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medra-gonbites · 4 months ago

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Roll Initiative - Chapter 3

I can't with these stupid boys <3

Chapter 3 of Roll initiative (started for @bloodweaveweek)

Word Count: 3,381

Pairing: Astarion/Gale (Bloodweave)

SFW - Unrequited Love, Will they - Won't they

“Ah! You actually came!” He said with a little bit too much gusto. Astarion smirked at the sound of his betrayed excitement and ran a hand in his perfectly coiffed hair. He pushed past him to get inside. his cologne reached Gale’s nose. Heat pooled in his abdomen as the smell alone was already triggering something primal in him. Astarion walked in like he owned the place and headed to the kitchen. He grabbed a beer in the fridge and shrugged. “Something fell through. I might as well have.” He brushed off. Rude. Gale frowned at these words; big man who thinks himself better than this but still shows up to drink his beers. Still, Astarion’s scent lingered in his nose and he felt so very happy to have him stand in his home again. It all made it difficult to remain upset with him, but Gale would try very hard.

Read the rest on AO3 or under the cut

That evening, Astarion had almost bailed again. Almost.

When his phone had rang the week before his heart had nearly leaped out of his throat. He played it cool; being his usual aloof and unbothered self to the man he thought would not bother pursuing him after his teasing and dismissal. But Gale had and wasn’t it nice to feel wanted. Astarion had promised him he’d come. Part of him wanted to break his promise and stand them up once more.

He considered it for a while. Pondering the pros and cons.

Cons: He needed to commit, a concept he avoided like the plague. Commit to a game that required time, regularity, dedication and concentration. Commit to a group of people whom, beside Wyll, he didn’t know and who would eventually depend on him to keep on playing. He potentially might need to commit to Gale. He did not seem the type to do one night stands despite his eagerness the evening they met and Astarion was not the type to date. He barely did “friendship” already. But he certainly did not do “relationship”.

Pros: The game was fun. As much as he hqd to admit it, it really was. It was nerdy and tedious but also very creative, enticing and he hated how much he loved it. The prospect of having a group of people he could hang out with was also tempting: Wyll was a stand up guy and he didn't’ doubt his friends would be great too.

And finally, there was Gale. Gale was handsome and smart and playful and he had no right to be as sexy as he was. Astarion could not stop thinking about that damn nerd! And that scared him…

In the end he had finally decided to go. To be braver than he had been the week before and actually show up. He knocked on Gale’s door. He was early. He had arrived before everyone else hoping to clear the air before the start of the game. If he would manage to; sincerity was not really his strong suit, but he really wanted to try.

Alas, when Gale opened the door, Astarion could not help but put his mask back on.

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Gale expected to see anyone but Astarion.

At this time, he suspected that these early visitors were Jenevelle and Lae’zel. They usually were the first to arrive (and the first to leave because, as Lae’zel would put it: “we are busy women, be glad we came alltogether”).

Besides, as excited and hopeful as he was to see the man, he had tempered his expectation and was fully aware there was a 75% chance Astarion would reiterate his little trick from last time and not deign to join at all.

When he saw those pretty curls, the piercing eyes and that charming smile Gale felt a surge of electricity run through his chest. He had to fight the urge to jump and wrap his arms around Astarion’s pretty form. He kept his enthusiasm to a minimum but failed to conceal the smile of relief that was etched on his face.

“Ah! You actually came!” He said with a little bit too much gusto.

Astarion smirked at the sound of his betrayed excitement and ran a hand in his perfectly coiffed hair. He pushed past him to get inside. his cologne reached Gale’s nose. Heat pooled in his abdomen as the smell alone was already triggering something primal in him. Astarion walked in like he owned the place and headed to the kitchen. He grabbed a beer in the fridge and shrugged.

“Something fell through. I might as well have.” He brushed off.

Rude.

Gale frowned at these words; big man who thinks himself better than this but still shows up to drink his beers. Still, Astarion’s scent lingered in his nose and he felt so very happy to have him stand in his home again. It all made it difficult to remain upset with him, but Gale would try very hard.

“You’re the first to get here. Care to help me set up?” He asked.

“Not really; just do your thing.” The young man declined.

Gale swallowed his refusal and started to prepare the table for the game by himself all the while Astarion watched him, a mischievous grin stretching his lips. Gale thought he saw a hint of lust in his eyes but tried very hard to ignore it. As much as he was flattered to be gawked at this way, he was also very annoyed to play host for such a boorish guest. Astarion stood in the middle of the room, not budging, clearly on purpose so that Gale had to constantly pass him as he came and went.

“Astarion, if you aren’t going to help, at least move away!” He eventually snapped.

Astarion chuckled, obviously relishing in pushing Gale’s buttons. Gale was really not in the mood for his little games. He did not want to talk about… whatever was there. Not at all; not before the game anyways. But presented with Astarion’s infuriating behaviour he could not refrain from addressing it.

“What’s the deal with you? You seduce me, kiss me, almost take me on my own dinner table, then you blow me off without a reason. Now you’re here, acting all haughty! Frankly, I don’t get it. I thought…”

Gale stopped himself before he would say something stupid. Or pathetic.

“Nevermind… Just sit and wait; the others will come soon.”

Astarion froze for a moment. He seemed taken aback by the sudden rebellious strike of Gale’s temper. He opened his mouth to answer, and for an instant Gale thought he saw a flash of regret in his eyes. But before the other man could speak the door slammed open and Karlach barged in.

“Sup’ mofos!” She exclaimed. She stopped to take in the sight of the room before smiling wide upon seeing Astarion. “Hi there! You must be Wyll’s friend? I’m Karlach!”

Astarion waved mildly at her, confused by her sudden and loud entrance.

“Nice to meet you, darling.” He answered.

“Aw darling.” She mewled, her cheeks blushing.

She skidded to the kitchen, giggling like a schoolgirl. Gale smiled. He was happy to get some company, other than Astarion anyways. He handed Karlach a drink. She whispered in his ear, her eyes still locked on Astarion’s silhouette in the living room.

“What a hottie!”

Gale scoffed. Karlach jerked towards him. Interpreting his annoyed reaction to be directed at her, she immediately added.

“Do you have dibs? I feel like you have dibs.”

“What makes you say that?” He enquired, his brow furrowed.

“The tension was insane when I came in.” She opened her eyes, wide like saucers, seemingly realising something, “I’m sorry if I interrupted anything by the way! I can be such a cock blocker sometimes!”

Gale let out a dry laugh.

“I can assure you nothing is going on whatsoever.” He retorted, the bitter taste of frustration rising in his throat.

Back in the other room, Astarion was lost in thoughts. There was no telling what was happening in that little head of his and Gale was done trying to solve this puzzle. He had another kind of game to think about right now.

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It wasn't before long that Lae’zel and Jenevelle arrived, closely followed by Wyll. The young man tasked himself to introduce Astarion to the rest of them as Gale was not inclined to do so. Astarion noticed the irritation in the game master’s demeanor; he did not act as his usual graceful host. Not to Astarion anyways, and he knew very well why. He pretended not to mind. Even if he was reluctant to, he could be a social butterfly and mingle among this new group. He had certainly been outgoing enough when he had first met Gale…

The game started promptly. Gale had planned a little coincidental interaction in their current point of the campaign to allow Astarion’s character to join the party relatively smoothly. As he was contextualizing the scenario, Astarion could not help but marvel at him.

The way he was focused and detail oriented into the story. The immersive world building he was creating from scratch. How his voice resonated and took a grave timber when giving ominous clues. How his hands and fingers danced as he described the surroundings and NPCs the party encountered. How his lips and tongue moved as he pronounced words and names in elven or primordial.

Astarion was lost in this vision, enthralled by the story teller in front of him and hanging at his every word.

“And there in the clearing you hear a twig snap. You turn around and you see…” Gale narrated before gesturing to Astarion.

Astarion flinched at his cue to enter the game. He hastily took out a fully filled character sheet from his bag, trying to hide his flustered self.

Gale raised an eyebrow at the document. All the sections were dutifully completed in a neat handwriting. There was even a little portrait hastily drawn in the top left corner of the paper, next to the name. It was a rudimentary doodle, not very detailed (or good for that matter), but it clearly showed pointy ears and vampire teeth. Astarion suddenly felt self-conscious by the dungeon master’s gaze upon his work.

“Well that’s an exhaustive profile if I’ve ever seen one.” Gale mocked with a warm grin.

His comment drew the attention and curiosity of the other party members. Astarion blushed and covered his sheet ever so slightly when the four pairs of eyes lingered on it.

“Well, I understood we needed it to play.” He mumbled trying to keep a detached voice.

“Oh, you gave him a back story and everything!” Wyll exclaimed, bending over to check the section of the sheet, “That’s very thorough of you, I can’t wait to get to know…” He faltered as he read the name, “Count Victor Vamp?”

The group stifled a collective laughter at the name of the character. Astarion crossed his arm on his chest and let out a defensive puff of air.

“Yeah, I’m not good at names, so what! Victor is probably cooler than all of your guys!”

He slumped slightly, an embarrassed look on his face. Why did he even care about all this to begin with?

“Don’t worry Astarion!” Jenevelle encouraged, “I’m sure he'll fit right in!”

Astarion rolled his eyes to highlight his annoyance, but secretly he hoped that the young woman was right. He liked Victor much more than he thought he would and could hardly wait to live the adventures that were going to befall him.

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The game went on for about two hours without a hitch as the players made their way through the hoops of the quest that Gale masterfully orchestrated for them.

He kept an interested eye on Astarion, watching expectantly as the man was getting carried away in the game. He could see the detached facade crumbling little by little as the excitement of the game did not leave much room for him to be self-aware. It was endearing to witness. His usually poised self was slowly letting spontaneity dictate his moves and his reactions. The jokes he made and his interactions with the others, without feeling the need to feign disinterest. His riveted attention to the scenario and the many forks he could choose from to advance it.

Gale was elated when, as he explained the story or the dilemmas, he would catch Astarion’s big eyes on him, drinking his words like he was a prophet. How bad he wished he could keep this kind of energy alive at all times.

As the party made its way in the great outdoors they reached the Cliffside Crawl as Gale planned; a narrow path on the rocky and windy flank of a cliff above a treacherous sea. A tricky place no doubt, but given their current level, nothing the adventurers couldn’t overcome. Astarion’s confidence had built through the last hour and he enthusiastically leaned forward.

“There is only one way to go, right? Let’s just go!”

“We might want to check the surroundings first, no?” Wyll cautiously suggested, “The path is narrow, and Gale described ridges and caves alongside the walls. As a ranger, maybe I should do a perception check?”

Astarion ignored him and turned to Gale.

“I approach the path.”

Gale raised an eyebrow and glanced at Wyll for confirmation. The latter gave a resigned wave, giving in to the new players enthusiasm.

“Alright. Roll random encounter.”

Astarion seized Gale’s die. He still had not bought his own, despite his claim a few weeks ago, but as an accommodating DM Gale did not mind lending him his, even if it was his favourite set. He smirked as the man shook the precious purple icosahedron; another reminder of the former experience they had shared after their previous game. Astarion noticed Gale’s gaze, a cocky grin spread on his lips, that had Gale’s neck turn pink.

He dropped the die on the table. 3.

Gale hissed. Manticore.

A menacing and imposing creature with the body of a lion, the wings of a dragon and with a spiky tail capable of impaling its enemy at an impressive range. Might be a tough battle for a group of their level but if they’d play it smart, not impossible… Unfortunately, they did not play it smart. After an inelegant and brutish fight and a couple of pretty bad die rolls, the party was in a tough position; all of them barely having any hit points or spell slots left.

“Bloody die again!” Astarion fussed.

“Come on now, don’t blame it on the die! You are the one who recklessly ran into danger without a second thought” Wyll snarled, annoyed.

Gale hesitated; He was grinding his mental gears, thinking of a way to facilitate their victory without downright cheating. He would rather refrain from pulling a deus ex machina but he also did not want to let his friends down. He had a few ideas but they had to initiate them.

“Guys, come on, you can turn this around” He tried to cheer.

Astarion’s brow bent into a pleading arch as he turned to Gale. He blinked his perfectly performative puppy-eyes at him, his lips pouting, slightly glistening in the light of the overhead lamp above their map.

“Can’t you just help us out here?” He said, giving him a coquettish look, “Come on, for me.”

Gale flinched, frowning and blushing at the same time. Was Astarion really trying to flirt his way out of a fight during D&D campaign? As a respectable DM, Gale was insulted by the man's attempt to bribe him and spoil his integrity by using his charm. But beyond that he hated that it was kind of working. His impartiality wavering, faced with Astarion’s pursed lips, enticing, intoxicating in a way that made him want to let them win.

The two men kept devouring each other with their eyes, forgetting the rest of the world around them. The rest of the world, however, was not inclined to forget about them. Jenevelle placed her hands on the table with a confused look.

“Pause the game for five minutes! Is there something going on between you two?”

“Yeah! I’ve been saying!” Karlach added.

“Have you sorted things out?” Wyll asks, enthusiastically at the idea of his friend’s budding romance.

Gale sheepishly looked over his screen in embarrassment. He was about to correct them but was interrupted by Astarion’s loud scoff.

“No no no no! There is nothing there! I’m just using my vampire charm on our dear DM!”

That stung. More than Gale would have liked to admit.

He glanced over at the man and was met with a defiant smirk. He did not know if he was playing or not. Frankly he was done with his careless attitude, in game or otherwise. He had bruised his ego and his heart enough in so little time. Looking over at the book of random encounters, the game master sought an opportunity for payback. A way to erase that entitled grin from his face somehow. Scanning over the manticore’s page he finally found it.

“The manticore’s wings have been damaged by Jenevelle’s previous spell; maybe there is something you could do? Given that you are on the edge of a cliff?”

“Oh right!” Astarion cooed, taking the bait “I push him off.”

Gale’s lips stretched into a calculating grin, as he locked eyes with Astarion, his expression dead serious.

“You push the beast off the cliff, but his tail swirls around your ankle… Roll a dexterity saving throw.”

Apprehension crossed Astarion’s face, his smile fading from his lips and Gale felt in control once more. A sadistic satisfaction at his worried expression, that he didn’t know he could feel or enjoy. The die rolled on the table, the players holding their breath. The resin gem, tethering on one of its edges, was a small push away from its final call, hanging between an 18 and a 2.

Fuelled by pettiness, Gale obeyed his impulse to intervene. He feigned to shift onto his seat, his knees stealthily hitting the table from underneath, giving the last jolt for the die to fall on its side. 2 it was.

“The manticore takes Count Victor Vamp with him over the edge cliff and they both tumble to their doom. The echoes of their scream reverberates through the mountain before a dreadful silence resumes in the valley”.

The group gasped in response to the fall of their comrade. Count Victor Vamp was gone. Astarion jaws slacked, in shock. He stuttered incredulously before pointing an accusatory finger toward Gale.

“You knocked the table! I felt it!” He protested.

“I did no such thing!” Gale denied.

“Somebody did!”

“Don’t be a sore loser Astarion,” Lae’zel sighed “We will make a new character for you next week.”

Astarion huffed in indignation. He rushed to pack his stuff hastily in his bag.

“I don’t care about this game, I'm not a child. But I won't play with cheaters! Thanks for nothing!”

He glared daggers at Gale and the dungeon master felt a wave of guilt churning in his stomach. The young man stormed out, leaving the party speechless.

“Thanks for Count Victor Vamp’s service…” Karlach remarked sternly, “Can my bard sing a eulogy for him?”

Gale rubbed his forehead, a futile attempt to ward off the headache that was already throbbing behind his eyes.

“Roll for performance…”

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After Count Victor Vamp’s demise and Astarion’s premature departure the group decided to end the session for the night. An awkward silence settled as they were gathering their respective files and antics, only broken by Gale’s sudden realization. His die 20 was missing.

“Nobody moves.” He blurted anxiously.

The others lifted their heads with an intrigued expression on their faces.

“Empty your dice pouches!”

Irritated groans accompanied the player’s compliance, but it became clear quickly that none of them had inadvertently bagged Gale’s precious die. As his friends departed one after the other, Gale was consumed by his search for his missing die. He checked his dice box six times. Lifted every piece of furniture he owed. He had even rummaged through the trash on the off (and unlikely) chance it had been mistaken for a pistachio shell.

“It’s karma, Gale! You should have been nicer to Astarion!” Snickered Karlach as she was leaving last.

The lightbulb lit up. Of course Astarion. Who else would have reason and be petty enough to steal from him. The rogue. How ironic.

He reached for his phone and composed a text.

“I know you have my die!”

His phone buzzed in response almost immediately.

“And I’m keeping it you ass!”

“Can you please be mature about this…”

“Lol! Kettle!”

Gale tutted disapprovingly but before he could text back, Astarion seemed to have a change of heart.

“I’m on my way. You better apologize when I get there.”

For some reason that statement sent a jolt of heat through Gale’s core. He tried to brush it off. Astarion was coming back. He was going to give his die back, he would apologize to him and hopefully they could deal with this like adults.

Adults who play games.

Read the last part in chapter 4!

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punchratt · 1 year ago

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Indulging in my brainrot again, heres that longer bg3 character design post i was talking about! (@dragonageshitpostingelves, i didnt forget you <3) Also, Spoiler Warning, i talk a lot about the companions backstory and quests, so don't read if you haven't finished those. Or do, I don't care.

Im gonna be honest and admit right now that I am sadly NOT a professional character designer, but instead just a nerd who likes to draw. I think the bg3 designs are amazing as they are and deserve a hell of a lot more praise then their already getting. That being said, i have many opinions about these funny little tadpole people. The first of them being that Gale, Wyll, and Astarion should not look like that. I mean, they all literally have the same body model, just give or take few scars and some hair, then swap the head. Which i think is a little shocking considering that the girls have much more diverse body types. Normally its the other way around.

First, Astarion. I love him, but i should not be able to grate cheese on his abs. Dude was a slave surviving off rats and living in the shadows for over 200 years, he's a rouge with 8 strength and no work out plan other then squatting so he can hide better. The last thing he should have is a six pack. I am a firm believer in scrawny Astarion, that man is wet noodle, he is malnourished and it should show. I should be able to see that mans ribs. Play that boy like a xylophone. This twink is not twinking right now and its driving me insane!

Im not saying he cant be sexy, in fact i think its very important that he is sexy. A big chunk of his story has to do with his relationship with sex and how he views romance as a whole. The whole point of his story is that he seems like the sexy vampier stereotype, but is actually a much more in depth character with a very complicated relationship to sex and romance. He needs to look sexy for that to work. But you don't gotta have a six pack to look sexy! Whenever i see him without a shirt all i can think of is that abs just don't look right on him. Everything else i think they've gotten perfect, he really does look like the character he's supposed to be and i can only applaud Larian for getting it so right, just.. lose the abs.

Second, Gale. I feel like I've already summed up how i feel about his design in my last post, but i like talking so i'm gonna say more! Gale should be chubby!! All he likes to do is ponder his orb, talk to his cat, and study magic. I firmly believe that he also has a side passion for food. After all, what is cooking if not potion brewing but different? Gale can appreciate a good meal and it should show! After all, eating and food is integral to his character with the whole arcane hunger thing he has going on. Give me my dad bod Gale and all wrongs in this world will be righted.

But to be a little more serious about this, i think his story becomes all the more poetic and tragic if you view him as someone who loves food. Because just imagine that you have three things you love, magic, food, and your goddess girlfriend. Now imagine that one day, to impress your goddess girlfriend, you do something kinda really stupid and end up with a magic nuke in your chest. But wait, it gets worse! Because of this failed grand gesture your goddess girlfriend breaks up with and banishes you. She leaves you to deal with this whole thing by yourself, all you have now is your cat and cooking. But wait, it gets even worse!! No matter how much you eat, yu arent ful, so you're constantly starvinng now, and thats how you find out that the bomb in your chest feeds on magic! Which means that now Gale has to ether find a way to keep it fed or he's gonna kamikaze half the swords coast. Meaning he has to eat any magical artifacts he gets his hands on while also dealing with the emotional damage of everything else. Food, one of the only things he had left, is now a stressful reminder of the fucked up situation he's in.

Now I don't think that means Gale starts to hate food, or resent it in some way, I still think he's the adorable little foodie goofball dork who insisted on being the camp cook. But i do think it makes his whole relationship with food something much more bittersweet, which is very interesting and something i feel could be reflected better in his already amazing design.

Third, Wyll. Wyll, I believe, is the most likely to be buff out of these three. Though, I don't think he'd show it as much as he does. We know he likes to dance, and that he enjoys a good sword fight more then anything! He used to fence with his father and overall is a very active guy. He is probably the character that most matches his body, there aren't many things I'd change. That being said, he is still a warlock with less strength then a hamster. He wouldn't be that muscly.

My dude is the son of a Grand Duke, he's had a relatively cushy life that didnt really get all that much harder after his dad gave him the boot (dick move btw). He's struggled, defiantly! But i don't think it'd be a reach to say that Wyll might have a little fat on him. I dont really have much to say other then i think he'd benefit from taking those abs away and putting that bulk somewhere else. When I imagine Wyll I imagine a man with some arm game and a pudgy belly. Maybe some calf muscle too, but overall nothing too defined since he doesn't really use strength in combat. I mean, why does Wyll have more defined abs then Lae'zel? Of all the origin characters she should have the most defined abs of the group. Not these three clowns(affectionate).

Wyll is a softie with a heart of gold, he should get to have a soft body to go with it. Plus it'd add more contrast between what parts are devil and what aren't. Sharp rough horns, a scarred face, and striking but intimidating eyes juxtaposed against a soft but somewhat built frame, quick whit, and a generally nice attitude make for a very interesting design! One that i think would be much more compelling then the kinda default muscly hero build he has now.

Now compare those to the secrete fourth option i didnt tell you about! Halsin! I think Halsin is designed perfectly and there is nothing i would change. He uses a unique body model from the other three and his design perfectly captures who he is as a character. He's big, appropriately buff, and looks kind. I look at that man and i think "yeah, thats a guy who occasionally turns into a bear", and he does! He looks like a natural born leader who knows how to make those tough decisions, he looks as inviting as he acts, and he looks like he gives amazing hugs. Bear hugs if you will! That man is a bear in every sense of the word, and whats more druid then that?

I only really brought him up to set him as sort of a standard for the designs of this game, because almost every single design is just as perfect and well thought out as his. I could go on for several more paragraphs about other characters and why their also perfect, or what other small little changes id make to their designs (cough cough, Lae'zel abs, cough) but this thing is getting long enough as is.

So to conclude. Fuck abs, and get them off my boys! If you've actually read this whole monstrosity, thank you. It took me over half a day to write and i still feel like i haven't touched on everything. Like, i didn't get to praise their designs nearly as much as i wanted to, but oh well. Maybe I'll make another post about the girls, maybe ill ramble about what i do like about the boys designs, i don't know. Depends on if anyone wants that, or if i still got gas left in the tank after this. Finally, please excuse any spelling errors and the inconsistent capitals. Its late, i have dyslexia, and i'll probably go back and fix it later. Thanks again for reading!

#rattrambles #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #astarion #wyll ravengard #halsin

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shewhowas39 · 9 months ago

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fuck it. i'm doing it. starting a tarot deck prompt tag here. i'll always include a pick of the card and what deck i'm pulling from.

***

Title: "You've Got This" Card: Queen of Crosses Deck: Favole Tarot by Victoria Frances Ship: Karlach x Shadowheart Rating: Non-explicit Warnings: Mild sexual references, swearing, and some light Juniper & Starlight spoilers.

Summary: Karlach reminds herself that she's a sexy badass before making a move on the girl she likes.

Karlach glances around, ensuring that she's not being watched, before swiping the hand mirror from Astarion's pack.

She'd seen him using it before and been absolutely baffled - until she realized he mostly just stands around with it, huffing dramatically, until June comes over to tell him he's pretty. She's seen this happen more than once now, and it's hilarious every time.

Gods, she adores that pointy faced little man.

But he doesn't need the mirror right now and she does. She quickly runs back to her tent before stopping to check her reflection. She moves the mirror around so she can look at her face and neck from every angle. Are her horns looking shiny? Has she gotten all of the blood off from the fight earlier?

Or did the blood actually make her look better? Maybe she should go out and find some Absolute cultists to kill before she does this?

Karlach takes a deep breath, shaking off the string of nervous thoughts.

"You've got this, Karlach," she tells her reflection with the same determination and enthusiasm she would use to give her companions a pep talk. "You're good looking and funny and you kill things so good. You're a catch!"

In the nights since Dammon had fixed her engine, making it so she could actually touch people for the first time in a decade, she'd kissed countless Harpers and tiefling refugees in the tap room of the Last Light Inn. And she'd never felt a moment of insecurity. She knows how hot she is - ha! literally! - and worst case scenario, they'd turn her down and she would move on to someone else eager to get ot know Mama K.

This is different, though. This isn't just some random person she'll never see again. This is her friend. Her insightful, mysterious, sexy friend. She doesn't just want to kiss her at the bar or even carry her up the stairs to share a locked room and a night they'll never forget. Though that sounds really nice, too.

No. She wants to do this the right way. The Wyll Ravenguard way.

She can hear Wyll in her head already, cheering her on. Telling her to chase her heart's desires. She isn't nearly as romantic as him - and certainly not as chaste (at least, not by choice), but he has a few good ideas in that cute head of his.

Karlach knows now might be the worst possible time. They have this fucking Shadow Curse and Ketheric Thorm to deal with. But based on the way two beautiful green eyes have been looking at her these last few nights, she thinks this might be her shot.

And by the hells, she has waited too long for this sort of opportunity to miss it because of a stupid, evil, life stealing curse and a few hundred cultists.

"This is your shot," she tells her reflection again. "You'll regret it forever if you don't take it. And you're looking great tonight. Blood or lack of blood - doesn't matter. You're a babe." She winks at herself and then giggles at the absurdity of it.

Outside, she hears voices. She quickly stashes away the hand mirror, runs her hands over her clothes, and then pokes her head out of the tent flap. Shadowheart, Astarion, and June have come back down from the inn and seem to be finishing up some conversation.

"One of the Harpers says there's a Thorm family mausoleum around here. It might be a good place to gather some information," Shadowheart is saying.

"Oh, a crypt? Finally! It's been so long since you've dragged me to some disgusting, rat-infested hole in the ground," Astarion snarks. "I was starting to miss it."

June elbows him with a snort before nodding to Shadowheart. "Sounds like a good idea to me. We can talk it over with the others in the morning."

The three part ways as June and Astarion slip off toward the river and Shadowheart begins moving around camp, apparently gathering supplies for a bath.

Nope, nope, nope. Don't think about her int he bath, Karlach! She swallows. We're doing this the right way. The wyll Ravenguard way remember? And you're confident. You are so. fucking. confident.

With one last deep breath, Karlach climbs out of her tent, puts on her biggest, best - hopefully sexiest? - smile, and strides over to Shadowheart.

"Hey, you," she says. "Got a minute to talk?"

***

author's note: so this deck is a bit different. it leaves the reader to interpret what each of the suits corresponds to in a typical RWS deck. i, personally, read crosses as similar to wands. so that's what i used as my inspiration for this story.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #karlach x shadowheart #shadowheart x karlach #karlach bg3 #juniper & starlight #in the cards tarot drabbles

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wetcatspellcaster · 9 months ago

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I just found your work and let me just say that I am an absolute simp for Rosalie! She is such a wonderful character and love her paring with Astarion. Though I am very curious, what does Rosalie see in Astarion and vise versa? What do they love/like most about each other? Apologies If you have already answered this/feel free to not answer :) I hope you have and or are having a wonderful day!

oh hey anon! thank you for reading my work, and for asking a very fun question that allows me to be very self-indulgent.

under the cut to avoid long post bc honestly, I can ship them as much as I want but not everyone has to read that.

Game/Party Favours Rosalie:

Rosalie sees someone who essentially embodies the charisma she thinks she lacks (very funny to me, who knows his charisma score and her charisma score, after BG3 backed me into a corner and made Persuasion the dealbreaker of the game). She knows that her knowledge is reserved for ivory towers, she admires his street smarts, even if she doesn't agree with his worldview. She thinks he's very good at being a rogue, and she finds competency extremely attractive (I mean, come on, +17 to lockpicking? she had Knock and he literally never left her party. she just liked to watch).

She has a lot of shame, Astarion seems to her to be shameless. There is also some standard "oh boy, hottest person I've ever encountered likes me" serotonin, as she is flattered that she can catch his attention and hold it. She liked stretching her new tadpole-aided social muscles through a constant back-and-forth that made her feel challenged, desirable, and like someone other than who she was - he essentially helped her build herself a new mask without either of them realising it. She liked that he still wanted to be with her, after that was dismantled. In the Party Favours timeline when the world isn't ending, Astarion is one of the people capable of leading her astray and help her to behave recklessly (still without really being reckless, basically they have a lot of really fun nights out). Once things have mellowed out and Astarion's worldviews aren't "let's help slavers" or "let's kill 7000 people", Rose gives a lot more leeway to "let's break into this building", "let's drunkenly ruin this party", "let's liven up this dragon killing by talking to it first".

I feel like with Astarion I'm just repeating other people's arguments for other people's Tavs, but I really like shipping him with an unapologetically kind or lawful good person (Tav, Wyll, Karlach) just because I think it means he gets to experience kindness on a level he's never experienced before. In terms of what he sees in her: at first, a very easy person to manipulate, but who also holds the most power and status in the group - to his extreme frustration. Someone who starts out on the first day as kind of a wet blanket, but by three weeks in is dealing insane damage and killing people with Scorching Rays, making him reconsider his stance. He also sees someone who challenges his worldview, by refusing to compromise on a set of morals he thinks are stupid and should get her killed and then doesn't. She consistently forgives him and shows him a grace the world hasn't given him, until Act 3 when she doesn't. I think he thinks she's hot, I think getting yelled by said hot woman is still pretty sexy. then, he also thinks she has an effortless charisma at getting people to like her that he works very hard at (is this the same as what Rosalie thinks about him, yes, that's the joke!)

In the Party Favours timeline, he repeatedly tried to seduce her, and it didn't work, so I guess part of her appeal there is that she helped him without expecting anything else in return. She consistently helped him recover as a friend and helped him build a life, and there wasn't any sex involved whatsoever.

Pieces Still Stuck in Your Teeth Rosalie:

I put this as separate, because I think the exes dynamic does change things massively. There's all of the above, but I think they also just both represent to each other the lives they could've chosen, or the mistakes they wish they could have fixed. Rosalie mourns her former life, while Ascended!Astarion fetishises her morality because that's the one thing he doesn't have - a sense of purpose, a moral compass, a conviction, and also a guiding light. I do think they are kind of clinging to an alternate history where everything worked out perfectly, and they see that in each other - the number of times Rose mourns the happier person she could've been, it's nearly always tied up with Astarion. Rosalie (as she did once before) literally sees those tadpoled months as her peak, before another massive period of depression.

I also think that, come Act 3, there is the inverse of that - not just the life that could've been, but the second chance. The idea that you might be able to recapture a little of that former joy, even if it's different now, and even if you feel you don't deserve it. I think once they break through that preconception - of this person not as a person, but as an ideal or a nostalgia - and actually begin to see the real person underneath it again, is actually when their relationship can begin to flourish and just be... idk. a bit more normal, again?

#asks #anons #rosalie tag #i just like opposite attract relationships tbh #and charisma/intelligence (or popular guy/nerdy girl)#with a bit of rivals to lovers in the sense of 'ok let's see who's belief system is going to win out prettyboy'

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lelianasbong · 1 year ago

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astarion stop fantasizing about sweet strong righteous Wyll for five seconds challenge: IMPOSSIBLE

Astarion: I hardly saw you at the party. Did the honest and true Blade sneak off for a little fun?

Wyll: No! Nothing like that at all.

Astarion: Oh, but you protest too much! Now I know you were practicing your swordplay. 😏

#pRaCTicInG yOuR SWorDplaY #get out. get OUT #“stupid sexy wyll”#wyllstarion #astarion ancunin #wyll ravengard #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #actual astarion footage: 🥵🫣😖

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doublegoblin · 1 year ago

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Man, Astarion got the short end of the stick as far as good endings go.

So I was on a walk and talking with the partner about BG3 (because good gamer very fun) with an emphasis on how the (arguably) poster boy of the game really kinda got screwed over.

This is going to involve some VERY HEAVY spoilers for the game so I will be putting the rest under the cut petals~

So I won't go too in depth because time on earth is limited and I'd rather not write an entire dissertation so I'll try and keep this brief and to the point. Also this is only going over the "good" endings for the Origin characters.

So huzzah you defeated the Nether Brain! Good job Tav or Whoever! We are all bathing in the setting sunlight! Oh no! Astarion no longer has his tadpole and is burning in the sun! Aaaaand he's ran off.

Wait what?

Yeah here's my issue with this ending. Everyone else, while maybe a tragic ending (see Karlach), gets one that is full of some hope at least! You have Shart overcoming her brainwashing and learning to live for herself. Lae'zel going off to fight a fascistic lich-queen, Wyll out of his contract (without DYING) and finally being able to tell his dad the truth, Gale no longer worried about the bomb in his chest and fufilling his (shitty fucked up) misson to Mythra, Karlach is in Avernus again yes but she isn't alone (either with you or Wyll) and is taking charge of her own life, Halsin saved the shadow-cursed lands and reunites with his best friend, Jaheira reunited with Minsc who is no longer a statue! Hells even Durge gets something nice in becoming their own person!

And poor Astarion, like I know you can't cure vampirism (I could go on how there should have been a counterpart to the ascended ending for him where maybe not cure but help), runs away and becomes alone again (unless you romance him but c'mon man that won't be everyone's play-through) losing all the connections and found family he has made. Like this guy was juuuuust on the cusp of having something he hadn't had in over 200 years, friends and some positive influences in his life and it is snatched away.

Like I thought I did something WRONG when that scene started playing! And like, yes, he is wasn't the greatest of guys when you meet up but can you blame him? Like this man has had to endure 200 years of no true freewill of his own, his body literally being puppeteered by the whims of his Pimp. He became a monster to survive. Does this make up for his past deeds though? Hells fucking no. But, like, he was on the road to not redemption but rehabilitation.

Idk like I said I want to keep this short but damn, he is the ONE character to not have an ending with even a crumb of hope.

ALSO WE CAN JUST STAY IN BALDUR'S GATE AND HIT HIM UP, WE KNOW WHERE HE LIVED! Also like, you've made good with the Guild, you can have that favor and figure out where the guy is...just so he doesn't have to lose the few people who he may care about.

Okay okay now I'm good. Trust me though, THIS is short compared to the thoughts I was having and very loudly proclaiming on our walk. I know a lot of the nuance is being lost by keeping this short but yeah. Bleh, they did my stupid sexy vampire dirty and he earned a smidge of hope imo.

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate astarion #baldur's gate rant #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #baldurs gate 3 spoilers #bg3 astarion #I have many loud feelings #Like even if you go where the story takes you and you romance her #the barbarian will still LOBE you no matter what you are #like damn bro come on!

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g33se · 1 year ago

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Playing bg3 right now. Got to the point with the druids and the tiefling city. A couple of opinions about the party:

Lae'zel: I liked her a lot when I met her first (competent, straightforward, my type of girl) but she's being very rude about the tieflings. Given that I'm playing a tiefling... well. Not keen on the way she compared us to cockroaches or the way she made the tiefling bow- granted the tieflings did have reason to want to stab her. So liking her quite a bit less now. Still, looking at her respectfully. She is hot.

Shadowheart: Never really liked elves all that much. Not super keen on the way she did a racism at Lae'zel as soon as we met her, but the moments of emotional vulnerability have me liking her a lot more.

Astarion: Stupid loser bastard. That man is clearly a vampire- I mean, look at the eyes/teeth/the literal VAMPIRE BITE on his neck and the ten thousand clues he's been dropping. Sexy of him to greet me by holding a knife to my neck I thought he was going to rob me. He's such a fucking idiot I want to jump his bones.

Gale: This man has bard energy. At least, the way I play bards. Also kind of single dad energy? Just a random wizard running around. Just a Dude, if you will. Had to put him back in the campsite since I'm a sorcerer and party comp will get fucked though.

Wyll: Thought he was a paladin at first. Then he started doing warlocky things. I like how he acts it's a nonstandard edgy warlock thing, I hope his storyline pans out well. Really like his back-and-forth with Lae'zel about ever doing nice things with her life. Immediately taken with the fight scene I saw him in first, looked fucking epic.

Overall, I really love Mind Flayers. They're fucking cool, that little starter scene when I converted a woman into one was fucking nightmare fuel. I did see the button saying perfect and press it knowing what it would probably mean. What the hell were they doing in Avernus though. And isn't Zariel the angel who fell because she wanted to kill demons with GREAT PREJUDICE?

I've also been save scumming whenever I steal stuff a lot because, habit. I just want to collect all the boxes and put them into the campsite. Also reloaded the same save three times because I wanted Asterion to take that one potato off a crying guard. (Probably going to try to see if I can do a revivify on the dead guard later? I don't know if the game has the 1 min timer on revivify or not.) Also I do like how yoinking just makes people do 'hey wtf' or 'you're getting arrested' because instantly trying to kill the party is. Weird.

Also reloaded the save once because I couldn't revivify Shadowheart because she died on stairs that were on fire. I know how to play dnd I just have a hard time conceptualizing it with game graphics.

Lower level dnd's always interesting. The take action to restore someone else at 1hp is also... inspired. Would be interested to see normal downing rules- that would force me to think in more dnd terms to play the game. I also keep clicking wrong and wasting attacks on the space right next to a person.

Weird how everyone can use scrolls.

I hate the 1/short rest mage hand it's a fucking cantrip and it can do, like, nothing. Going to download a mod for it later.

Going to have to use the speak with dead amulet a lot I hope. I love that spell. Not quite sure how I feel about your camp being a separate room- I feel like it trivializes inventory management and sending things there is. Weird. Where is all the weight going. I do like stacking all the boxes I find though.

Thought the Absolute people were part of a mind flayer cult so had to kill a few of them.

Current leader druid is a bit cringe. Don't want to kill her but definitely ousting her asap. Stop being a dick to my people (tieflings). Also really liking the tiefling responses so far.

Also wonder at the deal about the tiefling village. They seem to have a lot of hell stuff going on there.

Anyway, this is cool! Looking forward to what happens next.

#bg3 #bg3 spoilers #shadowheart #gale #wyll #lae'zel #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #astarion

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slusheeduck · 11 months ago

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28 please?

28. "You're so cute."

Astarion could feel eyes on him as he flipped through his book--nothing interesting, but it saved him the pain of small talk around the camp fire. He tried to ignore it--and managed it, for a moment--but ultimately he had to look over to see who was watching him.

Oh. Falerin. What a surprise.

He gave him a stiff little smile in kind, then resumed his reading. He thought he'd planned this well. The thought process was this: Wyll and Lae'zel were both too dangerous--one because of his do-gooder nature, the other because she was practically ready to murder anyone who looked at her wrong; Gale was too desperate; Karlach was obviously a no-go with the lack of touch; Shadowheart was too...look, he wasn't really sure what Shadowheart's thing was, but something was off. Falerin--sweet, half-mad Falerin--was the best option left. Not only did it work out that he ended up the defacto leader of their little party, thus ensuring Astarion was extra safe, but with his fey-touched nature, there was plenty of plausible deniability if he ever did bring up a complaint. The bite had been a good test, so he'd assumed that sleeping with him would be relatively safe.

But ever since, the warlock had been looking at him with big, soppy eyes and a stupid smile on his face. Gods, had he been a virgin? He couldn't be, not if he dealt with the fey. So he did his best to balance the proclamations and flirtations with plain ignoring him. He wanted to be close to Fal for safety; he did not want anything more.

And yet, he still felt his two-toned gaze on him, and it was growing more and more unsettling. He finally shut his book, looking over at Falerin with another stiff smile.

"Yes, my little treat?"

Falerin didn't respond, still staring at him with the dopiest smile. Astarion's dropped, fair brows drawing together.

"Darling? Falerin?" He snapped his fingers in front of Fal's face. "Are you off with the fairies, dear?"

Fal startled a bit, but the smile remained. He gave a soft little laugh, cheeks flushing deliciously--it might be time to ask for another bite. The half-drow met his eyes warmly.

"Sorry. It's just..." He rubbed his face, looking bashful. "You're so cute."

Astarion blinked. Cute? Cute? He was a monster, a vicious killing machine who felt no worse about using the stupid, mad warlock in front of him than he did about the inevitable dagger that he'd lodge right between Cazador's ribs. How many hundreds had he lured to their deaths? How many false promises had he whispered into hopeful ears? If he had to kill everyone in this camp--yes, Scratch included!--to get his freedom, he'd slit all their pretty throats without a moment's hesitation.

And Falerin thought he was cute.

He didn't even try to spin that into a flirtation. How could he? Beautiful, he could work with. Sexy, definitely. Seductive, tantalizing, tempting, alluring...the list went on. But cute? He had nothing for that, and so he just stared at Falerin.

Fal, at least, had the good sense to give an embarrassed laugh. "I know, I know, you probably don't get that often. But it's true. You..." He bit his lip, tugging it to the side; it was one of the few things he did that Astarion had to admit he liked (silently, of course). "When you read, or think, or just...you know, when you're not performing..."

"I don't perform."

"Sure, of course you don't. But your face gets so soft, and your lips turn up a bit--I think it's natural. And with the way your hair is just now..." Falerin shrugged. "I don't know, it's cute! You're cute, Astarion."

Astarion scoffed. "We'll see if you still feel that way the next time I'm covered in blood."

"Is it weird that I kind of like when you get like that?"

"Is it we--yes, it's weird! You're..." Astarion stepped up to him, fully intent on telling him just how strange he was and, if he wanted this to go any further, maybe he'd consider keeping a little more quiet. He looked over the half-drow's face, lifting his head haughtily as he did. His eyes drifted over his lips, still bitten, over the freckles on his cheeks, up to the odd-colored eyes with the faintest shadows around them and the errant strands of hair that fell over them in a way that, damn it all, was rather charming.

He sighed, looking upwards. Well. Things could be worse, really, couldn't they?

Falerin tilted his head slightly, adding to the charm. "I'm...?"

Astarion sighed again, a bigger, more dramatic one, before he said, in a small voice, "You're...cute, too." Might as well make it count, so he leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "But if you repeat that to anyone..."

Falerin laughed. "Our secret." He smiled up at him, reaching up to cup Astarion's cheek, but wordlessly letting his hand drop as the vampire stepped back out of reach. "Feel like a drink tonight?"

"Gods, I thought you'd never ask." Astarion opened his book with a pleased little smile. Well, it was a messier plan than he'd initially hoped for, but he couldn't say it didn't have its perks.

#astarion x tav #yeah this one's not smutty at all but still #it is fun playing around with them pre-actual confession #one day I'll have to write something from Fal's pov about it

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