Your Power Is My Power

Your power is my power

One of my favorite parts about the ritual scene is when it cuts to Tav while they're mentally linked to Astarion and staring at his scars. It's a split second moment, but it's an important one imo.

The level of concentration, the heavy breathing, the focus and hard stare, the fixation to make sure he gets a good view, the level of commitment. At least for my Tav, this is the look of someone doing all she can to help the man she loves achieve his goal, at all and any cost. She's not sure what's going to happen to him, to her, to their relationship. She isn't sure what the ritual will be like. But one thing's for sure in her mind, Astarion is going to get what he wants... simply because he wants it and she wants it for him.

The trust and confidence in him and their connection here is just 👌🏽😩

That satisfied and content look on his face the moment their minds connect always gets me. I like to hc that this is the moment he knows that this level of connection is what he wants always with his Love (which, for my roleplay, ties in nicely with the bride theory and the two way mental/emotional/psychological connection between Lord and Consort). This is the first time they have had this sort of connection through the tadpole. They've connected before of course, but that was memories (the first meeting on the beach) and emotions (if Tav choses the tadpole option to show him they care about him, which my Tav does in her canon). This is an entirely different level of connection, where their full minds are joined as one and one is seeing through the other's eyes completely. I bet this also came with feeling what they felt. So he can probably feel Tav's anxiety, curiosity, perhaps fear, and anticipation. For Efenity this would also include feelings of her excitement and love and adoration.

In fact, the first time I ascended him last September, this was the moment they felt truly ride or die for me.

Dancing under the stars, forever.

Art by Vilya on twitter

I am taking this time to thank everyone who's read Whither and Remember. The second fic is about to finish in approximately 3 weeks. After a two week hiatus, @editing-by-night and I will be back with the third and final installment to Ban and Astarion's story, titled For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.

For everyone who's been there every step of the way these past eight months, thank you. For being there as I explored uncharted waters and delved into the deep, for the emotional support, for your time, whether you read, messaged me - anything. Thank you.

Perhaps one day I shall write down a blog post explaining how the series came to be, and how the story handles AA and everything that he comes with. But for now, this should suffice.

Thank you, again.

XIX - THE SUN