Bg3 fluff for non-ao3 people
Tav - Tiefling Bard
Tav x Gale
Bg3 act 3 spoilers
The group returned to camp. An eventful day of scouring Baldur's Gate for resources and allies. Tav traveled with Gale, Wyll, and Shadowheart that day. They'd managed to investigate a series of murders around town and it all ended in a high end tailor's shop. Covered in blood, they begin removing armor and packs first thing.
Karlach bounded up with Scratch and the owlbear cub in tow. "Hey-oh! My people! Out having all the fun."
"I got you a bear," Wyll said, pulling a small toy bear with switched eyes from his armor.
Tav laughed and set a bag of jewelry and bobbles on the table where Astarion sat. With a book in hand and a glass of wine chilling in one of the glasses Gale enchanted. He was waiting for them, though he appeared disinterested, enraptured by his book.
"My gods, you're perfect!" Karlach jumped up, sure that Wyll would catch her. He swung her around easily, using his dancer's feet to offset the force.
"Astarion, I brought you some stones to appraise." Passing judgements was one of Astarion's favorite past times.
"How did it go? Traversing Baldur's Gate without me?" Astarion asked, ignoring the bag.
"We're all Baldurians," Shadowheart pointed out, pulling off her gloves.
"Well, you hardly count my dear because you don't have a memory." Astarion responded.
"I lost "some" memories, Astarion," She snapped back.
"Wyll hasn't been home in years and lets face it Gale is Gale."
"Meaning?" Gale asked, an eyebrow arched.
"Wizards are absent minded," Astarion replied.
"You cast wizard spells, you know," Gale said. "I helped you learn how to shoot beams of fire at multiple opponents."
"But at heart, I'm a rogue." Astarion replied, his hand flattened against his chest.
"And me?" Tav asked. "I suppose I'm too doe eyed over the wizard to know my way around the city i grew up?"
"No, I think you know the city, you just don't know the darker corners like I do." Astarion admitted.
"That's probably true," Tav answered. "But, we did pretty well today. Where's Lae'zel? I found a sword that's completely unbalanced, she's going to flip."
"You've come to taunt me with the ineptitude of your smith's, an interesting strategy." Lae'zel appeared from behind her tent, her hair damp from training.
"So, Tav, tell me, how many?" Astarion asked, rolling his glass over his fingers.
"What?" Tav asked, a mask of bemusement.
"How many lockpicks did you use without me?"
"Eight," Tav spat out begrudgingly.
"Eight! My gods, a good day for you then was it. Seems being a jack of all trades doesn't necessarily make one skilled at anything, does it? You do sing pretty though."
"Astarion," Karlach said his name like a warning.
"I'm just making an observation," Astarion continued. "I use two lockpicks tops most days that I adventure with you, yet you insist on leaving me here, my gifts languishing."
"You love to lounge in your tent," Tav noted.
"I was only thinking of your scarce inventory. Burn through as many lockpicks as you like, I'm not the groups treasurer." Astarion lifted the bag of jewels and begins sifting through them.
"We'll need you tomorrow certainly," Tav said. "We're going to murderize that damned steal watch then break into the newspaper."
"How fun," Astarion bobbed his head from side to side with amusement. "Maybe I'll find a horrid guard to bite. One whose had too much bree I think."
"Most guards can't afford bree," Wyll commented.
"Look my love, a scroll of knock," Gale held the parchment up for Tav to see. "I could learn it right now and cast it right away."
"That's great," Tav threw an arm around Gale's neck kissing his cheek.
"Yes thats great. I'm sure it'll help that one time a day you can use it. " Astarion's good mood evaporating as his temper is ruffled. "The very idea that a scroll could replace my talents is offensive and you should all be ashamed."
"I can use it as many times as I like." Gale said.
"You really are trying to take all my fun, wizard." Astarion's hand shot out pointing to Shadowheart. "I'm sure you learned some memory spells under your former God."
"Yes a few." Shadowheart answered, confused at what Astarion was getting at.
"Good, Lae'zel, hold the mage down. He won't be remembering much." Astarion's gaze threatening as it landed on Gale.
"Maybe we can also get rid of his detestable earing." Lae'zel stepped forward, her training sword at her side still.
"Well, I wasn't going to tear into his appearances..." Astarion said, taken aback at first.
"He wears the symbol of his former lover," Lae'zel said, he fury boiling. "Mystra, a manipulation queen who would have him end his own life. He parades her token blatantly while wooing Tav with nonsense about stars. I've been to the tears, I've smelt them as they burn across your sky. They are not baubles for your vain seductions."
"I'm right here, folks," Tav pointed out.
"Mystra is magic," Gale stuttered, growing concern in his words. "... and I wield magic. It's not uncommon to wear a charm for the goddess."
"One whom you bedded," Astarion's smirked as he rhetorically pored oil over the fire. Things were going in a different direction, but he could work with it.
"Tav hasn't complained," Gale said, his eyes resting on the bard.
"Of course not, they're the nice one, remember?" Shadowheart said, her arms crossed.
"Tav? Does it bother you?" Gale asked, his voice thin with worry.
"I'm not going to tell you how to dress." Tav said avoiding eye contact. "It's not really about the fact that you bedded her, Gale," Tav said holding up her hands. "It's about the fact that she's terrible and she used you and threw you away."
"You shouldn't waste time honoring gods who would ignore you so easily." Shadowheart chimed in.
"You know what would make this better?" Karlach asked. "Let's go kill mystra."
"Now, hold on," Gale said. "Mystra is magic. You can't kill magic."
"You know I think of the word "can't" as a challenge at times," Tav smiled teasingly.
"My work here is done," Astarion gathered his wine, book, and the bag of jewels. "I need to go rest up for tomorrow. Lots of locks waiting. Maybe a few spells if you decided to leave the extra baggage at home, Tav."
Lae'zel remained beside Tav, her arms crossed as she glared at Gale's earing as Astarion sauntered away to lounge in his tent.
12 notes
·
View notes