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imgoingtofreakoutnow · 6 months

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we're drunk and in love (but i'd never tell)

Summary: At the Last Light Inn, you and Rolan get to know each other a bit better...

Pairing: Rolan x gn!Tav

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, sexual content (to a certain degree)

Words: 3k

A/N: I had realized I had wrote nothing on Rolan's tail in my previous fics, so I had to fix that. Enjoy <3

Tagging: @tripleyeeet @fictionobsession @elfinbloodbag @adequate-superstar @sapphiccloud (if you don't want to be tagged, or if you want to be added, let me know <3)

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Sitting at a table in a corner of the Last Light Inn, you and the rest of your party have managed to drink an incredible amount of alcohol. The pile of empty mugs and bottles stands perilously on the unsteady wooden table and some of them have even crashed onto the floor, littering it with pieces of broken glass and sticky remains of booze.

Karlach and Gale are somehow still drinking, caught up in a game of their own of which you don’t know the rules but that Astarion seems quite too eager to referee. It’s quite entertaining: the tiefling, barely even tipsy with the biggest mug of ale you’ve ever seen in her hand, and the wizard, muttering something unintelligible in his drunken haze, a bottle of wine tightly held in his grip which, despite his complaints about the cheap taste, keeps meeting his lips every few minutes. Mostly whenever Astarion reminds him that the game is still on, with that mischievous smirk of his cutting his face.

Shadowheart and Lae’zel have quietly opted out from the drinking game, but have instead entered a staring contest filled with insults going from one end to the other and back. Wyll, sitting in front of them, tries to ease the tension as best he can, with no other result than finding himself at the end of some drunken — and not too subtle — threats from the both of them.

Despite the nearby amusement, your eyes keep drifting away from your companions further into the Inn; precisely, to the spot next to the counter where Rolan is leaning against as he chuckles at Cal and Lia’s drunken shenanigans. You can’t help but focus on the crow’s feet appearing around his eyes and the way his features soften everytime he looks at his siblings, hiding his smile behind his pint.

Every once in a while, when his siblings are too busy bickering with each other, Rolan’s gaze also wanders around the room, skimming the clientèle quickly before stopping on you. Everytime he does, your eyes meet as if they’ve been searching for each other all night, lingering for as long as they can before Cal and Lia demand Rolan’s attention back to them, or someone in your group calls for your opinion for whatever silly question has crossed their minds.

“Hey soldier!”

With a quiet sigh, you move your gaze from Rolan’s and turn to Karlach. You immediately notice the smirk on her face — mirroring Astarion’s — as she rests her head on her closed fist. “Fancying someone, aren’t we?”

You roll your eyes and take another sip of your drink as she and the vampire chuckle at your ever so slight embarrassment. “You should really care about your own personal life.”

“I’d truly rather not think about it,” Astarion hums, stealing Gale’s bottle and taking a sip. “Besides… this,” — he says as his fingers move between you and Rolan — “is much more fun.”

“Ch’k. And pathetic.”

Turning to your side, you find Lae’zel staring at you, spine straight as a mountain and arms crossed on her chest. She would look even more intimidating if it weren’t for Shadowheart sleeping on her shoulder.

“If you want him, go and take this ridiculous pining far away from me.”

“Wow. Really?”

“You know I’m nothing short of a romantic,” Wyll starts, kind and sympathetic as ever, although his smile trembles as he continues, “however, I must admit this is quite unbearable to watch.”

“Thanks for your honesty, Wyll.”

“He does have a point,” Karlach nods before smiling and winking at you, “and I’m sure the tiefling would be more than happy to get railed by you ‘til dawn.”

“Yeah, I-” — you pass a hand over your face, your cheeks burning as many filthy thoughts start filling your brain — “I got that, Karlach. Thanks.”

“Oh, don't be so awkward about it,” the barbarian roars as her laughter almost makes the table shake, “you also deserve some good-”

You stand up, way too quickly given how much you’ve drunk until now. Your head swirls for a moment before it settles back down.

“I’m leaving. And you should all get back to camp.” Your eyes move to Gale as he’s sleeping with his cheek squished against the table, his face flushed by all the alcohol. “Especially him. And Astarion, stop giving him the wine.”

The vampire, who had just handed the wizard his bottle back, takes it away once again with a smirk and drinks another sip from it, earning a disgruntled groan from the drunken man next to him.

You sigh, downing what remains of your ale before piling the mug with the others on the table. “Try not to die while I’m gone.”

As you walk off, you hear a loud clapping, accompanied by some whistling. You take a deep breath as you rub your eyes, trying to ignore the attention that your companions cheering has brought down on you. You suddenly remember the poison vile in your bags… mixing the deadly content in Gale's stew has never seemed such a good idea.

“What was that about?”

Stepping closer to the counter, you turn to Lia, her questioning eyebrows raised mostly with amusement than actual curiosity.

“Just a drunken bet,” you lie, leaning on the wooden surface and sliding until your elbow doesn't meet Rolan's. Even if he notices your not too subtle maneuver, he doesn't move away.

“I love bets!”

Cal’s speech is slurred by the alcohol as he speaks. He tries to take a step forward but helplessly stumbles back, leaning against his sister for stability. Lia rolls her eyes and sighs in resignation but doesn't move away.

“What did you bet on?” she asks again, taking a sip of ale.

Despite the drunken haze blurring your mind, you notice her gaze has suddenly sharpened. There's a glint of mischief behind her eyes, as if she's already seen through your true intentions and is simply wanting to tease you about it. You wouldn't put it past her — especially if it were made to get a reaction out of Rolan — and, normally, you would never indulge in her teasing.

Normally.

It's been a while since things have been nothing but abnormal. And there's a way too abnormal amount of ale running through your veins for you to hide the desire you feel for that sarcastic tiefling.

“We were merely wondering if I could manage another kind word from the snarky wizard,” you shrug, turning towards Rolan with a smirk as you lean — ever so slightly — more into him. “After all, I think I've deserved it.”

The tiefling next to you scoffs, chuckling softly as he takes a sip of his mug before meeting your half-lidded gaze with his own. “I've thanked you once already.” He leans closer, his face stopping a few inches away. “Don't be greedy.”

A teasing smile pulls his lips on that last word, contradicting that last word as the tiefling keeps staring, his eyes darting to your mouth and then back to your gaze, almost daring you to press your mouth against his and savor the lingering taste of alcohol on his tongue. An invitation you’d gladly take on, if Lia’s gaze wasn’t still piercing through your right temple.

“Perhaps,” you utter softly, tapping your fingers on his arm. “I want something different than your gratitude.”

Rolan raises his eyebrows, his pupils widening as he looks at you. Despite the surprise painted in his eyes, his smirk doesn't quiver once.

“The ale makes you quite bold.”

As your hand moves up and down his forearm, you lean closer to him, until you're whispering into his ear. “If you like that, I could be even bolder, away from prying eyes.”

When you pull away, the smirk has left the tiefling's face. His cheeks, already flushed because of the cheap booze, are the same shade of red as the blood running through his veins — perhaps even darker. You chuckle lightly at his dumbfounded expression, the back of your fingers brushing against his scorching skin before you walk past him. You sway ever so slightly towards the stairs that bring upstairs, stopping just before the first step and leaning against the wall. Waiting.

“Lia.”

The summoned tiefling turns to her brother, whose gaze is still focused on you and your smirking face. “If you could leave the room to us for… an hour or so,” Rolan continues, his words stumbling over one another. “I- we need to discuss some important business,” — he nods to himself — “magic… wizard-y business.”

“Yeah,” she hums while swirling the remaining contents of her drink, a grin on her face. “I bet your dick has a lot of unfinished business with that ass.”

“Lia!”

His whisper is so loud that for a moment it seems to bring back to the present moment even Cal. His head, however, falls soon back onto his sister’s shoulder. Chuckling devilishly, Lia downs her ale and asks with a wave to the innkeeper for another one.

“I’ll give you two hours,” she agrees, cocking her eyebrows. “But you’re paying for the ale.”

Rolan rolls his eyes. “As always.”

“And tomorrow you’ll take care of this.”

She points with a nod to Cal, once again asleep and drooling all over her shirt as his snoring grows by the minute — a loud omen of how insufferable he will be the next day, complaining about his hangover. Rolan takes a deep breath before huffing it out, frustrated but unable to quarrel, given that you’re still waiting for him.

“Fine! I will do my due.” He turns to leave but stops, facing Lia for another moment as he gently squeezes her arm. “Thank you, sister.”

“Just remember this when I’ll need some business time of my own,” she screams at his turned back, but she might as well be talking to a wall. Rolan’s attention has left her and Cal, focusing completely on you and the way your figure is still leaning against the wooden, dirty wall.

As he steps closer, your brain finally catches on to what's going to happen in a handful of minutes and you can’t help the way your heartbeat quickens at the mere thought. You had often considered the possibility, fantasizing about the tiefling before going to sleep. They were simple dreams, delusions really, a way to ease the struggles of the day with a gentle thought to yourself. But there’s no time left for the fantasy: Rolan’s standing in front of you now, with his blood coloring his cheeks and his hand — real as the flesh and bones that’s made of — stretched towards you.

“Come. I’ll show you my room.”

You take it with a smirk, rubbing your thumb on his fingers when they close around yours. “Who’s the bold one now?”

He remains quiet as he pulls you with him into the stairwell. You leave behind the light of the tavern, stepping into a darkness so sudden that it blinds you. In the time that it takes to regain your sight, Rolan’s hands slither to your waist. You hold your breath as they gently guide you backwards until your back meets the wall. You don’t even see the tiefling’s face getting near yours, you simply feel his warm breath dancing on your lips and sending shivers down your spine.

There’s a pause, a moment of stillness as you both get adjusted to the novel closeness, to the warmth that spreads between your clothed bodies and the heaviness of his hands and legs, pressed against and between yours. Rolan doesn’t move back, giving away none of the inches he’s gained towards you, but he doesn’t even close the distance that separates the two of you, leaving you in a limbo of desire that’s slowly driving you crazy by the second.

You nudge your nose against his, smirking when you feel his breath catching in his throat. “What are you waiting for, wizard? A written invitation?”

The question still rings in your mouth when Rolan shuts it with his own lips. They simply press on yours at first, sitting awkwardly on top of each other like all first kisses turn out to be. Then you move, opening and closing your lips onto his bottom one as you've pictured so many times in your dreams, and the dance begins. A dance made of drunken mouths and tongues desperately looking for one another, for a momentary pleasure, and perhaps for something more than a fire that extinguishes in the span of one night.

With all your attention focused on the way his teeth teasingly graze your jaw, you almost forget his hands; that is until they grab your ass and pull you even closer against him. Your fingers dig into his arm as you whimper ever so softly, mentally cursing the leather and clothes separating his bare skin from your touch.

A second later, it all disappears.

His mouth. His hands. The painful and blessed heat rushing through you. Completely gone.

You open your eyes to find Rolan staring at you, his golden irises piercing through the darkness like a lighthouse in a moonless night.

“Come now,” he whispers, a quiet order that you’re more than happy to comply with.

He slides his hand back into your grip and you follow him as he guides you up the stairs. You’re unsure how — despite the alcohol that's flowing and clouding both your brains — you manage to climb the two stories without faults or stumbles; what you know for certain is that the second the door closes behind the tiefling, your hands are pulling him back in before he can utter a single word.

Your mouth sloppily moves on his with the hunger of a starving wolf. With your fingers stroking and pulling his air, you drink in the soft moans that escape his lips — coal to feed the fire that burns within. His hands go back to your hips, squeezing them before his fingertips make their way under your shirt. The grazing touch of his claws on your bare skin is enough to make you gasp.

“Losing your breath for so little, my hero?”

As his whisper and the shivers caused by it linger on your skin, you grab him by the collar. You can feel him swallow as you do, his throat brushing against your knuckles.

“When I’m done with you,” you hum softly, taking a few steps back and dragging him to the bed, “you’ll be lucky if you still remember your name.”

You're not used to giving — or receiving — this kind of gentleness: your hands always find themselves more at ease when covered in blood than wrapped in the gentle hold of a lover. Yet, this softness seems to spring naturally from you as your fingertips inch tentatively along his bare skin, patiently tracing the shape of his bones and muscles instead of devouring every inch of flesh in sight. Despite your newfound care, his chest trembles under your touch, his shaky breath mixing with a soft whimper when you climb in his lap, legs spread and knees pointed on either side of him.

With his face even more flushed than ever, Rolan opens his mouth. Whatever thought crosses his glowing eyes, nothing leaves his lips other than a breathless sigh as he silently and wide-eyed stares at you. Chuckling softly, you turn him around and sit him down on the consumed mattress of the inn. You undo his belt and the knots of his leather bracers, despite the alcoholic numbness slowing your fingers down, before messily helping him out his light armor and tunic.

“You look scared.” You drag your fingers along his jaw before settling them on his burning cheek, your thumb caressing his cheekbone. “We can stop here, if you want. It's been a lot of fun already.”

Rolan chuckles quietly but his eyes don't leave yours. “I'm many things right now. Drunk, mostly. In utter awe of your beauty, most definitely. But frightened?” — he holds his breath, shaking his head ever so slightly — “How could I be afraid of something I desire so deeply?”

“And doesn’t that scare you?”

“Wanting?”

“No,” you mutter softly, your thumb digging deeper into his skin. “Not wanting.”

Since you’ve been old enough to recognize it, you’ve known the thrill that desire can set alight within you and others. You’ve cherished it deeply, abused it at times and chastised yourself for it afterwards. Because where there’s wanting — where affection and love and attachment grow stronger — the looming threat of losing’s always following closely behind. You’ve witnessed that pain, tested out on your own skin, and it never left you. It’s constantly with you, a sleeping presence that lives in the back of your mind, awaking like clockwork at the slightest hint of closeness and intimacy and filling your head with dark whispers that always manage to draw you away. From what was left of your family. From friends, lovers and anyone else you’ve ever cared about.

Even now its honeyed whispers stick to your ears, a reminder that despite the rush flowing through your veins — despite the kindness that spills from your heart, this will be one of the many nights spent with a stranger in a dirty inn in the middle of nowhere. After all, you might’ve met before and bickered like an old married couple before parting ways, you might’ve thought endlessly about his hands roaming your naked body every night you were apart and you might want him just as much as he wants you, but Rolan remains nothing but a stranger.

“Then what-”

The tiefling’s words are lost in your mouth. The same gentleness from before spreads from your lips as you softly push yourself more into him until he’s laying down on the covers. His hands glide along your legs as his tail also wraps around one of them, with its pointy end brushing along your inner thigh. You can't help the sighs full of pleasure that slip through your kisses while that involuntary response continues to tease you. Or the way your insides seem to stir at Rolan's moan when you gently squeeze the bulge in his pants.

“Just relax, wizard.” You linger once again on his lips, a smirk pulling your mouth when you move away. “I'll take care of it. Then if you want, you can return the favor.”

He nods with a mischievous smile. “I’d be delighted to.”

As you keep kissing, slowly getting to his waist, you feel his muscles relax more and more under your touch. His breathing slows, getting more and more regular by the minute. Too regular in a way, unwavering even when your hands start pulling down his pants.

Chuckling lightly, you kiss him again, deeper this time. You move to his jaw, then lower, leaving a trail of spit and sloppy kisses from his neck to his chest. When you look up at him, he’s closed his eyes while his head rests on the mattress, mouth slightly open and lips shaking every once in a while whenever your tongue laps over a sensitive spot. Everytime you feel his chest tremble, you stop and torture that part of his skin, revelling in his quiet — and not so quiet — whimpers.

Another noise escapes his lips seconds later, a vibration that shakes his entire body and stops your movements on the spot.

“Are you kidding me…”

Rolan’s sleeping. You poke him in the abdomen with a finger but he doesn’t even flinch. You’ve definitely underestimated the amount of alcohol he’s managed to drink, or simply his resistance to it.

It would feel almost insulting, falling asleep like that with you about to give him head, if only he didn’t look so peaceful.

“You’re lucky you're cute,” you whisper with a pout as you get off him, ready to go back to camp and take care of your arousal in your own tent. However, as soon as you try to take a step from the bed, something pulls you back. Lowering your gaze, you find Rolan’s tail still wrapped around your leg.

“Really?”

You tap gently on it, pulling it to loosen its grip around you, but your maneuvers only make the tail tighten more. Sighing heavily, you consider every option that could aid your silent exit, but there isn’t one in which you don’t wake the wizard up. Then, as the weariness and alcohol start to take over your tired limbs, you consider staying. Not leaving, for once. Daring to want something more, something that lasts longer than a night. Maybe something that could last forever.

The mere thought awakes the dark presence in your mind. It’s louder than normal, ringing in your head like the most annoying headache. You push your hands into your eyes, rubbing quickly to soothe away the pain but to no avail. Normally at this point, with the reminder of the pain of losing so close, you’d be running away without thinking of anyone but yourself, selfishly guarding your heart like the frailest of glass sculptures.

However, once again, there’s nothing normal in your life lately.

Ignoring the shadowy voice that’s now screaming in the back of your head, you slip in bed with Rolan, snuggling next to him in the small space left. As soon as the mattress tilts under your weight, the tiefling turns towards you, his face resting so close that his nose brushes against yours with every breath.

You stare at him for a long time, taking in every detail in his face until the candle in the room runs out. Even when the shadows have wrapped you in their arms, your eyes keep searching for him in the dark. The longer you look at him — at the way his lips curl or the few scattered freckles on his cheeks and nose, the quieter the voice in your head gets.

When the door opens again and Lia and Cal step in, you’re still awake, still studying his features — the voice is a mere whisper. You hear Lia mutter something to herself, probably about the fact that you’re still there, but her voice is soon replaced with the sounds of regular breathing and soft snoring. It doesn’t take long after that for you to also give in to the pull of sleep.

However, before you shut your brain off, you let your hand slip in his hold. The last thing you feel before Selûne welcomes you in her realm is Rolan squeezing your hand.

#rolan x tav #rolan x reader #bg3 rolan #rolan bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 fic #annie writes

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wearethewitches · 4 months

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Could you maybe gives us a bit of a peak, or insight about the fics you put up to vote? At least maybe the top 3? No pressure, just very curious!

oh i can DEFINITELY do that!!!!!!

Shadowheart, time travelling cleric of Selune; Shadowheart/Aylin/Isobel

disclaimer: i don't have stuff written for this, so i'm copy-pasting a paragraph or two of my vast, vast selection of notes for this fic. i generally write a synopsis of every chapter for my planned fics.

Shadowheart wakes the moment her tadpole is given, protected from Shar's influence and marked for all to see. White hair. Sees everything from a new perspective, shocked at how loyal Lae'zel is to Vlaakith and how genuinely sad everyone else is. Whole thing about being a cleric of Selune instead of Shar, and getting rid of her armour. Gives the relic to Lae'zel and doesn't believe the Emperor when he tries to convince her he's a friend; only Selune's mark protects her divine knowledge of the future and she advises the Emperor not to touch her thoughts unless he has to. Ends up being the party leader for the most part, though abstains from speaking to strangers; adopts their pets without pause and asks Mol if she knows how to find Nine-Fingers, etc., gaining her trust after refusing to steal the idol.

2. Jaheira/Karlach; "Hero Worship"

i do actually have fic written for this, as it's only a one-shot, but i got distracted and forgot to finish it, so when i'm in the mood, i will be finishing + posting this in full - so watch out!

‘Tired?’ came the teasing voice of her best and worst nightmare, Jaheira reaching over to flick a clump of sweaty hair off her eye. The druid laughed at her suffering, ‘Feeling lonely, Karlach?’ Say my name again, the tiefling thought. At Jaheira’s attention she straightened, knee knocking against the table leg, cursing as the abrupt movement nearly spilt hers and someone else’s tankards everywhere. The other tankard, she realised as Jaheira reached to catch them, sliding into the other seat, was Jaheira’s. Shit, she’s sitting across from me. Shit, shit, shit-

Mwahahahaha......and finally-

3. the next chapter of (Selûne, thou) with softest starglow.

oh boy, but have i got a treat for y'all with this one. i've currently got 9k of what i think will be around 40k for the next "chapter" (genuinely wondering if i should split it at some point, tbh. might make it easier, but also ruins my three chapters for the acts, and interlude and epilogue game i've got going) - and i have a new spotify playlist, dedicated exclusively to selune thou.

because i'm nice, i'll put some of the new chapter under a cut for you. how much of it, you ask? oh....only about 350 words. should be enough to make you go "wtffffffffffff!!!" and that's the kind of reaction i love. again, you should expect the new chapter to come out in late february, at the earliest.

enjoy!

excerpt from chapter 4 of selune thou

Smoke billowed from the centre of town, a tower of blackened soot and ash as the house burned, despite the veritable sheets of rain.

‘Fireworks,’ Jaheira rasped, eyes distant as Halsin scrubbed lathered fingers through Shadowheart’s ruined hair. The few other adventurers—Jaheira and Shadowheart having been joined by Lae’zel, Valeria and Astarion that morn—were bitter as they explained the conspiracy to harm refugee children. Exploding toys, Isobel found, were not even the extent of the problem.

Her daughter, mumbling through a bread cauldron of soup, said, ‘There was a house, with a basement full of fireworks. We’re going to track the bastard who lived there down—Astarion was suspicious about what he might have had stashed there, and he was right. We put two and two together. Then I set off a trap. The new family barely made it out faster than we did.’

‘It was like something out of a play,’ Shadowheart hissed, batting her purpling hand against Halsin’s convenient thigh. ‘Oh, you aren’t Loviator! Stop it!’

Isobel watched as the gentle druid halted Shadowheart’s flagellation, quiet words in her ear calming her in seconds. Halsin, she’d discovered, was quite the specimen—and although she was immune to his particular charms, he’d clearly set his sights on more than one of Valeria’s friends.

‘Why does her hand hurt?’ Yenna whispered rather loudly from the other side of the barn. Halsin’s oddity, Minthara had called her, before giving her—and her cat—a tour of the camp herself. Isobel refused to forget what she had told them.

I have known the pain of losing a child to violence.

‘She is cursed by the goddess, Shar,’ the drow explained to Yenna, voice grave, ‘who kidnapped and converted her to Shar’s, quite honestly, ridiculous tenets of loss. Shadowheart rediscovered that she was a Selûnite acolyte quite recently, and so the curse is doing its very best to remind her who took advantage of her for nigh on forty years.’

The young girl’s eyes—her skin pink underneath, a sign that Isobel had best give her a look over sooner rather than later—went wide, before she looked to Isobel and Aylin, asking Minthara, ‘How many Selûne followers are here?’

‘Counting Valeria-’ judged Minthara, grimacing. ‘Four.’

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tadpole-apocalypse · 8 months

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So Astarion says during the post Cazador cemetery scene that he didn’t like Tav at first. Which makes sense given what we learn about him throughout the game, but it really got me thinking about I see Morgan and Astarion’s relationship and what they actually see in one another beyond the physical, so here is some stream of consciousness about their early relationship that I can't stop thinking about.

Firstly, I think the decision to seduce her was entirely instinct; I doubt Astarion actually sat down and planned to manipulate her, because it wouldn’t even be a debate to him. Ofc he’d seduce and manipulate her, that’s how he’s done things for the past two centuries. He doesn’t even think of doing otherwise; it's just how he is around others he perceives as useful to him.

She vouches for him to the others after the vampire reveal, mostly because she’s pragmatic and they need all the help they can get for the tadpole crisis.

When he tries to bite her, she has no moral qualms about digging into his mind. Not only does she see he has fed only from vermin, but she can feel echoes of his hunger, his revulsion, and then the barest bit of satiety as the putrid blood slides down his throat. Then he starts pathetically begging her for her blood, so she takes pity on him. It’s also pragmatic, she would rather not camp with a starving vampire, but it's mostly pity.

It turns out she likes being bit, so when he turned on the seduction she was like…ok fine let’s do this. It was casual for her to start, as well. She thought his over the top seduction was a joke, and didn’t realize he actually trying to seriously seduce her this way until she teases him about it at the tiefling party (during the scene where he’s trying out all his lines on her). He doesn’t have her “hooked” the way he wants; She still hasn't dropped her guard around him entirely and he needs her on his side against Cazador. She would also have spent some of the tiefling party flirting with Halsin and trying to get him to drink with her. Karlach and Lae’zel also shoot their shot with her here.

There's a really interesting dialogue you can get when holding the Sussur flower as a Sorcerer (or any magic user I presume) because it blocks all magic use. Astarion made a comment that we should fix not having our magic asap, because "he wasn't with us for our personality" like in a cutesy "oh darling I'm joking but am I really" way. He just for a moment becomes very transparent about the transactional nature of their relationship and because I had Morgan react with panic I thought she would have been really upset by what he says here. They would have a big argument around this part of the story that does threaten to end whatever they have going and it’s only until he sees she is actually really shaken and left vulnerable by the experience that he tries to fix his mistake.

Clearly what he was doing up until now wasn't getting him the results he desired, so he has to change tactics and actually try to cozy up to her in a way she will respond to.

He stops with the clichéd lines and act, which lets them talk more candidly with one another. At this point she's still being tight lipped about her background, and all she's shared is that she sold fortunes in the city to pay her rent. But they have things in common because they are both selfish cunts who reluctantly start to care about the others around them, and they can have animated conversations about fashion, local baldur's gate politics, and necromancy.

He spontaneously offers favors, like mending her clothing or slipping healing potions/baubles he nicked off of the last merchant they passed into her bag. He does them as an incentive to get her in bed again but it feels nice when she is genuinely impressed by his work. She has an eye for detail that he grows to appreciate, particularly when it comes to himself as she is not at all the type to give him the shallow praise he wants. It becomes a game for him to get those little reactions from her because of his actions.

Then by the time they’ve made it to Last Light Inn he realizes that he’s even starting to look at her entirely differently. Her large nose was quite elegant actually, and her freckles weren’t nearly as hideous as he first thought, and actually in this lighting she was quite stunning, really. And her blood was really really good.

His oh moment happens after the Gauntlet of Shar. She clocks his scars as Infernal way back to their first time together, sketches it out so he can see it for himself, and is generally like “hey I see this is important to you, I can help if you let me.” And she proves it by killing Yurgir, no questions asked. Just goes out and kills a devil just because he needed it. He’s a step closer to achieving his seemingly impossible goals because of her. And she’s covered in devil blood and gore and reeks because no one has showered in weeks, but she’s looking at him with fondness in her eyes and blood in her mouth from the Merregon arrow she took to the face, and his chest hurts in a way it hasn’t in many years if ever.

So what starts as him molding himself into a more attractive honeypot for Morgan ends up being something that makes him go...oh I want this. I want this to be real.

Morgan herself grew up in a cult where her social relationships and interactions with outsiders were heavily controlled, and she was always warned about sweet talking men looking to steal her away. Once she got free of the cult, those guys became her type. She was perfectly content to have short but intense relationships that inevitably self destructed, and this was how she expected things to go if both of them survived their situations, until she caught feelings too.

#baldur’s gate 3 #bg3 #astarion #tav oc #sorry for the wall of text #just dumping thoughts #I have lots more thoughts for when they become an actual couple #ahhh this romance is so fun to play thru #bg3: morgan

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gameguy20100 · 1 year

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Baldur's Gate 3 Companions ranked.

So I’ve played BG3 a few times. And Id like to rank the companions. I’ll be judging them on usefulness in gameplay and personality. Keep in mind, my list so don’t pounce on me in the reblogs. And let’s begin.

1) Shadowheart

Usefulness: 5/5. Shadowheart is a cleric. This makes her the most useful companions due to her healing and buffs. I’ve almost never done a playthrough without her. Her thief skills are also extremely useful. Lockpicking and disarming traps is always useful.

Personality: 4/5. Shadowheart is a very reserved person who doesn’t like talking about herself. And always tries to make out that she doesn’t care. But she’s clearly a lot less selfish than she thinks she is. I see a lot of potential in her character development

2) Gale

Usefulness: 5/5 Gale is a wizard. Wizards are amazing due to their vast selection of spells. While he is dependent on the amount of spell scrolls and gold you can find, it’s worth it. Buff, debuff, utility, damage. Wizards can do it all!

Personality: 3/5 Gale’s personality will either make him the best in the party or the worst. He has a rather big ego and brags about how powerful he is. While he does show that he’s not all talk and has a vast amount of magical knowledge. I do understand that arrogance is a big turn off. So he’s only getting a 3.

3) Lae’zel.

Usefulness: 4/5 Lae’zel is by far the toughest of the party Her weapon and armour skills make her the best frontliner. Able to deal, and take absurd amounts of punishment. Sadly that’s all she can do. With no other skills she’s really only useful for combat. Of course, you get into combat a lot so I don’t consider that a negative.

Personality: 2/5 Lae’zel is rude, abrasive, bloodthirsty and racist. Pretty much every word out of her mouth is about how much better Githyanki are and doesn’t care about anything but finding her clan. She suffers the most from the game being in Early access because her story has nowhere to go yet. As of now. She’s the least likeable but I do see potential.

4) Wyll

Usefulness: 3/5 Wyll is a warlock. Warlocks have an issue in that they lack the versatility of wizards, or the raw power of Sorcerers. But is clearly meant to be a similar role of nuker/controller. He only has two spell slots and will burn though them quickly. So more often than not you just spam Eldritch blast. Not bad, but others can be better.

Personality. 3/5 Wyll is a hero to the core. Or at least trying to be. His ideals clashing with his hatred and desire for vengeance makes for a very interesting character. I’m looking forward to see where it goes.

5) Astarion

Usefulness: 1/5 Astarion suffers a lot in gameplay. His damage output is at it’s best when he can sneak attack. Sadly sneak attack is only really useful against a single target. This game loves to throw groups at the party. And he has no real skills to back him up. He can pick locks and disarm traps, but so can Shadowheart. He can deal damage, but so can everyone. He can sneak around, but I never found a use for that. He’s just not as useful as the others.

Personality: 2/5 If I could sum Astarion up in one word it would be edgy. Another would be arsehole. Constantly complaining when I do anything other than mock and belittle people for their trauma, And a guy who disapproves of freeing slaves or stopping a child from being killed is not a guy I want to get to know. His only real redeeming quality is that he’s fun to watch. He would make a fantastic antagonist, sadly as a party member he’s just irritating.

So, that’s my list. Thanks for your time. Agree? disagree? Whatever lets just have fun.

#baldur's gate 3 #BG3 #bg3 shadowheart #bg3 gale #bg3 lae'zel #bg3 wyll #bg3 astarion #comparison #list #ranking

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sorcerous-caress · 5 months

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I don’t remember if you’ve talked about this before or not but is there a companion romance that you think would fit Sol the most based on her personality and her story? Like with me I think Sean and Lae’zel would be a pretty interesting romance (even if I prefer Karlach) given how different they are.

It's hard to say, Sol's romance is a rollercoaster and a constant game of push and pull. Being friends with them comes much easier than romancing them, and being friends is always a struggle on its own.

Take Lae'zel for example, she makes the perfect candidate because they are such good friends right? But the problem is that if they end up in a relationship, they'd feel too comfortable with each other as they are.

They would never learn or grow as people because they already get along so well with all of their flaws and self-destructive behaviour. Why would you ever change when the person you're dating never challenges you as a person?

They are so used to never putting effort in and easily liking each other, so they'd never know how to deal with an argument or when they find something they don't like about one another. They take liking each other immediately for granted.

It's a very fragile relationship where the thread connecting them could easily snap at any moment. They don't have any support beams lifting them up and everything could crumble when life becomes too windy.

Tav romance challanges Lae'zel's views on dating and sex. Sol wouldn't do that, they wouldn't ask her to cuddle afterwards. Neither of them will ever know true softness with each other, only companionship and the occasional sex. Even if they truly love each other, neither is willing to take the first step of vulnerability and mark themselves as weak.

They'd be that one couple that breaks up every month over a stupid argument then get back together the next week, because neither is ready to have the actual serious argument.

Also, Lae'zel might lead them down a dark path, Sol wouldn't stop her spirals into brutality or remind her to be kind. Think about their romance trigger in the druids confrontation.

Lae'zel would either leave them outside or sneak them in and tell the druids to fuck off. Which might result in a fight against the druids and even their death. Sol wouldn't care if they were left outside, but they would swoon if someone was willing to murder just for their company.

And this is just the start of their romance with each other, imagine how much this cycle will repeat and encourage both of their toxic behaviours.

But I do see Sol encouraging Lae'zel to leave Vlaakith at the first sign of abuse. Sure their way of persuasion can be rude and tactless at times but Lae'zel listens to the meaning of their words and not just the surface.

But honestly, I don't see Lae'zel encouraging Sol to lose their magic. Both of them hold this idealisation for death in battle or dying for the sake of a cause. Sol might help her resistance against Vlaakith with their few remaining years.

So it's not always the friends. Take a look at the most popular ships in the fandom.

Shadowheart and Lae'zel aren't even close to being friends, and yet they are the most shipped with each other. Shadowheart is the closest to Wyll as a friend, but people don't ship them as much.

Astarion isn't close to Wyll or Gale but they are shipped together because...well they're the only men in the party let's be honest. They make an interesting dynamic even when a Sebastian x Astarion ship would make much more sense.

I see Sol getting the same treatment. They would be shipped based on what's the fandoms finds the most interesting.

Probably Gale. They solve each other's problems too.

He has an orb inside his chest that is a literal leech for magic and Sol has too much magic inside them that is melting their bones. Together they keep the other alive.

Sol's bullying of him will get reduced to playful banter and Gale's ignorance about them will get reshaped into good intentions.

They don't get along because they both view each other through clouded lenses of judgement. If Gale wasn't a wizard, then Sol probably wouldn't have been so shit to him.

If Sol wasn't a mean harsh person then Gale would've sympathised with their past instead of treating them as a byproduct of their environment.

He thinks there the mean bully isn't them, he only focuses on the human in them and deems all their harsh edges to not belong to them. They are annoyed because of that, every part of them is them and he doesn't get to pick and choose.

So they poke holes in his logic by constantly reminding him of his failures, his jagged edges, and his meanness masquerading as intelligence. He gets defence and they are at each other's throats screaming about how the other person is wrong and they are a shit mage actually.

Fandom would see that and want to make them smooch and honestly I don't blame them.

I think in a different au where mindflayers never kidnapped either of them, the two of them might have had an arranged marriage. If Gale became desperate because of the orb killing him and running out of artifacts, then his mom or Tara would've done some digging and found Sol's family of powerful sorcerers.

Their families talk together and they end up in a marriage to keep Gale alive by feeding off their magic, meanwhile Sol doesn't seek freedom in this au and they don't care.

It would be a loveless marriage, really. Even if they were polite to each other in this au, Sol is beyond finding love at this point, and Gale would hate the idea of marrying someone he doesn't love.

If either of them cheats, I don't think the other would care. They would have kids just to appease their families, and they'd make decent co-parents. As much as Sol doesn't care for Gale, they admit he is a much better teacher and guide when it comes to magic than their harsh ways.

Talking about marriage, i planned for their wedding in their good ending as a fighter in a village to be to an npc.

Either a cute barmaid in a tavern who took time off her shift to bandage their wounds after a battle, or a cute farmboy that Sol saved from a wild animal once and carried him back to the village.

They need someone to be enamoured with them and make the first move. Especially since their fresh start, this person probably doesn't know about all their past sins. Sol wants nothing more than to start over with someone new.

They'd probably never mention the fact they were a sorcerer to their spouse, tell the companions to shut it if they start talking about Sol's past around their spouce.

They want someone selfless. You'd have to be that to look past all their flaws and burning exterior during Act 1. The gift of kindness.

But you can't be too selfless, you need to stop them when they're too much, tell them when they're wrong. Challange them as a person in order for them to grow up and mature. Help them face their fears and self-reflect whilst still offering comfort and love.

And tbh none of the companions really fit the whole selfless thing.

All except Halsin.

Oh yes, the fucking irony.

But everything about him puts them off. Sol knows how he is only selfless to those he deems worthy. How easy it was for him to murder goblin children but not tiefling children. How it's okay to kill the shadowlands plants while claiming to respect all of nature.

Sol sees themselves in those things, the goblin children, the withered cursed trees. They know the only reason Halsin is extending his good hand forward to them is because they are human and their sins are deemed forgivable in his eyes.

And he knows that and pities them for it, treats them like a wild animal who needs coaxing. But it's different with Gale because at least he was staying ignorant by choice.

But they fear Halsin actually sees them that way, a charity case. So they opt out of his whole Game and never participate. Never bicker or argue, just avoid him.

The only way I see them two getting together is if Sol met him after their good ending as a stranger.

He would see them as any other human, an equal rather than a lost soul. Sol would see him as a decent kind druid. Both unaware of the other's flaws or past.

So they'd get along over plants or animals. Maybe Sol would have an issue with the fact he doesn't want to use a relationship label on them but after a while they'd let it go. They're not as possessive as they used to be and polyamoury might be worth a try.

The thing is they do want to get married, but they'll never get that with Halsin. So their relationship wouldn't last long.

Minthara would be a mirror to Lae'zel's relationship in some way. But much much worse.

They are both extremely possessive and jealousy, both want to own one another and both consider murder threats as foreplay.

Probably would end up with Matron Minthara establishing a new drow house with her red dragon "pet". Sol wouldn't object to the title only if no one else ever gets it.

She'd rather them die powerful than live weak with shame. Maybe even Minthara gets to take over their own family house of sorcerers after Sol's death. They'd leave her in charge and their family would have to accept it, even more so if they had kids together.

That leaves Shadowheart, Wyll and Astarion.

Ascended Astarion makes me wonder if he is Sol's only ticket to immortality whilst keeping their magic.

The problem is that their fire is literally burning them inside out, their bones are melting. It gets to a boiling point where it become an entirely new fire that ignores fire immunity.

And vampires heal very quickly, i think it would double their lifespan from 5 years to 10.

Oh, but they'd absolutely hate him during it. He becomes someone selfish and condescending. An ancient red dragon is much more powerful than a vampire without weakness and yet they can't lift a finger against him because of his mind control over them.

Whatever love they had for him at saving them quickly turns sour and bitter as they are forced into a decade of slavery. Doing his dirty work and destroying his enemies, wishing for their death to come sooner while Astarion becomes more agitated at the idea of death stealing them.

They'd probably try to kill him with their death. Bury him deep down below with them beneath so many mountains and inside molten lava surrounded by obsidian so he may burn with their corpse for all of eternally. There is no way he is crawling his way out of this tomb unless someone else moves the mountains for him.

I see them freezing during his choice with Cazador. It depends if they finished their quest or not, their answer will depend on it.

Shadowheart has potential. Both of their good endings work together. Sol would move in with her parents and their farm. They'd treat Sol like their own kid, too.

Raising animals, enjoying a slow life. They slowly get stronger as a fighter with a whole cleric to have their back whenever they get too injured. They'd spend time with Shadowheart's mom because of her fleeting time, writing down all the recipes and memories she shares with them.

Sol wouldn't interfer during her choice with Dame Aylin. They think it should be her to decide for herself once in her life, not Shar, not them. Does she want to kill her? Then Sol would help. Does she want to not? Then Sol wouldn't bring it up.

And I do see Shadowheart telling them to abandon their power. Who cares for the magic when they're alive and well?

But during the druid choice, Shadowheart would decide to leave them outside. And that locks her out of their romance.

Karlach would be a cute romance for a while. They're frustrated and stunned by her at times. How easily she throwns love and smiles around, how quickly she forgives their mean words.

How she jokes and never takes things seriously while Sol is a drama edgy bully.

Oh, they would more than kill Gortash with her. They'd gladly fight him during the coronation no matter how stupid.

They tell the other companions to just wait outside while they take care of it, if they die they die. Karlach would refuse and Sol would be touched that she wants them beyond their use.

Good ending Sol is a guarantee after dating Karlach. They go with her to the hells, they'd suffer a lot from that choice and feel guilty over the fact she is using her own body to protect them with.

They want to become better and stronger, they try their best. For her sake.

With Wyll, he probably has the highest success rate.

Wasn't it for Sol being so envious of him and his life. But he is including them in it and celebrations. He is selfless to a fault but he calls them out on their awful behaviour.

Sol never saw a reason in protecting others. If they can't defend themselves, then they deserve to die. Much like if sorcerers couldn't control their magic, then they didn't deserve it.

Which is why being a wizard or warlock annoys them so much, it's basically cheating magic. Like the difference between a walk into the park with full protective gear and a hike through the mountain by your own with no help.

That magic is tamed, weak, and an imitation of real power. But Wyll didn't choose it really. He was forced to use that fake power while protecting himself, and that makes him better in Sol's views than warlocks who do it for fame.

He would take the peaceful option and convince the druids to let them stay. He is kind and his words are beautiful, beyond any beauty Sol could ever know.

Also red dragons are so vain they love praise and flowery words a lot, Sol would eat that shit up from him.

He wants out of Mizora's contract. He doesn't latch on to this power, he rather makes his own. Sol notices that and remembers it when he tells them to leave their magic behind.

He comes from nobility and knows how to dress. Sol's attitude doesn't put him off. Also the fact he hits on Lae'zel is a plus to Sol, it means he has taste and working eyes to them.

They wouldn't want him to be a duke just to please his father, do what you want, fuck anyone else. Also both of them ending up losing their magic and having to start all over would make them bond together and encourage one another in training.

The major flaw is that Sol wouldn't defend Karlach from him during their meeting. Wyll will do something he regrets if no one else steps up.

The silver lining is how fast he admits to his mistake afterwards, Sol is used to themselves and others never admiting their mistakes and instead doubling down. They respect him a bit bc of it.

Another flaw is how he claims he is a hero but still cherry picks which people are worthy of his help? Again the whole Goblin and devil things. He is a hypocrite as far as they are considered.

But unlike Halsin, he isn't some wise archdruid. But some dumb 20 something guy with a sword and flare so they cut him some slack. Also he never treats them like a charity case, never pities them and rightfully is careful around them.

Also just to establish something, they don't care for killing someone. Goblins or humans. They just hate when people clutch their pearls at killing humans but cheer for goblins, like either you're a hero who defends every single life or you're as bad as Sol. You don't get the middle ground, there is none.

Okay, I'm hungry and tired. I wrote a lot a lot. Thanks for asking this. It was really fun <3 but my food is getting cold so imma go.

#♡sol #♡myocs

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dujour13 · 9 months

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15, 27, 39 for saedra please!!

Thanks Romeo!!! 💕💕💕I'm sorry in advance for Minthara.

15. How did the situation with the Grove, the Tieflings and the Goblins turn out for your Character?

Saedra’s one of those tieflings who’s been Through It, and she would give her life for them. Like the orphans she grew up with or the regulars in the bar where she works, or her brand new tadpole buddies!, they are instant family, and the moment she steps through those gates and overhears the insults aimed at Zevlor she is IN. Besides, it's a welcome distraction from the squirming sensation in her skull.

Though she isn’t aware of it at the time, this is her first step on the path to becoming a real leader – someone who brings people together and gets them to play to their strengths. (Another high cha OC, guilty as charged.) I’m seeing that gain momentum in Act II.

So she gladly takes up the tiefling banner even though she bears no grudge against goblins, who aren’t all that unlike the Eastway lowlife she’s used to. She even goes to some trouble to free Sazza. But as the stakes rise she finds she’s going to have to apply some muscle, and when Her People are at risk she goes absolutely feral. The goblin camp pays the ultimate price.

She hoped assassinating their leaders would scatter the goblins or at least clue them in but, well, they're none too bright. She ended up having to massacre the whole camp. (Also stole Minthara’s sexy outfit from her still-warm body, which I hc as a key “Astarion approves” moment. I'm so sorry.)

As far as the druids go, Saedra doesn’t have much time for them. She doesn’t get their nature thing, is deeply riled by their attitude toward the tieflings, and never bothers to dig around into Kagha’s machinations. Her principal goal is to get the damn worm out of her brain, and that leads her first to Nettie and then to Halsin, who may succeed in opening um. her mind to the whole druid thing eventually. She flat-out lies to Nettie when she “swears” she’ll use the poison at the first sign of a tentacle.

Anyway, the goblins never got a chance to attack the Grove, so she stood on the ramparts waving goodbye as the tieflings rolled out, safe and sound…

27. Who ended up in your Character's most used party?

Astarion and Shadowheart are pretty much permanent and the third spot varies, mostly Lae’zel and occasionally Gale. As a warlock she almost never brings Wyll along. Saedra would keep him close if she could but that’s the game mechanics. Spamming eldritch blast.

Interestingly Saedra adores Lae’zel’s bluntness and focus, while at the same time she also adores Astarion’s exact opposite slipperiness and flair for chaos. It’s Lae’zel she goes to for advice. As for Shadowheart, the cleric immediately inspires a feeling of sisterly affection despite, or maybe because of, her troubled secretiveness, like one of the younger orphans Saedra would take under her wing. They’re inseparable now.

39. What does your Character think of Raphael?

She loves that he sticks to the bit. He does Devil with unapologetic snark. “Here, have a table full of delicacies and hear me out.” Kind of a kindred soul in that sense. Saedra’s just laughing all the way through it.

But she’s in a pact already and extremely wary of anyone else trying to get their claws in, so she enjoys Raphael’s performance and then sends him packing. (In Act I at any rate.)

#thanks this really did help me start solidifying saedra!!#baneschosen #bald guy 3 #saedra

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justporo · 4 months

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Hey, Poro.

We all know how much Astarion loves the sun. What about Tav making sure Astarion gets enough relaxing sun time during down time or a short rest? I know the game does short rests instantly but they are mechanically an hour of rest in D&D.

I like to think of Tav laying out a blanket and coaxing Astarion to take a sun nap with them. Either at one of the windows in the elf song, or under the shade of a tree when out on the road.

A/N: So - you want to make sure they both get their... Vitamin D, amirite? Alright, I'll stop. This idea was so endearing to me, made my writing brain go brrr, so thank you! Pairing: Astarion/GN!Tav (You) Warnings: light mention of past traumaWordcount: 2,3k

Short Rests

Artwork by the wonderful @britonell - pls follow them!! (And thank you sm, again!)

Whenever your little group took breaks during the day, one could bet that the vampire was to be found somewhere lazing away the time in the sun. His favourite position was laying down somewhere in the grass, if available: arms behind his head and legs angled, one crossed over the other with his ankle resting relaxedly on the knee, his foot idly tapping to a tune only Astarion could hear and sometimes even humming in content.

And he smiled when he did that - for a long time during your joint adventure these were probably the only real genuine smiles you’d seen on him. You weren’t even sure if he was aware of the blissful expression on his face during these moments. And you surely hadn’t meant to tell him, lest it would disturb his enjoyment.

Nothing and no one could take those moments away from him. Which also went with how he mysteriously became deaf and blind once his behind hit the ground to recline and relax in the sun. Only some very good negotiations from your side had often assured your group leaving on time again. These negotiations had usually entailed you making promises to come spend the night with him or a generous offer of your blood. Demands, which of course you had no trouble giving in to.

Once you had started to spend nights with him and once those had become a lot more frequent, you sometimes sat with him when the party rested. Often you just sat in silence, merely listening to the rambling of the others like when Shadowheart and Lae’zel argued or when Gale took up inventory for the dinner of the day ahead of time (he had the very despicable habit of thinking aloud when he did that). Or even better just some forest sounds whenever there was an opportunity to have just a little more privacy.

Then you’d just listen to the wind in the treetops, birds chirping, the occasional turmoil in the underbrush.

And sometimes you would talk. About nothing at first really, some banter, a bit of flirting and sultry jokes. But you felt how things slowly shifted with you and Astarion. How your treacherous little heart took a small leap whenever he looked at you in a certain kind of way, when he threw you these kind of glances: soft grin on his lips that made him look almost fiendish and his ruby eyes glinted at you, one eyebrow arched - always looking like just about everything was nothing but a punchline to him.

What you didn’t see was how Astarion’s gaze softened at you in like whenever your eyes wandered away and he could allow himself to admire your open smile for a moment. Only when you were alone, when he could do so without fear of being found out and it being used against him.

So at one point you found you had moved from feeding each other sweet nothings and lewd comments to actually opening up to each other. Slowly and cautiously, of course, each of you had more than enough reasons to keep your hand close to your chests but increasingly it had felt like that this was more than just a fling between you, more than a game - and unbeknownst to you, more than ulterior motives.

But things changed once more when your little group of misfits reached the Shadowlands.

Then all of a sudden there were no more relaxing breaks in the gentle warmth of the afternoon sun. No more talks with birds chirping in the background, after which you always felt like there might be something after all this mess - someone even.

And your time in darkness brought even more changes. A bond between Astarion and you was formed that weeks ago you hadn’t dared to dream of. Something to hold onto despite the shadows surrounding you and even more shadows within you.

When the curse was finally lifted, the first rays of sunlight felt like a caress on your pained soul. But it wasn’t the same anymore, not for Astarion anyways.

What Astarion and you had now was precious to each of you. But with opening up, letting down some of his guard, he had not only invited you in but also some old demons he’d pushed away from him as far as possible for the duration of your adventure. Suddenly the old pain and new fear were often so clearly written in the vampire’s face that it made your heart ache.

Not once in the duration of your travels from Moonrise Towers to the Gate had you spent one of those rather carefree afternoons together enjoying the sun anymore. You wished deeply to have these moments back. When you had almost been able to convince yourself that all this chaos didn’t exist, that there was only him and you.

And it got worse the closer you got to the city. The dread of closing in on his master’s lair seemed almost like a physical weight on him. And it was also easily spottable in his mannerisms, mood and behaviour.

Just like when you had first met him his eyes were always jumping around, always alert, his posture sometimes slightly crouched as if trying to get away from a non-existent threat. Some of the light-heartedness that he’d earned in between was so easily lost again that it made your chest clench.

But on one of the last days of your journey to Baldur’s Gate you decided to take a leap. An attempt to lighten the load of your vampire’s shoulders and showing him that you wanted to be there for him, that you truly cared.

When your usual time for a break rolled around, you quickly grabbed a blanket out of your pack and went scouting for a neat place to hopefully settle down - if only for a short while, just a short rest. Luckily, you quickly found a small clearing in the surrounding woods. It was really quite beautiful: a small spring at the edge of it provided some atmosphere, shadows from the nearby trees provided generous shade and some flowers added specks of colour all around. Almost a little too perfect. But just right to lead your partner away from camp for a few moments - and hopefully from his fears and worries.

You placed down your blanket directly in the sun and quickly made your way back to camp. There you found Astarion sitting atop his rolled up pack - a bit away from the others.

He was fiddling with his dagger - throwing it up with a flip, catching the tip of the thin blade precisely between his thumb and index, then throwing it up again and catching it by the hilt.

You had come to know that this was a nervous habit of his. The quicker the blade flashed in the sunlight the worse it was.

Today you could barely make out a pause in between his fidgeting.

Perfect timing to try and get his mind off things.

“Astarion?” you asked.

The vampire flinched. Just a little because he was used to your company now, but old habits, as one knows, die hard.

“What can I do for you, my love?”

The dagger didn’t stop flipping.

“Do you want to continue trying to stab yourself or do you maybe want to come with me for a while?” you asked and crossed your arms over your chest.

The dagger continued to basically spin seamlessly. The vampire threw you a sultry look.

“Oh, darling my, what are you suggesting, hm?”

You both knew this was merely a joke or a facade. It was a clear and outspoken agreement between the two of you that you would take it slow with certain parts of your relationship. Although that didn’t stop Astarion from making lewd comments at every possible turn though.

“That we lay in the sun like a pair of lizards,” you began truthfully and began to grin when you saw the vampire’s nose scrunch up at the comparison to a puny reptile. Still the blade was flashing at you as it was thrown around - although it seemed to slow down a bit.

“You know, like we used to…” you continued and let your words trail off. He would know what you mean.

And he did.

Astarion snatched his blade out of the air a final time. Then sheathed it with an artful twirl and a sigh. When he looked at you the sultry demeanour was gone. He offered you a genuine expression of worry: corners of his mouth turned down and drawn together brows causing a steep wrinkle on his forehead, eyes wide and shining. Another sigh made his chest rise and quickly fall again while he looked up at you almost like a lost pupper. Good thing you had good ways with those.

Offering your vampire a reassuring smile you stretched out a hand to him to help him get up. Which he promptly took - albeit not without a small dramatic bow that made some of his curls fall into his face.

He pulled himself up on your arm and then pulled once more when he was standing in front of you, effectively dragging you towards him until you crashed against his chest. He had stowed the worry away again quickly enough. Or it might be that he was just way too good with putting a mask back into place. Still the smirk he offered you was a delight when he wrapped his arms around you.

“I thought one wasn’t supposed to go into the woods with strangers? What if I get kidnapped?” he teased and puckered his lips.

“In that case don’t you have a dagger to defend yourself? Or is that only to show off?” you teased back and then slipped out of Astarion’s embrace to grab his hand and lead the way.

The rogue just laughed slightly, but it didn’t sound fully genuine.

Immediately, your chest clenched. You’d change that.

With your hand firmly in his - which also was still a pretty new and exhilarating experience - you made it to the small clearing. It really did feel like a small part of heaven with how the sunlight shone through the leaves of the trees above and there was nothing to be heard but the small stream of water and silent forest ambience.

Once you had taken a few steps onto the clearing with your hands still entwined with Astarion’s you turned around to face him. The vampire looked a little surprised by all this, taking in the calming atmosphere but only until you grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss.

You wanted nothing more than to take all the worries and fears off of him, all of the things that weighed heavy on his heart. Just make it all vanish so you could both forever stay in moments like these.

The kiss deepened soon, bodies were pressed against each other and soft moans broke the serene peace of this place. Then you pulled away, absolutely unwilling to cross lines.

“Are you sure lying in the sun was your only motive to bring me here, my sweet?” Astarion asked in a husky tone despite knowing you would never push him on this - at least this you knew for sure from looking into his crimson eyes. He was sure of you. At least he had that.

But this still didn’t mean he would pass up an opportunity to make a suggestive joke.

“Yes - I don’t want to get the pointy end of that dagger, Astarion. You need to relax.”

The vampire chuckled. Already you felt you noticed how his shoulders lifted up a little again, your plan seemed to work.

You motioned him towards the prepared blanket and the pale elf didn’t need to be asked twice to settle himself down with a contented sigh. He assumed his usual position of comfort, stretching out his limbs like a feline before he became nearly unmoving.

The wind picked up with a gust and made the tree crowns whisper more eagerly than before. Meanwhile you just stood there and watched the sight that fit right in with its beautiful surroundings.

Golden rays of the afternoon sun were shining directly onto Astarion’s angelic face, speckled only by shadows of leaves above. The vampire’s visage was now once more adorned by one of those easy, blissful smiles. You hadn’t even known the full extent of how much you had missed to see them on his lips. Your own heart lightened by the sight of Astarion slipping back into this simple pleasure: basking in gentle daylight.

Only when you saw that one crimson eye was watching you carefully, did you notice that you had gotten lost in the moment. Standing there at the edge of the blanket like a statue, simply observing your soulmate indulge in this delight.

“You wanted me to relax, right?” Astarion asked with an undertone you couldn’t fully place - a weird mixture of something genuine and something teasing.

“Yes, that was the idea.”

“Well then, darling, are you coming or did you plan on standing there like a creep the whole time?”

The corners of his mouth turned up as he set down his leg on the ground again from where it had been crossed over the other, opened both his eyes and stretched out an arm towards you.

More than an invitation: a demand, a need.

You didn’t make him wait for long as you sat down beside him and watched a genuine smile grow on his lips again. Then you curled up beside him, your head on his chest, arms around his torso and his arm around you. Something you’d been dreaming of since the two of you had begun your afternoon tête-à-têtes so long ago.

You laid there, all bundled up with each other, filling a short rest with a whole eternity, while you forgot the time and promised each other to do this again as soon as you were able to.

Taglist (DM if you want to be added please): @spacebarbarianweird @sunfire-ancunin @tragedybunny @dependsonthedream @tallymonster @magazzne @micropoe10 @aoirohi @my-bunny-prince @lumienyx @fayeriess @darlingxdragon @hereliesblackdragon @ayselluna @ajokeformur-ray @i-cant-get-into-my-other-account @rikuyrk06 @marina-and-the-memes @somewhatclear

#astarion #baldur's gate 3 #astarion ancunin #fanfiction #astarion x tav #bg3 spoilers #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate #astarion x mc #astarion x oc #astarion x you #astarion x reader #bg3

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Gale Extensive analysis

Disclaimer Game Version: All these analyses were written up to the game version v4.1.104.3536 (Early access). . As long as new content is added, and as long as I have free time for that, I will try to keep updating this information. Written in May 2021.

The majority of sources used for this article are in the game itself (this includes my Gale-solo playthroughs as well as a combination of the videos by munmomuu and selphie1999), and the dev’s notes provided by pjenn. Gale as origin is not taken into account since it’s not finished and has little Gale-related content. There will be little datamining content as well since pjenn said the game contained almost no gale-related notes (only in theWeave and in the Revelation scene).

The itemised list will show some instances of approval or disapproval as they are seen in the game. To make the reading of this article easier and shorter, you can skip them since they are basically the proof I use to sustain the introductory concept of each block.

We can infer a lot of Gale by analysing what he approves and disapproves of. Sometimes, we can even lightly infer some information from his neutral reactions, but let’s be honest: this way of analysing a char is pretty poor since it leaves everything to speculation. Neutral reactions can only be analysed by contrasting the same situation in other contexts, and seeing what other options Gale approves or disapproves of. With these considerations in mind, we can proceed to describe this character.

Disclaimer: this is a meta with my personal interpretation of the character, sticking as much as possible to the facts and leaving little to “desires” or “projections” of what I want him to be. If I do so, I will state it explicitly in the text for the sake of analysis honesty. I want to be clear about what is canon (facts shown in bg3 EA), from what’s personal interpretation with little proof.

Also, this list is extensive, gathering as much as I could in my many playthroughs, but I’m sure it’s not absolutely complete. Some details may have escaped me, but honestly, I believe that any new approval will be easily fit in these blocks once the pattern has been seen.

Understanding Gale by enumerating his reactions and approvals

What we can do is combine what we know and make our deductions.

---Gale

[[1]] The most notorious aspect we see about his approval is that Gale supports all actions that prevent, via persuasion, intimidation, or deception, the unnecessary violence and bloodshed. His attitude can be summarized as “the means (as long as they don’t kill gratuitously) hardly matter if the end is worthy”. He will always prefer diplomatic and persuasive approaches, but he can be flexible when his main objective is to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

He approves of using intimidation, deception, or persuasion against Gimblebock, in the ruins of the Jergal Temple.

He approves of intimidation or deception against the tieflings that have Lae’zel in a cage.

Gale approves of diffusing the tension between Zevlor and Aradin, using intimidation or persuasion. He keeps neutral if Tav uses violence to knock out one of the two. Once more, this shows he prefers any verbal approach before heading into physical violence.

He approves of dealing with Nettie without bloodshed after she poisoned Tav. Gale even has an extra comment on the matter praising such an approach since he says he would have not been able to do it himself. This is also the first time we see a glimpse of his support for the philosophy of “giving people their own medicine”. However, it's a comment made in the heat of the moment. He ends up praising a peaceful resolution of the situation.

He approves of saving Lae’Zel’s life when she attacks Tav in the camp. This can be done via deception, persuasion or knowledge [medicine] as long as it spares Lae’Zel’s life when she is feeling the first symptoms of the transformation.

He approves of any means that allow a peaceful entrance to the Blighted Village.

Gale approves of using persuasion/intimidation/deception against the goblins to avoid combat with all of them and to save the deep gnome tied to the windmill.

Gale approves of paying for Oskar’s freedom or using persuasion/intimidation, and then setting him free.

He approves of intimidating Spike (the goblin who is torturing Liam) to cooperate with you.

Gale approves of persuasion/intimidation options to pretend to be a True Soul in front of Dror Ragzlin, avoiding combat with him and all his goblin lackeys.

Gale approves of the persuasive approach with the githyanki patrol, promising to help them to find this weapon they are looking for. It’s clear that any other approach will end up in a fight and therefore, bloodshed.

He also approves if you tell Lae’Zel to deal with her brethren while “playing along”. Again, the goal is to avoid fighting/bloodshed.

He approves of intimidating Karlach, saying that “I heard you are dangerous, so I am”. Since Karlach is aiming at the group, he approves of diffusing the imminent violence.

In similar fashion, Gale approves of intimidating Rugan, once he presents himself as Zhentarim, to give you the chest. This can be interpreted as a way to prevent further violence from a Zhentarim. Since there is no approval when you use persuasion to have the chest, one is more inclined to think this approval is about danger-control than curiosity. Or it’s just a bug.

[[2]] As it was said before, we can assume that diplomatic approaches are the best ones in his opinion. They not only have a positive effect in the short term but also are means that may guarantee useful resources for the future:

Gale approves of ensuring an encounter with Lorroakan in Baldur’s Gate via Rolan, establishing diplomatic relationships with what could potentially be a powerful useful ally.

Gale approves of promising to rescue the Duke Ravengard in the Moonrise, one of the most important figures in Baldur’s Gate.

Gale approves of managing a peaceful entrance to the Myconid colony. He highlights in a comment afterwards how useful it could be to have the Myconid as allies.

[[3]] Gale certainly is a great protector of life. Gale is against killing people just for fun, whether they are innocent or not. He will defend and respect the life of innocents without question, but he even will defend the life of dubious characters.

Gale approves of helping the tieflings to get rid of Lae’Zel because “she is dangerous to innocent people ''. We can see here that like any human, he has his own (reasonable) biases about Githyanki, considering them dangerous. Only after meeting Lae’Zel he recognises a good ally with the possibility of access to a cure to their tadpole problem.

He approves of convincing Rolan to stay in the Grove and defend it. This can be interpreted as gathering resources to reduce the bloodshed and therefore, the loss of life when facing the goblin attack. After all, Gale believes that “a wizard is a mighty weapon to have in your arsenal”

He approves of stepping in front of Arka whose crossbow is aimed at the caged goblin Sazza. Due to the anecdote he shares after, we know explicitly that his approval is due to the prevention of murder.

In his anecdote on the Yawning Portal, we know he prevented murder of three humanoids: a dragonborn, a drow, and a cleric of Cyric. The last two are highly morally dubious due to lore reasons, reinforcing this concept that Gale protects life whether they are innocent or not.

He approves of inviting Wyll to their camp and team. He is a fighter and a good resource to add in order to protect the team’s life.

He also approves of helping Zevlor when he comments about the Blade of Frontier’s plan of killing the goblin leaders.

He approves of helping the tiefling called Guex to improve his technique with the sword. More chances for him not to lose his own life.

Approves of helping Auntie Ethel when she's confronted by Mayrina’s brothers when Tav’s perception check fails. This is because neither Tav nor Gale perceived her as a Hag until the brothers called her such.

Gale approves saving Mayrina from the hag’s clutches. If Tav deals with the Hag, accepting her power and saving Mayrina, Gale will remain neutral (he is displeased with sparing the hag, but it’s nullified with the fact that Tav ended up rescuing Mayrina.) He will disapprove of giving Mayrina to the hag and accepting her powers instead. He is always approving of saving Mayrina’s life and killing the Hag, saving more potential innocents in the future. He explicitly says that hags should be extinct due to their malice.

He approves of avoiding a fight by convincing the man to let the party pass into the Zhentarim hideout.

He approves of saving Rugan’s life in the hideout. This reinforces again the concept that Gale values life including the morally dubious ones’.

Gale approves of saving Benryn’s life, the man screaming during the fire in the inn at Waukeen’s Rest.

Gale approves of accepting to rescue the Duke Ravengard, and probably saving his life.

Gale approves of saving the deep gnome in the windmill without asking compensation, just for the sake of saving his life.

Gale approves of attacking the goblins that are throwing stones to the caged bear. (He does it whether he knows that bear is Halsin or not)

Gale approves when Tav shields their memory and denies the access of the location of the grove to Minthara.

Gale approves of killing Minthara, the greatest danger for the tieflings and all lives in the Grove.

Gale approves of killing the Duergar slavers Gekh Coal and his company.

He approves of killing the dying hyena which is giving birth to a gnoll. This is a way to protect innocent lives in the long term.

He approves of using the tadpole against Flind, commanding her to devour the other gnolls. Gale approves again if Tav orders her to kill herself.

He approves of helping Baelen from escaping the trap of poisonous inflammable flowers he is surrounded in the Underdark.

[[4]] He dislikes greed and likes offering help without asking for a reward, just for the sake of helping.

Gale approves of helping Zevlor with the refugee situation.

Gale approves of incorporating Wyll in the group and of helping to get rid of the problems of the grove.

Gale approves helping Alfira in composing her song.

Gale approves of saving the tiefling kid Mirkon from the harpies.

Gale encourages Tav and approves of meddling into Mayrina's troubles when they see her being mistreated by the Hag.

He disapproves of asking for compensation after saving the deep gnome at the windmill. Gale approves of saving him and telling him “you owe me nothing”.

[[5 ]] He has a consistent approval of treating kids in a compassionate and forgiving way. There is a line he says after Arabella’s scene that sums up his position with kids (and adults too): “She was not innocent, but that doesn’t mean she is guilty.”

Gale disapproves of not interfering in Meli’s situation, the tiefling child who stole Barth’s medallion. Using intimidation against Barth at this moment doesn’t give approval penalties. Not doing anything does.

When Tav’s perception prevents them from being pickpocketed by one of Mattis' associates, the child immediately starts crying. Gale Approves of telling this child “Relax. I won’t get angry. You didn’t manage to steal anything from me”.

He approves of telling Arabella's parents that the druids overreacted. This approval is explicitly explained later by gale: one should be more kind and forgiving with the transgressions of youth. Here there is a bit of self-projection of Gale on the situation.

He approves of saving Arabella with active persuasion/intimidation. He disapproves of not doing anything during the tense situation with Teela.

He approves of choosing the option “Only a monster would threaten/kill a child” when speaking with Kagha the first time.

Gale approves of helping Mirkon. He disapproves of scaring him.

Gale approves of telling “I’m sorry for your loss” to a goblin kid whose parents were killed by the adventurer they are kicking.

[[6]] He is an animal lover in general, so treating animals in a good way will always earn his approval.

We know he has a cat. When he was a child, he used to have a Tressym (winged cat).

He approves of convincing Scratch of joining the camp via speak with animals.

Gale approves of petting Scratch.

Gale approves of leaving the cave of the Owlbear mother and her cub without combat. Or he approves if Tav can speak with animals and convinces her not to kill them.

After killing the owlbear mother, Gale approves of sparing the owlbear cub’s life.

Gale approves of convincing the goblin Krolla to hand over the Owlbear cub. Paying for it will not earn his approval.

Gale approves of feeding the owlbear cub at the camp. However, Gale will state that it's a dangerous pet. Gale approves of feeding the owl afterwards, offering a funny phrase that may be more meaningful for his character: “The hand that feeds is the hand that’s loved, now he wont leave your side”. I personally found it funny since he is the char that Tav is feeding with artefacts.

Gale approves of petting the owlbear.

Gale approves of attempting to heal the Owlbear cub in camp.

He disapproves of shooing the Owlbear cub.

Gale approves of freeing the spiders in the goblin camp. This can be interpreted as well as a tactical advantage for the battle.

Gale disapproves of suggesting to the goblins to use sharp stones at the caged bear so they can inflict more damage. He also disapproves again if Tav joins them in throwing stones.

He approves of helping the bear to attack the goblins. (This happens whether Gale knows that the bear is Halsin or not)

Gale approves of leaving flowers at the grave of the dog Myrna in the Underdark.

[[7]] Therefore it is only natural to see that he disaproves of animal cruelty

He disapproves of kicking and killing the squirrel Timber when entering the Grove.

He disapproves of prodding to death the bird that Nettie was healing

He disapproves of killing the owlbear cub once the mother was killed.

Gale disapproves of suggesting the goblin kids to use sharp stones to hurt the caged bear.

He disapproves of Tav throwing stones at the bear.

Gale disapproves of attacking the owlbear cub once it went to the camp.

[[8]] Since life is valuable for him in general, he will always disapprove of gratuitous killing, murder, and bloodshed. In short, he disapproves of unnecessary death.

Gale disapproves of asking the fishermen to hand over their values. This situation ends up in bloodshed.

He disapproves of joining Lae'Zel against the Tieflings that had her caged.

Gale disapproves of not helping Zevlor, knowing the tieflings will be massacred by the goblins.

He disapproves of telling Rolan to leave the grove before the arrival of the goblins. Without this wizard the tieflings have more chances of failing at the resistance.

He disapproves of helping the goblin Sazza to escape. This will guarantee that Minthara knows the location of the Grove.

He disapproves of telling Zevlor that Tav won’t help the Blade of Frontiers against the imminent massacre of the tieflings.

He disapproves of not doing anything to help Arabella

He disapproves of Tav ignoring his need for artefacts because “there is more at stake than his own meager life alone”. He disapproves of this decision that puts many innocents in danger, but he keeps appealing to Tav’s good side, encouraging them to do the “right thing”.

He also disapproves of killing Crusher when he is begging for his life after the “pungent poetic justice” of kissing Tav’s feet.

Gale disapproves of killing Rugan in the Zhentarim hideout when Zarys orders to.

Gale disapproves of killing Ellyka, the tiefling who was watching the githyanki patrol from a distance.

He disapproves of opening the gate for the goblin raiders.

Gale disapproves of joining the goblins in massacring the tieflings. During the party he will attempt to leave the group. Only a high persuasion or insight roll will keep him in the group. It requires a DC 15.

Gale disapproves of helping Glut to destroy Spaw, the peaceful leader of the current Myconid colony. Doing this will end up in the massacre of the Myconid.

He disapproves of abandoning Baelan surrounded by poisonous inflammable flowers in the Underdark.

[[9]] He doesn’t like gratuitous humiliation or torture of any kind, whether psychological or physical. Once more, it’s shown that he disapproves gestures of cruelty and unprovoked violence.

Gale disapproves of telling Elegis (tiefling on the gates of the grove) that she is pathetic for fearing the goblins.

He disapproves of pocketing the ring when Mattis (tiefling kid) asks you to choose heads or tails.

He disapproves of using intimidation against Pardima, threatening her to break her neck (she is the tiefling who is paralysed inside the small building).

He disapproves of smashing Alfira’s lute

He disapproves of telling Kagha that Arabella’s death was “quite a show”. This is related to Astarion’s concept of “fun” that Gale will bring into conversation subtly in an option during Mayrina’s quest.

Gale disapproves of psychologically torturing Lorin (wood elf trapped in Ethel’s house).

When Tav kills Connor, Gale will lament about the tragedy of the couple. He is sad for the story of lovers being over due to the whim of a hag.

Gale disapproves if after reviving Connor, Tav decides to keep him as a combat pet.

In the post before the Goblin camp, Gale disapproves of Tav smearing dung on their face. Gale has a sense of confidence and pride that he prefers to see in Tav as well. He is neutral if Tav throws dung against the goblin guards. On one side he probably approves of Tav’s pride transpired in that rebel action, but on the other hand, he doesn’t approve of provoking the goblins, since in the beginning of the scene he warned Tav that they come by the dozen, implying that they likely will be outnumbered.

He disapproves of obeying Crusher and kissing his foot, or licking it as a prank.

Gale disproves of volunteering to torture Liam inside the defiled temple of Selune.

Gale disapproves of siding with the Goblins in general. Once done, in the party, he disapproves of telling him to stop whining after the massacre when he is sharing his regret of having participated in it. He answers "You really are heartless".

(Datamining) In the Duergar encampment, Gale disapproves of killing the slave gnomes under the command of the True Soul Nere.

[[10]] Despite showing some signs that he may support some bias commonly spread in Faerun, he keeps open minded and quite self-critical about his own slips on different races.

During the meeting he uses the Rashemi group as a synonym for lack of intelligence. I personally see this as a foreshadowing detail of future frictions with Minsc.

He approves killing Lae’Zel in the cage if Tav supports the fact that she is dangerous to innocent people. This situation may suggest that Gale considers most Githyanki as dangerous (acceptable conception lore wise)

When talking with Aaron (the halfling merchant of the grove), Gale disapproves of saying that the tieflings can deal with their problems because they have devil powers.

Despite goblinoid races being despised by most people in Faerun, Gale recognises their powers, culture, magic, and ability to bond and love.

He is a human of Waterdeep, his human-centric vision slips in his line (with a non-human Tav): “Now more than ever, it's important to recall what makes us human. Well- you know what I mean.” He immediately noticed it and acknowledged it.

[[11]]He is against slavery:

Gale disapproves if Tav pays Oskar’s freedom to get him as a slave. He approves of leaving him free by any means: paying for him, intimidation, or persuasion.

Gale disapproves of helping Gekh Coal (Duergar) to find the slave gnome who stole the boots in the Underdark.

Gale disapproves of handing over Astarion to Gandrel. This action can be interpreted as a way to not support slavery (because the story of Cazador), even though a better interpretation is related to Gale’s abandonment issues (see bellow).

(Datamining) In the Duergar encampment, Gale approves of helping Beldron in using the explosives to get free of the Duergar slavers.

[[12]] There are several elements related to acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, kindness and acknowledging of mistakes deeply entangled in his character. Gale wants these values for himself as well as for others. Examples of this can be seen in the following approvals:

[[12a]] Acceptance: of his persona, which means respecting his privacy, boundaries, and needs

[Privacy/Boundaries] He disapproves of every use of the tadpole on him. He has been more than clear from the first moment about his privacy and secrets, promising that he will eventually share, given the circumstances (he clearly leaves open the possibility of trusting in Tav and never denies having secrets). This behaviour of him is also understood later not as a whim but as part of his abandonment issues: he explicitly says several times that “some truths are more difficult to share than others”. We need to remember that his secret is directly entangled with Mystra, her abandonment, and the mistake of the orb. See the post about "Gale Hypotheses- Part 1", section: "Abandonment Issues" for further interpretation.

[Privacy/Boundaries] During the scene of the stew, he disapproves of using the tadpole again. He attempts to leave the group for the breach of trust. A persuasive or insightful comment will keep him in the group, excusing the natural mistrust in Tav (Gale will always respond better to reasoning and negotiations than anything else). Once more, Gale forgives Tav’s intrusion.

[Privacy/Boundaries] During the death protocol, he approves of telling him that he can keep his secrets until he is ready to share them, despite the many questions that the whole event arose.

[Privacy/Boundaries] During the scene of Loss, he approves of letting the topic of the loss rest. However, at this point, even if Tav keeps pushing, Gale will approve and will share a bit more about his folly with Mystra.

[Needs] He approves of Tav with each artefact he receives. This can be understood as an action of caring for Gale and his life as well as for preventing the death of innocents.

[Acceptance] Accepting to share the experience of the Weave with him is key in his relationships with Tav. Magic equals Weave, and Magic is his life, so he is sharing in that moment a strongly meaningful part of him with Tav. Acceptance of the event is a direct acceptance of Gale as a person for a future deep friendship or romance.

[Acceptance] If Tav is a Wizard or a Cleric of Mystra, Gale approves the praise options: "I quite agree. There is no greater deity than Mystra" and “Praise be that Mystryl was reborn as Mystra.” Despite the abandonment, Gale still remains a great devotee of her, and accepting her is an indirect way to accept a big part of his own life.

[Acceptance] He approves even more if this acceptance has romantic connotations (this means, options of kiss/holding hands in the Weave or “more than friends” during Loss).

[Acceptance] When Tav resurrects Gale, he doesn’t approve the resurrection per se, but the “welcome back” comment, implying that he values the action a bit more when Tav is glad for his own persona to be back.

[Forgiveness] He will approve acceptance of his own persona and forgiveness of his secrecy after the party.

[[12b]] Forgiveness for others: He approves of forgiving kids [5] or all those adults who show honest regret by their past mistakes. This can be understood as a projection.

When Tav first meets Gale, he states he is a reserved person. He disapproves of the use of the tadpole even though he understands the drive of curiosity. He forgives Tav who acknowledged their mistake.

Gale approves of telling Arabella’s parents that the Druids overreacted, that Arabella “is just a child”. Once Arabella is saved, Gale will explicitly emphasise later about forgiving the transgressions of youth.

After finding evidence that Kagha is working with Shadow Druids, Gale approves of exposing her while making her see her own mistakes. A path to redemption is granted with this action, and this resounds deeply in Gale.

Gale himself wishes Mystra’s forgiveness for the mistake done in his youth. Despite wishing for it, he is quite resigned to never receiving it.

If Tav uses the parasite powers a third time despite having agreed with the rest of the group not to, Gale will approve a sincere apology, as long as Tav acknowledges the mistake. He will answer that he knows about weaknesses and will recommend to stay stronger from that moment on. He forgives and passes no judgement, understanding Tav’s mistakes due to his own experience (to be fair: all companions with the exception of Astarion forgive this slip into the powers of the tadpole).

Taking Silvanus' idol may potentially end up in killing the druids. If this is the case, Gale will be affected by this tragedy since it was a lot of unnecessary death he doesn't like [1,3,8], and shares the burden that those deaths caused him since he suggested taking the idol as last resort, expecting to save more lives due to his bomb-condition. We see that he wants to survive and protect others from the orb, but not “at whatever cost”. He reflects with a heavy heart “at what cost” a greater evil was prevented. He speaks about “what’s wrong is wrong”, implying with all this scene that forgiveness, in this case, may be not possible.

He approves of being forgiven/supported in his friendship/romance despite the mistake of holding the information of the orb and Mystra. At this point it is strange that Tav has not realised all of this alone, unless the player had a bug that prevented them from seeing Gale’s scenes. (Gale’s scenes suffer the lowest priority in the triggering list).

When Gale explicitly apologies in the morning after, he approves of telling him “It's fine. In the end I'm glad you told me.” The other options have no approval penalties. Once more it’s seen that a compassionate, forgiving attitude increases his approval. This can be seen as a direct result of his traumatic and constant present fear for abandonment (Check the post of "Gale Hypotheses- Part 1", section: "Abandonment Issues").

[[12c]] Compassion and kindness: He approves of most actions based on compassion and kindness (on him or others) and disapproves quick judgement on others when the whole story related to them is not completely known.

Gale disapproves of telling Arabella's parents that the situation is their fault. This can be interpreted as a quick judgement when they still did not listen to the other side.

After saving Arabella, Gale has a special comment related to the “transgressions of the youth”, about mistakes, and about innocence and guilt.

In Waukeen’s rest, Gale is neutral about keeping the dowry as a payment, but he approves of giving it to Benryn (the man rescued from the fire who found his wife dead). This could be considered a gesture of compassion.

He approves of most compassionate options when he is speaking of Mystra during the scene of Loss. It doesn’t matter if Tav doesn’t understand the whole situation; he always appreciates receiving support.

Instead, he disapproves if Tav considers arrogance as the cause for his pain and loss (later we will know his folly was not because of arrogance but because of young love/devotion). He doesn’t approve judgement in this instance (since the whole story has not been said yet) but he will not disapprove Tav’s judgements later during the scene of the Revelation, where he receives the most aggressive words without approval penalties.

Curiously, during the goblin party, he explicitly says that these two aspects of his persona (compassion and kindness) are affected by the shadow within (the orb) and the shadow without (the revealed Evil-Tav).

[[13]] Gale is a man of the City who indulges in the fine pleasures that urban life and some degree of privilege can offer. This is quite reasonable in terms of lore, since he is from Waterdeep, where humans hold the political and social power, plus his wizard profession. Wizards tend to come (even though it’s not exclusive) from high income families or from nobility since wizardry studies are quite expensive:

He comments about the hardness of the wilderness.

He missed the civilisation: soft beds, home cooked meals, minstrels, and scented baths.

Gale approves of giving Oskar (the slave painter in the Zhentarim hideout) 200 gold to fight the “discomforts of the road”. He is the only companion who approves this action.

Gale disapproves of participating in the pain ritual with Abdirak. I personally prefer to interpret it in relation to his dislike for evil entities, but it can be also interpreted as a statement: pain “is not his cup of tea”.

In the same way, during the Weave, he disapproves of the image of being kicked in the gut.I know this should be common sense: if someone kicks you, you disapprove. The detail I see here is that, judging by his reaction, it seems to hurt him more than the image of the severed head. Maybe he has an extra sensibility to pain as the result of living with the orb stuck in his chest. The orb seems to be an ever present fear/pain (one can assume pain due to the extreme facial gesticulation in Gale when the process of absorption happens)

[[14]] He may disapprove of worshipping dubious or evil gods. This seems coherent since Mystra is a neutral good entity.

Gale disapproves of participating in the pain ritual with Abdirak. He explicitly says that pain is not “his cup of tea”, but it’s possible to interpret this scene as a disapproval to worshiping evil gods. Loviatar is one whose followers offer pain to celebrate her. In all options of this dialogue Abdirak explicitly says this is a ritual to offer pain to Loviatar, so it can be understood as a form of worshipping her in the moment.

Gale disapproves if Tav accepts to be a Chosen of Booal.

He approves of Tav claiming that they don’t need of Booal’s powers, “I'll just kill you and claim it for myself”

When Shadowheart confesses being a worshipper of Shar, Gale will share a comment that displays his discomfort.

Gale approves of purging the evil in the dying hyena when a good-aligned Cleric blesses them.

[[15]] Gale is a scholar, and therefore, quite an open-minded char, who advocates for unconventional ways to solve problems:

He approves of considering the Creche solution for their tadpole’s problem, incorporating a githyanki to their group.

Gale approves of considering Gut the Priestess as another option.

Despite his years studying The Arts, he is not judgemental or dismissive to Warlock/Cleric/Paladin Tavs who acquired the ability to cast magic thanks to the gift granted by superior entities.

Gale approves of saying “Then fix it, or die at my hand” to Raphael, quite an aggressive option for his usual style.

Gale suggests outsmarting Raphael; his logic is reasonable: these tadpoles are powerful and unusual, and Raphael probably wants them instead of their souls. If he is right, a good deal can be established. He knows that cambion’s deals tend to be unfair but he wants to exploit the fallible (human) side of Raphael for their benefit.

He is neutral when accepting the solution offered by the Hag. He probably doesn’t disapprove completely because, like a good scholar, he is waiting for the empirical result. He knows beforehand that Hags are twisted and evil entities that hardly could give them a good deal. In this case, he is not even proposing to outsmart her.

Gale approves of giving the wand of control of Connor to Mayrina so she can find a solution in Baldur’s Gate. Despite this is an unconventional way to fix this situation, I personally feel there is a bug around, since his following comment is more consistent with a disapproval.

[[16]] He doesn’t like rushed decisions without thinking about all the possibilities. He encourages logical and reasonable discussions, free of biases or misconceptions as a scholar does. This aspect can be also understood as a reflection of his own past mistakes. Taking the orb after Mystra’s abandonment was a rushed decision of his youth which made him pay a big price.

During Raphael’s scene, he disapproves of the option “I’ll do anything to get rid of the tadpole”. That fast answer would only cause troubles.

He approves during Raphael’s scene the option that allows reflection: “I need to think this over.”

He encourages Tav to not discard the option of looking for the priestess Gut so quickly. He knows how magic is called among the goblinoid races and how much they value healing for being a culture of war.

Although he disapproves of the intrusion into his mind with the tadpole during the scene of the stew, reasonable arguments using persuasion/insight can be enough to prevent him from leaving the party. He reinforces the idea that he “may have spoken in haste” and he has reconsidered to stay despite Tav’s transgressions.

[[17]] He usually disapproves of using unknown magic in an irresponsible or careless way. This can be interpreted as a way to prevent mistakes similar to the one he did with the orb.

Gale disapproves of Tav reading the book of necromancy or giving it to Astarion. The reader will have access to the “forbidden knowledge” tag. Gale thinks himself more adequate for it since he is wiser than before, his experience with the orb book has taught him a great deal. He approves of giving the book to him.

Gale disapproves of accepting the brand of the Absolute. In the moment Tav accepts it, they learn that it has a unique magical effect that only True Souls can notice. Gale suspects this magic may cause mind control on goblins. "Charged with magic? Perhaps that explains the ease with which these goblins submit to True souls."

He approves of being cautious with the powers of the tadpole once they start seeing that its usage has physical and psychological (dreams) effects.

He disapproves of using the tadpoles after seeing a dangerous pattern with the dreams.

[[18]] He approves of poetic justice, and he seems to follow the philosophy of “give others their own medicine” when he is attacked or harassed.

Gale approves of dealing with the situation with Nettie without bloodshed. However, Gale states that having been him, he would have handled it in a different way, recognising that he may have forced Nettie to pay with the same coin. “A taste of her own medicine is what she deserves.”

Gale encourages and approves of reinforcing a “pungent poetic justice”, making Crusher kiss Tav’s foot.

Gale approves of helping the Myconid in killing the Duergars. “Wicked killers deserve wicked ends”

[[19]] He supports or at least doesn’t easily judge acts of self-preservation, but not at any cost. This follows his line “one respects life by fighting for it, and one respects death by fearing it”

Gale disapproves of keeping Astarion in the party after the bite scene. This happens if you use two options: “you can leave option” or “he won't hurt us”. Keeping Astarion is a danger in his eyes.

Gale approves of convincing/deceiving Lae’Zel not to kill the party during the night of apparent transformation into mind flayers. If those rolls fail and Tav kills Lae’Zel, Gale will remain neutral in the forced action that they had to take due to self-preservation. He describes the situation as “brutal” and shows pity and sadness for the tragedy. Then he asks Tav how they are doing with the experience: he is sympathising with Tav, not judging them.

Gale approves of dealing with Nettie without bloodshed but he states that he would have fought in order to preserve his own life.

When Tav speaks to Kagha after Arabella’s death, Gale keeps neutral to the comment “You protected your own without hesitation - my compliments.” However, Gale would only approve expressions related to calling out Kagha. Gale can understand the self-preservation sentiments, but his line is drawn when life is taken gratuitously.

Gale approves of pretending to be a True Soul in front of Dror Ragzlin and avoiding a fight when they are outnumbered.

He approves of being cautious with the powers of the tadpole once they start showing that they can endanger their own lives.

He suggests stealing the idol of Silvanus as a way to keep his condition in check (which is more than just self-preservation due to the massive destruction it may cause). If Tav killed the druids to obtain it, Gale shows regret. He embodies the sense of survival, but not at any cost. He suffers with the consequences, but he also endures them since they are the lesser evil. He prefers to cause the least harm possible if there is no choice in avoiding to hurt a side.

This can be better seen during the goblin party. The only arguments that Tav can use to convince Gale to stay in the team are those related to self-preservation: “We make each other survive” and “You don't stand a chance alone”, both statements that Gale can accept only after a high DC 15, but always regretting his need and the excess of blood.

[[20]] Gale’s secrecy about Mystra and the orb have a clear source: he has serious abandonment issues that can be easily seen in his most apparent “strange” approvals/disapprovals:

Gale disapproves of handing over Astarion to Gangrel, even though he dislikes and mistrusts keeping Astarion as part of the group during the bite scene. This is quite surprising since Astarion is seen by Gale as a danger.

Gale approves twice defending Astarion against Gangrel. If Astarion is not in the group, the first approval happens when Tav recognises that Astarion is part of their companions/friends (therefore, they care about them). The second approval is when Tav reinforces their loyalty to Astarion insisting that they won’t give his location. Although Gale will explicitly question if this decision was right, he secretly approved it (meta-knowledge that only the player sees). We can interpret this as Gale seeing in Tav a person who will never abandon someone they care for, even if that person endangers them.

During the scene of Revelation, Gale approves of not being abandoned/pushed away by Tav despite his “secrecy”.

This post was written in May 2021. → For more Gale: Analysis Series Index

#bg3 meta #bg3 early access #gale of waterdeep #bg3 gale #gale #bg3

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lockewrites · 4 years

Text

Our Own Entertainment

Astarion x F!OC || NSFW (Not actual smut, but very suggestive foreplay) || 2338 words AO3 & FF

Aurella and Astarion struggle to keep themselves entertained during a rather boring party.

The campsite was bustling with tieflings, singing and dancing, party already in full swing before Aurella and the rest of them arrived. Zevlor stood at the entrance, greeting them as they approached.

“I hope you’ll pardon them,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “They meant to wait for you all. But it’s been some time since they’ve had cause to celebrate.”

A sudden burst of laughter sounded near the fire, and Zevlor smiled, even as Aurella walked past him with little acknowledgement.

“I’m glad to see they haven’t forgotten how,” she heard him say to Serilda.

Aurella headed for her tent, eager to strip off her pack and armor and change into clothes she inexplicably stumbled on when visiting the tieflings the first time. She wore a deep red, linen shirt that was slightly too large; it hung loose around her chest, but she shrugged and tucked it into her waistband.

Returning to the party, her gaze fell to a pile of crates that the tieflings seemed to gravitate toward. She waded through the mass of already inebriated people and reached the boxes, smiling at the bottles upon bottles of what had to be alcohol. Without a second thought, she grabbed a few bottles; she’d need them if Volo’s singing wasn’t going to end anytime soon.

Bottles in tow, Aurella climbed onto the rocks near the center of camp and settled down on the cold surface, giving herself a good view of the party’s going-ons. Serilda was no longer near Zevlor, in fact, Serilda was nowhere to be found. It didn’t surprise Aurella; her sister didn’t seem the type to appreciate the chaos of drunks or fun in general. With a long swig, and a sour grimace afterward, Aurella simply watched. Her lip curled with every sip, the vinegar-tasting wine disturbing her senses, but drink enough, and she knew she’d no longer taste it.

The children ran around, occasionally bumping into a staggering adult, some of the others danced to Volo’s ‘song’ and others ignored him entirely, playing games that involved drinking if they lost and drinking if they won. Lae’zel was chatting with Wyll, and the way he leaned toward her made it seem like he was quite interested; Gale shared his thoughts and likely unwelcome history lessons with two of the tieflings, one carried a lute; and Shadowheart was probably still standing near her tent behind Aurella, keeping to herself. And it seemed someone had a mind to keep her company; the scuffing of boots on rock and a soft grunt sounded behind her shortly before kicking aside her empty bottles.

“Well,” Astarion’s soft voice said, now beside her, “this is rather boring.” He sat next to her, his armor also gone and replaced with a dark tunic.

“Just sitting here?” she asked. “Or the party in general.”

“Both.”

“To be fair,” she said, interrupting herself with a drink, “I’m only here until I get drunk enough to cause issues.”

He chuckled. “Do you really need to be drunk for that?”

She shook her head. “No. But it provides me an excuse for when Serilda inevitably scolds me.”

“She certainly seems the sort.” He took one of her bottles and pulled out the cork before taking a drink.

Aurella could feel his eyes on her, and just as she glanced at him, he turned away.

“You know,” he said in between sips, his tone growing contemplative, “I never pictured myself as a hero. Never thought I’d be the one they toast for saving so many lives. And now that I’m here…” He took another drink and scowled, his lip curling just enough to crinkle his nose. “I hate it. This is awful.”

She laughed. “I completely agree. Though, slaughtering the goblins was fun.”

“True,” he replied with a smile. “That was fun.”

“I’m sure there’s more fun to be had. Relax and try to enjoy yourself.”

“Enjoy myself?” he remarked, his sneer returning. “There’s a worm in my brain, I’m surrounded by idiots, and all I’ve got to drink is wine that tastes like vinegar. All I want is a little fun. Is that so much to ask?”

“Hmm.” She pursed her lips a moment. “Vampires are strong, right?”

His brow raised, and there was a look of amused intrigue at the question. “Of course, darling. Why do you ask?”

“Can you throw this high into the air?” She handed him one of the full bottles of wine. “Somewhere over Volo’s head.”

Astarion hesitated but eventually stood, eyeing Volo before looking at the empty air above him and launching the bottle just as requested.

While still sitting, Aurella lifted her hand and pulled it back, a red light emanating from her palm for just a moment before she thrust it forward, releasing a blast of magic. It caught the bottom of the bottle, bursting the glass and pouring wine all over Volo and his closest audience members.

They shrieked and shouted at the pair who simply let out barks of laughter.

“Oh, sometimes it’s the simplest of things,” Astarion said.

Aurella continued laughing, ignoring the angry words being screamed at them. One of the men hurled a bottle at Aurella, she stopped laughing just in time to see Astarion’s hand reach in front of her and catch it. She violently flinched and lost her balance.

“Shit!”

Unable to catch herself on anything, she slipped off the rock and landed with a hard grunt between the stone and a log. She rubbed the back of her head and groaned as she sat up.

Astarion stood on the other side of the log, laughing hysterically. “That was quite the entertainment!” he said.

“Which part?” she asked, still rubbing her back. “Drenching Volo or me falling?”

“Oh, take your pick.”

“Arse.”

He laughed again and offered his hand; she took it, the cold of his skin still jarring to her. Now on her feet, she brushed off her backside and pulled a twig out of her hair.

“I had meant to tell you earlier, my dear,” he began, voice taking a low, husky tone as he straightened her shirt and let his fingers linger, “that red certainly suits you.”

His fingers drifted up her sternum and to her neck, pushing aside her blonde hair and leaving a trail of cold; he stopped where two puncture wounds marred her skin, barely brushing over them before pulling his hand away. She suppressed a shiver and caught herself from leaning for his absent touch, instead plastering a smirk on her lips; the pain of her fall was entirely forgotten.

“You know,” he began, returning her grin, “rather than throw yourself off any more rocks, we could always amuse ourselves in other ways.”

“Are you going to throw yourself off a rock next?” she asked, crossing her arms. “That’d be rather amusing.”

He rolled his eyes. “There are far better ways to wind up bloodied and bruised,” he replied. “Just you and me. Getting a little closer, so to speak.”

She sucked in her lip, appearing to contemplate her answer. “Maybe,” she finally said. “If you say ‘please.’”

His brow furrowed, but the smile remained. “What?”

Tilting her head, Aurella said, “I fell off a boulder, and you laughed at me. My ego’s hurt. I could use a little begging.”

The smirk softened, and his eyes widened as his eyebrows reached up toward his hairline. “Please.” His hungry grin immediately returned.

She leaned her body toward him, ignoring the heat building in her cheeks; her hand reached out and hovered just over his waistband, taunting him a bit before jabbing his stomach with her finger.

"Okay." Her eyes crinkled at the corners as he shook his head.

"Cheeky little pup." He pulled away from her. "Let's wait until things quiet down."

"All right."

"Now, how to kill time?" he muttered, looking past Aurella.

She turned toward the mass of tieflings. "I don't know about you," she said, "but there's an interesting game of cards going on over there, and I see a few coins on the table. I wouldn't mind winning some gold from drunkards." She glanced back at him. "Or horny vampires."

"I suppose there are worse ways to waste my time," he decided. "And just so you know, I cheat."

“So do I.”

The pair was side-eyed as they approached, Aurella’s stunt still fresh in their minds, but at the dropping of their coin purses on the table, the tieflings welcomed them. They were dealt in, and it didn’t take long for the two to settle into a routine of counting cards and stowing aces; the tieflings were too far into their drinks to notice, but Astarion and Aurella watched each other, tutting whenever they caught the other.

How much time had passed, Aurella wasn’t sure, but things had quieted, most of the tieflings were in bed or making their way there. Astarion had wandered off during their last hand, claiming to need some air. After a few more rounds, she dumped her winnings into her coin purse and disappeared into her tent. She waited, anticipation building with each torch being blown out and each body shuffling into a bedroll.

When silence finally fell, she left her tent and tiptoed around the scattered sleepers, following the general direction she’d seen Astarion take. She walked out of the clearing and found herself surrounded by trees and a chill the open area lacked, but she saw no sign of the vampire. Continuing forward, she took careful steps over the roots and around the tree trunks; she had no doubt he knew she was there, and he was simply toying with her.

Just as she considered turning back, a hand snaked around her waist, and a cold pair of lips whispered in her ear.

“I’ve been waiting,” he purred. He pulled her flush against him and brushed his lips against her neck. “Waiting since the moment I set eyes on you. Waiting to have you.”

Aurella placed her hand on the one resting on her waist. “I wouldn’t say you have me just yet.” Her stomach flipped as he chuckled against her skin, one of his fangs just barely grazing her.

“Don’t I?” he asked. “You’re here. And… I don’t think you want to talk.” He turned her around to face him, hand now pushing into her back, keeping their lower halves pressed together. “I think you want to be known,” he said, dipping a finger under her chin and keeping her fixated on him. “To be tasted.”

She smirked despite the color pooling in her face. “And what do you want?”

“What do any of us want?” he replied, his lips matching her own taunting. “Pleasure.” His thumb gently pushed her head to the side as he leaned down and kissed her neck, rougher than before. “Yours. Mine.” He spoke between breaths. “Our collective ecstasy.”

He pulled away from her, his eyes searching her face. “That’s what you want, isn’t it?” he asked, quickly falling back into his perfect grin. “To lose yourself in me?”

The red of his eyes seemed brighter, more threatening, nearly every inch of her being screaming at her to flee, but all she felt was curiosity and a burning desire to give herself to him. She had no snarky retort, no witty remark. She simply breathed a soft, “Yes.”

“I thought so.”

His lips claimed hers as he grabbed either side of her waist and lifted her, guiding her legs around his torso. With a few steps forward, he balanced her against a tree as their mouths and tongues fought for dominance; he tasted of turned wine, the campfire’s smoke, and metallic threats. The bark of the tree dug into her skin through her top as he pushed against her, leaving no room between them. His hands ran down her torso and began pulling at her shirt, untucking it from her waistband.

Before he could slip under, Aurella reached back and gave a hard push against the tree, knocking them off-balance. They toppled backward, Astarion landing under her with a grunt, Aurella still straddling him.

He looked up at her, brow raised in confusion and then interest as she grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, leaving her torso completely exposed. He sat up, digging into her waist for leverage, and pressed a cold kiss between her breasts before traveling upward to her throat.

Just as he pulled away to look at her, she grabbed his shirt and yanked him forward, kissing him again as she gathered her hair with her other hand and pulled it over one of her shoulders. They paused for breath, and she took the opportunity to bare her neck to him, the invitation obvious. His words had promised pleasure, but he could offer pain in equal measure and, in that moment, it was just the same to her.

The vampire’s eyes widened, pupils dilating further as his tongue flitted over his lips. He kissed her again and wrapped her in an embrace as he pulled them both back to the ground. In one fluid motion, without breaking the kiss, he rolled them over and braced himself on top of her; his mouth wandered from hers, lining her jaw then dipping below to her neck, kissing where he’d bitten her before.

Her fingers brushed against his ribs and moved up his side, reaching for his back; she felt something raised through his shirt, but he twisted slightly and grabbed her wrist, pinning it to the ground above her head just as his other wrapped around her neck.

She reached for his hand with hers, digging her nails into his skin, but she didn’t attempt to pull him away, rather she held him in place and forced him to grip her tighter.

After one last kiss to her neck, his fangs reopened his previous bite; the sharp pain quickly subsided to euphoria, and she let out a pleasured moan as he took his fill and she readied for her own.

#astarion #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 spoilers #baldur's gate spoilers #aurella emberlin #fic: aadrabble #ship: you don't know you're falling #alxxiis actually wrote something

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