This blog is home to all of my favorite Forgotten Realms people and things! I have some side blogs, but reblogs and follows will come from here. Feel free to tag this one for any and all things so that I can revel in your joy ☺️.
If you want to join my Boops for Moots list go here!
Blog tags are:
#yawning portal patrons - moots OCs
#the font of knowledge - chapter updates and wips of fics I want to read
#calamastyr lane - my wips and personal posts
#gale’s tower - any and all things Gale and Tara
#new olamn - any and all things music related
#blackstaff tower - any and all things magic/wizard related
#thayan embassy - any and all things evil aligned
#elfstone tavern - any and all things elf related
#the spires - any and all things good aligned cleric/paladins/gods
#the market - all other bits and bobs
I am also currently in the midst of writing a fic series wherein I attempt to flesh out Gale's backstory along with that of my OC. If you’d like to read my work please see below for AO3 links. All of my related brainrot can be found on each work’s side blog. If you’re interested in my OC, Eliwyn Torleth, she has her own space, as well! See below for that info and blog links.
Tidal Fates of Mortal Days: WIP Series
Part One: Threads of Fate
Pairing - Gale x OC
Rating - Mature
AO3 Tags - Alternating POV; Pre-canon; Fluff and Angst; Mutual Pining; Friends to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending (but first some yearning); additional tags on AO3
AO3 Summary -
Set in Waterdeep well before The Crisis of The Absolute…
Gale Dekarios is ambitious. He knows he is on the cusp of greatness. But his aspirations have been stifled by a command to wait for something he cannot control. The restlessness is starting to take its toll.
Eliwyn Torleth is content. But her parents do not think a young elf should live so long in the same human city. So, she must leave home behind and build her life anew.
When their paths cross on the streets of Waterdeep they quickly form a bond. Soon, a dormant promise stirs and it expects to be honored. A choice must be made: mortal love or divine devotion?
OR: The Forgotten Realms equivalent of two young professionals navigating the challenges of establishing their careers and finding love.
AO3 Tags - Pre-canon; Alternating POV; Yearning; Fluff & Angst; Adventure; additional tags to be added
AO3 Summary -
Five months have passed since a divine command came between Gale and Eliwyn. Now, Gale is set on fulfilling his destiny as the First of Mystra’s Chosen. He is sure his endeavors will prove his worth, but keeping the approval of a goddess is no easy undertaking.
Meanwhile, Eliwyn seeks a new path of her own. Guided by her faith but restricted by her vow to do no harm, she ventures into the wide world. Dangers lurk around every bend in the road. Luckily, she does not face them alone.
Set against the backdrop of a newly reordered realm of the gods and a land rebuilding after a century of conflict, Eliwyn and Gale will see old faces and meet new friends. Yet beneath the turbulent waters of their journeys, something stirs. Even the waves of fate will break upon the shores of will…
But for how long?
Make a picrew and generate a random "incorrect quote" to go with it.
Well, as mentioned earlier in this post, I was once again very deliberate in selecting the incorrect quotes for Chloris and Elore! No randomness for my dearies, they deserve to be represented accurately. Well... their vibe at least!
(There are no Olive Garden's in Faerûn I am sure... 😅)
ELORE WINTERSTONE (Baldur’s Gate 3)
Starting off with *BIG* Elore energy from the first quote...
CHLORIS LAVELLAN (Dragon Age : Inquisition)
Oh, the horrors of becoming the Inquisitor...
Tagging @ashillayn @lampost-in-winter and @crimsonphantasmagoria, and also OPEN TAG for anyone who wants to try it!
New Chapter Day! 🏝️
'The Matriarch: The Morena Dekarios Story'
Chapter Summary: Evermeet continues to surprise Morena as she learns the elven philosophy of mastery, her family's legacy, and the art of making a really good ceviche.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Thank you dear readers for sticking with me! Your kind words and kudos keep me going! ❤️
rules: Click on these to make your OC in Picrew and put their name in the incorrect quote generator!
Thanks for the tag @ginateeth. In turn, I am tagging @tragedybunny @glitzgremlin
This is Nora, my isekai'd OC from Threadbare.
I did a mix of characters with her in the incorrect quote generator.
Astarion: banging a pen on the table out of frustration
Nora: Stop that. How would YOU feel if I banged you on the table?
Astarion: I—
Astarion: I don’t know the correct answer to that question.
Nora: It doesn’t have a bone.
Karlach: Then why is it called a boner?
Nora: ... That's a great question, actually.
grins maniacally
Nora: Wanna see something funny?
Shadowheart: Nora, no!
Nora: Hey Gale! Have you ever read anything about why it's called a boner?
Nora: Hey, it’s your turn to wash the dishes.
Astarion: I’ll wash the walls red with your blood.
Nora: Okay, but before that, wash the dishes. Also, use soap this time.
My AO3 account is c_e_p, and since I don’t use social media outside of fandom stuff I decided to keep it more or less consistent across platforms. For those curious, it’s just my initials. Because I’m super creative 😉
‘The Castle Ward’ is in honor of my favorite ward in my favorite city in Faerûn—Waterdeep. It’s where my OC lives (on Calamastyr Lane) and is where my beloved The Spires of the Morning is located. It’s got a little bit of everything, so it was perfect for my blog which is a collection of all things Forgotten Realms. Each blog tag is in reference to a different location in the ward. Because I’m a nerd 😉
2. Latest movie? What did you think?
Okay so, for those who don’t know, I have two kiddos aged 4.5 and 2. Which means most of my TV media is kid-oriented. My latest movie was Ponyo, which is fine by me because I ADORE all things Ghibli.
3. What are you looking forward to right now?
September, when both my kids will be in daycare for a few hours each week and I can actually lock in and work! I’ve been a work from home mom since COVID, which means the days are long but I don’t necessarily feel productive. I’m super excited to not have to log in after hours as much.
4. If you could do anything at all today, what would it be?
Win the lottery! I would pay off all of our debt, make sure my dad never has to worry about money, set my kids up for their future, buy a bigger house with maybe some more acreage, and commission lots of fanart for all my fandom friends and their OCs.
5. Drink of choice?
Normal every day drink: ice cold water
Soda: Dr. Pepper
Beer: Mad Elf
Liquor: Anything with rum or whiskey
6. Hair routine?
LOL I’m so not a beauty routine kinda gal. I use Pantene shampoo and conditioner (though I make sure to only shampoo my roots and condition my ends), brush, and air dry. I haven’t used heat on my hair in…gosh…a decade? And I haven’t colored my hair since high school. I think those two things have been the saving grace for my hair.
7. Favourite way to travel? Is there another you want to try?
I love flying!
Another mode I want to try is by train. Someday, I would love to take the Amtrak down to Florida!
8. Favourite month and why?
October! I loveeeeee Halloween—I take the day off work whenever it falls on a weekday. Also, I live in the Shenandoah Valley which gets beautiful foliage in the fall. There are tons of fall festivals near me since I’m in a rural area. It’s just a ton of fun and so so so cozy.
9. Favourite time of day and why?
The hours between 8pm and midnight. My kids are asleep, hubs and I get time to play BG3 or veg on the couch, and then once he goes to bed around 10pm I get all the time to myself to write and read (at least until I fall asleep).
10. Do you play or follow any sports?
I was super sporty in high school! I played soccer and swam basically my entire life (spent a little time in the Olympic Development Leagues for both, if you don’t mind me tooting my own horn). I played basketball for a bit, but I’m a short-stack and have terrible hand-eye coordination.
I am not a sports watcher, though. The exception is sumo. I love sumo 😂
11. What kind of music has been stuck in your head lately?
I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for Wolf Hall on repeat because it is now basically the soundtrack for the final installment of my fic series. I only just started writing part 2 of the series but I’m already daydreaming about the fourth and final part 😅
12. Dishes or laundry?
Dishes! I hate folding laundry. I have a laundry mountain range in my bedroom that is soon going to be the size of the Alps.
13. Something you learned recently?
Sea Turtles cannot see amber light, which is why lights of similar wavelengths are considered “sea turtle safe.” Those types of lights don’t distract baby sea turtles from following the moon out to sea once they hatch. There’s a conservation movement to change all lightbulbs along the coast where turtles lay their eggs to amber lights so the babies don’t get lost 🥰
14. What would you talk about if you could give a TED talk on anything?
She-Intelligencers! Women who took advantage of men’s underestimation of thrm and used their positions to gather intel (such as through gossip) to help whatever cause they were allied with. I love them.
15. Piece of advice you find yourself giving a lot?
Everything is a phase.
16. Piece of advice you would give yourself five years ago?
Stay off the parenting IGs!!
I had massive post-partum anxiety with my first, and I blame these “parenting experts” for a lot of it. My son did not fit the box of a “normal baby” and I was led to believe it was my fault.
Here’s the thing I have now learned: no one is an expert when it comes to raising kids because all kids are different. Trust yourself and your instincts. You’ll do just fine, I promise.
17. Do you believe in luck and superstition? Do you carry any lucky items or follow any?
Not really. Maybe luck? But I don’t carry any talismans or anything around with me. I do believe in miracles and fate.
18. Are you musical (play any instruments, sing)? Would you ever perform for an audience?
My husband says I can sing, but I rarely let him hear me. I would never sing in front of anyone but my kids (and once they’re older that will likely stop too). No other musical talents for me, unfortunately.
19. Write, type or speak?
Write/type, although I write in cursive which no one can read anymore. So typing it is!
20. What do you wish someone would ask you?
I guess anything about BG3/Forgotten Realms! I love talking about my brain rot. Otherwise, I’m not one to volunteer too much information about myself unless asked, then I’m an open book (like with these questions hehe).
Copy and paste below the cut if you want to answer!
1. What's your blog title from?
2. Latest movie? What did you think?
3. What are you looking forward to right now?
4. If you could do anything at all today, what would it be?
5. Drink of choice?
6. Hair routine?
7. Favourite way to travel? Is there another you want to try?
8. Favourite month and why?
9. Favourite time of day and why?
10. Do you play or follow any sports?
11. What kind of music has been stuck in your head lately?
12. Dishes or laundry?
13. Something you learned recently?
14. What would you talk about if you could give a TED talk on anything?
15. Piece of advice you find yourself giving a lot?
16. Piece of advice you would give yourself five years ago?
17. Do you believe in luck and superstition? Do you carry any lucky items or follow any
18. Are you musical (play any instruments, sing)? Would you ever perform for an audience?
19. Write, type or speak?
20. What do you wish someone would ask you?
Boops for moots! Want a boop? Join here!
This boop is so so gentle, btw! @itspastmidnight @optimisticgrey @unovafarm @chaushaus @wyfyoyo @kt-catt @mysticxmoonlight @galacticsparkles @drow-drow-drow @emmyandthetieflings @glitterandmoondustofficial @lolthwoven @hollowharp @tynithia
@cep-stories deserves more love. I love her OC Eliwyn. I love a writer who writes against the grain of what everyone else expects from a popular character. I believe in you wholeheartedly and every time we engage you leave a giant smile on my face. I hope you believe in yourself and Eliwyn.
Is it tacky to reblog this? I’m still such a newbie in the tumblr world, so forgive me if I’m committing a faux pas. BUT, I figure whoever sent in this lovely comment is following me and I want to make sure you (whoever you are) know that I am just so touched! To know that Eliwyn (and I) have brought some joy into the world warms me right through. I do believe in Eliwyn and I love her dearly, despite whatever authorial insecurities I may have. It’s always nice to know there are others who love her, too.
Thank you for your kind words. You’re a beautiful soul ❤️❤️
Gale sighed deeply, closed his eyes against the absolute chaos surrounding him as panicked citizens ran directly into him, scrambling past with singular focus on their own survival, and accepted with what he hoped was reasonable philosophical equanimity the fact that today might just be, contrary to all his careful planning and meticulous preparations, the day he was picked up by a mind flayer nautiloid.
Instead of enjoying fresh sea brass—excellently prepared with citrus and rosemary—paired with a delightfully light white wine for dinner, as he had been genuinely looking forward to.
Of course.
gentlest of tags for @unhinged-academic-of-waterdeep @anacdoce @goodgirlgonebard @renofdragons @dutifullylazybread @alliskit @naiatabris @thepalelawyer @eliwyntorleth @kcwriter-blog @tociminna and @desolateoath
Thank you for the tags🖤 @kt-catt, @elandra-beltharys, @the-shadowfell-darkroom
I have been swamped with working with the team on setting up
The Grand deZine BG3 Villain Zine
Here are some Render's I have been working on. I finally made myself a logo.
Showing off my babies, my blorbos: Cazador Szarr & Bernadette
Vellioth is terrifying. The worst Benadryl hat man imaginable.
Thank you @perpetualmaladaptivedaydream for the tag. I've made some progress on my BG3 fic and am eager to see what people think. @dr4gonwriter asked me about Gale's possible walk of shame after saving Tadeous' life, given that everyone would assume something completely different as he left her tent. So I present you with a little banter:
"I can't believe it!" Karlach practically sang. Tadeous didn’t need to look to know she was bouncing on her toes. "I mean, I know you two have been dancing around it, but I never thought it would actually happen. I'm so happy for you both!"
"It's not like that, Karlach," Gale's voice was soft, a trace of embarrassment threading through his words. "Nothing happened. I just assisted Tadeous with a cantrip that was vexing her."
“Mage Hand?” Astarion’s voice slid in, smooth and amused, each word edged with deliberate mischief. “I’ve heard that cantrip can be quite… versatile. Though I’ve never tried it myself. I prefer a more hands-on approach.”
“No,” Gale answered, the single word tight, as if it had been forced through clenched teeth.
“Well, that’s not surprising either,” Astarion rejoined. “I have no doubt our beautiful bard prefers something with a little more… bite?” He lingered on the word, before a soft, self-satisfied laugh followed.
“And you would know that how, Astarion?” Gale replied, his voice settling into that same cool, careless cadence he’d used the night before.
She shivered. It was easy to forget how dangerous he was, how quickly that softness could sharpen. Even without Mystra’s favor, he could unmake Astarion with a single, well-placed spell.
tagging @optimisticgrey @lagunapoint @pooyaaaaan @virshiral @saylofwaterdeep (no pressure)
If you’ve given your OC a birthdate (or even an approximation), look up their astrology and tell me how alike or different they are from their sign. If you haven’t given them a birthdate, tell me what zodiac sign you think they’d be and why! And heck, if you feel like it, throw in some fanfic, VP, or art.
No one tagged me, but this looked fun. Especially because I gave Nora an exact birthdate, time, and location.
Disclaimer: I am neither a believer in nor a practitioner of zodiac charts, and may have gotten things wrong. I did my best through the use of reddit, an old book I had still from a brief flirtation with witchy things as a teenager, and calling a friend who is super into divination.
A warning: there are a few small spoilers in here for Threadbare. You will probably forget them long before those chapters are published, but YMMV.
Nora, or Ailionora Lathanyll Feyre, her full legal name, was born as the sun crossed the horizon over Keystone, West Virginia, on February 13, 1976.
Sun Sign and Rising Sign in Aquarius
Having a Sun sign and Rising sign aligned indicates a person who is almost incapable of hiding their true personality. In addition, because she was born at sunrise, her sun sign should be the dominant force in her zodiac.
With both signs in Aquarius, she would be expected to be a highly independent, forward-thinking, and intellectually curious leader, with a bent towards humanitarian causes and a drive towards the greater good.
And we do see this in her, despite her murderous tendencies.
She joined the army, but as a medic, she repeatedly ended up working in refugee camps. Later, she becomes a middle school teacher in an underserved community. In Faerun, she shows this by showing compassion whenever she feels she can without endangering her group.
I won't spoil things, but we also will see this in a big way in the later parts of Threadbare.
Later on, Nora will be revealed to have Elven ears after a greater restoration spell regrows the "deformity" that was removed when she was a baby.
Moon Sign in Leo
The Moon was in the exact opposite sign of the zodiac. This is fascinating dynamic: a mind and outward persona (Aquarius) are detached, logical, and focused on the collective, and an emotional inner world desperate for recognition, passion, and personal spotlight.
A person who projects cold, analytical leadership, fighting against a prideful passion, constantly in opposition with themselves.
I'd say Nora embodies this 110%.
She struggles with being quick to rage. Some of it is her PTSD, but she's always had a profound sensitivity to injustice that reveals itself in the urge to do violence to those she perceives as perpetrators.
In addition, she keeps herself at a distance from people, preferring casual sex to relationships, refusing to even form deep friendships with others. But when someone worms their way in? She's an absolute ride or die.
Would burn the world, would hide the body, will ride off that cliff hand in hand without blinking. Which is exactly why she's so terrified of falling for someone like Astarion.
Mercury & Saturn in Aquarius
Mercury in Aquarius creates a mind that is sharp, original, and highly communicative.
Saturn also being in Aquarius adds to that discipline, focus, and the ability to create structure.
This combination creates a dreamer who can turn dreams into reality.
And we will see that in Act 2 of Threadbare, when Nora builds a real, functional army out of the ragtag groups of refugees at Last Light Inn and takes on the title General Lathanyll.
Mars in Scorpio
Scorpio is the sign that traditionally ruled by Mars. Having it here means that the traits are going to be prominent features.
This person would be expected to have intense drive, profound emotional depth, and relentless stamina. Implacable might be a word others apply to them. Once they've decided on a course of action, neither Heaven nor Hell could stop them.
Yeah. That 100% tracks with our girl. After all, when her ex-fiance was brain-damaged by an army experiment, she turned into a serial killer, and killed every single last person who'd been involved, though it took eight years of her life.
What does all of this mean in terms of the story?
I'm actually fascinated by this because I picked her birthday, location, and time for reasons totally unrelated to astrology. I actually had to do a lot of research for this. I know, "research," but still.
The main theme of Threadbare is all about autonomy.
Nora has had hers violated time and time again. Starting with her conception. She was deliberately made, at a specific time and place, for a purpose she never agreed to. As mentioned above, at birth, her ears were surgically altered, their points viewed as a deformity.
She was trafficked by her own mother as a child. Then, in the army, she lived again with limited bodily autonomy. Later, she ended up in sex work to support her brain-damaged fiance, where her autonomy was violated again and again.
In Faerun, a tadpole was put into her brain against her will. She is "restored" to her Elven body without her knowledge, understanding, or consent.
Then, we look at her chart:
This chart reveals that autonomy is not just a preference for Nora—it is a core psychological necessity and the very foundation of her identity.
ie, everything that happened above, according to her zodiac, is a psychological wound that has fractured her understanding of herself.
And damn if we don't see it - an excerpt from the WIP of Chapter 40.
Infatuation was a hell of a drug. Still, she knew what this was. and what this wasn't.
The beads of sweat running down her back had long since dried in the breeze, a slight shiver replacing them. Damn. For the first time she could remember since Crash, she was hoping for something sweet. To talk after. Real intimacy. But the chill would cut things short.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow would bring a cure. And with it, he'd be leaving. A goodbye. She might see him again. Or not. Either way, she'd keep her word and someday kill his enslaver.
But first there would be the long slog of rebuilding her life.
She took a breath, letting the thoughts go. Instead, she considered what she wanted out of tonight. All of their encounters had been laced with violence and her submission, her usual oeuvre. Letting someone punish the feelings out of her before they could drive her to madness. And he was so, so good at it. Astarion would guide tonight much the same way if she let him.
But if this was to be the last night they were together, she wished… well, she needed more. Things he'd been clear he wasn't interested in. Things she'd sworn she had no desire for.
Jesus. This was the crux of it. Shit like love wasn't for people like her, people who'd been shattered and glued back together so many times there might not even be a person left in that mess. When he called her ruined, he had no idea that it weren't sex she was ruined for.
The Summary:
1. Autonomy as a Core Identity (Sun and Ascendant in Aquarius)
With a Double Aquarius sunrise alignment, Nora is hardwired to resist conformity.
The Sovereign Self: She has an innate need to think, act, and exist outside the box. She cannot tolerate being told how to live, what to believe, or how to behave.
Authenticity Over Approval: She would rather be misunderstood or stand completely alone than compromise her intellectual or personal freedom. For her, submitting to someone else's rigid rules feels like psychological suffocation.
2. The Mental Need for Spacing (Mars and Mercury)
Nora's mental and action-oriented planets reinforce this craving for breathing room.
Mercury in Aquarius: Her mind requires absolute intellectual autonomy. She needs the freedom to explore unconventional ideas, challenge dogmas, and come to her own logical conclusions without censorship.
Mars in Gemini: This placement creates a need for behavioral variety and flexibility. She hates feeling trapped in a rigid, unyielding routine.
3. The Paradox: The Craving for Safety (Moon-Saturn in Cancer)
While Nora's conscious mind demands absolute independence, her subconscious emotional world (Moon conjunct Saturn in Cancer) introduces a contradiction.
The Fear of Total Isolation: Complete detachment terrifies her on a primal level. While she fights fiercely for her autonomy, she deeply craves emotional safety, a stable home, and a protective inner circle.
Things that Nora hasn't had since she was 12 years old.
The Control Mechanism: To balance this, she often uses her autonomy as a protective shield. She stays intensely independent because she is terrified of becoming vulnerable or depending on someone who will only let her down. For Nora, staying autonomous is a way to ensure they never get hurt.
How it Manifests in Daily Life
In relationships and career, Nora will never thrive under micromanagement or possessive partners. She views true intimacy not as a surrender of freedom, but as a partnership between two entirely independent, self-governing equals.
Nora demands connections where she can say, "I am entirely my own person, but I choose to stand next to you."
Tagging some folks I think that might have fun with this:
@optimisticgrey @missfortunetherogue @hermetic-principles
I was tagged by @kt-catt @@rdekarios @lilhumanoid @litsenn @oursusanellen @thepalelawyer @tynithia @faeriiefire @lolthwoven @bladesingerlily for WIPs and last lines written. Thank you dears! 🫶
Parts Part one, two, three, four, five, six
He smirked—small, brief, the first warmth she had seen in him all evening, not the warmth he usually offered her but warmer than the careful distance he had maintained since she walked through the study door, as though she had managed to bridge some narrow fraction of the chasm she had created.
"I cannot claim to be entirely unfamiliar with the feeling," he added, and she understood what it cost him to admit it. "But what I fail to grasp—what I genuinely cannot reconcile—is why you would lie to me about it. Why would you not trust me enough to share this with me?"
Celeste sighed. "I love you. You are an Archmage. A Professor at the Blackstaff Academy. You take lunch with the Blackstaff herself and dinner with the social echelon of Waterdeep—"
"As do you."
"As your wife, yes. The woman beside you." She turned the glass slowly. "When we came to Waterdeep, I had nothing to my name but a heritage I didn't want. No past, no identity, no memories I could reliably trust. Not even a last name—you gave me yours."
For a brief moment, a smile crossed his face, and Celeste considered carefully how much truth he would be able to stomach, and how quickly.
"Do you remember," she asked, her voice dropping, watching the firelight catch in the rum's dark surface, "the first night I played the Yawning Portal?"
"I do."
"We had wandered a great deal in those weeks, you had shown me the city, your favorite spots, the restaurants, the bakeries and vendors you love—"
"I remember," Gale stated, harder than before, and she heard what lay beneath it: that it was a good memory, a fond one, and that revisiting it tonight was complicated.
"I noticed we were being followed. We were both slightly drunk, just enough for me to be entertaining when I performed, and you hadn't noticed. I was absolutely certain, but you were enjoying yourself so thoroughly that when I asked whether you had noticed anything—"
"I declined!" Gale sat forward abruptly, the memory surfacing with enough force to animate him despite himself. "We were on our way home, finding—" He took a breath and fought back a smirk with visible effort. "Indulging in alleyways. You asked if I had noticed something, and I declined."
Celeste managed a small smile, glad he was willing to go there with her, even now. "Yes. You declined. And I tried to let it go, and we had other things on our minds that night. But I could not shake the feeling. So when you left for the Academy the next morning, I followed, at a distance. It was just a feeling that something might be wrong."
"And you concluded I was incapable of handling it?" The warmth the memory had briefly restored evaporated instantly, replaced by sharp offense. "I was Mystra's Chosen, Celeste. I have—"
"I am aware, Gale," she said gently. "I did not think you would be attacked in broad daylight and be unable to defend yourself. I was concerned. This was a new city, and I did not yet know its patterns." She sighed. "I would have done it differently, with hindsight. But it was not distrust. It was—if I am being completely honest—also thrilling. I admit that freely. It was thrilling to follow a thread and see where it led."
Gale sighed with the resignation of a man defeated by a truth he recognized in himself. "Though I do not particularly enjoy admitting it... I am familiar with the feeling."
Celeste nodded, drank, then offered a small smile. His eyes softened, fractionally.
"And? Had I been followed?"
gentlest of tags for @cinder-rellish181 @missfortunetherogue @heartcrystal2000 @deianestormborn @defira85 @mesmerisingpurple @graysparrowao3 @fangedgrace @gloura @hollowharp @unovafarm @alliskit @goodgirlgonebard @elandra-beltharys
Thank you everyone who keeps tagging me in wips since…June? It’s been a minute, I know. I’ve been keeping a running list when they pop up so that I can properly thank you, that now I have accumulated so many that I might as well say uno-reverses to you all! Thank you @gortashsrighthand @fireflyeyes @tociminna @cep-stories @rdekarios @scoldingdarjeeling @deianestormborn @defira85 @archduchessgortash @bladesingerlily @saylofwaterdeep @adrielmancy @riddlerosehearts @asorceresswrites @arlynx @tynithia (please know that if I’ve missed anyone it wasn’t intentional and that the uno-reverse applies to you as well!) 😘💜
The smut I keep threatening everyone with. Well, one of them. This is where I’m getting stuck because it’s not about the smut per se in the end, but I still want some smut and inconveniently I’m terrible at smut. (Also, clearly looking at how many time I can say smut in this paragraph. Smut.) I’m more into torturing them lately if I’m being honest haha. If anyone has any tips I’m all ears!
Anyway, a little bit more from a past WIP, though I’m pasting it all together so it reads better, but also because I did a little editing to the first piece again. I’m seriously thinking about this way too much for such a small piece of Ellie’s backstory. But I mean…look at them…they’re hot.
However, I’ve been considering giving them a little more of a backstory to show how they met and worked together. That’ll be farther down the road, though, if at all. A spin-off, if you will. I’m in process of working on so much of her act 2 and post-tadpole story at the moment. I don’t know…we’ll see.
A drink at the Elfsong.
That was how it started.
One decent job and a heavier purse than usual between them. Enough coin to justify a drink that turned into two, then three. Until the cheap whiskey stopped burning down her throat and the taste of it instead lingered on Rugan’s tongue.
After that came rough hands, bare skin, and a rented room upstairs that smelled like smoke and old wood.
By morning, they’d agree it wasn’t a thing. Just two people looking for a warm body and somewhere to sober up for the night. But afterward, all it took was another casual mention of a drink at the Elfsong and she would eventually find herself climbing the same narrow staircase, turning the knob that was never locked for her.
It was…convenient.
That was the word Ellie wrapped around nights spent lying beside him, both of them staring at the ceiling while their lungs still burned.
There were worse ways to spend a night. Worse people to end up beneath after too much whiskey and not enough sleep. Rugan never asked questions she didn’t want to answer. Never expected parts of her she had no intention of giving.
And in the dark, with enough drink and his hands hot on her skin, she could almost convince herself that having someone in pieces was easier than needing them whole.
What had once been a night every few months — Rugan slipping back into the city with another offhand offer for a drink — had quietly become something more frequent.
Worse still was the restlessness when too much time had passed. The way she’d eye the man running the stall across from her place, waiting to hear another amused complaint about the “bloke who keeps flirting with my customers.”
The realization sat poorly with her.
Still, it became difficult to care about blurred lines once Rugan’s hips were pressed against hers as soon as the door shut behind her, his mouth rough on her and his hands already fumbling impatiently at the knot of her belt like he’d thought about this very moment the entire journey back into the city.
“First time?”
He didn’t look up. Just answered with a crooked smirk and a grunt of concentration as he worked stubbornly at the knot she’d tied too tight on purpose.
“It’s not my fault you keep moving.”
She watched the faint creases gather at the corners of his eyes as he focused. Gods, he looked truly irritated by it now.
“Isn’t being good with your hands part of the job description?” she teased. “Maybe you should—“
The knot finally gave.
Rugan’s hand caught the belt before she could finish, hauling her sharply against him hard enough to pull a startled breath from her chest.
“Maybe,” he muttered low and against her mouth, voice rough with that same irritation despite the grin pulling at it, “you should stop talking.”
Then he kissed her before she could throw another smartass remark back at him.
The belt hit the floor somewhere beside them with a metallic clatter, forgotten almost immediately as his hands slid beneath her shirt instead. Rough palms. Calloused fingers firmly dragging heat across her ribs.
It was dangerous how easily her body remembered him. The weight of him on the mattress. The scrape of stubble against her throat. The imprint of his hands. Things she still remembered on nights when she was alone and…
”Forgot how soft y’felt,” he murmured close enough she felt the words, his voice dragging low enough through her that she hated the way her body reacted to it.
She laughed, but the sound caught thin and she knew he’d probably smugly hear through it. “Forgot how full of shit you are.”
His grin stretched against her throat first. His breath followed slower, and the way her body reacted — a jolt that sent her arching closer against him — was almost embarrassing.
“Missed you too.”
So, extra (no pressure) tags because I want to love on everyone since I don’t get to properly all the time: @wasteful-sam @bhaal-battle-beer-bard (& @judasiskariot jic), @babydinosaur930 @kt-catt @missfortunetherogue @carnivaley @heartsong94 @cursed-nyxan @thecampjuicebox @ele-millennial-weirdo @toomanyfamiliars @kcwriter-blog @lucretiouswept @purpleasters-inseptember @susann-noir @thepalelawyer @unovafarm (and if you’re reading this…YOU) 💜
I am taking a break from writing after my most recent chapter, since the next one is going to be ... a lot. So instead, let's look at some VPs from my "let's take pictures of my story" playthrough.
Chapter 15: The Party
Next to him, Rolan was gesturing wildly with his goblet. The tiefling’s cheeks were flushed with the wine and his eyes bright. "I nearly dispatched those goblins myself, but it seems you managed well enough."
Wren shook her head, recalling their encounter with the apprentice wizard earlier in the evening. They had stopped to watch him perform a basic prestidigitation, presenting it like a high-level spell. She had turned to Gale and mused, "he reminds me of someone... I can't think who." The flush that crept up Gale's neck had been worth every word.
"Wren." Her name came out as a plea. He was close enough now that she could see the small lines around his eyes and count the threads of silver beginning at his temples. "There should be a future in it," he said, his voice rough with both emotion and alcohol. "There should be mornings where we wake beside each other and evenings spent holding each other." His hand lifted partway toward her face then stopped. "You deserve someone you can touch. You should have someone who can offer you more than just... this. But gods help me, if this is all we can have, I still want it. Even knowing it will drive me mad with wanting more."
Wren looked out at the fire and the lights that twinkled around the grove. She watched the tieflings so full with joy and each other's company. Suddenly, she felt glad that she wasn't looking at it alone anymore.
"Then stay with me here," she said quietly. "Just sit with me. Tomorrow we have to go down into the darkness and we may never come out again. Let's sit and look at the light while we still can."
"Yes," he said simply. "Yes, I'll stay." He settled back against the stone wall, close enough that their sleeves nearly touched. The whiskey bottle sat forgotten between them. The celebration continued. Tieflings embraced around the central fire, druids shared stories, and children ran laughing between the adults. Somewhere in the distance, Halsin's voice rose over the crowd, low and rumbling. "It's beautiful," Gale sighed. "All of this life and joy makes the darkness we're heading toward seem like a nightmare we haven't had yet."
Wren cut him off gently as his thoughts wandered toward the darkness. "Shhh," she said softly. "Just sit. For me." Her sleeve touched his, and the tips of their fingers rested just inches apart on the wood. It was a torture that tasted sweet but ached deep. Gale's breathing slowed to match the rhythm of hers. Around them, the grove sparkled with celebration. In the shadows, two souls touched without making contact, spoke without words, and held each other in the only way they could.
And here, have a bonus Astarion. He's not supposed to be in this story so he's always forced to hide in a corner while we're taking pictures. I felt bad and let him get just a little bit of affection. (Despite the fact that he actually hates Wren because she won't let him do ANYTHING he wants, including bite her)
I genuinely don't remember at this point who has tagged me and who I've tagged on this merry-go-round, so tags or uno reverses for all of y'all:
@thesanguinesonnet, @tynithia, @unovafarm, @bladesingerlily, @rdekarios, @lolthwoven, @alliskit, @optimisticgrey, @cinder-rellish181, @cep-stories, @hollowharpwrites, @naiatabris. @emmyandthetieflings, @elandra-beltharys, @glitterandmoondustofficial, @ginateeth, @fireflyeyes, @87000beesinapersonsuit, @mysticxmoonlight, @magnificentcoffeekitten, @carnivaley, @the-font-bandit, @dutifullylazybread, @perpetualmaladaptivedaydream, @defira85
I swear I'm going to do a tag list soon so you don't have to hear from me if you don't want
Thank you to @eliwyntorleth for the tag! See the post for Eliwyn and Gale Here!
Gentle tags, according to my tag list: @kt-catt, @optimisticgrey
Absolutely everyone is invited to join!
Here is a link to the Enneagram test I used, and here is a resource for basic info if you already know your OCs type!
[image credit]
Ula is an 8, aptly called The Challenger. At her worst, she's absolutely ruthless, and seeks to destroy what won't bend to her will. At her best, she courageously stands up for her flock.
[image credit]
Eirael is a 1, The Reformer. At her worst she suffers severe depressions and nervous breakdowns, and she wants to rid herself of those she deems imperfect. At her best, she's incredibly wise and discerning.
I also have Gale as a 3, pairing him with Eirael. They share rigorous expectations of themselves and others, are both driven by goals they set for themselves, and strive to make each other proud. Gale helps Eirael stretch herself, showing her that she does not need to be such a perfectionist. Eirael keeps Gale grounded (sometimes).
When they argue, it's due to Gale's pragmatism and Eirael's tendency toward judgment. They're both highly competitive.
