#dad!gale

[orangekittyenergy]

Dad Gale comm for the lovely @darcydekarios ❤️😘

[optimisticgrey]

🕯️🧣Cozy December❄️☃️ Day 12: Ugly sweaters/pyjamas

with a very special VP by @rdekarios! Thank you so much!

Soon to be Dad!Gale x f!reader

Read on AO3

“What… what is this?” you wheezed, nearly doubled over, laughter ripping through you so violently you had to clutch your stomach to stay upright. Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you stared at Gale—utter disbelief and an overwhelming flood of fondness twisting together in your chest until it felt like your heart might simply burst from it.

Gale froze.

His expression sank into a mask of startled horror, his mouth parting just slightly, his beautiful eyes blown wide. You could practically see every anxious thought sprinting across the surface of his mind as his hands, once so confident, drooped to his sides—still holding the tiny pair of pajamas like they might detonate.

“No, no! Gale, my love, please,” you gasped, still laughing, still wobbling on unsteady legs. You caught his wrist, tugging him toward you before his spiraling worry could pick up any more momentum. You pulled him into a fierce, breathing-stealing hug, tucking his face against your shoulder as naturally as breathing.

For a heartbeat, he held perfectly still.

Then he exhaled—sharp, shaky, relieved—before melting into your embrace, arms winding around you with almost desperate force, as though grounding himself in you was the only safe option.

“I was afraid you might hate it,” he murmured. He pressed a gentle kiss to the patch of skin exposed by the collar of your shirt, lingering there for half a second longer than necessary.

“I love it,” you laughed breathlessly against his ear. “I freaking love it, Gale.”

His grip tightened again, just once.

You stayed wrapped in each other for a long, quiet heartbeat—two people holding onto warmth, onto certainty, onto love that felt so steady it anchored the whole room. Gale's breath softened against your shoulder, yours evened against his chest. The world slowed into something gentle.

When you finally eased apart, you slid your hands down his arms, grounding him one last time before reaching for the little pyjama he still held as though it were something impossibly fragile.

You lifted it carefully from his trembling fingers.

Gods, it really was tiny.

Soft, deep purple velvet caught the light of the nearby candles, the silver embroidery shimmering along the cuffs and collar like starlight stitched directly into the fabric. You traced the delicate threads with the tip of your finger, chuckling under your breath, touched so deeply it warmed your entire chest.

“It’s perfect,” you murmured.

You looked up at Gale, whose wide-eyed worry had melted into something tender and hopeful.

“Your son will look good in it," you added.

The words slipped out with a smile, full of promise—full of the quiet, fierce love you felt for them both.

He reached out with a kind of reverence usually reserved for holy relics or spells of staggering beauty. His palm settled over the curve of your swollen belly, fingers spreading instinctively as if to shield, to cherish, to claim with love rather than possession.

His thumb brushed a slow, trembling arc over your shirt.

The smile that blossomed on his face was one you had only ever seen a handful of times—warm in a way that seemed to glow from the very center of him, softening every line of his features. Pure. Uncomplicated. Wholesome in a way that made your eyes sting.

Gale looked up at you, wonder shining in his eyes, and the smile deepened.

As if this—your body, your shared future, the tiny life beneath his hand—was the greatest magic he had ever witnessed.

[dekariosclan]

That music ask gave me an idea I can’t get over.

Imagine Dad!Gale. Tav is plunking out a lullaby on the piano while he reads to their little one. He notices the kiddo isn’t paying attention to the book, they’re more interested in the music.

He gently nudges them towards Tav and the itty bitty magician scampers over, begging Tav to teach them.

“Of course my little love! But first scales!” Tav says.

Gale watches with a satisfied smile as Tav teaches their little one’s fingers the ups and downs of the treble cliff line.

How could godhood compare to this moment?

Ohhh, Gale enjoying sweet domestic moments, my beloved 🥹💜 This is a tear-jerker for sure!

I firmly believe that human Gale would have so, so, so many moments like this, moments where he pauses to take in the joy of a little everyday interaction with his beloved partner/spouse, or his partner/spouse and child, or his partner/spouse and children, depending on your particular HC and whether Tav and Gale got married, etc.

Because human Gale recognizes how precious these moments are. In the epilogue where Gale does not succeed at achieving godhood and he dies, his simulacrum laments his foolishness: “To think I believed godhood was worth losing all this...” And in the epilogue with our beloved Professor/Adventurer Gale, we see him getting choked up at being reunited with the other companions again: “I never thought we’d be together like this again…”

This is why Gale choosing the human path is so important: he not only learns to accept himself, he also learns to embrace mortality, and to cherish all the gifts that it has to offer.

So, if I may continue your ask:

———

How could godhood compare to this moment?

Gale sees his little one’s face light up with glee as Tav patiently instructs them, and he feels his eyes filling up in response.

To think I might never have experienced this…to think I might have traded this for…what? Power? Power wrapped in a cloak of loneliness? Power buried under the weight of an eternity of regret? Foolishness. Madness…

For a moment he’s so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn’t realize tears are streaking down his cheeks, soaking into his beard.

“Gale?” Tav’s loving voice brings him back to the present, and he blinks at the wetness in his eyes as he tries to focus. “Oh, love. Are you crying?” There’s affection in Tav’s voice, and an amused, adoring smile on their face. “…again?”

Gale can’t help but laugh in response, at the situation, at himself, and yet it only makes his eyes well up even more. “I love you,” he says, for what else is there to say? Those are the only words that matter.

He joins Tav and their child at the piano bench, crouching so that he can be close to them, bad knees be damned. His little one looks up as he does so, and concern flickers over their face. It’s such a sweet expression that for an instant it makes Gale’s breath catch.

“Daddy sad?” They ask, eyes wide as they reach out to touch his wet cheek.

Gale’s reply is a barrage of kisses before scooping them up, taking their tiny hand between his thumb and forefinger, feeling how warm and delicate it is, marveling at their perfect mortality.

“Oh no, my love,” he says, laughing even as the tears flow faster, pulling Tav in so that he can embrace them both, his two perfect loves. “Daddy is happy. So very, very happy.”

[messiahzzz]

You’re one of the most annoying people on this site. And that really says A LOT because WOW! Shut the Fuck up about Gale wanting to be a father or not. He never says that he doesn’t want to be one. You projecting things onto him doesn’t make it Canon.

on a serious note: i’m certainly not the one that continuously brings up this topic unprompted. i personally really don’t understand the entire controversy around the topic or why fandom feels the need to rehash this conversation almost weekly. i truly believe that there’s nothing more of value to learn from it, to address, or add to it… yet fandom won’t let it rest.

to once again clarify: what i mean by “gale wanting to be a father isn’t canon” is that there is no evidence/neither hints anywhere in any of the dialogue that support the contrary. characters like h*lsin, w*ll and la*’zel have entire adoption subplots. all of them mention their children explicitly during the epilogue:

narrator: *your soul warms thinking of lily aurora ravengard, your adopted daughter. a treasure of a girl, found at the entrance of the open hand temple - one grey eye, one brown.* w*ll: ah, the girl could melt the staunchest heart. she might even have brought a smile to old withers' face! w*ll: but tonight is for us - and lily's only four months of age, besides. i promise, the temple will keep her in good care.

player: and our little hatchling? is he safe? la*'zel: of course. i have complete trust in our newest allies. xan is in fine hands tonight. la*'zel: what a wonder he is. he will be a fine warrior, if he chooses. or a poet, or an explorer, or a scholar.

h*lsin: being away from it... i cannot help but worry how they will fare in our absence. player: we'll be back before they know it. h*lsin: i hope so. the children shall miss their bedtime tale tonight - though perhaps i can glean a few new stories from our friends here, to make up for it.

even shad*wh*art has a line where she briefly mentions that children might be a possibility for her in the future.

shad*wh*art: and i get to see my parents almost every day - i need to make every moment with them count, after so much was stolen from us. but they're doing well, [...] shad*wh*art: who knows? perhaps they'll have grandchildren before long.

gale in comparison? he has none of that. he remains childfree during the entirety of the game + epilogue. in fact, his line in the epilogue that addresses the topic of grandkids is this one:

tara: this is why mrs. dekarios and i will be waiting an eternity more for grandchildren. nodecontext: self-pitying gale: psst! shoo, tara. nodecontext: shooing away tara like one would a naughty cat.

i already wrote a post about this entire discourse here [x] but to repeat myself once more: all of the dialogue that vaguely addresses the topic of children in any way in regards to gale are these snippets

player: gale… how would you feel about having another person in our relationship? gale: what, like a child? i’m not quite sure i’d consider myself father material, plus our current lifestyle isn’t exactly what i’d call settled…

gale, upon spotting oliver during their game of hide and seek: ah, i have you! just a shame i don’t want you.

gale treating the children the group comes across with respect isn’t an indicator either. this is a courtesy gale extends to everyone he meets. he’s a character that approves of a protagonist who systematically commits good deeds. whether it’s sparing animals, helping without compensation in mind, or aiding children. wanting children to be cared for… and you know… for them not to die is common etiquette that every adult should extend to a child in need. those are not “dad goals!!!” it’s quite literally just basic human decency. gale is genuinely kind and caring to everyone he meets, there is no reason why this also wouldn’t apply to children.

i often see fandom mention his encounter with mol at last light and how excited he is to talk to her. which i think greatly misinterprets the context of the scenario since he didn’t have much of a reaction to mol before either — gale is ecstatic about lanceboard. again evident by his reaction to the party finding the life-sized board during the wyrmway trials, and how he immediately offers to give tav pointers. explaining different approaches to them in enthusiastic detail if they allow him to. the man just really likes lanceboard… as well as being the smartest person in the room.

gale: ah, lanceboard! why, this might just be the highlight of our misadventures to date.

gale: lanceboard happens to be a game with which i have more than a passing familiarity. might i offer a suggestion? nodecontext: gale's a badass lanceboard player, anticipating showing off

if you want to headcanon your tav and gale raising a big family together that is more than fine and no one is stopping you. whatever you want to happen to these two after the storyline of the game is up to your respective fantasies. no one is policing you on what you should do with your own character. go wild and create whatever fan content you wish, no justification required.

yet once again, as there is no mention in canon anywhere — neither in the main game nor the epilogue — that this is something gale would ever want (whether that may mean immediately or somewhere down the line) gale wanting to be a father remains a headcanon. while gale being childfree is explicitly shown in the game, in strict comparison to other companions that either have children by the end of the game or voice the desire to (eventually) have them.

my personal preferences are of no relevance here whatsoever. i care about accurate and correct characterization and will point out inconsistencies/false information no matter the topic. i, for one, want to appreciate these characters in the way they're written, not how i ideally want them to be.

[sol-el]

Ategnatos (WIP)

[keldae]

I need everyone to behold the CUTEST EVER THING that @orangekittyenergy has created for me! I requested Devi and Gale cuddling in his Waterdeep tower with little newborn Tiawyn, AND SHE DELIVERED. I love everything about this picture! Gale's proud look! Devi leaning against her hubby's chest! The way they're holding hands while holding their baby girl! The sunlight in the window! How cozy little Tiawyn looks!!

Brb need to go write fic about this ❤️ Thank you so much, Danielle!

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Thinking about Gale Dekarios as a Dad

A/N: Is this self indulgent? Yes, but we're on the cringe website, so who cares. As always thanks to @leighsartworks216 for letting me ramble.

So first things first, this is more centered around my thoughts about Gale becoming a father to my Single Mom!Tav's (Gwen) daughter Clara and eventually their daughter Morgan. But, I think this can apply to Gale being a father in general

Just imagine Gale getting hit with the triple whammy on not only does he want to live, not only is he more than willing to remain a mortal man in order to be with Gwen, but doing so also means he has a new responsibility of being a father to Clara

Once Gale decides he's going to do something, he does not half ass it

He may not be confident in his ability as a father, but damn it he's going to try

Queue him finding every book on parenting he can and going to Gwen constantly for advice (and assurance he's not completely fucking this up)

He, of course, ends up having to throw most of it out since Gwen was 100% right and most of it is just improvisation, but he did need some base for security

I personally headcanon that his father wasn't in the picture so he doesn't exactly have an example of what a good father looks like

While to do think Gale would still teach in Waterdeep, that man is using a dimension door to get to class because he's moving in with Gwen and Clara

Clara has her own friends and a small community Gwen found when she was first on her own raising her; this is more about just Gale and Gwen being together, it's about them being a family, so not forcing Clara to move is a part of it

Once things are more secure between the three of them they may move, but not for a while (or even after Morgan is born)

Any way you slice it, Gale and Clara get time to bond before he and Gwen walk down the isle

Clara is a very curious kid and the type come home with whatever frogs or cool sticks she found, her boots caked in mud and twigs in her hair

Gale absolutely encourages her and gives her books on essentially any subject she's even mildly interested in

Gwen has walked in more than once to the pair of them info dumping to each other in a continuous loop until interrupted by dinner and even then food won't stop Clara

Teachers quickly discovered that calling in Gale when Clara lands herself in trouble is also a very bad idea

Gale: I expressed an opinion. Clara is a very curious young girl and I don’t think it’s too much to ask a teacher to encourage that curiosity. Teacher: She also happened to be in grade six and certain questions are inappropriate for such a setting. Gale: The subject of undead, although taboo, is still a valid school of study if one approaches it with care. Teacher: Asking how long it takes for a body to rot to the point it can no longer be resurrected is not something an eleven year old should be asking!

Experiments in the kitchen! (with proper safety equipment of course)

Gale learning how to do Clara's hair because Gwen can't always be there to do it

Gale telling stories and illustrating them with minor illusions so sometimes Clara ends up more hyped up at bedtime than she should be

Even when she gets too old for bedtime stories, she slips into Morgan's room to listen to her dad

Also Gale totally gets a dad bod the longer he settles into domesticity and nobody (especially Gwen) is complaining about it

Honestly the first word Clara and Morgan think of when describing their dad is soft

For all his wizard prowess and verbosity, what he is first to them is their dad; the person with the soothing voice, kind eyes and comforting hugs

Morgan especially when she's little just clings to him

She seems to like his voice and he even sings to her on occasion; nothing concert worthy, but some broken lullaby his mother used to sing to him

Honestly now having children of his own, he has a new appreciating for both Gwen and his mother doing all this on their own

But back to Morgan for a moment; Gale is absolutely the type of person to have a full on conversation with a baby and respond to every babble with "yes you make an excellent point"

She end up with a very extensive vocabulary for a toddler

Gale can't wait until she can hold a proper conversation, if there is one thing Gale loves, it's talking to his kids

There's a moment where he’s in bed with Gwen and the girls sleeping between them, and he takes a moment to just soak it all in. It’s so much more than he thought his life would have been. 

Even before the orb, he spent so much time chasing after his own ambition.

When Mystra came to him, he still wanted more, willing to abandon the material plane entirely, and for what? To sit at the feet of a goddess who could never truly care for him? To become a god himself? He’s almost ashamed at himself for ever wishing for those things in the first place. For wishing he could be something so cold and distant all for the sake of a power he could claim no use for except to prove that he could. 

Morgan curls herself a little closer to him while Clara takes up the center of the bed, her still growing limbs just as tangled as her hair. He lets out a soft chuckle, giving Morgan a reassuring rub on her back and she settles back down. Gwen is just as much a mess as Clara. He can just spit a little bit of drool coming out of her mouth. Still she manages to keep an arm across her eldest, keeping her close even in sleep.

How could any power be worth more than this? What higher purpose could he have than to make sure his family is safe and loved?

I've got more stuff about Gale being a dad if you're curious (and Astarion being an uncle). Send me an ask if you want to read more! I've got a ton of stuff!

[manicpunk98]

I don't understand why people say Gale wouldn't want children. I understand even less the notion that he wouldnt be good with them. He never says that. He says he doesn't think he's father material and any example he lists are issues he ends up resolving (if you do a good ending playthrough).

His response is pointing to his perceived inadequacies, not his actual desire. And his reasoning is in direct contrast to the way he interacts with children throughout the game. He is AMAZING with children and has no issues spending the majority of his time with them and actively participating in their rearing (his job as a professor.)

It's possible he doesn't actually want his own children, but there's nothing in the game that really leads us to that conclusion.

His is arguably the best suited out of all the companions to have their own child, certainly more than those who actually can end up having children.

I really think his comment about it has more to do with his self doubt than his own desire to have them. His self doubt and self flaggilation is his the biggest thing he learns to heal from in his story line too. It makes perfect sense to me that he wouldn't feel good enough to raise a child until the end of the game when he learns to respect himself more.