#I am very excited to reveal......MY TAV | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thecampjuicebox · 1 year ago

Note

*Ahem*

Mephistopheles having some fiends deliver a present to the boudoir (for Raphael and/or Haarlep - you decide). That present is a very confused, but also very naked, Tav who is all tied up with silk and who also has a collar attached to a chain on her neck. (for her part, Tav would be down with being in the fiend's bed like this, she just would have preferred Raphael or Haarlep be the one to have brought her here)

Incredible idea! I think we need a lil Haarlep AND Raphael showing sweet little Mouse some fun 😈 Thank you for your submission, I hope you enjoy the filth! 💕

Wrapped With a Bow

Pairing: Raphael x Haarlep(m) x Tav(f)

Rating: 18+ NSFW, Minors DNI

POV: 3rd Person

Warnings: Angst, smut, bondage, use of a collar/leash, CNC, domination, fingering, double penetration

The still morning air of the House of Hope sizzles with devilish magic as red sparks and hellfire swirl around the portal room, two large winged cambions appearing in the middle of the circle of enchanted frames. Servants and debtors alike greet the visitors with dulled eyes and forced smiles. The strong scent of sulfur and cinders alerts Raphael and Haarlep of the intrusion, Raphael stirring from his boudoir to assess the situation with a heavy sigh. "Who disturbs me at this hour?" he mumbles, palms rubbing the sleep from his half open eyes. One of the cambions bows gracefully, a letter pressed between his outstretched index and middle finger. "A gift from Mephistopheles." he says, voice deep and booming. A gift? Raphael reluctantly plucks the parchment from the fiend's fingers, tearing open the envelope with ease, eyes scanning the page as he reads.

My son,

As I know you are still infuriated by my actions, I am sending this gift to you as a peace offering. Use her well, she was near impossible to wrangle. A strong one she is. I hope you'll find her suitable.

Your father,

Mephistopheles

"How thoughtful." he hisses. Irritation seers in his throat as he waves a hand at the two fiends, showing them toward the boudoir to deliver the gift, and hopefully, get the hells out of his home. He follows, hands smoothing his hair back as he thinks back to the letter. A poor attempt at forgiveness. Shaking his head, he rounds the corner, eyes moving from the fiends to Haarlep, and back again, watching as they wrestle something to the floor, little yelps and squeaks of struggle perking his ears up. Just as quickly as they came, the two fiends blink away in another flurry of red magic, the sparks settling in the air to reveal his gift sat pretty on the marble floor. An woman, artfully wrapped in black silk ribbons like a Midwinter present, legs and arms bound to restrict any struggling. Around her neck sits a red leather collar, thick chain attached to a silver O-ring secured at the front. A delicious looking gift, indeed.

From across the room, Haarlep purrs, wings fluttering behind him, tail swishing side to side in an obviously aroused manner as he approaches the cambion and his new pet. "Pretty little thing, isn't she?" he mumbles as he places his hands on Raphael's hips from behind, pressing his half-hard cock to the devil's backside. "Very pretty indeed." a smirk forces itself onto Raphael's lips as he kneels in front of Tav to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. "You'll be put to such good use, little mouse." Tav spits at the devil, earning a quick grip of the jaw. Raphael's fingers hold onto each side of her face, squishing her cheeks together, a smirk forming on Tav's lips that he did not expect. She enjoys this? Haarlep gasps in excitement, swaying his hips side to side as he runs his own nails down his torso, one hand grasping at his now full erect cock beneath its thin leather restraint. "Let's play with her.."

Tav's eyes meet Raphael's. Sparkling and wet from tears, lashes dusted with little water droplets like fresh snow on pine trees. He sighs at the sight. So beautiful, so sweet. So ready to be destroyed. The look she gives him is one of surprising lust. She breathes a sigh of desire when he trails his fingers over the sharpness of her jaw and down the side of her neck. A shudder rattles her bones from his warm touch and she innocently blinks up at him. "So lovely.." he murmurs to her, fingers inching their way toward her right breast. Featherlight touch traces the shape and his eyes never leave hers, searching for permission to continue. She gives him a slow nod of approval. He circles the nipple with the tip of his nail, earning a moan from Tav's lips, her eyelids fluttering at the sweet mix of pain and pleasure. Careful fingers reach for the restraints and Haarlep quickly leans down to grasp at his wrist. "Release her there and she'll surely run. Let's move her to a much more comfortable destination."

The incubus and the devil help Tav to her feet. She stumbles from the tight restrains around her legs and Haarlep groans impatiently, scooping her legs up from beneath her, Raphael holding onto her top half as they carefully lie her on the plush bed. "Perfect. You do the honors, Haarlep." Raphael leans against the wall, his hands traveling over his torso and over the front of his thin robe, cock twitching behind the fabric, desperate for release. Haarlep grins and leans in to grasp at the bow in the ribbon with his sharp teeth, giving the silk a gentle tug to release the ties. Tav remains perfectly still. Lids low. Bottom lip caught in a death grip between her teeth. She's perfectly naked beneath the ribbons, cunt already soaked and ready for whatever the two men have in store for her.

Raphael palms at his erection slowly. His lower back bows off of the wall and Haarlep pauses to watch him, a low moan rumbling in his throat at the sight of his master exciting himself. "Such a tease." he groans, reaching down to rub at his own erection momentarily. A quick tug removes the ribbons from Tav's body and she sighs at the relief, legs falling open to reveal the mess between her thighs. Little red marks cover her skin from the friction and tightness of the silk. She sits up and turns her head toward Raphael to watch him, hips unintentionally rolling forward at the filthy thoughts swirling around in her head. She's ready for him. For both of them. In one swift motion, Haarlep reaches for her hips, flipping her over and shoving her face into the velvet duvet beneath them, a primal growl raising goosebumps all over her soft skin. His hands search her body. Every curve and crevice. Every freckle and bruise and imperfection.

Raphael still watches as Haarlep's hands roam Tav's back and ass, squishing the supple flesh between his fingers, kneading and groping and squeezing. One hand gathers Tav's wrists and forces them behind her back. He shoots a look at Raphael. "Some help?" he hisses and Raphael moves toward the bed to retrieve the ribbons Tav had been released from not moments before. He circles her wrists with the silk carefully, tying a bow at the top to finish off the restraint and he leans back to admire his work. The chain still connected to Tav's collar glimmers in the candlelight of the boudoir. An invitation. Raphael reaches down to grasp at it and give it a gentle tug, earning a muffled whimper from Tav as she struggles to lift her head from the bed. Hot fingers swipe up through her folds, Haarlep using his knees to keep her thighs apart as far as her hips will allow in this position. He lifts his fingers to show Raphael her slick, spreading them apart to windowpane the wetness between them in a thin, sticky layer.

"Little Mouse.. So wet for us." Raphael grunts. The devil leans forward, eyes fixed on Haarlep, tongue flicking out to clean off the incubus' fingers. He sucks the digits between his lips, tongue swirling around them thoroughly, Tav's sweetness making his cock grow even harder. Haarlep pulls his fingers away with a satisfying pop and works them through Tav's folds one more, eventually pressing the two fingertips to her entrance. She accepts them with ease. Surprising ease, even for herself. Haarlep begins a torturously slow pump of his fingers within her walls and she rolls her hips backward against them, chasing friction, release, anything. She's desperate now. Desperate for more. To be filled to the brim. His thumb presses to her clit and Tav nearly comes undone in that moment, the pressure on the sensitive bundle of nerves enough to start her legs trembling.

The pumping of Haarlep's fingers continues as he uses his free hand to palm at his cock again, the angry red tip weeping with a shiny bead of precum. He pulls it from behind its leather restraint and leans down to rub the head between Tav's ass cheeks, playfully pressing it against her tight hole. She lifts her head and yelps. "Such a good girl." Raphael coos, giving the chain another tug, this one much rougher. A quiet choked noise escapes her and she licks the drool pooling at the corners of her lips, turning her head to fix her eyes on Raphael as Haarlep ruts against her backside. The devil hands the chain to the incubus and unties his robe, instructing Haarlep to pull Tav up onto her knees. He obeys, fingers leaving her cunt reluctantly. She keens at the emptiness and pushes herself back against the incubus as he reaches a hand around to find her aching clit once more. Her head falls back against his chest in relief, little moans of pure pleasure pouring from her lips like a song.

Raphael crawls up onto the bed and settles himself on his back in front of Tav. She smiles down at him in between moans, Haarlep's fingers still working furiously at her clit, the other hand winding the chain tight around it to keep Tav's body pulled close to his chest for complete control. He mumbles filthy words into her ear, drawing her closer to her end with each circle of his fingers. Raphael takes his cock into his hand and strokes at it slowly, Haarlep gathering some of Tav's slick on his hand to reach out and smooth over Raphael's erection for lubricant. The devil groans at the sensation and his hand quickens. "Careful, Raphael. We know what happens when you become too eager." Haarlep teases. With a groan, Raphael flattens himself against the bed and drops his hand to his side. "Bring her to me." he grunts. Haarlep obeys and shifts Tav forward. She adjusts her legs to straddle Raphael's lap, cunt pressed firmly to his cock as it lays against his stomach.

His hands find the globes of her ass and without hesitation, he guides her hips in a grinding motion against him, the friction enough to earn a strained moan from the devil's throat. Tav grins and presses her chest tightly to his as she follows the movements he pushes her hips into, her slick dripping onto his pelvis with each thrust. A delicious mess of sticky clear fluid and precum coats their skin. Haarlep lines himself up behind Tav carefully, nails digging into the plush meat of her thighs. He gathers spit on his tongue, allowing it to fall in a thin rope onto Tav's tight asshole, his thumb rubbing the saliva into her skin before pressing the tip of his cock against her. She grits her teeth and hisses at the burning sensation as he pushes himself inside. "Oh g-gods-" she whines, head falling into the sweaty crook of Raphael's neck and shoulder. He holds her steady to allow her time to adjust before lifting his hips and allowing his cock to easily slide into her cunt.

Tav sobs into Raphael's neck at the heavy pressure in both holes, her hips still. Raphael coos to her quietly, smoothing her hair down against the back of her head. After a few moments of reprieve, Haarlep begins the thrusting first, nails still hooked roughly into Tav's thighs. Little rivulets of blood bubbling up and over the indentations. Raphael begins his movements next and Tav nearly crumbles to ash as both men pick up their pace. Hips crash against hips, loud squelching and slapping noises filling the boudoir like a filthy symphony. "I can't wait to pump you full of my seed, little mouse. Make such a mess of you." Raphael groans. Haarlep gives her chain another yank backwards. She coughs at the restriction against her windpipe, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as the two men continue to furiously rut into her aching holes. She can't take much more.

Raphael falls apart first, loud moans ringing in Tav's ear. He ruts up into her one final time, hot ropes of cum spewing deep within her walls. She presses sloppy, open mouthed kisses all over his neck and chest as she continues to ride him through his orgasm. The friction of the silk ribbons rubs her wrists raw and she wines as she tries to tug them apart. Sweat beads up on Raphael's forehead. His eyes squeeze shut at the blissful overstimulation of his cock. Haarlep is next, muscular body toppling over Tav's, pressing her tighter to Raphael as he forces his hips into her a few more times. Heat boils up in Tav's belly and she settles into the cambion beneath her. A content sigh escapes her lungs. She tugs at the ribbons once more. Both men remain inside of her, cocks pulsing from their climaxes, Tav's walls squeezing around them with the beat of her heart. They lie there, a sweaty pile of heat and sex. All too tired to move. Haarlep chuckles quietly to himself and presses his head between the space in Tav's shoulder blades, his fingers releasing her wrists from the ribbons, chest heaving.

"Your daddy should bring us gifts more often, Raphael."

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 fanfiction #fic request #raphael x haarlep #raphael x haarlep x tav #raphael x tav #haarlep x tav #haarlep smut #raphael smut

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little-paperboat · 5 months ago

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i burned my fingers on this forbidden fire

it's been a loooong time coming, but i am very excited to share the first chapter of i burned my fingers on this forbidden fire! ❤️‍🔥 All dedicated to the Holy Rolan Empire, of course! x

Summary:

It's finally over: the Absolute has been defeated and Baldur's Gate has been saved. A month after the final battle, everyone's gone to pursue their own destinies - everyone but Tav. She might be home now but she's never felt more lost, struggling to pick up the pieces of the life she left behind. Rolan got everything he wanted: his family is safe and sound, and he is the new Master of Ramazith's Tower. He won, and all he has to do now is prove that he's up to the task. It should be easy, so easy - but then why does he feel like he's constantly failing? One night they meet again, and a proposition rekindles the spark between them. But when Tav's world crumbles around her and secrets are revealed, it's Rolan's hand she reaches for. Will he be there to catch her? (or, Tav meddles and Rolan stands his ground)

In this first chapter, Tav is doing fine. She's doing great! So good. Never better. She's the hero of Baldur's Gate, and everybody loves her. Sure, maybe she's alone because all her friends are gone, and maybe she's still staying at the Elfsong because she can't really move on, and maybe her new job makes her feel useless, but honestly, she's fine. It doesn't even matter that Rolan has been ignoring her this whole time.

I hope you'll like it! Little preview under the cut x

The Elfsong was busier than usual, noticed Tav as she turned the corner, pushing her way through the merry crowd gathered outside. Ale and wine flowed freely as if it was a perfectly ordinary evening in Baldur’s Gate, which, she supposed, it was - to some extent.

Ordinary didn’t mean much anymore these days.

Then again, she hadn’t had an ordinary day in a long time.

In the distance, someone yelled her name and she waved blindly at the crowd, earning a few drunken cheers. That never failed to make her smile, and, slipping inside the tavern, she made her way to the bar where the owner was busy trading beers for gold.

“Hey Alan! Is there a special occasion I’m not aware of?”

Gatherings under the influence of alcohol were frequent as of late, but never to this extent. It almost felt as if the whole of the Lower City had agreed to meet at the Elfsong tonight.

Alan shrugged, undisturbed in his pouring of pints.

“They just finished rebuilding the last of the docks. Calls for a celebration, don’t you think?”

Ah. She turned her head back to survey the crowd, now noticing the many unfamiliar faces.

“You know I never say no to a party,” she said. “No news about the Upper City though, I assume?”

“Correct, princess. But as long as you keep that sweet gold comin’, I’ll make sure you’re treated like a real lady.”

That made her chuckle, and she winked at the bartender.

“Oh, Alan. I am a real lady.”

Leaving him to his work, she made her way up the stairs and to her room. The loud conversations were soon reduced to a hushed background noise, the quiet privacy unnerving as ever.

Everything was exactly as she left it this morning: a calculated mess; a neatly-kept shrine of who she was a month ago. Rationally, she couldn’t expect things to start moving on their own, but to be fair, she had witnessed stranger things. Maybe it would happen somehow: a sign of things moving on, a physical manifestation of the start of a new life.

Her fingers lingered on the bedcovers, the last sunlight of the season peeking through the windows, bathing the place in a comforting autumn glow.

That didn’t ward off the cold inside her chest.

Slowly, she sank to the floor, head resting against the mattress.

If she closed her eyes, she could still hear Wyll and Karlach’s laughter from the next room, and the play-fighting of Shadowheart and Lae’zel. Halsin would be quietly humming a soft song near them, and if she focused hard enough she could make up Astarion’s footsteps about to barge in her room unannounced - wallowing in self-pity, darling? Gale would softly tut, an arm around the vampire’s waist, asking her if she wanted to come to dinner.

On the other side of the wall, there was a loud sneeze.

She sighed. The new tenants were dull, loud and annoying. She didn’t see the point in trying to be friendly - actually, she actively schemed to avoid any contact.

She let her legs fall on the floor with a soft thump, feeling like an abandoned rag doll.

Who’d come and pick her up, if she decided to not move anymore? Now that was a good question. For how long she could stay in her room until someone came to check on her? A few days? A whole tenday? More? Her face had been everywhere after the defeat of the Netherbrain, and even days later, still adorned some sparse street posters. Despite her battle scars, she remained easy on the eyes and people naturally sought her out when she was in public.

Behind closed doors though… no one bothered to care.

While she enjoyed toying with the idea of playing dead for a while, she was fairly sure that someone at the Council would eventually notice her absence, if only to point out how unreliable the Hero of the Gate was.

When the light outside began to dim, she got up with a groan, finally finding some kind of resolve - anything to distract her mind. She had a golden opportunity to drink the night away and might do exactly that.

At her mirror, she found her lipstick - the one that Shadowheart gave her because it felt too Sharran. It was a lovely shade of deep burgundy, rich and smooth, and if she focused hard enough on how the colour complimented her skin tone, she could almost ignore the wave of nostalgia that crept up on her.

On a whim, she undid her braid, letting her loose curls fall on her shoulders. Using Astarion’s little discarded comb, she slowly untangled them. Her hair had grown back since that unfortunate episode in the Underdark, but she sometimes missed how the shorter cut made her feel. Daring. Determined. Brave.

She wasn’t this person anymore.

— Read the rest on AO3 :)

if you liked it, you also can follow the tag “series:forbidden fire” here on tumblr to not miss any updates :)

#holy rolan empire #rolan nation #tav x rolan #rolan x tav #bg3 rolan #rolan #series:forbidden fire #fic:forbidden fire #tag:writing #baldur's gate 3

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galebrainrot2024 · 1 year ago

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GalexTav Enemies to Lovers Pt. 26

Summary: Wyll and Karlach give Gale a pep-talk before he reveals the truth to Tav and a special guest shows up to camp. Gale reveals the truth to Tav about their time together at Blackstaff. WARNING: Extreme angst ahead. This made my heart hurt and was hard to write. Hope I did the event justice. Thanks @meglet1 for encouraging K to rough up Astarion a bit haha Word Ct: 15k

Part 25 | Master List | Read on Ao3

Gale felt each pair of eyes hone in on him as he stepped from the coolness of his tent to the scorching light of day. He was hot, too hot and sweat pooled in unmentionable places. He rubbed his palms against his robes, “Let’s get this over with, shall we?” Gale said this to no one in particular - perhaps scratch, who wagged his tail merrily and none the wiser.

Tav was on the other side of the encampment and Gale wondered if he had to tell her at all. Despite the intensity of Wyll and Halsin’s gaze, he felt nausea creep in his throat and hurried back into his tent.

“How foolish you must look!” Gale seethed, pacing and biting the side of his finger before brushing it across his lips. He groaned and covered his face. “Get out with it, then, go out and face her - this is the cowards way, you know.”

“You most certainly are right.”

“FOR THE LOVE OF THE -“

“That is no way to greet a friend.” Tara sat idly, swiping a paw over her ear before bringing it back to her mouth to run her sandpaper tongue across it.

“Tara! What are you doing here? How long have you been here?” His voice rose with both excitement and frustration. “It is far too dangerous for you to be out here, of all places! How didd you surpass the shadowed curse?”

“Never you mind all that,” she said sternly, “I came to see how you were fairing - your mother and I have been worried sick. You vanished, without so much as a magic mouth spell to speak of your whereabouts.”

Gale barked a laugh and rose his brows, shaking his head. “Tara.” He knelt, groaning as his knees faltered and brought a hand beneath her chin to scratch. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”

“Hm,” she let out a satisfied purr, leaning into Gale’s touch. “No one get’s the particulars quite like you, Mr. Dekarios.” She let out a pitiful yawn and whine as she stretched, extending her body in downward dog. “We have a great deal of catching up to do. Before we do, for the love of all that's dear, shave. Then you can fill me in on what I've missed.”

“The day I shave this beard, Tara, is the day I shave you,” he said, pointing a finger to her in jest. His heart swelled with gratitude for her, despite her nagging - she had been a loyal friend for countless years. He was glad to have her here, now, before he had to go through with this. “I am so very glad you’re here.”

Crunch.

Gale snapped his neck, his eyes narrowing as errant sounds drifted from outside the tent. He rose to greet the frantic, inaudible whispering and opened the flap. Karlach and Wyll turned quickly, false grins plastered on their faces. “Oh, hey-ya!” Karlach said in a too-sing-songy voce. Gale sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Doing all right, Gale?”

“Oh, you know, still alive and kicking despite being surrounded on all sides by an endless manifestation of darkness and decay, coupled with the severe anxiety of revealing the truth to Tav. I’m alright, I assure you.”

Wyll snorted and shrugged. “I’m not sure who you’re trying to fool, it won’t be either of us Gale. I watched you try to come out of this tent a dozen times today to talk to her, and each time you snuck back in.” Gale flushed, embarrassed.

“More observant than I gave you credit for.” Gale mumbled.

“Can we come in? The rest are out getting firewood and supplies. We can even go on a walk if you’d like?”

Gale sighed, and gestured for them both to come in. As Karlach stepped through the threshold her squeal sent Tara’s haunches bristling and she lowered her body to the ground like a pancake. “Easy, Tara.” Gale chuckled, brushing a hand over Tara’s head. “Karlach, Wyll, meet Tara.”

“Oh, what a cute cat! I never had a cat as a kid!” At this, Tara hissed and Karlach held up her hands. “I meant no offense, sorry pretty kitty.”

“I am not a cat.” Tara said through gritted teeth and hopped up onto Gale’s bed, rolling into a delicate ball. Tressyum’s typically weren’t afforded speech, but the vocal charm was simple enough.

Gale smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck, looking at Karlach, “She’s a Tressyum. I assume you’re not familiar with them, based on your reaction. Tara could manage to show you a bit more courtesy though..” Gale shot Tara a withering look and Tara yawned in response, stretching out a paw.

“Perhaps if you had told your companions about me they wouldn’t have been confused, Mr. Dekarios.” Gale groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Oh, it’s alright,” Karlach said, falling back into the chaise with her arms crossed behind her head. “Man, I forget how nice it is to spend time in here. So roomy and fancy, it makes me feel like a proper princess.”

“Quite the set up you’ve mustered for yourself, Gale,” Wyll said, fingering the lace cloth that dawned the circular table. “I almost feel at home.” There was a reverence to his voice, a somberness Gale couldn’t place. He wondered if it made Wyll think of everything he had lost.

Gale rested a hand on Wyll’s shoulder and gestured for him to sit. “Please, make yourself comfortable. I imagine you both have a bit to say. Can I offer either of you some coffee, tea?”

Karlach snickered, “Almost have a proper bed and breakfast going!” She teased. “Hey!” She shot upright, “What if, after we get out of this, we open a B&B? Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate, anywhere…” she sighed as she drifted into daydream. “Right, what were we talking about?”

“Such… interesting companions.” Tara said, nestling deeper into the comforter. “What is all the fuss about, Mr. Dekarios?”

Gale sighed, recounting the story to her. Tara needed little reminding of Gale and Tav’s shared past. “You mean to say the same girl from Blackstaff is the same person who pulled you from the portal? Mr. Dekarios, you must tell her.”

“I know,” Gale hissed, rubbing his temples and sighed. “I know.”

“You can do this, mate.” Karlach chimed in, and extended her hand for Tara to sniff. Tara looked at the hand with disinterest, giving one sniff before turning away. “It wasn’t right for Astarion to stir the pot - he has no idea what he’s talking about and, I hope you don’t mind, I roughed him up a bit to remind him it wasn’t his business.”

“You what?” Gale felt the color drain from his face. This would certainly make things worse.

“Not physically, I mean I gave him a little nudge that he complained about but when we were out earlier I pulled him aside and gave him a what for. Told him it was disrespectful and tactless what he did earlier, and if he wants to stir up drama he has no business being a part of, he can go hand out with Mizora and Zariel in the hells. Those two really have a knack for it.” Karlach smirked, pleased with herself. “It wasn’t his secret to share. No one messes with my mates. Even if you’re one of my mates that’s doing the messing.” Less threatening than he assumed. Perhaps Karlach improved his chances of success.

“I told him I was going to keep my good eye on him.” Wyll said, grinning. “I don't know if our pale rogue has anything good in his heart, or even a scrap of it left for anyone. His heart seems cold as ice and it’s a shame he is trying to make you slip and get hurt. Perhaps I am judging him too harshly.”

Gale snorted, “Unlikely.”

“Hey now, it’s not our place to judge any book by its cover, or the first few pages.” Karlach insisted. “This isn’t about Astarion, not really. He just happens to be a well-placed pressure point. You were always going to need to tell her. Talk to her, Gale. And leave out hypotheticals.”

“Talking. Right. I’m good at that.” Gale felt his body shake, trepidation and sickness coursing through every cell. Then, the sound of voices.

“No time like the present,” Karlach said, slapping his back and stood, her and Wyll taking their leave. Gale followed.

As soon as they stepped out, Gale felt his body seize and try to escape. He felt heat rise to his face and wanted to turn and retreat. He froze and Wyll gave him a gentle push forward. “You can do this, Gale.” Karlach nodded enthusiastically and pumped her fist.

If only Gale believed it. The others began filtering back and he steadied himself, inhaling and rolled his shoulders back, his chest puffed. “You are a strong, capable wizard. You are sharing a truth, an ugly truth and a truth nonetheless.”

He made his way towards the others and their idle chattered died as soon as he was within earshot. The walk was awkward to say the least, the eyes of his companions studying him as he kept his eyes locked on Tav. Her expression was enough to make him ill.

“Can I have a word?” He said, extending a hand to Tav and ushering her to follow.

Although she denied his hand, she nodded. “Lead the way.”

They walked to the edge of Last Light, the rocky waters lapping against the dark shore. The air between them was suffocating. Agitation radiated from Gale like necrosis and he could almost taste Tav’s unease and confusion. “Well?” She managed, stopping and crossed her arms. “I think we’re far enough away. Out with it.” Despite her attempt to be formidable, her voice trembled.

Gale bit the inside of his cheeks so hard he tasted blood and he shut his eyes. The sound of his heart drowned out thought, and he felt outside of time and space itself. When he spoke, his voice was strained: “I hardly know where to begin. I’ve spent countless hours imagining this very conversation and now that we’re here…”

“Gale.”

“Alright, alright.” He held up his hands and gazed at her. He memorized her expression, taking in how the light hit her features, how the fire tangled across her hair. Her eyes were full of tenderness, despite it all. He knew that wouldn’t be the case for long and the tidal wave of emotion broke upon his shores. “I… wanted to take a moment, to take you in.. I’m afraid I’m just about to remedy any fondness you might have of me.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair and pulled. “Oh, I have played this conversation over a thousand times and I still feel woefully unprepared.”

“Please,” her voice was a plea, her arms fell to her sides and she looked helpless. Gale wanted nothing more than to hold her, to brush his fingers across her skin and tell her how much he loved her.

He swallowed and began, “You remember our final presentations at Blackstaff?”

She nodded even though her brow furrowed. “What of them?”

Gale felt his heart shatter as he held her gaze, trying to convey the magnitude of his regret and desperation for atonement. His breath came in uneven, ragged gulps. “I….” He cleared his throat, “I may have had something to do with how your presentation transpired.” Gale wished he hadn’t been looking at her now as he watched countless emotions pass over her face before settling into a furious disbelief.

“What are you saying?” Her voice was more taut than freshly tuned lute string.

“I’m saying that I…” there was a pregnant pause before the words quietly slipped from his lips, “sabotaged your presentation.”

A strange hiccup escaped her. “That’s not possible…” Gale watched color drain from her face, her body crumpling in on itself. Her hand flew to her forehead and she leaned against the rocks. “What do you mean.. Gale, what did you do?”

The words flew from his mouth in a flurry, projectiles of shame. “I am the reason no wizard in the realms would touch you. I… managed to get my hands on a sussur flower and I slipped it into your pack and the water I spilled on you… well… it was wizard’s bane. A… backup plan. I just… we had been so competitive, no one else was nearly as capable as you and I felt so… enamored and threatened at the same time. You garnered so much favor and acclaim, so much attention from Mystra and I… I was a jealous, selfish child who had no concept of consequences or the pain I could inflict. I didn’t think your entire presentation would crumble so horribly, I thought you’d have been clever enough to foil my plan, I thought...” The rest caught in his throat when he realized Tav’s face streaked with tears. He fell before her on his knees, trying to take her hands in his and she pulled them back viciously. “Tav, please, I only wanted to-“

“Don’t touch me,” she said, moving away from him. Gale felt his body seize, icing over as her expression darkened. She began to laugh abruptly, almost maniacally. “I should have known… I should have known better… this whole time…” she shook her head and glared at Gale, her tone laced with loathing. “Were you hoping to sleep with me first before you had to say anything? Humiliate me further?”

“What? No! Of course not-“ Gale began, scrambling to stand and she pushed him back. The gesture startled him. “Please.. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I would never have done…”

He was interrupted by her derisive laugh that snaked through his veins like wyvern toxin. “Forgive you?” Tav scoffed and her body shook. Gale was enveloped by the waves of derision undulating from her. “I hate you.” She hissed, pushing against his chest. “I fucking hate you.”

“Tav, please…” His breath wouldn’t come, tears began to pool in his eyes and his chest was gripped with fear. He had imagined she would react poorly, but… it felt as if an anvil had been dropped on him, as if he were being suffocated by a pile of boulders. The emotions that swept through him were unbearable, unlike anything he remembered. It was worse than the looming threat of the orb, worse than Mystra’s disdain.

Gale wasn’t prepared for her hatred. In all the scenarios he played in his mind, he avoided acknowledging the worst possible truth. He had hoped, perhaps naively, she would understand. That the fondness that brewed between them would be enough to soften the weight of betrayal. It was not so. She shook her head, and began to flee towards camp. “Wait!” He called despaired, tried to follow but she was too fast and he was woefully out of shape.

He collapsed to the ground, vicious sobs crucifying him. The noises were guttural, feral - he was a dying animal, wounded beyond repair, determined to meet his dark fate alone. He couldn’t breathe. As he gasped for air, Gale clutched his chest he tried to ground himself to no avail. He was drowning.

It’s what you deserve…what did you expect to happen?

His vision blurred and he drifted out of himself, feeling his mind slip away - a protective measure. He felt warm, stable hands grip him and lift him as if he were weightless. “Karlach?” He croaked, his throat dry and raspy and he clung to her like a child seeking refuge.

“I’ve got you, soldier.” Her voice was kind, gentle. “Let’s get you back.”

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kalindraancunin · 1 year ago

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A Love Dream

OK GUYS. I HAD TO DO IT. i am not a writer per se (although I am loving it I admit), not a native speaker, nothing, but I HAD to get this idea out, and I sincerely hope you enjoy! ALSO: if anyone wants to continue this story with the much needed smut after, FEEL FREE! Let this be a group Project!

fluffy fluff, feelings, music, classical lore, anticipation for smut (but not there yet), love, desire and philosophical astarion :D

Lúthien is my female moon druid tav with a very rough childhood, one which she tries to heal herself from, with the help of her creative passions, specially music. Honestly if one didn’t knew and disregarded her occasional transformation into animal form, she would easily be mistaken for a full on bard.

She and Astarion engage in ongoing, very heavy flirting and already slept together two times (before and after the tiefling party), but never talked about feelings involved and struggle deeply to not be the first one revealing themselves to the other

(Basically two traumatized dumbasses in love).

She lets him feed nearly every night, trying to not show too much of her deep affection and lust for him. He obviously notices, but other than some heavy teasing he didn’t go further in his advances, simply because he, so he tells himself, already got what he wanted: her on his side, fighting for his cause for freedom.

The Piano piece they are playing is Franz Liszt Liebestraum No.3 (or A Love Dream) in Ab flat major ;-) I found it quite fitting both in melody and storywise!

....

As the sun begins to settle between the trees at the rosymorn monastery, camp shenanigans slowly settled down as well. This was the time where everyone retreated to their own tents, except for one or two left at the camp fire, sipping on wine and telling stories (more so often Gale). Like the night before, Lúthien sat behind the very old grand piano which revealed itself after an unpleasant encounter with some giant eagles two days ago. While their usual loot strolls after the fight, Lúthien almost couldn’t contain herself when she spotted the harsh contrast of the piano keyboard between piles of dried grass which the eagles used to built their nests.

She insisted they make camp here, as they were too exhausted after the two fights (they encountered some death sheppards before) and asked Karlach to help her set up the grand piano near her tent. „ Ok Soldier, am quite excited which tunes you come up with, I love when you play for us!“ The fiery Barbarian shouted while she grabbed the monstrosity by the keyboard like it was made out of cardboard and swunged it over her shoulders to carry it to Lúthien. She herself laughed, never getting over the impossible strength the tiefling woman provided while also embodying such an easy and happy personality.

„Careful, a grand piano as old as this specimen is most likely very delicate, specially the keyboard!“ Astarion suddenly made an appearance behind the two women, arms crossed, head shaking in disapproval.

„You may be right“ Lúthien admitted, placing her fingers on some of the keys, testing the sound. „ You sound like you sat on one of those before?“ She looks at his face, recognizing his eyes shying away from her gaze, eyebrows frowned as he was caught by surprise.

„ I.. Well, .. I don’t know, really. After all, it must have been 200 years ago.“ His usually silky voice took on an absent, sad tone.

„ Sorry, I didn’t mean to..“ Lúthien felt like her question stirred some uncomfortable thoughts the beautiful man across from her most certainly wanted to avoid. „No, no, darling, it’s alright,“ he quickly responded, his ruby eyes fixated again on her. „If you don’t mind not practicing too loud? I have some interesting literature which I intended to indulge in peace and quiet this evening.“ He scoffed at her with a little smirk and walked away back to his tent, just before Lúthien could return his teasing with a witty remark she already prepared inside her head.

Something along the lines of …. I could only imagine which „literature“ you are referring too.. never mind.

As her mind travels back to the present moment, Lúthien shooked her head, trying to get rid of that white haired-seductive grinning-crimson eyed- vampire- elf- man- image in her mind and focussed on the keys before her. This evening, she wanted to focus herself on a particular captivating piano piece she always wanted to perfect, but never managed to. Originally in ab major, Lúthien struggled to remember the correct tonality as she let her fingers sway over the keyboard, only pressing faintly where she thought the tone was right.

„Unsure, darling?“

Lúthien gasped in shock as she suddenly felt the presence of Astarion behind her. „Could you stop sneaking up on me?!“ She turns around, obviously taken aback and met him with a piercing glance, „sorry if I was too loud and interrupted your studies, your heiness.“

„No need bringing royalty into this, although I admit, this title would suit me quite a bit, don’t you think?“ Lúthien rolled her eyes and noticed her ears and cheeks heating up as he sat down next to her on the laying barrel she upcycled as a piano stool, their thighs touching each other slightly. She stared at his trousers and her mind drifted to the strong grip his legs had on her that night….

„My eyes are up here, pet.“ She gasped again and wanted to fight his bold assumption (which frankly was true), but couldn’t contain a loud laugh. She looked him in his eyes, despite her urge to avoid his gaze and was rewarded to see his face lighten up with her laugh. God’s, he was just ethereal. „Ok, ok, i don’t know what to say to that“ Lúthien looked away and at her hands still on the keyboard.

To her surprise, Astarion placed his hands on the keyboard as well.

„You know, I thought about what we talked about yesterday,“ she looked at him while he talked and absentmindedly gazed at the piano,“ I think i might have some history playing the piano when I was younger. He started lazily playing an arpeggiated phrase containing c, e ab…“Wait, you know that song?“ Lúthien stared at him with wide eyes, „ I wanted to practice it, as it is one of my favorite piano pieces!“

„ i know, I recognized the melody as soon as you started with the first notes“, his gaze rested on the keyboard, „ I must say, I applaud your taste in music darling , as it is one of my favorites as well.“

And then he started playing. As his beautiful, long fingers danced over the keys, his shoulders and his whole face began to relax. This calm and peaceful expression filled Lúthiens heart up with an immense, deep feeling for the pale man sitting next to her, so much she felt herself almost exploding on the inside. He played the piece so beautifully, carefully distinguishing between the strong, forte parts and the more soft, piano ones. The melody was like a wave he managed to draw flawlessly, so empathetic towards the intentions of each note, she was left speechless. She even thought she was sure she saw a small smile across his lips, while he was caught in the wave of the arpeggio phrases with his eyes closed.

This sight sent shivers down her spine and in that moment she wished nothing more than to be the piano, to be each key he touched.

She knew she loved him, a realization that hit her more calmly than she expected. It was just that she knew and now, she had just said it out in the open, at least to herself in her mind (which was quite the big step for her).

„ Do you know what this piece is about?“ Astarion looked her in the eyes while playing the last notes, still lost in the melancholy of the tune.

„I know it is called „ ,A Love Dream’“ Lúthien returned his gaze, eyes big and her whole body flushed, still flustered by her own realization.

„That is correct, dear“, his crimson eyes darted to her face and she couldn’t sit still, so she changed the position of her hands from the barrel to her thighs to the keys again just for the sake of moving some of her body, otherwise she was sure she would just jump at him and kiss him like an absolute mad woman, „ but do you know the whole story?“

„N-No“ Lúthien managed to get out. „ You know“, Astarion chuckles, „ its funny how just you practicing three simple notes got me thinking so deep about things I was almost a hundred percent sure I forgot that they existed. And that music, and playing the piano is still somewhat a part of me.. even after all this years of numbness.“ Lúthien couldn’t take her eyes of him and rested her hand onto his instinctively. At first she wanted to take it back to rest at her leg, but in that moment she knew she could stay there.

„ The story of a Love Dream is obviously about love, darling“ Astarion continued with a slight tease in his warm voice and smirked at her, but without that usual mask, so she notices. „ but about all the ups and downs, and specially, what remains of all the feelings after the beloved has passed.“

Suddenly, he moves closer to Lúthien and grabbed her resting hand more firmly, which she appreciated greatly, as she was sure she couldn’t contain herself much longer. „ But what if-„ he almost whispered in her ear, his face terribly close to her neck and her lips- , „ what if someone finds love after they already died? How would that feel like? If someone were to compose this piece according to this paradox, what would the musical waves look like? The other way around?“

He was so close to her face, he looked so deeply into her with his ruby eyes, asking this question with a sincereness she couldn’t take it anymore. She knew he was asking about him, about her. About all of this. What this means he is feeling, as he couldn’t remember he felt that way in two hundred years. She grabbed his neck and drew him onto her lips and they kissed. He wrapped his arms around her back and pressed her onto him so hungrily, but also so gentle.

As they deepened their kiss further and further, already traveling their hands to the other persons clothes, desperately wanting to gain access to skin, Lúthien managed to answer him, looking into his eyes, short of breath, hot and with a big smile : „ I think such a composition would thrive off this paradox, because when the story starts with the deepest of all pain, the most happiness must be what fills the time after.“ He smiled at her back, a clear, honest and genuine happy smile that melted her away for good, „ I would like for us to write it.“

#astarion x female reader #astarion x female tav #astarion x reader #astarion x female oc #astarion fic #astarion fanart #astarion piano #Spotify #astarion fluff #astarion fanfic #astarion fanfiction #bg3 astarion #astarion ancunin #bg3 fluff #bg3 fanfiction #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate tav #baldurs gate 3 fanfiction

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nerdallwritey · 3 months ago

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For your end of year asks!! 🫶🏼❤️❤️ (Sorry, I pretty much asked every single one 🥲)

1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, & 25!

LET'S GOOOOOOO!!! Omg THANK YOU.

Questions found here.

1. Song of the year?

GREAT question. I am absolutely dreadful at music, I typically find a few songs and then listen to them on repeat without branching out 😅 BUT! I think this year for me it's "The Ballad of Jane Doe" which is a song from the musical, "Ride the Cyclone." I listened to it a lot earlier in the year when I was dogsitting for a friend's boss and it was what I was really listening to when I started writing An Evening to Ourselves! Which kicked off my whole fic writing journey! I wouldn't say it has ANY similar vibes to my writing, but I listened to it so much around then that now it just reminds me of writing 🥰

3. Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

Hmm I think this one's pretty basic but Chappell Roan? My roommate has been a fan of hers for years but I really started listening to her once my sister started getting obsessed with her. My beta also got married this year and she said that her favorite part of her wedding was singing Chappell Roan on the dance floor with me and our dnd group! So yeah, probably Chappell!

4. Movie of the year?

Gotta go look to make sure but I THINK probably Wicked. I LOVE musicals, and Wicked is one of the first ones I ever listened to with some of my childhood friends growing up. We'd sing "Defying Gravity" in my best friend's bedroom and switch off who sang for who. I've seen it twice now and loved it both times!! I can't stop listening to "No One Mourns The Wicked" lol.

6. Episode of tv or webisode that defined the year for you?

This is super tough. The only thing I can really think of is the episode of Fantasy High: Junior Year where the Bad Kids take part in The Last Stand. Basically, Fantasy High is an actual play dnd show by Dimension 20 on Dropout and this year they aired their third season of this particular campaign. In the Last Stand episode, the party was taking a test to see if they pass Junior Year and it was just EVERYONE at the top of their games and playing so smart and funny and well. My roommate and I were like "this is our superbowl" 😂 I wouldn't say it DEFINED the year for me, but it definitely sticks out as one of the more memorable things I watched this year! Plus, I love playing dnd with my friends and seeing the performers from D20 perform around town :)

9. Best month for you this year?

I think I'll go with November! That was my birthday month, and I got to spend so much time with my friends. We went to Medieval Times and were put on the evil Green Knight's team and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! I also spent Thanksgiving with my roommate and her family which was a nice change that I absolutely adored. We had great food, decorated for Christmas, went to the movies, went shopping, and watched Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark. Which! Is a HILARIOUS show. They're trying to find the next male lead in a Hallmark movie. We made a bracket of who we think will win and everything. Just an overall fun time 🤩

11. Something you want to do again next year?

HMM........... Another tough question. Mostly because I have the memory of a goldfish and I have to try and remember what I've done this year lol. I'd honestly LOVE to go back to Medieval Times at some point and then go to the Pirate Adventure theater across the street this time! (There's another themed restaurant down the street that's pirate themed and I'm VERY interested in seeing a show there too). OH!!! And I want to keep writing. Idk if I'll get Part 7 of Beauty and the Bard out before the new year, but I'm SO excited to continue writing!!!

16. Post a picture from the beginning of the year

OOOOOH I like this one. Please hold. How about a face reveal? Here's me at the local Ren Faire back in April! Ignore whatever weird thing is happening with the angle of my foot, but this is my attempt at Birdie, my Tav, cosplay! Birdie started as my dnd self-insert character and so this is more of that version of her than her BG3 counterpart. It was really hard finding pics of stuff I did at the beginning of this year because for the most part, I was working from home so there were mostly pics of my cat. But Ren Faire is a blast! Highly recommend going to one at least once.

18. A memorable meal this year?

Not to sound like a broken record, but probably Medieval Times! You're supposed to eat with your hands but my bestie brought plastic silverware. You got chicken, potato, corn, garlic bread, tomato soup, and an eclair! It was really so much fun watching knights ride horses while eating a hearty meal 😂

19. What’re you excited about for next year?

I'm going to two weddings next year in Europe! One of my cousins is getting married in Italy in May, and another cousin is getting married in Ireland in October! I'm in sort of a weird place work wise, but hopefully I'll be able to get time off and attend both! I've already said yes to Italy which I'm really excited about! I'd love to go to Ireland too, but again, idk what the state of work will be at that time. We shall see!!

20. What’s something you learned this year?

Again, here's where my goldfish memory kicks me in the ass. I guess I'd say I learned that I can write pretty well! I kind of always knew that based on what and how I did in school, but it's nice to share my goofiness with people other than teachers, myself, and close friends! I was being really hard on myself because I'm trying to eventually become a screenwriter (someone who writes for TV) and I've been struggling to get there while my roommate (who I love and adore and support wholeheartedly!) has been getting some pretty cool accolades in the writing sphere. Point is, I was feeling kind of down about my abilities, but I learned that there's a wonderful and supportive group of people on Tumblr who want you to succeed! And I'm so happy to be a part of it <3

21. What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

Omg SO glad you asked this one: My roommate and I just bought a HUMONGOUS couch for our apartment. Our previous couch was pretty cheap, in that it was foam and springs and we'd sat on it so much that the foam had begun to sag and we could feel all the springs. We got this new couch from a friend for pretty cheap BUT it took us FOREVER to get it into our apartment because of narrow halls and doorways that we forgot to measure. One piece of the couch had to be hoisted over our balcony (luckily we're only on the second floor but YIKES!)! In total it took 5 hours and LOTS of money to pay the movers lol. But DAMN if this new couch isn't the most comfortable thing in the world. We were honestly thinking of moving somewhere cheaper because our rent is SO expensive, but now we're like "well, guess we have to stay here forever since we can't get this couch back out!" 😂

25. Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? Describe one.

I did!! Besides Reader in Beauty and the Bard, this year, my roommate ran a western themed dnd campaign and I played the Dumbest Warlock Ever. Her name is Zaddie Zipper (named purely because I thought it would be hilarious to have my friends unironically call me "Zaddie") and she was in a cult of this guy called Ol' Zupp. They're in the middle of the desert and yet everyone wears white robes, live in caves, and nobody talks - they all communicate telepathically, which gets Zaddie into trouble when she meets the rest of our adventuring party (she got punched in the face for saying "hi" to someone in their head 😂). Zaddie thinks she's a cleric to Zupp, but instead she's actually a Warlock who signed her soul away to him during her "Zupp-mitzvah!" She can't read so she names all her spells; Eldritch Blast is "Big Zap," Misty Step is "Poof!," Identify is "What's That?" etc etc. EVENTUALLY she gets her memories back, realizes she was KIDNAPPED, kills Zupp and becomes a Wizard. My DM told me NOTHING about Zaddie's actual past, so her getting her memories back was me actually learning about her life for the first time! I love her so much, she's so fun to play. We just did a great one-shot Christmas special and are hoping to keep playing season 2 of this campaign in the spring! This is the art I use of her, from Sarah Johnson on Pinterest!

Thank you SO MUCH for these questions Ali!!! This was so much fun and it was really fun to reflect on the year :) Hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!!

#this took me a while but i had a BLAST #thanks for all the questions!#hopefully i didn't miss anything #:)#emma blabs #thanks for the ask!#xxnashiraxx #answered #tumblr games #tag game #mine #it's me!#i hope that pic of me is okay #i hate having my likeness captured on film #😮‍💨#but i know i'll appreciate it when i can look back on them in the future!#save #zaddie zipper #birdie harp

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silkendandelion · 1 year ago

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The Artifact, Dayedan (Tav) x Astarion Drabble

I love the way Astarion calls the artifact a “pretty thing”, so much that I combined it with the angsty idea someone wrote up about loving someone so much you would live for them, regarding Astarion’s vampiric immortality.

You don’t need any context, not really, except maybe that my Tav is an artificer and this short little thing takes place during the epilogue

~*~

Dayedan hands over the present, haphazardly folded inside a piece of velvet. He never was very good at presentation, Astarion muses, though he admires the azure fabric, soft and cool as he peels back the corners to reveal a replica of a familiar artifact.

“I know it may seem a little tainted, what with who used to live inside the thing, and everything we’ve been through. But you called it a pretty thing once, and I… want you to have them. Pretty things, I mean.”

“You’re a sweetheart. It’s absolutely gorgeous, darling. Is it magical? Did you enchant it?” He turns over the shiny polyhedral in his hands, gently, fingertips tracing the runes on its plates.

“A—little. It’s just a magic mouth spell, a modified knock. Give it the magic word. It will only respond to your voice.”

“Magic word?” He blinks. “Oh—Please.” He tried with a flirtatious rumble, but the sculpture lay quiet.

Remembering his words from before, he tried again, more excited. “Sledgehammer!”

He grinned, delighted, as the artifact began to glow a sunny golden along its creases, and its silver plates bloomed open. The plates, like petals, fell open to reveal a tiny Dayedan, shimmering, starlike and blue like a weave duplicate.

“Oh,” Astarion pondered the tiny figure with soft eyes, restraining himself from touching the image only barely when it began to speak.

‘I hope the angle is all right, I’m almost out of reagents—oh crumbs, is it going already—hello! Hello, Astarion, my love. I… had written a poem for you, but I don’t think poetry is what you want to hear. Not anymore. Also, I’m not ready to risk you leave me when you find out what a rubbish poet I am.’

Astarion smiled down at the little image as he went on.

‘So I’ll just say I love you, then… I love you, Star. I’ll never love anything as much as I love you. You deserve every day you get, even if it’s under the moon, and while that doesn’t change my promise to help you walk in the sun again… I understand how flawed of a wizard I am. If we—can’t find a cure, or if something happens to me, I want you to hear my voice in this box, see me in my youth, so that I—’

Click. Astarion pressed the runes on the plates and the artifact quieted, petals closing to cradle the magical figure.

“Wait, it wasn’t done. You—”

“I don’t need to hear anymore.”

Dayedan watched him cradle the artifact to his chest, his smile soft even as tears gathered on his white lashes. No, no, it wasn’t meant to make him cry—

He grunts awkwardly when Astarion pulls him into a sudden hug, too tight, the artifact still in his hands as he presses his tears into Dayedan’s hairline.

“Selfish of me, I know. You worked so hard on the spell, I’m sure. But I just can’t listen to you talk about… my going on without you. I—it won’t be for a long, long time. I’ve got plenty of time to get there.”

Dayedan’s shoulders relaxed, returning the hug when he felt Astarion nuzzle the rest of his tears into the collar of his robes. He would catch his tears for as long as they had, every time, he knew.

“You have to promise me you will, I won’t accept anything else.” He says into Astarion’s cheek.

“Just two selfish elves, aren’t we?”

“Mm-hmm.” He nods, pressing a kiss to his skin.

And Astarion was silent so long, Dayedan might have wondered if he’d fallen asleep in his neck, if not for the tremor in his cool hands where he gripped him around the middle.

“I promise.”

Dayedan feels a kiss on his own cheek, the words whispered into his skin as the vampire continues.

“Thank you. For the lovely gift and for… everything.”

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riddlerosehearts · 10 months ago

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all right so, some more thoughts on act 2 of baldur's gate 3 now that i finally replaced my hard drive and have been able to play again! this is basically all about like the very end of act 2 because i enjoyed it but just didn't really write things down for most of it.

so first of all i actually kind of love ketheric thorm and the tragedy of his character. i love villains who are willing to destroy themselves and the world for the sake of their family 💖

however i wish that if you talked to him about his wife and passed the checks to try persuading him to repent you could actually change the outcome of things. like what if you could save him and recruit him.... i honestly really think my tav would've felt a bit of empathy toward his situation and wanted to save him if they could, and also personally i just find him more interesting than halsin or even jaheira asdkjfghsdf

i'm sure jaheira is a lot cooler to people who know her from previous baldur's gate games but having 2 druids feels a bit redundant when there are so many other classes and she and halsin both become recruitable a little too late imo, especially given that halsin kind of has nothing to do after he finally joins you. ketheric would be an even later addition but sorry i just think he's so cool and that making one of the villains redeemable + recruitable would've been neat!

ANYWAY i also love the fact that even though i was spoiled on a lot of random bits and pieces about the different companions' personal stories before i started, i was not really spoiled at all on the actual main plot of this game lol. it just makes it that much more exciting getting to see how it all unfolds.

i also wasn't spoiled on the details of wyll's pact and now that he's finally talked about it, i love his character even more!! he's literally like if a disney prince loved his home and its people so much that he sold his soul to save them. i wish we could've had a full flashback when he agreed to show us what happened like the ones we get when we see into shadowheart's past.

i also wish he got more appreciation from fans and had a more complete romance but we all know why he doesn't 😔

i think this is literally the first "stereotypical horny bard" dialogue i've come across omg 😭 didn't actually pick this because it would've been ooc for elenion to say but i will say i think it would've been really funny if there was like. romance-specific dialogue here because you have such insane first meetings with every companion. i'm just imagining elenion going "love at first sight? i suppose so, although for me it was more like love at first hand" and leaving isobel wondering wtf that's supposed to mean

all of this confusion and going back and forth about whether to trust the dream guardian... and they were a mind flayer the whole time!! tbh that actually does not make elenion automatically stop trusting them because we've met omeluum and he didn't seem bad, but what does kind of make them lose trust in the emperor is the whole "encouraging you to turn into a mind flayer" thing... yeah, not doing that.

actually though i found out a while ago that something was up with the dream guardian but like. i was expecting them to turn out to just be fully evil and wanting to try and manipulate us more directly after the reveal, not for them to be acting like a nice friendly heroic mind flayer, so that does come as a surprise!

i wish i had thought to take lae'zel with me to the astral plane in case she would've had anything to say about orpheus while we were there... but oh well, i didn't really have her on my team during act 2 and she wasn't relevant to basically any of its story so i missed her a lot and i am so proud of her now for how she told off vlaakith.

??? halsin just tried to confess his love to elenion and said he thinks they feel the same way and i mean... at least he was very kind and understanding when they rejected him but i am baffled because i haven't really had him in the party at all and. like. when he asked them to tell him a secret they even said they didn't feel like there was anything to tell because they didn't wanna open up to him too deeply (well, and also because for some reason the only other option is to say you're afraid of krakens), but now he thinks they're in love with him? 😭 i've heard that it used to be extremely easy to accidentally romance gale but i do not understand how this happened with halsin. oh well.

oh yeah also i got this dialogue from wyll and i wish there was an option to say that you're anxious about being back or something. because elenion has been sort of avoiding visiting home and only going back very infrequently for a very long time and he and wyll are close so i imagine that wyll knows why that is. but i ended up just picking the first option and imagining that wyll is too polite to question it.

anyway, i've stepped into rivington and am ready to start exploring it but i'm going to end this post here for now!

#star plays bg3

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thetavolution · 1 year ago

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Baldur's Gate 3 Companion!Tav Ask List

Rebecca "Bex" McQuoid

What if your Tav was a recruitable companion, instead of the main character? (contains major spoilers for the game, and for some dark urge runs as well)

General

Where can your Tav be recruited? Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region? Or are they not recruitable until a later act? She'd be in the Nautiloid crash region. Odds are Tav wouldn't see her on the ship. She would recognize Tav from the ship though. I should note that she's a Mephistopheles Tiefling Bard.

Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav? She's a bard so of course they would. I think Wyll would be a good sport about it if you recruit him first. He'd probably be excited about someone being able to play some old song he longs to hear again. Lae'zel would consider her unnecessary. Shadowheart would be apathetic, but curious. Astarion would already decide she's probably going to be very annoying. (He's right.)

Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions? Astarion: "Why are the murderous ones so hot? That's weird, right? Or am I the weird one? I mean... as long as he doesn't kill us, I don't mind him." Gale: "He is pretty charming. In a nerdy, will tell you everything about his special interest kind of way. I like that about him." Karlach: "Holy shit, she could crush my head with her thighs. I think I love her." Lae'zel: "I'd say maybe think twice on recruiting this one, but I realize I'm in no place to judge anybody here. But still... maybe watch out for her." Shadowheart: "Secretive, isn't she? But hey, she has every right to be. It's just very unnerving when you're relying on each other to survive." Wyll: "You sure he's not too good for us? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have him around. I just don't know if we're the kind of company he'd like to keep. Well, I should say me. I don't know I'm the company he'd like to keep." Minthara: "Ha! We seriously got the Murder Mommy on our side? I won't complain, but I will be keeping one eye open while I sleep." (You can only do the good route for her to stick around with Minthara.) Halsin: "Gods, did you see the size of him? I already feel safer with him around.... You think he's single? Put in a good word for me, eh?" Minsc: "There's not much going on in that dome, is there? He's awfully sweet though. And I love his little space hamster." Jaheira: "So, we're traveling with a legend now, eh? I've never heard of her, but I'm already impressed. We got one hell of a team here, don't we?"

What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval? She acts irreverent, but she's drawn to good deeds. It won't be hard to get her approval. She also likes someone who has a good sense of humor. If you do something funny, she'll approve. I.E. Drawing on Vlaakith's face.

Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions? She would leave if you kill the tieflings. She is one, after all. She's also got a good heart for all her bluster.

Do they have any secrets that can be revealed? What are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light? I have to keep this one a biiit quiet. I honestly think it would mirror her secret from @thebonnevillegame too closely. (Once season 1 is out of the show, I can reveal more.)

Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game? Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes? Her side quest would involve some people from her past and some loose ends she has to tie up. It's hard to get into, but it would lead Tav into the dark underbelly of the city. Bex has a dark past they learn a little too much about. It can change Tav's opinion of her or they can believe she's trying to better her life.

What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp? How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again? Stay: "You sure? You never know when you'll need some good old fashioned bardic inspiration." If you tell her yes, I'm sure: "Alright. I'll be here when you need me." Come: "It's showtime, folks!"

Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight? Generally, she tries to avoid escalating conflicts, especially among her allies.

Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game? There are some people from her past that you can run into. Some of them have a good rapport with her while others don't. The ones she has a bad relationship with can be particularly nasty to her. Bex takes their insults on the chin, but Tav is free to be more offended on her behalf. (It's up to the player.) Some of the other companions are more likely to be angry when she's slighted, especially if she's on good terms with everyone.

Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner) Bex has a lot of stories from her strange life. She's been all over Faerûn and she's encountered a lot of people. Some stories are too spoiler heavy. There are plenty that are stories about "some guy" she knew one time though. I.E. She knew a guy who was almost killed by harpies. Wait, sorry, strike the maybe. He was killed by harpies.

Story Specific

How does your Tav advise the player character when it comes to the Dream Visitor? "You had the dream, too? Hm. I want to believe them. It'd be a lot easier knowing we could trust them. Let's keep our guard up though. Something feels off."

How do they advise the player character on Raphael? "I wouldn't trust a devil. Do what you want, but you better expect shit to go sideways if you make a deal with him."

How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character? She would be concerned, but surprisingly okay with it. "As long as it all stays consensual, I don't have a problem with it. It's kinda hot in a weird way. Does that make me kind of fucked up to say?"

How do they react to the Player Character letting Abdirak whip them? "Whoa! I had no idea you were into this sort of thing. Not that I'm judging."

How do they react to the Player Character taking their first tadpole power? "Full offense, but that was disgusting. How do you feel though? You're not feeling like you're about to sprout tentacles or anything, right? You look... normal."

Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently? If you side with the goblins, she will leave and not come back.

What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party? She'd be drinking and probably flirting with one of the other NPCs. She also flirts with the Tav.

Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with? She's a little jealous if she has high approval, but she's not mean about it. Lae'zel: "Really? No offense to her! It's nothing against her or you. I just... didn't think she'd be interested. Have a good night, champ. Don't let her bruise you up too badly." Astarion: "I don't blame you for going for him. If he was interested in me, I'd be on him like government money on a bad idea." Shadowheart: "Oh. She's cute. Seems a bit prickly though. I didn't expect her to go for anybody. I'm pleasantly surprised on your behalf." You can also spend the night with Bex pretty early on.

Do they have unique dialogue if the Player Character lets them die when they steal the Blood of Lathander? "What the Hells?! I have had you back since day one and this is how you thank me. Fuck me! (sighs) Gods, you're lucky you have those puppy dog eyes. Otherwise I might actually stay mad. You ass. Pull that shit again, you won't be so lucky though!"

How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar? "Huh. You know, I knew a guy once that liked to eat spiders. This is feels kind of normal in comparison." When Tav licks it a second time. "Okay, now you're making it weird."

What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown? When she first sees him, "Dribbles the Clown, huh? I knew a guy once who pretended to be a clown. Turned out he was just a run-of-the-mill serial killer. Who would have guessed, huh?" When Tav tells her to go up, "Ha! Good one... Wait, you seriously want me to go up there?" After Tav says Go on, Bex: "Oh, you bastard. You're going to enjoy this aren't you?"

Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin? How is Orin's deception revealed? How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal? Yes, Orin would imitate her. She would let Bex have a mental breakdown involving something from her past, but it would be wildly out of character. It's hard to give specifics at this moment. When Bex is rescued, she'd probably simply say, "How do I keep ending up in situations like this? Thanks, I appreciate you saving my hide." She's a little too used to this kind of shit.

How do they react to the PC either allowing Astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the 7000 spawn? Ascending: "This feels wrong.... I already miss old Astarion." Sparing Spawn: "I think we did the right thing. Or we just got a ton of people killed. It could go either way at this point. We'll see."

How does Tav react to the PC becoming a mind flayer? Can they offer to become one themselves? Does their reaction change if they’re romanced? She'd offer herself up based on how high her approval is. She's honest but accepting if Tav changes. "If it wasn't you under there, I'd be running for the hills. You somehow add some charm to it. No matter what you look like, it's still you." She wouldn't leave you if you became a mind flayer.

How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them? "I'm glad you felt like you could confide in me. I'm scared out of my mind, don't get me wrong, but thank you for trusting me. I'm here for you, come hell or high water."

How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira? "Gods... I get it. Bards are annoying, I should know, I am one. But I feel like there were other options than this!"

If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2? She's one of the weirdly understanding ones. She'd help tie you and keep you company until you came back to your senses. "You think you're the first person to want me dead? (laughs) Listen, you can't get rid of me that easily. Whatever this is, we're getting through it together. Got it?"

Romance

Is your Tav a romanceable character? Are there any specific requirements to romancing them? Yes, she is. There's nothing super special about romancing her. You just have to get high approval. She's one of the easier people to romance.

Does your Tav need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the PC themselves if approval is high enough? She'd make a move if her approval is high enough. She also takes rejection well if you decide to move on from her.

Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option? She's never been in a poly relationship before, but she's enthusiastic about trying it.

Do they have a special romance scene at the tiefling/goblin party? Yes, you can sleep with her right off the bat at the party. You can also chose a more platonic/non-sexual option.

Does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take? In her case, I think there would be just one path.

How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them? She's salty as hell, but respects it. She'll insult Lae'zel, Astarion, and Shadowheart if Tav picks them over her. She can't bring herself to insult Karlach, Gale, Wyll, or Halsin though. She tries, but ultimately gives up. Halsin is "too nice to hate... and too hot." Wyll is "a perfect prince charming" and she can't compete with that. And Karlach is just "awesome" so she gets it.

What questions can Zethino ask the PC about Tav in the Love Test? "Listen. Think. When is she most comfortable?" 1. In her tent 2. In the kitchen ★ 3. In her bedroom in Baldur's Gate 4. Out on the open road "Fear sits in the soul of all - to tame it, we must name it. Bex - what is her deepest fear?" 1. Decorative wine stoppers 2. Snakes 3. Running out of time ★ 4. Being trapped or confined ★ "Life is full of victory and loss. You cannot have one without the other. What is Bex's greatest failure?" 1. Losing so much of her life to stupid mistakes ★ 2. Getting captured by mind flayers 3. Not catching that serial killer clown

If they’re poly, do they have a reaction to the PC engaging in a relationship with Halsin? She would never judge anyone for wanting that man. She'd just ask if you'll consider sharing next time.

How do they react if the PC has sex with Mizora? The Emperor? Haarlep? She's less happy about Mizora and Haarlep due to their less trustworthy nature. It's less about being "cheated on" and more about "Really? Them?" The Emperor she has mixed feelings about. She's not happy about it though.

Will they join in with the PC and the Drow Twins, or no? She definitely would. Happily so.

What are Tav’s plans for the future? Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in? She would be coy. She'd hope Tav would pop the question. She asks them to marry her in a more round-about "No, it's really you're idea" sort of way. She's too scared to be direct out of fear of rejection. If you outright reject her, she'll accept it, but obviously be near tears.

Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au! I can't share some of what I want to because of spoilers. Some day I can say more! But not today.

#tav bg3 #bg3 tav #tav oc #bg3 #my tav #bg3 oc #baldurs gate tav #Bex #bex mcquoid

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plethomacademia · 1 year ago

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Ok I'm back tomorrow and here's the current state of my mental bullshit:

- big fic update first thing. I finally know what I want from this chapter. We're about to enter Maeve's unhinged era I'm very excited. People keep dropping lil kudos on the fic and I want to feed you!

- ballroom fic has become a two parter, the two times Gortash gets her to come to a ball in pre game. Probably called duet. First time is before they hook up, second is in the unhinged era. Point of this one? If you make me I'll say it's to show his influence on her but really there is no point, I want them to have to take a risk flirting in public, go away

- I really want to write more elf pile sorry. That ship tag is too nice and I want to bring a negative energy.

- I also have two stories specifically about the survival pact that Maeve and Astarion make: they will save each other no matter what.

- Then I have a hurt comfort where Astarion is the worst nurse maid for Maeve after she defies Bhaal but he won't let anyone else do it and everyone suffers.

- alt evil Maeve bringing gort Raphael's head and she reveals all she was told about his upbringing from that and his parents and the hate sex is chefs kiss

- there's a kinkmeme where astarion turns Tav against their will and I am going to do my best because the feelings are too good. You know it will be "Tav" but it won't be in the series

- the story that's for me, three views on maeve using music to recover herself but I want to restart her game to talk to Alfira and I'm concerned you'll never see me again. And again this will get negative views but I need to write it.

#accountability #is it accountability if no one wants to take account #maybe it's more #a threat

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nerdalmighty · 10 months ago

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I’ve read over your tags multiple times after you reblogged my long fic and I wanted to tell you how lucky I feel to have you as a reader. Those tags alone, as well as your wonderful comments, have brought so much warmth and many smiles to my face. Thank you so so very much. It’s motivated me in ways I cannot explain. ❤️

I'm so so so glad!!!! It's not easy to commit to a huge creative project like a long fic when it's not your full time job, and I admire the hell out of you for how much you've done and how gorgeous it ALWAYS is!!! Writers like you inspire ME to keep writing (even when I'm too shy to post) and I'm having a blast seeing your take on all the characters. I literally went back and reread some chapters the other night because I'm in awe of your ideas and execution (OBSESSED with Astarion biting Tav's soul mark - I'm so used to seeing a soft Astarion, that seeing him struggle with his past in such a violent/hateful/detached way is SO interesting and I love it. Although I do LOVE a soft Astarion and can't wait for him to be even more of a Big Softie for Tav 🥰). I'm especially excited for Astarion's soul mark to be revealed to Tav. I LOVE a soulmate AU!!!! I also have a few ideas about Tav's secret past and can't wait to see how off the mark I probably am lol

I hope you're doing well and that you've still got the creative drive to keep going! I know how tough that can be, but you've got people rooting for you (in an encouraging, not pressuring way)!!!

If you ever need a beta reader or just want to chat about Astarion/anything, I am SO down. Thanks for such a fun fic! I can't wait to see where it goes next :) FOLKS! GO READ LADYDUELLIST'S FIC HERE: Tumblr | Ao3

Summary: When Astarion meets the humble bard, Tav, he soon finds out he's the only one between them that knows they are bound as soulmates through their marks. Deciding it's more trouble than its worth, he refuses to tell her along the course of their journey across Faerûn. But, unbeknownst to him and their companions, Tav is harboring a gruesome secret that she only thought was nothing more than a traumatized period in her life. As they both come to face to face with their pasts and presents, will they choose to move forward or let it consume them? Healing isn’t linear—after all.

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astarioffsimpmain · 1 year ago

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First off, I just want to say... another INCREDIBLE chapter of this wonderful story. 😍❤️

As for my thoughts, I'm really glad there was the beginnings of a good talk between the two of them, but it's definitely just the beginning. I get the overwhelming feeling that Astarion hasn't told us everything, just like tav hasn't told him everything. Tav hasn't really accepted everything herself, either. She IS jealous of Ava, and everyone is seeing it but her. Astarion sees it, and I feel like maybe he's waiting for her to admit the full extent of her feelings before he feels safe enough to reveal his own hand. He still operates so transactionally in his relationships (which, understandable), so I feel like he isn't going to show his hand until the other party shows theirs.

I also think that the nightmare Tav had wasn't just an amalgamation of feelings she has towards Ava. I think it was a sort of... foresight? I think, whether Astarion knows it right now or not, Ava has something very unsavory planned for his blood, and if my thoughts on the dream are correct, it looks a lot like the hold Cazador had on him. She may even be connected to Cazador.

Besides Ava, I love the truly realistic representation of Tav having a better gauge of Astarion's limits than he does. It's so true for a situation like that, and I both love and hate that the solution is not simple.

I am SO EXCITED to see more of this story. You have me setting my calendar every time you post the date for a new update. It's one of my favorite stories I have ever had the good luck of stumbling upon! 🥰

The Arrangement (6) - Broken

Chapter summary: A long overdue conversation is finally had and things take a turn....

Pairing: Astarion x female!Tav

Warnings: 18+. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Mentions of past trauma.

Word count: 5.7k

Series Masterlist . Ao3

If you could have it your way, you'd immediately cast Mage Hand and shove Ava through the deepest pits of the Underdark, all the way down to Grymforge and until she was faced with molten lava rivers coursing below her.

Whether you'd drop her or not would entirely depend on a set of answers you intended on squeezing out of her – quite literally, if possible.

You crossed your arms, watching as the woman dressed in a burgundy red dress made her way inside, holding that nauseating and overly sweet smile of hers.

She came bearing a satchel, which she handed to Astarion as soon as she stood before him.

“Are you well?” she asked, holding his free hand momentarily.

He gave her a dramatic sigh. “Within reason. It's hardly an ideal scenario, but I'll manage.”

She rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand, nodding with supposed concern on her face.

Something about the way she looked at him made you want to gauge your eyes out.

Ugh…

It took an inhuman amount of mental fortitude and no less amount of restraint to keep yourself from scoffing.

Gale gave you an inquisitive side-glance, but remained silent.

“Who's this? Your playmate?”

Ah.

Lae'zel's bluntness could render many speechless and rabid at worst or slightly taken aback at best.

It seemed that Ava fell under an unexpected third category: sheer amusement.

But it was Astarion who spoke for her, “Ever so direct, Lae'zel." He let out a dramatic laugh. "Charming as always."

"I do not care for such frivolities."

His face dropped with an eye-roll. "It was a joke."

"You're the only one laughing."

You had to hold back a chuckle.

Astarion merely glared at her.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “So, who is she? Your hairdresser?”

“This is Lae'zel – a githyanki extraordinaire. Fierce in battle with her sword and off the field with her words, as you can tell.”

Ava extended an arm out to her, earning a scoff from Lae'zel who refused to return the courtesy.

You beamed in joy at her antics.

Astarion moved to your side and Ava immediately spoke up before he could, “Oh, we've already met.”

“Ah, yes. At The Blushing Mermaid?” he said, tapping his chin.

“More than once.”

You scowled. “A single encounter would have been one too many.”

He glared at you, squinting his eyes inquisitively.

“Feisty . I like you already.” she said with a pout.

You considered hexing her right there and then.

Just like with Lae'zel, she extended a hand out to you.

You crossed your arms instead, earning a narrowed glare from Astarion.

Ava's overly sweet smile only widened.

Astarion then waved dismissively at the only person in the room he had yet to introduce.

“Oh - and that is Gale.”

Unlike you and Lae'zel, he moved to take one of Ava's hand in his own before planting a kiss on the back. “Gale of Waterdeep. What a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, madam."

Gale!

The betrayal had you shooting invisible daggers at him through your eyes.

Ava brought a hand to her chest. “What a gentleman.”

Your patience now spent, you moved towards her. “Where did you go after I ran into you at The Blushing Mermaid?”

Ava turned to face you. “A rather intrusive question, dear.”

“Answer it.”

Astarion was scowling already.

“No. I don't think I will.”

You felt the familiar tingles of fire magic spread along the palm of your hand.

“Where were you when we got arrested, then?”

Gale seemed utterly confused and Lae'zel's face twisted in amusement.

Ava's smile didn't waver once. “She's adorable, Astarion.”

“You little-”

Astarion was already on you before you could lunge forward, rooting you in place.

“Would you excuse us for a moment?” he swiftly interjected, effectively silencing you.

Before you could voice out a protest, you felt him tug at your hand until you were pacing in front of him before bringing both hands to grip your shoulders and prevent you from deterring off the intended path.

“Hey!” you huffed in annoyance.

“Do make yourself at home, darling,” you heard his sweet voice behind you.

“I shall.” Ava chirped.

Your temper exploded from their exchange.

“Actually - don't!” You shouted over your shoulder only to earn a warning squeeze from him.

Astarion pushed you rapidly along the corridor until you were being guided into your own room, door slamming closed behind you.

You immediately jerked away from his grip, turning back around with an indignant growl.

“What in the Nine Hells has gotten into you?” he asked through gritted teeth.

Oh, you were so ready to blow up.

“Me? What is she doing here?”

He quirked an eyebrow at you, crossing his arms. “Is this another one of your jealousy tantrums?”

You gasped at his nerve, outrage nearly blinding you for a split second.

“What – no! I am not jealous! I just dislike her!”

He nodded. “Stating the obvious, but why?”

You groaned in exasperation. “Why what? ”

“Why do you dislike her this much? Surely there must be a solid reason – other than jealousy, that is.”

Insufferable and impossible man!

For a moment, you pondered your answer, not wanting your disdain for her to come across as unwarranted.

But you failed.

Miserably.

“She's… icky! There is something really off about her,” you said, sounding far too exasperated to your liking. “I think she…”

You paused briefly, and Astarion furrowed his brows, waiting for you to go on.

Well.

Maybe you should just voice out your suspicions.

“I think she had something to do with us getting arrested - or that man dying. Maybe both.”

He glared at you in silence for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.

“Oh, aren't you just cute?” He said with a click of his tongue. “Ava would gain nothing from such an ordeal.”

You were fuming at his antics, but tried to rein in your temper. “What does that mean?”

“You'll just have to trust me on this.”

What?

“Are you being serious?”

He tilted his head. “I fail to see how my private affairs are of your concern.”

You placed both hands on your hips, glaring at him with perplexity. “You brought her to my home, so it starts being my concern.”

“Please – as if I want to be here in the first place.”

“Then leave.” You immediately suggested, pointing to the door.

He scoffed with a grimace. “Alright. I will.”

“Great.”

“Wonderful.”

He turned to leave, but suddenly halted as he glanced at the covered window to his right.

You crossed your arms, raising your brows. “Well?”

He twirled on his feet, giving you an artificial smile. “Could it perhaps wait until nightfall, darling? I'm afraid ‘burning to ashes under the midday sun’ isn't quite an invigourating activity to indulge in.”

Your shoulders slumped as he disarmed you with his words.

A wave of sickening guilt took hold of you.

Shit.

What a ridiculous thing to have suggested to him, and even more ridiculous that you two just couldn't seem to be on the same page for more than a few hours at a time.

“I'm sorry.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “Think nothing of it.”

“I'm really not jealous,” you said with a sigh.

It was true.

For the most part.

“I just worry.”

His features softened and the room plunged into silence.

Astarion eventually broke it with a sigh. “She used to be a monster hunter.”

You arched an eyebrow in disbelief. “A monster hunter?”

He nodded.

You had seen your fair share of monster hunters throughout your travels, and if there was one thing you knew for certain was that Ava did not look the part at all.

“And you trusted her word?”

He snorted. “Kind of hard not to with a stake pressed to my chest.”

Your eyes widened in horror. “She did what?!”

“Do calm down. I was just as skeptical when I first met her, so I foolishly asked for proof,” he said with a shrug. “Let's just say my doubts were put to rest.”

Your mouth dropped open in sheer perplexity.

So Astarion had been meddling with someone who hunted his kind for a living.

This was a whole new level of… derangement. Even coming from him.

You found your voice once again. “And you trusted after that?”

“Yes.”

You blinked. “She hunts… vampires!”

“You never listen to me properly, do you? I said she ‘used’ to be one. She practices Alchemy now.”

A lump rose in your throat. “So…. you and her…”

“Let's just say that we found a sweet spot in between and we each provide something useful to the other.”

You gave him a level look. “An arrangement?”

“I suppose you could call it that.”

Another one? Was Astarion hoarding these? First you and now… her?

And what could she possibly provide him?

And then it was as if your body was engulfed in ice shards.

Wait…

“So… what are the terms?”

Did you even want to know?

He seemed to be wondering whether or not to reply, but eventually spoke, “Well, she helps me feel more at ease in terms of being close to others... intimately.”

Your heart sunk into the deepest pits of your core.

“What?”

Now he looked rather impatient, rolling his eyes. “Do not jump to conclusions. She offered a helping hand once she realised how I... severe this was."

Oh.

“When you walked in on us the other night with her naked by my side… nothing had happened.”

You remembered him telling you this.

“Nothing ever does,” he continued, his words sounding slightly bitter. “So I take comfort in her naked form, but only so that my body can get used to it. Nothing more and nothing less.

A pang of discomfort ran through you and you suddenly felt like an idiot.

The rage you felt towards her dwindled rapidly as you understood the true nature of their arrangement.

Ava was merely helping him out with his intimacy.

“Oh.”

“I suppose ‘oh’ covers it.” he said nonchalantly.

“And what does she get in return?”

He shrugged. “My blood.”

What?!

He had to be joking.

You felt the scalding flames of rage for Ava take over your entire body all at once.

Your jaw dropped and you were at a loss for words.

“You – idiot! ” you growled in a fit of pure outrage, smacking his arm. “A blood merchant?! ”

He was scowling so deeply the lines on his face sank tenfold. “Do you think of me as a child?” he spat, suddenly towering over you. “I treaded this world long before you were even thought into existence.”

“Oh – please do tell me more, you ancient… tree! ” you blurted out, nearly wincing at the weak insult you had just hurled at him.

He snorted. “Your flattery needs working as usual.”

You ignored his taunt. “A blood merchant? Seriously? ”

“She is not one!”

“Then what does she want with your blood?”

“She is doing some research. That is all you need to know,” he ground out between gritted teeth.

Before you could retort, a soft knock on the door was heard.

“Astarion? Ava is leaving,” Gale spoke.

He threw one final scowl at you before heading out.

“Judging from the murderous look on your face, I imagine the conversation wasn't all that pleasant, my friend.”

You clenched your fists tight, brushing past Gale to follow Astarion.

By the time you reached the ample room, you were met with Ava giving his shoulder a tight squeeze.

She gave you a final glare, that sickening smile of hers still dancing on her lips. “I'll be seeing you soon.”

Then she turned to leave as Astarion exchanged a tense look with you.

You felt a gentle hand on your arm and flinched.

Shadowheart.

“If it's of any comfort to you, I am also suspicious of her aura,” she said with a grimace. “Although I can't say I'm surprised he would surround himself with such company.”

Heaving a deep sigh, you sank on the nearby cushioned chair.

She lowered herself at your side, offering you an all-black vial.

You raised a brow. “What is this?”

As you had come to expect from Shadowheart, she gave you the warmest of smiles. “Lavander extract mixed in with some herbs. It is said to keep the worst terrors of the night at bay,” she said, giving your forearm a gentle squeeze. “The apothecary did mention it is only a temporary fix. You must address the root cause of these dreams, friend.”

Your eyes immediately landed on Astarion who was busy emptying the contents of the satchel Ava had brought him.

Shadowheart followed your line of sight and gave you a knowing nod. “The two of you speak but neither listens, and I care too much for you to watch your light dim for him.”

You swallowed hard.

She was right.

Of course she was.

You took the tiny vial in your hand. “Thank you, my friend.”

She nodded curtly. “I shall keep an eye on him lest he does something foolish to you.”

And you knew she meant every single word.

How many times had you counted to twenty? You'd lost track of it already.

Maybe increasing it to thirty and repeating it many more times over would help you muster the courage to do this.

You kept on rasping your knuckles softly against the door to his room, but not soundly enough to provoke a knock.

It was becoming unbearable.

You felt as if something was constantly gnawing and clawing at you from the inside out.

“I can hear you breathing, you know.”

His voice startled you, your heart skipping a beat.

Taking a deep breath for added courage, you gripped and turned the doorknob, swiftly pushing the door open.

There he was.

Sitting by the windowsill, bathed in moonlight as he flipped through a book that lay pressed against his thigh.

He looked positively… ethereal.

The candles scattered across the room, made it feel more homely and inviting.

“Sneaking up on a rogue? My, my… feeling bold tonight, are we?”

Your heart faltered momentarily.

He didn't lift his head to meet you, and you were thankful for this.

You were having a hard time keeping yourself together. Beads of sweat pooled in the palms of your hands and you tried your best to keep your breathing as even as possible.

But this needed to happen.

And depending on the direction of this conversation, you might just leave his room feeling even more heartbroken than before.

“We need to talk.”

That caught his attention, and his crimson eyes met yours.

He arched an elegant brow, pressing the book shut. “Go on.”

Suddenly, you felt cold.

No… freezing .

As if the weight of his stare steadily drained the warmth from your body, even with your robe tightly wrapped around you.

You mustered all the willpower you possibly could.

“Why her?”

A crow's foot of amusement appeared by his left eye. “You'll have to be more specific, darling.”

You heaved a deep sigh of frustration, considering the idea of simply walking away.

Why was this so hard?

But a small sliver of determination kept your focus. “This arrangement you have with her… I…” You paused for a moment, struggling to find the right wording to this. “I just want to know why her.”

Why not me?

Astarion shifted to stand gracefully on his feet, leaving the book on the padded chair.

“Why not?”

Answering questions with more questions was a sure way to frustrate you, but he excelled at this dance.

“Please answer me…”

He took a few steps in your direction, his eyes studying your face as if trying to strip you bare.

“Because it's easier.”

“Than what?”

He didn't answer.

You waited for him to go on, but were far too impatient to hold back.

So, you tried again.“Is she the reason why you're so distant from me, then?”

He tilted his head. “And how did you arrive at that conclusion, I wonder?”

Another question for a question.

“You've been distant from me for a while now,” you said, trying to rub the sweat away from your hands. “And I can't help but think she's the reason why.”

He straightened ever so slightly before closing the distance between you two.

“What I have with her is merely transactional.”

Ah. Well…

You did know all too well of transactions with Astarion…

After all, you had been pushed into one from the moment you had gotten together with him at the Tiefling celebration, even if unbeknownst to you.

“Seduce you, sleep with you, manipulate your feelings so you'd never turn on me…”

His words of confession still echoed through your mind from time to time.

“Like what we have now?”

“It is nothing of the sort." he immediately said.

For better or worse?

“How so?”

His proximity had you suck in a sharp breath. “She's not you.”

A cold chill ran through your body.

“That is what you want to know, isn't it? Why I never asked that of you.”

Astarion could be too perceptive for your own good. It was as if he could easily read you like an open book.

You slowly nodded.

“Because you're – well… you're you ,” he said,his face softening. “And as selfish as I am, I could never burden you with this. Not you.”

His words carved into your chest like the sharpest daggers.

Even after all this time, he still regarded himself as a burden to others. That what he had been through had tainted him beyond repair.

But…

“Is that why you push me away?”

He was too close now.

Close enough to throw you off balance with his imposing demeanour.

“How can I not?”

That stung.

Hard.

“Have you any idea how much I envy those who have never met you?”

Your heart dropped.

And then dread took over.

“Or how I envy those who have yet to meet you?”

This had been exactly what you had feared coming into his room.

The confirmation that he was ready to move from you.

That all that was left of your bond with him was this arrangement and the empty shell of what used to be something that resembled a friendship.

Even after he had comforted you last night.

How much of that was truly genuine?

“Do you want to know why?” he asked.

Did you?

“... why?”

Then you felt his icy fingers on your cheek, jolting from the sudden shift in temperature. “Because they get to know you for the first time. They get to experience all of you,” he went on, brushing his thumb across your skin. “In another lifetime, we would have met without the manipulation and hurt and pain.”

You froze in place and your mind went blank.

“You would have met my unbroken self, and I would have adored you unconditionally, because how could I not when everything about you is so easy to love?”

Somehow, this made everything even worse.

Your stomach twisted in knots and you were left utterly speechless.

You had promised yourself not to shed more tears for him, but it was proving to be a challenge as his words seeped into your core like poison.

It was the painful realisation of what could have been.

“And even through all the deception and lies, you could never bring yourself to loathe me. Even when it was decidedly the wisest thing for you to do,” he said, voice steady and calm. “You never loathed me. Not then and not now – maybe not ever .”

Your lips quivered as he spoke every word of truth.

You then swallowed the thick lump in your throat and met his gaze. “You're not broken.”

But it was evident he didn't believe your words.

“And it is not fair that you get to make my decisions for me,” you said, pulling his hand away from your face. “You could have told me all of this, Astarion. We used to have sincere conversations before. What changed?”

He looked away, and you could feel the vulnerability creep into his features.

“Everything.”

You placed a hand to the side of his face, wanting him to meet your gaze once again.

He resisted at first, but eventually succumbed, soft eyes meeting yours.

“Do you regret not going through with the ritual?”

He winced under your touch as if you'd just burnt him.

“A few days ago… that conversation in the cell…”

Astarion didn't look willing to pursue this matter at all.

You inwardly cursed at yourself.

Fuck… you've pushed it.

“Do I wonder what it would be like? Yes – can you blame me for it? To live again without being reduced to a vampire spawn? To tread the lands freely and with so much power that no one would dare cross me?” He paused abruptly as if snapping out of a dream, eyes narrowing at you. “This Wish spell nonsense is dragging, and I feel my chances are slimming with each passing day. We take one step forward and two steps back.”

You felt for him. You truly did.

It seemed that the odds were ever against you, but you also had faith in Gale and your own abilities.

“We'll figure it out. I promise.”

He scoffed. “Do not make promises you can't keep.”

His face looked sour and it pained you.

“You're still the same man I…” fell for…

But you let the final words die in your mouth, not wanting to take it too far.

He stared expectantly at you and, in that moment, you were sure that feeling had never truly left.

You were still foolishly in love with him.

And the confirmation that it could be perhaps reciprocal to an extent was tugging at the frayed ends of your sanity.

“You could have anyone you desire,” he said, with a slight hint of pity in his voice. “From artisans to noblemen – they would all crawl for you.”

It was tempting to accept his praise, but it frustrated you that it felt like he was merely deflecting.

And the trace of pity truly gnawed at your nerves. Why did he pity you? For still having feelings for him?

You snorted. “Well, they're not you.”

Hurling his own words at him had him pressing his lips together.

“I don't know if I can give you anything real. I simply don't know how…”

You caressed his cool cheek. “We can start by rebuilding our friendship.”

He leaned into your touch. “I rather like the sound of that.”

You offered him a reassuring smile.

To be honest, you were more than perfectly fine with that prospect.

Even if a part of you craved more than a friendship, you were also aware that some wounds took longer to heal.

His wounds.

Your wounds.

And the ones you shared together.

So long as he didn't push you away with no solid reason, you would be fine.

And so would he.

Then you came to the conclusion that…

He didn't need her.

He didn't need Ava at all.

You were there for him.

There was no need for him to meddle with strangers when he had you as a friend.

“You don't need her.”

His eyes widened slightly. “What do you mean?”

“You don't have to resort to her for intimacy,” you said carefully, waiting for his approval. “I can help, if you so wish, of course.”

Much to your dismay, he scowled rather deeply.

“I have already stolen too much from you.”

You shook your head, gripping the lace near your collarbone, tugging gently. “You cannot steal that which is freely given.”

And you meant every word.

You then gripped the string of your robe. “May I remove this?”

He silently nodded.

As you undid it, the silk fabric began to slide down your arms, leaving you to stand only in your nightdress.

His eyes dropped from your face and roamed along your frame.

He took a few steps in your direction until he was standing close enough that you could feel the coldness of his skin.

“You don't have to do this.” he said.

You gave him a reassuring nod. “We can stop if you don't feel comfortable.”

His eyes found yours. “Can I look at you? Bare?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Slowly, you unravelled the first lace at the front of your nightdress.

Suddenly, Astarion's hand gripped yours as you moved to the next one further down.

You took a deep breath, fearing you had overdone it.

That he would stop you.

Only… he didn't.

Instead, he picked the string in between his fingers, giving it a tug until it came undone.

His eyes never left yours and you felt shivers prickling at your skin, as he exposed more and more of your skin.

You felt another tug and the fabric loosened.

“I do wonder…”

Another one.

You bit down on your lower lip, holding his unwavering gaze.

And another one.

Your chest heaved more rapidly as your heart hammered in your ears.

This time, his eyes dropped as he worked on the last strings.

“... do friends do this?”

A chill ran down your back as it dawned on you that there was a contrast to this.

Just a few hours ago, he had been tying the very same laces to preserve your modesty in a moment of vulnerability.

But now, you had been the one to initiate it, and he had undone each of them until your front was fully open.

“It depends…” your voice was but a whisper.

He pushed the fabric aside just enough to expose a hardening nipple.

“On what?”

You couldn't bring yourself to provide a decent reply as you felt his thumb ghost the underside of your breast.

Then he flicked the sleeve from your shoulder, until it draped down your arm.

“Are we really just meant to be friends?”

Heat rushed to your face at his bluntness and you looked at him dazedly as if drunk on his words.

“Is that why I plague your dreams at night and your thoughts during the day?”

Astarion had a gift for words and he could almost make it seem like he could easily make love by using them, if he so desired.

Or completely make you crumble under the weight of his words.

You couldn't bring yourself to answer any of his questions, as you felt the burden of the truth weigh down on you.

“You are beautiful.”

His sincere praise almost drew a gasp from you.

You had the other sleeve sliding down as well, until the nightdress slipped along your body, pooling at your feet.

For the first time in what felt like forever, you were standing fully naked in front of him.

There was familiarity in it, but that wasn't what had your heart fluttering.

It was how he silently glared at you as if awestruck.

“So very beautiful…”

This time, his words of praise made you feel too self-aware and far more exposed than simply being naked.

Reflexively, you brought your hands to cover your bare chest.

You had always felt undeserving of his attention.

Astarion was what some might call the epitome of physical harmony.

His body was a work of art and his beauty unmatched.

“You don't ever have to hide from me,” he said softly, taking one hand in his. “Come here.”

He slowly guided you towards the window, the full moon up high casting its pale glow down on you.

“Look at the window.”

You did so, watching your lonely and washed out reflection show up on the clear glass.

Fleetingly, you wished you could see him, too, as he came to stand behind you, placing both hands on your shoulders.

But there was no one there but you.

You stood alone, but felt his presence all the same.

“You are a sight to behold,” he said in a whisper, his lips close to your ear. “Do not ever doubt it.”

“So are you…”

He chuckled, placing one finger under your chin, and tilting your head towards him.

You suddenly felt your knees buckle under you as his lips ghosted over yours.

“May I kiss you?”

Oh.

That startled you and your eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

His brows furrowed lightly. “We don't have to, of course.”

You wanted to.

More than anything.

But this wasn't just about you.

“Maybe we should take it slow?” you suggested, the coldness of his lips nearly touching yours.

He drew back slightly.

“Is that what you want?”

“Maybe it's what you need.”

He hesitated at first. “I think… I need this.”

Doubt flared inside you like a wildfire. On one hand, you feared he was rushing things once again.

On the other, he seemed rather at ease with the prospect of going further.

So maybe…

“You need to let me know if it's too much.”

He inched closer once more. “I will.”

Your heart clenched hard before rapidly doubling its pace.

You fully melted into him as he took your lips in his, keeping you still by gripping your chin lightly in between his fingers.

This kiss was familiar.

It was measured and controlled.

This one felt and tasted like… home.

It was reminiscent of the last kisses you had shared before Moonrise Towers. When both of you had gotten so comfortable with each other, it felt like second nature to be so intimate.

This wasn't driven by lust like the one you shared at The Blushing Mermaid only a few days prior.

It was driven by yearning.

Longing.

He pressed down on your chin with his thumb, parting your lips for his tongue to slip through, and your eyes quickly fluttered shut.

How you had missed this… tasting him as he completely overtook your senses.

His cold touch set your skin alight and you had to grip the hardwood shutter by the window to keep yourself from melting away.

You broke from him to let out a soft gasp when he pressed himself against you, his growing erection nudging at your lower back.

As touch starved as you were, you still held back, not wanting to overstep any lines.

He trailed his tongue along your lower lip, and you slowly turned to fully face him, cradling his face in your hands never parting from him.

The kiss morphed into something more urgent and primal, as if he had waited an eternity for this moment.

Your body was now fully flushed against him, and you heard the faintest growl emerge from his throat when you pressed into his bulge.

He suddenly broke the kiss, causing your eyes to fly open.

“Too much?”

“Yes.”

Astarion slowly tore himself away from you body, his face tense and his eyes avoiding yours.

For a split second you felt panic take over your mind at the fear of having hurt him.

“Astarion…”

But he quickly straightened himself, offering a reassuring smile.

It felt genuine and you allowed yourself to relax.

“Are you well?”

His face seemed blank for a moment. “Of course.”

Your heart dropped at the realisation that his words, once again, did not match his body language.

“Maybe we rushed it…”

As if your voice had snapped him out of a trance, his eyes finally met yours. “It's hard not to do so with you.”

The impending sense that he was trying to compensate with words began to loom over you.

He swiftly circled you and moved back to help you slip into your robe, careful fingers tying it snugly around you, yet you felt more exposed than ever.

“Astarion, I didn't mean for-”

He pressed his forefinger to your lips. “I was the one who got carried away. Do not take the blame for that. Please.”

You felt relief slowly settle deep within you.

Astarion's words did match his body language this time.

You then heaved a big sigh as he dropped his hand.

“Do you wish for me to stay? We can talk about it…”

He closed the space between the two of you and pressed a light kiss to your forehead. “Not tonight.”

You nodded understandingly, enjoying the tenderness.

“Will you still seek out Ava?”

He pulled away to meet your gaze. “I might indulge in some of her words of wisdom, yes.”

“And will you still give her your blood?”

“I believe so.”

You felt the beginnings of a frown settle on your face. “You don't have to…” … not anymore .

“You also don't have to give me yours, yet you willingly do so,” he said, arching an eyebrow. “As do I.”

“But it's different with us… I can easily withdraw my consent.”

“Correct.”

You hesitated for a moment. “I just worry that she might take it too far…”

A genuine smile of amusement tugged at his lips. “Ava is not someone you should worry about.”

Well, it was easier said than done.

There was still an unsettling feeling about her brewing within you. You couldn't quite place your finger on what it was, but it was still there…

“If she tries anything to hurt you-”

He immediately cut you off. “Oh, I am quite sure you would bestow upon her a curse so great that historians all over Faerûn would rush to document such an event in their books.”

Your outer shell of toughness cracked open and you chuckled.

“I would hope they do that.”

“A cautionary tale, if you will,” he nodded with a sly grin.

“And I will gladly do that to her should the situation call for it.”

It wasn't an empty threat.

He nodded. “I don't expect anything less from you, darling.”

You stared at each other in silence for what felt like an eternity.

It felt… comfortable.

Your heart felt full from finally having had a heartfelt conversation that was long overdue.

There were still edges to polish and fears to keep at bay, but, for now, it felt enough.

“Have a good night, Astarion.” you offered a sweet smile.

He returned it. “Dream of me – well, the satisfying kind, I hope.”

“So do I.”

“And if not, you know where to find me."

His words of comfort wrapped around you like the warmest blanket.

You nodded, snatching your nightdress from the floor to exit his room.

With a final glance over your shoulder, you found that his smile had wavered ever so slightly, and did you best not to overthink it.

And as the door to his room clicked shut, you shook your head and held it up high, determination setting in your mind.

You were going to talk to Ava.

TBC

#astarion x reader #astarion smut #astarion x female reader #astarion x tav #astarion x female tav #astarion x f!tav #astarion x f!reader #astarion fanfic #astarion

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cas-blog-hanl · 1 year ago

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Creativity - Character creation (but better!)

I am pretty sure that some divine forces are really trying to force me to play an actual DND campaign.

Just when I thought that the short chapter with DND in my life would be over something popped up from seemingly the blue and forced right back in.

Some time ago my sister had started playing this video game and gushing to me about it endlessly. Obviously, as the good sister I am, I listened to every word and tried to share her excitement without actually experiencing the game. So, when one day she offered to let me try it out and see if I like it, well... obviously I had to bite.

The game is basically a DND campaign that you can play by yourself. As sad as that may sound, the game is actually really fun and the mechanics are so unusual that they make the gameplay a really new experience.

Now, as it is a semi- DND campaign, character creation is a must. With my previous knowledge and the really informative tutorials in the game, character creation had suddenly become a piece of cake. Not only that, but it had actually let me experience how these character would play out in a real campaign setting which was not just created by me. Each dialogue option, each action, each move was carefully planned out to fit with the character I had made. If the character was a chaotic good, well then obviously they would befriend the weird bard who's obsessed with goblins and keeps getting in trouble only to be saved by my character. If my character is a neutral evil, they don't care about the massacre which happened in the neighbouring city.

So, as a little taste of what it is like, here is one of my favourite characters I had created.

Their name is Tav, they're a Drow ( also known as a dark elf ) who is a Rouge or more specifically a thief. They have quick hands and an even quicker tongue, which unfortunately usually gets them into trouble. The confusing surrounding they had found themselves in is actually a place where they thrive. Adventure is at every corner and nothing is better than a mystery to solve. However, they are plagued with something evil. The only thing they remember about their past before their new adventure had begun is their name. Images of their past sometimes fly before their eyes, blinding them with gory images of scenes they would rather not think about. The stench of blood is for some reason a very familiar scent and yet every time they think about how that smell brings them comfort, bile rises in their throat. They are haunted by a past that they can not remember. They are haunted by the actions of their hands which do not feel like theirs. And a weird creature with hard it's face missing is claiming to be their butler but for some reason does not want to reveal anything to them as it claims that "I am not allowed to, boss.".

September

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cranehusbands · 4 years ago

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for a charming guy, you suck at date nights

mirage | elliott witt/octane | octavio silva; established relationship; fluff; movie nights; adhd headcanons; 1388 words

a/n: 3 FOR 3! these just keep getting posted later and later, im so sorry about that, but i was trying out crossplay on apex today (!!!) and having a blast, i forgot how much fun this game can be with friends, hehe

anyways, day 3 for @apex-rarepairweek, movie night! featuring my very specific octane hcs about his hyperfixations where i am (we irritating) we Projecting. thank you again for these prompts guys, these were super fun!

likes < reblogs, any comments in the tags are appreciated

ao3 mirror in the reblogs!

Preview: “Uh, knock knock, comin’ through.” Octavio looked up, only just realising how badly he was chewing at his fingers as he saw Elliott struggling into the room, two drinks in hand and a bowl under his arm. “Oh, shit- sorry, didn’t hear you askin’ for help.” “You’re fine, babe, but thanks.” He gave a small smile of relief as the runner took the bowl from him, only for that to turn into a light scowl as he watched him scoop a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “C’mon, at least save it.” “S’good.” “Too hot?” Octavio didn’t reply, only slightly winced and turned away to put the bowl on the coffee table, and that was enough for the trickster to soften again, joining him on the loveseat (fitting, for a date night) as he slid the soda over to Octavio’s side, and kept the coffee for himself.

“You can sit down, you know that, right?”

The voice from the kitchen made Octavio look up from his shoes, kicking at the linoleum of the apartment’s entrance. He’d been standing there since Elliott had let him in a few minutes before, before he’d left to go make them drinks. “Uh, sí, just… waiting for you.”

“You, the Octane? Waiting? Thought hell’d freeze over before that happened.”

Though the legend scowled momentarily, hearing his boyfriend chuckle to himself from a distance was enough for him to relax the shoulders he didn’t know he was tensing, pulling his hands out of the pockets of his jacket to wring his hands. So he was a little nervous, sure. And he wasn’t coping well with it, yeah. But it was Elliott - just Elliott, not charming funny guy Mirage - and him here… though even that seemed like it was going to be a little too much.

Like a lost and bewildered dog, he wandered into the living room, putting his bag down by the side of the sofa tossing his leather jacket across the back of it, fiddling with his gloves as he looked around. He’d been in this front room many times before, especially since they’d gotten together, though more often than not it had just been a segway to go out on a date, or further into the apartment, either option leading to a great time… but not tonight. Elliott wanted to stay in, do something cute (‘like normal couples do’ he’d said, as if they were anything close to normal), and had suggested watching a movie together. “You have a lot of those.” he’d chipped in, but he didn’t even know the half of it.

For a long time, Octavio had wasted his money on any old earth horror movie he could find. He had enough of it, seeing how as soon as he burned a hole in his pocket he earned back almost twice as much, but it made him happy - almost as happy as risking his life. He was sure Ajay was happy with the alternative, though impulsive spending was hardly an improvement. But for Octavio, the rush of happiness that came with another order or just watching the same movie over and over again was what he always needed, a tie over until the game the next day, or the stunt live on stream in the afternoon.

Maybe that’s why he was so wound up - he was baring his heart out here, and that wasn’t something he liked to do. He was the kind of guy to keep his cards close to his chest, and locked behind threads of chains, and the persona of a man who didn’t care what people thought of him, but still had no interests outside of what he did. And though, yes, the adrenaline rush and the cheer of the crowds was enough for him… movies like these kept him company on lonely nights with a nanny he didn’t care for, when his father had his nose too deep in work or another set of divorce papers.

“Uh, knock knock, comin’ through.”

Octavio looked up, only just realising how badly he was chewing at his fingers as he saw Elliott struggling into the room, two drinks in hand and a bowl under his arm. “Oh, shit- sorry, didn’t hear you askin’ for help.”

“You’re fine, babe, but thanks.” He gave a small smile of relief as the runner took the bowl from him, only for that to turn into a light scowl as he watched him scoop a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “C’mon, at least save it.”

“S’good.”

“Too hot?”

Octavio didn’t reply, only slightly winced and turned away to put the bowl on the coffee table, and that was enough for the trickster to soften again, joining him on the loveseat (fitting, for a date night) as he slid the soda over to Octavio’s side, and kept the coffee for himself.

“So, you wanted to be in charge of picking, right?”

“Uh, heh… yeah.” He twiddled his thumbs a little, before reaching over the side of the arm to grab his backpack, self-branded and decorated with merchandise of himself and his fellow legends, zipping it open and showing the contents, almost entirely packed with old DVDs.

“Oh, uh… woah.”

“I… couldn’t decide.”

“Yeah, clearly.” Elliott chuckled a little, looking up at Octavio’s slight frown, which really didn’t sit right on his face. “N-not that that’s bad, it’s just very… fitting, for you. Well, let’s see ‘em and then come to a decm- decrom- ...we can pick together.”

He did as he was told, slowly giving a basic synopsis of each movie he found, recalling odd details and memories he associated with each one, almost forgetting that when it came to these things, he always revealed his full hand and heart in his excitement.

“Oh, this one is a three-parter, kinda like Saw in that it got criticised a lot for being ‘torture porn’ - it’s not… actually porn, it’s just a term for movies with a lot of graphic violence - b-but the endorsement of the first one from this director dude really carried it to cult status with some people. Oh, this one’s a Wes Craven classic- he did, uh-”

“Uhhhh, Elm Street, and Scream, yeah?”

“Sí, sí! This one kinda flopped, though. I still think it’s neat. Little boring sometimes.” He shuffled in his seat a little, carrying on digging through his bag. “Ah, this is a good one! Aliens in the school faculty tryin’ to kill everyone. Oh, oh, and this one’s got alien’s too, but it’s like… British, so there’s that - think it was important back then, ‘cos of stereotypes and- ah, shit, I brought Saw 6 but not Saw 7, I didn’t bring ‘em all ‘cos the first one is boring-”

“Tav, Tav, relax, buddy. Catch a breath.” Elliott laughed, watching Octavio’s expression shift to one of embarrassment as he deflated a little, movies still in his hands, leg bouncing.

“...Sorry, mi amor, you probably don’t-”

“Hey, of course I care. C’mere.” He wrapped his arms around the runner before he could finish, leaning in to pepper his cheek with kisses, making the man giggle a little, though still somewhat sheepish from his unhinged ramblings. “You’re so cute when you get excited, you know that, right?”

“You remind me every day, amigo.”

“I better. Just look at you.” Giving Octavio a playful cheek pinch, Elliott only laughed when the gesture was returned in kind by a soft shove. “Listen, we have all the time in the world. Just you and me tonight, remember? Pick your favourite, and let’s go from there, for as long as we can go. Sound good?”

Octavio slowly nodded, leaning into his boyfriend’s touch, the tension in his body relaxing a little at the comfort, sifting through the rest of the DVDs that he could barely fit into his backpack before he pulled one out from the back, a small grin on his face, showing the pumpkin on the cover to Elliott. “This one?”

“Gotta love the classics. You know where the player is.”

He practically shot off the sofa, almost dragging Elliott with him with the force as he launched himself towards the TV cabinet, pulling open the glass door where the old DVD player sat and prying open the case, barely able to contain himself as he put the disc inside and watched the machine eat it up. He’d seen this movie thousands of times before, he practically knew it by heart at this point, and his impression of the final girl was top-notch, but somehow, he knew watching it with Elliott would be so much better.

Octavio crawled his way back onto the trickster’s arms, resting himself against his chest with his knees curled up, brought closer by an arm around his shoulder. He felt a gentle kiss on the top of his head and grinned to himself, focused on the moving image on the screen, any worries he had before seeming to drain away. Elliott has that effect, it seemed - enough that in the fourth movie in, they fell asleep in each other’s arms, even the sounds of snuff film murder and screams down the phone not enough to wake them from a lover’s embrace.

#apex legends #apex rarepair week #miroctane #mirage #octane #dahl.doc #apex legends tag

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