where vecna wasn't obsessed with evil ultimate power and aestri wasn't emotionally stunted they would have been a very cute couple with vecna being obviously a bookworm and nerd and aestri being just as happy and sunshine without the empty hole in her soul where her family was

they wouldn't be blind to the possibility of a romantic relationship as they are now even if they felt compelled to know eachother due to their circumstamces they still recognize their personal goals mean more to them then a relationship would but in some au <cont>

💗💗💗True love ;u;💗💗💗

The lengths she would go to keep her troupe together to keep him safe and sound despite the odds he realizes no one else would do this for him and stays with her thinking well Maybe another day another time and days turn into weeks into months years and his dependency on her gets deeper and deeper

I like to think there's a moment where he thinks of running away maybe finding a new opportunity a new route to take but aestri has given so much for him and over the years getting to know her he's become very sympathetic for her like no one else has seen aestris truly caring side

Not like she's bad or secretly evil but something happened to her that's made her a little emotionally stunted and when baemar is around 16 and aestri is just a full on reckless adventuring bard he thinks if this is really the life he wants or if it's the only life he thinks is available to him

She doesn't want to think about it anymore. So when she's taken by the entity and learns you don't age here she's selfishly relieved she doesn't want to admit it but it's true. You mean baemar won't age he'll never get old I'll never have to face that terrible day.. maybe this isn't so bad..

Like what will she do when baemar can't walk anymore when he can't see as good or have articulation she can't leave him behind that's unthinkable but she can't force him to keep going it would be cruel will she have to stop everything she lives for to take care of him until he's gone <cont>

Thank u sm :^ D

Baemar knows he's an exception but that's for entirely different reasons

Her other troupe mates brush it off as well she's a bard/artist/musician what did u expect but baemar knows more that personally aestri doesn't fundamentally understand people when they aren't her audience/material anymore

Which makes me think she has dated in the past and never made it work because they soon realize aestri isn't the way she is because she's wholesome and sunshine but she has a very strong and selfish philosophy

And on that note I think aestri understands romanticism perfectly but never personally feels romantic attraction. she can come off as interested because she asks about their hopes their dreams their passions not because she's wanting to know them but rather for material and inspiration for songs