#cazador's spawn set up a nice little home

[3xm-draconic]

Homestead. (werebat Cyris and astarion)

Summary: Astarion tells Cyris about the little community the spawn created in the underdark, Cyris decides to visit… 

As it turns out a giant 30ft brain is really, REALLY fucking hard to find…

They needed to deal first with Orin and then Gortash, to get their crystals so the Emperor (this mindflayer who wanted to help them out) could use them to stop the elder brain.

In the meantime though…they could rest and wait…

“So the spawn and some of your siblings made a little home in the underdark?” Cyris pondered as he and Astarion shopped around for supplies…well mostly groceries for tonight, Cyris was going to make red wine & blood tomato pasta.

Just because they were not…exactly “together” anymore did not mean he’d have to stop cooking for him…or treating him to nice things.

He does love him still…

“Yes, it’s a…lovely place” Astarion smiled weakly “it’s in a little ruin, in a secluded vail were hundred of bloodcrystals grow, bloodcyrstal vail they’ve been calling it… hence the name” he said as he picked out a few fresh tomatoes.

“Hmm…Perhaps I could visit, you could show me around?”, “that sound rather nice” Astarion hummed “they’ve been learning to live off the land, they have a few Rothe they’ve domesticated, rightnow there isn’t really enough blood to go around so they mix it with Rothe milk and mushroom flower to make a grule of sorts” he grimaced “gods…I wish I could help them more but…”

“But?” Cyris pondered as he gently placed a hand on Astarion’s shoulder, “I…I feel like there is not much I can do, they’ve been talking about hunting the kuo toa who live near the lake…gods I can’t have them falling into doing that, eating such things” Astarion sighed “I feel like they are basically back to starving”.

“Well maybe I can help, I was able to find us plenty to eat down in the underdark when we were last there, take me to them and I’ll teach a few tips and tricks.” 

“I also heard you got back in contact with your village, they got your letters finally!” Astarion beamed, Cyris smiled happily “yhea, they were pretty happy to hear from me…they even sent me a few care packages, just some cookies, blood vials and a blanket” he grinned.

The place was…a dump.

There were tents haphazardly set up, fires set in little alcoves, trash everywhere…

Jeez it was a mess, even the slums in waterdeep looked nicer…

“Starry you said this place was nice”, “well…it’s a bit of a fixer-upper darling” he chuckled nervously, “Greeting Cyris…Astarion” Sebastian said as he set down a barrel of dried fish “good to see you again”.

“Good to see you to Seb” Cyris smiled and shook his hand “I hear you needed a little helping hand around here, I came as soon as I could”, Sebastian cocked his head in confusion “what could you help with?”, “well for starters, food, you all need blood to really survive and there are plenty of sources besides Rothe and fish, I can help you find them. Then…I wanna help you clean this place up and set up propper houses, Astarion and I got in contact with Max and my village, they sent over some supplies, Starry can help everyone get started on that while you and me go hunting.”  

Sebastion blinked “you…you got us all this?...thank you!” he hugged him, “ah it’s alright, it’s the least starry and I can do” Cyris smiled.

The creatures of the underdark were fearsome but easy to track once you learned their patterns, a coordinated group of vampires using battle tactics surprisingly managed to take them out quite well.

A few Hook-Horrors were easily outwitted and outmatched by their little hunting party, they now had gallons of blood to drink.

“This is wonderful, Cyris!” Sebastian said as he licked the blood from his lips “at this rate we should be able to feed everyone”, “we ain't done yet Seb, I’am going to teach all of you cooking and preserving techniques to make this stuff last” Cyris turned to him as he hefted a barrel of blood over his shoulder.

At their camp Cyris showed his team of spawn how to cook and preserve blood.

Blood bread with mushroom flour was one thing and cooking it into sausages was another but they could let it congeal into a block, cut it up  and grill it on sticks or mix it with cave fruit into a pasty jam and turn it into a sort of blood-fruit leather.

 They could also mix it with alcohol…a very simple method of preservation and a nice drink, salting the congealed blood and letting it dry into a powder that could be rehydrated was however by far the best.

 “Amazing! Now it will last us weeks, MONTHS even!” Sebastian smiled “I was starting to doubt that Astarion really cared about us…I guess I was mistaken if he brought you here”, “Starry cares about you, all of you, he wants to make up for his mistakes and give you guys a second chance at things…like he now has” Cyris placed a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder.

“...I…don’t know if I can forgive him for doing this to me…but I can thank him for trying to make things right, to give us this chance at living again, even though Cazador escaped…I don’t think he will come after us, he is afraid of Astarion…of you and your friends. We have you to thank for our freedom just as much as we have Astarion to thank” Sebastian smiled.

“Wait? The bastard escaped?” Cyris worriedly looked at Sebastian, “yes sadly” he mumbled, “well…looks like I have another head to add to my hunt” Cyris growled.

 “There now THAT’S much better!” Cyris beamed as he and his troop brought their haul back to the now refurbished town.

There was no more garbage, little homes were actually built, a market was even set up with an alchemy shop, tailor, salon and, Cyris laughed “you guys really built a Tavern down here?”

“You’ll never believe what happened while you were away!” Astarion excitedly hugged Cyris, “well what happened?”, “some deep gnomes came by, they saw all the bloodcrystals we had and wanted to set up a mining outpost, they offered to trade gold and other resources, mostly more Rothe blood to us in exchange for some land and the bloodcrystals” Astarion hummed “so…yes we built a tavern so everyone could enjoy a nice drink now that we have more blood. A celebration is in order, I do believe?” he grinned, “Sounds good to me” Cyris smiled.

The wine, the food, the music… was decent. The tavern was pretty small and the bard they had played the accordion…but the candle light, the hearth and the atmosphere of merriment…that made Cyris happy.  

Cyris saw the deep gnomes who Astarion had talked about come in to have a drink with them, they had just gotten done mining…

Cyris could smell something…odd about them.

One of them sat down at a table next to his and Astarion’s, Cyris saw something on the gnome’s shoulder…a tattoo..

Black bat wings with a white crescent moon and a red 4 pointed star in them…

He then could smell it clearer…the familiar scent of…

The gnome looked up and sniffed the air…

They looked at one another.

“Are you?” Cyris pondered, “well bless my soul, another kindred” the gnome beamed happily, “another werebat!” Cyris smiled.

“Names Menphes, Menphes Gloombeard” the gnome proudly introduced himself, “pleasure to meet ya boy” he shook Cyris’s hand, “to you as well, the tattoo on your arm? You worship the great guardian bat as well?”

“You mean Entumbru? The spirit-ancestor of bats and the god of night? Why yes” he said “he goes by many names, that one I have not heard used before”, “Enthrumbu…” Cyris pondered…

Cyris and astarion left Bloodcrystal Vail and headed home, they settled down at Monty’s Chalice to enjoy dinner and sleep before heading out to hunt for Orin.

“Cyris…is it ok if..if we still sleep together?” Astarion softly asked him, Cyris scooted over on the bed, they…didn’t really cuddly like they did before but Cyris did keep Astarion warm. Astarion hated being cold…somehow?

 “How are you cold starry?”, “well, not..not physically…” Astarion laughed “I…feel…I feel less undead when Iam warm”, Cyris rolled over and wrapped him up in his arms.

“It’s getting cold outside…I better keep you nice and snug” he smiled.

[frantic-fiction]

May I request some Jealous!Fem!Reader x Astarion? Maybe one where someone from Astarion’s past makes an appearance and while Astarion sees this woman as just a friend, reader can see the woman blatantly flirting with her vampire spawn and she doesn’t like it one bit. ESPECIALLY if Astarion’s oblivious to the woman’s advances and innocently engages (because let’s face it, our boy loves being praised & complimented 24/7). Reader decides it’s her turn to stake her claim on our little sassy vampire and remind everyone who he belongs to ;)

Yes! Yes! Thank you for the request!

Jealous

Astarion x gn!reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.5k

Masterlist

It was nice being back in the city. Yes, there was still the ever-looming threat of the Absolute, but most of the party was back home, and for once, it felt like, for a moment, everyone could breathe. You had a fluffy bed to sleep on instead of a lumpy bedroll. And while Gale always made whatever perversions the party scavenged taste good, the warm, hearty tavern meals you've been treated to as of late were too good to beat.

But the best part of being back was taking any moment to drag Astarion out into the city to wherever he fancies so he can explore Baldur's Gate in the daylight without the darkness of Cazador. He wanted to visit the farmers market today, so you wandered the vendors' stalls, stopping to take moments and smell flowers and sample wares.

Astarion politely conversed with a tailor about the fabric quality used for a shirt he wanted. Frankly, they had been talking longer than your attention span could handle, so when your eyes wandered to a stall full of beaded jewelry, you wasted no time giving Astarion a quick peck on the cheek and telling him where you'd be.

The pieces were beautiful and skillfully crafted—brightly colored beads and gold inlays, gems of various minerals, all catching your eyes. The older halfling woman propped highly on the stool, greets you politely, and gives little details and facts about each one you set aside for closer inspection. Maybe you should get something for Shadowheart and Karlach? Probably not Lae—

"Astarion!"

A feminine voice has you snapping your head back to your partner. A frown instantly settles over your features when you see a tall, elven woman pull Astarion's hug. Her brown hair is intricately braided into a top knot decorated in sparkly chains. Her dress hugs her curves, framing her body perfectly.

Why are they still hugging?

"Oh Gods, it's been too long. You're looking amazing." Her nasal voice filters down the markets. "How are you, love?"

Astarion finally manages to break the hug, giving the woman an automatic flirtatious smile, the tailor long forgotten. "Eleanor, I've been well. I do hope the same can be said for you."

Dropping the beads with little care, you leave the stall, ignoring the halfling. You don't like this woman. You don't like how her hand still lingers on Astarion's forearm or how she leans ever so slightly closer as if daring him to kiss her.

"I've been fine, though I'm upset you haven't visited in quite a while. It's been rather dull without you." She runs her hand up his arm.

Astarion laughs, flicking his hand in the air and clearly enjoying the woman's words. "I could only imagine, my dear. Those brutes are fowl at their best. Who wouldn't miss me."

Your jaw clenches when her obnoxious laughter rings in the air. Pushing past a family of four throwing a half-ass apology, not paying mind, too pissed off. Who does this woman think she is putting her hands on Astarion as if he's hers?

"Astarion, you always knew how to make me laugh." Elenor ducks her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "If I'm being honest, I was always jealous of the ones you took home. But now that we're here, maybe…"

Oh, hell no! You practically jump the rest of the way and run into Astarion's arm. He lets out a breathy oof, arms tightening around your waist to keep you from tumbling to the ground. Pretending you weren't aware of the woman, you capture Astarion into a chaste kiss before beaming up at him.

"I hope you found what you were looking for, my love." Your voice is sickly sweet as you trail your thumb across his cheekbone. Then you turn your head and feign innocence, looking at the elf. "Oh, I'm sorry, Star. Who is this?"

Astarion gives you a look but recovers quickly. Clearing his throat, he speaks, "Darling, this is Eleanor. She owns a tavern I frequented. One of the only decent companies I've had before we met."

Moving away from Astarion's side, you reach your hand out in greeting, giving her your name, "It's a pleasure to meet a friend of my Star,"

Eleanor looks a bit taken aback, staring blankly at the two of you, clearly not expecting this change in her plans. You're internally preening. She takes your hand in a limp shake before dropping it and stepping back. Eleanor quickly wipes her hand on her dress slyly and chuckles.

"That explains why I haven't seen you in a while."

You sneer at her, wanting nothing more than to punch her. Instead, you drop your hand onto Astarion's chest, nuzzling warmly into his side. "Yes, sorry about that. I've been a bit selfish. Sometimes it hard to get out of bed."

"Right…" Eleanor says. Astarion, I never took you as one to settle down, especially someone as… unique as them."

"What is that supposed to mean?" The venom drips from your words, and Astarion has to keep you in place.

Eleanor smirks. "Oh, I meant nothing bad." The mocking tone alone reinforces that she meant this to be as insulting as possible. "I'm just stating you're rougher around the edges."

Astarion's hold on your waist tightens as you move to step forward, hand reaching for the dagger discreetly hidden against your thigh. There is no possible way this woman values Astarion in any way more than as a body to conquer. That thought alone has you practically baring your teeth.

"What the fuck does that mean!"

Astarion steps in before you can do anything extreme, "Eleanor, it was lovely seeing you again. We'll have to come and visit sometime for a drink, but I'm afraid my love and I must make our leave."

"Oh yes, of course!" Elenor says, her voice a bit too filled with fake cheer. Her smile is strained, and her eyes stare daggers into your skull. "I hope I can see you at the tavern sometime soon."

"Yes, we'll come down for a visit sometime soon. " Astarion calls over his shoulder, practically dragging you down the cobblestone. You think about ripping your arm out of his hold and turning back, but you let him pull you along with only a death glare sent toward Eleanor.

As soon as the two of you are in a secluded place, Astarion drops your hand and turns on you. "Darling, what was that?"

Picking at your nails, you shrug your shoulders. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Astarion takes your hand and, with a finger, tilts your chin to force you to meet his eyes. He has a shit-eating grin, and his fangs are even more prominent in his smile. "You were jealous."

Swatting his hands away, you step back. "I was not!" You lie and storm down the alleyway. You didn't get far before Astarion caught your wrist and spun you into his chest.

"You were jealous." He repeats. "But you really shouldn't be."

"She was all over you."

"It was a hug, my dear, from probably the closest normal friendship I had before the tadpole."

"Friendship? She was practically begging you to fuck her." You huff, fiddling with the lapels of Astarion's shirt.

Astarion chuckles deeply and presses a kiss to your forehead. "Gods, you're cute when you're jealous."

"Don't make fun of me, Astarion."

Ignoring you, he continues. "For argument's sake, if she was begging me to fuck her, as you so eloquently put it, who cares? I certainly don't, not when I have this beautiful, strong, incredibly understanding partner who knows all the darkest parts of me and still stands by my side?"

"Well, I am pretty noble for putting up with you when you're hungry." You smile, looping your arms around his neck, all jealousy draining from you like water from a colander.

"How could another soul handle me in that horrid state." Astarion runs his nose against yours. "I love you and don't plan on stopping soon."

You beam and kiss him breathlessly before mumbling, "I love you too," against his lips. "I think we should head back to our room."

Astarion chuckles under his breath, running his hands down the curve of your spine. "Oh, what for my sweet?"

"Well," Crawling your fingers up his chest, you press your lips to his ear and whisper. "If you'll let me, I want to mark every inch of your neck." "Mark me as yours, darling?" Astarion hums.

"Mhmm, we could go further, but" you continue. "Tonight, I want you to show me this tavern Eleanor owns. I think we deserve a date night."

"You are jealous."

"If I agree, will you take me out?" You lean in for a kiss.

Astarion presses forward, brushing his lips against yours. "As long as I have a necklace of your pretty love bites."

"Then yes, my love, I am very much jealous."

I've been struggling with inspiration lately. Moving was super stressful and I had to leave a hostile work environment very quickly so life's been a bit messy. But I've got my kitty cat and don't have to deal with a shitty boss so hopefully things will go up from here.

I'm kinda iffy on how I feel on this one but that might just be my current mindset. I hope you all enjoy it regardless, and stay tune because I plan on have something spicier posted soonish...possibly Astarion discovering his breeding kink 🫣❤️

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[ask-the-pale-elf]

Setting: Soon after they faced the Absolute together, after Faerun was saved, they eventually settled down together in their new cozy cottage. Tav and Astarion are both reading, a fire roaring, a bottle of the finest red wine at the table side (courtesy of Astarion), His Majesty curled up in Astarion's lap, loudly purring, rain tapping on the windows, a full pale moon hangs in the dark sky.

Tav admires Astarion from afar, watching as the flames cast a beautiful glow on his face. His crimson red eyes wildly dancing in the light, his silver curls perfectly set, as he reads from his favorite novel. Tav loves how his glasses always end up sitting half way down on his nose, it brings them much joy to see him this way, as Tav watches him slowly pet His Majesty.

Tav began to get lost in thought - about the first time they met when he held a knife to their throat, their crazy adventures in the Underdark, facing and killing Cazador together, to the beautiful moments they shared along the way. He was everything to Tav and they wanted nothing more than to always keep him safe. They would love him until the end of time.

Tears begin to slowly fall, with their cheeks burning, Tav squeezes their eyes shut, clenching their fists at the mere thought of anyone ever hurting a sweet soul as Little Star. But that was behind them now they realize and takes a deep breath to calm down, pushing the ugly thought aside.

Tav focuses back on Astarion's gentle face and their heart began to flutter. This is the happiest they have ever been in their entire life and couldn't fathom how any of this was real. How they deserved any of this. Tav reaches over and takes Astarion's hand in theirs, giving it a gentle squeeze, to make sure this moment was real. That it wasn't some dream made up, just to keep fighting, to keep pushing forward. That he was real.

Tav turns to Astarion, wiping the tears from their face, quietly clearing their throat. With a loving smile, eyes shinning brightly, Tav asks, "Are you happy my darling?"

Your shared home was warm, a stark contrast to the "home" that he residing in for 200 years. Cazador's palace was cold, large, and wholly isolating, but this humble, little cottage was cramped, warm, and nice.

He didn't know what to say really. It was a long time where he found someplace to call home, a real home. He could barely remember where his home was before he turned into a spawn, he used to but... it's probably gone now. Just like how Astarion Ancunin died oh so long ago.

He was just Astarion now, for a time that terrified him. He didn't have a family, home, or even life to go to. The pale elf had no one but the scared little boy to turn to. But you... you said that was enough. That he didn't need to be the charming seductress or Cazador's puppet, he could be Astarion. Just Astarion and that was enough.

He didn't know how much he needed that.

Astarion's long fingers flipped to the next page of his book, before you held his hand. It was just as soft and warm as you, he squeezed it back. A gentle smile formed on his face, he would never tire of this. The gods themselves couldn't tear him away from this.

He lifted his gaze from the book onto your face.

(Perception Check: Successful!)

Your eyes were red from the fresh tears and sniffles you couldn't hold back gave you away.

Astarion's red eyes widened, did something happen? What was wrong-

"Darling, are you alright? Are you hurt- I-" Astarion started to frantically look you over but he was interrupted by your question.

(Insight Check: Successful!)

The deep love in your eyes also gave you away, he would be a poor lover if he didn't notice it. His frantic breaths relaxed into a steady tempo as his hand gently squeezed yours.

He leaned his forehead against yours and looked into your eyes with the most loving smile. The vampire spawn's eyes soft as a gentle breeze caressing your skin.

"I've never been happier."

[wheretheharekissesthefox]

Lavender and Starflower (Mobster AU) – Chapter 15

The Dekarios Clan reigns over Waterdeep as the city’s protector for centuries. Suddenly, the Clan gets challenged by Cazador, the head of the Szarr Clan that rules over Baldur’s Gate. Of course, such an attack won’t be tolerated and the intruder must be forced back and out of the City of Splendors. While fixing destroyed protection sigils, Gale, wizard prodigy and heir of the Dekarios Clan, meets a charming stranger called Astarion. And Gale makes the biggest mistake of his life; he invites the pale elf into his home.

Trigger warning (18+): mobster AU, mental torture, gore, vomiting, mentioning of grooming and paedophilia

I was inspired to start writing this fic when I saw this artwork by @arczism

'Mezzanotte' means 'midnight' in Italian. That's a little tribute to the D&D lore that Mystra uses the body of a woman (named Midnight) as a 'vessel' for herself so that she has a physical body.

Typical Goddess Behaviour™. Consent who and where? Yikes.

This is obviously an AU that isn't related to my other work.

"Where are you, you useless pet? Bring me the wizard and kill everyone who's in the way! Bring him to me now!"

Cazador's voice ripped through his mind like a sharp migraine-like pain, and Astarion was startled out of his reverie.

"If you won't be back at dawn, cut yourself open, untangle your intestines and stake yourself with a wooden table leg."

Astarion panted and whined, curling in on himself. His master's order tried to take hold of his body, but due to the collar, it didn't work. However, this powerplay of the two different kinds of magic, the vampire lord's and the sussur's angrily fighting each other, made Astarion feel like he was being ripped apart. A wave of nausea came over him and he groaned. Thankfully, he had his last meal, Gale's blood, more than a day ago.

Next to him, his lover stirred, opened his eyes blearily, and asked: "What's wrong?"

"Cazador's giving me orders." The vampire spawn whimpered and clutched the sheets so tightly he almost tore them. "It hurts."

"Shit, really?" Gale was immediately worried. "I should have known that the clash of the Arcane has a negative effect. How careless of me. Maybe, I can help."

"By introducing yet another type of magic to my body? Yeah, great," Astarion replied and gagged.

Gale placed his hand on his lover's forehead.

"This might be uncomfortable," he warned and muttered a healing spell.

The soothing warmth of it flooded through Astarion's body and he sighed in relief. His angrily pounding head calmed and the nausea subdued – until it didn't. Hastily, the elf turned around before vomiting onto the floor next to the bed. Thankfully, there wasn't much coming up.

"Oh, fuck..." he whined.

"I'm so sorry!" Gale said panicked and used a prestidigitation spell to clean up the mess. "I didn't think it would make it worse. How are you feeling now, little star?"

The addressed paused and frowned.

"Better," he answered. "The nausea's gone and Cazador isn't yelling at me at the moment."

Gale tenderly brushed a curl out of Astarion's face and asked: "Would you like a bath, or would you like to rest more?"

"I'd like a bath and then rest some more."

"That can be arranged," chuckled the wizard, kissing the vampire spawn's forehead. "I'll be right back."

He got up to fill the bathtub while the elf carefully stretched and followed him slowly. The bathroom smelled of lavender and Gale had cast Darkness on the windows, but it was still light enough to see. After rinsing his mouth to get rid of the lingering taste of bile, Astarion stepped into the tub with a sigh and sunk down in the water. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Mmh, this is nice," he mumbled.

Gale, who was kneeling next to the bathtub, smiled at him and ran his fingers through the elf's hair.

"May I pamper you and wash your hair?" he asked.

"I'd like that."

The wizard immediately set to work, wetting Astarion's hair carefully and massaging shampoo into it. The latter sighed contently, finally able to relax for the first time in two centuries. He couldn't remember a time where anyone had done something like this before. Thus, the vampire spawn wanted his lover to know about it.

"Thank you, Gale. It feels amazing. No one has ever done this before."

"What a shame," muttered the addressed as he rinsed the silver-white hair. "You deserve nice things."

Astarion reclined his head further to look at the wizard and told him: "That's what I have you for, darling."

Chuckling, Gale leaned forward and placed a kiss on the elf's forehead before finishing his work. Astarion got out of the tub and was wrapped in a fluffy, soft towel. Sighing happily, he stretched his limbs and rubbed his hair dry.

"You can even work magic without the Weave," he praised and Gale blushed cutely.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. Do you think you're ready to get the evidence in the Szarr palace tonight?"

Instantly, Astarion sobered up.

"Yes," he replied with a nod. "I want to get it over with as quickly as possible."

"I'll help you," the wizard said.

"No, I can do it myself!" replied the vampire spawn immediately with an angry hiss.

"I know you can do it alone," replied Gale softly, "but you don't have to do it alone."

Astarion looked at him, welling up. He'd been on his own for so long, watching his own back and keeping himself alive, that he'd forgotten how it was to have someone by his side.

"It would be nice if you'd come with me," Astarion admitted quietly. "I'm – I'm terrified."

"I know." Gale pulled him into a gentle hug and the elf closed his eyes to savour it. "Let's go back to bed. You deserve another nap."

Astarion let himself be led to the bedroom where Gale sat him down on the bed and carefully started to comb the vampire spawn's hair. The latter revelled in the pampering and sighed happily.

"You're good at this," he mumbled. "Have you done this before?"

"Yes, for Mys–" Gale cut himself off suddenly. When Astarion turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, he said: "I did it for an ex-lover. She was... my first."

"Hm. The way you're avoiding to say her name indicates a nasty breakup," remarked the elf. Gale swallowed thickly and cleared his throat.

"Well... you're right. It was rather... unfortunate how we split ways." After a brief pause, he added: "Mystra. Her name's Mystra Mezzanotte."

"Was she a school crush, or something?"

"No." Gale hesitated again and Astarion wondered why until the wizard added: "She was my teacher."

The vampire spawn blinked at him, shocked.

"Wait, what?"

Visibly uncomfortable, Gale fidgeted around, explaining: "As the heir of the Dekarios Clan and an infamous child wizard prodigy, other kids and teachers alike were intimidated by me and didn't like me. Some schools flat out refused to accept me as a student, thus, my mother had to find private tutors so that I could be homeschooled. Mystra was one of them." The wizard paused, fidgeting with the comb while Astarion impatiently waited for him to continue. "It was love at first sight for me. I adored her. She's beautiful, talented and powerful. She's like a goddess. And she taught me so much and... whenever she praised me for a task, I was happy and wanted to do even better next time. I so desperately wanted to be her equal."

"Even though you're the heir of the Dekarios Clan, you were a child," Astarion remarked. "You could never have been her equal."

"I know," muttered Gale, biting his lower lip. "But I surely tried to be so. And my efforts paid off. When I was ten and incredibly lonely, I begged my mum for a kitten, and after she refused, I summoned Tara. When I told Mystra about it, she kissed me for the first time as a reward. After that, I was always rewarded with a kiss when I did good, and when I was fourteen, we had sex for the first time. Back then, it felt like heaven." Gale huffed humourlessly and Astarion felt the urge to retch. "Mystra told me to keep it a secret or otherwise she'd be fired and we'd never see each other again. Scared that it might come true, I never told my mother about all this, and then, when I turned eighteen..." The wizard swallowed thickly and screwed his eyes shut. Encouragingly, Astarion took his hand, gently stroking his knuckles. "When I was eighteen, she threw me away. She quit the job, explaining to me that I don't need her tutoring anymore because I'm an adult now. When I asked her about our relationship, she told me it was over and left. I was utterly heartbroken. But do you know what's the worst?" The vampire spawn shook his head and the wizard barked a sharp laugh with tears in his eyes. "I still didn't tell my mother. I'm too scared that she'd get angry and take revenge on Mystra. My mum never shied away from killing people. I'm... I'm so pathetic."

He hid his face in his palms and Astarion was shaking with anger.

"Gale..." he said, "that is... not normal."

"I know," whispered the addressed and sobbed. "But I can't tell my mother, I fear for Mystra's life because I still care about her."

"She sexually abused you, Gale, she groomed you. For fuck's sake, she had sex with you when you were still a child! Every parent who loves their kid would want to kill such a paedophile!"

"She isn't a paedophile."

"Of course, she is! Do you really think it's normal and alright for an adult to have sex with a literal child?!"

Gale swallowed thickly and shook his head, whispering: "No."

"Gods, Gale..." Astarion cupped the wizard's tear-streaked face. "What happened to you is horrible, and it's not your fault. None of it is."

The wizard's voice shook as he said: "Why am I still scared to tell my mum about it? Why do I still fear for Mystra's safety?"

"Because she groomed you, brainwashed you, and you were truly in love with her and afraid to lose her," Astarion told him. "And then, she broke your heart and you couldn't tell your mother because you still loved Mystra and you also were afraid of your mother's reaction. After all, you don't want to disappoint her, do you, and because of that, you're too ashamed to tell the truth. And now, you're so deep in it and it's so long ago that you just shoved it down to not deal with it. I get it, Gale, I truly get it." He kissed the wizard tenderly. "Thank you for telling me, my love. Your secret's safe with me, but if you ever want to come clean about it, I'm all for it."

"Thank you," Gale croaked out amid tears. He fell into Astarion's embrace and the latter held him tight and let him cry on his shoulder.

"We all have old demons we deal with," the vampire spawn muttered while stroking the wizard's hair. "That's nothing to be ashamed about."

"Ready?"

Astarion nodded silently.

"Alright, remember; the invisibility spell doesn't prevent others from bumping into you, plus, we can't see each other either, thus we must hold hands when entering Cazador's palace. All the documents must be placed inside our bags, or otherwise they're not invisible. If things go south, use the teleportation device to get the hells out of there. Playing heroes won't help us. Any questions?"

Astarion shook his head, still silent. He couldn't put it off any longer, it was time. The vampire spawn was so scared, he felt sick to the stomach.

"You got this," Gale told him sternly, gently squeezing his hand. "We got this. We'll break into his palace, grab the evidence, and then... we'll give Cazador the hells."

Astarion had to smile and gave his lover a quick nod.

"We'll kick his ass."

"That's right," nodded the wizard with a grin.

He kept holding the vampire spawn's hand while casting the invisibility spell and opened a portal. Together, they stepped through it and arrived in Baldur's Gate.

[baldurs-gape]

What's In A Name?

CW: Ambiguous ending for the fate of the party.

There was no way Halsin could have known. He wasn't there at the very start, when Astarion had quietly confided in Gale about his past, about Cazador. All Halsin saw was a safe haven that had been opened up to them thanks to Astarion knowing someone. It had been an innocent, fond comment of "you've been holding out on us, Little Star" and nothing more. Outwardly it didn't look like anyone thought anything of it but Astarion felt like he could shake apart any moment if he didn't keep absolute control of himself.

Maybe his paranoia had been unjust because Cazador didn't react to the tender nickname. Perhaps it hadn't been too much to ask for it to go unnoticed. As dinner was served to the others, Astarion almost relaxed. The meal was much needed and most generous, unexpectedly so. In fact, the others seemed to be rather charmed by Cazador and Astarion fought the urge to ruin it all, to turn on Cazador and rip his throat out because he finally could. Instead, he played nice, graciously took the ribbing from his friends and played nice with the monster of his nightmares. Plates cleared, stomachs full and eyelids drooping, it was time to turn in for the others.

"Astarion, walk with me," Cazador's words almost sounded like a request except Astarion knew better. Two centuries of doing that voice's bidding meant that he was up before he even realised he could have refused. At least his friends were safe. A tiny, foolish part of Astarion wondered whether Cazador had finally seen his worth, seen what he make for himself and was going to make him a vampire at long last. It was nice to hope, a pesky feeling he had learned from the others.

They walked in silence, Astarion just half a step behind Cazador, matching his steady stride. Down corridors, up stairs, they moved together until Cazador led them through a door out onto a watch tower. It wsa almost romantic and Astarion sighed wistfully at the idea of being finally granted his freedom and independence in such a setting.

"Tell me, Astarion, what do you see?"

The words ripped him from his little reverie and Astarion made an effort to look around.

"I see the city below us. The wilderness beyond it. I see your home and I see you."

Cazador shook his head and tutted. "I think you see more. Look up and tell me."

Neck craned up, throat on full display, Astarion took in the vast, clear sky. There wasn't a single cloud in sight.

"The moon?" He hedged. No response so he tried again. "Stars?"

"Yes, there's rather a lot of them, aren't there?" Something in Cazador's tone was predatory, purring in satisfaction. "Thousands of tiny, little stars, aren't there? Tell me, if one of them disappeared, would you be able to tell? Would you miss it?"

Metaphorically cornered, Astarion shook his head. "No."

"That's right, Little Star. They're all the same; insignificant, useless, tiny specks that could be snuffed out without anyone noticing." Something must have shown on Astarion's face because Cazador smiled. "You didn't really think that the group you brought here called you 'Little Star' out of friendship, did you?" The smile widened. "Oh my dear Little Star, you are so naive. How could anyone want a Spawn in their group? Even I only kept you for as long as I did because you were too pitiful to destroy. You really thought you had a place among one of the greatest wizards of our era, devils and a githyanki?" Cazador laughed, head thrown back. "You foolish little thing. A dog would be a more useful pet for them to keep. At least one of those could keep them warm on cold nights."

If Astarion had still had a beating heart, it would have constricted itself into stopping, crushed under the weight of everything he felt. How Cazador could have that effect on him was beyond knowing. All Astarion knew was that his shoulders had dropped, head tipped down and to the side as though he'd been slapped and misery filled the void where his spirit had been. As Cazador stepped past him, a hand on his shoulder, long nail scraping against Astarion's exposed throat, he had one parting shot.

"Thank you for bringing back such an exotic and delicious meal this evening. Those who deserve it will dine well tonight. Will you join us?"

Astarion shook his head. He wasn't deserving and he didn't want to be presented with a rat carcass. At least he could feel physical pain from the whip. In a way he deserved it. Looking up at the sky, Astarion hated the stars, he hated Cazador but, most of all, he hated himself.

[roguishcat]

Snippet Sunday

Thank you for tagging me @bardic-inspo!

If anyone wants to participate in Snippet Sunday posts, send me a message or comment and I will tag you :)

This is from chapter 5 of 'Conversations with a vampire', set before the events of the game. The story follows an unlikely friendship (well, more Tav pestering Astarion and him reluctantly allowing it) between pre-game Astarion and child Tav.

He prowled the night, a predator, a merciless hunter. Not quite himself, but good enough, all things considered.

Two of his siblings approached him, Leon and Violet. Leon he could tolerate, he hated Violet.

“So, little Astarion, how is Cazador’s golden boy fairing?” Violet mocked, coming up to stand too close to him for his comfort.

“You must be joking, sister dearest” he took a step back involuntarily, wanting to put more distance between them. “We all know Leon is the favourite.”

“Yes, but if I recall correctly, Cazador prefers your sweet screams to anyone else’s. Such an honour, such a privilege to please your master at least in this way,” she said slowly, savouring the look on his face as Leon too approached him and they had him cornered.

Astarion scowled. Fights among spawn were not exactly common, as their primary goal was to bring back as many victims as they could without getting into each other’s way, but they did happen. Cazador would even chastise them, as if they were errant senseless children, but Astarion could see the sadistic glint in his eyes. The vampire did not want his spawn uniting against him, he wanted them hungry, cornered and competing with one another.

“Hey, you two!” Tav’s voice pierced the night.

Shit.

“What do you think you are doing?”

Tav was a little out of breath, but otherwise trying to stand tall and look somewhat threatening. Violet sized up the lanky teen staring fearlessly at her with a smile that could not lead to anything but blood.

“Oh, look Leon. A little snack. How nice of her to come to us so we don’t have to chase her down.”

“You two better stay away, or else.”

“Ooh, the creature dares to threaten us, how amusing. Tell me, brother dearest, is this to be one of your besotted victims? Wouldn’t want to tread on your toes and steal your target,” she mocked, walking closer to Tav, Leon circling her from the other side.

Leon appraised the child looking at them in defiance. As hard as he worked for their master, bringing the most to the palace, he always hated bringing children.

“Leave her, Violet. Can’t you see that she must be from Upper City? Watch yourself, unless you want to be in the kennels for disobeying Cazador.”

“That was a long time ago and you know it. Besides, a child disappearing because she snuck out from home in the middle of the night is a tragedy, yes, but it’s quite plausible.”

“I am not afraid of you! Leave!” She tried to sound commanding, but Astarion could hear Tav’s heart beating wildly, as could his siblings.

“You should be,” Violet grinned a little too wide.

Something clicked in Tav’s mind. Fangs, out only during the night, blood-red eyes.

“You-you are-” she swallowed forcibly, stopped herself from stating the obvious.

“We are what?” Violet mocked, taking a deliberate step towards the child. Oh, how delicious it was to inspire fear in others, what an intoxicating rush to see someone cower before her.

“Standing right where I want you to. Te occludo oculos!”

Colour sparks shot out of her hands, making Violet and Leon withdraw with a hiss.

[shadowstarion]

more thoughts about durgestarion. yknow how i said astarion would make One Baby Spawn for her? Wrong. I love the idea of astarion emulating cazador in some ways but genuinely being a better person at the same time, so the big parallel here is that instead of having a bunch of spawn to torture and lure in prey, astarion and seless become the world’s most insane foster parents.

seless goes out at night on long walks through baldur’s gate and looks for children who need homes, kids who are orphaned, abandoned, begging for money, sick, or being exploited in some way. depending on their age and circumstances, she’ll offer them a warm meal and a place to stay for the night, bring them back to the mansion for a talk with astarion.

they’re a bit more honest with the older kids about what they are, those who may already recognize astarion as a vampire lord. they’re allowed to stay as long as they want, so long as they’re kind to their siblings and help out around the house. seless tutors them, buys the girls nice dresses, takes them to social events to mingle as much as possible, helps them develop skills and find work as they grow up. astarion teaches them all about the world outside the city, takes the boys out to hunt animals for their supper, gets them rubbing elbows with important people and makes sure they’re set up well for the future. when they’re old enough to make their own way in life they’re free to go, but a few here and there will decide to become astarion’s spawn and stay close to home.

the little ones are a bit different. astarion is very hesitant to make a spawn so young that they can’t make the decision for themselves, so he’d only resort to that if seless brought home a child basically already on death’s door. seless just adores the little kids, loves on them with all her heart and would protect them viciously. she’d go from bunk to bunk giving goodnight kisses, spoil them with stuffed animals and all the toys they could ever dream of. astarion acts like he’s not a fan of young kids, but will sit up all night comforting a little one who’s had a nightmare, checks in on the nursery about a million times a day, and is so unimaginably proud at their every minor achievement.

the bunk rooms in which cazador’s tortured spawn were kept are turned into a paradise of warm blankets and fluffy pillows, each with a desk for the children’s studies and a chest for keep their things safe. seless is guilty of indulging in pillow fights and hair-braiding with the girls, astarion keeping the boys up far past bedtime to narrate while they act out epic tales of adventure. torture chambers and holding cells are turned into play rooms, study halls, a nursery for the very little ones, private quarters for their spawn-children who wished to stay close to home. the entire mansion overflowing with love, happiness, laughter, and the sense of family both astarion and seless have been deprived of.

there would be One Little Spawn, though. seless was going to town on an errand to pick up a new gown from the tailor when a little boy tried to swipe her change-purse and actually succeeded. she’d always be the first to give a poor urchin or young thief a warm smile and invitation to their makeshift foster home, but she positively cannot find the little scamp! she tracks him down by scent, finding him in a filthy alleyway, doubled over and coughing, her purse emptied in exchange for a small piece of bread and bottle of medicine that obviously wasn’t working. he can’t be older than 8 so painfully thin and frail, so sick she’s worried he won’t last the night. she’d rush him home immediately, demand that astarion make him a spawn at once and pray that the transformation didn’t outright kill him. once he’s back to full health and able to speak without hacking, they tell him what’s happened and he’s more than thankful. orphaned, sick, and taken advantage of too many times to count, he’s never experienced so much as a drop of kindness. astarion absolutely adores him, truly does view him as his own child, and they’re just alike in every way; he’s clever, talkative, talented, and extremely compassionate. they’d try to find some magic to help him grow to adulthood and become astarion’s heir, but even if that wasn’t possible he’s more than content to be a child with loving parents for an eternity.