I want to talk more on the subject of the specific physical impact of the orb on Gale, because I think it’s very glossed over in canon (and because I like this wizard a normal and socially acceptable amount).
When you see the night of “Gale’s Folly” through his memories, the narrator describes it as “…blackest Weave that pounces. Its teeth, its claws, its unstoppable as it digs through and becomes part of you. And gods, is it ever-hungry…”
Netherese Weave is not just dangerous - it is the kind of dangerous that even deities like Mystra refuse to touch because of the threat it poses to the very nature of reality and magic. Karsus’s attempt to ascend to godhood not only brought his civilization to ruin but destabilized the entire Weave.
In Forgotten Realms lore: “[The Weave] is an essential element of the universe. It runs through everything in unseen threads. It is what makes magic possible.“ (Excerpt from Magic of the Weave - An Introduction)
If we view the Weave as a constant source of underlying energy, like electrical currents, then absorbing even a fragment of Netherese Weave into a biological system would be like plugging an entire unstable power grid directly into your nervous system.
It seems unlikely, almost unreasonable, that such an unstable, predatory force would plant itself neatly in his sternum and neck and leave the rest of his body untouched.
Gale himself speaks about the orb like a chronic illness (“affliction”, “condition”, “remedy”, “stabilization”) and describes biological symptoms that track incredibly closely with neuropathy (nerve damage) if he does not feed the orb: “It begins with a biological deterioration. muscle spasms, disorientation, a slight ringing in the ears. and if left for too long… catastrophe.”
Based on what we know about Netherese Weave and the descriptions if his condition isn’t managed, the original incident likely was devastatingly medically and magically traumatic to his body - regardless of the subsequent status of the orb. Nerve damage to that severity would leave permanent consequences.
Think:
- Hands that shake when he’s tired or magically spent
- A slight limp, barely noticeable, after a long day of walking
- Rising just a bit slower, or leaning on his staff too heavily to disguise muscle weakness
These would be consequences that last regardless of the orb’s status, and likely are irreparable due to the nature of their origin.
While magic in the Forgotten Realms can heal and restore functionality, there is a limit to what it can do. Healing spells fix “recent injuries,” but can’t undo deep trauma or structural damage beyond what the body can naturally mend and even spells like Restoration have limits. Additionally, the narrator says the Netherese Weave “becomes part of [him]”. That doesn’t suggest just damage - it suggests fundamental magical and biological rewriting.
It’s also directly shown that the orb causes him pain/discomfort when he gets the Arcane Hunger status effect - but it doesn’t seem to be a surprise to him. He doubles over and clutches his chest (indicating the severity) but doesn’t cry out and speaks to you with in pained, but calm tones. This is not the behavior of someone with sudden, unexpected pain - this is the behavior of someone with constant chronic pain noticing the point where it becomes unsustainable. (Sidenote: This is a pretty common headcanon, I’m just mentioning it for context - other people like @galedekarios have explored the idea of Gale & chronic pain supported by canon much more deeply. I’m looking more at consequences of nerve damage more specifically in this post)
So I present:
Gale with chronic pain and neuropathy. Gale with hands that shake when he’s exhausted. Gale who knows how to work around the reminders of his body’s limitations. Gale who can still cast and is a force to behold in battle, but who adjusts subtly afterwards to hide the way he’s favoring one leg - because the other is giving out on him. Gale who overuses Mage Hand because he doesn’t trust his own. Gale who sits by the fire a few minutes too long after a stressful day because the world feels like it’s spinning. Gale who is still himself, but who bears physical consequences of his ambition.
With a generally polite and smiling demeanor, a deep love of reading and learning, and a tendency to collect new acquaintances everywhere he goes, it can be easy to overlook the fact that Satan’s sin is Wrath. But, as Solomon asks on the home screen, have you ever thought about why Satan is the Avatar of Wrath?
The simple answer, of course, is that he was born of Lucifer’s rage after the Great Celestial War. But we never settle for simple answers here, so – Satan character study let’s gooooooo!
(spoilers up through season 3, and yes this is long)
In that case, I’d love to see some Lucifer character analysis! Anything honestly works, he’s such a fascinating character in the way he displays his care for his brothers, the particular way his pride manifests...
Lucifer Character Analysis: Relationships
Anon. I know I told you that analysis wouldn't be long... But I got way too into this.
I'm gonna try to do this with the memories I have of the info we've received from Devilgrams, the canon story and events because yes, Lucifer is probably the most complicated character in Obey Me apart from Barbatos (but that's only because the latter doesn't reveal much about himself) and there would be a lot to cover up on him but I'll try to keep to several topics instead and keep them short. Be mindful that I'm probably going to go all over the place with this because there's a lot to talk about him lol.
While I really want to talk about stuff that happens in season 3, I'll try to remain as vague as possible (especially for Diavolo's part).
This analysis will cover the following relationships: Lucifer's brothers, Diavolo, Simeon, MC, and finally, Lucifer himself.
Lucifer: With His Brothers:
We all know that Lucifer cares very deeply for his brothers. Not a single day passes where he doesn’t think about them, or where he doesn’t make sure they aren’t doing anything risky for themselves/the rest of the family and others. There is always a genuine fear to lose them, and that is why he acts the way he does with them: strictly, and with punishments that luckily, demons can withstand. This affection he already displayed when he was still a seraphim in the Celestial Realm, where he would try his best to get them all out of trouble, Mammon most of all.
Mammon:
If I remember correctly, we are actually told that Mammon was getting in trouble way too often for an angel, and in order to avoid him getting punished or casted out for his antics, Lucifer would always be there to help him, eventually turning him a throne/his personal assistant. That way, he was able to keep an eye on him, and keep him under control, all while continuing to act as the older brother that he was. He continues to do this as a demon, because now that Mammon isn’t restrained by the “angelic” attitude he had before and has to suffer the effects of his sin, he acts much more wildly and carelessly. And as a result, Lucifer keeps him in check the most, because he knows Mammon is more prone to suffer the consequences of his recklessness than his other brothers.
Fun fact, it's canon that Mammon once called Lucifer "dad" on accident, and Lucifer genuinely felt apologetic after realizing that Mammon didn't want this to be known by anyone (after Lucifer accidentally talks about it during dinner). He was genuinely upset that Mammon gave him the silence treatment, to the point where he appears unusually open and affectionate with him (even so far as telling him he thought Mammon was "the most adorable" out of all his little brothers). They really have a father-toddler relationship lol.
Leviathan:
So this one is pretty chill compared to Mammon. Levi gets in trouble from time to time, Lucifer puts him in his place, Levi stops for a few days, copy-paste and repeat. Luci and Levi are a duo we don't see interact very often, but it's probably because apart from Lucifer's occassional demands for Levi to lower down his "bleep-bloop" music, to not play cursed video games that place the entire house in a timeloop, or to not sing so damn loud all the time, not much else happens between the two of them. But Lucifer WAS the one to introduce Levi to anime, which is now Levi's biggest form of comfort and happiness. Levi probably seeked refuge in fantasy novels and literature before manga and anime were invited. I wonder if Lucifer expected him to like anime so much?
Satan:
I've said it before in my bunch of anon replies about Satan regarding his own birth, but throughout the canon story, their conflict gets resolved little by little with the help of MC, to the point where it's almost entirely gone by the end of season 3. Thank you MC! Lucifer spent so many centuries not knowing how to deal with his little brother, to the point where I'm pretty sure he just abandoned all hopes of seeing it disappear one day and decided to just deal with Satan's anger towards him as if that was a normal thing. Luckily during the story, Lucifer was able to be more open towards Satan regarding how he viewed the Avatar of Wrath, and had to tell him multiple times that he is a great demon, that he isn't just a cheap/pale copy of his older brother, until Satan finally understood that he wasn't lying. You gotta love the development of their relationship.
Asmodeus:
This one is pretty funny is the sense that Lucifer does not give a single fuck about Asmo being a major simp for him. To Lucifer, Asmo has always been Asmo, the pretty, self-centered demon of the family, and he is fine with it. That's why when I see people hating on Asmo because he is "too feminine", I'm always here going "Sad to hear, Lucifer is literally smarter than you because he doesn't see a problem with him wearing dresses, putting on makeup and such". The only little bit of rivalry we've ever seen between them was during season 2 for the Bloody Moon popularity competition, and even then, Asmo was the one who initiated the rivalry because he wanted to beat Lucifer for once (the old man doesn't even mean to win ever year lol). Might actually be one of the nicest duo in the family? At least because they don't get at each other's throats at all times haha.
Beelzebub:
This one. Probably the best relationship between the brothers because of its lack of conflicts between each parties. Sure, there's the occasionnal scolding from Lucifer because Beel destroyed the kitchen for the upteenth time after Mammon stole the last strawberry shortcake from the fridge, but apart from that? Not really anything, if we forget that Luke incident from early season 1. Lucifer knows how Beel works, and doesn't even hesitate to bribe him with food when he needs something done, but all in all, it's never with malicious intents. At least, not towards the sixth-born himself lol.
Beel used to serve as a cherubim during the Celestial Realms days, and it is said (or headcanoned? can't remember) he protected Lucifer during their rebellion. One of Beel's homescreen lines is "I have a duty to protect Lucifer", which clearly shows his loyalty, respect, and affection towards the eldest. Beel loves his family, and actually does not mind the way Lucifer punishes his brothers, because he respects his leadership as the eldest. For Beel, there is a reason Lucifer acts the way he does, and it's to make sure his brothers stay on track, even more so now that they are handicaped by their sins and overall demonic attitudes. Beel knows Lucifer cares, even if he doesn't outright say it, and that's why he doesn't oppose to his rules.
Belphegor:
Let us deepdive (pretty deeply) into what we know best occured between these two at the beginning of the story: the attic.
Before MC even arrived in the Devildom, Diavolo proposed the idea of an exchange program with the Celestial Realm and the Human World to the student council. Belphie, still consumed by his hatred towards the human race, his gried for losing his sister, and still thinking they are the main cause for her death (even hundreds of years later), strongly opposes to the idea. Later on, him and Lucifer have another fight while at their house where Belphie makes the mistake of freely saying that if he were to go rampant on the human world, there wouldn't even be use for an exchange program anymore. In front of Lucifer.
Of course, as the eldest, Lucifer not only cannot allow his own brother to go against Diavolo's choices, but has a responsibility of protecting the human race from his brother's thirst for revenge since he was the only one at that moment to have heard Belphie say these words. So, he does what he thinks is best: trapping Belphie not only from actions he might regret later, but from being labelled as a rebel if word of his intentions came to Diavolo's and Barbatos' ears. In that moment, Lucifer thought of only one thing: protecting his little brother until the first year of the exchange program finished, else he might be casted from the Devildom, or worse, executed. It's interesting to note that in season 1 and by doing what he did, Lucifer knew that Diavolo wouldn't hesitate to punish his brothers if they ever did something as drastic as what Belphie had planned. NO sympathy whatsoever. Doesn't matter if he's the prince's official right man, Diavolo won't let anyone interfere with his plans for peace between the three realms (even at the cost of destroying the family of his "best friend").
That is also a reason why Lucifer was so angry to hear MC had been talking with Belphegor all this time. Because they unknowingly put themself at risk of being tricked by Belphie and potentially killed (as we know, that potentiality becomes real in the other timeline MC visits later), and unknowingly put the whole exchange program and peace between the realms at risk. Because of one nosy human, Lucifer almost lost not only his little brother, his boss' trust, but also the stability of a family he's been desperately trying to keep in one piece for hundreds of years after their fall. Upon writing this, I understand his actions during season 1 a bit better.
But Lucifer trapping Belphie in the attic also showed that he cared. Yes, maybe isolation for a few months wasn't the best idea he could have had, but I can only assume he wanted to minimize the risks and not involve his other brothers in the matter. Because that's how Lucifer views any problem: he HAS to take care of everything himself. Mammon might be Lucifer's favorite, but Lucifer definitely adores Belphie. Heck, he might even be a close second after Mammon.
Lucifer: With Diavolo
Oh boy... Okay, so after playing season 3, my view on these two has definitely changed from "haha look at Diavolo teasing Lucifer and creating mayhem, that's really funny!" from "oh... one of them might not view the other as a friend as much as I thought". And I'm not talking as something more than friends lol.
It's always important to remember how these two met. Lucifer got sent on behalf of Michael as the representative of the Celestial Realm to meet the Devildom prince. During most of their first exchange, Lucifer is very wary of Diavolo's intentions. As a seraphim and an angel, he thinks demons as wicked, tricky creatures who are not to be trusted. Diavolo is able to install some form of trust, enough so that Lucifer actually enjoys their tea time together by the end of the Devilgram story showing this interaction. After probably a couple of other meetings that are off-camera, Lucifer rebels to protect his sister, but Lilith gets badly injured, and the two end up falling in the Devildom. There, Diavolo makes a good show of reminding Lucifer that he is a demon by offering him a deal he cannot refuse: "Vow your eternal loyalty to me, and I'll save your sister". I've seen a lot of people use this as proof that Lucifer hasn't and never truly will trust Diavolo entirely. And I'm enclined to believe it.
During season 3, a very shy, silent rivalry settles between the two- although it's more on Lucifer's side for the moment. Like I said previously, I won't talk about what happens to avoid spoilers, but I'm pretty sure you can guess the kind of rivalry I'm talking about and why Lucifer would suddenly view Diavolo as a rival. If you want to know more and you don't care about season 3 spoilers, I'll redirect you to this post I made about Lucifer in lesson 48.
So while Lucifer pretty much acts like a secondary father figure towards Diavolo because the prince is a man who's never got to have a proper childhood and has only had Barbatos by his side before Lucifer arrived, there is still a wall between the two that has been there since Lucifer's angel days. Will it ever break? Unsure. The more their mutual feelings for MC grew, the more bricks have been added to that wall, and there's no sign of this growth stopping. Only future lessons will tell if they'll ever have a proper talk with each other on how they view the other, especially Lucifer towards Diavolo.
With Simeon
This one is a bit tricky in the fact that it's hard to guess why Lucifer puts as much distance as he does with Simeon. Simeon tries to act with his former brother as if nothing had ever separated them, often telling him how he is still as majestic as he was as a seraphim and wanting to renew the friendship and brotherly love they once had, but Lucifer puts strict limits to how much Simeon can get involved with his private life. One might say "well it's normal, one's an angel and the other is a demon", but what is the exact reason Lucifer limits his friendly interactions with his former brother?
Is it by fear of getting attached again to an angel? Was Simeon on the other side during the Celestial War, or did nothing to help the brothers at all, thus resulting in Lucifer seeing him as either a "traitor" or simply as a brother who didn't even try to lend a hand in their cause to protect Lilith? There has to be a reason why Simeon got demoted from a seraphim to a lower-tier angel... and my little finger tells me it might be linked to something that either happened pre-fall, or after the brothers' fall from heaven. Might even be related to his unusual, powerful anger that is unfitted for an angel. Only season 4 will be able to tell us what really happened to him, and if they'll ever talk to each other (Lucifer really needs to open up more huh).
Lucifer: With MC
Their relationship started out pretty... tumultuously. Lucifer at first couldn't care less about MC, viewing them as a simple human he had to keep alive for an entire year, and after that, he could go back to his daily life. Except that MC was probably the most curious human they could have chosen for this exchange program, and as a result, not only a bunch of problems got thrown in Lucifer's face, but also feelings he had never meant to catch. The main reason? MC getting along with his brothers. While Lucifer never knew that MC's main reason behind making pacts was to free Belphegor from the attic, he was able to see how much happier his brothers got around them, a mutual happiness he hadn't been able to witness ever since their days in the Celestial Realm. I'm pretty sure Lucifer felt attracted to MC very early on, his pride getting in the way and probably making him think that it wasn't love but just mere curiosity, and that is why he reacted so wildly upon discovering MC and Belphegor had been talking in secret while his brother was trapped in the attic. 'How could I have been so blind and so foolish as to think this human really enjoyed their time around me and my brothers', he probably thought in that moment, feeling played and betrayed by someone he viewed as trustworthy.
I won't dive too much into the Lilith reveal because heeehhh I'm still a bit confused at how quickly everyone seemed to forget about MC dying in that moment or their past conflicts... But we see Lucifer becoming more and more possessive of MC from this point on. At the end of season 1, MC even gets the choice of sleeping with him (by kissing him or not), something that not only surprised me and made me laugh, but it's also a way of showing us how their relationship either turned from enemies-to-lovers, or that Lucifer felt done with hiding his own feelings, and let his demon side speak for himself to "claim what's rightfully his" by making a pact with MC (and sleeping with them and then teasing them about it the next day).
Lucifer turns softer the more the story progresses, only revealing this weak side to MC because he feels comfortable around them and trusts them to the point where he can drop his prideful image when they are alone together. For Lucifer, MC's presence is the first time in probably a millennia or more he could consider a blessing, no offense intended towards Lucifer for that word. I think what attracted him to them so much was their humanity and overall human nature, which he had found interesting from the beginning, along with their kindness. When you consider how quickly MC was able to befriend the seven most powerful lords of Hell, it's hard not to be intrigued by someone like that. And Lucifer was no exception.
It was MC's uniqueness that made Lucifer realize that this warmth in his chest was more than simple affection. That not only did he want to spend as much time as possible with them, but to protect them, even if it's at the cost of his own life. The final chapters of season 2 hold the most powerful scenes for Lucifer I had ever seen in this game, and we got to see a very selfless side of him who not only allowed him to express his emotions without shame (and yes I know about the reason why he was able to tell them in the first place), but who also showed a part of his pride where he felt proud to protect MC.
MC is the freedom he never thought he could find again. One that is far beyond any freedom he could have felt in the Celestial Realm, beyond any sort of comfort he could ever find with all of his brothers beside him.
MC is truly the light and love Lucifer desperately needed in the dark pit that is the Devildom.
Lucifer: With himself
This should come as no surprise that Lucifer resents his former angel self. Whenever the subject is brought up, he gets distant, demands to cut the conversation short, or his answers are relatively vague, and you can sense that he simply does not want to talk about it- pure and simple. It brings up memories he'd rather forget, this old life now far behind him, one with white wings and a family he'll never get back.
Little is known about how he views himself, however. Lucifer is a man that doesn't express his inner feelings easily, if at all, even to MC. He still finds it difficult to talk about his positive emotions and rarely vents, at least from what I remember in the canon story. He is open enough to express whenever he feels jealous, or when he wants MC to be with him, yet his sin always gets in the way and blocks any words that might make him appear as "weak" towards others.
But in my opinion, despite often saying how there's nothing that scares him, how he is always perfect and excels at everything, Lucifer definitely has weaknesses and fears he wants to keep to himself. Or rather, that he can't talk about because of his sin and responsibility as an older brother. After all, he's always lived with such a burden placed on his shoulders, with being among the strongest Seraphims of the Celestial Realm. Lucifer has always been a figure of perfection, someone others were supposed to look upon, and when you've lived with an image like this for thousands of years... it was only bond to turn worse once he became the embodiment of Pride.
Hi, friends! Welcome to angst-central! I love me some Bucky Barnes angst, and I hope you enjoy my angsty posts :)
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After All This Time | impending danger puts you and your ex, Bucky, in close quarters.
All in My Head | Your perfect boyfriend Bucky just wants to take you dancing, and his sweeping romantic gesture is almost too good to be true.
Anti Hero | Bucky can’t believe someone like you would be with someone like him. And he’s certain it won’t last.
Are There Still Beautiful Things? | Sequel to The Ultimatum | Bucky helps bring you back to life after things with your boyfriend blow up. He tells you you're free from your relationship if you want to be- but you have to return to your boyfriend's apartment to get your things. Bucky comes along, of course.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside | In the dead of winter, the heating in your building goes out. You don’t mind the freezing temperatures, but Bucky is miserable.
The Ballad of Love and Hate | Bucky refuses to open up to you even after you've moved in together. You need some time away to think while Bucky spirals due to your absence.
Begin Again | Bucky broke up with you six months for an unspecified reason, leaving you absolutely heartbroken. When he shows up on your doorstep, your feelings come rushing back.
Blood on My Hands | A text from Sam sparks anxiety about Bucky’s state of mind after his most recent mission, and all you want to do is fix it for him.
Burning the Midnight Oil | Bucky says he’s okay. He tells you that he just can’t fall asleep, but his continuous absence from your bedroom spells trouble.
Call Me When You Get This | Bucky always worries about your safety, but his anxiety gets worse when he’s away on a mission. He doesn’t hear from you for an entire day, and it makes him spiral.
Chemical Imbalance | Bucky finally returns from his latest mission, and goin and you can’t wait to see him. But when his old instincts resurface, the two of you are forced apart.
Clean Up Crew | You’d do anything for your best friend Bucky. And when he calls you in the middle of the night with a strange request, you jump at the chance to help him.
Come Find Me | Bucky cant wait for you to return from your mission. But when your partner comes back without you, it's up to Bucky to bring you home safe.
Damaged | It’s date night, but your chronic pain is rearing its ugly head. Bucky spends the night worrying about you and trying to care for you.
Dark Reflection | A particularly dark night terror wakes Bucky in a panic. He reaches for you and finds your side of the bed empty, save for a few drops of blood.
Darling, You Will Bury Me Before I Bury You | You know Bucky is a super soldier, but you worry about how long he'll be around. He is 106, after all.
Disarmed | Bucky’s radio silence prompts you to pay him a visit. When you see him, you notice new injuries and one missing piece.
Documentary Now | In his free time, Bucky wants to catch up on all of your favorite movies and tv shows, but he stumbles upon something darker.
Do You Want to Die Together? | Bucky’s lost a lot of people in his life, and it’s only a matter of time before he starts thinking about losing you.
Double Agent | Bucky can’t control his rage as he sees you, a former Hydra operative, joining the team. His fury is quelled, however, when you reveal the truth about your past.
Double Agent: Part 2 | A nightmare violently wakes you up, but Bucky is there to take care if you. After calming down, you tell him every last detail of your time under Hydra.
Double Agent: Part 3 | All Bucky wants is for you to get some rest, but there’s no way you can sleep. He picks your brain over some breakfast, and learns more about your past.
Double Agent: Part 4 | Things between you and Bucky improve consistently, and you quickly become close friends. But one unfortunate middle of the night event sends the two of you back two square one.
Dust to Dust | Bucky’s on a long mission, and you’re preparing for his return home. But Sam has some unfortunate news that shakes you to your core.
End of My Rope | Bucky’s been down lately, and you’ve been doing your best best to help. But things come to a head when you come home early from work.
End of Story | An injury forces you to examine Bucky’s mortality head on and talk about things you never wanted to admit.
Excuses | An unexpected relapse of Bucky’s Winter Soldier mindset makes him do something he doesn’t remember- the worst thing he’s ever done.
False Reality | Running into an unpleasant person from your past sends you into a shame spiral. Bucky gets you home and takes care of you- reminding you of your worth.
Family Man | More than anything, Bucky wants you to be happy. He’d do anything to help you find someone, no matter how much it hurts him.
Fixer Upper | Bucky knows he’s got issues. But with your help, he’s been making great strides. His long recovery seems to be going well, but he wonders how long you’ll stick around.
For You, I Would Ruin Myself | Work’s been kicking your ass lately, and Bucky knows it. But you come home and try to seduce him anyway, just like you always do.
Glutton For Punishment | After being blamed for something that wasn’t his fault, Bucky spirals. And it’s in the midst of his breakdown that you learn the origin of the bruise on his chest.
Happiness is a Butterfly | You never expected to meet the Bucky Barnes somewhere so mundane, but bumping into him at the grocery store leads to a first date.
Haunted | You and Bucky have finally admitted your feelings for each other, but when he hurts you by accident, he runs. You're left to pick up the pieces in his absence.
Help me | Bucky wakes from a night terror and divulges the details of a particular horrifying memory- one he’s never shared with anyone.
Hold My Hand | Keeping your emotional struggles to yourself is just the way you operate, until Bucky wakes one to find you sobbing.
Home | Bucky is your best friend in the compound and your favorite person to spend time with until he ices you out completely.
Hopelessly Devoted | Yet another failed date leaves you tired of being alone. Bucky makes it his mission to help you feel better, and ends up making a surprising confession.
I Can Go Anywhere I Want- Just Not Home | Bucky doesn't talk to you anymore, and he's less than enthusiastic when he runs into you out of the blue. But when he calls from a strange phone number, the puzzle pieces fall together.
I’ll Show You Mine | Bucky’s nightmares get to him each and every night, but he refuses to ask for help- until one night, he knocks on your door.
I’ll Never Smile Again | sequel to Honey, Come Home | Bucky’s mission keeps getting extended, leaving you sad and alone.
I’ll Wear Your Ring | Bucky loved you. He gave you a ring and asked you to be his wife- and then he left without a trace.
I Never Learned to Read Your Mind | Bucky broke up with you just over a month ago, yet gets jealous after seeing you with another man.
It Feels Easier to Just Swim Down | Several unanswered texts make Bucky work about you, and he ends up at your apartment to check in on you. What he finds breaks his heart.
It Will Come Back | Bucky is your very best friend but he’s very hot and cold toward you, so you confront him.
It’s My Party and I’ll Cry if I Want to | It’s a special night- the night of your birthday party. Bucky promised to be there, but he has yet to show up.
Just in Case | On the run after the events of Civil War, Bucky hasn’t gotten nearly enough sleep. You offer to sit with him, and he makes an off putting request.
Let Go | Bucky knows there’s something you’re hiding from him, and all he wants is to help. But you remain closed off and tight lipped until everything falls apart.
Like a Secret, Like an Oath | Bucky never misses an opportunity to give you a kiss or hold your hand- unless the team is around.
Long Gone | The greatest tragedy of your life, Bucky’s disappearance in the blip, finally comes to an end when he returns home- but is he really back?
Lost Without You | Your mission team returns home safely… without you. Bucky launches into an investigation, doing everything he can to get you back.
Love Language | You notice that Bucky has started pulling away from your usual physical affection, and it makes you rethink the way you show your love.
Lucky | A dicey mission has Bucky looking a little worse for wear. You’re already worried about him, but he makes a comment that sends your anxiety into overdrive.
Making Amends | You’ve never seen the inside of Bucky’s secret little notebook, and when you accidentally take a glance, you can’t believe what you find.
Means to an End | Bucky comes home from a mission injured and bloody- just like always. But the details of what happened make you unravel.
Mercy Kill | After Bucky gets hurt on a mission, you're forbidden from visiting him in the medway. When you finally get to speak to him, things go differently than you expected.
Metamorphosis | Bucky never anticipated meeting someone like you, let alone befriending you. He bares his soul to you, showing you every dark corner of his mind, and you help him become a new man.
Monster Mash | A Halloween party goes very south when you and Bucky are met face to face with someone from both of your pasts.
Muscle Memory | Things with Bucky are perfect until he touches you in a way that brings back terrible memories.
Necessary Evil | when you end up hurt after a mission, Bucky is tasked with taking care of you. But you’ve never experienced pain like this before.
Never Alone | Bucky is afraid of who he is deep down, and thinks leaving is the best option for the both of you.
Never Stop Searching | When the jet returns from a mission without you, Bucky is fiercely determined to find you.
The Night We Met | Bucky comes to you with a question, a file full of redacted documents, and a broken heart. He needs to know- why didn’t you tell him?
Nothing Fucks With My Baby | Bucky shows up late to a Shield party and finds out that a new agent made you uncomfortable. He takes care of it.
Nowhere to Go | Bucky’s temporary living situation falls through and he needs a place to crash, but he’s too embarrassed to ask for help.
Old Habits | Bucky’s old Winter Soldier training starts rearing its head, causing him to become more protective of you than ever before.
Packed Bags | Bucky comes home to find your things neatly packed into a suitcase, and he does everything he can to convince you not to leave him.
Penance | Bucky comes home from a mission bloody and injured. You want him to get some medical attention, but he refuses.
Protect Yourself | Bucky worries endlessly about your safety and just wants you to know how to keep yourself safe. Unfortunately, you end up injured in the process and he blames himself.
Put My Mind at Ease | You return home from a successful mission with plans to have a pizza night with Bucky- but things go awry when an injury rears it’s head.
The Quiet | Bucky is gone all the time on mission after mission, fulfilling his duties as an Avenger- but is he doing too much?
The Rain is Always Gonna Come if You're Standing With Me | A hurtful article in a low-budget gossip magazine throws your relationship with Bucky for a loop.
Red Light, Green Light | Sex with Bucky is better than you’d ever experienced, but he has a habit that draws your attention.
Revenge | A mission gone sideways finds you bloodied on the floor of a Hydra base, and Bucky knows exactly who’s to blame.
Safe With Me | A mission goes sideways, putting you in the hands of a notorious Hydra arms dealer. Upon returning home, your well-being takes a turn for the worst, but Bucky is there for you.
Scared Half to Death | Bucky steps out on Halloween night to grab some more candy for the neighborhood kids. When he returns home, a bloody scene awaits.
Self-Inflicted | A strange sound wakes you up in the middle of the night, and you discover a sleeping Bucky covered blood.
She Never Asked Me Once About the Wrong I Did | Bucky comes home from a mission, racked with guilt and covered in blood that isn't his. He needs comfort and safety and that only you can provide.
Silent Lucidity | Bucky calls in the middle of the night, and something is clearly wrong. He doesn’t sound like himself. He needs you.
Somebody’s Watching Me | Bucky knows you’re being stalked by the creepy guy who frequents your work place, but you shrug it off- until the man takes things a little too far.
That’s My Girl | Bucky hates when you go on missions without him, and he counts the hours till you return. When you end up in the med bay without him knowing why, he loses it.
Til it Happens to You | An unsavory encounter with an old friends leaves Bucky picking up your broken pieces.
The Ultimatum | You cut Bucky out of your life at the request of your less than stellar boyfriend. When you show up at Bucky’s front door, asking for help, he doesn’t hesitate to let you in.
Unanswered Letters | Bucky is your best friend in the Avengers compound...until he leaves with no warning. His return is confusing and complicated for the both of you.
Under the Influence | Girls night out with Nat and Wanda gets ruined by a particularly creepy stranger, and Bucky spends the night taking care of you.
Unforgivable | Bucky can’t contain himself when you defy his orders on a mission and out yourself in danger.
Unhinged | An argument between you and Bucky gets a little out of hand, prompting him to leave with no intention of returning.
Watch You Sleep | sequel to Just in Case | Bucky falls asleep in your lap and finally gets the rest he deserves. One tiny mistake by you wakes him, however, leading to a violent outburst.
Weak Link | Bucky is your favorite person to work with on missions, and you’re partnered together every time- until someone keeps changing things up last minute, making you doubt your friendship with him.
What Could Go Wrong? | A SWORD function at the compound has Bucky feeling uneasy. He can’t seem to stop himself from checking up on you, but you swear to him that you’re not in danger- you’re wrong.
Why Are You at the Wake? | Bucky sits by your hospital bed, anxious for you to finally open your eyes. He’s got to set the record straight, and apologize for what he said before you got hurt.
Winter in my Heart | Bucky just can’t get a handle on his emotions as he tries to adjust to a normal life with you.
The Words | While out with you at the store, Bucky encounters something from his past that messes with his head.
The World Stopped Moving | A mission gone wrong leaves you and Bucky both gravely injured.
Unforgivable | Bucky is your closest friend, he’s the person you care about most. But things take a negative turn when he snaps at you in front everyone.
You Drew Stars Around My Scars | you and Bucky trade off telling the stories behind your scars. But one of Bucky’s stories is worse than you could ever imagine.
You Don’t Own Me | Bucky’s wounds land him in the med bay after a mission, much to his dismay. A particular scar of his catches your eye, forcing Bucky to unravel even more of his traumatic past.
Yours | Bucky loves being your boyfriend, but he knows he's got a lot of baggage. He worries that it's too much for you, so you talk him through it.
You're Here Now | Bucky always begs you to lock the front door, but you're forgetful. Too bad you forgot to lock it the day Hydra came after you to get back at Bucky...
Hi beloveds! I have crafted a soft little Gale fic for you because it's my firm belief that everyone's favorite wizard deserves all the warmth in the world. 😌 Also on AO3, if you prefer. As always, thank you for reading. 💕
There was a time in his life that Gale could sleep anywhere, provided he had a good book and a space to sit down.
In Waterdeep, he might wake in his armchair or on his balcony with the weight of an ancient tome still resting in his lap, or at his desk, his cheek pressed against parchment. The smell of it, of ink and lignin, would bring him back to his senses before his eyes were fully open, and he’d recall what he’d been studying, and begin reading again.
At home, in his tower, he could do this night after night and still feel mostly rested come morning.
But he is far from his tower, and farther each day.
Perhaps it is the orb that keeps him up as of late, with its insatiable, unnatural hunger, or perhaps it is the tadpole that wriggles and pulses impatiently inside his skull. Or it could, he supposes, be the simpler and less curable matter of aging– an affliction that seems, on occasion, more frightening than either of the others.
Whatever the cause of his recent insomnia, it pulls Gale into a rather distressing cycle– he cannot sleep, so he cannot focus, so he cannot read, so he cannot sleep.
Instead, he finds himself offering to keep watch over camp in the evenings, if only for the distraction. The far-off gibbering of a newborn gnoll, the crunch of foliage under goblin feet, an animal scream– each night a fresh and distant horror calls his mind away from greater threats, from illithids and tadpoles and gods.
It’s an odd remedy, he knows. But the alternative is lying awake in his tent, turning death over and over in his mind until the thought is worn smooth as a river stone.
It works well for a time, keeps his mind on the present and off of some vague, future doom.
That is, at least, until they reach the Underdark.
Deep beneath Faerûn, there is something profoundly disturbing about the lack of…well, everything. They find no grand cities or quaint little villages, few animals and even fewer people.
No trees, no light. No sky.
Most nights spent underground are so quiet that Gale may as well stay in his bedroll, staring up at a canopy of fabric, dark as the velvet earth above them.
He thinks, It is like being buried alive, without even the stars to bear witness.
On these nights he can feel the stones in his head turning over.
Even so, come the evening (or what he guesses is evening), Gale volunteers to stand sentinel for the fifth time in a tenday.
He always asks them after dinner, when his companions are most likely to agree, after his cooking has warmed them and filled their bellies and made them want nothing more than to close their eyes and dream of somewhere, anywhere else.
Tav is the only one who protests with any frequency, the only one who seems to notice that the circles under his eyes are half a shade darker than they were yesterday, when they were half a shade darker than the day before.
Even on nights when she convinces someone else to take his place, he will relieve them after Tav has gone to sleep.
It starts the same way every time.
Gale walks the perimeter in an infinite loop, looking for life in the darkness, illuminated only by the fire in the center of their camp. It makes him feel like a distant planet, nearly untouched by the sun. How strange to think that he’d once felt like the sun itself.
He continues in his orbit until the subterranean cold gnaws at his limbs. It bites down hard on his nose and ears and fingers, chases him back to the fire, back to the light.
Hypnotized by the flames and their radiant warmth, he does not hear the quiet stirring in the tent beyond his own, doesn’t hear the soft approach of nimble feet.
A voice comes to him out of the darkness.
“I hope you’re not keeping watch again.”
“Mystra,” Gale gasps, startled, the goddess’s name invoked in equal parts a prayer, a curse.
“Forgive me,” Tav says, through a laugh she cannot help. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
If it were anyone else he might be annoyed, or even a little embarrassed– but the sound of her laughter bubbles like seafoam over sand, rushes over and around him. Coupled with the relief that she is not some dreadful creature of the Underdark, he finds it difficult to feel anything besides affection.
“It’s quite alright,” he recovers, with a shake of his head. “You surprised me, that’s all.”
“Then I really hope you’re not keeping watch.”
She is teasing him now, just lightly, a familiar spark of warmth behind her eyes.
It is the same look she gives him when she brings him a new book, or when he cooks for her, or when he tells her about Waterdeep. It is the same look she gave him earlier in the day, when she had offered to brew him a tea that might help him to sleep.
Gale has trouble remembering the last time another looked at him this way, so interested and inviting and earnest.
Perhaps, he thinks, another never has.
“Are you alright?” Tav asks, when he’s been quiet for too long.
“Of course,” he says with the sincerity of a promise, offered with a smile that he hopes will be convincing. “Just lost in thought.”
There is a part of him that doesn’t want to leave it there, that wants to share his every thought with her, his every terror, every dream. She must know that there is more to it, must’ve learned by now to recognize when Gale isn’t telling her everything, but he is grateful that she doesn’t press him, never presses him.
Instead she breaks into a grin and says, “You’re lucky I’m not a bulette.”
“I’m lucky they’re not so light-footed. What are you doing up, anyway?”
“The cold always wakes me, sooner or later,” Tav sighs. “If I’d known it was so godsdamned frigid down here, I might’ve nicked a fur or two from the Zhent.”
It’s Gale’s turn to laugh, though she’s only half-joking.
She’s drawn near to him, to the flames, her palms outstretched, her fingers spread wide as if to grab hold of as much warmth as possible.
“But it’s alright,” she continues, “So as long as I’m close to the fire.”
“Any closer and you’ll be in it, I’m afraid. Perhaps I can help.”
Tav tilts her head and quirks an eyebrow in a curious little expression. “Can you?”
“If you’ll allow me.”
Gale turns to face her fully, and she mirrors him out of instinct.
“Hold out your hands to me,” he says. “Palms together, just barely. Like you’re praying.”
“Like this?”
“Like that.”
The spell is one his mother taught him, among the first he’d ever learned.
He still remembers that winter in Waterdeep, when the snow fell hard and fast. When the ice in the harbor kept the ships at arm’s length and the frozen streets shone like glass. He was young then, six or seven, but even now he can feel his small hands in Morena’s, warmed by a word and a touch.
Warm and fed, she used to tell him. That’s how you show someone they’re loved.
Gale cages Tav’s hands lightly in his own, the way he might hold a butterfly. He pushes all thoughts of winter away and calls to mind the rippling heat of summer, an orchard grown fat with peaches, the silvery shimmer of sweat on skin.
The rose-petal flush of a cheek cradled in a hand, her cheek, his hand…
“Calor aestas,” he says quietly, when the image comes into clear view. He feels the cold melt from her fingers, hears the comfortable sigh that follows. “Better?”
“Yes,” she murmurs. “Much.”
She is looking at him now with an intensity he has not seen since the night he first showed her the Weave, all that time ago. The night he saw her thoughts laid bare, had all but felt her lips on his.
Had she seen them now, the visions he had conjured? Had she felt him pull her close in his own mind?
Tav clears her throat softly and he comes back to himself, his heartbeat thrashing wildly in his chest. He realizes with some urgency that he has not let her go and pulls back suddenly, but not without reluctance.
“I hope,” he swallows, trying to compose himself. “I hope it helps you sleep.”
“Do you want me to stay up with you?”
Yes, he thinks selfishly, Yes. Stay up with me, stay close to me, always.
He shakes his head instead. “You should rest while the spell holds.”
“And how long is that?”
“As long as I’m able to concentrate.”
He will think of her hands and their pull on a bowstring, their pluck of a lyre, their grip on a sword. How they weave her own magic, how they cradle a book. How they felt clasped in his, soft and cold.
A focus worth holding, at last.
“Only if it’s no trouble,” she says.
“None at all.”
Gale is grateful that he manages to stop himself, for once, from saying the rest of the thought as it enters his head. I would think of you anyway, magic or no.
Tav takes his hand in hers again, this time to squeeze it fondly.
For a moment, he feels that if he were to die just now– from the orb, from the tadpole, in the jaws of a hungry bulette– it would all have been worth it, for this.
“Thank you, Gale.”
Her smile is warmer than any summer he remembers, brighter than any star he can name.
where was morena dekarios during gale's year of isolation?
how many nights did she spend, stomach churning, wondering why her son stopped coming to visit?
did they write? did gale offer vague platitudes to her whilst dodging every attempt for her to come visit, to just see his face?
how many times did gale and tara argue about it? how many times did gale and tara fall out because gale couldnt tell his mother that he was going to die?
gale, waterdhavian prodigy, former lover of mystra, was probably such a massive taboo to even broach as a topic. how many wizard's robes did morena dekarios clutch in supplication, begging anyone to tell her what happened to her son? how many times did they turn her away?
and when she finds out why. when she finds out what happened to her son. who tries to stop morena dekarios from killing a goddess?
▸ prompt ; companions and their responses to being called pretty boy / pretty girl.
▸ a/n ; bit of a generic post im sorry forreal. while i was originally just going to write this for astarion i had ideas for. all the other companions.
most of the characters have a reader w a specific class or background, all varied! also spoilers for gale, shadowheart, karlach, and lae'zel.
reader / tav is always gender neutral!
▸ wc ; about 4.5k, about 700+ words per companion.
ft. astarion, wyll, gale, shadowheart, karlach, lae'zel
no minthara or halsin bc i could not bring myself to write it. but maybe later if enough people ask lol.
❈ ASTARION ;
Astarion tries his very best to find your affection for him trite, even when he knows it doesn't feel that way. It's an instinct for him, one you'll simply have to make peace with you if you're really planning on tailing him to the end of the world.
Truth be told though, he likes your generally affectionate nature. He hasn't reached a point he can admit this so openly, but the comfortable and easy way you reach for him is nice. He likes how your hands seem to stretch for him, the way you cling to his spine when you sleep in his tent and the likes.
And while he is not stranger to hypocrisy, he thinks it'd be amiss to try and bar you from calling him any pet names when he calls you so many. He's got quite a few handy. Darling is a favorite, followed by dear, and sometimes my love when he can muster up the courage to mean it instead of saying it like he's trying to perform.
You like to call Astarion by his name though, most often. He isn't exactly sure why you're so fond of it, and truthfully he's done little to consider his own name. You say it wonderfully though, tasteful and loving and soft.
Sometimes you gasp it in offense or horror or shock, other times in pleasure. Sometimes you whimper it in your sleep, groping around until your hands fist in the material of his shirt and you drag him back to you.
In any case, he's used to hearing his name. So hearing you utter the words pretty boy to him, he can't help but be a little shocked.
You're a little tipsy. A hard, arduous journey of fighting githyanki soldiers has taken a terrible toll on your normal inhibitions. You're quite flushed while you're drunk, and all the same sitting in his lap like you've not a care in the world.
Astarion doesn't mind holding you. In fact, he's thinking of all the terribly teasing things he can say to you come morning. So far, you've done nothing but mumble. It's a sudden movement, your hands clasped around his face.
"Feeling forward are we darling?" He says, like second nature. It's so reactionary it's banal, though he does have some enthusiasm since the flirtation is directed at you. Instead of your usual giggling, you stare at him with your lips parted.
"I suppose I am pretty boy," You reply, a completely foreign confidence in your voice that stops him dead in his tracks. Underneath the thick layer of flirtation is sincerity so unmistakable it almost proves to be too much "Could I ask you to keep me company?"
Astarion is, eternally grateful about the fact you don't get much more than that out of you. He spends the entire night thinking about it. You're certainly not the first to call him pretty, and that particular phrasing has been thrown to him more than once.
Yet it rings a little differently. The way you said it so tenderly, your hands stroking the nape of his neck and cupping his face. Well, it's not nothing. He can't decide if he hates it or not until the next morning comes.
Your eyes flutter open as light pours through the open part of his tent. You reach over to him with a deep sigh, engaging in some quiet morning affection when you repeat yesterdays sentiment.
"Good morning, my very pretty boy," You say - and this time Astarion is sure whatever he is feeling he has not ever felt previously "Sorry for the antics last night."
"So your memory hasn't failed you. Good to know." Astarion says back. You laugh lightly. "Your charming little pet name worried me quite a bit."
"Nothing to worry about my love." You say, warm and nuzzling into his neck likely to cool yourself from over-heating "I really do find you very pretty."
He can't help the feeling that floods his sense. He likes it even though he feels a little clingy, but perhaps there's no need to admit that.
"Oh, really, darling? How sweet you are. Tell me again, then. Just for kicks this time."
❈ WYLL ;
it's a matter of getting used to it for Wyll.
For the first month of your adventuring together, pretty boy, had been a somewhat condescending substitute for his name. Among other ones, like daddy's boy and prince. None of the pet names held any real affection.
You liked getting under his skin, after all.
You didn't get on at first, not for a long while. You're a rogue, a ratty street urchin turned mercenary who'd spent your youth climbing through the soil and mud of the Lower City's underbelly. Your words verbatim, not his. At first, your resentment for him caught him off guard, especially because Wyll prefers to keep the peace and get along with everyone. But, he had a difficult time understanding you, even with his people skills
Eventually it clicked that your resentment was less towards him, and more towards what he represents. You're a Baldurian, but one abandoned by the city and it's people. What else could the Ravengards represent if not the future you never had a chance to look towards.
It was easier after that. And Wyll had promised to himself to observe you closer. In that, he found to like you a great deal.
He's fond of pet names in general, but more fond of you lately. At the beginning of your adventure, it was a little difficult to get accustomed to your... roughness. You lack delicacy, but you're not exactly silver tongued.
Yet, you're not as cruel as you make yourself out to be. Contrarily, while you've traveled together, Wyll bore witness to only gentleness. Nothing more. The words you spoke about only doing things for coin had been clearly disproved by your countless acts of charity. Especially gentle and kind to children, and especially unforgiving to the rich and unhelpful.
Once he got used to it, there was something kind of...sweet about it. To see you say one thing and do another had it's own novelty that Wyll grew fond of you.
It was the night of tiefling party that roused his feelings. That night, he'd watched you play with the tiefling children all night, teaching them tricks of the trade.
And you'd started falling for him, too, judging by the way your usual snark was nowhere to be found.
Especially vivid is the change in your tone when you call him the same way you did before.
"We'll take a short rest for you, pretty boy." Your voice murmurs, looking carefully over his wounds while place down your own weapons "Get your spells back. Organize our things in the mean time."
He gives you look, examining your own worry before his smile stretches into one of fondness. It doesn't bother him at all, not anymore. No, lately - it sounds rather fond, and each time Wyll hears it, it does something for ego.
"No need for the concern, though I am appreciative," He says, not bothering to mask the smug quality in his voice at your change. He delights in it a little, admittedly . "I'll be alright soon enough."
You don't seem to notice, too busy wiping your blade of fresh blood, metal shiny as moonlight. "And there's no need for your heroism, Blade of Frontiers. Have some discernment about time and place."
You look up at him with your brows furrowed, and Wyll can barely help himself. "Are you worried I'll lose what's left in my appearances? I'm just telling you there's no need to trouble yourself over it."
It takes you a while to register to his words, but when it finally does - your eyes blow wide. The look of embarrassment on your face is well worth it.
"I thought you hated when I called you that." You say coolly.
"It's not so bad," He says back tenderly, staring at you "At least not anymore."
You pout a little. Wyll fights some unspoken urge to kiss you. A little longer.
"I prefer when you're acting oblivious,"
"Sorry to disappoint."
He lets his head lay on the wall behind him - reaching a hand for yours instead, trying to rest up as promised. He sees you smiling from the corner of his eye and affirms it to himself. You squeeze, soft, but otherwise say nothing about it.
Yes, lately, nothing you say could get under his skin. Even when you so obviously try.
❈ GALE ;
Gale is always the poet, never the muse.
He thought highly of his relationship with Mystra, and in many ways still does. He loved her. This much is true. He can't say for any certainty if she had loved him just as much, or at all. He wasn't the first mortal, and would hardly be the last.
But he loved her, enough to write about her and wax poetic about all that he'd lost.
When Gale examines any of his past relationship, he realizes this is some kind of pattern. Gale is good at being loving, but he does not know for certain if any of them loved him back. Or if he was loved in the way he loves - if it was anything near close. Gale had thought, at one point, it was just matter of destiny. Gale is after all, a man who bleeds with all he has.
He can't blame anyone for loving him less than when he is categorically too much. He thought that way for a long time, destined himself to never find love again or beg for Mystra's forgiveness for some new found purpose.
When you came into his life, he hadn't been sure what would come of your relationship. Certainly a brain parasite would make camp a difficult place for romance, but the two of you managed against all odds. Among all the things that Gale finds astonishing about your relationship - it's your affection for him that catches him the most off-guard.
It's a little sad, he can admit. But it's true. When you speak to Gale, your voice is always soft. It's never demanding. Before, always, there had been some kind of expectation. Gale had to be a certain way, to pour himself into someone else for the sake of it being returned.He loved. Surely he loved.
But now, lately, you love him back. Overwhelmingly. The easiness of your love makes him feel a little... spoiled. Which is embarrassing, at the stage of life he's in. He finds the whole thing tips him over the edge. The heat creeping up his neck every time he remembers. Your hand brushing against the back of his neck, cupping his face so gently.
Gale, perhaps unsurprisingly, is fond of your various pet names. All of them sound good. Make him feel important and desired. You like to call him a bookworm, sometimes you call him baby (which he really likes much more than he is ever willing to admit), and other times you settle on saying my love.
Pretty boy is new. Pretty boy is different, and makes heat crawl up the back of Gale's neck like a smitten school boy.
It has a special effect on Gale.
In between classes, spoken with your hands cupping his face as he leans on his desk. The sunlight is pouring through the large paneled windows, casting a warmth on your expression. Gale is sat on his desk, making you eye-level.
"I'm glad you've come to see me," Gale says to you first, breaking a period of comfortable silence. You're a busy person, given all the heroics. Gale finds it troublesome, despite the fact you've moved with him to Waterdeep. Your reputation precedes you "It's been ages,"
"Of course I'd come to see you, pretty boy," You hum, thumb brushing under his cheek - carefully drawing a line "You're very healing to look at."
The effect is rather immediate. As soon as the words leave your lips, spoken to him so lovingly - he unlocks a part of himself he always seems to forget about. Forgets himself in a fundamental way, the flurry of heat and euphoric sensation of adoration washing over him like water.
He gives you a look, and you laugh - pressing your thumb to his lower lip as you lean in for a kiss. "Stop pouting, will you?"
"I'm doing nothing of the sort," He insists, kissing you despite him. You laugh into, warm and bubbly. For a minute, he remembers all he might've lost had he done what Mystra told him.
He's glad he's alive. To feel you.
"You very much are," You reply back, once you've managed to pull away from each other "Don't be so surprised. You've always been very pretty to me."
He blushes again, deeper, and closes his eyes.
❈ SHADOWHEART ;
You don't often communicate your feelings to Shadowheart through words.
You're something of a stoic. Of the few people in Shadowheart's past who remain by her side, many of them communicate about how surprised they are about your partnership. Shadowheart is known to be a little snarky, witty. She used to be very prickly, at the start of your adventure together - so everyone questions how you were able to win her heart.
Truthfully, Shadowheart didn't know what to make of your personality at first. There's a silence to you. Maybe she should expect this of paladin so loyal. A Paladin of Torm, the unswerving enemy of injustice and corruption. You've always been a devout person, putting action and justice over everything. She hated it at first, a natural response for a Sharran, she figures.
Once she'd left it all behind, she could no longer use it as an excuse.
Truth be told, Shadowheart had always liked that aspect of you. Your devotion spoke to something greater than your oath or even your god. You had simply believed in the world, and inadvertently in her. You saved her from herself, her parents from her fate, and then some.
Your devotion to her as a lover isn't something so different. She often thinks you would swear yourself to her if you could. For Shadowheart, your affection is akin to worship. Every morning, the animals are tended and the flower bed is damp. You wake her mother up without a start, remind her of where she is without making her feel ashamed. You're good to her father, talk to him of worldly politics at the dinner table.
She has no complaints to make about you. Your love for her is tangible, something she can reach out and touch with her fingers.
She's unused to hearing your affections, though. Unused to hearing the words.
You lay together in the darkness. You're alone tonight, the entire cabin empty. Her mother and father have gone together on an outing together, after you accompanied them into the city. You've finally returned, put the horses up in the stable, and have to come to her side.
Shadowheart likes to lay in your arms. She lets herself curl into your weight, inhales the scent of your skin - earthy and rich as you let your arm fold around her waist. She lays ontop of you today, her whole body on yours like a blanket.
She looks up at you, her her tied loosely. She can practically feel how glowy her own expression is as she examines you - sees her reflection in your irises.
You let your hand lay over her back, reaching up underneath her nightwear to lay touch her skin. She gives you a look - her smile small, sincere. Your own expression is tired from travel, but fond. You insisted on taking her parents instead of letting them go alone.
She loves you more than she cares to admit.
"You're staring." She comments blithely "See something you like?"
Normally you'd flush a little at this, silent as you kiss her forehead or cheek. This time though, you use your fingers to brush the stray hairs from her face and nod.
"Yes, pretty girl," You hum, nonchalantly. Sagely. "I really do,"
She's so caught off guard, she can't help but gape. She lifts herself slightly to stare at you in shock.
"I've never heard you talk like that. Not once while we've been together. I mean.. you've called me beautiful but," Shadowheart stumbles, a fluttery feeling in her stomach she'd rather ignore "But it's never like that,"
"I think it more often that I say it,"
"And you always think to call me that?"
"Like I said, often," You look over he carefully, before your lips pull into an easy smile "You're pretty to the point I want to tell you all the time,"
Shadowheart is scarcely embarrassed by anything. She's a practiced woman at this point in her life. It's almost juvenile the way the words effect her. It's you saying it that makes all the difference. The way you've said it that makes her squirm. She lets out a little puff of air, silent as you laugh.
"Pretty girl," You repeat, warm and gentle and laced with exhaustion "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met."
Shadowheart tucks her face into your neck, voice as soft a murmur as the sound of her own heart rings in her ears.
"Don't make a habit of talking like that," She huffs "I already know, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to hear."
You smile brightly. "I'm glad,"
❈ KARLACH ;
Karlach adores you, utterly and completely.
She's a little caught off-guard by it. Just when she'd convinced herself she couldn't love you more, you surprise her all over again. She'd probably harbored some sort of affection for you from the start of your adventure together, when you'd gone to bat for her and make sure Wyll didn't take her head as a trophy.
Since then, though - on your journey together, she'd taken careful notice of you. And gods, she likes you. You're very different she must admit. Where Karlach is strong and fiery, you're cool and calculated. She figured that's just what magic users are like, but Gale is pretty keen on correcting this assumption. You're a sorcerer, specifically, means the whole magic thing is in your composition and not your study.
Which explained why your head isn't the books like their local wizard. She does find you to be rather charming. You're good at talking your way in and out of almost everything, and you can outwit even the cleverest people on camp. You'd think it'd make you... annoying. Or cruel. And sure, you're a little calculating - but mostly, you're sweet.
Karlach's really never met anyone like you before. Her companionship is a little limited because before the Blood Wars, she was a rag-tag kid in the street of the city. But you grew up in a noble house, learned to charm and finesse your way through everything. You know how to read situations before they've even happened.
And you always explain them to her afterwards.
You make Karlach nervous, strangely. Which is wild! When it comes to socializing, she can get along with almost anyone. You though, you always see right through her. You know when she's using her own personality as a shield, and you always know just when to intervene. Or when to say nothing, and just let her sit with you.
The day she blew up at you, after defeating Gortash - you'd handled it better than she could've hoped. You were comforting, and kind, and let her feel it out without making her feel bad. With you, she felt hopeful despite knowing that the end was probably going to come for her eventually.
With you, she thinks she could endure even the end of the world.
You're in the city now, no longer sleeping in the woods. When everyone else has gone to bed, Karlach finds you in the study, a room attached to the main living quarters.
She knocks before entering. Your voice is soft as you tell her to come in. Dressed in your comfy night clothes, your hair damp from washing up. You're bent over the desk with a furrow in your brow that Karlach finds sweet.
"Hey, baby," She asks, her heart thumping soft "Hope I'm not disturbin' your research."
"Of course not," You reply back, encouraging her towards you "I'm actually due a break."
Wordlessly, you sit up from your chair, pointing for Karlach to sit. She follows through, a little confused as to what you're doing before you plop yourself back into her lap. She throws her head back in laughter.
"Don't know what I was expecting there," She giggles, arm curling around your waist "All cozy?"
"Mm," You melt yourself into her embrace, turning to look at her. Your eyes are soft, free hand cupping her face "I'm cozy. What's keeping you up, pretty girl?"
The words catch her off guard completely, her engine flaring from the heat.
"Shit, what's with that?" She glances down at you, smiling like the cheeky fucker you are "I can't get any redder, you know? It's making my engine burn."
"You like it, no?" Your voice is smooth, smug in a way that gets her hot "My pretty girl,"
Karlach stares at you as you say it. Traces the curve of your lips, the slight arch of your brow. Asses the weight and warmth of you as you lay your legs over her lap and feels her body start to react. She didn't think it was possible to feel so complete by someone, even among the impending doom at the end of the world.
With you it fades away to nothing. Permission to want freely, she had no idea she had wanted that so bad. She had no idea she could want more when you'd already given her so much.
It's nice to be greedy. A little greed is fine, after everything.
"If you keep talking to me like that, we're going to do a lot more than just sitting, you know?" She tells you seriously.
You smile and laugh but don't deny her "Only if you say please,"
❈ LAE'ZEL ;
The Githyanki do not fall in love.
It's a fact of the culture, a mark of their honor. Love is for the soft, tender fleshed species of the material planes. It does not suit warriors, not the ruthless githyanki who spend their entire lives training the sword and learning magic. Love had always been a flimsy concept to Lae'zel. To the point she'd never thought about it or cared too. For the gith, there is only pleasure and carnal desire. The foolishness of longing can only be harbored in the lesser existence of the outer-world. The world outside of her creche.
For a long time, this was true for Lae'zel. She had never intended her time in the material plane to weaken her in the ways in which it did. Or that the experience of a ghaik parasite trapped behind her eyes would will her into cooperation with lesser beings. In many ways egregious, unfathomable. In trying to rid herself of one parasite, she'd found herself another one - more intolerable and more consuming than the first.
You. What a foreign and remarkable bond. From the beginning she had told you the truth, that the gith do not love and she would not be able to love you. Though she could admit passion, admit admiration for your courage, admit possession - she could not admit love. She knew nothing of it.
Over the course of your journey, you'd managed to prove her wrong. Slowly stripped bare of the identity she'd made her life around, you stripped Lae'zel down to her soul. Her most honored solider, and most formidable ally. When the time came, you'd told her to do what she must, to liberate her people. That you'd be there when she returned.
That you'd wait for her.
Months apart with few visits in between meant that each time Lae'zel sees you must make every minute count. Enjoying your body and indulging in carnal pleasures is only so much of that. What Lae'zel looks forward too most, she must admit, is the gentleness of your touch whenever she comes back to Fae'run.
Soft warm whispers among the indulgent plush of bed sheets and candles. A room that smells like lavender and oak, prayer books and scripture littered on the desk. A cleric of Bahamut, and a soul strong as steel.
But this, her head resting in your lap as you stroke her hair so carefully, is what she's missed most of all. No doubt she's going soft.
"Chk. You are smitten by the text in front of you as if you have forgotten of my return,"
You look down at Lae-zel with a laugh, carefully placing said book down on the bedside table. The voice you speak with her is different from her own. Tender fleshed even in your speech, you let her curl herself into you.
A vulnerable position, open to whatever may come.
"I'm sorry, pretty girl," You hum. The words practically startle her "I don't mean to neglect you. It was an interesting passage."
"Pretty...It is true among the githyanki, I am among the finest of their ranks," She replies, turning herself towards you - getting comfortable "Yet still, something stirs."
"Are you embarrassed?" You reply, delighted as her frown deepens. Before she has a chance to argue with you, you lean down to press your lips against hers briefly "How sweet of you."
"I do not get embarrassed," She insists, scowling as you begin to giggle at her "It was merely unexpected."
"You're beautiful to me, Lae'zel." You hum, stroking her cheek gently as she continues to lay herself across. Your eyes are tender and lidded. That look of obsession she recalled from the months prior returned in full, and no longer hidden. Unlike your other mortal companions, or the pale elf - there is nothing hidden in your words. No agenda "More beautiful than anyone else. At least to me. Getting to look at you so closely is a gift."
She softens, her hand gripping yours resting on her chest
"When it is over," She says seriously, a solemness to her voice "I will return to you. This I swear. Without you, the liberation of my people would be no less then a dream,"
You return her smile in kind.
"My pretty, wonderful girl," You hum. She loves you. She thinks she understands it now "I know you'll return to me, nailo. You always keep your promises."
"Yes," She says, an unfamiliar emotion overwhelming her "I will not forsake all we have promised."
The affection in your voice shakes Lae'zel to her core. Initial abrasion fades only into warmth. It's not so bad to hear, even if it is tender fleshed.
▸ a/n ; the word reader uses for lae'zel is elvish for swift winds!! reader is meant to be sort of a book worm so you do not need to picture them as a elf and more of a linguist.
this is the most substantial thing i've written in the last few weeks so commentary is very appreciated. i'd be willing to do a minthara and halsin addition to this eventually if anyone is interested!!
anyways, baldurs gate companions i love u. reblogs so appreciated !
I wish there was more about the SUDDEN LIFE CHANGE that Wyll dealt with when he got a +2 to horns he has(I can only imagine the change in sleep poses and how big the weight is on his neck), all there was pointing to his feelins about it was his sulkin in the act 1 party time. But that’s when we artsy peeps come I say and get to have our idea fun, not just for Wyll(which does have the least) but many of them and their dilemmas ,children get loves.
the pretend plot of bg3: you've gotta get these tadpoles out and stop a giant floating brain with delusions of grandeur
the real plot of bg3: in order to date us (the party) you must defeat our seven evil exes: a half-demon warlock patron, the literal goddess of magic, a vampiric lord, an insane cult leader , an archdemon, the goddess of darkness, and finally, the Trauma
so a few days ago I saw this post, and the accompanying tags from @brrmian :
the idea of Cody being simultaneously so cool on the surface and constantly overanalysing every interaction stuck with me so much that I ended up spitting all my thoughts into existence
Do you ever think about how obi is the youngest on the council? All of his. colleagues remember him as a baby and an angry teenager. I would die if that was my workplace
ONLY ALL THE TIME
Obi-Wan getting jokingly called the "Council baby" in fics brings me so much joy. They recall when he was a feral, traumatised kid who would constantly get into trouble (though not much has changed there.....). Yoda has padawan photos. After Obi-Wan fucked up on a mission and landed himself in medbay, Yoda probably forwarded them to the rest of the council as punishment for getting hurt. Obi-Wan is STILL mad about it.
Anakin flat-out doesn't believe any of this, until Adi shows him a video of Qui-Gon dangling a squirming teenage Obi-Wan by the back of his robes like a mama tooka to stop him from leaping at another padawan and taking a chunk out of him
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origamiaround
turnnoffyourmind
2087
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stormborns
discoholicmusic
