boxofmisfits | It's Not a Software Glitch

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It's Not a Software Glitch

Sometimes the crew of the Chimaera figured that high command sent them on missions to the Unknown Region just so they didn't have to acknowledge the alien Grand Admiral for a while. Thrawn just took such assignments in stride. Scouts had reported the discovery of a backwater planet near the Unknown Region, and their reports sounded rather strange. A world host to many different native sapient races, able to do strange things that science couldn't explain, which hadn't become space-faring or even technologically caught up to most of the galaxy.

Thrawn was to send a camera crew down to film the planet, both as intel and as potential propaganda material. 'See what these people are going through and how nice would it be if the Empire helped them?' and all that. Thus the Chimaera had taken residence over a large city, later identified as Baldur's Gate, much to the citizens' horror and awe. Apparently their world was no stranger to invaders from another realm.

It was during one of these filming sessions that the crew ran into a rather odd glitch. They filmed a small group of seven people, but only six were showing up on the camera. They could see the man with their own eyes, he was right there, and yet no matter what, he just wasn't showing up on camera. Immediately the group had gone to the tavern where they were staying and reported this to Thrawn. The only explanation was that it was a software glitch, unlike anything they'd seen before. That explanation didn't satisfy Thrawn.

Curiosity immediately piqued, Thrawn asked for a description of the man and the location of where they'd captured the footage, and off he went. He had a pair of Death Troopers, in civilian clothes, nearby just in case, and Thrawn himself wore a hood and sunglasses, which did little to hide his alien features.

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Almost all, Thrawn wanted to say. He considered himself above such things as revenge. As a senior officer, he had to be above such things, but Thrawn also just didn't have it in him to hate anyone that much. The grysks being an exception.

A smirk crossed Thrawn's face. He suspected that things were probably going to go in this direction. Did he dare push things, or take Astarion up on his flirtations? The wise thing to do would be to gently turn him down. But Thrawn was admittedly curious.

"Then how would you like to proceed?"

"I'm sure we can get a room upstairs, should you be so inclined."

It really was the stoic ones one had to watch out for. Astarion had assumed that Thrawn would let him flirt, and Astarion would have tried to use that to build up some relationship- something he could take advantage of eventually. But to have him willing to indulge in what Astarion assumed was curiosity?

That was a surprise.

He wasn't sure if he thought it was a pleasant one just yet.

"Or are you going to be the one who teases and then refuses to follow through?"

"Oh, I would be so inclined. My bodyguards can be put somewhere out of earshot even." Thrawn promised.

Perhaps he should have just let Astarion play the long game, but Thrawn wasn't sure how much longer they were going to be on Faerûn. Besides, Thrawn and Astarion both knew where this was going to lead, so he could just let Astarion quickly seduce him. It had been a while since Thrawn had engaged in carnal pleasures, so he could let himself indulge if Astarion was so willing.

"I don't mind if they listen in. Or are in the room with us, even. Absolutely nothing happens in this tavern that can't be heard by half the building anyway."

He was fairly certain the pair had heard their entire conversation. Even if Thrawn sent them away for a while, they'd know exactly what their boss had been up to when they got back. He drained his glass of wine- happy to not have to force down the rest of his meal- and stood up, extending a hand to Thrawn so they could relocate to somewhere more suitable.

"Come on, then. I'll make sure we get the room with the most comfortable bed."

One of the private ones given that even if the rest of his usual group were out and about, he wasn't about to go have sex where any one of them could walk in at any given moment. Astarion wouldn't really mind considering he was still plotting but he was sure his companions and Thrawn himself would be of a different opinion on that particular subject.

"Well then, if you aren't shy..." Death Troopers didn't gossip, so nothing that happened between him and Astarion would reach outside ears.

He stood and took Astarion's hand. "I trust your judgement."

He was really doing this. He was about to have sex with an alien, with a mysterious past and motives, and both of them were looking to gain something out of it other than just pleasure. It wasn't how Thrawn usually did things, but Astarion was eager and willing, and Thrawn figured it would do him well to have a little coitus, rather than use his own hand for once.

"If I strike you as the shy type, I may need to change up my game."

Though he hid it well, Astarion was a little nervous of course. He was looking to gain something, but sometimes he still wondered whether he did this for himself or of he was doing it because it was what he'd done for Cazador. He was quick to push those thoughts out of his head though, leading Thrawn out of the room by the hand and tossing a small pouch of gold to the man behind the bar as they passed- pausing only long enough to catch the key he was tossed in return.

Everyone really did hear everything here. And Astarion was somewhat of a regular.

As he led the other man up the stairs, he spoke up, "You should probably decide whether or not you want your bodyguards in the room or outside it now. I don't think there will be time for idle chatter soon enough."

Astarion must have come here often, with the way he barely even paused to pay for the room and take the key. That could mean all sorts of things. Perhaps his adventuring party came here often after a successful adventure, or Astarion often took people to bed here. Or both.

He turned to the Death Troopers. "Wait outside the room for now. Do not interrupt me unless it is an emergency." Pik and Waffle gave affirmatives and took their places outside of the door. Their faces remained stony, only focused on protecting their Primary.

Once inside the room, Thrawn finally took off his cloak and hung it from a hook on the wall, revealing his white Grand Admiral uniform and shiny black boots.

Almost frightening how on the job they were. But then, perhaps that was typical of bodyguards where Thrawn was from. In Faerûn, there was usually more emotion even between employer and employee. He couldn't imagine Karlach being like that back when she still protected Gortash for example.

It didn't hold his attention for too long though, locking the door behind him and Thrawn once they were inside and setting the key down on the table right next to it where it was in plain view- an easy out, should Thrawn reconsider.

As soon as Thrawn had shed his cloak, Astarion was on him though, one arm slipping around his waist to pull him close as he claimed his mouth with his, the other moving up so he could bury long fingers into dark hair to keep him in place.

Astarion was stronger than he looked, if the grip on him was any indication. Thrawn kissed him back, wrapping one arm around Astarion's waist while the other held his back, pressing the elf against him. Astarion's lips were cool against his own, which was familiar at least.

Tilting his head, Thrawn brushed his tongue against Astarion's lips, requesting access.

Astarion arched his back slightly to press against him as Thrawn pulled him closer, and he opened his mouth against the kiss, tongue sliding against Thrawn's- though he was careful about his teeth so as to not accidentally nick the other man with his fangs. He let the kiss linger a while, before pulling back and moving his hands to Thrawn's chest- gently nudging him toward the bed, and once he was satisfied with the position- shoved the other man back and onto the bed- giving him little time to react.

He was quick to follow- moving on top of him and using his knee to push Thrawn's legs apart while his hands rested at each side of his head, almost caging him in- leaning down to steal another kiss before his lips found their way to trail down his jawline and neck, pausing briefly where he could feel his pulse just beneath his skin.

Had things been different he might have gone for the bite. As it was, he kept his teeth away- instead moving so that he was bracing himself on one hand while the other went to the top of Thrawn's uniform to try and tug it open.

If Thrawn were a more cheeky individual, he might have made some quip about Astarion being the first person to kiss and sleep with someone from another part of the galaxy. It was something of a milestone for both of them, even if it was something that wouldn't make the history texts.

For the moment, Thrawn let himself be pushed back onto the bed, tilting his head as Astarion kissed his neck, taking note of the way he focused on his pulse point. For now, he let Astarion think that he was in charge, to get him to let his guard down.

He waited until Astarion had the sealing strip on his tunic undone, before he gripped the elf by the waist and flipped them over, so he was now on top. He gazed down at Astarion, eyes glittering smuggly, before leaning in to nibble where his jaw met his neck, just above the collar of his outfit, all while his hand went to the clasps.

Astarion relaxed as Thrawn's hands came to grip his waist- assuming that he intended to pull him closer. To find himself suddenly flipped over onto his back was unexpected though he took it with grace- no yelp or flailing, instead smirking as Thrawn looked down at him with that smug look on his face. Taking it in stride.

A hand moved to Thrawn's hair again, and he buried those slender fingers in those dark strands, head tilting back as Thrawn's mouth pressed to his neck- a soft hiss escaping him at the feel of teeth against his skin.

His free hand found its way to Thrawn's hip- fingers gripping firmly as he took the opportunity to do as he had thought Thrawn intended to- pulling him down against him as he bucked his hips up. He hadn't expected to be with a partner who preferred taking control- but that didn't mean he would be passively submitting to him either.

Thrawn ground his hips against Astarion, his cock already starting to get hard, straining against his crisp white pants. Assuming that he liked the attention to his neck, Thrawn pulled back slightly and undid the other man's shirt collar, pulling it down to expose more of his skin.

Observant eyes noticed the twin puncture scars on Astarion's neck. They were uniform, and evenly spaced apart. Some kind of twin-pronged weapon, perhaps? Or perhaps an orc or tiefling had bit him, since they had sharp canines.

Deciding to ask about them later, Thrawn leaned back in to lick the other side of Astarion's neck.

Given how quickly Thrawn's body was responding to stimulation, Astarion wondered how long it had been since he indulged in the touch of another. Not that he was unaffected himself- heat pooling in his belly, his own cock starting to harden though not yet straining against his underwear- that was likely to change soon enough though as he moved his hand to the other man's ass and pulled him down against him firmly at the same time as he pressed up. Guiding the buck of Thrawn's hips into a slow rhythm.

Keeping that hand where it was, the one in his hair moved- seeing no need to keep Thrawn's head where it was when the man seemed content to go for his neck, making Astarion's breath hitch- moving it instead to tug at his tunic.

Thrawn seemed to be a strong enough man- Astarion trusted him to be able to keep himself braced with one arm so that he could shimmy the tunic off with just a minor shift in position. One that wouldn't necessitate parting from each other.

Thrawn found himself glad that these tunics opened from the front, and therefor he could keep grinding and kissing his partner as Astarion disrobed him. Normally Thrawn wore an undershirt with his uniform, but today he'd gone without, since he'd be wearing a cloak and he didn't want to wear too many layers. He braced himself with one arm as the tunic slipped off him, baring his chest.

He took his head away from Astarion's neck to tend to the rest of his own clothes, seeking out buttons to undo, wanting to touch his skin.

"Aren't you eager?" Astarion teased, a slight twitch of his brow indicating that he wasn't all too pleased with Thrawn pulling away from his neck so soon, though he didn't comment given that he was certain the man intended to get back to it soon enough.

He wrapped his legs around him then- so he could free up both hands while still keeping Thrawn against him- and moved his hands to help him with the clasps and buttons of his outfit. Given how quickly and easily he did it, it was easy enough to assume that he was fairly used to undressing himself even when entangled with a partner- though that was nothing to ponder now.

He was perhaps a bit slimmer beneath than one might expect- a frame that suited the rogue that he was- but that skin was pale and cool to the touch. It did seem like he took as much case to keep his body without scars as he did taking care of his hands as his skin was soft and without any blemishes- though of course unbeknownst to Thrawn, that was only true when one looked at him from the front.

"Not that I mind. It's rather endearing."

"Perhaps I have deprived myself of such things for far too long." Thrawn was a career man, and always put his duties before his personal wants. He had no time for relationships or finding pleasure with another. If he ever got the urge and needed gratification, he just used his hands.

Thrawn admired Astarion's body, running his hands along his chest, the skin just as cool as the rest of him. Thrawn himself had some scars on his chest, from blaster fire. It would have been much worse were it not for his CEDF uniform protecting him.

As he lowered his head to press kisses to Astarion's chest, making his way back up to his neck, his hand went to the other man's groin, searching for a zipper or button to undo his fly and get them off.

"Truly? That's not healthy, you know."

The eagerness was adorable- but Astarion couldn't understand the thought behind depriving oneself of pleasure. Or power. Or anything. Thrawn seemed a powerful man, so it was odd that he didn't have people lining up to sleep with him on a nightly basis. Sure there was no emotion in it, but pure carnal lust only needed to be pure carnal lust.

The elf sighed softly at those cool hands running over his chest, arching up into his touch slightly, and as Thrawn followed it up by trailing his lips up along his chest and to his neck, he pondered how many people would fall for him had it been them in bed with the alien rather than him. After all, the way he moved was almost reverent.

He slipped a hand down between them- assisting him in undoing the buttons on his trousers and lifting his hips up slightly so that they could easily be pulled off of him.

"I'm sure there are those who would give you pleasure as freely as I wish to if you care to look for them."

Of course this wasn't free and they both knew it. But why ruin the moment with the knowledge that they were both looking to get something out of this besides shared ecstasy.

"I usually have other things on my mind," Thrawn replied. Battle plans, plans for the Empire, the Ascendancy, trying to distract himself from homesickness, for example. Of course, even some of the other Grand Admirals probably made time for things like romance or sex.

"However, I find you worth indulging in." Astarion had offered, and Thrawn was willing. Letting himself be seduced wasn't a tactic he ever used, but it could come in handy for this particular situation. And if he could have a little fun, that was a nice bonus.

With Astarion's pants loosened, Thrawn began to slide them off the pale elf, along with his undergarments, encouraging him to lift his ass up just long enough to assist Thrawn.

"Lucky me."

That definitely wasn't the whole truth. Astarion thought Thrawn was probably more of a curious man than one who simply found him worth indulging in for his appearance. Astarion knew he was beautiful- but Baldur's Gate had plenty of other beautiful elven men that would have given Thrawn their attention had he approached them.

He kept his hips lifted long enough for Thrawn to tug his pants and underwear down, sighing at the feeling of his cock springing free from the fabric. He was still only half hard, but it still felt nice. Figuring that he should return the favor, he reached for Thrawn's pants- eyes focused on Thrawn's face even as he fumbled to get his pants open. He was good with his hands after all- didn't even really need to look even if Thrawn's clothing was a bit different from what he was familiar with.

He leaned up to claim the other man's mouth with his own again as he slipped his hands into his pants- those long slender fingers skillfully stroking him through his underwear. His eyebrows did raise a tad even as he kissed the other man- feeling ridges along the underside of his cock which was different. Nothing he couldn't handle though, already moving his fingers differently- toying with him through the fabric to see whether or not he liked a lot of attention paid to them or not.

His free hand came to rest at his hip for now- fingers gently digging into blue skin. A gentle, yet insistent hold to keep him from bucking into his hand. Thrawn seemed the dominant sort- but Astarion would hardly act the blushing virgin in need of guidance.

Thrawn kissed back, allowing Astarion to undress him, sighing into his mouth as he felt hands on his legs, Astarion's pale skin touching his blue flesh. Even though Astarion hadn't removed Thrawn's underwear, Thrawn was patient and could wait. If Astarion wanted to tease, he could tease away, for it would make the intercourse all the sweeter.

He moaned into Astarion's mouth as he touched him through the fabric of his underwear, his hips trembling, wanting to lean into the touch, only prevented by his lover's grip. Arousal pooled inside him at the curious touch, wanting to feel those fingers some more.

As they kissed, Thrawn decided to return the favor, his hand going between them to take Astarion's cock in hand. Long fingers wrapped around the shaft, while his thumb toyed with the head.

Edited 2023-10-19 07:54 (UTC)

Thrawn had seemed like such a stoic man when they'd met and for most of their conversation. In bed though, it seemed he was more inclined to make noise- Astarion himself was quieter- shuddering when Thrawn's fingers wrapped around him, with a sharp intake of breath through his nose but no noise aside from that and his back arching ever so slightly.

He was content to keep kissing him though- tongue slipping into his mouth when the other man moaned.

The fingers at Thrawn's him kneaded into his flesh before releasing him, hand slipping down further to grab at his ass, his thigh. Letting Thrawn tilt forward into the hand stroking him through his underwear should he desire to. His fingers were tracing over the ridges he could feel- curious, yet skillful. Moving in whatever way got the best reaction from him.

Thrawn's cock felt full and heavy and like it was straining against the fabric of his underwear- had Astarion's mouth not been otherwise occupied, he might have commended the man on his patience.

While Thrawn had taken few sexual partners in his life, he still remembered enough that he was confident that he could please Astarion. The elf, on the other hand, knew what he was doing all too well. In his two-hundred years of life, he'd had time to become very experienced indeed, and Thrawn was likely just the most recent link in a long line of lovers. Thrawn wasn't entirely surprised, given how charming Astarion was.

Thrawn leaned into the touch, now that Astarion was letting him do so. Thrawn rather liked that Astarion was giving as good at he got, and wasn't just laying back and submitting.

Still, if Astarion could tease, so could Thrawn. He released the other man's cock, fingers instead trailing to his inner thigh, rubbing small circles, tortuously close to his scrotum.

Edited 2023-10-20 22:11 (UTC)

Thrawn was so quick in leaning into his touch- Astarion would have taken his time with it, had their roles been reversed. But then, it seemed rather like Thrawn was touch-starved. Like he hadn't felt the touch of another man in years. It did leave Astarion wondering just why he had decided to give in to his seduction so easily, but well.

He was beautiful. Maybe Thrawn had just wanted to experience that for himself, just as much as the two of them wanted to use each other. Learn about each other.

Sighing against Thrawn's lips, he couldn't help but smile slightly into the kiss as he felt fingers trail along his inner thigh, shifting a little beneath him. The hand at Thrawn's cock became more confident- fingers and palm rubbing up and down along his length, trailing along the ridges there. Slipping lower to cup and massage his balls before moving back up. His rhythm was slow and firm- though not aimed to push Thrawn over any edge besides perhaps the edge of his patience. Not yet.

His other hand was still grabbing at his ass, his thigh, his side- feeling the muscle beneath his slender fingers. Thrawn's body was quite impressive for someone who obviously wasn't supposed to be in the middle of any fighting.

Astarion pulled back from the kiss then, mouth finding its way to Thrawn's neck- nipping at his skin, leaving marks in its wake. He was mindful of his teeth though, so as to not draw any blood.

It had been so long, perhaps Thrawn had made himself forget just how good it could feel to engage in his lusts with another man. Had he been like this with previous lovers? Or had he gotten more quiet and reserved in bed as he and his previous boyfriends engaged in sex more often? Would he be more quite and stoic if he and Astarion had sex again?

Perhaps he was more touch-starved than he liked to admit. Or perhaps he was tired of being lonely. And he had been lonely, no matter how much he tried to tell himself that he wasn't.

He moaned softly as Astarion toyed with his balls, making him even more aroused. As his lover went for his neck, Thrawn gasped softly.

"I don't suppose you have any lubrication on hand?"

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