🔥 astarion

[ablazement]

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w0, FRIDAY

[ablazement]

[from here]

Anyway, what's the last thing you remember?

[haematocritical]

[ RUNS IN LIKE HRHRHGHHGHFHGHFHFHFH AAAA. ]

…

[ it takes him a little while to answer, like he’s really thinking about it. ]

Generally speaking, Baldur’s Gate. But we know how much of an absolute social engagement nightmare that was.

[ everyone! wanted their attention! always! and to kill them. ]

[ablazement]

[HELP picks you up and swings you around

she makes a face.]

We've been running our arses off, you're right. [...] Kind of a nice break, if I'm honest.

[haematocritical]

[ AAAAAAAAAA. ]

Oh good, you’re familiar with that then. I’m not sure I mentioned the Gate specifically but Gale looked at me like I’d hit my head and knocked out my IQ when I mentioned the Bhaal cultists.

[ablazement]

[she stares at the ceiling. the sky. whatever.]

Yeah, he did the same with me. [...] I remember the Bhaal cultists.

[she glances at him, though.] What else? The House of Grief? Minsc?

[she is. carefully dodging around one name in particular.]

[haematocritical]

[ me looking slowly into the camera as gale keeps saying things and directly into alli’s eyes. ]

…

[ sighs. ]

Darling, you know as well as I do: if I know the gate and I know the cultists, I know Gortash.

[ablazement]

[gazes loudly

she fidgets, tail flicking uneasily, and then:]

I mean, just. Is he dead? For you?

[haematocritical]

No.

[ whomp whomp. ]

We went after Orin first. Given she was many less cards short of a full game and ran off with Lae'zel. Gortash was at least willing to stay put and not sic his Steel Watchers on us for the moment.

[ablazement]

[she rubs at her neck.]

Then - we're not from the same book, either, huh. [to use gale's figure of speech.] We found where Wyll's dad was being kept, so. Took Gortash out.

[plus, she really had not wanted to cooperate with gortash anyway. haha!]

Halsin had just told us Lae'zel was missing when I woke up here.

[haematocritical]

... [ hm. ]

So, everything's the same-- we remember the same people. But things played out differently?

[ did these kidnappers really go to the bother of finding different places to pluck them randomly from? ]

We... [ he's thinking about it. ] It was easier to go along with Gortash for the moment so his bloody steel minions weren't on our backs the whole time. Orin forced our hand by running off with Lae'zel, so she was the first to die. Wyll found out where his father was being kept and pulling a fast one on Mizora was very satisfying. [ .... ] And then I took a detour, I suppose.

[ablazement]

Seems like. Weird, isn't it? Same Karlach, same Astarion, just the sequence is out of order.

[ahhh, yeah, that's what she was thinking about. her tail flicks back and forth anxiously.]

... Did you get him?

[please tell her you stabbed cazador to double death.]

[haematocritical]

Like someone used a-- do we ever have time travel spells? Don't ask Gale, he'll never shut up about it if we do. Or if we don't. But like someone used one and just took one of us from before, and one of us from after.

[ baldur's gate 3, the time loop. ]

... I don't especially want to talk about Cazador right now.

[ablazement]

[she opens her mouth, because her instinct is to ask anyway, to press, but. she knows better. she's spent time enough around him that she knows she has to let him come to her a bit, so - even though her tail is going nuts, she closes her mouth.

unfortunately it is impossible for karlach to hide her facial expressions so she just looks very, very worried.]

Alright. [...] You can, though. If you want. To me. I'd listen.

[and then:]

I don't know anything about magic, really, but even if I did it makes zero sense that someone grabbed us all up from different timelines, you know? Why not just grab us all from the same point?

[haematocritical]

[ in which cazador somehow manages to be a thorn in his side even after he's dead. the astarion life story. ]

...

[ ANYWAY :) ]

Confusion? Inconsistencies? Maybe someone's enjoying us having to piece together what we do and don't remember and what does and doesn't line up. Did you run into bloody Cazador, or was he still skulking around the place?

[ablazement]

[she frowns a little, folding her arms, and then:]

We killed him. Or more, you did. We just helped.

[she probably shouldn't just say this, but.]

I can tell you the details, but only if you want to hear them.

[haematocritical]

...






[ ... ]

Did I-- Did other me go through with the ritual?

[ablazement]

No.

[she says, firmly. a beat.]

... Did you?

[haematocritical]

[ he rubs a hand over his face. his hand is over his mouth when he replies so hopefully karlach's hearing is on point today. ]








No.

[ablazement]

[oooooough the TENSION goes out of her immediately at this. i'm so sorry astarion she cannot help herself, she gets all Emotional.

you are going to get hugged. she's anticipating being like, bitten or scratched while doing this but she CANNOT help herself.]

[haematocritical]

[


EURRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

he doesn't bite or scratch her but you know when you try to pick up an animal and it just goes totally stiff and acts like a dead weight? yeah. ]

[ablazement]

[SHE KNOWS THAT'S FAIR she doesn't hug him for long because she knows he hates this and she really should've asked first, but. enjoy your big warm hug, or don't!!]

I'm so proud of you, Astarion. [she says, breathlessly, and she puts him down, brushing him off carefully.] Sorry - sorry, I should've asked, I know, you can knife me if you want --

[haematocritical]

[ WHETHER HE SECRETLY ENJOYS OR DOES NOT SECRETLY ENJOY THE HUG WILL REMAIN SECRET UNTIL ENDGAME. ]

[ oh my god ]

Yes, yes, I know you-- Karlach my ribcage-- you already yelled all this in my face once already!!

[ablazement]

[i bet he did it's a crime to not enjoy karlach hugs

she laughs like a maniac, pulling her hands away.]

Sorry! Sorry! [she clears her throat, but she can't stop grinning.] Good. I'm glad. You're not going to regret it. Promise.

[haematocritical]

[ you'll never know until endgame.

HE TAKES SOME TIME TO STRAIGHTEN OUT HIS MISERABLE LITTLE CULT ROBES ]

...

We'll see. I'm still not sure if I made a choice I'm happy with.

[ablazement]

You'll see.

[she says, confidently.]

Don't go back on that after I'm gone, alright? Someone's got to stick around and enjoy the night air. Go to the beach for me.