sad wet cat and also the worst patient ever and it turned into somethinnggggg /else/. Enjoy! --

Astarion is sick.

Not the useful kind of sick, where he could theoretically go down to the cafe and mope loudly until Tathlyn takes pity on him and showers him with attention. Not even the annoyingly pointless but ultimately painless kind of sick that he could ignore in the interest of getting on with his life. No, this is the worst kind of sick -- the roiling stomach, aching body, chills-and-shaking kind that makes him want to curl up in a dark hole and die.

He should have cut and run the second he smelled whatever biohazard that Oblodra woman was trying to pass off as an innocent drink, but instead he’d grit his teeth and swallowed it for the sake of saving face, and now he’s paying for his hubris. With interest.

He’s lost just about every meal he can be accused of having attempted to eat over the last day and a half -- and possibly a few he’s only looked at -- and has only recently managed to convince his rioting guts that water isn’t poison to be expelled at the earliest opportunity. His head aches like there’s something trying to peel his brain away from his skull and eat it in the slowest, most torturous way it can manage.

In short: he’s fucking miserable. And as such, he can hardly be blamed for not noticing when somebody knocks. In his esteemed opinion, he can also not be blamed for ignoring the subsequent attempts -- it’s not as though he has any idea who it is and quite frankly there are few people he likes enough to put up with in his home at all, let alone like this. He will emerge from his miserable isolation on his own terms when he’s damn well ready and not a moment before.

When his phone lights up on the bedside table he briefly entertains the idea of throwing it across the room. His absence should have made it very clear that the only thing he’s fit to do at the moment is sit here and desiccate, but somehow the universe simply will not take the hint. He paws after the device in the semi-dark, cringing at the way the light off the screen forces his eyes to engage instead of staring unfocused into nothing.

He has a message from Tathlyn. Isn’t that novel?

If you cant come to the door i can let myself in but it might cost you a chunk of the security deposit.

So that’s what that knocking had been.

Astarion is too tired to fight the bemused little smile that creeps onto the corner of his mouth at the thought that Tathlyn would be willing to bludgeon his door down to check on him if that was what it took. Ordinarily he’d be disgusted with himself, getting so maudlin over something so stupid, but evidently being poisoned has eaten more holes in his brain than he anticipated.

Did I never give you a key? he replies, taking solace in the few extra precious moments of horizontality it buys him. He is not looking forward to trying to move around while he feels about as hardy as a half-drowned kitten.

You did not. And they did not teach us cool subtle ways to get past locked doors in bootcamp.

Alright, point taken, give us a second?

Astarion sets the phone back down and runs his hands over his face. He hasn’t really bothered making the attempt to move around much since yesterday. Any time he’d tried, things had started to go sideways rather quickly, and he’d resolved himself to remaining stationary until he woke up feeling anywhere close to normal.

He levers himself up to sitting, noting with distaste the way his arms shake under his own meager weight and his stomach lurches ominously. He freezes -- breathing slowly and with intention through his nose -- and the feeling fades. The next step is to extract his legs from the blankets he’s tangled himself in and stand. The room swims as a wave of dizziness tries to overtake him. He plants a hand on the bedside table and rides it out, focusing on the way the carpet feels under his feet.

After that, it’s an easy jaunt from his bedroom to the front door, though he feels a bit like he’s trying to do it while up to his shins in molasses. His joints ache, obstinately, and the late-day light pouring in through windows he hadn’t bothered to draw the curtains on is oppressive.

“You look like shit,” is the first thing out of Tathlyn’s mouth when Astarion opens the door.

Astarion scoffs and moves to one side, allowing him entry.

“How observant of you. Terribly convenient that I feel like shit too, then, isn’t it?”

“Figured.” Tathlyn slides past him and cuts toward the kitchen -- it’s only now that Astarion realizes he’s carrying a grocery bag. “Had to be something nasty to keep you away for two whole days, and even you don’t hate ‘Zel that much.”

“Yes, it’s been quite the ordeal, lounging around in my nice quiet apartment and not having constant nosey questions to answer. I’ve been perfectly miserable.”

Tathlyn shoots him a look, and Astarion finds himself suddenly inspired to backpedal.

“What’ve you got, there?”

“Tea, meds, soup broth,” Tathlyn names the items as he lines them up on the sideboard, pristine with disuse. “Wasn’t sure whether you were more of a ginger or mint person, so I got both.”

Something flutters, unbidden, in Astarion’s chest and he tamps it down with an arch expression and a sniff. This isn’t the first time Tathlyn has stirred this…pathetic reaction out of him and at this point he’s resigned to the fact that it won’t be the last, either, but that doesn’t mean he has to give Tathlyn the satisfaction of seeing it. Still…he finds himself curious.

“How did you…”

“Know?”

Astarion tries to bristle and can’t quite find the energy. He shouldn’t be this transparent. He isn’t. Is he? Tathlyn is still talking.

“Educated guess. Maybe a little luck,” he starts removing the packaging around the medicine he brought, “Figured if it was a cold, you’d have dragged your sorry ass into the cafe anyway and made it everyone’s problem.”

Astarion makes a rather undignified squawk of offense and goes to retort, but Tathlyn just waves a hand at him.

“Relax,” he says, “I’m fucking with you. The point is, you wouldn’t have let some sniffles or a cough stop you. You’re too stubborn for that. So…it had to be stuck-in-bed sick. Honestly, my bet was flu, but you seem pretty lucid. Feverish at all?”

Astarion settles his weight against one of the bar stools, already feeling drained from the few minutes he’s spent on his feet, and sighs.

“No. No, I believe this is a case of ‘wrong math, right answer,’ as they say. I’ve been poisoned.”

His tone is all sullen dramatics, but he feels Tathlyn’s sharp gaze on him in an instant anyway, and when he looks up, Tathlyn’s expression is practically growing icicles.

“Intentionally, or…?”

Astarion realizes too late how he’s just made this sound, and flaps his hands awkwardly as though they could banish the notion from the air.

“Hardly,” he insists, “At least I don’t imagine so. Wouldn’t put it past her if I was willing to give her the credit to assume she’d even think to do something like that, but no. I was invited out to an event the other night and there was some…unwise experimentation at the bar. Also, I’m beginning to suspect they wouldn’t have passed any sane health and safety check. Suffice to say I won’t be going back.”

“Sounds like a hell of an event.” Tathlyn’s hackles are still up, but he seems at least marginally appeased for the moment. “Take this. And go get comfortable. Alright if I use your stovetop?”

“Use whatever you like,” Astarion says, absently, inspecting the label on the medication, “I’ll admit, though, I’m not feeling particularly hungry.”

“You might change your mind once those meds kick in. Can’t imagine you’ve been able to keep much down recently.”

Astarion can feel the prowling threat of nausea still lingering at his core, and suppresses a shudder. He closes his hand tighter around the bottle of meds.

“I’m…going to go lie down,” he says, in lieu of a direct response. “I’ll leave the door open.”

“Sure,” Tathlyn says by way of dismissal, and then, once Astarion’s back is turned, “Oh. Mint or ginger?”

“Mm?” Astarion glances back over his shoulder.

“The tea. What kind?”

“Oh. That.” Astarion makes a little show of mulling it over before leaving it -- like so many other things in recent days -- in Tathlyn’s hands. “Surprise me. I don’t mind either.”

Once he’s back in the dim of his bedroom, bundled under the blankets and waiting for the medicine to do its work, Astarion lets himself drift away from his body and into his other senses. He listens to the soft sounds of Tathlyn bustling around in the kitchen, and for a moment he lets himself imagine a world where this is his life -- where he shares this precious, private space with someone else, who putters around and hums quietly and gives the place life. A pulse.

It’s all maddeningly saccharine. He’d be making himself sick if he wasn’t already. All the same, he finds he can’t really muster the disdain for the idea that he feels he should have. It’s almost pleasant, the thought of living in comfortable, companionable not-quite-silence with somebody else, instead of the isolation he deals with now.

He must start to drift off because he feels himself pulled back to consciousness when Tathlyn knocks -- and what a revolutionary show of boundaries that is. To knock on an open door, just to be sure it really means, as it appears, that he’s allowed entry. Astarion forces himself to sit up, squinting blearily in the direction of the doorframe, and finds the movement doesn’t cause his stomach to lurch. It’s a welcome change.

“Tea,” Tathlyn lifts the mug in indication as he enters, “And soup. Well. Broth.”

He sets the mug down on the bedside table and settles on the edge of the bed, ever-so-slightly making contact with the outer side of Astarion’s leg. Astarion ignores the way it makes him crave a firmer touch.

“Don’t feel obligated,” Tathlyn is saying, though Astarion finds he can barely stay focused on the words, “But you should at least try. Starving isn’t going to do you any good getting better.”

‘Starving’ is not a word Astarion would have associated with the way he’s been feeling lately, but when Tathlyn says it and passes him the warm bowl, he feels an overeager twinge in his stomach that he isn’t expecting. The savory smell, though not particularly complex, is divine, and in mere moments, Astarion’s forgotten appetite unearths itself and leaves him feeling famished for the first time since…well, since meeting Araj for drinks.

He takes the first mouthful incautiously and flinches as it scalds his tongue. Tathlyn chuckles fondly.

“Careful,” he chides, but there’s no bite to it, “Meds doing the trick, then?”

“Mm.” Astarion nods his confirmation, drawing air through his teeth to try to soothe the pain in his mouth.

“Good.” Tathlyn braces his hands on his legs and rises, and Astarion surprises himself at how bereft he suddenly feels at the loss of Tathlyn’s warmth against his leg. “I’ll leave you to it?”

It’s not a question -- not precisely -- but it’s not a firm statement of fact either. Tathlyn leaves it intentionally open-ended, an offer without strings or expectation, and for a moment, Astarion has no idea what to do with it. He is still so unused to anyone giving a flying rat fuck what he might want that it continues to stun him into silence how easily Tathlyn takes him into consideration at every opportunity.

“You…could stay,” Astarion hedges, not quite brave enough to face the offer head-on, “if you like. I’ve got- uh. Well there’s not TV, but my phone…”

Tathlyn, bless him, has the grace to let himself be sold on the idea. It’s easier to swallow asking for company if it’s transactional. If he feels like he’s offering something in return. Watching television seems like meager settlement to him, but given that his usual methods of entertaining guests are a bit out of reach at the moment, it’ll have to do.

Tathlyn circles the bed and settles on the open side, not so close as to crowd. Once again, that vexatious want creeps over Astarion’s skin -- he wants Tathlyn’s hands on him. Wants to feel the way his chest moves as he breathes. Wants to be tucked against that broad, warm chest and held.

It’s disgusting. He swallows it with another mouthful of broth and tries not to let the resentment ruin the taste. With one hand, he pats down the covers until he finds his phone, unlocks it and brings up one of the half-dozen mindless streaming apps he keeps himself company with. He passes it off to Tathlyn.

“Figure it’s only fair you get to pick the programming. Since you’re the one stuck here with me.”

“I’m not stuck. I offered.” Tathlyn doesn’t look up at him as he says it but the weight of it still seems to squash some of the self-reproach scuttling about unchecked in Astarion’s head -- pinning it down until it stops squirming.

Astarion focuses on eating -- drinking? Consuming liquid. If his mouth is full, he figures, all the more difficult to make an ass of himself. Tathlyn is trying to be kind. He owes him neutral acceptance at the very least.

Eventually Tathlyn settles on something and leans across Astarion to prop the phone up on the bedside table. The proximity is tantalizing and Astarion feels himself tensing like a wire primed to snap. He hates this. It’ll never be enough. The ask gets caught in his throat and burns. He swallows more broth and turns his attention to the screen. Tries to ignore the howling behind his ribs that only he can hear.

He feels Tathlyn settle against the pillows and the headboard, and lean close. Too close, and so achingly far away all at once. He reminds himself it’s likely just to see what’s playing. It has nothing to do with him. Tathlyn’s just kind by nature, under all that gruff -- he’d do this for anyone. Gods, but it doesn’t stop him wanting to curl up until he feels Tathlyn’s support against his back.

He sets the bowl aside, half-finished, still hungry in a way the broth won’t fix, and shuffles himself horizontal. Maybe if he shuts his eyes and lets himself drift away from his body again, it won’t be so bad. That’s how he’s gotten through all the rest of this torturous illness.

His plan quickly crumbles when Tathlyn drapes an arm over the top of Astarion’s pillow -- inches or less from his head. He feels that wire-tension snap, and the words are falling out of his mouth before he can stop them.

“By the Hells, either touch me or don’t but for the sake of my sanity, make up your mind.”

It’s probably the most direct he’s ever been with Tathlyn. It’s an egregious breach of the little code of conduct he’s been constructing out of Tathlyn’s unspoken reception of him. An icy talon of dread closes around his throat as soon as he’s said it, too late to stop the words from escaping, and too tight to allow him the space to explain or apologize or beg forgiveness. His whole body goes rigid.

Tathlyn shifts very carefully behind him. They’re not positioned for easy eye contact, so he doesn’t try, but Astarion feels him sit up. Feels his gaze on the back of his neck. Wants to curl into a little ball of nothing and disappear.

“...Do you want to be touched?”

Tathlyn’s voice is so soft it’s almost cruel. Astarion is strangled by indecision. There’s nothing in the world he wants more than for Tathlyn to touch him -- the one in a million who’s never showed any real interest. By the same token, there’s nothing he thinks would destroy him more utterly than being turned down. He can’t ask. If he never says it out loud, he doesn’t ever need to find out whether it was possible to have something more than the shallow dance he knows by heart.

Tathlyn is motionless behind him for a long time. The urge to stuff his pillow into his mouth and scream mounts with every passing second. Eventually, he sighs and reclines back against the pillows. Astarion hears skin-on-skin and can imagine him rubbing his hands over his face. Brushing his fingers through his hair the way he does when he’s overwhelmed or worried.

He wonders how it’d feel to have those fingers stroke through his hair instead, and it chokes him.

“Some things I can guess,” Tathlyn says, softly, “But this isn’t one of them. Talk to me. Do you want me to touch you?”

Astarion weighs his options. He desperately, desperately wants the comforting pressure of someone else’s weight against his body, and he cannot think of a person he trusts more than Tathlyn despite them hardly knowing each other at all. Hells, he’s so used to considering Tathlyn as part of his routine that he’d forgotten Tathlyn didn’t have a key to his apartment.

And, he reasons, even if both of them know it’s a lie, if it turns out this was all a gargantuan mistake, he can always plead delirium and Tathlyn will surely accept it without pressing.

He swallows nothing -- saliva, air, fear -- and nods.

“Yes, I- I think I do.”

Tathlyn shifts some more and Astarion feels the heat of not-quite-contact all along his back. Gently, almost hesitantly, Tathlyn drapes an arm over him, under one arm and across his chest, hand curling around his opposite shoulder. The flood of satisfaction is instant, and Astarion curls his back, pressing closer to Tathlyn’s chest without thought.

A sigh falls easily from his lips and he closes his eyes. He’s barely tracking what’s happening on his phone -- some old thriller comedy with lots of melodramatic scrambling over murder weapons and blackmail. His whole brain is consumed with the heady pleasure of Tathlyn, warm against his back, holding him without holding him down.

“That good?”

What a stupid, silly question, Astarion thinks. If he could, he’d be purring. There’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

“Yes,” he sighs. “Right there.”

He doesn’t allow himself the space to fear what all this might mean, and Tathlyn seems content not to broach the topic at least for the moment. Small blessings.

Astarion’s not stupid. He knows they’ll need to discuss it at some point -- what this means for them. What it says about him. What he wants and what Tathlyn is willing to give. It’s too much to process just now and frankly, if he thought he could get away with it, he’d avoid the conversation altogether. He’d much rather just stay like this until both of them rot. He doesn’t think he’s ever felt safer in his life.

That, too, will need examining, he knows. All of this will be meticulously unpacked into the searing light of Tathlyn’s full attention, and likely sooner rather than later. But it’s not a problem he can stomach just yet. For now, he’s content, hungers of the body soothed if not entirely sated, and he intends to keep it that way for as long as he can.

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localplaguenurse · 7 months

Note

I am just nosy, forgive me. Can you describe each one of your mutuals?

Buckle up people and prepare to get complimented >:3c

First and foremost, they’re all absolute sweethearts to me.

There are my irl friends, such as @wretchedshade, @granolabird, @siriuscitrus and @scales-of-stardust or beta as I usually refer to them. I share the same braincell with these people.

Wretchedshade has been my best friend since we were ten, we’ve been there for each other for 11 years. I initially got her into anime, and then she got me into jojo, and every once in a while we cry about Doukyuusei again. She’s a great artist and is really good at writing sad shit, which is why I write sad shit; to have the glory of finally making her cry. She kicked cancer’s teeth in a few months ago so it’s about goddamn time something good come her way and I WILL fight someone on that.

Granolabird is the dm for my dnd campaign, and like I said, absolute sweetheart, chaotic adhd haver (actually like most of my friend group is like this lmao we’re all queer and neurodivergent). Either way, we used to share thoughts on each other’s original stories, and we still do sometimes but it’s mostly just sending each other tiktoks/reels like “this you” or “this your oc.”

Siriuscitrus is usually pretty hyper, but also tries to be v considerate of everyone’s feelings. If you said that the McDonald’s employee put pickles on your burger when you said no, they’d probably be the one to tell them. They’re also scarily good at vibechecking people and told me I give “future he/they vibes” and like a week later I said “fuck you’re right oh my god.”

You’ve probably seen me and beta’s interactions on here or in the ao3 comments. We enjoy our like playful rivalry/enemyship. I like to torment tease her and she usually gets me back pretty good, it’s all in good fun. It’s also really funny to me whenever we meet up, I tell myself “you are friends with them for reasons other than fic so do not make it about fic” and then we’ll spend literally hours talking about and brainstorming fic ideas. It just Happens.

I’m also gonna add @memory-mortis into here because while we’ve not met irl I’ve introduced him to my friend group. Yet another sweetheart, love her art style a lot, and she was one of the first comments I got on ginkgo trees to motivate me to keep going. I was kinda worried about bringing him into my friendgroup because like if I’m not overthinking I am not thinking At All. I was super relieved and happy that she like IMMEDIATELY fit in with everyone so :D

For some of my other close but only on tumblr/ao3/outside my general friendgroup mutuals! (There are too many so I’m sorry if you’re not here it’s mostly people I interact with more regularly ;-;)

@crimson-ashes who I have occasionally with absolute love called my “askbox gremlin” because they live in my inbox. I need to stress this is affectionate because genuinely, I love opening tumblr and seeing I’ve got asks from them. They gotta stop posting Astarion though because I’m feeling So Tempted to play BG but I know my laptop would kill itself (joking).

@crystalflygeo and I know I’ve called everyone sweethearts but genuinely, she’s probably one of the sweetest people I’ve had the pleasure of talking to. She’s really wholesome (unlike her writing which is never gonna be a complaint in my book, good soup) and super supportive of other people.

@madamemachikonew who’s super polite and really kind. She’s also really creative/smart when it comes to referencing real world art and philosophy in her writing and integrating it into her own worldbuilding. I would have never thought to have done that, and it makes her writing very unique!

We don’t interact as much but @probably-doesnt-exist, @ethve, @euniveve and @ainescribe are such talented artists and super sweet, have literally made me screech and cackle with utter joy whenever they draw the characters from ginkgo trees. I rotate through which art becomes my phone’s lock/home screens.

This is long af but fuck it, I wanna brighten people’s days and I told myself to say “I love you” to my friends and family more, so consider this one big “I love you!” to y’all. It’s a pleasure talking to y’all!

#ask #I maybe should’ve gone back to bed and answered this later #but screw it #I should maybe go back to sleep though

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cordeliawhohung · 2 months

Note

YOU ROMANCE WYLL TOO!?

This is my phones lock screen! I love Wyll so much. He's just the best. My girlfriend didn't understand my hype about him until she romanced him on the current playthrough AND SHE GETS IT NOW

YES OH MY FUCKING GOD THIS MAN

ngl when i first started playing the game i romanced astarion because, ya know, i fucking love neil but then i was like. wow he's kind of an ass ;alksdjf i LOVE his character but when it came to romance i was like oh no.

but wyll??? he seems to be the only character that doesn't just wanna fuck you? and i love that so much? like you get to kiss him! and kiss him some more! and he's so sweet and just?? how?? how does he not get more attention? sure he's a goof, and he leans heavily into the hero archetype but he's literally the love of my life??

i also love karlach. i'm going to romance her eventually too. those two are my fucking favorites i can't.

#core responds #bg3 #i'm trying to be his fucking wife on god #this man is so HOT #and SWEEET #i swoon

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sweeter-innocence-fics · 2 months

Text

You Brought Your Worst and I'm Right Here - Chapter One: Prologue

Pairing: Gale of Waterdeep x female Tav

Work Summary:

After an explosive falling out between Gale and his academic adviser, Mystra, Tav is left to pick up the pieces.

Modern/College AU.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9…

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 790

Read on AO3.

Masterlists.

Taglist: @mrs-kai-anderson @ang3l1te @missryerye

Taglist info

Notes:

Hi guys, I can't stop playing BG3, please send help.

I'm planning on updating this fic every Monday <3

Major major warnings for grooming, suicidal ideation/suicide attempt, mental health problems

---

In retrospect, Tav should’ve seen it coming. As it was, she was woefully unprepared for what was about to become to worst day of her life.

She had spent most of her day at the university library trying to finish up a lab report, and she felt like her brain was about to drip out of her ears.

What she really needed was a pizza and a stiff drink. As soon as she’d submitted her report, she was planning on eating herself into a food coma and then sleeping for eighteen hours.

She had re-read her report three times, and every single time she’d caught more typos. Normally, she’d get Gale to check it for her before submitting but she hadn’t seen him today and she didn’t want to have to wait around for him to respond.

She really should read it over one more time. That was precisely what she was thinking as she pressed the button to upload the report to her uni portal. As soon as that was done, she relished the feeling of closing down all of the tabs that had been bothering her for hours and then logging out of the library computer.

She checked her phone to see if anyone else had responded to her message from earlier where she’d suggested they get a takeaway.

Gale still hadn’t responded, although all the rest of her flatmates had. That wasn’t all that surprising. He could be a bit of a hermit, particularly recently. He was never one to say no to pizza though. She was sure she could tempt him when she got home.

Astarion was out this evening, but her other two flatmates had seemed keen as well.

The bus home was predictably crowded. Tav squeezed herself into a corner against the wall and willed her eyes to stay open for the duration of the journey. It was raining when she stepped off the bus.

By the time she’d made it to her street, cold rivulets of water were running down from her hairline to her chin. She shivered, glad that she had opted to leave her laptop at home today because her rucksack was getting worryingly damp.

It took her three tries to get her key to turn. The lock was stiff. Their landlord had advised them to put Vaseline on it to prevent this problem. Tav thought that if the lock was stiff enough to need Vaseline, then the landlord should’ve replaced it. He didn’t agree.

Finally, mercifully, the door opened, and she stepped inside.

A movie that Tav didn’t recognise was playing on the TV. Jenevelle, affectionately nicknamed Shadowheart because of her emo tendencies, was stretched out on the sofa, fast asleep.

Shadowheart was a medical student. Tav considered her workload to be slightly insane, and it wasn’t the first time she’d come home to find her passed out on the couch. Luckily, Tav knew her order off by heart, so she didn’t have to wake her until the food arrived.

Wyll was nowhere to be seen. She supposed that maybe he wasn’t home yet. Her stomach gave a loud grumble as she hung up her coat and deposited her rucksack on the radiator to dry. She shook out her hair and made for the stairs.

Gale’s bedroom door was closed. She knocked on it gently, and when she got no response, more forcefully.

“Gale?”

She had the strangest sinking feeling in her gut. Something was wrong. There was no light coming through the crack under his door. If Gale wasn’t home, why would his door be closed? None of them ever left their door shut when they went out (except for Astarion).

Maybe he was sleeping?

“Gale?” she called, louder this time. There was still no response. She rattled the door handle, and was relieved to find that it wasn’t locked. The door opened. She hoped he wouldn’t mind her intrusion, but she could handle him being annoyed if it meant quelling her anxiety.

It was very dark. She could just about make out the shape of him on his bed.

“Gale?” Even to herself, her voice sounded strange, too loud in the quiet of his room. “Gale?”

She took a tentative step towards him. Her eyes were adjusting to the light, and that’s when she saw the empty bottle of pills, lying discarded beside his bed.

She rushed to his side, grabbing his arm, but he didn’t react at all. She shook him, but his body was limp. Even in the dark, she could see the traces of vomit around his mouth. An inhuman scream ripped through her as she continued to shake him.

Somewhere far behind her, she heard the front door close.

“SHADOWHEART!” she screamed. “JEN? JEN!”

Next Chapter

#bg3 tav #bg3 gale #gale x tav #bg3 fic #baldurs gate 3 fanfiction #gale x female tav

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starfish-locks · 8 months

Text

Baldur's gate 3 Astarion & Shadowheart lockscreens

°Reblog/ like if you save

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thefoxandthebrush · 4 months

Text

This Neck of the Woods

Pairing: Astarion x f!tav (named Tav, platonic)

Rating: E for everyone

Warnings: one tiny sexual jokes (if you SQUINT), reread for fixes but Gods is it a pain to type on a phone

Summary: Tav finds Astartion after a skirmish and helps treat his wounds, and lets him treat hers too. Takes place in mid-late act 1.

Notes: This is... man THIS is my first ever fanfic I've ever posted, and I'm nervous and really excited to just put this to type. I've had this outlined in a notebook for MONTHS.

Tav is a druid tiefling named Autumn, a picture of her at the end!

----------------

Crack, shuffle, snap, shuffle, snort.

It was easy to let the instincts of her current wildshape take over, the owlbear's form that she wore happy and healthy and... a little hungry to be honest after the whirlwind of a fight that just ended.

The gaggle of goblins and wargs had caught Autumn and her merry band off guard as they limped their way back to camp, the blood of a gnoll pack they had ambushed still wet on armor and weapon as a small chuckle is passed around thanks to a wisecrack from Karlach.

It was a surprisingly close fight, something that rubbed the druid the wrong way. She kept to her wildshape partially to be ready just in case of another attack.... but also because she was otherwise embarrassingly injured in her tiefling form. A lucky duo of goblins had found her blindspot and had taken advantage, draining their luck with a few good hits between two of then before they had been met with a very angry owlbear and her claws.

Gale was safe as was Karlach, Autumn had checked on them just after the final death squeal from the biggest warg wheezed out, and now it was on to find her favorite vampire.

So she was getting a snack on the way... a druid's gotta eat! ESPECIALLY if she was intent on being a nightly snack for one of hee companions like she had been for at least the past two ten-days.

A blackberry bramble lures the druid further from the path the Goblins had attacked them on, dark flesh warm and sweet to her nose and her tongue was already licking her beak.

A sharp intake of breath from behind a non blackberry laden bush snaps Autumn's attention from her plump prize, the muffled swear flitting about in a voice that she would recognize anywhere and at any time.

With more stealth than her feathered stature would suggest she had, Autumn lumbers closer to where she knew the vampire was hiding and announces herself with a trill of a chitter.

Astarion nearly leapt into the canopy above at the sound and his good hand landed with a soft slap of his armor over where his heart would have been thundering if it still had the ability, antagonistic surprise replaced quickly with a practiced pout to his lips. His eyes flicked from Autumn to over her shoulders, watching shadows and their movements for any sign of another coming attack.

"Darling," he starts to drawl. "You shouldn't go skulking when there's a vampire about."

Crimson on the hand gripping his shoulder catches Autumn's attention, eyes narrowing as she stands on her hind legs and waddles forward towards him. It earns her a scoot back of surprise from Astarion, him probably not expecting a full grown owlbear to come up and loom over him while inspecting what damage she could.

Gold eyes flecked with green lock with Astarion's red, a request for permission to look closer. With a roll of red and a grimace of fangs, his hand comes away from the wound sticky and leaking, and presents it to Autumn.

Looked like a through and through arrow wound, some of the fletching having caught on the ragged edges of his armor giving it away. With a twist of her head, she also notes a slash to the side of his armor, blood hiding itself in the dark leather much better than the sister wound at his shoulder.

Backside hitting the packed earth under her with a thump, the owlbear chitters and lifts a taloned paw to poke and prod gently to get a better look.

Hrmmm. How was she going to fix this... a healing potion should do the trick seeing as she was fresh tapped of healing magic, Shadowheart's talents useless as she was back at camp at the moment none the wiser.

Had Autumn been paying attention during her careful assessment, she would have seen the gears turning in Astarion's head and his eventual conclusion.

"You’re hurt, aren't you." A statement, not a question, and one that received a warning growl as his answer before claws click back to work.

The Vampire stays still only long enough for a first draft plan to form in his head, his upper body leaning forward so suddenly it got a squawk of surprise from Autumn. A slender finger darts up and finds its mark on the hard curve of her beak, a blink following the silence.

"No no. You love to masquerade in that suit of feathers and fur, I know, but you're avoiding your humanoid shape. I can tell DON'T try denying it."

A scowl flits across the owlbear's face as Autumn, now caught red handed, trills her excuse at a man who couldn’t and didn't care to hear the excuse. Large arms folding in a very humanoid way, she looks away with feigned annoyance.

A clawed paw rises a moment later along with a defeated huff, a claw swirling around in a silent request for Astarion to turn around and give her some privacy. It's with softened eyes and his own begrudging sigh that the vampire did as was asked.

With a flash of neon green bordering on white, feather and fur disintegrate as they fall to red ridged skin. A sharp canine dug into her bottom lip as the condition of her body aligned with her nerves, the sword slash to her back coming into a sharp burning focus.

She inhales a hiss of pain, trying her best to keep her wounds as unassuming as possible...

Too bad that back turned to her belonged to a vampire.

Her hands leap out to grab his shoulders without thinking as she sees his head perk and ears wiggle at the scent now drenching the small area, missing by a hair as the Rogue shifts to the side and out of her grasp and instead cuffs her own wrists in his steel grip.

There's an unamused glint to his raised brow expression, the corners of his lips trying to form into some form of his trademark smirk. "Worrying about me when you're two steps and a stuff breeze away from depriving me of my favorite meal? How very... you." The smile almost appeared with a soft snort and shake of his head, a grunt coming from him as he pushes himself up from the log he had settled on.

It all falls into a hard frown as he finally leans around ans claps eyes on what was making Autumn wince and gnash her teeth.

"AUTUMN! I can practically SEE your spine through you armor!" Hands released back into her company, Astarion instead latches them to HER shoulders and holds her front and center, the furrow in his brow holding just enough concern that her well trained for this eyes could pick it up between the anger.

"And /I/ was the one being fretted over? Why the hells didn't you tell one of us?"

Mismatched green eyes narrow again at Astarion, temper flickering to life at the tone he flung at her despite the meaning under it.

"/I/ wasn't the one who slunk away to lick my wounds, ASTARION." a hand carefully reaches back and touches the edges of the cut, nose scrunching as small shocks of pain shoot into her torso. "I planned to see Shadowheart as soon as we got back." She grumbles, the bluster of her flared temper already leaving her.

"Yes yes, so you say." he hums as he pushes back her mane of hair out of the way to get the best look he could, expression twisting a bit in thought as he assesses how to approach the slice.

Looking over her shoulder and through the twists of her hair, Autumn bites her lips to keep the grin off as she, at first, slowly lowers her inspecting hand down and away... only to channel the last dredges of her healing magic and twists enough for her to lightly slap his injured side. A pitiful level one healing word, but enough to earn her an annoyed glare of thanks.

Her work done Autumn smirks and turns back around, trying to keep any stretching to her back to a minimum. At first she thinks she moved the wrong way as a zap goes up her spine and through her ribs, a sharp intake of breath drowning a small squeak of pain.

And then she felt his fingers, now much more gentle, move about the perimeter of her wound. /Oh he did that on purpose./

"Star..." She starts the warning through gritted teeth and gets a puff of a laugh behind her for her troubles.

"A single nudge and you're already squirming for-HURK" The probably well rehearsed line is cut off mid delivery by Autumn's whole hand being firmly planted square in his face, pointy nose digging into her palm.

The blush that turned her red skin a brighter shade only made the vampire's tinkling laugh fill the small clearing once he swatted the hand away and saw it, that elusive smile now appearing and meeting his eyes.

The druid can't stay mad when she hears and see him in a slightly better mood , her own snort of a laugh breaking the frown that had started to grow on her face.

With a twirling motion to mirror her own from before, Astarion silently tells her to turn and get that armor off. Shrugging, she does as asked, reaching up through the discomfort to work the latches and ties off. While she worked on her leathers Astarion reached around and behind the log he had been on to retrieve his until now hidden pack. With quick hands he has bandages, healing potions, a water skin, and rags ready and waiting for the tiefling.

As Autumn let the collection of leather drop to the ground she shivers at the sudden chill the wet blood on her back gave to the breeze. Crossing her arms over her chest, the druid looks back just in time to see a grimace on Astarion's face before he had time to hide it.

"That bad?" She finally asks as she turns back and stares ahead.

"Who?" the single syllable holds a whole paragraph of threats to the perpetrator of her wound, his cold hand soothing to the heat that seemed to radiate off the slash.

"Well, they're each in about 5 different pieces and dead now so.... Doesn't matter. What about you?" Autumn shrugs lightly and tries to take on a more chipper tone, fatigue starting to set in on the edges of her words.

"Flanked by a whole group of beasties. A waste of blood but, tsk, what is one to do when you've already got one dagger in the side and 3 more are looking for room and board." He says it so casually, a flick of one hand sending drops of pink tinged water off a wet cloth he had started to clean her up with.

Brows furrow once again as he sets to his work, jaw clenched only a bit as he stomps down the beast inside urging him to take a nibble while a weakened victim sits before him.

Bird calls and insects fill the void as the vampire continues his work, a soft brush across his booted foot making his eyes glance down towards Autumn's tail. The limb was writing and roiling behind its owner, the tip curling and twisting as if it was a snake in its dying throws.

Without a second thought Astarion adjusts his leg and gives the appendage something to cling on to, a corner of his lips lifting as he feels a squeeze of thanks.

"You’re distracting me, dear."

"Sorry. Nerves are still a little on edge."

"Do you smell anything?"

"Well, no, but-"

"AH ah. Then /relax/ for a few moments." a hand slides to one of her bare forearms and rubs it a bit to try and sooth the druid. "I don't smell anything, well besides your delectable self and your owlbear, either. I think our rag tag group of misfits has successfully scared the masses away for the moment."

Autumn snorts loud enough to sound like her owlbear self again but stays still as Astarion works the healing potions into the wound and dabs at the blood, a contented quiet finding the duo until their party comes looking for them.

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#astarion x tav #bg3 fic #tav x astarion #astarion fic #HOLDS THIS UP AS AN OFFERING TO THE FANDOM #YOU ALL HAVE LITERALY INSPIRED ME TO WRITE AND POST SOMETHING AFTER 10 YEARS ON THIS SITE #autumn #she's married to gale but sometimes he wonders if her and Astarion are long lost siblings or SOMETHING #because there IS love there but more familial than romantic #platonic soul mates baby

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omgkalyppso · 4 months

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Your OC's Phone

Someone put this prompt up in a server I'm in, so maybe it's already an ask game out in the site somewhere, but if not I'll bring the prompt to this big blue hell and the friends in my computer.

(✿◡‿◡)

What is your oc's contact name for their significant other(s) in their phone? Assume an AU for oc's whose settings don't have phones.

I'll tag @boghermit, @toucansafari, @ghostwise, @razrogue, @allycryz, @the-eldritch-it-gay and YOU.

Faedolyn

Initially wanted a nickname for Claude in Fae's phone for the time he spends away in Almyra post-canon while they're ruling a united Fodlan, and then that evolved into nicknames as contact names for initially meeting people regardless of setting. As relationships progress they get their names in their phone.

stranger -> claude

lhg -> lorenz

d flower 🌸 -> hilda

studs -> avery

Étoile

The opposite. People start as their proper names in their phone and then as relationships grow they get an elvish pet name. + Bonus Raphael (as the keeper of their contract / soul; so can be grateful, spiteful, etc. depending on mood).

Astarion -> vanimelda 💘

Halsin -> taurëva 💚

Wyll -> endamaican 🕺

Zevlor -> arquenya 🫀

He Who Was -> nécelda 👻

Komira -> telyantalnya 🐺

Locke -> vëonya 💙

Raphael -> keeper 📜

Elvish translations inspired by this site, below the cut:

vanimelda (the most beautiful)

taurëva (from the great forest)

endamaican (blade of my heart)

arquenya (my noble knight)

nécelda (pale, faint, dim to see + elf) (not to be confused with nívelda (pale elf))

telyantalnya (my temptation = alluring + mine) nauro (wolf / werewolf)

mára (good) vëonya ("lover" = manly / vigorous (or man = "active") + mine)

#faedolyn #oc tag: étoile

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cococowboah · 7 months

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If his heart wasn’t racing before, it was racing double now.

Triple, even.

How would Gale spot him if he never saw a picture of his face? Would he even be able to spot Gale himself after only seeing pictures? What if it’s a complete failure and they can’t even find each other?

He looked left and right, there were crowds of people out tonight for the local band, music was blasting, people were screaming, random drunkards kept bumping into him and muttering “‘scuse me” before stumbling away.

One of them nearly splashed her red wine on him, she didn’t even apologize for nearly ruining his getup.

He worked hard on his outfit in fact. He wanted to stand out tonight, donned the brightest white top he had and a pair of ruby trousers matching his red velvet coat.

He felt handsome, his maid said just as much, and that would have to be enough despite the nagging feeling in the back of his head that told him he could never truly look good enough if he didn’t even know how he looked.

Coming up on the sidewalk he spied a man who just might be the one he was looking for, looking down at his phone before locking eyes with the one in red, and smiling.

A vibration came from the phone in Astarion’s hand. He looked down and smiled.

I see you!

Before he could reply, the man had arrived, wearing blue jeans and a purple T sporting a graphic of a wizard hat.

He held out his hand.

“How are you on this lovely night?” He had to shout over the music, Astarion could just barely make out what he said, ignoring his outstretched hand not for the sake of being rude, but because he didn't even notice it.

"Overstimulated, to be quite honest." He shouted back. Gale pointed behind them towards a less busy section of the sidewalk, and the two walked until they could finally hear their own thoughts again.

"Didn't expect it to be so busy, honestly. You waited in front of there the entire time?"

He didn't know what to say. He hadn't been thinking about the noise or how he could have just told him he'd meet him in front of a calmer area, he was too damn nervous to even realize.

"It wasn't that long of a wait." He lied. He'd gotten there early for fear of being late, and was enduring the ever growing crowd for about 35 minutes prior to Gale's arrival.

"I must say though, you are much more handsome in person."

"As are you." He smiled and tried to avoid bringing up how underdressed he looked. He was tempted to think it implied he didn't care about the date, but it also didn't help that he now felt terribly overdressed for the occasion.

"Apologies for not dressing quite as nicely as you have," Gale held out his arms and looked down at his own outfit, "had I known you'd be the bell of the ball, I'd have dressed the part."

"Oh, no worries. Only a matter of time before I ditch the coat anyhow."

"Well if you do, I'd be happy to carry it for you. It looks very," he held out his hands while looking for a word, " soft. "

"I suppose it is, it's velvet after all."

Gale nodded and smiled at him as he gave a little pose in the outfit, clearly holding back a chuckle.

"Excuse me?"

"Gonna be honest with you," he held his hands up in a mock surrender, "I'm a little, tiny bit, teensy weeny tiny bit high right now."

"High? On what?"

"Edibles. What else?"

"I mean, there's a hell of a lot else."

"I really didn't mean to get high before our date, but my nerves were really not letting up. I had one brownie before heading out but I forgot I made them twice as strong as I usually do, and now, here we are, I apologize, I understand if you're mad at me."

Astarion was more upset about the outfit mismatch if he was being honest with himself.

"Why would I care if you're high? I'll probably be drunk soon anyways."

"I did bring one for you in case you wanted one," he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a completely flattened brownie in a Ziploc baggie, "but I forgot it was in my back pocket and, well. I'm sure it still works."

He looked at it quizzically, and started to chuckle.

"You, sat on it?"

"I did, but I didn't notice I did until, well," Astarion surprisingly took the bag from him, investigating the moist, crumbled wreck of THC infused snack cake, "until just now, if we're being honest."

He opened up the bag, getting hit with a sickeningly sweet stench and a waft of herb. He decided the best way to eat it without making a mess of himself would be to loosen up the crumbs in the bag and pour them into his mouth.

"Wouldn't be like myself to let you have all the fun." He said before doing so, trying to avoid gagging at the unique aftertaste coating his tongue afterwards.

Gale looked deep in thought for a moment, half of him staring at Astarion like he was the prettiest sight he'd ever seen, the other half looking a bit concerned.

"Do you use often?"

He shook his head. "No, probably only tried it once or twice."

"Hmm." He looked down at the ground and gulped before saying matter-of-factly, "you might trip balls tonight."

"Well how strong are they?"

"I'd tell you the specifics but if you're not a stoner, numbers won't tell you much. But you've probably taken enough to knock a horse on it's ass for twelve hours while it binges Mr. Ed and snacks on sugar cubes."

That definitely wasn't what Astarion wanted to hear. You'd think he'd fucking tell me that before I downed the thing.

"Well, how long do we have until I'm completely fucked?"

"Forty-five minutes or so."

"Well…" he looked at the world around them, silently considering every little thing that will probably freak him out once the edibles kick in. Sounds will be louder, lights will be brighter, touch will be more sensitive, emotions will run higher. To be entirely honest with himself, he was finding it hard to complain too much, especially if things between the two of them get steamy.

"Let's go kill 45 minutes before you have to babysit me then."

"Sounds great," he wanted to start walking, but he paused, looked around, then leaned into his date's ear, "perhaps you could play babysitter first because I am really high right now."

"Right, how about we get something to eat? You said you wanted to try Roundtable ?"

"I did, but, honestly, I'm craving a burger. Like a nice, big, juicy," he made the image of a burger with his hands, displaying the size of the sandwich he wanted, "like the biggest, the meatiest, most tender-"

"Alright, got it, burger, where's a burger place?"

He stopped to consider. "I have no clue, honestly."

Astarion bit his lip, hoping it wasn't going to take much longer before he could get either alcohol or THC in his bloodstream and avoid getting worked up over his date's quickly amounting fuck ups.

The outfit thing was whatever. The edibles were explainable. But not warning him about the metric shit ton of weed he just ingested before he ate it, and now being too high to decide on a restaurant was starting to get under the vampire’s skin.

He looked up and down the street for any sign of a burger joint, soon spotting some familiar golden arches in the near distance.

" Mickdees , will that satiate you?"

"Oh, more than you could ever believe."

"Follow me, it's just up that way." He started walking forwards from the spot beside the bar, reaching a crosswalk and hitting a button on a street sign to cross.

Gale followed closely behind, mentally kicking himself to decide on whether he should reach out for the other man's hand or not.

Was it too soon? If not now, then when? Should he just avoid touching him at all?

Just as he was about to reach out for his hand anyways, he realized Astarion was already crossing the street, the light having turned at least a few seconds prior. He quickened his pace to catch up with him, though shamelessly taking more than a moment to stare at his date's perfect rear.

It was hypnotic, swaying back and forth in those tight cherry red velvet dress pants, commanding attention from any and all who dared to take just a peak .

He tripped over himself when they reached the other side of the road, nearly tumbling to the concrete as penance for not paying any damn attention.

"You alright?" Astarion asked, unsure if he should laugh it off or add it to the list of things he wasn't enjoying.

"I'm just fine, distracted is all."

"Distracted by walking ?"

"Well, being behind you is very distracting while walking."

He smiled at the flattery. He was beginning to like Gale again, especially if he could pepper up his ego a bit more.

"What had you so distracted, I wonder?"

Gale felt cornered. Tell him the truth and be exposed as a pervert, or lie and risk hurting his feelings?

"The sky, it's," he looked up, pointed upwards as well, "it's very shiny tonight."

When he looked back down, his date was raising an eyebrow a mile high.

"You'd rather stare at the sky than me? "

"If I told you no would you get mad?"

"I'd be mad if you said yes!"

"Oh, well in that case, you have a lovely ass." He took a gentlemanly bow and rested his hands behind his back.

"That's more like it." He took a step forward towards Gale and laid a teasing finger on his chest, "I don't get to see my ass often, it's nice when others can admire it for me."

Gale was pretty sure his heart had stopped.

The vampire continued walking and he followed close behind, not only continuing to admire the rump without shame, but playing the previous scene on repeat in his mind as well.

His touch was heavenly, even if it was just for a moment. That spark was undeniable.

How it was gonna feel to hold his hand, hold him, maybe even kiss him before the night was over if he got really lucky, it would be electrifying. Not a single bit less magical than magic itself.

He found himself longing for that hand of his, a hand that was dropped to his side, being held out ever so slightly as he walked, like he wanted Gale to reach out and grab it.

He couldn't just assume though. Astarion wasn't even walking next to him, he doubted he really wanted him to hold his hand.

They reached a large white building and passed under a pair of neon yellow arches before reaching the door. The vampire took the lead in opening it for his partner, guiding him in and keeping a close eye on him as he looked around at the inside, his eyes taking in the fairly mundane sight with unexpected enthusiasm, like they had just entered an exciting new dimension.

He caught sight of something, or someone, far in the back of the restaurant, his eyes fixated on the sight as his feet stopped in place, causing the vampire to bump into his back after not expecting the sudden pause.

"What?" He looked in the direction he was looking, confused. There was nothing of interest over there, just a stupid magic eye poster made of burgers.

"Gale!"

He snapped back, startled by the shriek of his name, but pleasantly surprised by the feeling of his hands on his back, surprisingly warm hands for a vampire.

"Sorry?"

"What the hell has your all-consuming interest now?"

"You're right, I'm sorry," he shook his head, trying to clear up the endlessly morphing world in his mind faster than it would naturally dissipate, "I'll do better, I swear, rest of the night, you have my full attention."

"Good," Astarion took a step forward, grabbed Gale's hand like a grown man directing a child, and charged towards the ordering area, "now get yourself something to eat, maybe it'll sober you up."

He tried not to scowl at the fact that he was in a godsdamned Mickdees , in one of the nicest suits he owned, with a date who was so damn high he probably didn't remember his own name at this point.

But despite the ever growing negatives this evening, there was something unexpectedly calming about the moment.

Astarion looked down at their interlocked hands, a twinge of honey soaked heat erupted from his stomach and emerged as a smile on his face. He looked from the fingers he was holding to the arm that they were attached to, and up the arm to the shoulder, the neck, the face of the man who was making a fool out of himself because he was nervous about going on a date with him.

Even though there was so much to complain about right now, there was a hell of a lot to find joy in, too.

"Can I take your order?" The tiefling at the front finally asked, causing Gale to shift from another daydream back into the real world once more. He ordered something, Astarion wasn't paying attention to what exactly, and when he finished his order and turned to the snowy haired beauty, he found himself in the same dreamlike state.

He shook his head suddenly and went wide eyed. "Sorry?"

"I asked if you wanted anything."

"Oh, no, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Like I said, I eat for fun. I don't find Mickdees fun."

"Oh, well why don't we go somewhere you like then? I don't want you feeling left out."

"I'll be fine, we'll get some chocolate or ice cream later."

"You like chocolate? You ever been to the chocolatier up the road from here?"

"I didn't know there was one, actually."

"Oh man, it's incredible! They have a chocolate dragon that's animated with magic, a giant fondue fountain, and the most amazing chocolate pretzels you'll ever taste."

"A chocolate dragon?" It was sounding more and more intriguing by the second.

"Um, do you fellas still wanna order?" The tiefling cashier asked, getting nervous as a line started growing longer and longer behind the bantering couple.

After a little bit more deliberation between the two of them, they left the counter and headed back for the door, leaving room for a halfling and her three bickering sons to step up and order.

"Three kiddie meals for the little ones, and whatever that bearded guy was gonna eat."

The tiefling tapped the order into the register, only to look up and find, not just the bearded guy staring at the magic eye poster in the back, but the white haired one too.

The edibles were kicking in.

Astarion felt glued to the image, he felt a certain determination in himself, to see something he knew had to be there.

Gale was right there with him, giddy in the fact alone that the man beside him was holding his hand still, the sweat between their fingers dancing in tiny pools on their skin, getting to know each other more intimately than the couple could ever hope to do in one night.

He still wondered if this was just a "let's stick together while the edibles hit" kind of hand holding, or a "I really like you and want to touch you" kind of hand holding.

Regardless, he took a chance, and willed himself to rub his thumb along the soft finger of the other.

It sent a shock between the two of them, that tender feeling bubbling up to new extremes as their emotions felt heightened.

Astarion didn't break his gaze from the poster, feeling far too determined to find it, whatever it was, but his mind was admittedly cloudy with the mist of affection that was creeping up his arm from the touch of their hands.

"So," Gale broke the silence, "the chocolatier?"

"Of course." He broke away, had to force himself to, really. He'd have to come back here someday just so he could stare at the poster, maybe eventually he'd find what he was looking for.

For now, he should be focusing on something he was looking for that he did manage to find; a handsome date who wasn't failing to bring a smile to his face.

Or was that the THC? Regardless, it was Gale's doing.

The bearded one tugged them towards the door, and out they went into the bustling nightlife once again, traversing the city streets and dodging carriages and cars alike, the two vehicle types sharing a road now for a century, many people either couldn't afford the motorized magic guzzlers, or didn't want to, so they were accommodated.

Towards the beach, they spotted a massive dark-walled factory. Plumes of delightful chocolate and vanilla vapor poured from the stacks, invigorating the munchie-prone duo with the pleasant anticipation of sweets on their tongues.

They were still holding hands, both of them growing more comfortable with the sensation as the moments went on, each of them finding that the other felt a little more like home as they walked together.

Astarion frowned when he caught sight of the name of the chocolatier, however.

"Gortash's?!"

"Eye-catching name right? No relation, but the owner wanted a bit of controversy to drum up business."

There was more to that name than simple controversy for the vampire. It didn't just drum up memories of battles long since past, it trudged up memories of a certain ex as well.

"You wouldn't happen to know the owner's name, would you?"

"Not really, think it was Dahnver something."

That was fine. Long as he didn't share a name with a particular someone, he could walk into the poorly named building with a little more confidence.

The scent from the outside of the building was nothing compared to the pure ecstasy of the fragrances that greeted anyone who walked through the door. Chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, strawberries, cream, a chill full of flavor danced around the two as they crossed the threshold, filling their senses with sweetness and calm.

The dragon was towards the back, a group of children were clapping and screaming in joy as it performed tricks and spit wrapped candies at them.

The fondue fountain was towards the other section, a barrier reading "do not lick" in several languages was hung from red rope in front of the massive thing.

Astarion had to admit, the idea of sticking his tongue directly into the liquid fall of pure chocolate was tempting, but not impossible to ignore.

Not yet, at least. The edibles had been taking a slow ride on him, he was hoping he'd maintain the majority of his conviction through the thick of it.

They walked up to a massive display case, its peak being a foot over their heads. The sections within were filled to the brim with sweets, chocolate covered strawberries the size of a fist, candied goodberries, caramel apples, massive chocolate pretzels that would label a man a glutton if he were to down the entire thing alone in a single session.

Astarion didn't doubt that Gale had at least attempted such a feat in his past.

"See anything you like?" He seemed more attentive than he was at Mickdees , and the vampire himself was feeling like a fool in the moment now. He could hardly focus, everything looked good, but he also felt good.

He felt good holding Gale's hand, and it was hard to pay attention to much else when all he wanted to do was absentmindedly swing their palms together and lean his head on his shoulder.

Gale cleared his throat, intentionally snapping him out of it.

"Hmm?" He was smiling like an idiot, his eyes dazed and redder than usual.

Gale leaned in and lowered his voice, "did it kick in?"

He snorted and turned away to giggle.

Yep.

The slightly more sober one walked up to a counter, ordered one massive pretzel and something unintelligible to the vampire's elven ears. He was focused on that dragon, how fucking hilarious that dragon was.

Just look at it, big dopey blue eyes, it's cherry pink taffy tongue hanging out and slapping around as it moved and shook, the magic being used just barely keeping it from toppling over and crushing those kids.

It was maddeningly funny to picture it, children screaming as a massive chocolate bodied dragon fell on them, smashing into pieces and coating the kids in a sticky brown mess.

They'd either go home happy or horrified. Either way, Astarion found it fucking hilarious.

So hilarious, in fact, he was giggling like a mad man, still attached to his date, a date who was holding a large blue paper bag that currently housed their sweet treats.

"You alright there?" Gale tugged on his hand to get his attention, and the giggling elf turned around to see those kind, slightly concerned eyes of his.

The laughing stopped, giving way to a huge, uncontrollable smile as he tugged back.

"I'm fantastic." He sounded like he was on the verge of happy tears, his eyes were already welling up like a mother on her son’s wedding day.

"Good. Wanna go down to the shore and share these?" He held up the bag, and the vampire nodded, but not before pausing.

"I'm so damn thirsty, could we stop for a drink?"

"A drink?" He looked nervous and pointed to himself, "like, blood?"

He shook his head. "No, water, tea, probably not booze but something."

"Ah, cotton mouth. I got just what you need." He quickly pulled his fingers away from the vampires, both their hands suddenly feeling cold and lonesome as he reached into his back pocket and took out a small vial of clear liquid.

"Some of this will fix you right up." He handed him the vial, it was unlabeled, suspicious even.

"What's this?"

"Just a little solution I came up with to help myself with moments like these. Just a drop on your tongue will trigger the production of saliva in your mouth, counteracting the effects of-"

"If it won't kill me I'll try it. No need for a biology lesson." He opened the vial and took a dab on his tongue, and almost immediately the dry, cracked feeling in his mouth dissipated, bringing on a much needed relief.

"Did it work?"

"Surprisingly. Refreshing." He nodded, returned the bottle to Gale and followed as they walked out of the chocolatier.

He wanted to return to holding his hand, but they had been sharing that affection since walking here from Mickdees, wouldn't it seem desperate to continue touching him like that?

But that was before, when Astarion was the headstrong adult guiding around the wandering and starry eyed Gale. It was swapped now, the world outside was too intense and filled with heightened uncertainty now to go it alone once more.

He reached out for the hand, grasping and interlocking their digits once more as they walked to the shore.

Gale smiled as the feeling became familiar once again, the fearless affection being something he hadn't felt in ages.

"Careful, I might start thinking you like me." He teased, giving a tender squeeze to the hand he held.

" You got me high, you babysit me, remember?" He stumbled over his own foot, quickly being saved by the strong hand he was connected to.

"I know the deal."

They came to a nice area, quiet, just in front of the ocean, a bench present to keep their well dressed hides free from too much sand. Astarion hadn't been to this area in decades, if not more; he was never a beach person.

But this was more than lovely. The moon was full, there wasn't a single cloud to distract its beauty from hitting the shoreline and beyond.

The moonlight cast a faint blue hue among the two would-be lovers, and their hands came undone once more so Gale could open the paper bag and remove the massive, already nearly melting chocolate coated pretzel.

He offered it to the vampire, who reached out for a bite, displaying his fangs in full view as he locked eyes with the man and bit down with a softening crunch.

Gale definitely didn't want to admit that the sight turned him on. Gods, he was beautiful. Those bright red eyes were so intense, even when you could see from his face alone just how high he was.

He was staring right back, images flashing rapidly in his mind, Gale, the night they were having, all they had done and had yet to do.

He pulled back and finally started chewing the bite he took, moaning at the splash of savory salt among a warm sea of cocoa and milk in his mouth.

Gale swallowed and shook his head before taking a bite for himself. He was starving, but he felt bad getting any food that he couldn't share with his date.

He smiled to himself as he remembered the extra little gift he had purchased just for Astarion, he held the pretzel between his teeth and reached into the bag to pull it out.

Once he had it in hand, he pulled the pretzel back out and handed him his gift.

"This is for you." A handmade chocolate rose, every petal a slightly darker shade of red, the stem being a carefully crafted lollipop stick coated in dark chocolate.

Astarion grinned. "I was hoping you'd bring me flowers."

"Will this work?"

He took a sensual bite out of a petal, those teeth of his, pearly dangerous whites more than capable of piercing flesh, biting down on the red dyed chocolate and melting it along his fangs.

He was smiling endlessly, enjoying this immensely, recognizing that look on Gale's face and feeling absolutely delighted at the fact that he was the reason for it.

He felt sexy, adored, beautiful.

He didn't get to feel beautiful very much nowadays.

"I know our date has barely started but, this is the best time I've had in a while." Gale finally said, still too enamored with the sight of his new vampire friend sexually devouring a chocolate flower in front of him to look anywhere else.

It didn't help that he kept moaning between each bite, playing up the private show as much as he could muster, the chemical delight coursing through his veins and making every sensation triple and quadruple in his limbs and mind.

The temptation to kiss him was getting harder to ignore. Gale turned away and took a deep breath, continuing to chow down on the pretzel, the only thing he had to satisfy that burning hunger in his stomach.

But Astarion wasn't ready to give up his attention. He finished with the rose and tossed the stick, coming to find that his finger was drenched in chocolate.

Typically being one to hate anything sticky or messy coming into contact with his bare hands, he surprised even himself when he reached over to his bench mate and playfully smeared the sweet ick across his cheek.

"Oops." He giggled, starting to find it funnier than sexy.

Gale returned the action, smearing a small dot of salted milk chocolate along the elf's elegant nose, and receiving another smear on his other cheek in response.

They caught each other in a chuckle fit as Astarion found himself climbing over into the lap of his date, his hands smearing the buttery sweet goop everywhere they could touch. He didn't even care that Gale's filthy hands were probably totally destroying his nice red velvet coat with chocolate as he held him to his lap, that feeling of their bodies pressed together was too agonizingly beautiful to care for the cost it came with.

His head was dipped back in ecstasy as his sticky fingers dipped up into Gale's scalp, shivering at the touch of his warm hair, soft, long, gorgeous locks . He caressed his head, bringing him close to his chest, feeling high on more than just the edible.

He couldn't believe the feeling, it had been so long since he felt this way. Mere touch alone sending him into a fit of near orgasmic bliss, his body enduring pleasures that rivaled the best sex he ever had.

And when he looked down, it was just a man. Just a mere mortal man looking up into his eyes like he was the most precious and beautiful sight he ever laid his ocular orbs upon.

He was looking up at Astarion like he was the full moon itself on this glorious night, and the elf found his gaze peering down at Gale with the same intensity as when he first saw the sun after 200 years of darkness.

He came to caress his face with his hands, pale white digits glazing gently over the bumps and crevices that made up his skin, dragging the back of his fingertips up and towards his ear, holding him still, wondering how true the intensity between them was.

It didn't matter now. He felt good, and he wanted to keep feeling good.

"Could I kiss you?" He asked, and he could feel the massive thump Gale's heart gave out in exchange.

"Of, of course." His face became a furnace as the vampire drew nearer, his lips so gently parted, his movements as slow and precise as he could muster.

They touched, and fire. Slow, burning passion erupting through their lips.

Gale dipped his head, the kiss melting from a meeting of lips to a collision of mouths. His hands held that soft velvet tightly to his body, excitement threatening to take hold and make the moment uncontrollable.

Astarion's playful tongue was exploring the mouth of his new lover, every tooth accounted for, every waltz between their tongues was noted and learned.

Gale moaned into it, his hands traveling from his back to a little lower, before bringing his hands back up and stopping himself from grabbing his rear, trying his best to be a gentleman.

Astarion laughed into the kiss, reached around and grabbed his partners arm, lowering his hand back down until his warm palm was caressing his rump.

His own hands were touching the chest of his lover, caressing his breast and squeezing ever so gently. Gods he hoped this was gonna go further, even if not tonight, he needed this body, this soul , in his bed, in his arms. He needed this chest to rest his head on, he needed these lips to give him life.

It was hard to ignore the growing excitement between them, their trousers could only hold back so much. Astarion was tempted to grab at the bulge he had undoubtedly rubbed against at least a few times now, but it felt too far. Gale seemed too timid for that right now.

He finally pulled them apart, laying several more kisses on his lips as a parting gift before pulling back up and allowing himself to come down from the ecstasy.

Gale swallowed. "That was amazing ."

"I'm told I'm a pretty good kisser despite the teeth."

"Well, I found it quite enjoyable. Teeth and all."

"I can tell." He was looking directly down between them, both laps sporting rock solid cylinders that seemed to be begging to touch.

It was funny to him. Everything was a little bit funny, even kissing Gale was funny, he tasted like chocolate and weed.

"Just when I was hoping for so little as a hug, too."

"A hug? Simple enough." He reached his arms out and wrapped them around Gale's head, bringing him in close to his body again, this time smelling him, his hair, his skin, his sweat, his cologne, his warmth, all tingling his nostrils and mixing into a fine fragrance he was coming to know as Gale.

The mortal himself was completely taken with the scent of his vampire date, the crook of his neck was strongly scented with some kind of flowery yet metallic perfume, breathing in a powerful and warming sensation from the oil on his skin.

He couldn't help himself, he laid a kiss on the skin below his nose, a lasting peck of tender lips against flesh, a pure act of affection and intimacy, a little reminder of just how much he was enjoying their time spent together.

It didn't go unfelt. His lips on his skin made him feel vulnerable, in a good way. Lips locking to lips was special and sexual in its own way, but his mouth pressed against his flesh felt more like a practice in trust than the former did.

Trusting him not to take it too far. Trusting him not to bite him, to rip out his neck with his teeth.

To think the vampire was the one to have any concern with being bitten, it seemed comical. But this act was the one thing he couldn't find funny, no matter how hard he might have tried.

Suddenly, a rumble came out from the stomach of the bearded one, loud and creaky, almost angry in its tone.

They broke apart, the vampire looking down at his partner with concern.

"Sorry," Gale smiled, "little bit hungry."

"We never did get you that burger."

"I might ask that we get one now? Chocolate pretzel isn't gonna do it turns out."

"Well, come on then," he smiled, pulling himself to his feet and doing his best not to stumble off the lap of his partner as he held out his hand, "we've still got a full date to enjoy. And in my new state of mind, a burger sounds absolutely delightful right now."

"You had me at burger. " Gale chuckled, taking hold of Astarion's hand and raising himself from the bench, grabbing the empty blue bag from the bench and shoving the crumbled thing into his back pocket, while his other hand tightly grasped the vampire's.

He smiled, his heart singing its own new song.

He couldn't help but wonder what more would be ahead of them.

#bg3 fanfiction #bloodweave #bloodweave fanfic #gale x astarion #astarion x gale #galestarion #modern au

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sandpapersnowman · 3 months

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2,3, 8, 11, 16, 24!

SO MANY okay I'm doing saltburn, gosling, and baldurs gate fandoms lol

2. a headcanon you weren't sure about but have come to like

I've been stuck on this for like 10 minutes but I can't think of any headcanons I haven't immediately liked or disliked orz

3. a character that fandom has helped you appreciate

saltburn: Venetia for sure!! I've been reading a fic where her and Oliver become friends and talk on the phone together a lot, it leaves me cold by nicelittlestyleslad!!!

goslings: I still have yet to see half Nelson but Dan is definitely a character I don't think I would have even looked at if not for sascha and his amazing henry/Dan stuff!

baldurs gate: fandom has taken me from hating gale to being neutral on him tbh. he's. okay I guess

8. you hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, trope, episode, etc)

saltburn: desperately want more fics where Felix is just. such a bottom. I've read some feminization fics w him recently but they just didn't hit like I wanted. I need that man dressed like an egirl

goslings: RICHARD AND HENRY my toxic yaoi boys I love them so much

baldurs gate: we need more wyllstarion. I need them to surpass bl**dw**ve as the top astarion ship

11. what fic or piece of art are you proud of making?

saltburn: oh man I'm really loving the fic I'm writing for kyn, your love can do what no one else can, and I have tons written ahead for it ksfnfn

goslings: I love my richard/henry series so much. they're both such weird characters and they go together So Well, I love them, and I have a lot of fun writing them!!

baldurs gate: honestly I love everything I've written for astarion but I Especially love one I'm working on for ascended astarion and my terrible bard guy. it's awful and I'm having a blast

16. a tiny detail in canon that you want more people to appreciate

saltburn: spoilers but. the fact that Felix looks at Oliver's lips in that one close shot in the maze. the fact that Oliver is petting his face with his thumb in the shadow of his cheek. also Oliver baring his teeth when he's silhouetted with farleigh hoooogh

goslings: not technically a character thing but the fact that ryan gosling has called himself 49% woman. I love him. also listen to Dead Man's Bones

baldurs gate: when astarion smugly goes to pick a lock and rolls a 1

24. how has fandom positively impacted your life?

man I could go on forever about how almost all of my friends have been met through fandom, or how I write every day because of it, or how I'm actually like learning and getting better at drawing because I want to draw certain things

fandom has also done a lot of bad for me in the form of being subjected to shitty takes and meeting a few awful people but for the most part like. I would probably not have otherwise found a sense of community anywhere else because I've been so socially reclusive my whole life

and it's helped me develop socializing skills that DO make me confident enough to talk to non fandom people and like people irl and stuff

Basically like. despite all the wildness I'm grateful that I've been able to find like-minded cool people in basically every fandom I've been in

more specifically though

saltburn: so much of the fandom is like very young adults I've noticed? but it's funny being called grandthey at age 26

goslings: the goosecoooord I love yall and I love all the stuff we do. I've written so much stuff I never would have dipped my toes in because yall have been cool and supportive and awesome

baldurs gate: astarion made me and my girlfriend bisexual and has also gently bridged my knowledge gap to dnd to the point that I could probably enjoy playing it/ttrpgs in general

thanks for the ask!!! :3

#ask games #anon #asks #anon asks

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thatfreshi · 2 months

Text

"Did I Smudge the Scars?" (Uni AU P. 19)

Hello. The long-awaited Halloween party (I know it's almost spring whoops). This took a different turn than I was expecting, but it felt right to me.

TW - alcohol, references to grooming, references to self-harm

When you get to Karlach's dorm, you're met at the door with a lot of scuffling and 'ow!'s, as well as other pathetic hurt sounds.

"Tav, they've been fighting and I can't get them to stop."

A disheveled Gale and Shadow are on the shitty dorm floor, pulling at each other's hair. You glare at your tallest friend.

"Are you... you're serious? As if you aren't literally an athlete?"

She shrugs.

"Well, I'm not going to tell my girlfriend what to do, and I think if I touched Gale he'd fall into tiny pieces. C'mon, please? Just say something to try and get them to break apart?"

The heaviest sigh you've ever let out released from your lungs.

"Hey losers! Astarion and I kissed!"

And as if magically, they stopped clawing at each other. The pale girl is the first to talk.

"What?! And we weren't there?"

She gets off of the artist and fixes her braid.

"Yeah, you guys weren't there because it didn't happen! Karlach's phone call interrupted what was about to be the best kiss of my life, but thanks for getting into another stupid argument that I have to solve for some reason! If I get brought into your bullshit one more time, I swear I will burn this university to the ground."

Gale's eyes go a little wide.

"Can we... at least be outside when you burn it down?"

Your strong gaze doesn't falter, causing him to abandon his lame joke.

"And next time Karlach, please just manhandle her. That's probably what she wants anyways."

You open the dorm door and proceed to slam it, hearing Karlach laugh at her lover.

~~~

The next evening, the seven of you are in Astarion's dorm getting ready for the Halloween party. Shadow and Gale seem to have put their feud away, at least for the night. Your best friend is helping Karlach put on fake horns. You remember her explaining her costume a while ago.

"Listen, I know I'm like super nice! That's why I'm gonna be a demon, because it's like the opposite of me!"

You stare for a while, since your outfit is already put together. Gale catches your gaze lingering for a little too long and gives your shoulder a push, and the two of you laugh a little under your breath.

"Alright, if that amount of eyelash glue doesn't hold those in place I'll give up on makeup forever."

Astarion finishes testing the horns, and they seem to stay in place.

"Tav, come here darling."

You're taken aback, considering your costume was finished first.

"What? Did I smudge the scars?"

Your look for tonight is a scrappy adventurer, something you'd find in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

"No no, they're fine my dear."

You sit on the couch beside him, and he grabs his eyeliner.

"If you're going to be some fierce adventurer, your eyes have to stand out at least."

You're not sure if it was just in your head, but it felt like the entire room got silent. He grabs your head and goes to work on his craft.

"You know you have to close your eyes for me to do this properly, right?"

You didn't realize you had been locking eyes with him.

"Right, sorry."

A light chuckle comes from your throat as the cold, black liner hits your skin. After what feels like only a moment in time, he lets go of you, taking in his work.

"Hm, I probably could've done that a little more evenly, but it'll do. Besides, I doubt eyeliner is all that even in the wilderness."

You open your eyes again, and he smirks when you do.

"Well, thanks for making sure I look 'fierce' or whatever."

He smiles.

"Are we all ready to go then?"

You look at a bored Shadowheart, who is unsurprisingly dressed as a sexy nun. Apparently the lovely couple's costumes matched more than you thought.

"Yeah, I think everyone's done getting ready. Gale, you good?"

You're checking on your friend in a shitty cheap wizard costume, who has been intently staring at his phone for the past 20 minutes.

"Yep, ready to go!"

And suddenly his phone is back in his robe pocket, and the air around him dissipates. So, after a long walk to the parking garage, Gale drives you all past GU, onto the rich area outside the city. When you get to the location on the invite, you're all a little baffled.

"Is Halsin secretly a millionaire? Because he should teach us a thing or two about finances in college if so."

Everyone laughs a little at Wyll's quip as the seven of you exit the van. You all decided to get to the party about an hour after it started, leaving plenty of time for things to pick up. Astarion is a little paranoid before you get inside, and you tug at his vampiric blouse sleeve.

"Hey, it's fine. No one has any reason to think you're here. And if it just so happens that someone less than friendly finds you here, then we leave, simple as that."

"Right, of course. No reason to be worried."

He's trying to convince himself, but before you can further reassure him, Halsin meets your group outside the front door.

"Ah, if it isn't Tav and their lovely friends! Please, come in."

"So like... do you own this place? Or like your mom?"

Halsin turns to respond to Karlach.

"Hah! No, not in the slightest. A friend of mine let me borrow the place. He's from a much richer family than I am, and I figured a party should be held in a vast mansion such as this. Anyway, there's plenty of food, beer pong, board games, and plenty of stunning people looking for a fun time."

He winks at Shadowheart playfully.

"I'll be around, let me know if you all need anything. Please though, go have fun!"

Karlach and Shadowheart look at each other knowingly and start eyeing a couple across the room. Wyll and Lae'zel make their way to beer pong, and Gale wanders off to wallflower somewhere, very unlike him. That leaves you and Astarion, gazes skipping around the room.

"Certainly a much larger abode than I expected. Don't get lost in here darling, I can't remember the last time I went to a party that wasn't purely for PR."

Astarion seems excited. The news of his social media blackout seems to be relatively hidden for now, and there's almost a manic sense about him. For once, he's not a model, he's not repping a brand, he's not watching his figure for some shoot, he's just a college kid.

"Well, what do you want to do then?"

"Perhaps go check and see if the punch is spiked?"

There's a little bit of lust on the tip of his tongue, lust for life, and maybe even you. It's hard to tell though. Emotions have been so high as of recent, and Astarion is difficult to read at best.

"Perhaps we shall."

You playfully extend your arm to interlock, and he accepts. There are most definitely whispers as the two of you go across the main room, and you start to wonder if the articles are coming out, if everyone knows. You try desperately not to grab your phone, and succeed, at least for now.

As you two take a sip of unspiked punch, you take in the scenery. It's quite dark, obviously. Halsin and his friends have very intensely decorated the entire first floor, with all eco-friendly and thrifted items as he constantly reminds everyone.

"Hey! You're that ghost lookin' model boy right?!"

Some party-goer yells, who is clearly drunk. Astarion ignores him at first. The random drunk then yells even louder, as if the music was drowning him out.

"He's gonna fucking kill you!"

He perks up after that, making eye contact with the stranger.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said that weirdo is gonna fucking kill you! Szarr or whatever? I mean good on you though, making a cool statement or whatever. I used to date a model that worked under him, and a couple months after we broke up she went 'missing!' Crazy right?! Anyways man, I hope he doesn't kill you because you're a fuckin' looker. Have a good night!"

After the guy walks off, you and Astarion look at each other.

"Did you know about that?"

"I mean, I knew one of the models he used to work with disappeared, but it was never determined what happened. You don't think..."

You put a hand on his.

"Let's not right now. Let's not go down that route right now."

"Right. I think I need this to actually be spiked."

He leans down and grabs a flask out of his boot.

"I didn't know you brought booze."

"Eh, an emergency stock in case they didn't have any here."

You twiddle your hands nervously.

"Just don't get like, drunk drunk, please? I really cannot handle that tonight."

"Dear, you think I can't handle my liquor? How little you must think of me."

He takes a sip of his newly mixed punch, tapping red acrylics on the cheap plastic cup.

"Let's see if our wonderful Wyll and Lae'zel are winning beer pong, shall we?"

It's as if you've seen a new man tonight, overconfidence to mask fear. Of course it concerns you, because he constantly concerns you. You want to reason, to say that he's enjoying some kind of newfound freedom, but this isn't the Astarion you've come to know. He's not the simple dorm room you've come to love, the glasses he won't tell anyone about, the late-night hours spent on reviewing law papers. Something about it makes your stomach sink a little, wondering if this is who he is now, somehow. That maybe-

"Are you coming darling?"

"Of course."

And your lips curl into a smile, one that you find yourself faking the way he does.

"Bullshit! You moved the cup you fool!"

Lae'zel has already started arguing with various frat bros. Her and Wyll are a surprising duo, already wiping out the competition and taking several cups of shitty, watered-down beer.

"Lae, it's fine, be a gracious winner!"

The guys across the table disperse and leave the champions to reset the table, clearly being the sour ones in this situation.

"Well well well, already winning silly little games are we? Might as well start putting money on it."

Lae'zel turns to Astarion.

"As if I would waste my money on chance. Some people have brains around here."

He simply rolls his eyes, and turns his attention to Wyll.

"I'm sure daddy wouldn't feel too good about you being in a place like this."

Wyll mocks him back.

"I'm pretty sure 'daddy' doesn't even care what I'm doing right now."

He then goes to somberly refill the rest of the cups on the table. You push Astarion's shoulder and give him a look that should clearly say 'hey, that was mean, what the fuck are you doing?' but all he does is shrug at you.

"Don't mind him Wyll, his father doesn't care about him either. That makes you even."

Before the three further bicker about parental relationships, you hear a familiar voice off towards the corner of the room.

"Because Gale, I miss having a friend! I miss knowing you were in control of your life, not some stupid professor. And right now? Right now I'm yelling at you, at a party, instead of hanging out with my hot girlfriend and that sexy GU couple we just chatted up."

"As if you haven't been hiding things from me too Shadow."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm just saying, maybe there's a reason you picked sexy nun instead of sexy cat this year."

"What does that even mean Gale?"

"Oh, don't think I didn't notice during our little scuffle earlier, your arm?"

Suddenly, she gets very quiet, extremely aware of how many people at the party can hear her and Gale yapping. She then grabs his arm and drags him outside the side door. Your stomach is in knots at this point, because for some reason everything is wrong. Everything was supposed to be right after the blackout. Your friends would all be happy and get along, Astarion would be a free man, you'd finally get that kiss you'd been waiting for, and yet here you are, at some Halloween party hosted by your ex, and everything is just... wrong.

Without thinking, you go to the nearest exit of that room, the staircase. You're trying to block out the loud music at this point, but it feels almost impossible. The closest door is the first on your right and you open it, slamming it behind you. You're met with a large bed, probably belonging to some rich couple. The giant windows are covered with blackout curtains, and the carpet is luscious. Things are quieter in here, except for a soft knock at the door once you sit at the edge of the bed.

"Go away!"

"It's me Tav."

Of course Astarion followed you up here, how inseparable the two of you are.

"C'mon Aster."

When he comes in and quietly shuts the door, your head is in your hands. You feel the mattress move as he sits down next to you.

"I'm sorry."

You wipe at a watery eye, the tears just beginning to come in.

"For what? I'm the one that ran off."

He doesn't say anything at first, pondering how to best word this new thought.

"You- you're the first person who has helped me recognize my own patterns, that when I get scared I have this wall up. I've been feeling it since we sat down and cleared all my socials, this overwhelming feeling, like I'm being hunted to the ends of the Earth. And that fear, it makes me someone I don't like. Especially tonight, being outside of campus for the first time since, I just-"

He cries too, the first time you can remember seeing him cry. You lean on his shoulder. He continues.

"I thought I was ready, and I'm not. I'm not ready to be a normal person right now, a college kid that goes to parties."

You scoff slightly.

"I thought things would be normal too. Like somehow we had fixed everything, ya know?"

"Yeah... I do."

"I would like to find normal though, someday... with you."

He turns toward you, forcing you to pick your head back up.

"What does that mean?"

"It means, I think it's time to admit that this isn't just a close friendship. Not to me at least. And that scares the shit out of me too, just like everything else right now."

"Out of billions of people in the world, you would choose to try and find normal, with me?"

"Yeah, if that's okay?"

He hesitates, fear.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Is that bad, that I don't know? I just know you're different, and special to me, and that's enough to me."

"Well... maybe we can give you some time to find out?"

"Well, could I kiss you then, and maybe I'll learn something?"

You two laugh, quiet enough as to not disturb the room, but loud enough that the two of you feel the happiness radiate. He wipes at a tear and nods. It's different than the first time you met, vastly different, as if you've gotten to know someone entirely new. Although, you're not sure what words could really describe the kiss. Fearful, yet excited? Nervous, yet brave? It's over before you know it though, leaving a little flit in your heart. He interrupts your thoughts.

"We should definitely try that a couple more times."

And so you do, alone in a stranger's bedroom, and for once you forget about the various issues spiraling back at RU, about Gale and Shadowheart hating each other, even about Szarr. There's just this soft time in between, where two barely adults having fun just kissing each other, even if it's only a short moment in time, it's yours forever.

#astarion x reader #astarion x tav #baldur's gate 3 #freshiau

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