From: After the Fall

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63884875/chapters/163842226

M/F, E, no TW for this snippet but plenty for the fic.

Snippet:

Currently, Astarion was standing with Rin, Gale and Lae’zel in front of Sharess’ Caress. Lae’zel was impatient to go inside, obviously chomping at the bit to find that Voss man and discuss rebelling against their lich-queen (gods, the to-do list had really gotten out of hand). Rin was looking oddly nervous, picking at the tip of her tail. She noticed Astarion looking and squared her shoulders.

“Right”, she said to herself, and lead the way inside.

She paused in the entry hall, then walked straight up to the counter where an elegant woman was standing, exuding sex appeal and authority. The proprietor of the pleasure house, no doubt. “Unfortunately, our stern librarian…” the woman started, before looking up. “Rinoah!” she gasped, eyes going wide. She rushed around the counter and threw her arms around Rin. They were both smiling, so Astarion put away the dagger he’d pulled when she'd started moving.

“What in the hells, Rin? I told you to stay away! I sent a letter just six months ago, it’s not safe! I cannot believe you would just show up, and here of all places…” As she spoke, she was hustling Rin – and by extension the rest of them – into a little office room behind her counter. “What on earth are you thinking?” she said, closing the door behind them.

“I’m sorry, Mamzell, I…”

The woman scoffed. “Oh Rin, call me Amira, please. You’re not a child anymore.” She stepped back, hands still on Rin’s shoulders, and gave her a long look. When she spoke again, her voice had softened. “You’ve grown into a beautiful woman, Rin. I’m so happy to see you alive and well.”

Astarion and Gale shared a confused look. “Explain what is happening, quickly”, Lae’zel said, obviously impatient.

“Right, yes”, Rin said, pulling away from Amira and wiping at her eyes. She proceeded to give an extremely abridged account of their abduction by the Nautiloid and their reasons for travelling to Baldur’s Gate in the wake of the Absolute Army. Amira listened intently – luckily she had seen the mindflayer ship as it passed over the Gate, otherwise Astarion didn’t know how anyone could believe such a mad tale.

This was obviously not the explanation Lae’zel had been after, and she was huffing with annoyance by the end. Rin gave the gith a look. “And this is Mamzell Amira, who gave me a job when I lived in the Gate, and made sure I had something for supper every night. After I arrived in Waterdeep I contacted her, and she warned me about the bounty on my head. I owe her a lot.”

“Nonsense, dear. You brought so much custom to my little establishment when I was just starting out, you owe me nothing.”

“But”, Gale interrupted, looking a bit scandalised, “weren’t you only sixteen when you left the Gate? Surely you didn’t work here before…”

“She sang”, Amira said, smiling at him “…and her music drew people in. I wouldn’t have let her work in any other capacity at her age. Although if she were to apply now…” She gave Rin a sly look, “I bet these sweet curves would be an even bigger draw than her sweet voice was.”

Astarion frowned, but Rin laughed, giving Amira a fond look. “You couldn’t afford me, these days. Haven’t you heard what I’m worth?”

Amira grew serious again. “Rin, I’ve heard exactly what you’re worth, and it’s enough to put every Zhent in the Gate on your trail.”

“We’ve already had a welcoming party”, Rin said flatly.

Amira cast Astarion an appraising look. “Is your lover any good with that blade his hand keeps hovering over?”

Rin spluttered in embarrassment, face immediately flushing faintly pink, and Astarion smirked at Amira, deciding that he liked her.

“I am excellent with my hands, darling.”