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Ariat sighed, "Please...I...please?" |
Astarion took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, "...ok, fine..." |
They both looked up as they saw Shadowheart standing in the doorway, "What in the nine hells happened?!" |
"Shadowheart...I can explain." Ariat started. |
"Ariat's tadpole is still alive." Astarion said in a deadpan voice. |
Shadowheart blinked and looked like she'd been hit, "What?!" |
Ariat gave Astarion a look of confusion, "What? No, it isn't, Astarion..." |
"You blew up that cultists brain, Darling." |
"Wait...cultist?!" Shadowheart was just looking more and more confused as she faced the two. |
"Really? That's what we're focusing on about this? Not the mind powers?" Astarion scoffed. |
Shadowheart threw her hands up and pushed open the door, stepping to one side, "Inside. Now." |
Astarion still hesitated as if he didn't believe he was being invited inside and Shadowheart glared at him, "Yes, both of you, let's go. Honestly. Between the two of you one of you will get a coherent thought out of your mouth I hope." |
Ariat looked up at Astarion and while his face didn't show much Astarion could still see the pleading in his eyes. He gave a dramatic sigh, "Yes, alright...if you insist. I humbly accept your invitation. Thank you." |
Shadowheart motioned again impatiently and Astarion helped Ariat into the building. She led them to a room with a table and pulled out a chair, "Here, let me look at him." she instructed. |
Ariat couldn't help the grimace of pain as Astarion helped him sit down and he pulled his hands down, settling them on the tabletop. He wasn't sure what was hurting him more...the pounding in his head was almost drowning out the pulsing in his hands. |
Still, he flinched and hissed through his teeth when Shadowheart's delicate fingers ran over his broken ones. |
"Some cultists jumped him in an alley." Astarion explained, voice tight, "I took care of them." |
Shadowheart looked up at him as she sat across from Ariat, "Cultists?...what...The Absolute...or...?" |
Ariat shook his head, but it was Astarion who answered, "...Bhaal." |
Her expression hardened and she shook her head, "Of course it was." |
Ariat sighed, "I'm sorry..." |
Shadowheart only shook her head again, "Don't be. The Gods truly are just that petty. They just can't let us go our own ways, can they." |
She gently clasped her hands around his and began a prayer under her breath. A blue light formed around their joined hands and sank in. Slowly the pulsing pain in his hands faded and when she pulled back his fingers were no longer bent and twisted unnaturally. |
Ariat saw Astarion make a face. |
~Ah, yes, those petty petty gods...let me just...pray to one right now and heal you...ridiculous.~ Astarion rolled his eyes subtly. |
The thoughts reached Ariat's mind and he gave Astarion a look of amusement, chuckling...before it occurred to him that the words hadn't actually been spoken out loud. |
Astarion raised an eyebrow at him, "...what?" |
Ariat's face went blank slowly and he just stared at him for a very long moment. Long enough that Astarion shared looks of concern with Shadowheart. |
Shadowheart leaned forward, "Ariat? Are you-" |
"...you think praying to the gods for healing after calling them petty is ridiculous..." Ariat said, interrupting her and not looking away from Astarion as he spoke. |
Shadowheart sent Astarion an offended look and Astarion's eyes widened. He held his hands up defensively, "I did not say...that...wait...you...you heard that?!" |
Whatever offense Shadowheart may have taken at having that thought confirmed was forgotten as she also realized what had just happened. She jumped up and grabbed Ariat's head between her hands, forcing him to look up at her as she leaned in closer. |
Ariat gasped and twitched with pain, wincing, "Shadow...please." The abrupt movement sent pain shooting through his temples. |
She was peering into his eyes intently, then she frowned and gently stroked one hand over the right side of his face, "Gods, Ariat, your pupil is blown..." she said softly, letting go of him. She immediately went into another prayer, and he recognized it enough to know it was more than simple healing this time. |
He grimaced, "I'm fine...it's not..." he let it trail off with a sigh as the spell of restoration fell over him. The pain in his head slowly trickled away as the magic settled into him. He let out a sigh of relief as the stubborn headache he'd had for longer than he remembered at this point went away at last. |
She sat back down, "So...he was telling the truth. You're...the Tadpole..." |
"No! No, it's not still alive!" Ariat insisted, "Trust me. I wouldn't have hidden that from you. It's not that...it's..." |
"It's what?" they both asked at the same time, glancing at each other briefly as they did so. |
"I don't know...but...Omeluum said-" |
"Omeluum? The Illithid?" Astarion interrupted with a grimace. |
"No, the dog." Ariat replied to him sarcastically. |
"Ariat...why have you been seeing Omeluum?" Shadowheart asked, her voice quieter, hesitant. He could hear the fear behind her words...or maybe he was simply feeling it now that he really thought about it. When he focused on her he could feel it like a caress on his mind...like if he just focused a bit harder, he could ... |
He blinked and stopped before anything became clearer to him than faint whispers. He didn't want to invade her mind like that. At least with the Tadpoles they had some kind of way of resisting it, now it was just something he could...do...with little to no effort at all... |
"Ariat?" Shadowheart prompted again and he realized he hadn't responded in quite some time. |
He blinked, "When the tadpole died I...I've been...struggling. I just wanted some kind of answer...they would have told me if the Tadpole was still alive. In fact, they said I wouldn't be struggling at all if it was. He said it had been repairing my brain...from the damage Orin did to it. I...I think...this might be pa... |
"So, someone scrambled your brains with a dagger...and the Tadpole...put it back together for you...so now...you get to keep its powers?" Astarion said, piecing the information together...and sounding a little bit bitter as he did so. |
Ariat gave him a look of exasperation, but nodded,"...yes...yes I think so...or something close to it anyway..." |
"I see." Was all the vampire had to say, but Ariat could feel the envy behind his words. |
Shadowheart shook her head, "Why didn't you tell me about any of this?" |
Ariat's eyes narrowed slightly, and he opened his mouth to speak but what he wanted to say got caught in his throat. He wanted to explain how often he had tried to tell her...point out the times he'd been dismissed. The faint feelings of betrayal he'd felt. Abandonment. |
"I'm sorry." was what he said instead. |
She huffed, "We're supposed to trust each other..." She started but he pulled away. |
"Please...not right now." |
Her eyes narrowed and she stood up, "...fine. Let me...get some tea." She said and left the table abruptly. She gave Astarion a sharp look as she left. |
Astarion raised an eyebrow and watched her leave before he turned back to Ariat, "Trouble in paradise?" |
Ariat shook his head sadly, "...it's...complicated...it'll be alright." |
He wasn't sure if he was trying to convinced himself or Astarion. |
He looked up at the vampire and he was sure he looked more tired than he felt...and he felt very tired, "...welcome back." |
Astarion chuckled, "Oh, Darling, it's like I never left." |
Ariat smiled slightly, "I'm sure you're regretting it now." |
Astarion frowned and gave him an analyzing look as he considered that statement, "I think there is a very fine line between finding peace...and unceasing boredom...and I strayed a little too far over to the side of the latter. By that, I mean, no. Not at all." He explained with a smile. |
Ariat stared at him and felt something tickle his brain, he couldn't help but grin, "...you missed us." |
Astarion started to protest and then glared at him, "...that...is going to get annoying. There is this thing called, privacy...Darling." There was an edge to his voice now and Ariat grimaced. |
"Sorry...it was easier to control when it wasn't just...me. I promise I'm not doing it on purpose." |
"I'm not sure if that makes it better...or worse." Astarion observed and Ariat gave him a look of apology. |
"You can go, if you want." |
"Oh, I didn't say that." Astarion was quick to reassure him then chuckled again, "You've invited a vampire into your home, you're not getting rid of him that easily." |
Ariat looked up and his smile was wide this time, the sudden surge of intense relief enough to break through his mask, "Oh no...whatever shall we do." he joked lightly, "...you can just stay here, if you want to." |
The invitation came out suddenly...and surprised them both into sudden silence. |
"...what?" Astarion asked, though he didn't sound upset...just...shocked. |
"I-I mean...where are you even living right now? Not that dungeon...or-" Ariat stuttered. |
Astarion grimaced, "Good...heavens, no, of course not..." |
"...ok." was all Ariat could manage. |
They both just continued to sit in awkward silence before Astarion finally broke it. |
"...I...would not be against the idea...perhaps...but I think you need to ask the Lady of the house first." |
"Ask me what?" Shadowheart asked as she came back into the room, cups in hand. Ariat waited for her to set them down on the table before he answered her question. |
"I was asking if Astarion would like to stay here...with us." |
Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Stay here? You mean...live here. Permanently?" |
Ariat quickly interrupted her, "No! No no no, Gods, no...ugh...could you even imagine? No. It's not like that at all." he said and reached out to take her hands. |
Astarion gave him a sidelong look as Ariat echoed the words he'd once used himself from back during the Tiefling party. The pout on his face was an act though, hiding the amusement of the inside joke. |
Shadowheart seemed to relax immediately and even smiled a bit, "Ok...well, if it is as you say...I see nothing wrong with it." |
"Really?" Astarion asked, surprised yet again. |
"Of course, this has got to be better than wherever you must be staying right now, I'm sure. Some crypt no doubt." |
Astarion threw his hands up, "The both of you, I swear...I...I DO have standards, you know." |
Ariat and Shadowheart exchanged knowing looks and then looked back to Astarion with expressions that were nearly identical in their obvious doubt. |
Astarion's eyes narrowed, and he glared at them both briefly before finally giving in, "Alright! Yes, I accept." He relented. |
"Good." Shadowheart said firmly and pushed one of the cups in Astarion's direction. |
Astarion frowned as he took the cup...he was about to protest until he looked into the cup and gave her an amused look, "This tea is oddly wine like in smell...and...color." he observed and Ariat looked into his own cup to confirm that, yes, this was definitely not tea. |
She let out a breath, "I changed my mind on the way to the kitchen." |
Astarion laughed heartily and Ariat could tell that this time it was far more heartfelt than his usual dramatics. |
"A toast then. To old friends." Astarion said as he sat down at the table with them. |
"To continued friendships." Shadowheart affirmed, holding up her cup. |
"To family." Ariat finished and when the cups clinked together it left a feeling behind of true peace. |
There were no more words to share now. Not yet. Now they could simply sit and enjoy the silence. |
But the silence no longer felt so lonely. |
It took remarkably little to adapt to their new lives in the Gate. Astarion prowled during the day. Ildran took to the sewers at night. |
"Get out and see the sun, pet," Astarion was fond of telling him. "I didn’t ascend to spend so much time draining patriars without my pretty little consort on my arm." |
"Then don’t pick a drow for your consort next time." |
Astarion’s eyes glinted. "Perhaps I won’t." |
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