Work Text:
Coming back to camp to ease the soreness that healing spells and potions couldn't take away from inflicted wounds was always a relief. Today was busy—of course, the days were always busy given what was at stake for Tav and her companions, but still! When coming back today with the rest of the party, though, the first thing she noticed was a distinct lack of scampering.
“Where are the animals?” She asked Astarion, only because he happened to amble past. He just shrugged.
“I will say, those creatures we have around are perfectly bite-sized to the new pet you’re keeping.” Astarion was still…well, Tav would call it ‘warming up’ to having Kar’niss in camp. The others were slowly coming around. Hard to argue that the amnesiac drider was a danger to them with Gale, Karlach, and Astarion around, and the almost childish wonder or caution he displayed towards every little ‘new’ thing he experienced only helped.
“Don’t joke about that,” she sighed. “And don’t call him my ‘pet’. That’s demeaning. He’s a grown man who can do as he pleases.”
“Yes, and what he ‘pleases’ is worshiping the very ground you walk on.”
“He does not!” Her words carried a ‘thou-doth-protest-too-much’ sort of tone. “He…kind of does, but I’m working on that! We’re working on that.”
Another shrug. “I think you should use it to your advantage. Anyway, I do hope that the dog and the cub aren’t currently strung up in a web. It would be SUCH a horror to never have the little beasts sniffing around my things ever again.”
He wouldn’t. Of course he wouldn’t! Kar’niss was perfectly satisfied with the provisions in camp! Tav would deny that she settled into her space quicker than normal so she could check on the barn he took up. The pets definitely weren’t in danger! But it never hurt to be absolutely sure of that, did it?
Damn Astarion for planting that seed of anxiety in her head…He was just upset that she shared her good soap with a drider instead of him!
“He’d never…we haven’t let him go hungry,” she muttered to herself as her small form approached the door. “Not THAT hungry, at least!” When Tav entered, shoulders tense, her heart almost couldn’t handle the scene laid out before her. She’d found Scratch and the cub, alright…
The barn was once technically Kar’niss’s prison, but when the magic chains originally binding him were dispelled, he staked a claim on the place. He said it reminded him of home, even though he couldn’t remember where that home was. No longer did he rest on hay and stolen bedding. Karlach helped him set up a large hammock supported by the pillars under the barn’s loft (evidenced by scorch marks in the red fabric) so he could sleep on his stomach, his spider legs dangling over the edges.
What few pillows there were (ones gifted to him intentionally, found on the party’s travels) laid scattered underneath the hammock. The drider napped within, his elven half squished alongside Scratch’s resting form while the cub allowed itself to be used as a pillow. Its claws hung over the edge, and Kar’niss’s arms were draped over it. All three slept soundly. If this was the last thing she ever saw, Tav would die a happy lady.
A happy, relieved lady.
She didn’t need to disturb them. Unfortunately, Scratch caught her scent before she had a chance to leave quietly. The dog perked its head up. “She’s back!” Was how she heard the yapping bark that stirred the other two. He hopped down, jostling the hammock. This was followed by the yawning owlbear cub ungracefully doing the same. The weight of the larger animal accidentally forced the hammock to swing back and throw out its final occupant.
“Ow,” Kar’niss muttered. He certainly didn’t fall lightly.
“You okay?” Her question was met with a nod. His wellness assured, the pressing matter of petting the pair that came up to her had to be addressed. Tav had two hands, after all! “Hey, buddy! Hey, baby! What were you two doing up there?”
“Taking a nap. You saw! This one looks strange, but he smells like you,” Scratch panted. That matching smell was definitely the result of the shared soap.
“Friend strong. Safe. Sleep,” chirped the cub.
She sent them back off towards the camp, hands on her hips as she saw them go and a smile on her face. Kar’niss towered over her when he joined her side. He smiled, too. Tav just couldn’t find him intimidating with that expression on his face, all warm and happy. Others found it unnerving. She wasn’t sure how it could be. “Hello. Hello, Tav.”
“Hey, pal. Seems like you’re making friends! Do you have time to chat?” She fell back against one of his front legs. They were stable enough, and she was light enough, that it barely moved against her weight.
“Yes! Always. I always have time for us. I have a new trick to show Tav!”
“Funny enough, I got a new trick to show you, too! But I wanna talk about how things are going here first.” Tav sat herself down on top of a crate. Once Kar’niss lowered himself on the floor beside it, they were almost at eye level. There was light in his eyes, each of them. When the party first encountered him, there wasn’t any of that—not even with the glow of his lantern reflecting off his gaze. “How have you been settling in?”
“May I put my head down?”
“You may.”
With her permission, the drider leaned over to put his head in her lap, where he barely fit. This kind of thing definitely didn’t help Astarion’s ‘worship’ claims, but he liked being there and she liked it, too. Liked brushing his hair out of his face and liked how he’d let her fuss with his ears. They twitched so adorably. A deep gnome and a drow getting along…back home, it would be unthinkable.
“Good,” he sighed dreamily. “Good, I think. Gale is teaching me to cook! He said I could ‘do all the deboning and disembowelment I pleased’ with the meat. He even gave me a knife to chop things with! Vegetables and such.” That was definitely a good sign, given how the idea of anything capable of being used as a weapon in Kar’niss’s hands was unthinkable for so long. “I helped make dinner.”
“Then I look forward to eating it, and the trick?”
“Shadowheart showed me.” It looked like it pained him to leave in order to retrieve a length of silk string from within the hammock. The ends were tied together. He made it himself! Tav wanted to get him a reel, maybe a spindle, something so he could turn his silk into more advanced products, but she unfortunately wasn’t sure where to start with silk working. He worked the string between his fingers, making simple shapes and figures that he so clearly prided himself on if the toothy grin he offered was any indication.
“Really? Shadowheart? I guess I can see that. It’s a great trick.” She wasn’t sure if it was more surprising to imagine Shadowheart playing with yarn or to think of her showing Kar’niss how to do the same. Both were endearing thoughts, however. Anything to get him more involved with the other companions in camp. Anything to keep him positively occupied. “You think you can teach me some time?”
His eyes went wide. “Teach you? Yes! You teach me so much.”
Then it came time for her trick: a cantrip she practiced with help from both Gale and Laezel, not a particularly impressive one, but Tav knew he’d enjoy the spectacle that was summoning a Mage Hand! She wanted someone to be proud. Her tutors weren’t because it was such a basic spell.
“I can make it do whatever I want, too! Sort of. Within reason, and as long as it doesn’t involve lifting something over ten pounds.” Okay. Maybe she didn’t even find it all that impressive herself, despite her reasons for wanting to learn it. Kar’niss at least reacted as she hoped. Magic always left him speechless.
More than speechless. Tav had the hand hover in front of his face so he could get a good look, maybe try to touch it, yet he didn’t actually seem to know what to do. After a few moments, before she was about to make any suggestions, he suddenly pushed his head forward into its palm. Like a cat seeking attention. She was caught so off guard that she snort-laughed.
“It’s a good trick,” he praised.
“Why…why did you just…shove yourself into it?”
“The owlbear did it to me earlier.” That was the only explanation he offered. No elaboration or anything. Tav decided that hauling him back to camp all those nights ago was the best decision she ever made, if only for the entertainment factor.
“Well! Uh, here, I can do something special with it, too.” With a bit of concentration, the hand turned invisible. “So, it’s still there. Say I need to get something and I need to be sneaky about it. This will help!” To prove its presence, she had the hand poke between his eyes.
“Oh!” He jumped. “It is!” At that point, he was interested in touching it. His claws waved through the air, trying to find it, only to jump again. Tav, with it hidden, had already moved it to jab his side. She wound up reminding herself of a discovery made when she was helping him bathe while still a prisoner—a discovery that tempted her mischief.
“I can make more, but not on the field. It takes too much focus and exertion when I’m out and about.” She conjured two more. After the words were spoken, Kar’niss glanced around and was visibly confused when he couldn’t find them.
“Can I have them touch you?” She’d asked a similar question before. This time, it was a trap. A trap he fell into. Her touch was nothing short of divine to the drider. Technically the Mage Hands were an extension of her, not really her. That distinction didn’t matter to him.
“Ah…wait—“ He cut himself off with a little gasp. Concealed fingers menacingly wiggled against the skin and thin chitin covering his torso. Kar’niss clearly didn’t know how to react to the new sensation. He flinched with every feather-light brush against him. “Wh…what’s happening?”
“Nothing bad. You don’t need to worry.” Her smile turned from soft and gentle to something absolutely wicked, but he wasn’t able to pick out the newly formed malice from her expression. One of her legs crossed over the other while she settled into her seat atop the crate. It was her throne from where her torment was enacted.
Her efforts escalated into a search for where her poor victim was most sensitive. The Mage Hands soon attacked as viciously as they were able, squeezing at and digging into his sides, his ribs, under his arms…What first started as nervous gasps and shaky sighs quickly turned to laughter. A ticklish drider. Truly, it was a unique sight. Kar’niss’s many legs lurched back to escape the instinctually perceived threat, but the hands followed.
Then he resorted to try protecting himself. As his uncontrolled laughter forced his spider legs to kneel down, the poor drider attempted to cover up where they were touching with his arms. Unfortunately, the fingers of Mage Hands could squeeze into tight spots, and he couldn’t hide all of himself.
“You know, you can tell me to stop,” Tav teased. Her unusually evil smirk remained, contrasting with the blissful, adoring look from her eyes. The offer came about as he was left floorbound on his side by his own endless guffaws and giggles. The sound made for such a sweet melody to his tormentor’s ears.
He’d laughed before when offered a spectacle of dancing lights to help quell his fears of the dark. He laughed when he was wonder-struck in general. It always made Tav’s chest swell with affection. Knowing she could get it out of him now anytime she wanted…well…that was a secret she could definitely take advantage of on a bad day.
“No!” He yelped out. The hands discovered that he was apparently most sensitive where his exoskeleton melded to the flesh of his stomach. The area would be shown no mercy. Spectral digits danced over his sweet spots, claws uselessly trying to swat them away. The friendly torture sent him howling.
“Was that a ‘no, don’t stop’ or a ‘no, stop’?” Tav caught herself snickering with him.
Soon, he just gave up. His body curled up on itself, and he hugged his torso. Kar’niss’s head fell to the side. His lips were stuck in a mirthful grin. Tears pricked at his two main eyes. “Majesty, please!” He sounded breathless. Tav decided that was close enough to an answer for her question. The hands were dispelled.
She hopped down from the crate, knelt down, and rubbed his shoulder. Kar’niss’s face was all adorably pink. “Hey, are you okay?”
It took a moment for him to stop giggling. He nodded. “Too much…too much touching from them. I don’t know what came over me! I’m sorry, Tav…Was I acting foolish?” By his low, penitent tone, it was like he didn’t realize he was still smiling.
“No! No, no, I was trying to play around with you. You acted fine! You have a very sweet laugh.” Especially for a drider. It didn’t suit his intimidating looks at all. “I don’t want to overwhelm my favorite friend. Remember, I’m ‘Tav’, not ‘Majesty’.”
His ears perked up. “I’m…your favorite? I’m…I’m Tav’s favorite.” He sighed happily. By the time focus returned to his expression, his pale skin reddened even more. “I would mind it less…maybe if Tav were touching me?” His clawed hand reached up and out towards her face, but he stopped just short of it. Nervous. Tav touched him, he didn’t touch Tav.
But Tav was happy to put her own hand over his to press against her cheek. Kar’niss couldn’t stifle a little gasp. Her skin was so holy—an artifact deserving his reverence. That he was even allowed close to her was such a great privilege! She didn’t want things to be that way. She wanted to demystify herself in his eyes. Wanted him to know they were supposed to be equals. “Okay. That sounds good. I wanna give you a break right now, though.”
“Mm-hm.” With her help, he stood up again. Er, she sorta helped. It was more moral support. Her size definitely didn’t provide any real physical assistance to him getting back on his many legs.
“I bet dinner will be done soon. Are you comfortable being out with everyone there? I’ll sit with you. I wanna try what you helped make.”
“Not comfortable. No. I can…try, though. I can try with Tav.”