#bloodweave is top tier because they can be soft and cute (spawn astarion x professor gale having a domestic little life in waterdeep) or

[junietuesday25]

ALSO ive been mentioning on my main blog that im working on an ascended astarion x god gale fic. im really having fun w it my google doc title for it is “bloodweave has it all (can make each other better) (can make each other worse)” so you can tell im really leaning into the toxic yaoi of it all. heres the pseudo prologue

“The city is close…as is Cazador. To think, tomorrow morning, I’ll—he’ll be within my grasp.”

Across the horizon from their perch atop the ruins of an old checkpoint, the sprawl of Baldur’s Gate glowed by firelight against the night sky. But, welcome as the sight of civilization may have been after weeks of traipsing through the wilderness, Gale found his attention straying from the city rising in the distance.

Instead Gale watched Astarion. The languid sprawl of his lithe body, legs splayed out in front of him, arms behind propping himself up. Incongruous: the fierce look on those sharp features. And incongruous to that: the distance in his crimson eyes.

“Him and his Rite of Profane Ascension,” Astarion went on, musing half to himself. “A grand ceremony, elevating him to unfathomable status. Placing him in a position of such esteem the world will yearn to kneel and offer him their necks.”

A terrifying prospect. And yet Gale felt a shiver at the words yearn to kneel in Astarion’s silken drawl.

Astarion’s head tipped back, looking at Gale sideways. He was waiting for a response.

“Indeed it will,” said Gale, absently touching a hand to his chest. Right near the purple mark of the Orb. “Dare I call that a note of jealousy I detect in your voice?”

Astarion barked a laugh. The curl of his mouth revealed the flash of a fang. “If you have to even ask, I’m afraid you don’t know me half as well as I thought you did. Let me tell you now—“ his grin dropped, his expression hardening “—if I can stay one move ahead of him, I’ll take his place before his blood can hit the floor.”

“I know you well enough to expect nothing less,” said Gale. It came out more overtly warm than he’d expected; clearing his throat, he added: “And I also know you well enough to doubt that you’ve put any real consideration into how you might, as you put it, ‘stay one move ahead.’”

“You wound me, darling,” said Astarion, brightening again, the grin returning to his face like it had never left. His red eyes sparkled in the starlight: now, fully present. “I thought I might track down my ‘siblings’ and wring them for information. And after that, well—” he waved an insouciant hand “—what else do I keep you around for, my dear wizard, if not to do all the hard thinking for me?”

Gale managed to laugh. Or pulled off some approximation of it, anyway. Below the Orb, something inside him prickled. “In that case, I suppose I shall have to endeavor to remain useful.”