#saw some of herself in minthara | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

vaniri · 3 months

Text

Dangerous Thing [Minthara Baenre x drow Tav]

Parties in Menzoberranzan can be exhausting. During one of these, Minthara decides to slip away and spend some quality time with her beloved woman.

----- Rating: E Category: F/F Word Count: 3 243 Warnings: sexual content, oral sex, drow women in love

----- As always, big THANK YOU to @ugh-my-back for helping me polish my work 🖤

-----

Minthara never liked parties.

It didn’t really matter which one of Menzoberranzan’s noble houses hosted them, or why they were thrown – it was rarely anything other than a display of host’s wealth and power, an excuse to flaunt their prosperity (sometimes only alleged) and, more importantly, remind the other houses of their position in the City. What really mattered about these parties was how they ended: who managed to raise their status and who got viciously murdered, who learned the darkest secrets and who vanished without a trace. Hardly any party in Menzoberranzan could go without at least one intricate intrigue and some blood spilled. It was a cruel and dangerous game the high society loved to play and despite Minthara being quite proficient in that (she was taught well and by one of the best), she hardly ever enjoyed getting involved in all that mess. It was all so damn exhausting.

Tonight’s evening was pretty peaceful so far though, but Minthara knew that she should never let her guard down. She had learned that the hard way. Polite smiles often hid malicious intentions. Every hand lost from her view, even for a short while, could potentially try to stab her in the back before the end of the night. The game was always on and to lose was to die. And she was a Baenre, daughter of the most ancient and influential house in Menzoberranzan. Life had already taught her that as a significant and illustrious figure she sure was, she should have always expected people to plot against her and target her in their scheming to get power and influence. And that she should always be prepared to fend off their attacks.

Despite her justified suspicion and wariness, she did not stray from getting involved in social activities in order to avoid getting people’s attention. She mingled with the guests, exchanged hollow-hearted pleasantries and forced smiles, joined discussions and shared her thoughts, carefully worded, on their subjects - as someone of her status was expected to do. But something else seemed to occupy her mind, as her eyes were clearly looking for something, or rather someone, searching the crowd for the only face she wanted to see tonight. The only reason Minthara attended all these parties: her beautiful lover, the most perfect woman in the entire Underdark (and probably also the World Above). She had to be there tonight, she would never miss the opportunity to learn the newest rumors and listen about the scandals involving the most notable members of Menzoberranzan’s society. And, most importantly, she would never miss a chance to see Minthara.

She finally saw her, standing among some young girls Minthara didn’t recognize, probably novice priestesses or some less important daughters of not very important mothers. Their eyes met for a brief moment, a hint of playful smile flickered across her face and Minthara already knew she had something wicked in mind. She watched her politely excuse herself and walk towards the ballroom exit, beckoning Minthara to come with her. Minthara followed her without a moment of hesitation, keen to have some respite from all that socializing and pretending, her eyes glued to the captivating figure moving gracefully before her.

Her lover looked stunning that evening. Her long wavy hair, white and lustrous like the finest spidersilk, was tied in a loose low bun, with several small braids adorning her head. Her well-fitted dress, quite revealing but still covering all the parts a decent noble lady should’ve had covered in public, clung to her perfect form, accentuating her beautiful shapes. Its deep red color corresponded wonderfully with her smooth gray skin and her intricate jewelry, made of the finest materials found in the Underdark. She looked like a literal goddess. And even moved like one, climbing the stairs leading to the upper floor of the mansion with such lightness and elegance she seemed to be floating above them.

Minthara was absolutely mesmerized by that sight. They haven’t seen each other for days, whether because of her family duties, or her lover was simply avoiding her on purpose to whet her appetite before the party – Minthara had no idea. But she missed her a lot and seeing her now, so beautiful and irresistible, made Minthara want her more and more with every passing second. She needed to touch her, taste her, feel her squirm under her body and hear her moan her name. She had to remind her who she belonged to.

She couldn’t contain herself any longer. When her lover reached the top of the stairs, she closed in on her with three long strides and pinned her to the nearest wall, her body on hers. She leaned in to steal a kiss, but her woman stopped her with her hand covering Minthara’s lips.

“Patience.” She whispered softly, dragging her finger along Minthara’s lower lip. Her voice was calm, and so was her breath, but her lustful gaze betrayed her desire.

It was very rare for Minthara to not get what she wanted. Usually it was very simple, all she had to do was pull the right strings and just wait. People loved to fawn on her and throw themselves at her feet. They were ready to do anything to please her, hoping to earn her attention and win her favor. But not her beloved. This one was bold enough to defy her, tease her, say no to her demands and make her beg for what she wanted. And that’s what made Minthara so crazy about her.

But she would never let anyone know how much this woman has bewitched her. And certainly she would never make it so obvious in front of her. She had an image to maintain. So despite the overcoming desire to devour her right here and now, Minthara reluctantly pulled away from her, giving her a sign to lead the way, wherever she wanted to take her.

Her lover took her hand and guided her down a dark narrow corridor, humming some cheerful melody under her nose, her excitement palpable. Minthara didn’t interrupt her, enjoying the familiar tune and waiting patiently to see where this whole jaunt would take them in the end. Finally, after what felt like ages, they stopped in front of one of the many doors and her beloved opened them quickly, revealing a relatively small, sparsely decorated but still fancy-looking room with a large bed in its center. She gave Minthara a quick glance, a playful smile tugging at her lips, and, without a warning, she shoved her inside.

Minthara didn’t have time to protest because her lover pushed her against the wall and closed her lips around hers, finally giving in to her desire. Minthara did not resist, she hungrily returned her kiss, aching to feel her whole. As her tongue explored her lover’s mouth, her hands quickly found their way under the fabric of her dress, finally free to roam her entire body.

“I love when you’re so eager you don’t know where to put your hands.” The woman teased between kisses, groping Minthara’s ass and pressing her pelvis hard against hers to feel even more of her. She moaned softly when Minthara’s hands reached her breasts, fingers rubbing her already hard nipples in a slow, circular motion.

“I missed your body so much. I want to touch you everywhere.”

“I missed yours too. I want to see it, in all its glory.”

With Minthara’s hands still occupied with her chest, she unfastened her dress herself and then gave her a gentle but suggestive push, prompting her to do the rest of the work on her own. Minthara begrudgingly took a step back and swiftly slipped her dress off her shoulders, letting it fall on the floor. Her smallclothes joined it right after. She was standing there proudly, completely naked, watching her lover circle her like a starving predator did its delicious prey and take in every inch of her exquisite form. Minthara knew her body was absolutely ravishing, slender but firm, covered in faint freckles and several dark scars, each a proof of her grit and endurance. But seeing what a mere sight of it did to her beloved, how it filled her with fascination, adoration and unadulterated carnal desire, feeling her lustful gaze burn on her skin – it boosted her self-confidence even further.

Without a word, the woman took Minthara’s hand and led her towards the bed. Still fully dressed, she ensconced herself by the headboard and motioned Minthara to join her there. Minthara obediently crawled to her and let her seat her between her legs, back against her chest.

“Let me show you how much I adore you.” Her lover whispered in her ear, peppering it with hot kisses, her arms wrapping around her waist. Minthara purred softly, enjoying the attention her lover's lips were giving to her ear and neck, and the coolness the fabric of her spidersilk dress provided to her heated skin.

Her woman knew all the right spots on Minthara’s body and lavished them evenly with attention and care. She started off safe, with her ears, neck, shoulders and belly, kissing and massaging wherever she could reach, making Minthara melt into her touch. Her palms moved down to her legs, thumbs rubbing her inner thighs, closer and closer to her groin, then left to caress her sides. Every brush of her fingers made Minthara shiver, every touch made her ache for more. Her beloved had her fully at her mercy, exposed and vulnerable, and she was happily using the power she was given. Normally it would have scared Minthara to be like that, to give herself to someone entirely - without fear of getting betrayed. It should have scared her. But not with this woman. She trusted her completely, with her body and soul. And she was certain she was putting herself in good and loving hands.

She let out a quivering sigh when her lover’s palms cupped her breasts, then a loud moan when her fingers focused on her sensitive nipples. She pinched and rubbed them interchangeably, her mouth nibbling her earlobe, and Minthara felt the throbbing heat between her legs grow more intense with every second. Her beloved could have made her come only by fondling her breasts (actually she had done that before, several times, that skilled woman), but that wouldn’t satisfy Minthara tonight. She wanted her hands on her most sensitive parts, she needed her to touch her properly. She rubbed her legs together, trying to give her already dripping pussy some much needed friction, but her lover kept her in place, biting her ear to remind Minthara that she was in charge now.

“Patience.” She reminded her.

Finally, after a long and delicious while of playing with Minthara’s tits, one of her lover’s hands found its way between her legs. Her slender finger slid between her slick folds, rubbing her already swollen clit and Minthara felt her orgasm build up rapidly in her abdomen, every stroke sending waves of bliss throughout her body. She let out a surprised moan when her beloved circled her entrance and slid a finger inside, dragging her juices out and smearing them all over her bud to add more slickness and make her sensations even better. She stroked her clit with short, quick motions, adding more pressure when she wanted to make Minthara wail and reducing the intensity of her ministrations when Minthara was enjoying herself too much. She knew well how to dose her pleasure and how to make her a squirming mess.

Finally, when she decided she was done teasing, her hand picked up the pace, and with the other hand still playing with her already overstimulated nipples, Minthara couldn’t hold back any longer. She came hard, crying out her lover’s name, succumbing to the overwhelming pleasure rushing through her body like a thunderwave. Her cunt throbbed intensely, walls contracting rhythmically around two fingers her beloved slipped in her to finger her through her orgasm.

She held Minthara tight until she came down from her high, stroking her hair and murmuring sweet words of affection in her ear: how much she meant to her, how much she loved to worship her body and hear her cry her name like it’s the only word she knew. And all these terms of endearment that could have them both tortured and maybe even killed, if anyone caught them saying these to each other. My passion. Source of my joy. My one and only. My love.

Hearing all these things, uttered by the woman she adored so much, made Minthara’s heart flutter. She turned around and pressed her lips against her lover’s, eager to show her how much she reciprocated all these feelings. Their kiss was fierce and messy, and Minthara couldn’t resist playfully biting her lower lip as her hands dealt with the skirt of her dress, tossing it aside and revealing her beautiful toned thighs. She made her way down her lover’s body, kissing every exposed part of her skin until her face buried between her legs, where she tugged her already damp underwear aside and spread her folds, giving herself full access to her dripping core. Minthara planned to tease her a little first, but the scent of her arousal was too enticing and made her want to devour her right here and now. So she pressed the tip of her tongue against her clit, then slid it into her and tasted her arousal, purring contently at the wanton moan her action elicited.

She lapped at her sweet spot, reveling in all these lovely sounds her woman was making. She was always a delight to please, so vocal and responsive, and so direct with her needs. She guided Minthara’s hand to her entrance, prompting her to slip a finger inside and Minthara happily complied, purring contently when her lover ran her fingers through her silky hair. She held her head, keeping her mouth where she wanted it most while Minthara thrust deep into her in a slow steady pace, adding another digit for more stimulation when one felt like nothing in her needy cunt.

Minthara focused her full attention on her clit, sucking and licking the overstimulated bud, feeling it throb against her tongue - an undeniable sign she was close to her release. Her fingers pounded into her dripping hole, picking up the pace as her lover rutted feverishly against her hand, begging her to fuck her harder. She came moments later, with Minthara's name on her lips, her pussy contracting fiercely around her fingers, covering her entire hand with her juices.

Minthara pulled her fingers out and licked them clean, savoring the taste of her lover’s essence, locking her eyes with hers. She looked exceptionally delectable, with her cheeks flushed and those full rosy lips parted. Some strands of her hair had fallen loose from her previously tidy bun, now framing her face and somehow making her even more beautiful. She reached to Minthara, hand still shaking after her intense orgasm, and held her cheek, whispering her name so tenderly and with so much fondness Minthara couldn’t contain emotions that surged through her. The familiar feeling of warmth and elation was swelling somewhere in her chest and she couldn’t even try to pretend she didn’t know what that sensation was anymore.

It was a very dangerous and unwise thing for a drow to develop feelings for another and give themselves to them, fully and genuinely. Especially for one from a house like Baenre. Minthara was usually very cautious and extremely picky when it came to trusting people and letting them closer. Not too close though, as life had already taught her that most of these people wanted to be in her favor for their own personal gain and would turn against her in an instant the moment planting a knife in her turned out more beneficial. She already had several scars to prove that statement. She had to learn how to see through people and read their motives, play them as she wanted, to always be one step ahead of them and their plotting. And never get attached to them. Of course she had made some mistakes, but after learning her lesson all her lovers and so-called friends became nothing more than a temporary entertainment, a moment of fun with no strings attached, and she was ready to get rid of them without batting an eye the moment she noticed their intentions were vile. That's how she managed to survive so long in the treacherous high society of Menzoberranzan.

But her relationship with this woman was different. She was different. Selfless and sincere, from the very beginning. She never asked for anything, other than affection and honesty, and offered the same in return. She’d proven her loyalty to Minthara, more times than she could even recall, and earned her full trust. It started off as an innocuous affair, based on their carnal desires and yearning for connection with someone, even for a short while. But it lasted for years now and Minthara already knew their involvement had long ago turned into something deeper. Meaningful. Dangerous.

Her common sense demanded Minthara to kill that woman the moment she noticed the change. She should have destroyed the object of these feelings and the bond they shared, before it corrupted her mind and ruined her completely. But one look in her lover’s warm eyes was enough to make Minthara realize that she was already beyond the point of saving. And it didn’t scare her, as she had already come to terms with her own feelings and accepted her weakness in full.

Love like this was a rare thing in the Underdark. It should have been cherished, not fought.

“Hey, where are you?”

“Hm?” Minthara snapped out of her musing. Her love was visibly amused, watching her with curiosity in her eyes.

“You were lost in your thoughts. What were you thinking about?”

“You, of course.” She gave her lover’s crotch a quick peck and put her underwear back in place.

“No need to think about me, I’m already here.”

Minthara crawled back to her and snuggled up against her chest as her beloved pulled her into a loving embrace. She found comfort in her smell, relaxing completely while listening to her heartbeat, strong and steady, enjoying her hand tenderly stroking her head.

“Stay with me here. I don’t want to go back to the party.” Minthara purred, content with her current position and reluctant to change it.

“They’ve probably noticed our disappearance already.”

“Good, they may be noticing it for a bit longer.”

Her lover chuckled lightly, then her expression suddenly sobered.

“Your mother-“

“Knows I came here for you and you alone.” Minthara cut her off. “She has more pressing matters to attend to today than tailing me and making sure I behave, trust me.”

“I do trust you, Alurlssrin.” That word always made Minthara’s chest swell with warmth, so many emotions rushing through her mind. An undeniable proof that her lover felt the same. “But please, don’t complain to her later that you missed the entire party because I kept you in bed all night and didn’t let you go. She didn’t believe you last time and she won’t believe you now.”

It was Minthara's turn to chuckle, until her lover pressed her lips against hers to finally silence her.

She would never dare complain about that.

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #minthara baenre #minthara #minthara x tav #drow tav #baldur's gate #bg3 fanfiction #fanfiction #duck pecks her keyboard

65 notes · View notes

moremousewrites · 3 months

Text

Tempest

Pairing: Minthara/Tav (femme drow)

Summary: You and Minthara relate to your utter distaste for the weather of Faerun's surface. While you've had some time to acclimate, Minthara suggests another solution. You're not really in a place to judge, but you can convince her to stay the night at least

Tags: kissing, smut, fluff, cuddling after sex, pet names (my divinity),fingering, oral sex, grinding, nipple play, slavery mention

Note: I'm sorry i keep making fics about my ocs and putting them in 2nd person lmao. This is hardly a reader insert but old habits die hard im afraid. Anyway brackets is drowish, quotes is common. Enjoy!

A Heavy thunderstorm in rivington forced the adventuring party to set up camp for the night. You were settling in when a very flustered, very wet Minthara burst into your tent.

“Does this miserable weather never cease?” She kicked off her muddy shoes in your tent and started peeling off her wet nightclothes. How considerate.

You didn't bother averting your eyes, she'd find it pointless as well. You had not laid together yet, but your relationship was very close. She had healed your unclothed body before and you had bathed with her a few times now. She made it a ritual after confessing to you, washing your hair.

“It's only rain, Minthara” you opened your bedroll to her and she climbed in beside you, her face a breath away from yours.

“I do not mean this weather. I mean all surface weather. The unruly sun, smothered by this deluge. And the biting cold that greets you if you're not so bloated by nightfall. You know of what I speak. Do you not agree that the temperament of Menzoberranzan is much more suitable for life?” she ranted. It was almost funny how serious she was about this but you could sympathize with her difficulty assimilating to the climate. A few decades ago you saw sunlight for the first time and you were equally miserable.

“It is one of the few things I miss about the Underdark” you switched to high drowic, just in case your companions were listening. [I won't pretend to understand why the surface dwellers tolerate conditions here as they do, but I know it is not my place to impart my views on other cultures] you explained, wrapping your arm around her. She was shivering.

[It is indeed your place to do just that] she stated, bluntly. Ah, the source of your disagreements. [You're a powerful, influential heiress of a noble house, Tav. And how I see it, you'd be doing the surface a favour by enslaving it and disseminating them within the Underdark] she shoved her freezing hands up your nightshirt and you jolted at their temperature.

[I'm not enslaving Faerun. And I can't go back to Menzoberranzan. There's a reason I left] you took off your shirt and Minthara pressed herself against you.

Minthara warmed in your embrace. [Your mother? That's simple we will kill her with the aid of your liberated army] she kissed your neck, placing her hands on your chest.

She was so severe you couldn't believe her sometimes. Then again, you had been just like her. Sometimes, you forgot how vicious you really were. Dreams of total global enslavement and matricide were commonplace. You have had those exact ambitions before.

[Minthara…] you moaned at her touch.

She placed a hand at your mouth. [Be quiet. I need silence to plan our world domination] she got up to straddle your hips.You dared not utter a word. [We will conquer the surface together. Then we will conscript the strongest fighters to slay your mother's house] she rolled her hips into yours. The idea of dethroning your tyrant mother was enticing. Minthara's body on your clothed cunt was even moreso.

She pulled your bra off of you, marveling in your beauty. [Then I shall claim my place as the head of house Baenre and our joined forces will be unstoppable. All will bow to our devastating power] she cupped your breasts, massaging them, rolling your nipples between her fingers. She was awaiting your response.

You thought it was fitting she believed it to be easier to enslave all of the surface of Faerun than vanquish a portion of the Underdark. Fitting but ridiculous. This was dirty talk for her. And you apparently, since you were dripping at the thought.

[Yes, my Queen] you consented. She leaned in and kissed you with a searing passion. Your hands flew to her body but she tore away from the kiss.

[Yes, I will be your queen. Kneel before me and swear your fealty] she leaned back, spreading her legs for you.

You got on your knees, you slid your hands up her thighs slowly. [I, Tav, do swear by no gods- only unto your name, that I will be faithful and serve you, Minthara, as my true queen] every word, you inched your hands closer to her core. You could smell her desire for you.

She was so flustered by your performance, she couldn't even respond properly. [Please, Tav] she humbly begged.

[What is it my queen asks of me?] You dipped lower, kissing down her chest, lower and lower. Not low enough.

[I ask you to lick me] she panted out. You were very grateful for the thunderstorm. Even in high drow, the way she begged you to lick her cunt was so lustful you could have known it in any language. Your companions certainly would have overheard had the storm not muffled her. You did your queen's bidding and licked her. First, through her smallclothes to tease. She was aching so much that it would not have made a difference. You lapped at her through the cloth and she ground herself on your tongue.

Before she could finish, you pulled her panties to the side, licking a stripe up her cunt and taking her swollen clit into your mouth. She moaned deeply as she came, chest heaving and a thin sheen of sweat covering her body. You needed more.

You placed one finger at her entrance, gathering her moisture on your finger. She flinched at first, unprepared for the sensation, then welcomed it greedily as you sunk a knuckle in. Then the other, and the second finger. You pumped them in and out of her slowly, pressing into the spot you knew she'd love all too well. You were devoted to serving your queen.

“Tav, you were taught love magic in your youth, surely” Minthara was gripping the sheets in ecstasy. She was trying desperately to hold out. Even slipping back to common tongue to distract herself.

You continued your efforts and leaned forward to take her nipple in your mouth. Minthara squirmed under your touch but still, held strong. You pushed your free hand on her lower belly, causing her to gasp. Still, it wasn't enough. But you swore fealty and it was an oath you would not break. You wrapped your lips around her clit and tongued at her while you fucked her with your fingers. She screamed your name as you came. The thunderstorm couldn't hide that, though you didn't really care.

Exhausted, Minthara cuddled into your arms. You guided her back into the bedroll. “Give me a moment and I will take care of you, my divinity” she nuzzled into your neck.

You noticed her hair was still up. It would get tangled in her sleep. “No, my queen. Rest. It would honour me” you pulled the tie from her hair and it spilled over her shoulder and onto the pillow. You ran your fingers through it. She didn't protest, your touch had proven effective. She was snoring lightly in seconds.

You took in her beauty. She was worthy of being your queen- your goddess, even. Faerun would never stand a chance. The two of you would be malevolent rulers, treacherous and perfect. Lucky for Faerun it would never know. You both were only faithful to each other, the world would never have you.

#bg3 #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfiction #minthara baenre #minthara/reader #minthara/tav #minthara x oc #minthara #baldurs gate fanfiction

54 notes · View notes

trappedinafantasy37 · 2 months

Text

Minthara and the Wizard

It kind of is a bit of a running gag in the game that Minthara doesn't hesitate to shit on Gale and it is absolutely hilarious. Now, she makes it very hard to tell, but Minthara actually does like Gale (she actually likes all of the companions, she just won't admit it, except for Lae'zel and Karlach). I'm pretty sure she has a line of dialogue somewhere where she admits that she just like fucking around with his head.

But I was thinking about something today in regards to Minthara and Gale's relationship. Now, I've noticed that Minthara actually has a lot of overlap with the other origin companions. But the overlaps show in ways you wouldn't initially notice. I think when you first recruit Minthara, she does dislike him at first and she says something about wizards having a habit of blowing themselves up and Gale is readily available proof of her point. She feels that because wizards have a short lifespan, it isn't worth the time or effort to get to know them.

I also saw a post pointing out how Minthara criticizes Gale for the bomb in his chest but not Karlach despite the bomb in hers. Some think this difference is caused by misandry and that Minthara just hates men. I mean, misandry probably does play a role in her perception of Gale, but the real difference in attitude is because of the difference in circumstances between Gale and Karlach.

The bomb in Karlach's chest is not her own doing, but someone else's. The bomb was put there by someone else against Karlach's will and she now has to live with the fatal consequences of someone else's actions. Sure, you could say that Karlach's mistake was trusting the wrong person. But Minthara does not see trust as a weakness and is something she values deeply. She does not criticize Karlach for the bomb in her chest cause Karlach did not bring it upon herself.

But Gale, on the other hand, the bomb in his chest is his own damn fault and Minthara does not pity him for it. Gale has to live with the consequences of his own actions, knowing that they could lead to his demise if not handled correctly (especially since his bomb is the magical equivalent of a nuke). This is where the overlap begins.

Gale let his hubris override his sense of reason and self preservation, much like Minthara's hubris overrode hers when she tried to take on Moonrise. That hubris put Gale and the lives of others in peril, much like how Minthara was tortured by Orin and watched her own men be turned into thralls. Gale has been condemned to death by a god he once worshiped, just like Lolth left Minthara to die in Moonrise. And now Gale has to choose to either become a god or die, much like Minthara feels about becoming Absolute or dying herself.

Minthara has no pity for Gale's situation because she believes that he deserves it, much like Minthara has no pity for herself as she feels she deserves what happened to her. She does not see herself nor Gale as victims of their situations, but people who have to live with the consequences that they brought upon themselves.

I think this initial dislike and constant bullying of Gale is just her deflecting her own insecurities and feelings of inadequacy onto him, failing to realize he feels the same way about himself. She does learn to like him over time when she does get to know him more. But now she can't just stop bullying him cause then he'll know she likes him and she's not gonna feed his ego like that.

#minthara #minthara baenre #gale #gale dekarios #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #karlach

46 notes · View notes

razrogue · 3 months

Text

channeling energy (Minthara x Tav)

It takes Minthara some time to come to terms with the force that Gan is.

Someone being so in sync with her and wasn't trying to kill her to take it all was like a fever dream. All the right words are said, almost all the right moves are made, Minthara found it unsettling at first. Many nights she wanted to push into Gan's mind to really find out if there was a dagger waiting for her. The one night her curiosity got the better of her and she did, it was illuminating and incredibly frustrating.

Gan felt Minthara's tadpole engaging hers as they got situated in Rivington. She knew it couldn't really be anyone else because it was a sensation she'd known before with Minthara given how she often intruded into her thoughts long before now. Minthara hadn't done it since before the shadow cursed lands when she last saw her after the party so Gan was a little annoyed at the intrusion now. She dropped the bag she'd been holding and stared at her, waiting for her to use her words. It surprised Minthara for a moment before she finally tells her.

She wanted to know if this was all a dream. If she had to be worried that they would eventually end up on opposing sides. Gan looks at her before finally agreeing to let her in. Minthara is hesitant at first. She had to admit to herself that her intrusion was not entirely about finding out if she was only a rest away from a dagger to her throat, not unlike how she'd once done to her. Whispers of companionship had also crossed her mind. She knew the elf was coupled with the vampire spawn. She'd seen them cavorting about but he was of no consequence to her, he barely registered as a threat, let alone a rival. Minthara did find it puzzling how such a formidable person had gotten tangled up with such a fiend but being on the surface had introduced her to many strange customs.

The two of them went into the barn, away from prying eyes, and allowed their minds to mingle.

Minthara pushed in, gently at first, bracing for whatever lie in the thick of it all. She found herself greeted by hesitation of Gan wondering if they should trust them then admirable scenes of the two of them side by side slicing and smiting their foes. It brings Minthara joy to see them removing threats to their claim. But then Minthara pushed further and saw something a lot more personal. The two of them embracing each other by firelight. Gan lying beneath her, hands palming her ass, running her tongue along the edge of her ear. Quickly nibbling its point as she slides her hand further down until it reaches warmth.

Minthara pulls back. It is a revelation indeed. She tells her that she is a little surprised, not that they had not connected physically before. But the vision Gan had shown her held far more intimacy than she anticipated.

She reached for her hand, letting her know her feelings were not one sided. Then she had to lay everything out - that she did not share those she cared about.

Gan runs her thumb across the back of her hand, along a freshly healed scar. She understood that Minthara felt that way but she could not live like that. She told her how she grew up in a family with many parents who all loved and embraced each other freely. She found it incredibly selfish to want to consume someone wholly when you are capable of loving many as love and the capacity to love was not finite. The irony wasn't lost on Gan how she could be unapologetically selfish in so many aspects of her life but loving and sharing herself with others was not one of them. She understood that Minthara felt how she did but she was not one to hoard her affection for others. Gan grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm as she stood up.

She valued Minthara, not only as an ally but as someone she was starting to care about in a sense, but she would not be made to conform to someone else's definition or expectations. And so Minthara takes that knowledge and response in stride.

It was not her way and she knew the surface folk moved very differently than those in the Underdark. She couldn't fathom having to share her affections with others because when she loved, she only wanted to love one.

But time and insight had a way of bringing clarity. When they were engaged they were no less attended to than the spawn was. Even if it hadn't been in a romantic capacity at the time, Minthara felt no less important to her. Minthara slowly came to see what Gan meant. It may not have been her way but it was a sight to see and to be a part of. So when she finally decided she was willing to partake, she did so with the full knowledge that she wouldn't feel lesser.

#Ilina Gavren #Gan #Minthara Baenre #Minthara #Minthara x Tav #Minthara romance #BG3 tav #BG3 OC #BG3 #Baldur's Gate 3 #otp: divinely inevitable #razrogue writes #razrogue screens #razmeta #this really is just meta for my tav but enjoy the insight🤷🏾‍♀️😂#I firmly believe that Minthara should have been a nonmonogamous option for evil tavs/durges in-game and yes I'm specifying for evil players #I do like playing with the notion of her being monogamous...#...but confronting her feelings or whatever it is exactly with Gan and deciding fuck it I'll give it a try cause I want and deserve it #not that Gan tries to change Minthara but monogamy is a dealbreaker for her and she doesn't compromise on that #it was left to Minthara to decide if monogamy was a hard limit or not on her own #Minthara decided it was not especially when the other object of Gan's affections didn't compare to her as far as she was concerned #but not on some choose me over him stuff...he just wasn't a factor at all to Minthara LMAO #long post

38 notes · View notes

detectivenyx · 3 months

Text

being in a fandom where the gender ratio of characters is actually pretty even between the common binary really puts into perspective how much attention people give male characters vs female ones.

bg3 has 5 male and 5 female companions, and while you could probably find a fucking 5 page thinkpiece on astarion or gale's semen and how the exact shape of the fucking splooge on the walls shows how they're reacting to their trauma at the hands of their all-powerful authority figure after 20 minutes of browsing their tags, people wouldn't dedicate that kind of attention to even like. the whole of lae'zel, even if they were Insane about her. or jaheira, an older woman who not only has baldur's gate 3, but two more games to characterize her.

danganronpa's fandom is even worse; each game has around 8 guys and 8 girls, again, a perfect balance between the common binary, but the guys inevitably get more attention, and more nuanced attention at that. when it comes to talking about the ladies in any nuanced fashion - like, i'm the only one fucking doing it on any major scale.

'oh it's because they don't flesh out the girls!' in bg3 the only ones currently lacking in content are minthara and wyll. minthara's a marginalised fantasy race and wyll is Black. it isn't an issue with the ladies not having as much content. and as for danganronpa multiple guys weren't fleshed out well (kiyotaka and gundam for instance), some fleshed out less than the girls you keep shunning. somehow, however, danganronpa fans are always able to invent extensive fanon that ascribes to canon characterisation for male characters but struggle to come up with anything that isn't #Girlboss #Failwife #MommySorryMommy or shit along those lines for female characters, even when it goes straight-up against canon characterisation (looking at everyone who calls Kirumi, a woman 20 at the oldest, a Mom Friend, which she herself outright states she hates).

for men, fandoms always manage to dig deeper into them and flesh them out further (unless they're Black) but are content to just go 'aaaagh sorry uwu your writers were trash and cowards!!!' and leave it at that (or if she's lucky, 2 pictures or one single sentence post about how she's dating/married to another female character) to the women. do you like. think you're immune to misogyny in ways that the writers you criticise are not? do you only ever talk about the women as characters and people when a tumblr post like this or the one that prompted it demand it of you or the Saw Trap Goes Off? do you have to be stuck in a saw trap to pay female characters their dues?

#look you do not have to be insane enough to dedicate half-hour videos to them #but like. if the way you treat female characters who haven't been Done Well is to be dismissive of them entirely #congratulations you are also a misogynist

48 notes · View notes

its-jaytothemee · 3 months

Text

Until I Met You - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Party

Pairings: Halsin x Tav

Word count: 3,924

Rating: Currently M, will be Explicit in later chapters.

Read on AO3

Previous Next

Summary: A slow burn Tav and Halsin romance fic about their relationship forming between the major events of Baldur's Gate 3, and probably a little bit after too. Explores Tav's friendships with some of the other companions, but mainly Karlach. Lots of longing and fluff, including plenty of soft Halsin moments.

Tags: Slow burn, hurt/comfort, love confessions, eventual smut, light angst, implied past rape/non-con

A/N: After starting another playthrough specifically to romance Halsin, I decided to write some additional details of how their relationship forms throughout the game. Not sure how many chapters there will be yet...we'll see where the game takes me :) There will be POVs from both Tav and Halsin throughout the fic. Enjoy!

Tav retrieved one of her arrows from the many corpses strewn about the courtyard. The inside of the temple was just as bloody of a sight. Three True Souls had been defeated and the remaining goblins slaughtered at their hands. One of the leaders lingered in her mind – Minthara, the drow. When their minds mingled, Tav saw something in her memories that she couldn’t quite place. She wasn’t sure how many more of these cultists they would be facing, but she had started to feel uneasy during this past battle. It dawned on her that the only difference between her adventuring party and these True Souls was the strange artefact they carried. Had they not been chosen for this mysterious protection, they would be meeting the same fate at the hands of a different group of adventurers.

She looked back around at her companions. Astarion was limping his way between all the bodies, checking their pockets with disturbing efficiency. Gale was sitting on the ground, leaning against a wall while catching his breath and favoring a twisted ankle. Karlach was helping Tav gather arrows and other weapons around them. A golden glow enveloped their bear companion, transforming him back into an elf.

“You did it. You actually did it.” He was smiling at her, his voice full of admiration. “There are no words to thank you for what you have done today, my friend.”

“Think nothing of it, I was happy to help.” She was still out of breath from the fighting, a small trail of blood tickled her cheek.

“It was everything.” One of his large hands rested on her shoulder. “Forgive me, but I must make haste back to the Grove. I can…see to some matters there and we can discuss your next steps further once you’re able to meet me.” He placed his fist across his chest with a small bow of his head.

Tav nodded her reply as he wildshaped into a rat and ran away.

“Let’s do another sweep of the place, make sure there’s nothing useful that we should take.” She suggested, gaining a small whoop of approval from Astarion.

They did a full sweep of the temple, eventually finding a secret entrance into the Underdark. Tav took note of that for later, she thought she had heard a rumor of a passageway from below that led to Moonrise. Only if we have to go there, she thought to herself. She was desperately trying to hide her anxiety from her companions. Halsin had sensed it when they were talking, but she sensed something from him as well. More of a deep sadness than anxiety.

Luckily, they also found plenty of useful items scattered about. Healing potions, weapons, armor, an abundance of camp supplies and no small amount of gold. They loaded Karlach up with as much as she could possibly carry before making the trek back to the Emerald Grove.

Once they arrived, they took the time to sell some of the extra equipment they had found, exchanging for additional potions and elixirs. Tav was being constantly stopped for one tiefling or another to offer their gratitude. She smiled and accepted their thanks, feeling awkward about being in the spotlight. Being alone by choice for so long made it overwhelming to be the center of attention again. As a new pair of hands seemed to touch her with every step she took, a hazy memory rushed forward to the front of her mind.

She was standing in a vast ballroom, wearing a light, elegant gown. The small circlet adorning her temple was light as a feather but weighed heavily on her shoulders that night. The room around her was filled with colorful patrons. All of them dancing and spinning together, slowly getting drunk on the extravagant selection of wines. She was constantly being pushed into one suitor or another, each doing their best to woo her into their arms. Their wandering hands were not as subtle as they thought, and she had to resist the urge to break their fingers on many occasions. If she caused too much of a scene, Father would not be pleased. Just as she thought she would have to headbutt the handsy nobleman groping her ass, her true knight in shining armor came twirling to her rescue.

Tev’aron, her older brother. He slammed his hips into the drunk noble, acting equally as drunk. She couldn’t help but giggle since she knew for a fact he would never partake. He offered multiple slurred apologies before easily taking his dancing position.

“Hello, Ria.” He flashed his mischievous smile at her, his drunken façade gone. “Your suitors this evening are serious lightweights. Father hasn’t even brought out the liquor yet. Best to pass on this batch as well, they’ll never keep up with this family’s drinking.”

“My hero.” She rolled her eyes at him. Tev was her best friend, always swooping in to rescue her when her noble duties got too overwhelming. And by noble duties, she meant being fondled by strange men.

They danced together in silence for a while, Tev earning dirty looks from the men around them. His ivory curls bounced lightly around his face as they moved around the dance floor.

“Tav’ahria…” He said quietly. “Why do you put up with this? You’re more than just a pretty collectible to be paraded about. You could snap the necks of half of the men in here before anyone realized what had happened. Have you thought more on my suggestion?”

It was all she had thought about for the last tenday. Tev’aron was planning on running away to join the Harpers, and he wanted her to come with him.

“I don’t know, Tev. If Father ever caught up with us…” She could see her parents on the other side of the ballroom, laughing with some diplomat from Cormyr.

“He doesn’t care enough about us to have us followed.” Tav’ahria could taste the venom in her brother’s words.

“Just promise me you’ll think about it, Ria.” He continued, his tone softening. “I can’t bear the thought of leaving you here to be married off to the highest bidder. You deserve more than that.”

She closed her eyes and hugged her brother tightly, desperate to keep a few more moments to herself before she was forced back into her flirtatious mingling.

“Alright, alright. That’s quite enough. The poor woman is bruised to the hells and back, she doesn’t need your extra hands on her.” Astarion’s voice cut through her daydream. Tav snapped back to the present, staring at him in surprise. He was bouncing around her, slapping away hands from her arms and shoulders.

“Astarion? What are you doing?” She asked quietly, still a little disoriented from her thoughts.

“Hm? Oh, nothing I just noticed you were maybe a tad overwhelmed by the affection coming your way. I can’t have all of this attention going to your head, darling.” He smiled sweetly at her, but there was something in his expression that Tav couldn’t quite place. For just a moment, it was like Tev’aron was standing in front of her again, fighting off unwanted advances.

“Of course. Thank you.” She smiled weakly back at him, fighting the tears stinging her eyes.

“Speaking of bruises,” she poked his arm lightly, “we should get back to camp soon. A couple more and you could easily pass for a drow.” He was not amused by her joke, but Karlach was cackling behind them.

“Fine. Let’s find your new lover and head back to camp.” He shot back at her.

“Excuse me?” Tav could feel a blush moving across her face.

“Oh please, Tav. You obviously wanted to climb that brawny druid like the tree he is.” He continued teasing.

“You’re really close to getting those last few bruises my soon-to-be drow friend.” Her gritted teeth were causing her jaw to ache. Astarion thought better of pushing her and turned away with a cheeky smirk.

Tav groaned as she felt her skin getting warmer across her face and chest.

“For what it’s worth, soldier…I think he might have liked you too.” Karlach had walked up beside her, hand hovering supportively above Tav’s shoulder so she wouldn’t get burnt.

“Ugh let’s just wrap up here and get back to camp. We have a party to prepare for after all.” Tav smiled at the large tiefling, surprised by how quickly she had gotten attached to her.

They wandered further into the Grove just in time to see Halsin finishing up a heated conversation with Kagha.

“…you may stay but consider yourself a novice anew.” Halsin’s voice had taken on a much more imposing tone compared to when they spoke in the goblin camp. “You have forgotten the ways of the druids.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

“Yes, Master Halsin.” Kagha gave a small bow before walking away.

“You’ll have your hands full with her.” Tav called from behind him.

Halsin’s expression immediately softened when he saw her, causing Tav’s heart to skip a beat.

“The understatement of the century, my friend. Misjudgments aside, the Emerald Grove will have need of her. Still, nature prevailed on this day. The Grove stands, and I have you to thank.” He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She wanted to say something to him, but caught Astarion peeking out from behind Halsin, grinning at her. Tav glared back at him.

“So, what happens now? Will you still come with us to Moonrise?” She was trying to keep her voice from sounding too hopeful.

“Yes of course, I’ll join you in your camp for the celebration later and come morning, I will be at your side.” He still had his hand on her shoulder. His smile was making her knees feel weak. Astarion and Karlach could barely contain their giggles at his last statement. Their lips sputtered as they tried, and failed, to hide their laughter. Gale looked between all of them, confused. Halsin walked away with a small nod.

“I can’t help but feel I may have missed something while I was dead.” Gale was searching each of their faces for a way to decode their inside joke. Astarion hopped up next to him and slung an arm around his shoulders.

“Let me catch you up, my friend.” He dragged Gale alongside him, Tav just buried her face in her hands.

They wrapped up their business at the Grove, talking to Nettie and Rath who each gave them rewards for their efforts. Tav helped the last few straggling tieflings to pack up their remaining belongings. After a few more heartfelt thanks thrown their way, the four of them started the trek back to camp.

***

The sun was just starting to set as Halsin wandered into the small encampment. He had taken some extra time to say his goodbyes at the Grove. A letter was sent to the High Forest to request his replacement as Archdruid, a decision that brought him more shame than he expected. Not because he was leaving his position, but because of the overwhelming relief he felt after sending the letter. He never coveted that position, it was thrust onto his shoulders, but now he couldn’t help but feel guilty. Like he was abandoning those who had looked up to him for years.

Around the camp, it looked as if most of the refugees had already arrived, but there were some unfamiliar faces as well. He saw a Githyanki woman engrossed in the act of sharpening her sword, the shrill sound cutting through the various conversations. Another man with dark skin stood alone just off the edge of the camp. He looked like another tiefling but something was different about him. There was a young half-elf woman who appeared to be brooding into a glass of wine. From what he could gather, they had to be the other unlucky souls who had been kidnapped alongside Tav. Quite the curious group to be travelling together.

He looked around at the smiling faces, finding a feeling of relief and joy in them that he hadn’t seen in these people since he met them. It had been so long since he had witnessed the kindness of a stranger that he had seen today. His eyes scanned the camp until they found Tav. He watched as she stood next to Zevlor, wine glass in hand, waving her hand slowly in front of her, undoubtedly trying to waive off any praise for her good deeds today. She had changed out of her bloodied armor into a blue, sleeveless outfit. The corset-like shirt accentuated her hips, showing off more of her figure than he could see in the leathers she had been wearing. Her muscular back and arms were highlighted by the warm light of the sunset, not to mention her hair which was now tumbling freely down her back. The color and luster of the strands put the most beautiful of pearls to shame. Desire ached in his chest for the first time in years, a warm feeling that made his heart race. He felt like a lovestruck 60 year old again, he couldn’t stop staring at her, taking in every curve of her body. She suddenly turned around and caught his stare. He could feel his cheeks redden, yet he still couldn’t take his eyes off her. A huge smile spread across her face, making his heart skip a beat.

Oakfather preserve me…

She turned back to Zevlor and said something unintelligible before walking towards him. He shuffled awkwardly in place, suddenly unsure of what to do with his hands. They tugged nervously at pieces of his clothing as he averted his gaze towards the ground.

Oh, stop it you old fool. Nothing can happen anyway. You must stay focused.

When he looked back up, Tav had been stopped by a few more grateful refugees. He just barely noticed how she flinched at their touches, obviously uncomfortable by the contact. All her injuries from the day seemed to have healed properly, he couldn’t see any trace of bruises or cuts. With each person that reached out to touch her, the smile on her face twisted, no longer reaching her eyes. It looked flat and lifeless, like a mask. Eventually, she broke away again and continued towards him.

“I was starting to worry that you had changed your mind.” She called out once she was close enough.

“Nonsense, I just had a few additional matters to attend to at the Grove. It seems my absence had a larger impact than I had hoped.”

She gave him a curious look.

“It’s nothing for you to worry about, I promised you my aid and you shall have it.” He didn’t have the energy to explain himself to her right now.

“Okay, well if you want, I could introduce you to the rest of the camp. I’m sure the others are anxious to meet you.” She held out her hand. He started to reach out for her but thought better of it.

“That’s very kind of you, but I’m sure you have many other pleasantries to dole out this evening. It would be rude of me to keep you for too long.” He tried to smile back at her, but her expression fell slightly and her hand dropped back to her side.

“I uh…I do want to apologize for earlier today.” She ran a hand nervously through her hair.

“Whatever for?” Halsin was racking his brain trying to figure out what she could have done to warrant an apology.

“When we first met, I wasn’t exactly uh…subtle. I can’t help but feel that I made a real ass of myself. I’m not always great with first impressions.” Her face had turned slightly pink, now matching the color of her eyes. Halsin relaxed slightly. “When we were sent to find an all-knowing Archdruid, I was sort of expecting an old man. Not someone young like you.”

He let out a snorting laugh at that.

“Young? You are too kind. It’s not exactly a word I would use to describe my age.”

“Oh please, I put you at hardly middle age for an elf.” She was smiling again, a real smile, the sight caused another wave of warmth to wash over him.

“Regardless, let me put your mind at ease. I judge others based on their actions, and yours have spoken clearly for you. You have nothing to apologize for, my friend.” He placed a reassuring hand on her arm, noticing that she didn’t flinch away from him. “As long as we’re being honest, I was just as shocked to see a lovely noble elf to come to my rescue in a dirty goblin camp.” She blushed again.

“Now go on, enjoy yourself. Don’t waste your evening talking to me. There are many other grateful people who wish to spend time with you.”

“Take your own advice, come have a drink with me. I’d like to get to know you if we’re going to travel together.” She was still smiling sweetly at him as she placed her hand over his.

His heart started to race. How he yearned to feel a sense of companionship again, a luxury he couldn’t afford often in the last century or so.

Careful, Halsin. You cannot tolerate such a distraction now.

“Not unless you want to hear my terrible singing, or a love confession to the first soul that crosses my drunken path.” He chuckled as he slowly removed his hand from her arm, she laughed, and the sound sent a shiver down his spine.

“I fail to see the problem. I grew up in Baldur’s Gate, that was a daily occurrence for me.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it.” The words escaped his lips before he could stop them, causing his breath to catch. Tav’s expression shifted, a playful smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

“Well, there’s other things we could do to get to know one another. If you’re not up for talking or drinking.” She chewed on her lower lip as she held his gaze.

No, not subtle at all.

He could barely control the grin threatening to spread across his face. It wasn’t often that potential partners were so forward with him. A small chuckle started in his chest making its way past his lips.

Silvanus give me strength…

“I have no doubt you could think of something. You strike me as extremely…resourceful.” He took a deep breath. “But as I said, there’s many others here who wish to spend time with you. I must not keep you all to myself, as enjoyable as that may be.”

“I understand.” She said with a small smile. “I’d best go claim some of the wine before it runs out, everyone seems particularly thirsty tonight. We’ll talk in the morning?”

“Of course. Oakfather preserve you, friend.” He gave a small bow of his head before she turned away.

If Tav was disappointed, she hid it well. He kept watching her as she strode through the camp accepting handshakes and compliments, as she checked in with each of her companions, and then finally until she went and sat by Karlach holding two large bottles of wine. The rest of the evening was uneventful, he allowed himself an evening of peace watching the happy scene before him. He longed to feel as carefree as those around him, but it would have to wait. For a hundred years he had been seeking favor with Silvanus and he couldn’t lose that focus now, not even for such a sweet temptation as Tav.

***

Tav walked over to the small box containing several bottles of wine. Hopefully her embarrassment wasn’t too obvious to everyone else around her. She couldn’t quite figure Halsin out, he seemed interested in her, but it was like something was holding him back. Two large bottles of firewine caught her attention. She grabbed them both and made her way over to the riverbank where Karlach was sitting.

“Want some company?” Tav asked, the wine held out in front of her.

“As long as one of those is for me.” Karlach smiled up at her and patted the ground next to her. Tav took a seat and handed over one of the bottles.

“What are you doing out here, soldier? I figured you’d be wrapped up in vines tonight or whatever weird stuff druids are into.” She uncorked the bottle with her teeth and took a large drink.

“Eh, he didn’t seem to go for it. I wasn’t exactly delicate either. I guess we were wrong.” Tav lifted the bottle to her lips, the spice of the wine helping to drive away the cool breeze.

“Really? He seemed a bit smitten with you. Nevermind though, let’s find you someone else, my friend. You and Astarion have been awful flirty. I’m sure he’d at least be fun.” Karlach’s suggestion nearly caused Tav to choke on her drink.

“I don’t think he’s quite my type, love. He…reminds me too much of someone.” She took another large swig of the wine.

“Okay then, how about Gale? He’s got gorgeous eyes, and you two seem to be fast friends. You could always add a little something to that friendship.” Karlach batted her eyelashes at her, causing Tav to laugh.

“I don’t think I want to risk an explosion the size of Waterdeep for a night of fun. Besides, I don’t think Gale is the casual relationship kind of man.”

“Fucks’ sake, mate. I’m trying to help you here.” Karlach chuckled into her bottle.

“Well, that still leaves Wyll, Lae’zel, and Shadowheart. What do you think my chances are with them?” She leaned back onto her elbows, nestling her wine bottle in the sand.

“I think Lae’zel is still upset with you for stepping in on her ‘interrogation’ so she may be out. Wyll has been moping in a corner since we got back to camp, I don’t think he’s in a fun mood tonight. As for Shadowheart, how are you feeling about her Shar worship?” Karlach gave her a knowing look.

“Okay, looks like you’re stuck with me for the evening.” Tav winked at her.

“Well then, welcome to the club of the touch-starved and sexually frustrated, my friend.” She held up her wine bottle and Tav lifted her own to clink against it.

“Happy to be here, love.” Both of them took long drinks and settled in for the evening. They talked long after the others retired for the night, enjoying their bottles of wine and telling jokes and stories from their pasts. Nothing tragic, even though they both had their share of sob stories. Tonight, they focused on happy memories – tales of foes felled, lovers of their past, their favorite foods from Baldur’s Gate. She recounted her conversation with Halsin, trying to hide her disappointment. Karlach still insisted that she had a chance with him. Tav burned herself twice giving Karlach friendly nudges, her instincts causing her to forget about her fiery skin. But she didn’t mind, the injuries only made them laugh harder. Their words started to slur slightly as their bottles emptied. It was refreshing to sit and laugh with her for so long, Tav didn’t have many people in her long life that she could truly call a friend. But it was easy with Karlach. They ended up falling asleep in the sand, the heat from Karlach keeping Tav warm thought the night as she drifted off into a trance.

#bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 halsin #halsin fanfic #halsin x tav #halsin silverbough #bg3 headcanons #bg3 brainrot #bg3 fluff #the tadfools

26 notes · View notes

wineredsea · 30 days

Text

✨Introducing my tavs✨

because I am unable to shut up about them I will now proceed to introduce my tavs:

(warning since one of them is a dark urge character!)

that‘s skylla! skylla brightsworn. she lived in elturel when she was young but due to her father deserting from the hellriders she and her parents (carakos and zagreia) left the city and hoped to build a new life for themselves in baldurs gate. as they travelled they got ambushed by goblins. she was able to hide but her parents left their lives dying due to poisoning. skylla made it to baldur‘s gate but spent many years on the streets until a bard decided to help her out and take her to the temple of oghma, god of knowledge, binder of what is known. the following years she spent as an acolyte tending to the temple and following her curious nature in books and studies of her own. before being abducted by the nautiloid ship she was on her way to where elturel once was, looking for survivors, refugees, offering her clerical power for help.

she‘s a happy go lucky kind of girl, very optimistic until the last straw snapped. she loves hearing people‘s stories and naturally write them down. her and karlach fell in love and she would and does literally go through hell for her. I like to think that after all the events they settle down for a short time so Skylla can document all their tales for the temple but adventure soon calls them (and Wyll) out again. so they set out on new adventures as a little group.

her fatal flaw is easily trusting and never having heard the sentence „curiousity kills the cat“ (seriously, girl, get a grip some times!). also that she has to pick up anything edible she can find and being in constant worry that they might not have enough food or won‘t find food again due to her time on the street.

next up:

xerxa! oooh, boy. xerxa is my dark urge character and absolutely not out for redemption.

xerxa is a drow cleric of eilistraee, her class a reminder of a once attempted try to break from the shackles of her destiny as a bhaalspawn.

she grew up in the cult of eilistraee and had a fairly happy childhood until the urges started. one night her mother woke up to strange noises and found her daughter shaking, covered in blood and guts, her fathers body on the floor and a knife in her hand. she sent her daughter away. unknowing what would happen, easier to cover it as an unknown act than to face what evil urge had overcome her daughter that night. xerxa cried a lot that night, unable to understand the frenzy that had overtaken her and why nobody would help her. she wandered, finding out that killing was a skill she possessed, hunting small animals and not having to hunger. she saw visions in the night, visions of gore, murder, her destiny. and sceleritas who appeared and led her to the temple of bhaal, leaving a trail of death to satiate the urge she made her way to baldur‘s gate and to the temple of bhaal.

she does not feel clarity most of the time but after a while of satiating her urge she felt a sense of denial overcoming her, a feeling that she should not be like this. she left the temple, once again praying to eilistraee, praying for freedom, for forgiveness, she played a dangerous game studying the lore of eilistraee, doing services, learning clerical magic until her bloody destiny caught up to her again.

the nautiloid crash could have been a new beginning but for a new beginning with a past like that she would have needed more knowledge of herself. she mostly gave into the urge after that not even remembering her childhood or anything at first. she allied with minthara out of familiarity, hoping for her to know things, for them to be similar but also out of pure blood lust.

later on minthara and her bond in different ways, they are vulnerable around each other and become a team to take vengeance on who did them wrong and to become powerful enough to not fear anyone wanting to take control of them.

before that she has a brief relationship with gale that is not based on love at all. she has a complicated relationship with everyone in camp, not really allowing anyone to get to close, gale was pawn in her eyes but honestly she is also just a lesbian.

#tav #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #tav: xerxa #tav: skylla #i love skylla she‘s everything to me #kdbfogkldf #xerxa is my…awful problem child😭#she has some really gruesome but also kind of funny anecdotes too #girl ended all life in the underdark 😭 in her run nobody was left she payed eceryone out against each other #bg3 tav #karlach #minthara

20 notes · View notes

mumms-the-word · 1 month

Note

May prompts: I need borrowed clothing involving either ardynn/halsin or freyr/minthara

I was going to say “bold of you to assume Freyr can fit into Minthara’s clothes” and then I was like “oh wait” not that Halsin can fit in Ardynn’s clothes either but that’s what my brain gave my first lol

Ugh both are so good how am I supposed to CHOOSE? that’s a rhetorical question I know exactly what I’m gonna do

Edit: Also I’ve been informed that this event is meant to be written about other people’s Tavs and Durges but for the purposes of this request I'm just going to respond with a normal little fic!

But because I appreciate YOU I'm including some of your awesome photos of Ardynn in this :>

Story under the cut!! Warning, it is super silly.

~*~*~

Ardynn and Halsin had finally settled into their new home in the Reclaimed Lands, making a home out of a haphazard cabin that was formerly the ruins of a farmstead. To say that Ardynn loved her new life here was an understatement. She and Halsin had worked together to patch up the walls of the cabin, using a combination of old boards and climbing vines, mortal ingenuity and natural solutions. Thaniel had helped raise the collapsed roof of one room by growing a tree inside the structure, allowing dappled sunlight to stream in through the branches of the tree and the hole in the ceiling. Their home was a living home, built up and bending around a healthy tree and its roots, with flowering vines creeping up the sides and sunlight streaming in through the windows and roof. It was everything she dreamed it could be.

On this day, Ardynn was continuing to work on their home, arranging furniture and organizing their few (but growing) personal possessions. Halsin was out with the children, ambling about as a bear to give them rides on his back and play with them, and she didn't expect him back for some time. She sat cross-legged on the floor, folding away her clothes and his, thinking idly to herself that they would have to obtain warmer clothes for the winter.

After a moment, she picked up Halsin's leather and green fabric shirt, running her thumb over the patterns carved into the leather. He had taken the Emerald Grove emblem from the front a few days ago, so the front looked almost...empty. She wondered if there was something she could replace it with.

As she was examining the shirt, she noticed other markings she'd never noticed before. Pressed into the leather, near the collar, were little magic symbols, runes that were somehow familiar. After a moment of studying them, she realized they made up an enchantment to disappear or morph the shirt during his wildshapes, so that when he turned into a bear, or perhaps something even larger, or even stopped wildshaping halfway through to become a kind of hybrid man, the shirt wouldn't just rip into shreds.

She wondered...

She glanced over her shoulder, as if he might be walking into the door at any moment, and then stood up. She pulled off her own shirt and then hesitated, standing in nothing but her trousers, feeling silly all of a sudden. But the curiosity was greater, and she pulled Halsin's shirt easily over her head.

For a moment, it was comically large on her, the armholes alone big enough to fit several arms of her size instead of one. But then, just as she suspected, the shirt shrank down, fitting itself to her body until it pressed against her breasts and ribs. A perfect fit.

She moved to stand in front of a dingy-looking glass they had recovered from some wreckage a few days ago, turning this way and that. She had to admit, she looked pretty good with Halsin's shirt hugging her body. Add a few leather arm straps and maybe...

In the looking glass, she saw movement near the open front door and whirled just in time to see Halsin ducking into their home. She froze and then he froze, staring at her with eyes wide with surprise.

She didn't know what to say, and she could feel her face getting as red as her hair. This had to be the most embarrassing thing she'd ever done in front of him, bar none. But she couldn't move or unstick her tongue from the roof of her mouth.

He blinked once, twice, and then lifted a hand as if going to gesture to her. "My heart. Is that..."

"I can explain," she blurted out, and that just made things worse because no, she couldn't actually explain. She wasn't just wearing his shirt, she was wearing his shirt that was now shrunk down and shaped as if it was tailor-made to her body.

Halsin closed the door behind him--something they rarely did except when they didn't want to be disturbed--and took a few slow steps forward. He stopped just a foot away, looking down at her. She held her breath as his eyes roved over her form, following the patterns on the leather and fabric as they curved over and around her body.

"It suits you," he said quietly. Huskily. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized that the look in his eyes was no longer confusion or surprise but...hunger. He reached up and skimmed his fingertips along her side, causing her to shiver. "In fact, I think you wear it better than I do."

She swallowed, trying to keep track of her thoughts. "I was just...I saw the enchantment runes and I..."

He didn't seem to hear her. He smoothed his hand down her arm, seemingly distracted by her. "I am tempted to let you keep it. But, I fear, it would become a distraction."

"A distraction?" she breathed.

A faint smile graced his lips and he leaned in, bringing his lips down close to her ear. "I shall be unable to think of anything but you in my clothing, my heart. Even now, it is difficult to focus."

Her heart began to race in her chest. As he pulled away to look down at her, she met him gaze for gaze and found herself torn between wanting to diffuse the situation (it was the middle of the day) and wanting to tempt him further.

Her baser nature won, in the end.

She tilted her head, trailing her fingers along the bottom hem of the shirt. "Should I...take it off?"

She felt a little proud of the way his eyes followed her fingers, only to glance back to up to meet hers, hazel eyes already faintly glowing with a thin ring of gold.

"Yes."

~*~*~

More pictures to cool everyone off 🥰

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #my fic #halsin #halsin silverbough #my tav #ardynn #ardynn harrow

20 notes · View notes

esme-elora · 3 months

Text

WIP: Chwidridera [A Minthara/Karlach BG3 Fanfic]

Description: “As expected, it began with spiders.”

For Lolth, no crime goes unpunished, and Minthara committed the ultimate transgression against her.

(Karlach/Minthara. Body horror with a happy, albeit sexually-charged, ending.)

A/N: I’m not a D&D player, nor am I an expert on lore. I did do preliminary research before I wrote this regarding Lolthtanchwi, but considering the circumstances, this diverges a bit from Lolth’s usual games. I am also taking a bit of creative liberty, as I know canonically, driders do not have genitals, but I think that’s frankly super lame. I made it work according to Lolth’s usual logic, though!

Here is where I'm at in my progress!

If you like this, consider supporting me on Patreon!

As expected, it began with spiders.

Minthara never feared spiders. She had pet spiders throughout her life, which were seen as blessings from Lolth. Every spider she saw at home was a sign to be interpreted—a warning, perhaps, or a symbol of luck.

But for the first time, Minthara saw a spider, and she felt nothing but cold fear.

Granted, she didn’t simply see a spider. She collided headfirst into her web, and the spider, fearing for her life, skittered across Minthara’s face.

A younger Minthara would have caught the spider and brought her to safety. A slightly older Minthara would have stood still and waited for the spider to find where she needed to go.

The current Minthara did neither of these things.

(more under the cut)

She yelped, desperately trying to get the spider off of her along with the cobwebs. She saw the spider land on the ground and run away, but long after her departure, she still felt legs on her skin everywhere, especially down her neck, as though she had simply found a new home in her clothes.

Then she sighed and collected herself, dusting herself off. She hoped no one saw such uncharacteristic behavior of her. And if they did, she was certain they would have questions, which Minthara wouldn’t have the answers to.

Unfortunately, the camp was not so merciful.

“I thought the great Minthara didn’t fear anything,” Shadowheart said with a sniff as she walked by.

“Say anything about it,” Minthara retorted, “and I will hang you from the trees by your entrails.”

Shadowheart tilted her head. “Goodness. At least ask me to dinner first.”

Minthara was prepared to say more, but with a toss of her braid, Shadowheart had walked away out of earshot.

Luckily, Shadowheart did not tell anyone what she witnessed, or if she did, none of her campmates had the gall to say anything to Minthara about it. Since it didn’t come up again, after dinner, drinks, and some alone time with Karlach, Minthara had forgotten about the entire ordeal.

But her dreams were not so kind.

#bg3 #baldurs gate #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate #minthara #minthara baenre #karlach #karlach cliffgate #shadowheart #lolth #fanfiction #fanfic #drow #drider #forgotten realms #drider minthara #my woven words

31 notes · View notes

sky-kiss · 18 days

Text

Minthara Is Actually Happy for Once

A/N: Thank you to @sassyandsodone for letting me borrow her babygirl Xalli. I love her. Anyway. Just an old drow man watching his daughter getting to be happy.

And the photo has nothing to do with the fic at all. Minthara's glare just makes me laugh.

Jaheira x Tav, Minthara x (different) Tav: Observation

The surface suits her.

Solaen will not say there is any degree of melancholy in the thought—the children of Lolth lived too violently, too presently, for such navel-gazing—but there is a certain…emptiness. Minthara holds herself with all the stiffness and regality of a daughter of House Baenre, nose turned up, hands folded at the small of her back. She has the bearing of a queen, if not the temperament or the blood for it. For all her supposed aloofness…her gaze strays to and then lingers on the little half-blood.

And that is the crux of the matter…the reason Minthara will thrive on the surface and would have fallen as she climbed the ranks in Menzoberranzan. His daughter loves with an absoluteness ill-suited to the drow, placing her loyalty too freely and stalwartly.

For all its strangeness, this place has allowed her to take something for herself. The naked depth of emotion flaring to life when Xalli turns and meets her eyes, smiling freely despite the weight of her own burdens, says she will not forfeit it lightly.

"How long has it been since you saw her last?"

The Harper interrupts his vigil, her footsteps disconcertingly silent as she approaches. Jaheira tips her head as she settles beside him, uninvited, both palms held up for peace. He chuckles at the gesture, bowing his head and placing his hands over hers, also facing up—peace.

"There have been meetings…crossed paths at banquets, battles fought under the child's command." Solaen shrugs. "In her youth, our encounters were more frequent—she required a tutor with the blade and mace. The matron deemed me suitable for such a task."

"Hah! Suitable—such high praise."

"I have been called much worse, Ilharess."

And he wonders how these surfacers, with their bleeding hearts, have not been wiped out. Jaheira regards him with regret, a touch of sympathy. "I believe you. I will not speak to their behavior in Menzoberranzan—I do not know it—but I spent enough time in Ust Natha to…form an opinion on your sisters, shall we say."

"Hah! That backwater? It would have been House Despana you encountered, no?" —she nods, and Solaen scoffs— "Children scuttling about in the dark. Nothing at all to House Baenre. You did not see the Underdark at her finest."

"On that," Jaheira says. "We can agree."

A laugh from the camp breaks the flow of conversation. Minthara's features remain as stoic as ever, but it is difficult to miss how she softens as Xalli's hand settles in the curve of her arm. The drow pulls her nearer, an arm wrapping snuggly around the younger woman's waist—nakedly territorial, but the half-blood does not seem to mind. Mischief glitters in Xalli's eyes as she leans against her lover, pressing her lips to the shell of the noble's ear. At this distance, the words escape him. Minthara's inelegant snort does not.

Jaheira leans forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "It is good you have found each other again—and better that Minthara has found her own source of light. Such things are rare in this age."

"A source of levity, not light. Don't let the little thief fool you."

"Semantics." Jaheira stands, waving him off. "Come, wolf, walk with me. After an evening with your cubs…eh, I find myself longing for nature’s silence.”

Solaen regards her, cataloging how the moonlight paints her face's too-sharp angles. It suits her ill—she is made for warmer colors, the damned greens of her order. The silver is his, he thinks, not unkindly. It is spider silk. Not suited to her, no, but some part of him thrills at seeing her wrapped in his element. It is a touch of possession that his daughter would understand all too well. Jaheira must catch something in his expression—she purses her lips, brow arched in a challenge.

He bows his head, conceding. Solaen moves to her side. "You tire of the children's company already, Ilharess? This bodes ill."

"Not at all. They are a fine pack—but a reprieve from their noise would not go amiss." Jaheira's hand settles at the small of his back, ushering him toward the woods.

#jaheira #minthara #bg3 fanfiction #jaheira x tav #minthara x tav #minthara baenre #oc: solaen #oc: xalli

17 notes · View notes

transquad · 8 months

Text

Illithid Tav — romance epilogues

EDIT: This has not been fully updated with the Patch 5 party stuff, I'll get around to it ... Someday

I am obsessed with the concept of a protagonist sacrificing their humanity for the greater good. That's why the free Orpheus + illithid player ending made me so fucking happy, up until Astarion decided to dump my ass in the last five seconds of the game, because he can't handle a few tentacles or whatever. It made me realize that as much as I like him, I really don't like his romance. It's just so much giving and so little receiving. I think my character deserves someone who can actually offer him a little love and support and reassurance every once in a while. Including (especially!) after he transforms into a squid man.

So I wanted to go into my second playthrough knowing which of these sluts would still love me if I was a worm.

Unfortunately I have not been able to actually find many variants of these scenes on Youtube. But from what I could find, this is how the epilogue scenes with romanced companions play out if the player character becomes a mind flayer:

• Astarion dumps you. Good Astarion says he is open to the idea of getting back together someday but he needs a break to process things. (Exactly what's going on in his head here is anyone's guess.) Evil Astarion thinks you're icky now and only wants you as a powerful ally.

PATCH 5 EDIT: Despite having six months to come to his senses, at the party Good Astarion seems pretty disinterested in getting back together with Tavflayer, something I'm never going to forgive him for.

• (Crownless) Gale fully accepts you. You fuck offscreen. He asks you to marry him. He even says he will find a caterer who does brains for your wedding. It's incredibly sweet.

• Halsin fully accepts you. You fuck offscreen. You are invited to his anprim commune with the caveat that he will need to introduce you to his followers carefully, for both your safety and their mental health.

• (Good) Shadowheart fully accepts you. You fuck offscreen. She wants to take some time to go on a quest to find herself / spend time with her parents, but you're welcome to go with her in disguise.

• Wyll certainly acts like he accepts you, but he basically makes you his secret attic wife in the name of protecting you, which is pretty fucked up, dude. Halsin & Shadowheart are also very concerned about your safety and have the same impulse to hide you away, but it's easy enough to convince them that you'll be fine. Not Wyll, apparently. (What the hell, man?)

• I don't think Karlach gets a normal epilogue scene if she isn't a mind flayer. No clue what changes in the dialogue that she does have if you're the mind flayer.

• I don't think Lae'zel gets a normal epilogue scene if she returns to the Astral plane, which I believe she always does if you're a mind flayer. Yeah, she dumps you even after you sacrifice yourself for Orpheus. Sad! However. I saw someone say in a Youtube comment that if you are (were) also githyanki then you can go with her, even if you're a mind flayer now. So if that's accurate, I guess that's the exception?

• EDIT: Good news! Minthara is also a squid fucker.

Glaringly, none of these scenes acknowledge that Disguise Self is a spell that exists, and it's unclear how different they would be if they did.

If you know something I don't know, especially if you have proof in screenshots or videos, please let me know so I can update these notes. I have become very invested in finding out which of these clowns are squid fuckers.

#bg3 #Anyway I'm not sure if I'm going to go Shadowheart + Halsin or just Halsin next time.#illithid tav #mind flayer tav #tavflayer

28 notes · View notes

blackjackkent · 11 days

Text

Ahhhh, I'm excited - time to meet Minthara properly! (And to figure out a reason not to let Rakha just finish the job of killing her. :P )

-----

"I WILL NOT BE SLANDERED!"

The words echo to the high rafters of Moonrise Towers' central chamber just as Rakha and her companions push in through the main doors.

The room itself is an extraordinary display of decayed opulence. A ragged carpet of faded velvet lines the pathway to the dais at the front, upon which is a sturdy stone throne. This central path is flanked by ornate columns and long, low benches that suggest this was once a gathering place - a meeting hall or church perhaps. All of it is draped in dust and cobwebs like a recently opened tomb.

No one is making use of the benches, though. The small crowd in the room is all clustered around the dais, where some sort of impromptu tribunal appears to be taking place.

A bearded half-elf in full plate armor is sitting on the throne. He looks almost bored; his head is leaned on one hand and he is lounged back with an attitude of utter disinterest. At his side stands a half-orc about Rakha's own height, whose eyes are narrowed in visible rage. Both of them are staring down at the prisoner under examination - a lithe, muscular elf in dark armor in a strange design of layered metal.

Rakha realizes with a sudden start that she knows all three of these people. She doesn't know how she knows the half-elf or the half-orc, but both faces ring like bells in her empty memory. And the drow...

Rakha blinks several times rapidly. I *killed* you. What are you doing here?

It is definitely Minthara, the drow commander from the goblin camp, a woman Rakha thought she killed weeks ago now. Yet here she stands, on trial before other Absolutists, fully intact. At first Rakha thinks she must be mistaken, that this must be some other drow with similar hair, similar armor...

...except that the commander is barefoot. Shadowheart is currently wearing the boots they took from Minthara's supposed corpse.

"General - you saw my reports!" Minthara cries urgently, spreading her hands towards the half-elf man in a gesture of supplication. "You know it's not my fault!"

General, Rakha thinks. Her skin prickles with sudden agitation, the arrested urge to dart forward and strike. Minthara called the man General; he is Ketheric Thorm, the leader of the Absolutists. The half-orc, then, must be the Disciple the guards spoke of - Z'Rell.

Her head aches with some half-realized vision. She knows both faces, both names, but why?

"The facts suggest otherwise," snaps Z'Rell, staring Minthara down like a predator eyeing prey. "You were ordered to retrieve the artifact. You failed to do so."

"If I had been given drow warriors instead of goblin trash--" Minthara begins. Whatever argument she was about to make is immediately drowned out by an explosion of noise - objections from the cluster of goblin prisoners standing nearby. Leftover dregs, survivors of the devastation Rakha and her companions wrought at the shattered temple, perhaps.

"ENOUGH!" Z'Rell thunders, her voice crashing through the room like a battering ram.

Narrator: A blast of mental energy washes over you, filling the room. Your tadpole squirms, urging you to obey.

Rakha doubles over with a groan of sudden pain. The impact of Z'Rell's mental force strikes her like a wave, grips her by the brain and twists. Obey, it commands, even though there is no order for her to follow. Kneel. She feels her legs buckle, and instinctively struggles against the power until it begins to ease.

"Let me make sure I understand this," Z'Rell sneers at Minthara icily. "You're claiming that General Thorm gave you the wrong soldiers?" She takes a step forward. On the throne, Thorm stirs, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"Yes--" Minthara starts to say, then realizes her mistake just as the word leaves her lips. "No!" she corrects herself hastily.

"You blame the Absolute's Chosen for your failure?" Z'Rell demands, taking another step forward.

"Of course it is not the General's fault!" Minthara is trying to maintain her composure, but her voice cracks with sudden fear.

Z'Rell is almost nose to nose with her now, staring her down with a strange sort of vicious hunger in her eyes. "WHOSE, then?" she snarls.

At Rakha's side, she hears Wyll give a low whistle under his breath. "Someone's in trouble..." he murmurs.

Rakha ignores him. Her eyes are fixed on Z'Rell, on that hungry smile touching the other half-orc's expression. It is unsettling, only adding to the inexplicable feeling of familiarity the Disciple's face engenders in her. It is an expression she could imagine on her own face, the moment before a kill.

As for Thorm... Rakha's interest in Minthara's fate pales beside her interest in Ketheric's - she wants him dead. By all accounts his is the hand that has driven every terrible thing that has happened to her. She wants his blood far more deeply than she wants Minthara's.

But not here. As when she faced down Jaheira at Last Light, she is deeply aware that pushing the fight here would result only in her own death. She needs to learn Thorm's weaknesses, and find him alone.

Almost by instinct, she pushes outward with her own mental force, reaching out to his mind. Can she learn something of him? Can he be manipulated, pushed into a corner to die by her hand?

[WISDOM] Try to force your will on Ketheric - push him to declare Minthara innocent.

Narrator: Your mind extends outward and grasps at... nothing. In Ketheric's place, you feel an absence. No psionic power. No tadpole at all.

Rakha's breath jolts in her throat, as if she has tried to take a downward step that wasn't there. Her eyes open wide and she stares at Ketheric with an entirely new feeling of puzzlement - and unexpected fear. Here in the heart of the Absolute cult, a person without a tadpole feels far more unsettling than someone with one.

Minthara is still trying to plead her case. "The goblins!" she insists. "They failed me. They failed us all!"

"You lyin' little--" one of the goblins yelps, but she's cut off by Z'Rell, still cold as ice.

"And what would you do to those that have failed you?" she asks coolly.

Rakha can see the trap being laid, the blood that will follow it, but Minthara, desperate for salvation, grasps at the question eagerly.

"They are to be put to death - obviously," she says firmly.

"True," Thorm says abruptly. He stirs again and leans forward - stiffly, as if with some inexpressible weariness. "Ultimate failure must earn ultimate punishment." He lifts one hand and waves it in a dismissing gesture. "Nightwarden Minthara - your crime is incompetence and your sentence is death."

"NO!" Minthara screams - the sound a little choked off as two guards grab her by the arms and drag her backwards.

Ketheric lounges backwards in his chair again. "Make her passing slow, Disciple Z'rell," he says, a slow, disinterested drawl. "Be creative."

Again, that hungry, gleeful eagerness flashes onto Z'rell's face. Her hand rests on a dagger at her side.

And Rakha - completely without her own volition, as if voicing a script established for her long ago, speaks up. "I could make it *much* more creative," she hears herself say, and her voice is low and cold and matches that gleeful smile on Z'rell's face. "As a torturer, I am unmatched."

Wyll shoots her a sharp look, his eyes narrowing; one of his hands closes on her arm. But she doesn't even need it. She's already clamped her mouth shut, baffled by the words, by how natural they felt.

She can see Z'rell's mouth draw into a tight line, infuriated by the interruption, but Thorm merely raises an eyebrow as if he has been presented with some curiosity by an eager child.

Narrator: As the General's attention shifts to you, a memory stirs. A memory of this room, and his voice raised in anger.

"I'm surprised to see you again, True Soul," the General says. His tone is clipped, exquisitely controlled, with a sliver of barely concealed threat beneath. "You are here to assist and not to meddle, I trust. I would remind you that while in my halls, you obey me - just as you would any other Chosen." His lip curls in a disdainful smile and he leans forward again, his eyes fixed on Rakha intently. "What say you about our Minthara? It is fitting that one mad dog should judge another."

Rakha's blood feels as if it has been flooded with ice. Her body goes still; her very breath stills in her chest.

She does know him. And he knows her, just as the guard at the gate did. She doesn't know why. She has been here before, in this room - before the Nautiloid took her, before she met Lae'zel or Wyll or any of her companions.

You are here to assist and not to meddle.

While in my halls, you obey me.

Somewhere in the past, she argued with this man. She disagreed with his decisions, disrespected his authority. He shouted in her face - that memory is clear, but utterly without context.

It is fitting that one mad dog should judge another.

It's an insult. It infuriates her. She wants, more than ever, more than anything, to rip out his throat and eat it in front of his body as it bleeds out. But as always, her need for answers trumps the hunger for blood.

"You know me?" she whispers. "You know of my madness?"

Thorm smiles unpleasantly. "Better than you know yourself, it seems," he says. "But we are here to speak of Minthara, not you."

Her tongue feels frozen in her mouth. This is too much to take in - she doesn't care about Minthara's fate. She wants Thorm dead for that mocking smirk and for the tadpole in her head.

"What do you intend to do with her?" she manages to ask.

Thorm shrugs. "She will die. Eventually." He jerks his head. "Take her below."

Rakha watches, her thoughts racing, as Minthara - screaming for mercy - is dragged out of a nearby door by two of the guards.

Thorm stands slowly from the throne, stretches a kink out of his shoulder, and squints at the pint-size collection of other prisoners waiting for his attention. "Kill the goblins too," he adds dismissively.

Noises of dismay erupt from the crowd of goblins, and one of them cracks into sheer panic.

"You creaking old bag of shit!" she bellows. Hurling her full weight at a nearby guard, she manages to get ahold of his axe and - with surprising dexterity for her size - hurls it with all her might at Ketheric's chest.

Thorm slams back into the throne. The axe lodges itself through his armor and into his chest with an eruption of blood; Rakha's head snaps back, her eyes dilating, the beast rising in her head with a wave of excitement.

And then... nothing. Silence. Her hunger fades. The blood is false - it is no red tide of fading life, but something much darker, almost black, a strange ichorous mess pooling around his boots.

His eyes open. He stands, and without pain or even much evident interest, he rips the axe from his own chest.

"I'm so sorry, my lord," Z'Rell is babbling. "She's an unbeliever, outside my control--"

Thorm ignores her. In three quick strides he moves to stand directly in front of the goblin and drops the axe onto the floor in front of her with a clang.

"Try again," he says coldly.

(A/N: Fuck Ketheric, obviously, but this is such a fucking boss power move.)

The goblin swallows, bright-eyed with blank fear, and leans over and picks up the axe. Rakha can almost see the thoughts churning in her head - in for a coin, in for a coffer - and then she swings the axe again, this time a clean blow directly into Ketheric's neck.

Again Rakha watches intently, eager for that burst of satisfaction that would come with seeing Ketheric bleed properly and die... but it doesn't come. Instead, he pulls the axe from his neck, and twists his head with an uncomfortable cracking sound until it settles back into its correct position.

And without a single word, he slams both gauntleted fists down onto the goblin's head, shattering her skull.

It's a poor meal compared to the feast that Thorm's own death would have been, but at least there is proper blood. The beast purrs eagerly in Rakha's head.

"Dispose of the rest as you see fit," Thorm says absently. He seems utterly unconcerned with the mix of blood and ichor that now stains his hands, his armor, his beard. "Or better yet..." His eyes flick back to Rakha, reading the expression on her face - the involuntary eager smirk that touched her lips seeing the goblin die. "Let us take advantage of our surprising guest, and their particular creative genius. I'm sure the results will send a clear message to the troops on the importance of discipline."

Z'Rell has gone very quiet and still as well. She is looking at Rakha with unmitigated dislike - but her respect for (or perhaps fear of) the General is greater. "Of course, my lord," she mutters. "Thank you."

She takes a step down off the dais, closing with Rakha. "You heard the General. The goblins are yours - deal with them however you wish."

The beast leaps eagerly at this offer. So many ways to kill, so many ways to make them bleed and bleed and bleed...

She squeezes her eyes shut, fighting it back, trying to think clearly. Too much has happened here. She needs to take time to understand...

Contain your excitement.

Z'Rell rolls her eyes at Rakha's silence. "Here, in the seat of the Absolute's power, your authority over them is complete. They will obey any command. Report to me upstairs when you're done."

She doesn't wait for a reply, but disappears out a door in the back of the room, leaving Rakha and her companions alone with the goblins.

"Here..." one of the goblins quavers nervously. "You ain't gonna do anything drastic, are yeh? We've been nothing but loyal!"

-----

"Rakha?" Wyll says softly. "Hey. Hey-- Rakha. Come back down."

He's seen her gaze starting to go wide and wild with the promise of violence and the chaos of the last few minutes, and he's relieved to see that his voice seems to ground her a little, to draw her back.

She turns sharply away from the prisoners, squeezes the heels of her hands against her eyes.

"Did you see it?" she mutters hoarsely. "He didn't bleed. He didn't die."

"Chk. We knew he would not, already," Lae'zel points out. "The greater question - how does he know you?"

Rakha shakes her head once sharply. "I don't know. I don't--" She draws a breath, lets it out slowly between her teeth. "I have seen him before. Him and the woman both. Clashed with them, I think. But I don't remember..."

A muscle works in her jaw as she slowly calms her own agitation. Wyll can see the effort it's taking her, and he smiles just a little in pride to see it. She would not have calmed herself like this, when they first met.

"And the drow," Rakha goes on after a short pause. "We killed her."

"It seems we didn't do a good enough job," Shadowheart says dryly. "Although Thorm seems likely to finish it for us." She raises one eyebrow. "She might be a useful ally. People tend to be rather more pliant, when the alternative is death."

Rakha grunts. "Perhaps..." she says. Her thoughts are clearly elsewhere. "And the goblins..."

She expects Wyll to tell her to release them; it isn't practical but it would be kind. To her surprise, though, his jaw sets and he shrugs. "Finish them, I suppose. That will get us in good here."

Lae'zel nods curt agreement. "Yes."

Rakha draws a slow, shuddering breath and turns back to the prisoners.

The beast is full of ideas, ways to use the tadpole's command to make them tear themselves apart. But Rakha ignores it. Flame bursts up in both palms, rising into an arc before her.

"I will do this with my own hands. It always feels better."

#bjk plays bg3 durge #rakha the dark urge #well that took 431235123 hours to write lol #but ooooooooo DURGE STUFF DURGE STUFF DURGE STUFF #and DRAMA #and RAKHA INTERNAL CONFLICT #and Z'RELL HEADCANONS I JUST MADE UP TODAY #WHOOOOOOOO #more thursday :P

7 notes · View notes