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theflashdriver · 9 months ago

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Sacrifice (A Halloween Silvaze Fanfic)

As with every time he returned to the future, the sky was the first thing that Silver noticed. There were no clouds today, nothing to be pushed around by the gentle breeze currently rustling his fur. The sun was glowing warm and bright, in a close to noon position. His view of the blue above wasn't perfect however; a series of skyscrapers were still stretching toward the great golden orb above, but none were without blemish. Windows were shattered, roofs cracked, and some had even collapsed. His most recent efforts hadn't saved the world, it'd fallen to ruin once more. A new apocalypse had taken the place of the last.

The hedgehog slouched, his gaze dropped to the ground. Cracked tarmac stretched beneath him, it looked to be more weathered by time than anything else. He heard no panic or monsters. The air was cold, there were no signs of magma. He had endured harsher realities than this; he could survive a world like this.

Stretching, feeling the weight of the rucksack on his back, the hedgehog looked forward- taking in his surroundings proper. There were no signs of life but, equally, there was no grand devastation. The time traveler found himself staring out across empty city streets, cars abandoned by the roadside. No corpses sat behind the wheels and, besides a few obvious bent bumpers and shattered windows, the vehicles looked to be in good, albeit weathered, condition. The buildings were the same; broken down yes, but not devastated as he had seen in timelines prior. Perhaps there had been looting, but widespread panic couldn't have lasted for long. Things were relatively intact...

He adjusted the straps of his rucksack and began to walk, scanning both for signs of movement and any immediate clues as to the world's state. Nothing looked immediately suspicious, the damage to buildings could be explain away by the wear and tear induced by the passage of time. Something felt off though, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Was he being followed?

The hedgehog spun on his heel, eyes scanned the empty street behind him. There were plenty of places to hide, from the abandoned cars to the buildings, and the alleyways between them. It wasn't unthinkable that this was a world where Eggman had succeeded- not all of his machines were bumbling peons. He knew better than to underestimate what remained of any apocalypse generating armada. Whether a fighting force had manifested in the wake of the end times, or been the one to cause it, most anything that had survived this timeline would surely have been strengthened by it.

Reaching out a hand, the psychic cast cyan energy to cloak the cars. With no more than flick of his wrist the vehicles were tossed skyward, spinning as they went, before crashing down to the ground. No cowering figures had been revealed by their removal; nor had any forms fallen out of the debris. The echoes reverberated through the long dead city, no response came to the sound.

"It's just quiet," He sighed to himself, "It's just quiet"

Station Square had seen better days, but he had seen it worse. The ground was solid, the air was clear. Perhaps, for once, this city wasn't at the heart of all that'd gone wrong. Maybe instead his investigation would take him to Spagonia, perhaps even off planet. Regardless, he knew where to begin. The trail would be weaved by evidence; he had to find a newspaper.

Having walked this city across so many realities, Silver quickly realised what street he was on. Office buildings all around, this was a commercial district- there weren't any newsagents nearby, but there was a subway two blocks away. The stations would tell a history in and of themselves, in prior timelines he had seen them used as shelters against devastation on the surface, but there was almost always an errant pamphlet tucked into the luggage storage or a pile of papers bound in twine- never sold.

While the psychic had recently learned of journalistic spin, there were factors that always told a true story regardless of the publication's quality. The date would tell him when the last papers were printed, giving him a rough estimate of when things had gone wrong and society broke down. The overall tone of the print would indicate if the world's end had come as a surprise or been forecast over prior days.

With all that in mind, the time traveler began his march- eyes still scanning to his surroundings. Even having cleared that street, he still felt something nagging at the back of his head. He knew what it felt like to be watched, he had been stalked by all manner of beast. This current sensation wasn't quite the same, he saw no signs of life, but there was a certain... dread hanging in the air.

He tugged at his chest fur as he paced, the subway entrance was already in sight- a set of steep stairs leading into the underground. The entryway didn't look particularly damaged, at least not more so than the cityscape that surrounded it. It was average he supposed; that was until he drew close. The subway map had been defaced, words had been scrawled into it with a blade or some sort of talon.

"Not here," Was etched into the protective plastic over the map, "Here," An arrow was pointing to the next station on the route, heading west.

He'd just taken that in when the sound of a footstep spiked his ears. The hedgehog turned to the stairs; something was moving down there. The sign read not here, but he could travel safely through the underground- flying down the tunnels. If a group had survived in hiding within one of the stations then the evidence they carried would be crucial. He took four steps down before pausing.

"Hello? Is someone down there?" Psychic power was already crackling at his fingertips, he took three more steps.

Two red orbs were gleaming out from the dark; a pair of eyes staring up at him from the tunnel at the bottom of the stairs.

"Shadow?" His surprise drew no response, "Shadow, is that you?"

The black hedgehog had lived far beyond his allies before, it was possible he had survived this time to-

A snarl cracked the air and footsteps pounded; racing toward the time traveller. The hedgehog threw himself backwards, tumbling up the stairs on a gale of psychic energy. He hovered at the top of the entryway, hands raised and ready to strike... but no foe arrived. In the wake of his effort there was only silence. No further growling, no more footsteps, and no other signs of life.

Hands still thrumming with psychic might, the hedgehog dared to descend the stairs- hovering to the edge of the dark. The red eyes were gone, as was the sound. Whatever was down here- it'd been running toward him, it hadn't fled. Where was it?

A sneeze rocked his body; regardless of who or what had been down here, it'd certainly left things dusty. A fine layer of grey particulate coated the staircase; it'd caught on the wind and blown back into the subway. Even as the hedgehog sent a psychic glow into the manmade cavern, it revealed no hiding figures.

He ascended backwards up the stairs, refusing to look away from the darkness. Red as they were, those had been the eyes of a person rather than a monster. Still, it seemed wiser to heed the sign's instructions. After all, devastation could so easily turn friends into foes. His gaze lingered on the defaced map, it took no more than a moment for him to make up his mind.

Silver took to the skies, feeling the warmth of the sun wash over him. He had a specific heading; having heard the growling in the depths, it was obvious this world was still in some way occupied. Whether people or monsters claimed the surface, he had to keep his wits about him. There was no sense in walking the ground when the skies were so clear.

In barely a minute he had landed by the entryway that map had indicated. Despite it being pointed to as the correct path, this staircase was in a far poorer condition than the last he'd visited. The roof of the entryway had completely collapsed, fully blocking access to the lower layer. While some of his friends could have still dug their way down there, most of them would have struggled at the job for a good hour or so. That was, assuming they hadn't collapsed the roof themselves...

His attention turned to the subway map; it'd been defaced differently; "Truth lies within," Read the text inscribed atop the plastic protector, again arrows were pointing to this station.

Had the burial of the staircase been intentional? Regardless, the psychic flexed his hands and the stonework rolled out of the entryway. There was scorch marks on the underside of the rubble, had there been an explosion? A glance down he hallway suggested that, if there had been, it was very well contained. Someone had done this intentionally. Whoever had blocked the staircase had plainly still wanted the space behind it to be accessible, they hadn't risked destroying the whole subway station...

Using his psychokinesis to cast light ahead of him, Silver made his way down the stairs and into the hallway proper. There was dust down here, though none so thick as on that first staircase. There were no red eyes in the dark and no sounds of oncoming footsteps. To be honest, the hedgehog was just glad he hadn't come across a corpse yet. He'd found himself pushing through settlements that survived the apocalypse; all too often he'd found himself amongst the bones of those who'd lasted beyond the end.

Something glinted against his psychic light, there was an object in the end of the hallway- just before another set of stairs would lead him down to the subway itself. As he drew close its form became obvious, that of a tall glass. More writing; this time etched into the cracked tiles of the subway floor.

"Your blood is key. Fill this glass," The damage instructed, "Go no further before you do."

Was he really going to do this? There was a multitool in his rucksack. The glass wasn't that big...

A sigh slipped from Silver's throat as he shrugged his bag off, rummaging through it. The others had left him evidence of the end-times before, intentionally and otherwise. He'd read Amy's diary countless times and gone through Omega's memory banks. Tails had left him data on computers before, but he always seemed to hide them behind some kind of puzzle. The psychic failed to solve them in prior realities; maybe this was going to be like that? Would some device identify him by blood and provide information in turn?

The hedgehog flipped the tool's blade out, wincing as he drew it across his palm. It took more effort to fill a glass with blood than he anticipated. Granted, he'd never really considered how much it would take to fill such a glass- but it took him a good five minutes of wincing and gripping his wrist. The moment the job was done he staunched the bleeding with a cloth; taking a seat to catch his breath. Immediately the whole effort felt a more than a little foolish, but it was done now.

Rummaging through his bag, he opened up the nicest of the food he'd brought with him. Unlike the more logical dried meats, fruits, and pulses that made up the bulk of his rations, he'd worked with Blaze and Marine on the first meal he'd eat in this reality. The youngster had insisted he take some sugary waffles with him, those would be good to get his blood sugar back up. Something similar could be said for the iced tea Blaze had contributed, insisting it was safer than letting her cook anything despite his praising of her skill.

He swallowed the last of the morsels before rising, slinging the backpack back over his shoulder and taking the glass in hand. He floated his way down the stairs; casting his gaze across the station as soon as it properly came into view. This was the inner city line, the carts went in a circle across Station Square to help with daily commutes.

Well, in the state it was in, the station clearly couldn't do that anymore. Both ends of the tunnel had been blocked with rubble, owing to a series of tremendous collapses. On both sides of the track the trains were present, though one of them had been completely destroyed and the other looked... different certainly. It took the hedgehog arriving on the platform to truly discern what had changed. Through what had clearly been some great effort, someone had taken metal from the destroyed train and used it to reinforce the one that remained intact.

The windows had been sealed with metal, seemingly welded to ensure no one could see in or out. All of the doors had been sealed in a similar way, as if to make sure nothing could escape or enter. The only exception was the door in the middle. It had been sealed most of the way but a hole, smaller than the hedgehog's fist, had been cut where the doors met- relatively high up the would-be entryway.

"Pour here," Was scratched into the metal, a word on each door.

Well, he'd already bled. It'd be foolish not to go the full way with this. If Tails had built some strange device that would read his blood then it certainly didn't look like his usual handiwork. Then again, it was the end times. Resources were limited.

The psychic acquiesced, reaching up and letting his blood flow. Almost immediately there was a response; he heard something shifting within the container. It wasn't the sound of metal moving... it was a creature. No, it was a person. Silver stumbled back as he heard crawling, panting, and then... scraping? Clawing? Licking? Coughing?

"Of course you found me..." A whisper echoed.

The hedgehog was suddenly alert, psychic light flared in his palms, "Who are you, how do you have that voice?!"

"I'll tell you, but first we need to establish some rules," The void responded, "All has been accounted for, I have prepared for your arrival and lain in weight for centuries. Your safety is my concern, above all other matters. I won't allow myself to harm you,"An instruction finally came, "You will not draw any closer, you will not attempt to open these doors, I forbid it."

"If you've prepared so thoroughly and my safety is what matters, then why would you harm me," He countered, fists balled, "Why have you locked yourself in there?"

Her answer came quickly, as if long prepared, "My self-control is diminished, I am a slave to my hunger. If give me the opportunity, I will kill you for your blood."

His response was slower this time, "Did I not give you enough?"

"You did, and as such I am presently lucid," Again, it was as though she was reciting from a script, "But if I am granted the freedom to strike, I can only quell my instincts for so long. The more time we waste, the more ravenous I'll become, and your mere presence is accelerating my appetite."

A thought entered the hedgehog's mind. He had received countless injuries, been made to bleed across dozens of timelines. How much of his own blood could he stand to shed? Who was he willing to shed it for? Was she really who he thought she was?

He knew better than to do this, but he couldn't help himself, "How much would it take to quench your thirst?"

"Silver, that's foolishness," She knew his name, his certainty was only growing stronger.

"I don't care if it is, give me an answer," He snapped back, "I need to get you out of this. Either you tell me how much you need, or I'll break down the door right now."

"You're so naive, I forbid it," She had foreseen this too, he could tell by her frustration, "I require enough that it would exhaust you. Enough blood that it would put you in danger. Even if I drank my fill, given time I-

Silver gripped his wrist, "Just tell me when to stop."

Blood began to flow once more; a thin stream of red took to the air on a psychic wind, channeled through the hole in the doorway. The form in the subway cart shifted; though he couldn't see the inside, Silver could tell they were just by the doorway. No request for repositioning came, nor any other blood related complaint for that matter. As the flow diminished once again however, words sounded from within the metal casket.

"No matter how thoroughly I planned..." She grumbled, swallowing loudly, "You truly shouldn't trust me this much."

"The way you set all this up, whether you're who I think you are or not, I think I have good reason to trust you," The psychic pressed on his forearm again and gave it a shake. Blood splattered to the ground before the flow resumed; he channelled fresh blood to her once more, "All signs point to this being you, Blaze."

A deafening quiet filled the space, had she not expected him to recognise her voice?

"We've been tricked before, you should be more cautious,"His lightheadedness told him that she was right, "Please cease your efforts."

"Either you come out, or I'm coming in," Silver insisted, binding his wound shut with psychic light, "Those are the only choices I'm giving you."

A second silence claimed the air, his psychic aura flared to life.

"It would be safer if I exited," Her response sounded, "You'll have more routes to escape me when I lose control."

"Very well, stand back," He instructed, matching his own demand.

Silver reached out with his left hand, the light from his palm engulfed the welded doors of the subway cart. He flexed once and the sliding doors bludged, with his second tug they buckled, but on the third they finally clattered to the ground. In the wake of the crash he heard the familiar sound of heeled steps... but the hedgehog's fists clenched and eyes narrowed as a figure emerged from the cart.

At first she looked to be wrapped in black from head to toe, almost as if the very shadows of the tunnel system were clinging to her fur. With every step she further emerged that darkness seemed to peel free; rolling from her frame to sink into her shadow. Purple fur and fabric gradually revealed itself, presenting the feline he had expected to see, but the hedgehog's attention was fastened to the cat's eyes. He did not see the amber glow he had anticipated; but instead a pair of sharp red eyes. Though he loathed the thought, the change did conjure the memory of Mephiles' own harsh green stare that had shone through his mimicry of Shadow.

"Is it daylight outside?" The cat asked.

"Yes," He could hear the trepidation in his own tone.

"Then, for now, I believe we are safe," A sigh breached her lips, "But keep your wits about you. It has been over a century since I was last free. Others may have joined me in this tomb."

She lowered herself to sit on the ground, leaning back against the dented metal of the subway car. Red stained her white muzzle, though it did not linger for long. An ungloved hand traced across her face and managed to separate out the blood- draining it from her fur as if it were oil atop water, entirely separate. She cupped the vital essence in her hand, raising it up before leaning her head back. The liquid trickled down her forefinger, dripping free from a claw and into her open mouth. Blaze's fangs caught his eye each time she had graced him with a smile, but now those teeth had grown much longer. They had always been sharp but-

"It is wise to keep your eyes on me," Her eyes reopened, still shining red, "But, I would ask that you do not commit this sight to memory."

"I'll try not to, but it's going to be difficult," He admitted.

She didn't answer that remark, instead taking her time to sup every loose drop of his blood. The word vampire did immediately come to mind, her now red eyes reminded him of those he'd seen shining from the shadows at that first subway. That figure had run out into the light and vanished; down here their surroundings were only lit by his psychic glow. The feline wasn't in perfect condition, her clothes were frayed and shoes scuffed, but she looked no older than she had when he had departed the Sol Dimension. It was as if her ageing had completely halted. She'd claimed to have lived down here for centuries...

"I presume you have questions, hurry and ask them," She wasn't looking at him.

"This isn't right," The hedgehog's brain was misfiring, "Wh-What happened to you? I-

"After waiting for months for your return, I noticed that our friends had not reached out to me. I dared to visit, presuming the worst, and was proven correct. My kindness was rewarded with a bite to the neck, delivered from behind by one Rouge the Bat," Her tone was ice cold and well rehearsed, "I burned her her head from her shoulders on instinct alone, but my retaliation did not stop there. I only realised who I had killed once I had drained every drop of her blood- stolen from me and others," Still, the cat did not flinch, "If things don't go as planned, you should note that. Fire is especially effective on my kind... though I am uncertain if I am an exception to that rule. Exposure to sunlight also means certain death, no matter how minor."

Silver could feel the weight of the frown on his face. Why was she talking like that? She'd just professed to killing Rouge without so much as flinching, instructed him on best methods to destroy others sharing her fate. How could she-

"Destruction of the head or heart is the only other certain way to kill one like me. Removal of the head is not enough in and of itself, the skull and brain must truly be crushed or otherwise destroyed," Bones clicked as the cat rolled her shoulder, "Body parts separate from the whole can still attack. In the presence of enough blood they can reconnect; I experienced that firsthand on several occasions."

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"It only takes one of me to sew disaster across the world," She had ignored him, "A single bite, no matter how long it lasts, is enough to turn any person into a killing machine with an undeniable craving for blood. All it takes is a single prick or scratch from a fang, the change is instantaneous. There is no cure."

"Blaze, listen to me," She finally turned to him, "I know it was self defence but you killed Rouge, I know you-

"None of this is going to matter," She coldly insisted, "You'll go back in time and this reality will never come to pass. Her death, and those of the others my instincts claimed, will never happen."

"Others?" Silver felt his fists ball.

"To keep my bloodlust sated such that I could create this tomb, sacrifices had to be made," She immediately answered, "There were cases where no one was willing or able to offer their blood. Still, it was taken as required, I did not have the capacity to hesitate."

"What's wrong with you; you're not talking like yourself," He sounded angrier than he'd expected, "Why are you being so blunt?"

"I'm not the Blaze you knew, you need to accept that," His partner responded, uncaring, "She has died. She is dead. Only a corpse remains. I am simply relaying the facts, per her dying wish."

Now he was angry, "I don't believe that, I won't-

"Well you have to!" She cut him off, harsh emotion in her tone for the first time, "I am here to deliver her final will; if you don't want to listen, then leave her body to rot in this pit. Find someone else to foolishly give up your blood to."

Silver was stunned, "Do you want me to leave you here? To let you die?"

"I'm already dead, my life ended two hundred years ago," She bluntly hissed, "Listen to me, you're wasting time. The longer this takes the more danger your in; both from me, and those waiting in the shadows. Night will fall and death will follow."

"No it won't!" He barked back, "Not as long as we're together. I won't lose you again."

"The Blaze you knew is already lost, get it through your thick head," Blaze hissed, "I'm not her anymore."

"You wouldn't have set this all up if you weren't yourself, you wouldn't have tried to talk to me," Silver insisted, "If you were just some bloodthirsty monster then you'd have set a trap, you'd have-

"It's precisely because I'm not myself that this was done. I cannot be trusted to stand in your presence. I can hear your heart; every beat is pushing me closer to madness," Her eyes shut, her fingers rubbed at her temples, "You forced my hand, you drew me out here. I wanted to relay my truths through the door and send you on your way; back to save the world."

She had given up. He had seen the feline struggle before; he'd seen her at her lowest. When they'd first met, when she'd seen herself as a monster- as one of Iblis pawns. She was older now, she was stronger, she knew she wasn't a monster; she had to know! If he had to show her again, make it as blunt as possible, then he would!

His hand found her shoulder, "Blaze, I-

"Don't touch me!" The cat bristled, "Get back, now!"

He did flinch, he did stumble back, but he would not take a step further. The cat turned to him, the red in her eyes somehow brighter than before. Bones clicked as her position adjusted; she'd was crouched low, limbs coiled, she was going to pounce! The hedgehog braced, psychic light flaring as the cat leapt; but she was not jumping toward him. Blaze had thrown herself to his side.

She crawled across the floor, dragged her tongue across the ground. Her eyes were still feral and wide when she turned back to him, still on all fours, but her gaze again quickly tumbled to the ground. She lapped up another of his crimson droplets; those that had fallen when he'd resumed his bleeding. This profane hunger was plainly overwhelming her, but the feline was wrong. She was still the Blaze he knew.

His hand had been close, there was still blood running through his veins. The cat could have struck before he'd have even noticed and yet she'd forced herself away to sup from the sullied ground. The princess had debased herself to protect him, fighting against the corruption roiling in her form.

The hedgehog took a step, his partner's now crimson eyes leapt to him. He pressed on his wrist, bursting the clot at his palm; the cat's shadow began to stain her gloves, quickly twisting its way up her forearms and toward her neck. Psychic energy surged, but not to hold her back- red flew through the air like bullets. Self control lost, she'd rushed toward him in the blink of an eye, but come to a paralysed halt at the bloodying of her clothes.

The long coat was torn from her body; she suckled at the frayed fabric without hesitation. It took more of his blood floating close for her to give up on the garment, wandering as if in a daze from droplet to droplet as she consumed without question. As she drank and drew closer, the shadows again slipped free from her form.

"I've got you," Still in that feasting stupor, though now free of shadow, she'd stumbled straight into his arms, "You're here with me."

"You wouldn't have to have me if you'd stuck to my plan," She was cold, colder than he'd ever felt her, "This is all so wrong."

"We're going to fix this," He told her in his most serious tone, "Just like we always have. I promise."

"Let me go," She instructed, though she didn't try to pull away, "This isn't helping like it should."

After one last hug he did release her, the moment his arms were open she fell back to the ground. She was still cleaning her muzzle, careful not to waste a single drop. He gave her space and a moment to breathe, but the cat did not take it.

"Ask your questions, before that happens again," She shuddered.

"Why are you a vampire?" He flinched, "I mean, why are there vampires? How did this happen?"

"So blunt, that's more in line with what I'd expected," The cat baulked, "We swore off using that term, but could never come up with a better one," Who was we? "The Chaos Emeralds have been tainted, they corrupted those who used them. Through those corrupted, their pollution has been spread to impact the whole planet. At this point, it seems certain every remaining person is like me."

"Yeah but..." His brain was misfiring, "Still, why vampires?"

"The last time the chaos emeralds were corrupted Sonic became a werewolf like creature," Blaze bluntly put, "This is worse than that, though I suppose it follows a similar train of logic. Through the tainting of the emeralds, those who use them in turn become tainted. I suppose the form that pollution takes depends on how they were tainted. Twice now Eggman has been responsible for that..."

A realisation quickly dawned on him, "Wait, if the emeralds are corrupted, how am I going to get back to the past?"

"If I use the Emerald to send you away, then you will be spared the corruption as I take it on," She deftly explained, "That is why I waited for you Silver. We all did."

She'd used we again? Silver blinked, "Wait, the others are alive? They're here?"

"No, not here," She shook her head, "We couldn't be certain where you would return so we spread across the globe. Amy entombed herself in Spagonia University, along with a lot of extra literature- to provide context even if she turned against you. Tails rests in his workshop, his situation is similar- with data entries on what came to pass. Sonic settled in Eggman's base, where this all began," The cat stopped herself, "I could go on, but you already know our time is limited. We settled in urban centres and locations we thought you'd likely visit early into your investigation; so as to speak with you as quickly as possible- before any other lingering dead could find you. The whole dead world was reshaped in an effort to have a meeting like this."

"So it was just luck that I ended up here with you?" The hedgehog realised.

"Considering our history, it seems more like fate," She snorted, "We planned contingencies with what little time we had. Thankfully, in finding me you've arrived very close to a Chaos Emerald. There's one buried in here with us."

"Alright," He felt a weak smile cross his lips, "Then what do we need to do, how do we stop this from happening?"

"It should be simple, though of course you'll only have one opportunity to right things," The cat reached into her long coat, drawing out a newspaper clipping, "Interrupt Eggman before he can gather the Chaos Emeralds, he won't be able to use his device- he won't taint their power. Then you can focus on destroying that very machine he'd use to cause this. You must ensure that it is never rebuilt."

The clipping had a date, that most important aspect held his attention more than the headline or attached image. It scheduled the current end times at eight weeks from when the last apocalypse had occurred; his allies hadn't endured for long this time. The image depicted a ruined castle, modified by machinery and bearing Eggman's Insignia. Nearby text gave the location, as well as further information- by the time this newspaper had been published there were already disappearances in the surrounding areas, not to mention talk of strange people stalking the night. They would want to arrive a week or so before this happened. It would be easy though, they just had to prevent him getting the emeralds or destroy his device before it could be used. They could manage that... right?

A grimace claimed his face, something was nagging at the back of his mind.

"This really wasn't easy to set up, was it?" He grimaced.

"Sacrifices had to be made," Her tone remained cold, "It required a lot of blood to remain lucid enough to constructor our tombs, let alone create the signage that would lead you to us..." She spoke up again, "If not sated sufficiently, the hunger has even the dead turn on each other for want of blood."

He shouldn't have asked, "We'll make this right. We'll make it so none of that ever happened, I promise!"

Quiet filled the air between them.

She shut her eyes, a plastic smile claimed her lips, "You're so naive."

Blaze was hiding something from him.

"They do rely on you quite a lot, you know," She informed him, "Being them, they never plan for this eventuality, but when their backs are against the wall like this...." Her eyes were still closed, "I'd always imagined they knew how reliable you are, but it was strange to see in person."

"I'm relying on them just as much," He responded, "If they don't save the world in their present, the future will be doomed no matter what."

"I knew that would be your response," Now her grin was genuine, "You never could take a compliment," Well, he wouldn't deny that, "There is a Chaos Emerald buried in the rubble on the left side of this track. It will require your power to unearth it. Can you manage that? I hope you've not given up too much blood..."

"I'll get it," It was a good thing he'd eaten earlier, "Thank you for the iced tea."

"It only took you two centuries to learn some manners," He could practically hear the cat rolling her eyes, "Hurry up. I'm getting hungry again."

The hedgehog floated his way toward the tracks, reaching out with both hands. Almost immediately the earth began to shift. Quickly he felt an emerald's presence, its energy resonating with his own. Almost immediately he isolated his power to that point and pulled the emerald free- a cyan gem landed in his grasp.

By the time he'd turned back, Blaze was already standing. The cat had dusted off her tattered long coat and was adjusting her gloves. Despite all she'd done, she was still Blaze. She'd isolated herself from the world again, but this time with purpose. He would could not let that be for nothing, they would fix this.

She'd said there was no cure to what was ailing her; but that couldn't be true. If Sonic had recovered from his prior affliction, then there had to be a way to revert the princess to her true state. Until such a time came, he was more than willing to give himself up as her blood bank.

"Let's do this at the surface," The cat instructed as he reached her, "I would like to see the edge of sunlight before we go."

"There will be plenty of sunlight in the past," Immediately Silver was suspicious, "That's a thought, we'll need to arrive at night, right?"

"Indeed," Blaze took the gem from him, "I just want to say my good riddance to this world properly."

She didn't elaborate further, simply beginning to stride toward the first staircase. He quickly caught up, walking beside her through the quiet. How long had she lain in pure silence, waiting for him? It would have been centuries; at least one, if it'd taken their friends decades to come up with a proper plan. That thought made him feel the need to make more conversation.

"So, what about your world? Will we have to save it too?" He dared to ask.

"I abandoned my dimension, I had no choice," The cat informed him, "I disposed of the Sol Emerald I'd used to travel here; I had it placed beyond my reach, just as we did with the Chaos Emeralds. Whenever it was in hand I knew there was a whole new world filled with blood to drain. It tore away at my sanity. I had to keep them safe."

"So it never spread to your world," He sighed, "I'm glad."

"As far as I'm aware, everything is peaceful there," She dreamed aloud, "Marine is probably still waiting for us though."

"Well, we'll make it so she never has to wait," He promised as they reached the top of the staircase and into the subway's initial tunnel, "Are you sure it's safe for you to get closer to the light?"

"I just want to get a little bit closer. It looks like sunset is on its way..." She again ordered, still stepping forward.

The hedgehog kept walking, past the words she'd scrawled on the floor and where she'd set the glass. Despite scarcely being in this reality for more than an hour, he already had all he needed. They had a date, a point to strike, and proof to show their friends. With Blaze by his side things would-

He'd made it to the edge of the sunbeams, just at the foot of the staircase. Silver froze, the clicking of her heels had halted behind him.

"Blaze?" He turned, "Are you co-

She'd pushed him, he fell backwards into the light. All he could do was watch as she held out the emerald; he heard the thrumming of a portal behind him. She took another step forward, her fingers caught in a sunbeam. The last thing he saw was light dancing a jagged path along her forearm, up her chest, and into a blood red eye. For a single moment, in the sunlight, he saw the amber warmth he had come to love shining from that orb.

Then, he was gone. He landed on his back, looking up at a cloudy blue sky. He sat up; his surroundings were that of a grassy field. A plane was flying overhead; the Tornado. This absolutely was the past.

It had all been a trap. She'd tried her hardest to make him hate this version of her, to accept that her erasure from the timeline would be a good thing. She'd been cold and violent, she'd spoken so bluntly of the awful things this reality had forced upon her. Despite all her hissing and fighting, he'd tried to believe that she'd be coming with him. Of course he had. He really was an idiot.

His grip tightened on the scrap of newspaper. He had to do this. Her sacrifices would never be in vain. That reality would never come to pass. She would never suffer such an evil fate.

#silvaze #silver the hedgehog #blaze the cat #fanfic #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #tw blood #cw blood #vampire #major character death

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silvectrik · 1 year ago

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Save me @vilayrou 's silvaze vamphog au

#au fanart #silvaze #silver the hedgehog #blaze the cat #vampire au #the sillies

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prince-toffee · 2 years ago

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Blaze The HunterCat and Silver The VampHog, Starring In:

Meet Cute Pt. 2

It was a disappointing, drab day. The skies were entirely covered by grey clouds, completely veiling the sun, no rogue rays could penetrate the dark clouds.

Some time had passed since their first meeting, seven months, three weeks, four days, and ten hours, not that Blaze was counting or anything. But the cat often found herself looking back on that night. A tip from an informant, an abandoned mansion, and an unlikely friend. Blaze was a vampire hunter, that night she expected to be greeted with battle, and a filthy vampire, but instead she was introduced to someone who would change her life forever; her new partner. Silver. Who was currently in the store across the street, buying... well, Blaze didn't actually know what he was buying. But probably strongarmed by Marine, Blaze's young apprentice, into purchasing something foolish. All she knew was that Marine had ran into the motel Blaze was signing into, asking for-- well, demanded, some money for Silver and her. At first the feline hunter denied her, but after she gave Silver the puppy eyes, and Silver gave Blaze his puppy eyes, she folded. She had a hard time saying no to Silver, and Marine knew it, often used it against her. That crafty raccoon. Marine just ran out cackling, clutching the paper notes close to her chest, to the store across the street. Silver thanked her with a small smile, which made her heart beat strangely fast. He promised to look after the girl, and followed her out.

This was rare for Silver. Going out of their van in the day. Usually only coming out at night to stretch his legs. It worried Blaze, more and more as time went on. She was afraid that Silver was suffering some sort of post traumatic stress, afraid to go outside. When Blaze first met Silver, he said he was trapped in Victory Mansion, but he never elaborated on how long, never said how he ended up there. When she pushed the subject he always panickily remarked that he didn't want to talk about it. She, of course, respected his privacy and wishes, but it didn't prevent her from worrying about him. What happened to him? Was it amnesia perhaps? Maybe Silver didn't remember what happened to him before Blaze. She just wanted to create the most comfortable environment possible for Silver to feel safe in. But really it was him, who made her life that much brighter.

Blaze felt immensely guilty for harming Silver accidently, when a bolt of her crossbow fired into Silver's foot. Luckily, miraculously, no real harm was done. She aimed to make it up to him. He kept telling her not to worry, that he'd be fine if they just dumped him on some random street corner, but Blaze wouldn't hear it. She couldn't help how she felt. "Please, Blaze. All this is unnecessary. The wound's all healed, hehe, I don't want to weigh you down."

"I won't hear any of it, Silver. You are no burden to us. The outside of the foot might look healed, but you should stay off your feet for the next few weeks just to be sure. In the meantime, we will look after you. Just rest, and don't worry about anything. Relax." Blaze assured the man laying in the back of her van as she drove, and took a sharp turn through a red light. Several cars beeped at them, and swerved out of their way. Silver, in the back, tumbled from wall to wall. Silver, being the supernatural creature of flight he was, was never frightened by turbulence, and yet this woman's driving made him have a heart attack.

"'Look after' him? What is he a baby?" Marine mockingly asked, not even tearing her eyes away from her Switch.

"Enough out of you, Mari."

She pulled up to a local café and convenience store. She purchased a warm coffee and a cup of chicken mushroom noodle soup, for Silver, to warm him up, because for some reason he looked tense surrounded by deadly, pointy, anti-vampire weaponry. Blaze stepped out of the store and returned to the van. Doors open, Marine's legs dangling over the edge, she was talking to Silver.

"So, how old are you?" Marine asked, her eyes narrowed, pouting.

That seemed to have tensed him up. He got all shifty eyed, avoiding Marine. "I-- uh-- fift-- no, too, high. thir--" He squinted at Marine, trying to read her face. "Ah, wha-- what's your-- how old do I look?" He was sweating. His lips and mouth felt dry as if he had bitten in a lemon.

"Marine!" Blaze exclaimed angrily at her apprentice. "It is incredibly rude to ask that someone."

Marine turned around still pouting. She argued, "I'm just asking! I mean, look at him!" The girl pointed at their new silver associate. "He looks like he's fifteen and thirty at the same time, and dresses like a freaking hundred year old."

"That's enough!" Blaze exclaimed. She tossed a pack of gummy worms into Marine's face, which immediately changed to overjoyed. "Now, go, get." The girl skittered deeper into the van.

"Awesome, fishing bait!" The girl exclaimed. She chomped down on the packet and attempted to tear it open, but couldn't.

Blaze entered, she turned to Silver, "Do you mind if I close the doors? Keep the cold out?"

"Oh, yeah, s-- sure." He replied quietly. Blaze closed the back doors behind her, and sat down opposite Silver. He was still trying to avoid eye contact.

"I'm... so sorry about Marine. She has no filter." She said side eyeing the girl. The raccoon didn't pay her any attention, focusing on gnawing on her plastic packet. "She's a good kid. She just needs to think before she talks... I-- I think you look... good. You know, not old, I'm twenty-two. If you care." She bowed her head, embarrassed, she didn't know what she was saying.

"Thank you. That's... That's really nice of you..." Silence, once more. Silver's eyes shifted from side to side. "I'm twenty... one."

"Cool..."

"..."

"I-- uh-- I got you something warm." She extended the cup of coffee to Silver, head bowed down, looking down at the ground to avoid his gaze.

Silver took the offering, and just looked at it, attempting to not look confused. "Oh, yes, this, thank you. I-- I like this." He pointed to the cup, and smiled nervously.

"I'm glad. I didn't know what you liked to drink, thought coffee might be a safe choice." Blaze turned her attention to the noodle pot. She partially peeled away the cup's lid, took out and poured in the water from her water bottle into the powdered substance, mixed the contents, and placed the cup on her palm. She realised something. "Before I... Do what I'm about to do... don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. Okay?"

Silver looked confused. "O-- Okay? Blaze, believe me, no secret of yours could possibly shock me. And trust me, I have been shot with a wooden stack today, and I'm fine. Trust me, I'm tough. You can't hurt me." He couldn't explain why, but in that moment he reached for her hand, but he realised very quickly that he made a mistake, and retracked the hand before it could make contact. They both bowed their heads down, embarrassed.

Blaze closed her eyes and cleared her mind. Silver's eyes widened in disbelief as the cold soup began to bubble and boil, stream rose up from it, Silver could see vague semblance of embers rising up from Blaze's palm. She was actually generating heat from her hands! After a moment she opened her eyes and passed the cup over to Silver with a spoon. Silver, of course, accepted it, just with amazement on his face. "Blaze, that-- that was amazing! How did you do that?"

"It's just something I've been able to do ever since I was a little girl." A byproduct of dark alchemy, curtesy of her 'beloved' parents, she didn't feel like going into it, a lot of painful memories. "People are usually more horrified when they see this side of me." Silver noticed that there was a very real sorrow in her voice, and a sad look on her face.

He didn't like seeing her sad, he wanted to say something that would lift her spirits, "Well, I think that's amazing, Blaze. You clearly have a gift, and a good, kind soul deserving of it."

"...Thank you, Silver. I... That's... I'm not used to receiving complements like that, forgive me." She attempted to hide her face.

"That sounds terrible, I'm sorry Blaze. You seem really lovely. I mean I really like you. You definitely deserve more complements. You're the nicest person I've ever met. You dressed my wound, you gave me... warm gifts, and... you've said nice things to me."

"Those aren't really a high bar, Silver."

Silver's face fell. "Well..." Blaze waited, but Silver never finished that sentence.

Blaze realised that they treaded on sensitive ground. She cleared her throat, she needed to change the subject. "So, maybe taste the soup and see if you like it." She fidgeted with her hairband which kept her hair in a ponytail.

"Oh! Taste, yep, yes. Sustenance. Food. Ha. Thank you." Silver awkwardly placed the spoon into the cup and swirled the contents and raised some to his mouth. He hesitated slightly, Blaze watched expectingly, he closed his eyes and placed the spoon in his mouth. He slurped and swallowed. His eyes shot open and almost cartoony 'mmmm' escaped him. "This is delicious." He quickly took another spoonful. "Blaze, you made this?!"

"Well, n--"

"This is marvellous! You truly have a talent!"

"I-- thank you, Silver. That's very nice of you."

"Oh seasoning, how I've missed you. Reminds me of my home..." A sad expression crept up onto his face. "I wonder what Romania is like this time of year."

"Is that where you're from? Do you have any family there?" Blaze asked curiously.

"...No... Not anymore." Silver remarked quietly.

"Well... if you don't have anyone to go to... you could stay with us for the time being. At least until we're certain your foot is completely fine."

"...Again, you are the kindest person I've met, Blaze." The silence between the two was interrupted by the sound of struggle. Blaze and Silver turned to see the young raccoon still trying to tear the packet open with her dull teeth. She must've been doing it the entire time, but the two had only just noticed. Marine groaned and threw the packet onto the floor in frustration. Silver scootched over to help. "Here let me help." Silver took the packet of gummy worms, bit down on the plastic with his fangs and pulled, and tore it open as if it was paper. "There you go." He handed it back to Marine, who quickly swiped the sweets out of his hand.

"I loosened it for you."

Silver smiled. He turned back to Blaze, who had a bright blush running across her face. "Blaze? Are your powers manifesting again?"

"Uh, yep, yes. Anyway, time to go. Better get on the road." She coughed, and quickly exited the van through the back door, closing it behind her. Outside, in the cool air, she composed herself, slapping her cheeks, taking a breath in and out.

Silver then turned his attention to the young raccoon, who cocking a crossbow, a wooden stack loaded on it. She narrowed her eyes at Silver, "Just give me a reason to use ol' Doris here." She waved it around in Silver's direction. The hedgehog-out-of-time gulped in fear of the little girl.

Blaze entered the van, and got into the driver's seat, missing the entire threat. "Alright, lets go." She turned the keys in the ignition and the van rattled as the engine shook to life. Blaze took off, without signalling and the journey began.

Silver watched through the windows of the back doors the towering buildings of the city go by. He noticed something else, the welcome sign for Crisis City, they had just passed it. They were leaving... Leaving Crisis City. For the first time in decades. Silver couldn't believe it. It almost felt freeing.

Over the course of the next few months Blaze and Silver became closer. They just enjoyed each others' company, and soon enough it seemed strange to think of a life without the other. Silver was forever thankful to Blaze for freeing him, but also giving him a home of a sort. No one had ever done so much for him, and he felt like he had to repay his rescuer in some way. So he proceeded to do just that. He wanted to be useful. He helped with the washing clothes, tiding up (good lord the van was a mess), he helped organise all resources, although he did have an occasional heart attack when handling the weaponry. Blaze was kind enough to teach Silver all he needed to know when it came to defending himself against vampires; how to sharpen wooden stacks, how to steal holy water out of churches (they got caught a few times), and how to lace garlic essence onto weapons, doorframes, and... clothing. That was... a choice. Silver tried to approach the topic gently.

"Blaze, you know how much I love you."

"Yes, of course Silver."

"And I know you love garlic.... When's the last time you showered?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

"Then why--"

"I cover myself in garlic before I go to sleep every night. You can never be too careful. You don't want a vampire to sneak up on you in the middle of the night, do you?! That's when you're most vulnerable!" She remarked looking semi-deranged. She and Marine were really more alike than either of them were willing to admit.

And that was as far as they ever got with that conversation.

It was just then that Blaze realised that she was staring, out the window, at Silver. He was smiling about something to Marine, who was skittering around out of Blaze's line of sight. She was surprised to see the two get along so well. Mari was so distrusting and cautious of Silver when they first picked him up like a stray. But over the time they had forged a strange friendship, Blaze wasn't even sure when it happened. But Blaze didn't question it. Silver was obviously more lenient and giving with Mari, unlike Blaze who often chose to be more stern and rigid. Silver loved to listen, often sitting patiently and intrigued in anything the young girl had to say, and she loved to ramble. And she had a lot to teach the hedgehog, her limitless passion for all things nautical was intoxicating, the girl was just so excited to finally share her interests with someone who'd listen. Endlessly monologuing about all kinds of ships and how to construct them, and musing about all manner of myths about the seven seas.

Not only that, Silver encouraged the hobby. Apparently, at night, he had snuck out and presumably bought a full pack of art supplies for Mari (with what money? she did not know). Marine made quick use of them when she transformed the outside of the van into a pirate ship with her new airbrushes. Going so far as to even paint a mural at the side of the van depicting a pirate raccoon defeating an attacking Kraken and defending a hedgehog and cat standing back in awe of the raccoon hero. Blaze was unamused and embarrassed.

"Did you want to tell us something, Mari?"

"What? They're at least 25% legally distinct." The girl shrugged.

But probably what got Silver in Marine's good graces was his naivity and gulability.

"Hehehe, hey Silver, hehehe." She snickered to herself.

"Hmm?"

"It-- Hehehe-- It smells-- Ha! Hehehe-- It smells like updog in here."

"... What?... What is updog?" Silver replied unsuspectingly.

Marine fell over onto the ground with bellyaching laughter, tears of joy streaming down her face. She rolled side to side as Silver just watched on, confused, and slightly worried that his young compatriot just suffered a mental break. But no, that was just Marine.

"Oh Ho Ho My God, I've never gotten that to work on anybody! HAHAHA!"

"What-- is happening?"

Blaze simply remarked, "You get used to tuning her out."

Marine didn't say it outright, but she really loved the gift, and she wanted to share it with Silver. She want to paint with him. And Silver would have loved for nothing more, but he couldn't. It was day. And so Silver stayed inside the van. He always did. He claimed he was tired from staying up late last night. So he slept all day, only waking up to chat with Blaze occasionally when she brought him coffee, which quickly became a favourite drink of his. They'd chat for hours on end without realising it, just enthralled in each other's company, laughing and telling stories. Time passed so quickly when they were in each others' presence, there were never enough hours in a day, yet all of them were blissful. Marine teased Blaze about it from time to time, but Blaze just rolled her eyes and scoffed at the implications. She just really liked this weirdo she found in the middle of nowhere. What was the problem?

"Ma'am?... Ma'am, your keys?"

"Wha- Sorry?"

"Your keys, for your rooms." The desk clerk offered a pair of keys in his palm. Blaze kindly accepted them and thanked them after clearing his throat. She noticed that Silver and Marine were returning from the store, Silver several paces behind the raccoon. Blaze stepped out to meet them. She couldn't help but smile.

"So? What did you get?" Blaze asked, arms folded.

"Only something essential." The girl remarked slyly. She then proceeded to pull out something from behind her back. It was strange, Blaze couldn't quite tell what it was supposed to be. A purple ring around her finger, dangling from it was a wobbling rubbery string with a cartoony hand at the end. Mari twirled the contraption around and flung it at the feline, the sticky hand landed directly at the centre of Blaze's forehead. She was unamused to say the least. "See? I can grapple all types a' stuff with this thing! And it can get through metal detectors no problem! Ha!"

"... Marine, you have three seconds to get this thing off me, take these keys, go up to the room, and settle yourself in, or you will get the whopping of your life." Blaze replied sternly.

Marine, clearly intimidated, retracted the silly toy, took the keys and skipped off, "Alright, alright, you don't have a sense of humour I get it... Man, an actual bed, like in a room and stuff, ha, living the high life." Hardly, the motel was... well let us say; below three stars. The raccoon sprinted up the stairs and ran off in search of her room number.

Blaze sighed, and turned to Silver who waited patiently for her with a smile. The irritation melted away quickly. He had a warm coffee in hand, still steaming, which he handed over to the purple feline. "Here, I thought you might like something warm to wake you up."

Blaze accepted, "Thank you, Silvy. Greatly appreciated." She took a quick sip. "Do I look that tired?"

"Wha-- What? No. You look lovely. I just-- thought you might like one. It's our thing." He fidgeted with his fingers awkwardly.

"Have you gotten something for yourself at least?"

"Sure have!" Silver pulled out a delicious red apple. "I've really grown a liking for fruits. Definitely fulfils some... personal cravings." Silver bit into the red juicy orb, tearing a sizable chunk out of the fruit with relative ease, no small part thanks to his sharp canines. Blaze found herself staring at them once more, as she often did, more than she liked to admit. Fangs... Long fangs... she thought to herself. It was curious. She had never seen such large fangs on a hedgehog, they were no great predators.

"Notice anything new about me?" Silver asked excited.

"Huh?"

"You were looking." Silver claimed. Blaze rolled her eyes dismissively, yet a smile was plastered on her face. "Did you notice my new clothes?" He pointed with his flat palms up and down his person, "Normal clothes!... As MarMar put it." He looked expectingly at Blaze. "Do--" He stopped. And started again as air got caught in his throat. "Do you like it?" Immediately he turned away from her, that statement did not come off the way he wanted.

It took a lot of strength for Blaze not to just blurt out a 'Yes!' She had to keep her composure. Be normal. Be normal. When they first meet, Blaze found Silver wearing a rather ornate expensive looking garment, cape and all. Silver kept the outfit for longer than Blaze expected, he said it held significance to him. Perhaps it reminded him of his family, though Blaze didn't know much about them, Silver seemed to have a troubled history with them. Blaze could relate. But he never pried, and so neither did she. They respected each other's boundaries and limits. They understood each other, in a way no one else in their respective lives ever did. It was so refreshing. Being comfortable around someone. Being understood.

Eventually, the old-fashioned garb Silver was sporting was phased out, after an unfortunate adventure that the vampire hunters dragged Silver into. It got ruined in a conflict. There were alegid sightings of vampires in the woods just outside of the coastal town of Soleanna. When Blaze announced where they were heading, Silver looked almost like his ghost was about to leave his body. He tried to sway the two off the path, recalled various legends about the woods in an attempt to scare the vampire hunters away. Blaze simply scoffed and patted Silver on the back, saying that that was exactly why they were going there. The rumours turned out to be true. It was almost as if Silver knew, and tried to warning them ahead of time... Nah, that couldn't be.

The cat opened the back doors of what Marine was now dubing the 'battle-van', apparently she was rewatching the re-runs of ninja turtles again. Silver was shocked to see that there were more weapons now than there were the day before and the day before that.

"That-- That's a lot of... A lot."

"Yes." Blaze smiled eagerly, mistaking Silver's nervousness for being stunned and impressed. She casually swiped a handful of razor blades, silver bullets, and crossbows, and reached for a large black case underneath. It had a long strip of masking tape stuck on it, in marker written on it was one thing: Garlic. She opened the case.

"oh my god." Silver spoke out under his breath.

"Take as much bombs as you need, for your safety." She instructed, clearly worried about Silver's safety.

Silver was quaking, "M-- Maybe later." He had already raised his palms in protest. But Blaze wasn't having any of it.

"None-sense, Silver. This is potentially a dangerous nesting spot for vamps. We have to prepare you." Blaze grabbed Silver's hand and pulled it close. There was that feeling again. A heart beating? His? But that couldn't be, could it? He quickly realised that she didn't just want to hold his hand, as she slapped a garlic grenade into the hedgehog's hand and closed his fingers around it. "Now, I will teach you how to use these."

"Oh, no, that's alright, I don't--" Blaze pulled the pin. "AHHHH! What are you--"

Blaze held Silver's hands, cupping the grenade, "Calm yourself, Silver. The handle is still in place, it will only explode if it flies off. You must hold it in place, understand?" She spoke in a calm tone.

"Uh-- Uh, yeah."

"Alright. Good." Her hands let go of his, he immediately missed the warmth. "After you let go, it explodes after seven seconds. Hold for two, throw on five. Understood?"

"Yep."

"Good. So throw. Because there's a pack of vampires right behind us." The cat pointed behind Silver, who turned in a panic.

A swarm of vampires leapt out of the tall trees, screaming on top of their lungs, "Who Dares Disturb The Land of Mephiles!?"

"Good idea." He quickly lobed the grenade at the incoming horde, it exploded in a cloud of garlic. It slowed the attackers down, but didn't stop them. They ran off splitting up, Blaze ended up on her own, armed with a belt of garlic bombs. She clipped one off after another, chucking the self-made explosives at the incoming hordes. Her masterful hand to hand combat was plenty to keep her opponents at a distance, though her garlic-laced silver blades didn't hurt either... well, not her anyway.

So they did walk right into a trap, a full vampire nest, dozens on dozens of pale, silver-furred, fanged creatures leapt out from the shadows and chased the purple feline, madly running away. The thing is they would've gotten her, if not for a little help. A nightwalker closed the distance, unhinging their jaw to chomp down on Blaze's head, just then a honking came through the dark trees and the van came barrelling through, ramming into the monster, sending the vampire flying. Blaze raised her brow in confusion at her rescue.

"MARINE!?"

"Yeah!" Marine exclaimed happily from behind the steering wheel.

"What are you doing in the van!?!"

"Oh it's cool," The girl replied, "Silver said I was allowed to." She pointed her thumb at Silver in the passenger seat next to her, he waved awkwardly at Blaze.

"You're too young to drive! Get out young lady right now!" Blaze demanded, pointing to the ground at her feet. Then a moment later a snarling growl, vampires began to rain like hail, THUD THUD THUD on the roof of the van. "Stay in the van! Stay in the van!" The cat quickly changed her mind.

The hordes gathered, encircling Blaze, all piling on her. A vampire was about to sink their fangs into Blaze's neck, when she shoved a grenade into his gob. And as she waited for the explosion, a greenlight enveloped them all. And then suddenly, everything felt lighter. Blaze opened her eyes only to be greeted with a soft face, kind eyes, and a warm smile. Silver held her hand and was ushering them into safety. But how? Silver was encased in emerald light. It felt like they were... flying. But... that can't be right.

"Silver?"

"Yes, Blaze?" He smiled, overjoyed to see her safe.

"Are we flying?"

A dreadful realisation struck Silver, his eyes widened as he gasped, "Ah-- N-- No! Wha-- Whaaaat?"

"Yeah, we are!" Marine remarked excited as she popped up from behind him, clinging to his quilled back. The light faded, and the three fell to the ground.

"No. No. No. Flying? You must be woozy." Silver attempted to lie, poorly, he was very bad at that.

"Silver." He fell silent. He didn't want to interrupt her. "Do not lie to me. I know what you are." That was it. The end. The cat was out of the bag. She knew his secret. He enjoyed their short friendship so, and now the person who made his heart beat for the first time in decades was about to slay him. And he accepted it. Closing his eyes. He waited for the feeling of the cold steel to pierce his heart, but instead a warmth welcomed him. A hug. He opened his eyes in blissful surprise. "It's alright, Silver. You don't have to hide."

"What?"

"These powers. It's a curse. Like mine. My fire and your mind. We believed we should have been ashamed of them. To keep them hidden." Silver was stunned to see a tear, roll down her face. She was stunning. "But when I revealed my fire to you... I've never felt freer. And I want you to feel just as free around me."

Silver was taken aback. The kindest thing anyone has ever said to him. He struggled to find the words, he hadn't realised that he too was shedding tears. All choked up, after a moment he finally replied, "Thank you, Blazey." And he returned the hug. They stayed their for a good moment.

"Yeah, guys *sniff* not crying by the way." Marine sniffled.

"Yes, Marine?"

"It's all sweet an' all." She wiped her tears away. "But vamps are right on our heels, and we need to get the van back."

"Yeah, let's do that." Silver sniffed.

"Oh, and one more thing, Silver." Blaze remarked.

"What is it, Blaze?"

"Your clothes, they're torn and tattered. Don't worry, we'll take care of you. Like I promised." She smiled. He smiled back. He nodded joyfully. "Oh, and... did you call me... Blazey?"

It was a lovely memory.

Silver wasn't wearing anything fancy. A grey crop-top hoodie, opening up his midriff, and a pair of black sweatpants. It wasn't much, the team didn't have a lot of money, but Silver made it work. "Are you okay? You kind of zoned out?" Silver asked.

"I'm alright. Just thinking about happy memories..." She looked up at the grey cloudy skies above, sun hid behind the blanket of dullness. "Lousy weather. Not the best outfit for today." She pointed out to him.

"Why's that?" Silver tilted his head to the side.

"It's cold, dull and drab. It's cloudy, the sun can't even peek out today."

"I think it's really lovely." Silver shrugged. "...I love your hair." Silver stated out of the blue. Blaze tilted her head, and quirked a brow. "I love how soft and curly it is. And there's that one rogue curl that always escapes your ponytail. It's-- It's cute, is all."

"Where did that come from?" She asked curiously.

"Well, I just thought you could use some complements. You deserve them."

Blaze wore a dreamful expression on her face. She closed the distance between them, and placed a hand on his waist. Which prompted him to drop his apple. He turned tomato red. His lips quivered, and his voice shook, "Bla-- Blazey? What are you?--" The cat's smile grew into a smirk all the while her hand snaked up his chest, under the hoodie, to his fluffy chest fur. That practically stole the breath out of Silver's lungs.

"I sure hope I don't get bitten today.~"

He tapped his pointing fingers together as his blush burned brighter, "Like? Right here?" She pushed him backwards against the doors of the van. Her other arm snaked around his side, causing the pinned boy to shake, the hand reached passed him and unlocked the van doors.

"In."

"Yep."

He encased himself and her in a green light and floated them into the van, closing the door behind them, and drawing the blinds closed around the windows. Silver, red as a tomato, laid himself on the floor, his heart was racing. And he loved it. He loved this feeling, feeling in general. It was amazing. He couldn't stop smiling, even if it quivered. As Blaze pounced on him, pinning him to the ground, Silver was practically vibrating in his nervousness. She locked eyes with him. Their noses were an inch apart. "Are you okay with this?" He nodded, just 'mmhmm'ing, blushing feverishly. She closed the distance, nuzzling their noses together. She moved up to his ear and kissed it softly, purring into it. Silver giggled as he cuddled closer into Blaze's warm body.

Her fingers slowly combed through his fluffy chest fur, scratching and brushing it. Her pointing finger caught a lock of snow white fur and twirled it around. She had found out over time that she enjoyed doing it, helped her think. She never stopped looking at him, wide smirk on her face, her eyes half-lidded keeping direct eye contact with Silver's wide, adorably-panicked eyes. The most powerful being on the planet, and he melts before her touch; it was satisfying, to hold such power over a person and have them desire it.

Silver in turn leaned in and shakingly kissed Blaze's scar on her left cheek. It was an old wound, it didn't hurt anymore. Silver often wondered where and how Blaze had gotten it; probably in some epic confrontation of a vampire or some other opponent. But once again, they didn't intrude. He quickly realised Blaze was uncomfortable with it, often turning away from him to hide her left cheek from him when he acknowledged it; usually trying to cover it with popped collars of her trench coat, a scarf, or hood. As their relationship grew more intimate over the months traveling together Silver managed to muster up the courage to show his appreciation and care for Blaze, who was doing so much for him. Not only did he help with cleaning and washing, and constantly getting them gifts, he wanted to do more. He realised that much like him Blaze was a self-conscious person, who often reseeded into herself. He wanted to show that he loved all of her, that all of her was beautiful. To him she was a marvel. It started with complements, then one day when falling asleep on him she, half-asleep, led his soft hand to her left cheek, before falling into slumber. Silver had planned to stay up all night that night to keep watch over them like always. But the warmth, both coming from her and from inside his own body, the softness of Blaze's fur, and the melodic purring that he had never heard before, it coaxed his eyes to close. And that was the night that he fell asleep for the first in his life, and what a wonderful night of sleep it was. He awoke from one dream to another to see that she had not retreated from their embrace in the morning. With sleepy greetings exchanged Silver dared to lean in that morning and place his lips upon her left cheek, and simply whispered, "Thank you."

She liked it. The gesture stayed, and increased in frequency. They didn't really notice the change in their relationship, and so they didn't acknowledge it. That was until Marine teased them about it one day when arguing with Blaze, which happened a lot. Something along the lines of:

"Why are we still on the intersection?! We should be off it by now! We should be on E12! 12! We're on 17! Why are we on 17!?" Blaze complained frantically with bags under her eyes, her ponytail a mess, hunched over, her eyes darting madly between the road ahead and the map Marine was holding, and flipping it upsidedown, then a second later downsideup. They were lost. And Blaze had been up for hours, coffee after coffee, trying to find the path to their destination. "Stop turning it."

Marine, rightfully, rolled her eyes and groaned. "Well, maybe we wouldn't be lost, if you and Silver just cut down on your smooch sessions."

The car halted to a sudden stop, swerving to the side of the road. Blaze just sat there, stiff, motionless, with a million yard stare. She looked like she was about to break the steering wheel off. The young raccoon felt a sudden surge of fear, and foresaw a whooping in her future. The girl was suddenly quiet. Poor Silver was just behind them in the back within ear shot of the argument, he simply sat there tight lipped, sweating. "Is-- Is anyone else w-- warm? I-- Is it warm for anyone else?"

The incident led Blaze and Silver to actually acknowledge the change in their relationship, which was awkward, but important and ultimately helpful, it helped them move forward and be more open about how they truly felt towards each other. Even thought they still shyed away and denied it when Marine brought it up.

Blaze moved down from Silver's sensitive ear down to his cheek, and kissed it gently. Then hovered above his lips. Silver shook, his heart felt like it was about to explode. She waited, building up the tension, the anticipation, holding her prey in suspense, never letting him know when she was about to strike. In a playful twist, the feline moved away from boy's lips, she smiled showcasing her own sharp canines; Silver almost passed out at the sight, he knew exactly what was coming up.

Blaze softly kissed her partner's neck. Blaze unhinged her jaw, freeing her feline fangs, like shimmering sabers; Silver readied himself. And Blaze sank her teeth into Silver's neck, she was being gentle, it nearly broke skin, but not quite. Silver knew her teeth could snap through chains, she was being gentle with him. Silver couldn't help but kick his feet. And soon enough Blaze heard her favourite sound in the whole wide world emanating from Silver's throat. Silver was whimpering. She giggled. She loved it.

Blaze moved back to Silver's lips, hovering directly above them once more. They were about to bridge the gap, when Blaze spoke, "I love that sound." And then... suddenly... the romantic atmosphere record scratched away. Silver recoiled at the smell of his beloved's breath. It was garlic. He almost turned green. Blaze was unaware of the atmosphere change, "You like that?"

Silver gulped and nodded, "Yeah. Yep. Oh my god." He almost passed out. "Jalapeno, remember when I told you about my garlic-- uh-- allergy?"

Blaze quirked her brow, confused, "Yes? Wha--" She came to a realisation. "Oh!" She pulled back, "Oh I'm so sorry, Silver." She immediately began looking around for any mints.

"No, no, it's alright. I-- I loved it, Blazey." He reached out for her, wrapping his arms around her. "We can-- Can we keep going?" He awkwardly asked. Blaze just smirked down at the adorable boy cuddling into her. The cat found her breath spray, and the game was back on. Blaze pushed her prey back down to the floor, and laid down on top of him, placing her head on Silver's furry chest, the softest pillar in the world.

"I have never been more at peace." She murmured, her voice muffled by Silver's thick fur.

Silver felt Blaze's tense muscles ease up, her breath was slow and steady, and a low purring vibrated out of her. He believed her. And he made her feel that way? He was beyond honoured, overjoyed. "Blaze, you have no idea how happy that makes me to hear that. All I ever wanted to do was make you feel comfortable, make up for all that you've given me."

Blaze's finger was once again twirling Silver's chest fur playfully, it often helped her think, or relax. Perhaps she was trying to do both. There was something on her mind. "I don't feel like I deserve to feel this way."

That shocked Silver out of his daydreaming gaze, "What? Why?"

"I have grown complacent. Lazy... Unfocused... About my duties, my mission."

"..."

"I took a vow to hunt down the nightwalker, to never rest until I have slain the last vampire and have rid this world of their macabre evil. Only then, when the world is safe, do I have the right to rest."

"... Blaze, you do so much."

"No. I used to. But... I have been abandoning my responsibilities, selfishly, for the pursuit of a normal lifestyle. These past few months I've neglected the hunt. I haven't slain a single vampire in months. Months! Because I have been too busy with picnics and going to concerts and watching films, and-- and pretending like I have a normal, ordinary life. While the forces of evil reign unchecked, all because of my desire for companionship and the ordinary!..."

"... I... I wouldn't mind being ordinary. Ordinary could be nice." They looked into each other's eyes, enamoured by the soul behind.

She nuzzled deeper into his fur, "I don't get to indulge with the mundane and the routine. Whether the world knows it or not, it's depending on me. It's all on me. And if I turn a blind eye to this, it makes me just as much of a monster as my rivals."

"You don't need some mad mission to prove to the world and yourself that you're a good person. I already know that, because I know you. And you're amazing!... It's not all on you, it doesn't have to be. I can help share the weight. I think that's what partners do."

Blaze smiled, "I don't deserve you."

"You deserve the world and more... I'm the one who's not enough, I have no great wealth, no great wisdom, all I have to give is myself. Even though I know I can never be enough, I dedicate all of myself to you. In the hope that one day I will be worthy of your kindness... I never really felt alive before I met you. Every moment with you is bliss." He was looking up at the roof, staring into the middle distance, but the words came straight from the heart. He looked down to see Blaze looking up at him with watery eyes, "Thank you for making my heart beat."

"Oh Silver." Blaze pulled herself up and without any hesitation placed a kiss directly on Silver's lips. Silver kissed back, he attempted to push back, but there was no winning the battle, he melted under her touch, and Blaze dominated as usual. And just then, when they were deep in their fantasy and bliss... the van doors swung open and Marine intruded. She was about ask for something, but stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened and lit up, her mouth agape. She released a high pitched shriek which transformed midway into a cackle.

"Oh. My. GOD! You ARE together! HA! I knew it!" She exclaimed.

Blaze got up and was about to assault this small child before Silver stopped her.

"MARIIIIIIIINE!!!!!!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!!" The girl ran off laughing.

---

And then they exploded.

Sorry for the (extremely) overdue Halloween treat. Life is hectic. But I love these two so much. These fic was a long time coming. And of course I want give a heartfelt thank you to @vilayrou for making such beautiful art that inspired me to write some of my new favourite fics. And as a bonus; Happy SilvazeAnniversary!

#silvaze #blaze the cat #silver the hedgehog #marine the raccoon #silvazeanniversary #long post #vampire au

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artistotaku91 · 8 months ago

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Happy Halloween Everyone!X3

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theonewiththefanfics · 2 years ago

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Homecoming (one-shot)

Synopsys: When Y/N goes missing during a simple supply run, she comes back with world-shattering news for Astarion. News he never thought to hear, and now he has a decision to make, one that will shift his life on its axis once more.

Set after the main events of BG3

Pairing: Astarion x fem!Reader

Genre: angst, fluff, a bit of SMUT, but nothing explicit

Warnings: talks of blood, injuries, swearing, mentions of abuse, but nothing explicit, kidnapping

Word count: 8397

A/N: I have not played Baldur's Gate 3 (I don't own a PS or a PC where to play it. all of this is based on the info gathered online and through Neil's own gameplay etc. Please be kind :) )

Part 2(ish) - Love Conquers All (one-shot)

A home was not something to ever be taken for granted, that much they had learned during their adventures.

A home was a fire slowly crackling in the hearth, warmth expanding through the living room. A home was Astarion sitting on a loveseat, a book in his hands while he waited for his love to finish puttering around in the kitchen. A home was drying tea leaves and making preserves for the coming winter as she shooed him out, saying that his fussing would only hinder her process.

He’d huffed, puffed and whined, trying to make Y/N pull away from her plans just so they could curl up and read together, but she was adamant.

“I’ve already started.” She dropped an orange peel and pressed some lemon juice into the steaming pot. “It’ll be wasted produce if I just leave it now.”

“But it will take you hours!” Astarion whined like a child and even stomped his foot, making her snort.

“And it will take me twice as long if you don’t stop annoying me.” Y/N threw him a saccharine smile over her shoulder, batting her lashes at the pouting vampire. “Now, be a good boy, and quit pestering me. We’ll have all the time in the world, once I’m done.”

Astarion just groaned, going up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, the incisors he usually sank into her neck now nipping at her lobe. “I can be a very good boy if you only let me prove it.”

“My love, you will be getting absolutely no sex from me, if you don’t let me at least finish this batch.” A shiver rushed down her spine as he licked at her neck, so close to that sweet spot he always used as a place to bite and drink from. But she had to be strong. The jams wouldn’t make themselves. “Every additional minute you keep me from this will be an additional day of your dry spell.”

The vampire spawn jumped back from her as if he’d been scalded, scarlet eyes narrowing in on her. “You wouldn’t dare. You wouldn’t last an hour!”

Y/N turned around, crossing her arms as a devious smile bloomed on her lips, a brow raised in challenge. “Would you like to test those waters?”

Astarion stood, staring her down. His crimson gaze was blazing from underneath his lashes, but she didn’t budge. They’d played this game for close to three years as a couple now, and she’d learned very quickly – Astarion was very much so a cat. But especially – he was a cat that liked to knock things over while keeping direct eye contact with you, though the second you placed a palm underneath whatever it was he wanted for to fall, all his need for chaos disappeared. It just wasn’t fun anymore.

For twenty long seconds, Y/N and her pale elven lover didn’t break, hoping the other would crumble and be announced as the loser, but part of what he loved about her, was her stubbornness. It was because of that part of her personality, she’d stuck by him when his doubts had crept in, when his own mind called him worthless and not good enough for her, almost as if to spite those vicious words in his mind. She didn’t give up on the people she loved, and as luck would have it, Astarion owned her heart.

But Y/N also knew how to handle a cat like him, so just after a few more tense moments, his eye twitched, and he huffed in defeat.

“Fine,” he scoffed. “But if you are not done by sundown, I shall have no other option but to drag you away from the stove. Kicking and screaming preferred.”

Y/N simply shook her head, and went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling the man into a deep, breathless kiss, but not before nipping at his bottom lip, dragging the piece of flesh between her teeth and making him let out a desperate moan. “I’ll even let you tie me up if you wish to do so.”

Astarion’s pupils almost swallowed the red irises in a matter of seconds, as he threw his head back in a groan. “My love, you’re absolutely killing me here.”

“Then I hope whatever punishment you deem fit for me, will be just oh, so sweet.” Y/N stepped back, untangling herself from him, but the mischievousness in her eyes didn’t lessen.

She could see how the words tortured him, how it took every single last piece of his fraying self-control, to not rip off her apron and the clothes underneath and just lay her down on the kitchen table, legs spread with his mouth licking into her until she orgasmed.

With eyes holding nothing but pure lust and hands clenching and unclenching, Astarion retreated. Y/N would be lying if she said she wasn’t hot and bothered and absolutely dripping between her thighs, and the thought of finishing those jams was the last thing on her mind, but she did have to do it. If only to keep him waiting longer, knowing whatever his beautiful brain was cooking up would leave her screaming and shaking for hours.

They’d been growing their own vegetables and fruits, Y/N tending to them during the nights to spend more time with Astarion as he fussed over his flower gardens, so it would simply be wasteful to leave their berries to rot. The year had been very generous and offered a variety of things to gather, so a while back, she’d decided to pickle some of the tomatoes and cucumbers, turn another batch of peppers and tomatillos into sauces while the sweeter things would be turned into syrups and jams.

Y/N shook her head, trying to clear it from the haze of lust, as the aroma of lemons and cranberries, raspberries and oranges wafted all around, encasing her in the scent. She was just about to add the sugar when the tin rattled with the sound of the last grains left.

Her brow furrowed as she opened the lid and looked inside. Sure, enough it was empty.

The woman huffed. She was absolutely positive she’d gotten the right amount during the last trip, but somewhere along the way it seemed a miscalculation had happened, and now she had to get more. Y/N would have asked Astarion, and had the sun dipped below the horizon, he would have jumped at the request, but alas his little vampiric predicament forbade him from walking during the day, the sun still high in the sky from what she could see through a tiny slit in the shutters.

Quickly, Y/N snuffed out the flame below the pot, untied her dirtied apron and grabbed a basket from the pantry, tying a pouch of coins to her side. She only needed sugar, but maybe she would grab some other necessities as well. They were low on Astarion’s favourite wine, one he claimed didn’t taste like vinegar at least.

“I’m off to the market really quick,” Y/N announced as she peeked into the living room, taking in Astarion as he flipped a page in a book. “Do you want anything?”

“No, my love.” He looked at her like a love-sick puppy. “Just your darling self back as quick as you can. I have picked up some… inspiration for your punishment if you will. Just as you suggested, of course.” He closed the book, showing the cover to her.

Heat crawled all over her body as she read the title, one of her smuttier romances she had started to read, and when she could do nothing but gulp and nod, his smile turned from a sweet one into a wicked-fanged thing. It was all she needed to know whatever awaited her once she was done would leave her unable to walk. Gods, she needed to finish this whole thing up as quickly as she could.

Y/N was out the doors like the wind, the usual stroll to the market cut from half an hour into a brisk fifteen-minute jog, the thoughts of the man waiting back home for her at the forefront of her mind.

The needed sugar, some coffee beans, a loaf of fresh bread, Astarion’s wine and some sour cream were all bought in quick succession, Y/N didn’t even try to haggle. Her eyes drifted across various stalls and merchants and she almost deemed it done when her gaze caught onto a rose seedling. It was a beautiful bloom with blood-red petals that whitened at the very tips. She smiled and went to buy it. Astarion would love the symbolism even if a bit too on the nose.

Once satisfied with everything, Y/N marched across the market and was back on the road to home. It was a humble little house they’d purchased with whatever had been left in their pockets after all was said and done with the tadpoles, but Astarion had bigger plans. This was only a temporary situation.

“I want a whole room full of books. Nothing but books from one end to the other and then some,” he’d confided in Y/N one night after both were panting and spent from multiple rounds of bringing the other to ecstasy.

“And a large ballroom,” he continued, and Y/N couldn’t help the loud laugh that escaped her.

“A ballroom? And what will we do with that?”

“Why, have grand balls, of course!” He threw his hands up in the air as if her question was preposterous.

“Star…” Y/N tilted her head to look up at him from where she was lying on his naked chest. “You hate people. A ballroom full of them – it would be your literal nightmare.”

“I don’t hate people.”

“I don’t count.”

“Alright,” he conceded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. Y/N placed her palm atop where his heart was and rested her chin on it, looking deep into his eyes. “I hate most people, simply dislike them, but I wouldn’t be opposed to a get-together, from time to time. Maybe… maybe see our friends. Catch up on how they’re doing. I absolutely despise to admit this and will say you are lying if you ever mention it to anyone, but I – I miss them… even Gale…”

A gentle smile lifted her lips as she brushed a wild curl out of his face and tucked it behind his pointy ear. “I think I’d really like that too.”

His eyes were so soft and full of love, that Y/N swore she could feel his heart beating once more in his chest, thudding against her palm in a confession of adoration.

She was almost out of the city by that point, already on the small, secluded road leading to their house which lay on the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate right by the edges of the woods, so Astarion had easier access to game in between feeding on her when her attention was drawn back by someone calling out.

“Miss!” the voice, male she made out, yelled after her. “Miss, please wait!”

Instantly, her guard was up, but when a breathless man, looking to be in his late sixties appeared from behind a copse of trees, she somewhat relaxed. Y/N was still cautious, but if anything, she had a dagger holstered against her thigh. She was always prepared.

“Miss,” he gasped out, leaning his hands against his knees to catch his breath. “Miss, you are a quick one. I’ve been calling for you since by the rose stalls."

“Oh, I – I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you!” Y/N said but didn’t move forward. “How can I help?”

He huffed, as if regaining her breath, before fishing out a piece of fabric from his pocket, and extending it towards her. “You dropped this by the flowers.”

When she took a closer look at what he was holding, it seemed to be some sort of a silk scarf. She narrowed her eyes at him. She didn’t own silk scarves and definitely hadn’t worn one on such a warm day. “You must have mixed me up with someone, as it’s not mine. Sorry, for you to have troubled yourself like this.”

“No.” The man furrowed his brow, taking a step closer. “I am fairly certain I saw you drop it. Such a fine piece… didn’t want you to lose it.”

Y/N took a step back, angling herself in a defensive position with the basket in front of her. She didn’t like the tone he was speaking in, nor the way his eyes seemed to be appraising her. “No,” she asserted. “It’s not mine.”

His back stiffened, eyes growing cold, the grip on the scarf tightening as he hummed. “Well… a pity then.”

She took another step back, but he was already lunging at her.

Dropping the basket to the ground, she reached for the knife strapped at her thigh, but he was quick as a viper as she hadn’t even noticed when a rope appeared in his hands, lashing it at her. Years of having fought had kept her agile and aware, but years of domestic bliss with Astarion had dulled her senses a bit.

The rope caught and wrapped around her ankle, knocking her to the ground. Y/N’s teeth clattered and snapped, her tongue almost in between them, but as he rushed to pin her down, she twisted her leg around the rope and pulled, making the man lose his balance and stumble.

It was enough for her to swipe her leg underneath his, and send him sprawling. It was enough for her to untangle her legs and roll away as he snapped it at her head. Her clothes were dirty as was her face, but it didn’t matter. She’d cover herself in blood if needed.

It was almost animalistic how she pounced – teeth bared, a snarl ripping from her throat and hands forming claws as if she would gouge at his face with just his nails, but as her palm brushed her thigh, unclipping the holster for her dagger, Y/N didn’t see the man had crouched on his knee and swung the cord.

It knocked the air out of her, as it wrapped around her chest, and he pulled her down, hard. Her ribs were screaming as the tether tightened and tightened with every pull, but as she thought this would be it, something strange happened – instead of offering her the killing blow, he opened a palm, now covered in a leather glove, and blew the contents of it onto her face.

Y/N coughed and sputtered, but whatever it was, was fast-acting and her lungs, still incapable of proper breathing due to the rope couldn’t expel it. In just a few seconds, the bright day around her turned into darkness.

She didn’t know how long she was unconscious for, but enough time had passed to dry out her throat. Or was that a side effect of whatever was blown into her face? In any case, as she slowly came to, Y/N noted there was a soft mattress under her body, which was an oddity for someone kidnapped. She could even tell the dagger was still by her thigh, the comforting weight of the blade pressed under her. Even weirder, if you asked her, to not disarm your victims.

Darkness still encompassed her, but the soft cloth against her cheeks told her she hadn’t permanently lost her vision, but with her sight obscured, she had to rely on her ears. That’s when voices invaded her senses.

There were three people somewhere further away, most likely in a different room if taken by how muffled the words were. She focused harder on what they were saying.

Two men and a female, Y/N differentiated, when the woman spoke.

“This is not what we agreed upon!” she hissed, and a grumbly-sounding man scoffed.

“You said to get her to you. I did. You never specified how.” It was the same man who’d knocked her out.

“We want her to help us!” A different male voice, this one softer, even kinder, rebutted. “I highly doubt kidnapping is a good incentive for that!”

“Look,” her assailant said. “I fulfilled my end of the deal. She is unhurt, maybe she'll sport a couple of bruises and a headache, but that is her own fault. She could have come willingly but didn’t. Other than that, though – she is completely fine. Now you do your part!”

As the trio argued between themselves, more angry whispers than shouting, Y/N started to shimmy her hands which had been bound, out of the restraints. She had a good inclination they needed her alive but had no want of staying as a prisoner.

Though her fighting skills seemed to have mellowed, which she was not happy about, even a couple of years without mortally dangerous adventures, hadn’t changed how quickly she could slip her wrists from their bindings. Astarion might need to get more creative during their debauchery.

Y/N froze the second she heard a door open and shut, two pairs of footsteps moving closer and closer to where she was. Her breathing was shallow and almost imperceptible, as she tried to make it look like she was still unconscious.

She could sense two bodies enter the room and one move to stand where she faced, the other going to her back.

Y/N tensed. In just a few moments, whoever was behind her, would notice her undone binds. But she’d be ready.

“Darling, please be careful,” the woman said, a tremble in her voice.

Good. Let them be scared.

“Don’t worry,” the man replied. “I’ll just make sure she’s – what in the -”

But Y/N was already up, the blindfold off and ready to pounce. This time, she’d have the upper hand.

For a second, the light in the room blinded her, but her sight refocused fast enough to take in her captors’ faces.

The woman was beautiful, with high rosy cheekbones, and jade green eyes so vivid they looked like actual gemstones. Her hair was long and dark, down to her waist while grey strands seemed to have invaded the brown tresses in some places, but she was still ethereally gorgeous, her pointy ears covered in piercings.

Y/N snapped out of the shock quicker and using this to her advantage, she was behind her in a matter of a blink, her dagger pressed tight against her throat.

A gasp entered her ears, but she just pressed the blade harder, making her whimper.

“Please!” the man made her look at him, but instead of bracing for an attack, he had his hands up in surrender. “Please don’t hurt her! We just want to talk.”

“Funny way of having a conversation you’ve got there.” Y/N tightened her grip on the knife, surveying the man. Again, those same pointed ears, but his eyes were the most brilliant blue she’d ever seen and his face was marred with more age lines than the woman’s, yet he still was as gorgeous as she. “Typically, only my enemies would knock me out and tie me up before spilling their grand plans. But I will be kind and give you a choice – what would you like to be – friends or foes?”

“Friends! Friends! Please! We – we’re looking for our son!” the elven man pleaded. “And we – we heard a rumour that you might know him. Have even seen him.”

Y/N narrowed her Y/E/C eyes, piercing his with her gaze. “I’ve known and seen a lot of people. Usually, others just ask me about them, they don’t have someone kidnap me.”

“And we’re sorry, we’re so very sorry, but we had to make sure you came. It went too far and we apologise, but please…” He took in a deep breath, worried eyes flipping between his partner and her. “Our son – his name is Astarion. Astarion Ancunin. Have you – do you know of him?”

Hearing his name, knocked the breath out of her as if they’d snapped a rope around her chest again, making her stumble back. Her grip on the woman released, and she used the moment to leap over to her partner, using the bed as a buffer. He instantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her half behind his back, but not before checking if Y/N’s dagger had pierced the skin.

Tears brimmed in the eleven woman’s green eyes as she looked at her, not even caring that just a moment before she was so close to having her blood dripping on the floor. “Please,” she whispered. “I – I know we didn’t go about it the right way, but please… is it true he’s alive?”

"I,” Y/N stammered, her gaze snapping back and forth between the two.

Astarion.

They were Astarion’s parents.

Even after all this time, they were searching for their missing son.

Y/N should have noticed the details – how the woman had a small mole on her cheek right where Astarion did, how the shape of the man’s eyes was the exact same as his son’s. Astarion even had the same high cheekbones as his mother while his sharp jaw was that of his father.

What had his eyes been like before? Green like his mother’s or the sky blue of his father's? What had he been like as a child? No doubt as mischievous and scheme-prone as he was now, but who had he gotten it from? So many different questions rattled through Y/N’s brain as she kept glancing back and forth, before shaking her head and pulling her out of the shocked stupor.

“You – you’re Ancunins?” She had to ask. Had to make sure she hadn’t overheard them or maybe hallucinating because of the powder she’d inhaled.

“Yes.” The woman nodded, brushing tears from under her eyes. “Our son has been missing for more than two hundred years, and we almost lost hope until… until we heard about you and your company a few years back. How one of the party members resembled our little Star so much.”

They hadn’t been inconspicuous, though they had tried, so it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise that tales of their adventures had gone far and wide, especially after saving Baldur’s Gate, killing Cazador and the absolute, and Gods know how many other evils along the way. But she never thought Astarion’s parents would have heard of it.

In fact, Astarion had barely even mentioned them over the years, and, for whatever reason, Y/N had concluded they must have passed, despite knowing elves lived extremely long lives. Had he maybe tried to find them on his own and couldn’t? Or had he forgotten about them?

Until Astarion and Y/N had become an official couple and she’d commissioned a portrait of him as a gift on an anniversary, he hadn’t even seen himself in two centuries. He’d forgotten what he looked like. It didn’t seem too crazy to assume, the memories of his parents’ names or their faces, might’ve slipped away as well, or even the love they had for him. Especially knowing how deeply Cazador had ruined that notion for him.

She needed to get home. She needed to see Astarion, and then she could figure out what to do.

“I need to go.” Y/N nodded to herself, muttering under her breath. “I need to think.”

“No, please!” the woman lunged, trying to grasp at her, but she had a knife pointed at her chest in an instant, making the elf shrivel back, but still, she pleaded. “Please help us. You’re the hero of Baldur’s Gate! If you can’t help, who will?”

“I promise I will do my best,” Y/N said. “But I need time… I – I need to figure all of this out.”

Her mind was swirling like a hurricane, but the man interrupted her breakdown as she realised how pretty much her in-laws, had kidnapped her. “At least tell us this – is – is it true he is alive? Or have we travelled across Faerun under the pretences of false hope?”

In truth, Y/N wanted to take them by the arms and drag them to her house, but whether Astarion wanted to reach out and reconnect, was up to him. That sort of a choice was not hers to make, but she could grant them this one request.

“He is.” Y/N nodded.

And then she left as quickly as she could because if she had to stand there and watch as the elves crumbled into one another, cries of relief and joy escaping into the slowly setting day, she would crumble too. Their faces were already permanently burned into her mind, and she needed a moment to process everything.

By a stroke of luck or fate, Y/N instantly recognised she was in the woods on the other side of Baldur’s Gate, so retracing her steps to the market was fairly easy even though the whole way back home, she was pretty much stumbling around in a daze, knocking into people and tripping over her own two legs.

Her discarded basket was right where she’d left it, gold coins scattered around it. The pouch must’ve broken during the struggle. Y/N made sure to pick every single piece up and was more than relieved to see, that the rose bloom was still intact.

By the time she arrived, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, and as the last rays warmed her back, she extended her palm to open the door, though she didn’t even get to touch the handle as it was ripped open by a visibly distressed Astarion.

His eyes looked like he’d been crying, his hair as if he’d been relentlessly raking his fingers through the locks and his lower lip so bitten, there was a small hole where one of his incisors had gone through.

“Oh, thank the Gods!” Astairon instantly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in a bone-crushing hug, burying his nose into the crook of her neck. “Thank the Gods!”

Y/N dropped the basket over the threshold and closed the door with her foot, her own arms weaving around his middle, a palm soothingly brushing along his side, as he soaked her in.

“I’m alright, Star,” she said, kissing his temple and didn’t even make a noise as he gripped her waist tighter, right where bruises were forming. “I’m sorry I was gone so long, but I’m alright.”

“What happened? You said you’d be quick, but you were gone for hours! And you know what the worst part was – I couldn’t even go out looking for you because of the damned fucking sun!” Astarion cupped her face, turning it this way and that way, trying to find any injuries, but the biggest one would be in her head as she tried to figure out how to explain to him what had happened. “Gods, I am never letting you out of my sight again!”

Y/N indulged the vampire in the hug he pulled her in, holding him against her chest, trying to comfort him, but she was way too consumed with her new findings. Too quickly, as evident by the frown on Astarion’s face, she untangled herself from the embrace, anxiety immediately flashing over his handsome features.

She slid her arms from around his waist to take his palms into hers. “I – I don’t even know how to say this… How do you say something like that?”

Worry instantly marred his brow, and Y/N pressed a practised thumb between them, trying to soothe them away.

“Shit…” he muttered. “Did I do something wrong?”

“What? No!” She cupped his cheeks. “Astarion you’ve done nothing!”

“Then – then what?” He was tentative, still, scared Y/N might be angry at him. Or worse – wanted to leave, but her next words erased all that doubt.

“I…” She took in a deep breath. “Astarion, I met your parents today.”

Whatever he had expected, clearly that hadn’t been it. Probably a confession she’d met a past love, that their feelings were reignited and she wanted to go with them. But definitely not that.

He blinked once, twice, trice, completely and utterly stupefied before a small whisper of “What?” passed his lips.

“It’s why I’m so late,” Y/N explained. “They’d heard a rumour, that I knew you and had travelled with you during our tadpole situation, and came to me. Astarion, your parents are looking for you…”

A million thoughts seemed to swirl in his head, but Y/N held onto his hand through all of them.

“What,” he cleared his throat, “what did you tell them?”

“That I’d find them once I figured out what to do?”

“Which means?”

“Which means I would come home, give you this information and let you figure out what you’d like to do…”

So many emotions flashed across his face, but Y/N no longer needed that mind flayer tadpole connection it created – Astarion was an open book for her to read.

Joy. Such indisputable joy shone in his scarlet eyes before being consumed by confusion. Then anger and disgust and love, but by the end of it all his heart settled on one feeling – fear.

It’s what it knew best, though Y/N had tried her hardest to reduce it to ashes, yet still it lingered. She understood it, despite not being happy he ever had to feel it.

He feared what to do, what would be the right choice to make, he feared their reactions and what they would say of his disappearance or of his newest… condition. Would they accept him? Or would they be repulsed by him?

“What – what would I even say to them?” Astarion searched her Y/E/C eyes as if they held an answer, but when one magically didn’t appear, he hung his head, a tear rolling down his cheek. “I can’t even remember what they looked like. Their names, the house we used to live in… it’s all a fog.”

Y/N tried to give him an encouraging smile. “Well, your mother – she has the most beautiful green eyes. Like that dress you made for me for Summer Solstice, that same shade. And – and she has a little beauty mark on her cheek.” With a gentle thumb, she brushed over the mole. “Right in that same spot.”

His brows furrowed in concentration; his lips pinched tightly. “I – I remember blue eyes. Not green.”

“That might be your father's. His are azure I’d say. Like the summer sky. Gods, Astarion,” Y/N breathed out. “You look so much like them, but… honestly, the only thing you need to know right now is that they looked relieved.” Her voice was soothing as he tried to find lies in her words, but there would be none. “I didn’t tell them anything apart from the fact that you’re alive, and all I saw was complete and utter relief.”

Y/N placed a strand of hair behind his ear as he pondered. His carmine eyes slid to hers. “Do they want to see me?”

“Yes. It was the whole reason they sought me out because I might have a single scrap of information on you.” She’d mention the kidnapping later. Or maybe never, depending on how everything went. What he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

“Is it,” he hesitated, as if ashamed to be asking such a question. “Is it alright if I think this over for a bit? I’m just – there’s so much going on in my head…”

“Of course, Star!” Y/N cupped his cheeks and placed a reassuring kiss on his forehead. “Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you,” he sighed, his shoulders dropping, but she just shook her head.

“Nothing to thank me for. Not for this.”

And so, they continued on like that for a few days – Y/N didn’t bring the subject up, but she made sure Astarion knew, she’d be there whenever he needed to talk. Yet her mind couldn’t help but worry about the two elves in that little cottage on the other side of the town. How horrid it must be to wait for an answer that might never come, but her love was her first and only priority. When he decided it would be time, she’d support him no matter what.

It was a week after the revelation (and subsequent freakout on Astarion’s part when Y/N had removed her clothes before him, and he saw the raw skin and bruises on her ribs. She spent the whole night convincing him it was fine and talking him down from hunting the mercenary and bleeding him dry. She didn’t mention it had been his parents who’d hired him but rather said it had been an unfortunate coincidence), when Astarion awoke with a certain determination, shaking her awake.

She swatted at him like an insect buzzing by her ear. “Leave me be, you blood-sucking, elf!” Y/N grumbled, burying herself under the duvet. “It’s too early. And stop hogging the covers!”

She was just about to elbow him in the ribs if he didn’t let her sleep more, but what he said was like cold ice being poured over her, waking her up completely.

“I think I want to see my parents.”

Y/N was sat in a second. The sheet dropped down, exposing her naked chest, but she didn’t even feel the chilly air biting at her skin, even though Astarion’s gaze immediately dropped down to her breasts, eyes blazing with want.

Rolling her own eyes, she pulled the cover so that it obscured her indecency. Though it was his favourite outfit of hers, they needed to focus on the important things. “Are you sure? You can take all the time you need. There is no rush to this, and it’s a huge decision to make.”

“I’m sure,” Astarion sighed, running a hand through his moon-white locks and dropping back onto the pillows. “It’s pretty much all I’ve been thinking about.”

Y/N worried her lip before sliding back down next to him, letting him wrap his arms around her body. She knew in moments like these, Astarion needed reassurance, and he craved being close to her. Holding her grounded him, and made his scattered thoughts into something solid.

She kissed right above where his heart lay. “If, you’re sure.”

“I am… I just… Will you be there?” Astarion looked down at her.

The woman gave him a smile. “Nowhere I’d rather be than by your side.”

Gently, he brushed a finger against her cheekbone and leaned to kiss her, thankful he’d found someone to walk the world with, especially during the moments he feared he might break.

The day before they’d decided on meeting, Y/N ventured out to the cabin to inform the elven couple of Astarion’s decision. Once they’d seen her walking up through the window, they were out before she even managed to get to the door, faces full of hope.

“Astarion, he wants to come and see you, but there are some… conditions…”

His mother’s brow furrowed, the grimace so familiar it sent a pang through Y/N’s heart, but she swallowed it. “Whatever he needs. Whatever you both need. Anything for our little Star.”

“So… please just don’t question this, but umm… physical contact – I know I can’t possibly understand how you feel, but let him come to you first. It might not make sense, but it’s important that he is the one to make that step.”

“Of course,” Astarion's father nodded, his mother eagerly agreeing.

“And umm… he’ll be different. He might not look like the elf you remember him being. The world wasn’t kind to him for a long time… Please don’t mention this.”

Pain flashed across their faces at her words. They must have assumed something horrible had happened to him, but to have it confirmed was a different kind of agony. But as Y/N had asked – they didn’t question, simply nodded, holding onto one another a bit tighter.

“Alright.” Her heart was somewhat settled. “Thank you. We – uh- we’ll see you later tonight then.”

And with that, she left only to find Astarion pacing the inside of their hallway upon her return.

“Is it sundown already?” He snapped his neck to her as she removed her cloak, visibly upset when Y/N shook her head.

“A couple more hours, I’m afraid,” she said, taking his hand and kissing his palm, placing it against her cheek. “Please stop worrying. It will all be alright.”

“But what if I’m making a mistake?”

She raised her brow. “Do you think you’re making a mistake?”

“N-no?” Astarion huffed. “I don’t know. I know I want to see them at least once, but what if it’s best to leave the past in the past? Why torture myself and exhume it, so to speak?”

“You can leave it all behind if that’s what you wish. But, Star, you also have the rarest of opportunities people get – a second chance.” She stepped close to him, pulling his head down by the nape of his neck so they could rest their foreheads against one another. “But you can always leave. You can always say “no.” And if someone doesn’t get that, no matter who they might be, I will gut them navel to throat.”

Astarion chuckled, brushing his nose against hers. “My knight in bloody armour, always ready to ride into battle for me.”

Y/N pecked his lips in response. “As long as I get my kisses at the end of it – without a second to spare.”

They spent the couple of hours waiting until the sun went down cleaning up around the house and then it was time to go.

As Astarion took a deep breath before closing the door, Y/N squeezed his hand. “We can turn back whenever you want to.”

But he seemed determined, only giving her a reassuring smile and twining their fingers together, her hand in his solid hold.

They walked slowly, enjoying the warm night gracing Baldur’s Gate, and soon enough they were through the city and past the woods, a small log cabin coming into view.

He stopped them a few feet away, taking in a moment to gather his thoughts and emotions.

Y/N glanced at him encouragingly. “Are you ready, Star?”

Astarion took in a deep breath, held it in for a moment and then exhaled, nodding. With this confirmation, she released his hand and ventured to the door, gently rapping her knuckles against it, immediately returning to stand beside her lover.

Instantly his palm was back into hers, as if he needed her to ground him, reassure him everything would be alright as nervous energy coursed through his veins while they waited for the inhabitants to come and see them. And though it was probably no more than ten seconds since she’d knocked, it felt like time had stood still. Once the doors opened, even nature quieted down.

The breeze shushed the tweeting birds and seemingly even the worms digging underground stopped their burrowing as finally, after two hundred years, the lost Ancunin son returned.

They stood like that for what seemed like ages, just taking one another in, before a small sob of Astarion’s name from his mother’s lips broke the spellbound silence.

It’s when he rushed for her, the elf already on her feet, meeting him halfway. Her arms wrapped tight around his body, hands smoothing down the back of his head as all the while she kept whispering “My Star, my little Star, you’re home.”

Y/N was on standby, ready to rip her away if Astarion became overwhelmed. She’d asked them to allow him to be the one to make the first step, and they had, but with such all-encompassing feelings, she just wanted him to be safe.

Though all that anxiety dissipated like ice under the blazing hear of the sun when Astarion practically melted against his mother, his fingers digging into her shoulders and back as if he never wished to be let go, both of them crumbling to their knees, still in each other’s embrace.

Tears welled along Y/N’s bottom lashes and when his father joined them, wrapping his arms around his family, they fell like rain on an autumn evening. She had to press a hand against her mouth to not sob out loud, but it didn’t seem like anyone would care, as Y/N noted Astarion’s shoulders shaking while his mother and father were freely crying, all the while touching and caressing his face, trying to ingrain the memory of having their son back in their arms.

She couldn’t imagine that feeling, didn’t ever want to, of finally being reunited with a family which you were so brutally ripped away from. Y/N almost wanted to resurrect Cazador, just so she could drive a stake through his heart again, but that might’ve been a bit too morbid of a thought in such a tender moment.

“You’re home.” His mother pulled back, cupping Astarion’s cheeks and smiling from ear to ear. “Our little Star is back home.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long,” he choked out, but his father shook his head.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re here. That’s enough for us.”

Y/N watched as he took in the people who’d searched for him relentlessly. He never knew they’d never given up. She wondered if there would be a time, he’d believe he was worth all it. She certainly hoped so.

“Thank you,” the elf with eyes like jade said, snapping her eyes towards Y/N. “You have no idea what kind of a gift you’ve bestowed upon us. We will never be able to repay you.”

She could only wave them off, a knot in her throat. “You owe me nothing. Seeing this – this is enough for me. I’ll – uh – I’ll leave you to it then.”

Just as she was about to turn around, Astarion jumped to his feet, untangling himself from the limbs of his parents, eyes full of concern. “What? Why? What’s wrong?” He was by her side in an instant, pulling her hand to rest against his chest.

“Nothing!” Y/N shook her head. “I just – I just think maybe I should take my leave. I can be back in a few hours if you’d like, but this just all seems like – like a private family reunion.”

Astarion scoffed, his free arm weaving around her waist, completely offended. “And what exactly do you think you are to me if not family, my love? Arguably, you might be the most important part of it.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that -,”

“Hush now!” he scolded her. “You promised to be by my side through everything. Are you breaking that promise?”

“No, I just,” she stammered. “Are you sure you don’t want me to leave you to it? This just feels awfully personal.”

“My love, you are the keeper of my heart. You are my true home.” Astarion cupped her cheek, resting his brow against hers, chest against chest, not caring who might see. “Without you, none of this would have happened. I could still be on that beach with a mind flayer tadpole wriggling behind my eye.” He took her hand, and kissed her knuckles, sighing as they brushed against his jaw. “I don’t want to do this without you. I want to relearn who my parents are, and I want them to get to know me, but a non-negotiable part of that is you. That is if it’s alright with you?”

A tear slipped down her cheek, as she looked deep into those ruby eyes that once held nothing but fear and pain, only to now show love and compassion and happiness. When she smiled, her grin could have rivalled the sun itself. “I’d be honoured.”

When they glanced at the two elves by the threshold of the house, they noted the horrified looks on their faces. Astarion’s guard was immediately up, but his mother beat him to it.

“My Star, I am so sorry!” She put a hand over her mouth. “We swear we didn’t know you two were lovers! We just...” She glanced at her husband in desperation, but it seemed the little scene they’d put on had rendered him speechless. “Had we known, we would have never…”

Astarion squinted at her, a dangerous note appearing in his voice. “Never would have what?”

“Oh Gods, we had your partner kidnapped,” his father finally got out, eyes only widening in more shock as it settled that Y/N wasn’t just a travelling companion or a friend, but just what she really meant to Astarion.

“You did what?!” His head snapped to Y/N who now retreated to stand between the two shocked elves, and her quite furious boyfriend.

“Astarion, it’s alright,” she tried to calm him down. “They didn’t know! Besides, I heard them arguing with that mercenary. They didn’t hurt me. In fact, I,” she let out a nervous chuckle, “I held a knife to your mother’s throat. So, call it even and let’s move past it?”

His gaze was hot like the flames, as it burned into her. “We will discuss this later.” He pointed an accusatory finger at her before taking a deep breath and exhaling. “This is absolutely not how I ever imagined a family reunion to go, let alone the introduction of my partner.”

Y/N’s shoulders dropped as he broke the settled tension, but something in his eyes told her she’d pay for her omissions. And oh, how delicious that punishment would be.

His mother still seemed to be all nerves as she invited them inside, spouting apologies in Y/N’s direction, but when she took the elf's hand in hers and gave a comforting embrace, she relaxed a little. “Let’s let the bygones be bygones.”

“I’d appreciate that,” she smiled, and wrinkles of age and time appeared around her eyes.

It was awkward at first, two centuries of hurt laying between them, two centuries of torture on Astarion’s end, of lost love and people, but slowly they opened up. And when his mother mentioned how he always used to bury his nose into strawberry fields, because it reminded him of his mother’s hair care products, it was like a damn had been opened.

The memories were still there, buried under layers of pain and horrors, but there. Maybe a little jumbled up and out of sorts, but with every hour spent together, locks were being broken and a light long lost lit up again.

Astarion had changed, but so had his parents. He let them know of his adventures, how he met Y/N and how she had turned his world upside down but abstained from the more gruesome parts. He wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. Maybe not ever, but if he so wished, she knew his parents would be there to listen and welcome his vulnerably with open arms.

An hour before the sun resumed its place in the sky, Y/N nudged Astarion, telling him it was time to leave. She had little doubt in her mind, his parents had caught onto what he was, even if they hadn’t mentioned Cazador. If not for the shape of his elongated canines, or the colour of his eyes, which Y/N had found out had been a beautiful shade of pale green, then because of the brutal scars on his neck. But they still pulled him into a hug with such vigour, it was like they feared they’d never see him again, which was probably a thought always haunting their minds.

“Would – would you like to come over to ours?” Astarion asked, still holding onto his mother’s hands. “It’s a bit of a mess, our place, but if you come after the sun’s down, I’m sure we can have it proper enough to take on guests.”

It was an odd request, but thankfully, neither his mother nor father said anything about the specific time request, simply hugged him once more and promised to be by their door the second the sun dipped, wine and lemon cakes in hand.

As they waved their goodbyes, Astarion slipped his palm into Y/N’s and made sure they walked all the way back like that. Once behind a closed door, he pulled her into his chest relishing in the way their bodies melded together – two puzzle pieces finally connecting and forming the most magnificent picture to exist.

“What is it like to be finally home?” Y/N asked as he swayed them to a tune only, he heard.

Astarion shook his head, pulling slightly back so he could cup her jaw. “My love, I have been home for a long time now. I’ve been safe and cared for, all thanks to you.” His eyes were so full of love and adoration, she almost choked on a breath. “Now… now it just feels complete. So thank you… thank you for being my home,” he muttered that little confession against her skin, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you for keeping me safe.”

“Always, my love.” Y/N didn’t hide the tears rolling down her face and he brushed them away with a soft thumb. “Always.”

When their gazes locked, all she could see was excitement for what the new day had to offer, and she knew whatever was in store, as long as they were by one another’s side, there was nothing they couldn’t overcome.

But for all that, there was an important thing she was unaware of.

As Y/N entered their living room, talking to herself and making a list of what they had to do before his parents arrived, Astarion stood and watched her, leaning against the doorframe, all the while his hands rested in his pocket, where in one of them, a beautiful ring was being twirled between his fingers.

Before they’d left, his mother had slyly pulled it off her own hand, pressing it into his palm, and whispering to him while hugging that she didn’t want to see Y/N without it the next time around.

Astarion had no intention of living his life without Y/N as his fiancé for a second longer.

When she turned around to find him on one knee, he didn’t even get to ask the question before she responded with a shout of “Yes!” and jumped on him, pulling him into a kiss he swore breathed life into his still chest.

He couldn’t wait to reintroduce Y/N to his parents as his intended.

Now all was as it should be. He was finally home. And somewhere in the garden, a rose bloomed in full.

Tags:

Everything tags: @palaiasaurus64 @supernaturalbaesduh @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @sea040561 @staryeyedgirl @deathbyarabbit @m-a-t-91 @maladaptive-ninja-returns @averyrogers83 @gallifreyansass @dewy-biitch @avxgers @unlikelygalaxygiver @magicwithaknife @ollyoxenfrees @bnhvrdy @tvwhoresblog @thatkindofgurl @sj-thefan @lestersglitterglue @im-squished @strangersstranger

Astarion tags: @spacebarbarianweird

A/N: This idea was inspired by that one post of a painting Astarion's parents probably had of him, but had put away somewhere just so they didn't have to look a the son they lost, so I rectified it (Link to the inspo pic :) :( Now they have a portrait of Astarion and his love right above their fire place :)

P.S. my tags are always open :)

P.S.S. please don't plagiarise or repost on other platforms.

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dangermousie · 22 days ago

Text

First Half of 2025 Year In Review - cdrama edition...

I normally do these at the end of the year, but I have watched so many cdramas this year, I am going to have to split this in some way. This is only going to cover cdramas that aired in 2025 so far; if I watched it but it was made in a different year, it’s not on the list. As always, very subjective.

DRAMAS WATCHED

(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

(46) Serendipity - if boils were a drama, this would be it.

(45) A Prime Minister’s Disguise - it's stupid, it's cheap, it's a waste of anyone's time.

(44) Everlasting Longing - more like evelasting boring with some truly terrible acting and nonsense writing (at least they did us a mercy and put two equally wooden actors opposite each other.)

(43) The Seized Destiny - at one point a man wears cat ears. That's it, that's the highlight.

(42) Love Beyond the Curse - dumb even for a vampire mini and that's a low standard indeed.

(41) Destiny and Saving - sounds like a bank branch, would probably be more fun if it was.

(40) I am nobody 2 - I loved the first season but this just didn't click for me.

(39) Filter - I love you, Tan Jianci but not even for you. At one point, FL is a llama.

(38) Destiny of Love: and snoring.

(37) Phoenix's Gambit: Love or Crown - just like its name, couldn't make up its mind what it wanted to be.

(36) Love and Sword - Gao Weiguang is hot. Unfortunately not hot enough to melt one's brain which is what you'd need to enjoy this dumb mess.

(35) Les Belles - More like La Bete. Because it's la bete of a drama.

(34) Eat Run Love - tried to go for Lighter and Princess, Walmart edition, failed at even that.

(33) Love Never Fails - until it does.

(32) Youthful Glory - cute and harmless. So is a bunny and that's at least nice to pet.

(31) Dominion and Devotion - a mini tried to be a proper palace drama which is I suppose praiseworthy but not what I watch minis for.

(30) Si Jin - A girlbossing story that made me decide I'd rather watch a drama with not a single woman than this type of female centric story and also that Jing Tian is a beautiful woman who doesn't click for me and Zhang Wanyi really needs to stop playing the same role over and over.

(29) The Best Thing - fluffy and plotless but oddly soothing.

(28) Blazing Elegance - this is like the trashiest 1980s romance novel imaginable but set in 1930s China. I had so much fun but did I respect myself in the morning? Hmmm.

(27) Guardians of the Dafeng - too goofy for my liking for most of its run but that ending!!!!!!

(26) Flourished Peony - solidly acted but alas the narrative did not grab me and ML really made no sense as a period character.

(25) Moonlight Mystique - main story pointless, the palette vomit inducing but oh the secondary OTP stole the show and my heart.

(24) Bound by Sin - softcore with submissive ML and domme FL. Wild for most of its run until it tries to acquire respectability late in its run.

(23) Such a Good Love - tried to be artsy ended up just boring.

(22) To Love or To Defy - FL is an assassin getting distracted by an honorable prince. The logic is utterly absent but the fun is fun.

(21) Once Upon a Dream - fakecest is the flavor of the day - why date out of the family when your adopted brother is right there, has great hair and dubious notions of consent? This one is very pretty.

(20) The Prisoner of Love - he tortures her, then she tortures him and on and on and on - the usual. Featuring a couple where FL rides off into wedded bliss with the man who murdered her parents.

(19) Stolen Love - someone watched Kunning and decided to write a Yan Lin AU, honest. I liked it but it did get repetitive and FL is kinda brain dead.

(18) Sadistic Love - despite the name, a surprisingly not psychotic love story with fakecest and a lot of gay vibes.

(17) The First Frost - a modern about broken up lovers reconnecting, this was a masterpiece for 3/4 of its run and then made a narrative decision so stupid it ruined the drama for me.

(16) Hidden Love - not the ZLS flufffest, this is full on fakecest delight. FL's two choices are ML who she thinks is her half brother (he turns out not to be) and her actual half brother. As it goes.

(15) A Love Never Lost - I think, if I were objective, this is the best drama this year. It is not my favorite for very subjective reasons but God, what a masterpiece about an epoch. Bleak ending, characters who ranged from complex and controversial to complex and unlikable (still in awe of Li Xian taking on THAT role - Liang Xiang was complex, larger than life, driven, smart and a monster who was a rapist and a betrayer) and the death of Yang Kaizhi (Wei Daxun) a rare moment that made me cry when I rarely get this moved by dramas.

(14) Kill My Sins - a thoroughly adult story of loss and vengeance, with Liu Shi Shi and Shawn Dou sparking with each other as equally ruthless and equally damaged souls who find kinship (this is a drama where they never even kiss or confess but when they call each other "soulmate" you FELT it.) So good!

(13) Always My General - like some of my favorite web novels made into a drama. FL is a woman pretending to be a man and becoming a legendary general, ML is a prince who loves her either way - so delicious. My fave mini of the year.

(12) The Glory - a Gothic and female-centric tale of vengeance and dysfunctional families, this is a story with characters shockingly manipulative and dark. It made Chen Duling a bigger star and well-deservedly so - her abused, violent and brittle protagonist is the person who the show rests on. It did drag a little in the middle but then came back swinging in the end.

(11) A Moment But Forever - in a year that gave me a lot of awesome xianxias, this one does not disappoint. A depressed and abused philosophy major meets a literal and cheerful engineering major - xianxia style. Liu Xueyi is gorgeous and Tang Yan a delight but what really hits is a surprisingly solid story about divinity, life and forgiveness.

(10) Perfect Match - Jane Austen but frothier, this tale of a widow moving with her four marriageable daughters to the capital where the fifth married daughter lives, this is a souffle with a love story for every taste and delightful bit of sisterly love on top. Pick your favorite romance! (Mine is fourth sister and her judge husband.)

(9) Love of the Divine Tree - it's like someone watched TTEOTM and went "this is how it should go instead." Our heroine is a master who finds feral, hot, abuser demon child and cat hero and decides to give him therapy via a petting zoo and chores.

(8) The Demon Hunter's Romance - just a solid lovely tale that includes some genuinely adult, common sense interactions and characters and a wildly creative take on demons and their stories.

(7) The Prisoner of Beauty - finally released out of the dungeon, this story of arranged marriage between members of feuding clans turned to love is a delight, held mainly by sane interactions and insane chemistry between Liu Yuning and Song Zuer.

(6) Love in Pavilion - do you like gorgeous pain? Come right in. Do you like doomed love in many varieties and incredible visuals and a totally gonzo set up? This is everything Red Moon Pact should have been but was not.

(5) The Blossoming Love - the best xianxia of them all in a very solid xianxia year, this story of a demoness and the perfect saint of the cultivating world goes hard on an incredible OTP and some glorious destroy the pantheon energy. Our Male Lead is not an atheist who does not believe in gods. No, he knows they are real and he WILL end them.

(4) Under the Moonlight - came out of nowhere to own my heart. This tale of a former courtesan assisting in cases in the yamen, a sheltered noble son who gets involved and the upright commissioner is everything - smart and moving and with so many points about class and gender (that is not preachy in the least.) It's realistic in a way most dramas are not and deals with portions of society dramas often don't, but it makes you both think and feel.

(3) Eternal Brotherhood 2: second year in a row a season of this drama misses top spot by the skin of its teeth. This grim, smart feudal-world-at-war and the three sworn brothers who deal with it drama comes back with more hard choices, brotherhood, love kept and lost and some insane cinematography and acting

(1 tie) Legend of Zang Hai - sometimes a huge hit starring a big star IS actually all that and a bag of chips, and this is that rare example. Ostensibly a story about vengeance, this is actually a smart, emotionally riveting character study about selfishness and selflessness, damage, kindness and evil. The script is tight, the direction impeccable and the performances out of this world. Xiao Zhan as the containedly insane focus and maelstrom of all the madness gives a performance I will long remember.

(1) The White Olive Tree - a modern is my n1 drama of the year? The world is coming to an end. The story of a journalist and bomb disposal expert who meet, fall in love in, and are destroyed by trauma in a war zone is a masterpiece. It's delicate, it's hopeful, it's heartbreaking. It also is a vanishingly rare portrayal of trauma that does not have pat solutions or easy outs. It's a romance and a tragedy in the classic Greek sense of the word, especially for the ML whose very idealism and goodness are what make him both perfect and unsuitable for helping and that ultimately take him down.

FAVORITE DRAMA

It's a tie:

The White Olive Tree - for the first time in ever, since I first started watching cdramas in 2007 - my favorite cdrama is a modern. Yeah, I know. Flawless from beginning to end, with literally nothing I'd change, this love story and character story is unflinching in its portrayal of love and trauma. Everyone gives a great performance but it's anchored by a genuinely jaw dropping performance from CZY as shattered idealist Li Zan.

Legend of Zang Hai - that rare beast - both smart and emotional, with gorgeous cinematography and impeccable acting, this really shows the cost and burden of revenge and makes you hope against hope for happiness and healing.

WORST DRAMA

Serendipity - this is what eating a plastic bag must feel like. Dumb plot, terrible look, horrible acting, hideous ML etc etc. Where do I start.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Li Zan (Chen Zheyuan), The White Olive Tree - one of the three male performances and characters of the year for me. Li Zan starts the story as a shining light and ends a broken wreck and it's an epic performance throughout - it shows how uncomfortable it is to love a saint but it also shows this saint as human in all his complexity and drive; it makes idealism human - it's intense and haunting and you can't look away whether you are swooning or crying.

Zang Hai (Xiao Zhan), Legend of Zang Hai - I so rarely find actors with such huge and intense fanbases worth the hype, but XZ really is worth it. This performance of traumatized, vengeance-driven but unable to get rid of his soft heart Zang Hai was incredible - so many scenes that just had me jaw-droppingly in awe.

Liang Xiang (Li Xian), A Love Never Lost - Li Xian owns the role of a magnetic larger than life monstrous mover and shaker of the end of Qing. The man is a rapist and a murderer; he's also a filial son, a supremely competent leader and a terrifying kind of an idealist. This is not a role any idol-adjacent actor normally takes but Li Xian is incredible in the role.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Luo Shu (Hu Bingqing), Under the Moonlight - she is so complex, so strong, so haunted. Very much a gender swapped "haunted, tough man with a cause falls for a sheltered kind woman" set up for her and her OTP but what I love even more is she's not defined by romance.

Xiao Qiao (Song Zuer), The Prisoner of Beauty - she made a soft spoken, largely internalized character irresistible. I loved her from beginning to end.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

99% of the people in A Moment But Forever - I am Team Apocalypse for that one. Truly awful horrors, whether the torturing selfish immortal sect, the useless deities, the evil war demons who created the worst society possible or the gross humans. Kill them all!

Beast Kingdom people in Love in Pavilion - we would not have the tragedy without them.

And, as last year, City Lord from Eternal Brotherhood 2.

BEST BAD GUY

When Deng Wei's character in Tree, Zhang Bin Bin's in TBL or Liu Xueyi's in Moment go evil, they automatically become 10x hotter and seeing they were already hot to start with...but my favorite is Lord Jiuhuo (Charles Lin) in Love in Pavilion - that man was willing to wreck the world for love and he was epic doing it. My favorite part of LiP.

“HAROLD, THEY ARE LESBIANS” AWARD

And Chen Duling is in this one for the second year in a row - Zhuang Hanyan (CDL) x Chai Jing (Jinna Fu) in The Glory are 100% a couple, with frankly as many couple scenes and set ups as the ostensibly canon het OTP.

��HOW DID CENSORS NAP THROUGH THIS” AWARD

Honestly, any mini would be on this list (have you SEEN the sex scenes in Blazing Elegance?) but if we are talking "proper" dramas, let's go with The Glory, which let all sorts of awful, murdery characters get a happy ending.

MALE LEAD MOST LIKELY TO BE BROUGHT HOME TO MOTHER

No, thank you! The few modern ones she’d not approve of (Li Zan is likely to leave you a young widow and Sang Yan from TFF would never decouple from his girl anyway) and the period ones are no go since few moms would be keen on wild-eyed, bloodied sons in law however hot and long haired they may be.

FAVORITE SHIP

The White Olive Tree - idealists who love each other more than life but that love is not enough to fix them.

Kill My Sins - they don't kiss, they don't confess, they barely touch. And yet the soulmate compatibility and the chemistry just pour off the screen. I was feral whenever they were within two feet of each other.

Legend of Zang Hai - not a ship centric show and sometimes these make the best ships. I would lose it when they even touched palms. They are both damaged and wary (and he's borderline nuts from trauma) and watching them dance around and get their hearts broken and healed was...

The Blossoming Love - taking on Gods in any life and form and so ride or die and sexy and AAAAAAAA

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Many excellent choices this year (the cursed cultivators in The Blossoming Loves, all the secondary OTPs in Love in Pavilion, First and Fourth couples in Perfect Match) but the winner is the haunted, dysfunctional, intense, doomed secondary OTP of Moonlight Mystique. I finished that drama solely for them.

NOTP

Serendipity - I really don't want to waste more time on this toxic dump of a drama so all I am gonna say is they made fakecest, my fave trope, boring!

HOTTEST SCENE

Blazing Elegance - all their sex scenes are insane but also the aphrodisiac scenes in Love in Pavilion take the cake for sheer intensity and the baby making in ep 32 of The Prisoner of Beauty because phew boy!

FAVORITE SCENE

Li Zan's breakdown in the hospital and the aftermath when he tells FL the truth in The White Olive Tree. That scene? Shivers.

Zang Hai emerging out of the tomb in Legend of Zang Hai - the breakdown, the manipulation are epic. The epic Greek tragedy of the Marquis' death.

In Eternal Brotherhood 2, Di Lin arriving to rescue his brothers at Payu; or his kneeling to Xiujia's pregnant stomach, his hands gentle on it, promising to come back.

Liu Xueyi's madness in the hole in A Moment but Forever - LXY is an actor who's often too good for his dramas and this scene shows how good he can be as he's going mad and confronting his inner demons.

The First Frost ultimately fell apart for me, but the scene of teen Sang Yan watching Wen Yifan dance on the rooftop he equipped for her is what swooning over poetry feels like.

BIGGEST CRUSH

We are gonna go in the most opposite way possible: the law abiding, incredibly decent, rather rigid Fourth Husband, Perfect Match and Di Lin in Eternal Brotherhood 2 - the man is ideal husband, a terrifying beast in battle and just all around sex on legs.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Zhuang Zhixing (Zhou Qi), Legend of Zang Hai - the sole decent person in that family of monsters, he stole my heart and his arc OMG!

BEST COSTUMES AND WIGS

Costumes: Legend of Zang Hai - real embroidery, and costumes that look real.

Wigs: I am gonna be weird here and say Kill My Sins.

MOST EXTRA OUTFIT

Honestly, most have been fairly sane but Feud should fix it.

FAVORITE SECONDARY ML

General Yun in Eternal Brotherhood 2 - Si Yilin x Ka Dan were my n1 OTP in s1 and yet the man's honor and willingless to risk his life to protect Ka Dan without expecting anything has got me almost switching ships.

MOST BLATANT INNUENDO MOMENT

It hasn't aired yet but we all saw that poster for Feud, with Bai Lu fondling Zeng Shunxi's enormous...sword:

FAVORITE 2025 CDRAMA SONG

Chen Xueran's Moonlight Dance from The White Olive Tree. You have no idea how much I listened to it.

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MVP OF THE YEAR

Song Zuer, who beat her tax allegations (already a miracle) and came back with two awesome dramas.

ACTING SURPRISE

So many great performances, but I am gonna go with Chen Zheyuan in The White Olive Tree. He's been solid in so many awful dramas but I never knew he could be such a revelation

NEEDS A SEQUEL

The Demon Hunter's Romance - not really but would be fun. And EB2 likely since I cannot see how they will wrap the novel's story in the remaining number of eps.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Serendipity - in addition to all its other sins, this simply cannot support 40 eps.

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Surprisingly none, I think dramas have adjusted to the 40 ep limit.

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Same as last year - the emperor cannot be irredeemable. WTF, China, you are a communist country! Though they are nibbling at the edges this year. Also fake feminism - I am all for girl power but not when it’s ridiculously anachronistic for the period with no explanation at all. And finally NO MORE TRADE DRAMAS PLS PLS PLS

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Men (and women) knowingly fighting for a doomed cause because otherwise they’d cease to be who they are. Or if we are being shallow all the beautiful men in chains.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

The First Frost: it was so exquisite for about 2/3 and then the Hong Kong arc happened (and was not in the book; the adaptation was faithful so far so nothing heralded it) and ruined the whole drama. It negated the development, the themes, the characters - it made me dislike both leads and the way the narrative never addressed it made the whole story utterly fall apart.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

The White Olive Tree, Under the Moonlight, A Moment but Forever, The Demon Hunter's Romance - this has been a year of surprises, so many of my top dramas weren't on my radar at all.

2025 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

I have honestly watched everything I wanted so far.

BEST NON-2025 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2025

Do you think I have the time? Ahahahaha

MOST ANTICIPATED

Love in the Clouds, Legend of the Female General, Moonlit Reunion, A Dream within a Dream, Hidden Shadow, Shadow Love, You Sheng You Ya, The Princess' Gambit, Feud, Fated Hearts, Love and Crown

#cdrama #2025 - midyear review #a love never lost #kill my sins #xiao zhan #the prisoner of beauty #the white olive tree #eternal brotherhood 2 #legend of zang hai #love in pavilion #the blossoming love #love of the divine tree #always my general #the demon hunter's romance #lists

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