Closed to @divinestrike

[pale_elf]

[It had been few weeks of travel since they left the Grove behind and Astarion spent most of his time fighting and preparing for the Shadow Curse and all that it seemed to involve. The original goal was to travel through the underdark after dealing with the Myconids, the durgears and all that nice stuff. He even found himself deeply amused by the little tower exploration and how one of the robot guardians just... hugged one of his companions. Whoever build them had to be a true, lonely loser. A spectator here, a dwarf saved from mushrooms there, the area was secured with Nere dead and... it turned out the elevator was stuck. Days worth of work- WASTED! Katlach had been lucky in getting a new armor from the forge, but all Astarion got was a laughing amulet that refuses to get off him.

After some discussion, traveling on the surface seemed like the best possible option, even if the mountain opass was guarded by Lae'Zel's people and they seemed rather hostile and dangerous. A daring escape from a killing githyanki machine, an encounter with Elminster and many other problems later they were finally on the right road fortheir destination.

And Astarion's Anxiety was only growing the closer they got to Baldur's Gate. Not only now they traveled with a druid, someone who probably saw him as an insult to natural order, but as soon as they passed whatever awaited them in the Tower... he would be within reach of Cazador once more. Needless to say, his need to reaffirm himself as a valuable team member kept increasing the more they traveled.

It was with absolute delight that he recognized some familiar roads during one of his hunting trips, and for once he didn't even mildly protest when the good souls in his group stopped on their tracks to help some villagers in danger. No. He gathered some valuable things, threw in his bag some other things he looted during his journey and proceeded toward Candlekeep. He could remember Cazador talking about lovely crypts right under the old fort and an old entry that allowed to pass through some cracks between the walls. He left the camp at night with the excuse of food, set down his trap, and waited.

The sun was already setting on the horizon and the group's tents had already been set down when he finally approached his prey. How many days had it been since he last tried to flirt with the Cleric of Selune? Probably too many. He smirked, leaned against the tent like he had a real support and tilted his head to the side, trying to give himself a mischievous but also... almost affectionate expression.</small>]

Well, good evening, darling. It's been far too long from the last time we had a private chat, wouldn't you agree?

Comments

[divinestrike]

[There was certainly something to be said about keeping one's self busy. She had never imagined that leaving the priesthood in the city to travel would result in the present moment. She also hadn't expected a nautiloid ship, finding herself plus one small tadpole companion, or the others that she met along the way, working towards what she believed was likely to be a common goal. It felt like every step they took to even marginally understand what next to do was only hindered by an extra step.

Go here.
Do this.
Investigate [x] location.

In the end, it only resulted in more questions and fewer answers. By the time they had finally begun to ease their way through the remnants of the treacherous mountain pass and all it contained, Nepione had to admit that she was feeling... frustrated. Largely with their situation as a whole. What could she, as the appointed leader, really even do? And if anyone else was suffering a lack of morale how was she supposed to help with that?

In fact, she spent so much time obsessing over that right there, the comforts of those she travelled with, that she realised she was most likely neglecting her own. Yet she felt she didn't have a choice.

On the night in which Astarion found her at her tent, her thoughts were every which way, save for whatever she was supposed to have expected of him. Far behind her were their earlier days where they could more easily exchange banter. She still checked in with everyone regularly, but so much of the time it was some strange habit she'd developed of mothering.

Smothering, some might have said, she was certain.

In the process of pulling brush through her hair, she raised an eyebrow as she took in the vampire spawn, his comfortable posture and the common content expression drawn across his features.

Private chat, hm?]

Is there something wrong?

[Because of course that was where her mind went to first. Why else would he have been coming to her?]

[pale_elf]

[Life was full of surprises, wasn't it? He had never imagined to be free of his duties as vampire spawn, nor to have traveling companions, not to follow the directions of a cleric that didn't fully embrace evil and rot... nor to be a hero, even if it was just to a group of tiefling refugees, a bunch of druids they left behind and some random people they helped along the way. A waste of energies, probably, but Astarion managed to stick around anyway, voicing his disappointment more than once but making sure no one would fall for traps and offering cover with his trusty bow. Yes, he had always been more of a stabby stab kind of person, but after the whole goblin slash incident he allowed other people to take the first line while in a fight.

But- that was hardly important, at least at the moment. He did most of the preparation work, now he had to bring his target to the secluded location where he intended to fulfill his plans... and he knew it was not going to be easy.]

Well, actually yes. I could use your help with a... delicate little problem of mine.

[He made sure the glance around. The people closer to the tent were listening, at least those who still were wary of him -the smart ones-, and he knew the cleric didn't want her good name to be sullied by indecent insinuations, atleast for now... so he had to play his part.]

I wouldn't require assistance if I could, but turns out a poor man cannot do certain things alone without risking to break his nails. As you can imagine, we can't have that. [He huffed like that was one of the worst things that could happen to him.] Mind if I enter for one moment? I'm sure we can work out some kind of... [A pause, biting his lips and glancing to the side.] mutual agreement.

[divinestrike]

Another one?

[Last time it had been his back. She couldn't think of too many situations where Astarion was inclined to ask for her assistance otherwise. He was relatively self-sufficient. Could feed himself. Could hunt on his own. Hadn't started trying to bite on the others at camp, that she knew of, which included herself.

(At least, she had no bites with which to make such an assumption.)

Either way, she had little reason to believe that he really had need of her assistance and in many ways, that suited her just fine. As he continued, she didn't know what to expect. Somehow the fear of breaking nails seemed... just like him. Vanity. Much in the way that she realised he couldn't see his reflection, at least he could see his nails. He likely wanted to be the image of immaculate presentation.

At his request, she loosed a sigh and moved aside to let him in.]

If you make a habit out of this, the others are going to get the wrong idea. I don't think I'll be able to convince them otherwise either. So please don't linger and give them something more to talk about.

[For if he was in and out, no one was going to think he was spending time visiting her bedroll.]

[pale_elf]

Yes, another one. Trust me, I'm not happier about this than you are.

[The tone of his voice betrayed annoyance, perhaps even a hint of disgust, but that was for the eyes of the camp, for little miss goodie's reputation, not the person he was going to paint himself as in private. He had time to practice the 'falling for you' act in his mind, getting it out and courting his ticket to safety was not going to be too difficult.

And inside he was. Still waiting for a proper invitation like in the cursed old times, entering one's living quarters only with permission. He waited for a moment, still looking displeased and frowning in Gale's direction as saying 'Mind your own businesses' before closing the tent's fabric door in his face. There was an immediate shift in his posture, his entire body seemed to relax and a grin spread on his lips.]

Oh, please, I would be the first one to tell them they're wrong. I don't plan to spend long in this tent and I don't want them to believe I don't even last five minutes. Or even less, considering we'd need time to undress and put our clothes back on- [The casual rant was interrupted by the man himself raising a finger in front of himself, basically pointing it in her face.] BUT- we're not about to discuss that. Guess what, darling? I kept my word and found it!

[Yes, a most generic statement. You are welcome.]

[divinestrike]

[With the way he took to Gale, she'd eventually have to go apologise to the wizard. And then probably reiterate that yes, nothing was happening. At least, not whatever curious eyes and ears might have thought outside of her tent. She could, however, think about how to handle all of that later. Astarion was the first and foremost priority. The sooner he got his matter handled, the sooner she could finish settling in for the night and focus on... something that wasn't him.

Not... that there was anything wrong with focusing on him. She wasn't sure why she was trying to justify that, but it pretty quickly went out the proverbial window when he followed up with more.

"...I don't want them to believe I don't even last five minutes. Or even less..."

For just a moment, Nepione pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand, wishing she was anywhere but in her tent having that conversation. No. They were definitely not going to be discussing that. She really didn't care what his staying power was like and as far as she was concerned, it had nothing to do with her.]

You found what, exactly?

[As she waited for him to reiterate, she resumed brushing her hair, thinking it best to distract herself with something as she listened, occasionally moving her gaze from him onto the closure of her tent behind him, likely trying to count how many times anyone was going to pass back and forth. At least she'd know if anyone was parked right outside to eavesdrop.]

[pale_elf]

[Oh, please, as if Astarion and Gale didn't occasionally glare to each other for fun. It was their way to tell each other everything was fine, as long as they had time to focus on each other... well, it meant nothing was important enough to require their attention, which also translated in nothing bad happening around them. The vampire wasn't really having issues with anyone in their little band and that was how he wanted to keep things.

Still, girlie came first. He blinked in her direction, feigning pure confusion, shock and hurt at her question. He brought his hands out in front, like point at something invisible right in front of them, and let out a small offended huff.]

Excuse me? The perfect place for our date, of course! Did you think I forgot about it just because we're basically running for our lives?

[He just gave her a couple of seconds for that to sink in, but continued without giving her time to reply in any way, moving to her side and trying to place a hand against her shoulder. Nothing more than that, he wasn't even going to be too pushy and if she was to step away Astarion would respect her space as he gestured toward the ceiling of the tent.]

I was struggling a bit finding the perfect spot, I admit that, but then I remembered: Candlekeep. The ruins still haunt the place and they're, what? half an hour from here? And now, now... it's not like I stumbled there casually while chasing a deer that was far too fast for my poor elvish legs, I would never struggle in such a way- [There was no deer involved, nor he stumbled near the ruins by mistake, but that wasn't for Nepione to know. She had to believe at least some of this was him not being that good at genuine feelings and not being too perfect.] My point is, my... dinner found her way inside the walls, there's just a tiny passageway where we could sneak inside.

I know, I know, big cursed place, but from what I've seen there was no undead lurking around. Beside me, of course, but am I not your favorite one? [ A wink followed those words.] And who knows what we could find in there! Probably not food for me, not anymore, but maybe something useful during our little adventure!

Seriously, I am quite good at following tracks and such, you could say I'm a natural hunter, and I am positive nothing but wildlife entered that area of the fort yet. Come on... come with me.

[The last part was an hopeful, deep purr. The smile on his face was tender and almost a bit nervous and shy, his body language indicated tension and slight excitement, now he only had to see if she would bite his bait.]

[divinestrike]

Oh—

[Realisation crossed over her features at his explanation, and initially, she thought very little of his melodramatic reaction. In truth, yes, she had forgotten, though that wasn't really her fault or his, or anyone else's. He'd put it somewhat appropriately. There were plenty of other things that just so happened to be a touch more important. Survival, unfortunately, had to trump that, and she personally got so caught up in the end destination for all of them that it wasn't difficult to put aside the moments like the very present one.

Although she didn't stop him when he remained at her side, all she did was eye him the moment his hand met her shoulder. She was still thinking about the idea that he'd evidently found her interest in history just important enough that he put in the effort, to keep it in consideration, even if he had stumbled onto it quite by accident.]

I didn't know your hunts were taking you so far from camp.

[It seemed like a somewhat off-handed remark, but the true reason in bringing it up was that a half hour away from camp, if something did happen to him, it was unlikely anyone else would have been able to help. But... he was capable. Maybe she didn't have need to be concerned. Would she have felt the same if it was Lae'zel? No, probably not. She seemed more than self-sufficient. So why was Astarion any different?

...If he was different at all.

Perplexed with herself and him somewhat as well, thinking they really didn't have the time to go gallivanting through ruins as much as she really wanted to, her immediate temptation was to turn him down. The Shadow-Cursed lands were ultimately the goal. Moonrise was a location that lingered in their future and quite possibly could have contained answers for all of them.

But—

Nepione dipped her chin with a sigh, pulling her brush through the ends of her hair one last time before she started the ever gruelling adventure of braiding it. Astarion's voice lingered between her ears and she didn't doubt for a moment that it was a good deal responsible for why she decided to humour him.]

We could just find you something to eat that's closer. If something happens and we're all the way out there... That seems like it could be concerning. Maybe we should let the others know. Bring... a couple of them, perhaps.

[Defeating the purpose of a date, but how could she help but think practically in this situation. Wasn't his safety more important? Wasn't hers?]

[pale_elf]

That's... not for you to worry about.

[He usually didn't travel so far away, but Candlekeep had been the exception. They were even more distant from the fallen library than that when he started planning things ahead. Most small animals were usually not too far from the camp anyway, he just made sure to hide most of them not to attract the ire of a certain druid or have Karlach fetch a meal for the rest of them- not that he cared, but he knew very well it was something at least some of the people of their group would be grateful for.

With the hand accepted in her personal space, he slid just a bit closer, leaning in Nepione's direction and offering a slightly sheepish grin.]

Wildlife has been on a decline since we started to approach Moonrise Tower. It's mostly small rodent, that barely count as snacks, and predator packs... it's just a matter of being patient for now. Nothing that dangerous.

[The last thing he needed was to have an escort whenever he decided to feed himself. Astarion had no issues in filling his own stomach during the journey, living under Cazador taught him not to be picky and despite his graceful movements and appearance? The vampire had no issues in crawling in the dirt, digging to get beasts out of their burrows or even approaching enemy camps. He lured a couple of followers of the Absolute into the woods so far and each time it was almost arousing using his tadpole powers to force them into submission and death.

But Nepione couldn't know any of that. He smiled, circled around them moving the hand from one shoulder to another and let out the smallest chuckle.]

Darling, that would defeat the whole purpose of a date. [Perhaps she thought not saying it would keep her save but no, he put that thought into words.] Unless you desire a three people dance, I have to say no. Even if I could almost considered daddy druid. Do you think he turns into a bear in the middle?

[He was not going to get anyone else involved with his plan and putting it in such crass light had a chance to make her step back, hopefully. The vampire tried to put on a hopeful and excited expression as he took a step back, giving her back her personal space, opening his arms like he was presenting something.]

Come on... who knows what treasure has been left there for, what? A century? I will even bring the lute Alfira gave me and offer you a serenade under the moon. No one else has to know...

[divinestrike]

[As she listened, it also occurred to her that Astarion's personal food stores would likely be difficult to track down once they got closer towards Moonrise. What was he going to do as they got closer? Halsin had made mention that those lands really didn't have any life in them. With a thoughtful frown, she wondered how to approach that subject with her current company. There was a good chance, however, that he would simply keep her out of it. It wasn't... exactly her place to get involved either, which she understood.

A little wary of the way he moved about her, nothing he'd done was outright horrible. On the contrary, it was rather innocent, which was almost surprising coming from him. Or maybe she intentionally found the worst things in him. Some kind of means to keep that wall between them.

Watching him, mostly feeling him, move from one side of her to the other, she found herself pausing somewhat abruptly.]

That's not... That isn't exactly what I was getting at. We have more important things to handle than discuss Halsin and his habits.

[Which was her way of saying she wasn't about to entertain (at present, anyway) three-way 'dances' or whatever Halsin's Wildshape entailed in such moments. Thankfully he continued and she loosed a quiet sigh. She'd thought it originally had something to do with helping him track down food, which was fine, but turning it into some kind of late night adventure...?]

I don't think serenades are necessary. It would probably be better if we didn't attract any unwanted attention. If this is what you really want, I'll humour you, but let's not intentionally put ourselves in danger, hm?

[Lifting her hands, she offered him a gentle surrender. Fine. She could play along. She gave everyone else plenty of opportunities to gain her trust. Maybe Astarion deserved the same thing.]

[pale_elf]

[He was merely going to switch to people. He kept it to their enemies, of course, but for now it was still something he swept under the rug not to cause any unnecessary tension. Not to mention they had plenty of adversaries to face, no one was going to cry if after a though battle he picked one of the bodies and started drinking, right? He just had to pretend he starved himself for days at that point, putting a lot on emphasis on how hard he fought his thirst and hunger not to hurt anyone in the camp. That was a most solid plan.

But right now he was fully on board with being as disgusting as possible. He had a certain reputation to keep and any sudden change from his flirty and direct self would have probably been suspicious. Now, what did he learn from the many druids he took home from his master...? Oh, right-]

I think it's really important to discuss those things, since he's literally the only one in camp who can have a real boner. And not because I can't perform, but because bears do have a bone down there. [He leaned in to whisper.] It's called a Baculum.

[And back to his personal space. Did she just say yes? She said YES! Ah, glorious moment! The smile that spread on his face, warming it up, was genuine like the light in his eyes. At least all his efforts had not been in vain.]

Wonderful! [He brought his hands together, grinning a bit like an idiot.] No serenade, I get it. I promise you we'll be fine, I took a look inside and the dust has not been moved by anything that didn't have hooves in forever! And considering a deer seems to consider it a safe place where to hide, I'm sure there will be no problem.

Now, should we walk out together or separately? I can look pretty upset if that's what you want from me.

[divinestrike]

[For all that she tried to ignore his little pieces of education that she felt she didn't need or particularly want, she was a little annoyed at the way it seemed like even after he was done talking, his voice always managed to linger between her ears. It was probably the voice, itself. One could get away with saying just about anything if they had a nice enough voice to put it in.

It was probably for the better just not to address anything about Halsin. What would that guy think if he even knew how someone like Astarion spoke about him? She wasn't going to ask and Nepione, frankly, didn't want to know. At least their druid guide had the good sense to keep his thoughts where they belonged. Better to let him focus on whatever it was calling him to Moonrise. Distractions could be deadly.

He looked pleased and she felt... Well. Tired. Which she suspected a part of her was, but not through any fault of his own. Their circumstances made her tired. Tired and worried. And it was hard holding all of that to herself or trying to hold it to herself. But they all had their burdens, didn't they? It never seemed like a right time for a heart-to-heart and frankly, it seemed stupid to try having one with any of them.

It was better just to lock up all of her feelings and pretend they weren't there. Just focus on whatever was in front of her. At the present moment, that was Astarion and his little rendezvous that he wanted to take her on. As she carefully finished tying up her rather imperfect braid, she settled a hand atop her hip.]

Well, neither of us look dishevelled. Probably hasn't been long enough for anything to have gone... awry, as it were. I doubt anyone is going to bat an eye if they take more than a cursory glance. There's likely no need for a spectacle this time.

[Lifting a hand to stifle a yawn, she raised her arms above her head in a long stretch, tiefling tail swaying back and forth behind her. And at least in those moments she felt considerably less leader and almost more what she genuinely was, just a cleric with poor sleeping habits and sometimes juvenile antics.]

Best we get to it. There's no rest for the weary, it seems.

[pale_elf]

[Oh, if she only knew how little he cared about Halsin's bedroom habits. Still, he couldn't get soft too suddenly with her and instead of being direct and weird he turned into a caing and loving person- well, he could play that part, sure, he did before as well, but at the same time keeping a character consistent was essential.

Speaking of which-]

I could always fix that... [Merely a comment on what she said about how they still appeared perfectly presentable. A whisper, a bold suggestion that came with a purr as he invaded her personal space, barely stopping with a hand of distance between their faces and wiggling his eyebrows just slightly. The body language was clear, 'I want you', but the invitation only lasted a couple of seconds beefore he moved back.] Still, we can't quite postpone our date. You see, darling, that's the price we have to pay if we keep moving at this pace.

It doesn't matter, truly. See me in my tent in ten? Make sure to wear your armor, I will make sure to prepare myself as well and grab a trap disarming kit or two.

[divinestrike]

["I could always fix that..."

There it was again. That voice he was so good at using. What really concerned her was that the more he used it, the more she actually considered it. If he was trying to wear down her discipline, he was doing a rather commendable job of it. But even if she did let it fall, she knew very well she wasn't the type to easily admit it, either to herself or to anyone else.

Heat flooded her the moment he leaned in and she found her hands tightly weaving together, perhaps for a sense of composition or just to keep herself from accidentally touching him, giving him the wrong impression, or whatever else. Her pulse quickened and just as she had so many times before, Nepione convinced herself that he was only teasing. The little steady drumming of her heart remained even as he withdrew and she cleared her throat, trying to ignore the colour that kissed her features.]

R-right. Of course. I'll bring any necessities that I can think of. Better safe than sorry, though I'd like to think this will be a largely unexciting misadventure. I'll meet you outside of your tent and we can go when you're ready.

[pale_elf]

[He could fix that and he would if asked, but Astarion knows how to respect a target's boundaries until it's time to strike.

At least he was better than his siblings who often lured fools in the sewers with the excuse of parties and such- what kind of dumb prey did you have to aim at for them to believe such things? No, his current target had much more class and this is why Candlekeep was a much better option.

Astarion could hear her stutter, her insecurity, and didn't even bother to hide a knowing smile before slipping out of the tent.]

See you in a moment, beautiful.

[With that, he was gone. Everything had been prepared in advance, so all Astarion had to do was wearing his armor, grabbing his daggers and securing a few potions to the hidden pockets of his cape. He adjusted his hair by passing his fingers through them, cursing once more the fact he was unable to see his own reflection, and then proceeded to wait by the tent's entrance, ready to move toward his cleric as soon as she approached and maybe 'accidentally' bump against her while leaving his shelter.]

[divinestrike]

[She was certain, that as it had so many days ago (at least it felt like many days, weeks, something rather), the moment he left her, the relief was as palpable as it had been when Gale's presence had essentially rescued her. Not to say that Astarion likely thought to kill her. She was certain that if he was going to do that, he would have done so much earlier. Now, there wasn't really a point to doing so unless he had some very long, drawn-out ruse. She didn't think that was impossible, but she did think it was unlikely.

She rifled through her things, finding where she'd set her normal day-to-day wear aside. Metal was out of the question, though she donned that more often than she would have liked to. Given what they were likely getting themselves into, it was easier to be subdued in something lighter. Nepione clad herself in relatively firm, dark leathers. They weren't going to protect her much if she got impaled with a knife, but it probably wasn't going to go clean through unless someone spent a remarkable amount of intimate time with a whetstone.

Despite the way she'd drawn her hair back, most of it got pulled up rather high. Although she tended to let it dangle, more than a few comments from the others had been made on how long it was. She wasn't of the mind to have it hacked off for the sake of her own misguided idea of stability, but it seemed reasonable that she could compromise. Otherwise, it would have been all too convenient for a hand to simply reach out and grab and slice up her pretty neck. Not that she thought anything like that was going to happen on this night either.

With a right, proper satchel of poultices, salves, potions, an adequate mace tucked into its holder, impressive with its blunt detailing, and just enough weight to pack enough of a strike if she needed it to, she assessed herself in full-body mirror and decided she would probably suffice. She hoped, anyway. Better to be over-prepared than under and she still couldn't quite say what Astarion's intents were. Other than to leave her constantly in a state of uncertainty.

And quite possibly fluster.

Closing her tent up behind her, she cast a look up to the sky, trying to determine how many hours of night there likely were to remain. Would she get much sleep, or would it simply turn into an excessively exhausting day? Spotting an ever patient vampire spawn, she began to close the distance between them, taking one more moment as she did so to draw her hands along her frame, securing accoutrements into place.

"We shouldn't tarry," she reminded him, ever practical (at least for this). "If you find yourself ready, let's make way, shall we?"

[pale_elf]

[Perhaps it was just the body reading Astarion better than her mind, maybe something subconscious recognized the predator and knew it was drawing circles around its prey. Even now he was waiting to strike: a relatively safe place away from everyone else, shining trinkets to get her attention once they reached their destination and the perfect romantic moon to look at. He had poetry in his repertoire, that could be sharper than his own daggers, and the vampire marked down few interesting locations in their way- there was a beautiful patch of flowers that he was planning to see only during their returning trip.

Blue, gentle petals, probably closed at this time of night but ready to blossom at dawn. They were perfect for decorating the cleric's long hair, a gift to seal between the pages of a book and keep there for good luck too... and if not that, there was a rock with some interesting moss on it. Not the most romantic thing, perhaps, but the vampire remembered its depurative properties, they could easily make a water filter with it, and how it was often used in cleaning products and had some medical properties. With how practical Nepione was, perhaps that could be a good gift before returning to the camp?

It didn't matter too much on the moment, they still had to begin their little excursion and he was eager to move away from their teammates' inquisitive gaze.]

Well well well, are you offering tonight?

[His eyes wandered toward her neck, exposed now that her hair wasn't covering it. Merely a little tease before looking back up and tilting his head, making sure she didn't feel too threatened by his presence. The vampire offered Karlach a wink, then strapped his longbow to his back and nodded.]

I'm ready, I'm ready. Let's figure out what that thing is, mh?

[As vague as possible as he turned his back to the Tiefling, walking toward the shadows and barely waiting for her. The others didn't need to know he was the one who wanted her company, showing he didn't care at all in public was going to benefit both of them.]

[divinestrike]

[She'd wondered how to explain to the others what exactly they were getting up to or what they were doing, but somehow it seemed easier to say that she was just helping Astarion get something to eat for the night. At least, that was her intention if anyone asked, which she thought particularly pointed by his input. Better an animal than any of them, no?

When she saw the way his striking red eyes fell onto her neck, she felt considerably more aware and clearing her throat.]

If it came down to necessity, I'd do what was required.

[It wasn't as if she'd not thought about his teeth before. Or teeth in general. Nepione had a great many thoughts on such levels that she didn't share. More like fleeting little fancies that she entertained. Not sure if she wanted them or not, but she certainly liked to think about them from time to time.

Mostly a what what it be like sort of scenario.

Lifting a hand, she offered a gentle wave to the others and did precisely as she'd expected herself to—she explained that they were getting food for Astarion and that they would be back shortly. She didn't say much beyond that, but did give as many reassuring expressions as she could. If any of them were wary of Astarion's intentions, she didn't take notice. Or it simply wasn't there.

Trailing after Astarion, she still found herself last minute fixing the way things sat upon her, not particularly caring that she was letting him take point, though she didn't much care for him to be in harm's way either. As far as she was concerned, she should have gone ahead of him.

Lingering behind him, careful to leave an arm's width between them, she eyed the sky, the glittering of stars, and the pretty glow of the moon.]

Hm. If I weren't here, I'd likely be praying for blessings. It seems Our Lady of Silver has Her eye on us.

[Or at least on her. Who knew what She thought of Astarion.]

[pale_elf]

[He was going to let her take cre of that, whatever story the cleric decided to toss to the others- he was going to confirm it. They knew he wouldn't hold back detailed explanations if anything happened between him and the cleric, so no one in the camp will question too much if the two are sleeping together or not. Not to mention that when people eloped or planned a romantic night out, they rarely left camp without a bedroll and armed to their teeth. ]

Well, let's make sure it's not required for me to drink from any of you. [He didn't mind, but he could smell at Gale and tell his blood probably tasted like bile, Lae'zel made if clear her neck was not an option and when he tried (with consent) to bite Karlach it turned out it was like biting into melted iron. He didn't try with either Shadowheart nor the devil nor Halsin- and god forbid he touched the little Scratch, he could see the entire camp turning against him. No, he had to control himself.] Not to be rude, darling, but you're not exactly my type.

[It was the opposite of what he was trying to convince her of, true, but that's what she probably wanted others to believe. For the rest, he merely lead the way in silence, knowing exactly where to go and following a trail of little marks and smells he left behind just to be sure to avoid any complication.]

Mh? [He turned to look in her direction as they approached the big walls.] I guess. Gods never answered any prayer I sent in their direction, so I do admit I prefer trying to take care of myself like this, robbing old ruins and all, instead of waiting for divine intervention.

[That wasn't a lie. While he remembered little of his life, Astarion knew that he prayed and begged every god whose name he could remember while crawling out of his coffin, he called for help during his year long imprisonment... and not a single one of them answered to his prayers. But then again, who even cared about a spawn?

If Selune had her eyes on them, she could keep watching. Beside a few spells here and there, wasn't that the only thing Gods were capable of? He pushed the thought to the side, jumping on a relatively tall rock, pushing some vines to the side and stopping there, vaguely gesturing toward an imposing dark fort in the distance.]

It doesn't matter, though, we're almost there. you see the walls over there? We need to approach the northern side.

[divinestrike]

["Not to be rude, darling, but you're not exactly my type."

No. She really didn't think she was. In any form of the word. Nothing about Nepione was Astarion's type as far as she was concerned, which made anything between them all the more perplexing because it simply didn't make sense. Instead of giving voice to any of that, however, she opted for simply nodding along and letting him have his way. A rarity, that, when she wasn't interjecting or otherwise trying to course correct something she thought was going to end up with them in more trouble than was necessary.

His lack of faith was also not terribly surprising. He'd made the point she thought he would as well. What kind of god would have allowed him to be turned into what he was? Not to say that gods were usually of the mind to individually interfere in the lives of their followers. Aside from Mystra, she'd not really thought of gods to be the sorts to do that. If a god had thousands of followers (and that was underestimating, surely), then it just wasn't feasible to answer every single prayer. One could not show favour without provoking jealousy in others, so objectively, it seemed like the right decision to simply not be involved in anyone's personal life.

Evidently Mystra was not included in that if Gale's admittance to bedding her was really true.]

That. Is fair.

[Nepione admitted as she trailed after him. She'd had no intentions, for his sake, of getting into long spiels about what Selûne made her feel or how she thought the Moonmaiden was looking after her, for surely, otherwise the pale blue tiefling would have met her end already. She was certainly not still alive by her own merits, after all.

As she followed in his footsteps, carefully scaling the rock he'd jumped atop, she found herself stopping at his side, gazing at the fortress he made indication toward. It probably wouldn't take as long as it looked like it might. Depended on their pacing. How the silence would be filled, if it was to be filled at all. Little variables here and there.]

That's around the perimeter, right? [Trying to get her bearings in terms of direction and orientation, with furrowed brow, she lifts her hands as if trying to map out exactly where they'd started and where they were at present.] Shouldn't be too difficult. We've certainly been through worse, I think.

[pale_elf]

[Oh, but she was.

Anyone who could help with his cause was perfectly his type, it was just a comment for the camp itself. Even if they were devoted to silent Gods who barely cared about their subjects. Unless they could warm their beds, apparently, if Gale's story was true. And if it was, then he felt disgusted by yet another tale of a powerful mentor who taught their students and then seduced them- that was how the world worked, yes, but from creatures that acted all high and mighty and were above their subjects, he expected something better.

As the goddess of magic she could just conjure herself something, right? Well, it was only his problem because now Astarion had to keep his eyes open for magical items a certain wizard could eat. Ah, but he wasn't going to court a cleric if he just spoke of how lowly he cared about about all the lies and manipulations of the gods.

Astation stood there for a moment, thinking of how to recover a bit from his moment of honesty and glanced up at the sky, a faint memory vaguely resurfacing in the distance.]

You... my family would have liked you. They worshiped Sehanine.

[His tone was distant for a moment, perhaps tinted with the slightest nostalgia.

Was it true or was it just a very convincing lie he used many times while explaining why he only wanted to meet others at night, often at the park when the moon was mostly obscured and the only source of light was from the stars. To admire them better, he would say, and people would fall in his trap.

The vampire shrugged, like tossing aside an unwanted memory, and slid down to move to the other side of the rock without big issues. As the gentleman he was, he reached up with his cold hand, offering the cleric some support on her way down.]

Yes. We must keep distance from the fields you see on the right, I am certain I saw things move there and it wasn't wildlife, but for the rest it seems quite calm.

[divinestrike]

[When he made mention of Sehanine, Nepione turned her attention from the ever distant fortress onto the vampire spawn at her side instead. It seemed wisest to take just about everything he said with a grain of salt, but what made that most difficult was that sometimes she wanted to believe him when he spoke. Except she couldn't, because she could never tell what was truth and what was carefully-constructed falsehood dripping from a tongue that was far too charismatic for his own good.

The moment he mentioned his family, she felt that same feeling again. She didn't know anything about his family and to date, she hadn't really spoken about families with anyone, including her own, which was just fine, as far as she was concerned. Talking about the past, getting wrapped up in it, none of that was going to help them move forward in the now, as it were. She had no qualms about not sharing or prying others for that kind of information.

It seemed a little strange that he was so willing to offer that to her. About as strange as any of his other glowing remarks, though.]

Small world, that.

[Nepione would humour him. A touch, but not too much.

She watched him move down and hesitating for just a moment, she dipped down, set her hand in his and used that hold, precarious as it was, to help herself the rest of the way. And just as she always had been, she was careful she didn't grip too hard or too long, as ever mindful of the claws that she could not hide.]

Thank you. [For she never seemed to forget her manners, despite the idea that she didn't linger on gentlemanly kindness.] Approach from the other side then. The path of least resistance always has been my preferred method. It sounds like you scouted this decently well from your earlier visit.

[pale_elf]

I'd say 'delicious irony' over 'small world'.

[The goddess hated the undead, so either Astarion's family would have been ready to call clerics on him and make him burn, or there was a goddess at least slightly annoyed with him for sulling her good name and using her to attract his victims. He couldn't tell because he genuinely didn't remember and it wasn't relevant unless it offered him points of conversation with the cleric.

Maybe he could build a persona based on nostalgia of a family he couldn't even remember, try to lure her in conversations about that and take advantage of heer faith, but for the moment they had to keep going. The temptation of bringing her hand to his lips and placing a chaste kiss against her knuckles was there, it was a classic after all, yet he controlled himself and let her go as soon as she let go of his hand.]

You just have to study how animals of prey move around. They know the territory better than we do, and if they choose an unpratical path over an easier one while fleeing, you know there is a reason.

[He scouted, took notes, explored, planted items- he spent an entire night just preparing that little date and even part of the day while the rest of the group was busy playing little hero around the area. The main reason he sounded vaguely serious and not over the top, explaining her his approach to scouting, was because the safer she managed to stay, the better for everyone. Him included.]

Animal tracks will end relatively soon if you move in that direction, the soil will smell... I don't know how to put it, wrong? Your nose isn't as remotely as sensible as mine but it's easy to pick up traces of rot and corruption when it's been permeating the ground for almost a century.

If you pay attention to bird calls, you'll also notice they all come from the opposite side. That area over there is mostly silent, so it's safer jsut to avoid it as a whole, unless you want to spend some time with undead that aren't as friendly as me. [He turned around to smirk.] I could get jealous, you know?

Anyway, just follow me, I remember where that deer went and that should translate in a safe path for us.

[He would fully focus on flirting and being 'himself' once they reached their destination.]

[divinestrike]

You sound like Halsin.

[Nepione issued a quiet laugh as she listened to him talk of animals and their habits. For all she knew, the two had spent a reasonable amount of time with one another. It wouldn't have surprised her, honestly. Well, maybe. Halsin seemed like a very honourable type and she certainly enjoyed listening to him talk. And whilst Astarion seemed in many ways his opposite, there was nothing stating others couldn't have learnt something of value from their wisest tag-along.

Regardless of where he got his information from (likely survival, as she thought on it more), she seemed... impressed. Not that she normally wasn't. Out of everyone, she was fairly certain she was the only one not pulling her own weight. Everyone else seemed considerably more valuable, though she knew better than to say so.]

I guess coming out here, you were the perfect person to go with.

[Nepione finally did choose to acknowledge, not at all aware of just how much he'd intentionally setup. To her, it wasn't that it was necessarily coincidental. It was mostly just fact. Astarion had skills that no one else in their camp did. It made him invaluable. And that, in a way, guaranteed his safety. No competition meant he had virtually secured himself a spot amongst them.

She stepped with care, taking in the sights and sounds, careful not to get too caught up in the moon that hung above them in perpetual perfection. If it wasn't too late when they got back, she could give prayer and thanks then. Likely well out of Astarion's earshot. And anyone else's, at that.]

I don't normally want you to lead, but for this, I think it's all right. Just be careful, all right? I'm at your back if anything happens.

[But nothing was going to happen. Probably.]

[pale_elf]

Excuse me?

[There was sudden tension in his shoulders as he snapped his neck around to look at her. Haldin was everything Astarion didn't want to be: he was stoic, serious, focused on the greater good... probably a furry, too. The druid kept his distance from the vempire, probably because the very existence of an undead was against the balance of nature itself, and Astarion returned the favor by avoiding his area of the camp.

He stopped in his tracks, bringing both hands to his hips and making sure to let his indignation show in his voice as he took advantage of his hands and gestures to put emphasis on his words.]

I'm not some goody good druid, nor I sound like one. And look at our differences! I sneak through doors, he would probably be the perfect obstacle to block one. He's hairy, I'm not! He's tall, I'm n- okay, forget that last one.

[He made sure to deliver his best 'adorable pout', even scunching his nose a little, and then letting out a big sigh like trying to let those words slide. Focusing on the next part was for the best anyway: his expression softened just slightly, his smile appeared more genuine and he only pretended to stare for a couple of seconds before glancing away and proceeding on their path.]

Well, I'm just glad to be here with you. Anyway, we should proceed.

[The fort wasn't going to move toward them and he wanted her to enjoy herself, not be stuck in the middle of nowhere with just words filling the air. On their skills- gods, Astarion would probably love to have a sliver of her confidence on how invaluable he was. His senses were sharper, that was true, and he knew a lot about surviving in the dark, but he couldn't hit as strongly as the warriors in their team did, he lacked strong spells and in most fights he kept distance and shot arrows from safe spots.

Opening chests and disarming traps wasn't something others couldn't do, even if he was quicker and more talented than the rest, so he felt like he had to constantly show how invaluable he was not to be thrown to the side. The insecurities he had and his fears, not something he was going to ever voice out loud, were the main reason he was staging all this courtship to begin with.]

For once I will not complain. You just watch your steps, we don't really want to accidentally trigger any trap, do we?

[He was going to guide her to the large wall, show her the narrow crack he 'found' thanks to the imaginary deer and invite her to follow after him, but keeping some distance to give him to check their surroundings. Psh, as if it wasn't a large, locked room with no life inside.]

[divinestrike]

It wasn't an insult. I actually rather like Halsin.

[Well. She liked what she'd gleaned from him so far. The serious and the stoic. His interest and love for nature. She did think he had a lot tucked away inside of himself and though she often pried the others, she didn't feel brave enough to do that with him. It didn't help that he technically wasn't one of them, and she thought it was better to keep him out of that as much as she possibly could. She was thankful for his guidance, but when it came to the tadpole, he didn't need to be any further involved.

Probably safer for him that way, too. Halsin was, as she considered it, entirely an innocent party. Nothing they did was to fall back on him and Nepione felt very adamant that it never got to that point.

Still, listening to Astarion list off all of the reasons he didn't want to be compared to the druid was... amusing. She made a note not to do that again, despite the way once he was done, Astarion was back to his sly little self. And then some.

"...I'm just glad to be here with you."

Before she could even stop it, she loosed a breath of equal amusement. Yes, of course he'd be saying that.]

I'll do my best. [She reassured him, though suspected it probably wasn't actually reassuring at all.] I'm not very good at those things, but I think as long as we're not in haste, it shouldn't be a problem.

[She followed him with a healthy amount of caution, trying to commit to memory the path they were taking, so they'd be able to take it on the way back as well. And just to make certain, she left some odds and ends behind. Not food or anything like that which would have been picked up by the surrounding wildlife, but more or less, items of her own, which really had no value. In short, a practical trail for them to follow back.

At least until they reached their ultimate destination that he'd spoken of before. The narrow crack that she'd likely be able to squeeze herself into without too much difficulty, and she could only be thankful that she was as small as she was. Whether he'd have the same blessing or not, she couldn't say. He was certainly taller than her, though decisively not as tall as Halsin or Karlach.

He was probably going to be fine, though.]