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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"Yeah... yeah, I suppose I might." Taking out a smaller datapad, Eli sent off a quick message to Thrawn: Tell me everything I need to know about Astarion. "Like I said, Thrawn isn't always the best at giving out all the facts."

Why Thrawn was so secretive about Astarion, he didn't know. Perhaps Astarion had asked him to not say anything. Or Thrawn was playing one of his games. The man was lucky that Eli liked him.

Thrawn had been looking at some rather dark artwork since they'd first left Faerûn, but Eli hadn't connected any dots. Thrawn knew what he'd been looking for and that was good enough for him at the time. But now he was starting to think he should have thought about it more.

His datapad chimed and Eli opened a text file that Thrawn had sent him, along with a message: I wondered when you were going to ask me about this. I apologize for keeping secrets from you. I wanted you to meet him without any preconceived opinions.

Dark eyes scanned the text file, his face scrunching up in confusion, before his eyes widened. So 'vampire' wasn't just the name of a bat species, like he'd assumed.

"You can't go out in daylight, can't enter homes without an invitation," He sounded intrigued, rather than scared. "You can only get sustenance from blood?" Still he didn't sound scared. Plenty of aliens had diets that sounded weird to him.

Thrawn had also included a book file, which he opened and skimmed. "I'm guessing vampires aren't very popular in Faerûn?"

Perhaps Thrawn was the type who liked playing games. Though he hadn't seemed that way when Astarion had been talking to him. Perhaps a bit socially awkward, but not so cruel that he would make his people jump through hoops or suffer the consequences. At the very least the two guards and the doctor had seemed perfectly at ease in his presence and not in the way that Astarion had made himself smile around Cazador for fear of being flayed should he display any unwanted emotion.

He did look curiously at the smaller datapad, though given that it was in that unknown script, he couldn't actually read what was on the screen.

"Oh, we're somewhere below mind flayers and Bhaalspawn. About on equal line with the drow in that parents scare their children with tales of vampires snatching them up out of the dark."

Astarion wasn't sure there actually was any ranking of who was feared the most- but he knew vampires were below Bhaalspawn at least.

"We are vicious bloodthirsty monsters, after all. Only good for clerics to test the sharpness of their stakes or the radiance of their spells."

He gave a vague gesture, "Of course I'm only a vampire spawn. Meaning I have few of their powers, but all of a vampire's hunger."

Astarion's tone was rather flippant and his expression bordered on playful, but there was an undercurrent of something else. Apprehension, perhaps. After all, even if Thrawn and that darling little doctor had been okay with him- fascinated with him even-, someone else might still get the idea to shove a stake through his heart.

Even if Eli didn't seem the type for that level of brutality.

"I'll take your word for it." He'd seen references to Bhaal, god of murder, and could surmise that Bhaalspawn were his offspring. "Seems that Thrawn wanted me to keep an open mind when meeting you. Get to know you and then find out about the vampire thing."

Just another reminder that Thrawn often fumbled when it came to social cues and realizing what was and wasn't appropriate. The man had a kind heart and compassion, but sometimes he was also a manipulative bastard.

"Still, if Thrawn trusts you, then I trust you. I think if you really wanted to hurt me you would have done so by now."

"Oh that is definitely an only here thing. Try that on Toril and a vampire would still get a stake through the heart for attempted seduction."

It wasn't like Astarion didn't understand, of course. Vampires were power-hungry and bloodthirsty beasts. Vampire spawn were bound to their master's will and weren't given a choice. They obeyed or they suffered. Had Cazador still been alive then he wouldn't be here. Or maybe he would have been ordered to lure their visitors back to the palace.

He didn't really want to think about that.

"I've been taught that it's rude to bite without asking though. And can sate myself on animal blood if humanoid is not an option."

Animal blood certainly didn't taste as good. But he could sustain himself on it if need be.

"I'm not much one for hurting people either- well... No one who doesn't have it coming, anyway."

"Whatever Thrawn's reasons were to keep this from me, I'm sure it made sense to him. Normally he doesn't play games like that. Not with his allies, anyway." His enemies, on the other hand, Thrawn often played them like a harpsichord. Of course, how often had Thrawn done things that hadn't made sense at the time? Whether it was a battle or trying to get someone to do what he wanted them to.

"Just saying, you could have easily hurt me but you chose not to. Ergo, I think I can trust you."

He fiddled with his hands, setting the datapad aside, some of that nervousness returning. "And, I didn't exactly have a problem with you flirting with me."

"Good to know."

Astarion wasn't above manipulating enemies either, so he could relate. Unlike Thrawn though, Astarion also didn't mind manipulating allies- but only when he thought he could get away with it. Or that he needed to.

So far he hadn't needed to.

Thrawn had given him everything he could want so far after all. Even the quarters he'd been given were comfortable and quite safe for a vampire like him with no possibility of any sunshine getting to him.

"You do remember I was a bat for most of this first meeting of ours? It is fairly difficult to hurt someone when you're the size of a powder puff."

Some of that flirtatiousness returned then as he tilted his head, "Good to know. I intend to continue- though only when you expect it least."

Flirtation lost some of its charm when he actually said he was flirting ahead of actually doing so.

"I will do this though," He said, bringing his fingertips up beneath the other man's chin so he could tilt his head up- leaning in as though to kiss him but instead turning so that he could press a kiss to his neck, just beneath his earlobe. It was fairly light and didn't linger, but it was certainly meant to be seductive with the way his breath ghosted over Eli's skin just before pulling back.

"Just saying, you don't have to worry about any stakes, or anyone harming you for attempted seduction." Not when he was so beautiful.

As Astarion leaned in, he closed his eyes and prepared for a kiss. Instead, he let out a soft gasp at the feel of lips on his neck. His lips were cool too, but now that he knew why, it was less worrying. All sorts of thoughts ran through his mind. Thoughts of teeth sinking into his neck. Or just more kisses.

"You prefer humanoid blood... if you want, I could... I mean, when you need to."

Astarion wasn't sure his brand of seduction worked on everyone- nor that his looks did even if he was fully aware that even as elves went, he was quite beautiful. But it was still good to have it reconfirmed that people outside of Toril wouldn't respond with torches and pitchforks and sharpened stakes. Or drag him out into the sun to burn.

Nothing to ponder now though, as his lips curled into a smile.

"I might just take you up on that."

Thrawn had already more or less guaranteed him frequent meals, of course, but it was nice to have someone else also offer their neck.

And given that he could see that Eli had anticipated a kiss, he obliged, leaning in to capture his lips.

They would be working closely together. It would be nice if their relationship was decent.

Eli closed his eyes once more, leaning into the kiss, relief flowing through him at getting that small bit of satisfaction. Astarion kissed good. Eli was years out of practice, but he tried not to think about that, and just let himself enjoy this.

Thrawn could call on him at any time, but Eli couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

Feeling daring, Eli did what he'd wanted to do before, and gently ran his fingers through Astarion's hair, tracing his curls.

Astarion brought his hands up- cupping the other man's face but also making him tilt into the kiss- gently guiding him as he deepened it, running his tongue over his bottom lip before teasing at the delicate skin there with a sharp fang.

He breathed out through his nose at the touch to his hair- a pleased little noise to indicate that it was fine for Eli to bury his fingers in them if he wanted to.

A lot of people seemed to be fascinated by his curls and Eli was no exception, apparently.

Eli was a little out of practice with kissing- a lot like Thrawn, really- but Astarion was very good at it. And happy to remind him how it was done.

Eli moaned into the kiss, parting his lips and allowing Astarion entry, fingers tightening in his hair. His tongue met Astarion's, tentatively touching and stroking it. Even if he was out of practice, he was a quick learner.

Images of Astarion tearing his clothes off and ravaging him filled his thoughts. He chalked it up to Astarion's beauty and the fact that it had been a while since he'd gotten laid.

He only broke the kiss when he needed air, and even then he kept close. Close enough that his lips brushed Astarion's as he spoke. "Stars, but you are gorgeous."

A shiver ran down his spine as fingers tightened in his curls. Much like Thrawn had been, it felt like Eli was somewhat touch-starved too, judging by his reaction to the kiss. A consequence of their chosen professions, perhaps. And the way their society seemed to be quite rigid and proper compared to what he was used to. On Toril, Astarion was certain that people found ways to fool around even when on duty.

Didn't seem to be the case as much here. Time would tell.

As Eli broke the kiss to breathe, Astarion wasn't entirely unaffected himself- a dusting of a rather charming pink over the tips of those pointed ears- but he certainly had kept his cool more than the human had. His lips curled into a pleased smirk at the compliment- because he really was gorgeous and more people should say that- leaning in for a quick peck so as to not stop the other man from catching his breath, "You should see yourself right now. Utterly charming."

He tilted his head, "And thinking dirty thoughts, I think, judging by how your heart is racing."

Fraternizing was generally frowned upon within the Empire, even if some officers and ensigns found a way to get off anyway. Between his Wild Space roots and connections to Thrawn, he hadn't exactly been very popular and nobody was lining up to sleep with him. Even if Thrawn was a Grand Admiral now, Eli found that a lot of the men on the ship weren't up to his standards.

But Astarion, something about him just made Eli stir. Like he was worth getting in trouble over.

He smiled at the kiss, and leaned in to peck his lips right back. "That obvious huh? I uh... it's been a while."

"I'm sure it'd be less obvious to someone without my advantages," Astarion said, looking entirely amused. He could hear the rush of blood and the beating of his heart, after all. One of the the few benefits to being a vampire- depending on who you asked, of course.

It was distracting sometimes. Depending on how hungry he was at the time.

At the moment though, it was amusing.

The corners of his lips quirked up into a smile as he leaned in to press another kiss to his lip, then to his jaw, then to his neck- tilting his head just so to tease at his skin with those sharp fangs just above where he could feel his pulse.

"Here, then?"

That voice of his oozed seduction, and he lifted his head just slightly to look up at the other man with half-lidded eyes, "Or shall we break in the bed and mess up the sheets you only just got done putting on?"

His smile turned somewhat more playful, "Of course I'm open to suggestions too."

On the floor, against the wall. He wasn't picky. Well, he was but not about this.

Eli smiled stupidly at the feel of Astarion's lips on him, then shuddered slightly as those fangs touched his skin. There was a bit of fear at the thought, just because of the initial pain that would occur. The file said that vampire bites only hurt a little at first, and then numbed, at least.

The urge to pull Astarion close, press his face to his neck, came over him. The rational side of him knew that he was being seduced, and he was falling for it. But stars, it had been so long...

Even through his lusty haze, he heard Astarion's suggestions. "Hm... the bed, I think."

Tempting as it was to suggest something more adventurous, the bed sounded ideal at the moment. Lucky for them, the laundry crew was tight-lipped and Thrawn made sure they got the good detergent, so they wouldn't have to worry about suspicious stains.

"The bed it is," Astarion hummed, pulling away from him to stand up only to reach down and grab Eli by the thighs to pick him up- encouraging him to wrap his legs around his waist so that he could carry him over to the bed- setting him down on it and pushing him back so that he could crawl over him and slip between his legs, firmly pushing them apart with a knee.

While he kept himself braced with one hand, the other moved to tug at Eli's clothes to work the collar of his uniform open at least while his mouth found its way back to his neck- kissing and nipping at the skin and seeking out where he was most sensitive.

Maybe he should actually check that they had lubrication on hand for later, but for now he was quite content with continuing as he was.

He had a vial of it in his bag if nothing else and it wouldn't be the first time if he had to pad naked across a room to fetch lubrication mid-foreplay if it came to that.

Eli took the hint and wrapped his legs around Astarion, admiring his strength. All too glad to let Astarion take the lead, he lay back and allowed himself to be undressed. Tilting his head back, he gasped softly as Astarion hit particularly sensitive spots, such as the junction between his jaw and his neck.

"There should be lube in one of the desk drawers," He whispered in between moans. "Sometimes guests bring a lover or spouse."

Stroking Astarion's arm, he asked, "Could I suck your cock?"

Working the top of his uniform open, he ran his hand down along Eli's chest- setting his nails on edge to drag over his skin while his mouth continued trailing kisses over his neck- working sharp fangs over those sensitive spots to make him shiver and moan. Leaving marks along his skin and soothing with his tongue.

He slid his knee up further so that he could settle flush against the other man- happy to be a tease, though he stilled when Eli spoke so that he could lift his head to look at him.

"My my, aren't you forward," He purred, "How do you want me then? On my back or sitting on the edge of the bed so you can be on your knees?"

Astarion would happily be in control either way but he figured he should let him choose at least that.

Eli cursed softly as Astarion used his teeth, grateful that these suites always had a bacta kit in the refresher. He made a mental note to restock it later, because he assumed that Astarion would be making full use of those teeth at some point.

"I mean, you'll have plenty of chances to have me on my back, and even tease me some more," Eli pointed out, stroking a finger up and down Astarion's shoulder. "I think I'd like you sitting on the edge, so that I can get on my knees." And that way either of them could get the lube once they were ready for more.

Astarion let out a hum of approval- he shifted again so he could sit back on his knees- lifting Eli with him so the other man was in his lap, grabbing him by the thighs to carry him with him so that he could sit on the edge of the bed. Releasing his thighs, he moved his hands up to cup his face so that he could pull him down into a gentle kiss.

Almost loving, even.

Astarion had had a lot of practice with that, after all.

He pulled his hands way then to rest them down on the bed, "Go on then. On your knees."

There was a slight note of command in his voice- though mostly it was just husky and seductive. He'd save anything entirely too domineering until he knew whether or not Eli actually liked that.

Eli continued to be amazed at what a good kisser Astarion was. It more than made up for Eli's rustiness.

A small thrill went through Eli at the command, making his groin stir. Stars, he hoped Astarion did that some more as they continued. Eli was sure that if Astarion wanted, he could convince the Emperor himself to cede the throne to him.

Wordlessly, he slid off Astarion's lap and got down on his knees, all the while looking up at Astarion through his lashes. Fingers ran along the other man's thighs, going to his pant laces, which he deftly untied. Eager to see more of him, Eli removed the man's shoes, setting them aside, before opening the crotch of his pants. He took a small moment to admire his undergarments before lowering both pants and underpants, so as to free his cock.

Taking his member in hand, Eli kissed the head softly. Lips then trailed down the shaft, and licked a stripe along the underside, before swirling his tongue across the tip.

Someone was certainly eager. Astarion was almost surprised that Eli managed to work his pants open so easily given that the way his outfit was laced was likely as foreign to him as the uniforms were to Astarion. He said nothing of the sort, of course- moving to let the other man pull his pants and underwear down more easily and hissing softly as his cock sprung free, before settling on the bed again.

He moved one hand to rest back against the bed so he could brace himself on his arm, the way he sat making the muscles of his stomach flex rather enticingly, and he spread his legs to allow the other man easy access.

The vampire breathed out through his nose as warm fingers wrapped around him, a shiver running up his spine at the feel of those lips and that hot tongue dragging up along his cock. His eyes remained open though, that red seeming darker with lust, and his free hand came to rest on the back of Eli's head, fingers curling lightly into his hair- allowing him free rein for now but with the implication being that Astarion could take that control from him.

"Good boy," He purred- offering him just a little bit of praise too to see whether or not he liked that as well.

Eli couldn't help but think that it was a good thing he came from a backwater planet, where most clothing still used buttons and zippers, and sealing strips were something of a luxury. Otherwise he might have fumbled with Astarion's pants.

At the praise, his own cock twitched in the confines of his pants. He smiled up at Astarion, brown eyes filled with desire.

His tongue gently prodded the slit, before he took the tip into his mouth, sucking on it gently, keeping his hand at the base of the cock. He kept his head still for a few seconds, teasingly, before slowly sliding his lips up and down the shaft. Slowly, teasingly, like he was daring the vampire to do something about it.

Edited 2024-01-24 05:03 (UTC)

Human hands were hot, human mouths even more so. Fingers twitched slightly in Eli's hair as Astarion closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, tilting his head back to let the breath back out slowly. Looking back down at the other man, he smirked- "There's a good boy, darling. Now, faster."

Praise purred softly, followed by a sharp command, as long fingers tightened in dark hair- not yet pushing Eli's head down, but using his grip to further punctuate that he could.

And since Eli had been kind enough to remove his shoes, he could also move a foot to run up along his inner thigh- trailing it threateningly close to that bulge in the human's pants. Astarion wasn't just going to sit there and take it without riling the other man up in return, after all. He could multitask.

Eli hummed around Astarion, sending faint vibrations through his length, and did as told, bobbing his head faster and making obscene wet sounds. His tongue stroked the bottom of Astarion's cock with each thrust of Eli's head. His hand trailed from the base of the shaft to Astarion's balls, massaging them gently with his thumb.

He let out a muffled moan at the pressure to his groin, making his own cock twitch. He could feel himself starting to ache for touch. Deft fingers went to his crotch and opened the fly of his pants.

It's Not a Software Glitch

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