#i do think halsin or gale would have been the better choice

[nathanprscott]

deciding who to date has never been harder than in baldur's gate..

[meyousing]

𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥, 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤; 𝐈 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞

FOR MY POOKIEWOOKIE @moongreenlight !! who i adore sososo much I HOPE U ENJOY !! 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: after realizing what raphael could do for you before; ridding your mind of the emperor for the briefest moment, you wanted to know how that could feel for a second time, no matter the cost. 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: -> sneaky HUMAN raphael, non-con, deception and lies its raphael what else did you expect. probably a little ooc since this is for pookie so fk canon :D. as always all sexual nsfw will be under the cut!

I'm walking, you've been hiding,

And you look half-dead half the time.

Monitoring you, like machines do,

You've still got it, I'm just keeping an eye

You told yourself that you’d do anything for answers, that the cost didn’t matter–you wanted a solution, a cure to your tadpole infliction, and despite knowing better than to trust a devil, you were growing hopeless and running low on any other options. Yes, you knew the magic that Halsin told you about, the same words later spoken by the Emperor; their proclamation of impossibility regarding the worm’s extraction no matter which method you attempted, from whomever. But there was one time, and only one, when you remembered what mental quietude could sound like amidst such circumstances.

So, veiled by the darkness of the night sky en route, you navigated through Sharess’ Caress to the upper floors, intent on finding Raphael–even though he was hardly the paragon of trust–and experiencing solace in silence once again, something that, unfortunately, only he could provide. Gale was always going on about the benefits of respite, and this one you craved like a drug, now that you could remember how solitude felt after so long without it. What a crime to wish for independence within one’s own mind these days. 

You didn’t bother knocking, he likely sensed you at some point or another on your way here, what with his attentiveness to you and all that implied your involvement. You didn’t care about being the intrusive one for once, careening the door open and briskly sending it shut behind you.

“Surely you didn’t think that little disguise would work?”

“It wasn’t meant for you.” You tugged your hood down easily and shrugged the rest of your cloak off, balling it up and tossing it aside carelessly. You spotted Raphael standing a few feet away, in the first doorway of the den, his back to you. Yet he knew what you were wearing. 

He turned and lifted a brow at you, but the rest of his expression showed obvious disinterest in speaking about this any further than the short exchange. 

“Have you come to make the right choice?”

“Bold assumption,” you said quickly, not yet ready to fully admit why you sought him out in your situation; in the dark, on your own. “Shouldn’t you ask why I’m here first?”

“All I needed was a look at you to know.”

You didn’t respond, and he grinned, his lids low as he watched you.

“But I’ll let you tell me anyway, I wouldn’t want to spoil your fun. What troubles you, little mouse? What is it that’s brought you right into the cat’s paw?” he approached slowly, hands interlocked behind him as he subtly looked you up and down–knowingly–like you were the subject of an experiment. That wasn’t entirely wrong. 

“I want you to do… whatever you did for me before, again.” You kept your eyes on him, speaking somewhat hesitant but remaining strong in your stance, your gaze unwavering. You noted the way he subtly mouthed along when you spoke the word ‘again’, tauntingly, like he already had you figured out. Perhaps he did. 

“You don’t mean this?” He murmured, and with a snap of his fingers, your mind was yours again; that insistent, idle static now fizzled out. 

Your eyes widened, brows uplifting alongside your lips as you nodded; it was just like the last time, pure silence aside from your own little conscience as it came to the same giddy realization that it was alone once more. Raphael only chuckled, and after a too-short moment, your mind was back to its newly but usually muddled state. The Emperor had nothing to say yet, which you were grateful for, as it saved you the need to seek an excuse for his inability to communicate with you in a second instance that shouldn’t have been possible the first time around.  

“Are you expecting me to do you a favour like that for nothing?” he laughed dryly, mockingly; it made you feel like the vermin that was about to be squashed beneath a dirty boot sole. “You may be the brightest, most shimmering jewel in my crown, but something so deliciously close to free will in a time like this cannot come without charge. What’s more, it is most costly when one chooses selfishness over the common good.” 

You should have expected this. You must’ve known deep down that it wouldn’t be so easy, that Raphael wouldn’t be a one-time good samaritan–a saint–and do you this favour, even in spite of all the honeyed names that’d roll off of his tongue when he sought you out, making it seem as though you were a little more special than his usual clientele. Stepping forward with a frown, you scoffed:

“How am I being selfish?” Was he just toying with you for his entertainment now? You hadn’t been here for long, but the trip would be cut off even sooner if this continued. You craved relief, but not enough to get tangled up in the deep end with a devil, to a point of no return.  

“Why do you deserve the fix before anyone else? Do you think I’m a good-willed cleric made to provide relief to all those with your affliction?” Despite how incredulously he spoke, you could tell now that he was merely testing you. Testing you for what exactly, you couldn’t tell; your will, your determination?

“Who are you to be the dictator of right and wrong?” you countered him with a question of your own, stepping up closer once he stopped in his tracks. He hardly raised his brows in his fullest reaction to your bravery, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest. 

“I’m not. But I’m the only one who can provide a moment of respite to you, and I don’t work for free. Is that not fair? You are asking for quite a privilege.” He smirked like he knew what you would say next.

“You’ve already done it for me once before, what makes it different now? It’s temporary anyway, is it not? Am I wrong?”

“It is. But last time was just a… sample if you will. For a second taste, a true dealing between us, you’ll need to do something for me too.”

You grimaced, and he looked too pleased with himself. You’d managed to avoid getting involved with him this far along, rejecting most ultimatums he offered, and you’d been fine without his assistance–or obstacles, rather. Yet now, something initiated completely of your own accord was creating a conflict that you could’ve avoided if not for your greed and its insistence; you weren’t done yet.

“Fine” you conceded, rather quickly too. His smirk widened, he looked so smug.

“Good, good” he purred. You blinked a few times, your body having an unexpected reaction to the bassy sound as you averted your gaze, refusing to recognize it.

“What do you want from me, then?” you mumbled.

“What do you think I would like from you–my dearest–” he drew out, “in exchange for my services?” He tilted his head, and he seemed a lot closer than you last remembered. He was much more visible in your periphery even as you forced your eyes aside. Were you supposed to answer that question and know what to say, what he wanted?

“I-I don’t know. Do you want me to take the deal with you and promise you the cro–actually, no, that is way too much in exchange for a few minutes of sile–”

“No” he cut you off sharply, his expression falling flat. “That, I can wait for. Your choice will be even sweeter to hear the longer you hold out on me. But considering our current circumstances…” he trailed off, and when you didn’t look at him during that pause, you felt hands slide up your waist. 

You blinked at the same time that your body jolted–a millisecond–and your surroundings changed. You still stood in Raphael’s grasp, just before the dining hall’s grand table within the House of Hope. Your eyes darted around warily, but you still felt an odd sense of… calm. Raphael, so tenderly that your heart thrummed a little off-beat, slid his fingers up your body and down your arms, grasping your wrists as he led you to one of the seats; facing the flames that so ironically burned in the fireplace. He walked slowly, dare you say methodically, striding to take a spot across from you.

"Indulge yourself” he muttered, looking utterly observant. He placed his chin atop his hands, fingers interlocked into a fist. He didn’t touch the food, but you expected as much.

“I’d rather not” you garbled, your gaze careful while you studied him and tried not to overreact, still settling into the new environment. You didn’t have an appetite per se, not for the deceptive refreshments that were too perfectly laid out before you anyway. Raphael may have been worming his way into your routine so often, just like the godsdamned tadpole itself, but his presence lingering for so long didn’t equate to trust yet. 

“Then indulge me.”

You watched him reach for and open a bottle of wine, one you didn’t recognize as common among those you’d scraped together from wooden boxes and crates on your way to the gate. It looked more prestigious, the bottle was embellished with what you could only assume to be real gold melted within the glass, and it caught the light so intriguingly each time he tilted it to pour some out; a drink for him, a drink for you. You looked away when he stood and took the chalices in his hands, placing one before you and promptly returning to his seat. When you looked to him again he had elevated the goblet in his hand, his chin lifting.

“To a new era.”

Your fingers approached the table, tips dancing towards the stoup’s base, the entirety of which could have been crafted by Gond and polished by Moradin. You wondered, despite how aged everything throughout the House was by the natural processes of time; cracked tile, buffered but helplessly dull stone… the stemware looked so new; untouched. He didn’t save it just for you, surely? Flitting your eyes back to Raphael as you thought about it, you noted how he finished taking a slow sip, lowering his cup back to the tablecloth. You couldn’t stop yourself from watching his tongue dart out to get some more of the taste, from what lingered on his lips. He noted your longer-than-usual silence, and those same lips turned up. 

“Your insistence, or stubbornness, rather, is very endearing in more… suitable circumstances. For once, you should try to act less like the illithid you’re bound to become and let go of those inhibitions. Look where you are” His head swayed slightly to his left, to the room, fingers drumming mutely on the tabletop. 

The wine was tempting, and his taking a first sip did comfort you in some way. You spared him a final glance before zeroing in on your goblet, staring down the dark liquid inside, watching the warm candlelight rippling reflectively on its surface. Perhaps it couldn’t hurt to indulge just this once, you thought, as you took the cup into your hand.

Raphael nodded along, encouragingly. Uncharacteristically. 

You figured there was no harm in it, especially if he was as fond of you as he claimed, then he wouldn’t want you to meet a preemptive demise. Not yet. 

You bit the bullet, raising the chilled gold to your lips. You did feel rather parched, and the substance slid down your throat so smoothly, so soothingly.  

“You know, I poisoned one of our goblets.” 

Exhaustion was sent over you like a wave, and not because of the poison immediately having an effect–had it been your substance that was tampered with–but because of course he did. You sighed, your eyes falling closed to console that Raphael-induced fatigue. 

“Gods, I hope it’s mine,” you muttered beneath your breath.

He let out what you may have heard as, amidst all of your quarrels, his first genuine laugh. His face was delighted as he shook his head. 

“Are you so displeased at the prospect of dining with me?” he leaned back in his seat, grinning and crossing a leg over the other. Getting comfortable. Settling in. You were tense in opposition, knees tight together as you kept yourself at the edge of your chair.  

“This clearly isn’t all that you want from me, Raphael. Either get on with it, or let the toxins do their job and let me off easy” You put the goblet down, pushing it forward and away as you inhaled sharply, now on higher alert considering the circumstances. 

“It’s only a bit of fun. The dose isn’t lethal, I couldn’t rid Faerûn of such a treasure in that crude of a way.”

At least you were right about that. 

Raphael said nothing else as he took in your silence, and his expression didn’t say much either. He stood slowly, his eyes remaining on you as he dragged his fingers along the tabletop until he landed at your side.

“If you’d like to experience mental solitude again, then I’ll only ask for one, small thing from you.”

You certainly felt a touch drowsier than before, your limbs a little more numb and tingly, like they had fallen asleep on you in a too-short duration. You turned your head to look up at him, and even at a neutral pace, the motion made you nauseous. You let out a soft groan of displeasure, closing your eyes and moving to drop your head down. Raphael caught your chin and forced your eyes to remain on him, his voice barely above a whisper as he proposed: 

“Solitude, for a kiss.”

“The least isolating ask,” you muttered bitterly, eyelids heavy as the sight of him became a degree blurrier than what you knew as typical. Yet you could still make out his smirk, and he leaned closer.

“But not a very weighted one. Don’t you miss being able to think without the added badgering of the Emperor’s two cents?” 

Truthfully, you did, if this last-resort decision wasn’t enough of an indicator. A kiss also wasn’t a huge deal, but Raphael was the cambion equivalent to the poison coursing through your veins. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction, but you also weren’t in much of a position to deny him. Would you even be able to enjoy the seclusion if this didn’t wear off after he did this favour?

“That’s really all you want?”

“It is. Perhaps if you wished for something more permanent it would be a different story, but alas. It doesn’t need to be written contractually either, nothing so serious.”

“Fine, then.” 

You chose to take the initiative, the leap of faith, pressing your weight into the armrests of the chair so you could stand up and lean in. Your resistance was, helplessly, nonexistent when Raphael pushed you back down; the side effect of his poison making it too easy.

He grabbed your jaw, fingers firm but the motion gentle as he turned your face towards his. Your eyes were already half-closed, but you didn’t miss the intensity on his features. He hovered over you, his mere presence so imposing as he kept you right where he wanted; under his thumb. He moved closer until his cupid’s bow brushed over yours, ever-so-tender, so close yet so far. Your heart nearly skipped a beat once he tilted his head a little further, his lips parting in the slightest as they touched yours, but it wasn’t yet a kiss. Yes, you had expected him to draw this out considering the circumstances of the required affection pertaining to a deal, but what you hadn’t expected was your subsequent anticipation and eventual impatience. 

“Just do it–” you managed to murmur out against his mouth, some natural venom lacing the words without the help of the poison. You were surprised that he closed the gap properly right after by pulling your head up to him, his fingertips pressing deeper into your cheeks as he did, fingernails scraping the thin skin. 

He kissed you hard but without much aggression. You were taken aback by his normalcy, but it appeared that he was just getting started, as he soon used the leverage of his hand on your face to bring you to your feet. You winced, the motion pulled at your neck, but you weren’t given time to dwell on it when he jerked you to the table and tore his lips from yours. 

“Not going to put up a fight? How unlike you” he smirked. You could only glare at him because if he wasn’t sharp enough to nullify any resistance efforts, you both knew who would be pinned down right now. He chuckled once, appraisingly, before pushing his body into you again, his lips finding your neck instead. 

He started with nipping at the skin, then tasting it with a languid lick that made you squirm, and moving to hold your hands down against the table–as if you’d be able to move them on your own anyway. 

“More than a kiss–” you managed to state, your voice containing a hint of matter-of-factness, but was a little raspier as his closeness certainly affected your fortitude. 

“You knew better” was all he had to respond with, the words muffled as they were kissed into the horripilation on your skin. He remained content here for a while, bringing a finger up to your jaw to turn your head in the opposite direction of where he had already ridden your skin with his lips and hot saliva; making you shiver when the wetness caught the air and consequently cooled, regardless of how hot it was in the hells and logically shouldn’t have been possible. 

You were equivalent to a ragdoll by now, simply letting it happen when he grabbed your arms and flipped you around, your loose-limbed body immediately tipping over so your front was flat against the table; your hips perfectly positioned for your ass to press into his hips. He laughed and didn’t even try to create space, pressing himself into you so you could feel how hard he was, and it made you grimace at the realization of just how far this was going to go.

“You’re the only person worth this,” he breathed, his fingers snaking up to wrap around the column of your neck and force your head up. “The only one who deserves to experience this privilege.”

Unable to suppress your snicker when he said that, you almost whined aloud when his fingers tightened in response, and began rutting his hips into you steadily but with enough force to shift your body against the tabletop each time, your shirt getting caught up in the tablecloth and pushing it up so the cool surface touching your heated flesh made you tremble. The strong scents of all the lavish foods surrounding your immediate proximity almost drowned out Raphael’s scent, but it wasn’t enough, especially not as he leaned down so his front was against you completely, his face next to yours. 

“So amusing, is it?” he rumbled, subtly bringing his free hand up the side of your limp thigh, finding your hip, and reaching to tug at your panties. You couldn’t even feel shock anymore, simply letting out a strained exhale the material shifted when he slid it down your skin; off. “We’ll see for how much longer you feel that way.”

How much had you missed within those few seconds, to be surprised when he was already playing with his cock against your entrance? You felt a lot hotter then, your skin crawling with pleasure-induced chills as he moved his tip slowly, heavily up and down, prodding so slightly into your warmth and making your muscles tense each time he slid it away and down to your clit. He never lingered against one spot or the other long enough for any long-term sensations to last, and you couldn’t stop yourself from releasing a disgruntled groan. His chuckle reverberated through you, making your breaths shake as they became increasingly rapid. 

“I wonder if any of your devotees across the realms know that you can be reduced to this–if they think about it,” he pressed the tip of his cock into you now, making your hastened breaths hitch, your lungs burn, “if they imagine you beneath them, or maybe even above them–but you only deserve to be here,” he pushed his hips forward and slid in deeper, with ease, the motion so precise it made your thighs twitch, “beneath me.”

He set a slower rhythm to start, but the way that his movements bumped you further into the table each time made it so that you could feel all of him so perfectly. You felt so open, so exposed–

“Y-You seriously want to do this right here?” you whispered, only because your voice was so strained under his palm, and his cheek went taut in a grin next to you.

“My bed is still busy being warmed, this will do for now. You deserve better than mediocre; the real thing, not my copy. Feel fortunate” he sighed, pressing deeply into you for a moment and staying there, enjoying you, nearly pushing into your cervix–distracting you from the tongue-in-cheek response you wished to give to his words. You instinctively squirmed away, the intensity of it being too much too quickly with how teasingly he had been going thus far. But he wasn’t having any of your resistance despite how it was impulsive and not of your volition; pushing his body down heavier upon yours until you were trapped entirely, forced to take what he gave. Then he resumed movement, and he was moving faster now. 

You fisted the tablecloth before you with the weakest grip; the strongest you could muster, physically fighting every part of yourself so as to not give into him too quickly by carelessly moaning out and letting him know that he was actually making you feel something good. It didn’t matter though. Hoarse, uncontrollable whines vibrated in your throat, locked behind your canines as they sunk into your bottom lip in a further attempt at deceiving him. You were shocked that somehow, throughout the numbness in the rest of your body, each stroke and deep tingle of pleasure could be felt in its most intense form. You continued to amuse him, making him laugh as if this were something wholesome and wholly reciprocated. 

“What do you hear?” he whispered to you, the closeness and low volume of his voice making you writhe, igniting prickles of delight inside of you, making your pussy squeeze around him and pull him in deeper; even shocking yourself as your jaw dropped open from the sensation. All that you could audibly make out were your breaths and his, accompanied by the slick sound of his cock pistoning in and out of you with ease by how wet he made you in such a short time. 

“Just you–” you lied, “–mumbling in my fucking ear,” you tried to chuckle, but when the hand that wasn’t on your neck squeezed your hip tightly enough for you to actually feel it amidst all of the numbness, you gasped quietly, the dry laugh devolving into a whimper. 

“You shouldn’t hear anything,” he said slowly, but in a tone that was maybe one pitch higher than normal, like he was concluding another one of his awful riddles. You’d have taken time to cringe if he hadn’t grabbed a fistful of your hair and yanked you up at the same time that he moved, pulling you flush against him and continuing to fuck you like you were nothing more than a toy fulfilling its purpose. 

He favoured intensity over speed, ensuring that you couldn’t escape him as his cock never fully left your sex; only sliding back to quickly grind deeply inside once more, making you see stars each time–you didn’t care about whatever else he had to mumble to you now, all you cared about was engrossing yourself in the feeling of him. It made your stomach churn deliciously too, and that familiar warmth of finality was beginning to stir within as he bit down on your neck, sliding his fingers out of the way so he could hold you still by a shoulder. If your body wasn’t essentially dead you’d have regretfully reached back to hold onto him for support, grasping at the material of his intricately designed garments which would probably irritate him; perhaps your situational debilitation was for the better. 

“You’re not about to come for me, are you? Tut tut” he purred, and you couldn’t discern whether the way your eyes rolled was from annoyance or pleasure. Despite the degradation he didn’t relent, encouraging you above all else. His body encapsulated yours as he held you how he liked, keeping your back arched just slightly enough for your hips to perch nicely off of him as he pounded into you; had you seeing stars. “Don’t keep me waiting, then~”

When a sneaky hand left your shoulder and made its way to your front, pinching your clit, you came undone with a sharp whine; you could barely feel the way your thighs clenched, tightening alongside your pussy as you ground back into him to experience the sensation in its fullest, whimpering his name so weakly as your head lulled back to rest against his chest. You hardly caught the sight of him smirking down at you, so self-satisfied as his hand in your hair tightened, and only a smidge of embarrassment crept into your overall feelings of elation because you knew that he had every reason to feel that way. 

Soon enough the waves of bliss calmed, to your dismay, and Raphael pulled out of you with a soft groan, releasing your body carelessly and stepping back out of your sight, making you rush to reach out and have your palms land against the table rather than your face. 

As you turned around slowly and panted to catch your breath, you watched while he adjusted what minimal undressing he’d partaken in, and only then did you notice the feeling of something wet and thick sliding down the inside of your thigh. You looked down, your eyes widening a bit as you rushed to pull your panties back up to be rid of the sight of it; when did he cum?? You also wondered about how much control he must’ve had over the poison as you could feel the toxins wearing off now that it was all over; the ability to perceive and to touch returning to your body again, albeit weakly. 

“Good, don’t let my gift go to waste. So intuitive.”

You shuddered in disgust and swallowed the lump in your throat, ignoring his stupid, contented face and even happier statement. Now that you were approaching a state where you held a semblance of control again, you cleared your throat and redressed fully, smoothing over your clothes and standing taller after giving a quick shake of your head. 

“Okay–you got what you wanted, give me my end of the deal now.”

Raphael grinned, his brows lifting in feigned surprise.

“Oh, darling, that was it. Couldn’t you tell? Surely you didn’t want your dearest Emperor to know about our fornication?”

You stood there, stunned, slowly but surely feeling hot rage seep into your bones. No fucking way was he being serious.

“Bullshit.”

He laughed at you in a falsely taken-aback way, even raising a ridiculous hand to his chest.

“That’s no way for a lady such as yourself to speak–you chose to jest when I asked what you could hear, that was your chance to tune in and tell. Regardless, we both fulfilled our ends of the bargain.”

“Oh that’s rich,” you started, not knowing what to do with your hands as they fidgeted at your sides, itching to reach up to him and–

“If you wish to experience this again, you know where to find me. Hopefully next time you’ll have come to a decision about the crown, too.” he chuckled in a muted way, to himself, like he was considering some inside joke that only he was part of, not you. Perhaps you were the joke to him, after doing something like this; surrendering to him. The thought made your face twist in anger and you began to approach him, your arms raising.

You only caught the split-second motion of his hand reaching out, and then… nothing. Moments of black, of unconsciousness… and then you were standing outside the den again. You lurched for the doorknob, tugging at it to no avail for the first time ever. After cursing aloud you hit the wood with your fists, letting out a long, deep sigh, shutting your eyes as you realized what a mistake this was to begin with. 

You turned shamefully after a few more seconds of basking in exhaustion, your feet heavy and still feeling abnormal to use after so much time spent being dead weight. You trudged along to the exit of the brothel, cloakless, having left it in Raphael’s room and now being forced to endure the rain that had started. At least it was still dark outside, and you could return to camp innocently beneath the moonlight; be unheard beyond the pattering of the condensation while everyone else rested, acting as though nothing had happened at all, that you’d been there all night. 

You kept your head down, blinking away the raindrops that slid from your hair and into your eyes. Only once you were alone, past the business outside of the Caress, that familiar bustling moved from the ambiance of the bordello to the innards of your brain, and a question was posed by the voice that’d been with you since the beginning of this life you had grown accustomed to:

“Where were you just now?”

© meyousing 2024. do not share/export my work onto any other platforms. do not translate my work.

[coreene]

Companions and Astarion on the 7k spawn

Since I am getting close to making this choice in my longfic I decided to compile what Astarion and companions say to the three choices we get on what to do with the 7k spawn once Astarion refuses the ritual and kills Cazador.

They're too dangerous - they need to die.

If I understand the flags correctly, this option also breaks the Paladin of Devotion's oath, it seems.

 Pale Petras: And when they're dead? Will you kill us too? Astarion: We're not like those wretches, brother. We've spent lifetimes controlling our hunger - they're all but feral. I don't relish it any more than you do, but putting them to rest may be the kindest thing we can do.

👆 This is Astarion's reaction if Petras is alive. 👇 This is when he is not.

Astarion: I don't like it, but you're right. Putting them to rest may be the kindest thing we can do.

What I find interesting here is how he flat out says "I don't like it." I didn't get that in game, got the first one but, seeing this gave me a pause.

Now to companion reactions to this choice:

Lae'zel: Snuffed out in an instant, but to whose satisfaction? They will never feed and never be hunted. And never have a chance to hew their own paths. Shadowheart (Shar path) : Wise choice. Now the streets will be safer and you'll be stronger. Shadowheart: All those lives, just snuffed out... I hope it was worth it. Wyll: Hells. They deserved better. They deserved a chance. Gale: All gone, just like that... I hope it was worth it. Karlach: It's done. Just like that. Gods, help us. Halsin: All those lives snuffed out, just to grasp some power. That was craven - unnatural Jaheira: A cold kind of mercy. But mercy still, I think, Astarion. Minsc: To end so many with only rhyming and words... the sword would have been messy, yes. But cleaner too, thinks Boo. Nightwarden Minthara: No different than burning out an infestation of vermin. It was well done.

Here, Halsin's is clearly an oversight because Astarion didn't just killed them to grasp more power.

Wyll's also feels out of place. He's a monster hunter - why is he mad that seven thousand spawn is not released to the Sword Coast?

Minthara has a unique point of view on the subject as well as Shar path Shadowheart - would killing the 7k spawn really make Astarion stronger?

Out of all the companions Jaheira is the only person who offers comfort in her words.

Let's release them. They deserve the same chance you got.

This choice breaks the oath of Paladin of Ancients.

Astarion: You're right. The poor wretches in the cells are innocent. They shouldn't have to suffer just because I lured them here.

And now to the companion reactions:

Lae'zel: A herd of vampire spawn, unleashed on the Sword Coast. What could go wrong? Shadowheart (Shar path): I can't say I'd have done the same, but your choice in the end. Shadowheart: You did the right thing. Some sacrifices just aren't worth it. Wyll: They're victims, Astarion - just like you. They deserve freedom, too. Gale: You chose well. They may not be the safest types to unleash, but their deaths would have weighed heavy on you. Karlach: Seven thousand Astarions, unleashed on the Sword Coast. It'll be a well-dressed flood of mayhem, at least. Halsin: Good - they deserve a chance at life. Nature will handle their fates from here. Jaheira: And what of the living they'll feast on, should they not prove as admirable as Astarion? They deserve a chance, too. Minsc: Boo thinks you are being hasty, friend. He enjoys the hunt as much as any hamster, but... that is a lot of Astarions. Nightwarden Minthara: If you release those ravenous starvelings, the city's poorer quarters will be their feasthall.

I really like a few of the reactions here. Gale makes such a good point. Their deaths would weigh heavily on Astarion but he forgets - what about the people these spawn will kill?

In both reactions, I feel like writers have completely forgotten Wyll was a monster hunter. It's really disappointing and lacks nuance.

Jaheira being, once again, the only person who mentions the consequences of this and Minthara makes a very good point. That is exactly what the spawn will do.

However, I do like Halsin's point in balance as well. Make no mistake, they will wreak havoc the first few weeks that they are released but I think about a 1/3 of the spawn is not gonna make it a month after being released and slowly their numbers will get balanced out.

Why not just leave them? They're not our responsibility.

And leaving them be breaks the oath of Paladin of Vengeance. I really like how one of these always break one of the oaths for paladins. It is interesting that leaving them be breaks the vengeance oath, which I interpret as Astarion leaving taking his revenge unfinished.

Dalyra is upset about this choice the most. And Astarion responds to her.

Astarion: I am done picking up after Cazador. I wash my hands of all of this. This place, this ritual, these people. You can stay if you want, but I have a life and I intend to live it. Come on. Let's go.

This does read as a selfish response to me but I also think, Astarion has a right to say "I'm done." He feels guilty about bringing the people to Cazador but what choice did he have? Can we really blame him for this? His siblings try to fight against Cazador and not bring Astarion back but they cannot, they have to fight. They have no control over their choices, their bodies. It is Cazador's mess and not Astarion's responsibility.

Companions do not react to this choice.

There are no good choices here, honestly. Astarion being have to be the one to clean up Cazador's mess is a cruel irony.

However, and I know all the companions and writers clearly held some kind of romantic view about letting the spawn go but this is seven thousand uncontrolled vampire that will get released into the world, all at once. They will die, of course but before then, they will kill people who had nothing to do with any of this.

Companions are very worried about killing these spawn but none of them, other than Jaheira, thinks about the people they will kill. Like she says, the people the spawn are going to kill deserve a chance to live as well.

It is also not just people they will kill, they will kill animals and disturb ecosystems everywhere they go and strip them barren like a swarm of locusts. Long term consequences of letting the spawn go is grim, even though it looks like a good choice at first glance but it is not.

Killing them all would also weigh heavy on both Astarion and Tav's conscience. It is not something you do and then walk away then never think about it again.

All in all, leaving them in the cells for the Gur to take care of or releasing them in waves seems like the better choices and a good compromise but constraints of the narrative doesn't give us this choice - it is undeniably more satisfying to see everything find a conclusion in that moment.

Tl:dr - There is no good or morally correct choice here. There is only a choice and its consequences.

[pumpkinpot]

Late night: Astarion

.

There was something about nighttime now. It was a peace Astarion wasn't familiar with. Chatter fell with the sun and the worries of the day seemed to press between the pages of an unfinished chapter, idle until morning.

The adjustment was violent to say the least. Astarion battled with himself for weeks upon integration into the party. Ink took to the sky and his mind broke into verse.

Should he loot everyone's bags for valuables? Now would be a perfect time to travel, find other camps and loot their bags or take a little bite of heavy sleepers.

Other people's willingness to trust the darkness was his best defense against their better judgement.

Here was annoyingly different. Trust was currency and you all delt generously. That didn't mean he wasn't himself, or rather the self that he had been molded into.

So he lie there on a stolen bedroll looking up at stars he'd become intimately familiar with and waited for exhaustion to take him. It would eventually take him, right?

The fire was in embers and soft breathing echoed through the shifting trees. He almost wished for someone to charge the camp. Torch in one hand, sword in the other. then at least his alertness would feel warranted.

Some time ago he memorized everyone's breathing patterns to scout who was a heavy enough sleeper to potentially drink from.

Shadowheart whimpered in her sleep and rolled around often. Halsin was an incredibly heavy sleeper, but Astarion wasn't willing to risk those bear arms catching him. Gale ground his teeth in his sleep and woke if the fire stayed out too long.

Karlach slept away from everyone and kept herself well guarded with boobytraps.

Wyll was his second choice behind Tav. He was a deep sleeper and didn't move much. Astarion intended to give him a try until seeing the knife under Wylls pillow.

It had been months since you had been generously feeding him, but Astation still kept the sleeping catalog in his mind. even now, he could locate everyone by their breaths.

Gale to the right. Shadowheart across the way, Tav-

An emptiness pressed in from the darkness. when had they gotten up, where the fuck did you go?

He squinted at your empty bedroll and then looked around. No movement caught his eye. He rolled onto his knees, throwing a bit of spirits and wood into the fire to keep Gale in his slumber.

This night was cooler than most. A welcomed surprise amongst a heatwave. Every night his week he's woken to a slab of sweat sticking his shirt to his back. Tonight it blew blissfully in the wind.

Tav was in none of the standing tents, nor the lake side, nor the storage trunks. He brought his hands up to his lips and blew between cupped fingers.

A perfect mourning dove call spread through the night. He doesn't know how or when he learned to do the imitation, but, he knew when he heard the song, it was time to venture back to the palace before sunrise.

It echoed in soft bouts of three with a break between to listen.

Ironically he'd never actually seen the bird.

That was then, now he used the song to find you when you wondered off. which was more often than he liked.

From somewhere in the thick of the trees he heard it. Soft and not as refined as his imitation, but still it was you. Wherever you'd ventured was beyond the reach of the fires light and he sighed frustrated lying before continuing.

He stepped into the sheet of increasing darkness until he was right beneath the call.

"up here," Tav whispered.

He looked around then up and to his dismay there the fuck you were, on a branch. In a tree.

"Why?" He sighed.

Tavs response must have been inaudible because none came. It was probably that insolent shrug. Astarion clamored up the lowest branch inching his way towards his squirrely companion.

"I'm too old to be climbing trees," He complained.

"I'm older than you," you retorted.

His eyes rolled. "only in human years."

"I think that should count for more where agility is concerned."

He didn't humor a response. His agility was fine. It was tested vigorously and consistently. Except not in tree climbing, which seemed to be oddly important to this particular adventurer.

A quiet disposition fell between the two. It could have been comfortable if the thin branch between Astarions legs was.

"Why aren't you asleep?" He asked, though his tone was harsher than intended.

"You've already fed on me tonight-"

"-Yes and this extra excursion could reopen your neck wound."

"did it?"

If it had, he would be able to smell it and it hadn't. "That's not the point."

"Is your drive to argue and criticize compulsive or some sick hobby?"

His mouth opened then closed. There you go again asking crypically deep questions he would think about later but needed to be witty about now. "A hobby, and I am rather good at it, so it seems or you wouldn't be deflecting-"

"Fuck Astarion I couldn't sleep."

Silence.

"Me either."

Silence. This one fell into one of those categories that could be argued wasn't silent at all. there was adjusting sighs and loud unspoken thoughts and a deafening need to not be silent.

"what was the city like at night?"

It wasn't a simple answer. He couldn't say there were nights he didn't even see the sky or that he scorned the warm pavement when he was out, because it got to be kissed by the sun. He couldn't say that for a few years into his spawn life he relished taking souls off the street because how dare they slink into his territory. into his hell when they had mornings.

It was different now, but only slightly. Night pressed you for answers to questions you didn't want to think about. There was nowhere to hide because it, itself was what you would hide in.

That's why people congregated under lamp posts and kept candles forward. Night wasn't cruel. She was- "Honest. After a certain hour the only ones left were the ones who were hurt enough to not look at the hour."

A break, a breath and a hushed smile. "Do you have the time?"

The corners of his lip tipped up. "No."

Now the night was as it should be. Now the silence could take hold of those who belonged in it. This was his peace.

[sorcerous-caress]

oh god VERY MUCH NOT mommy kink like it’s just “funny haha” slip up

Accidentally calling them "mom"

[Fluff, platonic, nb!reader]

[Jaheira, Karlach, Minthara, Halsin, Gale]

Jaheira

"Very amusing, cub, it's still not getting you out of doing your chores."

She'd think you said it on purpose to tease her about her age or being a mother, although she is mostly used to using the hag word instead. Doesn't take it to heart.

It's probably your silence afterwards that makes her realise it was a slip of the tongue.

It honestly doesn't phase her even then. She has been called weirder stuff by some young harpers before. She won't call you out on it to not embarrass you.

It is anything. It is ironic a bit because she has been treating you and the companions like she'd treat her own kids for a while.

But you don't need to know that.

Karlach

Laughs nervously. "Hey soldier, I'm not that old yet."

Even when she thinks you meant it as a joke, she'd get a bit concerned if she's been suffocating or nagging you like a mother, not that she knew what it was like but still, she really wanted to be a friend.

Unlike Jaheira, she will embarrass you by bringing it up later, during dinner, in front of the whole camp.

"If you're dead set on it, how about big sister instead?"

She sees it as a win, she has finally fixed the situation yes. The reason you've abandoned your plate and hiding your face from Astarion's wicked witch cackling is because you're so happy to have a cool big sister like her.

Minthara

"Ihars demand respect, something you need to learn."

To her, being a mom is a position of authority more than a parental role.

You explain it was just a slip of the tongue and not you actually requesting her to act like your mom.

"It must hold some truth to slip by your guard." She'd argue.

Honestly she never had plans to be your mom, she is in her own twisted sense of humour, messing with you.

She knows how to joke, yeah, she is hip like the teens. How are you doing, fellow kids?

It's just that uh...all her jokes are delivered with a dry tone and a serious expression, which causes massive misunderstandings.

It would take you a week before you realise she was only joking.

Halsin

Happy, actually happy. "Oak father preserve you child, mind saying it again?"

You better run and find a hole to bury yourself in because Halsin is wearing that mom badge unironiclly

He doesn't even care for the title gender being the wrong one, he is a proud mom okay?

Is understanding if you explain that it was just an accident. Still asks if it means he isn't a mother figure to you?

It's a fair game if you say he isn't. But if you say he is? He'd actually feel warm inside, being this mentor or guide figure to you. It's genuinely a great honour.

Don't worry he will never abuse the accidental mom title, merely using it as an achievement or trophy to prove that he is walking the right path in life.

Gale

Chokes on the soup, he was test tasting, face red and eyes avoiding your gaze. You'd almost think he was the one who called you mom and not the other way around.

"Well- I...you see. The thing is" keeps stuttering while you help wipe away the soup he spilled all over his camp clothes.

Clearing his throat, he attempts to regain a grain of composure as he says, "With the current circumstances, i don't think I would be the best available option for your...choice of parental figure."

You feel less embarrassed about the whole situation from how much embarrassed he is by it.

You get a bigger portion of soup and food each night from now on as an apology from Gale.

[lanafofana]

The chronic pain do be chronic-ing today so have some edible induced ranting :) 

I hate when you’re on the dock and Gale’s like I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna give the crown to Mystra. And tav/durge is like and then you’ll be Mystra’s chosen again! 

What? What? What?! 

I understand that his character growth is about trusting in the goddess to understand how the crown should be handled and following through with his oath in a bid for redemption. 

I get that, in surrendering the crown, he is finally accepting that who he is is enough, not only for his lover but also, for himself. 

But, larian, I have spent an entire [redacted] talking my companions down from the precipice and severing their blind devotion to their deities so why the FUCK am I suddenly like yaaas embrace the chosen status! Fuck agency! 

(Remember how Gale accepted/understood that Elminster had no choice but to charge him with self detonation because he was bound by the duty of being Mystra’s chosen??) 

Especially as someone who romanced him and saw him up close and personal at his absolute lowest when he was damn near willing to jump out any window he came across because he thought fatal penance was the only redeeming path open to him.  

And to be clear I’m not in the Mystra hate camp, I get why you would be but I think she acted in typical ‘nothing matters more than The Balance’ god fashion. If anything, I kinda headcanon that Gale had an intrinsic touch of fate/destiny about him that probably drew her attention. She may not have known or understood exactly what the nature of that fate/destiny was and, eventually realizing the danger the Absolute posed to gods as well as mortals, simply misinterpreted it. She, as well as everyone, was making decisions based on the information available as well as the wisdom of past experience (cough Karsus). 

Something I don’t see talked about much, and maybe it’s because I’m usually too deeply entrenched in my Halsin brainrot to look for, is how power hungry Gale is. When he’s convincing you that he should be allowed to pursue godhood he tries to convince you that, morally, he’s going to be so much better than the other gods. There’s an option to say something like Morality? Who cares about morality? Think of the power! And Gale’s response? Could not be more chuffed. He’s like OMG YOU GET ME. 

And…like, his pursuit of power is not just based in thinking he’s not good enough. Before he was knocked down several pegs by the orb sucking away the majority of his powers, he very much considered himself good enough. He desired power, lusted after it so much, he was willing to ignore the wisdom of the goddess of magic herself. True he was pursing it out of a misplaced devotion to the diety he loved but he was still pig headed enough to pursue it. The man had confidence coming out of his ears. I 100% believe if he had understood the nature of the Karsite weave and had knowledge of the Crown’s existence he could have been the Big Bad of Baldur’s Gate 3 instead of the Dead Three. 

Anyways, what was I saying? Uhhhh yeah! So his path to redemption is very much about relinquishing that lust for power. Power for its own sake, as well as power as a balm for his crippling self doubt. Self doubt he only acquired because he was one of the most powerful and gifted wizards of his time and had the majority of his powers stripped from him for reasons he didn’t fully understand. 

And telling him how great that he can finally return to being Mystra’s chosen feels like erasing that agency he’s finally found for himself. 

Anyway, I hate it. Fuck being chosen. 

I need a nap.

[wehaveimagineshere]

Hello! I have a request for either Frost or Ren, both headcanons or scenario are good💞

Could we maybe have a Astarion/Gale/Halsin with an asexual gender neutral reader? Thank you!

Hi! So since Ren only accepts one character at a time per ask, I’ll be doing this! I hope you like it! I’m going to try my best to not make it similar to the other G/N post

Also I apologize for taking so long. A lot has been going on in my personal life that has kicked me in the ass and thrown in for a loop

Astarion

• Astarion was confused and baffled at the thought that you refused to sleep with him

• He tried every tactic he could possibly think of. Sweet nothings, sexual innuendos, fluttering touches. But you still refused

• When you told him that you’re not sexually attracted to anyone he was at a loss. What was he supposed to do now?

• So he grew distant from you for a while. Sex was all he knew. How else was he supposed to make sure you never betray him?

• But you persisted on getting to know him on a personal level. To form a true bond with honest feelings

• You were there for him when he needed you to be. You tried to have him talk out his frustrations and worries

• He would still occasionally try again to have some sort of sexual relations but you had to stand your ground and tell him you were not comfortable with him doing that

• And if he tried again you were gone. That he needs to respect your choices and feelings like you do for him

• And he does. He’s come to learn that he values you more than just someone to sleep with. You trying your hardest to help him with his demons and form a real friendship made him see that honestly, he doesn’t like sex all that much either

• It was just all he knew how to do

• He’s fallen in love with you for you. For who you are as a person. He’s terrified

• But you’ve shown him that you’re sticking with him no matter what. Always and forever

Gale

• Gale was surprised but more curious than anything

• He’s never met anyone who was asexual before and was ashamed to admit that he didn’t know much about it

• He would ask if it was okay to ask you questions about it. Like what exactly does being asexual mean and what your age was when you discovered you were

• Along with what you told him he would also go to libraries to see if there were any books talking about it so that he could become more educated because it genuinely intrigued him

• You would sometimes join him to the library and make it a date. He would point out passages to you and ask you how you felt about them

• He respected you immensely. From what he understood, it might’ve been hard on you to have that sexuality and still have strangers try to make sexual advances

• It angered him when you told him that you did in fact have situations like that in your life

• It made him want to protect you but you would tell him that you could handle it on your own, but you’re still thankful nonetheless

• Gale would prioritize dates where you get to know each other on a personal level

• Along with your now traditional weekly library dates, you’ll also have nice little homemade dinners

• You not having sex and constantly being there for Gale made him realize that he doesn’t need to risk his life to become better than the gods. That he’s fine just the way he is

• It’s not before long that you quickly move in together. Knowing that you want to be together forever

Halsin

• The fact that Halsin is poly made the relationship easier for the both of you

• At first he was surprised. Your sexuality is the complete opposite of his

• But he was still so genuinely interested in you that he wanted to give your relationship a try as long as you were comfortable with it

• Halsin focuses more on the romantic part of your relationship

• He’ll take you on really nice dates in the forest where you’ll dip your toes in a river or lake while holding hands and basking in each others presence

• He’ll ask you personal questions while answering any questions you throw his way, even if they’re a little uncomfortable to talk about

• There will be times where he’ll spend a couple hours in a brothel but it doesn’t bother you a single bit. He respects your decision not to have sex. You can’t force him to follow in your footsteps. It’s not only wrong but it’s just not who he is

• So a couple times a month he’ll go to a brothel or find someone somewhere and have some fun while you work on some projects that needed to be done

• You have a talent for wood carving so in your downtime when you’re not constantly on the road, you’ll carve him ducks in different shapes and sizes

• He keeps them all and will display them in whatever home you’re currently residing. He absolutely adores them. Especially the ones you don’t like as much

• He’ll encourage you to make other designs as well to sell. What you can make with your hands is pure art that should be shared with the world. The ducks are only for him though

• The relationship and dynamic you two have together just works so well and not only do you compliment each other but you fill in the other’s needs that isn’t any less than perfect

[thetavolution]

Modern Day AU

I spent a moment to think what everyone would be up to in a modern day AU.

Astarion: He was pre-law when he got caught up with Cazador. It's less a vampire spawn situation and a more straightforward abuse situation. I think in the AU he was also much younger when Cazador found him. Once he breaks free of Cazador, he might go back into law. He'd end up in therapy and he'd probably have to take a step back to re-evaluate what he wants in life.

Gale: Of course he's a professor. With magic off the table in this particular AU, he'd probably teach as many subjects as they'd let him. Students would constantly have deja vu seeing him in so many classes. He'd be teaching somewhere like Cambridge or Oxford. The subjects that came to mind were English, History of Art, Linguistics, Philosophy, and for reasons I can't explain, German.

Shadowheart: Her ass would be in a cult. She was kidnapped into some kind of Gloriavale situation as a kid. She'd eventually get a taste of freedom and leave the cult for good, especially if a Tav comes her way. Then she'd write a tell-all book and do a lot of Ted Talks about it. As she got older, she'd become more reclusive. She'd write books from her little countryside house full of animals.

Halsin: Halsin would still be a tree-hugging hippy. He'd have an environmentalism related job, like wind turbine technician, environmental technician, or solar installer. (I imagine he'd want something very hands on.) He'd 100% be part of a nudist colony. He'd still be poly, and he'd be very choosey about who he lets into the polycule.

Lae'zel: She'd go to university where she'd be expanding her world. It would force her to unpack her unhealthy home life is. She was probably raised in a jingoistic family. After discovering the power of friendship and self-discovery, she'd make better choices for herself. She'd still be INCREDIBLY disciplined so I imagine she'd be an athlete. Either she'd do professional rugby or MMA. She might do pro wrestling. She wouldn't join the theatrics on purpose. They'd just tap into her natural persona for her character.

Karlach: She worked for Gortash before he made a name for himself in politics. I'm still trying to work out exactly what would happen to her. I imagine he framed her in this universe and she spent 10 years in prison instead of Avernus. Now she's out and wants revenge... but also would love to get her life back. Possibly she has a chronic illness that, if untreated, could kill her. It's not a 1-to-1 for her heart situation, but close.

Jaheira: She refuses to ever retire from her work. She's been a part of almost every humanitarian world org that'll have her, like The Peace Corps. She now runs her own organization that travels the world for humanitarian efforts. She's a widow and she's still the mother to several adopted children.

Wyll: He was on track to make his father proud. He was going to Oxford to study politics until he realized how much he hated it. His father is the mayor of a major city. I'm hesitant to say London because it feels too obvious. Instead, Wyll drops out to pursue humanitarian work. This is where his path crosses with Jaheira as he joins her organization. His father just doesn't get it and they're at odds over it.

Minthara: Military brat who grew up to join the British Military. In her off time, she's in the BDSM scene.

Orin: She is either running a true crime podcast or being talked about on one. Either that or she's a CEO of a drug company a la The Fall of the House of Usher (2023).

Gortash: This dude is running as a Tory and you know it. He left a huge trail of problematic behavior on his Twitter. He made an anonymous Reddit account to post relationship problems on, but everyone figured out it was him almost immediately.

Barcus: This poor man is so tired. He never found his "dream" and he's been going from job to job for decades. After he starts to stand up for himself, he opens an online store based on all his interests and thrives.

I might do more later, but this is all I could think of for now.

[pedros-immaculate-vibes]

Smoke and Mirrors 1

A BG3 AU, fluff and tension with Professor Dekarios, Paramedic Halsin, and you as the injured TA

HAPPY BDAY @general-dweebous

“And now,” began the professor, “let us sort the chaff from the grain. Best of luck,” he continued, handing out exam packets as you followed and handed out answer booklets and multiple choice slips. “I have full confidence that most of you will do quite well and plenty of you will have wished you’d attended most lectures.” He froze, mid-step, and adjusted his spectacles; peering over them, the answer key on one student’s forearm became quite visible. “Matilda, may I see you in my office?” Readjusting his glasses along the bridge of his nose, he resumed climbing the stairs and dispersing packets. “The first packet will involve multiple choice, the last will require you to use those magnificent minds that I’ve helped mold since the close of summer. And,” he paused and lifted a finger into the air, “the larger the word and more difficult to pronounce, the better,” he resumed his ascension, “I may even add points on poetic flourish.”

An acne-ridden scowl darkened one student’s face. His hand shot up, “But, Professor Dekarios, this is a history course. Why does how we express it matter as long as it’s right?”

Gale continued disseminating papers, “AH! Because your voice is who you are! It is your essence splayed out with ink and paper. It is what,” a lick of his thumb as he separated the packets, “separates you from every other person in this room. And if I see some creative individuality,” he eyed the student over his glasses once more, taking in his very basic aesthetic, “I like to reward it.”

You stifled a chuckle as he carried on, describing what else would be on the midterm. Thank the gods I decided to wear these flats, was your main thought at the moment. You’d wanted to wear something a bit more—what was a good word— “eye-catching” to go with your flowing skirt, but reasonable Toms would have to do. The class was held in a large auditorium with a long flight of stairs separating three columns of chairs; while you didn’t appreciate the amount of walking necessary to make sure everyone participated honestly, you did find a hint of joy in the way the professor’s voice seemed to reflect off of the walls. 

The room was an amphitheater and Professor Dekarios was its orator, keeping you enrapt in his eloquence for four semesters, now. As quick-witted as he was, however, he seemed to be oblivious to any notice of yours. While he did appreciate you bringing him a mug of black tea whenever you fetched a coffee for yourself, or the time you had made chocolate chip cookies to sate any hints of hunger during a grading session in his office, he seemed unaware of your subtle advances. 

If he hadn’t been a coworker who’s company you enjoyed so much or if you didn’t finally have a position in your first-choice college’s administration, you may have more overtly tested the waters and seen where it took the two of you.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), both were the case and for now you were content with merely sharing thoughts and time with him. 

“Meg, my dear,” your eyes shot up to his, a few loose strands framing his face, “I was hoping to be in my office, reviewing a few historical findings Professor Elminster sent me last night. Think you can handle keeping the hopeful masses in check?”

You looked around at the expanse of a room, hearing the groans and low chatter of the dozens of disgruntled students. They were prepared for their doom.

“You can say no,” he added, tilting his head as you looked back at him.

He’s literally giving me puppy eyes right now, how the fuck do I say no to that.

“Psh, I’ll be fine. No shenanigans’ll happen on my watch,” you feigned a salute that extracted a chuckle from the professor. 

“Well, in that case, I’ll owe you. Maybe I can pay you back with a coffee while we grade these later,” he added, looking away to clear his throat. 

“Sure! Gods know we’re going to need something to keep us awake.” You had leaned in toward him, conspiratorially, and looked around to the rest of the class again.

“AhEM, yes, well, right, that—that should do well, then,” he replied, loosening his tie. “Is it a bit warm in here? I supposed it’s a good time to head back to my natural climate in my office.” He faced the auditorium sprawling out below him, “Right! Well, gods’ speed, and Begin!”

***

The auditorium was filled with the sound of sighs, quiet groans, and scribbling. You paced up and down the aisles, making sure everyone filled in the bubbles in good faith. Matilda’s seat remained open as you passed it on your way up the stairs once more.

The door above clicked open. “Hi,” the professor whispered, holding the door ajar, folded napkin in hand, “Good work, I figured you could maybe use a little pick-me-up since you’ve been pacing for almost an hour, now.” He handed you the folded napkin through the space in the door. You turned and looked down toward the class, noticing that half of them watched the interaction while the other half looked toward their neighbor’s tables, and turned back to Dekarios. Unfolding the thin paper revealed a warm coffee cake muffin: your favorite.

His glasses held his tousled hair up and away from his face. A glimmer shone in his eyes and a smirk shined beneath. “I wouldn’t have my favorite coworker swooning alone in the classroom from not having a treat handy.” A smile was shared between the two of you.

“Thanks.”

“Of course, Meg. Now, I’ll let you get back to it. I was just getting to the part of the article regarding the importance of medieval cultural advances and folklore. It’s brilliant!” He pinched the air in front of him with zeal, then waved once more and closed the door. 

You held the pastry close to your face and breathed in deep, savoring the delicious aroma, when—

*BERMBERMBERM*

Emergency lights flashed as the fire alarm blared from all around; suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of panic a few screams from behind you. 

You spun around, almost dropping the muffin to see students scramble up, grabbing their bags and careening up the stairs. They raced past you, as you saw smoke billowing up from the foot of the stairs.

“Oh, my gods, Fire! FIRE!” 

“What on earth is happen—” began the professor, reopening the door only to be pushed aside by the crowd.

You turned, handed him the muffin, then leaped down the stairs taking two at a time. Halfway down, you unlocked the fire extinguisher case with your admin key and held it under your arm. Adrenaline pumping as you continued your descent, you failed to notice how close the last stair was when you skipped past it and landed at an angle on your left foot.

*twist*

FUCK, that’s going to be a problem. But, fire’s a bigger problem right now.

You limped over to where Professor Dekarios kept his dustbin: flames consumed the refuse paperwork in the basket. 

“NOT TODAY, FUCKER!”

You pulled the pin and the trigger, spraying foam and smothering the flames thoroughly. After a few more seconds, just to make sure the monster was conquered, you released the trigger, huffing while your ankle still throbbed. You placed the extinguisher down with a deep sigh and sat on the professor’s desk, trying to take weight off of your foot. A moan escaped you as you lifted your injured ankle up to your knee. Looking up, you noticed a handful of students by the doors and Gale halfway down the stairs, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. What you hadn’t noticed was how far your skirt had been hiked up your thigh.

“I think I got it, I think it’s fine now,” you panted, brushing a stray strand back behind your ear.

“Yes, I think you are—I mean, um,” he rubbed his eyes with his right hand and nodded, “Yes, yes, um, good job Meg,” he removed his hand and headed down the stairs to you. 

A few of the stray students clapped and you waved weakly, “Thanks, thank you, yup. That’s why they pay me the big bucks. Pretty sure it’s safe to say ‘class dismissed’, right, Gale?”

“Yes! Yes, you’re all dismissed,” he flicked his hand behind him flippantly, signaling for the remnants of the class to disappear.

Other administration members arrived to see what the commotion was about. “Gale! Meg! What the devil happened here?” You knew Rolan cared, he just had an odd way of showing it. “It smells abysmal in here, open a window or something.” The librarian stalked toward a large window a quarter of the way down the auditorium and shoved the pane up. A pleasant October breeze swept in. “And why are you still just sitting there?”

“It appears our heroine has acquired a wound in battle, so unless you know any healing techniques,” Gale’s voice lowered from a shout to something softer when he faced you, “she’s better off here, on my—well, on the desk, that is.”

“Ofcourse you would go an injure yourself, wouldn’t you?” His words were meant to annoy, but you saw the change in his demeanor upon hearing of your state. “Well, it’s best that the fire department should be here any minute, then isn’t it? And even if we called off the hounds, given that it seems you’ve fixed that smokey little problem, they’d still want to see for themselves if the danger was quelled substantially or not. They’ll probably have someone that can patch you up, though.” Rolan paused his soliloquy to focus on a different topic with a slightly gentler tone. He approached the desk you still sat on, your foot propped up while you grimaced, “…How bad is it?”

“It’s not great,” you sneered through half-closed eyes. 

At that moment, you could faintly hear sirens. Here comes the cavalry. At least there was one bit of good news: you could tell the firefighters you’d braved the flames and saved the school yourself. And considering, well, your general opinion of those in the fire services at large, you wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to impress if you could.

A few minutes later, the sirens stopped immediately outside of the window. You all watched and bantered as the crew climbed the stairway outside, lead by—

No, there’s no possible way one of them is that tall. It’s some kind of trick, viewing them at this angle through the glass, you rationalized. Then again, the rest of them all look normal. You suspended your disbelief and waited for them to make their way over, gear in tow. The tall one stopped outside of the door and spoke to Dean Aylin. Unlike nearly everyone around, the dean failed to be distracted by the fireman and continued to debrief him.

Time slowed.

The tallest man you had ever seen bowed his head and angled his shoulders down, through the doorway at the top of the stairs. A frown darkened his striking features, including his facial tattoo that stretched the length of his face on the right side. 

He locked eyes with your little group at the base of the auditorium, and his softened. 

“Well, I take it you’re our hero, are you not?” His voice boomed down, effortlessly.

“That’s me,” you replied, ignoring every single overwhelmed sensation in your mind and body at the thought of this muscle-bound behemoth talking to you. Just pretend this isn’t real. None of this is real, and I won’t say something stupid. I’ll be smooth as butter. “And you’re, what, the resident talking tree?”

“HA!” A wide grin cracked his face. He shook his head, “No, that would be our driver, Minsc. I’m Halsin Silverbough and I’ll be your medic for the meantime.” He slid his bunker gear jacket off and draped it over his arm as he approached you.

In what universe had you done something to deserve luck this phenomenal?

[astarryvamp]

Chapter 1. HalsinxAstarion 1086 words

Halsin could scarcely believe his eyes when the group of heroes had stormed the hole the goblins had him in. There he was. Astarion. It had been a little over a century since the druid had last seen the vampire. It had taken all the strength he had not to scoop up the smaller elf in his arms...But it was not time. It was not their time. Their story hadn’t yet happened for the vampire, but Halsin had waited this long… It was nothing to wait a month or two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Chronomancy?” the silver-haired elf echoed in disbelief holding the dull silver necklace. “This drab little thing? I only nicked it because it was the only thing on that shrine that looked worth anything.”

“Ignoring that bit of blasphemy for my own sanity-” Gale said, sounding-frankly- more amused than annoyed. The glow of the weave dissipated from the wizard’s hands as he let go of the necklace chain. “Yes, this ‘drab little thing’ as you so aptly put it, is positively brimming with it. You just found it in an offering bowl on a shrine? Mind if I borrow it for a bit? Take a closer look at the enchantments?”

Astarion scoffed, pulling the silver chain out of arm’s reach. “I think not, wizard. I earned this all on my own. It’s mine.”

“Earned it?!” Gale spluttered indignantly. “You stole it! From an offering bowl, no less.”

“Same thing as far as I’m concerned,” Astarion said, waving his hand dismissively.

“Astarion, I’m not asking to keep it. I only want to take a closer look at the enchantments. The amount of magic this thing has in it; it’s incredible! And such a rare school of magic. How could I possibly pass up the opportunity to examine such extraordinary find?”

The vampire had a retort ready on his tongue, when an unexpected voice chimed in.

“Leave it, Gale. You know as well as I that Astarion won’t relinquish his treasure,” Halsin said, warm timbre echoing clearly across the room despite his soft tone. “You’ve done such an excellent job telling him what a rare find he has and expect him to freely hand it to you? Such a thing is not in his nature,” the wood elf said with a quiet chuckle, warm hazel gaze not leaving Astarion’s.

“There, see? Even Daddy druid says I may keep my treasure. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve a date with with an appraiser for this bauble.” Not true in the least. He wasn’t about to let this amulet out of his sight, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a bit of fun at the wizard’s expense. Besides, Halsin’s gaze was still boring into his back and as much as he adored being admired, the druid’s attention was … never ending. Since the moment they had rescued Halsin from the goblin camp, his attention was never far from the vampire. A puzzle for another day. Astarion was going to lay in the sun for a bit. Admire his new found magical wealth.

There were better places to lounge besides the roof of the ElfSong tavern, but it would do for the time being. Settling into a pile of pillows, the elf took out the necklace to take a closer look at the amulet hanging from the chain. A scythe for the symbol of Chronos? Of all the things to have associated with time. A dirty old tool would not have been the top of Astarion’s list. Oh well, he wasn’t going to bother himself on some old god’s poor choice in symbols. Astarion slipped the chain over his head, letting the silver sit against his skin.

Green tendrils of light shot out of the amulet, clinging to Astarion’s skin like creeping vines.

“What in the actual hells?” Astarion muttered, holding his hands up as the tendrils climbed and spread over his pale skin. Panic was starting to set in. The vampire reached to rip the chain off of his neck, only to find it was intangible. Fuck.

It was no more than a heart beat later and his vision was no more than green light. He was blinded by it. Engulfed in it. And before he could cry out for his companions… it was all gone. Along with his surroundings in Baldur’s Gate. The sprawling city and bustling crowds were replaced by a large green forest.

And once again… Fuck.

Astarion jumped to his feet, desperately looking around, hoping to find something familiar. Just where had this damned amulet brought him… No, wait. This was chronomancy, wasn’t it? When had it brought him? That was the right question. He hoped, at least. This was certainly the last time he stole from a god.

He wandered past trees and rock as he furiously whispered demands to the amulet around his neck to bring him back to the tavern. Strange how he could feel the wait against his neck and still not be able to actually grasp it in his hands.

A twig snapped to his right and Astarion zeroed in on the sound. That was a person. He was sure of it. “Come on out, if you please. If it doesn’t please you, then do so anyways. I’ve had a terrible day and I need some answers. Now, be a dear and don’t make me come get you.”

To his utter surprise a child stepped out from behind a tree, looking nervous. Great. He had no idea, when or where he was and now he had to hope this strange elf child could answer some questions. Astarion’s crimson eyes gave the boy a once over. The boy was dirty, but as far as he knew, that was the norm for children. Still, there was something familiar about that messy head of auburn hair and hazel eyes.

“I don’t suppose you have a name,” the vampire hedged in an attempt to be friendly.

The child kicked the dirt with a bare foot nervously, though his gaze didn’t leave the vampire’s face.

“Come on, now. I don’t bi- Okay, I do bite, but only those who have been naughty. You don’t strike me as the naughty type. I’m Astarion. Now… your turn.” A deep sigh before a forced a gentle “Please.” from his lips.

“I’m Halsin,” The boy said softly.

“Halsin?” Astarion echoed. Ah. At least he had found one of his companions. A few centuries in the past, but still! “Believe it or not; we are going to be good friends.”

Next chapter

[tabitha42]

The Wizard's Apprentice - Chapter 12

Saffron is just a lowly apprentice with barely a successful firebolt to her name. So what chance does she have with the arch mage she's slowly falling in love with?

Gale x Tav, slow burn, eventual smut

Chapter 1 Previous chapter Next chapter

“That’s… a lot of goblins,” Saff whispered in fear as the group looked down at the camp from the nearby vantage point they’d found. 

“A lot of goblins to fuck up,” Karlach said with an eager grin. 

“Can I suggest we don’t run in all spells blazing?” Gale said firmly. “If there’s any way we can get in without having to fight our way in, I would much prefer that option.” 

“There’s goblins guarding the gate over there,” Wyll said, pointing towards a group of goblins in the distance. “That implies to me that, if we can get past them, the others will think we’ve been let in.” 

“Or they’ll think we’ve killed them and will turn on us…” Saff murmured. 

“Let’s at least go up to them and see if we’re able to talk to them,” Gale decided. “If they turn on us there’s only a few of them, we should be able to take them out. Then we can decide what to do from there.” 

Miraculously, the plan worked. Wyll managed to convince the goblins they had an audience with one of the leaders and soon the group were walking unhindered into the goblin camp. Saff hung back with Gale while Wyll and Karlach took the lead. She was incredibly nervous - she could just about handle a fight with a few goblins now, but a whole camp? She was terrified. 

The air was thick with smoke and various unpleasant smells, as well as the sounds of goblin revelry. They all grimaced at the sight of it, except Karlach, who seemed quite into the idea of a goblin party. Still, they convinced her there was no time to waste in joining in the festivities, and talked their way inside. 

“So three leaders to take out,” Wyll said as they headed into the great hall of the temple. “A goblin priestess, a hobgoblin and a drow. The guard said the drow’s at the back, so guess we’ll have to find the other two.” 

“Think we’ve found the first one,” Gale said, nodding up at the female goblin on the pedestal in the centre of the hall, blessing goblins as they lined up in front of her. 

“Let’s go!” Karlach exclaimed as she reached for her axe. 

“Let’s not ,” Gale interrupted quickly. “We’ll alert the whole temple. Maybe we can take out the other two in a more subtle location. That way we don’t have the entire goblin horde to fight on our way out.” 

Sadly the others weren’t in much better positions. The hobgoblin had his own audience as he tried and failed to cast speak with dead on a mind flayer (Gale was quick to point out what he was doing wrong, and Wyll was quick to point out they maybe shouldn’t hang around in case the mind flayer outed them as being infected on the ship rather than being the ‘True Souls’ they were posing as) and the drow, while a bit more out of the way, still had an uncomfortable number of goblins around her. 

They decided to continue searching the temple. They still had to find Halsin after all, and maybe they’d get lucky and find some other way to take out the leaders. They found and freed an adventurer from a torture rack, turned down the offer of a once-in-a-lifetime torture experience, helped Volo escape and came across an imprisoned goblin that refused to convert to the Absolute. They eventually made their way downstairs to find a group of goblins throwing rocks at an imprisoned bear. They didn’t really expect that telling the goblins to stop doing that would result in a huge fight, but when the bear managed to escape its cage, they were left with little choice. 

Wyll and Karlach wasted no time diving into the fight, shouting battle cries as they charged in. Saff tried to stay back, but they were surrounded. She summoned a firebolt to try to defend herself against the three goblins that charged at her, but was only able to slow one down as the other two reached her…

A sudden gust and crack of thunder blasted from behind her, throwing her attackers back into the far wall, leaving rolling static across their skin as they slumped to the ground. She felt the wind tug at her hair and clothes, the spark of electricity around her, but was left safely on her feet rather than blasted into the air with the others. She turned to see Gale behind her, sparks dancing on his fingers. He wasted no time and grabbed her arm while pointing to a platform at the edge of the room. 

“Up there! With me! Now!” 

More goblins stood between them and the platform, charging at them, weapons raised, but that didn’t matter - Saff knew exactly what Gale was telling her to do. With a synchronised gesture and incantation, they both reappeared in a swirl of magic up on the platform, narrowly avoiding the weapons that came crashing down on the spot they’d just been stood in. 

Gale caught Saff again as she stumbled, but the nausea faded quickly this time, and the two turned back to the fight. Wyll and Karlach almost looked like they didn’t need any help, til two worgs were released from their pens. With the advantage of the high ground Gale and Saff were able to rain fire down on them, but they weren’t invulnerable up there. Arrows flew up at them, most of which they could dodge, but not all. Saff felt one catch the side of her arm as it whistled past and could feel blood dripping down under her sleeve, but with the adrenaline of the battle she barely even noticed the pain. 

The goblins decided arrows weren’t the solution and changed tactics, running for the ladder that led up to the other side of the ledge they were stood on. Gale only realised what they were doing as they began to climb, and quickly ran over, kicking the ladder down with the goblins on it. As they hit the ground Karlach and Wyll finished them off, finally leaving them with just the bear. They prepared to fight, til the bear suddenly reared up, and in a flash of magic, an elf was standing there instead. 

And what an elf. Tall and muscled, glistening with sweat and blood… Gale might have got a bit jealous of the way Saff was staring at him, if he hadn’t been so busy staring at him himself.

“Pardon the viscera. One should cherish all of nature’s bounties… but goblin guts are quite far down the list,” he said as he wiped himself down. “You aided a bear without knowing if it would savage you? A true friend of nature! Or perhaps a lunatic. Either way, I owe thanks. I am the druid Halsin.” 

“ You’re Halsin?” Wyll said, a mixture of surprise and relief. “We came looking for you. Thank the gods you’re still alive!” 

“You did? I must say, I didn’t expect anyone to help. Unless…”

The conversation continued while Gale and Saff looked for a way to get down from their platform. The ladder had been an unintended victim of Karlach’s rage as she chopped at the goblins that were trapped underneath it after it fell, and they hoped to save as much of their magic as possible for the fights rather than using it for things like this. Eventually Gale carefully lowered himself down, grunting as he dropped down to the ground, before holding his arms out to catch Saff as she did the same. 

Sadly they learnt Halsin wasn’t able to remove the tadpoles, but he was at least able to give them another lead in their search for a cure - Moonrise Towers. First thing’s first though - they had to kill the leaders and get out of there. Gale hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of Halsin joining them in his bear form if it meant they were to start a fight everywhere they went, but he couldn’t deny that having an extra team member would be pretty useful right now. Halsin healed them of any injuries they’d suffered during the fight, and together the group set out their plan of attack. 

They decided to try to head for the drow first as she had the fewest goblins around her, but they would mostly have to follow Halsin’s lead while he was in bear form as he might not be able to make himself follow them. He also advised that if anyone was critically hurt he could transform back and heal them, but probably only after the battle was finished. 

Soon their plan was ready and they decided to loot the bodies for anything useful before making their final preparations and heading out. 

Saff knelt over a body, idly fiddling with a dagger it had on it, but her mind was elsewhere. She feared the upcoming fight - the few goblins in here hadn’t exactly been an easy fight, and there were so many more out there. Her arm was now healed, but she could still feel the blood that had seeped onto her sleeve. A stark reminder that, had she been stood just a few inches further over, she’d be dead now. All it took was one arrow…

She was taken out of her spiralling thoughts as someone knelt down next to her. She looked over and saw Gale looking at her in concern. 

“You ok?” he asked softly, having clearly seen her getting lost in her own thoughts. 

“Y-yeah. I’m just… nervous…” she admitted, her voice shaking slightly. “This is gonna be so much bigger than any fight we’ve ever done. There’s so many of them… even with Halsin, are we really going to be able to face them all?” 

He looked at her sympathetically, understanding her fear. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous himself. 

“It will be a difficult fight, for sure. But if we’re smart about this I believe we stand a chance. Remember - let the others go in first and get the goblins’ attention. Then there’s plenty of ledges and rafters for us to get to and stay safe, out of the way of the fight while still able to attack. Stay close to me - I’ll protect you.” 

He put his hand on her shoulder as he said the last words, and once again she felt her heart flutter. He had a habit of doing this to her, a certain tone he spoke in that took her breath away. Sometimes it made her feel excited, or flustered… right now though, it made her feel safe , which she desperately needed if she was to be able to face this fight. She nodded, still nervous, but slightly more confident that they might stand a chance. 

Ahead of them, the rest of the group were gathering.

“We ready to fuck up some goblins?!” Karlach shouted excitedly, raising her axe. Gale and Saff stood and joined them, reaching for their staffs, while Wyll readied his rapier. Halsin prepared his weapon too, morphing into a bear in a swirl of magic, then led the charge out the room. Gale and Saff shared one last look, before running out with the others. 

The fight was immediate. The goblins just outside the door were swiftly taken down before they even knew what was happening, but those further away jumped to battle as soon as they heard the commotion. Saff followed Gale’s instructions and teleported up with him to a ledge in the rafters where they had a bird’s eye view of the fight below. 

The pair of them focused on taking out any goblins that tried to break from the fight and run to alert the others. If no goblins were doing that, they took out ranged attackers like archers that the others couldn’t as easily get to. From their platform they were safe as the battle below unfolded, and soon the first group of goblins were dealt with. 

Gale and Saff stayed in the rafters, using their vantage point to scout the best place to attack next. They found a secluded group of goblins, told the others where to go using the tadpole connection, and soon they were taken care of too. 

They continued like this and for a while it was all going quite well… until one of the goblins managed to reach a war drum. None of them had even noticed it there, hidden round a corner, til they heard the sound echoing through the whole temple. 

Dread fell over them as the goblin horde descended. They tried to clear out as many goblins as possible before they all arrived to stop themselves getting overwhelmed, but they soon found themselves swamped by goblins. Then just to prove that things could still get worse, the leaders appeared, incandescent with rage. 

Gale and Saff tried to keep the goblins off the others while they focused on the leaders, but it wasn't easy. Halsin was finally knocked out of bear form, but that did at least give him the opportunity to give some much needed healing to Wyll and Karlach, who were taking a battering. Gale and Saff remained untouched as most of the fighting had been focused on the ground, but now goblins began to turn their attention towards them. 

Arrows started flying past them, clattering into the wall behind them. Goblins were filling the room now, and Saff could feel the charge of magic in the air as Gale began to channel more powerful spells. 

“Detono!”

A clap of thunder down on the ground swept through a whole group of them, taking them all out in one go. She looked over to Gale, seeing sparks flickering between his fingers. He cast another, and another group fell. She began to see how he must have looked in battle before the tadpole reduced his magic. How powerful he must have been…

She didn’t notice the fire arrow that flew past until it exploded as it hit the wall behind them, throwing her from the ledge in a blast of fire and sending her plummeting, dazed and defenceless, down to the ground. 

The arrow caught Gale by surprise just as much as it did Saff. As he fell he instinctively cast featherfall, but he didn't have time to check if Saff was in range. All he could do was pray that she was. 

The spell had little time to take effect and he hit the ground hard, but not hard enough to cause injury. Quickly he looked around for her, but soon started to panic when he couldn't see her. Then he saw the goblins descending on him…

On the other side of the ledge, Saff smashed through a wooden platform and hit the ground hard. Her head spun and her body ached, and as she forced her eyes open she saw the battle in front of her. Halsin, back in bear form, tore goblins to pieces while others tried to attack him from behind or jump on his back. Karlach and the drow leader were locked in battle, almost seeming to dance together between their attacks and dodges. Wyll finished off the hobgoblin then charged for the goblin priestess. She couldn't see Gale anywhere…

Then the goblins noticed her. Her eyes widened as they began charging towards her in an attack. Scrambling to her feet in a panic she tried to cast Misty Step once more to get to the high ground, but her magic failed. Falling back to simpler spells she raised her hands to cast Shockwave. This one succeeded and she managed to blast them back before they reached her, giving her just enough time to try to scramble away from them. 

Gale ran through the piles of bodies, the area round him a sea of static. He saw Karlach finally embed her axe into the drow's chest, letting out a battle cry as she did so. He saw an Eldritch Blast from Wyll that ended the priestess. He saw as they both ran to help Halsin as he was ripped once more back into elf form. But he didn't see Saff…

Then he caught sight of her, running from the goblins as she desperately threw firebolts back at them. His heart stopped as he saw an arrow suddenly pierce the back of her thigh, sending her falling to the ground with a cry of pain. Everything seemed to slow down as he saw the goblins, now with nothing to stop them, descending on her, ready to rip her to pieces…

His hands seemed to move on their own, the gestures for a spell that used to come so naturally he didn't even think about it now as he began to cast. He knew the orb would react badly to this, but that didn't enter his mind right now. All he knew was he had to act. Static once again sparked at his fingertips as the Weave built up inside him, ready to be unleashed.

“Harures!” 

Lighting burst from his fingers and streaked across the room as his voice echoed with the thunderclap that split their ears. Bolts of electricity tore through the goblins, jumping between them in a chain. Saff screamed as the goblins on top of her were suddenly fried by the lightning, then slumped down around her, their corpses smoking. 

The lightning disappeared and they were left in silence, just the crackle of static and the charge of magic in the air. Saff’s eyes met Gale’s for just a second… before the mark on his chest flashed angrily. He gasped in pain, clutched at his chest and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

[brain-rot-central]

What were the factors that made you "choose" Ascended Astarion over Spawn? Do you think that Spawn would have been him after defeating Cazador or that's an event that would change uni matter what?

How much of you there's in Tav? (If you prefer not to answer this question it's totally fine)

When people write so intensely and compellingly it's always interesting to know why they made certain choices.

The only thing that drove me to choose AA over Spawn was that personally, I feel the AA line has a lot more potential for depth to be explored than the Spawn line. Not to say the Spawn line equates him being automatically healed and better and he's never going to struggle ever again, because he likely would. But I feel the AA ending adds an additional level of flair (and tragedy lmao) that I enjoy.

Tavaria definitely shares my resolve. But what's different about her is that she leans on others for support. Jaheira, Shadowheart, and we'll see her relationships with Wyll, Gale, and Halsin coming up soon. I'm still learning to do that for myself.

[gryffintheparrotcat]

Discussion about durge & the overall theme of breaking the cycle of abuse or becoming the abuser in bg3 Evil Durge ending spoilers ahead

So I recently finished my evil durge run and during the entire game i thought to myself "Ofc embracing Bhaal is the bad choice here, it's a situation like Shadowheart and Shar. But honestly for my character it isn't bad at all, he enjoys being a murder machine and he'd love to serve his Father as the Chosen. This somehow doesn't feel as bad as other bad-ending choices, though I have no doubt the good choice will feel very meaningful."

And I kept that opinion pretty firmly till the end bc accepting Bhaal seemingly didn't have much consequence (Note: I previously never defied the Butler either so I hadn't experienced ANY punishments for that at all, my character wanted to kill, so did Bhaal, seemed like a win-win, despite knowing narratively speaking this would be the bad ending).

But the very last choice (technically second last if you count telling your party what you just did as a choice) in the game really brought to light the part of the dynamic I was still questioning till the end,

(everyone say hi to my evil Durge E'stir, he likes to murder and when Auntie Ethel fusses over him but he'd never admit that) Yes my character enjoyed killing blindly with no regard to whom, only caring about how many he'd kill, yes he enjoyed indulging in his urges, of course he was elated to learn he's actually Bhaals True Chosen, what better fate for a murder hobo than to be the very flesh and blood of the murder lord himself? But that very last 'choice', really showed that this wasn't a good ending, not even for him, because it isn't a choice and he'll likely never get to make a choice again, ever. As much as he'd have enjoyed bringing the world to ruin, it'll now never be out of his free will.

so much even that even in this moment of clarity (regret even?) he could not have made a choice.

the price for ultimate power was a total loss of control. And unlike with the companions, this price never seemed that drastic. Durge was never good, Durge never suffered at the hands of Bhaal, Bhaal has always been there, nurtured them. Unlike the others, this wasn't a path away from the light, this was never a choice of giving up on your goodness to embrace a dark power. Durge was already evil, this was just taking back your lost legacy. There was no moment before Bhaal, there was no humanity in the Bhaalspawn, a Bhaalspawn like no other. And yet the price paid is ultimately even more devastating than that of the other companions, yes Astarions soul is lost and his emotions get twisted, but as twisted as it is now he still has a form of free will (though it will never be the will of spawn Astarion again), same goes for Gale, yes he's no longer Gale Dekarios and won't act like his old self anymore but he's still acting out of an own will. Yes Wyll will continue to have to follow Mizoras will, but even then we know he can defy her, not without consequences but he can. (Side Note: I don't think Karlach even gets an evil ending? Like she imeadiatly dips on you if you slaughter the grove so her only bad ending is... well every ending but they're not evil endings) Halsin & Jaheira are entirely excluded, they're not even infected. And Minsc doesn't have a character arc either as far as I've seen (only bg3, ive heard he's in previous games (I shall play them one day)). The only two coming close to Durge in this are Shadowheart and Lae'zel but even then the arguement can be made that they still have a chance to look past their goddesses deception and break free. Not without high punishment of course, but the possibility is still there, Durge can have doubts & regrets all they want, they can do nothing about it.

Durge is essentially the narrative opposite of all other companions, the only one who goes from truely evil to getting a chance at redemption via the tadpole, everyone gets a chance at betterment via the tadpole (except Minthara lmao, she still gets that chance just not via tadpole, quite the opposite actually) and some were even questionable people before the tadpole (looking at you Minthara-) but even then they were all products of their environment. But can Durge truely be a product of their upbringing if they re quite literally Bhaals flesh and blood, solely created to bring ruin upon the world? And if the answer is 'No, Durge only exists to bring pain, by nature they're evil'... what's that prayer for forgiveness about?

[bananastarion]

Oddly Specific Headcanons about what the companions would think of a date to Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens is a massive botanical garden that tourists from all over the world enjoy. It's one of my favorite places, and my usual spot for taking IRL dates. But what if I took the BG3 crew there? Allow me to self-indulgently ramble on about the possibilities.

In order from best to worst date:

Karlach: She is having the time of her LIFE. She's never seen so many flowers in one place. She cries multiple times, and she has to look at and smell EVERYTHING. I am going to have a 10/10 time showing Karlach this place. Her enthusiasm rekindles my own appreciation for it, despite the fact I've been here countless times. She's really going to get a kick out of the children's garden, if she can manage to fit inside all the structures (she will definitely try). She'd also be losing her mind over the giant fountain light shows. And the fancy bathrooms. I am definitely getting her a teddy bear at the gift shop.

Shadowheart: She definitely appreciates this choice of date location, and lovingly admires all of the rare flowers. Something about this place really suits her elegant self. I'd definitely enjoy showing her around and stealing a kiss every now and again. We'd have a downright pleasant time here and I'm sure she'd like to come back and see what it's like at different times of year. Obviously, the orchid room is going to be her favorite, and she'll be indulging in some of the wine as well.

Wyll: It's a very beautiful, classy place. He'd appreciate it mostly as a nice backdrop for a romantic date and would probably develop a sentimental attachment to the place as a result. He's already drafting in his head the best location in the gardens to propose to me during a future visit. He'd be digging the vibes, seeing the sheer diversity of people coming together to appreciate the beauty of this place. It's all so very wholesome. He'd probably like going up in all the big treehouses and sharing the nice views with me.

Gale: He'd have to stop and read every singly informational sign, and start calling the plants by their Latin names and repeatedly comparing this place to the botanical gardens of Waterdeep, which would all be a tad annoying... but at least he's enjoying himself. Once he got some fine wine in him he'd probably chill out a little. Regardless, he'd find it all very romantic and be glad I brought him here because he'd understand this place means a lot to me. I will gladly wait around in the gift shop while he peruses every book they have on offer, but they're hella expensive so he better be a fast reader and finish them all in the store.

Halsin: He would appreciate the more untamed parts of the gardens, like the woods and meadowlands, and approve of the environmental work they're doing. But he'd also enjoy the more cultivated parts just for the fact that they're so teeming with a rich diversity of life. He'd be teaching me things about the plants I never knew before. He has a nice, chill time, but all in all, he'd have preferred a date in the actual wilderness. He doesn't need all this fancy pants extra stuff.

Lae'zel: She really doesn't get it, but she finds it all a tad interesting and novel nonetheless. I am prepared to answer any questions she has about life on Earth. Hopefully she's cool with their no weapons or violence policy, cause otherwise she's going to get us permabanned. She might appreciate the carnivorous plants section. Maybe by the end of the day she will even begin to understand that humans enjoy beautiful things just for the sake of it... or maybe not. But I don't think she'll hate it?

Astarion: He might appreciate the aesthetic old architecture a bit, but otherwise he's really bored. He's just going along with this because I wanted to do it. At some point he's going to get so bored that he'll suggest we steal away and have some semi-public sex, and we get permanently banned as a result. Or he'll start pickpocketing the wealthy crowds and get escorted out by security. Regardless, something tells me this will be my last time ever setting foot in Longwood. This place is so dear to my heart and my family has been visiting regularly for generations, but Astarion's impulsiveness will put an end to it all. But I'll forgive him because I'm such a simp. We would have been better off going to an art museum or a night club.

[areax]

babysitting headcanons and kind of also parenting ones for some reason

Astarion: He gets jealous of Tav’s other friends so he would be jealous of a baby. Would absolutely neglect it and has no patience with children. Has only ever had a good interaction with a child when Tav is looking directly at him pressuring him to say one (1) nice thing. Might be marginally better with teenagers but still liable to get into screaming matches with them.

Gale: I think he finds babies fascinating conceptually (what a cool idea to be seeing everything and learning everything for the first time!) but not in practice (messy, crying, needs a lot of attention, Gale is not very patient). I think he would be good with kids for a short period of time but after an hour or so would get really drained. A good uncle but not a good babysitter.

Halsin: Canonically takes care of kids and they all call him “Daddy Halsin” so of course he would be perfect. Would turn into a bear and let them ride around on his back. The only drawback is that it might frighten kids who are scared of large animals but he would do his best to make them feel safe.

Jaheira: I think she really wanted to be a good mom but failed at it because it’s basically impossible to balance that with saving the world multiple times, so it might be better for her to look after a kid sporadically; babysitting is a good in between. I know the Harpers are like cop adjacent but she's the kind of person to read the kid a book like “so the doggie says ‘woof woof’ … butterfly don’t say nothing … the pig says ‘Stop in the name of the Flaming Fist!’”

Karlach: I imagine she’s good with kids but it’s hampered by the fact that she can’t physically pick them up / change their diaper / stop them from running directly into a tree branch / etc. But if she has her upgrade she would be great! I can picture her having planned on having kids eventually, but then she was sent to the Hells. Sadly she is not a regularly available babysitter option :(

Lae’zel: Rolls her eyes at being asked to do so but will if she likes you enough. Teaches the kid swordplay; they come back with a black eye but they had a lot of fun. Not a good candidate for a regular babysitter but works in a pinch.

Minsc: Would accidentally sit on the baby. Tries his very very best but is not suited to it in the slightest. Would throw the kid too high into the sky when they wanted uppies and would always catch them but you’d be scared out of your mind. Better with older kids, would be a great camp counselor if your kid is super outdoorsy.

Minthara: Similar to Lae’zel, doesn’t want to do it but will if she likes you enough. Your kid will be returned fed and physically intact but probably either bored due to no enrichment or terrified because Minthara told them about The Spiders.

Shadowheart: Likes kids more than she would freely admit but isn’t inclined toward them. As with Gale, is alright with kids for maybe an hour but would not be a good choice for anything longer than that. However she is pretty responsible with them, she would watch your kid while you go smoke. She will do everything technically right but would not enjoy herself.

Wyll: THE BABYSITTER OF FRONTIERS!!!!!!!!!!! GREAT WITH KIDS, A GOOD TEACHER, NURTURING, PATIENT, KIND, AND YES HE IS SINGLE!!!!!!!!!!!! He is not only fun but also understands how to deal with difficult situations and knows what is age appropriate for a child (will NOT let them swing around a REAL sword like Lae’zel would). Absolutely the gold star standard, the only downside is that your kid might like him more than you. They will complain when it’s time to be picked up or when you come home because of how much fun they’ve been having. Would be the best parent on this whole list.

[msviolacea]

I don't want to do it because of spoilers - since apparently according to Steam achievements only like 15% of players have actually finished the game thus far - but there's a part of me that really really wants to make a poll asking about what players who HAVE finished chose in the endgame. My brief foray into Reddit shows some VERY STRONG opinions in all directions, and I'm curious to know what Tumblr thinks of it. So ... instead, some spoiler thoughts below.

We ended up choosing Orpheus over the Emperor, for a variety of reasons. One, we love Lae'zel and didn't want her to hate us. Two, and probably stronger, the Emperor just came off so damned creepy after his reveal at the end of act 2. Pressuring us to become illithid, mind controlling Stelmane, and the reveal about his true human identity all really made us wary of him. I don't have super strong opinions about it as a player, though. I lean towards Orpheus on a personal level just because the gith may be despotic pirates, but they deserve better than Vlaakith, and I feel slightly more sympathy toward them than I do towards a guy who's been pulling political strings behind the scenes for so long. But I can see having other characters I play in the future go the other way - the Emperor has been the one helping us survive this whole time, so betraying him in the end is not entirely the most noble choice, but neither choice leaves the player character with clean hands.

However, we did force Orpheus to become the mindflayer, because fuck if I was going to do it or let Karlach do it. And then we sent Lae'zel off to be the leader of the gith rebellion, because that seemed like the ending she would have wanted.

Also we left the Crown of Karsus in the river, which TOTALLY won't come back to haunt us in the future, but also holy SHIT GALE NO. Step away from the all powerful artifact. You remember how this went for you the last time.

And then Karlach and Wyll went off to hunt devils in Avernus. The way the game words the dialogue choices there makes it feel like the character talking has a relationship with one or both of them - it was my partner, who actually romanced Halsin, so now she headcanons that they're in a 4-way poly relationship, and she and Halsin are going to go back and talk to Dammon and work on finding a solution for Karlach's heart, followed by a future adventure into Avernus to find their other lovers.

Meanwhile, Astarion and I are off to go figure out how to cure vampirism. Or mug someone with a Wish spell handy. Whatever works.

Please let there be DLC. My prediction is either one in Avernus or one that relates to Mystra. But we will see!