ravenswrath | (no subject)

"Is it something I want or something you don't want?" he wonders because he has known Astarion for longer than five minutes.

Astarion sniffs.

"I'll have you know I asked a favour from my warden for this. Do you want to know what it is, or don't you?"

"Of course I do," he says with a straight face. "What is it?"

Astarion gives him a look, then reaches into his pocket and produces a silver necklace with a purple gem.

"This is something I encountered on my travels," he says. "While you're wearing it, you won't be hurt by long falls - it'll slow your descent. And once a day, you can turn yourself into a dire raven."

Corvo is struck a little speechless by this, and he looks between the necklace and Astarion with surprise. Not because he thought the elf incapable of a gift, but because it is honed so perfectly to him, even calling back a conversation they had once upon a time.

It's an astonishingly thoughtful gift, something Corvo doesn't know how to process immediately.

He takes the necklace, running his thumb over the jewel.

"Thank you," is all he knows how to say at first before he immediately slips it on and tucks it underneath his shirt.

"Why? It's so powerful; you could keep it for yourself."

"...I could. But while being able to polymorph is - useful, I'll grant you, it's not something I enjoy doing to my body."

He used it once during this last week and that was as much of a reminder as he needed.

He laughs at that, placing his hand over it. "Ah, well, there are plenty of other things to do to your body that are more enjoyable."

Astarion's chuckle is low and salacious.

"And don't I know it, darling."

That gets an exceptionally large eye roll.

"Yes, well. Shall we try it out now? What - how does it work?"

To be fair, dude, you left it wide open. Astarion is silenced by the question, though. It's difficult to describe spellcasting when you're an elf and it's intuitive.

"....Focus on the necklace," he says. "Imagine your body taking on that new shape - will it to happen. That force of intention should trigger the enchantment. The same process when you're done."

Wide open. He will learn one day. For now, he does what Astarion says. Fortunately, he has experience in using the magic the Outsider gave him, so the process isn't so foreign.

He reaches for the power in the necklace instead of within and seems to find a well of - something. It isn't his and it isn't the Outsider's, but it's certainly a kind of magic. He focuses on the way that ravens look, how they move and fly.

There's a rush of air and light and Corvo the raven fluffs his feathers on the deck, spreading his wings out as if showing off to his companion.

Astarion laughs softly, leaning one hand in the railing.

"Very nice, darling," he says. "Give flying a try, perhaps?"

That's why he invited him up here, after all.

He flutters his wings a bit, getting used to the sensation of them. There's a flurry of movement (and a little undignified squawking) and he manages, quite clumsily, to make it up onto the railing.

Step one complete.

But here he focuses and spreads out his wings, flapping them as he launches off of the railing and onto the deck.

And it fucking works. He bobbles as the surprise gets him, but manages to stay aloft.

Astarion watches him fly - with a little fledgling awkwardness, but flight all the same. Truly, while he likes having a potion or scroll in his back pocket to let him fly in his own body, this is the kind of method he thinks Corvo will make better use of than himself.

Corvo is in heaven, if he believed in such a thing. He tries turning, tries living in this new dimension that seems so effortless. Being a fish helped prepare him for the skies, at least.

He finds Astarion again and, just to show off, dives down to try and land on his shoulder.

Astarion extends his arm just in case he needs a little more surface area to work with, but his sense of his own size and reach already seems quite decent. He supposes shifting between bodies is a decently transferable skill.

"You can do this once a day," he reminds him. "But once you've shifted, you stay shifted until you change back. Shall I leave you to spend a little more time getting acquainted with the new body?"

He lands as delicately as he can on his arm, but tries not to rip the shirt with his claws.

In response, Corvo leans in close and gently touches his beak to Astarion's jaw. A thank you, given in a much more succinct way than he ever could express with words.

Delighted and eager, he spreads his wings again and pushes off, clearly content to spend the afternoon in flight.