#ronen the bard

[peterbazooca]

Currently obsessed with the potential in a dark urge who had something with Gortash only to rebirth on the mind flayer ship like a hard reset computer and fall in love with Astarion, and the only way out is through, it would seem, so have some fic! Prologue to something longer, maybe???

Still fuming from Ketheric’s utter audacity, Ronen let his feet carry him to the right chamber inside the colony, ignoring the intellect devourers as they scuttled past his boots. The arrogance of Myrkul’s chosen, chastising him like a misbehaving child? No matter how many times he tried to push the encounter from his mind, it would not be subdued. If it wasn’t for the plan, for his own grand plan, he would have cut that condescending smirk from the old man’s face in front of his simpering sycophants, would have fed the scraps to the pestilent cats that roamed his battlements. But it wasn’t Ketheric’s time. Soon, but not yet.      The squish squash of boots over flesh let him know he was no longer alone. He propped himself against a stone table as Gortash swanned into the room, his smokey cloak billowing behind him; an intriguing effect, given the lack of wind in a mind flayer colony.             “Ah, my friend, there you are!”

Ronen’s stomach flipped. His eyes fixed on Gortash’s gauntleted hands, and his thoughts lingered on the last time he had seen those hands, less than a week ago, when they’d been wrapped choking tight and oh so perfectly around his throat. Ronen forcefully exiled the memory. It would not do to get distracted, not now.             “Gortash,” he replied easily enough. “I was getting worried. It’s not like you to keep me waiting.”             But the smile on his lips rang false. This was wrong, and it had to stop, this thing between him and Gortash. If his father ever discovered the true extent of just how far he had fallen…well, Ronen didn’t like to dwell. Father had given him everything: love, power, a home. Ronen would not forsake him, not for the chosen of father’s rival. Not for anything. Idly, his fingers reached for the prayer scroll he’s spent half the day feverishly composing. He would carry the reminder of his greatest mistake with him everywhere, if it would prevent him from repeating it.             He dragged his eyes up to find Gortash circling him like a vulture scenting carrion, and his smile said he knew exactly where Ronen’s mind had just been.             “Come now, my friend, when you hear the good news I have, you won’t even remember to be upset with me.”             The smile tugging at his lips now was real, and Ronen turned away. It was uncontrollable, and exactly the reason he had insisted Gortash meet him here, today. He could not, would not, let this thing between them continue, no matter how he longed to feel Gortash’s hands on his skin once more. He gripped the table beneath him to cease the shaking of his hands. His eyes opened—he didn’t remember closing them—and, resolve restored, he made to turn, only to be greeting with a blow that sent him crashing into the table. Instruments and implements scattered across stone to hit the meaty ground soundless as agony exploded through his skull. And on the heels of the first blow was a second, harder, sharper. His forehead cracked off the stone below him and copper flooded his mouth. The blows kept coming, but Ronen couldn’t get his feet beneath him. His boots slid on blood-slicked flesh and his vision swam until the entire room was on its side. The pain was unlike anything he had ever known, and he cried out, screams shredding his throat.             Black folded in around him, and for a single moment of perfect clarity, Ronen was grateful. ~/\~/\~/\~/\~ He opened his eyes to red on all sides. He could barely move, maybe half a foot in either direction. Blood was hot on his skin, hot in his eyes, burning and burnishing until all he saw was red red red. His hands were agony, fingers bent back and broken. His head throbbed and rage throttled his screams down to choked, impotent gurgles. They would pay they would pay they would pay for this!             They, who had attacked him. They who had split his skull. They who had stuffed him into this sarcophagus! Who were they? He tried to remember, but the tighter he grasped at the memories, the faster they slipped away, from him until he had nothing. Until he was nothing. His broken hands pressed flat to the glass window of his…pod. He would get out. One day, he would get out, and whoever did this to him would pay, of that he was sure.             Gathering what little strength remained in his body, Ronen hurled himself at the lid of the pod, and he didn’t stop until his shoulder popped out of his socket, or when his elbow shattered with a fresh wave of agony, or when his legs gave out beneath him. He would never stop.   He would never stop.

[hogwartslegacyreactions2]

Hello there, glad to see you again, quick question how would the students, Professors and villains react to MC having an army of puffskein's like 27-41 puffskein's?

A/N: PUFFSKIENS ROLL OUT!! wait, wrong franchise-undercut because EVERYONE is here

HLC REACT TO MC'S PUFFSKIEN ARMY

MC had enough to swarm even the toughest camp. No one could handle the mass of cute they commanded. MC felt more powerful than if they were controlling an armada of dragons. Forget a few dozen. MC has HUNDREDS of rolly polly puff balls. They breed rather quickly

SEBASTIAN SALLOW: He finds it hysterical! Watching MC command the flood of fur to overtake any suspicious encampment they come across is extremely entertaining. The enemies never know what hit them.

OMINIS GAUNT: He's not a fan of Puffskiens. He doesn't like their fascination with his nose. And for MC to willingly capture and breed so many of them is beyond him. He will never go inside the vivarium, even when invited.

ANNE SALLOW: She really likes hanging out in the vivariums. She can just lay down and be cuddled by hundreds of walking pillows. It's rather nice, as long as you wear nose plugs.

IMELDA REYES: Are they serious? No really, stop selling her this cock and bull story of puffskiens defeating wizards. She refuses to believe it until MC opens their nabsack and releases the horde. She has to escape them via broom.

NATSAI ONAI: She applauds MC's creativity. She is sure that the villains of the valley have many defenses against wizards, but who would expect puffskiens?

GARRETH WEASLEY: Unlimited puffskien fur. That's how he sees it. MC produces so much of the stuff, they could stuff a mattress.

LEANDER PREWETT: ...hhwat? This has got to be the single most insane thing he's ever heard of. A literal puffskien army? This will go down in the history books alongside the Bard that tried to teach trolls ballet.

AMIT THAKKAR: Are they sure that's actually safe? For them or the puffskiens? He knows the little things are pretty durable to magic, but they're not invulnerable.

EVERETT CLOPTON: He begs MC to let him borrow the nabsack to use in the Ravenclaw dorm. Why? They'll see.

POPPY SWEETING: This is a lot, even for her. Is MC sure they can handle this many beasts? They may be small, and relatively docile, but they can be quite a handful even in small groups. She does love the irony of poachers and dark wizards being defeated by them, however.

~~~

ELEAZAR FIG: He'll admit, of all the ideas MC has had, this is one of the weirder ones. As long as they're sure they can actually take care of all those beasts, he won't interfere.

MATILDA WEASLEY: MC is doing what with an army of what? Nonono, absolutely not. MC getting themselves into trouble on purpose is bad enough, but she cannot allow a student to run amok with an irresponsible number of beasts in their pocket. She will confiscate that nabsack until MC can use it responsibly.

CHIYO KOGAWA: She's impressed. No matter how small, magical creatures tend to have minds of their own. One has to be a pretty strong leader to maintain control over such a large group.

AESOP SHARP: As long as those beasts aren't running amuck in the castle, he doesn't give a niffler's ass.

ABRAHAM RONEN: He is endlessly amused by MC's depth for whimsy, even in dire circumstances. Fighting off villains with Puffskiens? BRILLIANT!

MIRABEL GARLICK: Oh dear, she hopes MC is able to care and feed for all of those beasts. That seems like quite a few to take care of.

MUDIWA ONAI: Is this...normal for British wizards? Seems a bit eccentric.

BAI HOWIN: That's one way to handle the poaching problem, she supposes.

DINAH HECAT: She'll have a drink with Sharp. This isn't any of her concern. MC is doing just fine. Calm down Matilda, honestly.

CUTHBERT BINNS: He never knows the goings on outside of his classroom.

SATYAVATI SHAH: She swears on the nine realms, if she finds ONE puffskien hair in her classroom, she's taking house points.

PHINEAS NIGELLUS BLACK: A student fighting dark wizards with puffskiens? Please, don't bore him with outright lies. He's too clever for those.

~~~

VICTOR ROOKWOOD: This is ridiculous!! It's bad enough he's losing territory and respect within the valley, but for his gang to be dismantled by bloody puffskiens!? It's embarrassing, to put it lightly.

ASHWINDERS: They're confused by the messages sent to them by Rookwood. "Beware the Puffskiens?" What's he going on about? They find out soon enough when the earth rumbles with rolling thunder as hundreds of fur balls descend on them.

POACHERS: Interestingly enough, puffskiens have been extraordinarily hard to find as of late. Perhaps they over poached the area and now they're gone. At least that's what they think, under they're buried under a mountain of fur.

RANROK: What. The actual. Grogtash? He has seen and heard of wizards doing some wacky things to fight back, but this is a first. Even when his loyalists use dark ancient magic against the horde, their numbers are too great.

~~~

DUNCAN HOBHOUSE: Lives in constant fear of the puffskien invasion. He sees them in his sleep. Hundreds of long, hungry tongues come to eat his brain! If he sees MC in the corridors, he runs away.

[vampseraph]

Hello! How are you? I was wondering if I could please get an NPT set for Venti from Genshin Impact? With a masc or neu feel? Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.

★ ⎯ VENTI NPTS

names! aeolus, aether, aura, caelus, caelum, avel, esen, zephyr, sky, azure, breeze, ciel, aeolian, erza, haize, elowen, dorian, gideon, aleron, lysander, alden, basil, emrys, lyre, everett, sonnet, alto, chord, ronen, rhythm, herod, aubade, lyric

pronouns! air/airs, wind/winds, breeze/breezes, sky/skys, glide/glides, wing/wings, lyre/lyres, ly/lyre, xy/xyr, hy/hymn, tune/tunes, sing/sings, note/notes, ane/anemo, light/lights, bright/brights, ode/odes, feather/feathers, rise/rises, dei/deis, free/frees, strum/strums, chord/chords

titles! the windborne bard, singer of skyward sonnets, archon of mondstadt, god of the free, deity of the breeze, lover of apples, the drunken bard

[loyalpromise]

MUSES (alphabetized):

request only muses are available upon request, plotting preferred & encouraged, memes accepted, low activity.

test muses are new muses that i'm trying out and will have low activity.

9-1-1 LONESTAR:

STRAND, TK / 25-29 / GAY / CANON / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: RONEN RUBENSTEIN / outgoing. selfless. romantic. (prev. rescuinglives) INFO.

BALDUR'S GATE 3:

HALLOWLEAF, SHADOWHEART / 48 / DEMISEXUAL; PANROMANTIC / CANON / TESTING / FC: INDIA EISLEY / devoted. independent. headstrong. (prev. ehldritchblast) INFO.

RAVENGARD, WYLL / 24 / DEMISEXUAL; PANROMANTIC / CANON / TESTING / FC: UNDECIDED / heroic. kindhearted. playful. (prev. ehldritchblast) INFO.

NETFLIX'S DEAD BOY DETECTIVES:

ROWLAND, CHARLES / 16-51 / BI / CANON / TESTING / FC: JAYDEN REVRI / charming. selfless. loyal. INFO.

SASAKI, NIKO / 16-18 / LESBIAN / CANON / TESTING / FC: YUYU KITAMURA / cheerful. kindhearted. observant. INFO.

NETFLIX'S GLOW:

EAGAN, DEBBIE / 30s / BI / CANON / TESTING / FC: BETTY GILPIN / forthright. charming. cunning. (prev. librtybelle) INFO.

LISA FRANKENSTEIN:

MENDOZA, TIFFANY "TAFFY" / 18 / BI / CANON / TESTING / FC: LIZA SOBERANO / bubbly. charismatic. outgoing. INFO.

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS:

ESTRADA-VASQUEZ, MIGUEL / 35 / BI / CRIME OC / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: KEVIN ALEJANDRO / open-minded. honest. caring. a goodhearted, emt & firefighter raised in a life of crime that he tries time and time again to separate himself from, despite being continually pulled back into it for his medical prowess. (prev. fehlicitaes) INFO.

CALDBECK, CARYS / 25 / BI / FANDOMLESS OC / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: JENNA BOYD / eccentric. talkative. cautious. an eccentric girl raised up by her grandparents & left to take care of her narcissistic, agoraphobic mother at the expense of her own freedom, who doesn't have many friends as a result & talks too much, but wishes to see the world one day. (prev. likcparis) INFO.

CULINA, ELOWEN / APPEARS TO BE MID-LATE TWENTIES / BISEXUAL / BG3 TAV/OC / WOOD HALF-ELF / TRUE NEUTRAL / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: HAVANA ROSE LIU / playful. caring. ambitious. elowen was born to a wood elf mother and human father, the latter of which left before she was born. raised by her mother in the forests just outside of baldur's gate, elowen did her best to fit in with the other elves, embracing all of elven culture as she could. though, as much as she enjoyed her life in the forest, she longed for adventure; to follow in her father's footsteps, and see the world. and, with the help of the fey, she planned to do just that. (prev. ehldritchblast) INFO.

ILLISTYN, ALYNDRA / APPEARS TO BE EARLY-MID THIRTIES / BISEXUAL / BG3 TAV/OC / DROW HALF-ELF / NEUTRAL GOOD / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: LAUREN GERMAN / kindhearted. loyal. passionate. alyndra was born and raised in baldur's gate to a human mother and seldarine drow father. she lived a relatively happy childhood, (as much as it could be, at least) raised up around music and enjoyed dancing along to the sound of her mother's flute and father's singing. she assisted them in their street performances to make some extra coin, and, unsurprisingly, followed in their footsteps in becoming a bard. (prev. ehldritchblast) INFO.

ROSSI, DIANA / 30 / BI / CRIME OC / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: BETTY GILPIN / resourceful. brave. passionate. a hitwoman for hire who was raised up in an mafia family in new york & tried to get away from that lifestyle only to still wind up doing crime to make ends meet. (prev. fehlicitaes) INFO.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION:

ADLER, SADIE / 31-39 / BI / CANON / MEDIUM ACTIVITY / FC: LAUREN GERMAN / brave. impulsive. resilient. (prev. carnraged) INFO.

GASKILL, MARY-BETH / 22-30 / BI / CANON / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: ALYSON MICHALKA / hopeless romantic. imaginative. compassionate. (prev. novelistdreamt) INFO.

MARSTON, ABIGAIL / 22-30 / BI / CANON / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: DANIELLE CAMPBELL / clever. adaptable. dependable. (prev. fehlicitaes) INFO.

SMITH, CHARLES / LATE 20S-EARLY 30S / BI / CANON / TESTING / FC: DIOGO SALES / intelligent. fairminded. trustworthy. INFO.

RED WHITE & ROYAL BLUE:

BANKSTON, ZAHRA / MID-LATE THIRTIES / BI / LOW ACTIVITY / FC: SARAH SHAHI / passionate. loyal. ambitious. (prev. firstroyals) INFO.

CLAREMONT-DIAZ, ALEXANDER / MID 20S-LATE 20S / BI / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: TAYLOR ZAKHAR PEREZ / charismatic. hardworking. friendly. (prev. patientlyloves) INFO.

CLAREMONT-DIAZ, CATALINA JUNE / MID 20S-EARLY 30S / BI / MEDIUM ACTIVITY / FC: SELENA GOMEZ / creative. intelligent. caring. (prev. firstroyals) INFO.

FOX-MOUNTCHRISTEN-WINDSOR, BEATRICE "BEA" / MID-LATE 20S / BI / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: ELLIE BAMBER / rebellious. resolute. open-minded. (prev. firstroyals) INFO.

HOLLERAN, NORA / MID-LATE 20S / BI / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: RACHEL HILSON / intelligent. analytical. charismatic. (prev. firstroyals) INFO.

OKONJO, PERCY "PEZ" / MID-LATE 20S / BI / REQUEST ONLY / FC: MALCOLM ATOBRAH / eccentric. social. dramatic. (prev. firstroyals) INFO.

SHRIVASTAVA, SHAAN / MID-LATE THIRTIES / BI / REQUEST ONLY / FC: AKSHAY KHANNA / organized. loyal. level-headed. (prev. firstroyals) INFO.

STRANGER THINGS:

WHEELER, KAREN / LATE 30S-EARLY 40S / BI / CANON / TESTING / FC: CARA BUONO / caretaking. dependable. dedicated. (prev. fehlicitaes) INFO.

WHEELER, MICHAEL / 15 / BI / CANON / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: FINN WOLFHARD / clever. moody. loyal. (prev. partysheart) INFO.

WHEELER, NANCY / 19 / BI / CANON / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: NATALIA DYER / hardworking. steadfast. intelligent. (prev. rebelcliche) INFO.

THE WALKING DEAD GAME:

AHMADI, OMID / 27 / BI / CANON / REQUEST ONLY / FC: REZA DIAKO / outgoing. cheerful. humorous. (prev. thatweekendinvegas) INFO.

ALLBRIGHT, LOUIS / 19 / BI / CANON / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: JORDAN FISHER / charismatic. charming. humorous. (prev. morefinesse) INFO.

BUCHANAN, RUBY / 18 / BI / CANON / HIGH ACTIVITY / FC: EMMA KENNEY / kindhearted. hardworking. polite. (prev. keptmanners) INFO.

CUNNINGHAM, LUKE / 27 / BI / CANON / REQUEST ONLY / FC: LUKE GRIMES / hardworking. caring. sensitive. (prev. worldendured) INFO.

DIAZ-NARVAEZ, CARLOS / 44 / BI / CANON / REQUEST ONLY / FC: EDUARDO NORIEGA / cautious. protective. intelligent. (prev. overprxtective) INFO.

GARCIA, KATE / 25 / BI / CANON / MEDIUM ACTIVITY / FC: JOCELIN DONAHUE / friendly. laidback. loving. (prev. peaceasshcle) INFO.

HYUN, CARLEY / 28 / BI / CANON / REQUEST ONLY / FC: GRACE PARK / quick-witted. resourceful. intelligent. (prev. worldendured) INFO.

MADISON, VIOLET / 19 / LESBIAN / CANON / MEDIUM ACTIVITY / FC: HAVANA ROSE LIU / reserved. resourceful. determined. (prev. worldendured) INFO.

MARTIN, KATJAA / 40 / BI / CANON / REQUEST ONLY / FC: CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / loving. kindhearted. motherly. (prev. medicalxperspective) INFO.

THE WOLF AMONG US / FABLES:

BEAUTY / APPEARS MID-LATE 20S / BI / CANON / LOW ACTIVITY / FC: ELIZABETH LAIL / captivating. faithful. attentive. (prev. pleasedonttellbeast) INFO.

THIS BED WE MADE:

SOPHIE ROY / 21 / BI / CANON / TESTING / FC: KAITLYN DEVER / curious. polite. reserved. INFO.

[witchern]

i FINALLY figured out how to use artbreeder properly, so [gets down on one knee] does anyone wanna see my book's characters

from L to R: ardith, naftali, liri, and ronen.

aka: exorcist, bard, hunter, and sheyd.

[divinebastet]

Muse list!

Chel - BOTW sheikah, traveler Kyro - BOTW rito, warrior exile Ichiro - BOTW fan race (garo), warrior Destrian de Rusunia, crown prince & head general Ronen and Sekore, shared setting, minor crime lord + assassin Elias Church, vampire living in new york Kasimir Musil, vampire lord Akari and Lyric, shared setting, priestess + hermit seer Dirge, Gourgeist gijinka Arjen, tiefling warlock Jauz, zekyl fighter Ravalynn, tiefling bard

[ask-manda-of-the-6]

#MerMay Day 10 - doubles as a #mothersday drawing and a #birthdaygift for a friend! Ronen Quettory, #halfling #bard and adventurer, serenading some lovely #sirens with his lute. #MandaDraws #mermaid #fantasy #Storium #DungeonsAndDragons #DnD #Pathfinder https://www.instagram.com/p/CAB36P4jZie/?igshid=17c13zt438lpa

[shortpirateking]

AAA!! I'm glad you like the bard idea!! I might write a fanfic about it one of these days, but!!! Name wise,, what about Fern or Viscaria?? Fern meaning magic, fascination, confidence, and shelter, and Viscaria meaning 'Will you dance with me?' Wanted to keep them kind of general neutral, but thought the flower names might work kind of well if you like either of them!!

Honestly I enjoy both~

funnily enough I was looking up names for them as well(I felt they should have a more consonant oriented name(Starting with a G, but that nowhere XD ), and the only two I found that were decent were Genevive(French, for family) or Ronen(Song, joy) but honestly Fern sounds so much better ^^ Simple but sweet.

But please do!! I’d love to read a fanfic about this babe!!! and let me know ASAP once posted!

[legoprime]

Hold onto your butts, y’all, I finally made a bard. His name is Ronen and he’s made of rainbows.

[peterbazooca]

At this point I'm just treating this blog as a dumping ground for pieces of a fic I would write if I had the time/energy pls enjoy my humble offerings, these bastards have bewitched me body and soul

In the wake of the fight with Cazador, Ronen was as brittle as a glass figurine. The aftereffects, he supposed, of coming so close to losing Astarion. When they had burst into the ritual chamber, when Cazador had trapped Astarion in that beam of light, his heart had stopped beating. Even when they’d managed to pull him out, even when, clothed in nothing but a tattered pair of breeches, he had joined them in their fight against his former master, Ronen's heart remained a still, dead thing. It wasn’t until Cazador lay bleeding and dead, truly dead, at their feet, with the eyes of seven thousand vampire spawn on them, that Ronen had felt the cursed muscle remember itself and come to life once more.

After urging the spawn to take to the Underdark,Karlach had rustled up a cloak to wrap around Astarion’s shoulders until they could locate his armor, and the vampire had pulled the material in tight, shielding himself from their gaze, refusing to look any of them in the eye.

One more blow like that, and Ronen feared he would shatter completely.

It was a quiet journey back to their temporary campsite by the river. Ronen was eager to get back to their rooms at the Elf Song, but none of them were in any condition to travel that far, not with the trails of blood they were leaving on the cobblestones on their solemn march through the quiet nighttime streets.

As soon as they made it back, Astarion peeled away, the bloodied cloak balled in his fist, fiddling with the buckles of his armor like he longed to strip it from his body but refused to succumb to the urge. Ronen watched him pace the puddles by his tent, his hair a matted tangle, his skin sallow in the moonlight, until something like heat reached inside him and let him know he was no longer alone.

“I’m glad to see you all back in one piece,” Halsin greeted him, his voice a soothing rumble against the cracks growing inside of him.

Ronen wondered who it was that had taken on the task of filling the druid in on their trip to Cazador's palace, but the thought fell away from him without much effort. He couldn’t bring himself to take his eyes off Astarion, but he let himself lean, just a bit, against the large, warm elf at his side. He fought for words, something he could offer Halsin, something he could offer himself. A monumental task, considering comfort had never been a part of his life.

“He looks so untouchable, Halsin, and all I want to do is hold him. Tell him I’m proud of him.” It felt silly to say it out loud, but that didn’t make it any less true.

“There will be opportunity for that yet, my heart, but you must give him time. What he’s been through today, turning his back on all that power…his soul remains intact, but he must still mourn for what he’s lost.”

Halsin’s words shook something loose inside of him. His brittle flesh felt more stable. Just a bit. Ronen breathed deep and tore his eyes from Astarion’s pale, pacing figure.

“You’re right. I know you’re right.” He rustled up a smile for the elf. “It’s part of why I keep you around.”

Halsin smirked.

“I think I may have a guess or two at the other reasons.” A large, warm hand landed on the nape of Ronen’s neck. “Will you sit with me a while? I’m working on a new carving that’s giving me a bit of trouble. Some company would go a long way to easing my vexation.”

Ronen allowed himself to be led—willingly, always willingly—in the direction of Halsin’s tent.

“Oh? Another stubborn duck giving you trouble?”

Halsin’s grip on his neck tightened. “No, a fox this time. I found an intriguing bit of rosewood on the road here and I’ve been working at it for quite some time.”

Ronen’s smile was the first effortless one he could remember in quite some time. He had always liked foxes.

[peterbazooca]

He stared down her— at Shadowheart— at the way unconsciousness softened her face, and felt a stirring deep within himself. How easy it would be to kill her, to paint a pretty picture in the sand with her insides. He longed for it, to feel the warmth of her blood between his fingers, to hear her screams.

New chapter just dropped! Please validate not only me but Ronen the Bard. Just look at him!

[peterbazooca]

Not me rotating the idea of a durge doomed to madness because they defied Bhaal and lost the fight to Orin like a rotisserie chicken.

Made myself sad with an "alternate ending" to the fic I'm writing because that's just the vibe in here I guess! I can't bring myself to make it "canon" because I'm a coward but it hurts too good to leave alone. Also, spoilers?

*

"I won't give my father the chance to let me hurt any of you."

"There has to be something," Astarion replied, running an uncharacteristically agitated hand through his hair. "Hells, a spell or a potion, anything--"

"There won't be anything. He won't leave room for that kind of saving grace. And even if there was, we wouldn't find it in time."

Astarion stopped pacing, his hand dropping from his hair. Ronen held his gaze.

"There isn't another way. So I'm going to destroy the elder brain, and then I'm going to kill myself. I won't be his puppet anymore, Astarion. I won't hurt anyone else."

Blinking rapidly, Astarion turned away. Ronen had no idea what was going through his head, but he doubted it was good. He hated this, hating causing him any more pain, but this was so much bigger than every wonderful thing they'd found together.

"Astarion, I need you to promise me something."

It was a span of several heartbeats before the vampire faced him, his features set and stony. "Yes, darling?"

"I need you to watch me. I need you to make sure I don't turn my blades on anyone who doesn't deserve it."

Astarion's responding laugh was borderline hysterical. "You're asking me to be your moral compass?"

Ronen didn't blink.

"Yes. Please. I've always trusted you," he reminded the vampire. "Even when it was an objectively stupid thing to do."

"Alright," Astarion replied at last as he stepped in close, his hands coming up to cup Ronen's face. "But I won't stop looking, up until the end, I swear to you."

And even if he couldn't see the truth of it shining out of his eyes, Ronen would never doubt that. "I know."

Their whispered words mingled, heat and breath in every space between, and Ronen didn't ask. Like the selfish monster he'd always been, he simply leaned in and *took*, kissing Astarion with needy abandon. Astarion, for his part, didn't flinch, didn't balk, but matched Ronen tongue for tongue, bite for bite, and when Ronen's nails found cool skin and burrowed in, Astarion's only response was a shiver of pleasure as he pushed himself closer.

Ronen didn't let himself stop, didn't let himself think, only have and do and give, and prayed to exactly no one for a miracle that might let him keep this.

*

When they finally made it back to their room at the Elf Song, everyone else was already asleep, or at least doing a passable job of faking it. Everyone except for Halsin. The druid sat on one of the beds in the corner farthest from everyone else, his shoulders hunched, somber eyes locked on his hands. Ronen felt Astarion go still beside him before nudging him in Halsin's direction.

The desolate expression on the druid's scarred face said everything. He pulled Ronen close, forehead against his chest, and Ronen ran his fingers through Halsin's thick, tangled hair.

"My heart." The words were mere puffs of heated air through his shirt, but they nearly felled him all the same.

"Shh, it's alright," he assured Halsin. The lie was bitter on his tongue, but he was a cloth wrung dry with nothing left to give. They could talk in the morning. When, he hoped, Ronen had the strength to dwell on the topic once more.

Halsin pressed a kiss to the skin of his chest, over his heart, and tugged him down. It was easy work; Ronen had no desire, no intention of fighting. A few short maneuvers later, Ronen found himself tucked up tight, his back to Halsin's chest. A few feet away, Astarion settled into a high backed chair, his posture slack with exhaustion but his eyes alert as anything.

"Sleep, my heart," Halsin rumbled, lips pressed to the back of his neck.

"We'll keep watch," Astarion added.

"Until morning?" Ronen hated how small the words came out. Halsin's arms tightened around him.

"And everything that comes after."

Safe in Halsin's embrace, under Astarion's watchful gaze, Ronen did something he didn't think he ever had before and cried himself, silently, to sleep.

[ask-manda-of-the-6]

Belated #MerMay Day 28- #TheGatesOfPalinar #Storium #fanart. Riverbabble's #bard character Ronen Quettory as a #ribboneel #merman. #MandaDraws