#gwen x halsin

[unreadpoppy]

Gwen and Halsin modern AU based on this prompt by @inaconstantstateofchange

It's kinda like urban fantasy/magical realism, so basically magic but in our time. They both live in the same old ass bulding - Gwen, because it was the cheepest she could afford after moving out of her mom's house and Halsin because it's farther away from the center of the city. They have never met and are not aware of the other's existance, as they've never crossed the other.

Halsin works during the day, so he's always in his apartment at night. He's not one to really go out, so he stays home. When it gets late, he goes to his bed and, as an elf, enter that trance state. Everything's fine until he's awoken by the sound of his cellphone ringing, at aorund 3 am.

Weird. He doesn't get calls at this hour. With a sigh, he takes his phone from the nightstand and sees it that it's from the intercom.

Even weirder. Nobody ever uses the intercom, as it is such a pain in the ass to put your phone number in it. He decided to answer it and the person on the other side said "Hey, I ran out and forgot my keys. Please, let me in, I live in the -" Because of the intercom's poor quality, Halsin can barely understand what the persons, can't make out if they are male or female, and interference cuts the person saying their apartment number. It's quite cold outside, and it would be a cruelty to leave someone outside, so Halsin clicks on the button that opens the main entrance doors. He turns off his phone and goes back to his trance, thinking nothing of it.

Except that it happens again. And again. And again. Almost twice a week, the same person would call him through the intercom and ask to be let in. Halsin began wondering what the hell was going on. Why did they never have a key with them? Why did they always call him? He began wondering if they even lived in that building. Regardless, the elf can't bring himself to not allow them in every time.

One day, when he comes back from work, there's a little note outside his door. Next to it, was something smelling good, wrapped in aluminium foil.

'Hi! I'm the person always calling on the intercom. Times have been tough for me, so as a thank you for always opening the door, here's an apple pie I bake.

Best regards - Gwendolyn Gray, apartment 903'

Picking up the gift, he got inside his apartment, a smile forming on his face. As he ate the pie, he wondered: maybe I could pay this Gwendolyn a visit.

[spicypepperjack]

Imagine if Miles and Gwen were transported into the BG3 Faerun on a mission to help out Tav/Durge, who happened to be the Spider of this verse. I'd think that the BG3 companions would react to them like:

Wyll, Gale, and Shadowheart would be happy to have them and would want to mentor and guide them to be their best

Lae'zel, Minthara, and Astarion would initially feel inconvenienced and annoyed by them, but would warm up over time once they realize how capable the Spider duo is

Karlach, Halsin, Jaheira, and Minsc would be like "if anything happens to them, I'll kill everyone in this room, and then myself"

Withers would still be cryptic as heck

[unreadpoppy]

Part 2 of this AU

Gwendolyn didn't mean to abuse of this stranger's kindness, but they were the only person who answered the damn intercom. For the past few weeks, whenever she received a call from the hospital, she would run out, and every single time, she forgot her keys.

When she first used the intercom, she was ready for no one to answer. She started to consider calling Astarion over to see if he could somehow unlock the door, but before she could give this idea more room in her head, someone picked up.

"Hey, I ran out and forgot my keys. Please, let me in, I live in the 903 apartment!" Gwendolyn said on the intercom, and without another word, the door opened. Whoever lived in 801 had become her angel in disguise.

Two days after this incident, it happened again. Remembering the numbers from last time, she was ready to beg the person, apologizing for incoviniencing them at such an hour but it hadn't been necessary. Before Gwen could even utter a word, the door had opened.

And it happened again. And again. And again. She began wondering who the hell was awake at those ungodly hours? Why were they so kind as to help a stranger out? And would they found it weird that she was leaving a home made apple pie in their door? Hopefully not, as the deed was already done.

The next day, Gwen is sleeping on the couch when the sound of a knocking on the door wakes her up. She ignores it at first, but as Scratch begins to bark, she grumply stands up, shouting "Hang on!" before looking through the magic eye.

Gwen didn't recognize the man on the other side, but whoever he was, he was handsome. Too handosme. And she looked like an absolute mess. She passed a hand through her hair, in a lazy attempt to fake comb it, using her hand to fix her clothes a bit before opening the door, the security chain stopping it from opening it fully and letting Scratch out.

"Hi!" She said, smiling a bit. "Who are you?"

"I'm Halsin, from 801. I wanted to give back your plate and maybe talk for a bit. Is that a problem?"

Gwen stood there, thinking. 801...where she had seen that number- oh fuck. This was the guy that always opened the door for her???

"Oh my gods, yes, I mean, no, it's not a problem." She unlocked the chain and montioned him inside "Please, come in."

Now, Gwendolyn began to regret that decision the moment she realized how unorganized her apartment looked. With all that was happening recently, she hadn't had time to clean everything, besides Scratch's ocasional mess. She only opened this Halsin fellow wouldn't mind.

"Here, let me take this from you." She took the plate from his hand, walking over to the kitchen so that she could wash it. "I hope the pie was good. I haven't baked in a long time."

"Oh, it was delicious." He smiled, sitting on a chair and resting his arms in the kitchen balcony. "The best I had in a long time and a welcome reprieve after work."

"Oh?" Gwen said. She opened the fridge, grabbing some left overs and walked over to where he was, taking a seat next to him. "If you won't mind, I'm starving. But tell me, what do you work with?"

"I teach science and biology classes at the Emerald Grove School. My classes are all in the morning period, so in the afternoon I do some volunteer work here and there."

"Is working early the reason why you're always awake to answer the intercom?" Gwen decided to enter that subject.

Halsin chuckled. "Not necessairly. I'm an elf, so you're not really waking me up, just getting me away from my trance."

Her pink cheeks reddened as she finished her food, putting the plate aside. "I'm really sorry for the inconvienence. Truly, I didn't mean to use you in such way."

He waved a hand. "It's alright. It would be unfair to leave a neighbour out in the open in the middle of winter." Halsin sighed. "But tell me: why are you always forgetting your keys? Did somebody stole them?"

Gwen took a deep breath, standing up from the chair to go wash her plate. She looked down as she spoke. "No....it's-it's my mom. She's in the hospital."

"I apologize-"

"It's alright." Gwendolyn looked at him. "She caught some infection, so she has to stay there for treatment. I would stay there to accompany her, but I have to work, so only visitation hours for me." She took a deep breath. For a moment, she wondered if it was a good idea to be opening up to a stranger, but this Halsin seemed like a decent guy. Besides, she owned him an explanation. "The problem is, my mom has...episodes. I don't know what to call them, the doctor once said it was mania, I think." She shook her head. "Whatever it is, when she has those, she can get aggressive. Doesn't know where she is, begins to scream and harm herself. The only thing that calms her down is knowing I'm there, so when the hospital calls, I just run there."

"And everytime you go, you leave your keys behind." Halsin finished and she nodded. "I'm really sorry that you are going through this."

"It's...tough. But, I'll manage it." She gave him a tired smile. They looked at each other for a moment, before Gwen looked at the clock. "Oh shit, I think I'll have to leave soon."

"Then I'll be on my way then." Halsin stood up, making his way towards the door. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too!"

Halsin looked around and asked "Do you have any pen and paper?"

"Scratch! Go grab me the pen and paper!" She shouted and soon, the dog appeared with a block of stick paper and a pen on his mouth. "Good boy!" She said, before taking it from his mouth and handing it to Halsin.

Surprisingly, the paper was not as wet as he would have expected it, and so he quickly wrote something down. "You already know my apartment, but here's my personal number. If you ever need anything - help, a shoulder to cry on or a couch to crash in, feel free to give me a call." He gave the paper to her, walking out the door. "See you around."

"Bye." Gwen waved and closed the door, and quickly added his number to her phone. Maybe she would give him a call soon.

...

This based on @inaconstantstateofchange intercom prompt, which can be found here.

[unreadpoppy]

Halsin's Bugged Ending

Halsin x Tav (Gwen)

Summary: After the Netherbrain, Halsin and Gwen created their own community, a shelter for anyone who needed. During the reunion, however, Halsin drinks a bit much and momenterily forgets the last six months.

Read on AO3

A/N: Based on the game bugging for me in the epilogue.

Six months had passed since the defeat of the Nether Brain. 

Six months since the tadpole was extinguished and Gwen’s mind was quiet again. 

Six months since she and Halsin, along with many other refugees, left the city and created their own community, hidden from the rest of the world and open to any who seek shelter. 

Now, the couple found themselves back at the camp where their adventures began, alongside the others. Withers had organized the party, gathering everyone, including Scratch and the Owlbear Cub. 

After getting misty eyed from reading the letters from old acquaintances, Gwen decided to go speak with everyone else. From the corner of her eye, she saw Halsin and Astarion drinking, but she knew the druid well enough to not worry about it. 

“How have things been?” Wyll asked. He and Karlach had spent the last quarter of a year in the Hells, fighting Zariel’s armies and were now closer to solving the tiefling’s engine problem. 

Gwen told him about the commune she and Halsin had created, about the children, Thaniel and Oliver. “I even convinced my mother to go live with us.” Gwen laughed. “She was mad about me disappearing for so long, but she quite likes it there.’’

“And are you happy? I remember how you used to say you wanted to keep adventuring.” 

She sighed. “If you spent the first eighteen years of your life in the middle of the woods, with only your mother as company, of course you’d want to explore what the world had to give.” She said. “But that was seven years ago, and after all we’ve been through, I’m glad to have some peace and quiet.” 

Gwen paused, thinking of everything that had happened. “I’ve found that I quite missed this sense of normalcy.” She smiled. “Besides, waking up in your lover’s embrace everyday does make things a whole lot better.”

Wyll chuckled. “Talking about him, where is Halsin?” 

“He was talking with Astarion, I believe.” 

On cue, the vampire walked up towards them, a playful look on his face. “Dear Gwen, may I have a moment with you?” 

She looked back to Wyll. “Go on, I’ll see you later.” She nodded and turned her attention towards the elf. 

“What did you do?” 

“My, why do you assume I did anything?” Astarion said.

Gwen raised a brow. “You’re making the same face the children make when they’ve done something they shouldn’t.” She put her hands on her hips. “Spit it out.”

“You’re no fun.” Astarion pouted. “Fine. I may have gotten the big guy drunk.” 

“What?” Gwen’s eyebrow went up. In their time together, she had never seen Halsin drunk. She even began to question if he had the ability to do so. “How did you do that?” 

“We were commenting on how good the wine was, and I managed to convince him, Shadowheart and Minthara to do a little drinking competition.” He explained, smirking. “Either the wine is too good or Halsin’s much more of a lighter drinker then I assumed, but he was the first to get shit faced.” Astarion laughed. “It was quite amusing, actually.”

“Why?”

“Well, for one, he was talking about how he was oh so happy to see you again after so long. How these six months have been so lonely without you. He asked us if you had been seeing someone and when we said yes, he almost burst into tears.” 

Gwen sighed. “And where is he now?” 

“I think Shadowheart had left him near the water. Good luck with him.” Astarion said and left, the little shit. 

After walking a bit, she found the druid sat on the ground, his legs crossed while looking out into the river, a bottle of wine in his hands. 

She approached him silently, and put a hand on his shoulder while taking the wine. “I think that’s enough drinking for you, love.” 

He turned around, eyes widened. “Gwendolyn Gray…it’s been so long.” 

“Okay, you’re way more drunk than I thought if you’re going to be using my full name.” She whispered. Gwen sat down next to him and took his hands. He hadn’t heard what she said. 

The druid looked at her, eyes full of sadness. “Is it true what they said? That you have found someone?” She bit her lip to contain a laugh. “I won’t judge you for it. You are not tied to me after all.” 

She nodded. “Yes, I have settled down with a certain someone.” 

Halsin sniffled. “That’s…that’s good.”

“Yes.” She nodded. “He’s a great guy, you know. Big heart, gentle but a fierce protector of nature. Also extremely handsome.” 

“I see…” He looked down. “Well, you and your partner are always welcome in my community. I would…love to see you there, one day.” 

That broke Gwen and she let out a laugh, confusing the elf. “I don’t understand what’s so funny.” 

“Darling, I’m talking about you!”

“What?”

She leaned closer to him. “I think you might have drank too much.” The sorcerer pressed a kiss to his forehead and stood up, offering her hand. “Come.”

He did as he was told, brows furrowed, following Gwen. Halsin saw her speaking with Jaheira. The other druid laughed and then cast something on him. 

In an instant, he felt his mind clear. 

“Halsin, in the past six months, where have I been?” His lover asked. 

“You came with me, with the other refugees. We have our little community, away from prying eyes.” Gwen sighed. His brow furrowed. “Why the question?” 

She laughed and shook her head. “Nothing, nothing, I just wanted to see if you were alright.” 

Confusion was written on his face. He put a hand on her shoulder. “My heart, are you well?”

Gwen smiled, putting a hand on his cheek. “Everything's perfect, my love.” She kissed him on the lips. “I’ll explain later. For now, let’s enjoy the rest of this party.” 

[unreadpoppy]

The kids will be okay

Halsin x Tav (Gwen) + Natahlia and Reilyth

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Summary: Halsin struggles with his relationship with Natahlia, his step daughter.

A/N: I wrote this some weeks ago, it's basically Halsin x Gwen but focused on Halsin's relationship with his step daughter, Natahlia (She's Gwen's daughter btw). Post canon.

She had noticed in the afternoon, how Halsin was carrying a saddened expression throughout the day. Because of all the children they had to tend to, she didn’t find time to speak with him until night, after they had tucked all the little ones in bed and made their way to their own shared quarters.

“I didn’t think it was that noticeable.” Halsin sighed, sitting on the bed.

“For the untrained eye, it isn’t. But I know you too well.” She smiled, sitting next to him, a hand on his thigh. “Tell me what happened.”

“It’s Natahlia.” He breathed out. “She tripped and fell today, while playing with Reilyth. I rushed over to help, but she denied it. When I pushed a little, she screamed, saying I wasn’t her father and ran off.”

“Oh…” Was all Gwen could say. In truth, her first daughter was in a peculiar situation. She wasn’t Halsin’s child, but Raphael’s. At first, when the pair discovered who the father was, they tried to hide it from the cambion, but it did not last long. Soon, after she was born, the devil came knocking on their door, demanding to see his offspring. To Gwen’s surprise, Raphael smiled while holding the baby, wanting to participate in her education.

Soon, an accord had been made between the three adults. Natahlia would be raised with her mother and Halsin, but, from time to time, she would have to spend a few weeks in Raphael’s House of Hope. It wasn’t an ideal situation but it was better than the alternative - the devil snatching her up for good.

And although she wasn’t his, Halsin treated Natahlia as his own child. He talked to her the same way he talked to Reilyth, trying to teach her about nature and the world. Things had gotten tense, however, after Natahlia suffered an accident while in her father’s house, scarring her face. That had been months and she hadn’t visited Raphael since, becoming more closed off and hostile towards the others.

“I-I just, I don’t know what to do.” Halsin said exasperated. “I do not want to overstep, but she’s just a child and I can’t not worry.” He turned to Gwen. “I know she’s not my daughter, but I want her to have a happy childhood, a good life and a good fa-” he cut himself off before finishing.

Gwendolyn took his hands in her, kissing his knuckles. “I know it’s complicated, my love. She’s only six years old and she is in a very different situation than any of her friends. She’s beginning to experience a lot of different emotions that she doesn’t know how to handle.” She put her hand on his cheek. “You’re good for her. Give her some time, let her process things and then talk to her.”

The two touched their foreheads and closed their eyes. With a sign, Halsin was the first to move away, snuffing out the candles and preparing himself to sleep.

…

The sound of small footsteps entering their room was what awoke the couple. Halsin, being an elf, didn’t sleep, instead entering a state of meditation, allowing him to be aware of his surroundings at night. Gwen, ever since her first child was born, had become an extremely light sleeper.

With a snap of her fingers, the candles in their room were lit and they saw their daughter, Reilyth standing at the foot of their bed, a teddy bear in her arms and her face stained with tears.

“Reilyth, what happened, my love?” Gwen asked, as she quickly hopped of the bed to pick up the child in her arms.

The little girl sobbed as she told her mother. “Natahlia’s gone.”

“What?” Gwen frowned and looked at Halsin worriedly.

Reilyth sniffed. “I heard some noise and woke up and I didn’t see her anywhere.” She began crying again. “I’m sorry mommy, I don’t know where she went.”

“Shh, it’s ok.” She said, hugging Reilyth close to her chest, looking at Halsin, who was already halfway through the door.

“Stay with the children, I’ll go find her.” He said, before shifting into a bear and running into the forest.

…

While in this form, it didn’t take long for Halsin to track her smell, considering that bears had a better nose than humans. He ran until he could see a small figure in a clearing. She was laying on the ground, crying and Halsin quickly turned back to his usual self.

Approaching slowly, he said “Natahlia? Is that you?”

“It hurts!” She cried, and as Halsin got closer, he saw what the problem was. There was a nasty cut on her leg, blood pouring out of it. In an instant, he knelt next to her, his hand glowing as he cast a healing spell.

“It will be alright soon, just hang on a little longer.” He said to her, trying to comfort her. Natahlia looked in awe as the cut soon closed, her leg looking as if it had never been hurt before. “See? You’re good as new.” Halsin smiled at her.

Natahlia gave a sniff, wiping her cheek. “Thank you.” She said and then looked down at her hands. Halsin looked at her, worried.

“Are you alright?” He asked in a soft tone.

“Why does he have to be my father? Why couldn’t it be you?” She whispered, and then looked up at him, her eyes glinting with tears. Halsin could feel his own heart begin to break. “He’s never around, and he doesn’t hug me after I get hurt. It's not fair!”

Halsin began to connect the dots as her earlier outburst started to make more sense. When she said he wasn’t her father, it wasn’t to insult him - it was her trying to deal with the reality of it all.

The druid shifted his position, helping her get up, and then supporting himself on one knee, trying to get to her height. “I do not know why things are the way they are, why do the gods give us the parents we have or the hardships we face.” He put one finger underneath her chin, raising her head up. “But I know that we don’t need to face things alone. You have your mother, your sister, your friends and you have me.” He wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. “I promise I’ll always be here for you.”

At that, Natahlia threw herself into his arms, hugging him. Halsin enveloped her in his arms, comforting her, his hand petting her hair. “I’m sorry about what I said.” She said, looking up at him.

Halsin smiled and kissed her forehead. “All is well now.” He stood up, picking her up in his arms. “Now, let’s get back before your mother dies of worry.”

…

The moment she saw Halsin arrive, with Natahlia sitting on his shoulders, she ran to them, with Reilyth in her arms. She gave her to Halsin as he put Natahlia on the ground.

Gwendolyn knelt on the ground and hugged the girl tightly. “You gave me such a scare.” She checked the girl for bruises. “Are you hurt?”

Natahlia shook her head. “Daddy healed me.” She said, looking back at Halsin, who was holding Reilyth. “He made everything better.”

Gwnedolyn hugged her again. “I’m glad you're ok but never do this again, you understand me?” She told her and Natahlia nodded. “Now let’s get everyone back to bed.” Gwen stood up and held her daughter’s hand, Halsin trailing behind.

…

After kissing Reilyth on the head, he turned towards Natahlia. Tucking her in, he said “No more scares for tonight, promise?”

“Promise.”

“Good.” He leaned forwards and kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams.”

Natahlia reached forwards and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for everything, daddy.” She laid down again and turned, closing her eyes. Halsin smiled as he made his way towards Gwen, who stood in the doorway.

She looked at him, smiling softly and placing her head on his chest, one of his arms coming around her waist, as she looked at their daughters.

Halsin sighed, relieved. “I think she’ll be alright.”

Gwen nodded, looking up at him and then pressing a kiss on his lips. “I believe so too. I think they’ll both be ok.” She moved away from the door, offering her hand. “Now, I think it’s our turn to receive some well deserved rest.”

[unreadpoppy]

Little Lamb - Halsin x Gwen (Tav)

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A/N: A little something based on this lovely artwork and a conversation with @inaconstantstateofchange. Also, for those that don't know, Gwen is my wild magic sorcerer Tav.

It was a quiet day in camp, part of the group had gone out shopping in the lower city, while Gwen, Halsin and Gale had opted to stay, choosing to take the day to rest. The druid was focused on his whittling when he heard a strange noise. 

Beeeeh. Beeeeh. Beeeh.

He put his tools down, and looked around. Although they had a couple of animals in their camp, a sheep was not one of them. Halsin stood up, following the noise into the pen where the Owlbear Cub usually stayed. 

Instead of the cub, however, he was met with the sight of a lamb. It ‘beeeh’d at him again, prompting Halsin to gently pick it up. Quickly casting a Speak with Animals spell, he asked the lamb “Are you lost, little one?” 

“Halsin, it’s me, Gwen.” The animal responded. “Wild magic surge.” 

Now things made more sense. He remembered how more than once, especially during battles, Gwen would accidently turn herself into a sheep, or turn everyone else into cats and dogs. Although, it was strange that this time she had been turned into a lamb. 

The druid chuckled, finding the sorceress quite cute in this form which earned himself a small bite. “It’s not funny.” Gwen huffed. 

“Forgive me, my heart.” He said, still a smile on his face, scratching her chin as an apology. “If it makes you feel better, you look as lovely as ever like this.” She placed her head on his shoulder, and Halsin moved his face give a small kiss on the top of her head. 

A few seconds later, she shifted in his arms, jumping away from him. Midway in the air, she was surrounded by a colorful smoke, returning to her tiefling form as she reached the ground. 

Gwendolyn, after wiping down her robe, put a hand on her neck. “Ugh, I always feel sore after transforming. Especially when it’s a smaller animal.” 

Halsin smirked, getting an idea. He stepped closer, putting a hand on waist. “Well, I can think of a way to help. A massage, perhaps?” 

She raised a brow, a small smile forming on her face. “Lead the way.” He grabbed her hand and led her back to his tent. 

Maybe wild magic surge wasn’t always so bad.

[unreadpoppy]

Wash My Dreams Away - Chapter 5

Halsin x Gwen (Tav) (and also on some aspects, Raphael x Gwen, i swear it'll make sense later down the line)

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Chapter 4

A/N:  In this chapter, I do a whole lot of ret-conning, and character background that i hadn’t done before so yeah. Also, officially turning this into a Halsin fic but Raphael is still going to be messing around with some stuff. Also, this chapter took way longer then I intended due to a mix of anxiety and depression + my executives dysfuctioning.

A/N 2: This chapter is way longer than I inteded it to be.

After spending fifteen minutes laying motionless with her eyes closed, Gwendolyn turned in the bedroll. Although she felt tired, sleep evaded her. 

Another twenty minutes passed. She rolled over to the other side and began counting sheep. Gwen just wanted to sleep the day away but by the time she got to a hundred sheep, she stood up, and began walking around Last Light Inn, while the others rested. 

She continued walking and walking, doing nothing until her belly began to grumble and she walked back to camp. The tiefling was halfway through eating her breakfast when she felt a pair of eyes upon her, and a familiar proding around in her mind. 

“Minthara.” Gwen grumbled, turning around to look at the drow. “Stay out of my mind.” 

“What are you doing awake at this hour?” She crossed her arms. 

“What’s the problem with me being up early? Aren’t you usually complaining about me taking long to wake up?”

“It is true that I’d prefer that our leader was not one of the last to rise from their bed.” Minthara squinted her eyes. “However, I recognize you are of a lesser disposition that requires more hours of sleep.” She eyed Gwen. “This sudden change is perturbing.”

Gwendolyn waved a hand. “Relax, I was just…hungry and decided to go ahead.” 

Minthara hummed but dropped the subject. Time passed and the others elves, Astarion and Halsin, soon arose from their transe, raising brows when noticing the tiefling was awake. 

The druid walked up to her, eyeing her up and down. He noticed the small purple marks of sleeplessness forming in the corner of her eye. “Did you sleep well?”

“Oh yeah.” She lied. “I went to sleep earlier than usual, so I ended up getting hungry for breakfast earlier as well.” She avoided looking in his eyes, hoping her deceit would pass.

He turned his head, taking in her words. “If you say so.” Halsin replied. For the remainder of the day, the druid kept a keen eye on her, noticing how often she yawned, seeming more tired than the rest of the group. 

…

After a day of walking and fighting, and without having fully rested the night before, Gwendolyn thought that sleep would come easy. 

But, by the time she had counted a hundred and twenty sheep, she got up from the bedroll. Walking around hadn’t helped in the previous day, so now she decided to do something less…physically active, and instead, read a book.

Or at least, tried to. Gwen could barely focus on the words on the page, because all she could think of was ‘why can’t I sleep?’

At some point, she let go of the book, and just looked straight ahead as her thoughts raced. Did she drink some potion that was causing this side effect? Was she cursed? Maybe this was some sort of p-

“It’s too late for you to be awake.” She heard a voice, snapping her back into reality. 

“Halsin?” Gwen rubbed her eyes and looked at the figure. “What are you doing awake?”

“Your murmuring woke me.” The tiefling hadn’t noticed that she had been speaking. He walked up to her and offered a hand. “We should talk somewhere more private.” Gwendolyn held onto him and stood up, following him into his tent. Usually, he’d share it with Minthara, but since the drow was still on the bedroll, the place was empty. 

“I’m sorry, by the way, for waking you.” She settled down in his tent. 

Halsin frowned. “If I were you, I’d be more worried about the fact that you have barely slept in two days.” Gwen looked down, ashamed. “I noticed how tired you looked during the day.” He sat next to her. “Is something troubling you?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know why I can’t sleep. I’ve tried counting sheep, laying still, walking, reading, but nothing works.” She sighed. “I can feel the tiredness in my bones, but I just….can’t.” She brought her knees close to her chest, hugging them. “I wonder if this is some sort of punishment.” 

His frown deepened. “Why would it be?”

Gwendolyn took a deep breath, considering this was a long story and her brain was barely functioning. “I don’t talk much about this, especially after Wyll’s whole situation but I…have a contract with a fiend.”

“You’re a warlock?” 

She nodded. “It’s a complicated story, but I was a warlock even before my wild magic began to show up.” She looked up at him, eyes tired. “It’s a complicated story, I’ll explain it better some other time but I can’t help but wonder if maybe that’s the case.” She shrugged. “If maybe he’s upset with me and this is my punishment.” 

It was Halsin’s turn to take a deep breath. He looked at her, softly. “That is a…tense situation, but, if it’s truly the case, there’s still some hope. You could speak with your patron, right whatever wrong he thinks you committed.” 

Gwen looked at him for a moment and then straight ahead, before nodding. “I hadn’t considered this but…maybe it could work.” She stood up, making her way out of the tent. When she noticed that Halsin was following behind, she stopped to look at him. “You don’t…you don’t need to help me. I’ve perturbed your sleep enough as is.” 

He walked up to her. “Elves do not need as much sleep as you do, but also, you have done a lot for me. Let me help you with this.” She looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity in then and nodded. 

She led him outside of camp, passing by her own tent and grabbing a few items, including a dagger and some stuff to make fire. Halsin whispered a ‘Silvanus protect me’ as he followed the tiefling. 

He helped Gwen gather some wood and stayed a few feet behind her. The druid crossed his arms as she began speaking in what he recognized as infernal, although he didn’t fully understand it. He paid close attention as she lit a small fire and retrieved her dagger. Halsin felt the urge to step forwards, in case anything went wrong, but stopped himself. 

‘You’ll have to trust me on this and stay back.’ He remembered her warning. ‘If you stand too close, it’ll hurt you more than it will me.’ 

He gritted his teeth as she sliced her palm open, blood dripping onto the flames, fuelling until they turned red, rising into a full bonfire. The smell of sulfur filled the air, and as the flames died down, a devil stood there. 

The fiend was tall, with red skin, ong black hair and a small beard that ended with a thin, long braid. From afar, Halsin noticed how the fiend had the same curled horns as Gwen, adorned with gold rings, and how his eyes looked like the tiefling’s red and black eye. The two converse in infernal, the devil had his tattooed arms crossed and an unreadable expression. 

The elf noticed a peculiar interaction between the two of them. At one point, Gwendolyn’s head dropped and her shoulders slumped, as if she was disappointed. He saw the devil place a clawed hand on her shoulder, squeezing it, a gesture of reassurance and as the flames died, he was gone. 

Gwendolyn walked towards him, shaking her head. “He didn’t know anything.” She sighed. “Said he hadn’t done a thing but that strange forces were at work, and he might take a look into it, but besides that, nothing.” She threw her hands in the air. “Strange forces at work, as if we weren’t in the shadow cursed fucking lands.” 

Halsin stayed silent, letting her speak. Meanwhile, he gently took her injured hand, covering it with both of his, while muttering something. She stopped talking, looking at the yellow glow coming off of his hands, and when he removed it, her wound had sealed. 

“There you go.” He gave her a small smile. 

“I…thank you.” She replied, and even under the darkness, Halsin swore he could see a bit of blushing on her cheeks. “I, uhm, think we should go back to camp. I’ll go and try to sleep.” Before he could say anything, she left.

…

Gwendolyn hadn’t slept in three days and the effects were getting to her. One day, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror. She looked almost as bad as the shadow creatures they fought. There were dark circles under her eyes, her usually bright pink skin was looking more pale than the vampire himself, her freckles were faded and even the others were beginning to notice. 

Lae’zel had made remarks about Gwen’s recent performance in battles and how she was slacking, Gale was constantly snapping his fingers to bring back her attention, when she’d close off her eyes halfway through a conversation and at this point, the only thing that kept her going were healing potions. 

Without being able to regain all of her spell slots, Gwen had been using more of her weapons, though with her lack of rest, the blows rarely landed. Besides, Gwendolyn felt that she was dragging the group down, considering they hadn’t made any progress in finding the entrance to the mausoleum. 

On the fourth night, she decided that other measures would need to be taken if she was to go to sleep. Counting sheep, walking, humming a lullaby, reading hadn’t worked. Maybe there was something she could drink, a potion, an elixir or…

‘No. This isn’t a good idea, it’s a terrible idea, in fact.’ is what Gwen told herself as she started making her way towards Minthara’s tent, while the drow was busy sparring with Lae’zel. Just the other day, the tiefling had placed in her bag something that could work. 

‘You shouldn’t be doing this. Minthara’s gonna hate you for it, it’s a stupid idea.’ She thought to herself as she crouched down and opened the bag, moving things around until she found it. 

Drow poison, which had an effect of putting a target to sleep. Gwendolyn held the vial in her hand, contemplating if she really was about to do that. 

‘You’re gonna get poisoned and then Shadowheart is going to have to heal your ass up but….you’ll get some sleep’ she rationalized to herself. It wouldn’t hurt, it was just a few hours of sleep and then she would be back to her normal self. 

As she was about to take it, she felt a hand wrapping around her wrist, raising it high and removing the poison from her hand. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Minthara said angrily, loud enough to gather the attention of the others. “You could have been poisoned!” the drow shouted, still holding onto Gwen’s wrist. 

“What’s going on here?” Gwendolyn heard Shadowheart ask. From behind her, she saw Halsin standing with his arms crossed and face with a look of concern. 

“I saw her sneaking around in my tent, and when I walked in, she had this” Minthara showed the group the poison “in her hands, ready to drink it.” 

“Gwen, why would you do that?” The cleric asked. “You could have p-”

“Yes, I know!” The tiefling spoke up, removing her hand from the drow’s grasp but still sitting on the floor. “I know what I was doing. I was going to drink the damn poison cause I wanted some fucking sleep!” 

She threw her hands in the air. “Gods, I haven’t have a night of rest in four fucking days! I tried everything, and I do mean everything. I’ve asked Gale to cast sleep on me and it didn’t work, I tried speaking with my patron and it didn’t work, even when I get knocked out in battle, it doesn’t last long.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I tried all the usual methods and nothing fucking works!” Gwen brought her hands to her face, wiping the tears that began to fall. “I’m tired, I’ve been dragging the party down and I need sleep. If taking drow poison would bring me that sweet bliss of rest, then I would take it.” 

Gwendolyn sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and then slowly getting up. “I’m sorry, Minthara, for looking through your stuff.” She whispered. The drow, who until that point had been frowning, softened her expression in the slightest, giving the tiefling a tight nod of the head. Gwen brushed past her and the others, leaving the tent. 

“I have never seen her like this.” Shadowheart whispered. 

Minthara, still holding the poison in her hand, looked at the others. “We must find a way before she causes serious harm to herself.” 

Shadowheart nodded, while Halsin thought. Then, the druid spoke. “There might be something. The potion of angelic slumber. It wouldn’t be a permanent solution but it would give her the rest she needs.” 

Minthara looked at him. “Do you know where we can find this?”

He shook his head. “It is a rare thing to find but with the right ingredients, I believe I could concoct one.” 

“Tell us what you need.” Shadowheart asked and Halsin listed the items. The three looked at each other in silence, with only one thought in mind. 

They needed to act soon.

[unreadpoppy]

Wash My Dreams Away - Chapter 6

Halsin x Gwen (Tav) / Raphael x Gwen (Tav) on the side

Read on AO3

Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter took me so long to make and it's so big but here it is. I’m probably going to be taking way longer now to update my on going fics because my university classes came back and so did my internship which means I’m either tired or stressed most of the time. Also, tw for suicide since Yurgir kills himself in this one.

As Gwendolyn’s insomnia persisted - though now she was able to take a few, small naps -  the group decided to give attention to other matters, halting the search for the Thorm family mausoleum temporarily. 

In that time period, Halsin saw the state in which the fist, Art Cullagh was, and thought it possible that maybe he would know how to find Thaniel. After finding his lute in the House of Healing, Art woke up, explaining what had happened to him. With that information, the druid opened up a portal, rescuing the nature spirit. Now, it was only a matter of reuniting him with his other half. 

However, while on this mission, Gwen discovered the grim fate of Locke and Komira - Arabella’s parents. Though Withers had reassured that the young tiefling would be safe, now that she had the Weave with her, Gwendolyn couldn’t help but feel for her. 

“Someone so young shouldn’t have to go through such grief.” She had said to Halsin. Since he wasn’t getting close to solving her insomnia problem, he’d offered the next best thing: company. 

“Nature can be quite cruel.” He replied. “But it always balances itself in the end.” The druid looked at Gwen. “She may have lost her parents, but she has found great power within. Besides, Arabella still has the other tieflings to look out for her.” 

“I know but…I wish there was more that we could do for her.” She sighed. “That I could do for her.”

Halsin placed a hand on her shoulder. “You saved her life, Gwendolyn. And you brought her comfort and shelter when she most needed it.” He told her. 

Gwen looked forwards, watching the girl playing with Scratch and the owlbear cub, laughing around, a bit of her magic sparking. The tiefling nodded and then shook her head. “It’s amazing how always right you are.” She gave Halsin a smirk, the closest thing to a smile she had given to anyone in the past days. 

It may not have been much, but the old elf had to admit how much he had missed seeing her smile, even if it was this. He chuckled. “No one is ever always right. I just happen to be good at observation.” 

Gwen huffed, and shook her head. Her attention shifted towards his tent, and upon seeing the sleeping Thaniel, she sighed. “Have you figured out what’s wrong with him?”

Halsin nodded. “The shadows rended him in two when they bore him away to the Shadowfell. Half of his essence remained here, amidst the curse.” The druid proceeded to explain how the other half must have been corrupted from being in the shadow cursed land, that it might not recognize Thaniel or be reasoned with. 

Gwen nodded. “You have any ideas on how to find the missing part?”

“No matter how the shadows might have twisted it, it’s still a part of Thaniel’s essence. It will resemble him somehow, and may show part of his powers.” He proposed. “Look for signs of life in the darkness. Wildflowers, where everything else is dead.”

While he spoke, Gwen began thinking if she had seen anything like that before. The wildflowers part, especially, spoke to her. 

“I think…I think I know somewhere we could look first.” She said, cautiously. “My memory may be a bit foggy now but I remember collecting a night orchid - Shadowheart’s favorites - near this old house.”

Halsin nodded. “It could be a beginning. I’ll admit that, when we first entered the shadow cursed lands, I saw something of the sort. Fool that I am, I did not grasp their significance at the time.” He shook his head and continued. “There is a ruin, some way outside of Last Light. I caught a glimpse of fresh blooms there, but did not investigate further. I shall mark it on your map.” 

Gwen put her hands on her tights and pushed herself up. “I’ll go get to it.” She yawned, turning her back to him and walking away. 

Halsin quickly stood to his feet. “Gwen, wait.” He gently grabbed her wrist, turning her back to him. “This is not a burden you have to bear alone.” He said, looking into her eyes. “Every moment counts, and I’ve asked much of you already without being at your side.” 

Gwen raised a brow but let him continue. “If you want me, I’m yours. Against the curse, the Absolute - anything. Just say the word.” At that, the tiefling could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. She took a deep breath as he said“I’ll be ready.” 

Looking at him, she could see the sincerity in his words. She had been for a long time for him to join them, not just because he would be a valuable asset, but so that Halsin would be around more often. In truth, she had become intrigued by him. Halsin had a heart as big as his stature but he was also fierce when needed. He was a good listener, wise and when around the druid, Gwen felt safe. In the past weeks, she had gotten closer to him, considering him a friend. 

‘I wonder if he feels the same.’ She thought. ‘If there could be more…’ A stray thought passed through her head, of them becoming more than friends, but she shook her head.

“I think you should come with us. I want you to come with us.” Gwendolyn finally spoke up. 

Halsin smiled. “Now our roots can deepen - together.” 

The tiefling ran off, gathering the others, and soon, they were in search of Thaniel’s missing half. 

…

Once Oliver and Thaniel were reunited, the fey arose from his slumber, putting the party back on their mission: if the shadow curse was to be lifted, Ketheric Thorm must die. 

The Thorm Mausoleum. After a day of search, the entrance was finally there. There was a mixture of feelings - relief that they were one step closer to their goal, and anxiety, for only the gods knew what awaited them. 

As they approached it, Raphael made his presence known.

“Our hero but thought a treasure ahead, Did not consider the peace of the dead.” He said, turning his attention to the party. “Through the dark she went creeping, And awoke what was sleeping. A new grave they dug, which she herself fed.”

For a brief second, Gwendolyn thought that her mind was imagining him, considering how deprived of sleep she had been, but after seeing the expressions on her friend’s faces, she knew he was real. 

Gwen sighed. “How long were you practicing that little recital?”

“Until it was perfect.” He said. “I’ve grown quite fond of you, you know, in my own way.” Gwen raised a brow at that. “I thought to give you a warning for the dangers ahead.” 

The devil proceeded to talk about a creature, one as infernal as he, that lay within the Mausoleum. With a little prodding, he revealed that this creature was an old enemy of his. The ‘devil incarnate’, as Raphael put it, was a strong and dangerous foe that should be put down quickly. 

“And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Astarion.” He turned his attention towards the vampire. “When the beast is dead, I’ll consider payment enough to translate those scars of yours.” 

“A fairer deal then I expected” The elf replied. 

“You wound me, spawn. I always deal fairly.” Raphael eyed Gwen up and down for a moment before continuing “And we’ll close this particular deal soon enough - vanquish the beast and all will be revealed.” 

At that last phrase, the devil looked straight at the tiefling, a smirk forming on his lips. She squinted her eyes at him, trying to understand if there was some underlying meaning behind those words, however, before she could think about it, he was gone. 

…

‘Of course there’s a temple of Shar here and of course it is full of traps.’ Gwendolyn thought to herself as Astarion finished disarming yet another trap. After the place was cleared, the party moved forward, Shadowheart quickly noticing the skeletons of several Dark Justiciars. 

They explored more, stopping when they found a displacer beast and a voice said “What’s this? Fresh entertainment?”

The group looked up and were met with the sight of a large and strong devil, one Gwen recognized as an orthon. This must be Raphael’s enemy. 

“But you’re too fresh for this place, aren’t you? There’s a whiff of the surface to you.” He took a great sniff. “And you - tiefling. You have more infernal blood than others of your species“ He said, looking at Gwen. “...There’s something else, almost hidden by your fear-stink…cherries, musk…sulphur.” The orthon paused for a moment, getting angry. “Raphael! I can smell him all over you. Where is he?!”

At that, Gwendolyn felt Halsin tense up behind her. She thought, for a moment, about her options. Raphael had warned them about how dangerous a direct confrontation with the devil could be, and she was too tired to fight. Considering how she had been able to evade a fight with the corrupted Thorm family before, she wondered if she could get the orthon to off himself as well. 

“Wait - you know Raphael?” She asked him, pretending not to know that they were acquaintances. 

“That perfumed trickster swindled me - trapped me.”

“You know, I’ve had dealings with the devil. Maybe we can help each other.” She offered. 

“Where is he? Spit it out - now.” 

“What are you doing?” Astarion whispered. “The devil told us to kill this thing, so let’s stop chatting and kill it.” 

She turned back to look at him, sending a message via the tadpoles. ‘Trust me.’ 

‘Oh, I’m sorry for questioning the decision making of our sleep deprived leader’ He responded back, sarcastically. 

Gwen rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the orthon. “Let’s share our experiences about Raphael. Perhaps there’s something we can do to help each other.” 

“Bargaining, are you?” He scoffed. “There’s nothing you can do. It’s not just the wall that keep me here. Not the traps, the dark or the creatures it hides. Something stronger holds me here - a contract.” The devil explained.  “Either I fulfill it, die trying or forfeit my freedom. If I leave this place now, I’ll become Raphael’s slave.” 

Putting a hand on her hip, and trying to bring her most charming smirk, Gwen said, gesturing to herself “You are in luck. I happen to be an expert in such deals - and there is always a loophole.” 

“Raphael is no foolish story-devil. His mind is different. Sneaky. Listen…” The orthon began to sing, and Gwen had to cross her arms so as to not cover her ears. 

As she listened to the contract-song, she felt a chuckle of crackling fire in the back of her mind. Her patron, Skathís, enjoyed a cleverly constructed contract, it seemed. Especially the ones with a built in loophole. 

“Pay attention to the song’s last couplet.” She could hear him whispering in her ear. “The clause is near impossible to complete.”

“That’s it.” The orthon finished. 

“He’s the one who slaughtered the Dark Justiciars.” Shadowheart said. 

“We can kill now? Because if he doesn’t die, Raphael won’t say a damn thing about my scars!” Astarion complained, and Gwendolyn turned back to shush him. He huffed, crossing his arms. 

“Parchment can burn. Oral agreements aren’t worth the tongues they’re waggled out upon. A song lingers.” The orthon explained. “I did as instructed, but the song still rattles in my head - the contract still stands, somehow. If I break it, I’ll become Raphael’s slave - forever.”

‘Always deals fairly my arse.’ Gwen thought, remembering what he had said outside the mausoleum. Then, she once again felt Skathís presence. “Allow me to help, daughter.”

She nodded, feeling his diabolic words on her tongue when she spoke. “You always hear the song, orthon. Kill yourself, be reborn in the Hells, break the contract.” 

Gwen could feel her father’s grin. A job well done. As the orhon called Raphael a bastard, impaling himself on his sword, the tiefling put her hands on her hips, pleased with herself. The others looked at her, impressed. 

“Does…that count as killing him? That had better count.” Astarion said, smiling. 

“I told you to trust me.” She told him, and walked away. 

…

Back at camp, Raphael appeared, keeping his word. He told Astarion of the grim tale behind his scars, of the Ritual of Profane Ascension and the pale elf’s part in it. The vampire excused himself, needing a moment to think of it, leaving Gwendolyn and the devil alone. 

He turned his full attention towards her. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you, dear Gwen.” He said, putting a finger on his chin. “Tell me, how well have you been sleeping? Not well, I take it.“ Raphael smirked. 

Her mouth opened, surprised. How did he know? “What do you mean?”

“My, have you taken a look in the mirror recently?” He replied, gesturing to her up and down. “It doesn’t take much to figure it out.” A glint in his eyes told her there was more to it than his keen observation skills, but she couldn’t figure out what. 

Gwen sighed, not having the patience for this. “If you’ve come only to insult me then-”

“Ah, I apologize if my words struck a nerve.” He bowed. “Regardless, I come with a gift.” Raphael moved his hand, a vial with a red liquid appeared in it, a small card tied at the top of it. “For your sleeping ailment.” 

She took it from him, analyzing the drink. Although Raphael had kept his end of the deal with Astarion, she felt that something was off. Gwen looked at him suspiciously. “You’re not trying to poison me, are you?”

“Your lack of sleep is making you say the most absurd accusations. If I were to want you dead, I would have done so long ago.” Raphael scoffed.

She raised a brow. “Then why help me?” 

“Why?” He asked, incredulous. “Because my compassion is boundless, my little butterfly. I stride amongst the needy, giving comfort where I can” He repeated the same words he once said in their first encounter. 

“Compassion is not something befitting of a devil.” 

Raphael smirked. “Ah, but it seems your patron thinks otherwise.” Gwen gulped.“You may try to hide it from your companions, but I know the secret of your heritage, warlock. That your patron, the cambion Skathís, is also your father.” 

He looked down at her. “You think I wouldn’t know how dearly he sang in your ear, showing you the loophole? How eager he was to help end my contract?” His face was contorted in anger. “Did you think I would take kindly to another fiend interfering in my business? After all, I said it was you who must kill the orthon.” 

She froze, not knowing what to do. She hadn’t done anything wrong - it wasn’t as if she could deny her patron’s wishes, but she couldn’t predict his next move.

She gulped. “I, uhm, apologize, then, if my patron’s help was so upsetting to you.” 

He raised a brow. “Hm…I shall not blame the daughter for the sins of her father.” Raphael took a step forward. “Regardless, I must be on my way.” He pointed towards the vial on her hands. “The gift still stands. Take it, and you shall have the sleep of the just.” A light engulfed Raphael and he was gone. 

Gwendolyn stood there, looking at the liquid. It wasn’t a good idea to drink something a devil offered. Afterall, he put a loophole in the orthon’s contract, only the gods knew what this potion could have. 

But, another part of her, the one that was desperate to sleep, wondered how bad could it be? Raphael had kept his end of Astarion’s deal, and truly, he hadn’t done actual harm to the party. Gwen tried to call on her patron’s wisdom but he was silent. 

‘Some sleep would be nice.’ She thought. ‘I need to rest, so I can get better and help the party more. Besides, how am I to face Ketheric when I haven't been in my best state possible?’ 

And so, after all had gone to their bedrolls, Gwen opened up the vial and drank everything, not taking a moment to read the card. In an instant, she was asleep. 

…

As morning came, and all woke up, Halsin was the first to notice that the pink tiefling had actually slept through the night. She was still in her bedroll, while the others were getting ready. 

He crouched down next to her, smiling and nudging her shoulder. “I see you finally got some rest. I hate to cut it short, but we must get on with the day.” 

Gwen showed no signs of waking up. Halsin frowned, gently shaking her shoulder now. “Come on, Gwen, you have to wake up.” 

Still nothing. “Gwendolyn.” He said, grabbing both of her shoulders, raising her slightly from the bedroll. Her head lolled back, eyes still closed. He put his head on her chest, listening to her heart beat. Still trying to be gentle, he shook her once. “Gwen, wake up!” 

“Halsin, what’s wrong?” Shadowheart said, frowning while getting close to him. The others soon turned their attention towards them. 

“It’s Gwen…she won’t wake up.” He said, worry in his voice. She kneeled next to the tiefling, placing a hand on her forehead. 

“Maybe we should throw a bucket of water on her - that’ll wake her up.” Astarion said, and Wyll smacked him on the back of his head. “What? I was just trying to help.” 

As the two healers continued to try and figure out what was wrong, Minthara pointed at something. “What’s that on her hand?”

Halsin took one of Gwen’s wrists and saw that her fist was enclosed on an empty, glass vial. He took it, and read the small card tied to it. 

‘Sweet dreams

- R.’ 

[unreadpoppy]

Wash My Dreams Away - Chapter 4

Raphael x Tav (Gwen)

Read on AO3

Chapter 3

A/N: another chapter of idk what the F i'm doing with this fic but fuck it, we ball. Also I feel like....like I might slowly turn this into a halsin fic...

edit: I changed the name of the fic from Brown Eyes to Wash My Dreams Away

Gwen didn’t know what to do.

She stood there, alone in the docks, brows furrowed. Deep down, she had expected that the conversation would lead to that - that her dreams meant nothing and she shouldn’t be so worried about it.

But Gwen was upset. Walking towards the edge of the pier, she sat down, her feet dangling above the water. She looked out and began thinking: why did these dreams bother her this much?

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching.

“There you are.” She heard Halsin. The druid sat down next to her, crossing his legs. “People were starting to wonder where you’ve been.”

“I’ve been here.” She shrugged. “Just…looking at the water.”

The elf examined her for a moment. “Are you quite alright?”

Gwen sighed. “Yes. No. I…I don’t know.” She looked at him, frowning. “Can I trust you with something?”

“Of course.”

The tiefling took a deep breath. “I spoke with Raphael. He said he knew nothing and that dreams were meaningless.” She rubbed her face. “And sure, he’s probably right but I just…” She groaned, frustrated. “These dreams, they bother me. They make me feel things and I don’t know what to do about it.” Gwen looked at the elf. “I feel so confused.” He noticed how her eyes had begun to fill with tears.

Halsin placed a warm hand on her shoulder. “Gwen. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Try to clear your head.” He said.

She closed her eyes, sighed, and then sat up straighter, breathing deeply and then exhaling. Gwen repeated that a couple more times and then opened her eyes again.

“Good.” The druid smiled softly. “Maybe it would help if you started from the beginning. The first night you had one of these, what were your thoughts, your feelings about it?” He paused, momentarily. “From there, we could try to figure out what the root of the matter is.”

“Alright.” She took another deep breath. “In that first dream, I remember feeling…inadequate, out of place. I was in this unknown room, wearing my dirty clothes and everyone else was just…looking and snickering at me.” Her brows furrowed. “Although I know now that it was a dream… then, it felt real, Halsin. I felt like I was really there, so much so that I woke up tired.”

“I believe you.” He said in a comforting tone.

She nodded. “After that, I felt suffocated. As if the people would swallow me whole.” Gwen shook her head. “In a way, I think that’s a bit how I feel in real life.”

Halsin looked at her confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…when I lived with my mother, my whole life was our house and her. And then I left everything behind to go explore the world but I didn’t really connect with anyone.” The tiefling sighed. “I grew up in the woods, so when I got to the city, I felt like an outsider. There was always something I never heard of, something that I said that wasn’t appropriate. I traveled with some people for a time but we don’t even keep in touch anymore.” She raised her hands. “Hells, sometimes I think the only thing that keeps our little group together are these tadpoles.”

He nodded along to what she said, allowing the sorcerer to figure things out on her own. “For the most part, I felt alone in the world. Sometimes I’d feel even worse, when I remembered I essentially abandoned the only person that had ever cared for me.” Gwen looked at him.

“I guess that blended with the dream. That feeling of not knowing what to do, of being judged for what I didn’t know.” She looked down, playing with her long nails. “I wished there was someone to come rescue me, a knight in shining armor or a prince, like the ones I used to read and fantasize about as a child.” Gwen paused, taking a deep breath. “And he did appear, dressed elegantly in red and with a fox mask. He made everyone else go away and held my hand and danced with me.”

Before she continued, she asked “Do you promise not to judge me for what I’ll say next.”

Halsin raised a brow. “You shouldn’t be worried about judgment when we have such a queer group of people in our camp.” They both chuckled. “But I promise. You may continue in peace.”

“Thank you.” She looked down. “When I was young, by biggest dream was to be courted like the princesses in the stories. And I think…that’s what I felt, in my dreams. I felt…beautiful, desired. And maybe I should be ashamed about it, because he is a devil but it felt good.”

Gwen raised her head, her eyes meeting Halsin’s. She placed a hand over her chest. “It felt good to be desired by this, at first, mysterious man, whose attention was solely on me. Who made me feel beautiful like I never had before. I was feeling…attracted to him.” She paused, the realization of everything coming to her. “And I think that’s what scares me. That I’m falling for this ridiculous devil, whom I barely know because of some silly dreams.”

She leaned forwards and took Halsin’s hands. “But tell me, Halsin. What do you do if the dreams are meaningless but the feelings are real?”

The druid looked at her, deep in her eyes. “To be quite honest with you, this is a very…new situation to me. What I can say is - you cannot control your feelings, and that shouldn’t be a source of shame to you. What matters is how we act upon them, and as far as I know, you were not…throwing yourself into the arms of this devil.” She chuckled at that remark. “You are a remarkable woman, Gwendolyn Gray. Should these dreams bother you again, I hope you’ll feel safe enough to share them with me. I’ll keep my promise.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Full name, huh?” It was his turn to chuckle. Gwen smiled and shook her head. “Thank you, Halsin.” Not knowing how to further express her gratitude, she leaned forwards and hugged him as tight as she could.

When they returned to camp, Gwen felt lighter, as if a weight had been removed from her shoulder. When she went to sleep that night, she sighed contentedly. That peace of mind she was feeling, however, would not last long.

[unreadpoppy]

Raphael BG3 Masterlist 1 (multi chapter fics only)

multi chapter fics

FINISHED

song as old as rhyme - Beauty and the Beast!AU (Raphael x Elize) - chapter 1 / chapter 2 / chapter 3 / chapter 4 / chapter 5 / chapter 6 / chapter 7 / chapter 8 / chapter 9 / chapter 10 / chapter 11 / chapter 12 / chapter 13 / chapter 14 / chapter 15 / chapter 16 (SMUT) / chapter 17 / chapter 18 / chapter 19 / chapter 20 / chapter 21 / Epilogue / bonus chapter

Plus One - Modern AU! Raphael x Fem!Tav - chapter 1 / chapter 2 / chapter 3 / chapter 4 / chapter 5

down by the river - Raphael x Warlock!Tav - Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 / Chapter 13 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15 (THE END)

Betrayer AU (this is an AU were Gwen is not technically Tav)

Betrayer (Raphael x Gwen)

The Runaway Bride (part two of Betrayer) (Raphael x Gwen)

Cafuné (Raphael x Gwen)

Helldusk (Raphael x Gwen)

The making of heirs (Raphael x Gwen) (SMUT)

a small snippet of something (Raphael x Pregnant!Gwen) (somewhat of the sequel to the making of heirs)

An heir is born (Dad!Phael x Gwen)

workshop (Dad!Phael)

Family Portrait (Raphael x Gwen)

ABANDONED WORKS

Wash My Dreams Away (previously titled Brown Eyes) - Halsin x Tav (Gwen) (and a small Raphael x Gwen on the side) - Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8

To Win the Princess's Heart - Bridgerton season 2 inspired (Raphael x Genevieve) - Chapter 1 / Chapter 2

[unreadpoppy]

Masterlist

Side note: All my work can also be found on my AO3. This is for the tumblr links.

multi chapter fics

song as old as rhyme - Beauty and the Beast!AU (Raphael x Elize) - chapter 1 / chapter 2 / chapter 3 / chapter 4 / chapter 5 / chapter 6 / chapter 7 / chapter 8 / chapter 9 / chapter 10 / chapter 11 / chapter 12 / chapter 13 / chapter 14 / chapter 15 / chapter 16 (SMUT) / chapter 17 / chapter 18 / chapter 19 / chapter 20 / chapter 21 / Epilogue / bonus chapter (FINISHED)

down by the river - Raphael x Warlock!Tav - Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 (ongoing)

Plus One - Modern AU! Raphael x Fem!Tav - chapter 1 / chapter 2 (ongoing)

To Win the Princess's Heart - Bridgerton season 2 inspired (Raphael x Genevieve) - Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 (hiatus) (i'm probably never going to finish this)

One-shots

Raphael Period Fic (Raphael x Reader)

Raphael comforts you (Raphael x Reader)

Cirice (Priest!Raphael x Fem!Tav)

Clean that face (Raphael x GN!Tav)

You won't remember this when morning comes (Raphael x Fem! Tav; Modern AU)

send nudes (Raphael x Fem!Tav; Modern AU)

Peacocks (Raphael x GN!Druid!Tav)

Must like dogs (Raphael x Fem!Tav; Modern AU)

Tighter (Raphael x Fem!Tav)

Wild Magic Surge (Raphael x Gwen)

Jane Eyre AU (Raphael x GN!Tav)

Gwen and Raph shennanigans (Raphael x Gwen)

Betrayer AU (this is an AU were Gwen is not technically Tav)

Betrayer (Raphael x Gwen)

The Runaway Bride (part two of Betrayer) (Raphael x Gwen)

Cafuné (Raphael x Gwen)

Helldusk (Raphael x Gwen)

The making of heirs (Raphael x Gwen) (SMUT)

a small snippet of something (Raphael x Pregnant!Gwen) (somewhat of the sequel to the making of heirs)

An heir is born (Dad!Phael x Gwen)

workshop (Dad!Phael)

Family Portrait (Raphael x Gwen)

Halsin bear related headcanons

Halsin's Bugged Ending (Halsin x Gwen)

Wash My Dreams Away (previously titled Brown Eyes) - Halsin x Tav (Gwen) (and a small Raphael x Gwen on the side) - Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 (ongoing)

All of her fics can be found on AO3. The ones without a pairing are fics more focused on character work instead of the relationship.

Blackbird (Elizabeth x Kallista)

Letting go of what might have been

Choices

Two Moons (Elizabeth x Kallista)

Reunion (Elizabeth x Kallista)

Romeo and Juliet

Poor Prince Benjamin

The Queen

A Lover's Kiss

This is that horror short story about the pandemic I wrote last year for arts class, translated / read it on AO3 as "When fiction becomes reality"

[unreadpoppy]

Wash My Dreams Away - Chapter 7

Halsin x Gwen (Tav) / Raphael x Gwen (Tav) on the side

Read on AO3

Chapter 6

A/N: Dream sequences are back baby. Also, Raphael is a menace. (also i finally get to use this damn picture)

Gwendolyn was in a garden. The place was illuminated by a few torches, and she could see that the sky was clear, the moon shining bright. Looking down at herself, she wore the same blue gown, with an off the shoulder sweetheart neckline, puffy shoulders and long sleeves. Most of her hair was down, as she felt it brushing on her back. 

Picking up her skirts, she walked around, looking at the different flowers. There were tulips, poppies, and some of her favorites like magnolias and forget-me-nots. In the distance, she noticed a bush of white roses, and walking towards it, she gently picked up one, sighing at the scent. While still holding the flower, she felt something nudging her shoe.  Looking down, Gwendolyn saw a fox. 

“Oh, hello.” She said, crouching down to take a better look at the animal. It looked at her for a moment and then ran away. “Wait!” Gwen shouted, standing up and running after the fox. 

Eventually, she lost sight of it but found herself near a fountain. Raising her skirts, she knelt beside it, looking at her reflection in the water. There were no circles in her eyes, her skin looked refreshed and she wore minimal makeup. She put her hand in the water, watching her reflection. 

She smiled at it, at first, but her face soon fell when the water stilled again and besides her, was Raphael. Taken aback, she looked around and noticed she was alone. He appeared only in the water, next to her own reflection. 

With cherry red skin, four horns and a devilish smile, Raphael’s reflection said “Hello, little butterfly.” He said, curling a lock of her hair around his fingers and bringing it close to his nose, smelling it. “It has been a long time since you were last here.” 

Gwen moved her head away from him. “It’s been a long time since I last slept.” She explained, squinting her eyes. “Although, I have a suspicion you have something to do with that?”

“I have told you all that I know.”  He chuckled. “I have no control over dreams, or sleep, now…” She saw him moving and appearing behind her, his breath tickling the back of her ear. She felt goosebumps as he moved her hair to the side. “If you were troubled after my last visit then… I fail to see how that concerns me, dearest.” Raphael kissed the back of her exposed neck. 

Gwen turned around again, seeing nothing, only the faint sound of his laughter hanging in the air. She groaned “Stop these tricks and show yourself.” 

“As you wish.” She heard him say, and soon, Raphael appeared a few feet from where she sat, one arm bent at the waist, the other spreading out as he bowed. This time, the devil was dressed mostly in red.

Quickly, Gwendolyn stood up as he marched forwards to her, offering an arm. “Walk with me.”  

She raised a brow. “Will you give me answers?”

Raphael shrugged. “You’ll only know if you accompany me.” Gwen sighed, and grabbed his arms, allowing him to lead the way. 

He took her through a different path, and more flowers appeared. Oleanders, nightshades and foxgloves were the few that the tiefling could identify, although she was more focused on where the devil was taking her. It appeared that they had entered a maze of sorts, as she noticed the giant walls of green around them. Gwen gulped and inched closer to him, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. 

Raphael chuckled. “Dreams are quite an interesting thing, wouldn’t you agree?”

Her brows furrowed at his question. “I would, if you hadn't told me otherwise a few weeks ago. I mean, you were the one that said they were meaningless.” 

“A devil can change his mind, can he not?” He stopped walking and turned to her. “In truth, dreams are a reflection of oneself.” Raphael got closer to her, causing the tiefling to take a step backwards. “They can show parts of our day, relive old memories or glimpses of the future, torment us with our biggest nightmares.” 

Gwendolyn’s back hit one of the walls, feeling her dress get caught in it. She raised her hands to try and pry herself off of it, but she felt vines wrap itself around her wrists, pulling her further into the walls, trapping her there. Gwen’s hands were pinned next to her head, and her heart raced as Raphael stepped closer and closer. 

“But the most important thing is that dreams show us our deepest wishes…our deepest desires.” Raphael whispered, his body inches from hers. 

“You confuse me.” Gwendolyn breathed out. “You brush me aside, tell me that this means nothing. Now you come here, with all this talk of dreams and desires.” She chuckled nervously. “It’s-it’s like you’re trying to charm me or something.” 

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” He raised a brow. “I know what you told the druid, about your feelings towards me.” He trailed one long nail from her cheek down to her cleavage, smirking as she shivered. 

“How…how do you know that?”

Raphael smirked, his eyes darkening. “I am the devil, dear. I know everything.” She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks as he momentarily looked down at her lips. “I know how you want to be desired, how you want to be seduced. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll provide just that.” 

Gwen struggled weakly against the vines, but that only made its grip on her wrists tighten. “Raphael…” she whispered. Gwen looked in his eyes, feeling like a fly caught in a spider’s web. 

“Shh… there’s no need to fight.” The devil said, wrapping a loose strand of her hair around his finger, inching closer to her. The more she looked at him, deeper into his trap she fell. “Be honest with yourself.” He whispered in her ear, body pressing close to hers. “Tell me what you want.” 

“I…” Gwendolyn gulped, conflicted. She knew this was wrong, that this whole situation was strange. But would it be too bad to indulge? For once, to give in to what she wanted? Besides, this was just a dream, right? 

“Say it.” He demanded, breath tickling on her ear. 

“I-I want you.” Gwen breathed out. “I want you, Raphael.” 

In an instant, his mouth was on hers, his hands holding her face. When she gasped, he pushed his tongue through. He was dominating and strong, and there was nothing Gwen could do to stop him. 

Like a moth is drawn to a flame, even if it would only burn her in the end, she couldn’t stop herself from being attracted to it - to him, to wanting him, to even…liking him. When he let go, she let out a whine as he smirked. His kiss was like a poison she wanted to drink more of. 

…

Halsin pressed a damp rag to Gwendolyn’s face, trying to help cool her down. After her days long insomnia, she fell into a deep sleep. A full day had passed, and she showed no signs of stirring up and now, she was burning up with a fever. 

Both him and Shadowheart had tried using their healing magic, but nothing worked, and so, the druid resorted to natural means. They had moved her to the tent he shared with Minthara, since it was the biggest one at camp and because he would keep a better eye on her, with his materials nearby. 

It had been Lae’zel’s idea, to keep up with their search for a way to end Ketheric’s invulnerability while Gwen slept. Halsin had agreed, stating that it would have been what she wanted - for the others not to stall because of her.

Halsin had decided to stay behind as well, in an attempt to try and bring his friend back. He had his suspicions that whatever liquid was in that vial was the reason for this, but with no way of contacting the devil, Halsin could only do his best and hope that she would pull through. 

Halsin sat down next to her, noticing the owlbear cub and Scratch curled up by her feet. Just like, they hadn’t left her side. He grabbed one of her shivering hands and pressed a quick, gentle kiss to her knuckles. Still holding it, he murmured a small prayer to the Oak Father, asking for strength. After that, he wiped a strand of her from her forehead, he said “Come back to us, Gwen. We need you.” Halsin paused, and whispered “I need you.” 

[unreadpoppy]

Halsin BG3 Masterlist

Halsin bear related headcanons

Halsin's Bugged Ending (Halsin x Gwen)

Little Lamb (Halsin x Gwen)

The kids will be okay (Halsin x Gwen + Reilyth and Natahlia)

Truth (Halsin x Gwen)

Modern AU Meet Ugly (Halsin x Gwen) - part 1 / part 2

Wash My Dreams Away (previously titled Brown Eyes) - Halsin x Tav (Gwen) (and a small Raphael x Gwen on the side) - Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 (ABANDONED)

[unreadpoppy]

Truth (Halsin x Gwendolyn Gray)

Read on AO3

Summary: Halsin wakes up in the middle of the night and finds Gwen is drinking.

A/N: basically Gwen's backstory explained from her perspective. Also this was written on the notes app so the paragraphs are a bit weird

Halsin had been removed from his transe due to a nudging in his hand. Opening one eye, he saw Scratch next to him, whining, his body tense. 

“What’s wrong, boy?” Halsin asked, scratching the dog’s head. Scratch looked towards the door, and whined again. Frowning, the druid left his bed, looking around the room. 

The room they had rented at Elfsong was spacious but not big enough to provide privacy. Scanning around, he quickly noticed that Gwen was nowhere to be found. 

“Wait here. I’ll go find her.” He told Scratch and made his way out of the room. It didn’t take long to find the tiefling, as she was sat in one of the corners of the tavern, a drink in hand. 

“If you keep doing this, you’ll drink yourself to an early grave, Gwen.” He said, as this wasn’t the first night that she was found with a bottle and stinking of alcohol. 

“Leave me be.” She groaned. Halsin sighed, putting his hand on his hips, unsure of what to do. He wasn’t with the party when it happened, only hearing half the story from Astarion. What he knew was that while exploring the city, Gwendolyn had found a family member of hers. Ever since then, Gwen was drinking. 

She rolled her eyes when she realized that the druid wasn’t going anywhere. “If you’re going to stay here, you might as well make yourself comfortable.” Looking at an empty chair, she said “Sit.” 

He did so, and stayed silent. Halsin wanted to know what was happening, but he was afraid that if he asked, she would push him away. 

And so the two stayed there, in silence. Minutes passed, and once the bottle had come to an end, Gwen spoke up. “For eighteen years, all I had was my mom.” Were the first things she said. Halsin sat straighter in his chair. 

“All I had was her, and the small cabin in the woods we called home.” Gwen didn’t look at him, only staring ahead, a distant look in her eyes. “You can imagine my surprise when I come to Baldur’s Gate only to discover I have an uncle.” She turned to look at him. “He told me about our family. That I have grandparents, and cousins. That my mom came from a rich family, that I-“ her breath got stuck in her throat, and Gwen looked down, a hand on her forehead. 

Halsin reached forwards, covering the hand that was on the table with his, a silent comfort. 

Gwen shook her hand, removing her hand from under his. “Mother always said I was the greatest gift she ever received, the very reason she kept on going. Now I know that to be a lie.” Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him. “I was no gift, or blessing, Halsin. I was a curse to my mother, and I’ve been ruining her ever since I was born.” 

Halsin frowned, inching closer. The tears on her eyes fell down her cheeks, and he wiped them. “What does this mean?” He found the courage to ask. 

Gwendolyn shook her head, taking a deep breath. looked at Halsin’s eyes, trying to still herself. “Growing up, mother told me that I had been a happy, little accident. She met a man, they laid together and soon I was born. Told me she didn’t have a family and that’s why we were alone, and that the world was too dangerous for me to be walking around.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “But then, when I came of age, she told me who my father was. A cambion, Halsin.“

That Gwendolyn was a warlock, everyone knew. That her patron was her father, however, was news to the druid. Suddenly, her recent behavior began to make sense. 

He had seen how the tieflings from Elturel had suffered a lot just by being distant descendants from the devils. He could only wonder how it would feel to know that one was so closely related to the Hells. 

Halsin moved his chair even closer to hers, placing a hand on her back and rubbing it, as more tears feel down from her eyes. 

“I know this is a lot of information to process, but your heritage changes little of how others will see you.” 

Gwen shook her head. “It’s not that I’m worried about.” 

Halsin frowned. “I apologize, then.” His gaze softened.  “Please, tell me what ails you, so that I can help.” 

“I think I’ve said this before. My mother was paranoid. She was always afraid that something, someone wou-would harm us. But there was more.” Gwen’s voice faltered. “Many nights, mother would scream in her sleep, as if she was in terrible pain. She’d wake up with burn scars and scratches all over her body, with no explanation. By night, they would be gone, only to return again. I didn’t understand it then but my uncle told me everything.” 

She straightened in the chair, gathering her thoughts. While Gwen composed herself, Scratch had appeared. Halsin must have left the door open, but that didn’t matter, as the dog placed his head on the tiefling’s lap. That seemed to have helped Gwen a little, as she finally spoke. 

“She was fascinated with magic, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t conjure the Weave. So, she reached out to a devil, seeking a deal. And that’s how she found my father.” Gwen looked down, petting the dog. “The deal was simple. She’d be his warlock, with unlimited powers, and in exchange, she would have to sacrifice her firstborn to him.”

“But mom didn’t have any romance going on in her life, she wouldn’t get pregnant any time soon, so the devil offered himself to father the child.”

As Halsin connected the dots, his face fell. Gwen hadn’t been an accident. Her parents had had her with one goal in mind. If her mother had gone with it, she wouldn’t be here today. 

“My mother didn’t even name me when I was born. She tried to distance herself, so that…. That the sacrifice could be easier but when the time came, she couldn’t do it.” Gwendolyn began crying again. “She couldn’t do it, Halsin, and for that, she paid the price. He tormented and tortured her in her sleep, he gave her terrible visions of death and gore and that’s why she was so scared of the world.” With one last inhale, Gwen finished the story. “My mother devoted her life to raising me, she let go of her dreams, of her mind, she was hurt just to make sure that I would live. And me, great daughter that I am, do what? I sign my soul away to the devil that ruined her life.” 

With that, Gwendolyn threw herself in Halsin’s chest, crying heavily. The druid wasn’t sure how to react, but he knew that, right now, there wasn’t much that could be done. 

He stayed there, holding Gwen in his arms,  his hand on her hair, trying to soothe her. They stayed like that for minutes, Scratch sitting in between the two. When Halsin felt Gwen beginning to calm down, he stood up, carrying her back to their room. He tucked the tiefling in bed, the dog quickly jumping and making himself comfortable near her feet. Halsin placed a kiss on her forehead, and made his way back to his own bed. 

[unreadpoppy]

Wash My Dreams Away - Chapter 2

Raphael x Tav (Gwen)

Read on AO3

Chapter 1

edit: I changed the name of the fic from Brown Eyes to Wash My Dreams Away

The day had been longer than what Gwen expected. 

The way there had been long and arduous, having to lie through their teeth and fend off terrible foes but at last, they had arrived in the Shadow Cursed lands. 

Just as Halsin had described, the land was grim and lifeless. No wonder it brought so much pain to the druid. There was no way to tell if it was day or night, the plants were gray and the smell of death hung in the air. 

After meeting with the drider, Kar’niss and fighting alongside the harpers, the group had arrived at Last Light Inn, immediately being questioned by their leader, Jaheira. Thanks to Mol’s vouching for the group, they were granted entrance. 

Listening to Alfira’s story about what had happened to the tieflings was a great pain to Gwen, and although she would readily go rescue the others, she couldn’t help but feel tired, as it was yet another task they would have to do. As she made her way around the establishment, she couldn’t help but feel eyes following her, just as she had in that past dream. She thought it must be the paranoia considering all that had transpired and moved on. 

The one highlight of the day had been Karlach’s engine being temporarily fixed by Dammon, allowing the fiery tiefling to finally hug others. Her smile and joy after Gwen hugged her gave the leader a small glimpse of hope for the times to come. 

Finally, the group made camp and Gwen was ready to sleep her worries away. It didn’t take long, after closing her eyes, for the tiefling to fall into a dream. 

…

She was on the floor, the fox masked gentleman holding his hand out towards her. Gwen looked down briefly, noticing that instead of her camp clothes, this time, she was wearing a large light blue dress, the skirts of it pooling around her. 

With a deep breath, Gwen placed her hand in his, noticing how much larger his was, completely engulfing hers. In a show of strength, he pulled her up towards him with no effort. Gwen gasped as he placed a hand in her corseted waist, holding her other hand in a tight grip. 

He moved, and Gwen followed his lead. In real life, she did not know the dance, but here, she knew which steps to take. As they danced, he stared into her eyes. She felt shy under his intense gaze, her pink cheeks darkening. Every time she would try to look away, it was if some invisible force was stopping her from doing so. 

Even though she knew it was all a dream, it felt real. Every single touch of his gloved hand on her exposed skin - her arm, her wrist, her hand, even the grip he had on her waist lit her skin on fire. She wondered how his skin felt beneath all the layers of clothes, if it was as hot as hers or if he was cold. If his hands were colloused and rough or smooth and soft. 

The dance seemed to go on and on forever. Gwen had so many questions, but she couldn’t find her voice to express them. At one particular moment, she was in front of him, her back touching his chest. He held her wrist while his other hand trailed up from her waist, until it gripped her neck, making her look forward. 

Then, he brought her wrist to his lips, pressing a delicate kiss to it. Gwen gasped, not being able to turn and look at him. He let go of her limb, wrapping his now free hand around her waist, keeping both of her arms pressed to her body, as if it was a snake enveloping its prey. He chuckled and whispered in her ear “You’ll find me soon, little mouse.” 

That voice…she knew it from somewhere. But before she could ask, Gwen woke up.  

…

After waking up, Gwen felt as if her skin was on fire - not literally, but in a more…pleasurable way. She quickly made her way to the river near Last Light Inn, the water cooling her down before her companions awoke. 

Arriving at camp, Astarion soon struck up a conversation with her. 

He opened up about what his scars could possibly mean. Being a tiefling, Gwen had once told him that the text was in infernal but it seemed to be part of something greater. 

“I’m afraid that through those runes, somehow, Cazador might still be able to control me.” 

‘Oh gods, not another problem to solve.’ Gwen thought. Her bones ached, thinking of how whenever they seemed to get close to their go, the furtested they were. She did not say that. 

Instead, she replied “I could try and give it another look?” 

“Any excuse to take my shirt off, I see.” Astarion chuckled and shook his head. “No, actually, I was thinking maybe a different pair of eyes could give us some better insight. Someone familiar actually.”

Gwen raised her eyebrow and he continued. “Our devilish friend - Raphael. If anyone’s going to know about infernal contracts, he will.” 

She sighed. Truly, he had a good point. She replied, already knowing that now they’d have to go find the devil. One more thing to do. “Sure, makes sense to me.” 

“I knew you’d see the pragmatic side.” He smiled. “Unfortunately, he comes and goes on his own schedule, so we’ll just have to be on the lookout for any sulfurous smells or the sound of questionable poetry.” 

Gwen chuckled and walked away. As she did so, she began to think. 

Raphael. Raphael. Raphael. What did the devil look like?

Truth be told, although the devil had left an impression on Gwen, but, between discovering the truth about Kagha, killing most on the goblin camp, fighting a hag, losing an eye to Volo (she still believed that “procedure” had messed something up inside her brain, but alas), finding a way to and arriving at the Shadow Cursed lands, she had almost entirely forgotten about him. 

She vaguely remembered his devil form, the red skin and the horns, the darked hair and the black and orange eyes. She remembered his long nails and his pointed teeth when he smirked. 

But his human form was harder to conjure in her mind’s eye. The hair was the same but in a brown shade. His skin was a human color, and of course, he had no horns or a tail or wings. His voice, however, was very distinctive to her, she quickly remembered the sound of it, as if she had heard it yesterday. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more things started to make sense. 

The man in the dream…his voice…

Raphael’s eyes, his human eyes, what were their color? She closed her eyes, trying to remember. It wasn’t blue, it wasn’t green…

Brown. He had brown eyes, like the man in the dream. And not only that, but during their first meeting, hadn’t he likened himself to a fox? 

As the final puzzle piece was placed, all Gwen could think of was: 

Why was she dreaming of Raphael? 

[unreadpoppy]

Wash My Dreams Away - Chapter 3

Raphael x Tav (Gwen)

Read on AO3

Chapter 2

A/N: So yeah, I had no idea where I wanted to go with this fic, and I was a few steps away from deleting everything but I think I found a way to still salvage this.

edit: I changed the name of the fic from Brown Eyes to Wash My Dreams Away

“Halsin.” She nudged the elf. “Halsin, wake up.” He continued motionless. She thinned her lips. “You’re an elf, I know you’re not really sleeping.” 

The druid sighed and opened an eye. “I apologize, I tried to save a few more minutes of sleep.” He groaned, sitting on the bed roll. “What do you need?” 

“I think I know who’s the man in my dreams.” At that, Halsin sat up straighter. “It’s Raphael.” 

“Who?” 

Oh right, Gwen forgot. Raphael had appeared before she met the druid. “He’s this devil who offered to help us.” She explained. “It has been so long since we last saw him, I had completely forgotten. But after speaking with Astarion, I’m sure it’s him.”

Halsin frowned. “Do you think this devil is sending the dreams?”

“I’m not sure…I don’t know the full extent to what devils can and cannot do. But, since our vampire friend wants to have a chat with him, I could ask him then.” She rubbed her neck. “Just… gotta find him first, I guess.”

He nodded. “Remember to be careful around these fiends. You never know when they might ask for too much.” 

“Thank you, Halsin, for listening. And sorry for waking you up.” She chuckled.

“It’s alright.” Gwen hugged him and said good nights before returning to her bedroll.

She had no dreams that night, but it would not take long until Gwen found the devil again. 

…

Raphael could tell there was something more that the tiefling wanted to ask. Although she was engaged in the conversation, there was a question bothering her, just like Astarion and his scars. 

When they were nearly done with that topic, Raphael said, looking at the leader of the group “I believe you also have something to ask of me.” 

Her eyes widened, first in shock and then in fury. She gulped and then said “Yes. There is something, as a matter of fact.” 

“Why didn’t you tell us anything?” Astarion asked. 

“You have your secrets, I have mine.” She turned back to look at Raphael. “Could we speak somewhere…private?”

“Hang on.” Astarion interrupted. “How is that fair?!” 

She huffed. “It is fair because I’m in charge and I said so.” The elf crossed his arms, rolling his eyes but didn’t debate her on it. “You guys go back to camp.” 

Gwen pointed towards the door leading to outside the establishment. “May we?” She asked the devil. 

He nodded his head. “Lead on.” 

They walked until they reached the docks, just on the edge of the protective barrier of Last Light. 

Gwen crossed her arms and frowned. “I believe I have been dreaming of you.” 

“Straight to the point, I see.” Raphael raised a brow. “And what happens in these dreams of yours?”

She shook her head. Gwen turned her back to him, walking around as she spoke. “I am at this event, where everyone is masked. I am approached by a man wearing a fox mask, and only his eyes are visible.” 

“And you believe that to be me?”

“...Yes. I mean, you likened yourself to a fox on our first meeting. And last time I dreamt of him…you…his voice was the same as yours.” Finally, she faced him. “But the most damning part was the eyes. The man in the dream had the same brown eyes as you do.”

Gwen looked into his eyes. It had to be him. 

“If you are so certain, then what do you want me to do?” He asked. 

“I want you to stop perturbing my sleep.” 

Raphael chuckled. “Oh dear, but that is not my jurisdiction.” Her face fell. She felt foolish for thinking that questioning him would help.  “Besides, do not worry about a thing as feeble as a dream. They come and go, and most don’t have any meaning.” 

She sighed. “I guess you’re right.” 

“I always am.” He smirked. “Now, I have more important matters to attend to.” Raphael snapped his fingers, leaving Gwen alone in the docks. 

…

Arriving at the House of Hope, Raphael was furious. His little scheme had almost been discovered, if he hadn’t been quick to dismiss it. 

Opening the door to the boudoir, Haarlep, his personal incubus, lay in bed. Raphael pointed a finger towards him. “No more dreams for a tenday. We were almost caught.” 

“How?”

“I do not know how, but she started questioning it, wondering why I was appearing in her subconscious.” He explained. “You ought to be more careful from now on.”

Haarlep nodded. 

Raphael sat on a chair, hand on his forehead. They would need to do this more slowly, if this plan was to work, lest he lose his only chance at the crown.