Mermaids, Medicine, and Moody Men...

Some simple Astarion portraits I took while finishing up my embrace Durge run recently.

Thank you for tag @aristenfromwarsaw, it was truly interesting to do.

In Slavic mythology, Mavka was the closest relative of the mermaid. It was believed that unbaptized children who died in infancy, were killed by their own parents, or those children who were kidnapped by evil spirits became Mavkas. They lived literally everywhere: in fields, forests, swamps and lakes. They were often depicted as small children in long shirts who asked for help, or as young maidens with long loose hair. The main sign of a Mavka was that they had no skin on their backs, and their insides could be seen.

Mavkas do not leave shadows or reflections in the water. It is believed that upon seeing a man, she begins to lure him and drags him into the pool. Unlike all other types of mermaids, Mavkas do evil without purpose. At the sight of a man, a mavka falls into a kind of trance, thinking he's her lover, because of whom she once did something bad to herself, and so she pounces on him, embraces him, and drags him underwater. Only underwater does the mavka realize it's not her lover and releases him, but by then the man is already dead. However, some mavkas, most often children, kill people out of a sense of revenge for their own death, which no one prevented.

It suited these two well. Luckily for Astarion, he's already undead, and drowning a vampire isn't exactly possible. So he lies there, satisfied, grinning.

Many thanks @shkura2011 💝

leave kisses: neck, cheek, back

There’s something reverent about the way Astarion leaves a gentle kiss on your neck before and after he feeds from you. It’s an expression of gratitude, a way to honor you and your kindness. The irony is how gentle these pecks are. If he’s feeling adventurous, he builds up the intensity of these kisses as he prepares to bite into you. It’s a game to him, and you can feel the grin he’s wearing when he indulges in that way.

He also kisses your neck as a greeting. Nothing too saucy, just a press of his lips against your pulse point. His arms would wrap around your midriff and he’d spin you around to kiss your pretty face, too.

His cheek kisses are more playful. He peppers them across your face if no one else is around. And often, he’ll nibble your cheek instead of just kissing it. Astarion is a chubby cheek lover and I’ll carry that notion for as long as I live.

He loves to kiss your back, too. Especially if he sneaks up behind you and catches you by surprise. You’ll feel a press of his lips to the space just below the nape of your neck and jump while he huffs out a laugh. He loves to surprise you, and he loves the goosebumps he brings out even more.

receive kisses: forehead, cheek, hands

He fusses if you “mess up” his hair but he adores it when you brush back a curl to leave a gentle kiss on his forehead. He melts when you do. If you can’t quite reach his forehead, a cheek kiss will suffice, but if you’re laying down together you’d better give him a forehead kiss or five. It’s expected of you, but he’d never admit it if you asked.

When you walk past him, he lives for the times that you leave a peck on his cheek. He almost always grabs you and returns your affection with a much more heated kiss. Your own cheeks will be flushed when he’s satisfied with returning the favor.

He loves when you kiss him in front of others. He’s proud to be with you, to share the bond with you that he does. He’ll show you off whenever and wherever he can. You feeling the same makes him positively giddy.

KISS HIS HANDS. The notion is so tender, so reverent, that the first time you do it he has to tease you to mask his awe. Of course he whispers filthy things about what his hands have done, what they’re capable of, but he’s hoping that you don’t notice the shyness behind his words. Take his hands and kiss his knuckles. Tell him how you love him… *all* of him. He’d be weak in the knees.

... And then there's this faint, little - absolutely tiny! - voice that basically is gently tapping the back of your skull and urging you to keep going because you are actually enjoying yourself and crafting something from thin air and it feels marvelous.....

...and it's not harming anyone. Won't harm anyone, least of all you. (?maybe you, a little?)

Eventually you're asking yourself "How the hell do I show this to anyone?"