#anti mizora

[foxgl-ove]

love wyll, want good things for wyll, want to kiss wyll on the mouth and dance with him at our wedding

will be promptly kicking mizora’s ass (full stop) for making this man prioritize his Soul over looking for a cure to ceremorphosis though

[kittyseesall]

Honestly, I will never understand the people who like Mizora as a character. Or think she is hot, lol. I always turn her to stone when joining my camp (by force, btw, you don't get much of a choice on her joining you or not). Like in my house, we hate Mizora. Especially what she does to Wyll. It's giving the same vibe of liking Gortash, like why would you, especially for what he did to Karlach.

[waterdeepthroat]

I am actually having so many thoughts about bg3 characters when it comes to body image bc themes of bodily autonomy are just so present in this game

[wylls-wife]

There’s no way the Tav doesn’t look directly at Wyll’s sending stone and call Mizora a little b*tch.

[harpershigh-arch]

Mizora placed her hands on Jaheira's shoulders, opening her wings wide so the harper almost seemed to have sprouted them herself. Her voice was cold like ice and the air was full of growls and snarls as she said: "The next person who bites Jaheira gets bitten by me. And believe me, that bite ends badly."

Jaheira felt a sudden weight on her shoulders, and before she could react, she was enveloped in shadow — the leathery expanse of wings unfurling behind her. She blinked, frozen in place, her eyes slowly lifting to look back and up at the fiend looming over her. She opened her mouth, but no words came out just yet — just pure, wide-eyed disbelief.

Hells... even a cambion stepped up against the would-be nibblers. My situation must be dire...

She laughs, but it was more of a tired sound than anything else. Rubbing her eyes, she sighed deeply. "I must really look like a snack if even she feels the need to defend me!"

[inkyquince]

Okay so maybe in just brain rotted... And I am BUT.

Love interests fucking GRABBING the dark urge for a kissy after the meeting with gortash. Man's turning up the rizz and flexing his stubble and eye bags and his anti-anxiety robe and his voice is low and seductive as he calls the durge an old *friend*.

Like, Karlach wouldn't even wait to be out of the room. Not even take a few steps away. Fully turn to you, grab you by the shoulders and fucking LIFT you up to plant a big smooch on you. Much to Gortash's bemusement and horror tbf. And the rest of the court's.

Gale would be more subtle, stepping close as you head towards the stairs and quickly press a kiss to your cheek with a soft smile. No way anyone would think it's a platonic look of adoration, even if his stomach is still twisting with the revelation that it was YOUR actions that led to this.

Astarion? Yeah, your conversation wouldn't have even ended before he's doing his slutty lil lean against you, resting his chin on your shoulder, still seemingly fully absorbed into the conversation. After it ends, he presses a kiss to your neck and idly follows after you, bemused by his own spark of annoyance at Gortash and his reaction to it. Mostly just exasperated by it though.

Wyll is filled with outrage for his father, for karlach and now for you. The implications seeped in Gortash's words and yet when you had joined up with the group, you had been left in the trash heaped, bloodied and stricken with amnesia. He's disgusted. So on the way out, he takes another look at his father and then slips his hands into yours. Raises it and gently kisses your knuckles on the way out. Even some of the court coo at the cute, gentlemanly gesture. Gortash looks mildly grossed out and Wyll takes that win, even with the prospect of meeting back up with Mizora in a few seconds.

Lae'zel would bare her teeth at him, smack his down and break his face in, if.... Well, if everything else wasn't going on right now, and it would upset the tin soldiers. So she settles for the next best thing, as resentment and possessiveness curl her tongue. Just gripping your waist and pulling you closer should do it. But she must add in a quick, harsh bite to your lower lip. Yknow, just in case.

Shadowheart? Gods, to make it clear, she's dying to press you against the wall and slide a thigh against your crotch, but yknow. Polite company. So instead she just slips her arm around yours, pulls you closer and whisper into your ear. Looks more salacious than it is, as she whispers that your past isn't who you are now and then drops a kiss to your earlobe. But it should to the trick.

Halsin isn't an envious creature. He really isn't. This man wouldn't care about your current other partners, so why should he care about past ones? Potential past parents, nonetheless. But, he'd never turn down the chance to pull his love close, especially in front of the man that caused all this trouble to begin with. Pull you close and tuck you into his side, maybe even kiss your temple.

Gortash? Gortash has missed his favourite assassin. He's waited for you, even with Orin hissing about your demise, and he never truly believed that such a piece of subpar, inbred Bhaalspawn could compare to you. The one who stole the Crown, the one who helped mastermind, the one who your father had chosen first. So what in the world was your little fan thinking? After a sweet, pleasant conversation, to start to paw at you? A fool no doubt. They might have gotten a few lovely weeks with you, but he had been with you for far longer, and he was finished waiting. No, he didn't see them being a problem.

[mactiir]

ranking baldur's gate characters by how i think they smell

#9) Minthara. Because she’s a corpse, next question.

#8) Lae'zel. You know this woman has never bathed. Washing is for the weak, is'tik. She says this is because needs her musk to attract mates but mostly it's cuz Gith education doesn't exactly make time for personal hygiene. Once it got so bad that Tav dragged the whole party through a chest-deep stream and stood there for 20 minutes to take a "breather" while Laezel stared daggers at them the whole time.

#7) Karlach. I want Karlach to smell nice so badly, and Karlach probably wants Karlach to smell nice too, but you know this woman smells like brimstone and engine exhaust and sweat. On good days she smells like the fine char you get on burgers on a summer day. On bad days she smells like a truck stop at peak hours, and the truck stop is also on fire. She's not happy about this either.

#6) Gale. Gale tries to keep himself groomed, he really does. But he looks like he is perpetually just a tiny bit smelly. Like he hyperfocused on a book slightly too hard for slightly too long and as a result he forgot to shower for a week. He acts like he bedded Mystra because of his towering intellect but really it's cuz gods don't have human senses of smell. His nightshirt looks velvet, too, and you KNOW it can't be easy to get smells out of that shit without a washer. He is one of those poor guys who is cursed to always stink a little bit no matter how much he showers. When Tav confronts him about this he decides, on the spot, that deodorant is for anti-intellectuals, actually, which he wouldn't have expected Tav to know but it's okay, we can't all be enlightened.

#5) Minsc. He doesn't reek exactly, but you know he's 100% man musk, hamster bedding, and butt-kicking

Tied for #5) Jaheira. You know 100 years of living in forests and adventuring with Minsc has endowed her with exactly the same level of manly perfume as Minsc (except with notes of cedarwood).

#4) Wyll. He used to be the best-smelling until Mizora pulled him through every level of hell in rapid succession, and now he smells a little bit like brimstone all the time. He sometimes rubs fragrant herbs on his horns to counteract it, which doesn't get rid of the smell, really, but it gives his smell an interesting dimension. Otherwise, he has enough experience with adventuring, and is well-bred enough, that him and his things are usually well-groomed (and also because his dad was a freak about it).

#3) Shadowheart. This woman puts on tragic makeup every morning and changes her hair to reflect her religion. Appearances are EVERYTHING (especially when it comes to keeping secrets). Shadowheart smells exactly like she thinks she needs to smell to be religiously pleasing to her goddess and/or coMplEtE thE mIsSioN. She does get anxious sweats though, which are very distinctive if it's been a long day of adventuring. She never admits this, though. Ever.

#2) Astarion. Okay, so, sometimes, he smells just the teensiest, tiniest bit like dried blood. But mostly, he smells like baby powder and potpourri. It is a waste of good fashion sense and his pretty face to go about stinking like a beggar. (He does go through a brief 'Cazador can't tell ME what to do' phase where he stops bathing for a day, but he grosses himself out so much that he resumes his normal routime before anyone notices.)

#1) Halsin. You'd expect him to stink, with his whole smelly-hippy free-love vibe, but nah. The man smells heavenly. He spends all his time frolicking through fragrant herbs and lounging in scented hot springs with whomever strikes his fancy. He probably has a whole ass medicine cabinet full of stuff he uses to freshen up. His breath probably smells like mint and his hair like cedar. He probably puts coconut oil or smth in his hair. He knows how to smell good as literally any animal in the realms. Wanna know why? Dogs have a sense of smell several thousand times better than people. I bet bears do, too. You do Not Fuck As A Bear without understanding not only how to WASH your ass, but also perfume it. Halsin also knows: thou shalt not give yeast infections. And if you got bear dick, that means HYGIENE. It's a point of pride for him, actually.

BONUS: WITHERS. Withers smells like nothing. Like, freakishly, unsettlingly like nothing. Like, you expect him to smell like dust or pitch or smth. Nope. He's a black hole of smell. You come near him and if you ask, he resets your entire hygiene routine for 100 gold and leaves you smelling like roses.

[tlonista]

I love Wyllstarion but I feel like we could use more fic about why Wyll falls for Astarion alongside Wyll being Astarion's fairy-tale prince. Because look, Astarion is obviously gorgeous, and Wyll drops comments suggesting he finds him attractive, but early-game Astarion is also casually cruel and kinda goddamn irritating if you're a good-aligned character. There's a lot of free real estate around exploring what an idealistic romantic like Wyll gets from a relationship where yes, the vampire is hot and suave and funny, but he's also constantly mocking everything the Blade of Frontiers stands for, including specifically everything he thinks about sex and relationships. Contrary to romcom logic this would in fact put a lot of people off!

The most obvious dynamic for me is probably that Wyll would be fascinated by Astarion, both from the perspective of a professional monster hunter traveling with a monster (which adds its own taboo charge to everything) and a young Baldurian exile traveling with an older lifelong city-dweller. Astarion knows all the bars Wyll barely got a chance to visit before getting exiled! He remembers all the balls and festivals Wyll grew up with, even if he's a little vague about what he was doing there! Sure he can be callous and mean, but it's outweighed by him being a genuinely interesting travel companion.

And in general the game could've done more with the fact that Wyll's whole life is spent trying to be a folk hero with a literal devil at his shoulder trying to pervert his good intentions. It feels like he should be a little more shaken up about the Karlach thing - he almost killed a desperate woman by Just Following Orders! And most companions have some level of "forced to be evil to survive" going on, but especially in Act 1, Astarion is the most up-front about it. He's a natural choice for Wyll to commiserate with about Mizora, and if anything the fact that Astarion is vocally anti-heroics means Wyll's less worried about him being judgmental.

I mean look I'm very into Astarion hurt/comfort and whump and to some extent that means I'm just going to gravitate to more Astarion-focused stuff, but I read a fair amount of Wyllstarion and it seems like there's room for relationships that build out their foil-ness a bit more, from either character's POV.

[sweetmage]

The recent announcements regarding Larian no longer doing big updates and passing the rights to the characters back to WotC has basically all but killed my already waning interest in BG3 atm. I don't care about DLC or anything like that, I care that they did not fix their one and only black companion. I care that their past two games prior to this have had NO black companions and that the one that does have one he gets changed due to them taking feedback from racists then gets sidelined and abandoned. I care that I and many others have endured constant racism and anti-blackness in this fandom for month which was validated and emboldened by Larian's silence on the matter, mockery/sexualization of Wyll's story with Mizora (his white woman slaver and abuser), and their refusal to address or even acknowledge the very large and vocal feedback they've gotten. Sure, they could drop a huge patch unexpectedly despite everything they have recently said to the contrary (no more character stuff, no more story content, etc.) and I am more than willing to delete this post and eat my hat if so, but that is absolutely not the way it sounds at all in the recent statements. They have yet to even be bothered to address it, which would at least be something even if they don't fix it. I get wanting to move on, but the fact that after 6+ patches and 20+ hotfixes they never made time or effort for their one black companion before throwing in the towel is frankly disgusting. Time and time again, media creators show that black people and characters are not worth the same time and effort as other characters/fans and that hurts. This game, its characters, and the friends I made in this fandom are all very important and special to me and it's likely that after some time to process recover I will feel up to engaging with it again. Absolutely no shame and judgement to anyone still playing it, I genuinely hope you are having fun! I hope to again one day as well. I just personally have no desire to interact with it right now because, as a black person so used harsh fandom treatment and media that doesn't care about us, I let myself believe this time would be different and I was burned in the end like usual but even worse because they were taking active feedback and piling more new content on to their white characters.

It's been really hard for me to put this into words and I am very sad about it so this is probably the only thing I will say on the matter. Do not bother sending further feedback to Larian as it is useless now. But DO continue to make fan content to fill the gaps and continue to address anti-blackness in your fandom communities. Peace and love ✌🏾💖

[vole-mon-amour]

and they shouldn't have 😠.

I never hoped for this. this is a mess.

x

if you recruit both, give me back the datamined dialogue of Halsin asking the player to choose between him and Minthara. the way she kidnaps and tortures him in every timeline, and the way she kills him in one of the outcomes. is he supposed to just forgive her that? she slaughters his Grove and he's supposed to just forgive that?

man, I wish Larian would have stayed true to what they originally planned. again, it's great that they support the game, lots of things were improved (that should've been done in the first place before the release but alas), but we're getting an entirely new game from what it's been when 'fully' released. at least stay true to your ideas, since it directly affects the plot and its conflict.

give me the ability to play as Halsin before the ship crashes, then. make him the original companion and let me be captured as him and tortured before our party arrives and saves Halsin (us) (or, you know, betrays us). let people learn about his very similar to Astarion trauma that is being treated like a joke and hidden behind a very optional dialogue that is very easy to miss, even if you try hard to see as much of the game as possible on your first run.

we know Minthara is in a cult and is being manipulated (which is its own topic because of the damage that she still does) and she verbalizes it. we learn about it from her and it's not a joke. we know about everyone else's trauma. why the hell is Halsin's being portrayed like this?

(and yes, I know that his comments about his slavery and abuse are victim blaming and that's he's repressing those memories, trying to convince himself it was all fun and mutual. but it wasn't!

Astarion went through a similar experience, but he knows it wasn't his fault. he knows the horrible things that he's done and that he was (still is sometimes) an asshole, but he's done those things to survive.

Karlach went through slavery, but she knows it wasn't her fault.

Wyll became a demon due to Mizora's trickery, yet it is very clearly treated like it's not Wyll's fault, it's Mizora's, his abuser.

Gale is not 100% innocent, but Mystra is clearly his abuser, too, due to the chronic pain that the orb is causing him and how it's a danger to him and everyone around him. Mystra tells him to blow himself up and treats him like he's her puppet. live or die, he's nothing to her.

like, what! the! hell! why is Halsin the only one who gets this kind of treatment of his trauma? why doesn't he get a chance to heal, the same way Astarion does? where did all the plot for Halsin's arc go, too?

Halsin deserves fucking better.)

upd: thought I made myself clear, but apparently not: this post is about Halsin. his personality, and trauma, and how they are portrayed compared to other characters. if you want to talk about Minthara, make your own post. also might block me/the anti tag while you're at it.

[myscalesofjustice]

Karlach never stops being Wyll’s quest.

At first, she’s the latest Dragon Wyll must slay. After he learns otherwise, she takes the place of the archetypal Maiden, the precious something he must protect from the Evil threatening them. (Side note, I’m just noticing Karlach’s like the anti Mizora.) He joins her in the fiery pit so he can help her story reach Happily Ever After: Freedom, peace, and long life, with him if she chooses.

They're a fractured fairy tale and I love them for it!

[foxgl-ove]

i could write an essay on why wyll’s character is mistreated by the writers and developers of bg3, but i’d be afraid of putting more effort into his story than them.

[kimberbohwrites]

Dusk & Honey: Chapter Two <Previous Chapter Word Count: 3,578 Rated: Overall fic rating is Explicit, this chapter is SFW READ ON AO3 (or continued below) Please don't forget to kudos/comment/like/reblog <3 >Halsin x Tav art by @ DARKURGETRASH on tumblr<

Summary: The story of my OC Tav, Luna and her experience during the timeline of the game, not modifying canon so much as adding more to the Halsin-romance path. Featuring: world-building, action, well-researched drow lore, hurt/comfort, slowburn Halsin romancing, and eventual smut. PLEASE MIND THE TAGS, we'll be exploring trauma in several areas including touching on some of the darker canon trauma faced by Halsin. Tags/Warnings: Eventual Smut, Enemies to Lovers, mildly they are gonna fight, Halsin Romance Route, Named Tav, Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Drow Culture , Half-Drow Tav, Anti-Drow Racism, Anti-Tiefling Racism, Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Baldur's Gate 3, Cleric Tav, Implied/Referenced S*xual Assault, (meaning the eventual discussion of Halsin's time in the underdark), Pining

Both Halsin and Zevlor had insisted upon a celebration of their successful efforts to save both the Grove and the Tiefling Refugees trapped within. The Druid had refused to discuss the next steps until they’d taken a night off for rest. It was unexpected, being asked to linger for longer at the Druid Grove. But Halsin seemed to be full of unexpected things. Luna thought it strange that he should so greatly stand in contrast to his fellow Druids, he was the only one of them to even show up at the humble party within their camp that night.

Everything must have a balance and Halsin balances his fellow Druids, she mused to herself over a glass of wine that had more taste of vinegar than of vineyard.

Still — it was a reprieve and the most normal thing she’d experienced in the short tendays that had transpired since she’d awoken on the Nautiloid.

The night wasn’t all celebration however, young Wyll lurked over by the water out of the sight of all. His brow was newly adorned with a set of horns and several other infernal traits had come along with them. A punishment from his hell-bitch of a patron, Mizora. After doing her best to comfort her friend, she’d thought it best to leave him to his brooding.

She had visited several of her other companions this evening and had to politely decline several invitations of various after-party activities. As tempting as the thought of letting go for a night and enjoying the touch of another was, she still felt raw from the day before. More honestly, she didn’t want to provide an opportunity for them to ask prying questions about her loss of control with Minthara.

It had caused her to sleep worse than usual the night before, replaying that incident in her mind over and over. She’d hurt her friends and without her healing powers, Halsin might be dead. The guilt she felt took a warm but equally uncomfortable turn when she thought of the Archdruid. Though she’d never admit it, thinking of him kept her awake as well. Not just her shame, but thoughts of his soft eyes set on the rugged canvas of his handsome face.

She shook the memory away, lest she be distracted in front of the real thing just across the camp. In the morning they’d be leaving and Halsin would of course want to stay with his grove, it was a relief that she wouldn’t have to worry about the confusing feelings caused by the Druid, much longer.

 At current she was finding it hard to ignore the nagging feeling that his eyes were boring holes into her back when it was turned, as she chatted with her companions and the tieflings. But each time she’d turned back in his direction, he seemed to be interestedly talking to Zevlor or looking off at the woods.

When she finally approached him it was later in the evening and the drinks had made her bold. Her mind screamed at her to deal with the Druid now before he became a distraction. It was already too much, she’d found herself thinking about his smile for some reason.

And the way he’d looked up at her from the ground as if she were something special, something worth loving, worth cherishing.

“Are you having a good night so far?”

“Ah! My hero! It is a pleasant night for company. Are the evening’s festivities to your liking?”

The guilt rose in her, combining with the warmth of the wine — she immediately felt uncomfortable in her own skin. Just be brave, flirt with him and bat your eyes. It always works, he’ll be interested and then he’ll be gone. They never stay.

“Yeah, it’s great, I was wondering if perhaps, you wanted to share a drink?”

His eyes held hers closely but revealed nothing but their general kindness.

“In truth, I rarely imbibe. The stuff goes right to my head. Before you know it, I’d be breaking into song or declaring love to the first person I laid eyes on.”

At his joke, she smiled her pretty, practiced smile. Not too much teeth, not too eager.

“I fail to see the problem. But, perhaps, there are other ways we could get to know each other?”

“I’m sure there are. You strike me as extremely… resourceful. But there are many grateful people here who want to spend time with you. I must not keep you all to myself. As enjoyable as that may be.”

For a moment her eyes widened in surprise. She wasn’t used to be turned down and he had seemed so interested before.

“I see, well, um…Okay, thanks”

Luna panicked; she wasn’t smooth enough to talk her way out of this situation.

“Go on, enjoy yourself. Seek out some wine before it runs dry — there are a lot of thirsty people around here.”

Halsin added, seeming kind even despite the awkward moment Luna was having. She smiled at him, biting her plush bottom lip nervously as she gazed up into his eyes. The moment stretched on as their eyes lingered on one another. Glancing down at his lips she found he was smirking slightly, revealing a flash of teeth. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could have sworn she saw a hint of point to his canine as if some part of the bear was always present. She’d already looked at his mouth for too long, she couldn’t look again.

Luna nodded at him, regaining her cool demeanor from the Halsin’s rejection at last. She could have sworn she’d seen a hint of pain in his eyes as she vanished behind her facade of easy charm and effortless kindness. It may have been wrapped in a flirty tone, but his rejection was clear and she wanted to get away from him immediately. 

“Thanks, maybe I’ll do just that.”

Spinning on her heel quickly to leave, Luna doesn’t even bother to check if Halsin is done talking to her. She just needs to get away from the humiliation of this interaction. She spots Zevlor lurking not far off in the darkness on the edge of camp as she purposefully walks away from the Druid.

Her heart wrenched at the sight of the Paladin, he looked so… tired. While Luna was very likely older than the tiefling, he seemed to be considered on the older side amongst his race. He seemed burdened with the struggles of time and tragedy, she empathized for the man.

Most of her life on the surface had been in hiding. She served her Goddess by helping others escape Lolth’s wrath. As a result, thanks to the influence and wealth of the Drow, ransoms were offered on the surface and the Underdark for her head. She’d lived in hiding for a long time while working in service of her Lady.

She hadn’t realized how insular it had made her until she’d met Zevlor and the other refugees. Luna couldn’t even remember meeting a tiefling in her travels before. But already she understood that their people seemed to be subject to the ire and cruelty by the humans.

There weren’t many half-drow wandering around Faerun that she was aware of, in fact she’d never met any beside herself. A quick look in the mirror would reveal a very Drow looking woman, the only evidence of her human side is her size — too tall for the small, lithe frames that Drow women were known for. It made her both unknown and exotic to most people she encountered. More often than not, people chose to fear her before she’d even opened her mouth.

Yet, Zevlor and his people seemed even more reviled by those around them. It didn’t make sense to her. The Drow were a cruel people thanks to thousands of years of Lolth’s tyrannical reign over Menzoberranzan. While in her heart she hoped for a better future for her people, she wasn’t sure they were still capable of good even without the Spider-Queen’s influence. But the Tieflings? What crimes were they guilty of? What cruel goddess did they worship unquestioningly?

In short — she understood why people feared her at least a little, the evil deeds of the Drow were legendary. But what had the Tieflings ever done? Hating the unknown was not a uniquely human trait however, as ugly as their hate could be. While the relations between elves and the other races had improved in most areas over the years, their judgement was still sharp and brutal. That thought brought Minthara’s last words to the front of her mind once more, “Usually, someone would do you the kindness of putting an abomination like you out of your misery as a babe, how uncared for you were that they couldn’t have spared you the shame.”

She shook the thought away and gave the Tiefling a little wave as she passed by. His tail swished behind him. Luna couldn’t help but smile and wink at him before continuing on, wondering if that swish meant anything.

When she turned briefly and spotted the little flush on his already red cheeks — she had her answer. Still, her failure to control the situation with Halsin had her feeling down and she wanted to return to the peace of her tent. Cowardly though it may be, she was willing to risk being humiliated twice in one evening.

With a last goodbye to their guests she retreated to her bedroll. Eyelids heavy from wine and her heart even heavier from so much trouble already. Sleep wouldn’t find her easy this evening, of that much she was aware. She could only hope that the wine could soften the thoughts in her head enough for her to slip off to sleep alone in her bedroll.

—*—*——*—*—

The morning after the party, the tieflings seemed to be long gone by the time she’d risen. It was surprising as she tended to wake with the sun each day, but Zevlor was a disciplined leader. Searching her mind, she recalled him talking about an early start for his people toward their destination of Baldur’s Gate. Head only a little muddled from wine, she said an extra prayer that morning to the Dark Dancer for their safe passage to the city. Her Goddess provided refuge to the downtrodden who escaped Lolth and Luna believe that grace must extend to the tieflings searching for freedom of their own.

With a sigh she set about her day. Somehow, she’d been selected as the leader of her own group before she’d even sensed it. It wasn’t something that came to her naturally— leadership, but always seemed to be thrust upon her. Even when she had joined the other followers of Eilistraee to serve her in the goals of freeing people from Lolth’s tyranny — she had risen through the ranks quickly.

If only she could make herself smaller somehow. There were countless nights she lay awake in bed and hoped to disappear, to be invisible. But from her too-tall figure to not being able to keep her mouth shut, she drew attention on herself. It was only her trying to be helpful, to belong, that she would open her mouth with a suggestion or offer care to someone. But each time it drew focus on her she’d rather have gone without. She didn’t deserve the spotlight.

There was no denying that the group was certainly in need of leadership to even stand a fighting chance. They were infected by mindflayer tadpoles and even in the Underdark that was well-known as a death sentence.

Mindflayers weren’t unheard of in the Underdark, some noble Drow houses kept them in their courts, although their presence and usage was neither admitted nor considered acceptable by the public. But there were few advantages a Drow Matron would not take in to strengthen her house and her position. She found herself almost wishing Halsin could stay with their group to provide the sort of leadership and guidance they so desperately needed.

—*—*——*—*—

When they departed their campsite a few hours later, Luna could have kicked herself for wishing for the Druid’s guidance. She’d gotten it — in spades. Halsin followed up the rear of their group quietly as their newest member and Luna was still glowering over their fight about the next steps.

He’d been so rude when she expressed her frustration about not having more answers. Snapping at her before continuing on about the terrible blight of the Shadow Curse.

“I won’t be held accountable just because you’re naive enough to expect easy answers.”

“How dare you?! I’m just trying to help these people!” She had snapped back. She had felt Shadowheart’s hand on her shoulder and heard Karlach’s soothing coo. The Druid had insisted on continuing and Luna had forced herself to bite her tongue. Control yourself, the moon controls the tides as I control me. She had chanted in her head as Halsin went on, forcing her outrage behind the finely polished mask of constant calm once more. It wasn’t until he had brought up the Underdark that she had even bothered to open her mouth once again.

“We found the entrance to the Underdark in the temple after you left to set the grove to rights and I’m not sure it’s such a good idea. I have no idea where that leads. It could be the death of all of us.”

“The Shadow Curse is a fate WORSE than death, Luna! I do not relish the thought of venturing into the Underdark but I would not suggest such a course of action if I thought there were a safer way.”

His tone had at least been kinder than when he’d accused her of being naive but still firm. She hadn’t been able to tell if it was the thought of the Shadow Curse or if it was just her that got that made him this frustrated. Then, when he’d offered to join their camp to offer counsel and support as they ventured to Moonrise, it had taken each of her companions to convince her to agree to the Druid’s company.

She glanced back at him as they made their way toward the goblin camps to examine the entrance to the Underdark. It was strange, she thought, she’d expected him to look sadder as they left the Grove behind. Instead she found him looking ahead with a firm resolve on his face. When he caught her staring, he cocked an eyebrow at her and she flipped around quickly again. Animatedly, engrossing herself in listening to Wyll and Astarion rib each other back and forth. She wasn’t brave enough to turn back to see if he was still looking.

Just ignore him Luna, you don’t need everyone to like you. She told herself.

As they approached the goblin camp, the familiar touch of anxiety settled in her anew at the thought of being within the temple ruins again. It had only been a day or so since her loss of control, the incident still weighed heavily on her. She didn’t realize how heavy the burden was until they were once again under the roof of the ruined temple.

Something evil lurked forever within the walls, maybe it was simply her own regret that now haunted the place. Whatever it was, it seemed to compound with the weight in her chest she felt over the increasing and very real likelihood she’d be spending time in the Underdark once more.

It’s not that she hadn’t been back. She had returned since her escape but only in short trips and always staying clear of Menzoberranzan. The Drow have a long memory, longer for those who have wronged them. Thirty years was thirty seconds in the grand scheme of Drow revenge and plots. Her trips to the Underdark had always been as a guide for fellow followers of Eilistraee. Those who would go deeper within the cavernous lands to rescue others who were looking to escape the cruelty of the Drow.

The feeling of being watched snapped her from her thoughts. She was trying not to look as uncomfortable as she felt, but it didn’t help that she could feel the Druid’s eyes on her again, like he knew what she was feeling. How could he possibly understand? They never understand. I don’t need his pity. She can feel the spike of anger within her. Her blood thrums in her ears and she barely hears her campmates as they approach the Selunite puzzle that leads to the Underdark. She allows her mind to be present once more just in time to hear their rogue’s cutting humor.

“Looks like a long fall, The Blade had better be careful,” Astarion hissed as Wyll while lunging forward and giving him a slight push toward the ladder and the fatal plunge. Luna shoots them both a stern look. She doesn’t miss the way Wyll flushes a little at the vampire’s teasing.

“I quite agree with Luna, I think this whole Selunite Underdark plan is bad news,” Shadowheart says to Halsin as she clutches at the wound on her hand. No doubt the Dark Lady is punishing Shadowheart for being in her sister’s temple.

“It’s Luna’s decision, she picks the route we take and I will follow,” Wyll added nobly.

“May I speak with you for a moment, alone?” Halsin asked her with a harried look. After a long moment, taking time to enjoying the way he seems to sweat over her answer, she nods. He gestures for her to follow, leading her a few halls over until they come across a quiet alcove amidst the ruined temple.

 When he rounds on her, she is distracted immediately by how small she feels in his presence. She’s always been tall, standing a head and shoulders above most of the people around her. The fact that the elf still stands several inches above her in stature rings through her mind, both pleasure and panic answer. Her heart races at his proximity.

Stop, she hisses to the traitor muscle in her chest. He very clearly doesn’t like you like that. Stop it. The sting of his rejection from the night before is still fresh in her memory.

“Whatever reason you have to fear the Underdark, it cannot be worse that the blight of the Shadow Curse,” He finally says.

Waves of emotion wash over her at his words. He doesn’t know anything about me. How could he possibly understand? What does this Druid even know of fear? She feels untethered by the sentence, pinpricks of panic blossom across her skin. With a deep breath she centers herself in the light of her Goddess, the only mooring she can tether herself to in a sea of emotion. She will not lose control again so soon.

Halsin studies her face, clearly watching the emotional struggle play itself out on her features with concern. Too long has passed since he spoke, and she knows she needs to answer him.

“Have you ever even been to the Underdark, Druid?” She almost spits the last word.

His eyes avert her gaze immediately. In a flash she swears she can see his calm demeanor falter for just a moment.

“I have.”

He offers no more and she knows immediately this is not something to pry into. There is a faint hint of sadness in his eyes when he meets her gaze once more. Her traitorous heart lurches again and she can only pray to her Goddess that the dusky blue of her skin hadn’t given way to a deeper blush on her cheeks.

Swallowing the feeling she gives him a tight nod.

“Fine.”

He sighs and she can’t help but silently celebrate having him so frustrated. It’s petty but she can only hope she’s causing him half the stress he’s already caused her.

Her mind tells her to walk away, that the conversation is over. But she doesn’t and neither does he, they just linger. Time slows as they gaze silently into one another’s eyes. He looks at her with what looks like hunger, but she knows it must be a trick of the dim light in their private spot. After his flat rejection she cannot bring herself to hope for anything more and besides, it seemed she was destined to spend her time fighting with him instead. She wills herself to look away, breathing slowly like it might make her heart stop racing. When she glances down, she sees his fists clenched tightly with coiled energy.

Halsin relaxes immediately when she notices and his entire demeanor shifts. For just a moment it felt like he contained a predator within, and she was just prey in his eyes. But then he’s himself once more. The moment passed and the familiar easy smile is in place again as he backs away.

“Oakfather be praised, you’re making the right decision Luna.”

She nods and gives him a tight smile, clearing her throat anxiously and quickly walking away.

Stupid! Why would you be alone with him? Never again. That was such a bad idea. She berates herself internally as she hastens to join her companions. As she grabs her pack with a flurry of busied activity, pointedly ignoring their looks, she finds herself looking forward to the Underdark. At least there it was clear cut and simple— live or die.

It had to be better than her increasingly confusing and awkward interactions with the Druid.

Taglist: @dutifullylazybread @scandistar @ladyofcrowsandcoffee @beaneburrito @tsabhira05 @cchickki @purpleasters-inseptember @reverieblondie @barbwillbrb @stuffforthestash @crowwolf @halsinningiswinning

(just comment if you want on/off taglist)

[commander-yinello]

Ye Olde Blog Directory~

To make it easy to find my stuff, below a list of all fanfics I've written and under the cut, my Tavs/Durges. Spoilers for Dark Urge origin.

WYLLSTARION FANFICS:

Danse Macabre (Ongoing, Mature, Horror): The leader of the party is a Dark Urge, and Wyll finds out in the worst way. TW for Cannibalism, Torture, Death and more.

Five times Wyll spills the jug (and the one time Astarion does) (Oneshot, Gen, Humor): Based on EA Wyll, he puns and drives Astarion mad (yet the elf can't not fuck him oh no).

The Masks We Keep (Oneshot, Gen, Fluff): After Mizora's death, Wyll seeks the mysterious vampire he owes his freedom to.

Blood Drops of Jupiter (Finished, Space AU, Horror/Romance): Wyll encounters a deadly space vampire and wants to help him.

Blades and Daggers (Ongoing, Gen, Various): A series of 100-word drabbles written weekly with prompts!

8 Cups of Blood (Oneshot, Crack, NSFW): An exquisite corpse style of Astarion writing erotica while drunk.

TAVS/DURGES:

Noa

Noa's the most anti-bard bard you'll meet in your life. She can't play an instrument. She can't sing - unless there are many dead, to which she senses their lingering souls and brings forth a song from their collective feelings. But as she refuses to murder, her songs are rare. Such is the blessing of Bhaal.

She is the biggest softie. Everyone fears duergar, but she was never raised among her kin. She struggles with her dark urges, and with the aid of her loved ones she never gives in.

Luckily she's good with Vicious Mockery, as everyone hates her awful puns.

Possible Love Interests: Wyll, Karlach, Barcus Wroot, Aradin (if redeemed)

Coral

Everyone who meets Coral should be afraid of her. When Bhaal says jump, she asks how high. As a paladin, she's devoted to keeping her oath - too bad her oath is carrying out His wish to drown the world in blood.

She is obsessed with saving the world, cleansing it of its sins and saving everyone from the 'curse of life', which she considers to be pure suffering. She sees the world in black and white - you're with her, or against her. And if you're against her, you must die.

Only a few are worthy of fighting with her, and she'll do everything to convince them so.

Possible Love Interests: Minthara, Murder (lots and lots and lots-)

Vilxirajel

Vilxirajel, Vix for friends (they don't have any), is a cocky lightning-infused sorcerer who has never had to work their entire life. When they got kidnapped by the mindflayers, their goal is to eat hot chip, lie, and enable everyone's terrible tendencies. They are lazy to a fault and would sell your soul for a corn chip.

Because their lightning touches everything, they always end up frying their companions. As such no one wants to come close to them, which they prefer. All non-dragonborn are so stinky.

Time will tell if they are redeemable. Most likely not.

Possible Love Interests: Gale, Lae'zel, Barcus Wroot

[changeling-fae]

G, L, Y, U for the asks!

Thanks!

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

Lol, boy, and how! I live and breathe otp’s. My very first otp was probably Seto Kaiba x Serenity Wheeler, from YuGiOh. They were the first fanfic I ever read on fanfiction.net, lol. First otp ship I ever contributed to fandom for was Sesshomaru x Kagome from Inuyasha, where I wrote my very first fics and did fanart.

Though if we want to get really cheeky, I could argue that my very first ship was the knife and the spoon, from cutlery and making them kiss as a tiny kiddo, lol.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Hmmm, this is weirdly tough for me, not the complimenting part, but because I have a weird metric of how I view characters. Hm, let’s go with… Mizora. I’m overall neutral on her but I appreciate her petty bitch energy. If I were a cambion, I’d like to be as ambitious as Raphael but in reality I’d be like Mizora and I do appreciate a good petty play. It’s the Gemini in me, lol.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

I have many favorites but I’ll go with Harley Quinn from Batman, Grunkle Stan from Gravity Falls, and since brainrot be real, Raphael from BG3.

Harley Quinn has been a favorite character of mine since I was a kid watching Batman the Animated Series. I’ve always been a fan of theatrical aesthetics (circus, theatre, commedia dell’arte, etc) and she’s just such a fun character. I’ve really liked over the years how she’s waffled between villain and anti-hero and how she’s not a perfect victim. Also Harley Quinn x Poison Ivy is a top tier ship.

Grunkle Stan because one of my biggest weaknesses in fiction is a sad morally grey older man but who is also protective of his family. He’s fucked up in his life so many times but he keeps trying. I’m a sucker for that. But also he’s just a great character. He’s made me laugh and cry and honestly that’s just a good criteria for any character. I’ve 100% played the fanmade Grunkle dating simulator and no regrets or shame.

And speaking of morally grey, or in this case, completely terrible older men. Raphael, my beloved. I played BG3 in its EA days and the very first time he appeared I was smitten. His voice obviously but also he had my favorite introduction into the game (and still does). The fact that his devil transformation involved a snazzy belt and different shoes is what really sold him to me. He’s so stupidly extra and it calls to my theatre kid nature, lol. I do miss the EA days of him roasting our camp 5 sec after inviting himself.

All that being said, I just enjoy his character within the game too. I like that he’s obviously a villain but he’s chill with us. In part because he wants something from us but I like that it kinda transforms for him into a double obsession. Obviously, crown comes first but there’s something just so delightfully fun about him writing about our character in his journal (entry number 2 is the stuff ships are made of). That he’s a cringefail theatre kid with daddy issues while being thousands of years old is partly what makes him endearing. I loved finding his fanfiction in his house and I love how stupidly bad his hell domination plan is (you’re doing amazing sweetie).

And one other bonus to liking his character is I got to make new friends and moots in particular in his corner of the fandom. 💖

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

Hm, I’d say currently, Helluva Boss, I’ve got a couple friends into that show. It’s certainly on my list of things to eventually sit down and watch but for now I see it through what my friends show me. Looks good though!

[dancerfelix]

I really don't think bg3 should have gotten game of the year. I do think it's a good game, I think it's a lot of fun to play, it's probably the game I liked the most this year honestly, although I'm not really sure on that. However, it came out unfinished. The most recent patch added the epilogue, which should have been in the initial launch. I appreciate that they have been fixing their game, I've appreciated every patch, but 60%+ of content in these patches should have been in the game day one. Act 3 runs like shit. Every single quest I have run in this act has come with some visual bug (characters just dissapearing during cutscenes, even though they're still talking. Connor not fucking leaving.) or worse (everyone in the iron throne being dead without mizora / other people have been able to go there without her, so its broken for one of us). They're still working on the kissing animations for the very few romanceable characters. Honor mode wasn't in game at launch. The performance income achievement doesn't count properly. Gale specifically sexually harassed me before the first patch. It doesnt make the game unenjoyable, far from it honestly, but maybe they shouldn't have crunched and released the game before it was ready. I dont think games that launch unfinished (especially a game that had early access ???) should be able to get game of the year. I'm glad that rdr2 didn't get game of the year, and lost to god of war, which didn't have the major issues with crunch, even though I do probably think rdr2 is the better game. I think game of the year should not be given to games that engage in anti consumer practices, such as releasing unfinished, being extremely broken in places, etc. I hope larian continues to put out patches, and I hope they are enjoyable, and I hope they stop being content that should have been in the game from launch. Tears of the Kingdom probably deserved game of the year, since it was, ya know, finished and functional.