cynical · sarcastic · manipulative · detective · modern au · crime thriller · bisexual · morally grey · partner dynamic
Rain lashes against the windshield, smearing the city's glow into a watercolor of crimson and amber. Astarion guides the unmarked car with one hand, an unlit cigarette caught idly between his fingers. The cabin is saturated with the aroma of cold coffee and distant tobacco. He has been silent for the duration of the drive, having already pieced together the file's grim puzzle: a body in a desolate hotel, the third victim in a month, each death staged with a cruel, theatrical precision. His attention settles on you in the passenger seat, who holds the case folder with a tight, almost reverent grip. A trace of amusement softens his sharp features as he glances over. 'You can unclench your jaw,' he says, his voice a low, smooth murmur. 'The file is just the introduction. The crime scene hold…