#and maybe donating the land they don’t use to alfira’s bard college

[trevisos]

i am still figuring out what pre-epilogue looks like for xarrai and astarion (xar is doing Badly in the immediate aftermath of the netherbrain fight and idk how long it takes them to become like. a human person again) but i can’t imagine it’s anything less than joyful chaos for most of those 6 months. here are two dudes with questionable morals experiencing true joy and freedom and love for the first time ever they are ABSOLUTELY getting into trouble. curing astarion’s vampirism is like, a background goal sure but i think a lot of their time is spent committing theft and narrowly avoiding having to murder the witnesses or, like, chasing down interesting rumors to see where they lead. a lot of bouncing from small town to small town where xarrai charms an entire tavern for an evening and astarion makes sure the wealthiest patrons leave with their purses a little lighter. (and/or the two of them competing to see who can pickpocket the most gold after xarrai’s set lol) they’re not BAD guys but when they call themselves “heroes” it’s in quotation marks. it’s a joke. they’re less concerned with being heroes and more concerned with being lovers tbqh. maybe sometimes they see someone in trouble and xarrai gives astarion a little look and he rolls his eyes and huffs but he comes with when xarrai goes to help them. and stands by like :3c while xar extorts them afterwards (they will never resist a bit of extortion for better or for worse.) but like. real, honest to god heroes? probably not. they’re too busy making out in dirty alleyways and exchanging stolen gifts and learning what it means to be free and happy and in love to be heroes.

i think post-epilogue (maybe a couple years down the line) they do get more serious about finding a cure for vampirism but like. immediately between the end of the game and the epilogue they r just fucking around tbqh