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shenanigans-and-imagines · 11 days

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Thinking About Astarion x Evie (Ace!Tav) x Gale...Again

Astarion x Evie (Ace!Tav) Masterlist

A/N: Shoutout to @leighsartworks216 for letting me ramble to them about this AU. I have some more developed thoughts on their relationship and how it might come about. Consider this a 2.0 version of my previous headcanon.

So, first things first, I don’t think this relationship would develop until some years after the game

Astarion and Evie are much more stable in their relationship, maybe even married at this point

They’ve been adventuring, traveling all around Faerun and have made a habit of going to visit Waterdeep at least once a year

Gale made it clear that the tower is always open to them, even if at the beginning it was more for Evie’s sake than Astarion’s

As I've established in a few places, Gale was initially romantically interested in Evie, but she turned him down and they slipped into a very close, borderline queerplatonic relationship (although Gale does have some lingering feelings he chooses not to indulge in)

Also during this time, Gale and Astarion have gotten closer

While their bickering had never fully gone away, there is a much more playful tone to it

It's clear it's just how the pair of them communicate and any malice has faded years ago

Gale also can't help but notice how much Astarion has grown over the years, freedom suits him and there is no doubt Evie's influence has helped him expend the circle of what/who he decides to care for

Astarion too has finally admitted that Gale does have his charms, and has even confessed to missing him on occasion (only to Evie of course)

So picture this

Some years after the events of the game, Gale gets into a proper romantic relationship with somebody in Waterdeep. They love each other. Gale is his absolute attentive self, they think he's amazing, every thing is going great

Then, Evie and Astarion drop in for a visit

His partner knows about Evie and Astarion. Gale has talked about them plenty of times.

It's clear they're all very close, but Gale specifically mentions his relationship with Evie, while not romantic, still runs deep

Of course, at the time his partner said that it was fine. Why would they need to be jealous of a friend who is already happily married to somebody else? But then they see the pair of them together

Yes, Gale says it's not romantic, but the only person they're seen him drop everything for has been them...and now Evie

It shouldn't bother them, but it does. How is Astarion not saying anything? His spouse is standing in front of him just casually touching another man like it's no big deal!

Evie also has the audacity to be nothing but polite and kind the entire time while clearly caring for Gale

Gale is still Gale, but with both Astarion and Evie there, they feel like they've missed out on some deeper aspect to him only the pair of them fully comprehend

The worst is when they decide to all go for a night out

Evie ends up running a bit late for some reason leaving, Gale, his partner and Astarion making small talk, but to little success

They admittedly have not been getting on great with Astarion

Gale might assure them that he takes some time to get used to, but it seems the man is determined to be unpleasant

The only time his narrowed eyes seem to lighten at all is when Evie is in the room

It's the signal they've finally arrived, when Astarion lips turn into the first real smile of the evening

They then make the mistake of looking at Gale

He gaze turns and his expression just...melts

They know that look, they've seen that look, but the worst is how it shifts into something sadder, resigned, only to be pushed away just in time for Evie to slip in beside Astarion, seemingly oblivious

How in the hells are they supposed to respond to a display like that?

They eventually confront Gale about it, much to Gale's confusion because he thought he explained it very thoroughly

And well yes, technically he did, his partner still can't wrap their head around it seeing it in action; and he absolutely failed to mention being in love with Evie

Gale adamantly denies it, but they can tell even he doesn't fully believe it

Gale, however, does confess that he met both Evie and Astarion at a very vulnerable point in his life

Evie especially helped him though a lot, so he's not about to let this relationship go or change its nature

Astarion had the benefit of witnessing it's inception so while he and Evie got together, and it took some adjusting on his part, he was able to more easily understand it

Gale then gives them an ultimatum of either accepting that Evie is always going to be part of his life or not

His partner decides to leave; while they do love Gale, they don't want to be placed second

Gale is gutted, but he can't bring himself to fully explain to Evie and Astarion why exactly he and his partner split, just that it apparently did work out

Evie can't bring themselves to leave Gale when he's in such a state, and Astarion agrees that a heartbroken Gale shouldn't be left to his own devices

It ends up being the longest they've all stayed together since the Absolute, and new and old feelings start to stir

Astarion for one, fully admits to not liking Gale's ex from the jump, even if he can't fully articulate why

It wasn't anything they did per say

He could point to the way they looked at Evie; with suspicion and frustration. But, even when Evie wasn't in the room, they annoyed him

Something about the way they buzzed around Gale made him prickle; Evie never spurred such a reaction, maybe he's just used to it

Of course Astarion was there when everything blew up and of course he was defensive of Evie and supportive of Gale, but there is also this odd relief

He feels like he should feel guilty about but just isn’t. It at the very least starts him really thinking about his feelings towards Gale.

Astarion is also furious at himself once he realizes his feelings are romantic and he wants to kiss that wizard on his stupid face

He and Evie have also been discussing possibly opening up the relationship

Astarion has been wanting to experiment with sex again, and while they've developed their own forms of intimacy, he would never push Evie into anything she truly did not want to do

This has been sparking some of Evie's anxieties about past partners growing bored when they couldn't offer them sex, but Evie doesn't want to lose Astarion by outright saying no

Gale is already aware of his feelings toward Evie, and his guilt associated with it made only worse when he starts to feel those same feelings for Astarion, which admittedly have been growing for a few years now

Basically all of them have a lot of complicated histories with relationships and intimacy and it takes a while for them to get it all sorted out between them

Astarion and Gale would be the first to break, some of the same beats playing out with Astarion finally kissing Gale and the two of them going to Evie immediately after to talk it all out

Evie would feel like she’d need to keep her distance as Astarion and Gale work out exactly what their relationship is

A part of her is still so afraid she’s going to be the one pushed out. She loves them both so much, but they each can provide each other not just love but sex and so many other comforts in each other.

Meanwhile Astarion and Gale are just sitting their baffled like, “you do realize the main reason why we’ve tolerated each other long enough to start developing feelings is because we both loved you first”.

Gale might be the one to reach out first asking her to accompany him somewhere, just the two of them. It gives them time to talk, Gale to voice some of his anxieties about starting a relationship with Astarion and wanting to figure out the rules to make Evie comfortable.

It would also be the moment he confesses exactly why he and his ex broke up; yes, there were other issues, but it really came down to his relationship with her

Platonic, possibly romantic, whatever they want to call it in the moment, the love between them is real and now they have a chance to figure out just how deep it goes

Astarion is a little more of a mess, taking longer to accept that yes he does love Gale and no that doesn’t diminish his love for Evie, it’s just different. Evie taught him just how much love he was truly capable of. That itself was a lot to come to terms with, finding out he somehow has even more is nearly overwhelming.

He’d be boarder line paranoid of accidentally pushing Evie away to the point it may slow does his progress with Gale. Luckily Gale is the best person to understand just how important Evie is to Astarion.

I've got a lot of other random headcanons of the three of them once they all settle into the relationship, but that's the basic set up. If you'd like to hear about some more fluffy rambles or even want some one-shots with the three of them, let me know!

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion #astarion ancunin #astarion x tav #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #gale x tav #gale dekarios x tav #bloodweave #bloodweave x tav #astarion x oc #gale x oc #gale of waterdeep x oc #asexual!tav #bard!tav #astarion x evie #gale x evie #spawnsong

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omgkalyppso · 4 months

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For Étoile/Astarion please:

🍰 What is 'their song'? Officially or unofficially.

🩷 What is the sweetest thing they've done for one another?

🤎 How do they comfort each other?

💋 What is their favorite place to kiss their partner? Do either enjoy 'leaving a mark'?

For Étoile/Halsin please:

🩷 What is the sweetest thing they've done for one another?

🤎 How do they comfort each other?

♪(^∇^*) Thank you for the ask!

Étoile and Astarion

🍰 I'm not sure what officially and unofficially might mean in this context.

A song from their playlist which I wouldn't give them awareness of even in modern fic is Hot Tea by half-alive. Sharing a lyric video because the official video of the song is weird and I am not a fan of the interpretative dance in it fdhtdfghgdf :

youtube

A song I'd be willing to give them awareness of in a modern setting is Wicked Game by Chris Isaak which I'm inspired to take off of Neil's Astarion playlist. It has very strong vibes of one of the last songs played at an event where people are inebriated and tired, swaying slowly; or could just be something that Astarion turns off on a radio for being a little too on the nose; or fits the mood of an intimate scene like the love scene in Dirty Dancing to me. Anyway:

youtube

🩷 <- I can copy and paste this but I can't see this emoji, whatever it is.

I suppose it depends on your definition of sweet, because I imagine I could think up some gifts and surprises, recollections and whatever else. Instead, I'll pick pivotal moments of "sweetness," which I think if I remember right I told some various friends on discord but aren't exactly me repeating myself here.

Raphael's pronouncement of victory is something I hope to one day explore in fic for Étoile. Initially I'd speculated that it could have happened even the very same night as the long rest after the netherbrain, with Astarion's last scene before the credits. But now there's the epilogue and to honour something like it, that means it's at least six months later — I'll probably place it nearer 2 years post-canon, with Raphael's intended return 10 years post-canon.

Étoile's anxiety loses some of it's bite this way, but to re-iterate. They (are and) feel so responsible, and they feel that as a result of this that they are and will be so alone in having to sound out a solution and / or battle plan to face Raphael. They expect that if a solution can be found that this time stopping the person who wields the Crown will demand their life. They won't be able to picture the vampire spawn's recent, precarious alliance, living situation, lifestyle, can handle both their and Astarion's sudden departure. They imagine themself hindered in travel and resources trying to come up with an answer, and Astarion being unable to follow, whether across the Material Plane or at least into Baator, where they don't even know if there's a night-day cycle or whether the fires that burn are ones that a vampire could stand in the presence of. If it's hard for them to admit to all this other shame, it's easy for them to be vulnerable in conversation with Astarion about how they wanted this life with him, with his their people, and how after a few hundred years if it hadn't come up that they would have asked if he'd wanted to turn them, which is as much as a commitment as either of them could make.

Anyway, it's sweet of Astarion to hold back an "I told you so" for more than a week, to reassure Étoile that their people will be fine with the pair of them coming and going because they will have to be, among any other number of reassurances he makes. It is sweet of him to recognize that he could take this as a cue to step away from "an adventurer's" problems (with all the problems of community, politics, lifestyle and "inheritance" that he has had to deal with since the end of the Gate's last disaster) and away from all semblance of "commitment" that had been so alien and chafing and frightful and difficult in this relationship; and instead decide that even this impossible challenge and all the other problems were perhaps just as rewarding (if not moreso) than the domestic rewards — never as an elf nor as a vampire had he ever wanted an unremarkable life.

For Étoile's moment of sweetness, I may have spoken before about how I have dialogue for a "mirror scene" blocked out. I waffle on whether it'll get written not just because I have so many wips, but also because I worry Everyone who writes Astarion has written a mirror scene and so I worry I bring little new to the table. Even so, my mirror scene has Astarion's final moment of "Just tell me I'm beautiful and we can call it a day" result in anger. Astarion whining, exasperated, "It doesn't feel good. Why doesn't it feel good? Is it because I asked?" And this resulting in an extra conversation in the shadow-cursed lands before the hug scene, where part of my blocked dialogue includes the following; they are laying spooned together:

Astarion: [after a breath] When you called me beautiful … it was the first time in two hundred years that it wasn't said by a victim or someone … looking to take advantage. Whose words meant nothing and were … an expectation. Part of a process. An undignified one. It was the first time in two hundred years the word wasn't Cazador's. To call me beautiful while I was flayed open, or bleeding from the mouth, or— [he tenses, not quite ready to cry. Étoile squeezes and slowly takes his hand] Étoile: Your body is your own. [They bring his fingers to their lips for a kiss, Astarion chooses to follow the movement to face them] My words are mine. I don't want to make you feel like that. Astarion: I know. Étoile: [Releases Astarion's hand to put their hand on his chest] I'm glad you know. I want to say these things anyway. [Astarion strokes back some of their hair] I want you to hear them.

And how this scene would fucking fly to the forefront of Étoile's mind in addition to their moments of sexual intimacy during the hug scene. They would have the knee-jerk reaction of those moments having been all lies, of themself and their body being revolting to Astarion for an unknown how-long, until it's more obvious to them that Astarion's point is that these moments weren't as repulsive as they should've been, and far more sincere than he could have stomached without coming forward. It is these moments of communication and respect which endear Astarion to Étoile and earn his shaky trust.

Also shout out to Astarion for being "sweet" enough to travel across four countries with Étoile for them to see their home (and their mother?) one last time with living eyes before vampirism. (Even knowing this was going to be difficult as all hell if Aranea's still living on her mountain.)

🤎 While this is kind of answered in the last emoji, I feel like this is extremely conditional. Étoile needing to be comforted in grief is not the same as them needing to be comforted after being slighted publicly. Astarion needing to be comforted because of the oppressive weight of days of earth overhead in the Underdark is not the same as needing to be comforted because one of his siblings (Violet) trying to kill one another (Yousen). Sometimes it's an embrace and conversation, sometimes it's threatening to eviscerate one's enemies (sometimes it's following through). A lot of the time for them it's space and an invitation of their presence, whether that's a cup of tea or distraction like paperwork / letters / a reminder of life outside of what ails them.

💋 Étoile far prefers to be marked than doing the marking, but that doesn't mean their lovers don't end up with the occasional fading signs of intimacy. Their own most obvious such marks are more permanent even before vampirism anyway, and all from Astarion; scars of bites, technically sources of feeding but also signs of play, on the right side of their neck, on their left breast up close to their breast plate / center of their chest, on the inside of their left thigh. Indicative of Astarion enjoying where he can, or could once pre-vampirism, feel the pulse under their skin loudest. Other such bites didn't scar, and others still were not for feeding and healed even more swiftly. Étoile would say their favorite place to kiss Astarion is his mouth, both for the pleasure of his lips and the danger of his teeth; if needing to select somewhere "more interesting" then in public they'd say at the center of his brow, and in private they'd still flush in embarrassment about how they think it's somehow rude to choose his ass.

Étoile and Halsin

🩷 The sweetest thing Halsin does for Étoile (and Astarion), besides keep them in his heart, is construct an underground shelter (the first of many) in his Moonrise Village to alleviate the burden of the far more numerous population in their care, even by a few bodies, even temporarily.

I repeat myself a lot, but I think Étoile's sweetest gesture to Halsin is near the end of his long life, counselling on what an unlife could be, offering to turn him either within the laws and context of their vampire community or secretly otherwise, with reassurance that they would happily accept him into their home if all beasts and men turned from him as a decree from his Oakfather for the abberation of vampirism, and the sentiment "if I meet you in hell then it's not hell."

Prior to that I think a visit from Étoile (and Astarion) to Halsin's Moonrise Village: an appointment kept despite how others in the Village might be absent on their own adventures or lost to time, would be the sweetest thing in Halsin's biased opinion. Six days travel (twelve both ways) just to see him? Not for healing, nor counsel, nor to take on more people or projects of druidic magic or infrastructure. Not a plight of adventure, not a disappointment for it being just him. Just a visit, to share his company and whatever that entails; when they could have just stayed home, rescheduled until others returned and the visit felt of greater worth.

🤎 I stand by comfort being highly conditional, but I do think Halsin is far more susceptible to words of comfort. Étoile talks to Halsin in the context of faith, while theirs is for Auril and his is for Silvanus. It helps. Étoile is comforted by how earnest Halsin is; he was very critical when they first met, and remains just as free with his criticisms when people lose his respect. There are oceans of time between the moments of Halsin's impatience with Étoile, and there were times where he was more forgiving than he should've been because scenarios were simply beyond his ability to distinguish the kindest path (like with the Crown and Raphael). But even so, Étoile is reassured when Halsin offers comfort or advice, trusting that he would still be straightforward if their grief or embarrassment or frustration was otherwise unworthy of them.

#long post #oc tag: étoile #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #blood tw

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