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commandershepardvasfuckit · 1 year ago

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Shameless porn of my Tav and Halsin some undisclosed amount of time after the end of the game.

Afab Tav getting a taste of Halsin’s rare dominant side and learning what happens to druids who spend too much time in wildshape

Just under 2k words

(I am a lazy human who writes fic in the notes app of their phone, please excuse dumb mistakes and minimal editing at times)

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The first traces of dawn slip through the window as you were roused from your meditation. You feel Halsin’s hand glide down your side and come to a rest on your hip before pulling your hips firmly back into his.

While Halsin was always fairly forward about sex, the past few days especially had been something. It was not uncommon for one of you to approach the other just about everyday over it, but this was borderline excessive even for him.

Your thighs ached from straddling him many times the last couple days, or from wrapping them around his hips as he fucked you against the wall. It was not really a complaint, nor something you cared to stop, but it was an unexplained change in Halsin.

Even early in the morning, just after meditating, he was ready to go again.

“My heart” he sighs in you ear, “how is it possible that I want you more every day? Every time I lay eyes on you, you’re more beautiful than I remember. It overcomes me and I just need to hear you, taste you, experience you”.

You feel his erection pressing on your backside as he slowly grinds against you. His hand that rested on you hip sliding down to now sit just under your belly button, waiting on an invitation to move lower.

“My heart, how are you not tired or sore?” you ask, half joking and half truly wondering where this drive suddenly came from.

It started three days ago. While bending down to put away a few things in the kitchen in a low cabinet he swept up behind you, grabbing your hips with such force he nearly yanked you off your feet. “Such gorgeous hips” he murmured in your ear, his massive torso bent over yours, dwarfing you entirely “I need you. Now” he growled in your ear.

It was more worked up then you had ever seen him, his whole body heaved with every breath and word and his hands dug into your hips with clear intent.

“Then take me” you replied.

Halsin did not waste a moment. He swiftly hooked a finger into the waist of your pants and pulled them along with your underwear down in one fluid motion. One rough hand immediately slipped down your front between your legs to find your clit and begin rubbing it while the other found your breast. You felt the tip of his shaft seeking entrance to you and you rose to your tip toes to make it easier. He quickly found the entry he craved and sank his full length into you, causing you to bite back a yelp. Halsin was large in every aspect of his being, from his physical size, to his personality, to his emotions, to his cock and right now without any sort of warmup you were especially reminded of that.

This was much rougher than his usual self. Halsin usually preferred things on the firmer side, as did you, neither of you were exactly fragile and pushing limits had its fun, but this was something else all together. From the beginning his pace was brisk, a sort desperation to his movements as if he felt like he was going to explode if he did not have you right then and there. And you and never been so aroused.

You let out a moan as you relaxed and adjusted to him, letting do as he wished and enjoying his sudden forwardness. The moan seemed to spur him on, pushing him to thrust even deeper now that you had relaxed enough to fully accept his length and it felt incredible.

“Gods you feel so good, fuck” you moaned and swore he felt larger than previous times.

Halsin was very much a man of give and take, of slow methodical pleasure. This however, was more base, almost instinctual feeling in comparison.

His breath was heavy in you ear, a strong departure from his usual verbosity. Where he typically sung your praises instead you were met with growls and panting.

You were shoved into the cabinet over the course of his thrusting, the edge of the counter digging into your hips, Halsin’s torso flush against your back was keeping you pinned against the furniture, preventing you from moving, not that you wanted to be anywhere else. He kept his pace steady as he rubbed your clit and his teeth found the side of your neck, biting harder than he normally did, his nails dug into your breast where his hand was pinned between you and the counter.

Breathing was difficult from his weight pressing down on you, but it only seemed to intensify everything. Your breath came in shallow gasps as you felt yourself getting close, every stroke filling you fully and pushing you to the edge. A wordless whine crept into your voice mixed with short gasps, you did not know how much more you could take, but you wanted this to last as long as possible.

This directness from him, the lust, the dominance, it was such a different side of him. Before Halsin, you had been the dominant one in all your encounters, then with Halsin while you swapped who was in the lead you would not say either of you was truly dominant. This though? This reminded you of an animal in heat; intense, rough, not just a want but a visceral need driven by something subconscious. Being desired so carnally, at such a base level lit a fire in your belly in a way few other things ever had.

Your finish washed over you, an intense buzz that started between your legs and dispersed through every inch of your body. You howled and panted his name like you never had before.

Halsin continued his relentless pace and pulled you closer to him even. His breathing was ragged and hot on you neck and you were suddenly acutely aware of how small you felt compared to him as you basked in the afterglow and tried to catch your breath.

“Fuck me full” you told him, “make me feel every last drop”.

This seemed to put him over the edge, he pumped into you hard, nearly enough to knock the breath out of you and moaned loudly.

You did feel it, every drop flooding into you and dripping down your leg, every twitch of his cock as he met his release. Halsin remained in you, gasping for air and coming back down to the ground.

Air flooded your lungs as he leaned his weight off you and his kisses peppered your back and shoulders. You straightened yourself out and assessed the state you were in: bruises marked your hips where you were bent over the counter, nail marks dug into your breast, and you were certain you had bite marks on your neck. Not that any of it mattered, you loved seeing his marks on your body.

“I’m not complaining, but that was… intense” you broke the silence.

“I’m sorry my love, I just needed you so badly” he wrapped his arms around you and pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“Oh don’t apologize, it was incredible. I didn’t know you ever got like that. You were so dominant, so, I don’t know? Instinctual? I don’t know if that’s the right word but I have never been so turned on”.

“Oh!” He said in surprise, “well, in that case, I can definitely promise you more”.

Over the next 3 days it continued much the same. Any time you bent over, or showed much skin, or really did much of anything there was Halsin, begging you to let him fuck you. Every ask was tinged with heavy desperation and lust previously unknown to you, and the moment you let him it was a torrid of rough sex in the first position he could get you in.

You lay there now in bed, naked with his cock pressed against your backside. Your legs are sore, your back is sore, every bit of you inside and out is on the verge of raw.

“My love, my heart, I am loving all of this but I concede, I can’t keep up. What’s come over you?” you ask.

“Come over me? No this is pretty normal for now” he answers.

“Normal? For now?” you ask again.

“Yes, this time of year is typically mating season for bears” he said matter of factly, as if that was all the explanation that was needed.

“You aren’t a bear”.

“No, but you spend enough time as one and the instincts start to stick around afterwards”.

At this point you could not tell if he was serious or not. The whole thing was so matter of fact, but you had never heard anything about wildshape affecting a Druid like that.

You took a deep breath to gather your thoughts before beginning “Alright, so, right now you-“

“Want to fuck you against every surface in this house and surrounding forest until my scent covers every inch of you and you’re carrying our child. If you’ll let me”.

“And you remember that that’s not possible right? Even long before I met you I’ve been too stabbed and banged up to ever be able to carry a child. Something I’ve told you and that you said that you were alright with”.

“I’m aware, but instinct is instinct and I’m more that happy to try. Especially if that means we’ll just try forever”.

That answer satisfied you.

“I can be happy with that. But one last thing my love”.

“Anything. Say the word and there’s no length I wouldn’t go to fulfill your wish”.

“Find some positions that don’t hurt my thighs so much. Because if you pin me to the wall again there’s no way my legs are going to hold out”.

Halsin let out a deep laugh, a true and joyous laugh. “My love! I wished you had said something sooner! My thinking isn’t the clearest right now but if I had known-“ out of the corner of your eye you saw the gentle warm glow of healing magic as the hand that had been resting just under your bellybutton moved to your sore legs, “I would have helped with that”.

Much of the soreness and ache recedes as the soft glow fades.

“Actually one more thing, there’s been a few times I’ve been a little raw- uh- inside from all of this. Is there anything that can be done…?” you trail off.

“Yes! There are a few things I can make, perhaps a salve that provides some extra lubrication and maybe something a bit cooling feeling? I could do that, would that work?”

“I think so, and I’d be more than happy to try at any rate”

You feel him press your hips back against his and the throb of his still erect cock on your skin.

“Out of bed. Now. Salve first, trying to breed me after”.

Halsin sighs, not like he could complain about anything. He stumbles a bit as he attempts to pull his pants on, any attempt at salve making would require getting ingredients from the forest and town, and one of those requires pants.

“And love!” you call as he walks out the door, “If that salve works and you keep me from being so sore I’ll start wearing a shorter dress around the house with no panties, or maybe just nothing at all. I’ll give you blanket permission for the season to fuck me whenever you want, like nature intended”.

You had never seen Halsin move so fast to go get the shopping done.

#bg3 #bg3 halsin #halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 tav

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house-of-slayterr · 1 year ago

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beloved <3 what are you Halsin headcanons??

ps do you also like the polymance w Astarion? i wanna know your takes!! <3

Omg ok it’s happening!!! Ahhhh!

Halsin:

Halsin attempts to be a gentle man in his conscious actions. He wants to be soft and cause as little unnecessary harm as possible. That being said, with his size that’s a difficult thing to be. I feel he grows frustrated easy when he accidentally breaks things (or people). But on the flip side, if you unleash his rage, this hardly a way to put a lid on it. He’s a large beast, and as such, it seems so are his emotional states. He is terrifying to the enemy and it’s such a harsh contrast to him off the battle field when he’s safe and happy. It’s something I think sets him aside more than the other companions.

Halsin is also a patient man. It takes a lot of patients and self control to be someone with his gifts. The world is lucky his quicker to compassion than to draw his claws, and bear his teeth. I feel like he’s one to give several warnings.

He’s a very goofey guy. This man has a full belly laugh like good old American Santa Klaus. All of camp can hear it when you make him laugh. The best place to be in the world is with him lying on his back, and you on top of him during a sunset as you try to tell little stories to feel his chest rumble. It lulls you to sleep like a purring cat after awhile, like a sleeping agent for your heart, calming it in all the chaos. (Bear cubs can purr like cats sometimes and it’s adorable)

He’s an old romantic. I feel like this man like to try to play things by the book in his head. He knows what relationships are supposed to look like and sound like and he sounds so stiff when he starts off by using his “script” it works because by the gods does he have that shit down to pretty much a sex science at this point, knowing exactly what to say to get what he wants. But that’s not what draws you in. It’s the potential of getting the spontaneity out of him. Getting him to say things he normally wouldn’t, how he normally wouldn’t. Add people he normally wouldn’t. He’s a very flexible man, he’s happy as long as you’re happy. But his best flirting comes when he’s tried, or angry, or those rare moment he gets jealous. Lord help you if Halsin is jealous and the solution is he can’t just have both of you- good luck walking anytime soon.

He’s very in tune with his emotions. He’s a sensitive guy. I mean he loves ducks for fucks sake. This man is precious. He will treat you as if you are such too. Everyone is small and fragile compared to him. He’ll protect your body, mind, soul and feelings with his life. Defend you with his last breath, do anything just to bring a smile to your face. This man is nothing if not devoted 100% to what he does. He starts to become in touch with your emotions too. Being able to sense them from halfway across camp and always comes running ready to be your Druid in shining armour

Now Astarion is a different beast literally , literally… he is a vampire. I wouldn’t say there’s much in common between vampires and Bears. I’d say other than their insatiable appetites. This spritely little elf is more akin to a cat than a bear.

The dynamic is different apart of course, but if you’re with Halsin first, he’ll notice. He’s not an idiot, far from it actually. He pays close attention to his darling and their needs and wants. Especially when it comes to body language. He wouldn’t exactly be mad you’re attracted to Astarion, he can’t blame you. He’d be more upset the longer he observed this attraction grow and you either said or did nothing about it.

I know I said earlier Halsin is a patient man, but one thing he’s not patient for is watching you “suffer” which might be a dramatic word in this case (Astarion would find it quite fitting, you suffering without his love) he will call you out on this attraction quite quickly and ask as politely and openly as possibly what you want to do about it. It’s no secret the wood elf may also find said vampire attractive.

Astarion would agree too it, not without some fuss at first, calming theatrics of wanting you all to himself but it’s fine to share with some “oaf” as if he too is not attracted to the Druid. Honestly if you keep your sanity during this phase of the relationship, congratulations love, you’ve survived the hardest hardship in all of Baulder’s gate.

But once that awkward phase is over. RIP your legs again. RIP your everything actually. Bestie are you sure you want to do this? A bear and a vampire. In love and obsessed with you… wanting to ravage you body at your earliest convince pretty much multiple times a day when they can? Yeah yeah- you’re totally sane, totally cool, totally normal. The rest of your companions aren’t looking at you like you’re the scariest motherfucker to ever walk this earth. Between the bite marks and the claw marks, and let’s be honest now you’ve probably dislocated a hip at least once- how are you feeling? Truly. That being said, they do go easy on you sometimes and give you a break and let you watch them go at each other , and boy is that a sight. (I’m not drooling, you’re drooling)

It’s the after sex but that’s really what you carve though. The part that makes you feel safe and whole and loved. They wouldn’t dare part from you even if the entire camp was engulfed in flames in that moment. Nothing could pry them from their lovers side. They look at you like you put the moon on the sky, the your he very reason their hearts beat, like you’re the only reason they’re still fighting (probably half the reason they’re still standing, let’s be honest, you’ve saved they’re asses more than enough times and they’re so greatful for that) but it’s these moments that you crave. There simple, full of love and lust and simple honest words and looks and touches. Everything so easy, and feels right.

It would be a moment like this one of your boys would choose to make this arrangement permanent. Perhaps Astarion with an off handed comment. Something about “well maybe we should just wed eternally, I hear honeymoon sex is even better” he would grin like a vampire at a blood bank. And it would be silly, but it would be genuine. Halsin would make him try again and give you something proper later if you asked. Or on the flip side, after a hard battle, Halsin would scoop you both up in his arms kissing you each deeply and say “we ahh like join our hearts as one, so we never fear one it’s like to be apart” and even though the situations not ideal and you may be exhausted and covered and dirt and blood and whatever else, it’s the three of you and that’s what matters.

The sleeping arrangements are simple. It’s always Halsin’s tent. That man in massive. Astarion won’t admit it but he creeps into his tent about halfway through each night, never wanting to start on his arms but always craving them. And you sleep happily on top of him, squishing both your boys as close to you as possible. And they wouldn’t have it any other way. They love you and you love them, it’s plain for all the world to see.

AN: sorry if this is bad, I don’t own the game, all I have to go on is fan fics, behind the scenes, fan info, and watching my friends play the game and info dump about it. If anything is inaccurate I’m so sorry 😭 I tried based on how I view them at least.

#Halsin #baulders gate 3 #halsin x astarion #astarion x reader #halsin x reader #bg3 headcanons #polycule

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dracobrooklyn · 11 months ago

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Aftercare hcs for durge x reader? 👀👀

// *cackling in the darkness of the corner* hehehehehe~

Durge x Tav!Reader after care Headcannons

|| MDNI 18+|| DO NOT READ!!!

Durge is a passionate dominant lover. He loves the control but it’s mostly to please you and wanting to let you relax. Eating you out from your sweet pussy that reminds him of honey, taking his time to stimulate you to the point you see stars when you climax.

Ties you up sometimes to spank you and bite you real good, to show you belong to him. He might even bite or pinch your nipples but not to the point they are bleeding, just to be sore a little pink from the stimulation.

Durge at first was a bit rusty with aftercare but with a little teaching from Gale or even Halsin he definitely got some good pointers, and yes even Jaheria will tell him what to expect. She knows he’s inexperienced, so might as well tell him damn it. (Durge definitely says Thanks mom)

But after he gets experience, the aftercare, he is a different DragonBorn, the controlling Sexual Deviant, switching to a loving and protective dragon guarding his treasure.

He massage your limbs from any of the rope he used to tie you in, even your back and belly just to show you did wonderful, that you were perfect and that he remind you that you are beautiful, kind, perfect and loving. He probably call you some pretty degrading names before so he has to remind you that your not. You just wanted him to call you that.

Also DragonBorn purrs are relaxing and healing in a way, calms down your anxiety and soothes your breathing.

He will definitely massage your breast too, gods forbid he leaves those unattended. Gives your kisses on your neck and cheek, makes a soft loving hum nuzzling and cuddling you.

He will ask if you like a bath too, and if you do, mans will wrap you up in the softest blanket and carry you to the bath, setting you up as he uses any soothing bath oils or soap to clean you up. He won’t join you, but he will wash you up massage your body and kiss your cheeks lovingly.

He will make sure you can respond and if he went too far, he cares about your safety.

Also safe word is “Citrus”

#bg3 #bg3 bhaalspawn #bhaal #durge #durge x reader #the dark urge #baldurs gate 3 #durge dragonborn #the dark urge x reader #Default Durge #Default Durge x Reader

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oimliette · 7 months ago

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my best is yours

Pairing: Gale/Durge reader

Tags: angst, guilt, hurt/comfort, love confessions

Warnings: it’s durge so you know… violence and gore, but not too explicit. suicidal thoughts as well.

Words: 3.3k

“I don’t want you to die,” You say, voice weak and shaking. You hate how it sounds. “I would never forgive you.”

There is a pause, like he’s taking you in.

“I don’t need you to forgive me. I just need you to be alive.” He says. He says, so softly in the face of your rage, like he’s trying not to break your heart.

His mind is set.

read on ao3

It’s colder than you expected. Halsin didn’t mention that. You knew that the land was cursed, that the shadows were alive and sap both your sanity and strength. You were ready for it. You didn’t think about the temperature.

There’s a chill here like something was breathing down your neck. You still haven’t gotten used to it.

You glance at your companions after fighting against a horde of necrotic plant creatures. Whatever they were, they were clearly not alive, with the glow of the rot-magic emanating from their vines.

It’s only your second day in this cursed place and your party doesn’t look any better than they did yesterday. Astarion looks wary and miserable. He probably hates this place for the same reason he didn’t enjoy the Underdark: there is no trace of sunlight here. The only light comes from your torches and the Blood of Lathander Shadowheart is wielding, casting a soft glow on your surroundings. Shadowheart, on the other hand, looks—distracted, fascinated with the darkness enveloping your party on all sides. You’re concerned, but before you can think more of it, Gale meets your eyes, like he was seeking you out.

You’ve come to rely on Gale over the course of this adventure you were all forced into. Most nights, he is the reason you have warm food in your bellies. He’s a human with a lot of knowledge to dispense, and he takes every opportunity to do that, even to the point of sounding arrogant. Everyone does their part to keep the camp, but it would be particularly difficult to imagine the journey without Gale by your side.

Gale gives you a worried look, one he’d been giving to you more and more often. You pretend not to notice and hurriedly face the other way. You feel tired all of a sudden.

You think to yourself that the fact Gale hasn’t brutally mutilated an innocent girl in their sleep is a pretty good point too.

Sometimes you wonder if it’d be better that he’d have been the one to lead your motley crew instead. He certainly has the makings for it. He’s a reliable man, usually level-headed and preferring to err on the side of caution where you might be stubbornly facing in one direction. He insists on compromise, insistent on working together even though he confessed to you, one night, that he hardly has anyone he can call a friend outside of his tressym.

“I find that hard to believe,” you said. You took the first watch, though not everyone was asleep yet. From beside Gale’s tent, you idly watched Wyll fiddling with a broken lute he found on the road. Gale can talk like he’s used to speaking to himself, expressing himself in full-bodied words more common in academia than in casual talk, but he is unendingly curious, something that, to you at least, was something that endeared you to the wizard.

“I’m glad to hear that. I thought my time spent wallowing at my tower alone had rusted my social skills.” He laughed in relief.

It had, you nearly said out loud. There are instances where it’s obvious, but you decide to keep the comfortable, shared silence.

The flaps of his tent closed after he bid you goodnight. The air was cold, but you ran hot so you didn’t mind. You thought about Gale, as you often do, these days.

He was good at that. Making you feel comfortable in his presence. Like you could trust him. He has some secrets, but who in your camp doesn’t? Every one of them has their own story half-uncovered. You didn’t even know yours, your memory extending as far as waking up on the nautiloid, and the fight to get out of it in one piece.

But the battered state of your mind makes you uneasy. The random pulses of pain and the violent thoughts were symptoms you would have attributed to the parasite, but none of your companions have experienced anything like that. It’s just you. And even in this camp, the gathering of the infected and the hunted, you were the odd one out.

You listened to the wind rustling the leaves overhead. You wondered what your mind knew that you didn't.

Ever since you awoke on the nautiloid, your memory has been spotty. Trying to separate what happened in the first tenday of your adventure from your last is a useless activity.

There is an emptiness inside you that has been there as far as your memory will allow you to remember. Nothing feels real. Almost as if you’d wake from this any moment now, to whatever life you used to live. And this would all be a dream hastily forgotten.

But it’s not a dream. You know that.

The sticky feeling of blood in your hands felt real. The smell of it, sticking to you for days. The red crust under your fingernails that never seemed to disappear.

You are a person that rings hollow, and you are terrified one of these days your companions will see you for what you are: a monster.

You don’t understand why they believe you can lead the way to salvation. You don’t know where you’re going. You can’t even see past today.

But you try anyway. To atone, if not for anything else.

Tonight is no different. Tonight, the camp is tucked into an area you guessed was a less harsh patch of the hostile environment. It felt like picking which area of the mouth of an owlbear would be better to lean your head in. You don’t know why they trust you to know.

You don’t know why they still trust you at all. They’ve never seen you the same after what happened with Alfira.

Your offering of gore, the blood drying in your hands, damning you with each second as you waited for them to wake up, one by one. You didn’t even try to hide it or wash it away. What difference would it have made?

There was still a corpse there, right in your camp. The bard, trusting and sweet, was still dead.

Was she awake when you did the horrible deed? Was she breathing when you painted the ground with her innards? When you burst her eyeballs in her skull? You could almost feel it burst under your thumbs, the sensation familiar, deep in the recesses of your mind.

The gnawing headache at your brain grows. Pulsing, pounding.

Their tolerance of you is a reflection of everyone’s desperation, willing to let you stay because they cannot afford to be picky with company now. No one in the camp’s hands were clean but you doubt they’ve ever been this stained.

She didn’t die immediately. You know this, somewhere in your broken mind. It makes you sick that you’ve never felt more alive than the morning after.

You’ve been doing good. No murders in the night since then. But you’d be lying if you said there aren’t nights when you wake up with a start, afraid to see where or who your knife-hand has fallen on.

You wonder if they’re suspicious of you, still.

You set up camp, because you are tired and Astarion is whining about the trek and Shadowheart seems absolutely taken with the curse wrapping around all of your necks, threatening to invade and twist and unmake and Gale—well. His gaze is filled with determination, though his posture betrays his exhaustion. There’s something he wants to say, you’re sure, but unfortunately for him, it’ll have to wait until camp is set.

The headache persists. Your head throbs.

After a while, you sit by yourself in front of the campfire. On any other occasion you’d prefer to have been standing to the side, away from the comings and goings of the people in camp trying to get food or putting and taking from the chest. But that was before.

In these lands, the very ground itself seems malicious, trying to lick at the skin of your boots. The light provides some comfort against the oppressive dark.

Gale sits himself beside you. You don’t acknowledge his presence but you let him sit so close your knees touch. The point of contact is nice. Comfortable.

The fire is warm, but more importantly it is bright. Already you begin to feel better. Less like your soul is being syphoned away.

Gale calls your name, staring at you with sincere eyes you cannot meet.

This is a fragile alliance. A party brought by circumstance and tied together by desperate need to live, despite it all. They are all so wildly different, each with their own goals to accomplish—but this is what you have in common. This is what brings you together: you want to live.

“It’s alright, Gale. I’m not hungry,” you say first. That is not what he wants to speak about. You know that.

You surprised yourself with how furious you became at Gale’s pathetic acceptance of the fate thrust upon him by his goddess. How could he not thrash around, rebel at the circumstance! His plan to take this with hands behind his back and his head bowed down as the blade dropped on his neck made your blood boil, made your teeth ache with the urge to tear.

Good fucking gods, every single day you’ve though about killing yourself, each method more gruesome than the next. Driving a knife through your own heart. Bathing in acid. One by one removing your senses until you die of blood loss. Eyes are the last to go, so you can see what you’ve made of yourself.

It’s a common fantasy, a permanent solution to your problem: you. But no one is supposed to die. You don’t succumb to the urge because you have people to lead. Sins to atone for. You of all people don’t get to have a break from your torturous mind. That’s your fucking burden to bear and you will bear it as long as you are able.

It’s your job to save them from this. They trust you, when they really shouldn’t, and godsdamned if you’ll let one of them get killed because some fucking prissy goddess can’t fix a problem herself.

Lot of good all these deities have done in Faerun, you curse as you look at the darkness surrounding you from all sides. You can barely see anything past it, even with darkvision. Just more twisting trees and the glowing rot leaking from the land like pus from a wound.

“You’ve been reckless lately. More so than usual—alarmingly so. Make no mistake, I am not here to complain about the efficiency of dealing with our enemies. I am most appreciative of that fact. But I do get concerned with how you tend to act after.”

“What do you mean, Gale?” You ask. He has this habit of beating around the bush and though you’d usually find his wordiness endearing, today has been long.

It weighs on your shoulders, every time you leave camp, every night you set it up again. Another day. Food. Loot. Trade. Kill. Day in and day out. Live live live. Another step in front of the other. Every day, asking you to live longer.

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting ever farther as you walk closer, but you keep these thoughts to yourself.

Your companions deserve to be alive. They deserve to hope. Just because you lost yours doesn’t mean you’re about to break their morale. You know they’ll make it.

But you? No. You don’t even deserve to see it.

“Yes, you’re right. Well, truth be told, I worry about you…” Then he says your name again, so gently, like his tongue was cradling the syllables in his mouth. “Not as our leader. As you.”

“You don’t have to.” You interrupt, uncomfortable with the sincerity. You can take care of yourself. Whoever he thinks he’s fussing over—it’s not you. You don’t need the concern, cloying and all too sweet. All too easy to use. He doesn’t know you, doesn’t understand the wickedness in your head and your heart.

“Ah, you’ll find that I want to.” He flashes a charming smile. “Clearly, you aren’t looking after yourself, so someone has to.” He points to himself.

Your headache pulses. You imagine in a world without these urges, the charm might have worked. Maybe you’d be brave enough to look him in the eye, tell him honeyed words that you have so desperately wanted to. If you were just normal, someone unburdened by the blood singing under your skin, this would go differently.

Oh, yeah? You imagine yourself saying. Do it then.

But this isn’t that world, so instead you scoff, because Gale is orchestrating his own death in two different ways and if you think about it too much you might drive yourself insane. Isn’t that fucking hilarious, that the first person you let inch into your heart is going to die, either by your foul hand or a deity that thinks him so invaluable she would ask him to kill himself for the sake of the world?

This sweet, trusting man. Arrogant and unbearable. You want to kill him yourself. You want to save him. From Mystra. From you.

He looks embarrassed with his attempt at flirting and hurt at your reaction. You want to tear your heart open. You want to atone. For this. Fuck, for everything. Maybe you’ve already doomed him by letting his affection get to you. Does he know how close he is to your heart?

You just swallow the lump in your throat. You can see some people in the camp pass a glance at the both of you, and you sigh. “Can we go to your tent?”

For once, Gale shuts his mouth and nods. He sits down after you enter the tent, quiet still. You bite your tongue. Think, if only for a few moments.

“I don’t need your help.”

“I think you’ve made that clear.” He replies curtly.

“I—“ you grit your teeth. “You can barely take care of yourself. And now you want to save me—“

“I never mentioned saving! And my apologies for daring to care about you—”

“You’re a hypocrite, Gale. You know how tough this journey’s been. You say you’ve been watching me. You know my mind is broken, possibly beyond repair. But I’m not dead! That’s my choice, every godsdamned day to put one foot in front of the other and hope that I at least get to do the one good deed of saving you before I go. My choice to stay in this godforsaken place because you’re my people.

You continue, “Did you think no one would care? That we would all proceed like normal, go about our daily lives saying thank fucking Mystra, good on her to tell Gale to kill himself and like a stupid little dog he followed through with it. You’re not on her leash anymore, so act like you have a choice, damn it!”

Your chest is heaving. There is prickling behind your eyes.

You realise you would do anything to keep him alive. You would raze down hordes of innocent hundreds by yourself if it meant the poison in his veins were cured. It would be adding to your tally of sins. It would weigh on your heart. But aren’t you already damned?

Aren’t you both?

“I don’t want you to die,” You say, voice weak and shaking. You hate how it sounds. “I would never forgive you.”

There is a pause, like he’s taking you in.

“I don’t need you to forgive me. I just need you to be alive.” He says. He says, so softly in the face of your rage, like he’s trying not to break your heart.

His mind is set. This is how it will be: you will live and he will die.

The irony of it is not lost on you. You, who have been begging for death. You, who have been trudging through this journey to lead them to a future you could not imagine being a part of.

Gale has so many reasons to live. His mother. His tressym, Tara. His brilliant mind, which would do much more good in the world if it was lent to research than here, fighting for their lives every day. This is not the life Gale should have lived. This is not how he’s supposed to go out.

He’s supposed to be back home in Waterdeep. He’s supposed to live a full life, passing on after making great contributions to the world, remembered for who he was: an intelligent, kind man, brilliant in both the head and heart. You ache to imagine yourself with him.

You don’t deserve it.

“I love you,” your shaky voice whispers. You had all the intention to keep it unspoken until you were in your grave, but Gale needs to know how much of a hold he has on you. That the thought of him makes every day a little easier.

That, selfishly, he needs to stay for you.

He wipes the wetness from your cheeks. You lean into his hand, despite yourself, and you can’t stop crying now that you’ve started. You idly watch the slow drops on the ground, even as your eyesight blurs. You can’t face him.

You want to have this. To have him. You place your hand above his, intertwining them as they rest on your cheek. You bring it to your lips and kiss the back of his hand.

Your blood gnashes in your veins, protesting the vulnerability without violence.

You’re so tired of atoning.

His arms wrap around you, wordlessly, and your head rests on his shoulder. Away from his gaze, you speak up, voice still soft. “You deserve to live.”

“So do you.” He replies. You shake your head.

“You’ve seen what I can do. There is something wicked in my heart that I cannot cure. Every day I—“ You breathe out, shaky. You’ve never admitted this to anyone, didn’t even want to acknowledge the event to others in the fear they realise you’re a foul creature and cast you out. Remove your reason for being alive: your clan. “Every day I wake up and check my hands for blood. I don’t deserve you. I don’t even deserve to live.” You remember how blood feels. Sticky. Sweet. Familiar.

“You do.” He insists. Places his hand on the back of your head, cradling you. He treats you so gently, like you haven’t mauled and killed and lied. “Because I say so. I want you to live. I want you to have a good life, even beyond the tadpoles and the Absolute. Beyond me.”

“Then we’ve hit an impasse.” You remove yourself from him, looking him in the eye now. “You won’t die and I won’t.”

He grins in a way you can feel work into your heart.

You’re going to have to face the inevitability of each other’s deaths someday. Your adventure is a perilous one. You’ve already had many close calls, least of which the danger that you yourself pose to the others.

“I want to show you something, soon,” Gale says. You can feel his voice vibrate in his chest. You hum in response, your eyes already closed. The day has been long, taxing both emotionally and physically, and it’s only now catching up to you. “I don’t have nearly enough energy right now,” Gale chuckles. “But know that the depths of my feelings… You’ll see it. I promise.”

You trust him. Gods, you really do believe him.

You cling to his words: you deserve to live because I say so.

What makes mortal conviction any less powerful than a god? If Gale thinks you should live, then you will.

Maybe it can be that simple.

Perhaps you do deserve a slow, painful death. You know, somewhere in your broken mind, that Alfira wasn't the only victim of your cruelty. Maybe that would be the just thing to do, to wipe you off Fae’rûn. To rip this rare-found peace away from you.

Tomorrow will be another day. Another fight. One foot in front of the other. Live live live.

Your past will catch up to you someday. Your hands have committed countless unforgivable atrocities.

But tonight, your hands cover Gale in an embrace.

#bg3 #baldur’s gate 3 #bg3 durge #gale x reader #gale x durge #gale/tav #gale/reader #gale dekarios #angst #bg3 x reader #finally posted here

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theshotsheardacrossworlds · 6 months ago

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Bounce

In which Halsin says something to Annie during sex that leads her to make a startling realization about herself. NSFW.

“Lie down, my heart, and let us take pleasure in each other.” Halsin murmured softly, slowly backing Anais against the foot of the bed in their room at the Elfsong Tavern. The morning had been especially productive, so it was determined that their mostly merry band would have the afternoon off.

And the archdruid had one thing on his mind, as his lover discovered.

With a snap of her fingers, their armor was removed and placed on two chairs against the wall. “That’s better,” she smirked, her soft arms wrapping around his neck. “I could hardly lie down when I was still dressed, love.”

His hands cupped her behind and squeezed gently. “My sweet one is so clever and thoughtful.” He placed a trail of kisses from her ear to her lower jaw, whispering, “Annie, light of my life, I crave you…”

Oak Father, thanks and praise to your servant who is both wise and possesses a very sexy voice. I might even make an offering or two…somewhere? I’m not sure how druid things work.

Halsin showed her how much he craved her, teasing and having her writhe beneath him. He always insists that I come at least once. That man would live between my thighs if I let him.

Finally, he sat back on his haunches and lined himself to her entrance, hazel eyes glowing gold. Always the sign of a fun time ahead! “Dearest one, you are nature’s most lovely creation, and its most…ah, my heart, you feel…” One of his hands found its way to her soft belly and began to knead it as thrusted into her. “A bouncing belly during sex is just as good as ass and breasts…”

Wait a second.

Did he say what I think he said?

“Is that a druid thing, love?” she asked breathlessly, watching as he chuckled.

“No. No, it’s a me thing, I suppose. And I believe it is a you thing as well, my love.” Halsin smiled, his thrusts remaining slow and steady. “I saw you the other day, sitting naked on our bed, touching your sides, belly, and breasts.”

Anais’s eyes widened.

HE SAW ME?!?!?!?!!

Seeing her blush furiously, his other hand caressed her cheek with his knuckles. “Annie, there’s no need to feel embarrassed. I didn’t wish to interrupt because I could sense you needed that time to yourself.”

“You’re the sweetest man to ever exist.” Leaning into his touch, she sighed happily. “Time to…appreciate. Appreciating that my body is somehow getting me through this insane journey I’ve been on. Appreciating that my body is something you positively adore. And that I’m now coming to adore it too.”

He hummed, bringing his hand from her face down to her hip. “Good, my heart. Nature blessed you with so many gifts, including your beauty.” FINALLY, his thrusts increased in speed and his gaze quickly turned lustful. “Watch yourself, my love. Watch how you quake for me.”

Anais, however, had other plans.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself for the first time in my life to let his desire and mine to wash over her as she grasped her breasts, one in each hand. “Halsin…you make me feel beautiful…never have I felt like this…to you, I am a goddess, and I finally understand why…I am beautiful…” She panted in elvish and pulled his face to hers, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. “Halsin…please…”

Kissing the corners of her mouth, he breathed, “Please what, Anais? Tell me what you want, light of my life, and you’ll have it.”

Her brown eyes met his hazel ones, one word on her lips. “You.”

Only you.

Only you make me feel like this.

“You have me, my heart. I’m yours.”

Even though he was fully hilted inside her, she still wanted more. Anais rolled her hips and breathed a frustrated huff, which caused the druid to chuckle.

“Shh, sweet one. I’ll give you what you crave…” A large, calloused thumb began to rub her swollen clit. “Let go, my heart…let go for me…let bliss wash over you…”

For you, always…

Pleasure she had never felt before flowed through her as she cried her release.

“Annie, look…” His gentle voice commanded as his thrusts grew more erratic. “Look at how beautiful you are…”

She opened her eyes and glanced at her shaking belly and breasts. “Just as nature intended, love?” Giggling, she threw her head back and grinned.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Groaning, he chuckled. “Light of my life…you are…” With one last grunt, he spilled sweat dripping from his brow. “Nature’s loveliest creation.” He carefully removed himself from her and lay on his back next to her as she muttered a cleaning spell. “And it’s good you finally understand that, my heart.” Halsin winked, earning him a quick kiss. “Come here to me, my beloved.”

Always, Halsin my love.

Anais curled into his side, resting a hand on his hairy chest. They settled into a comfortable silence for several minutes as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed kisses to her head. Perfect. Can we do this forever?

She then smiled to herself, caressing him.

“You know, it’s nice to finally say and believe that I feel good.”

What a joy it’s been to learn to love my body. All thanks to you, my handsome bear…

He kissed her head, rubbing her soft upper arm. “You do feel good, my heart. Do you know what I thought of when I first saw you?” She shook her head. “I imagined how wonderful you would feel in my arms, and I’m happy to say that reality is better than anything I conjured in my mind!” Another kiss. I love him so much. “No fantasy can compare to you, sweetest one.”

She giggled. “Good to know, especially since I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. Some of us don’t have three hundred fifty years of experience, love.”

He barked a laugh. “What you lack in experience, you more than make up for in your eagerness. You’re a passionate woman, my heart. It’s good that you’re comfortable enough with this part of yourself.”

Because of you.

Anais’s brown eyes fluttered as she felt herself nodding off. As I so often do in his embrace. I feel so safe that I can rest without worry. “Love you…”

“I love you too, my heart. Rest well.” He tightened his hold on her briefly.

A hug…

Because he loves hugs and so do I…

#anais wildheart #halsin #halsin silverbough #halsin x tav #tav x halsin #half elf tav #plus size tav #chubby tav #sorcerer tav #annie x halsin #annie will say for the rest of her life that meeting halsin was the best thing that ever happened to her #they are utterly and completely in love your honor

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halsins-herbal-underpants · 10 months ago

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Bound

Dayan (Tav) x Halsin || modern human AU

Rating: Explicit 18+

PWP, D/s, Bondage, Sub Halsin

CW: None needed (afaik)

Kinks: Heavy bondage, sensory deprivation, implied orgasm denial, light objectification

Approx. 1800 words

This is entirely self-indulgent & barely edited; I apologize for nothing ~~

Read on Ao3

___________________________

"There we go...all laced up, pulled tight, and buckled in."

Dayan tested the straps up and down, tightening where loose, and loosening where they were a smidge too tight. "How's the circulation? Got room to wiggle your toes?"

He looked up expectantly after a length of silence, running a darkly tanned hand through his silvery-white ponytail. Pale violet eyes blinked in realization and Dayan huffed an embarrassed laugh as he realized why he wasn't getting any answers to his questions.

"Sorry, love -- wasn't thinking." He moved up and worked at the tight buckle of the gag then gently pried it loose. A lewd wet suck sounded as he slowly pulled the lengthy dildo free, trails of saliva still connecting it to the mouth that snugly housed it moments ago.

Halsin gave a cough and exhaled shakily, tilting his head towards Dayan, licking his tongue quickly over wet lips. His hazel eyes, still red rimmed and hazy with desire, flicked to his partner's face.

"It's good," he rasped, his voice slightly hoarse from their earlier adventures with the crop.

Dayan smiled, pleased, and patted Halsin's exposed hip. "Good."

His hands shifted to stroke slowly over the bigger male's body, tracing the seam of the leg binder that trapped Halsin's lower limbs in a tight triangle of leather from hip to foot. A similar device bound his arms behind his back, laced up tight within the confining material, covered all the way to his fingertips. Dayan adjusted the straps over Halsin's shoulders that held the arm binder in place. "Fingers aren't numb?"

"No...Everything's good, my h-heart," Halsin gasped, writhing a bit from the touch of Dayan's hands over his sensitized skin. They'd had such a long session of pleasure and pain beforehand -- he'd had no fewer than eight orgasms this time, though he knew his love was aiming for a baker's dozen soon -- his skin was practically tingling and it shivered at the man's gentle caresses.

Especially when he ran them over the unbound and uncovered parts of his body -- his ass, his plush belly, his round pecs. Fingers playfully pulled at the chain hanging between Halsin's piercings, tugging his nipples and making the big man jolt with a gasp.

Dayan just smiled. "Wonderful...then let's get started. I can't wait to try out Jenevelle's new recommendation. She said when Lae'zel used this during their last playtime, she saw stars."

Halsin chuffed a strained laugh. "Sh-she is quite the wildcat, so I can only imagine ha, how...impressive the sensation may be."

"Well, we'll start slow and see from there," Dayan grinned, giving Halsin's plump ass an affectionate squeeze, the skin still tender and lined with red welts. He loved the soft moan that brought, but didn't want to get distracted so didn't chase after more. He pulled the toy, a long silicone vibe, from its case and carefully lubed it up.

Luckily he and Halsin had been having fun for most of the afternoon and his big bear was still pliant and ready, so he didn't need to prepare him much. He did tease him a little, aiming the bottle of lube and squirting a hefty amount right between those plush, hairy cheeks. Halsin gasped and shuddered hard.

"C-cold!" he whined, and Dayan couldn't help but laugh. He slid his fingers around Halsin's gaping, well-fucked rim and then slowly past it, spreading the lube inside him.

"I'm sorry, my honeybear," Dayan soothed, leaning down to kiss Halsin's temple, grinning at the shudder that ran through the larger man as his fingers worked deeper. "Sometimes you're just too cute not to torment."

Halsin couldn't respond, too distracted with Dayan's fingers inside his pleasantly-sore hole, his already hard cock swelling even more around the silicone ring situated at its base. He knew the other man was doing it on purpose, but he couldn't be annoyed; it meant he was owed payback of his own when their positions were inevitably switched. That was always worth the teasing.

His body stretched against Dayan's lap as Dayan kept idly fingering him, a low shaking moan slipping from his kiss-swollen lips. His jaw was aching a little from the workout Dayan gave his mouth earlier, but he was still looking forward to being gagged. He'd given all his lover had asked for in service, now was when he'd get to relax and receive -- not have to think, just exist, bound and filled.

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought and he exhaled a shaky breath; his erection throbbed against his thigh, dripping slowly.

Dayan smiled softly and used the hand that cupped Halsin's head to turn his face towards him, bending to give his beautiful bear a slow, gentle kiss.

"Are you ready?" he asked as he sat back up, and Halsin nodded. "All right. Press the clicker for me, love." Halsin did so, the loud sound audible even through the leather binds. "Perfect. Twice to stop, once to keep going. I'll keep checking in, but don't hesitate if you want to take a break or stop entirely, okay?"

"Right," Halsin murmured and tilted his head up again. "Kiss me once more, my heart...?"

Dayan melted, his eyes softening as he cradled Halsin's head and happily leaned down to press a deep, loving kiss to those bite-bruised lips, tongue sliding between them to tease the older man's own. Dayan kissed him until they were both breathless, then pulled back and stroked through Halsin's damp chestnut hair.

"You're so pretty like this, babe," he murmured. "Flushed warm and soft and ruined~"

He leaned down and nipped gently at Halsin's bottom lip, earning a moan. "Breathe deep and slow," he whispered and gripped the large vibe, slowly easing it into him. It slid in without much fuss, though he could feel how tight the fit was, Halsin's rim still having to stretch despite being fucked open so well just hours before. His big bear let out a husky, quivering moan, low and long, until the vibe was completely seated inside. Dayan adjusted the harness he'd buckled onto Halsin earlier and slipped the end of the vibe into the ring, situating it so it'd stay buried deep no matter how much Halsin may writhe.

"Feeling okay?" he asked and Halsin nodded fervently, letting out a shaking breath.

"Bigger than I thought," he gasped, "but it's good, it's good..."

Dayan grinned and played fingers over Halsin's bottom lip, sliding one inside his mouth for the older man to eagerly suckle. "Perfect. You're being so good for me, my love. Proud of you." He got a muffled whimper in return and chuckled low, then slipped his fingers free and shifted his lap beneath the other man. "Ready for the gag again?"

"Yes, please," came the breathless plea and Dayan's cock stirred. He exhaled deeply, shaking his head in awe of how his love could arouse him with just his husky voice alone, and picked the gag back up. He cradled Halsin's jaw with one hand, carefully sliding the dildo back into his mouth with the other, easing it in until he felt resistance. Halsin twitched and gagged a little, and Dayan paused, stroking his jaw with a thumb.

"Easy now, love. Open your throat for me," he murmured. Halsin inhaled sharply through his nose, and then his throat relaxed and Dayan pushed the dildo the rest of the way until the mask was flush with Halsin's face.

He gently wrapped the straps around his lover's head, buckling it, careful not to catch his hair, and then patted his throat. He could feel the end of the dildo bulge a little and a shiver of arousal went through him. "Can you breathe clearly? Mask not too tight?" he asked and got a single click in response, Halsin testing his airway by breathing in and out deeply.

Satisfied, Dayan reached down and squeezed an ass cheek approvingly. "Good boy. Just a little more now, you're doing so well." Halsin gave a muffled, choked whine in response, his body writhing -- which made him gasp and groan, the vibe shifting deep inside him with every motion. Dayan watched his swollen cock twitch and grinned.

"You still want the full hood?" A single click and Dayan obliged, grabbing the hood from the coffee table, then readjusted Halsin on his lap. He gently worked the hood down over Halsin's head, gathering his hair to avoid pulling it, until the man's entire head was covered with slick featureless neoprene. He adjusted it so the breathing holes were flush with Halsin's nostrils and then threaded a thick leather collar through the loops on the neck and buckled it snugly.

He hooked a finger in the collar's D ring and tugged, forcing Halsin to bend towards him. A soft moan sounded from beneath the hood and Dayan huffed a hard breath, eyes roaming over Halsin's body.

"God you look so sexy like this," he muttered, stroking a hand over the nearly flat face of the hood. "Breathing okay, babe?" he asked, loud enough for Halsin to easily hear. There was a pause and a soft click, and Dayan exhaled slowly, trying to control himself. He could practically smell Halsin's arousal, his cock thick and stiff and dark at the tip, drooling precum all over Dayan's nice couch.

Dayan reached down to run a finger casually beneath that twitching shaft from root to head, making Halsin jerk and thrust his hips forward involuntarily. A fresh drop of clear liquid pearled at the tip and fell. Dayan caught it on the pad of his finger and brought it to his lips.

"Mmh...you still taste like the sweetest nectar," he murmured. Halsin writhed in return, the only response he could give.

"All right. You ready to settle in?" he asked and received an affirmative; pulling a little remote from his pocket, Dayan leaned into the couch cushions, getting comfortable. He arranged Halsin onto his side, a soft pillow propped under his neck with his head in Dayan's lap. He stroked the older man's back until he relaxed.

And then he turned the vibrator on.

A strained, muffled groan came from the almost entirely-bound bear on his lap, Halsin's cock twitching along with his quivering body. Dayan grinned and set the controller on the side table.

"Low setting for now; you're still so sensitive, after all," he sighed, tugging on the piercings chain and enjoying the higher pitched noise it pulled from his partner's throat. Halsin writhed as that vibe buzzed away merrily deep inside, and his love watched for a bit, enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Dayan settled back and poured himself another glass of wine from the bottle they'd opened and enjoyed hours ago. He picked up the book he'd been reading and rested it against Halsin's head, taking a languid sip of wine, ready to relax awhile, as his pretty honeybear sank into the depths of writhing, twitching pleasure, deprived of all sensations but his lover's touch.

"Pace yourself, my love," he grinned, flipping to the next page, as Halsin trembled softly in his lap. "We're only on the first setting...you've got twelve more to go. It's going to be a lengthy night~"

#bg3 fanfic #halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3 halsin #halsin x tav

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ada-melodies · 8 months ago

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Zevlor headcanons part 1/??

That time of the month

Note: I wrote this to give myself some comfort at this time of the month. Please take it as something natural, gender neutral for anyone who has to deal with menstrual cycles or period.

- He doesn't need much to know it's that time of the month. Just one look at you coming out of the bathroom, distressed and exhausted, and he knows all too well what's happening. It's time for him to deal with the situation.

- Zevlor is a man of habits, and he needs some discipline in his life, especially in his home or the home he shares with his s/o. But on these days of the month, he makes an exception because he knows too well that you are too tired in more ways than one to contain your mess and chaos. He might like his things organized and tidy, but your comfort is more important.

- Eventually, he would appear with a hot, steaming mug in his hands, place it in your hands, and not leave until you drank it. Those long conversations with Halsin, all the time he spent in the grove, made Zevlor learn a thing or two about natural remedies and infusions to ease your cramps. And this is the perfect moment for him to put his knowledge into practice.

- Of course, Zevlor will not only help you get better with practical solutions, but also with his tender and caring side. When you're struggling on the sofa or bed, he'll cuddle with you, first sitting by your side and letting you get as close as you want. Sometimes he would be the big spoon for you; his tail wrapped around your legs in a relaxed way (yes, he can use it to make you stay in your place, but not in these moments), his high temperature and body heat soothing some of the pain and calming you down, his arms around your waist while his fingers softly caress your hands. Every time a sting of pain makes you flinch, he would tighten the embrace. Zevlor will let you know that he is there for you.

- If he has regained his Oath, or even if he can just use the Laying Hands spell again, you can be sure that Zevlor will use healing magic if your period is causing you too much pain. But sometimes, just the feeling of his hands gently pressing against your belly, his flaming orange eyes looking tenderly at you as his deep, raspy voice reassures you that you're safe with him, will ease some of the discomfort of those moments. Sometimes more than any scroll.

- He will need a moment from time to time, of course. Even though he's a sweetheart, caring for someone else takes a lot of energy, and Zevlor has been through enough to not feel overwhelmed. He would assure you that he is fine and can continue, but he would also need some rest; the last thing you want is to burn him out. And yet, you know he would not let you do this alone. Zevlor would be there for you.

#zevlor ⚔️#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 zevlor #zevlor x reader #comfort #gn reader #tw menstrual cycle #cw menstruation #zevlor bg3

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secret-smut-sideblog · 1 year ago

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The Moon Will Sing

(AA break up series, part 9)

PG-13 tokophobia, termination of pregnancy, termination complications, near death experience, talks of loss of limb, confrontation, hurt/comfort, love triangle dynamics, tenderness

Tav has a painful decision to make, and Gale is there to support her. But things turn drastic, and with both the Ascendant and his patron on her heels, her circumstances change for the dire once again...

"I need to tell you something."

Gale's brown eyes appraised her knowingly. Pressing a hand softly to her belly.

"I think I have an idea what this is about."

Tav took a sharp breath in.

"How...?"

"Jaheira might have mentioned."

"Of course," She sighed.

She looked over at him, eyes wide with shaking fear.

"I don't think I can do it. It's too much."

He nuzzled into her hairline.

"I know. It's okay Tav."

"But what if it's yours?" She hushed.

"I won't lie, I thought about it. It could be nice, a little one around. But not if it means putting you through the hells. And if it's his?" He shuddered. "Gods, that would be... well, a disaster."

He trailed a hand along her collarbone.

"You forget I can feel what you feel with the spell binding us. And if this is what you'd feel... for nine months... I wouldn't do that to you."

Her face crumpled. Pushing into him in deep wracking sobs.

"I'm sorry," She cried. To him, to her Astarion, to herself. To everything that could be.

He held her steady as she poured her grief into him. Carding his fingers through her hair.

When she slowed he connected to her mind again.

Did Jaheira give you a tonic?

She nodded, it was sitting in her bag on the floor.

Do want to take it? With me?

She nodded again.

His mage hand retrieved the small bottle as she wiped her eyes, still wrapped in him.

Have you told...?

She laughed harshly.

How do you think that would go?

He nodded, sighing.

She uncorked the bottle and stared down at the swirling purple liquid.

Looked up at him in one last question.

He smiled warmly at her.

Be free.

She closed her eyes, feeling his warmth spin around her. Lifting the ends of her hair, kissing her along her whole body. A deep embrace flowing through her like water.

She downed it in two pulls, a earthy taste at the back of her throat.

Immediately she felt lighter, the gnawing anxiety that had been feasting on her dissipating.

Then an aching pain set in her pelvis.

She had expected this, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

She doubled over, groaning. Pressing her face into the mattress.

He rubbed into her back, massaging her hips.

"You're doing good. It'll be over soon." He reassured.

A wrenching spear of pain shot through her, stealing her breath away.

A deep clawing began ripping her apart.

Blood began to blur her vision.

No. Something was wrong.

"Gale," She gasped, looking up at him. Her face pallid. Blood gushing dark from between her legs. Getting one last sentence out before the darkness took her.

"It's his."

"She's going to be out for a while. Lost a lot of blood" Halsin sighed, his tunic covered in it. Rinsing his bloodied hands in a washbasin.

Gale picked at his hands, looking down at her as he paced. She was so pale, lips blue. Blood leaking out of her closed eyes.

"What..." He started, looking at the druid desperately. "What was inside her?"

Halsin shook his head, huffing.

"Something unnatural. Something malicious."

They both stared suspiciously at the covered basin that the expelled entity sat still inside.

"She was right to want it out. But it didn't leave easy." Halsin grimaced. "Definitely of our Ascendant friend in its nature. Vengeful."

"But she will recover?" Gale looked at him in strained hope.

Halsin was quiet for a moment. Running his hand wearily through his hair with a heavy sigh.

"I do not know. Time will reveal, Silvanus willing."

"You've contacted the others?"

Gale nodded. "We've exchanged sending stones as well."

"Smart man." Halsin brought out his own from his pocket, appraising it.

A crackle of magic singed at the air.

"Ah, that'll be her." Gale smiled, opening the gateway.

Shadowheart rushed through, her eyes only on Tav.

"Oh Gods," She moaned, taking Tav's cold hand in hers. "Oh please, please no."

She looked up at them with questioning frightened eyes.

"She's stable, for now." Halsin reassured tiredly.

"I'll kill him. That fucker..." She hissed.

"Indeed." Halsin sighed. "Tav is quite strong. But if she survives this, it won't be without lasting effects. Her insides are..." He shuddered. "Changed."

Shadowheart rested her head against Tav's belly, tears leaking quietly down her face.

Gale set a warm hand on her back, his other coming to push Tav's hair back from her brow.

Her eyes were darting under her lids, her breath rattling and fast in her chest.

He tried to reach her inside her mind but only saw a flurry of fear and pain.

"It's going to be a long night." He sighed.

Something woke him with a start. Looking around the decadently dressed room suspiciously.

Found nothing amiss.

He looked over at the woman laying next to him, her neck punctured.

Right. He sighed, disinterested.

Got up and pulled his silk trousers on.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

He reached for the seeing glass, never far from him. Flicked through the eyes of his informants. Seeing nothing. Not seeing her.

An anxiety settled into his belly.

She was out of his reach again.

"I told you to alert me if she moved." He hissed to the lot of them. Useless. "Where was she last seen?"

A raven showed a memory of her being pulled into a blue magic, disappearing.

Gale. Of course.

"Well, I'll just have to give Waterdeep a visit. I hear it's lovely this time of year." He sneered.

"You've made a grave mistake." A bone deep voice rumbled.

Tav tried to focus, lost in a swirling miasma of pain.

"By expelling my gift, you have refused my best offer. Pity."

Mephistopheles.

"You had so much promise. Fruitless whore."

She laughed at that, her spite bringing her back to her mind.

"I'm glad to disappoint you, devil."

"Oh, I do like the ones with bite." He cackled. "I'll make you a new deal."

"I'll release your beloved from the vampiric curse, and as before, you can give me half your life. However much of it remains. Or..."

He paused, relishing in the tease.

"I've already killed your peer, Raphael. These theatrics dont work on me." She reminded.

"And what an upset that was. Very well. Since I like you, I would settle for a limb."

She nearly laughed. Of course.

Her greatest asset was her dexterity and he knew that. Her acrobatics, the strength and precision of her body have served her through everything.

"Which one?"

"Oh, let's leave that as a surprise. It's more fun that way." He purred.

"You remind me a lot of him. He's a bastard now too."

"Oh flattery will get you everywhere, but not away from me."

"Consider my deal, fruitless one. It will not stand for long, and I'll warn you my gracious nature is very fickle."

She rocketed back to her body with a wet bloody cough, moaning out in renewed pain.

"Tav!" Shadowheart's voice to her right.

Eyes still coated in blood, a thick red haze she tried to blink away.

Tav tried to speak, but it only came out as groaning.

The pain was so severe she couldn't feel her legs. Wondering if the devil took them already, just to spite her.

Shadowheart pushed healing magic into her chest, lighting her up blue.

It helped her get her breath back, numbing the agony slightly but not fully dissipating it.

"I saw-" She gasped, searching for her with her hand. Trying and failing to sit up. "It was-"

"Shhh, save your strength. There will be time to speak later. Lay back." She urged her back gently with her slender hands.

"She's awake. Good." Halsin sighed somewhere to her left.

"Hey big guy." She smiled, coughing hard. Blood coating the back of her throat.

"Welcome back, my heart. I wish we could meet again on better terms."

Gale's voice, farther away.

"Everyone, we have company..."

Gale took sure steps towards the barrier protecting his tower, the others following behind him, where the Ascendant stood. Crimson eyes burning hate into him.

"I'm not letting you in." Gale stated frankly. "And honestly there are more pressing matters at hand. So if you don't mind."

If Astarion could have killed with his eyes he would've been dead on the spot.

"I know she's in there, wizard." He spat at him. "I'm not leaving until you produce her."

"She wouldn't want to see you, I'd imagine."

"Oh, she'll see me." He breathed, stepping closer. "We have much to discuss."

Shadowheart broke behind him. "She owes you nothing, you evil fucker! She's barely alive because of you!"

Gale winced. Discretion was key here.

Astarion was rocked back on his heel by what looked like shock.

His eyes searched Gale's frantically. Then filled with deadly promise.

"I will hunt down everyone you love and make them my spawn, so I can take them to the brink of death in the cruelest ways I can imagine. Over. And over."

"Let. Me. In."

As if he hadn't already warded those he loved long before this meeting.

"He's right, he won't leave." Tav hissed.

Gale turned.

She was steadying herself against the doorway, still pale as a sheet. Eyes red stained and sockets smeared with thumbed away blood.

"You've seen me now, happy?"

Gale could tell that she was trying for biting, but her tone was too exhausted, too bereft.

He stepped up to steady her as she lurched forward, gripping him on his forearm for support.

Astarion's eyes were wide, almost panicked. He stepped forward, nearly touching the barrier.

"Tav, what-"

You don't have to tell him anything.

She squeezed his arm to his words, a small sad smile on her lips. Turned back to Astarion.

"How did you find out you could bear an heir after the Ascension?"

Her question made Astarion blink. Gale could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"What a strange question." He scoffed.

"I think I know the answer, but I'd just like confirmation." She whispered, equal parts incensed and mournful.

Astarion stood on his back foot, clearly not liking where this was going.

Gale was appreciative watching him squirm. Obviously trying to still stay in Tav's good graces, but not a quick enough liar to come up with something plausible on the spot.

But they had more urgent matters to attend to. Like her health.

"Tav, we should get you back inside." Gale murmured, basically holding her body up at this point. Her fingers still gripping into his arm.

"Not yet." She hissed, then cried out in pain. A new wave of blood rolling down her thigh.

"Halsin!" Gale urged, and the druid was already there, picking her up bridal style.

Still, she stared death into Astarion, her red eyes never leaving him.

"You knew what that was, and you still put it in me. Without my consent. Knowing my fear. You knew."

"I will never forgive you for that." Her voice a cold whisper.

Gale almost pitied him. Tav's words had taken all of the wind out of him. Something close to remorse on his face.

As if sensing Gale's sympathy, he straightened up. Shooting daggers at him.

Halsin had already turned to take her back inside, her head falling limp into his chest.

"Go home, Astarion." Shadowheart hissed. "You've done enough."

Gale could see the vicegrip of rage return to his eyes. Petulant, he would not be told what to do.

"No, I don't think I will. Afterall, I must keep an eye on my consort. Being looked after by a trio of ineffectual doldrums." He scoffed.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, scumbag." Shadowheart turned, following Halsin inside.

Just Gale stood on the precipice now, turning to follow them as well.

"She will be alright?"

He turned back to Astarion, surprise flicking across his face.

Gale sighed, leveling. "We don't know. Your offspring certainly did a number on her."

He seemed to consider that, that vein of anguish striking his face again. Just for a moment.

"You should release her to me, I'd take care of her. Far better than any of you."

Gale nearly laughed.

"Goodnight Astarion."

"Drink." Halsin encouraged, holding cool water up to her mouth.

Tav swallowed in shaky pulses. Suddenly so parched. Taking the glass from him and pulling it all down.

"Good. Very good." He hummed, his deep rumbling voice sending chills down her back.

"Have I told you your voice is heavenly?" She smiled.

"Flirting again. That's a great sign." He chuckled, checking her pulse on her wrist.

His eyes met the winding scars there, a pulse of sadness striking his features.

"Oh, my heart." He sighed, cupping her face.

She leaned into him, his large warm hand a balm on her aching skin.

"You're still cold." He sighed, bringing the blankets tighter to her.

"Well," Gale started, stepping inside. "Shadowheart is off. I can't believe she agreed to go."

Tav smiled. "The outpost needs her. And I think I convinced her I was in more than capable hands. Your barrier proved that tenfold."

"Well, thank you." He smiled, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"The spare room is set up for you." He handed a fresh set of blankets and towels to Halsin. "Though I imagine you'd probably prefer to be outside."

Halsin chuckled. "Guilty. I'll remain close." Turning to Tav. "If anything comes up, don't hesitate."

"Thank you." She hushed. "Get some rest, okay?"

Halsin stroked her cheek, then stood and went down the hall, closing the door behind him softly.

"I imagine Lord Ancunin is still nearby?" Tav sighed, more a statement than a question.

"Oh yes," Gale sniped. Coming to sit on her bedside. "Relentless, that one."

Tav snorted. "An understatement."

"How are you feeling?" He hushed.

"Half in the grave. Angry. Tired. Cold." She sighed.

"Can you hold me?" She whispered, pulling up the edge of the blanket.

"I would want for nothing more." He slid under the covers.

She folded herself into him, sighing. Her body was in tatters, a throbbing persistent ache radiating from her pelvis. Exhaustion pulling her deep into the earth. But she didn't want to sleep, not yet.

His body was so warm. She slipped open his robe and buried her head into his chest, the hair tickling her face. Running her hand up under the ties, finding the curve of his hip.

She heard his breath catch, felt the gentle pulse of arousal from him.

Her hands traced his hip bone, his waist. Fingers splaying and stretching over the smooth skin, trying to commit it to memory.

"Tav..." He sighed, she could feel his apprehension.

"Just let me touch you, please." She whispered.

I need to feel close to someone. I want you.

Tav, you're in no state...

But she could feel the swirling desire around his head. The need pulling him too.

Please don't deny me. I need you, Gale.

He leaned over her and softly kissed her. Cradling her face in his hand.

Her hands traveled him, his robe falling away. Fingers and palms gliding over his olive skin.

Do you remember in camp, how we were almost together?

He smiled against her mouth, lips carefully pouring his adoration into her.

Of course I remember. You were the most enthralling surprise. I could never imagine someone like you could want someone like me. Even if only for a moment.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

If I had chosen you... things could have been so different. Couldn't they?

He shifted over her, carefully balancing over her body. Kissing her like the last drink of an oasis.

Oh, yes. I would've taken you anywhere, to the mountains, to the sea. We could've layed together in my tower, gone to the markets, reveled in each other. Happy, so happy.

Tears flowed freely down her temples, still pink with remnant blood.

Her heart hammered.

Could we still have that? Could we try?

She felt the deep wave of his elation wash over her, so many tangling emotions. But one soared over the other.

He wasn't saying it, but he didn't really have to. And he could feel her hope, her fear and uncertainty. The damaged pieces of her heart threading together as close as they could manage.

Stay with me here, in my tower. If just for a while. We can try.

Gale whipped together a probably too extravagant breakfast, hair tied back, face stern in concentration.

The morning light basked through the stained glass, slanting the room in hues of purple, blue, green.

Halsin stepped into the chaos, a big smile on his face.

"Gale, hush for a minute. Listen."

He paused his fervent whisking.

Tav had gone out to sit in the garden, waving him away as she wobbled.

Now the most beautiful bell of a voice was rising out above the soft sounds of morning.

"She's singing." Halsin hushed, as if to speak louder would break the spell.

Gale set the bowl down, eyes closing.

Only in the quietest and far between peaceful moments in camp would she sing. It was endlessly enchanting, spellbinding him heart and soul.

A threading hopeful cry, soaring through the air. Surely she could Weave magic, maybe far better than him.

"I love her." Gale whispered. More to himself.

"I know." Halsin smiled, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

They stood in silence, listening rapturously to her asking courageous call. How the morning seemed to respond in kind. Air woven with promise.

Part 10

#gods this one fought me #astarion x tav #gale x tav #ascended astarion #lyrics from: age of delilah - ethel cain #screenshot by @dekariosposting

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aladaylessecondblog · 1 year ago

Text

the voices beneath (gortash x good tav pt 5)

Previous chapter here

Tw: Gortash is having nightmares, Cazador makes threats, and Tav finally gives birth.

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When Tav woke, it was with one head on her chest and another, furrier one on her legs.

There was no question of why Scratch would be at her feet, but it took a moment for her to remember why Gortash would have his head on her chest when he'd never done it before. Even more recently when they'd sleep in the same bed it would be her facing the edge of the bed with him either spooning up or turned in the opposite direction.

Right, she thought, last night. She'd told him someone--Raphael--was dead, and suddenly he'd been all over her. Naked, too, which had been the bigger surprise. In the entirety of their marriage he had never shed all his clothes to lay with, or even just beside, her.

Now, though?

He was bare as the day he was born and that messy head of crow-black hair was on her chest as if this were the most normal and natural thing in the world. The covers and blankets were thrown to the base of the bed, and--

My dear, you're his wife. Of COURSE this is natural. Astarion's voice laughed in her mind. We were scared of this man? Look at him! Sleeping like a psychotic baby.

You could end all this right now, Halsin's voice was next, You could even claim it was an assassin. No one would know but the dog.

Gortash shifted slightly, and started to shiver.

A thorn through the eye or the throat. You could end this misery you've made Baldur's Gate suffer.

His heart was beating faster, and his face was sticky with sweat.

He moved just slightly and with a glance Tav saw him grimacing. His body jerked once and then a second time, as if he were being struck by something.

At that moment she did not see the man who had caused her and her former friends so much trouble, so much pain and suffering. She'd seen something like this several times before with Astarion--it was obvious he was having some type of nightmare.

Gortash's head moved up as he shifted, and after a slight pain in her side Tav realized he was trying to curl up--and her ribs were in the way.

What could have caused HIM to act like this?

All men have demons, Halsin's voice said, If he suffers, then he is among those who would find his end a mercy. Give him what he needs. Give all of Baldur's Gate what it needs.

Tav squirmed a bit and was able to bring her hand up to his throat. His pulse beat rapidly against her hand as she held it there, and with a deep exhale, she moved her hand up and threaded her fingers through his hair.

Help all who hurt, no matter who they are, she thought then, remembering one of the books on Ilmater she had read. But he is nothing if not a tyrant...which is very much against the--

Really, my dear? Astarion's voice returned, Religious rules, how utterly dull. You want to help, you always have. You need no god's rules.

It could simply be a normal nightmare. The thought surprised her, and then she felt foolish for not thinking of it sooner. A tyrant fears losing his power, and sees enemies in every shadow.

But still, she was almost certain it wasn't THAT. Fear of losing his position wouldn't result in the--

"...belong...belong...to..." The words came weak and low from his lips, just above a whisper.

Again, Gortash's body jerked, and Tav was on the point of waking him up when it suddenly happened on its own.

She pretended to still be asleep as he bolted upright.

"A dream," he said, breathing hard, "It was only a dream."

There was a long, hard exhale, and Tav expected him to get out of bed, to start the day, perhaps simply get his trousers on, go to his desk, and work. But he didn't. He lay back down beside her, and lay a hand on the bump of her belly.

"It will be different for you," he said in so low a voice it was almost a whisper. "It WILL be different."

Tav moved slowly beneath his hand, trying to mimic how she usually woke up. She shivered slightly and gave a half-sleepy look up as she mumbled, "...good morning...what'd you do with the sheets?"

She could hardly think on what she'd just heard--but she wondered, what did he mean? What was it Gortash was so insistent on being DIFFERENT for the child she carried?

"I found the room too warm," Gortash said, "But I see the dog has other ideas."

"He's been like that since I...well..." Tav gestured at her belly. "A natural thing, I imagine. Scratch, are you awake?"

The furry head perked up.

"I'm sure you're hungry...now we're both awake you should go down to the kitchens and see what the cook will give you."

She gave him a good petting and after she stopped Scratch hopped off the bed. He moved straight to the door and gripping the ring attached to its knob, pulled it open enough to give him space to leave.

"The animal is too clever for his own good," Gortash mused. Then he looked back towards Tav. "And as for you..."

"What about me?"

"Indeed...what about you?" he gave a brief smirk, and pulled the covers back up over her. "As you will be taking the next few days to rest and recuperate, perhaps you should sleep a bit longer. A lady in your condition needs to think of her health."

"Very well, then," Tav said, imitating his way of speaking, "If my lord desires it, then he'll have it."

Gortash left the bed, but cast a backward glance at her with a strangely soft expression. An expression which was quickly masked over with his satisfaction a second later.

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The several days largely consisted of sleeping and eating--something Tav was almost glad for. Fatigue had come as if from nowhere, but the midwives and older servants told her this was normal. Her body was swelling with a child who would be drawing its strength and all it needed from her, so to be tired was only natural. And because of the pregnancy she could take nothing for the fever that had made her so mindsick--so it was better to rest as much as possible anyway.

(She did not say to anyone, not even to herself, that one of the nicer parts of this seclusion was waking up with her husband curled close. Nor did she want to think about what that meant.)

After a tenday she was declared healthy again. Life proceeded for three months in much the same way as it had since her pregnancy had been confirmed--with the slight difference of Gortash's eagerness being less intense. Things to tend to in Rivington, talks with those of the Open Hand Temple or with several refugees she had tasked with seeing to certain aspects of her efforts.

Some were now beginning to call the refugee camp, which was rapidly filling with shacks and small houses, a proper village. Certainly there were some outspoken sorts who still didn't care for the presence of these refugees, but Tav reminded herself that if they refused to be civil, there were ways of dealing with them.

Dangerous thoughts, came Halsin's voice, the first time she thought such a thing. To be rude is not a crime.

But to speak violence IS, she thought in reply.

The issue passed. For now, the rudeness stayed just that. She had other things on her mind anyway--like the last public event she was to attend before her confinement. At seven months gone she felt entirely too large for so fancy a gown, but Gortash insisted on it as he always had.

"You are a Duchess, my dear, and that means looking the part. How many times must I remind you...or are you trying to irk me?"

That came in reply to her complaints about the needless excess of lace work on her split sleeves, as they descended the stairs that lead into the ballroom.

"Why would I want to do that?"

That seemed to satisfy him.

Tav danced only four times that evening, and rested after each of the first three. The first two were with certain bothersome nobles who wanted Gortash's favor and did so by praising her efforts to the "lesser" of the city, and how charity began at home, and many other pointless flatteries. What they wanted was his favor in one way or another--one wanted some sort of tax break, and the other wanted a contract of some kind with the Gondians. Both seemed to speak over her, as though she couldn't understand the subject matter, and she played into that belief in the interest of politeness.

And advantage. She realized months ago that when one appeared dim at court, especially if one was a woman--that with the right prompting, those who thought themselves above her would practically run at the mouth.

She was refreshing herself with some of the fruitier drinks (lamenting her inability to drink the wine) when Cazador appeared at her elbow.

"You are stronger than you look," he said, "To be up and on your feet all night in your condition."

"Thank you, Lord Szarr," Tav replied politely. "Perhaps you come to sample the wine?"

"Wine is but the first of the things I wish to drink," he replied evenly. "Might I have the next dance?"

Tav tensed, but accepted. If he thought her dim, too, there might be a few hints to be gained by conversation with him. Some weakness, or failing, or...something of that sort.

"You never struck me as the type to enjoy dancing," Tav said, keeping her eyes on Cazador's despite the glower.

"I have an image to maintain...a thing which you seem not to understand. That display in Elfsong has gone all over Baldur's Gate."

"I was very ill that day, Lord Szarr, and ended up lying in for more than a week. Fortunate it was that nothing worse happened. And fortunate am I for having so attentive a husband."

"But you didn't want him, did you?"

"Of course I do," Tav replied with an edge in her voice, "And I resent the implication otherwise."

"We both know you still yearn for the imperfections of my wayward...son," Cazador drawled, "And judging from the scars on your neck...his inadequacies are not all you indulged. I did try, you know, to keep him from doing such things...but he was always disobedient. Willful."

"He did only what I allowed." A twinge in her gut had a wave of nausea rise into her throat. "But of course, I would never allow it from anyone else."

"Your compliance is not necessarily a factor."

"Any fanged beast who put his teeth on me would quickly find themselves without the tools of their trade," Tav replied.

"Astarion has been a terrible influence on you. Or perhaps you were on him...perhaps YOU are to blame for his loss. Perhaps I should seek reparations."

Another slow series of turns.

"If a fanged one thinks to come to me hoping to reclaim what he thinks is his," Tav replied, fighting back the nausea, "I would do to him what I did to the army of the Absolute. What I did to the cambion."

Quiet fury burned in Cazador's eyes.

"You should remember your place," he said in a dangerous tone, "You are merely a vessel for the Archduke. A tool to be used, and then likely discarded when he has what he needs of you."

"Not all masters are so cruel," Tav said as the dance ended. "And some collars are more pleasant to wear than others."

She started to turn away.

"It's terribly rude to walk away without thanking your partner for the dance. You should avoid it in the future."

"Quite a thing to hear YOU say that." She paused, and added, "And I am not one of your...bastards. You don't own me."

Gods, it was thrilling to speak so. Tav knew she wasn't untouchable, but seeing the shifting of Cazador's face as he struggled to contain his anger was too amusing not to prod at him.

"I could."

He said it to her back, and she didn't reply.

---------------------------------------

Gortash, naturally taking the last dance, was furious to hear what had gone on.

"Say the word," he leaned in as close as he could, and said the words through his teeth. "Say the word and I will have his head on a platter for you tomorrow. He's already a dead man walking, but if you want him gone now--"

"Not now, my dear," Tav replied, loud enough for others to hear before lowering her voice again. "In this state, what would I do with it? I assume you will be investigating him anyway...and bringing me that infuriating head later on when you've taken everything from him."

"A desperate man will do desperate things," Gortash replied. "Surely you understand that?"

"I'm so glad I have you to instruct me on these things. I understand, yes. But I only thought...that he does not fear death. None of them do, I think. Orin certainly didn't. Which is why I wouldn't recommend it...at least, not swift death."

"Vengeful, aren't we?"

"Only to those who deserve it."

Gortash smirked, then leaned forward and whispered, "We decide who deserves it."

A sweet feeling of intoxication ran through her like a shot.

And Tav realized that maybe, perhaps, the last ember of resistance to all this was finally burning low.

------------------------------------

The babe had been so quiet the entire pregnancy that several times Tav had worried it was ill, or sick, or that something else was wrong. But from what the healers had had to say, it was perfectly healthy...just not inclined to move.

"It is not common," one of the midwives had said, "But it does happen, my lady. Sometimes a babe simply does not move, or it moves so lightly you think it is nothing more than a spasm in your stomach."

A month after the ball, as the spring rains were coming down, the babe seemed to do a complete switch. She was napping in her own room, and was awakened by a bolt of pain ripping through her belly.

At first she thought it merely indigestion, or some ailment of the stomach. But twenty minutes later, just as she was beginning to doze off, it happened again. When a third time came, she stumbled out of bed and headed for the door.

A guard halfway down the hall came running when she called after him.

"Call--call the midwife," Tav groaned, "I think the babe is coming."

It took ten minutes, but things were sorted--more pillows brought to help prop her up, water boiled, and many other things she was in too much pain to care about.

"It's too soon," she said, as another painful contraction moved across her belly. "It's--"

"Don't think on that," Berlina said. She'd been tasked with both fetching things and general moral support, as she had birthed four of her own children. "Just push, my lady, like they tell you."

"My husband--" Tav took in a deep breath, to attempt to steady herself, "--has anyone told him?"

Lightning flashed out the window, like the storm outside was mirroring her own turmoil. She didn't hear the reply, if there was one.

This is what he wanted you for. Any woman could do this...so that means...you can too. She tried to reassure herself, but with the contractions getting closer and closer together, it was hard to do it. I'm going to be fine. I'm going to be fine, this is natural, this is normal...

Thunder struck, loud and angry. She gave a sudden sob--and yielded to the sudden overwhelming urge to weep as the pain suddenly worsened. It hurt, worse than any wound she'd ever received.

In this way did the next hour pass, with both the storm outside and the pain in her belly growing ever worse--like she was being split in two, from the inside out. The storm seemed almost to mirror her pain, and had she been able to listen she would have heard two of the midwives' assistants saying it was the worst storm in years.

The hard labor was even worse. No matter how much they reassured her, how much they praised her for doing well, that she was pushing just fine and need only keep it up--she felt this could go no other way but wrong.

It seemed an eternity spent in unbearable torture, in a horrible ever-changing mixture of numbness, exhaustion, and suffering before she heard the words of sweet relief.

"I can see the head, my lady. I can see--a few more pushes, and you will be done. Just a few more!"

With hands clenching at the sheets beneath her, tears streaming down her face, with every fiber of her being swearing she'd never let Gortash touch her again--Tav managed the last few pushes.

Little praises fell from Berlina's lips as the dwarf woman wiped the sweat from her brow and the tears from her cheeks.

But Tav heard not a word of it. All she heard were the cries of the babe.

"A boy, my lady!"

They lifted the babe for her to see before they cleaned it, and she reached up her arms at once.

A male. Weak. This voice was haughty at best, but whether it was Astarion or Halsin didn't matter. Tav ignored it in favor of the overpowering urge to hold the babe. Her son.

They wiped his face, ensured he was well, and then lay him on her chest. It was an incredible feeling she was entirely unprepared for, but all her focus centered on that purplish face, the wispy light hair, the fingers, the toes, the whole small world she now carried in her arms.

"He's--so beautiful--"

She sobbed not knowing why, only that she was overwhelmed with SOMETHING, and despite the crying could only be happy. It was over, she had done what was required of her--and yet this little thing in her arms was her son, HER son...

I'm a mother now. I'm a mother. Why is it hitting me so hard?

Tav could only barely make herself cooperate to allow the midwives to clean up both her and the babe, and despite the rising exhaustion, fought to stay awake. She was determined not to miss a moment of anything done, and in fact demanded they do everything they needed to within her sight.

Ten fingers, ten toes...he was all drow, except in the face, where it appeared his father's influence had mostly won out. The nose, the cut of his tiny jaw, and--she found herself sobbing once again as she looked at the little face.

How could anyone think something so precious to be weak?

He opened his eyes.

Dark, like his father's.

Despite herself, she smiled.

They urged her to feed him, and she moved the babe to her breast. The pain wasn't gone but it was mostly numbed, and now she felt a rush of rightness. Despite all the ills that had brought her here, despite the pain that had lead her to marry his father, she knew instantly she would never regret having him.

"As nature intended," she mumbled, finally beginning to relax.

(After she finished feeding him and then burping him, one of the midwives not so subtly cast a sleeping spell on her. It was clear she would not do it on her own.)

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Tav woke to the feeling of no infant in her arms, and immediately panicked. She looked around the room, wondering for a horrible moment if she had dreamed the whole thing--but her belly was well reduced from what it had been before, so it MUST have been real.

But where was her baby?

"You should be quiet," said a voice from the corner. Gortash was seated there--and if the past months had not been enough to soften her towards him, the sight of him now certainly would have.

As it was, the sight of him with the tiny blue bundle in his arms was making her feel things she couldn't quite articulate.

"I slept, and..."

"The midwives said you needed it," he replied, without looking up at her.

For a moment she worried he was angry. Then that since she had given him what he needed, surely now he would simply be rid of her. Perhaps even have her killed.

But he didn't give so much as a hint that he was considering ANY of those things.

His focus seemed to be wholly on the babe in his arms, and even when she moved shakily out of bed and moved over in his direction, he didn't meet her eyes.

"Have I--done anything wrong?" she asked softly. "What are you doing?"

Gortash looked up at her, with an almost desolate expression on his face. Then he looked swiftly back down at the sleeping babe in his arms.

"Trying to figure out why."

And he said no more.

#yeah im up too late bringing you gortav #cazador is horrible but what else is new #bigger time skip here #childbirth #gortash #gortash bg3 #bg3 gortash #tav #drow tav #vitiligo drow tav #bg3 tav #gortash x tav #baldur's gate #baldur's gate 3

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whathebeep · 1 year ago

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It's 9 am I'm feeling sick so here's my... takes? Headcannons??? on our best bear druid Halsin! Spoiler-ish under the cut!

-Larian where is my man's chub, where is his belly,,, the chance to have Halsin be an actual bear was RIGHT THERE he could still have his muscles just give him the damn belly for me to squish

-He deserved a full romance/we should have been able to add him to the party after saving him from the goblins and he left his position of Archdruid

-SPEAKING OF Halsin coming to camp and staying with Tav and everyone after the goblins??? He 100% was like camp dad- as much as he would relish in the fact that he no longer had the responsibilities of Archdruid and could just focus on his own stuff now he would totally pick up on everyone's routines, helping out with camp maintenance- and as he got to know people more personally he'd help them out too! He'd offer to help clean and bandage wounds, help carry things when moving camp, etc etc

-Halsin absolutely has good conversations with Withers while he's stuck at camp too. You can't tell me he didn't see the undead guy hanging out and that they wouldn't have some great philosophical talks about life, death and the beauty of nature. Halsin, out of everyone, I'd argue is the most likely to know/figure out who Withers is- but he'd never ask or mention it. Why bring up the past?

- You KNOW FOR A FACT he takes such good care of Scratch and the owlbear cub. Since the owlbear cub grows along with the story I have no doubt in my mind that between Halsin early game and Jaheira later, they both help teach the cub how to hunt by shape changing into owlbears- I imagine Scratch comes along too, just to keep an eye on his little brother

- Someone pointed out on Tiktok that there's scratch marks around his tent and for me that means either A) he sleeps as a bear OR B) he shapechanges into a bear in his sleep just naturally or if he's having an unpleasant dream (I imagine these nightmares are worst during act 2, prior to saving thaniel and just being in the shadowlands. They still happen but aren't as frequent in the city)

- We can find his pipe early game, this man 100% smokes tabacco and weed- but like, he hand picks his own stuff. He wouldn't touch anything from the city. He's definitely a before bed stoner

-SPEAKING OF BED I imagine his bedtime routine involves a small walk, saying a prayer to Silvanus and smoking well away from camp so the smell doesn't bother anyone.

-he's great and I love him, thank u Dave and thank u Larian

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #halsin #bg3 halsin #halsin headcanons #headcanon #bg3 headcanons

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pwnyta · 1 year ago

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From someone who knows basically nothing about Baldurs Gate......

Imma give my UNSOLICITED OPINIONS.

Karlach is the most consistent with her style. She looks great in everything. Shes also the hottest overall (no pun intended). Her personality is one of the cutest and the fact she doesnt seem to get that good of an ending is UH... CRIMINAL.

Best ship- ...//covers face and mumbles... I really like her relationship with the player... this is so unfortunate... but its so cute. I love her. (I know theres a couple endings where you can kill her. Those dont exist or Im calling the cops.)

Base model MEH, Camp model VERY cute, Panties.... ITS A CHOICE BUT ONE I BUY THAT HE'D MAKE FROM WHAT I KNOW ABOUT HIM. Also I dont believe for a MINUTE this man got a six pack why are you lying directly to my face... He reminds me of Dr Frank, I love his voice, I would never be able to deny him anything because hes really funny and I just wanna see him go crazy.

Best ship- Astarion/Wyll... I just saw a video of Star being SO into Wyll it was hilarious. 'Honestly that MAN~' Someone get him a Thirst-aid kit.

The sheer driplessness of this man needs to be studied by SCIENTISTS. But his panties are pretty cute. I do like his face/hair... but the man cant dress himself. ...Look on paper Gale is everything. His sweetness and earnestness is very charming but GOD... hes so cringe sometimes. GOOFY FUCK.

Best ship- ... Probably Wyll? I mean you can just slot Wyll in anywhere cuz hes so charming and he and Gale are such cornballs itd be insufferable.

Laezel takes second place right behind my bbg Karlach. Her base model is a little weird looking the metal looks weird but it still looks pretty cool. Her camp model is super hot, I never would have expected those panties TBH... why dont the men get fun panties. This is a crime. Anyways 9/10 Zel! Congrats. IDK if I like her or the memes with her. her VA did that ducks in a row video and its so funny and I cant ever be mad at her no matter what she wanted to do.

Best ship- .....I mean aesthetically Karlach? For shallow reasons... idk what their relationship is like.

...Look I know shes super popular but.... Look her camp model is pretty great but Her hair is hideous. I can get over Gales absolute driplessness cus hes still handsome... what is this hair... GIRL. The panties are a choice too... but after Karlach and Zel she really had little chance. Least theyre better than the guys.

Best ship- //shrugs I have no attachment to this woman LMAO

Base model? Kinda boring but not terrible. Camp model? One of the best... the cute little peekaboo belly. I hope someone bites him. BUT THE PANTIES??? Girl. Youre lucky youre so handsome. The horns and crazy eyes elevate him... just putting that out there. Like Gale... on paper Wyll is so perfect but HES SO EMBARRASSINGLY EARNEST. The problem is probably just the style of the game... if it was less uncanny realism and more stylized maybe I wouldnt be as cringed out LMAO. Youre so damn cute Wyll... Im sorry.

Best ship- Astarion is funny but hes such a menace... I think Wyll deserves better. HALSIN/Wyll.

Halsin somehow does the earnest lover thing way better than Gale or Wyll... but hes almost as bad as Gale when it comes to dressing himself. Who let this man dress himself? Hes hot though. It makes up for it. I cant believe BG3 let this beefy elf exist... Im so used to young looking scrawny pasty elves (eyes emoji).

Best ship- Like Wyll you can just put him anywhere.... but WYLL. Theyd just be so cute. Halsin could definitely dull the sheer earnestness to tolerable levels probably.

This lady I know almost nothing about except shes kinda rancid.... but at least shes kinda hot and also can dress decently.

Best ship- ...//shrugs

The fact shes not romanceable makes BG unplayable. Her face and hair is gorgeous, her clothes get a MEH from me... maybe if the colors were more muted?

Best ship- ...//shrugs

Hes fine.

Best ship- ...//shrugs

I know the Emperor has some part in this too... and hes hot. So...

Overall-

The difference between S tier and A tier.. isnt that different. I really like those 3 freaks.

At first Wyll & Halsin were these too but... they grew on me & I cant blame them for their faults. Its not Halsins fault you can traumatize a squirrel... its not Wylls fault the realistic style combined with his cheesy romantic bullshit embarrasses me...

I couldnt even get through Dream Daddys.... and I love that game.

I can forgive Wyll.

#Text posts.

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tavyliasin · 1 year ago

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Baldur's Date NSFW Collection!

Welcome to the NSFW Baldur's Date Collection!

First of all I want to extend my gratitude again to everyone who participated! For those who don't have AO3, or wanted to repost their works here, please reblog and add your entry, or pop a link to it in the description!

Please take a look at the whole collection, or the links below the cut for the summaries and links to individual pieces. Mind the CWs and tags on these, they are the NSFW side! Don't forget to leave a little kudos and maybe a comment for the creators if you can~ everyone worked hard and came out with some truly wonderful pieces. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

The NSFW Baldur's Date Collection!

On Elven Braiding Rituals by LikethelightfromOrion Summary - The stream of thoughts were enough to drive the druid to madness. He knew he should control himself, behave in a manner befitting a First Druid of the Emerald Grove. Surely he had more resolve than to ask anymore of the friend he already owed so much to. He couldn’t let her know that her glance made his heart stir in ways he had not experienced in many years. She couldn’t know how her mere presence had been a balm to his exhausted soul, leaving him feeling like a man renewed. He couldn’t share how he longed to spend his nights wrapped around her, learning every inch of her body. That even the sweetest fruit turned to ash in his mouth at the thought of the taste of honey on her thighs. How could he ever share with her that he had often wondered how her beautiful face might look in the throes of ecstasy. That he had wondered if he could ever be the one providing her ecstasy. No, Clove could never know that any of these things had even entered his mind. CWs and Tags - Halsin/Tav (Baldur's Gate), Halsin (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Halsin (Baldur's Gate), Tav (Baldur's Gate), Named Tav (Baldur's Gate), Oral Sex, Porn with Feelings, Love Confessions, Vaginal Sex, Mutual Pining, mild referenced size kink, mild referenced belly bulge, Soft Halsin (Baldur's Gate), POV Halsin (Baldur's Gate), Halsin pines forever

Broken Reverie by Aria_Glenrose Summary - After the fall of the netherbrain Astarion's life has found a new normalcy with a new partner to help him forget about losing Vivarra. A nice little night out to a party with his new pet ends with an unexpected guest coming home with them. (This happens in the middle of Chapter 15 in The Death of Peace of Mind) CWs and Tags - Astarion (Baldur's Gate) & Original Character(s), Astarion (Baldur's Gate), Vampire Ascendant Astarion (Baldur's Gate), Pining, References to Depression, Degradation, BDSM, Dom Astarion (Baldur's Gate), Astarion is Bad at Feelings (Baldur's Gate), POV Astarion (Baldur's Gate), Post-Quest: The Pale Elf | Astarion's Companion Quest (Baldur's Gate)

Hors-d'oeuvre by Ankheg Summary - Abdirak is expecting a pleasant but quiet dinner out, but his date decides to add an extra course to the menu - right in the middle of the tavern. CWs and Tags - Abdirak/Tav (Baldur's Gate), Abdirak (Baldur's Gate)/Original Male Character(s), Abdirak (Baldur's Gate), Tav (Baldur's Gate), Original Male Character(s), Public Sex, Oral Sex, Teasing, Biting, Exhibitionism, Blood, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot

Agony and Adoration by Tavylia_Sin Summary - Abdirak and He Who Was have arranged another meeting, one in a long series of them, wit the invitation to the House of Hope coming with a small caveat. Haarlep would like to finally and properly meet Abdirak's most enticing playmate, the Dear One he has spoken so often and fondly of. The Shadar-Kai, on the other hand, begins to realise there is another kind of green eyed monster beside his own reflection when he calls upon the dead. Still, he is determined to give his priest what he desires most this time, easing his burdens instead of only punishing the damned. And he is willing to do whatever it takes to meet that goal and satisfy his date. The Valentine Challenge for the kind of date only these two could go on together, with more emotions than I anticipated. Darlings, I think our beloveds BDSM pain pals have caught feelings… CWs and Tags - Abdirak/He Who Was (Baldur's Gate), Abdirak/He Who Was/Haarlep (Baldur's Gate), Abdirak/Haarlep (Baldur's Gate), Haarlep/He Who Was (Baldur's Gate), Abdirak (Baldur's Gate), Haarlep (Baldur's Gate), He Who Was (Baldur's Gate), They/Them Pronouns for Haarlep (Baldur's Gate), Top Haarlep (Baldur's Gate), Sub Abdirak (Baldur's Gate), Switch He Who Was (Baldur's Gate), Abdirak x He Who Was is my agenda please join me and make these beautiful freaks fuck, Heavy BDSM, Bondage, Rope Bondage, Knife Play, Posture Collar, Neck Corset, Needles, Improper Acupuncture But It's Hot, Hands, This is the hands kink fic for these two, the freaks are in love and I love them thank you for listening to my essay, Wound detail, Scars, Power Play, Gags, Edging but with pain, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Rough Oral Sex, if I missed any tags please let me know asap to add

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #fanfic #baldur's date #ao3 fanfic #ao3fic #baldur's gate 3

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displacer-beasts · 4 months ago

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some rook ideas

a male twink qunari vaguely based off my dracthyr evoker from warcraft. evoker mage with the veil jumper background. just based off vibes, romancing either belara or lucanis

a burly male human warrior (think halsin's body type but i wanna give him a bit more belly paunch). either two handed or sword and shield. either grey warden or lord of fortune background. absolutely romancing emmrich

very androgynous elf with long white hair and white eyes, either mage or rogue with the mourn watch background. they will absolutely be named Rathma. no romance ideas yet for them.

female dwarven rogue with buzz cut hair and heavy make up with either crow or shadow dragon background. romancing either harding or taash

i think for my first playthrough im drawn to human warrior (which is an absolute first for me - ive literally never made a warrior MC until my replay of inquisition last year. im always a mage the first time, and rogue the 2nd). mainly bc im like 90% sure im gonna romance emmrich first and i just wanna see him with a big bear of a man

#dragon age

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thecagedbard · 11 months ago

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Oh Look, another Tav story! This is currently posted over on AO3 in its entirety but I thought I’d post it to tumblr as well. If you’d like to sneak a peak at some of the chapter names, if you don’t want to read the whole thing yet, have a listen to the title playlist: here. There is also just the ‘Here’s what I was listening to while writing' playlist, and my Faetrala Uncaged playlist which serves as inspiration for Vesper’s siblings. A lot of the songs tend to overlap but who knows, you might find one you enjoy.

Rating: Mature

Pairing(s): Astarion/Tav (Vesper), Astarion/Halsin, Astarion/Halsin/Tav(Vesper); Mentions of Karlach/Shadowheart/Wyll; Mentions of Gale/AFAB OC

Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Physical Abuse, Canon Divergence, Child Death

Word count: 9,322/300,000+

Summary: Vesper needed someone to protect her from an abusive husband should he appear after she was abducted by mind flayers. Astarion needed someone to fall for him so he had protection from Cazador. He's got two hundred years of manipulation and she has the soft heart of a lamb being led to slaughter. While subconsciously healing each other they both realize they also need to heal the druid of all damned people.

Chapter Six

The opportunity to speak with Astarion slipped from her hands faster than a zhentarim agent could drop a bottle of alchemist fire. While the plan was clear, they were headed to the underdark in search of the Sharran Temple or city or whatever it was, neither Karlach nor Astarion was quite ready to give the surface world up just yet, plus Halsin had said it would be a couple of days before he could join them because of Kagha’s trial.

The party had left their camp and traveled back to the toll house before following the risen road. Days ago they had found a group of three gnolls and fought them along with newborns after they had burst from the bellies of hyenas. Today the sounds of explosions caught their attention as they wandered. Gnolls as large as the three they had fought before were hunting something within a cave, as he normally did Astarion’s hand pushed down on the top of the bard’s head but he wasn’t fast enough for the gnoll that was painting a symbol in blood on the wall to not notice them.

The creature howled before surging forward and came to a sudden halt before the bard, their tadpoles connecting. “Karlach, kill it!” Astarion shouted as all of them doubled over. When the initial connection fell the others realized the hyenas and gnolls behind this one were beginning to surge forward, Karlach had lifted her blade ready to attack the one looming over the bard, but Vesper held her hand up.

How did a gnoll get a tadpole? Why was ‘this meat,’ which she assumed was herself and her companions, forbidden? Stepping into the gnoll’s space she pushed for the tadpole in her head to find the answers and at the same time felt a hand encircle her wrist trying to pull her back, “Wait!” she had cried out, “give me a just a second. Take the others.”

A deeper push into the gnoll’s consciousness gaining what little information it had, and decided to try and distract it with a joke. “What’s the difference between man and meat?” Gale had looked at her as he climbed one of the boulders near her, “What?” The gnoll’s head had tilted before she told the punch line, “Thirty seconds and a hungry maw.”

“What?” the wizard had said a second time before the gnoll began to cackle. Much like its pre-bipedal form, the cackle sounded like a hyena and the control that the gnoll pack leader had over her pack spread the laugh to all of them.

“How in the hells did you do that?” asked Karlach as she looked at the bard, “The joke wasn’t even that good…” Astarion flanked one of the bipedal creatures with her and shrugged his shoulders, “Perhaps it's their lack of intelligence. One at a time, shall we?”

The creatures went down easily since they were able to take the time and attack together, when the final one standing was the pack leader, she felt a tug on the belt of her armor and walked behind Astarion as she heard him mutter, “Thirty seconds and a hungry maw…truly?” She shrugged her shoulders as best she could and watched as they attacked in unison, Shadowheart sputtering as blood splattered across her face.

Karlach stood as her shoulders heaved, “That was really a bad joke…but it worked.” Vesper looked at the tiefling as she talked and laughed softly, “I’m full of a ton more.” The axe-bearing woman tilted her head, “Well I guess we have our traveling entertainment.” There was a shout from inside the cave that had them turning to look in its direction, from the mouth of the cave two men came running out clad in all black.

The tiefling made space for Vesper to step forward and tilted her head in the man’s direction as the taller blond yelled out to them again, his hand raising into the air with a wave. A hand at her back lightly pushed her forward and she looked back and then up to Astarion who smiled at the man, “See what he wants, you’re good at reading people aren’t you?”

“Shadowheart is better–hello, are you alright?” her last couple of steps stumbled as Astarion gave her another indelicate shove forward.

“Gods, you are a sight. I thought we were going to be gnoll shit before anyone came to our rescue,” the man held out a hand before he simply stepped forward and grabbed onto one of Vesper’s shaking it, “Rugan. The boy and I were a part of a caravan traveling west, did you see any of my men out here?” Vesper shook her head and explained the scene they had found just south of where they stood, “Damn it all.”

“Where’re you traveling from?” asked Karlach as she stayed just behind the bard’s shoulder. Vesper could feel the heat from Karlach’s body indicating just how close she was but she didn’t interject anything, she just kept an eye on the man before looking back at the cave to see a younger man peeking out of the cave.

As Rugan explained where they were from and that they were carrying good bound of Baldur’s Gate something he said made her wrinkle her brow in confusion. He spoke of being paid of tarenths she had heard that word before when dealing with a debt for Issac. Those men who had spoken of it had been mercenaries. The hand that had been on her back slipped up to hold onto her shoulder and Astarion stepped closer so he was directly beside her, “You’re Zhentarim?” he asked, Vesper looked toward her pale companion and saw him looking the two over, “Your people don’t deal in ‘baubles.’”

Rugan lifted a finger while he chuckled, “You know who we are–very clever. Then you probably also know it’s not smart to interfere with Zhent business.” The human wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm and cocked his head, “This is the point where a clever group like you accepts my gratitude and walks away.” Vesper looked from the man to Astarion and back before she smiled, “Of course…hardly seems right to save you only to rob you of your charge, right?” She looked at the spawn next to her whose smile went from threatening to tight as he looked at her his eyes narrowing in frustration, “Right…of course. We’ll see you at your little watering hole then…”

The man nodded and turned calling out to the boy in the cave while the three watched him stride back. Astarion lowered his voice, “We could have used whatever he had in there…what if he’s carrying a ton of jewels? Shame really…” Karlach snorted, “Right well, if we really want their stuff I suppose we could always attack all of them at once.” The bard nodded and inhaled shakily before turning, “Yeah…all of them.”

The tiefling looked down and frowned, “What is it? Did you know him?” Vesper angled her head to look at the tiefling, “Hm? No! I’ve just dealt with Zhent before…not a happy experience by any means.” She realized then that they were missing three members of the party, “Where’s the others?” Karlach turned and pointed, Gale was bent over one of the gnolls as he used a knife to cut its ears off, “Probably ingredient gathering…or trophy collecting. Not sure really,” she grinned as she looked back at the elves. The rogue’s face was twisted as his lip curled, and his nose wrinkled, “Somehow I didn’t take Gale for a collector…do those have some sort of magic within them?” he called out and Gale looked up and chuckled before returning to his task.

Shadowheart was going through the belongings of the gnoll leader and held up a flail, “Something about this doesn’t feel right. Like it’s a curse or something.” Wyll only nodded and held open his bag, “Perhaps if Gale’s problem persists it will find some use then. Otherwise, we can get rid of it as soon as possible… there are cliffs not far from here near Waukeen’s Rest,” the warlock said as he flipped the closure on the bag once the weapon was inside.”

“There’s a parasite as well, I can feel it calling to me,” said Shadowehart as she began to back up. Astarion bounced on his toes as he pulled an empty bottle from his pocket, “Allow me then.” When the little creature began to exit its host looking for a new one the rogue was quick to pick it up and place it within the glass container. Tapping on the jar he smiled at it, “Hello new friend…I wonder what you’ll give us.” The cleric watched the spawn with a look of disbelief on her face, “Tentacles, mucus-covered skin…nothing attractive I’m sure.” Astarion barely spared the cleric a look before he walked up to the bard and dropped it into the bag that rested on her shoulders while asking, “How far to this Waukeen’s Rest then?” Vesper stumbled as the rogue pulled at her bag and froze while he finished whatever he was doing, when she was finally able to move freely again she noticed he had her ration pouch once more. “Must you eat all of my snacks?” she asked as he pulled a piece of dried meat from the bag, turning to Wyll, who seemed to know the area better she asked, “What is Waukeen’s Rest? That Zhent agent mentioned it as well, said his ‘friends’ had their own tavern there.”

Wyll raised a brow as he looked past the bard and motioned for her to lower her volume, he started down the hill and looked back waiting for the others to follow. Karlach and Vesper shared a look before following after him, Astarion wasn’t far behind while the cleric and wizard brought up the rear. “It’s an inn, my father used to frequent when he had to come this way years ago, not too far perhaps another hour or so. Zhent agents you said?” he titled his head down as he spoke to Vesper, “Perhaps we should stop after all. Let someone there know that there’s a black market going on under their noses.” Gale sighed as he heard it was an inn, “An inn, maybe they will have room and we can have an actual bed for the night. A warm bath and fine cooked meal sound like just the thing I could use right about now.” Shadowheart sighed at the thought as well, “I haven’t minded camping but having a bed does sound rather nice. An hour you say? What are we waiting for?”

They began walking again, Wyll taking the lead ahead of the others. While walking Karlach snatched the bag Astarion had taken from the bard and passed it back to her with a chuckle, “One night and you’re acting like you’ve been given free access to her things.” Astarion grunted when the bag was taken from him, “I thought I said not to say anything,” he said to Vesper whose face began to color as Shadowheart looked at the woman walking beside her. “What are they talking about? One night?” she asked before looking back at Astarion and then her eyes got wide, “You didn’t!” she exclaimed her eyes finding the bard again.

Vesper threw a look behind her to the rogue, “I hadn’t said anything. I told you Karlach saw you…you’re also the one that told her to tell me!” She heard a male chuckling and whipped her head around to see Gale now fighting a grin, huffing Vesper began walking faster to walk next to Wyll as the others laughed a little harder.

“It should be just,” Wyll paused mid-step as his eyes glanced skyward. “Smoke…something’s on fire,” said Vesper as she too looked upward and then took off after the warlock. People in red and yellow tabards were gathering water from a fountain before throwing it on a fire that was engulfing the whole building and those beside it. Karlach joined the two and looked at Wyll before looking at the door. One of the people in heavy armor turned, “Don’t just stand there, Duke Ravengard is in there!”

“Duke Ravengard?” asked Wyll and his face fell before he ran up to the door and kicked his foot through it, the door giving way to his weight and the flames licking at it from the inside. Karlach scooted past him, “Let me, Wyll. If it goes up in flame I should be fine for the most part, worlds better than you at least.” Wyll only gave a nod, “Quickly, Karlach!”

They lost sight of Karlach and she and the others in heavy armor ran for the stairs. Wyll covered his mouth with his hand as he took in the building and Vesper walked up to him placing a hand on his shoulder, “Do you know this Duke Ravengard?” Wyll looked at the bard and lowered his hand, “Yes…I–” The sound of more debris falling interrupted them and they both turned to the building. Astarion, Gale, and Shadowheart stopped running as they got near, “Where did Karlach go?” asked Shadowheart and both Vesper and Wyll pointed into the building. The cleric’s eyes widened and she looked at them, “You just let her? What if she gets caught in the fire?!” Wyll looked over to Shadowheart before turning back to the building, “Someone’s coming, Shadowheart get ready!” The cleric nodded and began preparing a healing spell.

The woman who came running out knew Wyll and Wyll knew her. Vesper watched between them as they spoke and was surprised when she heard the word ‘Father’ being placed so near a description of Duke Ravengard. “You’re the son of a duke?” she asked as she looked at the warlock who dropped his head, “Yes.”

“Not just any duke,” Astarion said as he stepped closer, “Ulder Ravengard…he’s quite possibly the most powerful duke in all of Baldur’s Gate!” The woman, Counselor Florrick, if Vesper had heard Wyll correctly, reported to them how a group of drow and goblins had attacked just recently and kidnapped the duke. Vesper’s attention shifted when there was more wood falling and even Wyll’s head snapped to the side looking for a sign of Karlach, “Your friend was just behind me…I don’t–” a shadow appeared in the smoke and Karlach ran out of the building, “Gale with me! There’s someone still trapped in here.” And she was running off again, this time the wizard and cleric following her.

“If the goblins and drow are working together it likely has to do with the cult of the Absolute,” Wyll was circling Florrick now, “they’ll be making their way to Moonrise Towers. I have it on good authority, Counselor.” The woman nodded, “I will need your help Wyll, your father will need your help.” Vesper looked at the woman, “He’ll have it…we’re on our way there already.” Florrick watched as Wyll went running for the same building as the other before looking at the two elves in front of her, “Thank you. Fist, you have your orders! To Moonrise Towers!” As the armored individuals began their march out Vesper ran for the building, putting a hand over her mouth as the smoke of the scorched floor rose to meet her, “Keep your head down,” she heard Astarion say and crouched down as they ran up the stairs. Just as they reached the top of the stairs the sound of a boom shook the building, a man came running through and Gale shot a ray of frost behind him as Karlach also came running from the flaming building.

“Sorry, it took a while to find a safe way to get to him…” said Karlach as she doubled over coughing at the smoke that filled her lungs, “We should go back downstairs,” the bard said. The others nodded but Shadowheart was bent over the man who had been rescued applying healing spells to him. After two, she took one of the potions from her side and held it out to him, “This should help, but you can’t stay here.” He was crying over his wife and batted her away. Wyll coughed before shaking his head and grabbing Shadowheart’s arm, “He knows, we have to go.”

They all made it outside, there were a few people still trying to futilely put the fire out, but the flames didn’t want to go down, Gale coughed heavily before sighing in relief as Shadowheart cast restoration on him, “I don’t think it was the brightest idea for you to run into a burning building. Your lungs are still healing you know,” the cleric said to the wizard and he gave a grunting laugh. “I cannot argue when you’re right. But Wyll…you’re the son of a duke?” Wyll grimaced as he splashed his face with water from the fountain, “I am. I am both the Blade of Frontiers and I am Wyll Ravengard, son of Duke Ulder Ravengard…” Astarion’s face twisted, “I didn’t even realize that Ravengard had a son?”

Vesper listened to them talk as she sat down on the edge of the fountain. Wyll’s parentage didn’t much matter to her, she knew it meant that the warlock in their party was technically nobility but he was here just like them. Why should it matter? For a split second that awful part of her perked up, Issac would be afraid of–she closed her eyes and pushed the thought away. She still needed to find time to talk to Astarion but after such a walk today she was tired.

Warmth filled her left side and Vesper opened her eyes to look at Karlach, “Are you alright? The fire didn’t hurt you did it?” she asked the tiefling who shook her head, “I’m perfectly fine. Thought I’d check on you…you lost some color when you met that Zhentarim guy. You sure you didn’t know him? He didn’t…” her head bowed down and she didn’t finish the question, but Vesper knew where her thought process was leading. “No, believe me, I don’t forget their faces,” the bard said with a sad smile on her face, “nor would they pass up the opportunity to mock me if they saw me.” She met the tiefling’s gaze for just a moment before looking away and coughing again. Her bag was shrugged off her shoulders and she began to look for her canteen, taking a drink she sighed in relief and held it out, “Gale, have some.” The wizard turned away from his conversation with Wyll and took the container with a silent thanks before drinking deeply and sitting down on her other side, “Those mercenaries said had a place here?” The bard and warrior both nodded, “Don’t suppose they might have had a hand in what happened here do you?” Vesper looked at him and frowned, “I won’t say it isn’t possible–” Karlach interrupted, “Wouldn't be surprised since a Zhent was in that temple.” Vesper looked back to the woman beside her, “There was?”

Karlach nodded, “Yeah when we were first walking about we spoke to a few people and this little halfling wasn’t too friendly with us poking around. Oh, shit…” The tiefling's eyes got wide and she looked to Gale, “We forgot the cub!” Gale read the confusion on the bard's face and explained, “On our way in, there was an owlbear cub much like the one we saw in that cave being chased by goblins. Some game they called ‘Chicken Chase.’ Karlach wanted to save it but it had completely slipped my mind. I’m sorry, Karlach, the likelihood of it–”

“No! Don’t say that we have to go back!”

“If those goblins are there it could be a death trap for us.”

“And if we don’t go they’ll cook the cub! C’mon, Gale, we gotta save the baby if you guys couldn’t save the mama!” It was strange seeing Karlach trying to give the wizard puppy-dog eyes. But she was putting her best sad face forward as her head tilted down, “Please?”

The others were finally tuning into the conversation behind them and Astarion shook his head, “No, let’s not go back. Those goblins will want us dead. We’re better off dealing with the mercenaries.” Vesper looked up, “If you all go down there I’ll stay out here. I’d rather not deal with them at all.” The rogue frowned as he looked down at her, “Why? Bad experience with black market traders?” Karlach was quick to step in, “You could say that. It’s more the people less the practice I think,” she turned and smiled when the bard nodded. “What if she and I go back? Halsin thought the goblins would disappear once their leaders were gone. We,” she motioned to herself and Vesper, “could go get the cub while you lot deal with these ‘traders’ or whatever.”

“Absolutely not,” Astarion shook his head and negatively waved his hands, “Vesper staying up here is one thing considering the burning building and chaos surrounding this place, the two of you running off back to where we ran from to save an owlbear is completely different.”

“What if we did both?” Vesper finally spoke up, all eyes were on her and she shrank a bit from the attention, “Those that want to go down to the zhentarim can go, and the rest go to the camp?” Astarion stared at her, dumbfounded, “No!” his vowel was elongated as he shook his head, “You’re not putting yourself in danger. It’s either everyone goes so that we’re each protected or no one.” Karlach smirked and looked at him, “So we’re all going then?” The rogue’s face fell and he shook his head, “That’s not what I said.” Shadowheart hummed, “It kind of is…you said we all go or no one. I don’t think Karlach’s going to give up on the baby owlbear…you didn’t see her when she saw it.”

The tiefling turned to Vesper, “It was the cutest little murderous thing.” The bard giggled and nodded, if it was the cub they had seen in the cave she already knew that. She looked up at Astarion who was glaring at each of them before he met her eyes, “Oh alright fine! But first the zhent. Maybe they have clothes and someone,” he gave a pointed look to the bard, “can actually be comfortable when they’re in camp.” Karlach grinned, winking at Vesper, before she replied to Astarion, “You’re so sweet, Astarion. How’d you know I wanted something new to wear?”

Unfortunately, the conversation about Vesper staying topside went much the same way. Arguments about her safety, and her choices, and Wyll even threw in a barb about her reaping the consequences that made the bard wince. The warlock however was the one to come up with a place for her to hide, there was a barn next to the warehouse they’d been told about, so far the fire had not reached this far and after casting a few frost cantrips Gale felt it was safe enough.

Astarion wasn’t thrilled but he quit complaining, as the others left the barn he looked at her, “First spark and I want you out of here. I don’t care if you come down to the rest of us, just…” he looked her over and waved his hands as though coming up with the words were hard. Vesper gave him a solemn nod, “Good,” he said and turned halfway before looking back, “I’d hate to know that last night would be our only night.” When her cheeks flushed and she opened her mouth he only grinned, “It’s so fun getting you all worked up.”

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

Her companions were gone for quite some time. As tired as the bard was she was just as worried about the fire spreading as Astarion was so she couldn’t find it in her to fully rest. Rather she found a somewhat comfortable area on the ground behind a pile of hay and sat down. She was just starting to sing one of the few songs she still remembered when she heard yelling and footsteps quickly approaching, “Vesper!” Her name was yelled so quickly and loudly that she jumped and peeked around the haystack as Wyll slid into the barn nearly falling on the ice, “We have to go! Hurry!” He waved his hands and held out his hands while she quickly got to her feet and slung her bag over her shoulder. There was more yelling as she and Wyll ran toward the others, Gale held a scroll in his hands and as they passed him he let go and finished the incantation, a wall of stone rising from the ground to close the archway in the building.

“That isn’t the only way out of there, we have to keep going, run!” the wizard announced as he ducked to grab his bag and followed after the others.

“What happened?!” yelled Vesper as they reached the far end of the road down from the inn. She was doubled over like many of them, her heavy breathing matching Gale’s as she rested her hands on her knees. “I thought you were just going to talk?” the bard shifted her gaze to Wyll, expecting him to have acted as the hero again, but everyone slowly turned to look at Astarion’ who puffed his cheeks for a minute and let out a guilty giggle, “I may have tried to take the chest they were hiding…and after talking my way out of that one I–uh,” his pitch went a little higher before he cleared his throat, “they seemed to accept us, how was I to know they wouldn’t want us looking in the back rooms?”

Shadowheart stood straighter and wiped a smudge off her face, “They were all preparing to leave and blow the place up. Gale cost us 600 gold to buy a painter and then Astarion thought he’d go sightseeing where there were giant wolves.” The cleric was seething as she said ‘wolves’ and the bard remembered that Shadowheart had a fear of them. Astarion’s hands wavered in the air dismissively before he dropped them, “We survived, let’s count our victories. I was just attempting to see if there was something to make our six hundred gold back.”

Vesper looked to the human beside her and he smiled in her direction with a guilty expression in his gaze before he tilted his head with a shrug, “A man was being held captive. I was able to talk them down from a thousand gold…which we certainly didn’t have. Then the no-good louse of an artist had the nerve to ask for even more gold so he could drink his way from here to Baldur’s Gate.” Gale pushed himself into a standing position and placed his hands on his lower back as he stretched, “He did promise to rebate our gold once we made it to the city–” “If we make it,” the vampire’s spawn interjected. “Yes,” said Gale, “if we make it. He wouldn’t say who his patron was but that she would be grateful for his rescue.”

Karlach shook her head, “You didn’t get scammed much back in Waterdeep did you?” Gale’s brow furrowed as he thought and he shook his head, “No, but I don’t think the man will forget those who bought his freedom. Call me delusional if you’d like but I’d rather be optimistic about the outcome of this. I also waited until everyone had made their purchases so it wasn’t as if I wasted gold.” Astarion’s head twisted as his eyes narrowed, “You didn’t waste it? We have over a tenday’s travel to get to Baldur’s Gate–oh! Wait! Even longer because we’re headed to the underdark! Even longer!” he threw his hands into the air, “Because now we’re rescuing Duke-fucking-Ravengard in the bloody Moonrise Towers! No, no gold wasted indeed.”

As Astarion shouted his voice broke and he glared at the wizard, “Not like most of you don’t need to eat or anything. Not as though we’re headed into the underbelly of Toril where trade will be far and few. We could have used the money with the druids for food, Gale! Supplies that we are sorely running low on!” He was moving forward toward the wizard until the Vesper stepped in front of him and held up her hands, “It’s done. We’ll figure it out. I’m just surprised we had six hundred gold, to begin with…” Both of her hands rested on the high elf’s chest and he paused his momentum to look down at her before his nostrils flared as he huffed. Astarion looked from the bard to the wizard behind her and shook his head, “Fine. It’s only money after all. Hopefully, there are no palms that need greasing in our near future.” He looked down at the bard, “It was the last of our gold.” Vesper nodded, “Alright, we’ll go through the chest and sell what we have to then. And perhaps we can stop by the owlbear’s cave again. Her claws would be good for spears so they’ll be good to sell and if there’s any whole eggs we can sell those too.”

Vesper gave only the slightest of pushes against Astarion’s chest before he stepped back and turned away. When he walked away she ran her hands over her face, digging her fingers into her eyes before nodding, “It’s alright. We can figure some stuff out, we may just need to double back and see what we can grab that’s worth trading for in that village or sell some of our herbs and other ingredients.” She turned to look at Gale, “We may have to part with those gnoll ears that you worked so hard to get.” The wizard nodded and pursed his lips, “I do think he’ll come through…I perhaps didn’t think pragmatically about the rest of our journey ahead.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice, “I forgot we were to save Wyll’s father.” Vesper matched his expression, wrinkling her nose in a grimace before Karlach exclaimed, “Oh shit…is that a dragon?”

As a red dragon flew over their heads everyone ducked down, it was flying low as if it was searching for something. Karlach led the others up a hill and approached a pale-skinned tiefling who was also watching what was happening down below near two bridges. “That’s the road that would lead directly to Baldur’s Gate, the one Zevlor and his people would have taken,” Wyll whispered and the tiefling whirled around a scimitar in hand as she looked at them before turning and crouching down again, “Shh!” she called to them. Vesper lay on the ground trying to stay as low as possible as she looked over the cliff, she felt a hardened metal brush against her arm and looked at Shadowheart as the cleric sucked in air between her teeth, “Githyanki!”

The bard nodded and looked back to the scene ahead. There were more people in heavy armor and that red and yellow tabard. The Fist, Florrick had called them. “What sort of alien creatures are so friendly with dragons?” asked Astarion as he too joined the drow and half-elf. “Githyanki,” said Gale, “legend says they were gifted dragons from Tiamat herself.” Vesper looked down toward the wizard who jutted his chin out, “It looks as though they’re questioning the Flaming Fists and….” the talk turned into shouting and Vesper gasped as the large red dragon spit a fireball in the direction of the bridge knocking it into the ravine below. They heard Karlach swear from further down the bridge as Wyll whispered, “I hope Zevlor and his people already made it across. It’s a perilous journey over the mountain.”

They were going to get up and leave when another figure came running into view, Vesper grabbed hold of Shadowheart, “It’s our friend from the ship.” Shadowheart’s head turned and she narrowed her eyes, “Looks like she found her people then. We should go, they had no issue killing those humans and elves, they would make light work of us.” The bard turned her head and shook it, “We should help her.” The cleric sighed, “The likelihood of her siding with us is slim, we should go gather what we can and save that owlbear cub if we can.” Shadowheart’s mind was made up and she proved it by crawling backward and doing her best to be quiet as she left the bridge and went down the hill, Wyll looked toward Vesper before he too followed, “She’s with her people, Ves,” he said as he left.

One by one they abandoned their hiding spot until it was only Vesper and Astarion. The high self seemed to be waiting for her to move, and the bard was watching everything unfold, “Vesper, darling we should go…she was on the ship too but she has her own kind to help her.” She felt a weight against her shoulder and looked at Astarion, “Something just doesn’t feel–”

The sound of metal hitting metal made them both turn. “Shit,” the high elf hissed, but the bard was already pushing up and pulling her crossbow from her hip, “What are you doing?! Get down!” Astarion’s shouts alerted the githyanki below and he growled to himself, “Fine. I suppose I could try something a little exotic today.”

Vesper heard him yell to the others as an arrow flew in her direction, she was able to dodge out of the way while completing an incantation on one of the greatsword wielding gith. The sword in the gith’s hands heated quickly until the alien creature swore in its language and dropped it to the ground. From the side she could hear her companions rushing back and joining the fray, Karlach’s war cry was above all of them as she leaped from the bridge and buried her axe into the skull of the archer who was aiming to take a shot at Astarion. The high elf had descended the stone wall they were nearest and turned pulling daggers from behind him. Vesper looked to the one creature she knew, the woman from the nautiloid, and shouted, a quick healing word cast within her shout, out to her. The warrior from the ship rolled to the side to avoid the downward swing of another gith. A golden bolt made the greatsword wielder stumble back, Vesper looked to the side and Shadowheart hefted her shield higher, “Why save her?!”

The bard shook her head, “She didn’t leave us behind, Shadowheart! She didn’t even protest when I went searching for that key…they were going to kill her!” Between them, Gale was weaving his hands through the air and summoning a fireball, “Not now, Shadowheart, you can argue the reasoning when this is finished. For now let’s just make it out of this alive!” When the arcane ball of flame fully formed he pushed forward and the three watched it explode on top of not only the remaining gith but Karlach and Astarion, the high elf flung himself back from the flame. “Though I must admit, I do hope you’re a good judge of characters, Vesper. Githyanki are not known to be the kindest of creatures,” he said as an afterthought and cast a glance below them.

The bard wouldn’t admit it but she wasn’t sure how good her judgement was any longer.

There was only the one gith left now, the one swinging her sword directly at the familiar alien. While the one the party was helping parried, Karlach struck out again but was parried by the foe. Astarion took the opportunity to stab one of his daggers into the less armored area of the gith, his other hand wrapping around her head to grip her chin and pulling her close to sink his teeth into her neck. He was only able to take a drink or two before an elbow cracked into his nose and he stumbled backward. A foreign word was shouted and they watched as the gith that Vesper insisted they protect ran the other through with her own sword. She kicked the body off her blade and lifted it toward Karlach and Astarion. “Wait!” Vesper shouted and began to run, she scurried down a ladder as fast as she could, hissing as the threads of her collar pulled at her shoulders, and ran again. “Wait! Don’t,” she held up her hands as she skidded to a halt in front of her, “please! It’s me, from the ship!”

As she had quickly approached the green skinned woman had lifted her sword higher, prepared to protect herself, but paused in recognition. “The istik…I remember,” her eyes narrowed as she looked back to the tiefling and the vampire, blood coursing down his chin. Vesper’s chest heaved as she tried to control her breathing, “These were your people?” The gith spat on the ground, “This h’sharlak sought to destroy me rather than point me to the nearby creche. You fought well, better than on the ghaik ship even, and you have not turned.” The bard’s head shook, “No, we haven’t.” At the use of ‘we’ the gith’s head tilted and she looked to see, Gale, Wyll, and Shadowheart coming through the gate’s opening. “More from the ship?” she looked back to Vesper who nodded, a hand was now resting on her chest, “All of us are infected. We’ve learned quite a bit…” Karlach held her axe, her hands choked on the shaft, “I’m Karlach, and you are?” “I am Lae’zel of Creche K’liir,” Lae’zel’s head bowed only slightly. “I reported to the Jehstil Kith’rak as it was instructed for me to do, told him I needed to reach a z’aithisk and yet he ordered my destruction.” She bent down and rummaged through the belongings of the fellow gith she had slayed and pulled a disk from her. Holding it up Lae’zel let it spin until she attached it to her hip, “I know the location of the creche. You will follow me and we will be purified.”

Vesper held up her hands, “Wait…there are things we need to do first.” Lae’zel swore at her, or at least that’s what she believed the alien words were meant to be. “I shall go alone then,” the gith said and turned her head toward the one remaining bridge, “Wait.” Vesper reached forward and grabbed Lae’zel’s shoulders before jumping back when the gith stiffened, “It might be dangerous to go alone. Travel with us…what if this creche turns against you as well? These four would have killed you…”

Lae’zel looked around at the bodies on the ground before her shoulders straightened and she held her head high, “Very well, but purification is our highest priority.”

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

Hours later, with the sun setting behind them, the party was closing themselves in the destroyed Selune temple. Though most of the goblins had followed Minthara some had remained behind enjoying the revelry that was still carrying on as though Minthara hadn’t carried most of their forces away and not returned for days. Karlach had encouraged the bard to ritually cast her ‘speak with animals’ enchantment so when the fight broke out, Vesper yelled to the scared owlbear to hide.

The temple’s yard was huge and despite the forces that the drow had brought with her, it seemed like the place was still teeming with goblins. When it seemed like the fight was over another little green creature would hobble out and look at the destruction and then the party before screaming and summoning more. The spell casters exhausted their magic use and Vesper had fallen to a goblin and his smaller, but still two-handed, sword as it sliced into her side from behind. Two eldritch blasts to the chest and the goblin didn’t get the chance to attack her again but she could feel herself bleeding out, “Drink, quickly,” she took the potion that Wyll offered into her shaky hand and turned it up but it would be a minute before she could stand. As the potion worked its magic the warlock’s legs straddled her until she could get back on her feet. The rapier-wielding warlock was quick to warp an arm around the bard, swinging her around while she tried to down another potion, but rather than going into her mouth it slipped from her hand onto the ground.

“Stop,” she pleaded as her eyes crossed, and her stomach felt ill. She had begun the morning feeling similar and did not feel like vomiting all over this ‘battlefield’ as it were. Wyll stopped with a murmured apology and instead shielded her with her own body as she opened a third bottle and drank as quickly as she could. Vesper could feel the effects take hold as her side began to itch and she felt her perception of the world around her steady. As the final opponent, a drunken hobgoblin that had been asleep on the landing above them before all the fighting began, fell Vesper groaned and leaned against the warlock who still stood in front of her. “Are you alright back there? Still bleeding?” he asked, but he didn’t move, he may have been worried about her tumbling over if he removed the stability his back was giving her.

“I’m not sure…” the bard admitted monotonously, “maybe?”

But now they were inside, and the place was eerily quiet. And dark.

Karlach had searched for the owl bear but it was gone. The tiefling was saddened but accepted the course of events, “At least the little thing isn’t being poked and prodded anymore.” A few of the party gave an appreciative hum or grunt but they were looking for a safe place to bed down, Gale cast a light cantrip on his staff, “I think we should go to where I found Astarion and Vesper before. It was hidden far enough back that I don’t think many people knew to look there. Perhaps tomorrow you can show us this outpost you both found?” Vesper nodded and clutched her side, the inner chambers of the temple were silent and devoid of people. Something about it made the hair rise on the back of her neck. She was stumbling her way through the dark when her body collided with another and her arm was wrapped around a back, “Lean on me,” she heard Astarion say and looked up at him before nodding.

It seemed that though they were all exhausted it might have only been her that was so injured. The others lead the way through and once the chilled air of the destroyed chapel rushed over them Vesper’s knees buckled, “Ah-ah,” the vampire beside her said, his arm tucked under her, “just a bit further. Collapse on the bench, dear.”

The bard was forcibly sat on one of the stone benches and practically melted into the seat, it was far from comfortable but everything just ached. She heard a chuckle and expected to see Astarion standing over her, but instead of the blond rogue, it was the warlock who was crouched just before her. He held in his hands an offering of healing potions, “I’m not trying to be rude, but any more bruising and you’ll actually depict your drow heritage.” At Wyll’s words, Vesper haggardly stuck her tongue out at him which earned another laugh, “Drink, Vesper.” She felt his hand clap her knee twice before his weight loomed over her and she felt the revitalizing liquid pour into her mouth.

When it was gone and she could feel the effects instantly she opened her eyes again and watched the warlock back up and stand before he sat down next to her. “I owe you an apology, Wyll,” she said as he opened another small potion and placed the bottle in her hand, she took it and lifted it but turned to look at him, “I spoke without thinking, but you’re absolutely right. Mayrina, that pregnant woman in Ethel’s house, needs to be saved even if it's her own choices that put her there.” Wyll’s mouth was a hard line for a bit before he let his illusory visage fall and she took in the horns and new ridges along his face, when he turned she saw his one brown eye now had the familiar fires of Avernus swirling in them. “I may have reacted more harshly than I intended,” he admitted when he looked in the bard’s direction, “I sometimes wonder where I would be had I not accepted Mizora’s offer. But I did, and I followed every job she gave me until Karlach. I wondered after you stopped me, after sparing Karlach, if there were any others I might have falsely judged. I’d like to think I haven’t killed any innocents on Mizora’s orders but as Shadowheart was so kind to remind me…while I am bound by my pact she is not bound to be honest.”

The warlock sighed heavily, and the bard reached out to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m not sorry that Karlach is with us though…” He grinned as she spoke, “Neither am I, Vesper. I’m happy to travel with the Advocatus Diaboli as I once called her.”

He looked down at the hand that still held the healing potion and tipped it with a closed fist, “Drink up. I’ll advocate for us to rest for the night but I think these will help you just in case they insist on going forward.” Vesper frowned, “I hope we don’t,” she sputtered before tipping back the potion, “we said we’d get Halsin before then and we do need to check our supplies. I don’t know much about what to expect once we’re down there but I know things will be very different.” The warlock nodded and leaned back against the bench his arms resting on either side of the backrest, “We should be safe if you want to rest. I won’t disturb you,” he told the bard and Vesper gave him a smile that he returned.

The quiet didn’t last long, the others climbed up the ladder shortly after descending and Gale was talking about what he’d learned about the underdark from books. They had no bedrolls or blankets as they began to set up a resting area in the center of the chapel, Gale explained that the place they would be sleeping was in fact a puzzle. Karlach, with her strong stomach, returned to Gut’s rooms to destroy a few crates and came back with enough wood for a fire. Sleep wasn’t easily found that night but when they left the shattered temple the next morning the party felt at least half as well as they had before they set out.

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

The deserted village that had been claimed by goblins was now empty and devoid of any of the little creatures and their lack of presence allowed the party to split up to search for goods to trade. Vesper had rested with Shadowheart the night before and still hadn’t found the time to talk to Astarion or figured out the words to explain why she had done what she did. He would be well within his rights to hate her but a part of her didn’t want him to. And now, with each kind gesture he made her guilt just weighed heavier and heavier.

She was inside the blacksmith’s house again, laying out all the tools she had found trying to decide what would get the best offer when he found her. “Vesper,” her head jerked upward and she shuffled to the side, “Astarion?” The rogue crouched down beside her and tilted his head, “Is something wrong? I had thought that you would have been at my side in the chapel last night…”

A purplish hue filled the bard’s cheeks and she looked away, “Of course not,” she answered before clearing her throat. “You reacted so harshly when Karlach outed our evening, I just didn’t think you’d want such a public display…” Deception shouldn’t have been this easy, not with the way her innards twisted.

She picked up a few of the pieces of blacksmithing gear before setting them to the side, she was about to reach for another one when a pale hand reached out and grabbed hers, “Now that they all know I don’t mind. All the easier to show the others that you’re mine,” he leaned closed and paused when she flinched and turned away from him, “darling, your words say that nothing’s wrong and yet your body says something different. Which is it because this is the strangest thing for me?” His chuckle was hollow and Vesper felt his stare burning into the side of her face.

She chanced a glance at him from the corner of her eye and dropped her head, “I need to talk to you.”

Astarion’s head tilted in interest as he pulled his hand back to rest on his knee, “I’m all pointy ears…”

Vesper turned, her leg giving way and making her sit, to look at him before she glanced around at their surroundings. “I’m not sure that this is the appropriate place for this conversation, to be honest…it doesn’t feel…private enough.”

Astarion’s playful smile dropped, and his brow furrowed, “Well if this is a conversation about you wanting to end our trysts it doesn’t matter where we have it. Better to say it now than to hurt the other involved, don’t you agree?” Now her chest ached, was he confessing feelings for her? “It’s…just,” with a heavy sigh she dropped her head, “It’s just that I’m an awful person and I owe you a huge apology and hope you’ll let me explain.”

The spawn’s silence made her glance upward and he raised both brows in her direction, “I’m waiting.”

“I’ve told you a little of my situation prior to the nautiloid,” she started and began glancing around. Telling someone she was sexually intimate with was one thing, but for everyone to hear how her body hadn’t been her own for ten years, to learn of what she had been forced to do, and possibly about the men she’d been made to gratify…she’d likely just go into the woods and piss off whatever predator she could find.

Her inhale was shaky as she looked at the rogue earnestly, “My eldest brother has always had a problem with money, and often when we earned something he lost it in a game of cards. Well one night, ten years ago or so, he lost a game that according to him would have wiped out our debt with a group of people he’d borrowed from. A large,” she shuddered thinking of the amount of gold Octavius had racked up, “very large sum. He lost…and the only thing he had to offer was a little sister who–how did Issac say he put it–was ‘fresher than the first snow.’”

Astarion still said nothing, he was too now getting comfortably into a seated position and Vesper only paused as she heard some of the others calling out about their finds. “I spent ten years with a man who despised me, I could do nothing right for him. He hated the way I meditated and broke me of the habit, at first he hated that other men looked at my body so he starved me but then he later realized he could use me…” her mind drifted for a moment as she recalled the first time Issac had brought someone into that little farmhouse.

“Vesper?” her name being called returned her to her present company and she saw that only one of her pale companion’s brows was raised now. “I would drink a terrible mugwort tea whenever he made me be with those other men, to prevent getting pregnant,” she explained before she looked past Astarion’s crimson gaze, “I didn’t want something permanent of that situation. He would leave for days sometimes weeks and it was the only respite I had until his brothers found out about me, then they would come and demand me to please them.”

She pulled her lip between her teeth and her eyes closed before she shook the thoughts and memories, their voices from her head, “Issac didn’t touch me until two years after he got me. His mother was demanding grandchildren and suddenly I was tied to his bed and kept from the tea I used until I got pregnant.

“After the children were born there were fewer threats of Issac looking for my siblings to make an example and he began to threaten to take the babies from me, to give the girls away to someone who could train them to be better versions of myself. He only cared about my son, but he threatened to beat him too when he was old enough,” she could feel her eyes burning now and closed them tightly, “But then when I was abducted and I was scared that he’d appear around any corner. And then I learned what you were, a vampire.”

She opened her eyes again and looked at Astarion. His brow wasn’t raised anymore, and his head was bowed low as he listened to her story, a dark look in his eyes, “I’m sorry, Astarion I may–no, I did it. I thought if you liked me then you’d maybe protect me if Issac appeared to take me back to that hell. The day the nautiloid came through Baldur’s Gate he left but told me he might come back if he had something to fill a hole.” She choked on the last sentence and went quiet trying to control her breathing.

“So,” started the spawn, “when you said you wanted me to like you…it wasn’t in a romantic sense?” She shook her head, “No. You’re an absolutely beautiful man, Astarion,” she gave him a half smile before looking away, “I just…I didn’t think you’d protect me if I didn’t do what you wanted me to do. You wanted to feed from me so I let you, you wanted me to meet you in the woods, so I did…you wanted my body so I gave it.”

A hollow laugh left her throat, “You know how you said I was the first thinking creature you’d fed from?” He nodded with his brow furrowed, she continued, “You were the first man I made the choice to have sex with. And for all the wrong reasons. So, I’ll understand if you hate me. I’ll never speak to you again on this journey if you’d prefer…you can be as mean as you want to be and I’ll tell the others that I deserve it because I truly believe I do. But you needed to know after you told me about Cazador and how he tortured you…I couldn’t keep up my act. I have felt so guilty since yesterday morning and it’s been eating at me.”

Astarion leaned close to her, his face inches from hers, and for once she didn’t pull away. She felt his fingers lift her chin and she opened her eyes to meet his again, watching as his eyes bounced from one of hers to the other, and did her best to keep her lips from trembling. Then he leaned back and stood before turning to walk away from her and out of the building.

The bard watched him go and her shoulders slumped. He hadn’t told her what he decided to do but she reminded herself that she didn’t deserve an answer after how she’d treated him as less than a person in her own eyes. She dug the palms of her hands into her eyes and looked back at the tools in front of her before grabbing the ones she had placed aside before and abandoning the task to go searching the blacksmith’s basement.

#the caged bard #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 fanfiction #bg3 #tcb: vesper #astarion/tav #astarion/halsin/tav coming later #halsin/tav later #astarion/halsin later #tav's story

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