#task: aylin

[prcttyvxnom]

aylin cavus ┈ « tag drop. »  

[brassdivinity]

BRASS DIVINITY : LIGHT UP THE NIGHT

Aylin’s wearing the notorious little black dress that shows off her more intricate tattoos. Despite having a reserved sense of herself, her body has always been the one thing she’s never been afraid of having out in the open because of the art it carries. Her body is a gallery, and it’s primarily her work or favorite pieces by artists she’s sought out. She has a multitude of gold earrings for all of her piercings, two bracelets, and a stacked collections of chains including a gold barbed wire design. She’s wearing a pair of heeled leather boots that are a little higher than her go-to, so let’s hope she can balance walking straight and avoiding a slip of her dress material.

[astarions-wife]

Ranking Baldur’s Gate 3 Characters/Companions on if they’d be successful in helping you lace a corset.

Astarion: 11/10. He wears them himself, he probably even judges you on how you’re doing it wrong. He has it down to a science.

Shadowheart: 7/10. She wears that corset top to bed. She’s all for the use and style, but she prefers the ones without laces. Probably could do it, but with practice.

Minsc: 5/10. He says “Why do our QUEENS wear these things…” he doesn’t get it. But if asked to help lace a corset, it’s not that he couldn’t—it’s just he’d probably ask Boo to do it.

Lae’zel: 8/10 on skill, because she definitely can, but why would she? She’d click her tongue and call you weak for needing assistance.

Wyll: 10/10, he studies it to be a gentleman. He knows the correct tensions, how hard to pull, how to tie them, etc. he even knows the front lace ones.

Karlach: 6/10. Once the heat is cooled down enough so that she can touch you, I think she’s just so excited to have physical contact with anyone that she forgets the task at hand. She’d have to be reminded frequently.

Jaheira: 9/10, but in a practical way. Like she helps you lace them, while expressing concern about how tight they are, and focuses on doing it right to be supportive and practical for combat.

Gale: 2/10. Don’t get me wrong, he does it right. But he definitely has some kind of spell to do it for him. Now taking it off? That’s a 10/10, a proper science.

Aylin: 12/10, laces Isobel’s corset while proclaiming her love for her. It’s an art form, and Aylin has conquered it.

Isobel: No data. Hasn’t laced a corset since Aylin came back.

Halsin: 7/10, he definitely knows how! I just think he goes off about the “oak father” and how corsets are against natures very way as he’s doing it.

Orin: 0/10, would she even need to? She snaps her fingers to change forms. She wears human flesh on her body. She’d cut a corset off, and then probably you in the process.

Gortash: -2/10. The man can’t even lace his own shirt, let alone someone’s corset.

[a03heralding]

Bg3 blunt rotation headcanons:

Karlach: does not stop fucking laughing. She’s def wheezing at a joke she overheard in a lesbian bar three and a half years ago while in the middle of a sentence. The type who starts a story and ends up laughing so hard she can’t finish it.

Halsin: mellow as hell, is always encouraging the group to go for a nice walk somewhere while stoned to shit. Will he pass out or will he be caressing the flowers in his backyard? No one knows.

Shadowheart: Sis is asleep after a joint or a few hits from the bong. Is likely sleeping on Lae’zel’s shoulder with a blanket around her. We love her for that tho bc she looks so cute.

Jaheira: she is forreal trying to tell you that we’re all living in someone’s sims save or how aliens made the pyramids. Also always pulls up to the session at the most random times.

Lae’zel: when she does smoke she usually ends up tripping the fuck out and is staring at the wall like a dog that’s accidentally eaten an edible. Doesn’t partake anymore but will come and chill and act as Shart’s personal resting post.

Astarion: the one who is chatting the most shit, probably has the joint in a cigarette holder like curella de’vil. The main source of Karlach’s laughter. Is also constantly asking for Nicki Minaj songs to be added to the Spotify queue.

Wyll: straight up vibes, is probably hogging the snacks to himself tho but he’s busting jokes and laughing with Karlach about stupid shit

Gale: the person in charge of the playlist and the only one who can actually roll. He is very particular about the music bc he believes it sets the mood for the high. Is constantly denying Astarion’s request to play Chun li but puts on random shit like khazakstani jazz

Minthara: enabling Astarion’s shit talking and spilling the piping hot tea. The least faded out of all of them (except lae). Has a screenshot folder that she shows astarion so they can be shady.

Aylin: she’s productive when she’s stoned, is likely cooking something or has gone for a jog/ doing a task while wearing her socks/ Birkenstock combo

Isobel: the mom friend who is making sure everyone is drinking water and is getting fresh air while fried.

Withers: the za dealer. You have to go to his house and he only sells a min of 6gs at a time. Usually chilling and trying to hide his weed plants from the cops bc his neighbours are snitches ngl

Minsc and boo (sry I be forgetting): Brings his hamster to the function bc he doesn't want him to be lonely and believes that his best bud deserves a toke as well. Boo is a literal fucking menace and bites those who object to giving him any. There is literally always an argument bc of this but Minsc is ready to fight for his child.

[meanbossart]

what was everyones endings in your du drow playthrough? like did they live happily ever after or did some of them parish from the narrative

-Lae'zel died in Act 1, DU drow slashed her throat after she tried to murder-suicide the camp out of fear of turning into a mindflayer.

-Gale sought out the crown. In the game's canon this means he immediately ascends to Godhood but in my personal narrative (I finished the game before the epilogue was out) he goes on to research it while having to flee Mystra's wrath by any means necessary for several years before anything can actually happen.

-Wyll broke his pact with Mizora. They also rescued his dad from the prisons after going down there and realizing he was still alive (despite her best efforts) this was mostly for rubbing-on-Mizora's-face purposes LOL

-Karlach died at the docks because of her engine after the brain was felled.

-Shadowheart sacrificed her parents and for a while travels alongside DU drow and Astarion, events from A Novel Experience proceed.

-Astarion killed Cazador, was persuaded not to ascend and freed both the seven thousand marks and his spawn siblings. Events from A Novel Experience proceed.

-Barcus got flung through the sky and died from rough-landing-itis.

-The gang sided with the mercenary duergar at Grymforge and killed Nere. The gnomes that didn't die remained enslaved to the duergar.

-They saved Arabella both at the tiefling grove and at the shadow-cursed lands.

-The rest of the gnomes at Moonrise Towers and the tieflings from the grove were never rescued, so I think that means they died. Zevlor was freed from his illithid tank and I'm sure he's dealing wonderfully with that information.

-Halsin stayed behind in Act 2 since they never rid the land of the curse. Good luck with that buddy!

-Jaheira came along into Act 3 because these guys need at least One adult present (and herself and DU drow loved bickering).

-They made an alliance with Gortash but didn't honor it, killing him at his tower later after disabling the steelwatch.

-Yenna was captured by Orin and died at Bhaal's temple.

-They killed Lorrokan AND Rolan and I'm sure Isobel and Aylin lived happily ever after.

-Raphael died, Hope survived.

-Minsc was rescued because mom said so. I'm sure he's out there Minsc-ing around right this moment.

-They betrayed the Emperor and freed Orpheus, who had to take on the task of becoming Ilithid himself.

-DU drow killed Orpheus.

EDIT: Nothing happened to Kagha because I didn't pursue her quest, I was mixing things up with another run of mine.

[randoimago]

Preparing a Bath Together

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3

Character(s): Dame Aylin, Isobel

Type of Request: Winter Event Thingy

Note(s): These two deserve all the happiness

You could hear the giggling and soft murmurs in the other room as the loves of your life spoke to each other while you stayed in the bathroom to prepare a bath.

It's been a while since any of you had the leisure or time to relax and what better way than in a bath? Then again, with how Aylin gets, you're a tad worried about how much water will be spilled and needing cleaned up. But you push that thought aside.

"I have some extra flowers if you'd like to add lilac to the bath, love." A smile crosses your face as you glance up and see that Isobel had entered the room with a small basket of various flowers.

"I thought I said I'd prepare the bath tonight," you scold her teasingly. "And how did you escape Aylin's arms? She's not one to quit holding her beloveds so easily."

"I was promised that I could hold both of my beloveds sooner if we all helped prepare the bath." Aylin's voice comes from behind Isobel before she joins in from the doorway, one of her arms wrapping around Isobel's front to hold her close while her other hand reaches over to gently lay itself on the top of your head. You know that she'd love to pull you into her arms too, but doesn't want to cause you to get wet from the water you're heating up to place in the tub.

"I did promise that," Isobel confirms Aylin's words before smiling gently at you. "So what do you need, my love?"

"Well, if one of you wouldn't mind using some magic to heat the water up faster then that'd be great," you suggest and you see Aylin go to take a step forward but Isobel moves instead.

"It'd be safer if I did it, dear." Aylin pouts at Isobel's words but sighs in agreement before she sits beside you and you feel one of her arms wrap around your waist.

"And how may I help, love?" She murmurs gently as she leans in to place a soft kiss on your neck.

"You can stop distracting me, for one thing," you tease her and feel her nip your skin in response before moving away with a huff. "Would you like to light some candles and incense?" You ask to give her something to do.

"I can do that, my dear. Although no herb or flower smells as lovely as my loves," she says and you roll your eyes playfully at her cheesy words. She thankfully missed it as she goes to find some things to light.

"She's either going to get frustrated and grab every candle she finds or be pouty about none of them being perfect enough for us," Isobel whispers to you and you and you can't help a chuckle at the truth in her statement before she kisses your cheek lovingly and returning to her task.

"You're the one that made the promise of being held so let's do our part for our insatiable angel." Isobel smiles and nods in response. You could hear Aylin in the other room, loudly searching for candles. Even though you haven't gotten into the bath yet, you could already feel yourself relaxing with the way these two make you feel.

[optiwashere]

C1 with the moon lesbians... the gals.... the ol Selûnite pals..... fucking turn me into emotional paste boss o7

Oh, that is a good one! Also, this is the last prompt that I'm accepting for this stretch of fics! I've got one more prompt to fill after this, and then I'll be cashed out on these for a while :)

Thank you so much for requesting this one! 💜

---

C1. Lifespan differences

The signs of aging were subtle at first. She wore them so well that Aylin hardly noticed for many years.

Each new line on her face and hands was a beautiful detail added to what Aylin already believed to be perfection. Aylin, however, was wrong. Somehow, perfection could be improved.

It took until she began to struggle with basic tasks for Aylin to realize what was happening. Isobel steadfastly insisted that she do nothing to help her, but there was never a chance on that or any plane that she'd stand by and watch Isobel drink from a cup as if it were a battle to be fought. Her fingers shook so harshly one day that Aylin took to feeding them both.

Convincing her to accept it was almost impossible, at least until one day when she simply couldn't eat. The shaking hurt to see, hurt to feel, hurt to hear.

When the time came, Aylin drew her a bath and sat her in the water in her lap. They spoke for an age about what the light of Selûne looked like when it was within one's grasp, and how Isobel looked forward to sailing the silver seas of the Gates of the Moon. They spoke for so long that Isobel grew tired, and she relaxed into Aylin's arms in the bath.

Aylin spoke for them both when Isobel could manage it no longer. An hour must have passed then, Isobel's fingers pruning from the fragrant water.

So she spoke and she spoke. She waited, listened for a heartbeat, and she spoke. She described the moonlit Staircase that appeared every full moon that would allow them to travel the planes freely, adventure where Isobel's mortal form would have never been able to reach. She spoke.

She spoke, and she spoke.

She spoke until the heartbeat could be heard no more.

When the time came, Aylin departed the Material Plane with a meagerly tempered sorrow. The journey would be lonesome, painful, but only for the scant moment before she returned to her mother's embrace with the hope that Myrkul's grasp on Isobel's soul was shattered with the death of his Chosen.

[animentality]

Can I just bitch about Baldur's Gate 3 for a second-

JK, I'm not fucking asking.

So Ketheric Thorm...got an entire fucking act basically DEDICATED TO HIM.

The Shadow Cursed Lands suck because of him. Everything in that zone is fucked because of his nonsense. Every enemy you fight is either related to the shadows or the Absolute plot, which, as far as you know at that point, is tied directly back to him, and him alone.

And every fucking person you meet, rounds him out in some way.

Thisobald, Gerringothe, Malus, these are all unique looking and fun bosses. And they all round out Ketheric Thorm, showing us his fucked up family, and how terrible their impact has been.

Balthazar, Z'rell, even Aylin and Isobel- all thematically and narratively tied to our Shar/Myrkul worshipping bitch.

Even Halsin and Thaniel, Minthara and Shadowheart...all of them have ties to Ketheric.

And that's great and all. That's probably why I, unlike many others, actually enjoy Act 2 a fair bit.

But then. We get to the dreaded Act 3.

Which is a bloated, disorganized, incoherent mess.

But worse than that is... Gortash and Orin are our next big bads, yeah? And they have a kind of fun intro, that makes you think ooh, the next big bads...

And then.

And then what happens?

You can kill Gortash immediately, pretty much at the beginning of Act 3. No build up. You can just do that. Sure, you can do the Steel Watch or the Ironhand Throne quests...but tell me.

Could you just go up to Ketheric Thorm and kill him at Moonrise? The answer is no. Even if you skip a lot of content, you still have to go through a million other tasks before you can face him, AND the big boss battle at the end is entirely him and Myrkul. It's EARNED.

But Gortash? Well, fuck, he's fucking dead before you can even face the final big boss.

And Orin? Sure, you have to collect a bag of hands to get into the Temple...but so what? That's maybe two or three quests, but you can circumvent them. Besides, as soon as you kill her, she vanishes from the narrative and doesn't matter. She's a somewhat easy boss battle, but the actual build up isn't intricately tied into the narrative of Act 3...because there is no inherent narrative to Ac 3.

Act 2 was about an insane man's descent into villainy after losing the people he loved most.

It was tragic, but at least thematically consistent.

The fuck is happening in Act 3?

Gortash is committing war crimes because he's tyrannical, and Orin is murdering indiscriminately and just for funsies.

at least Ketheric's entire thing is about defying the gods, using them for his own gains, and similarly, being used by them.

But Orin? She has one sympathetic scene, and then she dies immediately after.

Gortash you can just kill and then he doesn't matter, or you can side with him, and then he just dies, and doesn't matter.

It's utterly baffling and mildly infuriating.

I know Act 3 was hit with the cut content rush and all, but I feel like you could've spent your time actually bothering to build them up the way you built up Ketheric. You could've given us political quests or world building quests with Gortash, especially given how manipulative he is, or given us more madness and shadows and underground labyrinths and spooky monsters with fucking Orin.

Instead of garbage quests like the Wavemother, Mystic Carrion, Stop the Presses, and Lady Jannath's Torture House, you could've given Karlach a quest related to fixing her heart, which would've tied into Gortash's plots, or given Gale more to do than simply go to Sorcerous Sundries, or tied Cazador to some kind of patriars plot, or had Wyll's father do more than be kidnapped and then later saved.

You could've given Halsin literally any fucking quest, instead of bringing in Jaheira or Minsc. But most importantly.

I just don't get it. Gortash runs Baldur's Gate. You could've easily tied him to a lot more quests, and made him far more threatening or hard to take down. You could've also made Orin feel like an actual threat, and not just a mild nuisance.

It's just kind of...it irks me.

Not just as a Gortash stan, but as a writer, because it's so odd, to have 3 perfectly decent villains...and only flesh out one.

The other two might as well be optional mini bosses.

[linka-from-captain-planet]

Rating BG3 Ladies Oral Game

By popular (1 anon) demand. With a bonus segment, Does She Eat Ass?

Ratings based on vibes and also facts opinions (controversial: not everyone can be a sex god).

all the main and supporting women + my background babes: Florrick, Talli, Alfira, Lakrissa, Araj, Nocturne, Skoona, Adrielle, Z'rell, Nine-Fingers, and special guest star Philomeen

*Sex is like pizza, so average results are in fact still pretty good. Only 2, 1, and 0/10 are truly trash head. So a 5 or 6 is still a compliment!*

Lae'zel: 10/10. Her appetite is voracious. Her will is steel, and her tongue is silver. As a lifelong try-hard, Lae'zel can't settle for anything less than stellar, and eating out is no exception. She can be a bit too clinical with it at the start, but once her heart is freed from its stone prison, her sensuality comes pouring out her lips and tongue.

Shadowheart: 9/10. This is her wheelhouse. This is what she's been up to for the last 30 years. She loses a point because her brand of teasing and/or being coy occasionally doesn't translate; there's a difference between a slow burn and letting a lover go cold, and she can slip up sometimes and forget she's pleasuring, not torturing. But overall? Who knew such a delicate touch could make you come apart like that.

Karlach: 11/10. She's a natural, and she's ravenous. For touch. For affection. To please, to be good. She tunes all the way in. No notes. She's all up in and/or on that thang, front, back, side to side, not a drop left when she's done with it. The most finesse? No, but a hammer doesn't need frills and lace to knock in a nail.

Minthara: 12/10. Even better than her stroke game. It feeds her ego like no other, and what feeds Minthara's ego is also good for her lover. Dominant even when giving head, and she puts that nose and chin to werk. You're done when she's done, not the other way around. Eats 110% of it, leaves no crumbs.

Jaheira: 6/10. Frankly, Jaheira is just not that horny and so, while her skills are well-honed, she just doesn't have that killer instinct to catapult her into higher tiers. She's too busy to spend two hours between someone's legs, so she aims to get it done nice and quick, but thorough. She's no quitter, after all, and her dedication to the goal is unshakeable.

Isobel: 8/10. A little too much of a tease for anyone who's not an edging enthusiast, but she puts her money where her mouth is. She's incredibly in-tuned with a partner, so once she's zoned in, she's got it locked down. Her focus is unbreakable. Doesn't have the most stamina, but she more than knows how to make up for it. You don't need hours and hours for Isobel to take you apart.

Aylin: 7/10 or 100/10 IF her face is being sat on. My controversial take for this post. But I think that while Aylin's tongue is GOATed and she loves pleasing her partner, it's just an act that isn't enough for her. She wants to touch, feel, suck, lick, caress, tease it all, not just a fraction of her beloved. Her hands and tongue wander. She flits around, sampling it all. Keeping her in that one place, on-task, can require some input from her partner, so they can't quite relax all the way and melt under her. This is where the face-sitting specification comes in. Surrounded so, held down (even by someone MUCH smaller), being taken as much as she gives--------- that's where she really shines.

Mizora: -100/10. Again... get real.

Orin: 5/10. She is a rolling stone. She is a whimsical sort. Eating out requires focus that she certainly has, but can she employ it on a dependable enough basis? She can also get too artful with it. Sometimes A->B is the right path and you don't need to murder someone and stash their corpse in an abandoned one-room house inbetween licks, ya know?

Florrick: 9/10. Look at that profile. That nose. That chin. Those lips. Observe her delusional confidence, her endless fidelity, her relentless pursuit of her goals. Did you feel that tremble? It was your [preferred genital word]. She comes home from a long day of bossing people around and serving the greater good, ready to pamper someone, to serve herself, and she's hungry. Her only downside is that she can be a bit efficient with it; it takes her time to warm up emotionally, and not treat you like just another item on her to-do list.

Talli: 8/10. Happy to be of service, always. A very thorough, straightforward, good-game-giving mouth. Lacks creativity, but completely consistent, reliable, and (if desired) romantic.

Alfira: 8/10. A little clumsy, a little distractible, but you can't beat the dedication. Amazing breath-holding capacity. Unlike some other be-fanged women, she loves her teeth and knows how to deploy them. She keeps ya guessing, which does have a few negatives, but overall? More than makes up for her complete lack of stroke game.

Lakrissa: 6/10. She talks a big bigger game than she actually has, surprisingly. She's a little too restless, a little too fidgety. She likes to use more of her body than she can while going down, so it's kind or boring for her tbh. She likes the taste and the emotional/mental experience for herself, more than she likes actually doing it. But for her love? Anything. She'll sit down there for hours if need be.

Araj: 2/10. The future Matron Mother of the Restored House Oblodra does not get on her knees. You try to tell her that there are many other options, but she doesn't listen. Only goes down when she's trying to steal your secretions for her alchemy. It's not worth it.

Nocturne: 7/10. Like Shadowheart, she had to be entertaining herself somehow for all the decades in the cloister so her skills are above average. But she's a little more submissive, and tends to pigeonhole herself; she can't quite pull off a toppy tongue sesh. If she's not on her knees, she doesn't quite know how to do it. Certified biter, interested in the intersection between pleasure and pain.

Skoona: 7/10. A little self-conscious of her tusks, but she's always found the act romantic and fulfilling. Likes to hold hands during.

Adrielle: 3/10. She's a little self-conscious, a little too intimidated. A little too desperate to be good. In one's own head is the worst place to be when trying to go down on someone, and that's where she is. Will get you there, but hardly a world-shaking experience.

Z'rell: 1 Billion/10. Look, it's still not for YOU, but in case you were wondering: at least 17 someones out there are getting it ATE. Front, back, side to side, axes that don't even exist in our plane. You're missing out. Pathetic.

Nine-Fingers: 7/10. Makes your legs shake, but can be a little too intense. She can come on too strong. She can make it feel like a competition, or like there's something else on her mind that's not you. Keeping her engaged is a You problem, but if you can? Very good.

Philomeen: ?/10. She does not go down, ever; she's made that mistake before long ago (making the hoes think she cares about them) and she's nawt gonna make it again!!

In addition: Does she eat ass?

Eats ass completely unprompted: Lae'zel, Minthara, Orin, Z'rell Offers to eat ass: Shadowheart, Karlach, Aylin, Florrick, Nocturne Eats ass if asked: Jaheira, Isobel, Lakrissa, Nine-Fingers Considers it, but decides eating ass isn't for her: Alfira, Talli, Skoona Definitely doesn't eat ass: Mizora, Araj, Adrielle, Philomeen

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

Do you think Aylin ever met Melodia?

I actually don't think she did! While the Thorm timeline is... a fun thing to unravel, to be sure, to me all signs point to Melodia dying when Isobel was rather young, leaving Isobel to basically be raised by Ketheric alone - which plays into his overprotectiveness growing into possessiveness a lot, I think.

Here's a couple of quotes that led me to this conclusion, beyond just the general order in which everyone refers to Thorm-family-related events.

Isobel: He raised me to serve Selûne, as my mother, rest her soul, had wished. He was everything to me, all my life.

This bit from Melodia's letter to Ketheric:

I don't want to leave you. I don't want to leave our little girl. But I'm not writing to lament our lot. It's ours and no other's. Though the City of Judgement is dark, I know Our Lady's light will find me even there. I will see her shining spires and walk the silver gardens we've both dreamt of. I go to my reward - and leave quite a task to you yet, my heart. Selûne's light shines bright in our little one, but she will need a guide to keep on her path. I have no doubt that she will keep you on yours.

There is also a cut bit of dialogue from back when you could have a conversation with tadpoled Isobel:

My mother died when I was very small, but Papa and I made a good life together. I grew up in the village below here, a place built by Thorms with aunties and uncles and cousins down every laneway.

But then there's Melodia's letter to Isobel that might imply she wasn't extremely young when her mother died - or might just be a letter she wrote for Isobel to read in the future:

My darling daughter, When you were a little girl, I would often watch you play with your dolls and your cousins and picture myself an enormous, opaque, silvery shield, surrounding you, protecting you. I knew something, deep within myself, that no harm could ever befall you, because I would not let it. Though the healers say I may pass into the City of Judgement soon, know this, darling daughter: I am always around you. I am always with you. And the Moonmaiden will never allow you to bear a burden you cannot carry. I love you forever - a love that has no death. Mama

I couldn't resist putting the whole thing here because it's short and because I just love the imagery and writing in it.

And then obviously Aylin came as an emissary way later when Isobel was an adult, established as a cleric, and they had their fairytale love at first sight and all that. The thing that's really up in the air imo is how long they actually got to be together for before Isobel died. Years? Decades? In any case, I really love how established and stable their relationship is and how deeply and well they know and understand each other - meet-cutes are great, but this was very nice and refreshing to see, for me.

So, in conclusion: no, I really don't think they met, but now you've made me think of an interesting interaction I'd love to see! Any fleshing out of Melodia would be great, really.

[housederiva]

My friend (hi aylin! xx) told me the news of who the va's are for DA:TV while I was in the middle of listing every piece of furniture and heavy/large thing I own on Facebook marketplace which was soul crushing and making me extremely sad. It made the rest of the task feel a little lighter

I'm not sure where I'm really going with this post but I want to let folks know who are going through a hard time that it's okay to cling onto something silly like a video game as the thing that makes you happy and keeps you going.

I'm also selling a 20 year old barrel cactus the size of an adult man's head for 30 quid if you're in Glasgow, Scotland

[bitchesgate3]

I'm pretty intrigued by the dynamic between Ketheric and Isobel because it reminds me so much of what I experienced being emotionally enmeshed with one of my parents for my entire childhood.

I think most people understand the weight of being parentified when a child must get a job to help contribute money to the family. But I don't think very many people understand what it's like growing up with a parent who over-relies on family members to be emotionally stable - and eventually having to take on the role as the go-to person to be that stability.

Of feeling suffocated by such an overly needy parent - who controls via their emotional needs and griefs - that makes you act in certain ways because surely you don't want to be the death of your parent.

I'm right at the end of Act 2, so the game may say otherwise, but I wonder how Isobel feels about everything happening.

"Your father loved you so much that he brought you back from the dead," sounds so kindly at first. But the sinister truth beyond the obsession is living knowing the fact that the only thing keeping the man alive is you. Once your mother's godforsaken task - now yours.

The game may play up that she resents this, but in my experience there is a love/hate growing up under this dynamic with a parent. You resent this parent for a reason you can't quite put your finger on as a kid, but its the resentment of being made to emotionally soothe them when they never soothe you: which was supposed to be their job. You, as the child, rely on them for survival. You have to look like everything is ok because your parent being upset is so catastrophic (that they will be too dysfunctional to meet your survival needs) that your own needs feel less important.

But on the flip side, you do become parentified in a role reversal. You can't help but love your parent and want the best for them. The emotional abuse is so subtle and imperceptible, that it just makes sense that you would never assert a boundary with your parent because of how much it would throw them into a depression. Being rejected by the one person who loves them.

I wonder how upset Isobel was when Ketheric began drifting from Selune to Shar. How, like a parent, she might have felt like he should have known better. How her own parent felt like a rotten, naive child in doing so. What if a hidden reason for Isobel holding firmly to Selune was to try to convince him. Not every action is tied to the enmeshed parent, but sometimes there are undermining doubts that maybe you're still not acting on your own behalf and still feel like you have to support a parent who should be living their own life - not sucking lifeforce from you.

I kind of feel for Isobel because she seems sweet, and even with the snark, there may be a genuine sensitivity within her that makes emotionally unstable people flock to her like an oasis in the desert (which is an experience I relate to). I even fear that with Aylin's PTSD, Isobel will just be put in that role again of emotional caretaker - being the only thing that grounds Aylin out of her rages. And that scares me.

From a note found in Isobel's room, I feel like she will fall into a depression now that she's been brought to life. Her father soon to be dead. And perhaps now, she will be stuck in a repeating cycle. Where she is always the beacon of hope for others out of necessity rather than living the life that should have always been hers and only hers.

If she dies, will the people around her desperately want to revive her as well? Because she shines so brightly they can't live without her light?

[lakemojave]

Tonight at 6pm Pacific: The Direct Actors, A Baldur's Gate 3 "Adventure" pt. 17!

It's here! We're approaching the grand climax of act 2 as we attack Moonrise Towers and fight through Ketheric Thorm's forces. Hope Dhudlei's gonna feel alright killing his once best friend! Come see @radiofreederry play Dhudlei Durite, elf paladin, my friends Nana and @mayflowers429 play Leviathan, Dragonborn Dark Urge Monk, @caputvulpinum play Micah Harper, Tiefling Cleric, and me play Delilah "Mama D" Harper, Halfling Bard!

Art by @terrafey, recap under the cut. See y'all then!

THE STORY SO FAR: On the way to a union rally, Delilah "Mama D" Harper and her grandson Micah were abducted and taken aboard an ilithid nautiloid, which they escaped with mysterious dancer Leviathan and self-proclaimed "Champion of Ilmater and Paladin of Good" Dhudlei Durite. Each infected by a mind flayer tadpole, but so far immune from transforming into mind flayers themselves, The Direct Actors, as the party have come to be known, have been pushed to their breaking point in the Shadow-Cursed lands, and now look to break the power of Ketheric Thorm and end the curse once and for all...

LAST TIME: The Direct Actors, exhausted from the horrors they had experienced in the Gauntlet of Shar, briefly camped back in the upper floors, where they reunited with Dhudlei. While talking with Dhudlei about what had happened, Micah admitted to Dhudlei his terrible childhood, which ended with his parents' seeming abandonment of him. The two also had a conversation about necromancy, in which Dhudlei admitted his distaste for the art. Dhudlei gave a pep talk to the rest of the party, which Mama D was dismissive of, and the party returned to the depths.

After conquering the rest of the trials and enlisting the help of New Gale, the party entered the Shadowfell, Shar's domain, where they found the Nightsong, actually the demigod daughter of Selune, Dame Aylin. Though Shadowheart had been tasked to kill Aylin by her goddess, Mama D was able to talk her out of it, and the cleric became an apostate in the eyes of all Sharrans as a result. Aylin, freed and her strength restored, beseeched the Direct Actors to join her in taking the fight to Ketheric Thorm.

Emerging from the Gauntlet, the party made camp. Dhudlei and Leviathan spoke about memories, and Dhudlei offered to provide some details, based on a flier Dhudlei had found of Leviathan's old dancing troupe - an offer which Leviathan declined, for the time being, though Dhudlei affirmed that he was entitled to his memories. Leviathan also admitted to feeling regret for Alfira's death. Afterwards, Dhudlei and Mama D had a long conversation by the fire about Mama D's fears, and the anxieties that had been weighing on her since the Gauntlet.

Returning to Last Light Inn, Isobel told the Direct Actors that the Harpers had gone to assault Moonrise Towers, and the party resupplied before joining them there. The battle began on the ground floor, where the assembled forces defeated Absolute Z'rell and her cultists before advancing to the second floor, where Ketheric's necromantic ally Radija was quickly dispatched. In the lull before the final assault, Mama D confided in Micah the story of the first union she'd formed, and how it had all went wrong, including her own experiences attempting necromancy, in an effort to dissuade Micah from following that path. The party now rested, they prepared to launch their assault on Ketheric Thorm - with Dhudlei in particular steeling himself for a reunion with his former friend.

Will Dhudlei be able to bring himself to vanquish his dearest friend? Will more of Leviathan's past be uncovered? Will the truth of the Absolute be revealed? Will Mama D be able to overcome her growing anxiety about her own mortality and the legacy she will leave behind, a pressure that continues to mount daily? Find out in another exciting instalment of Baldur's Gate 3, starring the Direct Actors!

[madwomansapologist]

Shades of Black and White | Raven Meets Dove

Meet Kind!Druid!Tav | More Daughter of Darkness | AO3

synopsis: Shadowheart only task was to survive the giths and escape with the artifact for her goddess. Liliana Wilde, a druid with a thing for the undead, wanted nothing but to enjoy her free time. Being abducted by a nautiloid wasn't on their plans, but to get out of it was their only goal. A common one.

warnings: Liliana Wilde (our kind!druid!tav) x Shadowheart. the healer falling in love with the necromancer (more on that later) is something for me. age gap (20ish years). meet cute? githyanki prejudice. selune caring for her children. tw: shar and lorroakan. dame aylin my babygirl.

The moon followed her every movements. Every stumble, every fall. It's the laugh when she makes a mistake, the soar as she stays awake. The reminder it isn't over. Damned be the Moon Witch.

Besides its pearly glow, Shadowheart was alone.

Shadows surround her with the familiarity of an old friend. It covered her footsteps, gave her enough time to escape with the artifact hidden beneath her clothes. Blood stained her fingers, tears marked her face, but darkness never stopped embracing her with its cold wings.

I'll stop when it's safe, Shadowheart told herself. It's been days, and by now her feet may never stop burning. She doesn't remember the sound of her own voice anymore.

She's the only one that remains standing. They all knew the giths weren't defenseless, but none could expect they would be so organized. Shadowheart could've respect it, but a gith is still a gith even when it knows how to think.

They spilled the blood of Shar's children, but still failed to end her.

Her mace was heavy on her hands, just as her eyes were always fabricating reasons to close. Shadowheart was so tired, but she can't. To sleep is to give them a chance. She can't. She needs to go on.

Her pain brings her closer to her goddess. Every scar on her skin, burn in her palm, whimper of exhaustion: it's a pray to the Nightsinger. A sign of faith, a prove of her worth.

She must succed. Shadowheart needs to.

When the nautiloid came, she looked up. The moon burned her eyes, but she could still see the ilithid machinery. Deep in the shadows, Shadowheart went as far as she could.

If only Shadowheart knew she was a pawn. That she would've been abducted anyway, no matter what she did, because of the Astral Prism. That her goddess didn't send her to steal an precious artifact, but to free the object able to protect those fated to destroy the Absolute.

But she didn't, so she kept on running. I'll stop when it's safe, Shadowheart repeated to herself.

She didn't.

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The high stone walls of the Ivy Forest were made to protect them from the rest of the world. Inside it, they are safe. No one enters without permission. The gates simply refuse to open.

A dove challenged gravity, flying towards one of the main towers, and this very premisse. The wind tried to stop it, but the dove rose above. It was her territory.

A novice opened a window, leaning over to polish the wood frame. The dove almost knocked her over in fright. "Liliana!" She threw the cloth on the floor. "Again?!"

It's impossible, but she's sure the dove guffaw.

It flew through the stone corridors of the old palace, taken by druids ages ago and turned into a sanctuary. One of the clerics opened the archdruid's office after hearing the screams. It landed on the wooden table, and in a golden glow it gave space to a woman.

Liliana put her legs on the desk, her shoeless feet right underneath her tights. Her red hair was everywhere, falling in front of her face and messy on her shoulders, green leaves decoring a few loose braids hanging in front of her sharp ears. It was difficult to know if she put the leaves there or have not noticed them yet. Hard to say if she would care.

The archdruid sat in front of her, too tired to once again tell Liliana that she must leave her wild shape at the gates. Or at least wear shoes. Not the first time, definitelly not the last.

After all, Auri was the one to first call her Dove. She can remember it still. A thirteen years old girl learning to wild shape in her first lesson ever. A natural talent. A gifted child.

Auri would never let Liliana waste her potential. Don't matter what she needs to do.

"The Nightsong," Liliana said. "That's what he wants."

If only people knew how they don't care about what they talk near animals. The amount of secrets they share, the lies they assume, the mistakes they do.

Something was happening in the Sorcerous Sundries. Lorroakan was never a trusted ally, barely a tolerable neighbor, and from there they could feel something was off. He was ploting something, and Lorroakan isn't one to think about others safety when he does so.

"Six centuries alive and I continue unable to understand what makes wizards that stupid. Always hungry for more," Auri glared through the window, as if she could see the wizard from there. The elf rested her hand on Liliana's knees. "Did he saw you, my Dove?"

Liliana's answer was a smirk. She opened the map of the Coast on Auri's table, and marked the places Lorroakan mentioned. "You see it too, right? The pattern. How close he is from..."

"I do," Auri stopped her. Just from thinking about this place she can feel her stomach boiling. A hundred years passed, and it still makes her skin ache. A hundred more could, and she would still remember the neverending darkness. "We won that war."

"But the harpists and druids never recovered the lost territory from the Nightsinger. It's her domain still," Liliana pointed out. "I just don't understand why Lorroakan would ever spend his precious gold looking for a Shar's follower."

Auri crossed her arms. Liliana is smart, but still so young. She has much to learn. "What makes you think it's a Sharran he's chasing after?"

"The Nightsong," she said. "The Nightsinger. It makes sense to me."

"Shar and Selune both have equal claims over this world," Auri repeated the lesson Liliana never truly learned. "The singer doesn't necessarily own the song."

"Maybe that's why I only bother with Silvanus," Liliana rolled her eyes, jumping from the table. "So much easier to understand."

Part of Liliana expected Auri to demand her to search for the Nightsong too. Is not that she wanted to, but Liliana couldn't ignore the fact those searches were so close to her home town. All that remain are ruines, but she still would like to see them one more time.

Auri did nothing, so Liliana forced herself to go without saying a thing about it.

Maybe it's for the better. If she went there, nothing would stop her from thinking about her sister. It's better to stay at the Ivy Forest. To stay at home. Here she's safe from Daisy's poisoned memories.

Inside the Ivy Forest, she's safe.

Liliana should've stayed in her chambers. After days spying on Lorroakan, she should've chose to sleep. Or to bath. To eat. Instead, she flew throught the first open window to try to ease her mind. It was almost morning. She wouldn't have time to enjoy the cold breeze after it.

The worst decision of her entire life.

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The twitching behind her eye was enough to enrage Liliana into breaking free from the pod. The hells burned outside the nautiloid, and its fire reached her heart.

Liliana never saw an ilithid before, but she knows about them. About what they used to be, and what they become. It all starts with the tadpole.

She won't die. Not here, not now.

Liliana will use a needle to get it out of her brain if she must.

Exploring the ship, and understanding it was as much living being as machinery, something got her attention. In a room full of brainless humans, a necklace reflected the hellfire.

A follower of Bhaal.

"Get me out of here," screams made Liliana jump from the place she was. She looked around, but no one else was there. Was she finally going crazy? "Please, help me! Over here!"

The distorted reflection of a woman inside a made Liliana run.

She tried to understand the control, but nothing of it made sense to her eyes. One thing was to know ilithid biology and history, other to understand their technology. But she saw an entrance, and since nothing else worked, she assumed a key was needed. She hoped it was near.

"I had an idea," Liliana screamed so the stranger wouldn't think she was leaving. "I'll come back."

"No, please, don't! Don't leave me here!"

"I won't," Liliana promised.

She came back with a rune of some sorts, praying to Silvanus that it wouldn't do the wrong thing to the poor woman locked on the pod. With her eyes closed, Liliana put it on the control.

When Shadowheart fell, the hot air invaded her lungs. Better than the cold one inside the pod. A helping hand made her stand on her feet, and green eyes gazed upon hers.

"We need to run," Liliana whispered, trying not to startled her.

"Thank you," was Shadowheart response. She could've ignored her. Leave her to her own luck. But she didn't, and that act of bravery Shadowheart can't ignore. "I won't forget that."

"You're welcome," falling into hell, Liliana smiled. "Now about running..."

"Yes, I just," Shadowheart stopped talking, searching for the artifact. It was with her, safe and sound. The redhead saw it, and didn't said anything. Good. Shadowheart took her mace. "Let's find a way out of here."

"You couldn't have worded it better," Liliana headed to the exit. Quick and spaced steps of a wood-elf, but nothing escaped Shadowheart's eyes.

"Wait a second." Shadowheart took the shoes from a Bhaal's follower. "He won't need it anymore."

Liliana accepted the shoes. She sat on the floor — meat? — and put them on her feet. Better than nothing.

Shadowheart followed Liliana. She didn't knew if the redhead had any clue of what to do, but followed her anyway. "I'm Shadowheart."

Liliana giggled. "With that name you must be a warlock."

"As if I would ever negotiate with a devil," Shadowheart rolled her eyes. "I'm a cleric. Healer. And you're a druid."

Liliana stared at her. "How do you know?"

"You have leaves on your hair."

Liliana touched her head, getting a dry leave out of it. That's new. "You ignore them until I can wash my hair, and I ignore how weird your name is."

Shadowheart smirked. "Deal."

When the ilithid demanded them to control the nautiloid, they both pretended to be brainless and did as he said. They had the same goal, and the two of them are experienced with winning a battle without fighting in it.

Gravity turned against them, everything started flying inside the control room. Shadowheart collapsed against a wall, her lungs burning all the air inside her, and saw starts. The sky!

Liliana used all her strenght to hold herself to the control. Shadowheart reached for her, but Liliana couldn't take her hand. They both would ended up falling from the ship if she accepted her help.

Better her than the two of them.

"My name is Liliana," she screamed. "It was nice to meet you."

"Come over here, you stubborn druid." Shadowheart tried to cast comand on her, but with all things flying around she couldn't concentrate. " Don't test me."

That night ended with the two of them sleeping by the beach, mere feet apart from each other. Rest, at last.

The moon watched over them.

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

BALDUR'S GATE 3 TAGLIST: @citrusbunnies @amandacanwrite

@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.

[justanotherignot]

A silly headcanon I came up with is one of the party's to-do list upon reaching Baldur's Gate is getting Aylin a new set of clothes.

They severely underestimated how hard that task would be. Their thought was if it's big on Karlach, should work for Aylin. But, almost all of the biggest sizes they could find were loose on Karlach, not oversized.

Nearly an entire day was spent searching every shop for non-custom clothes that would work for the Aasimar. Pieces from different shops, and mismatched styling, were eventually found. Her shirt was from a more fashion-oriented vendor, with objectively excellent embroidering, and barely long enough to cover her torso, riding up with the slightest arm movement. (Not that Isobel minded, of course) Next were extremely plain pants indented for working-class laborers, short enough to be considered capris on Aylin. Completing this resplendent disaster: a pair of oversized sturdy adventurer-style boots.

This look wouldn't last long, tragically. Shortly after moving into Elfsong Tavern, Aylin ordered a custom set of clothes from the Facemaker's Boutique. However, given her measurements, it took slightly longer than normal to complete her order.

Everything about this is perfect. Thank you.

[ponder-the-orb]

Preview: Moonlit quiet

Preview of my upcoming Aylin x Isobel fic.

Aylin’s look softens as she continues to work. They both know she could dissipate the armour with but a thought, she had so enough times when the heat between them called for it. She stays still for now, letting Isobel ground herself in the ritual, the feel of the metal, of her angel’s fingers against her. Her worship belongs to Selûne, but true devotion– that will forever be for Aylin. It’s a thought that borders on blasphemy, but it would taste a lie to deny it. There’s no careful composure or rehearsed words needed. It’s something aching, intimate– pleasure and want so desperately pressed into each other with shaking hands and parted lips.

It’s a task unto itself not to push her down onto the bed and ravish her with such devotion right now. Gods-knows she wants to. It would be so easy to lose herself in Aylin until dawn dared intrude on them, but she knows her mind would still be adrift in the dark.

There are words to be said first. Ones that have been sitting in her chest for years.

***

This was supposed to be like 300 words... when will I learn.

Coming tomorrow!