Does your OC have any difficulty distinguishing between love and lust?
Is your OC at all romantic themselves? Or is romance something they expect others to perform for their benefit?
What does your OC look for in a romantic (or perhaps purely sexual) partner? Is this always healthy?
Does your OC consider themselves to be attractive? Do they put much effort into achieving this?
Would your OC ever take advantage of someone's romantic feelings in order to manipulate them?
Has your OC ever had their heart broken? Have they ever truly recovered?
What is the most romantic gesture your OC has ever performed? Alternatively (or additionally), what romantic gesture would they most like to perform?
Does your OC pursue only monogamous relationships? Or are they open to other, more creative, options?
If your OC were ever to fill out a Dating Site (or pamphlet or newspaper) profile, then what would they include?
Does your OC have a type? Have they ever been surprised by their feelings for someone who doesn't fit this?
Has your OC ever been the object of someone's affections that they did not (or could not) reciprocate?
If your OC were in love, how might they recognise this? Or would they be too much in denial?
Has your OC ever written a love letter (or text message or whatever the case may be)? Perhaps they have even composed a love poem or song dedicated to their beloved?
If they wish to impress someone for whom they have romantic (or at least sexual) feelings, does your OC attempt to present themselves as more confident, wealthy, popular or otherwise impressive, than they truly are?
Is your OC easy to love? If not, then what are the barriers?
What if your Tav was a recruitable companion, instead of the main character? (contains major spoilers for the game, and for some dark urge runs as well)
General
Where can your Tav be recruited? Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region? Or are they not recruitable until a later act?
Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav?
Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions?
What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval?
Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions?
Do they have any secrets that can be revealed? What are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light?
Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game? Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes?
What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp? How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again?
Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight?
Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game?
Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner)
Story Specific
How does your Tav advise the player character when it comes to the Dream Visitor?
How do they advise the player character on Raphael?
How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character?
How do they react to the Player Character letting Abdirak whip them?
How do they react to the Player Character taking their first tadpole power?
Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently?
What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party?
Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with?
Do they have unique dialogue if the Player Character lets them die when they steal the Blood of Lathander?
How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar?
What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown?
Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin? How is Orin's deception revealed? How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal?
How do they react to the PC either allowing Astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the 7000 spawn?
How does Tav react to the PC becoming a mind flayer? Can they offer to become one themselves? Does their reaction change if they’re romanced?
How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them?
How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira?
If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2?
Romance
Is your Tav a romanceable character? Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?
Does your Tav need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the PC themselves if approval is high enough?
Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option?
Do they have a special romance scene at the tiefling/goblin party?
Does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take?
How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them?
What questions can Zethino ask the PC about Tav in the Love Test?
If they’re poly, do they have a reaction to the PC engaging in a relationship with Halsin?
How do they react if the PC has sex with Mizora? The Emperor? Haarlep?
Will they join in with the PC and the Drow Twins, or no?
What are Tav’s plans for the future? Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in?
Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au!
May I ask for some more info and fun facts about Hercules? I lov him
YES OF COURSE!!!
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fun mini facts before we get into the meat n potatoes:
Hercules has a little bit of an ego, but it isn't so much that it ends up harming other people. It's just cringeworthy incidents that happen time to time
Hercules chases women. He loves women. women women women women. I wouldn't say he's non commital but he is.. unsatisified to say the least.
Hercules isn't taken seriously as a politician on his home planet. Mainly because of his child-star past and how his development & acting out was publicized. every embarrassing detail is just out there for anyone to see.
Hercules takes pride in his appearance- if you went into his cabinet, you'd find expensive cologne & generally expensive skincare products.
In the canon, Dema literally cannot stand him and he's aware of it. He thinks it's cute though.
Hercules got stabbed in the hand by Diane one time. She did it on purpose. It was his fault, whatever happened.
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Hercules grew up in a single-parent household. His father was actually a superhero (sighs and crackles knuckles). Let me explain:
On earth, there is a fictional country (underwater country) called Bellaphim. In that area, for some reason a lot of sea creatures are born with super powers. These "powers" in question are actually mutations to survive the harsher conditions, but most of the population think it divinely gifted. The first person to "gain" these powers was his dad. His dad thinks he's a literal god and so themed himself, his family and his in-laws around greek gods (hence why his kid is named hercules.). Hercules *is* strong but it's most likely because he was tampered with in the womb.
I feel like him and Tobias would bond over having crazy dads.
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His mother died when he was a small, small child. He has a lot of fond memories, and he misses his mother dearly. He's actually a really good chef, but the main reason why he is is because cooking makes him feel closer to his mother. His dad hates it when he cooks because it's "unmanly" and on top of that "it's not how a god acts".
His father, in the goal of trying to turn him into something almost worshipped, enrolled him in a special school established for students with "supernatural abilities". He was a popular kid because his father was renowned for his status as a hero... And also because everyone thought he was cute but that's irrelevant 🤷♀️. Hercules ended up having very surface level friendships, and felt like he was drowning in the constant pursuit of trying to live up to something he was not. Then came along the little yellow alien who's named after a fried potato.
He was the one who came up with the name "Tater tot". It was originally to make fun of her because of her almost clueless disposition while on Earth, but it soon turned into something affection (see the ladder part of the post for a more in-detail analysis of their relationship (the blorbos part)).
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The reason Hercules is considered a celebrity (and his family I guess) is because they were the first to commercialize their mutations, and also the first ones to make a huge deal out of it. Through campaigns, marketing, and grand acts of public service, they've created the whole industry of heroes.
Hercules was.. less than pleased though. He wanted to make a real impact, and he turned to politics. At first, it was praised as a good thing- more power for his family. However, he quickly got pushback from them when he was adamant on actually doing the right thing, instead of just handing them free spots and pardons and whatnot.
Tater tot actually discovered him at the first of many meetings with world governments. She didn't recognize him at first, but he did. By the time he saw her, she'd grown into an intelligent lady with those bug eyes he loved. So, he was smitten again with her, but kept it under wraps.
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The blorbos: Tater tot and Hercules
Hercules x Tater tot is one of my secret ships, even though I portray her as him getting on her nerves (actually I haven't yet but I will. source: trust me bro). I grew up a multishipper, can u blame me?
Hercules, as pretty & annoying he is, he's also extremely pathetic. dude loves women so much but he has ZERO game. The kind of pathetic is 90s RnB where the dude is in the rain is either shirtless or has a sleeveless jacket begging and crying for some girl who's repeatedly rejected him.
The reason I ship Hercules x Tater tot is because a lesser-known lore fact about the two is that they did actually date when they were younger. It was more of a fling. Tater tot at the time didn't know what the earthling term "boyfriend" meant and just thought it was a general term, kind of like how people use "girlfriend" to just mean a female friend. Tater tot is generally an affectionate person and loves giving hugs, pats, and even kisses to her friends just because. Hercules thought her little tater-isms were cute, especially since she was still in the process of learning about Earth and trying to understand what was going on constantly. She knew about his traumatic upbringing and didn't judge him for it. She also knew that he was of celebrity status and was unaffected by it. She treated him like a real person, and for the first time in a very, very long time, he felt seen.
The reason they broke up was because Tater tot got nervous when Hercules began being clingy with her. He'd want to talk all the time, got jealous whenever she was talking to other people, and showed an uncomfortable amount of PDA. On top of this, the way she was brought up she was virtually invisible to everyone. So to suddenly be rushed with a bunch of attention and love was scary to her and it awakened a deep sense of panic in her. She also felt pressured to reciprocate that same affection but didn't know how. So, to save his feelings she broke things off.
Hercules clings onto that feeling of being genuinely loved for who he was and not for what he could give another person just by associating with him. It's a case of unrequited love.
In some AU that I think about sometimes (...I wouldn't be opposed to drawing it if anyone wanted me to 👁️) , where Hercules x Tater tot is the main ship, I have it that Hercules and Tater tot reconcile with each other over what happened in their youth, and they become "just friends"...
By that I mean Tater tot is resistant to falling in love with him because of her pride. She doesn't want to be seen as "crawling back to him" after breaking it off first, or looking desperate. Not to mention her status as an empress lol. Little does she know that she doesn't even have to do that because the man is pathetic and would crawl on glass if it meant he got a chance again. But he's afraid of her saying no... so there's quiet pining between them and her acting like she's annoyed with his flirting. But he knows her better than that. Whatever she does, that's not how she acts when she's actually annoyed.
there little theme is "it's not like I like you!!" (baller fandom kid knowledge if you get this)
I am curious... from the Simple OC Ask List, could you answer 3 and 6?
About Nienna 💙
Thank you so much for the asks, dear friend @galacticsparkles!! ♥️♥️ I LOVED answering these because out of the WIPs I've shared so far for "Her Harper, His Sufferer," we've only seen a glimpse into their lives from the point of view of Geraldus, as I've been keeping more details around Nienna a bit more secret for the time being 😈 and I'm THRILLED to share more about her backstory today via these questions!! I do apologize though as I've written you a bit of a novel 😬😅
#3: If they had to flee a burning building, which possession would they be most keen to grab on the way out?
Nienna lives a mostly ascetic lifestyle at least when it comes to material possessions (not so much on the side of sexual activity LOL as "Her Harper, His Sufferer" will make quite clear 👀🫣), but she does keep a handful of items that bring her a lot of comfort.
Small spoiler/sneak peak for Chapter 1 of HHHS: When Nienna first found the Church of Ilmater, she had just been gravely injured after using her body to take on the physical harm that a cruel person was trying to inflict on another being. Out of that experience, she was given a cotton handkerchief with the letters "YN" that are embroidered in red thread.
She knows she wants to serve Ilmater while she's here in this realm, but it's physically hard on her body, mind, and spirit, even when leaning on the Crying God for guidance and perseverance, and sometimes she needs those physical reminders of why she chose this path.
That handkerchief reminds her of that day and brings her a lot of strength, so she's going to do everything she can to make sure she grabs it on the way out of the building (while also making sure no one else is left in the building!).
#6: Does your OC have a go-to insult when people irritate them or let them down?
Nienna can come off as being very gentle and submissive, but internally she can be a deeply angry person, something that she had to make peace with when joining the Church of Ilmater and swearing to spend her life reducing others' suffering. Wouldn't it be going against her holy orders to show that she is irritated or disappointed with someone, let alone even feeling upset with others? She learned that the answer to that question was quite complex:
She was relentlessly bullied at school as a child growing up in Rivington for being too sensitive, too weepy, and having a heart that is "too soft," and it made her feel angry. Very angry. An anger that would sear into her heart permanently. But she never took out that anger on others, and after particularly rough days of bullying she preferred to stop by the Open Hand Temple after school to speak with Mother Elbereth, the head of the Temple clergy at the time, several generations before Father Lorgan would take on the role as we see in the events of BG3. Mother Elbereth would dry Nienna's tears, and remind her that the kids who hurt her may have been going through a lot of pain and they felt the need to take it out on her. She never said this to dismiss Nienna's pain, but rather to remind her how much suffering existed around them. It always made Nienna feel better because Mother Elbereth never asked her to stop being angry, just to consider how others' may deal with their suffering differently, in good and bad ways.
When Nienna officially joined the clergy at the Temple, Mother Elbereth provided her even more counseling around her anger. She'd tell Nienna that Ilmater didn't expect her to forsake her emotions, because often the most beautiful acts of compassion and empathy could be driven by anger at something. The most important thing was that she practiced discernment: if someone was acting in good faith and accidentally upset her or disappointed her, she could always take some time to herself to process the emotion and then, if necessary, speak to the person about it. And, if the person was just being malicious, she could lean on Ilmater for strength while she figured out how to contain the harm they were causing.
That's a lot of yapping I've done but here's the TL/DR haha!! ☺️ Not insults per se but just ways that she'd handle it:
If the person seems to be acting in good faith: "I need to go hike for a bit. Can we talk about this more later?"
If the person is being unrepentantly cruel: [External] "I am sorry if the world has caused you pain that led you to this point. But I can't let you spread your suffering to others." [Internal] "Crying God, in your bloodied mercy please grant me patience."
Her fiery anger comes out if the person doesn't stop their harm after that warning, and that's when they need to watch out 👀😂🩸
Thank you again, lovely friend!! ♥️♥️ and here's that ask list for anyone else who might want to explore their OCs through these questions, it can be such a fun exercise ✨ if anyone has any other questions about Nienna and/or Nienna and Geraldus, please submit them!! I love answering these ☺️
This sex worker OC ask list is to aid people in creating sex worker characters that are fully developed!
What is your character's real name and what is their work name (if different)?
What laws are in place on the topic of sex work in your setting, if any?
(Your setting might have full decriminalization, complete criminalization, or some variant of legalisation where independent indoor may be legal but brothels and street work aren't or where buying sex is illegal. You can read about different legal models here.)
How are sex workers treated in your setting?
(Consider whether bigotry and discrimination might exist and how it could impact your character and their friends. Are they able to pay money into the bank while admitting how they made it? Are they likely to be harassed by people who find out about their job? Is violence towards sex workers common?)
What is sex worker history like in your setting?
(Were there different laws in the past? Has bigotry against sex workers recently become better or worse? Is there any conflict between the religions in your setting and the practice of sex work?)
When did your character start sex work?
(Consider the age and also time period - things may have changed since they started it, including the way they work! Are they a veteran who would know a lot about the industry or a newbie?)
Why did they start sex work?
(People start for many reasons. Some do so out of financial hardship and a lack of access to other jobs, others do because the flexibility appeals to them as disabled and/or neurodivergent people, others enjoy sex or sexual performance, etc.)
In what venue do they do sex work?
(Are they a stripper who works from a strip club? A brothel worker? Someone who works from hotels for an agency? A phone sex operator who works from home?)
How do they advertise?
(Does their venue do all the advertising or do they post escorting ads online? Do they post on social media to advertise their porn?)
Who knows they do sex work?
(Family, friends, co-workers, other sex workers who they might work at the same venue as.)
Do they have any other jobs, and/or what work did they do prior to sex work (if any)?
(Sex workers have a high chance of having done care work or various minimum wage jobs before sex work or of being students, but can come from any background!)
Do they have other sex workers as friends?
(If they do activism work this will be more likely, but sex workers also very often befriend other workers at venues where they work.)
Are they dating anyone?
(Lots of people are unwilling to date a sex worker or have complex feelings about it. Consider how their partner(s) might react, whether they're keeping this a secret from their partner(s), and what would lead those partner(s) to allyship with sex workers.)
What is your character’s opinion on sex work?
(There are plenty of sex workers who deal with internalized whorephobia, causing them to be in denial that they are engaging in sex work or to believe that it’s acceptable only because they make enough money or their circumstances are desperate enough. Others may view sex work as empowering, failing to consider the experiences of people who are not as fortunate as they are.)
How do they handle conflict?
(Are they confrontational or avoidance? Consider how this might impact the way they interact with both clients and people being whorephobic in their personal lives.)
What sexual boundaries do they have?
(Sex workers are allowed to have boundaries just like anyone else during sex. Are there certain acts they won't perform, like strippers who won't have sex with their clients or porn actors who won't do anal?)
What are their political positions?
(Sex workers are disproportionately likely to be left-wing, but aren't exclusively so.)
What words do they use to describe themselves?
(Some sex workers reclaim slurs whilst others shy away from them. There are also different slang terms used in different countries or settings, with some words being specific to strippers or street sex workers. Think carefully before employing words like whore hooker and particularly racialized words like hoe and thot.)
Please also consider: Does your character fall into the Happy Hooker trope? Is their history of sex work being used purely for shock value? If so, maybe you should consider making some changes!
If you're looking to publish writing with a sex worker character and have no experience with the type of sex work your character does, I highly recommend getting a sex worker as a sensitivity reader. This is a service I offer for between £150 and £200 for an average length novel, providing recommendations and language edits.
Thanks to @dammit-sammit for prompting me to make this post!
Hi!! So here's where I'm going to put all those lovely asks I got from that Love Asks List. <333
From left to right: Maite, Red, Araceli
These answers are for @wickedadaar @teamtakagi @i-creatied-au @shadowknight19kay @draconicdivinity ! <33
I'm gonna put them under a read more because as per usual, I cannot be concise when it comes to my babies. Enjoy!
2. Is your OC at all romantic themselves? Or is romance something they expect others to perform for their benefit?
Maite: Maite is not romantic at first, like…at all. And yeah, she 100% expects others to perform romantic gestures for her benefit. She's been called "demanding" and "particular" and "hard to please" more than once.
Araceli: When she puts her mind to it, Araceli can be romantic. It just always happens to be mixed in with a little vulgarity, because, well, she's just naturally kinda coarse and unrefined. But yes, she can be romantic and enjoys doing so.
Red: WELL. Yes. Redmond is an incredibly romantic person. He loves to dote on his partner, to tell them all the time how much he loves them, and find little ways to please them.
6. Has your OC ever had their heart broken? Have they ever truly recovered?
Funny you should ask!
Red: he was a very young adult (probably 19-20) when he fell in love with man who was of some noble lineage. Nothing too crazy, but enough that it mattered. Now, Red is an elf, and his first love was human. Red knew there were certain risks, but he couldn't help himself. (Keep reading and you'll see why lol.)
But, well, things did not work out. And by that I mean Red was very unceremoniously dumped when the human man he thought he was going to spend his life with just up and left, citing the obvious differences in status and the way things would never really work out between them anyway. The truth was that Red's former love was expected to carry on the family name and title, and had been promised to a young woman from a more suitable background.
Feeling betrayed in every sense of the word and as if his life no longer mattered, Redmond did something a little drastic: he voluntarily joined the Wardens. If he'd known the Joining would be as horrific as it was, he'd never have done it, but well, he did and he survived. But he never did recover from the heartbreak- it's the reason he never really settled down with anyone again and even within the ranks of the Wardens where casual romances were quite common, Red was known to be someone who might spend a few days with someone, at most.
Araceli: I think Araceli had had a semi-official relationship with another Warden at one time, a city Elf who had also been conscripted. But he was killed in action, and while they were never fully official and not even fully committed to one another, Araceli mourned him for quite some time. She did eventually recover from the loss, but even more than a decade later, she still thinks about him sometimes.
Maite: I don't think Maite has had her heart broken romantically, but she did have a friend she made when she joined the Crows, another elven girl who was brought in around the same time. Maite's friend was killed by another one of their fellow fledglings, and that was when Maite really began believing that love, romantic or platonic, was not for her. The people she loved died, and she couldn't take that kind of pain anymore. So I'd say yes, she has had her heart broken, and no she did not recover.
10. Does your OC have a type? Have they ever been surprised by their feelings for someone who doesn't fit this?
Maite: Yes! Maite usually goes for someone with strong features and a certain sort of confidence and presence. Typically, she's looking for someone who might be desired by many, because Maite thrives on knowing she got what everyone else wanted.
And YES she has been very surprised by falling for someone who isn't her usual "type"- in almost every AU, she falls for a shy, awkward Grey Warden named Elyon who she really only approaches as a sort of lark, I guess is the right way to say it. She thinks he's going to be fun because he's awkward and unsure and more or less in awe of her, but that becomes something much deeper and healing for her when she realizes Elyon is quite devoted to her and loves her despite her pushing him away.
Araceli: Hmm. No? Araceli has always been the sort to like a person for their personality more than anything else. But I suppose she likes people who are…honest? People who can be themselves easily, I think.
Red: Oh yes. Red loves a wholesome guy-or-gal-nextdoor type. People who are cute and hot all at the same time.
11. Has your OC ever been the object of someone's affections that they did not (or could not) reciprocate?
Maite: Ohhhh yes. I think this has happened many times with her. I think a lot of people are more infatuated than they are actually interested in her, but she's been the one saying "no thanks" many a time. In most of my AUs, the person who has affection for her is her ex, Illario. So she definitely does not reciprocate his feelings after the break up, lol
Red: Hmm. I think there's been a time or two he's rejected someone, so yes. Mostly people who misread his friendliness for something more even though he was clear about being casual.
Araceli: Not that she knows of! But she's also the sort to be kinda oblivious to someone pining away for her, so there's that.
12. If your OC were in love, how might they recognise this? Or would they be too much in denial?
Oh, Red would be painfully aware he was in love. Like he'd probably be agonizing over it because he doesn't want to get hurt all over again. The man actively avoids commitment because of how badly it went with his first love. However!!! Red is also an incredibly romantic person when he's in love.
In a modern au, he's sending flowers just because, planning dates in advance, paying attention to all the little things his partner likes, always telling them how much he loves them with his actions and words. He's the kinda guy who sees that his partner is having a bad day, and on his way home will get their favorite treat just because he wants them to have one good moment in their day.
He's got big, biiiig feelings and he falls so hard it's kind of comical. So! Yeah, he would just be like "ahhh shit :/"
Maite lol is my baby who goes kicking and screaming into the realization she's in love. She's very much in denial about it for a LONG time. Like, months probably, poor thing lol.
Araceli realizes she's in love when she gets jealous!!! LOL I even wrote a little fic about it. Basically, she's been having casual relationships for a long time, so when she starts seeing someone (Emmrich) exclusively, it's when he talks about that damn Orlesian art dealer that she's like ">:/ I don't even like the idea of him with someone else". Like, the thought makes her literally stop in her tracks.
15. Is your OC easy to love? If not, then what are the barriers?
Maite is actually my least easy to love OC. It's not that she doesn't want or need it- it's that her life thus far has lead her to believe she's inherently unlovable. Everyone she cares about leaves or abandons her, so she figures it's her. She doesn't deserve love, or love isn't for her…however you wanna say it, she thinks she isn't meant to love and be loved in return.
She keeps people are arms length, never letting them see anything more than the surface persona she projects: the independent ice queen. And beyond that, she's quite demanding and isn't above placing increasingly ridiculous (and manipulative) demands on someone in the hopes that they'll leave her- basically, she sabotages the relationship before she can get too attached. Someone with a lot of patience and who is unafraid to call Maite out on her issues and tell her that they're willing to stay would be the person who finally got her to believe she deserves to be loved.
Red is actually quite easy to love-people tend to fall for him often, even when he's very open about being casual/non-commital. He's flirty, funny, and once they get past his casual, devil-may-care attitude, they'll find he's actually quite genuine and sweet. I guess his only barrier is the fact that he tends to disappear when he starts feeling too much. Which…well is quite the barrier, isn't it?
Araceli…well, I think she's easy to love. I can see her being someone who tends to get people to fall for her without even realizing it. She's just one of those fun, viviacious types that people naturally gravitate towards, I think, and she doesn't push them away for the most part.
