#I've been bitten by Astarion. May the Gods help me

[lilac--sugar]

The way he looks at Tav here! 😭

I keep seeing people show off their Tavs and it makes me want to join in on the fun!

Here's Kieran, a chaotic neutral Tiefling Cleric (nature domain) of Talos!

If anyone is interested in a little slapdashed backstory and an impromptu drabble it's under the cut lol

Kieran Heulwen was raised as a Cleric of Bahamut. The problem was that she was always getting into mischief and never quite fit in. Eventually, she broke from that order. Doing so caused tension between her and her parents. They didn't accept the change and told her she was on her own. She lost contact with her parents completely but still wrote to her siblings. An older brother, Ulrich, and an older sister, Wynn.

She found a small temple of Talos in a little corner of Baldur's Gate. There she felt much more at home. Without much money she'd usually go to the seediest pubs and taverns. There she happened upon Astarion.

She'd often see him charming the literal pants off of just about everyone. Someone new every time. She never knew why it bothered her so much. She would keep to her books and her cheap little meals and try to ignore him. (She's got a Sage background so I imagine she'd keep to books to try and keep away from her mischievous nature) So, she'd try to ignore Astarion. Astarion with his stupid laugh and his stupid hair and stupid honeyed words and his stupid hands that she'd watch trace over collar bones. Watch as the skin would prickle under his touch. Subconsciously, she'd reach a hand up and mirror the touch only to realize-

Oh!

She had a crush.

So, one day she decided to approach him. She treated herself to a glass of wine so cheap it tasted more like what she imagined piss to but she downed it for the courage anyway. She sidled up next to him at the bar and feigned ignorance to his existence.

Her blatant disregard for him struck him and so from the corner of her eye she could see him analyze her.

“Can I help you, sir?" she asked as she kept her eyes on the barkeep, trying hard to further her fake disinterest.

With tilted head and brow furrowed he slipped an inquisitive, "Perhaps." from between his lips. He reached up and slipped a finger under her chin to turn her gaze to him. Her breath caught in her throat as she was now under his full attention. Vibrant red eyes roamed her body before taking in her face. He turned it easily in his hand. His eyes lingered on hers, in them the weight of his pending opinion. It pressed down on her, rendered her breathless. Yet, despite it, her heart felt as though it could fly.

With a hum of thought he pushed her chin away with a blunt, "No."

She'd experienced rejection before but not on such an abysmal scale. How could she compare it? Crushed by a ten ton stone? Run through with a rapier? No. Worse. Eviscerated by the careless turn of his stare as he leveled it on to others around them.

Humiliated, she was quick to gather herself. Beet red and angry, she fled.

Little did she know he'd done her a kindness that night. Though, to call her special would be a fallacy. What she didn't know was that he saw more of a spark in her eyes than he cared for. Too young and too aware. Despite her willingness she wouldn't be so easy. He needed someone more dull and less curious. Someone that could easily bend under his will. He'd often rejected anyone with her sort of spark. Where there is one of her there are tens if not hundreds of the dullards, in his humble opinion.

So, ten years later Astarion is the first person she comes across after waking from the Nautiloid crash.

Astarion that has the audacity to not only demand her help but clearly not even remember her face. And he doesn't. He never remembers the rejected. They were safe. It's only the victims that haunt him. The thousands of faces he'll never forget. Ingrained for all eternity.

Kieran tells him outright that he looks capable and he can do it himself.

Second chances usually entail better beginnings. Unfortunately that isn't as such for Astarion and Kieran. Not when his blade is pressed to her throat a moment later. Kieran pinned on the ground under the pale elf who once made her heart beat so fast. Then again, perhaps some things never change. Her heart is still pounding, just in a different way.

Empty threats and a headbutt later and she's free. The two of them agreeing to stick together despite their annoyances towards the other.

As they travel together she notices Astarion almost always agrees with her choices. The two of them seeming to think alike most of the time.

When Astarion comes to her one night to feed it takes a leap of faith, but she does so. To her surprise it's a sort of blissful lull as she slowly loses herself to him. He tells her this is a gift. For him it most certainly is. For her, it feels the same. Bloodless, she's able to sink easily into sleep.

In no time she's fallen back into old feelings.

She tells herself when he finally makes a move that it's just sex. She tells herself he means nothing by it. It's just casual. Just the end of the world and she's there. She's available.

It isn't until their first night at Moonrise does he admit to her that he was using her. How he messed up and fell along the way. Once again, she takes a leap of faith. It isn't hard. She's already fallen.

Which, brings us to now. The two of them, together, on the road to Baldur's Gate.

GODS I'm sorry! I started writing and writing and writing... I couldn't stop. IDK if I'll write a fic at some point. It'd probably be based on Kieran. I'd loosen it up a bit so it isn't so OC. But I've had thoughts brewing in my head of a semi angsty fic. Who knows? I certainly don't!

If you read this, thank you! 😂 I know it's a bit much!