#i love gale like a lot it's kind of insane

[offerupmybones]

my dumbass didn't share all my trigun ocs augh!! I've been so busy with life stuff that i forgot things like this website :'3

my art has improved a little while drawing all these guys and it's so cool to see with my own eyes honestly (left to right)

snails and slugs <3

they both have a sibling like dynamic due to me headcannoning the idea of sand worms making groups with each other (often 2 to 4 or even more) when going out since so many people on the plant like to use their meat as a way to live and sell, it makes them feel safer when there's more around them.

they both end up getting taken to one of the many sand worm markets by a man named voss (i pray on his downfall everyday <3) before getting rescued by voss' wife that left him for being narcissistic.

Macsen (crowd boo's)

i hate him so much but god is he fun to draw-

he worked with eye of michael up until Gale had gotten out multiple times, that ended up him being 'fired' to go out and look for Gale (loser never finds him).. he only worked for eye of michael just so he could have some sort of control over someone who he knows can't do anything about it.

(Macsen and Gale <3) ⤴

(left to right)

Gale and pandora!!

my babies!! I love them both so much like it's insane

Gale comes from a troubled home life, his mom couldn't financially keep so he ended up in the same orphanage as wolfwood and livio but never really seemed to talk to many of the other kids before going to eom after wolfwood and livio had - ending up in Macsen's care for his time there before planning to get out by and run off (dummy went back out of guilt after like a day-) when he found pandora, an android that's just been in the back of some storage closet due to the reason they didn't work like the other androids their model.

(some of this art is a little old and i've messed around with their designs a bit over time)

they all have playlists that I update whenever i find music that fits them!!

all the first song choices are what i'd think they sound like X3c

slugs

snails

funk (voss' wife)

pandora

gale

macsen

voss

[lovinglokilaufeyson]

In Vino Veritas (In Wine, There is Truth) - A.A.

Pairings: Astarion x Fem!Reader/Tav (Sorceress/Magic User)

Warnings: FLUFF (the sickeningly sweet kind). Angst. Insecure/Jealous!Astarion. Drunk!Astarion. Soft/Clingy!Astarion. Astarion is in his feelings. Love Confessions. BG3 Spoilers (Early Act I). Mutual Pining. Oblivious!Tav. Honestly kind of Sub!Astarion vibes. Not Proofread!

Wordcount: 2,589

Summary: After seeing you bonding with the other companions, Astarion is in deep with his emotions. This leads to him staggering off to a bar in a nearby town, and you go looking for him as you are worried about him. Once you find him, a confession of love spills from his lips unprompted.

A/N: Can vampires even get drunk? I’m not entirely sure, but that’s what this is about. This wasn’t a request, just something I was interested in writing. I haven’t written Astarion in this way before, but I think I like how it turned out. Thank you guys for all the love on my Astarion fics! I appreciate it immensely. Also, two posts in one day is kind of insane for me. Enjoy!

You weren’t always confident in yourself or your abilities. However, your recent adventures with Lae’zel, Astarion, and Gale have boosted your self-esteem. Gale had even approached you one night rambling about the “weave” and how he wanted you to experience it. You were able to conjure it with favorable ease, however you backed away once he had come onto you. Astarion stood in disgust as he watched the scene unravel. Gale was clearly attracted to you, and clearly wanted in your pants at one point or another. Astarion wouldn’t mind being in your pants either, at one point or another.

Secretly, Astarion envied your naivety, your ability to be fairly oblivious to many people’s advances. Heck, you didn’t even notice Gale’s constant passing glances until he was quite literally leaning in to kiss you, impressed by your ability to conjure the weave with little effort. You turned away nearly instantly, at least once you realized.

You were fairly friendly, which led a lot of suitors to believe that you were interested in them. Gale was no different. The wizard felt that you showed great potential, and he was impressed by your magical abilities. Initially, you believed this to be friendly behavior from Gale, but alas, he felt more for you than that. You had a difficult time turning him down, as you did with most. Gale wasn’t a bad guy, he just – wasn’t for you. Astarion had to spend some time alone after watching you and Gale bond. He felt a pain in his chest while watching the scene.

He was glad to find out that you had rejected Gale, which Gale had let him know (unprompted, of course) one night while out by the fire. Gale was working on his magic, Astarion was reading, and you were sleeping dreadfully well after the long day.

Soon after, you, Lae’zel, Astarion and Gale met Wyll on the way to the grove. You had a battle with the goblins and gained a new ally in Wyll. Unfortunately, Astarion had placed himself right in the midst of the conflict, leading him to take quite the beating. So, when Wyll offered to join the party, you felt it was obvious to have Wyll take his place. Lae’zel and Gale were in moderately good shape afterwards. “Fine,” Astarion spoke merely one word, then turned around in a dejected manner, slumping his way away from the group. When he glanced back, he saw Wyll laughing at something you had said, which caused the pain in his chest to worsen.

Astarion had to walk through a nearby town in order to get back to camp, which is where the mistakes began. He spotted a tavern, which looked acceptable – albeit rundown in comparison to the ones he frequented in Baldur’s Gate. The thought of alcohol to tame his present emotions didn’t seem so terrible. I mean, was he really that replaceable to you? If you were honest, the only reason you sent him away was because of how damaged he looked after battle. Part of you wanted to go with him, or at least offer, but he had walked away too quickly for you to even respond. You probably should have gone after him, instead you turned to your new companion in order to get acquainted.

Your mistake was recognized after you got back to camp last night – because where the hell was Astarion? All of his belongings were still around, but he was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t bathing, but perhaps he could be hunting? It seemed fairly abnormal for him to just wander off. It was getting fairly late and Astarion still hadn’t arrived back at camp. You were getting worried.

“Has anyone seen Astarion?” You asked everyone who was still awake. The group shook their heads. You kept telling yourself that he probably just was out hunting. Yet something didn’t feel right.

“I’m worried about him, guys. I sent him back to camp and he’s nowhere to be found.” You commented, with Shadowheart being the first to respond. “It’s Astarion, Tav. It’s not like he’s known to be the most reliable, even in the few days we’ve known him.” Her fondness for you was shining through, and her almost envious tone showed her distain for your anxious thoughts about the pale elf companion.

You decided to backtrack on the path away from camp, the one that Astarion would have taken back, trying to retrace his steps. You hoped that he hadn’t collapsed somewhere, that was absolutely your worst fear. You couldn’t help but worry at the thought of losing Astarion. He had already been through so much - that you were incredibly aware of.

You wandered the dim, moonlit trail, hoping that you would find a sign of him anywhere. You peered through the forest trees, but with little avail. You thought about shouting out to him but thought better of it. You could attract someone – or something, rather, that you’d prefer not to. You decided to keep as quiet as you could.

You crept towards the nearby town. Given that the afternoon had far past, the only open facility was the tavern. It was old, but well-kept given its state. The building itself was made from stone, with a large oak wooden door at its front. It vibrated with livelihood from the activities of indoors. This tavern was likely the sole place in town where folks could go to have a decent time. Through the windows, you spotted various ages and races of people, all joined together in dancing, drinking, chatting, and even singing. You didn’t see Astarion, but you figured that asking surely wouldn’t hurt. Maybe they knew of his whereabouts.

The door creaked open as you entered, revealing the brightly candlelit interior of the tavern. The wood floors were certainly run down, likely from years of wear and tear and dancing upon them. Many eyes fell upon you when you entered. Your footsteps were light, but your presence was different for the townsfolk. You were new. Astarion had felt similarly when he moved into space, but they had become used to his presence by now. Not only that, but he had spent copious amounts of gold on drinks, which was certainly appreciated. You didn’t know that though, not yet.

The townsfolk had accepted your presence within a few moments of entering, with one muttering to another “she’s a pretty one, isn’t she?” before gulping down more beer, then standing up to make a move on you. You were quite oblivious to this situation, moving steadily towards the barkeep, hoping she might be able to tell you of Astarion’s whereabouts, as you moved through the bar and still didn’t take notice of the elf.

“Eh, darlin!” You heard a man grunt at you, but you didn’t want to acknowledge him. The words almost hit your ears in just the right way, the eerie similarity to Astarion’s word choice was uncanny.

As you approached the bar, the barmaid approached you sweetly. She was an older lady with deep raven hair, likely had worked there for a substantial portion of time, perhaps even being the owner of the place. “Hi, dear. What can I get goin’ for you?” She inquired with a courteous smile. “Nothing quite yet for me. I’m looking for my friend, he’s an elf with white hair, he probably would have passed by here several hours ago.”

“Aw! You must be Tav! He wouldn’t stop rambling about you while he was here. I think he slumped over to the bathroom, we tried to sober him up, but he was lookin’ pretty sick.” The barkeep gestured to the doors in the corner, and you nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be back.”

You pushed your way through the patrons in order to place several knocks on the only closed door. “Astarion?” You raised your voice to ensure that he heard you over the music that boasted in the background. You leaned your head against the door, hoping to hear a response from him. You nearly fell as suddenly the door was replaced with air, and a stumbling Astarion approached you. “Darling!” He exclaimed. This new, puppy-like energy contrasted with his always stoic exterior. You went to scold him, about to go off about his selfishness in abandoning camp like that, but before you could, his rambling continued.

“Goodness, you look phenomenal. I can hardly take it.” You looked at him, creases forming on your face as your mind became more puzzled. Astarion was typically a flirty person, but this was different. For some reason, it seemed – sincere?

“Astarion, what are you doing here?”

“Well I got sad, so I decided to have a few – um – drinks.” His words slurred as they exited his lips, which did not promote truth in his sentence. “A few?” He nodded eagerly in response, and you grabbed at the fabric near his shoulder in order to tug him over to the bar. “Do you know how many drinks he’s had?” You asked the barmaid, hoping she could provide some insight. “In the double digits, certainly. Spent most of his time downing drinks and talking about your ‘delectability.’”

She responded as you took a deep breath. Astarion, who was lent up against your shoulder now, and could hardly maintain composure, brought an index finger to usher the woman quiet, pressing it against her lips. “SHHHH.” He spoke loudly, before she removed his finger in a swift motion. Astarion leant towards your ear, whispering “she’s just talking about how it’s more noticeable that I’m in love with you when I’m tipsy.” Your eyes shot open for the first time in hours. You had maintained heavy lids since post battle; however you hadn’t heard anything this shocking in weeks. You couldn’t help the way that your cheeks now sprouted a flushed, pink hue.

“You somehow get even cuter when you blush.” Astarion spoke, and you placed your head in your hands, which Astarion immediately tried to pull away “don’t, please, you’re so pretty.” You almost rolled your eyes, what if this was all some strange dream? Don’t get you wrong, there were many nights that you dreamt of the day that Astarion would approach you in this way, you just – didn’t think it would happen. You finally released your face from your hands and looked at the barmaid. “We’ll be leaving now, thank you.” You grabbed on to Astarion once more, tugging him towards the large oak door at the entrance.

“Someone’s in trouble!” One of the men shouted from across the bar at the scene. “I hope so!” Astarion shouted back, and you tugged him harder.

As the overwhelm was diluted by the calm of the outdoors, and your faces were hit by the cool air, you turned to face him.

“Astarion, what the hells is going on?” Your question was slightly louder than intended, especially since you had to raise your voice to be heard inside of the bar.

Immediately, you were faced with a pout on Astarion’s lips and dilated pupils as he gazed at you. “Please don’t be mad, darling.”

“I just want to know if you’re okay.” You responded, your features softening, which comforted him.

“I just-“ he stammered, having a difficult time finding the words. He looked back to you, seeing how patient you were, and he relaxed, with help from the alcohol that still coursed steadily through him. “you’re perfect.” For the second time tonight, your eyes widened like craters. You were nearly at a loss for words, but as you went to speak, Astarion interrupted you.

“Gods, Tav! Gale is entranced by you, Shadowheart has definitely caught feelings, Lae’zel wants you to give her bruises, and did you see the way that Wyll looked at you today?” He inquired, and you meagerly shook your head. “Not to mention I’m fucking in love with you! And I can’t even show it! I haven’t felt this way, like, ever, with anyone! And I’m fucking terrified, Tav!”

He gesticulated harshly as he spoke, his pent-up energy finally releasing. You moved towards him, holding your arms out, almost as an offering to him. He looked at you with soft eyes, then headed towards you himself, wrapping his arms around your waist, as yours fell across his shoulders. He relaxed into your touch, leaning his face to nuzzle in your neck. “Please don’t let me go.” Astarion pleaded.

“I won’t, Star.” You whispered into his ear, and you could feel him sigh in relief.

“I’m sorry I was jealous and upset.”

“Don’t be sorry for feeling the way you do, Astarion.” These words nearly brought a drunken Astarion to tears, but he was able to focus on the way you felt in his arms instead. You were able to convince him to cease the hug in order to walk back to camp, but he insisted that he needed to have a hand on you at all times to be assured that “you wouldn’t let him go.” So, it ended up with his hand intertwined with yours for the duration of the short journey back, along with him leaning on you to keep steady.

The rest of the companions were awaiting your return to camp and sighed in relief when you arrived. They were slightly surprised to see Astarion lent up against you, with your frame keeping him upright. Shadowheart seemed to roll her eyes in annoyance at the pale elf’s return, but was thankful you were alright, nonetheless. They stayed quiet, as it seemed more like an “ask questions later” type of circumstance. Since they now knew you were safe, they deemed it acceptable to retreat to their own tents for the night.

You teetered Astarion over to his own tent, facing him as he stared at you with puppy dog eyes. “You’ll stay?” He asked, and you looked at him with similar eyes. “Please?” He followed up, and you nodded. “Let’s go to my tent, though. Is that alright?”

“As long as I’m with you.”

You lead Astarion to your – somewhat more put together tent, with a larger bedroll that could fit the both of you situated on the floor. He stared in awe as he admired the colors within, it was actually quite cozy.

You put yourself in bed as normal, while Astarion seemed to stand with a blank look on his face, his eyes traveling from your eyes to the tent, as if this was new to him. “You okay, Astarion?” You asked, and he nodded. “More than okay, actually.” He responded, and you smiled. You reached your arms out, beckoning him towards you “come here, then, sweet boy.” He grinned giddily, nearly diving into your arms.

-

Astarion woke up in the somewhat unfamiliar environment of your tent, with a throbbing headache. However, he realized that he was sprawled across your lap, and decided to be content in the fact that even though he didn’t remember a single thing about last night, he knew that he had wound up in the right place, in the right person’s arms.

You noticed he had woken from the fluttering of his eyelashes on your skin, and you brought your hand to his hair in order to play with it ever so slightly. “Good morning, handsome” you spoke.

“Good morning, darling. What in the hells happened last night?” He responded, turning towards you with a smirk on his face. “Did I get as lucky as I hope I did?” Sober Astarion was back, that was for certain.

[josnhoes]

I love the idea of Reader being in Tav's group but not Tav. Maybe it's your own personal Tav. Who recognizes you by feeling. Leading them to be very protective of you.

None of the group really understand why Tav their friend and leader is so protective of you at first. You're a weird little person driven mad by something speaking of worlds and things too impossible to exist. Lots of distrust at first.

Then you grow on them slowly. It starts with Gale and Wyll.

Gale adores hearing about your world, the marvels you describe. Even if you are crazy the ideas were amazing to hear like a story! He tells you stories of this world too, teaching you, guiding you to help fit in more. You're a bit odd but you are a good sort.

Wyll tries to ignore the crazy things you say though he catches himself at times using your odd slang from time to time. You're someone who needs protecting and despite being crazy you do your best to help the group, you also respect boundaries and have empathy in spades and he respects that. Crazy or not you were a pure soul, and he couldn't leave you to the wolves like some wanted.

Shadowheart, Halsin, and Karlach are the second group to get attached.

Shadowheart pities you more than anything. That didn't stop her from at first trying to insist they leave you with the druids. They didn't have time to handle you and get rid of the parasites. Tav shot that down firmly. Once she is attached she has to admit you were rather charming in your own way.

You end up needing healing more often then the others due to your lack of skills. But you never willingly let it slow the group down.

Halsin much like Tav from the start is insistent on teaching you how to survive. You maybe crazy but that doesn't erase the fact you are kind and a living being. Much like lessons with Gale you soak up what he teaches you. Usually it's what's safe to eat in the wild and not, what to do if you encounter certain animals. Things that would serve you well if you got separated from the group.

Once attached he's a bit more of a mother hen. Making sure you are warm at night and that you know he will keep you safe, himself and your other friends.

Karlach was always friendly with you, though there was a distance at first. You could never tell if it was she was scared of hurting you or you snapping in insanity. She didn't fear you she feared your judgment. You were nice and funny and being judge by the party's crazy one would hurt.

But once she adjust to you she is the best company. She wants to make you smile and after a while she believes you completely. She had no doubt of your origins. Which just makes her want to spend more time with you. She wanted memories cemented for both of you of your time together so no matter what happens both of you could look back fondly on the time together you shared.

Lae'zel and Astarion trust you last. And while it's Lae'zel who grows fond last Astarion gives her a good run for her money.

Astarion believes at first your whole thing is an act. Something you are using to get protection and such. He can't judge you for it, he's doing the same after all...but he can't resent how *well* you keep the act up. Not a single Crack or slip of your mask. It's impressive really.

When he finally let's you in he realizes it isn't and act and is horrified. His proof it wasn't an act was the time he finally tried to feed on you. You tasted vile, like things he'd never tasted before. You said preservatives and microplastics and he just had to believe you. He did laugh when you admitted at being a bit insulted you tasted bad but you didn't judge him. Hell out of everyone in camp you made him feel the most...himself. You respected his opinion even more the Tav did and you showed care with out smothering him or demanding things. It meant a lot to him but he'd never say it.

Lae'zel is insistent for a very very long time at just leaving you behind. There was no room for such weakness in the group. You were touched in the head and couldn't fight, you had no value to her and by extension the group. As more and more of the party start getting attached she gets disgusted.

You go to her to ask questions about her culture even after she insults you and threatens you. And eventually that makes her soften a little bit. You were weak but courageous she'd give you that. She will never outright be kind but she may answer questions with less bite. If she saves you on the battlefield... no she didn't.

[mintmatcha]

gale is SOOOOO so so hot I think that when he’s in his 30s and 40s hes a bit like aizawa and is infatuated with his slightly younger coworker like maybe late 20s early 30s and he still feels BAD about it and he’s kind of a perpetual bachelor after a messy breakup with his ex wife mystra who married him when she was a little (a lot) too old for him and he was a young (re: barely legal) upstart in his field - I personally think law, and he’s kind of let himself go and resigned himself to living alone with his cat and erotic novels and a glass of wine… he’s built similarly to aizawa with a little more heft and less definition, says he golfs and uses a cart but he couldn’t be more different than aizawa he’s placating instead of apprehensive, so soft and understanding when you make a mistake.. yghhhh mint j need him to practice his oral spell casting on me NEOW

WAIT I LOVE THIS AU IDEA THATS CRAZZYYYY

can I add an insane level of intrigue. gale had gone off to university at a young age (natural talent if you will). she was one of his professors freshman year of college.

[daisyofwaterdeep]

Ok, I saw your thing about Gale but you forgot something: Tara!

This tressym wants Gale to find a nice person who loves him; Tara would absolutely notice your interest and affection for her human and would 100% be your wingman (regardless of if you asked her to).

WAIT THIS IS SO CUTE AND YOURE SO FUCKING RIGHT....imagine just like...striking up a friendship with this cool tressym that hangs around Waterdeep. After seeing her around for awhile, sunbathing on various balconies or chasing birds, you splurge and buy a potion of animal speaking. The two of you end up chatting and really hitting it off. Maybe she even invites you to her home, and you, Tara, and Morena start having afternoon tea together. and from there, you start falling in love with this man you've never even met, just from the stories the two of them share with you.

And maybe you help Morena tidy up Gale's tower (with Tara's supervision of course) and fall even further in love with the small things that hint at what sort of man Gale is. Dog-eared pages in well-worn books, little notes left in the margins. Sweets tucked away in desk drawers. Music sheets, alchemical scribblings, to-do lists, doodles. They all paint a picture of this man, and you can't help but imagine what he's really like.

Morena and Tara love Gale and love talking about him, and they definitely notice how starry-eyed you get when he's brought up.

When Gale returns to Waterdeep, you try hard to not be smitten. You would have been over the moon with anyone that walked through the door at this point, but when you see just how handsome he is, your brain nearly shuts down. He's just as clever as his notes had led you to believe, but he's also funny. And charming. And friendly, and kind, and quick-witted, and silly, and gods, you could smell the fading scent of him in his room, but in person it nearly makes you drunk.

You visit often, perhaps more often than before. A lot of times, you'll find that Morena and Tara tend to excuse themselves, leaving you and Gale alone to talk. Or Morena will ask you and Gale to run an errand together. Or Tara will perch on Gale's shoulder and prompt conversations, often about things you and Gale both share a passion for.

After another afternoon tea meeting with the four of you on the terrace, now turned two when Morena and Tara make vague excuses to leave, Gale laughs and shakes his head.

"Those two...surely at this point, they know we've caught on to their little scheme. I do hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable."

You think about playing dumb, but at this point, there's no denying Morena and Tara's less-than-subtle nudges. You laugh too, and promise you don't take any of it seriously.

"You don't?" Gale's eyes shine mischievously as he smiles, "A pity. I must admit, I've found myself to be quite swayed."

You know you must look insane with the way you flounder and stutter and backtrack, but Gale only laughs and places a hand over yours.

"Say, why don't we have dinner tonight, just the two of us?"

You accept quickly and wholeheartedly, and the both of you are pink-cheeked and grinning.

"A restaurant, Mr. Dekarios. Don't go taking such a lovely thing to one of those dingy taverns you frequent."

You both jump and turn to see Tara sitting on the balcony, head held high and tail thwipping happily side to side.

[animentality]

Can I just bitch about Baldur's Gate 3 for a second-

JK, I'm not fucking asking.

So Ketheric Thorm...got an entire fucking act basically DEDICATED TO HIM.

The Shadow Cursed Lands suck because of him. Everything in that zone is fucked because of his nonsense. Every enemy you fight is either related to the shadows or the Absolute plot, which, as far as you know at that point, is tied directly back to him, and him alone.

And every fucking person you meet, rounds him out in some way.

Thisobald, Gerringothe, Malus, these are all unique looking and fun bosses. And they all round out Ketheric Thorm, showing us his fucked up family, and how terrible their impact has been.

Balthazar, Z'rell, even Aylin and Isobel- all thematically and narratively tied to our Shar/Myrkul worshipping bitch.

Even Halsin and Thaniel, Minthara and Shadowheart...all of them have ties to Ketheric.

And that's great and all. That's probably why I, unlike many others, actually enjoy Act 2 a fair bit.

But then. We get to the dreaded Act 3.

Which is a bloated, disorganized, incoherent mess.

But worse than that is... Gortash and Orin are our next big bads, yeah? And they have a kind of fun intro, that makes you think ooh, the next big bads...

And then.

And then what happens?

You can kill Gortash immediately, pretty much at the beginning of Act 3. No build up. You can just do that. Sure, you can do the Steel Watch or the Ironhand Throne quests...but tell me.

Could you just go up to Ketheric Thorm and kill him at Moonrise? The answer is no. Even if you skip a lot of content, you still have to go through a million other tasks before you can face him, AND the big boss battle at the end is entirely him and Myrkul. It's EARNED.

But Gortash? Well, fuck, he's fucking dead before you can even face the final big boss.

And Orin? Sure, you have to collect a bag of hands to get into the Temple...but so what? That's maybe two or three quests, but you can circumvent them. Besides, as soon as you kill her, she vanishes from the narrative and doesn't matter. She's a somewhat easy boss battle, but the actual build up isn't intricately tied into the narrative of Act 3...because there is no inherent narrative to Ac 3.

Act 2 was about an insane man's descent into villainy after losing the people he loved most.

It was tragic, but at least thematically consistent.

The fuck is happening in Act 3?

Gortash is committing war crimes because he's tyrannical, and Orin is murdering indiscriminately and just for funsies.

at least Ketheric's entire thing is about defying the gods, using them for his own gains, and similarly, being used by them.

But Orin? She has one sympathetic scene, and then she dies immediately after.

Gortash you can just kill and then he doesn't matter, or you can side with him, and then he just dies, and doesn't matter.

It's utterly baffling and mildly infuriating.

I know Act 3 was hit with the cut content rush and all, but I feel like you could've spent your time actually bothering to build them up the way you built up Ketheric. You could've given us political quests or world building quests with Gortash, especially given how manipulative he is, or given us more madness and shadows and underground labyrinths and spooky monsters with fucking Orin.

Instead of garbage quests like the Wavemother, Mystic Carrion, Stop the Presses, and Lady Jannath's Torture House, you could've given Karlach a quest related to fixing her heart, which would've tied into Gortash's plots, or given Gale more to do than simply go to Sorcerous Sundries, or tied Cazador to some kind of patriars plot, or had Wyll's father do more than be kidnapped and then later saved.

You could've given Halsin literally any fucking quest, instead of bringing in Jaheira or Minsc. But most importantly.

I just don't get it. Gortash runs Baldur's Gate. You could've easily tied him to a lot more quests, and made him far more threatening or hard to take down. You could've also made Orin feel like an actual threat, and not just a mild nuisance.

It's just kind of...it irks me.

Not just as a Gortash stan, but as a writer, because it's so odd, to have 3 perfectly decent villains...and only flesh out one.

The other two might as well be optional mini bosses.

[optimisticgrey]

OC Deep dive - Celeste

tagged by the incredible @dearest-and-nearest, I jump to the opportunity to talk about Celeste even more

no pressure tag for @whiskeyskin @monowires @dearest-and-nearest @worfs-glorious-hair @thelittlesorceressbg3 @the-phoenix-and-the-dragon @scoldingdarjeeling

VP by @elenyae

What common/uncommon fear do they have?

Losing the others. They get wounded in battle, yes, she is accustomed to that and usually drowns it in the adrenaline of battle.

But loosing them to death, actual, permanent death, is more than she can bare (and nothing she has time to overcome during their journey).

It gets agitated immensely by Gale's wish to jump to Mystra's demand to use the orb and then his obsession with the Crown. Do they have any pet peeves?

Floral scents and everything related to flowers. They hold no value to her. They do not feed anyone, most of them don't have a purpose beside looking pretty.

"I love you so much, I picked something for you to watch it dying in a vase".

(So glad Glassred would hate her for being a bard) What are three items you can find in their bedroom?

Curtains that shut out the sun

lube

an insane amount books Gale tends to stack on the bedside table and next to the bed (and she is not allowed to move)

one extra: no wardrobe. Though Gale wants to get one for her, Celeste is happy to store her stuff in chests

What do they notice first in person?

Voice and body language. She is really good at reading other people, listening to their voice and interpret their facial expressions-

She was very hesitant when she met Astarion. On a scale of 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance?

7-9, I'd say. Pain was a well used motivator and used in form of different disciplinary actions in her upbringing - and a powerful tool to be used in the service of Bhaal.

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

Two different points:

No big family, no happy family history, a lot of siblings due to being a Bhaalspawn.

Celeste views the troupe as her family

Do they go into fight or flight when under pressure?

Fight. Always.

What is a smell they dislike?

As previously stated: anything floral. Strong perfumes (the ones fancy ladies wear), magnolias....

Have they broken any bones?

All of the time. Her fingers have been broken more than once, she was a child one and pain is used to enforce teachings of Bhaal.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

"What a kind and nice woman."

Boom, surprise birthday party, how do they react to surprise?

"I hate you all (blushing), but thank you. May I have some wine, please?"

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

Quite messy. So messy, in fact, Gale tends to make fun of it. She is good with words, spell and the one short sword she fancies, not with a quill.

Do they have a favourite fabric?

Linen.

What kind of accent do they have?

Baldurian. Celeste was born and raised in Baldur's Gate.

[blixabargelds]

can u summarize superstars main characters please ? new to this au and i am tuning in

hiii yes ofc it’s being written alternating between gale and johns pov, im writing gale’s which is why you see sm of that. my bestie elo is writing john’s and they’re internet shy which is why you don’t see that jgkgkj

gale is a lil shy, pretty quiet, joins the band after seeing one of their shows bc they need a new bassist and him n john are in love almost immediately lol. he cannot play bass. rosie teaches him :3 he’s got pretty intense anxieties around keeping the people he loves safe after his mom died when he was younger. he’s a bit of a demon in bed. he’s a really hard worker n gets good at bass pretty quick. he can’t write lyrics but he’s incredibly good at picking out patterns that sound good, working with song arrangements, approaches music like a lot of things as a formula to be worked out meticulously. he lives w john in johns apartment. he’s pretty dependent on him, bc he’s practically a runaway and has no money, which isn’t usually an issue but definitely becomes one at a few points. he finds it hard to open up but once he places his trust in someone he’ll come out his shell. rosie is kind of his best friend.

john’s the frontman/ singer/ shouter in there band. he’s very good at writing lyrics. can’t really play any instruments. he’s a kid from a broken care system, never knew his parents. has a shady criminal past with curt but he is a very sweet guy. he’s got the biggest heart out of all of them. walking disaster. uses humour to cover up a lot of hurt, and to keep a Lot of secrets. he’s absolutely head over heels for gale. can be incredibly bossy in band practise, and in bed (gale likes that). has a lot of self destructive habits, a lot of self worth issues. will do literally anything for the people he loves and i mean Anything, but will do almost nothing for himself. him and rosie dated when rosie was in college, which is mostly fine and sometimes pretty messy. we kind of accidentally reinvented richard hell with him.

curt is the drummer. he’s johns best friend from way back when, they’ve done some shady business together in the past. his dad was a criminal, a violent man, but someone curt weirdly looked up to in a lot of ways as a kid. he was strong n didn’t take any shit. curt def separated himself from his family when he got a little older though, realised his dad was running business thru some boots and braces types and curt didn’t want any part in that world. he’s fiercely loyal to his friends, honestly the best person you want on your side. frequently the voice of reason in the band. very cool headed. saves gales life at one point, has definitely saved john’s before. musically he’s an absolutely rabid drummer, like whiplash sticks bloody etc. he’s also a lil basic. or maybe just very straightforward. like his favourite band is black flag. nothing wrong with that but he does roll his eyes at rosie when rosie asks him if he’s heard the latest release from someone no one ever in the world has heard of.

rosie is the guitarist. rosie is. ahhh. insane. lol. he’s patrick bateman. he’s jesus christ. he is a musical genius, he’s got classical training, can play like 10 different instruments, he went to julliard. his parents are seriously upstanding citizens who wanted him to be a classical prodigy but their overbearing attitudes drove him toward punk and distancing himself from them. his mother is Nuts. rosie is endlessly kind and also cold inside, he’s the best friend you want and also the grim reaper. he’s sooo sexy. he does not call women back ever. he had a big breakdown in college. he’s like a lil cracked. but also outwardly so steady and so put together. i have to study him under a microscope. he will play the harp for 6 hours straight until his fingers bleed to avoid having one thought.

fun minor characters include; sandy (rosie’s ex who keeps cropping back up. rosie’s mom Loved her. she’s probably rich enough to not care about voting but she thinks trump is just hilarious), ulrich ([redacted]), Big Tom ([redacted]), and marge. sweet marge gale’s childhood sweetheart who’s always there for him even when they never really see each other anymore.

[normal-thoughts-official]

Wyll's ideal reclassing is as a bard and God herself couldn't change my mind.

Listen. I do like that Wyll is a ranger if he gets out of the pact but rangers are a lonely class by nature and fuck that. And while I also get the people who reclass him as paladin, I think the last thing he needs after getting out of Mizora's pact is to immediately be bound by a new and different set of rules to another otherwordly being he's sworn his soul to.

And while I understand why the devs didn't do this, since bards are sort of a support class and there are many possible endings for Wyll where he is on his own, I am bound by no such rules because i know that the only real canon ending is that he is with Karlach.

So, bard Wyll.

For starters, the man loves drama. Look no further than his introduction, but I would also like to present to the jury the conversation where he tries to find Gale a Cool Wizard Name. Pretty much the only thing he ever has fun with anymore is his theatrics. He'd love every second of being a bard and using said theatrics to defeat his foes. Especially because Wyll is a sweetheart but when he's angry he is angry, and as a bard he gets to let his mean streak out with spells like vicious mockery and such. "Oh he already has vicious mockery as a warlock if you have the pact of the tome" thank you for further supporting my argument. He was made for this

But there is more! Wyll is a folk hero and his whole thing is that he wants to help the weak and in need, and if that isn't supporter class material, then I seriously don't know what is. Yes, defeating monsters is important; but healing people, restoring balance by weakening those who abuse their strength, entertaining and making them happy are all just as important ways of supporting the weak, if not more important.

And those ways allow him to be closer to people, which he is so desperately starved of.

As a warlock he sort of had to keep his distance because Mizora would make sure he never got close to anyone, either intentionally or just by the fact that the nature of his pact put people off (even more so after the horns). Unbound by Mizora, he has no such problems and can find a community, even if temporary, with the people he saves. "Oh but you just said you want him to be with Karlach and then he's in Hell". Yes, and there are people there. Show me a single place with more people who are weak and unfortunate in need of rescuing and respite. I'm not the first person to say this, but they actually have the chance to turn the House of Hope into an actual house of hope where people can rest and escape the horrors of the Hells. And those people would need respite and happiness, and Wyll "Drama Boy" Ravengard would be delighted to provide and find himself among them.

Also, if no one else, he has Karlach, and there is nothing he wants more than to see her happy and alright. I don't need to justify this one, it's text. So, again, supporter class makes a lot of sense in that context. Warlock/ranger is good for when he's on his own, but he's sworn to help and protect Karlach now, and while fighting side by side obviously qualifies, being able to heal her - make sure she's alright - support her in battle more than just fighting with her, gives them a deeper bond and puts him more at ease, I believe. Plus, they both deserve and desperately need some playfulness in their lives, so, at the very least, he can make her laugh with his insane Vicious Mockery casts. He kind of overcasts that one because 1- he has fun with it, and 2- it makes Karlach smile, but they're both op as fuck so it doesn't matter anyway. It's the closest they can get to lightness and fun while they don't find a definitive cure for Karlach's heart.

And once they do find it and get the fuck out of there, listen. They both deserve some downtime, okay. We're talking about two people who have been thrown into fighting nonstop since they were barely on the cusp of adulthood, and who have more trauma to unpack than years of life. So fuck going straight back to adventures and oaths and nonstop seriousness. Sure, Wyll would want to, but he also wanted to go to fucking Hell for no reason. Even with his father back, even free of Mizora, that's the only thing he can think to do with himself if you let him choose. And he deserves better than that. He deserves to rest and unpack what's happened and find value in himself beyond the Blade of Frontiers, to enjoy the youth that was stolen from him; and the man craves to settle down more than anything, even if he won't admit it even to himself other than the marriage aspect of things. But need I remind everyone that when Wyll had been given a death sentence - the tadpole - what he did was stop at a grove and teach kids how to fight? He thought he would do one last mission and then die, and what he did was that for once he allowed himself to stay and get to know people and be part of a community for a while. Sure, they needed him, but so many people did. And he was supposed to be hunting Karlach, yet he put that aside in order to have a place to belong, just for a little while, before he became a monster and lost his soul (which is fine, really. One way or the other, he knew that would be his fate. It's just coming sooner than expected, that's all) (this is me laying down Wyll's logic. None of this is fine and I'm screaming and crying).

As for Karlach, she never even wanted to be thrown into any of this anyway. Once they're out of Avernus, they will both need to rest and breathe, and that is final. And as a bard, Wyll can settle down. He can find a home and a community, have a place to come back to, have vacations when he needs to, have fun when he wants to. He will never fully give up being a hero - it's who he is, it's who he's always been even before he was the Blade. Someone who cares, someone who wants to be there for others - but he can and should find balance between that and being himself. And what better class to do that than the artsy, dramatic, drawing-strength-from-your-own-self-expression class?

Plus, as a bard, he gets to sing absolutely off the shits songs about the Blade of Frontiers/Avernus while being the Blade of Frontiers/Avernus. The comedy potential is unlimited. You want to see that. You agree. Don't lie to me.

Also, bards' spellcasting modifier is also charisma, so that's just convenient. I know that when you get reclassed in bg3 you can simply change your stats but uhhhhh. Fuck that? And yes, yes, he already has high wisdom because if anyone has a will of iron it's him, but I also feel like Wyll's off the shits charisma is a part of who he is. He is charming, both in the romantic and non-romantic sense. He enjoys being around people, he loves culture more than anything (I am once again thinking about his idle dialogue with Gale at the tollhouse when Gale says that they must have been very rich with all the trade from the Chiontar and Wyll replies, "And they wouldn't have brought just trade goods, but song, dance, and custom. Riches of the mind and the spirit". If that doesn't summarize Wyll's values and love of life I don't know what the fuck does), he likes being social and charming others. And people are drawn to him, people trust him, because he's a goddamn folk hero through and through, and not just because he's the Blade of Frontiers. So keeping his stats and using his charisma to draw his magical strength just makes sense for him

There's no other class that Wyll would enjoy as much, that would allow him to keep his favorite parts of being the Blade while also allowing room to be himself, or that would fit his current stats as well. Wyll was made to be a bard and I'll go to war over this

[delta-lethonomia]

post-chapter thoughts: Companions + Wyll edition

spoilers for chapter whateverthefuck under the cut (by that I mean 36 which is currently listed as 38 but will be labeled as The Reckoning pt 1 in future)(why have i done this)

...it's long.

While I do have a lot of thoughts re: Tav, Sylvar, and Astarion in this chapter, I think I mostly covered as much as I can in the comments section, so feel free to read that if you like. Lots of insightful thoughts I loved replying to!!! Warms my heart to see people so invested 🥹❤️

Quick side note regarding Gale, Shadowheart, Lae'zel, and Aylin & Isobel, and why no one is smart enough to realize how fucked tadpoling Sylvar is:

Gale, I think, completely misreads the situation. He doesn't get Tav, and they're never close enough to really talk, and when they do, he inevitably feels like he's somehow put his foot in his mouth.

They never talked about him nearly killing himself in Act 2 - instead Tav made Astarion babysit him at Moonrise, then never addressed it again. He knows she broke her apprenticeship, then later hears through the grapevine that she became a prostitute. To Gale, this is insane, and he tries to subtly address the matter in Sorcerous Sundries by mentioning "how strange it is to travel with someone for so long and not even know their full name" - well aware of the irony, Mr. Dekarios, but it's because he's trying to angle towards that, he wants to start a dialogue by admitting his own penchant for secrecy and offering an olive branch. But Tav calls him out on being power hungry for the crown, ignores this branch, and says she'll give him the book if he keeps his mouth shut regarding going to Cazador. This is a pretty clear choice: do something morally questionable and against the best interests of a friend in exchange for power, which is not how Gale wants to see himself. But he takes the deal.

Later, they get the suggestion to see Mystra from Elminster, and Tav goes "fuck that, we're doing Caz first. Yes, I will keep a goddess waiting, fuck her."

When he gets back to the Elfsong, Astarion cozies up nearly immediately and mentions he put his stuff besides his bed, and pulls him into conversation about some books they've both been reading. Last time Astarion did this, it was a bit of flirting, which Tav reacted poorly to. Gale's aware Astarion is flirting with him but does not engage - he's not getting entangled in that debacle - but he's not going to ignore Astarion's overturns for friendship even if he feels guilty as fuck re: Cazador. In a way, he's already sold him out - he's not going to be a dick to him now too. Astarion could use a friend, and I think everyone has caught on that there's something weird between him and Tav at this point, confirmed once she slaps him in front of them all later this chapter.

So Tav, so far, has proven herself duplicitous, manipulative, thrown his worst traits in his face, rebuffed his attempts to understand her, is jealous and possessive, and seemingly will betray even Astarion if it benefits her. yikes

re: the "obvious" rancid relationship vibes between her and Sylvar: because of how untouchable/power-driven she is, he genuinely does not pick up on the idea that Tav is someone who could be a victim. I don't think he'd be the type of have any experience in that area: although Gale never mentions his father, his tight relationship with his mother and clear adoration of her combined with his having her last name, looking up to Elminster in a nearly father-figure sort of way (by chasing his approval and wilting under his disapproval, even if he does act against him sometimes, yet in an almost rebellious child kind of way), and his issues with self-esteem/expectation of abandonment all point to early childhood abandonment issues. I do get the feeling Gale's dad walked out on them, so Gale latched onto magic as a way of "proving" his lovability and worth. Like Gale's father isn't just gone: he's dead to him, and not worthy of being acknowledged in any way. I can't speak to if there was any domestic violence towards Morena, but if there was I think Gale would have been too young to notice/internalize it. Other than that, say what you will about Mystra but I don't think she's smacking him around.

So basically I think Gale is a bit sheltered in this way, where he hasn't had friends or family or himself been in a physically abusive relationship, so he reads Tav's body language more in terms of overwhelming grief/shock and perhaps a controlling relationship - but he doesn't catch on to the fact that she's terrified of Sylvar. Tav is simply not a person he can imagine being powerless in that way.

Sylvar, of course, has shown up looking like he escaped a house fire and then spent 20 years imprisoned. (Sylvar could have cleaned himself beforehand: he deliberately did not.) Sylvar is, first and foremost, trying to look rational, powerful, reasonable, but also tortured, and calls Tav his wife multiple times to make it clear that they are close and any interaction between them is multilayered and none of anyone else's business. He argues based on facts: I know of Cazador's spawn army, I know about the ritual, here is a date at which he will come for you, he's ordered me to do other things and I don't know what they are but I'm very powerful so you should be scared, but I'm trying to stop myself so I'm your ally, and I'm very tortured and my wife hates me because it's technically my fault our son died but anyone can see she's just irrational. Also I'm a wizard. Wizard bros? I'm very cool and smart.

Gale, of course, buys it all; hook, line, and sinker.

Shadowheart is wise enough to know there's something going on here beneath the surface, but then Emperor speaks to her and that pings her little "Shar please notice me" sensor real hard. She repeats his words simply to convey them, not thinking that people will read this as her giving her opinion. She gets a moment of "oh fuck" when Astarion throws her the astral tadpole, knowing both how fucked it is of him to do that but also that yuuuup we're tadpoling this guy who is very clearly bad news. If Jaheira hadn't told her to own up to her actions, I think Shadowheart would have eventually realized there was something fishy here. She still doesn't like Tav, but she's been seeing her in a different light lately and has been very sympathetic internally regarding Malachi's death. I imagine the Sharran Cult get a lot of grieving parents as clients.

Lae'zel, first and foremost, respects Tav as a commander. She doesn't agree with everything she does but she falls in line because it's not her place. Tav likes her because she follows orders, but they are not close, and that's fine. She's mostly upset because Gale wants to tadpole someone but also falls for Sylar's little speech a little. He's got info, after all, even if it's a bit suspicious.

Isobel & Aylin decided this was not their business in the slightest. Should Tav come to them, they would gladly help, but Selunites overall seem pretty passive to me, and this is a very personal matter.

NOW ONTO WYLL, THE WHOLE REASON I WANTED TO WRITE THIS goddamnit gale

Wyll would have noticed that Tav was terrified and not just grief-stricken/in shock and spoken up. Therefor, Wyll could not be there, because Wyll is a good man who speaks up for the downtrodden and vulnerable. I fully believe Wyll has come across people who have been abused and tried his best to help them, and he would have grilled Sylvar over how he was speaking to Tav. Like all of that was just not okay, what the fuck.

I initially didn't have the last scene because I only cut Wyll from the upstairs portion while I was writing it, and then I had to figure out where he had gone. I kind of worried about keeping it in because of what it does to the tension, but in hindsight I think it's a very welcome and needed breather, a little bit of sweetness.

Tav continually feels a bit of a mentorship towards Wyll, simply because they're both warlocks, but she definitely thinks he was a well-intentioned but foolish kid to accept Mizora's contract. She's continually reminded of how young he is, briefly considers him privileged, then re-frames when she remembers how much it sucks to get kicked out of your own home by your parent. It's inevitable that she compares him to Malachi, as they would have been only two years apart in age.

Tav hugging him is meant as a sort of closure moment. It's the first time she reaches for comfort from someone who is not Astarion, and lets herself be touched in friendship by a man she's not fucking in.... maybe ever, honestly. She's got such a trauma response misandrist streak that it's really a credit to Wyll's consistent kindness that he gets through to her without even trying, and even then it's because she sees him mostly as a young man in need of a little mothering.

Anywho, it's really a goodbye to Malachi through Wyll, the only bit of closure she'll ever get regarding him. She wishes her kid could have been like Wyll, or had a friend like him - but even if he hadn't died, that would have been pure fantasy, because there's no way any kid coming out of Tav & Sylvar's household would have been well-adjusted and happy.

Wyll, of course, knows absolutely none of this, but Tav's a mess and has clearly been crying so he tries to help how he can. He's touched she remembered his mom at all, as people always get hung up on his father as if he just sprung from him like a clone. (This of course was a conversation that happened back in Act 1, back when Tav actually tried to talk to people. Remember how she kept thinking about ingratiating herself to prevent being betrayed? How keeping up to date with people and on good terms was important to her??? Remember when she was chill, controlled, and kept thinking of Astarion as some naive idiot who clearly didn't know anything about relationships????)

I was careful to give Wyll dialogue that's actually helpful. He's not going to intrude - he respects her privacy, and understands that playing night in shining armor would be very unwelcome - and he doesn't offer platitudes. It's not "you can ask for help anytime...when you muster the energy to take what you need...I'm just waiting for you to ask...it's all on you..." it's "I am begging you to tell me so that I can help you in whichever way I can, but I understand you may not want that right now."

Although Wyll's flaws extend mostly to sacrificing himself and chasing after approval from people who don't deserve it, and, perhaps, a bit of a penchant for fairytales, I like the implication that his drinking animations do point him to being a bit of an alcoholic, if a very young and controlled one. He sees a lot of the same in Tav and notes her depressive tendencies, her prickliness, so he tries to make her smile. Not in a "you should smile more" way, but in a "it's rare to see you smile and I'm glad to be privy to it."

Tbh I think he thinks she had a terrible row with Astarion and he's doing the whole "well maybe that didn't work out but it's ok, there are more fish in the sea, you deserve to be happy with someone who matches your freak" type vibes hahhahha a romantic at heart! little does he know 🥲

Wyll once he gets upstairs:

[the-real-cirsium-zorba]

DDS AU bigpost because I'm insane

big spoilers for the digital devil saga duology and metaphor re: fantazio

hhh ok so this is a ramblepost to get all my thoughts out before I forget the AU is like half formed in my mind so feel free to add extra shit to it and go absolutely crazy

So I've got the basic story(?) with some dynamics down but it gets uber messy because the characters don't translate as well

We got

Will -> Serph and Prince -> Sera This one's pretty basic for now, protag swap. Will is the idealised version of the prince that he made in his head to cope with being a glorified supercomputer, and their relationship is less direct compared to Serph and Sera. Esp since in the original paradise the prince doesn't interact with the AI that he creates, which is due to his self loathing. It also makes their interactions in this AU feel a lot sweeter esp once they become "Seraph" it has a whole "self love" and "healing your inner child" vibe that I feel like they need

Hulkenberg -> Argilla/Heat ? I guess? Ok this is mostly in the yuri context. Hulkenberg is a bit more harsh in this AU since in nirvana her relationship with the prince is far more strained due to circumstances (STROHL AND MORE) so she is kind of mean in the junkyard. I do think her fierce loyalty to the prince and consequently Will is something that stays the same.

Strohl -> Heat/Serph? Kind of? Strohl is still nice tho I couldn't do that to him. Like he kind of serves the same narrative significance as Heat but technically Strohl is a Serph equivalent? like the prince had a crush on strohl in nirvana and so made AI strohl with that in mind. Of course this means that the real Strohl is Evil. He's Sheffield in this AU and has his whole fake kindness spiel, not really sure if I should change his motives. He's the one that isolates the prince from Hulkenberg and manipulates him into thinking she doesn't care about him.

Eupha -> Cielo Because they're my favourites which is why I will be torturing her immensely by giving her the QDS version of Cielo

Basilio -> Gale Ok hear me out on this one. Their character arcs are similar enough that I feel like this could work even though their personalities aren't similar. Like both of them are behind their peers and spend a significant amount of their arcs learning and understanding how to cope with a situation that initially had them mentally crippled. Not necessarily having them "overcome" this obstacle (Gale still doesn't express his emotions like other characters, and Basilio is still trusting of others and takes things at face value) but they've adapted to this new thing (emotions and not having del around)

also it makes Fidelio being Lupa and Vinca being Fred a lot more reasonable

Junah -> Jinana I'm giving her the QDS jinana arc I can't pull a DDS with her it would make me sad

Louis -> Varin Omega He could've been Jenna but I don't want him to be Wills mom. Jenna could be Louis but Louis could never be her. He's Varin tho which still makes sense especially since both he and Will would be aware of the truth of the junkyard and the knowledge would make him crazy. Also I like a man in tactical gear

More -> Jenna Jenna has that depressed old man vibe that More could replicate. Also it makes sense since that's Will's dad. Also he would literally be inviting them to Utopia(Nirvana) at the start of the game it makes so much sense guys it makes so much sense

Heismay -> Roland Sad alcoholic who lost everything and spiraled into despair forgetting what he initially fought for only to have that spark be reawakened along with newfound hope and he risks everything in order to create a world where the ones he takes care of can smile again. Ok, it makes sense I love heismay I love roland they're both such good characters and I want to do them justice

Uhhh minor characters that I don't have enough time or space to elaborate on

Zorba -> Bat , Glodell -> Mick , Queen Elda -> Margot , Edeni -> Harley

[alienoresimagines-archive]

There is a lot unexplored dynamics between Rosie and the Buckies because of the plot of the show. I think Gale would get along very well with Rosie. And I remember Callum saying Rosie didn't like Jhon at all. Maybe Jhon is just jealous lol?

But honestly there's very little love triangle stories in the fandom. If it's there then it's Curt but that also hes only a plot device for Clegan. And then we have lesser stories with Gale and Alex. Basically we need more pathetic love triangles

We were absolutely robbed of the Rosie&Buck friendship!! They only had one scene together really but the POTENTIAL of their friendship 🥹

Oh yes, I've seen gifs of that press tour but I don't remember if it's Callum saying John doesn't like Rosie or if it's Nate saying Rosie probably doesn't like John 😅 I think they could have gotten along if they had more times together but for John, it must be hard to look at Rosie and know that he was like that a few months ago. And Rosie meets this standoffish officer everyone seems to like and look up to but ? he doesn't see it because the Bucky he meets is one already nosediving

I definitely think John is the jealous kind, especially as war drags on because it sort of fuels his insecurity that he isn't the happy-go-lucky man he was before. His jokes are sarcastic and snarky, sometimes even a bit mean and cruel. He doesn't sing or dance anymore. How long until Buck realises that too and leaves him? So I think that seeing Buck befriend other people like Alex or Rosie would definitely cause some issues on John's side and it could be really fun to explore. I mean, the guy was so insanely jealous over Gale burying his face in Marge's letter "Maaaaaaaarge", and I'm supposed to believe he'd be cool with Gale getting closer to people that reminds John of his younger self? When he's already neck deep in his "they'll only know this me" feels? Nah, my boy's going to get snarky until Buck corners him and they have 1. Sex and 2. A talk, in that order because they're idiots

Pathetic love triangles!! You're right, it could've been so fun 🥹 Show me Blakely going brrrr at Buck's competency and John being a jealous dog over it. Maybe Buck is oblivious, or maybe he likes riling John up 😏

What are some tropes/hc you'd like to see more of in Clegan fics?

[johnslittlespoon]

Hello, gorgeous!

First of all, thank you for the joy of reading the first chapter of Tough And Sweet (Like You And Me).

I just have one question: Will future chapters show us Gale’s POV as well? Personally, I’d love to see young, shy Bucky through the eyes of an older Gale.

HIII sweetest human!! <3 no thank YOU for reading omg and for the kind words plsss :')) and for giving me an excuse to talk ab this LOL. tldr: future chapters no, future parts/drabbles yes!!

i was actually so indecisive about this when i started plotting the fic because while i enjoy reading fics with alternating povs just as much as fics without them, i've never written one with them and i wasn't sure if i'd enjoy/be good at switching mindsets like that!

i ultimately decided to stick to john's pov for that reason, but also because i thought as the reader, having to see things through his eyes and only being able to guess about gale the way john does would be more intriguing, especially with john's view of the world/interactions warped and/or rose–tinted by youth, inexperience, emotional dysregulation, etc.

BUT sooo much of what i have written in my drafting doc is from gale's pov because i love picturing this bucky through his eyes too, it's just such a fresh and new dynamic for me to explore as someone who primarily writes mota–verse buckbucky, and what we see from john's pov is so different from how gale sees things of course lol.

like it drives me insane thinking about how this poor man was literally just living his peaceful life, fine with being solo, going through the routine every day of work and then bike club and then home, and suddenly he's got this golden retriever of a boy attached to him like a magnet, and he's being kept on his toes dealing with the bundle of energy, and each day is now unpredictable and as exciting as it is stressful and he has no one to blame but himself lol. and the way we don't get to see the self–restraint he has to have and the struggle to be responsible and do what's 'right' while also dealing with his own feelings, because john isn't aware that's going on inside gale's head!

i could go on and on about his side of things aughghgh so i think eventually i'll end up doing a pretty lengthy oneshot sorta thing of certain events in the actual fic through gale's eyes (kinda what i plan on doing with yadiym for john's pov) bc goddd i have so many thoughts about how all of this would be playing out from his perspective!!! if not a oneshot, then drabbles like this one i hope.

if i had the time and if it wouldn't be boring to read i would honestly just rewrite the whole fic from gale's pov once it's done because with every scene i write, i'm like ooo i wanna dive into his pov and talk about what he's thinking and seeing so BAD but i can't bc we're in john's head </3 i just love analyzing john through his eyes and ik i've yapped ab this so much in past posts but gale does see so much of his younger self in him, that's why he has a lot of patience and takes a liking to him so fast, even if he doesn't realize that right away. :')

at the very least i definitely want to write pwp oneshots/drabbles set in the TAS universe from gale's pov so i can gush over describing how pretty and sweet and mouthy john is LOL i'm sure i'll add the fic itself to a series like with my dog–coded fic so that i can build on the au with oneshots once it's done >:-)

this is such a longwinded response (what else is new!) but you poked the bubble in my brain that's been agonizing over wanting to delve into gale's pov so <3 this is much more rambling than your question warranted but thx JSDKG

[dardinan-ingellvar]

I gotta know! Which of your heroes can sing!?

Ooh! I like this one!

Fahren could sing, but he almost never did. Zevran is probably the only person who ever heard him sing in moments where they slipped away from camp before the fight against the Archdemon. But his voice was angelic.

Dareth Hawke is as tone deaf as they come, but he loves singing...Fenris puts up with it because he loves him dearly.

Gale can sing, though he mostly reserves it for Dalish gatherings with Clan Lavellan...Granted, after the Final Blight, after all the revelations about the gods, he likely does it more for Dorian. He's pretty proud of his voice, but it was always just his way of celebrating the gods he once worshiped. Now? It's for anything else.

Dardin'an probably has the best singing voice of them all. Though, theirs would absolutely be more suited to something like rock and roll, country(like, the good kind, not the shitty modern crap...Think Johnny Cash era), or something heavier, but they can pull off some insane notes Broadway would be jealous of. Theirs is a raspy voice, deep, but soft...I don't know how to explain it more than that, but they absolutely sing a lot. They've got a side hobby of writing and singing music. Honestly, they'd be a bard if this were Baldur's Gate LOL But they are too much of an action-hound to be one in the world of Dragon Age. I've always pictured them as the type to sing in the bath or 'shower'(waterfall? XD). If we had gotten the bathhouse from the concepts, that place would have been their main hangout for the acoustics LOL

I actually have some videos in mind that I'm trying to get all the recordings for. In my head, I hear Dardin'an singing them, even though the songs are VERY much not done by anyone who sounds like them (though one of the songs in question IS 'Sucker' from Arcane, and that voice IS close)

[artanissnow]

This playthrough has been interesting to say the least. My new Tav is a drow sorc/selunite cleric.

It seems to confuse a lot of people around her.

I mean when every other drow is NOtHING like this one.

She forgets things time to time.Interesting thing about Drow is that if any child shows ANY signs of marshmallowness(kindness,compassion,being humble,love,disgust over slavery) they are tortured out of it. Perhaps, she was unbreakable and ran away from the under dark until she came upon a Selunite temple. A place that welcomed her goofy butt with open hearts.

She may be a bit of a squish with drow chaos from time to time. And wild magic that is insane and makes NO SENSE! But it is hard to not be Tav’s friend.

But they get over shit quickly especially when it comes to obsession with true crime. It’s all about balance as Withers would say.

By act 3 they have this whole bestie thing down pat. Which is great for Karlach because there was a concern. Who wants to bet Jaheira had a get along sweater made for camp. The sweater is for anyone.

When that wild magic happens and no one is upset about it except the sorceress.

Chaos and unexpected answers to things

She isn’t always nice when it comes to people not taking the hint.

Who would drink it? Gale must be slightly going insane with the shenanigans. One person licks spiders, one wants to hug everyone, you know someone in the group would “test out” the drow’s potion. But who?

And Gale is afraid of her. He may have dodged a bullet with this one 🤣

[forsakenwitchery]

Finished Veilguard the other day and I need you to see my Rook. xD idk I tried to create something similar to my face, but then it hit me I had Tallis on my hands. 😂

In case someone's interested in my thoughts (no spoilers): it was kind of a mixed bag experience for me. I couldn't agree more with the sentiment that the game's too sanitized, but I did have some fun with it and I did grow to like the companions after all. ALSO MANFRED NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS! And Lucanis reminds me of Gale so much, guess that's my new type. xD Men cooking is the hottest trait ever, legit a dealbreaker no griffon or sentient skeleton can beat.

More rambling under the cut & adding all the critical tags I could think of.

I do think they sort of shot themselves in the foot by calling it Dragon Age, because I kept thinking it reminds me of Guardians of the Galaxy A LOT which was a good & imho underrated game!!! but it's not the best comparison for a DA game. I didn't like Bellara at first, but then it hit me she reminds me of Mantis. SO. MUCH. And I loved Mantis! So Bellara just felt so out of place in DA. I have a lot of thoughts, yet my main takeaway is that it should have been a new IP. Literally had it been called anything else 70% of my beef with this game wouldn't exist, and I think it's true for most people who are critical about it. Like, I played as a Crow, and literally all the Crows in the game are good(TM). My Rook told Harding she did some bad things, but nothing too bad! Literally no Crow in this game is willing to kill anyone. The banter about Grey Warden contracts... Was wild. What's the point of even having assassins who are so uwu goody two-shoes. :( Legit had they made a game in the vein of DA, but not DA, with new not preestablished factions, I wouldn't have this critique. And you can't say or do anything too bad in this game which is wild for DA. I think I was only allowed to be mean about Solas, but even tho I always chose the dialogs akin to 'he can go F himself', the game kept telling me 'he's just a poor sad little meow meow' by legit every character around me. WHICH GIVEN THE FINAL TWIST OF WHAT HE DID. FUCKING FUCK. There are not nearly enough mean things this game lets you say about him, and it's mind-blowing why half the characters would toot his horn so much. Sorry, I hate Solas' guts, I didn't think it was possible to hate him even more, but holy shit was I not prepared...

But like, had it been a new IP, my only critique would be all the handholding, especially the constant 'pointing out the obvious' at the start of the game. The first hours were driving me insane with it. Like guys, I'm not stupid, I don't need to be told the same thing 3 or 4 times. Or how to proceed in a linear location if I stop for one second. Yeah, it gets better with the obvious part, but not with repeating the same info, which made me wonder what age were they targeting with it. Because I don't think kids like to be talked down to, either.

BUT I expected way worse. It was overall not a bad game. Not a super great 10/10 one, but it had its moments. For me, it was a solid 6/10, maybe even a 7 in some parts. idk why, but I especially loved Evka and Antoine. And the cooking party banters. Super pretty, too, once I got used to the style.

Oh, and I also called my Rook Anthea, and since the Crows had a character called Teia, I got an added bonus of Lucanis actually saying that name a few times. xD