#She's going to romance Astarion of course

[fairyhaven13]

I'm stuck in the loop of Altoholism, aka the crippling addiction of making alternate characters, in Baldur's Gate 3 and had a fun idea. What would have happened if Neeshka from Neverwinter Nights 2 was the Tav? I mean, she can't be Dark Urge because that origin is already fully lored out, but Neeshka didn't have much going on canonically after NwN2 was done--she could have traveled up to Baldur's Gate at some point and gotten kidnapped by cultists. Why not? So, here she is, in updated modern graphics glory!

I think I got her face shape and horns pretty accurate; I picked the hair and hair color that was closest to what was in the original game, too. The eyes are a little brighter, but I couldn't resist giving her amber-colored eyes that looked a little on fire instead of just brown ones, since she is a tiefling. None of the tattoos looked right for the speckles she's supposed to have on her forehead, so I compromised by giving her freckles and then a nymph circlet to kind of mimic the forehead markings. She's a rogue, of course, and a Mammon tiefling, since I thought that was fitting for her, and still worships Tymora. I think she looks pretty snazzy. =)

[deer-watcher]

The inherent romance of the Guidance cantrip.......

[blue-lollipops-and-ice-clouds]

In 2024, I hit the post limit (250) and video upload limit (20) multiple times!

In 2025, on the very first day, I hit the photo upload limit (¯\_(ツ)_/¯) in less than two hours!

So starting strong and doing great!

[calenhads]

thinking about my bg/3 romances. oh yeah.

[shaniacsboogara]

think i fucked up my shot with shadowheart 1929484 dead 183847392992 injured

[sebastard69]

Evil Barbie, my Dark Urge I started in a multiplayer campaign. She's multiclassing into every class, and fully embracing the Urges.

[mossy-rock-in-a-field]

Several weeks ago, my retirement-age mother requested that I play Baldur’s Gate 3 for her because she has trouble with controllers/keyboards and wanted “to see what all the fuss is about with that cute wizard boy.” For context, my mother and I have done this sort of thing in the past with certain RPGs (dragon age, mass effect, etc.), but it’s been a few years since she’s personally requested a game like this. Basically, I control her Tav but let her make all the choices so she can determine how the story plays out without worrying about mechanics. She treats it like a choose-your-own-adventure book.

Anyway, here is a list of some of the things my mother has said and/or chosen to do throughout the course of BG3 in no particular order:

She is (obviously) romancing Gale. She is quite smitten with him and his passion for books and learning; she also thinks he’s polite and qualifies as “relationship material.” She also REALLY likes the things he’s said about his cat so far (my mom is a cat lady), so I know she’s gonna flip shit when we meet Tara in Act III.

She’s playing a normal druid Tav with a generally good alignment. Her favorite spell is Spike Growth because she thinks it’s hilarious whenever enemies walk into the AOE and die. I usually end up having to cast it at least once per battle per her request. Sometimes twice.

Contrary to her alignment, my mother tasks me with robbing every single chest, crate, barrel, and burlap sack we come across; this also includes people and their pockets. The party is always at max carrying capacity. ALWAYS. She doesn’t like selling things because “what if I need them.” The camp stash is in literal shambles. There is no hope of organizing it. She’s got like fifty seven sets of rags and a billion pieces of random silverware.

She MUST talk to every animal and corpse in the game. I think five hours of her total playtime so far (47ish) has been spent speaking to animals as many times as humanly possible. Like, I was thorough in my own playthroughs, but this is on a whole other level.

She did NOT get Volo’s lobotomy, but she did let Auntie Ethel take her eye in hopes of a cure for the tadpole. I did not understand the logic then. I still do not understand it now.

She is far more interested in fashion than equipment stats. Do you have any idea how much gold I’ve had to spend on dyes just to make things match? SO much. Same vibe as that “please someone help me balance my finances my family is starving” tweet but instead of candles it’s thirty thousand fucking bottles of black and furnace red dye.

We broke the prisoners out of Moonrise, but they got on the boat too early and bugged the fight by leaving Astarion and Karlach behind. Wulbren Bongle somehow got stuck in combat mode even after engaging the cutscene on the docks below Last Light; he he kept trying to run ALL THE WAY BACK TO MOONRISE nine fucking meters at a time while I frantically tried to finish the fight with the Warden, otherwise Wulbren would have run straight into the shadow curse. (I would’ve let him go; fuck Wulbren Bongle, all my homies hate Wulbren Bongle. But my mom didn’t know that, and she wanted to keep him safe. So.)

She had me reload a save like eighteen times to save the giant eagles on top of Rosymorn Monastery. Wouldn’t even let me do non-lethal damage just to get past things. I think getting that warhammer for the dawnmaster puzzle took us like an hour and a half alone. (Yes, I know you can use any warhammer, but SHE didn��t.)

She’s started keeping an irl notebook to keep track of her quests between play sessions. She writes down ideas and strategies when she thinks of them during the week, then brings them to her next game session at my house. I think she wrote about three pages on possible approaches to the goblin fortress alone.

She insists that I pet Scratch and the owlbear cub before every single long rest, no exceptions. Sometimes I have to do it multiple times until she is absolutely sure that the animals know exactly how much she loves and cherishes them. She has also commissioned a crocheted owlbear plush from a friend of hers and is very excited.

I’m sure there’s a bunch of stuff I’m forgetting, but those are some fun things I thought of. She’s enjoying the game and is telling all of her retired friends to get it and play it for themselves. She asked me “what is Discord” yesterday and I think my life flashed before my eyes.

anyway shout out to my mom for being neat

Part 2 — Part 3 — Part 4 — Part 5

[xenosaurus]

okay FINE I’ll write a post about the emperor, if tumblr’s going to give me thirst posts either way I might as well. huge endgame spoilers for bg3

the emperor is a goddamn masterpiece of game design, because he’s YOUR powerful, abusive manipulator. Wyll has Mizora, Shadowheart has Shar, Lae’zel has Vlaakith, etc— and Tav has the emperor.

They position him as your guardian. They let you design him a face so he’s trustworthy to you. MOST of his advice is… technically true. You CAN get power from the tadpoles, the githyanki ARE dangerous, you CAN beat the elder brain without Orpheus.

But it’s all a misdirect. He doesn’t care about you. If you do his “romance” scene, he’s pulling a nastier version of Astarion’s “I slept with you so you’d protect me” stunt. He needs you to obey him, to trust him, to see him as an equal.

You learn the fates of his last two “equal partners”— Ansur, whose death the emperor tries to keep you from discovering by claiming he never existed at all, and Stelmane, who the emperor claims was his friend and business partner right up until you mouth off too much, when he admits she was his thrall, and you aren’t because you’re more useful with your wits about you.

Can you really trust his “ethical” brain harvesting claims, given the other lies and half truths? Whether you think eating criminals is a lesser evil or not, there are cages in his quarters. He had thralls. His “shared memory” where he shows himself as a mindflayer in a cloak doesn’t account for the record of a glamor in his quarters that kept kitchen staff from noticing human brain meat until leftovers were removed from the room. He was manipulating people’s senses when they were around him.

But he CAN help you. He IS on your side. As long as you’re on his side, of course. His own self preservation comes first, and that’s not inherently terrible, but he will twist whatever he needs to to get you to help him, no matter how much harm it does.

He’s an incredible character. He fascinates and horrifies me. He’s perfect for his role and I love how they used mind flayers, how he’s setting you up before you even start the game.

TL;DR: long live Prince Orpheus, asshole

[shewolfofvilnius]

It's fascinating how even though you don't always hear about \ anyone other than Astarion, every origin companion in BG3 has an endgame/epilogue state that is either outright bad for them or at the very least "not as good as they deserve".

Obvious there have been books and 100,000 pages of fic and discourse written about Ascended Astarion. In the moments when he almost acts like his old self, even then it's merely humoring you with a whim.

Mother Superior DJ Shadowheart flat out admits to severe empathy for what Viconia went through, and has fully closed herself off from any sense of attachment or feeling other than Nocturne and Tav. Her continued need to find carve-outs and exceptions and loopholes parallels Viconia's own eventual disagreements with Shar. And as we know, Shar will eventually betray or abandon her if Shadowheart doesn't betray her first. It's the story of every devout Sharran we meet.

Gale, the God is a smug arrogant hubris-ridden asshole that's even mean to Tara in the epilogue. Nearly every single sentiment he expressed about why he wanted the Crown and to ascend is immediately inverted. Of course he's not going to interfere. He's a figure of aspiration. Once he received power himself he immediately forgot and forsook everyone and everything about why he wanted it in the first place. A romanced God Gale is SLIGHTLY more grounded but that's mostly just because you ground him. And if you ascend with him, that ends that.

Lae'zel's return to Vlaakith results in her ascension, which leads to her missing the party and being very dead. The things that Lae'zel claimed to value will never truly be as long as Vlaakith rules, and her not escaping and falling back into her people's death cult robs her of the ability to create a new Gith, a better Gith.

Karlach is dead, or almost as bad, a Mind Flayer. And while most of her initial personality remains, by six months in she's already grown emotionally distant and her personality is clearly and evidently being slowly overridden by the brains of the dying she consumes. She's forsaken the embrace of death for the guise of eternal continuation in her. And even surrounded by the ten people who should mean the most in the world to her, all she mostly thinks about is others' perceptions of her (ala the Emperor) and the fact that she's hungry. Mind Flayer Karlach even notes that she used to think becoming a Mind Flayer would be the worst thing ever, but now she likes it. Shades of the Emperor x1000 and a clear sign that the Karlach we know and love is rapidly becoming a memory.

and then there's Grand Duke Wyll. On the surface, it appears the happiest of the "bad" endings, but pay attention. Note how he discusses wheeling and dealing and making agreements with patriars. (How well has contracts and deals worked out for you in the past?) Oh, and in certain conditions including romance, Wyll will offer you the chance to become a Grand Duke as well - with the others being his father (Ravengard #3) and Florrick (Wyll/Ulder's longest lasting family friend). That's not a government of the people for the people. When the power is tied up by a husband, spouse, his father, and their most trusted advisor, that's the makings of a monarchy or oligarchy. Of the type of patriar power-claim to last for generations, something Wyll himself once mocked. Oh, and if you adopt a child, then you get into the worst part of it all: Wyll's been busy running a city, and oh hey, instead of y'all bringing YOUR FOUR MONTH OLD DAUGHTER with you, hey, she'll be cool being watched by the Ilmater temple for a night right? Sorry, Wyll, were you saying something a few months ago about distant parenting? Yikes.

[alpaca-clouds]

I really find it frustrating how very different in regards to effort the different companion quests in BG3 are.

Like, you have Astarion and Shadowheart who both have those really nice paced out companion quests with a rather good structure in the story, a dungeon for that quest each and this big bombastic finale with stuff that is only connected to their quest and nothing else. They both also - regardless of whether you romance them or not - have quite a few of cut scenes connected to the quest.

Then there are Gale and Lae'zel. Their companion quests are a lot more weaved into the actual main quest which you can see both positive and negative. Positive: They are a lot more related to the plot. Negative: You will do most of the stuff from their quests either way. You can argue that the creché is a dungeon connected to Lae'zel, and you can also make the argument that Laroakan's tower is kinda Gale's dungeon.

Then there is Wyll, who mostly just hangs around during Act 1 and 2 and then has a little tiny bit of quest in Act 3, though the game will very much make sure to push you into the quest even if you have not recruited Wyll or Wyll has left the party. So, yeah, depending how you read it, there are two dungeons that are kinda connected to Wyll (the Iron Throne and then the Ansur dungeon).

And then... there is Karlach. Karlach's quest can be summarized by: "Fight some fake paladins, get one piece of infernal iron, get a second piece of infernal iron, defeat Gortash." The Gortash fight is not even like the two Wyll dungeons, that are not really Wyll exclusive (I mean, technically none of the quests is), that are optional outside of the Wyll questline. No, you will have to confront Gortash in one way or another to finish the game, no matter whether you have Karlach recruited or not.

And it makes it just feel so very... unsatisfying. I think a lot of the problems that people (like me) have with act 3 of the game really are connected to the fact that the endings for the companions outside of Astarion and Shadowheart feel rather, well, as I said: unsatisfying.

I mean, yes, Gale and Lae'zel are connected with the plot, but also their resolution is kinda pushed somehow into this "post-final-boss" scene and hence feels not really as if it actually resolves somethng. Especially as it feels also so very disconnected from basically everything else in the game you do with them.

With Wyll I would even argue that technically the post-Ansur stuff could almost serve as a proper resolution... If the dialogue was not bugged as hell. At least it is for me. And of course it still does not compare at all with the stuff happening with Astarion and Shadowheart.

And then there is Karlach. I just... I am sorry, I hate how the game handels Karlach. Especially because she is such a cool character. But her companion quest gives you less to do than your average side-quest. It is a fucking fetch quest. That's it. And it has no proper resolution. Because in Act 3 there is not even an attempt made to solve her issue. I spoke about that before: I would be totally fine if there was a quest in Act 3 where the player tries to get the engine fixed in the city. BUT THERE ISN'T. It is like: "Well, Dammon does not know anything. Tough luck Karlach. You gotta either die or go back to hell." Meanwhile I am like: "THEN ASK SOMEONE ELSE?" Ask the Ironhand Gnomes, ask the Gondians, ask bloody Gortash, try to make a deal with Raphael. Like, there has to be something, right?

And look, while I would have loved some Halsin content in Act 3, I am fine with the fact that there is not really anything. That is alright. Because really, the entire Act 2 stuff and how Halsin is interwoven with it might very well be the game's highlight for me.

Just as I am fine that Jaheira and Minsc are more like cameos with not that big of a role in Act 3.

(Again, I cannot talk minthy, because I failed to recruit her so far because I do not like to play evil characters.)

But... Yeah. I will not go here and argue that the game is incomplete. It is not. But it still is very frustrating how the game handles the companion quests in this regard, because the companions are the beating heart of the game. And I think the ending of the game would have been more satisfying if the companion quests had been more comparable in quality.

[kirain]

I don't get people who say Gale just whines about Mystra all the time. Like do they not realize WHY? Do they not realize there's a perfectly understandable reason for it!?!

Yeah, I don't get it either. Every character "whines" about someone. Astarion whines about Cazador, especially during the second and third act. Lae'zel whines about pleasing Vlaakith, especially during the Crèche mission. Hell, she'll even betray you if you fail her persuasion checks. Shadowheart whines about Shar and snaps at you if you criticize her goddesses of darkness. Then, if you prove she's being used, she falls into a deep depression and still whines about Shar. Wyll whines about Mizora and she's a constant presence in his life, to the point that she'll park her abusive ass directly in your camp just to torment him. If you romance him, she sees everything. She watches you 👀. He has no privacy. I think Karlach might be the only companion who doesn't constantly whine about someone, but she does complain about her engine a lot.

But these aren't criticisms. They're absolutely, 100% justified. Astarion has every right to whine. Lae'zel has every right to whine. They all have every right to whine. I just want to emphasise the hypocrisy when it comes to how players judge Gale. Every character has a dark past looming over them, our chatty wizard included. If you get mad at him, it's only fair to keep the same energy for all the other companions, because they're in the exact same situation. They're trapped. They're victims. They're suffering. Of course it's going to be a major talking point, especially when there's a person/goddesses/devil responsible for that pain.

Honestly, I think the only people who get annoyed when Gale talks about Mystra are would-be romancers who get turned off when he doesn't immediately throw himself at their Tav's feet. Have you seen the somewhat viral video where a streamer drools over him, but goes full jealous mode when she sees him conjuring the image of Mystra in his palm? It's funny, but she acted like they were already a couple ... but at that point in the game Gale didn't even know she was interested! I'm certainly no expert, but isn't that how relationships work? It's pretty hard to find someone who doesn't have an ex, and he only talks about Mystra in a positive light before you express interest. He's insecure and he feels lost without her, but if you romance him it makes him realise how messed up their "relationship" was in the first place. It's a healing process, not a competition. He never compares you to Mystra in any way other than to say that you're better, and that's only if you ask.

Gale is also arguably the most romantic character out of the bunch, so I don't know why people get so upset. Mystra, much like Shar, Cazador, Mizora, etc., is a constant negative in Gale's life and the reason he's dying. She could remove the orb with ease but she won't, so of course he's going to "whine" about her. He feels guilty at first, then he feels used and angry, and by the end you can either convince him to become her Chosen again (which is entirely on you, though you remain his priority) or you can convince him to reject Mystra and leave the crown in the sea. The orb remains lodged in his chest, because Mystra's too petty to remove it, but it becomes completely inert. Either way, he's happy and he devotes himself entirely to you, not Mystra.

[littlepinksapphire]

I don’t know how anyone can be so staunchly against any of these characters. All of the companions have the potential to learn and grow throughout the course of the game depending on how you interact with them. Astarion continuing to be a manipulative asshole, for example, is a choice you actively encourage or not.

But yeah, if you decide you don’t like a companion and ignore them throughout the game or be a dick to them in the roleplay, no, they’re not gonna be a better person. I largely ignored Lae’zel’s personal quest during my first playthrough and she’s become quite the fanatic that I have little sway over. But I don’t hate Lae’zel and say, “See? See? Green lady bad.” That’s all on me.

I also think many of you are treating this like a bioware game. Approval isn’t so strict. You don’t need to do everything your companion agrees with to get them to like or respect (or romance) you. You can push back on them. You can disagree with them. They might even approve of you stepping in and stopping them from doing something reckless. I’m a little disheartened to see so many jokes about being a good person except when trying to get Astarion’s approval. Like, just be a good person babes, if that’s what you want to do. He’ll come around, I promise.

These characters were written with so much nuance and go on such a huge journey throughout the course of the game. To boil them down to one problematic trait (Lae’zel = mean, Gale = annoying, etc.) without context or empathy is frankly childish.

And if anyone gets in the comments and says “but x did y atrocity”, you can literally genocide an entire camp of goblins and that be considered the morally good option. Shut up, this is dnd, just have some fucking fun. Chat with the mean green lady

[vibingandsimping]

just read through your whole blog. gods I love your writing 💕💕 would you possibly be able to write how the romanced companions react to waking up to find that their Tiefling/Dragonborn partner has wrapped their tail around them in their sleep?

Oh hush. You’ll make a gal blush.

Edit: I realized I forgot Minthara and will add her later! Lovely Minthara simps I am so sorry. (It is hard remembering all the romance companions)

Astarion is a light sleeper. Hell, he doesn’t even sleep because he’s an elf. Still, he’s deep into his meditative state while you two cuddle. The vampire is the big spoon this time around. Limbs draped over you almost protectively. He stirs a little when something snakes up his ankle towards his knee. His first instinct is to thrash and fight whatever it was. The idea it’d be an animal, that is. After squirming he realizes it was too warm and too large. He looks over at you and sees how content you are. His gaze drifts down towards his leg. Ah, of course it’s your tail. Astarion smiles and suddenly softens at how domestic the act is. The male takes it for you being comfortable with him and nuzzles into you with a sigh. One hand trailing from your body down to his thigh. His fingers intertwining with the tip of your tail. It felt intimate- a type of intimacy that wasn’t sexual. Something new that made his chest soar and he swore he could feel his cold heart beating.

Karlach is laid on her back while you press into her side. Arms wrapped around your shoulder and waist as she sleeps away. You’re quite warm and cozy whenever you two cuddle. Your sleep comes at you hard- almost infectious to the deep sleep she’s in. This girl is a heavy sleeper- and you’d have to splash her with water if you wanted to wake her outside of her schedule. So, it’s no surprise that she doesn’t wake when your tail begins to coil around her. She shifts as it works it’s way around her. The woman’s body instinctively reacts and her tail finds yours. Hooking around the appendage and linking together. It’s natural for tieflings to intertwine in such ways during rest or intimate acts. A soft smile graces her lips as she sleeps and her grip tightens. It’d been a long time since she was able to hold anyone like this. She wakes that morning with a renewed vigor and a shy request to do that again. You simply blush and laugh with her when she remarks how comforting it was.

Gale only stirs when your tail tightens around his waist noticeably. His eyes groggily part and he looks around as his hand trails to his abdomen. After a quick squeeze and inspection of the texture he puts two and two together. He smiles and chuckles to himself. His fingers continuing to trail the skin of the tail as he relishes in your comfort. Then, he lets go and wraps his arms around you further. Drawing you in closer and pressing a kiss to your forehead in tender fashion. Tucking the hair from your face so he can admire you properly. He does make a quip about it in the morning which causes you to flush. He certainly doesn’t mind, no, you can do it all you’d like. It becomes the highlight of his nights. He’d write a poem about it, probably. If you ever found it he’d likely die of mortification. (He’ll get over it.) That, or he’d ask how you felt about it and ask for criticism. Possibly attempting to fluster you in the process.

Wyll has a habit of rubbing his horns against you as he sleeps. Ever since he was turned by Mizora for not honoring his contract. You’d butt your horns with his whenever he fell asleep first and laugh quietly. You’d make subtle comments and he’d blush. Wyll was still learning the new nature of himself and of his new body. Though, this night was his first time to tease you on your habits. You’d been particularly exhausted, turning into his tent for the night. You snuggled into him and you were out in minutes. He had an arm draped over you as he laid with his eyes closed. Your tail began to wrap around him and he parted his eyes. The man watched as you coiled him like a snake and a grin danced on his lips. Torn between not mentioning it at all or getting some deserved revenge. For now, he’d let you sleep. You deserved that at the very least. He stroked your hair as you slept while occasionally glancing at the tail fastened around him.

Shadowheart, hate to say it, dislikes it at first. (At first being the key here.) It’s not that she dislikes you in any form but it freaks her out. Possibly it’s the fact that it’s a tail tightening around her. Or, possibly it’s the phobia of wolves in the back of her mind. Thankfully your tail isn’t furry or she’d genuinely lose it. Especially if she had been asleep and woke to it. Shadowheart tries her best not to mention it to you. It’s your nature and she recognizes it as a form of affection. After a few nights, she slowly adjusts to it. The half-elf allows herself to he curious. Touching it, gently tugging it and letting it wrap around her fingers. It helped ease the subconscious of her mind. She learns to enjoy it, thankfully. She does make a mention of it one day. How it used to freak her out and your heart sank. She saw the look on your face and instantly frowned. She reassured you hurriedly that it was something irrational. That’s why she never spoke of it before. The last thing she’d want you to do is stop.

Lae’zel is a warrior through and through. It took her awhile to be comfortable with cuddling. It’s against her training initially. She holds you so tight when you two share a bedroll. Nearly knocking the wind from your lungs every-time her arms wrap around you. Holding you like you’d disappear in a moments notice. She typically sleeps quite peacefully whilst still on guard. Her face soft and relaxed but with a more rigid body. So, it wasn’t a surprise that when you first slinked your tail she jerked awake. Her hand wrapping around the appendage tightly as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. You flinched and began to squirm- the githyanki finally registering what happened. Her fingers dropped your tail as you relaxed in your dream. A heady sigh escaped her as she rubbed the spot apologetically. She doesn’t mind it, no. It’s just something she’ll have to adjust to. She returns to her previous position and presses her face into your neck. Eyes fluttering shut as she wills sleep to take her once more.

Halsin sleeps in his bear form. You’re likely under his furry body with his front paws splayed around you. His claws and fur tickling your bare skin. To think you can wrap your tail effectively around him is… bold. He definitely does wake to it one night swaying. A large yawn escaping him in almost a roar as he sits up. His head jerking to locate the thumping sound that awoke him from his slumber. He then spots it- your tail swishing as you seem to be having a vivid dream. He figured it was one of contentment or perhaps excitement. He sits and watches for awhile as the movement was quite mesmerizing. Then, when he had his fill and exhaustion pulled at his mind again he flops back down. Taking his two forearms and pulling you in tight. He pins the base of your tail against his stomach- effectively cutting most of the motion off. As much as he finds it adoring, Halsin needs his sleep too. He certainly makes a comment in the morning. Mostly about how he’s thrilled you feel content with him.

[elizabethrobertajones]

lol. lmao even. I can't believe these dummies made it all the way to sneaking out of camp to hook up before they realised. He even took his shirt off for the occasion.

Anyway I engineered the worst night of Astarion's (new) life just for my cruel amusement but honestly, they're really sweet.

(Karlach still woke up naked the next morning so I guess they did eventually figure something at least a little satisfying out :P)

After seeing that post about Karlach and Astarion being bi/pan, I did use my head empty afternoon after yoga to make a new save to try and make them smooch out of spite. And because they're canonically mutually attracted to each other no matter what so. It's theoretically possible.

Absolutely did it the wrong way around by playing as Karlach because just by picking Karlach-y answers to random things (tiefling issues especially) Astarion ended up rather fed up and disapproving of her and was in deep negatives immediately, and then of course he can't even bite her so there goes a chance to earn brownie points with him, so I only just clawed it back into the green after handling his personal stuff as best as possible.

Also he doesn't seem to approve of [BARBARIAN] options, just, like, murder and mayhem fitting a more refined palette and purpose. So I'm just seeing [Shadowheart Approves] [Lae'zel Approves] [Astarion Disapproves] every time she opens her mouth.

I mean I'm finding the whole thing very funny, but I feel like Karlach is literally trying to beat the lesbian allegations off with her axe and Astarion is lounging around not helping whatsoever because being the internet's new gay best friend is way more profitable and fun :P

[junowritings]

What about romanced Astarion reacting to the normally goody-goody Tav revealing that they stole the special potion from Araj before they left. He discovers this because Tav gives it to him as soon as they are out of sight from the blood merchant.

Oh I absolutely love this idea. Though writing this made me realize I need to put Astarion in my party more often. Went off on a bit of a tangent but I do hope you enjoy~!

=======

♡ Oh, the things we do for love, ey?

♡ Astarion plays nice with others in the interest of survival, and he’s made no attempts to hide that fact from you since you had really begun to bond. You on the other hand are akin to a bleeding heart, all too often going out of your way to do what you thought was right even if it meant putting yourself in harm's way as a result. At the beginning that attitude seemed pitiful - he figured it would simply end up getting you killed later down the line. And yet you’d rise, time and time again making an example of the morals that you set and surviving every encounter stronger than before. Even if your morals didn’t always align, he respected that tenacity.

♡ Even after you’d managed to worm your way into his very heart, the pair of you have butted heads more than once on the matter; at the high and mighty goody two shoes act that you face the world with. All of the reminders about doing good deeds for the sake of being good, not stealing from just anyone nor going behind others backs rummaging through personal effects for answers or loot. Not to mention all of that time spent helping others and listening to their plights as though they were your own. Honestly, darling, you really do make things harder on yourself by playing into other people’s sob stories. 

♡ Astarion never suspected that the encounter at Moonrise tower could have changed anything.

♡ He’s uncharacteristically quiet as you leave the room together after dealing with Araj, but that’s because inside Astarion is absolutely seething. A familiar feeling of disgust he’d longed hoped to quash down burns a hole deep within his chest, opening old mental wounds as though freshly torn asunder upon his flesh. He’s mad at that damned drow; the way she looked down upon him, using honeyed words that he knew were a damn farce because for fucks sake he’d been using the same tactics for well over a century. That look, that calculated appraisal as Araj gauged what the vampire spawn could offer her in exchange for her potion made his skin crawl, all too familiar with the look that spoke volumes of his value - as a means to serve her own whims and not an actual person.

♡ And then, when he’d shown reluctance, she’d turned to you, as though you’d reign him in and get him to bend to your will like some fanged pet you kept on a tight leash. Far from the truth, of course, but the lack of autonomy that Astarion felt watching the pair of you converse about him as if he wasn’t even there had him clenching his teeth hard enough that the ache in his jaw persists long afterwards.

♡ There had been a swell of satisfaction when you put your foot down on the matter, nipping her demand in the bud with a firm reminder that he had already refused her request - there was no more to discuss. The drow had gotten bored after that, uninterested in further discussion with her own desires now off the table, and Astarion was all too happy to be out of there as you trailed a few paces behind.

♡ Astarion stands by his choice, but another part of him kicks himself for turning down the reward. A moment of discomfort, to give up a piece of himself for a potion that could prove invaluable was all it could have taken. He had done it before - done it for centuries to placate that vile beast he once served - why would this be any different? A transactional relationship, one that could have given you a leg up in the battles ahead, and he’d refused. 

♡ He’s still stewing in these thoughts when a nudge breaks him from his reverie, a gentle brush of your fingers against his hand as you move into step beside your partner. Your touch is warm yet he prickles as though he’s been burned, pupils akin to pinpricks as he looks at you from the corner of his eye. He’s measuring you, for a moment. Takes in the brow furrowed and questioning eyes - not pity, concern - trying to gauge how he’s feeling. It’s a discussion for later, so Astarion dons that usual placating smile and turns to you, fully prepared to pull a spiel about that whole conversation being a waste of your perfectly good time. And then he notices.

♡ His ears perk up at a noise, the gentle slosh of something moving. Crimson eyes dart down to the source, to the hand you’d touch him with. It’s not empty - no, fingers curl tight around the corded neck of a familiar glass green bottle, and your nudge this time is more insistent as you press the bottle into the palm of his hand, urging him to take it. You relinquish the bottle to his hold, pale hands taking the glass and stirring up the liquid inside as he brings it up to get a better look. Surely this isn’t…

♡ But then sure enough you smile, a mischievous twinkle in your eye that makes his own widen as you shrug.

♡ “For you. Figured she didn’t need it anymore; since she just left it lying out in the open and all.”.

♡ The laugh comes before Astarion can stop himself - loud and unabashed from the sheer absurdity of it all. You? Actually stealing something? And for him no less! And they say that romance is dead, yet here you are wooing him one stolen novelty at a time. 

♡Hells he hadn’t even noticed that you’d swiped the damned thing - had it been when you’d turned the blood merchant down? Or back when she’d had her sights set on him? He doesn’t care for the answer, not really. He’s more impressed that you pulled it off, but Astarion certainly doesn’t miss the irony of it all. His lovely partner, casting aside your usual goody nature in favor of stealing something and getting one up on the woman who’d disrespected your lover. As if he wasn’t fond enough of you already - this was just another lovely little reminder of the lengths you’d go for him.

♡ His smile for a moment is all teeth, shoulders still shaking with the last dregs of laughter - which damn if he didn’t need - as he brings his free arm to curl around your side. The kiss pressed to your cheek is quick, vibrating with the appreciative hum that passes the spawn’s lips when you lean a little into him. Once he pulls away Astarion keeps his free hand looped around your side, the other holding the bottle up and giving the contents a dramatic little shake to show off.

♡ Perhaps he’ll keep this as a little secret; or maybe he’ll spend the rest of that night flaunting this potion teasing you for your first act of casual thievery. Whatever the outcome it’s worth the grin he flashes you as he gives a conspiratory wink and declares.

♡ “Oh my dear. We’ll make a fine miscreant of you yet!”

[avocado-writing]

I saw some of your BG3 headcanon and I got to say I love it. 💕

I hope it okay to ask what would BG3 companion would react if the reader is a selkie 🦭💕

how cute! hope you enjoy, anon!

Astarion

sort of glad he isn’t the only “afflicted” of the group (even though you consider your selkie-dom a blessing and not a curse like his vampirism)

you spend long nights discussing how you adapted to “normal” life after the tadpole. he doesn’t need to hide from sunlight, you don’t feel the pull to constantly be near water.

makes jokes about stealing your sealskin when you annoy him, in return you threaten to stake him. just girly things 💕💞💓💗💝💘💖

when you finally get the confidence to transform in front of him he is transfixed. you are beautiful.

“what do you think?” nervous eyes, picking at your fingers.

“you’re wonderful,” he says, uncharacteristically sincere, and you feel your cheeks heat up.

Gale

super duper fascinated.

asks you a billion questions, ones you didn’t even think about the answers to!

”so how does it feel when you actually slip into your seal form?” “?? Normal I guess? Idk, Gale!”

he watches you transform and swim around, making lots of notes to start with — but he gets distracted and just watches you play.

when you flop up onto the bank next to him, covered in water and out of your seal body, he gets lost in the sweet depth of your eyes.

when he kisses you for the first time it’s the most sure he’s ever been about anything.

Karlach

“oh my GODS that’s so cool!”

also asks a billion questions too but not like… smart ones.

“have you ever eaten raw fish?” “yeah of course, Karlach!” “haha ew how did they taste?” “pretty good actually!” “AMAZING”

can’t stop looking at your, stroking your cloak when you’re in kith form. she knows how precious it is to you and wants to keep it safe.

she submerges herself in water and heats it up like a hot tub, you turn into your seal form and float around lazily enjoying her heat. ❤️

Wyll

gobsmacked but honoured you shared this side of yourself with him.

we know our lad likes fairytales, he’s swept up in the storybook aspect of it all.

(secretly you’re both thrilled at the idea of being a knight having a romance with a selkie. it’s so perfect and sweet! 💕)

always checks in to see if there’s anything he can do to make you feel more comfortable - finding you water to relax in or getting you some fatty food to enjoy.

perfect partner. respectful and doting. no notes!

Shadowheart

surprised, but pretends she knew all along (she didn’t, she just doesn’t want you knowing how taken aback she is)

I think you being a selkie helps her get the courage to try and swim.

maybe it’s you in bipedal form holding onto her and leading her into the water, or maybe you turn into a seal for extra buoyancy.

either way, she’s squeaking “don’t you dare let go!!”

she eventually gets more comfortable with this side of your life and there is nothing she enjoys more than just floating with you, holding your paw or your hand 💕

Lae’zel

doesn’t really understand.

you have to explain the concept to her a couple of times before it sinks in.

”this is a confession?” “yes…” “I do not understand why you believe I would think any differently of you. you are still the source of my joy.”

her honest acceptance of you, all of you, is enough to make your soul feel sweet.

you kiss her. there is simply nothing else for it.

Halsin

my man wildshapes, so he’s pretty used to people being in animal forms - even if it’s a bit different for you.

the two of you talk at length about changing into beasts and how it feels, what joy and freedom it brings.

let’s be real. we’ve all seen the bear scene. the two of you probably both turn into seals and get freaky. it’s great.

he likes to curl up in his bear form around you as a seal and drift off to sleep on the shore. you feel so safe next to him. he’d never let anything hurt you.