#my roommates are also very good this year

[baldurs-writers-3]

Misunderstandings: A Baldur's Gate 3 Fanfic Rec List

This week, we have Misunderstandings! Check under the cut for nine excellent fics communication may be lacking but the meaningful relationships most definitely are not! And as always, comment and kudos if you like them!

Desperate Measures by Asidian (7270, Teen) Content Notes: None Pairings: Astarion/Karlach

Astarion comes up with a sneaky way to get what little blood he can while in the Shadow Cursed lands. Karlach is none too happy about it when she finds out, but only because she doesn't understand the severity of Astarion's hunger

Reccer says: I always adore Asidian's characterization, and they handle the misunderstandings trope so well here

Until you by bloodinwine (103345, Explicit) Content Notes: None Pairings: Tav/Astarion

"And they were roommates" the fic. Two people hurt for love and their slow-burn closer to each other.

Reccer says: This fic gently presses its foot down on your heart and gradually puts more and more weight on it. The prose is fantastic. But it's with the characters that this author really shines. Effy, her Tav, is one of the most well-written I've read--she's so godsdamned relatable. She gets wedgies, she pees, she fucks strange men at karaoke bars (and yes, this fic is set after the game) and she aches for Astarion with a conviction that just guts me.

Whither is thy beloved gone? and it's sequels by Brabbles (77903, Explicit) Content Notes: Depictions of violence, verbal abuse, unhealthy relationships. Pairings: Astarion/Tav, Wyll/Karlach

Astarion has ascended, and she has stayed with him. Life in the Crimson Palace isn’t as idyllic as it seems. Is there a chance for their relationship to go back to how it was? Or is it too late for the Ascendant and his consort? The fics are a softer take on A!A and explores Tav's past and the consequences of the rite.

Reccer says: I love that it is a nuanced take on A!A, and it sticks to canon events as much as possible. It goes from right before the epilogue to a year after.

Strange Highways by NoCryptoGrapher (28939, Mature) Content Notes: None Pairings: Cazador Szarr / Original female characters, Cazador Szarr & Original male characters, Cazador Szarr & Astarion, Cazador Szarr & Petras

After a failing ascension ritual, Cazador gets transported to 1987 New York. To set things right, he reluctantly joins forces with an aspiring heavy metal band.

Reccer says: It's really funny and full of twists.

The Faithwarden and the Archdruid by Lanafofana (3355, Explicit) Content Notes: None Pairings: Halsin/Tav

An angsty with a happy ending fic about a Halsin and Tav that aren't communicating their feelings well to each other. They're each trying to keep the other from feeling guilty when their responsibilities get in the way of their relationship and it leads to some misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

Reccer says: This fic is such a perfect blend of angst and fluff. The writing really makes you feel the hurt and sadness that Tav is experiencing. And the way the author rounds it out with a sweet, happy ending? Oh, my heart melts.

Found My Voice by SheDragonOfTheWest (3683, Teen) Content Notes: Modern AU Pairings: Laezel / Shadowheart

Lae'zel has had a crush on Shadowheart for a while, but she's not sure if it's mutual. It will take a gentle nudge from a friend, a few drinks and a shabby karaoke bar for her to finally make a move.

Reccer says: Funny, sweet and rocks!

Ruin You by VakarianSyndrome (3827, Explicit) Content Notes: None Pairings: Astarion/Reader

There's an implied break up post confession (WHO DOES THAT?) and now the RI is looking for Astarion and she gets more than she bargained for. I couldn't tell if he wanted to make her pay for leaving or reward her. Am I the one misunderstanding? It's ok. Sooo good.

Reccer says: Takes place in the Underdark, for one. I suspect F*ck or die, even though it's not clear, which I love. Very sensual and indulgent. Also, Astarion is kind of a troll here... Mr. Beg Me.

Reckless Little Love by VakarianSyndrome (12300, Explicit) Content Notes: Some violence, vampire bites (obv) Pairings: Astarion/FemDurge

Astarion fumbles trying to get Durge on his side, but they almost can't figure it out. Misunderstanding is an understatement. The tension between them is killing me, I swear to God.

Reccer says: I love Astarion trying to change tactics because his advances just don't work the way he expects them, too. It's kinda funny. But there's a seriousness to the fic that I really like, too. They're both looking for the same thing, but keep butting heads instead.

And two recs for the fic:

declaw, defang by PurpleCatGhost (7390, Teen) Content Notes: None Pairings: Astarion & Gale & Karlach & Lae'zel & Shadowheart & Wyll

The whole camp gets to contribute during BITE NIGHT and Gale says the exact wrong thing at the exact wrong time and Astarion misunderstands in a very understandable way, considering his circumstances

Reccer #1 says: Peak early team dynamics. Everyone's characterizations are on point, and the resolution at the end is perfection! Reccer #2 says: I love this whole fic! Poor paranoid Astarion, not even realizing how much poison Cazador fed him about the world. He goes on a huge mental roller coaster right in this fic and each twist and turn feels so believable because why would anything good every happen to Astarion??? of course they're all waiting to stake him! What else could he really expect?

The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ!

Next week, we’ll be back with another recurring theme, Rare Pairs!

Rare Pairs are any romantic ships with less than 1000 fics to their name. This recurring theme is to help highlight ships that are often overlooked or buried beneath more popular ships.

[realpontchartrain]

So the three of us just had the official talk about all moving in together when Robbie and I finally buy a house, in front of James no less lmao

[icewindandboringhorror]

Hrmm... put together a roommates quiz finally after years of thinking it would be an interesting idea lol.. Though obviously not meant to be taken super seriously, I just like thinking about this aspect of personality compatibility. Like yeah, maybe you could get along with someone just chatting with them, but living together is such a different thing. .. curiouse...

[yardsards]

living alone is all fun and games til you have a medical emergency and there's no one there to help you to the hospital

[boyfeminism]

i think one of the reasons i really adore kglw's music is that. well there are 21 albums and a lot of the songs are like 10 minutes long (or more, dripping tap my beloved) and having a Lot scratches my brain in a very good way but Aside from that, i do genuinely think the actual instrumentals could stand fully and completely ny themselves and still be absolutely incredible. i personally did not think the lyrics are the Point of the art for me mostly bc i have a hard time comprehending lyrics in the moment in general so they fade to the background. which is why when they have a 10 min song and over half of it is the most incredible instrumental that makes you feel like youre gnawing on smthn the lyrics dont feel as important. its why the microtones are so neat.

but then when you Do pick up on the lyrics theyre kind of out there in a good fun way?? sure theres "lava, sticky like peanut butter" which. okay. hard to take that one super seriously (and "polygondwanaland is full of dinosaurs" makes me laugh) but the mouth feel of some of them is just absolutely unmatched. robot stop is an absolute pleasure to sing. "subterranean tsar, the scimitar and the neutron star" has such a good feel to it. and Then you start finding the self referential stuff, outside of just music riffs (which, finding the melody from hot water in robot stop delighted me immensly) and its even cooler! theres lore??? you open genius lyric and theres someone claiming "yeah man clocks are So crucial to gizz lore" like wow okay sure we can say that! like i still think the sound of it all is more important to me than the words and the lyrics tend to just add to the actual sound but like they are both important and cool just in different ways and in differing magnitude depending on the album.

[pinktinselmonstrosity]

i was like "oh i wonder why i'm so tired" then looked at my steps app and i walked OVER FIFTEEN KILOMETRES just like. by getting around 😭 no wonder my legs are killing me lmao that's NINE MILES

[moinsbienquekaworu]

Viewed a house yesterday that was kinda shitty but the people who already live there were really cool, I said I needed to think about it and I'd contact them later to tell them, I realised I wanted the room yesterday evening, sent them a message, they didn't answer, I sent them another one a little after noon, they're still not answering, it's been almost 30 minutes, and I am feeling both insecure and sad

[savethepinecones]

so so sick of being yelled at for being depressed

[daisywords]

they should make a support group for people who love to sing but are cursed with mediocre voice

[trashpremiium]

being in a relationship that doesn’t really use labels (or uses them very loosely) is so silly because i can choose what to call my partner based on whatever is funniest at the time.

explaining this to people is like. they aren’t my girlfriend, because we’re not dating. she is, however, my boyfriend. hope this helps

[bogfroggy]

working on being not extremely depressed even though today was a tough day. take a look at the two most important women in my life

[skrunksthatwunk]

roommate's partially blind(?) female turtle keeps doing this today to elevate her basking game

[fratsweetie]

feel like i haven't experienced a full day without annoyance or exasperation or insecurity or horrors recently........will i ever know peace again.....

[blackwaxidol]

I'm so pleased with how Ru'thûn's disguise is turning out. She looks great...

[darlinimamess]

thinking about how i was only in the hospital for a week bc i hated the staff so much i forgot to hate myself

[good-night-space-kid]

Hello again, thanks for replying to my ask (soon to be college freshman), it was super helpful!!! I am still quite worried about making friends in college and dealing with people rejecting me for a lot of reasons :-( Are there a lot of rude people or people who would reject my friendship? Should I just wait for people to reach out to me? Thanks 😸

i totally understand where you're coming from! college is just like any other facet of the world, so there will be people who don't want to be friends with you but there's also a bunch of people who do!

one of the true perks of being a college freshman is that every other freshman is also new to college and looking to make friends. my way into friendships has typically been by meeting people in class and inviting them to eat a meal at the dining center (especially works as a freshman since most people have a meal plan) or to join me to do something else (study, get boba, go to walmart, etc.)

if you have a car or don't have a car, going on group runs to walmart (is that too boring midwestern town?) is a great way to bond with people outside of class.

my go to is if somebody is in one of my classes and i think they're cool, i'll just ask if they want to study for an exam together or work on a project. in my upper levels i'm often spending 6+ hours cranking out a project and having a homework buddy makes life a lot better when it's midnight and you really need to finish making a map

i know everybody says this, but the easiest way to make friends really is just to join a club and go every week. it's a good way to get to know people outside of the classroom and makes it a lot easier to find activities other than school to do.

i'll be honest though, my freshman year i had a roommate (which i do recommend tbh) and she made friends for me lmao. she was in marching band and met a bunch of cool people and now we're all friends, so shoutout to her for that.

basically what ties all of these together though is just saying yes to opportunities and invitations when they're presented. if somebody invites you to study/eat a meal/go to the store/go to a club meeting, they're asking you because they want you to say yes

overall i'd just say to remember that everybody likes having friends, and most freshman are also actively trying to make friends so even if things don't work out long term they're probably not going to be rude about it. but also don't be afraid to find new friends if you don't like the group you're in because college is a really good time to meet a lot of people and you don't have to be around people that make you unhappy