#Im almost ashamed at how intricate this AU is

[morgana-ren]

Ok so bartering/bribing Nightmare or Reaves, Astarion to help you escape from Ilya. I know they're only toying with you and it's all a big game for all four, but hypothetically, what would you have to offer to get them to "help"?

I'll go in order of how easy it is to get them to 'help' you. It's a Faustian bargain trying to get any of these rabid men to help you, but I suppose when you're chained by the collar to Ilya's bedpost, anything seems better than there.

We'll start the list off with the easiest of the three, which is obviously Reaver.

He and Ilya get on quite well, so he's likely going to be the first of the three to meet Ilya's latest sexual conquest because Ilya simply cannot resist showing off to him. They get on like two peas in a pod when it comes to libertine hedonism, so he's likely to meet you sooner rather than later. He's deeply interested in the comings and goings of Ilya's personal life (mostly the comings) and so once Ilya decides he's keeping you, plan on seeing Reaver about the manor relatively soon.

Ultimately, 'uncle' Reaver is a simple man with simple goals: Sex. Filthy, libertine, impolite, messy, disgusting, and repugnant sex.

If he takes a liking to you (and he will) the good thing is you won't have to approach him. He will approach you.

Reaver is usually a well-known businessman or celebrity, and chances are you are aware of him and his... proclivities. Trusting him is a poor choice given what you usually know about him, but sometimes, you're so desperate to get away from Ilya that you cannot imagine that Reaver is worse.

He will tell you how it aches what is left of his soul to see such a pretty thing so miserable and mistreated, and he simply couldn't abide himself if he didn't help. He could probably figure out a way to smuggle you away from Ilya— for a price.

Naturally, he's taking a great degree of risk here, and he's betraying his brother dearest, so it's only fair he gets something in return, yes?

That something is mortifyingly degrading sex in ways no one in polite society would ever dare ask for. And he will ask for it in the most casual way imaginable, as if he's asking you to pick him up a beer from the bar, all with a charming smile and wandering hands.

There's two ways it can go if you're utterly mad and agree and go through with it:

1) Reaver tells Ilya all of this beforehand, and Ilya joins in as some form of twisted punishment, to which afterward, Reaver says something along the lines of "Oh dear, he's on to us. I'm afraid we must wait a little longer, ma cherie. Don't let him ride you too hard, hmm? He seems quite irate at our little plan to elope and I simply couldn't live with myself if he hurt you terribly on my behalf."

Basically, a very elaborate setup to a threesome and he's getting what he asked for regardless of his end of the deal. Sometimes Ilya will simply watch him, and other times, Ilya will slide in and make things extra difficult, depending on how he's feeling. They're very close and it's likely in that case that they both thought it would be funny to give you hope only to cruelly yank it away while both were getting fucked. It's a fun group activity. That's like a Saturday night to them.

2) Reaver is actually quite serious. He will help you escape— to his dungeon instead.

Reaver loves Ilya and considers him a brother. Reaver is also a manipulative, underhanded ass. He will backstab them if there's something he covets and call it 'just business.'

If he spends time around you and finds himself charmed, he will hatch a plot to 'save' you from Ilya, only to keep you captive himself in the name of 'keeping you safe.' He'll tell you Ilya will hunt you to the ends of the earth and the only place you'll be safe is in his secret rooms. You're a poor little thing without a penny to your name so he won't charge you for it. He's certain you can work something out.

Reaver and Ilya will kill each other over this repeatedly until Nightmare eventually steps in, tired of having to resurrect Reaver. Things get messy when they both have feelings. How it proceeds from there highly depends.

Second on the list is Asto.

Asto isn't as openly licentious as Reaver is (almost no one is, really) so he's going to be a bit more subtle in his attraction. Ilya will let him feed off you just to show off how delicious your blood is, and if he's feeling generous, will let Asto 'play' with you. You're going to be the pretty wallflower regardless of whether he accepts, serving drinks (usually your own) until you've been drained dry and to the point of hallucinating by both of them. Asto is more respectful of Ilya's feelings and isn't always likely to make a move on you without Ilya's consent.

The best way to get him to cast aside his brother and help you is to make him like you. Fight him, insult him, make it fun for him. Be clever and feisty and taunt him. Don't go down easy. Make him work for everything he takes from you. Asto and Ilya have similar tastes, so chances are it shouldn't be too difficult. Be fun in a way he can't forget.

If you've done it right, Asto isn't going to want the fun to end, and he's not going to want Ilya's permission every time either. Jealous is a good word for it.

That being said, he will try to barter with Ilya first, going through the proper channels and going above board.

When that doesn't work, he will get underhanded.

He'll try to convince Nightmare that you're a distraction or a risk to darling Ilya, and that he could handle you better. Nightmare will see through this usually, however. He will try to appeal to Ilya's 'brotherly' love. Failing that, he will simply wait until Ilya is distracted and he will abscond with you, hiding you away somewhere he thinks Ilya won't look while playing innocent and pinning the crime on one of his brothers or perhaps just how crafty you are.

Asto isn't like Reaver in that he will hold you captive. He's going to let you go and come for you whenever he wants. He wants you to fight and throw a fit every time he comes for what he's owed. He will remind you who you owe your freedom to.

However, Asto is the most 'moral' of the group (albeit hardly at all) so reminding him of his captivity under Cazador might make him feel pity. Thing is, Ilya is his brother, and getting him to betray him won't be easy. Asto must like you to go to bat for you. Enamoring him is an effective way. Play your cards right and manipulate him. Be fiery and strong and make him think it's a damned shame that you're cooped up here, stuck under Ilya taking his cock day in and day out. Make him think it's a waste that you aren't his. Think of it as him seeing a wild, beautiful, bucking bronco locked in the stables rather than being ridden properly. The brothers, while loving each other, are arrogant, selfish, and also in love with themselves. Make him covet you enough to snub Ilya and he will.

He'll forgive him later, he's sure.

He's going to tell you that you owe him a free meal whenever he wants, but everyone knows it's far more than that.

It isn't simple and it's going to take time, but it is possible.

By a wide margin, the most difficult of the three is Nightmare.

Nightmare is going to have no interest in you at all, even if he finds you attractive. He's going to be rude, dismissive, and treat you like dirt. If Ilya offers to share, Nightmare will usually sneer and refuse, preferring torture to sex and calling Ilya a degenerate.

He will refer to you as 'Ilya's little whore' on the best of days and instruct Ilya to be more on top of your discipline. Either he's going to ignore your existence almost entirely, or he's going to take great pleasure in tormenting you and causing you pain.

Don't bother trying to seduce him. It won't work at first. He has to want you badly enough to act which isn't a game of flashing cleavage like Reaver or being feisty like Asto. It takes cunning and craft and time.

Nightmare likes his girls clever, fragile, and vulnerable. Be interesting. Talk to him. Be clever. Be smart. Say things that impress him. Look up to him, make him feel wise and powerful and strong. He will insult you and make every interaction a hell, but after a while, it will stick in his head. Let him catch you crying. Be soft and pretty. Be polite and show proper decorum at first. Look up at him with big doe eyes. Be the pretty little damsel and make him your hero. He's so much better than Ilya. He terrifies you. You behave around him because you respect him.

Enchanting Nightmare is easily the most difficult of the three, but it's also the most likely to win you your freedom... In a manner of speaking. Nightmare actually has the power to keep you from Ilya if he so desires. He can sequester you away in a pocket dimension or keep you in the black palace. He is technically Ilya's boss.

Thing is, he actually loves Ilya very much and he won't do this to him him lightly, and even if he does, he won't break Ilya's heart. Nightmare isn't looking for love or attachment in ANY regard, so it has to creep up on him. He has to see some kind of future with you, or like you enough that he decides he wants you for himself. If Ilya loves you, and things get messy, he's going to try to broker a deal where both sides are happy. He's going to want to share.

Nightmare would have you believe he's impenetrable, but that's very much not true. You can make him take a great interest in you and eventually fall for you against his own will. That's pretty much the only way he's going to get involved.

That or actually being a nuisance and getting in his way. If he believes you're a detriment to Ilya or his personal plans, he will be very vocal about it, but believe you me, you do not want to make an enemy of Nightmare.

You can tell your plan is working when Nightmare becomes particularly cruel. Nightmare enjoys torturing his objects of affection and being a real bastard to them. When he seems keen on making you cry, chances are he secretly wants to touch you in ways that aren't appropriate. He's going to deliberately make messes just to watch you clean them up. He's going to force you to make him a whole elaborate dinner only to sit you on his lap and feed from you afterwards. He's going to squeeze you just to see how react when you're hurt. You're going to run into him in the dead of night and he's going to terrify you just to give himself the giggles.

He still likely won't take up Ilya's offer to ravage you; rather, he's going to corner you when you're alone and instrument some ridiculous scenario and get creepy very fast. When his hands are on you, nails digging in to the back of your neck, hissing what an airheaded little harlot you are and how you're clearly only useful on your knees, telling you that you've earned what he's about to do to you, you've succeeded in planting yourself in his head. You'll begin having very realistic nightmares (no pun intended) about him night after night. It's a very painful, terrifying confirmation.

Sometimes it happens even if your goal isn't seducing him. Sometimes he just falls on his own.

Nighty won't ask for anything. He will simply do. When he wants you, he will simply take you. He's a sight bit more 'honorable' than the other two and won't hurt Ilya or lie to him in most cases, but he will make it known that he has taken an interest and intends to act on it. He's very capable of being underhanded but he usually doesn't have the need to. He's very diplomatic in most cases.

Thing is, this probably isn't a good thing and I wouldn't recommend it. Nightmare will lock you away, and he is worse than the other three. It's literally jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The other three will torment you, yes, but it doesn't hold a candle to what turns Nightmare on. Turning this old dragon's gaze towards you isn't easy, and my God, is it miserable. Nothing gets him throbbing like a girl wailing and weeping for him, weak and pretty and pliant. He will fuck you and lick your tears. He will make you blow him until you black out only to cum on your face and the floor and make you lick it clean. He will make you bleed and tell you how good you taste, and that it's your fault. He will fuck you until he literally cannot feel his legs and will cum dust, and then he will wrap his tail around you and force you to pet his horns and cuddle him like it's all some adorable domestic setup-- assuming you've earned the right to be on the bed and not the floor.

He's a devil, for fucks sake.

All the men are utterly abhorrent. Really. Like once one of them has taken a liking to you, there's really no freeing yourself. None of them are particularly more desirable than the others, but I would say Nightmare is probably the worst of the lot, followed by Ilya and Reaver in a tie, and then Asto. Asto, ironically, is a bit more 'human' than the others despite being a complete and total bastard, and he's capable of having sympathy and pity for you a bit easier.

Keep in mind, this Asto is massively different and has a different escape story than the canon Asto. He's essentially a different person. Looks the same, but ended up falling in with the bastards and sort of.. became one.