#(maybe tied with lae'zel)

[blackjackkent]

Suggestion for your fic prompt request :)

Jaheira and Karlach - "stories around the campfire" - Karlach is full of questions about the old days, and Jaheira tells her a story she may not have expected.

TYSM for this prompt! This one made me smile a lot. (I really love writing both Jaheira and Karlach, so writing both of them bonding is, as Karlach would say, aces. :D ) I really hope you enjoy it!

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Comrades and Lost Children

Pairing: Jaheira & Karlach Characters: Jaheira, Karlach Rating: G Warnings: None Word Count: 2.3k Setting: Several hours after the death of Ketheric Thorm Summary: Jaheira and Karlach share memories during a late night after the fall of Moonrise Towers. other bg3 one-shots | send me fic requests!

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A shadow among shadows, the black panther pads through the twisted forest outside Moonrise.

The curse is already beginning to fade with Ketheric’s death. The land is hardly yet safe, but the silent creature can step without pain in the milder patches of darkness. And it seems joyous in that freedom; a low purr rumbles in its throat as it darts repeatedly from the path to climb a gnarled tree trunk or roll in a struggling patch of grass, scenting out the places where nature’s strength is starting to recover within the broken landscape.

It’s a short journey north to Last Light, but the panther’s meandering route takes it past the moonlight-bathed building. Instead, it makes for the small camp where Hector and his companions have been lodging since their arrival in the shadowlands. Unsurprisingly, given it is nearly two in the morning, the camp is still and silent; only a lone tiefling figure sits up keeping guard by the slowly dying fire.

So softly does the huge cat move that Karlach does not at first notice its approach. It is almost within the circle of firelight before she registers it - but when she does, she moves fast, leaping to her feet with a startled cry and bringing her sword to bear on the beast. “Holy shit--”

For a moment the two of them stare at each other, unmoving. Then the panther's body begins to shift, magical energy flowing off it like a surge of dark water. Jaheira's lithe form uncurls within the burst of power into a standing position from the hunch in which the wildshape left her. “Is there a problem, Karlach?” she says, looking calmly into the point of the sword drawn on her.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Karlach says. She slumps with relief and lets the weapon drop to her side; a nervous smile bursts onto her face at once as she recognizes the other woman. “You scared the piss out of me.” 

Read More on AO3

[gender-euphowrya]

bg3 players with like 40 billion mods that completely change everything about the characters' appearances scare me tbh like. maybe play a game with guys that look like that already in it

[autistichalsin]

Analysis of each character's final words in the new Dark Urge evil ending

If you are romanced to a character, you have the option, when taking the new version of the Sins of the Father ending, to kill your partner in front of the others in your party, killing them with one last kiss. They then give their last words and pass away. I love each and every one and feel they are incredible characterization moments.

So let's break these down!

Lae'zel:

I... I am glad it was you. No other blade would have sufficed.

This is something that hammers home that, Vlaakith or no, Lae'zel deeply believes in all the ideals of a Githyanki. Life is a privilege for the strong, and death is the price of weakness. Further, if romanced, Lae'zel will affectionately call you "the source of my bruises" many times. If she has to die, if she has finally found the one person stronger than herself, then she is "satisfied" that it is you- who she both loved and admired. The only one she would ever consider worthy of besting her.

Karlach:

Fuck you.

Short, simple, and to the point, just the way Karlach does everything else. She's already gone through all her stages of grief with her engine- well, almost all of them. Anger still remains. She burns hot until the end.

Wyll:

I... I forgive you.

This isn't just Wyll being a good guy. This is heartbreak, and guilt. Guilt for not saving you from Bhaal's influence when he was so sure he had. Heartbreak that after he gave his literal soul to save as many people as he could, he couldn't save you- and couldn't save others from you, either. All he sacrificed, negated in an instant by the person he loved and trusted most. Of all the characters here, Wyll (tied with Halsin) sounds the most obviously broken, and it's easy to see why, given that he is self-sacrificing to a fault.

There was a set of scenes datamined from the game, where at the Morphic Pool, the Netherbrain would have taunted the players, causing them to hallucinate things related to their fears and insecurities. Wyll's would have been a vision of himself talking about how he was never a hero, how the Blade of Frontiers was a farce all along. One can't help but think about that scene here, wondering just how much blame, bordering on self-loathing, he might feel here.

Dark Justiciar Shadowheart:

I... I'm coming to you, Lady Shar.

Another short and simple one. By becoming a Dark Justiciar, Shadowheart has fully embraced the nihilism of Shar's teachings. Why be saddened or angry at her own death when this is just what she's embraced with all her sacrifices?

(Sidenote: this does also answer a question I had, namely, what was going to happen to everyone Durge kills. Thankfully it seems they aren't actually going to be sacrificed to him as such, and will indeed end up in the realm of their deities. This makes Bhaal's plan even DUMBER, because deities in DND lore need worshippers to have enough power to exist. Killing everyone at once just guarantees that soon after Durge dies as the last person alive, so too will Bhaal fade from existence.)

Selunite Shadowheart:

I... I thought we were going to save each other...

This Shadowheart rejected everything she knew. She was scared to defy her goddess, but worked up the courage- thanks to you. She thought you would have a new life together. She believed in you. She thought she would get to return the favor, and help you turn the page on Bhaal, too.

She's not just heartbroken for herself; she's heartbroken for you, too. Heartbroken at the life you denied both her and yourself.

Gale:

You made me want to live...

From the moment the orb entered Gale's chest, he knew he was at risk of dying. Then Mystra all but marked him as a dead man walking. But despite that, he finds love with you- and for the first time thinks maybe there is a purpose for him beyond Mystra. That he isn't more useful to the world dead. More than that, he wants to live to be with you, to enjoy your company and companionship. And then you kill him, and do the one thing WORSE than what would have happened if he'd never been pulled from that rock.

It almost would have been kinder to just hack his hand off the first time you met him, though Gale may or may not agree.

Spawn Astarion:

I should have killed you when I had the chance...

The angriest, most bitter response out of all the romanced companions, a step beyond Karlach's "fuck you." This is beyond "fuck you" and even beyond "I hate you." It's "I regret every moment I spent with you." You made him believe he could have better. That he could recover from what Cazador did. You even convinced him to spare the 7,000 spawn and that he could be something better than Cazador.

And now you reveal it was all a lie. Astarion is probably thinking that you talked him out of completing the ritual solely so he'd be easier to kill right here and now. How many regrets are flashing through his mind, how many moments where he wonders if things could have been different if only he'd done this or that, even aside from killing you?

All he wanted was to live as a free person. And then the first time he thinks he has that at last, he loses it as the world ends.

Ascended Astarion:

No... no, this can't be... I can't- you can't- no...

In contrast to spawn Astarion, ascended isn't angry, because he doesn't have the clarity, the ability to process what's happening. Spawn Astarion could tell he'd been betrayed.

But Ascended? Ascended, who went through so much to become one of the most powerful beings in the world, only to STILL lose without fanfare? And by you, his own spawn who he thought he had under his control? It isn't betrayal, because he is bluescreening; he can't comprehend what happened or how or why. How could he have been killed, and by you of all people? Was all he went through killing Cazador really for nothing? How could it be when he was supposed to be the most powerful? Was power actually meaningless all along?

He doesn't say anything of substance because he can't understand what's happening here.

Halsin:

Thaniel... goodbye...

Halsin is the oldest of all the companions. He's experienced the most loss of anyone; his birth family, his fellow Druids, and, for a time, Thaniel. He has had more than enough time to contemplate his own mortality, because he's already lived multiple lifetimes.

So here, two things are happening. One, he isn't expressing anger or betrayal at his murder- because he is more than wise enough, and humble enough, to understand that there are worse things than what has been done to himself. Instead of himself, he is thinking of the world he's leaving behind that is about to fall- and most of all, of his most important person, the one who gave him a purpose, who was there when no one else was, who he failed once and only just got back. The closest thing to a child he'll ever have. In his last moments, instead of himself, Halsin is thinking of those he loves.

And second, it's an almost deliberate snubbing of Durge. He willingly walked into that kiss, knowing full well it would be the last thing he ever did. He gave you his death, he pleaded with his own god to forgive you and him both. He gave you everything he felt he owed you, and no more- no begging or sobbing. Instead, he comes as close as he ever gets to selfishness, and spends his last moments thinking about the thing that makes him the happiest- which could have been you, in another life, if you hadn't done this.

Minthara:

No... we were meant to do this together...

Heartbreak, disbelief, and betrayal. You spent so many nights planning this out. She had been cast aside by her people, her goddess, and she was going to get the last laugh. She was going to crush them personally under her heel and prove she was the best (or second best, behind you) of all of them. She's devastated she won't get to help you torture all those souls and take what she feels was owed to her. But interestingly enough... no anger. Probably because it was overshadowed by the sheer heartbreak, but also a sign that even in those moments, she still admires you for your ruthlessness.

[spanishskulduggery]

Baldur's Gate 3 - Non-binary Translation in Spanish

A while back I had mentioned that when I learned how to change language settings for Baldur's Gate 3, I was curious to learn how they would adapt the non-binary [no binario] option into Spanish since Spanish (like many Romance Languages) is very gendered

What I saw actually surprised me a bit

Usually in game translations with different genders, English tends to treat you as a "they" even though it's usually male or female; and in Spanish most of the lines are gendered, or phrased in a very ambiguous way in translation like speaking of your character as una persona "a person" rather than "he" or "she", or "they"

This is one of the first times I've seen the gender neutral -e endings used in an official setting

-

For the purposes of this, and any future posts on this, I decided I would try to play as a non-binary gnome cleric. I should also mention that when you start up the game in Spanish and you do the character customization, everything starts you with the base word (i.e. masculine by default, or possibly agender but looks masculine)... as in you can choose to be elfo "elf", semielfo "half-elf", humano "human", semiorco "half-orc"... choose between bárbaro "barbarian", mago "wizard", brujo "warlock" and so on

My default character creation screen read gnomo, clérigo for "gnome cleric"

But the way your character is addressed by others is what changes

The first NPC you interact with is "Us" a little brain thing you can choose to help. If you do it calls you "friend":

Nosotros: Somos libres. Tenemos nuestra libertad. amigue Us: We are free. We have our freedom. Friend [nb].

The word used is amigue

For the sake of understanding Spanish grammar, you probably know amigo/a "friend". The G here is a hard G. The gender neutral ending is E... but the combination of GE is pronounced like an H sound in Spanish [la gelatina "gelatin" for example is like "hel-a-ti-na"]. To preserve that hard G sound, you have to add a UE to it... so amigo/a becomes amigue for non-binary

[if you study Spanish this is the exact same grammar you'll see in turning -gar verbs into subjunctive forms; why pagar would turn to pague]

The next person you come across is Lae'zel:

Lae'zel: Tsk'va. No eres une sierve. ¡Vlaakith me bendijo en el día de hoy! Juntes, tal vez podamos sobrevivir. Lae'zel: Tsk'va. You are no thrall [nb]. Vlaakith blessed me today ["on this day of today"; emphatic]. Together [nb plural], we may (yet) survive.

Interestingly, there's first siervo/a meaning "servant" or "serf" or "thrall"

What I found very interesting was that you have une... un and una being "a" are used for indefinite articles; the non-binary form seems to be une

What threw me off though was seeing juntes... now junto/a is "together" [lit. "joined"] but juntes implies a non-binary plural.

I don't know if this is because in Spanish grammar it would imply that non-binary trumps feminine [the way amigos "friends" could be male+female or multiple male, as opposed to amigas "friends" being all female]... or if it's maybe an error or something else; the game treats Lae'zel as a woman in every other regard so I think it's the first one which is a situation I somehow hadn't considered. I had just assumed it would be juntos ...or juntas if you played female

Next I decided to rescue Gale first because he uses a lot of adjectives/professions and I wanted to see what they looked like:

Gale: No serás clérigue por casualidad, ¿verdad? ¿Médique? ¿Cirujane? ¿Increíblemente hábil con una aguja de tejer? Gale: You wouldn't happen to be a cleric, right? A doctor/medic? Surgeon? Unbelievably skilled with a knitting needle?

First is clérigo/a "cleric" being used in non-binary as clérigue. Similarly we have médique which is the non-binary médico/a for "medical doctor"

[just like above C turned to QUE to preserve a hard C/K sound; you'll see this with subjunctive and even preterites of -car verbs... why atacar "to attack" will turn to ataqué "I attacked" and ataque in subjunctive... because CE has a soft S sound in Latin America, and can be lisped in Spain]

And next is cirujane... the word cirujano/a is "surgeon"

Finally important note - hábil being "able" or "skilled" is a unisex adjective, so there is no change in any gender - masculine, feminine, or non-binary

*Note: I did miss it but at some point someone used the article le to describe my character. The el and la "the" are the masculine and feminine definite articles; le is non-binary "the" which still catches me by surprise because it looks French to me

-

I've been told since I made the original post that people have seen the non-binary E ending used in other things, but this was special for me to see. I'm curious how the other gendered languages available treated non-binary options

It was a fun surprise for me, especially for some modern day Spanish linguistics in a VERY big modern game, with non-binary word choices being heavily prominent. It's a bit of a learning experience for me

If I find any more fun examples of NB language being used I'll let y'all know as I go

[xthescarletbitch]

random smut headcanons || bg3 ladies x reader

18+, minors do NOT interact

cw: afab!reader!receiving, implied strap-on use, f!reader terms of endearment

word count: 1600+ (400+ each)

author’s note: these are some of my current smut headcanons for lae’zel, minthara, shadowheart, and karlach that originally started as what i thought their fave positions were. i should probably share that i have yet to beat the game or explore all of their romances, so my opinions may change in the future as i do. enjoy! <3

lae'zel

lae’zel likes to fuck you in any position that gives her power, but then again, she’d manage to get power in any position you find yourselves in. if i had to describe a position that she’d like, i’d go for one where you are sitting on her strap, but backward, your back flush against her chest, which is heaving. she juts her hips straight up into you with one hand on your breast and another strumming your clit, her mouth placing kisses and love bites on the skin she can access. the contact of your bodies together has grown to be so intimate for her that it’s a must anytime you have sex–no matter the duration. even during those short moments when you can get some relief, when she’d have you pressed against a nearby surface, completely under her control, she wants your chests grinding together as she brings you to your peak. her hands will happily explore your body with the gentle touch that she craves herself. when the strap isn’t in the picture, she’ll still bring you to orgasm with a combination of her mouth, fingers, and pussy. lae’zel would be a fan of rubbing her pussy over yours, relishing in the mess you both make. and on that note, she definitely touches herself whenever she eats you out.  lae’zel also likes to be bitten–shoulders, ears, everywhere, especially her lips. take her plump bottom lip in between your teeth, pull, and she will go crazy. she will push you down and take you right then and there (giving you your own marks, of course). she wants to bear the mark of the conquest, and her possessive side is pleased to show the world who belongs to whom. and on the softer side of things, lae’zel is a big fan of being adorned in kisses, with her favourite spot being her jawline. lae’zel may also have a hard time being patient when it comes to you. sometimes, you just smell so good to her that she has to take you right then and there. the party will stop for a short rest, and she will quickly pull you into an empty room she found, pushing you up against the wall as soon as she closes the door. she wastes no time stripping you of the pesky clothes that get in her way. she must taste all of you–everything else can wait.

minthara

minthara is another fan of being in control–who would have thought? she usually favours the positions that have you writhing beneath her, begging for more. it boosts her ego to know that she’s the one–the only one–to give you the abundance of pleasure. she’ll have you on your hands and knees in front of her, her strap buried deep inside of you, and your face buried in the pillows below. your hands would be tied behind your back, firmly in her grasp, as she pounds into you. maybe she’ll push your face a little more into the pillow just for fun. she can also get a bit sadistic at times, sometimes denying you an orgasm, ordering you to hold it until she gives you permission. she always gives in, though, especially when you’re taking her so well. minthara will never outright admit it, but she loves the gentler moments just as much as the rough ones. for instance, she likes to have you on your side to where she can take you from behind, her body pressed against your own, and her hands caressing your skin. it’s a bonus when a mirror is nearby, specifically in a position that puts you both on full display. she thinks the act of sex is beautiful and wants to see everything, including your pleasure-stricken face. it is in these moments that soft minthara shines. she’ll allow herself to be a bit vulnerable with you but will still find it hard to express it through words… so she will show her love for you through her actions–more specifically, through her touch. her touches feel heated against your skin, showcasing her passion for you, and she does it in such a loving way that she doesn’t even need words to supplement them. of course, that doesn’t mean that she won’t use sweet words with you, because she will, such as reminding you of the obvious: you are brave, you are strong, you are exquisite; it just means that she is better at showing her admiration for you through the use of her own body.  minthara is also insanely possessive. she’ll mark you just as lae’zel would, but she’ll also bring it into the sheets, reminding you whose pussy it is as she fucks it. in those moments when she’s feeling particularly in the mood, she’ll get a bit rougher and make you repeat, out loud, who you belong to. she wants the neighbours to hear it. 

shadowheart

shadowheart just loves to be deep inside of you, holding power or not. she’ll happily take you in various positions, whether you’re on top or bottom. it is worth noting that she can get a little greedy, though, but never too rough. when the power is in her favour, she just wants more and more. she becomes so consumed by the moment–the way your hips snap together, the way your mouth falls open to let moans escape, the way you take her so well–it’s all so intoxicating. she wants to feel it all... so maybe she’ll cast a little spell to where she can. it makes your love life so much more interesting. each time she enters you, each time she bottoms out in you, each time she hits your g-spot, each time is enough to drive her crazy (and you will hear her moans). she’ll maintain such an intimate tempo the entire time, too. she is in no rush to bring you to orgasm and wants to savour every moment. she may go slow, but fuck, she’ll make you both feel so good. shadowheart is in love with every part of you and wants to see it all during sex. she gets so mesmerised and yearns to love on it all. whenever you’re riding her, she loves to watch and admire your breasts as they bounce. (as i have seen in many headcanons, and agree with,) shadowheart is also a fan of your ass, which she’ll grab whenever she has a chance to. for fun, she’ll take you from the back just to see it bounce, too. i also think she’d slap it to see a bit more jiggle, being fascinated by the red handprints she leaves in its place.  shadowheart is a fan of other things during sex, like playing with and pinching your nipples. while she isn’t very rough with you, she’s not opposed to a little pain with your pleasure. she would gladly receive the same treatment (being gentle all the time is no fun to her). she also loves (LOVES) to have her fingers on you, in you, all of it. she’ll usually bring you to orgasm from her fingers alone. feeling you clench around her fingers gets her wet herself, which honestly makes her a fan of getting each other off at the same time. there is something divine to her about having each other’s fingers buried deep inside the other, moaning into each other’s mouths as you press on.  shadowheart also loves to call and be called a good girl. i don’t make the rules.

karlach

karlach loves anything where she can pull you close and love on you properly, so slow and sensual love-making sessions with her are a must. she deems you a goddess and believes you must be treated as such. when she has you in a position like missionary, she likes to use her hands to roam across your body and caress it gently, often leaving her kisses in their place. gods, you are just so intoxicating to her–she’ll react similarly to shadowheart in this sense. she’d do anything to be able to feel herself be inside of you–that might just drive her crazy. if that were to happen, i don’t think she’d keep up with being very gentle. i think those years of pent-up passion would just explode and lead her to grip your hips like a mad woman, pulling you roughly toward hers until she couldn’t get any deeper.  karlach gets so giddy during foreplay. she can hardly contain herself sometimes. she has to remind herself to go a little slower rather than just rip your clothes off of you (which she would totally do). she gets breathless during makeout seshes because she never wants to depart her lips from yours, yet she will still try to fiddle with your clothes, eager to admire what lies beneath. unless, of course, you were okay with her giddiness… in which case she will show you just how needy she is for you. your clothes would be on the floor, and your bodies meshed together in less than thirty seconds (she has timed it before). whatever the occasion, she will make it a moment you will never forget. she is all about giving you what you want… many, many times. many!! karlach does have a soft spot for you riding her, though. she’ll be patient with you unless you want some more, in which case she will happily oblige–she’ll have you flat on your back in less than ten seconds, ready to give you all the attention you crave. just think of the way she lays on her back in camp (you cannot tell me that she does not want to be ridden until she sees stars). she is also a fan of trying different positions, such as fucking you while standing, her arms holding you up in the air as she pulls you down on her cock. she will take any excuse to do it, too. it gives her a good workout. karlach is also such a sweetheart with her words during sex. she’ll tell you how good you’re being for her and how she will adore you as long as you let her. 

[amysgiantbees]

I just find it strange that the developers chose to rewrite Wyll. I love new Wyll I think he's fantastic and I don't necessarily want the previous version. But I find it bizarre that there was somehow so much negative feedback about old Wyll that they risked completely rewriting him.

Now I love all the companions. This is not Dragon Age Orgins where I debate recruiting Ogrun every time. But I just find it strange that the reason given was Wyll's negative feedback when most of the other characters have been unpopular too. Like Lae'zel is infamously unlikable to a great many people.

People love to bully Gale and there's even lines in game that call him pathetic. The DEV's in the IGN interview even agreed that Gale killing himself can be a good ending, " I really liked Gale setting off the bomb with the brain, and actually that felt like the right ending to me.

AS: In many ways it is, yeah." Which feels problematic to say the least, like I get supporting player choices but suicide is never the "right" way to do things.

Or even I'm pretty sure I remember Neil Newbon talking about how he was sure a lot of players had killed Astarion permanently in their playthroughs.

Then there are people being absolute freaks on the internet about Halsin all because he's polyamorous.

Like these characters are wildly popular too but they certainly have their haters. So why did they lack such confidence with Wyll? The best source I could find on early access Wyll is this article https://gamerant.com/baldurs-gate-3-wyll-early-access-story-change-karlach-explained/. It says that this change was made to make his story stronger, make him more unique, and give him more complicated emotional ties. Unless he was really basic before they did not accomplish this. He has less content so his story lacks the depth the other's do. It's also inconsistent, with you being able to put him off being a duke by telling him he'll be too power hungry which he has never been. His emotional ties are rushed. He never really confronts his father, having the tadpole do most of the work and never hashing out his feelings beyond that he's fine.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. According to the article he was meant to have a dark side like Shadowheart "According to the panel, depending on whether players allow him to go through with killing Karlach, he will become a radically different companion instead of if she is recruited." Which would have been cool but if they didn't have enough time to do that maybe they should have tweaked what they had.

Plus, according to the article in early access he was "a straightforward hero who develops a violent side regarding his patron or goblins." This article too show's that his early approval matches current Wyll pretty well except for dealing with Aunty Ethel and more goblin hate https://fextralife.com/baldurs-gate-3-early-access-companions-guide-wyll/.

I just don't know I just find it so frustrating that it was the black main character they chose to tweak and ran out of time to complete his story and still haven't fixed it with a patch. And in the IGN interview the devs kind of sounded like there wouldn't be anymore patches and it's just frustrating. Wyll deserves just as much content as any one else.

[reriart]

maybe it’s the tav I’m currently playing but I am so fixated on a tav absolutely convinced Astarion does not find her attractive despite the obvious, him sleeping with her x2, openly complimenting her etc etc and that leading too sloppy, emotional sex between the two, what do you think?

Dear anon,

thank you so much for asking me, I hope you'll like it! Since I suffer from body dysmorphia, I thought I'd put this topic inside the fic, I hope it's ok for you!

Let me worship you

Tags/CW: +18 MDNI, afab Tav, very smut, body dysmorphia, plus size tav, depression and panic attacks, Tav is a bit insecure and jealous, oral and piv sex, body worshipping, Astarion is a lil angry, tadpole connection, the infamous knee, Astarion is both dom and sub here.

English is not my native language. Link to AO3.

Divider by @cafekitsune

‘What's wrong with me?’

That question keeps buzzing in your head, loud as if you had a wasp nest right in your skull instead of a tadpole.

‘Why can't I be as beautiful like them?’

The knot in your stomach makes the bowl of fruit porridge Gale prepared, now in your hands, appear heavy and uninviting. The scent of apples, enticing until moments before, makes you nauseous.

Your gaze rests first on Lae'zel, then on Shadowheart and finally on Karlach. The toned body of the githyanki, the refined beauty of the half-elf, the marble muscles of the tiefling.

Then you observe yourself: your soft belly, your scarred skin, your ruined nails. Your right hand touches your round cheek, your hair loosely tied back. You try to push back the tears and you are out of breath, heart beating faster. You look up and notice Astarion's ruby-red ones staring back at you, one eyebrow raised and jaw clenched.

‘Apologies,’ you say, standing up sharply, your voice louder than expected. ‘I think I'll go for a swim. Sorry Gale, I don't have much of an appetite.’

‘Don't worry, if you get hungry again I'll cook you something later,’ he replies, his round, soft eyes barely concealing concern. This is the third time this week you've skipped meals because of your anxiety attacks.

The others continue chatting, but as you leave the camp, you feel eyes hovering over your back.

With almost painful slowness, you reach the small beach behind the rocks. Wyll and Karlach are laughing as Gale rambles on about something as usual - you don't catch the words as you undress, but you can sense the lightness of their conversation, a conversation you would like to witness and laugh about, too.

But the voice in your head - and not your prismatic friend's one - but your own, the darker side of you, only complains. ‘You've gained weight’, “you're horrible”, “Astarion will leave you”.

You don't really know how to define the relationship between you and him. You haven't declared eternal love for each other or who knows what, and you're pretty sure he's simply using you as a walking blood bag and easy sex.

Probably, after every night spent together, he has done nothing but whine about you.

The thought of the vampire mocking your feelings is the catalyst that finally triggers your tears. You feel them, warm against your skin, silently sliding down to your lips.

You lick one away, and wipe the rest with the back of your hand.

Your foot treads the water, trying to sense whether the temperature is acceptable or not. It is a little cold, actually, but perhaps that is just what you need right now. You glide silently through the small, dark waves, which wrap around you like a blanket. You put your head under the water, inhibiting all external noises.

You have always loved water. There, you do not feel the weight of your body, you do not see it for what it is, and when you sink, then all contact with the outside world disappears. You let gravity bring your body to the surface, and you spread your arms wide. You gaze at the moon, full and pale, wishing to be just a tiny dot in the sky.

Your vision blurs with tears and you close your eyes, letting the gentle rhythm of the water lull you.

Just as you are about to open your eyes again, you feel claws grab your shoulder and you're about to scream, but a hand blocks any sound you try to make. You notice two red irises staring at you and pointed ears peeping out from a cloud of silver hair.

‘Astarion, what the heck, you scared the hell out of me!’ you mutter as soon as you free your lips. ‘I didn't hear you coming.’

‘That was the point,’ he replies, oddly serious, his flirty, sassy façade strangely lacking. ‘We need to talk.’

Your heart jumps back to your throat once more as anxiety assails you. You spin around so that you are back on your feet and turn to face him.‘Is something wrong?

Do you need blood? I haven't eaten and I don't have much strength, but if you…’

‘That's the point,’ he snips sharply, his gaze as piercing as one of his daggers. ‘And I'm not talking about the blood. Why aren't you eating?’

It is not the first time Astarion has asked this: it had already happened in the past few days, yet he seemed more concerned. Now… he looks almost furious.

‘I'm not hungry, okay?"

‘No, it's not okay,’ he replies dryly, his thick white eyebrows wrinkling his forehead.

‘What, are you afraid your roaming snack has no more blood for you?’ The answer escapes your lips in a tone between ironic and hysterical and you roll your eyes. ‘Don't worry, as you can clearly see I'm not starving, and I'm sure you won't have any of these problems either while I'm around.’

Astarion's eyes grow big with astonishment and you see him step back, as far as he can, into the water.

‘Is… is that what you think you are to me? A snack?’ His voice is broken, bitter. ‘Do you value what's between us so poorly?’

The feelings of guilt and anger grow in tandem. ‘Tell me, Astarion, is it not the truth? Perhaps I am the only thing vaguely fuckable and edible h-’

His lips crash against yours as he grasps both your cheeks with his hands and brings them to himself. You hear a low, violent growl resonate in his ribcage as his tongue creeps out to seek yours. His fingers then sink into your hair, leaving you breathless.

Holding you close, he pulls his mouth away just far enough to whisper Inveniam viam. In the blink of wings, you find yourself on the beach.

‘I didn't know Misty Steps also worked on…’

‘Don't change the topic,’ he growls against your ear. Suddenly, you realise the dangerous proximity. The magic of the water has vanished, your body - what you hate most in the world - once again exposed to the moon's glow. You look around, searching hopelessly for your clothes.

'Eyes. On. Me.’ he orders, and for a second you feel yourself shiver as his icy hand grabs your chin and forces you to look at him.

‘Now listen carefully.’

You swallow and nod a shy yes with your head after he let you go.

‘You're seeing yourself as a monster again, is that true?’ he asks, stroking one cheek with the back of his hand. ‘Because of the way you look.’

‘Don't you? Look at me, Astarion. You could have anyone. You have a lot of opportunities.’

He pinches the back of his nose with his fingers and inhales. ‘… And to think it must be a monster to make you see the reality of things! But I suppose there's no other way.’

His lips are on you again, but this time it's different. You see yourself from Astarion's point of view and you feel everything he feels: your soft lips, your skin hot to the touch, your sighs, the accelerated beating of your heart, the intense smell of your blood that, despite being well protected by your veins, only urges him back…

‘Let me show you how it is for me,’ he whispers, as your foreheads touch. ‘Because, darling, I assure you, you are far from reality.’

You feel like you're in a dream, made up of fragments. The moonlight is much brighter to his sight, and the sounds of nature amplified. He pulls you onto the beach, kissing you. You feel his tongue exploring you, the warmth pleasantly welcoming his body.

He inhales your scent and you feel like it smells like flowers, even though you have never sensed anything like it. ‘A rich bouquet, which I never tire of.’

He runs down your neck, kissing it languidly and licking it. ‘I can't get enough of you, and I'm not just talking about your blood.’

His teeth find your nipples; your brain is split between the pleasure you feel yourself, and his one when he sucks and nibbles on the turgid tips. He sinks his face between your soft, generous, warm breasts, and inevitably can't help himself, bringing a hand to his erection. You feel the exquisite liquid warmth work its way into both of your bellies, his breathing shuddering as he squeezes his cock and thrusts his pelvis into his fist. You feel how excited he is to see you at his mercy, lying on the sand, eyes glazed over and heart on the verge of bursting.

The thought makes you suddenly tighten your legs, partly out of shyness, partly to fill the void, seeking a gentle friction. ‘A-astarion, I will hurt you…’

The elf laughs, and pulls you to him with supernatural strength. ‘My dear, I am a vampire. It takes more than that to hurt me,’ he replies with a grin on his face, taking you by the hips until he finds his nose peeping against your clit. He wastes no more time, pushing you down, impaling you with his tongue unceremoniously.

You pant and tremble, feeling your taste on his tongue through the connection, his fervid excitement growing and growing.

He really can't get enough of you, if he could he would become one with you from how insane his desire is. He licks you, tongue-fucking you, until you begin to unleash yourself. You grab his hair and push your pussy against his mouth, riding him.

‘That's it, my dear. Take control, fuck yourself with my tongue,’ you hear in your mind. ‘Be glorious while you do it, give me all of yourself.’

And so you do. You let yourself go, drunk with your own and Astarion's excitement. You see the scene from his eyes: the moist glistening of your clit, swollen and ready to climax, breasts dancing with every movement.

‘Fuck Astarion, I want you,’ you gasp. Reluctantly, you pull away from him for a moment, but only to turn around. You take his long, pale cock in your mouth and he returns to licking you greedily. You take him all the way down your throat, moaning, feeling the salty taste on your tongue and at the same time the sweet taste on you. Only wet sounds and moans can be heard, as you fuck each other. Your heart has never raced so fast, full of a new pride.

Astarion truly sees you as a divinity, the emblem of the very life he so dearly misses.

You are so wet that you feel Astarion swallowing several times, drinking your pleasure like wine, until he gives an arrow-accurate lapping on your pearl, making you see stars. Your mouth is still full of his cock so you can't scream as he continues to tongue fuck you as you come again, again and again.

Then, he grabs you by the hips and slams you down, entering you with disarming ease. You feel your mind fall apart but at the same time you see you beneath him, his hands encircling your red cheeks. ‘You are… so beautiful that you make me feel alive.’

His strokes become more and more imprecise, so wet you can feel that liquid pleasure inside you. ‘Gods, fuck, I'm going to cum. I want to come inside you,' he begs. ‘Pretty please.’

You whisper a ‘yes’, holding him to you as he moans your name. You feel his seed fill you and at the same time you feel his orgasm as if it were your own. You kiss him again, again and again, until your pleasure swarms.

‘Please look at yourself every day in the mirror as if you were doing it with my eyes. And if you can't, I will help you, day after day.’

You smile, as you believe in yourself a little more.

[randomfanner]

It crushes me how much Gale Slander there is.

I know a bug made him horny and clingy but in my current play through Gale and Blanche(what I named my Tav) are bros and I have found it easy to avoid romancing him.

And how can you dislike Gale for being a bit pushy and hitting on you when literally EVERYONE HITS ON YOU!!! At the Tiefling Party, if you have medium approval with anyone you can start romancing them and they all want you to god dammit.

But if you actually romance Gale, he is pretty damn shy and hesitant. You can think you want to kiss him and he doesn't just kiss you, he is just stunned. He is not trying to jump right into a romance with you! He can get pretty forward once you, the player, have shown interest in actually romancing him. (Like when he says you are hot when you fight)

A lot of people dislike Gale for talking about Mystra when he is trying to romance you but we have to remember: Mystra means so much more to Gale than just being his ex-lover. Gale worshipped Mystra as his goddess before, during and afterwards their relationship. Mystra is magic, the literal goddess of what he ties all of his self worth too. I will admit I am biased towards Gale because I am the same way about my grades, and for Gale, the Goddess magic and the embodiment of his art took an interest in him and made him his chosen.

When he lost the favor of Mystra, he lost everything he had worked so hard for in his life. Was it partly his own fault? Yes, he fucked around and found out. However I genuinely think if Gale had only been Mystra's Chosen rather then Mystra's Lover, he wouldn't have.

Mystra approached Gale and from how we see Gale act when he is trying to seduce Tav, he didn't make the first move romantically either. Mystra had a lot of power over Gale and I don't blame Gale for wanting to become the equal of the woman he loved.

Of course the problem arises because she is a Goddess and he is a Mortal Man who is overly ambitious. But I do not think the bases of what he wanted was too much to ask for.

Maybe I am giving Gale too much credit, I mean, look at how he reacts to the Crown and oh I do sigh at that. But his reasons are very complex for wanting the crown more then just power.

And the magic items. It is three magic items and you get so many thrown at you during this game. Not all of them are good for every run. An uncommon magic item is like what, 33gp?

When Gale actually comes to you about it too, it is either after you have shown you are a good person who likes to help people and he feels he can trust you to help him with the bomb in his chest that could wipe out a city. Or the alternative is he literally has to come talking to you lest he actually, literally explode and you are the person who is in charge. Yes he gets angry when you refuse but man has good reason, everyone's life is at stake!

Does he give you all the details? No! But the only people who tell you everything at this damn camp are Lae'zel and Karlach! Literally no one tells you ja

There are plenty of reasons to not like Gale. Gale is my favorite but I do see how parts of him, like how he can be sort of a classist asshole about magic(I do not think he intends to be and I think that is Gale's ~Touch of the Tism~ showing and being mixed with self worth issues)

Gale is such a genuinely sweet guy. He values life and people and magic. He may be over the top and get in over his head way to easily just wants to be at home with his cat and a good book and I am so sick of all the slander towards my boy.

[littlejuicebox]

I want to hold your hand.

Pairing: Astarion x Original Female Character/Ranger AKA AstarionxWren

Chapter number: Ten

Rating/Warnings: PG-13 / All fluff no smut in this one / Act 1 Spoilers / Angst / Anxiety / Feelings Realization / Violence / Gore / Past trauma / Alcohol / Swear words / Lae'zel being a butthole again (I promise I actually really love her character but, come on, the behavior in this chapter pretty in character for her.) Word count: 2.8K Masterlist: Click here. Song inspiration: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles (But really, more so the version in Across the Universe because the yearning is palpable in that version.) Notes: LMK if you'd like to be added to the tag list for this series in a message. :)

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Astarion took a long time gathering enough gumption to finally exit the Druid’s bedchambers. By the time he made his way toward the center of the grove, all the stars were gleaming in the sky, and more than one campfire had been lit. It appeared everyone already ate dinner, made evident by the empty tables full of used crockery and roasts picked nearly to the bone. He heard faint notes of music and an increasing amount of chatter as he made his way up the stone steps to the camp… it sounded like a party.

His other traveling companions were already there, and their tents had all been pitched. He spied Karlach kindly putting his tent up, and Astarion walked over to help her finish the job. Typically, he would've just left the tiefling to the grunt work and walked off to flirt with Wren or merely lounge about, but since Wren had stormed away from him earlier in the evening after their little tiff… he had nothing better to do.

Apart from Wren, Karlach was probably the vampire's favorite companion. Her easy-going nature made it so he didn’t have to perform too terribly hard around her, and he appreciated their rare moments together. Shadowheart was good for some quick banter, of course, but now the cleric’s preoccupation with Lae’zel made that relationship less ideal and he'd found himself avoiding the cleric whenever her green guard dog was around.

The silver-haired elf took one of the tent ties from Karlach and scanned the crowd for Wren. He spotted her sitting by an attentive Halsin. The unexpected sight created a dull ache in his chest, right around where his undead heart sat stock-still. Gods, he had to find a way to fix things before she found herself enamored with someone that was clearly a better alternative and he wasted all his time and effort for… what exactly? What was this thing between them?

The Archdruid towered over the little bird, especially when she was in a seated position. But despite the size difference, the mountain of a man held her arm in a remarkably gentle grip. The vampire tried to ignore the new duo as he thanked Karlach and then meandered toward the pile of booze. Maybe if he just… loosened himself up a bit, he’d be able to talk to Wren about what he was feeling instead of putting his foot in his mouth again. But what was he feeling, exactly? Astarion didn't have the words. Perhaps that wasn’t the point. Perhaps the point was that whatever role she wanted him to perform, he would do it, if it meant he would stay in her good graces. Surely that was a fair price to pay to be rid of the ache in his chest.

As much as the rogue tried to ignore the scene that was making his insides churn, his eyes kept roaming back to the two of them. The vampire watched as Halsin thoroughly, too thoroughly, spread some kind of salve on Wren’s forearm while she occupied herself with chugging whatever she had in her cup. Astarion had a fleeting thought that it should be him applying that salve on Wren's arm, not the big bear. If not him, then surely Shadowheart. Who the hell was this druid, anyway?

Wren had changed from the chemise he’d given her a few days back and into an entirely different, and significantly more revealing outfit. Where the hells had she even found a set of leather trousers? And was she truly just wearing the bodice she wore under her armor on her torso?

After Halsin was done playing doctor with the little bird, the pale elf was sure the sickening rendezvous would end. But then Wren was digging through her bag and revealing the pipe she’d stolen from Halsin with a guilty grin. The Archdruid seemed very entertained by this; he threw his head back as he laughed in pure delight. Halsin said something with a lifted eyebrow and then smiled and returned the pipe back to the little bird.

Gods, Astarion wished he could hear what they were saying from here. He had the strange sensation of being left out, and he bristled at the thought. ‘They are getting along far too well.’

The vampire reluctantly dragged his eyes away from the scene and snatched a bottle of wine from the booze pile. He was in no mood for this little party, but he supposed he would play this part if he had to.

-----

Wren was tired of performing. The whole self-sufficient, strong ranger woman act was getting exhausting. What was the point? She kept making mistakes, anyway… first losing her own eye, then blowing their cover with Minthara, and then the absolute dragonshitshow of a conversation she’d just had with one of her strongest and most versatile campmates. The campmate that she’d bedded the day before, effectively ending her entirely too long streak of voluntary abstinence. But… had her time with Astarion really been a mistake? She couldn't be sure.

Truly, Wren just wanted someone to hold her. And maybe Halsin wouldn’t hold her, but he’d hold her arm with his warm, comforting hand… and slather some sticky, honey-based salve on her charred skin while she chugged whatever Alfira had just poured into her cup. She liked Halsin. He was nice. He was mature, kind, and held an attractive air of relaxed confidence. It was easy to be drawn to his comforting energy; she saw why the grove trusted him.

Before long, the Archdruid wrapped her arm in a bandage, refused the return of his pipe with an explanation that he had several more, and told her that he didn’t know how to remove the parasites, but he had some ideas they could discuss tomorrow. He cut the conversation short and pushed her into the party, insisting she go and have some fun before returning to business-as-usual tomorrow morning.

Wren wasn’t in any mood for this party, but she begrudgingly obliged. After downing whatever was left in her cup, she found herself roped into a few dances with some of the tieflings and one with Gale. By the third cup of — what was it, wine? — she and Karlach tried to dance without touching, mostly just shimmying and spinning around one another like lunatics before falling on the ground laughing at the stupidity of it all. She needed that laugh, and if she could’ve hugged the tiefling woman then, she would’ve.

After the chortling was over, and the ranger's ribs hurt beyond belief, the two women wandered back to the libations. Karlach flicked her gaze over toward Astarion, who appeared to be brooding and trying to hide the fact that he was brooding, and then she looked back to a buzzed Wren. She filled two more cups with some cherry-scented liquid as she addressed the half-elf. “What’s going on with you and Fangs, anyway, soldier? Normally you two are attached at the hip… or the lip.”

“Karlach!” Wren yelped, her eyes widening as she quickly glanced around to see if anyone else had heard the Barbarian. Her already alcohol-flushed face began to trail the rosy blush up her ears and down her neck.

“Oh, come off!” Karlach exclaimed with a chuckle, rolling her eyes at the ranger. “First of all, you’re a grown woman, so you can do whatever and whoever you’d like. Second of all… it’s not really a secret, Wren. We all know. You should’ve seen the absolute state Astarion was in for those few days you were knocked out after that Gur encounter. I doubt he’s like that for just anyone.”

Wren didn’t know what to say in response to Karlach’s revelation. Her fingers moved up to nervously touch her lip scar and then she shrugged, “I guess… I didn’t know how he felt. I… don’t know how he feels.”

“Well… did you ever really ask him?” Karlach responded with a shrug, as if the answer were quite simple to her, cocking her head just slightly at the ranger before shoving the filled cup into her hand.

Wren almost laughed as she lifted the cup to her lips for a drink. She didn’t ever ask him; she’d been too preoccupied by the parasite, and then losing her eye. She didn't stop to speak to him at all, really. The archer soaked in the irony of her own words from her earlier encounter with Astarion swinging like a boomerang right back to her. The substance in her cup tasted better than the previous drinks she’d been given, and the brunette woman eagerly took another sip as she considered her friend’s words with a soft hum. “Alright. I'll ask him."

-----

Astarion watched Wren dance with more than one partner. Should he ask her to dance? Would that smooth things over? He knew how to, of course. But then, if she was so angry with him that she rejected him in front of everyone… well the rogue’s pride truly couldn’t stand for that to happen.

The vampire sat frozen in indecision, sipping from his bottle as his eyes tracked the little bird around the camp. She and Karlach had a bit of conversation by the booze table — it must’ve been about him, because Karlach looked his way more than once. Annoyingly, he couldn’t pick up what they said from this distance over the clamor of other conversations and Alfira’s music. The knowledge that he was being discussed made him uneasy, and he huffed, suddenly scanning the party for a distraction. Just as he was about to throw a line at some tiefling in a futile attempt to stroke his own ego, he heard Wren’s enraged voice thundering through the party.

“What the hell did you just say, Lae’zel?” The little bird was standing face to face with the Githyanki, hands clenched into tight fists.

“You heard what I said. I do not need to repeat it.” Lae’zel responded coolly, stepping even closer to the ranger, answering their group leader’s challenge.

The entire crowd had fallen silent, watching the scene unfold. Wren quickly hooked her right arm, and Astarion stared in a ridiculously juxtaposed mixture of horror and delight as it connected with a solid pow on the other woman’s eye socket. Lae’zel, to her credit, took the punch with barely any reaction and then returned it with one of her own. It landed on the ranger’s nose with a sickening crack.

Astarion rushed forward, along with Karlach and Shadowheart, just as Lae’zel was about to withdraw her blade. But Astarion was faster than the alien and he pressed the edge of his dagger against the Githyanki’s neck in warning.

“Now, now, I think not, little viper. You’re clearly drunk. Go lay down with mommy Shadowheart and take a nap before we all do things we will surely regret in the morning.” His voice warned, tone measured but scarlet eyes heated as they glared into Lae’zel’s.

Shadowheart had hold of Lae’zel’s forearm, staying her blade, while Karlach stood a few paces behind the half-elf. Wren was holding her nose, which was now pouring thin streams of crimson. Astarion couldn’t see the blood from where his face was pressed so closely to the alien, but he could easily smell it. Oh, how his fingers positively ached with the desire to slice into Lae’zel’s neck and repay the debt.

Shadowheart spoke, trying with all her might to remain calm and be the voice of reason. “Come on, Lae’zel. You’re drunk… you didn’t truly mean it. Come with me, let’s go lay down.”

The Githyanki relented, inhaling deeply and stepping back, away from Astarion’s blade. The cleric offered an apologetic look to her other campmates before grabbing her lover’s hand and pulling her away from the party, towards their tent.

“Sorry about that, folks! You know how it goes among family!” Karlach shouted, and soon everyone shrugged off the dispute and resumed their conversations, followed by another swell of music.

After Astarion stowed his blade, he turned to check on Wren. She’d already walked towards her own tent and hidden herself inside the little nest. He followed after her, swiftly ducking himself into the canvas shelter before kneeling down to face the little bird. She’d held a cloth over her nose and fixed her closed eyes toward the ceiling, hoping to slow the bleeding.

“I heard it break. Can’t you heal it yourself?” He murmured, cocking his head slightly as he lifted his hand toward her face, removing the cloth for a moment to examine the damage.

“I tried. But it seems I’m out of spellcasting power. I used it all up at the goblin camp. I’m obviously not going to Shadowheart for help, Halsin already helped me with my arm, and fuck Nettie. So… here I am.”

“Hold on.” Astarion murmured, exiting the tent with no further explanation. Wren’s brows furrowed in confusion as she watched him exit, but that caused a sharp pain in her nose, so she groaned and looked back at the ceiling.

The vampire returned a few minutes later, wearing a large amulet with a jade-colored stone that Wren didn’t recognize and carrying his own backpack. He sat back down and moved his slender hands forward, bidding the little bird to lower the blood-soaked cloth. Long, lithe fingers pressed to the woman’s nose and then Astarion uttered a healing incantation.

Wren blinked in surprise as she felt the familiar warmth of a healing spell seep through her skin and into the fragile bones along the center of her face. Soon enough, her nose felt practically back to normal. Astarion seemed to be watching her for an indication that his efforts worked before lowering his hands. She nodded subtly.

The rogue quietly removed his hands and quickly undid the clasp of the heavy amulet, stowing the piece of jewelry back in his pack. Then he rustled around, withdrawing a small bottle of water and a small scrap of cloth. After dampening the cloth, he lifted it to Wren’s nose and began tenderly cleaning the dried blood off her face. He saw the question in her eyes and answered it without her prompting.

“I found it among Counsellor Florrick’s things, when I found your chemise. Seemed worth keeping, but it’s awfully noisy when I move so I don't wear it all the time.” He says in a hushed voice, pausing for a moment when Wren winced as he pressed too firmly to her still-tender nose. He looks at her for a beat and then continues, “Figured I would hold onto it, just in case...”

'Just in case I end up on my own and I don't have Shadowheart or you to heal me.'

A bit of quiet fell between the two as the elf focused on his task, and the woman focused on one of her pillows instead of the rogue. Astarion noticed this, because she normally watched him so intently with those two-toned eyes of hers. It stung, her lack of attention on him, but he kept working, hoping somehow this was a step in the right direction. At least she hadn’t pushed him away. It was clear that in the thick silence of the tent, which was such a sharp contrast to the raging party outside, that the two of them felt the weight of things unsaid hanging between them.

“What did she say?” Astarion questioned in a low murmur, scarlet orbs wandering from Wren's upturned nose to her distant stare, pulling her attention back to him.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Wren huffed, beginning to bristle in response and starting to pull away from the vampire, but his other hand clasped onto her forearm and kept her in place.

The rogue paused for a moment, squinting his eyes at the ranger. Wren could see the subtle prickles of annoyance on his face; her eyes took in the scrunch of his nose and the clenching of his jaw. His tone was stiff, curt, as if he were trying to maintain hold over his emotions. “You said you would tell me anything if I bothered to ask. So, here I am, asking.”

Wren fell silent, as she felt the sting of her own words flipped against her for the second time that night. She moved to thumb her lip scar, and Astarion’s eyes followed her finger for a moment before returning to holding her own eyes in an unyielding stare.

“She…” The little bird looked up at the tent and sighed. Hells, it was going to sound so ridiculous when it came out.

“She overheard Karlach asking what happened to Kol, and I told Karlach that Kol had died. I told her what I told you about the ambush. And then Lae’zel said that I have a type… elves with silver hair and red eyes. And that my history of poor leadership would probably get you killed, just like it had the first one.”

Wren’s mouth hardened into a line, and her voice crackled at the end. Fuck Lae’zel for knowing exactly how to cut into her with words and lay bare one of her biggest fears. Wren didn’t want to be the leader… she didn’t fucking want it! So why did Lae’zel or anyone else have to make it so hard? Didn’t they know she was already beating herself to a pulp for every misstep along the way?

Astarion watched as the little bird rolled her gaze up to the ceiling where she stayed intently focused on the canvas of the tent, trying to conceal her tears. He had half a mind to storm across the camp and cut out the Githyanki’s tongue. Maybe they would all be better off for it; her pessimistic nature wasn’t doing the group any favors, after all. But instead, he sighed, grabbed Wren’s hand, grabbed his own pack, and then stood up, pulling her with him.

“Come on, darling. Let’s get away from this party. The wine is shit and the only company really worth keeping is in this tent, anyway.” He grumbled before walking out of the canvas shelter and heading away from the crowd, toward the grove exit. He kept his fingers wrapped around hers as he led her along.

Wren followed without much of a thought. She spent so much time being a leader, she supposed she basked in the few moments when she got to be a follower. She didn’t know where they were going; she didn’t care. She just wanted Astarion to keep holding her hand for as long as possible.

-----

Taglist: Hiii @mancsunite

[baldurs-gape]

Baldur's Cats 3

Ever had a cursed thought that you had to share so others could suffer just as you have? Well, settle in because you need to suffer with me. We should mash up Baldur's Gate and Cats.

Withers is quite blatantly Old Deuteronomy, that is for sure. Old, wise, and a bit of an oddity.

Tav is Victoria. Enough said there.

Gale was easy enough to line up with none other than the magical mister Mistoffelees.

Who has two sides to her like Jenyanydots? None other than Shadowheart.

This might be a bit controvertial but once Lae'zel abandons Vlaakith, she does have a bit of a Grizabella moment.

Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat, so is Astarion. No pleasing some, right?

Wyll so badly wants to be important but independent. Such a shame he's tied to Mizora's whims, much like Skimbleshanks marches to the order of the train's timetable.

Munkustrap and Halsin are kindred spirits.

Does Karlach have Bustopher Jones' jollity? And a hunger but maybe for something a bit different ;)

Though he may not be ginger like Macavity, Gortash certainly is like him in many other ways.

Ketheric Throm is Growltiger.

But who are Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, I hear you ask. None other than Orin and Durge.

[alpaca-clouds]

Baldur's Gate 3 - Or: Why Endings are hard

The last few days I have seen quite a few posts going around about Act 3 and in general the ending of BG3. Which is understandable, because yes, the ending still kinda feels... off. Some decisions feel forced, some of the character endings feel unsatisfying, and how the game deals with Orin and Gortash also kinda feels off. There is a reason, why I did not write just one, but two fix its for the ending.

But let me talk a bit how this happens and why this is in fact quite a common thing to happen. If I had a dollar for everytime I enjoyed a thing where people were unhappy with the ending of the "thing", I would have enough to cover this month's rent lol

Now, let me talk about the most obvious fact first: Act 3 of BG3 is very long. Mostly because of all the side quests you can do - though you theoretically do not need to do, of course. Though even if you do only do the story-stuff, it is fairly long for one reason: The companion quest most finish up here.

As in my other stuff about the ending: Spoilers under the cut!

Let me quickly make a list of the stuff that is more or less essential to the plot happening in Act 3. Like, quite a bit of this you do not need to do to finish the game, but... For the story to properly finish up this is part of Act 3.

Confront Gortash (Karlach's quest is tied to this)

Confront Orin

Finish off Cazador

Save/Kill Shadowheart's parents

Save Duke Ravengard

Do the Balduran quest

Do the Sorceror's Tower and have Gale talk to Mystra

Deal in either way with the Githyanki revolution

The Counting House

Rescruit Minsc

Deal with Raphael in one way or another

Deal with the Elderbrain

That is a lot, right? And this is all without other sidequests that you can do in Act 3 (like dealing with Ethel and "Build-a-Clown").

The only companion, who does not give you anything to do in Act 3 is Halsin. (I don't know about Minthara, because I never managed to recruit her so far.) Okay, admittedly, also kinda Karlach, because you have to go against Gortash either way and other than that there is nothing that happens in her questline. Which, yes, is one of the reasons her ending feels so unsatisfying.

Now, I absolutely understand why this happens. Because of the thing we actually see with Karlach. It kinda feels off that one character does not really have anything to do towards the end. It feels unsatisfying.

Let me stay with Karlach for a moment. Because she is a good example. One of the main reasons her ending feels so unsatisfying is, that you do not really do a lot for her. Like, in Act 1 you fight Zariel's people sent after Karlach and talk to Dammon. In Act 2 you talk to Dammon. In Act 3 you fight Gortash, which you gotta do either way.

I would argue, that her ending would feel a lot more satisfying, even if it stayed the exact same, if you just were allowed to try and fix her. Maybe do something for the Gondians or Ironhands so they might try and fix her. Or try to get Gortash to fix her (like I wrote about). Or do a more complicated quest for Dammon to get something that might fix her. It does not need to actually work. But just you trying to do something would make the ending feel better.

I have seen people argue that Wyll has the weakest stuff in Act 3, which I very much do not agree with. Like, Wyll and Lae'zel both get a very short end of the stick in Act 2 (there is not really a lot happening for either in Act 2), but Wyll actually has two quests in Act 3, which is in fact more than anyone else. Especially as the Balduran quest ties him directly to the main plot.

Of course, I am still going to argue that Astarion and Shadowheart have the most satisfying ends of their questlines.

But let me get back to the main issue. The main story ending does feel... Hollow. And I think really that this boils down especially to one thing: The main plotline does take away your choices in Act 3. Yes, sure, you can try to become the new Absolute and stuff. But... That's about it.

Sure, you can ally with Gortash. But he dies either way.

You cannot really ally with Orin in any way.

And as I bemoaned so many times: The game forces you to choose whether to ally with the Emperor or Orpheus. Either way does only give minor differences for the ending. And no matter how much you allied yourself with the Emperor so far, he won't listen to you no matter what you say.

In the end the issue with Act 3 - as it is with so many of those endings in stuff that people felt were unsatisfying - is a pacing issues. You want to give all storylines (in this chase the character quests) a proper ending, which all needs to happen in that last Act, because it would feel off, if a main character does not get to do anything in that Act. (Again, like Karlach.)

Yes, I absolutely agree that we actually needed MORE STUFF in Act 3. Especially for Gortash and Orin. But on the other hand the third Act was already SO MUCH.

And that is without going into the problems of development cycles. Like, I don't know how bad it was with Larian working on Act 3, but especially the stuff with the Epilogue feels a lot like they actually did not finish everything. This feeling also gets supported by the fact that Act 3 to this day is more buggy than the first two Acts.

Yes, the problem is the writing - but given this is a game, that writing also needed to be implemented. Maybe they wanted to do more with Gortash and Orin - but they didn't get around to implementing it all.

If this was a non-interactive story, one could have probably tied up several character quests together. But of course that does not work here, because the game cannot know which characters you will have along in Act 3. Like, sure, it would totally make sense to tie up the plots of Karlach and Wyll. But there is a chance either might have died or left the party - or that you have not recruited one of them. Hence... bloating.

And really, the only thing one could do about it would be to add more. But that would make the bloating worse. It is... complicated. Planning stories is complicated.

[delta-lethonomia]

18, 22, 25 if you like!!

18. it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on…

Ooooh. That's a good question. Ok, couple options: Wyll's repressed drive for power, and how much of that ties into how Mizora treats him. How him becoming Duke Ravenguard is obviously his bad ending, and how similar it is to his absolute ending. Karlach's absolute ending. The joys of Minthara/Gale. Minthara/Astarion. Wacky mom!Lae'zel adventures.

Worse - you forget to give the egg to Lae'zel, so there are newspaper articles about the gith baby hatching in the Elfsong tavern, wrecking havoc. Do Tav and Astarion adopt the baby gith they forgot????? Wait, worse - unromanced Astarion fucks off to the Elfsong like 3 days later, after everyone else has partied and left, and finds the egg just as it's hatching. They're both monsters hiding in the dark, forgotten: but now he feels just a tad responsible for it. Maybe it bites him and that's like, vampire bonding language, you know. feral cat vibes. gremlin vibes. I NEED THIS (I literally just mentioned how I dislike happy ending dad!astarion. This is different. This is "throw child at Astarion and watch him throw a fit." As it's a githyanki, they might actually survive the process once he figures out they need something more substantial than blood and bread.)

Anyway I also like putting Astarion in awkward positions like imagining him getting recognized in taverns he used to hunt in. That's why I wrote him being banned from Sharess' Caress: surely someone has caught onto what he's been doing, even though in SC they think he's a freelance prostitute stealing clients. Even though his lovers all disappear, someone must recognize him. Some people go to the same bar every day for years. It's impossible that no one knows him. Let some patriar recognize him! Let someone mention Cazador in a positive light to his face! Make him squirm.

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

This is absolutely not a surprise to anyone but Cazador's mansion is my favorite part. There's so much mystery and hidden stories everywhere - how do the human servants interact with the spawn? How much do they see? Do the spawn get to kick them around? What's up with the werewolves? Cazador clearly can be diplomatic - how is he with them? Does he schmooze at parties? Do people think he's funny because he's very funny. I just - I feel like it implies that Cazador just roasts Astarion on occasion and elicits laughter from the other spawn. I think that's where a lot of Astarion's absolutely savage snark comes from. (I overthink how much of Astarion's demeanor looks like Cazador's. There are similarities!!!!) Astarion said the spawn weren't allowed to learn Kozakuran. Does this imply they tried? Did they try to gain favor with Cazador by learning his language? Does he leave notebooks in Kozakuran around, or books? (Remember, Astarion has never seen that gate to the ballroom closed.)

ok but ignores - honestly my brain is kind of fried at this point and I've just got Caz on the brain. I'll come back to this if anything else occurs to me!

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing People complaining about "Save the Artist" in Act 3. It's not that hard. Yes, the camera sucks for different levels, but it's not that bad, and tbh I liked the storyline. I've seen some takes that absolutely shit on Oskar Fevras for bringing back his old flame to ask her if she killed herself over him, and yeah, it's short sighted, but emotionally I completely get where he's coming from. Dude's a dumbass who keeps knocking it out of the park with women who are too good for him, but I think anyone would feel the way he did in that circumstance. I liked the story and it's a freaking haunted mansion, dude, I will forgive a lot for that.

[sketch-guardian]

FUNNY IDEA!!

Rad and Angel classmates training with Mc and Mc absolutely rocking their shit on accident by giving them the most nasty and dirtiest left hook imaginable to the face like they get punched so hard them fall to the ground trying to process what the fuck just happened as they slowly process what happened and Mc stands above them with the most shocked face ever “😃😄😃” or “😮😯😲” like they knew they had a mean left hook but didn’t think it’d be THAT nasty like it’s deadass that one audio that goes “damn they really about to rock my shi-“ before the punch makes contact EVEN MORE FUNNY IF IT HAPPENS A SECOND TIME BUT THIS TIME ITS A NASTY ASS KICK TO THE GROUND LIKE THEYRE PREPARED FOR THE PUNCH BUT NOT THE KICK CAUSE ITS BASICALLY CANON HUMANS ARENT THST STRONG I THINK THEYD HAVE LIKE HAVE SOME MINOR COCKINESS NOT EXPECTING TO GET THEIR SHIT ROCKED🤣

(I’m so sorry for the word vomit😭)

I apologize for the sudden hiatus without a warning🙈but university have kept me busier than expected, between group projects and an exam, leaving me weary and with no energy to check Tumblr😭Today, I found some motivation and since I wanted to be fair, I finally replied to two requests I had in the ask box, although I still apologize for the awful delay😞

After these, I think I will have take a break from writing for a bit, perhaps focusing on drawings again or only writing headcanons without deadlines when I have free time. I won't close the ask box, in case someone wanted to send comments on the OCs or small questions to which I can answer briefly, however the long headcanons will have to wait, maybe for the holidays😥I hope you can forgive me:

"RAD CLASSMATES+NEW EXCHANGE STUDENTS WITH A STRONG MC KICKING THEIR ASS ON ACCIDENT DURING TRAINING"

DEMYA

In Demya's culture, it was typical to fight to show one's strength and worthiness as a mate for life. So it wouldn't be strange for her to train with MC, in fact it would be equivalent to courting at the very least (imagine Lae'zel from BG3 for example-), although it would be more strenuous than the usual playful brawls with MC. Since MC is Demya's mate, she wouldn't underestimate them despite their human race, there's a reason why they're together after all, however Demya wouldn't be able to deny that she wasn't ready to receive such a punch straight to the face, enough to send her to the ground and maybe even make her lips bleed. At first Demya would be stunned by MC's brute strength, but then, licking the blood off her lips, she would grin widely and burst into laughter, in an almost hysterical manner, euphoric and maybe slightly excited at such discovery. Demya, dressed in a workout outfit consisting of a black sports bra and shorts, panting a little and perhaps accidentally drooling while smiling, would pin MC to the ground, exclaiming that it was awesome and that they should definitely do it again

DOMNRA/MOBIM

Domnra is all for working out and sports, so for once he would be thrilled to be able to share his hobby with MC, maybe even finding the opportunity to show off for once, whether it be through physical strength and muscles or fighting skills with his shadow powers, in his demon form he can also use his tail and a dagger made of magic. Domnra would wear a black tank top and dark purple sweatpants to train, his hair tied in a low ponytail. Domnra would attempt to refrain from doing so, however he couldn't help but underestimate MC's physical strength as a human at first, so he would try to take it easy on them, before getting completely humiliated by a punch to the face, enough to make him lose balance and hurt his already poor ego as well, he would need a few minutes to recover from the embarrassement. With tsundere hesitation, finding their powerful display slightly attractive, Domnra would admit that MC is stronger than he expected and that next time, he won't hold back. Mobim would be too worried to watch Domnra and MC training, so the little curse would discover about MC's strenght only later on

AZUL

Azul, despite being a rather active and eccentric demon, usually channels his energy into creative hobbies or partying, he isn't exactly the athletic type, evident from his twink figure. Azul floats around most of the time and often uses magic to avoid unnecessary efforts, so, being a bit weak on the physical side, it wouldn't surprise him to get easily destroyed by MC, despite their human nature. Azul wouldn't have appropriate clothes for training, as he never does, so he would either use his demon form outfit or buy something specifically for the occasion, something that would compliment his shape, maybe to tease MC and distract them. The first time Azul got hit in the face and knocked to the ground, it would shock him greatly, leaving him dumbfounded with a hand on his cheek and his colors changing to grey, before turning pink as he sees MC on top of him, worried for his conditions. Azul would joke that they were pretty rough and that next time they could at least buy him dinner first or kiss his boo-boo, a comment that would earn him another shove. Being a bit of a masochist as well as sadist, Azul wouldn't be too upset and as a revenge next time he would use his ghost like powers to phase through MC

ZURI

Zuri doesn't train often, but as in many other activities, she would be skilled in physical exercise too, elegant and flawless even in battle, performing piercing blows with her weapon, able to fight even without it of course. Zuri's training clothing would consist of her casual outfit, only without her white jacket, which would leave her with long black gloves and a tight sleeveless turtleneck sweater, she would look quite badass, especially since she would fight with her high-heeled boots without any difficulty. Zuri wouldn't understand why MC would want to train with her when there are more suitable people, maybe even less aloof and cold than her, however she would gladly accept, since it was still a request from her beloved. Zuri would sense MC's hidden power, so although initially taken by surprise, which is rare, she would fall to her knees after the punch but not flinch, wiping any blood or smudged makeup from her face or feeling for bruises, swellings, which would heal quickly anyway due to her demon nature. Zuri would eventually smirk faintly, showing her fangs, and mutter that she is glad to know that MC has other means to defend themself besides magic

ODON

Not sure why MC thought it could be a good idea to ask an eldritch horror, for whom a mere glance would be enough to erase MC from existence, to help them with their workouts, especially because physically speaking, Odon doesn't need to train to be strong or resilient, they don't even feel much pain, at most sometimes they just get weary when they shapeshift, on one occasion a creature even tore off their arm once and Odon didn't even flinch, they simply waited for it to grow back (fun fact: Odon has green blood). Odon is aware that if they used their strength seriously, MC would turn to dust and they don't want to hurt their dear friend, so Odon's role would basically be that of a dummy, keeping their casual clothes. Odon would perceive MC's extraordinary power thanks to their perception skills, so they wouldn't be surprised, the eldritch horror would just find the situation peculiar, almost amusing. It would be like unstoppable force vs immovable object, basically Odon wouldn't move an inch despite the punch, they would chuckle and compliment MC on their strength

REMIEL

Oh god, even if accidental, why would MC do such a thing to an innocent angel like Remiel during training? MC would also have to pray that Death, Remiel's father, never finds out about them punching his daughter, because the grim reaper might come visit MC prematurely. Remiel seems weak and frail in appearance, almost like a porcelain doll, however she's still an angel of death, the archangel of hope, daughter of Death and Azrael, so she is actually pretty powerful, enough to beat even Uriel and Nathaniel. Remiel would have no specific set of clothing to train in, owning only her black robe, and although confused by MC's request, she would try to support them, minding her strength. She would be baffled by MC's punch, however she would manage not to fall to the ground and only take a few steps back, turning her face from the blow and brushing her cheek with curiosity, while MC would feel like the worst being in all realms. Remiel would ask MC a lot of questions, to find out if they are aware of the origin or source of their power and if not, she would do some research through books. Remiel wouldn't be hurt over being hit, because from a logical point of view, it was just training

NATHANIEL

Nathaniel is a rather quiet angel and he's a sort of scribe for duty, however when he dedicates himself to meditation, a bit like a sort of monk, sometimes he also trains with archery or martial arts, in fact despite being slim, Nathaniel is still faintly toned, accentuated by his training attire, namely a sleeveless gray and light blue robe, pants of the same color, furthermore he would keep his hair tied in a ponytail, with a blue bow given to him by Luke, as a scrunchie. Nathaniel would accept MC's request to train together, planning a training program suited for MC's abilities, so as not to exhaust them too much, the archangel of patience would also make sure to warm them up first and have them meditate as well. Surprising Nathaniel isn't easy, so MC should pat themself on the back for having shocked the archangel, sending him to the ground with a blow to the face. Nathaniel would grab his jaw, stroking it lightly, still surprised by the punch, however he would be quietly pleased by the novelty, finding the twist very interesting. Nathaniel would let out an amused scoff and take the situation more seriously, no longer underestimating MC and inviting them to continue training, with his hair subtly disheveled, swaying in the breeze (Nathaniel looks better when he's at ease)

URIEL

Uriel, as a warrior angel, believes that it's right to train daily and that it's her duty to make sure she's always in perfect shape, ready to face any battle, given her position as the archangel of justice. Usually Uriel would train in the warrior angels' quarters, with other angels or dummies, always wearing her armor, in fact she rarely gets rid of it. Uriel would be enthusiastic over MC's request and would gladly accept, feeling honored to have been chosen, being the most suitable angel to practice with for such a regimen of physical exercise. Uriel would probably underestimate MC as a human and attempt not to let her enthusiasm get the better of her strength, she would try to hold back in order to avoid hurting MC. Her four wings would ruffle up after falling to the ground due to the punch, staring at MC in disbelief. At first, Uriel's pride would be shattered, because she got humiliated by a human, however her affection for MC would soon win and she would praise them, comparing them to a warrior angel and immediately thinking of other ways to test their strength, a startling discovery for sure, in fact Uriel would want an explanation for it as well. Uriel would make MC demonstrate their strength on several occasions, secretly finding them attractive, much to her embarrassment

[lesbianralzarek]

"bg3 is the most sexual non-porn game ever" hm. maybe? i can think of a few that are at least tied. "bg3 is the horniest non-porn game ever" oh, no fucking contest. lae'zel and gale both think i stink good. no one looks like a flawless mannequin. the hot goth girl with the dogshit bangs likes foot worship. no blockbuster sex scene with dehydrated abs and poreless skin has ever contained half as much desire and sex-having energy as the warrior lady with skin like shrink-wrapped lettuce asking me to beat the shit out of her. in actual combat. with weapons. shes hideously gorgeous and i need her to kill me with hammers

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

boom-squirrel replied:

Okay, I'm curious... if Teadpoled-Isobel-strikes-back™, who's the one in Last Light sustaining the shield??? oO Doppelganger?!

Hahah, well, that's obviously one of the moments when modded playthroughs like this one take a bunch of suspension of disbelief.

I call this one "The Duality of Isobel".

My justification and vague storyline idea for this HM run was that an abducted tadpoled Isobel from around the end of Act 2 ends up back on the nautiloid, via a timely divine intervention or some such brand of shenanigans (Selûne? maybe? or something altogether more sinister?). And now she is on a big mission to fix everything.

But honestly, if you could find an excuse for Jaheira and the Last Light bunch surviving without Isobel there to establish the haven so Act 2 can still work vaguely similarly, I think Isobel would be a really, really awesome origin with interesting ties into the narrative. Kicking off with her resurrection, running away from Ketheric, and ending up abducted and tadpoled on the nautiloid with the others instead of at the inn. Maybe some amnesia thrown in there to keep some of the mystique of Ketheric's storyline for the player and pacing out the reveals (a la Durge).

This is also a killer idea for some AU fanfic, I will note.

Also part of my romance pick considerations, beyond, you know, just me wanting to play out one I haven't done yet (hence no Shadowheart, I'm aware she is the obvious choice here). NPC Isobel and Aylin will of course get their beautifully touching reunion and live as happily ever after as I can manage, Honour Mode permitting (knock on wood, so far it has been), but my PC Isobel will ultimately want and need to basically leave Faerûn. So I felt it would be fitting to have her go off dragon riding with Lae'zel and have various astral (mis)adventures. Visit the actual Tears of Selûne and all, it's super Meaningful. And having Lae'zel going from constantly ragging on Isobel for being weak and soft-hearted - with me pointedly picking every single Aggressively Compassionate Selûnite Cleric dialogue option in her presence, while also showing flashes of that Isobel-brand Steel that is very much there - to finally becoming open to the very idea of tenderness and being protected is a very nice arc, I think.

I have committed severe overthinking of everything mentioned above. Now, for the Aylin playthrough I have no explanation whatsoever beyond the lethal combination of "I felt like it" with "big lady pretty" and a truly unconquerable addiction to playing paladins.

[gameguy20100]

You know, it's interesting that out of all the companions Astarion is the least connected to his default class.

Shadowheart, Wyll, Halsin, and Gale are all so strongly tied to their default class their characters make no sense as anything else.

I always multiclass Wyll, but without warlock levels, his plot with Mizora makes no sense. Everything about Gale screams wizard. Even his appearance. Halsin is a druid to the core, and Shadowheart always talks about her faith and the strength it gives her. What could she be other than a cleric? Lae'zel and Karlach have a similar problem, albeit to a lesser degree. And while their default classes are still the best I can see an argument made for Lae'zel being a paladin or a monk. Karlach feels weird as anything but a barbarian though.

Astarion? What exactly about him says "rogue"? He makes a few references to sneaking around in the shadows but that feels more like a vampire thing, and any class can get stealth proficiency. I could see him as a bard, or a gloom stalker ranger, maybe even a shadow monk. Ok, it's often the class that edgelords and murder hobos pick, but still.