#this was all my first day in baldur's gate no resting it was wild it was beautiful

[albaharu]

got his dad kidnapped, his friend kidnapped, mizora is waiting for him at camp and his favorite clown got killed. terrible day for the blade.

also he was made to be the perfect trickster hero lying to the baddies with that high charisma so i got him to do the talk

#and for what???? we had to fight him anyways 5 minutes later we couldnt solve this the sneaky way #wich i wanted because they kidnapped my girl lae'zel wich i ALWAYS have in my party EXCEPT THIS TIME #and i was like. my girl is not spending 1 fucking day kidnapped we are gonna do this witHOUT RESTING #because ALSO MIZORA IS WAITING FOR US AT CAMP #this was all my first day in baldur's gate no resting it was wild it was beautiful #hardest fucking fight i didnt even have spells #but i was not gonna kill that lil flying elephant #i had to rest for orin tho #bg3 spoilers #bg3 #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate #wyll ravengard #sarevok anchev #prudencia tav

[loviatarsluv]

hey there! I saw your post about asking for little blurb requests :) what about one where they’re bathing in the river?

hiiii omg okay so since you didn't specify which character, i'll just pick one hehe this is one of my fav "tropes" i guess if you wanna call it that so i was pumped for this one!!

so sorry for the late post, I took my time w this one bc I love romantic soft fluffy gale stuff ♡︎

Gale x AFAB f!tav / AFAB f!reader

rating: mature (fluff and really romantic sweet smut^.^)

It had been at least a tenday since the last time you or any of your companions had been afforded the luxury of a bath, having been on the road and traveling the road to Baldur's Gate for days and not coming across a single stream or lake somehow.

You’d been craving a thorough bath since the battle with Ketheric Thorm and the rest of the cultists at Moonrise Towers - you swore you’d never be able to get all the blood and grime out of your hair at this rate. It started to affect your functioning and already completely erratic sleep schedule, as all you could think about was the blood under your nails and the layer of grime and dried viscera on your skin.

Not to mention, you’d barely been able to be physically affectionate with Gale without disgusting yourself. That alone was making it nearly impossible to think straight.

He insisted that it was fine and that he didn’t mind, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to want to do anything intimate in this state. This was far beyond just having not bathed for a few days and having a natural musk (which Gale has made very clear that he very much enjoyed) - and you were nearly at your wits end.

So naturally, when Halsin notified the group that he found a river that flowed into a small lake while he was hunting in wild shape, you were the first to claim first turn bathing. The group all groaned in protest - particularly Astarion who’d been just as, if not more perturbed about his begrimed state and stained clothes - everyone else longing to have a moment of reprieve and refresh before whatever awaited you in Baldur’s Gate.

There was a resounding sigh and eyeroll (apart from Halsin) from the group as Gale offered to accompany you, after Halsin suggested bathing in pairs for safety purposes. Your companions had not been exactly quiet about their annoyance toward you and Gale’s blatant displays of affection since your night together under the stars in the Shadow Cursed Lands - you and Gale joked with each other that they were all likely just jealous and pent up, so to speak.

You were the first to slink off toward the river, barely able to contain your excitement towards finally feeling clean again. Gale ran to his tent to grab the lavender soap he found while exploring that he’d been saving for himself (and you) as well as a couple of cloth towels that he washed and asked Astarion to sew up the tatters and tears in.

You essentially stripped yourself almost entirely bare before even getting close to the water’s edge, leaving a trail of garments and belts and boots behind you as you ambled up to the shore.

The air was crisp and the breeze was comfortably cool, the reflection of the moon shone and shimmered across the water surface. It almost felt unreal, like it was a mirage after one too many days without fresh drinking water. The only way you were able to confirm that you weren’t dreaming was by wading into the placid waves and laying back, allowing yourself to float.

You let out a breath that it felt like you’d been holding for days and closed your eyes, your body gently drifting as you lazily moved your arms and legs with no destination in mind. This was the most relaxed you’d been in months (and probably would be for the foreseeable future), and you intended on enjoying every second.

Gale finally approaches the shore, nearly dropping everything in his hands when he catches sight of you peacefully floating on your back, your bare skin pebbling and glistening in the pale moonlight. His gaze trains on your breasts, your nipples peaked from the cool breeze hitting your wet skin. He’d been missing your body and being close to you terribly since the last time the two of you had been intimate, and just the sight of you this way was almost too much for his heart (and loins) to bear.

He wades out into the water to join you, soap in hand. You only notice his presence by the overwhelming scent of lavender filling your senses. Your eyes slowly open, and your jaw nearly drops.

Just as he’d been transfixed by your body, you found yourself sucking in a sharp breath at the sight of his - water up to his waist, hair tied back in a half updo with small strands falling over his face, the blue reflection of the water shining on his chest and skin. He was easily one of the most beautiful people you’d ever seen, and you thanked whatever gods you could every morning that you woke up beside him.

“You are so beautiful,” He smiles, bringing his arms to wrap around your waist and pull you close to his chest. “Even I’m finding it hard to conjure the proper words to describe your beauty.”

You giggle, pressing your face against his chest and listening to his slightly hastened heartbeat.

“To render the great Gale of Waterdeep speechless is a feat not many have accomplished, it's an honor.”

He chuckles lightly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. He begins to rub gentle circles on your back with the bar of soap, and you feel all the stress you’d been holding on to slowly release, if only just for tonight.

“Yet you manage to make it a regular occurance,” he hums, bringing his free hand up to caress your jaw.

A peaceful and comfortable silence falls over the two of you as you listen to the songs of the night - the sound of the water as it kisses the edge of the shore, the breeze through the trees and surrounding grass, the chirping and singing of whatever nocturnal creatures lurked nearby as they begun their day. You listen to his soft breathing and his heart as it thrums steadily in his chest, and the way he hums and sighs when you pepper delicate kisses around his shoulders, chest, and neck.

He migrates the soap to your arms, cradling your hand in his when he holds them up to thoroughly coat you and massage the dirt and grime from your skin. He takes his time, not a single inch of you left uncared for. He brings his hands to cup your breasts, smoothing bubbles over them and lightly pinching their peaks, eliciting a moan from you and instantly sending heat straight to your core.

To your slight dismay, he moves on, continuing his prior ministrations by rubbing the soap across your belly, then pressing a reassuring kiss to your lips when he notices your smile falter at his attention being directed there. His eyes meet yours, full of nothing but pure adoration - he thinks the world, the moon, and all of the stars of you, and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t show you that at every opportunity. He believes he’s found heaven within you, your body being a perfect vessel worthy of pious devotion.

“Doing okay, my love?” He asks, breaking away from the kiss.

You nod, breath hitching as you feel your heart pounding against your ribs. “Okay is an understatement.”

He smiles widely, pleased to know that you were enjoying yourself. He knew that the last few days had been particularly hard on you and all he wanted was to see you finally relax - you deserve nothing less.

“I’ve missed you deeply.” He sighs, leaning his head onto your shoulder and kissing it, the rough texture of his beard tickles you when he does.

“We’ve slept together every night for weeks now, darling,” You giggle. “But I know, I’ve missed you, too. It's nice not to be repulsed by my own skin for a change.”

You reach for his hand that held the soap, only for him to move it away from your grasp. “Ah ah, I’m not quite finished.”

A deep red blush creeps to your cheeks as you quickly catch on to what he’s referring to, the heat that had slowly been coiling in your gut starting to burn ever hotter. You clench your thighs together on pure reflex, your body chasing any sort of friction to soothe the ache that had begun between your legs.

He notices and tenderly pushes his hand between your legs to part your thighs, pressing a longer and more meaningful kiss to your lips while lazily stroking the inside of your thigh with two fingers.

“May I?” He asks, stopping his fingers just at the top of your thigh.

You nod fervently, your eyes full of desperation.

He doesn’t leave you wanting for long, his deft fingers moving to gently massage your folds for just a brief moment before replacing them with the bar of soap. The feeling of the soap versus his fingers is like comparing a pebble to gold.

Gale was a fast learner, and in the few weeks since the two of you had become intimate with each other, he had become a consummate expert when it came to your body. He learned every little maneuver that would have you a moaning and whimpering wreck. You’d never been with a lover that managed to make foreplay nearly as pleasurable, sometimes even more, than actual sex. You’d also never been with a lover quite as generous as Gale - sometimes it even seemed he enjoyed pleasuring you more than anything else, as he’d spend hours with his head between your thighs without a single complaint.

So to only get a brief taste of what you knew was exactly what you needed, was torture.

You whine when he moves his fingers away, jutting out your bottom lip into a pout.

“I know, love. Just be patient a little longer for me,” He coos, caressing your cheek in an attempt to soothe you while he finishes cleaning you.

You contain yourself for the time being - resorting to holding your breath and clutching on to his shoulder for dear life, trying your best to be patient, because you knew that he was well worth the wait.

He finally finishes, brushing against your aching and throbbing sex with the soap one last time for good measure, then hands it to you.

“Thank you,” you breathe, your shoulders sinking as you release the air you’d been holding for a little too long as you’d started to feel lightheaded. “For taking care of me.”

“Thank you for allowing me to.” He says simply. Ever the gentleman.

He pulls you in for a passionate kiss, his hands resting on your lower back at the crest of your ass cheeks, your hands tangling into his chestnut and silver streaked locks. You let one hand rest on the nape of his neck, holding him to you to extend the kiss as long as you can, wishing you could just stay this way for the rest of your life.

When the kiss finally breaks, you motion for him to turn around so that you can lather his back. He slowly turns, seemingly reluctant to take his eyes off of you.

You’ve seen Gale naked plenty of times now, but you hadn’t realized how rarely you’d seen his bare back. And seeing it this way - wet and glistening under the silvery light of the moon, flexing as he adjusts so you can reach his shoulders properly - it was mouthwatering. There wasn’t a single part of his body that you hadn’t found yourself in awe of.

Once you lather his back fully, he turns to face you once more, his once content gaze now full of unbridled desire. Your breath catches, but still you try to continue and massage the soap onto his chest, then his stomach, letting your fingertips graze the dark trail of hair as your hand moves down.

His hand travels down to your sex once again, this time, fully intentional with his movements as he presses his fingertips to the sensitive bud. Your body jolts involuntarily in response, a gasp escaping your lips. He hums, slowly massaging along your folds, his finger edging just at your entrance but not dipping in. You try to maintain, rubbing circles of soap into the same spot for too long before you notice and move on to a different area. He grins widely, now seeing this as a game - a game he intended to win.

He leans his face forward to press a wet kiss to your jaw, leaving enough space between your bodies so you can continue to lather him. Your arm stills for a moment, your mind starting to go blank with every swipe against your throbbing cunt and his tongue brushing against your neck.

You’re trying your damnedest to keep strong, determined to ensure that he receives the same amount of care that he’d shown you, but he seems equally as determined to distract you from your efforts.

A loud moan tumbles from your lips as his finger gently pushes into you, your hips bucking against him, causing his palm to rub against your clit. He grunts, his hardened cock pressing into your hip as he lurches forward for a better vantage point to plunge his finger into you deeper and deeper.

Your hand flies to grasp his length, gripping slightly tighter than you normally would as he adds a second finger, your hand clenching tightly onto him in response. He sucks a breath through his teeth, a low rumbling in his chest that almost resembles a growl following it. You pump his cock in tandem with him pistoning his fingers in and out of you, the sound of the water splashing with your movements mixing with each of your moans and heavy panting.

You feel yourself creeping up on the edge, your orgasm imminent if he keeps up this pace. He can tell that you’re close by the way your walls clench around his fingers. You quicken the rhythm you were stroking his cock at, his hips jutting forward into your hand.

“Wait, wait,” he breathes, placing his hand over yours to stop you. “If you keep that up, I won't last much longer.”

You bite your lip, peering up at him through your lashes. “I want to make you come.”

His eyes widen slightly, his chest heaving. “Not like this. I need to have you, my love.”

You feel your walls clench around his fingers again just at his words, now desperately wishing it was his cock instead.

“Please,” you whimper, pulling his body closer so that your chest presses flush against his, his hand still between you, fingers still gently curling and thrusting into you.

“I want you to come first, love. Can you do that for me?” He purrs, his voice barely above a whisper.

His words alone push you right back up to the edge of the peak, your legs start to tremble and your fingers dig into his shoulders for support while you feel your body becoming mush from his touch. You roll your hips into his hand erratically, your hips stuttering as you get closer and closer, your vision turning white.

“That’s it, that’s my girl.”

Your head falls back and you cry his name over and over as you finally reach the peak, tumbling over the edge into free fall. His hand cradles the back of your head, his thumb gently stroking the side of your neck to coax you through your orgasm. You feel your entire body shake as you come down, and you thank the gods that you were waist deep in water otherwise you might’ve collapsed into a puddle on the floor. Not that Gale would let you fall, likely he’d scoop you up in his arms and carry you to bed before you could.

Your head slumps forward once again, resting against his shoulder as you try to catch your breath. You bring your hand up to trace the circular marking of the orb in the center of his chest, fingertips tracing the dark lines that trail out of it, stretching all the way to his eye. His eyes flutter closed at your gentle caresses, and he presses his lips to your forehead, lingering there for a moment before pulling back.

“If I could only live within a single moment for eternity, I think I’d choose this moment with you under the moon’s gaze.”

His brown eyes meet yours, almost seeming to sparkle as he speaks, every single word wrapping around you and enveloping you in a warmth that you thought only the sun could provide.

Gale was the sun. He was the rain after a drought. He was the forgiving breeze on a scorching hot day.

“I love you.” Is all you can manage to say, unable to form the proper words to express to him how truly and utterly besotted you were.

Your lips collide once again, and you hope that the kiss tells him everything you couldn’t with words. This was the kind of kiss that people go to war for, the kind of kiss you’d die to experience just once.

His hands greedily roam your body, claiming each inch of it as his with just a touch of his fingertips. His hands move to cup your ass cheeks, lifting you and wrapping your legs around his waist. You feel his hand reach under you to take hold of his cock, preparing it for you. You snake your arms around his neck, your fingers tangling into the hair at the nape of his neck, tugging slightly so he tilts his head back. Your lips and teeth waste no time finding his sweet spot, surely leaving marks that will be there in the morning. You taste a mixture of the soap, the lake water, and the natural saltiness of his skin. He whimpers slightly when you bite just a little harder, with more intent.

Unable to hold back a second longer, he lines the swollen head of his cock up at your entrance, waves of electricity shooting through you when you feel him slowly start to slip in.

You almost swear it’d hurt less if he just slammed home - the way you were throbbing and aching for him was nearly unbearable.

But Gale has never been hasty. He takes his time, he calculates his every move, he’s deliberate.

You’ve had sex with Gale several times now at this point, but every time your body still has to adjust to him, and he’s aware of that. He moves slowly not only for your comfort, but also so that he’s able to savor every inch of you as he buries himself into your warmth.

“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this,” he breathes, his grip on your ass tightening as he finally bottoms out, the head hitting just the right spot.

“Gods, I hope not,” is all you’re able to choke out before he begins a torturously slow rhythm with his thrusts, every inch of him stroking your still sensitive walls from your prior orgasm.

Your legs tighten around his waist as you cling onto him for dear life, and the rest of the world fades away. There’s no tadpoles, no Absolute, no cultists — there’s only the two of you wrapped in each other's embrace, and the moment feels infinite.

His hand tangles into your still dripping wet hair, droplets flinging from it onto your back as he fists it, sending goosebumps racing across your flesh. He breathes heavily, murmuring random assortments of curses and your name under his breath as his pace picks up ever so slightly, his conviction to take it slowly, faltering.

You feel yourself approaching the brink again as he speeds up.

“Gale, please, I’m—“

“I know, my love, me too.” He moans, now slamming into you with a reckless abandon, all control he’d had previously now washed away with the tide and your pleading.

He finishes with one last stuttering plunge into you, the warm sensation of his spend flooding you and his cock throbbing sending you over the edge along with him. He stays in you while you both come down, chests heaving and hearts racing.

“I love you, too. With every beat of my heart.” He says after a long and comfortable silence, pushing a loose strand of hair out of your eyes.

You stay there for a few minutes longer, embracing, kissing, joking about pruney fingers and how much shit your companions were going to give you when you returned.

When you both emerge from the water, Gale grabs one of the towels and wraps it around your body first, rubbing your arms to warm you as a shiver passes through you. He presses a kiss to the side of your head, then wraps the other towel around his waist. You gawk at him for a moment, and you think you could easily go for a round two if you weren’t entirely drained from the day prior to your bath… activities.

As you walk back to camp hand in hand with him, a true and genuine smile plastered on your face that you weren’t sure you’d ever smiled before, you feel a sort of selfish gratefulness. You feel as though the cosmos aligned just perfectly to drop him into your life, even amidst absolute mayhem and turmoil. Even if nothing came of the months spent adventuring and battling cultists and searching for cures, you still had this - you had him. And he, you.

And you think to yourself - even if you died tonight, you’d die happily knowing you got to spend a moment under the warmth of his sun.

————

god I love gale so much

#would sell my soul to spend an hour with him #even a singular minute would suffice #ty for the prompt!!!! #gale #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios fanfic #gale dekarios fic #gale x tav #gale x f!tav #gale x reader #gale x f!reader #bg3 #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fic #my fics #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate 3 #fic request #one shot #short fic

[lil--nuggett]

Hey guys, so if you know Baldur's Gate 3 this is an AU for that with Hardenshipping but it's really fucked up. I will explain why it's fucked up below the cut.

Maxie is a High Half-Elf Warlock (his patron is Groudon), and Archie's a Human Fighter <3

Also I just realized this is the first time you have seen me draw Archie seriously lmao my bad guys I'll try to draw him again soon

I took a ton of inspiration for various things for these designs, including Guile for Archie's armor bc I love Guile sm!!

(More info and our dumb AU lore under here - No BG3 Spoilers I promise <3)

I'm going to tell you this now... this gets really fucking crazy and honest to god I know I'm going to have a hard time explaining this. It WILL be quite long and I WILL be yapping.

This AU is really just something we did on impulse and it's really fun to mess around with, so I'm hoping you all will enjoy the concept as well :)

I'll try to explain it simply as I can. I thank you in advance to all who sit here and read this ily sm if you read it all <3333

Anyways, okay so imagine how one could do a bg3 AU for these two fuckers...

And throw it right out the window because you'll never guess how me and my friend have done it.

The Backstory:

This all started when my friend decided to play BG3 for the first time, and he jokingly said to me "Should I make Maxie our main character??" and I replied "I you want, but I won't force you" and thus BG3 Maxie was created, and his misadventures began.

Now your probably wondering (if you've played the game) what about the guardian?? Who did we make the guardian?? Well, we made Archie the guardian. However, I did not know just how wild this idea would get within the next few days.

So, eventually we realized how crazy the BG3 lore actually is (it's a like fucking DnD campaign idk how we didn't realize this beforehand), and so, we jokingly started our own "AU Lore" that ties in with the BG3 Lore.

If you really want to know, I have an entire note in my notes app dedicated to keeping track of what happens. It is very long.

The Parasite:

Now, if you've played the game or know anything about it, you know about the Mindflayer parasites. Well, one fateful day, me and my friend joked that the Parasite in Maxie's head was this little freak who looks like Archie.

The two have no correlation other than looks, its completely coincidence and it's not a mimic situation. The Parasite "Archie" does nothing but talk nonsense to Maxie all the time, and initially the bit was that he only talked about Fortnite. All because I made the joke that the dream realm in game looked like a fortnite update. By now, that bit has fallen off (thank god), replaced by just general nonsense and lies.

Also he fucking looks like this:

Weird little freak. This is just one of his talk sprites I have, this is just his neutral expression.

So basically it's:

- Maxie was supposed to be on a Geology research trip, but instead he got dragged into the Parasite issue with the rest of the companions. He really just wants to get home to Archie.

I am the one who handles everything for Maxie in this AU, I do his voice, I handle his lore, etc.

- Parasite Archie is this 1 foot tall, neco arc-esque version of Archie that sits on Maxie's shoulder and tells him nonsensical things. He also says Maxie's name wrong, he says Maxie's full first name and pronounces it as "Maximilliam" instead of the "N" at the end. For Maxie it's like handling a toddler but the toddler fights back, doesn't shut up, and threatens your life. He also has a ton of his own lore that my friend continously adds on to, so I can make another post with just the parasite's part of things.

My friend handles everything with the Parasite himself, comes up with the lore, does the voice, etc. I simply keep track of it.

- The "dream visitor" version of Archie is not real either. It's linked to the Parasite in ways that if I get into it, I will spoil a good chunk of the game. Sorry. Just know you can consider this and Parasite Archie kind of as one in the same almost.

- The REAL Archie is still at home, completely unaware of what's happening, while Maxie is fighting for his life. He does miss him, though, and hopes he gets home soon. He and Maxie are only boyfriends, they haven't gotten married yet. (They also haven't been through their rivalry yet, as this all takes place before that happens.)

Sorry for the convoluted yap sesh, I just have more art planned for this stupid AU and- God I cannot possibly just post this shit with no context. Like, I'd have to explain it eventually so I might as well do it now beforehand yk 😭😭

I might do separate posts with our HCs and some silly conversations that have happened between Parasite Archie and Maxie if you guys would want that :)

Also, I do have all of the sessions from where my friend plays the game recorded and I'll be sure to post some clips of what Parasite Archie sounds like eventually, possibly with snippets of my shitty Maxie voice in there as well. You'll get to see the talk sprites in action with that, too.

#nugget's yapping again #apologies in advance to all the bg3 fans who end up seeing this shit im so sorry guys #nugget art!! #GOD THIS IS SO LONH IM SO SORRY GUYS #Parasite Archie #its official #he has his own tag now. god help us. #like i said ill make a separate post about Maxie and Parasite Archie so you can know more about them and their dynamic #hardenshipping #magma leader maxie #aqua leader archie #bg3 #bg3 au

[hale-of-stiles-heart]

comfort and chamomile

my first finished bg3 fic! Astarion x f!Tav, just something a lil fluffy with some comfort! really hope you enjoy it! also on ao3! tagging the amazing @spokir hope you enjoy getting to finally have some Tav fic!

It’s been hours since they’ve made camp for the night but Tav’s been annoyingly absent, disappearing into her tent the moment she finished pitching it, never to re-emerge that day. Astarion can’t help the way he finds himself frowning as he lounges outside of his own tent, taking advantage of the afternoon sunshine to read. His eyes occasionally flicker over to Tav’s tent, as though willing her to emerge and come sit by his side as she usually does during evenings at camp. 

Alas, apparently the tadpole wriggling around the recesses of his mind doesn’t grant him the ability to summon his lover through sheer force of will. Shame, that.

The rest of their party is clustered around the fire blazing in the center of camp as Gale works on preparing dinner, looking more witch than wizard as he stirs a large pot of simmering soup. The savory scent of sauteed venison and wild carrot and potato seasoned with rosemary and thyme wafts throughout camp, appetizing enough it’s a wonder Tav hasn’t slipped out of her tent to gather with the others in anticipation of their meal. Astarion’s frown deepens.

It had been yet another long day, hours of hiking overhill through the wilderness as they edged ever closer to Baldur’s Gate, up at the very crack of dawn just to immediately hit the road, barely taking time for a quick breakfast. Fortunately, they hadn’t run into any trouble along the way, no fiends offering deals or bloodthirsty worgs ambushing them, but it was a draining day nonetheless. Now, with Tav holed up in her tent, Astarion can’t help but be rather annoyed by her uncharacteristic absence, so accustomed to Tav being by his side as they laze around camp. 

Even if they weren’t actively conversing, focused on their own diversions and self-appointed chores, they always seemed to gravitate towards each other, Astarion reading while she sewed ripped tunics and trousers or had her nose buried in her sketchbook. Other times, they talked about whatever came to mind, Astarion regaling her with tidbits of tawdry city gossip or continuing to teach her how to embroider. 

There were often evenings spent sipping wine while reading together or playing with each other’s hair, Tav playing with his meticulously maintained curls while he attempted to tame her riotous mass of curls into a thick braid so she could sleep without her hair becoming a bird’s nest overnight. It was all very domestic. Sickeningly so, truly.

Never did Astarion think he would enjoy something so banal, let alone actually miss it when he was suddenly without it for an evening, but now with Tav nowhere to be found, he finds himself aching with the absence of it. He can’t stand it, the niggling dissatisfaction left by Tav’s truancy, the irrational worry that he had somehow done something wrong, something that would keep her away. Feeling inexplicably neglected and more than a bit petty, wrestling with the maelstrom of confused emotion roiling inside him, Astarion abruptly stands from his nest of cushions, snapping his book shut and carelessly tossing it aside.

It’s a rather short walk to Tav’s tent, the two of them typically setting up their tents across from or directly beside one another. It simply makes sense considering how often he slips into her tent for a little midnight snack, as well as some other nocturnal extracurricular activities.

Walking only a stone’s throw away, Astarion strides over to the entrance of Tav’s tent, poking his head inside, a snarky comment already on the tip of his tongue. But the words wither and die before he can so much as open his mouth as soon as he catches sight of Tav.

He had expected to find her absorbed in something mundane like darning a pair of Wyll’s socks or filling the pages of her thick sketchbook, reorganizing her pack or sharpening one of her many, many knives. Something innocuous that had managed to distract her enough to keep her from following her usual routine.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he finds her lying in the middle of her small tent on her bedroll, dressed down in her modest camp clothes. She’s lying on her side, curled up in a tight ball, practically hugging her knees to her chest. Her arms are loosely crossed on her pillow, her face buried in the crook of her elbow. Her hands are curled so tightly in the threadbare fabric of her pillowcase that her knuckles are bone white. Very softly, he can hear her let out a small sniff, followed by a faint, but pained, groan.

Immediately, all of Astarion’s annoyance vanishes as he looks at her, clearly uncomfortable and in terrible pain. It must be one of her migraines. This one must be especially bad. It’s perfectly obvious now that he’s belatedly recognizing the obvious signs; the way she’s sequestered herself in her tent, entry flaps closed to block out the intense afternoon sunlight, keeping her distance from the lively conversation around the fire.

Astarion’s chest aches as he looks down at Tav curled up in so much pain, wishing he could do something to help, that he could just take it all away, magically make it all better. He considers lying down beside her and pulling her into his arm, wants to stroke her messy hair and rub circles onto her back, anything he can think of to try to soothe her the way she does when he wakes in the middle of the night because of night terrors full of Cazador’s face and the echoing voices of his previous victims.

But he hesitates, not sure if Tav would welcome the touch or company in her current state, not wanting to exacerbate her pain or amplify her discomfort. Frown returning in full force, Astarion reluctantly retreats, carefully closing the tent flap to shut out the sunlight.

He lingers just outside Tav’s tent for a moment, gears turning in his mind as he tries to formulate a plan of attack. It doesn’t exactly come naturally, caring about another person, anticipating their needs, especially outside of the bedroom.

He’s not exactly a dutiful, generous friend like Karlach or Wyll, isn’t a healer like Shadowheart or Halsin, isn’t even dogged or determined enough to even attempt to be either like Lae’zel. But he does have plenty of experience with pain. He knows Tav does, as well, tight-lipped though she is about the exact details. The mere thought lights a proverbial fire beneath his feet and not a heartbeat later he’s hurrying back over to his own tent to rifle through his things, random bits and bobs he’s collected on their journey, either for their potential resale value or simply because he’d been able to get away with nicking them.

He combs through his bags until he finds the small copper tea kettle he’d swiped from the last village they’d passed through, humming in triumph when he does. Tea kettle and mismatched teacup in hand, he ventures back over to the fire and their gathered companions. He ignores Gale’s squawk of indignation as he helps himself to one of the large burlap sacks the wizard keeps their food supplies in. Rolling his eyes, Astarion snaps, “Oh, relax! I’m just looking for some tea. And some honey. Maybe a lemon. Do we have any ginger?”

“Is soldier okay?” Karlach asks, face pinched with genuine concern for her friend, nearly pouting. On either side of her, Halsin and Wyll mirror her expression, frowning in worry, Tav’s absence as glaringly obvious to the rest of camp as it was to Astarion.

“Just fine, darling. Nasty migraine,” Astarion dismisses, thumbing through the large tin of various tea bags Gale keeps on hand — one of the only benefits of keeping the wizard around in Astarion’s less-than-humble opinion — hoping they have some of the herbal blend Tav prefers when her head aches. “Thought I’d bring her some tea. Set aside some dinner for her.”

So absorbed in his single-minded search, Astarion misses the look Shadowheart and Karlach exchange, pursing their lips and smiling at each other almost conspiratorially. Clearing her throat, Shadowheart offers, “I have some more of those ginger chews if you’d like to bring her some.”

“And I’ve some honey for her tea,” Halsin adds with one of his unfalteringly friendly smiles, already reaching for his nearby bag.

“Oh!” Astarion blinks owlishly as he looks up from where he’s kneeling, Shadowheart and Halsin already passing him their contributions. He glances down at the offerings, not quite sure what to say, a bit stunned by their earnest eagerness to help relieve Tav’s pain, their willingness to help him with no questions asked or insults hurled. He swallowed thickly. “Well. I’m certain she’ll thank you both profusely, sweetheart that she is.”

He’s spared from trying to formulate a straightforward thank you of his own, the authenticity making him squirm, when Gale starts ladling out bowls of hearty stew, dutifully handing them out. Carefully balancing his bowl on his knee, Wyll passes Astarion their enchanted thermos for Tav’s portion of dinner, ensuring it’ll stay hot until she’s feeling well enough to eat, her migraines often accompanied by terrible nausea. With the cooking pot set aside to be washed later, Astarion sets up the kettle over the fire, setting aside the teacup with a bag of tea at the ready.

While the water boils, Astarion busies himself with bustling around the camp while their companions eagerly tuck into their supper. He slips the small bag of ginger chews into his pocket and retrieves his discarded book, occupying himself by fiddling with the cracked spine of the book and the wooden lid of the jar of honey, willing the water to heat quicker. The tadpole doesn’t offer him any help in that regard, either. Once the water’s finally boiled, Astarion rushes over to pour it into the prepared teacup, drizzling a generous dollop of honey into it before tossing the jar back to Halsin, the druid’s heightened reflexes on display as he effortlessly snags it out of the air without missing a beat. With everything prepared, Astarion gathers it all up: thermos tucked under his arm, his book in one hand, steaming cup of tea in the other. Turning on his heel with a grateful nod to their companions, he starts back towards Tav’s tent, pausing for a moment as another thought occurs to him, clicking his dog and calling over his shoulder, “Dog!”

Scratch tips his head to the side where he sits by Halsin, looking up at the druid with baleful eyes while begging for scraps. After a split second of hesitation, Scratch stands and jogs over to follow Astarion, the owlbear cub toddling after him in turn, the two of them a nigh inseparable pair.

Quietly as possible, Astarion pulls aside one of the entry flaps of Tav’s tent, wincing when Tav whines again from her bedroll, the pain clearly not abating on its own. Scratch immediately pads into the tent, making a beeline to Tav’s side. He plops down beside her with a soft sympathetic whine, his cold nose pressed against her elbow. The owlbear cub waddles after him with a low trilling churr, curling up on Tav’s other side, pressing its back to hers as it curls into a tight fluffy ball.

Astarion slips into the tent as well, closing the flap behind him. He remains by the entrance of the tent, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he just watches Tav. She sluggishly relaxes a bit, stretching out her legs with a sigh and shifting closer to Scratch. She uncrosses her arms with another sigh, throwing an arm around Scratch’s shoulders, fingers lazily brushing through the thick fur at his nape. Scratch responds in kind, sniffing at her face before dragging his tongue over her cheek in an affectionate doggy kiss. Astarion wrinkles his nose but Tav breathes a soft laugh, her voice a bit rough as she asks, “Hey, Scratch, what’re you doing in here?”

Smile returning, Astarion clears his throat as he steps father into the tent, stepping around the owlbear cub. There’s a spare cushion by the cub’s head, a tufted circular pillow in a creamy shade of white, one of the many Astarion’s collected during their journey. Astarion helps himself to it, carefully setting the tea and thermos down, reaching into his pocket to fish out the bag of ginger chews before lowering himself onto the cushion to sit.

Tav hums as she awkwardly rolls over, having to gracelessly wriggle around now that she’s sandwiched between her four-legged darlings. Once she’s gotten comfortable in her new position, burying a hand in the cub’s downy neck feathers, she opens her eyes with a wince and raises her head to squint up at Astarion.

She looks exhausted when Astarion finally sees her face, her smile weak and shaky, exhaustion evident in her eyes and the furrow of her forehead, fly-away curls falling in her face. But her voice is sweet as ever, if not a bit reedy, as she breathes, “Astarion… Hi…”

“Hello, darling,” Astarion greets with his usual near purr of a drawl, keeping his voice low in deference to her pounding head. He can’t resist reaching out to brush a wayward curl off the curve of her cheek, his fingers lingering on her skin to bask in the simple delight of just touching her. His chest aches at the way she leans into his touch, eyes fluttering shut for a moment as she hums. He smiles at her fondly, adoringly, sure his infatuation is writ across his face.

“Brought you a little something,” he tells her, voice low. “Aside from your adoring furry fans.”

He moves the cup of tea closer until it’s within arm’s reach but not close enough to the owlbear cub to arouse its insatiable curiosity. Tav makes a soft sound of acknowledgment, eyes flitting closed for a long moment as she inhales the herbal bouquet of the tea. “Mmm, chamomile?”

“With wildflower honey,” Astarion confirms, preening to himself at how well he’s remembered her preferences when her smile deepens. He motions at the thermos and bag of candied ginger. “And there’s some stew for whenever you’re ready for supper. And Shadowheart gave me some of those ginger chews you like so much.”

“Oh, thank you,” Tav says softly, lowering her head back down to press her cheek against the thick plumage of the cub’s shoulder, smiling up at Astarion so sweetly it makes his chest ache, an odd fluttering sensation in his stomach.

His tongue feels thick and awkward in his mouth, all of his practiced lines evaporating into thin air in the face of her guileless sincerity. He has to lick his suddenly dry lips before he can manage what he hopes is an effortlessly charming, “Of course, darling! Anything for my favorite little treat.”

Tav lets out a low sigh, her soft smile persisting. As much as he hungers for her presence, the simple pleasure of her quiet company, enough to send him into such a tizzy earlier, he doesn’t want to disturb her. She’s earned her rest a hundred times over, deserves some time to herself to recuperate and relax. Stroking his knuckles over her cheek, he offers, “I’ll leave you be now, love. I trust you’ll be safe and comfortable with your loyal bodyguards in attendance but if you need anything, just call for me, I won’t be far.”

He begins to rise from his seat but Tav lets out a displeased noise, clumsily reaching out towards him, her fingertips only just grazing the cool skin of his wrist. He immediately freezes, eyes meeting hers, worried something’s terribly wrong. Her voice is a bit hesitant as she entreats, “Wait. Don’t go.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you, my love?” He asks, watching the way her brows furrow, always so very reluctant to ask for anything for herself she deemed selfish or too indulgent, no matter how important it was to her. Never had Astarion ever imagined himself playing nursemaid, especially not willingly, but for Tav… Hells, for Tav, brewing her tea and spoon-feeding her soup was the least of what he would do. For Tav, he would wait on hand and foot, attend to all her needs and all of her seldom expressed needs. And all with only minor complaining.

“Just… Could you just stay?” She asks quietly, absently stroking her hand down the owlbear cub’s back where downy feathers give way to thick brown fur. Her cheeks pinken rather adorably as she adds, “ Maybe you could read to me? Or just talk? I… You know I like your voice. I, uh, I might end up falling asleep but… I’d like you to stay. If you want.”

If Astarion’s heart wasn’t the cold dead thing it was, he was sure it would be bursting at her words. Such a simple request, spoken with all the gravity of a solemn confession, a plea for absolution. It’s humbling. Something he’s determined to never take for granted.

“Well, when you put it like that! It’d be rather cruel of me to leave now, wouldn’t it?” He drawls, flashing his fangs as he sends her a haughty, flirtatious smile. He’s already cracking open his book as he shifts on his cushion, getting more comfortable. He notices the way her smile falters for a moment, quick to reassure her, “And yes, before you ask, I want to stay, I’m not just playing pity the sick girl.”

His chest fills with warmth even sweeter than sunshine as she smiles up at him as though he had just lassoed the moon and all the stars down from the sky just to present them to her. He’s rather tempted to do just that if it made her keep smiling at him like that.

Feeling as though he’s been set alight by her affection, he reaches down to gently card his fingers through her long curls as he begins to read, trying his damnedest not to feel like a complete lovesick fool as he reads nothing but love poem after love poem until the sun has long since set and Tav’s migraine is no more than a rather unpleasant memory.

#baldur's gate 3 #astarion #astarion x tav #baldur's gate 3 fic #bg3 fic #tavstarion #fic #my fic #amber writes

[creative-frequency]

Astarion x Reader: Contradictions and Other Counter-Measures Ch.2

Summary: Spending some drowsy time by the campfire with Astarion. Word count: 1417

Previous chapter

CHAPTER 2: Introductions

Yours is an odd party.

A githyanki warrior – an outright pleasure to be around if one enjoys the looming threat of decapitation, both physical and verbal.

A shady cleric, who feigns ignorance when asked more about.

A posh high elf, who claims to be a magister from Baldur’s Gate. You met briefly on the night of your grand escape from the city, but don’t really know anything about him – except that he is unfairly beautiful.

And yourself. As far as the others know, you’re just the unluckiest sorcerer alive who happened to be visiting the city during the nautiloid attack.

All four of you are sitting around the campfire, exhausted and wary, weighing between asking or sharing more and how much to trust and say. By some degree of a miracle or insane luck, no one is injured after the day spent exploring the wilds and the campsite spot seems to be relatively safe.

“So,” Astarion begins, because of course it’s him who has to break the weary silence. “Anyone feeling like this will be our last tentacle-less night?”

The already familiar “Tch,” comes from Lae’zel. She is the driving force in your group and usually she is driving her sword through anyone’s chest who happens to stand in your way. The githyanki warrior isn’t one for idle chatting.

Your gaze wanders around the group. It is only fair that they don’t know much about you, just as you know next to nothing about them. Still, you can’t help the feeling that it will take a while to find the cure for your shared tadpole issue and in the meanwhile you’ll be travelling together. It would be for the best to start making friends.

“Would be a shame if it was the last,” you reply to Astarion as neither of the ladies seem to be in the mood for a casual chat.

“Shame? Our orifices should be bleeding and our skin sundering already,” Lae’zel says menacingly. “Although, the night is still young.”

Everyone else shares an uneasy look.

“Come morning, we need to find a way to the nearest Crèche,” Lae’zel continues.

Shadowheart scoffs. “You keep saying that, but how is that our best option?” she asks.

“My people have been fighting the ghaik for aeons. We are hardly the first ones to be infected. There are protocols for this,” Laezel explains, annoyance shining through each carefully chosen word.

“We can decide our next move in the morning,” you suggest before the two continue their ceaseless arguing. They’ve been at it for the better part of the day, ever since you helped Lae’zel escape the goblin trap.

“Fine,” Lae’zel says, “but I trust you will agree this is our only possible course of action.”

Shadowheart rolls her eyes and gets up without saying another word. She is the first to retire for the night.

Lae’zel leaves soon after and you’re left sitting on a log next to the pretty, pale elf. Now that you’re alone, you become very aware of his presence next to you. You shuffle slightly further away.

“They seem to be becoming fast friends,” Astarion remarks.

You snort in a very unladylike manner. “Can’t wait to wake up in the middle of the night to watch them scrap it out.”

Both of the mentioned parties keep their tent flaps closed. The nights so far have been dry but cool, but the campfire is the only source of warmth in the middle of the woods and you’re reluctant to leave its area of effect to rest.

Absent minded, you stare into the dancing flames of the campfire and pull up the old family ring that is kept attached to a necklace. The intricate surface has darkened during the years from the lack of proper care.

“I see you never actually got rid of the ring” Astarion says and you almost drop the said item.

“Oh right, you saw it back then…” you mumble.

It’s been over five years so the details of that night are hazy at best. When thinking of your escape, your first thought is the oppressive feeling of being chased, but right after that there is also the burst of excitement, sourced by the looming freedom.

You would never tell it to Astarion, but you have sometimes wondered what became of the beautiful curly-haired elf from the tavern. And now he is here, very much sharing the largest mess you’ve ever been in your life. The tadpole hums in your head, reminding you of its presence.

“Tell me, which noble family are you from?” Astarion questions, though he doesn’t really seem interested in the answer.

“First name basis not enough for you?” you quip and run your thumb across the family crest on the ring.

“Darling, I’ve seen the headlines and that crest. I am only asking out of courtesy,” he says.

Your mood sinks. Of course you would happen to run into someone who recognises you as a noble. Knowing that Astarion is a magister in the city, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he is familiar with family crests and reads newspapers.

You draw in a long breath and sigh. “So you already know I’m a Caldwell.”

“‘The disappearance of the patriar’s daughter’ – it’s everyone’s favourite mystery,” Astarion recites with a short chuckle and paints the headline into the air in flourish motions.

“I’m sure it is, but please don’t tell the others. I’ll… tell them when the time is right,” you plead in a hushed tone.

Astarion bows slightly. “Your secret is safe with me, my lady.”

He jests, but it still makes you smile. Reasons to smile have been few and far between during the last day.

“Thank you, though I think I like ‘potato sack woman’ better,” you say. It was the first thing that slipped out of the elf’s mouth when he recognised you at the beach.

“I’m sure you do. Why did you leave Baldur’s Gate in the first place?” Astarion asks, more curious towards the answer to this question.

“Who wouldn’t love it here instead of the noisy city?” you retort and drop the ring in its chain back underneath your shirt.

Astarion scoffs. “You traded balls and gold goblets for this? Unbelievable. Yours is one of those stories the Mouth digs up whenever they have nothing else to write about.”

“Hm. How nice of them. Maybe I’ll tell you the real reason later.” You used to hate having secrets, but this one you’ve been carrying for so long that it’s already an instinct to dodge all personal questions.

“Alright. I’ll hold on to that promise,” Astarion says slowly with an inspecting – or maybe it’s suspicious – look.

“What about you? How are you adjusting?” you ask in turn. As a magister he must be used to a more comfortable lifestyle.

Astarion sighs and turns to gaze at the stars. “I admit, resting in the dirt is a little novel.” If you didn’t know better, you could say he sounds almost excited.

“It has a certain charm to it, doesn’t it?” you smile and a yawn forces its way out right after the words.

“Indeed. But you should get some rest,” Astarion says gently, “I’ll keep watch tonight.” 

Your brows raise at the thoughtful offer. If anything, you would’ve thought he would be the first one to declare that night watch duties are far beneath him.

“Thank you, Astarion, though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sleep any time soon,” you reply, feeling pleasantly drowsy and warm thanks to the crackling campfire and numbness from the exhausting day. Maybe you wouldn’t mind spending time talking with someone who shares these recent odd experiences, but it’s getting difficult to think in complete sentences. You should really go to your bedroll.

Astarion seems to be scooting closer to you with an impossibly charming grin on his perfect lips. The perceptive eyes take in your drooping form. In a passing thought you wonder why isn’t he as tired as the rest of your group.

Astarion hums quietly: “Well, if you want to spend time with me, you only need to say so.”

Some amount of clarity and consciousness returns to you with a flush of abashment.

“What? Uhh, I’m off to bed…” you stumble to reply, promptly standing up and your jammed brain is wondering did you hear the elf correctly or are you just half-asleep.

“Whatever you say, my dear. Now off with you,” Astarion says with a little laugh.

You definitely heard him right.

-

Next chapter

My Writing Masterlist

#astarion x reader #astarion x you #astarion fanfic #astarion #baldur's gate 3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfiction #fanfiction #contradictions and other counter measures

[slusheeduck]

Wild Heart

The day dawns like any other in Baldur’s Gate. It’s odd, watching the same sun that rose over the Nautiloid wreck, that filtered pale morning light through the trees in the forest, dawn over the dirty streets and grand buildings in the city. This morning is thoroughly unremarkable, for all that had just happened the night before.

Astarion had gotten in the habit of rising early through this whole tadpole mess, just to enjoy the sun for that much longer before it set. And even with the bone-deep exhaustion of all that had happened in Cazador’s palace, he couldn’t shake the habit…especially now that it was a limited resource.

He’d slid out from Falerin’s arms, letting him sleep in, and made his way out to the balcony. Everyone else was still asleep as well, enjoying real beds and warm quarters. That was good; if he heard one more comment of how proud everyone was of him, he’d bite someone.

He knew that they all meant well, and in another life, maybe he’d enjoy it. But now it just left him bristling for reasons he couldn’t quite put into words. The solitude of dawn was welcome…and short-lived.

Astarion looked up as he heard the door to the balcony open, bracing himself. Slow, easy footsteps—Halsin. He hadn’t said a word to Astarion yet, and the vampire bit back a groan at the inevitability of it. He decided to take the offensive as the druid stepped out.

“Come to tell me what a good boy I am?” he drawled. Halsin, meanwhile, looked surprised to see him there, and even more surprised to be hit with Astarion’s brand of snark so early. He gave a soft laugh.

“I came to enjoy the morning air,” he said, holding up his hands in good-natured surrender. “It’s one of the few times the air’s almost clean enough for my taste. But I can go without this morning, if it’ll bother you.”

Astarion looked over him for a moment, then shrugged as he kicked up his feet to rest on the railing. “Stay if you want. It’s no difference to me.”

Halsin dipped his head, then went to go lean against the railing. He was quiet for a moment, but even he couldn’t resist bringing up the elephant in the room. “So I take it you didn’t ascend?”

“I didn’t. Everyone’s very proud of me.” Astarion rolled his eyes. “I bet you are, too.”

“I suppose. I’m not very surprised, though. It’s not in your nature.”

Astarion bristled at that. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Halsin smiled a bit, glancing over his shoulder. “Can I confess something to you?”

Astarion frowned. “I’m not a cleric.” He pauses, then sits up. “But if it’s something particularly nasty, it may make us better friends.”

The druid barked out a laugh at that, and he shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s nothing like that.” He moved to go sit in the other chair on the balcony, meeting Astarion’s eyes. “When I first asked Falerin to spend the night together, we both agreed that nothing could be done without your consent.”

“Well, yes, I know that.”

Halsin took a breath. “I also…may have mentioned that, someday, it could extend to your…participation.” As Astarion inhaled to reply, he held up his hand. “That was solely my own wishful thinking. Obviously, I don’t expect anything from you. But it feeds into what I said earlier.” Halsin crossed his arms. ���In the moment, I’ll admit that I only suggested that because I found you beautiful. But it goes deeper, I think—even then, it was deeper than your looks, but it’s taken all of this…” He gestured out to the waking city below. “…for me to really find what it is that draws me to you.”

Astarion listened, face suspicious but curiosity getting the better of him. “Go on.”

Halsin glanced up at him, a smile playing at his lips. “I know you’re a creature of this city, but there’s nature in your soul. Whether it’s because of your…condition or your nature, I can’t say. But you…act the way animals do.”

“Oh, high praise,” Astarion said flatly. Halsin shook his head with a smile.

“What I mean is…you act in accordance to your needs. When you hunger, you feed. When you’re bored, you play—cruelly, perhaps, but then some see cats as cruel in their play as well. When you’re hurt, you strike. And you play the games that ‘civilized people’ do, of course—the…lies, the flattery, the complications. But I think, more than the others, you have a wild heart.” He shrugged. “It’s been a comfort, even from a distance, and it’s something I admire greatly, far beyond your beauty. So, admittedly, I’m not very surprised you didn’t ascend. That sort of power does no good for a heart like yours.”

Astarion’s eyes had turned out to the city, eyes fixed on a spire some way off. He stayed quiet for a very long moment, then gave a soft sigh. “Falerin talked me down,” he murmured. “Before you start thinking I was any sort of…noble about it. And when he first said ‘don’t’, I…” He screwed up his face. “I hated him. Gods, I hated him more than anything. And I…all I could think was…” He glanced toward the door, a flicker of fear on his face, as if he expected Falerin would walk out. “I wanted him to die screaming, for stopping me,” he whispered, voice barely audible.

“Well, doesn’t Scratch growl if you take something from him he doesn’t want to give up?” Halsin asked. “It’s only natural.” He gave a soft sigh, looking up at Astarion. “Do you still want that?”

“Gods, no. Of course not.” Astarion looked away, a nail finding its way to his teeth. “But…well. I’d get a lot fewer congratulations if they knew. Though maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“It is uncomfortable, suddenly being praised for doing what you think is…rational. I felt the same when I became archdruid. If I were a touch more bear than I am, I might’ve ran. Then again, I suppose I did in the end.” Halsin looked over the horizon, then reached over to rest a large hand on Astarion’s arm, easing it away from his nail biting. “But for what it’s worth, I’m grateful—for the most selfish of reasons—that you didn’t give in. You would have lost your wild heart, and I…I would have lost a kindred spirit, a source of comfort in these walls.” His eyes slid over to Astarion, a flicker of mirth in them. “Along with all hope of you becoming a cuddly kitten.”

Astarion blinked, then let out an airy laugh. “Oh, I get it now. Beneath all that oneness with nature, you’re a bastard.”

Halsin laughed, a full one this time. “Well, bears play too, you know.”

Astarion shook his head, then sighed as he looked Halsin over, studying him. “I’ve hated you, you know.”

“You haven’t been very subtle. Which, admittedly, I appreciate. I can’t stand a flattering tongue that hides the venom beneath it.”

The vampire let out a tsk between his teeth. “It’s just, you’re everything I’m not. And…I’m not used to sharing anything, not with the life I’ve had. If it wasn’t given up to Cazador, it was every man for himself. So with Falerin…I thought he’d go to you eventually. Permanently.” He shrugged. “But at the same time, I didn’t want to keep him all to myself. Especially since we weren’t…well, intimate.” He pressed his lips together. “But he came back.”

“Of course. He’s bonded to you, body and soul. It’s obvious; I knew that when I broached the topic. But, well…nothing ventured, nothing gained, they say. I’m very grateful, to both of you, that you’ve allowed me in, for however long that is.”

Astarion sighed. “And I…suppose I’m grateful for what you’ve been able to give Fal.” He looked up at the overhang. “And for being…much more understanding about what happened last night than I expected.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees as he looked to Halsin. “I’m starting to see why Fal likes you. Outside of your obscene biceps, anyway.”

Halsin grinned at him. “Obscene, are they?”

Astarion leaned back, arms crossed and eyes shut as he huffed. “I’m petty, not blind. Don’t get your hopes up just yet.” He peeked an eye open. “Call me beautiful again, though, and your chances do get slightly better.”

“You are beautiful. Like a sliver of moonlight through the trees, like a panther stalking its prey, like a still pool secluded from the world.”

Astarion flapped his hand. “All right, all right, that’s enough. You’ll be whispering sonnets in my ear soon enough.” Despite his words, he did look very pleased, and he looked to Halsin with a smile. “Participation is still off the table for now, but I wouldn’t mind slipping off into the woods for a hunt. Indulge our wild hearts, maybe.”

Halsin gave him a wide smile, eyes brightening. “Truthfully, there is nothing I’d like more.”

“Mm. Then it’s a date. Though be warned, I did manage to take down a bear; you may end up a target if I’m feeling peckish.”

Halsin laughed, a full-bodied, deep one. “I’ll take my chances.”

Casual Banter masterpost

#bg3 fanfiction #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion #halsin #halstarion if you squint #Look I keep hearing about a fivesome and they need to talk things out before they get there #I've been too busy trying to find Minsc to know if it's real #Anyway bit of a palate cleanser after the last one-shot #Also to shamelessly self-plug: if you like these one shots you'll probably also like my long-fic For Want Of A Wish #Okay that's it that's the self-plug

[bhaalble]

Self-indulgent post. Saw someone on tiktok making an adult Mol in the character creator and decided to go fully off the walls and do that with all the tiefling kids (or at least all of them that I had ideas for). Strap in

So op made Mol a rogue which I understand but honestly. I really feel like even if cut loose from her deal with Raphael Mol would just go out and find another devil to cut deals with. Let her. She's good at it. She's away from the city a lot to fulfill her pact deals and do some wheeling and dealing on behalf of the guild as she works to climb the ranks. Also her horns had more of a growth spurt than she did

Mattis my beloved. Still run the shop along with some side deals you don't need to know a thing about. Mol's still defacto leader but I feel like he's the one who actually keeps most consistent contact with the rest of the kids.

Along with his sister Silfy, who is a pretty shit pickpocket but a pretty good shop guard all things considered. Still a little bit of a crybaby

I like to think Arabella spends a few years with a proper circle (probably not Halsin's, all things considered. Too many memories) before returning to Baldur's Gate to join the druids there trying to help what fragments of the wild that remain there thrive. I think she probably has some affinity for the Circle of Spores. Her time with the Bone Man has given her a healthy respect for the role death plays in the cycle of life

Doni (who's horn color I fucked up) still doesn't like to talk but retains a knack for finding hidden things and vanishing into thin air. He mostly does caravan escort jobs where no one really cares about trying to develop a rapport with him. When he's in the city he stays with Mattis or Mirkon

Umi never does pick up the sword again but does become one of Rolan's first apprentices (along with Ide who I forgot to make). He sends money to the rest of the Elturel kids when he can and occasionally helps Mol get a little wiggle room in her contract

Mirkon's a struggling bard with facial hair that's struggling even more. He's a much better writer than when he was a kid, though not a much better speller. He mostly hangs around the guild to perform and wants to take over the tavern one day. Still daydreams about being a hero just like Baldy Ron

Finally Meli my own personal glup shitto. Nested deep in guild hierarchy. Away from the city even more often than Mol. Mostly no contact these days with the rest of the old gang but all of them know where he keeps the spare key to his hovel and that he'll never kick them out

#can you tell how many goddamn times i have played through act one and two #that i have this much thought invested in these guys #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #mol #mattis #silfy #doni #mirkon #umi #meli #arabella

[ickadori]

++ 𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍

[cws] fem reader. durge reader. noncon oral. imprisonment -> aradin is your ‘pet’.

“Someone’ll come for me, and they’ll have your fuckin’ head when they do.”

“Who? Your dead comrades? I didn’t peg you as smart enough for necromancy, Aradin.” Your fingers smooth over soft silk, the fabric feeling foreign from your months spent in blood and grime crusted rags.

Finally making it to Baldur’s Gate after spending day after day in the wilds nearly brought you more joy than a fresh, messy kill did…nearly. Your first stop had been a proper clothing store rather than some merchant on the side of the road selling pillaged clothing, and your next had been to the Sorcerous Sundries, which had brought you to Aradin and his loathsome mouth.

And that’s how you found yourself here - deep underground in a forgotten haven that was in dire need of a few renovations.

“Even if you were capable enough to rise a dead army, they’d hardly prove themselves to be formidable against me.” The man, currently spellbound and unable to move from his spot on the bed, had seen firsthand the horrors you were capable of committing with barely any spent energy. “I think you know that more than anyone.” You twist and turn in the mirror, silently admiring the way the floor length gown flows with your movements.

“So? You’re just gonna keep me here in this fuckin’ pisshole, is that it? You godsdamned Bhaalist fucks.”

“Would you rather I keep you in a shallow grave?” You turn from the mirror and slowly make your way to the bed, eyes falling on the furious expression painted on his features. It’s the only emotion you’ve seen on him since the moment you met him screaming for help at the closed gates of the Grove, and while it does suit him well, you can’t help but think a more…agonized expression would do him better. “Because while I initially had other uses for you, I have no problem picking out your insides and hanging your corpse in the rafters.”

Sweat beads at his temples, and you raise a hand to smear the liquid into his skin, skin that has been meticulously cleaned and scrubbed by Sceleritas at your behest. Aradin snatches away from your touch, and your fingers are quick to slip into curly, dark locks and snatch them at the root. He hisses through clenched teeth, and your lips quirk at the corners at his pained look.

“Would you like that, Mr. Beno?” Your grip tightens and your stomach clenches, body flooding with that all too familiar rush of endorphins. “Would you like me to show you the true beauty of the human body?” The sudden urge to pull, pull, pull until his scalp separates from the rest of his body is ever strong. Your mouth pools with saliva as you imagine the mess; the blood, the hair, the sight of his skull that would undoubtedly call for you to cave it in and reveal what is hidden underneath - a delicacy.

Another day perhaps, you sigh. You have a different purpose for him today, a purpose that you’ve put off since you stepped -flew- off that damned ship. “Another time perhaps. Tonight, I’d like to indulge in something a little less bloody.” Your grip in his hair loosens, fingers combing through soft curls, and your fingers trail down to smooth over his eyebrows. “You really are quite handsome…” It’s a shame that his mouth frequently overshadows that fact.

Aradin watches with suspicious eyes, but otherwise keeps his mouth closed. You gather the bottom of your dress in your hands and lift it as you climb onto the bed to straddle his waist.

“Wh-” His voice cracks and he sneers at you. “What in the nine hells d’you think you’re doing?”

“Trying out my new pet.” You state, dress resting around your hips as you seat your bare sex on his skin. His flesh is hot, soft, muscles twitching and tensing underneath it, and you sigh as you rock against him. “It’d be in your best interest to try very hard to please your new owner, lest you end up at the end of my blade.”

You shuffle further up his body, hand spilling your dress higher to reveal yourself to him, and you watch as his adam’s apple bobs, tongue briefly darting out to wet his dry lips. He goes to say something but stops, and you don’t have to glance over your shoulder to know that his blood has run south. Men, such easy creatures.

You’re hovering over his face when he finally gets his voice back, but his insults and threats are quickly quieted as you lower your hips, slick pussy kissing against his lips and clit bumping against his nose.

“Now, pet, I do hope that you plan to keep that title.”

#aradin x reader #bg3 x reader #bg3 smut

[darkurgetrash]

BG3 Backstory Bash by Kelandrin

Introducing Volyrr - a.k.a, my Dark Urge!

Thank you to @charmedcleric and @auspex-author for this tag!! I'm a bit late to it because I wanted to do it for my durge character Volyrr (he/they) but my computer deleted all my screenshots of him & his save file off my memory stick (laptop went for repairs) because it hates him. 😔 Now that I've healed from that annoyance and have restarted his save file... on with the tag! I tag @thisisagift-youknow, @savriea, and @thegoblinwitchqueen ~ no pressure!

AN: I have ideas to eventually write a prequel Durgetash fanfic using Volyrr. If you think that's something you might be interested in, (it won't be for a while) you might not want to read the following as there will be heavy spoilers!

Baby:

Birth/Parents:

Volyrr's father is Bhaal who, of course, poofed him into the world. He was created to be a Lolth-sworn drow to put fear into the heart of his enemies, however, before he could be found by Drow in the Underdark, he was discovered by a Myconid colony who took him in and raised him as their own.

First word / tantrum / walk / sickness:

He communicated with Myconid's through telepathy, so his technical first word wasn't actually until he was six, when he said 'thank you' in common to a travelling merchant who'd gifted him an apple from the surface.

Childhood:

Friends:

Volyrr had friendships within the Myconid colony and was wary of any outsiders. He never met another child throughout his whole childhood as Myconid's are created, not born, and children don't tend to explore the Underdark. Because of this, his main friendships outside of family came from animals of the Underdark - especially the rothe.

Siblings:

He did not have siblings in a typical manner - the whole Myconid colony were his caregivers without any distinctive roles.

Getting into trouble:

He rarely got into trouble as there wasn't much potential to; he was well disciplined by the colony and taught that peace was the ultimate way of life.

Birthday:

The concept of 'birthday' was foreign to him during his childhood. Later in life, he decided to just tell people it was the same day as Winter Solstice because it was easy to remember.

Games / Learning something new:

Because of his unique upbringing, he developed druidic powers (Circles of Spores, for obvious reasons) very early. His favourite game was to transform into a rothe and race against his animal friends. He was a very athletic kid.

Trauma:

He was a happy child, content living the Myconid way of life because he didn't know there was any other alternative. He, of course, experienced deaths within the colony - but was taught that death was a beautiful inevitability. He didn't fear it.

Teenager:

Rebellion / Running away:

I moved this label to the top of this section as it's important for clarifying the rest. When he started puberty (age 20) he also started developing the Dark Urges™ from papa Bhaal. It wasn't long until he was cast out of his colony as they revered peace even above family and could sense his urges through their telepathic bond. The urges became worse after leaving the colony and lead him to the surface, where he spent the majority of his time in wild form, hunting down prey to satisfy his urges.

Reckless behaviour:

Volyrr was reckless in murdering adventurers, not knowing the laws of the land. He was caught in the act many times but his druidic magic was powerful and witnesses didn't stand a chance. He only got seriously hurt a handful of times and was able to escape and heal himself with medicine proficiency.

First love:

After some decades of living mostly in wild form, Volyrr had learnt a lot about surface society by watching passing adventurers and had picked up a good amount of common - though was a selective-mute who rarely spoke. He travelled to Baldur's Gate and there met a fellow run-away - Enver Gortash, who was of the same proportional age (late-teen). Volyrr's quiet disposition and Enver's chatty, outgoing personality made for a compatible dynamic, and so they became fast friends. Volyrr quickly developed a crush on Enver; the first person to ever bother getting to know him as people were always put off by his drow birth and mutism.

Peer pressure:

Some years later, Gortash was recruited by the cult of Bane and pressured Volyrr into joining him. After doing so, Volyrr started receiving direct communication from his father in the form of Sceleritas Fel and decided to join the cult of Bhaal instead. This caused a rift in his and Enver's relationship and they fell out as a result.

Taking responsibility:

Volyrr was never forced to take responsibility for his crimes as there were never any surviving witnesses to them and he was encouraged by the cult of Bhaal to continue his murdering ways.

Adulthood:

Aging:

Again, I moved this to the top just for consistency's sake! Volyrr ages as a normal drow - reaching adolescence at age 20 and adulthood at 80. At the start of Baldur's Gate 3, he is in his mid-nineties.

Their "first time":

His first time was with Enver after they reunited over a decade after falling out, now both the chosen of their gods. It had happened spontaneously after they'd gotten drunk celebrating having stolen the Crown of Karsus.

Serious relationships:

After his first time with Enver, the two started acting more as a couple than just friends/partners in crime. The two never labelled their relationship and weren't exclusive, but Enver was his first love and first relationship.

After losing his memories during the events of Baldur's Gate 3, he entered into a serious relationship with Astarion and later Halsin as a polycule. When he re-met Enver in Baldur's Gate, he had no recollection of the relationship they once had and was convinced by Halsin to kill him rather than partner with him; ending the archduke's reign of terror.

Work:

Before BG3, he was the chosen of Bhaal and ran the cult of Bhaal. After the events of BG3, he returns to the Underdark with Astarion and the other vampire spawn, helping to source food for them.

Finding your place:

When Volyrr had woken up on the Nautiloid, the only memories he had were of his childhood before the urges began - this meant that he had advanced knowledge of the Underdark and still largely considered it his home. This is one of the reasons he chose to join Astarion in the Underdark rather than stay with Halsin on the surface - the other reason being that he knew Astarion would need him more. Halsin didn’t join the two, not able to leave nature behind, and so they departed amicably as friends.

Starting a family/ Found family:

Volyrr had travelled only with Astarion and Halsin, loving them both with his whole heart. After moving to the Underdark with Astarion, he considered the vampire spawn to be his new family, thinking it reminiscent of the Myconid colony he grew up in... also, he adopts a Bulette as his pet, names it Meatball, and uses it to ride around like a horse. 🫡

Thanks for reading this essay of a character background!😆 I hope it all makes sense and has minimal typos because I just proper smashed it out. I just love my guy so much and I hope that you do too now.🥺❤️ It'll be fun to eventually write fanfic for him. I might do another one of these posts for Tavlyn after finishing LMTTD, but I with hold off for now because spoilers. 😉 xo

#tag #volyrr #volyrr x astarion #the dark urge x astarion #durgetash #durge x astarion #durge x astarion x halsin #bg3 backstory bash #kelandrin

[ginshariboy]

#3 and #7 for those video game asks 👀

3. 1-3 games you’ve played in the past 12 months that you really enjoyed Pokemon Scarlet

i genuinely loved this game which was a difficult thing for games to accomplish after i was consumed by elden ring and didn't want to wriggle free of its grasp on me lol. i think it has its flaws of course, i'm not going to be delulu about that but i dont know unpopular opinion but i like open world games!!! i dont know if this scale and direction will be the best to stick with in the future for pokemon but i really loved having a generous amount of freedom in where i went and the order in which i did shit. it was wild to wander off to casseroya lake and just frantically try to juke around all of the dragon pokemon a shit ton of levels above mine while screaming until i managed to get to the other side. i also just really loved the story and characters (except for SOMEBODY), got me really emotional also arven best boy

Silent Hill 3

bought the game for the first time when i was like fourteen, just finished it basically fourteen years later lol. loved the idea of horror games as a kid but i was so bad at playing them, they were mostly just prime sleepover games at the time 😂 but it was great to revisit the game after getting a lot more context for themes and the overarching story of silent hill. while i'm not as susceptible to getting scared by these games anymore, i feel like knowing more about them on top of just having a lot more uhhh life experience than i did when i first got the games helped to elevate the horror from oo spooky scary to oh god oh fuck that's the dread isn't it oh no it's hitting awful close to real life now oh shit. also it was just cool to see how bizarre and clunky silent hill could be compared to like…Nostalgia Glasses Silent Hill. it sounds like something that's all sorts of bad but i honestly liked how weird and disjointed progression could be in the games.

Baldur's Gate 3

i mean......come on i think this is everyone's choice if asked lol BUT.....plot twist, i really didn't want to touch the game initially. i loved the original games, they're literally my top favorite games, but for me, i'd given the series its kiss goodnight and i couldn't really figure out what a third game would add to the main storyline. it was pretty wrapped up and i don't know this new studio and everyone was pushing me about it and trying to make me trust the new studio but it didnt change the fact that i didnt know them, i didn't know what they were going to do with my favorite game and i was like eugh i dont wanna roll the dice and i just wanted to be left alone about it, and the bear shit happened and i was like ohhhh the legacy is gonna die because this is all people are going to focus on oh jeez scoob no one talk to me about this game ever again, baldur's gate is at rest in its tomb and i will hear no more!!!! then i played it. and i'm still working through it. but once again i was Consumed to a degree that i hadn't been consumed since elden ring. i keep making new characters because its just fun to try the game out from a completely different character from the beginning, i don't know how they fit it all in there. i know its a huge game but holy shit there's so much to it i dont even think the actual size of the game sounds feasible for all of the shit going on. i didnt think i'd give a single shit about any of the new companions but i love them dearly and i'm so happy to see my old pals minsc and jaheira but it's so hard to form a proper party because i just want everyone on my team because i love them all!!! i think if i had to choose, i do still love the original games about gorion's ward, it's a hard story to beat and i mean i've loved the game for like 20 years for a reason, but i do think 3 is a great addition to the series and manages to pay respectful homage to its predecessors for old players while still bringing the world and mechanics up to speed for modern day. anyway my first character fucked the guy who turns into a bear so whatever in that department i guess.

7. A series you’ve lost interest in Fallout

i don't say this in a bad way but i think i've lost a bit of interest in it in the sense that it's just not really at the forefront of my mind these days? i still really love the games but i mean my favorite one is 3 and i don't think i've gotten the same exact feeling from the games afterward. i know new vegas is a fan favorite and 4 was good but i was consumed by 3 lol. so it's less like eugh ew eauaugh hate it and more just i tucked it into bed and kissed it goodnight and it will awaken when it awakens.

#ginshariblog #asks #long post #this one's a doozy sorry for rambling lol #also because i put visuals on the first ask i am now compelled to put visuals on All Of Them

[astarionancuninswife]

mother (a tav backstory)

I came across this post on twitter a few days ago of a writing challenge for the month of March, and I think not only will it help me be more comfortable writing, but also help me understand my tav(s) a bit more. I've decided to primarily focus on Luci since she's my first tav.

Today's prompt is "What are Tav's parents like?" There is a little bit of Luci x Astarion at the end because I couldn't help myself, but this is more so a bit about Luci and her backstory! I hope you enjoy!

Also, I've thought a lot about this and I imagine Lily Gladstone as the face claim for Luci's mom, Daphne. I'm just shit at descriptions lol

word count: 1663

warnings: I think maybe suggested child abandonment is really the only thing that's worth a warning? lmk otherwise!

ao3 || baldur's march || guidelines for requests || masterlist

Luci couldn’t remember much before her mother found her wandering the woods alone; not her name, or her biological parents, or why she was in the woods in the first place. All she knew was that in the last few years, she had survived side by side with the animals of the forest and built bonds with quite a few of them to the point of being able to become one. But then her mother came across her on her way back to Baldur’s Gate after a well-needed vacation away from the city. 

Daphne was horrified to see a frail tiefling child without any supervision to be seen. She had clearly been able to take care of herself, but she was still visibly unweight, and the elven woman knew it would be a miracle for a child to survive any longer in the wilds alone. 

“Hello,” she was careful approaching the girl, speaking in a hushed tone and keeping a neutral expression on her face. She wasn’t sure when the last interaction the child had with anyone beyond the animals of the forest, so she didn’t want to scare her, “My name is Daphne Hana, may I know your name?”

The girl with pale pink skin watched the woman cautiously for a few minutes before bursting into tears, trying to communicate back but not being able to speak through her sobs. She had seen others often on the trails and such, but it was rare anyone stopped and talked to her. They saw a lost child, a tiefling at that, and turned their heads as if they saw nothing. To be seen and spoken to in such a soft way was overwhelming for the young one. 

Daphne stopped a gasp from escaping her lips and potentially scaring the child more; instead, she kneeled down to her height and held her arms out to give the girl a choice. It doesn’t take but a second before tiny horns are clumsily nudged against the tan cheek of the older woman and little arms are clinging to her shoulders. The elf wrapped her arms around the girl protectively, gently petting her wild burgundy hair. 

“Would you like to come with me? I have plenty of room for a little one such as yourself,” she promised, leaning back a bit to see the child’s face. She watched as many emotions crossed the small girl’s face before being given a nod against her shoulder, “Do you have a name?” The girl sniffled again and shook her head, either not trusting her voice or not knowing how to use it properly. Daphne smiled softly, “Then we’ll have to find you one, won’t we? Now, come,” she stood up and held her hand to the girl, which is quickly grabbed by a tiny hand, “We’re still quite a way from Baldur’s Gate, but we’ll be there soon enough,” she assured the scared girl as they walked to the wagon Daphne had been driving beforehand. She allowed the child to pick if she wished to sit in the back, telling her she’d make a soft pallet if she wanted to sleep or simply lay down, or if she wanted to sit in the front with her. The tiefling took a second to decide, ultimately yawning and letting her savior pull blankets into a nest and securing the wagon canvas to mostly block the sun from her eyes. She also was handed a few rations, which she picked at between naps on their way.

It took the rest of the day for the pair to arrive at Baldur's Gate, the child admiring every structure and person they passed. Daphne happily explained what each building was for when a pink index finger intensely pointed at them, glad that the difference in woods and the city didn’t seem too overwhelming for the kid. It didn’t take long before she parked the wagon and horse in front of a home, which she informed the girl was her house. It’s a quaint little place in the middle of Lower City, two stories, but the second story was solely two bedrooms, while the bottom floor was the living spaces. In the entry room, the shelves filled with books quickly intrigue the young one. 

“We’ll explore tomorrow, darling,” Daphne smiled at her, “It’s late and we need to get you settled for the night.” She guided the tiefling up the stairs, which was a feat in itself since the child clearly had no clue what stairs were. Eventually, Daphne relented to picking her up and carrying her to the top of the steps before leading her to the spare bedroom. It had already been set up as a guest room so it didn’t take much to set it up for the child to be comfortable, “I’m right across the hall should you need me, don’t be afraid to wake me if you do,” she leaned over and kissed the pink forehead between the nubby horns after tucking her in, “Good night, sweet one.”

The night went surprisingly well, with only one incident of the child climbing into bed next to the elf. She didn’t complain at all, instead she made room and smiled at the trust she’s receiving. 

As the sun rises, so does Daphne. She carefully pulled herself from the cuddles of the child and went downstairs to make a quick breakfast. She pondered over what to cook, before deciding on a simple eggs and bacon meal. The girl she found needed protein and she figured that combination would both be easy on her stomach as well as hopefully help bring her some energy for this morning. She’d have to do some research later on tiefling diets, but she was sure meat would be welcomed. She brought the tray of food up to her room, almost dropping it when she heard sobs. She quickly placed the food on her nightstand and wrapped her arms around the child.

“Gone,” the first word spoken from the pink tiefling, and it broke the motherly woman’s heart. 

“No, no, I was still here,” she tried to calm her quickly, “I was downstairs, I was making you food.” She assured her, reaching over to grab a plate without letting go of the girl, “See, food.”

The tiefling child turned her head just enough to look at the plate before looking up at the woman who had taken her in, “F—Food,” She repeated as her tears slowed, “For me?”

“Yes, dearest,” Daphne laughed softly, glad her new little friend was warming up and able to use her voice, “Go ahead and dig in, I’m sure you’re starved.” The elf watched the girl hesitantly take the plate into her lap and pick at the food with her fingers, completely disregarding the fork handed to her. Daphne figured such would happen, so it wasn’t an issue. It wasn’t long until the plate was cleared, and they were set for the day to start.

“Luci? Luci, my dear, have I finally lost you?”

The pink woman looks up from the book she had found while snooping around a random empty house they came across, “Hmm? Oh, yeah, no, I’m… I’m still here,” She laughs with embarrassment as she sees her vampiric friend in front of her with his eyebrow raised. Her smile falls a bit as she looks down at the book again, opening to one of the first pages, “This is the book my mother always read to me as a child; the first one she read to me the day after she sorta adopted me actually. It’s… it’s how she gave me my name…” She runs her fingers over the weathered page as she remembers that night clear as day, “Lucille, a spirited adventurer with a passion for unraveling ancient mysteries, set out to explore the Whispering Woods.” She reads with a sad smile, she misses her mother so much right now, “Lucille Woods.” This is the first time she’s spoken her full name out loud to any of her recent companions, as well as the first time she’s given a bigger glimpse at her past and her life in Baldur’s Gate. And to the companion she was still fairly hesitant about, she’s definitely going to beat herself up later over giving him even a sliver of something to hold over her if he so desired… 

Astarion watches her reminisce and, for once, doesn’t have a smartass comment to make. Instead, he lets her have her moment before smirking, “You’re named after a ‘spirited adventurer’ and you became one yourself? That really does just describe you with a neat little bow, now doesn’t it, darling?”

Luci crinkles her eyes with a smile at his jest as she closes the book, stuffing it in her bag, “I feel like that’s your flowery way of calling me annoyingly perfect, to which I say a-thank you,” She giggles before slipping her arm around his and starting to lead him out of the house, “Come on, we should regroup with Shadowheart and Wyll and head back to camp; it’ll be getting dark soon, and Gale promised me breakfast for dinner tonight! I’ve been excited for eggs and bacon all day; I don’t think I can wait another moment!”

The pale elf resists the urge to yank his arm away from the touchy girl; he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to how physically affectionate she is even after their short while of knowing one another, but he needs her protection so he must pretend not to be affected by it for now. He thinks, as they continue to find the other two and start walking to their campsite, that maybe if he acts interested enough in her family life, she’ll start trusting him even more. She’s incredibly and stupidly sweet, so it won’t take much… and he must admit, he actually is curious about her upbringing and what exactly ‘sorta adopted’ means for her and her mother. 

#baldur's march #baldur’s gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #baldur's gate fic #baldur's gate 3 fic #bg3 fic #baldur's gate tav #bg3 tav #tav fic #tav oc #astarion ancunin #astarion x tav #astarion x oc #oc: lucille ‘luci’ woods #lucille 'luci' woods fic #oc fic #mine #still don't know how to tag stuff lol

[leofrith]

Finally getting around to your BG3 OC question! I have 2, but the second is obnoxiously long, so I'll just post it and tag you. Lmao

This is my first Tav, who I had no idea what I was doing with, so she’s a bit of a disaster with a slowly expanding story, but this is Rhian.

She’s a half-elven ranger/rogue who grew up part of a nomadic group out in the deep woods. The band was robin hood-esque once upon a time, but the visionary who collected them died brutally almost a century ago and those remaining have taken a much harsher, more reclusive approach to the world. Rhian was adopted by them as a small child, at the insistence of a woman who was part of the inner circle. This woman did not claim her or ever explain the reason behind her insistence. When she died during Rhian’s early adolescent years, the details died too. By that point, she was useful enough for the rest to keep though, and became a full member of the group, contingent on contribution. The group was kill or be killed. Always with eyes to the trees. Always too many mouths to feed. A very ragtag existence, but one she found a lot of purpose in. Hard as they were, they were family.

One day, as a young adult, she came back from a hunt to find them gone. That wasn’t unheard of - they’d done it before in dire circumstances - but it still came as a shock. Only crucial supplies were taken. In these cases, she knew anyone left behind was considered dead, sacrificed for the safety of the collective. Once she was sure there was no immediate sign of danger, she tried to track them, but with no luck. They were all too skilled at covering their tracks to follow. After weeks, she was eventually forced to give up, wandering her way out and into the vicinity of Baldur’s Gate.

Outside the city, she was able to strike a deal to bounty hunt problematic predators and had barely finished her first contract when the Nautiloid happened. She was completely disoriented *before* the tadpole, so it’s a bit of a wild ride for her.

In general, she’s wary of everything always and prefers to live rough - a tracker / hunter / survivalist type. Despite all that, she also has a very curious disposition and is good at winning people over (things that kept her alive with the gang), so she ends up oddly bonded to everyone in camp. Lae’zel’s bond is especially strong, as they share that brutal efficiency and singular focus, while also being cultural outsiders. That turns into a thing. Leadership is also not Rhian’s thing. She’s just one more wacky member of the crew with an upended life and nowhere better to be.

YES I LOVE HERRRRR this is so much more well thought out than anything i could ever come up with asdhkksdhfksh

her backstory also feels very similar to my own ranger/druid who i'm also romancing lae'zel with 😏

rhian and enya 🤝 being a hardened warrior who lives in the woods and falls in love with a hardened warrior lady who comes from space

tell me about your bg3 ocs!!!

#answer #ainulindaelynn

[idle-brit]

10 Fandoms, 10 characters, 10 tags

Thank you @baepsrae for tagging me!! ♡( ◡‿◡ )

This is everyone's preemptive warning to skip past if you don't want to read a long and rambling post, I'm about to go wild lol. I'll also include the 5 people (not 10 oops) I'm tagging here at the top so they don't have to scroll; I'm interested to hear your answers but obviously there's no pressure to do it (･ω･)b

@koscheiy, @breitzbachbea, @runmild, @toffeeanddragons, and @yatzuaka!

1. Loki (Marvel)

My poor little meow meow. My silly rabbit. My sweet darling babygirl. Picking 9 other characters was honestly hard because there's few I truly consider a favourite like Loki. Between his 2011-2013 appearances in the MCU, the comics, and the pre-Thor high-fantasy-novel-esque fics on AO3, the ideal version of this character lives in my head rent free, and has done since 2012. I picked this gif from The Avengers because it was the moment that made me want to see the film again just for his scenes, and it remains the only film I've seen in cinemas twice. He's quite literally the reason I got Tumblr, for The Avengers fanart, and my very first post was some (bad) fanart of my own haha. While the rest of this list is in no particular order, Loki is absolutely my number one, for all time, always. I could talk about him forever.

2. Evy Carnahan (The Mummy)

I had to choose the scene I got my blog title from. While Loki might be my favourite character, The Mummy is my favourite film. I think I saw it at the exact right time of life when I was a kid in my Ancient Egypt phase, but also far younger than the recommended viewing age the film suggests lol. Ever since then I've rewatched this and the sequel (yes, sequel, singular. I said what I said) more times than I can count and further developed my interest in actual Egyptology. Evy is intelligent and an academic, kindhearted, a little bit clumsy, but uses her knowledge and quick thinking to be an absolute badass and save the day multiple times. I've always wanted to be at least half as cool as her and also marry Rick O'Connell.

3. L (Death Note)

Everyone here is lucky that I got Tumblr after the height of my weeb phase that started in 2008. Death Note was the first manga I ever read and I expected to enjoy it and move on, but as soon as I got to the Lind. L. Taylor event in volume 2 my young mind was blown and I was obsessed. One scene of L outsmarting Light kept me reading manga, got me into anime, introduced me to fanart, was the first fanart I ever drew, introduced me to fanfiction, and years later I would take Japanese classes at uni. L is an amazing example of a morally grey character, wanting justice to prevail but perhaps not for the right reasons, and no matter what it takes to get there.

4. Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil 4 Remake)

Okay I'll admit Leon is the first babygirl on the list who is mainly here for aesthetic reasons. I had a passing knowledge of the Resident Evil franchise but never took an interest because military-gun-shooting-series are boring as hell... Until RE4R came out last year and I saw this scene in a playthrough. Where do I sign up for him to do this to my neck. Then I learned Leon's backstory and actually appreciated his character too. He hates and distrusts the US government, he was blackmailed into service for them at 21, he's haunted by being used as their weapon, and he's the most cringe fail man who thinks he's suave when he says "Nighty night, knights" as he's killing sentient suits of armour. I need him.

5. Astarion Ancunín (Baldur's Gate 3)

Ah, a non-human in a high fantasy world, using knife skills and sharp wit to protect himself from a deeply traumatic past, but still good at heart and willing to open up to those who appreciate him for who he is, rather than living up to someone else's standards. Now where have I seen a similar character type before... When the game came out it shouldn't have been a surprise who my favourite would be lol. The whole cast does an amazing job, but the real draw of Astarion is the phenomenal work put in by Neil Newborn to really bring this character to life, and I don't think Astarion would be the same without him.

6. Kagome Higurashi (Inuyasha)

Inuyasha is one of my all time favourite anime/manga. It's got time travel, a historic setting, magic, action and adventure, and romance between a human girl and a supernatural being who's down bad. Basically all of the tropes I adore and still look for in new favourite series haha. And Kagome has been That Bitch from the start; arriving in a village that fears a half dog-demon, freeing him from his imprisonment to help her, and then ordering him to sit when he pisses her off, knowing he's wearing a magic necklace that forces him to obey. No one is doing it like her.

7. Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

Yes this is a basic bitch pick, I'm well aware. But no matter if it's the book by Jane Austen, the 1995 BBC production, or the 2005 film by Joe Wright, I love this story so much! There's just something so romantic about it that no modern romance book can capture, and that's not without my trying to find one (just follow my trail of 1 star ratings on Goodreads). Elizabeth and Mr Darcy just read as complete and real characters, and I love how much Elizabeth cares for her family, refusing Darcy's first proposal in part because he insulted them and tried to separate Jane from Mr Bingley.

8. Lin Sukai (The Drowning Empire Trilogy by Andrea Stewart)

Now we're getting into the realm of books without adaptations so I cant use gifs anymore, and I honestly couldn't find any fanart of Lin either. Which is a crime! My girl is out here being extremely intelligent and driven (and badass in some of the later scenes), using her familial magic as daughter of the Emperor to try and dismantle his tyranny despite craving his approval, and trying her best to gain allies even though she was raised within the walls of the palace and is slightly out of touch, and she doesn't have a fandom here on Tumblr? And that's only in book one of the trilogy!

9. FitzChivalry Farseer (The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb)

I haven't even finished The Realm of the Elderlings yet (16 thick ass books, nay, tomes) but I already know this is my favourite fantasy series of all time, and Robin Hobb is beyond doubt a master of her craft. One of her main talents is writing the ultimate poor little meow meow because good lord, Fitz just cannot catch a break no matter what he does or who he's trying to benefit. The pacing of these books can be quite slow but I promise it's always worth the emotionally devastating pay off. (It's also a tough call between Fitz and The Fool on who my favourite Hobb character is!)

10. Sancia Grado (The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett)

The final one is also my most recent addition to this list, seeing as I'm only just starting book two after finishing Foundryside late last year. While that shows how much I loved Sancia after just one book of her, I also hope the rest of the trilogy delivers! So often books will state characters are masters of their craft and just expect readers to take their word for it, but Sancia gets to show off her skills multiple times on page, so you get the impression she really exists and belongs in this world rather than just being a set piece for it. Not only that, she defies the usual lone-wolf-asshole stereotype that's so common in these gritty fantasy books, and it's heartwarming to see the found family she's gathered by the end of the story compared to where she began.

So uh, thank you all for coming to my TED talk about all my blorbos, see you later!

(￣▽￣)ノ

#long post #Loki #The Mummy #Death Note #Leon Kennedy #Astarion #Inuyasha

[4d-hypermoth]

The Game Awards, but just the announcements I care about:

Pony Island 2: Panda Circus - I have very vague memories of watching a playthrough of the first game, and the sequel looks absolutely bonkers in the best of ways. Also SUNGWON!

Usual June - Not much to say except it looks cool and I hope it turns out good.

Windblown - Never played Dead Cells despite everyone saying it's great, but man they really did just brutally murder those little animal dudes. Awesome.

God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla - Free update!? Based. Also that was absolutely a cyclops, I'm curious if they tie back in some Greek mythology stuff.

Big Walk - I have no idea what this game is but it better win Game of the Year 2025.

No Rest for the Wicked - Not quite sure what the game itself it, except that it's gorgeous.

5 New Sega Games - JET SET RADIOOOOO- ahm, I mean, this might just be the highlight of the entire show for me, despite how little was shown. Sega has so many cool old games that haven't seen the light of day in so long (though Streets of Rage had a game somewhat recently I think?). Anyway I'm going to break this up into individual sections despite each one having about 5 seconds of footage, lol

Jet Set Radio - Obviously this game was in production well before the release of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, but I guarantee people are going to be way more hype for this thanks to Team Reptile. Seeing DJ Professor K in this new style sent me to a higher plane. Can't wait for more on this one.

Streets of Rage - I'm not really a beat 'em up enjoyer, but it's interesting that this game is going 3D.

Shinobi - This game looks very pretty. High hopes for this one. Hope it takes notes from all the big indie platformers of the last decade.

Golden Axe - This one looks veeeery interesting. I'm only vaguely familiar with OG Golden Axe, but the art style and the game being 3D have certainly caught my eye.

Crazy Taxi - HEY HEY HEY IT'S TIME TO MAKE SOME CRRRAZY MONEY ARE YOU READY? HERE WE GO! Very curious how they adapt this one into a modern title. YAH YAH YAH YAH YAH

OD - I'm not interested in playing this (I mean we don't even know what the game is besides horror... with really detailed faces), but it's a Kojima game so I'll nonetheless watch it from a distance. Hideo Kojima and Jordan Peele is a wild combo.

Black Myth: Wukong - Holy shit it has a release date. This game has looked insane since it's reveal, hope it lives up to the years of hype.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau - Everyone's fixating on the Critical Role logo lol. This one's got style and I hope it does well, but I'm not really a metroidvania guy so I'll probably pass.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Cid real!

Blade - There are very few potential Marvel projects I'd be interested in this point... luckily Blade is still cool XD

Not a game, but after that Old Gods of Asgard performance... do I need to check out Alan Wake 2??? XD

Guilty Gear Strive updates - The original gun-wielding menace has returned. Dig the new outfit. I know at least one person who will be thrilled at Elphelt's return. Curious as to how this 3v3 mode will play.

Was not expecting Elden Ring DLC news - they literally said that it was still a ways off, so idk why so many people were expecting a trailer. Happy for Monster Hunter fans, even if I'll never get the appeal of those games. So many shooters with forgettable titles and/or minimal gameplay shown. And apparently Fortnite is a games platform now? Weird.

Congrats to Baldur's Gate 3 for winning the things. See yall next year when Foamstars sweeps the Game Awards.

#game awards

[greenestcoat]

just had a little mini vacation for my birthday in an airbnb ten minutes from home, all by myself. taking care of toddlers full time and also dealing with a bunch of physical and mental health issues has really been doing a number on me so a rest was badly needed. i feel a little better now!

- took a walk in the river valley in the snow and took some not great nature photos, but the thing i like is that taking them made me look closer at my surroundings

- did yoga without anyone climbing on me!

- played a LOT of Baldur's Gate 3, which was also a birthday present! i rolled my halfling cleric Dafina from the Curse of Strahd campaign we did years ago. she was my first D&D character and i love her. Dafina is dealing with a bunch of trauma from pre-BG3, trying her best to cope with literal brain worms, and not quite sure who made her the leader of the group. i am having a wonderful time. feels exactly like d&d again.

- slept as much as i wanted to

- did some cooking! onion bread and wild rice soup. i wanted my food to be kinda rpg-themed, so i had bread and cheese, mead, moose jerky, and soup. very satisfying, highly recommend a weekend of skyrim dinners!

-also painted my fingernails, which i haven't done in years but i kept eyeing that green colour in my neglected makeup basket and hankering for it so i did. i usually end up disliking the feeling and taking it off within a couple days but so far, feels good and i do love the green. will take any colour i can get this time of year, tbh.

#personal #back home soon but i have had a good time

[rainbowbarnacle]

Ooooh I got tagged! :D

Relation Status: In a LDR with the wonderful @mercurialmalcontent. <3

Favorite Color: ALL OF THEM. But lately I've been wearing lots of purples and oranges and yellows.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Sweets: chocolate, red bean paste, apple-based pastries, and anything with poppyseeds. Spicy: I like it! Spicy coconut soups and eggs with hot sauce and spicyhot v8 juice and warming extra-gingery chais. Savory: yes pleeease, I am particularly fond of miso soup, lox, peppered beef jerky, and anything with mushrooms in it for savory things.

Three ships:

oh gooood just three?

Karlach and Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3. I'm digging the dynamic of Touch Starved Tiefling and Touched Out Vampire Figure Stuff Out Together. There is something so lovely about someone just flat out, unquestionably ADORING someone who has spent 200 years spouting so much automatic false praise at people that any compliment directed at him sounds like a lie. I don't care if they're friends or lovers or married, all of it is good, just please let these two hang out, they are hilarious and wonderful together.

Roland Deschain and Cuthbert Allgood and Alain Johns from the Dark Tower. Friends, lovers, both, everything rocks. They are traumatized cowboys who grew up in a constantly changing eldritch hellscape together and they can still joke around and they know each other so perfectly and I love them. Could they just all travel to New York so I can watch them lose their minds the first time they eat at a buffet restaurant, thankee-sai.

Ryne and Gaia from FFXIV. These two have been through so much horror and I just want them to be happy together. At first glance it's Hopelessly Cheerful Optimist beaming happy rays at the Snooty Goth Who's Learning To Smile Sometimes, but occasionally you get little scenes where Gaia perks Ryne up like high quality coffee. <3

First ever ship:

I dunno, I didn't really come up with ships on my own for a really long time--I just kinda went with what was there. I remember eventually learning how to do otherwise, I just don't remember who it was.

Last Song:

Last Film: I thiiiink it was One Piece Film: Red? Either way, WHAT A WILD RIDE, I think it might be my favorite One Piece film. A pop diva with creation magic covers up MASSIVE TRAUMA with glittery rainbow everythings, WHOO <3 Also, a banging soundtrack.

Last thing I Googled: The One Piece Film: Red trailer

Currently Reading: NOTHING. :O But that's only because I just finished editing someone's novel and my brain needs a rest.

Currently Watching: Rurouni Kenshin! I'm digging it a lot so far--I can tell the current voice actor admires the voice actor from the original series a lot. <3

Currently Consuming: Nothing yet. I drank all the cold brew coffee and now I have no cold brew coffee. :(

Currently Craving: Coffee. And these chickpea burrito things I found on sale, I should have bought twelve more.

Currently Working On: That Thing I did for Nano, a FFXIV fic and a Baldur's Gate fic

Current Obsession(s): Baldur's Gate 3, FFXIV, One Piece, that book I edited a few days ago (IT'S REALLY GOOD)

Aaaand all done, phew! Thank you for tagging me, that was fun! I tag: anybody else who wants to.

#Youtube