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diademlogs2025-10-08 10:19 pm
sanguineus) wrote in diademlogs2025-10-08 10:19 pm
closed ❢ have a drink on me
Who: Astarion & Karlach
Where: The Pavillion
When: Early October
What: Living it up at the Cider Fest
Warnings: Friendship? (DisGOSTing) Will update if necessary
[ Astarion thinks that some of the little festivities in Panorama are ridiculous. The pumpkin patch? It would have been a waste of time if not for the little party prize he got to take with him. But encouraging everyone to walk around and try a bunch of alcohol? That he can get behind.
It's truly a blessing that despite being a vampire, he's still able to imbibe. He would loathe to think of how many more sober nights he would have had to endure otherwise.
Of course, while Astarion is well-equipped and even used to partying it up on his own, it is better with company. And if there is anyone who is ever down for a good time, it's Karlach. His friend. Even if the word "friend" isn't one he uses often or aloud. Because a very select few have not only been desirable as friends, but put up with him long enough to gain his trust. It's far from a coveted position, but it is a special one.
And now that she's here? He's going to take advantage of her presence.
As they walk away from yet another bar, Astarion hums thoughtfully as he inspects their stamp cards. ]
How many of these do you think we can collect, I wonder? Surely they can't remember everyone they've handed them out to.
[ Does he have any idea the prizes are...lame? No. He's hoping there's money involved, as usual. ]
Where: The Pavillion
When: Early October
What: Living it up at the Cider Fest
Warnings: Friendship? (DisGOSTing) Will update if necessary
[ Astarion thinks that some of the little festivities in Panorama are ridiculous. The pumpkin patch? It would have been a waste of time if not for the little party prize he got to take with him. But encouraging everyone to walk around and try a bunch of alcohol? That he can get behind.
It's truly a blessing that despite being a vampire, he's still able to imbibe. He would loathe to think of how many more sober nights he would have had to endure otherwise.
Of course, while Astarion is well-equipped and even used to partying it up on his own, it is better with company. And if there is anyone who is ever down for a good time, it's Karlach. His friend. Even if the word "friend" isn't one he uses often or aloud. Because a very select few have not only been desirable as friends, but put up with him long enough to gain his trust. It's far from a coveted position, but it is a special one.
And now that she's here? He's going to take advantage of her presence.
As they walk away from yet another bar, Astarion hums thoughtfully as he inspects their stamp cards. ]
How many of these do you think we can collect, I wonder? Surely they can't remember everyone they've handed them out to.
[ Does he have any idea the prizes are...lame? No. He's hoping there's money involved, as usual. ]
no subject
things could be worse.
and when today involves drinking and bar hopping?
shit, karlach could weep from joy. )
Pretty sure they'd remember us.
( most things about her were eye-catching, especially among the people here. no one is going to quickly forget a large red-skinned woman with horns. she makes a quick gesture towards herself, making it clear what she means. )
I'm a little hard to miss.
( but she's not daunted. filling out the cards personally would be easy. )
With both of us, we can slam back plenty of drinks. More than enough for these cards!
no subject
Oh I'm not worried about our abilities. It's only that I think our efforts should be properly rewarded. What they're asking us to do is basically child's play.
[ He knows their capabilities. Astarion has two centuries of getting wine drunk on his roster and Karlach could out-drink an ogre with a difference. This isn't even a challenge.
He slips both stamp cards into his breast pocket--yes, he found a shirt with one on it--because he wants to be in control of "the money". ]
But I believe it's your turn to choose, my dear. Where are we off to next?
no subject
Wonder if they think we'll be too drunk to collect?
( she muses out loud, considering. that makes sense to her. probably would be pretty effective too. there's entirely too many who like to oversell their own abilities and collapse on the table after just a few. it's a great way to get someone's hands in your pockets. )
Counting on you to grease the wheels when it's pay-time.
( he can talk and she'll stand intimidatingly behind him. it'll work perfectly.
then she sets her sights on a grungy-looking bar with an abundance of halloween decorations plastered along the outside. even from this distance, she could hear the song 'monster mash' playing faintly from the open door. if she's picking, this is her pick. )
This one. It looks like a good time.
( she says, pointing towards the bar before immediately starting off that way. )
no subject
[ He'll admit, the powers that be could just be horribly underestimating their patrons. It wouldn't be the first time nor would it be the last he would gladly take advantage of that too. ]
Oh, you needn't even ask, darling.
[ They are going to get their moneys worth, they will make that certain--of prizes and drinks.
Astarion turns his attention to her venue of choice and while the exterior alone looks cheesy, he has to bemoan the music choice. ]
That song again? I swear I hear it even in my sleep these days.
[ But it's Karlach's choice, so despite his complaints, he falls into step beside her. He has to block a dangerously swaying "ghost" from the awning from smacking him int he head. The decorations inside are about three times as gaudy as the out, with as many fake skeletons, felt witches, and little pumpkins stuffed into every corner available. String lights in orange and purple flash above and below the bar, while fake candles dance green at the small tables dotted around the main room. They definitely enjoy this time of year.
Astarion adjusts the popped collar of his leather jacket (yeah, he's like that). ]
Well, I almost fell under-dressed. Maybe I shouldn't have thrown away that mask.
[ Except he's already snatched up a little paper menu with the seasonal drinks on it. ]
"Pumpkin Toddy"...The "Zombie Punch". The "Corpse Reviver"?
no subject
( karlach chirps cheerfully. she, much like everybody else, has also heard the song near non-stop over the course of the last several days. she's just not tired of it yet. she's not tired of any of the music that's been hearing—mostly because she's excited to be hearing music at all.
she spent years without barely hearing a tune and now music is everywhere.
what a good fucking time to be alive.
the tiefling is no less fond of the décor of her chosen bar, taking in the sight of it as they cross the threshold as a veritable feast for the eyes. there's fun things everywhere she looks. ghosts, goblins, and skeletons! lights! draping fabrics! fake spiderwebs!
each one much cuter than their real-life counterparts. )
Shouldn't have. The mask was cute!
( but not cuter than astarion's face. or so he'd say.
the vampire just needs to lean a little more into the occasion, karlach thinks. to help facilitate that, karlach's arm shoots up to catch the attention of the barkeep. )
Two Corpse Revivers! For me and my friend!
( then she grins over at astarion. )
Let's see if that'll wake us up, huh?
no subject
[ Astarion never really liked it, to be honest. A little too cheesy for his tastes. But it's better than that random conglomerate of sounds at that "rave" they called "music". The bar does seem to be quite low in Panorama. ]
If I'd known you liked it so much, I would have given it to you.
[ The mask, that is. And honestly he might have still tossed it because he thinks Karlach ought to have higher standards for herself. Clowns are never funny.
Gods, he hates clowns.
The drink that Karlach picks, of course, is suspect. He raises his brow as he sets down the little drink list. ]
Really? I'm going to be charitable and assume you're not calling me a walking corpse, my dear.
[ There's a little challenging smirk at the edges of his mouth. ]
But I do hope it's one of those, what do they call them..."Gel-oh shots"? I don't normally expect my liquor to have texture, but that was fun.
[ Mostly because he hasn't actually "eaten" anything chewable in centuries. Jell-o Shots seem to toe that line between food and drink, but it's just enough to make Astarion find it novel. ]
no subject
( said with a laugh and a loose point of one of her talons. she definitely wouldn't hesitate. the real explanation is something much more mundane. )
Something with that name has got to be strong. And themed!
( emphasise on the themed part. if everything else in the bar is going to be decorated to the nines, then the drinks have to be too, right? it has to be something whimsical and karlach literally cannot wait until a bartner shows up with their order.
when they arrive, it's already so much better than she first expected.
two short glasses are placed in front of them, the liquid inside a bright neon green. it seems to sparkle underneath the low lights, glittery and shiny. the glasses are decorated with little skeleton hand stirrers and a small cloud of smoke above the green alcohol. )
Yes.
( karlach says immediately and with full approval in her voice. this is the kind of shit she's talking about.
before the bartender can leave to serve someone else, karlach speaks up again. she's got one more request. )
Miss, do you have jelly shots? Can you bring us some?
( it's nothing that karlach has ever tried before, but her curiosity is piqued. alcohol with unusual texture? sign her the fuck up. )
no subject
You do realize not all undead are made the same, don't you?
[ A zombie is a corpse. He's--he's different.
(He's also a corpse.)
But the drinks arrive and Astarion is immediately holding the glass up, inspecting it to see if it's up to his own exacting standards. Which, to be fair, few things are in this place, but he's enjoying some of them more than he wants to let on. ]
Well, it does look like something you might find in a mausoleum that you shouldn't imbibe.
[ Credit where credit is due.
The bartender remarks that they do absolutely have some seasonal jell-o shots. Going into a cooler of premade shooters, they plop down two small, plastic cups filled with colorful gelatin. Three layers of orange, yellow, and white with a small little candy corn on top.
"Enjoy! And be sure not to choke on the top."
Astarion puts the Corpse Reviver down in favor of inspecting the new drink. He plucks the candy corn off his own and plops it onto Karlach's. ]
Looks like it's your lucky day.
[ Solid food privilege. ]
I believe goal is to down it all in one go.
no subject
Heh! You gave it fangs.
( she remarks, both fond and amused. karlach can barely wait to drink it. lifting up the small shotglass in her hand she admires it underneath the themed lights of the bar. it doesn't look like anything she's ever had before.
she really can't wait to drink it. )
Bottoms up!
( she says before throwing back the entire drink in one shot.
and it's nothing like any drink she has had before. it tastes sweet and the consistency is strange, but the tiefling thinks that she loves it. )
Woo! What the fuck was that?
( she asks, but she couldn't sound more excited. )
No wonder you like these!
no subject
Cheers.
[ Now, he knows to squeeze it out and just gulp it down.
It's even sweeter than the first one he tried and Astarion's taste buds have shifted since his transformation. But it is pleasant and, goodness, it's a silly thing but the texture is a little fun.
He crushes the cup as he licks his lips. ]
A pleasant little thing, isn't it?
[ Introducing Karlach to something new and cool? Yes, he'll take the praise. ]
Supposedly they're exceedingly popular amongst the youth. I ran into someone drunkenly handing them out for free.
no subject
and thus it's lucky karlach didn't manage to choke on the jello that she inhaled.
her tail swings behind her, clear evidence of her joy. )
For free!
( she repeats astarion's words as she listens, incredulous.
so much about this place and people here are incredibly bizarre. handing out specialty drinks for free? what the fuck. it makes her think of the other time recently that someone was handing out 'samples' of sausages to advertise for their shop.
that's definitely not how they did it back in the gate.
it's pretty amazing. )
Is it bad I've been having a lot of fun here?
( she asks suddenly, leaning in towards astarion. )
no subject
Absolutely foolish, I know.
[ Would Astarion be handing out free drinks? Hells no. More for him if he had that much.
He goes back to the "Corpse Reviver", taking a more tentative sip. "Mixed drinks" seem to really be the go-to around during this time of year, but he isn't wholly opposed, slave to his aesthetics though he is. It's a little adventurous in ways he wouldn't have considered before. And it's not bad.
But her question catches him a little off guard at first. Astarion pauses, eyes narrowing slightly as he tries to read her expression.
She feels guilty? Ah, of course...likely because there is quite a bit to deal with back in Faerûn--The Absolute, these tadpoles, the Three, all the chaos apparently hedging together in Baldur's Gate, etc etc. Problems that affect her, yes, but also everyone else. Problems that now feel so far away.
She's a better person than he is. ]
Oh, I don't know. I like it here, myriad of recurring horrors aside.
[ He shrugs, taking another sip before waving his glass around. ]
We're not roughing it off the land anymore, there's no brain-addled army cut hunting us down, we're not being accosted by strange prophetic "Dream Visitors" anymore, and our tadpoles are miraculously still dormant out here. What's not to like?
word attack!
karlach couldn't be too sure, but she was pretty positive that astarion hasn't been having a bad time here. he might complain frequently, but there's been plenty of things that she's seen him enjoy. then, of course, there's all the reasons that astarion mentioned. there's no one on their tail, there's been no contact with the creepy dream visitor that's been haunting them, and none of the pressing concerns from back home mattered. at all.
but that's weird too.
zariel should have sent someone to come fetch her. the only reason why there isn't another bounty on her head after mizora's failed attempt to get her beheaded is because zariel has another plans for her. plans that require her to either help fix the absolute crisis or die dying. shouldn't she have sent mizora or some other ranked bitch to reclaim her?
karlach gives a quick wave of her hand. )
See, me too! Everything is weird and different, but it's fun and exciting.
( she explains as she holds the jello-shot cup in her hand, letting the plastic melt into her palm and start to sizzle into nothing. )
Really thought one of Zariel's fucking goons would pop up to try to drag me back kicking and screaming, but nobody's showed.
( there's a sense of relief to her words. it's the first time that she's said this out loud, but it's been a weight on her mind. particularly if she ended up getting whisked away in the middle of the night or something and couldn't leave a message behind. it's been one of the fears that's been banging around in her chest like a loose coin in a can. )
Pretty sure the only working part of the tadpole is whatever is keeping my engine from overheating. Money's not been too hard to come by either.
( she continues on, beginning her own list of things that she appreciates about being where she is. )
And out of everyone I could be here with, I'm with you!
( while she would have been overjoyed to have any of her companions present, she cannot help but be especially glad that it's astarion. there's plenty of reasons why, but she thinks one of the most important is because astarion knows how to survive on the street. she loves wyll and he grew up in the gate too, but he'd lived a life far more privileged than either of them.
he didn't know baldur's gate like either of them did. the grimy, dirty parts.
having astarion with her makes her feel confident. )
I'm glad it's you.
( she means every bit of that. )
word attack VOLLEYED
Namely, survival.
That he's safe. At least from the things he's used to fearing.
Of course, Panorama and the greater world comes with other dangers. He hasn't gotten so comfortable in a world that's in literal flux and can drop a diffusion zone straight from hell on their heads if it wanted—of which Karlach would be very adept at handling, though he wouldn't wish it on her. The fact that because he showed up means that Cazador can also show up to ruin everything has been a constant threat in the back of his mind as well.
But it is better. He's taking his precautions. He's had one run at this back on their world. Starting from nothing hasn't exactly been fun, but he can do it. He has to.
He takes a long drink from his Corpse Reviver as he listens. But nobody's showed. The same fears he has, knowing that you're never fully safe. And, reasonably, Zariel or any of the devils could make the choice to show up here, given that entering other realms of existence is kind of their forte. A much more active threat than Cazador, even if he won't voice it. She's his friend, yes, but he does put his own struggles first.
But that selfish thought doesn't last long. Because she says something entirely unthinkable:
"And out of everyone I could be here with, I'm with you!"
That must be a joke. Yes, they get on well enough, perhaps better than he does with some of the others in her cohort, but to be—
—to be anyone's first choice. It. Yes, he's been picked first for decidedly less clandestine purposes. That he's used to. He knows his value in the seedy alley ways and in the Szarr Palace. To be chosen first then isn't a mark of honor—it's a punishment.
But this. This isn't that. The warmth she exudes is from more than her engine. It's pure an unadulterated. It's straight-forward and honest as she is.
To be wanted for something so...simple. As companionship. When she has so many better options. With people who know how to be kinder, be better than him.
"I'm glad it's you."
Astarion swallows around the ball in his throat that's forming despite himself. He blinks away something at the corner of his eye and forces out a bubbly laugh. ]
Of course darling, I'm a delight!
[ He's hoping that covers it. He's not going to get emotional in the middle of a bar when there are plastic, glowing pumpkins hanging over his head. ]
Anyone would be lucky to have me.
[ Lies. Lies. Lies.
It sounds fake even to himself. He quickly downs the rest of his drink in a few gulps, appreciating the burn for what it is and wipes off his lips with the back of his hand. He might need another actually. ]
...
[ But as he sets the glass down, he spares her a glance that's almost uncertain. ]
...I suppose if I had to choose—...
[ He doesn't finish the thought. ]
no subject
( karlach says, offering to finish his sentence for him. she's not sure what he means to say, who he would have actually picked to show up alongside him from their merry band of weirdos. she thinks for a second that he might have been meaning to say her, but she immediately feels arrogant for having the thought.
of course not.
more importantly, there's a niggling feeling that astarion might not be taking her entirely seriously. perhaps something about the choice in locale and ever-present 'monster mash' might have something to do with that. if karlach is going to speak her feelings, she wants to make sure she's heard. )
I really mean it though, Fangs. Always know you've got my back and I hope you know I've got yours too, yeah? Whatever happens.
( he should already know that. there just isn't a substitute for actually saying it. for looking him in the eye and making it known that there is always an astarion-shaped spot for him in her life. her ma always told her that there's a power to speaking these things out loud. into existence. into reality.
and what they have is real.
picking up her own drink, she lifts up in the air as a 'cheers' gesture before downing the drink like an uncultured heathen. )
no subject
Over Gale? Obviously.
[ The usual butt of his jokes. Though, in all fairness, Astarion has grown attached to every member of their strange little group, each uniquely amusing and aggravating in their own ways. (Yes, Scratch and the Owlbear are definitely higher on the pecking order, but that seems to be par for the course for everyone.)
He feels it's obvious that he meant her, but Astarion does tend to pull back when sharing actual, genuine affection is on the table. It doesn't come easy to him. Faking it? Absolutely. Astarion can preen in the presence of false compliments and send them back just as easily, knowing that it's all superficial with a single end in sight. But how he feels about Karlach, about the others is...different. Nuanced.
Complicated.
Putting it into words makes it feel real. And if it's real, it means it's something that can break or be taken away from him. He doesn't want to risk that. It's safe if it stays in his own head. That's where he's learned to keep most things important to himself.
But Karlach gives him a softball, and under pitch. Something he can catch without needing to say it all out loud. It's gentle. It's safe. ]
As do I.
[ What's gone unsaid.
She's far too gentle with him, sometimes. This woman who hasn't let the Hells dull her shine, while Astarion instead screams out into the shadows. He raises his glass, a genuine smile pulling at his lips. So very different than the smirks he's practiced and becoming more frequent in her presence. ]
To whatever happens and whom we drag down with us, they surely deserve it.
[ He clinks his glass with hers and drinks his decidedly less barbarically. ]
If you throw up after all of this, though, I'm not cleaning up after you.