#halsin deserves a lot more

[tugoslovenka]

Flowers & Honey

I have returned to tumblr after about 8-9 years. I have no idea what's going on, but I do know that Halsin is a man that needs more smut written about him.

Here's my attempt.

I also post on ao3, if you would be so kind to visit!

She could not tear her eyes away. Not since their encounter in the grimy, neglected dungeons of the Temple of Selûne that is.

When they reached the cage, her Potion of Animal Speaking had worn off, which is also when she found herself face-to-face with a ferocious brown bear that had almost singlehandedly dispatched a group of goblins on watch duty.

Edith had certainly not anticipated that the beast would transform into a tall, muscular, and, well, rather handsome elf after the battle had ended. He introduced himself as Halsin, the First Druid of the Emerald Grove — and was certainly the largest elf she had ever laid her eyes on.

From that moment in the goblin camp to her current absentminded lip chewing while sat on a rickety stool in a long-forgotten inn in the depths of the Shadowlands, Edith was fairly certain she had spent a significant portion of the past few days unabashedly staring at the man's backside.

He had been polite even after she helped him solve a dispute between the Tieflings and the Druids in the Grove. Even after he had spotted some of her other companions rushing into the woods with partners of their choosing. Even after she mustered the courage to subtly invite him as well.

Too polite for her liking.

Edith's temper ran hot most days, but there was something about his gentle demeanor, his knack for resolving conflicts, his ability to discern people's intentions, and his overall kind-hearted nature that ignited a fiery passion within her, turning that spark into a full-blown wildfire.

That rang especially true after an incredibly difficult encounter with the cursed creatures and Shadows a little ways away from Last Night Inn - where she was almost certain she was going to lose him were it not for some of Shadowheart’s clerical abilities.

A few days had passed since then, and Halsin was reunited with Thaniel’s complete self. Edith still couldn't decipher some of his riddles or understand how this young boy would aid them in their battle against Thorm. She did however know not to ask too many questions on this journey, since it had gone well beyond strange.

Halsin had his back turned to her, focused on mending the broken wooden floor of the inn. They were alone in the room, bathed in the soft glow of a lantern in the corner where she perched. True to form, he declined her offer to help, since, as he noted, she had already done a world of favors to him and the others.

“Do you always study people, Edith?”

Edith’s concentration was broken momentarily when he spoke. She felt her breath hitch in her throat. Could he be hearing her thoughts? There were a couple of Potions of Mind Reading left around the place and she sincerely hoped he didn’t drink one in the past hour.

She cleared her throat and gently let herself stand on two feet. “What do you mean?”She could hear a soft chuckle come from him. “You have been observing my movements for quite some time now.” Halsin said. She tried to ascertain if he was annoyed or offended by the notion, but she couldn’t sense any irritation in his voice.

She supposed this was as good as time as any.

With a quiet prayer to all the Gods, Devils and Demons in the Forgotten Realms, she crossed her arms. “And what of it?” she challenged, a smirk forming on her lips.

Halsin turned to her in that instant, still kneeling on the floor. Even at this height, his head could probably reach the tops of her chest.

“I may be a few centuries your elder, but I am not ignorant of people’s advances. You certainly do not hide your desire for me.” he spoke in a low tone, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

Edith involuntarily laughed at his comment. “Well, you’ve also made it quite clear that you want nothing to do with my advances, which is why, I study from afar.” she retorted in response.

“I have never denied your advances, sweet Baldurian. The only time you have sought my companionship was in a very intoxicated state, and I did not wish for you to have any regrets going forward.” he explained, rising to his feet in the process.

His tall frame overshadowed hers. She was not the smallest human, but she was also acutely aware of the size difference between them. Her head barely reached his ribcage. She reckoned she could fit two of her frames into one of his.

“Maybe I needed some liquid courage to get me going.” she murmured, trying her best to remain in control while she felt a pool of heat form in her belly.

“Aye, but I would have preferred you in a sobered state, where we can explore each other to our heart’s content.”

Edith felt as though time had stopped upon hearing that. She reached behind her back to pinch at her skin, making sure she hasn’t been put to sleep. Before she could respond though, Halsin slowly made his way to her until she could feel his breath graze her face.

They had never been that close before. Not even during her embarrassing attempt at trying to seduce him had she smelled his scent. Wood, with a hint of sweat and a plant she could not recognize. She saw a small bead of sweat run down his forehead until it reached his cheek.

Halsin's hand extended, hovering just before her face. "Have I misunderstood your intentions, little flower?" he inquired, tilting his head slightly.

Little flower. It was a nickname he had given her on account of her flower picking. Having been born and raised in the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate, lush gardens and vibrant plants were not a sight she was familiar with, hence her need to collect some for her notebooks along the way.

"No," she replied, though she couldn't help but feel a pang of uncertainty as her senses overcame her. "I... We're not— There are people around."

Halsin smiled in response. His outstretched hand lowered until he held hers, which felt small and delicate in comparison. His gaze moved upwards to the ceiling, where Edith knew there was a private bath for the inn's residents to wash away the day's grime.

Without saying any other word, he began making his way through the hallways, keeping her close by while Edith tried to process what was happening. This man was good at hiding his intentions and feelings, and she was good at, well, not, but even she couldn’t help but be taken by his grace and intimidating presence.

Usually, being the loudmouth that she was, she would have opted to respond with a sly comment or attempt a few witty comebacks. However, not a word escaped her lips as her legs seemed to move on their own, following Halsin up to the second floor of the tavern, where a few Harpers were on patrol.

By the time Edith had thought of a response to give him, they were both already in the small, makeshift storage room that had one wooden bath in the center of it. The only light was the translucent glow from Isobel’s protective spell, which also illuminated Halsin’s large body as he began taking his garments off.

Edith stood there, suddenly feeling insecure as she wrapped her hands around herself. Halsin didn’t pay her any attention for the time being, ensuring to pour an adequate amount of water into the bath and tempering a metal basin with the Heat Metal spell as he mixed both thoroughly.

Once he was satisfied with the temperature, he turned his body towards hers. Her eyes immediately fixated themselves on his lower half, widening slightly once she saw his member. He was quite well-endowed, even when not standing at full attention.

Seemingly taking note of her nervousness, Halsin outstretched his hand, smiling warmly as he did so. “I realize those who do not spend their time in the wilderness are not as comfortable being in the nude, but you should not be afraid of your own body, little flower. The contours of your form are a tapestry of nature’s wonders - a mosaic of petals and blooms, an ode to the beauty of this world.”

Gods damn this man and his mouth.

Edith nodded, only being able to muster an “okay” in response. Or maybe an incoherent mumble. She wasn’t entirely too sure.

Halsin raised her hand to his lips, planting a soft kiss there before stepping into the bath. He stood waiting, a small smile playing on his lips once he saw Edith begin to step out of her garments, and then her smallclothes. She lightly grasped his hand as she carefully got into the tub.

The water was not too cold nor too hot, just perfect enough to calm the goosebumps on her skin as she lowered herself. Halsin had some difficulty in managing the manouver, scooting a few times until he finally found the right position. His knees were poking out of the water and on either side of Edith’s arms.

It was honestly a shock they had both managed to fit and not break or overflow the whole bath.

Halsin reached for some soap with one hand, while the other took hold of her hair. “Tell me, little flower.” he began massaging her scalp, making sure to dip the bar into the water before squeezing some of the soapy water onto her curls. “What is it you require of me?”

“Mmm,” Edith murmured as she slumped back onto Halsin’s chest. “Where do I start?”

Halsin leaned in until his lips found the crook of her neck. “Your efforts in helping my cause have gone above and beyond what I had expected. It is only right of me to return the favor in whatever manner you see fit.”

Edith responded with a hum. In truth, she did not anticipate any of this tonight, although she had experienced countless nights fantasizing about something similar. It always began with his fingers. Something about them, meaty and large, roaming their way across her body made her insides tingle.

She heard the sound of something small falling into the water. A beat later, his other arm wrapped itself around her belly.

So much for the bath, she thought.

“In truth, I too have desired you for quite some time now.” Halsin confessed, gently arranging a row of kisses from the crook of her neck to her shoulder blade, stopping momentarily before moving her hair so that he could reach the other side. “I was just hoping, and maybe praying to the Oakfather, that you would make an advance soon.”

“Have you, now?” Edith giggled, closing her eyes so that she could fully appreciate his affection. A moment later, the hand on her stomach reached up until she felt her nipple being tweaked, grazed over and gently pulled.

“That sound,” Halsin growled, moving his head forward until she could see his gaze from the corner of her eyes. “Do not make it unless you wish for me to lose control.”

“Halsin, that is precisely what I was hoping would happen for the past few—”

Edith gasped when she felt his fingers quickly retract from her nipples and nestle themselves between her legs. He traced the lines of her lips teasingly, and it wasn’t long before he stopped his middle finger on her clit, gently rubbing it.

It enticed a surprised moan from Edith. “Halsin…”

“How I have longed to hear you sing for me, little flower.” he confessed, keeping a slow and steady rhythm on her clit while she continued to whimper. Edith was certain everyone in the tavern could hear her noises, but she chose not to engage her current mind with future worries.

Her hips began to unconsciously grind against his fingers as she attempted to help guide him to more of her needs. “I don’t think you realize how much I have— how much I’ve— needed this. It’s not going to take much— much to make me come.” Edith moaned, turning her head so that it was resting between his neck and shoulder blade.

His looked at her. “Your eyes, my heart. They are glazed like the morning mists.” he said huskily before leaning to kiss her deeply. It was one way to swallow out her moans, because her tongue soon reached out to capture his.

The ministrations didn’t take long to get her close to the edge. What wasn’t exactly helpful was his pace, steady and slow, torturously so, but with enough pressure that she felt her hips buckle at the finger that stroked her clit. Halsin seemed to notice and switched his middle finger with this thumb, while his hand moved lower to reach her opening.

The pleasure she thought was experiencing only heightened when she felt not one but two fingers enter her gently. Edith had spent a decent amount of time getting herself off in a similar fashion, but nothing could compare to his thick digits pumping inside her — curling to the hilt as she cried out in surprise.

“You are so sensitive, little flower.” he mused, increasing the pace of his fingers while doing so. “Like a primrose, or maybe even a poppy. Do you think I could fit another finger in?”

Edith panted in response, feeling completely distracted at his words and movements. All she could focus on for the time being was the toe-curling pleasure he gave her. “Yes. Yes, please, Halsin. I need… I need—“

Halsin watched her closely, giving her temple a kiss as he moved a third finger between her legs. “You’re doing well. I can smell your release coming.”

She couldn’t stop the whine that escaped her lips once three fingers well well and truly nestled between her legs. It was almost painful, had it not been for her muscles being stimulated for some time. Her chore ached angrily and his words only helped spur on the pleasure.

Halsin groaned when he felt her squeeze his fingers, his lips moving to nip at her neck hungrily. “I need your release. Give yourself to me.”

She did not need to be told any more encouragement to let go. She felt his free hand grip onto her hips to push them down, since between her grinding and squirming, it must have seemed like she was going to escape the bath altogether. With a cry of pleasure, she felt herself shudder as one strong pulse of pleasure followed the next, a well and true release overcoming her body.

Halsin was patiently waiting for her to finish. One final ripple jolted her hips momentarily before she fully relaxed, almost sinking into the water in the process. It was only him submerging himself lower that helped feather her fall as she breathed heavily from the come down.

“Your body seems to respond well to my touch.” he grinned, reaching a hand to her hair so as to gently run his fingers through it. She was still panting heavily, her arms barely being able to find the sides of the tub to pull herself up. It exposed much of her lower back, where a lot of her scars were.

“You carry many marks for someone so fragile, little Baldurian.” he mused, clearly studying her back. Edith let out a huff in response, turning around to face him. The tub was not nearly big enough to hold both of them comfortably, which is why she settled herself on his thick thighs instead.

“And you carry quite the mouth for someone so ancient.” her hands found themselves wrapped around his neck as she closed the distance between them, ultimately sitting on his member with a swift glide. She hadn’t noticed it before, being preoccupied with his touch, but it was somehow larger and thicker than she had anticipated.

“I never quite realized how burdened I was, until I met you. The threat of the shadow curse, the politics of the Grove.” Halsin let his gaze drop for a moment, looking out into the distance, somewhere far away. “I was forgetting who I was, but you lifted the fog. Thank you.”

Edith was taken aback at the sudden change of mood. She hadn’t quite anticipated his sincerity in this state, although still deeply appreciated his nurturing nature despite what had just occurred.

“You’re welcome.” was all she could muster.

She could hear him chuckle. “You’re too modest. I wager you don’t even know how extraordinary you are. But I do.”

Edith responded by leaning in to kiss him. She had barely remembered the first time they did it, the intensity of their coupling making her forget her manners and not even allow him more than a tongue battle before he was three fingers deep inside of her.

His lips were surprisingly soft. For someone whose voice, hands and general posture were as rough as stone, the velvet on his lips was a stark contrast. She hadn’t noticed it before, but took her time in exploring his mouth. Halsin was a good kisser, letting her take the lead while his hands stayed firmly on her waist.

Her hands grabbed at his hair, now party wet from the ears down, as she gently pulled. All she longed for was to get as close as possible. This exact fantasy she had mused about many nights before, and she was determined to remember every detail of this encounter now that the initial shock had worn off.

She noted the hardness between her legs, semi-floating and partly stuck in place by her own body. Her legs were being tickled by the hair on his thighs, and she noted his muscles squeezing with every other beat. His chest was firm, as if it was made from chizeled rock, and her nipples occasionally grazed over his in the heat of the kiss. His hands were firm, holding onto her sides while she ever so slightly ground her bottom half against his.

He was trying to gain control of something. She sensed it in the kiss, too. The way his tongue suddenly fought hers, teeth occasionally knocking hers, a bite or two coming down on her lower lip.

“Halsin, are you alright?”

His eyes snapped open. The familiar chestnut brown was replaced by a yellow glow, an almost empty stare into her own. His breathing was heavier, more ragged. He was trying to focus.

“I apologize, I am— I believe nature calls to me in more ways than I had anticipated.” he said, blinking a few times before she saw the gold from his eyes transform back into a dark brown. “I am but a bear, in way.”

Edith smiled. “All this time and you’re still battling your Wildshape?”

“I have lived… a very long time. I have taken many lovers. My heart does not stir lightly. But it does now.” he said. “And you, little flower, are not helping my affliction in the slightest.”

“Affliction?” Edith retorted, crossing her arms in return. “Am I the cause of your suffering, now?”

Halsin’s grip on her waist loosened. “Forgive me, I did not mean to cause offense. I simply mean a different kind of suffering, one that—“

Edith interrupted his rambles with another kiss. She bit her lip once pulled away. “I know, old man.” she giggled in response.

That fierce grip took her by the hips this time, slamming her body down on top of his member. Halsin growled in response, and she could see those glowing eyes return. “I asked you not to make that sound.” he reminded her, his teeth finding their mark on the side of her neck.

“I’m sorry.” she gasped, half-joking as she felt his mouth start to suck at the very spot between her ear and throat. “I didn’t realize my laugh would poke the bear that easily.”

One of his hands left her hips and she soon felt it begin circling her clit instead. Edith’s hand quickly grabbed a hold of Halsin’s head, pushing him deeper into her skin at the unanticipated touch. “Fuck, Halsin.”

“This bear pokes many areas.” Halsin murmured in her skin, moving his head down until he reached her breasts. Taking one into his mouth, he suckled at the nipple until she hissed at the sudden pain of his sharp teeth. His lips moved away with a popping sound as he leaned his forehead against hers. “So I ask you again, to not invite it. Not unless you desire it in full, that is.”

Edith pondered for a moment. What would that feel like? Being taken by a beast, with no regard for any customs or strange looks? Would it feel strange or would it give her a pleasure she had never felt before? Would she be interested in exploring more of his Wildshape, maybe have a taste of different—

She must have been quiet for long, because Halsin’s praise broke the silence in the room. “My heart, my little flower,” he repeated the words over and over as his lips found their way on her breasts, her neck, her lips, anywhere that wasn’t occupied by his hands.

Desire overtook her. His words, his touch, his lips, all making her core heat up again. His member had to have been hurting by now, since she had barely paid any attention to it. If only she could find some control again and not behave like some wanton, mindless harlot.

“Halsin, I need you to fuck me.” she said breathlessly.

“Yes, my heart. As you wish.” he signed wistfully, staring down at her lips with hunger. It didn’t take long for his large hands to start digging into her soft flesh, positioning her so that she was placed along the length of his cock.

Edith reached down to touch it for the first time. The sound that Halsin let out was more rewarding than any loot at the end of a long day. It was as melodic as a harmony of birds, as sweet as the tarts in the inn — especially when his head rolled back in the process.

Her hand gently began dragging his foreskin down, making sure to keep a watchful eye of his face. She noted his sharp intake of breath and hissing when she touched the tip, which she made a mental note of to occasionally do. Her other hand had reached between her legs to keep herself occupied, since the sight alone was not enough to give her release.

Halsin seemed to notice the movements and raised his head to look at her. “I want to see you.” he demanded.

In a moment’s notice, he had her bum between his hands and raised to his feet. In another, she felt the wooden floor of the tavern as she was dropped on the boards with Halsin on top of her. Both of them were covered in water and leftover soap, panting as they looked each other in the eyes.

“Touch yourself, little flower.” he commanded, resting his body weight on one elbow while his free hand moved between his legs to grab a hold of his member.

Edith didn’t need to be told twice before her hand moved on her clit. With an index and middle finger, she began circling them around the sensitive skin while her gaze fixated on Halsin’s movements. He was doing his best to match her, although she could tell he was nearing his release.

She did not want his spend on the floorboards. She wanted it inside her.

“Halsin,” she whimpered needily. “Please fuck me.”

“I must rest, for I will not be able to contain myself.” he responded quickly, his hand massaging his cock and his eyes not leaving her own while he did so. “I will not leave your request unattended, I gave you my word.”

Edith could only moan in response. She could see the thick vein on the side of his cock, smell the musk coming from his body as her rhythmically stroked himself, almost taste the pre-come that was dripping ever so slightly from his head.

That was when she felt herself release again. Her hand paused its movement while an earth-shattering orgasm overtook her body. She bit her lip, close to bleeding, to stop herself from screaming out in pleasure. All the while, Halsin was fixated on her. His hand was no longer rubbing in a pattern, but almost forcefully pulling at his skin.

And then he stopped.

It took all the willpower he must have had to not drop his entire body on her. Rather, both elbows hit the side of her face as he almost howled in frustration. In a few short breaths, he turned his head so that it was facing hers. “I… I believe the urge has abandoned me, for now.”

Edith’s hand moved from her cunt to his lips, where she gently parted them so that he could taste her. “Not for long, I hope.” she replied, moving her other hand in his hair to stroke it.

Halsin sucked on her fingers like a needy babe. He moaned while doing so, letting his tongue go over each digit carefully. “As sweet as you smell, my nectar-filled lily,” he hummed.

Edith made a sound of disapproval in response. “I prefer lavender, actually.”

“I will roam the Feywild until the end of my days to bring you the last lavenders in this existence and beyond just to relive this very moment again.” he said once he finished working on her fingers, leaning his head down to give her a passionate kiss.

“Well, I hope that’s not it, Archdruid.” she stifled a giggle, knowing it was apparently what set him off in the first place.

As if on command, his lips moved down her body until he reached her lower belly. She couldn’t tell if it was his eagerness of the velvet in his voice, but she could’ve sworn she felt a gush between her legs. It was too simple for him to get her body going, as if it betrayed her entirely.

Edith gasped once she felt the first swipe of his tongue against her lips. She didn’t bother contemplating why he was so good at it, seeing as he had three centuries to practice. He hooked her legs over his shoulders, lapping hungrily like an animal starved, with growls leaving his throat as he did so.

“I once told you I’ve something of a sweet tooth and that honey was my favorite taste.” he said in between licks. “I was wrong. You are my favorite going forward.”

She whimpered and moaned, arching her hips towards him in need. One of his hands moved up until it reached her breasts, flicking one nipple back and forth. His tongue was circling her clit, then pressing against her lips, before adventuring across her entire cunt, so delicately, as if he hadn’t drunk in months.

Looking down, Edith saw his face. It was covered in her. It didn’t take much before she was sparkling with need. Her heels dug into his shoulders and she, once again, came with a loud, and very long moan. She felt her legs starting to shake, but he did not stop. He devoured her entirely, until her clit could no longer take the sensitivity. Her hand reached out to push on his forehead until he looked back at her, her juices dripping from his chin.

“I do believe I may just pass out if you continue this.” she uttered, just barely being able to catch her breath. He climbed atop her body, placing both palms against her head before giving her a soft kiss.

The unconscious grind against her folds was enough to tell her that he was ready to proceed. There were a few words he muttered, not loud enough for her to hear, but she was certain it was a prayer to Silvanus, one of protection or wisdom.

“May I?” he asked, smoothing the sweaty hair out of her face.

Edith bit her lip and nodded in response, spreading her legs in the process. Halsin settled his weight between her legs, and soon enough, grabbed a hold of his hard member. She gasped for air when she felt the tip of his cock press against her.

It had been quite a while since she was with anyone so… blessed. She would even wager he was the largest she had ever been with. It made her nervous, which he seemed to pick up on.

“My heart, if there is anything that will make you uncomfortable, you will let me know of it?” he whispered, kissing her deeply while sliding his head up and down her core. Edith nodded once again, opening her eyes to give him a silent approval.

She immediately let out a loud mewl when he pushed in, the initial stretch being so intense since she did not anticipate it. Her hands immediately grabbed a hold of his shoulders, squeezing down while he stood in place, being careful not to push too hard.

“Well, I can safely say I did not expect you to be big everywhere.” she joked while gasping, allowing herself to accommodate his size.

He watched for her reactions cautiously, making sure to only push further when she felt comfortable enough to say so. By the look on his face, she could tell that Halsin was holding back. The veins protruding from his arms, the shaking muscles on his thighs, the concentration on his face — all too careful.

The sensations overwhelmed her the more he moved. At some point, she wondered if he would ever stop coming. Thanks to his previous work however, she was still so incredibly slick that it was only mild resistance that he was met with. Her heels continued to dig into his back, partly from the pressure and the incoming pleasure.

She had often wondered what people meant when they craved the feeling of being full. Edith thought she finally understood. Each part of her seemed to be completed with his throbbing member, his girth stretching her to impossibility while her cunt attempted to swallow him entirely.

Halsin pressed hungry kisses on her lips, then her neck, before finally stoping at her breasts. “My heart, may I please move?” he sighed in desperation, hanging his head low while every bit of him seemed to vibrate.

“Please.”

He did not need to be told twice.

He began to slowly pull out, which made Edith wince. Then whimper. Then moan. Then groan. As slowly as he was inside, it felt as though he was twice as fast in pulling out. A feeling of emptiness overwhelmed her, and she could feel her own juices dripping down her thighs as he did so.

“Eager, are we?” Halsin cooed, stopping just his head was pressed against her entrance.

“Shut up and fuck me, bear.” Edith finally snapped, looking up at him with fire in her eyes.

“As the lady requires.”

His pace picked up then. Not enough to give her discomfort, but enough where he was no longer trying to be cautious in his movements. The loud groans that followed reverberated through his chest, and Edith could swear she could hear a bear growl in the midst of it.

She on the other hand, couldn’t explain how she was feeling. It was as if he was hitting new spots the more times he thrust inside, helping her feel fuller the more he did it. The gentleness of his words and touch was gone, now replaced by what seemed to be a rutting animal with only a need to release.

The feeling was mutual, in all honesty.

The Druid slid one arm underneath her head while another grabbed a hold of her thigh, raising it so that he had access to her deepest parts. His cock jabbed at her insides, and Edith swore she was seeing stars. No longer was she able to look at his face, since he was buried deep in her neck. The one thing she could focus on was the wooden ceiling of the Last Night Inn.

“Oakfathe— Father— Do not let— Preserve—“

She could feel him grow, feel more hair that was now turning into fur. For just a moment, she could see his hand turn bigger, his nails growing into that of a large animal - before he slammed his hand down onto the floor and almost breaking it.

He growled like a beast, letting out a sound that she had never heard before. “You are pooling for me, my heart.” his voice was a mixture of his own and a deep, low monstrous tone she had never heard before. “So delicate.”

Edith could only lay and observe him. Her clit was raw, her insides felt like they were being rearranged and she could only crave more. “Release inside me. I wish to be coated in your seed.”

Halsin slammed his fist on the same board again, this time cracking some parts of the wood in the process. The words seemed to spur him on and he picked up his pace, the hand under her head gripping her so tight that she felt it would pop if he pressed hard enough.

“Fuck, fuck, Halsin please,” she mewed, barely being in control of her own body as his cock assaulted her entrance over and over, the feeling turning from discomfort to pleasure to pain and comfort all in one. There was no way anyone wouldn’t hear of this, and at this point, Edith did not care.

Edith didn’t last much longer. She was crying out in pleasure, tightly coiled around the giant elf as her inner muscles clenched and released. It was the tightening of her core that lasted him two full thrusts before he released.

Trickling warmth covered her insides. It turned into a heat she did not anticipate. What surprised her though, was that it just kept coming. Halsin halted his movements entirely, and the only thing she could feel was the twitching of his cock as he kept coming inside. Thick ropes of cum, all coating her entirely. She swore she could feel some of it seep out of her entrance too.

Once he was fully spent, Halsin raised his head to look at her. The scar on his lip had some blood pooling, presumably from the bite he had self-inflicted during his rutting. There was sweat pooling down his face, his long hair stuck to the sides of it as he panted. She could feel his heartbeat on top of hers.

“What an… interesting turn of events.” Edith said breathlessly, reaching up to cup his face with her hands.

Halsin turned his head to give her palm a kiss before groaning in what seemed to be agony. Edith furrowed her brows in confusion as she followed his gaze which ended next to her head.

Another floorboard had cracked.

[eldrichthingy]

It's so disappointing and unfair that some Minthara dialogue lines are just. Well. Gone? For example, she didn't say anything after Lae'zel was kidnapped by Orin, and I think she.. logically, should have something to say about it? Same as - after Astarion's ascension. She does comment on Shadowheart sacrificing her parents, but she doesn't say anything after Astarion ascends? Only before? THAT'S SO UNFAIR. Let my wife talk!! I want to know what she feels/thinks after Astarion becomes a vampire lord! Please!!

[autistichalsin]

Broke: Halsin being a nature-loving hippy Druid is so boring!

Woke: There are numerous hints that Halsin isn't actually very attuned to a lot of Druidic beliefs, his friendship with and affection for Astarion being chief among them, because Druids are supposed to despise undead. He is supposed to have wanted Astarion to decline the ritual and then for the spawn to die in a merciful manner anyway, but instead, he feels that they deserve a chance at life as much as anyone else. This in and of itself is a huge deviation from Druidic beliefs, let alone Silvanite ones, and demonstrates the constant conflict Halsin faces between his morally good alignment and the more traditionally neutral Druidic ones, which underscores his entire conflict with the Emerald Grove

[sorceresssundries]

'Time can prove to be a trickster on one's recollections - what would be multiple lifetimes for others now separate me from my captivity... Perhaps I have lost perspective on what happened to me.

I... have not had true confidantes for some time. The Shadow Curse robbed me of almost all my peers, and replaced them with the weight of responsibility. Perhaps that caused me to gild undeserving memories of my youth. '

Discussion of mental health below the cut.

Halsin breaks my fucking heart, man.

He spent so long shouldering the weight of the curse that he neglected dealing with his own shadows.

Right before this, he mentioned being chained to a bed for three years as a prisoner, yet he has convinced himself it may not have been as bad as it seemed, thinking perhaps he was actually a 'guest.'

As someone with CPTSD, I'm convinced Halsin has some form of it as well. Trauma and (C)PTSD affect the areas of the brain where memories are formed and kept. When traumatic memories are recalled, the perception of them can be altered leading to self-blame or minimisation of the trauma's severity.

Halsin's struggles are often downplayed, especially by him. - He doesn't have a tadpole, he isn't trying to ascend, he isn't being tempted by a dark path, and he doesn't require you to convince him to be good. He plays the part of the healer well, despite still needing healing himself.

Time can be a fixer, but it is also a trickster—and the more of it that passes, the trickier memories associated with trauma become to unpick. Centuries have passed for him.

I'm happy with the outcome of the game for Halsin, that he gets to relax, settle, and find his place alongside nature in the land he helped to free—but I almost wish there was more to explore with him. He deserves the world.

Sorry, i'm not sure what the point of this was I just have a lot of feelings about Halsin.

[vampiresfromxenon]

Luscious, Succulent, Delectable

Astarion x gn! Tav/Reader

Around 2.3K words

Tags: Fluff, so much kissing, so much moaning (so so much), body (thigh) worship, consensual touching, mutual love, they are so insanely in love, slight angst, consensual biting/blood sucking, soft! Astarion, implied smut, no y/n

Summary: After a tough battle, you can’t help but fall apart in your tent, aching both inside and out. Astarion, whom you’ve recently committed to a relationship with, comes to your side to comfort you. Wanting to help you focus more on yourself and what your wants and needs are, he finds himself lost in exploring your thighs. 

~

It’s been a long day. Hells, it’s been a long life. One day you wake up on a Nautiloid ship and suddenly you’re responsible for saving not just yourself, but pretty much all of Faerûn. Lucky you, right? Life’s punching bag, here in the flesh. 

It’s not all bad, though. You’ve been met with some kindness along the way, though perhaps not as much as you feel you deserve. One of your traveling companions, however, has certainly delivered on his promises of ‘kindness’. For nights on end you two would sneak off into the woods, exploring each other’s pleasure limits, and for many, many mornings, Shadowheart was less than pleased to cure you of your bloodlessness. 

As time went on, you learned more about Astarion, your pale, vampiric friend. You had your doubts about him at first, but you had grown to love him, caring for him deeply the more you learned about his past, the more he became vulnerable around you. After a drow from Moonrise Towers was very persistent to have Astarion drink from her, and you supported him in telling her to ‘fuck off’ (but in nicer words than you’d hoped for), you found yourselves re-evaluating your situation. 

The vampire had grown to care for you, seeing much more in you than just protection. He saw something deeper, something real and fresh and… It was a bit much for him at first, but over time you both grew to be even more comfortable around each other, finding yourselves enjoying the smaller, lighter moments of intimacy that rose from being deeply in love. 

Tonight was no different, as your party returns to camp from defending Halsin’s portal in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. You were covered in blood and bruises, trudging along to your tent at a slow pace. Most party members found themselves skipping dinner, just trying to sleep off their wounds and soreness. You found yourself nearly doing the same, sitting down on a soft cushion as you remove your armor, tossing it off to the side to be cleaned and polished later. Lying on your bedroll in your night clothes, you softly sigh, your body relaxing enough to where you can feel the full extent of the trauma your body went through today. Closing your eyes, you begin to doze off, trying to forget it all and think about what a new day could bring. 

“How are you feeling?” A smooth voice asks, the flap of your tent crinkling as a figure wanders in. You wake with a start, sitting up to meet the new inhabitant of your tent. 

“I’ve never felt better. Poets could write sonnets about how at peace I feel.” You sarcastically scoff, rolling your eyes. 

Astarion grunts as he sits at your side, taking claim of the cushion you were previously on. It’s clear that today’s battle had also hit him quite hard. “I’ll be sure to sing along as they recite it.” He teases, trying to hide his discomfort. You both sit there in silence for a moment, not wanting to show a sign of weakness talking about how much your bodies ache from the day’s activities. You can’t help but break the silence first.

“I don’t know how we’re expected to do all of this. My whole body aches, I’m unsure if I’ll be able to walk properly tomorrow!” You say, exasperated.

“You carried on just fine after all those nights I left you unable to walk…” He snickers, and you playfully push at his chest. 

“I’m being serious! This is a lot of pressure, so many people are relying on us, relying on me… I just don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this.” Your eyes land in your lap.

Astarion takes a softer tone, hating to see his love in such a melancholy mood. “Darling…” He sighs, his hand resting on your thigh. You flinch a little, your legs badly bruised. He is quick to notice this, and he begins to gently massage your thigh through the fabric, hoping to bring you some comfort. 

“You take on too much. I know you want to help, it’s a damn curse that you care so much, but we have to focus on taking care of ourselves for a bit. We spend so much time helping other people that I think you forget we have that hellish tadpole behind our eyes. We don’t have much time left, but I know we have enough for you to take a break. Please, you need to rest. You can’t solve everyone’s problems, especially when you can’t solve your own.” 

You find yourself on the verge of tears, trying to take in all these words that he would have never said to you before you became close. Hearing this from him, seeing this side of him, you know he’s serious and means every single word. He notices your silence, your closed-offness from the conversation, and he gently places his fingers on your chin, tilting your head up to meet his. 

“Promise me you’ll take a break? Only focus on the tadpole stuff for a bit?” He softly asks, his eyes switching between both of yours, looking for any sign of confirmation.

“Ok…” Is all you can breathe before he leans forward to hug you, both of your bodies trembling slightly from the bruises brought on from today. He pulls from you, placing soft kisses on your cheeks before a delicate one on your lips.

“I want to help you relax.” He offers, and you nod your head, trying to follow his words of advice about taking more time for yourself. He smiles as he moves down your body, slowly removing your trousers, leaving you in just your nightshirt and underwear. He tosses them off to the side, taking in the sight of your legs. He frowns before saying something in a low, rumbling, lustful tone.

“Oh Darling, those bruises should be from me.” 

He sighs before crawling between your legs, his hands caressing the sides of your thighs as he lifts your legs over his shoulders. Moving his hands up and down your thighs gently, he takes in the scent of your skin. A smile creeps on his face as your body shivers from his touch, already very eager for more. Knowing this, he decides to take his time, teasing you for as long as he can handle. His hands begin to curl around your thighs, his fingertips dragging along the inside curve of your thighs now.

“Gods, why have I been sleeping with that ratty old pillow when these have been here this whole time?” He growls, gripping your thighs a little tighter, holding them closer to his head. 

You let out a small gasp from both the pain and excitement from his touch. He’s massaging your thighs a little harder now, and you can’t help but let out small moans here and there, only encouraging him to continue. You throw your head back into the pillow, your hand on your mouth as he massages a particularly sore spot. Seeing this, he stops, waiting for you to meet his gaze again. Distraught from his lack of touching, you open your eyes and look down at him to see him gazing at you through his lashes.

“Don’t you ever hide those sounds from me, darling.” He purrs, a commanding tone in his voice. He reaches through your legs to remove your hand from your face, his hand trailing down your torso in a teasingly slow pace.

“I’m not even close to being done with you yet, I intend to make you sing all night. Your throat will be aching for ages…” His words are dripping with lust, and your heart races at his usage of those dirty double entendres. His hand slips between your legs, hooking around your left thigh again, bringing it closer to his face.

Maintaining eye contact with you, he licks a stripe up your leg, starting near the junction between your torso and thigh, ending all the way up to your knee. His breath tickles your skin as he chuckles, watching you shake from his attention. He does the same with your other thigh, making sure to go just a little bit slower to really drag out your slight frustration. Your chest feels tight as it rises and falls quickly, the sound of your panting becoming loud enough to be quietly heard from outside your tent. At this point, neither of you cared if anyone in the camp heard you; it wouldn’t be the first or last time they’d hear it. 

“Your body is so soft, so beautiful, so perfect. Your thighs-” He kisses the inside of your left thigh near your knee softly, his tongue tracing at your skin. As he continues to speak, he sloppily kisses down your thighs, panting from all this excitement he brought on himself. He laps at your skin like a wild, hungry animal, your legs a fresh, raw, succulent steak.  

“They are delectable, darling. ~mhm~ I just can’t get enough of them. ~mhm~ The knowledge that you get to have them, ~mhm~ that they’re part of you, ~mhm~ that you walk around with them ~mhm~ every day. ~mhm~ Gods, I envy you. ~mhm~ If I had legs these perfect, ~mhm~ I’d never ~mhm~ hide them ~mhm~ from the world. ~mhm~ Just the sight of you, ~mhm~ lounging on cushions, ~mhm~ your legs draped on each other, ~mhm~ the way your legs look so soft ~mhm~ and inviting… ~mhm~ It's a wonder how ~mhm~ I don’t just take you ~mhm~ right then and there. ~mhm~ You drive me crazy, ~mhm~ my love. ~mhm~”

He pulls away from your thighs, both of you so riled up that you feel as though the air has been knocked out of you. Your head is hot from all the blushing, all the flattering comments, all the kissing. His face is slightly flushed, his pupils blown out, his eyes brimming with both love and lust. He almost sounds drunk as he speaks, his voice nearly cracking at the thought of what he wishes to do to you next. Pleading, he lies his cheek on the inside of your right thigh. 

“Your thighs are so delicious. I just need a taste. Just a quick taste. Please.” You can’t deny him, not after how much pleasure he’s brought you without even touching you like that yet. You nod your head, and even though he appears desperate, he makes it clear that he’s still the one in charge, the one with the upper hand.

“If you want it, you’ve got to say it.” You whimper as he massages your leg, teasing you. 

“Yes! Gods, yes!” You breathlessly exclaim.

Without wasting a single second, he sinks his teeth into your left thigh, moaning as he bites harder into your soft flesh. You moan with him, the feeling of both pain and pleasure extremely stimulating. In all your excitement, you clamp your thighs together, almost crushing his head between them. He moans even louder, his hands pressing into your thighs, encouraging the pressure. Had your legs not already been bruised, you’re sure you’d have the shape of his hands in your skin for a few days after this. During all of this, you can feel his body moving, shaking… thrusting. If you weren’t already moaning, Gods only know how you’d react to the sight of him rolling, perhaps almost slamming, his hips into your bedroll as he drinks from you, his head clamped between your thighs.

As he drinks from your thigh, you feel the sharp stinging pain from the initial bite fading away, the tingling numbness taking its place. You can feel the blood leaving your body, and it feels different from how it usually does when it leaves your neck. It’s a new, exciting feeling, hard to compare to your neck as both give such different feelings of pleasure. 

You can feel him slowing down on drinking from your thigh, his throat thick with your blood, his moans slowly turning into needy little whimpers and whines. He pulls from your thigh, eagerly lapping up the blood that drips from the two puncture wounds. The sight of his desperation makes him look like he’s never had anything to drink before in his life. The pressure from your thighs around his head releases, your legs falling open as you relax. You both lie there together, his head resting on your right thigh and looking up at you as you both try to catch your breath. He goes to speak, his voice wavering as he still continues to pant, his body now full of more energy thanks to your blood.

“For a moment there, I couldn’t breathe at all. I thought about pushing your legs away from me to catch my breath, but then I realized that I could die happy knowing that my head was crushed between your luscious thighs.” 

You laugh, realizing how ridiculous his statement is, as well as how arousing it is too. He smiles, gently kissing the puncture wounds on your thigh again. Climbing on top of you, he nestles his hips between your legs, and you can feel just how much he enjoyed all of that. He leans over you, kissing you lightly, pulling back to gaze into your eyes. 

“Thank you.” You quietly say, brushing his hair out of his face. Your hand caresses his cheek, feeling how warm he is with all your blood rushing through his body. 

“No, thank you. And besides, don’t think we’re done just yet, my love.” He gives you a knowing look, cocking his eyebrow. “I want to be the main reason you can’t walk tomorrow.” 

Before anything else can be said, you hungrily grab his face, his lips crashing on to yours. Your legs wrap around his waist, drawing his body closer, his chest grinding into yours. The night wanders on, your tent rustling, full of moans and panting breaths, two people utterly, embarrassingly in love. 

~

Author’s Note:

GUYS. Ok think back to that one scene where he drinks from Tav for the first time. You guys remember that one line of dialogue that happens if you persuade him off of you? “Mhh? Oh, of course. That - that was amazing.” His little whimper. His gulp. His panting. That one line alone was such a huge inspiration for how I wrote this, I need you all to know that that’s basically what he sounds like during most of this fic. Do with that information what you will- 

(Also this is probably the closest I'll ever get to writing smut. I don’t feel 100% comfortable writing smut, but I hope you guys enjoy the moments like these as much as I do!!)

[nerdallwritey]

Perfect Every Time

Summary: You got up and joined him in the ankle deep water. “Do you want to try right now?” Astarion thought for a moment and clicked his tongue. “I have a better idea, actually.” He gave you a sideways look, his lips quirking up slightly.  “What?” you matched his smile. Rather than answering, Astarion reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.  You furrowed your brow. “Looks an awful lot like you’re preparing to swim.” He started fiddling with the clasps on his pants and groaned in your direction. “Swimming is not the only thing one can do while submerged in water, dearest.” He gave you a sensual smile that sent heat to your cheeks.  OR Before your party travels into the Underdark, you and Astarion catch one last sunrise together.

Pairing: Astarion x f!reader Rating: 18+ Word count: 7.2k CW: smut, reader is new to sex, hand job, piv sex, water sex, dirty talk, mentions of Astarion's past trauma, blood drinking, extra mild angst, soft Astarion, porn with feelings, reader is an idiot (and a bard), so is Astarion (not a bard, just an idiot), Illmater's blood-stained rack Spoilers: Minor spoilers for Act 1 (in-game dialogue, plot points, etc.), as well as Astarion's plotline Also posted to: AO3 FAIR WARNING: This is PART 4 in my series, "Beauty and the Bard." Find the masterlist here.

a/n: Surprise!! I'm back with a new chapter of Beauty and the Bard! This part is shorter than the other ones (who cheered) because it morphed from a little smut scene into one that deserved its very own part. One million thanks to everyone who's read and enjoyed the series so far, it's so much fun chatting with you guys and hearing your thoughts and it truly means the world that you guys care so much about these goofs. I already have an idea for Part 5, so that will be coming soon, but I have a request to fill first! Thank you all for your patience. In the meantime, please enjoy our regularly scheduled silliness with Astarion and bard!tav :) (Thank you once again to @kermitwazowski for beta reading!) As a reminder, the last part was the Tiefling party!

Taglist: @a66-1, @khaleesiofthewolves, @khywren, @lollipopsandlandmines, @mizuki-nautilus - Let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist for this series!

Several days had passed since the hijinxs of the Tiefling party had taken place. By now, the former refugees of the Emerald Grove were well on their way to Baldur’s Gate, the looming threat of goblins and power hungry druids far from their minds, their thoughts instead replaced with hope for new beginnings in the city. 

Just like he’d promised, Halsin had returned the next day to discuss the parasites, officially joining your party of misfits on your journey towards the Shadow Cursed Lands and Moonrise Towers. His calming presence and sage advice was a welcome addition to the group, especially given that this leadership role had been thrust upon you by the others with next to no discussion. Having Halsin around finally felt like there was a responsible adult among you. Not that you all weren’t adults, but you definitely had your… quirks. Sure, Halsin turned into a bear if he let his emotions go unchecked, but Gale was a bomb. 

As for you and Astarion, not much had really changed, you were both still yourselves, but now you openly tortured your companions with more pet names and cheek kisses and obnoxiously loud banter. Lae’zel had threatened to cleave you both in half on multiple occasions, but had yet to follow through on that threat. The others would groan loudly or avert their eyes politely.

Your days with Astarion were spent fighting side-by-side and teasing one another, and your nights were spent chatting and reading together. Aside from the physical intimacy and emotional vulnerability that came with being in a new relationship, it was really as if nothing had changed. And those were small prices to pay for where you currently found yourself: wrapped together with a trancing Astarion.

Ever since the Tiefling party, Astarion would worm his way into your tent at night. Whether he asked permission, or stayed a little too late into the night reading or talking or drinking from you; you would never ask him to leave. You’d slept together every night, sometimes beside each other, and other nights wrapped in each others’ arms. You were allowing Astarion to set the pace, as you were in no rush to get anywhere in particular. You simply enjoyed his company and his magnetic presence. 

The pair of you hadn’t been too intimate since the party, barring stolen and sometimes steamy kisses. That was plenty for you, and Astarion continued checking in to see if you were okay with his touches and advances. Whenever you assured him that you were, he’d smile and return to your lips. You never asked him for more than he was willing to give, and even though you knew he wouldn’t say anything about it, you could tell he appreciated the courtesy despite the smug mask he so often wore.

Now, you found yourself stroking your hands through his hair as he tranced on your bare chest, breathing quietly; a habit he told you he’d picked up to look more alive when prowling the Gate. 

It was funny, honestly, how sweet and unassuming he looked when he wasn’t fully conscious. And yet, you knew the kind of violence and debauchery and bad jokes he enacted and adored when he was awake. A small sound escaped his lips and you paused in caressing his hair to make sure you weren’t waking him. When his breathing returned to normal, you resumed raking your fingers soothingly over his scalp. 

The hour was a little before dawn. Truthfully, you hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, knowing that today was the day your party would pack up camp and make your way into the Underdark for the foreseeable future. You’d re-emerge eventually to find the crèche Lae’zel knew to be nearby, but the Underdark was worth investigating for the sake of further answers about the tadpoles and a possible alternate route into the Shadow Cursed Lands. Plus, Shadowheart was adamant about seeing the rumored temple to Shar hidden down there.

All that to say, you and your companions wouldn’t be seeing the sun for quite a while. The thought saddened you immensely, knowing how much the man trancing on you would miss it terribly. How cruel, you thought, that your adventure was leading Astarion back into the shadows after he’d just gotten a taste of the sun for the first time in centuries. 

“Why are you awake, my darling?” came Astarion’s raspy voice from the dark. He shifted his head to look up at you, his grip around your midsection tightening a bit, his eyes heavy with grogginess.

“Couldn’t sleep,” you admitted. “You should get a little more if you can.”

Astarion chuckled. “Too busy thinking about me to sleep? I wouldn’t blame you.”

You sighed. “And if I was?”

Astarion’s face fell a little. “Why the hells would you allow yourself to lose sleep on my behalf, pet?” His voice was soft and one of his hands unwrapped itself from your body, taking your hand, and bringing it up to his mouth to kiss the back of your fingers. He cleared his throat. “I mean, obviously I can understand why,” he tried deflecting the sweetness that had seeped into his words by injecting his tone with fake bravado.

You let out an amused breath and allowed your hand in his hair to continue petting him gently. “I want to watch the sunrise with you again this morning.”

Astarion hummed. “And that kept you awake?”

“I didn’t want to oversleep.”

Now it was Astarion’s turn to let out an amused breath. “You could have asked. I would have woken you up.”

“No you wouldn’t, you keep letting me sleep in. It’s like you enjoy watching me sleep or something, you creep.” You poked his nose playfully.

“It’s just amazing how much drool someone of your stature can produce.”

You smacked the side of his head and he laughed softly. The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a little while before you decided to speak again.

“This will be the last sunrise we see for a while.”

Astarion let out a long sigh and remained silent. After a moment, he said, “I know.” 

He sounded sad. 

“It’s not forever, though,” you assured, moving your hand to stroke his cheek and regaining his attention.

He chuckled. “I know that, too.”

You yawned, a little more loudly than you meant to. “Good. I promise you’ll see the sun again.”

Astarion tsked. “Honestly, darling, did you get no sleep at all?”

“I got a little,” you lied.

He held your gaze, lifting a skeptical eyebrow. “I don’t believe you.”

“What does it matter?” you asked, caught. “I can handle a little lack of sleep.”

Astarion rolled his eyes and sat up to look at you more directly. “It matters because we need you alert. None of us knows what awaits us in the Underdark and I- we can’t have you getting hurt because you didn’t get enough rest!”

“I’ll be fine,” you assured, bending upwards to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Besides, I’ll have you to protect me when I get sloppy.”

Astarion groaned. “You shouldn’t get sloppy,” he complained. “I swear, if you somehow hold us back down there, I’ll slaughter you myself.”

“Promise?”

He groaned again. “Would you, just once, allow me to threaten you seriously?”

“No,” you patted his cheek lovingly. 

He sighed and pushed some of his mussed hair out of his face. He took your hands in his. “Just… stay vigilant, alright?”

“Can do,” you said, withholding another obvious yawn.

“I saw that.”

“Saw what?”

He shook his head at you and sat up fully, stretching his arms above his head and giving you a clear view of the scar on his back. You sat up and kissed his bare shoulder.

“I’ll be fine,” you repeated.

“Mhm.” Astarion passed you one of his shirts. “Come on, darling, let’s get a move on.” He tossed on a spare shirt and watched you as you pulled his shirt over your head. 

“There’s still a little time before sunrise,” you said.

Astarion snorted and fixed some of your hair that was sticking up from putting on his shirt. “You could stay here if you want. Drown in your own drool. Up to you.”

You huffed at him, making him laugh again.

“Only joking, my love.”

“Sure,” you said, opening the flaps of your tent and crawling out into the blue that preceded dawn.

You went to stand, but felt Astarion’s cool fingers wrap around your wrist and pull you back. He turned you slightly and caught your lips in a kiss, one that wiped away whatever fake ire you had towards him and replaced it with a dopey grin. 

“What was that for?” you asked when he pulled away.

“Delicious,” he breathed, raising a seductive eyebrow. 

You laughed and grabbed his hand. “Come on.”

You’d only been able to catch two more sunrises with Astarion following the one you watched the morning after you’d slept together for the first time. You’d woken up once on your own after Astarion gently shifted himself away from you, and another time when he woke you up purposely, not wanting to be alone with his thoughts. You’d whine and moan whenever he let you sleep in, despite the fact that it was probably for the best to keep you in tip top shape for fighting and recharging your magic. He’d always find his way back to you, and you knew he needed his own space sometimes, but you still loved to watch him bask in the golden light of the morning and you couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed whenever you felt his gentle hand on your back before opening your eyes and seeing that the sun was already up.

Astarion led you through the forest again, his hand holding yours firmly. You knew your way to the ravine lookout by now, but you liked not having to take the lead for once. He helped you across the little stream that led into the clearing where you first laid together and you felt your cheeks flush at the memory.

“I can hear your heart picking up speed, darling.” He turned to smirk at you. “You’re adorable.”

“Pardon me for still being shy,” you half-joked.

“Mmm,” Astarion hummed. “I’ll pound that out of you eventually.” He furrowed his brow sensually at you and you scoffed.

“Shut up.”

“I, of course, don’t have to-”

You made a whiny sound and he laughed.

“I know, my love,” he said, removing his hand from yours and instead wrapping his arm around you to pull you close. “You’ve been so patient for me,” he nipped at your earlobe. “So good.” 

“I’m in no rush,” you reassured on a shaky exhale. 

Astarion made his own whiny sound and pulled you closer, leading you to the cliff’s edge where he’d opened up to you willingly for the first time, just a few days ago.

He sat, pulling you down with him, far enough away from the edge, where he knew you wouldn’t be nervous of falling. In the distance, the sky was just starting to indicate the sun’s arrival. 

You sighed happily and rested your head on his shoulder. You felt him tense a little. “Is this alright?” 

Instead of answering, he leaned his head on top of yours. 

“What’s something you want to do in the Underdark?” you probed.

Astarion groaned. “You don’t need to make small talk with me, darling, sometimes silence is golden.”

You scrunched your nose, knowing he hated pure silence. “I wasn’t being polite, I genuinely wanted to know.”

He groaned again. “Even worse.”

You laughed lightly and felt him laugh too, his arm gently shaking against your own. 

He thought for a moment before he responded. “That Zhentarim fellow we met mentioned a cache of supplies hidden somewhere down there. That might be fun to pillage.”

You laughed. “I’m surprised you ever stopped thinking about that!”

“Oh I didn’t, but I wanted you to think your little thought experiment had actually evoked some sort of… thought… in me.” He made a face.

“Want to try and rephrase that?”

“Not particularly.”

You hummed fondly, taking one of his hands in your own and examining how your fingers slotted together just so. 

“I suppose you want me to ask you the same question?” Astarion asked, clearly not wanting to ask.

You laughed. “Your interest in my interests always astounds me, Astarion.”

He rubbed his cheek against the top of your head. “Get better interests and I might actually want to pay attention.”

“Rude,” you muttered, a smile on your face. “But since you so desperately want to know, I’ll answer anyway.”

“Oh, goodie.”

You thought about it. There wasn’t actually all that much you knew about the Underdark, aside from the few mentions of it in the books you’d read growing up. One thing did stick out in your mind.

“Singing mushrooms.”

“........What?”

“I read somewhere that apparently there are colonies of sentient mushroom people who communicate through song.”

Astarion pulled his head off of yours to hang it in front of himself instead, groaning loudly. “That sounds like a nightmare.”

“It’s not! It’s fascinating!”

“Sentient mushrooms?”

“Yes.”

“That sing?”

“Yes.”

Astarion shook his head. “Am I still asleep? Do you hear yourself?”

“I’m not making it up!” you exclaimed incredulously. When he didn’t say anything else, you crossed your arms in front of yourself. “We’re going to see the mushrooms.”

“Whatever you say, darling.” He kissed the top of your head almost pityingly. 

“You’re an ass,” you said, pulling away from him and sitting back on your forearms. The sky was turning a faint pinkish orange in the distance. You snickered to yourself. “More like Ass-starion.”

The ass in question scowled. “That will not be one of your pet names for me.”

You shrugged. “I’m surprised no one’s called you that before.”

“I’ve been called far worse.” Astarion tilted his head up pompously, as if nothing you could say would hurt him.

“Okay great, so ‘Ass’ is nothing new.”

He sighed heavily. “It’s like you want me to throw you off the cliff.”

“Go ahead,” you challenged, catching his eye mischievously, knowing his threat was empty. 

Astarion looked at you and then towards the horizon. He inhaled deeply and rose to his feet. 

“What are you doing?” you laughed nervously as he approached the cliff’s edge that gave way into the ravine below. 

He peered over the edge, his brow furrowed in deep thought. 

You shifted uncomfortably and sat up completely straight. “Astarion, please be careful, you’re making me nervous.”

He ignored you and walked along the edge, looking past a batch of trees and into the distance to your right. He nodded and turned back towards where you sat.

“Up you go,” Astarion approached you and gestured his thumb upwards, indicating that he wanted you to stand. When he reached you, he helped you to your feet.

“You’re not actually going to throw me off the cliff, are you?” You kept your tone playful, but the anxiety you were masking was obvious.

Astarion smirked. “Stop annoying me and I won’t have to.”

You rolled your eyes and began to follow him as he started walking to the right, down a slanted slope and into a patch of trees. 

“What’s happening?” you asked when you caught up with him.

Astarion tilted his head. “I just thought an occasion such as this needed a change of scenery.”

“‘Occasion?’” you echoed.

He nodded. “It’s my last day in the sun-” he saw you about to protest and quickly added, “-for a little while. Might as well start the day off right.”

You hummed. “Why do I get the sense that you’re up to something?”

Astarion stopped in his tracks, a hand held to his unbeating heart in mock offense. “Me? Up to something? You’re far too paranoid, darling.”

“Uh huh.” You kept walking, but quickly realized you didn’t actually know where you were going. You looked back at Astarion for help and found him watching you. 

He rolled his eyes affectionately. “This way, dear, it’s not much farther.” He walked past you, deeper into the trees, and kept talking. “Did you know that that ravine we’ve been sitting above gives way into what I can only assume is either the Chianthar or the Sea of Swords?”

“I didn’t,” you said. “Though those are two very different bodies of water.”

“Give me a break, my geography lessons occurred well over 200 years ago. And we’re in the gods damn middle of nowhere, might I remind you.”

“Mhm,” you affirmed with a smile. “Go on.”

“Well, it just so happens that that ravine’s mouth isn’t far from our little sunrise spot.”

“‘Our?’” you teased.

“Focus, darling,” he said. He turned to the left, leading you back towards the cliff’s edge that had continued along the treeline.

“Astarion, please be careful,” you called after him, hesitantly following him towards the sound of rushing water. 

He turned back and held out a steadying hand for you as you approached the edge. Not too far below you were narrow rapids that gradually became calmer. The cliff that had been on the other side of the one you currently found yourself on had disappeared, forming a mouth where the ravine did in fact empty into a much larger, much calmer, body of water.

You wrapped your arms around Astarion’s middle to anchor yourself and leaned forward a little to see where the cliff you were on ended. A little farther down, you squinted to adjust your eyes to the dim lighting, and saw a tiny beach that quickly shot upwards into a new cliff. Rocks surrounded the shore, keeping it slightly out of view, and gentle waves lapped at the sand, far enough away from the rapids of the ravine to remain serene.

You caught Astarion’s eye and pointed towards the small patch of sand in the distance. “Is that where we’re going?”

Astarion pursed his lips. “Yes, that would be much easier than jumping in, wouldn’t it?”

You scoffed. “You expected me to jump in from this high up? There could be rocks we can’t see! And we don’t know how deep it is!”

Astarion sighed. “You’re no fun. Though I suppose you’re right, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.” With your arms still around his middle, he started walking back into the trees and down towards the tiny beach. 

You laughed as he dragged you along. “You can’t possibly be serious. You’d get your hair all wet!”

“Nobody said I was going to jump in with you,” he teased.

“I’m not going in alone,” you narrowed your eyes at him. 

“Pity,” he tutted. “I like it when you’re wet.” He smirked and you shoved yourself away from him. 

You picked up your pace to put distance between the two of you. When you didn’t hear his footsteps gaining on you, you decided to quickly slip behind a tree, hoping you’d lost him and that you’d be able to jump out to scare him as he sauntered past.

Unfortunately, nothing but silence greeted you. After a heartbeat or two, you peered around the trunk of your hiding spot but saw no sign of his sleek frame or shock of white hair. You started to second guess yourself; was it possible he’d passed you already? Or that he stopped, out of sight for some reason? 

“You’ll have to do better than that, darling,” came his voice softly next to your ear.

You yelped and clutched at your heart, which raced with surprise. 

Astarion sighed happily. “I do love the sound of your blood pumping.”

“How do you do that?” you asked, breathing deeply to calm yourself. 

“Years of practice.” He paused. “Centuries, even.”

You conceded with a nod. “I shouldn’t have even tried.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. The effort was hardly there, either.”

“Alright,” you rolled your eyes and continued on through the trees down to the beach.

“I mean honestly, have these weeks on the road with me taught you nothing about stealth?”

“I play music for a living. My job is making noise.”

“And I don’t know why I even try at this point.” He raised his eyebrows playfully.

“You like my noise,” you said, sing-songingly. 

“You’re loud, I’ll give you that.”

It was then that you emerged from the trees and onto a grassy dune that sloped downward onto the flat sand below. You slid down the dune with as much grace as you could muster, only falling on your ass once, before taking off your shoes and sinking your toes into the cool sand that made up the shoreline. Astarion followed after you, his long strides keeping him upright and as elegant as ever. He came to stand next to you, taking his own shoes off and placing them neatly beside yours.

You exhaled wistfully and grabbed Astarion’s bicep, leaning your head onto his shoulder. From here, you had a clear view of the sun on the horizon. The sky was a deep shade of pink, giving way to golds and oranges the closer you watched. You looked at Astarion, whose eyes were focused on the sunrise in the distance. 

“What are you thinking about?” you asked quietly.

Astarion looked over at you and blinked. Then he smiled. “Just that it’s truly a wonder you’ve made it this far in life.”

“What?!” you exclaimed, shocked and amused.

You could tell he was holding in a laugh. “You are inept at hiding and fall down sand dunes. What were we thinking when we started following you around Faerûn?”

“I’ll push you into the water, pretty boy.”

“I’d pull you in with me, my love.”

“Touché,” you smiled and released his arm, sitting on the sand. You pulled your legs to your chest and rested your cheek on your knee. Around you, reeds and tall grass swayed in the morning breeze. Astarion remained standing, watching the horizon. 

As much as you enjoyed watching the sunrise, you enjoyed watching Astarion watch it more. The way his attention became transfixed on the sky, the way the vibrant light painted itself onto him like a blank canvas, the way his entire body relaxed when the warmth of the sun finally reached his skin. 

You heard him sigh and watched as he walked forward a little, allowing the tiny waves rolling off the water to rush gently over his toes. He flinched a little in shock and you let out an affectionate breath through your nose.

“Cold?” you asked.

“You know, it’s funny,” Astarion said, his voice a million miles away. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to move through water like this.”

“What do you mean?” You furrowed your brow. “I’ve seen you in the lake at camp before.”

“I don’t know, I guess I haven’t given it too much thought until now. Normally, I can’t move through running water like this. Don’t ask me why, it’s one of those idiotic vampire laws dictated by some ancient devil with an infuriating sense of humor. I can bathe, sure, but I haven’t been proper swimming since… before.”

You stayed quiet as he moved further into the water, letting the waves wash over his ankles.

“I have to imagine I knew how to swim at one point,” he said quietly.

“I could teach you,” you offered. “I was going to teach Shadowheart at some point too. You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

Astarion snorted. “And look like a fool in front of the cleric? I’ll pass.”

“You don’t need swim lessons to look like a fool,” you clarified. 

“Ha ha,” he said humorlessly. 

You got up and joined him in the ankle deep water. “Do you want to try right now?”

Astarion thought for a moment and clicked his tongue. “I have a better idea, actually.” He gave you a sideways look, his lips quirking up slightly. 

“What?” you matched his smile.

Rather than answering, Astarion reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. 

You furrowed your brow. “Looks an awful lot like you’re preparing to swim.”

He started fiddling with the clasps on his pants and groaned in your direction. “Swimming is not the only thing one can do while submerged in water, dearest.” He gave you a sensual smile that sent heat to your cheeks. 

“Oh,” you said, stiffly watching him undress. “Should I-?” you awkwardly pulled at the collar of his shirt that was currently resting on your shoulders. 

He straightened, naked but for his underwear. He frowned a little. 

“You don’t have to do anything, my love. I just thought we might have some fun while watching the sunrise.”

You bit your bottom lip, thinking it over. “I do like fun.”

“I know that about you.” Astarion walked towards you and reached for the hem of your shirt. “May I?”

You nodded and lifted your arms to help. He took the shirt and tossed it over to where he’d discarded his own clothes. He stepped closer to you, pulling you to him so that you were chest to chest, and nuzzled his nose into the area where your neck met your shoulder. He placed a slow, gentle kiss there that had you inhaling sharply and exhaling unevenly. He groaned with need before pulling back and readjusting to kiss your lips. He came at it with more force than you were expecting, causing you to stumble back a little, but his hands firmly gripped your biceps, keeping you steady. You suppressed a giggle and instead smiled against his mouth before opening up for him and allowing his tongue to meet yours. Astarion hummed with pleasure, moving his mouth against yours and bringing his hands up to tangle in your hair. When he finally pulled away, he left one more chaste kiss against your lips before fully pulling back. 

His eyes were alight with something that morphed into joy when he saw the gooey grin on your face. He rolled his eyes affectionately before looking you up and down and exhaling a laugh.

“You are perfect,” he said, almost in awe.

You smiled. “When?”

Astarion pulled you closer, his eyes narrowing seductively. “Every time.”

You snickered and pulled away from him, a teasing grin plastered on his face. You bent to remove your own pants and watched to see what Astarion would do next. When you saw him reach for his underwear, you averted your eyes and heard him laugh.

“Nothing new over here, darling,” he said, and the soft splashing sounds that followed indicated he’d walked into the water.

“I know,” you replied, embarrassed. You turned back towards him and shrugged. “Habit, I guess.”

“Well, cut it out,” he called, now knee deep in the water. His body was rigid from the temperature, his shoulders rising up to his ears. He turned back to look back at you, still standing on the shore. “Illmater’s blood-stained RACK, this is cold!” 

“I don’t know what you expected,” you called back, hugging your arms to your chest and trying to convince yourself to brave the frigid waters and join him.

“I rather expected you would be in here with me to keep me warm,” he said, turning back towards the sunrise ahead of him.

You quickly pulled off your underwear and started walking into the water, tensing at the cold, but willing yourself to keep going. 

“If you wanted my blood, you could have just asked,” you said when you finally reached him.

“There you are, darling,” Astarion said and grabbed your hand. 

“Hi,” you said softly.

“Brace yourself,” he tipped his head forward a little.

“What?”

Without warning, Astarion lowered himself into the water so that it was just below his shoulders, and pulled you down with him. You hadn’t expected to be yanked so forcefully and unsurprisingly lost your footing. You plunged downward, reaching your free hand out to break your fall and ended up dunking your face below the surface. You were submerged for less than a second, but you came up sputtering and made eye contact with a gleeful vampire. He sucked in his lips to keep from laughing.

“And what was that?” you asked blandly, flicking wet tendrils of hair out of your face.

“Apologies, darling, I didn’t mean for you to get your pretty hair all wet,” he pouted at you and sounded less than sympathetic. 

“Uh huh,” you narrowed your eyes at him. You crawled closer to him, made weightless by the water, and sat beside him, the water level reaching slightly higher on your chest than his. You scooted back a little and dragged your arm out behind you. You pushed it forward quickly, creating a splash that soaked the back of Astarion’s head. He instantly hunched forward and yelped. 

“How dare you?!” he exclaimed, his curls flattening and falling partially into his face. 

“Whoops,” you shrugged. Your eyes widened when you saw him wind his own arm back in retaliation and quickly dunked your head below the surface to avoid his onslaught of water.

When you reemerged, you heard Astarion snicker.

“Look at that,” he said, his tone mocking, “you’re all wet for me.”

You wasted no time in splashing him directly in the face.

“Let’s not do this,” he said flatly, his eyes closed. He brought his hands up to wipe the water off his face, even though his hands were equally wet.

“But now you’re all wet for me,” you teased. 

“I’ll show you what I am,” Astarion growled and took your hand underwater. He pulled you closer and led your hand to his cock, which was already rigid with desire, despite the temperature of the water. 

You made eye contact with him as you started pumping your hand up and down his shaft and he hissed out a breath. 

“Easy, darling,” he said shakily. 

“What’s the matter?” you asked, close to his ear. “Don’t you want to cum while watching the sunrise?”

Astarion groaned and you moved your hand up to swipe your thumb across his tip and then back down to continue pumping. You lifted your weightless body up and swung your leg around so that you were sitting between his legs, facing him head on with the sunrise at your back. 

“I know what would make you even harder,” you cooed, wiping wet hair out of his face with your free hand. Instead of finishing the thought, you tilted your head to the side, offering up your neck to him. 

Astarion’s eyes, half lidded with lust, went wide and looked at you. You nodded to him, and he pulled you closer to his chest, kissing your throat feverishly upon contact. Your hand was still wedged between your legs, twisting around Astarion’s length. He moaned as he nosed along your throat for where your pulse thrummed the strongest.

“Thank you,” he said before sinking his fangs into you. 

You let out a moan of your own, your mouth falling open as goosebumps broke out along your arms. The cold water mixed with the ice in your veins created a delicious mixture of pleasure and pain. The hand pumping Astarion’s length started to slow as you felt yourself focusing instead on the satisfyingly dull thrum that came with him drinking from you. 

“Don’t stop,” he murmured against your skin, kissing your throat and licking a few wayward drops of blood that had escaped before returning to his meal.

You made a noise of affirmation and squeezed his dick before continuing to twist your hand up and down, from base to tip and back down again. 

Astarion whined lamely and dug his nails into your scalp and shoulder, which in turn made you moan wantonly. You rolled your hips, trying to find some relief of your own and ended up brushing your clit against the base of his cock. You both groaned in pleasure and you brought your free hand up to tangle into his hair as you continued rolling your hips. 

“Hah,” Astarion huffed sweetly as he pulled himself away from your throat, his cool breath made warm by your blood. He licked at the wounds he left behind and kissed them gratefully before angling his head to kiss your mouth deeply.

The metallic tang of your blood on his tongue sent a chill through your body and you opened your eyes when you felt Astarion’s hands make their way to your hips. You broke the kiss to give him a curious look. 

He returned your look with a blissed out smirk. “I want you to ride me,” he drawled. 

Your eyes widened and the hand that was still working his cock slowed to a stop. 

He surged forward to kiss you again and moved his hands to your ass, where he lifted your weightless form to position you over his length. 

“Are you sure?” you asked. “I thought I was close to getting you off.”

“You were, sweet girl, but I’d much rather finish inside, if it’s all the same to you.”

Your lips quirked up. “I think we can make that work.”

Taking his cock into your hand again, you guided the head to your entrance before sinking down on him slowly. Astarion’s eyes closed in satisfaction and he tipped his head up to the sky, golden light painting his beautiful face into something ethereal. You sucked in a breath and rested your forehead on his shoulder, taking a second to adjust to this new sensation. You hadn’t ridden him yet, nor had you ever fooled around in water, by yourself or otherwise. 

Astarion kissed your ear before encouraging you: “Use me, my love. You’re deliciously warm.”

You nodded and tested lifting yourself up a little and bringing yourself back down. Your mouth dropped open and you adjusted your legs so you were resting on your knees, making it easier to bob on his dick. Your arms wrapped around his neck as you lifted yourself higher and brought yourself down with more force.

“That’s it,” Astarion cooed, “take your pleasure from me.”

“Touch me,” you whined, rolling your hips and picking up the pace of your bouncing.

“With pleasure,” he bent forward to kiss your neck, bringing his hand down to circle your clit. His other hand came up to squeeze your breast. 

“You make me feel so good,” you sighed, raking your nails over the ridges on his back.

“The feeling is mutual, d-arling,” his voice caught when you brought yourself down on his cock. “And I’m the only one who can make you feel this good,” he grazed his fangs across your collarbone. 

“I don’t know,” you said, your body shuddering with euphoria, “Halsin seems like he could give you a run for your money.”

Astarion raised a disbelieving eyebrow at you.

“Teasing, my love,” you kissed him softly before letting out a loud “Ah!” when he started raising his hips to meet yours.

“Oh really?” he asked, his voice coming out like a growl. “You think Halsin could fuck you as well as I can?”

“Hah,” you half laughed, half moaned. “I think technically, in this position, I’m fucking you?” A lopsided grin graced your lips. “But I don’t know, I’m new to all this.”

“Funny,” Astarion remarked sarcastically and pulled his hand away from your clit, making you whimper in protest. 

“Hey!”

“Take it back.”

“Take what back? I already said I was teasing!”

“Say I’m the only one who can fuck you like this.”

You smiled, panting and still riding him beneath the surface of the water. “Are you jealous or something?”

“Hardly,” he rolled his eyes. “But you’re mine and it wouldn’t kill you to remind yourself of that.”

“Sounds an awful lot like jealousy to me.”

Astarion groaned in what sounded like frustration and pleasure. “Do you want to cum or not?” 

You leaned forward and kissed him deeply, moving your mouth slowly in time with the rhythm of your hips. When you pulled away, a string of saliva connected you to his lower lip. 

“Astarion,” you said softly, “I don’t ever want anyone else to fuck me. Only you. For as long as you’ll have me.”

The smirk on Astarion’s face was smug. “Because?”

You rolled your eyes. “Because I’m yours, you stupid bat.” You kissed him, then whispered conspiratorially, “And I like you the most out of everyone at camp.”

“You flatter me,” Astarion said, immediately returning to his ministrations on your clit. You gasped at the contact, which quickly morphed into a moan of delight as you rested your forehead on his shoulder again. His hips rose to meet yours once more and the moan he let out as a result sounded as if he’d been holding it in for a while. Perhaps it was to sound eloquent during your back and forth, but the noise was music to your ears.

“Am I making you feel good?” you asked a little shyly.

Astarion opened one of his eyes to look at you. “My sweet, you’ve only ever made me feel good.”

“I know that’s not true.”

“It’s not, but it is true about the sex.”

“Thank the gods,” you laughed, though you shut your eyes tightly when Astarion hit a particularly pleasant spot inside you with a roll of his hips. “Whatever you just hit felt heavenly,” you relayed to him.

“Good to know,” he said mischievously, and repositioned you on his lap so he could rise to meet that spot every time you sank down on him. 

“Oh, Astarion,” you sighed, a grin overtaking your features.

“You like that, love?” he nipped at your shoulder. 

“Yes,” you sighed again.

Your bounces on his cock were starting to become sloppy as the knot of your climax began to build low in your stomach. You moved your hand to his and reversed the direction he was currently circling your clit.

“I’m close,” you confessed.

“Thank the gods, so am I,” Astarion’s voice was strained.

You opened your eyes to watch him as he approached his own peak and exhaled dreamily at the sight of him, bathed in the orange glow of the sun which was now halfway risen. 

“You’re so beautiful,” you whispered, “and I like you so much.”

“Don’t make me throw up when I’m trying to cum,” he opened up an eye and smirked at you. “You’re not half bad yourself, gorgeous thing.” He groaned when you sat back down on him forcefully. “Now, would you cum for me already? I’m dying here.”

“Almost there,” you laughed. “And you’re dead already.”

“You’re making this very difficult, darling.”

“Let me help you then,” you said, reaching a hand forward and lightly caressing his balls.

Astarion’s mouth hung open in silent pleasure, his fangs glistening in the emerging sunshine. He watched you wordlessly as you leaned forward.

“You’re so powerful,” you purred next to his ear. “You make me feel so good, and you’re the only one who can fuck me this well. The others will never know how good I feel because I’m yours and I’ll only ever be yours. You’re the only one who will ever be inside of me.”

“That’s right,” he groaned. “Your cunt is mine and I love the way it feels around me. The way it grips me so tight. You filthy thing, letting a vampire take your innocence. I could have killed you and instead I brought you the most pleasure you’ve ever felt. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes,” you moaned. “Astarion, please. Need to feel your cum in me.”

“You want this cock forever, darling? Prove it. Prove you want it by cumming for me and screaming my name.”

His command brought you to your peak and you wailed out in pure ecstasy. His name fell from your lips like a prayer, over and over, and your cunt gripped him like a vice, as if claiming it for itself. In return, Astarion groaned loudly and spilled inside of you, moaning your name repeatedly and throwing his head back in rapture and delight.

As you came down from your high, you leaned forward to place sloppy kisses on his exposed throat. He brought both his arms around you and pulled you closer as he returned from his climax. 

“You are-” he didn’t finish his sentence before crushing his lips into yours, moaning pathetically and you giggled in response. He bit your bottom lip with his blunt front teeth before releasing it and peppering kisses along your cheeks and jaw. 

“Go on,” you teased, encouraging him to finish his thought.

He looked as if he wanted to argue, but instead gave in and said, “You’re wonderful.”

The words caught you off guard and you bent forward to kiss him in a way that you hoped conveyed your gratitude. 

“I think you’re wonderful, too.”

“Obviously,” Astarion smirked.

You pushed him backwards, causing him to slip and submerge his head fully underwater briefly.

“My hair was just starting to dry, you wretched beast!” he sputtered, looking appalled. 

“Aw, but you’re so pretty like this!” You brushed some wet hair out of his eyes.

“Um, hello? I’m always pretty, darling.”

“Ah, you’re right, how could I forget.” You gingerly lifted yourself off of Astarion and floated yourself to sit beside him, facing the sunrise. 

“Perhaps you’ve had the lovely head of yours hit in battle one too many times.”

“That must be it,” you agreed jokingly, resting your head on his shoulder. 

He leaned his head on top of yours in return. You sighed happily, enjoying the vibrant hues of the sky above, still filled with the euphoria of your high and the presence of the man beside you.

“I really do like you, so much,” you said softly, accompanied by the quiet lapping of the waves on the shore nearby.

“Ugh,” Astarion groaned. “Let’s not get sentimental, darling. After we just had such an excellent time together.”

You laughed. “Pardon me for wanting to express my feelings.”

“You are pardoned.” He gave you a sideways smile. 

“Thank you, Mr. Magistrate.”

“Of course, beloved citizen.”

You both laughed quietly and returned to a pleasant silence. The sun rose steadily up into the sky and you knew you’d have to head back to camp soon to help pack up, but for now, you were content to sit and watch the horizon with your favorite traveling companion. 

“How are you doing that?” Astarion asked, breaking the silence.

“Doing what?”

“Tickling my thighs. Did you cast mage hand or something of the sort?”

You sat up a bit more to look and snorted. 

“Astarion, my love, I think it’s a fish that’s tickling you.”

“Ah,” he said calmly. Then he shot up, flinging you backwards and underwater. When you came up for air, he was rushing towards the shore, barreling through the water.

“At least it had the decency to wait until we were finished!” you called after him.

Astarion ignored you. “Slimy, disgusting, vile creatures!” He shook out his entire body as if he couldn’t rid himself of the sensation.

You watched him with adoration as he muttered to himself about how irredeemable that particular fish was as he pulled on his pants. It was then that you felt your heart swell with something big and alarming.

Oh no.

You were in love with him. 

Fuck!

[stars-and-inkpots]

Can I request kissing their face headcanons for Halsin, Rolan, and Zevlor with gn s/o?

Thank you for this request! I might actually turn the Rolan one into a longer fic because I love him a lot and I got a little carried away in the first draft of this,, hope you enjoy!!

Kissing their Face | Headcanons for Halsin, Zevlor, and Rolan

word count: 638

Halsin:

Oh this man loves it when you shower him in affection like this. 

Loves holding you up in his arms (it doesn’t matter if you’re shorter than him or not) while you kiss him. 

He’s smiling so big the whole time, and then he starts laughing, a lovely and infectious laugh. Then you’re smiling more and more with each kiss across his face. 

Will absolutely try and return these affections, doing his best to convey how much he loves you in each kiss. 

His favourite times you do this is at the end of a long day. 

The camp is quiet, everyone has turned in for the night, except for you and Halsin. You still sit by the fire, the comforting warmth against your back, when he pulls you into his lap. Just to hold you, to know that you are still safe; it’s become a common occurrence these past few nights. You press soft kisses to his face, along his cheeks and across his jaw, over the scars above his eye. When you finally kiss his lips, you’re both smiling into the kiss. He rests his forehead against yours, his arms tightening around you slightly. “Thank you, my heart,” he whispers. 

Zevlor:

This man turns into a blushing mess. Gets really flustered and quiet.

Isn’t used to affection like this, but he quickly decides that he very much enjoys it. 

He doesn’t think he exactly deserves it, but the longer you kiss him, along his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, he might just have to believe you. 

It’s a good way to distract him from his own mind which can get the better of him some nights. 

You know the look on Zevlor's face well, his brows furrowed while his mouth settles into a frown. He’s thinking of how things could have gone differently, of how he could have been better, about things from the past that he couldn’t change. You walk over to where he sits at the table and take his face between your palms. He smiles when he looks at you, but you see the way it doesn’t reach his eyes. You kiss his forehead, then move to his cheeks, then across his nose and his jaw, then back to his cheeks. “It’s in the past,” you whisper to him. He puts his hands over yours and holds them there. “I know,” he answers, before kissing you. 

Rolan:

Anyone would think Rolan doesn’t like it because of how much and how loudly he complains about it, but his hands will always immediately find their place on your hips. 

Not to mention the way his tail is practically wagging behind him (something you adore and he hasn’t noticed he does yet, and you are absolutely not going to tell him)

Tries to act like it doesn’t bother him at all, but you can both see and feel the way his face flushes.

It’s the easiest way to get his attention when he’s too busy with something to realise how much time has passed. 

You find Rolan on the balcony, reading through yet another book with a cup of wine still untouched on the table beside him. The sun set hours ago. When he doesn’t hear you call for him from the door, you make your way over to him and settle into his lap, carefully taking the book from his hands and setting it beside the wine after slipping a bookmark between the pages. He complains immediately, but every word and protest dies quickly on his tongue when you begin to kiss every inch of his face. His tail curls loosely around you when you finally kiss his lips. There is no evidence of his earlier annoyance when you lean back and brush a strand of hair behind his ear. “It’s late. Come to bed?”

[werecreature-addicted]

I honestly thinks werebears deserve more love, cuddly and big killing machine with a soft spot for their so? Yeah sounds nice.

I've been playing a ton of Baldur's Gate 3 lately so I'm 100% thinking about Halsin when writing this.

He calls you his "Polyohonte" after the greek myth where a woman is cursed to fall in love with a bear.

He's huge, a mountain of a man even when he's not shifted into a bear. He has a tendency to come off as intimidating even when he isn't trying he's just so big.

He hibernates during the winter. He's too sleepy to get anything done, but the basic necessities to stay alive, and you best believe he'll do his best to keep you in bed with him. What do you mean you need to get up and do stuff? It's literally December- stay in and cuddle with him.

He likes using you as a pillow. He's too big to lay on you, but he likes putting his head on your chest or stomach while he sleeps. Loves it when you lay on him too. It's just nice having you close, especially when he's sleeping.

He knows a lot of random herbal remedies for things like headaches or stomach pain. He's also a great cook, although he has no gauge for how much food a normal human eats so he always ends up making too much.

You know about the honey game? You blindfold a partner and then place a drop of honey somewhere on your body and they have to find it and lick it off. Yeah, he's a big fan of that game. Although- his sense of smell is good enough he can basically tell exactly where the honey is even blindfolded, but that's his little secret.

[gaysindistress]

Can I request headcanons for Gale, Wyll, Astarion, Halsin, Dammon, Rolan, and Zevlor with shy gn s/o who would go out of their way to help others whenever they can please?

This request is so cute and sweet 🥹 I hope you enjoy it my love💓

Bg3 masterlist

Gale

I think he would be the least surprised that you’re the one who always helps others. After all you did pull this mans from an unstable magic black hole without a second thought. He’d also probably get the most excited because he gets to spend time with you and watch you in your element!

He’d tease you about being shy but in a very gentle way with the most loving shy. Please don’t imagine him smiling down at you whilst brushing back a strand of hair and gazing into your eyes as he tells you how kind hearted you are.

On the flip side he’s going to be stern with you if you take on more than you can handle. He will be canceling all plans and making you stay in bed all day if you wake up worse for wear after neglecting yourself in favor of helping others.

Wyll

Wyll would be the most charmed by your selfishness. He prides himself on being the Blade of the Frontiers, the man who signed a pact to protect his city. It would only be natural for him to be someone who matches his level of generosity.

As for your shyness, he would find it enduring that you’re able to sacrifice everything you have for others but you can’t bring yourself to say hello first. Wyll isn’t shy himself but he’s more on the reserved side especially when he’s not ‘working’.

Say that you helped some kid find their parents again and the kid is excitedly telling them how a hero helped them. The kid is gesturing to you who’s standing back and almost shrinking back into the shadows but Wyll won’t let you. I can see him subtly drawing closer to you and whispering into your ear words of encouragement, telling you that you should accept their praise. He knows how much you hate being the center of attention but he also thinks that your actions deserve to be acknowledged.

Astarion

I’m going back and forth between him being drawn to you for this or being lowkey annoyed about it. A part of me thinks your selfishness would be an attracting factor because you have done so much for him. On the other hand though, astarion has a lot of trauma and might see as a threat to your relationship.

At first he would be very upset if you helped others because he doesn’t understand how you can care for him and others at the same time. He’s so used to kindness being a double edged sword that he can’t see how you’re not that way.

After some time (and therapy) he’d be able to understand that this is just how you are and it doesn’t mean you love him any less. Obviously there are days where this is a struggle for him but overall he’s less threatened by it the longer you’re together.

You bet your ass that this rouge shit head will tease you endlessly about being shy especially if you make him help Dribbles the Clown. He’s out here convincing people that you have the cure to smelly armpits because he thinks it so funny to see your reaction when they ask you about it.

Halsin

you can’t tell me that this Druid doesn’t find your selflessness the most attractive part about you. Not only did you save the grove but you also helped him lift the shadow curse. He refused to put himself above the shadow curse until it was lifted but that entire time he’s P I N I N G over you. When he is able to confess his feelings to you, he’s down bad for you and the shy little smile you have whenever someone thanks you.

Since the request didn’t ask for suggestive hcs, I won’t go into full detail about this one but you’ll get the point. Anytime Halsin sees you doing something kind for a stranger, he’s whispering into your ear that you need to return to camp with a strained voice.

Your shyness isn’t something he even thinks about most of the time. He’s reserved much like Wyll but he’s also an observer. He’d rather be in nature or simply away from people so he’d be the type to ask you if a day at home would be okay rather than going into the city.

Dammon

Dammon radiates blue collar golden retriever energy to me and maybe that’s because he’s a blacksmith or maybe it’s because he’d be making you anything you asked for. You need some iron rods to reengineer your neighbors’ chicken coop so predators quit getting in? He’s on and it’ll be ready by noon. Your dagger is dull because you’ve been too busy helping the older lady across the street to even think about? He’ll wait until you’ve fallen asleep to sharpen it and you’ll find it all shiny in your sheath the next morning.

Out of everyone hes the most concerned about your safety. We know that he’s not the strongest or even a fighter so he’d be worried about you helping people without much hesitation.

Your shyness may also make it harder for you to deny people if they ask for help which only adds to his concern. There may or may not have been a few times where you’ve agreed to lend a hand when you really should be staying home and relaxing.

Rolan

anytime you tried to do something for him prior to your relationship, he took personal offense to it. I honestly don’t think he would be react well to someone like this. I think he would get upset if he noticed you going out of your way to help someone but would also get upset with himself for feeling this way. He wants people to mind their own business however it’s very kind of you to do so selfish even at your own expense.

He might see your shyness as a weakness and think that that is the reason why you’re out ‘doing other people’s dirty work’ as he puts it. At first he might be a little too harsh about it and would unintentionally hurt your feelings but over time he’s come to understand that this is simply who you are.

Secretly he thinks you’re brave for being this way but he’ll probably never tell you outright. He’ll be subtle and try to drop hints by complimenting you or telling others about your good deeds.

Zevlor

*dreamy sighing* the paladin is constantly in awe of your quiet and calming presence. He admires how your shyness doesn’t stop you from being a good person and helping others. Often times he’s congratulating you after all is said and done with a proud smile and kiss to your forehead.

This is also how you met so I think these attributes of yours are among his favorite. Without your willingness to stick your neck out like that, you would’ve never met and he doesn’t want to even think about that.

again since the request didn’t ask for suggestive hcs, I won’t go into full detail. Zevlor is good with words, he was a commander after all but they do fail him from time to time. So when this happens, you will be spending the foreseeable future in your bed being worshipped by this paladin.

[moonselune]

Hii, do you have any headcanons for the companions at the beach? (Let's pretend it's during the story and the companions decide to take a (deserved) break for a day so Astarion can actually stay in the sun lol)

omg omg omg omg yes I'm going to write this as more of a headcanony rambling list because the THOUGHTS I HAVE

Astarion

he is sunbathing and don't you dare stand over him he will gut you

he is not putting on sun cream because 'the burn is worth it'

irl he just wants to feel the consequence of the sun on his skin, to feel it one more time

but he will just tell everyone that he is too gorgeous to burn

he is bright red at the end of the day but its worth it - though not so much when Shadowheart says his sunburn isn't worth one of her healing spells.

Karlach:

YOU WANNA PLAY MERMAIDS!!?!?!?!?!?

She would 1000% dive for cool rocks and shells and bring them back to companions, the less receptive they are, the more she brings them as if to prove something

que Minthara, Astarion and Lae'zel having piles of shells and rocks near them

starts a volleyball match, the volleyball becomes a flaming meteor by the end of it because of how competitive she gets

plays chicken in the water with Shadowheart on her shoulders vs Lae'zel with Minthara on her shoulders - Min'zel lose because they are too strategic.

pouts when told it is time for them to go home and runs back in the sea, telling them '5 more minutes!"

Gale:

Smothered in sun cream

shades and floppy hat does not give a single fuck

Gale is having a day off, mage hand fanning him with a ridiculously large fan.

says he isn't going to of the bbq because he always cooks yet gets involved some how

definitely a backseat cook

"I mean I haven't seen anyone in Waterdeep do it that way, but you are the blade of frontiers after all"

Minthara:

She has found everyone the best beach spot - she doesn't care that it is an extra ten miles from camp the companions will appreciate it

Finds it hard to relax but eventually does after a bottle of wine or two - thanks to shadowheart

She even gets roped into beach games, which she tries to dominate but eventually loses - though she always blames her teammate for it.

Despises the sun so whenever she is resting she is in permanent shade,

She also had the big shades and big hat, the fact she is matching with Gale is just an unfortunate coincidence (Gale's fault of course)

Builds a sand fortress with Lae'zel.

Lae'zel:

Much like Minthara, is very practical about it all

Does some laps in the sea

Surprise tackles her companions into the sea, to see how they would react.

This does not go down well with Shadowheart who has just gained her confidence in swimming again

Lae'zel makes it up to her by making a sand fortress

It's a prototype for her own Gith fortress one day but she guesses shadowheart can lay claim to it for today if it means she'll stop complaining about her hair getting wet

Chows down at the bbq and joins Karlach in the sea when its time to go - she enjoyed the beach more than she thought she would.

Wyll:

This is his time to shine

This is his BBQ

He burns everything

Yes its not how they do it in waterdeep but what does Gale know ( a lot apparently)

Plays it off as a foreign sword coast culture

nobody believes him but nobody says anything

plays mermaids with Karlach

is also very competitive when it comes to volleyball

falls asleep in the sun afterwards and Shadowheart puts sun cream patters on him

isn't mad about it

Shadowheart:

Tells everyone that she is not getting in the water

After 5 minutes of being there she is in the water

Halsin does turn into a porpoise to help her swim (no secret meaning behind it because it turns out Shadowheart is in fact a terrible open water swimmer)

She's the one with the cold flask of cocktails and wine topping everyone up

She won't admit it but perhaps she gave Wyll one too many 'juice drinks' and that's why the food burned

Joins the shade with Minthara, draws a sun cream penis on Wyll but then feels bad

When Lae'zel shows her her apologetic sand fortress she is actually touched and puts a shell on it

Scratch runs through it 0.5 seconds later

Halsin:

Man just fucks off in porpoise form after helping shadowheart learn how to swim

They accidentally leave without him

[randoimago]

Headcanons of Gale, Wyll, Halsin, and Astarion with touch starved s/o?

With Touch Starved S/O

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3

Character(s): Gale, Wyll, Halsin, and Astarion

Type of Request: Headcanons

Warning(s): Some angst on Astarion's part

Note(s): You got it!!

Astarion

Here's the dilemma with Astarion. Any touching he has done in his past has been without his consent. So, he's become a bit touch repulsed, but he's very good at faking it. And with how starved you are, he'll do his best to fake it.

Obviously, you're his S/O, so he genuinely wants to make you happy. And while he does like seeing how you react to him giving you light touches, he has to push aside his own trauma and the memories of being forced to touch others like this.

Eventually, you two end up just having to sit down and talk. You're his S/O so you know his past, but he probably has still kept exactly how traumatic it was to himself. But you both end up having a long talk and come up with a compromise. Because he does want to be able to touch you and give you the love that you deserve, but he also needs to be reminded that he's allowed to step back if it's too much.

Gale

He'll do things at your pace. You're touch starved so he wants to know what you need. He'll touch you if you'd like but he also doesn't want to overwhelm you.

Would make a joke about having a magic touch and his hands are ready to be held. Well maybe only one hand since he still needs the other to do fancy magic if need be.

But still, he's happy doing what you're comfortable with. If you want lots of love then he'll be happy to give it. He's also happy to talk too if you'd prefer to hold hands while he rambles.

Halsin

Touch starved? With Halsin around? Yeah that's about to change. Of course, with your consent anyway.

He'll gladly give you bear hugs (heh) and lots of kisses and touches. He's a big man, he'll absolutely cover every inch of your skin with touches if you let him.

That said, if you need a break or if it becomes overwhelming then he'll let you rest too. He doesn't want to be too eager and end up hurting you because it's too much at once. So just let him know when you're ready for more loving and he'll happily provide.

Wyll

Even before learning that you're touch starved, Wyll was placing kisses to the back of your hand or hooking your pinkies together. Just small, but intimate touches like that. And when he learns that you're touch starved, well he's happy to provide more.

Might want to just pull you close to cuddle in his tent one day, if you allow him. Nothing is expected and nothing is forced, just simple cuddling with his arms wrapped around you and your head laying on his chest.

Is very much happy to give your face little kisses too. Forehead, cheeks, nose, lips, every inch of your face will get a sweet kiss from Wyll.

Taglist:

@reo-the-leo @unhelpfulnpc

[amysgiantbees]

I just find it strange that the developers chose to rewrite Wyll. I love new Wyll I think he's fantastic and I don't necessarily want the previous version. But I find it bizarre that there was somehow so much negative feedback about old Wyll that they risked completely rewriting him.

Now I love all the companions. This is not Dragon Age Orgins where I debate recruiting Ogrun every time. But I just find it strange that the reason given was Wyll's negative feedback when most of the other characters have been unpopular too. Like Lae'zel is infamously unlikable to a great many people.

People love to bully Gale and there's even lines in game that call him pathetic. The DEV's in the IGN interview even agreed that Gale killing himself can be a good ending, " I really liked Gale setting off the bomb with the brain, and actually that felt like the right ending to me.

AS: In many ways it is, yeah." Which feels problematic to say the least, like I get supporting player choices but suicide is never the "right" way to do things.

Or even I'm pretty sure I remember Neil Newbon talking about how he was sure a lot of players had killed Astarion permanently in their playthroughs.

Then there are people being absolute freaks on the internet about Halsin all because he's polyamorous.

Like these characters are wildly popular too but they certainly have their haters. So why did they lack such confidence with Wyll? The best source I could find on early access Wyll is this article https://gamerant.com/baldurs-gate-3-wyll-early-access-story-change-karlach-explained/. It says that this change was made to make his story stronger, make him more unique, and give him more complicated emotional ties. Unless he was really basic before they did not accomplish this. He has less content so his story lacks the depth the other's do. It's also inconsistent, with you being able to put him off being a duke by telling him he'll be too power hungry which he has never been. His emotional ties are rushed. He never really confronts his father, having the tadpole do most of the work and never hashing out his feelings beyond that he's fine.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. According to the article he was meant to have a dark side like Shadowheart "According to the panel, depending on whether players allow him to go through with killing Karlach, he will become a radically different companion instead of if she is recruited." Which would have been cool but if they didn't have enough time to do that maybe they should have tweaked what they had.

Plus, according to the article in early access he was "a straightforward hero who develops a violent side regarding his patron or goblins." This article too show's that his early approval matches current Wyll pretty well except for dealing with Aunty Ethel and more goblin hate https://fextralife.com/baldurs-gate-3-early-access-companions-guide-wyll/.

I just don't know I just find it so frustrating that it was the black main character they chose to tweak and ran out of time to complete his story and still haven't fixed it with a patch. And in the IGN interview the devs kind of sounded like there wouldn't be anymore patches and it's just frustrating. Wyll deserves just as much content as any one else.

[autistichalsin]

Halsin's autism coding really jumps out in his camp confession scene

Both the romantic and platonic one. Starting with the romantic one:

He thinks asking about his past lovers is a sign of interest (I notice a lot of autistic folks like us tend to never get it "right"- when we guess that someone might be interested because of cues we were told were romantic, we get it wrong, whereas when someone is showing certain cues, we think it's just friendly!)

The way he feels the need to explain why he thinks you're interested in him before you accept or reject. This one isn't explicitly explained, of course, but it is very easy to read it as an autistic person afraid of being harshly rejected/told they're insane to think there was a connection, so he puts out an explanation first in the hopes of softening the blow if he turned out to be wrong.

Halsin completely, and adorably, misinterprets the player if they tell him "maybe your heart stirs easier than you think"; he doesn't understand that the player is partially slut-shaming him (which is rude af on the player's end, but he misses this because he's honestly un-slutshamable, so he would never be offended here) and partially asking for clarification- how can you have had many lovers yet your heart doesn't stir easily? Not understanding this, Halsin goes on to tell stories of his past exploits, which are hot and very welcome, but also very much not what the player as getting at.

If the player is an absolute asshole and mocks him by comparing him to a deep rothe, he is crushed, but stays calm, simply telling them that they could have just said no- he doesn't call the player a jerk like they deserved. Just feels very true to the 'tism experience.

This line alone could stand as proof, I think: "Nature gifted us our desires, and the means to act on them. But we muddied its beautiful simplicity with rules, social strictures... clothes." He hates social structures for their complexity, and prefers something simpler. The dislike of social structures, of their nebulous nature, is a core autistic experience.

If the player says they only helped because he's a useful ally, he once again misreads; he misses that the statement was a rejection, and responds earnestly that he sees them as much more than an ally.

For the new platonic path:

If the player tells him they just want him to carry heavy things for them, he responds differently based on his approval levels to them (I.E. based on how close they are and how kind he feels the player is); at low approval, he is deeply hurt by this, and sadly muses that "perhaps not all friendships are destined to be balanced and reciprocal." Yet... he still considers it a friendship, even though that is in practice no friendship at all. A lot of autistic folks have this experience of being friends with people who don't share the same level of affection, or even outright mistreat, us.

In fact, the same thing happens in another variation: if the player snarks about Halsin inviting himself along (a way of saying "get lost"), he laughs and warmly says that he guesses he did invite himself along, and that he will be "more tactful when trying to make friends in future." Declaring oneself friends with others is such a classic autistic experience, but even MORE so is declaring yourself friends with someone who only tolerates, or even actively dislikes, you. It's quite sad- but also very endearing, because I feel so SEEN in that moment.

[oops-all-concrete]

Hello lovelies! I have written more fluffy headcanons for you, this time in the form of;

Romanced Companions comfort Tav, who's in shocked after having to be revivified.

Essentially they're kinda shook/out of it, like, the other companions come back and tell the romanced companions "Yeah, they have been out of it since they got up. Idk what to tell you" (If it makes anymore sense, it could even be Tavs first reviving)

Prepare for fluff, hurt/comfort, lots of hugs, lots of sweetness. Essentially, all your Tavs are getting the princess treatment they deserve!

(ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE ON MY LAST HEADCANONS POST OH MY GOD?? 400+ NOTES IS INSANE)

Lae'zel -

Once informed Lae'zel becomes weary. Something must be wrong, Tav is never so- elsewhere. She goes out of her way go ask Halsin for antidotes, ask Shadowheart to remove curse, but upon going to ask Astarion if he can smell blight in their blood, he suggests dying and being brought back in any way can be challenging. "We're not made to come back." Now, comfort isn't her strong suit- but Gods she was desperate to aid them.  She brings carefully decorated food (like a fun charcuterie board Gale helped with) over and helps them out of armour, massaging their tired muscles and feeding them by hand. She doesn't cuddle, but she stays all night, pressed as close as possible. For protection, of course. (The rest of the companions get a private earful about keeping them safe. She knows they're scared of her and will exploit it)

Shadowheart -

She gets a strange feeling before the group even returns- something in her feels off. So when she sees everyone back in one piece, she's relieved- until she isn't. Karlach tells her immediately, seeing her worry. "Only been revived in the last hour. Been real quiet too" Shadowheart can't stand her lover being so lost in their own eyes. Shadowheart gets an idea- and invited Tav to help her cook for the camp, but sulks at their mindless nod. She's not deterred- she holds up every ingredient to Tavs nose, gets them involved with simple tasks and gets them to taste test. Everything to get their senses wired until they come back to her. The minute she sees a smile on their lips again, she's kissing them too. "Thanks for coming back...would have been boring without you" She smiles into every kiss. (The food might be burning, but who cares?)

Wyll -

Wyll always greets Tav when they come back, happy to see them alive, but he can tell something is wrong immediately. "Tav is still adjusting to being alive again, I think. I don't know if they can talk right now" Shadowheart says. Wyll approaches Tav slowly, taking their face in his hands and gently kissing their forehead. "Hi love." He smiles. "Can I take you back to my tent? I'd love to get you into a bath, if that's okay?" He asks, trying not sound certain. Tav gets a small nod out, but Wyll asks again several times until Tav is in the bath, Wylls hands on their scalp, gently washing their hair and body of blood. He tells them about his day, a story he was telling Karlach- how glad he is to see them alive. Because they are alive. And Tav clearly needed to hear it. The reminder makes them human once again, settling into the warm water. He wordlessly, but diligently cleans them, head to toe, the odd kiss to their brow here and there.

Karlach -

When Karlach peers out of her tent and sees Lae'zel, Astarion and Wyll back, she frowns, not seeing Tav right away. She finds Tav with Gale, unsure what to do with them, and explains what Lae'zel told him. "Awful knock to the head. Went straight down, not even a yell" He frowns. Karlach wants nothing more than to throw her arms around them, but she gets a better idea, taking Tav to the lakeside and brings them for a swim. Wyll and Shadowheart advise against it, but Karlach persists. She strips them both and gently pulls Tav over herself to drift. They react immediately to the water but still and calm, clinging to her as they float. "It's alright soldier, you're off duty now. I've got you" She says, thumbing some of the dried mud off their face with a patient smile.

Gale -

Gale's a mess. I mean, specifically now. Tav looks like they're seeing the sun for the first time, and needs to be told not to stare. He gets them sat down and tries to comfort with words, but it all comes out as "Ah, needn't worry, you've got one of Waterdeeps finest, and I didn't fall asleep during all my herbalism and medical weave classes. I'm sure I have something- I know I have something-" And he sits beside you and reads in his tent, leaning Tav against his shoulder to keep them awake. He ruins his hair keeping it out of his eyes, throws off his bracers to avoid catching pages- and it takes him a moment to realise- Tav is asleep on him. He has bored them to sleep. Tav is drooling. And Gale is relieved. They look like themself again, pressing their face into his arm. The breakfast they're greeted with is almost worth dying, trust me.

Astarion -

Aatarion knows immediately, he doesn't have to be told. He knows that look and all the horrors behind it, not letting anybody get in his way as he got to Tav. But- well he doesn't know what to do, really, nobody did the right thing when Astarion had been "revived" so he didn't know what it looked like. But he had an idea. He slowly walks them to sit in his tent, strips their armour and asks them to wait. He's back 2 minutes later with a washcloth and water bowl in hand, and mid-way through washing Tavs face, Wyll brings some bread, fruit and orange juice. Astarion smiles and makes the odd "You must be famished" between pressing grapes to their lips. "I can see you've been doing your bloody best, as usual" he complements dabbing their cheeks. "You did wonderful today, darling" he praises. "...There's my Tav" He smiles like he's come home, looking at their now clean face.

Hope you all enjoyed, if you have any prompts/requests, let me know in the notes/in my asks! ♡

[coreene]

Companions and Astarion on the 7k spawn

Since I am getting close to making this choice in my longfic I decided to compile what Astarion and companions say to the three choices we get on what to do with the 7k spawn once Astarion refuses the ritual and kills Cazador.

They're too dangerous - they need to die.

If I understand the flags correctly, this option also breaks the Paladin of Devotion's oath, it seems.

 Pale Petras: And when they're dead? Will you kill us too? Astarion: We're not like those wretches, brother. We've spent lifetimes controlling our hunger - they're all but feral. I don't relish it any more than you do, but putting them to rest may be the kindest thing we can do.

👆 This is Astarion's reaction if Petras is alive. 👇 This is when he is not.

Astarion: I don't like it, but you're right. Putting them to rest may be the kindest thing we can do.

What I find interesting here is how he flat out says "I don't like it." I didn't get that in game, got the first one but, seeing this gave me a pause.

Now to companion reactions to this choice:

Lae'zel: Snuffed out in an instant, but to whose satisfaction? They will never feed and never be hunted. And never have a chance to hew their own paths. Shadowheart (Shar path) : Wise choice. Now the streets will be safer and you'll be stronger. Shadowheart: All those lives, just snuffed out... I hope it was worth it. Wyll: Hells. They deserved better. They deserved a chance. Gale: All gone, just like that... I hope it was worth it. Karlach: It's done. Just like that. Gods, help us. Halsin: All those lives snuffed out, just to grasp some power. That was craven - unnatural Jaheira: A cold kind of mercy. But mercy still, I think, Astarion. Minsc: To end so many with only rhyming and words... the sword would have been messy, yes. But cleaner too, thinks Boo. Nightwarden Minthara: No different than burning out an infestation of vermin. It was well done.

Here, Halsin's is clearly an oversight because Astarion didn't just killed them to grasp more power.

Wyll's also feels out of place. He's a monster hunter - why is he mad that seven thousand spawn is not released to the Sword Coast?

Minthara has a unique point of view on the subject as well as Shar path Shadowheart - would killing the 7k spawn really make Astarion stronger?

Out of all the companions Jaheira is the only person who offers comfort in her words.

Let's release them. They deserve the same chance you got.

This choice breaks the oath of Paladin of Ancients.

Astarion: You're right. The poor wretches in the cells are innocent. They shouldn't have to suffer just because I lured them here.

And now to the companion reactions:

Lae'zel: A herd of vampire spawn, unleashed on the Sword Coast. What could go wrong? Shadowheart (Shar path): I can't say I'd have done the same, but your choice in the end. Shadowheart: You did the right thing. Some sacrifices just aren't worth it. Wyll: They're victims, Astarion - just like you. They deserve freedom, too. Gale: You chose well. They may not be the safest types to unleash, but their deaths would have weighed heavy on you. Karlach: Seven thousand Astarions, unleashed on the Sword Coast. It'll be a well-dressed flood of mayhem, at least. Halsin: Good - they deserve a chance at life. Nature will handle their fates from here. Jaheira: And what of the living they'll feast on, should they not prove as admirable as Astarion? They deserve a chance, too. Minsc: Boo thinks you are being hasty, friend. He enjoys the hunt as much as any hamster, but... that is a lot of Astarions. Nightwarden Minthara: If you release those ravenous starvelings, the city's poorer quarters will be their feasthall.

I really like a few of the reactions here. Gale makes such a good point. Their deaths would weigh heavily on Astarion but he forgets - what about the people these spawn will kill?

In both reactions, I feel like writers have completely forgotten Wyll was a monster hunter. It's really disappointing and lacks nuance.

Jaheira being, once again, the only person who mentions the consequences of this and Minthara makes a very good point. That is exactly what the spawn will do.

However, I do like Halsin's point in balance as well. Make no mistake, they will wreak havoc the first few weeks that they are released but I think about a 1/3 of the spawn is not gonna make it a month after being released and slowly their numbers will get balanced out.

Why not just leave them? They're not our responsibility.

And leaving them be breaks the oath of Paladin of Vengeance. I really like how one of these always break one of the oaths for paladins. It is interesting that leaving them be breaks the vengeance oath, which I interpret as Astarion leaving taking his revenge unfinished.

Dalyra is upset about this choice the most. And Astarion responds to her.

Astarion: I am done picking up after Cazador. I wash my hands of all of this. This place, this ritual, these people. You can stay if you want, but I have a life and I intend to live it. Come on. Let's go.

This does read as a selfish response to me but I also think, Astarion has a right to say "I'm done." He feels guilty about bringing the people to Cazador but what choice did he have? Can we really blame him for this? His siblings try to fight against Cazador and not bring Astarion back but they cannot, they have to fight. They have no control over their choices, their bodies. It is Cazador's mess and not Astarion's responsibility.

Companions do not react to this choice.

There are no good choices here, honestly. Astarion being have to be the one to clean up Cazador's mess is a cruel irony.

However, and I know all the companions and writers clearly held some kind of romantic view about letting the spawn go but this is seven thousand uncontrolled vampire that will get released into the world, all at once. They will die, of course but before then, they will kill people who had nothing to do with any of this.

Companions are very worried about killing these spawn but none of them, other than Jaheira, thinks about the people they will kill. Like she says, the people the spawn are going to kill deserve a chance to live as well.

It is also not just people they will kill, they will kill animals and disturb ecosystems everywhere they go and strip them barren like a swarm of locusts. Long term consequences of letting the spawn go is grim, even though it looks like a good choice at first glance but it is not.

Killing them all would also weigh heavy on both Astarion and Tav's conscience. It is not something you do and then walk away then never think about it again.

All in all, leaving them in the cells for the Gur to take care of or releasing them in waves seems like the better choices and a good compromise but constraints of the narrative doesn't give us this choice - it is undeniably more satisfying to see everything find a conclusion in that moment.

Tl:dr - There is no good or morally correct choice here. There is only a choice and its consequences.

[halsinsnaturepocket]

I just think Karlach deserves to be worshipped and ruthlessly fucked by Halsin.

If anyone can take his cock like a champ it's her. He wouldn't have to worry too much about being gentle because Karlach is much less likely to snap like a twig if he gets too rough (and she would probably love it)

Halsin would end up with more claw marks than she would by the end of the night.

Consider:

> karlach being told she's beautiful, halsin worshipping every ridge, mark, curve, and scar on ner body. He's delighted to see her flames turn blue

>karlach running her hands all over Halsin, finally she can TOUCH someone and there is SO MUCH of him to explore

>Karlach standing against a tree, her nails scratching and clawing at its bark while Halsin eats her out

>Karlach moaning loudly, not caring who hears. She's just SO into it all and her reactions drive Halsin *wild*

>Karlach on top of halsin, riding his cock, matching his energy and force

> halsin taking her from behind, his hands grasping at the ground beneath her to gain some traction as she bucks her hips into every one of this thrusts

> lots of biting and scratching

> halsin being strong enough to effortlessly pick her up and fuck her standing up

> so. Much. Aftercare. They are disgusting, sweaty, covered in dirt and grass and leaves and sweat and various fluids when they're done. Halsin actually spent and out of breath when they're through. Both of them have come multiple times.

>A very satisfying bath in a cool stream together afterwards.

I just think Halsin would be a perfect "lover to get lost in until sunrise" for her and she deserves it.

Just pure, rough, primal sex