= = = HAVE YOU RECONSIDERED CEREMORPHOSIS . . . ? = = =
Heya! Call me Monk! (NOT the one in the amulet, I must clarify ;]) I'm 20 years old and I go by any pronouns.
Welcome to my Dragon Age + BG3 + Date Everything + Whatever Else I'm Interested In blog! It's gonna be filled to the brim with all kinds of related art, writing, random commentary, and the like. When I'm confident enough in my abilities, I'll be taking art and writing requests, but until then, I'll probably just be reblogging and spouting random crap. :)
Feel free to drop in my inbox and say hi! I'm always up for making new pals, but considering that I MIGHT be dropping some NSFW content, I'd prefer chatting with people 18 and over, just to ensure I'm not doing anything Bad And Unsavory, haha. ๐
Request rules will be added to this post soon, when I'm ready to open up shop here! Until then, stay safe, have fun, and I hope y'all enjoy what I have to offer :D
Hey dragon age and bg3 moots. calling fandoms for help!
Account of amazing famous artist many of you probably know and follow, @nateeseart, has been wrongfully terminated here on tumblr. She has done nothing wrong but posted amazing art for years. She doesn't exactly know the reason why and support is not answering yet back but suspects it might be because of use of vpn. ๐ข tumblr AI detection system sucks
Please take a second if you can to contact tumblr support (you can use Feedback or Something else options) and report that her account was wrongly terminated and that they need to look into it/restore it.
If more of us report it can speed up the process and she has bigger chances of getting back her account which is her gallery and link to the fandom. ๐โค๏ธ
โThe finale was followed by a note penned by a different hand. This part was written by Halsin, a druid of the Emerald Grove. He expressed frustration with the books straying this far from being historic accords. Halsin also threatened the author with being fed to Ormn the bear if he were to see the name "Balsin" again.โ
The untitled book that had the tentative name Shadow's Kiss was a romance novel and the fourth volume of four, all unpublished drafts penned
i wish there was a way to describe how much i love dragon age veilguard. not only is the storyline so gripping, each companion side story just as captivating, even down to the little side quests in each region as well as the inane conversations the group has with each other, but the characters themselves endear themselves to you slowly, until you realize that suddenly theyโre not just side characters that are simply there to help you achieve a quest, they feel as though theyโre real, and that rook isnโt just the playable character, but theyโre actually you.
you learn to love every single aspect of the game, the story that builds slowly, and how real everything feels when you play. the characters are extensions of yourself, somehow finding a small part of who you are in all of their stories. itโs such a wonderful game and i canโt believe we get to exist at the same time as something this amazing.
Thank you so much for the tag @unovafarm!!! Man, your post about Nienna's name and its meaning made me CRYYYY ๐ญ๐ญ Inviting the following to give this game a try: @propenseverbosity, @doctoraceus, @scoldingdarjeeling, @optimisticgrey, @emmyandthetieflings, @cinder-rellish181, @quinthebard, @birdcherryart, and YOU! <3
Irozaline "Zaline" Trouvaille, the Blood Balladeer
Answer below the cut! <3
Zaline is pretty much the first character I made in BG3, so she's been around for a few years in my head. When I first named her in the character creator, I was lost, LMAO. This was before I decided to play her as a Dark Urge, but I think if I started her out that way, she would've been a very different character.
Anyway, for her first name, I started out doing the typical fantasy writer thing of taking random names I was familiar with and jumbling them around... Replacing letters, moving syllables around, that sort of thing, lol. I particularly liked the names Elizabeth and Rosaline as bases, and the process from there came out like this!
Elizabeth + Rosaline???
Erozaline???
Irozaline- nickname, Zaline!
The meaning of the name Elizabeth in its Hebrew origins is "My God is my oath," which does fit her pretty well as a scion of the murder lord, LMAO. As for Rosaline, it's a variant of Rosalind, which is pretty much just "rose" + "beauty," and the most prominent figure I can think of with the name is from Romeo and Juliet- Romeo's ex-crush, Rosaline. Suffice to say, Zaline's first name technically doesn't have any real meaning or historical roots, but I think that suits her, too. After all, she can be the one to give it meaning!
Her last name, however, does have a bit more of a kick behind it.
I thought that giving her something random and fun-sounding would be suitable enough for a bard character, so I pored through Pinterest looking for "aesthetic words" on random people's moodboards LMAO."Trouvaille" stuck out to me, because it immediately reminded me of "troubador," which, yeah, fits pretty well for her occupation! The "vaille" sound reminded me of merrily-jingling bells, too, for some reason.
The actual meaning of "Trouvaille" is "a lucky find." It's French in origin, and from what I understand, can be applied to many different contexts, from a stroke of unexpected inspiration to finding a penny on the street. Versatile, unexpected and positive, just like my gal Zaline! ๐๐
Ok technically I have posted part of this fic before, but also that was 2 years ago (jfc time needs to chill out) and the BG3 brainrot is back. This is part of my co-op fic, featuring mine and four of my friends' Tavs. If some of these words look familiar, they probably are, but there are more this time. Enjoy!
Pairing: Gale/Shoras
Summary: Shoras can't sleep, and decides to check on their resident wizard, but something is wrong, and it might not have anything to do with the tadpole.
Word Count: ~1.2k
Warnings: Brief descriptions of panic-attack-like symptoms
-----------------------------------------
Despite her best efforts, sleep didn't come easy. No amount of ignoring the tadpole could stop the faint squirming sensation behind her right eye. Shoras began to think Laeโzel might have been right when she suggested they keep moving, rather than spending the night in the druidโs grove.
Shoras flopped over to her other side with a huff, cursing lumpy sandstone underneath the thin fabric of the bedroll digging into her side. She wondered if the others were just as uncomfortable. Giving up on sleep for the moment, she sat up, intent on exploring the grove some more.
Across the room of their makeshift campsite, Quill and Reed laid fast asleep on their own bedrolls, with Mo and Laeโzel across from them. After the goblin attack at the gate, Jaymes and Astarion offered to stand watch by the entrance to their cave, just in case any more happened to be lurking in the darkness.
The campfire theyโd set up before going to sleep was still burning strong. Sitting on the ground, tending to the logs with a dead goblinโs scimitar, was the silhouette of the wizard Shoras had pulled from the teleportation rune. Gale of Waterdeep, heโd called himself, but later specified that just Gale would suffice. With little else to do aside from pacing across the grove all night, Shoras decided to check on him.
Gale let out a deep sigh, warming his hands over the campfire as she approached. โGo to hell.โ he said, slowly, never taking his eyes off the flames.
She hadnโt expected Gale to be optimistic about their decidedly terrifying situation, but a more polite greeting to the person who saved his life would have been nice. Blinking at the sudden attitude, Shoras replied with, โBeen there, done that. Wouldnโt exactly recommend it.โ
โHa-โ he turned his head to look at her with a half smile. โYouโre a good sport.โ
โI do try. Mind if I join you?โ
โBy all means.โ Gale gestured to the space at his side, moving away to make room as she sat down beside him.
The smoky aroma in the air, combined with the heat radiating off the fire seemed to calm the tadpoleโs insistent writhing. โAnything in particular I did to deserve that lovely greeting?โ Shoras asked, to distract herself from the sudden itching sensation.
โNothing, I assure you. Iโm justโฆ poorly making a point.โ
โBy telling a tiefling to go to hell?โ she chuckled.
Gale opened his mouth to explain, but quickly abandoned the thought in favor of another. โPerhaps one day Iโll find myself able to speak with you without making an ass of myself, but it appears that day will not be today.โ
โWell, thereโs always tomorrow.โ she shrugged, already wondering what might come of their mission to rescue the archdruid. โThat is, assuming we survive the night.โ
โHmm. True enough. What a difference a day makes.โ he replied, wistfully.
โTell me about it. Why do you think Iโm out here? I canโt sleep with this... thing, in my head.โ As she spoke, Shoras could already feel her eyelids grow heavier. A weariness began to seep into her body as the warmth of the flames caressed her skin. Despite the many unknowns of their unwelcome passengers, it seemed odd that the tadpole would respond to a change in temperature outside the body. โWhat are you still doing up?โ she asked, through a yawn.
โThe fire was starting to dim. After the debacle with those goblins, I thought it best to keep some light around us.โ Gale replied.
โI can keep an eye on it,โ she offered. โif you wanted to get some sleep.โ
He considered the statement, before shaking his head. โA ballet of flames invites reflection. Iโd rather stay, if itโs all the same to you.โ It didnโt take the connection of a mind flayer tadpole to know what was bothering him. Their shared affliction had been on (and in) everyoneโs mind since escaping the Nautiloid.
โAfraid Iโll turn while youโre sleeping and eat your brain?โ she smirked.
Gale wasnโt quite as amused. His eyes locked onto hers, nervously studying her face as if she was about to transform right in front of him.
โIโm just joking... Iโm fine.โ she said, firmly.
โOh, Iโm sure you are.โ Gale replied, his expression relaxing as he turned towards the fire once again. โIllithids arenโt exactly known for their wit. Famously humorless creatures.โ
โThen Iโll be sure to crack a joke or two every once and a while, just so you know youโre safe around me.โ Shoras said, nudging his arm with her elbow.
Hidden in the firelight reflecting off his face, she could have sworn she saw him smile. She hadnโt realized how much sheโd missed it.
Shoras had only met the wizard a handful of times before. None of which he seemed to remember. His hair used to be shorter, and he was always clean shaven whenever he visited Sorcererโs Sundries. She wondered how much of his appearance was due to the perils of the road, and how much was from the falling-out he had with Mystra.
โUnfortunately, our safety is not likely to last.โ Gale pointed out. He jostled the ember-crusted logs once more, before settling back at Shorasโs sideโ slightly closer than before.
A sudden ache in her chest began to drown out all other thoughts. The tadpole flinched, as if it felt the pain as its own.
โWe all remain blissfully symptom-free for the moment, but I fear it is only the calm before the storm.โ he added.
Shoras feared he was right. Her skin prickled with goosebumps as a chill slithered down her spine. Something was wrong. It was as if her very essence was being drained from her body. โWeโllโฆ find someone to help us.โ she told him, despite the cold sweat on her brow, and the unsettling dread in her heart.
โHow can you sound so certain?โ Gale asked.
Reed had already assured them that their research with Halsin was leaps and bounds ahead of their current knowledge. If anyone had any shot of removing their tadpoles, it would be him. With any luck, theyโd be cured within the next tenday, and they could all go their separate ways.
โBecause we have to.โ
Gale studied her face with increasing concern, searching for errant tentacles or any other signs of transformation. โAre you alright?โ
โI donโt-โ Shoras struggled to catch her breath, her vision swimming with each passing second. โI donโt know.โ
โStay right there. Iโll wake the cleric.โ Gale stumbled to his feet, his gaze darting around the camp to look for Mo.
โWait-โ Seemingly, without any rhyme or reason, the sensation faded. Whether it was a symptom of ceremorphosis, or simply a bout of indigestion, she wasnโt sure. โItโsโฆ I think itโs passing, Iโm alright now.โ
โAre you certain?โ
Shoras nodded. โYes. I think so. Itโs probably just exhaustion. Itโs been quite the day.โ
Gale breathed a sigh of relief, but the fear never left his eyes. โI suppose thatโs fair. We should probably get some rest.โ
โAgreed.โ Shoras stood to return to her uncomfortable bedroll.
As she passed by the wizard, she felt the soul-draining sensation again, but it faded the moment he was an arms length away. Shoras stared at the dark purple veins creeping down his left cheek, wondering if it was just a trick of the light that they appeared to glow, faintly.
Something to ask him about, in the morning.
โGood night, Gale.โ
The wizard awkwardly cleared his throat, but gave a solemn nod in reply. โAnd to you.โ
Thank you for the tag, @unovafarm!! Your post was so cuuute, I love Nienna and Geraldus so much ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ
Here's one for Halsin X Zaline!! AKA, "When your lover wants to share a romantic midsummer kiss in the town you reclaimed together, but you're too busy reveling in just how lucky you are" ๐ซฃ๐ซฃ DO THE PICREW HERE!
You know, my canon timeline for Zaline has her breaking up with Astarion after he ascends, but I sometimes wonder how things would happen if he didn't go through with it after all... ๐ค DO THE PICREW HERE!
No-pressure tags for the following!! @propenseverbosity, @doctoraceus, @scoldingdarjeeling, @cinder-rellish181, @optimisticgrey, and YOU whomst might be reading this ๐ซต๐ซต๐ซต
Thank you so much for the tag, @cunthulhu-xo!! Loved learning about the meaning behind Olorna's badass name ๐ฅฐ here is her post if anyone would like to go check out some awesome drow name lore!
Nienna Helavรกn: Cleric of Ilmater
Answers below the cut โค๏ธ
A few months ago, I wanted to make a new OC that could help me work through and understand my grief. This was also around the same time I was reading The Silmarillion, and I was completely enraptured by the character Nienna, a Queen of the Valar associated with grief, sorrow, pity, and courage. Her name references the Quenya word for tear, nie. Tolkien's works mean so much to me on a truly fundamental level, and learning of Nienna and feeling so seen in the way Tolkien portrays her relationship with grief was really powerful to me, and I immediately grabbed my steam deck and created her. This line from the Silmarillion takes my breath away:
Mightier than Este is Nienna, sister of the Feanturi; she dwells alone. She is acquainted with grief, and mourns for every wound that Arda has suffered in the marring of Melkor. So great was her sorrow, as the Music unfolded, that her song turned to lamentation long before its end, and the sound of mourning was woven into the themes of the World before it began. But she does not weep for herself; and those who hearken to her learn pity, and endurance in hope. (Valaquenta)
My tav Nienna is an homage to the beauty that Tolkien created in his Nienna, as she helps gives me strength while mourning weaves its way around my life.
Her surname, Helavรกn, was inspired by Lady Hel of the Norse pantheon, a compassionate, protective, and empathic goddess who is the caretaker of the dead resting in Helheim, and a goddess who I am devoted to in my own life! In my own praxis with her, I see her as a goddess deeply attuned to mourning, loss, and grief, and she's incredibly impactful for me on a daily basis. I combined her name with the Old Norse word vรกn which can translate to hope (if my online old norse-english dictionary was right lol), because to me she represents hope in a world of suffering and grief, and thus, reminds me to also remain hopeful.
She's my weepy little ball of strength and I love her so much ๐ฅฐ๐ญ
This was sooooo fun!! I am joining the fandom a little on the later side so I imagine y'all may have this lore out there already, but throwing very gentle, no-pressure tags to @emmyandthetieflings, @ceremorph0sis, @grandninjamasterren, @deianestormborn, @wyfyoyo, @cep-stories, @galacticsparkles @onlytavs, @kt-catt, @missfortunetherogue @ele-millennial-weirdo, @spillingteanotpermitted @gortashsrighthand @faeriiefire @optimisticgrey @thesanguinesonnet @litsenn if you want to take part in this (or if you've already got this info on your blog, let me know and I'll go searching!!) ๐ฅฐ (also I'm going to get a better method for a tag list down in the next week or so, if you'd like to be added/removed in the meantime, please let me know!!)
WAUGHGHGHH the origins of Nienna's name are so beautiful, meaningful and badass!! You really put a lot of thought and heart into your character, and I admire that so much ๐๐๐ I've heard it said that grief is just love with nowhere to go, and that feels so fitting with the way your girl came to be <3
Thank you so much for the tag, @optimisticgrey, I also went for a free trial of Canva Premium to make these haha! ๐๐
Let us see your moodboards! Your OC, your OC and their Love Interest, a theme, a song, a quote - anything!
I made two for Nienna, one for her in Her Harper, His Sufferer and one for her Modern AU version in The Life That Came From You To Me โฅ๏ธโฅ๏ธ
Nienna Helavรกn, Cleric of Ilmater during/after events of BG3
Nienna Helavรกn, crunchy hiker/animal sanctuary caretaker in modern AU Rivington
Gentle no-pressure tags to @kt-catt, @c-e-p5315, @grandninjamasterren, @ceremorph0sis, @deianestormborn, @missfortunetherogue, @wyfyoyo, @spillingteanotpermitted, @onlytavs, @ele-millennial-weirdo, @galacticsparkles, @thesanguinesonnet, @faeriiefire, @miauzuli @emmyandthetieflings @scoldingdarjeeling, @litsenn, @gortashsrighthand, and @cinder-rellish181 and open tags for anyone else who'd like to participate! ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ
๐ I got a little carried away and invented a whole ass character for the purpose of answering these questions... Which, by the way, if anyone knows the user who made them, please do let me know so I can credit them!!
Ladies, gentlemen and folk of all flavors, it is my honor to introduce an anonymous darling who sheds light on only the sauciest affairs this side of the Chionthar! Find a world of passion, intrigue, and upper-class scandals at your very fingertips when you read her contributions in the Coquettish Countess, Baldur's Gate's number one monthly gossip tabloid!
Debuting today in our plane of the multiverse, please welcome Lady Sue de Nym!
My-oh-my, dear readers, we certainly live in interesting times. Though a full year has passed since the end of that dreadful Absolute business, many of us still find ourselves quite enraptured by those charming little adventurers who saved our city. With Grand Duke Ravengard's estranged son, a once-disgraced archwizard, and even a githyanki from beyond Toril in their ranks? It's quite remarkable! Unheard of! Extraordinary, unusual, curious as can be, et cetera, et cetera. Hah!
If you've found yourself poring through the Coquettish Countess, then you, my dear, are looking for something different. Something more than intimate- yes, you chomp at the bit for something absolutely toe-curlingly, heart-stoppingly randy. Something salacious, intimate, and deeply satisfying to both one's heart and loins. And as luck would have it, I, your lovely Lady Sue de Nym, have interviewed two of our fair Netherbrain slayers, the up-and-coming bard Irozaline "Zaline" Trouvaille and the renowned archdruid Halsin Silverbough for just such material!
1. How do they refer to each other? (โThis is my...โ girlfriend, partner, fiancรฉe, etc.)
As I sat across from the duo in a private little corner of Reithwin's local tavern, the Rising Sun (known long ago as the Waning Moon, to any long-lived readers here today,) I artfully began with a simple, innocuous little question, designed to entice their trust and lower their guard.
"Introducing Zaline has always been a challenge. She's a good many things to me," Halsin smiled, the expression radiant on his wise, yet deliciously chiseled face. "She began as my savior, in the depths of a goblin camp. But after all we've been through together, I've since had the honor of calling her my friend and confidante. I could never have anticipated what joy I would find in calling her my lover, but I wouldn't trade that joy for the world."
Zaline spent a full three seconds struck dumb by his earnest praise, warmth tinging her freckled cheeks. She then scoffed, unable to hide the smile in her lips. "A damn old softy, you are. How's a woman s'posed to follow that?"
Halsin chuckled, leaning in to press an astonishingly chaste kiss to her cheek. A subtle peek under the table revealed that Zaline's arrow-point tail had coiled around his shin. Naughty! Nonetheless, she continued, "I only ever call 'im Halsin. Everyone in Reithwin knows him anyways, but I'm proud to say he's my lover, too."
2. Whatโs their celebrity couple/ship name?
The pair of them blinked owlishly whilst I explained this one. They had a little laugh between themselves, rolling their eyes fondly over the antics and trends of today's youth. Readers, I took that as an invitation. After all, there's quite a bit to work with off of their names alone! Haline or Zalsin, for a more traditional formatting, but given their natures, options such as Balladbear or Oakfiddle could work? Ah, there are so many Elfling possibilities!*
3. Night out or night in?
"Hah! When we've got a night to ourselves? Out and about, with nary a doubt." Zaline finished her statement with a firm nod, picking up her flagon of ale.
"Good rhyme, lass. Perhaps we'll hear it in your next song," Halsin mused. "But, yes. Between our roles here in Reithwin and my duty to the land, it's rather rare for us to find each other alone without some other responsibility to tend to. Fortunately, patrolling the wilds around the village is a practical enough use of our time together."
A slight smile toyed at the corners of Halsin's rosy lips, while Zaline snorted into her drink. You'll find it rather wise of me to remain masked during my interviews, dear reader, for while they shared cheeky, conspiratorial glances, a wicked grin spread across my hidden face. I waved down the barmaid for a round of something stronger, hoping to loosen those tongues of theirs...
4. Sleep in, or up-and-at-โem?
"The second one, though not without great reluctance." Halsin's brawny chest pulsed with a gentle laugh. "Our needs are quite different. I don't require true sleep as she does, but it's comforting to share a bed nonetheless."
The barmaid set three goblets of wine on our table. Zaline thanked her by blowing a kiss, a gesture to which the barmaid giggled merrily in return. Halsin hadn't yet drank a drop that eve- nor had I. I was much too eager to see these two shed their inhibitions. If I weren't such an insightful strategist, dear readers, I would've missed the knowing glint in Halsin's eye... perhaps a trick of the light, perhaps a sign that he'd caught onto my intent!
5. Who hogs the blankets?
"Ah, fuck, that was some good wine. I'll be back, aye? Sit tight, you two!"
Ignoring the inquiry, Zaline giggled and pressed a kiss to Halsin's cheek, flittering off to the center of the tavern, where the rest of the townsfolk were alight with song and laughter. Perhaps the drinks I called for were a tad too strong...
Shaking his head fondly, Halsin answered my question with ease. "She does, when she isn't clung to my side like a creeping vine. Her usual excuse is a strong insistence that tieflings don't do well in the cold, as if either of us needs a justification."
6. Who snores?
I noticed Halsin worrying the inside of his cheek with his teeth as this particular question was raised. There was something he was considering saying aloud, I just knew it- but getting him to say it would be a challenge.
"Well?" I urged him.
"Neither of us, really. Wintertime is when I truly slumber, usually in a far-off cave or some other refuge. My old comrades of the Emerald Grove oft joked that they could hear my snoring echoing from leagues away," Halsin chuckled. Trying to change the subject, Sir Silverbough? Well, two can play at that game, and one certainly did!
I smiled serenely. "Does Zaline ever snore?"
He remained silent for a moment, ruminating, before answering. "Sleep-talking is... a common occurrence."
His answer was vague, but intrigued me deeply. Hoping to wring some more out of him, I cooed, "How adorable! What sort of things does she say? Has she ever spoken about you? Perhaps she's had an interesting dream or two?"
Halsin shook his head grimly. "Let's move on."
7. Who gets them both in trouble? What for?
"Some arsehole vomited on the dance floor," Zaline grumbled, plopping back into her seat. Halsin's dour expression softened when he laid eyes on her. "What're we asking, now?"
Halsin filled her in, and she laughed dryly.
"Oh, that's an easy 'un! Ask those Selรปnite missionaries here in town. They'll say I don't cause trouble- I am trouble," Zaline leaned back, hands tucked behind her head.
With a weary sigh, Halsin explained, "The missionaries have been here since we began rebuilding. Reithwin was once a very religious town, with Moonrise Towers as its place of worship. Nowadays, there's a much larger variety of faiths besides the Selรปnites, and the two of us use the Towers to house children and families displaced by the forces of the so-called Absolute. They've been helpful, no doubt, but some of the missionaries in particular are..."
"Bastards. You can say it, darlin'. Who else would be so keen to shove orphans out o' their own home?" Zaline spat. "Got nothin' against the Moonmaiden, me. They've been a big help, these missionaries, but some of 'em are damn awful, tryin' to push us an' the littl'uns out just to reclaim the Towers. I don't care if they call me unreasonable, or heartless, or say I'm a greedy, sacrilegious foulblood, I'll tell 'em to piss off as many times as they need."
Halsin frowned deeply. I could've looked deeper into this particular mote of gossip, but frankly, the poor druid looked exhausted, so I chose to move to a lighter topic...
8. What do they do for date night?
An easy smile slowly returned to Halsin's face. "The tavern is one of Zaline's favorite haunts. She's very fond of being at the center of everyone's attention... including mine."
"Damn straight!" Zaline nodded proudly. "But other times, we'll go out to the wilds instead, explorin'-like, see? It's... peaceful. Intimate. If my head weren't feelin' wobbly, I'd wax fierce poetic about it, heh."
"It sounds wonderful," I crooned. My clever mind was already cooking up all sorts of ways those moonlit explorations of theirs could be as 'intimate' as she said, but no journalist worth her salt would leave it to the imagination. I needed confirmation straight from the source, gods damn it! "When you say that it's, ah... intimate...?"
"I was wondering when this would come up," Halsin chuckled, allowing Zaline to toy clumsily with his hand. "Your other interviews delved into the subjects' sex lives much sooner. Had you much trouble holding your tongue until now?"
Clever old druid. I met his penetrating gaze with cool elegance. "Believe me, Halsin, dear, it's not my tongue I'm here to discuss. But we'll cover that later, shall we?"
9. What do they do for their anniversary?
Both the bard and the druid fell into a contemplative silence. Halsin drummed his fingers on the table, whilst Zaline pursed her lips, her brow furrowing in inhibited remembrance. "Anniversary...? Pish, forgot abou' that. We've only had each other a mite o'er a year-ish."
"We could celebrate, if you're truly keen on it," Halsin offered, his voice lilting with endearing awkwardness. "I must admit, it's not something I paid mind to in the past. But even after choosing their mates, many birds will continue to perform courtship rituals for their other half for years to come. Our hearts may be more open to others, but if commemorating our bond is important to you, then it's important to me."
"Pft... it ain't an issue, but with all that bird talk, I could ask you to do a saucy little dance for me," Zaline teased. "G'won, then, that's my anniversary gift: watchin' ya shake your tailfeathers like the cock of the walk!"
So endeared was I by the fond rolling of Halsin's hazel eyes, that I nearly missed the movement of his lips afterwards. Readers, I assure you that it was not my imagination, when I heard him mumble under his breath that he'd -ahem!- show Zaline a cock of the walk later. How deliciously cheeky! But not nearly to my tastes just yet.
10. Any hobbies in common? What do they like to do together?
This one was a particularly juicy tidbit. After all, the two of them seem so different, do they not? Halsin is a man of the wilds through and through, whilst Zaline is allegedly a city woman, born and bred- though it's nigh impossible to find any records on her past.
"All sorts o' things!" Zaline declared proudly. "Whittlin', foragin', hells, I've finally convinced Halsin to let me give him music lessons. Oh, almost forgot- bakin'! You ever tried bakin', Miss De Nym?"
"That's Lady De Nym, darling," I corrected her. Rest assured, readers, I was not bothered by her little slip of the tongue, for I know that both this tabloid and my little pseudonym aren't at the top of the public's mind... yet. How charmingly humble of me! "And why is it that you ask?"
A grin flickered across Halsin's lips. "She might be hoping for a pointer or two."
"Oh, please! I ain't ashamed to say I'm arse at it." With a playful scoff, Zaline gave his bicep a light smack. I ogled the way that tree-trunk arm of his rippled. She continued, "I could get better on me own, but if I knew you'd be so good at makin' those sticky honey buns the kiddos like, I woulda let you take charge from the very start. Now, our little boy Kicker starts cryin' whenever I go into the kitchen without ye!"
Special thanks to @scoldingdarjeeling for both the ask and the patience behind it! There are so many cool people on this side of the fandom, and I overthink my responses for literal weeks -sometimes months- before responding, LMAO. I did really enjoy writing this, and part 2 is definitely in the works, but sometimes I let my anxiety take the wheel a little too much. We're all only human, and frankly, I don't think I'll be crucified in the desert if I scribble out a little ficcy bit where Halsin BG3 is a little OOC ๐ Peace and love to all!
*Additional thanks to @propenseverbosity, who gave me the "elfling possibilities" joke, which I promptly rushed to edit in. ๐๐๐ Love you bestie but stop being funnier than me
also here is a whole website that not only has a shit ton of adventures and such but lets you search for any item or npc or whatever and see their stats and info at your fingertips
Ladies, laddies, nonbinary baddies, homies, mutuals and Halsinners of all delectable flavors I am BEGGING YOU to send me a brain cell in the mail ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉ If each of you contributes one (1) brain cell I may just be able to contribute a coherent thought to our fandom, Silvanus bless ๐๐ณโจ
