PSL; SUNSET HIGH AND OUR BODIES LOW

[astarion]

🐙 ✨ 🧛🏻‍♂️ ❤️
(( blood rush in a hazy glow ))

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[icyspicy]

[ He literally can't help it, I'm sorry.

Anyway, he picks up his yet-untouched glass of wine, considering what to say for a moment. ]

To us, then. To this being something... real.

[astarion]

[Rude as heck.]

And... [He raises his glass in turn, something fond in his eyes despite the acute tilt of his grin.]

To figuring out exactly what that means.

[To a future where they survive just long enough to find out.]

[icyspicy]

[ Oh, he could get very used to Astarion looking at him like that. It makes something pleasant tighten in his chest.

He lifts his glass to let it clink lightly against Astarion's before he tips the wine back. ]

Oh this is good. You didn't happen to pilfer any more, did you?

[astarion]

[Down it goes, the wine smooth and heavily-bodied. Not that he can truly appreciate it, alas.

But it's a sentiment worth drinking to, all the same.]

I might have borrowed another vintage. Are you hoping to guzzle it and this one down in a single night?

[Getting plastered is definitely one way to celebrate.]

Not that I'd say no.

[icyspicy]

No, not exactly.

[ He idly swirls the liquid around in his glass before taking another drink. There’s a soft sort of smile on his face when he lowers the glass away from his lips. ]

But it is my hope that we’ll have more to celebrate in the future.

[astarion]

Hm.

[He does like the sound of that. And the look on Winter's face when he says it.]

Such as not dying horribly and-or spouting tentacles from our faces?

[Romantic!]

[icyspicy]

Hm. I consider that a baseline start.

[ Romantic indeed! ]

[astarion]

[Very romantic. Though... that's sweet, Winter.]

Oh, just the baseline. I see. I'd like to hear the rest of those daydreams of yours, then.

[icyspicy]

Well... I was hoping to one day toast to your freedom.

[ For real actual freedom. Though, Raphael has yet to tell them exactly what the markings on Astarion's back mean. Perhaps they might find the key to unshackling him from Cazador there... should they find the devil agreeable whenever they next cross paths. ]

[astarion]

[Putting their trust in a devil is perhaps less than ideal, but if it is the only lead they have, then it's one that Astarion will pursue at the cost of nearly anything else. There is very little more precious to him than the idea of freedom, and it would break him even more to have it stolen from him now that he's gotten a taste of what it's like to be free. To not be a slave to someone else's will. To guarantee he's never a slave again.

The things he would sacrifice for it. But thus far, it seems he has little more than support, especially from Winter himself.]

Ha... To share that moment with you would be quite a dream, wouldn't it? [A happy one, no doubt, though this topic will always instill something more somber in the vampire, no matter what.] I'd do anything for that.

[Hm, time to hold onto that other bottle for a while yet, then.]

[icyspicy]

[ Oh Astarion… sweet Astarion. The mood always shifts to something more somber when this particular subject comes up, and with good reason. It must feel like taking on something larger than life. Achieving something next to impossible.

Winter’s expression softens. ]

As would I, you know.

[ Do anything to see him free. ]

[astarion]

[Achieving what had been impossible until this strange turn of events. Until a tadpole quite literally wormed its way into his brain.]

I believe you.

[There is the smallest remainder of self-doubt that will always remain with Astarion. The feeling of not being quite... good enough to deserve whatever attentions, affections, or loyalty Winter gifts him. He believes that Winter believes that; and by the gods, he hopes that he will not change his mind between now and then.]

Perhaps once we know what these bloody scars are supposed to mean, we might know where to start.

[icyspicy]

[ For better or worse, Astarion is probably stuck with this warlock for the foreseeable future. Winter isn’t one to give out his loyalty freely, but this little group of theirs has earned it – and more than that, Astarion has won his heart. He’s in this for the long haul. ]

Yes, well, I’m sure Raphael will pop up whenever it’s the most convenient for him to do so. Let’s hope he’s feeling agreeable, hm?

[ Or has something he wants them to kill. They are very good at that. ]

[astarion]

[Oh, it's for the better. He has not a flicker of doubt about that. They may not know where they'll end up from here on out, but Astarion cannot imagine things would have been good without Winter at his side.]

In that sense, a devil is not too far removed from everyone else. Give them what they want, and they might give you the same in turn.

[Except the dynamic between themselves and Raphael is probably a bit more, ah, lopsided. But it's probably fine. Nothing they can't handle, right?]

[icyspicy]

Emphasis on might. Though I'm probably the last person in the world to be preaching caution when dealing with strange entities.

[ #justwarlockthings. ]

One way or another, we'll figure it out.

[astarion]

You sound so certain.

[In the face of looming uncertainty. Maybe that's one of many things that draw him to Winter. Maybe it's why he's the glue that holds this ragtag group of strangers together.]

Well, I will be following your lead, since you're the local expert on the matter thus far.

[icyspicy]

The matter of what? Poor life decisions?

[ All warlocks hold a title in that category to some degree, he won't argue that, but as far as patrons go, Winter is very lucky indeed. ]

[astarion]

[Aha. Just a wide, cheeky grin.]

Precisely.

[icyspicy]

Careful, Astarion. You're one of those decisions, you know.

[astarion]

Oh, I know. But imagine where we would be if you were a reasonable fellow, instead. Why, I’d be eating half as well and be absolutely bored to death.

[Winter keeps it interesting, if nothing else. He can hardly complain about being one of his bad decisions, either. Works out for the both of them.]

[icyspicy]

How lucky for us that we got kidnapped by the same group of mindflayers.

[ Is anyone truly lucky to get kidnapped by mindflayers? Probably not, even if it has opened some doors for Astarion specifically, and brought them together to boot. ]

What do you call a group of mindflayers? A shoal? Or is that just squid?

[astarion]

Now, I don’t know there’s an exact classification for a group of mind flayers…

[Maybe that madman Volo would know — that or he’d just make something up on the spot.]

But I think we should call them whatever we like. My suggestion: arseholes.

[icyspicy]

[ Oh, he'd definitely just make something up on the spot. ]

I'm thinking something dramatic. A misfortune of mindflayers, perhaps? An arsehole of mindflayers sounds deeply unpleasant.

[astarion]

[Oh, help. An "arsehole of mind flayers" is so terrible and ridiculous when phrased that way, even if he was the one who flung the term out.]

But doesn't that make it all the more suited!

[-he says, barely holding in a laugh.]