#and he's already romancing one of the NPCs

[suis0u]

I saw on instagram that you are playing Coral Island. Is it good?

Ehhh... I love it so far, so yes. In my opinion it's very good. But it's the first game of this cozy-farming-genre I've every played, so I can't say how it's holding up to games like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley and such.

[blujayonthewing]

I actually cannot believe how fucking powerfully baldur's gate has gripped me

[neednottoneed]

i bought some new dice for my new d&d character today (he's a sad pathetic little meow meow of a dude who i've based off of szabó szilveszter's portrayal of tybalt because my friend is DMing a shakespeare inspired campaign)

[welcometoteyvat]

. windblume

[angelltheninth]

Not a Game Anymore

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Tags: fluff, kissing, D&D, teasing, making out, confession, grinding, mention of a boner, friends to lovers

Word count: 0.9k

A/N: In case you're not aware, I'm a huge D&D nerd. If you liked this fic please leave some feedback with comments/reblogs, I love hearing what you think.

"And that is where we're gonna end it for tonight guys." Eddie clapped his hands, mostly to himself but also to everyone at the table, "Thanks for playing. It got intense there for little bit." Through absolutely no fault of his of course.

"Tense? I almost died to a fucking slime ball? How is that in any way fair?" Steve complained as he picked up his character sheet.

"At least you got a good item drop. What the hell am I supposed to do with a spell book? I'm a rouge." You went over your items list with a critical eye, "And a love potion? That seems a little too convenient given that the NPC is already in love with me, I don't need this."

"Sorry guys, it's not up to me. It's all in the dice and the rolls. You can sell those when you get back into town if you want." He looked so smug leaning back into his chair. He never cheated in a game, he just had insane luck as a DM, so there was not much anyone could get angry about, "I have something special planned for next week though, it's gonna be fun." As everyone packed up he noticed you hovering around a little, trying to peak into his character notes, "Hey! No peaking, you little cheat."

You sighed at getting caught, "Just making sure you really weren't the one cheating." Pretty soon it was just the two of you in the library, "Thanks for the game Eddie, it really was fun. If a little frustrating."

"A good DM has to give their players a challenge every once in a while. How you feeling about the romance? Am I still good to go on that front?" His eyes widened briefly when he realized that may have sounded like he was asking you out, "With the characters I mean, still okay?"

You smiled at his flustered face, it wasn't often that you got to see him like this, "Still fine. But..." You chewed on your bottom lip, "Don't go into too much detail. It would make me feel like I'm... well, I know we really wouldn't be but..." There was a part of you that thought about Eddie in that way, he was a handsome guy, charismatic, sweet to his friends and very creative.

"Oh? So if I were to say: he walks up to your character, pinning her against the desk," His smirk widened as he did just that, watching your expression go from flustered to wide eyed, "and kisses her right on the lips. Would you think of us doing the same thing?"

"No! Come on! You're... a friend! And a jackass for making fun of me!" You pushed him away but he held steady, gripping the edge of the table, his hands firmly on your sides, "Jerk. Stop being so close."

"Why? You thinking about kissing m-" You didn't just think about kissing him, you did kiss him, if only to shut him the hell up because you couldn't deal with his flirting anymore. He made a surprised noise from the back of his throat, a high-pitched sound that you never heard Eddie make before, "Not thinking. Okay."

You sighed, ducking your head, "Forget it. I... need some time alone, I'll..."

Eddie grabbed you by the hips and pressed his lips against yours again, "You know, a good part of roleplay is knowing what it feels like in real life. If you're up for it, I wouldn't mind for some inspiration." When you looked into his eyes you didn't see rejection or anger at your kiss, but curiosity and maybe the same feeling you've been feeling before. "What do you say?"

"Is this... all for the game?"

"Fuck no." His lips were on yours again, taking your next breath away and lifting you up onto the table, his body sliding between your legs, pushing himself on top of you without breaking the kiss. "Was hoping to do this in real life. Saw you reacted to the flirting and how you acted around me lately. I'm no genius but I can put two and two together." Eddie smirked at you, his tongue poking out to lick your lip, asking for more.

It was a request you happily granted with all your heart and body. As soon as your lips connected you arched into him, his body pushing back, urging you to get as close as possible. That was limited by your clothing but you could still feel the beginnings of his boner. "Heh, are you gonna make me roll to take my clothes off next?"

"Hm, that sounds like something you'd have advantage in, judging by the fact that you're very enthusiastic about this. But I have to point out that our characters have been on a date in game, but you and I haven't. I like to have even progress for all my players." He wiggled his eyebrows at you, still close, "That way we're gonna be on the same page and if you play your dice right you might get your close taken off sooner then you think."

How soon was too soon?

"That's in interesting game system you've got there, Eddie. In that case, since our characters already slept next to each other and I'm staying over, it's only fair that I sleep in your bed tonight." You can turn his game logic right back around.

"True, true. I wasn't gonna let you sleep on the couch anyway." With a slight grunt Eddie pulled you into his arms, his hands under your thighs, a dice rolling onto the floor at his feet, "I'll be damned, a Natural 20."

[indigowallbreaker]

In before the update tomorrow

Here are my predictions/wishlist Stardew Valley 1.6 update! These range from "could happen" to "just let me dream":

Children aging past toddlerhood; gain ability to change their outfits

Another set of romanceable NPCs (eyeing Sandy and the Wizard particularly)

More post-marriage dialogue/events. Like an anniversary date

Festivals changing as the years go on. For example: after getting 8 hearts with Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian, maybe their band plays at the Stardew Valley Fair; the governor brings his wife to the Luau the year after you make the soup taste Delish

The ability to properly befriend certain NPCs like Marlon and Gunther

Separate screen to keep track of farm animals, similar to villager screen in the menu (helpful to me when I play a file I haven't logged into in a while and discover after 3 in-game days that I have sheep)

Non-binary farmer option

Please let me interact with the stuff in the community center I spent my whole file trying to fix

NPCs will repeat dialogue to you after you've spoken to them already during a festival to avoid the creepy situation of wandering around an event and not being able to speak with anyone like they've suddenly become statues and you're the only living thing left in town

Other bachelors/bachelorettes getting together after you're married (little bit of the old Harvest Moon rival system)

More NPCs that move to town the longer you live there, like Kent arriving in Year 2

Morris shows up every once in a while after you complete the Center just so you can appreciate how much you ruined this man's whole life. Or he experiences Growth from being in the Valley, whichever

Heart events occurring more than once. For example: replaying Abigail and Sebastian's gaming/RPG heart events; Leah can hold more than one art show to sell exclusive art; Elliot will have a new book for you to hear an excerpt from every year or so; help Penny teach the kids again; etc.

More ways to increase max health

Could I have a birthday please Mr. Ape ;_;

Fix the "Leek Surprise Gift" cutscene unlocked after Evelyn's special request so that I don't wanna crack George over the head afterwards just because I picked the dialogue option that would give his poor wife credit

Make George Nice To His Wife Every Once In A While patch

Option to fist fight certain villagers, either instigated by them when their friendship gets too low or instigated by you if you've just always hated them and wanna do something about it

At 10 hearts Jodi runs away to travel with Emily and Haley's parents because apparently no one on that street actually wanted to be a parent

Give me ten good reasons Willy can't adopt me

[easy-there-leftovers]

Hiii can I just say I’m OBSESSED with ISY,D!! Amazing work truly the best ❤️

I saw asks are open so I thought I’d slip in a little prompt 👀

Astarion and Tav have a bit of a spat at camp. Tav is trying to convince Astarion that ascending would make him just as bad as Cazador, but Astarion craves the power and the freedom. Tav, upset and frustrated, ends up leaving for a walk through the late night streets of the gate to clear their head. One of the vampire spawn out looking for their next prey find Tav, recognizing them immediately as Astarion’s love (and one true weakness) and kidnaps them to bring to Cazador. Cazador, being the sick fuck he is, locks Tav away and sends a note to Astarion that he finds the next morning, saying that he had Tav and that if Astarion wants them back he has to surrender to Cazador and go through with the ceremony. Astarion loses his mind and races to the castle with the gang in tow, praying that Tav is unharmed. Will he be there just in time to save Tav? Or will he be too late, will Cazador have already turned them by the time he gets there?

Sorry for the paragraph but this has been in my mind for DAYS and I would cry if you could make this story come to fruition ❤️

-🌸

Hello 🌸anon!! Thank you so much for liking the series, I'm glad that it's something that you enjoy reading! Also, I've decided to include @simp-4-astarion's request as they were rather similar in nature!! Thank you so much for liking my work :,DDD

In addition!! Just a heads up for people who'd like to request or send an idea in, I don't just write for Astarion! Feel free to include your favorite romanceable pcs (and non romanceable npcs lol) into the mix!!

————━─━────༺༻────━─━————

That night at camp had been fraught with tension, like a fraying rope ready to snap. The campfire crackled, the tongues of the flame dancing and flickering about, mirroring the storm within the heated pair.

Your voice, something that he's come to find solace in as of late, quivered with frustration unlike any he's heard directed at him before as you tried to reason with him.

"I don't relish it. but my," He pauses, wondering what he should call them. "--Siblings lured thousands of people to their death over the years. I doubt Baldur's Gate would miss any of them." He seems rather taken with the idea, and you worry about what this could mean for him.

"But we don't even know if it's possible, Astarion. You're hypothesizing that you become the Vampire Ascended at the expense of eradicating the other spawn." Whether or not they had done things as horrendous as your,-- gods you don't even know what you are,-- as the ex-magistrate, they did not deserve to be subjected to such a ritual.

He paces around you, ascertaining your reactions, and making quick work to think about how he could convince you

"And so what? I've obviously thought about it. If I completed the ritual, this evocation, I'd have insurmountable power. And--" He nears himself to you, practically whispering the following words into the skin of you neck. As if anything he said would etch its way into your skin and carve you anew.

"I could walk in the sun without fear of becoming a mindflayer. Don't you want that for me, darling? For us?" The question instills an indescribable fear in you. Not the same fear that's been riddling you as you wonder if you'd perish in one of your many battles, but the fear you'd witness when you lost something dear to you.

It's as if he's giving you an out.

Agree with him, and you seal his fate as the Vampire Ascendant with a sure place at his side.

Or disagree, allowing all those spawn the same chance he had been given all those tendays ago, and snuff out whatever growing relationship you had between you.

He senses your uncertainty. And he feels lost. He figured that you would be so sure to keep him at your side. Doing anything it takes to make sure it stays that way, but now you're getting cold feet with his blatant proposal of companionship because of what?

These monsters he's hunted with?

These damned spawn that represent everything you've seeked to correct about the world?

"Astarion, please, give them a chance. They were just like you once, give them that much."

At any other time, he would've admired your efforts to help them. But in this moment, he thinks you a fool who could never truly understand what it means to be a slave and to want for power.

"You did not know them. And you do not know me as well as you may think, my dear, if you think they deserve a chance more than I do."

He doesn't know why it all happened the way it did. The way that his thoughts came tumbling out of his mouth and only allowing the worst of things to escape him.

All he knows was that it had surely hurt you and that he doesn't think he's ever seen your retreating form look as small as it did as you walked towards somewhere in the city.

And that he wished he had remembered where they were. So near to where his consanguines and he used to hunt.

So when he and the others are greeted with a letter smelling of undeath, telling them that they had their precious leader imprisoned in Cazadaor's manor, he knows not to tell them about the little argument you two had.

Knows not to tell them anything to dampen their mood as they search for you.

Knows not to tell them that the likelihood he kept you alive was slim to none, now that he has Astarion's attention.

Once they had been alerted of your whereabouts, a clear ploy to lure him back to his master, there would be no use for you anymore. They don't know Cazador like he did, and he was sure that by the time they reached their destination, you would be no more.

Stil, he's willing to take any chance he can get to get you back. No use in proclaiming you dead if he hasn't seen you, and he'd be damned if he let Cazador take any more from him.

————━─━────༺༻────━─━————

[itostea]

about you (rin x reader)

warnings: grumpy x sunshine!!! childhood friends to lovers, reader is delulu, image from our secret alliance

a/n: i had to title the fic about you since it was playing in the bg 😭😭

Being a teenage girl meant a few things. Consuming random content about silly romances and squealing over pixels; experimenting with make-up at 3 a.m; screaming at the top of your lungs to songs about heartbreak.

It also meant going delusional over your crush. In your situation, crush means your childhood friend, Rin Itoshi. Though he wasn’t yours. Not yet at least.

“Rinnie!” you greet him, not noticing the looks of bewilderment from his team. He’s calm, unlike his teammates or who he commonly refers to as npcs in his messages with you.

You already told him over the phone that you were going to visit him for a while. And to your surprise, he offered his place for you to stay at—telling you that it wasn’t a big deal since the house was too big for one person.

You think you must’ve saved a kingdom in your past life from how fortunate you’ve been lately. Like how even now, you were to manage to land early enough to visit him at practice. You’re so ecstatic that his team thinks you might be glowing.

“I found some sandwiches on my way here! You want some? Here let me go to you!” You chirp, running freely so freely that you don’t even notice the ball beneath your feet. Your ears pick up a few warnings and the sound of multiple footsteps. Yet your body picks up the feeling of a pair of strong arms and the familiar scent you’ve grown to love.

Disbelief washes over his team as they see how Rin quickly moved to catch you and their mouths are left open when they see him actually being gentle. You laugh awkwardly as you peer up at Rin who just sighs. “Idiot.”

“Hello to you too Rinnie,” you chuckle, letting him take your bag from you.

He frowns, seeing how the bags were piled with sandwiches. “Don’t call me that here. And why’d you buy so much?”

“For your team of course!”

“Why the hell would you spend your money on these shitheads—“

“Now c’mon Rinrin,” a deep voice snickers and you’re startled at the pair of pink hues that stare down at you. Your lips part, eying his tanned skin and hair of shades of blonde with pink streaks. “If a pretty lady’s offering to feed ya, you gotta say thank you right?”

“I didn’t ask you, antennaed freak. And stop calling me that.”

“Lighten up,” he grins, shifting his attention to you.

Your eyes widened in recognition, hands reaching to grab Rin’s arm—moving it so you could pull a wrapped sandwich out. “You must be Shidou right? I’m—“

“(Name) right? Heard all about you from this guy.” He takes the sandwich from, his hands purposely lingering on your palm.

Rin’s fast to shove Shidou’s hand off of yours. “Hands off.”

“What? You gonna make me?”

“You picking a fight—?“

“Rinnie talks about me?” You beam, ignoring the tension in the air. His teal-colored eyes widened, as if suddenly caught. You don’t let him stop you, instead making your way in between them to beam at Shidou. “What does he say?”

Shidou blinks, lips falling into a wide grin. “I might tell you if you let me take you ou—“

“Cut it out,” Rin’s voice interrupts, his eyes twitching in irritation.

“Are they good things?” You question, ignoring Rin’s look of exasperation.

“You bet. He talks about how pretty your eyes are and how he wants to kiss—“

“No I don’t,” your friend retorted sternly, sighing as he saw the hearts that were forming in your eyes. His hues take a moment to scan your appearance, noticing how you spent some time touching up. “You look different.”

“He means you look cute. Right Rinrin?” Shidou provokes.

“Really? That’s great because I’m trying to impress Rinnie right now!”

Both men watch in silence. You’re sure the whole field just heard that but Rin thinks you’re too oblivious to notice—sighing when you blink as a couple of his teammates give you a thumbs up as motivation.

Rin feels himself growing warm, red dusting his cheeks. He glances at you—how you smile so brightly at him. Only him. For a second, he forgets about the people around him, merely focusing on the way you grin at him. He would’ve enjoyed this moment longer if not for a shit-eating grin appearing next to him.

“Oh? Are you blushing Rin—?”

“Shut up antennaed freak,” he huffs, pulling on your arm. Rin’s eyes flit to you and how you eagerly anticipate his next move. He sighs. “We’re leaving.”

“We are? W-Wait the sandwiches!” You yelp, setting the basket on the ground as he drags you away from his team—his grip surprisingly gentle despite its firmness. You gesture at the basket, waving at his team who seem to be more bewildered at the sight of Rin pulling you away.

You smile as he opens his car door, ushering you in with a grunt. “Did you take a taxi here?”

“That’s right! Why? Did you want to pick me up instead?” you chirp.

He enters the driver’s seat, ignoring your question in his usual manner. He’s already reaching forthe seatbelt besides you, buckling you in—his scent filling your senses. Oddly enough, Rin doesn’t hear any playful remarks leaving your lips. Instead, he’s face-to-face with pursed lips and an expression that’s unmistakably embarrassment.

Oh shit, he thinks. Not again. That feeling swelling in his stomach returns, suffocating the car with tension. You’re not given much time to dwell on the pink that dusts his cheeks momentarily as he’s already reaching for his phone. “Here.”

The tension’s forgotten and it’s hard to slow your rapid heartbeat. You blink rapidly, your lips falling into a big grin once you realize his intentions. “I thought you hated my ‘lukewarm love songs.’”

“I never said that.”

“Oh? So you do like them!”

“I never said that either. Just take my phone already or else I’ll get mad. My arm’s hurting, idiot.”

“Liar. I know you like me too much to get mad,” you muse, taking his phone to open Spotify. You’re already humming to the first song that plays.

He knows you’re teasing but it’s hard to brush off the comment. Rin’s lips twitch, finding it amusing that some parts of you stayed the same since you two were children. You were always clinging onto him—making him listen to your random delusions or listen to you sob about some silly romance novel.

He knows you like stupid tropes about enemies to lovers and your strange obsession with sharing a bed. He knows that you have strange tastes and he’s never pass on making fun of you for that. He knows you like those cringey couple nicknames because they make you laugh. He also knows he doesn’t have a single romantic bone in him but for once, he doesn’t mind doing what the poets do.

You’re still humming, oblivious to what kind of thoughts linger in his brain. He hums. “Yeah. You’re right.”

“Right about what?” You ask, bemused at his sudden comment. He’s quiet, a ghost of a smirk on his face. You’re not sure if it’s the fact that About You by The 1975 is playing but the atmosphere makes you catch on far too quickly.

“Oh my god,” you say too quickly. “Rinnie do you like me? Rinnie? Stop the car! Rinnie tell me!”

Your constant pleading does little to dissuade him as he laughs silently to himself—the sight rare even for you. “You do! You do! You like me!”

“Shut up or else I’m taking the phone away.”

“That’s mean! Wait a minute, that means we’re dating now right? Does that mean I can call you pookie wookiee—?”

“No.”

“Oh you didn’t say no to us dating! You can’t take it back!”

He sighs again, smiling softly. Feelings are weird, Rin thinks. They’re even weirder when confronted but he doesn’t mind doing that when it’s for you. He sighs for the nth time.

“Idiot. Why would I take that back? You said it yourself. I like you too much.”

The car’s silent and About You is still playing. It’s silent and Rin can’t resist glancing over at you, his eyes widening slightly. He suddenly understands why you go so crazy for those books and shows of yours—the ones about love. Since seeing you wear such an expression is enough to make him realize that love isn’t so bad after all.

[sd1d-enthusiast]

So Polin fam, I'm that user from the polin sub who tried to give spoilery context to the sensationalized sun article leaks about Colin, and no I did not do it to start drama or whatever, I've been waiting for a Romancing Mister Bridgerton adaption for more than a decade and Colin is one of my favorite regency male characters, so to see people just taking two out of context scenes from a gossip rag and using that to lambast his character is super frustrating. I expected people to calm down once they knew the context, not go on tirades that the season is ruined or Colin doesn't deserve Pen or they want NPC plot device Debling to snatch her instead, and it's so bizarre.

After thinking about it though, I think I understand why people reacted like they did. A good portion of this fandom does NOT give a crap about Colin as a character in his own right and only sees him as a prop for Penelope's happiness. That's why every polin video will be littered with "Oh, I want him to GROVEL if he ever wants to DESERVE penelope." As if he committed some horrific crime, as if he isn't the only one person who has EVER seen Penelope for who she was, who has sought her out when she was hiding in the corners and shadows, who noticed her and confided in her and tried to step in and protect her and her family. Sure, he's had his foot in the mouth moments, and sure he isn't perfect. But NEITHER IS PENELOPE. And that's the whole damn point!

They're both still so young and haven't even found out who THEY really are yet, in large part they are both sort of drifting and trying to do what society expects of them. It's no coincidence that their true thoughts have really only been spoken to each other! Because they're meant to take on that journey together, they're meant to be partners who grow and make each other better, and that takes TIME and it's never 100% perfect, because they are imperfect complex characters. Which makes them interesting!

I just wanted to clear it up and vent this out bc I'm even seeing people on tumblr screenshot my comments or make out what I said to be something it's not. Seriously, we are about to get an amazing season. I wish people would stop overreacting. I already know once the season comes out everyone whose been shitting on Colin nonstop because of 2 tiny as hell scenes will pretend like they loved him all along lmao.

[mymainwastoocluttered]

Homewrecker, husband-stealer villainess!

Idia is not going anywhere, you hear me?! You might be happy being the other woman, but I'm not happy with the pair of horns!

NOTE: I only write for female Reader, but everyone is welcome to read!

Inspired by @adrianasunderworld in this funny as hell post.

THIS HAS A SEQUEL! What if we fake married for real? (⁠ʃ⁠ƪ⁠＾⁠3⁠＾) ~★

"To give someone a pair of horns" is to cheat on them. Also, Rook gets involved because he'd absolutely adore to be part of the drama.

— (⁠╬⁠☉⁠д⁠⊙⁠)⁠⊰⁠⊹ฺ

Idia knows he's not frozen like the others, but honestly, he feels like it. He feels like even his lungs, even his heart has stopped. All because of this cute-faced npc who forced her way into a romance route with him. If he could think about it, he'd think about that horror game with the same story, but right now his mind is blank.

He has reached the point of no return. Actually dying would just reinforce his fate.

Or, at least, is what he thought. Almost as if answering to his thoughts, there's a loud noise coming from the other side of the doors, followed by footsteps.

Then the doors are thrown open by none other than (Y/N), the Ramshackle Housewarden that the school affectionately tends to call "Prefect".

She's dressed to the nines in a breathtaking wedding gown, the skirt pooling around her like God-Tier CGI, the blue accents contrasting beautifully with the pearly white of the dress, the blue roses decorating her head in a crown making her look like Persephone herself. She'd look perfect, if it weren't for the tear streaks her make-up left behind.

Wait. Tear streaks?

The silence breaks with the Prefects loud, shrill screech, a sound no one has ever thought she, the usually soft spoken and gentle Prefect, would be capable of.

"HOMEWRECKER!"

Without stopping to breath, she walks forwards, looking angrier and angrier each step taken.

"How dare you, you conniving bitch?! How dare you steal my groom! ON OUR WEDDING DAY?!" she screams at Eliza, stopping in the middle of the way to point at... at Idia himself?! "And you! You good-for-nothing two-timer! How dare you leave me waiting at the altar?!"

"Young man, I am terribly disappointed!" Professor Crewel chides from behind her, and Idia finally notices the group that actually came in with her. "I did not give you permission to marry my daughter, my first and only daughter, for you to break her heart on her happiest day!"

"Big brother! How could you! Think of your child!" Ortho chimes in, and if Idia hadn't built tear tracks on the boy himself, he would believe firmly in his tears. "Little Meg would be so sad if her daddy just left for another woman!"

"Idia, what is the meaning of this?!" it's Eliza's turn to screech, turning to him with fury in her eyes. Idia stutters a few random letters, trying to form words, just as confused as she is.

Until it clicks.

Right. Fake relationship. How could he forget one of the most cliche tropes in romance's history?

"I... I... t-this isn't what it looks like!" he finally manages to say, trying to look as desperate as he can, which is not hard considering what his fate is in case this plan fails. "I can explain!"

"Is it because of my past with Rook?! "

"Young man, you're still hung up on that, despite being the only man I've ever approved for my daughter?"

"What?!" someone yells in the crowd, but the man in question promptly enters the play as if he was born for this moment alone.

"Monsieur, I have told you this already, but I shall say it again! My dear dove's happiness is the most important to me! If she has chosen you, then my heart shall settle!" What the fuck, why is Rook so good at improv?

"I-I know!" calm down, Idia, think of this as a rhythm game and keep the beat going! "I don't... I don't want this, but this villainess wouldn't listen!"

"Wait, so this woman is telling the truth?!"

"This woman?! THIS WOMAN?! You mean his true bride?!" (Y/N) steps closer, fat crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks, smudging her make-up even more. "You- you- you husband-stealer! Know your place! You come into my house, you steal my groom and the father of my daughter-"

"I see no child-"

"Do you think I'd bring my child to see my husband's mistress?!"

"Big sister, calm down, think of the baby! Your stress levels are dangerously high!"

"WHAT BABY?!"

"Monsieur Shroud, if you do not fix this situation, I shall be taking my belle back! Do not worry, the children will not grow without a father!"

[randoimago]

Grocery Shopping Together

Fandom: Baldur's Gate

Characters: Dammon

Type of Request: NPC Event Thingy

Note(s): I love Dammon very much and wish there were options to flirt with the NPC's even if there's no full romances (but I'd love to romance all the tieflings tho).

"We are only getting groceries, right?" You can't help but tease your love as you catch Dammon's eyes go from the vegetable stall and drift to another stall that sells various tools.

Dammon gives a small chuckle as he realizes he was caught. "Yes, only groceries this time," he reassures you but you remember how he was eyeing a new hammer earlier.

You continued to walk to various stalls with basic foods and necessities, wanting to get those out of the way. Dammon has been staying focused on the shopping with you, being the one to look over the food to see what's ripe and what can be stored for a few days. But now you couldn't help thinking back to that tool stall.

Dammon hasn't had good tools since getting this job at the forge. Even then it's mostly hand-me downs. The druid grove only had wooden and stone tools. Last Light had rusted tools that Dammon tried to remove the rust from, but it still wasn't the best quality. And now he got some secondhand tools that are already much better, but they're not brand new.

"What's on your mind, dear?" Dammon asks as he puts some money down and carries the bags of groceries. You had offered to help, but he declined stating that he works the forge all day, he can handle carrying some extra bags.

"Just wondering how much money we had," you reply, not quite telling him the truth. He doesn't seem to notice as he tells you and you nod. "How about I take some of the money and we can split up to get the rest?" You suggest and Dammon thinks for a moment.

"If you're sure. We'll meet back here when we're done?" You nod and he gives you a quick peck before you split off to immediately go to that tool stand.

The cost of new tools isn't cheap, but he's made a good bit of gold with his blacksmithing job. You still felt a bit bad by how much you spent, but you know that it's worth it to see the smile on Dammon's face.

"Those don't look like groceries," you state when you see Dammon approaching. He does have extra bags to let you know he did do some shopping, but he also has a bouquet of flowers in one hand.

"You probably could use some of these flowers in cooking," he replies with a smile, not looking at all apologetic about the purchase as he holds the bouquet out to you.

"I suppose we can switch then." Dammon is a bit confused by your words before you fetch the new hammer out of one of your bags and hold it out while taking the bouquet. You see his eyes widen at seeing the gift and a chuckle leaves his lips as he takes it from you, testing the weight in his hand.

"I thought we were only getting groceries," Dammon teases, but the smile on his face and the way his tail wags a bit, almost like a puppy, let's you know he appreciates the gift.

"Well, new tools help you make the money so we can get groceries. So I think it's a fair trade off." Dammon rolls his eyes at you playfully but kisses your forehead lightly.

"Come on, I need to buy you another bouquet as thanks."

[athelyna-silverspell]

Opinions No One Asked For™️: Palia NPC Edition

Auni: I love this kid. I want him to think of me as a cool older sister or cool aunt. I bring him bugs every chance I get

Ashura: I want him to be my dad. Genuinely love him. Serious contender to be my Shepp

Badruu: He really turned the puns up to 11. I love him. Also want him to be my dad. And possibly my Shepp

Caleri: I wasn't too sure about her, but after getting to know her, I feel like we have quite a few similarities. Definitely want to be her friend. Could she be my Shepp? 👀

Chayne: I find him so calming. He also feels dad-like to me. 100% want him as a support figure/father figure regardless of who I choose as my Shepp

Delaila: Love talking to her. Really want to get to know her better at this point (but 100% want her to win all the prizes at farmers markets/festivals)

Einar: Absolutely adorable and I love him. Only platonically tho. I will give him as many Gils and shiny rocks as he wants

Elouisa: I wasn't sure at first, but I LOVE her unhinged theories. I want to be her best friend. I will investigate all the paranormal things with her. Contender for my Shepp. Girl let's go ghost hunting

Eshe: So snobby. So bougie. So bitchy. I wish she could be my Shepp 😫 (if only because it would be entertaining)

Hassian: First impressions? What an asshole. After some time, I am...intrigued. I want to figure him out. I want to know why he is the way he is. Also fucking love Tau, the gooodest boi

Hekla: Honestly... she freaked me out a little for a long time. I'm slowly coming around though

Hodari: Listen, I get it. I see where you all are coming from. But man's just not my type 🤷🏻‍♀️

Jel: Oh Jel, my beloved. I'm not exactly subtle about it. This man is my husband. Sad, skinny, pathetic, dramatic, goth guys are My Type™️. Would marry him like, yesterday 🥀😫🪡🖤😍

Jina: At first I wasn't sure, but the more I talk to her, I'm like, "Jina, my bestie." I'm a PhD student. I feel you. Also, WOMEN IN STEM, HELL YEAH!!!! I have a feeling we're gonna be great friends

Kenji: Not a fan of your extremely privileged life ("Have you tried inheriting property?" 😐😐😐) or the invasive chapaa situation... but I also don't dislike him as much as I thought. I feel like he's playing a role he doesn't really want to, but still enjoying/expecting the high life for little to no effort

Kenyatta: She should be my best friend. I was put off at first, but she is the coolest. I see quite a few aspects of myself in her

Nai'O: I feel like he's the sweetest boi ever. I'm both like, "He deserves better than Kenyatta" and "Kenyatta is good for him." Perhaps the most wholesome NPC

Najuma: I also want to be the cool older sister and/or cool aunt that she never had. This kid is a badass and smart as hell. I wish my friendship with her was better already

Reth: This man. I love him. I'm not sure if it's platonic or romantic yet. All I know is he's one of my favourite NPCs to talk to. He's funny, he's flirty, he's got a Tragic Backstory™️. I'm here for this soup boi whether he wants it or not

Sifuu: Two words: Bad. Ass. It's a crime that we can't romance her. I really want to ask her to be my Shepp, but I'm not sure it's a good fit

Tamala: I'm sorry, Tamala besties, but I just don't like her 😭 I really wanted to like her so bad, but her aggressive flirting paired with her unwillingness to consider me a friend/equal just rubs me the wrong way

Tish: Absolutely beautiful person. I want to be her bffl. That is all

Zeki: Crime Cat, my beloved. He is the most entertaining Shepp option (imo). He's got an eye patch, a gold tooth, and shady practices. I find him amusing. I want him to like me. Share his (dubiously acquired) riches with me. Please accept me into the black market. I won't tell, but I can't promise I'll participate (I probably will 👀)

[blackjackkent]

As with Patch 5, I have compiled my favorite Patch 6 patch notes (the exciting ones and the hilarious ones) so you don't have to.

First of all, the Highlights section has some VERY nice QoL changes:

"You can now dismiss a recruited companion from your party while speaking to the companion you want to replace them with." (Fuck yes, this is such a small annoyance but it really adds up over time.)

"When a dialogue triggers automatically, the game will now try to prioritise your avatar character as the main speaker." (I spent literally like half an hour trying to ensure Hector got the conversational lead when walking into the vault with the Stone Lord for my liveblog post, so this fills my heart with DEEP joy.)

"The Elixir of Hill Giant Strength now applies its effects when thrown." (HUGE deal for Hector's party in my liveblog, as @zenjestrr has pointed out to me - Jaheira can hurl it onto Hector, Karlach, and Minsc together!)

Some general happy-making improvements (some for things in Act 3/epilogue that I haven't gotten to yet but which sound very positive):

"Your partner now has a few different kisses! They're brand new, unique, and randomized."

"If you sit on the stool in Shadowheart's camp corner, she will now react to you with a line based on your relation with her."

"Improved the cinematic scenes in the Elfsong Tavern to feel more intimate when you and your romance partner decide your future together after defeating the Netherbrain."

"Reworked the reflection scenes that take place after wrapping up the defeat of the Netherbrain for characters without romantic partners to better match the scenes for those who do have romantic partners, and to bridge the gap into the epilogue."

"Added a new cinematic scene to support the combat encounter that occurs after you choose whether to side with Nightsong at Sorcerous Sundries or not."

"If you romanced Lae'zel, grab a red dragon and saddle up - you can now join her in the rebellion against Vlaakith, even if you are not gith yourself."

"Increased the number of valid methods of knocking Minthara out to recruit her."

"Tooltips for spells requiring concentration now more prominently display a warning if you are already using concentration to maintain another spell."

And now the bits that just made me laugh. XD

"If you Long Rest with only alcohol as camp supplies, you will now get the new Hungover condition for 10 turns."

"The Long Rest camp supply menu is now better at pulling supplies from inside containers in companion inventories. Stop hoarding the cheese, Wyll."

"The owlbear cub will no longer gobble up Auntie Ethel's Hair before you can take advantage of the bonus it grants." (???)

"Creating harmful surfaces beneath NPCs will now trigger a crime reaction."

"Scratch can no longer equip certain weapons. Like the Everburn Blade."

"Jaheira could be in bad shape by the time she arrived at Moonrise Towers since she already had to fight. Now she's smart enough to heal up before she goes there, which we're hoping lets her last at least an additional second in combat."

"Fixed dice roll sounds playing if you have the 'Hide Failed Perception Rolls' setting enabled while exploring. We asked the narrator to quieten down when rolling the dice for your immersion."

"Fixed a bug causing player characters to get deleted from the game after stealing the Blood of Lathander."

"Enemies are now less likely to summon a Skeletal Involucre in range of a Spirit Guardian that will immediately destroy it."

"Nere's Legendary Action now correctly triggers when he is attacked, rather than when he attacks. Cut him some slack - being a True Soul is a lot of pressure; we'd all get confused in his shoes."

"Told Fezzerk to stop throwing his bombs on himself and his allies."

"The Apostle of Myrkul's Finger of Death spell is now treated as a Level 7 spell instead of a cantrip."

"Fixed Steel Watchers sometimes hurting themselves with their own attacks."

"Invisible characters who have something to say in a dialogue will now remember to actually show themselves."

" Throwing NPCs into a chasm will no longer trigger their crime reaction dialogue while they're mid-flight."

"Jaheira could have access to two types of Wild Shape in certain circumstances. We've toned down her blatant disregard for D&D rules."

"Fixed NPC heads occasionally detaching in Forced Turn-Based Mode."

"You can no longer place a corpse into its own inventory."

"Items can only be sent to specific companions in camp if a party member is in camp at the time. Stop sending every +1 dagger to Gale, he's not that hungry."

"NPCs should be a lot less eager to engulf themselves (or their allies) in flames now."

"Fixed NPCs using an incorrect throw range when they can't move. This sometimes caused them to, say, throw explosives on their own heads."

"Fixed NPCs sometimes successfully landing jumps that shouldn't be possible. Like through ceilings."

"You can no longer trade with sleeping characters."

"Fixed overhead dialogues still playing above the souls of dead characters - represented as blue wisps - in the epilogue camp. Lae'zel will no longer urgently proclaim 'Repositioning!' when you make her little wisp move around."

"Killing Omeluum or Blurg of the Society of Brilliance will now break your paladin oath. Because they're nice and you're not."

"Picking up fish from the beach at the Emerald Grove is no longer a crime. They take their vegetarianism very seriously, those druids."

"You can now no longer spawn infinite fish at the Emerald Grove beach. No wonder that bear smells."

"Told Art Cullagh to please stop singing during the combat when Isobel's being abducted."

"You can no longer trade with Voss when he ambushes you at the base of High Hall."

"If you escape prison and then return to your cell and close the door without being noticed by anyone allied to the arresting guards, you will no longer be considered a fugitive."

"Fixed a bug where a status could carry over from the final battle to the beginning of the epilogue, potentially killing the players."

"You can now clean your body and clothes in a fountain in the House of Hope's boudoir. Sometimes it's nice to freshen up before a big event."

"Fixed Scratch not feeling like playing in camp beyond Act I after partying too hard at the camp celebration."

"Minthara no longer speaks more about Shadowheart than Shadowheart does about herself."

"You'll no longer see text telling you that Gale approves of something if he's not even nearby to see what happened."

"Jaheira's memory in her old age was failing her, and she could tell you about Minsc twice if you left her in camp but advanced her quest multiple steps. Now she's much better at remembering what she told you, and will only prompt it the once."

"Good boys Scratch and the owlbear cub will now play together in any camp, not just the main one in the wilderness from Act I."

"Cerys will now leave your camp after the camp celebration in Act I. We know it's sometimes hard to ask the last person to leave the party, so we've done it for you."

"Fixed Rugan being upset with you for trespassing after saving him from impending doom. You're welcome, Rugan."

"Florrick now looks appropriately grimy and sweaty after escaping Waukeen's Rest."

"Lae'zel will no longer become hostile towards you, thinking you left the inquisitor's office in Crèche Y'llek while waiting to fulfil Vlaakith's orders, when you only jumped on one of the platforms in the corner."

"Fixed Smythin in the Goblin Camp sometimes getting stuck in a cowering animation. He's a little braver now."

"Rugan is no longer 'too busy' to thank you after you free him in the Zhentarim Hideout."

"One of the teenagers in the Crèche Y'llek will now tend to his cleaning tasks. He may or may not have been chastised for shirking his duties."

"Fixed a bug with Bernard in the Arcane Tower not giving you a reward if you previously befriended the squirrel in the Emerald Grove."

"Fixed a couple of goblins in the Goblin Camp not really doing much at all if you free Sazza."

"Rotated Barth and Remira near the Emerald Grove gate so they would shout in the right direction."

"The nurses in the House of Healing have remembered that they are capable of speech and will now react to crimes properly."

"Dame Aylin now permits all players to behold her radiance in the cutscene when ascending from the Shadowfell rather than just the one who freed her."

"Isobel and Marcus will no longer stop their epic confrontation at Last Light just because someone commits a petty crime nearby."

"In rare cases, Jaheira could be Frightened in the combat with Ketheric and end up so scared she doesn't show up to resolve the conflict in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. She now overcomes her terror."

"Bards can no longer say they saved Jaheira's Harper scouts when they did no such thing."

"Fixed some guards by the fountain at Last Light who were trying to speak each other's lines."

"Now you can convince Ch'r'ai Har'rak to go away in different ways."

"Mayrina will no longer still be Bloodless in Act III if Astarion bit her in Act I."

"Wyll no longer leaves the party when you commit a crime in the High Hall. With the city in ruin, the petty crime dramatics seemed a little extreme."

"A few more people around Baldur's Gate will notice if an article has been printed about you in the newspaper."

"Lumbar will no longer react as if you didn't pay for the privilege of hitting him if the single strike had different damage types." (Ah this explains why Hector got that weird reaction. XD)

"Vicar Humbletoes will no longer do a weird shrug before praying."

"Prevented Karlach's death scene from triggering if a solo player chooses to detonate while playing as Avatar Gale."

"Fixed Lae'zel talking inaccurately about Ptaris, for example suggesting he's dead when he's... literally right there."

"Auntie Ethel will no longer send you a letter written by Zevlor in the epilogue."

"If you part ways with Shadowheart and hide in the Underdark as a mind flayer, she won't forget and think you've spent the last sixth months together in the epilogue. Classic Shadowheart, always forgetting things."

"The Emperor will no longer send you a cheerful letter in the epilogue camp if you ate his brains."

"You can no longer invite the owlbear cub to live with you and Halsin in the epilogue if you do not, in fact, live with Halsin."

"Fixed avatar characters incorrectly getting assigned the Dream Guardian's skin colour in Character Creation on controller."

"The fish barrels in the Underdark, that clearly look like they have fish in them, now actually contain fish instead of tarts."

"You can no longer casually go walkies in the middle of a chasm in the Decrepit Village in the Underdark."

"Removed a platform in Grymforge that looked like it was accessible and was tricking a few of you into trying to jump on it to access the Gauntlet of Shar."

"You can no longer disappear into a couple of rocks near the mephits in Grymforge. Sorry."

"Added a new animation for Cranium Rats. They can now stand up on their hind leggies."

"Corpses thrown from your inventory now look dead rather than alive. As is right."

"Fixed missing sounds in Active Search. (We found them hidden under some rocks in Act I.)"

"Fixed a basket of onions claiming to be a fruit basket, and other issues with lying baskets."

"Gave the dogs at the Sword Coast Couriers names. Because they're the best boys."

"Lae'zel no longer slides or teleports away during her Epilogue dialogue."

"Made general improvements to Boo's animations. The hamster is a little less jittery."

"Fixed the goblet flying out of your hand when talking to Jaheira at Last Light. We knew you were suspicious of it, but you don't have to be so dramatic."

:D

This is a tiny fraction of the full set of changes/improvements/fixes listed in the patch notes and once again I am tremendously impressed. As I said last time - this game has a breadth of scope and ambition that repeatedly takes my breath away and I am mindboggled at the amount of work being put into it.

Very excited to finish out Act 3 in the coming weeks!

[arctophyllax]

Actually there’s a way to ask larian to give us Zevlor as a companion when you go to the website (must have a larian account) go to submit a big/crash instead of doing it there’s a menu where you can choose the report type and just go to feedback and you can submit your desires! That’s what happened before the game released in the early access people asked for Mirtha that’s why we got her now❤️ I submitted already asking for Zevlor and Raphael if the whole community on tumblr do it maybe they’ll gift us something🥹

Thank you for sharing!

You know what to do, Zevlor community

On that same note, I do think it’s verrrryyyy likely that we will get a Zevlor romance (DLC) one day

Out of all npc/non-companions he’s probably the most likely to ever become a companion, he’s just so important all throughout act 1 and 2. There’s no way that Larian will turn a blind eye to his potential

Until that, we should totally continue bringing it up though. Let them know that we’re desperate for this old man, don’t give up!

[fanstuffrantings]

I follow some people who talk about baldurs gate 3, and the way the fandom almost largely goes out of its way to babygirl everything astarion does while refusing to give the same leniency to the far less evil characters is baffling.

I feel like Gale, Wyll, and Lae'zel are the ones who often make this the most clear. Under the cut.

Whether it's because of the glitch pre console release or just a general refusal to engage with his story, people like to paint this picture of Gale being some Narcissistic abuser who is only ever power hungry. I've seen people try and justify mystra's actions. Now even if Gale was a young adult when Mystra came to him, Mystra is his goddess. She's in charge of the weave. She had so much more power over him, student/teacher and boss/underling relationships are so looked down upon because of that inherent power imbalance. And I think there's also an implication that this is relatively normal for all versions of mystra to do to younger men.

Elminster isn't free of criticism because he actively brought a young Gale to be groomed into becoming a pawn for Mystra. Gale gets discarded by mystra for his seeming ambition and wants to move on, but is also still desperate to please her in anyway he can, and she tells him to kill himself. I don't understand how people go through his plotline and see him believing the only way he's useful is dead and then just assume he's just power hungry. Is he a bit full if himself? Yes. He's a wizard. They're like that. But he's not the worst person in the world, and he's definitely not the one people should claim as the abuser in his relationship with Mystra.

People call Wyll boring, some paint this idea of him being holier than thou/looking down on everyone around him. Since he was 17 Wyll has given his whole life to protecting people and trying to be a hero. He's self sacrificial, thrown out by his father for making a pact he only made to save the city he adores. Wyll talks so much about baldurs gate. He wants to return.

Wyll has his body altered unwillingly for doing the right thing and yet he never once regrets it. He's made into a devil, the creatures so many of the npcs and companions loathe, for his kindness. He's constantly tricked and mocked by Mizora who we know from the game was sent by Zariel to corrupt a good hearted person. Even still, Wyll is a kind and honest man. He's charming and a bit cheesy but that's fine. Wyll can be incredibly self sacrificial and stubborn in his morals, but if you're running around doing mean things to impress Astarion, you can't blame Wyll for not liking your character and judging you. He's a hero of the people, of course he'd stand with them. We also need to remember he got so heavily redone that he has barely 6 hours of in-game content now. Which is abysmal compared to everyone else.

Lae'zel was raised by a cult, a cult that spans all her people where they're taught to bow and serve a lich queen who promises them glory if they're good enough. She can be harsh and unfriendly, but we need to remember she's the one most aware of what the tadpole can do and with that in mind we know she's very desperate to get things done and cure herself. Next to astarion she's the most evil aligned origins companion, and even still so much of that is due to being brainwashed into a certain belief.

Lae'zel in canon is the youngest companion, very early 20s and it often shows. She's a skilled warrior who doesn't see the need for statements that are already obvious. She's been beaten into shape and filled with ideas that unless she's perfect as the creche commands then she is worthless. She's scared and alone in act 1 with people who most likely don't care about it the same way she does. Lae'zel is imperfect like all the other companions, but if you're willing to accept that astarion is soft under all his bluster, why can't you do the same for Lae'zel?

I don't hate Astarion, I liked him a lot my first playthrough, he was my main romance. But the way the fandom ignores that he's definitely evil in act 1 and 2 because "I just don't see him that way", how people act like he's the only character in the cast who was abused when abuse and the cycles of it are the main theme of the game, how people willfully misunderstand his ascension ending and paint it as his good one when the writers state repeatedly it's not, the way the fandom will insult and demean other characters for jabbing at astarion's trauma but applaud him when he does the same exact thing, when they ignored his racism towards gnomes and gur (which is anti Romani racism repackaged). There's also a chance that in his time, Astarion was a corrupt politician, something making his death more complicated but also adding interest to it that a lot of his fans want to ignore to make him pure.

Astarion isn't perfect, none of the companions are. And they're not supposed to be. But his special treatment by fans is becoming so incredibly tiresome to see.

[coolfijiwater]

larian studios and wyll

so i’ve been meaning to make a post about wyll for a while now, and now is the time (lol). but i’ve been thinking and talking to friends about the lack of content wyll has in bg3, and it’s something that i think i noticed even when playing with early access. but the full game release really puts a giant spotlight on the content disparities between the main companions and even various npcs.

i don’t know if i want to fully list every single spot where wyll clearly lacks in content because i find that it’s incredibly obvious. but the few things i do want to mention are his romance/sex scene and his story line and beats being about practically everyone else. and i know that the second one is super vague and encompassing, but that’s the core of the issue. larian studios “rework” of wyll’s story line did nothing to fix it and, quite possibly, made it worse.

since i only had access to act 1 during early access, i can’t speak to act 2 and 3. but even the changes in act 1 are apparent. while i do think some of the changes larian made were good (especially changing wyll from being incredibly racist towards goblins to not), but most of the changes were just cutting content.

and then there's what was added - mizora changing wyll’s race and appearance against his will because he saved karlach. i feel people have talked about this trope around poc and black people before when talking about disney’s the princess and the frog or brother bear, and that is something that has been discussed as openly racist (here’s a mic article talking about this concept).

but beyond this, that scene isn’t really about wyll. it’s about karlach, if you really think about it. wyll is being punished because of his decision (which isn’t even really his decision because your tav makes the real decision) to save her. and this sidelining of wyll is constant throughout his story line. saving his dad (multiple times) gets sidelined with ketheric or saving the gondians, finding ansur on behalf of his ulder gets overshadowed by the emperor and ansur relationship, and so much more. there’s also the fact that to learn anything about his mom, you need to kill his dad. and don’t get me wrong, i hate ulder ravengard with a fucking passion, but i wouldn’t purposely kill him because it makes wyll hate you. to make that aspect worse, wyll isn’t even the one to tell you the lore surrounding his mom, it’s just flavor text from ulder’s sword. 

there’s definitely more to say about how larian studios treats wyll’s story line, but i do want to talk about his romance story line. just like his story line, wyll’s romance is so much less than any of the other companions or even npcs. wyll has a sex scene, but it’s a fade to black with no voice over, which is nothing compared to one of the only other fade to black sex scenes: the drow twins. the drow twins have a number of sex scene options, all of which have voice overs. wyll, one of the 6 main companions, doesn’t even get this.

and i think this all leads back to larian studios not wanting to admit that they’re racist. wyll has consistently gotten nothing, even after release with all of these updates and patches. like, let’s be real here, the reason wyll has gotten nothing is not only because of the fans or data points, it’s because larian studios is racist. it’s them, seemingly, not being aware that the fantasy genre is steeped in racism because they don’t need to think about racism because they’re european, they’re not racist because they’re not american.

i don’t even know what i want to happen with this post. i guess i just wanted to open up this discussion and maybe remind people that larian studios is not infallible.

also! i feel like i need to mention that i love wyll. he is genuinely one of my favorite characters in bg3, i want more content for him. but we need to be real about why that content isn't already in the game.