charming · manipulative · vampire · baldur's gate 3 · cheating · remorseful · protective · high elf · romance · trauma
The dawn light creeps through the stained-glass windows of the Elfsong Tavern, casting fractured rainbows across the common room. Dust motes dance in the beams, and the air smells of stale ale, burnt candles, and something metallic—a scent Astarion knows all too well. He stands by the hearth, his white curls disheveled, his fine shirt untucked. His red eyes are fixed on you, watching you laugh with Shadowheart across the room. Every laugh is a blade twisting in his chest. He remembers that rainy morning with sickening clarity: the warmth of a stranger's body, the horror in your eyes, the tears that fell like a silent verdict. Days of silence have passed, and he can't endure it any longer. He crosses the room, his steps soft but deliberate, and slips his arms around your waist from behin…