#outcome-3

[boredzillenial]

Recent Drabble #1, enabled encouraged by @lunar-ghoulie and her incredible artwork

She’s been sent on a mission for Outcome-3, and her plan just isn’t working.

A.N: Ovulation is a crazy thing ain’t it 🤪

Themes: attempted seduction, momentary flashing

She picked her way carefully through the snow laden woods and whipping wind. Her ears strained for any noises besides the howling through the trees that’d indicate she wasn’t alone but to no avail. Eventually she finally found her target, a singular dark cabin, with a light smoke emanating from its chimney. He’s already here…

Her mission was simple, Outcome-3 had disobeyed orders and needed to be debriefed and eliminated. She didn’t ask the reason, truly it didn’t matter and she wouldn’t have been given one any way. She was given his weakness though, sex.

Her target had been known for sleeping with assets unnecessarily and being easily distracted with women, despite their training. Honestly she didn’t know how he hadn’t been weeded out of the program to begin with if he had a propensity for distraction. With the Intel that he’s been alone on this mountain for weeks, should be easy enough.

She cursed to herself silently as she approached. She had to adjust her strategy with him already here. He’d never be dumb enough to believe the old “civilian damsel in distress because she wandered too far in the woods” routine… but maybe, a sprinkle of honesty may do her mission good.

She took a deep breath as she reached the wooded edge and pulled out her knife. She muttered a silent prayer, pulled up the hem of her cotton underwear and cut each side, wiggling out of them while keeping her other layers on, step one done. She burried the scrap of fabric in the snow. Step two would not be as easy. She took a deep breath, relaxed herself, and cut swiftly into her thigh.

Careful to angle the blade to miss any major arteries but enough that she’d need stitching up.

“Please.” She huffed “I - I need -“ her knees buckled. His hand was lighting fast as he grabbed her arm, gun still steady on her in the other. “- help.” She controlled her breathing to come out more as a sigh.

“Get in.” He pulled her in, shoving her on the ragged couch next to the door and slamming it shut. “Who sent you.” He clipped as he bolted the door shut.

“Same as you - my mission -“ she lulled her head back a moment “another agent tried to -“ she slumped further feigning that her consciousness was slipping.

“None of that, wake up.” He tucked his gun into his waistband and patted the side of her face. She kept her gaze heavy and even crossed her eyes a bit before going completely limp. “Fuck.”

He acted quickly, attempting to assess the wound but the multiple layers of her pants and longjohns made it difficult “fuck it,” he grumbled, quickly undoing her pants and yanking them down. “Shit.”

It took everything in her not to smirk, take a good look.

Barely a second passed from his words before he pressed a blanket onto the wound to stop the bleeding. The sudden shock of pain caught her off guard and she jolted up with a groan.

“Goddamnit.” She ground out before flopping back onto the couch.

“Sit still.” He snapped.

She lay there, trying to look unfocused while she assessed his posture, body language, even where he was looking. Everything showing he was focused on the task at hand. Damn…

She groaned in exaggerated pain and spread a little wider. Just a glimmer of distraction, c’mon.

But despite her attempts, he remained focused, packed and bandaged the wound, and by the end of it had pulled her pants back up and peppered her with questions.

She recited her carefully prepared script, adding some stammering and pauses along the way. And by the end of it all it was the wee hours of the morning and he’d relaxed a bit.

“Satisfied enough for sleep?” She feigned weakly. “It’s freezing - and there’s only one bed.” She glanced over at the low fire. “We could… share warmth?”

His gaze flickered over her as he stood. He looked over to the bed, then back to her. Getting up stiffly and adjusting the sheet. “Fine.” He huffed.

She stood, pushing down the inner triumph she felt before he tossed a blanket and pillow in her direction. “You take the blanket and couch. G’night.” He laid across the bare fitted sheet and closed his eyes.

What the- okay well, HQ was wrong about how easy this should be… it’d take more than flashing him and playing weak to get his attention. And the blizzard showed no signs of letting up…

[artist-rat]

some epilogue vibes (an excuse to draw some hugs. and my durge so many times)

[knifearo]

being aromantic is like. hey btw you're going to live a life that is the culmination of most of society's worst nightmares. sorry lol ✌️ but then you turn around and take a really good hard look at it and it turns out that living in that nightmare is fucking awesome and you get to wake up every day and take that fear that other people have and laugh and hold it close until it's a great joy for you instead. and being happy is a radical act that you define instead of someone else. and you're sexy as fuck that's just a fact of life i don't make the rules on that one

[araneapeixes]

fuck it. sketch poast

[ofswordsandpens]

actually I also wanna talk about the part where Percy convinces Bob to kill Hyperion because even though Percy never says anything outright sinister, the way he handles the entire situation with such cool ease, playing on Bob’s emotions... its so insane???

Because Annabeth’s reaction to the three of them encountering Hyperion reforming is: “oh this is bad we need to get out of here” She knows if Bob remembers himself, that it's not going to play out well for Percy and her. She also thinks about how they're being pursued and don't have a lot of time. Her solution to the problem, seemingly, is to leave.

But Percy's solution is to work the situation to his advantage. He re-affirms Bob's loyalty to him:

Percy then re-establishes Bob's moral code: "Some monsters are good. Some are bad. This Titan is bad. He tried to kill me and a lot of people. He's not good like you are."

And it ends with Percy leaving the choice of whatever to do with Hyperion to Bob but of course, is it really what Bob chose to do? Bob decides to kill Hyperion. It's not what he may have done, if Percy hadn't intervened. But it's exactly what Percy was oh-so-sweetly leading Bob to do.

And listen, I'm not claiming that it was exactly morally bankrupt of Percy to take advantage of a once-evil titan who could get him and his girlfriend through hell in one piece. Percy, Annabeth, they manipulate monsters and enemies all the time. Annabeth ended the previous book with manipulating Arachne into weaving her own web. So it's not exactly like she's against using manipulative tactics, in theory.

But Bob, at this point, is not just some monster. He is so painfully sincere in his belief in Percy and their friendship, so yes, it does feel a bit sinister whenever Percy uses Bob... and he really uses Bob.

And I think what makes the scene so unsettling, it isn't just that Percy manipulated Bob, its how well Percy manipulated him. He manipulates Bob so well that Percy doesn't even have to kill Hyperion... because Bob does it for him. He manipulates Bob so well, that Annabeth couldn't tell if Percy was purposefully trying to manipulate the situation. (Newsflash, he most definitely was). Like holy shit.

[diazsdimples]

RB this if you're a blog that loves Eddie Diaz BUT doesn't post hate about Tommy Kinard, or you know blogs that are like this. Eddie girlies (gn) who also ship Bucktommy/ like Tommy Kinard are going Through It™️ right now. It just feels like there's not many Eddie friendly blogs that don't also post rancid takes about Tommy.

[red-moon-at-night]

After doing some research on the types of pets people had in ancient Greece, I'd like to imagine that Helen is the sort of person who has a whole menagerie of birds — and she loves each and every one of them very, very much.

It fits well with her being good at mimicry, you know. Talking and imitating and singing with her beloved birds 💜

Close up under the read more:

I had to include that one necklace from the minoan 'saffron goddess' fresco because it's my favourite thing Ever

[messiahzzz]

i have seen several posts around that addressed how discouraging gale from taking the crown of karsus is “keeping him from realizing his true potential.” that tara is merely upset at his choice, instead of being utterly devastated at the loss of her little love. that it’s not a bad ending per se because to get there he didn’t need to sacrifice 7000 innocent souls in the process. gale isn’t continuing the cycle of abuse either, he still appears to love tav and does come back for them to offer them ascension. he wants them to be equal, so it can’t possibly be an unhealthy dynamic, right?

but what of gale himself, his own convictions, values, and everything he holds dear? everything flawed and human that shaped him into the person he is?

player: are you saying you want to ascend? claim godhood?

gale: no, not like that. i don't want to join them. i want to better them. a god's powers, paired with a mortal conscience, a mortal heart.

gale’s motivation for acquiring godhood is that he will able to aid mortals in a way no other god has ever done before. he won’t hide behind pretense nor require blind devotion of his followers. he will understand and be able to empathize. he wholeheartedly believes that he will be different - he will act.

gale: [..] the gods could aid us if they wished, but instead they cower behind ao. so let us act ourselves.

gale believes that by becoming a god he will kill two birds with one stone: aid mortals and acquire enough power to quash any of his insecurities and enemies in the process. that by ridding himself of every perceived flaw he'll finally feel like he will have enough to offer - maybe, just maybe he'll even be content. his flaws are merely holding him back from becoming the best version of himself, and by ridding himself of everything fallible, he will be whole. maybe this is what all of his suffering has led up to. maybe the orb chose him. maybe the reason he had to endure all the pain, isolation, and excruciating loneliness was so that he could realize that he was meant for something even greater. after all, power feeds ambition. and what is more powerful than a god? his convictions were certainly naive, he possesses enough knowledge to know better. don't get me wrong, part of him definitely wants to spite mystra a lil. but his intentions at that time were mostly pure. a reflection of his self-hatred and feelings of inadequacy.

player: this is wrong, gale. that power will corrupt you, even if you can seize it.

gale: it won't, i swear to you. it's merely a tool - a means to an end.

once we meet gale at the party in his new godlike form, it is apparent that even with all the power at his fingertips, he has reached no greater knowledge about himself. his insecurities are still as present as before, he merely is less subtle in his compensation - repeatedly highlighting his grandeur and how dull life on faerun is compared to the wonders of elysium. it is also genuinely crushing to see how little he thinks of himself even now.

gale: i was nothing. a drifting dust mote of a wizard, abandoned by my goddess, my powers lost, my reputation destroyed. and look at me now. i'm their proof.

any perceived dismissal of his Greatness™ is met with immediate disdain.

gale: a bold decision to treat a divine being with such cold indifference.

nodecontext: aloof, annoyed you weren't impressed with him

gale: you mortals do love to live dangerously, don't you?

nodecontext: the slightest hint of a threat - you've probably made an enemy here today. or at least, you've lost a friend.

he is still desperate to impress. emphasizing what an honor it is that a new-born god chose to bless their little soiree with his presence. gaze upon all his divine glory! gale has now become the embodiment of everything he criticized about the gods. his original intentions and plans are discarded and long forgotten. he assuages his erstwhile companions by telling them to simply pray to him, in case they should ever require aid. if they're lucky and their ambition pleases him, he might even deliver.

player: what does the 'god of ambition' offer to his followers?

gale: i 'offer' them nothing. i inspire them to seize their destinies for themselves.

player: interesting, so you help mortals help themselves?

gale: precisely. though that isn't to say i'm averse to the odd bit of direct encouragement.

gale: [..] my aims are set a little higher than offering cursory blessings to just any half-decent spellcaster.

gale: regardless, ethical quandaries are more the remit of my mortal devotees. they do love to talk, and faerun is starting to listen.

aiding "any half-decent spellcaster" is unbefitting of his status. he isn't concerned with questions of ethics and morality either. deeming such matters beneath his divine capabilities.

once gale has ascended and established his domain, what remains of the gale we knew? what of his mortal heart?

minthara: your ambition is not cruel, but you fear that if you indulge it, you will lose yourself in the mysteries of the weave and unravel the world.

minthara: you are afraid of so many things, and it is that fear that keeps you true to yourself.

gale did lose himself and ultimately became one of his biggest fears. considering that his existence as a being of pure ambition leads him to constantly seek out greater heights, it isn't farfetched to believe that raphael's prediction will indeed come true.

player[astarion]: ambition? finally, a god i can get behind...

gale: i assure you, this is merely the prelude to a far grander vision. elysium's in for something of a shake-up.

all that remains of gale is a thin veneer of the person he used to be. what he presents is a hollow echo of the old gale. he does retain some of his mannerisms and quirks, but he is definitely a lot colder and more condescending. if his personality already changed that drastically after a duration of only 6 months, what will he inevitability turn into when he has eternity at his disposal?

essentially, you are aiding gale in the eradication of himself. eradicating everything about him that made him into the loveable, charismatic, awkward, kind, buoyant person he was. everything about him that he perceived as defective, flawed, and lesser-than. before, his hubris was merely an expression of his own discontentment and low self-worth, but now he is hubris incarnate. all of his worst qualities have been amplified.

gale: i am ambition incarnate. as indistinguishable from that most potent sensation as mystra herself is from the weave. and word is spreading.

nodecontext: palpable, almost unsettling excitement from him - hint of megalomania

he put his trust in tav, trusting their judgment and relying on them to nudge him in the right direction. after all, they had plenty of opportunities to show him that they are an ally worth following and confiding in. but in the end, the prospect of what he could be, the things he could give them, the enemies he could yet conquer, won over the desire to simply accept him and help him rebuild a life on solid ground. tav denied him the unconditional love he craves most out of their own selfish desires.

tara: you were looking out for him. i expected better of you.

as i've already mentioned, gale desires nothing more than to be seen, accepted, loved, and valued. having a partner who wholeheartedly supports and believes in him is enough to make him feel content. most importantly - he just wants to live. to enjoy life with everything it has to offer. his ambition can’t be quenched because he hungers still. believing that only by acquiring more power will he finally be enough and reach said acceptance.

we see in his good ending that his own contentment was even able to influence and (temporarily) sate the orb's ever-present hunger:

gale: [..] or perhaps the orb's hunger was fuelled by my own, and my contentment influences it in much the same way.

gale: that's how i feel with you - content. it's a rather unfamiliar feeling, i must say. not something gale of waterdeep ever craved.

it is devastating that he doesn't reach the same feeling of fulfillment if he chooses to pursue godhood, and is instead compelled to continuously surpass his own accomplishments. not being granted rest or reprieve.

gale: i achieved everything we hoped i would, and still i'm not good enough for you?

gale pursuing godhood isn't evidence that he "has been evil all along" or that he "just waited to be unleashed" either. we can't diminish tav's influence in this outcome, they are after all an extension of the player. able to steer every companion toward a path of redemption or to enable them in their worst traits. fandom has already established that by letting astarion ascend you are actively supporting him in becoming the very thing he despises most, putting your own ambitions and idea of what you want him to be above his healing, this is no different.

tara: the gale i knew wasn't like this. he recognised his mistakes. he was contrite. all he wanted to do was live.

tara: unfortunately, he fell into company that turned his gaze towards foolishness. yes, i mean you.

player: gale is his own man, tara.

tara: false. he was mine. though now he belongs only to his own pride.

yes, the epilogue cutscene is beautiful and there is something bittersweet and romantic about his love for tav being one of the few emotions that remained a constant throughout the past 6 months. he didn't need to come back for them, but he did cause he loves them still. no matter how warped his definition of love may be now. while it is abundantly clear that tav ranks lower on his priority list than they did before, his commitment remains.

gale fears isolation, hoping to never return to the time when he was hopeless and alone, stuck inside his tower. by heading in this direction he is once again creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

tara: [..] if i pretended you hadn't turned tail on every lesson you set out to learn, i'd have no right to call myself your friend.

morena may as well have already resigned herself to her son’s death. elminster partly blames himself. for his lapse in judgment, as well as being the one who plucked him from obscurity in the first place. mourning the kind, bright-eyed boy who cried at the scorched roses in his neighbor's garden. tara won't be here anymore to care and look out for him either. he has lost his oldest and dearest friend, the one who witnessed his downfall from grace and never left his side. who believed him to be the finest mind AND the finest wizard she's ever had the pleasure to know. who was certain that he’d find a way out of any crisis no matter the circumstances. ...and if tav declines his offer to ascend with him? what does he have left?

gale: yes, i am rather radiant, aren't i?

tara: don't flatter yourself, gale. you've debased yourself in ways i could never have fathomed.

tara: goodbye gale, i hope the heavens are worth it.

gale’s godhood ending deals with the loss of humanity, the loss of oneself, and everything one holds dear. it is a devastating and bone-chilling narrative. it is a tragedy.

gale: i hope you don't think less of me. great ambition should not come at the expense of what you already hold dear. i see that now.

if gale could see himself, he would be horrified at the losses he deemed necessary to get here. he would be horrified at what he’s become.

[theghostinyourwalls]

Hugging him would solve all my problems

[wormsforbrains]

The first time making this. 😭 also this is in my opinion on how I feel they would’ve reacted, feel free to include your own opinion.

(I went to the shops today and I feel so good right now! 🐸)

[teadrawstuff]

YES. I am on the bandwagon that Tech is CX-2

[artist-rat]

I feel your breath upon my neck / a soft caress as cold as death

[writeyourdarlings]

an early christmas fanart🤭❄️

[tinsil]

sealed with seven golden needles

[eurodynamic]

NOT THE LOSTWAVE SONG “EVERYONE KNOWS THAT”/“ULTERIOR MOTIVES” BEING FROM AN 80s PORNO LMAOOOO

[chimerical-daydreams]

how would your King feel to find out about/meet/see the other versions of himself?

A familiar face