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thefangdomcryptid · 2 months

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So apparently besides assuming every Tav is a self-insert because gods forbid people don't want to play as themselves for whatever reason, we are now gatekeeping which characters' trauma we are allowed to relate to??? I naturally blocked this person because the question was apparently not asked in good faith but to start an argument, but it just doesn't sit right with me.

Like, fine, we get it, you don't like Astarion. Fine. You don't get why he's so popular, also fine. You don't have to understand why people like a character, because sometimes you never will.

What isn't okay is to talk down to people because they find Astarion's trauma relatable and through his journey find a sort of closure of their own, because we all have our own Cazadors to deal with, but we can't always confront them, so this is the next best thing.

Yes, all the character have their own trauma, Karlach, Wyll, Gale, Shadowheart, Lae'zel. But I can't relate to them. Do you know why?

Because in the height of my C-PTSD I was not nice. I was not helpful. I was a shitty person that made shitty decisions and treated people around me and myself like shit. I was NOT a good person. So yeah, I can see right through Astarion's mask. Just like him I felt alone, and no "heroes" came to save me either.

It's also why I don't really enjoy Ascended Astarion because he feels like me at my worst. I mean obviously not exactly the same, but hurt people DO hurt people. It doesn't mean everyone does, but some do.

Anyway, if you relate to Astarion because of your trauma, or even Ascended because it's a way to deal with yours, you are valid. If you relate to Wyll or Karlach or anyone else for that matter, you are also valid.

And if you can do one thing in Fandom, then be kind.

#musings #bg3 #ascended astarion #astarion #baldur's gate 3 #astarion ancunin #bg3 astarion #gale dekarios #lae'zel #wyll #halsin #shadowheart #karlach

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fruitsoxs · 4 months

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Secrets

pairing(s); Gale x (GN)reader/tav summary; After a night of spilling secrets, you open up about never having your first kiss. Gale offers to fix that. warning(s); mentions of drinking alcohol! reader/tav is a bard wordcount; 1.6k notes; a short and sweet fic as a treat

The atmosphere is lively as you strum the strings of your lute, playing a soft tune as your companions drink and talk. It’s been a rather heinous couple of days traveling through the wilderness. Although there is still some tension lurking between the members of the party, the fighting has died down. There even seems to be friendship growing between the seven of you.

After all the hard work you deserve a little time to relax. You pause the music, and reach down to grab the bottle of wine sitting below you. You bring it to your lips and take a long sip. After emptying the bottle, you go back to strumming. Your playing has become rather clumsy as the alcohol settles in your system, but the others don’t seem to notice. You play a song about some great heroes, which seems to fit your situation perfectly.

As the song nears the end, you look around the fire to others. Karlach and Shadowheart are having some deep discussion. Lae’zel is off to the side, cleaning blood off of her blade. Wyll is trying to talk to Astarion, a conversation that seems to be going nowhere. You tilt your head as you notice one of you is missing.

You can’t seem to spot Gale anywhere.

You set your lute down to the side and stand up slowly, careful not to fall back over. You twist your head to the left, then right. Looking for any sign of his purple robe. A small twinge of worry courses through you as you begin to walk around, looking in between the leaves of the trees. You’ve made it across the camp by the time you start hearing a voice muttering words you can't quite make out.

You find yourself walking towards the soft curses, stopping when you see your magic companion holding out his hand with a small ball of light in his palm. He’s sitting on a log, hunched over with his long brown hair hanging in front of his face. Resting by his side is a half empty bottle of wine. You can’t quite hear what he’s saying- so you take a step forward. A branch snaps below you, causing Gale to turn around and face you. The light in his palm disappears, but you can still see the fear on his face. “Oh!” he exclaims, the fear falling away when he sees it’s you. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be awake at this time.” he says, scooting over so you may join him on the log.

You wobble over, using the trunks of passing trees to keep yourself from falling over. He lets out a little chuckle as he watches you stumble closer. “How much have you had to drink, my friend?” he asks as you sit down next to him. You let out a small laugh. “Not too much, honestly.” He shoots you a questioning gaze before letting out a defeated sigh. “I suppose I can’t judge.”

“You left the party.” You point out, tilting your head to the side. “Ah, yes. Don’t get me wrong, your playing was amazing- I just needed a moment to myself.” he tells you, his smile dropping. “Is everything all right?” You ask, worried about your favorite companion.

He opens his mouth to tell you, but quickly shuts it again. It seems he’s unsure whether he wants to open up. “It’s… hard to talk about.” he finally says. He then goes quiet again, angling his body away. “That’s okay.” you reassure him, unsure how to help. He doesn’t answer. His face is unreadable, but you can tell that something is holding him down. The tension begins to get unbearable. So, in true drunk fashion, you elbow him in the arm with a sly smile. “Do you wanna know a secret?”

His face contorts with confusion, before a small smile rests across his lips as he remembers you’ve had quite a lot to drink. “Are you sure we should be sharing secrets right now?” he asks, although his curiosity is piqued.

“What’s the harm?” you answer, now grinning.

“Alright. What’s the secret?”

You look around dramatically, as if you’re making sure nobody else is there. You then lean in close and whisper. “I have horrible stage fright.” You then lean back, still smiling. “All of my confidence is fake.”

He stares at you for a moment before bursting out in laughter. “You’re pulling my leg, surely. I haven’t seen an ounce of nervousness in you since I met you.”

“No, It’s true!” you exclaim. “Before every performance I’m practically shaking in my boots.” You tilt your head up to the sky. "Before you set foot on stage- it's all so terrifying. However, once you strum that first note- all that fear seems to melt away."

Gale nods in understanding, though his amusement doesn't fade. "So it's that split second before you begin your performance that gets to you? Before the music has even started and your mind still has time to get tangled up in a thousand different worries?" he asks. You nod. "Exactly. I get so caught up in the 'what ifs.' What if I mess up a note? What if they don't like my song?" You sigh a bit before continuing. "I'm afraid I'm not as confident as I seem."

A comfortable silence looms over the two of you as he takes in your words. His smile begins to fade as he reaches down to grab the bottle by his side. He takes a drink. “I suppose it’s my turn to share a secret.” After a moment of hesitation he continues. “Sometimes…the weight of what I did holds me down. It makes me feel as though I am unable to breathe.” He tells you, his breath shaky. “Sometimes I find it hard to forgive myself.”

You reach out and put your hand on his arm in a comforting manner. “We all make mistakes Gale-”

He looks down at your hand, a painful smile stretching across his features. “I know.” He then lets out a soft chuckle. “Perhaps I am being too hard on myself. I was young, and over confident in my abilities.” Still smiling, he looks back up at you. “When it comes to love, we don't always act in the most rational manner… It’s only later, when everything is all over, that we regret it. I’m sure you understand.”

You grimace a bit and shake your head. “I.. actually wouldn’t know.” you mumble, heat spreading across your cheeks in shame. “I’ve never been in a relationship.”

Gale’s eyes widen. “No relationship?” he asks, seemingly surprised. "With a charming and beautiful face like yours, I would have thought that romance would be coming your way left and right." Your cheeks grow warmer at the compliment. He tilts his head back slightly with a curious look "I won't pry if you don't want me to, but I am curious as to why you have never been in a relationship before."

You bite your lip nervously before saying. "I...suppose my music has always been my main concern. I always thought that I had to master my craft, and love would come later. I never gave myself time for relationships- but I regret it all now." you admit with a solemn expression. "I have never even kissed someone."

Gale stares at you in surprise. “Ah, I see.”

He clears his throat, an encouraging smile spreading across his lips. “Well, there’s no need to panic. I'm certain that there’s someone out there that would give up the stars and moon just to kiss you” he tells you leaning in a bit closer.

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

His reassurance, although kind, doesn’t seem to ease your sour mood. He leans a bit closer, his cheeks rosy from the wine. “If it’s really bothering you that much, maybe…maybe I could give you your first kiss.” He offers, his voice barely above a whisper.

Your expression morphs into one of surprise, cheeks now on fire. “You would do that?” You ask, your heart beating faster than it ever has before (somehow faster than it does in the heat of battle even). He smiles. A sweet, comforting smile.

“It would be an honor.” He’s so close you can feel his breath on your face.

You think it over for a second. Perhaps swayed by the alcohol, or the moonlight shining down on his face, you find yourself wanting this more than anything else. You turn your body completely towards him. “Alright…I…I’m going to kiss you then.” you stumble over your words. Gale smiles, waiting for you to take the first step. Nervous, and a little insecure you purse your lips and move closer. Finally, you softly press your lips against his.

Gale’s lips meet yours, warm and gentle. His hand rests on your waist, softly urging you to move closer. Your body complies, and the kiss deepens. It’s a rather clumsy moment, and you are completely unsure of what to do. Still, it’s electrifying.

You pull away, letting out a nervous exhale. “Was that okay?”

Gale smiles tenderly at you. “It was wonderful,” he says. “Perfect in fact.” He presses his lips against your forehead, before pulling away. “Now, you’ve had your first kiss. There’s no need to worry anymore.” he mumbles, an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

“Thank you.”

He nods and pushes himself off the log. “Alright. How about we go join everyone else again?” he holds his hand out to you and helps you to your feet. You stay standing there for a moment, hand in his, staring up at him. He squeezes your hand, then lets it drop. Turning around to make his way back to the camp.

You stay frozen. Happy that you waited for this moment to have your first kiss, and scared about what this means for the future.

#gale x reader #gale x tav #gale x you #gale dekarios x reader #baldur's gate 3 x reader #bg3 x reader #late night fic hehe

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adalance · 3 months

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There has been a rant bulding in me regarding this fandom for a hot fucking minute. The way people in this fandom use victimhood to defend and block any and all criticisms of characters (some more than others) high key feels like they missed the point of BG3. The point is to STOP the cycle of abuse and to be better than your impulses.

And when you don't, you are to be held accountable. You are not responsible for what happened to you, but you are responsible for your own actions and what you do to others. And your trauma does not give you the right to hurt others.

Also, alot of the characters in the game are assholes and its okay if somebody dislikes one of the characters, CAUSE THEY ARE ASSHOLES (minus like wyll and karlach). You can understand a character and know where they are coming from and still find them to be an asshole.

There is this knee-jerk reaction from people when they critique a character to say "just say you don't understand victims and go" or "you don't understand the imperfect victim". When that is not always the case.

And the way this fandom is about Wyll......... MY GAWD. This fandom, no matter the platform, will have people using the tiniest fucking thing to villianize him or make him to be the worst of the worst. When he is legitimately a good man. WYLL IS A GOOD MAN.

And the constant thing of trying to make him not be a good man reeks of racism and a weird ass insecurity for the other characters. You happen to like a character who may not be as good as a person as wyll, OWN UP TO IT. Admit that your fave is a shit stain. But do not tear down the only black companion over the tiniest shit to defend your asshole fave.

I have seen somebody call wyll a narcissist. When he is anything but. And you can probably guess who their fave is. There is no fucking need to treat wyll like that. Why is he held to such a different standard than everybody else? We all know why that is.

#wyll ravengard #shadowheart #jenevelle hallowleaf #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #astarion #astarion ancunin #halsin #minthara #karlach #lae'zel #minsc #jaheira #tagging all the characters cause this shit is so imbedded within the fandom

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wellthebardsdead · 10 days

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Clow Good end 1 pt2 (Infernal Stalemate/Paved with Good intentions)

Part 1 here

———

*6 months later*

Clow: *arrived to withers party in a burst of hellfire, tail swishing slowly and icy horns glinting in firelight as he walks between circles of his friends reminiscing and enjoying company he’d been without for a while* godfather- I- all I did was get rid of your engine and give you your heart back and you’re giving me that honour?! I-

Karlach: *now several months pregnant after Clow used his new found powers for the first time to help her* only?! You’ve really no clue how much everything you’ve done means to us do you you dingbat! Yes we want you to be our tater tot’s god father! We’ve already decided their middle name will be Do’Urden!

Wyll: and our next ones middle name will be Clopin!

Clow: *visibly tears up and sets his drink down* c-can I have a hug please?

Wyll & Karlach: *both smile seeing how far he’s come since they first met*

Karlach: oh sweetums you didn’t need to ask- *pulls him into a hug with Wyll, before immediately pulling away and grabbing the collar of his shirt, pulling it down as she sees a bruise* has he been hurting you?!

Wyll: gods- *looks to the other side of his neck* did he choke you?! What is-

Clow: *visibly blushing knowing what they’re actually looking at* no he didn’t choke me- th-those are- *coughs* l-love bites. He and Haarlep got carried away again.

Karlach: Again- I, so he’s not hurting you then?

Wyll: you can tell us if he is Clow we-

Clow: he’s not hurting me, I promise, not without… my consent at least. *looks down with a shy playful grin* they take good care of me… I promise. *smiles and hugs them both again before walking off to continue mingling* I’ll see you both later.

???: Clow?…

Clow: … *turns around to see Gale standing behind him* …

Gale: I know I’ve no right to tal-

Clow: *pulls him into a gentle hug and smiles as he lets go and steps back* you don’t have to be sorry… my plan still worked out in the end… we get the hammer, Mystra gets the crown. My soul gets sacrificed. I expected to be enslaved for eternity or violently tortured and compressed into a soul coin but… Raphael had other plans.

Gale: I… sacrificed?… you were going to give me the crown?…

Clow: Mhm. I knew I couldn’t give it to Raphael in the end and he certainly lets me know how upset he is about it. And you needed the orb gone. So, give up my life to fix yours and save millions more. I never really had a life or concept of freedom to begin with and… it’s been good. Raphael treats me very good. It’s been an adjustment being a devil at his side and all and no longer needing food or having a great concept or grasp of passing time. But… I’m getting there.

Gale: you… You only just got your freedom, a chance to live life on your terms and I took that away from you. Now you’re stuck with that fiend how- how are you not angry? At me? At him?!

Clow: *sighs* Look. you did what you thought was right. And so did I… besides… *smiles and swishes his tail* I love him… *gives him another hug* goodnight, Gale. *walks off*

Gale: *standing there mortified that he could just be okay with all this* goodnight… *looks over at Wyll and Karlach before nervously approaching* Karlach… do you know anything about the sword of Zariel?

Karlach: just that it’s surrounded by an ever growing scab, why?

Wyll: what’s wrong Gale?… *looks past him to see minthara creeping up on him*

Gale: I think… I might need the blade if Raphael and Clows relationship isn’t all he’s telling u-

Minthara: *grabs Gale by the nape of his neck and yanks him back* You three listen to me and you listen very well. I did not cast aside my distaste for water and spend hours swimming until I collapsed to search for his body after you attempted to kill him just for you to try and ruin his life again. He has a good thing now, an existence he is happy with, and so help me I will end you if you attempt to take that from him. *lets go and storms off after Clow with a huff*

*a few hours later*

Clow: *returns to the house of hope and immediately runs and jumps into Raphael’s arms as he sees the devil waiting for him* I’m back!

Raphael: I’m glad~ how was your little party?

Clow: good, everyone is doing very well!

Raphael: that’s good- *gives him a kiss and whisks him away back to their room* welcome home, my love…

#minthara is very protective of him o3o #Raphael bg3 #Clopin Do’Urden #Clow Do’Urden #Clow tav #Clow oc

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the-cat-at-the-theatre-door · 4 months

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I know you enjoyed the game, so I wanted to ask here: which BG3 companions would have which cats as their pets?

We're cooking with gas and putting two hyperfixations into the large hadron collider, eh?

Okay, I can tell you right now that I have several off the top of my head, not only in that would have them as "pets" (or to the extent that Halsin would consider an animal a "pet" which is more of a companion) but that they align from a character personality standpoint:

Astarion - Black and White Alonzo (Vain with courage issues) and - stay with me - The Rum Tum Tugger. Little chaotic shit with a showboat streak who holds a grudge with underlying emotional depth? Astarion. Tugger.

Lae'zel - If she could be persuaded into having a pet, I just can't help but see her with the haughty, disdainful and lonely Cassandra.

Wyll - Munkustrap and Victoria (The protector, the courageous and the loving and the romantic little princess)

Shadowheart - Demeter and Bombalurina (Both gals are both sides of Shadowheart's personality and I feel like she'd get on well with the two of them). She's also a potential Jemima weird girl.

Karlach - I can see Karlach with any of the kittens or adolescents tbh, but Tumblebrutus/Bill Bailey and Etcetera are coming to the forefront of my mind.

Gale - you think I'm going to say Magical Mr. Mistoffelees or maybe Coricopat and Tantomile (though I can absolutely see those), but it's obviously Jennyanydots and/or Jellylorum. Jenny and Jelly are essentially Tara. It makes the most sense. I would even throw Skimbleshanks in there for good measure. Gale is a cat dad - he can have 3+ as a treat.

Minthara - Grizabella (Proud to a fault and indomitable? Minthara. Hurt? Also Minthara. This one just makes a lot of sense to me, particularly if you trace who Grizabella used to be along with who Minthara used to be pre-tadpole and brainwashing.)

Halsin - Deuteronomy (Wise, loving and a commanding presence, Old Deuteronomy belongs to no one and is beloved by all - generally even tempered and protective. Oldest cat with dad lore. He also gets kidnapped, waxes the occasional poetic, and canonically *redacted*)

#i will be taking no questions at this time i am correct #i know at least three specific people whom this will pertain to and this is for you my friends #CATS Musical #jellicles ask because jellicles dare #anonymous #bg3!jaheira would have gus if you care #if you think about these they all make perfect sense (to me)#if you have at all cared where i have went and haven't been keeping up with my main blog i am obsessed with fantasy people rn #but thank you so much anon this question made me so happy #disclaimer - this obviously is not the only interpretation and many characters bleed characteristics in the other #ex astarion could also be Bustopher (aritostcrat) or Demeter (with SA trauma)#etc etc but let me cook

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luxsea · 7 months

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so i finally beat bg3 for the first time last night :))

also hap halloweenie :]

(not all but some) thoughts dump

im honestly so glad i got spoiled for karlachs ending back at the start of act 2 so i had time to go thru the stages of grief, make sad playlists, etc bc my tav/karlach really hit me like a truck. i knew i was going to romance her before i even got the game bc she literally is the reason i started playing to begin with but doing her route feels very right for a first playthrough bc imo despite how devastating and lacking her story can be it sure does shine when its good. her introspective moments you can only get if you romance her are everything to me. knowing she cant be saved in the end lead me to choose more accepting dialogue options which lead to infinitely more satisfying and at times inspiring scenes than if i pushed the "what if"

as for the very end, in a way karlachs dying scene and/or going to avernus scene is a lot more than what most characters get even if theyre youre romanced character... despite her ending being shafted to begin with?? which is ridiculous. (correct me if im wrong. most of them had nothing to say and what ive seen uploaded ie shadowhearts romanced ending is so meh) lae'zels orpheus ending did make me tear up, everyone else was just kinda standing there wearing ridiculous armor bc i forgot.......

despite everything im really happy with karlachs scenes? and idk if thats just bc they were the romanced versions and bc i didnt have my hopes up for her (if i hadnt been spoiled i wouldve been LIVID) but it rlly was one of the most touching moments for me. the "how'd i do?" "you were spectacular in every way" "for you. and for the city, and for myself, and blah blah. but most of all for you" caressing tavs face and her repeating back to herself that she was spectacular like shes at peace just by those words alone. "it's the one thing i can't beat, isn't it? same below as above. i love. you." and the blue flames of all her love for them searing hot white and killing her engine faster?!? ough "you more than anything. i saw- ...goodbye, sun. goodbye, sea. goodbye" I FEEL SICK I FEEL UNWELL. i should be crying but my heart just aches she's just everything to me okay!!

and the avernus scene is better than i thought it would be, the music is so sweet and badass, sharing cigars!!, lots of gay fuel for my fire, the feeling that its just the start of a new journey and not the end, charging together into the hells its so mwah mwah as long as you ignore the trauma and the fact that we couldve solved this any other way!! (do wish wyll wasnt treated like an awkward third wheel if the three of you go considering he's the one who advocates for her and going to avernus is part of his ending too. but ofc im also going she's my wife and the interaction is rlly touching)

as far as the rest of the game the emperors writing was so flimsy and uh they did a really good job making it feel like your choices didnt matter much in the end considering the praise its gotten and how the game was marketed. rip it needs some serious work but i didnt hate it. karlach brain worms take a lot of credit

my highest praises overall are that ive never felt this attached to a player character that i've made before and ive never seen a more memorable cast of npcs. there's too many stand out moments to count that it makes the insane amount of lag and bugs i had worth powering thru

BUT IM FINALLY FREE I CAN FINALLY REPLAY AND DO IT ALL AGAIN BUT BETTER

#olive.txt #bg3 spoilers

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pretty-sweet-plums · 7 months

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I'm playing BG3 for the first time and I am so full of regrets

So its my first time ever playing something like Baldurs Gate. My friend gave it to me because we planned to play DnD in the future and it would be sort of like an intro class to me. Well, I am happy to say I am enjoying so much, we have an inside joke that it is ruining my life. Glad I'm currently unemployed so I can play it on hours for end (blessing in disguise????? Haha)

Anyway like I said its all a first time for me. And I DIDNT KNOW YOU CAN ROMANCE PEOPLE UNTIL LAEZEL JUST CAME AT ME, a mostly conservative, easily shy, filled with religious trauma bisexual woman who blushes at anything remotely sexual irl, AND I PANICKED.

I didn't know about approval ratings, I just thought I was choosing the right options and that was just a thing so they could give you a perk if its high. I was too focused on not dying every single combat that I MISSED MY SHOT WITH KARLACH.

I was in Act 2 by the time I was like, wait, I can romance other people when Wyll made the moves on me too???!?!?! (Then I realized Halsin was also tryna flirt with me at the party i think and I did not say yes to Wyll because I said yes to Laezel. I basically blushed and squealed and covered my eyes for most of it with my friend laughing beside me because Laezel was oh so forward. But also because I thought, I could break up with Lazel and be with Karlach when the time comes.) I was working so hard on getting Karlach's approval but by the time I spoke with Dammon (I DIDN'T USE ANIMAL SPEAK ON HIM ON ACT 1 HUHUHU) on act 2 and got her the infernal engine duct tape, my approval wasn't really high enough. And i didn't realize that I missed the romance option for Karlach in Act 1's party (when I finally googled it like, ten minutes ago), i did say I liked her but my approval wasn't enough and she brushed me off. Anyway I'm currently 97 hours in, first playthrough, and I was like, WHY CAN'T I ROMANCE KARLACH YET, I already broke up with Laezel and I kinda missed out on all the lines on Gale by accident when I thought, hey how come I can't romance Karlach yet? And then I checked on my approval and was like wtf this should be okay now??? Everytime she calls me soldier, my soul dies a little bit so like, why can't i be with her yet???

(My friend has started making fun of me saying I'm treating BG3 like an otome game with some battle mechanics and like, hell yeah man, I really wanna be more than friends with Karlach)

And so I decided to finally google, and now my soul has left my body because I've missed everything. I was even thinking of romancing Gale to like, ease the pain while waiting on Karlach to like me but ultimately my choices were doo doo for him but I was like, no biggie, we want Karlach anyway. Its fiiiiine.

But nope. Everything is not fine according to my research. I have to erase maybe 70 hours of gameplay or try to cheat my way in (if I could ever understand the instructions) and be willing to gamble with my saves.

And now I'm just really very sad. I did not try to romance Astarion or Shadowheart or Halsin because my playstyle didn't really require me to bring them and I wasn't really interested in them.

So now I'm stuck at the end of Act 2, loveless and full of regrets.

When I try to see if I can get back together with Laezel because even if she was way too forward, she was good to me, I can't do that because my approval is too high with her. Apparently I have to make her mad at me and then build it back up?

Sigh. Idk, I just wanted to vent out the sadness.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #karlach #bg3 karlach #bg3 lae'zel #help #please help #I'm so so sad

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