Lula Millay

I write fanfiction and generally nerd out about Baldur's Gate 3

[lulamillay]

Why, Hello There!

Hi Tumblr, I'm a BG3 fanfic writer.

Most of my writing is on Ao3, but I'll be posting some of my shorter pieces here.

Watch this space for meta about writing and fanfic, possibly other things that come along as well.

[exhuastedpigeon]

The first rule of fandom is have fun. The second rule of fandom is find an enabler and become an enabler. Yes you should write that fic. What if it was even hornier? What if it was angstier? What if you wrote it just for me?

[sinderyden]

VI. Underdark

[cactusmisslittle]

@lulamillay

Grazilaxx glared down at its wine glass as it swirled the contents, trying to give off the appearance of nursing it. It was capable of drinking, of course, but with the way the illusion was set up, it would look strange for a "human" to be drinking from under its chin. Besides, it was supposed to be talking to people. Its research wouldn't fund itself, after all. But even with this disguise, every time it met a patriar's gaze, they looked visibly uncomfortable and scurried away.

So this whole night was going to be a massive waste of time. Wonderful.

[peg-the-empire]

shoutout to everyone in small fandoms who takes a character with one minute of screentime and decides to build an entire universe around them. to the oc creators, the rarepair shippers, the canon-divergence enthusiasts and the people who can’t stop asking “but what if?” and then proceed to spend 50k words answering their own question.

i genuinely think your joy is contagious. fandoms grow because people see someone having fun and think, “wait, i want to play too.” <3

[akelan]

My second illustration for @lulamillay tarot drabbles collection "The Whims of Fortune"

It's an interactive fic with a randomizer, so it feels like you're actually reading the tarot.

Of course I couldn't refuse the opportunity to draw Gasper.

[lulamillay]

Second card by @akelan for my minor arcana randomizer ("The Whims of Fortune" - made for the @bg3-fate-spins-along tarot event), here's a closer look at the Page of Wands Gasper Throaks card 😍❤️‍🔥

Gasper is one of these minor characters that has been overlooked by a lot of the fandom, but Ak Elan's been getting a lot of folks on read-in / hooked on the Gasperverse, which includes a surprising amount of in-game atmospheric storytelling (he's got a note from his mom in his pocket at the foundry, then his parents are at the Elfsong, it's a whole thing!) as well as a growing number of fics (a few of mine as well!)

on my end I wanted to have the "most innocent / powerful" for the Pages and for the Banites there isn't much innocence to go around, so Gasper fit so well.

So we have another great visual interpretation of the card:

We have the mace as the wand for the Gortash / Wands suit. The optimism of the card is so well-shown with the smile plus supplication, and of course, doing it all leaving a trail of blood because, well, Bane's gonna Bane.

My favorite bit is the sun / halo, such a great little detail and showing the "anointing" of him as the future. ahh love it!

Also the juxtaposition of Gortash at his "height" in X of Wands with his head down and Gasper in the Page card head up.

Check out Ak Elan's art & fics for beautifully done BDSM / D/s / DDDNE / Gasper in questionable situations (also he's taking comms!)

[lulamillay]

Reflections of a True Soul (True Soul Nere x Self

So imagine, if you will, some crack.

True Soul Nere has one of the most impressive statblocks for BG3 early-game - he's strong, smart, charismatic, the perfect drow male, perhaps?

What if he was?

What if he got stepped on by Minthara so hard he found a mirror and got his groove back by having an empowering wank at his own reflection?

What is Shovel was there to give color commentary?

This is the second fic rec'd by the @baldurs-writers-3 "Hidden Gems" list. Thank you for bringing my weird little fics into the world.

It's both an absolute crack and a wonderful character study. I felt a sympathy for Nere that I didn't think I could experience. - Rec'er

This is one of those stories that got further and further out of hand, and ended up being one of the weirdest crackfics I've done.

Enjoy!

Reflections of a True Soul (3,926, Explicit)

True Soul Nere x True Soul Nere, True Soul Nere & Shovel, Minthara x True Soul Nere

Gollum/Smeagol-style self-discovery, Selfcest, Masturbation, Comically horrifying voyeurism, Crack, Humor, Hard to describe nonsense, happy ending (in more ways than one)

CW: Selfcest, drow-typical sexism

Summary: Nere finds a magic mirror and reflects on his past. Also, Shovel is there.

Nere gasped for breath as the Nightwarden stood.

She retrieved her armor from the battered desk and Nere lay obediently on the basement floor, erection straining untended against his dark robes.

“The surface has not dulled your training, jaluk,” the Nightwarden stated plainly, securing her boots.

Nere sat up, wiping his damp face on his sleeve. He scowled, then quickly rearranged his features to be blank and nonthreatening, averting his gaze as he stood from the dirty floor.

“Nere no longer has use of such training,” Nere murmured, dusting off his robe. “We are all equal in the eyes of the Absolute, Minthara.” Nere’s voice wavered at her given name.

Nere stole a glance at the other drow, and his blood ran cold. The Nightwarden was giving him her full, menacing attention.

“Nightwarden, True Soul.” She glared at Nere until he looked down again. “And we are equals. You required my assistance, and I provided it.”

“Yes, Nightwarden.” Nere’s voice was low and even, hands clutched at his sides. “As your colleague, Nere is simply grateful you assisted me.”

“Yes,” Minthara smiled as she stood. “After so much time on the surface, you were wise to request a reminder of your place with our people, True Soul. When you take up your position in the Underdark, you must remember how they will see you.”

She walked to the ladder and stopped, turning back thoughtfully. “But your outburst just now proves you have not yet taken the lesson to heart. Remain here, and I will teach you again tomorrow.”

Nere’s mask of submissive calm broke. “But Nere is already late—”

“No need to thank me, True Soul.” Minthara smiled mirthlessly. “It is my duty to the Absolute to assist a colleague in such dire need.”

Nere waited until she had locked the basement hatch and her footsteps faded, then he growled in frustration, kicking a rotting basket until it fell to bits.

~

For the next hour, Nere paced the apothecary basement, grumbling under his breath quietly, just in case the goblins in the blighted village above were listening.

So True Souls were all equal in the eyes of the Absolute? Well, not Nere. Never to her. Nere was just another jaluk to the Nightwarden, even though Nere told her that he wasn’t a pleasure stud anymore.

She had just laughed.

The Nightwarden had recognized Nere immediately. All the great houses knew Nere. Nere’s come was a rarified luxury and Nere’s issue had bounced on the knees of a half dozen noble daughters when their consorts were too short-lived to sire their own.

But now, Nere was a True Soul of the Absolute. Nere was intimidating. Nere frowned and yelled and killed on a whim like a Matron Mother.

And the Absolute granted Nere the ability to will everyone to forget what he was before, but it didn’t work on other True Souls. So the Nightwarden remembered, and had never let Nere forget.

Nere’s robe was soaked with her pleasure, and despite his frustration, the scent of her was intoxicating. Nere remembered how she slid against his lips and his cock pulled hard and aching again under his robes.

Nere wanted to grip himself and think about how she’d twitched with pleasure around his tongue, but Nere’s come belonged to the noble daughters of great houses. Nere hadn’t spilled it since the last great house needed it. Needed Nere. Long before Nere knew the love of the Absolute.

The aching dream of release had become agony, but his come was Nere’s purpose, and that ran so deep even the Absolute could not shake it from his mind.

So instead of Nere’s cock, his hands twisted around his sword. He named it the Sword of Screams because of how scary Nere was. Then the Nightwarden had laughed because she knew what kinds of screams Nere was really known for. His body pulsed with humiliation as Nere hacked away at a table of alchemical supplies.

Then Nere pierced a barrel of water over and over again until it spilled across the floor, and he remembered the small, vulnerable warble the Nightwarden had made as her pleasure spilled hot around Nere’s face.

Nere growled again and slammed his pommel into a stack of crates, simply revelling in the thrill of violence for a moment, then he doubled over as the friction against his robes nearly did him in.

Then Nere saw the lever.

Read the rest here:

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

[lulamillay]

Iron and Stone: Thulla x Stonemason Kith

In the past few months, I have become increasingly fascinated by the gnomes in BG3 - specifically the Ironhands. This story was one of my first dives into that corner of lore in Forgotten Realms and in-game that got me hooked.

It's also a look at what it's like to be a NPC in a chaotic durge world.

Also Derryth is there. Because Derryth rules.

It was recently rec'd by the @baldurs-writers-3 "Hidden Gems" list, so here's the opening of the story and a link to the rest

Iron and Stone (7836, Explicit)

Thulla x Stonemason Kith, Thulla & Derryth Bonecloak

Angst, Loreplay, Pining, Emotional Manipulation, Brief M/F Smut, Cultural Complicity, Subjective POV

Content Notes: Graphic Depictions of Violence, featuring Duergar-typical atrocities against gnomes, background (but in game) major character death, (Smut and Violence do not intersect)

Summary: Stonemason Kith helped Thulla escape from Grymforge, though they disagree on why he did it.

“I heard tell of a wizard tower near here.”

Stonemason Kith watched Thulla with a small smile. The gnome sat across from him, shaggy white hair stark against the black stone of the lava tube, staring out at the water as his kin ran and yelled overhead.

“It’s across the Ebonlake,” he murmured. “You can see it from the water once you get close to the beach, but it’s through a field of torchstalk. A few Flameshades scouted that direction on our way here and didn’t make it back.”

The gnome’s lips pressed into a tight line, though she was still focused on the water. Kith shifted his weight, joints protesting after the hour they’d been waiting in the cramped tube. All they needed was a boat to moor at the dock above so she could stow away, finally be rid of this place and its horrors.

“The tower looks half crumbled down,” he continued quietly. “But I figure someone stealthy and keen might make it past the torchstalk and find some safety.” He glanced at her. “When you make it out, maybe you can go there?”

Thulla met Kith’s gaze calmly and without a hint of fear.

“When I get across that lake, I’m going to start running and ain’t stopping until I see sunlight, Kith. Then I’m never setting eyes on the Underdark or drugnin’ greys ever again.”

The gnome’s lips pressed into a tight line, though she was still focused on the water. Kith shifted his weight, joints protesting after the hour they’d been waiting in the cramped tube. All they needed was a boat to moor at the dock above so she could stow away, finally be rid of this place and its horrors.

“The tower looks half crumbled down,” he continued quietly. “But I figure someone stealthy and keen might make it past the torchstalk and find some safety.” He glanced at her. “When you make it out, maybe you can go there?”

Thulla met Kith’s gaze calmly and without a hint of fear.

“When I get across that lake, I’m going to start running and ain’t stopping until I see sunlight, Kith. Then I’m never setting eyes on the Underdark or drugnin’ greys ever again.”

He felt the venom in her words as he nodded, looking down. “Aye. I don’t fault you for that. But it’s not just getting away from my people; everything about the Underdark is hard. It’s a treacherous place, Thulla, and for svirfneblin—”

“We’re not swirf-neb-leen,” she scowled, “we’re Ironhands.”

“Right, sorry.” Kith propped his elbow on his knee to give his back a slight bit of stretch and leaned his head back against the comfort of the cool, dark stone. “It’s just, running may be the easy solution up on the surface but down here it’s better to hide if you don’t know where you’re going; give yourself a chance to decide what happens next. Otherwise, the Underdark will choose it for you.”

~

She could feel his sad eyes on her, and it made her blood boil. Sitting there and talking about nothing, like looking out for her, being thoughtful and kind meant he wasn’t a part of it all.

But that made him sad, and being sad made him useful.

Getting this far had been easy. Before Wulbren was so focused on that drugnin’ foundry, he’d made sure a few of ‘em learned more ways to fight than just hammers and smoke powder. So she knew how to choose him, make him feel noticed, make him earn it so he’d get attached enough to pull along, then leave him wanting more until she needed to cash him in.

She hated how well it had worked, how easy he’d been to manipulate. She hated how he was careful and soft-spoken, how his breath was still shaking as he went on about nonsense like towers and torchstalk being safe, like they weren’t hiding for their lives from his own kin.

She just needed a boat to moor at the dock. Then she could kill him and hitch a ride with the greys heading across the lake to look for her. After that, she’d just run. That’s all she had to do. It looked like Philomeen got away, so Thulla’d survive as best she could, but the important part was to give the feckers something to chase so the little true believer had half a chance to get their runepowder home.

Footsteps stopped right above their heads, and Kith and Thulla both stilled. Then a sudden splash as a lifeless gnome hit the water, the small body sinking too fast for Thulla to make out features.

It was that evil bastard Gekh and his lackeys. He led a round of jeers about the weak throw, then the lot of them were walking away, boasting loud and cruel about the hunt, what they’d do when they found her, all for stealing a pair of boots. As their footsteps faded, Kith let out a shaky breath.

Thulla stared out into the water, waiting for her boat to come in as the ripples expanded and the surface of the Ebonlake returned to its glassy calm. She didn’t even wonder who that had been. So many of her friends and comrades were at the bottom of that drugnin’ lake now.

“These lava tubes aren’t natural, you know,” Kith said quietly. “They were made by whatever thing ripped this place apart. There are many ruined things in the Underdark, Thulla. Many ruined by duergar ourselves.”

She felt the wave of shame radiate off him, how he suddenly tensed and flushed. It was why they were here. It was why he’d been so useful. She looked up, and he was watching her, searching her face for what? Absolution? Permission?

“It shames me,” he said quietly.

Thulla couldn’t help it. She clenched her teeth and glared. “It should.”

Kith just nodded. He knew; she’d made sure of it. She’d cultivated it.

He looked out at the water. “Your ride’s here.”

She turned, and a boat was slowing as it headed right toward their dock.

“If you go to the tower, Thulla, would you leave a light on?”

“So pricks like Gekh know where to find me? I’ll pass, Kith.”

“No, no,” Kith said, deflating. The duergar leaned his forehead into his palm. “I just—it would gladden me to know you survived.” He looked at her. “Even if all you do is light a brazier and run off to wherever you’d like to be. It’d just be nice to know that someone made it out of this place clean.”

Thulla turned her attention back to the boat, breathing deep as she gripped her knife. “No getting out clean for any of us in this shit-heap, Kith.”

“If anyone should, love,” Kith said quietly. “It’s you.”

When she turned back, she met those sad, kind eyes. Now or never, she thought, grip loosening on her knife.

The boat docked right where she needed it, then Gekh and his whole merry band of bastards loaded on.

Do it now, Thulla thought, as Kith moved to help her up. One last chance, but she wasn’t holding her knife anymore as he lifted her into the rigging between the pontoons. Then he was back in the lava tube, and the boat was pulling away from the dock, and Thulla didn’t know why she let her chance pass.

Read the rest here:

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

[baldurs-writers-3]

Hidden gems are here again! These are fics that the recommenders love, but they have been overlooked, for various reasons. Perhaps they concern very minor NPCs, rarepairs, or are just something off the beaten path.

Here are 12 for you to check out!

Also we got /so many/ submissions for this list, we'll be back in a week to give you 12 more!

Iron and Stone by LulaMillay (7836, Explicit) Content Notes: Graphic Depictions of Violence, featuring Duergar-typical atrocities against gnomes Pairings: Thulla/Stonemason Kith

Stonemason Kith helps Thulla escape from captivity, and the two navigate a complicated relationship.

Reccer One says: This is a really terrific piece, great loreplay and character study, and treats gnomes with the dignity and respect they deserve! Reccers Two says: Incredible story, world building and characterization. Kith's softness and cultural complicity pairs beautifully with Thulla's hard-edged will to survive an impossible situation. I keep coming back and reading it again. It's the rarepair you didn't know you needed!

Playing Favourites by kixlives (10441, Not Rated) Content Notes: love triangles, drama & romance, angst Pairings: Astarion/Tav, Tav/Wyll

Act I, Catta (Tav) is split between his budding feelings for Astarion and long-admiration for Wyll.

Reccer says: The scenes are set so well. The dynamics and angst between the characters are so juicy. Also, I love Catta so much!!!

Your Wings of Wax by Anoke (9805, Explicit) Content Notes: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Pairings: The Dark Urge & Sceleritas Fel

The Dark Urge learns, viscerally, the dangers of drawing too much attention.

Reccer says: Outstanding glimpse of a pre-canon Durge. Awful, gorgeous, it owes me for emotional damages.

justice, or the start of it by Stomes4 (5228, Explicit) Content Notes: None Pairings: Arka/Mizora

AU where Mizora’s keen on picking up some extra warlocks - and there’s one tiefling just desperate and angry enough to take her up on the offer...

Reccer says: Do you like rarepairs? Do you like characters who confidently doom themselves? Do you like Mizora? Do you like lesbian sex? If you said yes to these, this fic is for you

A Memoir of a Life Unlived by JupiterMelichios (3569, Teen) Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply Pairings: Helena Anchev & Sarevok Anchev, Bhaal (Dungeons & Dragons) & Sarevok Anchev, Abdel Adrian & Sarevok Anchev

Sarevok wakes in Baldur's Gate and is told he's been dead since the Bhaalspawn crisis. But if that's true, why are his dreams haunted by memories of a life, and a brother, that cannot have been his?

Reccer says: Amazing look at a different side of Sarevok

The Pitfalls of Literacy by bee_ts (4255, Explicit) Content Notes: None Pairings: Zarys/Salazon

Zarys has received a new directive from the Darkhold: Read all outgoing correspondence to ensure no intel is leaked. Unwilling to bear the burden alone, she calls upon the one other well-lettered member of her crew: Salazon, who never says no.

Reccer says: Hot and funny femdom

When your hands on mine, I'm at peace by LunarRabb1t (3067, Explicit) Content Notes: no Pairings: Geraldus/Tav

Rina and Geraldus struggle with vulnerability and their feelings for each other, and have their first time together.

Reccer says: Hot & sweet & beautifully written

wretched by dYIKES (1200, General) Content Notes: None Pairings: None

Menzoberranzan was a black-hearted bitch, but it was home. Just not hers. Not anymore.

Reccer says: Beautiful prose exploring Minthara's oath taking in her own name after her trials under the Absolute and Lolth. Excellent character study.

Internecine by Auvronestra (5000, Explicit) Content Notes: Hurt No Comfort, Blood and Violence, Toxic Relationship, Mutual Destruction Pairings: Mizora/Orin the Red

Love-hate messy romance between two problematic queens

Reccer says: I love how the author was able to convey the depth and complexity of the feelings of these characters, who see the world very differently from ordinary people.

Surrounded By Istiks by ShadowViking (2520, Mature) Content Notes: Temporary Character Death, a bit of swearing Pairings:

When their illustrious leader Tavena bumbles her way into some torchstalks, it's left down to Lae'zel to revive their entire party. Including Gale

Reccer says: Lae'zel's characterisation is perfect. And it's funny as hell.

Delivery by Amarenarts (6496, Explicit) Content Notes: It's an AU fic, strangers to lovers. Pairings: Dark Urge/Enver Gortash

After a long day of deliveries, all Enver wanted was to go home. But when his last customer accidentally sends him a nude, relaxing alone seemed rather less appealing.. especially when said customer likes the look of him just as much

Reccer says: T4T Durgetash sex. What's not to like?

Limits by 0hmo, @oh-moth (882, Mature) Content Notes: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Pairings: The Dark Urge/Enver Gortash

Enver pushes his luck while The Dark Urge instructs him on the inner workings of the human body.

Reccer says: Love it! Fantastic Durgetash content!

[lulamillay]

Honored again to be included in BW3's rec list! So many great fics here as well. Check them out!

[unaarista]

beach bods (they took their bodies to the beach) Vanquish belongs to wonderful @des-no9

[des-no9]

An interactive novel exploring a glimpse into the different lives, possibilities and desires of a dreamwalker warlock tiefling called Vanquish, and the abiding connections to the people that shaped her, hurt her, loved her.

Mature - approx 5k Vanquish(OC), Kith'rak Voss, Prince Orpheus CW: abusive and unhealthy relationships, alcohol, sexual themes, blood, self harm, grief, dubcon, slavery

Written for @au-roulette !

[lulamillay]

Excellent interactive novel!

Des has such a clear vision for their OC Vanquish and has done a lot of fantastic work that's very unique - visual and gritty and lovely.

[lulamillay]

It's Kafka, Darling!

One morning, Astarion Ancunín awoke from troubled dreams to discover he was transformed into a large, hideous insect.

He did not know what to do, so he flailed.

For @au-roulette I pulled "Classic Literature" and was stumped for a bit with how to interpret it.

Then I remembered that Franz Kafka is classic literature, so I wrote some crack.

Thus, It's Kafka, Darling! (M, 1k words) was born.

Here's a modern AU Astarion having an existentially bad, dare I say kafkaesque, morning.

It' 's a 10x100 and was a fun project to play around with workskins (couldn't find creators' socials so links in fic!)

First three drabbles are below the cut, rest are on AO3!

~

One morning, Astarion Ancunín awoke from troubled dreams to discover he was transformed into a large, hideous insect.

He sighed, waggling his pitiful little arms, or legs, or whatever, which just knocked his duvet to the floor. He was still an insect, only now he was cold.

It didn't appear to be a dream. He was in his bedroom and heard two of his roommates arguing about dirty dishes that were left in the sink overnight.

His phone dinged with a new message, but he couldn't turn to see it.

He sighed, exhausted, and decided to go back to sleep.

~

Astarion tried to roll over and get comfortable, but his insect body had a rounded shell, so he just rolled back to where he was.

Astarion waggled his awful little legs, wondering distantly if insects even had shells.

He reached for his phone out of habit to check and rolled back, feeling rather dumb.

Astarion chittered his mandibles and figured he was probably late for work.

His phone dinged again, and he tried to reach it again, waving his little legs around like crazy until he knocked the thing on the floor, breaking the screen and activating the voice assistant.

~

“Okay, Gale,” he said to his phone, staring at the ceiling in disgust. “What should I do if I’ve turned into a giant insect?”

But when he heard his voice, the words were a horrible, high-pitched “SKREEEEEE!"

“I’m sorry," The voice assistant was far too chipper. "I didn’t quite catch that! Please try again.”

“Giant. Bug. Get out of bed. How?” (“SKRE-EE SKREE!”)

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite—”

“Do beetles have shells?” (“SKREE-SKREE! SREEEEEE!”)

“Deepest apologies, I’m unable to help you at this time. Please try again later. Goodbye!”

Astarion waggled his little legs at the futility of existence, generally.

~

The rest here:

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

[akelan]

My illustration for @lulamillay tarot drabbles collection "The Whims of Fortune"

It's an interactive fic with a randomizer, so it feels like you're actually reading the tarot.

[lulamillay]

@akelan did incredible work for my minor arcana randomizer ("The Whims of Fortune" - made for the @bg3-fate-spins-along tarot event), here's a closer look at the Ten of Wands Bane card 😍❤️‍🔥

When we were talking about how to portray the "Wands" suite visually with Gortash as the focus, the mace seemed like the best representation for ambition and movement that the Wands embodies.

But I love this interpretation with the Black Hand's fingers as the wands. there's that same ambition and movement but the hand is closing with that burden of balancing all the spinning plates close to the end of Gortash's story (excited tippy-taps).

Very big brained and executed so well!

Check out his art for beautifully done BDSM / D/s / DDDNE / Gortash with the most luscious set of tits (also he's taking comms!)

[arizuume]

My piece for @bg3flowerzine 🌹

[cymk8]

something something dykes on bikes 🏍️🌈💨 (because it's not pride without some l e a t h e r)

[patreon]

[nightmarist]

A COMINT !!

[akelan]

Gasper x Geraldus x Olly aka Gasp Wetly