#of course bg3 is my top 1

[thelikesoffinn]

will you show us your steam year bloopsy? I'm so courious about what else you play! 🥰❤️✨️

Aw, how could I say no when you're asking so nicely? Here you go, my sweets! ♥

(Also feel very free to spam me with yours, I love those things.)

#of course bg3 is my top 1 #are we surprised? #i think not #but I'm surprised assassins creed isn't there I do play that one a lot too #but apparently not this year #I do play our life entirely too much as well #it would be second I reckon but I play it on my phone a lot hihi #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate #baldurs gate #coral island #our life #our life beginnings & always #our life cove #gb patch #and yes I play both disney dreamlight valley and hogwarts legacy #I shall accept no criticism on that #I'm a millennial let me love harry potter and disney aight? #steam games #steam year in review

[multiverse-menagerie]

I've had this buzzing around in my head since Neil posted something about Asrarion liking kids and hhhhhhhhhhhh may I please request your headcanons for the bg3 guys as dads, I am begging you

gnawing on this actually thank u

Astarion

his child/ren are his entire world. his partner is still like no.2 but the kid/s will always be no.1

its an Ordeal for vampire spawn to have children, so i think that'd make Astarion even more likely to devote himself to being the best father he could be

is absolutely the type to be like "this is my partner and our child/ren, they're way to good to be talking to you but alas"

he's the soft parent too, Astarion finds it so hard to punish his child/ren. both from fear of going too far and due to how much he adores them

dress up with dad days. Astarion with small, messy pigtails.

Halsin

daddy Halsin for real -wiggles eyebrows- (im sorry)

the type to load everyone up and go camping for however long, teaching the kid/s how to live off the land or showing off his wildshapes to entertain them

unwavering support for his child/ren (and his partner) - he tries his best to instill a sense of justice in his kid/s and respects any decision they make, assuming they can offer him a good reason

Halsin and his kid/s would Absolutely play little "pranks" on his partner, but its very harmless, silly stuff to make them laugh

his kid/s often begs to sleep with "bear dad", and who would he be if he declined?

Wyll

i honestly think Wyll is meant to be a "girl dad" lmao but he'd adore any child

he'd grown up with a (mostly) good dad who'd taught him swordplay and other practical skills and I think Wyll would want to do the same for his child/ren

he is So. Patient. willing to hear his child out about why they broke the rules, why they're acting out. He knows that sometimes there's a good reason for what looks like a bad decision

Wyll is the bedtime parent; he tells stories the best, according to the kid/s. sometimes Wyll will drag his partner into helping him out fun scenes

makes sure to have dinner with his family everyday, regardless of what type of life he's leading. they're the Most important thing to him in the world

Gale

stay at home, soccer dad vibes

is (surprisingly?) content to let his partner go off and adventure or what have ye, while he stays home with the kid/s, sneaking in some reading or experiments once they're asleep

is All In for his kid/s extracurriculars. of course he'd be happier for more ~magical~ endeavors but even if the kid is learning sword-work or some other physical thing, he'll be there to cheer them on

maybe pushes his kid/s a little too hard in regards to studying/school. Gale works hard to reign in his expectations - he knew how hard it was on himself, why do that to his kids?

the way his kid/s will have the most ostentatious vocabulary. but they also think its funny to mimic him in an even more over-the-top way bc it makes Gale's partner laugh

#baldurs gate 3 x reader #wyll x reader #astarion x reader #halsin x reader #gale x reader

[incorrectsmashbrosquotes]

Another Baldur's Gate - Part 1: The Crew Visits the Smash Mansion

*due to Shenanigans the BG3 crew have arrived in the Smash Mansion and until they can find a way to get home they're making the best of it*

Shadowheart: I thank you for accommodating us. I- I understand these are not the most ideal circumstances.

Zelda: Believe me dear, this isn't even in the top ten for weirdest things to happen to us.

Peach, pouring tea: Oh yes. Remind me to tell you about the time we all got replaced by depressed clones of ourselves.

Shadowheart: Ah... well, no need for replacing us, I fear we're all already depressed!

*they all laugh, but Peach and Zelda glance at each other worriedly*

Zelda: Well, tell us about yourself! You're a cleric, correct?

Shadowheart: To Shar, Lady of Loss, yes!

Peach: Ah, so, like, helping people mourn and move on, correct?

Shadowheart: No, more like "life is pain and we must always be ready to lose everything so we must never love anything". Like that!

*Shadowheart smiles but Peach and Zelda glance at each other even more worriedly*

Peach: W-well, to each their own. How long have you been a cleric, then?

Shadowheart: Oh, I can't remember. I willingly gave up my memories.

Zelda: ...you're sure about that?

Shadowheart: Of course! Mother Superior, the one who took them, told me so!

Zelda: ...

Peach: ...

Shadowheart: =)

Peach: Oh dear.

-

*In Dr. Mario's infirmary*

*Karlach lies on a reinforced cot with Tav sitting next to her, holding her hand. Dr. Mario bends over her chest with Professor E. Gadd, examining the Infernal Engine in her chest*

Karlach: So, what's the word? Think you can stabilize it for good?

Dr. Mario: Hmm, well, while the operations of the device are complex, but its principles aren't. It runs on Demonic Energy and while in Avernus it simply absorbed the ambient energy around you Up here, it's being starved.

*Dr. Mario pulls up a chart*

Dr. Mario: I think our best bet would be a transplant. Remove the engine and replace it with something that CAN exist in this plane.

Tav: What COULD replace it? And... what are her chances?

Karlach squeezes Tav's hand comfortingly and they smile at each other*

E. Gadd: Ah, well, I would not worry about her chances! Miss Karlach is in good hands. Dr. Mario is the best there is!

Karlach: Good to know!

E. Gadd: As for WHAT we could replace it with (Gadd pulls out a catalogue) you have many options! Feel free to pick which one best suits your needs!

*Tav and Karlach look through the catalogue*

Karlach: Cy-ber-net-ic heart? Like a Warforged?

Tav: What the hell is Chaos Emerald?

Dr. Mario: *snatches the catalogue away* We're not putting a Chaos Emerald in this woman's chest.

E. Gadd: BUT CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES!

Dr. Mario: *sigh* You don't have to worry ma'am. we'll have a PROPER replacement lined up soon. In the meantime, enjoy yourself in the Mansion.

Karlach: Oh you bet I will! *she stands up and scoops Tav up, bridal style* Now, where'd you say our rooms are?

Dr. Mario: *chuckles as Karlach carries Tav off*

E. Gadd: Come on, one little nuclear reactor!

Dr. Mario: No! We're using a Rathlos Heart and that's final!

E. Gadd: Party pooper.

TO BE CONTINUED!...

#incorrect super smash bros #incorrect quotes #smash bros #super smash bros #Baldur's Gate #Baldur's Gate 3 #BG3 #Zelda #Peach #Princess #Shadowheart #Karlach #Tav #Dr Mario #E Gadd #Professor E Gadd #Super Mario #Legend of Zelda

[bludermaus]

[BG3 EPILOGUE SPOILERS AHEAD]

I greatly dislike how a Mind Flayer Tav was handled in the epilogue in regards to the Constitution Roll you gotta make to not nom on your friends' brains. I know it's supposed to be the "consequence for giving in to the tadpole" but hear me out

Every single other mind flayer but one in the ending was depicted quite well imo:

1) Karlach is a bit different and philosophical but she's still the same good self that she was, just with the added brain-hunger on top of it. And she made a deal with a hospital to give dying patients a dignified death and in exchange she gets her monthly dinner. Of course, not everybody can die every month but then she can go out on an adventure and kill a bad guy, she has a good deal setup for herself

2) The Emperor, if alive, also is handled quite nicely. If you've stayed human he says he's doing fine, if you're a mind flayer that didn't join him you're invited to come say hi, and if you're on the Knights route then he's warm towards you as his friend and partner (although I wish he'd show up at least on this one specific story branch). The only one he's very cold towards you and kinda sus is the one where a Tavflayer says "we're mind flayers we gotta think bigger", which just shows how much Tav can be a toxic influence to the people they meet

3) Omeluum is our favorite babygirl nothing to complain here

4) Tav is an idiot. According to the lore, mind flayers need to eat brains to function and they gotta do that at least once a month or two months. If they are over indulgers then a brain a week. So at worst Tav has only fed on 3-4 brains (counting Orpheus') before the party, and at best fed on about 24 brains. Either way, what I mean is... Why the constitution roll? Is Tav really that stupid that they haven't eaten for almost two months and then goes to a party full of people??? Tav really is canonically stupid after all????? Emperor moronsexual confirmed???????

Why even have the roll in the first place? Why not have it as a roleplay OPTION to eat the brains? Like, you have the option like I did to roleplay my Paladin Tavflayer as working in the Knights with the Emperor but without being shadowy about it, I had the option to say I was working with him but going on adventures because the shadows do not entice such a moral person... So WHY FORCE THE ROLL? IT'S SO OUT OF CHARACTER

It feels like Larian wanted to appease mind flayer lovers with the epilogue and dialogue, but also the haters with the roll, when it's pretty much inconsistent? Was the roll supposed to be a haha funny joke moment because you get to watch Withers yeet you out?? You can't please everybody in the Fandom, Larian, just make a nice delicious consistent cake and not feed us small slices and crumbles with slight different flavors

Rant done, just a bit upsetti about this in specific

#baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 the emperor #bg3 spoilers #mind flayer #illithid #illithid tav #bg3 epilogue spoilers

[bearhugsandshrugs]

Thank you for an amazing 2023 <3

Hey you, yes you, thank you!

I wanted to take a short moment to recap the past half year of my life, of which I spent a large part of on here, Discord, and AO3. I'm blown away by the response to my writing, every day anew, and the kind and nice community the BG3 fandom generally is.

I prepped some stats around my fics (including top kinks) and pulled some of my favorite comments under the cut!

Bearhugsandshrugs Wrapped

Cannot believe that I wrote the equivalent of two meaty novels, but in fics. Of course the series I wrote take the majority of words, but I also did quite a lot of smut fics. The drabbles really only started like a month ago or so, so that's quite a lot already!

Kinks

(wonder if the person at Canva who made this ever dreamed about me using this for smut fics lol)

The kinks were not really surprising mostly about oral and vaginal sex, since I write a lot with F!Tav. So I tried to exclude those more "vanilla" kinks (incl anal sex and fingering) from the top kinks, and it left me with Orgasm Delay/Denial & Edging as the #1 kink I wrote (in terms of amount of times I included it in fics. Drabbles excluded). Power dynamics includeds anything like dom/sub and power play, and that's also no surprise it comes in 2nd, as I love switchy Gortash and the hatefucking / brat dynamics he can have with a Tav. Last but not least there were several tied for #3, but I wanted to shoutout Object insertions because it was remarkable to me how often I wrote about someone fucking another person with a cane or a shoe, or whatever object came to mind...

Comments

I also made a cutesy collage of some of my favorite comments. Some of them I post on my close friends IG, and I often send cute comments to my IRL friends who have no concept of what this refers to haha. And there are several of you who send really long, thoughtout comments. I DEVOUR THEM. I love them so much. I reread them several times. I think you all know who you are. I see you. I hope you know that.

But honestly I love all comments!

Most read fics

For my fics, my most read fic of the year 2023 is Til Death Do Us Part, the Tavtash saga (completed). Second is Folie à Deux, the Raph-Tav-Haarlep threesome. Both of them are just a few views apart and have been more or less tied for weeks.

From the smut oneshots the most-read fic is Amuse Bouche, a non-con orgy with Raphael, Gortash, Orin, Abdirak, Mizora, ....

Some learnings I made about AO3, comments, kudos, and so on:

Noncon fics usually get significantly less kudos but they overperform in terms of hits (see above). If you use some sort of plugin to show you like-rates etc keep that in mind. Topic/genre/characters/length impact that a lot

Series pick up a community after a certain amount of chapters / readers (also: see above in terms of indicator)

Replying to the comments has changed the dynamic under my fics a lot and I can just recommend it to everyone!

Again, I'm blown away by the reception. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Looking forward to 2024 with you all <3

–Em

#my writing #hope this is interesting lol #love you all #pinned #not really but makes it easier to find #bearhugsandshrugs wrapped

[cinnamontails-ff]

The incredible @kittenintheden tagged me for this, so I'll give it my best shot!

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

Four.

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

224,051 - which, honestly, is insane because that means I've written (and edited) pretty much two entire novels over the course of last 12 months. The vampire elf is too powerful, guys.

3) What fandoms do you write for?

BG3

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I'm a fandom newbie, so I don't even have 5, but here are my babies:

Accountant's Guide - Pre-Canon Astarion teams up with a human accountant to frame Cazador for tax fraud. It's exactly as whacky as it sounds.

Magistrate's Advocate - The Magistrate Astarion longfic someone had to write.

Vampire Stay-at-Home Trophy Husband - Reverse Isekai EA oneshot

An Empirical Science - My contribution to the Holy Rolan Empire

5) Do you respond to comments?

Always. Obsessively so. Love responding to comments and chatting with readers.

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

My fics have a good bit of angst and tension and heartbreak, but I always strive for an overall "warm" feeling in my writing, so those moments tend to get resolved at some point. No angsty endings in my portfolio (yet).

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Accountant's Guide is where I gave Astarion everything I wish he could have. Zero regrets.

8) Do you get hate on fics?

Occasionally, but it's pretty rare. Not to make excuses for people hating on fics (because that is despicable; we're working for free here), but I don't think my fics are controversial enough to attract a lot of hate. They're cute. They're wholesome. They don't take themselves too seriously, so I think it's pretty difficult to hate on them.

Although someone once called Scarlett a b**** and sometimes I remember that and I become wrath.

9) Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Explicit smut is something I've really only started doing when I got into fanfiction this past year. I like incorporating it into my longfics to emphasize key moments for my characters and their development, so it's part porn, part plot.

It can get kinky, but it will always be consensual. Dubcon/noncon is a big no for me, personally.

10) Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No crossovers, but An Empirical Science is where I have a lot of fun butchering adapting Pride & Prejudice lines. I mean, it's a Rolan fic. How could you not?

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know, but I have seen coincidences of very similar concepts and ideas popping up after I've introduced them in my fics.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, there's an ongoing Ukrainian translation for Accountant's Guide! I translate the comments every now and then and readers are really praising the language skills of the translator, so that's awesome!

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but we chat a lot about my stories on my Discord server, so that's often a little like writing together.

14) What’s your all time favorite ship?

Shalladin (Kaladin x Shallan from Stormlight Archive). I love Brandon Sanderson with all my heart, but for this, I will never forgive him.

15) What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I get very hyperfocused on my stories and rarely work on more than 1 project at a time, so I tend to finish what I start.

16) What are your writing strengths?

Look, my social anxiety makes me a pretty rizzless person to talk to in real life, but my writing is funny. It's charming. I am great at character voice. I keep things real. My OCs don't need to be perfect flawless beauty goddesses to woo the guy; they recite a few paragraphs and swing their fountain pen and the guy is on. the. floor.

Sometimes literally.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

According to a rather charming public bookmark on my fic, I struggle with "pacing issues" and "questionable narrative choices". Clearly, this person knows what they're talking about, so let's accept it as fact.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I think this is generally really difficult to pull off without being confusing (check out "The Wee Free Men" by Sir Terry Pratchett for a really good example how to do it). So unless I had a very specific reason for it, I would prefer to write around it as I've done with Infernal in An Empirical Science.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

Still BG3. First and last? Who knows.

20) Favorite fic you’ve written?

Accountant's Guide. It's the story I wrote when I hit rock bottom and thought I couldn't write anymore. It's the story that made me believe again. My first story in English and by far the easiest thing I've ever written. It's the story I reread when I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I want a hug that reaches all the way into my soul. I am never happier than when people tell me this is a comfort read for them, just as it is for me.

I'm tagging @thedreamlessnights, @purdledooturt, @larvasmoon, @karinamay and @davenswitcher if they feel like sharing their answers!

#tag game #astarion fanfic #rolan fanfic #holy rolan empire #bg3 #cinnamontails

[tav-marcio-leles]

BG3 RAMBLES #1

Starts with Gale epilogue commentary and quickly divulges into how feral of a man he is below the cut

I absolutely love how Gale becomes a teacher like he's implied he's always dreamed of. But let me just go off about what happens if you choose to marry him but not to live in Waterdeep.

He's a smooth talker as always, but his word choice implies he's been having the time of his life, like a social dog set loose in a dog park/doggy daycare kind of time of his life.

I haven't seen all the dialogue options yet, but I love how excited he is to loot books during adventures. Imagine going dungeon crawling, getting a kick from finding ancient tomes to trashy novels. Actually, me too my dude. He mentions that he has collected enough literature to fill a dozen libraries? Hello?! The Tav 100% got him a Bag of Holding at some point, maybe even as a wedding gift.

I know every playthrough with Gale is different, but everything I've gathered about him amplified by my own gameplay just makes him the ultimate orange cat of a man. I swear this man gets zoomies, but its never obvious until you're standing there, eyes wide open and jaw dropped, because he did something completely feral that you did not forsee.

When he said, "I always wondered what it would feel like to be nervous", I initially thought, "Oh, Gale, beanie baby man. You have been nervous though??? Everyone has at some point?". But then I think about all the things he has said and done and just wonder... "Okay, maybe he was completely dead serious about that".

Like for example, immediately after he says he's nervous and asks for advice on what to say to Mystra, of course Marcio tells him to not give away anything. We need more information right? That and Marcio wants to cuss her out, but he knows that might get Gale in trouble, but he also doesn't want Gale to apologize to Mystra, and he doesn't want Gale to become a god, so yah know.

Not two seconds in after being terrified of this lady, he finds out about the crown's abilities and says the equivalent of, "ha ha, you're afraid of me >:)" to the goddess who is like 5 inches away from his face. EXCUSE ME? SIR? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? GALE?!?! GALE!!!

Or how about when Raphael wants to make that deal, giving Raphael the crown and all that. Me thinking, "Oh, I wonder what Gale is thinking. Giving the crown to Raphael would sentence Gale to death, so—" and then Gale immediately going into attack dog mode yelling over Marcio's shoulder that Raphael is a bitch who shouldn't be given anything.

Oh! And don't forget! Lorroakan insulting Gale as being Mystra's lapdog, only for Gale to smile and calmly brag he's about to kick Mystra's ass and maybe take her domain. Gale. Sweet, sweet Gale. What the fuck are you doing?

Thank you, Gale. I never need to wonder what your opinion is.

His AI also feral (for me at least):

He's constantly climbing on top of things.

He's the only one who has managed to fall off of something and take fall damage. No idea how though. He was off screen. I just heard a scream and then saw he took 4 damage.

When he's blinded, he immediately takes out his staff like he's about to hit someone with it. No, not to feel around so he can move safely. He holds it like a baseball bat and aggressively wobbles it around ready to strike. SIR! PLEASE!

He can't spot a trap to save his life and always walks into the bombs.

Can't pass any of his history checks with a 17 in intelligence, but his boyfriend with a 9 can.

I'm sure there is more, but I only got 3 hours of sleep and wrote this after an paper for ethics. I'm losing my mind.

#bg3 spoilers #gale dekarios has orange cat behaviour #when the wizard acts first and thinks later #100% convinced he was a sorcerer before the tadpole its the only explanation i'll accept #rambles #bg3 gale #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale x tav #tav x gale

[catherinekal]

People have valid complaints with Dragons Dogma 2. Microtransactions, not fun to see. Performance issues are shitty to. Those are my only real complaints so far. But I love odd strange game design decisions that say fuck it to established rules. Demons Souls is a top tier game for me, partly because it just throws establish convention out the window. Oh your dying a lot? Now the levels even harder, I love it. Dragons Dogma 2 only having 1 save file and having no easy way to start a new game certainly aren't things you'd learn to do in any game design course, but it's right up my alley. I love how a modern big release is doing something I've been wanting so badly from a RPG like this. No save scumming even as a option. You just have to roll with things and I know many people have that discipline already, but many, myself included, don't. Something like BG3 would be so much more interesting to me if you couldn't ever reload saves, but people would hate that (despite that being more true to D&D) To me knowing everything is a commitment adds more weight to every single thing you do. Makes the adventure feel more real. Part of why Dragons Dogma is so beloved is because, love it or hate it, not a whole lot like it. It has so many odd quirks that may not be traditional good game design, but those quirks help give a very unique experience. I'll take a game that just says sorry, you're stuck with 1 save, over another copy paste design by committee AAA mess, which is also probably still gonna run like shit on release. Give me more game design risk.

#video games #dragons dogma 2 #bg3

[thegreatyin]

Hey what are your feelings on

1. lae'zel

2. Emperor

lae'zel is actually one of the best companions in the game and everyone who hates her or says she's just mean fundamentally doesn't understand her character. she's literally the nicest girl in the world given her usual environment and upbringing. she essentially has the exact same backstory as shadowheart in that she was raised in a controlling violent cult and has spent most of her life (including the start of the game) brainwashed by that cult into the person she is today. and yet despite it all she is trying her best to help people. she DID NOT have to save you on the nautiloid and she DID NOT have to promise to take you to what she had every reason to believe was a cure-all for the tadpoles and she goes so far as to defend you and the rest of the party to other gith despite her extremely xenophobic society pressuring her around every corner to do otherwise. over the course of the game she literally had her entire way of life and belief system uprooted from top to bottom and she ultimately decides to deal with it by becoming a hero and dedicating her life to saving others from the same situation she was in. her entire character, at its core, is so extremely dedicated to helping other people even at the cost of herself. she has the same trauma and should get the same treatment and sympathy as shadowheart and you guys just don't like her because she's not conventionally attractive and standoffish at the start of the game but when you actually follow her companion quest and/or romance her she is so sweet and trying her best and she is a TOP TIER companion and i am not going to pretend like she isn't.

the emperor is one of my favorite characters in all of bg3. i know i just went off about lae'zel but god the emperor is so good. he is a LIAR. he is a Bastard Capital B In Bold. he is the deceiver trope played straight from the very beginning and you can't trust a word he says and half of act 3 is practically dedicated to proving just how full of shit he is. he is an awful person who presents himself as a savior and a hero but at the first sign of resistance or hesitation he snaps and doubles down his manipulation in an attempt to control and corral the player into doing what he wants. his first reaction to the player turning down/questioning his sex scene in any way is to gaslight and accuse them so he can shift the blame and keep up his veil of heroism. he encourages them to let go of their humanity and turn themself into a cannibalistic monster while constantly swearing it's for the greater good. he literally runs off to join the netherbrain if you free orpheus. ansur was right all along. balduran died the minute that tadpole took over and transformed him into a mindflayer and the emperor is a shell of his former self masquerading around with the same gravitas and veil of kindness he used to have, but it's gone, if it ever existed to begin with. the emperor is a fascinating example of a manipulative piece of shit done right because even the fanbase can't agree wholeheartedly on if he's good or not but if you couldn't tell my money is wholly in the "he fucking sucks guys" camp. as a character i adore him though.

#sorry for going off. this ask awoke something in me #i love bg3's character writing so much i will literally be thinking about it forever. #ask #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #bg3 spoilers #i would've romanced lae'zel in reggie's playthrough if karlach didnt exist tbh. both bc they love mean women that peg them #and also bc i just love her. #also dont bring up omeluum and the 'do mindflayers even have souls' debate because if anything it proves even more #that emperor Legitimately Just Sucks. omeluum is a cool ass dude. he's my bestie. he's my bro. #omeluum is the embodiment of everything emperor presents himself as and everything he lies about being #if they (mindflayers) dont have souls then omeluum is still making the conscious decision to be sociable and eat as ethically as possible #while the emperor is making the conscious decision to Not Do That despite omeluum proving it can be done. #and if they DO have souls nothing changes. he is still an asshole. he is still awful. he can have a soul and that soul can be rotten. #sorry again i don't know where this emperor rant came from tbh #it may-or-may-not be incoherent. hopefully yall get the point im trying to make here

[gutterspeak]

from that ask meme: 6 (with the added question: how different are the answers for pre-canon, early-game, and endgame true aeon?), 16, and 27 for luthais, + 20 and 38 for iolanthe (bg3-verse her or pre-murder pwotr-verse, either one, if the answers would be different!) as a bonus? 👀👀

thank you so so much for all of these!! sorry it took so long to get around to answering them!

from this ask game!

for Luthais!

6. Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

100% something that changes over the course of the game, absolutely. I'd consider him more true neutral-leaning-evil than lawful neutral prior to WOTR and during acts 1-3 (although he definitely has some chaotic bastard moments... but those are usually deliberate and few and far between)

BUT seeing as he's a wanted criminal in at least two countries... his view of the law is initially pretty loose!! the murder of his wife and the lack of any real action taken to punish those responsible had him disillusioned with the structural corruption of it all and vigilante justice was, in his mind, the only option. and maaaybe he took it a little too far, but hey! he did it for feminism

as act 3 rolls around and starts going down the aeon path, his view of the law changes - but mostly because now he is the law, or is in the process of wholly understanding and becoming it. there was this line that stuck out to me in my replay recently when you're making one of the first aeon decisions after capturing drezen:

...which I think sums up how he finds himself taking a hard left into the "immovable laws" territory pretty well! he is, even at that point, the only one who understands what must be done, and he'll break himself and anyone else in his way to mete out what justice needs meting. or whatever

honestly it's not too different from how he felt before (as far as pushing justice to extremes goes...) except now, with the aeon's eyes, he's infallible!

...right? right??

16. What makes their stomach turn?

I'm taking this question maybe more literally than was intended LOL but!! he's one of those people who gets nauseous when he's anxious, which is basically all the time. thank god for his fantasy xanax potions that he mixes himself

public speaking turns his stomach in knots for sure. he can be pretty sensitive to smells, notably the smell of alcohol has a tendency to make him feel ill. he also can't STAND strawberry as sad as it is. he hates the taste on top of being mildly allergic to it, not enough to send him into shock but absolutely enough to give him a rash and a category 5 tummy moment

27. What causes them to feel dread?

answered here!

for Iolanthe!

20. If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?

Iolanthe is an interesting one to answer this for! the line specifically between romantic and platonic love is very blurred for her, there's not a structured set of criteria where a relationship will fall into one category or another, it's really just about the vibes and the specific person in question

she's also on the aro spectrum in that she usually doesn't feel romantically attracted to people in the sense of pursuing a relationship, regardless of physical/sexual attraction, but every once in a while she'll desire that commitment with someone - so... demiromantic maybe? or grayromantic? 🤔

but to give an example without deep diving into too much long-winded backstory, she has a very close relationship with another drow named Selene. they were once both slaves and came to take comfort in and care deeply for one another - to the point where Iolanthe was blinded as punishment after she took the blame for Selene's secret stash of outlawed books when she wasn't even supposed to have books in the first place. they protected each other and escaped together, and while they aren't and never were in a typical committed relationship, they do hold a lot of love and physical affection for each other that most people would probably consider to be romantic. which means yes they have explored each other's bodies <3 yuri win!!

familial love is a tough one. she was abandoned at birth and taken in by a very elderly man who passed when she was still too young to remember his name (or the one he gave her)

it's not until she's much older that she starts to learn what family is. in BG3 and 5e she and Luthais have a son of their own and she's fiercely protective of both of them. after Luthais croaks, she becomes a much more guarded person, but really anyone she manages to get close to she sees as family and that same protectiveness over them kicks into gear. by the end of BG3 pretty much the entire party falls under that umbrella so rip Mizora, Gortash, Vlaakith, Cazador, Mystra, Shar, etc LOL. she will fight the gods if pressed

and after writing an entire essay here I realized the question specifically asks how they would explain it, not me as their creator. WELL

Iolanthe's answer would probably be very short and sweet. love is love is love is love. the difference doesn't matter. find who you want to enjoy being alive with. stay with them and protect them no matter the cost

38. What memory do they revisit the most often?

I'll answer this one specifically for her BG3/5e self... and that would be Luthais' execution 🥹

the details differ slightly between BG3 and 5e but the overall story beat is the same. Luthais was framed for a crime they didn't commit and burned at the stake. something about how he dies by fire in WOTR too after he finds Iolanthe murdered and sets the whole town ablaze about it... there's symbolism there that I'll write about someday...

BUT Iolanthe was present during the execution with their infant son and was completely powerless to stop it. just like Luthais in the verses where it's all switched around and it's Iolanthe who dies instead, she agonizes over what she could have done differently to prevent it. her way of coping is less explosive and more running the fuck away and repressing her rage into a paladin oath, but yknow. the horrific, endless grief and night terrors that haunt her for the rest of her life are pretty much the same 💔

#thank you again!!!! #these ended up really long I'm so sorry skjdfhk #inbox

[ceeridwen99]

BG3 Companion Endings !!Rant!!

Hello there.

I...I just need to get some things off my chest, and this seems like as good of a place to do it as I will get.

So, exactly 100 hours of documented time into my campaign, and I'm about to start a fresh game because I don't want to finish act 3.

Let me explain. Also !!!!*SPOILERS*!!!!!

This may be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but the conclusions to a lot of the questlines, once we reach BG, are either unsatisfying or utter trash. My main gripe comes from the choices--or lack there fucking of--when it comes to the conclusion of certain companion questlines.

(Note: This is NOT a post about whatever companion ending one thinks is "good" vs "evil". I honestly don't give a shit about what endings people choose for their games. My issues come from the endings themselves.)

This stems from my main group setup, Shadowheart, Karlach, and, of course, Astarion (also my romance). I played a bard!Tav. It goes without saying that I love all the companions, even the ones that I didn't mainly use. They're all beautifully layered and I love that they are actually influenced by your playthrough...for the most part.

We'll get there in a moment.

My point is, after spending a good 100 hours with these characters, you end up caring a great deal about them. I really looked forward to seeing how their arcs were going to come to a head when we finally reached BG...

Act 1: Phenomenal.

Act 2: Fucking Fantastic.

Act 3: What the hell was that!

Never mind the complete and utter lack of pacing in the third act compared to the first two, what the hell are those questline endings?! I've never been so fucking disappointed and furious in my life. Again, this isn't a post about "good" vs "evil", but my irritation that NONE of the endings are good, or in my case, satisfying.

For a game that really stresses choices mattering (and for the most part they do to a certain point), it really suffers from Telltale syndrome in its final act, where none of the choices actually end up mattering, but in truth, you're pigeon-holed into two, and if you're lucky three endings.

Shadowheart's ending (in the Selune path) is either losing her parents but freeing her from Shar's control. Or gaining her parents but being tortured for the rest of her life. I don't even want to go into the Shar ending.

Karlach's ending is just fucking sad no matter which choice you make, and even the patched ending--supposedly giving us a better conclusion--is just bittersweet.

ASTARION'S FUCKING ENDING! Oh my god, his fucking ending is either selling his soul and the souls of seven thousand innocent people to not get a fucking sunburn. OR being banished back into the shadows and releasing seven thousand feral spawn into the world-- because yeah that sounds like a fucking good idea. Even if you don't release them, you have a choice between leaving them behind to rot or fucking killing them, but in this instance, their lives really would have been for nothing. By the end of this questline (and it is beautifully acted I'll give it that) I just sat there with a pit in my stomach feeling like I fucked up somehow no matter what ending I chose. To top it off, I learned that we don't even get any information at the end about how our choices affect the world after! What the hell!

Even Wyll's quest! Why the fuck an "I" of all people making this choice for him?! Where the fuck is the option to make him choose, or even ask him what he thinks/wants. In fact, where is the option to make anyone choose for themselves? Only Shadowheart (I found) really has one during her quest.

I find it really hard to believe that one could write such complex characters with strong, differing, opinions--so strong that they will leave the party if they dislike your actions too much--but then make them rely on the PC to make the most important decisions in their fucking lives. This is such fucking lazy writing and a cop-out. All of the conversations, all of the growth, really is just boiled down to "What do you as the player want for them?" *feral scream*

More than this, why the hell are there only two (maybe three at the max) options in the first place? You give us dozens of ways to resolve quests in acts 1 and 2, and yet, here is where you want to pull the "Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, everyone has to lose something to gain something in return" bullshit? What the hell, Larian!

Don't get me wrong. I'm a writer. I get that narrative. But not here. Not in a game like this. In a game like this, these "choices" feel like a slap in the face. This is DND, there are always more than two to three ways to solve something.

I know there are limitations. I know this doesn't have a DM who can make adjustments to the story on the fly to give an ending based purely on your choices. Even so, it is still highly disappointing (even more so for someone who plays DND and is a DM). I was so mad after these questline conclusions that it soured my playthrough. I don't want to finish this campaign because what's the point when I know the people I've spent 100 hours with, are going to get the short end of the stick no matter what I choose.

I went and looked at spoilers for the main story ending after this, and that just pissed me off more. Two or three endings and a piss-poor epilogue are what we get. Not even credit slides to let us know how our choices actually affected the world in the end. Why. Why. I don't even want to mention how dirty they did Astarion. That wasn't funny. Just fucking sad.

This game is overall a 10/10 for me when it comes to acts 1 and 2. It's fantastic. But Act 3 is a solid 2/10 for me, I'm sorry. There isn't enough content to fill the third act out either. I don't know if my game is bugged, but I can barely find any quests outside of what's picked up in Acts 1 and 2 and it's making running around the city seem aimless.

In conclusion, I'm mad and sad. At this point, I'm just going to replay acts 1 and 2 until this supposed Definitive Edition Larian is apparently good at putting out for their games irons out these inconsistencies, hopefully. (This post is just about companions, I also have many issues with the main story. *sigh*)

At least there is plenty of content in the first two acts to keep one busy, and even with 100 hours, I know I haven't seen everything. I'm also curious to know if my perspective of the third act will change with the Dark Urge, as I've heard good things about them being closer connected to the plot.

Who knows, we'll see.

Lol, this isn't how I expected to come back to this blog. If you've made it this far, thank you for listening to my rant.

Final disclaimer: Please remember this isn't about "good" vs "evil" endings. Also, if this is not at all how you felt, I'm glad you had a better experience than I did lol.

Alright, time to go write AU/homebrew fanfiction.

Stay tuned. ;)

#bg3 #bg3 spoilers #baldur's gate #bg3 astarion #bg3 shadowheart #bg3 karlach #bg3 wyll #bg3 gale #bg3 tav #bg3 ending #rant post #sorry for the rant #bg3 companions

[margoisthemoon2]

Please // Gale bg3 x FReader smut

Pt 1

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

There isnt enough Gale content out there. Let me help. This takes place after the events in bg3. GALE LIVES!!! You agreed to marry him and now you and him have a son together!!!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Recently You and Gale have been having disagreements. Alot more frequently than usual. The tension in the house hasnt been good. “Mommy? Do you and daddy hate each other?” Your son Bruno asks, “of course not my Moon. Me and daddy just need to take talk and everything will be good” you answer him. Your son is the Moon in the night sky. He’s a very smart young boy. 4yrs old and is top of his class at school. Every weekend he goes spend it with his Grandmother on Gales side. You stroke his cheek and kiss the top of his head. “Do you have everything to go to Gma’s place?” You asks he smiles big and picks up his bag “Yes!” He yells. The door opens and walks in Gale. “Pa!!” Bruno yells as he runs to gale. Gales looks sad but once he sees bruno his frown quickly leaves and he smiles big as he picks up his son tossing him in the air and tightly hugging him “Hello my moon” He says “Your grandmother is here. Are you ready? If so grab your things” He says putting him down. The little boy runs and grabs his bag as the door opens and a soft looking older lady walks in. “GMA!!” Bruno yells putting his bag on and and running towards her. He hugs her legs as she laughs “everytime i see you, you are bigger than ever” she says rubbing his head. Gale walks over to her “Go say bye to mommy” he says. Bruno runs over and hugs your legs “Bye bye mommy see you in two days” he says. You kneel down and hug him back “bye bruno. Love you” you say. You look up to see gale and his mother whispering among themselves. “Bruno time to go. Lets hit the road before the sun gets too sleepy to stay up” the woman says. Bruno runs towards her almost falling “careful please” gale says. The two walks away hand in hand. “Safe travels. You two” gale says as he waves them away. Slowly he closes the door and starts walking towards the kitchen. “What was that look on your face earlier? You asks as he sweeps pass you “A look? What look?” He says sarcastically “You know what look. You looked sad” you say walking behind him “I dont want to talk about it” he says making himself a sandwich “Fine but you have to tell me someday” you say walking away. You hear him mumble something under your breath “what did you say?” You asks “Nothing. I said nothing” he goes. His tone is very annoyed/angry. “You cant keep shutting me out like this Gale” you say crossing your arms. Gale angrily throws his knife in the sink. He takes a deep breath picks up his plate and goes into the bedroom. “Gale are you listening to me!?” You asks following him. “Im listening” he quietly says. “Are you sure? Because i know there is something that you are not telling me” you say. He slams his hands on the table and gets up quickly. “Just leave me alone” he says you walk up to him “No you’re my husband what ever you go through I go through. Talk to me.” You say his back is still to you. You wrap your arms around him as he turns and hugs you back. You feel him take a deep breath. You lean and kiss his cheek. Feeling his arms wrap tighter against you and pulls you closer. He turns his head and kisses you full on the lips. You felt his hands run up and down your sides as he pulls you closer to him. Your tongues tangled together as the kisses get more and more heated. He swiftly moves down to your neck kissing and sucking at your soft skin. You let out a small moan. He spins you two around slightly slamming you against the wall. “Ah” you yelp “im sorry did i hurt you” he sats worried he stops kissing and put a hand on your head “no im fine” you say. He smiles and kisses you again. Letting you go and grabbing your hand. “Come. Come” he says as he pulls you towards the bed. He turns you around and allows you to sit. You watch as he undoes his shirt and takes it off. Leaning down he removes your pants and shirt. Along with your bra and underwear. “Lean back” he says as he put a hand on your shoulder and softly lowers you down to lay against the bed. He takes off his pants and underwear and climbs over you. Kissing your neck, chest, torso and finally above your heat.

#bg3 gale #bg3 #bg3 smut #bg3 tav #bg3 spoilers #baldurs gate 3 smut #baldurs gate x reader #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate #baldurs gate tav #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate gale #baldurs gate x gale #baldurs gate 3 x gale smut

[imagineitdearies]

Hi Imogen,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I wanted to let you know how much I've been enjoying Perfect Slaughter. I think you do such an inspiring justice to with the sheer horror of abuse, comfort of connection, characterization and extension of the source material in your writing. I've never read a fanfic quite like what you have done and you deserve so much kudos for it!!

Since you have mentioned you're a D&D nerd (same!), I'm curious about your answers to 2 questions about mechanics:

1) Have you thought about the tool or material that could be used to create the inevitable back scars 😞 ? I've noticed in your writing how much you have highlighted how flawless the spawn are once they've fully healed. All I can think of is something relating to a silvered weapon or something made out of infernal iron. I also know you probably can't fully answer this without it being spoiler-y.

2) This is more a game question, but I've had a few back and forths with my "forever DM" partner on this. Does Cazador actually die in BG3? For all my experience playing, I have admittedly never fought a vamp lord on table top. But from what I understand, there are few ways to actually kill them (I know of breaking their resting place or trapping their mist form). If Astarion comes in with a knife during a vamp's healing phase, would that kill them for good? I feel like I'm missing something here.

Anyway thank you! Apologies if you already got this ask (I'm new to using Tumblr). I'm looking forward to Ch. 23!

-MafWaff

Hi MafWaff 🥰 Always glad to meet a fellow d&d nerd!

Haha I did get your previous ask and was actually sitting down to tackle my ask inbox after a crazy week (just moved to a different state), so you have impeccable timing! Thank you so so much for your kind words, I'm endlessly ecstatic to hear that the story is being enjoyed. To answer your questions:

Yes I have thought about this! In canon, Astarion says Cazador used 'his needle' to carve the runes. I indeed have my own fancanon as to how exactly Cazador got them to be permanent and it will come up in Perfect Slaughter!

From what I understand, what Astarion does in canon without any other explanation wouldn't, in fact, kill Cazador for good by dnd law 😂 but bg3 definitely plays hard and fast with the rules when it wants to, so we're left to justify why the vampire lord doesn't just mist form back into his coffin again! Breaking/destroying their resting place, trapping their mist form for two hours, or reducing them to 0 HP while they're in sunlight or running water--ie rivers/lakes/ocean, not a bucket, of course--so they can't go into mist form at all are all viable methods for dnd. If you stake them in their resting place, they're instead incapacitated/paralyzed for a millennia until the stake rots entirely away (or some idiot un-stakes them). Others are welcome to chime in if I've missed something!

Sometimes the gaps and discrepancies between dnd lore and bg3 can be a bit frustrating (and spark some tiresome debates online, lol) but these ones have honestly been fun for me to figure out! Sort of like a puzzle I get to shape the missing pieces into 😊

Anyways, I'm excited for you guys to see what I came up with in future chapters!

#fic: perfect slaughter #ask me anything #cazador szarr #bg3 headcanons

[zmediaoutlet]

twenty questions for fic writers

tagged to do the do by @prince-of-elsinore, ty ty for thinking of me

How many works do you have on ao3?

211 (and elsewhere, maybe a dozen we don't talk about, bc they suck, on livejournal; maybe a couple dozen short pieces here on tumblr that have never migrated to ao3)

What's your total ao3 word count?

1,515,103

What fandoms do you write for?

Almost all Supernatural, but also some video game fandoms (FF, DA, maybe BG3 soon), MCU, etc. usual suspects.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. oh so good, oh so fine -- 993 kudos 2. there will be better days -- 846 kudos 3. see things so much clearer -- 621 kudos 4. into the flood again -- 602 kudos 5. side two, track one -- 558 kudos maybe someday we'll break 1000, lol

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely I do, and would find it rude not to. I know other people have all kinds of reasons they don't respond but I don't have any of those reasons, especially since I'm pathetically grateful every time someone bothers to say they liked something, lol. If anyone's even a tiny bit encouraged to become a repeat reader by the writer responding, I want to encourage that as much as possible. Plus, every once in a while, you can get a dece conversation going in the comments! Find a like-minded fan! That's worth any effort to compose a few sentences of thanks. The only comments I don't respond to are emoji strings or cut-and-paste 'another kudos here' comments, because they're not actually comments. (I appreciate the thought, but... I don't want them.)

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I have had some beta friends who would argue about this one, lol. I guess the saddest is probably the hollow summer, since the whole plot is kind of hurt/no comfort. I don't believe in a successful boy king, let's say that.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

again, probably depends on how you define 'happy'. glory days is probably the most cheerful; for me, the happy comes better with more experience behind it, so the thirty-third yard would maybe be my personal choice.

Do you get hate on fics?

nope; worst I ever got was some twerp who actually responded to someone else's comment, bitching that I didn't put the right peepee in the right poopyhole. But only one of those, ever, and safely ignored. idk, I don't attract that much.

Do you write smut?

...yes.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

only one, and it only sort of counts -- i heard love was blind, which is Cordell Walker/Dean Winchester, but of course the point is that Dean's getting the body of his brother by other means. I like crossovers but I usually want there to be a point beyond 'let's mash these two faves together and see what happens'; I'm more inclined toward doing a whole-universe fusion, e.g. fully placing characters with what you can salvage of their key backstory elements into a universe not their own... which I guess would also count as a crossover, wouldn't it. so I also did that with putting the Winchesters into the Dragon Age 2 plot, in whatever we were before. definitely 'crazier' than the first one here, lol.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think that's the kind of thing that happens on WattPad. Who cares.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes, a few.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I tried; it didn't work. Both people need to be contributing to the writing for it to really count as 'co-written'; nevertheless it's stuck with both author names on ao3 because I don't think there's a way to change that.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

I think from context this should be clear. Although will also forever hold many small candles for the little guys.

What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

the aforementioned "co-written" fic, which was meant to be a huge series. The first fic is finished because I brute-forced my way through it, but there was a full five-season arc we were going to try to get through. Alas. The first one is decent, though, and works as a complete fic on its own: In a Cursed Hour.

What are your writing strengths?

voice, pacing, naturalism; characterization, though that can be argued in a fan-space

What are your writing weaknesses?

plot -- I find it intensely boring. Avoidance of plot then tends to flatten stories into similar non-arcs; I don't mind that, but it's a skill to exercise.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'll only do Spanish, and that's only because I studied it for eight years. Even then it's usually the wrong choice, unless it's a fully blended multilingual story (which most are not, and in the wrong hands it comes off as absurd); better to convey through the POV character either understanding it or not, and dealing with it in narrative instead of straight dialogue. Although a word or two here or there is nbd, clearly.

First fandom you wrote for?

Final Fantasy VIII

Favorite fic you've written?

well, questions, you got me, because I don't believe in favorites. at this moment in terms of writing skill I think the best might be asceticism, but in terms of one that sits in my head and fully just is canon, lol, it might be there will be better days, mentioned above. the only heaven fic I need. I guess that says something.

kind of interesting to look at the stats, if also stressful. let's get some other writers to be interested/stressed -- uhh @redmyeyes, @phynali, @hellhoundsprey, @stillwaterseas, @whiskeycherrypie

some shots in the dark :)

#i kinda like this small text thing #i mean i need to get out my old lady readers but #keeps it tidy #writing meme

[calico-heart]

10 fandoms, 10 characters, 10 tags

Basic rules: choose 10 fandoms that you are part of/support, and choose a favorite character from each of those. Then, tag ten folks!

Thanks for the tag @briar-ffxiv :3 idk how i'm supposed to pick a single favorite out of all these tho cries. Obvious fandoms are up top, but some (maybe. a little.) less common ones show up further down!

FFXIV // Alisaie Leveilluer

I think she's one of the most dynamic characters in the series, and I love love love seeing her come out of her shell as the expansions go on. Her personal arc focuses so heavily on surviving grief and learning to keep an open heart even when faced with loss over and over again, and I appreciate how well that ties into the main storyline, too.

Fallout 4 // Piper Wright

My wife <333 Piper's reckless go-gettem attitude and propensity for ruffling feathers on her quest to out the baddies really endeared me to her. Finding her soft heart under all the bravado and banter is really rewarding, and I love how committed she is to standing for her ideals, even if it means standing alone. Fo4 has such a cool setting to get immersed in overall, and I really do enjoy all the 50s/60s US tropes thrown into the mix with it.

Reth // Palia

The epitome of making objectively horrible choices for arguably noble reasons. I love this walking disaster. He made me soup. I like how most of the Palia characters have more to them than meets the eye at first meeting, and how many ways they can surprise you as you build relationships with them. But gaining the disgraced pariah Reth's trust? Becoming someone he's brave enough to ask for help from? I treasure it above all the others LOL

Gale Dekarios // Baldur's Gate 3

I'm NOT going to essay I'm NOT going to essay I'm not -- But seriously I do adore this guy's arc. I like how messy it is, even if in more subtle ways than, say, Astarion (ilu too boo.) Gale has so many "gifted kid" trademarks and strikes me as someone who's entire self worth has been based on how useful or interesting he is to others. It's hard to fault him for his ambition, when his magical prowess was the only avenue he had to make meaningful bonds up until the whole tadpole nonsense. BG3 exceeded my wildest expectations out of an RPG and continues to do so every time I pick it up.

Anders // Dragon Age II

I feel obligated to say I don't really consider myself part of the DA fandom because every time I've poked my head in I've found it to be a wretched hive of scum and villainy with the most inane batshit discourse I've ever seen in my life. But the game itself? Love the game. Love the characters. Anders broke my heart. I really enjoyed his internal turmoil and the very literal ideological battle between justice and vengeance he faced throughout the game. I'll eat that up.

Obi-Wan Kenobi // Star Wars

He's baby.

I definitely pick and choose which installations of the behemoth that is the Star Wars franchise to consider canon, and like Dragon Age I try not to actually get involved in fandom spaces. Ever. But I love Obi-Wan's story in the prequels especially, and if you've followed me very long I'm sure you know how much I like my hurt/comfort and angst, which he has in spades.

Halo 1-3, ODST, & Reach // The Arbiter

I grew up on Halo and even have a little poseable model of this guy decorating my bookshelf. Halo's a shooter game first, of course, and I spent a good chunk of my childhood rerunning levels, and playing ninjanaut with friends on splitscreen. But its lore also fell into that sort of early TES space for me, where you had enough of an idea of the world for it to capture your imagination and inspire you, without being overwhelming to keep track of. The angst. The mystique. The badass alien with a glowing sword. 10/10. My Spartan OC is called Artemis and my brother has one named Ares and yes we did slay in PvP as teenagers.

Firefly // Simon Tam

Choosing Firefly is predictable af but thats ok. It still makes me ache wishing we got to know more about the world, the characters - and maybe that unfinished homesick feeling is part of the appeal. I loved watching Simon be so out of his depth in the frontier of space, but willing to giving up everything for someone he cared about and learning to make a new place for himself with Firefly's motley crew.

Mizu // Blue Eye Samurai

I was not prepared for this show to WRECK me like it did. I thought it was going to be a run of the mill cheesy samurai anime and GOD. The thoughtful, clever storytelling and dynamic characters knocked me on my ass. I couldn't stop watching. The cast is incredible, the art style is gorgeous. Every single aspect of this show ties into this theme of being caught between two worlds, and Mizu's story is one I am not going to forget any time soon. If you haven't watched this, you're missing out.

Mal // The Dog Master

I'm not sure there's even really a FANDOM for this book. I haven't ever met anyone else who'd even heard of it, let alone read it. But a fandom can just be me, occasionally pitching it desperately to friends, right? XD The story follows several tribes, but the "main" character is Mal, who was kicked out of his tribe and survives partly by befriending a wolf and raising it. It's pretty cleverly written, with several timelines converging at unexpected moments to offer up plot twists and tie-ins that really wouldn't have been possible if it was written another way. I'm a little geeky about it just for the structural approach. But there's honestly not enough good caveman books out there, and this one has a wide cast of unique and interesting characters who feel very human.

--

I will tag @ronqueesha @bogglebabbles-main @sayonaramidnight @traveleorzea @orime-stories @silentletterwords @ellastara @rinka-fortemps @eriyu @jameswrites

And anyone else who wants to! I'd love to see your lists! But no pressure ofc <3

#not checking it for typos sorry if something cuts off hahahaha #tag game #10 fandoms #long post

[nexxen24]

The Sunwalker's Respite

BG3 FANFIC

Spawn Astarion X Female Tav

Chapter 2/6-8

Chapter 1: https://www.tumblr.com/nexxen24/746439650196013056/the-sunwalkers-respite?source=share

NOTE: Pg-13, there will be no smut, only implied.

IMPORTANT: Please read the prologue and chapter one on my profile prior to this one as to not be confused, thank you.

Chapter Two

Cazador's Mansion, Baldur's Gate, 6 Months After the Absolute’s Demise

I awoke with a slight start and it got even worse when I realised that Astarion didn't have his arm wrapped around me and he was standing in direct sunlight. I let out a scream and ran over, pulling him back into darkness before looking him over for any spots that got burnt or affected by the sun. But he looked fine and chuckled before pulling out the small vial of elixir that was now empty, a very large grin plastered across his face. I glared and punched him in the shoulder, Astarion letting out a yelp and jumping back as I frowned at him.

“Ow!” He protested but I just frowned at him.

“That's what you get! You scared me half to death,” I shot back and he sighed before wrapping me in a hug.

“I wanted to surprise you, I'm sorry,” he muttered and kissed the top of my head. “It's just amazing, I can feel it warming my skin and not in a bad way.”

He grabbed my hand and slowly led me over to the beam of sunlight, stepping into it and grinning when he still didn't start sizzling. It had been six months since Astarion was able to walk in sunlight and I had forgotten what bright light did to his eyes. Usually they were just red, the kind of red that you'd see in wine, dark and somewhat shiny, nothing spectacular. But when the sun hit them you could see that his eyes were lighter, red like raspberries and looking so bright and sparkly against his pale skin. The light also hit his hair, shining against it and showcasing the small bits of silver within the white that I had been resisting the urge to bug him about. He couldn't see himself in mirrors so there was no need to point out the small grey hairs and besides, they looked beautiful anyways. In sunlight he looked like a completely different person and it just added to my desire to get that ring, to be able to wake up to this all the time, to see him in the light permanently.

“How are you feeling?”

“Overwhelmed.”

“The others will want to see you, they haven't since the brain,” I said and he nodded, giving me a smile.

“Can we start with Shadowheart? I need to ask her a favour,” he said and I raised a brow.

“What favour?”

“Just something that I have planned for later, at sunset and I need to guarantee that she's available.”

“Sure, her home is right near here. Shadowheart settled in the House of Grief, she's managed to change it, turn it into a house of healing and doesn't support any God, but appreciates them all with an affinity for Seluné.”

“Of course, I'm glad that she's happy.”

“Her and her girlfriend have turned it into something beautiful,” I added and smiled at the thought of Shadowheart and her newfound happiness.

When I met Shadowheart she was a devotee of Shar and stuck in a pod on the Nautiloid, begging me to rescue her. I did and brought her along, got to know her and together we discovered that her entire life was a lie. She wasn't a chosen of Shar, but was forced to live by her rules and halfway through our adventures she quit, gained her own freedom. Sure it cost her the lives of her parents after just getting them back but Shadowheart was happy, she was more carefree and eager to turn her place of torture into a place of love. She bought the House of Grief right after the brain was defeated and it took nearly three months to refurbish it into a refuge for those displaced by both the brain and the Absolute Cult’s reign of terror.

Her girlfriend, a fellow Half-High-Elf named Maisie that was one of the first refugees Shadowheart opened her doors to. They hit it off almost instantly and Maisie assists any animals while Shadowheart handles the humanoids. They make an excellent pair and the few times I've been by have been amazing and it's humbling to see how far she's come. From a devout worshipper of Shar, eager to do her bidding and willing to kill for her cause to a shy, timid woman who would put her life on the line for any creature. Much like Astarion, being wrapped up in all this gave her a chance to be free, to be happy.

I was smiling to myself at the thought of them both being happy as I reached up a hand to knock on the front door of the House of Grief. Astarion was behind me, standing directly in a sunbeam and smiling, his eyes sparkling whenever they met mine. I rolled my eyes at just how happy he looked and was about to call him out on it when the door swung open and I was greeted by Maisie.

“Hello, Maisie.”

“Hanelly, what are you doing here?” she asked and wrapped me in a tight hug, the squirrel perched on her shoulder squeaking in protest.

“I’m looking for Shadowheart, I have a development to show her,” I said and pointed at Astarion as Maisie’s eyes widened.

“Uh…Yeah…She’s this way.”

I nodded in thanks and called to Astarion before we followed Maisie inside and behind the receptionist counter where Shadowheart had discovered a small door that led to a staircase and an upper floor. There was an entire apartment above the main floor, decked out as if one of Viconia’s minions had once called it home. She and Maisie had since refurbished it and gave it their own personal touches, turning the apartment into a home they could be proud of. It was weird to see Shadowheart as someone with a home and a partner, a normal life but it was a simplistic existence that she deserved and the woman was brewing a pot of tea when we walked in.

“Hanelly, I heard you downstairs,” she greeted and wandered over before wrapping me in a hug. “I also heard you, Astarion, how are you here?”

“That’s a long story,” he assured and hesitated, unsure if he should hug her or not but Shadowheart didn’t let him debate and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him.

“I’d love to hear it and it’s amazing to see you both. Tea?”

“I’d love some,” I said and took a seat at her table as she poured me a mug. “Now, you both must be wondering why Astarion is out in the sun.”

“I was curious, assumed that he secretly went back and completed that ritual.”

“Never, never in a million years, this is better than that, much better,” Astarion muttered and took a sip of the tea, glaring at Shadowheart as he went.

“He’s right. Gale had been looking for a cure for his affliction and while he didn’t find it, he found something to help with the sunlight part of it. A ring, the Sunwalker’s Gift that was given to Evalina Szarr, Cazador’s sister, about 360 years ago, right before she went missing. The person that told us about all this is a drow named Maleera, one of the seven spawn and she gifted Astarion a twenty-four hour Sunwalker elixir so he could be here, see it one last time in case it doesn’t work out.”

Saying that felt like having a weight lifted off my shoulders since it was what both Astarion and I had been thinking since we discovered the ring was somewhere in the Underdark. There was always that chance that Evelina didn’t get kidnapped with the ring or that this Kathrac person saw it and took it, destroyed it. Maybe one of the 7000 spawn that had fled down there had the same idea and were wandering around up here, free from the power of the sun. Neither of us had been strong enough to say it out loud and I caught the look on Astarion’s face when I finally mentioned the possibility of failure.

“Speaking of, Shadowheart, could I grab you for a second?”

“Of course.”

“Just a quick second,” he assured and stood, giving my forehead a kiss before moving to another room with Shadowheart trailing behind him.

“Wonder what that’s about,” Maisie said and smiled as I shrugged.

“Could be anything, he mentioned wanting to do something later, maybe it’s about that,” I said and Maisie shrugged, grinning as they walked back in, not looking all that suspicious.

“You’re predisposed later Maisie, don’t make any plans for late this afternoon,” Astarion said and grinned as Shadowheart chuckled, my eyes narrowing at the two of them.

“Is there something I should know?”

“No, just that you also have plans for later this afternoon,” he said and grinned as I eyed him.

“Okay then…I’m going to choose to not find that statement suspicious.”

“Good. Shall we move on?”

“Uh…Yeah…I guess I’ll see you later Shadowheart,” I said and she nodded, pulling me into another tight hug before I chugged the rest of my tea and followed Astarion outside.

“So…who’s next?”

“Might as well go and visit the wizard that made all of this possible,” Astarion suggested and wrapped an arm in mine as I gave him a nod.

“You’re planning something,” I muttered as we trekked our way past a group of people arguing with a guy selling some type of potion.

“Why do you say that?”

“I don’t know…the off to the side moment with Shadowheart and now you desperately want to visit the companion you hated for the entire time we were fighting back against the brain.”

“I just want to thank Gale for making all of this possible, is that so wrong?”

“I guess not, but I’m just curious as to what you’re planning.”

“Don’t make any plans for later this afternoon and you’ll find out,” Astarion said and grinned as we stepped into Sorcerer Sundries where Gale was standing behind the counter.

He glanced up from his book and smiled at the two of us, his eyes widening a bit when he noticed both myself and Astarion had walked in. “Oh! Did it work? Did you get the ring that quickly?”

“No, this was a gift from one of Cazador’s other spawn, we decided to take a day before looking for the ring,” Astarion explained and Gale's eyes widened.

“Wait…so that means…”

“Yes, your advice was good, we managed to find one in Cazador's palace,” I said and Gale grinned, his ego growing with every compliment.

“Oh that's great, I'm glad that I could help. I knew that you'd both find what you were looking for and hopefully the Underdark will prove useful as well. I may have some…”

Gale trailed off and I followed his dumbstruck look towards the front door where a Half-Elf had just wandered in, a crate of flowers and potions clutched in her arms. I raised a brow as she bypassed a couple people before squeezing in between Astarion and I and placing the crate on the counter. She was very pretty with pale skin and long dark brown hair that was braided, dressed in loose fitting trousers, a linen shirt covered in dirt and boots. Gale looked absolutely smitten and kept staring, his jaw still a bit lack until she finally cleared her throat and snapped him out of it.

“Uh…sorry…Good to see you Alina,” Gale greeted and she nodded in agreement.

“You as well, Gale, I have all the ingredients you asked for minus the carrow flowers since they're still blooming. But I did manage to make some extra lemon and herb tea as a gift to say sorry for missing it.”

“Oh that's perfect, you can come by when they're ready and I do love that tea.”

“I'm fully aware, most of my business comes from you ordering it,” she said and I nodded in understanding, finally getting what was being put down between the two of them.

It would only be more obvious if Gale's eyes turned into hearts as she unloaded the crate and placed jar after jar on the counter. He was smitten and was doing a very bad job of hiding the lovestruck look on his face. Gale had never been the best with social interactions in the time I'd known him and had even fumbled a few conversations we had early on. He kept claiming that the time we spent together was changing his entire outlook on life when I had barely known him a day. When I finally called Gale out he got all embarrassed and fumbled his words, something that he was doing with her as well.

“So…you grow flowers?” I observed and she turned to me.

“I mainly grow potion ingredients and since Gale took over for Sorcerer Sundries, I've never been better. He keeps me in business. Also…you must be Hanelly and Astarion, two of the people that stopped the brain along with Gale.”

“We did, yes.”

“Thank you again, it meant a lot, mainly because I live in Baldur's Gate and feared for my life.”

“Well…it was Gale who really stepped up,” I assured and chuckled when he blushed. “He got the final blow on the brain, a fireball that ended the fight and saved us. I didn't know how much longer we had before that. Gale is the reason you still have your shop for more than just his business.”

“Oh wow,” Alina exclaimed and smiled as Gale's face turned even redder. “Gale, you never mentioned that. You claimed that Hanelly and Astarion did all the heavy lifting.”

“What a crazy thing to say, a weak High-Elf like myself is nothing compared to a wizard with his talents,” Astarion added and Gale stared at him in mild shock from the compliment.

“I…well…I'm just very good at what I do…it's nothing really,” Gale muttered, fumbling over his words as his face turned so red it rivalled the colour of Karlach's skin.

“So modest, it's just one of his many incredible traits,” I added and Gale glared daggers at me.

“You know, Alina,” Astarion began and leaned closer to her, a devilish smirk on his face. “I have a little thing planned for late this afternoon and you should come. Bring Gale along with you.”

“What is it?”

“I can't say it out in the open but I can tell you that it'll be amazing and well worth your time.”

“I was going to reorganise the shop but I guess I can wait. What do you say, Gale?”

“Uh…yes…of course.”

“Great. What time?”

“Pick him up at 5, that should be more than enough time. It'll be on the balcony that overlooks the water underneath Sharesses Caress. Do you know it?”

“I do, I'll be there,” Alina said and Astarion grinned before giving her hand a kiss.

“Excellent. Don't forget Gale.”

“I could never,” she said and gave him a smile before grabbing her empty crate and heading out of the store.

Once Alina was gone, Gale took one look at us before he collapsed to the floor behind the desk. My eyes widened and I ran over to make sure he was okay, raising a brow at the lovestruck look on the guy's face.

“Uh…you good?” I asked and he nodded.

“Just perfect.”

“So…I'm assuming you like her,” I said and Gale sat up, letting out a sigh before giving me a nod.

“It's obvious isn't it?”

“No, you're very subtle, I couldn't tell,” Astraion joked and Gale sent him a glare. “Regardless, I like her, and she seems to really like you.”

“Really?”

“You only fawn over a wizard shooting fireballs at things when you really like them. Besides, she agreed to bring you with her, almost like a date,” Astarion added and Gale's cheeks flushed.

“Oh Gods…you're right. I hope she didn't see it as a date,” he muttered and stood, running a hand through his hair and suddenly looking more nervous than lovestruck.

“You'll be fine. Just be yourself,” I suggested and was quick to shove Astarion who looked eager to disagree with me.

“Really?”

“Why not? It can't hurt,” I said and he sighed with a nod.

“I guess you're right. I'll see you both later today, I need to prepare, make sure I look presentable.”

Gale grabbed a couple books off a shelf near the desk before bolting up the stairs and through the portal to his main office. I rolled my eyes, knowing that he was likely going to find some way to screw it up and hoped that Alina would find it endearing. Gale isn't the best at smooth talking anybody and had fumbled quite a few of our conversations but he was also a sweetheart. When I met Gale he was afflicted with an orb of pure magic that needed to feed on arcane energy in order to not kill him. Gale consumed quite a few boots before he got it fixed and was given an ultimatum by the Goddess he previously served. Gale was told to use his orb to kill the brain, thereby levelling an entire section of the city and also killing himself.

When it came time to meet the Absolute and end the cult for good he offered up his services, offered up his life to keep us safe. I refused and made sure that Gale knew that his life meant more to me than him proving himself to Mystra. Gale got the chance to live free, to be a teacher and fall in love with a woman like Alina and he did that by proving he was more than just a wizard who knew too much. If Alina could get past the mildly annoying exterior and ego, she would find a man eager to love again underneath and one that would do anything for the person willing enough to do the same for him.

I thought of another person who defied someone by proving they're better as Astarion and I went looking for Wyll. When I met Wyll Ravenguard, the Blade of Frontiers, he was a man on a mission to kill a devil that turned out to be Karlach. When Wyll refused, he was turned into one himself and through proving that he was better than the devil he had a pact with became more than his birthright. He became the Blade of Avernus and went from hating Karlach to being the main reason she was still alive. Astarion requested that we visit Wyll first and the man was usually down by the docks, keeping an eye on the shadier inhabitants of Baldur's Gate. He was sitting on a crate looking out at the water when we walked down a set of steps and turned when I cleared my throat.

“Hanelly!” Wyll exclaimed and ran over before wrapping me in a hug.

“Good to see you, Wyll,” I said and hugged him back since it had been a minute since I'd seen him.

After the brain was defeated, Karlach finally agreed to revisit Avernus but on one condition, that Wyll went with her. He agreed and together they both battled the remainder of the imps and devil's working for Zariel and found a cure for Karlach's condition. She and Wyll had just gotten back from a forge owned by Zariel herself and according to Karlach's letter had managed to stabilise the infernal engine she had in place of a heart. With all the freedom in the world, Karlach was now working as a barback and a bouncer at a tavern in the Lower City, not far from the docks and Wyll was still trying to figure out where he belonged. His dad offered him a job as the new Duke, a chance to change the city for the better but he hadn’t taken it and was still looking to do something for him.

“How have you been?” I asked and Wyll shrugged, catching sight of Astarion, his eyes widening.

“Wait…is that?”

“We went looking for a ring that could allow this to happen all the time, ran into a spawn and she gave him a potion. He also has something to ask I’m assuming.”

“I do yes,” Astarion said and smiled at me. “Wyll, would you like to join us at the balcony under Sharess’ Caress late this afternoon, around maybe 5:30. I can’t say why in front of her but I can say that it would mean a lot if you could join.”

“Of course, I’ll always take any excuse I can get to hang out with all of you. It’s been too long,” Wyll said and I nodded in agreement.

“It has.”

“Are we near the Hook Minder?” Astarion asked and Wyll nodded, pointing to a rickety looking building that was made partly out of a sunken ship and sitting precariously on a cliff that overlooked the water. “Perfect. I’ll be right back. Catch up.”

I raised a brow when he wandered over, kissed the top of my head and then bolted up the stairs before I could even think to wonder why he needed to visit a pub. Sure it was the pub that Karlach worked at but I was under the assumption that was our next stop and frowned in slight annoyance before taking a seat on a crate, Wyll following suit. Leaving me alone with Wyll was actually a bad thing and not because I didn’t trust him or didn’t like hanging out with him but he had asked me a very loaded question a couple months back and I had yet to give him an answer.

“So…I’m assuming you’re annoyed we’re alone,” Wyll observed and I chuckled.

“Heh..yep.”

“I still wish that you’d give me an answer, both myself and my father believe that you’re perfect for the job, why the hesitation?”

The job in question was training an entirely new group to take over the discarded Steel Watch and Flaming Fist that had both been abandoned when the cult began to take over Baldur’s Gate. The Steel Watch were giant automatons created by a real asshole named Gortash who was not only one of the main three who wanted to control the brain but also the man that sold Karlach to Zariel in the first place. His Steel Watch was corrupt from the start and we managed to destroy them before going after him, rendering his defence force useless and also losing a vital means of protection in the city. Sure keeping the brain from killing everyone placated people for quite a while but with the main threat gone they were starting to go back to their ways and that was bad, especially with little defences.

When Wyll approached me a couple months back with an idea that thanks to my background I would be the ideal Elf to train an entirely new guard that could keep this whole new Baldur’s Gate safe. I had denied the job offer initially, worrying that if I spent my days training a lot of soldiers there wouldn’t be any opportunity to be with Astarion. Having no job may sound like a bad idea but I at least got to spend every moment I could with him which made it worth it and made me so damn grateful that I hadn’t staked him in the heart all those months ago.

“It’s still a no,” I muttered and Wyll sighed. “I can’t leave him behind.”

“So…if this ring doesn’t work out…what are you going to do?”

“It’s going to work out,” I said and Wyll frowned. “Maleera, the spawn that gave him the potion, told me not to lose myself looking for it but we both know that I can’t let him go on without it, he deserves to return to the light. Cazador got what he deserved, the man is dead, but Astarion didn’t. He deserves a chance.”

There was a part of me that assumed Wyll would simply never understand, that it took a certain kind of love to want to throw everything on the line just for them to be happy. Seeing Astarion become his own person after so many years of not having the chance was my favourite part of our journey to stop the brain and the part that made it all worth it. When people you love get the chance to be happy, it makes you happy and I wiped at a tear, not even realising the thought of never getting that chance was making me emotional.

“I get it. I do,” Wyll assured and wrapped me in a side hug just as Astarion returned, Karlach trailing behind him.

I grinned broader than I had the entire day and jumped up, running over to Karlach and wrapping her in the biggest hug that I could possibly manage, grateful that I even could. With her fixed heart she was nearly cool to the touch, still fiery red but luckily not on fire and I had been itching to hug her for months. Karlach laughed and picked me up, spinning the two of us around and causing Astarion to duck to avoid a leg. She eventually dropped me back to the ground and smiled, looking more alive than she had in months and itching to do it again.

“Gods it’s good to see you!” Karlach exclaimed and I nodded in agreement before rummaging through the bag I was carrying for her gift.

“Same here and I have someone that’s been waiting to see you,” I said and pulled out a small stuffed bear that Karlach had kept with her for years and had sadly gotten a bit burnt.

“Oh my Gods! Clive!” she shouted and grabbed the bear, giving it a tight hug before admiring the stitching courtesy of Astarion and the strips of fabric he used to cover up the holes and scorch marks. “You fixed him, he looks great.”

“That was all Astarion, he’s quite the master with a sewing needle,” I said and bumped his shoulder as Karlach grinned and wandered over, wrapping him in a hug as he squeaked in protest.

“Hey now, not too tight,” Astarion said and groaned as Karlach laughed and put him down. “Gods…I’m not invincible you know.”

“Oh…you’re tougher than that,” she shot back and elbowed him in the ribs, Astarion letting out an oof and having to catch himself.

“Nope…I am not,” he choked out and I chuckled, rubbing a hand along his back to make sure he was alright. “Now…Karlach, you remember what I told you on the way here.”

“Of course, Hanelly, we have a whole day planned!” she exclaimed and I raised a brow. “We have some errands to run for a couple hours before meeting these guys at Sharess’ Caress.”

“What?”

Astarion pulled me aside as I frowned at him, now really curious as to what he was planning and what errands he could possibly want Karlach and I to run.

“Hang out with Karlach and I’ll meet you this afternoon,” he said and I eyed him.

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you,” he said and grinned as I frowned at him.

“You’re being sneakier than usual.”

“Trust me, if I ruin this, you’re gonna hate me.”

“I could never hate you,” I assured and took a step closer, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Good so go with Karlach,” he said and I frowned before letting out a sigh and giving him a kiss.

“If this is some dumb joke I will punch you,” I shot back and pulled away as he chuckled.

“Trust me. It’s not,” he said and I eyed him before heading over to Karlach and following her up the steps and back into the Lower City, my mind swirling with possibilities and my stomach alight with nerves.

***

The errands that Astarion had us run were slowly starting to reveal what all he had planned and I became even more nervous as Karlach and I stood in the empty room at the Flophouse across from Sharess’ Caress he had rented. The only real errand was a trip to the Facemaker’s boutique, a clothing shop near the entrance to the upper city where Karlach said some sort of order was waiting for me. The order just so happened to be a white dress and Figaro, the shop’s owner who normally hated me, looked very pleased when I entered looking for it. He claimed that the garment was made for me and said that it was made to my exact specifications with some additions suggested by Astarion. How or when he got my ‘exact specifications’ I had no clue but the dress was absolutely gorgeous and I was admiring myself in a mirror, practically slack jawed.

The dress was white first and foremost which was already a good indication as to what was going on later but was also so much more than that on so many levels. The top was fitted in a way that wasn’t too revealing and a thin belt made entirely of silver hugged my waist and kept it in place. The part that really made me get emotional was the detailing, mainly the red detailing in the thin ruby coloured threads that created almost a waterfall of colour, starting from the waist and ending just above the bottom of the skirt. It made the dress feel a bit less formal but added so much to a collection of fabric that was previously so stark and perfect and I definitely wasn’t perfect. It had character and the red was a clear nod to the man that ordered it and I was very pleased that he seemed to be just as good with words as he was with fabric choices.

“Karlach…I need you to answer a question,” I said and she glanced up from staring lovingly at Clive. “Is this a wedding?”

“I can’t answer that,” she said and I frowned, knowing that that confirmed it, it had to be.

My stomach immediately dropped at the thought and everything suddenly felt more real, like all this was happening too fast even though I had been thinking about it for months. Sure I knew that he was it, he was the last time I was ever going to fall in love and when an elf says that it means a lot, we live long lives but I never knew how to say it. Astarion spent so long believing that love only existed in the darkest places, that the only love he was allowed to express was fake, and was a tool used to lure people back to Cazador. When he felt real love for a drow named Sebastian, when he tried to allow himself to embrace it, he was tossed into a cell and forced to spend a year clawing at darkness to make up for it. This was the first time he had allowed himself to feel something real, be allowed to feel it and the thought that Astarion was the one that put all of this together was only making my nerves worse.

“Karlach, you’re not helping,” I chided and she chuckled.

“Come on man, it’s supposed to be a happy day, we’re all together again,” she said and I nodded, knowing she was right.

“I know…It’s just…nerve wracking.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, probably because you normally have more time to prepare.”

“If it is a wedding…what are you going to do? Would you say yes?”

“Of course,” I said and Karlach grinned.

“Well…Then there’s nothing to be nervous about, if you’re already willing to say yes and you don’t even know that’s a pretty good sign you’re ready for this.”

For the vast majority of our time together Karlach was always the muscle, mainly because she could punch anyone to death if given enough time but she’s also pretty damn well spoken. She was also right, I was ready and I let out a sigh before fixing my hair, making sure that my trademark twin braids looked perfect and let out a sigh before nodding that I was ready. It was basically time anyways and I followed Karlach out the door and down the steps, crossing the street and finding the group, including a spectral projection of Lae’zel, spread out on the balcony that overlooked the bay, arguably home to the best view in all of Wyrm’s Crossing.

Astarion was in the middle of them, laughing at something Shadowheart or Gale said as the sun that was just beginning to set caught his eyes in a way that made them shimmer. He turned and they widened when he saw me, grinning and stepping forward to assist me in walking down the handful of steps to the balcony.

“You suck you know,” I said and he frowned at me.

“Uh…Excuse me?”

“You do. You planned all of this, planned what is supposed to be the best day of my life and just assumed that keeping it a surprise was the best idea. How’d you even know I’d say yes?”

“Why did you assume that’s what this is?” he shot back and my face fell. “It could just be a gathering of old friends.”

“Uh…Well…is it?”

“It is,” he said and I was about to smack him but he stopped me. “A group of old friends that gathered for a wedding. So…Hanelly…Do you?”

I stared at Astarion for the longest moment, just to see if he was going to start laughing and say this whole thing was one big joke but he looked serious, looked so serious that it was making me almost emotional.

“Of course, I will always say yes to that,” I assured and he grinned before leading me over to the edge of the balcony.

“So…now you know why it was very important that Shadowheart was available since the main thing you need to get married is a cleric and she’s the best I know,” Astarion said and she eyed him. “Also the only one.”

“I was eager to join once he told me what he was planning,” she said and smiled at the two of us. “I also collected all the needed supplies, some harder to find than others.”

I raised a brow and Shadowheart stepped aside to reveal a small table full of various items but mainly two rings and a branch which may sound odd for a wedding but not one between two elves. A very old, very outdated Wood Elf tradition was to plant a tree whenever a child was born that was said to grow with them, signalling their life and their connection to the forest they called home. I had a tree somewhere in the forests surrounding Venia and always figured that when I ever got married I’d return, grab a branch and use it to bless the ceremony, a symbol of carrying your heritage with you as you go. When I decided never to return home I always assumed I had lost my shot at grabbing it but apparently Astarion had managed to find it.

“You found the tree,” I said, practically speechless and he nodded.

“You’d be shocked how far a locate object spell can get you.”

“Were the other two still there?” I asked, talking about the trees planted for my brother and father, my mother’s having died when she did.

“No, just this one. It was growing well though, and had red flowers on it according to Shadowheart,” he said and I smiled since the trees always tended to reflect what their person was getting up to and the flowers had to be a reference to him.

“I figured they’d be gone but mine is thriving and for good reason,” I said and he nodded in agreement before we got into position across from each other, Shadowheart standing behind us.

“Alrighty, I did have to research elf weddings so if I get anything wrong, I’m sorry,” she began and I chuckled. “Now we gather here on this balcony in the company of not only good friends, but family in order to bless and welcome the union between Astarion Ancunin and Hanelly Calista. As tradition in the laws of Wood Elves, a branch of Hanelly’s root tree has been cut to signal a new chapter, a new branch being added that when planted where this couple chooses to reside will signal a new life being built together. Hanelly…please place a hand on one end.” I did as told before Shadowheart told Astarion to do the same. “May the branches, the roots, the leaves and the flowers built from this one continue to grow and thrive for as long as the two of you do.”

The branch began to glow and I smiled before Shadowheart took it back and pulled out the rings, handing over the respective ones.

“I hope you like them, they were last minute,” Astarion whispered and I rolled my eyes.

“Oh…really…wonder who’s fault that is,” I shot back and he frowned at me.

“Astarion, please place this ring upon her finger and solidify a bond to last the test of time, through good times and bad, hope and heartache, life and death. Do you take Hanelly to be your lawfully wedded, in the eyes of Selune, wife?”

“I do,” he said and slipped the silver ring onto my finger, a small blood red stone shining up at me.

“Hanelly, please place this ring upon his finger and solidify a bond to last the test of time, through good times and bad, hope and heartache, life and death. Do you take Astarion to be your lawfully wedded, in the eyes of Selune, husband?”

“I do,” I said and slipped the simple silver band onto his finger, solidifying the bond forever.

“Well…By the power invested in me by Selune, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.”

Astarion gently placed a hand on my cheek and leaned forward just as the sun began to set, basking the two of us in a brilliant orange glow as I closed my eyes and closed the gap. The others all began to clap as I stood there for a second, in mild shock that it was now official.

“Well then, I have a wife,” Astarion with a wide grin and I nodded in agreement.

“That you do.”

I kissed him again before we turned to the others who all looked very pleased, even Lae’zel who I was certain never liked me. I smiled and wandered over, not pulling her into a hug since she’d kill me and the astral form was preventing any real contact. Lae’zel left the group shortly after the brain was killed to get revenge on the gythyanki that still sided with their lying queen. It was likely Gale that told her about the event and I was actually quite shocked she was there since Lae’zel was never really a lovey dovey type of person.

“Shocked to see you here,” I muttered and she nodded.

“Gale sent a message about this ceremony and your plans to find the ring, I thought I’d come by and say congrats and good luck.”

“Thank you.”

“Also that it’s stupid,” she added and my smile faded. “The Underdark holds more dangers than what we saw in our small trip to it, dangers that would kill for a ring like that one. Sure I believe you're more than capable but if you die then I will be saying, ‘I told you so’ to your corpse.”

Lae’zel walked over to Wyll as I stood there a second, mind swirling with all the implications of that sentence and the fact that even though she was ultimately messing with me, she was also correct. But I couldn’t worry about the Underdark on a day like this, it was supposed to be happy and I was thrilled.

“So…Did you enjoy the surprise?” Astarion asked after handing me a glass of wine.

“I did, yes.”

“They say the wedding night is always the best part,” he said and smirked.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I shot back and his smirk grew. “So…why here, why sunset?”

“You look the best at sunset and if this is my last one, I want it to be special,” he said and kissed me, deep before taking a sip.

I smiled at the gesture but it was hard to ignore the dread piling up at the bottom of my stomach and the fear that this was going to be his last sunset, that this was all we were ever gonna have in the sun if this failed. Sure it was incredible, I wouldn’t change that for the world and the ring shining in the last few rays was a symbol that he meant the world to me and I to him but it wasn’t enough. I don’t care if I’m being selfish, irrational but I wanted more, I wanted more sunsets, more walks along the water, more warming myself in the early morning rays, more chances to watch his eyes light up when they caught it at just the right angle. Tomorrow evening we were headed down into the Underdark with Maleera, tomorrow everything changed and it was either going to get a lot better or a lot worse.

“It won’t be your last,” I whispered as I pressed myself against him, swaying slightly to the music being played by a bard he hired.

“I hope not,” he muttered as I wrapped my arms tighter around his middle, locking my hands together and not planning on letting go anytime soon.

I had two options in that moment, either sit back and see what happens or fight my absolute hardest to guarantee this wasn’t the last sunset and as the night began to creep along the horizon, once again plunging Astarion back into darkness as he shimmered from the elixir wearing off, I made my choice. That I was either coming back from the Underdark with that ring on his finger or not coming back at all.

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