Thought Iâd make one of these becauseâŠwhy not? BEHOLD! My fics, I suppose:
Foresight
Rating: G
Status: Completed
At the Circus of the Last Days, Gale is very interested in the fortune-tellerâs divination magic.
Astarion just decides to go along with it.
Kintsugi
Rating: M
Status: Completed
Five times Gale had his heart broken at Pride.
And the one time he didnât.
A Night to Remember in the Forgotten Realms
Rating: M
Status: Completed
For five years, heâd been invited to the Ravengardsâ annual halloween party and, for five years, heâd lost the costume contest.
Astarion enters Wyll and Tav's halloween costume contest with the best costume he's created so far - but meets some (very) unexpected competition.
Game Night
Rating: M
Status: Ongoing (I PROMISE ITâS NOT ABANDONED!)
Gale was just looking to buy a new board game for his weekly game night.
Astarion was just trying to spend the rest of his shift at the game store texting his best friend. But teasing the only customer that walked in proved to be far more entretaining.
just saw a post on twitter about how Olruggio, despite being inherently selfless, is still selfish in the sense that he's willing to prolong Qifrey's suffering to keep him alive/by his side and I think that's probably my favorite aspect of his character.
like, I cannot tell you how much I love seeing this specific characterization it's just soooo good. I think that's why chapter 93, and really these pages specifically hit so hard for me:
because despite how terrifying the whole situation was for both of them and how hard Olruggio was masking to try and reassure Qifrey here, he was probably speaking entirely truthfully right here.
I've seen people say that the main purpose of him saying this was to try to comfort Qifrey in a roundabout way so he would agree to the memory wipe -- and while I do think that might have been a very small part of it, I think this was more an instance of Olruggio letting Qifrey in on how selfish he was being (also comforting Qifrey here might have been a little counterproductive anyway so)
Because just as Olruggio says, it would be infinitely more painful for him to either let Qifrey turn into a tree or wipe his memories because either way, he would either lose Qifrey to the tree or lose their friendship. So, selfishly, he chooses the option that allows him and Qifrey to stay together for as long as they want, at the cost of Qifrey's constant anguish.
(and while this is the less painful for him, I do want to acknowledge that it still is a painful path for Olruggio specifically, not just because of how fucked up this whole situation is, but because this kid has The Savior Complex of All Time and this plan puts him in a position where he has to live constantly suspecting his best friend is in trouble but won't confide in him or let him help in any way)
And what takes this even further into my point that this is an essential part of Olruggio's character and not just a one-time, desperate measure to keep his friend alive, is the fact that Qifrey mentions that Olruggio offers him the same path every single time he finds out.
Meaning, apart from probably just the most recent memory wipe (ch. 40), Olruggio learned the full truth of what's been happening since that day at the tower, forgave Qifrey for keeping it a secret (though I doubt there was much to forgive since it was his idea in the first place) and then watched Qifrey get Treed from the sheer relief of confessing.
He had to have seen how much pain Qifrey had to keep himself in (even if Qifrey didn't say all that specifically, I assume he could infer it from just how easily the silverroot took over after he found out) and still asked him to keep the same promise over and over, so they wouldn't have to be apart.
And Qifrey, being the king of self-deprication, sees this as a mercy on Olruggio's part and a sin on his own, while Olruggio knows he is being selfish in asking Qifrey to stay despite what it costs him.
So yeah basically. I just love that bit of duality in his character that, despite being someone who's literally centered their magic around bringing people comfort, his first priority (and most definitely a product of his death-based trauma as a child) is to make sure that the people he cares about are alive, regardless of the pain they may be in.
Especially so for Qifrey probably because of whatever fucked up Trauma-Based Savior-Complex x Self-Destructive Codependent Secret Third Thing they've got going on. I love them so much can you tell.
Sylph shoes seem like they would be really uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. Having your feet pushed together isn't really a natural position. I wonder why they don't use that surfboard all the time...
My guess is that surfing looks auraless and unserious compared to just levitating, which is an important factor for witches who are famously super image-conscious and performative
True. Maybe they need to actually surf on them instead of just steering them with a stick. If you stood up and made the speed faster, I think you could get some aura
Yes I know, I know, Mystryl is technically dead at this time, but she was still (as Mystra is now) the embodiment of the Weave, so I put her old symbol instead of the newest Mystra one, as a marker of Gale's love for magic, rather than Mystra herself.
And I've swapped the original design from Mucha to have a good view of the orb.
Others in the series can be found here :
Astarion as 'The North Star'
Shadowheart as 'The Moon'
Wyll as 'The Morningstar'
Lae'zel as 'The Comet'
Next (and last, for now), Karlach â€ïžâđ„ No idea when I'll get to her though ^^
I have a sinking feeling about Qifrey and where his story is headed.
MASSIVE spoilers and maybe slightly long-winded theorizing below the cut.
I believe quite certainly that Qifrey intends to reveal the complete truth to Olruggio very soon, and that while he seems to be accepting his fate, he is trying to maintain as much control over the terms of his inevitable end as possible.
Following the events of Chapter 88, after he reveals his nature as a Silverwood host to Coco, he asks to postpone his complete confession, wishing to be able to reveal the truth elsewhere, in a peaceful place beneath a wide open sky where his roots would have room to comfortably grow. He has described the land around the atelier in this way many times before.
Later, when the entire group is finally reunited and Olruggio tells Qifrey theyâre going home. Qifreyâs expression looks pained for a moment, before he answers, âAlright then. Let's go home. Our atelier awaits."
His verbal recognition of the atelier as his home is a rather glaring signal that he is beginning to accept his imminent end and has chosen the atelier as his ideal final resting place. This is hinted at early on in a sequence during which Beldaruit spoke to Riliphin of the Silverwoods, and implied that he knew of Qifreyâs condition as he privately worried that his beginning to think of the atelier as his home could be dangerous for him.
At a point during their journey home, we return to the group to find the girls all asleep, while Qifrey has distanced himself from the rest, sitting on the bank of a lake to write in his book. Olruggio joins him and points out how far heâs sitting from the fire.
I think this was probably intentional in an effort to be closer to the lake to keep himself anxious, since it is my personal theory that here, Qifrey is actually writing a letter to Olruggio in which he tells him the entire truth, and that the narration through the next arc is comprised of excerpts from that letter. The lake is intended to be a failsafe of sorts, since of course, we know that vocalizing the truth to Olly is Qifreyâs greatest comfort trigger, while water touching his skin is his biggest anxiety trigger. Given this, it makes sense for him to choose this particular spot to begin to release the truth so he has a means of keeping the Silverwood at bay readily available should he need it, which he evidently does later on.
In the segments that follow, Qifrey reminisces on how he and Olruggio crossed paths at the Great Hall and became close.
Through the end of chapter 91, we watch the story unfold neutrally as though it is happening in real time, with no narration, but in chapter 92, something shifts. As soon as Qifreyâs recount reaches the part of the story that would have been lost to Olruggioâs memory, a past-tense narrator voice begins to cut in, and suddenly, it becomes clear this story is being told to someone, not merely recalled, and not just to anyone, but to Olruggio by Qifrey. This is the strongest evidence that what weâre reading is actually the contents of a letter to Olruggio.
All of this indicates to me that Qifrey is not just reminiscing, but is actively preparing for the end. The telling of the story, the physical and emotional distance Qifrey has put between himself and the others, and his now repeated framing of the atelier as both home and the kind of place where he would want to be forever, are all supportive of that.
As far as we know, Qifrey hasnât been the one to initiate a full confession since they were kids at the Tower of Tomes. Spilling his guts in a letter written under duress is probably a new tactic, and itâs a smart one, as it ensures Qifrey can get the complete truth out on his terms without the usual interruption from the Silvertree.
We also know that Qifrey would rather die than have his transformation hurt the people he loves, so at this point, I wouldn't put it past him to leave the letter at home where the others will find it before going off to trigger his transformation alone, or waiting until the others are gone to trigger it.
This is what has me especially worried for him now, because Olruggio and the girls just left the atelier, leaving Qifrey there by himself. Maybe I'm projecting (probably), but the thought of Qifrey leaving a note and then going off to essentially kill himself makes my stomach hurt. Painfully though, it does feel in character, especially now that he's vocalized his trust in his students, particularly Coco, to carry on his mission. Olruggio, please go home now, your husband is an active danger to himself!!
Fortunately, Hiehart and Jujy pay the atelier a visit, but even upon greeting them, he does already seem on edge and uncharacteristically down.
Hopefully, whatever Hiehart has to say will get Qifrey out of his head and convince him to keep living for a little while longer. I'm guessing he's going to ask Qifrey to take on Jujy as his apprentice. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Anyways. To conclude, here is Qifreyâs directed narration/possible excerpts from a letter to Olruggio compiled:
Every day I turned my gaze away from the encroaching dread, and for as long as I was in the dark, I was happy. I greeted each morning with excitement, for with the rise of the sun came another adventure with you. I thought if I could retrieve the past I lost, my joy would be as genuine as yours, and perhaps I would have a real chance to share in your happiness. A child can dream. Like ordinary boys, we would share our visions of tomorrow with each other and we would laugh at how far away it all seemed.
Little did I know that felicity came with forgetting. It was a bliss born of ignorance. If I knew what I was⊠If I knew that I was never meant to be saved, I would've stayed far away from you, the skyâs kindest, most radiant star.
I once read an old poem that likened stars to boats sailing through the sky. But as far as I know, boats donât twinkle like stars. The light doesnât come from the vessel itself, but its guiding torch. Like your pyreball, it burns at the bow. A beacon of light in the dark.
After that fateful day, you would uncover my secret again and again. Each time you would respond with disbelief. Then your face would twist and turn in anguish. And after biting back a few words, you would show me grace, and comfort me and forgive me for lying to you. And then, without fail, the Silverwoodâs roots would grow. You would offer me the same path back every time, and I would take it, adding to my mess of sins.
I had often considered leaving your side. I thought that perhaps traveling alone would save me from taking away your memories. But even that minute solace was enough for the Silverwood. I knew then that distance would do nothing but break my promise to you.
So I had another thought: A master never wants for worry with apprentices to look after. The selfishness behind my reason for taking on pupils made me ill, but theyâd never have to know that. So I decided to put every fiber of my being toward becoming a good educator. If only I had known then what a joy it truly is to watch your students grow with each passing day.
Itâs somewhat rare for a Silverwood to take root in people. Unlike animals, they tend to hold onto too much anxiety. Which is why the tree planted in Custus that gave him his legs raises some questions. My right eye was the only one to sprout during the experiments. It must have some connection to the Silverwood in Custas. For so long, I thought I was the only host, but now I'm not so sure. There could be more victims out there than I ever imagined.
Did I make the right choice?
Would it have been better to throw everything aside and hunt down the brimmed caps?
Doubts like these turn in my head, but the moment I see my atelier, I remember.
This is where my heart is. This is where I want to be.
Okay, so I'm /actually/ about to write a porn fic to AO3, and I'm interested in knowing what the difference is between the M rating and E rating. Able to enlighten me?
Mature is âand then they made love.â Explicit is 'and hereâs how they did it exactly.â
To wit: mature.
He looked at the envelope, spread out before him.
God, heâd never been this hungry.
Could he be gentle enough? Slow enough? He didnât want to damage it, didnât want to do anything heâd regret⊠but no, no, it seemed the envelope wanted this as much as he did. It slipped into his hands, it folded as he asked. When it was time for more, the card was waiting, and he somehow knew exactly what to do. He moved with his correspondence in a dance as old as the mail system, and when it was over, he was smiling and the envelope was completely, thoroughly sealed.
Explicit:
The envelope waved its flap in the air slowly, gently, and he could see the faint shimmer of the adhesive traced along its fold. It was like a taunt, a dare: wonât you? And he would, oh, God, he would, lifting the envelope firmly to his lips, licking slowly at first, then faster, more firmly, tasting the envelopeâs essence, the faint bitterness, the sweetness to followâ
Oh, he couldnât help but smile at how it felt in his hands. It was so perfectly folded. Its paper was rough against his fingers, and its crossed folds shifted slightly as it opened for his eager tongue. Yes, yesâŠ
Now the card, and his hand trembled as he lifted it, as he held the envelope, stretching it wide. Would it fit? Oh⊠oh, yes, it would fit, it slid in smooth and quick and filled the envelope to bursting, oh, made for each other, and he smiled in delight at how perfect it was.
He was ready. Now, now, now: with one swift movement he folded the flap over and he pressed, yes, he pressed the flap down and it stuck, God, it stuck perfectly, and he closed his eyes in bliss.
Afterwards, he stroked the envelope, and thought about addresses.
