#i do feel bad for alfira

[arcanewonder]

[pushing500]

I gotta say: I love Vanic!! (Especially the way you draw him, I had no idea it was possible to make githyanki cute) Also, since I saw you do requests... Would you be willing to draw any of the origin characters from bg3? I just think it would be cool haha

The whole reason Vanic exists was because I wanted to see if cute gith boys were possible, and I like to think I succeeded in my efforts. It might have something to do with how tiny and squishy I draw him, but... Eh.

I love him <3

As for the other origin characters... Well, I gave it my best shot!

First up was Stari and Lae'zel! (keeping them in the same style as I draw Vanic, for consistency)

I managed to fit Gale, Shadowheart, and Wyll all on one page. They were very fun to draw. I don't like drawing ornate armour, though, lol. Can you tell?

Then Karlach, the best girl!! Her clothes were a pain to draw, too, but that's what I get for trying to draw at 11pm on a work night 🤷🏻‍♀️

Bonus "origin characters" in the forms of my two Dark Urge people!

Alulin, my half-gnome, half-illithid bard who's doing her darndest to resist her urges while pumping every stray illithid parasite she finds into her head. She must have one hell of a headache, but that doesn't stop her from getting down and dirty with Bears and Mind Flayers at every chance she gets (which is two so far, but it never hurts to hope). she was much easier on the eye at the start of the run, but Halsin still gives her kisses whenever she asks (which is frequently 👀), so she can't be that bad.

Then there's T'uin, a half-drow sorcerer, who is embracing his dark urges with enthusiasm. I can't play with him for too long at once because I always feel so bad doing the mean stuff. He is very pretty, though, so I can put up with him for short periods. He's currently being fought over by Minthara and Lae'zel.

[illunomi]

Alfira portrait from the beginning of the year mannn I miss my bg3 hyperfixation phase…. Also is this the place and time to admit that I smashed her lute in all my durge playthroughs (I do feel bad about it) (kinda)

[sorcerous-caress]

Could I request Karlach, Shadowheart, and Alfira and Lakrissa together (if you’ll write for them together), when an embarrassed Tav nervously asks to sleep with them for the night because back home they shared a room with people and sleeping alone makes them paranoid which is causing them to lose sleep?

Asking to share a bed

[Fluff, suggustive, cuddling, nb!reader]

[Karlach, Shadowheart, Alfira / Lakrissa]

Karlach

She greats you with the same military nickname she gave you since the start, endearing in her own way as she fights back a yawn.

Your nervousness doesn't go past her, and wasn't it for the curl of a smile at the corners of her lips, you wouldn't have guessed she noticed either.

"Hell yeah, gods know I'd take any excuse to cuddle." Is her enthusiastic reply after you explain your situation. "Well, only if you're cool with cuddling, it's on the table, right?"

She takes your nod as permission to wrap her arms around you and playfully throw on you on the bed next to her, you softly bounce against the mattress before settling in.

It doesn't take long for her to drift off. The glow in her chest dimming, and the engine sounds muffling.

The heat is comforting, you realise as your eyes grow heavy, like a warm bath after a long day. Her big arms secured around you and making you feel safe, nothing bad could ever get to you whilst she held you this close, protected you from whatever lurks in the darkness.

The next morning, you wake up while still in her arms. She rubs the sleep from her eyes as she takes you in, a smile bright enough to rival the morning sun as she asked how was yout sleep, is she was scary enough to chase away any nightmares, her sharp teeth peeking through her lips.

Shadowheart

She's usually the last to go to her tent, preferring to bask in the darkness of the night. Linger amidst the shadows hidden from the moonlight and appreciate the beauty found in the allure of the unknown, the swirls in the shadows, and the fading of one's self to join a bigger and greater purpose.

It's when she'd usually get on her knees and pray, grovelling with her face to the sky.

You waited for her to finish, and the intimacy of the act felt almost forbidden to say wasn't it for her reassurance that it was alright before.

There's gratitude in her eyes afterwards, for the acceptance you've offered her, for the indifference you've gifted her with.

The answer to your question is met with hesitation.

"Just share a bed?" There are undertones to her words, "or do you mean like the bottle we shared?"

Heat flares up towards your cheeks at the memory, you play it cool. "Just share a bed, i promise."

Her covers are soft, princess like almost. A flowerly smell with fluffy pillows and layers of blankets neatly stacked at the end.

The smell of her shampoo is easily identified on the cover of her pillows. A half empty bottle of wine sits on the table nearby, next to a pocket-sized book.

As the two of you lay motionless under the covers, sleep doesn't come easy. There is an uncomfortable empty space between you.

And then you feel it, just under the covers, her hand moving towards yours, her pinky entangling with yours.

Shadowheart looks at you with anticipation, the space between the two of you close. You can feel her heartbeat falling into rhythm with yours as you drift off to sleep.

As the night fades and the morning comes, you wake up to the same hand hand still holding yours, on top of the covers this time. Shadowheart's focus on the small book she took from the bedtable, whispering and practising her spells for the day, preparing the healing ones beforehand.

Alfira / Lakrissa

The laughter and humming of a melody comes to an immediate stop as you knock on the door, the sound of clothes shuffling and the string of a lute being accidentally pulled follows.

You wait patiently, looking around the hallway to pass the time as your eyes glance over the various oil paintings of the elfsong tavren. Feeling disappointed when you came to the realisation that despite its name, their paintings weren't just of elves.

"Hello there, Hero." The door swings open as you're greated with the sight of Lakrissa in her night attire. Behind her, Alfira quickly came into view as she realised it was you waiting in the doorway.

With a smile, she urged Lakrissa to invite you in, the other obliging with amusement.

The mellow atmosphere from before slowly returned, both women feeling at ease around you as if you were a long lost friend.

As the conversation went on, Alfira sat next to you.

"Thank you so much for allowing me to stay in your camp that night." Her words wer sincere, "Adventuring really wasn't for me at the end but, still, I'm grateful you didn't turn me away in the morning."

"How sweet." Lakrissa's arm wrapped around Alfira's waist, giving her cheek a small kiss. "Were you waiting for the chance to thank them all that time?"

"Hey don't laugh" a blush coloured Alfira's cheek as the other women teased her, "I just...well...yes so what if I did?"

"Then I'd say that's exactly just like you." Another kiss, this time a tender one to her forehead. Lakrissa let go afterwards.

Both of them made it clear that they'll be here if you ever need anything.

So when you stated your request with embarrassment, Alfira enthusiastically agreed. Lakrissa was pleasantly surprised at seeing her usually introverted lover so welcoming and eager.

Alfira is in the middle, Lakrissa hugs her back close to her own chest while you're held by the bard. Her hold is careful and loose, as one would hold a bird so gently in fear of damaging your wings.

You're so fleeting in both of their eyes, so close yet so out of reach. So even as they bodies entangle with yours, they keep your need for freedom in mind. Heros like you never liked to be tied down, and they never want to be a burden.

As the sunrays filters through the outside curtains and announce a brand new day, you slowly wake up the strumming of the lute. Lakrissa still sleeping, having moved to where Alfira used to be and cuddled into your warmth.

The bard is at the end of the bed, humming a soft melody as her fingers strum the cords.

[tsaritza-mika]

The Companions and Separation Anxiety

So something occurred to me while working on a WIP. It mostly started with Astarion, but then drifted to consider the others you could romance as well. I was mostly thinking of Star at the time, and the others came from conversation

If you consider everything that happened, from the moment they met, Tav and Star have never really spent any time apart for maybe longer than a few hours at most. And yes, I'd considered even the times he's left at camp. Because even if he's left at camp, all of them have that underlying mission and the need to rely on their allies. For all the allies that you gather in the game, you still keep everyone outside of your little group at something of an arms length. The only ones that spend even a little bit of time at your camp in the same vein as the rest of your companions are Dame Aylin and Isobel (no I'm not counting Alfira, because in Durge runs she isn't likely to survive a single night XDD poor baby).

All of our time is spent with our companions from the moment we meet, and for the ones we romance, I don't think it'd be far fetched to think that after everything is said and done, the brain and all other enemies dealt with, our chosen romanced companion could very well have some measure of separation anxiety if Tav/Durge had need to leave their side for longer than a day or two.

Especially with Astarion I think he would be hit hardest in this, because before his adventure with everyone, he had no choice but to watch everyone he might have had even a flicker of feelings for being taken away and never return. Kudos where he deserves them, he did a LOT of growing during the journey, but old habits die hard too. So even if he's in a better place at the end, he could very well experience some measure of separation anxiety the first time they need to really be apart from each other. This could be even worse if playing a Durge, as it might be a bit more intense considering he's already experienced his partner dying in front of him and being completely helpless to do anything to stop it before Withers steps in.

With Durge, Astarion had spent 200 years praying to every god he knew for a savior from his torment, watching as everything, every piece of himself was taken away from him. Then, the first truly good thing to happen to him, the first person who acknowledged him as someone worthy of love and respect, was ripped away from him by a god. And once again, he couldn't do anything to stop it. Even with Withers bringing them back, I doubt he's going to be completely fine with Tav/Durge being too far away from him for a while.

I'd imagine Gale and Shadow might have similarly bad reactions, yet not quite to the level that Star may get. They would also have comparable ways of dealing with it I think, reassuring Tav/Durge that they're fine, and that they understand, but their mannerisms aren't as assured as they usually are, and their words may be more clipped and sharp. They just really don't want to think about it, and try their best to ignore it.

Lae'zel I think would just, do everything physical to try not thinking about it. She acts like she's not worried about them, when in reality she's secretly counting the seconds until they're home. She keeps it all inside, because realistically she knows they can handle themselves, but she's not the emotional type. I think she might try losing herself in training. Like she's just, working herself to near exhaustion, putting in every effort to not think about it.

Honestly I think the only ones who wouldn't really be hit by it would be Wyll and Karlach. Like, they'd still feel the worry, but they'd be the ones to handle it best. Wyll and Karlach have been used to being on their own for quite a while before the tadpole, and judging by their dialogue during the reunion, I would guess they may still worry, but it wouldn't truly bother them unless they got word that Tav/Durge was in some serious trouble.

Halsin would likely be the only one who would be a middle-ground in all this I think. He'd do everything he could with the kids and the village, but then if he finds himself with enough time to think about it, he'd probably just, I dunno, chop some wood and build a table or something XDDDD Tav/Durge would come home to find that he's got a whole new 12 person table with chairs and carved dining set and cutlery. He's also carved a mother and father duck gently touching beaks as a centerpiece, and all the other carved ducklings have the names of everyone he knows carefully carved into them and placed in front of each seat. He's also been talking to them. People have been worried about him, but they didn't want to say anything XDDDD

[randoimago]

Could I ask for headcannons about Karlach, Shadowheart and Alfira reacting to a very sappy romantic proposal?

Getting a Sappy Romantic Proposal from S/O

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3

Character(s): Alfira, Karlach, Shadowheart

Type of Request: Headcanon

Note(s): I love this idea so much.

Alfira

Oh you beat her to it! She had a song and everything prepared for you, but instead she's dealing with these tears running down her face (happy tears, of course).

Can't even pretend to be a tad upset that you beat her to proposing because she's so happy. Of course she says yes. You better believe that she's still going to sing the song she wrote. Maybe not now because her voice won't sound good from crying, but she will find a time to surprise you.

You both had already talked about what your shared house was going to look like, but now that you're engaged, Alfira is coming up with so many wedding plans. She'll happily sing at the wedding too as long as there's no squirrels.

Karlach

Grinning from ear to ear as she watches you. Don't mind her, keep going S/O. Then again, she might not be able to help it as she picks you up and spins you around a bit (assuming she isn't going to burn you alive, that is).

She thought she was hot and bothered before, after that proposal she's going to take you back to her tent. After saying 'yes', of course.

Yeah she did think your proposal was overly dramatic and cheesy, but she loved every second of it. Might ask you to redo it another time since she was too busy being distracted by wanting to kiss your face to fully pay attention.

Shadowheart

Is dying on the inside. She's so happy that you're proposing and she'll absolutely say yes. But the way you're doing it is so cheesy and gods she hopes no one else is around because she knows she's a flustered mess even as she tries to hide it.

She doesn't want to interrupt you, but she hopes it doesn't take too long with the proposal. She figured you took a long time with this proposal, but she would've been just fine with a classic "Will you marry me".

Might just cut you off with giving you a kiss. She'll feel bad if you're pouting afterwards about the interruption, but the answer is yes. So please stop talking and just take her to bed already.

Taglist:

@reo-the-leo @unhelpfulnpc

[apricoctopus]

Raphael's Special Offer

It's kinktober, so I decided to write something a bit spicy!

It's a continuation of my previous fic, Daily Dose of Terrible Men, but you don't have to read it to understand what's going on. It's short and cute though.

Raphael/Fem!Tav. Named Tav, softish Raphael.

3682 words, it's explicit, but nothing shocking. Just a sub and a bratty bottom trying to have sex, and hilarity ensues. And face sitting, because admit it, you all know what Raphael's horns are really for.

Act 3. Agartha decides to find out exactly what kind of services Raphael provides in a brothel. And of course he has something special for his favorite client.

Agartha stood in front of the door unsure what she should do. She heard music and laughter from the first floor — of course, this late at night Sharess’ Caress was the most crowded. But she didn’t hear anything from behind the door in front of her.

She even put her ear to it. Nothing. It meant that Raphael wasn’t with a visitor and she wouldn’t be interrupting anything— that was good. But it was possible he wasn’t even there — she was sure he had other places to be. Probably more distinguished than a brothel on the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate.

Or maybe he was sleeping. Taking a nap. As a devil he probably didn’t need much sleep, but he wasn’t a young man after all.

Agartha snorted, imagining Raphael dozing off after a busy day of collecting souls of brothel goers.

WHY ARE YOU GIGGLING LIKE AN IMBECILE? WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?

Somehow the Emperor managed to scream and whisper in her head at the same time. It was a bit funny, that he tried to lower his voice, as if worried that Raphael could hear him.

DID YOU REALLY PUT ON A DRESS? AND WHAT IS THIS ON YOUR HEAD? DO YOU HOPE TO IMRESS YOUR DEVIL WITH THIS?

Agartha frowned and adjusted gilded rings and horn caps borrowed from Alfira. They had similar horn shape, so this set fit her pretty well. And they really complimented her blonde hair and yellow eyes, and went well with her new dress of deep blue satin. Obviously, Raphael was ought to be impressed.

Agartha had her own “hornaments” as she called them, but they were at home on the other side of the city. It would take her too long to go get them, and she was afraid she would lose all of her courage on the way there.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, though.

“Shut up, will you? Why don’t you bother Wyll or someone else?” Agartha whispered angrily.

MAYBE BECAUSE WYLL OR ANYDODY ELSE FROM YOUR MERRY LITTLE BAND OF WEIRDOS ISN’T SNEAKING INTO THE BROTHEL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO FORNICATE WITH A DEVIL?

“And how do you know that? We have a devil at camp, go check, maybe someone’s fornicating with her right now!”

LIKE YOU DID NOT SO LONG AGO? THIS JUMPING FROM ONE FIEND TO ANOTHER MAKES ME REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT AT LEAST YOU DIDN’T TRY TO FUCK THE ORTHON. YOUR RECENT BEHAVIOUR MADE ME LOWER MY EXPEC…

Suddenly the Emperor’s presence vanished — not just his voice, but also that unpleasant feeling at the back of her head, like someone was constantly watching her. Devil’s Den door creaked and opened.

Apparently, it was an invitation.

Agartha went inside. The room was dark, illuminated only by the starts peeking through the windows, but thanks to her infernal ancestry Agartha had no trouble with that. She saw red rose petals the scattered on the floor and thin ribbon of smoke coming up from incense on the edge of the pool, feeling the room with sweet, heavy smell. At the other end of the room a set of stairs led to an arch, covered with red drapes. Through a thin gap between them a strip of warm light fell on the marble floors. Agartha went straight to the arch.

When she pulled the drape to the side, she was surprised to see that the second room, well-lit and spacious, was actually pretty cozy, with soft carpets on the floor and a big bed that, after spending so many weeks on the road, seemed extremely comfortable.

Raphael sat behind a desk of carved wood, eyeing Agartha curiously. Blue doublet hung on the back of his chair, several buttons on his shirt were undone and frills of its collar were laying freely on his shoulders. When Agartha forced herself to look away from Raphael’s chest hair, she noticed a neat stack of papers in front of him.

“New contracts?”

Raphael nodded.

“It was a good day. May I inquire, why are you here? Did you come to bring me the Crown? I would be most impressed if you managed to get a hold of it so quickly.”

“No, I don’t have it yet,” Agartha said as approached him and sat on the desk.

“What brings you here then?”

She shrugged.

“Nothing important, really. I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Go on.”

“It’s a curious choice for an office, even for a devil. A brothel, I mean. Why here?”

“It has a lovely view,” Raphael gestured towards one of the windows. The view of Chionthar glistening under the stars and city lights was indeed lovely. “And I don’t see anything wrong this the nature of this place — especially in Baldur’s Gate. In terms of comfort and quality of service any difference between a brothel and a high-end restaurant here will be marginal. But most importantly Sharess’ Caress is very… accessible. In a more refined establishment, my choice of potential customers would be limited, while here everybody is welcome. That’s exactly what I need — I want my services to be available to people of all backgrounds and levels of income. I don’t discriminate.”

“How noble of you.”

“Thank you, my dear. I knew you would appreciate it. But I feel like you still have questions, am I right?..”

He was, and she was glad he asked.

Agartha wasn’t naive. She saw the way Raphael treated her: all these visits during her travels under the guise of “just checking”, all the gifts, and compliments, and pet names, and “my dear”s. Whatever everybody, especially the Emperor, said, it was more than just a manipulation to get her to trust him. He really liked her, and finally it was time to see just how much. So, for the first time in weeks, she took a good long bath, brushed her hair properly and even bought a new dress — and something else she hoped Raphael would enjoy. Agartha was ready to make her move. She didn’t have a clear plan and had failed to come up with one on her way there, so she decided to improvise.

“Still, it’s a brothel. People normally don’t come here to sign contracts. Is this,” she gestured towards the stack of contracts, “the only service you provide in this fine establishment?”

The moment Agartha said the last words, she felt relief that the Emperor didn’t hear her. If she survived after asking Raphael this, damn squid would mock her relentlessly till the end of her days.

The devil looked at her bewildered. He was taken aback by this question as much as she was, although he quickly composed himself.

“I… Yes, normally that’s the only service I provide, as you put it. Yet…”

Raphael got up from his chair and stood in front of Agartha. He gave her a long, pensive look, as if still deciding what to do with her.

“You are my favorite customer, after all. And for my dear Little Mouse I can think of something special,” he said cupping her face in his hands. “I think I know why you really came here, and I will be happy to give it to you.”

Agartha noted how his skin was soft and feverishly hot, and that he had some new perfume — still sweet, but more flowery this time. And then he kissed her.

It felt like falling. Her stomach dropped, and head started spinning. Agartha had been waiting for this moment for so long, she felt nauseous from excitement. With trembling hands she pulled his shirt up, and he took it off, breaking the kiss for a moment. She felt him up gliding her hands from his waist to the chest, to his neck, hugging him and pulling him closer, and suddenly he broke the kiss again.

“Wait, wait for just a second. You deserve something truly special,” as he said this, air filled with heat and shimmered, and Raphael’s disguise burned away in bright magical fire.

As a human Raphael was pretty average. Not too short and not too tall, not too big and not too skinny, a perfectly normal middle-aged man. And a very attractive one, although the only one who agreed with Agartha on that matter was Astarion. Raphael created his human disguise in a way that made him look respectable, but not threatening. Trustworthy even, if he actually tried.

As a cambion Raphael was very different. He wasn’t like Mizora who more or less resembled a tiefling with wings and especially fancy horns. He was so tall that the top of Agartha’s head barely reached his shoulder, and wings and two sets of massive black horns made him seem even bigger. His features seemed sharper and harsher. He was covered in scales everywhere expect for his face, chest and stomach, and rows of hard ridges ran under red skin. And there was something different in the way he moved and looked at her with unblinking orange eyes, like a snake.

Right. Not a fox. A snake. And she was a stupid Little Mouse.

Perhaps the Emperor was right.

Raphael leaned on the desk so his face would be on the same level as Agartha’s and his hands would block her from trying to slip away. She gasped for air, as heat emitted by his body made it hard to breathe. The devil spread his wings as much as the space allowed, and Agartha suddenly felt claustrophobic and trapped.

“Are you scared? I can hear your heart beating.”

Only when he said it, Agartha understood that her heart was indeed racing so fast, it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

“Yeah,” she said in a coarse voice. “A bit.” 

He kissed her neck while his hand slid under her dress, claws scratching her thigh, making Agartha gasp. Raphael smiled and pressed harder — not enough to draw blood, but enough to make her shiver and lash her tail against the desk leg.

“Shh, don’t be afraid, Little Mouse. I won’t hurt you, unless you ask me,” he whispered.

Agartha was afraid — it was the first time she saw Raphael’s true form so close and she was not prepared to how inhuman he looked. Despite her fear — or may be because of it? — there were tension and warmth growing between her legs. It was all scary, and confusing, and hot — in every sense of this word.

Raphael’s kisses moved lower, to her collarbones and her cleavage, and his hand moved up, fingertips massaging her through wet fabric of her panties. Agartha was grateful he kept his claws away this time. She shifted on the desk into a more comfortable position, opening her legs wider and holding on to his shoulders for support.

She touched him, gingerly and unsurely at first: rough, scaly skin, thick membranes of his wings, hard cartilaginous ridges on the back. She ran her hand through his hair and gently scratched scalp near the horns — she knew from experience this spot should be sensitive. Raphael made a sound that could only be characterized as purring.

“You can purr?” she couldn’t help but nervously giggle.

He looked at her and made that sound again — something between a cat’s purr and a low rumble.

“That’s… that’s fascinating. I had no idea devils could do this.”

He answered with a kiss, sharp fangs briefly brushing against her lips, and put his hands on her waist, moved them up to her breasts, squeezing them slightly, and then to her back to unhook the dress, now soaked in sweat. It slid off her, leaving Agartha only in lingerie of red silk and golden lace. It was not her favorite color combination and she honestly considered it a bit tacky, but she guessed Raphael would like it.

The devil straightened up and looked at her, clearly enjoying the view:

“Gorgeous.”

Agartha leaned to him and planted a gentle kiss on skin over his ribs, where it was soft and not covered in scales. To her delight, Raphael’s cambion form had, as well as the human one, impressive chest hair and a happy trail leading down from the belly button into his pants. Agartha glided her hand over his firm press and traced hard ridges on his sides down to his hips.

Raphael put one hand on the back of her head, sending pleasant shivers down her neck when tips of his claws touched her scalp, while unbuckling his belt with the other. Agartha pulled his pants down, and as they fell on the floor, she wondered what his reaction would be if she just got up, said that there was no way that thing would fit in and excused herself. His cock, fully erect, was almost the size of her forearm and just as thick. It looked painful, although ridges did spark her curiosity. 

It seemed Raphael noticed her reaction and knelt in front of her, as if trying to look less intimidating. It didn’t work, partially because he raised his wing and caressed her cheek with it in a gesture equally sweet and terrifying.

“Oh, don’t worry. It will be fine. You will be fine. You know you can trust me.”

Agartha really hated when he said that.

Raphael kissed sharp ridges on her knees, and her thighs, and then moved to her belly, covering it in kisses, while taking her panties off.

“Why are you so tense? Didn’t I promise I won’t hurt you?” he asked with a chuckle. “Oh, my dear, dear Little Mouse, you need to relax. Let me help you with that.”

Raphael picked her up with one arm — Agartha yelped and hugged his neck, to keep herself from falling — and headed towards the bed. He laid down and dragged her closer to the headboard, eventually forcing to stand on her knees right above his face.

“You can hold on to my horns, if you want,” he offered politely. “Come on, I won’t bite.”

Agartha hesitated. She fantasized about this moment a lot, to the Emperor’s annoyance, but she never imagined herself on top of Raphael. Usually, her scenarios involved being bent over a table with some spanking and maybe bondage to spice things up. Seeing her indecisiveness, Raphael put hands on her hips and pressed down. She had no choice but to oblige, grasping his horns. They were spikey but otherwise rather handy.

All of her hesitation faded the moment his lips pressed on her pussy and his forked, almost painfully hot tongue touched her throbbing clit, both tips circling around if, teasing and caressing. She felt like there was nothing left of her, just this sweet pulsating warmth, radiating through her body.  Agartha didn’t even notice when she started grinding her hips, following the rhythm Raphael set, moaning louder and louder, begging him not to stop. Raphael grasped the base of her tail, where skin was especially tender, and stroked, each move sending waves of overwhelming tingling sensation through her spine. It was all just too much, and her movements became erratic and back arched. She came so hard, she would fall if Raphael wasn’t holding her.

“Oh, fucking Hells...” she moaned.

Raphael kept holding her, even when she tried to get off his face. After a short rest his tongue touched her clit again, more aggressive this time.

“What… what are you doing? Let me... ahh…”

Raphael wasn’t just teasing her, he pressed right on the most sensitive spot again and again, making Agartha twitch with her whole body. He firmly held her hips with one hand, while other stroked her tense back, and trembling belly, and breasts with hard nipples that ached from rubbing against the lace of her bra.

Her arousal grew with each sharp movement of his tongue — and not only because of how mercilessly he stimulated her. She loved the pain of spikes on his horns sinking into her palms, and his claws scratching her back, and ticklish trickle of blood where they punctured skin. And most of all she loved the realization she was completely his power. He was so much stronger than her, that no matter how desperately she fought, she could not escape or at least move her hips away, to give herself a little rest. Even her tail frantically whipping against his body didn’t bother him.

Agartha came again, her body trembling, legs and arms aching from tension. She couldn’t even moan, and the sound she made was a pathetic, weak whimper. It didn’t just fail to stop Raphael this time — it only whetted him. His teeth scratched her hot, sore skin, making her whimper again. She was so overstimulated, her muscles contracted with each movement of his tongue, as pleasure mixed with growing pain.

Hells, doesn’t he get tired of this? Doesn’t he need to breathe or something?..

It was the only coherent thought her clouded mind was capable of right now.

She put her hand into Raphael’s hair, brushing it, finding that part around the horns, as if it could somehow make him have mercy on her.

“Raphael, stop, stop, please… it hurts, stop!”

With her pleading neither of them heard the sound of the door to Devil’s Den opening followed by rushed footsteps.   

“You asshole! Let go of her immediately!” Angry scream finally made Raphael let Agartha go, and she fell on him, panting and shaking from aftershocks.

“What?..” Raphael rose up in bed using his wings for support.

Agartha rolled on her stomach to look at the invaders and groaned.

Drapes that used to cover the arch were laying on the stairs — apparently Karlach tore them off. Tiefling woman stood in her armor, with a flaming axe in her hands, surrounded by fire and smoke bursting from vents on her shoulders. Behind her Agartha saw Wyll and Astarion, both alarmed and armed, ready to strike.

It was awful. It was worse than that time with the Emperor, because at least he wiped that memory from her poor companions minds. But the image of Agartha, with her hair messy and make up smudged, laying on top of naked Raphael with a boner that was approximately the size of her arm? They would remember that.

A catastrophe.

“Care to explain what is going on here?” Karlach asked, even angrier than before.

Why would you be angry? Agartha thought with annoyance. She sat right on top of Raphael — she had learned already that her weight didn’t bother him in the slightest. He, in an unexpectedly thoughtful gesture, raised his wing, covering her from her shocked friends.

 “What does it look like to you?” Raphael’s voice sounded calm, but Agartha could feel he was seething. He had that scrunch on his nose that appeared only when he was really angry. “Perhaps you would care to explain what are you all doing here? I can’t remember inviting any of you.” 

All three of them seemed confused. It looked like they expected to see something different here.

“The Emperor said Agartha was in dang…” Wyll started to explain, but he was interrupted.

“The Emperor? Again?” The devil fell back on the pillows laughing, his anger dissipating in a moment. Agartha slapped his chest in frustration.

“It’s not funny!”

“Again?..” Astarion chimed in.

“But it is! Who could have thought an illithid could get so jealous! He just doesn’t want you to be happy, my dear. And you can’t say he is not inventive. I’m so sorry.”

“Fuck off. You are not sorry.” She exhaled, counted to 10 and then turned to her friends. Her face was so hot and red, she felt like it was possible to fry an egg on it. “That squid is full of shit and I’m not in any danger.”

Karlach raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Well, it sounded like you were.”

She will never let me forget this.

“Well, I wasn’t! So please, leave. I will come back in the morning and you will tell me everything you think of it. Leave.”

“How do we know you are not charmed? The Emperor says the devil,” Astarion pointed his dagger to Raphael who now looked relaxed — all parts of him, in fact — and amused by the drama, “blocks your mind from him.”

Agartha wondered for a second if she should indeed pretend Raphael had put a spell on her. Would it help her keep at least a scrap of dignity?..

“Oh, no-no-no, you get it all wrong. I was the one being seduced and charmed here, isn’t that right, my dear?” Raphael asked, gliding his hand across Agartha’s thigh.

Damn mouthy devil.  

“I wasn’t charmed, no one is charmed, and no one is any danger, except for the mind flayer when I get my hands on him. And if you don’t leave right now, I will jump out of the window. I’m serious.”

“It’s not very high,” Raphael pointed out.

“Fine.” Karlach said and nodded to the guys to head back to the door. “We will have a talk about this later. Shagging a fiend, for fuck’s sake…”

When they left, Agartha took off her bra, threw it in the corner, and laid on top of Raphael, exhausted. He wrapped his hands around her and covered her with both wings. She was sweating in there and it was terribly unsexy, but she didn’t care.

“Well, since we are alone now?..” Raphael suggested, but Agartha shook her head, almost hitting him in the face with her horns. She didn’t care about it either.

She remembered something that happened at the very beginning of her journey. Not that long ago, in fact, but it felt like it was in a different life. Right now, she seriously believed that in that exact moment she ruined her karma and doomed herself to life of misery, loneliness and terrible relationships with terrible men.

The moment when she opened the door of that cursed barn.

“Moment ruined,” she whispered quietly. “Passion… squished like a slow goat under foot.”

“Goat? What goat? What in the Nine Hells are you talking about?”

“Nothing. Nothing… Can you purr again, please? It was really cute.”

[gloomstalkertav]

Summary: With the Netherbrain defeated, Alfira the Bard is finally ready to compose the 'Tale of Tav', but she needs the help of a certain ex-Hellrider to fill in the hero's romantic blanks.

Pairing: Zevlor x Fem!Tief!Tav

Status: In progress

Author's Note: This story will do what I like to call a 'renegotiation' of canon. It will stay true to BG3's narrative intent while inserting our favourite stressed old man into more canon story events (particularly in Act 3) in order to give him the romance with Tav he clearly wanted and the ending I feel he deserves.

Rating: T (eventual M)

Warnings: angst, violence, canon character deaths, implied sexual scenarios

Nine Hells Story Links

Prologue

In which competition to compose the best version of recent events in Baldur’s Gate is fierce, but Alfira is fiercer (i.e. ready and willing to exploit ex-Hellrider Commander Zevlor’s well-known weakness for bards).

9. Nessus

In which Zevlor’s terrible, horrible no good, very bad day - make that tenday - actually, when was the last time he wasn’t having a bad day? - is interrupted by the arrival of Tav (and readers of this fic learn to adjust their eyes to the author’s excessive use of hyphens and en dashes).

8. Cania

In which Zevlor battles his trust issues and reaps a strange sort of reward (and the author continues to pepper in scenes that definitely did not happen in the game).

7. Maladomini

In which the author greatly exaggerates Zevlor’s role in the battle for the Emerald Grove.

6. Malbolge

In which the tiefling party, in-keeping with canon, is a disappointment to Zevlor fans (though Zevlor himself comes out ahead in this version).

5. Stygia

In which all of Act II is summed up in one angst-riddled chapter, and no tieflings are spared the horrors of canon.

6. Phlegethos

In which Zevlor and Tav arrive in Baldur's Gate, and spend 10,000 words not confessing how they feel (then 1,000 finally doing so).

[y-rhywbeth2]

So glancing between the original games and the third - again - and thinking about the difference between the feral and Chosen bad endings and how I'm going to interpret them in my own canon. BG3 lore is irrelevant to me from now on I'm entering the phase where I'm assimilating my playthrough into my own Realms canon.

Also, Durge appears to be soulless. I am aware of the way the game treats Durge as though they have a soul, but BG3 makes strange choices where lore doesn't match up all the damn time. Astarion is clinically dead but the rest mechanics still need food. BG3 talks like Wyll is a devil, and they definitely don't have mortal souls. Dark Urge identity crises and complicated relationship with personhood, how I love thee.

Major BG2 spoilers, so I'll put that under a cut just in case anybody would like to play those games blind.

I noticed this a while back, but Durge's situation is reminiscent of a soulless Bhaalspawn. When their soul - the portion of them that is "them" and not entirely Bhaal - is removed they start displaying the same symptoms and slipping into what is basically the feral ending, judging by Imoen's behaviour:

"Who-who... who is that? Keep back... Keep back! [...] Who is Imoen? I don't know that name. I don't know that name! She's not here! [...] Get away from me! I'll... I'll kill you! I'll rip your eyes from your filthy faces! Do not tempt my wrath! Do not... I... she's not here. I do not know that... name. [...] I see... yes... I see... She's not here... Someone else will come..."

We have dizzy spells and risks of blackouts (otherwise known as Bhaal threatening to take over):

"Your step falters, your vision spins, and you feel something is very wrong. For an instant you are conscious of nothing but the rushing of your blood."

Bhaal literally just assuming direct control rather than flooding you with the urge to murder. Also pain caused by said attempt at taking control:

"A shock of pain passes through your body, and you feel you mind slipping away, forced aside by the darkness within." - "Your blood cools, and mind and body are reunited under your control. Your will had faltered, and the essence of Bhaal was there to take advantage. The void where your soul once was overflowed with murderous fury, the mark of a deity that no longer exists. The taint of Bhaal has affected you differently than Imoen, reacting with your strength of will. You will eventually lose yourself unless your stolen soul is restored. A fate, as they say, worse than death." - "The madness fades, and the essence retreats, but if this continues you will lose not only yourself , but also everything you hold dear. The uncertainty of your condition has obviously worried those you travel with. The quest is treacherous enough without having to worry about what you might do."

Most Bhaalspawn have mortal lineage and were left to develop their own identities until they hit adulthood and Bhaal decided it was time to start pushing them into killing each other as part of the resurrection plan. Their souls are explicitly divine in nature, but they had time and freedom to develop those souls. Each demigod is a potential fledgling god.

The soul and the conscious mind aren't the same thing, so personality and decision making can continue but the emotions and personhood are... not quite there, only the echoes of it. It's been compared to wearing a mask and acting out a part in a play, rather than actually living as that person.

Durge it seems was engineered from the very beginning so that they would never have that chance. Created directly from Bhaal, with no other parent (let alone a mortal one) to dilute him; Bhaal started forcing their hand to kill from a far younger age (before puberty) rather than waiting for them to reach adulthood. and Sceleritas was following them closely ensuring that people would be around to have "accidents", like Alfira.

But it's also notable that Bhaal doesn't just want a puppet, he needs a Bhaalspawn with the drive and power to be his avatar. He somehow needs Durge blindly loyal and lacking in independence but also in possession of "strength of will" to be worthy of/able to house and use his power.

It seems that Durge does not have a soul the way their siblings do, all they have to resist Bhaal with is their mind and sheer willpower. If they disappoint Bhaal then he will simply assume control - something he can do any time he likes. Over the course of BG3 they start developing something like their own soul - judging by the way Bhaal and Sceleritas are still in touch and seemingly testing them, I can only assume this is actually according to plan; Durge is supposed to cultivate a spark of their own divine soul over the journey (and also get tadpoled and help Bhaal take over the Netherbrain and thralls through them, as Sceleritas kind of mentions).

If they fail then Bhaal goes for the feral ending; they go into the "Imoen" category where they're not worthy of his attention and he just uses Durge as a puppet.

Mystra can't force mortals to become her Chosen, they must consent, so possibly that rule applies to Bhaal too? I don't know, but it explains why Bhaal needs them to accept. If they resist then they're clearly strong enough to be worthy but wilful enough that Bhaal decides the risk of that spark of a soul is too great a risk to him and his plans and tries to destroy it but fails because it's too late, and Jergal cuts this fledgling divine soul free.

If they accept becoming Chosen then they are agreeing to be imbued with a fragment of Bhaal's divine essence. Bhaal gets what he wants and merges it with another fragment of his divine essence, presumably setting the stage for him to become a full deity walking the face Toril through Durge's/his body. The fledgling spark of individual is lost in Bhaal when the two fuse; the threat of the resist ending isn't present, because that spark is gone, so if you defy him again he just takes over and we get the punishment ending.

[silent-words]

Gale smooches: 33, 41, 50 💜💋

It took a while, but the answers are here, enjoy! Tavs here will be different.

33. Kiss in a dream

When Laerie opened her eyes to a lavender-coloured sky, she inwardly sighed. Another meeting with false Mira, who did not even bother to dress like her best friend. Another talk of her "potential", another morning spent as if she had never meditated. Laerie stood up unwillingly and looked around.

The elf found herself on the same rock, floating in the Astral plane, with ruins of ancient temples around her. However the false Mira, that Dream guardian, was nowhere to be found. Laerie carefully stepped to the edge of the rock and looked down. What she saw was unexpected.

On another floating island further down there was a figure clad in violet, sitting on the precipice and looking far into the sky. On a closer inspection she found out it was Gale, who appeared to dangle his legs. She found it amusing. Laerie suddenly remembered their kiss in the Weave and his rejection the next night. He said it was the Orb that prevented him from getting "too excited". The elf had been pleased, that she had been able to excite him to the verge of eruption. But nevertheless, she wanted at least to share a kiss. If it was a dream, if Gale was not real anyway, maybe she could fulfil her own desire?

She jumped and gently landed right behind the wizard. He turned around and raised his brows in surprise.

'I didn't think I could summon people I wanted to see by thinking about them intensely.' He smiled. 'Anyway, come here, my dream Laerie, my dearest elf.'

That version of Gale was a bit too close to a real one. With one exception – he would never called her "dearest", he wouldn't have such feelings for her. But it was pleasant to listen to.

'I came by my own will,' she answered and got to her knees by his side. 'And I will do exactly what I intend to.'

'Colour me intrigued. What...' he didn't have time to answer, because Laerie took his face into her hands and kissed him. He froze for a moment, but then gave in. He tasted of rosewater, as the Weave, electricity was tickling on his impossibly soft lips. She didn't quite understand how it happened, but suddenly their tongues were caressing each other, the kiss became messy and needy. Yet she still felt the airiness of the kiss, as if only their spirits were kissing. He put his arm around her waist and pulled. She tried to straddle him, but felt her knee slipping, and then they were swirling together towards the void.

She jolted awake, surrounded by the glowing fungi of the Underdark. The dream was so vivid, that she remembered all the details. Laerie touched her lips and smiled.

When the whole camp gathered for breakfast, Gale seemed more excited than usual.

'I tried lucid dreaming last night.' He began. 'Imagine, in my dream I conjured up the same Astral plane where we meet the Guardian.'

'Thankfully the Guardian was not there,' Laerie said without thinking. Suddenly everyone was silent. She looked up at him and saw an astonished face. Then she understood. In a dream she was with Gale, with real Gale. And he called her "dearest".

41. Forbidden kiss

'Why are you awake at this hour?' Gale closed his book and looked at Kitani curiously. 'If you're going to kill me like you did Alfira, I have to remind you that it will bring destruction to everyone here, including you. Maybe it will make you reconsider.'

Kitani's face became sombre. She said:

'I hope no other innocent dies at my hands.' She pierced him with her eyes. 'Not you, I'd rather die myself.'

'I'm sorry, Tani, I rarely see you at night, let alone in my tent,' he sighed and gestured to his side. 'Anyway, I don't want to be a bad host. Sit and feel yourself at home.'

Kitani wanted to say that just seeing him made her feel at home, for she didn't remember if she had ever had one. She sat next to him, casually brushing her knee with his thigh.

'What do you think of the concept of forbidden fruit?" she tilted her head to the side and curved her lips into a smile.

'Oh, I have one in my chest already, I'll think a hundred times before pursuing another.' His eyes were said.

'Sorry, I wanted it to sound seductive.' She moved her head closer to his face. When he furrowed his brows, she continued. 'They say, forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. I wanted to test it. It's not exactly about the Orb,' she added and then pursed her lips. When he opened his mouth to say something, she interrupted him: 'I want to kiss you. I know we cannot kiss because of this,' she pointed on the scar, 'but maybe a just a little peck will be alright? The thoughts of your lips are driving me mad, I cannot sleep, I cannot concentrate on spells. Maybe if I taste you, it will calm down.'

'I don't think it will.' He chuckled. 'But now that you planted that seed in my mind, I will not stop until I test your hypothesis.' Then his smile widened, and she felt she couldn't wait any longer.

She leaned further and tentatively ghosted his lips with her own. Then, without any reaction from the Orb, she planted a chaste kiss. He gladly reciprocated. Still Gale's chest appeared to look the same way. They deepened the kiss, he put his hand in her hair, she placed her hand on his scar. She was ready to forget how to breathe, when he put his tongue in her mouth. She moaned...

And then they were blinded by a flash of light, and Kitani felt Gale wince under her in pain. She drew back immediately.

'I'm sorry, it was so stupid of me, I never wanted to hurt you...' she started apologising. Gale put his hand on hers, and she looked up at him. The other wizard looked pale and feverish, but he had a drunken smile on his lips.

'Every second of our kiss was worth the pain, Tani.'

50. In Secret Kiss

The tieflings at the Last Light inn had a party, celebrating the rescue of their friends and loved ones. Naturally, their saviour were at the centre of attention. Imogen was showing druidic magic tricks while she noticed a bunch of women around Gale. They looked flustered and enchanted, while he was telling them some stories. Rationally Imogen knew that he loved her, and he wouldn't be swayed by any of these admirers. But her wild nature egged her on to take him by the hand, pin him to the wall and make her lover forget everyone else but her.

She was unable to do it now, of course. Too many people, and, moreover, the promise she gave Gale to keep their relationship a secret for now. Suddenly she noticed one of the tiefling women touching Gale's leg with her tail. Imogen's legs stood up on their own, and in a second she found herself near him. He turned his head and greeted her:

'My time is yours. What do you need?' Only when she heard him say these words she understood what a stupid situation she found herself in. Well, she had to play along.

'Can you help me prepare for our march to the Thorm Mausoleum tomorrow? I still cannot figure everything out.'

He looked puzzled, but nodded: 'Alright, let's go.'

She took him by the hand and led upstairs to a small secluded room filled with brooms and supplies.

'Are you sure it is the best place to talk about our strategy?' He raised a brow sceptically.

'Well, I needed an excuse no one would question,' Imogen shrugged. 'I just wanted to kiss you, that's all.'

As the understanding dawned on him, Gale smiled widely. 'You could just use the tadpole, but I appreciate your effort.' Then he put his hand on her neck and pressed his lips on hers. Two kiss-starved and touch-starved people still couldn't be sated by drinking each other in. They drowned in each other not noticing anything but their warm wet lips.

Suddenly the noise from the celebration became louder. When they parted and looked at the door, they saw an amused grey-haired half-elf.

'I won't say I find this place romantic,' Jaheira said, 'but who am I to judge.'

No beta, we die like my sleep schedule.

[linka-from-captain-planet]

Power ranking BG3 ladies based on how much I'd personally like to marry them

All main and supporting women: Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Karlach Minthara, Jaheira, Isobel, Aylin, Mizora, Orin

Plus my background babes: Florrick, Talli, Alfira, Lakrissa, Araj, Nocturne, Skoona, Adrielle, Z'rell, Roah, Nine-Fingers, and special guest star Philomeen

*Isobel and Aylin deserve to be regarded as individuals occasionally, so yes I'm wrecking that home (Alfira and Lakrissa too)

*essentially, top 10 is "women I would like to marry" and 11-21 and is "women I would not like to marry"

Quartermaster Talli. Granted she has an unfair advantage due to looking and vibing as a fusion of my IRL girlfriend and the butch lesbian who installed my new garage door 3 years ago whom I'm still mildly obsessed with. But anyway, we'd have a really great life together. We'd be able to communicate, we'd be compatible in the bedroom, we have similar values. Wife material, Grade A - the gold standard comparison for everyone else on the list.

Isobel. We'd have our tiffs (we can both be a little catty and sensitive), but overall we'd be a pretty stable match. We'd put in the work to make it last. I feel like being a cleric counts as a "job" so I appreciate that.

Nocturne. My #1 "I can fix her" pick because I think I actually can. I appreciate a hard worker, so Nocturne having distinguished herself in her uh workplace enough to become an officer is very respectable to me. We could go to therapy together. Not a perfect match, but I think we could make it work.

Lakrissa. Would be an easy second place if she didn't read so young. She's a little immature (a little over-dedicated, a little too self-sacrificing) and so she'd have to do some growing up, but I think we could make it work.

Florrick. Even though she's my #1 beloved and by FAR the sexiest person in the entire game and I would do anything to [redacted], we'd be like two brick walls getting married. We're too similar. But sheer affection and lust propel her to the top 5 anyway, even though we'd probably be married 10 sexless years before one of us finally snapped and filed for divorce.

Skoona. Assuming she drops the whole self-deprecating thing (can't stand that). She has a job, she's sensitive, she's romantic, she's humble, and she's hot. I don't think we'd knock each others' socks off, but we'd be a nice match.

Lae'zel. Extremely 22 years old and that's an issue for me. I'm also too sensitive to make it through her tough outer shell to get to the soft waifu meat inside. However, she does have amazing wife material to uncover, so I think if I could be her second wife, we'd be golden.

Adrielle. We'd have our problems as two neurotic faux-normies, but we're neurotic in different ways, so maybe we'd complete each other? She's very conscientious and thoughtful, though, which are the most important wife traits for me. With commitment and therapy, we'd make it work, but it wouldn't be the smoothest ride.

Jaheira. I don't really want to be a step parent to young kids, so that pulls her down the list a bit, but there's no way I couldn't have her in the top 10. We'd get along great; we have the same sense of humor; we're both not clingy. A good match, but not really the wife for me.

Minthara. I want her so bad but she'd eat me alive and not in the sexy way. I would let her walk all over me for 2-3 years though, assuming she didn't dump me first. Impossible to rank below the top 10, but objectively not the wife for me.

Shadowheart. Like Lae'zel, there's a lot to get through before you get to the wife material deep inside. I would also need to be her second wife. Also, I'm not doing that cottagecore shit and I cannot have that many animals in my house.

Araj. I know I called her bad in bed 2 different ways in two other posts but that's not a problem, she's so sexy and interesting to me that I know I would fall super hard for her. I too love science? We have something in common. I feel like she'd bring out a lot in me, not necessarily good things, but to be loved is to be changed? I would probably come to my senses before really risking it all though.

Alfira. I love her so much but I am no Lakrissa, I could not handle both supporting her while she pursues her artistic goals AND having to top every time. We'd be that miserable couple that lets it drag on forever because nothing is *wrong* even though nothing is *right* and wind up hating each other.

Nine-Fingers. She'd stress me out too much. Running the streets, making enemies... what if a shake-down goes wrong? Admittedly I'm tempted to live out my mafia wife fantasies with her, but realistically, I think I'd have too many nervous breakdowns to make it worth it.

Karlach. The divorce would be so epic that I almost wanted to rank her higher, but I just know deep down that we would trigger/frustrate the fuck out of each other and completely implode long before making it to the courthouse and/or altar.

Aylin. I routinely get over-stimulated by my cats brushing against my leg when I'm trying to multi-task working and listening to music, so there is no universe in which I could tolerate being married to Aylin. She's too exuberant and touchy. I would be scream-crying WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME every time she simply asked me how my day was in her usual volume. An absolute disaster, she'd smother me despite her best intentions.

Z'rell. She can have place #17 to match the 17 husbands which I would not be okay with. I'm not jealous, but I'm not THAT not jealous. She's also just really harsh and I'm a crier, so we probably would not be able to have a conversation, let alone a relationship.

Roah Moonglow. Like Nine-Fingers, but I feel like the Zhent is like, a second-rate criminal organization and so it'd be like being a second-rate mafia wife. All the stress, fewer fist-sized emerald necklaces.

Mizora. On top of everything else, she's also a corporate LAWYER... yuck

Philomeen. I would go on 1 date with Philomeen, let her start a blowup fight with me outside of [regional burrito chain], let her neg me into fucking anyway, go no contact, and let her booty call me 2 years later at 3AM like nothing happened, but I would not even slightly consider dating her, let alone marrying her.

Orin. Ignoring the whole serial killer thing that's neither here nor there, the problem is the combo of overbearing family (my #1 dealbreaker of all time) and lack of communication skills (my #2 dealbreaker of all time). Like I'd be constantly trying to get her to go no contact with Serevok and she'd never listen and she'd always be talking in fucking Dr Seuss riddles and disappearing and pissing me off.

[waterdeep-weavemoss]

To Sleep With War

Modern AU Doephael.

Doe wrung her hands and stepped gingerly into the Yule party. She tottered in heeled boots, a tasteful cinnamon brown against the warm cream of cable-knit tights. She tugged self consciously at the hem of her faux suede skirt- it was borrowed, shorter than she was used to and flimsy feeling. The jumper was hers though, a big draping thing that near swallowed her in bright red fabric.

The room was sparsely decorated, with one sad tree in the corner draped with red and gold tinsel, the half facing out dotted with cheap shiny baubles. The gift boxes beneath were just empty, wrapped with the vestiges of paper from last year. Her colleagues milled about- there was Rolan, chatting animatedly with his siblings, Alfira and her girlfriend, and then Wyll’s father and Florrick, arguing in the corner.

Scanning the room- a standard hotel function with its greige walls and threadbare stained carpet- she spotted her boss. Hunching her shoulders, she slunk off in the opposite direction. I do not want to deal with you right now. Instead, she slunk around the edge of the room, watching for her friends. Ancunin’s hair would be easiest to spot, white as starlight as it was.

‘Don’t worry, Dodo,’ drawled a voice from her left. ‘I’ll protect you from that greasy little creep if I have to.’

‘Astarion,’ she yelped, turning. ‘How many times-‘

He cut her off. ‘Too many, I’m sure.’ She scowled in reproach and he sighed. ‘Oh, alright, you spoilsport. Doe. Sweet darling timid little Doe, when are you going to grow a spine?’ He stood there in his splendour, all in emerald green. The colour brought out his eyes, the olive depths of them flecked with honey. ‘You scrub up well, don’t you?’

‘You sound surprised.’ She did not have the energy to be insulted. ‘No no,’ he insisted. ‘I always knew there was a glamour-puss under the layers of exhausted, dogged loyalty to that prick,’ he glanced over. ‘Gortash doesn’t deserve your hard work. Or your sharp little brain.’ He tapped her forehead, throwing her a megawatt grin. ‘Come with me.’ He took her hand and drew her through the milling crowd- she spotted the Vanthampurs, the Thorms, several colleagues she’d never spoken to. ‘I need you to save Gale from himself. He’s going spare.’

‘Why?’

‘Oh, you’ll see.’

He led her to a corner table at the back of the room. Lae’zel, Wyll, and Karlach were sprawled in their chairs, and Gale was talking animatedly, frowning. ‘-see, the problem with having not just colleagues but donors present is that it technically means we’re still working-‘

‘Oh, do be quiet, Dekarios,’ griped Astarion as they approached. ‘Have some wine.’

‘I will not,’ said Gale, his nostrils flaring. ‘That stuff is vinegar. And not the good kind.’

‘Vodka?’ said Doe, producing a slim hip flask from her shoulder bag.

‘Hello Doe,’ said Gale, moving to hug her briefly. He smelled like the museum library. ‘Why did you bring vodka?’

‘If you have to ask,’ cut in Karlach, raising a brow, ‘then you’ve bonked your head.’

‘Ah,’ he said, nodding sympathetically. ‘Of course.’

‘You alright there, soldier?’

‘Can’t complain.’

‘Bollocks,’ said Wyll, jabbing a finger at her for emphasis. ‘That scabby little wanker treats you the worst of all of us. You’ve got every right to complain, love.’

‘Mhm, fair.’ She took a swig. ‘If you were Gort’s secretary you’d probably drink yourself into a stupor, too.’

‘Hear hear,’ came Shadowheart’s soft voice. ‘Have you been arguing with people again?’ Raising a brow at Gale, she crossed her arms.

‘Not at all, my love. Merely a lively discussion about why in the hells we’re expected to work at our own Yule party.’ He pulled her in to kiss her soundly, drawing twin noises of disgust from Lae’zel and Astarion.

‘I don’t much care, so long as we can all get trolleyed and sing bad karaoke.’

‘Jen-‘

‘Ah,’ she put a finger to his lips.

‘Shadowheart.’ He kissed her finger. ‘I’m just saying it’s important.’

Doe leaned against the table, still anxious. Wyll and Karlach started a game of snap behind her, Astarion nursing a glass of swill. She examined her nails, their glossy red suddenly feeling cheap against the hotel backdrop. There was a buffet on the opposite wall, but she dare not approach; her memories of the last one flashed through her mind, a night spent on the bathroom floor emptying the contents of her stomach.

‘I will say,’ she piped up, turning. ‘This fiasco is not my fault. I was off sick the day this place was booked. It was actually Orin’s incompetence. I would’ve booked a stately home or something, but it was too late to change the booking, and-‘

‘Where is that secretary of mine?’ she heard too late. Snapped from her rant by a hand on her shoulder, she was steered away too quickly, stumbling slightly in her heels. ‘There you are,’ said Gortash, his breath heavy with booze. ‘I want to show you off. You look fantastic.’

Oh no. ‘But-'

‘No no, this night will go off without a hitch,’ he said cheerily, a hint of threat in his voice. ‘As long as you do your damned job.’ ‘But I’m not working,’ she started.

‘Who pays your wages?’ he hissed. ‘That’s right. Me. Now get over here and charm these bastards, or you’re fired.’ His voice was low, so as not to call attention, and she bristled at his overly familiar touch.

Her shoulders slumped. I fucking hate you. ‘Right,’ she said flatly. She’d already written his speech- tonight was supposed to be a gala, a shindig, whatever the hells they called it when a load of insufferable-

‘Ketheric, you’ve met Doe before.’

‘Ah,’ said a man she recognised. ‘Yes. I seem to remember you as accomplished. Congratulations on being above the rest of this rabble.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ she said. Judgy bastard.

‘Most accomplished, yes,’ said Gortash. ‘Though I am certain she has other more useful talents.’

She shuddered, disgusted at the oiliness of his tone. He squeezed her shoulder in warning. ‘I read Classics,’ she supplied pointedly. ‘Specifically studying the intersection between the…’ she began, though the words died as her boss dug his yellowing nails in, painfully. ‘I mean,’ she said, suddenly sounding saccharine. ‘I have to say, the Watch has really expanded its scope, and in the new year we’re hoping to put all this generous funding to use on the new site. I’m sure you’re aware of the challenges we’re facing? Protesters and activists, the journalists are not happy with the state of progress. Your generosity is wonderful and very much needed.’

‘Good girl,’ murmured Gortash low in her ear as she finished her spiel, feeling bile rise in her throat. He let her go and wandered tipsily off to harass a waitress, and Doe let out a breath.

‘Well,’ said Ketheric politely. ‘I think maybe you’ve twisted my arm, Doe. I shall have to have a think about what we can give once dinner is concluded. Isn’t it true that places like this are only as good as their admin?’ He winked, turning away to talk to his wife, an ethereal looking woman in silver and white. Doe rolled her shoulders and clenched her fists, breathing through her mouth in an effort not to throw up. The clock on the wall read as barely 8pm, and already she wanted desperately to go home and scrub herself clean. She took a couple tottering steps back towards her friends, but warm fingers closed around her wrist, halting her. She turned, half expecting Gortash’s return.

‘Forgive me,’ said the man who held her arm. ‘I heard you mention you studied Classics, and I’d be fascinated to hear more. Would you please?’ He gestured to the chair across from him and she nodded, standing awkwardly. He was handsome in a rich man sort of way- sharply pressed Italian cut suit, neatly combed dark hair, and skin that clearly saw the sun. But it was his voice, the low, growling purr of it, that arrested her attention. He threw her a charming smile, eyes glittering like the two fingers of cognac in the glass on the table. ‘You’re shaking,’ he pointed out.

She was, she realised. Her hands trembled at her sides. Exhaling, she tried to smile. ‘Oh, I’m fine, actually, I think I should go back to my friends.’

‘Take a moment. He scares you, doesn’t he?’

Astute. ‘No.’

‘Come now,’ he said, looking unimpressed. ‘If you can’t be honest with a stranger, who can you be honest with?’

‘A little.’

‘He treats you poorly.’

‘Yes, he does.’

‘Sit with me.’

‘I shouldn’t really,’ she said shyly. ‘I’m technically working.’

‘At a party?’ he said incredulously. ‘Absolutely not. You enjoy yourself. I’m not sure I caught your name though, my dear.’

‘Doe.’

‘Doe. A sweet name for a sweet face. Named for deer or rabbit?’

She blinked in surprise. ‘Rabbit, actually. Most people just assume deer…’

‘I take pride in paying attention,’ he said. ‘You must have a libation for telling your tale. Please.’ He gestured to the glass of cognac. ‘Try it. I insist.’

She didn’t know how he knew she never had, and didn’t want to question it. ‘I… sorry. I’ll just get another glass, I have some vodka in my-‘

‘Nonsense,’ he said. ‘Go on.’ He pushed the glass toward her. ‘You don’t look contagious.’ He smiled, almost daring her to do it.

‘Okay.’ She perched gingerly on the edge of the chair opposite him and picked up the glass, turning the amber liquid this way and that. Taking a small sip, she coughed as it burned down her throat.

‘Small steps,’ said the stranger. ‘Give it a moment to develop.’

After the burn was a blooming of flavour- oak and sweet spice, vanilla and caramel. ‘Oh, it’s really nice. I like that.’

He watched her set down the glass, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. ‘Auspicious. Now, tell me your opinion of that new translation of The Odyssey, would you? I fear I might die of boredom if that slimy little employer of yours approaches me again.’

Her eyes widened. ‘I hope he doesn’t hear you saying that.’

‘I hope he does,’ he snarled. ‘He ought to be brought low, that one. You can tell me how you ended up in his service another time. Please, go on.’

‘Oh, well,’ she said. ‘I think the new translation is good, definitely more accessible for the layperson, but I do think it misses some of the magic of the original. Sometimes the value in these texts, I find, is in untangling them. And if there’s nothing to untangle, it feels a little bit soulless. There’s value in it for sure, but I didn’t fall in love with Classics as a discipline because it was easy.’

‘Well said.’ He smiled, sipped from the glass. ‘Would you like some more?’ He placed it in front of her.

‘I shouldn’t.’

‘That,’ he said slyly, ‘isn’t what I asked.’

She blushed, embarrassed. ‘Well. Yes, I would. As a matter of fact.’

‘Then drink.’

She drank. ‘I don’t miss my uni days,’ she continued, unprompted. ‘They were pretty awful, broadly speaking. A lot of my lecturers seemed to really be stuck in the dark ages-‘

‘Such is the life of an academic,’ he sighed dramatically. ‘I can’t say I miss my university days, either. Though they’re doubtless much further away than yours.’

‘I’m 30,’ she said. ‘And frankly it was this job or rot in obscurity at home.’

‘30 whole years? You jest, surely?’ His eyes widened and he leaned forward. ‘Why, you look positively cherubic.’

She frowned slightly, unsure how to take the theatricality in stride. ‘Well,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m glad to be here, no matter what age. Better to live than the alternative, no?’

‘Certainly.’ He smiled, a flash of perfect white teeth. ‘Though not under the thumb.’

‘I’m not.’

He regarded her silently for a moment. His gaze seemed to burn, her stomach swooping. Even when she looked away, his eyes did not waver. ‘Hmmm. Indeed. Listen, you go home. Have a nice evening. I’ll deal with him. But…’ he looked suddenly more intense, reaching into his suit pocket. ‘Take my card. I’d hate for this to be our first and last meeting, Doe. You’re wasted in a place like this. Now go, slip away before he notices.’

‘This is a really bad idea.’

‘The very best kind,’ he said with a quirk of the brow. His eyes gleamed conspiratorially.

She took the card. ‘Thank you. Who should I ask for when I call?’

‘I am Raphael,’ he said, taking her small hand in his to shake firmly. ‘It's been a pleasure. I hope we see one another again soon.’

‘See you,’ she said, rising to her feet. With a quick glance around, she scurried off to the exit, slipping into the night.

‘Get home safe,’ he said, voice carrying to her on the wind as she closed the door.

Huddling into her jumper, she began the short walk home. Her hands fumbled the keys, it was so cold; letting herself into her flat finally, she sighed in relief, locked the door, and stripped out of her uncomfortable clothes. ‘Fucking hell,’ she said, peeling back her tights to reveal bloody blisters. ‘I need to quit my job.’

She showered, ate a chocolate bar, and ignored the dishes in the sink that had been there for the last week in favour of texting the number on the glossy black business card in her pocket.

Hey, she wrote. I’m home safe. Thank you for looking out for me today. I appreciate it. -Doe

Not five minutes later came the response:

You said you were going to call. -R

Her stomach flipped. It’s a little late.

Many words or sleep, yes. I understand. Sweet dreams, little Doe. -R

The very counterfeit of death. It’s nice that you understand. Goodnight.

Tags:

@bluerosetarot @dansnotavampire @further-than-forever

@forget-me-maybe @poetryvampire @sasha199 @wandawillow

@boufsy @owlseeyoulaterpal @lanafofana @amorgansgal

@aryancunin @miradelletarot @marlowethebard

@crimson-and-lavender @reeseykins @medra-gonbites

@roguishcat @weaverofnetheril @galedekarioswifey @hyperfixationstation128 @12thhouse-sun

@astarryvamp @feedthepheasants @dabigstinky @dreamingofthewild @ladyofcrowsandcoffee

@femmefuck @spooky-lil-bee @m00kieblaylock

[ask-karlachbear]

On rest. Moved to @wisterias-in-bloom

Hello Soldiers,

I saw Astarion and Gale spending a lot of time here, and I decided to join too! Do you wanna go and smash some bad guy's skull?🕺

also meet my fam from another ma'am: lynn

Behind the blog:

Hi, my name is Lynn. My main blog is @lynnloveshobi but you might have seen me more with @lynnlovesthestars.

I'm 25 and I use any pronouns.

Rules:

NSFW allowed only if you have your age visible on your blog.

No abuse RP. OF ANY KIND. Talking about the backstories of the various characters is okay, but asking me to roleplay anything like that will grant you a direct line towards the trash.

No homophobia, transphobia, racism, or any form of discrimination is allowed here. This js a safe space for everyone.

Just remember that behind this blog there's an actual person, with actual feelings.

USEFUL THINGS:

#CAMP: [your emoji/ your name/ your tav] to find your answered questions.

#karlach's dashboard to see karlach accidentally shitpost on the wrong account

#karlach rp or #karlach roleplay to find all the stuff karlach has said on this app.

#Karlach's prompts for the daily prompts.

#Karlach's prompts faq for faqs and the past prompts quick search.

#rp prompt (date in mm/dd/yy) to find a specific prompt and all the answers.

Other BG3 rp accounts:

My Baldur's Gate camp: @ask-shadowheart @askevilgale @ask-alfira @askscratchandbite @ask-thebladeoffrontiers @ask-gale @askgale @astariondisapproves @askastarion @ask-laezel @ask-thedarkurge @oakfathers-embrace @askdammonofelturel @the-devils-you-know @askthechosenofbane @lord-cazador-szarr @askvolo

@ask-withers

My oc:

-@wisterialynn My regulars: -🌹 -white paw -broke anon -my-bunny-prince -pala dragonborn tav -sad tav -daniel -Thaniel -Gortash's bully -gweneal -Ailen -call-me-tav -team-scales -lunastra -tyson -Althaea -lyria -Ezthus -eden -✨ -broke anon -all the beautiful tavs reading this post right now ;)

[majorasnightmare]

FREE DIRGE LORE!!! 8, 20, aaaand 22 pleaseee

FREE DIRGE LORE ON NAADYS BIRTHDAY!!! as a present he offers an inside out torso 🕷️🕸️🕷️

8. How does your Dark Urge feel about the wilderness?

I think his feelings about the wilderness surprise him, because hes actually really fond of it. He enjoys the simple and consistent behavior of animals, even if he has to kill them, and he really deeply enjoys the distance from people. Hes also really fond of natural water sources, a remnant of growing up next to the Chionthar, which was one of the only places in the city where the Urge wasnt quite so loud. He doesnt quite realize how much he enjoys the wilds until he gets back to Baldur's Gate and fucking hates it lmao

20. Is your Dark Urge open about their Urge or do they try to hide it? Why?

Hes SOOO open about it to a RIDICULOUS degree. Pre tadpole he identified completely with the Urge so anyone who had the privellege of knowing him As He Is (and not when he was trying to stealth through the city) would know who and what exactly theyre dealing with. Post Tadpole, he feels he has to rely heavily on this group of strangers for his own safety and sanity, and tries to be as open and forthcoming as possible about the Urges, first because it scares him and he wants help, and then when he gives up on the idea of receiving help as a matter of responsibility. He owes it to them to tell them when he might fly off the handle in case they have to put him down for everyones collective safety. He doesnt even try to hide Alfira's murder, and its everyones reaction to that event that solidifies his decision to both tell everyone whenever the Urges risk them (his own mental health is an acceptable sacrifice), and his decision to handle them almost entirely by himself

22. What first impression does your Dark Urge give off to strangers?

It depends on how much effort hes putting into "passing" as it is. Act 1 is when hes at his most offputting, a twitchy mess poorly concealing the burning desire to kill, and most peoples first impression is that theyre interacting with someone very deeply sick. By the time Dirge is leaving the Grove behind, hes stabilized enough to no longer come off like someone on a very bad LSD trip trying to ground himself. The general impression he gives off is one of lethal competency and assured unflappable confidence, with a fairly easygoing but professional attitude, which persists all the way to the end of act 1, throughout act 2, and only starts collapsing in Act 3

Once he learns hes a bhaalspawn, the combined stress of that revelation plus the ones hes learned in moonrise towers has started puncturing holes in his carefully constructed facade into a frankenstein of his Act 1 and 2 vibes. The end result is someone with the same lethal competency as before, but teetering on a very unstable knife's edge. Some of the twitch has started to come back, and hes snappier and more irritable than usual, because there just isnt any relief from the endless pressing throngs of people, and its driving him up a wall. The confidence is now taken as anticipation of bloodletting, and his general affect is more unsettling for it, like someone trying ever so slightly unsuccessfully to hide the fact theyre actively fantasizing about peeling your skin like a banana. Hes aware of it and tries to talk as little as possible to as few people as possible, made more difficult by the fact that by this point hes established himself as the partys go-to haggler and interrogator-of-npcs.

thankies for dirgeposting oppurtunity, heres him in the faded drow leathers dyed in his usual colors!!

[wildwinterlunas]

I want to share what the dynamics of my BG3 party with my character, since I've nearly finished ACT 1. I will probably do this at the end of every act cause I am so excited to see how all these dynamics develop.

(Slight Spoilers for BG3 ACT 1)

Medea - My Durge character, often goes with the diplomatic approach, she's charismatic and hides her urges well (except with Alfira but everyone thinks it the tadpole). I'll probably make a separate post going into detail, this is more just to give context

Shadowheart - Second person Medea met, saved her from the Nautiloid, they both have an insane amount of trust in each other. Romance is also blooming between them. With Medea as the leader of the party, you could say that Shadowheart is her second in command. Medea is also getting a lot of bad vibes from what Shadowheart says about Shaar but is trying to be open minded while trying to subtly convince her that maybe she should leave and that what she's going through with Shaar isn't good. They also bond over their shared memory problems.

Astarion - Second person Medea met after the crash, pulled a knife on her when she went to help him, no blood was spilt though. After that they basically started bickering like siblings, Medea being the responsible one, Astarion being the bad influence, both of them chaotic. Also in my mind, since Medea is also an elf and has the same sleep schedule as Astarion, she was suspicious of him sneaking off at night. Though she didn't think he was a vampire, speaking of which, she will never not make fun of Astarion for trying to bit her even though she is literally the one other person who traces, meaning she was the worst person to bite from if he didn't want to get caught. Basically they act like siblings, also Medea has only heard the basics of who Cazador is and already wants to kill him.

Gale - Third person to join the party and the person Medea has the highest approval rating with. When she found out about Gale's condition she instantly sought out magical items that he could use, she was also very stunned when she found out about him a Mystra. Medea was never the studious type, even without a majority of her memories she knows she has a distaste for casting the magic wizards cast, however, casting that magic with Gale is different. She genuinely enjoyed it, and something tells her that he's the best teacher she's ever had. Honestly, even though this is act 1, I didn't expect Gale and Medea to become so close or like each other so much.

Lae'zel - First person Medea met (cause that's how the game goes) and honestly when it comes to her urges, Lae'zel is the one she thinks will take her out if needed. She's even considering telling Lae'zel about the urges. They have a lot of respect for each other even if they disagree on sertain situations, and they probably want the tadpoles out of their head the same amount as at this point Medea thinks her urges could be influenced by the parasite, so she wants it out. Honestly compared to the others there isn't much to say, mostly because I play in character, which means I choose which characters join me based on how close my character is to them or how important they are to the mission lore wise. Their dynamic will probably change in act 2 though.

Wyll - Medea and Wyll have had a slow burn to their friendship, though there is trust between them, they haven't known each other long enough to form a distinct bond (though I am tempted to get them a sibling bond because of what Wyll said after she said they will get his dad back). However, Medea does feel guilty about Wyll's dad being captured, feeling as though she could have done something. It's been added to her ever growing mountain of guilt (at this point she's dealing with the urges, she's killed Alfira, and she's killed Mayrina's brothers), she's also determined to help Wyll get his father back. She has also made it her goal to see Wyll dance.

Karlach - Her and Medea have not interacted much (that will change in Act 2), but so far I think Karlach is on the fence on whether to trust my character or not, because she says a lot of fucked up shit she doesn't mean in order to manipulate her enemies and Karlach tends to take it at face value so she obviously disproves of what Medea is saying. I like to think the displeasure shows on her face and every time Medea looks back at Karlach and gives a look of "I'm not actually going to do it".

Halsin - Like Karlach they haven't interacted that much but that will change in Act 2. As for now though they like each other and Medea wants to get to know him more.

And that's it for now!! I'm really excited to see how the game progresses and how these dynamics develop.

[arainaizevran]

ajax x wyll thoughts? ajax x wyll thoughts? spare some for the needy....blease.... 👐

HIIII i am always thinking about them at any given moment so yes i have plenty to spare :3c

because im writing their act 1 fic, ive been mulling over their starting dynamic. in which ajax is an oathbreaker desperate to find direction, and finds it in wyll. and very quickly, wyll's word becomes ajax's law.

i always think about when wyll says they should take down priestess gut right then and there, in the middle of the sanctum, ajax follows his word without hesitation. and it works out quite well for both of them until the fated encounter with karlach, and again, without hesitation, ajax cuts her down.

and honestly at first, it was really hard to justify that decision in a watsonian sense! but i think ajax wholeheartedly believes when wyll says "you served zariel, that's enough to damn you". and so even after finding out she's just a tiefling, ajax really believes that they did the right thing. she was still an archdevil's soldier. she was still in the blood war. tainted by the hells. etc.

which is a pretty fucked up thing to say and i think wyll would call him out on that. what about him? he made a deal with a devil, does that make him just as bad? should that be grounds to cut him down too, as per ajax's laws?

ajax would say: "that's different. im sure you had your reasons."

"and i do." he pauses. doesn't elaborate. "she probably did, too." she couldn't elaborate on that, now.

ALL THAT is to say. for act 1, ajax unwittingly puts wyll on an infallible pedestal because of his lack of oath. k's death really shows the glaring flaw in that dynamic. and from there, ajax starts to see things differently, in a less black and white manner. sees him as a person and not just some figure he could throw his dogged paladin loyalty towards

on the other hand, i think wyll would recognize the suppressed righteous rage in ajax, as someone who feels the same heated indignation. i think that would be one of the reasons wyll persists that ajax could become a better person. self recognition through the other, etc. and honestly, he wouldn't blame ajax at all on k's AND alfira's death. wyll would blame himself for both instances.

^ wip wednesday thursday saturday feat. director's commentary