ipostdumbthings

[ipostdumbthings]

Astarion NSFW Headcanons with Reader

Astarion has explored sexuality fully in his past, but never in a way that he had ever had any control over. He was so emotionally detached from it that he never really considered what it was he actually likes to do with a partner. It never really mattered before.

Once he’s on his path to recovery, though, he finds he enjoys sampling all the options that are available to him. If you’re up for it he’ll try damn near everything. It’s almost like trying to shop with him: “A little of this a little of that, oh no, neither will do.”

The early days of this new adventurousness are largely left for less intense, light-hearted fair. He’ll happily suggest things like chocolate and whipped cream, after all, he gets to sample something sweet while you two are entwined together, why shouldn’t you? Exploring like this is pretty important in reframing what sex means to him. It lets him shrug off some of the burdens he’s always felt attached to sexuality, and turns it into something fun. Something blissfully free of anything outside of enjoying one another.

There is one notable exception, he won’t be subbing. He may trust you with all his heart, but trust doesn’t cure trauma. It may be something he’s willing to try eventually, but it will take years before he can even think about it without getting upset. Especially picturing the person who helped free him being the one to dominate him. That alone can be triggering for him.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t pleased as can be with bottoming or pegging. He is genuinely excited to be on either side of that specific dynamic, especially when you two are just having fun together.

Rough sex is also very much still on the table. He doesn’t mind you pulling his hair or scratching your nails down his back. Not to mention how precious he thinks it is when you bite him. He loves it when you do.

He is more than happy to play dom, truthfully he gets a lot of satisfaction out of doing it. It affords him the ability to set the pace for encounters, and lets him spoil you in all the ways he delights in. He’ll be a little tentative when you start playing those games with him, making sure you’re okay with everything and checking in constantly. He gets comfortable quickly when he sees just how enthusiastically you respond to him.

And he is very eager to take that sort of thing as far as you want. His favorite thing to do is tease you for as long as possible while he’s got you tied up. Really make you beg for him. He finds it deeply fulfilling to have the person he needs the most need him back.

He’ll never in your entire life turn down an opportunity to feed on you during sex as long as it’s safe to do so. Even if he’s already fed. His favorite is to bite right as you cum, so he can drink from you at your most heightened moment, and see you well and properly spent when he’s done with you.

While he’s fine with you indulging in others, for the most part you’re going to be all he needs for a while. Sure he’ll test the waters with group sex, but if he doesn’t have the person he trusts most with him, he doesn’t have much interest. Whether or not that changes is up to the way you navigate your relationship. As long as you’re tending to his needs, he feels no real pressure to make any change in that regard.

He’ll always have a soft spot for deep and romantic moments of intimacy. Those moments when your souls feel connected and it seems like no one else in the world could ever grasp the depth of what the two of you share. He’ll go to great lengths to set up romantic moments like that for you, and if you repay him in kind you’ll never see more adoring eyes and a sweeter smile from him. It’s one of the few times he allows himself to indulge in saccharine sentiments.

[ipostdumbthings]

Hi! I just wanted to tell you that I love your writing and can't wait to see what you write next 😍

That is so kind of you! Thank you for taking the time to send this. I've got a few drafts going, hopefully you won't be waiting for too long.

[ipostdumbthings]

Romantic Headcanons for Sorcerer Reader with BG3 Companions - Wild Magic Edition

Astarion

Initially he finds it funny, really. As long as he’s not negatively impacted by it, of course. It’s honestly kind of a thrill to be deep in a fight and then having chaos unleashed on the battlefield.

He does view you as beautiful chaos, and that motivates him to start pursuing you. What could be more helpful than that when it’s pointed in the right direction? You have the ability to change the rules of any game you play. That’s a powerful little talent.

When he starts to become more vulnerable with you, he’ll realize that you two have more in common than he realized. You’ve both spent your lives under the whims of powerful forces outside of your command.

He’ll become so very dutiful in checking in on you when things go wrong, offering you space to return the vulnerability he’s had to give to you. You can expect as many cuddle sessions as you need, lots of concerned but affectionate looks, and an abundance of time to express your feelings. He won’t tell you what to do or try to encourage you to be cautious, he respects that you’re an expert on the subject of your magic.

He talks often of your future together, of grand adventures with wild antics. Such a thing absolutely thrills him. Neither one of you can ever be expected. He’ll pop out of the shadows and you’ll summon a cambion. How can anyone hope to win against the chaos of the two of you?

Shadowheart

You can expect a few cutting remarks early on from Shadowheart, nothing excessively cruel, but she’ll be clear in expressing her frustration when she feels it. It might be a little intimidating for you at first.

But it’s hard not to feel somewhat responsible for you when she’s the one who, at least initially, has to heal you or remove negative effects. In fact it’s those moments when she’s tending to you that start forging a deep connection. She’s not your caretaker, she doesn’t want to be, but she knows for the time being you two need each other more deeply than the others do.

She realizes quickly how much she can depend on you, even if it occasionally comes with a side of chaos. Regardless of what happens, you’ve proven you’ll see everything through and fight fiercely to protect those around you.

Those initial cutting remarks soon become quite affectionate teases, and she’ll often loudly ponder what manner of horror you’re about to summon when she sees you preparing to cast. But she says it with a knowing smile, and a light tone that indicates she’s ready for whatever that may be.

In fact, she eventually becomes so fond of the wild magic that works in your favor. It sparks a little sense of whimsy and wonder in the world she didn’t think she still had. You prove almost daily, after all, that impossible things do happen. And they can happen often.

Gale

Before there’s even a whisper of romantic thinking, Gale thinks ever so affectionately about you. How could he not? You remind him of his favorite moments. Of the days when magic was new to him, when it was a wild frontier ripe for exciting adventure and glorious mishaps. He’s always been open about speaking of his youthful misadventures, and he does so quite fondly. Expect to spend hours joyfully trading stories.

He’ll tease you when it’s safe to, so when the effects are helpful or neutral. He’d never disparage you when something goes wrong though, he’s fully aware of how fragile a sense of self can be. You can always count on him to be emotionally available and supportive when you’re feeling upset about something gone wrong. 

You won’t be able to keep him from feeling protective over you, and when things go awry he’ll hop into defend you from the group even before you do. It goes beyond that though, and you may find him urging you towards caution about where and when you cast magic, and dutifully tending to you in the aftermath of wild magic surges. He can’t heal you, but he’ll sit with you and try to keep you comfortable while whatever magic shenanigans you’re dealing with dissipate.

He doesn’t consider your wild magic a struggle or a burden, for him it’s an adventure, one that he’s so glad he gets to take with you.

Lae’zel

Initially, Lae’zel makes it clear from the get go that she’s only tolerating you and your wild magic for the sake of accomplishing her goals. If she had it her way, you’d be stuck in camp entirely, or sent on your way.

She won’t really warm up to the wild magic nonsense, not until well after she’s assessed your other skills and deemed them worthy enough to justify tolerating the occasional chaos. You must be impressive, if you managed to convince her that’s the case.

That being said, the first time the wild magic benefits her in battle, she at least stops complaining about it openly. She may still have opinions she shares with you privately, but you’ll no longer get a githyanki roasting in front of the group.

You grow on her though, the more that wild magic helps her, and the more you prove just how good you are. In fact, her perspective of you will start to shift, and she’ll have to admit she’s impressed that you’re so capable under such difficult conditions. She’ll start to relish a victory the two of you share that was made all the more impressive by a surge of wild magic.

She finds herself yearning for more of those stories to tell, of overcoming more extreme and even stranger odds. You provide a challenge for her, and she’s nothing if not a woman that is capable of rising to just that.

Wyll

Wyll is a paragon of patience, and he’s quick to help diffuse tensions should they run high when things go south. He’s more than happy to point out your surges have secured more victories than they’ve ever caused defeats. By objective metrics, your presence is absolutely a boon to the group, at least to Wyll.

He’s a romantic, and as such he thoroughly enjoys listening to your whimsical adventures and grandiose tails. He’s quick to ask you to share some when sitting around the campfire, you’ll see the enchanted fascination shining in his face when you do. Almost like someone listening to their favorite fairy tales from their youths.

He’s respectful of any boundaries you have in regards to being helpful regarding your magical chaos. He lets you dictate what you need or want from him, if anything. He’s more than happy to provide aid, but he doesn’t view you as someone incapable.

He quite considers yours to be arguably the most valuable experience for combat purposes. You’ve had to deal with the wildest circumstance of anyone, and you’ve thrived in that. That’s knowledge few can boast, and he’ll make sure your voice is heard and respected when having strategy conversations.

He’s an ally as much as he is your love, he is so eager to be your confidante and source of comfort if you’ll allow him.

Karlach

Karlach celebrates your pleasant surges like no one else. When she looks up and see you’ve taken to the sky, or when you accidentally make her massive, you can expect some absolutely sincere “fuck yes”s. She’s here for that, baby, don’t you doubt it.

She walks away from those fights giving enthusiastic recaps to everyone in the group like they weren’t there, sound effects and all. In fact she’ll do that for the fights where shit got weird as well. “And then a fucking cambion showed up, mad as the hells at everyone! Didn’t matter which side, he was gonna rip some new arseholes!”

She’s very sensitive to you if you’re feeling insecure about your struggles, and as soon as she’s able to properly give them, you can expect as many hugs and cuddles as you can handle when you’re feeling vulnerable.

She won’t listen to you talk negatively about yourself, no one talks about you that way, not even you. One bad word and she’s doing everything she can to convince you to see yourself for the amazing person she sees.

She worries about what will happen to you, though, with the very real possibility that she may not be around in the future. She loves being by your side, and the thought of you feeling miserable or alone is almost too much for her to think about. So she’s going to do everything she can to let you explore as much of your wild magic chaos with her with the time she knows she has.

Halsin

He’s so even tempered and compassionate that even when things are at their absolute weirdest or most frightening, he’s like the anchor that keeps the ship from being subject to the turbulent tides. He never seems panicked or stressed about any nonsense your surges cause, in fact he has a remarkably good natured sense of humor in regards to it.

He does get worried though, and you’ll have to endure many concerned look overs after spell casting to be certain nothing truly worrisome has occurred. He tries not to draw attention to the fact that he’s doing it though, he doesn’t want to undermine you in any way.

Even still, you’re far from the strangest thing he’s encountered in his lifetime, and he fully expects to encounter a stranger yet. In fact, in the grand scheme of the group you associate yourself with, a vampire, an evasive Shar worshiper, a wizard that can decimate an entire city… well. At least your brand of strange is straightforward and impossible to hide. Makes you more respectable, in your own in a way.

You can expect a willing confident, always happy to lend an ear and guidance when you seek it. He has an abundance of kind words and reassurances for any situations that come from a place of empathy and compassion.

He does find it amusing and deeply endearing when you turn into a sheep. Might be his favorite way that your magic surges. He’ll even make sure he has “speak with animals” so he can hear the contemplations through the lens of a sheep’s brain.

But truthfully, he seems to react the least to the fact you have this quirk, with him, it’s almost like you’re normal.

[ipostdumbthings]

Romantic Headcanons for Sorcerer Reader with BG3 Companions

Astarion

Well of course he attempts to seduce you, magic is so deep inside you, there’s no telling the scope of things you could be capable of, especially when directed towards his own interests. Expect him to initially try to manipulate in the early stages, and he may get a little frustrated if you don’t fall for it. It’s not personal, of course, he has to insure his own safety. In some ways, it’s a compliment. You’re useful.

The thing that strikes him first about you, is watching you cast your magic. The effortless way it flows from you is like poetry in motion, and he’s nothing if not a man that can appreciate beauty in its various forms.

He’s a bit hesitant in confiding in you, you’re a person of considerable power, and that’s a concern for him. He doesn’t want to find himself again at the whims of a powerful person, so it’s extremely important you treat him as an equal and show that you have deep respect for his abilities.

When you do, he finds himself more comfortable than he expected in confiding in you. Afterall, you can actually help him, you can protect him if the need arises. Something he’s just so eager to return the favor on.

Shadowheart

While she respects your privacy if you don’t wish to discuss it, Shadowheart can’t help but be curious about you. Where does your magic come from? It’s an interesting mystery, that she’ll have fun hypothesizing on her own if you don’t or can’t supply her with answers. It’s more a fun thing for her to think about as opposed to something she’s determined to get to the bottom of, but the idea of being impacted by some magical being through ancestry, happenstance, or mishap deeply resonates with her.

That makes conversations with her frequent and pleasant. You’ll find yourselves initially scratching the surface on such matters, fun little chats about that and the members of the group. She enjoys these moments quite a bit, and it won’t take long before you’re having much deeper conversations.

Because you aren’t necessarily attached to a deity, she finds it a lot easier to talk about her faith with you than she may be with others. You’ll be able to learn her deep held philosophies and personal beliefs, and your status as an outsider means you might have the unbiased insight that may help reaffirm and challenge them.

She’s very fond of your magic, and the way you cast it, she swears that it feels differently when you do it. 

Gale

If you’re the sort of sorcerer that looks at Wizards with reverence and respect, you’ll find that you and Gale buddy up almost immediately. In fact it becomes a bit of a running joke amongst the group (mostly from Astarion) that the two of you have formed a club for magic nerds.

Oh how dear you become to him quickly, the bond is soft and affectionate, a meeting of two like-minds and equals. He has the utmost respect for your talents and has complete trust in your abilities. 

You may even become a source of inspiration for him in the form of pushing his magic or even his poetry. Your relationship is forged first on that mutual respect and adoration, it is deep and emotionally passionate.

If you’re the other sort of Sorcerer, however, the sort that likes to be snarky/smug/condescending towards Wizards, you’ll find that energy met in kind by Gale. It’ll start out sincere too, a genuinely discontentment for your dismissal of his talents. Make no mistake, he’ll serve the snark and condescension back, and he’s an expert in both.

But when you prove you're devoted to the cause, and that you’re capable and willing to help your teammates, that dynamic will start to move from mildly antagonistic to genuinely playful. Which ignites a connection of a different sort. The sexual tension is palpable.

It doesn’t mean he’s going to act on it any faster, but no one can miss the chemistry between the two of you. The emotional connection will deepen as you two navigate that dynamic, because he won’t pursue anything with anyone that he only has a physical connection with. 

Lae’zel

Lae’zel is very quickly enamored with you. You naturally have skills that people spend decades honing, and you wield them with the same precision and accuracy that she wields her blade. That’s no small feat. It makes you a most attractive candidate for a partner.

You can expect her to approach you quite often for sex, she’ll take any excuse to wear you out. Especially after you do something particularly impressive.

It surprises her how much she finds herself liking your charm and charisma. The way you can guide conversations or have the force of will required to navigate any situation is what makes her start thinking of you as more than partner in sex. That doesn’t mean she wants you to try putting those moves on her by any stretch of the imagination, but she has to admit it’s impressive to witness you do it to others.

You’re one of the few humans who’s lead she will gladly follow. She respects you, and in an interesting turn of events she didn’t expect, she trusts you. You might even manage to get her to start having some deep conversations with her much sooner than most do.

Wyll

In some ways Wyll envies you, and he’ll admit to as much in his charming way. It’s hard not to wonder what his life would’ve looked like had he been born into magic instead of the path he took to it. He doesn’t say it to make you feel bad for him, but merely to express how much he respects your capabilities.

You’ll find him responsive and sensitive when you confide in him the struggles being a sorcerer can provide. He doesn’t assume your life has been easier than his, and he’s empathetic and compassionate to your history.

Respect between the two of you is like second nature, you have a sense of mutuality that many other relationships may struggle with. It’s a genuine connection between two people on equal footing, and he wouldn’t trade that for anything.

He does romanticize the story you share together, but it’s not cheesy or whitewashed. It reflects the genuine and grand feelings he has for you, the sense of beauty in the world you spark for him. 

Karlach

Karlach isn’t as impressed by your magic as some of the others are, don’t get her wrong, it’s really nifty you can do that stuff, but Karlach is much more moved by actions and content of character rather than fancy things like who can cast the shiniest spell. There are a few exceptions to this, of course.

She does simply adore it when you cast the fun spells though. The first time you decide to host a little light show in camp, she is absolutely delighted. She insists that you need to do that at a party with music so she can properly dance to it.

She also quickly gets fond of yelling at you to polymorph some arseholes who fancy themselves impressive right in the middle of their monologues. You can hear her cheers for a mile if you actually interrupt some evil idiot by doing it.

The magic doesn’t make the connection you two share anymore meaningful to her, true, but it can be an amazing source of fun for her, and she desperately craves those moments after spending so long miserable.

You may find her wondering if you can cast a spell while she tosses you into a fight, like, if you cast burning hands after having been properly yeeted, would you be able to spray it across the battlefield as you went? Expect a lot of those hypotheticals. It’s one of her favorite ways to spend time with you.

Halsin

Halsin considers you proof of the powerful and wonderful capability of nature, regardless of what sort of magic you favor. After all, you are what happens when magic and man entwine completely, and you should expect him to have a romanticized idea of what that means.

He sees your casting as part of the very fabric of who you are, and he takes great pleasure in watching you cast and perform your talents. He’s just as delighted to listen to your experience and views on magic and nature.

He, probably more than anyone else in camp, is very aware of just how… delicate people of your skills can be. Not that he doesn’t think you’re capable, but is very much aware of how much he needs to to stand in front of you as a bear when danger is nearby. He often tries to position himself to make it easy to step in front of you when tension runs high.

He’s also very quick to check in with you after a fight to make sure you aren’t seriously injured. He’s quick to heal you if you need it, and will definitely carry you to safety if the need arises. 

[ipostdumbthings]

Bard headcanons here!

[ipostdumbthings]

Romantic Headcanons for Bard Reader with BG3 Companions

Astarion

Well, won’t you be the easy target? What could be easier to seduce than a bard? Honestly, he probably could just wait for you to try to seduce him first. Too easy. At least that’s how he thinks about it at first.

It’s not hard to choose you to seduce, of course, not only are you capable and competent, you also provide a little taste of civilization and creature comforts in the way of making camping more pleasant. Your music and aesthetic skills are the sort of luxuries Astarion loves to indulge in whenever he can.

In some ways he’s a little more guarded with his feelings around you, at least to start with. Bards have a reputation, and he finds your company just so pleasurable, that he realizes how easy it may be for him to slip. So until he is forced to confide in you, you’ll find he defaults to flowery praise of your talents as a tactic to avoid having any meaningful discussions.

When he does have to actually let you in, the thing he feared, being connected meaningfully with you proves to be almost immediate. After all, he just enjoys you so much. You’re fun. When you accept him for all the struggles, he finds himself vulnerable in a way that he may actually enjoy. He quickly becomes more willing to have these conversations with you.

While playing your music in camp, you’ll often spot him just watching you with the most lovely smile on his face.

Shadowheart

Shadowheart distrusts you, well, she trusts you initially because she has no choice, but she’s aware you have expert skills in deception. Something she herself trades heavily in, and that being the case, she knows she has to be careful taking you at your word. She does respect you for it though, she respects a well executed lie more than anyone.

Actions help her trust you, but honestly what really does it is being on the same side of the deceptions. She often finds herself fancying you as a partner in crime of sorts, you two having the same interests and needs has made you someone she can count on.

She doesn’t seem interested in your music at first, in fact, she’s often hanging in her tent while you are playing for everyone else. She can hear it from there, and does very much enjoy it. Just privately.

Once you two are on the path to romance together, though, you’ll find she’s the first to ask you to start playing. It’s one of the rare things that gets her happily interacting with the rest of the team.

She’ll tease you for it, but she does genuinely love the songs you write for her. Especially if they’re dark and mysterious sounding, it makes her feel understood and flattered. But to reiterate, she won’t actually tell you that. You’ll just have to realize it from the look on her face as you perform for her.

Gale

Gale finds himself smitten by you quite quickly, as a matter of fact. He’s a verbose man, and there’s few skills outside of magic that he respects as much as verbal cleverness.

So he quickly seeks you out during the evenings at camp for stimulating dialogue. You’ll likely have to endure quite a bit of him prattling endlessly about his passions, but if you engage with him on those subjects enthusiastically, he falls hard.

He may come off condescending about your magic at first, he kind of is, but the more he hears of your experiences the more impressed he is with what it is to you. For you magic is your art, it’s an expression of passion, skill, and freedom. He finds that so very charming.

He’s a bit shy at first sharing his poetry with you, more so than he’d be with others. Afterall, you’re sort of an expert on such matters. In the same breath, your approval of his work carries so much more weight. You’ll never see his chest puff out with so much pride as you do when you tell him you like one of his poems.

The next several he writes are all about you.

Lae’zel

Lae’zel finds you frivolous at first, and why would she not? She’s carving through the enemy with blades while you play an instrument.

It doesn’t take her long to figure out just how talented and useful in fights you are though. Be you casting a quick spell to patch up an ally, or rendering your opponents weak with a well delivered insult.

In fact your devastating burns are the thing she may find most appealing about you. You can do with a few well chosen words what others have to do with weapons. That’s a skill she doesn’t take lightly.

It’s this that causes her to reassess all your talents she’d deemed worthless to begin with. The way your fingers pluck at a lute speak to a dexterity and an expert level of skill. While she may not appreciate music the way others do, she often finds herself watching you play with admiration for your well honed craft.

She’ll tell you as much when she’s trying to entice you into sex, she’s always quick to highlight your talents as proof of your worthiness.

Wyll

Before there’s even the hint of feelings caught on either side, Wyll makes it known he’s very much a fan of your work. And that means the music, the magic, the skills, all of it. You’re a person that has a solution to almost every problem, and that’s something truly special about you. You’ll get no bard jokes from him.

He finds himself quickly picturing adventures with you. Imagine the tales of a bard and the Blade of the Frontiers! It’s just so easy to see a future with you where the two of you ride off into the sunset, righting wrongs and saving the day.

He actually finds himself nervous of your response when Mizora turns him, wondering if that could jeopardize that wonderful future with you. Your acceptance of his new form means more than anyone else’s. 

In fact he feels similarly about the dancing, a bard's disapproval of his skills would cut so much deeper than anyone else’s. You are worth the risk though.

Karlach

Finally, someone to actually perform the music for her dances. She adores you the second you first catch her dancing and immediately pull out your instrument for her. It even encourages her to test out new dances to see what songs you supply in response to them.

You are her fun, you are the lightness and the joy that she so desperately thrives on while dealing with such horrific circumstances. In that way, you’re her safety from the misery. 

Whenever you two are connecting and discussing those horrific things, she always asks you to play a nice song when she’s ready to move on from the subject. When you do, the softness in her eyes make her affection for you all the more obvious.

She’s very defensive of your instruments, she won’t let anyone in camp touch them when you aren’t around. She’s sweet about it. But firm.

Her favorite moments in camp are when everyone’s around the campfire while you play your music and laughs are easy. Those will be the moments she turns to when she handles her most trying moments.

Halsin

Halsin makes it clear very quickly how highly he thinks of your musical abilities, especially since it’s something he lacks. He’s quick to thank you for songs you play, and he always stops what he’s doing to listen and enjoy your music.

In fact, he finds the most beautiful and romantic moments between the two of you to be when you take your instrument for nature walks. He loves to find a place to sit and enjoy nature, as well as your talents. He could honestly do that for hours, especially if you’re cuddled up beside him while playing.

He’s just as impressed by your charm and magical talents. He loves watching your games of verbal chess in situations, and is honestly just so impressed with how much you can accomplish with your wit alone.

He’s probably the one that first most respects and values what bards are truly capable of, and he considers you a fine tribute to the profession. He has fewer preconceived notions about bards and their antics, and as such you find it easy to simply be yourself around him.

[ipostdumbthings]

To Be Cared For

Pairing: Astarion/Tav

Characters: Astarion, F!Tav

Rating: G

Genre: Romantic Fluff

Summary: Tav tries a new way of showing Astarion how much she cares for him.

-----

When Tav had told him that she wanted to surprise him with something, Astarion had thought he had some idea of what it would be. She did like to spoil him when she could, finding fun ways for him to indulge his appetite for blood or nice things. One night she’d offered to get drunk on wine before he drank from her, to see if he could get a little tipsy off the effects in her blood. He somehow didn’t think it all too wise to have a half-drunk on wine Tav half-drunk of blood. Seemed like a recipe for waking up Shadowheart for some emergency healing.

Tav had managed to surprise him today though, or more accurately: baffle him. She’d led him to a secluded room that was almost completely empty save for several buckets, most of which were full of water, a chair in the middle of the room, and a few bottles full of unidentifiable potions sitting nearby. She stood before him positively beaming at him with a ladle in hand. What in the hells was she planning?

He tried to connect the dots, really dug back in the memory to see if any combination of these things could spark some concept of what she had in mind, but he found nothing. Nothing but Tav smiling happily at him, wiggling the ladle a little to get his attention.

“You’ll most definitely want to take your shirt off, just to keep it from getting wet.” She finally spoke after several minutes of his confused expression and her all too eager one. Another moment passed between them before he sighed and tugged his shirt off, which he laid carefully on the ground. 

“What exactly are we to be doing in here, darling?” He asked, his tone curious in a way that made it clear he was prepared to deliver a playful insult based on whatever came out of your mouth next.

“Is it not obvious?” She asked, looking genuinely surprised. She stopped, turned, looked at the buckets, potions, and the chair, then turned back and wiggled the ladle again like that meant something. What did she mean “is it not obvious?” What weird series of firings in that brain of hers had ever led her to this? Was it a sex thing? He banished that thought quickly, not because he didn’t think she was capable of indulging in some strange things, but because she knew he wanted to wait. Ugh, almost made him want to gag from the sheer sentiment, he trusted her too much. 

“Obvious? You’ve got six buckets, a myriad of mystery potions, a shirtless vampire, and a chair. What conclusion am I to draw?” He asked, pitch rising just enough to get across his incredulity.

“You’ll be one step closer to solving that and other mysteries when you take a seat,” she said and paused dramatically, “… in the chair!” With that she stepped to the side and held out her arms  presenting the plain, boring, wooden chair like she’d completed a magic trick. Gods, when did he become this person? The one that actually enjoyed following around some insufferable do-gooder, positively charmed by frivolous her antics?

“I didn’t know it was possible to be affectionately annoyed by someone until I met you,” he said, but he did take the seat so dramatically offered to him. Once he sat down she moved an empty bucket directly behind the chair, then started laboring over a couple of the buckets with water to sit beside him. He’d have offered to help, but he was going to enjoy watching her struggle just a bit, it was a little funny the way she had to almost waddle to get them in place.

“Oh, the decisions you’ve made, Astarion, that have led you to a long future of precisely that,” she said with a feigned ominous air. He was going to be stuck like this for a while wasn’t he? So miserably pleased by how silly she was. Then she rested a hand on the top of his head and gently pushed until it was draped back over the chair. That opportunity was pounced on in the form of a very sweet, upside down kiss. She parted from him and immediately dunked the ladle into a bucket of water, and it suddenly clicked. She was going to wash his hair. 

That was unexpected, a genuine surprise, really. It gave him a weird feeling in his chest that he couldn’t quite place, a feeling that seemed new to him. Not an unwelcome one either, it was comfortable. Safe, even.

“Would you indulge my curiosity? I’ve had a burning question in my mind since the second you buried your fangs in my neck.” She asked and used her free hand to guide the water she poured into his hair away from his face. He was surprised it was still warm, must have had it burning hot when she set all this up to make sure it would be comfortable for him by the time she got started. She worked the water through his hair, and he felt that playful irritation he’d indulged in earlier melt away. He watched her, though she was too busy paying attention to what she was doing to return the gaze. There was tenderness in the dutiful way she took to the task.

“And what would that be, my sweet?” He asked. She flicked her gaze to him with a small smile on her face, and he knew whatever burning curiosity she had, it was not over pressing or dramatic matters. He wasn’t yet sure why, but he found that to be a great relief. With his hair well saturated, she took one of the potion bottles and poured a viscous, yellow fluid onto the palm of her hands.

“How do you manage to style your hair so perfectly without the use of a mirror?” Her question was rewarded with a light laugh. She was far from the first to ask that question, but the truth was rather boring.

“With 200 years of practice, any skill can be honed,” he said simply. She rubbed the liquid between her hands before her gentle fingers worked between the strands of his hair to find his scalp. If he hadn’t already loved her before, that would’ve been when he fell for her. The careful way she massaged the potion in, taking such sweet time to go over every available inch. It wasn’t enough to do it for him, she was making sure to do it right. She was taking care of him.

And in that moment he realized why he hadn’t wanted any serious questions from her, why he hadn’t wanted to dwell on any misery or challenges. This small act of care had rendered him vulnerable in a way that was brand new to him. He’d been forced into vulnerable positions for most of his life, and intimacy was something he’d always traded for security. He hadn’t really ever considered a scenario in which vulnerability might actually be enjoyable, or intimacy free of the baggage of sexuality and transactions.

“I suppose that’s true,” she said, nodding with a smile. She didn’t seem to notice he was staring at her again, watching her and the peaceful joy she wore as she worked. He swallowed hard, a strange lump forming there. 

“Why are we doing this?” He asked in a tone that completely betrayed how fragile he felt this moment was. Her hands froze and she turned her eyes to his concern knitting on her brow.

“Do you want me to stop?” She asked and began to pull her hands away, he was quick enough to snatch one by the wrist to stop her. He pulled it close and gave her a soft kiss on the inside of her forearm before directing her hand back to his hair.

“No, please,” he said ever so gently, “I want to continue. It’s just that, well, no one’s done anything like it for me before.” Had he signed up for this too? Along with the affectionate annoyances? Not the shampooing specifically. But… this? He couldn’t think how else to phrase it, even to himself. It felt like an eternity stretched into a moment where he peered into her eyes looking for some kind of assurance. Her hands went back to work, and he knew the answer before she said it.

“I’d be glad to do this sort of thing often if you’ll allow me,” she said, sounding a little tentative. Like she wanted to give him space to assert a boundary. This required none though.

“I would love nothing more, Darling.”

[ipostdumbthings]

Moonlit Dinner Date

Pairing: Gale/Tav

Characters: Gale, Tav, Astarion, Karlach

Rating: G

Genre: Romantic Fluff

Summary: Gale returns to camp one evening to discover a wild magic mishap from sorcerer Tav. Pre-relationship.

It was still fairly early in the evening when Gale found himself strolling back into camp, clean for the first time in days. Camp had been made late in the afternoon, they’d stopped near a river and a turn order was quickly established to get everyone in camp a turn to a small but blissful amount of privacy, and freedom from the muck and sweat. He was still toweling off his hair when he stepped foot in camp proper,only to find himself almost bumping directly into a certain pale companion of the vampiric persuasion. The look on the elf’s face made it clear that he’d been waiting for Gale for a while now, a look that said “you’re wasting my time”. The wizard didn’t love how often he saw it.

“Here’s something I never thought I’d say, but thank the gods you’re here Gale we need your help.” It might have been a jab at him, but Astarion wasn’t wielding his particularly cruel tone of voice, did Gale actually detect something genuine there? He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off immediately, not by the man before him, but by the bleating of a sheep. Of course. He didn’t need to look, but he did anyway, sidestepping the elf to join the camp proper. Not too far from the fire was a sheep, a rope tied loosely to its neck to keep it from wandering off. Affectionately petting and tending to it was Karlach, who looked all the more excited to see Gale.

“Tav?” He asked, already so certain of the answer, but received further confirmation when he spotted the bowl of water someone had laid beside the sheep with the name “Tav '' hastily painted on the side, no doubt Karlach’s work. It could be hard to believe that a woman of so much heat could have such a soft heart.

“Yes, she got a little bold with her spell casting I’m afraid,” Astarion replied, a certain quirk to the corner of his mouth indicating just how funny he found all this. It had endlessly fascinated Gale just how well Tav could get along with everyone here, and how someone with so much kindness and concern for others could find genuine affection and camaraderie with someone like Astarion. He was certain for the elf’s part, the friendship had mostly been a great source of amusement, provided he was well outside the blast radius when something went wrong. But Tav had disagreed with Gale during one of their chats about that, well not entirely, she knew Astarion found it funny when her magic went awry, but she was positive there was a genuine connection of trust and friendship between them. That was getting off track though, there was very much a situation he was faced with, one that was frankly frustrating, and should’ve been avoided based on his and her previous conversations. He heaved a sigh so deep he felt it in his soul.

“I specifically asked her not to cast her magic in camp for this reason. Could’ve been a fireball that sent all the tents up in flames,” he said, adopting a chastising tone as he addressed the sheep more than the two people. Sorcerer’s and wizards rarely saw eye to eye under the best of circumstances, given their different philosophies, their different experiences with magic. Sorcerers took magic for granted, and the one type of sorcerer you didn’t want with that sort of flippant attitude was one of wild magic, and yet Tav seemed blissfully unconcerned by the chaos she was capable of wreaking. He’d hope she’d learn something from this, but he knew better.

“Oh, no, that’s not what we need help with,” Astarion said, his genuine delight only seeming to swell.

“When you say it like that Astarion, it makes me feel like we’ve been arseholes,” Karlach said sounding like a guilty child. She even wore a pout. 

“She’s got grass, we put down a clean water bowl for her, her precious sheepish heart yearns for nothing. Frankly I wish people tended to my needs the way we’ve been keeping her for the better part of the half hour.” The elf sounded defensive, but not in a way that indicated he felt bad in the slightest for anything that was happening. Gale pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a certain weariness he imagined his mother must have felt when she was dealing with his youthful magical indiscretions.

“If it’s not about Tav the sheep, then what exactly did you need?” The question was quick, clipped, and demanded an answer.

“Well, it’s not not about Tav and her adorable little hooves.” The way Karlach emphasized the last three words was further hammered home by her taking Tav’s sheep face in her hands and cooing at her.

“It’s a bet,” Astarion said, and could not suppress a grin as he spoke, “we were wondering if, someone were to… shear her, you know, shave off all the wool, while she’s a sheep…” 

“Would she pop back to being a human bald or naked? And what would happen to the wool when she turned back? Would that be her hair? Her clothes? Or would it stay wool?” Karlach finished the question, redirecting her gaze back to Gale with genuine curiosity. He blinked at the absurdity of the question, at the knowledge that they had been patiently waiting for him for half an hour just to ask. Karlach didn’t surprise him as much, but he would’ve assumed Astarion for the sort to get to the bottom of the matter himself.

“Ah. Well, I can't say I’ve ever tried it. Honestly I’m impressed at the restraint you’ve shown in not simply attempting it yourself.” He’d said it as a joke, but the look on Karlach’s face had the deep sigh renewed.

“We thought about it, but I’m too pretty for such a menial task, Karlach is too afraid of hurting her, and Halsin gave us a very stern ‘no’ and that same disapproving look you seem to be wearing right now.” Well, at least someone in the camp could be trusted to behave like an adult. He held Astarion’s gaze for several moments, making sure he fully expressed said disappointment, before finally looking back at the popular subject of the evening, Tav. He should still be irritated, but he had to admit the question was an interesting one, and far be it from him to not indulge the curiosity of others in regards to magic. Even if he didn’t exactly have an answer.

“Ignoring the ethical implications of you two attempting to shave one of your friends while they’re completely indisposed, hypothetically-“ he was cut off when the sheep made eye contact with him, and he felt the sudden, intense connection brought on by the tadpoles locked in their brains. For just a moment it didn’t make sense, just sheep sounds and flashes of the grass on the ground at the camp, but then he felt it: the disappointment. The sheep held his gaze, drifting to thoughts of the clearing nearby, the one with bright green grass.

“Wait. What just happened?” The words from Karlach pulled him from the moment, and his bewildered stare must have made it obvious.

“Did she just use the tadpole on you?” Astarion sounded positively delighted, the airy laugh erupting from him. Gale glared.

“Oh was it Tav-Tav, or Sheep-Tav? Why didn’t she do it to me? I was just staring into her little face?” Karlach asked with a mix of absolute whimsy and disappointment. She gently rested her hands under Tav’s face to coax the sheep to look at her again.

“Don’t take it personally, Karlach, she’s not really Tav right now, she’s well and truly a sheep,and you two were wrong about her wanting for nothing, she wants better grass.” With that he crossed the space to his tent and returned everything he’d taken for his bath, then snatched up a book. There was no telling how long it would take for Tav to become human again, and she’d been very clear about what she wanted. He could sit with her for a while as she indulged in sheepish pleasures.

“Shit are we being bad sheep guardians?” Karlach asked with a groan, she did start untying the rope from the stake in the ground, which she handed over to Gale when he approached.

“Do you mean shepherds?” Astarion asked, but Gale was very much through with the tom-foolery of the evening. Taking the rope in hand, he gave Tav the gentlest of tugs to get her moving.

“I’m going to take her to a clearing nearby, if she’s going to return to humanity with the taste of grass in her mouth it might as well be good grass.” Tav may have frustrated him at times to no end, but there was no denying that he respected her. Valued her, even. She was competent at decision making under catastrophic circumstances, unwaveringly compassionate to those in need, and a damn fine friend to anyone that allowed her to be. There were times that his fondness for her only increased his frustration about her casual disposition to her brand of chaos. He wanted her to care enough to take care of herself, to be careful. But he supposed, at least for the time being, she had him to do the worrying for her. Seemed a few others were up to the task too.

“Don’t forget her water bowl, Gale, I put her name on it and everything, you know, for next time it happens.” Karlach almost spilled the water bowl in her haste to hand it over, genuinely concerned he may leave it behind. The wizard took the bowl with a small bow of his head, yes even when he wasn’t around to watch after her, Tav was usually in good hands.

“I’m certain she’ll be touched by the kind gesture. Now come along, Tav.” With that, he gave another gentle tug on the rope, and sheep Tav seemed to know exactly what to do, which he supposed made sense, she had requested this.

—

He did have to give her credit for good timing, though, it was a lovely night. Stars twinkling above, the moon brilliantly lighting their little clearing. The air was cool, but not cold. A nice gentle breeze carried the sounds of the night time wildlife beginning their evening. Perfect night to sit with a book and enjoy the world for all its splendor.Even the company was pleasant, now satisfied with the grass she had available Tav was content to silently wander and munch nearby. He’d take breaks from the page to glance up at her to make sure she was fine, and frankly marvel at how he managed to enjoy her presence even as a sheep.

The two had shared many late night evening talks, mostly about the sort of things one expects a wizard and a sorcerer to discuss. Magic and its nature, mysteries of the universe, that sort of thing. They talked about other things, and he was constantly amazed by how much he enjoyed those chats just as much as he enjoyed the ones on his favorite subjects. Even in these trying times she approached life with enthusiasm, with passion and joy. Not to say she wasn’t aware of the impending doom that loomed above them, she’d let slip her air of exuberant confidence a few times to reveal just how deeply afraid she was. He’d realized then that she was attempting to shoulder all the worries of the team, that she’d been determined to be the source of comfort and hope when they couldn’t be one to themselves. He didn’t envy her. He did want to help her though. Which was yet another reason he was sitting out here with her.

It was a wonderful, quiet hour that past, and sheep Tav had settled in the grass and was deep into a snore when the magic dispelled. One moment a sheep snoozed happily, the next there was Tav. She sat up quickly, facing away from Gale. She twisted her head back and forth before rising to her feet. When she finally spotted Gale she broke into a big grin. A big, beautiful grin. She looked relieved to see him, happy to see him. He blinked back at her, and felt something stir in his chest that felt suspiciously like his heart fluttering. He hoped it was dark enough that she’d miss the faint tingle of redness on his cheeks he felt forming. A moment passed before he realized he was staring at her, and he quickly cleared his throat to break the silence.

“You should know, your dear friends seriously debated shearing you in pursuit of scientific curiosity,” he said, he’d intended his tone to be more chastising, after all he had asked her not to cast in camp for a reason. But his heart wasn’t in that, not at the moment, not with her looking at him like he was her safety, her comfort. It came out as the gentle, affectionate tease it truly was. Of course he knew he’d been fond of her already, but that look on her face under starlit skies was forcing him towards some rather hasty and unexpected realizations about just how fond of her he was.

“Oh to see if I turn out bald or naked?” She asked with an easy laugh, as she took a seat on the ground directly beside him. The urge to put an arm around her was one of the hardest he’s ever had to suppress. He settled for tilting his head to the side as he peered at her, watching the expression of good humor form on her face. He was finding he liked that one quite a bit too.

“A question you seem to have pondered quite a bit yourself,” he remarked.

“Well I’ve spent more than my fair share of time as a sheep. Always wondered why it was a sheep. Honestly, the universe probably knows I’d be too powerful as a cat.” She was looking directly into his eyes as she spoke, and he found himself even more acutely aware of how close they were and how intimate this moment between them was. The idea of her as a cat, however, was enough to get a laugh from him. Surely she’d be the sort to knock everything over, to break all your favorite things, and just when you were sure it was time to get rid of her, cuddle up on your lap and make you love her all over again.

“With your predisposition for chaos? I suspect you may be right.” He loved the way that made her laugh, the way her nose crinkled as her whole face lit up. She gave him a gentle shove on the shoulder, and he made a mental note to ensure an abundant future of that. She finished laughing and for a brief moment she sat and peered up at the stars before she looked back to the grass she’d been eating not ago.

“Awfully nice of you, though, to bring me out to this lovely patch of Baldurian Bluegrass.” She looked thankful. He blinked at her, and then looked at the grass, and then back at her.

“… You know what type of grass this is?” He must have sounded incredulous from her next little laugh. Tav was not much of an expert on the great outdoors, she’d never successfully identified an animal track, knew absolutely no potion ingredients, and seemed to be allergic to most things they came in contact with. She smiled a knowing smile and shrugged her shoulders.

“When I realized that I would be spending a decent amount of time as a sheep, I started growing little patches of grass at home, and had some brought in from all sorts of places. I figured, you know, spoil myself.” It was his turn to laugh, he shouldn’t have been surprised in the first place. That was exactly the sort of thing Tav did. 

“Ah yes, exotic grasses from across the globe. Truly a feast fit for a sheep of your caliber.” He teased, and felt that flicker in his heart when her eyes were back to him.

“But the one I always eat the most is the boring one, Baldurian Bluegrass.But do you realize what that means?” She asks leaning just enough that it felt like they were conspiring about something together.

“I can’t even imagine what’s about to come out of your mouth.” It wasn’t the first time that had happened, and he knew with such certainty that it would far from be the last. It excited him in a way that he hadn’t expected it to.

“You just took me out for a nice moonlit dinner with my favorite food. If you keep this up, Gale, I’m going to think you’re into me.” It was a joke, he was certain. Wasn’t he certain? He could almost be bold enough to lean over and kiss her, to wrap that arm around her and hold her. To spend the evening like this teasing and talking together. Almost.

“We should get back to camp, Karlach will be both relieved and disappointed by your reversion,” he said and cursed himself for being a coward. Tav took pity on him it seemed, leaned in and kissed his cheek, and he felt his heart absolutely pound in his chest. She rose to her feet quickly thereafter and offered her hand to him to help him up, which he gratefully accepted.

“Thank you, Gale, for taking care of me,” and there was that smile again, but it didn’t linger for long, and she was quickly starting the short walk back to camp. He didn’t let her get too far ahead though.

“It was a privilege and an honor, my lady.” He did stop to pick up her water bowl though, with her luck it would be helpful soon enough.