#gaura sélfolgh

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*jumps on the haunted house photo redraw bandwagon years after it was a trend*

featuring my preferred Forgotten Sanctum gang

(I referenced one of the photos from this article though I did flimsy job at it)

[babineni]

@lotrificationer asked me to doodle my girl, Gaura (for which I’m super grateful, thank you thank you thank you 💖💖💖) a few days back, so behold

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The Watchers of the Eastern Reach

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The world looks a little different than it used to, is that it? Feels like you're noticing things for the first time that have always been there?

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I figured I’d doodle my Watcher as a lava mermaid before mermay ended

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(pssst click on the middle pic to see the whole thing)

[bragganhyl]

'how badly do you want me?' for gaura and aloth please :3

Thanks, Anon, sorry, it took me a bit but here it is :D

this is your explicit content warning, do not click on the readmore if you do not want to be exposed to 4.3k words of smutty writing, please and thank you

Konstanten’s room was slowly filling up with steam while Gaura was taking off one piece of her armor after the other. She hummed a melody to herself – out of respect rather than discomfort – trying to tune out the lewd cries that managed to pass through the walls of the Wild Mare. In moments like these, the Watcher questioned if taking the tub in the brothel was actually preferable to the Luminous Bathhouse, but those questions would be set aside as soon as she remembered that at least, she got to be alone in the brothel. There was a time public bathing would have left Gaura unfazed, but that was before she was renowned as the Watcher of Caed Nua or the captain of The Defiant. That was before she was a piece in the game of powers that saw her as variable to be controlled. And there was a place where she might have felt comfortable surrounded by others, bare and – in some ways – out of her element, but in such a place she wouldn’t have been surrounded by people looking to her with either reverence or suspicion. She could do without the attention that she would have received in Periki’s Overlook.

But the rest of the crew headed that way. Aloth was especially reluctant to part ways with her that day. A soft tremor ran through her fingers as the Watcher recalled the way he held her hand, saying his goodbyes. She thought of his gentleness that she felt through the heavy gauntlet, she thought of the warmth in his gaze that made the sun streaming on them pale in comparison. She thought of the color of his lips after she gave him nothing more than a quick peck. She bit her own as she reminisced. The color promised a soft surface, a searing impact and an irresistible taste. Gaura didn’t notice that she stopped humming. Her movements slowed as she undid her belt, while her imagination painted the image of clothes being removed that belonged to someone else. An image of another getting shoved against a wall while she showered him in kisses.

The sound of the water boiling snapped her out of her musings. Gaura hurriedly took the cauldron and emptied its contents into the tub, half-full of lukewarm water already. She removed the last few pieces of her armor and the clothes underneath, excitement almost getting the better of her. As she stepped into the tub, the water began dancing around her legs lead by the ever burning flames bursting through her skin. She sat down, submerging herself to her neck, enjoying the rough bubbles assaulting her tense muscles. Soon, she was lifted by the movements of the water, her only support was the back of her head against the edge of the tub and her arms coming over its sides, anchoring her while she floated relaxed.

The trek up the mountain took time, Gaura mused as a sigh left her lips, Aloth could not have made it to the bathhouse yet. By the time he would, he’d be flushed by exertion and kissed by sunlight. The Watcher sighed. The water felt softer as she thought of the wizard. Or maybe she did. It was so easy to pretend that she was being touched, that she was melting as a response. It was easy to read more into the gentle impacts against the small of her back than the reality of them. It was easy to imagine slender fingers caressing her thighs and even easier to give in to the sensation. Gaura brought a hand to her breast as she parted her legs, while she thought of Aloth descending into the gently glowing pool. She envisioned a single droplet trickling down his lean body as she traced its path down her own chest.

Her daydreaming fragmented when her fingers found her folds and the small nub between them. Images overlapped with her movements, shifting with each flick of her wrist. She drew one circle and Aloth was leaning over the edge of the pool. His face was pressed against the tiles and Gaura was behind him, loving up his neck, kissing his shoulders, nibbling on his ear, as she reached forward and rubbed him steadily. The Watcher’s breathing grew staggered as she picked up the pace set by her imaginary self. Her mind was filled with the vision of Aloth on his back, sprawled out on the floor of the bathhouse, biting down on his lip, trying to keep himself quiet as Gaura grinded on top of him, filled by him, at a tempo that was far too selfish but she couldn’t help it. She allowed herself a quiet moan, just enough to fuel her fantasies without overpowering the sounds of the water enveloping her, the sounds she imagined echoing in the halls of the Luminous Bathhouse, the sounds that-

- that were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door.

The Watcher froze in her movements. For a moment there was no sound, and no movement aside from the water around her rushing against her body. When she heard the knock again, her awareness returned to her fully – as well as to her more than compromising, arched posture. Even behind closed doors, Gaura’s hair fluttered shyly as she sat in the tub, her legs crossed, trying to repress the rage growing from her frustration by washing her face.

‘The room’s taken!’ She called out, snapping at the person behind the door despite her best efforts.

‘I know.’

The voice almost convinced the Watcher that she was still deep in her fantasies. When she didn’t respond, an impatient request followed.

‘Gaura, can you please, let me in?’

She got out of the tub in a hurry, nearly tripping over the edge of it. She was just about to grab the handle of the door, when she remembered to cover herself. The Watcher took a moment to ensure the towel she picked up was hugging her body securely and neatly, before she opened the door, and casually leaned against its frame. An easy smile brightened her face that hid all but the smallest hints at her craving for the wizard. Aloth blinked at her, his mouth slightly agape at the sight of her wearing nothing but a tiny piece of fabric and a small cloud of vapor rising from her skin.

‘I…’ he cleared his throat, ‘I hope I didn’t come at an inopportune time.’

Gaura chuckled, lust and mischief faintly ringing in her voice. ‘Quite the contrary,’ she stepped aside, ‘I was just thinking about you.’

‘As was I about you,’ Aloth stepped inside the room, strangely stiff. It was only then that Gaura noticed how out of breath the wizard was, how flushed his cheeks were and yet he closed the door behind him with a restraint that she would have mistaken for hesitance had she not seen it time and time again, usually right before they both gave in to their desires. ‘That… is why I’m here,’ he let out a short laugh, as he stepped closer to the Watcher, ‘I was wondering, if… maybe you could share the tub with me.’ He hid his hands behind his back.

‘Hm,’ Gaura closed the distance between them. Aloth did not move, he did not look away, merely his cheeks took on a slightly deeper shade as a heavy, but staggered breath escaped his lips. She glimpsed a spark in his lidded eyes that put an impish smile on her face. ‘I’m sure we can squeeze in,’ she said as she reached for a buckle on the wizard’s vest. ‘But I still can’t help but be surprised that you’d skip the bathhouse for a measly tub.’

‘The company more than makes up for it,’ he glanced down at the Watcher’s hands slowly undoing one buckle after the other. ‘As does the privacy.’

‘My, you must have craved both,’ Gaura teased as she undid Aloth’s belt and pushed his vest off him, ‘if you were willing to climb back down the mountain just to meet me here. Alone.’

‘Indeed,’ he chuckled as he took off his undershirt, ‘as foolish as it sounds, I… I couldn’t stop thinking about our parting earlier.’

He gingerly reached for the Watcher’s hands, and lifted them to his lips. He left a single lingering kiss on her wrist, while he placed shorter, sweeter ones on the knuckles of her other hand. Gaura laughed softly, turning Aloth’s gaze to her face again. He let go of her long enough to cast protective spells on himself, before he reached behind her head and brought it closer to himself. He rested his forehead against hers, fighting the urge to claim her lips.

‘I want you,’ he admitted quietly, breathlessly, but no less eagerly.

‘Care to demonstrate?’ The Watcher lightly nipped at his lower lip. ‘How badly do you want me?’

Aloth’s kiss was slow at first, but insistent as if he needed to drink Gaura in to shrug off the weariness of the road. Then a moment passed and the wizard only grew hungrier for her. The Watcher snickered into his mouth as he reached for the towel covering her and peeled it off with a gentle tug. He pulled her closer, and embraced her tightly seemingly ready to feed himself to the fire adorning her body. But he knew those flames: he knew that they did not scorch, they did not harm, they only lapped against Aloth’s chest with the tenderness of the lightest of kisses. Goosebumps formed where he was kissed by fire and a small tremor ran through him as Gaura reached for his hair and gently pulled it. The wizard sharply inhaled, warm, humid, smokey air filling his mouth until the Watcher latched onto his neck and allowed herself to be guided by her tongue along his shoulder. Only then did he remember to exhale.

‘Shall we take this to the tub?’ Gaura’s voice was deep with desire.

Aloth needed a moment to process the question, which was made all the harder by the Watcher’s warm breath caressing his ear. Eventually he gave her a few quick nods. ‘Please.’

‘Guide me, then,’ she hooked a finger in the wizard’s trousers as she took a step towards the tub, but her gaze remained fixed on him. ‘You see, while you were away my imagination was all I had for company,’ she walked with her back towards her destination, her hands firmly holding her lover by his waist, and her lips repeatedly finding their way back to Aloth’s.

‘It seems I have something to live up to then.’

Gaura laughed. ‘You better, you interrupted quite a nice fanta-’

Her teasing was interrupted when the Watcher’s foot hit a piece of her discarded armor and she was sent stumbling down on her back, pulling Aloth with her.

‘Gods, are you alright?’ The wizard pushed himself up, anxiously looking her over. Gaura was still laughing, however.

‘I’m fine, I’m fine,’ she stopped herself, sniffing into the air. Something was getting singed. ‘The rug, however…’ she pulled Aloth down, wrapped her thighs around his hips and rolled over him in a few swift moves. She was still snickering as she claimed his lips again. Her smile faded to something faint, smug and satisfied as her hand trailed down the wizard’s chest, and he proved to be unable to resist her caress. He arched himself ever so slightly into her touch. His hand came to the back of her head, and kept her in place as he kissed back more and more desperately with each moment. And then Gaura reached his bulge. A quiet groan resonated against the Watcher’s lips and she pulled away to rid him of his remaining clothes. She grinned down at him as she was undoing his trousers, her anticipation warming her belly. Then a hand came to her wrist.

‘Please, I…’ Aloth swallowed, ‘I’d like to taste you.’

Gaura cocked her head, feigning to ponder his request. ‘I’d rather not risk lying down again, though.’

The wizard responded with a knowing smile. His free hand came to her thigh, his fingers idly traced a crack running along on its inner side.

‘I would prefer if you stayed on top, too.’

The Watcher shrugged and leaned over Aloth again. ‘How could I say no to you?’ She left a quick peck on his lips. Then another. And another. With each little contact the vision of his lips on her cunt became more and more crystallized. She savored the fantasy as she pulled away and shuffled over the wizard’s face. ‘Don’t forget to breathe,’ she reminded him, as she lowered herself.

The very first flick of Aloth’s tongue sent shivers along every fiber of Gaura’s being. He gripped her thighs tight as he latched onto her clit and lapped at it feverishly. The Watcher bit down on her finger, trying to suppress the sounds he drew from her each time he changed pace, rhythm, patterns. There was a sweet dissonance between the softness of his lips and the insistence of their movements, between the light brushes of his hair against her thighs and his fingers digging into them. He was unpredictable and meticulous and Gaura found it harder with each moment to restrain herself. It didn’t help that each time he sent her flames fluttering, they drew a shudder out of him, and his own sense of control demanded that he continued with more focus and with greater determination. He let out a few quiet notes, a barely audible but no less desperate whimper, as the fire dancing along the Watcher’s thighs lapped against his cheek and ears, and he nearly drove her mad by doing so. It seemed as if her muscles took control over her as Aloth overwhelmed her nerves and senses. She reached for his hair and dug her fingers into those dark strands while her hips began to move along their own rhythm. The wizard softly moaned against her folds when he felt her grind against him, but Gaura could no longer hear anything beyond her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Not his sounds, not her own cries, not the sweet nothings that left her lips which only spurred Aloth on. The Watcher lost her sense of time as her pleasure was building within her. Her sense of rhythm and pacing betrayed her on the verge of ecstasy. She lost awareness of herself, of selfishness or discipline. There was only Aloth, precious and generous Aloth, who was so perfect to lose herself in, in all the ways she could still name. She threw her head back and allowed the warmth of her arousal to spread within her like a wildfire and consume her entirely. Aloth slowed down to help her guide her senses back to herself, then left a few parting kisses on her thighs just as she was ready to get off him.

‘You are so, so good to me,’ Gaura leaned over him, eager to taste herself on his tongue. She laughed into their kiss when she felt the juices of her arousal coat his nose and chin as well. Aloth answered by reaching for her ear and by making a futile attempt at tucking a lock of her flame-hair behind it. She pulled away then. ‘I love you.’

‘And I love you.’

‘You made that evidently clear,’ the Watcher laughed. She pulled away and took off Aloth’s trousers. She waited until the wizard reinforced some of his spells protecting him from her hair, the moved to straddle him again. ‘Will you let me be selfish with you?’ She asked with an impish smile while she descended on his cock. She was merely grinding against his length, letting her arousal coat him, but Aloth already tensed up in anticipation. ‘I’ll take good care of you in the tub after I’m done, I promise.’

Aloth let out a quiet laugh. ‘How could I say no to you?’ He sat up, echoing her words, and reached for Gaura’s shoulder. He pulled her down with him as he laid back down. ‘Just… please, stay close to me.’

The Watcher placed a kiss on his cheek while she guided his cock to her heat. She slowly rocked back against him, stealing the wizard’s breath away.

‘Close enough?’

‘Yes, and no.’ Aloth laughed, his joy mingled into his moan as the Watcher began moving again on top of him, until the last notes he exhaled were voiceless and his face became a canvas of pure need. ‘I… can’t get enough of you.’ Gaura kissed the corner of his lips. For a single roll of her hips, she slowed down, as her lips locked with his proper and drank in the long, hungry groan she drew from the wizard. She pulled away slightly with a chuckle and picked up the pace again.

‘Neither can I.’

The Watcher thought of the daydream she had in the tub. The fantasy of Aloth sprawled out on the tiles of the bathhouse and of herself seizing her own pleasure. And a part of her was tempted to turn it into reality. But the Aloth in front of her, under her, had fantasies hiding behind his eyes as well. He touched her cheek just as the first quiet moan passed her lips. He watched her, pleased, for a mere moment before his eyes fluttered shut and he craned his neck back towards the floor. A smile brightened his face until his expression was contorted by his own pleasure.

‘Gods, I adore you,’ Gaura whispered. She couldn’t resist the sight of his lips, his eyes, his arching neck. Her mouth wandered and soothed, her teeth encouraged and claimed, while her body moved to a steady rhythm. She allowed herself to grew drunk the visage of Aloth as ecstasy was building within him and the sounds she was drawing from him. She was intoxicated by the light touches on her back, the fingers tracing her cracks, the caresses on the back of her head, the crackling of magic against her scalp. She in turn called him beautiful, she called him precious, through slurred words and through wandering touches, through increasingly hurried movements. And soon, she grew forgetful, she grew unaware, she was mesmerized by the wizard under her, too much to pay attention to her own self. Her hips rolled back harder against him, her kisses turned forceful enough to resonate in her teeth, until she slammed against him hard and hit a spot that got her seeing stars.

Aloth groaned under her and kissed her on her cheek. The Watcher only stopped for a moment, but even that brief pause felt excruciating – and yet, at the same time, inviting.

‘Wait,’ his hands trailed down Gaura’s sides, until he reached her hips. His grip was light, but firm. After some shuffling, Aloth gave her a slow and gentle thrust, hitting the same spot again. The Watcher’s moan lingered in the air between them. ‘How does that feel?’

‘Almost perfect.’

‘Almost…?’ Aloth thrust again, slightly harder this time, and now the Watcher was ready to meet him.

‘Now, it’s perfect,’ she smiled down at him, as she started moving again in earnest, and he followed along. Gaura soon buried her face in the curve of the wizard’s neck, kisses and nibbles became her anchor as she got swept away in her own movements and the precious, lovely friction that stoked the heat pooling in her loins.

Aloth was tensing up under her as well. He didn’t notice his grip tightening on her, or that he hastened his thrusts. There was a light stutter in the way his muscles moved, there was a light shiver lingering at the tips of his fingers that he couldn’t ease through touch alone. His mouth was filled with his moans that got pushed out of him each time the Watcher’s flesh hit his. Gaura’s lips were slick against his throat, her tongue felt hot against his ear, her hands wandered along his chest, enjoying the feeling of his heart pounding fast for her at one moment and the tremors that followed her light brushes against his nipples in the next. But she did warn him that she would be selfish. Eventually her hand traveled down between them, to the clit he’s been neglecting, but just as guilt was about to well up in him, she grew tighter around him and Aloth forgot everything but her warmth, her embrace, the fire bursting though her, kissing his skin. She cried out as she collapsed on top of him, drowning out his own voice, her climax eclipsing his. The wizard held her close and tight as he rode out his ecstasy, but she squirmed her way out of his embrace. She left one kiss on his face after the other, she left no spot untouched and for those few moments, Aloth was convinced he was melting.

‘I must say,’ he said once he found his voice again, ‘I do enjoy you being selfish with me.’

Gaura chuckled. ‘I promise, I won’t make you regret those words,’ she gave him a lingering kiss, while he pulled out. A few moments later, she got up and helped the wizard stand, as well. ‘Just like I promised I would take care of you, now.’ She gingerly hooked her fingers into his as he guided him to the bathtub. She frowned at the water, disappointed in the lack of steam, and just as she assumed, the water was cool to her touch when she reached out for it.

‘Allow me,’ Aloth gave her hand a light squeeze before he let her go. He rubbed his hands together then he drew some runes in the air. He uttered a spell as he touched them. Magic flared up at the tips of his fingers then spread down to his wrists. The wizard then dipped his hands in the water and in a few moments, vapor was rising from the tub once more. A satisfied smile lurked in the corners of his lips as he gestured at the tub, and when Gaura reached for the water, it was as warm as she left it.

‘Show off,’ she teasingly rolled her eyes at him, which was met with Aloth’s widening eyes as he became aware of his own smugness. Gaura laughed sweetly as she kissed him on the cheek. ‘I’m only teasing, love,’ she left another peck on him. ‘Thank you, you’re a lifesaver.’

The Watcher stepped into the tub and reached back for Aloth. The wizard glanced at the water bubbling around Gaura’s legs then grabbed the hand offered to him with an excited grin. They sat behind one another, with Aloth nestling between the Watcher’s thighs. It was a tight fit within the tub, with little to no room to move, but at least as they were, Gaura was comfortable. Meanwhile the wizard sat a little straighter as the water rushed against his waist. He took a deep breath then undid the bindings holding his hair bit by bit. He ran his hands through his dark strands and leaned back against Gaura's chest with a sigh.

‘Gods, this feels magnificent,’ he took the Watcher’s hand and lifted it to his lips. ‘You are magnificent.’

‘You know my plan was to help you get cleaned up,’ she replied as she played with a few strands of his hair.

‘Just… give me a few moments.’

‘Or you could just give me the soap,’ the Watcher pointed to a fragrant yellow bar. Aloth sat up with a groan but he didn’t hide his eagerness to return to her embrace. She laughed as she took the soap and lightly rubbed it against the wizard’s chest. He seemed to grow more relaxed with each movement of her hand. And in turn, she took her time, she remained gentle.

‘Gaura…’ when Aloth spoke again, his voice was hoarse and quiet.

‘Hmm?’

‘I heard that the pool in the Luminous Bathhouse can be rented for private events,’ he caressed her knee as he talked. ‘Do you think that I could… tempt you... for such an event?’

‘Aw, you’re getting greedy,’ she blew a kiss on her hair. In truth, her daydream surged from the depths of her mind, and her heart skipped a beat at the idea of making it real.

Aloth laughed. ‘Nothing of the sort, I assure you,’ he shifted his weight slightly, ‘or… I don’t think of it as greed. There are just some experiences that I… would like to share with you.’

‘Nice save.’

The wizard shrugged. ‘It’s true, though. There are so many places that I want to see by your side... Memories that I want to form with you,’ he bit his lip. ‘Things that I’d like to try with you.’

The Watcher smiled to herself. ‘I feel the same way,’ she laughed. ‘Although I must mention that a lot of the places I’d like to show you are in the Living Lands and we have giant hornets there.’

‘I’m sure the perils would be worth it.’

‘You are making it very hard to say no to your suggestion,’ Gaura shook her head. ‘About the bathhouse, I mean.’

Aloth said nothing, he merely angled his head to look up at the Watcher. Gaura could only meet his gaze for a few fleeting moments.

‘Fine,’ she pretended to give in. ‘I’ll see to the arrangements.’

The wizard smiled. ‘Thank you,’ he turned away and closed his eyes. ‘I have to say, though… I wouldn’t oppose to… using the tub with you again. If you are of the same mind, that is.’

‘You know that I am,’ the Watcher tucked a lock of hair behind Aloth’s ear. In her embrace, relaxed, soaked and glowing in the aftermath of ecstasy, he looked almost like a dream. And certainly more beautiful than the ones Gaura has been having. ‘How could I say no to you?’

[bragganhyl]

so how about 43. have you ever thought about how much worse our lives would be without each other? 👉👈

Thaaanks, here is some fluffiness in which Gaura gets a new violin, courtesy of Edér and Aloth.

Word count: around 2k words.

The softly played sounds of a violin filled the Watcher’s cabin. Aloth woke up with a start, then a moment passed and the soothing melody eased him into resting with a smile on his face. Gaura’s scent was lingering on the pillow next to him, and Edér was in a deep sleep on the other side of the bed, sprawled out, his broad back bathed in moonlight. He was breathing to the rhythm of the song. Or maybe he followed the waves lightly rocking the ship. Everything seemed to have moved together in a comforting tandem. The wizard risked a glance at the Watcher. She was sitting by the window, with her eyes closed, and her body gently swaying to her own tune. The instrument looked like it came alive at her touch and the music was a product of the dance between it and the musician playing it.

Earlier that day, Aloth and Edér were finally ready to present a gift they’ve been secretly trying to obtain for what seemed like an eternity: a blackwood violin, just like the one Gaura used to play years ago. Back then, Aloth used to linger by the window and listen to the night wind carrying the tune of improvisations being played in the hedge maze. Back then, Edér used to play pranks with her on the others – she was good at mimicking birdsong which had some untapped comedic potential. If nothing else, it put a smile on Gaura's face. Years passed, and the wizard still missed those nights, and the farmer was very curious if harmless pranks could still lift the Watcher’s spirits. However, blackwood was rather rare and it was mostly used to build ships rather than instruments. Still, when Gaura found enough of the material to outfit the Defiant with a new hull, it seemed like everything was falling into place for Aloth and Edér to hatch a plan. To take whatever was left of the wood and find someone willing to make a violin out of it. After a few weeks of searching, some promised favors to Serafen that Aloth was sure they would regret in time, and some consultations with Tekehu - that he miraculously managed to keep to himself - the instrument was made, ready to be picked up from Dunnage and presented to the Watcher.

For the first few moments, Aloth was convinced they made some kind of mistake. Gaura opened the case resting on her lap and merely stared at the violin, with a hollowness in her eyes that the wizard couldn’t quite place. Uncomfortable silence filled the captain’s cabin. The window behind the Watcher reflected strange flutters in her hair. Aloth glanced at Edér standing beside him, but he didn’t seem to worry.

‘Do you like it?’ He simply asked. The question pulled the Watcher out of her daze, and prompted her to actually touch the violin. Her fingers brushed against some runes etched into the wood.

‘I figured I’d place some enchantments on it,’ Aloth explained, ‘to make it more resistant to your hair. I’m not quite sure if that would affect the sound but I was told-’

‘Aloth,’ Edér lightly elbowed him in the arm. A knowing smile was lurking in the corner of his lips. As he turned to the Watcher, the smile faded and an understanding look took its place.

Gaura’s mind seem to have been elsewhere. She lifted the violin to her shoulder and began tuning the instrument. After a minute or two she seemed to have been ready to play. The melody of the Farmer and the Fox leapt off the strings. As the song went on a mirthless smile appeared on the Watcher’s face that grew wider and more joyful the longer she played. A few mistakes slipped into the tune, but Aloth couldn’t bring himself to care. He was mesmerized by the euphoria on Gaura’s face. Edér clapped along beside him and he didn’t notice he started clapping too. Gaura was now laughing and playing faster, her foot tapped a steady rhythm and she followed its tempo. Her eyes closed and she allowed herself to be guided by her ears alone. Aloth let out a relieved sigh that he didn’t realize he was holding. It was met by a light pat on his shoulder. Edér was grinning at him, proud at their success and happy for their beloved. Then the song ended. It took the Watcher a few moments to open her eyes.

‘I’m a little rusty,’ she let out an awkward, apologetic chuckle. She looked to her lovers with tears of joy twinkling in her eyes.

‘You’ll get back into it in no time,’ Edér sat down beside her and ran a hand down her arm. Gaura beamed at him and he couldn’t resist the urge to give her a forehead kiss.

The Watcher then turned her attention to Aloth. She reached a hand out to him only to realize she was still holding the bow. She reluctantly put the violin back in its case and put it aside. She stood up then, reaching out with both hands, with a strange desperation in the movement, as if, if she couldn’t hold the wizard her love would overflow with nowhere to put it. Aloth obliged her wordless request. Her hand came to the back of his head. Her caress was gentle but insistent and Aloth couldn’t help but sink into her embrace.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered as she pulled away. ‘Thank you,’ she repeated as she left a searing kiss on the wizard’s lips. ‘Thank you,’ she said once more as she turned to Edér to show him the same gratitude. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you two.’

A few hours later the Watcher was playing a song that Aloth never heard before but it was almost hypnotic. Once he convinced himself to move again, he closed the distance to Edér and lightly shook him, careful not to draw Gaura’s attention to themselves. The farmer groaned as he stirred, prompting the wizard to quiet him with a finger on his lips. Edér’s eyes widened in surprise and Aloth answered by lifting the finger to his own lips, urging him to keep quiet still. Edér’s surprise was replaced with confusion but he listened. And as he listened, his expression changed once again to delight. He sat up, only to be dragged back down by the wizard.

‘Why are we hiding?’ The farmer asked in a whisper.

‘I don’t want to disturb her.’

‘Don’t think she’d mind,’ he rolled on his back but he otherwise lied still. A few moments passed and the only sound in the cabin was the soft music and the waves crashing outside. Edér’s eyes were fixed on the empty air above him. He smiled at something and suddenly Aloth wished he could read his thoughts. But something told him that whatever was on his mind, it must have been beautiful. It was impossible to think of anything else embraced by that tune. The farmer turned to him, his hand found the wizard’s and gave it a quick squeeze. ‘I’m glad we did this.’

‘So am I.’

Edér’s smile widened. He got out of bed, too quickly for Aloth to stop him. He gestured to follow him as he approached the Watcher by the window. Gaura looked up at him as he came closer but she didn’t stop playing until he was already sitting beside her.

‘Don’t stop on my account,’ the farmer said. ‘That sounded real pretty.’

‘It’s a song from back home,’ Gaura answered. Aloth couldn’t tell if she meant the Dyrwood or the Living Lands at first, but the Watcher continued. ‘It’s about dancing through time,’ she chuckled as she reminisced, ‘sometimes roaming the Valleys feels like a year passes in a day, and… a lot of songs try to capture that feeling,’ she sounded almost homesick as she sighed. ‘It was one of the first songs I was truly determined to learn way back when.’

‘Sounded like you still knew it,’ Edér placed a hand on her waist and lightly caressed her with a thumb.

Gaura didn’t answer. She flashed a weary smile at him then looked at the violin in her hand for a moment. ‘I suppose I still do,’ she sounded strangely wistful. ‘It just sounds a little different to my ears now.’

‘Is something wrong with the violin?’ Aloth asked as he got out of bed as well. The Watcher smiled at him reassuringly.

‘No, I… there is nothing wrong with it.’ She grew quiet for a moment. The wizard claimed the empty spot by her side. ‘Which one of you thought of getting this for me?’ She asked after a while.

Edér immediately pointed at Aloth. The wizard wanted to disagree, but he couldn’t actually tell which one of them had the idea first.

‘He figured most things out,’ the farmer explained. ‘I just did the talking.’

‘That is an understatement,’ Aloth shook his head disapprovingly. ‘Those negotiation skills that you claimed you didn’t have were invaluable. Whatever plans I made were nothing without your help.’

‘Come on, don’t sell yourself short,’ Edér narrowed his eyes at him, ‘you would have gathered the courage eventually. I didn’t even know where to begin.’

‘Now who is selling himself short?’

‘Both of you,’ Gaura fondly chuckled. ‘You,’ she gestured at Aloth with the bow, ‘are bright and brave. I haven’t met a lot of people who could take on their fears head-on. Scared, but you still do it. And if I started waxing poetic about your mind, we’ll be here all year,’ she laughed. ‘And you,’ she now pointed at Edér, ‘inspire courage and comfort. You just make things feel a little less daunting, no matter what it is. And I don’t know what I’d do without you two.’ She sighed as she looked to the violin in her lap. A wistful smile tugged at the corners of her lips. ‘Have you ever wondered how much worse our lives would be without each other?’

‘Trying not to,’ Edér gave her a meaningful look. One that the Watcher could only answer with resting her forehead against his for a moment.

‘The thought has crossed my mind a few times,’ Aloth admitted, ‘I’d prefer to think that we’d be alright, certainly worse off and perhaps hurting but… alright, still,’ uncertainty rang in his voice and the Watcher picked right up on that. She knew him too well.

‘But?’

The wizard chuckled. ‘But… I never thought I’d have anything like… us. I am not sure I have it in me to give it up for anything.’

‘Good thing, you won’t have to,’ Edér answered.

‘For better or for worse,’ Gaura added with a shrug. ‘Dependence can be pretty scary,’ her gaze fell onto the violin again. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, then she gingerly ran her fingers against the wood, stopping by the runes carved into it to give them some special attention. A strange but fond smile spread on her face. ‘And yet it doesn’t scare me right now,’ she laughed, ‘I got a violin out of it. And… the songs I play on it won’t sound like they used to but… somehow I don’t mind it too much. I can’t be mad at myself for something I would have seen as a weakness in the past when it gives me so much strength right now.’

Gaura hugged the instrument to her chest for a moment, then she neatly put it away. When she stood up and reached her hands to her lovers, it almost looked like she was inviting them for a dance. Aloth placed his hand in hers without hesitation and his eagerness surprised even him. Edér chuckled at him and clasped his shoulder before he stood up and took the Watcher’s hand as well. She guided them back to the bed, quietly humming a song still that lulled Aloth to sleep before he even realized how sleepy he was. He dreamed about dancing that night.

[bragganhyl]

eder and gaura 3 for the kiss meme !

Thanks Ella 💖 took me a hot minute but here they are

[bragganhyl]

I took a trip down memory lane and I redrew the portrait I doodled for Gaura back in 2021 😊

[bragganhyl]

He really wants his shirt back, I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[bragganhyl]

for the poe asks! 4, 6 and 10!

Aay, thank you 💖💖💖

what voice did you choose for your watcher? does it have any significance?

The smooth voiceset in both games. (The "I got this, I got this" one lol) The PoE 1 version sounds close to how I imagine her demeanor, the Deadfire version sounds close to the pitch and raspiness that I had in mind for her. But yeah that's pretty much it.

how does your watcher's past life affect their current actions?

Answered it here

which god did your watcher make a deal with? did they keep their end of the bargain?

Hylea and yeah, she did. Gaura, however, comes to regret that choice after she sees those parents who got re-traumatized bc they no longer had a Hollowborn baby to be restored. If she got a do-over she'd probably pick Berath instead.

[bragganhyl]

1, 3, 6 and 23 c:

Yay thank you Viki <3

what is your watcher's class? how does it relate to their backstory?

Gaura is a chanter so like a bard shaped battering ram. She used to spend a lot of time as a kid in a temple dedicated to Magran in order to learn more about her "other mother" and the potential reasons why she might have given her the godlike chime. When she got fed up with Magran's silence, she just left and on that day she met a priestess of Hylea who gifted her a violin. Given that she had no real idea what to do with herself, Gaura figured she might as well learn to play the violin and then she moved on to learn chanting. Eventually that earned her a spot in the local expeditioner's guild and worked as an explorer until she left for the Dyrwood.

what are your watcher's likes and dislikes (like the ones poe2 companions have)?

Oohh this is tough, she likes a lot of things lol I'll try to limit things to 4

Likes: autonomy, levity, passion, resourcefulness.

Dislikes: zealotry, cruelty, irresponsibility, pro-Leaden Key.

how does your watcher's past life affect their current actions?

It doesn't for the most part, the Inquisitor is the Inquisitor and Gaura is Gaura, she doesn't equate herself to her soul. Still, given that her Awakening progressed quite far in PoE 1, her emotions towards Iovara are too deeply intertwined to really separate them. She can't help but love her and feel incredibly guilty for what happened to her.

Being able to speak Engwithan is also there I guess lol, she uses it a lot, it's quite the skill to have.

what does your watcher do after poe2?

For the most part, Gaura is focusing on rebuilding Caed Nua and... chilling. The events of Deadfire push her the down the path of the control freak and she needs to sort those feelings out if she were to be any help in post-Deadfire global politics without becoming a tyrant herself. Also she serves as a Watcher signal template and an Engwithan language expert for the Wheel fixing project.

[bragganhyl]

A while ago I doodled a tarot card for my Watcher, Gaura, which was The Chariot, however I figured The Star would fit her PoE 1 arc better so... yeah, here’s a companion piece.

(Based on The Pole Star by Alphonse Mucha)

[bragganhyl]

37.“you wrote me a song?” 👀 (Any)

Thank you, Anon, here is some Edér x Watcher sappiness (tho it does touch upon Edér's PoE 1 quest so... not that sappy).

Word count: around 1480 words

Sometimes, things that are lost are found again at the most interesting times. Edér never put much stock in Wael and their teachings, but as he did some tidying up around his bunk aboard the Defiant, he came across a parchment he was given at a time, that felt like a different lifetime. Looking back, those days felt like a different realm altogether, one that he could look at through the lens of truth about the world and its gods, but without the one who revealed that truth to him. He smiled at the sheet in his hands. It wasn’t meant for those hands, or those eyes: he was told it was a song about the Watcher, meant for the Watcher. Back then, he tucked the message away, promising himself and the sender that he would deliver it to the her with haste.

But then that delivery never occurred. Then the Watcher died. Then the farmer left everything behind just to get her back. He didn’t really pay attention to which bag he grabbed on the way to the other side of the world.

Still, Gaura’s fondness for music was undeniable. And Edér loved second chances almost as much as he loved her. He made his way to the captain’s cabin, anticipation getting the better of him as he knocked on the door and entered before the Watcher could respond.

‘Got something for you,’ he strode towards Gaura who sat by her desk, cluttered with maps and notes in a language he couldn’t read.

‘Is it a requisition order?’ She teased as she took the parchment, her lips curling giddily and a little mischievously. As she unfolded the parchment, her smile slowly faded, her eyes grew wide in surprise, and for a brief moment, she almost looked moved. Then she turned to Edér, astonished. ‘You wrote me a song?’ She asked incredulously.

Edér gave her a pointed look. ‘Come on, you know I ain’t got the first clue about how music works,’ he shrugged as he rested his hands on his hips.

‘You could always learn,’ the Watcher lightly patted his thigh, ‘I almost thought you did behind my back. This looks a lot like your handwriting.’

‘Nah, Sid wrote that. Remember her?’

Gaura furrowed her brows as she tried to match a face to the name.

‘Minstrel girl, worked at Dracogen Inn,’ Edér added, chuckling at the Watcher’s focused pouting.

‘The redheaded one?’

‘It’s a small village, there ain’t another one.’

‘Oh,’ Gaura turned her attention to sheet in her hands again, ‘I do remember her, she seemed cute.’

Edér’s eyes narrowed, a smirk lightly tugged at his lips. ‘Cute, as in…’

‘As in cute,’ she didn’t look up. ‘I thought she was working on a song about the inn.’

‘Yeah, she still was when I left,’ he chuckled as he reminisced, ‘just… you know… shortly after we passed through Dyrford, a miracle happened. A miracle so great, it made even the biawacs stop.’ Edér’s laugh grew louder. ‘At least that’s how folks there saw it. Told them the truth plenty of times, but not sure how much of it stuck. Of course, Sid just had to write something in your honor. Didn’t look at it though, so you let me know if it’s any good.’

‘I like it,’ the Watcher answered and flashed a radiant smile at Edér. ‘It’s a song about that time we passed through town. It’s sweet. Simple, but catchy, although it omits some details.’

‘Makes sense,’ Edér leaned down, his eyes poring over the parchment. ‘Don’t think a verse about those Skaenites would’ve been a decent fit. And if she sang about us sneaking into Clia-’ he sighed in exasperation, ‘that place, that might have started another war.’

‘Well, yes, but that’s not all that happened during our visit.’

It was only then that Edér noticed the Watcher’s intense gaze lingering on him. For a moment, the waves beyond the windows almost sounded like a breeze sweeping over tall grass.

‘I didn’t tell her about it.’

‘I didn’t think you would.’

Another moment passed in silence. Edér felt something form in his chest, empty but warm, something that he half-expected to hurt still, but in that very moment, looking at Gaura, he could only smile at her. Like looking at an old scar that he got doing something silly, which still looked grievous at the time. The Watcher smiled back, and the emptiness dissipated in the lightness and warmth she evoked.

‘Besides, I don’t think you can write about all that nothing that happened,’ he could even joke about it.

‘Come now, it wasn’t nothing,’ Gaura lightly slapped his leg with the back of her hand. She pushed aside some of her notes until she found an empty piece of parchment, then she took some ink and a quill, and stood up. ‘Watch me,’ she said with a wink and made her way to her footlocker.

She sat once again, her legs sprawling along the length of her footlocker, her eyes fixed on the horizon, the quill in her hand lightly caressing her lips as she sunk deeper and deeper into thought. It almost looked sudden, when she turned to Edér again. ‘You know, it would be nice if you came closer. You are my inspiration, after all,’ she said as she pulled her knees closer to herself. The farmer obliged her, and once he was nicely seated, she stretched her legs again over his lap.

She wrote a line, then another. Her head lightly bobbed to a rhythm only she could hear. Occasionally, the Watcher would look to Edér, her imagination running wild behind that intense gaze. He knew she wasn’t thinking of anything that would get him blushing, and yet he found the heat in his cheeks rising under that gaze. Then she would look to the sheet in her lap and keep writing, and he would notice a fluidity in the motion of her hand that wasn’t there before. He couldn’t quite tell how long they have sat there. It could have been mere minutes. It could have been an hour. Time could have frozen altogether. But eventually Gaura looked up with a triumphant smile.

‘There, two additional verses,’ she said as she offered the parchment to him.

Edér, however, pushed her hand away, shaking his head. ‘If you’re gonna write a song about me, you better sing it too.’

‘Hm, a fair request.’

Gaura looked at the sheet written by Sid. She placed a finger on the first note mapped on the parchment, and hummed it, loud and clear. She counted to herself. One, two, three, and on the fourth count, the words began flowing from her lips.

Silver sun upon your palm, Thunderous silence roars like a psalm, The truth is hollow, my heart is full, The answer you seek ‘s within your soul.

Silver sun upon your palm, Your breath and your heartbeat ring like a psalm, My truth for you is my faith in you, Trust in yourself, as I trust you.

The last note filled the room. Edér didn’t even notice the Watcher gently scolding herself.

‘It could be better, but it’s fine for a first draft, wouldn’t you agree?’

Edér was merely looking ahead. He absent-mindedly caressed her leg with a thumb. How has he not noticed that the sea sounds so much like a breeze upon a grassy field before?

‘Edér…?’

‘It’s perfect,’ he mumbled. Noticing the silence growing more awkward moment by moment, he cleared his throat and spoke again. ‘It’s perfect,’ he gave her a weary smile.

His reaction wasn’t good enough for her, however. The Watcher moved on to straddle him, gently pushing him against the stilted window behind him. ‘I’m sorry,’ she left one insistent kiss on him after the other, on his forehead, on his cheeks, on his eyes, wherever she could. After the fourth breathlessly whispered apology, Edér stopped her.

‘Don’t be,’ he locked lips with her for emphasis, ‘it’s a good verse, got me real moved.’

That was all there was to it. He didn’t know how else to say it. For a moment he was on that grassy field, his hands muddy, bodies laying by his feet, looking at this girl he only knew for a few weeks as she worked hard to make a miracle happen. All because he asked her to. But she had no revelation for him, not at that time, but that emptiness didn’t come with hopelessness anymore. Because she did lead him to a revelation eventually. One that left him crushed by its weight. But she stood beside him both times until he picked himself up, until he could look to a godless world and see the beauty of kith instead.

‘Are you sure you're alright?’ Gaura was examining his features, her concern still clearly written on her face. Edér laughed.

‘There ain’t a lot of things I feel more sure about.’

[bragganhyl]

@shyomission prompted me to doodle Gaura and Aloth in the first pose of this art meme so here they are 😊