#hauntedurge

[spirestar]

"Karlach, dear, what—" Astarion blinks down at the paper she's handed him. Glances up at her again as if he's expecting her to magically change the image on it. "What am I meant to be looking at?"

The tiefling's sheepish grin is enough to tell him the answer even before she adds, "Sorry, mate..." Sorry, she says. Sorry! SORRY?????? He'd been joking—JOKING—about the mirror fiasco with the camp's resident inferno when the idea had even come up. Had she taken him that seriously? His red eyes lock back on the drawing in hand, the matching color of the poorly doodled ones on a strangely shaped head the only part of himself that he recognizes.

( Certainly she's been thoughtful. Karlach makes fun, but she's also considerate. Good at reading between the lines and knowing when not to cross them. And when she should. But. BUT. )

"IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE ME..?"

@hauntedurge , inspired by this post LMFAO

[herspawn]

❛ do i look like the kind of person who dies? ❜ from karlach!

[ prompt ]

" No! You don't, Karlach. You should have the chance to live hundreds of lives and live freely without care. " If only life could be that fair. They were going to fix her heart, determined to at this point. Karlach had done nothing to deserve the faith destined for her with her heart on it's last leg. She goes up to the tiefling, now not afraid of burning, and hugs her tight. " I promise you, we will get it taken care of. "

[bhaalborn]

@hauntedurge said : " 💢 from astarion! "

" you don't understand the true implication of what you're saying, do you? " ulysses' anger is a LIVING THING- quiet, a rivulet of ( too much? no, not enough. do it, do it, do it- ) water disturbing an otherwise unbroken pond. they crowd into astarion's space and emanate a physical HEAT from how loudly their rage is roaring, clenched fists resting at their sides. they reach for nothing and do not move, but the intent that is clearly reflected within their gaze is saying something else entirely.

" i spend every waking moment fighting back the parts of me that beg to maim and kill. the sleepless nights, the insatiable need, the utter DEPRAVITY that colors every thought that i have. if i threw that away and took even one innocent life- " the next breath they inhale shudders, " -i wouldn't be me anymore. i'd be someone else. something else. "

starter prompts ( angry ), STILL ACCEPTING

[fstbmp-a]

"I don't know if you should call us 'furries'. It feels a lil' insensitive when ya say it like that."

[devolusion]

#NIYA : DON'T RELAX / I'LL CUT THE SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!

an independent & low - activity multimuse roleplay blog for genshin impact canon & original characters, written by rain ( they / she / he  ).  headcanon - based, extremely canon divergent. certified hyv hater.  sideblog to @ahlite.  RULES & MUSE LIST.

#BLOGROLL : sunhalf, badnikbreaker, ahlite, devolusion, hichai, biasfactor, hauntedurge, strawnav.

[ahlite]

#LUMINE : BROTHER, YOU WERE SO RIGHT / SURE AS THE SETTING SUN, CAN’T TRUST JUST ANYONE.

an independent & low - activity roleplay blog for lumine of genshin impact, written by rain ( they / she / he  ).  headcanon - based, extremely canon - divergent.  RULES & ABOUT.

#BLOGROLL : sunhalf, badnikbreaker, ahlite, devolusion, hichai, biasfactor, hauntedurge, strawnav.

[strawnav]

#NAMI : I'LL GUIDE MY SHIP TOWARDS THE MORN / THROUGH THE RAGING WATERS.

an independent & low - activity roleplay blog for nami from one piece, written by rain (  they / she / he  ).  headcanon - based, not spoiler free.  RULES & DOSSIER.

#BLOGROLL : sunhalf, badnikbreaker, ahlite, devolusion, esperhood, ghoullest, hichai, biasfactor, hauntedurge, strawnav.

[hauntedurge]

#SHADOWHEART : IF I BEND UNDER THE WEIGHT THAT THEY GAVE ME / THEN THIS HEART WOULD BREAK & FALL.

an independent & low - activity multimuse roleplay blog for various canon & original characters from baldur's gate 3, written by rain (  they / she / he  ).  headcanon - based, not spoiler free.  RULES & MUSE LIST.

#BLOGROLL : sunhalf, badnikbreaker, ahlite, devolusion, esperhood, ghoullest, hichai, biasfactor, hauntedurge, strawnav.

[sunhalf]

#SOMA : SOMETIMES I CAN’T TELL IF MY BODY BELONGS TO ME / & I LOVE EVERYTHING.

an independent & low - activity multimuse roleplay blog for various canon & original characters, written by rain (  they / she / he  ).  headcanon - based, not spoiler free.  RULES & MUSE LIST.

#BLOGROLL : sunhalf, badnikbreaker, ahlite, devolusion, esperhood, ghoullest, hichai, biasfactor, hauntedurge, strawnav.

[badnikbreaker]

#BELLE  :  WHEN SOMEBODY LOVED ME / EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL / EVERY HOUR WE SPENT TOGETHER / LIVES WITHIN MY HEART / WHEN HE LOVED ME.

an independent & low - activity multimuse roleplay blog for various sonic the hedgehog canon & original characters, written by rain (  they / she / he  ).  headcanon - based, not spoiler free.  RULES & MUSE LIST.

#BLOGROLL : sunhalf, badnikbreaker, ahlite, devolusion, hichai, biasfactor, hauntedurge, strawnav.

[spirestar]

There are many times that Astarion thinks he may have no feelings at all. That they could all be yet another illusion of choice, his mind a malleable thing, built to be manipulated rather than be allowed to choose anything. If he were wired this way then maybe the decades upon decades of enforced obedience might not hang over him like a hangman's axe — His rage so unbridled that he must laugh to keep it at bay. Would Cazador want him to feel that way? To make being dragged home hurt more? To remind him that he's nothing more than a tool to be pointed towards its work, an object that foolishly believes it has any more purpose than what it was made for? The sun on his skin is sometimes his only lifeline in this. Cazador would never let him have it. Giving to take away is one thing, but even giving a toy a breath of freedom like this wouldn't even be something the bastard would consider. A walk out at night, maybe; One followed by weeks locked up without more than cockroaches to feed on because he dared to believe he had earned time to himself. Never the sunlight. Never clear air and people who look at him as if he might be useful for more than what he's done for as long as he can remember—

He has plenty of time to question it. After all, elves don't truly sleep and too many lifetimes of never resting at all have left him bereft of most meditation skills. Astarion listens to cicadas. He counts their many scratching notes as if their legs are tiny violins serenading him teasingly. There's always something to look at, too: Karlach's blazing heart crackling louder than the camp's dwindling fire, Wyll's tossing and turning as he slowly but surely grows accustomed to his devilish form, Lae'zel's almost-comically tense posture as if she is a stone knight cast on a coffin, sword covering the length of her body. At times he wonders, with a kind of undeniable glee, that they never wake to stare at him in horror. For a not-quite-vampire, it only gets better than that when one is allowed in a building.

Tonight is different though. Astarion is awake once again, of course, but the difference is in his companions. All are asleep, save one — the cleric he's still not quite sorry he jumped at the coast that proves herself more and more useful as the days pass by. He has to think of people that way. Else he'll stop being able to question how he feels and be forced to come to terms with it all.

She's looming. And Astarion should know, he's an expert loomer. Propping his chin up slightly on his makeshift pillow, he takes in her odd position at the center of camp. Eyes far away and face flat. Usually he'd leave things be. People are wont to do as they will whether he says anything or not. But how can he — How can he possibly do that when he can't control what she might do next? If she's only contemplating whether to wake someone up and venture out, that's one thing. Maybe she wants to go kill a few extra bandits just to feel their blood on her skin. Astarion would understand! Instinct is a funny thing. After living in a state of alert most of one's life, it refuses to quiet down for any anomaly.

"Briar," he hisses softly, shaking his head with irritation (mostly at himself, also because she's made him think too hard). "Dear, what are you doing? You're not a statue, you're a half-elf."

@hauntedurge

[herspawn]

❛ nobility is defined by what you do, not who you are. ❜ delight!

“ Nobility is a facade that some tend to hide behind. They choose to stay oblivious and not do anything. ” She knows this from watching nobility scurry around like mice in an alley way. Hiding resources from many and acting as if they were struggling themselves. “ I don't think I like people who do charity to raise in the ranks of society. ”

[ prompt / not accepting ]

[bhaalborn]

@hauntedurge commented for delight

ulysses, at face, does not realize what spurred them into action. maybe it's the jovial voices, the bustling movement, the pulse of HAPPINESS that seems to reverberate throughout their drably-built camp. and no- it's not that they want to put an end to it, either. they see the looks on everyone's faces and a part of them ACHES, terribly, deeply, truly, because they know their presence here will ruin it.

. . . it's better to get ahead.

" i hate to tear you away from the festivities, " they say towards delight, a hopeful PIQUE towards the end of their voice, " but could i steal you for a moment? there's something i need to- . . . speak to you about. "

closed starter, STILL ACCEPTING

[spirestar]

How did he get here? How did they? When did he fuck up so royally? And why isn't he asking himself that anymore as Karlach speaks?

❝ You're not alone. ❞ A bit of blazing light puffs from beneath her skin, leaves her glowing in the darkness like a beacon. ❝ You'll never be alone. Not as long as I'm here. ❞

For all the many gods he doesn't believe in, if there was a new one elected to some pantheon for their ability to ensure everyone in a camp was asleep when things like this went on, Astarion might have been influenced to consider their divinity. Because he's desperately grateful no one else can hear her / Can see the unbridled shock that overtakes his every feature. There's no twinge of a pompous smile he can manage to level her with: She means it.

Astarion wishes he could make himself very small. He often does it already with words. Obfuscating his true self beneath something larger than life comes to him naturally. As if he's a wild beast with an inviolable exoskeleton. The armor is an innate part of him. Take it or leave it—and he makes people leave it. Karlach was meant to, too. But where the others were often more focused on their own goals and issues, she too often took time. To poke at him, to realize when things have begun to wear him down, to know when he's not ready to speak and when he needs to. It's disgusting really! Awful! People are meant to be their usual selfish selves around him so he can have his way. It's all he thought he wanted in this new world of tadpole-induced freedom. A little space to exist and soak up the sun before some awful thing steals it all away from him someday.

Astarion's voice breaks like a dry twig snapping, "I—" Crimson eyes dart back to the campfire's last embers. On nights like these, everyone's better off surrounding Karlach for a fire than its sad excuse for warmth. His pale curls bounce as he shakes his head incredulously. "Stop that." He's not sure what else to say. It almost sounds like a promise. Astarion hates promises. They only exist to be broken. He has to refuse it, to push back—Clearly he should have before / Should have known he was too honest and too much like the part of him that's cocooned beneath his defenses. The one he pretends doesn't exist at all.

"No need to be so sentimental, dear!" Course correcting, Astarion waves his hand in the air to dissolve whatever intimate—not the kind he uses, but the kind of intimacy that terrifies him—tension his brief lapse might have built up. "It's not as if we're planning to split up any time soon. After all, I've never had as lovely a meat shield as you, Karlach." His usual haughty tone is hollow, though. Far away. If she presses, he'll have to let up. If he can't distract away, he'll be forced to lash out or. Be truthful. Either one would flay him open. Astarion finally tries to smile again. "Why would I ever give that up?"

@hauntedurge

[herspawn]

“ I used to be like you. I’m not anymore. You shouldn’t be either. ” Astarion....

" Is that professional advice? " It was quiet amongst the camp, occasionally the sound of someone snoring filling the air and maybe even the sounds of the Owlbear cub and Scratch playing as well. She gave it a thought as crimson eyes stared into the flames of the fire. " I consider it. I like being me though so don't expect much of a change. "

prompt // accepting

[herspawn]

“ We’re a lot more fragile than we’d like to believe. ” Karlach!

They were all battered and bruised from the last incursion they had. Fingers busy cleaning herself off from the gore that coated her her over coat before she just snorted. " A understatement of the century. I feel like I got thrown around. I can't even imagine how you are feeling. "

prompt // accepting