#✧˚ ˖ 𝒄𝒉 : study !

[sylksheeeee-a]

Ani isn't afraid of monsters or monster-like creatures. In fact , more often than not , she will try to befriend them.

[sylkshe-a]

super super nsft under the cut - ani's body claim !

[sylkshe-gone]

so i just wanted to elaborate on like , why ani is sometimes more animal than human & really , it's bc when she was avoiding Aleksorath , she spent 97 years , nearly a century in the sea. she didn't surface at all. even dragging people to shore that she saved , she was still partly in the water , her sealskin still halfway on , in case she needed to further help them , then it was instantly back in the water. she's so very out of touch with her humanity at that point. it's why she lacks physical boundaries ( which is actually kind of funny considering she flinches away when she's touched ) , but she doesn't understand that that itself is a boundary. it's why she would have no issue walking up to someone , completely naked & booping them on the cheek with her nose. she just ... doesn't get it. obviously it can be learned & taught over time , but for the most part , she's just a silly lil seal gal , boopin' people n gettin' in their business & stealing things bc she doesn't know it's stealing.

[honeybummer]

Chapter 25 "Ⴀ𝚘𝓂𝓮 𝒉𝚘𝓂𝓮, 𝒄𝒉༏𝒍𝓭" is up! Astarion <> Fem Fic - "Bloodstained" on A03

Below is a lil snippet:

In the shadowed study of Gale's home in Waterdeep, the room was filled with the scent of old parchment, herbs, and arcane residue. Books were stacked high around the room, some nearly toppling over, while others lay open, their pages marked with ancient symbols. 

Gale's voice broke the silence, his tone smooth yet edged with an unmistakable authority. "You must understand the gravity of what you're undertaking," he said, his hand pausing as he traced a particularly complex symbol into her skin. She winced but allowed him to continue. 

Lyra lay on her stomach atop a plush sofa, her tunic discarded to expose the pale expanse of her back. Next to her, Gale worked with precise, deliberate care, etching a glowing rune into her skin with a magical stylus. 

Tara, his ever-present feline companion, lounged lazily beside Lyra, her purring a soft background hum.

"These runes will bind someone to your will. Once the spell is cast, it will be irreversible. No other force or magic can undo it." He dug deeper into the skin on the back of her arms. 

She blew out a breath. "Explain it to me again. It's basically a reversal spell, right?"

Gale muttered something under his breath about her carelessness. "It's more than that. It's not just a shield; it's a weapon. Anyone who tries to bind you to their will shall find the spell backfires on them. This rune will protect you from such control."

"Even a god?"

Gale seemed to ponder, his fingers pausing on her soft skin. Lyra knew he regretted not claiming the Crown of Karsus. 

"Yes," he said. "Even a god." He resumed his work. "Should Bhaal—or any other being—attempt to bind you to their will, the rune will turn that magic against them. Instead of you being bound, they will be the one shackled to your will. It's a dangerous game, Lyra. You're wagering with a god's power."

He disapproved. She knew that. But he was still a good enough friend of hers to do this for her. 

When she had shown up on his doorstep, he had greedily taken her in. She was somewhat shaken and desolate after her run-in with Astarion. 

She explained that he had been corrupted. Had his soul taken. And she was on a quest to get it back. 

Gale tried to persuade her to forget it. That as long as she was with Gale, she would be safe. That there was no saving Astarion. That it was too dangerous.

Lyra wasn't worried about Astarion coming for her. She had seen the break in his mind; he let her go, after all. She didn't think he would come after her. At least, she hoped he wouldn't. 

So, she begged the wizard to help her.

Gale had feelings for her. She knew that. 

He had flirted with her many times and even tried to have sex with her. 

They had spent one passionate night together. He had shown her a mirage of his home, and she had told him she didn't need all that and wanted to see him for who he was.

They had kissed on a bed he had conjured. His hand slipped inside her shirt, down her trousers. He had made her come in a beautiful way. Then, she returned the favor.

When he had tried to remove her underwear, she had stopped him. As much as she wanted to experiment, she didn't want to hurt Astarion. 

Not that the vampire seemed to care about her feelings or her trysts, but she still wanted to take it slow. 

Gale made love to her with his fingers. 

Astarion devoured her with animalistic intensity. 

Gale looked at her with love.

Astarion glared at her with hunger.

Gale whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Astarion growled sensual threats.

Both were pleasurable. Only one got her blood pumping and her core throbbing. 

And it wasn't Gale.

Lyra had broken it off with Gale a few days later. Having Gale's fingers in her only made her realize that she only ever wanted to feel Astarion's. 

Gale had pouted. Ignored her for days. And then he had forgiven her. 

As his fingers draped over her bare back reverently, she knew he still hoped she might come around. And she had every reason to want to. But, her heart belonged to Astarion. And she was going to save him. 

So, Gale agreed to help her.

"I don't have enough space on your arms. I am going to need to continue on your back," he said, letting his fingers smooth down her skin.

"How much?"

"It's a powerful combination of runes. It will cover your entire back."

How ironic. Astarion's back was scarred with runes meant to cage him. 

Her back would be covered in runes meant to set him free. 

She nodded, and Gale handed her a glass of whiskey. She downed it and he refilled it for her. 

"This will be very, very unplesant," he warned. 

She gritted her teeth and let him continue.

Sweat coated her skin as the minutes stretched into hours. The pain was intense, but she was used to pain, wasn't she?

The pain of knowing Astarion was lost was much, much worse. 

Lyra spoke, desperate to distract herself. "So, when I enter his temple, and Bhaal tries to take control…"

"He'll find himself ensnared instead," Gale finished, his voice low. "But you must be prepared. The moment he tries to dominate you, there will be a struggle—a battle of wills. You need to be strong enough to hold on, to not let him break free."

She turned her head slightly, her eyes filled with determination. "What kind of struggle?" She moaned in pain as Gale began to carve runes across her spine.

Gale's expression hardened, and the warmth in his voice was replaced by a cold edge. "If you falter, if your resolve wavers, Bhaal could overpower you and take everything. You must be certain, Lyra. This is a battle you cannot afford to lose."

Lyra listened to the soft tear of her skin as Gale opened the skin on her back. 

It felt endless.

"You'll need more than these runes to be successful. I'll be giving you a strong protective amulet. Certain curses and magical items will have no effect on you. He may try to restrain you when he attempts to bind you. The enchantments of such bindings will not hold you. His ritual will require the blood of Bhaal, which he will provide. Before the ritual is complete, you will need to add your own blood to the mixture, and this will seal Bhaal's will to yours."

The pain became a dull throbbing sensation, and her mind became fuzzy, but Gale tapped her head with his finger. "Did you hear me? Without your blood, the ritual will not work."

She nodded. "Yes."

"Luckily for you, he will do the entire ritual for you, thinking you will become his. All you have to do is steel your mind and provide your blood. And make sure he frees Astarion's soul before the ritual."

She nodded again. 

"Quit moving."

"Sorry." Then, "I appreciate your help, Gale. Truly."

He took a break and handed her more liquor. She gratefully drank.

He said nothing for a long moment. 

Tara snored softly beside her. 

"I could take care of you, you know. Give you things he cannot. A family. A house filled with love. Kindness."

She closed her eyes and bit back her guilt, setting her head back down so he could continue. 

Gale sighed. "But, you don't want care. Or kindness."

Lyra thought it might be true. She wanted danger. Freedom. Exhilaration. Pain. Pleasure. 

She had been looking for a home all this time, and she found it in the chaos of a vampire. 

"I know," she whispered.

With a tender hand, he pushed the stray, sweat-soaked hairs off her neck so they would not get into the bloody mess that was her back.

Hours passed, and Gale finally finished.

"This may hurt," he said again.

He uttered several dark phrases, and she felt her skin tingling. Searing. Like someone was branding her. 

She refused to scream.

Lyra closed her eyes, feeling the magic sink into her skin, becoming a part of her. The rune felt like a living thing, humming with power, and she knew there was no turning back now. 

Gale finished the chant. Tara, seemingly uninterested in the gravity of the moment, stretched and curled closer to Lyra, her soft fur a brief comfort.

As Gale stood, his eyes softened for a moment. "Remember, Lyra, this rune is your safeguard. Bhaal may be a god, but even gods can be bound. Even ascended vampires can be defeated. You have the power now—don't let them take it from you."

The runes on her back pulsed with a faint, steady glow, a silent promise of the power it held.

The pain remained for days.

[sylksheeeee-a]

Ani is the definition of " tell me every terrible thing you've ever done & let me love you anyway " & tbh , I love that for her.

[sylksheeeee-a]

please consider : companion ! Ani & when she turns into a seal , you get a free squishy floof to cuddle. 10 / 10 party companion.

[sylksheeeee-a]

ani in bg3 , holding the party up constantly because she's looking at every single unique looking rock to see if she should add it to her collection.

[sylksheeeee-a]

something that i wanted to elaborate on , since i'm starting to develop a few more ships & such & i've been being such a silly willy on the dash , i haven't really gone over this too much , but : i know i've been sending smooches & ani's been getting smooches , but timeline wise , any sort of touching wouldn't even happen until after a lot of time being spent together. ani has a severe aversion to touch , due to trauma & this extends one way or another across all of her verses. the only time she doesn't seem to mind touching another person is when she's saving someone's life. in fact , upon first meeting & spending time with her , she will remain a short distance away from someone & she flinches at sudden movements. however , it just takes a lot of patience & time to build trust with her & eventually , she'll become more used to touch & she'll start asking for it , because in actuality , she's so touch starved that once she gets over the fear of it , she starts wanting it.

[sylksheeeee-a]

listen , i think in the end , ani will fall in love , to some capacity , with everyone she does not have a familial relationship with. it's quite clear that she wears her heart on her sleeve & that she's very emotionally influenced. when she touches someone , she can feel everything & that alone can create such a strong bond with her. it's just about as close as she can get to someone without reading their thoughts or consuming them. so i do feel like it would be completely natural for her to constantly fall in love with those that she meets & i think it does a lot of explaining as to why she even fell for czernabog , because she doesn't see a mean , evil devil. she feels the pain & agony that made him that way.

[sylksheeeee-a]

i fully believe that ani isn't afraid of things that should be scary , not only bc she's spent so much time in the sea & is essentially just , unaware , but also bc she doesn't grasp the concept of danger. of fear. i think she associates fear with pain bc the only time she's ever been well & truly afraid was with czernabog , when he was tearing her wings off. she is terrified of him & so her entire experience with him afterwards has been in fear.

bg3 verse specific : in her companion quest line , after the party meets raphael for the first time , she starts acting stranger than usual. she goes completely mute for a few days & i absolutely think it would be noticeable by the party given that they know she goes mute sometimes , but she's just been getting to the point of opening up more & smiling & laughing. so i think the fact that raphael is a devil , triggers her first fear - related response , which takes the form of her going mute , having nightmares etc. it is at this point , should the player choose to ask her about it , that she reveals ( tho it takes a bit for her to get there , not wanting to speak ) part of her history with czernabog.

anyway , yea , this is why she just dives right into what would be considered dangerous situations & is probably why the player doesn't take her along very often !

[sylksheeeee-a]

I am just thinking about how in the beginning , Ani didn't like the sea. she didn't remember being an angel , but she knew something was missing , so it took her a while to actually take to the water. then there was one day she put on her seal skin & went for a swim & she was swimming fast. fast & free & it felt almost familiar , to the point where her back scars started tingling as if , even though her mind could not remember , her body remembered what flying felt like & swimming like that was the closest she would come to it. & that's when she bonded with the ocean & made it her home & took care of it & enjoyed it.

[sylksheeeee-a]

it's 2:30 am , i can't sleep. i tried writing , but no words happened , so i will talk about Aniela , :)))

she had 6 wings as an angel , so nearly the entirety of her back is completely marred with the scarring from having them ripped off. the hardest thing in the world for her is to show someone her back & ugh , it makes me so sad , because it's really what drives so much of her timidness around people. that , plus what Czernabog did to her later , BUT— i just love she. do u love she ? 🥺

[sylksheeeee-a]

I JUST WANNA BE REAL CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING. ANI IS WEAK. like. she doesn't have any prowess with fighting whatsoever. technically speaking , she isn't even considered a full healer. but she is not a coward. this is mostly because she lacks the awareness to feel afraid , unless she feels physical pain. but generally , she will not judge something simply by looks or reputation alone. but yeah , she is not a physically strong being.

[sylksheeeee-a]

I am laying in bed , but I wanted to touch on that bit that I mentioned in that nsft headcanon ask.

Czernabog used Ani for many things. One of the main things being an art piece at parties. Being an evil god , the Czernabog hosted many lavish parties where uninhibited debauchery was rampant. During these parties , he would put Ani in some type of lingerie & he would decorate her with shibari , the rope being made of black smoke , composed of his essence. He would make intricate designs on her & incorporate her hair into the rope & would suspend her from the ceiling , in a different pose each time , but every time , something incredibly uncomfortable for Ani. He would remark how Ani always made the " prettiest art " for his parties & usually she would be the main attraction. Sometimes the parties lasted hours , leaving Ani with throbbing headaches & muscle aches. Luckily not for long , since she could simply heal herself. But ultimately , she was left with trauma from it & that is why she won't do any suspension bondagen & rarely any kind of bondage at all.

[sylksheeeee-a]

so , like , I know it's not sinday , but this has been on my mind lately since Ani has been being real soft n cute in some of yalls inboxes — she is like , " not a thought behind those eyes " dummy , but she is very sensual. she's extremely adept with emotions & sensual body language. when she is touched by someone , she can feel them. she can manipulate another person's emotions ( not without consent ) , so even though she is soft baby fragile most of the time , when she is intimate , it can be kind of intense. she'll make direct eye contact & her face will show every emotion she is feeling. depending on her relationship with her partner , the longing is very visible in her eyes & just the overall energy she radiates is very intense.

[sylksheeeee-a]

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

just imagine Ani like this moving around camp