#Gale and Tara’s chats always make me smile!

[dekariosclan]

Gale+Tara Epilogue Idles Fixed!

I had posted awhile back about Gale being bugged during the Epilogue (he rarely moved from his camp spot, didn't say anything, didn't interact with the party etc.) and he's now been fixed in Patch 6! I was so excited to see him enjoying the party, I ran around and captured all his idles for anyone who wants to see/hear them. They can all be seen in the video below:

[mashiraostail]

pls pls can i request a jealous halsin x reader/tav scenario … he’s been pining over you, you’re oblivious, and then when he sees some innocent platonic affection between you and another companion, all that pining boils to the surface. mayhaps some nsfw too if you’ll indulge me. pls the way you write him is simply… *chef’s kiss*…. magnifique ✨

hoooraayyy Halsin HOORAY!! I heart making men talk like flowery little victorian women writing letters to their husband say some fruity shit big man! Idk what compels me to make these so long that's why they take forever.

I have another ask like this and maybe I'll write him doing sum primal fuck shit but this was an itch i just had to scratch

It wasn't Gale's fault, it wasn't your fault either, it was his fault. Halsin knows this, he's honestly ashamed, he shouldn't be so easy to sway...he never has been before.

He notices everything, he notices the flirtation, the questions about the life he left behind, the fleeting touches, the way you always go to him when they day is out, you propositioned him, he declined. That was his fault. It wasn't the time, he had business he had to sort before he could indulge himself, and you couldn't hold that against him. He made it clear when he turned you down, it wasn't you, and maybe one day soon things would be different.

Even so, you were always chatting with him, smiling at him, touching him, gods you always touched him. It drove him mad actually, your hand on his bicep, on his chest, on his stomach when he said something particularly funny, you sat so close to him your thighs pressed together, your shoulders and arms, all of it pushed him to the edge. And the way you said his name after you laughed at his joke, "Oh Halsin.." When you see him again after a long day, "Halsin! How'd it go?!" You'd even hugged him, thrown your arms around his neck and shoulders. He'd held the small of your back and laughed heartily with you, maybe a few ales too deep. He swore one day soon things would turn a corner for the two of you.

You doted on everyone though, and you enjoyed closeness with all your companions. Normally he'd be happy to see you sharing your joy with everyone but lately it frustrated him. He wondered what was different, even though deep down he knew. It was you, he didn't want you to himself necessarily, he wanted you to understand how he felt. The more he waited to explain himself the more upset he became, and the harder he found focusing around you to be. He felt like he was always brooding, always lingering behind the group, because the sight of you slinging your arm around Karlach or playfully mussing Astarion's hair made his stomach lurch with uncertainty. He wrote it off as a disdain for societal labels and relationships but he felt unfair even doing that, lying to himself.

He and Jaheria were the last ones to return to camp that day. He was grateful to travel with her alone, though he lamented not seeing you he did not lament the emotions seeing you caused to crop up. When he returned you were sitting on a log by the fire with Gale, chuckling and waving your hands. He'd already begun to feel wary.

Halsin inches closer, he snoops a bit sure, he's not proud of it but he's been alive long enough to accept he won’t always be proud of his actions.

"No!" You sound surprised through your laughter.

"Yes!" Gale's tone was argumentative but warm as you held onto his arms. Halsin bubbled a bit, out of everyone Gale was the most likely to get the wrong idea...or maybe the right one if the way you were squeezing him was any indiction of things.

"Did you really misbehave so terribly when you were younger?? I'll have to ask Tara next time we see her, I don't believe you!"

"Am I so untrustworthy?!" Gale sounds affronted.

"Based on your stories?? Yes! Gale! You are!" You're squeezing him and shaking him so much the pair of you topple over the back of the log you're perched on, Halsin watches Gale kick his legs for a while as you laugh.

"You'll kill me," Gale stands up and dusts himself off, "and the rest of them too!" He gestures to his orb, "I don't know how sensitive this thing is!" He hoists you up by your arm.

"I'm sorry Gale, that was just so funny, I can't picture you a young mischievous wizard at all..."

"Well it's a good thing I grew out of it." He's smirking at you though, impishly. It makes you laugh.

"Did you?" You cover your mouth as you chuckle before reaching out and dusting his hair off, tucking the rouge strands back into place. "I don't know if I believe that either. You've certainly kept your impish charm."

Halsin feels his face warm, he watched the two of you bat at each other like school children. He kissed his teeth, rubbed his calloused thumb over the smooth back of his hand, anything to distract himself from the annoyance rolling over in his stomach.

"Who's to say?" Gale holds his hands up, a faux surrender, shrugging just a bit.

"Go to sleep Gale." You shove him, snickering, "you're delirious."

"Perhaps I am." Gale smiles at you, "goodnight my friend." The words hardly do anything to put Halsin at ease he can practically feel his eye twitching. Whoever said patience was a druidic virtue?

"Sleep tight Gale." When you turn away from him you see Halsin, who to his credit had no real reason to be standing there.

"Halsin!" You chirp happily at him and he feels his chest bloom at it.

"Hello my dear, we're back late today, I apologize. Did you need us?" He tries to squash the growing disdain in his stomach in favor of appreciating you as you appear before him.

"Oh no! Nothing Shadowheart couldn't handle." You wave back at her tent, "How were your travels?"

"They were fine. Unfortunately the Harpers really can't be trusted.." He peers over your shoulder, notices your tent moved to be beside Gales, which had never been the case before.

"I figured as much." You sigh, he watches your eyebrows turn upwards. "That's upsetting. Are you going to clean up for the night?"

"Yes I think I will." He glances to the stream behind camp, no one else was there.

"Can I come? I hate to bother you but I can't sleep, and I think I kept Gale up so long he was hallucinating." Your fingertips brush his arm as you chuckle, he glances down at the point of contact. He feels the skin there heat up as you pull away.

"You're no bother, my dear." He shakes his head, "come with me."

You trot happily behind him, unaware of his stewing just in front of you.

"So, what went wrong with the Harpers?"

"You and Gale are close." Halsin elects to ignore your questions.

"Oh?" You perch on a nearby rock as Halsin crouches by the stream, "Gale? I suppose we are friendly. He's very funny."

"Is he?" Halsin fights to keep his tone even, though you seem oblivious to it.

"Did you hear us talking earlier? I swear the more sleepy he gets the funnier he is." You're giggling, like a school child. Halsin feels his eye twitch.

"I did not hear you, I only saw you fall."

"My fault completely, I was going mad with it, it was so funny, Gale told me that when he was a younger student, at that fancy magic school he snuck into the-"

"Do you..care for him?" Halsin turns to you, still crouched by the running water below him.

"I suppose I do...like him yes." You sound confused, lost, which Halsin supposes is a good sign as you'll only tell the truth.

"You like him?" Halsin is looking intently at you.

"I do, he's..nice.." You look like you're entirely unsure about what's going on.

"You like him so much because he's..nice, then?" Halsin doesn't sound like he's convinced.

"Yes I think so-"

"Do you share a bed with him?" Halsin stands, he walks towards you perched on your rock.

"I-" He almost feels bad for the way a warm flush rises to your face as you look up at him.

"N-no we don't, we haven't. We're only friendly-"

"Do you wish to? Would you wish to?"

"N-no I don't, I wouldn't he...I-" You flounder a bit, "why do you ask?"

"It seemed a certain way." Halsin kneels, face to face with you on your perch, "I worried."

"Why did you worry?"Your holding your hands by your chest, leaning away from him, shocked but not leering, nervous..you were nervous. "Why would it worry you to know I shared a bed with Gale, that I cared for him in that way?"

At the realization of your nervousness he feels guilty, he puts his hands on your thighs, "I should apologize."

"Why?" Your face was flushed, your eyes were wide as you watched him, tried to predict his next move with no avail.

"I was selfish with you. With your time, with your care." He shakes his head, "I beg you to forgive me. To not let this ruin your opinion of me..I acted so poorly...and it..it’s embarrassing and dreadful and I beg for your forgiveness...You gave me a chance to have a piece of you, I turned you away. I know you don't hold that against me. You stepped aside and I am grateful that you did. The curse was my burden to bear, and I couldn't be distracted from it, not by you, or by anybody. You understood that, and I am grateful. Had you pushed me I would have..become distracted with you, I would have followed you wherever you went, and forgotten my duty."

"I understand Halsin. I'm not offended-"

"I know you aren't, and that's why I'm so grateful for you." He looks earnest, "but I selfishly believed that you would hold onto your want for me. That you would wait indefinitely for me to come to you. I held you to an unfair expectation, to the hope that you would not share your heart, or your body, with another. When I saw you today with Gale, I worried that I had given you up, that I had made a terrible blunder and I had lost my chance to have you. Gale does not seem the kind of man to be willing to share you, and I cannot blame him, nor could I blame any other for keeping you to themselves once they've had you."

"Why does that worry you? You did not want me then-"

"I did want you." Halsin insists, "and I do want you now, I've wanted you since the beginning but I knew you would consume me, that I would lose sight of what I was meant to do..but I've burned with it, you have enamored me completely and... brought out the worst in me, I'm useless with it."

"I'm sorry Halsin.." You hold his gaze, and cover his hands with yours.

"And you still apologize as if you have done wrong." He squeezes your thighs where his hands cover, "you have not, I am the one who lost sight of things, lost sight of what I wanted, who I wanted. I was so enamored by the idea of having you I cursed any obstacle in my way, rather than telling you the truth. That was my error. It was my error to believe you would hold onto your desire even after I turned you away, to believe that you would still consider me after I put something else above you."

"I don't understand Halsin.." You blink at him as he lifts your hands, "do you want to go our separate ways? Is this too much- I apologize if I was too forward back then, but we need you-"

"No," His forehead falls onto your knees, "perhaps I am not speaking clearly." He squeezes you again, "I don't want to be parted from you, not now, not ever... I want the opposite," he sighs, "I want you now, if you'll have me, if you can put my behavior..my feelings behind us.I know it was so childish of me. I’m so sorry my songbird..please find it in yourself to forgive me.” He looks up at you, he kisses the back of your hand, “you’ll break my heart if you don’t.”

"You haven't done anything wrong....Halsin.." You shake your head, "if you need to be forgiven then I forgive you, I'll always forgive you, but...I do not think you've done anything that deserves asking for it. We misunderstood each other..."

"You are brighter, and kinder than most, perhaps you're naive... or perhaps you understand things better than any of us." He kisses up your inner arm to the crook of your elbow, "I laid some sort of...childish claim to you, I believed I deserved you, your time, your body, your heart, more than the others, that you would come to me because...I don't know..I'm sorry, forgive me for treating you like a prize to be won, a piece of land to fight over you are...your heart is so much more than that, to me and to everyone that you meet." He barely takes his lips off your skin when he looks up at you and you feel your lungs empty of air.

"Halsin..of course I forgive you..” You barely get it out, you feel so breathless.

His lips pass the bend of your elbow and make their way to your shoulder, your neck, your jaw, his other hand engulfs your waist as he moves you from your perch and pulls you to his chest,

“do you? Really?” He’s at your jaw, "I was too much of an oafish brute to put words to it, to tell you, even when I should have, I adore you, I think so highly of you. I'm so taken by you.."

"I feel the same way Halsin.." You're breathless when you're face to face, your hand holds the nape of his neck, "I thought you wanted to...focus on the more dire things at hand so I left you to them, and when things ended and you didn't come to me I thought perhaps the fascination had passed and I did not want to trouble you again-"

"You did not trouble me then, you do not trouble me now,"  He sighs gratefully as he kisses you, it’s warm, his other hand leaves your jaw to press the small of your back, arching you closer to him.

“I have to have you..I’m worried I’ll die if I don’t.” He’s breathing quickly into your mouth with anticipation, “I need to see you.. All of you and..and feel you I-”

“Oh.” You felt gooey at that, of all the things you expected to happen today this was not one of them.

“And It has to be now you see I- I can hardly put my head on right when I start to think about you like that and it’s all I've been thinking of lately... I doubt I’ll even be able to get anything done properly tomorrow if you don’t set me straight.”

You laugh at that, “okay..” You nod, leaning down to him again, just slightly taller than him perched on his lap.

“Yes?” He sounds so perfectly hopeful.

"Tell me you want me, tell me this is what you want..to be with me..and for me to have you..even after all the things we misunderstood..that you’ll let me bed you, that you want me to..” He looks up at you earnestly, his eyes flickering between yours and you nod.

"I want you, I want this, Halsin, I always have."

He let's out a warbled sigh into your lips at that, already lowering your bodies to the ground, kissing you, sliding his hands into your clothes.

He was quick to uncover you, to toss your clothes off somewhere, to sigh gratefully as you did the same to his, you wondered what had gotten into him, but had no complaints either way.

He was lowering himself between your legs easily, kissing down your chest, lavishing your stomach with attention, unperturbed by the flush creeping down your neck.

"Halsin you don't have to-"

"Please, don't deny me now.." You aren't sure why you thought he would consider this a chore.

He deluged you with loving attention, his hands slid from the sides of your thighs up to the small of you back, pulling you closer and closer to him with each stroke. He groaned when you called his name, when you carded hair through your hands or held his face. Languid stokes of his tongue, paired with the slow curling of his fingers inside you. It felt like he was indulging himself with you, occasionally he pulls away, pressing the tall bridge of his nose to your tender skin, nipping at it, taking in deep breaths of you.

He retraces his path to your lips, long kisses and wide strokes of his tongue over your stomach, open mouthed kisses to your chest and collar, then he's taking your face in his hands, "Please-"

"You don't have to beg-" Your eyebrows draw together, "Halsin, I'm in no mood to deny you."

He guides your legs around his waist and slowly guides the head of his cock into you, a hand caging you in on either side of your head. You hold the nape of his neck, and his chest, begging him closer.

"Is it too much?" He sounds almost nervous, "are you alright?" He watches your chest and stomach prattle with deep, shaky breaths.

"I'm alright," You can barely get it out, "Halsin-" You're keening as he bottoms out. He ducks into your neck smattering loose kisses and bites along your skin.

"You're singing for me again," He's sighing into your skin, pulling you closer to him, "you sound so beautiful like this..." He rests one of his hands on your chest, pressing his thumb gently to the divot between of your collar bones, feeling you suck in deep, needy breaths in time with the rolls of his hips into you. Your skin is red under his thumb, flushed with arousal, nervousness, every time he moans, or pulls you into him he feels his hand rise as you take in a deep breath.

He pulls one of your legs over his shoulder and noses at the soft skin of your inner knee, he can feel your heart beating under his hands, he can feel your eyes on him, sliding down his chest and abdomen, back to his neck and jaw then to his eyes again. His hand rises and falls rapidly with your chest as you chant his name, he free hand guides the small of your back upwards as you arch into him. Your hand holds his on your chest, wrapped loosely around his wrist, your other flutters between his arm and chest.

"I'm here," Halsin breathes it out as your leg coils tighter around him, "I hear you, singing for me." And you were, hopelessly chanting his name between long rolls of his hips and every time you felt his index finger slide down the divot of your spine, "you're doing so well my songbird.." He sighs dreamily at you, as if you weren't coming undone below him.

You wrap both of your legs around him as he guides you up into his lap with the hand on your back, your arms lock around his shoulders easily and he groans into the crook of your neck, "hold onto me, I need you close." You can feel his breath down your chest, warm thankful sighs sliding down the sliver of space between your bodies.

His hand feels worlds larger on your back than you had fantasized, he uses it to guide the roll of your hips into his, his other hand holds the back of your neck, pulling you desperately closer. He sang you praises, pulled you greedily into his chest and kissed you when you cried out particularly loud until you felt yourself tightening around him, coiling in your stomach. You felt your nails dig into the back of his shoulder, he didn't seem to mind.

When it becomes too much, when that feeling in your stomach snaps and breaks you crumple into him, you tuck your head beneath his chin, you practically cry for him. When he finishes, which is hardly a few seconds after you, he drags his hand up you back, over your waist, then presses between your shoulder blades, you hear the hoked off groan that he lets into your hair.

You kiss him again, holding his jaw in two careful hands.

"I'm sorry i've kept you up dreadfully late." Halsin's hands still slide needy over your back and waist, pulling you ever closer to him.

"It's okay it..was worth it I'd say." You laugh, "what's brought all that on? Now, after everything?"

"You didn't notice how I'd been brooding? I'd hardly been myself."

"I thought you disliked the city, I was worried you were going to ask to part from us. Astarion disagreed though he wouldn't tell me his theory."

Halsin laughs a bit at that, and after all the desperation and apologizing, it was a welcome sound, "That was for the best I think."

"Perhaps. Were you really jealous of Gale?" You leer back at the idea, "he's nice and all but he really doesn't hold anything over you."

"I was not jealous of Gale just because you found him to be..nice and funny...there are plenty of nice and funny people here." He lies and looks away from you, which is how you can tell he's lying.

"Ah. I see." Your hands rest on his chest, "sorry I misunderstood then." You're grinning anyway. You swipe his hair off his forehead, and in that moment he decides he was fair to be jealous of Gale, even fleeting touches left him feeling lavished with attention.

"Let's clean off." He turns into your palm.

"Can I spend the night with you, in your tent?" You look up at him as you stand.

"Of course." He's smiling at you, another welcome change, "you don't need to ask. I'm here whenever you need me, call for me and I'll come." He leans down to you, "I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner." His thumb traces the shell of your ear as you kiss.

"Don't worry now, you're dramatic." You chuckle into him, "would you really have died?"

"There was no sense in risking it." He lifts you by the back of your thighs and makes his way to the water with you, "better to be safe.”

[redlittlefoxari]

To The Ends Of Faêrun : Chapter Thirteen: On Hold

This series is book two of a fanfic I have already written called Astarion Epilogue: An Adventure in Making Life

Master List Here for Books One, and Two

*List includes a prequel that is essentially one-shots of their adventures over the fifty years after the battle at the end of the game*

Warnings: Blood, Sex, Violence, NSFW 18+, Smut

Summary: Tav has a chat with Gale about Apple not attending school for a while while asking him to come along.

As Tav walked through the portal, swirls of purples and blues caressed her skin as she was taken across the Sword Coast in a matter of seconds. It felt as if she was underwater but able to breathe. The Weave knew where to take her due to the magic channel that Gale had opened between their home in Baldur’s Gate and his in Waterdeep. Apple had traveled countless times to get to and from school, always marveling at the Weave's power. Tav smiled as she remembered the first time she, Astarion, and Apple went through the portal to drop her off into the care of Gale of Waterdeep. She was mesmerized and fell in love with magic instantly. A frown pulled her smile down as Tav remembered that Apple would not be going to school tomorrow, and instead, they would be preparing to find Mielikki. 

Gale’s office came into focus, and Tav looked around the room to see if the dusty old wizard was in his office this time of day or if he had retreated to his bed for the night. The room was an utter mess, with papers strewn across the floors and books stacked as high as they could go in multiple stacks. It was a wonder how Gale ever found anything in this place with how messy everything was. The perfect touch came in the form of a red loveseat that would have been beautiful if not for the claw marks torn up the side that Tav could see. It looked as if Tara had gotten a hold of it at some point. 

“Tav!?” Gale’s voice sounded from behind a stack of papers on the desk. The only neat pile that could be found in the room. “What are you doing here this time of night?”

Tav looked at her old friend. He looked the same as he had fifty years ago. A glamour was in place to hide what he really looked like, opting to keep a younger appearance. The only sign of aging was the pair of glasses he wore. Over the years, squinting at books in dim candlelight had taken its toll, and now it was the only thing that gave away his age. 

“Oh, you know…” Tav walked over to the loveseat and plopped down. “I just thought I would come and say hello.” 

“Astarion not enough for you anymore?” Gale took off his glasses and placed them beside his stack of papers. “I knew this would happen; he is getting up there in age.” 

“You’re one to talk.” Tav scoffed. “Astarion is an ageless vampire, and I think you are somewhere in your nineties.” She offered a smug smile. “I don’t need an old mage in the bedroom.” 

“Then tell me.” He smiled at Tav’s good-natured jabbing. “What do you need from an old mage like me then?” 

She hesitated, trying to find the right words to tell him everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. It was hard to believe that their whole life had been turned upside down in just two days. All her little girl wanted to do was help Tav. She couldn’t fault her for wanting to help her parents. What she could do was teach her what to do next time and hope she would never do anything like this again. 

Tav took a deep breath. “Apple is going to be out of school for a while.” 

“How long and what for?” Gale raised his eyebrows and looked at her like a stern principal. “Is everything alright at home?”

“Everything is fine at home as far as the three of us are concerned.” Tav gave him a withering look. “And I’m not sure for how long, probably at least five months.” 

“Five months!?” Gale stood up, knocking his chair over in the process. “What could possibly be the reason for her having to miss that much school!?” His face was starting to go red. “This is a very important time in a young wizard's life where we build our fundamentals and start building our practice.” He began pacing. “There better be a good reason and not for some silly vacation because that can wait till summer break.” 

Tav tried to hold in her laughter as Gale, the principal, took full center stage. She had never seen him so serious in all the time that she knew him. The laid-back wizard she knew took a backseat as he scolded her. 

“It’s not a vacation, Gale. It’s something quite serious, and if we fail, it can have serious repercussions on our family.” Tav stayed seated. 

“So it’s a quest?” Gale picked up his chair and took a seat facing Tav. “Well, come on out with it, now that I’ve made an ass of myself.” 

“Apple made a deal with a goddess in exchange for making it easier for me to produce a child.” Tav pursed her lips and continued. “It was my fault… I accidentally set Angharradh free and constructed the deal first, but I told her I wouldn’t agree until after talking to Astarion.” Tav bit the inside of her cheek. “Angharradh was listening in on the conversation when we had decided to say no.” She showed him her forearm tattoo. “And then she decided to use Apple as collateral  to get me to do the quest anyways by convincing her to sign in my place and making the collateral that if we tried to back out or if we failed, she gets to take Apple back to Arvandor.”

Gale sat in silence as he listened to the whole tale. “I see; well, That would be a good excuse; getting mixed up with the goddess who created all elvenkind is pretty big...” 

“Yeah…” Tav looked away. “It’s a bit of a clusterfuck.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” Gale scratched the back of his head. “You never discussed the dangers of accepting deals from strange otherworldy beings with her.” 

“She's six, Gale!” Tav looked back at him and threw up her hands. “I thought I would need to worry about teaching her what a period was before that!” 

“Fair point; sometimes I forget how young she really is.” He steepled his fingers out before him, balancing his elbows on his knees. “She is very bright, best in her class, and if I’m honest, should be placed in a higher class, but I fear that would mess with her fundamentals.”

“Are we really having a parent-teacher conference right now?” Tav gave him a deadpan look.

“No better time than the present to tell you that Apple is remarkable. She reminds me of myself when I was her age.” Gale smiled brightly. “She will be fine.”

“I have a favor to ask of you, Gale.” Tav put on her best begging face. “Is there any way you could come with us?” She placed her palms together and grimaced. “Please, I know you run a whole school, but we need you… Apple needs you.” Tav gave him a sad smile. “I need you.” 

Gale scratched his beard in thought. The anticipation ate away at Tav as he took his time thinking through his answer. She saw bits of an old man underneath the glamour, taking his time as if he were ordering breakfast or deciding what to wear. Tav leaned in to emphasize just how important it was that he didn’t take one hundred years to answer.

“I cannot, in good faith, let Apple neglect her studies and not supply her with the best wizarding teacher the Sword Coast has to offer.” Gale Moved his chair quickly back to his desk, excitement spreading across his face. “I’ll come with you.” 

“Really? You’ll leave your duties behind to go on an adventure with your old friends so that Apple doesn’t fall behind?” Tav smiled at the old Wizzard, and then suspicion set in. “That’s awfully generous of you, Gale… I’m happy that you’ll come, but I want to know the real reason why.”

Gale cleared his throat. “I have some benefactors coming to town, and I would rather not have to kiss their asses while they are here.” Gale started grabbing quills and fresh paper. “Besides, if they hear I’m off on a worldly adventure given to me by a goddess, they can’t be mad and will have to settle for the person I leave in my sted.” 

“Whatever works, I guess.” Tav watched as Gale started to squiggle lesson plans down on the fresh paper.

“We have enough professors that I’m not needed here anyway.” Gale waved a hand in the air as a book from one of the stacks flew to his open hand. “I mostly just sit in my office now anyways.” 

“Well, alright.” Tav got up from the loveseat and started making her way to the door. “We should leave by the end of the week. We’ll need to gather supplies, speak to the others, and close down the tailor shop.” Tav looked at Gale, who was barely paying attention to what she was saying. “so get what you need, and we will see you on Friday. Just come through the portal at any time.”

“I’ll see you then!” Gale didn’t look up as he waved goodbye to Tav. 

Tav gave her friend one last smile of appreciation before opening the closet door and walking through the portal back home. As her home came back into focus and she was back in Baldur’s Gate, she could hear the sounds of Astarion giving Apple a lecture in the kitchen. She followed the sound and found Apple sitting at the small table by the window, pencil in hand, as Astarion stood a few feet away from her doing something she never thought she would see him do: be strict with her. 

“If you ever make a deal with a god, goddess, fey, fairy, demon, or anything else of the sort, I will ground you until you are one hundred. Do you hear me?” Astarion looked irate as he listed off every creature that was the capital of making deals. “Also, I know you know how to read,” he continued. “So why is it that you failed to read the part of the contract you signed that stated you would be taken away from us?” 

“I don’t know.” Apple sounded tearful as she answered back. “She looked so nice I didn’t think she would do that sort of thing.” 

“That’s the point, honey,” Tav spoke up to stop the onslaught. “They look innocent so that you will trust them. Just don’t make deals with anyone, not even people you think are your friends.” 

Apple beamed as she saw Tav, the look in her eyes pleading as she looked back toward Astarion. She looked as if she had stuck her face in a pool of boiling water. The whites of her eyes were red, and so was her normally pale face. Tav’s heart broke at the sight of her daughter in such a state. 

“You’re back.” Astarion turned and walked towards her. “What did he say?”

“That he’ll come.” Tav wrapped her arms around Astarion, and he did the same. “Now we just need to find out where Shadowheart and Halsin are.” She pulled him into a tight embrace. “We need to find out where Mielikki is as soon as possible, and Halsin knows all about the forest, but it’s anyone's guess if he’s at the grove or the Last Light settlement.” 

“We have to have more sending scrolls, or we can go out and buy some.” Astarion kissed her head. “When did you tell Gale we were leaving?”

“I told him Friday.” She pulled away from him to look into his eyes. “That gives us five days to gather supplies, get her some armor.” She jabbed her thumb toward Apple. “And close down the shop.” Tav pursed her lips. “What do you think?” 

“Sounds like our fearless leader has woken up from her long rest and is ready to come out of retirement.” Astarion gave her a sad smile. “We will find Mielikki… I’m not losing her.” He moved his hands to cup her face. 

“We won’t.” Tav returned the same smile. “Not as long as I breathe, and there’s still some fight left in me.” 

He stroked her cheek with his thumb in a loving gesture, and they stared into each other's eyes, forgetting the world around them. Astarion pulled her to his lips, placing a delicate kiss on Tav’s lips that told her everything she was too afraid to say. It was tender and purposeful, but also desperate and fearful. Over the many years the two had gone on adventures together, there had never been a time where either of them was unsure of what the adventure would hold, and the stakes were never this high. Failure meant Apple would be taken away against her will and placed in the service of a goddess on a plane of existence that no mortal could reach.

“I will burn Arvandor to the ground before I let her take our child.” His eyes locked on hers as he made his vow. “Every god and goddess will die by my hands if she so much as touches her.” 

“We won’t have to worry about that because we will not fail.” She touched his forehead to hers and closed her eyes. “I would run to the ends of Faerun and slay any beast that came between the three of us.” 

The two stood in silence as they listened to the sound of their breaths, and Apple watched her parents as they held each other. It was clear she didn’t know what was truly at stake and to what extent her parents would go through to see to it that they would stay together. Either one of them was ready to sacrifice their life for the other. Or in service to protect their child, who was the ultimate symbol of the love that they shared. 

Apple got up from where she sat and made her way to Tav and Astarion. She wrapped her arms around them, squeezing them as tight as her little arms would allow. The three of them stayed in that position, holding one another and cementing their vows. Their child still did does not fully understand what was happening. 

A sizzling sound tore Tav and Astarion’s attention away from each other. On the stove sat the stew, still cooking the whole time they were dealing with everything that had happened. Astarion ran a hand through his hair and released Tav, walking over to the stove to take the pot off the heat. 

“Well then.” Astarion turned back to face Tav and Apple. “I think we all better eat something.” He gave his best-practiced smile. “We’re going to need our strength for what’s coming.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They put Apple to bed in their bed, fearing that Angharradh would return and invoke more chaos. Tav and Astarion took the time to read a long story before tucking her in for the night. They both got on either side of Apple for an added wall of protection. Sitting so that their backs sat against the headboard. It felt as if their whole world had just been turned upside down. Right when they had made it their goal to start putting the work back into their relationship, introducing more of themselves back into each other's lives. 

Once Apple’s eyes fluttered shut and her breaths became softer, signaling that she had fallen asleep, Astarion and Tav let out a long, deep sigh as they tilted their heads back so they rested on the wood behind them. Tav’s hands moved to cover her face as she thought about everything that had just happened. 

“I’ve done the same thing to Apple that my own mother did to me.” Tav’s heart hurt as she whispered her admission of guilt.

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Astarion asked, speaking at the same volume as Tav. “Did you also make a deal with a goddess so that your mother could have children?” One eyebrow rose. “Because you might have left that part out in earlier conversations.” 

“No, I did not.” Tav uncovered her face. “But I’m the whole reason she felt the need to accept that deal… because I kept saying that I’m broken.”

“What does that have to do with your mother?” Astarion looked confused. “Sure, she also had problems conceiving, but that’s hardly your fault.” He took her hand. “I’m just as much to blame as to why we are having trouble. I am a vampire, after all.” He gave her a sad smile. 

“Yes, but you didn’t go around saying you were broken.” Tav squeezed his hand. “I don’t think she ever heard me say it, but she got the message all the same.” Tav let out a sigh. “When I was little, I could always hear my mother crying in her room, saying that there was something wrong with her… That she was broken.” 

“I remember you telling me when we first discovered we were pregnant with Apple… You were so frightened to tell anyone, even our friends.” Astarion rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. 

“My mother kept me hidden away like a doll for so long, telling me that I was special because she was broken and I was her little miracle.” Tav felt her heart skip a beat. “I may not have locked Apple away, but I did the same thing to her that my mother did to me… She must have heard me crying yesterday, or maybe she heard me say I was broken.” 

“No sense in worrying when she heard you or how it happened; what’s done is done, and we just need to be sure in the future that we do a better job of not saying that word. ”He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Because it’s not true.”

“It feels like it’s true.” Tav closed her eyes. “I know every elf has the same problem, but it's hard not feeling like you are broken or something is wrong with you.” She opened her eyes and looked into his. “It’s like it’s ingrained into my soul, especially after years of having sex and nothing.”

“We only just started trying a few months ago.” Astarion looked confused. 

“But we’ve been having sex for years.” Tav gave him a sad smile. “It’s not like we stopped after we had Apple. It wasn’t as much, but we still had sex at least once every two weeks.” 

“You counted?” He looked shocked. 

“Every time.”

Astarion looked like he was calculating something in his head before speaking again. “Were you taking tests this whole time?” 

“Gods, no!” Tav sprang up from her position. “A few of the ladies at the shops had said something about how after they had kids, their sex lives slowed down, and I wanted to see if that was true, which it is.” 

It wasn’t as if Tav only waited for Astarion to proposition her for sex. It was equal. The reason they had slowed down in terms of how much they did the act was Apple. With her keen vampiric hearing and magical abilities, more often than not, when they started to get in the mood, she would barge in. Catching Astarion feeding on Tav a few times and led to a conversation about asking for consent to bite someone, which usually snuffed out any burning desires either of them had in the moment.

“Having children can really kill the mood.” Astarion deflated as he looked down at Apple’s sleeping form and found that he agreed. “Does this mean we are putting our romantic endeavors on hold until we finish cleaning up this mess?”

“I don’t see how we can… be romantic when sharing a tent with Apple.” Tav shrugged.

“Fair point.” Astarion looked devastated. “I was looking forward to devouring you with all my pent-up carnal lust.” 

Tav smiled. “Then we better finish this quest as fast as possible.” She leaned into his touch. 

Astarion leaned over Apple. Tav did the same until their lips touched, meeting in the middle. They shared a tender kiss with no intentions behind it. The only thing it conveyed was the promise of what was yet to come and that there would be more in time, but that things were on hold for the time being.

Tag list:

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[angeryvoidchild]

Post-game celebration and my bad songwriting skills: the fanfic

Tavern

"Raise glass to the victory!" Laughed Wyll, smiling despite news scars on his face. His heroic spirits were high, as today was a day to celebrate. Tomorrow will be day to grief and to start building the city anew. Rest of the patrons at the tavern raised their glasses, rejoycing with the new Duke. The atmoshere was lively amongs those that were hailed heroes, the group Vierna started lovingly calling "the tadpole gang". But it seemed that now a new title was needed, as the tadpoles in their brain were no more.

Gale was petting Tara and chatted with Jaheira and Astarion about the bhaalspawn that she followed a century ago was rumoured to be in possession of an artefact that made vampires able to walk in the sun.

Minsc and newly-changed Karlach were arm wrestling and Boo was their judge. Kay joined the hamster, because the alternative was trying to help Halsin calm down Vierna and Alfira, that both tried to be bard for the night - ironically only one of them was, on fact, a bard.

Lae'zel and Shadowheart retired into their room and gods forbid anyone from intruding on them.

"Let's do it this way: Vierna will play the one song they've written and then Alfira will take the stage for the rest of the night." Proposed Halsin, after noticing why his partner was so adamant about the affair. Drow and tiefling agreed at once, not without some snarky comments of course, but they were in a good spirits. Vierna took out their lute, they did play quite a bit during the travels to raise spirits, make a diversion or earn some gold, so it wasn't a new news for the group.

"The beguiler hailed hero,

The heartless from below,

The banished son,

The fiery fiend,

The long forgotten judge.

The knight from another plane,

The priestess with no past,

The disgraced mage,

The cursed druid,

The... Dog and an olwbear cub?!

The darkness came

From dead one's hand,

The false new god -

Absolute's wrath,

Oh, who will protect us all?

The charming child of a fey,

The wise sorceress,

The Frontier's Blade,

The good illihid,

The elf that freed himself,

The one freed from a lich-queen,

The Selune's chosen,

The man of worth,

The curse-breaker,

The dog and an olwbear cub!"

Their voice was nice as always and the song wasn't bad, even if unpolished. It was clear that they tried their best to honour their friends, the long way they all come. Alfira was first to start the applause, but soon whole group was cheering. Vierna left the stage as they've promised, hiding their embarrased face in Halsin's chest.

"Now I remember why I'm not a bard," they murmured.

"It was simple, but nice. You shouldn't be too hard on yourself." Halsin started playing with their hair, making the drow purr.

"Maybe... But that's so not my cup of tea... But I guess that's just me, fucking around and finding out that I loathe playing lute for more than ten people," laughed drow, relaxing in their lover's embrace.

As they've returned to the rest of the friend group, everyone teased Vierna's little show, yet nobody was truly displeased, just a few friendly jabs. The drow was teasing back, as Alfira's new dirty ballad about them played in the background. At least Astarion had fun with pointing out bard's mistakes out loud.

[starrysupercell]

Sooo... Now that its my wif- Tara's birthday... Are the Mystics (And Bo) gonna celebrate it :D? I can imagine Gene trying to set up some kind of surprise party for her, that would remain a surprise for like 4 minutes...

DANG IT. Past 12. TwT

But here you go! An outline for how Tara’s birthday is celebrated this year. 🧿 best fortune teller in Starr Park tbh. Your wife says hi 💜

I really gotta start keeping track of the Birthdays to have these things planned out.

~

One of the many good things about how much time Tara and Gene have known each other, is he knows she'll figure it out.

The surprise for her will be not the fact that there's a party because she can easily see that, but the extent of it, because she can promise not to sneak a peek at it.

(But now she's curious! Also, she's so used to checking on the future,* it takes a very conscious effort to not do so.)

So, while Gene keeps Tara preoccupied by taking a walk around the Park, Sandy, the Tribe, Gale and Mortis (because they're also friends with the Mysticals bc of the skins, shush.) are in charge of decorating.

So, with only two responsible adults in this group, how well do you think this is going to go? :)

Gale: So do you have a plan for the setup?

Sandy: hm? >.o oh. Yy*yawns*eah. here you go... *hands him a paper*

Gale: ...this just has a rough sketch of the main room and a couple of balloons.

Sandy- mm..felt sleepy but there's still.... -.-...time to...zzzz....

Gale:

Mortis laughs because well they'd just have to wing it! (He would definitely ask Emz for help, but she's busy with the teen crew for plot convenience) As long as decorations are already bought, it should an easy thing in setting it up the way they want it to look.

....decorations are already bought, right?

Sandy softly snores, and the Party Crew realizes that's their answer.

~

Meanwhile, Gene and Tara walk through the Park. The plan is picking up a few extra gifts along the way before heading back to the main party.

Their first stop is Barley's for some drinks! He gifts one bottle of Tara’s preferred drink, but does charge for the rest. Along the way, we see Brawlers greeting Tara and wishing her well on her birthday.

Colette’s very enthusiastic! She knows all the Brawler’s birthdays, and wanted to make something for Tara!

She doesn’t really have extra money recently, since there was some recent change in management, and she usually makes more detailed items, but because of the money problem, couldn’t buy as many materials she needed, but she’s derailing, so she hands Tara her wrapped gift.

It’s a cute hand-made Shade Plush!

Tara is delighted and thanks her for it. It’s a pleasant surprise, and she appreciates it. Colette fangirls a bit, thanking her, and then waving bye as the Mystics carry on.

~

Back at the Bazaar, they're trying to brainstorm on what to do. Well, half of them present are. Sandy is asleep and Nita + Leon are playing around the house.

Mortis says the only things he has back home are.. well, decorations of a more... gothic type..you know,.. (Halloween decors. they’re Halloween decors.)

Gale also offers up... some Snowtel hangings, but again, ‘tis not quite the right season to be jolly.

Bo suggests makeshift decorations. The twins are good at crafts! .. but more so along the lines of forest materials, not sand and...

Everyone’s drawing a blank, and decide that they could gather up their own share of materials, and see what could work best. Their time limit won’t really allow a break after all.

So Gale contacts Lou and asks him if he could meet him halfway with everything he can carry. Try not to get caught by the Penguin boss. Lou, ever the chaotic good guy agrees.

Bo gathers up Leon and Nita and they head out to see what they can scrounge up.

Mortis wonders if he should call up Frank too since he’ll be here later to set up and provide the music, but decides to be ~generous~  and just send a flock of his Bats to pick some things up for him. He sees them off adoringly.

With a content sigh, he lounges back and waits for his precious lovelies to return with his ideal decorations. Sandy sleeps on...

~

Back with Gene and Tara, the next item to pick up is the cake. Piper has the order ready-- a black forest chateau cake.

“Magnificent taste, darlings!” she compliments. she has it all boxed up very fancily. “It’s on the house. Take it as my gift for you. Happy birthday!”

She’ll also be attending the party later. Tara thanks her for the cake. She and Gene then take their leave.

Along the way to their last stop at the new Castle environment for the food, (because while they don’t know Ash very well yet, Tara loves trying out the new items and pizza is always great for a party.)

“Hey, Tara! ...hold up.” Edgar jumps down from a building they’re passing, just because he can and . “...this is from the rest of the Gang. Me too, I guess. Happy birthday.”

~

The party squad are actually worse off than before.

The Shaman Tribe are back, and the Twins became interested in using fabrics to try and make something too. so they’re playing around with it pretty much.

Gale just arrived, with Lou joined along because he was interested in the party planning too. (So, the snowtel is understaffed right now.) but they’re just chatting instead of working.

Mortis’ bats haven’t arrived yet, and he’s getting worried. They don’t usually take this long in running errands for him.

Leon and Nita are practically playing catch right now. They knock over something that looked priceless. Oh, a crystal ball, perhaps. Bo reprimands them.

They haven’t gotten much closer to making up the room...

There’s a knock, and the group freezes because oh no, they’re out of time. but it ends up being Frank. A very unhappy Frank who was suddenly surrounded by screeching batties who kept picking apart the house while he was packing up his set up for the party. They followed him there afterwards, along with several things.

Mortis tries joking it off ;; , and then very quietly and off-handedly apologizes when Frank doesn’t find it very funny.

But then so hey!!! you’re here so decoration time, everybody! let’s hop to it!

Gene’s Lamp, Sliver, floats in. Sent by Gene himself to check on the progress. They were nearing after all. The Lamp’s alarmed by what it sees. That is, absolutely nothing.

It glares around, and spots Sandy still sleeping. Sliver floats over to him, and hops on him-- Wake up!

Sandy does so, but is very grumpy. “what?”

Tara’s Birthday.

“yeah? what about it?”

Don’t you care?

“obviously.” he swats at the lamp. “it’s tomorrow.”

>:( Today. It’s TODAY.

“,” Sandy looks around, as wide-eyed as he could be.

broken crystal ball, a mix of decorations, and nobody currently fixing up anything from the looks of it.

They’re on the way.

Sandy makes a face. “ok... game plan on the fly.”

~

The final stretch of the day out.

Gene and Tara are nearing the Bazaar, and along the way, Gene starts to get heartfelt.

He reminisces how they first met, how far they’ve traveled together, how much longer they’ve yet to go.

He wishes he could think of something to give her that meant something like the other gifts that she received that day.

He was a Genie, but after everything they’ve been through, she deserves much, much more than what he could ever imagine to conjure up for her.

Tara smiles. “(Don’t... put me on too high a pedestal, my Friend.”)

Don’t sell yourself short either. You’ve done so much.

“(Yes. I have.)” Tara muses unhappily, thumbing the doll.

Gene suddenly gets the idea of what his gift could be, but he needs his Lamp to start on it.

~

Right before the two opened the door, a pair of bats were hanging up the last decoration.

And when the two walked in with the final party supplies at hand and are amazed at the display.

intricate ice sculptures and a more snowy feel set up where the food would go. the music section where Frank set up (who was talking with Mortis.) had a darker aesthetic, including the balloons over there.

Lastly the rest of the place was decorated with very cute works of art. no doubt the Tribe kid’s handiwork. she recognized it from when they stayed over, and the gifts Bo’s gotten from them and shown her.

You’d think that the seemed like the mix of fancier silver decorations, a more gothic theme and natural crafts would look odd together... and well, it was quaint, but it was very pleasing to see.

a patchwork of oddities, not unlike this park, really. She’s always been fond of odds and ends. Tara loved it!

Sandy yawns and walks over to them. “we actually just got done with the set up. but if it makes you feel better, we can still hide right now and yell surprise.”

Tara laughs. It’s okay.. it isn’t like she could be-- but she appreciates it. Sandy shrugs, like he didn’t just call all the shots and work in a hurry with the other eight. “you’re welcome.”

Lou offers to help set up the food and cake. Gale helps too, after presenting his gift too.

Frank and Mortis notice the arrival of the Birthday Gal and wave her over. They chat animatedly-- it’s been so long since they’ve had the chance to catch up! They should plan something soon. Tara agrees, and their gift is from the both of them. I can see it being a very nice piece of clothing, though I’m drawing a blank as to what.

The Lamp reunites with Gene, and their perspectives merge again. Oh. the party was really cut close, huh? but it worked out well! what a relief. a scrap book of actual memories is what you have in mind? how very sappy.... She would like it.

Lastly, Bo walks up to Tara, greeting her and wishing her well on this day. He hopes she likes what they helped with ....he then has the Twins apologize for breaking a few things around the house--

Tara dismisses it easily. They can be replaced. The Twins, that is. (joke to scare them.) But really, as long as they were careful from now on, it was okay. the cub and chameleon agree with no hesitation and then run off to cause more mayhem, but quieter this time.

The Psychic smiles. The guests would be arriving soon, and it was already so lively.

Time to party~!

_______

*I’m still deciding on the extent of her powers, so future sight might not be a thing, because of the characterization I have for her. I’m thinking something along the lines of “Can see past events, and make very informed guesses based on what she knows about people, but cannot see the future itself.”