#Aristen

[aristenfromwarsaw]

All About Your Tav/Durge and Their Romantic Interest

Thank you so much for tag @judasiskariot, for me it's always a pleasure to write about Aristen and Astarion - they are my favorite fictional couple 💞. It took me a while due to illness, but I finally finished it 😁.

~ Your Tav/Durge's Name and Their Partner ~

💞 Aristen Rosegrove and Astarion Ancunín💞

~ Tell Us About Your Character - Anything at All! ~

~ High Elf ~ Sorcery ~ Storm Sorcery ~ Redeemed Dark Urge ~ (her full story and personality)

~ Aristen is very nice and always tries to be very empathic and looks for something more in people than others.

~ As a child, she grew up in an elven village, so she appreciates nature very much.

~ Hates her true origin and she constantly worries and thinks about that what she did when she was under Bhaal's influence. She hates herself for being Bhaalspawn and considers herself a monster. She tries to atone for all her sins by helping others. The person she hates the most in the world is herself.

~ What Do They Enjoy Doing Together? ~

~ They love to cuddle and stare at the stars in the evenings, for Astarion this is a very important moment because he is still struggling with his trauma.

~ They often sew something together - inscriptions on scarves, small puppets and other things that come to their mind. Astarion is great at sewing, and Aristen is still learning with his help.

~ Aristen likes to write stories and poems, so Astarion often helps her find a rhyme or write a story.

~ Astarion teaches her how to open locks, he stands behind her and helps her to use her hands - these lessons often end in a bed or other surface adapted to physical ecstasy 😅.

~ They love to do what couples in love usually do 😈. ~ They like to sit in inns, watch others and be happy that they can live a normal life.

~ What's Something Your Character's Partner Loves About Them? ~

~ Aristen is grateful that Astarion does not judge her past when she was under the influence of her murderous father. He doesn't see her as a monster and has never been afraid of her, even when she wanted to kill him one night. Conversely, Aristen has no problem with his dark past.

~ They believe they were made for each other and a whole number of strange coincidences allowed them to come together.

~ For Astarion, Aristen is not only a lover but also a best friend. Among other he loves her because she saw him as something more than a handsome vampire and, most importantly, she saved him. She saved him from becoming a Vampire Lord, where he would have lost himself. She loved him as he was and allowed him to live again and get to know himself. He loves how Aristen can be gentle and very caring towards him.

~ They think that in their imperfection they are the perfect couple - an immortal vampire spawn and an immortal demigod, former child of Bhaal. They are like two drops of blood and they understand each other perfectly.

~ They feel safe with each other. No matter what happens, they always support each other and are loyal to each other.

~ Their Life After Baldur's Gate? ~

I wrote their lives after the events of game in Aristen's story. But in short: Aristen regained her memories (especially those when she was in the care of a foster family) and found her family. Aristen and Astarion managed to get a pendant that protects her lover from the sun. And finally, after many years of being together, they got married

~ Something Your Tav/Durge Loves About Their Partner? ~

~ Aristen loves cats, and for her Astarion is like a kitty, only elven.🐈‍

~ Aristen sees herself in Astarion because of her past - when she realized that they were very similar that she slowly started to fall in love with him.

~ Even though Aristen tries to be a very nice person, she loves Astarion's sarcasm and his honesty towards others.

~ She loves his stupid sense of humor.

~ She is impressed by the fact that Astarion, after such a huge trauma, tries to live a normal life and tries to be a slightly better elf.

~ Aristen loves that Astarion is not interested in most people, but for her he would go to hell. Many women have tried to hit on him, but he just turns it into a joke and stays with her.

~ Aristen loves that Astarion very rarely says "I love you", but when he does say it, it is always a very magical moment - they are in some beautiful place or in the middle of love. Then he has such a gentle and happy expression on his face that Aristen loses herself.

~ She loves how passionate and affectionate Astarion is during lovemaking. Then she feels like the true queen of his heart.

~ Sometimes Aristen has bad days, she cries, thinks she shouldn't have been born and thinks she's a bad seed because of her past - then Astarion hugs her and lets her cry, which helps her a lot.

~ Something That Your Character and Their Partner Both Hate (about anything): ~

~ They hate it when someone judges them based on their past, which they had no control over.

~ When someone is not nice to cats.

~ When someone doesn't realize what dangerous creatures full vampires are.

❤️

I tag @lazysload, @anacdoce @vaelastormreaver ~ feel free to ignore it or do it 💜.

[bhaal-battle-beer-bard]

ℜ𝔢𝔡𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔏𝔬𝔰𝔱 ⊰ 𝓐𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔫

Aesthetic version of my Astarion x Durge commission poem.

Details

I hope you like it @aristenfromwarsaw

😃😊 I brought in the aesthetic what I know about Aristen 😊 For example that she likes orchids and roses, jewelry and being fancy, spending nighttime with Astarion, nature because of her woodelf foster parents and the medallion from them. But also being modest and above all: Blue is her colour. I wish I had a white scarf to put up.

And maybe a gravestone, because you know, because your characters have obscure fetishes ;) The bard tries to be funny again with their dirty humor. But everyone knew what they were getting into when they subscribed to this blog 😂🤣

[kirfuffel]

OC-tober Day 3: Old OC

This one goes to Aristen DeAndre.

He is an old OC that never saw much of the light of day. He is the backbone of his company, having a tight leash on his boss and boyfriend Eric Jemens. He is a fashion designer by passion and trade, but he is a personal assistant as a pride.

Prone to anxiety and tragically socially inept, Aristen finds himself most at home in the background and shines as the rails on Eric Jemen's fashion label runs.

[aristenfromwarsaw]

Thank you for the beautiful fic about my sweet Aristen and her dear Astarion ❤️. I love it ❤️.

༺A Golden Moment༻

༺Summary༻

Astarion shares a tender moment with Aristen, his beloved Bhaalspawn, and contemplates the future

༺Pairing༻ Astarion x Aristen (Female Durge / OC)

༺Warnings༻ None

༺Word Count༻ 1018

༺A/N༻ Thanks to @icybluepenguin for the beta, as always my creative partner. This fic is for @aristenfromwarsaw as a thank you for the lovely photos she did for me of Serafina and Astarion. Aristen is her wonderful Durge. Thank you again!

“She doesn’t look like murder,” Astarion thinks to himself as he watches the elf run her fingers through the water in the fountain outside of Sorcerous Sundries.

Aristen then laughs and flicks some of the water playfully at the tiefling child she was bantering with. One of the brood from the Grove they had run across in the city, Astarion can’t remember a name, only the idol thief, Arabella and Mol, the ringleader, really stood out to him. 

“She looks like a hopeless do-good type, an aspiring hero.” It makes his stomach clench almost instinctively. 

For Astarion, there’s only two types of interactions with heroes, being forgotten by them to languish in hell for centuries or possibly being hunted by them for being what he is. 

But Aristen is different. 

The tiefling child laughs and flicks water back at her. The droplets in her pale hair sparkle in the sunlight like gemstones. It’s idyllic, the sun, the laughter, the warmth of the day seeping into his skin. 

Aristen is not like other people who would call themselves heroes and put on a display of the good they want to do. She’s different because she has seen real darkness. 

Even after her true nature as a Bhaalspawn had been revealed, she kept going on, trying to do the right thing. She pushed so hard, she made Bhaal himself try to take her life.

Astarion shudders involuntarily thinking of that moment. He'd stood there speechless, numb to the world, terrified to grasp what he'd just lost. If it hadn't been for Withers, or whoever he actually was, that may have been the end. 

The sun is starting on its downward path and the tiefling child waves farewell to Aristen before running off with his friends. For a moment, she stares after them wistfully and he wonders why. 

Perhaps they remind her of the simpler life she wanted, the life she thought she would have when she came to the city. The life that was all a lie. 

Or perhaps she is fearful of what could happen to them. The group will move on Gortash soon, and the confrontation with the brain isn't far from that. 

Those blue eyes suddenly turn his way. “What are you staring at Astarion?” 

He feels caught somehow, like he's almost embarrassed to have been seen contemplating her. 

“Nothing, just thinking about how delectable you look.” He smiles, trying to convince her. 

“Is that so?” She gestures to the spot on the edge of the fountain next to her, returning his smile with a knowing one of her own. 

He scoots closer to her and loops his arm around her, feeling her sun-warmed skin beneath his fingers. “But of course, my sweet. Would I ever lie to you?”

“I can think of a few times when you did,” she teases him and snuggles closer to him.  

“That has been awhile,” he insists with exaggerated hurt at the teasing. 

“Astarion, you’re playing far too innocent.” Her sweet smile hides her intentions as her fingers dip back into the fountain and she splashes him with the cold water. 

There isn’t anyone else who he would allow this from, but Aristen is different. 

“My curls, you wretch!” He lets go of her for a moment to defend himself, putting his hands in front of the watery onslaught, as the two of them both begin to laugh. 

It feels good to laugh. After everything they've been through and what was still to come, they need it. 

Gradually, it dies away and he puts his arm back around her, pulling her close. 

“What was it really, that you were thinking about?” She lays her head on his shoulder and looks back off toward the horizon. 

He’s not even sure why he’s keeping quiet, she’s seen the worst of him, what else is there to be embarrassed about? 

“Everything- the past, the future. What all of this will ultimately mean, what will our lives be from after - well after it.” He can’t quite get himself to describe what they still have to do, the grim possible outcomes weighing his tongue down. 

“That is a lot to be thinking about. Was there anything you wanted to say in particular?” 

He isn’t sure they have the time right now for all that he wants to say. He hums indecisively. “I suppose if I’m facing the end of the world, I’m glad it’s with you. And whatever comes after too.” 

“You’re too sweet, love” she says, tilting her head up to kiss his cheek. 

The square around them gradually grows quiet as shops close for the day and the crowds head home. Astarion knows from dreadful experience that other businesses are just beginning to get busy, the taverns and brothels of Baldur’s Gate will soon fill with patrons. On past nights with such mild weather, hunting would have been easy, so many targets to choose from, he might even be able to dally a bit and remain away from both Cazador and his potential victims. 

They should move on, the rest of their group is probably wondering where they are by now. But the peace of the moment is like an enchantment, one word and it all could slip away like the ephemeral strands of the Weave that Gale is always going on about. And it is so nice to watch the night fall without the dread of Cazador or Bhaal looming over them. 

“We should probably get back,” Aristen finally breaks the magical silence and the world comes back into sharp focus for him. 

“Hmm, I suppose we can’t let everyone go too long without us. Who knows what trouble they could get themselves into.” 

Astarion reluctantly lets go of her and rises from the cooling stone of the fountain. He extends a hand, the very picture of gallant chivalry, to help her up. The blue of the sky is fading into pinks and purples, colors he may not ever see again soon. But he has today, they have today. 

Arm in arm, they walk back to the Elfsong, one day closer to destiny. 

[nerdallwritey]

Birdie x Astarion 💕

I was fortunate enough to win this giveaway put on by the amazing @aristenfromwarsaw!

This is my tav, Birdie, my silly little self insert bard who's basically reader from my Beauty and the Bard series!

Knowing their dynamic, Gale's epilogue kiss seemed to suit them the best: A teasing/soft Astarion and a mildly annoyed but ultimately endeared Birdie/reader 🥰

Thanks so much to Aristen for creating this gorgeous gifset and for being so wonderful and patient to work with!! I adore the results and can't thank you enough ❤️

Find part 2 here!

[yennefer-of-vengerbergs]

Fantasy OC Maker - Create Your Tav/Durge!

Show us your Tav, Durge, or OC! Picrew link can be found here.

Thank you for the tag @obsessedwhyyes @aristenfromwarsaw❤️Elysia turned out so cute and lovely in yours😁And Aristen with her kitty are so cute 😁

I went ahead and did two versions of Syanna, cause as it turns out, this picrew is perfect for recreating her during her bhaalist days too 😆

No pressure tags: @iizven @andromedaancunin @spite-made-me @anacdoce @judasiskariot

[aristenfromwarsaw]

Story of Aristen Rosegrove

Inspired by @judasiskariot who created a full description of her Tav - Saulus, I decided to create something similar to Aristen with screenshots to make the story more "credible". 💜.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quick Facts:

Origin: Child of Bhaal Race: High Elf. Class: Sorcery ~ Storm Sorcery. Gender: Female. Pronouns: She/Her. Sexsuality: Heterosexsual. Height: 165 cm. Scent/Perfume: "Storm Rose" - full description of the perfume by @bhaal-battle-beer-bard . Favorite color: blue. Favorite flower: rose. Favorite season: spring, she loves when everything comes to life. Favorite animal: cat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family: She was born directly from Bhaal. Her stepfamily:

Mother ~ Renera Oakdale-Rosegrove:

Father ~ Detre Rosegrove:

Younger sister ~ Fiona Rosegrove:

Grandmother ~ Aubriana Rosegrove:

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Personality:

~ Redeemed Dark Urge ~ Aristen is very nice and always tries to be very empathic and looks for something more in people than others. ~ Ari is very open to the world and new experiences. ~ She has a great sense of humor. ~ Aristen is very devoted to the people she loves. ~ As a child, she grew up in an elven village, so she appreciates nature very much. ~ Ari has a lot of knowledge about the world. ~ She can be bold and sassy sometimes. ~ Aristen is a bit naive when it comes to love matters. ~ She is strongly guided by feelings and emotions. ~ Ari often hides her emotions, only opens up to the closest people. ~ When she gets angry, she has no control over her magic. ~ Loves cats, likes how mysterious and beautiful these animals can be. ~ Hates her true origin and she constantly worries and thinks about that what she did when she was under Bhaal's influence. She hates herself for being Bhaalspawn and considers herself a monster. She tries to atone for all her sins by helping others. The person she hates the most in the world is herself. ~ Sometimes Aristen has bad days, she cries, thinks she shouldn't have been born and thinks she's a bad seed because of her past.

Early years of life:

Aristen was born directly from the God of Murder. When father created her, he wanted her not to be an ordinary Bhaalspawn. She was supposed to be an immortal, eternally young demigod. Her appearance was supposed to be the opposite of her destiny. Beautiful and delicate beauty, bright blue-turquoise eyes, light blonde hair. Her look was supposed to attract and inspire trust. Could an elf who looked like an innocent angel be a bloody murderer? And so it happened - Aristen was born, for now as a storm sorcery elven baby. Bhaal wanted her to be very high in the hierarchy when she grew up, but the attack on the temple by unknown perpetrators thwarted these plans. During the raid, an elven infant was found with a white, decorative scarf with the word "Aristen"  written in blood on it.

The child was placed in the elves’ village in the stepfamily of wood elves called Rosegrove. Only her mother, father and grandmother knew that she might be Bhaal's child and they decided that they will do their best to save Aristen from her destiny. Aristen developed her magical skills and she did not show any murderous symptoms, on the contrary, she showed great empathy and kindness. Ari had a great relationship with her stepfamily and was much-loved in the village. However, everything changed when she was 25. A very handsome and gallant half-elf Elwyn came to their village. Aristen very quickly fell in love with him - she thought it was mutual.

Despite the huge protest of her adoptive family, she went with her lover to Baldur's Gate. When the pair reached the city, it turned out that Elwyn was just a mercenary hired by the Bhaal's cult and his only task was to bring Aristen to the temple of the God of Murder. And so Aristen, who was betrayed by her beloved one lost control of herself, became a bloodthirsty killing machine and a puppet of her real father.

A new beginning (in-game events):

Being a Bhaal's doll could have lasted for ages if not a certain incident. One day Aristen was kidnapped by a Mind Flayer's ship. She was infected with their tadpole and lost her memory. Luckily for her, there was a plane crash, which she miraculously survived and managed to escape. Now she had a new goal - to get rid of the tadpole and find out who she is. During her journey she learned the truth about her murderous origins. But she wasn't alone in this. Aristen met some loyal friends: Gale (a human wizard who was harmed by the goddess of magic, Mystra), Karlach (tiefling who, like Ari, was betrayed by the person she trusted), Lae'zel (githyanki who was deceived by her queen), Shadowheart (a priestess of Shar who rejected her goddess), Wyll (human Warlock who sacrificed a lot to save others), Halsin (an elf druid who likes to carve ducks from wood), Jaheira (half elf and High Harper) and Minsc (Jaheira's friend who considers his hamster to be his mentor). And even though everyone supported her, Aristen felt that they didn't fully understand her, they don't know what it means to be someone's puppet. Except for one person who had similar sins as her. A men who has been a plaything for the powerful vampire for over 200 years. That toy was Astarion, high elf, vampire spawn. At first, Aristen had mixed feelings towards him, but later she realized that they were two of a kind. He was the only one who truly understood her dark urge and he truly was not afraid of her. They fell in love with each other.

One night the urge to kill become strong and Aristen had mighty desire to kill Astarion. Resisting her whisperings, she decided to do everything to save him. Aristen woke him up and asked him to tie her up. She felt that after such an incident the vampire would break up with her. Who would want a partner who could kill you in the middle of the night ? But no, Astarion didn't break up with her, he was with her all night, watching over her. He wasn't even mad at her. He didn't see her as a monster, but only as a normal person who had been wronged by fate - she saw him the same way. Thanks to Astarion, everything became easier and impossible things became possible.

While looking for salvation for herself and her companions, it turned out that she was the one who came up with the whole idea of ​​culting the Absolute. This broke her, she felt that her friends blame her for this whole situation. Only one person thanked her - Astarion. Thanks to all this confusion, he separated himself from his master Cazador and had free will. Aristen then believed that they were meant to be together, this strange chain of events was not caused by chance. There must have been some higher powers involved here. She also decided that she had to fix everything - destroy the cult of the Absolute and try to free herself from her murderous father. And so it happened - the cult was destroyed and Aristen, with the help of the god Jergal, cuts herself off from Bhaal and the dark urge. The tadpoles in the heads disappeared, she, her friends and the Baldur's Gate were safe. Aristen with her companions even killed Cazador, so Astarion no longer had to fear his master. Aristen and her lover began to live on their own terms.

Post-game events:

After defeating Nestor's Brain Aristen started to help rebuild Baldur's Gate - unfortunately - the city was badly damaged. In return, the city authorities gave her and Astarion a small apartment in the Lower City. This made her very happy, she could finally experience a normal life. She also began searching for information about artifacts that would help protect Astarion from the sun - this became her main goal. The news that she and her friends had saved Baldur's Gate quickly spread beyond the city. And so one day a wood elf knocked on her apartment. He seemed familiar to her, but she didn't know where she knew him from. He knew her name and seemed to know her very well. He gave her a Noblestalk potion and suggested that she drink it and it would help her remember some things from her past. The potion could have been poison and this elf could have had evil intentions. But Aristen felt that he was someone very important to her and agreed to drink the medicine. She regained partial memories - both bad and good. Suddenly she remembered where she grew up and her stepfamily. She realized that the elf who visited her is her stepfather.

She agreed to go with him to the village where she grew up. And together with Astarion they set out on a new journey. After reaching the village, everyone was very happy for her return. She was afraid that they would treat her like a monster, like a leper. But no, she was surrounded by care and love. To make Aristen remember all earlier life, she was subjected to a special trance made by her grandmother. After that she remembered everything, the funny situations with her sister, making flower wreaths with her mother, walks in the forest with her father and practicing magic with her grandmother.

She also remembered the man who contributed to all her tragedy - Elwyn. She remembered how he feigned love for her and he did it all of his own free will for financial gain. She hated this man in few seconds.

Aristen and Astarion stayed in the village for a while and moved on to find a way to protect Astarion from the sun. They also had a new companion, Fiona (Aristen's younger sister) who wanted to see some of the world. To have money for the trip, the three of them took various jobs. Sometimes they were mercenaries, sometimes they were doing small jobs or hunting bandits. Fiona also performed in inns, as she was a bard.

After a long time and reading dozens of old books and scrolls, Aristen, in an old, forgotten temple in the middle of nowhere, found an enchanted pendant that allowed Astarion to enjoy the sun again after many years. However, all three of them continued their traveling lifestyle.

One night Aristen and Astarion were lying on the grass and watching the stars. Then Ari suggested to her beloved one that they maybe return permanently to Baldur's Gate and start a simple, city life. He agreed and asked if she would become his wife. Aristen was surprised, despite spending so many years by Astarion's side, she was afraid that one day he would leave her. She still considered herself a monster, even though she had cut herself off from her father many years ago. Aristen was always afraid that she would somehow become a bloodthirsty murderer again. And Astarion could have almost any woman - she had seen more than once how lustfully ladies looked at him. But he chose her and wants to be with her forever.

The wedding took place in her native village. Her entire family and friends celebrated one of the most beautiful days of her life.

After their honeymoon, they returned permanently to Baldur's Gate. Fiona also settled in the city, where she began to develop her bardic career. Astarion and Aristen continued to work as a mercenary and as the bandit hunters in the city and surrounding areas. Over time, Astarion founded his own tailor shop (yes, I always saw him as a tailor :D).

What the future will bring for them? Who knows, after all, they have eternity ahead of them...

P.S. now her name is Aristen Rosegrove-Ancunín <3.

[aristenfromwarsaw]

Thank you @casualya for tag 💜.

My cute and lovely Aristen with hair down ❤️.

I'm tagging: @judasiskariot @papuchette-atma @lazysload @superbturtleobservation @ratchsellsfornax

Yay another OC picrew tag game

picrew linked yoinked from @elinorbard

Asmodea my beloved. This is pretty much a perfect representation of her post-game.

(to clarify for anyone who reads my fic - for all intents and purposes that is NOT a vampire fang. ...or IS IT?)

Tagging @brabblesblog @spacebarbarianweird @mj-bites @grandmother-goblin (you pick which OC(s) lol) @tragedybunny

@snowfolly @bhaalbaaby @tallymonster

I'll stop there, you know what to do.

[bhaal-battle-beer-bard]

Perfume for Aristen 💜. Redeemed Dark Urge.

Race: High Elf. Class: Sorcerer - she loves thunders. Favorite color: blue. Favorite flower: rose. Favorite daytime: night, because then she can go everywhere with Astarion (her true love) and not be afraid that the sun will hurt him. Favorite season: spring, she loves when everything comes to life. Favorite animal: cat.

Aristen is very nice, she always tries to be empathic and looks for something more in people than others. She has a great sense of humor and she constantly worries and thinks about that what she did when she was under her Bhaal's influence. She hates herself for being Bhaalspawn.

💜

When I look into her eyes, into her soul, I see a tender heart, hiding a turbulent past. Troubled with sorrows, overshadowing kindness but never can erase her warm good natured, kind-hearted spirit. It conveys the fragrant of the mythical darkening depth of the clear blue water. Just like the ocean, calm before the storm, coupled with the clear sky and the stars of the night above. A scent with substance, yet captivating mysterious. Refreshing, velvety, sweet; almost like the embrace of cashmere and silk on your skin. Holds you like a night in satin sheets. And then there is suddenly swirling lightnings and striking thunder, ready to arise to a storm. I smell stormy thunder, lightnings and crashing waves at the rocks of the shore. Cliffs with raging waves and roaring thunder, like a tidal wave, the same way I can smell a warm hug, like a kiss in the rain. Warm, flowery, slightly powdery but not too much, not too melancholy and heavy. Her scent is also fresh and light like the scent of the air after a spring storm, like the freshness of the clear ocean water itself. The petals that slip away in the rain. And leave the awakening forest of the interior purified behind and the waves of the ocean are calm now, leaving at the shore the essence of pearl dust. This fragrant of her perfume makes you want to hug her and never let go, but you know you can't hold onto the lightningstorm forever. Floral, powdery but still with fresh, strong, reliable substance like Aristen herself. The essence of her perfume are the essences of love and life, like questioning: What is the scent of friendship for you? Of love? Trust?

🌊⛈️💙🫧🌹🌺🌹🫧💙⛈️🌊

Head notes: peony, wild roses, blue magnolia, lemongrass, slightest touch of ylang ylang and neroli

Heart notes: white orchid, fresh roses, citrus, blue hibiscus, blueberries

Base notes: water lotus, vanilla, amber, sandalwood, hidden pondering presence of frozen winterberries and honey

🌊⛈️💙🫧🌹🌺🌹🫧💙⛈️🌊

I hope you like it. What would you like to name it? Let me know!

May I suggest:

Storm Rose Dancing Firefly Satin Nights Waves Of Sorrows Kiss In The Rain Rose Of Eden Golden Orchid Thunderstorm Stormy Heights

Or do you have a fitting name for it in mind?

[luminouslumity]

Behind every great hero is an Aristene.

Aristene are mythical female warriors, part of a legendary order. Though heroes might be immortalized in stories, it’s the Aristene who guide them to victory. They are the Heromakers.

Ever since she was an orphan taken in by the order, Reed has wanted to be an Aristene. Now, as an initiate, just one challenge stands in her way: she must shepherd her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and Reed will take her place beside her sisters. Fail, and she’ll be cast from the only home she’s ever known.

Nothing is going to stop Reed--until she meets her hero. Hestion is fiery and infuriating, but what begins as an alliance becomes more, and as secrets of the order come to light Reed begins to understand what becoming an Aristene may truly cost. Battle looming, she must choose: the order and the life she had planned, or Hestion, and the one she never expected.

It apparently comes out Sep. 19!

[twilight-sanctuary]

Casualya and Aristen tysm for the tags

Five songs I've been obsessed with lately:

I tag: @vspin, @ratchsellsfornax, @stupid-tes-nerd, @ritualhymns

No pressure 🤍

[aristenfromwarsaw]

Thank you @oonalovesastarionssimpleplan for tag ! ♥️ ~Aristen~

I tag @ratchsellsfornax and @papuchette-atma ♥️

Colour Palettes

Let's play a silly game and spread some colour!

Show your Tav/Durges colour palette and then tag someone else to do the same. Art or screenshot, whatever works.

Here is my Nissa (with the Gale colours included of course!) and I'll start by tagging @forkingbrusselsprout ❤️

[theheelerbooklifereads]

⁉️𝑸𝑶𝑻𝑫: 𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔?

✨𝙰𝙾𝚃𝙳: 𝙼𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚡. 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗, 𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚞𝚙𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔. 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚞𝚙𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔. 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍. ⁣

⁣

𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜.

✨Speaking of books: I want to thank BookSparks and Kendare Blake for the copy of #ChampionOfFate for the #FRC2023 #backtobooks fall reading challenge.

✨Also, here is my notebook that I received from BookSparks to decorate. I went a little sticker happy with all the stickers they gave me but it’s fine and totally reminds me of my composition books when I was in elementary school with all the stars, hearts, and smiley face stickers I had. I think the way I decorated it shows my personality.

✨Now back to the book: I’ve been a fan of Kendare Blake since 2016 when Three Dark Crowns released. So, I am super excited that this book was included in the track I was selected for.

✨Champion of Fate follows our main character Reed who has always wanted to be an Aristene-who are a legendary order of mythical female warriors. The time has finally come for Reed as she is now an initiate with only one more challenge between her dream and if she fails she will be cast out from the home she has ever known. But Reed meets her hero-Hestion and everything may change how she views her world as a war brews.

✨I will update you all on my reading progress or with a review when I get around to reading it!

My IG @theheelerbooklife:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxjIlyIrEyR/?igshid=MWZjMTM2ODFkZg==

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake is back with an epic duology starter that follows a young woman training to join a fabled order as she attempts to lead a hero to his critical first victory. A must-read for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Victoria Aveyard.

Aristene are an order of mythical female warriors. Though heroes might be immortalized in legends, it’s the Aristene who guide their paths to victory. They are the Heromakers.

Raised by the order after being orphaned, Reed grew up surrounded by her future sisters-in-arms and the incredible stories of their quests. She’s been counting the days until her initiation, and now one final test stands in her way: shepherding her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and her place in the order is secured. Fail, and she’ll be cast out of the only home she’s ever known. 

But Reed didn’t count on Hestion, her assigned hero, being both infuriating and intriguing. When their strategic alliance turns into something more, it forces Reed to question the cost of becoming an Aristene. As battle looms and fate hangs in the balance, Reed must make an impossible choice: her hero or her order.

Review:

A young woman in training to become an immortal warrior must lead a hero to glory... but what she doesn't expect is the forbidden love that awaits her and the price of glory. Reed was a young girl when her entire family was slaughtered, but she was taken in by two immortal warriors who saw that she was touched by the goddess of glory. She was taken in to train to become an Aristene, an order of mythical female warriors who help guide heroes to become immortalized legends, they are Heromakers. Reed has been training and counting down the days until her trial is over and she can become a sister of the order. Yet when her trial begins and she meets her chosen hero, a arrogant but handsome prince who wants something other than glory, her heart. Reed has to find a way to bring glory to her hero, but the price she'll have to pay will be between what her heart wants and what her future holds. This is the first book in a duology but the way the first book ends you could just leave it at that. The book has a bit of an odd pacing because it starts off really slow and then picks up around the 60% mark and the ending is kind of : eh. I am intrigued by the Aristene order and the relationship between Reed and her two mentors, their relationship and interactions were the best part of the book. I didn't care for the romance and honestly didn't mind the third act breakup after everything. I am interested in seeing how the second book ends the series and what happens to Reed after how this book ended. This book is a great read for fans of hero adventures with a bit of star crossed lovers and war/hero journeys.

*Spoiler: Reed and Hestion fall for each other but she ends up giving up her role in the order to be with him and she defies the glory she saw for him because she saw that if he fights against the evil ruler he would die, so instead during the battle she gives the weapon to his brother who then kills the ruler and is killed in turn. Hestion knows she defied the fate and that she got his brother killed and breaks off their relationship. Reed then returns to the order and decides to go through with the ritual (that she has to kill herself to be reborn as an immortal warrior). *

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[brummie-man-interests]

Jane Hazard [Aristene Jane Hazard] (January 8, 1922 – December 12, 2006) was an American film actress.

[aristenfromwarsaw]

Thank you so much for it 🥰 . You write beautifully 🤩 . I'm sick right now, but maybe this will help me recover quickly. 🥰

Dziękuję ❤️

Wait Ten Seconds

Okay, a tiny little break from Viktor, as I present you a request for my awesome friend, @aristenfromwarsaw! Thank you for having faith in me to write this, heh. Also, this is my fav screenshot of Astarion and Aristen, her Durge, just look at them :')

spawn!Astarionxfemale!redeemed!DU (fandom: BG3), explicit!

word count: 2,5K

summary: set in act III, after defeating Cazador and Orin. Not specified, but I can imagine them having a date before the doomed day of confronting the absolute and chilling somewhere in Rivington, away from people and the rest of the team :')

author's note: so nervous about publishing this, that I forgot to mention the undeniable blessing by my smut fairy, @rennethen, thank you!

—

She was fidgeting, to the point of Astarion wincing as he brought the wine and plopped down next to her on the blanket. The closer they were to their final goal, the more layers were peeled back, revealing the truth underneath. And Aristen’s truth lay very close to Astarion’s. The parallels were almost uncanny—two powerful creatures, made and shaped by another, more powerful, to be stripped of will and judgment and commit crimes nearly beyond redemption. Both beautiful, nearly deadly so. Both now free, though at a horrific price that included a lot of death, and their friends close to bleeding out.

And Astarion knew. He knew what it was like to swat away that extended hand, the one that carried a promise of eternal power and greatness without limitations. He knew how hard it had been for him when he held his dagger over Cazador’s head, his eyes darting to all his friends, who froze in fear of what he was going to do next. Their questioning faces, minds grinding gears, silently pleading with him not to do it. So he didn’t. And a mixture of relief and grief washed over him as they walked back through the corridors of the musky dungeon, their shirts soaked in blood, grime, and the dusty remnants of undead bodies. The stench was unbearable, nearly as bad as in the temple of Bhaal.

But after that came true reprieve. And suddenly, the price of his freedom felt small. Who needed the sun when he could have her? So he confessed his love and giddiness, and Aristen accepted it—all of it. Living under the stars and figuring out what would come next. If, of course, they survived the Netherbrain.

She kept fisting the blanket and biting the inside of her cheek. So he waited ten seconds before being an absolute freak and licking her face to snap her out of it.

“Wha— Why are you being gross?” She blinked, wiping the spit off her face with the top of her hand. But there was a smile, and Astarion sighed, relieved that such a thing could still take place.

“Copper piece for your thoughts?” he asked, passing her a carafe of Amnian Dessert. She took it wordlessly, their fingers brushing, and Astarion winced at the warmth of her skin. She gulped down three sips and forced herself not to burp.

“I… I feel you already know what I’m thinking about,” she said, offering him a sad smile.

“Humour me. Consider me a half-wit that needs everything spelled out for him.” His hands travelled up her knees to her hips, pulling her to slot between his spread legs. Once a safe space was created between them, Astarion tilted the bottle to her lips, pouring some of the wine down her throat.

She chuckled and shot him a look. “You don’t have to get me drunk if you want something, you know that, right?”

A drop of red streaked from the corner of her mouth, sliding down the side of her throat, and Astarion kissed it away. He purred at the rhythm of her heart, beating for the both of them, before nuzzling his nose into the crook of her shoulder.

“Hmm, I know that. But for this particular something, I feel you might need some liquid courage,” he murmured, entwining his fingers at the small of her back. “What is bothering you, my love?”

“Sometimes… I pray for the Netherbrain to win, so I don’t have to… remember,” she whispered into the silver of his hair, the words bitter on her tongue.

Astarion shifted. His eyes shot up to meet hers, and his hands cupped her neck. Again, with the drumming of that heart. He pressed his thumbs into her larynx, gently, a warning. He gritted his teeth, words balancing on the scale in his head, and asked, “What is more? Love or self-loathing?”

“What?” she croaked, her brows furrowing.

“Which do you feel stronger? The love or the hate?” Astarion’s voice was firm, as though he needed to insist. “And why, of all people, would you be the one beyond redemption?” He waited another ten seconds. No response came, only blinking.

“You get to start over. To be the person you want to be—not what someone else made you to be,” he whispered, his tone dipping dangerously low. Not sultry. It was the same tone he used when he was being honest. The same tone he used when he tried to wince away from an attempt to bite her, all those months back. “As do I. And I want to start over with you. Do you?”

“Oh gods, you know I do,” Aristen breathed finally, her voice inevitably cracking, tears pushing their way through the corners of her eyes. “What if I am, though? Beyond redemption?”

“Am I?” As usual, a precise shot. A rogue instinct took over, and Astarion planted his trap skilfully. He intended to wait another ten seconds, but she was faster.

“No, of course not.” Her warm hands were on his cheeks so fast, thumbs rubbing into the hollows of them, and if Astarion could flush, he would have. He shifted closer, caging her in.

“Then why would you be?” Seeing a thought forming, words already dripping off her tongue, he placed his fingers on her lips. “I will talk, and you will listen. You're no monster. You’ve saved me more times than I can count—” a sound from between his fingers cut him off.

Astarion shifted again, letting a single "but" slip away from her. He wrapped one hand around her waist, while the free palm moved to cover her mouth completely. “You will listen to me now.”

He waited ten seconds, and Aristen nodded, her eyes glued to his. His hand slid to cup her neck instead, their foreheads touching. Cold breath fanned her face as he spoke.

“I come from a life I cannot remember, which in itself proves how unremarkable it was. That life ended, and another began, and that one I remember very well. I remember every torture, every rat I was given, every slap, and every lover I led to their death. And it’s all very harrowing—the way it reminds me I do have a soul,” he confessed on a fabricated breath.

“And then you come. And you undo it all, piece by painful piece. Two centuries of pure shit. In a span of time that is merely a glimpse compared to two hundred years, you manage to defy a god, defeat my jailor, and yet you sit here crying—I wish you would stop; it’s utterly distracting,” he murmured, wiping the tears from her cheek. She allowed a hiccupped chuckle to escape her throat.

“Nothing ever gets undone, not entirely. But we get to rebuild ourselves from the rubble. So I ask again—what is more?” Astarion waited one second. Less than one second.

“Love. Love is more,” she said, nodding, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gave him a kiss full of salt. “Love me,” she pleaded, her hands fisting the frills of his collar, fingers ghosting over the two puncture marks on his neck, and Astarion’s unfabricated breath hitched.

“I do. With all of my eternal undead heart, I do,” he murmured against her lips, his fangs dangerously close to the tender flesh of red, but he was careful. Mouths touched, his tongue doing most of the work—licking, fighting hers for dominance. His hands had already travelled under her skirts, working to rid her of an offensive pair of breeches. He swung her legs to one side to slide them off, fumbling at her ankles as she tried to help but only caused more trouble than if she hadn’t.

While Astarion fumbled with those, she began unlacing his trousers, her breath stuttering at the coolness of his skin. Every inch of Astarion was so beautiful and she had it all memorized so well, she didn’t have to look, but she did, always, nevertheless. And Astarion remembered her as well, but he wasn’t looking. Too busy leaving open-mouthed kisses all the way up her legs, one of his fangs catching on the lace of her skirts in a rush.

Aristen couldn’t help a chuckle, having done her part of undressing him as she pulled him closer by the laces of his pants, now hanging loosely from his fly.

“First she cries, then she laughs me out, the audacity,” he rasped, placing his hands on either side of her waist and meeting her in a kiss. Deep and unhurried, Astarion let his tongue slip between her lips once again, as his hands travelled up her ribcage to cup her breasts through the material

Aristen let out a gasp and quickly unbuttoned her shirt, welcoming his cool touch against the heat of a summer night. Astarion growled at the motion and splayed himself flat on top of her, hooking one of her legs with his knee. The kissing deepened, and soon his mouth travelled with no particular destination, sucking on the pulse point below her ear, ghosting over her collarbone and flicking at each of her nipples.

He pulled himself up to cage her in, gently tracing her jaw and cupping her cheek. Another kiss lasting ten seconds, all tongue and as little teeth as Astarion could do, emotion seeping from it. When his lips left hers, it was only so his mouth could travel to her jaw, throat and sternum. His hands cupped her breasts, and oh, the weight of them, the softness, felt so sweet against his cool skin.

Astarion was very good with both—the words and the body. It was all very much rehearsed and carefully constructed into a self, that would shield his other self from showing. But with Aristen, his other self was slowly crawling out, so he let it. He let himself be desperate and wanting, to meet her unsure, wounded self. As equals.

His thumbs brushed her nipples, causing her spine to arch into the touch. “So needy,” Astarion teased, spitting on one of her breasts to ease the friction and pressing his mouth to the other. The contrast between the callouses of his thumb and softness of his lips made parts of her clench on nothing. She tugged on his hair, scraping his scalp and Astarion hummed into her skin.

The hum evolved into a chuckle, once Aristen released a muffled whimper and it only got worse for her. His lips travelled to the other side, leaving her skin glistening with his spit and exposed. She could feel featherlight kisses being placed all the way from her nipple, down, down to her ribcage, stomach, hip bone, until his mouth reached the crease of her thigh. And there, Astarion waited ten seconds.

Mouth hovering over her core, breath fanning, nose smelling. Then, a kiss, and she gasped. And then, finally, his lips closed around her, tongue teasing, licking into her slit. A gentle suck, to make her breath stutter, only to release her with a wet pop and Aristen whined.

With a ghost of a smile, Astarion’s mouth went back to roam up and down her rib cage, hands trailed down her sides to rest in the creases of her thighs. He then pulled away to sit on the balls of his heels and seeing the look on her face, he just said, “Patience, my love.”

He picked up her leg by the foot and placed a soft kiss at the flat of her ankle. Then, an agonizing lick to her pulse point. And agonizing for both of them, Astarion could add. Then, hot fast kisses all the way down her calf, her thigh, to finally splay himself flat between her legs.

Their eyes locked as he gave her cunt a reverent kiss. Both obscene and loving, as he stared into her soul and Aristen chuckled, trying to chase the flush away from her cheeks.

He licked against her clit, and feeling her body jerk he splayed a flat palm on her stomach to pin her down, the other arm wrapped around her thigh. Working her slowly until her sweet scent filled his nostrils, Astarion slid his fingers down her belly and teased her entrance. Once inside, he curled them, and Aristen moaned, her neck tensing, throat exposed.

Feeling her closing in on her climax, he made a switch. Mouth travelled down to fuck her with his tongue, thumb spreading her slick around the clit. And if this was his last meal, he would die fed. He would also die deaf, as her thighs closed in around his ears, her body tensing and flexing, fingers curling in his hair desperately. Her heels dug into his shoulder blades, and she felt her soul leaving her body, travelling straight into Astarion’s mouth, her voice echoing in the night around them.

Astarion waited ten seconds, just to watch her. To watch her chest rising and falling, to watch her eyes gloss over him, over his cock hanging free, painfully hard. He gave himself a few slow strokes, spreading precum from the tip to the root. Then, he shifted to all fours, reaching out for her hand to guide it between his legs. A warm hand replaced the cold one as she rubbed his tip with her thumb before flicking her wrist down to a long stroke against his length.

“No one touches me like you touch me,” he murmured against her mouth. “Take me and keep me forever,” Astarion said, meaning Take me and love me forever.

“Only if you take me and keep me forever,” she replied, her voice already fucked-out, bedroom eyes staring back into his. With that answer, he removed her hand, kissed her knuckles in gratitude and placed his hips between her legs. He rubbed his cock against her wetness to coat himself in her slick before teasing the entrance. The first few thrusts were shallow and Astarion glued his eyes to her face, watching her mouth fall open wider and wider, before sinking fully inside.

Once buried up to the hilt, he begun to thrust slowly and deeply into her. His movements were unhurried, his pubic bone pressing on her clit, rebuilding the pressure within her. His arms wrapped around her, chests pressed together, mouths touching, exchanging breaths. Her legs encircled his waist to seal the bond. Rocking their bodies toward completion, Astarion whispered, “I love all of you.”

She mouthed his name back to him, voice lost in her throat, as her walls clenched around him, and they reached the peak together. Bodies shook, fingers dug into flesh. He spilled himself inside her, head falling into the crook of her neck. And Astarion waited ten seconds, and then another ten seconds, and another, before sleep took both of them over, entangled, connected by their cores, and their hearts.