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secret-smut-sideblog · 4 months

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Dark Signs

Astarion x F! Dark Urge, Set in Act 1

18+ violence, death, dark urge shenanigans, pining, complicated feelings, heavy petting, blood drinking, fingering (f!), thigh riding, restraint, oral (f!), menstruating, Astarion being a freak, tenderness

After killing Alfira in her sleep, she can't help but seek him out...

"You know, I dont really even care that you killed her," he laughs, eyes unburdened.

The blood still in her hair, she stared at him. A deep and festering war inside her mind at his words.

The poor girl hours dead, she couldn't bear to hide her, to run from what she had done. So she left her there, stared at her beautiful corpse until morning. Until the others woke and discovered her sin.

The rage and disgust in their words, in their hearts were shockingly short lived. Forgiving her too easily. Of all of the transgressions, that scared her the most. They still trusted her, still relied on her.

"Well," She shoved all of her thoughts further down her throat. "I feel terrible about it."

He was the only one she hadn't spoken to about her urges. Had broached the subject with everyone else in camp, if only to ready them. There's something inside me, something that demands blood. They hadn't understood naturally, the gravity of the situation lost on them. But at least they were warned.

Having precious little chance to talk, with him being rather closed off, she hadn't had a chance to alert him.

I am a weapon, dont get closer than you need to.

But his words now, the lack of judgment, the lack of care in his eyes. It... comforted her, despite herself.

She should be punished, in words and coldness, abandonedment. Hells even death, and yet...

Why aren't you afraid of me?

The merriment and spirits floated, the tiefling refugees chattering happily. Not allowing herself any inebriation, she smiled at Halsin. Encouraged him to mingle, to have fun. Leaning in, her hand on his arm to be heard over the revelry.

Feeling the prickle of eyes on her neck, she looked up.

Crimson eyes beckoning to her.

Feeling her stomach flip she turned back to Halsin, letting an easy smile on her face as he reassured her.

No, not this. Not him.

Traveling together since that awful night, she had found herself... fascinated by him.

She had managed to stifle her feelings, keeping her yearning close to her chest. But Gods was it there.

Keeping him in her party he was unavoidable. She had considered leaving him at camp if just to see him less, but he was too good at what he does.

The way his nimble hands would twist when she needed assistance with a locked chest. Drawling voice at her back as they walked. His arrows coming down on high to strike through the chest of an enemy prey right in front of her.

She had touched herself to that memory in her tent only nights ago.

Steeling herself, she approached. Hells, what did he want?

"You know, I never saw myself a hero." He started, wine bottle sloshing in his hand. She eyed it, realizing that he can drink. Assumed that he could only drink blood. Felt another shiver at the thought. She would like to drink his blood for a change.

"But now that I'm here, I hate it. This is awful."

She laughed, surprised. Responding before she could stop herself, "Well you got to kill lots of goblins, that was fun." Felt hot shame rise up her collar at her indiscretion.

He smiled, eyes softening. "That was fun, wasnt it."

The roaring in her chest got much louder.

Allowing herself some banter, they chatted. Flirted, even. Throwing lines back and forth, until she had somehow agreed to meet him later. Alone.

She kept her face light and neutral as they parted ways, but the moment her back was turned from him. Panic. Dear Gods, panic.

Oh this was a problem, a multifaceted problem.

She should not be alone with anyone, especially someone so beautiful. He would make such a pretty corpse.

Pacing in her tent she was a mess. She should stay here, dont go. Dont go to him. For the love of all that is good, do not go.

A vision of his eyes when he fed on her, his mouth when he pouts. The way his breeches hugged his hips, the veins in his forearms.

Her tent flapped shut behind her, feet moving swiftly.

"There you are," He purred, stepping from the treeline. Chest bare, hair catching the moonlight.

No words possible, she pulled her tunic off. Hot with need. Taking her chest bindings off in the same motion.

Saw his eyes widen in surprise. "My, eager are we?" He crooned, stepping closer.

"Shut up," She traveled the distance between them. Fingers in his hair, on his hip. Pulling his mouth down to hers. Lips crashing.

She had to get it out or she would erupt.

He groaned into her, lifting her up to push against a nearby tree. Oh he shouldn't be manhandling her like this.

Wrapping her hips around his waist she kissed him hungrily, greedily. The last meal of a woman on the gallows. The one piece of relief she would allow herself.

Hips already grinding into him, seeking. An animal call. Heat. Madness.

Flipping her onto the ground he began pulling her leathers off. Lifting her hips to help him, the bite of small stones against her shoulders bringing her small clarity. Her pelvis ached, her head swimming.

He looked into her eyes, heavy with lust but something else... a twinge, a hint. Fear, she realized.

Her heart sank, he could feel it. The madness inside her. Slowing, she trailed her hand tender to his cheek.

Looking at her again, his eyes widened. She bared her neck to him.

Leaning down on his forearms, he sank into her. The cold chill welcome against her feverish skin. Trailing a tentative hand into his hair. Her long nails scratching lightly.

A quiet moan into her wound. Felt him shiver against her. Encouragement.

Hand still in his hair she let her other hand slip onto his neck, touching lightly. Trailing up to his ear.

Immediate, he bit down hard on her. Hips grinding against her thigh.

The heat rising again she ran her thumb along the long point, in awe. He groaned into her, wrapping his arms around her waist he hitched her up to him. Chest to chest, straddling. Him still pulling from her neck.

"Oh Gods," She moaned quietly. The hazy miasma of lust overwhelming her again. Hips ablaze, grinding into his cold thigh. The leather of his breeches soaking.

His hand gripped her ass, pulling her harder into his leg. Heard a low growl from his chest.

Panting, she rode against him. His sharp mouth still pinning her in place against him. The slick pressure in her pelvis rising. Hands reaching for his chest, his back, something, anything to ground herself.

His pale ones, quick as lightning, found her wrists. Pulling them against her lower back, snaring them down in one hand. Her eyes hitched back. Yes, restrain me.

Still riding into him, she felt herself getting lightheaded. Though it wasn't unwelcome, Gods, anything to empty her head, knew she was losing too much blood.

"Astarion, stop," She breathed. He groaned into her flesh, still pulling.

Wrapping her thighs strong around his leg, she squeezed as hard as she could. Trying to pull him from his trance.

With the last of her strength she bit him, hard, on the shoulder. Muffled her own moan when she realized she had drawn blood. Her own blood spilling back into her mouth. Oh no, oh fuck.

He pulled off of her, gasping. The pain waking him. Looked, shocked and ashamed, into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Caron."

Hearing her name, her chosen name, her eyes watered. No, she didn't want to hurt him. She could stop.

"I'm okay," She reassured tiredly, the ever present headache receding slightly at the bloodshed. "Are you okay?" She added quietly.

He blinked at her, eyes layered in many emotions. None she could pick out with certainty.

"Darling, I'm splendid." He drawled, lying, she could tell. "Now, if you dont mind I'd like to finish ravaging you."

Confusion spiked through her. Certain that they were done, the spell thoroughly broken.

"Wait," She whispered, as his hands slid to her core. He paused, eyes searching hers.

"You dont have to, I'm okay to stop." She looked into his eyes, hoping her sincerity reached him.

Saw him swallow, eyes wavering for a moment, then coming back.

"Lay back, sweet thing." He hushed, urging her gently onto her back again. Pushing her thighs apart to accommodate him. Sliding down between them.

She sighed as she felt his breath against her thigh, letting her head fall back. Her body responding once again. Realized that the nausea backed away when he touched her. The pain, though still present, distant.

Felt a tear of relief slide down her face, glad he was too far down her body to see it.

Heard a small gasp and looked up, panicked. "Oh," He breathed, fingers swiping up her, holding them to the light. Blood.

She had started her cycle it seemed. Groaning, getting up onto elbows, about to start cleaning up. His eyes flashed.

"Dont you dare," Felt a thrill in her chest, his fingers entering his mouth. Tongue splaying, twisting along his hand. Lost in it.

She clenched, pulsing, against nothing. Her breath hot little gasps.

"This is a gift." He marveled, leaning back down. Moaned at the fresh blood her pulsing had pushed out.

Mouth crushing into her without warning. His tongue working in frenzy. Taking as much of her in as he could.

She moaned loud, arched against him. Hips already squirming.

He hooked his arms around her thighs to keep her from retreating. Slurping, suckling. Tongue crushed velvet, hot, seeking.

When he clamped down around her clit, tongue pulsing, she thought she was dying. Stars blooming behind her eyes. Body going rigid.

One hand coming down on the skin below her navel, flat, a gentle hold.

"Fingers," She whimpered out, his mouth driving her to the brink. But still she needed more.

"What was that, darling?" He mused, lifted to look at her. Gore-dripped mouth smiling.

Oh Gods, the heat. The bloodlust.

"Put your fingers in me. Now." Her voice unrecognizable to her. Low, demanding.

His eyes flashed again, pupils widening. Jaw tightening. Looking down at her like prey.

Oh only if he knew.

His two fingers slid inside her, eyes still trained on hers. Watching her head lean back, hips rising. Watched her shiver as he hooked his fingers. Smiling like a fox that caught a rabbit.

Satisfied, he leaned his mouth back down to his work. Fingers still pulling, slowly.

When the dual sensations hit her, his hungry mouth, his clever fingers, she writhed and whimpered. Hands in his hair, trying her hardest not to pull.

Her body was so tender, every touch tenfold, her cycle thoroughly started. Pinching her sensitive nipple. Clenched down hard on his fingers, pushing out more blood slick. Felt his growl reverberate against her. Tongue lapping around his fingers.

Oh she was close, her limbs feverish. The viper coiled, about to strike.

Her mind flooded. A dagger, plunging. An arterial wave of blood. Them, twisted into eachother, gore smeared. Straddled over their prey. His fingers pushing the viscera inside her.

She shrieked against him. Her end hitting her like an impaling spear. Hands gripping his hair. Arching her back so hard she heard a crack. Eyes screwed shut tight. Vicous waves of annihilating pleasure.

He eagerly lapped up all of the creamy blood slick that poured out of her, rubbing her clit, encouraging more.

She bucked against his hand, clenching again and again. His mouth catching it all.

She fell back, collapsing into the earth. All thoughts, all threatening, gone from her mind.

The night air heavy with their pheromones, the blood. Both smells intoxicating her. A spike of shame.

Well, almost all thoughts.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?"

It had slipped out, a near whisper, before she could stop herself.

He had laid down next to her, looked over at her now. Eyebrows threaded together, confused. Shit.

Stared at her for a moment then he laughed, face relaxing. "Oh please, you killed someone. Darling, I think you forget you're in the presence of a monster." Leaned down to draw little circles on her sternum. "You're not the only one who craves blood around here."

"You're not a monster."

He looked up at her, his eyes round. Soft. Her heart fluttered. Then they settled back into their guard.

"Common minds would disagree." Smiled at her, head tilting. "But you're not common, are you?"

Now she laughed, snorting. Everything about this so funny suddenly. Two killers seeking eachother in the grass.

He laughed with her, her light seeming to overcome him.

"Gods we should kill someone together."

She laughed even harder, falling into him.

Part 2

#very much inspired by the durge playthrough im doing rn. their romance is so Interesting #my girl tries So Hard to be good #astarion smut #astarion x dark urge #astarion x tav #lyrics by: dark signs - sleep token

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notyetfixed-a · 7 months

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@reining-disaster | continued from x

"How I've been-?" Rein tilted his head and looked over to his friends, "I mean it's only been a few months, but... Gale over there. He cooks and is amazing with magic and tells wonderful stories. Shadowheart is kinda dorky. Pretends she doesn't care, but always heals me. Karlach is warm and inviting. Can't always touch her, but she loves pretty much everyone. Halsin is patient with me. Helps me when I'm panicking. Astarion always fights by my side and loves listening to my gossip from my days in the upper city. Wyll is smart and loyal. He's brave and cool! And Lae'zel is a strong and capable warrior. She cares about her people and her passion is her love of them." "I'm still friends with them because I love them. I care about them. They make me feel safe. And they're my family." He explained, "Why is it you're still friends with me?" He nudged.

Her gaze followed his as he turned to look at all of those he called his friends. There was a tinge of jealousy, really. Tavriel hadn't really had the chance to make that close of bonds, even in her youth. To know his companions in these short months was astonishing to her. All she had ever known was her family, her business, her captors, and strangers who needed her. Well, until that was that they were captured in the Nautiloid.

She envies the love he has to share. Still, there is a smile that finds her features as she burns into her mind the descriptors of their companions that he gives. But, at his nudge, does the young woman blink slightly and pause. Why was she still his friend? He considered them friends? She was taken aback a moment at that one, and in her near three hundred years of life, Tavriel was at a loss. "...I...didn't realize that you considered me a friend..." For so long had she wandered the world helping those in need that she had acquaintances, sure, but not friends. This was the longest time she had spent with any being longer than a week.

"...I think it's because traveling with you is...nice? You're caring and observant...and you make sure you take care of your friends...and maybe there's a part of me that...selfishly wanted to be cared about, too..." Sure, she was cared about. But long had she desired for a life like she had when she was young. "F-Forgive me if that sounds too forward. I-I don't mean it in any kind of way I mean! You're great, I just !" She covered her face now in embarrassment, curling in slightly as if she were a turtle trying to crawl back in her shell. "I'll just shut up now..."

#v: bg3 | sv; rein #dragons fire | tavriel ebonbough #tavriel speaks #queue queued #sorry for the word vomit!#im just v excited to be roleplaying again #<3

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galebrainrott · 5 months

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Hi Galemancers, indulge me for a moment.

Currently, I have a specific OC that I romance with Gale (and I write fanfic of.) However, my very first Tav had a horrific story arc and I just wanted to share it. Spoilers for the entire game

My very first Tav, who I lovingly named Wendy due to her orange double braids, was a street urchin. (Bard x Rogue multiclassed)

Most of her day-to-day pre-bg3 consisted of busking and hoping she made enough to get some food. If she didn't, well, she relied on her sleight of hand to get her by. Some would call it an unfortunate life, but she was happy enough to be able to sing everyday.

This was, until the events of BG3.

Tadpoled, lost, far from home and surrounded by strangers, she had no other choice but to rely on her guile and charm. She was funny, lighthearted. She kept everyone in check, made them feel comfortable, let them open up to her.

But she was in unfamiliar waters. Lae'zel, Karlach and Wyll had endless years of combat experience. Halsin, Shadowheart, and Gale no doubt had some fighting experience, even if just a little.

Wendy, however, was a bard. A performer. She lived on the streats and avoided trouble when she could. The first thing she killed was an imp, on the nautiloid.

It's a devilish creature, don't feel bad for it, she thought.

But it was so small, and looked almost like a toddler somehow. She had no time to process any of that until she had to kill again. And again, and again.

There were so many things to learn, things to read, things that were important to the journey. But Wendy was illiterate. There were many times when she, bashfully, had to ask Gale or someone else to read something for her.

Not to mention the fact that all of the armor was far, far too heavy for her. So she gritted her teeth at every attack. Just because Shadowheart could heal her, doesn't mean that it didn't hurt though.

She bonded with Gale, as she started asking him to teach her how to read. At first, she was scared.

Would he think of me less? She thought, I know how much he loves to read.

But he didn't. He taught her with an endearing passion, not at all talking down to her. She liked him for that. A lot of smart peoppe tend to be demeaning, but he was different. He just enjoyed the things he liked and loved to share them.

They got closer. But the journey went on. And she found herself having to make decisions that she was not prepared for.

The orb? Shadowhearts parents? Ascension? Vlaakith?

All of these choices, weighed on her shoulders.

There were times where she wanted to scream, I don't know! I don't know what any of that means!

Whenever one of her companions sought her counsel, she worried endlessly about whether she was making the right choice or not. Is it naive to not seek a goddess' forgiveness? Is it foolish to not want to ascend to power? What are we even fighting?

Then came her final decision. Orpheus, the orb or herself.

Orpheus, the heir to the githyanki and the final piece of their freedom, he can't turn into a mindflayer.

Gale using the orb? Obviously not.

Which only left her. But who cares about her, truly? If she had become a mindflayer, who would really grieve? She had noone back home, and she had only known her current friends for a few months.

They all had somewhere to get back to, something to want. But she?

So she did it, she became the mindflayer. All was won.

At the end, when she talking to her allies, they all suggested she hide away. Understandable.

She talked to Gale last, afraid at what turning into a mindflayer might mean for their relationship.

He, however, smiled, and proposed to her.

Even in my current state? She asked.

Your current state is that you're the one I love, he replied

So, anyway that HORRIFIC first game of mine is why I love Gale so much.

My tavs, henceforth, are stronger so that it's evened out a little.

Thank you Galemancers.

#gale dekarios #bg3 #gale bg3 #gale of waterdeep #bg3 gale #baldur's gate 3 #gale #gale x tav

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pockavas · 7 months

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Halsin - trusting your fears

Part 3

The hours passed, the fire in the camp had long since gone out, not even an ember remained. Halsin was sitting cross-legged in front of his tent, looking worried and distant, waiting for Ross to return. He was angry with himself for letting her escape, but he also knew that she was not a woman to be easily contradicted.

Frowning at the thought, he snorted, a low growl escaping his throat in annoyance. With a few movements he entered his tent,he undressed and prepared for bed. He was sure that sleep would not overtake him until he saw her alive and well, at least that much, and he longed to take her in his arms.

He closed his eyes and left himself to the darkness and the silence.

...

Ross returned to camp, two rabbits strapped to her belt, the promised catch for breakfast. Swaying, she slowly walked over to the cold embers and threw her catch beside it on a stone. She felt sick, she felt like she was being rubbed, sweat was running down her forehead, and she had pain on the right side of her chest. It seems that the good healer Halsin was right about her wound, but thanks to her stubbornness, her condition worsened.

With slow steps she reached Halsin's tent, crouched at its entrance and entered. Even this simple act cost her effort.

Halsin sensed her immediately, before she even rushed at him, raised himself on one arm and stared at her.

"-Halsin"-she started first-"I'm not feeling well... I'm sorry, I should have listened to your advice earlier."-with her head down Ross mumbled-"I'm cold."-her body shook.

"-My dear, come to me. I will take care of you!" Halsin added softly, hiding his anxiety.

Halsin partially pushed back the covers, reaching out invitingly to her, giving her a place to settle. In the darkness of his hideout, Ross could make out the shape of his body, naked, bulky, under the blankets, on the leather mattress—such a welcome sight. But she didn't have enough strength to react other than to get on all fours and try to undress.

Halsin noticed the effort she was making even for that, reached over and helped her take off her dirty boots, pants, torn blouse.

"-So now, come to me, let me see what's happening. Promise me that you'll listen."- said Halsin gently, a little playfully even, in an attempt to hide his anxiety. Now her almost naked body was not the most important thing, but her safety and health.

Ross nodded meekly, coming over to him and immediately laying back against the soft skin, breathing heavily and raggedly.

Halsin made her lie on her left side so he could examine the wound. His elven eyes didn't need the extra light to see what they needed to. The cut was a strange greenish color, the skin around it was red, undoubtedly infected, hence the fever. Halsin frowned, venom, thought, how could he have missed it. Here was another error of distraction, of lust for her, a distraction that might have endangered her.

"-Well, how's the situation?" Ross barely muttered.

"-The arrow was poisonous, not fatal, but... If I hadn't missed it, you wouldn't be in this state now, forgive me, honey. It's my fault!"-Halsin began to utter another prayer, to nature, to heal the poison from Ross's body, a soft light once again shone from his palm.

"-There's nothing to forgive you for, I was too... tense and I didn't let you... heal me then... You're to blame only ... for being... You..."- the words came out of cuts from Ross. The healing magic was already working, relief ran through Ross's body, she began to relax, surrender to the fatigue. Her mind was about to sink into the darkness of sleep.

"-So... By morning you'll be almost as good as new. Rest now."-words spoken with such tenderness that such a man could not possibly be capable of. -"I am here for you."

Halsin lay down on his side beside her, put his left hand under her head like a pillow, and with his right arm he pulled her to him and hugged her.

How blissful was the feeling of her whole body pressed against his, hot and feverish.

Ross didn't protest, she felt blissful, sure. Only shivers still shook her, and she pressed herself further into him. With her back she could feel Halsin's chest and stomach, thick and strong, giving support, his hand on her, like insulation from the night.

"-You will warm up soon, I promise you." Halsin assured her.

"-I believe you..."-Ross muttered-"you're...like a hot summer wave...you...are...under my skin, not just on it..." -for more, the powers she didn't have enough. She only managed to grab his hand and hug it to her chest.

Halsin was drowning in her words, he knew that the fever had removed the barrier in front of her tongue, and maybe she wouldn't be so open, not now. He tried to wrap his whole body around her, to warm her, to heal her.

In the morning Ross woke up and Halsin was gone, some moments of her evening were lost, she wasn't sure what happened. Beside her,s he found a tray of bread, cheese, fruit and... honey. Breakfast especially for her?! She definitely felt better, rested, the wound didn't hurt as if it hadn't been there. She ate some of the food, carefully dipping each piece of fruit into the honey, excellent forest honey with a hint of herbs. After she had her fill, she rested one last time on the soft furrs beneath her, pulling her close and breathing in its scent, Halsin's scent.

A vague memory of Halsin and his naked body standing out against the dark tent flashed through her mind. Was he naked? And she? She looked under the covers, she was half naked, but she was sure that nothing had happened. How she wished!

After a while she decided that she had to fight the urge to stay in the darkness of the tent, pulled on her dirty clothes and lazily made her way outside. She took refuge in her corner of the camp, changed into new clothes, cleaned her armor.

Outside again,she saw Halsin standing by the fire talking with Gale and Shadowheart, preparing breakfast.

Ross came over, waved them good morning, greeted them. She walked behind Halsin, and for a breaf moment, before passing him, she put a hand on his shoulder. Her palm was so small compared to his shoulders.

"Thank you," whispered the gesture discreetly. Halsin knew this by only turning his head slightly to his shoulder as a sign that he understood. He was understanding.

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #halsin baldur's gate 3 #halsin #halsin bg3 #halsin romance

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ecoamerica · 1 month

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lewis42 · 3 months

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It’s been a long day (and all I’ve gotta say is make it strong)

Astarion x f!Tav. Ao3 link

Even after being allowed to drink from Tav, Astarion doesn’t feel safe in camp. When a battle goes badly, he braces for the worst.

Rating: Mature for topics discussed. No smut

Tags/TW: discussion of child death, aftermath of violence, Astarion needs a hug, Tav needs a drink, pre-relationship

Word count: 3.5k.

Chapter 1/1

A/N: I accidentally killed the goblin kids while freeing Halsin and I had Feelings about it.

——————-!

Astarion was packing

He didn’t want to be packing, he wanted to be having a nice, quiet little panic attack. In the fight to free the druid, one of the goblins had not only summoned a giant spider, but had cast blindness on Astarion. For ten agonizing minutes he’d been in a blackness no darkvison could penetrate. It had sent him right back to that year Cazador had locked him away, the hunger and the darkness and the maddening, maddening silence. Even now thinking about it made his hands shake.

He’d rather have been eaten by the spider.

All other things being equal, he should be curled up on his bedroll right now drinking sour wine and trying to forget. But things were never equal for him, because life couldn’t give him a godsdamned break. And if he was to be run out of camp, he’d take as much as he could with him.

“Astarion,” a voice sounded from outside his tent, the last voice he wanted to hear, and the only one he’d been expecting. “May I come in?”

Astarion shoved his pack into the corner with one foot and tried to look as indifferent as possible. “if you must.”

Tav pushed her way into the tent. She had taken her chest armor off, but still wore the light shirt and leg guards. There was blood in her pulled-back hair. “So eager to see me that you couldn’t stop to bathe?” Astarion asked, wrinkling his nose. “Or is it a religious requirement that clerics of Kelemvor smell like the dead?”

Tav just raised her eyebrows at him. As usual, any attempt at disdain rolled right off of her. “I’m checking on everyone before I get cleaned up and turn in for the night. That was a brutal fight.”

“Well, don’t worry about me darling,” Astarion said. “I enjoyed the carnage.”

“Did you?” Tav said, tilting her head. Astarion braced himself. Here it comes.

“Because I saw your face when that blindness spell hit you,” Tav went on. and gods that was her cleric voice, the one she surely used at funerals, a gentle, nonjudgmental tone meant to comfort the grieving and sooth the dying. “I wanted to be sure you were all right.”

Astarion refused to be soothed or comforted. How dare she pretend to care about him, especially now?

“Feel free to tell me to mind my business,” Tav said, “I just know you said you were a slave to Cazador, and I’ve met more than one slave with a justified fear of the dark.”

Astarion hated her in that moment with the power of a thousand suns. “You should mind your business,” he snapped viciously “I didn’t survive 200 years of torture to be pitied by an idealistic chit with no common sense and…and a snub nose!”

Tav froze, eyes wide as a fawn’s. More at his tone probably than his words, those hadn’t been his best insults. But the anger was real and he could see she knew it.

“Forgive me,” Tav said at last, “I will be more mindful of your privacy in the future.” Then she turned to leave the tent.

“Is that it?” Astarion said, incredulous. “You’re really going to make me wait for the hammer to drop? I knew you were pathetic, but I didn’t think you were cruel.”

“What?” Tav took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. “Okay let’s start over, because I feel like we're having two different conversations. Why do you think I came in here?” She sounded so patient, and it flamed the deep rage in Astarion’s chest.

“Don’t play dumb with me,” he snarled. “We both know you came here to tell me to get out of camp, so drop the games and fucking do it already!”

“Why the fuck would I ask you to leave camp?” Tav said, clearly bewildered. Astarion wanted to shake her.

“Because I killed two kids today!”

The words hung in the air. Tav’s face crumpled, and it made something deep within Astarion hurt. But he couldn’t stop.

“I killed those goblin kids. And I know that you know it was me because I saw you praying over them before we left. I know how you feel about kids. All of us know how you feel about kids. ‘Children are what adults make them Astarion’ ‘We don’t charge for children Astarion.’ I still have their blood under my fingernails and between my teeth, so don’t stand there and tell me that you don’t care!”

There was a moment of silence.

“I do care,” Tav said at last. She rubbed her hand over her face. “Gods I’m tired. Can I sit down?”

“Ugh, fine,” Astarion gestured to the bedroll. He wanted to strike out again, make her get on with it, but Tav looked…broken. Broken in a way he hadn’t seen before. It was unsettling.

Tav sat down cross-legged on his bedroll and indicated one of the bottles nearby. “Is that blood or wine?”

“Wine,” Astarion said. “It’s terrible.”

“That’s fine, I don’t want it for the taste. May I?” He nodded and Tav reached for the bottle, giving it a healthy swig. “Ack, this one is nasty.” She took another drink. “And I know you took those kids down. I saw you do it.”

“Can’t keep your eyes off me, even in battle?” Astarion purred. “I’m flattered.”

“I was watching the kids,” Tav said, ignoring him. “They were running for help, and I was trying to figure out how to stop them. But you did it for me.”

Astarion said nothing.

Tav took another drink, then carefully set the bottle aside. “The truth is, it’s my fault. I thought I could bluff my way through like I always do, but things escalated and I lost control of the situation. I should have planned better, put Shadowheart near the exit maybe. And when I realized there were children involved, I should have backed off until I figured out how to knock them out or get them out of the way safely. But I didn’t do any of that, and now they’re dead. That’s on me, not you.”

Astarion hadn’t even considered using non-lethal options. The first kid had been pure adrenaline. He’d registered someone running for help and run to take care of the problem. The second one…. The second one had been instinct. He’d been blind and terrified and full of remembered hunger, and then something small and warm-blooded had run past him. Like a rat but larger. He hadn’t even fully realized what he’d done until the blindness spell wore off.

“Look, I promised you I’d never bite an innocent,” Astarion said, letting some of his anger drain away. “I broke that promise. You can take responsibility if you like, the gods know I don’t want it. But that doesn’t change the fact that I basically ate a child.”

Tav rubbed her forehead with two fingers. “No, no it doesn’t.” She looked up. “Was it good?”

Astarion frowned. “Was what good?”

“The goblin kid you drained. Was it tasty? Satisfying?”

“Are you seriously asking me this?”

“Yes,” Tav said, still calm, still watching him. “Was it good?”

“Well…” Astarion felt oddly lost. This conversation was so far from what he expected. “I guess? The blood wasn’t as robust as an adult’s and the flow wasn’t as strong, so I only got a couple swallows.”

“So if you had a choice, you’d pick an adult to bite? Or an animal?”

“I mean, animal blood is rather nasty,” Astarion said. “But no, on the whole it wouldn’t be worth the effort. Not if there was better prey available.” He pulled himself back to reality. “What the hells does it matter anyway? Even if you’re willing to let it go, it’s not like the others will. They already think I’m a bloodthirsty killer.”

“There’s more than one of those in camp,” Tav pointed out. “Although you’re more literally blood thirsty, and Lae’zel is more in line with the traditional sense. Besides the others don’t know.”

Astarion stared at her. “What do you mean they don’t know?”

“Just what I said.” Tav shrugged. “Halsin was dealing with the worgs, Karlach was fighting a giant spider, Shadowheart was trying to get across the grease that other goblin threw at us. I’m pretty sure no one saw you but me.” She eyed the wine bottle again. “And I did a little clothing adjustment when I said a prayer over them to cover the bite. As far as everyone else is concerned, you took down both those kids in your usual way. Considering it kept us from being overrun with goblins, I doubt anyone will hold it against you.”

“You covered for me?” Astarion couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“Yeah.” Tav shrugged. “Look, no one else was anywhere near that door. If you hadn’t stopped them from sounding the alarm, we’d probably be dead. And the tieflings and their children would be dead. And who the fuck knows what this Absolute cult would do to Faerun. I don’t like doing that calculation, and I don’t like that I screwed up. But the truth is, you saved us.”

“And you trust me not to do it again?” Astarion said. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.” Tav took back the bottle and took a swig.

“I can’t decide if you are suicidal or just a fool.” Astarion couldn’t keep the bitter bite out of his words. There were few things he despised more than naive heroism. The world was a desert of blood and power and whatever rivers of goodness or kindness there might be would never change that, never reach the people who needed them the most.

He should know, after all.

But Tav’s next words shocked him into silence.

"You mean for trusting you?” Tav said. “I don’t, really. Or I suppose you could say I trust you just as much as I trust most of the people in this camp, which is very little.” She waved the bottle. “What I trust is your sense of self preservation. You’re far too smart to risk being staked or run out for a bite-sized snack that you’ve admitted doesn’t even taste that good.”

It was certainly nothing compared to yours, Astarion thought, then refocused on Tav’s words. “You don’t trust anyone in camp? But you’re so.. so… nice.”

“Thank you!” Tav said brightly. “But kindness and wariness can co-exist you know. I trust Withers because we’re…well, we’re colleagues of a sort. And I trust Karlach for the most part. But not the rest of you. Not yet.” She peered at him, her eyes slightly unfocused. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed that we’re basically one devil or deity’s command from being murdered in our beds.”

Astarion had not noticed that, and now that she’d pointed it out, he was miffed at himself. He’d only considered his companions in light of the direct threats they posed: Gale’s orb exploding, Lae’zel putting a stake through his heart, etc. He’d been more worried about being abandoned then being killed. But apparently there were other risks too, ones he’d missed.

Honestly the idea was rather fascinating.

Astarion plopped down on the ground, all his anger forgotten. “Walk me through it,” he said. “Lae’zel would absolutely stab us if that gith queen of hers told her to, that’s true. And Shadowheart’s a little too zealous for her dark goddess. But Gale? Wyll?”

“Gale’s a man who had love and power and doesn’t have it any more.” Tav said. “Plenty of people have done terrible things for less reason. And while I don’t doubt Wyll’s honor, I am a little wary of how easily Mizora was able to lie to him. He might be wiser now. Time will tell.”

“But you trust Karlach?”

“Karlach spent ten years doing nothing but killing on the orders of someone else. I’m sure she has a lever, because everyone does, but she’s the least likely to betray us in that way. She’d refuse on principle.”

“That’s probably true,” Astarion said. “As for me, we both know I’d sell the whole camp to Raphael for a ham sandwich.”

“You would not,” Tav said, and hells, she sounded almost affectionate. “But if you were offered freedom from the tadpole and Cazador, I don’t think you’d hesitate. Especially if you could keep the sun.”

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Astarion admitted. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for such an offer. “I like to think I’d hesitate a little though.”

“Awwww, that’s sweet. Maybe we’re all further along than I thought.” Tav sighed. “The point is, I trust all of you to have priorities and loyalties of your own, and I don’t trust a mere five days acquaintance to have much sway against those priorities. Hopefully we’ll get into actually trusting and valuing each other as we go, but I don’t think we’re there yet.”

“That’s…. incredibly astute. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“It’s the face,” Tav said. “I have permanent nice face. And a snub nose. It makes people underestimate you.” And then the chit actually winked at him.

Cheeky pup.

“So what’s your lever?” Astarion asked, trying to regain the upper hand in the conversation. “Especially regarding my good self. After all, Kelemvor condemns all undead, or so I’ve been told.”

Kelemvor was one of the only gods Astarion hadn’t bothered to pray to in his two hundred years of torment. He’d considered more than once begging the God of Death for a quick extinction, but in the end he’d been too stubborn--or too cowardly--to do it.

“Eh. It’s complicated. As long as you aren’t making more undead or actively preying on innocents, most clerics are happy to leave you alone and focus on the real problems.” Tav grew thoughtful. “Would I be willing to protect everyone if I had to kill another cleric of Kelemvor to do it? I honestly don’t know. Fortunately, that’s unlikely. Especially when you consider that Withers is helping us.”

“You know what he is?” Astarion said, leaning forward. “Do tell.”

Tav tapped him lightly on the nose. “Sorry, trade secrets,” she said with a grin. Then she sighed, putting down the bottle. “That’s more than enough for me, I’m afraid. It would be hard to lead with a massive hangover, and we still have three goblin leaders to kill. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I’ve mustered the will to stand up.”

For the first time since she’d entered his tent, Astarion actually looked at Tav. The tired slump of her shoulders, the lines around her eyes. There was a loneliness and a sadness to her that he’d not seen before. He wondered if it had always been there, hidden under her cheerful care.

“You can sleep here if you like,” Astarion said impulsively. “If you trust me not to drain you dry and run for the hills.”

“Please,” Tav scoffed. “Without the artifact, you wouldn’t make it a day before the Absolute got to you, and you value your freedom too much to let that happen.”

Now that he knew more of her mind, Astarion could read between the lines. I know you never want to be a slave again. He was grateful to her for not saying it out loud.

He could try and steal the artifact, but it might not allow itself to be stolen. Besides Shadowheart would hunt him down and Karlach and Wyll would help her just to avenge Tav.

Astarion would bet a full meal of bear’s blood that Tav knew all that already. That she’d known it when she offered him her neck on the day she discovered his secret. Tav didn’t trust him to be good, she trusted him to be smart enough and selfish enough to work with the group for his own--and everyone else’s--benefit.

She trusted him to be exactly who he was.

Being seen so clearly was uncomfortable. It made something coil in Astarion’s gut, a feeling that was something like fear and something like hunger. Instinctively he took refuge in the tools he’d always used.

“There are other dangers you know,” he said, moving closer to Tav and tracing the tip of one finger over her soft chin. “I could take advantage of you… carnally.”

Tav’s eyes were wide and open in the dim light, and her lips and cheeks were flushed with wine. He could smell the sweetness of her blood pumping as her heart rate picked up. Her chest rose and fell under the thin linen shirt, the plush breasts teasing him. Astarion had a sudden vision of his fingers digging into Tav’s hips, of burying himself inside all that soft, carefully guarded warmth. The wave of lust made him dizzy.

“I’m afraid I wouldn’t enjoy it,” Tav said. “Not tonight. Too many thoughts and too much wine.”

Not enjoy it? The nerve. Astarion cradled Tav’s jaw, tilting her head up. “Darling, you wound me. I could drive every thought out of that pretty little head and make sure you sleep better than you’ve ever slept in your life.” His lips were close enough to Tav’s for their breath to mingle. He could hear her heart pounding.

“Astarion,” she breathed.

“Yes, sweet one?”

“I don’t want to have sex while I smell like the dead.” She pulled back, a smile playing around her soft mouth.

Astarion chuckled, he couldn’t help it. The woman kept surprising him. “Touché, my dear.” He released her and sat back. “Genuinely though, you’re welcome to stay. I’m not planning on closing my eyes tonight, and we can’t have our fearless leader stumbling across camp. You might fall into the fire. Besides,” He reached out and tapped her nose in turn. “I don’t think you want to be alone tonight.”

Tav inclined her head, acknowledging the hit. “You sure you don’t mind?”

“Just don’t make it a habit,” Astarion said. “I don’t like dirty girls in my bed.”

Now it was Tav’s turn to laugh, but sadly she didn’t rise to the bait. “Goodnight Astarion.”

“Goodnight.” Astarion watched her snuggle in under his blanket, feeling oddly pleased. It was probably just relief. Tav wasn’t kicking him out and she wasn’t angry. He was safe for another day.

As quietly as he could, Astarion started to unpack his things, enjoying the richer silence that comes from having two people in a room instead of one. Then a noise caught his ear. The tiniest of choked sobs.

Tav was turned away from him, but he could hear her faintly ragged breaths, and smell the saltiness of tears. She was so quiet that Astarion doubted anyone without the senses of an elf or a vampire would have noticed. But he did, and he recognized it: the silent crying of someone long practiced in hiding their grief. Someone who couldn’t risk drawing attention.

Astarion had given up on the comfort of tears a hundred years ago or more, but he still remembered.

He didn’t stir, barely breathed until Tav’s own breath smoothed out and she sank into sleep. Then he crept over to look closer. There were tear marks on her face and on his pillowcase, and Tav herself had curled up so tightly it was like she was trying to make herself disappear.

Astarion remembered doing that too.

“What secrets are you hiding, darling?’ he whispered, lightly brushing some wayward hair from her forehead. Tav didn’t answer but he thought she relaxed a little under his touch. Astarion sat back, thinking hard.

He’d assumed--they’d all assumed--that Tav was a simple cleric: a decent fighter with a flair for creative strategy and an open heart. But she was so much more than that. Under that sweet, unruffled demeanor was the practical mind of a master tactician. In five days Tav had found everyone’s deepest emotional levers, and used that knowledge, not for manipulation or judgement, but for planning. For threat assessment.

She hid her hurt on instinct, she froze when she felt threatened, she was keenly aware of everyone around her. Astarion had been a predator for a long, long time and he recognized the signs. Sometime in the past, Tav had been prey.

And still…she was kind.

Astarion looked at the cleric sleeping peacefully in his bedroll and knew two things for absolute certain. One: in her own way, Tav was the most dangerous person in camp. And two: Astarion needed to become a priority to her, fast.

He needed a plan

#baldur's gate 3 #astarion #astarion x tav #bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #astarion fanfic

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blackjackkent · 7 days

Note

8, 12, 17, 28, 33, 35, and 39 for your durge and hector!!

ik its alot so dont feel like tou have to answer allll of them lmao. Im very curious about rhaka 👉👈 (hope i spelled that right)

(Tav/Durge as Companion Ask Meme)

Surprising no one, I'm doing the WHOLE DAMN THING. :D I hope you enjoy. <3

Hector first!

8. Companion/romance death reactions

Lae'zel: "Get up, Lae'zel! This is not our last fight!" Shadowheart: "I'll protect you in Selune's name, will you or no!" Karlach: "No! You don't fall here, not after everything!" Wyll: "We've more yet to save, Wyll! Get up!" Gale: "Gale, no! Hold on, I'm coming!" Astarion: "Damn it-- no! Astarion!" Jaheira: "Jaheira's down! We've got to help her!" Halsin: "Hold tight - I'll help you, Halsin!" Minsc: "I'm coming, my friend! For you and Boo both!" Romanced PC: "My love! No, please. PLEASE!"

12. Encountering a locked chest/door

"Locked. Though that never seems to bother us much."

"Selune forgive me, I suppose. If she cares about this particular lock."

"This didn't used to be a part of my day-to-day."

17. Looking in a mirror

"Gods, the road's a dusty place, eh?"

"I've never looked so tired."

"The glass didn't crack, so we have that."

28. Party banter with Karlach

(Needless to say, in a scenario where Hector is a companion, he and Karlach are implied to get together in a scenario where neither are romanced. :P Because I said so.)

(Act 1) Hector: "I must admit, I don't know how you dart around with that axe in battle so easily." Karlach: "Well, when the weapon's bigger than you are, it's challenging. Like an imp with a longsword - cute but unwieldy." Hector: [mock-affronted] "Well, luckily I do so well with just my fists instead." Karlach: "And look good doing it, too!"

(Act 2, after Karlach's second repair, if neither romanced) Hector: "Gods, it's bleak out here. I've never gone so long without seeing moonlight of an evening. It's unsettling." Karlach: "Well, I can't do anything about the moonlight, but I bet I could make you see stars." Hector: "What?" Karlach: "What?"

(Act 3, after Hector's personal quest (deciding to stay with the party rather than return to the monastery)) Karlach: "So... decided to keep slumming it here with us, eh, Hec?" Hector: [gravely] "It wasn't an easy decision - but I've changed too much. I couldn't go back." Karlach: "Well, I'm glad you stuck around. Too many things still need punching, and you put on the best show in town!"

33. Party banter with Minthara

Passing on this one for now as I have not really had her as a companion yet. I also have an open request from @zenjestrr to do Hector banter with Minthara once I know her better, so I'll answer this then. XD

35. How would your Tav/Durge greet a player character if they were a companion at low, neutral, high, or romanced approval?

Answered here for another similar meme; copied here for completeness. :D

“Are we there yet?” (very deadpan) (negative approval)

“Make it quick.” (negative approval)

“What new madness to deal with?” (low approval)

“You look like you want something.” (low approval)

“Name what you need and you’ll have it.” (medium approval)

“Sorry, let me mark my place– there. Something I can do for you?” (medium approval)

“My sibling in moonlight. What can I do for you?” (high approval - Selunite)

“Always glad to see you. What can I do for you?” (high approval - others)

“I swear you can tell when I’m feeling lonely. Hello, darling.” (romanced)

“My love. Tell me everything.” (romanced)

39. If romanceable, what lines would they say if a player character prompted them with, "Can I kiss you?"

"I will never say no, my love."

"Gods, please - I could use it."

[slightly giddily] "Ahhh... lucky me."

----

And Rakha!

8. Companion/romance death reactions

Lae'zel: "Stand - the fight's not won." Shadowheart: "Get up. Your goddess watches you." Karlach: "I will not let you die." Wyll: "No. No! Get up!" Gale: "Agh-- the Weave cracks-- someone get him up!" Astarion: "Not your blood, not now. Theirs!" Jaheira: "If I must fight on, then so must you." Halsin: "No earthen grave for you yet, druid." Minsc: "Will you die with skulls yet uncracked?" Romanced PC: "If you die, I will bleed the world dry!"

12. Encountering a locked chest/door

Answered here.

17. Looking in a mirror

"I knew that face, once."

"Where did the scar come from?"

"Sometimes it looks out of my eyes..."

28. Party banter with Karlach

(Act 1) Rakha: "You fight with rage. Blind violence." Karlach: "Yeah, well, I've got plenty to be angry about. And, well, sometimes it just feels good to really let loose, you know?" Rakha: "Yes. When I think of spilling blood, it is when I feel most alive." Karlach: "You know, somehow it's way creepier when you say it."

(Act 2 - after whatever happens to cause THE reveal) Karlach: "You know, I was jealous of you for a while. Would've been nice to be able to forget everything that happened to me in Avernus." Rakha: "And now?" Karlach: "Now... I don't know. I hope you're doing okay. You've had a lot dropped on you." Rakha: "I have. And I am not doing okay. But... thank you for asking."

(Act 3 - after Gortash's death) Rakha: "It was good to see Gortash die." Karlach: "Really fed the ol' beast, did it? Tried to really splatter him up, just for you." Rakha: "That isn't what I mean. [pause] He was cruel. You did not deserve it. So I am glad he is dead." Karlach: [slightly startled] "Oh. I mean-- yeah. Thanks. Me too. [pause] Obviously."

33. Party banter with Minthara

Once again, passing this until I know Minthara better. XD

35. How would your Tav/Durge greet a player character if they were a companion at low, neutral, high, or romanced approval?

Also answered here and recopied. :D

“…” (negative approval)

“What?” (negative approval)

“Say what you must.” (low approval)

“Go on, then.” (low approval)

“Who needs killing?” (medium approval)

“I have more questions. But you may speak first.” (medium approval)

“My blade is ready. Speak your need.” (high approval)

“Something troubles you?” (high approval)

“I wish I could show you what I see. How the Weave dances around you.” (romanced)

“It calms when you are close… I thank you…” (romanced)

“Please… come back later. The blood is… distracting.” (random, when spoken to while bloodstained from battle; conversation cuts off immediately)

39. If romanceable, what lines would they say if a player character prompted them with, "Can I kiss you?"

"Yes."

"I would like that."

(random) "I don't... want to be touched right now. Later. Please..."

#hex-rex #ask meme #hector carlisle #rakha the dark urge #i spent too much time on this but i had fun the whole time XD #ty for all the prompts! :D #i made myself laugh with that act 2 banter with karlach and hector lol #the act 2/3 banters with rakha are guesses obviously bc i haven't actuallly gotten there with her yet lol

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margridarnauds · 2 months

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So, would you mind telling me about Kitrye's backstory? I'd love to learn about her!

A chance to talk about my girl? Yes? Thank you!

(Tw for implied sexual assault in the first paragraph, because Happy Drow Family Times)

Kitrye was born in Menzoberranzan; her father was a captured Wood Elf, her mother was a member of the Symryvvin family, known for producing priestesses for Lolth. When he attempted to escape, months before Kitrye was born, he was ultimately sacrificed -- Kitrye never got to meet him. One of her biggest what-ifs is what would have happened if he'd waited six or seven more months, or if he hadn't tried to escape, whether he would have tried to take her or whether she'd have just been an unpleasant reminder of the worst period of his life. (Not surprisingly, the Emperor took the form of how she imagined her father to be -- which is the reason why she could never forgive him.) (Also not surprisingly, her relationship with Halsin is...interesting. Decidedly not sexual despite some initial interest from him, but interesting.)

As is customary for Drow children, she spent her early childhood in a shared room with the children of the extended Symryvvin family, who took one look at the Half-Elf girl and saw an easy mark. Kitrye developed into a quiet, cautious girl who learned to make careful use of her words, observing her bullies and turning their own weaknesses against them, sometimes exploiting the inherently frayed family dynamics of Drow culture to make them fight one another instead of her. This dynamic changed when Kitrye was about five years old, when her mother suddenly announced that she was to have a sister, and introduced her to a grungy street urchin that she had christened Mallathalra. Mallathalra was a Szarkai, one of the albino Drow believed to be a sign of Lolth's favor for their use in acting as infiltrators, and so, when Kitrye's mother came across the child in the streets, she took it as a sign from Lolth and adopted and renamed her. Malla would claim, as an adult, that she had decided that, by teaming up with Kitrye, she was insuring her own survival by siding with the Symryvvin child who was least likely to be an impediment to her rise to the top of the family hierarchy -- In reality, while Malla is nothing if not pragmatic, there was likely more to it. Perhaps it was out of a sense of empathy towards another outcast child, perhaps it was that Kitrye was the only one to treat her as neither an intruder to the family OR as a living weapon, but, regardless, they became a team, with Malla earning the scar across her eye that she sports during the events of the main game because she stepped in when the other children came very close to killing Kitrye. (The bullies came out much, much worse from that encounter.)

Kitrye had a close relationship with the House Wizard, who she studied alchemy under, developing a talent for it and, as she and Malla both grew older, would sometimes develop healing salves and poisons for her sister to use, while Malla continued to protect Kitrye. Due to the traditional isolation of House Symryvvin from the rest of Drow society, as well as some residual shame around Kitrye's birth, the girls were kept sheltered, save for special occasions, even though they did sometimes sneak off to dances and excursions to Lake Donigarten (one of own biggest What-Ifs is ~30-35 year old Kitrye, chafing against her family, meeting a Slightly Younger Raphael -- it would absolutely have ended badly, but would have been a glorious trainwreck. Malla still would have hated him). It was around this time that she first encountered Eilistraee, having become separated from Malla in a cave and encountering a silver moth, who guided her back to the mouth of the cave. She quietly began to research the goddess, sneaking into her mother's own personal archives to find whatever references she could find, and began the process of entering her service.

When she was forty, as per custom, Kitrye was entered into the Arach-Tinilith university, under the exacting eye of headmistress Triel Baenre. It was around this time that she began to fully lead a double life as a Secret Moondancer of Eilistraee, using her knowledge of the school and the city as a whole to aid in Eilistraee's aims, freeing potential ritual sacrifices, aiding in other Drows' defections to the surface world through a series of secret waypoints and stops throughout the city. The irony is that while she was helping other Drow to escape, she was doing very poorly on a personal level, through a combination of Triel's own tyranny, the toxic environment fostered by the academy, and her isolation from Malla, who underwent secret martial training instead of Arach-Tinilith. Even though Eilistraee did her best to soothe her, and her loyalty to her goddess remained firm, these years were marked by an increasing feeling of claustrophobia and hopelessness. When it came to be too much, she ended up daring an escape of her own, and, as she made it to the surface world for the first time, she pledged herself fully to Eilistraee as her paladin, swearing an Oath of the Ancients. (She missed the Drow Graduation Demon Orgy 😔 )

By the time we meet her in-game, there are still gaps in her knowledge regarding the surface world, especially in arcane matters, and she is still very much coming to terms with her relationship with both the surface world and Drow culture. Still, she's had over a century to acclimate, operating loosely out of the Eilistraeen conclave in Waterdeep but, in general, going wherever there's a need, especially now that, post-Sundering, Eilistraee has come back from the dead. The natural reserve from her childhood has left her somewhat antisocial, rarely interacting with Eilistraeen communities longterm and communicating her true feelings to very few people, instead putting on a very good front of being unbothered by any disasters to come about. The only people she might be more honest with, in Malla's absence, are other defectors from the Menzoberranzan aristocracy, like Liriel Baenre and Jhelnae Horlbar, but even then, she often puts on a front in favor of focusing on the mission...which all comes tumbling down by Act 3 of the game. (Part of the reason why she IS drawn to Raphael is that he is very, very good at reading her, which can be frustrating but also means that he often understands her better than her companions do.) But things are changing -- Kitrye's grandmother, the famed Matron Mother Hesken P'aj Symryvvin, has died, and Kitrye's mother has now taken over as Matron Mother of the house, sending a now-fully grown and lethal Mallathalra to retrieve her sister from the surface by any means necessary. (Malla knows about Kitrye's worship of Eilistraee, discovering it and keeping it a secret from their mother, who is firmly in denial that she could raise an apostate, especially since Kitrye IS her only biological daughter. Malla claims she kept it secret for leverage over her sister in the future. Malla is lying.)

And then...the Nautiloid happens.

#oc: kitrye #long post #once again: thank you for letting me infodump on the girl #it's funny because there were aspects that were deliberately chosen to parallel Raph but then there were things that popped up organically #where I was like 'Throw it in'#Malla wasn't originally a thing and so the Hearthflame Sisters parallels were unintentional #(on the record: RIP to Kor but Malla is very very different)#(the ONLY reason she does not kill Raphael is that it would Make Kitrye Very Sad)

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theshotsheardacrossworlds · 4 months

Text

WIP...Wednesday

I mentioned my hibernation fic the other day, so I decided to share a bit of it for WIP Wednesday. :D

He smiled as he bent to kiss her. She is perfect. She fills my heart with such joy. “I was feeling tired.”

“Again?” Her voice was tinged with worry.

Pulling up his chair next to hers, he sighed. “Yes, but I think I know what it is.” She offered an encouraging nod, and he continued. “Every so often, the bear needs to hibernate. It’s getting to be that time.” He watched as she put a slip of paper inside her book and closed it.

“How long?”

“It can range from a week to three months. It’s never the same, and I won’t know for long I’ve been hibernating until I wake.” She’s going to ask if she can come with me. Oh Annie, please…

As she serious as he had ever seen her, she asked, “Can I come with you?”

He sandwiched one of her hands in his as he shook his head. “No. It’s far too dangerous. Best to stay here and—” Please don’t fight me on this. It’s too dangerous. Far, far too dangerous.

Anais smiled sadly. “Carry on as best I can.”

The two sat in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. “I will write to your mother, Nadia, and Astarion to see if any of them would like to be with you while I’m gone. Or perhaps Gale could make the trip from Waterdeep. Or Shadowheart and her parents?” I would also suggest Wyll and Karlach, but alas, they cannot return from Avernus, and gods know where Lae’zel is.

Her other hand now rested on the top of his. “Oh no, please. I don’t want to be a bother. Besides, I’m not alone when I have Scratch, Horace, and Obie here. And there’s also everyone in town. I’ll be okay.” She reassured him with a kiss on his cheek.

Their foreheads touched as he closed his eyes. I don’t want you to feel alone. I want you to be surrounded by love and care while I hibernate. It will make my sleep much more peaceful. “Since we have coupled, we have not spent one night apart. I worry if my hibernation lasts more than a week or two you will be lonely, my heart.” And it breaks my heart to see you sad.

She wrinkled her nose and gave him a quick peck. “Oh, I’ll be alright. Don’t worry about me.” Impossible, dearest one. “Is there anything else we need to do before you, I assume, go into a cave and sleep?”

Halsin chuckled heartily. “Yes! I’ll start scouting for one tomorrow. There is something else, Annie. I need to put on some weight.”

Anais raised an eyebrow. “How much?”

“Usually between forty to sixty pounds. Though,” he remembered a specific hibernation, soon after the Shadow Curse took hold. “There was one time I barely put on forty pounds, and it was…erm, not a pleasant experience. So please forgive me if I eat us out of house and home for the next several weeks.” Upon hearing her laugh, he shook his head. “You’re taking this remarkably well, my heart.”

She waved a dismissive hand with a grin. “To be honest, when you pass a certain point, some things are just filed under ‘strange but interesting druid things.’ This happens to be one of them.”

#annie wildheart #anais wildheart #halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3 halsin #wip wednesday #plus size tav #sorcerer tav #bear goes to sleep time #strange but interesting druid things

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ashacadence · 8 months

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Baldur’s Gate 3

This is just my impression so far and why I’ve been not so active. Yes I like the game and having fun with it. Or at least to a degree. I can see the replay ability with it but I’ll get to that in a second.

The game in on itself is addicting. I get the itch and I just fall into that hypnotic grind of wanting to explore, look through stuff and bring the maps to life the more pockets and paths I find. It’s nice and there’s neat fights or really cool places to see. All very beautiful scenery. The environment stuff and the interactions of discovering hidden treasures or characters noticing something as filler info. Super cool. I’ll find myself just trying to look for hidden paths to navigate or spot something that catches my eye to go and look.

The fucking camera is annoying. Also the movement/pathing tracking or whatever can sometimes be it’s own worst enemy. I dunno if it’s better to play on the controller or not but I doubt it with how complex and easier it is to simply stick with mouse and keyboard. I just wish the camera pan and zoom was better instead of fighting it.

The characters in on themselves are entertaining and each are unique in their own special ways. Now, I’ve only been limited to the main three with mine but I’ll get to that in a sec. Lae’zel I’m still ehhhhhh on. I get why she’s prickly but oh boy she tests my patience some times. Also she hit on me at some point that had me sputtering and cackling.

I didn’t choose option 3. I chose 2. The screenshot had my mouse at that third one.

But y’all should have heard me laughing. Even if she was turned down she took it well but still with that confidence of “pssh you’re missing out.”

Girl…I’m trying to bang the vampire man okay. Maybe Halsin. Dunno yet. Haven’t gotten that far.

Shadowheart and I are good friends. She’s a little cinnamon roll but oh so blinded by her religion. Shadow babe hun you are so much more if you let yourself be more.

Astarion, I love his sass. We will either be best buds or friends with benefits or more. Don’t care. Happy to chat with him and have him around. His sass is great.

I would love to talk about more but here’s the thing. This is all the active people I have besides wyll who just doesn’t have enough for me to engage all that much with and I blame the writing for the game. He’s a very nice guy who’s in a bad situation but just doesn’t have that oomf for me personally just yet. Halsin I’m just now starting on his quest so I can get him in my party.

I missed my chance to get gale and karlach. This is where the start of my frustrations go where the game is unforgivable in making it obvious or segues on hey you should find this person like gale for one. Didn’t realize he was a random thing that’s seemingly dangerous and my instinct was oh let’s avoid this. Like come on. Karlach apparently was timed and I couldn’t get her after wyll gets his first punishment. Very unfair I thought. I been hearing karlach is an amazing character but nope. Won’t get that chance unless I restart back to wherever and/or replay the game entirely. BS

I’m trying to be vague as possible from spoiling and not giving too much big story info away so forgive me on the wyll part but that made me irritated. Because I wanted the whole deck of characters and be in on the know.

Also I think it’s BS of the game to only be four members when traveling. Should be 5-6 at least. Dunno if it’s just game coding and all that where that can be potentially be harder to process the different character AI and whatnot but man.

Extra members would be super helpful especially in big fights that are literally meant to beat the shit out of you. Some fights I had to redo two-four times. Some I had to weasel around and not just go in. Don’t care as this may be a subjective debate on how you play the game or how the game is but honestly it’s a bit counter intuitive. One of the big boss fights I won’t say I spent nearly three hours on. I was thinking omg am I even going to be able to continue because the game is that big of a jerk to players. I’m playing on balanced. Medium essentially or normal. Not that it matters but I also heard story teller or previous difficulty is not that much different either. There have been moments of progress I would make only to get knocked back an hour’s worth some times that makes me head desk. I try to save as often as I can.

But ya some of the fighting I just dread knowing it’s somehow going to be ass in some way because there’s hardly much of a means to prepare for everything unless you do. Then of course you retry with a different set up and the game may still be a absolute dick. It’s a matter of luck in a fight.

Like common sense at least to me hits with up close combat. Lot of the times my characters will miss on some swings that’s completely dumb in my book. You have this giant monster three feet in front of you and you miss a arc swing?? How?? I get that’s just how the spirit of dnd is but this is where computer vs tabletop comes into play on this scenario. It’s just how it’s coded and gotta live with it. Save a lot. Retry.

But ya some of the scenarios in or out of combat and just even the dice rolls will sometimes be absolute garbage on occasion. That’s just how it is on that too.

It’s a love hate with this game and there’s just some cases and things above like I wish the game was a bit more straightforward on like gathering more members and where and how to find them and time frames. Hell even one part in act one to do a certain something was on a time frame that I didn’t know about. So I’m just always anxious that everything is pretty much timed.

I do enjoy the game but I just have criticisms on it. I’m not hating on the game don’t raise pitchforks at me. It’s very entertaining and taking up my time because I’m fixated on it.

#ashascadence #bg3 #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate 3 #gaming #just let me meet Karlach #game please I beg of you

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th-ramblr · 7 months

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[Baldur's Gate 3] - Squidhawk #8

[Cross-posted on AO3]

Halsin was treading on thin ice with how he refused to leave, but if there was one good thing Kytes could say about him, its that he honored his word when he said he'd keep up some distance.

Was it the amount of distance Kytes wanted? No. But it was better than everyone else so far, who had carelessly tried to manhandle him at every turn. It was far enough away that he was never at risk of being touched were Halsin to reach out a hand towards him.

Kytes coughed into his palm a few times, feeling short on breath as his heart hammered too hard in his chest from anxiety.

Give him goblins and ogres any day. At least nobody cared if he stabbed them in the throat. But 'civilized' folk? He could live a million years never seeing them and it still wouldn't be long enough, but township living was the only way he knew how to get by. He wasn't an outdoorsman and he didn't have enough skills in any trade to have access to all he needed that other people normally made.

He would never live long enough for learning those trades to matter, anyway, as his body was currently reminding him. Bile rose in the back of his throat, and he wiped it away on the back of his hand, breathing a touch labored.

"I think this is far enough," Halsin declared, surveying the small clearing they had ended up in, already setting to work on building a campfire. If Kytes had been thinking far enough ahead, he would have brought a sleeping bag with him, but he'd have to make do with the ground.

Halsin noticed him pressing a palm to his chest as the druid moved about and settled in, watching carefully. "Are you hurting? Perhaps I might have a healing spell that can alleviate your pain."

Kytes waved him off, having been down this road plenty enough times before to know that there was no magic anywhere that could fix what was wrong with him.

"Won' ma'er. 's born si'-ck."

"I see..." Halsin hummed sympathetically as Kytes took a seat, dropping down heavily with his hand still on his chest. "I had some suspicions... but I couldn't have been sure. Especially not with already dealing with that thing in your head," he gestured with a random stick, before using the end of it to poke around firewood as it burned. "You seem to have a hard time with language, too. Were you born with that as well?"

Kytes gave him a look, which Halsin read easily enough.

"Forgive my curiosities. I just assume it has to do with something other than these parasites, since its not a symptom I've seen in any of the so-called 'True Souls'."

Kytes sighed, gesturing at his head. "Fell." He emphasized by smacking the back of his hand into the opposite palm. "Long ago. Small. Heal' wrong." A pause, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his head on his knees, staring half-lidded at the edges of the fire. He was exhausted, and only stubbornness and distrust kept him lucid.

"It must have caused you no small amount of grief, I'd wager," Halsin observed astutely. "And it can be difficult to get some people to listen even at the best of times. Hardly the best of times right now, and that speech impediment mustn't make things much easier for you."

Kytes made no point to entertain the notion. Its something people had noticed time and again before, and he didn't want to give the elf any more ideas. If the other got it in his head that that would make him easy to take advantage of, Halsin would soon enough find a dagger in his throat, bear or no.

When Kytes said nothing, remaining silent, Halsin continued.

"Well, you'll find no judgment from me. You aided me when to you, I was only a bear, even more voiceless than you are to most people, and far more feared and hated. That told me all I needed to know, but then you also showed yourself more than capable dealing with those goblins and their leaders. Anyone would be a fool to think lesser of you after that." Kytes gave him a skeptical look. "Myself included."

Gusting out through his nose, Kytes' gaze trailed away again in silence, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open.

"You must be tired though," Halsin noted. "Get some rest. I'll keep watch tonight and see that nothing troubles you."

Much as he wanted to do just the opposite, his body wasn't giving him much choice, almost falling over and barely catching himself. He settled halfway onto his side, halfway on his back, blinking up at the sky with quickly waning attention. The sky above was dark, not like that place where his... alleged protector appeared to him, in that strangely bright void sky.

In that strange place, he could talk as freely as anyone, not worry about how his voice would betray him and inspire everyone else to see him as stupid and incapable. It was the only place he could talk to someone on equal terms.

And yet...

There was still so much he didn't know, including who that man was. What he really wanted. He got the sense the man knew more than he was saying, the way he answered many of his questions while still evading them.

He had no idea where he was, either, and he recalled sharply how panicked the other had been when he asked where he could find him.

But he also remembered the other telling him that it wasn't safe, not that it wasn't possible.

So if that was the case... that meant he was somewhere that Kytes could reach, no matter how strange of a place it seemed like. It didn't look like anywhere Kytes could conceive of, but if the other was actually worried about the possibility of him reaching him... then...

He found himself drifting, head going limp to the side before he shifted half-awake again, with no semblance of how long his eyes had closed. The fire was still crackling nearby, and his sleep-heavy mind took note of Halsin still there, sitting awake but focused elsewhere. So he hadn't made any moves while he was asleep, at least.

He found himself drifting again, but even in sleep, his thoughts were searching.

Searching for the only person he really wanted to speak to right now, his thoughts buzzing with questions he wanted answered, but he found nothing but a quiet void that wouldn't answer back. At the very least, no nightmares wove their way out of that void the entire night that he slept, fitful of a rest that it was.

In some moments, he felt like he was close to finding the one he was looking for, like fingers brushing against fabric that slipped just out of reach as he closed his fingers, until even that sense of dreaming got away from him and he fell into a deeper, dreamless place.

When he awoke, it was already past noon, and at some unknown point he'd ended up in a sleeping bag he didn't remember crawling into, sitting himself up.

"Good morning," Halsin greeted huskily. "You were shivering with cold despite the fire last night, so I hope you don't mind that I brought you something warmer to rest in. I figured it'd be preferred to having me up close to you."

Kytes' eye wandered without much purpose before looking up, taking note that the druid was cooking up some sort of meat on a skewer. It smelled good, at least.

" 's fine," Kytes mumbled, pulling his legs free of it and swiveling to sit cross-legged, rolling his head to either side to stretch his neck with an exhale through his nose and roll his shoulders.

"I hope you were able to rest well. From here on out, things are bound to get more hazardous for the both of us. There is much to be done, and I promised to help you however I could. I'm certain a cure for you could be found at Moonrise Towers, but its... complicated."

He passed a skewer of hot meat across the fire for him, which Kytes leaned in and took, blowing on it to cool it down before daring to try and take a bite.

"The journey, specifically. Its extremely perilous, though it seems you're well-accustomed to navigating danger."

"Sa' all? Jus' go there?" He gestured flippantly with a flick of his wrist.

"What were you expecting?" Halsin huffed. "That I'd mumble a spell or whip out a potion? Don't get ahead of yourself," the druid cautioned, becoming more serious. "There's already plenty danger to be had for those that proceed cautiously. Don't be naive and underestimate the place we're going, thinking it will be anywhere near as easy as anything you've faced up to this point."

Kytes blinked twice in question, tipping his head for Halsin to continue.

"To get to the Towers, you'll need to pass through a terrible place - a cursed place. This curse enshrouds everything in shadow - you will not find life, light, or anything natural there. Any who linger are twisted by the curse; they become shadow beings - tormented, dangerous souls."

Kytes hummed, pondering that as he took a bite out of the meat, chewing on it thoughtfully for a few moments. "Bu' Ab'slu-tt-t--t-tt--tss-----go there fine?" His head tips the other way in question, looking at Halsin inquisitively. "Seems... how?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know any more than you how they could tolerate such a place, but they must know a way. Regardless, we will have to choose our approach carefully. We could go overland - along the Risen Road or through the mountains. Easier at first, but we'd run into the shadow curse eventually."

More optimistically, he added, "We could instead go under. There is a tunnel somewhere in the ruined temple of Selune, where the goblin camp was. It leads to Moonrise Towers through the Underdark. Long ago, a man called Ketheric Thorm built a secret stronghold deep down there, before rallying a whole army of Dark Justiciars - Shar worshippers. Aradin and his lot were looking for a way down there. They were promised riches if they retrieved a relic called the Nightsong. But I think there's more. From this stronghold, Ketheric's forces could access both the temple of Selune and Moonrise Towers - but he was defeated before he could launch an attack. If you can find this place, I'll wager it will reveal a more direct path to Moonrise Towers, and may even bypass the worst of the shadow curse."

Kytes gave that some more thought, chewing on his food through a few mouthfuls before finally posing, "Wha' 'd you do?"

"Given the two choices, I'd favor the Underdark. Even a place like that is the lesser evil when compared to the shadow-cursed lands."

"Where's i-tt---t-tt?"

"You'll need to pick up where Aradin left off - finding the hidden entrance. Its somewhere within the temple of Selune."

He pondered that through the rest of his food, trying to recall whatever he knew about the Underdark, but there wasn't much. Mostly talk and tales of mysterious caves that were a whole realm unto itself. One that was dark, hard to navigate, and full of subterranean dangers, or so some of the stories went. A lot of stories of missing people, too, unless they were gnomes or dwarves or dark elves - races that comfortably made their homes there.

He wasn't sure he liked that option. Going through the mountains couldn't be that hard, right? At least there would be a road, so he assumed.

"You-----go under------you wan'," he waved off. "I'll go moun'ins."

"You may reconsider once you see the effects of the curse for yourself." Halsin's brows furrowed together, a bit concerned. "But if you're going overland, I'd like to follow and join your camp, if you'll allow me. I can offer my skills... my counsel. I've long sought to return to Moonrise Towers. It seems our fates have aligned." The declaration was made confidently.

Kytes brows in return, squinting his eyes. "Why---you wanna go?"

"Unfinished business, and a lifetime of regret to repair. I helped overthrow Ketheric Thorm and his Dark Justiciars years ago. But I failed to prevent him from unleashing darkness across the region before he was defeated." Halsin spoke it with pain clear in his eyes. "I spent years researching the curse, trying to put an end to it. Nothing has worked - yet. If I can join you and get close to Moonrise, perhaps I can lift this curse, same as you may find a cure for your infection."

Of course Halsin had his own other motives. Just like the man in his head. Wanting to use him to some end of theirs. His expression was less than impressed.

" 's you wen' 'fore? -====find the way-===Moonrise?"

"Precisely. Perhaps then I could have done something about the shadow curse and ceremorphosis aberrations. But in my eagerness, I put far too much faith in the abilities of Aradin and his band. We didn't even get close."

And he was hoping Kytes would get him closer where they failed, he guessed.

"The grove?" Kytes questioned, glancing back in its direction. After all, Halsin had seemed more concerned with it than anything before. Then again, that snake, Kagha, had mentioned something of him chasing after other things and leaving them undefended, so...

"I've chosen a successor as First Druid - Francesca of the High Forest. A bird's already been dispatched to summon her."

"Who?"

"Precisely. Who indeed? You do not know, and neither do any of the others. The grove needs to move beyond the mistakes of the past. What it needs is an unknown quantity; an outsider who can enforce the Oak Father's teachings without bias. This is why I chose Francesca. She will restore simplicity and purity to the grove in my absence."

Whatever all that meant. He just nodded like he understood, but in all honesty, he couldn't care less, beyond Halsin's own motivations and feeling him out better.

"In any case, should we get going?"

Kytes gave a sniff, pushing himself up and starting to dust off and roll his sleeping back to pack away. "Go-----'self."

Halsin's brows furrowed again like earlier. "You don't wish for me to come with you?"

"No."

Halsin hummed, pursing his lips. "It will be quite dangerous, as I said. The both of us would fare better together, and you could most certainly benefit from my experience."

Kytes gave him an unfriendly squint, finishing with the last of rolling up his sleeping bag. "Go 'lone. Do'need you." He shrugged, looking away, puckering his lips out in exasperation. "Fine----my own."

Halsin didn't seem terribly happy with this, an argument clearly twitching at his lips, but the older druid ultimately gave in and smiled amicable, if disappointingly. "As you wish... I suppose it doesn't matter whether we travel together or separately, when we're both heading to the same place. Our paths are sure to cross again some time."

Kytes gave another indifferent shrug, busying himself with packing his things, ignoring the small pinprick of doubt in the back of his thoughts that said maybe he should travel with Halsin.

What would it matter, though? Just because the other was nice to him for a night, it didn't mean anything. He was useful to Halsin, for now. That was all. When he stopped being useful, the elf would just as soon leave him high and dry without another thought about it.

He'd already left others behind that most would see as far more valuable than him, right? With the grove and the other druids? There was no reason then Halsin wouldn't toss him aside just the same as soon as he lost value. There was no point staking his life on that gamble when he already knew the end result.

#Squidhawk #drabble #BG3 verse

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