open: free cities

[ancunin]

Who: Astarion & anyone
When: Arrival, beginning of October
Where: Free Cities: Cadens and Libertas
What: Settling in, exploring options, meeting new people
Warnings: OPT-OUT. Potential spoilers for Baldur's Gate III up to the beginning of Act 3, let me know if you prefer to avoid spoilers! CONTENT WARNINGS: General vampire stuff with biting and blood drinking, brain parasites, past physical and sexual abuse - anything more than vague reference will have the warning in the comment's subject line.




x.

( starters in comments below )

Comments

astarion is a champ lol i'm sorry for him XD

[thedreamer]

[ Apart from the very obvious given his features, there's a unique aspect to his newfound friend's nature that intrigues the Doctor on a deeper level than he would betray on the surface. Friend, of course, because the other hasn't completely run away from him yet, thus a positive reaction, thus auto-friend until or unless told otherwise.

The Doctor is used to being a few steps ahead and playing oblivious. But, despite enjoying the chance to make it known how very clever he is whenever he gets the opportunity, he's also the first to admit when he's wrong. Perhaps he's wrong about his suspicions now, in fact. More to the point, he finds no reason to mention it. Yet.

A coy, slightly mischievous, slightly knowing and most assuredly annoying little smirk spreads on the Doctor's face as a reasonable guess is offered. ]

How did you know?

[ He likes to deflect. Prefers it. Particularly when talking about his true nature, his past. But he can give a little, he supposes. A true thing that still doesn't betray much about him. ]

A fool who wanders about across the stars, observes time and space, straightens out the wibbly wobbly bits. Ever in search of the most perfect cup of coffee, yet to be bested by Elisabeth Pepys.

[ancunin]

[ All of that is still nonsense to Astarion, hardly the promised answer. Not that he cares. This is a large city and he doesn't expect to meet this man again - not guessing or assuming he might be another Summoned yet.

Who in the hells is Elisabeth Pepys? Is he supposed to know?

He hums, his gaze tracing the curved line of the Time Lord's lips without any subtly. ]

And where exactly did you first hail from, my wandering fool?

[ If you won't tell him the truth, at least tell him something entertaining. ]

[thedreamer]

[ And here, for a moment, the Doctor's strange, absurd, overly enthusiastic energy actually settles. Just a bit. A question that should be ordinary and easy to answer. Oh, yes, he can name the planet. He can see it, even, in the days of his youth when he walked amongst the fields of flowers, and on the very last day when those flowers burned, along with everything and everyone else. By his own hand.

Tricky business, then, giving a straight answer. At least for him. So he gives an answer that's not entirely a lie. ]

The constellation of Kasterborous in the Stellian Spiral Galaxy. I was a tiny little blip there for a hundred years and then I ran away to explore the universe.

[ His eyes linger back on Astarion, though, and he takes note at last. Sort of. ]

Has anyone ever told you that you really excel at giving your full attention to your conversation partner?

[ancunin]

[ At that he laughs. ]

They have. It's one of my many, many charms.

[ And it's so automatic he barely registers doing it half the time. He's better off not thinking about it too hard (though he does, all too frequently). Those are dark waters to tread. He wants more than anything to stay in the sun. ]

And who or what were you running from, my freakishly tall friend?

[ Here, at least, he can maybe emphasize with this strange man, even if he still wears the expression of a haughty, careless flirt.

[thedreamer]

[ Oh, where to start. Time Lords — watch and observe all of time and space, but don't interfere even when horrible things happen. Let others suffer. He couldn't stand for that. Corruption, people hungry for power, a story as old as time. He was a renegade in his time, and he was running from...well, he's never really stopped running. ]

I ran away to — towards, that is. Have you known the feeling of not being able to catch your breath where you stood, when all around you was choking it out of you? I ran away towards an open door and I've never stopped.

Good thing, too! It led me here, by and by, in a twisty-turvy way. Now do I want to be trapped somewhere against my choosing? Hardly. But! Am I glad to be standing before you now? Of course!

[ — as if just catching the other words, then. ]

Freakishly tall? Oh, I do like that. Enough about me, though, I'm far more interested in you. You and your...way about you.

[ Yes, very specific and not at all vague. ]

cw: mention of past abuse

[ancunin]

I know the literal feeling of being choked - and I'm not overly fond of that in most situations, so - sure.

[ He draws out the last vowel. Although his reply begins mockingly, there's a sense that the Doctor might've struck some kind of cord. He knows what it's like to be trapped in a place called home: stuck roaming long, windowless halls until called upon - and that was better than being banished to the kennels.

As the conversation is turned around back at him, he raises an eyebrow. The path they've been taking - that he's been leading them on, is toward the portal back to Cadens. ]

What is it about my way that has you curious, exactly? [ He grins with amusement, offering nothing for free. If you've got a question, spit it out, darling. ]

cw: past abuse (to be safe) & also lmk if this is too presumptuous

[thedreamer]

Nor am I. Personally, and as it pertains to you. We'll have none of that here — the not-metaphorical kind — at least, though. They'd have to come through me first.

[ It's habit, really. Automatic. Whether someone needs protecting, whether they want it, whether they're even offended by the notion, it's inherent in his nature. Nothing about his newfound friend suggests to the Doctor he suddenly needs protecting in the very least, or would welcome it particularly from the likes of him, but hearing that he was choked does compel the more protective part of his nature to the surface. ]

As for your way, my very fine fellow, it's that smile of yours — a good one, by the way — I can't stop thinking about it.

[ He also has no awareness of how overly personal this sounds. The look of the man is curious enough, but the Doctor's sense of smell and hearing are far better than that of a human. He'd caught the brief flash of scars, like puncture wounds on his neck, and those teeth — particularly sharp. And so, details are noticed. ]

Vamp...ish, are you? [ Though the sunlight is an interesting factor. Still, he's not the expert on vampires, either, and there are all types of all creatures in the universe. But then he holds a hand up quickly. ]

I know, I know, our first meeting and I'm already asking the personal questions, skipping straight past favorite color and your favorite song to sing on karaoke night. You don't have to answer yet, or at all, or it could be delayed. Slip a note under my door sometime. We're all allowed our secrets, for as long as we want to keep them.

it is perfect

[ancunin]

[ Another practiced smile when the Time Lord makes his promises, when all he really feels is a mixture of disbelief, annoyance and exhaustion. My knight in shining armor. Such sweet words from a man who looks like he'd provide all the cover of standing behind a wooden post and hoping for the best.

If his senses are so keen, he might catch the faintest whiff of undead from the man with no discernable beating heart, not that he needs any more give aways - and he's particular about the scent thing, one of the first things on his list once he gathers more coin is to head to a perfumer...

Either way, the man hit's the nail on the head. Astarion, for his part, doesn't appear too alarmed to be outed. As bizarre as this is, he's come to realize that vampires are at the very least tolerated in public - something impossible to imagine in his own city, let alone the rest of the Sword Coast. ]

I suppose it's not that much of a secret... [ He inches into the Doctor's space again, leaning in as though they are co-conspirators. ] Would it be too predictable to say my favorite color is red? A rich carmine, if we're to be specific. And I have absolutely no idea what karaoke is, but I assume it involves copious amounts of liquor.

[ Which sadly all tastes like vinegar to him these days. ]

[thedreamer]

[ Where some might react with fear or even hostility, the Doctor's own reaction — at least for the moment — can best be explained as curiosity and an open mind. A very, very long time ago when Gallifrey still existed, there were the Great Vampires. Before the Doctor's time, Time Lords fought against the Great Vampires in the Eternal War. And he'd encountered vampires himself with Romana, but those circumstances had been entirely different. They were met with hostility and aggression, their lives and the whole of the universe threatened nearly from the outset.

Astarion is...not that. At least, not at all from his sense of him thus far. And if the Doctor is wrong, or proven to be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time he's ever been so.

No, for him it goes back to curiosity and an open mind. He leads with the intent to understand, to make connections where possible, to not judge based on stories, legends, actions of others and not of the one standing in front of him. ]

More's the pity, my friend, you'd have a grand time! Karaoke — singing songs that others have written, but the point is to sing badly actually. You want to be dreadful at it. It does involve a fair bit of liquor, generally speaking. It's good fun.

[ He leans in to meet Astarion, a smile on his face. ]

Carmine, of course. Easy to remember at least! Your predictability is charming. Now I know what to get you for Secret Santa! And I'm glad we've met.