#snzjsnzjns

[rathma]

good evening kaine nation

saw my mutual @bg3 answer these questions for their ship and i am nothing if not a dirty little thief so

WOE

KAINEGALE BE UPON YE

i too ignored a few questions, combined some others. anyway. no cuts. read it whores

What, specifically, was the catalyst for their physical attraction (if applicable) to the other character? In other words, what in particular had them like “Oh, they’re...hot...”

Kaine is physically attracted to Gale pretty much from the start. He's older, competent, and charming in an endearing sort of way - they want him so bad it kinda makes them look stupid. It's really solidified after some innocuous comment - read about it in kainefic pt2 ehe - that Gale makes while they're alone in camp, a compliment about how silver is a color that suits them. They’re about ready to go down on him right there I think it's similar for Gale, really. He's not stupid and he's not blind - and with the amount of unsubtle posturing that Kaine is doing in his vicinity at all times it would be ridiculous to say he doesn't notice them. The attraction is the simple part - they’re an attractive person, and they know how to play to their strengths. He realizes he wants them badly the first time they release enough magical power that he can feel it on his skin - he can’t differentiate between the electricity from their spell and the effect their physical vicinity has on him.

Does this change over time? What things do they find “hot” about their partner after they’ve been together for some time, and have had more time to, well, notice and appreciate?

I think over time Kaine’s appreciation for Gale’s hair really shows - there’s not any part of him they’re necessarily not attracted to, but his thick dark curls really grow on them especially~ and this goes double for his body hair ‼️

Idk that anything really changes over time for Gale but there are a few things I imagine him fixating on - Kaine’s eyes, how expressive they are, the way their pupils betray their mood; their scales, where they meet their skin on their hips and legs; their legs in general. So on and so forth

By contrast, what was the moment that first made their ~heart~ Soft for the other person? Not necessarily a conscious realization of “I love this person,” but a moment that had them like “Oh...I adore them...”

For Kaine, there’s a moment when they say something teasing to Gale, and he just frowns a little and explains why whatever ridiculous thing they said can’t be true, and Kaine just thinks, oh, I could be with him like this forever. 

For Gale, it’s a crack in Kaine’s mask - a quiet moment when they’re alone, or they think no one is watching, and there’s a genuine smile, a bad pun, or a deep sigh of exhaustion - Gale wants them to be themself around him. He’ll do whatever it takes to make them feel safe enough to do so. 

There’s a song on their playlist which goes “You’re bringing me around / something which I’ve never thought about / I hope you keep me around / something which I’ve never written about // I wanna see you dance with the lights on, I wanna watch you twirl around our room / wanna hear you laugh like nobody’s listening, wanna know everything there is to know about you” so. idk. that’s it. 

Does this change over time? What will always reliably make them melt with how much they adore the other character?

I think Kaine is just endlessly fond of how open Gale is, and how easily he can get them to put down their walls. He’s easy to be around. 

Gale discovers over time that Kaine is soft - they’re good with animals, and they love cheesy romance stories, and genuine displays of affection, and it’s all just for him. They constantly choose him.  

How do they react to the realization that they like the other character? Is it an “oh my god I’m never going to think about this again” thing, or are they pretty comfortable with it?

Kaine is determined right away to have him. They’re nervous, though - it’s more real than anything they’ve ever felt, and they’re not sure he feels the same way. It makes them hesitate. 

Gale probably pushes it away for a few days, at least - he has a lot of baggage, not least of which the bomb in his chest, and he doesn’t want to drag someone with so much potential into that sphere. But he’s not one to deny himself what he wants, so I think he gets over it pretty quickly. 

Do they (or would they) pursue the other character’s affection, and if so, how? Do they tell the other character how they feel? Try to earn their admiration? Woo them with romantic gestures? Flirt with them, skillfully or otherwise?

Kaine attempts daily to seduce Gale. Stretching and angling their body for him to see and bending down in front of him and making suggestive comments - and that’s part of why they’re so unsure that he reciprocates their feelings. Gale is autistic and experienced enough to remain composed in the face of what is truly a masterclass in flirtation, until the end of act one when he invites them to channel the Weave, and he truly sees their intentions, and he’s thrilled. 

What do they think about romantic love? Do they have baggage surrounding it? Do they idealize it? Is it an object of longing and wanting, or were they really not thinking about it until they started falling for the other character? What are their expectations like?

We don’t need my Gale thinkpiece on this topic so I’ll just say that for Kaine, they never put much stock in romantic love before - they’d had a few short flings, both in Valais and in the few years they’ve been traveling the Sword Coast, but they didn’t last, and quite frankly, they never mattered that much to them. Kaine doesn’t know what to expect, but they know that they’ve never wanted someone in their life so badly, and that they’ll do anything to make sure he stays. 

What do they think about commitment? Is a long-term partnership the goal? Are they thinking about building a life with their partner, or are they focused on the present?

Kaine is single-minded. Once they have what they want, they’re not going to let it go, and they’re not interested in looking elsewhere. I don’t know if they’re consciously thinking about “forever,” but they’re content with what they have. 

Gale expresses on multiple occasions a desire to bring his partner into his life, talks about how they’d be together at home… yeah. Yeah 

What scares them about entering a relationship?

Kaine is afraid that they won’t be enough - that Gale will one day realize they’re not what they’re supposed to be. Gale is afraid of failing them the way he (thinks he) failed Mystra. 

What fears, past traumas, etc. would be hardest for them to talk about with their partner?

Kaine struggles to talk about the emotional neglect they experienced growing up, mostly because they almost refuse to recognize it. Their parents love them and care for them, so much, everything they did was to protect them. That doesn’t change the fact that they grew up disconnected from their personhood and as such have an extremely warped view of what their existence means. It just takes a while to get to the bottom of it (and for them to quite literally die for a few minutes)

How much independence do they prefer in a relationship—do they want to share their lives as much as possible with their partner, or do they prefer to mostly do their own thing and let their partner do their own thing?

I think Gale is more independent than Kaine is. He’s well in his prime and spent over a year self-isolating before the events of the game - once they’re able to settle down again, he has no issue spending time alone, or allowing Kaine to, but Kaine is constantly asking him where he’s going, what his plans are, when he’s gonna be home, so on - not in a controlling way, just a nosy, possessive one. This is changed a lot when they go back to Valais because there’s less cause for them to actually be apart by then. 

What is their go-to for making a partner feel loved?

For Kaine, it’s attention. They love attention, so they give attention. Physical touch, soft-spoken words, leaving marks on Gale’s skin - they give him bruises and scratches and love bites that he’s going to feel later, so he can’t forget exactly how they feel about him. They listen to him speak, they ask him to help them with things, they humor his ideas - they make sure he knows they’re always there. 

Gale makes Kaine feel seen. They’re a simple creature - they need a compliment, to be told that they’re beautiful, that they’re powerful, that they’re the envy of the Realms, and Gale knows all the right words to use to turn their brain off immediately. 

What, for them, constitutes a level of intimacy that they would only rarely share with someone? This can be physical, emotional, etc.

Kaine has walls upon walls. They’re perfect, they’re poised, they know what to say and how to say it. They use the allure of their body as a defense mechanism, to avert attention from whatever manipulation they’re trying to achieve with their words. it takes a while, but eventually, they let their walls down, and when they let someone see them for who they are, their likes and thoughts and desires, it’s easy to see how much you really don’t know them unless they let you. 

If they had the ability to just spend free time with their partner, what would they do? Would they go out or stay inside?

Kaine is an extrovert they want to go on DATES they want to drag Gale to fancy events and be beautiful and untouchable and glittery. They want to explore the streets of their city with him and share their culture with him. They want to see everything there is to see by his side.

Gale, I think, needs a healthy balance. He pulls Kaine in a bit - I think he prefers to be at home, with them in the same room, reading to them or watching them sleep or listening to music together. 

Are they okay with public displays of affection? Do they like them?

It’s all very situational. Gale is a self-described gentleman, and likely has certain standards when it comes to public affection. Kaine grew up learning imperial etiquette, and can pretend not to even know someone if they need to. That said, they do like to hold onto him, to make sure everyone knows they’re his - when it’s safe, of course. Every once in a while Kaine gets a little handsy and Gale probably has to remind them to be normal, but they’re generally pretty cognizant of the situation. They’re also afforded a bit more freedom when they’re married in Valais - the imperators being married isn’t exactly a secret, even if their public affection at that point needs to be a bit more rehearsed. 

When would they say “I love you?” Do they say it first? Do they say it often, or is it reserved for special moments?

Gale says it first. Kaine struggles with saying it aloud, but they do, a few times, when they’re in a situation where they feel like it’s the only thing they can say. Gale says it often, even more so the longer they’re together, and I think Kaine eventually relaxes into it, but still only says it when they’re alone. 

If sex is something that would be part of a relationship for them, do both or either of them have prior experiences? If not, how do they feel about it?

They have about equal amounts of experience, I think, discounting Gale’s relationship with Mystra. Kaine had a bit of a hot girl summer(s) in the few years leading up to the events of the game, and I think they both know enough about themselves to communicate about it well. 

What does sex mean for them? Socially, religiously, what attitudes are they bringing with them? Is “virginity” something they care about? Do they want sexual experiences to occur within a certain “level” of relationship, or does that not really matter so much to them? How comfortable are they talking about, and openly communicating during, sex?

Combining these ones just to talk about their sex life at length ~ Kaine wants sex and they know exactly how, where, when, and how often, which is honestly fairly often. Gale is nothing if not determined, of course, but he definitely has a bit of a more chaste attitude when it comes to sex. Culturally, Kaine comes from a place that doesn’t put a lot of pressure on sex and sexuality, whereas Gale sees it as something important, a big step for their relationship. Kaine recognizes this and does everything they can to make him feel comfortable and understood, but it doesn’t stop them from unraveling him in every way they know how. 

One of Kaine’s favorite things is to tell Gale what they want to do to him, with him, for him - I think verbal communication is a major aspect of their sex life. Before, during, after, all of it. Gale loves for Kaine to tell him what to do, how to please them, to tell him he’s so good at it, and Kaine wants to hear exactly how they’re affecting him, so on and so forth. You get it.

What would their partner do that would really turn them on, perhaps unintentionally?

To kind of go with the last one, Kaine is so turned on by Gale’s words - he’s an orator, he’s a poet, he knows how to string the right words together in the right order to get under their skin, and he does it well, even when he doesn’t mean to. His voice is a big turn on for them, too, whether he speaks low and soft or he’s commanding spells into existence or just commenting on the weather. Really, they love knowing exactly how skilled he is with his mouth. 

Kaine spends a lot of time actively trying to turn Gale on. They’re pretty successful at it, too - they know what they look like, and they learn quickly how to get to him. Unknowingly, though, it’s displays of their power that get to him. We know he’s turned on by danger, by seeing them in combat, and Kaine is a formidable mage, it’s true. They’re a storm incarnate, and their magic is palpable, and electricity can do a lot to someone’s body.

More than that, though, is when Kaine is powerful. When their 22 charisma kicks in and they’re talking their way into a locked room, or they’re sneering down at an enemy that’s surrendered, telling them to beg for mercy, or they’re putting on their imperator voice and demanding answers from someone. It puts him in his place even when it’s not directed at him. 

Kaine wants to be in control - they want to use Gale. His power and confidence gets them going, and they want to channel it into something that will work for them. That’s not to say Kaine is entirely ignorant of Gale’s pleasure; rather, I think they know exactly what to do to him to make it work for them both. 

Something that is also exemplified in canon is that Gale 1. has group sex fantasies about his partner and 2. likes to watch. His mirror images get a lot of use. Gale’s sexual fantasies are such that Kaine picks up on them, and they become a master of subtle looks and innuendos throughout the day that have him ready to do whatever they say once they’re finally alone.

They accidentally hurt or upset their partner. What happened? How do they respond? What do they do to make their partner feel better? (and) They have an argument with their partner—what is it about? Do things stay respectful, or is there some shouting and accusing going on? (and) They have to apologize to their partner. Is this difficult for them? How do they approach it?

all the answers you seek lie within kainefic <3 

To get a little abstract, Kaine doesn’t know how to apologize. They’re selfish and vain and they don’t think they’re wrong. They feel regret over hurting Gale, especially accidentally, and they’ll try to make it better, but it takes a lot to make them apologize and mean it. Kaine also doesn’t think that Gale has anything to apologize for, like…..ever.

When they fight, Kaine lashes out. It’s all they know how to do - they can’t cope with feeling like they’ve fucked up, so they instigate and antagonize and make it worse until something clicks and they have to move on - and then they can try to make amends.

Without giving too much away about the postgame kainefic in the works, when Kaine truly feels that they’ve hurt Gale too much, they would rather see him leave than even attempt to apologize. He shouldn’t forgive them, not after what they did to him - but he does, and they have to find a way to move on. 

How do they feel about the prospect of parenthood? Do they plan on it? 

Gale says he doesn’t see himself as a father, but I think he’d do just fine, and I think he would enjoy it, truly. Kaine’s bloodline is important to them, and despite their general air of selfishness and disregard for responsibility, once they’re coronated and they settle into their role as imperatore, they want a family. 

What compromises are they making in their relationship?

read kainefic Later on down the line, Gale is compromising his life in Waterdeep - he can bring everything with him that he wants, and Kaine will make him as comfortable as he can be, and the Dawn Palace is a beautiful place, but he’s giving up a lot to move to Valais and build a new life. 

What completely petty topic (music taste, favorite food) do they find themselves completely at odds with their partner about?

Kaine’s traditional style of dress involves more exposed skin than is covered, an insane amount of jewelry for the express purpose of the sound it makes, and a complete lack of shoes - and Kaine stubbornly sticks to this as vehemently as they’re able to, no matter where they are or what they’re doing or how much actual danger to their health it causes. It drives Gale crazy. Kaine insists he just needs to get used to having his tits out. 

How do their friends react to finding out they’re a couple? Do they have lots of mutual friends? Did their friends know, perhaps before they themselves did?

It’s painfully obvious that they want each other, it’s a bit of a “gods, it’s about time” moment for most of them. Once they are together, they’re a constant source of sickening couple momence that the rest of the group is subjected to lmaoooo

Under what circumstances would they feel jealous? Under what circumstances would they feel protective?

Kaine isn’t …… jealous, per se, but they are possessive. Halsin would call them territorial. Gale is theirs, and they are going to make sure it’s known. They decorate him in their colors, in their jewelry, and with the marks of their love. There’s simply no competition. 

I don’t think either of them feel the need to protect the other. Gale feels something like protectiveness for a while after the events of kainefic, but, of course, that’s a surprise tool that’ll help us later. 

Would they get a pet? What kind? Who brings up the idea, and who takes a little longer to convince?

In another life, Kaine is a dog person, and grew up with a fantasy doberman. Gale, of course, loves cats, and Kaine would let him have as many as he wanted. They love animals, they connect with them easily, and they probably end up with quite a few.