flameguard | mygod | pc catchall

[ oh yeah definitely having a good weekend!!!! no horrors here!!!

no there are so many horrors. astarion can find rondo on the island, sitting down on the beach and looking out into the water. when he's approached, he looks up, though, and he has a tired smile. ]

Mr. Astarion... good evening.

[ we believe in him surviving the horrors. ]

Good evening. You look terrible.

[ astarion. ]

[ help me this makes him laugh, just tiny, helpless ]

... is it that bad...?

Potentially. But I suppose it's understandable.

[ he's had a Weekend. ]

[ yeah. yeah... ]

Haha. It's... been a really long week. It's been a really long two weeks, really.

That's an understatement. Things certainly got more chaotic between last week and this week.

Yes, it's... hard to believe, almost, that it escalated so quickly.

[ five people....*

*four people one pickles ]

I'm surprised it was all monsters, personally.

[ our DOG.

JAAAANNNN. ]

[ :january: :man_golfing:

there's a tiny laugh. ]

...honestly, I was too. I'm... it's awful to say so, but I'm a little glad.

[ ... ]

Easier for you to handle if it's a possession versus a conscious choice?

[ he's quiet, for a moment. ]

...What happened to people here is... something that happens in Orsterra, but it's a little different.

The duty of the Flameguard is to protect the continent from evils, but it is also to retrieve eight artifacts that were brought down to the continent by the gods. The artifacts contain a great and terrible power, and... at least when I have retrieved one, its bearer asked the ring for more power, upon their first defeat. And when they did, it changed them into a monster not unlike what we see here.

Those who possess those artifacts chose to be twisted by them, and chose to harm people - often many, many people, in order to achieve their goals. The room in the swamp reminds me a bit of that.

So... yes. I would never want anyone to be possessed, but... to know that someone like Ms. Erin was not choosing to harm anyone matters. She still did, and must face the consequences. But... I think our agency and our choices matter.

[ a beat. ]

...sorry. I didn't mean to prattle...

[ it's fine, he has exposure to dealing with the yap. ]

I don't see a lot of agency or choices here other than "do try not to die". It's not as though she had much option while in that temple. If she'd survived, she'd have been killed the second she stepped outside.

I don't, either.

[ he's not trying to paint a super rosy picture, but it does come off that way... protag disease. ]

But... I think there's something to be said for the fact that she put herself in a position to die, instead of forcing Miss Asa to overtake her in that form, when... it shouldn't have had to be Miss Asa in there with her, at all. None of it should happen, but... I think we have to grab what we can.

... if it helps you sleep at night.

[ he runs a hand through his curls, shaking them out a little agitatedly. ] I'm not sure it does any good to say "oh, it shouldn't have been this person". You're not wrong? But frankly I don't think this place cares.

I don't know if anything here would, but... it's not so much about me, I guess.

[ more about erin - though... she can't really make any of those choices or decisions, now. either way. it's how he would want to go out in that situation. of his own volition. ]

And... I agree. I'm sure it doesn't. [ care. ] These kinds of things never really do. Plus... it doesn't change anything, to be wistful, or talk over regrets, or woulds or shoulds. I could have - I should have struck Miss Erin with more force, last night, but I didn't. And now we have what we have.

[ maybe a little more realistic than you might expect, that rondo of the knights ardante. he's more subdued as a whole, here, more thoughtful. ]

I just don't want to lose sight of the light. Small as it might be.

You're aware if you had, and Vin hadn't spoken up about Nona, we'd be in a worse position, right?

[ just a... simple question. to make a simple point. ]

Oh, she probably would've spoken up about her if there were no other choice. But we were cutting it close.

... I think a few people were aware of Miss Nona.

[ but, he nods... looking a little more crestfallen than before. ]

I know, Mr. Astarion. I promise, I know.

Good. We’d have been a bit fucked without an alternative option.

[ ….

he still can’t wrap his head around this kind of sorrow and self-blame. stopping these rituals seems impossible at the moment, so the heroics and determination to do something about it….

it feels off. ]

Famine mentioned we always need someone to vote for at the end. Something to consider if this trend of many bodies continues.

[ SOMETIMES YOU JUST WANT TO HELP PEOPLE ASTARION JEEZ ]

...I know. [ again. he seems a little bit scolded. ]

[ that sounds exhausting.

also i had to reread that tag twice because my eyes were glued shut when i was typing it last night send help. why do we need sleep. ]

…

[ ugggh. ] Stop that.

mygod | pc catchall | astarion

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