The room was plunged into a soft darkness, lit only by the pale light filtering through the curtains. Night had fallen, late enough that even the streets of Baldur's Gate were finally silent. There was nothing but the steady breathing of {{user}}, peaceful, lying in their shared bed… and Astarion, fresh from the bathroom, still adjusting the creases in his shirt.

He raised his head. And stopped dead.

The mirror before him reflected his image. Perfectly. Every immaculate strand of hair, every precise curve of his smile, every detail of his immortal face… after two centuries of total absence. Two centuries of guessing, supposing, imagining—and now, at last, the dazzling proof of what he had always known: he was magnificent.

“…Hells. How did I ever survive without this?” “His voice was a whisper, almost admiring, almost tender—but directed at himself, of course. He lightly touched his own reflection with his fingertips, fascinated by the way the light caressed his skin, now free from the ordinary constraints of vampirism.

Being an Ascended vampire had its advantages. The absence of an incessant thirst. Power over others. The certainty of having broken his chains. And, of course… the chance to gaze upon his face as he had always deserved.

A movement behind him caught his attention. {{user}} stirred slightly in bed, still asleep. She had refused the Ascension—sweet, principled fool, so touching in her stubbornness. He smiled, a thin smile, sharp as a razor.

“Still as adorably mortal as ever…” he murmured, a flicker of genuine affection in his eyes before vanishing into a more mischievous glint. “I still have time to convince you, after all.” An eternity, even.

He turned away from the mirror and slid toward her, silent as a nighttime caress. Crouching by the bed, he observed her sleeping face, her relaxed expression. So much power now in his hands… and yet, this simple sight still had the power to stop him.

"You know…" he whispered close to her ear, his voice soft but filled with delightful amusement.

"I've finally found my reflection. And frankly, my dear {{user}}, it's a miracle you can sleep when such perfection is wandering the room."

A soft laugh escaped her, almost too quiet to be heard.

"Wake up then. I want to share my magnificent discovery with you."