The Absolute is gone. Despite his best laid plans to dominate the elder brain, that pesky netherese magic it had been marinating in put a rather unwelcome spanner in the works. As much as Astarion wanted to become the absolute, the only way to do that would be for him or someone else in their party to become ilithid. He wasn’t about to transform into another kind of monster against his will, nor was he going to allow Tab to do so. The suggestion came up, of course, rather than allowing the Emperor to take the stones and the lead against the damn brain. It didn’t bear thinking about. Tav as a squid? Goodness, no. Tav was too vital a component in his plans to allow that to happen. He took her hand, chuckled at their companions, and took her off to one side to make it very clear he wouldn’t allow her to ‘evolve’ into to a squid. He saw relief spread across her face. She had been considering it, and no one else had put their foot down. She thought Astarion was asking her not to do it. Little did she know, he was making it clear he wouldn’t allow her to do it. Blow up Gale. Turn the hellish time bomb into a squid, since she would probably melt down any day now regardless of the final battle. Hell, why not make Wyll be useful for once and turn him into an ilithid? Not Tav, though. Not Astarion’s precious pet. 

The vampire ascendant didn’t care for any of the others making a big sacrifice for the greater good. Just not Tav. Astarion’s plans needed her to be adorable and useful, not slimy and sporting tentacles. 

Thankfully, they were able to trust the Emperor. Or, as much as one can trust a mindflayer. Self-preservation and mutually assured destruction did wonders for collaboration, after all.

 In the final moment, the Emperor turned to Tav for her final decision. Astarion tried urging her to dominate the brain, but with tears streaking down her face, she shook her head and told the Emperor to destroy it. First the tadpoles, then the netherbrain itself. 

Well.

Astarion was vexed. He thought Tav was on the same page with him when it came to their plans for the brain. What a waste. All those powerful little minions ‘they’ could have controlled. Gone with a flick of the ilithid’s wrist. Once the dying worm in his head finished dying in agony, Astarion rounded on the druid with his fangs bared. His pet had misbehaved and needed to come to heel. 

Only…she was in pain, exhausted, and sobbing so badly that her body shook. Before he knew it, Astarion was pouting, not scowling, and trying to reassess the situation so his dear druid didn’t scamper off once the dust had settled. 

“I’m sorry. I just couldn’t keep all those people enslaved. Be angry with me if you have to, b-but I had to make the right call on this one. I had to.” 

The brain plummeting into the icy waters below cut off any witty or savage retort his mind supplied. They didn’t even have time to celebrate their victory, as gravity proved to be a cruel mistress. 

When Astarion’s body hit the water, he would have been winded by the impact, if he hadn’t turned into mist at the last moment. Of course, such a thing couldn’t harm the vampire ascendant, but his mortal pet? That was another matter. Yellow torrents of mist slithered across the chaotic ripples of the docks until he spotted Tav. She was too busy trying to rescue Shadowheart to notice another wave about to submerge them both. It dragged both women under the surface, and Shadowheart was lucky Tav had such a tight hold of her. Otherwise, she would have drowned, as Astarion only dove in after Tav. He would have left the whiny cleric to drown, honestly. He shifted into his natural form and pierced the water like a spear. His arm came around Tav’s underarms, and he swam with his superior strength all the way to the docks. Not requiring to breathe helped matters. He grumbled at how the dead weight of the cleric slowed down his endeavour to secure his prize pet, but of course he succeeded regardless. Everyone, aside from Astarion, of course, spluttered like fish out of water. While they composed themselves, Astarion retrieved Tav and carried her off. Literally. 

“Wait, Astarion, I need to make sure everyone is okay.” Tav tried to wriggle for freedom. Had she been a big strong Paladin or barbarian, she would have had the strength left to do so. Being a druid and having given that final battle and scramble in the Chiontar her best effort, she had enough strength left to do no more than grumble and wriggle at him. 

“No, darling, that is not what you need.” He shook his head and chuckled. “What you need, my dear, is a hot bath to wash off the smell of the sewage and the Mindflayer deluge-contaminated water I just dragged you from. Then some warm, dry clothes, a roaring fire, wine, and once you are comfortable?” He chuckled and slipped into a side alley. “We will discuss what the fuck just happened, and how we will proceed accordingly.” 

“Astarion, I won’t argue with you about my decision.” She huffed, too weak to put up a fight from her position slung over his shoulder. 

“Oh no, you misunderstand. There will be no arguing.” He chortled and surrounded them in dark bats and mist. A moment, and they were within the fortress of Szar Palace. “I will make my displeasure known and tell you the new plan I’ve already formulated.”

“Your new plan? Plan for what?”

“Why, my plan for our bloody and wonderful future, of course.” Astarion cackled, and Tav had so little energy left in her to do anything more than surrender to the vampire’s will. For now, anyway. After everything she’d been through, having a nice warm bath and getting some much-deserved rest sounded wonderful. Perhaps she would manage to fall asleep, or into a trance, before he had the chance to ‘make his displeasure known.’ Tav was also very curious about what his plans for her were now that he got what he wanted, for the most part. Astarion was an ascendant vampire, and the risk of turning into a mindflayer was gone. As was the risk of ceremorphesis for everyone that was infected. Life could finally get back to normal, right? 

That night Astarion pouted and grumbled about a waste of power ‘they’ could have put to good use, but that was it for the most part. Then he became far more dramatic as he spoke of all the repairs he was going to fund. All including secret passageways he would make use of, of course. All the high-society charity events he would host. He would resume his duties as a magistrate and position himself in the upper council. Then? He would seat himself as ‘Arch duke’. All things in good time, of course. He had all the time in the world to carry out his plans for world domination, after all.

As far as Tav could tell, when she listened to him dictate his plans to her, she didn’t hear what her role was supposed to be. He spoke of ‘we’ and ‘us’ a lot, like she was present, but he still kept close to his chest what purpose he had for her. Perhaps she didn’t have one, and once he was bored or found her to no longer be of use, he would turn her out of his palace. After all…it wouldn’t be the first time Astarion used her to achieve his goals and then set her aside. I expect nothing less, these days. Tav smiled, curled up as a wolf and enjoyed the ‘absent’ way Astarion stroked her back. Washed, warm, fed, and pampered, Tav was drifting nicely to sleep. I will enjoy his company and shelter while it lasts, and then once he’s had enough of me again, I will go back to my circle. 

Sure, Astarion had grand plans, but so did the druid. Albeit more humble and familiar than the design Astarion painted for her. Tav kept them to herself, but her plans revolved around using the time she had left with Astarion to get closure from him. To prepare to move on, at last. In the time leading up to the final battle, Tav had thought a lot about what might come next for her. No future she saw for herself that had any shred of happiness or self-respect included her staying with Astarion. Not long-term. She had to leave, or her heart would shatter even more. We can be friends. I’ve tried being his friend, and it’s painful to keep up the pretence. Astarion finds it so easy to pretend, but I don’t. Saying that, I want to leave as his friend. I just can’t stay as his pet. I want…to be loved. I deserve it, I hope. Astarion can’t love me, so I need to leave to find someone, someday who will. I will never be happy here as his pet. 

Astarion’s hand stilled on her reddish pelt, but Tav was already half asleep. She had no idea he was detecting her thoughts. She also had no idea the impact her thoughts were having on him. The way his knuckles stretched tightly as he clenched his fists. The silent way he peeled his lips back over his fangs. How his eyes glowed red and his glare aimed at the back of her furry head. One day…I might meet someone who will see me as more than a pet, a pawn, or a useful friend. I want to be truly loved. I want to be seen as an equal. I want to be enough, just the way I am. 

She fell asleep and Astarion moved his hand from her fur and silently screamed to one side. He wanted to snarl and shake the bitch awake. So? She’s planning on leaving him, is she? After everything he has given her. Everything he has promised to share with her. Clearly, what I wish to share with Tav isn’t enough for her. She would rather go back to the dirt and roll around with another simple-minded druid bumpkin! 

Astarion barely contained his rage enough to nimbly extract himself from the rug he placed down for her to sleep before the fire. He softly walked out of the office and shut the door behind him. “Astarion can’t love me.” He whispered bitterly to the empty corridor as he stalked towards the master bedroom. “I need to leave. I will never be happy here as his pet.” He lowered to sit at his writing desk and glowered at the blank pages there. His nostrils flared as he painted with rage. “Why the fuck not?” Swathes of men and women already wish to serve him, as they did Cazador. Many more will become his charmed thralls before the city becomes his. 

But Tav won’t be happy as his pet? I already take better care of her than anyone else. She will be pampered and praised more than mortal kings and queens. No, more than some gods! He threw his arms across the writing desk and sent the papers fluttering to the floor. She thinks she will get closure from me and settle back into mediocrity with a basic bush humper? No, no no no, my little treasure. Astarion sat back and ran a hand through his moon-kissed hair. His moment of desperate anger fizzled down beneath his arrogant smirk. Of course, an amendment to his plan came to mind that would fix everything. No, my sweet. I have no intention of losing anything of mine, ever again. And you, my darling, are mine. Astarion chuckled in his throat and plucked up a quill from the ink well to make notes on the nearest sheet of paper he could find. He chortled to himself as he worked out exactly how he would use this plan of hers to ‘get closure and prepare to move on’, to further his plans instead. None of which resulted in Tav leaving. Not ever.