#dxnsemacabre

[wildskissed]

@dxnse-macabre gets our rockstar!au starter

Finding a way to unwind, was one of the things that Eve looked forward to after a long day at work. She loved her job, but every once in a while she needed something else, and tonight felt like a sign. One of her favorite performers was playing, so she had dolled herself up a little and headed out, getting familiar with the bar before the screaming happened and the lights dimmed.

The moment Astarion's voice floated through the microphone, Eve found herself getting a little more into the spirit of it all. His voice had a way of caressing all of her senses, which was part of why she had wanted to come see him. She didn't want to think of herself as just some groupie, but she knew all the words to his songs, and at one point had managed to push her way up to the front by the stage. Whether she liked it or not, he had to know from the way she was singing along and smiling up at him that he had a fan...one way or the other.

Eve had come here to let loose, and let loose she did...so much so that by the end of his set, she eventually found herself in the bathroom, having to eat a ginger chew from her purse to keep the alcohol down, heels in one hand. She wasn't used to wearing them too often, and much preferred to be barefoot even though this probably wasn't the most sanitary place. Still, one thing led to another, and she was starting a fight with some guy twice her size, which ended in her landing a punch, him going down, and then a slightly inebriated redhead slipping into the VIP section of the bar, asking the bartender for ice by name.

Realizing Astarion was there with body guards and at least one club bouncer, Eve paused a moment, setting her heels on the bar as she took a seat on the bar stool. "Thanks, Luke," she managed when she got the ice, pressing it to her knuckles before she chanced a look at Astarion. If she said the wrong thing, she was sure one of his bodyguards would usher her out. Only reason they hadn't yet was her acting like she was important, all buddy/buddy with the bartender, but there was a good reason behind that. "You should see the other guy," she told Astarion, flexing her fingers and wincing just a little before she gave him a smile. "You look familiar..." No, Eve, that was not smooth.

[stilettobitearch]

🥀starter call. @dxnse-macabre

the question wasn't as much about how had so many been taken by the nautiloid and had a tadpole inserted into their brain, but why ceremorphosis hadn't taken hold of any of them yet. and that wasn't even secret's first question, though her own wasn't something she felt she could voice yet.

they all had their own secrets, shadowheart's worship, and… the tiefling glanced over to astarion's tent as the sounds of the camp rustled around them, the party settling in for what would hopefully be a restful night. it made sense that he kept the whole vampire thing close to his chest, but… truthfully, secret didn't mind. she was more of a monster, anyway.

grabbing a bottle of wine, the paladin strode over and cleared her throat to announce herself.

"i wanted to talk to you, and i have wine." bold words spoken softer, not a threat. more gentle. she was practicing being gentle.

[bhaalswn-arch]

   indulge .   find  my  muse  drinking  to  cope .

𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃  &  𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ( accepting !! )

Alkas had discovered lately that he happened to be a heavyweight when it came to drinking. Maybe it was discovered during the Shadow-cursed lands. That drinking contest and spinning tales and lies. ( To convince the Brewer while you drink whatever toxic beer was in the tankard. ) It was wild, more ways than one, but it was not surprising considered what they had faced. He glanced over at Astarion who wandered in. He didn't hear him. The rogue was light on his feet. Typical rogue-like behaviour. He looked at the tankard, and back at Astarion.

"Do you drink?"

[ragemater]

" actually i'm older than you. " lily does not hiss. but there is a note of finality to it. her fangs flashing just a little bit. " you're what, 300? hardly an infant in my eyes. " / @dxnse-macabre finally gets a starter

[wildskissed]

EVE HATED TO IMPOSE. While she thought of their night quite fondly, it was a miracle if she was honest, that Astarion had managed to bring her out of her shell like that. She'd been aching ever since to find more intimacy between them that wasn't of the sexual nature exclusively. In the back of her mind, perhaps that was all he wanted, but when it came to worrying about him in battle to the point where her stomach was in knots like now?

It wasn't all it was for her.

She looked around at his armor on the floor and then took a breath when he brought up sex. While she knew firsthand that the man had nimble fingers, that hadn't been her intentions. Perhaps he thought that was all that she would ever want to come and see him for, but she had hoped that wasn't the case.

❝I didn't come for sex,❞ she promised, shaking her head and then moving to braid her hair a little and tug it up so it was out of her way. ❝I can help, you know? I'm not just a pretty face with a few spells in her arsenal. I can help with this...besides...in case you haven't noticed,❞ she motioned to her scars, ❝I've been through far worse than a little acid burn. I'll clean it up while you sew.❞

At the end of the night, all she actually wanted was to spend time with him.

@wildskissed asked:

Due to the fact that they both only tranced for 4 hours a day, there was plenty of time while the others slept for them to get into mischief. Eve wasn't looking for mischief tonight, however, she was just looking for company, which had led her to Astarion's tent that evening. ❝Is it alright if I come in?❞ she asked him slowly, waiting outside the flap and hoping she wasn't catching him in the middle of his own trance. ❝I just...wanted to see if you might want to cuddle...or talk if you'd rather that...❞

HE WASN'T IN THE BEST MOOD . he had spent most of their down time sewing back together the pieces of his armor that had begun to fall apart prematurely from a vial of ACID thrown towards his direction. he was glad it didn't hit his face, but bloody PISSED that it only caused him more work.

when shit like this happens, staying behind to watch the camp started to look more and more appealing ...

hearing the other nudge her head into his tent didn't startle him at all, but it did earn a slight sigh of irritation. after all, she snapped him out of his state of CONCENTRATION as he attempted to work at the leather. ❝ watch your step -- those armored trousers have bits of acid on them. wouldn't want you to get burned now, do we ? ❞

as she made her way inside, he paused at the other's words. ❝ cuddle ? ❞ a slight chuckle slipped his lips as he tugged at the needle, thinking about their first night together. it wasn't too long ago, but that moment certainly hadn't escaped his mind.

❝ you know i'm not the cuddling type, darling. and ... i'm afraid my fingers are a bit preoccupied with another task to be working at you -- sex isn't on my mind at the moment. ❞

❝ ... what is it that you need to talk about, my dear ? ❞

[wildskissed]

Touch Starved Prompts - @dxnse-macabre mused: “not that i think cuddling will fix everything, but i’m pretty sure it can’t make things worse.”

The way he said it made her wonder if he was just trying to act as though he was just doing it for her benefit, but in the end it didn't matter much the why. In the end, it meant having Astarion in her arms, and that always mattered to her more than the other things. He was far from good at letting it be known what he wanted in moments such as these--when it was serious and it wasn't a game, she wondered if he even truly believed that she genuinely just wanted to be with him.

Cupping his face, Eve scooted closer to him on the bed. “You're right, it can't make things worse,” she mused gently, leaning in closer to tenderly nuzzle his nose with her own as her hand slipped from his face only to move around his waist and tug his body closer to her own. “Anything else that I can do for you?”

Eve would do just about anything for him and maybe he knew that--maybe he counted on it--but just maybe, he thought that like most things, this would end. Maybe he dared not hope it, but whatever he may or may not be thinking, Eve could only wonder. All she knew was that she had needed him to stay, and she didn't want to let him go, and maybe for her, that was a little because she knew things ended too...and she didn't want this to.

[wildskissed]

Playful Affection Prompts - @dxnse-macabre mused: i've never heard your laugh before. i love it.

"Never?" she hears herself asking.

Red flushes her cheeks initially, thinking that he's teasing her, but with everything that they have been going through...perhaps she really doesn't laugh enough. She has a bad habit of getting a little too serious and SECRETIVE, but here's Astarion, pointing out things she's not paying attention to.

"It's that good, is it?" Eve manages a playful smirk even though she's feeling very out of her element here. "Do you love a lot of things?"

[wildskissed]

@dxnse-macabre

Tav: I can fit the whole world in my hands.

Astarion: I don’t even think that’s remotely possible, my dear.

Tav: *smiles and cups his face in their hands*

Astarion: *lightly blushes and pushes them away* Get off me, I have a reputation to uphold.

[wildskissed]

Touch Starved Prompts - @dxnse-macabre mused: “are you blushing? that’s adorable.”

The heat rose up in her cheeks quite involuntarily, staining her cheeks like watercolor on a canvas. She had hoped that Astarion wouldn't notice, but instead he just had to comment upon the new bloom on her face and it made her whole body flush. Suddenly she felt HOTTER than the fire beside them, and she bit her lip to steel her nerves as slender fingers tucked a few stray fiery curls behind a pointed ear.

“I'm sure you think you're the CAUSE of it, don't you?” Of course he was, but she could just as easily blame the flames that were but a foot or two away from them. Besides, would it be so bad if he knew that it was his doing? That sometimes he just said such things that made her temperature rise in the best of ways. “There's no need to TEASE, Astarion...”

[stilettobitearch]

🥀∗ 36﹕ sender is found drunk by receiver . @dxnse-macabre 100 non-verbal prompts.

the evenings have begun to gain a routine, with the party splitting off to their tents, sometimes remaining at the fire, all but huddling for warmth, and secret took to the cold well, but the company of her companions... complicated feelings arose from leaning on them, but that wasn't what was happening. no, the craving for conversation had nothing to do with the reconnaissance the evenings had become the perfect opportunity for. the travelling party gathered with food, and more often than not, wine, learning to spend time with each other aside from their shared mission, finding friendship in each other past being allies. 

and cece's mind never strayed from trying to get to know them. analyse them, figure them out. the lines blurred between self-preservation paranoia and the desperation for any kind of real intimacy. these people were not-so-slowly becoming truly important to her, absences around the fire feeling more like personal attacks against her character than simply enjoying time alone after arduous days adventuring. 

so when astarion, the elf who had made himself known to keeping himself to himself despite his seemingly social exterior, it didn't go unnoticed. the hexblood excused herself from the round, quieting the questions and protests by grabbing another bottle of wine and handing it to wyll before taking a stealthy exit with another bottle of the better stuff in her other hand, first popping her head into astarion's tent, then gazing a little further afield before heading out to see if she could find him nearby. 

"drinking all by yourself, handsome?" a pause, taking in the scene as the elf was returning to the camp, or at least seemingly so. "... are you drunk?" a pang of rejection struck through her, stupid, and she buried it. "seems like you got a headstart on my plans, but the invitation is still open if you can handle it."

[wildskissed]

@dxnse-macabre gets random fluff!

There are definitely upsides to being in the city now, and one of them is that they can be indoors more often. With that, comes new ways to spoil Astarion, like hot baths, the high quality alcohol, and making sure he had a soft bed to sleep on and fluffed pillows. It also meant finding new things to get everyone from traders, who had things that she had never seen before. So, tonight, she had a plan she hoped that he would ENJOY...

"I was THINKING," she began, taking hold of his collar and rolling up on the balls of her feet to steal a kiss, "that tonight we could sneak away to our own room, enjoy an expensive dinner, a hot bath together, and then afterwards..." her eyes sparkled with mischief as she pat his chest with one hand gently, "I do have a prime neck you can feed on if you'd like. Just...a suggestion..."

[wildskissed]

❝Astarion...❞ she began, giving him a stern look, ❝I could just let it FESTER, but we both know you're no good to me withering away...❞ Not that she only wanted him around because he could do things for her, but the way he was throwing a fit and she couldn't seem to not react.

She wasn't actually trying to draw this out: he needed this to be disinfected and her basic healing skills from her Druid days were only going to semi cut it. A spell didn't mean much if it was only COSMETIC.

❝I'm going to remember this the next time we're in this position, you know? That whenever you need patched up, you're just going to whine about it...❞ Eve sighed a little though, and then shook her head. ❝Are you okay though? You're a right pain in the ass, but I want you to be okay...❞

@wildskissed

❝ YOU AND I MUST HAVE VERY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF GRACE . ❞ he balls his hands in fists, his toes scrunching in a similar fashion -- he may have gone through HELL , but that didn't mean he was used to any and ALL pain ...

he lets out a long, PAINED exhale as he watches her prod at his wounds -- then he lets out a whimper, and knots his brows.

❝ i'm letting you touch me, aren't i ? it's not like the pain just MAGICALLY goes away ... ❞ with one more dreaded WIPE , he squeezes his eyes shut . ❝ just -- hurry and FINISH UP already -- ! ❞

[wildskissed]

@dxnse-macabre: Rockstar AU Moodboard

[threecardtrick]

he says nothing, only showing that hopeful look for help. for what it was worth, boars could be quite aggressive creatures, and could cause great injury if one was careless. it takes but a moment for astarion to seemingly switch back to his old self, aiming jabs like arrows. "i'm glad to be held in such esteem," he thanks the other graciously with the nod of the head. he's not sure he believes it... wouldn't someone with magic always be better than him? in a blink, it seems they were about to be off. he grabs his own weapons, which are never far away — and he always keeps a dagger on him. "ready!" he confirms, as if he fears being left behind. "i think a little bit of north of our camp seems like a good place to hunt. it doesn't as well-travelled by people, so animals will more likely be around there," he advises.

@threecardtrick

❝ YOU ? TROUBLE WITH A BOAR ? ❞ the other had to be TOYING with him. he had seen the other in combat. arrows piercing right between the eyes ... humans were no beast, therefore different. yet that didn't mean that the other had no SKILL to take town a simple boar.

❝ good that you chose the RIGHT partner for the job -- though i wouldn't say that you're incapable. GALE would be incapable. ❞ he smiled to himself, the small JAB at the wizard cheered him up slightly.

then, a part of him faltered for a moment. is this the other's attempt at cheering him up ? because if it is, it was certainly WORKING .

❝ come, now. there's only so many hours in a night, ❞ he urges the other forward as he grabbed his hunting weapons-- not wanting to dwell on his previous broken silence.

[bolyde]

“My ambition is in pieces, sunken, and at the whims of the currents of the Chionthar.” Gale replied dimly, mouth twisting at the memory of the loss of the Crown. One of his only leads was in recovering it still and returning it unto Mystra for freedom from the orb that still lived in his chest. Even with that promise, by Mystra’s own admission there was yet an issue with that reality:

The Orb had devoured his talents.

The reality is that Gale faced losing his magic all together with its removal. He had not told a soul about it and he was not about to spill it to Astarion at this moment for the other to rub it in his face because he was frustrated. He’s torn himself up everyday since he found out, genuinely weighing the pros and cons of keeping such a weapon in his chest if it meant he could keep just one thing as it was.

Gale’s gaze could not quite meet Astarion’s when he brought up “some other fancy wizard solution” as perhaps Gale had been hiding just that from the other. Gale’s gaze turned to keep to the ceiling, an infamous tell that he had been keeping a secret, and he wishes he could stop the way he toyed with the hem of one of his sleeves as he spoke.

“It’s not just as easy as reciting a spell or two.” he admitted, eyes flickering to where he had hidden his first attempt in over a year to enchant an item properly from the vampire spawn. In fact, enchanting took time and patience... two things that their previously fast paced life style had eroded from Gale somewhat. He had no idea how the orb, as fragile as it was before he’d even considered ceremorphosis a possible way to die, would affect his magic and he’d grown out of practice. The cloak was a messy attempt at something that was well within his skills prior to having the tadpole forced into his orbital socket, but now he struggled with maintaining the flow of the weave and further more he'd need more money for the components to try again to enchant another cloak... the one stashed was ruined.

@bolyde

HE DESPISED HOW RIGHT THE OTHER WAS. the reality of his CONDITION hadn't quite hit him yet, still in denial that his relationship with the sun was rather short lived. while they had the time to SLAY cazador and many, many others, they simply did not have the means or time left to find the CURE for sunlight while he could still walk without turning to a crisp.

astarion balled his hands into fists, anger bottling inside of him. what happened to the ambitious wizard, gale of waterdeep ? what happened to the man with dreams of becoming a GOD that rivaled that of the goddess of magic ?

❝ where has your ambition run off to ? ❞ his poisoned thoughts seeped out of his mouth and onto his tongue, lashing out before he could hold himself back. ❝ we're desperate. and where there's desperation, there's another option. surely you have some other fancy wizard solution, rather than just these pieces of parchment. ❞

the vampire sighed, impatient. he didn't want to have to sit down and read all day. ❝ can't you just ... recite a spell or two and make me immune for a day ? ❞