#no more room in the schedule. sorry shadowheart.

[jacqcrisis]

Every single time Astarion starts talking about taking Cazador's place in the ritual of ascension, Ronan is doing everything not to grab him by the shoulders, look him in the eye, and tell him that he's here to kill one vampire aspiring to a kind of twisted godhood.

Don't make it two.

[xxnashiraxx]

With Stars to Fill My Dream (13) - Moving Through the Silence Without Motion

Whew- sorry, this one took longer than anticipated!! I was on vacation last weekend and couldn't make the last-minute changes I wanted to make that would have allowed me to post on Tuesday, but it's all done now! ☺ Back on schedule!

✧˖ Release Schedule: Every 2 Weeks ˖✧

Summary: The camp deals with the aftermath of their encounter with the dream visitor, and a certain fluffy friend joins their odd group of misfits. Ofelia experiences another embarrassing predicament, and their party finally enters the goblin camp to face down the three leaders and clear the way for the tieflings in the Grove. Branded by a priestess, rediscovering the luxury of coffee, and sharing a sweet opportunity with her favorite fanged companion aren't enough to cushion the blow of reality all while Astarion tries to sort through emotions he would rather not address.

Pairing: Astarion x female!Tav

Warnings: 18+. Mentions of past abuse and trauma. Canon-typical violence and gore.

Word Count: 7,603

AO3

Took some fun screenshots!! Please enjoy the opening below the cut ❤

✧˖Tag List: @khywren @allymcfee

“Are you alright?” Shadowheart pokes her face into Ofelia’s tent, pale and clammy. Ofelia scrambles to wipe her tears away, nodding and meeting the half-elf’s eyes.

“Yeah… I think so… did you see it too?” Shadowheart’s lips set in a firm line, nodding softly.

“We all did. Here, it’s dawn… come out. Let’s all sit and talk around the fire.”

Ofelia heeds Shadowheart’s suggestion, pulling her boots on and fixing her hair into a loose bun, resolving to bathe before they start the day. Officially. She hesitates, once again finding her return to her bedroll to be a mystery.

The last thing she remembers is swaying in Astarion’s arms, thinking about how pretty he looked under the light of stars, music from her own world making her feel like they were in their own pocket in time, separated from the tadpole, the cult, all of it. She remembers wishing he’d been from Earth, that way she’d want to go back… And try as she might, she can’t bury these stupid feelings.

Her face flushes in shame at the memory of pressing that kiss to his cheek, that pang of longing when he hadn’t shoved her away but instead gazed at her in surprise… It makes forgetting that it happened ten times worse. Then she returned to her tent, somehow, a faint feeling of unease now clouding her mind. How did she get back? Did she go back alone? She can’t shake the feeling that she’s missing something important, but she can’t put her finger on what it might be…

She walks out into the early dawn, stunned to find another surprise- a welcome one at that.

“Scratch!” Ofelia crumples to her knees as he runs up from beyond the outskirts of their camp, the rest of her groggy companions yelping or jumping out of the way as the dog barrels into her. “Oh, I’m so glad you're safe!” She mumbles into his fur as it pokes her neck and cheek and he nearly knocks her backward. He licks her face and barks and she scratches his ears, giving him little kisses on the snout and top of his head.

“Is that a dog? Oh my goodness!” Karlach cries tearfully, bringing a stick over. She seems to be talking to Scratch, but all Ofelia can hear are soft yips and excited growling. “He says he wants to stay if we’ve got the room?”

“Oh my god of course he can stay!” Ofelia sobs, wiping her eyes as Scratch licks the happy tears off her cheeks. “I love him so much,” She sniffles to Karlach and the two of them giggle and lead Scratch over to the fire as the rest of their companions huddle around.

“In addition to Lae’zel, we’re letting more than one mangy mutt stick around?” Astarion frowns, a sour look on his face. Ofelia scoffs as Gale hands her a steaming cup of tea, watching Lae’zel do no more than grunt and roughly shoulder the vampire out of the way on her path toward the fire. His affronted yelp and subsequent snarl make Ofelia laugh under her breath as she smiles at Gale in thanks and hands Scratch a couple of hunks of sausage from their stock.

“You all were approached in your sleep by the same visitor, weren’t you?” Astarion mutters, lips still twisted in displeasure. Ofelia regards his unkempt head of hair with an amused smile, feeling privileged to see him before he’s had a chance to put himself together for the day.

[megs-98]

Mesmeric Revelation

The Mystery of Gale Dekarios

“We’ll stop wasting your time then, Mr. Dekarios.” Mara said in a rough manner as she turned her body to let Fox and Astarion leave the room first, her fierce gaze still locked on Gale.

A/N: This is chapter 1 of a slow burn, enemies to lovers, modern au between Gale and my tav Mara! I've had so much fun writing it and appreciate the love on the snippets I've shared about it. Also! A huge, huge thank you to all my followers as I've hit 100 followers now ^_^ I appreciate each and every one of yall

Characters: Gale, Mara, Astarion x Fox (@justporo 's tav), Shadowheart, a little bit of Gortash and Orin, and a mention of Thorm I'm hoping to add all the companions eventually

Summary: It's the start of a new school year at Chiontar High and there's been talk amongst the teachers about how the esteemed Professor Dekarios from Blackstaff Academy has joined the schools faculty. After a chance encounter between Gale and Mara, leaving her less than impressed with the professor, will the two be able to start a friendship and maybe something more?

Tags: Really none for this first chapter, just a little bit of pining and Gale being a jackass

Word count: 2.8k

It was a week before the fall semester was set to start at Chionthar High School. Mara and the other teachers sat in the cafeteria as they listened to Principal Gortash and Vice Principal Orin as they attempted to talk over each other about what to expect throughout the week; have all materials printed out, classrooms ready, and a good attitude to greet students with. Fox, Astarion, and Mara were sat in the back, in the middle of their own hushed conversation.

“God, I don’t understand why Thorm keeps them around. It’s not like they get anything useful done.” Fox quipped as she checked her phone in one hand and rubbed Astarion’s back with the other. 

Mara didn’t take her eyes off the athletics schedule as she said “At least we don’t have Thorm actually here. I’d rather have these two than him. We wouldn’t be able to get away with anything with Thorm here.” 

Mara heard Astarion as he let out a sigh as he tightened his grip around Fox’s waist. “This is true, darling. If he were here then our ‘meetings’ would have to be especially clandestine.” He said as he nipped at Fox’s shoulder. Mara rolled her eyes and smiled as her two dearest friends cavorted with each other. 

The trio resumed their conversation as they slowly grabbed their things as the meeting came to a close. Just as everyone was about to stand to leave as Principal Gortash had already left the cafeteria, Vice Principal Orin cleared her throat.

“One more important piece of information, that Mr. Gortash forgot,” she said with a sneer, “we will be having a new AP literature teacher this year. Gale Dekarios, from Black Staff Academy.” She waved her hand as she left, as if she were shooing away the teachers. There were immediate murmurs between the teachers as they left for their classrooms, Mara could hear whispers about a professor now being at their school and how disconcerting it was that he wasn’t present nor had been seen at all during summer prep. 

The trio made their way to their respective classrooms slowly, knowing that they had already completed everything at Mara’s behest. As they came upon the front doors to the school, Mara collided with a man she’d never seen before. She caught the man by his arm as she kept the two of them standing. 

“Fuckin’ hell, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you! Are you okay?” She asked in a frantic tone as Fox helped steady her. Mara noticed that he was shorter than her, but not by much, with ever so slightly graying dark brown medium length hair, a single dangling earring in his left ear, and the prettiest brown eyes. She glanced at Astarion after thanking Fox, he raised his eyebrows and gave her a cheeky smile as he glanced between Mara and the mysterious man. Before she could give Astarion a smack, the man answered. 

“Quite alright. It appears I, also, was not being as observational as I should have been. Gale Dekarios,” he said with an outstretched hand and slightly irritated tone, “pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Mara shook his hand and introduced herself, and the other two. After their pleasantries, Gale awkwardly asked if any of them would be able to help him bring some boxes to his classroom. Mara agreed that they would all help him. 

“Excuse me. Why do I have to haul his stuff around? I’ve already finished my classroom setup, maybe he should have done his summer prep and he wouldn’t be so atrociously behind.” Astarion said with a groan as he looked right at the new teacher. Mara and Fox rolled their eyes and said, “Ignore him”, at the same time, which caused the two women to chuckle as they followed Gale to his car. 

“Seems you three are quite chummy, I take it you all have been teaching together for a while?” Gale asked the group as they made their way back inside. 

“Bit longer than that. We all met during our freshman year of college, were in the same classes for the teaching program, and we did our student teaching here together.” Fox answered with a smile as she looked at her two favorite people. Astarion couldn’t help but smile back at her as he spoke. 

“Yes, yes. We’ve all been such great friends for so long now. But the real question, Gale, is how did such a prestigious professor from Blackstaff Academy end up here?” Astarion asked as he cocked his head at the ex-professor. Gale narrowed his eyes at white haired man, silent as he contemplated his answer.  

“Ease up, Astarion. Let’s not scare him off on his first day here.” Mara said to break the silence. She turned her head to Gale, “It doesn’t matter, anyway, we’re always happy to welcome newcomers.” Gale gave a small nod to her as a thank you. 

Gale cleared his throat as he asked them what subjects they taught. The three each shared that Fox is the Entrepreneurship 101 teacher, Astarion taught Government, and Mara has been the underclassman and middle school PE teacher and was hopeful that she’d still be teaching an elective class. Gale simply nodded and gave a hum of acknowledgement as he followed the friends through the school.  

The group continued in a comfortable silence before they came to Gale’s classroom. There was a note littered with neat and tight cursive as well as crude, barely legible writing taped to the slightly ajar door. 

Mr. Dekarios, please visit my our secretary to receive your keys and to get a badge.  

– Principal Gortash & Vice Principal Orin

Gale rolled his eyes and pushed the door open with his shoulder after he read the note. He looked around the classroom as he furrowed his brow. “This isn’t quite what I was expecting, if I’m being honest. It all seems a bit… small. But then again, this is a small school.” He said as he set his boxes down on his desk. He sounded increasingly more frustrated than when they had first met only minutes ago. 

“It is a little small, yes, but there’s plenty of bookshelves for you. Every literature teacher we’ve had has loved this room.” Mara said as she looked for an empty spot to place the boxes. 

Gale let out a loud sigh that caused the three to stop where they were. 

“I understand you might not understand the difference, but I am teaching advanced. placement. literature, standard literature, as well as a philosophy elective.” He said with a sharp tone in his voice. He locked his gaze with Mara as he finished his sentence. She opened her mouth to say something to remedy the situation but Gale held his hand up. “I do not wish to be rude, but I don’t see how you could understand how my situation here is simultaneously underwhelming and overwhelming. I apologize that I do not have the time to explain the difference between the two to a middle school gym teacher at the moment.” 

Fox’s eyes went wide as she listened to this stranger talk down to Mara. She took a step forward as she roughly placed the boxes down on the desk next to her. Astarion quickly took a step in front of her to keep her from lunging across the room at Gale. Mara kept her gaze on Gale as she took in everything he had just said to her, her eyebrows raised at the audacity. She startled everyone slightly as she stretched out her arms and dropped the boxes on the ground in front of her with a hard thud.  

“We’ll stop wasting your time then, Mr. Dekarios.” Mara said in a rough manner as she turned her body to let Fox and Astarion leave the room first, her fierce gaze still locked on Gale. Fox grabbed Mara’s arm on the way out. She didn’t hesitate as she followed the others after she made sure to slam the door behind her. Mara widened her stride as she stormed down the hallway, her fists clenched at her sides; earning a few worried glances from the teachers that had stepped into the hallway to see what had happened.

Astarion and Fox did their best to keep up with Mara as they tried not to jog after her. They soon realized that Mara had made a beeline for Fox’s classroom as they entered the hallway; Mara opened the door to the classroom for the couple as she huffed her way in behind them, obscenities muttered under her breath. Astarion perched himself on the desk, his legs crossed while he watched Mara pace around the classroom silently and as Fox worriedly watched her beside him. 

“So,” Astarion said, as he made sure to draw out the vowel, “what do we think of our new friend?” A dry chuckle escaped him as he finished his question. His lover was quick to smack him with a glare. Mara didn’t stop pacing as she gave Astarion the middle finger.  

“That pompous, shit eating, jackass is not our friend.” Her pacing finally came to end as she stood in front of her two friends. “He’s just another pretentious savant with an inflated ego. There’s no point in wasting anymore energy on him.” Mara said as she ran a hand through her hair. 

“Oh, boo. I was hoping you two would fight him, like you did in our college days when egotistical men wouldn’t leave the two of you alone.” Astarion said with a smile. Mara tried to keep a straight face but it quickly devolved into laughs as she and her friends reminisced on their years together.

The rest of the week passed with relative ease for Mara. She made a point to avoid the hallway Gale’s classroom was on to prevent seeing him and spent her time between the gymnasium, getting the equipment prepped for the incoming students, and Fox’s classroom as she prepared herself for another year of teaching Introduction to Ethics. She was not able to escape the new teacher all together, though. Wherever she went that weren’t her usual places, she heard talk of the man and rumors that floated around; and even worse yet, she had always listened, wanting to find out more about the mysterious teacher. As much as she hated it, her thoughts traveled back to him quite often. Mara couldn’t help but think that he was quite attractive and from what she had learned from searching his name, he was, in fact, a very accomplished literature scholar and seemed deserving of the awards that he had won throughout his career. She had a hard time convincing herself that the man she met earlier in the week was who Gale actually was and that they had just got off on the wrong foot. Mara, however, was too stubborn to be the first to admit this and had told herself he needed to be the one to apologize before she attempted to make amends. 

“I hear that he was fired because so many of his students had to cheat to pass his classes. Why that doesn’t hardly sound fair though, does it? If it’s true.. the students simply leveled the playing field if he was really that bad.” Astarion said as he organized his desk for the first day of school that was just a day away. Mara sat on the floor as she stretched and Fox kept herself busy as she rearranged Astarion’s desk the moment he finished. 

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he was a dickhead teacher. He had no problem talking to Mara the way that he did, I’m sure he’d have no problem talking down to students.” Fox said as she left a wake of chaos behind her on the desk. 

Mara opened her mouth to say something before she was interrupted by someone stood in the doorway. 

“The two of you are hardly correct. The real reason is much more salacious.” The voice came from the Psychology teacher, Jen Hallowleaf; or as she preferred to be called, Shadowheart. “He left Black Staff because he was ‘involved’ with his department head, the critically acclaimed Mystra. She was going to turn him into the ethics board after he kept asking for tenure, he couldn’t risk losing his license, so he quit and accepted a position here. Took quite a hit to his reputation from what I’ve heard.” She said as she checked over her nails. 

Mara sat up from the stretch she was in, “Shadow, how would you possibly know that?” she asked with a quizzical look. Shadowheart laughed as she told the group that she had her sources. “Really? You have sources all the way in Waterdeep? That give you accurate information?” Mara continued to push, she knew that Shadowheart had a propensity to gossip and mislead. 

Shadow scowled at Mara as she answered, “Of course I do, I can know just about anything about anyone anywhere after a few glasses of good wine.” Astarion looked impressed at her answer and Fox continued to watch her as her gaze flickered to Mara occasionally. 

Mara was off the floor now as she leaned against the wall next to the psych teacher, arms crossed over her chest. “I see, and what else do these ‘reliable sources’ say about Mr. Dekarios?” Her voice was laced in sarcasm but her features betrayed her; her eyes stilled on the woman and a slight blush formed across her cheeks as her body tensed. Fox tapped Astarion with her foot and made a subtle motion for him to look at Mara. A glance was shared between the two as they saw a glint in Mara’s eyes, unsure if it was yearning or repugnance. 

“Well,” Shadow replied, “they say he’s quite close to his mother, has a cat named Tara, I believe it was, and that he has always been quite gifted in literature. Supposedly he was Mystra’s favorite professor at one point but he wouldn’t quit asking for tenure and benefits she thought he didn’t deserve.” Shadowheart seemed quite proud of herself after having relayed such information about the mysterious newcomer in the school. 

Mara shifted on her feet as she mulled over the woman’s words and pretended, not very well, to not care about the information provided to them. Shadowheart announced her departure after she grew bored of the silence between the four of them. Both Astarion and Fox had to say something to get Mara’s attention as to pull her from her thoughts. Mara looked at the two of them and caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall between the two of them.

“Shit, it’s time to leave already. I need to finish organizing the equipment closet in the gym.” Mara grabbed her bag as she gave them a wave, “I’ll call you guys later!” The two returned the sentiment and decided to leave what they saw alone for the moment as they left the school hand in hand. 

Mara made her way through the school as she scolded herself for two different things. The first being that she didn’t finish the work she had started when she started it, which now caused her to leave work late. The second being that she had been genuinely intrigued to hear what Shadowheart had to say about Gale Dekarios. The same man who had talked down to her in such a condescending tone. The same man she had been avoiding all week. The same man that had been plaguing her thoughts when she let her mind wander. She forced her mind to focus as she approached the gym and connected her phone to the bluetooth system so she could blare her music as she finished the last of her work for the day.

As she left the gym and locked it, she heard a voice emanate behind her. It was a warm and sincere voice that she had been wanting to hear; it was Gale’s voice. 

“Hello, Mara. I hope you’ve been well this week?” She saw Gale smiling up at her as she turned around. 

“Oh, hi, Gale.” She kept her voice level and did not return his smile. “I’ve been fine.” 

Gale nodded as he adjusted his bag awkwardly and cleared his throat. “I’m glad, the week of the new semester starting is always stressful so I’m happy to hear you’ve been handling it well.” 

Mara almost broke, in that moment, wanting to ask him if she had done something wrong, but she held her resolve. She didn't answer him, which made him release an anxious laugh to fill the silence. 

“Well, I just wanted to say hello and let you know that I hope you do well with your students this year. Now if you excuse me, I must be leaving now, as you probably should be as well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with a small wave, he took his leave as he walked away from Mara.

‘Oh, so he really is an audacious egomaniac.’ She thought to herself as she scoffed. Mara walked to the back doors of the school and pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contact list.

“You’ll never fucking believe what just happened.”, she said into her phone the moment Fox answered her call.

[emmy-dekarios-bg3]

Heart of the Weave - a Baldurs Gate fanfiction.

CHAPTER 16 - an outing and a dance

After about an hour of Gale and I enjoying each other’s company, we hear Jenevelle wake up from her nap. Rather than being fussy, she seems happy and full of life. Gale gets her a warm bottle ready while I get her dressed and ready to hang out with Karlach. I hand her to Gale so he can feed her while I finish getting ready for our outing tonight. I put on my maroon dress with gold braces on my arms, feeling dapper and delicate, actually rather happy with how I look tonight. My dark hair is pinned up, and I decide to actually have my bangs pushed out of my face for once.

I’m finally done getting ready and walk into the baby’s room, noticing Gale burping her and snuggling her against his chest. He is speaking to her in such a soft voice.

“Your mother is something special to me,” he murmurs. “Oh, how I’m glad I chose her. How I fell for her. How she swayed me away from trying to please Mystra. One day, when you’re much older, I’m sure you’ll find that person. When you do, never let them go. You’ll know.” He kisses her forehead as she stares up at him with sincere eyes. “I am so glad we have you. I am so happy to be your father.” I smile as I watch them both, and notice him stand up with her in his arms. He turns around, noticing me standing by the door. He blushes, then stares at his feet for a moment.

“Hi,” I say, still smiling at him.

“Oh, you heard me. Well, I meant what I said, by the way.” I laugh lightly, approaching him with a soft kiss on his lips. “You look beautiful.”

“Why thank you. Your words… They make me so happy. Thank you.” A sudden loud knock at the front door startles the shit out of me, which means Karlach has arrived. Leave it to me to be easily spooked, even when I knew it was going to happen. We walk to the living area to open the door and not only is Karlach there, but so is Shadowheart and Astarion. This could make for a rather interesting evening.

“I know what you’re thinking. ‘Where’s Wyll?’ He went to visit with his father, so it’s just us three. Yeah!” Karlach says, trying to contain her voice volume. I roll my eyes and smile. “I hope that’s alright. Sorry for the unexpected visitors.”

“I’m not opposed at all, I’m just curious why all three of you are here. Like I said, I don’t mind,” Gale says. “Just don’t destroy the tower and keep the baby safe at all costs. Which I imagine you’ll do.”

“Well, Astarion and I… We’re going to adopt and could use the practice,” Shadowheart chimes in. What? They’re together? I think another important question would be: Since when did Astarion want children?

“Emmy, you look just as surprised as I do. I didn’t even know these fuckers were together until a couple hours ago when I went to snatch them from their house.” I can’t help but chuckle at Karlach’s words, but I’m also glad I’m not the only one in shock at this news. We knew Shadowheart was planning on adopting, but had no idea her and Astarion were even together. They’re good at keeping situations private, I’ll give them that.

“That’s so exciting! Wow! Congrats, you two. I’d have more input but alas I’m at a loss for words. In a good way,” I mention.

“Completely understandable,” Shadowheart says with her soft voice.

“The usual schedule is written down and on the kitchen counter. She had some unusual behavior that caught us off guard earlier, and we believe she was afraid of something. Please advise us if she shows any sign of peculiar behavior,” Gale says.

“Aw, we’ve got this! Little miniature Dekarios will be fine. Good ol’ Karlach is here to provide top quality entertainment.”

“Why in the Hells am I so nervous all of a sudden?” Astarion questions, followed with a sigh.

Gale and I walked out of the tower and shut the door behind us, ready for a lovely romantic night out in the town. The sky is a beautiful shade of lavender as the sun begins to descend, leaving a vibrant yet calm aura throughout Waterdeep.

“Hm, so what is the destination, may I ask?” I ask Gale, curious as to where he’s taking us for dinner. We hold hands as we walk through the outskirts, admiring the quietness of the city.

“Oh, just a fun little place you haven’t been to yet. I don’t suppose you’d be opposed to some live music, maybe some dancing, all while having a delectable dinner?”

He ends up taking me to this exquisite restaurant and bar just a couple miles down from the tower. I’m trying my hardest not to worry about Jenevelle, though I’m sure she will be alright. We make it inside the building and sit at our table, with Gale sitting across from me looking handsome as ever.

“Thank you so much for taking me out on yet another wonderful date night,” I say, smiling as I look up from my menu. “How about I buy this time?”

“No, no, my love. You just sit there looking beautiful.”

“I’d like to buy. Please? You do so much for me and I’m dying to.” He hesitates for a brief moment, but smiles at me sweetly. It’s about time I returned the favor, though he tells me I do enough already.

“You win this round, but I’m buying next time.” Right past Gale is a bar and the bartender resembles an image of Raphael. I think I’m either paranoid or this man is a mirror image of the corrupt devil. He looks at me with an expression I’m all too familiar with, flashing a grim smile as he notices my eyes on him. I blink and notice a totally different man standing there; just a wood-elf with long brown hair, attending to the patrons.

“Hmm, I think I’m going to fancy a delectable bowl of the Neverwinter venison. How about you?” Gale asks. I snap out of the weird moment I just had and stare down the menu, trying to figure out what sounds delicious to the taste buds. I don’t want to tell Gale I may have seen Raphael, though it could just be an illusion my mind decided to make.

“I’ll probably have the same as you. It all looks incredible.” There is a fun band of bards playing live music on stage and it reminds me of Alfira. She was so passionate about music and they’re playing one of her tunes she performed for us once. I observe the tieflings and elves dancing within the tavern, some are a little tipsy, some are more than just that. I observe them, smiling as they’re having fun and being themselves. This brings me an immediate idea. I stand up and take Gale’s hand, nervously smiling.

“Dance with me?” He chuckles and takes my hand, standing up in agreement. I lead him to the dancefloor and he places his left hand on my waist, his other hand pulls my face in to kiss him. As we dance, I notice myself nearly falling on my arse a few times, other times I’m wondering what the hell I’m doing.

“Just follow my rhythm, baby. Like this,” he says, guiding me with his hand. My feet follow his as he slowly moves me around with his hands, twirling me and then catching me as I fall backward. “There you go.”

“If I were a bard, maybe I’d be proficient in performing some insane dances.”

“Eh, perhaps. Though it’s safe to say, not all bards can dance either.” Our bodies sway with one another, and he stares deep into my eyes, holding my gaze as we continue to dance. “Just focus on me.” He moves both hands to my waist, our feet moving back and forward to the calming beat of the music.

“I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

“Remarkable. You’re a quick learner.”

“It’s a good thing I didn’t dance at our wedding.”

“On the other hand, Karlach did take over when it came to the music and she…may have had a few glasses of champagne. You weren’t exactly keen on wanting to take that spotlight anyway.” I laugh, reminiscing of Karlach’s insane dance moves at our reception. “You are my heart.” I look up at him, his eyes sinking deep within the depths of mine, as if he’s staring into my soul.

The entirety of our evening was amazing. The food, the music, the presence of being with my incredible husband…all of it. As we leave the restaurant, a familiar voice growls within my ear: “See you soon.” It seems Gale did not hear it, but boy am I feeling rather horrified right now. Okay, well I can confirm I’m being targeted, but by who? Why?

We make it home, and as Gale opens the front door, we notice Shadowheart on the sofa holding Jenevelle, smiling down at our cooing daughter. Astarion is next to her but unsure how to process her holding a baby. I’m curious as to why he agreed on an adoption, or if there’s something I’m not quite seeing.

“Oh man, did we have fun! Once again, happiest baby ever. Little one didn’t have any issues, but…” Karlach pauses, as if she’s blanking on what to say. Astarion sighs, placing his hand on his face.

“Is Raphael a frequent visitor by chance?” he asks. “No particular reason really. Just wondering if he’d want to come by and have tea sometime.”

“Um, explain please,” Gale says, bewildered at what Astarion is implying.

“Oh. You didn’t know. Delightful. Well, we saw images of that rancid devil – and a few others – in the mirror. They went away after like, two minutes.”

“Shit,” Gale and I say at the same time, feeling a sense of overwhelming stress.

“The good news is they don’t want anyone dead. At least, that’s not what it looked like,” Karlach chimes back in. “I’m sure they would have killed someone by now if that was the case.” I sigh, feeling beyond frustrated as I try to figure out what the hells they want with us. Shadowheart hands our tired baby over to Gale and smiles.

“Emmy, I wouldn’t worry too much. I’ll come by and check on you tomorrow.” She and I exchange hugs, and I begin to take a few deep breaths. She’s right. I am looking forward to having her come over for a visit; maybe then my mind will become clear of all this.

Everyone leaves and heads back to their comforting homes, and I’m actually so thankful more than just Karlach was there, just in case. While no one actually expected the devils to pop up, I feel like Karlach had an inkling something would happen and that’s why she invited Shadowheart and Astarion. Or, maybe I’m overthinking it, and she did it to help them prepare for parenthood. Either way, I suppose.

I can’t help but feel anger and fear within me after knowing the devils have been keeping tabs on me. I worry about Jenevelle’s safety. Gale and I head to Jenevelle’s room to prepare her for bed, and we are both silent for a moment as we try to process what we heard.

“Well, we may have to stay up to see what these hedonistic devils want from us, given they actually approach us. It would be delightful to live in peace without their obnoxious interference. Answers are at least deserved, is that too much to ask?” He’s right. Our infant is only three months old and being exposed to the dangers of devils. This shouldn’t be happening, but why is it?

“Agreed. I thought I saw Raphael at the restaurant, but assumed my mind was playing tricks on me.” Gale’s worrisome expression faded after he placed a kiss on my forehead, trying to hide his irritation. I can sense his frustration at the situation.

“Let’s just be alert and keep our eyes open, at least until we get answers. I know at some point we will need to sleep, and if it comes to that…let’s take turns.” Gale places Jenevelle on the mat by her crib to get her changed for bed. Her sweet, sleepy face puts a smile on his, and who could blame him? Having her puts us in a trance it seems like; it’s hard to be upset when she’s as happy as she is.

It sucks. We can’t summon ourselves back to Avernus, for I made an oath to Raphael we wouldn’t invade anymore. If I break that promise, I’ll be his little torture toy against my will. So what do I do? What do these devils want? Gale puts our daughter in her crib and we both watch her drift into a deep slumber. Sigh. To be unaware of the horrors of the world and sleeping without a worry would be nice, but I’m glad she isn’t afraid. I’m thankful she’s at peace.

Gale has to work tomorrow, so I try to convince him to just go ahead and get some rest, but he wouldn’t give in. I head to the restroom before going to our room to lie down – I’ll be awake, mind you – and as I walk in, an image of a devil I’m not familiar with pops up in the mirror. From the way this devil was described by Karlach before, I imagine this is Zariel. Shit, I was hoping I’d never come across her in my lifetime. Her fiery eyes stare me down as I try to process seeing her in front of me. I body feels numb, my heart is pounding, and I can feel sweat drip down my forehead. Oh Gods.

[emmy-dekarios-bg3]

Heart of the Weave - chapter 16

After about an hour of Gale and I enjoying each other’s company, we hear Jenevelle wake up from her nap. Rather than being fussy, she seems happy and full of life. Gale gets her a warm bottle ready while I get her dressed and ready to hang out with Karlach. I hand her to Gale so he can feed her while I finish getting ready for our outing tonight. I put on my maroon dress with gold braces on my arms, feeling dapper and delicate, actually rather happy with how I look tonight. My dark hair is pinned up, and I decide to actually have my bangs pushed out of my face for once.

I’m finally done getting ready and walk into the baby’s room, noticing Gale burping her and snuggling her against his chest. He is speaking to her in such a soft voice.

“Your mother is something special to me,” he murmurs. “Oh, how I’m glad I chose her. How I fell for her. How she swayed me away from trying to please Mystra. One day, when you’re much older, I’m sure you’ll find that person. When you do, never let them go. You’ll know.” He kisses her forehead as she stares up at him with sincere eyes. “I am so glad we have you. I am so happy to be your father.” I smile as I watch them both, and notice him stand up with her in his arms. He turns around, noticing me standing by the door. He blushes, then stares at his feet for a moment.

“Hi,” I say, still smiling at him.

“Oh, you heard me. Well, I meant what I said, by the way.” I laugh lightly, approaching him with a soft kiss on his lips. “You look beautiful.”

“Why thank you. Your words… They make me so happy. Thank you.” A sudden loud knock at the front door startles the shit out of me, which means Karlach has arrived. Leave it to me to be easily spooked, even when I knew it was going to happen. We walk to the living area to open the door and not only is Karlach there, but so is Shadowheart and Astarion. This could make for a rather interesting evening.

“I know what you’re thinking. ‘Where’s Wyll?’ He went to visit with his father, so it’s just us three. Yeah!” Karlach says, trying to contain her voice volume. I roll my eyes and smile. “I hope that’s alright. Sorry for the unexpected visitors.”

“I’m not opposed at all, I’m just curious why all three of you are here. Like I said, I don’t mind,” Gale says. “Just don’t destroy the tower and keep the baby safe at all costs. Which I imagine you’ll do.”

“Well, Astarion and I… We’re going to adopt and could use the practice,” Shadowheart chimes in. What? They’re together? I think another important question would be: Since when did Astarion want children?

“Emmy, you look just as surprised as I do. I didn’t even know these fuckers were together until a couple hours ago when I went to snatch them from their house.” I can’t help but chuckle at Karlach’s words, but I’m also glad I’m not the only one in shock at this news. We knew Shadowheart was planning on adopting, but had no idea her and Astarion were even together. They’re good at keeping situations private, I’ll give them that.

“That’s so exciting! Wow! Congrats, you two. I’d have more input but alas I’m at a loss for words. In a good way,” I mentioned. Surprised is an understatement.

“Completely understandable,” Shadowheart says with her soft voice.

“The usual schedule is written down and on the kitchen counter. She had some unusual behavior that caught us off guard earlier, and we believe she was afraid of something. Please advise us if she shows any sign of peculiar behavior,” Gale says.

“Aw, we’ve got this! Little miniature Dekarios will be fine. Good ol’ Karlach is here to provide top quality entertainment.”

“Why in the Hells am I so nervous all of a sudden?” Astarion questions, followed with a sigh.

Gale and I walked out of the tower and shut the door behind us, ready for a lovely romantic night out in the town. The sky is a beautiful shade of lavender as the sun begins to descend, leaving a vibrant yet calm aura throughout Waterdeep.

“Hm, so what is the destination, may I ask?” I ask Gale, curious as to where he’s taking us for dinner. We hold hands as we walk through the outskirts, admiring the quietness of the city.

“Oh, just a fun little place you haven’t been to yet. I don’t suppose you’d be opposed to some live music, maybe some dancing, all while having a delectable dinner?”

He ends up taking me to this exquisite restaurant and bar just a couple miles down from the tower. I’m trying my hardest not to worry about Jenevelle, though I’m sure she will be alright. We make it inside the building and sit at our table, with Gale sitting across from me looking handsome as ever.

“Thank you so much for taking me out on yet another wonderful date night,” I say, smiling as I look up from my menu. “How about I buy it this time?”

“No, no, my love. You just sit there looking beautiful.”

“I’d like to buy it. Please? You do so much for me and I’m dying to.” He hesitates for a brief moment, but smiles at me sweetly. It’s about time I returned the favor, though he tells me I do enough already.

“You win this round, but I’m buying next time.” Right past Gale is a bar and the bartender resembles an image of Raphael. I think I’m either paranoid or this man is a mirror image of the corrupt devil. He looks at me with an expression I’m all too familiar with, flashing a grim smile as he notices my eyes on him. I blink and notice a totally different man standing there; just a wood-elf with long brown hair, attending to the patrons.

“Hmm, I think I’m going to fancy a delectable bowl of the Neverwinter venison. How about you?” Gale asks. I snap out of the weird moment I just had and stare down the menu, trying to figure out what sounds delicious to the taste buds. I don’t want to tell Gale I may have seen Raphael, though it could just be an illusion my mind decided to make.

“I’ll probably have the same as you. It all looks incredible.” There is a fun band of bards playing live music on stage and it reminds me of Alfira. She was so passionate about music and they’re playing one of her tunes she performed for us once. I observe the tieflings and elves dancing within the tavern, some are a little tipsy, some are more than just that. I observe them, smiling as they’re having fun and being themselves. This brings me an immediate idea. I stand up and take Gale’s hand, nervously smiling.

“Dance with me?” He chuckles and takes my hand, standing up in agreement. I lead him to the dancefloor and he places his left hand on my waist, his other hand pulls my face in to kiss him. As we dance, I notice myself nearly falling on my arse a few times, other times I’m wondering what the hell I’m doing.

“Just follow my rhythm, baby. Like this,” he says, guiding me with his hand. My feet follow his as he slowly moves me around with his hands, twirling me and then catching me as I fall backward. “There you go.”

“If I were a bard, maybe I’d be proficient in performing some insane dances.”

“Eh, perhaps. Though it’s safe to say, not all bards can dance either.” Our bodies sway with one another, and he stares deep into my eyes, holding my gaze as we continue to dance. “Just focus on me.” He moves both hands to my waist, our feet moving back and forward to the calming beat of the music.

“I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

“Remarkable. You’re a quick learner.”

“It’s a good thing I didn’t dance at our wedding.”

“On the other hand, Karlach did take over when it came to the music and she…may have had a few glasses of champagne. You weren’t exactly keen on wanting to take that spotlight anyway.” I laugh, reminiscing of Karlach’s insane dance moves at our reception. “You are my heart.” I look up at him, his eyes sinking deep within the depths of mine, as if he’s staring into my soul.

The entirety of our evening was amazing. The food, the music, the presence of being with my incredible husband…all of it. As we leave the restaurant, a familiar voice growls within my ear: “See you soon.” It seems Gale did not hear it, but boy am I feeling rather horrified right now. Okay, well I can confirm I’m being targeted, but by who? Why?

We make it home, and as Gale opens the front door, we notice Shadowheart on the sofa holding Jenevelle, smiling down at our cooing daughter. Astarion is next to her but unsure how to process her holding a baby. I’m curious as to why he agreed on an adoption, or if there’s something I’m not quite seeing.

“Oh man, did we have fun! Once again, happiest baby ever. Little one didn’t have any issues, but…” Karlach pauses, as if she’s blanking on what to say. Astarion sighs, placing his hand on his face.

“Is Raphael a frequent visitor by chance?” he asks. “No particular reason really. Just wondering if he’d want to come by and have tea sometime.”

“Um, explain please,” Gale says, bewildered at what Astarion is implying.

“Oh. You didn’t know. Delightful. Well, we saw images of that rancid devil – and a few others – in the mirror. They went away after like, two minutes.”

“Shit,” Gale and I say at the same time, feeling a sense of overwhelming stress. Of course the devils are back and now I fear for our daughter.

“The good news is they don’t want anyone dead. At least, that’s not what it looked like,” Karlach chimes back in. “I’m sure they would have killed someone by now if that was the case.” I sigh, feeling beyond frustrated as I try to figure out what the hells they want with us. Shadowheart hands our tired baby over to Gale and smiles.

“Emmy, I wouldn’t worry too much. I’ll come by and check on you tomorrow.” She and I exchange hugs, and I begin to take a few deep breaths. She’s right. I am looking forward to having her come over for a visit; maybe then my mind will become clear of all this.

Everyone leaves and heads back to their comforting homes, and I’m actually so thankful more than just Karlach was there, just in case. While no one actually expected the devils to pop up, I feel like Karlach had an inkling something would happen and that’s why she invited Shadowheart and Astarion. Or, maybe I’m overthinking it, and she did it to help them prepare for parenthood. Either way, I suppose. I can’t help but feel anger and fear within me after knowing the devils have been keeping tabs on me. I worry about Jenevelle’s safety. Gale and I head to Jenevelle’s room to prepare her for bed, and we are both silent for a moment as we try to process what we heard.

“Well, we may have to stay up to see what these hedonistic devils want from us, given they actually approach us. It would be delightful to live in peace without their obnoxious interference. Answers are at least deserved, is that too much to ask?” He’s right. Our infant is only three months old and being exposed to the dangers of devils. This shouldn’t be happening, but why is it?

“Agreed. I thought I saw Raphael at the restaurant, but assumed my mind was playing tricks on me.” Gale’s worrisome expression faded after he placed a kiss on my forehead, trying to hide his irritation. I can sense his frustration at the situation.

“Let’s just be alert and keep our eyes open, at least until we get answers. I know at some point we will need to sleep, and if it comes to that…let’s take turns.” Gale places Jenevelle on the mat by her crib to get her changed for bed. Her sweet, sleepy face puts a smile on his, and who could blame him? Having her puts us in a trance it seems like; it’s hard to be upset when she’s as happy as she is.

It sucks. We can’t summon ourselves back to Avernus, for I made an oath to Raphael we wouldn’t invade anymore. If I break that promise, I’ll be his little torture toy against my will. So what do I do? What do these devils want? Gale puts our daughter in her crib and we both watch her drift into a deep slumber. Sigh. To be unaware of the horrors of the world and sleeping without a worry would be nice, but I’m glad she isn’t afraid. I’m thankful she’s at peace.

Gale has to work tomorrow, so I try to convince him to just go ahead and get some rest, but he won't give in. I head to the restroom before going to our room to lie down – I’ll be awake, mind you – and as I walk in, an image of a devil I’m not familiar with pops up in the mirror. From the way this devil was described by Karlach before, I imagine this is Zariel. Shit, I was hoping I’d never come across her in my lifetime. Her fiery eyes stare me down as I try to process seeing her in front of me. My body feels numb, my heart is pounding, and I can feel sweat drip down my forehead. Oh Gods.