#i haven't really had canon × oc ships before besides kaiden × shepard so this is kind of fun building them

[katsigian]

𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢𝔣𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔰⭒๋⊹*⭑─── ship rambling 0.1 - combat and the things in between

I'm finally progressing further in bg3 and I'm getting more interactions between Cal and Karlach but there was one that dug at me.

I won't say exactly when or where it happens for spoiler reasons, but Karlach brings up that they have to find Dammon soon and Cal replies with a very thinly veiled "don't worry, we'll find him 🥺" even though he's worried beyond belief because she's hurting. He's scared the engine'll burn into nothing and she won't have even had the chance to properly live a life of her own. Of course, Callistus wants the ability to actually physically interact with her instead of burning on contact, but he's more concerned about making sure she gets to live.

[ for context, something that I imagine they do almost every night, since they can't sleep together, is they'll sit together instead and talk. Cal tells Karlach about all of his travels he's had as a ranger and regales her with stories of his hunts. And Karlach will tell him stories of her own past, her childhood. The closer they get, the more comfortable she gets telling him about her time in the hells, specifically those parts that aren't easy stories of battle. But what they spend the most time on, is talk of what they'll do when they're both free. They'll chat about what they'd like to do, and where they'd like to go, all of those things they'll do together, finally, one day soon. Laid out beside each other, wishing they could touch, but instead making do with laying close as they can get. ]

So when, during this prior conversation about her engine, Karlach tells Cal that he needs to "watch your left flank because you leave it wide open. And if I'm not there to watch it for you one day, you're going to get cut open" it reminds him that there's a chance she won't make it and they won't be able to go through with all of their plans they've made. He's reminded that one day she could be gone from the world.

It scares him all over again right to his bones because he's gotten so used to her being there that he never even thinks about being a little looser and less watchful in combat. Karlach will watch Cal's weak spots for him, just like he watches hers. Sometimes she's a little too focused on offense, so Cal hangs back behind her somewhat so she'll never be flanked and he can be defense. They've become so attuned to how the other fights that they just fill in the gaps that the other misses or forgets about it. They'd hate to lose the other too soon to a surprise blade, so they make sure it doesn't happen.

Callistus has already become so used to her being there and he's already become so attuned to her that being reminded of potential loss terrifies him more than anything else he's faced before. It's not been long, but he already knows he'd spend the rest of her years with her if she'd have him. I don't think he even believed in the concept of soulmates before he met Karlach and got taken out at the knees by how much he liked her immediately. So of course, he'll do anything in the world to keep her.