#astarion smells like the air in a room no one's entered in years

[wheretheharekissesthefox]

Tav’s sex parade – Chapter 12: Mate me, mark me, make me yours (Halsin x Tav)

(Trigger warning (18+): graphic description of sex, smut, cunnilingus, biting, the feels)

Notes:

To avoid confusion: In one of my other fanfics, Halsin and Tav had named the owlbear cup Naïlo, which means 'night breeze' in the Elven language.)

Chapter 8 is mentioned.

The snowflakes twirled through the cold air of the grey day, covering the world in its first fine layer of this year's snow like powdered sugar.

Tav was sitting in the living room, composing, while Gale wrote letters to scholars, Astarion rested in reverie, and Shadowheart was at Morena's place to help her heal some clients. Gale's mother appreciated an extra pair of hands at this time of the years when the townspeople ended up with runny noses and coughs. Scratch and Naïlo were sleeping in front of the fireplace, tightly entangled. The owlbear had grown a lot and barely fit through the doorframe anymore, but he still behaved like an over-excited puppy. It was adorable and gave them 'scary dog privilege' when going on a walk in the park with him.

Tav was in the middle of figuring out what rhymes with 'apple' when there was a knock on the front door. The bard wiped her ink-stained fingers on a cloth before getting up and opening the door.

"Oak Father preserve you, my heart. How are you?"

"Halsin!" Tav fell around his neck, beaming. "I missed you. I'm alright, and you? Come in, love."

With a chuckle, the druid entered Gale's tower house and shook off his coat and boots.

"Nature's preparing for her hibernation. The snow will cover her like a warm, protective blanket soon."

"You're always so poetic," Tav smiled. "We truly must write a poetry book together. Maybe this winter? Will you stay longer this time or did you plan to travel during the winter season?"

"I'm not sure yet," Halsin answered as he was ushered into the kitchen to sit down. "It depends on how much it'll snow – and how long I can stand the city."

"I see. You can decide spontaneously," the human bard told him. She put the kettle on the stove and piled cookies from a ceramic yar onto a plate. She put it down in front of the druid. "Here, eat some. Gale baked all of our favourites."

Halsin looked at the plate and pointed at the vanilla shortbread.

"Let me guess; Gale's favourite?"

Tav nodded grinning.

The druid chuckled, studying the assortment again. He took a crescent-shaped cookie and sniffed it.

"Cinnamon, hm... Shadowheart? She strikes me as someone who likes exotic flavours."

"You're right, kudos."

Smiling softly, Halsin grabbed a pale star-shaped pastry and took a bite.

"Lemon? That's your favourite? I wouldn't have thought that. You look more like someone who likes raisins."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tav asked, pursing her lips.

Halsin chuckled and leaned his head back to look at her.

"Your welcoming, open-minded, flamboyant nature reminds me of the people in the south - even though your skin's so pale it would burn down there. When I'm in wildshape, you smell like raisins. Somehow, I can picture you between the vineyards and the olive trees."

"And the citrus trees," Tav added. Then, she sighed. "You're awfully observant. It's almost a bit scary."

When the druid looked at her confused, she sighed again, explaining: "I am from the south and did grow up next to a vineyard."

Halsin's eyes widened in surprise and Tav chuckled. She kissed his temple and muttered: "I do like raisins, but lemons are my favourite. When I was a kid, I ate them like apples."

The druid shook himself at the thought, making his lover snicker. The latter stole a lemon cookie from the plate and shoved it in her mouth. Halsin pointed at the sticky clusters, asking: "And what are those?"

"Walnut-honey cookies. Gale thought you might like them since you love honey."

Halsin blinked at her dumbly.

"Gale baked cookies for me?"

"If course! You're family after all."

"Oh."

Touched, the druid gazed at the plate and welled up a bit. He gently took one of the misshapen cookies and took a bite. He closed his eyes and moaned as the taste of flowery honey and earthy walnut exploded in his mouth.

"Good?" asked Tav, rubbing his shoulder blades.

"Mmh, definitely my favourite," sighed Halsin. "I must thank Gale properly. They are divine."

"He should have become a cook or baker instead of a wizard," Tav agreed, stealing another lemon cookie.

Halsin did the same, happily munching on the sweet treats. The bard walked over to the stove and brew tea. She filled two cups, placed them on the table, and sat down next to the wood elf. They silently enjoyed the beverage and the pastries for a while.

"What do you think was Astarion's favourite cookie?" Halsin suddenly asked. "Maybe something with exotic, expensive spices?"

"Or cherries?" Tav wondered.

"No, peaches," the vampire spawn revealed as he strode into the kitchen. "Hello, druid. Nice to see you again."

"Oak Father preserve you, Astarion. How was your rest?"

"Good, but I'm peckish now. Can I take a nibble?"

"Sure."

Astarion stared at him in surprise.

"Really?"

"Mhm," Halsin answered with a shrug.

Licking his lips, the vampire spawn moved closer, stroke a finger along the druid's thick neck before biting down. Halsin gasped, squeezing his eyes shut. He still wasn't used to the feeling of being bitten – other than Tav and Gale. Shadowheart refused to let Astarion feed from her and he respected her boundaries. The vampire spawn drew back, licked the wound clean and then his mouth. He swayed slightly, drunk on the druid's blood, again.

"Thank you, darling," Astarion slurred and kissed him sloppily before staggering out of the kitchen to lay down in front of the fireplace.

"Your blood has an interesting effect on him. I wonder why," Tav mused.

"Me too. He only gets drunk when feeding on me," Halsin muttered. "He says I taste like a bear."

That made Tav giggle.

"And what a lovely bear you are," she teased and leaned over to connect their lips. "I'll run you a bath."

"Mmh, thank you, my heart."

They kissed again before the bard left the kitchen and the druid finished the plate by himself. Then, he got up to seek out Gale in his study. The wizard was hunched over his letters, conferring with Tara.

"Oak Father preserve you, Gale. How are you?"

"Oh, hello Halsin. It's a pleasure to have you back. How was the journey?"

"Good. We'll talk about the details over dinner."

"Of course. Excuse me, I have to finish these letters first before I can start cooking."

Gale turned his attention back to his work.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Halsin," Tara said and purred as she accepted the druid's caresses.

"It's nice to be back. Thank you for the cookies, Gale. They're delicious," Halsin said, smiling.

"Oh? I'm glad you like them," the addressed replied with a sigh of relief. "I didn't know what you prefer, but when Tav said you like honey, I remembered this recipe."

"Thank you, from the bottom of my heart," the druid told him. He didn't know how to show his gratitude or how to repay the favour, thus, he did the only thing that was able to express his feelings; he gave Gale a tender kiss. The wizard gasped in surprise, but placed a hand on Halsin's chest immediately. When they parted, they leaned their foreheads together.

"Thank you," whispered the druid. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Mh, I can only assume," mumbled Gale, still slightly overwhelmed by the sudden kiss.

"Halsin! The bath's ready!" yelled Tav from the bathroom.

Halsin smiled and kissed Gale again before he left the room.

"What a lovely way to show his gratitude," purred Tara, highly amused.

Gale hummed, dazed, and went back to work.

At the dinner table, Halsin told them about his journey. The former Shadow-Cursed Lands had recovered and the wildlife was returning, slowly but steadily. Soon, the area would be suitable for people again, but Halsin was torn.

"It had been my home before the Shadow Curse claimed the lands. I always dreamed of returning, but now, that I can, I'm unsure about it. It feels so different now. The energy's not the same, nature has changed, and it doesn't feel like my homelands anymore." The druid sighed melancholically. "But I'm sure the lands would serve the refugees well. They're not welcome in Baldur's Gate and are forced to live in misery. Maybe, if I'd guide them to Thaniel's Realm, they'll find new hope and a new home."

After said gloomy words, Halsin changed the topic and handed Gale a set of ceramic soup bowls that he'd bought in Mirabar. The wizard marvelled at the craftsmanship and gushed over the design; dark blue background with yellow stars, moons, and suns.

"You were in Mirabar again?" asked Tav.

Halsin nodded.

"I saw the beautiful ceramic ware last time, but didn't buy anything. Winter Solstice is near and your hospitality's always wonderful, thus, I thought I'll bring you a gift to show my appreciation."

"Thank you, Halsin, but you're not just a guest here, you're family," Gale told him, looking serious.

The druid was taken aback and averted his gaze.

"Am I? Hm... thank you. That's... an honour, truly," he mumbled, blushing slightly.

"Of course you are," Gale replied with a smile. Shadowheart, Astarion, and Tav nodded in agreement and the latter placed her hand on Halsin's.

The druid welled up a second time this day.

The conversation had lit a fire in his belly, something he'd never felt before, and it overwhelmed him. Halsin possessively placed a hand in Tav's neck as he kissed her hungrily. Even though he'd had dinner, he was starving. With a growl, he grabbed the bard's buttocks and hoisted her onto his hips. She immediately wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"What's on your mind, love? You're acting strangely," Tav panted.

Instead of answering, Halsin kissed her again. He didn't want to talk, couldn't put into words what he felt. He dropped his lover onto the bed, hastily removing her clothes before stripping himself. Tav stretched an arm towards him to caress his cheek.

"Halsin, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Quite the opposite actually," he answered.

Before she could keep pestering him in concern, the druid bent down and started to eat her out. Tav moaned, bucked her hips up, and sunk a hand into his hair. Halsin focused on drowning in her taste and smell. He didn't want to think anymore. He just wanted to be. The bard mewled and came across his tongue, and Halsin moaned at the familiar taste. He didn't give her time to rest and entered her immediately. Tav whimpered but pulled him into a messy kiss. Halsin squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away. It was too much, too intimate, too loving. Tav was warm and welcoming, trusting him completely. He smelled her skin, felt her breath on his cheek as she panted, her strong arms around him. Halsin drew back and looked at her. Dazed, she gazed up at him.

"Halsin, love, what's –"

The addressed pulled out, flipped her over, and pushed her head into the mattress.

"Stop talking. Please," he pleaded, desperately trying to gain control over his emotions and the scratching beast inside him.

Tav nodded silently and he grabbed her hips to pull her up onto her knees. Halsin entered her again with a groan and leaned over her. His thrusts were hard and fast, making the bard whimper and sob in ecstasy. The druid kissed her shoulder blade. The bear inside him spurred him on to mark his possession. To mate and mark what was his. Moaning, Halsin licked the bard's sweat off, grazing her rosy, freckled skin with his teeth. The beast roared and the druid growled irritated.

"Do it," Tav told him. "Bite me, Halsin. Mark me and make me yours."

The wood elf growled again, grabbed her broad shoulder to pull her closer, and listened to his natural instinct. He sunk his teeth into the nape of Tav's neck, biting down until he could taste blood. The bard gasped and groaned, but kept perfectly still. A shiver ran down the druid's spine, it felt like he was lit aflame, liquid fire running along the bones. A mating bite. Marking someone as his. His.

Mine, Halsin's brain screamed and he moaned as his climax hit him like a boulder. Colours exploded behind his closed eyelids and his ears were ringing. His legs gave out and he collapsed onto Tav who got squished into the bed under his weight. At the moment, Halsin neither noticed nor cared, his brain was still caught up in the fact that he'd marked his lover. It hadn't been a new feeling, he'd had the urge to bite for as long as he could remember, but he'd never acted on it. Halsin had never marked a lover before. It had been a big no-no, too animalistic, even for his taste. Something he'd been ashamed of and had always controlled – until now. Halsin finally unclenched his teeth and lazily tongued the bleeding wound and rolled off of Tav to let her breathe properly.

"I'm sorry," he croaked out huskily.

"Don't be," she replied, way too calmly for someone who'd just been mated and marked like an animal.

"Why aren't you freaked out by this?"

Tav just shrugged nonchalantly.

Halsin's non-bear brain started panicking.

"I- I bit you. Marked you. I left a mating bite on you!"

"I know," the bard replied, stretching languorously.

The druid stared at her in disbelief and repeated: "I left a mating bite on you."

Tav looked at him with a smile and stroke his cheek.

"I know," she said and kissed him sweetly. "I'm yours."

"You're mine," Halsin whispered, pulling her into another kiss.

The beast in him was sated, satisfied, and the druid felt as content as he hadn't in a long while. Tav was his, and now, the entire world could see it.

[alpydk]

Cabinet of Oddities (Part 29)

Gale x Tav - Only 1 to go. Thank you really, to everyone who has read and just been here for this. Tomorrow is the last chapter and comes with 2 epilogues that can change the ending drastically. I really didn't know which I preferred.

In a few hours, the final battle would commence. They would attack the Netherbrain with the assistance of the mindflayer and the stones they had gathered from the Dead Three.

Ao3 Link

Astarion’s body grew weary as he sat next to the corpse. Clerics had come and gone asking if they should further handle the body. All of them he had dismissed quickly. He would not allow them to do anything, not until Gale was back to say his final farewells. He placed his elbows up on the table in front of him and sighed. My dagger-happy friend…

Nana suddenly sat bolt upright gasping for breaths, causing Astarion to fall back from the chair in shock. She coughed and sputtered as her lungs began to handle the intake of air again and he got up, quickly beginning to rub at her back, helping her to breathe properly again.

Slowly her breathing settled, and she pulled her legs into herself trying to find some sort of comfort. Astarion knew all too well what it was like to come back from the other side, how bright everything seemed, how loud the world was after such silence, how much it could be to take in. He draped a blanket over her back and sat next to her, giving her time and space to figure it all out.

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“I love you.”

As soon as she had heard his words, she knew she had to return. To leave him as Thomas had left her five years ago; the pain she had felt, the pain that Gale now felt. She couldn’t, wouldn’t leave him. It was as if someone had lit a fire under her and the choice had been made, the cleric’s spell calling out to her. She had faded from Gale’s arms, hearing the sounds of the real world around her, people talking, a child shouting, water spilling. A great pain had erupted in her chest and the desperation to inhale had been immense, forcing her to sit up. She felt a hand on her back rubbing in circles, helping the blood in her body to flow again, her limbs cold and stiff from her time dead. Everything was so bright around her, torches, moonlight shining from the window, a nearby candle flickered casting shadows on the wall behind it. Astarion’s touch was slowly replaced with the pressure of a heavy blanket, and she could do nothing to cope besides shutting herself off mentally from the world. Is this what it was to live?

It was some time before Gale entered the room, his eyes puffy and red, his robes unclipped a fraction revealing the orb's marking. He saw her instantly, the shock and joy appearing on his face, and he approached quickly to put his arms around her only to be blocked by Astarion, shaking his head. “She needs a little time. It’s… a lot.” 

Gale understood and placed himself next to her. Nana could feel him close by, could smell the sandalwood and cinnamon of his robes, a fragrance she knew all too well. She turned her body to him, placing her face into his chest, allowing her emotions to take over. She felt his robes dampen under her tears; her quiet sobs hidden from the world around her. 

“I’ll leave you two be. Try not to take too long though.” She heard the footsteps of Astarion leaving and felt the soft hand of Gale upon her back, stroking her softly. Neither of them could speak, instead choosing to hold one another, feeling their hearts beating in tandem. 

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The walk to the camp was slow and quiet. Gale walked with an arm wrapped around Nana’s shoulder, tracking her movements. He could see the way she stretched out her limbs as she went, trying to shake off everything that had happened. She would need to recover quickly though, the tremors of the Netherbrain growing stronger with each moment. 

As they reached the tents, they spotted Karlach waiting impatiently. On noticing Nana, she ran quickly at them with excitement picking her up and swinging her around. “You’re alive! They brought you back!”

Gale tried to step in to warn her to be a little more careful but couldn’t get close as Nana’s legs swung around. Eventually, Karlach put her down trying to contain how happy she was. The others were quick to follow, Shadowheart and Wyll giving Nana a quick welcome back. Astarion stayed at a distance but even Gale could see that he was glad to have her there. 

Over the next hour, everyone caught up with her until she eventually retreated to her tent. He followed after her feeling overprotective, wanting to stay close to her. He couldn’t help but worry that something would go wrong, that the tadpole would have been affected, that Thomas would somehow have come back again, that maybe this would have been so much that she would choose to leave them. He poked his head through the tent to find her going through her pack. “Nana?”  

She peered up at him, her glow had been dimmed but she still seemed happy to see him. “Sorry, I just needed a moment. I wanted to give you something.”

He looked at her confused for a moment as she pulled out various items from her bag; Food, mugs, random notes and sheets of paper she’d picked up.

She began to ramble, her voice just as melodic as he remembered it to be. “I got it when I went shopping but you were so mad at me, and then there was everything with Astarion and Thomas but I figured if I give it to you now and something happens then at least I know it won’t end up being destroyed or that tiefling hiding it in that strange room again with the traps and the portals and-”

Gale cut her off before she got too distracted. “Nana. What even is it? And what do you mean with Astarion? And portals?”

“Oh, it’s a book.” She pulled the ancient tome from the bottom of her bag and handed it over to Gale, the weight of it heavy in his hands. He swept his fingers across the red cover, removing the breadcrumbs which lay dusted over it. “And me and Astarion, we just went to kill his master, that's all. I’m guessing that was when…” Her face fell a little. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have left. If I hadn’t then…”

“Nana. You left to help our friend. What you did was idiotic and reckless, but I understand why you did what you did. What happened to me was nothing but an unfortunate misstep in the plans.” He flipped through the book, the pages glowing with magic, flecks of dried fruit falling from the crevices thanks to the contents of her bag. Gale glanced over the words,  recognising them. “Wait… this is. Where did you find this?”

She climbed up close to him to look at the pages, pushing her hair back with a hand. “From the weird bookstore with the tiefling and the portals. He said they had a librarian, but I couldn’t find her at all.”

Gale smiled at her in astonishment. The Annals of Karsus. Gods, Nana… “Do you know what this means?”

She shook her head. “It’s just a book.”

“Just a book!? Nana, what I hold here is the key to everything. With this I could reforge the crown, I could gain powers the likes of which no wizard has ever achieved. I could become a god.”

She looked at him first with confusion and then irritation. “What? No. Why would you even think that’s a good idea?”

This was not the answer he had prepared himself for, being blinded momentarily by his own ambition. “No? Nana, I wouldn’t be like Mystra or any other god. I would be more than them, a god with my own heart, morals, with my own love for mankind.” He wished she could understand what this meant. That finally after everything, they would not need to worry, that he could use this power to protect her and others like her. Like me. “I would be someone worthy of you.”

Her shoulders relaxed and he saw the exhaustion in her eyes. She didn’t want to fight or argue. She just wanted peace again, the peace she had felt in the Outer Planes. “Gale, I don’t want any other version of you. I’ve only ever just wanted you.”

I’ll wait for you, no matter what and love you as you are. He placed the book to his side, taking her hands in its stead. He looked into her eyes like he had under the stars so many moons ago, again wanting to be sure. “I hope you’re right. Godly power, perhaps I can live without, but you? You’re everything.”  He wrapped his arms around her pulling her in close, feeling the softness of her skin against him. “I have already lost you once, I would be a fool to risk losing you again.”

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In a few hours, the final battle would commence. They would attack the Netherbrain with the assistance of the mindflayer and the stones they had gathered from the Dead Three. Until then Nana sat watching the campsite flames flicker. She had her new journal placed next to her, the first few pages already dotted with notes and a few entries. She peered up as Astarion approached cautiously.

“You look better, darling,” he said with a smirk.

Nana smiled softly at him. “It’s amazing what a little water does for a person's complexion,” She saw his eyes narrow and believed for a moment he would scoff and leave her. “Don’t worry, one of the clerics mentioned it. He said I should thank you. So, thank you.”

He gave her a nod of acknowledgement before sitting down next to her. “You don’t remember any of it, do you?”

She looked at the crackling embers in front of her, her mind drifting back to what had happened. “I don’t remember specific things. I remember the feeling though, how quiet it was, the peace in my soul. There was nothing quite like it.”

He turned his gaze from her. “No… no, there wasn’t.” 

Astarion and Nana sat together for some time watching the fire slowly die out, savouring the brief moment of silence, the calm before the storm. 

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Please forgive me The things I’ve done The fear I felt Because of one

Your hand refused The glances missed All those nights We could have kissed 

I’ll do my best My shackles gone The tears you've shed Because of one

[anthro-bean]

Tavart: 6, 20, 31, and 50.

6. Which party member do they relate to the most?

It's hard to say because EA but I think Wyll.

His past with Mizora and Spike, his pact vs. Her oath, their need to live up to some heroic expectation. They both want so badly to be good and I get the feeling they both struggle to actually do that more than you'd think.

20. Which of the five senses do they rely on the most?

Well, it's not technically one of the five, but she uses her Divine Sense a lot.

Divine sense is said to manifest itself as any of the five senses. (Like a phantom pain or a hallucination almost.) They hear things, see things, smell things, feel things. Some paladins experience it one way more than the other. Tavarti's is usually smell.

The Divine Sense is something you have to hone and focus on. Tavarti (like all paladins tbh) is very nosy and is flexing that muscle almost constantly. She won't pry but she "sniffs out" every person she meets.

This entire group smells weird af btw. She's not entirely sure if it's the tadpole or actually them at first.

31. They're given a blank sheet of paper- what do they do with it?

She'd nervously stare at it; not wanting to ruin the clean sheet. If she's thinking about something else however, she'll absent-mindedly doodle flowers or people off in one of the corners. She'd be embarrassed to show people.

50. Can they sing? Can they dance?

Tavarti can sing beautifully but has a hard time doing it in front of others unless it's in a group or choir. She's definitely more a "sings in the shower" type.

She cannot, however, dance a step. Wyll might try to drag her out into the party but it's just embarrassing. She's awkward, heavy footed, and uncomfortable jumping around in front of others. You'd have to roll pretty high to pass the charisma check needed to get her to dance with you.

:3 These were fun