#to her asking gale for a book recommendation

[galedekarios]

karlach & gale + 📚

[tcustodisart]

Because the farm is really Shadowheart's ending I was thinking, what would be Connie's post-game thing (he loves the farm life to pieces, but I was thinking, you know, if he was a companion what he'd be talking about during the epilogue party). And I came up with this idea - he writes and illustrates the very first Guide to the Birds of Faerûn. I don't want to torment you with my words, so if you're interested, the rest is under the cut. It's long but there are some additional doodles there.

About the book:

The book is basically like Collins Bird Guide. Including very detailed descriptions of what sounds the birds make.

Connie's already in touch with a publisher (recommended by Volo)

While Shadowheart does proofreading to see if it's digestible for non-bird-obsessed people, Connie's stepfather and Arnell help him with fact checking.

Connie was consulting Halsin while writing about waterfowl.

The book's dedication reads: "To my dearest wife and our four dogs, eight cats, nine chickens, six pigeons, four sheep, Daphne the milk cow, the odd little squirrel, Buttons and last but not least, our crow."

He thought that dedication was hilarious.

After publishing the book, he's been getting at least one letter every week regarding it.

Thanks to these letters the book gets improved with further editions.

He gets invited to various schools across the country to hold lectures but he almost always declines. (Public speeches aren't his thing and he also doesn't want to leave the farm that often.)(He made one exception for Gale because he asked very nicely and didn't take no for an answer).

Far in the future nobody remembers him as one of the heroes who saved Baldur's Gate. He's being remembered as one of Faerûn's best ornithologists.

Other companions reactions:

Lae'zel genuinely liked the book. So much in fact, she read it more than once.

Tara hates Mondays.

I projected on Karlach how hard it is to read books sometimes.

The scary part of the book was the birds of prey section.

Jaheira didn't even read the book, but she does a bang up job pretending she did. She's still very proud.

Shadowheart read it so many times during proofreading she could recite some parts with her eyes closed. For a week she had nightmares about geese.

Details:

Because whenever I make a drawing with a proper background I like talking about the details I put there. So:

The picture of magpies on the wall is the same one Connie gave Shadowheart in this comic. She kept it in the same book she kept the first night orchid he gave her.

That brigs us to the night orchid next to magpies. It's the same one.

There's a doodle of Shadowheart and Daphne near the window.

As references for all the feathers in this drawing I used feathers from my own collection.

Wooden duck is obviously the one Halsin gives you in the epilogue.

The bird drawings are from this drawing I made almost 3 years ago.

Oof, thank you for reading all that, here's one last doodle:

[nightingaletrash]

Okay, but Durge constantly suffers from headaches, and the only way to relieve those headaches is to indulge the urge. Imagine the rest of the party trying to help however they can, whether to ease their discomfort or to distract them from it.

Gale makes a soup that his mother would make for him when he was ill as a child. He'll happily make any adjustments that don't include roast dwarf, and he'll spout off some tips he's come across in his books.

Lae'zel recommends some martial exercises that focus their attention to other parts of the body. Focusing on anything besides the throbbing behind their eyes is useful when food and magic don't cut it.

Wyll will ask what they need from him; someone to vent to, words to fill silence and distract from the pain, or a good old-fashioned rub down to help ease their aches and reduce their discomfort. Whatever they need, he'll do his best to provide.

Shadowheart knows what it's like to live with chronic pain. She'll help with magic if asked, but she knows a few physical methods that make a difference. Just don't ask how she learned them.

Astarion really doesn't think he has any help to offer in this department, but he's good at coming up with distractions and unexpected words of comfort and solidarity. And sometimes a bite, if the nausea is preferable to the ache.

Karlach struggles with helping at first because she can't touch anyone and in Avernus, all she could really do about physical pain was grin and bear it. Once touching is on the table, she's happy to be a heat pad for Durge if needed.

Halsin knows a few herbal remedies and teas that help with headaches, and if those don't feel like they're particularly helping, he can take the edge off of it with some magic.

Jaheira is all too familiar with the things that a Bhaalspawn might have to deal with. Durge might think she's joking when she offers them some bark to chew, saying that it helps... until she starts chewing some herself because when you take on the kinds of responsibilities she does, you end up with a lot of headaches.

Minsc is also familiar with the struggles a Bhaalspawn might endure and will back Jaheira up on the bark chewing suggestion. He'll also offer to distract Durge with stories and hamster cuddles, because hamster cuddles from Boo are wonderfully restorative.

Minthara will offer her healing skills, as any kind of distraction of pain can be fatal in battle, especially when the head is involved. If that doesn't help and they just need a distraction, she'll offer to teach to play them the lyre if they'd like.

[dekariosclan]

I've got a hopefully interesting Gale ask! While we all know how our dear wizard fumbled his way into a deep, loving (romantically or platonically) relationship with Tav, we don't see much about how he bonded individually with the other tadfools. He obviously considers them all his true friends (even Minthara), but what was the unique connection he built with each one beyond saving the world together? Like I could see Gale and Wyll becoming fast friends based in mutual respect and a shared love of storytelling, for example, but what about Astarion? Or Shadowheart? What do you think it was that made them curious enough about each other to let down their guards and allow a connection to form in the first place?

Something in me says it takes more than forced proximity, a shared goal, and passive sentiments for Mr. "My Social Circle Is More Of A Dot" Dekarios to call someone a friend.

This is definitely an interesting ask! 💖 Thank you!

I confess that while I did try to make these somewhat accurate and base them around the in-game banter I recall seeing, I mostly went with my gut instinct…hopefully I did everyone justice: Wyll - Romance books. Wyll tends to prefer the trashier ones, Gale tends to prefer classy (think cheap generic paperback bodice-rippers vs Pride & Prejudice) yet they both end up loving the other’s recommendations: “Gale, that book was marvelous! It brought a tear to my eye, truly!” “Wyll, I confess the title you lent me was not one I would normally have taken an interest in, and yet, I found it most…stimulating. Do you have…others in a similar vein that you can recommend?”

Karlach - Favorite ales & favorite taverns, along with more than a few swapped tales of drunken mischief (either being committed by them in their younger days OR witnessed while at a tavern). They both know several popular tavern shanties and on one occasion perform a duet in camp.

Astarion - Colognes/perfumes. The fact that Astarion wears a pleasing scent of bergamot, rosemary, and aged brandy to successfully hide the unpleasant scent of—well, death—would intrigue Gale, especially when Shadowheart mentions that Gale himself tends to smell ‘like a wealthy dowager.’ A wealthy what? He most certainly does not—how ridiculous—still, he would greatly appreciate any recommendations Astarion might have on how to correct that??

Lae’zel - Githyanki culture. Language. Literature…especially porn Studies on Erotic Pleasures in the Astral Plane.

Minsc - Any/all tales of Gale’s wizardly shenanigans and troublemaking. The ones involving fires or explosions are Minsc’s favorites. Boo’s as well.

Shadowheart - Commiserating over the pitfalls of worshipping and serving a Goddess who only sees you as a tool to be used. They have a lot to talk about.

Halsin - Nature spells and animal shapeshifting. A fascinating topic to Gale. Especially regarding…potential applications in the bedroom. That is, if Halsin might have particular knowledge on that subject?

Jaheira - Tales about the Harpers. The more outlandish and the less likely to be found in the history books, the better.

Finally, Minthara.

Minthara is 1000% a cat in Drow form. One who knows she is superior to every other companion, and who will bite (verbally) anyone who tries too hard to befriend her. Every discussion Gale attempts with her is a landmine that usually ends in some sort of devastating roast of Gale and/or wizards in general.

…but Gale is a cat lover, and he’s SURE that if he’s patient just a bit longer—

[randoimago]

I’ve had this idea floating around in my head for a bit, but what about a githyanki tav attempting to woo some of the companions with normal non-githyanki tactics they totally didn’t learn from a cheesy romance novel they found?

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3

Character(s): Gale, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Wyll

Note(s): I love this idea so much (need more githyanki love tbh). Decided to add Lae'zel because I just find it very funny to imagine her reaction and how often she'd roll her eyes.

Gale

Was reading his own books when you approach and begin your attempt with reciting some cheesy line. Gale can't help but cut in and help you by correcting your pronunciation. He asks you to keep going though, you're doing great.

As smart as he is, it takes him a little bit to realize that you were flirting with him. When Gale does piece it together, he recites his own line from some book he read. The metaphor probably doesn't completely translate to you and he has to explain it a little, but his words are sweet even if the reaction is delayed.

Gale will compile a list of romance books where you both can read from and pick out very romantic lines in. And he can explain some of it to you as well to help you learn more too. He views teaching you and sharing knowledge as the most romantic of dates.

Lae'zel

She is unbelievably unamused when you approach her and start talking like one of the noms on this land (you try to correct her that it's "Gnome" but she doesn't listen).

You tried to explain that you found a book and thought it'd be helpful to learn the mating rituals of the people on of this land and she thought you hit your head. Will not stand for any of the name calling you do. It is insulting to be called "pretty like a rose" when she should be as strong as a dragon.

If you wish to really inspire her for a night of passion then she'll show you how to actually accomplish that. Her determination to take charge and show you how it's done isn't quite what you had in mind, but it worked.

Shadowheart

She's very wary when you approach her. And then you start spewing some poetry? Shadowheart is confused and doesn't know if this is some kind of manipulation tactic you have or what. But then she sees your own confusion over some of the lines and now she's a bit amused.

Each time you approach, she's crossing her arms and listening to you very obviously recite lines you rehearsed. She'll wait until the end and comment that she never heard of a gith enjoying poetry. When you bluntly tell her you read from a book in hopes of wooing her, well that completely surprises her. And she feels a bit bad at being so on guard at first when you were trying to flirt.

Shadowheart will tell you that poetry isn't always the way to her heart, some compliments would be nice. But really, if you want to romance her than join her for some alcohol instead and your lips can be used in other ways than speaking.

Wyll

Wyll is definitely a hopeless romantic and to see you come up to him and begin saying some rather cheesy lines, well he can't deny how flustered it starts to make him. A soft smile is on his face as he listens to you attempting to flirt.

Finds it so adorable that you do have a bit of confusion on your face as you recite some lines. Probably because you don't quite understand the meaning due to the cultural difference, but he stays quiet and lets you continue without correcting.

There's a good chance that Wyll has already read the cheesy romance that you stole the lines from. He can't help but bring it up and ask. When he hears your confirmation, it makes him happy and he recommends other cheesy romances that you could read together and he can explain the meanings to some of the flowery language (as well as use his own cheesy lines as well).

Taglists: @reo-the-leo @unhelpfulnpc

[alpydk]

Curtain's Closed

So @auroraesmeraldarose has been leading me down a very dark path recently. One of folds and love muscles...

And then came Tim Downie's Cameo about Gale reading smut. Well, the concept just had to be written, didn't it? So here we have a little mini fanfic about Gale reading smutty fanfic. Quotes have been taken from her fic Professor Dekarios (ch14 for this / highly recommended) - And well, it's a nice evening ending in smut. Enjoy.

Word count - 2061 - M/E - CW - Self Pleasure

Springtime had settled over Waterdeep, the snow having now melted, the flowers in bloom outside the cafe window. He sat with the occult tome, flicking through the worn pages, not particularly interested in the contents. The cortado tasted smooth upon his tongue and the tiramisu he’d ordered had gone down a treat, but his mind, however, kept little to the pages in front of him, nor to the surroundings of the bustling streets that lay beyond the windowpane. Instead, they drifted to the small book buried deep under the stack of research papers, not lost, but selectively hidden out of sight of prying eyes.

It was during his morning at the academy that he’d overheard the conversation between two of his colleagues; the two women giggling and blushing over a recent book that had been going around the female staff. Smut they had described it as in a whisper of a word, afraid that someone might hear it. From what he could tell, it was not a mainstream book, no known author such as Cimber or Ruskettle, but the works of a hobbyist with a passion for those who’d been in the spotlight. He’d tried to hold little attention on the discussion, but the talk of a wizard in a compromising position stuck with him for the following hour as he taught his class. He’d read similar literature about desire in the past; what harm could one bit of curiosity do when it came to smut ?

Professor Karedios – Quite the title and very to the point, thought Gale to himself as he hid in the shadowed back corner of the small muggy bookstore. He felt as if he were a teenager looking for a scantily clad photo of an elf to gaze at in secret, only now he was in his late thirties, grey hairs highlighting his dark locks. Get a grip, Gale. He held the novel within the confines of his loose sleeve, a nervousness that someone might stop him and question him on the contents. Grabbing an occult tome with little regard for what it cost or the subject content, he, at least now, had an excuse to make a purchase of the sultry literature.

The shopkeeper took both the books, and Gale was thankful for the tired, darkened eyes of the vendor which met him. He could detect the faintest hint of red wine, hopefully a remnant of a previous lunch break and not a hidden stash beneath the counter. Either way, it mattered little, as the books and gold were quickly traded between them with little discussion. If he’d been asked, he would have simply claimed that it was for a friend as a humorous gift.

“You think I should wash my beard?” The voice of the assistant came through from a back room interrupting the purchase and Gale’s heart dropped as the books were pulled just a fraction too soon from his grasp.

From behind the desk came the slightly slurred retort, the accent unrecognisable to Gale’s ears. “Yes, I think you should wash it. Then you should shave it off, nail it to a steel plate, and fling it over a rainbow.”

Gale stood confused at the relationship between the two people, simply hoping to take what he’d bought and get out of there. The shopkeeper looked at him with disdain before handing over the books with a sigh, his job now done, the contract of pleasantries over. Gale took the books and crammed them in his bag with a quick nod of thanks before turning as quickly as he could to get away from the disgruntled trader. A note would be made to avoid the premises in the future, unless desperate. As he left the store, his heart pounding in his ears, his bag clutched to his chest tightly, he breathed a sigh of relief that at least the worst part was over.

Now Professor Karedios sat awaiting him, teasing him from his bag. He saw how the lilac cover stuck out from amongst the parchment of a study on Okoth, the outline of the protagonist’s robes calling to him. He’d read the blurb ever so quickly within the store. An alternate universe of a Faerûn Wizard. He was intrigued already, the character on the cover baring a self-indulgent resemblance to himself. He’d not been able to help himself, curiosity always getting the better of him, and he had to find out what lewd secrets were being kept from him. Finishing the coffee, he closed the heavy tome with a thud, no knowledge of what he had just been perusing for so long. All he knew was that he needed a certain mood before he could entertain such a topic as the one that truly held his focus. This would not be a quick night of loneliness within a tent, a potential death sentence hanging above his head; it would be one to enjoy, to savour.

The return to his tower was leisurely, the sun setting, casting long shadows down the narrowed streets, the scent of the sea washing in with the evening tides. He took in each sensation, the sounds of the taverns opening for their trade, the bard weaving sleazy tales from atop the shoulder of Ahghairon’s statue, the passing elf that smiled with a faint blush in his direction. The City of Splendours would forever live up to its name.

His home was empty, he discovered as he closed the oak door and called for Tara, a sly smile emerging upon his lips at the confirmation that he would have the tower all to himself for the night. He took off his cloak, thinking through the steps he would take tonight to squeeze each drop of pleasure from his time alone. He deliberated; was it worth bathing before or after? Though not nearly as tough a worker as his friend Halsin, who toiled through woodland day in/day out, Gale felt the effects of lecturing upon his body, his shoulders especially tensed, and forearms aching slightly from weaving spells consistently in the same manner in order to demonstrate to his pupils. He knew a similar ache would be felt later if he rushed through the planned activities.

He decided at least wine would be an excellent starting point. With a warm red poured, the alluring literature in his hand, the fire burning, and the curtains closed, he laid back in his comfortable armchair with a pleasant sigh.

““Good girl.” He tried to keep his voice calm and light even as her eyes widened, and she bit her lip again in response to his praise. “I’ll see you next time, Helene. Take care.””

Gale smirked at the intense flirting that had been going on between the characters, imagining himself as the professor on the cover. He mouthed the words silently to himself as if in the scene with the young lady, the submissive tone of her character already causing the heat to rise under his collar. The fire, the wine, the book? It mattered little to him, which was the culprit as he flipped ahead a few chapters; the story captivating, but his body growing a little too eager with the aid of the alcohol. He could certainly see the appeal of the type of fiction now, an improvement over the paintings and sketches he’d once glanced at. Now it was left to the unlimited reaches of his imagination, the story acting as a guide to entice his mind and, in turn, his body, hopefully leading him to a more satisfying precipice to tread upon.   

“Rayne obliged, taking her face in his hands, leaning in and kissing her lips softly, tenderly.”

Now things were hotting up, he thought to himself, the feeling of his trousers growing a little snugger than comfortable. He didn’t want to rush this, but he was frightfully aware of how much time had passed since his last self-indulgent moment. He untied the drawstring above the leather, slipping the trousers and his underwear down enough to release his already semi hard erection. A sip of the red wine gave him a moment to compose himself before he continued.

“Helene hitched her dress up and, without breaking her mouth from his, threw one leg over both of Rayne’s, coming to rest on top of him, straddling his lap.”

The imagery held itself in his mind. He wanted to move to the next line, but the sight of the redhead straddling his lap in his vision caught him, a slight gasp being released as his hand moved around the base of his cock. He breathed deeply, letting his palm lie against his flesh, his self control remaining to savour the story further.

““Please, Rayne… I need you to touch me. Now.” Her voice was desperate and made Rayne’s already hard cock twitch in his jeans; the thought that she needed him like he needed her drove him wild.”

He felt his own cock twitch in eagerness, the dream of his kisses being laid on her body spurring him on. A massaging rub from base to tip caused his heart to beat that bit quicker, his desires trying to escape him with each word. How easy it would be to let himself go as he would have when he was younger. He closed his eyes and whispered through parted lips. Another slow rub before a few more lines could be read.

““Good girl,” he murmured in her ear as her body tensed, “now come for me, my love.””

Gale saw the teasing and the control before his very eyes. He would have conjured her in front of him if he knew his concentration would not have faltered so quickly, but it was too late to take that chance now. An involuntary moan escaped him, a second where his mind collected itself, returning him to reality, and he questioned if anyone would have heard him. He was no longer in the tents on the road, in the Elfsong Tavern, no Tara to be seen; he was alone and could embrace the sensation.

The build up with the fiction was becoming too much for him as he read on; Rayne’s need to give his partner such pleasure, similar to how he would devote himself to a lover. His hand moved quicker, his hips letting out a light thrust against his fingertips with each stroke. He lost track of the words on the page, his mind becoming clouded by his own arousal. He let out a shaky breath as Helene’s hungered pleas caused his cock to throb in his slowly tightening grip, the imagined form in front of him ready to be taken in full.

“Gently, slowly, he entered her....”

He caught little else of the sentence aside from these few words, knowing Rayne’s and his own motions would be similar in nature. Gale’s muscles tensed at the increasing speed of his hand, its movements now instinctive upon his shaft. He could almost hear Helene’s sounds in his head, her soft cries merging with the unrestrained groans of pleasure he was releasing into his empty study. The wine lay half drunk, the pages of the novel shaking gently in his trembling hand as his concentration faltered. He glanced over the paper in front of him, the words no longer existing to him as he pictured himself standing over her, her walls clenching around him. The book was let go from this trembling hand so he could grip the arm of the chair ready for his impending climax, his eyes closed to the dim light of the study, his cheeks flushed with stimulation.

Fantasy was lost to reality as his orgasm hit, a wave of intensity throughout his mind leaving him shuddering and panting for breath within the confines of his tower. The warmth of his seed flowed freely over his hand and he gave a short chuckle to himself; the evening having ended with the satisfying result he had longed for. Professor Karedios had been very thorough in his devotion to Helene, and Gale knew this would not be the last night that he too would be entertained by the pair’s escapades. Despite this knowledge, though, he still sat with the belief that this night had been one of the best he’d had all year: red wine, curtains closed, and a little smut for company.

[cactusnymph]

the right ingredients

Even when he was a child himself Gale was never good at dealing with other children. Burying himself in books all day and using the biggest words he could find to sound impressive and to be as precise as he could never really resonated with most other children—or adults, for that matter.

So when Tav walks over with a child in tow as he carefully cuts some onions for tonight’s dinner, Gale is wary. She is scrawny, with a mop of red hair and two differently colored eyes. The most important thing about her is the fat, fluffy cat at her side, staring at him with huge eyes as if he might throw it in the soup at any second.

“Gale, this is Yenna. She’s staying with us for a while. I thought she could help you cook?”, Tav says with a smile. Gale wishes that smile wouldn’t turn his brain into something that feels much like the bubbling soup in the cauldron looks. He clears his throat.

“Uh—“, he starts, unsure of what he wants to say. The child looks so big-eyed that Gale is afraid she might start crying at any second and that would most likely be even worse than having her cut some carrots. “Have you ever cooked before?”

She shuffles and nods.

“Yes, I’m real good at it! I can make all kinds of stuff. Porridge and omelets and squash soup and—“

As Yenna continues to list a total of eleven dishes she can cook, Tav rustles her hair with a soft look on their face that makes Gale’s insides tingle. Oh, he wishes he didn’t feel the unnecessary pang of jealousy just because he wants them to touch his hair and smile at him the same way. Emotions are to terribly silly.

Gale coughs.

“Well, that sounds very impressive indeed. Yenna, was it? I suppose I can make way for an assistant. Usually I don’t allow others to interfere in my nightly cooking, but! Since our fearless leader recommended your prowess I shall—“

He stops himself as Tav looks at him with an amused smile.

“Right”, he says, catching himself. “How about you peel some of those potatoes over there?”

“Yes! I can do that, sir!”

“Mind me sitting here while you work?”, Tav asks, their head tipped in Gale’s direction. Once again he marvels at the fact that he never really spent much time with anyone, let alone a Tiefling.  Tav’s dark blue skin is not unlike the nightsky, especially with the white freckles covering their entire face and their muscular arms. Gale would like to pretend that he does not spend innumerable minutes of every single day staring at their biceps. But he would be lying to himself, of course.

He allows himself to follow the curvature of their horns and gaze at their glowing white eyes before turning to Yenna.

“So, I see you have a cat companion! As do I. What’s their name?”

“This is Grub”, Yenna says, her tongue sticking out between her lips as she peels a large potato that looks even bigger in her tiny hands. “He’s shy. What’s your cat’s name?”

Gale carefully dumps some sliced onions into the bubbling liquid.

“Her name is Tara. She’s been my companion for a long time and I miss her dearly.”

Yenna smiles at him. She has a front tooth missing.

“Do you also have a cat?”, she asks Tav who is casually chewing on a piece of carrot.

“No, I don’t. Always wanted one, but my pops was allergic”, Tav says with a rueful sigh. Gale notices that their eyes linger on Grub but they keep their respectful distance. Considering Tav’s habit of speaking to every single animal they come across Gale can imagine that they asked permission to pet Grub—and were denied.

Yenna is quiet for a while as she peels potatoes and Gale does his best not to comment on the uneven peeling. He can imagine that Tav would not appreciate him reprimanding a child for less than optimal peeling techniques.

Usually Gale doesn’t allow anyone else to intrude on his cooking, but he has to admit that it’s not too bad to keep his territorial habits in check for a bit, if just to bask in the delightful companionship of Tav. And even though Gale usually doesn’t deal well with children, Yenna doesn’t seem to mind his presence or the way he speaks.

She asks for the meaning of every ‘big’ word that he uses and listens intently as he explains and Tav watches the two of them with a glint in their white eyes.

“This smells so good already”, Yenna sighs and sniffs the air with her eyes closed. “Can I stir it?”

“Certainly”, Gale allows and Yenna grabs the big wooden spoon excitedly before dunking it into the soup. Gale doesn’t cringe. He doesn’t. This is a child in distress that deserves every piece of distraction she can get. Gale can let her stir his soup even though she stirs it as if the spoon is running away from a goblin horde.

“Maybe in the morning you could teach me how to make a proper omelet”, Gale says and Yenna almost drops the spoon into the soup.

“Really?”, she says, her eyes impossibly big. It makes Gale’s heart melt. He might not be well equipped to deal with children but their joy is something precious to behold.

“Absolutely! One should never stop to acquire new skills and knowledge”, Gale says with a nod and a little bow that makes Yenna giggle. Finally, she hands him back the spoon and sits cross-legged on the floor next to the fire as she watches him season their dinner, asking about every single herb he adds to the cauldron.

It takes him a while to notice Tav looking at him with a soft expression on their face.

“Now why are you looking at me like that?”, he can’t help but ask. Tav laughs quietly and shrugs.

“Nothing. Just appreciating your efforts”, they say. Gale would love to hear more about what exactly it is that Tav appreciates, but Yenna is still watching him intently so he goes back to holding out a fresh sage leaf to her so she can smell and taste it before he adds it to the soup.

As the smell of his soup spreads through the entire camp the rest of their colorful band of misfits starts gathering around.

“Well, well, well, Gale, have you finally found your match in the kitchen?”, Wyll says, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he settles down next to Tav on the ground.

Gale waves his spoon.

“Yenna has hereby been promoted to assistant chef”, he answers and Yenna beams.

“I will teach Sir Gale how to make an omelet tomorrow!”, she proclaims proudly, Grub now curled in her lap.

“Very impressive! I can’t wait to taste it”, Wyll says with a smile and winks at Yenna.

“Maybe I can also learn how to make some pie! I love pie. Mister Gale, Sir, can you teach me how to make pie?”

Gale thinks that it seems so mundane compared to everything else he’s been doing with his life up to this point. To sit here, around a fire, stirring a soup for a group of people who—in another life—would never have been in his inner social circle, being asked by a child for cooking lessons. It’s so different from everything Gale has experienced while he was with Mystra.

It’s trivial. It’s simple.

And yet it makes his heart sing in an entirely new way.

“I will have you know, I make the very best cherry pie in all of Waterdeep, young lady”, he says with a little flourish, using the spoon to underline his words dramatically. Yenna claps full of excitement. Grub purrs, Tav laughs and Wyll and Karlach shake their heads about his exaggeration.

And for this moment in time Gale thinks that he could be happy after all.

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

hiiii! could you recommend me some catching fire AU/married in cf fics? thank you soooooo much <3

Hello Anon!

Below is a list of MarriedinCF!Fics. Hopefully some of these are new to you! I've added this topic to future masterlists and have a few more ready to post! Happy reading!

74th Hunger Games Challenge: We Always Were-Jamie Sommers (ff) Summary: A/U This is based on a challenge in which K&P enter the 74th Games as a couple. This is based on the book, the movie but mostly my imagination. Everyone's POV. Find out how Peeta gets with the Careers. What Gale thinks about K&P's relationship... Sequels are Catching Fire: Rekindling and Mockingjay: Broken Wings A.M.-Lenai17 (ff) Summary: Snow is convinced during the Victory Tour that Peeta and Katniss are genuinely in love. What happens when Snow asks just a few more things of them? AU A Change of Heart-MooseDeEvita (ff) Summary: AU. Instead of the Quarter Quell, Snow forces Katniss to marry Peeta as entertainment for the Capitol. This turns out to be just what Peeta and Katniss needed to finally act on their own feelings for each other. Afterglow-taliiaa (ao3) Summary: Katniss feels she owes Peeta an apology after she realizes how her sudden suggestion of marriage hurt him. Always-dandilyon (ff) Summary: Peeta and Katniss are forced to get married a little earlier than they anticipated. How will it effect the Quarter Quell, and eventually, the rebellion? A Marriage Between Victors-optimus_pam (ao3) or (ff) Summary: What if the Victory Tour ended with a wedding rather than an engagement? A story that explores what would have happened if Peeta and Katniss had been forced to marry. How does this change affect their relationship? District 12? The rebellion? As Real As Real Can Be-albinokittens300 (ao3) Summary: During the nights on the train, Katniss comes to accept how deeply she feels about Peeta. And when they have to be married for the Capitol, she decides to do something for them. Even if it's only them who knows. Barren Prologue-silverdoe91 (ff) Summary: AU of Catching Fire where Katniss & Peeta actually get married and she receives a second visit from President Snow before the Quarter Quell. Behind the Veil, Beneath the Shroud-ghtlovesthg (ao3) Summary: She's an escape artist and he's a master of disguise. Having convinced Snow and Panem during the Victory Tour, the star-crossed lovers find themselves the darlings of the Capitol. And all that entails. AU following the Victory Tour.

Blazing Free-LemonLuvGirl (ao3) Summary: Catching Fire reimagined. Canon Divergent. Katniss Everdeen & her co-victor Peeta Mellark have spent every waking moment since they won the 74th Hunger Games trying to appease President Snow and keep their loved ones safe from the Capitol's wrath. They have played their parts to perfection as star-crossed lovers, and mentors. But when Snow puts a new inconceivably sadistic demand on Peeta and Katniss, they have to decide whether they will continue to used as pieces in the game, or whether to change the rules all together. (Mature themes, mentions of depression, allusions to non-consentual sex, underage drinking and drug use, violence, cursing, Everlark smut, some Everthorne drama, minor character death, etc.)

If anyone knows of a fic like this, please reblog, reply, or send an ask with fics fitting this idea and I’ll add it to future masterlists!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to shoot me an ask!

[nerdalmighty]

hey! so, i just recently started playing baldur's gate 3 after seeing people put it all over my dash for months--and you're one of the people i've seen reblogging a lot of posts about it LOL. so if you don't mind me asking, i was wondering what kind of character do you/did you play as? and do you have any sort of backstory for your tav that you'd like to share?

Hoooooooooooooh my god thank you so much for asking. I have a friend who comes over to watch me play on Thursdays and I make a powerpoint every week to catch her up on what she missed - this week's powerpoint literally has slides about my Tav's background (more on those later). This is about to be long, I'm about to drop ALL my lore so buckle up! AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY BG3 BRAIN WORMS!!!!! I'm glad they convinced you to play 😈

So to begin, I've been in my first ever dnd campaign with a group of friends for a little over a year now. I didn't know much about Baldur's Gate except that it was a dnd video game and that you could romance people. Me, being a Big Fan of Romance And Fantasy was like "okay well I'm in" and my friend actually let me start a game at his house. Through that, I met Shadowheart, Gale, and Astarion.

Backing up a bit to my character; I decided I'd put my character from my irl dnd campaign into the game since I already knew her whole deal. I get pretty overwhelmed with making decisions, ESPECIALLY with big open world games like bg3, so knowing who/what I wanted to be really helped me out.

In the campaign I'm in with friends, it's pirate themed, and I play a half-elf bard named Birdie Harp who's secretly half-siren (murder mermaid). To make a long story very short, she was born in the arctic and escaped her murderous pod during a coming-of-age trial where she also lost her siren abilities (hypnotizing voice, breathing underwater, etc).

I've watched a ton of Dimension 20 which is an actual play show on Dropout.tv (an "actual play" is where you watch other people run a campaign of dnd - like Critical Role, which a lot of people have at least heard of - HIGHLY recommend Dimension 20, as I find it incredibly funny and easier to get into than CR because of the episode lengths), and I knew that I really liked the silliness and theatricality of the bard class. I also loved the bards from The Owl House which helped influence my decision as well.

To be honest, Birdie is my first ever dnd character, so she's basically a self insert but with a MUCH more traumatic backstory than me (this IS dnd after all). As for the half-elf aspect, it was more of an "I want to be half mermaid, what's similar to that?" as opposed to a love for half-elves or something.

BACK TO BALDUR'S GATE - knowing I wanted Birdie to be in the game, I felt a lot less overwhelmed to come up with something entirely new - I knew a lot about the bard class having played one so I wanted to CONTINUE playing one (and I've learned even more since playing bg3!).

When I finally got my own game (I no longer play at my friend's house, but in the comfort of my own home), I recreated Birdie and started on my journey in earnest. I'm VERY MUCH someone who likes to be in control and know what to expect, so I've had guides and walkthroughs to help me the whole time - SUE ME! When it came to first meeting Shadowheart, Gale, and Astarion back at my friend's house, Gale actually immediately stole my heart - a kind, witty wizard who likes books and cats? Literally say less. I went home from that session with my friend fully thinking I'd be a Gale girlie until I really looked into the other options and saw The Vampire.

Blah blah blah, he's hot and funny, but he can also be incredibly soft, which really won me over in the end. So I've been romancing That Guy.

Through Acts 1 and 2, I wasn't all too sure about this version of Birdie's background - sure she COULD still be that half-siren from the arctic, but the game kept suggesting she was FROM Baldur's Gate. I LOVED the inclusion of the harpies in Act 1 and thought maybe that was a viable entry point for her backstory, but so far, she was kind of just... me? She was making the choices I wanted to make (and a few that I knew Astarion would like lmao), but she wasn't really her own entity apart from me except for her name. She also felt vastly different from that character I'd created for my friends over a year ago. For instance, my irl Birdie currently has a crush on a Gale-type character, but this Birdie is ass deep in Astarion (hey, sorry I said "ass deep in Astarion"). The thing I love about Baldur's Gate 3 is how you can really come up with your own backstories, since the in-game one for your Tav is so vague. It's totally fine to ignore tiny details in the game and mold them to your own headcanons for your Tav, but I was so unsure of what I wanted for this Birdie that I kind of internalized that she was from Baldur's Gate.

HEADS UP! The following has some spoilers for Act 3 and some side quests, so STOP reading if that's something you'd care to avoid (the last 3 paragraphs of this post are SAFE from spoilers):

When Act 3 finally rolled around (which is where I am currently, I only have the one playthrough so far because I become INCREDIBLY attached to things), I stumbled across the Water Queen's House in Baldur's Gate. Ah ha! Now this felt promising.

A temple dedicated to the Vengeful Sea Goddess, Umberlee, and her loyal Wave Servants to serve her. It's ocean themed, it has mermaid undertones, and their goddess is basically evil. Seems like the perfect place to FINALLY insert this version of Birdie. I wasn't 100% sure until I completed the Iron Throne mission and was faced with either handing a (mostly) innocent man over to the Wave Servants, or fighting to defend him.

Here are a few of the slides from this week's powerpoint that I mentioned all the way back at the start, starting with SOME background on the Wave Servants:

Ass and Shart are what I affectionately call Astarion and Shadowheart (Also I got this beautiful "Birdie" art on Pinterest which originated from someone named Dantrelium on Reddit):

Apologies for the small text here, but there are some more details about THIS Birdie here, which I literally made up/figured out earlier this week:

Essentially, this Birdie was born at the Water Queen's House as Kittiwake Crest - Kittiwakes are common arctic birds, which I thought would be a nice little homage to the original character she was based off of. She was raised by the collective of Wave Servants there, the main one being Flood Tide Allandra Grey who seems to be head honcho at the Wave Mother's House (in this reality, she is).

Since Umberlee is such a vengeful goddess, I imagine she asked her Wave Servants to commit unspeakable acts in her name, mainly drownings, which THEY see as merciful, but I think Birdie always saw as horrifying. Who were they to decide the fates of others? I also think that the Wave Servants themselves were abusive during her upbringing to keep her in line (but much like how Nocturne was a light in the darkness for Shadowheart, I don't think EVERY Wave Servant was evil). GOTTA have a classic tragic backstory.

Upon researching Umberlee, I learned that most of her servants are clerics, so in my mind, that means Birdie was raised to eventually become one, with her official title eventually going to be "Seawind Kittiwake Crest." Is she still half-siren/mermaid though? Not entirely sure. This IS a magical world though, so I'd be inclined to say yes, probably.

But when we first meet the Wave Servants, they're singing beautifully for their drowned sister, Holli. I think Birdie REALLY loved music and singing with her sisters and secretly trained herself in bard magic when she should have been learning to be a cleric. It's also a classic trait of bards to hide their pain through humor, so I often imagine the type of stupid things Birdie gets up to to bring herself joy (my favorite headcanon being when you meet Skittle the Rat in Wyrm's Rock prison - he's a rat merchant who speaks exclusively in puns. I think Birdie and Gale would excitedly throw puns back and forth with Skittle while Astarion and Shadowheart begrudgingly (and affectionately) roll their eyes in the background).

Another thing I love about the game is how you can string together your own ideas of how companions react to things between big cut scenes. For example, in my head, in my game, Astarion has really become a Big Softy thanks to how fucking Stupid (affectionate) Birdie acts in life and has drawn him out of his shell, but also runs a tag team scam with her where she plays her lute to distract people while he loots an entire place. Gale is Birdie's partner in crime when it comes to tomfoolery and loves to joke and fool around with her (so long as it goes easy on his knees). And Shadowheart is basically a sister figure who flip flops between sassing with Astarion and joining in on the fun. THEY'RE JUST THE BEST, OKAY? OF COURSE I'M GONNA WALK AROUND WITH A BUNCH OF IDIOTS. I LOVE THEM.

Anyway, back to Birdie's backstory: she always hated the atrocities that were asked of her, and she was looking for a way out, but was too scared to take that step and leave since the Wave Mother's House is all she's ever known. One night, while stepping out to quietly dip her toes in the water, the Mindflayers captured her, and that's where we start Act One, all the way up on the Nautiloid. She changed her name to Birdie to distance herself from her previous life, fully took up the bard class, and the rest is history.

Back to that dilemma with handing over that (mostly) innocent guy or fighting the Wave Servants: with encouragement from the party, they convince Birdie to face her traumatic upbringing and fight the Wave Servants once and for all. At this point in Act 3, she's basically helped every single person with their problems except her own. Here's another slide featuring Ass and Birdie:

That's right folks, Birdie faced her past! But the bad news is we don't get to see Astarion in this (audio from The Adventurous Adventures of One Direction):

(Video description - Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3 wearing the Wave Mother's Armor with the following audio:

Guard 1: Whoa, check it out.

Guard 2: Hubba hubba hubba.

Gaurd 1: Nice. I love dudes in skirts.

END VIDEO.) I don't want to tell you how many times I recorded that until I felt like I got it right lol. Also yes, I DID do a scum save where I handed the guy over ONCE just so I could see Ass in this outfit, but Birdie did canonically save Redhammer in my actual save file.

And honestly, that's BASICALLY it for now! My most recent save was after that battle, so I need to figure out if Birdie's going to go back with her party to confront the rest of (or most of) the Wave Servants, or if this chapter of her life is closed.

In an ideal world I'd LOVE to make one of those artsy gif edits of my Tav like this and this, but PS5s make it hard to download clips without uploading them to YouTube first which I don't really want to do.

Thank you SO MUCH for this ask, I had a blast writing it!! Sorry it's so long, I just love this game so much and LOVE talking about it. Please feel free to ask more questions OR chat with me about YOUR Tav! I'd love to hear all about them :)

[rqsser]

Could I interest you in a photographer!John and reluctant model!Gale AU? In this universe, Benny runs an animal rescue, and to help raise funds, he blackmails convinces his friends to pose for a fireman-esque calendar. Brady knows John and convinces John to do the photo shoot gratis. John picks up on Gale's uneasiness and figures out what Gale needs in order to be comfortable with the shoot. Gale's photos end up being the best (sexiest) of the lot.

i’m finally catchinf up on my asks!!!! this hasn’t been in my inbox for too long but. i also haven’t answered it… love the idea anon!:)

->cross-posted on ao3<-

—

John has much better things he could be doing. As a private photographer, he’s been booked up for months in advanced, and he’s liked knowing his schedule like that. When Brady asked him about a shoot for his friend, he was reluctant to accept. Then he was given the specifics about where the money would be going, and agreed.

He was given free range for the theme, but was also prompted one very obviously, a firefighter calendar. It’s a good one, and most often a best seller. No doubts that it will raise more than enough money for Brady’s friend’s (Benny?) animal rescue shelter.

The only thing John is not looking forward to is the cocky models who think that they’re better than everyone. Simply being attractive doesn’t make you immediately superior.

At first, he was worried that he’d have to send out an ad for models, which he hates doing. Brady did mention as a last minute thing that Benny already has people in mind and that he’s just waiting for responses, so no pressure on him.

A few days ago, when John had an opening because a client had to cancel, eleven of the twelve models showed up to get their photos taken. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Benny had recommended a woman, Sandra, her name was. She was sweet, and definitely fit the firefighter scene. Maybe not as an actual one, but it just suited her well.

John had been annoyed that he wasn’t able to get the whole thing done with in one day. He understood that the guy, Gale, was helping Benny at the shelter, but was still peeved about it.

Now, it’s late, almost eleven at night. He wasn’t able to reschedule any of his appointments, so got stuck with an extra-long day. He’s not even being paid for this; Brady’s just calling him in for a favour.

He’s setting up his camera and a green screen background. John would’ve preferred something outside, but it’s too late and dark for that. Hopefully this whole thing can be over with in less than an hour, but probably not.

When John hears footsteps coming towards him, he hastily looks up from where he’s crouched down at his camera. Just to get a glimpse of the guy’s physique and what he’d look best in. Gale isn’t facing him, putting his things down tucked away in a corner of the smaller room.

The camera is fine for now. John’d better introduce himself so they don’t have an awkward shoot without speaking.

“Hi, I’m John Egan, nice to meet you,” he says as he stands up and walks over to where Gale is still organizing his things. Which admittedly isn’t a lot.

Gale turns around right as John finishes his greeting, his eyes wide and nervous-looking. Never mind Gale’s face absolutely being billboard-worthy, his entire stance is closed off and shy. He’s trying to meet John’s gaze, but his nerves seem to be getting the better of him. He’s harshly chewing on his bottom lip, and it’s silent for a second too long.

“Um. Gale Cleven,” he offers quietly after a moment. Gale hesitantly reaches out his hand for John to shake, which he does.

He ignores the whole awkwardness of the air, and gets to the details. “Alright, this is a private shoot, so nobody else should see you, especially this late at night. There’s a change room just in the next room over.” John turns and digs out the jacket, pants, and hat from the bin he’s borrowing. “Go put these on then we’ll start.”

Gale nods wordlessly and spins on his heel and leaves to get changed. John returns to his camera.

Ten minutes later, Gale reemerges to the studio. He has his shirt on still and is carrying the jacket instead of wearing it, and John realizes that he’s dealing with a camera-shy model. John schools his frustration and puts on a smile instead.

“Okay, Gale, you just need to lose the shirt and put the jacket on,” John more tells him then asks, but has to courtesy of not looking at Gale. He hears fabric hitting the floor after a second.

It’s more painful than he anticipated it to be. Gale’s whole body is rigid and his face seems uncomfortable. Why become a model if you’re going to be so self-conscious and not perform properly? Forty minutes pass, and John is less than pleased with what he has.

John stands up fully from where he was bent down awkwardly. “Gale, have you ever modelled before?”

All of his questions are answered when Gale reluctantly shakes his head. “No. Benny guilted me into this. He said I got all the good genes and I couldn’t let them go to waste.” His voice sounds so defeated and upset. John’s frustration probably wasn’t helping with how anxious he was.

He nodded. “Let’s talk while we’re doing this, then. Make you less jittery, yeah?” Gale takes a deep breath and agrees.

Things flow smoothly, for the most part, after John decided to actually talk to Gale. He seemed more confident in showing off his body and lean muscles, following John’s directions. Which some were just for his eyes to see. Sometimes he would go up and adjust some things himself just because he could, and he likes the heat that radiates off of Gale’s body in such a cold room.

He had Gale lose the jacket for some, just his bare torso, the pants, and hat. His favourite part is how well the suspenders on the pants held up against his body. Some of Gale’s side profile, some of him with a hose from a truck, some of him sitting down, fanning himself, water dripping from his hair. John had to take his sweater off half way through.

They had nice conversations, and the time went by a lot quicker than John wanted it to. He got to learn about Gale’s love for animals, his distaste for sports and liquor. Gale found out about John’s own love for sports, baseball especially, and how much he hates toddlers birthday parties.

Their time comes to a close at almost two in the morning. John waits for Gale to get changed and get his things, he packs up his camera and takes down the green screen. He walks Gale to his car, and tells him that he did well for his first time. However that may have sounded to either of them.

“Thank you,” Gale says quietly, and the darkness hides the way his cheeks heat up.

“Can I get your number?” John blurts out immediately after. To which Gale stares at him bewildered, and looking very embarrassed. “Shit. So I can send you the pictures and ask questions, or something.”

Gale raises an eyebrow at the tacked on or something, and pulls out his phone from his pocket. John quickly puts in his number and bids Gale a goodnight.

—

The next day, over John’s lunch break, he’s editing pictures from the first shoot he did for the calendar. He gets a text from an unknown number.

Do my pictures look good?

This is Gale btw

John smiles and picks up his phone.

Haven’t gotten to them yet

What month do u want?

December

People can wait an entire year before they get me on their wall ;)

Well, he’s a lot more comfortable over text.

Aye aye

He ends up picking one of Gale where his hair is damp and his jacket is hardly visible on the floor. His eyes are closed and he’s biting down on his lip slightly, head turned and his hand reaching up to touch his neck, leaned back in a way that looks natural. John edits the background to a general smoky-forest blurred out image; it’s not the main focus. He likes Gale’s photos the best.

All of the chosen images get sent over to Brady, then to Benny, who is forever thankful for John.

A week later, the calendars are printed and are displayed at Benny’s animal rescue shelter. Unsurprisingly, they were sold out in less than a couple of days and Benny raised more than enough money for upgrades on things. John mostly only came in so often afterwards to see if Gale was volunteering, which he usually was.

John has gotten messages about the calendar that made him laugh especially hard, even sending a few to Gale.

why did you put the hottest guy last????

Please I need 1000 more of these release all of the pictures you took

You wouldn’t happen to have more of the december guy would you…?

Everyone’s names were pasted underneath their image alongside John’s, no one seemed to care enough to read them. Not that Gale minded, just that people have started to talk to him when they see him in public, complete strangers, talking to an extremely introverted person. At least his responses were less exasperated and funnier.

Never thought that I would get an appeal from selling how I look to people

Should I model more?

Seems like it’s doing more for me than any job I’ve ever had has

I will support u in anything Gale

—

i’m sorry but firefighter calendars look so stupid to me. they’re so awkward

[basket-of-cats-and-witches]

Comfort Part 2: Gale of Waterdeep

A continuation of "I don't feel well so I want fluff and hurt/comfort". If you haven't read the first part with Wyll, you don't have to, but I highly recommend some more wholesomeness for you.

Enjoy!

(if you like it, reblogs are appreciated!)

---

It's been a long day.

One of those days where nothing could go right, as if the universe itself were fighting against you.

Exhausted and upset, you open the front door, golden light spilling out around you.

Tara is the first to greet you.

She chirps her welcome, jumping down gracefully from her perch and winding around your legs. For all she is a Tressym, she is still a feline, after all, intent on giving you enough love to trip you over.

It's a soft balm to your soul.

Hanging up your things, you can't help but smile as you hear the clattering of pans. For all that Gale is a prodigy of magic and an accomplished wizard, cooking is one of the few things he doesn't without too much accompaniment.

One of his simulacrums greets you as you step into the foyer.

“Greetings, love. If you're hearing this message, I'm in the process of making us both a delectable feast. There is a surprise upstairs for you to put on before dinner.”

You can't help but wince.

It was date night, wasn't it.

Your feet throb in your shoes, and getting dressed up sounds like the worst thing you could possibly imagine. Your entire way home your body had ached, and all you'd dreamed of was a comfortable night in.

You sigh. “Tara, could you ask Gale if we could do something a little more…cozy? It's been a long day.”

She mrts in response, ignoring the simulacrum entirely as she slips into the kitchen.

You head upstairs to wash up.

Hanging on your closet door is a beautiful outfit, graceful and made to fit only you. You'd grown used to little gifts like this, as Gale loved to spoil you rotten.

Your fingers grace the fabric, and you sigh.

Another night, perhaps.

Instead, you change into something comfortable and loose, and head back downstairs.

No wooden landing greets your tired feet, however.

Looking around, your eyes widen. Stars form a rich blanket across the night sky, the smell of loamy earth and moss filling the air. In the distance, there are trees, and you are brought back to a different time.

This time, instead of a despondent and solemn Gale, your husband smiles up at you lovingly from a picnic blanket.

“Tara told me you might be in need of some comfort.” He pats the spot next to him, stealing a kiss after you sit down.

“Gale, this is…”

“Only a fraction of what you deserve? I agree. Which is why I also brought some books we've been meaning to read together, and whipped up a little something extra for dessert. I hope you like strawberries. If not, I can turn them into something else.”

You laugh fondly, shaking your head. “It's perfect, Gale. Thank you.”

“Anything for you, my love.” As he serves you both dinner, Tara curls up between you two, her soft warmth comforting against your thigh.

You couldn't have imagined a better ending to an awful day.

[ghost-proofbaby]

“If you get caught, I’ll let you rot in that cell. I swear it.”  “I don’t think you would,” he chirps confidently, finally dropping her hand and wrestling his own out of her grip, “I think you’d miss me too much, dear.” “Thinking isn’t a good look on you, Astarion.” She probably would. Miss him, that is. 

summary: aruna finally figures out what her class is - a wild magic sorcerer. now, if only she had a spell to make babysitting astarion easier.

wc: 4k+

warnings: continued memory loss, but beyond that, no real warnings. just astarion being a menace per usual <3

a/n: this chapter is boring but necessary okay i swear it's crucial. I SWEAR.

masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

“This is useless.”

“You’re being impatient.”

“No, I’m being realistic.” 

Stubborn, more like it. But Aruna would sooner bite her own tongue off than admit that to Gale as he hovers over her. 

She’s spent the first precious hours of morning annoying him, in all fairness. The moment she knew he was awake as well, she’d practically ambushed him, inquiring about those books he kept going on about. She was about to call him a liar, seemingly forcing his hand to admit that the whole bag of holding charade was pure bullshit, when he’d just motioned for her to take a seat on one of the plush cushions on the porch of his tent.

And then he’d brought up a stack of books that sparked a headache in Aruna like no other.

The punishment fits the crime. She’d asked for this. 

“How far have you gotten?” Gale is reading his own book, sitting in a far more comfortable chair across from her. The others are still sleeping – well, the others minus Astarion. He’d been missing from the only other bedroll still situated by the long-dead fire when she’d awoken, and neither her nor Gale had witnessed his arrival due to their noses being stuck in these damned books, “You’re allowed to skim, you know. I don’t recommend it, but…”

“If I have to read another word about wizards, I might paint the ground with my brains,” she flatly notes, turning the open pages she’d been glancing over his way. 

It was a book about wizards. Her complaint is fairly mute when all things are considered. She knows it – she won’t admit it.

He entertains her by leaning forward to squint at the text, clearly not reading it properly as he dismisses it far too quickly. He probably already has the book memorized, the bastard. “I’m fairly certain you’re not a wizard, so you can move on.” 

She’s ready to whack him over the head with the book in her hands. 

No one would stop her. Astarion was back in camp, sitting not far off and glancing in their direction with a permanent expression of amusement, and she knows he wouldn’t stop her. 

“If I’m not a wizard, what am I?”

“Keep reading. Figure it out.”

“Gale. I swear, with the tadpoles as my witness, I’ll chuck this book at your head,” Astarion’s snort is hard to miss as she whispers the threat, “And I don’t need magic to do that.” 

Gale’s eyes widen as though he fully believes her, and he’s finally processing the fact that the only witness to the violence would be the one person in camp who staunchly prefers Aruna to him. “We do not need to resort to violence, my friend. You were the one who woke me up-”

“I didn’t wake you up.”

“-Demanding the books so you could figure out what you are,” Gale finishes as though Aruna never interrupted him, finally standing and walking over to her, “Would you like my expert opinion, though?” 

“Expert?” she scoffs, “My Gods, I’ve chosen the largest ego in camp to educate me. I’m a fool.”

“You are,” Astarion adds from several feet away, “Although we didn’t need your first questionable decision of the day to know that, my dear.” 

She finally turns her body fully to face the elf, “I have more than one book, don’t forget that.” 

He smiles the widest she had witnessed yet, and her attention catches on those glinting teeth. She’d never noticed just how sharp his canines were. 

But he’s quick to sheath them with his lips, offering her no more than a fleeting glance. 

“Based on what I’ve seen in combat, your aim leaves something to be desired.” 

She wishes someone else was awake. Someone like Shadowheart, who might more directly take her side and even the playing field. 

“Maybe with the books,” she narrows her eyes, “But I’m not above resorting to magic against you.” 

He’s about to chirp something back. She can see the playful look, the exhilaration he gets every time she indulges him. Whether it be in conversations about death, or just his teases – he seems to thrive under her attention. But Gale interrupts them both, snatching the book on wizards out of her hand before replacing it with a different one. Something just as hefty and painfully thick, the leather bound cover smooth in her palms. 

“Read that, you might find it of interest,” Gale tells her, smiling differently from Astarion. Whereas Astarion seemingly enjoys existing solely to annoy her, Gale is trying to be genuinely helpful. He has endless patience for her, even as she’s lashing out. 

“What is it-”

“Just read it,” Gale begs, still holding more composure than her, “Trust me. I beg of you.” 

Her mouth snaps shut, and the animal inside of her is quick to cozy up to the idea.

Trusting him. And trusting Astarion. The thing inside of her is quick to gleam at the idea, no hesitation as it purrs at her to do so. She hates the contentment that resides beneath her irritated surface at this moment – the way she’s warm all over again, simply by lounging about the camp with these two strangers. It feels normal; it feels like home. 

The camp hadn’t felt very homely to her the first night, but it’s starting to now. Even as she shoots another warning glare in Astarion’s direction when he breathes out in a way too similar to covering up a laugh. 

“I think Astarion should join us. Make himself of use rather than just being a spectator.”

Her words wipe the smile right off his face, a look of disbelief replacing it. 

“Oh, no – no, no, no,” he’s the most serious she’s seen him yet, vigorously shaking his head, “Absolutely not. I have absolutely no desire to go through our friendly wizard’s library, thank you very much.”

“You say that now, Astarion,” Gale raises a finger, waggling it kindly in Astarion’s direction, “But I’m sure a day will come where you change your mind.”

“And I can assure you, you will wither away awaiting that day.” 

Now, it’s Aruna’s turn to snort. 

The banter between the three of them is coming easily. Flow of jokes and snide remarks are easier than breathing, and Aruna wonders if a quick tongue was an attribute from her life before all this or simply the two men bringing out the worst in her. 

They quiet down long enough for Aruna to finally begin to properly read the book presented to her. It’s just as wordy as the book on wizards, just as dreadfully boring, but she soon gathers the subject for the literature: sorcerers. 

When Astarion had jokingly called her a bard, even without any knowledge of what being a bard had entailed, it had fit her all wrong. A baggy hand-me-down that she couldn’t situate comfortably over her skin. Too many gaps in what she had experienced in their adventures and her experiments with her powers, and too much restriction on all that she didn’t know of herself. But sorcerer? The more she learns, the more the title sinks in against her bones and fits every curve of who she is as it compliments the magic beneath her skin in a calming fashion, the more she understands why Gale had handed her the book. 

It fits. It fits very, very well. 

No one chooses sorcery; the power chooses the sorcerer.

She reads over the line several times. Her eyes pass over it once, and then jump back to the beginning of the sentence, as if reading a fourth and fifth time might make the words hold any less importance.

It fits. 

Her magic doesn’t feel like something she handpicked for herself; not in her journey since the beach and possibly not even in her lifetime before all of these troubles. It’s as if it’s always existed. It’s almost comforting, a lingering relic of who she is but can’t remember that she feels the urge to cling to. 

“You think I’m a sorcerer.”

She means to phrase it as a question, but there’s a finality to her tone as she looks up to Gale. His proud smile says it all. 

Astarion can’t seem to help himself, finally wandering over to them properly, “A sorcerer? I never thought I’d live to see the day a wizard would openly accept the company of one. What a little miracle our small trope is becoming.” 

Gale fully ignores him, “It fits. Especially with your outburst of magic in front of the grove – you seem to specifically be a wild magic sorcerer. I could be wrong, of course, but… well…”

“It fits,” she repeats his words, her thoughts, “Is it… Is it something I was born with?” 

Her callous exterior, the shields of all her jabs and taunts, has melted away. Curiosity has its grip on her as she places the book down into her lap, choosing to stare down at her palms instead with fascination.

Palms that have conjured magic. Palms that had sent off missiles and flames alike with little effort. Her magic was a part of her – not a gift, not a skill. Just her. 

“Usually, yes,” Gale shrugs, “You can certainly keep the book and read more on it, if you’d like. Most are born with it, few encounter forces which thrust it upon them. It’s hard to tell given your… condition.”

Her memory loss. The reason she’s so clueless, sitting on the ground outside of Gale’s tent, a spine of a book pressing into her crossed ankles as she sits criss-cross. 

“Just to be clear – the condition you’re referring to is the mysterious lack of memories our dear sorcerer has? Not the tadpole?” Astarion takes a seat on the log not far off, keeping his distance but still finding a way to wiggle his way into the moment.

She can’t even be mad. She’s still looking down at her palms, focusing on that hum that comes from within.  

“The tadpole wouldn’t give her these powers,” Gale asserts sternly. 

She’s not even listening. 

She understands it now – Gale’s hungry mind. The heavy book in her lap is no longer a source of inconvenience, but a way to learn about herself. Even if they’re wrong, she aches to know more. She wants to understand the world, to learn as much as she can. Her companions have been firm in their optimism that her memory loss isn’t permanent, but they can’t guarantee it. For all Aruna knows, this is her one chance to begin to catch up to everyone else’s knowledge. 

“What else do you have books on?” she asks suddenly, looking up between the two men before her eyes dart to the large stack of books, “Do you have any more I can borrow?”

“About sorcerers?” 

“About anything.” 

Something clicks into place. Softly, silently. Aruna doesn’t understand how she got into this mess, but knows she must not have had a choice based on the recounts from her fellow companions. Not regarding the tadpole, not regarding her presence on that ship, not regarding the gaps in all her memories. 

But she has a choice now. She can sit and be idle, or she can do something. Learn, educate, chase away the shadows of cluelessness until she’s filled in all the gaps in her knowledge. 

Astarion’s scowl at her eagerness is a small price to pay for the promise of that. 

—

“Tch,” Gods, Aruna is quickly growing tired of that sound, “We need to focus on finding this Zorru. We need to learn all that we can regarding the nearest creche.” 

“Lae’zel, I promise you, we are looking for Zorru,” Aruna scans the bustling grove, far more full of moving bodies than it had been the afternoon prior, “But they’re not exactly wearing name tags.”

Aruna is nearly overwhelmed by it all. She’d gathered up her party this morning with a goal in mind; they needed to keep chasing after any and all trails that would lead to a healer. 

Besides, she had Astarion by her side now. As long as she kept him well and alive, she considered that mysterious letter and its confusing instructions satiated, no longer a distraction from what she needed to accomplish. Once she rids them of the tadpole, she’ll press further into the issue of just why some random stranger has insisted she save the thorn in her side. 

“Perhaps we make the suggestion to their leader you’ve been avoiding,” Astarion says in a bored tone, hand reaching out for a crate of fruit off to the side of the entrance they’ve stalled in, “It certainly would make our lives easier.”

She’s quick to reach out her own hand, slapping him on the wrist to prevent whatever thievery he thought he was about to stealthily get away with. He looks at her in shock that quickly morphs to narrowed eyes and a set scowl. 

She doesn’t care. She has one job beyond all this – keep him alive. It’ll be hard to do that if he’s locked away in some prison cell. 

“I’ll talk to Zevlor later,” she promises to no one in particular. She was avoiding the tiefling leader, only showing enough interest in him this morning to catch his name through eavesdropping. It had been easy enough with how loudly some of these tieflings spoke. 

Gale is the only one trying to be remotely helpful, standing with his hands on his hips as he surveys the area with her, “Maybe we should ask around? Someone surely knows this Zorru. It’ll save us quite a bit of heartache, not to mention time.” 

Time. The one thing that didn’t seem to be on their side, emphasized by the wiggling she feels within her skull. The sooner they found Zorru, the sooner they would find this creche, and the closer they’d be to one of their few options for ridding themselves of their most impending of problems. 

“Indeed we should,” Lae’zel agrees fairly easily, which shocks Aruna until she realizes that the gith has taken the suggestion as a showing of slack on her leash, quickly choosing to stride in the direction of a few nearby tieflings. 

Aruna almost takes a step after her, but Gale is quicker. He follows without hesitation, shooting a glance over his shoulder that was somewhere between reassurance and worry. 

The message is loud and clear, regardless: he’ll watch over Lae’zel, as long as Aruna keeps an eye on Astarion. 

“You two have no need to babysit us, you know,” Astarion is still scowling, and she’s beginning to realize just how strong of a grudge he can hold when he doesn’t get his way. 

“No?” she questions, quickly honing in on his once-again wandering hand. She steps forward and wraps her finger around his wrist, bringing it up into the space between them in a scolding manner, “Then stop trying to commit crimes, Astarion. I don’t have enough gold in my pack to bribe or bail you out should you get caught.” 

“We need supplies for camp.”

“We can worry about supplies before we head back.” 

“Why are you so worried about me getting caught?” he suddenly asks, a soft smile beginning to spread.

And- no. It’s not a soft smile. It’s downright mischievous, as though he’s accomplished something-

She looks down at the hand she isn’t holding. Timed just perfectly enough to see him stowing away a damn apple into his pocket. 

“Astarion,” she hisses, reaching out to take the contraband. 

He stops her with ease. The hand that had just skillfully grabbed the fruit without getting caught by any bystanders grabs her wrist in a similar fashion to how she holds his right hand, tilting his head mockingly, “No need to cause a scene. That’s a sure way to get caught.” 

He’s downright insufferable. She wonders if there would be any consequences to doing the exact opposite of saving him. He’s already indulged her that he admires decapitation, but perhaps he’ll rethink his choices when she takes an axe to him. 

And if the warm thrum igniting in her chest as a reaction to his touch is anything to go off of, there probably would be internal consequences, and she’d probably regret it instantly.

“If you get caught, I’ll let you rot in that cell. I swear it.” 

“I don’t think you would,” he chirps confidently, finally dropping her hand and wrestling his own out of her grip, “I think you’d miss me too much, dear.”

“Thinking isn’t a good look on you, Astarion.”

She probably would. Miss him, that is. 

He’s a pest, but he’s quickly become her pest. For some unknown reason, he’s taken to clinging to her side, and his consistent words meant to get a rise out of her are like a blanket of comfort. Of normalcy. 

They have uninvited visitors in their minds, not a single one of them particularly familiar with this terrain, and Aruna doesn’t have a single memory of herself. But she has Astarion – she has his petty commentary and twitchy hands. She hasn’t had to doubt that once in the days she’s known him. 

She doesn’t even have to glance over her shoulder when she walks away; she knows that he’s following her, her own personal shadow as she finally begins to walk deeper into the Grove. Gale and Lae’zel are somewhere, hopefully making more progress than these two, but Aruna can’t spot them as she takes a new path. She takes a right rather than left and completely surpasses all of the small stalls they had perused the day before. 

“Am I crazy, or is that ox’s eyes following us?” 

She doesn’t give Astarion’s words much thought as they walk past the animals, tossing over her shoulder without hesitation, “You’re crazy.”

“I’m being serious,” he insists, face crumpled in between annoyance and weariness as he glares at the ox at the very end of the fence. “It’s- It’s looking at me as if it knows something.” 

She sighs as she turns to him, walking to where he’s planted himself. His arms are crossed, and it’s almost comical – he’s clearly threatened under some animal’s gaze.

“I really don’t think-” 

And then she makes eye contact with the animal. 

Oh. Oh, Gods, Astarion is right. Whereas the other oxen are looking about mindlessly, there’s something in this ox’s eyes as it stares at them. A certain intelligence that she can place immediately. 

“What was it you said to me earlier?” he mocks, “Thinking isn’t a good look on you, was it?” 

She’s too preoccupied with the chill running up her spine as she holds eye contact to care about Astarion’s current attitude. She sidesteps to the left, and the ox’s eyes follow. She repeats the action to the right, nearly bumping into Astarion, and they still follow. 

“Would you please watch where you’re-”

“You were right,” she cuts him off as she straightens up to look at him, “You were right, and something about that ox is off.” 

He wears the smug look of a silent told you so. She sort of hates it, but it’s the least of their issues right now. 

When she takes a step back, her hand is already reaching out to grab at the sleeve of Astarion’s shirt, tugging him to follow her. “We should probably just… leave it.” 

And there’s a whole other layer of oddness at play. Because reaching out for Astarion, trying to keep him close, feels like a second nature to her. It’s not something she subconsciously has to make an effort at – she needs no reminder from some letter in order to feel that pull, that need, to drag him away from danger. Her survival instincts didn’t just apply to herself. They applied to him as well. 

“Leave it?” he scoffs in disbelief, “Isn’t our goal today to get some answers about this Nettie and our parasites? What if this ox knows something?” 

She tugs a little harder on his sleeve, stepping back again, “It’s an ox. A strange ox, but still just an animal. We can deal with it later.”

There’s a finality in her tone that makes him finally follow. He lets her tug him away, and he doesn’t even comment when her fingers stay pinched on the end of the fabric of his sleeve. 

The ox can just be added to her to do list. 

Along with the Devil that Wyll has enlisted their help in hunting. Along with reading more of the books Gale has allowed her to borrow. Along with figuring out her tent situation. 

As she walks the narrow trail with Astarion, leading them past a cart of goods that she deliberately puts herself beside rather than him, she almost wants to laugh out loud at the ridiculous list. Not out of joy, but out of terror. It was terrifying, almost comical, just how much responsibility she had taken to shouldering. Mere days before she had woken up entirely clueless on a beach, and now she had somehow managed to be the appointed leader of the oddest group of adventurers that has likely ever graced these lands. 

She understands Astarion’s frustration. And Lae’zel’s. 

“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” she blurts out just as they pass by a small make-shift stand, seemingly being run by a few children. 

He raises an eyebrow, glancing at her as she steps off the main path and closer to the shadows, taking a moment so they could face each other. 

“The creche,” she finally clarifies, subconsciously chewing on the inside of her cheek, “Do you think having this creche that Lae’zel talked about as our backup plan is a bad idea?” 

“I think it’s certainly an idea,” he looks a bit confused, as if he’s attempting to unravel her motivations string by string only to come up empty handed, “Why do you care what I think?” 

It’s her turn to look baffled, “Why wouldn’t I?”

Letter aside, strange and ominous instructions to save him aside, she’d still want his opinion. He’s a part of the group, same as Gale or Shadowheart. She wants to hear his opinion on the matters just as much as she does theirs. 

He seems to be a bit speechless at that, mouth opening and closing a few times before his brows furrow.

“I… You’re right,” and just as quickly as the slight insecurity had shone through, it evaporates, “My opinion is quite valuable. I think that having the creche as a backup plan is smart. But I do appreciate that we’re seeking out help from this Nettie first. That entire purification ordeal that the gith has been rattling on about doesn’t sound very pleasant.” 

His approval is the oddest of salves on her worrying self-doubts. She shouldn’t need to know that he agrees with her decisions in order to feel secure in them. 

It’s still nice. 

“It really doesn’t,” her eyes wander from his intense gaze, narrowing in on the children behind the table not far off. There’s two of them, bickering quietly over something, “But if this entire plot with Nettie doesn’t work out…”

She trails off, but they seem to continue to be on the same wavelength as he finishes the thought, “Then it’s our only choice.” 

All she can do is nod. Exactly. 

A commotion sounds nearby, down a set of stone steps that they’d yet to make their way down. A group of people, both tieflings and others that were just hidden by a large stone arch, are full on bickering. 

This feeling of deja vu is less foreign and not nearly as scary. It feels like the fight between Zevlor and the human boy all over again. 

She opens her mouth, but Astarion is already sighing, “I don’t suppose there’s any way I could possibly dissuade you from going down there, is there?” 

Her mouth closes, head rolling so she can sheepishly smile at him. She awaits the disapproval, the attitude, the fighting. 

She receives none of it.

Only another defeated sigh, a quick shake of his head as he succumbs, “Right.” 

His hand swings out between them, motioning down the steps. When she hesitates, he waves it a second time, impatience seeping into the motion. She’s still frozen in disbelief that he caved so easily, accepting what she’s about to do without a single curse or angry mumble of a bleeding heart.

“Well? Lead on. We haven’t got all day.” 

She takes the first step, and her shadow follows.

TAGLIST: @emmaisgonnacry @writinginthetwilight @moonmunson

[thetavolution]

20 TAV/OC QUESTIONS

I did it again!

Please consider yourself tagged if you want to! Feel free to @ me so I can read them.

This time it's Paloma (drow monk) and Lamia (changeling bard rogue disguised as a half-drow)! More under the cut.

Paloma

I. what do they smell like at their freshest? (and/or after a tenday. your choice)

Her kids would tell you she smells "like mom."

Other people describe her scent as pomegranate, ylang ylang, and mandarin.

II. what would their blood taste like to vampires?

It would be sweet and fruity like peaches or maybe a little tart like pomegranate juice.

III. how would they kiss their LI?

She's a sweet and gentle kisser until you get her in the bedroom. She loves to shower her lover with kisses whenever she can. She's a body worshipper with her kisses, too.

IV. how do they sleep with their LI (what position, does one steal the blankets, is one too hot/cold, etc)?

She's always cold and hates it. She piles on the blankets and probably has her own separate blankets to avoid stealing from her lover. She would also be pressed against Halsin for warmth. Even in the summer, she'd be desperate for body heat.

He'd happily hold her tightly.

V. what does their tent area look like? where do they prefer to pitch their tent (next to water, covered on three sides, etc)?

It's immaculate with very little clutter. She travels light so it would mostly just be things necessary for survival and to make the trip moderately comfortable. She does carry a few gifts from her kids. (She avoids images of them for the children's safety.)

She also always has a snack stash. She's a mom and it's habit now.

VI. if they had a set of dnd dice, what would they look like?

It'd be blue sandstone.

Photo from Crystal Maggie.

VII. do they collect anything (gems, bottles, keys, etc)?

She doesn't really collect things. She's not a big fan of owning more than she needs.

VIII. if either, are they part of the astarion/gale book club (magic & literature) or the wyll/shadowheart book club (trashy romance novels)?

She'd be in Astarion and Gale's club. She loves to read and she'd ask those two for recommendations. She wouldn't mind hearing what Shadowheart and Wyll recommend though.

IX. if they had to be put in a “get along shirt” with a companion, who would it be?

Minthara. They do not like each other and they never see eye to eye on things. Paloma is so unlike lolth-sworn drow that she rarely gets on with any of them. She doesn't keep up with traditional drow politics either.

Paloma has a son and doesn't appreciate a lot of the choice words Minthara has to say about that.

X. do they prefer speak with dead or speak with animals?

She'd say speak with animals.

XI. what are their thoughts on clowns?

She hates them and considers them annoying, but just tries to ignore them when she can. She happily sends Minthara to go on stage with Dribbles.

One of her kids loves them so she knows way too much clown fandom lore. It's her curse.

XII. their companions are gossiping about them behind their back! who is it and what are they saying?

She's secretive so her companions would try to figure out what she's hiding. They would find little hints of something here and there. They'd be trying to solve the mystery and coming up with ideas.

While Shadowheart would respect her privacy, she's not above what she sees as harmless theorizing. She'd assume she was running away from something dark. Astarion would have the most outlandish theories about who she really is. Wyll would romanticize whatever her history is. Gale tries not to gossip about it, but he has some very educated guesses he wants to share.

They would also gossip about how unlike most drow she is. Minthara would loudly talk shit about her "behind her back."

The other gossip would be how she was good at hiding what a horndog she is until she met Halsin.

XIII. what makes them laugh? what does their laugh sound like?

She has a deep and soft laugh. She has a very dry, deadpan sense of humor, but she can also be silly. Her kids can always make her laugh. She and Jaheira have a very similar sense of humor.

If she didn't hate Minthara so much, she'd admit she's really funny.

XIV. do they have any inside jokes among their companions?

She'd have a few with Halsin. There would be a lot of innuendo that would make everyone roll their eyes. I'm really struggling with the inside jokes part of this and I can't say why.

She and Jaheira would. I have to revisit this after I think of anything good to share.

XV. what’s the description of their camp clothes in the inventory menu?

"Warm and snug, but made of flexible material in case heads need to roll in the middle of the night."

XVI. what’s the description of their underwear in the inventory menu?

"Not the type of underwear associated with monks, but something a little more fun...."

XVII. how do they celebrate their birthday?

She's not used to taking time for herself so she never really celebrated her birthday. For years, only Lamia would acknowledge it and get her a gift and a slice of cake.

After the kids were old enough, they try to do things for their mom's birthday. They cook for her, take care of the house for her, and just want to do things with her. Halsin easily slips into that family dynamic. Halsin gives her meaningful gifts and makes sure she doesn't have to lift a finger for the day. The kids and Halsin always make sure she gets cinnamon rolls for her birthday breakfast.

XVIII. what modern day tv show would they binge over a weekend? do they get their LI to watch with them?

She'd binge shows like The Bear, Carol & the End of the World, Cunk on Earth, Mandy (she'd love Diane Morgan), Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Fleabag, and Bridgerton.

She'd also watch UNHhhh and Drag Race with her sister, Lamia. She wouldn't ask Halsin to watch with her, but he probably would watch her favorite shows to understand her interests better. They'd watch so many documentaries together.

She would also be a Bluey mom.

XIX. do you have a playlist for your tav? if so, what’s the title + description?

I never name my playlists lol. I'm way too lazy.

Surface Pressure - Jessica Darrow

Reach - Madds Buckley

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

She Used To Be Mine - Sara Bareilles

Momma's Got This - Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, and Tituss Burgess

Zero Gravity - Kate Miller-Heidke

Moral of the Story - Ashe (about her ex and father of her children)

Eldest Daughter - Isabel Pless

No Time To Die - Billie Eilish (another one for her ex)

Ready Now - Dodie (this honestly works for Paloma/Halsin or her relationship with Lamia)

Like Real People Do - Hozier (for Paloma/Halsin)

Speechless - Alicia Keys ft Eve (for her children)

Sweetest Devotion - Adele (for her babies again)

Closer - Nine Inch Nails (for Paloma/Halsin)

Thousand Miles - Miley Cyrus ft Brandi Carlile

You're Gonna Be - Reba McEntire (for her children once more)

Praying - Kesha

Breath (2 AM) - Anna Nalick (it felt perfect for her and Lamia's bond)

Interlude: I'm Not Angry Anymore - Paramore

XX. if you were to try pickpocketing them, what would they be carrying?

She wouldn't have much aside from some money, snacks, and some pictures her children drew for her.

Lamia

I. what do they smell like at their freshest? (and/or after a tenday. your choice)

She tries not to smell too strongly of anything so she can sneak up on people more effectively. She'd probably smell like a mixture of leather and rosin if you got close enough.

If she's going to an event where she can dress up and doesn't have to worry about sneaking around, she smells like amber and honey with a touch of vanilla.

II. what would their blood taste like to vampires?

It'd be sweet and spicy like a sweet serrano chili sauce.

III. how would they kiss their LI?

She has two love interest options: Astarion and Wyll.

She's passionate, but often sloppy. She's not used to romance, but hot and heavy trysts and booty calls.

When in a more vulnerable state, she's more likely to give slow and/or delicate kisses.

IV. how do they sleep with their LI (what position, does one steal the blankets, is one too hot/cold, etc)?

She runs hot and she's a flopper. She flops around in her sleep and steals all of the blankets. It's like sharing a bed with a cat.

She gets a little better at sharing her space over time. She still wakes up all over the place, or sprawled out over her lover.

V. what does their tent area look like? where do they prefer to pitch their tent (next to water, covered on three sides, etc)?

It is a mess. She has booze bottles that she promises she's going to toss out soon. There are plenty of knives and whatever objects and money she's stolen. She doesn't like being snuck up on so she always makes sure her tent is up against a wall or something.

VI. if they had a set of dnd dice, what would they look like?

It would be white with red blood splatter

Photo from DigitalDice on Etsy.

VII. do they collect anything (gems, bottles, keys, etc)?

Not exactly. The girl just steals things and keeps it in her tent. Some things she keeps in case she "needs it" or she sells it.

VIII. if either, are they part of the astarion/gale book club (magic & literature) or the wyll/shadowheart book club (trashy romance novels)?

Wyll/Shadowheart, without a doubt.

In a relationship with Astarion, he would be able to talk her into reading certain books. They'd have a private book club away from the others... that would turn into a lot of sex.

IX. if they had to be put in a “get along shirt” with a companion, who would it be?

Lae'zel. They don't hate each other, but they can't stand each other. They fight all of the time. It's amazing they haven't killed each other.

X. do they prefer speak with dead or speak with animals?

Speak with animals. She loves animals, what can I say?

XI. what are their thoughts on clowns?

Lamia loves clowns, especially when they make others uncomfortable. It's part of the joy. Astarion is so confused by this love. She definitely would go to a clown show with Wyll.

XII. their companions are gossiping about them behind their back! who is it and what are they saying?

She does a lot of the gossiping while simultaneously being offended when others gossip about her. She wants to be loved. But really there's a lot of "How do we solve a problem like Maria Lamia" going on behind her back. Her companions would be near mutiny until they realized she actually knows what she's doing. Then it'd go from judgmental to concerned. This girl really needs to get her life together.

I'm playing with her as a Dark Urge and after that's revealed, people would talk about that behind her back. Even if they trust her, it's hard not to gossip about hanging out with a real Bhaalspawn.

XIII. what makes them laugh? what does their laugh sound like?

Campy things can get her to laugh. She does love sarcasm and anti-humor. Her sense of humor can be mean spirited, but she never wants to REALLY hurt anybody.

She has two laughs. Her low chuckle and her very loud cackle. Her cackle can be likened to an old school anime laugh.

XIV. do they have any inside jokes among their companions?

She and Astarion have a million inside jokes. I'm still blanking on what they'd be. They'd probably have way too many Bhaal jokes. She'd also have plenty with Wyll.

Naturally, she has a lot of inside jokes with Paloma. They're sisters, y'know? Since she's a Bhaalspawn, she'd have an inside joke or two with Orin and Gortash. Lamia often remembers weird shit people have said. Most of her inside jokes are this:

Gortash misspoke one time and now she'll never let him live it down, even as mortal enemies.

I have to figure out how to mash Lamia's original backstory with the Bhaalspawn storyline.

XV. what’s the description of their camp clothes in the inventory menu?

"Though it's comfortable for a nice of restful sleep, it's also perfect for slipping away into the shadows."

XVI. what’s the description of their underwear in the inventory menu?

"Why even bother wearing underwear at all?"

There's just not that much fabric.

XVII. how do they celebrate their birthday?

There'd be a lot of partying and drinking. She usually ends up totally trashed by the end of the night. There's a present pile for her and a lot of party foods.

As time passes, she does less crazy partying. She starts to value just getting some drinks with friends and having them show her with gifts and praise. (She isn't going to be a different person, just a calmer one.)

XVIII. what modern day tv show would they binge over a weekend? do they get their LI to watch with them?

She's binging a lot of UNHhhh, Rupaul's Drag Race, and The Boulet Brothers' Dragula. Astarion and/or Wyll would happily watch all three with her. Paloma already watches them with her and Lamia probably even has the kids watching it once they're old enough.

She'd watch a lot of reality TV, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and True Blood. Astarion and Wyll would love it. You cant tell me they wouldn't love trash TV.

Wyll has a LOT of opinions on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

XIX. do you have a playlist for your tav? if so, what’s the title + description?

Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) - Pet Shop Boys

Daisy - Ashnikko

Dirty Imbecile - The Happy Fits

Sweet But Psycho - Ava Max

Bad Girls - Tennis

Angry Too - Lola Blanc

Lilith - Ellise

How to Be a Heartbreaker - MARINA

Demons - Hayley Kiyoko

One Love Can Save Me Now - The Pretty Reckless (for either Lamia/Astarion or Lamia/Wyll)

Devil's Worst Nightmare - FJØRA

Psycho - Maisie Peters (I heard this and immediately thought Lamia/Gortash)

Joke's On You - Charlotte Lawrence

Villainous Thing - Shayfer James

The Red Means I Love You - Madds Buckley (for Lamia/Astarion)

Work Song by Hozier (for Lamia/Wyll)

Mess Is Mine by Vance Joy (for Lamia/Wyll)

Tear You Apart - Megan McDuffee (for Lamia/Astarion)

Arms Tonite - Mother Mother (for Lamia/Astarion)

Nobody's Daughter - Hole

XX. if you were to try pickpocketing them, what would they be carrying?

Money and knives. So many knives. And then she'd stab whoever pickpocketed her with one of those knives.

[tabitha42]

The Wizard's Apprentice - Chapter 43

Saffron is just a lowly apprentice with barely a successful firebolt to her name. So what chance does she have with the arch mage she's slowly falling in love with?

Gale x Tav, slow burn, eventual smut

Chapter 1 Previous chapter Next chapter

It was hours before Malitas’s return. Long enough that, by the time the sending stone sparked and the portal opened once more, Gale had been able to get a full night’s sleep and was far more refreshed than he had been the day before.

Malitas stepped out, and this time he was the one that looked like he could do with some sleep. 

“Baldur’s Gate, Waterdeep, Neverwinter and Elturel. Not one of them had a single alchemy shop that stocked basilisk oil,” he moaned as he walked over to the table, put his bag on it and opened it. “I know it’s a rare ingredient, but you’d think out of twenty two different shops, at least one would have some,” he muttered, mostly to himself, as he began pulling out what looked like far too many books to fit in his small bag. “So I went to Candlekeep and took out every book I could find that might be relevant. I’ve made some notes, but I haven’t had time to read everything,” he said, piling up the books. 

Gale walked over and picked up one of them - an in-depth look into the physiology of spectators. There were a number of bookmarks sticking out of the pages, as well as a few slips of paper where he’d made notes. 

“You managed to get all of these from Candlekeep?” He asked, looking over the growing pile of books in front of him. “I didn’t think they allowed people to take out so many books at once.” 

“Yes, well, luckily one of the librarians owes me a favour… and the other librarian wasn’t paying much attention,” he said as he pulled the last book out of his bag and placed it with the others. He then sighed deeply as he closed his eyes, took off the silver circlet he always wore and massaged his temples. 

“Now, I need to trance,” he said, opening his eyes again and replacing the circlet. “Can I leave these with you to get started on, Gale?” 

“Of course,” he said with a nod. 

“I’d recommend beginning with this one,” Malitas advised, picking one out and handing it to Gale. It was a collection of adventurers’ tales. “It contains a story mentioning a spectator with unusual abilities. There’s a few books in here we may be able to cross-reference it with.”

Gale could hear the tiredness in Malitas’s voice as he spoke. It was weird to hear the slight slur in his speech, given how sharp his tone normally was. 

“I will return in a few hours. Send for me if you find anything urgent.” 

Gale nodded, and with that Malitas summoned another portal and left again. 

Tara jumped up onto the table as Gale sat down and opened the book. 

“Well, would you look at that? One of the worst people I’ve ever met, and even he knows to take care of himself,” she chastised. Gale shook his head as he flipped the book open to the first bookmark. 

“He’s not in love with her,” he muttered defensively as he began reading. 

He didn’t see the sceptical look on her face. 

When Malitas returned a few hours later, he found the whole group gathered round the table, each one of them with a book in hand. He was rather surprised to see them all dedicating their time to helping Saff, and even more surprised when he realised they’d left a space at the table for him. 

There was a very noticeable tension in the air as he joined them, though the group were civilised enough to ignore it for now and focus on the task at hand. By some miracle they managed to get to lunch without any major arguments breaking out.

Malitas looked sceptically at the plate of probably edible mushrooms he was given, prodding them cautiously with his fork. 

“Not up to your standards?” Shadowheart asked, her tone implying he was too sheltered to handle the hardships they’d been facing. 

“I didn’t realise you were sustaining yourselves on such… questionable food,” he said, lifting up one of the mushrooms as he looked at it. 

“Well there aren’t exactly any farmers’ markets nearby,” she replied sarcastically. 

“I assure you it’s perfectly edible,” Gale interjected, feeling a tad insulted by Malitas’s critical appraisal of the lunch he’d helped prepare. “Unfortunately our supplies from the surface have been exhausted, so we are left with what we can find in the Underdark… which isn’t much.” 

Malitas looked at the mushroom for a moment, then finally took a bite as the others started eating. There was a moment of quiet as the group ate, til they heard Malitas starting to cough. He covered his mouth and tried to hide it, but didn’t do a very good job. 

“Excuse me,” he said quickly, his voice hoarse, before quickly leaving the table and rushing off. 

“Is he… choking?” Wyll asked, trying to see where he’d gone. 

“I don’t think so,” Gale said, figuring if he could speak he couldn’t be choking. 

“Guess he just couldn’t handle the food,” Shadowheart said with a smirk. 

“Well, if he’s not gonna eat it…” Karlach started, picking up one of the mushrooms from his plate and lifting it to her mouth.

“I wouldn’t,” Astarion said quickly, holding out his hand for her to stop. The group turned to him. 

“What did you do?” Gale asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I thought he might enjoy it a bit more… spiced than the rest of us,” he said with an amused grin. “You know those firebrand peppers we found? I ground them up and gave him a generous helping.” 

“Firebrand peppers, huh?” Karlach said, looking at the mushroom, before popping it in her mouth. Her eyes immediately widened as she coughed. “Pwoar! Yeah, that’s got a kick to it!”

Gale wanted to scold Astarion and remind him that making enemies out of powerful wizards was never a good idea, but couldn’t quite stop himself from sniggering along with the others. 

When Malitas finally returned, he declared he wasn’t hungry. 

That evening Wyll cooked dinner bathed in the purple light of Malitas and Gale’s spells as they both pooled their magic together to learn more about the curse. At times it was almost like a show with their synchronised incantations and gestures, the magic dancing in the air around them. They’d periodically drop their spells to discuss their findings at length in what might as well have been another language for all anyone else understood of it. 

They finally stopped casting for the night and returned to the books to give the rest of the group some peace as they began to head to bed. Soon Gale, Tara and Malitas were the last ones awake, the three wizards sat round the table reading or making notes. 

“Do we have Curses and Hexes?” Gale asked, glancing over at the piles of books. “It’s referenced here, it might be useful.” Malitas shook his head. 

“No, but I can return to Candlekeep and pick it up. I have a few other books myself I’d like to collect,” he offered. Gale pondered for a moment. 

“I assume you can take multiple people through your portals? If I came with you, I could-” 

He stopped and winced slightly as a familiar voice spoke to him. 

“Don’t. If you leave, I can’t protect you.” 

He sighed as the tadpole went quiet once more. 

“Not that, then…” he muttered. 

Tara had seen this happen before, but Malitas looked at him in confusion. 

“I’m sorry, did I miss something?” he asked. 

“The dream visitor speaks to us through the tadpoles,” Gale explained, tapping on the side of his head. “And she just told me if I leave, she can’t protect me. Looks like I’ll be staying here.” 

Despite the explanation, Malitas only looked more confused. 

“So… this dream visitor was watching our conversation? Is she always watching you?” 

“So it seems,” Gale answered. The look on Malitas’s face showed he had the same thoughts Gale did when they all realised they were being watched at all times. “Yes, I am aware of the… uncomfortable implications of this.” 

Malitas closed his eyes and shook his head in despair. 

“These tadpoles never cease to surprise…” he muttered, before looking back up at Gale. “In that case I shall make my way to Candlekeep myself. I need to double check some things, but with any luck, I believe I may have a solution.”

Gale looked at him in hope. 

“You do?” 

“Yes. The curse is too strong for me to remove it completely, but I believe I can write a spell that will lift the curse long enough for Halsin to cast Greater Restoration on her. It will be too powerful for me to cast on my own, but together I think we will be able to do it. I need to refine the idea and check a few books on the subject, but I believe it will work,” he explained, glancing down at the notes he’d been making. Gale looked down at the pages in front of Malitas, but saw that once again the words were all Elven. 

“Apologies,” Malitas said, clearly seeing Gale’s curiosity as he tried to read his notes from across the table. “I’ll write it all up in Common and you can read it tomorrow.”

Gale frowned slightly. Such a spell had crossed his mind, but would require more information than they had about the nature of the curse. 

“Can you explain it to me now?” he asked, but Malitas shook his head. 

“Quite honestly, I think we’re both too tired for that right now. You need to sleep and I need to trance. I will refine the spell and explain it in full tomorrow,” he said, though Gale didn’t look convinced. Malitas sighed as he looked at him. “Get some sleep, Gale, or I will make you get some sleep if you insist on depriving yourself like this.” 

“You know as well as I do that magical sleep doesn’t give the same benefits as real sleep,” Gale countered, folding his arms.  

“Yes, that’s true. So if you’re going to be asleep either way, you might as well make it worthwhile, hm?” 

Gale narrowed his eyes at him, but eventually relented when he had the rather annoying realisation that he was too tired to argue. 

He stood up and headed to his tent, leaving Malitas at the table with Tara. She walked forward across the table and sat at the edge, watching Gale disappear into his tent as Malitas stood up and began gathering the pages of his notes. 

“I will make an exception this time, but I would not normally stand by and allow someone to threaten him, especially someone I trust so little,” she warned, looking over at him. Of the group, she was the one most outspoken about her continued dislike of him. 

Malitas stopped as the two of them looked at each other, a beat of silence passing between them. 

“I’m sorry,” he said eventually. “I’m sorry for everything I said to him, and I’m sorry for calling you novel.” 

“Oh are you?” she said disbelievingly. “Is that really true, or do you say that only because of the knowledge that Miss Saffron will leave you if you don’t make amends with us?” 

Malitas looked away slightly. 

“A bit of both,” he admitted, moving to gather his notes again, before pausing once more. “Why do you call her that? She always insists on people calling her Saff.” 

“A mark of respect. I would have preferred her surname, but as she doesn’t have one, I made do,” Tara explained, before looking at him curiously. “Why do you call her Saffron?” 

“I have my reasons,” he answered simply, returning to his tidying. 

“And I’m asking what they are,” she insisted, undeterred. He paused, then sighed slightly. 

“Saffron is a very intelligent, motivated and enthusiastic young woman who I believe will go far in her wizarding career, and I have no doubts she will have plenty of teachers and mentors after me,” he said, pausing for a moment as he looked over at Saff. “She is also very naive, impressionable, trusting… and beautiful. Exactly the sort of young woman far too many wizards out there would love to have as their apprentice, for reasons that are not in her interest.” 

He looked back over at Tara as he continued. 

“She’s never been to school, never had any formal education. She doesn’t know what is and isn’t acceptable from a teacher. I was trying to instil in her some sense that a mentor is not the same as a friend, and that there should be boundaries that do not exist in the friendships she was accustomed to.” 

He sighed slightly as he finished gathering his notes. 

“Given her relationship with Gale, I can only conclude that I did not succeed.” 

Tara looked at him in surprise. 

“There is a big difference between taking on an apprentice and teaching a friend some magic,” she objected. 

“Yes, I suppose there is,” he conceded, looking over at Saff once more. “And I can only hope for her sake that their relationship is closer to that than what I fear.” 

“And I hope for her sake that you do not still think all that of her,” Tara said, causing him to look back at her with a slight frown of confusion. “I cannot speak for when you met her, but I do not think she is as naive as you claim her to be. She’s a lot wiser than you give her credit for.” 

He looked back over at Saff, contemplating Tara’s words. 

“I’ve heard tressyms are very good judges of character,” he murmured in thought. 

“You heard correctly,” Tara confirmed. “Have you also heard that tressyms will only befriend good-hearted wizards?” 

“I have heard that, yes.”

“Then take from that what you will about Gale.”

He turned back to her and met her gaze as she looked up at him, then sighed slightly as he looked away. 

“I must admit… if today’s events have taught me anything, it is that Gale cares for her a lot more than I initially thought. Perhaps I was too hasty to judge him.” 

“Perhaps?” Tara pressed. He almost had to laugh. 

“Alright, I was too hasty to judge him,” Malitas amended. 

“Good to hear you admit it,” she said with a nod. “Though I’m afraid it’s going to take quite a bit more for you to prove to us that you’re worthy of our trust.”

He looked at her for a moment. 

“Is there anything I can do to expedite that?” he asked.

“Hmm…” she murmured, considering the question. “If you could return tomorrow with some beholder jerky, it would certainly help.” 

He chuckled softly. 

“You would choose something even harder to get hold of than basilisk oil, wouldn’t you?” 

“Well, if that isn’t an option,” she said, standing up, “then I suppose you’ll just have to keep trying to earn our trust in more traditional ways, won’t you?” 

She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. 

“When you apologised you took the first small step along what I assure you is a very long road to forgiveness. Let’s see how far you can get.” 

She jumped down and headed over to Gale’s tent, disappearing through the flap as he watched her. He sighed slightly, then summoned a portal and stepped through. 

The next morning the others watched from the campfire with bated breaths as Gale sat with Malitas at the table and read through the pages of notes Malitas had given him on his return. 

“This spell is…” he started, frowning as he read the last few sentences. “It makes a lot of assumptions,” he concluded, looking up at Malitas. 

“The spell can be modified while casting should any of those assumptions prove false,” Malitas assured him, pointing to the sheet that details any potential modifications that may be required. 

“It’s still risky…” Gale murmured, picking up the sheet and looking at it. 

“Anything we do here will be risky. This situation isn’t well documented. Our options are to make assumptions, or continue research that has so far been largely fruitless. And…” he leant in and lowered his voice slightly, “I know your group is ready to progress towards Moonrise. They will likely not be willing to wait around much longer. We have to do something.” 

Gale winced, knowing Malitas was right. He knew the group didn’t want to leave Saff, but they couldn’t stay down here forever, and every moment they lingered the tadpoles grew. 

“You’re sure you can handle this if your assumptions are false?” he asked, looking up at him. 

“I’m sure,” he confirmed. “Saffron is important to me. I would not gamble with her life if I were not confident in the odds.” 

He sighed deeply as he looked over at Saff. He was certainly no stranger to casting risky magic, but he’d never done it when someone else’s life was at stake before. What made it worse was that, with the orb and the tadpole, he could only help cast the lower level elements of this spell, and had to trust Malitas to be able to handle the potential complications. 

He hated to think of it as gambling with Saff’s life, but what choice did they have? 

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

[eluvisen]

🌈Is there a ship you wouldn’t write a whole fic for, but love in the background?

✨Which is your favourite platonic BG3 dynamic and why?

❄️Which BG3 companion is your most/least favourite to write?

🌊What moment in the game had the strongest emotional impact on you?

🪐Who’s your favourite non-companion character, and why?

🌈Is there a ship you wouldn’t write a whole fic for, but love in the background?

I adore Aylin/Isobel, but I don’t think I’d be able to come up with a specific scenario to write for them. Honourable mention also goes to Bex/Danis, for whom I would burn Baldur’s Gate to the ground.

✨Which is your favourite platonic BG3 dynamic and why?

I adore Karlach and Wyll as either a romantic or platonic pair (their devotion to each other is unparallelled) but for a purely platonic dynamic, I’d have to say Karlach and Gale. They have the obvious parallels with the imminent explosion and accompanying chronic pain, but they’re also incredibly sweet and supportive with each other. I love that Karlach’s reading habits becomes something of a through line for them, where Karlach mentions “distracting” Gale by telling him she hasn’t read a book since school, then they have a banter where Gale offers to find some recommendations for her, then in Act 3 Karlach has a pile of books beside her bed.

That and he offers to make her a magic axe. They are best buds.

❄️Which BG3 companion is your most/least favourite to write?

I think we all know my favourite character to write is Karlach 😂 I don’t have a least favourite companion to write, but I don’t feel like I have a good handle on Halsin or Minsc. I don’t want to pigeon hole them as the wise mentor and the comic relief character, so I'm a lot more critical when I write them.

🌊What moment in the game had the strongest emotional impact on you?

Karlach’s post-Gortash meltdown, holy shit. That made me bawl. Samantha Béart deserves all the awards for their performance.

🪐Who’s your favourite non-companion character, and why?

Arabella! I love her with my whole heart. She became my favourite when she popped up again in Act 2 because I wasn’t expecting her at all and I loved the special druid dialogue with her. Rhodeia has a similar backstory to Arabella (parents died when she was young, ended up learning nature magic) so there was a very juicy RP opportunity there. Plus she's just a good kid who got hit with some hard knocks, but always finds a way to dust herself off and carry on.

Thank you for the ask! <3

[woggle-bugger-me]

What are some good Oz related books. Not wicked, I read all those.

It really depends on what you're looking for. For Oz-related fiction (that isn't part of the canon series) I recommend:

"Shadows of the Emerald City" edited by JW Schnarr - An anthology of short stories set in Oz. The stories are usually pretty dark in tone and a few go into full-on horror territory. The stories are written by a variety of authors and vary in quality, but I think most of them are engaging and well-written.

"The Lost Tales of Oz" edited by Joe Bongiorno - Another anthology written by various authors, though this one's very different to Shadows in that all these stories are canon compliant, AKA they feel like they could have actually happened in the Oz books. All the stories are illustrated by Eric Shanower (and he also wrote "Chop", one of the stories), so I definitely recommend it if you're a fan of his work.

"Was" by Geoff Ryman - A novel which asks the question "what if Dorothy Gale was a real person?" After the death of her parents, Dorothy goes to live with her aunt and uncle, who are neglectful and abusive towards her. Another major storyline follows Jonathan, a gay and autistic actor with HIV who goes on a journey to find out about who the real Dorothy was.

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" graphic novel adaptation written and Eric Shanower with art by Skottie Young - A book-accurate comic in a really cool art style. Young and Shanower adapted the first six Oz books into comics and they're great, though sadly they never adapted the later books.

And here are a couple of Oz non-fiction books I recommend:

"The Making of the Wizard of Oz" by Aljean Harmetz - A book about the creation of the 1939 MGM film. Very informative and interesting.

"Friends of Dorothy" by Dee Michel - A look into Oz's popularity with gay men. Discusses the portrayal of gender roles in Oz, the close same-sex friendships many characters in the books have that gay people can relate to, and Oz as a form of escapism. Mostly focused on the 1939 film, but discusses the books as well.