#the reason i love gale so much is because he reminds me of him | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

feyascorner · 4 months

Text

wish you would look at me

summary. convinced that you’re in love with another, when you approach him with a serious expression, he readies himself for the inevitable—rejection. but is it ever that simple?

pairing. astarion x GN!reader

warnings. light angst, fluff

a/n. this is inspired by the ppl who have love triangles w gale and astarion in act 2 and what he says if you pick him bec when I saw that I almost cried pls let him be happy

If you asked him a few weeks ago, he’d laugh at the mere suggestion that he could ever be jealous of someone like Gale. That blasted wizard couldn't go four steps before begging for a magical shoe or pathetically limping his way behind the rest of the group while you frantically searched for the said shoe. And when he found out the wizard was a few errors away from exploding, somehow Astarion felt even more pity (not really) for the lad.

Yet here he was.

He’s not sure when the hell you and Gale had gotten so chummy, but it rubbed him the wrong way. Even if his expression would never show it. He sips at his wine while Karlach and Wyll continue to chat about God knows what, too busy peering from the corner of his eyes as you lean into Gale’s shoulders to look closer at the book he was holding.

Perhaps the tadpole had finally made you lose your mind. He'd almost dropped his goblet when you denied his invitation to his tent tonight, spouting the excuse that you'd asked Gale to help you with something, and now this?

God knows why you ever found the wizard charming. If Gale could do something, he could too—much better, in fact. He was sure of it.

His grip tightens around the goblet when he hears you laugh.

Sure, his original intentions for approaching you had been less than noble…and he might have seduced you for more selfish reasons than you originally knew, but as much as he hated himself for it, he'd grown rather fond of you. In his own way, of course.

He’d only realized that the anxious squirming in his stomach was not of fear but of affection when you'd defended him from that vile drow at Moonrise Towers. He'd half expected you to ask him to throw himself at her, yet you stood your ground, showing nothing but respect to his own boundaries while you failed to realize that he'd deceived your own.

He truly had no reason to feel this way. He was selfish, he knew, for feeling so possessive because not once had the two of you established being exclusive. Though you'd respected him, you saw him for just that. A friend to respect, and nothing more. Sure, you'd spent a few nights together, but it was a mindless night of passion and he knew he'd continue to be your fling until you found another to truly love. He had just hoped it wouldn't be someone like Gale, of all people…or Wyll…or Shadowheart…or anyone for that matter.

He shakes his head. The wine must be getting to him. Serious relationships aren't a luxury he can afford, he reminds himself, relaxing his shoulders. He’s perfectly okay with being your ally—nothing more or nothing less. Ecstatic, even.

But when Gale flips a page of the book and both of you lean closer again—this time dangerously close—he feels a sharp pain shoot up his hand.

“Uh, Fangs, you alright there?” Karlach stares at the cracked glass in his hand and even he blinks at it in disbelief.

Apparently not.

He sighs irritably, dumping the glass elsewhere. “I’m quite alright. Seems I just need a nice comfortable mattress than a thin bedroll on the ground, but it’ll do for now.”

“Need help patching that up? You're bleeding.”

He almost laughs, if it weren't for the giggle coming from your direction. “Blood’s my specialty, darling, remember?” Without another word, he paces into his tent, closing the flap behind him for the universe signal that screams ‘don’t bother me.’

So when half an hour later, when he no longer hears the crackle of the campfire, he sees your shadow emerge from the other side of his tent flap, he squints.

“Can I come in?” He fails to respond, and hears you shuffle. “Ah, are you asleep?”

At this, he can't help but snort. You instinctively peek inside, and he runs a hand through his hair, sighing in defeat. “If I'd been asleep just how would I answer that question?”

He motions you closer and you take it as a sign to step inside, careful to avoid stepping on any of his belongings before situating yourself in front of him. “It was rhetorical, obviously!”

“Of course,” he doesn't seem convinced, lips curling into a teasing grin. “Now tell me, what brings you to my palace this late at night? Surely not for a cuddle. I'd thought you declined my offer earlier?”

Usually, you'd smile, but instead you only look down at your clasped hands, seemingly in thought. “I needed to talk to you—without everyone else watching.”

The usual brightness to your tone is missing.

Oh, he thinks. You've come to end things with him.

“Ah,” is all he says. He can tell his smile hasn't dropped, but it doesn't feel that way. “I hear you've found a new lover. Perhaps you want to keep yourself for this one, true love? How romantic, darling.”

You frown at this, and he wonders if he’s done something wrong. But it does little to stop his defense mechanisms from springing into action, because he’s immediately slipping into his usual mask, grin stretching wider but never reaching his eyes.

He hates the words coming out of his own mouth as if they taste of poison. Still, his voice is steady, almost teasing. Perks of the 200 years spent shamelessly lying, he supposes. “So, is this the end of our late night trysts? Even though they were an awful lot of fun?”

He doesn’t think he could stand watching you with that damned wizard. He doesn't even want to think about it quite frankly, because all he feels is his chest tighten when he imagines someone else holding you the way he does. And gods, if had to watch Gale’s poor attempt at flirting one more time…

But then again, you'd be with someone who doesn't manipulate you. Someone who doesn't toy with your feelings, or someone who doesn't seduce you for protection.

His smile twitches, and he just braces himself for your response.

“I’d rather be with you.”

He stares at you, eyes wider than its ever been since he'd gotten this damn worm in his brain.

“What? Why?” he blurts, embarrassingly so, before he composes himself again and clears his throat. “I mean, well, I know why—but I thought you'd had something more…with Gale.”

As much as he despises the idea, he'd seen the way you'd laughed with him. And while it was a new experience for him to be fond of another person, he'd found that these feelings had led him to rather you be happy than dragging you down with him. If it meant you wouldn't regret your choice, he’d been willing to deal with it.

So why?

“I want something real with you, Astarion,” you say softly, eyes meeting his. “I don't know if you feel the same way, but Gale and I are better off as friends, and I told him before I came here. And besides, it’d be cruel of me to lead him on while my heart is with another.”

He thinks he might have died again just now. For the first time in decades, he’s actually at a loss for words. “I—if that's what you truly want—we can try. Be lovers, I mean.”

You finally smile at his words, and Gods above if that doesn't lift the excruciating weight of the past few weeks off his shoulders. He feels the warmth of your lips when you lean forward to give him a peck on the cheek, everything happening so fast that his mind is spinning. He snaps back into focus when you pull back.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”

You could have—should have, done it earlier. With a smile of his own, he leads you back to him, this time planting a soft kiss on your lips. It’s short, and not nearly enough, but it’ll do for tonight.

“Well then, consider yourself wholeheartedly taken then, my dear.”

#astarion ancunin #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate astarion #bg3 astarion #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #astarion #bg3 x reader #fluff #angst with a happy ending

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avocado-writing · 3 months

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Could I request headcanons for Astarion, Gale, Wyll, Halsin, Dammon, Rolan, and Zevlor react to his gn crush admitting that the reason why they only talk a lot when they're comfortable with someone is because they know they won't be ignored, not acknowledged, interrupted, talked over, no one would listen, and no one cares? Sorry! I had a bad day 😞

give me a list of names, anon, and I’m going to go and enact some revenge for you ❤️

but for now the guys reacting to when their s/o confesses they aren’t comfortable talking around people they don’t know as they’re used to being ignored:

Astarion

jokes how he’ll go and maim or murder anyone who’s made you upset

(but? Maybe it’s not that much of a joke from the way he’s going for his dagger…)

encourages you to let your feelings out and complains along with you in agreement, reassuring you that he’s on your side

holds you close afterwards - even though he’s not the best at communicating how he feels, you know he’s there for you and wants you to be heard. he hears you.

Gale

my man is FLABBERGASTED

”well, as a wizard, I’ve always found everything you have to say rather interesting” (can’t help bringing that up lmao)

makes a concerted effort to make sure you know he’s listening when you talk (he always was anyway, but now he’s sure to show you how he’s hanging on every word)

reassures you that he loves you and talking to you is his favourite part of the day 💕

Wyll

reassures you so so much.

you have so many important and interesting things to say, and anyone who doesn’t see that is a fool

backs you up in every conversation

if anyone tries to talk over you he cuts in with a firm, “excuse me, I believe my partner was speaking?”

he will give you a gentle, kind touch to give you confidence when you’re speaking - a hand on the small of your back, or brushing his fingers against yours.

Halsin

understands your worry but tries to make you feel better about it

“so many people turn to you for guidance and leadership. they would not do that if you were not worth listening to, my heart.”

will give examples of times when your words made a deep and impactful change

reminds you that you are worth hearing. ❤️

Dammon

stands behind you and glares at people who try and talk over you. this usually makes them shut the fuck up lol

constant gentle reassurance from my man!!

if you’ve had a day where you feel like you’ve not been heard and it’s overwhelming, offers to let you hammer away at something at his forge until you feel better.

Rolan

immediate fury.

he’s the only one who gets to interrupt you!! And when he does it, it’s playful and silly!!! (In his mind anyway, my boy is too dense lmao)

casts silence on people who talk over you, then turns to you and goes, “as you were saying??”

Zevlor

tells you he treasures every word you say, and anyone who doesn’t is a fool.

loves it when you go on long rambling monologues about things because it brings him joy that you trust him so much.

lets you know that he could listen to you talk for the rest of his life, and hopes you’ll let him 💕

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lynnlovesthestars · 13 days

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Could I request headcanons for Harleep, Astarion, Gale, Wyll, Halsin, Dammon, Rolan, and Zevlor with kind and patient gn s/o? This is quite self-indulgent of me because I have been told I'm too nice & so patient so I'm curious how they would react XD

first of all sorry for being so late, but my small brain has to process things multiple times to make sense, so i wrote this like... 5 times? So it takes me a while, but i hope that waiting was worth it.

Also i saw you sent a second ask to see if i recieved this one, so ill put dammon and rolan there cause this is starting to get a bit long:3<3 thank you so much for your patience!:3

Taglist: @sessils @spacebarbarianweird

Headcanon: BG3 men with kind and patient s/o. (pt. 1)

Zevlor:

Zevlor is emotionally a wreck already, he considers kindness a virtue and it definitely makes him swoon when he notices you put extra care in making sure he's treated with kindness. At the end of the day, he basically got bullied on all fronts when all he really wants is to prove himself worthy of the title he carried for so long.

Zevlor has a short temper too, and he appreciates so much your effort and patience in dealing with his outbursts, whether they are of rage- not towards you of course- or of sadness, you offer always a shoulder for him and he cherishes it so much.

He is lowkey jealous when he notices that your kindness is not mostly exclusive to him, he has learned that people can abuse one's patience and care, and 1. he doesn't want you to get hurt, 2. he wishes your kindness was maybe reserved to him. Call him selfish, but after being deprived of it for so long, he is hesitant to let go of it.

Astarion:

Initially he would be very wary, in his experience being nice always lead to him getting hurt, so why would he trust someone who's default reply is kindness? At the end of the day the last time someone was '''''kind''''' to him, he was turned in a vampire spawn, so he takes it extra slow, he has just regained control over himself, he won't blindly accept kindness. He's lowkey afraid you are just part of a bigger scheme that will bite him in the ass and leave him shackled and caged again.

Once he gets accustomed to your kindness and finally accepts it, he revels in the kindness you offer and your patience, especially the smallest gestures like opening a door for him. He will literally melt for it, he's already smitten, your kindness leaves him like mush in your hands.

Nevetheless every good side, comes with a negative one. He is dead afraid your kindness will bring you to get hurt. He often reminds you to be weary and keep all your kindness for people you trust (HIM), rather than going around and helping every lost soul that asks for help. He will fight you on this a few times- especially if you do get hurt or it is obvious you are about to- he will not bite his tongue and keep it for himself, and that's one of the moments when he's glad you are patient.

You understand where it comes from and you try your best to find a solution that would make both happy. Your patience of course doesn't stop there, he knows he's an handful: he carries an heavy trauma baggage and he has a feisty personality, yet you always show him you don't mind, that you are there for him and that he can take all the time of the universe to sort his problems out.

Wyll:

Wyll would find it so endearing, how you are ready to go to someone's aid, you stop on your tracks to support someone in need, and he would love seeing you being kind to everyone. It's probably one of the reasons why he falls in love with you. Unlike Astarion he encourages you to be kind to everyone, cause he considers it a virtue, he incourages you to be the best version of yourself, and he reminds you that if you do get hurt, he will be there to pick up the pieces.

As far as patience goes, he's grateful to the moon and back, he knows he is an handful, especially if he doesn't break his pact with Mizora and has to leave more times than ever. He makes sure once he's back though that he makes up for lost time, whether it is with gifts or by taking care of you.

Haarlep:

Harleep is so used to Raphael that honestly he's taken aback at first, living in the hells means that kindness is hard to come by and around Raphael? It's either a trick or a miracle, so he brushes it off, not repelled like Astarion would, but definitely not eager like Wyll either.. he would be probably the one that takes it as it is, just.. that. But when he gets used to it? He becomes unsufferable. So unsufferable that he goes around demanding Raphael to be treated with kindness and patience! He purrs whenever you are nice even the smallest, thanking you and praising you like a goddess. He even tries to be nice himself- to you only- and despite it has to be and effort, since he has never been exposed to much kindness, he does become a little more mindful, even asking before taking your form or just with small acts of services.

One time Rapahel makes sure to send a message to you through him. "Tav, Raphael asked you stop being nice to me, cause if i demand it from him as well, he's going to turn me into fertilizer", message delivered with a pout that begs exactly the opposite.

Harleep is another that is deeply afraid of your kindness. Let's be real, you can defend yourself as much as you want, but people tend to use people and your kindness is one of those characteristics evil people would pry on- he knows well since its literally part of what he does, and a facet of what Raphael does as well. He probably scolds you a lot for this reason, he does it in a sweet way- don't get me wrong- he sugarcoats the shit out of it, but he will let you know when you are about to get in peril or you are too careless with your kindness.

Gale:

Gale is touched by your kindness, already from the first days after meeting him.

You had helped him out of his blotched portal, you fed him artifacts, you didn't question his secrets or push him to reveal anything, and he doesn't give that for granted. Once he's closer to you, and he learns that you are unconditionally kind to everyone, he's scared.

He starts warning you to be a little less nice, to use your judgement before you blindly trust a stranger, but he doesn't push it past a warning. As much as he wants to protect you, he doesn't want to take away your chance to grow from your errors.

In matter of your patience he's so grateful, he spends days thanking you when he's still afflicted with the orb condition, he cooks as a form of apology or thanks depending what he did, he gets baths started for you, he's treating you as a queen/ king. He alread would do it, but with you? He's even more protective, he almost feels like he has to match your kindness and patience with as much attentions he can muster.

Halsin:

Halsin is a fair man you think he wishes everyone was kind, but he actually wants you to be fair, he wants you to be mindful of who you give kindness to, he wants you to be a reasonable judge rather than unconditionally nice cause it is the way of the nature as well. Nature is not only nurturing and lush, it's also the poisonous vipers and herbs.

Does he appreciate when you are kind? Absolutely, he thinks it's the best gift Silvanus has ever bestowed him, but it doesn't take away the fact that he wants you to be treated kindly as well, so the moment someone crosses the line and starts abusing your kindness or becomes rude, he's definitely stepping in to s h a m e the other person. "You are lucky you have met Tav, cause they are kind, but nature wouldn't be so understanding and patient" He says it with a rage you rarely see in his eyes.

He will do his best to remind you to surely practice kindness but also to be mindful who you help and who you are kind to, cause there's always rotten that can harm you, and lowkey if you get hurt he will invite you to take back what you gave.

Despite this Halsin considers kindness the bare minimum a person should be, and what stops him from encouraging you to be kinder, its just the knowledge that you might get hurt.

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istoleyoursk1n · 3 months

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Hi can you do halsin Gale and Astarion with a very explicit and flirty paladin s/o who looks super stoic and serious please?

Like they’re there standing stoic and menacing and then whispers in their ear the dirtiest pick up line ever?

Like I think they’d have a funny reaction!

Feel free to refuse ofc! Thanks anyways!

•❅───────────✧❅✦❅✧───────────❅•

How would Halsin, Gale, and Astarion react to a paladin who looks stoic/strict only for them to be an explicit and flirty?

(Damn, reminds me of my PaladinLMAO)

: ̗̀➛ ASTARION

“Oh, darling, and just when I thought you were as dense as a brick wall. I never could have guessed that beneath all that was a cheeky little flirt. All that dirt coming out of such a filthy mouth, you ought to have someone clean it out for you, my sweet.”

He was the one being the flirty ass at first, hitting on you in every teasing way he could think of with the hopes that perhaps someday he’d get a reaction out of you for his own amusement.

You never seemed to comment on his “advances” at first, you remained as stern as usual with little but a side glance to offer.

Probably got personally offended each time his usual charms failed but he was persistent. More so because he wanted to prove that he could truly seduce even the most stoic of hearts.

He made it his personal mission to make you crack, but along the way, he may or may not have fallen for you. Regardless, the realization absolutely horrified him.

Perhaps he just has the worst luck ever or you finally started to begin your master plan of turning the tables against him but nevertheless, he wasn't prepared at all for what you had in store for him.

He was already taking quite the liking to you, so the moment you began whispering such depraved yet smooth words into his ear, he was shocked and speechless for the first time in years.

His mind was practically breaking apart as you laid out every filthy thing you had in mind. He truly couldn't tell if this was utterly fucked or if he was somehow into it.

You would be the sole reason a tint of color finally appears in his otherwise undead skin. The tint being a bright shade of red of course.

He goes from being startled, angry, confused, flustered and then eventually hitting you right back with a little pick up line of his own once he’s finally calmed down.

Now both of you end up teasing and flirting with each other as sneakily as possible, both of you trying to outdo the other in terms of who could fluster whom the most.

: ̗̀➛ GALE

“I…oh gods, love, you truly don't understand the things you do to this heart of mine. Of all the weaknesses I could have possibly gotten, you are one I’d welcome with open arms. I have stood proud amongst a Goddess but for you? I’d fall to my knees.”

He was slightly intimated by you at first by how stoic you appeared to be. You seemed like a person who’d prioritize business and work above all else, repelling anyone with nothing more than a glare.

He wasn't even sure how to approach you, he was already admiring you from afar but he feared that you would have never felt the same. Not when it felt as if your heart was locked within walls of stone.

He tried to shoot his shot once or twice, but they were always met with a few words of acknowledgment or even worse, a mere nod.

As much as he wished to simply move on from his utter fixation on you, he can't help but pine. You’re something he's grown to truly desire in ways he could hardly express.

However, one way or another, every little attraction he’s felt for you thus far is revealed by him. Completely exposing just how smitten he truly is by you and perhaps that single moment of true vulnerability is what finally made you snap.

Pull him close and abruptly whisper every depraved fantasy and dirty pickup line you've thought of just for him and he’d die. I mean, melting right then and there into a puddle of shame.

For a man who talks too much, he suddenly becomes oddly quiet, his eyes wide with a certain gleam of helplessness that makes him look all the more exposed to you.

For once in his life he’s stuttering his words, barely even able to hang onto a sentence without having to take a moment to breathe or silently whimper out in a mix of embarrassment, confusion, and frustration.

Dropping one of your pickup lines would be just enough to have this man in a chokehold. Truly. It’s one of the only ways to actually silence him.

He’s not one for pickup lines but he’d try his damn best to voice out his admiration for you similar to how a poet would describe their one and only muse. Through each sweet whisper, you dare utter, he falls deeper and deeper in love with you.

: ̗̀➛ HALSIN

“My heart, I beg of you. Each word, each whisper, even the soft tingle of your breath against my skin- you are a walking temptation that I so longingly wish to taste. My blood runs wild when you are near and I fear what I may do to you if you if you continue on.”

He was hardly bothered by the fact that you seemed a tad bit uptight. He has met far too many people similar to you and he’s learned better than to judge someone based on appearances alone.

Doesn't change the fact that he was in fact attracted to you.

The thing is, he respects you too much to ever make a move. At least, not for a while. Most conversations you’d have with Halsin were of the friendly sort at first, prioritizing the mission at hand before anything else.

However, in truth, the way his eyes practically brightened and his breath ever so subtly quivered when you approached was something you could have slowly picked up on.

He eventually slides very discrete hints about his attraction toward you, simply testing the waters to see if you would reciprocate. However, he truly never expected you to actually take the bait.

Before he could even properly make a move on you, you were already whispering every one of your sweetly depraved desires into his ear, catching him completely off guard.

He knew that there must have been more beneath your hardened exterior but he would have never suspected this. But is he complaining? Absolutely not.

But do be careful when and where you decide to whisper such things to him because you may or may not be seconds away from being utterly ravished by one bear of a man against the nearest surface.

Do so in public spaces where it's safe to tease him, giving you the freedom to watch as his breath heaves and his voice breaks just by the smoothened words coming out of your dirty mouth.

Nevertheless, he’s absolutely obsessed with your little flirty remarks, said remarks being enough to fluster him instantaneously. All the lovers he had taken in his life and yet he had never met one who could madden him as much as you do.

•❅───────────✧❅✦❅✧───────────❅•

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 headcanon #bg3 headcanons #bg3 x reader #bg3 astarion #bg3 gale #bg3 halsin #astarion #gale #halsin

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randoimago · 6 months

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I dowloaded the aasimar mod to my Baldurs Gate and I just want !!! More winged beauties is this game ;;; how would Gale, Astarion and Halsin react to meeting the reader who is an aasimar? Maybe they’re the first the guys have ever seen!

Meeting an Aasimar For the First Time

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3

Character(s): Astarion, Gale, Halsin

Type of Request: Headcanons

Note(s): Hopefully there's some patch in the future or expansion that adds more races and subclasses to the game. I mean, there's goblins, Shadar-Kai, and Deva NPCS. Why can't we play as those too 😖

Also, while I love the idea of Aasimar, I can just imagine the angst/comfort with a Fallen Aasimar. Maybe that's just cause I'm a SadoMasochist tho

Astarion

Oh he is so fascinated when he meets you. Thinks your wings are a bit much (if reader is a fallen Aasimar with the featherless wings then Astarion will probably comment about "There's enough brooding without you one upping me").

Debates rather to ask you for a feather. The only reason he debates it is because he doesn't want to take a piece of you away, he's had that happen to himself enough times that he doesn't want to do it to others.

I will say that Astarion probably would either get along the most or avoid a Fallen Aasimar the most just because the darkness those Aasimar carry reminds him too much of himself and his past. While it would be good to talk to someone that might have an idea of the level of trauma he has, he also would rather repress it all and act like he's fine instead.

Gale

He finds you fascinating. Of course he knows what Aasimars are and it does make him feel a bit bittersweet. I mean, here you are, a champion of the gods. And yet he can't even get a message from his own.

If you are an Aasimar with feathered wings then he'd love to have a few (maybe after you've molted or if you're willing to just part with some) to add some new quills to help him with his writing and transcribing spell scrolls in his book.

Now if you're a fallen Aasimar, that just makes him more curious. He's probably heard an unreliable telling of the fallen ones from Mystra so he'd want to hear more about your story. Maybe you both can both lament about losing your connections to your deities as well as help build each other back up because who needs those asshole gods anyway.

Halsin

Halsin has probably heard of Aasimar but has never had the pleasure of meeting one before. He finds you to be beyond beautiful. Might chuckle and make a comment about being under-dressed while in your presence.

He would love to sit down with you and learn more about what it's like to be a champion of the gods. Of course, if you're a fallen Aasimar then he can only imagine the weight and burdens you must carry, ones that he'd gladly help you carry so you don't feel so alone.

Should your wings need grooming and you trust Halsin enough, then he'd like to help. He's befriended (and sometimes bedded) quite a few winged friends that he'd be gentle and delicate with helping you take care of your wings.

Taglist:

@reo-the-leo @unhelpfulnpc

#bg3 x reader #baldurs gate x reader #baldurs gate 3 x reader #gale x reader #halsin x reader #astarion x reader #bg3 gale x reader #bg3 halsin x reader #bg3 astarion x reader

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galaxythreads · 1 year

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unhinged, unconnected thoughts about the Hunger Games 1-3:

Katniss is one of The best female characters I have ever read in my life

Peeta is the definition of sad, wet paper man

I AM SO GRATEFUL THERE WERE CONSQUENCES From the games!! Like Katniss has permanent hearing damage. PEETA lost his LEG

Katniss' severe PTSD was so harsh and brutal and so so so good

Haymitch was such a little guy and I adored him for that. What I really liked about his character was that like -- he survived the Hunger Games. This was not a good thing. He was devastated by the fact that his family was killed and the only way he coped with that was by drinking. There was no getting better. There was no magic fix. It didn't just go away. Then he had to train and prepare 20 kids to go fight in the Games just like he did, knowing that he was sending them all out to die or survive like he did, and I have to imagine that toward the end, Haymitch probably hoped they died. It was easier than living

The Capitol was absolutely horrifying

The PTSD from the Games was vivid and it was so nice to see that this horrible bad thing that happened to the characters didn't just go away because they were in another book. Like it impacted their choices forever

Katniss and Peeta about to take the berries reminded me of Romeo and Juliet and I think that was probably on purpose. Neither can live without the other.

KATNISS IS FREAKING SIXTEEN AND ACTS LIKE SHE'S SIXTEEN

Katniss runs off and screams and cries and breaks down and fails and makes selfish decisions and selfless decisions and like she is SUCH A GOOD CHARACTER. Like I Honestly didn't think there would be a female character that competed with Joan Watson for #1 female for me, but Katniss is like. She's up there.

Gale was overall meh to me. He was There, but the emotional impact he had on Katniss was overall... yeah. just dots.

I'm really glad that Katniss was able to heal enough after 15 years from the Games to have kids. She wanted kids, and the mothering instinct is there, but she didn't want to bring them into a world where they wouldn't be safe. But Katniss having kids means that she does feel safe.

"you love me. Fake or real?" "real"

"sweetheart"

I literally did not realize the Hunger Games was science fiction until I got like halfway through the second one and was like oh yeah, yeah this is science fiction.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THEY SENT THEM BACK TO THE GAMES IN BOOK 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

like all I'd heard about the Hunger Games was book 1, so everything after that to me was just ?????? and I was SO MAD but it made so much sense from the Capitol's perspective and I so wanted to strangle Snow.

District 13 overall annoyed me tbh, but I did get where they were coming from.

Everything in this series is so heavy. Like you feel the weight of the entire world just seeping down on you and it's actually kind of nice. I feel like the Hunger Games decided yeah, this is a dark, gloomy kinda world and then kept that tone. Books that keep the tone are SO RARE and i adore them.

PEETA PEETA PEETA

BREAD BOY

AMNEISA

PRIM DYING LIKE ???????????????????????? so good. So good. Like the whole reason Katniss went into the Games was to save her and like. She died anyway. Tragedy my beloved.

Katniss being so bad at speeches was absolutely hilarious. She is very much a speak from the heart kinda person and I'm glad that was never "fixed"

I love how a running theme in the series was that they have to document everything. There are video cameras everywhere, recording, always recording, and if they aren't it didn't happen. But Katniss is screaming IT HAPPENED IT HAPPENED anyway. Like with Rue's death.

I love that Peeta is so protective of Katniss, but would wholey hold her bow while she punched someone in the face. Like he's protective of her while respecting her strengths.

this series is dark, but I am going to reread this 4000000 times.

#the hunger games #hunger games #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #haymitch abernathy #hunger games spoilers #catching fire #mokingjay #suzanne collins

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marlynnofmany · 1 year

Text

Invisibly Beautiful

The hot nighttime air blasting through the windows of the hovercar made conversation hard for all of us, but that didn't stop Paint. She pulled her lizardy face into the car long enough to ask "Can we make more deliveries to climates like this? It's great!" Not waiting for an answer, she stuck her snout back out into the gale.

"I'm just glad the air is moist," said Captain Sunlight from the driver's chair. She was as fond of extreme tropics as the next scaly little Heatseeker, but as least she was tactful about it. "If this was an arid climate, we'd dry out in no time."

Zhee snapped a pincher in irritation, adjusting the coldpack draped around his shoulders. He had another around his praying-mantis hips. "I," he declared, "am glad it is DARK. Sun this intense would fry us on the spot. This is not a temperature for any reasonable being." He cast a big bug eye in my direction, with what passed for subtlety.

I hadn't spoken up yet because I was busy guzzling water to replace all the sweat I was losing. "Agreed," I said when I came up for air. "There's a place this hot back home. We call it Death Valley."

Paint leaned back into her seat. "What? How could such a lovely heat mean death? It's so nice."

"For you," I said at the same time as Zhee. I would have high-fived him but didn't want to hurt myself on his pinchers. Instead I said, "I'd die of heatstroke in no time."

"But you have that temperature regulation!" Paint said, waving a hand in my direction. "I thought you were fine in hot and cold!”

"Just because I'm warm-blooded doesn't mean I'm comfortable in all temperatures," I said to my scaly crewmate. Holding up an arm, I asked, "You see this sweat? This is not fun." I was wearing the smallest amount of clothes I could stand: sports bra and shorts, and it was still too much. “At least the wind helps. I’ll want to get the unloading done as quickly as possible when we stop.”

“We’re almost there,” Captain Sunlight said, pointing at the navigation screen.

It was a good thing she had that screen, since the view outside was an endless nighttime seashore with sand dunes and rocks, but no memorable landmarks. You’d never know there was civilization here. We’d been instructed to land our ship far inland, so we didn’t risk blowing sand into a burrow when we took off again. Luckily the hovercar was acceptable. Thinking about dragging all those crates across the dunes by hand was enough to make me need another drink of water.

When we settled in to park, it was beside a boulder at the very edge of the water. Gentle waves lapped at a very flat shore. No civilization that I could see. The air gushing in the windows was oppressively hot and wet.

“The client should join us at any time,” Captain Sunlight said, getting out of the chair. “Let’s unload.”

“Aw,” Paint said.

Zhee led the way out the door while I focused on taking deep breaths. This was unpleasant.

Sunlight insisted on keeping all but the dimmest lights off, for the sake of the client’s nocturnal eyes. The many stars helped. Luckily there wasn’t much around to trip over. And the boxes were head-sized, not gigantic hassles. There were a lot of them though, and we weren’t quite finished stacking them on the wet sand when the client rose from the waves.

Captain Sunlight’s polite greeting prompted me to look up just in time to see what looked like a lobster the size of a horse come splashing toward us. I clamped down on a startled yelp. Professional calm, I reminded myself. This is entirely normal.

I did a pretty good job of pretending to be calm while I set down the box I was holding and went back for more. Sunlight kept up the small talk and handled payment, both thanks to technological aid: a translator and credit screen with some impressive waterproofing. The voice that came from the speakers was almost too deep to hear. It reminded me of my aunt’s favorite whale impression.

“Thank you for your use of time,” the client said. “Our previous delivery people arrived at high tide, leaving us with a long walk to the burrow.” A little crustacean leggie waved back at the water, where I assumed the doorway lurked. Now that I thought about it, I could almost make out a darker spot among the waves.

And that’s not so much a lobster as a huge shrimp, I decided, setting down another box. Looks like it would have some bright colors in the sun, too. The starlight didn’t illuminate much, but the faint glow from the ship’s cargo hold showed hints of red, blue, and green. And far too many legs, honestly. But you didn’t hear that from me.

“Last one,” Zhee announced, resting a box against the others. “Would the esteemed client like to confirm the count?”

The client did, waving two legs while counting. “Confirmed. I am pleased to do business with all of you.” Captain Sunlight started to say something else polite, but the client wasn’t done talking. “And it is pleasant to see such a lovely being of light.”

With the way all those legs moved, it took me a heartbeat to realize she meant me. “What?” I blurted.

The rest of the crew were confused too. “Being of light?” asked the captain tactfully.

“Yes, and with those charming stripes, too!”

It was all I could do not to ask “What?” again. I just looked at Sunlight, wondering if I was being pranked. If so, she didn’t look in on the joke.

“I, ah, can’t say I’d noticed,” she told the client.

“Your eyes are different, aren’t they?” asked that deep voice with even deeper sympathy.

“Um. Must be.”

“You’ll have to take my word for it, then. You two little ones blend in with the surroundings, while you, friend, look more like an artfully painted land-skimmer,” she said to Zhee, who looked like he had decided to take it as a compliment. “But you. You glow like a gentle moon, with all the curves of a crashing wave across your surface. My night has been enriched with the view.”

“Uh, thank you,” I managed. “My pleasure.”

“I will be sure to request such prompt and pleasurable couriers for my next delivery. I thank you.”

“And we thank you!” Captain Sunlight said. “We’ll be on our way. I trust you can get the boxes into your home without trouble?”

“Oh yes, this will be fine,” said the client with more leg waves. I wasn’t even sure which part of that complicated face to look at. “May you have safe travels!”

With more polite words from Sunlight, we re-entered the hovercar and took seats in even hotter air. The door shut, the engine started, and a very welcome breeze wafted in. Sunlight eased away from the beach at a tactful speed before gunning it toward the ship. No one spoke until the sea was out of view behind a dune.

“Glowing?” exclaimed Paint. “Stripes??”

“Did she mean heat vision?” Zhee wanted to know.

“Can’t be,” Sunlight said from where she drove madly. “She compared you to a nice paint job, remember?”

“As she should,” Zhee said. “But was that a different thing she was seeing when looking at me?”

“Hard to say,” Sunlight said. “Robin?”

“I have no idea!” I burst out. “This is the first I’ve heard of any of it! Is there a chance she’s joking?”

“I don’t think so,” said Captain Sunlight. “All the courier reviews of her behavior are top-notch. If she was the type to lie like that, then surely she would have done it before.”

“But stripes??” I asked, sticking a forearm into the aisle. “You’ve seen me! What stripes? I don’t even have that much body hair!”

“You don’t glow in the dark, either,” said Zhee, staring with the kind of intensity that only someone with truly gigantic bug eyes can. “You reflect a little starlight right now, what with all the grossness you’re exuding, but I doubt that’s what she meant.”

I laughed. “You know, people do sometimes describe sweating as glowing, but it’s really not meant to be taken literally.”

Paint leaned close, all curiosity. “Does something in your sweat fluoresce?”

“No!” I said. “Nothing about me does! This is absurd!”

“We can check the wiki as soon as we get back in range,” said Captain Sunlight. “The ship’s knowledge banks are pretty good, but let’s not kid ourselves.”

“I can’t wait,” Paint said. “My money is on the sweat.”

I shook my head and finished the water bottle. With the way Sunlight was driving, we made it to the ship quickly indeed. Paint was already out of the car and telling the rest of the crew about it while I had barely stood up. I exited to several other curious faces, immediately telling them no, I had no idea.

Normally after that kind of delivery I would have gone to wash up, but this time I just grabbed a towel to wipe off the sweat (and to wear as a shawl in the much cooler spaceship air). Captain Sunlight was calling for top speed.

And she got it. Good thing we’d be refueling soon, because I was pretty sure we’d used up a solid chunk of the reserves.

But we were back in range of easy broadcasts, in record time! Everyone who didn’t have to be somewhere else crowded into the meeting room with the big info screen.

And we all learned that humans freaking glow. Just too dim for anyone to see, unless they have extra-super-special eyes. The kind of eyes that can also pick up the seams from cell division that are usually just as invisible.

“What the heck,” I said, staring at the screen.

Sunlight had called up both topics side-by-side, and everyone was reading at different speeds. I’d skimmed enough to be unsure of what emotion to settle on.

“It’s not the sweat,” Zhee said.

“Well, it’s also not the heat vision!” Paint retorted.

“It may sometimes coincide with heat vision,” Captain Sunlight said, pointing as she read. “Tied in to metabolism, changing throughout the day. Human metabolism creates heat, right? So it could be both.”

“But it said it’s not.”

“I still win the bet,” Zhee insisted.

“Oh, you didn’t even make a bet!” Paint said.

Mur sat beside me, flipping a tentacle in amusement. “It’s a pity we don’t have anyone with those extreme eyes onboard,” he told me. “We could send the pair of you into dark areas, and she could see by your light.”

I shook my head. “This is just bizarre. I can’t believe nobody told me.”

The squiddy alien shrugged a pair of tentacles. “If you can’t see it and neither can most of the civilized galaxy, I’m not surprised that it isn’t common knowledge. What I want to know is—” he spoke louder “—Hey Zhee! Do you want to get glowing paint to decorate yourself with now, since somebody is outshining you?”

Zhee angled his antennae into a glare. “Maybe.”

“Ooh, me too!” said Paint, to no one’s surprise. “Can we do the walls too? It’ll be great if we ever lose power!”

I huffed a laugh. “Look what you started.”

“You’re welcome,” Mur said. “Care to see who can paint some nice new decorations in the highest and most creative places?”

“Absolutely. You know I can reach the top of the engineering crevices by putting a foot on each wall and shuffling upward, right?”

Mur cackled. “And you haven’t seen what a properly motivated Strongarm can do! Extra points for painting a likeness of Zhee somewhere he’ll never find.”

“You are on.” We shook on it, which is an absolutely disgusting experience when tentacles are involved, but I managed to pretend it wasn’t. Gotta be professional, you know.

~~~~~~~~~

Fact check! Humans do glow slightly, and we do have stripes called Blaschko’s Lines.

Yes I based the alien on a mantis shrimp; yes I know the shrimpvision thing has been debunked; did it anyway. They’re cool.

And if you enjoy these shenanigans, you may like the book that this is backstory for. More stories to come!

(Thanks to @theacegamingdemon for giving me the idea for this one months ago.)

#humans are weird #humans are space orcs #hfy #haso #eiad #humans are space australians #my writing #Blaschko's Lines #shrimp colors #humans glow #the further adventures of #Robin Bennett #the Token Human

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pteraphylax · 2 months

Text

I personally don’t hc Gale as autistic, because to me he comes across very neurotypical? I think a lot of people hc him as autistic just because he’s an academic type who exposits a lot. But for me and my brand of autism, he doesn’t resonate like that. He reminds me of my husband who is neurotypical.

I can see why a lot of people hc that though, and a lot of the reasons people ‘hate Gale’ end up being things that autistic people get bullied and punished for in real life.

I don’t hc Gale as autistic, but I take it personally when I see people hating on him for what could be considered ‘autistic-coded traits’.

You know who I DO hc as autistic?

Lae’zel.

Black and white thinking (whether she’s stanning Vlaakith or Orpheus, it’s with the same all-in fervour)

Blunt and abrasive mannerisms. She doesn’t follow societal conventions. She’s aware of them and thinks they’re a waste of time. She doesn’t react or express her feelings in conventional ways. She is often insulting and brutally honest because she always tells the truth as default.

She takes people at face value and is always earnest. For example when Gale compliments her fighting style, she immediately offers to teach him with 100% sincerity. It often catches people off guard. She doesn’t realise when people are asking rhetorical questions vs. actually wanting to know or do something (same, Queen).

Special interests. The way she talks about her insane training regime, maintains her gear, her learning and memorisation of the Gith slates. It’s very intense.

She gets her mind set on doing something a certain way (go straight to the crèche) and finds it hard to understand why the others want to sidetrack from that.

LOVES rules. She has those protocols memorised and it’s very difficult for her to imagine a reality that is not dictated by them. Even comparing her to other Gith at the creche, Lae’zel is so much more rigid. If she turns from Vlaakith she is equally rigid about her new destiny with Orpheus/ fighting Vlaakith.

Toes are out in her starting armour. For my autism shoes are the devil so I am applying this to her too lol.

Sometimes her complaints about Faerun/ the material plane come across as being overstimulated in a sensory way. At least they do to me.

Other sensory stuff: she has as much bare skin as possible in her default outfits. For my autism, tight and covering clothes are also the devil, so I’m projecting this on her as well.

You could also definitely interpret her idling with her weapons/ using the grindstone as stimming. If that’s the case this is NOT my flavour of autism. Lae’zel stimming on her grindstone makes my ears bleed and makes me want to scream. Sometimes other people’s stims are your sensory hell.

She is ride or die for the party. At first it’s a mutual goal based thing, but as she gains respect for the other party members a switch flips and she’s All In. This sort of black and white approach to relationships feels very neurodivergent to me.

I LOVE LAE’ZEL.

#bg3 #gale dekarios #Lae’zel #autism #this is very much based off my personal experience with autism #I know it’s different for everyone

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honest-moth-of-silver-grove · 4 months

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Can i ask for the Bg3 main companions (and maybe halsin and minthara as well??) comforting a really depressed reader? like they're not eating or sleeping well? could use some comfort. thank u 💕💕

BG3 Characters Comforting A Severely Depressed Reader

Please consider buying me a coffee, or tipping me via my Kofi, if you like my work! ♡♡♡

A/N: Here ya go! Have some extremely self-indulgent writing here. I’ve been having a really hard time health-wise lately and it’s been making my depression worse, so I feel ya. Depression sucks y’all.

TW: Depression, Thoughts of Suicide, Mentions of Self-Harm

Astarion:

Listen up honey, baby boy could've written the book on depression, okay?

He’s extremely understanding, especially if your depression manifests as anger or irritability. The gods know how angry he can get thinking about how he was abused and subjected to Cazador’s torture for so long.

Astarion knows depression is more than a feeling of sadness- it’s a raging storm of emotions and behaviors that comes from a brain working in overdrive to survive.

He’ll do little things for you, like leaving you a bouquet of freshly picked flowers or a vial of a new perfume for you to try; just a lot of simple things to remind you how he cares about you, even if you don’t always feel like caring for yourself.

He will help you bathe and/or dress on days those tasks feel overwhelming. He especially loves it when you agree to dress in something a little more fancy. He enjoys getting to shower you with extra compliments as well as seeing the cute half-smiles you give when one of said compliments finally reaches you.

If you’re self-harming, he will take it upon himself to steal any and all pointy things from your tent. Nope, you don’t need them, so hand them over, please. He gets why you feel an urge to do such things, but he asks you to please not to. He suggests letting him feed on you if you absolutely must scratch that itch, so to speak. That way, he can sort of supervise it, and ensure you’re properly cared for after. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it’s a benefit for him. He thanks you profusely, hoping that one day you’ll stop seeing the act as a punishment and instead see it as an intimate gift, because to him, that’s what you are: a gift.

You are the most important person in his life. Your blood, your joy, your life, your everything is worth more than anyone in the world has to offer. Astarion doesn’t want you to think for a second that it’s something you should throw away, or feel the world would be better off without.

He knows it’s hard. Gods, does he know. And if you had asked him months ago if life were worth living, he might have said ‘no’. But now, he’s met you. And since he’s met you, he’s started seeing the wonder in things again. The beauty.

You are Astarion’s sunshine, his reason to keep going. Please, he asks, let him be your reason. Let him carry your weight when you are unable. Darling, he would steal the moon for you if you let him… don't you ever doubt that.

✧

Gale:

Gale has also experienced depression. After being discarded by Mystra, and then cursed with the orb, he thought life wasn’t worth living anymore. He locked himself away in his tower in Water Deep, refusing to speak to anyone but his tressym, Tara.

He’s understanding when you confess how you feel but ultimately hurt as if your pain were also his own. He cares for you so much. And he thinks it’s such a shame someone so wonderful and bright feels as awful as you do. It’s unfair. And he wishes so much to change it, even though he knows he alone cannot.

He will do his best to look after you though. He’ll encourage you to reach into The Weave with him, to feel the force of magic flow through your veins. It invigorates him and grounds him at the same time. He hopes it does similarly for you.

Gale knows depression makes it feel like caring for yourself is a losing battle, one you simply cannot win, so why bother trying? Which is why he takes it upon himself to do the more basic ‘battles’ for you. He’ll cook and clean, and make sure you’re getting plenty of fluids and rest. It’s not up for debate. He’ll even sic Tara on you if he has to. You will do what’s necessary to heal. He can’t stand seeing you in pain. He just wants you to feel better, and as soon as possible.

If you’re self-harming, he’s saddened and confused. He doesn’t quite understand that it’s not reflective of a deficit on his part. He wonders why his love isn’t enough for you to understand how precious you are. You’ll have to explain to him, how even though you know he loves you, your brain doesn’t let the feeling of being loved in. You explain how you hurt so much on the inside… sometimes it’s just easier to hurt on the outside too.

Once he understands though, he does his best to not take your feelings or self-harming personally. He wants you to be stable on your terms, not only stable with him at your side. Gale knows firsthand that overreliance on a partner often leads to heartbreak further down the road. He’ll just have to become confident enough in your relationship to give you the space you need.

He’ll use healing magic to cover and fix any self-harm cuts or scars. As well as spells to help you sleep at night if you suffer from insomnia. Just say the word, and he’ll find the spell that eases your particular discomforts. Or ask for a simple night of cuddles under the stars. He’s more than happy to provide that too.

Gale loves you, quite possibly more than words could ever hope to convey. Your happiness, in some ways, is an additional extension of his own. He will do everything in his power to make you smile. Just seeing you happy is more than enough for him.

✧

Wyll:

Wyll is a tragic hero in every sense of the word. He knows the lows of depression well.

He sacrificed his freedom to save Baldur’s Gate, and in return, he was disowned by his father, and forced into exile, all while having to serve a demon. He’s spent years mentally beating himself up for that sacrifice, and mentally chiding himself for ever having agreed to Mizora’s deal in the first place. On more than one occasion, he’s found himself wishing he could go back in time and choose differently. It’s an awful feeling to get stuck in, and he wants more than anything, for you to be free of such imprisoning feelings.

He’ll constantly remind you of all of your accomplishments: even the littlest ones- like if you’ve made your bed roll, or if you ate that day, or if you went for a walk, or made a successful conversation with a stranger.

He keeps track of your milestones but also keeps an eye out for any warning signs. He knows you are your own person and that he cannot stop you from doing something, not forever anyway. But he asks that you come to him instead of doing things that put yourself at risk. Please. The two of you can talk it out, or maybe he can show you a few moves with a sword to get that frustration and manic energy out. Whatever you wish, even if it’s just spending quiet time together, he’ll do it, if it means you don’t end up harming yourself.

He’s extra protective of you, especially whenever devils like Mizora or Raphael show up. He knows such creatures prey on vulnerability, and he’ll be damned before they ever take advantage of you. If any devil so much as even brings up the whispers of horrible things you think about yourself, he will dispatch them, immediately. He won’t hesitate for a second. How dare such vile creatures speak to you, an incredible and kind person, in such a way? He won’t stand for it.

He also tries to cheer you up and remind you how much you’re loved using the occasional grand romantic gesture. What can he say? He’s an old-fashioned romantic at heart. A candlelight dinner, a nice night by the fire in a private room at an inn… or even an evening of dancing under the stars; no gesture is too grand or too extravagant for the love of his life.

You are beyond special to him. You are his future. In a way, he sees you as a gift from the Gods, proof that in the end, good deeds do pay out. Can’t you see? You’re his cherished partner. Wyll would do it all over again, exactly the same, even his deal with Mizora, so long as he ends up with you at his side.

You brought a sense of family, pride, security, and love back into Wyll’s life. Let him do what he can to bring that back into yours.

✧

Karlach:

Karlach may be a golden retriever in tiefling form, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know what it means to be sad. She was betrayed by Gortash, her mentor, and sold to Zariel who quite literally ripped Karlach’s heart out of her chest. There was a time when she didn’t think her heart would ever beat again, now that her physical one was taken. But she did what she had to, and she found a purpose amidst her betrayal using the skills she had to bide her time until she could escape.

For Karlach, she’s no longer in a depressive state. She’s overjoyed at the amount of freedom she’s gained- at the feel of fresh air and actual sunshine on her face. She’s so in love with life. She forgot what it was to live joyfully, and now that she’s remembered, she doesn’t ever want it to stop.

She knows you don’t feel up for it, she gets it. But she won’t stop dragging you to events and new places. She knows it takes time for someone to go through an episode, or episodes, of feeling like shit. She’ll gladly wait them out with you. But she won’t let you take those episodes lying down. She’s going to do what she can to put some joy into your life, whether you want it or not.

Karlach will constantly remind you of how lucky she is to have you. She tells you rather bluntly that she adores you, no characteristic or quirk is safe from her myriad of compliments and gushing. She also makes a point to talk you up to the others, especially after you’ve been self-deprecating lately. She makes it clear just how incredible you are. Everyone should know, especially you.

She will physically restrain you before she lets you self-harm. Although she has to be careful not to burn you accidentally herself, she much prefers holding you through a bout as opposed to asking you to stop and simply hoping for the best. She cares so much for you, she couldn’t chance it. The thought of you hurting yourself when she’s right next door is too much, she couldn't bear it. She’d feel awful like she failed you in some way.

She reminds you how much you do for everyone else, even when you don’t realize it. How you play with Scratch and the Owlbear Cub. How you help Gale find magical objects. Or how you always point out any flowers or plant life within Baldur’s Gate to Halsin to remind him of home. Karlach knows you think of everyone- you’re always putting them first. She wants you to know it’s okay if you have to pull back to put yourself first, to take care of your mental and physical health. It’s not selfish, it’s not rude. You’re doing what you need to do in order to survive. Who amongst you can’t say the same?

She ropes everyone in when it comes to looking after you. They all better be nice or they can answer to her and her big smoldering muscles. And speaking of big flaming muscles…

She knows she can’t beat the depression for you, but Karlach’ll be damned if you think you gotta go it alone. Even when you don’t feel up for it, Karlach will be right there, fighting by your side.

✧

La’zel:

La’zel is not familiar with the idea of depression. Githyanki come from a society where any weakness, physical or mental, is frowned upon. It is considered a personal failure to let yourself fall victim to your emotions. As a result, La’zel is often unaware of how she feels about things.

La’zel may not be the affectionate partner, but she knows enough about herself to understand she likes you and admires you greatly. This makes your illness all the more confusing to her. She doesn’t understand how someone like you, someone she views as strong and capable could be all that sad on the inside. Perhaps you are mistaken? La’zel reminds you of how impressive she finds you, assuming that will be enough to snap you out of it. (It isn’t, of course.)

You’ll have to sit her down and explain what depression is; how it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with how capable someone is. It’s something that happens when the brain doesn’t work quite right, you can’t get the perspective everyone else has. La’zel asks if this is related to the parasite. In which case, it’s just another reason to defeat the Absolute. Once you make it clear, it has nothing to do with the parasite, she seems to accept the idea with less hostility.

La’zel recognizes this ‘depression’ as an opponent of yours. And of course, as your partner, she insists on working to defeat it with you. She’ll ask you to join her in her workouts, insisting that you spar with her only to secretly go easy on you, and let you win. She wants that boost to your ego to remind you just how proficient you are. To her, a victory is one of the highest compliments, and she wants you to feel complimented.

You are her partner, her zhak vo'n'fynh duj, her source of joy. She thinks the world of you. Even though she is not familiar with your culture or customs, she makes more of an effort to understand them, in hopes they will reveal secret knowledge about this ‘depression’ to her. She wants to know everything there is to know about this enemy. The more knowledge she has, the better she feels equipped to aid you in the fight.

If you’re self-harming, she may not notice right away. However, her suspicions arise when you are ashamed of what she assumed were battle scars. La’zel will not hesitate to pin you down if she catches you hurting yourself and holding you close until the urges have passed. She won’t take away any of your weaponry- she knows how important it is. But she will keep a close watch, and invite you away from your tent and your tools when she senses the urge to self-harm within you is great.

Githyanki do not beg. They are a strong, proud species. So it’s of the utmost shock when La’zel gets on her knees before you, taking one of your hands in between hers. She confesses how much she cares for you. And begs you, to please, please, continue to fight the good fight for her. You are her anchor to this world, to a life beyond orders and discipline, you’ve opened up her world to joy and acceptance. Please don’t leave her alone in it. She may be a proficient fighter, but her heart just couldn’t bear that.

✧

Shadowheart:

Shadowheart may not remember much of her past before Shar, but she does know one thing for certain, and that’s how she feels for you. In the past, she’s found herself overcome by feelings of sadness and anger, so she’s no stranger to having to live with such unpleasant emotions. She’s also no stranger to living with chronic pain, her hand always existing as a constant reminder of what Shar took from her. And despite happy reminders and the sun always shining the next day, Shadowheart knows there is nothing that can change that. Until Shar grows bored, living with pain is something she will be forced to endure.

Having to live with that pain has made Shadowheart incredibly understanding when it comes to the ups and downs of your mood swings caused by depression. She knows the feeling of ‘it's not fair!’ all too well, and will never chastise you or shush you for bringing it up. It isn’t fair how some people go through like okay and other people have suffering planted inside them. It’s life, but it’s not fair, and you don’t have to pretend it is.

Shadowheart will always offer to help you with changing out of your clothes/armor into more suitable night attire. She has a routine every night that helps her decompress, and she’d love to share it with you.

On the days you feel nothing matters, like you can’t even get out of bed, don’t worry, she’ll be right there, outside of your tent, asking if there’s anything she can fetch you if there’s anything you need. And if you have no use for any physical items or healing spells, she’s more than happy to just sit with you, silently reading a book as you lay on your bedroll. It’s comforting, and reassuring, that you don’t have to say or do anything to be able to enjoy each other’s presence. It takes some pressure off of having a relationship.

If she ever finds you’ve been self-harming, Shadowheart will feel angry. Then hurt. Then disappointed. Then hurt again. She wishes you wouldn’t but at the same time, she understands why you would do something like that. A part of her might feel angry that here she is, forced to live with the pain she didn’t ask for, while you go around giving yourself pain necessarily, but given time, she’ll learn to compartmentalize that train of thought. Your self-harming isn’t about her, she knows that.

She will of course, always heal your wounds, unless you persistently ask her not to. In which case, she might relent, but she still insists on checking them to see how they’re healing naturally and at the first sign of infection or spreading, she will use her healing spells as a cleric to deal with them- no ifs ands or butts.

Shadowheart just wants to be able to make up for lost time with you. She wants a life with you beyond the horrors and the trials of the Absolute, beyond the misery of Shar. She wants the two of you happily living in a modest home, maybe somewhere with animals nearby. She wants you and her parents to get along. She wants your friends to visit often. But most of all, she wants you to be at peace, to be content with the life in front of you. It may take some time, but she swears one day, the two of you will get there. You may never be overly happy, but you will have found tenderness in each other.

✧

Halsin:

Halsin is such a sweetheart, but despite his calm demeanor, he has more than his fair share of demons lurking just beneath the surface. Halsin’s lived a long life. He knows what it feels like to get stuck in a rut, and he knows the hopelessness that often comes with fighting an uphill battle. The Shadow Curse was once just a whispered threat before it grew concrete enough to take up much of Halsin’s life. Forced to always take care of others, and forced to put the greater good before himself, Halsin is no stranger to the slow silent depressive undercurrent that often wades into the stream of your life. Unfortunately, as an archdruid and leader of Emerald Grove, Halsin has had to endure such melancholy alone. As such, he wishes you never feel you have to shoulder your burdens alone.

There is a chance, thanks to the degree of his focus and admiration, that you won’t need to tell him of your feelings, that he will sense them before you do. Halsin won’t pry incessantly, but he does make it known that feeling low is nothing to be ashamed of and that he is always willing to lend an ear.

On the days you can not take care of yourself, Halsin won’t complain in the slightest. He’ll simply aid you in doing whatever needs to be done. He’ll carry you to the river to bathe just as he carries you to the table to eat. He’s so gentle with you, his large hands treat you as if you were made of glass as if he’s almost afraid to touch you.

And don’t worry about any emotional outbursts you might have, be it crying or yelling, or a quick succession of both, Halsin does his best not to take it personally. There is very little you could do or say, aside from causing great harm to another living thing, that he would not understand and forgive.

If you self-harm, he doesn’t react with anger. He does his best to look neutral although he is heartbroken on the inside. He sees you as his salvation, and to see his salvation do such a thing pains him so.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, or get frequent aches, he’ll use healing spells or old-fashioned massages to alleviate some of your pain. He’s quite fond of anything that lets him touch you as he cares for you, be it massages, bathing, braiding your hair, or simply holding you close as you sleep atop his broad chest.

If it’s too much, Halsin will understand your desire for space, and grant you it, he won’t force it on you. But for Halsin, that touch is a reminder you’re still here, that he hasn’t lost you yet, just as he has lost everyone he has ever loved previously.

He always encourages you in your self-care, be it eating or sleeping. He will offer gentle reminders throughout the day, and bring you food should he notice you haven't eaten in a while. If he could physically take on your burdens for you, he would. If it meant your happiness, Halsin would gladly suffer.

You showed him what it meant to live again. You rescued him from his depressive enemy- from the loneliness of the Shadow Curse. He sees it as his duty to do all he can to rescue you from yours.

Halsin knows he cannot ‘save you’ from your feelings. But that doesn’t mean he’ll ever stop trying. He cares so deeply for you. Trust that even though his heart may wander, he will always find his way back to you. No one else, not even your depression is enough to keep him away.

✧

Minthara:

Minthara lives in a state of suspended fear, hidden deep down inside. The Underdark is a cutthroat place, full of betrayal and uprising. There is no such thing as ‘love’ or ‘friendship’- only strength and temporary alliances. But then again, that was before she was infected with the parasite, that was before she met you.

Now that’s grown close to you, now that she realizes the strengths of sharing vulnerability with the one you love, she refuses to live without it. You are her first true love. She will not settle for less. And she refuses to go through the rest of her life without you, readily at her side.

She may not be the kindest when it comes to questioning why you haven't been as eager as usual. But once you explain your situation, Minthara comes to regard your condition with respectful contemplation. She tries to put herself in your shoes, so to speak, before making any future remarks. It is not easy for her, but she does her best. You will have to remind her often and explain each symptom of your depression separately.

Minthara discovers through your openness, that she has had such symptoms as well. The only difference between her and you is that she was taught to swallow such feelings, to never let them surface. It makes her all the more tender in the way she interacts with you. And she asks for your continued tenderness in return.

The two of you can express your darkest thoughts, and ruminations much more freely because of that. You know Minthara will not hold those thoughts against you, just as you will not hold hers against her.

If she finds you’ve been self-harming, she asks to watch the next time. It might strike you as an odd request, but it helps twofold: 1) It reminds you you’re not alone at such a time of deep pain, and 2) It makes you feel self-conscious, bringing you out of that self-harm spiral. It’s much harder to keep your blinders on when the person you love most is sitting right next to you. It empowers you to push such urges away, and instead spend time in the presence of the one you love, knowing she doesn’t think any less of you, and that you don’t have to hide any component of your suffering.

Minthara may be cold to others, and she is not one to languish in her depressed feelings, but she will tolerate sitting with you in yours. If having instances of momentary vulnerability will help you heal and make you stronger in the long run, Minthara is more than willing to ride those instances out with you.

✧

Please Like & Reblog if you enjoyed!

#bg3 x reader #baldurs gate imagine #baldurs gate 3 x reader #baldurs gate 3 imagine #baldurs gate x reader #bg3 imagine #bg3 #hc

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pupmkincake2000 · 4 months

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So, I never thought that I'd play Baldur's Gate 3, since turn-based RPGs are not my thing. But I was literally persuaded to play this game and I just have to share my impressions.

I did watch shorts and videos on YouTube, so I was aware of the world and characters before playing. That's why I decided to start Gale's origin

and I think if I decide to replay the game, I will choose him again, since he is the best. Yes, I think he is. I love good characters, kind, sympathetic, a little ambitious, gentle and loyal. And Gale fits my taste standards perfectly. He kind of reminds me of a sweet Hank Anderson from Detroit: Become Human. Noble, kind, gentle and faithful.

And, the funniest thing is that I decided to romance Astarion. Playing as Gale.

But not because I like Astarion.

On the contrary (and now hear me out), the more I played, the more he annoyed me, and I didn’t understand why people were so crazy about him. I mean, if you want him to like you, you need to do morally questionable things. Not to mention he is absolutely not my type, I never liked characters like him. That is, Astarion is the embodiment of everything that disappoints me in characters.

And you can talk as much as you like about his life being difficult. Because this does not justify many of his actions.

However, the ship itself works surprisingly well. I mean, I really like Gale and I don't like Astarion, but their ship surprisingly works. And now in a ship Astarion seems much... likable?

Basically, they are a perfect complement to each other, which is exactly the type of relationship I love. They help each other, they do not “fix” each other, but complement each other. They heal each other. Their relationship is not abusive if both work on this relationship, and the love between them is that type of love that happens probably once in a century. And to be honest, I don't want to make Astarion an ascended vampire (I haven't finished the game yet), I'm sure Gale will find a way for him to walk in the sun without the ritual.

Well, now to the other characters. Karlach and Wyll

are just two incredible sunshines. I tried to build friendly relations with them, I didn’t choose flirt while answering their lines, but for some reason they still ended up offering me sex, and it was really awkward and painful to turn them down.

So I just started shipping them together because it's another type of relationship I enjoy. It’s a pity that their couple is not popular (is there such a pairing at all?). This is the perfect “enemies to lovers” ship and it’s a shame that they can’t, like in some games, flirt with each other if they don’t have any affair with the main character .

I have almost nothing to say about Shadowheart, I’m not particularly interested in her (my party consists mainly of Astarion, Karlach and Lae'zel), but I think she has enough fans.

Halsin… oh, he is a magnificent man, and I would have romanced him if not the reasons. But I want you to know that he is also an incredible sunshine too, kind soft teddy bear who I wanted to hug and never let go.

And finally, HIM. Mysterious Guest. I knew this was an emperor, but I really liked the look I've created for him! I made him look like Hank Anderson, of course he didn’t look exactly like him, but nevertheless… I think he turned out very beautiful.

Let me scream about this beaty for a while!

In general, apart from problems with the gameplay (it took me a long time to get used to it), the game is really nice. The only thing that, it seems to me, would be worth changing is the permissiveness of choices when you go through the origin of any of the main characters, as was done with the Dark Urge. I mean, Wyll, Karlach and Gail are sunshines, so I absolutely can't believe that they are capable of doing bad things. If you can't avoid bad deeds when playing as the Urge, why can't you make it so that good characters are unable to do bad deeds? Would you really believe that Gale, Wyll or Karlach would be capable of slaughtering the whole village of children? For example, I believe that Astarion most likely would not have saved Shadowheart in the first act; he behaves selfishly throughout the entire first act. But I don’t believe that Karlach, Wyll and Gale would be capable of leaving her caged.

So, yeah, that's it.

#baldur's gate 3 #astarion #astarion ancunin #bloodeweave #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #bg3 #karlach #misterious guest #baldurs gate astarion #bg3 gale #wyll ravengard #bg3 wyll #halsin #bg3 halsin

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karahalloway · 7 months

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(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 15 - Not Without Obligation

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale’s problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper gets a surprise visit from Christian... but are his intentions sincere?

Word Count: 2,800 (short for me, I know enjoy it while you can 😆)

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, angst, possible ulterior motives)

Chapter theme song:

A/N: I know it's been more than a hot minute since I've updated this series! 😅 This is in part because I got sidetracked by Sleepless in New York also on my list to finish, I know, and then I took most of the summer off from writing. But also in part because I kinda got stuck on how to actually continue with this series... but, I now have a plan! *rubs hands together gleefully* and you ain't gonna like it, sorry, not sorry. So, with this long-awaited installment, I hope to be back in my usual groove and will be posting with some semblance of regularity again. Thanks so much for bearing with me!

A/N2: This is also my submission for @choicesseptemberchallenge2023 Day 25 Prompt - Secret, Surprise I’m only 2 days late

Chapter 15 - Not Without Obligation

Making my way back to my room, I try to push down the conflicting emotions that are roiling inside of me.

On one hand, I get where Drake is coming from, and why he shut the door in my face. We are no longer alone in Applewood and even the faintest whiff of impropriety could implode the carefully strategised work that the royal PR team has put in to try and resuscitate my public image.

And me getting caught outside of the room of a guy who not only is not Christian, but who I have no justifiable reason for seeking out at the butt-crack of dawn in the first place, would definitely scupper the assertion that I'm not a two-timing hussy. Especially since I rushed out of my room earlier wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and panties.

Mitigating factors, they are not.

But while the rational part of my brain knows that Drake is only trying to look out for me, I can't help but feel a pang of dejection at the abruptness with which he — very literally — shut me out, even though he promised yesterday that he wouldn't do something like that to me again.

Because God knows that it had been hard enough to get him to open up the first time!

And even though I'm not expecting him to have completely reversed his habitudes overnight, I guess I'd been hoping that our conversation in the barn would've prompted some kind of step in the desired direction.

Because it's clear that the bruises on my neck unnerved him. The turmoil on his face had made that clear. As the marks are not just some haphazard side-effect of our frantic love-making. They are a very real and visible reminder of the tangible strength of his feelings — and the fact that he lost control of them.

And as much as I understand the knee-jerk cause of his reaction, the last thing I want — or need — right now is for Drake to distance himself from me because he's scared of hurting me again.

That, I could not cope with.

"Demoiselle," nods Allard as I arrive back at my room.

I flash him a distracted smile on auto-pilot. He saw and heard what happened. There is no point rehashing anything. Especially since this isn't something he or Schweitzer can help with.

The weight of my Guard's concerned gaze flick over me as I shuffle past, but they both remain silent, no doubt sensing that I'm not in the mood for conversation.

Shutting the door behind me, I close my eyes as I lean back against the solidness of the wood.

Why are things never simple 'round here?

I really wish Drake and I could've taken a moment to talk things through. Because today's Apple Harvest Festival is expected to see hundreds of people descend onto Applewood to not only celebrate this year's bountiful crop of Cordonian Rubies, but to also catch a glimpse of the new King and his future Queen.

And if I thought that cornering Drake at the apple pick had been hard, the chances of being able to do so today are going to be slim to none.

But the rest of the week doesn't offer any better options because tomorrow we're off to Italy, where we'll likely have even less opportunity for privacy given the high-profile and international nature of the coming engagements.

My eyes snap open. I have to talk to him now.

As much as Drake may be concerned about protecting what's left of my image, I'm not going to let him use the inconvenience of our circumstances as an excuse to hide behind his insecurities or erect walls between us. Because the hard truth is that there's never going to be a good time to talk unless we make time.

Which is exactly what I am going to do, possible scandal be damned. I cannot let a tenuous fear borne out of a possible public backlash hold me back. My relationship with Drake is worth infinitely more to me than whatever garbage the paps may decide to print because some aristo decided to tattle on me if I get caught sneaking back into his room.

Because, let's face it. Even if I do end up on the front pages tomorrow (for all the wrong reasons), the fact of the matter is that any photo, any situation — no matter how sordid or innocent — can be spun any which way.

I've learnt that the hard way. So, I may as well use it to my own advantage for once.

Pushing myself away from the door, I march into my walk-in closet with renewed determination. Pulling the t-shirt that I'd slept in over my head, I quickly throw on a bra, some jean shorts and a black tank top.

Slotting my bare feet into my well-worn Sketchers, I make my way over to the French doors that lead out onto balcony so I can try to figure out the best way to scamper over to Drake's room without killing myself, given that I stand a better chance of slipping under the aristo's nosy radar via the balcony than going back through the corridor.

Hopefully, I can—

Tap, tap tap.

I stop mid-stride at the sound of knocking coming from the other side of my door.

Turning around, I contemplate whether I should respond, or pretend that I hadn't heard.

I have precious little time if I want to catch Drake before he disappears on me to do... whatever it is that he does in the mornings before the start of a royal event.

So, if I want to make it to his room, I need to go now before he finishes getting dressed.

But, then again, there is only a very small number of people at court who'd come directly to my room to talk to me. Especially at this time in the morning.

So, it could be important. It could be about Tariq...

...it could be Drake.

The latch clicks open.

I glance anxiously back towards the balcony, trying to decide if I should—

"May I come in?"

I whirl around in surprise at the sound of the unexpected voice. "Christian!"

He pokes his head 'round the door. "I... I didn't catch you in a state of undress, did I?"

"No! No... I was already dressed," I admit, trying to be as casual as possible as I quickly brush my hair over my shoulders in a haphazard attempt to try and cover up the bruises, given that I hadn't thought to slather any cover-up over myself yet.

Christian definitely doesn’t need to be asking questions about those!

"Ah, good!" he responds, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind him. "You're an early riser, like myself."

"You can thank the Beaumonts," I mutter under my breath, glancing guiltily back toward the balcony.

So much for stealing a much-needed moment with Drake...

"I apologise for the intrusion," Christian continues, crossing the space between us, "especially at such an early hour. But I was hoping to catch you alone before the start of the Apple Harvest Festival."

One word catches my attention. "A-Alone...?"

He comes to a stop in front of me. "Very much so."

Anxiety flares in the pit of my stomach as Drake's words from yesterday swirl through my mind.

...he's trying to win you back.

And it suddenly hits me that I haven't been alone — truly alone — with Christian since the day of the Jamboree. When he took me into the hedge maze and offered me a duchy.

My mind starts to whirl.

Had that been the start of this... crusade? The fact that I turned him down? Does he still think he can change my mind? Is he simply incapable of accepting 'no' as an answer?

I force my gaze up to meet his.

His emerald green eyes behold me calmly, with maybe a hint of excitement. But I cannot read his intention.

"Wh-why?" I finally blurt out.

A smile spreads across his face. "To bestow upon you your letters patent, of course!"

I gape at him. "My letters of what?"

He chuckles good-naturedly at my evident confusion. "Letters patent. Itis a type of royal decree that formally confers some manner of privilege onto the names designee — an office of state, a coat of arms, a commercial monopoly... or, in this case, your new title as Duchess of Valtoria."

With a flourish, he pulls out a small, leather-bound box that he's been hiding behind his back.

I stare at it mutely.

"It won't bite, I promise," he assures me wryly.

Reaching up with a tepid smile, I accept the box, which is a lot heavier than it looks.

Opening it up, I find a medieval-looking document nestled in the lid, complete with densely-packed Chancery script and and a historiated initial C embossed with the stylised image of the Cordonian royal crest.

Peering at the text — which I can only assume is an archaic form of French — I can just about make out the odd word, like my name, Christian's name, and Valtoria. But the rest remains completely incomprehensible.

Presumably some grand declarations about the bestowal...

In the bottom part of the box rests a cream-coloured envelope also bearing the Cordonian royal crest, along with my name, though this time written in delicate cursive lettering.

"What's this?" I ask Christian, lifting the letter up.

"Your papers of naturalisation," he informs me. "Along with your new passport and ID card."

I glance up at him in surprise. "I am now a Cordonian citizen?"

"It would not have been possible to issue the letters patent otherwise," he says. "Even a king must abide by the diktats of the law."

"I... don't need to sign anything?"

"The US Consulate was very accommodating, given the unique nature of the circumstances."

My stomach twists unexpectedly. "Oh..."

Dual citizenship is a good thing, right?

Returning my attention to the box, I see that the envelope has been concealing a large, intricate-looking seal bearing what appears to be the stylised outline of a rampant phoenix, next to which sits a signet ring with the same image.

"Does it meet expectations?" asks Christian.

"I'm not sure I know what I'd been expecting..." I admit, running a finger over the lines of the mythical bird, marvelling at the level of detail that's been put into creating such a realistic rendering, complete with individual licks of flame spouting from the tail feathers.

"Any egregious spelling errors?"

"Not that I can see," I admit, glancing up at him. "But—"

"Excellent!" he declares, reaching over the lid of the box to deftly pluck the signet ring out from its nest of blue silk.

Before I have a chance to react, he's clasped my hand in his to poise the heavy circlet of gold at the tip of my ring finger.

"Wait!" I gasp in the face of the unexpectedly intimate turn of events. "What are you—?"

"It would be remiss of me if I did not verify the correctness of the sizing," he advises, meeting my panicked gaze calmly.

"You don't need t—"

"It would be my pleasure," he insists, slipping the ring onto the digit before I can protest further.

As he withdraws his hand, my eyes fall onto the spot where the cool metal's unfamiliar weight now encircles the base of my finger.

"Perfect," Christian declares with a satisfied smile, brushing his thumb over the phoenix insignia.

I stare at the band with an uneasily mix of feelings swirling in my chest. "Christian, I—"

"Let's celebrate, shall we?" he announces, pulling back to click his fingers with a decisive snap.

On cue, the door behind Christian swings open to admit a veritable procession of servants bearing ice buckets, champagne, crystal flutes and tiny servings of finger food.

"Wait..." I stammer in the face of organised onslaught. "They were waiting outside this whole time?"

"I may have take a page out of your party planning book," he admits with a grin while the industrious staff set about transforming my bedroom into a first-class tea room. "Seeing the success you had with Drake on his birthday, I thought I would try my hand at surprising you on this important day."

"And that's great, but I never agreed—"

"Didn't you?" Christian asks with a level look as he nabs a miniature scone from the tray of a passing server.

I shake my head. "No, I—"

"Because I specifically recall you giving your unambiguous consent at yesterday's apple pick to proceed with finalising your new status," he states, taking a bite out of the pastry.

I open my mouth, but promptly shut it as the conversation from the orchard floats back into my consciousness.

"...having the paperwork squared away before our departure would grant significant boon for your image."

"Oh. Okay..."

"Oh, fuck..." I mutter as the cold hand of hindsight clamps down on the nape of my neck.

Christian had obviously mischaracterised my somewhat dazed reaction as some kind of explicit affirmation.

And since Drake's appearance yesterday had interrupted the conversation at that key moment, I never had a chance to correct the misunderstanding.

But I need to. Because once again, Christian has taken matters into his own hands and acted without my my prior agreement or approval t. Just like he had done when he decided to send me away during the Coronation Ball, only to then bring me back to court as his mistress, not to mention spring an actual duchy on me without any warning.

And while his heart's probably been in the right place each and every time, I'm not sure that I can cope with any more bolts from the blue.

Especially when they so drastically upend my life.

Heaving a breath, I look back up at the King of Cordonia again. "Look, Christian, I really appreciate all of this, but I think there's been a major—"

The loud bang! of the champagne bottle shooting its cork across the room makes me jump.

Turning around, I can see that the gold-coloured liquid is already in the process of being dispensed into a pair of waiting crystal flutes.

"I hope you like this Moët & Chandon Imperial Vintage 1946 that I had picked out," Christian murmurs, brushing a hand over the small of my back. "It is an exceptional cuvée with notes of citrus, apple and pear — an apt combination, I thought, given the occasion."

"Because of the pear trees in Valtoria..." I surmise heavily, watching a footman bring over a pair of freshly-filled champagne flutes with a foreboding note of finality.

"Exactly," confirms Christian, grabbing a glass from the tray. "A beautifully complimentary pairing. One that hope we can both enjoy for many years to come."

"Yes, but—"

"Let's toast, shall we?" prompts Christian, cutting me off yet again as the footman proffers me the other serving of expensive bubbly.

I stare at it like a poison pill.

This is what Drake had warned me about, isn't it? That Christian would seek to manoeuvre me into a corner like a chess piece... By giving with one hand, only to take with the other when the time came for the chips to fall due. Because what better way to create an unimpeachable sense of obligation than by making me into a duchess? A literal vassal to the Crown? Required to do the King's bidding, no matter the cost?

And if that really is his aim, then he has certainly been succeeding.

But at the same time, I am not sure I can trust my assessment. Christian has given no indication, one way or another, as to where his goals lay. And even if the misunderstanding had been genuine, to turn him down now would not only be inexplicably rude, but maybe also dangerous?

Would I be jeopardising Christian's support in the hunt for Tariq and my quest to set the record straight if I offend him by throwing all his heartfelt effort back in his face? Especially when I don't know for certain what Christian's motives are?

Because what if Drake is wrong? What if there is no hidden agenda and I'm just massively overthinking this entire thing because I've been burned once already and now everyone looks suspect... Even — and especially — when I'm being offered help?

"Harper?" queries Christian. "Everything alright?"

I shake myself out of my stupor and grab the crystal flute. "I'm fine. Just... Trying to come to grips with it all."

"There will be plenty of time for that," he assures me with a grin, raising his glass. "To the new Duchess of Valtoria!"

I clink the delicate crystal in my hand against his with a leaden feeling in my stomach.

There's no going back now...

For better or for worse, I have just become an aristo.

The story continues in Chapter 16 - Snakes in the Garden

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janearts · 2 years

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Overall, I liked it. I've written another goddamn essay under the cut and tagged it as spoilers just in case, but if you've already played EA, then this'll be nothing new to you.

Based on what's currently available in EA, I thought the premise of the romance was well executed. Gale felt a romantic connection with Mystra, was unceremoniously dumped by the Goddess of Magic, and is still pining after her. And he mourns not just the relationship, but grieves his own deeply human error and the loss of the power he once held as a result of his goddess' favour.

I really love Gale's backstory because it reminds me of a lot of mythological stories where a mortal strives to equal a supernatural creature and/or crosses a line ("Don't do this." → Proceeds to open that box, fly that high, etc.) and is punished for their hubris. His romance storyline begs the question, "Well now, where do we go from here?"

While I liked this set up to Gale's romantic storyline and enjoyed romancing him this playthrough, I am not sure he would be a good romantic choice for my canon playthrough with Roisia (I say, completely seriously, as if they were real and I was some sort of matchmaker). There are two things that make me think maybe Roisia wouldn't choose him or, if she did initially, would not choose him again if the opportunity arose. One reason is character-driven and is not the fault of the devs and the other is more about how Gale's romance was written, which falls within the realm of the devs.

Reason the First: The Character

The first is that Gale is extraordinarily slow to open up even when you have high approval with him. Gale is not vulnerable with the PC; he demands vulnerability before showing vulnerability in return. For example, Gale asks the PC to swear to help him no questions asked. Only when the PC swears to assist Gale does he reveal he is, essentially, a ticking time bomb without the sustenance of magical artefacts. (Great, now you have TWO vampires in the party.) And even though the PC should be vaguely aware of Gale's relationship with Mystra, his grief over his loss of favour, etc., he does not reveal the whole story explicitly until after the PC has sex with him.

Now I clearly classify sex as an act that requires some degree of vulnerability and my character would likewise think that sex requires her to be physically and emotionally vulnerable with another, but I should acknowledge that this isn't a universal view nor does it apply to everyone under the sun (or moon, to include types like Astarion). So for Roisia, I think she would find this burgeoning relationship frustrating in that Gale takes before he gives. Usually there is simultaneous giving and taking in a relationship, but the start of this particular relationship feels heavily weighted towards Gale taking and Roisia giving.

That being said, I'm not convinced Gale's guardedness is a good enough reason to avoid romancing him in my canon playthrough because I wonder if this dynamic applies to all of the burgeoning relationships in Act I. I.e., are all the romances in Act I largely framed as your PC meeting the romanceable NPC's emotional/physical/whatever needs?

In any case, regardless of whether Gale would suit as the "canon romance" for my first playthrough, I'm super curious as to how Gale's romance plays out in later acts and down the line! So even if I'm like "Roisia would not choose this for herself", I'll do a playthrough of his romance just to see what it's like.

Reason the Second: The Writing

The second is that much of Gale's romantic story hinges on the fact that he was once a powerful wizard and you are not. So I'm guessing the Weave Scene would feel more magical and more intimate if you are playing a character who has no connection to Mystra or the Weave. Gale is inviting you into his world and, in doing so, showing you who he is and what is important to him.

As a wizard, however, you're already fuckin' there. Roisia may not be as high-and-mighty as Gale was under Mystra's favour, but she is powerful in her own right and in her own ways. And the game acknowledges this: the movements, the incantations, etc. are described as easy peasy in the game dialogue and when Gale asks the PC how they feel, the Wizard-tagged option is "The same as it always does." This can make Gale's whole "Follow my lead" shtick feel condescending and patronising. Where the fuck is the romance in that, Larian???

A Gale/Wizard romance has the opportunity to be a beautiful meeting of the minds and have that contribute to the spark of romance. I love the idea that Gale would write a Wizard PC off as not-good-enough upon their first meeting, only to be continually surprised at their ability and surprised again at their combined ability during the Weave Scene. (E.g., Maybe Gale felt weak after Mystra deserted him, but with you? Together you're a force of nature.) I would've much rather the gestures, incantations, etc. have been described as strange and obscure for your Wizard character, rather than run-of-the-mill-did-this-last-Tuesday. I felt like the devs did Wizard characters a disservice during that portion of the romance.

TL;DR: All-in-all, really enjoyed myself. Not sure if this romance would be right for Roisia in the end, but I'd like to try it out for a playthrough simply because I'm interested in Gale's story and I love him to bits as a character.

#replies #ayensawa #BG3 #BG3 Spoilers #BG3 Roisia #Gale #BG3 Gale #Gale of Waterdeep #will i ever answer a simple question in a straightforward manner?#only time will tell

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loveofdetail · 6 months

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I do think gale would have nipple piercings perhaps as a part of his wild university days. Which the bordering on self delusion does to me imply that his uni days were crazy

oh yeah i definitely think he was sort of a horrible wild boy around age 20 or so.

Jumping off this ask a bit—i think one of the reasons i've been pretty vocally resistant to the softening/taming/fandomification of Gale is that i think keeping up the appearance of "normal" "respectability" was probably a big part of his relationship with Mystra? Not that their relationship was domestic in any recognizable way, but i think it was stable: stable on Mystra's terms, stable because Gale was not allowed to want anything to change. And after long enough Gale started believing that this stasis was what he wanted.

(Until, of course, he got to the breaking point of defying her by seeking out the orb, which I read as a form of subconscious relationship sabotage on his part. No matter how much he told himself that maybe she would be fine with it, deep down I think part of him knew it would ruin everything and he did it anyway.)

It's nice that the fandom (at least the parts of it I see) recognizes how fucked his relationship with Mystra was, but one thing that, to me, is usually lacking from depictions/analyses of the situation, is a recognition of how LONG TERM and SETTLED their relationship was, and the effects that had on him.

After all that the guy deserves to have the fun version of a midlife crisis, with Tav along for the ride (or, you know, egging him on).

I do occasionally worry that i'm swinging way too far in the other direction (then i remind myself, why worry, i'm just here to have fun with it)—but anyway i'm not denying that he does have a warm domestic streak. I just think that it's only one part of him! People have contradictions and enjoying a night in sometimes vs also loving to get into a little trouble is one of his.

Gale says to the player, "You're wholly without vice or sin or the occasional lapse in judgement? No - you don't strike me as quite that boring"—and then a large chunk of the fandom imagines that post-game, Gale finally becomes somebody wholly without vice or sin or the occasional lapse in judgement anymore. Truly i will never understand.

Also... if i'm being perfectly honest... the fact that his "good ending" leans into the quiet domesticity thing is, to me, inseparable from the fact that it also leans into seeking Mystra's "forgiveness" and seeing "her side" of the conflict (🤮). Like I literally just think that the end of his arc was mishandled in canon. so.

Anyway, I can't see him and Tav settling into soft respectable married life, i see them as That Mutually Insane Couple Who Always Have Some Shit Happening.

tldr: Gale Nipple Piercings Real

#gale dekarios #bg3 #gale of waterdeep

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realmermaid333 · 1 year

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Hunger Games Book Things That Should Have Been in the Movie!!!

There is sadly a lot of stuff that should have been in The Hunger Games movies but wasn’t and it makes me salty so I am going to make a list lol. Some of the stuff, I understand was likely taken out due to time crunches, but other things there’s simply no excuse except it’s hollywood *eyeroll*

1. Rue and Katniss scenes- they cut out some of their bonding in the movies which took a lot of the tragedy out of her death. Not that it wasn’t super sad in the movies, but we knew more about Rue in the book and we saw her and Katniss bond for much longer. Which in turn made her death so much sadder since we also knew how much Rue reminded Katniss of Prim, how innocent and young Rue was, and how badly Katniss wanted her to win if she didn’t.

2. Peeta and Katniss Cave Scenes- the scenes were in there, but they were kinda weird tbh. Like they made Peeta’s crush on Katniss seem kind of creepy and it was not at all in the book. Also, Peeta was lightening the mood and being funny in the books, and was not in the movie. Both Katniss and Peeta just seemed slightly out of character in the cave scenes.

3. Peeta’s missing leg!!!!- In the books, Peeta loses his leg from health complications from the blood poisoning in the arena! He had a metal prosthetic leg, he was disabled. They took that out of the movie which is disheartening considering the lovely disability representation that could have been there. They could have hired an actor with a missing leg, gave him a realistic prosthetic and hid it under his pants for the beginning of the movie, then had him wear a metal prosthetic for the rest of the series after Peeta’s injury, that would have been amazing! The least they could have done was have Josh be missing a leg! Also, Peeta’s lack of disability made his struggling in the Quarter Quell make less sense, the reason why Peeta was lagging behind a little and needing more assistance was because the boy was missing a leg! I will forever we upset about this lost opportunity due to hollywood’s bullshit.

4. The adorable plant book scene and Peeta carrying Katniss to bed- this was wholesome content that made their relationship so much sweeter and really showed how Katniss did care for Peeta and really did like him. I’m not sure why they took this out, I guess it was a time related thing, but tbh the movies should’ve simply been longer because they butchered the books to make them fit into 2 hours, it is annoying af (there’s been loads of super long like 3 hour movies, THG could have been one of them)! Also the cute rooftop picnic scene when they were in the training center, and them cuddling all night afterwards. No wonder tons of people who only watched the movies think Peeta and Katniss’s relationship is lowkey boring, they took out all of their cute bonding moments outside of the arena!!

5. District 2 scene- The part where Gale and Katniss are together in District 2, they makeout and Gale realizes that Katniss is barely paying attention to him and isn’t that into it. This part was crucial I think! It showed that Katniss did not actually like Gale romantically. It explained why they did not end up together. And this isn’t just a THG movie thing, but I really wish this scene was used to explain Gale and Katniss not ending up together instead of Gale being involved in Prim’s death. This could have very easily been the turning point, where they decided to be platonic. I would have loved it if Gale and Katniss would’ve stayed best friends, maybe Gale would find someone else to pursue romantically and him and Katniss could move on. I think they deserved that.

6. Johanna and Katniss bonding- I really wish we got more of this in the movies, they were roommates in the book! That would have been really easy to throw into the movies to show that they were friends. I like to imagine the two of them stayed in touch after the war :)

7. Peeta and Katniss’s burn scars- There is no excuse for this! This is just hollywood being stupid and thinking they couldn’t put burn scars on Katniss and Peeta because they’d “no longer be cute” or whatever (they did the same thing with Katniss’s body hair, she was clean shaven even while in District 12, which is inaccurate as Katniss hated having her body hair removed). It would not have been hard to include the scars, they’d be more faint too by the end considering that they had all the fancy Capitol technology used on them. All they had to do was use some makeup to add scars to Katniss’s neck, Peeta’s forehead, and both of their hands. Katniss’ hair was shorter after the bombing because quite a bit of it was melted off, they could have put Jennifer in a choppy, shorter wig to show that. It also could have been a cool way to measure time passing by when they went back to District 12. Katniss’s hair could have grown out throughout the ending scenes to signify the months that passed because the last 10 mins or so of Mockingjay part 2 is super confusing lol. Like Peeta comes back, then all of the sudden Annie sends a photo of her and her like 5-month-old-looking baby just chilling lmao.

8. Haymitch parenting Katniss- As we know, Katniss’s shitty mom leaves her at the end, but in the books it is more clear that Haymitch ends up being the adult in her life that parents her. He makes sure she is eating, taking her medicine, he checks on her to make sure she is okay, he talked to her and gave her information even when she wasn’t responding. He helped Plutarch get her pardoned for killing Coin as he knew exactly why she did it. He went back to District 12 with her to take care of her, and he ended up comforting her a lot in the series (they did have this in the movies too), they even argued like a father and daughter in the books lmao.

9. Katniss’s mental health issues and grief- So many scenes of Katniss’s grief are removed from the movies. She was so emotionally traumatized that she lost the ability to speak for a long time, many nights she’d wake up screaming, and she would wonder the mansion aimlessly and end up in odd little hiding places. She was trying to kill herself after she killed Coin, the poor girl was in absolute mental anguish and I do not think that was accurately shown in the films. She did not brush her hair, change her clothes, or shower for a long time when she went back to District 12. When her and Peeta reunite, she looked sickly and dirty--- enough so that Peeta was sad when he saw her. But, of course, in the film she looked fresh out of a shampoo ad, with flowing, long, not-matted hair.

#katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #gale hawthorne #everlark #the hunger games #catching fire #mockingjay #thg #disability representation #female body hair #thg books #books to read #book recommendations #send asks #hollywood sucks #haymitch abernathy #district 12 #katniss x peeta

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