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moramaisis · 2 months ago

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Pairing: Ascended Astarion x Arsenia (tav) M/F Status: Villain couple, vampire bride tav. Both are happy together and go on slaughter date nights. Bi chaos. Summary: Arsenia talks about her traumatic past, commits murder (that doubles as a heroic act) and fantasizes about evil things. The midnight ball proves to be eventful and the couple starts sowing the seeds of future doom. Also, furniture shopping :) If you know, you know! Warnings and tags: Usual warnings: evil vampire couple, dark humor, dirty humor, murder, gore, unhinged horniness, brief romantic cannibalism. To those who appreciate dark, lustful vampires and fleshy romance. Fun, dark, campy horror.

Fun fact: Aram Khachaturian - Masquerade Suite was playing on repeat during the dance scene.

Chapter 5 of this story. It's a part of a series. Title: Midnight ball

We returned to Oneressa's manor with our loot, changing back in the living-room. The dogs behaved remarkably well during our flight, they started sniffing around once securely on solid ground. Obreon placed the loot bag on the floor in our bedroom, he was as thoughtful as always. I offered to remove the arrow in Astarion's stomach and he agreed. I pulled it out and then removed the one that was in my hip. I snapped the arrows in half, tossing them into the fireplace. Blood was running down my leg and forming a puddle under my foot.

Merchant's dog wandered over to lick it but i stopped her with a loud command. She stared at me with sad wet eyes and i crouched down to rub her head.

The two-headed dogs ran around the room excitedly, then lay down near the fireplace.

„Are you sure this is safe?“ Obreon asked. „They are trained to kill.“

„It is. They're under my control.“ I replied scratching the dog. „Does anyone remember the spell that lets you speak with animals?“

„I do, what are you thinking?“ Obreon sat on the settee, watching us curiously and pouring himself a glass of wine.

„Lets ask the dog's name. We have to call it something.“

Obreon cast his spell on me and i spoke to the dog.

„What's your name?“

The dog wagged its tail.

„Ruby. Master called me Ruby.“

„Your master is dead so i want you to stay here with us.“

„Ruby likes you, friend. Ruby likes your smell.“

„Did your master treat you well?“

„Master fed Ruby. Ruby slept in his bed. Ruby was alone a lot.“

„We will feed you very well and you can sleep in our bed.“

Ruby's tail was brushing the floor excitedly and she lunged forward to lick my face. I stood up, walked to the table and picked up a plate with the remnants of our breakfast. These were all sweets and certainly not proper dog food, but they were good enough for today. I placed them on the floor and Ruby lunged at them eagerly. They were gone in a second and she licked the plate clean.

I glanced at Astarion almost hoping he'd display signs of annoyance towards Ruby, since i allowed her to sleep with us, but he was occupied with other matters. He had pulled off his shirt, bundled it up and was pressing it against his wound.

„Do you need help, dove?“ I asked.

„No, thank you, i'm just trying not to dribble my blood everywhere.“ He rolled his eyes. „It's starting to feel like the good old days. Throbbing wounds, parasites, apocalypse – ah, the nostalgia. We haven't been this occupied in a long time, have we, dear?“

I strolled over and placed my hand on his blood-soaked shirt, pulling it down to look at the wound.

„It does have a sense of familiar excitement, but the only one whose world shall end will be Cornelis.“

His wound was fresh, already displaying signs of healing, but still a bloody hole in his perfect flesh. A sting of bitterness washed over me, then a sudden wave of arousal – he was hurt by some lowlife whom i loathed, hurt yet still so beautiful. I could never get enough of him. I traced the outline of his wound with my finger.

„Next time hide behind me. I don't want you to get hurt.“ I spoke, unable to remove my eyes from that wound. „We have to coordinate our attacks. One shields, the other assaults.“

Astarion glanced up at me.

„I'm not going to use my consort as a shield.“ He stated calmly.

„I want you to. Use the momentum to slaughter. Make me proud.“ I looked at him with a seductive smile. My finger danced around his wound and pushed inside. It was a completely impulsive response. Something foul and indecent. My finger slid deep into the rawness of his flesh, his muscle felt soft and tender against my skin. I pulled my finger out and brough it to my mouth, sucking it eagerly, tasting his blood.

„I want you to avenge my pain. I want you to kill for me.“ I said passionately.

Astarion was staring at me in silence, the look in his eyes was captivating.

„I will avenge you in tenfold. All you have to do is ask.“ He uttered sensually.

He stuck his finger into his wound and reached out to my lips, enticing me with his blood. I bit his finger, then sucked it clean. Violence made me even more aroused than i already was. The taste and smell of blood awakened a feverish desire in me, both an unyielding hunger and lust. Astarion observed me with a gaze clouded by desire. Becoming a vampire had intensified all my vices and he adored that part of me. At times i behaved like a wild animal.

I got down on my knees and caressed Astarion's hips. His lips parted in anticipation. I pressed my mouth against his wound and pushed my tongue inside his flesh. The rich flavor of his blood made me salivate. I licked and slurped the fleshy orifice without holding back. Astarion shut his eyes and moved his hand to the back of my head. The sound that he made was something between a groan of pain and pleasure.

I tastes his blood like it was our first time, my tongue raking against his exposed flesh. All the lust and violence mixed inside my head, corrupted and unholy. Driven by a sudden impulse i bared my fangs and bit into his wound. Astarion gasped in sweet agony, succumbing to the pain and allowing me to ravage him. When he had enough he pushed my head away with force. I stared at the rough bite marks around his wound and licked my lips sweetened by his blood. My actions reached my brain and i stood up quickly, grabbing his face and coating it with kisses.

„I'm sorry, my love. Look what i did to your beautiful skin.“ I cooed as i was kissing his cheek.

Astarion let me apologize, staring at my bloody mouth.

„Don't worry, darling, i know you got very worked up today.“ He moved up to me and licked the blood that surrounded my lips. His tongue brushed my skin with self-indulgence, then his lips followed and he kissed me. Our kiss was needy and unrestrained. When it ended i glanced over at Obreon and found that he was observing us from the settee. He smiled to me as he raised his glass.

„Your flesh tastes so comforting to me. Your blood tastes like home,“ i mumbled lovingly as my hand brushed through Astarion's curls. „You're my savior, beloved. I might have become a little frozen back there.“

„I wasn't going to watch that beast rip your face off, flame.“ Astarion said. „You are my treasure, after all.“

„Mmm,“ i hummed kissing his forehead. „I know that.“

„Frozen in combat? That's so unlike you, my sweet.“ He cooed as my hands were relishing the softness of his hair.

„I have to agree.“ I said nuzzling his face gently.

Astarion was enjoying my touch, yet he pulled me away to look at me.

„Is everything alright, Arsenia? It's unusual for you to get stiff in battle.“

I was trying to cast that part aside and forget it, but Astarion made me remember. Images flashed behind my eyes and i blinked to get rid of them. „It reminded me of something. Something from the past. It's very old and not worth the time.“

Astarion frowned as he stared at me.

„Tell me. You can tell me anything and i will listen. I can't promise you any earth-shattering words of advice, but i will always listen.“ He spoke and i tried to fight the wave of memories that built up in my brain. The events of something that had happened so long ago were pushing against me, trying to be known. Haunting me. Was i ready to spill my most traumatic event?

I sighed and pushed my face against Astarion's shoulder, looking for comfort. His arms embraced me tenderly.

„You can tell me anything, my sweetest desire. I will not cast judgment.“ He added.

The pictures were lining up behind my eyes, ready to unwind and i was finally ready to let me roll.

„It's going to be a long story,“ i said.

„We have all the time in the world,“ Astarion replied.

I pushed my cheek tighter against his skin. I felt so small, so frail.

„It happened when i was twenty-one. We lived in the forest, in a wooden cabin my parents had built. It was small but they made an attic just for me. I had my own room and it felt like luxury. My father was working on another recipe. He wanted a sample of a manticore's venom. He knew it had paralytic properties and that it could be a valuable ingredient in potion making for healing purposes – for surgery, he said. He wanted to go after the beast but my mother wouldn't let him out alone. I wanted to join and so we left together.“

The events of that day returned to me, while simultaneously feeling fuzzy as if i was watching them through a warped lens. Reliving it felt hurtful, yet i was unable to cry. Time had dulled my memories, yet it was incapable of healing me.

„The journey was long, we traveled for days. Father questioned every farmer he met. My mother was really good at tracking and she led us to the creature. Locals had seen the beast, it had taken a few of their farm animals. My parents decided to set a trap. My father was against killing the beast. He wanted to sample its venom and set it free. Mother hunted some meat for the bait and set up the trap. We hung a net above the meat, it was going to trigger once the creature pulled the bait.

Father gave me a set of darts that were filled with a sedative and wanted me to launch them trough a blowgun. I was supposed to put the creature asleep once it was inside the net.

Mother tracked the beast for days, she sprinkled blood around the forest to lure it to the bait. The days were long and full of waiting. The time spent waiting for the manticore was honestly amazing, we sat by the fire, talked, father played the flute. One evening the creature approached and mother demanded we get in position. My parents hid behind a large boulder, while i was sitting behind an old tree.

The manticore walked carefully, sniffing the meat on the ground. The beast picked it up and tried to carry it away. The net fell down, covering the creature. It started rolling on the ground, thrashing around. I jumped out to shoot it with a dart but the creature rolled on the ground and discharged it's tail spikes at me. I had to dive down to prevent myself from getting impaled.

I heard a loud crashing sound and when i peeked out i saw that the creature had rolled over to the far right and the net got caught on a tree. The manticore stood up and slipped out from the net, it smelled the ground and ran in my parent's direction. I tried to fire another dart at the beast yet it was too fast and i missed. I started running away into the woods, screaming and banging against trees to lure it further away from them.

I heard my mother screaming, she was telling me to stop it an escape. She wanted me to save myself. My father yelled me to do it, to listen to her. I simply couldn't do it. I couldn't leave them behind. I ran to them as fast as i could. They were fighting the beast, using the boulder as a shield and the beast was chasing them around it. I reached them, cast a few spells, helped them. It all happened so fast. It's a blur, really.

The manticore jumped on top of the boulder and fired its spikes at us. I heard my father make this odd sound and when i turned to see there was a spike sticking out of his eye. Another one was right through his forehead and there was one in his neck. He teetered and fell. I rushed to him but my mother grabbed my arm and told me to run. I held her tightly and we both started running. There was a giant abandoned den close by and we were running to it.

The den went deep into the underground but the entrance was wide enough for us, it also formed a big cave before tunneling into the earth. I was the first one to reach it and i just slid in feet-first whilst holding on to my mother's arm. I pulled her down with me and i saw a smile of relief on her face. She fell in head first and i kept pulling her inside. Suddenly she grimaced in pain and something yanked her out. I held on to her arm and got pulled halfway out of the den. The manticore had its teeth in her legs and was tugging her away. I held on and cast a fireball at the beast's face. It screamed and discharged its spikes. I felt them hitting my face. I was so shocked and confused that i didn't even understand what was happening. I backed away into the den and pulled my mother back inside. I pulled and pulled until something released and i tumbled backwards into the den. I looked at my lap and saw my mother's arm, it was still clenching my hand, ripped cleanly from the socket. Then the sounds commenced, wet, ripping sounds of flesh and crunching of bone. I sat there, staring at the cave wall, just staring and listening.“

I saw the cave wall vividly in my mind, the dry earth and exposed stone. A lonely centipede crawling on the surface. I remembered the blood dripping down my face. The weight of my mother's arm in my lap.

„Is this how you got your scar on the cheek?“ Astarion asked tenderly. His voice pierced through the fog and brought me comfort.

„Yes. I just sat there, listening to the beast eating my mother. It returned to devour my father and i was too scared to go outside. I spent the night there. Then a day. I had to piss in the cave. I got brave enough to peek outside once it was twilight. My mother's bloody bones were scattered at the cave entrance. My father's corpse was also half-eaten. I stuffed them inside the net and dragged them home. By the time i reached it they were swarmed by maggots. I buried them in our yard. The buzzing of flies lasted day and night. Sometimes i can hear it in my sleep. The phantom buzzing.“

A sudden touch on my back surprised me and i glanced behind me. Obreon had moved from his comfortable spot and was embracing me. His head was pressed against my spine.

„What nightmarish memories you've been hiding, my love.“ Astarion sighed. „Why didn't you tell me?“

„They were my whole world. I loved them more than anything. When i moved to the city and started working as an assassin i showed no mercy to anyone. Life was unfair, cruel and unpredictable. If i had to lose the ones that i loved and deal with it alone, then so could others. The pain of others brought me a sense of fairness. If i had to suffer, then so must they. In many cases those who i killed were in a good financial position, they had a social status, money, lovers, things to live for. Though, it was not always the case. I was the bringer of death. The manticore.“

„Did you feel better after killing them?“ Astarion asked gently.

„I don't think so, it was a distraction. Sometimes i cried after finishing the job. It reminded me of my pain, of the look in my mother's eyes when the beast dragged her away, but i faced my pain every time i went to work. I punished myself for not sedating the beast.“

„Darling, catching a large beast is no easy task. You cannot blame yourself for the way things ended. You did more than most people. Anyone else would've run as far as they could. Not you, you tried to save them. You fought for your love.“

„Fought and lost.“

„You were young and stupidly brave. You risked your life. I cannot believe that i came so close to losing you. That there was a chance we would have never met. Dear, your parents would hate to see you suffer. They wanted you to live.“

My eyes burned, yet i was unable to cry. I pressed my face against Astarion and clenched his body. He accepted my pain, though he had plenty of his own. He was right, my parents wanted me to live, but i was grieving all the things they never got to see. They never got to meet Astarion. Obreon wrapped his arms around my waist and it made me choke. Even our spawn was compassionate towards me and i felt protective over him.

„I wish they could meet you.“ I whispered.

„I would've given them titles, money, anything to impress them. I would've tried my best to win them over and justify my love for their daughter.“ Astarion spoke softly.

„They would have accepted you once they saw how much we love each other.“ I said. „Even if they hated you for giving me immortality i would convince them to love you. They would like you once they would get to know you.“

„They would be proud of you if they knew you saved your city. If they knew how many temptations you refused.“

„They would not be proud if they saw what i have become,“ i smiled bitterly. „My father would not approve my assassination career. My mother would be worried for me. She wasn't overflowing with love towards humans and she was sceptical of elves and other beings. However, she would be scared for me. She raised me to be strong, to be a survivor, and that is what has led me to this point of my life.“

Astarion was rubbing my back.

„They gave you everything that you need to succeed.“ He said.

I could see things clearly now, there were no illusions anymore.

„My parents would not approve our plans or our lifestyle. However, they would want to see me happy. What they would or would not approve doesn't matter to me anymore. They're gone and i regret nothing. I will never forget or stop loving them.“

Astarion smiled.

„We should visit their graves one day. Make sure they have a nice resting place.“

„I'd love that,“ i smiled back.

Next few days were quite busy as we visited the tailor and a few accessory shops to organize our costumes for the ball. The big event was creeping closer and we decided to attend it dressed to the nines. It wasn't a simple soiree but a masquerade ball and it started at midnight. Oneressa warned us about lord Enwald's events, saying they had a tendency to go wild, that drinks poured freely and attendees who got overly excited didn't hold back. Enwald's events dragged out into early mornings and guests who got too drunk, or tired, were welcome to stay the night. It was also a good place to meet people, thanks to the unrestricted atmosphere, people were in high spirits and easily convinced.

„First party where we're invited to and it's one of those,“ i grumbled as we stopped at a small coffee and baked goods shop. It was a quaint place with wooden furniture and evergreen garlands decorating the counters and windowsills. We sat at a round table in the corner of the shop, drinking hot coffee and sampling our treats. The view from the window looked like a postcard – a snowy, romantic, old-fashioned street lit by lanterns.

„Oneressa thinks it's the best introductions to high society and i agree with her. Besides, we're going be masked, we can prowl and creep in private without approaching anyone.“ Astarion kept his gloves on as he drank his coffee. „I thought you would be more excited.“

„I'm just not in the mood. I don't like big crowds. When we visited Obreon's palace we were hidden by a spell. This time we will be out in the open.“

„You have nothing to worry about, dear. You're naturally charming. Flex that delicious biceps of yours and the guests will be at your feet.“

I was staring out the window and taking small bites from my pastry. I was far away, stuck in the night i killed that merchant and hunted the dog man. It had been such a thrill that the return to the mundane felt jarring. I was still in hunting mode and thinking about Cornelis, social climbing was the last thing on my list of priorities.

„I don't feel like talking to any titled folk. Will you lead the evening so that i can sulk in the corner and drink?“

„Of course, my flame, you can leave all the important things to me. However, i won't allow you to sulk. We will have fun. I'll find a way to entertain you.“

„I keep thinking about hunting. I want to go out tonight. Creep around the Inn. My hands have been itching for this. If only i could catch one of Cornelis' minions…i'd savor every second of squeezing the juices out of him.“

I pushed my thumb into my pastry, crushing it until the red jam filling spilled on the plate. It spread out much like the brain matter of that merchant. My stomach growled, i wiped the jam with my finger and stuck it in my mouth. It tasted like strawberries and vanilla.

„It's in the paper, dear.“ Astarion pointed at the newspaper he had bought with our coffees. „A gruesome robbery, killed with exceptional cruelty.“ He quoted the article, whilst sending me a mischievous peek. „It's always a pleasure to read your beloved's work described with such passionate acclaim. That robbery was a brilliant idea, by the way.“

„Mhm, the money won't be a problem, but the jewelry is useless. We must sell it elsewhere. I'm sure they have notified all the pawnbrokers in town.“

„There's no need to rush things. We can take care of it later.“

Later in the evening i changed into simple clothes and went out hunting. Astarion stayed home with the dogs. I returned to the Longhorn Inn and cast a disguising spell over myself. I tried to manifest a tall, muscular elven warrior woman and the result ended up pretty accurate, i checked my reflection on the window before entering the beloved establishment.

The inn was half full and the same innkeeper was hard at work behind the counter. I approached and ordered myself a jug of cherry beer. You could say many things about the Longhorn Inn but it was always clean and the drinks were good. As my drink was handed to me i put my hand on the innkeeper's wrist and leaned closer.

„I'm a traveler passing through. Would you know of any jobs available for me? I'm up for anything. As long as i get paid, everything's a deal.“

The handsome orc looked at me with a friendly smile.

„Not much now, i'm afraid. The city is looking for street cleaners and the Northern Star coach company is looking for staff in the stables. You may ask around the shops, sometimes they'll hire help if the season is busy.“

„Is that all? I was hoping for something more suitable for a person with my talents.“ I pulled a dagger from my belt and swung it around, then bounced it off the back of my hand and caught it swiftly with my other hand.

„Impressive,“ the innkeeper nodded, „the underground has been pretty quiet lately. We lost a patron not long ago. In a house fire. Dreadful stuff. He would've known people.“

„Tsk, tsk. Fire safety is no joke. He probably fell asleep with a candle on. Or he was smoking in bed.“ I shook my head, pretending to be shocked.

The orc nodded again as if agreeing.

„People were talking that he was half-eaten by his own dogs. Those beasts pulled their chains and ran off. Makes you shudder. Those beasts are too dangerous to be loose, so watch your back.“

„I have eyes on the back of my head.“ I grinned, drinking my beer.

We had a nice casual chat and once i had finished my drink there was nothing holding me there. I gave the orc my coins and left the building. The rendezvous ended in disaster but i was not ready to return home. Not that i enjoyed being on the streets but there was something tranquil about a late night walk. The city was quiet and peaceful, the houses with brightly lit golden windows appeared so inviting and nostalgic. So warm in the midst of the coldness and gloom. I strolled down a street without thinking where i was heading to.

As i was bassing a dark alleyway a muffled scream reached my ears. I glanced into the darkness and saw a man who had shoved a woman against the wall, his hand was covering her mouth. I took off running and tapped the man on the shoulder. As he turned his head i punched him in the face. He lost his balance and slumped against the wall. The lady stared at me with two ginormous eyes.

„Go! Now!“ I barked.

She gathered her belongings from the ground and ran off. The man straightened himself and turned to me with balled fists. His first right hook was aimed at my face. I caught his fist in the air, then kneed him in the stomach. He groaned and his upper body crumpled, yet i pushed him up again and kneed him in the crotch. This time he backed away from me, drooling and grunting from the pain. I made a few steps forward, lifted my right leg and kicked him in the head. The man fell over and stopped moving. I picked him up by his neck and slammed his head into the wall, repeating it again and again until his head caved in and his cheekbone obtained the texture of a soft cake. Pieces of bone tore up his flesh, leaving him unrecognizable. His face was covered in blood and it woke my appetite. I pushed my mouth to his face wound and drank his blood until i was full. I couldn't risk biting anymore, so this was a working solution. I dropped him in the snow and left, a small part of me felt satiated.

When i returned home Astarion was reading by the fireplace, wearing slippers. The sight of him embodied my domestic ideal and i greeted him with a kiss. He must've tasted blood on my tongue because he looked up from his book.

„How was the hunt? Did you catch someone, dear?“

„The hunt was a flop, but i came across a two-legged swine and smashed his head in.“

„Oh dear. You've been awfully peckish lately. You even took a bite out of me.“ He smiled suggestively.

„I don't do well on diets,“ i chuckled. „I need my regular portion of blood or i get cranky.“

„So much for absolving us of our weaknesses.“ He joked.

„Clearly, being hungry isn't a weakness.“ I stated playfully and left to change.

Oneressa visited us the next day. She froze by the door, taken aback by the gigantic hounds. The two beasts didn't even move an ear when the lady entered the room, but Ruby ran to greet her with a violenlty spinning tail. Oneressa watched in astonishment as the dog was smearing its snot and saliva on her dress, it was jumping around her and whining happily. Finally she snapped out of her stupor and crouched down to pet the dog. Ruby took the opportunity and licked her face.

„Come in, they're totally safe.“ Astarion yelled from the back.

Oneressa pushed past Ruby and joined us in the bedroom. Ruby followed her and jumped on the bed. We were in the middle of sorting our clothes. There was a pile for what needed washing and mending. Certain outfits needed to be ironed and stored together. We were both used to taking care of ourselves and Astarion didn't want anybody in his private business.

„Good day! I see you have acquired some household pets?“ Oneressa asked nervously.

„Yes, but it was more of a forced adoption rather a planned decision.“ I smiled, folding my nightgown.

„I dare not to ask any further questions.“ Oneressa shivered. „The midnight ball is speedily approaching. Are your costumes ready? I can send you to my seamstress, if there's a need.“

„They are about done. We should be able to pick them up in a few days.“ Astarion said, dusting one of his jackets and laying it on the bed.

„How wonderful. I struggled choosing mine. I don't think i want to stand out this time.“ The lady sat on the bed and Ruby attacked her with kisses. She fought the dog and got it to lay beside her as she was petting her head.

„That might be a wise idea,“ i said. „Will you take guards to the ball?“

„Absolutely! I'm taking my most trusted ones and i'm paying them generously. Should i notify lord Enwald? No! What a stupid idea! He mustn't know about the kidnapping. This will only lead to unnecessary questions.“ Oneressa sighed and held her forehead. She looked so anxious that i got up, walked to her and took her hand.

„We will be close during the ball. If you need to go anywhere then we will follow you. He won't have a chance to get close.“

Oneressa smiled gratefully and covered my hand with hers.

„Thank you. It's appreciated, however, it doesn't change the fact that he might try something. Things are unpredictable and that's what scares me. Even an army wouldn't make me feel safe when he's around.“

„We took care of one of his henchmen. So there's that.“

„Good. Good!“ She nodded. „I'll ask a servant to bring your dogs some food.“

„That would be great.“ I smiled.

„By the way, who are you going as? Any fictional characters? Classics or something improvised?“

„Improvised,“ Astarion said mysteriously. „We didn't want to stand out either. Dark gowns, skull masks. Very understated.“

„How tasteful! I was planning to dress in black as well. Maybe we should coordinate our outfits?“

„That would be fun.“ Astarion grinned.

„I'll be wearing a skull mask too.“ Oneressa promised.

The evening of the midnight ball was hectic. We bathed and groomed ourselves to perfection, rubbed perfume on our necks and chests. I asked Astarion to fix some iridescent gems into my hair and his handiwork was marvelous. Two hundred years of neglect had made him proficient in many self-taught skills. Our costumes were home, freshly ironed and perfumed.

My dress was floor-length and a deep blue color, the shade close to nighttime sky, and with a deep neckline that reached down to my waist. Two long slits on each side engaged the viewer with a delectable peek of my thigh as i walked. The fabric of the dress was shimmery, catching the light in beautiful silvery waves of shine. My nech was encircled by plentiful rows of black iridescent stones and my earrings were made from the same stone, yet impossibly long. I wore a black skull mask that molded to my horns. My fingers, wrists, horns and tail were decorated by lavish silver jewelry.

Astarion wore a shirt and suit from the same material, his plunging neckline was as bold as mine, it was decorated with tiny black iridescent beads. His shirt was slightly more blue, providing the viewer a subtle contrast which framed his pale chest. The jacket was tailored impeccably and closed with a row of large ornate silver hooks. The fabric around his shoulders and decolletage was emblazoned with stylish beaded embroidery made of black iridescent stone. It also framed his back, accentuating his shoulders. His trousers were slightly tighter than necessary and the fabric glimmered with silver each time he moved, highlighting his shapely thighs. He, too, was wearing a black skull mask. Astarion had pierced his ears and was wearing silver earrings, as well as, many silver rings on his fingers.

We looked beautiful together and it was by design. Oneressa knocked and slid in through the doors while looking slightly anxious. She was in her full costume and it was spectacular. She wore a long black gown that was covered in thousands of tiny sparkling glitters. Her gown was very structured around her torso and open to show off her magnificent soft curves. It had long sleeves which were decorated with beads and the gown itself was very formfitting. She wore a narrow skull mask and a black lace veil.

Oneressa told us that she will arrange our ride to the ball and that we didn't need to worry about anything. Seeing her in our room made me think that it was time to leave, yet her ladyship wasn't in any hurry. She took a few deep breaths and approached us.

„You two look incredible! I love your outfits!“

„Astarion chose the colors, but the masks were my idea. I love your gown, you're glimmering like a diamond.“ I said, unable to turn away from Oneressa's delicious curves which were emphasized by both the tailoring and spellbinding glimmer of the material.

Oneressa smiled warmly. „It's the beetle wings. There's a farm that grows beetles and harvests their carapace when they die. They have them in all sorts of colors. These beetles live about two years, so it's very luxurious. I'll give you their address.“

„Sharing your secrets with us, milady? Aren't you afraid that we might outshine you one day?“ I asked flirtatiously.

Oneressa eyes glimmered playfully through her veil.

„It takes a lot more than a sparkly dress to outshine me, however, i welcome competition. A little excitement will do me good.“

She walked around me to admire me from all sides. Oneressa seemed to relax and the tension from her shoulders faded away.

„I like your hair! Did one of my servants do it?“

„It was me,“ Astarion said, „we help each other get ready.“

„How romantic. Lord Ancunin, you have many hidden talents.“

„Oh, i do,“ Astarion replied alluringly. „There's plenty more to discover.“

Oneressa gazed at him, being absolutely enchanted.

„I was planning to have a glass of wine before we go. Will you join me?“

„Why not? I'm all for picking your poison.“ I agreed.

„Wonderful!“ Oneressa walked to the door and pulled the cord. A servant knocked not long after and took her orders. He brought us a silver tray with three glasses and an open bottle of wine. We took our glasses and clicked them together to celebrate the evening. The wine was exquisite and sweet. The welcomed feathery buzz spread around my body. It will dissipate soon as vampires sobered quickly, so i enjoyed it when i could.

„I needed this. It's not the wisest thing to look for bravery at the bottom of a wine glass, but i shan't be wise tonight.“ Oneressa smirked.

„We will be close to you and you will stay close to us,“ i said.

„It will be an easy task. I must introduce you to everyone.“ Oneressa finished her glass. „Ready yourselves. There will be many new faces tonight and they shall all adore you.“

Lady Melidrient took us outside where a lavish sleigh pulled by two decorated stags was waiting for us. A second sleigh with her private guards was already there, awaiting command. We drove quite far outside the city. Lord Enwald's estate was surrounded by a tall stone wall with spikes, the building itself was made of dark grey stone and elegant. It was pretty common to see elaborately designed manors around these parts. The snowy garden was ablaze with lanterns, decorated with evergreen garlands, ribbons and brightly-colored glass baubles.

The garden was also full of sleighs and arriving guests. We drove to the gardens and waited for the newest sleigh to leave so that we could ride closer to the main doors. Servants greeted us and invited us inside, taking our coats and assigning them a paper tag with our names. We presented ourselves as married and sharing a name, once again. Astarion bent his arm and offered it to me. I slid my hand into the crook of his elbow and we walked to the ballroom. Oneressa was beside us, smiling and looking for her friends among the crowd.

The ballroom was magnificent! The music was playing, drinks were pouring and the candles were lit. The giant glass chandelier held an unholy amount of candles and their combined glow reflected through hundreds of dainty glass hangings, which covered the room in glimmering dapples of light. The ballroom was giant, decorated with flowers and more evergreen branches. Tables pushed against the walls were full of foods and drinks, all served on immaculate tableware. I was astonished by all the grandeur and effort that went into this soiree. The costumes of the guests, however, were on a level of their own! Oneressa touched my arm gently.

„There's lord Enwald himself, let us meet.“ She guided us to a handsome elf in a dark green costume and a mask with antlers. He was draped in jewelry.

„Good evening, dear friend,“ Oneressa cooed. „You hosted this party just to show off your costume, didn't you?“

Lord enwald's face lit up as he recognized his friend. He rushed to give her a kiss on the cheek and Oneressa kissed him back.

„Looks like you came to show off, as well!“ He laughed. „You're stunning! And mysterious.“ He added meaningfully, dropping his voice.

„These are the friends i was talking about. Lord and lady Ancunin.“

„How enchanting to finally meet you.“ He said, greeting us with a nod.

I made a light curtsy and Astarion graced him back with an elegant nod.

„Oneressa spoke very fondly of her new renters. I have yet to meet any refugees from Baldur's Gate. I heard it went through brutal carnage.“

„It's early to call us refugees, we're still looking back at our beloved town. We're simply traveling, trying to put the ghosts of past behind us.“

Astarion took over the entire conversation just as he promised. I had to do very little and could look around the room. Look for something out of place, but it was all cheerful and calm.

Their conversation was lively and dragged on for a while. Then lord Enwald excused himself to meet another guest and promised to return to us later on. Oneressa brought us to another set of nobles that she knew and we spent a long time greeting new faces and engaged in small talk. It went surprisingly well but i got tired pretty quickly and my mind started to wander. Astarion was superb at charming others, carrying the heaviest load in the conversations. All i had to do was smile and add a confirmation here or a compliment there. My eyes scanned the crowd until a familiar feeling tickled the ends of my nerves. I sensed a presence and tapped Oneressa's arm to whisper to her that i will be leaving them for a short while. She nodded to me and i left.

I followed the smell of a familiar perfume like an animal. It took me to a white-haired elf in a white costume. I put my hand on his shoulder and the elf turned around with a frightened surprise.

„It's nice to see you here,“ i grinned.

„I decided that i had to come.“ Obreon said in a low voice. He was wearing a white owl mask and all of his jewelry was a blood red color. His eyes slid down my costume, stopping briefly at my deep neckline. „Where's Astarion?“

„He's social climbing with Oneressa.“ I chuckled.

Obreon started at me intently.

„Oneressa bedded you, didn't she?“

„Or we bedded her? Why does it matter? Do you want to join the fun?“ I glanced at him darkly.

Obreon blinked slowly and looked away with an annoyed expression.

„As long as she doesn't know about me, it doesn't concern me. Was she even good?“

„She's creative and generous. And lonely. Overall a good asset to possess.“ I said without giving the topic a deeper thought. Obreon pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes.

„She may have kept your secret but we must keep an eye on her. Telling her was a great risk.“ He whispered.

„It was, but she's returning the investment. She's helping us meet the big noses. You seem to have an issue with her?“ I glanced at him and Obreon looked me in the eyes with a worried expression.

„They're telling all sorts of tales about her. That she's a seductress and a cheater, a schemer and a snake.“

„Tall tales. She told us that they were both cheating in the marriage. She got tired of the game a long time ago. She knows about the stories, Obreon.“

„I'm sure she does. She's very smart. I'm just worried about you.“ Obreon whispered.

„I appreciate it.“ I looked at him with a smile, then noticed a glass of wine in his hand and took it. I drank it swiftly and placed it on a servant's tray that ran past us. „You don't have to feel jealous.“

„Wh-hat? Why should i?“ He frowned quickly.

„I know jealousy when i see it. There's no need for it. We chose you for a reason. You're our special one. You belong to us. Forever.“ I said quietly as i leaned closer to his ear.

Obreon blushed under his mask.

„Alright, maybe i was…a little. But for good reason.“

„You're our favorite.“ I uttered as i bit and tugged his ear.

Obreon gulped and touched my arm.

„Even Astarion said how much he admires you. You've grown so much.“ I added and Obreon clenched my arm passionately.

„Really? That's….sweet.“ He mumbled and i could hear the flurry of emotions and desire in his voice.

I kissed his neck and pulled away quickly before anyone noticed. Obreon tried to hide his smile.

„So, do you attend such parties often?“ I asked to drive the conversation in a new direction.

„Not really. I have been here a few times in the past. Lord Enwald knows me. Do you…?“ Obreon leaned closer to me and i stooped down. „Do you think he might come here?“

„We suspect it. Oneressa is very scared of him. We're staying close just in case he pops out of someone's skirt. She brought bodyguards, who are disguised in the crowd, but we're still watching.“

Obreon nodded and snatched a glass of wine from a passing waiter. He drank it greedily.

„Very well then.“

„Did you get an invitation?“ I smiled deviously.

„I asked for one.“

„You naughty boy.“ I mumbled and Obreon gazed at me with a playful smirk. I was glad he was here – at least one person i knew among the sea of strangers.

„Nobody knows i'm here. I don't want to stand out. Someone might recognize me, though.“ He said.

„Should've dyed your hair.“ I smirked.

„I thought about it, but forgot. I got very busy.“ He shrugged. Suddenly his eyes fixated on something in the distance and his gaze followed someone in the crowd. „I can't believe it! It's…him.“

I looked in the direction he was staring at. A tall, broad-shouldered, handsome elf in a dark red costume was walking around the room with confidence that was hard to ignore. He was wearing a simple black mask. His hair was white just like Obreon's, reaching to his waist.

„It's my brother.“

„Does he attend such soirees?“

„Oh, he's a regular. He's trying to distract himself from his pitiful existence.“ Obreon said with contempt.

We observed him greet a lady elf, the two exchanged a few words and playful glances. Obreon's brother was a bold flirt, he carried himself elegantly, with a hint of smugness, yet something in his posture seemed stiff. It appeared very overplayed to me.

„What an asshole.“ Obreon cursed.

„Tell me about him. What's his name?“

„It's Amadorn and he's life mission is to make everyone feel like they're beneath him. It's comedic to say the least, as if he could trick his own flesh and blood. I know him better than he knows me. We drifted apart a long time ago, he treated me like dirt when we were younger and he continues that tradition. He was the one who clung to our mother's skirt the most. Used to fight me for her attention, until i stopped trying, that is. He never did. He's trying to drown himself in wine and romances, trying to look confident and capable, but he's starved for love and attention. He feels abandoned. Always has. Always will.

He has the biggest crush on powerful women and he thinks i don't know about it. Of course i do. He reads romances with strong female leads and fondles himself every night to the point that i'm scared to enter without knocking. The bastard has a problem with intimacy, i think. I bet money his love life isn't as colorful as he makes it look.“

Obreon was clever and observant, i trusted his opinion without a doubt.

„Is he single right now?“ I asked as my eyes remained glued to said elf. He was younger than Obreon, but his demeanor was brave and grand. It was like looking at a peacock shaking its tail. His face was even more angular than Obreon's and his eyes were dark brown, but they looked so much alike! The family resemblance was strong.

„He's single. Has been for a while. His last mistress got tired of his antics. He was ignoring her for long periods of time, you see, then returning with a puffed chest. I'm not quite sure what happened there but my brother tends to lose interest rather quickly. Anyway, that moron was sulking for a month, drinking alone in his room. He hates getting rejected.“ Obreon was rejoicing when talking about his misery.

„You said he treated you badly.“ I asked.

„He did. Amadorn has called me many things – a pushover, weakling, know-it-all, childish. Once i started working for my father he called me a bootlicker. He was bursting from jealousy when my father told me he was proud of me. He never understood why i stopped craving for my mother's affection or why i pulled away from everybody. He was always jealous of my father referring to me as his oldest child.“

I watched Amadorn as he took a glass of wine and smiled to another lady with a deep decolletage.

„He sounds so broken. Do you think i have a chance at messing with his head?“

„A cupboard in a corset would have a chance with him. You're just his type. He'll cum in his trousers at the sight of you.“ Obreon scoffed.

„Should i torment him a little?“ I grinned widely.

„Oh, please do. Make him suffer. It would make me happy if you knocked him down a peg.“

„Lets go. I want to run into him.“ I said evilly, eating the target with my eyes.

Obreon chuckled loudly, he was staring at his brother with viciousness that was comparable to mine.

„He's going to the hallway.“ Our spawn noted.

Obreon wanted revenge and i was glad to provide it to him. It also fit into our plans with Astarion. I was bored and deadly.

Amadorn was heading to the hallway which led to the bathrooms. We circled the area and Obreon remained in a position suitable for a private viewing. He watched with a glass of wine in his hand. I ran around with my vampirical speed, darting into the bathroom he was heading to.

Amadorn opened the door and as he rushed inside i jumped out to meet him. The noble elf walked straight into me, his face smashed into the deep cleavage of my gown. Amadorn froze in genuine astonishment, i felt his hot breath between my breasts. The elf shifted his face up to stare at me. I gazed down at him with my full regal coldness. He was tall but still not tall enough to be at eye level with me. His eyes widened in horror and he backed away from me with such vigor that his feet tripped on the carpet and he fell backwards against the wall. I watched as he struggled to regain his balance but failed miserably, sliding down the stone wall until his rear hit on the floor. The elf looked terrified, though, my intense staring did nothing to help the situation. It must've been unnerving.

I leaned forward, placed my hands on his waist, and lifted him up as if he weighed close to nothing. I held him in the air for just a second longer than necessary, before putting him down on his feet. Amadorn was speechless during the whole ordeal, staring at me with his huge brown awestricken eyes. His expression reminded me of the way children looked at statues depicting old forgotten heroes of the past.

„Madame! I'm deeply sorry for running into you. “ He finally spoke.

„You're forgiven, though i must admit that it was entirely my fault. I didn't see you entering. You're really swift for someone your size.“ I replied alluringly.

„My size, madame?“ Amadorn smiled awkwardly, gulping down my backhanded compliment like a starving suckerfish.

„Tall people have a tendency to be clumsy,“ i explained with a twinkle of evil in my eye, while touching my chest as if referring to us both.

Amadorn followed my hand but was unable to notice anything other than my cleavage.

„That is an unflattering stereotype, madame. Tall people are no more clumsy than your average person. Such slander angers me, as an appreciator of statuesque builds. I'm Amador Anvegg.“

I reached my hand to him and he pressed it to his mouth, lingering against my skin while barely touching it, then kissed it affectionately. He didn't let go of my hand, holding it gently instead, allowing me to slide it out of his grip in my own pace. I pulled away without a hurry as our eyes caressed one another.

„Arsenia Ancunin.“ I smiled sweetly, sensing his excitement.

„I haven't seen you before, i would've noticed someone of your grandiose beauty.“ Amadorn was back in the saddle, back to being his usual charming and friendly persona.

„You have a good eye! I'm vacationing here and attending this soiree with my husband.“ I smiled back to him, enticing him to keep talking and looking in my eyes.

„Aah! And where is your dear husband? I would like to meet such a lucky man.“ Amadorn wasn't taken aback by me being married, not one bit. What a little shit.

„We'll have plenty of time to meet him. I got bored and was left to peruse the crowd.“ I grinned. „Lord Anvegg, i'm holding you from your companion. They must be searching for you by now.“

„You mustn't worry. I came alone and i'm completely free to accompany you.“

„Hmm, it proves to be a fortunate night. I will leave you to attending your needs, lord Anvegg. I'm sure you're excited for some privacy.“ I made a few steps to the door, then turned to smile over my shoulder. „I'm looking forward to meeting you in a more dignified setting.“ I left him in the bathroom and walked over to Obreon. He was beaming with joy and anticipation.

„How'd it go?“

„It went well. He couldn't take his eyes off me and wanted to meet my husband.“ I smirked as we started moving back to the ballroom.

„He has fallen in headfirst. Meeting the partner of his conquest is a dead giveaway.“ Obreon laughed. „But he was destined to. If you pick up a sword and show off a few of your fighting moves he'll be propped up by three legs. Strong, warrior ladies are his fantasy.“

„It's almost terrifying how well you know your brother.“ I teased.

„How else am i supposed to humiliate him?“ Obreon sent me a playful glance.

I spotted Astarion and Oneressa in the middle of the crowd, we started making our way toward them. It looked like the social climbing had been paused.

„I'm going to wait by the window.“ Obreon whispered and disappeared into the crowd. I stood beside Astarion and the vampire observed me with a curious little smirk.

„You were absent for a long time. Did you meet anyone interesting, darling?“

„I was fishing and you have no idea who's on the hook.“ I looked him in the eye and he was immediately intrigued.

„Shopping around, my lovely? There are many fruits to be picked here, though, most are, at least, somewhat rotten.“ Oneressa added.

„The rotten ones make great compost. I'm shopping around for new furniture, so the attendees are safe from me.“ I replied with a smile and sent Astarion a meaningful look. He cocked his head, emitting waves of burning interest. No doubt he could sense my excitement.

„I'm going to get some champagne. It's right at that table in your field of view.“ Oneressa sighed tiredly as she pointed at the table that was a few meters away from us, pushed against the wall.

„We'll be watching,“ i smiled and Oneressa left. As soon as she was far enough Astarion leaned closer to me.

„What furniture did you find, my love? Is it expensive or another fixer-upper?“

„Obreon's brother is here – the serial bedder of forlorn spouses. Obreon painted me a picture with all the pitiful details. Mommy issues, problems settling down, a kink for warrior women, general volatility. We already met and he showed great interest in my cleavage.“

„Ah, another fixer-upper it is then. So, Obreon is here? What a crafty little bugger.“ Astarion laughed. „And why did he come? To feed us his brother?“

„No, he was just worried. Amadorn is a regular at soirees and Obreon gave us his heartfelt blessing to torture him.“

„There's nothing like sibling rivalry. Does anybody even like each other in that mighty Anvegg household?“ Astarion added sarcastically.

„I hope not, it would make it easier for us.“

Oneressa was back with three glasses of champagne.

„Take them or i'll drink myself under the table.“ She said flirtatiously.

We took our share and tasted the drinks. Musicians ended their piece and started playing a cheerful repeating tune, signifying the start of the first dance. All three of us watched as people freed the center of the room and couples talked to each other. Needless to say we weren't planning to join.

„Thank gods my dancing days are over,“ Oneressa said, sipping from her glass. „I still remember the time someone stepped on my train and ripped a hole.“

„I thought nobles excel at dancing?“ Astarion chuckled.

„Not when they're drunk and horny.“ Oneressa said evilly.

„Yes, it must be hard to dance when a pole is pushing you apart.“ I added and Oneressa laughed.

A figure was making his way to us. I couldn't believe my eyes! Amadorn was bolder than i thought, or simply too eager, and either thing suited me very well. Amadorn stopped in front of us and his eyes inspected us without even a hint of shame. He was wearing a pleasant smile and his eyes were radiant.

„Lady Ancunin, may i have this dance?“ He asked with a flirtatious tone.

„I don't dance.“ I said seductively, as our eyes were glued to one another.

„Please, you would make me very happy, if you did.“ Amadorn's smile lingered on his lips. „ You ran off so suddenly, many unsaid things need clearing up. Would you indulge me, my lady?“ Amadorn reached me a hand.

„Go on, love. Give him some happiness.“ Astarion said with a devilish glint in his eyes.

I took Amadorn's hand and he walked me to the dance floor. Couples had circled the area and the musicians started playing a waltz, it was an oddly dramatic piece, full of beautiful melodies, but with an eerie underlying tone of anxiety. Amadorn placed a hand on my waist, i put my hand on his shoulder and our free hands squeezed together. Amadorn pushed us off the floor and we started twirling around the room. Everything merged into a colorful blur. Amadorn was good at leading us, even though he was shorter than me and his face was awfully close to my cleavage, his eyes remained fixed on mine.

„You're good at dancing.“ He said with a smile.

„So are you.“ I smiled back and Amadorn looked down at my cleavage. Something in his self-indulgent stare was predatory, devoid of any shame. I felt his hand squeezing my waist and sliding down to my lower back.

„You look stunning in this dress, you know that? I could only dream of getting this close to your beautiful curves.“ He purred in a low tone. „Your man knows how to dress you. I'm almost jealous that he gets to sleep next to you.“ His indecent stare was devouring me and something about that felt painfully familiar.

„Cornelis? You dragged yourself here, you bastard.“ I chuckled in disbelief.

Amadorn grinned widely.

„I saw that fella run face first into your tits. I can't say that i'll be able to forget that image…ever.“ His eyes were glinting.

„Why are you here? Did you get lonely sleeping in your garbage heap?“

Cornelis uttered a little laugh.

„You killed my man. Tsk, tsk, Arsenia, i saw the body and it was not pretty.“

„I don't know what you're talking about.“ I replied with the widest of grins.

„I know it was you, no need to be modest. I know that you got my message too. What did you do to him? To your spawn?“ Cornelis gazed at me with sadistic passion.

„We killed him,“ i smirked.

„How callous! I thought you cared about your spawn. I guess not all spawn are equally important, not all can work in high places.“ He said meaningfully.

I squeezed his shoulder, but Cornelis tried his best to hide his pain behind a smile. I felt the pressure of his hand on my lower back. Finally, his face twitched in agony and i eased my grip.

„You know what i want, Arsenia. I won't leave you alone until i get my money. I will pick off your spawn, everyone you care about, one by one, until you give it to me. I'm getting impatient, girl.“

„You mean broke, Cornelis? Are you even wearing anything if i take off that spell?“

„Do you really want to know?“ His voice was barely a whisper and suddenly i felt a gust of breath against my face. Cornelis was taller than me, yet the spell masked him as someone shorter. His cheek touched mine and i felt his breath on my ear.

„I wouldn't recommend you to do anything rash. We have Amadorn and my friend is going to tip the palace about a possible vampire spawn. I know you turned one of Anvegg's sons. Gods, that was bold.“ He moved his hand to my hip.

„I'm not the only one whose friends are getting picked off, Cornelis. Now you're here, in my arms. You're begging me to strangle you, aren't you.“ I cooed back to him.

„Are you going to burn this ballroom down? Beat the crap out of Anvegg's son? You're cornered, girl. It's okay to admit it just this once.“ He laughed. „And, as you mentioned it, i prefer being strangled with legs.“

„Do you want to seduce or blackmail me? Make up your mind, chicken brain.“ I said evilly.

Cornelis gave me a deep indecent stare, meanwhile a smug smile danced on his lips.

„Why not both? I saw you with Amadorn and what's with the sudden interest? Are you planning to turn him too? That's quite nasty, Arsenia. I take my hat off. I'm giving you two days to decide. Come to the post office on Lethran's street, there will be a letter addressed to you with instructions inside. Bring the money and we will be even.“

I couldn't let him go now that he was so painfully close. However, i also couldn't risk exposing myself to the crowd. My mind was working quickly, i needed a distraction. I focused my energy on the table with drinks and candles. A flame sprouted on the tablecloth, growing fast and spreading along with a bright flash. Gasps and murmurs breezed through the crowd and heads tarted turning. The fire had nearly engulfed the whole table and started climbing up the wall. Guests began moving away from the blazing wall and rushing to the center of the room. Someone yelled „Fire!“ The music stopped playing and i could hear the creaking floor.

Now that the crowd was distracted i used the moment to kick Cornelis in the legs and trip him to the floor. He lost his balance and fell. I pretended to fall alongside him and grabbed his head, slamming it into the floor. Since he was under a disguising spell my hand touched the air. Cornelis groaned and tried to push me away but i didn't move. Suddenly the shape of Amadorn started shimmering underneath me and faded away. I was staring right at Cornelis in the flesh, he was wearing simple clothes – dark leather trousers and a brown linen shirt. He stood out like a sore thumb among the elaborately costumed people.

Cornelis pulled out a dagger and pushed it against my stomach.

„You know it's not going to harm me, but if you ruin this expensive dress i will crush your head like a pimple.“ I warned him.

Cornelis grinned widely, the tip of his dagger moved up until it was between my breasts. He tilted his head as he was looking at me with amusement. He was playing with me, testing his limits.

I snatched his wrist and tried to twist his dagger away, yet he pushed me to the side, rolled over me and wrapped his forearm around my neck, pulling us both up. He pressed his dagger against my neck. People close to us gasped and moved away. Cornelis turned us around, inspecting the crowd. The fire had been put out and a large blackened stain dirtied the wall.

„Move aside or i will cut the lady.“ Cornelis barked with a manic grin. He started moving to the entrance, using me as a shield. „Stay calm now, you don't want to blow your cover.“ He whispered in my ear as we scurried to his freedom.

I spotted Astarion's face in the crowd, his red eyes narrowed as they studied us, then he vanished.

„What is this? Who are you?“ Lord Enwald yelled, rushing toward us through the people.

„What are you planning to do next, you criminal mastermind?“ I asked Cornelis quietly. „A dagger on the throat? You have a serious lack of imagination.“

„I figure it's not the first time you felt it, since you're such a connoisseur?“ He purred.

„It's how i met my husband, actually.“ I said.

I felt Astarion's emotions, he was somewhere close, so close, in fact, i could sense his perfume. I didn't move, leaving him all the glory of saving me. Then it hit me, a subtle motion of air. Cornelis froze and inhaled sharply.

„Shit.“ He groaned and fell down behind me. I turned on my heels and there he was – my Astarion. He was standing next to Cornelis, who was lying on his side with a dagger sticking out of his spine.

Astarion was looking down at him with a look of finely crafted disgust, then he averted his eyes to me.

„Sorry that i made you wait,“ he said.

„You're just on time.“ I smiled and hugged him.

Lord Enwald ran up to us with a worrisome frown.

„Are you two unharmed?“

I nodded, rubbing Astarion's arm.

„I must call the guards,“ lord Enwald started but i cut him off politely.

„Please, could you wait? We need a room, something private, to question him.“

Lord Enwald seemed confused, but Astarion rushed to explain.

„We have enemies and this is an assassin sent to collect our heads. It's important that we ask the necessary questions. We'll deal with him ourselves and we're deeply sorry to have caused such a fuss at your delightful party.“

Lord Enwald pressed his lips together with a hint of understanding in his eyes.

„It is i who should apologize for not having the appropriate security. I will show you a room you can use.“

„Thank you.“ Astarion snatched Cornelis' collar and pulled him up, then hoisted his arm over his shoulder and supported his waist.

Lord Enwald was surprised to see Astarion lift such a tall, heavy man, but said nothing.

„Please, return to enjoying yourselves, dear guests. This mess shall be cleaned up shortly!“ He yelled to the crowd and the music started playing again.

Lord Enwald guided us to a room in the back of the palace, although not too far away from the ballroom, it was still far enough to have total privacy. He opened the door to a large room with a stone floor. It was a simple space with minimal furniture and a fireplace. Astarion and i dragged Cornelis to a chair, then Astarion yanked out the dagger from his back, and we seated the man down.

„Let me know if you need anything.“ Lord Enwald left and shut the door.

Cornelis was glaring at us intensely, being paralysed from the waist down made him completely helpless.

„This is the second time you thrust something into me, lord Ancunin,“ Cornelis smirked impudently whilst trying to hide his anger. „Did you know that daggers and knives are considered phallic symbols?“

„And i will happily do it again. This isn't going to work on me, so you can end your moronic yapping.“ Astarion stated coldly. „Don't embarrass yourself more than you already have.“

Cornelis stared at him with intensity that was hard to describe.

„He knows about Obreon and threatened to expose him. Gave us two days to pay and they have Amadorn.“

„Oh my, another kidnapping? Aren't you overcompensating your failures?“ Astarion smirked. „I'm assuming you brought a friend? A little bitch named Amara, who cast a spell on you. Where is she?“

„Do you really think i'll talk?“ Cornelis raised an eyebrow. „You're just a pretty mattress.“

Astarion lowered himself to eye level with him.

„Do you think you can handle pain? Time starts moving really slowly once i start ripping your flesh from bone. Every minute feels like an eternity.“

They stared at one another and something dimmed in Cornelis' eyes.

„And what happens if i tell you? You give me a quick and painless death? Looks like i have nothing to lose.“ He smirked bitterly.

„The only person who wins from this is Amara. If you don't give her up she will continue blackmailing us. Obreon is a valuable asset and we're keen on keeping him alive. We might feel the urge to pay her and since you'll be dead she gets all the money. Do you really want her taking your reward?“

Cornelis' face turned serious, his piercing eyes cut into me with loudness.

„You know what's going to happen, right? She'll be walking around, boasting how she cheated some dense oaf out of his grand prize. Maybe she's already doing that, maybe it was her plan all along? You do remember that she used to work for The Watch and stole from them, before changing her field.“

Cornelis's muscles twitched.

„She left that part out, actually,“ he said with contempt. „The lass told me she bought the rope from someone.“

„You talked our ears off with your praises for loyalty. It's hard to find it in the gutter. Every man for himself.“ Astarion smirked. „Maybe she won your trust by other means?“

„I didn't fuck her,“ Cornelis hissed.

„She was using you and you didn't even notice,“ Astarion gloated.

Cornelis grimaced, baring his teeth.

„Maybe we can make some sort of a deal?“ He asked after a pause.

„Sorry, no deals for you. Not after your little games. It's either a quick death or a painfully slow one.“ I stared at him.

„And the satisfaction of knowing that Amara dies screaming.“ Astarion sweetened the pill.

Cornelis looked away with a bitter look on his face. Little did he know we could read it all. The disappointment of his failed endeavor, the sourness of betrayal, the fear of death. His masseter muscles were dancing under his skin.

„Where is Amadorn?“ I asked calmly.

Cornelis kicked his head up.

„He's in the closet upstairs. Second floor, left side, room with green walls.“

„And where is Amara?“ Astarion added.

„I have no idea. She's disguised as a servant.“

„Come on now,“ i wrinkled my nose. „Give us the details. Man, woman? Hair color? Height?“

„A blond elf girl, medium height. Green eyes.“ Cornelis looked tired and worn.

„What a good boy,“ i grinned, walking around the chair and standing behind him. I pushed both of his arms tightly against the armrests. „My beloved, you know what to do.“ I glanced at Astarion.

The vampire hesitated for a second.

„Are you sure, dear?“

„Absolutely.“

Astarion sat on Cornelis' lap, clutched his shiny black hair, pulled his head to the side and bit his neck. Cornelis struggled underneath him, he was fighting instinctually against the overbearing death, yet this was a battle he was destined to lose. I held him still and soon the man's head fell limp. Astarion got up, wiping his lips.

„He tasted nice, i'm pretty surprised. Thought he'd taste like a pound of bile and venereal disease.“ He frowned.

„I'll get Amadorn, lets meet at the ballroom entrance,“ i said kissing him on the cheek and running out the door.

I flew up the staircase and opened every door on my way until i found the one that Cornelis described. The room was dark and smelled like old furniture. A giant wooden closet loomed in the back of the room, swallowed by darkness. The handles were tied together with rope. I walked up to it and touched the rope, setting it on fire. It fell apart and i smothered the flame with my foot. Then i reached for the handle to open the doors.

Amadorn was sitting in a fetal position, pushed against the wall and appeared to be sleeping. I grabbed his shoulder and shook him. Amadorn woke up slowly, he couldn't see anything but my glowing eyes and it made him gasp. The elf pulled away from my hand, the fear in his eyes gave him a childish, vulnerable expression.

„It's me, lord Anvegg. I was looking for you.“

„Madame Ancunin?“ His voice was high and strained. „Where am i?“

„There was an incident in the ballroom. A couple of assassins were sent after us and you got in their way. You were taken.“ I offered him a hand, touching his fingers in the darkness to help him find me. „We caught one of them and questioned him.“

Amadorn accepted my hand and i pulled him out of the closet. A light glow was seeping in through the window, coming from the lanterns outside, which made us look as nothing more than hazy apparitions. Yet, i could see him clearly, he was gazing at me with admiration.

„Assassins?“ He asked with concern. „I didn't know you had such bloodthirsty enemies.“

„We gained many enemies in Baldur's Gate after defeating the Elder Brain.“ I dropped that fact casually into the conversation and it worked like a charm. His eyes widened in pure awe.

„You were in that battle?“

„Indeed, me and a few of my friends. I'm surprised you've heard of it.“

„Of course i've heard of it! That city must be cursed! I can't believe that i'm standing face-to-face with one of its heroes.“

„Shh, it's our little secret.“ I smiled.

„It's safe with me.“ Amadorn took my hand and brought it to his lips. „Saving must be your second nature, madame. I thank you for finding me.“

„Do you remember who kidnapped you?“

„Hmm,“ he furrowed his brow as he tried to remember, „someone hit me in the back of my head. I tried to get up but darkness washed over me. She must've put me under a sleeping spell.“

„She?“

„An elf woman in a servant's uniform. I didn't see her very well.“

I asked him a few additional questions and told him to remain in that room for a little longer. I needed him to stay out of my way. Then i ran to meet Astarion.

Astarion was standing near the entrance to the ballroom, hiding behind the wall. I accompanied him in the shadows.

„He's safe and sound. I told him to wait in that room. You should've seen his face. He was looking at me like a starving puppy.“

„So, you liked my plan after all,“ Astarion smiled. „Sinking your claws into the prey.“

„I'm sowing seeds for the future harvest. Did you see our thunder girl?“

„No and if she was in the room during Cornelis' little flop then she'll know that their plan has failed and try to escape.“

„Amara knows how to open portals, but she will need a private space. She could be anywhere right now.“ I sighed, looking at the dancing couples. The ball guests had recovered from the dramatic hostage situation and resumed their merrymaking.

„Exactly. If i were her i would be out of here at lightning speed. It's safe to say we have lost her.“

„She'll find her way back to us. No one can resist the tang of money.“ I smirked.

„I think you're right, my flame. Lets bury the body. If we'll be quick nobody will even notice our absence. I got a sudden urge to dance.“

We picked up Cornelis and changed into our bat form, making sure to cast the invisibility spell before leaving. We carried him to Crow's Call, buried him in the yard and returned to the ball. The night was still young and our detour didn't rob us of anything valuable. As we entered the room with my hand in the crook of Astarion's arm, we were approached by a small crowd of concerned people – Oneressa, lord Enwald, as well as some other fresh acquaintances made at the beginning of the night. Obreon was standing nearby, peering at us curiously. Amadorn was out of his confinement and peacocking about with a glass of wine in his hand.

„How was your endeavor? Did you find what you were looking for?“ Lord Enwald was the first to ask.

Astarion calmed our host, explaining that we had, indeed, learned all that we needed to know and the unwanted guest has been dealt with. He was more than happy to hear it and left us with Oneressa, who was visibly shaking. Lady Melidrient was as upset as i thought she'll be, it took a lot of explaining to reassure her that the evening was safe. She wasn't too thrilled to hear that Amara had escaped but nothing could be done about it. She asked us to stay in her palace for a while longer, to which we agreed. Our new acquaintances were also glad to hear that we were safe.

Astarion invited me to dance and we dominated the waltz. It was time to enjoy the evening.

#ascended astarion smut #ascended astarion #ascended astarion x tav #astarion smut #astarion x tav #astarion x female tav #astarion fanfic #ascended astarion fanfic #ascended astarion x female oc #ascended astarion x female tav #astarion fic #astarion fanfiction #dark romance #astarion brainrot #astarion x tiefling

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dreamsofminnie · 2 years ago

Text

“500 years... And not once did I forget you.”

{Dainsleif x Reader} Part 1

Part 2 <(Link will be open once its posted)

Summary-> These centuries, these years apart. Khaenri’ah was cold but your heart felt much colder. The forgivable sin Dainsleif left had left imprinted deeply into your flesh. Then why do you feel this overbearing longing for his pressence once again? Years of therapy, self-reflection, and vividly horrid night terrors; couldn’t stop this ache when you lay eyes upon him once more.

Notes-> This took several months to write and plan </3 Originally for my bestie for her birthday but I thinks it’s too well written to not share. I hope you like this lighthearted, horror+mystery, a lil comfort, then hurt & angst—in that order <3 @wraitingyou

Tags-> DainsleifxReader, Angst, Slow burn, We die in vain, mystery, genocide, Tighnari, Alhaitham, Reader is from Khaenri’ah, Khaenri’ah lore, reader is from Khaenri’ah, repressed memory, the cataclysm | fall of Khaenri’ah, pre-cataclysm Khaenri’ah, mutual pining, childhood friends, hurt no comfort, pain and suffering, angst and humour, slight gore, horror, body horror, decimation, the abyss, abyss order, reader is not traveler, betrayal, Rhinedottir, mentions of alternate universe, comfort, pining, fluff to angst, implied/referenced character death, genshin plot, Royal guard Dainsleif, reader was a royal guard, nostalgia, suffering, harsh language, heartbreak, no love, delusional dreams real, memory lost, regaining memories

Word Count-> 5.6k

✨

“See you later! Have a safe trip, except for you Wanderer. I hope you trip on your way out and get buried under.” Running farther away from your friend and the pest, you had really prayed for your dear friend’s safety with that gremlin of a puppet.

The inn you all were staying at was starting to get less packed with the huge rainstorm passing. Sumeru surely was a rainforest of region, much more comforting out of all the places you have traveled so far.

Faint drips of rain plopped onto the windows. Soothing yet setting for a melancholy atmosphere. Not that it’s needed, you don’t ever get sappy for anything.

“Therapy session for this month check. Controlled anger issues check. Resistance in making crude jokes.. hnn, check i guess.” I should be good for another few months…”

“I must prepare to leave early tomorrow morning.” Diving into bed is the best parts of the day. No need to waste energy on minuscule thoughts.

Except, innsomnia is a tired person's worst literal nightmare.

“Agh, the kitchen would be closed at this time of the night. Snacks are a nope. Fresh air then, stars are always mesmerizing, maybe they can hypnotize me to sleep.” Irritation laced your words, not thinking much of them.

Curse the devil for allowing innsomnia.

Slipping into a coat you walk out your room and onto the large public balcony.

The inn you were staying at was in the main Sumeru city. Twisted into the tree trunk, the rooms carved into the tree while the balcony stuck out with marble flooring. The usual white spiral ramps gave the inn exits either going up or down.

Though to you, Sumeru is one of the nicest places to enjoy scenery. Aesthetic in all ways. The stars this night didn't fall flat of this statement.

Truly

Something to admire

Something forgotten

Leaning on the balcony railings the gentle breeze took some leaves for flight and your eyes followed suit.

Till they landed on a silhouette standing ten feet away looking in the opposite direction. His back was broad and he stood tall. His hair paled much more in the moonlight and clothes rustled with each growing breeze. The breeze acted like it was setting a mood as it grew a bit harsher.

A twinge in your nerves caused you to walk towards him.

Strange emotion pileing up for this unknown man.

Then it dropped.

You couldn’t believe you thought that was someone who would stir such emotions. Your head thought it was a person your heart has longed for. But a person you have no idea of. Who? Who did you think it was?

Thinking now, the breeze wouldn’t be able to set a mood even if someone were to sober it. Not that there needs to be mood setting.

“Don’t you have a home and a broke man to accommodate to.” Snarky remarks at 4am is exactly what a man needs to hear to crawl back home. Except it doen’t work on pricks.

“And what pleasantries do we have here.” He taunted and turned around his face cold as ever.

“I don’t understand your feeble scholar upgraded language. Shut the fuck up. My insomnia can’t handle pricks.” Alhaitham closed his thick study books and used it to tilt your chin up.

You were standing two steps apart. Well, one step for him since long legs and all.

“Tighnari has smelling herbs for insomnia. Did your puny brain not tell you of that prick either.” You huff and push his book straight back into his chest. “Unlike you. He is much more welcome in my bubble of friendship. Dried up cactuses don’t get a say in my life.”

Alhaitham tucks the book under his arms and turns towards the ramp going down. “Then I guess this dried up cactus will fuck off as you said.” He took five steps before slightly turning back at you.

“Insomnia herb. Get it tommorrow.”

Then he disappeared from view.

“What the fuck. He sounded like he ordered one for me already?! I’ll make sure he didn’t tomorrow morning. Hhuu. That exchange made me exhausted.” With groggy eyes you drag your feet back into the inn.

Upon entering your room once again, you hit the sack faster than you took off your bulky coat.

✨

“AAUUCK!! fak.” You bolted up. These Sumeru bed’s are truly something. Though there were sheets and blankets for comfort, the main part of the bed has grass and leaves atop the wooden base inside. They leave you pretty sore for people who have never slept on a hard surface like these.

You groaned and rubbed your eyes.

“Time to get that medicine i guess. And check out of the Inn.”

“Archons bless you Tighnari. Lifesaverr, your the bestt!!” You placed all the stuff he gave you into your travel bag securely.

“No problem. Those should be able to last you for a month or more. Just as you don’t overdo your state.” He crossed his arms in a knowing stare.

You avoid his eyes, then recalled an annoying swirling voice in your head. “When did you prepare this for me..?”

“I really hope it’s not…-”

“He put in the order.”

“HOW THE FUCK! When did that bastard get the time to message you in that short time I talked to him yesterday night?! What is he watching my every move or something. creepy.”

“Creep sent a messenger bird late at night.” Your bewildered and irritated sigh battled your disgust to fight him right now. So you settled with another direction. Slapping a piece of paper on the floor you scribbled a rushed “thank you” letter.

“Please send this to Alhaitham the creep, as my condolences to his creepy ways.” You mocked his formal speech and handed Tighnari the piece of paper with a drawing.

“What the fuck.” Tighnari stared at the drawing in dumfoundedness and a slight tinge of amusement if this was sent.

“It counts as two things, see? One could represent a middle finger then the other…well, those two spherical structures are the things he doesn't have. He doesn't have those to fight me" (balls to fight me)

“I wish I could see his reaction to this then. I guess I’ll send it to him for you.” You smiled to Tighnari in gratitude. You could always count on your sassy gay friend.

“But anyways, don’t you have to get going, it’s reaching noon soon.” Tighnari looked in the sky and back towards you.

“Ah! Of course of course… Hiking is the most terrible sport…can’t believe people do this for fun.”

Tighnari crosses his arms and moved along with his wight shift, deadpanned. “I do that for a job. Get used to it, hiker.” Pointed his thumb towards the hills.

“Sheesh. Well then I’m heading off. Thank you for the weed, bye bye.”

You could hear a loud bewildered huff merged with a laugh, while you ran off.

✨

By the time you reached the edge of Fontaine the sky grew dark. Good thing Tighnari suggested you take one of his makeshift tents. Inns won't be available on the outskirts of the city so it will take a while to hike further.

Light rain hit the tent in pitter patters. Soothing.

You take the paper package of the medicinal herbs out. “Ah. How did he tell me to make this again? Where’s the ball.” Rummaging through your bag you took out an incense ball. A similar one to what Tighnari has but yours was darker in tone and in dull blue and black.

You hung the ball from a short wire off the ground. Opened the top and sprinkled in half a handful of the herb. It closed shut and you shook it around a few times. A bit of water from your bottle was tossed in this concoction. The incense ball’s scent soon filled the tent.

“So fast and effective..” A yawn already erupted from your mouth.

Droplets of rain. Therapeutic.

✨

The tent folded back and incense packed you headed off once again.

To the heart of Fontaine.

You really were getting tired of inns. The amount of money you have was starting to lack. You pondered if you should just take some simple requests from small villages along the way. You gain money, and they gain help.

You nodded to yourself and paraded to nearby villages.

You followed a pathway toward the houses keeping your eyes aware of anyone that seemed in need of help.

A man standing a few feet away seemed distressed while he paced back and forth anxiously.

Your curiosity peeked as you came closer. “Hello sir. Are you okay? You seemed terribly stressed” You heard that Fontaine was a place of formalities so speaking the part was no problem.

The man hurriedly looked up expectantly. “Are you perhaps a mercenary?! You’ve got to help! Oh, it’s a hell of a mess!! He’s-he might die. Surely will pass away! Theft, murder, moronic fool!!”

You lower his arms from flailing around in erratic movements in his panicked stupor. “Uh. I’m not quite catching up sir..” You would have thought it would take much more just to get a request.

The middle-aged man gulped in large breaths to smooth his emotional turmoil.

“My cousin, Guillaume, has been recently been in debt as a treasure horder. He is quite skilled but truly reckless. He fought a bunch of Abyss mages that seemed to be in a middle of a ritual... Treasure of course was engraved in his skull. So when he picked up a heavy object from the scene, it made him crazed. He became hostile to every person who comes near him. Injured many. Not only that, but the occurrence enraged the abyss and he is getting hunted by the Fontaine police as well as the Abyss. From that, he started kidnapping people into his hideout and they too become crazed… I know I should trust the officials but.. their pride is too high to even adknowledge my input.”

He wasn't fidgety anymore and remained calm. This series of events seemed bothersome to you now. Too much work for you who just wanted some quick task. Intriguing of course, but eh.

“As well as the fact that the Fontaine officials were here moments ago and left as quickly. I was merely aggravated when a gentleman came by to ask questions about this incident. He hurried when I gave all my information on the location. I worry for the gentleman. I can’t help to stress. As well as…I know that Guillaume is deeply in dispair. He has this small window where he is sane and…He sent me a few letters..”

You took some time to ponder all the information. The abyss is after the man who stole something, the thing has changed him and everyone around it. They seem like they became, monstrous—ugh!

Your hand was deeply clenched at your scalp head throbbing so loudly and throat dry.

“Dear me! Are you alright!! Apologizes to the hefty load!” He hurriedly sat you down on a short stone fence and fetched water from the well a few feet away.

The sounds of splashing water seemed much more distant than 5 feet away.

‘It's so dizzy..’

Red fizzled and flashed in your head. Red flags that encouraged you forward. A terrible way to go but who knows. Maybe, just maybe, solving this can make those nightmares that lead to your insomnia go away. Bloodshed. The cause of why you see bloodshed in these nightmares has always bothered you so bad.

“…iel, Iel! Hello?! Are you well?! Drink drink, water” You release your tight hold on your head to take the large cup. The water was cool and slide down as a semblance of relief. The reflection mirrored your pained expression, your frowned. It was not a good look for you. But cracking jokes at this time, wasen’t wise.

“..thank you for the water. I don’t know what happened just now. But. I will help with this, for the gentleman and for your cousin. If he still can be helped…” The man relaxed at your conscious state and nodded.

“I will provide you more details.”

✨

Rest was not an option in this tight knit issue. Anything could formulate in the span of a whole minute. And your dread never faded the whole time you thought about this.

Let’s see, the man said Guillaume would take the villagers at midnight when the stars are high up. In the daytime, he isn’t crazed and sits in solitude in despair. He is responsible for dozens of people he has dragged.

You feel sickened. The letters you got to read by Guillaume were heart-wrenching and explicit. However, it could only be judged on the rule of the scene.

Some crucial details in the letters were his descriptions.

“The crystal shines so luminescently venomous.

It burns as well as attracts……

I can’t take it.

Please please. Hel 𝓹

Your leetrs that say you will save me from this hell is false!

The feel of gasoline ignites my fingers to my core.

Though I feel it welcome me……

The ghastly scars leave residue atop my skin. Horrific.

Black.

All ash

My vision has been narrowly obscured.

How I am able to pick up a pen is beyond my imagination.

Is my brain really intact?

Hah.

I think someone is comi. g into the room. Annoyance……

I think— I shut up their cries……

Do I-know them?

Haha…she is trying to plead with me……

She remi nd.s me of m. y wife..

FUCK. WHA T HAVE I DO Ne. SHE- *incomprehensible scribbles and a slight dried dampness*

The human has given in to the crystal how astounding……

Haha. Her screams have filled the room……

The stars are approaching. It will be time again…….

How thrilling……

A feast is due……

Ps. [___] power lets us fly too. Did you really think I used a carrier pigeon…….

Stars stay alight in farewell…….delight……”

The letter gave you the shivers. This was the third one that was sent. And out of all the three letters, this contained the most insanity inducing mentality. You highly doubt Guillaume will live a normal life after this concludes. Poor guy. Debt changes a person.

On the contrary, this bloodbath piques my interest. It’s not every day you get to investigate manslaughter. You feel like detective Heizou. No wonder he likes to run off towards danger.

Information about the gentleman assisting was only brief since I was to hurry to the site before the next day. “He was tall and built more alike a soldier. He also wore blue and black clothing. He never gave me his name…” Your thoughts had fiddled when he had told you, but a numbing pain seized your brain functions into hyper-focus.

You rub your temples, eyes focused on the route he marked on your map. Leg day has really been your everyday. Super exhausting.

Blood and skin drew icy cold as your breath hitched. This torturous feeling washed across your body so suddenly. Dread paling your face, a strangled cry caused a sharp inhale of breath, hands clawing at your neck and chin to get your throat muscles working. Despair induced your veins as burning heat crawled through those blood passages. A howling scream intensified something inside you. Something triggered your reaction, was it from in the cave? Ah...thinking was much too difficult in this sizure. Airways in the throat barely letting a breath passby, your face purples and twists. Water pools your eyes in distraught and pain. Glued to your spot, the ominous descending cave gurgled back shouts and thumps. Muttered curses escape as you try and hold your ground. Saliva formed in the clogged airways and raining down by your feet. This all felt like you were strangled, punched, and overall scoured all over, in charcoal.

If you had regretted anything in your sad life, it was this. Taking this commission. Talking to the distressed man. Stranger danger real. Regret for ever stopping by that village…and the regrets have only started.

The next thing you saw was pitch black.

************************

The weather these past few days has been horrid. Snow storm after the other piled the streets with 1 foot of snow. The roads and streets are accessible to your relief. How else would you be able to see your sweet boyfriend.

The chime of a café door rang as you entered hurriedly from the biting winds outdoors. You cupped your hands together and attempted to heat them up with your breath. The shop was quiet besides the old love songs and occasional emo rock songs playing from the speakers. Owl city was one of his most liked songs.

You perched on the counter ringing the small bell near the card scanner.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding—

“Okay. Okay, I hear every one of your calls Y/n.” He came out from the break room and leaned in from across the counter where you sat.

You smiled at Dainsleif. “How are you Dain! Was shoveling the snow all by your lonesome hard this morning?~”

He huffed. “It was fine. But next time you're accompanying me.” He grabbed your waist and dragged you over to the worker's side of the counter, swinging your legs around as well so you're still sitting.

“It’s still midday so let me make you a cup of something warm.”

You watch him, your elbow on your knee and chin in your palm. Dainsleif manages this café and is the best drink maker there is. He unintentionally shows off some skills when making them, that’s why many girls come here for the show. Not that he pays attention to.

“Kaeya has told me to indulge you in more romantic lines. Would you like to be humored?” Dainsleif brought the mixing bottle up to the side of his head and shook it thoroughly as a bartender would, while glancing up at you.

When he does that every time it makes you swoon on the inside just a little.

“Kaeya is a terrible influence. Which makes life more bearable.” You shoot Dain a small finger heart in which he stops for a while in confusion but recovers a few seconds after.

“What does it feel like to be the most gorgeous person in this room?” Dainsleif plops toppings into the drink, adding more of your favorite ones.

“Bleh, I’m the ONLY person in this whole building, try again.” You kick your legs a bit, secretly enjoying these terribly cheesy pickup lines he always stores for you.

“Hm. If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I together.” He achieved a faint breathy laugh from you, you argued that it was just because it was so so old and overused.

He snapped the lid onto the steaming cup and walked back to you handing it over.

He hesitated on his next line as you blew on the liquid through the hole and took a nice warm sip. It melted your insides in warmth.

So did the pickup line.

“Just wondering if your lips taste as good as they look.” Dainsleif’s eyes were awkwardly averted, wondering how you would react.

But you sat there, mouth agape, ears flushed from the pickup line. “Didn’t expect that one.” You mumbled into the cup, eyes unfocused staring at your favorite toppings floating to the top.

Dain carefully placed both hands on either side of your body on the counter, his body subtly leans in. “...it wasn’t answered.”

Your eyes tilt up from the drink sitting on your lips. “It wasn’t a question.”

Your rebuttal made Dain purse his lip, which you intensely stared at. “Then….may I kiss you?”

Your inner thoughts were racing, the reflex of wanting to push him away was itching, but the thought of a kiss sent you into a spiral. It’s not like you haven't kissed before, you have…a rare few times.

“Aha ha, ah uhm. Get out of that ugly sweater first then we’ll talk.” You jab one finger into his chest only pushing him away by a few inches.

Both of you are terrible at this romance thing that's why it's so awkward to initiate. You back out of close contact, and only stick to flirting, and he spews pickup lines he learns from Kaeya because he’s confused about love but also respects your boundaries. All your friends suffer seeing this awkward couple at group gatherings.

“What’s wrong with my sweater?” He pulls the sweater and looks down. He wore a black shirt and over that was a black-green-brown button-up sweater, adorned with pictures of owls, bears, acorns, trees, and bushes. Very nature-y for your star-loving boyfriend. But honestly, it looked like it was made for a grandpa on a chilly evening stroll.

“The nature documentary show would like its background back.” You wheeze at Dain’s blank-faced reaction, so done with you, but he’s never over you.

Dain gently sneaked a kiss on your cheek to satisfy himself with your stunned silence cutting off any jokes lining up your defense.

He backed away from the counter and took his jacket off a hook ready to depart with you. “Our friends are waiting. Let’s head out now, I bet they are frozen solid outside since I was supposed to supply the hot drinks.”

That caused you to snap back as you cackled at Hutao, Heizou, Tighnari, and the rest, chilled to the bone buried in the deep snow. You latch onto Dainsleif’s sleeve slipping your hand into his warm pocket and holding his curled-up thumb and pointer finger. “Let’s go wifey! Onwards to the ice sculptures!!”

*********************

The darkness had enraptured you at every turn, you didn’t know if you were sitting down, laying down or even face down digging into the dark ground. Your senses were so hazed and really failed you more than normal today.

“I always knew this is what hell was like. Dark cold and numbing on my ass.” Your voice was meek and raspy but they held the same sharp tongue you brought.

A breath hitched when you spoke. So you weren’t alone, in relief your body sunk from its tension. “This place would most likely be a hell. But it's all been cleaned up now..” The voice gave you a tingling feel, almost familiar if not for your impaired and dazed hearing.

“Whoes,” Your words have slurred with the throbbing of your head, a light pressure stroking it, not sure if it was your hand or the other persons. “I didn’t want you to see this mess. Also because that thing on your head is a protection of sorts.” Your mind was too out of it to immediately process his information.

“Was I drugged and potato sacked. I still can’t feel my ass.” The voice had an airy chuckle which echoed through the space. It must be a cave, orrr the internal abyss of the hell he called.

“Well that’s because you fell on a large sharp rock when I first saw you near the cave entrance.” Ah. made sense. “Once your senses are back and you start wiggling around, will I free you.” That made you suspect you were tied down somewhere. You just hoped it was spacious and clean enough so you could indeed roll around.

A sound of shuffled occured after a while and the footsteps faded, assuming that the person beside you had left the area. Once he came back it would be war against his, oddly pretty voiced most likely pretty man. How dare he potato sack you.

Fingers twitching to life, you didn’t know how many hours were spent on body recovery. The crackles of your bones that were stiff the entire night bounced off the walls. You could now feel that your body was in fact laying down, fabric carpeting under you.

Footfalls came steadily back in your direction. “I knew you’d come back to me mysterious man” The tugging of the fabric around your head lead to pangs of sensory recovery. You hear much more sensitively after being blocked for so long. The fabric finally coming around to uncover your eyes. Vision still impaired as the lights and darkness desperately tried to balance out. The haze in your eyes remains an issue even when the smell of the fabric was soothing.

A blur of a hand reached out to you, which you took graciously, limp as they were. You were hauled up to him as he held you close to steady your shaky body. “Get used to walking afte your hours of stationary. Then we will scour the rest of the cave.” his voice sent a chill covering your spine, it was very nice...

Head limp on his chest you could see his black and blue fitted outfit. Even knowing you were short, his shoulder was still higher than your whole height. Plus the glimpse of a sword by their belt drew you to a hazy conclusion. He was the gentleman you were looking for.

However, a sense of dread and conflicting longing rang off in your ears from never ever wanting to look up into his face. So you followed just that.

Your head stayed pressed against his chest as you figured out how to move the limbs helplessly called legs. Every time your legs wobbled too much, he would grab onto your waist to steady you. And every time you clutch onto his shirt too tightly in nerves rattling, he would pat your shoulder and let you put your feet on his so he could walk for you. An hour has passed and you got the hang of your body, with a little shake you managed to walk from one wall to the other.

“Pardon me for asking but, why am I so disabled like this in the first place?” Your voice was quiet but steady, unlike the time you talked when just waking up to potential hell.

“And in all fairness, you could’ve left me to disintegrate and die. Would’ve been better instead of nursing me.” You forcefully mumbled that out in a murmur. And you really didn’t have to look up at the man’s face to feel the intensity of a sharp glare for a reason unknown.

He was pacing in large circles and looking down to watch your feet, the man now stood at the doorway. “It was close to the time of midnight. The smell radiating off the cave entrance bewitched you and agitated you. It closed off your nerves. I had prepared something beforehand to help elevate this phenomenon, which was the fabric I wrapped around you, acting as a cocoon. I then brought you inside, took care of the dangers lurking, and.....secured the premise.” He failed to mask his hesitation on hidden information, due to what he knows about this situation than you do. You slowly nodded as you stare at his shoes, intimidatingly facing your lowered head.

“This cave is enormously large. Would you like to venture through the tunnels. If your legs are up for it. I won’t leave your side, case you fall and never get back up.” His words couldn’t help but put a sting in your heart while chasing it faster. And you who inadvertently let his attempted joke pass your head.

You nodded again which you could only do with a swift tilt up to not disclose your obvious concealment of his prominent features.

The gentleman luckily leads you, tailing behind letting you clutch a corner of his cloak. It gave you more leverage to see more since he covered his own face from you since he’s tall.

As you both moved around the dirt-painted halls, the tunneling seemed handmade instead of natural. Claw marks etched into the surfaces, the ones on the wall grow even deeper and bigger the more your trembling legs take you down the hall. Some openings that led to other rooms littered the narrow tunnels, they were all empty and vacant. The only signs of life once in the rooms were the many elemental traces and or scratches from either weapons or nails. A dark murkiness painted the walls and floor—not wanting to ever know what it really is—but the stench that followed was hazy and metallic. The winding tunnels seemed endless. No wonder people came to be insane down here.

As your thoughts subsided, so did the unending tunnel.

A much broader room greeted you ahead. It must have been Guillaume’s place of residence. Half the room was bookshelves, scrawled-up papers, and scrunched-up scrolls, a large desk faced the other side, ink spilled from the table to the opposing wall. The vacant space looked more than inhabited, save for the etchings on every inch of the wall, ceiling, and floor surfaces. Many drew blanks, symbols, and incomprehensible languages. Stars were the most repeated shape. You didn’t know when you had let go of the man’s cloak, since you were too drawn to the walls of Guillaume’s self-asylum.

Your digits brushed some of the symbols, they curved neatly and were well-written. And familiar. One symbol you could read was—Cataclysm.

The jolt of electricity from touching those words provoked you to snap your neck to…

The man who stood in the same spot you left him before you let go to touch the writing on the wall. Him who watched you mindlessly draw your finger against the carved wall trying to work your brain. Him who—walking through the hallway—peered behind a you who refused to meet his height, gauging your reactions. Him who, had to do a double take when he first saw you on the outskirts of the cave. Him whose...heart clenched in anguish.

Dainsleif who,

missed you dearly.

Who always speculated if you were alive or not.

. . .

Traveling to Fontaine was genuinely; the WORST choice you could have ever done.

“Fuck.”

You really didn’t want to do this ontop of every other terrible occurrence this night. Your brain couldn't, hence the deep crease in your brow following your pained expression too well. All your senses weakened from your mentally solely. You knew him. You recognize him. You liked him.

No. You hate him.

Many years of your continuous mental and physical health checkups, insomnia plaguing your attempted sleep, unresolved hatred. All to shield yourself against this man. To conceal the centuries with him.

Now all in vain. Crumbling beneath your feet at this very dreaded moment. The way your vision blurs, the shakiness in your foothold, your clammy hands, throat strained, all in response to a simple unimaginable presence.

The one presence your heart missed dearly. But your brain, your legs, told you to run. To a remote place. But he blocked that path. As he did before, once again stuck in this in-between.

One step. Another. Yours back, his foward.

A predicament you had placed yourself in. The wall that soothed your back has never felt as cold as it did now. How you would rather it envelop you into those eerie symbols. Engraving you to the mystery of the universe.

He was one step away now. Galaxy eyes bore into your evading ones. “(Name)…”

You refused his beckoning. But that wouldn’t make him leave. It wouldn’t get him to disappear from your existence. It only hurts more now that you know he is alive and healthy.

“......If we’re done here, then I have things to do somewhere else.” You burned your eyes anywhere else but near him. He couldn’t escape the slight view you had of him at the corners of your sight. His fingers twitched as if he wanted to reach out to you, to find that once solace you gave him.

“Avoiding me won’t get you anywhere. I thought you weren’t one for not returning favors. I saved your life. Don’t you owe me something?” You scoff. It repulsed you on how observant he is of you.

“I had a dream with you in it. It was in a different world where we were….Happy together. I wish I was in that world currently instead of this shit.” The words you spewed were venomous, if not for the slightly fond tone you laced into the poison. Dainsleif’s face contorted, he was now glad you refused his eye contact, for his eyes downturned in remorse.

Remorse; that's all he ever felt towards you for many centuries when you were apart. And the times when remorse wasn't present, he was deeply coated in affection for you. Those, however, were in the early childhood days. Too far gone in the past.

“I’m sorry I can’t live up to those expectations,”

“But now you have to repay me. …And forgive me.” His firm but gentle hold on your chin forced eye contact. His blue eyes shone with the diamond in them; just like how your eyes sparked with that diamond. His words however gave you the will to slap his hand away.

“You think apologies will reconnect us? After all those fucking centuries? Those actions were effectuated by you!! You festered this effect upon me! How could I ever, ever!! forgive your inapt causes?! You’re VILE!” You ended up hitting his chest and shoving him away which sent him 6 feet apart. He took every physical contact from you, the sting was apparent and long-lasting.

Your unquenched fury bubbled to the brim. And you now approached the silent man. Your hand was now tight against his collar, the obvious trembling of his, dismantled your voice in cracks. “What was the reason?! You should’ve kept me in that sword. After you fucking decimated everyone with me. Why the fuck would I ever want to live after all that. Everything and everybody was a mess. You the most.” The intensity of your diamond-shaped eyes never faltered.

You stepped back as the grip on his collar loosened. “Khaenri’ah’s downfall… Couldn’t even be saved by any form of guard..” Your mumble cast your gaze away from his unnerving eyes.

Silence blanketed the room, no thoughts were presented or conjured. You both just allowed the atmosphere to sink in, head empty beside the presence that would have normally set your heart racing. Not this time; nor ever.

“It’s past midnight right? I’ll take a nearby room to rest in.” You didn’t require his answer, so you left just as quickly. Leaving behind the downcasted remorse filled Dainsleif stiff in his spot where you left him.

*********************

Author notes-> Reshare’s and likes appreciated <3 I hope it was heart wrenching—so i can collect tears to my jar >:D

#genshin fic #dainsleif #dainsleif x reader #angst #slow burn #mystery #khaenri'ah #genshin lore #Fall of khaenri'ah #Mutual pining #Hurt no comfort #abyss order #rhinedottir #genshin au #genshin plot #Royal guard dainsleif #astronetwrk #genshin impact #genshin dainsleif

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earth-1218designate · 7 months ago

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Deadpool & Wolverine #CVReview

At least the Can'nuck's did not kiss ... Is the perfect selling point of this movie. Other than that, for those of us 2000's kids who aren't mindless Disney shills (an odd amount of those in Knoxville,TN , yet they supposedly hate everything else liberals have to offer) that will laugh at every anti-FOX joke Ryan Reynolds had up his sleeve there is a great comic book film here that gives viewers a substantial amount of time with some memorable figures in their toy chest before laying them to rest for the horrors of adulthood that await them outside the theater.

I'm not into the nepotism that got Blake Lively the role as Lady Deadpool, or the gender swapping of Dogpool or Kidpook from the early 2010's "Deadpool Corps" comics, but it's easy to overlook that when the rest of the cast boasts the return of Wesley Snipes ("Blade") , (*childhood crush over that bousteir) Jennifer Garner ("Elektra") having a one-one with Callisto ("X-Men The Last Stand"), and Channing Tatum finally getting screen-time as Gambit for a film of his that never made it out of development hell.

I like the bow this film puts on that era that was dear to my formative years and made for an excellent companion piece to the books I still read today as I cross the threshold into my 30's. Marvel Comics and films have been synonymous since I was in diapers, and for a large part I have FOX to thank for that, and Disney to thumb my nose at - not the other way around like backwards normie euro-audiences are led to believe.

The nods to Wolverine's legacy in this film were superb : "Deadpool & Wolverine" is essentially built around the premise that Wolverine carried the FOX universe (aka Earth -10005) and he gets cameo appearances of his comic book counterparts such as Patch, AOA-Wolverine, Hulk No.181, Uncanny No.251, and even Fang.

All this homage while riffing on Wolverine's height and Hugh Jackman's singing chops as well as questionable morality when Disney money is brought to the table, it's a wonder why a film with Deadpool as the lead on the header isn't more about Deadpool, but it is and it delivers by making Deadpool one of the most annoying characters in a Marvel feature - which he is SUPPOSED to be.

While Wolverine is taking on Sabretooth and pulling out "Drill Claw's" straight from "Marvel vs. Capcom" (Earth-30847), Deadpool is making tone deaf homoerotic jokes that get less of a laugh than on Eminem's latest album and praising socialism in a few barbs that will zip right over capitalist consumerist audiences heads like the Rob Liefeld and Stan Lee easter eggs hidden in the battle against the Deadpool Corps featuring the worst excuse for a Deadpool ever ... Deadpool 2099 !

When "The Marvels" teased this film with Beasts' appearance, I really was nervous and expected very little. But I am happy that this film turned out to be a funeral for the best Marvel films purely off nostalgia - set to corny Euro-pop music (Madonna, Nickleback, and NSYNC get prominent placement all on the soundtrack of this action flick) while providing a gorefest with glory kills and brand new utilizations of slow motion that Zack Snyder is no doubt jealous of.

I've seen alot of clips loaded in action films as a movie buff, but I've never seen a clip loaded the way Deadpool did to face off against Wolverine in 2024 - and that's what the MCU was aiming for and delivered.

Cassandra Nova was a pleasant and surprising toy to pull out the Marvel toybox, I'd be remiss if I didnt say that. Cheering for her, the TVA, and the more baser and nihlistic stances of all the characters was a testament that Marvel raised me right - even though many people might think those of us who read comics keep our heads in the clouds.

No, "Deadpool and Wolverine" shows the world that even people who cosplay in a yellow and blue Wolverine suits can get pissed off at people who think it's okay to make decisions off of "educated wishes".

Yes, the film is still Disney-related and with it's ending featuring Deadpool still simping for Vanessa, amongst other things that make Deadpool unlikeable in this film, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is the worst Deadpool movie. But, with the nostalgia-fest added in thanks to Wolverine and the rest of the MCU rejects, "Deadpool & Wolverine" stumbles it's way into the MCU, but still falters behind far superior films like "Black Widow" or even "The Marvels" directly before it.

All that self-deprecation and self-referencing can get as old as Blake Lively before she decided to settle down with Ryan Reynolds.

Greed was a big factor in making "Deadpool vs. Wolverine" and seeing Reynolds' name all over the credits with Shawn Levy, made we wonder where did Tim Miller go? Because I know if he would have been along for the ride "Deadpool vs. Wolverine" would have been a worthy cap-end to the Deadpool franchise, than just used as a segue to eventually ret-con the X-Men into Earth-19999.

Which all the nostalgia from being a 2000's kid in the world cannot hide "Deadpool vs. Wolverine" from being that cheap. Even "Madame Web" had more tact than that.

C.V.R. The Bard

25th Jul. 2k24

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trans-spidey · 1 year ago

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if u want- fnaf 6 thoughts? 🤠

anon I always want to share my thoughts on fnaf especially my favourite fnaf game

fnaf six was one of the most lore rich games in the series as well as frankly one of the games with the most actual,,, game. the two sections it's split into both contain lore you can stumble upon and actively seek out

I mostly enjoy how narratively rich it is, Henry finally shows up, and (sorry steel wool enjoyers) in my opinion would've been a perfect end to the franchise, even UCN being the last game would've been, frankly, perfect. The Henry monologue at the end ties all the strings together into a nice, satisfying bow.

Charlie, Elizabeth, the MCI1 kids (it got kinda retconned? from what I've heard that instead of deconstructing the suits in fnaf 3 William was stealing the remnant to power the funtimes,) Henry and Mike all got peace, they got laid to rest. The darkest pit of hell opened for William and we see that firsthand in UCN (which is why I think you can see these games going hand in hand really) and finally they get to rest.

In the insanity ending you get information on how shit in the fazbear universe works, you learn about RASCS (the audio lures that you use in fnaf 3 to lure springtrap that sound like children) you see blueprints for the scooper and you learn that Michael survived because the scooper had a remnant injector as well as the fact the stuff we already knew it could do. Even in the cut content (but still canon) we learn about molten freddy and that funtime freddy is possessed as well as baby.

Plus in the tycoon section we see William luring Suzie away and we learn potentially why crying child was scared of the springlock suits (in my opinion the 3 toed footprints outside his window could likely only be explained as spring bonnie, if it was the nightmares it would make more sense to be all of them, and the spring bonnie suit would make sense as William trying to frighten his son) and we get the connection between the colour of the fredbear plush from fnaf 4 and William confirming that he was the one speaking through it (you see the plush with a walkie talkie in fnaf 4)

it introduces new fazbear characters who show up later also, while I'm not the biggest fan of steel wool lore wise? I do enjoy security breach's gameplay and seeing el chip and music man was a nice touch. and it has candy cadet and the security puppet which re-shows Charlie's death with one key difference that overall security puppet and the midnight motorists "later that night" section seems to display the whole night of Charlie's death. we learn most of the MCI1 kids names.

it feels so full of love for the fans and it feels like the perfect conclusion. even the gameplay aspects, it feels like the perfect balance of goofy fun stuff and horror that fnaf has always been with the goofy character design but the absolute fright of being stuck with them all coming at you.

idk man I just love the game, its a mix of narrative and gameplay and a satisfying ending to the series, with some of the nostalgia bc SL and fnaf 6 were the games to bring me back into the series after falling out around fnaf 3

#fnaf #fnaf 6 #fnaf 6 pizza simulator #i dont want to call this meta because its mostly my opinions but kinda #*?#meta

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oh-the-horror-reviews · 1 year ago

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FILM REVIEW: Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

As a FNAF fan, this film finally getting released made my year. A comfy night me and my little brother spent using the movie tickets I won at a coffee cart raffle, eating candy and popcorn and then having Thai takeout to wrap the night up. A nostalgia trip for both of us.

WARNINGS FOR: heavy plot spoilers for the film and original games, mentions and descriptions of gore, child death, child abuse (physical) and blood

POSITIVES

And that's really what this movie is, a nostalgia trip. Because I want to make one thing clear. If you haven't seen anything about FNAF, especially the silver eyes trilogy of novels, you probably aren't going to enjoy the film. If you only know fanon information and nothing about the canonical lore you probably aren't going to enjoy this film either... that's two things (/ref).

The final 'twist' isn't well set up because that's not what they were trying to do. From the very start a FNAF fan knows that 'Steve Raglan' (played by THE Matthew Lillard! One of two original Ghostface killers!) is absolutely William Afton. The final fight is just fan service for us fans and not a well plotted, set up reveal. What's the point of it? Acting as if we don't already know?

The choice to make the characters like Mike, Abby, Garrett, the missing children, Vanessa, etc parallels of existing characters in the FNAF universe instead of new people or exact adaptations is something I actually liked as well. I've heard some people are confused about it or just don't like it but a lot of that comes from expectations before the film released.

A LOT of people had it in their heads that the movie was going to be some hardcore jumpscare and gore-fest because "FNAF is so dark!" when... let's be real here. The darkness of FNAF has always come from lore behind the games and not visual representations of it. The closest we've ever really gotten to gore is some red pixels during one of the FNAF 3 minigames depicting William Afton's death in the springlock suit.

It's 2023 we can like kids horror either out of nostalgia or genuinely thinking it's good. Plenty of adults like Goosebumps and whatever. This movie was never going to be an R16-R18 horror. Imagine cutting off a good 3 years of your fanbase for 'accuracy' that isn't even accurate! Knowing how trapped and lost the missing children are after having their lives cut so short by such a selfish monster is already dark and way more accurate to how the games handled the lore.

It probably doesn't help that Scott helped work on the film and considering he's a devout anti-abortion, donating to homophobic politicians in secret Christian I doubt he would've been okay pushing the gore too far.

If anything, the lighthearted tone touching on the missing children still being actual children and not just murder machines makes the few gore and blood scenes even more shocking. The aunt's team of vandals getting attacked, the babysitter getting CUT IN HALF and the springlock scene at the end of the film are all good at raising the tension in such a colourful environment focusing on a family focused story.

CRITICISMS

The only two things I could criticize are:

1) Elizabeth Lail's acting. As Vanessa, she's noticeably more... exaggerated than her other cast members who all try to come off as realistic as they can for their characters. And not in a Renfield or Jack Griffin type of way where they're just purposefully odd or straight up nuts compared to everyone else. Just some of her line deliveries are a bit 'off' or even a little cringy? It's not that big of an issue and you don't notice it most of the time but I thought I'd mention it.

2) The lack of context for Vanessa and William's father-daughter relationship. It's heavily implied that William abused Vanessa as a child. Seeing how he behaves around her even as an adult, treating her less like a person and more of a tool or a verbal punching bag and with his track record with his kids in other universes (slapping daughters and gassing sons with hallucinogenic gas really doesn't get you father of the year) and the fact he gave a dead kids toy to his own kid as some fucked up 'trophy', it's pretty obvious.

But we really don't get any deeper context for her behaviour during the film specifically. Vanessa constantly lies and hides information in the film and it comes off as very, very annoying for a while. We can see by the end that William put that behaviour in her as a child so he wouldn't be caught murdering kids because his daughter told people what he was doing. But we never get to see much of this other than the brief confrontation at the final fight so it's harder to sympathize with her almost getting Abby killed. The movie's pacing is good so I think they could've pushed a few extra scenes in with her and William without slowing anything down. We all knew who he was anyway and they didn't have to reveal she was his daughter before the end because in the games she's already a brainwashed follower of his ideals.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE?

Yes! It's fun, colourful and good for people who don't like non-stop nasties for a movie night but are still interested in something tense. Just don't expect to love it nearly as much if you know nothing about FNAF or the canon lore ("why is Cassidy not a girl?" "why is Cassidy blonde?" tiktok comments are starting to get to me)

A fun watch for fans and light horror fans :)

#horror film reviews (2020s)#horror film #horror movie #horror films #horror movies #film review #horror film review #fnaf movie #five nights at freddy's movie #fnaf #five nights at freddy's #horror #horror fan #horror blog #2023 film #2023 horror movies

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thebreakfastgenie · 2 years ago

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I hit send before I was finished my thought.

I can only assume that someone in the creative team just had a moment of "hey, remember Trapper?". And no one stopped them.

Yeah I think that's exactly what it was. You hit the nail on the head, here. They wanted to do a nostalgia episode because it was the final season and using Trapper as the motive like that killed two birds with one stone, but that whole episode feels like it was made by someone who didn't remember the early seasons of MASH very well, which is weird. Pranks are very rarely mean-spirited in MASH. Even ones that are kind of fridge horror where you realize they would cross the line in real life are presented as lighthearted and usually end with the victim laughing too. The essence of the pranks is spelled out very well, using BJ, in Dear Sigmund.

I think it's kind of like the Henry reference in As Time Goes By; they wanted the reference and didn't bother to do it well, which is a shame for such a good show, but it's not like continuity was ever their strong suit.

#mashposting #idk if the cast who were around then also didn't remember or just didn't care or what #and besides alan loretta bill and jamie i THINK the only person left from that era was burt #you'd THINK they'd had seen the reruns but. ah well.

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mashedcontroller · 2 years ago

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Early FNAF Retrospective

I was around in middle school when FNAF 1 was released, and, like a lot of people my age, it just ended up being a part of my childhood. Horror has never been a genre of game I’ve been capable of digesting. It’s like spicy food. I can respect that people enjoy it, but I’ve only ever been able to learn to put up with it in tiny doses. I have never played a FNAF game and, with the exception of FNAF World, I don’t think I ever will, yet I would say I have fond memories of the franchise.

To be clear, I will mostly be referring to the games up until FNAF 4. I began losing interest in the series around FNAF 5 and while I have been caught to speed on the lore surrounding stuff like Afton and Henry, it’s just not what I grew up with or feel nostalgia for. And I’m more interested in talking about what made this series special to me despite me finding it’s entire premise being literally unpalpable. And I don’t think I’m alone in the camp of kids who grew up with FNAF but never played the games. So, yeah, I wanted to talk about why the series was suited to that.

So, I think I want to make a quick explanation for why I refuse to play the games. First of all, I cannot stand jumpscares. I startle quite easily and I genuinely hate the feeling of adrenaline. Secondly, I just have issues with being walked in on unexpectedly. Probably best to leave it at that. I also just don’t take tension and stress from games particularly well. Like, the mechanic where you have to retrieve your souls on death in Dark Souls 1 managed to stress me out so much that I literally wasn’t able to play the game for several years, and the thing that tipped me back into being able to play was me committing to completely ignoring the mechanic. But yeah, I can’t play FNAF because it would trigger the fuck out of me. And that’s not a slight on the series. Some genres of game are going to be fundamentally inaccessible to some people and FNAF just happens to be that way to me (a lot of the games I’ve played and love will be fundamentally inaccessible to other people for their own reasons). But I think it really illustrates the point that FNAF has an appeal that goes beyond its gameplay.

It’s sort of the perfect baby’s first horror game. It either started or popularized the Mascot Horror genre, and the game just nailed it perfectly. The entire point of this genre is to be a PG take on the concept of horror. FNAF is just edgy enough to attract the attention of teens, but it isn’t so edgy as to be inappropriate (or unmarketable if you want to view it that way). It’s style of horror isn’t fundamentally terrifying either. The type of fear it invokes is a lot like the Wario minigame Gamer, or rather, the Smash Bros interpretation of it that I’m familiar with. Where the game’s tension and fear is of your parents walking in on you playing video games late at night when you’re not supposed to. While that fear just so happens to trigger the fuck out of me, I’d say for most people it’s a rather comfy and nostalgic sort of fear to invoke. The other thing about FNAF’s horror is how its jumpscares fit into the game design. Jumpscares are generally seen as a cheap source of horror; they exist to startle you, not scare you; they require very little set-up; and they’re extremely easy to get desensitized to, especially when they’re used as a failure state. In other words, they exist to get a reaction out of the player without really trying to frighten them. So, it definitely begs the question of whether FNAF gets away with heavy usage of them because of having a younger skewed playerbase than most horror games or if it does something special with its jumpscares to make them work. Admittedly, I can’t really answer that question due to my limited experience with the horror genre. But what I can say is that FNAF’s jumpscares fit into FNAF’s tone. Like I said, FNAF isn’t a terrifying flavor of horror, it’s a goofy and somewhat nostalgic flavor. So, the usage of jumpscares fits perfectly here. As the jumpscares are the payoff to around one to six minutes of build-up, they also lend themselves really well to Youtube compilations, which is where Markiplier fits in here. I, admittedly, have never seen his lets-play or much of the early FNAF playthroughs. A few weeks ago, I watched an animated clips version of his Joy of Creation playthrough and then proceeded to watch some of the first episode and I can absolutely see the appeal. FNAF’s jumpscares are cathartic, they’re a release of the tension that the game’s built up. I also think the FNAF 1 jumpscares are just, iconic. The scream sound-effect is so goddamn fun. FNAF’s jumpscares aren’t meant to be scary. Going over each one (from the first game), Foxy peeks in and says hi, Bonnie nods angrily at you, Freddy pops up an gives you a hug, Chica stands there and screams, and Golden Freddy is a zoomed in JPEG. Many of the “oh shit” moments in the game outside of those jumpscares is the player going “where’s Freddy” or “oh shit Foxy left the cove” or maybe “oh shit I almost didn’t see Bonnie and Chica standing there.” So, watching all of this play out in a Let’s Play, it’s just fun seeing the player overreact to a goofy little guy screaming its heart out. As a kid, especially, there’s a certain catharsis to Markiplier’s let’s play where you see an adult man shit himself over something that’s not scary. It’s empowering to a, like, 12 year old to see that because that’s around when you become really aware that adults aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. I can totally see why his FNAF content would’ve been so popular through that lens (not to mention that he performances are quite good from the bits that I’ve watched, even if I wouldn’t exactly call his style of content my thing).

FNAF 1′s story itself is also one built on the types of ghost stories and rumors kids might spread to one-another. The animatronics think you’re an endoskeleton so they stuff you in a suit. That’s,, such a goofy and delightful way for a monster to brutally murder you. Like, it has the same energy as being told as a kid that someone went drowned in the ball pit. Then you dig a little deeper and you learn that there were five kids who were murdered and stuffed in the suits, which caused them to possess the animatronics. In FNAF 1, there’s no further elaboration on their motivations. Maybe they think you’re the killer. Maybe you are. Maybe the dead kids think this is all a game and don’t realize they’re killing you. We didn’t know, but it was fun to speculate. On the level of fucked up shit you can stick into a game, I’d say that five dead children shoved into suits is quite low on the hierarchy, but it’s just edgy and hidden enough to peak interest in kids who’ve scarcely interacted with the upper ends of fucked up. It also creates an interesting dynamic with the monsters. I already talked about how the fear being pulled on is the same fear of your parents walking in on you doing something you’re not supposed to, but now the monsters are more sympathetic than anything. This is compounded by how the original character designs are sitting on the edge between cute and creepy. Ghosts as a monster are quite interesting because no matter how creepy you try to make them, there will always be an edge of sympathy directed towards the character. But in a way, the premise of five children died and possessed these cool monsters is also quite fun. Like, it would sort of be fun to haunt a creepy fursuit and scare the shit out of some guy. Which I think is what helped inspire so many of the music videos around the series. I remember Groundbreaking’s Mangle song and TryHardNinja’s It’s Me song quite fondly. These songs weren’t trying to sell the horror of the characters. Rather, the songs have an air of playfulness and are like “fuck yeah”. They’re bops, in other words. This is definitely the side of the fandom I was more drawn towards. And that side could only happen because of the charismatic monsters.

The way that early FNAF went about its mysteries and hidden lore was to make the premise clear as day, the important plot beats slightly obscured, and then leave the details up to interpretation while probing the audience to speculate on it. One of the biggest mysteries in early FNAF was “who did the bite of 87″? In the larger picture, it doesn’t really matter. But it’s still a fun invitation to speculate who, how, and why. FNAF 2 did an excellent job at propelling the Bite of 87 mystery while also introducing a new mystery for us to chew on, purple guy. Who is this guy? Why did he kill five children? During FNAF 2, this guy could’ve been anyone from one of the protagonists to Phone Guy to some random nobody. Those possibilities made him iconic. But like with the Bite of 87, the mysteries around him are the details and flavor text. It’s the type of question that invites both theories and fanfictions, overlap between the two. I think that’s sort of magical because you know that there were people who were inspired to take up writing from writing FNAF fanfiction. Same way some people got into horror because of the games. The way the game’s mysteries are set-up and played out remind me of creepypastas. FNAF definitely isn’t the first or the last thing to invoke the idea of cute thing that’s secretly dark and disturbed, but it was a good execution on the concept, and it invited a lot of community engagement running over every little detail.

I know it’s a criticism of the game that selling horror to kids is immoral, but I can’t say I agree with that. Kids are going to be interested in horror. Maybe because it’s a taboo, maybe because horror has an appeal to people and kids are people. There’s nothing particularly traumatizing about FNAF (there’s not even blood, which if I’m being honest, I don’t think should be as taboo as it is). It doesn’t carry heavy concepts on its back. If anything, it’s a safe space for kids to be edgy kids, which I can only see as a good thing. The early games, and especially FNAF 1, just carry themselves with a juvenile sense of fear that makes them incredibly charming. I think that’s why the games caught on as hard as they did. I can’t speak for future entries or other mascot horror ips, but I can say that FNAF 1 was a legitimately good game that deserved the popularity that it got.

#five nights at freddy's #fnaf #fnaf analysis #analysis

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unclewaynemunson · 2 years ago

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Listen y’all the fruity four are gonna have a double wedding together sometime during the 90s you can’t change my mind

Robin is the one who jokingly suggests Steve and her should get platonic-married to each other. Steve thinks it’s an awesome idea and launches onto it in all seriousness, coming up with the idea of also having Nancy and Eddie marry each other to make it a double wedding.

To both their surprise, Nancy is on board immediately. Her motives are 1) getting to see Robin in either a wedding dress or a fancy suit; 2) the practical advantages like taxes and stuff (i don’t know anything about this shit so I won’t elaborate on this one); and 3) saying “fuck you” to the heteronormative patriarchy.

Eddie is very much opposed to it. He flat-out refuses at first, making a whole big speech about how they shouldn’t even want to give in to the rules of a society that only shuns them and about how backwards the whole concept of marriage is anyway. He calls it “the pinnacle of forced conforming” at some point, which Robin thinks is extremely pretentious and Steve thinks is extremely hot.

Nancy and Eddie love having heated political discussions that go largely over Steve’s and Robin’s heads, so she really doubles down on it and the two of them keep ranting to each other for months. Steve and Robin try another approach, which exists mainly of making ridiculous compromises about the classic wedding rules. It works pretty well, but as a result of it, the whole wedding becomes a completely absurd over-the-top mockery of traditional wedding ceremonies.

Eddie and Steve make a bet about what they have to wear. If Steve loses, he’ll have to wear his old Scoops Ahoy uniform; if Eddie loses, he’s gonna have to go all-out on a traditional white dress. Steve wins and nearly pees his pants laughing when Eddie walks into the ceremony in an all-white flowery mermaid dress with veil. Needless to say, Eddie does look gorgeous in it.

Nancy and Robin wear matching jumpsuits in which they look both gorgeous and fucking badass. They cry the whole day, though. They just can’t stop. It’s driving everyone crazy.

Their first dance is either to Damnit Janet or Hot Patootie (both from Rocky Horror) I’m still on the fence on this one lemme know what you think

Steve takes Robin’s last name and Eddie takes Nancy’s because both guys don’t exactly get a happy-family kind of feeling from their own last names. Eddie originally wanted all of them to change their names to Henderson, but it turned out that wasn’t legally possible :(

When same-sex marriage gets legalized, they again have a lot of discussions on whether they want to get divorced and marry their actual partners properly, or whether they wanna keep it this way for nostalgia’s sake and as a celebration of their friendship. Eddie throws in the third option of him marrying Robin and Steve marrying Nancy just for the sake of driving the others crazy. Eventually they do switch because Eddie and Steve have a whole bunch of adopted kids while Robin and Nancy are childfree (they are really cool aunts though)

Add your HC’s because I’m obsessed with this and need more <3

#sorry this got very long i got completely carried away here whoops #stranger things #fruity four #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #steddie #ronance #headcanons

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thefairyletters · 4 years ago

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✨ Spooky Recs✨

I read a lot of fanfictions... More than I am proud of. I thought I should recommend as I go before I lose sight of their existence among the sea of my favorites.

Since past few days I have been craving for some creepy, unnerving fanfics that will keep me restless and awake at night. I remembered my favorites and wanted to read more of the kind so I looked up, patiently going through each story that sounded compelling. I also revisited old stories for nostalgia's sake.

Of course, rare as they are, in Naruto fandom no less, it's even harder to find a horror and mystery fic that is well written, not dropped under 2 chapters, and really keeps your attention.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Comedy

I've rated 4 aspects of the work -

Writing – I don't judge writing based solely on the grammar and vocabulary. I also consider how the author expands upon a subject, if they are consistent with the facts, if they are able to keep the attention of the readers regardless of their creative writing skills.

Characters – If the characters are well-developed, in their given character, if OCs have any real significance to the story.

Plot – How gripping is the storyline, if the story sticks to its original plot, the structure of the story, plot holes.

Flow – Mother-of-slow-burn, slow-but-steady, steady, fast, I-am-speed

When the flowers cry : TCOOKIES777 || M || AO3/FFN || SasuSaku || Goth Horror || Post-Canon, set during Blank Period || Ongoing

When one of the greatest medical-nin in the world goes missing in what should have been a simple delivery to the Land of Spring’s Hidden Snow Village, the rest of Team 7 must reunite to find her. But even the most powerful team of shinobi will find themselves challenged in a battle against the supernatural. With Sasuke's return, vengeful ghosts of the past will test him and his love.

My thoughts : One of the best stories I've read in a while, and top tier SS stories. I read this in one sitting. I never listen to music while reading, preferring silence, but for this one, I suggest you do as the author says. Also, keep some tissues and food with you. This story is major in mystery and minor in horror but otherwise full of SS fluff.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 9/10

Flow: Steady, if a bit confusing (but that's why it's mystery)

Kyuro : silver_shot || T || AO3 || SasuSaku || Mystery || Post-Canon || Complete

“Oh,” says Naruto, “well, its sort of like that. Except in this village, the story has a way more darker ending – it basically goes like this: the girl and the guy plan to run away together. The guy steals a bunch of treasure, and stashes it away. But then, when he goes to get the girl at her village, he kills her and decides to run away with all that money. But then he is killed by the guards of the girls village and now they're both dead and the treasure is hidden away somewhere”. Sasuke stares blankly at the blond, “that story makes no sense”.

My thoughts : I know you must be thinking the same thing as Sasuke – "makes no sense". I did too, but it's a pretty cool short story. It lies on the funny, creepy side that slowly starts to lose its funny touch. SS makes stupid mistakes later on but it could be because they are MCs. The ending is very ambiguous. It's not my favorite mystery but it is something. Enjoyable read but not something I will pick again.

Writing: 8/10

Characters: 8/10

Plot: 8/10

Flow: Fast

Moon stuttering in the sky : xfrinz || T || AO3 || Gen || Mystery || Pre-Shippuden || One-shot

Kakashi is suspicious of many things about Haruno Sakura. Too many things about her don't make sense, with too many incongruous explanations.

My thoughts : Author of this story just summarised Pre-Shippuden in less than 4k words and made some tiny changes to it. Not much though. One of my favorite gen fics yet. Read it if you haven't yet. You'll feel more sad than thrilled tbh. But worth it.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: I-am-Speed

Breath mints : silver_shot || T || AO3 || SasuSaku || Comedy-Mystery || Post-Canon || Ongoing (maybe)

Their home no longer exists with the life it once had – in fact no settlement thrives anymore; they exist only in a snapshot that contradicts time itself. Families within their own homes sleep in a slumber that they cannot wake from. Those that were chatting on the street prior to the event simply drop their heads and remain unresponsive.

My thoughts : I picked it up for Mystery but I stayed for Comedy. But of course that's not to say supernatural elements in this story is not it, but it sure pales in comparison to effortless humor in this story. Lee and Kiba pair is something you don't see often but they get along too well here. Charactisation is on point as well. SS angst! + NS angst (but it's downplayed)

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 9/10

Flow: Steady

The Curse : sincerelyLen || T || FFN || SasuSaku || Horror || Post-Canon || Ongoing

Team 7 is unexpectedly assigned an S-Ranked Mission involving an unsolved mystery of 10 years. An eerie adventure that will test their teamwork, strengths, and greatest fears. Do you believe in Curses?

My thoughts : My all-time favourite horror Naruto fanfiction. To me, this sets the standard of how mystery and horror elements should be handled. I have never been able to get this story out of my mind even it's been years. Perfect charactisation of Team 7 with Smart-yet-Stupid!Sakura, I-can-fight-aliens-and-reanimated-corpses-but-keep-ghosts-away-from-me!Naruto and I-dont-get-paid-enough-for-this!Sasuke. I especially love OCs here. They kinda reminds me of Pillars from KnY. You must read this story, loosely based on Zombie apocalypse + curse concept.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Slow-but-Steady

Silent High : Istoria || T || FFN || Gen || Mystery || Post-Canon || Complete

A bit of the Silent Hill series mixed in with Naruto. Trapped in an illusion whose rules are unknown, they struggle to find answers before darkness consumes them.

My thoughts : One of the best mystery fanfictions I've read. I especially loved how this story handled Genjutsu in the best possible way it could without it turning into some cliche, ghost story. Though really, this story has shown what my greatest fear actually is. I will never be able to leave my back open to a wheelchair. This story has simple writing yet it gives you creeps with the twists and turns. A must read one because it is unlike any other in this list.

Writing: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Steady

Silence of the Damned : Daystar Clarion || T || FFN || Gen || Psychological Horror, Mystery(?) || Pre-Shippuden || One-Shot

When Naruto wakes up to a dead body in his bathroom, he begins a quick spiral into madness.

My thoughts : Listen to Halsey's Control while reading this. Quite chilling, deals with mental issues and morbid but in a fascinating way. It gives a new meaning to Dark!Naruto, but one that actually makes sense. I never saw the ending coming... I had something else in mind and I was convinced it would be, but nope. Here's a sequel to this One-Shot (Uzumaki's War) which I never picked up.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Plot: 9/10

Flow: Slow-but-steady

To the Victor : Letta || T || FFN || NaruSaku || Psychological Horror || Shippuden || One-Shot

Naruto loses the fight and Sakura is a trophy of war.

My thoughts : A very twisted NS, if you squint. It's not horror but it might as well be... it is still a disturbing story to see from the eyes of Sakura. Quite chilling to be in Sakura's shoes. But I love this because it is one shot and I loved the ending.

Writing: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 8/10

Flow: Steady

Under the Skin : BukkakeNoJutsu || T || FFN || Team 8 || Body Horror || Pre-Shippuden || One-Shot

Your actions don't make you a monster. Your reasons do.

My thoughts : There's a reason why Shino is my favourite team 8 member. In my opinion, Shino is also one of the strongest Shinobi of his generation. His clan techniques are just that horrifying. This story is testament to that. He is so terrible.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Slow-but-steady

Instant Message : Keelah || T || FFN || SasuSaku || Murder mystery || Modern AU || Incomplete

She gave him names to kill, in order not to be killed herself. But having blood on her hands was turning out to be much worse than dying. "…There's still round 2…3…4…" When does this game end? She asked. "Don't you see, Sakura?" He said, "It never does."

My thoughts : I read this story a long time ago and have read this twice. Personally, it has the most interesting concept of all stories in the list. It reminds me of Vocaloid series, "Bookmark of the end". Kind of. To those who are thinking of picking this up, go ahead! It's a great book and has one of the best suspense I've read in Fandom. BUT, it has been stopped in mother-of-all-cliffhangers and Author is MIA for 4 years now. But, all things considered, it remains to be one of the best stories I've read.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Steady

Monomoth : Ohtze || M || FFN/AO3 || SasuSaku || Horror || AU || Incomplete

Everything ends, eventually. Eight years after the war, Sakura's unhinged and Sasuke's obsessed. The fields are filled with corpses.

My thoughts : I read this story right after "The Curse", my favourite. From what I remember, Sakura and Sasuke are both mentally deranged, in different ways. Lots of death and gore to stomach, so not for weak readers. There's no speak of fluff in this one. Zero, Zilch, Nada. I wouldn't call it your classic 'Horror', but it is very disturbing, so psychological horror is more like it. Don't eat food while reading this one. Did I mention how Sakura is mentally disturbed beyond help in this one? And Sasuke is obsessed. If these suit your tastes, go ahead.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Slow

I hope you enjoy this list. Let me know your opinion in comments.

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silentfcknhill · 4 years ago

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FAVORITE SHOWS IN POSTERS

Well, we’re back for another installment of this tagged meme, this time for TV shows! I also stole this from/was indirectly tagged by @jcmorrigan. My taste in shows also differs a bit from my taste in movies, as I tend to like a lot of comedy shows with not as many horror ones. I’m not into shows as much as movies overall, but there are some that I am very passionate about so I picked twenty again. So, here we go for part 2, in order:

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend Of Korra (2005-2014)

I'm including these as one show since they take place in the same universe and tell a continuation of the same overall plot. Altogether this is probably the best piece of media to ever exist, including movies. It has so many great characters and villains especially and some of the most epic sequences, charming humor and heartwarming moments ever. I've never met a person who didn't like these shows, even people who normally don't like cartoons. My dad, who is biased against animation? He loved it. My mother? She loved it, watched it with her multiple times. My grandmother? Loved it. My ex-boyfriend? Loved it. My best friend? Loved it. I dare anyone not to, and I'm so glad it's making a resurgence since it's on Netflix for a new generation to enjoy.

2. Black Butler (2008-2014)

I never was big into anime growing up and only really started watching anime when I was like 16 and above, but this is one of the exceptions because holy shit is it ever dark and epic. I'm not sure I'd really recommend it for kids, it's more of a teens and young adults kind of anime and that's probably why it's so good, because it isn't afraid to explore dark and mature topics and do it with all of the intensity and gravitas required to do said topics justice. It has lots of great characters, and the story of demons who make deals with children who have a dark side is fun to watch play out.

3. Seinfeld (1989-1998)

My dad was a huge fan of this show so I watched it growing up since I was a toddler and it became a classic for me. I've watched thw hole show through at least 8 times, and I'll never stop because it never gets old or boring. It's also my only comfort show when I'm having a panic attack because of one time a few years ago when I was having a drug-induced psychosis episode and watching it calmed me down, so now it's like the opposite of a trigger and whenever I'm having an episode or something I watch it to bring me back to reality. For that reason it's more than a show to me, it's a medical treatment and I'm forever grateful to it.

4. The Good Place (2016-2020)

The big four shows made my Michael Schur all made it on this post (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office and Parks And Recreation), either in the main list of the honorable mentions, but this is my personal favorite of the four. It's so funny, quirky, relatable and basically tailor-made to suit my interests. Not only is it an entertaining and wholesome show, but I think watching it helped me come to terms with a lot of things like mortality, ethics, philosophy, religion and my relationships with other people. It gets alot of different viewpoints across and if you're a very analytical and philosophical person like me you'll probably enjoy seeing it all play out. Not to mention, every single character is 'favorite character' material. It's rare you find a show with no filler characters in the main cast, but I genuinely can't choose who is best.

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-?)

Another of Michael Schur's shows, this one is just barely under The Good Place and to be honest it was tough to pick my favorite between the two because they're both equally funny. I know it's kind of controversial right now because of the whole law enforcement thing, but I actually think they do a good job of handling social issues in the show and remaining respectful of real-life systemic problems. As for the characters, this is another one of those shows where every single character is gold and I think that tends to be a trend among Schur's shows in general. He produces damn good comedy, and damn good characters. I can't wait to see what they bring next.

6. Rick And Morty (2013-?)

This is unfortunately one of those cases of 'great show, horrible fandom' and for that reason I don't get involved in the fandom even though I love the show. It's a shame because it really is a great show, so funny and, again, such good characters. I think it's a lot more accessible than the fandom likes to claim, so I'm hoping more people will give it a chance and not get put off by the intellectual elitism of the fandom because it does have some of the most entertaining and batshit crazy episodes ever, poking fun of some of the staples of science fiction in media while also poking fun of itself the whole time. Unlike the fandom, the show doesn't take itself seriously and that's enjoyable nowadays.

7. Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)

While this show is a comedy, it is also a lot of other things and it's probably made me ugly-cry just as many times as it's made me laugh. Well, maybe not as often, but those few scenes (if you've watched the show then you know the ones I'm talking about) made me hysterically sob hard enough to be worth like fifty minor sads. But I didn't even mind because the show is just that good, and it makes you /feel/ something in a real way. Probably because of just how real it gets in terms of telling stories that happen all the time in the real world, sometimes with inevitably tragic endings. But these things do happen every day, and it's important to shine a light on that. It's not just representation for LGBTQ+ but also for POC, the neurodiverse, the poor, and many more. Give it a watch to broaden your perspective!

8. Big Mouth (2017-?)

This is probably the grossest show I've ever seen but by god is it ever funny. Maybe it's because I have an immature sense of humor or something, but I love this show. It definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea and I don't recommend you watch this show with anyone else around because it will get awkward. I think part of its appeal to me is that everyone I talk to who likes it considers it so relatable to their lives growing up but for someone like me who grew up on the autism and asexual spectrum and who was physically an early-bloomer by years, nothing about this show is relatable to me in any way so it makes it all the more crazy and bizarre watching how the people around me must have experienced things. Did y'all really have these experiences with puberty in middle school???

9. Dexter (2006-2013)

I recently heard that this show is coming back for a reboot soon and I'm so excited because this is my absolute favorite drama/thriller show, as evidenced by the fact that it's the highest one on the list so far that isn't a comedy. I love the idea of having a protagonist who is sort of a villain (or at least morally dubious), and the idea of a serial killer who only kills bad people is particularly satisfying for some reason. Maybe because he's the vigilante we all deserve and want in this unjust and evil world of modern times? Idk but the very premise of this show set it up for big things and aside from the ending I think it delivered consistently.

10. Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)

This show took us on some journeys, and you can't deny that. Sure, maybe it didn't always finish what it started and didn't always end in the most satisfying way, but part of its charm is that you didn't care because the experience was just so much fun. They took characters and stories that have been told to death and somehow managed to put a unique and unexpected twist on them, and that alone is admirable. Good twists, good villains, and pretty much every cliffhanger known to man will keep you hooked on binge-watching every episode.

11. RuPaul's Drag Race (2009-?)

A bit different than the other entries on my list in that it's not fiction but a reality competition show, but I couldn't leave Drag Race out because it's just so fucking iconic and perfect. Even when you disagree with the judges or can't stand a certain contestant you'll still be having a good time. It's got the personalities you love to love, the ones you love to hate, and the comedy that's completely meme-able. I mean just how much has this show contributed to pop culture and the internet? More than most of us, henny. I've watched every single season, even the international ones and all of the spinoffs. This show will probably be on for another thirty years when Ru is throwing shade from a hospital bed and I'll still be watching.

12. House (2004-2012)

Some people hate on this show, and I don't get it. I love House. Yes, he's an ass. That's the point. He's supposed to be unlikeable, and that's why I like him. Maybe because I always love the rude, sarcastic, misanthropic jerkass-genius characters for some reason. And I also love procedural shows, so it's a win-win. I also work in the healthcare field so it appeals to me for that reason too, because obviously the whole premise is outlandish which is what makes it funny. Of course it's not realistic for a hospital, so just enjoy the absurdity and don't get too hung up on the details of medical accuracy and professional ethics and you'll be fine.

13. The Office (2005-2013)

The third of Michael Schur's show and the last one that made the main list (sorry Parks And Rec, I love you too but there was just so many good shows to choose from and I saw you last so the nostalgia isn't as strong!) I don't think I need to hype this show up any, it's already a classic and you can't even turn around online without getting hit in the face by a dozen Office memes. You'll have to pry this show and it's relatable characters (especially Michael Scott) from my cold, dead hands.

14. All Hail King Julien/The Penguins Of Madagascar (2008-2017)

Like Avatar/Korra, I also consider this as one show for the sake of this list because it also takes place in the same universe (Madagascar, specifically) and I just couldn't choose one over the other because they're both so perfect. They're funny and I love all the characters (it cut out the weaker links of the Madagascar film series and just focuses on expanding the standout side-characters like King Julien and the penguins). It also delved into some lore, particularly the first show, and even though I didn't also agree with the directions it took (you may have seen me get salty about the ending because I cared too much), I can't deny how much I love it.

15. Bones (2005-2017)

One of the other scarce non-comedy shows on this list, it still has it's funny moments. It's also, like House, another procedural show that involves some medical stuff, but this time on a more scientific and forensic level which is even more interesting. It's nice to see a lead female with Asperger's, too. There's a lot of cop/law enforcement shows where they try to solve crimes, but this one is the best, and I'm saying that as a fan of CSI as well. Don't fight me on this, I'm right. Oh yes, it's corny, it's campy, it's cheesy, but I love every minute of it. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach though.

16. The Simpsons (1989-?)

We all grew up with this show, don't lie. It's been around longer than most people on tumblr have even been alive. Should it have ended seasons ago? Hell yes. But that doesn't take away what the first like 20 or so seasons gave us (there's a lot of argument about when the show jumped the shark, for me it wasn't until much later than the popular consensus). The characters are amazing, but the secret to the show's longevity is that they always return to status quo and there's comfort and nostalgia in that. Bart will still be in 4th grade when you're out there pushing 90. This show is persistent. This show is eternal. This show will outlive us all.

17. Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)

Sorely underrated. This show is hilarious, gruesome and campy as hell and I love it. I don't think you necessarily have to watch the Evil Dead movies beforehand in order to get the plot of the show, although it would probably help. In my opinion this show ended way too soon and I'm hoping someday we'll get a comeback because Ash is the reluctant, self-absorbed hero we all need and it's 2020 so at this point there really might actually be a demon-zombie apocalypse and who's gonna save us then if not for the impulsive womanizer with a chainsaw for a hand?

18. Malcolm In The Middle (2000-2006)

Another show I grew up with, I don't think it gets as much credit as it deserves. It has some damn funny episodes and great characters, and it did a lot of the popular sitcom tropes before they were 'cool'. Some other great sitcoms, The Middle in particular, took a lot of influence from this show and it helped pave the way for the future of sitcoms at a time when they were about to make a comeback. If you want a good show about the real experiences of growing up, this is a much more accurate representation of the highs and lows of being an awkward tween from a dysfunctional home.

19. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019)

Unlike most people I actually liked the movie version from the early 2000's, and I read the books growing up so I was excited when I saw there was a live action television adaptation of it on Netflix because I felt like they cancelled the movie franchise too soon. I was interested to see how new actors would handle the roles, and I was not disappointed. I wouldn't say I liked either portrayal of the characters better or worse, they both added their own twist to it and this show is a great and loyal adaptation to the books, probably because the author was so heavily involved. He knew just when to stick to the books and when to improve upon what he had done with the benefit of hindsight. This show is basically the books, but remastered.

20. Winx Club (2004-?)

Sort of an odd one out on this list, but I really love this show even as an adult and it may surprise you to learn it is still going on and the most recent season came out last year. They take big breaks sometimes in between seasons, but it's still going strong and in multiple countries. The only thing I don't like about watching this show is all the different and inconsistent dubs since the original show is Italian and each dub only goes for a couple seasons so by the time you get used to one set of voices/names for the characters oyu have to abruptly switch to another, but it's still worth it for the beautiful animation and cool characters (especially the villains!)

Honorable Mentions:

13 Reasons Why, America's Next Top Model, American Horror Story, Arrested Development, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Black Mirror, Care Bears, Chernobyl, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Criminal, CSI, Duck Dodgers, Goosebumps, Kenny Vs. Spenny, Kim Possible, Kingdom Hospital, Lazytown, Lost, Making A Murderer, Mayday, Mindhunter, Modern Family, Monster High, Obsession: Dark Desires, Parks And Recreation, Prison Break, Project Runway, Queer As Folk, Queer Eye, Salem, Schitt's Creek, SCTV, Spongebob Squarepants, The Emperor's New School, The Good Doctor, The Haunting Of Hill House/Bly Manor, The Middle, The Pretender, The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Through The Wormhole, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unsolved Mysteries, Yugioh

Tagging: @bullet-farmer and anyone else who wants to!

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kuroopaisen · 4 years ago

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cause & effect || chapter 4

➵ your work friend, kuroo, has a tiny favour to ask. to say you’re surprised is an understatement. but, for some stupid reason, you agreed to it.

warnings: f!reader, alcohol

wc: 2.1k

m.list | ch. 3 ↞ ch. 4 ↠ ch. 5

You sip the hot sake with a grimace. It’s not bad per se, just… different.

For a restaurant whose whole gimmick was hot sake, you’re surprised it clashes so much with your meal. But at least it brought you a little warmth.

Kuroo’s having as strange a time as you are. Each sip of his sake is accommodated with a grimace. Somehow, it makes him look a couple years younger.

Your legs are tucked under the futon attached to your table, but admittedly there’s not much room. Kuroo’s legs are far too long and the kotatsu much too cramped.

��Give me some room, would you?” You grin, nudging him with your knee.

“Oh, sorry,” Kuroo chuckles, adjusting himself.

This isn’t the first fake date you’ve been on with Kuroo. Well, they weren’t dates – not technically. The purpose of them was to get to know each other better; something you’d both agreed was important if you were going to pull this whole thing off.

You’d never really thought about it before, but there’s a lot of mundane information shared in relationships. Things you might not think to mention to other people, or even things you haven’t told anyone else. Not that you were saying any of that to each other – you just need to be convincingly close.

You are going to meet his family, after all.

“So,” you sigh, setting your cup on the kotatsu, “you lived with your dad, your grandmother, and your grandfather?”

“Mhm,” he nods.

“And I need to stay on my toes around them?”

“Oh yeah,” Kuroo grins. “Chances are they’ll tease the hell out of you if they get comfortable enough.”

“Great,” you chuckle.

“You’ll be fine,” he smiles. “I’m sure they’ll love you.”

“You sure?”

“Chances are they’ll tell you you’re too good for me.”

“Maybe I am,” you smirk, taking another sip of sake.

Kuroo scoffs. “Brutal!”

You’re not sure if he can tell you’re lying. He’s handsome, clever, and witty enough to be entertaining. You’d feel lucky to have a guy like him look your way.

Oh well, you think as you place your hands in your lap. You’re quite happy to keep that thought to yourself. There’s no good reason to feed a man’s ego.

He stretches his arms above his head, groaning. You swear you can hear his bones cracking.

“You sound like an old man,” you grin.

“Look, it’s not my fault the human body is badly designed.”

“Ah, so it’s not your fault for not looking after it properly, hm?” Perhaps he has a point. But you have to make your own fun these days.

“I’ll have you know I take very good care of my body, thank you very much.”

You’re not sure if he intended it to sound so flirtatious, but you blush anyway.

“Your bones say otherwise,” you muse.

“I won’t stand for this abuse,” he grins, standing up. “You ready?”

You follow suit, scampering after him as he approaches the cashier.

As always, he pays. No matter how hard you try to protest, he just smiles and says he feels bad for taking up your evenings.

You don’t know a casual way to say that you actually enjoy these outings.

Your solution is just buy him fancier coffees in the morning.

Kuroo deals with the transaction in the same smooth and charming way he always does, and you’re sure he’s definitely made an imprint on the dear cashier’s memory.

It’s only late afternoon, but the sky is already darkening. The trees that line the street are speckled with fairy lights, already glowing like candles in the dim twilight.

You gaze at them with a tiny sense of wonder. You’ve heard the theory that people made winter a time of celebration to give them something to pull through the dark and the cold for. Maybe that’s true – but there’s always such beauty to be find during wintertime, even if it feels like the tip of your nose is about to fall out.

Fairy lights in a tree are so small, so inconsequential, and yet so human.

You shake your head. That’s the sake talking.

You turn to Kuroo to say something.

He’s peering at you intently, eyes roaming your face.

You blush, unsure what to make of that look. Is there something on your face? “Everything okay?”

“The lighting’s good here.”

You frowned. “Huh?”

Kuroo fishes his phone out of his pocket, taking a step towards you and hovering an arm above your shoulders.

“You all good to take a photo?” He asks, and it clicks.

“Oh! Right!” You nod, almost a little too fervently. “Sure.”

He smiles, slinging his arm across your shoulders. You lean into him, tilting your face to what you believe to be your best angle.

Sure, these photos are technically ‘fake’, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look your best.

He snaps a couple of photos of the two of you before opening his gallery. The two of you take a moment to observe the handful of images.

The two of you may not really in a relationship, but you’re sure these photos could fool you.

You point at one of them, nodding. “That one looks good.”

Kuroo chuckles, adding it to his favourites. “Thanks.”

He smiles and slips his phone into his pocket as he steps away from you. You miss his warmth more than you should.

“Have they liked the photos?” You ask.

“Loved them,” he grins.

You know Kuroo’s been sending them to his family – with your permission, of course. It’s partly to satiate their desire to intrude on his love life, and also to make it more believable when you finally meet them. You have half a mind to save them to your own phone with how cute they are.

“Oba-chan’s been joking about putting them on the wall.”

You snort. “That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

“She’s desperate,” he grins.

“She must be, if she’s considering omiai.”

Kuroo shrugs. “Ah, she’s just worried about me. She doesn’t want me to be ‘married to my work.’”

“Are you?” You ask, one eyebrow raised.

“Oh, God no.”

You laugh as you dig your hands in your pockets.

“I’ve just got a lot going on,” he explains. “I don’t have the time to date.”

“Really?” You tilt your head at him. “You kind of strike me as the kind of guy who’s content to just go home and play dating sims all night.”

Kuroo reels back, a hand on his chest. “You’re joking.”

“I thought you were single because you had some digital waifu or something.”

Kuroo stares at you with an expression of absolute horror. “What have I done to deserve this?”

“I’m just teasing,” you giggle, hopping down the street. “Okay, so if you’re not cuddling up against a body pillow of a scantily clad anime women during those lonely nights, then what do you do with your spare time?”

Kuroo scoffs, shaking his head as he jogs to catch up with you. “Well, I catch up with my friends a fair bit. Oh, and I’m part of a hobby volleyball club.”

“You play?” You look him up and down. Now that he’s said it, it makes perfect sense.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I take good care of my body,” he grins.

Another glance and you realise – yes, actually, he appears to be taking very good care of his body. Those shoulders look a little broader than you’d first thought.

“Is that why you applied for your job?” You ask. “Personal interest?”

“Mhm,” he nods.

Interesting. “Have you always played?”

“I’ve played for as long as I can remember,” he grins. “Believe it or not, but my high school team actually made it to Nationals. With me as their captain.”

“Wait, really?” You look up at him with wide eyes. Now that was certainly unexpected.

“Sure did.”

“How far did you get?”

Kuroo furrows his brow for a moment. “I think it was something like the top 16?”

“That’s… pretty impressive,” you admit. Your knowledge of sports is perhaps a little lower than might be expected of someone in your position, but you digress. Top 16 in the entire nation is definitely something to be proud of.

“Glad you think so,” he grins.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you pursue it professionally?” From your perspective he certainly has the build for it. And if there’s one thing you’re sure of after working next to him for a while now, it’s that he’s clever. A trait that seems to be surprisingly useful on the court.

“There were some real monsters on the teams we faced,” he says, voice languid as ever. “You know about Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio, right?”

You nod. Even if your understanding of the sport itself wasn’t particularly advanced, you were well-aware of the top players. That, at least, you’d made an effort to stay up to date with. Also, a lot of them were unfairly attractive – making that task a bit easier to stick to than some of your others.

“We faced them at Nationals,” he glances at you, a new glint in his eye. Maybe it’s nostalgia.

You shiver.

“That genuinely sounds terrifying.”

Kuroo grins. “It was. Oh, and you know Bokuto Koutarou, right?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“Well, we were friends in high school,” Kuroo says, as if it’s the most mundane piece of information you could receive. “Our teams often practiced against one another.”

You stare at him, jaw slack. “No way.”

“I have several embarrassing photos of him to prove it,” Kuroo chuckles.

He’s so confident about it that you have no choice but to believe him.

“You have to introduce me to him,” you say, voice a little more desperate than you’d like.

“Why?” Kuroo flashes you a wicked grin. “Got a crush?”

“No,” you roll your eyes, praying your cheeks aren’t turning too red. “He just seems… nice.”

“Nice and… attractive?”

“Shut up!”

“I’m just saying, he’s technically single—”

“Aren’t I supposed to be your fake girlfriend?” You knock him with one of his shoulders to little avail. You stumble back a bit from the impact. He stays completely still.

Kuroo cackles a little louder than usual. “You’re going to have to try harder than that.”

“Who knew you were so annoying?” You scoff.

“That’s on you,” he smirks. “You’re the one agreed to this.”

“It’s a hell of my own creation,” you mumble.

“Should’ve read the fine print,” Kuroo teases.

You have half a mind to glare at him to keep this going, but a question pushes itself to the forefront of your mind.

“Wait, so…” You press your lips together, frowning. “You didn’t pursue professional volleyball because of people like Bokuto?”

Kuroo tilts his head to the side with a pensive expression. “Sort of,” he shrugs. “I guess I just felt like I didn’t have the same passion for the court that guys like him did.”

“Oh,” you murmur. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “I just realised my talents would be better applied elsewhere.”

“So… in marketing?”

He grins, glancing at you. “I just think that volleyball has the power to really connect people.”

You tilt your head at him.

“When I first moved to Tokyo, I wasn’t great at talking to people,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “But, because of volleyball, I found a way to… feel more comfortable opening up to people.”

The thought of Kuroo Tetsurou of all people being shy strikes you for a second. It’s hard to picture – but only for a moment.

“So,” he continues, “I want to make it easier for kids to get into this sort of thing. You never know who it might help.”

You smile to yourself. Once again, he’s being cute. And he doesn’t seem to have any clue.

“What about you?” Kuroo asks. “How’d you end up there?”

“Oh, it was just the first place that took me in,” you shrug.

He snorts. “Really?”

“Yeah. I just sent out my resume to a bunch of places and they got back to me first.”

“Oh, wow,” Kuroo grins.

“Sorry it’s not very romantic,” you blush, glancing at him.

“Nah.” He shakes his head. “It sounds very reasonable.”

“Thanks,” you chuckle.

In all honesty, part of you had expected this whole ‘fake dating’ thing to be a bit of a burden. The thought of pretending to like someone a lot more than you actually do sounds draining.

But it’s not hard to like Kuroo Tetsurou. In fact, you think he’s quite pleasant company. This whole charade shouldn’t be much trouble at all.

You dutifully ignore the thought that, if this were a real date, you’d absolutely ask him if he’d like to go on another.

#kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsurou x reader #kuroo x you #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo tetsurou x you #cause and effect by rowan

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adarlingwrites · 4 years ago

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Taste

Summary: The blue bard is sickeningly sweet for Astarion's preferences, but he'll never forget her taste.

Author’s Notes: Taste is a collection of retellings of Astarion's scenes with the player character from the Baldur's Gate 3 early access, but with a little more embellishments. Plus, it has glimpses of my tiefling's backstory.

I had horrible, horrible artist's and writer's block and I needed to get this out of my system to get the creative juices flowing again. Please excuse any typos or lack of quality.

Larian give us the bard class pls I am begging of you

I - Blueberry Wine

The time for rest has come.

Bedrolls are strewn on the campgrounds, and most of its inhabitants are already asleep. Nothing can be heard save for the crackle of fire, the chirp of birds in the woods, and soft snoring.

If it wasn’t for their common goal of removing those damned illithid tadpoles from their heads before they undergo ceremorphosis, the members of this party wouldn’t even spend five minutes within each others’ presence. Now, they’re sleeping in one place. It takes some measure of trust for that.

The dreams of the tiefling in their ragtag group aren’t sweet tonight, to say the least.

Brows furrowed as another nightmare wormed into her psyche, the tiefling tosses and turns in her bedroll, a thin film of sweat giving her forehead a slight sheen in the firelight. Eyes shooting open, she choked back a gasp, lest she wake up her companions in the camp. The crackle of the campfire and the smell of burning wood gave her some semblance of comfort, at least, reminding her of distant memories.

A warm hearth, a kind face, the smell of freshly baked blueberry pie; simple comforts from her youth that she missed terribly.

The comfort that accompanied the nostalgia was enough to make her drift back to sleep. Woefully, it didn’t stop the nightmares from coming back, now centered around the tiefling’s early years.

Small, bare feet pitter-pattered on the wet pavement, frantic gasps escaped her dry mouth. Choking back a sob, more people went after her, shouting, hurling words that scraped her heart.

“Stop! Thief!”

“Devil!”

“Slay the demon!”

Lungs burning from exertion, the little tiefling whelp coughs, rasps for air, and slides under a cart. In the dark, she can see a narrow alleyway, which she scurries into. The men run past her hiding spot, cursing and muttering amongst themselves. Relief floods through her as their torchlights grew dim.

Safe, at last.

Her trembling arms had been holding on to precious cargo; a stale loaf of bread, wrapped in linen. It’s not a delectable morsel of steak, or rich bone marrow, but it’s better than the rocks she grinded with her sharp teeth for breakfast.

As she takes it out of the cloth, a stone drops in her stomach and horror twists on her young face. The tiefling isn’t holding a loaf of bread, but a severed head of a drow. A scream threatened to escape her throat and pierce the night air, but the tiefling maiden could only gasp as she felt a presence behind her.

Wine red eyes still heavy with sleep met with alert, ruby ones. She isn’t dreaming any longer.

In the dim firelight, she sees him. Astarion.

Truth be told, she doesn’t quite know what to feel about the posh elf. Astarion’s handsome face and fair curls are easy on the eyes, but it only reminded her of how hellish she looks in comparison due to her infernal ancestry. His sharp, calculating eyes puts her at unease, even when his gaze isn’t directed towards her. He has a way of making people feel beneath him, like vulnerable prey. Serenity is not exempt from that, despite her efforts to be pleasant to him. Not to mention, Astarion’s attitude and mannerisms reminded her of the uppity nobles she had the displeasure of encountering in her colorful past.

In short, he’s a handsome fellow with a revolting attitude, at least to Serenity’s standards. Lust and indignation battles with each other in the tiefling’s psyche.

It doesn’t help at all that the elf is fond of calling her pet names, such as “sweetheart” or “dear”. No one calls her such sweet things with genuine intent, not after she saw the drow’s head on a pike, and to hear them from his condescending mouth stirs something dark in her heart.

It especially inflames her whenever he calls her “darling”.

She wanted to pounce on him. However, she wasn’t sure what she wanted after that.

Tear his pretty face asunder with her nails and watch his handsome features contort in agony, perhaps? Or watch him writhe underneath her in a more… carnal manner as she takes out all of her frustration by mashing her ravenous mouth against his lovely lips?

Maybe both?

“Oh, Serenity. You have no need for that sort of… decadence,” she thinks to herself.

Alas, her body says otherwise.

“Shit,” he says upon meeting eyes with her, distracting the tiefling from her thoughts. Serenity didn’t expect such a vulgar word to come out of his pretty mouth, and she didn’t expect the gleaming fangs inside of it either.

How could she not see it the first few times?

The dead boar they found on the road, the fact that she had never seen him consume any food, and the wolfish way he eyes her neck when he thought she wasn’t looking should’ve given it away.

Astarion is a vampire. Worse, he's a vampire who’s intending to sink his teeth in Serenity’s neck.

Whatever terrible things she secretly wanted to do to him, she had no chance of enacting them in this situation. Hells, if anything, Astarion is the one with the capacity to do terrible things to her. The tiefling will be at his mercy, if she doesn’t act fast. So, why isn’t her body doing anything to move?

Heart racing, she needed to say something, at least.

“Stop,” Serenity warns him, voice low, baring her own sharp teeth. The tiefling had considered smashing her precious lute over his head as a last resort. Before the bard can lash out, he pulls back, alarmed.

“No no, it’s not what it looks like, I swear!” Astarion hastily blurts, panic evident in his voice. “ I wasn’t going to hurt you! I just needed- well, blood.”

The elf’s admission confirms it; Astarion is a vampire, a creature enslaved to sanguine hunger.

At that moment, an expression that Serenity hasn’t seen on the elf before twists his features: guilt. The vampire knew he’s betraying her trust, and it shows.

“How long since you killed someone? Days? Hours?” Serenity asks, on guard now, but still sitting on her bedroll.

Eyes widening, Astarion’s tone becomes defensive. “I’ve never killed anyone!” he exclaims. Then, his expression turns grim. “Well, not for food. I feed on animals. Boars, deer, kobolds! Whatever I can get.”

The lass feels slightly reassured that she’s not dealing with a blood-sucking serial killer, but the possibility of him lying puts her on edge again.

“But it’s not enough,” the pale elf speaks again. Serenity half expected him to say this, he did try to bite her after all. “Not if I have to fight. I feel so… weak.”

And there it was, the last thing she expected from him: vulnerability. His reluctance to show weakness was written all over his face. Perhaps it wounds his pride? Regardless of the doubt she has for him, it changed Serenity’s perception of the vampire ever so slightly.

“If I just had a bit of blood, I could think clearer. Fight better. Please.”

Now this is a pleasant surprise. Astarion saying please? Is this a dream?

Still, the tiefling wanted to dig deeper at the truth. Brows knitting together in concentration, she knew better than to use the tadpole, but the damn thing established a psionic link with other infected individuals.

Serenity pushes into the vampire’s mind to search for the truth.

“I- what’s this? What’s happening?” Astarion blurts, experiencing slight discomfort from the intrusion.

Pushing deep into the elf’s cracked and quivering memories, Serenity strains as she sifts through centuries worth of them, until she has reached its heart. There, she found herself in Astarion’s shoes; quite literally. She sees dark eyes that commanded her to feed, and instinctively, her body follows suit. Serenity, experiencing this through Astarion’s memory, opens her mouth, biting down, but not into a tender, pulsing neck. Though she wanted to recoil in disgust, there was no other choice; she couldn’t physically resist. The choice had been made for her- no, made for Astarion.

Astarion’s fangs pierce the twisting body of a rat - the only thing his master allows him to eat.

In return, Serenity’s own memories leak through the cracks of her psyche, and Astarion finds himself in the body of a wee girl with horns too big for her head. Ravenously, he inhales the sweet, buttery aroma of a freshly-baked pie resting on a windowsill. Astarion’s hands, now small and of bluish color, reach for the baked good with caution. A warm, ash-colored hand presses on his shoulder, and he sees the smiling face of a tall, drow man. Instead of hurting him for attempting to steal, the dark elf ushers him to a table, and offers him a slice with a compassionate smile. Serenity will never forget her first taste of the buttery pie crust, the sweet blueberries, and a hint of lemon and salt.

Now, Astarion will never forget that taste, either.

The connection between them severed, Serenity takes a moment to collect herself.

“You ate animals because you were forced to. Not because you wanted to,” she mumbles, eyebrows knitted together. Is it sympathy? Or perhaps his experiences reminded her of her own relationship with food?

Whatever it was, the tiefling’s perception of Astarion drastically shifted. On the surface, Astarion is a noble who turns up his nose at folks like her, but in truth, he suffered under the hands of a cruel master.

Being a pompous ass is a defense mechanism for him.

“I- yes,” Astarion says with resignation. “Yes, I ate whatever disgusting vermin my master picked. So, you can see why I’m slow to trust you,” he continues, and Serenity swore the expression he wore on his face tugged a few strings in her heart.

“But I do trust you, and you can trust me,” Astarion tells her.

Serenity thinks it might not be fair for her not to. How can she say that she can’t, after she saw his past for herself, and he didn’t show any hostility towards her for intruding upon his darkest, most haunting memories?

“I do. I believe you,” the bard responds, and she can hear his relief when he mutters “Thank you.”

Perhaps Serenity had judged him too harshly in the past. The drow who took her in cultivated compassion in her heart, and it’s beckoning to her.

“Do you need blood?” Serenity asks him, and there is genuine surprise on his face.

“I was about to ask,” he tells her, expression shifting into something more pleasant. “I only need a taste, I swear.”

“As long as you don’t take a drop more than you need,” Serenity replies, loosening her clothing slightly, her smallclothes peeking through.

“Really?” he asks, and he sounds almost eager.

“I- of course. Not one drop more.”

That damn vampire flashes her a smile that sends lightning rippling through her veins.

Astarion’s yearning eyes flicked to her exposed flesh, barely making out the purple tinge on her bluish skin as blood rushed from her chest to her face. Seeing where his eyes are roaming, Serenity feels her heart racing faster, and she swiftly lies down, back turned away from him. The tiefling bard is not about to let her companion see her flustered state.

Face inches away from her head, Astarion catches a whiff of the tiefling’s scent. He quietly thanked the gods that she didn’t smell of sulfur or rotting meat; instead, the bard smells of ash from freshly burned incense, laced with a warm, spiced scent.

The vampire holds her gently, delicately, until he strikes.

Astarion sinks deep, fangs like shards of ice piercing her neck. Serenity lets out a gasp, and her face contorts into an expression of pain and discomfort. Thankfully, the pain is quick and sharp, and as the vampire continues to feed, it fades gently into throbbing numbness. The bard feels her blood coursing through her body, into Astarion’s mouth, who sucked and slurped it hungrily.

He leans forward, one arm almost draping over the bard’s torso to support his weight, while the other still holds her head. Palm running through her short obsidian hair, he stops as they touch one of her horns, hand enclosing into a fist around it. Gently tugging, the elf tilts her head for better access.

Astarion’s lips are wet from his meal’s blood and sweat, and his own saliva. They glided on the sensitive skin ever so slightly as he pursed them and sucked harder. Serenity found her breath catching in her throat from his actions, pulse quickening as her hand flew to grasp Astarion’s arm, filed fingernails turning white at the end.

In a figurative and literal sense, she’s holding on to dear life.

“Ah, Astarion, that’s enough,” she mewls, hand moving to grasp his hair, fingernails running through his scalp. Not enough to hurt, but enough for the vampire to snap out of it due to the sensation it produced.

The vampire moans, almost carnally, then it is followed by a surprised, questioning grunt. Serenity’s pleas, and the scrape of her fingernails took him from his trance-like state. Immediately, he removes himself from her neck, swallowing thickly.

“Oh. Of course.”

Serenity sits up as he pulls back, light-headed from the blood loss. She turns to the pale elf, her breathing ragged as her fingers gingerly pressed on her bite wound. The tiefling felt a blush creep on her face, neck, and pointy ears as she gazes upon Astarion’s face. In the firelight, she can see that his pupils are blown out in ecstasy, and blood is trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“That- that was amazing,” Astarion purrs, wiping off her blood and bringing his fingers to his mouth, savoring it to the last drop. “My mind is finally clear. I feel strong. I feel…”

He pauses, and Serenity stopped breathing for a moment.

“Happy,” he continued, sighing in contentment as he gave her a gentle, genuine smile.

Serenity had to blink a few times to confirm that she wasn’t seeing things.

She clears her throat, hoping to dissipate the delicious tension between them. “I look forward to seeing you fight,” the bard says to him, drawing her knees to her chest.

“Shouldn’t take long. So many people need killing,” Astarion responds, bowing ever so slightly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, you’re invigorating, but I need something more… filling.”

The pale elf turns around and just like that, he is back to normal, snobbish self.

Serenity slumps back on her bedroll, exhaling slowly as her heart finally slows down. Her body crashes from the surge of adrenaline and the blood loss. Turning her head, she watches as the elf stalks towards the forest; stronger, more confident, and ready to hunt.

“This is a gift, you know,” Astarion tells her, back still turned from her, looking over his shoulder.

“I won’t forget it.”

Serenity won’t forget it either.

It didn’t take long before Astarion found a deer in the forest. As he drank the beast’s blood, he couldn’t help but compare the taste to Serenity’s blood. The animal is more filling indeed, but now? Nothing compares to the taste of the tiefling’s delicious blood.

She is the first humanoid he ever tasted, after all.

And how will he describe her taste?

The darling tiefling is bubbly, gentle, and sweet, much like her demeanor; almost sickeningly so, for his standards. It’s comparable to the Monastery of the Yellow Rose’s blueberry wine: a fragrant dessert wine he had the pleasure of consuming with delicate cheeses and light cakes back when he didn’t have any fangs.

Or perhaps he had associated her with the fruit due to her memories mingling with his.

Either way, when he said that he won’t forget it, he wasn’t just referring to the favor she did for him. Astarion was referring to Serenity’s taste as well.

Meanwhile, in the camp, Serenity draws her lute to her chest, plucking the strings softly in an attempt to lull herself to sleep. It doesn’t ease her into slumber like it usually does. Sighing, she squeezes her thighs together, heat pooling between them as she recalled the vampire’s lips on her pulsing neck. Perhaps it’s not the lute that she should be plucking at.

Reaching into the waistband of her trousers, the bard gives in to her secret desires.

At least there weren’t any more nightmares for the night.

#baldur's gate #baldur's gate 3 #astarion #astarion x mc #oc: serenity | zalia #tiefling #tiefling character #tiefling bard #cw: blood

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