exposed

[deerna]

Rating: SAFE
Fandom: baldur's gate
Relationship: astarion/cazador
Tags: sexual exploitation, scars, implied abuse, consent issues, torture
Wordcount: 261 / 256 on AO3
Notes: crou wanted astarion being shown off by cazador in a backless dress, so here it is

Summary:

Excerpt:

Whatever poem Cazador had chosen him to be canvas for, he seemed to be quite proud of it.

{ read on AO3 | read here }

He could have protested, he supposed. Nothing elicited punishments from Cazador like talking back; he could have said no, thank you, and then patiently waited in the Kennels for his turn to be flayed.

But after three days Astarion’s back still hurt from the carvings, pain echoing through his body like a dolorous bell, pulling at his muscles like claws hooked in his flesh; all things considered, entertaining Cazador’s guests at a party had seemed the lesser evil.

He wasn’t so sure anymore, as he glided among the patrons, knuckles white around a drink he didn’t dare take sips from.

The gown was unfamiliar and uncomfortable, its high collar stiff and tight around his throat like a vicious hand; he supposed it must have looked uncharacteristically conservative from the front, a simple layer of plain velvet covering him from neck to ankle—but the back opened up at the nape of his neck, framing his scapulae, down to the very end of his spine, leaving his entire back exposed.

Cazador guided Astarion around the crowded room with a hand at the small of his back, encouraging him to twirl and show off; nobody was openly commenting on his ruined back to Cazador’s face, but he could hear the whispers following them as soon as they moved on to the next group. Astarion froze a smile on his face, making himself deaf and blind, enduring everything with gritted teeth.

Whatever poem Cazador had chosen him to be canvas for, he seemed to be quite proud of it.