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#Gale looks like a romance hero in it too
avelera · 8 months
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I was messing around in BG3 with the casual/camp clothing and gave Karlach Asterion’s frilly shirt, the one with the tight pants and the sleeves rolled to the elbows and the low laced neckline and I…
Ladies
Lesbeans…
Do yourselves a favor. Give Karlach Asterion’s casual clothes at least once. As a treat.
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merlinmerlot · 6 months
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i finally finished bg3
and it only took me [looks at steam]
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SIX HUNDRED HOURS
#merlin.txt#w/ the new computer the rest of act 3 went by super quickly#honestly i dont think my computer and my sanity would have survived all those cutscenes#ANYWAYS initial thoughts:#cried like a baby. ending credits songs really really good. i can't WAIT to start a new playthru. HOWEVER:#oh my god the ending felt so fucking rushed. i was expecting like a typical rpg ending slideshow at LEAST but nothing???#like you only get One cutscene with your romanced partner (a short one too) but i don't get to see what everyone else is doing??? hello??#gale is literally like 'lets celebrate' and we don't get to see the celebration??? or at the very least a chance to talk to everyone again#like in act 1 and 2????#imo i think the most satisfying one was lae'zels. god i love her#also act 3 is hella buggy especially towards the end. a lot of broken dialogue. but ah well#OK NOW SPOILER THOUGHTS SAMMIE DONT LOOK:#the game Really wants you to turn illithid but i ended up just letting karlach do it ... i felt bad .. but like#i found the arc of my tav like. getting So close to going full power hungry and martyr and hero only to finally be humbled like -#'you dont have to always play hero' was really interesting. like doing that and then hearing the post credits 'the power' song. gshldgksmal#guy who is soo miserable abt the fact that all their cool illithid powers are now gone. has to go back to being normal#ALSO. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THE ENDING AST SCENE. HELLO?#HIM RUNNING AWAY FROM THE SUN. IT BEING COMPLETELY PLAYED FOR LAUGHS. SO MEAN#any other time i may have laughed but the fact that you dont really get epilogues made that Really sting.#THE FACT THAT THE COMPANIONS ARE NOT EVEN NICE ABOUT IT??????
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bloooodyconsort · 5 months
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How I gained Unlimited Power by Astarion Ancunin
Acquire as many perks and permanent buff like Auntie Ethel hair, the shadow summon etc etc
Pretend to be helpful so you can gather a lot of valuable allies such as Zevlor and foster a good relationship with your party members
Raise your relationship with Gale because THE Gale of Waterdeep is a valuable ally
Raise your relationship with Wyll because he is the son of a Duke, exiled or not he still got some clout that you can use
Shallow the cringe from doing selfless good deeds like a lame ass hero, because it is an effective strategy to romance Gale
Successfully Romance Gale
Endure Gale's dramatic hang up with Mystra
Pet Gale's flying cat
Commit genocide against goblin and gith, don't worry not even your goodiest two shoes friends will complain about it. You killed them. You killed them all. They're dead, every single one of them. And not just the men, but the women and the children, too. They're like animals, and you slaughtered them like animals. YOU HATE THEM (because ew they are ugly)
Prevent Gale from going Kamikaze for Mystra in Moonrise Tower
Get to Baldur's Gate with your gang
Steal all valuable items that you can find, rob all merchant and kill anyone who get in your way because honest trading is for losers
Immediately confront Cazador, bully his flat board skinny rat ass, steal the ritual and power, then become vampire ascendant
Yay! No more crippling hunger and now you can get a tan without the fear of turning into crispy elven bacon!
Encourage Gale to take the crown for himself to become a God because no way you will let go this once in a life time opportunity
Solve your companions personal issues and quests because you don't want Karlach to blow up and it is imperative for Wyll's dad to be saved (he's a Duke) etc etc
Gather allies to bonk the brain
Defeat the remained dead three and steal Gortash and Orin clothes for the drip
Bonk the brain
Gale will retrieve the crown for himself so he and YOU will become Gods
Okay fine Karlach can go with Wyll to hell as a treat
Hone your ascendant power, congratulations now you can turn into a bat, even some people who have been critical of your ascension will admit that your bat form is super cute. It is a genius PR move because statistic proven that EVERYONE are weak to cute animal and you can spy to learn about gossip and secret
Reunite with your buddies 6 months later, get hammered, spy on them using your bat form, flaunt your expensive clothes because now you are a rich boi, judge your friend's attire
Make out with God! Gale, you gotta admit that he looks badass
Ascend AGAIN for the second time and now Gale will take you to Genshin Impact Heaven his domain
Congratulations you married the God of Ambition and now you are the Ascendant God of Vampires
Conclusion?
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pendragon1400 · 4 months
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I need to rant about Gale for a moment. Long post and spoilers incoming.
I love Gale, but more importantly I really relate to and understand Gale. I have not seen a person in media who so accurately depicts what happens to gifted kids before Gale. The kid that had no friends, because no one wanted to be friends with the class pet/ know it all. The kid who felt pressure to be perfect, bc that was the only time they got praise was when they succeeded. The kid who loved to learn, and was looked at by peers as weird when they tried to show everyone else what they learned.
Gale feels like he is very annoying at times, he feels this way bc he was told that he was annoying. He often comments on how he talks too much, bc other people told him to shut up. Gale feels the need to be perfect, strive for more power over the weave bc that's the one thing he sees as his redeeming feature.
This resonated so much with me. I started reading early, I would read twenty books from the library in the span of a week, and go back for more. I thought that knowing things was cool and would make people like me so I info dumped on everyone around me. I was not funny, I was not cool, I had no friends and was often told to be quite. The one thing I could pride myself on and was praised for was my straight As.
This came crashing down in college when I was in tears over a A- for a final grade. This was than made fun of.
This is one of the reasons I love Gale so much, not just as a romance option, but as a character. I used to watch these heroes or 16 chosen ones and think "I could never react that way, I can't do be that hero." But, with Gale I see why he did things, understand his reactions. It also adds a deeper layer to the romance for me, bc I have felt that soul crushing failure, the fear of being rejected again and I want to reassure Gale that he has nothing to prove for anyone. In every interaction Gale holds his breath for you to turn him down, reject him or tell him he is being to clingy. He wants to love deeply, but is afraid that it will be one-sided again. Just like with Mystra, and the other relationships he had in the past. Gale says that no-one really came to check on him when he locked himself in the tower apart from some wizards, and then they stopped coming. The man is used to be turned down or abandoned when he is not the model of magical perfection.
Also it feels nice to romance someone who will listen to you fact dump about animals or mediaeval society to them, and not only engage in the conversation but also info dump back at you.
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bladeweavedance · 2 months
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I decided to do one of those ship template meme thingies. There is no official height for either of these characters that I have seen, but they appear to be about the same size, so I kind of gave 'em an average-ish height. Wyll's age is his official age. Gale does not have any official age - he looks to be in his early-mid 40s, but I can't discount the idea that the orb might have prematurely aged him a bit, so I put him in his late-30s.
I figure Wyll and Gale take turns being the big/little spoon hence why I kinda halfsies it for both of them.
For the lends clothes / borrows clothes thing… Well, first of all, I headcanon Gale as being stockier than Wyll weight-wise - so it's likely Gale would not fit in any of Wyll's clothes (which seem rather tight on him anyway). Additionally, I just have this thought in my head that Wyll is sort of used to not being near a water source for washing his clothes for days at a time - so, he might sort of have this habit where he ends up running out of clean clothes and where normally he'd just wear the same thing over again (sort of a young bachelor-type of mindset almost), he just decides to borrow Gale's clothes instead. When they get married, Gale tries to gently break him of this habit. Though, he does like seeing Wyll wearing his clothes. It does things to him. LOL
I feel like neither Wyll nor Gale are the type to really excessively use pet names, but they might use a few simple ones with the occasional unique one sprinkled in. Wyll uses darling, dearest, my love - and maybe "my sweet wizard" and "my king" - playing into the sort of fairytale romance thing with that. Gale is put-off on using darling himself because he's heard Astarion use it too much, but he also uses dearest, my love, my hero, my Blade, and he uses "my king" back to Wyll as well.
Wyll is very charming and he seems really sociable when he's in a good mood (he mentioned dancing a bunch of sarabandes with the ladies and gentlemen of the Gate, and he's really a Man of the People sort, I think - he likes interacting with people and inspiring them) - so I put him all the way on the extroverted side. Gale is a bit harder to judge - on the one hand, he enjoys a lot of solitary activities (reading, he stands off to the side at parties, etc.), but he also exhibits a lot of very social traits as well - seeming to enjoy conversation and hanging out in bars. So, I headcanon him as being the sort that's kind of in the middle in terms of extroverted and introverted.
Wyll and Gale are not only both service-oriented people, but they're also rather eloquent and enjoy romantic phrases and poetry and building up people around them (especially their partner). So, I see both of them as being in-between when it comes to Affection through Words and Affection through Actions.
I wasn't really sure what to put in regards to Confesses First and Waits for Confession. On the one hand, they both tend to play the slow-burn in terms of romance, but on the other hand, they're both also rather eager and bold people… Sooo… I kinda just put them both on the same level. They seem like they'd both confess their feelings first at various points in their relationship (Gale might be the first to say "I love you" but Wyll ends up being the first to propose or what have you).
The bugs question… ROFL While I don't see Gale as really being the scream-y sort about anything really (he's pretty level-headed in the face of danger), he does seem to harbor some wariness towards bugs, particularly spiders (Not just the "Stop licking the damn thing!" but he has some words about phase spiders and Kar'niss). Wyll meanwhile is absolutely fearless and will definitely squash bugs or anything else that might set Gale on edge without question.
More to come for the rest of this! Darn character limit…
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How the Companions Love
Greetings. I have returned, and I am inaugurating opening up asks to BG3 with a post about how the romance options love. Spoilers ahead. - Mod Alistair
Gale: Gale's love is bittersweet. He's loved before, and that love twisted in with his pride and desire for his lover's approval has ended with him here. With a bomb inside him, and getting a message from his once-lover that the only thing that will redeem him is sacrificing himself. He flirts and romances, but part of it is borne of him trying to recapture what he lost with his recklessness. Once he experienced magic with another, beheld the beauty of the world not alone, but side by side with the person who held his heart. Yet in a strange way, he's growing into a far greater love, whether Tav reciprocates his offer of romance, because he gains friendship where he once had none.
Astarion: Astarion loves cautiously. He shows lust easily enough, he's used to being seductive, making himself seem approachable and desirable. But love, emotional intimacy. He struggles, because it's a weakness, and he wants nothing more than to burn all weakness out so that he can never be enslaved again. Yet at the same time, the comfort of love calls to him, and carefully, fearfully, he reaches for it.
Wyll: Wyll loves hopefully. He flirts and acts like a suave hero, but at core, he hopes to find someone he can love who cares as deeply as he does. Who wants to help as much as he does. He tries to take charge and protect when he's unused to being among equals, and being cared for and protected in turn startles him. He hopes for love, but he doesn't expect to be loved back the way he loves.
Lae'zel: Lae'zel's love is uncertain. It's new ground to her, and she's already dealing with uncertainty as her world, both figuratively and literally, has been wrenched out from under her. Love is foreign to her, and she falls back on lust because it's what she knows. But slowly, she takes that step, revealing her emotional desires as she revealed her physical ones. And though she expresses it poorly, she grows to care for those around her, and to find love and kindness as she opens up, and learns more about the world she's in now.
Shadowheart: Shadowheart loves desperately. She yearns for it, and clings to it all the time, even when she feels she shouldn't. Her joy when she believes she's beloved by Shar burns bright. When she steps away from Shar, she falls back on the love and compassion she's experienced through her journey, building her foundation on it, where she once relied on Shar's teachings.
Karlach: Karlach loves passionately. She reaches for the first chance she's had to experience love, and she takes it. She fights to regain the ability to feel physical intimacy that was stolen from her, and drinks in the emotional intimacy she'd been missing for far too long. She relishes in compassion and love when she'd been unable to indulge in either for most of her life. Even when she makes peace with dying soon, because she never wishes to return to where she was enslaved, she devours as much love as she can, wishing to make up for the time she'd lost.
Halsin: Halsin loves freely. Both romantically and in general. He holds kindness, love, and joy close to his heart, and spreads them where he can. He seeks and offers freedom, and loves it for all it is. He's looked into the abyss, and chosen to turn around and embrace the world and people in it.
(I've got nothing for Minthara bc I play good characters. Add on if y'all want.)
Time and time again, the importance of love is repeated throughout Baldur's Gate 3. From the healthy to the toxic, we see love in numerous forms. And especially in our primary companions, we see this lesson over and over: when the world is beating you down, love will help you get back up. And though it's messy, and filled with arguments and disagreement, the group of people trying to find their freedom from a dark fate, and finding love and common ground together, is a deeply beautiful thing.
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designing-frantically · 5 months
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Okay but you don't understand, this BG3 epilogue party is KILLING me. Can't sleep, can only continue thinking about this party. Namely in regards to Astarion and Gale.
MAJOR EPILOGUE SPOILERS AHEAD
Thought 1: I've been to the party having romanced Astarion and got the little bit from living in the underdark with the other spawn and the bit of the narrator telling you how the night before he says the past six months of happiness have weighed equally against his 200 years of torment (ugh my heart). But that's not what wrecked me. What DESTROYED me was the party from a different run where I did not romance him..... This man talks about how when he ran from the sun he felt so ashamed that his lowest day of running back to the dark was our biggest day of victory. He then recounts how he has learned to not see the dark as a curse but a part of himself and has found a way to be happy and a bit of a hero (in his own twisted way). Seeing him find happiness for himself almost feels like a better ending for him than loving him and that is wrecking my soul and tormenting my mind because I only want the best for him (he deserves it and more).
Thought 2: Fucking Gale (I say with all the love and sweetness I'm the world). I have three different runs with three different endings for him and I romanced him in N0NE of them, but he is what is keeping me awake the most right now.
Option 1: Blow up Gale... He has an astral projecting that shows up to give you a letter and when I tell you the look on Tav's face was devastating. When they tried to hug the projection only to pass thru him, their face had me in tears, you could SEE the hurt of them realizing AGAIN that Gale is truly gone. And the letter!? It's an unfinished last will and testament
Option 2: Gale becomes a god... And he is the worst version of himself. Ascended Astarion may be cruel and possessive, but there is still a sadness and insecurity underneath that drives his wicked nature. Gale is just.... So consumed by his new power that he truly feels like this is the best version of himself and feels so hollow. Not to mention, Raphael tells of the chaos he will bring and you just know that it would crush our Gale's heart to know he caused that when he thought he was inspiring people to follow their biggest ambitions.
Option 3: He's a teacher...... He teaches magic and it is perfect for him and he loves it and he loves the kids (even though he complains about them) and he wants to catch up over wine and have you as a guest lecturer and meet his mom. Just seeing him so perfectly happy after seeing those other options makes all of it hit that much harder.
I love Astarion, he will always be my favorite. But Gale is a close second, which is crazy to think about because when I first played I thought he was so annoying.
Astarion's story is so compelling and complicated and full of deep emotions... But Gale's is too. The perfect foils to each other and the best written characters (in my personal opinion).
Of all the endings I've seen so far (which I'm sure is not all of them) Gale has the most options for world shattering, devastating endings and his best ending is teaching magic... The two radical ends of this spectrum are killing me slowly by way of insomnia.
Send help
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lysblack · 6 months
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Gortash's Coronation Ball
Alright, I'm getting close to reaching Baldur's Gate and Gortash's Coronation in the fanfic I'm writing.
So, following up on THIS post... We're attending the Ball, folks!
Brainstorming ideas right now, but since I plan on temporarily allying Tav with Gortash (him being Lawful Evil as Bane commands and actually seeing Tav as an equal in his plans to dominate everything is really too nice not to be played with), at least some of the party is attending the Ball we were robbed of.
Obviously Tav's gonna be there, Astarion couldn't be kept away from such a fancy event even if Tav wanted to and Nere's coming along because he'd see that as the most terrible scorn to bring the vampire spawn and not him at this point in their relationship.
Everybody looking sideways on Drow Tav and Nere, voices of this weird group of people being heroes or threats to Baldur's Gate, they're obviously suspicious but strangely charming and by the end of the night they end up getting hit on multiple times (I'm considering an intercourse with Tav and Gortash just for funsies and to really test their collaboration but who knows, we'll see).
BUT: what about Wyll? Him being extremely uncomfortable with his new appearance, having to mingle with the nobility who's known him for ages but now eyes him with suspicion, distrust and even disgust.
Karlach? Her trying her best not to fall for Gortash's previous teasing and insults. Feeling really out of her element, painfully aware of her own big size and inability to properly dance even if she'd really like to enjoy the music and her new fancy attire that she's equally embarassed wearing but also secretly really likes. Dresses and fancy parties aren't her thing so why is she caring so much- and suddenly she sees Wyll's uneasiness and I don't know who asks first but now they're dancing together having fun and nobody else exists in the room anymore.
Gale panicking after a while and sending his magic copy to talk to people in his place. Every guest finds it funny and exotic, but Astarion knows it's a defence mechanism and goes to check on their Waterdeep wizard, finding him hiding on a secluded balcony talking to Tara the Tressym. Astarion suggesting he should take Tara inside, everybody loves cats and she'll give him even more points with the crowd while being his emotional support.
Shadowheart, still in her faith crysis, hair freshly dyed white, wearing the most beautiful dress that shines like a starred night. Did she ever go to a party? She doesn't remember, but probably not. She does not know the steps, doesn't know how to smalltalk. Tav notice and he twirls her around the ballroom until she laughs - is it the first time Tav has heard her laughter?
Honestly for the others I can't really see Lae'zel being interested in going to such a waste-of-time thing, Halsin being comfortable in dressing up and mingling with fake/posh people and Jaheira suffering through an entire night of being cornered into smalltalking with admirers of her past adventures.
The whole feeling will be a lot like the "Wicked eyes and wicked hearts" quest in DA:Inquisition.
There'll be romance, intrigue and probably an attempted murder or so, because what fun is a party without at least a couple deaths?
I'm also seriously thinking of adding Cazador to the guest list. Him seeing Astarion surrounded by people and still not understanding shit about them being friends and not pawns/accessories, underestimating the threat that such a close group (almost family now) actually poses to his Ascension plan.
Also thinking about everybody's fancy attires, pinterest is my salvation and curse.
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commander-rahrah · 5 months
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Only for him - Gale x GN!Reader
Pairing: Gale x GN!Reader Word Count: ~ 530 Warnings/Tags: act 2 spoilers, angst, hurt, talk of death and blood, eventually happyish?, no use of y/n, some in game dialogue Setting: Act 2, Ilithid Colony under Moonrise Towers
archiveofourown: here
masterlist: here
I've been flipping back in forth between my fics, while also finishing up my most recent playthrough of my fighter Tav x Gale romance save. And I couldn't help but want to make more of an angsty/hurt version of the conversation you have with him when you convince Gale to not blow himself the eff up in Moonrise Towers.
For the purposes of this tiny little ficlit, Tav/Reader is a melee tank (fighter, paladin, etc.) Folk Hero who has been through the ringer, lost many people and is just very... very tired. And has been waiting to get their own happy ending for so long that they thought it would never happen.
Anyways, I have enough on my plate with my two fics so I'm not committing to anything but I really enjoyed fleshing out this little headcannon dream I had while playing my newest playthrough. And I think Gale deserves all the love too! Thank you for reading, and if you liked it let a girl know!
`✵•.¸,✵°✵.。.✰ ✰.。.✵°✵,¸.•✵´`✵•.¸,✵°✵.。.✰ ✰.。.✵°✵,¸.•✵´
"This is it. I must do as Mystra commands." Gale took a steadying breath, his brown eyes looking anywhere but you. He had them focused ahead, on the monstrosity that was the so-called Absolute.
His leather boot took one step forward, but his movement halted as you stepped in front of him. Your heart was aching, a real physical pain cracking through it. "Gale, you cannot do this. Please, don't do this." You begged, your armored hand wrapped around his bound forearm.
You watched his throat bob as he swallowed thickly, "What choice do I have? More than just a goddess counts on my courage: whole worlds hang in the balance." His dark eyes looked at you sadly, anguish etching the features of his face as his wrist turned so he could hold back onto you. His fingers trembling like it would be his last touch.
Your lips quivered as you stepped closer to him. Even in this dank, evil abyss under the Tower you breathed in his familiar, warm scent. "I have spent my entire life fighting and bleeding. All I have known is death. I have stared it down on my knees, shattered and broken - even if it never came to take me, it took everyone else. And I was… so tired, so ready to give up." Tears were welling in your eyes, emotion crawling up your throat until your words choked out of you. "But then I met you. And all of it, every screaming muscle as I swung my blade, every aching bone as I took another hit, every drop of blood, every scream and tear shed... all of it was worth it. Because it led to you."
Tears were streaming down both of your cheeks now, leaving lines of clean skin as it cut through the dust and dirt and blood that stained your face. "Please, Gale - my love. Don't do this. We have time. We can have time." You grabbed either side of his face, his brown eyes softening as you tipped your forehead onto his. Your voice was a whisper, "I choose you, Gale. Not the wizard, not the sacrifice or Goddess' pawn. The man I love. Choose me back. The one who loves you. We can find another way together. I love you."
"I love you too. Much more than myself. More even than Mystra. Whether I condemn this world or not: I choose you." He nodded, his forehead still pressed tightly to yours as he pressed his lips softly to yours.
It was not the time nor place for such gentle acts of love. Not with an abomination around the corner, not with an undying man waiting to unleash his evil machinations on the world so close by. But you could not help yourself, not when it came to Gale. You pressed your lips harder to his for just a moment longer, memorizing the feeling and taste of him before you pulled away.
The pair of you nodded at each other breathlessly, eyes shifting with determination.
You would draw your sword and hold up your shield again. You would fight another day. Fight for another lifetime. You would stare down and ward off death once again. If only for him. Only for him.
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justabiteofspite · 4 months
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Durgestarion Battle Couple HCs
Haven't seen too much of these, which given how much killing and bloodlust connects these two, I felt a need to rectify. These are for a more martial based Durge that can heal (Dual Wielding Swords Bard is my fave way to play Durge) but others can be applied to other builds. I also added a few HCs for a common Astarion multiclass into Ranger.
List has some NSFW and has a few Durge Dead Dove moments in it surrounding gore, arousal over murder, and corpse blood draining as a sign of affection.
Durge is invested in helping all the companions maximize their killing potential, but especially Astarion's given his shared passion for the subject. Durge purchases Astarion a beautiful magical bow after watching the elf do well with one, Astarion steals the money back from the trader as a thank you. It's the first gift he's been given in 200 years that wasn't a dead rat.
The first few fights they share they find their abilities and tendencies meld well together. Durge is more than willing to get into melee so Astarion can hit with sneak attack. After Durge learns Astarion is a vampire, they cover him so he can have a fairly peaceful feast on their enemies.
Speaking of which, Durge is very passionate about making sure Astarion is well fed because of how well he performs in battle when he is. Their own blood is often on offer but they also make sure Astarion gets his fill of enemies and whatever else is available. When they have time, Durge will collect corpses and hang them upside down and drain their blood into jars "for emergencies." Astarion loves to act annoyed by the effort.
Their two minds together turns the battlefield into a playground. They become so good at reading each other and the other's combat habits, that their banter during it consists of casual conversations about books and camp gossip. All while tossing each other items, skewering an enemy through the stomach so the other can finish it off with an arrow to the head and so on.
Both have definitely read that book a romanced Gale talks about in Act 2 about being horny post-combat. Given both have forms of bloodlust, both are positively bricked by the end of a long battle. Depending where they are in the relationship progression and the location they are in, sometimes this turns into the two going off for a 10 minute "investigation" into another room with both coming out having found nothing, heavily panting and with armor askew, covered somehow in even more blood.
Durge sees Astarion reading and re-reading Drizzt Do'Urden adventures and is the one to suggest he look into being a ranger like him. Take his skills skulking around Baldur's Gate for prey for Cazador and apply those to being more like his favorite hero. Shadowheart likes this idea because rangers having healing abilities, something that Astarion should learn because...
Astarion's zero healing abilities while coming from 200 years of being starved means he feels helpless when Durge gets seriously injured and feels a lot of guilt at how much he desires to feed on Durge while they are bleeding out. While he tries to be sweet and comforting to Durge, he's also fussy as hell, snapping at everyone else who comes within ten feet of the two, including Shadowheart and Halsin which leads to interpersonal problems Durge ends up having to smooth over. Astarion gaining some ability to stop blood flow and better help stabilize Durge gives him some much needed confidence and control.
Durge on the other hand is intimately familiar with bodies, pain tolerances, and limitations. Healing instead of killing feels like a sin against their nature, but gently healing someone they love makes them feel most like themselves. It's an act of defiance that makes them also feel more in control of themselves, as much as their Urges try to punish them for it.
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whathebeep · 5 months
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The New Durge Epilogue (Spoilers OBVI cause I need to write a different ending for that) (this is super self indulgent but also if it's well received maybe I'll make a fic of it??) Astarion Romance centered!
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Explanation of the dark urge route I have in mind under the cut- I'll probably do a true evil one another time but this is more chaotic good so all the companions are there!
More or less this will be based on a good Durge who took Bhaal's blessing and became an undead assassin in order to stop the netherbrain. Did this from the perspective of " We're not strong enough to stop the brain but if I submit myself to the urge and take the power we have a better chance." Sacrifice for the greater good type idea, with the goal of fixing it somehow after the brain is gone.
Six months ago, they disappeared. 6 months ago they had transformed into the slayer as Bhaal's chosen and destroyed the nether brain, goring it with its claws and teeth to ensure the grand design would never come to pass. When everyone regrouped on the docks, those who remained were off to celebrate. But at some point the group realized their bhaalspawn friend was gone, nowhere to be found.
It was easy to tell that the murders in the city were of someone's doing- murders that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the dead who fell from the ilithid attacks and toppled buildings- but despite those who remained in Baldur's Gate trying to find you, it was to no avail.
And then came a letter in the mail.
All gathered at the original campsite to celebrate- Wyll and Karlach returned from the hells, Astarion from the Underdark. Gale from his prestigious teaching position, Halsin from the now former shadowlands, Shadowheart from her wandering adventures. Lae'zel's projection was there too, as were Minsc and Jaheira, two grand heroes who were more than proud to see the next generation of heroes gathered.
Yet there was still a missing presence at the camp. Friends reminisced about you, others kept silent and masked their sorrows about your missing presence in a bottle of wine. Withers gave his toast and praised everyone for their parts in saving the world and everyone drank to that. Mirth and good tidings were in the air as everyone drank to their victories...it was Astarion who spotted them. He dropped the bottle he had and it shattered on the ground as he stared, and the others turned to look too. The music stopped and all was silent.
Lumbering over the log was you. It was you! Shadowheart called out for you but was stopped short by Halsin, a firm hand on her shoulder.
In your hand you held a blade- one just like Orin's. Dried blood and dirty stained your old camp clothes, and your otherwise cheery bright eyes glowed red. You lumbered forward, white knuckling your dagger.
It wasn't one of your companions who broke the silence, no- it was Withers.
" You're foolish to have brought them here, Bhaal."
The way Durge twitched, it was clear more than ever as they came into the light what had happened. You had been consumed by your urge, a far greater mad dog than Orin had ever been. Orin at least had her wits about her, but you, here and now? All that you were now was a puppet for Bhaal.
Tears seared from Karlach as they singed away the second they fell. " Soldier..."
Withers approached first, if not slowly.
" Here they are amongst friends. Among memories of goodness and mirth. While here they were free from you, free from their birth right as bhaalspawn. Bhaal, you are but a fool for bringing them here. They may have made their choice and sacrificed everything to be your chosen, to be gifted the power to end the netherbrain...but by bringing them here, there is but a chance to save them. Their destiny is not yours to stitch, god of murder...but their own. That much they are owed. I, however, cannot intervene. These comrades, friends, fellow heroes...they can."
It took the strength of the whole group to bring you down - to stop the slayer form you had changed into and force you into bindings strong enough to keep you still.
While recovering and healing from their injuries, the mood throughout the camp was somber. Seeing you like this, a shell of your former self, it hurt. It hurt so many that cared and loved you.
Withers helped keep you restrained and brought you to his workshop while the others discussed options- discussed how to save you from this unforgiving fate. Jaheira, Halsin and even Gale spoke of magical means- how to potentially ask Silvanus to aid you or even find a magical means to remove Bhaal's hold over you. Shadowheart suggested potentially reaching out to Dame Alin and Isobel to see about intervention from Selune.
Wyll comforted Karlach, who was still rather injured and still overwhelmed by what had happened.
Astarion was the one who spoke up that until an answer was found, that you would need to be kept under watch and key, perhaps even by one of them. No jail held by mere guards in any city would be well fortified enough. That's when Withers returned, Scratch by his side.
" I believe our furry friend has found a solution for that." In his hand he raised the astral prism. The very device that imprisoned Orpheus, that housed the Emperor and kept the party safe from the tadpoles in their brains.
" Are you...are you really suggesting we cage them in there until we find an answer?" Astarion asked in disbelief, and he nodded.
"It is the strongest prison we all know of...and we would have the time we need to find an answer." Gale frowned as he spoke up. This situation wasn't to anyone's likings, but it was better than leaving you out and at risk of killing more.
" And what are we to do if there is no saving them?" Jaheira spoke up, arms crossed. " What if we are delaying the inevitable for them? Would it not be best to end their suffering?" She motioned to you on the ground, and Minsc spoke immediately.
" Are they not worth the attempt? Did they not save each and every one of us?" He motioned amongst the group. " Astarion, Minsc is sure they helped you be free of Cazador. And Minsc is sure they saved bear Halsin from a cage! And did they not do everything they could to save our fire hearted friend from burning to crisp?"
Words of agreement rose from the others in the group. " They sacrificed everything...even succumbing to their birthright as Bhaalspawn to save Baldur's Gate- to save the world from the Absolute and the Brain. We will do everything we can to save them, as they had done for us." Halsin spoke to the group, and all were in agreement. Even Karlach spoke up.
" I might not be of much help in the hells, but we'll help as soon as we can. That much I can promise."
"I will come assist as soon as possible. The war against the Lich Queen will be concluded as fast as possible- but if my direct aid is ever needed, do not hesitate to call on me." Lae'zel spoke- even she had showed up as soon as the fighting started.
Wyll agreed with a nod. " They helped save me from my contract and my father...many of us wouldn't have our freedom without them. It's only right we help fight for theirs." With the overall agreement, Withers stepped forward and his hands glowed once more. A light green hue filled the astral prism and then enveloped you, your bound body turning to mist and being sent inside. After a few moments his hands stopped glowing, but the glow of the prism remained- this time a deep red.
" They are healed and bound inside now. They will not be able to leave, but if needed to any of you may travel inside if not to check on their condition. However...one of you must carry the prism with you. I cannot be the keeper of it." Those in the group looked uncertain. Discussions rose amongst the group of what to do, how to proceed- some outright couldn't. Halsin couldn't due to the children- Lae'zel, Wyll and Karlach couldn't - bringing you and potentially losing the prism in another plane would be disastrous.
It was then that Astarion finally spoke again. He had been the closest to you, your nearest and dearest friend and lover. He had been keeping his feelings all under wraps but there was no denying the remorse painted on the vampire's face. He had missed you- he still misses you.
" I will. I'll keep them with me in the Underdark. There's more than enough vampire spawn down there who I trust are strong enough to help guard it- not that I would let it leave my person." Withers nods, handing over the prism to Astarion. The pale vampire stares down at it, running his thumb over the runes on it. He bites back his tears. " We...we should all get some rest and discuss this in the morning. Please."
Everyone turns to their cots that night, and Astarion retreats to his tent to sleep as well- he'll get up with the others, but will need to be mindful of the sun as it rises. The prism is kept close to his chest as he curls up to sleep, tears falling from his face.
They have to save you- they WILL save you, if it's the last thing he ever does.
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lelalyo · 6 months
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I finished my first run of BG3 yesterday!
I had an absolute blast and I will definitely play again but I think my ending bugged tf out.
I got the ending where Gale talks about taking the crown for himself and becoming a god despite the fact that I signed the deal to give it to Raphael. (I didn't break into the House of Hope to get the contract back because I accidently turned my Gale into a power hungry manic by saying I thought gods weren't shit and I really didn't want this version of Gale to have it because there's no way I'd could ever trust him with it - they really nailed that look of complete madness with him, I swear. Anyway, Ik Raphael ain't that trust worthy either but I imagine by the time he manages to conquer the hells, if he does, everyone would be long dead by then so it can be the next lot of heroes problem LMAO)
Possible bug aside, I feel like the ending was a little ... abrupt compared to the rest of the game? No party to check in with everyone, no epilogue to explain what happened to everyone after, just "here's your boo planning your future with you, bye" And speaking of boos, I romanced Astarion and when he started burning in the sun, there ain't NO WAY in hell my Tav would've just stood there, watched and then stayed to watch the sunrise after he ran off. No way. My Tav would've dimension doored him outta there ASAP or would've run after him to cover him with her cloak at the least - I mean what kind of partner would just look at their significant other burning to death and be like "this is fine"????
Then there's the whole thing with Karlach - I made her a mind flayer because I really thought it was the best option this time around and I'd really like to know what happened to her. She gave up so much for everyone and I just feel like she should stay with my Tav and Astarion while we look for a cure for his sunlight issue. We could also look into helping Karlach in some way too because she really does deserve better.
That said, whatever issues I have with the endings - it doesn't change the fact that this is the best game I've played in YEARS. I really thought the RPG genre had lost it's spark but BG3 just showed me that there's still devs out there that care about telling a good story.
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andrewknightley · 2 months
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OK SO I FINISHED BG3 thoughts and stuff under the cut (spoilers obvs) . Pals and mutuals that played feel free to comment it with me, and also wyll enjoyers pls do interact fkfkdk
SPOILER about the ending
-Ok so i was playing a good tav dwarf paladin romancing wyll, got my team of wyll/lae'zel/karlach, but lae'zel felt like the real main character of this story and honestly its what she deserves.
-got orpheus and turned him into a mind flayer sorry bro. and then the emperor gets angry and fights with the baddies. like gosh this guy sucks
-saved the day yadda yadda and lae'zel went away to guide her kind and LOOK SHE IS MY BEST FRIEND FOREVER i was so sad but i knew it was what she wanted but IT PAINS ME
-then gale leaves me to become a god, and then astarion gets attacked by the sun and runs away and im like wow this ending is such a downer everyone is leaving me
-AND THEN. KARLACH.......
-Ok so i cried like a baby like. i fucked up i dont know what i did wrogn i cant believe karlach is gonna die im SOBBING
-But wyll is like "WE CAN LIVE ALL FIGHTING DEMONS IN HELL" and got the coolest shit ever of these 3 going on adventures like you dont know HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS ENDING!!! im so happy aaah TOT
-then there is the epilogue and it's the cutest thing i can hug shadow heart and halsin and karlach :_) tried with astarion but i dont know if its impossible or i had him too low (every companion loves me but he finds me acceptable fgoihdgfjiodgio) anyways i wanted to hug all my friends
-gale is a god and like good for him but im like ??? damn we dont see his mission or anything he does this all off screen?? i wanted to see his struggles and stuff idk i wanted to see the FEELINGS
-anyways idk if i got a bug or something but when i get to talk with people about what i am doing is just me and karlach and 0 mention of wyll idk why TOT let me talk about my romantic companion pls
-also i had like 2 options to talk with romanced wyll and way more conver with astarion wich again i didnt even have very high on his love for me (i do love him and my chara frienenemy status tho) but why only 2 options for wyll i wanna talk with him moreeee at the end
-he did blow me a kiss it was the cutest thing tho
-Again idk if i got a bug but i never get anyone commenting on my relationship with wyll and i know the companions gossip about karlach and probs other charas >-<
-i heard a friend who had to kill karlach to get to see her gale ending so i tried in another save to see what happened (it was awful btw) and that was the only way to get an extra scene of wyll telling me to go for mizora and having other people aknowledge him in the epilogue (just with jaheira it lets me say wyll, with astarion and shadow heart they gave me answer like "oh im with my lover" and such instead of by name)
-i am a big fan of wyll but not so much of wyll missions, like they are fun to play but gosh i wanted the cool FEELINGS moments like lae'zel, shadow heart, astarion and karlach had, i feel he is straight up a classic hero tale and i want to see this man overwhelming with feelings of all the stuff he suffered. also more stuff with the dad idk i couldnt even tell him im with his son that could had been cool
-gale also feels like ???? he didnt have a proper mission and was like off screen wich is a bit weird to me ??
-my fav chara is wyll and then second lae'zel who is perfect 0 notes on her 100% increible. Then Do Not Make Me Choose for the other origin companions i cant. I love them so much. I didn't like astarion at first and i was like "really this is the man all my friends and everyone is obsessed about??" but then act 3 arrived and i was like Ah. I Get It Now. I would say my less fav is gale but because i didnt bring him anywhere so next game im def paying him more attention.
-anyways i could have some notes but in general i fucking loved this game so much TOT
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fandom-geek · 8 months
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just finished my first run of bg3. spoilers for basically everything, although i don't actually go into too much detail abt the actual climax, more the ending cutscenes and companion quests.
i love jergal so much. that just needs to stand on its own. he's such a sassy skeleton git who hides the fact he still cares for humanity under it all - his scene with arabella was one of my favourite moments of the entire game.
(on that note, anyone else assuming his whole "follow the weave" thing to her is him basically protecting her? finding her in act 3 surrounded by four dead adults while she has a nary a scratch certainly makes me think she's got some secret godly supervision going on).
anyway - the ending.
i think that if i hadn't been warned that there aren't any epilogue slides, i would've been disappointed. so i'm glad i knew that, even it still felt a bit abrupt because of it. but hey! given larian's history with expanded/definitive editions, i'm guessing we'll either get it in a patch several months from now or in bg3's expanded edition.
personally, i think the section from when you enter the morphic pool to when you kill the netherbrain feels very rough and abrupt. very rough. but the rest of the game is just so stupidly perfect as far as i'm concerned, with like one exception for the cut content for karlach. which is blatantly obvious even without looking at datamining, because why else would we get a ton of different types of infernal metal in act 3?
and god i would've loved to see the upper city (as advertised, larian!) and the ducal palace before it all went to shit. cazador's palace was clearly meant to be there, and i was really looking forward to my urchin tav (malias) actually walking around the upper city and having opinions.
(on that note, i loved that bust gortash has in his office [which was presumably meant to be in the ducal office but anyway!] where the founder of the counting house was an ex-urchin who didn't give a shit abt the patriars because they never cared for him before he became important. malias absolutely would've found that an inspiration for any upper city shenanigans)
but those ending cutscenes on the pier? pretty great, even if i was internally screeching the whole time gale was talking because hey astarion is right there in the sunlight and he doesn't have a tadpole. but thank god gale was just like "yeah, you're right, leaving it there is probably a good idea".
and his line abt some things being more important than power! i adore that line. it's essentially the point of everyone's quests, that power imprisons you and the most important thing in life is the freedom to choose. and of course gale is the one to verbalise that, and to openly say how fond he is of everyone!
then gale made his slightly dickish comment about astarion fleeing, lol. boys, please.
honestly that felt hilariously fitting to my playthrough where i accidentally fell into romancing gale while intentionally romancing astarion, and broke it off with gale (despite never actually being with him). yes buddy, i know you're still a bit salty about that. please wait until malias isn't distraught over their boyfriend literally burning up and running off in front of them.
(to detour for a moment - again, thank you larian for letting me play a nonbinary characters. honestly, that alone makes it a game in its own sphere of perfection, especially since vtmb 2 originally promised that then cut it then maybe it's back in with the new studio??? genuinely perked up with happiness whenever someone used the right pronouns or referred to malias in a clearly gender neutral way.)
even if astarion fleeing and his lines about it were genuinely agonising. at least the romanced cutscene with him started immediately afterwards - i was kinda debating between the "heroes" and "sunlight" options, but honestly? as absurdly good-aligned as malias is, i absolutely think they'd value helping astarion to have the freedom to walk in the sun over being heroes. pretty sure this whole adventure has shown they're pretty good at that multi-tasking element lol. and i love that astarion is so happy about going on another adventure.
like not to go tmi, but astarion's character and plot was... painfully relatable, especially when he just started sobbing after killing cazador, and it's just so good that you can give him a happy future. not an ending, of course, because i don't doubt he and malias will get into a fuckton of mischief, but like he says - he's free! it's just such a perfect moment. my favourite companion and companion quest by an absolute country mile.
i'm also just internally assuming that malias sprinted off after astarion as soon as karlach's near death brush was finished - i am so glad i went the "have my cake and eat it" route of breaking wyll's pact and saving his dad regardless. it lets wyll and malias/tav persuade karlach to return, swearing that she'll be safe from zariel, and personally malias would absolutely be looking for a way to help karlach return safely while off finding a way for astarion to walk in the sunlight.
(also i'm a bit curious abt what others think - there's a little bit of ambiguity abt whether it's just going for the sunlight, or straight up curing his vampiric nature. after all, as his grave inscription happily points out, he was turned 194 years ago and the true resurrection time limit is 200 years. since gale wants to stick around, he can call in a favour with elminster to figure out a way to do that.)
and to backtrack for a second, i am happy that malias persuaded lae'zel to make her own path instead of following orpheus' orders! was it selfish? probably, yeah, which was a bit surprising from how otherwise strongly good-aligned malias is but between that and the mindflayer choice after freeing orpheus (i asked orpheus to do that), i just... think malias doesn't want to lose that.
to explain smth for a sec, i'm going back and forth on whether to keep malias' backstory as is (urchin/orphan who grew up in the lower city) or to make them my dark urge character. from what i've heard of the dark urge, it really ties into my favourite character dynamics and themes (and seems a bit reminiscent of kotor lol), so it's a little bit of debate.
but either way, i think malias would override any moral concerns of goodness for "fuck that, this is my family and i am not losing them". regardless of which backstory i end up picking, that's definitely staying the same. but malias as a former orphan and street kid sure as fuck isn't giving up on their new and beloved family. so yeah, i think the moral concerns of "ok you were just told to go save the githyanki as a whole" would be pushed to the side of "you've always been following orders your entire life, i want you to be free".
and if lae'zel chooses to go help the gith regardless? that's great. but malias would want it to be her choice, not orders she feels obligated to follow.
i also love that you get to say "yes, let's go to the pub to celebrate!". even if we don't see it on-screen, i just love it. those fuckers (astarion included once someone managed to throw something thick enough over him so he didn't burn en route) absolutely partied until they crashed and they fucking deserved it. i love my found family shit so much. and i'm guessing that probably ties into the cut epilogue stuff, even if that was meant to be six months later.
but yeah. i just fucking love it all. now time to do my dark urge run, which i heavily suspect will also be an astarion romance again just bc i'm curious how those differences pan out.
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yuki-hitomi-chan · 4 months
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Show us your ocs!!!!
Okay okay. Note that I'm bad at remembering to take screenshots, so the ones I have will have to do. I'll do my video game ones, including Dragon Age (origins and inquisition) and Baldur's Gate 3. Yes, they're all very similar I know, and yes I like playing as elves shush.
Baldur's Gate 3
Current Tav: Rion About: Half-Elf/ Rogue/ Thief/ Urchin Canon Romance: Gale
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So this is Rion, and he's romancing Gale. He's pretty charismatic (12) but don't ask him to lift anything. He's like every other guy in the game and has a total of 8 STR. You also can't see it here, but he has red highlights that show up in the sun. As for personality, he's mostly good aligned, although he will sometimes cause problems on purpose, especially if he thinks it's funny. He's a sweetheart and has a bad habit of picking up stray children (he wants to protect them like he wasn't when he was a kid), so yes, he finds the tiefling kids funny and even gave them some tips on how to improve their scams. Fun note: He's transgender, which is why he makes certain decisions (He got magic hrt don't ask me how it works it's magic), especially if it comes to affecting how he looks.
Also, I didn't realize that there was another half-elf with his name in the game until I met them. Was a bit funny, since they pronounce it like Rye-on and he pronounces it as Re-On.
Dragon Age Origins
Hero of Ferelden: Da'len Tabris About: City Elf/ Duel wield Rogue/ Assassin Canon Romance: Zevran Arainai
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Da'len is my Tabris Warden! Her name means "Child" in Elven, and the story behind that is her father heard a mother calling to her child, and thought it was a wonderful name despite her mother's (rightful) disagreement. Turns out, she's just permanently named 'Kiddo' (which earns her some weird looks from those who actually understand elven to her annoyance. She didn't choose her name, her shut-in father did). Always the troublemaker in her family she wasn't ready to settle down at the beginning of her adventure, giving her family a headache, but that doesn't mean she won't kill for them. She fell in love with the assassin who tried to kill her. She's somewhat grated against humans, which gets her in trouble a lot, especially when she doesn't put up with their bullshit, and even more so when she thinks a knife is a good way to solve a problem (I mean, sometimes it is). Still not sure who's bright idea it was to keep her as the leader of the group, but nobody important died, so that's gotta count for something, right?
Ironically, despite having a mabari, she's not really a dog person.
Dragon Age Inquisition
Inquisitor: Ferris Lavellen About: Dalish elf/ Archer Rogue/ Assassin Specialty (I also played him as a mage at one point.) Canon Romance: Dorian Pavus
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This is Ferris! He's a Dalish hunter turned savior for a god he doesn't even believe in! (Well, he sort of recognizes the maker as "a god" but more like the human's god versus his pantheon.) He originally had brown eyes, but due to the Breach and it's magic, he got very green eyes that sometimes weird people out because of how unnaturally green they are (No, they never change back, so good thing he looks good with green eyes). He struggles at first because he has no idea what proper human social cues are, but eventually he figures it out. He doesn't really like being a leader, but does it because someone has to fill the role, and he's the only one who's going to do it. He wasn't too sure about Dorian at first, but he came to fall in love with his sarcasm and flirting. (Ferris is not subtle about his flirting with someone who could be considered an enemy socially, something that makes Cassandra and Josie want to pull out their hair)
Fun fact, this boy right here is how I figured out I'm a gay trans man!
So that's my OCs from those games. If anyone wants to learn more about them, feel free to drop an ask! I know I got a bit ramble-y here, but I had fun!
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mzannthropy · 2 months
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Peeta was a pacifist and manipulator. He didn't want to fight, and was more willing to adapt to the Capitol. He comes from privilege, he didn't starve, and he worked in a bakery, unlike Gale. Gale fought for an ideal, he wanted to go to war to be free from Snow, and from all oppression. He wanted a better world, and he knew that he would only achieve this through conflict, through revolution. Peeta didn't want any of this. Neither him nor Katiniss. If she had told Peeta to run away with her, he would have said yes. They both don't care about anyone. Katiniss only gets upset with Gale when she finds out that Prim died, she didn't care about the other children. If it wasn't for the stupid romance, gale would have been an interesting character. That's why Joahna is better than Katiniss, she goes against Snow in front of everyone, she had reasons to fight, she lost everyone she loved, and she cared about people. If I were someone watching the games, I would be willing to fight in a revolution led by Johanna.
I still like Gale, it's the author that ruined it with her love triangle. I think he deserved better from the series. I don't mind that Katniss got together with Peeta, I don't even care, but how hard was it for Suzanne to come up with a female character for Gale to end up with? You're a freaking writer, create characters then! And that Gale wants to fight, of course he wants to fight, you're not gonna bring down a regime like the Capitol by playing nice! Extinction Rebellion once tweeted that peaceful revolutions are the way to achieve one's goals and they got piled on for it (sorry I can't provide the tweet, frankly I can't be bothered to look for it, there are several XR accounts and I don't remember the exact wording, just trust me that I don't tell lies). I mean, non-violent revolutions are a thing (I actually lived through one, and remember it, although I was a child--the Velvet Revolution in then-Czechoslovakia) but you can't do that in the world of Panem. Sometimes you have to choose violence. Suffragettes had to resort to it too. And countless others.
I rewatched Rogue One at the weekend and I think they did it much better. I remember when I first saw this film, I messaged my brother, who is a Star Wars fan, that Jyn to me is what Katniss is to most people. She was apathetic in the beginning and was not bothered about the Empire, but did fight for the rebels eventually, and even lost her life for it. And she has a better love interest. And hotter.
I liked Johanna from the start, much like Finnick. There should have been more of her. But then, the story is narrated by Katniss who doesn't give a hoot about anyone but Peeta.
I've never thought of another character being the leader of the revolution, I suppose it could be anyone who cares enough. I prefer my idea of the Mockingjay being a mythical hero, like a mask or a suit that can be worn by more of them. Like an Iron Man suit, you get me.
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