#astarion's is good and halsin's approval is very good already and he's been part of the gang for like two seconds

[apricote]

love how sirius has an "exceptional" relationship with lae'zel but she greets him by saying "greetings" with a very bitchy face, i love her

[emmy-dekarios-bg3]

Heart of the Weave - A Baldurs Gate fanfiction

CHAPTER 21

“What a beautiful night,” Gale comments, observing the twinkling stars in the sky. He holds my left hand, whereas I’m holding Jenevelle with my right arm, keeping her close to my chest. The buildings around us are occupied by people outside eating dinner or having a get-together of sorts. The mumbling of chatter and sounds of distant laughter brings me joy for whatever reason; maybe because it’s a positive environment I’m beginning to get accustomed to.

The moment Gale and I walk into the restaurant, I immediately notice Karlach dancing aggressively to the bards playing some heavy tunes with their lutes and flutes. The song we happened to barge into at this very moment was a sea shantee. I’m not surprised that Karlach is dancing to sea shanties, but I am rather shocked at the fact I notice Lae’zel at the table with our group. Minsc and Jaheira, however, could not make it.

“L-Lae’zel?” My voice is questioning her presence. “You made it!” She turns around, smiling as she notices me walking toward our group of friends.

“Emmy. How I missed you. I’m so glad to be here with you for such a short time. No ghaik in sight. No devils. It’s nice.” Lae’zel’s voice is so soft, you could fall asleep to it; unless she’s in battle, then you may just piss your pants. “I’m so sorry I’ve been absent. It’s been a busy life for me and the young one.”

“Say, how is githyanki mom life?” She has a light smile on her face and nods, giving me the impression she actually enjoys it. She was so protective of the egg, it doesn’t surprise me that she’s a good mother.

“My young hatched and already running on his two feet, ready for action or whatever comes his way. Though, he loves to play and I admire seeing it. I’m allowing him to live his life the way he wants. I will not force githyanki culture on him. He’s too pure, too innocent for the world… Or that could be me talking. Who knows.” Lae’zel notices Jenevelle curled up in my arm, giving her a smile. She really has changed, and it’s so nice to see her less abrasive than when I met her. I will admit it may take some getting used to.

We all catch up with one another, chatting the night away. The baby was held by nearly everyone that showed up, though Astarion was still unsure. He wants to, but part of him is afraid of accidentally hurting her.

“We got approved for the adoption!” Shadowheart exclaims. “I couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. We visit with the little one tomorrow.”

“I promise I’ll get used to the idea. This was all so…sudden. It was brought up to Shadowheart unexpectedly and then out of nowhere – we’re going to be parents,” Astarion chimes in. He seems to be rather antsy. “I never saw that this is where my life would be.” Shadowheart rubs his back with her hand and smiles at him, which seems to put him at ease a little because I notice his shoulders relax just a tad.

“Man, you have all gone through some major life changes. Becoming parents…ha. Who would have seen the day after all we’ve been through? I never lost faith in you all. It’s just a miracle we’re all alive, and I’m forever grateful,” Halsin utters, his voice loud and proud. We all raise our wine-filled glasses. “To us!”

“To us!” We all exclaim, then take a swig of our drink. Karlach approaches the table from the dancefloor with shaky legs and a wobbling body.

“Whoa there, love. Did you drink a little too much?” Wyll asks her with a voice of concern. “Maybe…you should take a break now.” She laughs, leaning her head back and enjoying life; she deserves it. Her engine she had before put her through Hell and nearly killed her. I’m glad she’s here with us and able to take it all in, one day at a time.

“I’m pretty sure Wyll and I will be the only ones not having kids,” Karlach mentions with slurred words. “I’m good with just watching Emmy and Gale’s baby. I’ll never get to see her grow up though, that’s a shame.” Lae’zel looks at me with trepidation, and at that moment I realized we haven’t told her about what went down with the devils.

“What…do you mean?” she asks. “Emmy?”

“It’s a long, frustrating story but in short, Zariel wanted Jenevelle’s soul so we could destroy the crown and Raphael all together. Jenevelle has a potent strand of the weave within her that it was enough to destroy him. In exchange, she would become immortal. If we didn’t, she would have become a thrall and used in the Hells. With the way Raphael tortured Hope… I can’t even think about it.” Lae’zel nods, as if she completely agrees with my decision. I expected a harsh tone or some sort of argument, but no. I wonder if it’s because she’s a mother herself.

“I completely understand. You made the right choice. The way those devils operate is sickening, vile, and pitiful. Sad enough, the only way to get on their good side is to be in debt with them. I… I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Lae’zel has come so far with so much growth, that hearing her speak is nearly bringing tears to my eyes.

I can finally say that I am content with how life is. We won’t have to deal with the heinous devils any longer, Raphael is dead for good, and I got to see Lae’zel again. Gale and I can finally live happily like we were meant to. Who knows what the world has in store for us?

{PART 1 is now complete! I’ll be working on part 2 shortly! See the entire part 1 of “Heart of the Weave” on AO3}