#i've written 5k words of this and will 99.99999% post it on ao3 once i have more than 2 chapters written

[nocoffeeforoldmen]

belated WIP Wednesday I guess?

so I've been toying around with this no tadpoles AU wherein Gale is the wizard who has taken over Ramazith's Tower and Rolan is his apprentice. then of course I finally am writing Orla's and Gale's love story, which has obviously gone differently than with the canon story, but I do love me a good childhood friends to lovers trope. so here's a lil bit of that.

The golden eyes fell upon the tiefling briefly pleased. Then they glowed in recognition. “This is Rolan?” she repeated without taking her eyes from the landing. An affirmative came from Gale combined with some other related tangent until she slapped a hand against his chest. “You do realize your apprentice and his–” She then turned her voice in the direction of the other tieflings, who she assumed to be Cal and Lia, “–siblings have been staying in a hostel since their arrival, don’t you?”

Gale’s face fell as he looked up at Rolan. “I wasn’t aware, no,” he answered quietly. “Why wouldn’t you have mentioned that you hadn’t secured lodgings outside of a hostel?” Another slap came to his chest. His face twisted as his attention turned back to the woman he stood with. A hand flew to hold onto his now throbbing chest. “Seems wholly unnecessary.”

“Gale Dekarios, where exactly do you suppose three young people who likely just faced exile from the only home they ever knew would find lodgings in this city?” she scolded. “For someone who is so undeniably brilliant, it seems the simple act of common sense eludes you.”

His brows furrowed and lips pressed into a tight line. “Once again, these reactions are entirely unwarranted,” he grumbled, rubbing at his chest. His eyes briefly drifted toward the tiefling still standing above them. There was nothing unusual about Rolan being there as he arrived at least three tendays prior. Gale’s attention snapped back to his apprentice at the realization. Three tendays. “You should have alerted me, though, Rolan. We could have made arrangements.”

“And we will make those arrangements immediately,” the woman cut in before Rolan even had the opportunity to respond. Gold eyes were intense on the tiefling but no longer filled with the same concern they held upon her arrival. “You’ll be staying with us.”

“Excuse me?” both Rolan and Gale guffawed at her suggestion.

With one brow arched, she turned her focus back to the wizard beside her. She reached out to fuss with the collar of his robe, which had folded itself inward at some point during the shelving of books. Folding the collar right side out, she smoothed her palm over his clavicle and lingered with her hand on his chest for a moment. “Yes, your mother and sister will be staying with Aurelia regardless,” she explained, voice softer. “And Tara will certainly bear no mind to the additional bodies in the house so long as she finally meets this highly praised Rolan.”

Into the main clearing of the floor came one of the hooligans she had referenced when she interrupted. This tiefling was tall and broad, clad in worn potentially second hand leather armor. Though similar in skin tone and overall coloring to Rolan, his whole demeanor was gentler. More approachable. “So,” he began with a finger wagging in the air. Rolan’s dagger-like stare prompted him to clear his throat and fold his hands in front of him. “Apologies for the interruption, but… um… Mrs… Of Waterdeep, do you… perhaps have a couch…”

Tumbling in behind the first half of the ne'er do wells came the second. A slight tiefling with her ashy hair falling into her face and a bow perched on her back. “Or even a nice balcony,” she added with a hopeful grin. “Beggars needn’t be choosers. We’ll take the balcony, and you’re more than welcome to stow Rolan in the bathtub if need be.” 

“Not that we don’t think that you would have plenty of rooms in such a… large tower,” Cal continued, gesturing to the library around them. “We just wouldn’t want to assume.”