#{ ✨ failed attempts to fly }; gale threads

[ambitiousness]

@bloodyarn sent: "Bend over." 🥰 from here

The laugh that rings through the air is giddy, full of amusement. It's such a forward request it easily catches him off-guard; Babette is only ever forward in the most charming of ways. Still, he raises an eyebrow at the hexblood, eyeing her curiously.

"And what exactly do you have in your arsenal that you think you can effectively use on me once I've done so? I think our height difference might make your labors a bit fruitless, my dear."

[ambitiousness]

Though her hands are indeed skilled from her craft, her palm against his cheek is soft and he can't help but close his eyes as her lips plant against the opposite one. Babette's satisfaction over her victory is palpable in the action and he finds his whole face flushing darker; was anyone else ever this exuberant to merely kiss him on the cheek?

"Somehow I feel like I'm meant to be thanking you, and yet you offer your skills to my aching muscles as well? Well, what's this fortune I've stumbled into?"

      And that was a winner's grin.      That poor wizard fell victim to her charms   —   even without fey magic ( which, truthfully, she would never use against Gale ). Now at a much more compliant height, one hand reaches for the man's cheek, holding him in place (although not firmly), aiming for his cheekbone.

  A short, successful hum left Babette's nose as that little kiss got planted. Finally.

     ❝ You are right. Your poor back. The things I make you do, tsk tsk   —   as if taken for granted. I sure can help you with that little back pain of yours. I would be lying if I told you my hands are not skilled enough to ease a little tension . . . ❞      Offered the hexblood with a hint of playfulness.

     ❝ . . . As a proper thank-you. ❞

[ambitiousness]

@bloodtwin 📩 | "Gale..." He looks around, leans forward slightly, as if sharing a secret. "I Am So Horny All The Time & I Cannot Do Anything About It."

The words come so far from beyond any sensible realm Gale's not even sure he's in one. Did he die in that last encounter? His surprise almost causes him to slip from where he's perched at the edge of the raft, ethereal light from his staff guiding their way towards Grymforge.

Surely this is a joke. While the wizard can empathize to some extent, he'll die if he says so in the earshot of anyone else. "What was that, Puck? No, I'm afraid I don't know thorn whip, that's a bit outside of the wizard wheelhouse, you'll have to ask Halsin."

[ambitiousness]

from @sleetkissed       Life held many mysteries, more than ever with that worm in their heads.     The meaning of life, the future nobody could really tell  &  why oh why she decided to drag this wizard along. They were in no need for a caster   —   She herself filled that spot perfectly. Gale appeared to make himself look clever, cheeky with all his smart comments, almost bragging about being such an important figure back in Waterdeep. All very laughable, from Esteri's perspective. While her memories been swiped, there was an undeniable force that just told her how much of an influential being she was. Only in time would the sorceress have to find out what all that was about.      ❝ Wizard, have you made yourself useful  &  found more information about that tadpole   ? ❞     Voice held a cold tone, as usual, addressing him by his occupation, rather than his name. The group was about to reach the Goblin Camp while more often than anticipated bumping into people mentioning some Absolute. For someone so in love with books, it would be pathetic if Gale wasn't able to gather hints about said topic.

That sorcerer had an incessant tendency to refer to him in the most grating way possible. Under normal circumstances, Gale would find some sort of pride in being a wizard, especially in comparison to casters such as herself. That being said, he was a former archmage, and more importantly, he had a name that Esteri well knew and merely chose not to use whenever it inconvenienced her—which seemed to be always.

He snorted at her at the question. "I believe I know a great deal more about them than you do. Remind me again, how did you come to find out about the harsh truths of ceremorphosis? Ah, no need, actually, I was there."

The words were unusually cutting for him, but he wasn't beyond admitting he was tired of Esteri's constant needling and derived some sort of satisfaction from jabbing back at her, even if it was an unfair play given the state of the woman's memory. "Whether I've discovered anything more, well. It seems they might be under the influence of this... 'Absolute,' but ours have yet to force us to bow to the same command. I assume you've observed this as well, unless you've been too busy mucking around with those silly little things you call spells? I've yet to puzzle out the connection beyond that, I haven't the means to study them while they're still squirming around in our skulls."

[ambitiousness]

@bloodyarn sent: [ SOFT ] uvu [ 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 ] ― sender wraps a soft blanket around receiver’s shoulders (from here)

He's been staring into the fire for gods knows how long—at least since he finished cleaning up after supper—watching the way the flames flicker and curl in a way he didn't know could feel so... mundane. Even as the kindling crackles and sparks, there's a yearning in his chest for the way he could once change its color with ease, shape it into magnificent fantasies and amuse an audience with a tale woven in fire.

And, all things considered, with what they've been through, most simple things feel mundane. Beneath the longing for what once was, there's also a semblance of peace to be found in these moments, one that never lasts quite long enough.

Reconciling the desire for more with the tired wanting for less is a complex feeling.

He blinks a bit blearily, looking down at his shoulders as a woolen blanket is draped over them. The fire has died down, just a low light now, and everyone is settling in to rest. Glancing up, he finds it's Babette who has carefully placed the blanket around him, and a soft, affected noise escapes his throat before he can stop it. It's a shockingly sweet sentiment, one he doesn't quite know how to appropriately respond to without making a fool of himself.

"Thank you," he finally gets out, corners of his mouth twitching upwards. "I gather I was a bit lost in my thoughts. Hope I haven't missed anything exciting."

[ambitiousness]

"it couldn't possibly be the nature of the courses you teach or the students who take them," gale drawls, clearly unamused, peering at his fellow professor over the rim of his glasses. "no, that would be too obvious. your little thieves sneaking off with expensive religious curios? please do share, if not one of them, who do you suggest it might be?"

(from @karsussfolly) as office hours draw to a close, professor dekarios knocks lightly on the door jamb and leans against it, peering in. "do you have a moment? i think your students have been sneaking mystran artefacts out of my lectures. someone's going to have to answer to the dean for that, you know."

　　　he’s meant to be heading home soon for a night of solitary drinking—not stuck here untangling this mess! professor ancunín presses back into leather swivel chair, forearms relaxed upon the rests as he locks eyes with his colleague. “let’s not jump to conclusions, now.” it was probably @stargroved, the little klepto... “what makes you so certain it was one of mine?”

[ambitiousness]

tag allocation post for ease of access!

[ambitiousness]

It wasn't lost on the mage when the proffered help didn't really materialize; Iseris had gone from chopping the foraged vegetables to snacking on them instead and he only found himself smiling at the realization.

"Yes, it's a passion I learned from my mother," he explained as he scooped the onions he'd finished slicing into the pot. "A good meal is one of the finer things in life much taken for granted, if you ask me. Though she'll tell you my cooking skills don't even begin to match her own, I'd like to think they're a close enough measure."

He swipes the other ingredients into the pot simmering over the fire, and turns back to Iseris. "What about yourself? Prefer something simple, or rather someone prepared you a grand banquet?"

PROMPTS FOR ORDINARY THINGS THAT FEEL INTIMATE

@ambitiousness asked: [ cook ] sender and receiver cook a meal together :)

With both staying behind at camp, Iseris had offered to help Gale prepare the meal for the evening, though she knew she had never been particularly good with cooking. At first, she stood at his side and watched him work before helping, chopping up some vegetables-- perhaps not as neatly as he was managing, but she was helping!

"Did you cook a lot back in your tower, then?" He seemed to have a bit of a knack for this, his movements smoother, knowing what went well with what. And though Iseris tried to help, she found herself easily distracted, taking a nibble from a raw carrot as she asked her questions.

[ambitiousness]

"A thank you is more than enough, Cricket." Though if he could use the opportunity to learn more about the Thri-Kreen, Gale was not going to pass it up. "It would hardly be appropriate to expect something in return for a birthday gift, after all."

And, speaking of birthdays. "You mentioned some questions? I'm happy to oblige."

@karsussfolly sent

"Hello, Cricket! I heard it was your birthday. I've brought you a little gift I arranged in some downtime, it's nothing too extravagant unfortunately, but I made do with what I could given our circumstances." The mage hands forth a picture frame, scavenged along their travels—the glass is missing and the backing is covered by a fine velvet, and pinned precariously in the center of the frame is a butterfly, a pale grey in color and definitely not a local specimen. Care has clearly been put into the way it's arranged. "These butterflies have been seen coming out of the Yawning Portal in Waterdeep the last few years. I caught a few for potential spell components but thought you might appreciate such a unique specimen."

 𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙺𝙴𝚃'𝚂  𝙱𝙸𝚁𝚃𝙷𝙳𝙰𝚈 .

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       He quite enjoyed Gale on a daily basis so far.      Always the wise one of their party, always very much open to discussing topics Cricket was unfamiliar with, no matter how trivial the insect's questions might seem to a human. He was a gift in himself. Someone the Thri-Kreen already treasured.

It was only a matter of time until the wizard caught up on that thing called birthday. If the druid heard of said event earlier, no shot he would have scuttled to Gale's tent, asking what all that was about.

     ❝ Ah, yes, birthday. I wanted to ask some questio- ❞     Amber eyes behind his glasses flicked towards the man's spell. Cricket momentarily forgot about his planned query, tilting  &  angling his head, marvelling at that specimen. Waterdeep. Ah yes, that is where the human came from. 

   He wanted to share a piece of his home with the Thri-Kreen   ?

An excited chirping sound came from the druid as soon as bony hands got hold of the frame.     ❝ This is preserved quite well, Gale. How does one show enough appreciation for such present   ?   Does a simple thank you even suffice   ? ? ❞

[ambitiousness]

"well, they do look rather the same," gale concurred with a half-hearted shrug as he watched puck take a turn with the telescope. "it's not about the individuals so much as the stories they tell. here."

unfortunately, the wizard didn't know half as much about the constellations above them right then as he did the ones he grew up gazing at. those, however, he'd practically memorized, and had sketched down many a time in the last twenty or so years of his life.

he flipped through the pages of his journal until he came across just such an image, turning it towards the ranger. the page showed a scattering of stars, and slowly he began to draw lines to connect them, like he'd done it a thousand times. "these are constellations you'd see further up the coast. this one..." he lifted his quill to reveal seven stars now connected in a slightly oblong circle. "...is called mystra's star circle. on it's own, yes, they're merely stars. together, they form this ring, with this brightest star here always indicating true north. if you're ever lost in while traveling the sword coast north, you can find your way back with the night sky as your map.

"they used to say mystra had a castle right in the middle of that circle. she doesn't, of course—but it was a story i loved growing up. and this one, just below it," he directed, picking up more ink to connect more stars. "this is auroth, the ice snake. see, the head here, and the tail on this side is tied in a knot. auroth was the beloved, loyal mount of auril, goddess of winter. the tale is that he sacrificed himself to save her in battle and for his deed, ascended to the stars."

by the time all of the constellations on the page are connected, gale realized he'd been going on for far too great a time. quietly, he closed his journal and stowed away his writing supplies. "my sincerest apologies, i didn't mean to keep you long. was there something i could assist with? you mentioned trying to get my attention, before."

guilt still chewed at him as he watched gale wipe the spilled ink away. it seemed magic could not fix the map. puck was probably just being dramatic again, but he noticed that was a pattern with magic. it could never seem to FIX anything. he knew that wasn’t how it worked or what it was even for but still. he thought it should be. 

his eyes followed gale’s gaze upwards. white specks of light spanned the night sky. stars. he didn’t really pay much attention to them himself. he knew of constellations, but he didn’t know how to identify any of them. every time he looked up, they all seemed the same to him. his mouth dipped into a frown. 

without thinking, he said, ‘ oh, is that all? ’ that sounds rude, puck. again, his face flushed, and he was glad he was looking up rather than at gale. he didn’t know what he expected gale to say. maybe he’d seen a meteor about to crash down on us . . . ? that would certainly be EXCITING, to say the least.  

‘ i mean-  i always thought they all sort of looked the same. is it different through a telescope?  ’ he was sure his ears had started to turn pink. he felt silly asking such a question. like some kind of dumb brute. of course they looked different. there were patterns; he just couldn’t see them, and maybe that frustrated him a little bit.  he eyed the telescope warily—as if it were more prone to biting than he was—before approaching to peer through it ( correctly, this time ).

[ambitiousness]

It took a moment for Gale to realize exactly why it was that Babette was suddenly concerned for his health. It was so simple to forget that cats of mundane nature did not speak, and that the general populace could not understand the Tressym language, when Tara had been his companion for nearly fifteen years. "I feel quite alright, but thank you. You'll understand should you have the chance to meet Tara, I'll leave it at that," he assured with a secretive smile.

"And yes, consider me in. Shall we?"

     Eyebrows knit together in a confused   —  dare say worried expression.     Oh no, was he already gone to insanity   ?   Babette always thought of him as the smartest  &  most wise of the group. Gale really imagined the cat talked back to him   ?   The young lady heard that most geniuses are crazy. She had . . . hopes.

      ❝ Haha, yes . . . I bet she is talkative. Your head isn't hurting, right   ?   The sun in Waterdeep can be merciless, I heard. The sea reflects sun rays all too well. ❞     Not teasing at all, Babette was worried here. Did her favorite wizard fall victim to a sunstroke   ?   The party did travel on less shady roads today. Either that, or his time in isolation made him hallucinate his Tressym talked to the man.

At the prospect of bribing Lae'zel to think a feline could be a grand asset to their mighty little army, Babette nods in agreement. The githyanki, however, was at the end of her list of people to ask. The idea still serves as formidable.

      ❝ So you are in   ?   We can go back to the lady whenever you are free. I bet the kitten will be . . . just as chatty as your Tressym, haha . . . ❞

[ambitiousness]

Instantly, the wizard felt guilty for even implying that Babette's schooling was lacking. It was astounding how efficient she was in making him feel like a fool; perhaps it would be better if he simply never spoke so as not to offend a wholesome lady such as herself.

"No, no!" he sputtered, trying to regain his bearings. "It's far from a bad thing, I'd be more than happy to enlighten you on any subjects your heart could possibly desire. A—a condom is a form of contraceptive, essentially animal intestine one wears over their phallus to prevent pregnancy. It's not my preferred form—not that you asked, nor that it matters," he added hastily, rubbing at his temple with a reluctant little smile. His own mouth was going to be his demise. "Does that answer the question, at least?"

     ❝ I was homeschooled. ❞      Came in a breath, not sure if she should feel ashamed or simply shrug it off as her parent's failure. A 25-year-old who does know little about protection must look funny in many people's eyes. Gale was, however, a kind soul, not exactly judging, patient. It was a relief.

     ❝ Is it something bad   ?   Is it bad I don't know about that   ?   I just . . . heard someone mention it  &  they had a whole argument about it. And since you are so smart  &  wise, I was hoping you could enlighten me . . . ❞

[ambitiousness]

Though Gale's own hair did not rival the likes of Iseris's or Shadowheart's, the dexterity with which he parted the woman's hair and braided it, trading strand over strand, was perhaps surprisingly proficient. He went slowly, making sure the braid was neat and even as he progressed. A few years ago, he'd worn his hair longer, though not to this length by far, and braiding it was not something he was unfamiliar with.

It had been clear that Iseris put an inordinate amount of care and time into her hair. The wizard could only imagine how tired her arms must be after even just washing it, particularly when they were in the wilderness and had limited ability and equipment for washing. The least he could do was offer his assistance.

"I hope this lovely plait of yours is something you choose to keep and not a burden," he said softly as he worked his way to the bottom. The back of his knuckles brush against her shoulder and linger there just a little too long. "Either way, I'm more than happy to offer my assistance again in the future if my work here is to your standards." The braid is carefully arranged around the base and pinned into place. It's certainly no picturesque, professional job, but it's tidy, secure.

𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑩𝑨𝑳 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺 .

@ambitiousness asked: 81﹕ sender  helps  receiver  [ dye / style ]  their  hair (gale can help ise or the other way around, whichever works better for you!)

When Gale made the offer to help, Iseris could not find it in her to refuse him even though it had been quite some time since she had last let another touch her hair. To have someone grab it in the throes of passion was quite different to this, to the simple act of brushing it, of taking care of it. Freshly washed and dried, Iseris's hair draped loosely about her back and shoulders as she sat with her back towards the wizard, exhaling a sigh as he brought her brush carefully through the strands. With her hair brushed though, it was silky and soft, slipping easily from one's fingers.

She could feel him separating the strands into three pieces, ready to braid it ready for bed. Iseris did not know at which point it happened but she soon found herself with her eyes closed, leaning back slightly into Gale's touch, soothed by it.

[ambitiousness]

Gale's breath hitched slightly as her lips parted further, and almost cautiously he pressed in with his thumb, experimentally even. "A funny question to ask," he muses, tilting his head curiously. If there were ever a moment he should not be okay with it, it should be now, when that monstrous thing within him could be the end of everything.

"I've rarely met a man to decline such an offer. I'd be hard pressed to do the same, but I've much more concern to your own feelings on the matter. Are you sure you'd like to?"

                                                       𝙻𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂 .                                                unprompted interactions

@karsussfolly: The kiss is fleeting, but his palm remains cupping her cheek even as he pulls away, thumb stroking over the soft flesh affectionately. Even as his heart feels like it's about to escape his chest and that hungry cavern desperate for magic within him flares within him, made unstable by even the most mundane of emotions, his biggest concern is of course being a gentleman. Thumb catching on Babette's lower lip, Gale parts them slightly. "Are you sure you want to do this, dear?"

         She  was,  in  fact,  not  sure.        Yet,  every  fiber  of  her  being  was  pulled  towards  the  wizard.  He  was  not  innocent,  for  he  clearly  made  no  effort  to  stop  the  subtle  touches,  only  dragging  her  deeper  in  this  prudish  hole  of  whatever  that  moment  had  to  offer.  Intrigue  flooded  Babette's  mind,  only  broken  periodically  by  waves  of  uncertainty.  

Was  this  okay   ?   Was  it  too  early �� ?   When  is  it  too  early  &  when  would  it  be  alright   ?  

    They  just  kissed.   

       ❝  Would  you  be  .  .  .  okay  with  it   ? ❞         Not  the  answer  Gale  was  looking  for,  that  much  she  was  certain  of.  doe-eyed  look  ascended  ;  lips  touch  skin  in  what  could  count  as  a  kiss  at  his  digit  while  it  rested  against  them    —    parting  further,  tentatively,  as  to  welcome  his  thumb  in.  Words  did  her  no  favor,  perhaps  actions  would.        

[ambitiousness]

The smile Gale was wearing felt permanently affixed to his face, particularly with the suggestion that Babette was looking at a distraction already. It wasn't quite what he had been aiming for, he had something else in mind, but if she thought he was already such a distraction, he was happy to play the role. It felt like quite the compliment, after all.

"If I'm welcome to, yes," he returned, stepping closer as the woman put her project down. Mustering what courage he could gather in his chest, he put it to use before it could flee, leaning down to offer that distraction he'd been hoping to give and meeting Babette for a soft kiss.

@karsussfolly sent

"Let me distract you."

     𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚝𝚜 .

❥ source

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     Oh, Babette read enough cheesy romance novels to know what this means.      Let's not act rash   —   she was working for hours on stitching Astarion's attire, or more like, attires. Many holes, much work. Gale most likely just wanted to . . . discuss some new book, tell her about his newest findings.

   But what if that was not the case.

The hexblood stops in her tracks, needle almost falling out of her hands as she stares utterly paralyzed in the wizard's direction. Words try to form, but not quite able to get them from her lips. Cursing herself for thinking so uncouthly. Should she just try  &  shoot her shot   ?   Was that what the gods wanted her to do   ?   A test   ?

      ❝ I- Uhm . . . W-Well, I am looking at a potent distraction right now . . . ❞     Came out shakier than anticipated. Flirting was so much harder when expected to actually work on your counterpart. Was that even a good line   ?   It worked in the novels-

The woman slid away her project for the night, offering Gale her full attention after that awful stumbler of a reply. But, Babette was indeed looking at her distraction, he was welcome in her tent   —   always so. And her fingers needed a break anyway, so did her eyes.      ❝ You, erh, want to stay here a bit longer, then . . .? ❞

[ambitiousness]

"I would hardly call that a dependency. It's quite the asset. Remind me, can sorcerers cast Arcane Lock? Otiluke's Resilient Sphere? Planar Binding? Don't be too quick to discard your wizards, my sorcerous friend."

The emphasis on the last syllable is dripping with sarcasm, even as his words keep that lighthearted tone. "Are you sure you wouldn't like a lesson in the arcane? I was a mentor to many a fellow student at Blackstaff in my time there, unless you don't think you've an aptitude for wizardry...?"

The suggestion that Esteri might not be as skilled as students at Blackstaff Academy was sure to serve as an affront to her—but this wasn't some moment of Gale putting his foot in his mouth. He knew well what he was doing.

     Pale red eyes roll in annoyance,      the remark earned Gale a humorless scoff     —    a click of tongue to present the sheer amount of irritation she felt when interacting with Mystra's little ex-favorite.     ❝ My, aren't we the clever one today   ? ❞

     ❝ I hate to tell you that scrolls are of little interest to me. Rather do I trust in my own abilities than some incantations a stranger wrote down on a piece of scroll. No offense (full offense)   —   I would oh so much hate to steal your precious little spell recipes away. After all, you wizards are rather dependent on them. ❞

As much as the conversation pulls on her nerves, Esteri found a certain appeal in arguing with the wizard. He was so sure of himself. How very adorable. Mayhaps she should get to the bottom of things   —   The woman never broke open a wizard's skull. Albeit pitying the archmage, she has to admit . . .

He would make for a fine corpse.