Accidentally sounds almost like a threat, darling. I might start to take this ear thing a little personally.
[ Not that he actually believes Tav would intentionally hurt him, not any longer. Astarion has stepped out of the strange darkness of the world and has managed to find some light in it, even if it isn't the most comfortable for him to experience. The sun had been blinding, at first, and the kindness some of his new companions had offered had been enough to turn his stomach. Is this world, he had thought, that he had been missing for two hundred years?
Better not to think too hard on it, or he will get morose and macabre.
Relishing in the touch, gentle and secure, Astarion's lips twitch a little as he turns his eyes up to look at the other, trying not to let his expression fall into too much coyness. That would be giving it away, wouldn't it?
Not that he would do almost anything Tav wanted these days. ]
Karlach waffles on a few other words to describe them, but settles on the simplest and most succinct. Avernus burns outside the arched doorways off what was once Raphael's chambers, red and mountainous and so damned ugly. She'd promised herself that she wouldn't take a damned step back here, not even at the cost of saving her life. Avernus could never be home, could never replace the busy streets of Baldur's Gate and the sun, the wind off the water. And yet--
There's enough here to make it worthwhile. To make having said 'yes' to Astarion's heartfelt pleas worth it. To living -- because she's still free, they're still free. And she can wake every day knowing that they are carving their own path through the Hells, that Astarion wouldn't for a second let anyone drag her back to Zariel. It isn't easy. But nothing worthwhile ever is, her parents always said, and Karlach hadn't understood it then, but she does now. When she's willing to do all this for the chance to spend the rest of her life giving Astarion something like the best he deserves.
Speaking of--
The House of Hope is different under Hope's caretaking; Karlach never minds swinging by to say hello when they have the chance. Wyll, too, when he's not on the tail of some demon or another bastard -- and sometimes they cross paths and then it's almost like old times. There's enough wine and good food and damned good company to make it seem like it for a day or two, at any rate. It's enough to keep them all going.
That and the baths.
Karlach knows where Astarion is before she even spies his stupidly perfect pale curls over the edge of the bed. It's not running water, he'd told her, if it doesn't have currents, the first night they'd stayed here -- freshly arrived and uncertain of how to go about this new life of theirs. She'd told him if he went deeper he could see if he still remembered how to swim, and he'd deferred.
Until she'd picked him up and threw him. His angry spluttering and her laughter had broken the tense air that night, and she'd never looked back. No wishing for things to be otherwise. Karlach might not be outrunning her past anymore, might not be doing everything and anything she can to make up for the time stolen from her, but she can enjoy what it brings her.
Which means bending down to press a kiss on the top of his head as she strips, eager to rest her sore muscles in the warm bath. )
Hey. Does your skin still get, you know-- ( She waggles her fingers at him, grinning. ) wrinkly? If you've been in water too long.
The thought is overwhelming, exciting -- she can touch! There's nothing that can stop her now, save her own heart, but Karlach spends the rest of the day after Dammon helped her out picking up whoever is in easy reach and open to it in big hugs, lifting Shadowheart off the ground and spinning her around in joy. It doesn't matter how excited, how angry, how full of overwhelming emotions she gets -- she won't set a damn thing on fire.
Fuck yes.
Which leads her to the important thing: Astarion. They haven't done much but simply lie down and stare at each other, or whisper the things they want to do to each other -- but now she can touch! She can fucking touch him, and all Karlach wants to do is just hold his hand. Sure, she does want to ride him until he sees stars, but she's not stupid. There's a very good chance he doesn't want to just yet. Or ever, and Karlach is fine with that. Of course she is, she loves him.
Being able to hold him at night? That's worth it. That's always going to be worth it, if he wants to. Which is why, when everyone falls back to camp for the rest of the afternoon and evening, Karlach slides up next to him with a grin that matches her enthusiasm. )
Hey, Fangs. Mind if I drop by your tent later?
( And they can figure out where to go from there. )
[welp i changed my mind, i will au this human rogue disaster into baldur's three gays, just watch me. probably sometime before the tadpole she wore a pair of gloves of fire and there was an accident and one of them is melded into her hand and spewing out the occasional greenish firebolts and we can blame some archmage named corypheus for it. also, could you throw pic prompts at me, please? i have family over and can't browse the filth ]
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@forbade
You're concerned? About little me? How touching.
[ There's the ever present sarcasm. ]
I suppose it would help, but an artist's eye never fails to capture one's true worth, don't you agree?
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@bearcoded
Oh, you and I both, Halsin, darling. I'm not ashamed of what we did.
I just might need an evening to recover.
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@allillusion
I couldn't possibly dare to guess, but one can hope, can't they?
ty for the move! ❤️
np ❤️
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@chaotictide
Accidentally sounds almost like a threat, darling. I might start to take this ear thing a little personally.
[ Not that he actually believes Tav would intentionally hurt him, not any longer. Astarion has stepped out of the strange darkness of the world and has managed to find some light in it, even if it isn't the most comfortable for him to experience. The sun had been blinding, at first, and the kindness some of his new companions had offered had been enough to turn his stomach. Is this world, he had thought, that he had been missing for two hundred years?
Better not to think too hard on it, or he will get morose and macabre.
Relishing in the touch, gentle and secure, Astarion's lips twitch a little as he turns his eyes up to look at the other, trying not to let his expression fall into too much coyness. That would be giving it away, wouldn't it?
Not that he would do almost anything Tav wanted these days. ]
Or start to imagine you had an ulterior motive.
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@holdshisown
Moderately. For now, at least.
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@tadpoled
Exactly what I am trying to forget?
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@coldsong
I'm not going to sing to them. I just leave them as they are and walk away.
((thank you and I'm sorry for him))
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@ragemodes
I am never kissing you again.
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@standingonmyneck
I think I know enough about being cursed to recognise the ill effects, thank you.
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@hotasfuck
You could always ask the wizard to polymorph you.
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@wizardsplain
Would you really do that to her? Her reaction would be so upsetting.
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house of hope 2.0
Karlach waffles on a few other words to describe them, but settles on the simplest and most succinct. Avernus burns outside the arched doorways off what was once Raphael's chambers, red and mountainous and so damned ugly. She'd promised herself that she wouldn't take a damned step back here, not even at the cost of saving her life. Avernus could never be home, could never replace the busy streets of Baldur's Gate and the sun, the wind off the water. And yet--
There's enough here to make it worthwhile. To make having said 'yes' to Astarion's heartfelt pleas worth it. To living -- because she's still free, they're still free. And she can wake every day knowing that they are carving their own path through the Hells, that Astarion wouldn't for a second let anyone drag her back to Zariel. It isn't easy. But nothing worthwhile ever is, her parents always said, and Karlach hadn't understood it then, but she does now. When she's willing to do all this for the chance to spend the rest of her life giving Astarion something like the best he deserves.
Speaking of--
The House of Hope is different under Hope's caretaking; Karlach never minds swinging by to say hello when they have the chance. Wyll, too, when he's not on the tail of some demon or another bastard -- and sometimes they cross paths and then it's almost like old times. There's enough wine and good food and damned good company to make it seem like it for a day or two, at any rate. It's enough to keep them all going.
That and the baths.
Karlach knows where Astarion is before she even spies his stupidly perfect pale curls over the edge of the bed. It's not running water, he'd told her, if it doesn't have currents, the first night they'd stayed here -- freshly arrived and uncertain of how to go about this new life of theirs. She'd told him if he went deeper he could see if he still remembered how to swim, and he'd deferred.
Until she'd picked him up and threw him. His angry spluttering and her laughter had broken the tense air that night, and she'd never looked back. No wishing for things to be otherwise. Karlach might not be outrunning her past anymore, might not be doing everything and anything she can to make up for the time stolen from her, but she can enjoy what it brings her.
Which means bending down to press a kiss on the top of his head as she strips, eager to rest her sore muscles in the warm bath. )
Hey. Does your skin still get, you know-- ( She waggles her fingers at him, grinning. ) wrinkly? If you've been in water too long.
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@holdshisown
I have a sneaking suspicion it was custom-made for someone close to your size.
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@moonwitchery
He was very, very unwell, and now so. Am. I.
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@divinestrike
Do you often snuggle and forget, darling?
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@ragemodes
I had already assumed it was custom made.
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@forbade
Oh, please. The damn thing is running out of space already.
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u know what this is
The thought is overwhelming, exciting -- she can touch! There's nothing that can stop her now, save her own heart, but Karlach spends the rest of the day after Dammon helped her out picking up whoever is in easy reach and open to it in big hugs, lifting Shadowheart off the ground and spinning her around in joy. It doesn't matter how excited, how angry, how full of overwhelming emotions she gets -- she won't set a damn thing on fire.
Fuck yes.
Which leads her to the important thing: Astarion. They haven't done much but simply lie down and stare at each other, or whisper the things they want to do to each other -- but now she can touch! She can fucking touch him, and all Karlach wants to do is just hold his hand. Sure, she does want to ride him until he sees stars, but she's not stupid. There's a very good chance he doesn't want to just yet. Or ever, and Karlach is fine with that. Of course she is, she loves him.
Being able to hold him at night? That's worth it. That's always going to be worth it, if he wants to. Which is why, when everyone falls back to camp for the rest of the afternoon and evening, Karlach slides up next to him with a grin that matches her enthusiasm. )
Hey, Fangs. Mind if I drop by your tent later?
( And they can figure out where to go from there. )
ah yes, trauma
just what you ordered
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