#karlach protecc

[serenaoffaerun]

Declaration

So one author says to another author, "Please can I have a public love confession from Gale? 🥰" Then this THIRD author says, "Ooh, I have an idea, I want to get in on that." The FIRST two authors say, "BET. DO IT." (or something to that effect).

I'm the third author, it me. 😆 Big thanks to @astarioffsimpmain for letting me also yoink the prompt they got from @senualothbrok! You can read the original response by clicking here!

So. My version: Tags/CWs (CONTAINS SPOILERS): Canon-typical violence, hurt/comfort, angst/comfort, temporary OC death, Mystra mentioned, Gale needs a hug, Gale self-esteem issues, mentions of pining, kissing

Rating: Teen and Up

Words: 1,669 (nice)

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63491047

Screenshot is from my gameplay. Please do not use without permission.

Declaration

Time slowed to a crawl. The only sound in the air was the snap of her neck as Gale’s whole world shattered. He couldn’t even hear the sound of his own screams as he saw the light leave her eyes. 

Her beautiful eyes. Bluer than the clearest tides of Waterdeep. The eyes that he’d sworn he could see his future in. A future that, before this series of unfortunate events, didn’t even exist, as far as he was concerned. 

And now the spark in those eyes was gone. A bright light, extinguished. A light that had shone out of the darkness of his own making and revealed new possibilities for him. 

He could almost feel her lungs empty for the last time as the hulking Orthon tossed her body over the cliff. The lungs that, with her very words, had breathed life into his dying body and given him hope. Hope that made him realize his pitiful obsession for Mystra wasn’t love. It didn’t come anywhere close to love. 

Love was the sound of her laughter around the campfire at night. Love was the warmth of her smile when their eyes found each other after battle. The ache in his heart as he went to bed alone, night after night, with only his thoughts of her to give him comfort. The anticipation of seeing her recovering after a fight, sweaty and tired, yet victorious and radiant.

And now the embodiment of that love was slipping away into the abyss before he'd even had a chance to declare it to her. 

His feet had been rooted to the floor out of sheer panic. Yurgir was looking straight at him, huffing a smug laugh. But out of the corner of his eye, Gale saw a flash of metal and knew Astarion was sprinting up to the Orthon while he was distracted, a sword in each hand. As they pierced the Fiend’s ribs, Karlach entered Gale’s field of view, launching through the air, roaring like an enraged beast, greataxe arcing above her head. Gale took off without another thought, diving off the cliff after Serena’s lifeless body. 

He would not give up so easily. 

It was a long, long way to the bottom, but he knew he had to hurry. Streamlining his body, he fired off Misty Step after Misty Step and caught up to her. Reaching against the wind and pulling her body in close, he quickly cast Fly and reversed their direction. 

While they were ascending, his eyes frantically scanned her body for signs of life. A twitch, a breath, a blink, anything. But there was nothing. Even as he laid her broken body on the floor below the platform of the Orthon, who was now gasping his own gurgling, bloody, final breaths, he leaned his head to her mouth to try to catch even the slightest movement of air. Still, nothing.

“No, no, nonononono, NO!!!” he wailed. His breathing became ragged and his voice strained. “I CANNOT, I WILL NOT lose you, especially before I even,... Before I…” Sobs started to wrack his body as his voice gave out. Kneeling beside her, he pulled her up to his chest, holding her waist with one hand and bunching his fist into her hair with the other. The warmth was already draining from her body. Her skin was pale; there was no sign of the beautifully flushed, rosy color in her cheeks.  

Gale’s head was buried in her hair, and his voice seemed so small when he cried out, “Somebody, please, anybody…” He picked up his head, looked around, took a big breath, and screamed, “A RESURRECTION SCROLL, SOMEBODY!!” In an instant, Astarion and Karlach came sliding down a giant boulder from the level above. The rogue was fumbling in his cloak pocket when he breathlessly said, “I’ve got one right here. Step back.”

Karlach dropped her axe and sank to her knees across Serena’s body from Gale. “Oh, soldier…” she sighed. Her heart broke for Gale. She’d been his confidant in the evenings when he didn’t know what to do about his growing affections for Serena. The nights he’d spent pining and worrying over her had become consistent in the last couple of tendays. Karlach knew he’d been planning to talk to her soon, but had kept putting it off out of anxiety for fear of rejection. Gale’s excuse had been that he was unworthy of her affections, and would rather have her in his life as a friend over nothing at all. But the fiery barbarian knew the unquenchable flames of love when she saw it, and told him to just buck up and do something about it. Ideally before he lost his chance, which might now be the case. 

Seeing the desperation on his face and hearing the heartbreak in his voice was tearing her apart. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she gently said, “She’s going to be alright, Gale. Let’s get up and let Astarion work, yeah?”

Gale hiccuped and shook his head, clutching Serena closer to his own body. “No… Don’t you see?” He looked up at his two companions with puffy, bloodshot eyes, practically screaming, “This is my punishment. This is my punishment for defying Mystra and not blowing up the Elder Brain when I had the chance. This is all my fault.” He dropped his head and sobbed another couple of times before continuing, “I never even told her, I’m such a godsdamned fool… I finally found the love of my life, a reason for fighting, a reason for living, the only spark of joy I’ve found in the last miserable year. And I never had the courage to tell her. Of course Mystra would take her from me. I don’t deserve her.” 

“GALE,” Astarion snapped. “By the Nine Hells, stop your wallowing and put. her. down. I can’t bring her back unless you give me some room!” Karlach stood up and gently pried the broken wizard from Serena’s lifeless body, getting him to his feet and holding him up as he tried to stay standing. 

“Vis medicatrix,” the elf proclaimed, scroll in hand. A wave of blue magic circled Serena’s body and lifted her in the air. Nobody dared breathe while the spell took effect. The very air around them felt charged, and Gale’s eyes widened with hope. The sound of broken bones cracking back into place almost made him sick, but he couldn’t look away. Color returned to her face, and her body was gently lowered back down by the healing strands of magic. Gale pulled out of Karlach’s arms and fell back on his knees by Serena's side.

Taking one of her hands in his while cradling the back of her head with another, he begged for all to hear, “Serena, please… Please, My Love, open your eyes. Come back to me, sweetheart, I can’t do this without you.” Bringing the hand that was holding hers up to her cheek and brushing the hair out of her eyes, he pleaded, “I’m so sorry, Love… So sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I was so afraid to lose you. I can’t be without you…”

Serena’s eyelashes fluttered and she gasped in the first of her new breaths. She was still trying to open her eyes, but Gale could make out a very weak attempt to say her name. “Ga…Gale?” she whispered. 

“I’m right here, dearest,” he said soothingly, still caressing her hair and holding her head up off the ground. “I’m here, and I love you. I LOVE you, Serena, and I’ll tell you a thousand, million times more.” 

Her eyes were very open now. It didn’t take her long to piece together what he was saying, as if she’d been waiting to hear it all of her life. He’d taken a deep breath, then went on, “I’m so sorry I was too scared before, but I don’t want to be in a world where you’re not by my side.” Tears slid down his cheeks as he kept going, “You brought me back from the edge in my darkest moments, and here I couldn’t save you from being thrown off of one.” Gale shook his head but continued, “I will spend the rest of my life keeping you in safety and showing you all the love and care you deserve, and more. Just please, please don’t leave me again, I can’t handle it…” His face crumpled as he bowed his head to his chest. Even though he tried to pull himself together, his shoulders shook as the weight of their close call clawed its way deeper into his chest, even deeper than the orb itself.

The next thing he knew, her delicate fingers were brushing the hair away from his face while she whispered, “My sweet, Gale…” Gale sniffled and nuzzled his head into her hand.  

“Serena…” he breathed in awe.

“Gale, look at me.” Lip trembling, he opened his eyes and looked at her longingly. “You did save me. In so many ways,” she said, her voice gaining strength.

She coughed, still trying to stabilize her breathing after her brush with death. Serena pulled his face down to hers, just inches away. “You’ve saved me in ways you don’t even know. I love you, too, and I want to be with you, always.” Tears were filling her eyes now, but both of them were grinning with so much brightness, they could rival the sun.

Gale let out a small laugh of relief as he leaned in and kissed her so, so tenderly. They both felt like they were coming back to life even stronger than they were before the day started. That's when they heard two contented sighs above them. 

Halting their first kiss much too soon, they both slowly looked up and saw Karlach and Astarion standing above them, holding both of each others’ hands, their heads leaning in together, grinning like they’ve just witnessed the most beautiful love story ever told. 

Perhaps they had done just that!

[harpershigh-arch]

Right. That's it. Too many people are trying to take a chunk out of ma'am! Karlach's just going to jump in.

"Whoever tries to bite this absolute legend again, has to go through me!"

Jaheira didn’t even bother sitting up straight. With an exaggerated sigh, she let herself slump onto a nearby cushion, her legs thrown up at awkward angles, head hanging back like she’d just melted into the seat's fabric.

“Thanks, cub,” she muttered, half-heartedly raising a thumb in Karlach’s direction. Her arm flopped back down with zero grace, like she couldn’t even muster the energy to hold it up any longer. She groaned, eyes rolling to the ceiling. "You hear that?" she called out from the cushion she was half-buried in. "Got a bouncer now. Bite me at your own risk."

[marmaruuu]

She is EVERYTHING ❤️‍🔥

[felrend]

Wha’s on your mind, Soldier?

[senshi-9]

just a regular girls' night out

[ask-karlachbear]

"No please, stay here with me" She smiled as she patted the spot next to her. "The city seems so silent at night.."

Rp prompt December 7th.

Everyone was getting ready for sleep as Karlach instead reached for the post to keep watch. She could see Rivington and the lower city from there, the lights of the city slowly snuffed as the only left awake were the insomniacs and the creatures of the night.

[rinwellisathing]

He protecc

He attacc

But most importantly, he reconcile his beef with Karlach

[carnilia]

Creating a Tav to romance Karlach!

The vibe? Either 2 bad bitches or delicate woman for Karlach to protecc.

For me class makes the most decisions about character!

[carnilia]

Creating a Tav to romance Karlach!

Alright, I’m feeling a need to narrow down the options from my poll to the top competing contenders.

The vibe for their relationship is either going to be 2 bad bitches or Karlach and the delicate woman she must protecc.

[avionvadion]

KARLACH AND TAV ARE CO-CAPTAINS OF THE PROTECC ASTARION CLUB 🥺🥺🥺

Astarion: “No one ever cared about me >:\”

Karlach, standing 10ft away: “ME I CARE I CARE SO MUCH”