#So why am I going to make this little wizard tower?

[questinwitchface]

It's silent in my room. I am not writing because none of my projects sound appealing right now, and I can't think of anything else to start. It's kind of cold in my room, even with my space heater on. None of my in-progress hobby projects sound appealing. The sun is gone and has been gone for hours at this point. There is just oppressive nothingness right now.

I think I might get my hot glue gun and glue approximately 400 little wooden blocks to a little wooden platform to create a little wooden wizard tower.

[dekariosclan]

Hello my friend!

So we all know how amazing and wonderful Gale is, how kind, good, caring and funny he is. He is, in so many ways, a perfect man.

He is, however, only human. I have the tendency to idealise him, and forget this.

My question to you is - what do you think his flaws are? Both generally and as a husband/life partner.

💜

Ohhh I love this question so much ❤️ I am a hopeless romantic, and I adore Gale’s charming, sweet, loving adorkableness! He is truly amazing—but I can confirm NOBODY (and no relationship) is ever 100% perfect.

The thing about a long-term committed relationship is that, while your partner’s charms make the relationship wonderful, their flaws are what make it REAL. And that’s just as important.

So let’s talk about our charming Gale’s less-than-charming aspects, shall we?

[warning: this went from a short & concise answer to a rambling dissertation, please prepare yourself accordingly! Also I know this ask/answer was supposed to make Gale a little less perfect and help lessen our obsession, but uhhhh, I seem to have veered hard in the opposite direction 😂]

———

First off: The Pomposity™️ (I’m not 100% certain that’s even a real word but you know what I mean right) So we all know that by the end of the game, (human) Gale has come to accept himself as he is, and decided to henceforth be known as ‘Gale Dekarios, a most brilliant wizard of intentionally limited reknown.’ He’s come a lonnng way in cutting down his ego, but let’s be honest: some of it will never truly go away. And that’s fair, because he IS brilliant, and he IS talented, and he IS extremely passionate about magic.

…but it’s tough to remember all that and give him a pass when that usually-oh-so-adorable-finger-in-the-air is now aimed at YOU, as he declares that ‘after all, he IS an expert on [*insert topic here*] because he WAS awarded [*insert scholarly award here*] from the one and only [*insert impressive Blackstaff Academy professor here.*]’

And all you wanted was for your opinion to be taken into consideration regarding the wine selection at dinner.

———

Second: The Disarray / Messiness. Gale has a brilliant mind, one that he applies full throttle to any and all situations: concentration on magic spells, lance board strategy, calculations, poring over ancient tomes, and even figuring out how to cook something edible out of rotting fish heads and some moldy cheese (no veggies, though!)

The problem is, while his mind is brilliant and he will keep it laser-focused on his chosen subject at that current moment, from a day-to-day perspective he is straight-up scatter brained with all the things he has his hands in. We can see this in his vision of his tower: BOOKS. BOOKS EVERYWHERE. Some stacked in piles, some shoved onto shelves, some left open on the page he was reading when he got distracted, etc.

We also get confirmation of this from Tara in the epilogue:

Tara: The way he leaves his potions in absolute disarray—I know for certain he wasn’t raised in a barn, but you’d never know it.

It’s one thing to have books & potions & scrolls scattered throughout his library and sitting room—you have no complaints against that, you HAVE moved in with/married a wizard, after all—but to find them in the kitchen, wine cellar, even occasionally stuffed into your own wardrobe? It’s a bit much.

TLDR: Our rizzard is a hot mess.

———

Which leads us into perhaps his biggest flaw: The Fussiness.

So about all those books everywhere, on everything, all at once? You didn’t try and ARRANGE them or organize them for him, did you?…You did?! Oh, gods! No, no, he had an ORDER to them, you see, and he knew that the exact spell he needed could be found in the third book down in the stack next to the piano, page 453, why did you ever decide to move it?

Well, you explain as patiently as you can, it was in the way, and frankly you could tell from the dust on it that he hadn’t touched it in several yea—

BY ELMINSTER’S ELBOW, did you ALPHABETIZE his illusion scrolls??! Oh, for the love of—!

You get the picture.

There would undoubtedly be moments when you found yourself fully exasperated by this man and his exacting, fussy nature.

———

All that being said: true fights would be rare.

The occasional huffy remark or quickly-forgotten gripe would occur now and then as in any relationship, but a real, anger-filled argument? With heightened emotions and hurt feelings? Rare indeed.

The only thing bigger than Gale’s brain is his heart. And while his mind is dedicated to a great many things as mentioned above (magic studies, lance board, etc) his heart is 100% dedicated TO YOU, and you alone. So on those rare occasions after a fight has occurred, it does not take long for him to come down from the heat of the moment and realize, oh, hells, he’s been an ass, hasn’t he?

He knows you love him. His anxiety about not being enough for you has long since disappeared, and he’s calmed his worries that you would ever leave him, but still…there’s always a lingering concern that maybe you’ll grow distant from him after an argument.

If you are in the wrong and he is certain of it, he will be stiffly polite until you offer an apology, and then he will be taking you in his arms, kissing you passionately and telling you ‘all is forgiven my love, let’s never speak of this again’ (and trying hard to hide his relief that you apologized first, because he was not sure how long he would be able to hold out and stay mad at you.)

If HE is in the wrong, though? And you are truly mad at him? And he knows he really stuck his foot in it? Oh, boy.

You’ll be treated to an apology so eloquent it would make poets weep, and it will come packaged with hand-holding, pouting, pleading, and Gale getting down on his (bad) knees.

And if you’re still mad at him after that?

Well, then you’ll have to complete a gauntlet harder than anything Shar could ever throw at you. You’ll have to try and stay angry, explain your anger, AND explain to Gale why he won’t be easily forgiven, all while looking directly at this:

And this:

AND THIS:

…

…needless to say you will be failing, and hard.

Not that you mind, because the make-up sex will be absolutely phenomenal. Gale doesn’t just want to repair your loving bond after you’ve had an argument, he wants to improve it. Which requires much study and experimentation, of course.

And for awhile afterwards, all will be bliss again.

…until you find a pile of scrolls shoved under your side of the bed, and some open books scattered across your dresser, and you decide it time to do some organizing. ———

So yes, my friend. Gale definitely does have some flaws, and at some point they WOULD drive you crazy in any sort of relationship you have with him. Gale is wonderful, Gale is loving, but Gale isn’t perfect!!

…but when he takes you in his arms after you’ve made up, and his mouth is hungrily devouring yours, and he’s murmuring words of adoration against your skin as he trails his kisses down your neck, chest, hips—

Nevermind! I take it all back. He’s perfect. 😂

[forcefemdemonprincess]

I finished a little fantasy themed short story I've been cooking up for the last few days, with lots of corruption and forcefem kinks, if anyone wants to give it a read!

One ordinary day, I sense something reaching out to me, from the faraway depths of the material plane; the feeble presence of a summoning spell, beckoning me towards it's caster. It would be simple to ignore the call, yet as my curiosity gets the best of me, I deign to answer, following the thread of conjuration magic to it's source.

My senses take in the sight of a stone tower, a summoning circle scribed upon the very center of the floor, the candles surrounding it flickering with a faint orange flame. Beyond it there is a wooden work desk and chair, a simple bed, and walls covered in bookshelves, all with disorganized tomes and scrolls strewn about; and a large window on either side through which the starlight shines in a moonless night, curtains billowing in the breeze.

Standing before the circle stands a half-elven wizard, seeming to be in his twenties in human years - though elven blood makes it difficult to ascertain, he could be anywhere from two decades to a couple centuries old - with short brown hair and the lithe, frail frame of a scholar and a smooth face with rather comely features. He chants the summoning spell, his voice filled with uncertainty as he slowly sounds out the incantation as if the words were alien to his lips.

And they likely are. Far from an archmage of yore, the young man seems to have little more skill than a mediocre apprentice. The binding runes around the summoning circle, meant to keep the caster safe and the fiend contained, are all written incorrectly, not that it would have worked with a demon of my caliber to begin with. Even the spellbook he holds is old, certainly passed down to his hands by another, perhaps a mentor or loving relative.

The candles flicker, then go out entirely. The wizard stops his chanting and takes a step back startled, and slowly I rise from the summoning circle. I choose a relatively nonthreatening form, a scantily clad, mostly human-looking woman, save for the pink skin, curved horns, and a thin tail which ends in a heart shape. The candles light up again, their flames painting the room a bright, pink hue.

He immediately looks surprised, as if he'd never expected his spell to work to begin with, but once the shock has passed, he speaks in a shaky voice:

"I-I am the mage Theodoros! I bind you to my service, o' fiend!"

It takes great effort to stifle the urge to laugh. Not only did the fool forget to put up wards or use any binding spells to speak of - not that it would have mattered - he made the oldest beginner's mistake in the book and told a demon his name, not to mention his utter lack of confidence and authority, the wizard paints a laughable picture.

Yet, it's been so long since I've had a mortal plaything to toy with... And this one is so cute and pathetic I simply must have him. And thus, I decide to play along:

"Of course... Master," I smirk deviously. His ecstatic grin makes it clear the half-elf holds no suspiscion of my subterfuge whatsoever. His naivete is baffling, truly. "What is it you desire? Power? Knowledge of dark, forbidden spells? Or are you simply looking to fulfill your wordly lusts?"

The adorable blush of embarrassment that quickly takes over his pale cheeks at the mere suggestion of sex is almost enough to make this worth it already. Virgins are especially fun to break.

"Uh, the spells and power, yes." He calms himself with deep breaths. "I want to become a powerful archmage."

"And you decided to take a shortcut, did you? Very intelligent. Why slave away over dusty old tomes if you can drink directly from the fountain."

He smiles wide at but a few honeyed words. "Exactly! You get it. Well then... Go ahead and uhm, make me stronger. With your demon magic and all."

"Gladly. Could you give me your hand, for but a moment?"

"What? Hells no, I'm not letting a demon touch me, that sounds far too dangerous!" Oh, now he's thinking about risks and consequences. I almost roll my eyes.

I pout. "Come now, it's only through contact that I could lend you my power. Besides! I'm bound to your service, remember? I couldn't harm you if I wanted to."

"Oh... That's true. Alright, do it." He extends his hand, as if for a handshake. I grasp it tightly, and pull him closer into the summoning circle, nearly making him trip, and bring his hand to my lips. They sear with infernal flames, branding a lipstick mark into the flesh of the back of his hand despite how he whimpers and uselessly tries to pull it away.

Before he can issue any further complaint, the blissful heat and raw strength of my demonic mana flows into his being, making him gasp, his eyes momentarily flashing a bright pink hue and his dick becoming painfully hard, his size... Unremarkable. Slightly below average, perhaps.

"I... I thought you said you couldn't harm me." Theodoros says, out of breath.

"Oh, don't be such a baby... A little bit of pain is no harm at all. Quite the opposite, in fact! Don't you feel it?"

"I feel... Hot?" He raises his hands, the tip of his fingers shimmering, brimming with arcane might.

"Go on, try it out!" I grin.

He walks over to a large window that leads to a balcony, trembling with anticipation. He extends his hands, and an unending torrent of fuchsia colored hellfire, hot enough to melt steel, erupts up into the air. He laughs maniacally, drunk with the power and the demonic magic seeping into his body and mind from the infernal brand on his hand. The lustful magic overtakes him, and his concentration in the spell is broken as he orgasms on the spot.

"Hah... I only ever managed to make sparks and light candles before. This is incredible!" He says, with a giddy smile and an unfocused gaze.

"And it's only the beginning," I reply with a smirk as he walks back to me.

"What more can you teach me?" He asks excitedly.

"Oh, plenty. You can manipulate hellfire, bend minds, change into whatever shape you like... And that's not even mentioning the libraries worth of knowledge I've accrued over the years."

"That's... Fucking hells, that's everything I wanted and more." His chest heaves up and down, the adrenaline not going down in the slightest... Nor does his raging arousal. "Can you... Do something about this?" He asks, pointing to the tent in his robes, which refuses to go down despite him already having finished once.

"Oh, plenty! Why don't you come over here and let me show you?"

"I meant more... Just make it stop? With magic or something? It's driving me mad!"

"It's a side effect of demonic magic. I can't make it go away... But I can help relieve you of it in a more direct, and much more pleasurable manner." I say, sliding aside the strap that holds my upper garments to my shoulder, revealing one of my beautifully shaped breasts, while pumping more arousal through his brand. "Just let me out of this summoming circle and I'll show you," I say, dropping the other strap to let my chest bare in it's entorety for his viewing pleasure. I could step out of the circle any time I wanted, but it's far more delicious to make him submit willingly to my whims.

"Hhrn... Alright, fine!" He walks over and rubs his sole on the chalk circle, opening a passage. I step through and put my hand on his chest, giving him a slight push against the wall before pressing my lips to his, forcing a delicious throaty moan out of him as I press my body into him.

My longue, forked tongues explores his mouth, swirling around his in a long, sloppy kiss, grabbing onto his ass roughly enough go make him squeal again. He eventually pushes me off to gasp for air, a strand of saliva lewdly connecting our mouths.

"Mo... More..." He pleads in a breathy voice. "I want to fuck you." He nearly growls, consumed with lust.

"As you wish," I say with a grin, and touch his forehead. With a flash of light the mage is teleported onto the bed, his clothes dropping onto the floor where he stood.

I slowly walks towards the bed, taking off the rest of my garments, making him writhe with anticipation as my curvy, hourglass shaped frame comes into view. I run my hand along my smooth pink skin as I get on the bed, getting between his legs.

He bites his thick, luscious lips as I lick his length from shaft to tip, nearly shooting his load then and there, before I hold it down with a bit of magic. Not yet.

I take his tip in my mouth, wrapping my lips tightly around it and swirling my tongue, feeling the cutie wizard get all wet for me with his pre. I suck aggressively hard, making him moan and twitch and give pathetic little bucks of his hips into my mouth as it envelops his unimpressive member completely.

I make him ride on that very edge of release for countless minutes each stretching on to feel like hour, watching him melt and turn into a writhing, mewling mess, trying everything, from thrusting his hips, to grabbing my horns to try and push me away, all to no avail, until he's barely forming coherent sentences, begging and pleading with tears in his eyes.

When I suddenly pull it out of my lips and release the spell, letting him drench himself in his seed in a mind-numbing orgasm that goes on and on endlessly, the wizard's wjole body shaking and spasming, howling moans escaping his throat.

Each spurt of his seed, that becomes increasingly thin and watery the longer his peak goes on, drains his already somewhat petite member slowly of it's size. When it subdues at last, he's lost about half of it, and with it, you can clearly see how his body and face have gotten softer, his hips wider, waist slimmer, and nipples puffier as his chest begins to form into breasts. His irises begin to glow with that unnatural pink glow from before, and two small pointy protrusions begin to subtly grow along the sides of his head.

Theodoros is, however, too much of a giggly, horny mess at this point to notice, let alone care. "His" eyes half-lidded and a giddy, drooling grin rests on the "man's" lips, nary a coherent thought in the mage's mind... Yet that diminutive dick remains hard, hips bucking needily. Theo's eyes find mine with a pleading look, and the slut manages to speak, in a moany voice:

"Ple... Please..."

I smirk wide, straddling the weak-willed wizard, and letting their now diminutive dick enter me. The pleasure of having it in me as I start riding it is negligible, but the delight and satisfaction of watching this pretty little thing unravel under my will more than makes up for it.

I bounce on it, roughly, wrapping my hand around the wizard's throat as they look into my eyes, pinned under my body as I fuck their brains out, riding their cock until they're chaining one orgasm right into another without stop.

This time, there's no spell to make their dicklet hold back. They cum over and over and over again, shallow spurts of weak, watery seed shooting again and again inside me as I quickly drain away their virility and the rest of their size until there's nearly nothing left anymore of the wizard's dick.

Their last spurt comes with great difficulty, painfully making them writhe and yielp until they shoot out a tiny, pretty little gemstone, brimming with life. Theodoros cums her soul out, and with it goes the rest of her masculinity and self, sealing her transformation into a lesser demon, with a cute, lithe frame, a pair of small horns on her head, a tail, with a heart shaped tip, and pink eyes with slitted pupils.

In a moment, a large demonic cock forms onto my crotch, and Theo instinctively spreads her legs, presenting a smooth, bare crotch. I press my tip between her legs and push, her body yielding to my will and my cock, shapeshifting her pussy and womb into existence to better serve my needs.

"Good girl. You'vrle yielded your soul to me, and now... You're bound into my service, eternally. From now on, I rename you... Theodora. And you may adress me as mistress, Thea."

"Yes... Mistress." Her mind seems to object momentarily to the idea, but the thought is quickly discarded. Whilst holding her soul, Thea's mind is as malleable as her body. The fledgling demoness can't even will herself to want to resist. The very thought brings her pain... And obedience brings bliss.

"That's my good girl... You and I are going to have a lot of fun."

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

Dame Aylin does not worry; she strategises.

This is something I started as part of a little examination of writing Aylin's voice, but think might be neat as its own post. It does provide a nice quick look at how she constructs her glorious dramatic proclamations and when exactly she refers to herself in the third person.

So I give you, directly from the game files: every time Dame Aylin says Dame Aylin.

To kick it off, the line she has if you attack her in camp:

You defile our alliance with violence. A disappointment - but not a threat to Dame Aylin, immortal.

Some lines from the end of Act 2, the Moonrise debrief, and the first time she comes to camp:

You have defeated Ketheric Thorm, yet you who were content to leave Dame Aylin in his thrall until it served you best. How do you account for it? But Dame Aylin's life is neverending. And she does not forget. Now - I believe Isobel asked a question of you. We will meet you in your camp - is it agreed? Do not speak so abruptly to the mate of Dame Aylin, daughter of the Moonmaiden, paladin of - You would deny Dame Aylin, daughter of the Moonmaiden, paladin of the selfsame Selûne? And you - Sharran. Cleric of the Lady of Loss, who is so much more than she appears. You and Dame Aylin have dangerous ground to tread. Moonmaiden, I ask you to cleanse the wickedness in the heart of the slayer of Ketheric Thorm! Forgive them the sin of sending Dame Aylin into his foul clutches! Hmm. Ketheric Thorm. Father of my one and only love. Enslaver of Dame Aylin. Why, she already has. She has brought her sword to your side. Dame Aylin.

Moving on to Act 3, talking about Lorroakan looking for her (and possibly discussing Aradin and his fellow mercs as well):

Is he indeed? Pray tell, what does he seek from Dame Aylin? Let them come, and let them find me. Dame Aylin will strike down any who seek to bring her to harm's home. Do not speak false to Dame Aylin. Not after all we have endured. Dame Aylin will face him. You will wield your glorious might at her side. Let us split him, crotch to crown, and let his twin halves fall where they may. Your intuitions are my lodestar, darling. But consider: now that Dame Aylin has returned to the fold of time, she could use allies and interlocutors. Hmm. If you judge him worth the endeavour, then I will do as you say. Now that Dame Aylin has returned to the fold of time, she will need allies and interlocutors. But Dame Aylin's deeds are great; her presence - present. Sooner or later, he will discover that the daughter of Selûne lives. Dame Aylin does not worry; she strategises. Our camp has been besieged by bribelings. And Dame Aylin is the prize that seduced them. There can be no doubt about it. But even Dame Aylin experiences lapses in her fine judgement. To Ramazith's Tower they were meant to take me. Ho! Won't Lorroakan be surprised when Dame Aylin trounces him in his own citadel. Oh, I hope he tries. Please, Lorroakan, come to me with your magicks and your flaccid charms. Attempt to lay one hairy finger upon Dame Aylin, daughter of Selûne most high.

Then, the showdown in Ramazith's Tower proper - first two if you side with her, the rest if she is betrayed:

Magicians and their plans for Dame Aylin. Predictable; sadistic; flaccid. Dame Aylin is watching. She is indomitable. And when her face lights the shadows of your wrongdoing, you are broken by its beauty. Dame Aylin does not go anywhere quietly. Do not tell Isobel what fate has befallen Dame Aylin. She must not enter this viper's den. When next we meet, no words will cross Dame Aylin's lips, but her sword will find your flesh and make of it her sheath.

Post-wizard camp conversations:

Set your mind at ease, my friend. Dame Aylin is more well now than she has been this past century. Ha! I am not surprised. You have a great talent for tearing down Dame Aylin's enemies. Thank you, my friend. From the bottom of my heart. But fear not: When the time comes for you to face the foe of foes, Dame Aylin will stand at your side.

A couple of battle cries - first one from the Act 2 final boss if you don't free her until then, and the second from the Act 3 final battle:

MOONMAIDEN, HEAR ME! DAME AYLIN IS FREE! Dame Aylin will not let this place fall!

I'm also going to include her introductions, though that's obviously a bit of a different case:

I am Dame Aylin. Out of this hellish realm I carry my sword by the blessing of my mother, Selûne. I am Dame Aylin. Daughter of the Moonmaiden, Selûne; champion of her causes in this fine realm. You will address me with due deference. I am Dame Aylin. And you are a whelp without honour, without pride, with nothing but a tower full of trinkets.

And, finally, we have a couple of written notes - very, very different in tone. First, a threatening, ominous promise she leaves behind if you betray her to Lorroakan, but he dies and Rolan fails to bind her:

Dame Aylin has never had an enemy She did not destroy, A traitor She did not undo. Dame Aylin has never died And stayed dead. No, she waits, waits, until The one she hates sleeps, alone, in bed and then and then she strikes.

Chilling, and calls to mind her vows of vengeance if you mess with her in the Shadowfell. I don't know if I'd find it scarier delivered in an angry scrawl or with some perfect fancy penmanship.

The second note is, alas, her epilogue letter if Isobel has died:

Ally mine, It has been a full half-year since last we spoke. Your great victory against the wicked brain of brains still plays before my eyes by nights; ho, it was a sight I'll cherish for the remainder of my infinite days. I hope these last turns of my mother's face in the sky have brought you rest and peace. But rest has not found Dame Aylin, no - I pursue the heels of a villain no less foul than the so-called 'Absolute'. An assailant who has targeted Selûnite enclaves across the coast. But fear not! Dame Aylin will find them. And you have seen yourself what she does to those deserving of her boot. The road is long. It is lonely. And I have not forgotten all I've lost. But I cherish what I have found, too. Yours eternally, Dame Aylin Daughter of the Moonmaiden Selûne The Nightsong-no-more Anon and Everlasting

And finally, to end this post on a high note, the beautiful PS she adds to Isobel's epilogue letter:

P.S. IT IS I, DAME AYLIN! I SEND MY REGARDS!

There you have it! Hope at least someone finds this amusing and/or useful.

[baldurs-gape]

Gap in the Resume

In a way, Gale should have been grateful to Elminster, the man had pulled strings to get him the interview. Life was all well and good but he did feel a little guilty for relying so heavily on Astarion, not to mention it was setting a bad example that they made ends meet through skills of theft and contract killings. Determined to make an honest life, Gale had started job hunting once life had started to settle a bit and his hands weren't quite so full. Brushing out an invisible wrinkle from his tunic, he waited on the creaky leather sofa. Finally, the door opened.

"Mr. Dekarios?"

Standing so quickly his vision speckled, Gale tried to look confident as he approached the Dean of the school. It wasn't Blackstaff, he couldn't go back there, not after everything but a less prestigious school might just be what he needed.

"Good to meet you, and please, call me Gale." He shook hands with her eagerly and settled on the even less comfortable chair by the impressive desk.

"Elminster has talked highly about you and your skills. It made me think that perhaps you were a little too modest on your CV."

"Yes, well, some things are easier to explain in words than with in on paper."

The Dean looked at him over her glasses with a smile. "Well, here's your chance, Gale. Why would an ex-Chosen of Mystra herself want to teach at our school of all places?"

Rather than say that he was scraping the barrell and needed his old mentor's help in getting honest work, Gale tried to smile, cleared his throat and straightened his back. He'd rehearsed this, it was going to be fine, smooth even."

"Teaching has been somewhat thrust upon me in the last eight years or so. It's a little difficult to always keep track of time in the Underdark. It wasn't a career I had ever really entertained until I got firsthand experience of how rewarding it could be."

So far so good, the Dean nodded along and settled back with a more relaxed posture. Emboldened, Gale decided it was better to throw in some examples to back his words up.

"Perhaps my proudest moment as a teacher was when I took a small group on an expedition towards Lenore's tower and we encountered yet another minotaur - I swear they are the cockroaches of the Underdark - and the six with me made a meal of it." The somewhat puzzled look he received had him rushing to explain. "Before it would have been a lot of snapping and snarling at each other, more blood wasted than drank. Sebastian had a nasty habit of trying to claw the eyes out of anyone who so much as was near him when drinking. Yet there he was, happily sharing the bounty with five others!"

"Mr. Dekarios, Gale-" the Dean held up a finger, "-just what exactly do you teach? I was under the impression you were a wizard."

"I am!" Indignant, Gale huffed. "But you try teaching magic to 7000 feral vampire spawn. Manners had to come first."

"Seven. Thousand. Vampire. Spawn."

Nodding with vigour, Gale's arms came into play as he began to explain.

"We were responsible for them after freeing them. Well, first we had to sort out the Netherbrain while the Gur rounded them up and kept them safe from everyone including themselves. It wasn't like we could abandon them. I happen to take responsibility very seriously. It began with a book club for the more recently turned and those interested and just grew from there." Barely stopping to take a breath, he continued, "Trust me, I wanted to show them the wonders of magic but some of them couldn't even read, a tracesty if you ask me."

A strained smile appeared on the Dean's face. She sat primly, hands clasped on the table between them.

"Did this happen after your status as Chosen was revoke?"

"Yes. Well, not immediately. I spent a year trying to tame the Netherese orb in my chest." At that, the Dean looked alarmed. "Don't worry, it's all taken care of now, it's old news. But for a year I worked heavily on the research of the elimination of Netherese fragments bonded to a human entity. Alas before I could refine my findings and publish, a Nautiloid snatched me up as I was hanging my washing. Now, I know mindflayers don't have emotions in the same capacity but it was downright rude. Then they put the tadpole in my brain."

By that point the strained smile had fallen away and the Dean was outright alarmed, edging away from the table and away from Gale. Off script and caught up in the story, he wasn't slowing down.

"Anyway, you've probably heard of the Baldur's Gate Netherbrain incident. That was me and a couple of others who are now good friends of mine. But try putting that on a resume. It wasn't relevant to teaching magic really. I don't want to walk into the classroom as some mighty hero, I just want to be normal and treated as such. And now the spawn as all mostly settled, I feel I can leave them without fear of any incidents. I did so enjoy teaching them that I thought; why not? I could do this with young people. They'll probably be more likely to singe off your eyebrows by mistake than try to drain you of blood. Much cheaper if you ask me, scrolls of revivify used to make up a good 70% of our weekly expenses."

Tirade over, Gale leaned back in his chair and sighed, glad to have got that all out. A little sheepish at having gone so far off script, he offered a tiny smile. "Do you have any other questions about the gap in my resume? Because I don't think I touched on the mental health of students. Mystra demanded repeatedly that I kill myself. It is safe to say I wouldn't ever be anything but accepting and nurturing of even the most frustrating minds in the classroom. They're safe with me."

"Actually," the Dean's voice was a little breathy, "I think you've been very informative, thank you. I can let you know the outcome of the interview in the next tenday once all interviews for the position have concluded. Thank you so much for coming in today."

She stood and Gale copied. This time she didn't stand close to usher him out the room, a rather large amount of space was left between them. Gale's heart sank. It wasn't the first time an interview ended so abruptly and with such false smiles. Nodding, he turned to the door and left.

Outside, Astarion was leaning against the wall, covered from head to toe for safety.

"How did it go?" he asked.

Sadly, Gale shook his head and deflated. "I went off script. At least she didn't call security I guess?"

"Not to worry. We'll find a place. Hells, we could probably even found it, the Underdark Academy, a place for the unruly to come and be transformed into etiquette experts. What do you think?"

Laughing, Gale bumped their shoulders and sighed, trying to let go of the disappointment that had settled in his gut.

"You say the sweetest things to me, don't you?"

Their hands tangled until fingers interlaced and Astarion pulled it up to press a kiss to the back of Gale's. This job wasn't to be but that was alright. They had all the time in the world to figure it all out. And for Gale to discover that while he was in the interview, Astarion had stolen anything that moved from the school.

[thatfreshi]

Rage To The Point of Hysteria (Astarion x Reader)

Third part in this little series (I Want To Mean It and Take This and Leave are both before this.)

Recommended Song: Forgiveless - SZA Ft. Ol' Dirty Bastard

"Well thank the gods you're not upset, because I have a feeling Gale wouldn't try to reverse it at this point."

Astarion's ear perk up at your comment.

"What do you mean darling? I'm sure he'd try if you asked him."

You hesitate to speak again, knowing your fiance will be pissed as soon as he hears about what happened in Gale's tower. Rightfully so, of course, but Astarion is not the type of man you want to make angry, especially when it comes to his lover.

"We aren't exactly... speaking?"

His eyes narrow.

"Is he being a dramatic sad boy again? Because first of all that's my thing, and second of all he has a wedding to be in tomorrow."

"I have a feeling you won't want him there anymore."

"Why not? He's our best friend! Gale has stood by us loyally as long as we've been in love."

You pause, he knows you're not telling him the whole story, but he doesn't push it, knowing you're nervous.

"You do love me... right?"

Suddenly a sadness casts across his eyes, wondering why you would even ask such a question.

"Of course I do my sweet. I asked you to marry me, didn't I?"

You sit back down on the bed, beckoning him to come sit with you.

"Well, Gale said some really horrible things. Horrible things about me, about you, about this whole relationship."

You tear up a little.

"You know he speaks without much thought darling. Not the brightest among us."

"No, Astarion, he was really awful. He said that I was a naive idiot for thinking you were in love with me, and how you've just been using me to keep yourself safe all this time, and that this marriage is just an extra layer of protection for you."

Rage. You still think to this day that somehow his eyes get redder when he's mad, even though that's probably impossible.

"He called you, what?"

His fingernails dig into the sheets, wishing they were around Gale's throat. He could care less about what was said about him, he's been lied about all his life. But you were crying because of something Gale said, questioning his love for you over some foolish man.

"Yeah, and I think he's like weirdly in love with me, and he just never said anything? It was all super gross, and I just can't believe he was like that."

"Funny, I'm in love with you and I would never call you a naive idiot like that. Of course, not outside of the times that you enjoyed it."

Astarion gets back up off the bed, making his way to a chest full of old weapons, memories of your journeys. He squats down, unlocking it, gazing at the various dangerous items.

"Aster, what are you doing?"

He laughs.

"Deciding what I'm going to flay him with my dear, what else would I be doing?"

Rage to the point of hysteria, enjoying the image of exacting revenge. The last time you saw him like this was before he killed Cazador.

"You can't just go over there and cut him up!"

"You're right, I have to do worse. You're so smart my dear."

He grabs a couple of blades out of the chest, and you walk over to where he's scavenging.

"I love you-"

"I love you too darling."

"I love you but, this is only going to make it worse. If you kill him, all of the alarms in his tower will go off, you'll probably be arrested-"

"Worth it."

"Astarion, please just listen to me."

"I am listening, I just happen to be scheming at the same time. I am a wonderful multi-tasker after all."

You'd be frustrated if you weren't worried. He really doesn't like seeing you hurt, or upset, and now you're both, all because some raggedy wizard decided he wanted to cause strife.

"Astarion, you can't even go out right now, it's the middle of the day!"

Now, that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Damn it!"

He tries to ponder for a moment, wondering how long it would take to dig a hole from your house to his tower. After doing some rough math, he lets out a cry of frustration.

"How dare he throw around baseless accusations, and insult you to boot! He's a coward, a slimy, rotten, coward, who's trying to ruin something perfectly good because some goddess told him he should die for the greater good!"

You reach out, grabbing his hand, squeezing it tight.

"Aster, please."

Your desperation snaps him out of his stupor, realizing you're still crying, and his murderous plans aren't helping. He sighs, sitting down next to you, pulling you into lay on him.

"I'm sorry my sweet. I just... I hate seeing you get hurt."

"I know, but killing him doesn't solve anything."

He shrugs.

''Well, it would solve the problem of him existing."

"Astarion."

"Right, right, you're lecturing me about proper emotional maturity and such. Sorry, please continue."

You fiddle with his hands, staring at the details of his knuckles.

"I'm really upset with him too, but I don't need you to go turn him into a human filet, I just need you to sit here and listen to me. I'm mainly upset by what he said about you anyway."

"Well, you know he's wrong."

"Yeah, but to lie about being your friend, and then claim you're still just this horrible person? It's not fair, you've grown so much."

"We're the only people that need to know that Tav. If everyone hated me but you, I'd still be right where I am, loving you, and only you."

You lose a little tension, melting into the warmth of his embrace.

"I suppose you're right."

He leaves a kiss on your head.

"Now, we're going to enjoy our little time left as unmarried lovers, and when dusk comes, Gale and I are going to have a little talk. But until then, you can rant and rave as much as you'd like darling. Does that sound alright to you?"

You draw a little heart with your finger on the top of his hand.

"Sounds great. Thank you."

"Of course whatever you need, always."

[taintedges]

*tiny little polished shoes running across igneous rock* inkblade headcanons perchance?

You can’t just say perchance!

However, I am absolutely honored to be asked. All takes place after junior year.

This one, I thought of after the little epilogue they had. With them hinting that Adaine and Aelwyn will hunt their mother down maybe during summer break, they will probably need a little party of their own to do that.

So the rest of the bad kids are busy. Kristen and her four-god pantheon, Riz trying and failing to de-stress, Fig’s podcast with Sandra Lynn ep. 69, Fabian buffing up to welcome his new sibling, Gorgug probably busy in his new bench with Mary Ann. And going back to the forest of Sylvaire is certainly going to be difficult for just two wizards.

Jawbone trying to both be a helpful parent and school counselor, suggests they bring trg or now high five heroes(?), let's face it they need some practical applications outside school.

Adaine absolutely hates this idea and does not think another wizard would be useful (she strongly emphasizes that Oisin should be excluded)

Aelwyn provides her own sassy remarks but surprisingly becomes the mediator when an argument happens, which is often.. usually when Oisin tries to refine parts of the plan and puts forward his many “better” ideas which, of course, he has.

And even when Adaine admits to herself that his plan makes more sense she doesn’t ever give up an argument. At first, Oisin doesn’t reciprocate but his cattiness comes out and the whole thing just escalates.

During travel when the silence is too awkward, Oisin will start talking about a book he really likes, and Adaine just roasts his taste even though she probably thinks the opposite.

They may have saved each other from dying multiple times in combat and will awkwardly say thank you after.

There are times when the forest gets too dark and Adaine remembers the last time she was there and how scary it was to face her fears alone. She often wonders if it was the same when Oisin died before getting forced with a rage star in him.

Sometimes they stay up talking at night when she can’t trance and finds him the only one still awake.

When they start to become familiar with each other’s magic, they become totally in sync during a battle (the rest of the group pretends not to notice how good they work together).

Sometimes Oisin wonders how Adaine would know something about his magic that he didn’t talk about (in my head, when tbk snooped around Ruben’s house and Adaine was in his wizard’s tower, I think she studied everything she found and probably took some of his stuff too, perhaps his quill and Oisin certainly notice it missing and wonders how it got into Adaine’s backpack. He doesn’t take the quill back after seeing that Adaine likes using it.)

Adaine also would threaten Oisin to teach her how he created the spells inside ping pong balls all while making remarks about what he did.

Oisin carries Boggy around when the familiar doesn’t immediately follow Adaine. Adaine just assumes Boggy always follows her and Oisin secretly likes stealing Boggy, who is just happy to be here because he now has two parents.

I think Oisin’s crush on Adaine dissipates and only comes back 10x harder at the end of their quest when he sees how capable she is.

Here’s a fun one. Coming back after their adventure, a party at Seacaster Manor in anticipation for senior year.

Adaine gets drunk on bad baby milk and insists on playing beer pong with Oisin.

Ivy is teasing because Oisin actually cannot make a shot (for real, not on purpose).

The drunker Adaine gets the more careless she becomes and hurls the ping pong ball at Oisin and boy do they hurt.

Bickering starts and tbk and trg are no help until Ragh intervenes and puts them on time-out upstairs. Bad idea.

Probably for the first time, Adaine admits that she thought he was cute and bluntly asks him if it was all a ruse to undermine her party and WHY HE MESSAGED HER SORRY AT THE CAFETERIA he could have just not said anything and left her alone.

Oisin does admit that he did like her then and he still likes her now, but the rest of senior year is just Oisin groveling.

Adaine has many times placed ping pong balls with spells written in them in his locker so that when he opens it, his things just fly out and he has to clean it up (I rewatched the scene and Adaine’s really disappointed expression tells me she will not let this go). trg finds this absolutely hilarious and are the ones who kept telling her his locker combinations.

Oisin continues therapy sessions with Jawbone and they find each other there after school.

One time Adaine accidentally left Boggy in Jawbone’s office so Oisin comes to her after to return him.

And every single time after that, Adaine just leaves Boggy on purpose. Jawbone notices (because Boggy just stares at him with his big round eyes. Boggy knows what to do even when Adaine doesn't tell him) but doesn’t say a thing.

One time, tbk are outside on one of the benches when Oisin comes to return Boggy, Kristen’s like, "What’s going on are you co-parenting?"

There’s no formal conversation, just a mutual understanding that Adaine isn’t angry anymore and trusts Oisin to always bring Boggy back.

Do they talk during these interactions? Not at first. But after it became a routine, now they hang out in the library, in Mordred Manor, and of course at Basrar’s.

Some days, Adaine doesn’t leave Boggy at all and Oisin just knows to find her at the end of the day.

This might have been too long.

I cannot write romance for the life of me but I try. Perchance these would suffice because this is a crisis and we are in drought!

INKBLADE NATION WE MAY HAVE LOST THE BATTLE BUT WE STAY WINNING THE WAR!

[sllverchariot]

the rest of our lives [gale dekarios x durge!reader]

my first gale fic hehe theres not enough gale love out there so i am here to provide… if anyone has any prompts or requests pls let me know!!!

not much to say abt this other than durge is sad about being durge and gale is there to help <3

word count: 2.4k

notes: a little angsty, a little hurt/comfort, mostly soft and sweet tho. dont think i used any pronouns for reader buttt i dont remember oops

The water was still, the night was quiet, everything bathed in darkness save for the soft glow of the moon and its reflection on the waters in front of you.

You took quick, shallow breaths as you gazed over the softly rippling lake for a moment, before shutting your eyes tight. The Urge. It felt like it was devouring you. Swallowing you whole. Like you were in the middle of the sea and each time you tried to swim to shore another wave would crash and engulf you completely. It was relentless. Suffocating.

Many of your nights were spent like this. Restless dreams gave way to the even more exhausting waking hours. So many early morning hours spent with your hands balled into fists and jaw clenched while your companions slept, trying desperately to contain the bloodthirsty compulsions that wracked your body.

Everyday you fought against your Urges. Your energy was divided between the daily journey and battles, and keeping your murderous impulses at bay. It was exhausting. And even despite your resistance, every day felt like one step forward and three steps back.

The weight on your shoulders had grown even heavier lately, following an evening spent with your beloved wizard.

An intimate, romantic, yet bittersweet night spent both underneath and within the beautiful cosmic landscape he painted in the sky for you.

You and your companions had just reached Moonrise Towers, making that very first step into the place you’d fought so hard to reach. You didn’t stay long that first day, merely testing the waters and getting the lay of the land. Everyone was already so exhausted by the time you arrived, no one was quite ready to face what lay beyond. Just a quick peek inside before returning to camp, with a misguided hope that a long rest may better prepare you all for the challenges ahead.

After peeling off your armor and washing off the blood and dirt of the day, you noticed the absence of your favorite wizard, replaced instead by a glowing copy.

You approached his likeness, trying to push down the growing feeling of dread in your gut. Your mind always seemed to go to the worst place. Every terrible possibility flitted through your mind as you made your way to the projection. You were always worried about Gale. That feeling was only magnified after the bombshell Elminster dropped on Mystra’s behalf not too long ago. Mystra. Your blood boiled at the very thought of the goddess.

But that evening you weren’t worried about Mystra, not directly at least. You were only worried about Gale, and unraveling the mystery of his absence.

Why wasn’t he at camp? Where had he gone? Had he done something rash? Was he okay?

Every passing thought just served to deepen the pit in your stomach. But as you spoke with his mirror image, the wave of relief that washed over you was so powerful you feared you’d burst into tears on the spot.

You followed the wizard's copy through the woods and into a clearing, where you found the man himself. Your breath caught in your throat as you took in your surroundings. Gale, sat on a blanket beneath the most beautiful night sky you’d ever seen. Hands weaving through the air, as he quite literally hung each star in the sky for you.

That night was more than you could’ve ever dared to hope for. Something right out of a fairytale, your deepest desire that you’d never let yourself imagine becoming reality.

Your beloved Wizard of Waterdeep. Gale. You’d have plucked the sun from the sky if he’d asked you, if it meant seeing that smile that you’d grown to hold so dear.

Even after all of your terrible mistakes, he’d brought you here tonight. Still painted the most beautiful picture in the sky for you. Confessed his love to you in the most gut wrenching way, his voice laced with nerves and uncertainty, as if you wouldn’t already go to the ends of the earth for him. As if there was any universe where hearing those three little words from his lips one single time wasn’t enough to fuel you for the rest of your days.

Even after Alfira. Even after that night where you nearly killed him. Despite all of your evil, he still loved you.

But it was nights like tonight when you almost wished he didn’t. The nights when your Urges felt impossible to fight, and you feared they may truly take over again. You wanted to protect Gale, not hurt him. You wanted to hide him away from every wicked thing this world had to offer, yourself included. To save him from his goddess. To ease his pain, to heal his wounds.

You curled into a ball on the beach, nails digging into your arms, letting the pain be your anchor to reality. You tried to curl into yourself further, as if pushing yourself in would help keep you together. You lie there gasping for breath, face wet with hot tears you hadn’t even noticed were falling.

You were stronger than this. You were more than this. More than your Urges, more than your past, whatever it may be.

You repeated this mantra in your mind until the words didn’t even sound like words anymore, and your consciousness slipped away, letting you drift into yet another restless nightmare.

When you awoke the next morning, in the wee hours just as the sun began to rise, your sweating, trembling form was beneath a soft blanket, and your head atop a cushion. A far cry from the sorry state you’d fallen asleep in.

Beside you, just a few feet away, was Gale.

Sprawled out on his own bedroll, a book lay open across his chest.

You pushed yourself to sit up, letting the blanket fall to your lap as you scanned his sleeping form. The early morning sun illuminating his features in the most beautiful way. He looked so peaceful like this, a stark difference from your own torturous slumber.

Your heart ached at the sight of him. When did he come out here? Why did he stay out here?

You fought the impulse to reach out and touch him, too afraid to risk waking him. But then, as if he could hear your thoughts, his eyes fluttered open.

He blinked a few times as he woke, eyes slowly beginning to make out your form, backlit by the morning sun rising over your shoulder.

Immediately, his lips curled into a smile, gaze softening as he took you in.

Your breath caught in your throat as you met his deep brown eyes, flickering with affection.

“Good morning, my dear.” He said softly, voice still low from sleep. He pushed himself onto his elbows, the book on his chest slipping as he shifted. Your hand shot out to grab it before it hit the dirt. He chuckled quietly, sitting up fully then as you held the book out to him. “It appears I dozed off last night.” He rubbed his eyes, and took the book from you, slipping a bookmark into the pages before setting it down beside him.

“Why… are you out here?” You croaked out, mind swirling with thoughts. Maybe he was here because he was afraid. For himself, for your companions. Maybe he saw your little episode last night and feared you’d do something unpredictable again. Your stomach twisted at these thoughts. If that was the reason, it was perfectly understandable. But that didn’t make the thought hurt any less.

He reached out and took your hand within his own, his warm embrace engulfing you as he gave it a gentle squeeze. “I was worried about you. Thought I might lend you some company.”

“Worried about me? Or worried about what I might do?” The words left your lips before you had time to consider them, and you immediately regretted it. Your eyes went wide, wishing you could take them back right then. But the damage was done. A look of hurt briefly flickered across his features, before his brows furrowed.

“Can’t it be both?” He questioned, eyes full of worry and concern, and your heart twisted painfully in your chest. His other hand came up to cup yours. His warm, gentle hands cradled your cold fingers, with your threatening claws and cuticles bitten raw. “Can I not worry for you when I find you missing from camp? Can I not worry about what you may do to yourself when I can’t see you? Can I not be concerned for you when I find you curled in the fetal position alone on the beach, sweating and shaking with tear stained cheeks and claw marks on your arms?” His hands squeezed yours tighter now, looking at you with pleading eyes. If your heart hadn’t broken before, it most certainly snapped clean in half by now.

Your throat burned as tears began to well in your eyes again, every word drying up on your tongue. You took a breath, and pulled your hands from his.

Before he had time to react, you leaned forward and wrapped your arms around his neck, nearly tackling him to the ground as you buried your face into his neck.

A small grunt escaped his lips at the impact, body tensing for the briefest of moments before melting into your touch, arms circling around to clasp behind your back. You couldn’t hold back the tears now, body shaking with sobs as you clutched desperately onto the fabric of his shirt.

His hands stroked up and down your back comfortingly, his face buried in your hair as he whispered reassurances against your skin. You felt like a blubbering child, unable to hold in your emotions any longer as he held you.

The two of you stayed like that for several minutes, until your wails finally subsided enough that you could breathe again. You looked at him with glassy eyes, your face red and puffy from tears. His gentle expression never wavered, still holding that same gentleness and concern he always exuded.

“I’m sorry,” You croaked, using the heels of your hands to furiously wipe at your wet eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just so– I don’t know. I’m so worried. All the time. I fight so hard, every day. And still I fail to keep the Urges at bay. I don’t want to hurt you, Gale. I can’t. But I’m so fucking scared that I might.” Your voice cracked at the end as you tried to bite back yet another sob. “I love you gale. More than anything in the world. I just want to protect you… From all of the evil that lurks here. Protect you from me.”

His hands came up to cradle your face, forcing you to look at him as the pad of his thumb swiped away the tears gathering in your eyes.

“You needn’t protect me from anything, my love. Least of all you.” He murmured softly, thumb still gently stroking your face as he held it. “I love you more than even I can put into words, even with all the words I know. And I would love you even if you did rip out my heart, so long as you were the one to do it.” A sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob escaped your lips as he spoke, a smile spread across your face through the tears. “You make me feel whole again, despite everything. All those days locked away in my tower, I’d have spent a thousand more if it meant even one minute with you.”

Your heart was so full you almost felt nauseous. Gale. Your Gale. He meant everything to you. You would do any and everything it took to see him happy, keep him safe. Even if it meant a hundred years of sleepless nights alone in the cold dirt.

You reached a hand out to press against his chest, hand flat against his skin where the orb lay. You could feel the quiet hum of magic buzzing beneath the surface.

“I will fight this Urge. I will fight it to the end even if it tears me apart to try. And I will save you, Gale. I will get this thing out of your chest, I promise you.” You spoke quietly, fingers brushing against his carved skin. “So long as I draw breath, I will fight for our happily ever after.” You looked back up at him with a smile, his own expression mirroring yours, before straightening up and pulling him in for a kiss.

It was far from the first time your lips met his. Since your night in the stars, you selfishly took every opportunity that presented itself to kiss the wizard. But still, every time, your heart beat faster and your stomach fluttered, as though you were a school girl with her crush. Sparks seemed to fly every time, without fail. You had to force yourself to draw away from him, but you would’ve happily stayed like that forever if not for your lungs nagging need for air.

But eventually, you did will yourself to part from him, opting instead to cuddle up against his side as the two of you watched the sun rise the rest of the way.

“How long were you out here?” You questioned, breaking the silence as you peered up at him.

”I’m not entirely sure, actually. I flew into such a panic when I didn’t see you by the fire, that by the time I finally found you I was wide awake. So after I tucked you in and settled myself, I went and found a book to keep me occupied. You were so restless. Your body was convulsing, and your eyes darting around beneath their lids, I couldn’t dare go to sleep anyway. But you appeared to calm when I spoke, so speak I did. But then I realized it’d be awfully embarrassing for you to wake up to me composing a thousand sonnets about my love for you, so I elected to read the book aloud instead.” He patted the hardcover of the book that lay at his side with a nervous chuckle.

Your stomach flipped at his confession, and you wrapped your arms around him a little tighter, burying your face in his chest and inhaling his scent.

”Thank you,” You whispered. “I don’t know what in the Hells I did to deserve you. But I promise to spend the rest of my life showing my gratitude.”

You felt the quiet laugh that rippled through his chest, his hand coming up to stroke your hair. “Careful, I might just hold you to that.”

[sweetpea-sprite]

wait the wizard king is evil in dotdd??

hi anon. i've been putting off answering this ask for over a week. you know this. the thing about this ask is that i know. i KNOW. that if i answer this it will restart the cycle (lol) of me thinking about dotdd's wizard king and NOT STOPPING THINKING ABOUT IT for weeks if not months. i also think i've answered this before so technically i don't have to do this to myself but we all know i'm gonnaANGEL JUST DMED ME WITH A FIC SNIPPET ABOUT THIS VERY FUCKING THING. YOU'RE ALL TRYING TO DRASG ME BAVK IN I CAN'T FUCKING DO THIS AGAINNNNNN YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME I THOUGHT I WAS FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I THOUGHT I WAS FREE

just kidding i am never free ^-^ dotdd true ending spoilers under the cut

i don't even know where to start. like. i don't know. al-khemi's half human and his mother fucked a 10 story tall genie who can make buildings using alchemy?

that's the core concept of dotdd's postgame. is alchemising a building - moya tower - so that you can go to the top floor and defeat the evil wizard king. the wizard king who is evil. the wizard king who wants to be a god. the tower is 100 floors high; you get the key for the top floor from horace's final quest, where he reveals that he climbed the tower himself and tried to fight the wizard king, but was ultimately killed in battle. "ok ruby this all sounds cool but relatively normal in reference to wotww" WRONG! POPULAR FAN THEORY SAYS HORACE HAD A HUSBAND

("popular fan theory" means i came up with it because for a long long time i was the only english-speaking dotdd fan i knew and also separately i later discovered japanese fans came up with it so i'm basically correct and beautiful all the time always. anyway)

before we get into the miragapo trenches i do want to mention the evil shit the wizard king got up to here, most notably the fact that the three stone guardians are evil for real now, except cerboreas who turns out is just A DOG THAT THE WIZARD KING STOLE FROM A LITTLE KID. LIKE HE WAS A REALLY GOOD GUARD DOG SO HE JUST TOOK HIM. AND THE KID WENT INTO THE GLITTERING GROTTO TO FIND HIM AND GOT LOST AND DIED IN THERE. cerboreas's original name was grey. by the way. if you even care. also crossbones is a capitalist.? anyway

in dotdd there is a coliseum that is completely and entirely different to the solosseum in wotww. it's situated in del mokahl, a casino town (also unique to dotdd) and is sponsored by a man named giovanni gappolino, also known as the casino king. during the coliseum, you fight - alongside other opponents - nicky, your rival who is just deeply obsessed with oliver in a really. he's gay. so the prize for the coliseum ends up being a ticket to the next division of the coliseum, one where you fight all the great sages + solomon and umbopa + nicky as a fun surprise round where he tells you that mr gappolino is his dad and implies he's neglectful AFTER you beat him to a pulp just so you feel bad + finally giovanni gappolino himself.

after THIS division khulan comes out and reveals that giovanni is actually a sage who has been around since the wizard king was sealed by a deity. he has been masquerading as a rich man playing with his toys when in reality he has been desperately searching for someone strong enough to take down the wizard king for real this time, by running the coliseum and waiting for someone to get through it all.

we are not given a reason for why he is doing this. this is an appropriate time to mention horace's "friend".

when you meet horace in hamelin (notably, the town directly after meeting him in del mokahl; also notably, in del mokahl he gets especially frustrated about not having all his memories back and he and oliver get into a small fight about it) he's very excited because he remembers that he had a friend! and they went up a tower together! and they were besties! "an amazing, dependable, wonderful friend!" that's what he says! sounding a bit gay there horologium.

anyway. you can see the pieces slot into place. horace and giovanni climbed the tower together. they got to the top. they confronted the wizard king. he was sealed. giovanni made it back. horace did not. at some point during this whole process they probably explored each other's bodies. hopefully not after the death ! and then giovanni spent a thousand years trying to find someone who could avenge him.

they drive me fucking nuts and they're based on a theory that isn't even canon. do you understand what miragapo does to me. are you kidding? guy who has been trying to avenge his dead husband for a thousand years? AND he's a neglectful father? COME ON

...so that's the miragapo side of things. um. you asked about the wizard king. sorry you now know about the miragapo agenda

SO. you climb to the top of moya tower. you use the key that horace gave you. you get to the top.

it looks cool as hell. you walk forward to confront the wizard king, and mornstar, in oliver's hand, reacts to the presence of astra, in the wizard king's hand. you fight. his attacks follow a very specific pattern. when you whittle his health down, he gets a second phase where his attacks turn more unpredictable. also, he looks cool as hell

you defeat him. you go through the victory screen and discover that it's just oliver, no drippy esther or swaine, with the wizard king. and it gets horrifying and fun.

the wizard king gives oliver astra and teaches him how to use the spell, remarking that he won't be needing it anymore. oliver furrows his brow. and asks why he wanted to become a god. and he responds:

"hmm. i forgot. why did i want to rail against the heavens? i wish i knew. i've forgotten all of those things... it must be the fault of that... throne. or else... heh heh... perhaps it was you who caused me to forget...?"

he turns to oliver and starts to fade away, as all the other ghosts in the game have done. and he says to oliver - who still holds astra: "here... is where our shadows went. in order to figure out the mysteries of magic, for all curious wizards... i'm sure that will come in handy as you try to surmount the final hurdle."

"and so... you have become a fountain overflowing with power, you foolish young man."

and then he fades. and oliver's friends come back. and they celebrate the defeat of the wizard king, and oliver's new wand. and as they turn to head back down the tower, the scene lingers on oliver's laugh for a moment - and then pans up to the empty throne, with the giant eye above it looking directly at oliver. and then the credits roll.

this is what drives me fucking insane. in both wotww and dotdd, oliver has both wands; by all means, he should be the new wizard king. in wotww you don't really think about it too hard because the wizard king is a good guy, so oliver will end up like him; in dotdd it MAKES you think about it too hard because OLIVER WILL END UP LIKE HIM.

oliver's fate at the end of dotdd is unknown, but it's constantly said that he has a choice, and it's constantly implied that he will choose badly. there's more evidence for this throughout the game as well, a bunch of small things that seem innocent enough but kill you if you know what they're referring to. there's a fortune teller in hamelin who tries to read oliver's fortune and comes up confused because she can't, and remarks she's "never gazed into the future of one of his ilk". there's a skeleton in coconanda who wishes for oliver to live for a thousand years or more. by far the most prominent of these comes from nicky in the coliseum, who at one point asks oliver, "we have both hope and hopelessness waiting for us, don't we? which one do you want to hold onto, oliver?". hell, the ENTIRE COLISEUM you are competing for PANDORA'S BOX. THAT'S WHAT THE PRIZE IS. AND OLIVER OPENS IT AT THE END and gets a mandragorer out of it BUT THE POINT IS THAT IT'S PANDORA'S BOX!!!!!! THE BOX THAT CONTAINS ALL THE HOPE AND HOPELESSNESS OF THE WORLD. YOU KNOW PANDORA'S BOX. and if you've played wotww's own postgame you will know that the conductor very specifically calls out oliver's curiosity as a large trait of his. if you know anything about the myth of pandora's box you will know that she opened it because she was MADE TO BE CURIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

however. you won't believe this but there's more. the most damning piece of evidence we have for this outside of the wizard king himself is actually the only thing we have officially translated, because it's in the wizard's companion - both of them! it made it to wotww's companion, so they translated it! on page 282-283 of wotww's companion, there is an illustration depicting the wizard king.

this is actually depicting dotdd's wizard king; at the end (read the story starting top left, then circle back around) you can see the wizard king attempting to get into heaven using a ladder, but being pushed out, followed by the moya eye and him sitting on the throne. you can also see that the magic he's putting out in the middle... isn't exactly friendly. in any case - there is nazcaan around the edges! it reads:

On the first day a wand will be held aloft; On the second day lightning will arc; On the third day a storm will rage; On the fourth day the earth will be rent asunder; On the fifth day a great wave will crash; On the sixth day flames will dance; On the seventh day a blizzard will howl; And on the eighth day a new king will bring the light; And the world shall kneel before him.

first of all: earlier i mentioned the wizard king's first phase in dotdd follows a specific pattern. this is the pattern! he follows this prophecy! he repeats this pattern over and over! it's really neat.

second of all holy fucking shit it's a cycle and he repeats it over and over.

the prophecy loops perfectly. the wizard king gives astra to oliver and effectively crowns him the new king. it's a LOOP!!!!!!!!!! the ouroboros (or oroboros. lol) consumes its own tail. oliver is prophecised to be the next wizard king and absolutely 100% it is not guaranteed that he will be evil. it is not guaranteed that he will fall to hopelessness. but HOLY SHIT it looks like that's what's going to happen.

and to loop back around to miragapo and nicky. because they're everything to me. i didn't even go off on a long tangent about nicky this post! i just mentioned him briefly! are you all proud of me. too bad i'm about to break it. the miragapo nickiver parallels... augh. what would you do if you found a kid to avenge your dead husband after a thousand years and he manages it only to then go on to become what you were trying to beat. AND your kid is in love with him and is the only one able to stand up to him. like what do you do in that situation. because truly i believe nicky wouldn't let oliver do that without a fight. they have a whole entire coliseum-based arc about which of them is going to be the one to defeat the wizard king. you think oliver's gonna BECOME the next wizard king and nicky's gonna take that LYING DOWN? NO. this is why nickiver does cocomelon shit to me

anyway. toooooo answer your question. yeah he is. ...and so is oliver, probably.

...i do really think we look over the "al-khemi is half human and his mother fucked a frankly too big genie" thing too often it's just that the rest of it is so Like That that you truly just forget

[underdark-dreams]

Hello! I would first like to thank you for getting me into the Rolan boat, this arrogant emotionally-constipated (affectionate) wizard has taken over my mind and he is all I think about now.

That being said, I was wondering if you would be able to do a rolan x tav like a few years or even a decade into their relationship? Does settling into Sorcerous Sundries and becoming a better mage make Rolan softer? How is he connecting with the rest of the magic community (I am personallya Rolan and Gale rare books reading club supporter) What would be some of the major long term disagreements in their relationship and how do you think they would work through it? What would this man's ideal 'happily ever after' look like?

Thank you so much!

This was great food for thought! 🖤 Thank you so much!

I kind of want to work on future Rolan x Tav as its own little standalone fic, because that idea is so sweet—but here are some headcanons on that & all these other what-ifs. Apologies that they're a bit jumbled, I can't concentrate when Rolan

Rolan loves his tower! He definitely feels the weight and responsibility of being the new steward for all this collected research and knowledge. But he also loves that he can go through his books and satisfy his curiosity whenever he wants, after so long yearning for someone to teach him and nurture his magic. He learns to do that for himself

I think the big thing that will soften and kind of humble him over the years will be once he accepts that personal growth will never stop. There is not a mystical point X where he could stand and say, did it, I have reached the pinnacle of archwizardry. He learns how to stop rushing forward and enjoy other things in life, most of all his relationship with Tav.

Once all the Absolute business is finally settled, Rolan will definitely want to lock that down. It doesn't need to be a legal marriage per se, but he is extremely committed to the relationship & wants the same from them. If he had his way Tav would have moved in yesterday. He's ready to wake up next to them for the rest of his life. Buys a house in the city right beside his old place where Lia and Cal still live & can't wait to merge his found family with his new family. His happily ever after is being surrounded by the people he loves and watching them thrive, especially when it's because of him. Having the capacity to care for Tav and Cal and Lia makes him incredibly fulfilled.

Some big potential sources of conflict in his and Tav's relationship:

Jealousy and insecurity. Rolan has some deep abandonment issues from his past, so if he ever felt like Tav was straying emotionally or making him jealous on purpose, that would really hurt his trust. Deep down he needs to know they love him, and hear it once a day preferably

Control issues/willfulness. Older brother mode activated. Rolan likes to do things his way and is very stubborn and proud about conceding to others. He does see Tav more as his equal, unlike his little siblings, but it's hard for him to translate that into actions. There will be a lot of fights over any big decisions where he & Tav disagree. Part of working through it would probably mean Rolan confronting why he needs to control things so badly (growing up without much control over anything in his life maybe? Hmm). He would genuinely benefit from therapy & from learning how to translate all his feelings into constructive words. Being with someone who would stand up to him would really benefit Rolan in the long run, though.

In the magical community: He's got a reputation as a rebel amongst the wizarding community, because 1) he's very much self-taught which is pretty unusual, and 2) not everyone approves of how freely he hands out information about the Weave, casting, etc to the curious younglings who visit his tower. Of course he'd never let anyone get into anything too powerful unsupervised, but after his experience with Lorroakan and realizing that this famed so-called archmage was actually just an idiot who stole everything from more powerful mages, he's like. The strict apprentice system can kinda get fucked honestly. He just doesn't agree that the basics of magic should be kept behind lock and key. Becomes a sort of magical literacy advocate. Let the children read

You might be surprised at how patient this man can be with children by the way! Lots of little magical prodigies hanging around Master Rolan's tower whenever he lets them. He'll kind of scowl to intimidate them into behaving themselves, but inside he loves to see curious minds reading and learning. As a primarily self-taught wizard, he also has an excellent grasp of pedagogy and how to describe concepts in a way a beginner would understand. He puts together his own beginner's magical textbook over the years. Holding the first printed copy in his hands is probably one of the proudest moments of career

To Rolan, Gale's reputation definitely precedes him at first—even before the events at the Grove he knew the name Gale of Waterdeep. Rolan is younger and admires Gale's skill a lot, so in the beginning of their professional relationship he's a bit intimidated. But you know Gale, he is friendly and endearing from the get go. Rolan often thinks if he'd had a teacher like Gale in his youth, he could have nurtured his magical skills much earlier.

Definitely, definitely also subscribe to the Rolan/Gale book club! They become kindred spirits in that regard over the years. Gale makes a visit to Rolan's tower to inform him of this fascinating manuscript that has just surfaced in Evereska, and Rolan is like "Really? I thought the Fae destroyed that centuries ago…" and the two of them just sort of wander off in conversation. Not to reappear for hours. Probably plotting like naughty children over a bottle of wine about how they are going to get their hands on the Ancient Forbidden Book without Tav finding out

[thecavernsabove]

okay now i just want to talk about my expectations versus why i have ended up liking certain characters because i am just so intrigued by everything these people and characters do. for bells hells, i went into it knowing i would love ashton because they are the reason I started watching, i didn't think i would really latch onto any other character, apart from maybe fearne because she's a satyr and i am particularly partial to satyrs, and imogen because i mean it's laura bailey!

but what actually happened, is that yes i did get super attached to ashton of course i did, but my top three quickly became ashton, orym and laudna (and as someone who started being able to watch live at the split you can imagine how devastated i was). and recently chetney is really creeping up there. i do love all the characters dearly though.

ashton just reminds me of myself so much, apart from the fact that they are much braver than i could ever be, and blunter too. i wish i could be them and also see all my faults in them. its a lot.

orym was my first introduction to liam o'brien and his devastating little guys (more on caleb later), and just his backstory and the way he deals with people intrigues me so much and i want to see him happy so bad.

laudna oh laudna. marisha ray you have ruined me. even going into this with my minimal knowledge of the briarwoods, her backstory reveal was so intense and it hurt. also, creepy unnerving girlies stick together! she's iconic.

chetney is so wild to me i love him so much. he is so intensely gender as well i love him so much. i love gruff and grumpy characters that are actually nice once you are more friendly with them.

imogen. i will say it took a little bit for her to grow on me but i do love her. i think the bassuras dusk stuff really helped me like her more. also her immense power and lightning scars are pretty cool if you ask me.

fearne. i love how sweet she is and the stuff like being bad at lying and also just stealing little things here and there was really fun. but what made me like her more was when she got more serious and i didn't expect that (foreshadowing for later!)

fcg. now, i still have, mixed? feelings for fcg. in a sense of i dont hate the character but i think the character arc is not something im too interested in, but i do still like them. the stuff with frida was very nice, and i do like the bits that they do - but i think there still feels like there is something missing for me somewhat.

now, with the mighty nein, i had an inkling on who i would like. i thought caleb certainly because we seem very similar, molly maybe because i liked ashton so hey i might like this taliesin character too! and that was it really. going into it though, because i had seen so much of jester (talking about her and cosplays mostly) i thought that she would be probably my least favourite because her personality didn't seem to really gel with what i usually like in characters. but here i am, on the other side with my favs being caleb, fjord, and jester! it was so much watching everything for the first time, even with knowing the big spoilers and then looking at more minor spoilers so i knew somewhat what would happen - but i do that with a lot of things, its different knowing what happens versus actually watching and experiencing what is happening.

caleb. caleb widogast is such an intense character and i loved every minute i spent with him. i spent so much time checking when i would finally see the nein sided tower of his and watching liam describe everything for an hour was so incredible i was in awe. i truely love that dirt wizard so much.

fjord was a truly unexpected character for me to fall for. the first time i realized that i was going to love him though was when they were in the one politicians house early in the campaign and he held his sword to caleb to make sure he wasn't fucking with them. then seeing his growth, the accent change, and just his whole deal i was enraptured. i do miss the southern eldritch blast though.

jester oh my goodness did she creep up on me. i think her initial cuteness that i had experienced throughout just existing on the internet put me off for some reason but i don't know why. however i did quickly fall in love with her, when she had one of her more sinister/serious moments early on. i don't remember what it was but i remember thinking oh. /oh./ okay. i love her. and then her relationship with her mama, and artie, gosh i just loved watching laura bailey do literally anything. the cupcake bit! also the sprinkle bit is quite funny. i also just love doing her voice when im talking to myself. she is also the reason that i take a decent amount of damage spells with my current cleric.

beau. i think i thought that i would have liked her more than i did (don't get me wrong i liked her a lot but she is not in my top three), but she is incredible. as a fellow monk pc i do love going the extra mile with those stunning strikes, and also seeing her relationship with yasha blossom was so lovely. and her bro relationships with fjord and caleb were also some of my favourites.

yasha. after starting with campaign three, it was really hard to not see ashley all the time and i remember having to look on the wiki while watching to check when she would come back every time she left. i think i really started to like her more after her she got taken, and went through that big arc, and we were around her more often. i loved watching her dreams. i loved watching her so much.

veth was so unexpected are you kidding me?? i will say i have yet to have a sam character be in my top three but god he knows how to throw an emotional punch and i love that kind of stuff. i love her relationship with caleb, the detective agency, the chaos crew. i love her arc of getting herself back, of seeing her family again. ough. im a big lover of families.

caduceus. goodness gracious me what a character. i just absolutely loved the aesthetic and caduceus's whole relationship to how he approaches death. he is also the reason i started playing a grave cleric in a newer campaign. but truly, has made me think differently about death - which was especially needed for me this year.

mollymauk. i knew he was dead. i knew he would die. but that didn't make me any less upset when it happened! i think about him often, what could have been. especially since i was so sure he took the wrong amount of damage in that fight and should not have quite have been knocked out at that time. but his whole maximallist aesthetic is something i very much enjoy, and i love the through line of his cards with jester.

wow okay this has gotten to be very long but i need to get my thoughts about everyone out somewhere!! if you've read this far im so sorry this is so much of my own ramblings.

[batgirl191919]

Day 21, (Part 1) A Kiss

This is from my longer GalexDurge OC fic—click here for more

If you would like some build-up to this scene, I suggest reading from here.

Summary: This occurs shortly after Elminster tells Gale about the Netherse Orb and what Mystra has planned for him. Kore (Durge OC) is struggling with the news and trying to come up with a way to convince Gale that he doesn't have to go through with this.

*I am convinced that the second the orb was stabilized, Gale would AT LEAST kiss Tav. THE MAN WAS ALONE IN HIS TOWER FOR A YEAR! HE IS TOUCH-STARVED, AND YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE!

Spoilers(ish) ahead if you haven't yet played the game or done Gale's romance route.

Here is the link for this chapter on AO3

Day 21, (Part 1) A Kiss 

Kore was at the shore of the lake for a long time. 

Last Light Inn was slowly waking up behind her, but she made no move to go and join the early morning bustle just yet. 

A few moments ago she had an unexpected visitor, and she was still unsure of what to make of the encounter.  

At first, she had not noticed the old man behind her. She was deep in thought, forming a steely resolve to find another way for her and Gale to get rid of the Absolute without using the Netherese orb.

Then she felt a presence behind her—one of power… and magic.

Still, it surprised her to see Elminster watching her curiously and carefully some paces away from the lake. There was a portal behind him as if he had decided to leave and then, at the last minute, decided to come looking for her. 

Why her?

Kore did not speak. She tried not to glare at him, but she most likely failed in doing so. 

“I encharged Gale with Mystra’s orders,” the wizard finally began to say as Kore wrapped her arms tighter around herself. 

“To you, I commit into care Gale himself. I count on you to shepherd him well on this strangest of journeys.” 

Kore couldn’t stop herself from scoffing. Did the old man really expect her to lead Gale to his own death? What did he even expect her to do—to ensure that Gale went through with Mystra’s commands? 

Her voice was dry and cold when she finally responded, “You came a long way, Elminster, but if your plan was for Gale to follow through with this and for the rest of us to sit idly by—for me to sit idly by—then I am afraid your trip was a waste of time. Perhaps, in another life, Gale would have done as Mystra said… but I’m afraid your mistress didn’t account for everything.” 

Elminster raised a brow, but his face remained mostly expressionless. 

“She didn’t account for me. And I will find another way… I will not allow him to do this,” her voice broke, and she turned back around to face the lake again. After she sucked in a deep breath, Kore finished with, “I don’t care if you tell her about me or not… but if you do… let her know that she won’t be deciding for Gale anymore. His life is his own.” 

The ancient wizard didn’t say anything else to her, and Kore eventually heard his footsteps retreating against wet sand, then there was silence. He was gone. 

It’s a dangerous thing to defy a god. 

The dream visitor contemplated in her head.

Kore snapped back—

I would face every god of the Faerûn pantheon if it meant he would get to live. 

Her guardian was quiet for a moment. Then he slowly spoke, slightly hesitant-

There is a way you have not yet considered. You have yet to use the parasite’s true powers.

Kore thought of the live mind flayer parasite specimens that Halsin kept in his pack… the dream visitor had promised her great power and abilities if she consumed more of them. She shook her head. She was already carrying one worm against her will; she wouldn’t let more leech on her willingly.

 No… no, there will be another way. 

The guardian didn’t say anything back to her, but a part of Kore’s unsettled mind lingered on the promise of these special powers…

Her brief visit with Elminster had perhaps happened a little less than an hour ago. Yet, Kore couldn’t seem to move from where she was in the lake. Though she was shivering now, and the cold water had thoroughly soaked the entirety of the bottom of her nightgown, she couldn’t bring herself to face anyone else just yet. Her jealousy of Mystra had begun to consume her once more, and she was fighting hard to overcome it. 

It would be so much easier if Mystra were not constantly talked about. 

She was tired of hearing the goddess’ name. There was a sting that came along with it, even though Kore was sure that Gale didn’t intend for the mention of the Mistress of Magic to hurt her.  

After all, Mystra was the Weave, and Gale’s skill with magic was a part of him.

He had told her so; his connection with the Weave was something he couldn’t give up, something she would not want him to give up. Not because he needed to be powerful for Kore but because it was something that he enjoyed, something that he loved. And so that probably meant that Mystra perhaps would always be a part of his life.  

How could one separate the two? 

And even when he did bring up his goddess, his past lover, Gale only sought to be honest about his past. Something Kore had been unable to do… she couldn’t tell him about her past lovers, about anything really when it came to her past life. A part of her felt guilty suddenly. She hadn’t told him about Sceleritas Fel… or about the memory she had the previous night during that awful dream…

Kore suddenly felt like someone had slapped her across the face.

How could she have been so dense? Only now did she realize that…

That all this time, when Gale talked of Mystra around Kore… he didn’t do it because he was still in love with the goddess. He had made it clear that his feelings for her, however complicated, were not romantic. But Kore had doubted this because he talked about her so much… because his life seemed to be permanently intertwined with her being…

It was impossible for Gale, for anyone, to separate the goddess of the Weave from magic itself. 

Was it not the same for her and all druids with Silvanus? 

And… the way Gale was able to talk about his past, no matter how painful it was to him, no matter if he feared that Kore or the others would judge him for it… he was able to do so because he felt comfortable enough with Kore to share a part of himself. 

Just like she had confided in Astarion about the urges, and he had let her see the scars on his back, Gale was… being vulnerable. Why hadn’t she seen it that way?

Instead of focusing on comforting him and sharing his burden… instead of being truthful with him, she had been jealous.

Her heart ached.

Because she knew that she had been unfair and because she knew that it wouldn’t be easy to convince Gale to defy Mystra. But she loved him, and she needed him to know that even though she couldn’t understand all of his hurt, she would be here for him. She would face the consequences with him, whatever they may be—because as long as she was with him, she feared little. 

Kore turned, running out of the lake. Water splashed around her, and only one thought filled her mind. She needed to find Gale; she needed him to know how she felt—

She cried out in surprise as she was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace, her chest smashed against the man holding her, his hands gripping her waist before moving up her tensed body.

Kore looked up, her eyes wide as she met Gale’s hazel ones for just a second, taking in the fact that he was out of breath as if he had been running around looking for her. His chest rose and fell against her own, and she saw a ravenous look in the wizard’s eyes—one that she had seen before, one that remained unconsummated. But now that longing was paired with something else, a carnal determination set on only one thing.

She opened her mouth to ask if he was alright, but she didn’t get the chance to say anything before one of Gale’s hands gripped the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her curls as he pulled her even closer to him, crashing his lips onto hers in a bruising kiss. 

Kore felt herself jolt back at the sudden action, but Gale’s tight hold prevented her from moving away. She melted into his arms as her hands desperately sought his body, grabbing his robe and clenching the soft material in her fists. She could smell the morning mist on him, along with his usual lingering aroma of worn paper and books. His touch, his scent, his taste were intoxicating to Kore, who was losing herself in the kiss—the rest of the world became muted around her. 

The hand that was still in her hair softly forced her to tilt her chin up as Gale deepened the kiss, his tongue entering her mouth in a smooth motion. Kore heard herself moan, and she felt how her cheeks reddened at the unexpected lusty noise. Her desperate whine seemed to encourage the wizard, and he pressed into her as his tongue continued to tease hers. 

A frenzied feeling took over her as she savored the feel of his body against hers. Emboldened by her desire, which had gone so long without this kind of intimacy, Kore nipped at Gale’s lips, and she thought she heard him curse against her mouth, a low growling sound that made her shiver. The hand on her waist moved up to her throat, and she felt the slightest pressure as he squeezed her neck. 

Everything was quiet, everything except for her needy noises and the sounds of their kiss. 

Kore was sure she had never experienced such yearning as this. She had wanted to kiss Gale so badly these past few days, but she had never expected that it would feel as consuming as it did now—an unstoppable heat that enflamed her body, sourced at her center and spanning out into her limbs until she felt her legs quiver. 

A dizzying feeling bloomed through Kore, and she felt breathless, but she didn’t want him to stop. 

Eventually, Gale reluctantly pulled away, placing a more chaste kiss on her mouth as his calloused hand stroked part of her face and throat.

Kore searched his gaze, still recovering from the intensity of the past moment. She was sure that a look of mixed pleasure and awe was apparent on her face because Gale was watching her with a small smirk on his reddened lips. 

They were silent for a long moment, and Kore eventually had to look away. Gale’s eyes were dark, lustful, and saying everything that remained unspoken, too intense for her now that she suddenly felt more timid around him. 

“I needed to ensure I kept my promise.” 

Kore tilted her head in confusion, “Promise?” 

“I told you nothing or no one would keep me from you when the issue of the orb was resolved.”

Kore looked down at his chest; the markings were slightly alight, but the glow and the power of the orb were obviously contained in a way they had not been before.

“Oh,” was all she could say for a while.

Gale’s thumb brushed her lips, tugging on the bottom one, and Kore had to hold herself back from whining—from begging him to kiss her again. 

“You’re a good kisser,” she said breathlessly. 

Gale laughed softly, “And you’re a bad liar. I lived the life of a hermit for some time before I met you—safer for all, but not conducive to pleasures of the flesh.”

Kore shook her head, “I meant what I said.”

The wizard looked away, somewhat shy from the compliment, “Thank you.” 

“So the orb really is stabilized then…” she whispered as she placed her hand over the mark.

“Yes.” 

“And… and…”

Gale sighed,  “And an audience with Elminster is never less than memorable.”

Kore waited when he paused, hoping he would tell her that he would choose not to follow Mystra’s order—that he would choose to live. 

“I’d have hoped to introduce you to him in less dire circumstances, but those are hard to come these days.”

“I would have liked him perhaps… if he had come bearing better news.” 

Gale was silent again for a moment. Finally, in a low voice, he muttered, “For Mystra to have sent him… the severity of her bidding could not be clearer. Or weigh more heavily on me.

His finger traced her jawline, and Kore shuddered as his still-hungry eyes fixated on her mouth, “Time seems so infinite when you are young… a month is an age, a year is a lifetime… it is a strange feeling—to realize how little of it one might have left.”

Gale leaned down to kiss her again, and as much as she wanted him to, Kore forced herself to push him away. She looked at him with disbelief, “Gale, you can’t be seriously considering doing what Elminster said.” 

He seemed confused by her words, “Of course I am. He offered the clearest solution to our problem. All I have to do is find the right place and time, close my eyes, and let go… Then the slate will be clean, wrongs will be righted, the Absolute will be gone… and I along with it.”

“How could you say all of this? Why can’t Mystra just destroy the Absolute?” 

“I’ve no doubt she has the power to do so, but as for the permission… Ao would not look kindly on her meddling in mortal affairs. Divine intervention has a tendency to make things worse, not better. My orb is the best chance we have—and only I can wield it.”

Kore’s jaw clenched and released, “Well, I do not accept this. There must be another way. We will find another way.” 

Gale’s voice became gentle as if he was trying to figure out how to tell a small child bad news, “Sweetheart, I’ve been living on borrowed time in more ways than one. Perhaps… perhaps this is how it must be…” 

He tried to smile, but Kore could see the pain and sadness he was failing to hide, “But that remains ahead of us for now; the Heart of the Absolute must be discovered before I can stop its beating.” 

Kore grabbed his shoulders, wanting to shake him, to make him see reason, but she only squeezed him slightly, “I won’t let you do this.” 

“You may feel differently once we know what we’re truly up against,” he murmured against her hair before pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

Her tone became sharp, “Do you remember what you said to me? After my nightmare? You told me the past is the past. Even if you atone now, you cannot change what has happened. Do you remember that? What good will come of you dying?”

“A lot of good.”

“According to her!” Kore swore and stepped away from him, summoning all her courage. She met Gale’s eyes once more, her voice slightly begging now, “Gale, please, I… I love you.” 

 “Farewell, my friend.”

“Farewell, Elminster. I’m glad she chose you.” 

It was only some hours ago that Gale watched Elminster walk through another portal, leaving him behind in the empty courtyard of Last Light Inn. 

His first thought had been that he needed to go find Kore, but something stopped him. He wasn’t sure that he could face her just yet—not when he knew he would not be able to find the words to say to her. 

How could he bear to look at Kore now? He could not comfort her. How could he do that when he knew what had to be done?

Fear froze him in place for a while as he found himself looking at his past, wondering what he could have done differently so that this wouldn’t have happened. His damn pride was primarily to blame, but he found himself trying to look for other excuses. 

Since the debacle with the Netherese Orb, Gale hoped he would have a chance to gain his goddess’ forgiveness. This entire time, he had only resolved to do whatever Mystra asked of him—before he met Kore, he would have done anything. Before he met Kore, he would have even thought Mystra’s latest command to be a just punishment. A fair price to pay for what he had done. But now, it seemed unfair, and he was not willing to blindly trust his goddess, his past lover. 

Gale didn’t want to die. 

Kore had restored a part of his soul that he was unsure he would ever gain back, and for the first time in a year, he was actually enjoying his life. 

One might consider that he was worse off now than he was then when the hunger in his chest was his sole source of worry. Considering the mind flayer parasite still swimming in his skull, he should have felt worse now. After all, their present situation was a delicate and distressing one. 

But Gale felt peace, hope, anticipation—all at once. All because of her.

The druid in front of him was watching him with a pleading expression. 

“Gale… Gale, I love you.” 

She loved him.

His throat was dry as he looked Kore over—looked over the beautiful woman who said she loved him—and he was frustrated that he could not conjure up words of comfort for her. Part of him was distracted; lust was still driving him. He had just discovered how lovely she looked when she had just been kissed. Though her eyes were angry, they were also bright, and her skin was flushed, her lips still deliciously swollen from their kiss. 

Gale hoped he hadn’t been so much of a brute, but he could see part of her cheeks were pink from the harsh rub of his beard.

When his initial panic wore off, and he realized that the orb was indeed stabilized, Gale ran up three flights of stairs, but she wasn’t in their room. He searched the common areas of the Inn and the stables before he began to look towards the lake. 

There she was, water past her ankles, her loose nightgown floating with the soft waves of the lake. 

Her hair was down, brushing around her shoulders and down her back, swaying with the cold breeze. She seemed more nymph than elf in that moment—a lovely creature of myths and legends. He had wondered what she had been thinking.

Gale often found himself wondering what she was thinking. 

There were times when Kore grew quiet, pensive, and her focus drifted away. 

Her past, or the lack of it, obviously weighed on her. Gale wished that he could do more to comfort her, though it seemed like that was a hole that could only be filled with her memories coming back. 

“Gale, I love you.” 

She loved him. 

Even with all his faults. Even with the orb in his chest. Even though she probably could have had anyone she wanted. Even with everything going on around them.

She loved him. 

And he loved her. He loved her so much that he was willing to do anything to get her a chance to restore herself. 

He loved her so much that he was willing to do anything for her. 

When he considered using the orb to defeat the Absolute, he didn’t think about doing it for Mystra; he thought about doing it so that Kore could have a real chance for a new life. 

It would be a life without him… he wished desperately it could be different—that things didn’t have to end this way. 

Kore looked away, her face getting redder, “You don’t have to say it back, I didn’t mean to put any pressure on-”

“I love you too,” Gale said as he reached out for her. 

Kore smiled, a brilliant thing to behold. Her smile put everything else he had ever seen to shame. What he would give for her to smile at him like that always. 

What he would give to live longer and see that smile every day until he breathed his last at a very old age. 

“Then promise me you will let us find another way,” she said as her grip on him became stronger, “Promise me.”

“Kore—”

“Just promise me you will consider another way,” she insisted again.

Gale felt himself relent to her plea a little. 

He doubted that there would be another way, but he would have to be an idiot to completely discount another path. Though it was perhaps a fantasy or a delusion, he would agree to Kore’s wishes. He would let himself hope for just a little that there might be another way. 

“Alright,” he replied quietly, and Kore gave him a smaller smile. 

“We will find another way.” 

Gale nodded before he pulled the beautiful elf back to him, pressing another hard kiss to her. 

She was still smiling when he looked back at her, but he could see the slight worry in her eyes. He hadn’t done a very good job of convincing her that he was considering another option. 

Gale looked away, noticing how the sleeve of her slightly too-big nightgown slipped from one of her shoulders, revealing smooth, freckled skin. He pressed his lips to her exposed shoulder before he brought up her sleeve. 

Kore looked at him through hooded eyes. 

He felt like there were still things left unsaid between them. Kore wanted to convince him that the orb was not an option at all, and Gale wanted her to understand that he would give up his life for hers without hesitation. 

But they were quiet as they turned back to Last Light Inn. 

Before they turned to go around the front, Kore looked up at him, her gaze hopeful, “Today’s a new day. A new day where our pasts do not need to define us.” 

Gale pulled her into another hug, resting his chin on the top of her head and hoping she wouldn’t see the doubt in his eyes. 

For her, he wanted to believe that there could be another way, but the more rational part of him knew that he was in his final days… and he would make sure that these final days counted for something.  

[remusmoonbaby]

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Songs That Remind me of Remus Lupin

🤎 here you will finds songs that remind me of Remus w/ the reason why I thought of these songs! Of course this is just how I see him, but feel free to comment some other songs that remind you of him!! I’d love to hear them :)) link to the Spotify playlist here!!

🤎 please do enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing it <3

divider credit @chaefilm 🤎

ೃ⁀➷ Home by Cavetown

honestly…this song reminds me of the way Remus struggled after James’ and Lily’s death, along with Sirius being sent to Azkaban. made me think of the way everything happened at once for him and just the spiraling feeling that was happening within him :/ ITS SO SAD !!! especially when you’re thinking of it of this way 💔

ೃ⁀➷ Water Fountain by Alec Benjamin

…if I’m honest I thought of Remus for this song in such an imaginative state here. I don’t know why I think that Remus did have some sort of a “first love” moment while he was in hogwarts but it just didn’t work out :( IM SO SAD LIKE WHY AM I DOING THIS— 💔 but of course he thinks back on it and he’s glad that it didn’t work because now he has his ONE AND ONLY TRUE MATE

ೃ⁀➷ Stressed Out by twenty one pilots

again, this reminds me of the time Remus was alone basically. he doesn't have his best friends being his rocks anymore...werewolf regulations are SO MUCH stricter when all of this is happening, that Remus just thinks about the times of when they were younger. it was so much easier then !!! he could act like a normal teenage wizard boy and not think of the consequences.

ೃ⁀➷ idfc by blackbear (but on the playlist the slowed down remix is made by DJ espinos)

Okay, just like water fountain, this also deals with the "first love"...i feel like Remus will try to make things work between him and the person even if it is lies but...he's so cold about it with them at the same time. he will literally act like he doesn't care about them but we all know he's hiding and holding back on them :/ our poor baby

ೃ⁀➷ Animals by Maroon 5

DO I GOTTA SAY MUCH HERE!? LIKE !!!!! LET'S NOT ACT DUMB HERE WE ALL KNOW THAT REMUS IS A FUCKING FREAAAAAAK IN THE SHEETS!!!! Like this man goes feral every time...don't get me wrong he definitely has a soft spot but one little unhinged moan from you...he snaps. instant switch! it's hot ;))

ೃ⁀➷ Do I Wanna Know? by Arctic Monkeys

guuuuuuuuuys i literally think of this the way Remus teases you. like this is his type of foreplay and does he get the fucking rise out of it when he sees you reacting the way he wants you to. omg this man is literally towering over you staring at you with a knowing look in his eyes and that fucking smirk he has when he's up to no good...oh my gods i'm on my knees for him

ೃ⁀➷ As the World Caves in by Matt Maltese

y'all....this song is literally my prime definition of Remus and Tonks. like, i'm so serious when i first heard this song they were the first thing to pop into my head. i'm so serious when i say that is literally their ride or die (CRYING HERE HOLD UP) song to me...like go and read the lyrics and you'll get what i mean 💔

ೃ⁀➷ Moonlight by Chase Atlantic

this song is literally how i think Remus will think of you when he's starting to actually notice you and become interested in everything about you. the song is literally giving "you make me so curious" vibes just LJHDFHEFKJENF:IHEF

ೃ⁀➷ PARANOID by Chase Atlantic

another song that reminds me of the hardship Remus went through when he was alone. i honestly believe that Remus HAD to have gone through some sort of hysteria that really, and i mean really, made him paranoid that he really couldn't function properly :(

ೃ⁀➷ Teacher's Pet by Melanie Martinez

this song is here for the sheer fact that we all met Remus as the DADA teacher and oh my gods was i living that teacher x student fantasy with him !!! YEAH IT"S BAD WHEN I THINK OF IT NOW but...it's just hot

ೃ⁀➷ Persephone by Tamino

tbh i first thought of this song and just thought this fits Remus' aesthetic...? though i know its pretty much agreed that this song deal with Hades and Persephone but i don't know why I always think that Remus' love is just like Hades love for Persephone...just something about it makes me so freaking warm and fluffy inside that i could just cry in joy honestly.

ೃ⁀➷ Apocalypse by Cigarettes After Sex

if Remus wrote you some sort of poem...this is the song. like, i feel like it fits the way he would want to describe his feelings for you through paper, because the poor man cannnoooot say it in your face

ೃ⁀➷ Fairytale by Alexander Rybak

this is solely here for the aesthetic vibes but also for that other imagine part i've always thought that fits Remus, where he was in love with in school but was scared to approach you in a romantic way, but years later he sees you again and it's like those feelings never went away. he felt like he was back at school just watching you from afar.

ೃ⁀➷ Sweater Weather by The Neighborhood

another Remus Lupin aesthetic song !! this song honestly fits him so much just for the overall vibe i get from him and everything :))

ೃ⁀➷ Marinero by Maluma

i had to sneak in a Spanish song here, especially this song!! for those that don't understand Spanish, there are English lyric translations on YouTube, trust me it won't disappoint you. I have this song here just because i feel like Remus will take advantage of the way you feel for him because he doesn't know how to handle it. Excuses I know, but it's the hard reality for him and you.

ೃ⁀➷ Nobody by Mitski

i feel like this song kind of describes Remus's desperate need to have some sort of connection with the outside world, but at the same time he's overthinking it due to the past experiences and he doesn't have his people to weigh him down in case of anything :/

ೃ⁀➷ Daddy Issues by The Neighborhood

...do i gotta say much. this man has daddy issues because of the way his father was with him. he's in that club with us, but also it also speaks of the way he is with relationships, especially sexual relationships to me.

ೃ⁀➷ Runaway by AURORA

this song is literally Remus reconnecting with life. He finally has Harry in his life, and he finally has Sirius back too. he feels complete but that nagging feeling in the back of his mind makes him want to run away from it cause he's finally back home.

⁀➷ Who (feat. BTS) by Lauv, BTS

i honestly have this song in the playlist just for the sheer fact that Remus WILL overthink your relationship just because his wolf hasn't claimed you as their mate, and it makes him absolutely anxious. because what if his true mate is out there and it isn't you in the end? what is he going to do?

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

may i request sve bachelors x a masc reader who is not human? idk like a dragon or some other magical being? just snippets of their chaotic lives together and the bachelors reactions to finding out what the farmer is? thanks!

Of course, dear anon! ☺️ Thanks for the ask! 🫰💕

_________________________________________

Magnus Rasmodius:

"Well... That explains a lot." Magnus was still in shock, because it wasn't every day that you saw your friend and apprentice turn into a dragon right in front of your own to knock out the Witch with a single spit of fire and make her fly away. The wizard was so struck by this fact of seeing a mythical creature that he forgot about his ex-wife and her intentions to once again try to ruin his garden.

"And what exactly is that?" Their voice hasn't changed in any way, it's still the same Farmer. The huge reptile didn't seem to be worried about hiding at all anymore.

"Such a powerful flow of magic within you that I felt when we first met."

Magnus stepped a little closer, never stopping to gaze into the ruby-red scales that glistened under the moonlight.

"I’m just wondering: why didn’t you introduce yourself from the very beginning that you are not entirely human?"

"Well, how did you imagine that? 'Hello Mr. Wizard, I am a dragon. Nice to meet ya', or something like that?" In a second, Farmer turned back into his human form, and for some reason he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"You're not going to turn me in to the Ministry, are you?"

"If you promise not to scorch my tower and whole Pelican Town all over. And no flying with Morgan," like a child, Magnus threatened the Farmer with a finger, to which the 'not quite human' snorted a little defiantly, but after a moment nodded to the wizard in agreement.

Lance:

Lance had seen many wonders in his adventurous life, but climbing on the dragon's back while waiting to fly was an indescribable sensation. To be honest, the pink-haired man never realised how he had immediately agreed to Farmer's invitation to fly in the Highlands.

*Chuckle* Yesterday, his spouse announces that he is a dragon, and today they already offered to fly together.

Spreading his mighty wings, the Farmer spread out and soared into the sky, cutting through the wind and laughing loudly.

"Hold on tight, Lance."

And he did - wrapped his arms around the dragon's massive neck and held on as tightly as he could, preparing to fly.

"One flight and you'll be forever the envy of everyone who can soar in the sky!" Rejoicing and flapping hid wings louder, Farmer flew higher and higher as Lance looked at the clouds up close and marvelled at how quickly they had gotten off the ground.

It was definitely a day he would never forget.

Victor:

"Dear, c'mon, this is ridiculous! You took the news quite ok, so what makes you think your mom would react any differently?" Farmer would never have thought that his lover would push them through the window of his house like that. As if they were both some teenagers!

"Because - ugh, you're heavy! - Because my mother and I are different people! I want to bring her to the truth that you're not human step by step. So you need to fly away before she sees you."

"Hey, what do you mean, heavy? You hurt my feelings! Besides, Olivia's gonna be fine with it. It's not like I'm a thief or a murderer or... anything bad."

Victor exhaled tiredly and and gave up on trying to push the Farmer further into the window, as Farmer's scaly wings were just getting in the way.

"Let's take it slow. Please, love..." Here we go, Victor's puppy dog eyes again, Farmer thought. After all, this spaghetti lover knows perfectly well that this is Farmer's weakness.

"All right, have it your way, but I can just transfo..." Before Farmer could finish speaking, there was a knock at the door of the room.

"Victor! I heard some noise. What happened there?"

"Oh, Mother is here! Quick, you need to leave-" in a flash the Farmer took on human form again, just as Olivia came in.

"Victor Jenkins! Why is your room such a mess- Oh, Farmer! I didn't realise you had stopped by for a visit! Come on downstairs, I'll make jasmine tea for everyone."

Victor's heart was pounding frantically. His mother would have had to take a sedative instead of tea if she had seen Farmer in his dragon form. At least Farmer had listened to him in time, phew.

[wasteful-sam]

Worthy [Part 2, Chapter 7]

Tags:

Slow burn, romantic, ongoing, F/M, Rolan/female drow.

Notes:

Things are warming up :)

[Part 1, completed]

[Part 2, Chapter 5]

[Part 2, Chapter 6]

[AO3 Link]

+++

Worthy

Part 2 | Chapter 7

Alone together

Luck was finally on their side. As planned, they teleported to the other shore unnoticed and carefully followed the trailway to the inn.

The light of the moon lantern was unsteady, complementing Nimriel's trembling. Rolan noticed it, too. Halfway to the Last Light, he stopped and looked at her face. The drow was paler than usual, and her bloodied head seemingly couldn't hold still, making small, uncoordinated moves to the sides.

"What?" her voice sounded whizzy and faint.

"You don't look good," the tiefling replied, placing his wrist on her forehead.

"Exactly what any woman wants to hear," Nim joked, trying to sound lively. It didn't really work.

"You have a fever," Rolan said, looking around, noticing a half-ruined shed nearby, parts of which still had roofing. Let's go there. It seems decent enough. You can rest a little."

"Nah, it's fine, just a cold. I can manage," the drow mumbled, moving forward.

The wizard stopped her, "Nimriel, you are shaking, burning up, and your eyes," Rolan crossed his index fingers, pointing in different directions, "are trying to escape your skull."

"How lucky that I still have a perfectly good pair of legs. Let's go already," Nim was getting annoyed.

"Alright, here's what will happen: we go on, you pass out, and I now have to carry you and the lantern in my barely working hands. We then get attacked by some shadow monstrosities, I am unable to finish them off alone, and we both die like absolute idiots."

Nimriel sighed, thinking, "Fine, let's rest, but just a little," she rolled her eyes.

"That's better," the tiefling replied, hooking his arm through hers, "Why make such a fuss about it?"

"Why do you think?" Nim sounded defeated. "It's embarrassing to be seen like this."

"Hm. Winning in a battle against a greater number of opponents. Embarrassing indeed."

Once they entered the shed, the tiefling looked Nimriel up and down: dazed and disoriented, so far from a smiling, energetic woman he used to see in the grove. How many battles like this has she had to endure since then? Hells, how many happened today before they went to Moonrise Towers?

"Do you happen to have anything that can help? Potions, remedies?" Rolan pointed at the backpack.

Nimriel shook her head, "Maybe gobbling one more potion of healing would help."

She removed the upper part of her armor, leaving her with a thin, dark undershirt. Cold or not, she was too tired of wearing the armor all day long, "Didn't expect to be downed by a cold."

The wizard straightened out his bandaged palm, ready to cast a spell, but cursed instead, grabbing his right palm.

"Lighting a fire wouldn't be such a good idea here anyway," the drow remarked, downing a potion. She took his hand into hers, checking if the bandages were still intact, "We don't want any unwarranted attention."

She looked at Rolan intently, thinking. He returned her glance, brow raised in question. "What is it?"

"Well...," Nim looked down, a barely visible, cheeky smile appearing in the corners of her mouth, "You are warm."

Rolan conjured all his strength not to give away how her expression and words made him feel. The tiefling had no doubt that his body temperature had gone up several degrees. He sat down on the floor, "Lean on me."

Nim was pleasantly surprised that he went along with it without a fuss. Being as delicate as possible, the drow sat and leaned her back against his chest, her crown just a few centimeters short of touching his chin.

Rolan could finally sense how strongly she was trembling. Giving into his instincts, the wizard wrapped his hands around hers. Nimriel didn't protest. A pleasant, tickling feeling washed over her.

The two remained silent, taking in the moment. Being so close to each other didn't feel wrong or strange. It seemed they reached an unspoken agreement — to pretend their moves and actions carried no hidden intent. After all, no one gets hurt when you feign ignorance over things you both enjoy.

"Better?" He asked quietly, lowering his head closer to her ear.

"For sure," Nim mumbled as tinging intensified, "Can we lay down… On your side, please?"

"When you ask so nicely, I simply cannot deny you." He tightened his grasp around the drow, slowly lowering them to the ground.

Nimriel curled up closer to him — so close that she could feel the tiefling's rib and chest ridges. His whole body tightened as her back incurvated against his torso.

After all the blood spilled, the fright, and the uncertainty, they could finally find a moment of peace in each other's arms. Laying on the dirty floor in the middle of nowhere brought a sense of immaculate tranquility. They were alive, and right now, life felt beautifully simple.

"It is always the quietest when we are alone together," Rolan thought, not realizing he said it out loud.

"Huh?"

The tiefling panicked a little, trying to come up with a plausible lie, "I'm talking about your strange habit of falling asleep when we talk. This is the second time already."

"I'm just resting my eyes. We don't have hours to spare here," Nim yawned unceremoniously, "Besides, when you don't yell and argue, your voice sounds surprisingly calming."

He inhaled deeply, letting his guard down, "No surprises here, I'm a man of many talents."

After minutes of silence, Nimriel asked, "You alright?"

Rolan kept to himself for a moment, thinking, "I don't know. It is as if we left the inn days ago. I…feel lost somehow."

"Too much for one day, yeah?" Nim replied leerily.

"Maybe... It doesn't matter now, anyway," the tiefling muttered.

"Don't think about what happened there," she said reassuringly. You did well today. I just want you to know that. And thank you for shielding me. I'll ask Shadowheart to heal your cuts. Your hands will be as good as new, promise."

Nim's earnestness and kindness made Rolan melt every single time. He prayed to all the gods that she couldn't hear how fast and loud his heart was beating.

"I should be thanking you, and it is embarrassing I haven't done so already. I am grateful, truly," was all that tiefling could master.

Nimriel smirked warmly, "Told you, I'd go there anyway — the story with us rescuing those gnomes goes back to Underdark. Today's rushed journey was just a slight change of plans," the drow glanced down, her gaze lingering on his hands as they rested warmly on her shoulders and arms. "I still can't believe you're being so pleasant about this."

"That sounds pretty rude," Rolan replied absentmindedly. "I am a very pleasant person once you get to know me better."

Nim couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I'll let it slide, considering you have a head trauma."

"I'm sorry, you just crack me up," she paused, "But about getting to know you, I actually wanted to ask something."

"Go on."

"You seem to know much about magic and fight decently, too. So why do you want to become an apprentice? Can't you just learn all this stuff by yourself?"

"Nimriel, you know how to chop wood, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, would you prefer breaking brunches with your hands for days or take an axe and be done in an hour? With someone like Lorroakan teaching me, I could become a Master in a year or two," the tiefling smiled, thinking about it.

"That's a big deal, judging by your tone," Nim noted, "And what will you do?"

Rolan shrugged as if the answer was obvious, "Live the way I always wanted to. I will finally fully dedicate myself to something I love. People won't be asking who I am and why I'm not rotting in Elturel because they will know my name. I will earn it."

Listening to him, Nimriel thought to herself, what a wonderful dream the tiefling had. And he wasn't the only one. All around her, people were full of hopes and expectations. And now, the Illithid threat put their lives on hold. How many more would die before they see their dreams through.

Nim was ironically lucky - three years ago, the circumstances cut her dreams altogether. For a time, she had no care for life or death. However, the times were changing.

"Why Baldur's Gate specifically?"

Rolan didn't know what to tell her. He wouldn't admit how many letters he had been sending for years until Lorroakan, of all others, finally responded. Still, it meant a lot to him. The Master of Ramazith's Tower was seemingly ready to train him, knowing he was a tiefling. To live like a normal person for once, having a home for his family and the knowledge he so desperately wanted, was everything he hoped for. "I simply chose the best option," he finally replied.

She slowly shifted to her right side, Rolan's hands still around hers. Feeling anxious about being face-to-face with Nimriel, he stretched out his arms and backed away a little, making a thin rift between their bodies. His tiefling nature aggressively protested against it, but making Nim uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Sorry," the drow also caught on the position they were in. "I can move back if you mind."

Rolan chose to ignore the subtle notes of teasing in her voice and just shook his head no. The loaning tension between the two grew by the minute. Nimriel looked at the tiefling's face, thinking how cute he was right now, playing up his serious demeanor.

"Do I look better? I no longer feel dizzy."

"For one, you can look straight at me again," he replied, taking in her every feature. Inevitably, the wizard gazed at her lips. Oh, how he wanted to taste them right now, to whisper gently of how he adored her, trace her elegant neck with slow, warm kisses. "Calm down," his inner voice violently interrupted his fantasies, "Do you really want to ruin it all with such crude actions? You don't stand a chance."

"Well, I think we can go then. I don't want to delay your reunion with Cal and Lia. They must be worried," Nimriel finally said. However, her body didn't want to move away from the tiefling.

"True," the wizard took one last look at her face and averted his gaze, "Hold onto me."

As Nim obliged, Rolan slowly set them up on their feet. The duo's small moment of peace was over, but not be forgotten by both.

"I'll take it," the wizard said, stopping Nimriel from picking up her backpack. "You hold the lantern."

"My, this little adventure gets better and better," the drow stretched, "While I'm feeling lucky, would you like to carry me as well?" she added jokingly.

"You will have to wait with that until next time," Rolan waved his bandaged hand, "Not everything at once, don't be greedy."

"Next time? When's that?" Nim asked, walking out of the shed.

"Preferably when we don't have to fight to the death."

+++

As they carefully followed the path to the inn, Rolan broke the silence, "I was wondering for a while now: who were you before the illithids' kidnapping?"

Nimriel smirked uncomfortably, "Who do you think?"

The tiefling stumbled, "Well, based on your fighting skills and knowledge of traps, I'd have to guess… a hunter?"

"Close," the drow cringed a little, lowering her voice, "Add "bounty" to it."

Rolan couldn't help but cackle, "Sorry. It is not against you. Just ironic. The bounty hunters I heard of are usually no better than criminals they hunt."

"They are," Nimriel replied without hesitation, "Seishir used to say, "Better one scum rids of the other, then the latter rids of innocent."

"Convenient," the tiefling spoke before thinking. In truth, he didn't trust people whose convictions and judgment could be easily clouded by gold. Rolan eased the tone, "So, this Seishir, he taught you to...hunt?"

Nim nodded, "When I was around 5, he asked the village headman to adopt me," Nim rolled her eyes, "And the villagers were happy that he took me off their hands."

The notion of humans being uncomfortable and scared around drow didn't surprise the tiefling.

"To be fair," Nim continued, "They were also happy keeping him away from the village. His house was on the outskirts, closer to the forest."

"Why?"

Nimriel shrugged, "If I go by his drunken rumblings, Seishir was a decorated guard in Darromar, but it all went to shit. Turned out that he had been stealing gold and armor from fellow guardsmen for years. So they stripped him of all the titles and sent him back home."

Rolan sighed, "I take it his reasoning to adopt you were less than honorable?"

"After the old fool's failure, his wife took off with the kids. He was lonely, with no one but me to channel his frustrations onto. Seishir knew I wouldn't talk back or run away. So he shaped me to serve his every need: cooking, cleaning, gardening, tending to him, even skinning the animals. When he went hunting, he'd lock me in a cabin for weeks."

"Disgusting behavior toward a child," Rolan shook his head, thinking this was probably the real reason the bastard's family left, "I'm sorry you had to go through this."

Nimriel lowered her gaze, her voice softer. "I was terrified he'd never come back one day. So I begged Seishir to take me hunting with him. That's when I learned the truth. I even helped set the traps. We got rid of the guy, and for the first time, Seishir smiled at me... told me I had potential. After that, he taught me to fight, and I joined him on every hunt. When I came of age, I hunted alone. Seishir's health was failing, and he died three years later. I carried on his 'legacy' until the mind flayers appeared." Nimriel shuddered at the memory. "That was... a lot."

"Yes, but I don't mind," Rolan replied, "It doesn't change how I see you, and I now know you a little better."

Their eyes met, and Nimriel grinned shyly, "You don't have to sugarcoat it just because I'm helping you out."

The tiefling snerked, "I'm the last person you should suspect of sugarcoating. But I do understand. You have to do a lot of unpleasant things to survive. Bounty hunting is not the worst one."

"So, what was the worst one for you?"

As Last Light Inn was already glowing in the distance, Rolan thought about dozens of odd jobs he had to endure through the years. He sighed, "Plowing a field instead of a horse."

"That's rough," Nimriel sounded genuinely.

"It is more so humiliating," the tiefling grunted, "Alas, my magic skills weren't as good as they are now. Even if they were - no one would pay you for fancy tricks when their stomachs are as empty as the ogre's skull. Making potions was a rare delight, but even then, the ingredients were sparse."

"Well, it's all about to change, isn't it," Nimriel tried cheering him up.

"You have no idea," Rolan replied, as two curious eyes watched the duo from a nearby treetop.

[pretty-restless-insomniac]

"You Made Me This"

WORD COUNT: 1554

FANDOM: Harry Potter

Mattheo Riddle x reader

SYNOPSIS: You just hope you'll hurt less once you say what you wish.

WARNINGS: explicit language, mention of infidelity, mention of sex, angst, no happy ending

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"Oh shit. OH SHIT how are we going to get out of here?"

"Calm down, you screaming like a fucking banshee isn't going to help."

"oh that's fresh coming from you Riddle," you whirl around with an accusing finger.

"You probably planned this, you wretched gargoyle, damn it. Help please somebody! The door is locked!"

Slow irritating clapping came from behind you, "Wow y/n you're a fucking genius. The door IS locked, it's fucking night time! We're in a prohibited area. All the professors are patrolling the lower corridors."

You just glare at him and gesture for him to fuck off. You sigh and lean against the wall to assess your situation. One, you just wanted a pretty isolated place to listen to your music and cry a little. Two, you did not expect to see Mattheo Riddle in your place in the bell tower, clearly smoking whatever he pleases. Stunned you didn't get to wedge a book into the door so it wouldn't lock. That's how you find yourself at number three. You're trapped in the bell tower, after curfew, now very obviously smelling like pot and yay who's your partner in solitude?

Mattheo Fucking Riddle.

He seemed surprised to see you as well but why should he be? You were the one to show him this place, somewhere you two could just exist in each other's company. A place where not even war could bother you both. Before he fucked up of course.

All in good time.

"Maybe instead of being a nuisance you could instead find us a way out then, Riddle."

He drops from the beam he was smoking on and slowly corners you, looking almost confused.

"That's not my name princess," he leans in to grab your hand but you just shake him off. How fucking DARE he. He has to be the most ignorant wizard in the world.

"I am Not your princess, Riddle."

He just stands across from you, folded arms mirroring yours . That stupid smirk back in its place .

"Now when did we decide that? Last time I checked, whose name did you scream last time I had you. Who made you cum till you shook, and gladly licked it clean."

You just stare back humorless, trying to keep your composure.

"You decided that Riddle, you know, the night where you fucked that Gryffindor girl."

He just throws his head back and groans. Your throat starts to feel choked up, holding back the cries you'd pray he'd never see. But now he's getting a glimpse of it

"Princess- y/n I swear to Salazar Slytherin that I did not fuck her. We kissed yes, touched a little but then nothing more I swear."

"Oh thank you Mattheo," you exclaim sarcastically, " that just makes me feel so much better. Please tell me that I did not walk in on you grinding into her when she was naked. Explain to me how the fuck that is loyal in any way!"

You jump up and pace a little anxiously, knowing that this night will be filled with cold hard truths. You just hope you'll hurt less once you say what you wish. Mattheo reached out to you again but you just brushed out of his way and sat on the winding staircase.

"And the worst part is," you take a deep breath praying your voice stays stable ," that was OUR bed. It was where we studied and had movie nights as friends. The bed you asked me out on, and later took my first kiss on. It was," you breathe shakily and are blind by the tears filling your eyes, "it was where you made love to me, for the first and many times after that. It was beautiful."

You're glad you can't see the reaction Mattheo has from your words but he soon knelt down in front of you cautiously.

"it was so beautiful- you are so beautiful my love. You have my heart and I will never again want for someone else. You're my everything. That was my first time making love as well, because I'm so fucking crazy for you."

You can help but laugh with tears in your eyes, "yeah right Mattheo. Riddles don't make love, you fuck anyone you want and toss them aside when you're done with them. That's what our relationship came down to, right? Getting your prick wet."

He chuckles slyly.

"That sex was pretty good- don't look at me like that! Fuck I'm sorry I was joking. Of course it wasn't just about that. I just keep fucking up, I can own up to that. I'm trying to be better, I want to be better. Only for you, y/n. Please for fucks sake, look at me baby."

So you do. And he nearly trips as the storm clouds ravage across your eyes. You stand and push him against the door, somewhat pleased to hear a nervous gulp.

"What's the matter Matty? Don't you want to know why you keep fucking up?"

You take a deep breath before sticking your finger to his chest.

" It's because you NEVER own up to the shit you do. You never fucking learn because you act like you don't know what you've done!"

You're screaming by the end of it, but his dark eyes now match yours. Must've hit a nerve.

"Oh yeah cause it's ALWAYS me? YOU left me! You promised and you lied. YOU promised. Don't put all the fucking blame on me princess. This isn't about some random bed warmer. I did nothing but devote myself to you, so what did I do that's so fucking horrendous!?"

You throw your arms up in exasperation, God damn, he's fucking cruel. You can't hold back the dam anymore, deciding to let all the poisonous shit that's been building up in you these past months out.

"You BROKE me," you shriek as sobs begin to pour out endlessly. You fall to your knees and look up to meet Mattheo's horrified face. You shake harder and try to take some deep breaths.

"Why did you do this to me? To us. Everything was great, I adored you, how was that not enough. Why did you let me find you with her that night? I-" you hold back a gag as you relive the worst night of your life. The boxers you bought him on his hips, hickeys down his neck. His matching promise ring is discarded. And worst, the smiling girl waving at you stark naked from her position on the bed.

Why? Fuck. Why, why.

"When I was with you, you made my life brighter. You were my sun and I held you close to me every night, remember? After every meeting with your father, when he forced the dark mark on you and you came to ME crying. ME. I was good enough then, but not worth it in the end."

He tries to interrupt but you just keep barreling through.

"I couldn't even face you after that. Call me a coward but every time I look at you, I feel sick. You touched her the way you touched me. Your lips fit on hers as they did mine, fuck Mattheo you were even holding her hand."

You start tugging on your hair, probably painting the picture of a psychotic breakdown. That's what made you hate him even more though, the shame.

"I can't believe I let you make me so weak, so willing for you. I fucking adored you, and you HUMILIATED me. You broke my smile. My spirit, my heart. And I will NEVER be the girl I was before I caught you that night. I can't even imagine trying to put myself back together. You killed the me you were once in love with. That is why you're Riddle to me. Riddles destroy."

You bend and put your hands on your knees trying to slow your heart rate. Mattheo just sits across from you with his head in his hands. He doesn't know how to react, what to say, what to do except to grab the key from his pocket and hand it to you, climbing back to his beam.

"You're right. You always are. It was a beautiful thing and I had to have it, even though I knew I would break you. You're just all I ever wanted. But I am only a monster to you, use that key. I got the conversation I wanted. The princess escapes the monster, right?"

He chuckled sadly, not even looking at you as you rushed to open the door. Thank fuck. Before you step fully out, you pause. You turn to look at the boy you would've done anything for, the boy you were so sure would treat you the same.

"I never wanted to be the Princess in your fairytale. I'm not perfect. But I know my fucking worth," you throw the key at him before grabbing the door on your way out. As you lean in to close the door fully, you catch a last glimpse of his eyes.

"You were right about the monster part. It's just a shame you've made me one too."

The door clicks shut, and you don't feel anything walking away. Numb, even to the cries of your name echoing back to you.