Dance Amongst The Roses | Astarion x OC | Gale x OC

Chapter 1: A New Reality

Everything was a blur, a strange and surreal cascade of events. Christinus had just delved deeper into the abyss than he had in his 129 years of life. Sensory overload assaulted him, with visions of his journey flashing before his eyes—encounters with a mindflayer, a parasitic infestation, a tumultuous crash landing. Now, in this disconcerting silence, he could finally process his new reality. Abducted by a mindflayer vessel, infected with an illithid parasite, and violently expelled during the ship's descent, he should have, by all rights, been dead. Yet, against the odds, he stood on an unknown shore, the remnants of the vessel looming beside him.

Attempting to regain composure, he stood, only to be met with a searing pain radiating from his temple. An aura of purple enveloped his head, and an unfamiliar squirming sensation crawled past his eye sockets.

"Gods, that's an awful feeling."

A voice? Someone else was present? He opened his eyes to the source of the voice, the face before him a blur. With some effort, he discerned a few distinctive features—a half-elf. Clad in minimal armor that left much exposed, her pink irises formed the shapes of hearts, a peculiar quirk.

"Hello! Ahh... I was on the ship with you. I have one of those... things in my head too." She extended her hand. "I'm Lilith."

Christinus stared down at her gesture, processing the interaction. She had just shared the same feeling of pain that he experienced. How strange. He took her hand in his, shaking it gently.

 "Christinus, a pleasure."

"That's a nice name." She smiled, sliding her hand back to meet the other behind her back. Nervously, she scanned their surroundings, unable to find words to ease the tension.

"If you'll excuse me a moment..." Christinus spoke first, stepping toward the sea to peer at his reflection. He didn't look any different, with the same silver-blue eyes and long white hair. Yet, he felt different, and the parasite had to be the source.

Lilith observed her newfound companion from a distance, captivated by his striking presence. He stood as one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes upon—his demeanor exuded elegance, a princely charm. His eyes gleamed with an otherworldly allure, and his voice carried a silky cadence. In any ordinary circumstance, Lilith would have been swift to pursue such captivating allure.

"I have no idea what's happened to us," she began, her eyes fixed on him, "but I think we should keep moving. There's bound to be answers, maybe others lying about. What do you think?"

His trance was broken by her words. "Yes," he responded, his voice carrying a sense of agreement. Dwelling held little gain; a solution needed to be sought. With a polite smile, he took a step towards the path leading inland, and she followed suit.

A few paces ahead, they stumbled upon another victim—a half-elf in cleric armor lay incapacitated on the ground with a mysterious device at her side. Christinus, fixated on the artifact, approached first. Lilith, trailing behind, quickly knelt to check for signs of life. A gentle touch was enough to awaken the fallen cleric. Her eyes shot open, and she hastily hid the device, startled.

"You're alive... I'm alive. How is this possible?" she stammered.

Christinus and Lilith exchanged glances before she replied, "I was hoping you would know the answer to that."

"I remember the ship. I remember falling... then nothing," the cleric began to recall her fragmented memories.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Christinus inquired. The cleric, Shadowheart, shifted her gaze to the unfamiliar elf.

"No... I don't recognize this place. But anything is an improvement on where we just came from. We need to focus now on finding supplies, shelter, and most of all, a healer while we still have these little monsters in our heads."