The Cobalt Cactus - Shadowzel 24x7

she/her • ao3: CobaltCactus Use #My Writing to skip to my writing posts!

[cobalt-cactus]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/51642031/chapters/214718121

Chapter: 30/30

Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)

Rating: Explicit

This is it. The final chapter after long last! The grand showdown between our heroes and the Sharrans! I would write more details here, but that really does sum it up. I don't want to give too much away.

Relationships: Lae'zel/Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate), Lae'zel & Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate)

Characters: Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate)

Additional Tags: Fluff, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Romance, Developing Relationship, Spoilers, Pillow Talk, Lesbian Sex, Explicit Consent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Soft Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Protective Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Slice of Life, LGBTQ Themes, Alternate Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Anti-Githyanki Racism (Dungeons & Dragons), Cultural Differences, Firsts, Minor Arnell Hallowleaf/Emmeline Hallowleaf (Baldur's Gate), Minor Gale (Baldur's Gate), Minor Dame Aylin | Nightsong/Isobel Thorm, Minor Karlach/Wyll (Baldur's Gate), Minor Astarion/Gale (Baldur's Gate), Minor Selûne (Dungeons & Dragons), Minor Urlon (Dungeons & Dragons)

Summary: One final hurrah, folks!

[cobalt-cactus]

Hey I recently discovered your Shadowzel fics and I’ve been in love ever since! Especially Learning to be Free is an absolute gemstone! Thank you for writing, your stories make me very happy :)

I noticed that you mentioned a shadowzel discord in the tags and I wanted to ask you if that does still exist & still accepting new members?

I need to update my tags 😔

The one mentioned doesn't exist anymore, unfortunately.

[lucretiouswept]

What BG3 character are you?

Tagged by my lovelies @optimisticgrey and @missfortunetherogue 🫂

No pressure tags for @thoughts-of-bear @gortashsrighthand @elceewunjo @ewy-na @lizziemajestic @r3drozebud and everyone who hasn't done this yet (folks, if you're not fond of tag games, please let me know, so I don't spam your mentions!)

The quiz is here - as for my result, I take it as a great compliment...

[thoughts-of-bear]

Thanks so much for the tag! <3

I think it fits!

Tagging @partially-controlled-chaos @astrangertomykin @commandershepardvasfuckit @whiskeyskin @roguemetalmaster13 @revyn-moonfox @themightynine-nine @unhinged-academic-of-waterdeep @itty-bitty-dancer @o0-themilkybarkid-0o @pedros-immaculate-vibes @funniestbitchinfaerun @ladysilverbough @lanafofana @vaelastormreaver

[roguemetalmaster13]

This is so fun; thank you for tagging me.

No pressure tags: @grenanigans @carmsgarms @retrograde-tonic @thesmallangryace

If you don’t want to be tagged in the future, let me know.

I took the quiz twice because there were a few instances where I felt two answers were equally true, but I kept all other answers the same. It’s crazy what a couple of different answers will do… but I’m putting the other result below the cut so people who only want the first result, as is the spirit of the game, may be spared.

In hindsight, maybe I should have just stuck to taking it once, but I suppose it serves me right for not following the rules of the game in their entirety! Anyway, I had fun.

[grenanigans]

Thanks for the tag, @roguemetalmaster13! Guess that's the result I get for saying that I side with the Selûnites lol.

Tagging: @toolateintheday @trying-to-do-good @ohyourethere-imnot

Have fun!

[toolateintheday]

Thanks for the tag @grenanigans I'm obviously buzzing with that result.

@raethanbhanneth @yeehawitsjakee @cobalt-cactus show me who you are!

[cobalt-cactus]

Thanks for tagging me @toolateintheday! Sorry it took so long for me to get around to this. I'm actually pretty surprised about the results.

@jaqegaytona who are you??

[cobalt-cactus]

Heya! I can't DM you but it's Apollo from the BG3 Zine. Your discord got hacked and we can't contact you :sob:

Did you get my DM reply? Everything is ok now. Sorry about that.

[alstromeri-a]

Giveaway

A rare (very rare) event for me (but I keep my promises🖤).

What will you get? — 5 shots. This can be your OC, OC + LI, or a battle shot. You can choose all options or just one — we’ll discuss it.

What do you need to do? — Repost. Oh, and share your Tav/Durge (and their partner) in it — I just want to admire them)

When will the results be announced? — January 19. Random magic will decide ✨ unfortunately I can’t work with unique Tav (or similar mods). Other than that — no restrictions.

May luck follow you🖤

[cobalt-cactus]

Took some digging, but here's my original Tav with Bae'zel from my first playthrough.

[cobalt-cactus]

Excited to be selected! Keeping busy with multiple zines right now. (Also drafting the ending of my longfic.) Feeling good.

[tavyliasin]

AO3 Scam, Spam, and Bot Comments

Let's have a talk about all the damn spambots and scams on AO3 shall we? This isn't a complaint against AO3 - the archive volunteers are fantastic for helping work these things out. It's a warning and reassurance to other writers, and a reminder for readers whilst we're here. Lets take a look!

Details below the cut

There are several different kinds of spam and scam messages going around. Some are there to scare you, some are there to try and get you to pay them for something, some are just pure malicious hate.

They are more common from Guest accounts, but can come from registered accounts too.

Here's one from a guest, one of the most recent kinds, that threatens legal action against the author. To be clear, you cannot be charged with a crime over writing fiction, or a lot of famous and beloved authors (eg, George RR Martin) would have been charged. They've also been seen on SFW Gen fluff fics with only cute and fluffy tags.

Again, this is not a crime. Here's the work it's on, but I've seen this reported on things that have absolutely no sexual content or otherwise. (Image contains NSFW Tags in the text)

If someone were to report this, it would take resources away from actual crimes, causing harm to real victims.

Other comments might talk about being "inspired to turn [your] work into a comic" or encourage you to contact them on another site. These ones are trying to get you to pay them for something, and will scam you or not deliver or serve you AI slop. Which, fuck that. And this one was registered.

Key signs of a BS profile: - Name is name_name[number] format - No works, no bookmarks, absolutely nothing on the profile - Very vague, talks about being a visual storyteller and/or bringing imagination to life - Linked account names may not match - Account is very new

Here's another one, disguising the word "Discord" to avoid filters. To be clear even if this was genuine, it is not permitted to advertise for paid work on AO3. It's against their TOS. And again you can see no actual comment about the work itself.

There are other kinds of comment bots too. Some will have weirdly phrased details from the fic that are very general, like someone fed the piece to AI and asked it to create a comment or summary (which they most likely did) to try and trick you into thinking it's genuine. Unfortunately not.

I've even seen some trying to stir up arguments like demanding an author change details about the fic claiming it's transphobic/homophobic/anti-immigration etc. I once had one like this accusing me, and asexual, of being acephobic from a guest account copying the name of a regular commenter.

So there are lots of them out there. I see new ones every week on my works or reported from other writers. But now the important bit: What can we do about these bots? Given how some are registered, locking fics so guests can't read/comment won't work any more. But you have options!

First, REPORT! As you can see on one of my threads before there was a button for "spam". What if you already accepted the comment or replied or don't have comment moderation turned on? In the email, click "go to comment thread page" and hit report at the bottom of the page here.

Keep your report concise and include spam or scam bot in the title, like this! If you went from the comment thread page from above, the link will automatically be filled in for you. Just let the volunteers know what you're reporting and they'll handle it when able.

Having comment moderation turned on can also be peace of mind. It might mean having to manually approve all comments before they appear on your work, but it also means you can report these scam/spam/bot comments without them showing up on your work. You deserve better.

"But Lia, what if I'm a reader, not a writer? How can I help?" You, dear readers, have the most powerful skill of all - you can leave genuine comments. Even if it's just some emojis or a keysmash or some small but real comment on the work, to show authors they're still seen and appreciated.

Even better if you quote a line you really enjoyed, or say something specific about the work, but literally any comment could be a sorely needed boost for a struggling writer who has only had bot comments. I've seen new writers feeling so discouraged from all these and that's heartbreaking.

"What do these hate bots want? I know scammers want money but the hate makes no sense!" The leading theory is they're trying to scare people off the site, stop them writing, and somehow weaken the archive because they don't like that it hosts works of all kinds. Really, nobody knows for sure

There are likely only going to be more. It sucks, but I want you to know those signs to look out for to protect yourselves and others, and to report to help AO3 find ways to combat these annoying and pointless posts Share this around, add your experience or anything I missed, but most of all:

Don't let it discourage you. Keep writing, keep reading & commenting, keep enjoying this wonderful creative hobby we all love so much! Tell YOUR stories in your ways with the characters and worlds you fell in love with so much you just had to write about them. We have the real power here.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: I did not cover up the names of any users here. They intended these to be public comments on public works. HOWEVER please do NOT seek out or harass anyone shown here. Some may be cloned from genuine people, but either way contacting them will not achieve anything productive.

[cobalt-cactus]

Be careful out there!

[obsidianpegasus-deactivated2025]

Say it with me:

I am a writer. Not a content-producing machine. I am a writer. Not a content-producing machine. I am a writer. Not a content-producing machine.

It’s okay if I don’t have time to write. It’s okay if a chapter is delayed. It’s okay if my words come out messy. It’s okay if I need to take a break. It’s okay if I don’t update every week, every month, or even every year.

My value as a writer is not measured by how fast I post. My worth is not defined by kudos, bookmarks, or comments.

I am allowed to be slow. I am allowed to rest. I am allowed to write for joy, not for an algorithm.

I am a writer. Not a content-producing machine.

And if anyone thinks otherwise, they can wait.

[cobalt-cactus]

Thanks for sharing this @grenanigans . I often forget it and end up in a spiral when I miss my own self imposed deadlines.

[drmace]

She finally got her dragon! I love the idea that somewhere along the journey (or maybe after it) Lae'zel found a little dragon. Not the majestic red one she dreamed of at the start, but a small one - yet still hers C:

[cobalt-cactus]

Do you prefer writing? tag game!

Thanks to @jaqegaytona for tagging me!

On your phone or computer?

I do both, but prefer my computer. My phone's autocorrect is soooo annoying.

<5k or 5-10k or >10k words per chapter?

5-10k unintentionally. I write until I've gotten my thought out. I can definitely do shorter, it's just not most of my non-drabble non-poetry works.

One Shots or Multi-Chapter?

Depends on the story I'm trying to tell.

Chronologically or jumping back are forth?

Typically chronologically, but flashbacks when it makes sense!

Planning things out or winging it?

I wing it. The ridiculous amount of time I spend editing turning my word vomit into something readable is there the "magic" happens.

Drabbles or Plot or Character Study?

Where's poetry? BOOO! Drabbles, Plot, or some form of poetry for sure. Character studies have never come easy to me and I totally envy people who thrive in that space (and love reading them!)

Dialogue or Action?

Both! I feel like I'm pretty decent on both and I love it when something I write that I think is funny makes someone else laugh. Especially since I can have a weird sense of humor sometimes.

Romance or Comedy?

Both. I love sprinkling in a funny / awkward moment into my fluff writing. It makes it more real I think.

Mystery or Horror.

Horror for sure. Mystery is a genre that just never grabbed me. I also suck at deduction games, so....

Alternate Universe or Canon?

Totally depends on the work.

Finishing a WIP or starting a new one?

I like finishing things and sharing them with others. New starts can be intimidating. It seems like no matter how much I write there's always a little voice in my head questioning if anyone else will be interested in it.

How long on average do you usually spend writing one chapter?

Oh geez. I'm not sure. I typically don't keep track of how long I write / have been writing and just go with the flow of it. That said, I've been known to write 10-12 hours uninterrupted and wonder where the day went. (that includes writing related research) Writing is one of those things where when I get into a good flow I lose myself in it.

How long do you spend editing?

On my fanfiction? Again, this isn't something I track. I edit it until I enjoy a reread of it myself. For things I've had published in the past forever ago my best guess is something like... at least twice the time it took me to write it?

Favorite thing to write:

Oooh. Fluff. Yep. People falling in love with happy endings has been my jam the past couple years. I just don't seem to tire of it.

Hardest thing to Write?

"'Unnecessary' descriptions. I like to get straight to the point." - @jaqegaytona I didn't see much point in retyping the same answer lol.

Fic/Story you’re most proud of and why?

This is so hard. I have a few of them for completely different reasons. Bear with me.

My longfic and most popular fanfic Learning to be Free, obviously because I never ever thought it would get the reception it has or would be as long as it is (there is an end coming!)

The Siren's Castaway - a silly little Lae'zel siren AU but something about it always makes me smile when I go back and read it. I also feel like that one's storyline is so far divorced from BG3 canon that if I ever wanted to I could probably build on it / develop it with original characters.

My Song Fics (The Hunter and Githyanki Song) - Both of these were born from a self challenge I gave myself to pick a song and write a story or poetry around it. I actually pulled it off in both. The Hunter evolves lyrics into a Paris Paloma song by the same name into a reverse Wereheart/Lae'zel fic and Githyanki Song is the one and only filk song I've ever written. I thought Immigrant Song was fitting for Lae'zel's Act 1 journey so I made it happen. I think it has all of 30 hits.

Tagging @dustybones (yeah, I've read your stuff ❤️️) @ubeallday @robeca-black @themontess

[alisegluskova]

Lae'zel is cute.

[coolseabird]

What is the actual point of tumblr communities? Making it so I can’t reblog something unless I join a community is extremely stupid. Why show them to me as if they were normal posts? 👎

[baldurs-writers-3]

It's time for LAE'ZEL fics!! We all love the brightest star of crèche K'liir! Here's over a dozen fics where she shines brightly.

Keep Sharp by vatisvera (1137, Teen) Content Notes: N/A Pairings: Just Lae'zel

Wherein Lae'zel keeps sharpening her swords, because she must.

First Reccer says: A beautiful thematic look into Lae’zel's mind, poetically written Second Reccer says: A beautiful character study, I love everything about this, but especially the way it plays with formatting.

Heart of Stone by ushauz (5889, Teen) Content Notes: Torture, child death Pairings: Shadowheart/Lae'zel

In which Lae'zel is trying her absolute damnedest to get these istik to the medical facility, and her upbringing was totally normal and fine, thank you.

First Reccer says: Absolutely brutal, evocative depiction of what Lae'zel's childhood was like. Lae'zel's voice is excellent throughout. Second Reccer says: Really incredible, haunting character study of pre-canon and Act 1 Lae'zel.

The Root of the Problem by capriclonus (7806, Explicit) Content Notes: Descriptions of a root canal, including drilling etc, are ample. Don't read if you are afraid of the dentists. Pairings: Lae'zel/Shadowheart

Modern AU with Dentist Shadowheart and dental patient Lae'zel using their canon ages. Lae'zel is REALLY enjoying her root canal!

Reccer says: It's such a delightfully silly and fun read. The author clearly had a lot of fun with it and leaned fully into the concept. Really unique and full of giggles!

Revel in Your Agony by bluebeholder (2342, Mature) Content Notes: Painplay, Flogging Pairings: Lae'zel/Tav

The encounter with Loviatar's priest awakened some things in Tav. She wants to explore them with Lae'zel. And Lae'zel is very happy to oblige.

Reccer says: I love how the author uses kink exploration to paint a portrait of Tav, Lae'zel, and their budding relationship. Beautifully written kinky femslash, 10/10 <3

Learning to be Free by CobaltCactus (121261, Explicit) Content Notes: None Pairings: Lae’zel/Shadowheart

It’s post canon and Lae’zel is trying to to build a healthy relationship with Shadowheart.

Reccer says: I love that it’s still ongoing.

a delicate flame courses beneath my skin by NightmareGiraffe (6078, Explicit) Content Notes: Graphic Depictions of Violence Pairings: Lae'zel/Karlach

Pre engine fix Kar'zel smut with some developing feelings.

Reccer says: Great Lae'zel POV, with her quirks and passionate manner intact and well-portrayed. Also hot.

The Princess and the Frog by writesoftheratt (7576, Teen) Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply Pairings: Lae'zel/Shadowheart

Canon-compliant Shadowzel getting together fic, featuring tadfools telling each other fairy tales.

Reccer says: Great characterization, lovely framing device, great portrayal of early game Shadowzel.

Some Like ‘Em Doughy by SheDragonoftheWest (109835, Explicit) Content Notes: None Pairings: Lae’zel/Shadowheart

It’s an AU where Lae’zel is a chef.

Reccer says: It’s cozy.

The Warrior’s Journey by Jaq E. Gaytona (25233, Explicit) Content Notes: Heavy PTSD related trauma Pairings: Lae’zel/Shadowheart

Lae’zel tries to find meaning in life after Vlaakith is overthrown.

Reccer says: I like that it’s music inspired.

no promise of sun by dryadfiona (19726, Explicit) Content Notes: graphic depictions of violence Pairings: Lae’zel/Wyll

Wyll and Lae’zel go to Cania. It’s not a good time, but they enjoy each other’s company.

Reccer says: I liked it!

Strike While the Iron is Hot by strawberrycarnelian (3251, Explicit) Content Notes: None Pairings: Lae'zel/Tav (F/F)

The camp's resident mouthy dwarf critiques Lae'zel's sword sharpening technique and she refuses to take the insult lying down... or does she?

Reccer says: I liked it!

Losing Her Temper by StrawberryCarnelian (3357, Mature) Content Notes: None Pairings: Lae'zel / Female Dwarf Tav

Lae'zel gets mad at her girlfriend for cheating on her in a dream and then they kiss & make up.

Reccer says: A tender, heartfelt little one-shot that explores the couple navigating both their insecurities and also their unique cultural differences. Very sweet and fluffy read (:

Lae'zel's Elegy by SheDragonOfTheWest (3027, Mature) Content Notes: War, canon-typical violence Pairings: Lae'zel/Shadowheart

Lae'zel missing Shadowheart while she's in the Astral saving her people from the tyrant.

Reccer says: This fic is written in a very poetic style, like a tale or a song. Shows Lae'zel's growth as a person after leaving Faerûn to fight for her people.

wait by dryadfiona (5221, Mature) Content Notes: CCNT, discussion of Karlach’s ending choice Pairings: Karlach/Lae'zel

Lae'zel tries to find a way to fix Karlach's heart over long centuries apart.

Reccer says: You can tell how much the author loves both characters! Lae'zel is the focus, it's her pov, and she is such a great mixture of focused, strategic and passionate

[cobalt-cactus]

Wow, Learning to be Free got recced a third time! This time for Lae'zel focused fanfic. HUGE congrats to @grenanigans and @jaqegaytona for also making the list. So awesome to be on it with friends!

[adellagreen]

[cobalt-cactus]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapter: 29/?

Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)

Rating: Explicit

Here we are, another chapter! Yay!

I know I'd left a trigger warning on the last chapter involving Adumbra / Shar, but I didn't on this one. Don't worry, I didn't accidentally leave it off or anything.

Hope you enjoy the chapter! It's a nice, long one for you with some NSFW tossed in!

Relationships: Lae'zel/Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate), Lae'zel & Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate)

Characters: Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate)

Additional Tags: Fluff, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Romance, Developing Relationship, Spoilers, Pillow Talk, Lesbian Sex, Explicit Consent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Soft Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Protective Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Slice of Life, LGBTQ Themes, Alternate Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Anti-Githyanki Racism (Dungeons & Dragons), Cultural Differences, Firsts, Minor Arnell Hallowleaf/Emmeline Hallowleaf (Baldur's Gate), Minor Gale (Baldur's Gate), Minor Dame Aylin | Nightsong/Isobel Thorm, Minor Karlach/Wyll (Baldur's Gate), Minor Astarion/Gale (Baldur's Gate), Minor Selûne (Dungeons & Dragons), Minor Urlon (Dungeons & Dragons)

Summary: Shar comes to grips with the consequences of answering high priestess Adumbra's prayers while Lae'zel, Shadowheart, and their friends plot a way to get Karlach back.

[derputy]

i wanna make a proper bg3 x parks and rec but this was long enough to be its own post ✌️ pls enjoy

[cobalt-cactus]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapter: 28/?

Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)

Rating: Explicit

Updates: HAPPY PRIDE!

A Special Note to my Readers: Thank you so so much for being patient. I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Without getting too into it, life threw a series of some really hard curveballs at me I had to deal with that completely derailed my will for creativity. While I can't promise, things are currently much better and I sincerely hope that the next chapter won't take so long.

Relationships: Lae'zel/Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate), Lae'zel & Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate)

Characters: Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate)

Additional Tags: Fluff, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Romance, Developing Relationship, Spoilers, Pillow Talk, Lesbian Sex, Explicit Consent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Soft Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Protective Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Slice of Life, LGBTQ Themes, Alternate Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Anti-Githyanki Racism (Dungeons & Dragons), Cultural Differences, Firsts, Minor Arnell Hallowleaf/Emmeline Hallowleaf (Baldur's Gate), Minor Gale (Baldur's Gate), Minor Dame Aylin | Nightsong/Isobel Thorm, Minor Karlach/Wyll (Baldur's Gate), Minor Astarion/Gale (Baldur's Gate), Minor Selûne (Dungeons & Dragons), Minor Urlon (Dungeons & Dragons)

Summary: Lae'zel and Shadowheart make the journey back to K'liir for baby supplies and everything doesn't go quite as smoothly as they'd hoped.