Blog jointly owned by Nico-Jero and TheFoofyLion. We like to throw our OCs into the fandoms we belong to and this is a place for us to post all the fanart, fanfics, and such that result, which would otherwise gather dust. ***BLOG STATUS: Slow, but active***
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: One Piece (Anime & Manga)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Buggy, Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks & Buggy
Characters: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Buggy (One Piece), Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, Roger Pirates (One Piece)
Additional Tags: Child Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Child Buggy (One Piece), Naval Battles, OC death, mourning like a pirate, which means booze, Underage Drinking, Sleepy Cuddles, Not Beta Read
Series: Part 4 of Special Surprise Shanks x Buggy Series
Summary:
After the death of a crew member, Shanks and Buggy talk to Captain Roger about the meaning of a pirate's life. Is there something beyond treasure and adventure? And is there room for family and love, too?
Sample:
While the dive crew organized their supplies, Shanks and the others bailed water. Shanks made sure he was near the end of the conveyor line so he could watch Buggy from over the ship's rails.
One, two, three buckets get passed and tossed over the ship when Buggy submerges and three more buckets get emptied when trouble begins. The dive team is barely under the water when violent thrashing tears through the calm surface. A crew member pops their head out of the water and yells, "Sea King Attack!!!"
The yell alerts the crew as Shanks drops his bucket and rushes to the rails. His hand nervously goes to the sword at his hip but he sees nothing to aim his attack at. All the fighting is happening underwater.
In the disturbance, blood starts blooming in the water as more crew members start popping up for breath as they still struggle against the huge Sea King. But the beast and Buggy are nowhere to be seen. Shanks is about to jump in when the Captain yanks him back by the scruff.
Roaring in anger, Roger lets out a burst of haki targeting the beast under the waves. "Heeeeeeeeey! You'd better knock it off right now!!!!" He yells, his boot on the railing as he glares down at the now emerged Sea King.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: One Piece (Anime & Manga)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Buggy, Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks & Buggy, Shakky/Silvers Rayleigh, slight, Scopper Gaban/Gloriosa, One-Sided - Relationship, Gol D. Roger/Gloriosa | Elder Nyon
Characters: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Buggy (One Piece), Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, Shakky (One Piece), Gloriosa | Elder Nyon, Roger Pirates (One Piece)
Additional Tags: Child Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Child Buggy (One Piece), Parent-Child Relationship, with questionable child rearing, Party, sexual talk in front of kids, Mild Sexual Content, Gender Identity, Gender Roles, Crossdressing, First Kiss, Mild Transphobia, Not Beta Read
Series: Part 3 of Special Surprise Shanks x Buggy Series
Summary:
Shakky and Gloriosa visit the Roger Pirates for a night. The adults run wild, drinking and tormenting each other. While Shanks and Buggy slowly learn what makes men and women different.
Sample:
Roger melts right away, a dopey expression on his face. "It's ok, Shakky! You can do no wrong!!" He says, practically drooling over the woman, before turning back to Gloriosa with a sharp look in his eyes. "But you! You have to behave yourself or you're going back on the dinghy."
"You're being soooo mea-." Gloriosa starts to complain but stops mid sentence when she catches sight of Buggy. "Who is that?" She exclaims, coming over to the boy to coo and fuss over him. "I thought you only had that little red haired boy on your ship. This one has blue hair."
"Ahh, yes. That's Buggy. My son." Roger says, putting emphasis on the last words. "We lost his mother over a year ago now." The Captain starts fake crying, while Gloriosa's eyes bulge out in shock. "Sooooo tragic. I miss her every day!!!"
"Roooooger." The woman wails, jumping up to grab onto him, but the Captain sidesteps her. "I loved you for so long, and you had a kid with another woman!?!?"
Gloriosa tries to cling to Roger again, but he dodges and picks up Buggy to use him as a shield against her. Maneuvering the boy around to block each grab, still fake crying and howling with laughter.
After a couple of seconds of this nonsense, Buggy's face scrunches up in annoyance. "You're not my dad!" He yells out, which causes Roger to stop to weep for real.
"What Buggy?!? You still don't see me as your father after all this time?" Roger blubbers, turning the boy around to look him in the eyes.
"No!" Buggy says seriously, staring back at his Captain, unflinching. "You're Shanks's dad, not mine. I only ever had a momma."
"Buuuugggy!" The Captain says heartbroken. He sets the boy down just as Gloriosa grabs onto his cloak and yanks hard.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: One Piece (Anime & Manga)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks & Buggy, Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Buggy
Characters: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Buggy (One Piece), Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, Tom (One Piece), Iceburg (One Piece), Roger Pirates (One Piece)
Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Child Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Child Buggy (One Piece), Buggy (One Piece) Needs a Hug, Buggy is Bad at Feelings (One Piece), Possessive Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Not Beta Read
Series: Part 2 of Special Surprise Shanks x Buggy Series
Summary:
Buggy finally breaks down after his mother's death. Shanks is there to comfort him.
Sample:
Buggy was in their shared cabin, like Shanks thought. The blue haired boy was sitting on their bed. It used to be only Shanks's bed until Buggy came on board. But they haven't docked anywhere to get another so they need to share for now.
Rayleigh mentioned the boys might end up with hammocks to save space in the cramped room and Shanks felt a little disappointed by that fact. He doesn't mind being close to his new best friendâŚbeing with Buggy felt like he found something that he was missing.
On the bed Buggy had his treasure spread out. It was the beri, gold, and jewels his mom had hid inside their clown costumes from the other day. Buggy begged Shanks to not tell the crew about the treasure, in fear the adults would take it for themselves. Shanks just laughed and told the other boy the Roger Pirates didn't have need for his treasure but promised not to tell anyway. Buggy looked relieved by that fact and promised Shanks he'll teach him all about spotting valuable jewels on their future adventures.
But nowâŚShanks has a feeling the treasure had another importance then just being pretty.
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks & Buggy, Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Buggy, if you squint hard enough, they are only kids in this story
Characters: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Buggy (One Piece), Gol D. Roger, Roger Pirates (One Piece), The High Flying Angel the Acrobat
Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Childhood, Childhood Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, If You Squint - Freeform, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Moms in One Piece don't survive long, But hopefully Buggy's Mom gets a cool ending, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Slight Gol D. Roger/OC
Summary:
The Roger Pirates bring their youngest crew member to the circus. Shanks falls in love by the colorful spectacle around him but is more captivated by a beautiful acrobat and her naughty son.
Sample:
Shanks's voice comes back after the event. He pulls at Captain Roger's sleeve, whining nonstop, asking to go visit the Angel who stood with the other performers, thanking the guest for watching the show.
Somebody in their group, that sounded a lot like Rayleigh, jokes that they should take Shanks to the circus more often because it was a sure fire way to shut the energetic boy up.
"Please Captain, please!" Shanks whines. "Let's go see that blue angel lady."
"Shishishi, I think our boy has his first crush!" Roger laughs, making a silly faces behind Shanks's back to the other crew members. "Rayleigh, you might have to give him the talkalready."
"The boy is only seven." Rayleigh deadpans, but it causes the others to start guffawing uncontrollably, which only causes Shanks's face to turn bright red like his hair.
"Shut up you old perverts! I'm going to talk to her all by myself then!!!" Shanks yells at the older men, who all start exploding in a fit of giggles. "âŚEven if you are going to tease me about it!!!!"
Shanks angrily stalks off leaving the other crew members behind to flirt, drink, and gossip with the other visitors. But his grumpiness soon melts away as he sees the angel gently greeting other little kids in front of him.
Up close she's even prettier with her light blue eyelashes blushing against her cheeks almost tickling her red nose. Hands sweating, Shanks wipes them on his shirt and gulps down some air as he patiently waits his turn to greet the glittery angel.
Bewitched, Shanks hardly notices somebody colliding into him and sliding their hands into his pockets until his crew starts spitting out their drinks in laughter. "What the hell, Shanks!" Comes the loud yells carrying over the crowd. "Pay attention!"
"Huh?" Shanks blinks and quickly looks around and sees the boy in a beanie cap making off with his allowance from Rayleigh.
The boy has a red nose just like the angel, which makes Shanks briefly wonder if that common feature on this island, before he sees the thief stick out his tongue, to tease the red hair boy before taking off into the crowd.
"Go, go, go!" The Roger Pirates wave frantically at their little apprentice. "Get your beri back, Shanks! It's only a little kid, you can catch him!!!"
Shocked but acting fast, Shanks quickly runs off after the boy, with his crew drunkenly cheering him on.
100 Dialogue Tags You Can Use Instead of âSaidâ
For the writers struggling to rid themselves of the classic âsaidâ. Some are repeated in different categories since they fit multiple ones (but those are counted once so it adds up to 100 new words).Â
Note: everyone is entitled to their own opinion. No I am NOT telling people to abandon said and use these. Yes I understand that said is often good enough, but sometimes you WANT to draw attention to how the character is speaking. If you think adding an action/movement to your dialogue is 'good enough' hate to break it to you but that ruins immersion much more than a casual 'mumbled'. And for the last time: this is just a resource list, CALM DOWN. Hope that covers all the annoyingly redundant replies :)
Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?Â
Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!
Previous Chapters: Chapter One 1/2 , Chapter One 2/2 , Chapter Two Chapter Three , Chapter Four 1/2
Characters: Gale Dekarios, Lae'zel, and Ghustil Stornugoss are the main characters in this chapter. Copper, Astarion, and the others appear a little.
Tags/Warning: Non Beta'd, Gale's POV, Githyanki Culture, Mental Anguish, Near Death Experience Approx: 1700 words
Summary: Lae'zel is upset with her treatment by her so-called brethren. She jumps into the zaith'isk before Gale can stop her, and she finds out the experience wasn't what she thought it would be. Now the Tadpole Troupe has to figure out what to do with an errant doctor.
Part Two of Chapter Four
---
The infirmary proves to be just as infuriating as the rest of the crèche. The ghustil, who went by the name of Stornugoss, was very dismissive of their plight, even going so far as to mock Laeâzel for disturbing her research with her pathetic problems.Â
It wasnât until Halsin spoke up about the abnormalities of their tadpoles and how long the tadpoles lay dormant in their minds that Stornugoss finally paid them any attention. Once she did, Gale had the eerie feeling they were being treated like her little test subjects instead of patients in need of healing.Â
Stornugoss leads them to an alien-looking device that reminds Gale strongly of the mind flayer equipment in the nautiloid. Heâs suspicious of the machine and wants to ask the ghustil what the zaithâisk does, but Laeâzelâs pride, still wounded from all the disrespect she's receiving in this crèche, won't allow for any more small talk. She cuts Gale off mid-sentence and quickly climbs into the machine without another word. Stornugoss tries to hide a smirk, but Gale catches it before she turns towards the Githyanki warrior, talking calmly in her ear while the machine powers on.Â
In a quick whirl of noise, Laeâzel is locked into place. The pincher-like apparatus descends towards her head, it glows, and the young Githyanki starts writhing in pain as the machine burrows into her mind. Within seconds of the assault, her tadpole latches onto anybody with a connection to share in the suffering. A collective groan is heard in the infirmary as the Tadpole Troupe gets blasted by psionic energy.
It's like an unseen blade is cleaving through Galeâs mind. He grabs onto his skull, hoping to relieve some of the pain, but all he can feel is the unrelenting power coursing through his body and rattling his bones. He tries to focus on stabilizing his orb, but all he can hear is Laeâzelâs screams of torment and refusal to give in.
âNgh! Vlaakith tavki naâzin. Vlaakith tavki na zin!â Laeâzel recites, and Ghustil Stornugoss encourages the young warrior on, delight on her face.
Gale and the others plead with Laeâzel to get out of the machine. But she continues to refuse as the blade dives deeper into her mind.Â
âNo! Vlaakith, purge me of this blight! Vlaakith, please help meeeee!!!â
With a pained grunt, Shadowheart falls to her knees as another psionic blast rips through the group, making the others struggle to remain standing upright. Gale feels every cell in his skull burst open in agony. He yells at Laeâzel like she is a small child who's about to get into trouble for doing something dangerous. But the ghustil screams over him, encouraging Laeâzel to rely on her faith in Vlaakith to get through this torment.Â
Astarion must have had enough of Stornugossâs âencouragement"Â because Gale sees him knock her out with a sharp strike to her neck. The vampire lets her crumble to the floor and yells at somebody to get Laeâzel out of that blasted chair before he also succumbs to the pain and falls to the floor.
Karlach, Copper, and Wyll jump forth and try to physically get Lae'zel out of the zaithâisk while Halsin drags Astarion back towards the door to begin healing him alongside Shadowheart.
Laeâzelâs body pulses, then becomes eerily motionless as her companions struggle to pry her free, fighting through their own shared pain with gritted teeth.Â
Even with Laeâzel quiet, the zaithâisk continues to burrow into her brain, laying her thoughts bare for all to see. Gale catches glimpses of silver threads of memories drifting upwards and being collected by that monstrous machine.
Bloody knuckles and purple bruises blossoming on yellow skin.
Sneering kids, giving each other appraising looks as a tough-looking instructor watches them train.
Scene after scene of bloody battles, held against a backdrop of stars.
Then, finally a tentacle face of a mind flyer as a tadpole slowly descends towards an eye, as Laeâzel struggles to get free.
Gale can only guess why the memories are captured in this way, but he knows itâs not good. Darkness starts to creep in, and spectres visit the edges of the connected minds. Faces of tormented Githyanki urge them to run. Run from the lie, to run from the zaithâisk which holds no cure for the tadpole.Â
An echo of thought or maybe a memory floats through their shared connection, telling them that death would be a comfort from this pain. It was soft and soothing like a balm for the mental pain they were feeling. The temptation to follow the calling was strong and so easy to give in toâŚ
âNO. NO MORE!â A voice booms out of nowhere, and a large pulse of magic sweeps past Gale and explodes the zaithâisk, throwing anybody near the device a good couple of feet in every direction.
The pain quickly evaporates with the destruction of the torture device alongside the sweet lullaby of death. The Tadpole Troupe let out a collective gasp at the release and slowly began extracting themselves from the rubble of the destroyed machine.
Torn between seeking out the source of the powerful magic and helping his allies, Gale is immobile for a moment before his better judgment forces him to Laeâzelâs side. She is still breathing, and her eyes flutter open and stare unfocused up at Gale. Tears billow up around the edges of Laeâzelâs eyes as the realization of what happened to her becomes clear. She shakes her head and pushes the wizard aside as she sits up, refusing to allow Gale to witness her sorrow that soon becomes rage.Â
âI AM GITHYANKI. I WILL NOT BE GHAIK!â She seethes and beats her fists into the ground. âWhat is the meaning of this treachery?! I followed the protocol. I kept to my faith, yet the zaithâisk tried to kill me!!!â
âLaeâzel...â Gale begins to say, but the young warrior rambles on, trying to find comfort in her words.
âSomeoneâŚmust have tampered with itâŚ.yes, an aberrance I canât begin to comprehend. There is no way Vlaakith could fail me in my time of need!âÂ
Gale makes room for Laeâzel to stand as she turns towards the ghustil for answers, but he knows without verbal confirmation that the zaithâisk was working as it was intended. That device was never going to be their salvation, only their death if somebody did not interfereâŚÂ
Gale looks around but sees and senses nothing that could unleash such a powerful wave of magic. Shadowheart and Astarion begin to stir from Halsinâs care. Karlach and Wyll are just starting to move from their pile of rubble, and Copper, quicker than the others, even in her weakened state, was already up and roughly shaking the ghustil awake for questioning.Â
Stornugoss opens her eyes quickly from the manhandling but appears dazed for just a second before screaming out in despair at the sight of the destruction in her laboratory. She tries to fight off Copper, but the monk holds strong, and the gith just gives up in resignation.Â
âNooooo, not my research.â Stornugoss whimpers, her head hung low. âWhat have you done!?!âÂ
Laeâzel stomps over to the doctor and yells in her face. âAre you a Hsharâlak?!? Tainting my Queen Vlaakithâs cure?â
âYouâre still alive!?!â Storngoss gasps, not even answering the question as her eyes narrow in on Laeâzelâs face. âAnd so is your parasiteâŚâÂ
âIs that what you want? This ghaik vermin?â Laeâzelsâ voice dripping in disgust. âYou are far too obsessed with our tadpoles, Hsharâlak!â I bet the Kithârak of this crèche or even the Chârâai will be interested in knowing about your oddities and how they almost led to the death of one of the Queenâs faithful soldiers.â
The ghustil gives out a condescending laugh. âThe Queen doesnât care about a little ant like you! What we want is to study the power of the tadpole in your pathetic little mind!!!â
âEnough!â Laeâzel snarls as Copper applies more pressure to Stornugossâs throat to shut her up.
âWe canât just parade her around the crèche in search of the Kithârak,â Gale interjects. âShe might run and inform the guards about us. Then weâll have a whole other mess to deal with!âÂ
âDo you want to kill her here?â Shadowheart asks, and Gale feels his gut drop at the suggestion, but Copper must feel the same in some aspect because she speaks up.
âNo, if she values her life, sheâll behave until we get this situation with the tadpole solved.â Copper speaks, both to the group and the ghustil still locked in her arms. Thereâs a small bead of sweat dripping down the researcherâs face, but otherwise she remains stoic.Â
âShe probably knows anybody in the crèche will side with her and not the outsiders.â Gale thinks grimly, âBut whatever aâŚHsharâlak is it must not be good, judging from Laeâzelâs reaction.â
Copper turns her attention to the young woman in question. âAre you sure seeking the Kithârak is the best course of action, Laeâzel?â
âThe zaithâisk is a cure of the tadpole from Queen Vlaakith herself!â Laeâzel answers steadfastly. âThe leaders must know that a Hsharâlak tampered with it!! We might even be offered transportation to another zaithâisk for proper care. If the Chârâai is pleased with our actions. A traitor is a sort to be slaughtered and erased, not to be let loose to ravage this crèche even more!â
âI think we should just leave!â Astarion speaks up, looking nervous by the door, like heâll slip out any second. âThe tadpole hasnât changed us yet! Maybe we got a defective batch? Then we can get out of this strange place and not worry about the damn thing!â
âThere are too many possibilities in that scenario.â Gale warily sighs.Â
He was also thinking they should leave, but he doesnât know enough about the Githyanki to tell which way they are going to react. Strongoss does seem like an aberration from the others he met. Plus, a mindflyer tadpole is a mindflyer tadpoleâŚ
âWe canât rely on our tadpoles continuing to behave, which I doubt they will for much longer. Mindflyers do not make âdefectiveâ tadpoles, and ours are long overdue to mature. We are all out of options, so letâs see if the Câhârâai will offer another solution, like Laeâzel suggested. A little bit of hope is better than none.âÂ
The group looks grimly at Gale, and Astarionâs face pales even more than usual at the wizardâs suggestion. What they are heading into isnât an ideal situation by any stretch of the imagination, but it was all they had.
Previous Chapters: Chapter One 1/2 , Chapter One 2/2 , Chapter Two Chapter Three
Characters: Gale Dekarios, Lae'zel, F!Tav: Copper, and Sa'varsh Kethk are the main characters in this chapter. Wyll, Karlach, and the others appear a little.
Tags/Warning: Non Beta'd, Gale's POV, Githyanki Culture, Death of a Child Approx: 1400 words
Summary: The Tadpole Troupe finally enters Crèche Yâllek, and even Lae'zel is feeling the culture shock of dealing with her own people in a foreign home.
---
Once the Tadpole Troupe got into the crèche, the Githyanki guards threatened their lives, even with Laeâzel there to act as an emissary. After some tense debate, that Gale thought would go hostile at any moment, the guards conceded to Laeâzelâs request to seek the zaith'isk.
Walking down the hall, everybody could tell the Githyanki at Crèche Yâllek seemed to be on edge, searching for a missing artifact of great importance. Laeâzel was able to get some information out of a younger guard that a Chârâai of Vlaakith was visiting because of the missing artifact and the failure of the higher of the crèche to find it. At those words, Laeâzel became rigid, and after some prodding, she told Gale a châr'ai is Queen Vlaakithâs right-hand commander, and they carry the authority to enforce their Queenâs will in all manners of Githyanki life. If a gith displeases the chârâai, there's a high chance they will be executed or worseâŚdemoted in rank.Â
While Gale was listening to Laeâzel explain the hierarchical structures of her race, a loud commotion came from further down the hallway. Gale was half expecting to find Astarion in the middle of the trouble, but it was actually Wyll.Â
Gale misses why the young warlock was angry, but he can see Shadowheart trying and failing to stop Wyll as he launches himself at a middle-aged Githyanki male. A young gith warrior, a student by the looks of it, was lying in a puddle of blood at the instructorâs feet. Bruised and purple from a severe beating.
âTHATâS ENOUGH! The lad learned his lesson!â Wyll grabs the man by the shoulder and yells. The older Githyanki's foot was aiming for another kick to the childâs head, but he pauses long enough to swiftly elbow Wyll off of him and sneer.
âThis shriveling isâtark had his chances!â The teacher spits out with venom as his mouth and the grey moustache sitting on top quakes with unmistakable disgust. âBetter off dead than cause another warrior to fall.âÂ
He continues with his kick when his foot gets deflected by Copper, as she quickly kneels down to the boyâs side and places her fingers, chi activated, to check for a pulse. The instructor catches himself before he loses his balance and starts removing his dagger from his side to strike at the newest intruder, when Karlach quickly grabs his hand to prevent the dagger's removal.Â
Dread fills Galeâs stomach, and he feels Laeâzel stiffen at his side, but before anything else could happen. Copper speaks up.
âMy apologies, honored teacher.â Copper murmurs as she closes the half-open eyes of the boy, still twitching in death spasms. Looking up, she says in a sterner voice, âBut your job is over! The boy has learned his lesson; he is dead.â
The teacher huffs and yanks his hand free from Karlach without taking his eyes off Copper, who stands, a little slower than usual, to square off with the male gith.Â
âIt isnât your place to correct me in front of my students, istik,â he seethes, eyes narrowing at the monk before darting quickly to Wyll and Karlach.
âI wasnât correcting your actions.â Copper calmly says, giving a quick hand signal for Wyll and Karlach to stand down. âI was just improving on the lesson. Knowing when life has fled an enemy is valuable knowledge in battle; it conserves energy for future opponents. But overexerting yourself onâŚ.such a weak opponent is not only wasteful but shameful.âÂ
âShameful! WhaâŚwhat?!? What are you prattling about?â The teacher sputters, pinkish orange splotches appearing on his yellow cheeks.Â
âThe boy was already dead when we entered the room.â Copper says simply. âI hope you can excuse my companionsâ behavior for witnessing a teacher desecrating a studentâs corpse. Itâs uncommon in our world. But you should really show more restraint with your younglings.â
âRestraint?â These are Vlaakithâs future warriors.â The teacher gestures to the children, standing around, witnessing the event. âThey are destined to fight ghaik. I cannot show restraint because the slightest mistake, the smallest hesitation, can lead to their deaths and the deaths of hundreds more.â The teacher says, a mix of finality and pride tinging his words.Â
âIf that is your way.â Copper concedes with a shrug. âBut a teacher must be aware of all their actions, an overkill might encourage bad habits to form in their students. Dull their blades before a more important kill.â
Gale could see a retort forming in the mind of the Githyanki teacher when Laeâzel cuts in, sensing the stand-off has calmed down to more of a spirited debate.Â
âSaâvarsh,â Laeâzel says as she steps forward. âI am here to seek the zaithâisk. Please excuse my servants. Iâll cut their tongues out for their insolence once I finish my business with the ghustil.â
The teacher gives a wary look at Laeâzelâs remark about the zaithâisk.Â
Gale could tell she was seething at the insult, but he just stays quiet. After seeing more Githyanki, he can tell Laeâzel is indeed quite young for her age. While sheâs an excellent warrior, she has a lot more learning to do about leading a group, especially one as disorganized as theirs. Luckily, Copper was able to defuse the situation without appearing too weak or aggressive.Â
âYou are barely older than the ones I teach in this room. You need to learn to be more firm with your revrykal, or they will overrun you. Like this one.â He points to Copper before he rethinks and frowns at Laeâzel. âBut your softness might have been your downfall already.â
He waves her off with finality. âTake your slaves and go to the zaithâisk. You wasted enough of our time.â The teacher shouts at his students, and they snap back to attention. Laeâzel glares at the back of the retreating male but holds her tongue as she quickly motions for her companions to follow her out of the room.
A pang of longing sits in Gale's chest at the thought of the monk and how well she handled the situation. Smart and diplomatic, like always. But he tries to bury the admiration under the orb; there is no point harboring those sorts of feelings anymore.
---
Outside in the hall, Wyll begins to apologize. âDamn, I am so sorry! I should have kept my temper, but I could not stand by and watch him continue to beat on that kid.â
âKâchakhi! That is our way!!!â Laeâzel yells, still seething in embarrassment. âYou do not stand up to a saâvarsh in their training hall!! Even to one so harsh as this one.â
âBut Laeâzel, he was beating his student!â Karlach complains while Wyll nods his head in agreement.Â
âDid more than beat! He killed that young man?!?â Wyll says, looking at Copper for confirmation. The monk nods her head but stays quiet otherwise, but the deference to Copper again causes Laeâzel to vibrate in indignation.Â
âEnough!â Laeâzel snarls. âI have only been benevolent, offering you my peopleâs cure for the tadpole after you repeatedly sought after failed remedies in this pathetic realm.âÂ
Laeâzel gives them all a glare, and Gale almost feels ashamed because indeed, the party chased after every possible cure besides the one that Laeâzel offered from the very beginning. Wyll and Karlach look embarrassed at the rebuttal, but Shadowheart just lets out a little huff of annoyance.
âAre you done yet?â Astarion drawls out, looking at his sharp nails like he didnât have a care in the world. âI want to get out of this pathetic little toady hell hole before anything else bad happens to us.âÂ
âI will hear no more complaints!â Laeâzel shouts, her hands twitch at her side, like they want to grab her Githyanki sword and run it through somebody.Â
âWe are here to seek the zaithâisk!! Not here to criticize this weak and unrefined crèche.â She huffs and stomps her foot before arguing. âPlus, this place is a poor representation of my people. My crèche is a shining jewel in the Astral Plane compared to this dung heap. My sa'varsh is wise and disciplined, who would never go as far as to kill his own giâŚstudent! My kithârak, a pride of Vlaakith!â
âOk, ok, Laeâzel. We understand.â Gale says, trying to calm the angry young woman. âThis place isn't the standard for a Githyanki crèche.â He gives a small smile, hoping it comes off as caring. âWhy donât we head to the ghustil, like youâve been asking. Hmm, get a little healing done before anything else bad happens to us?â
Laeâzel glares at Galeâs pacifying tone but relents. âYou are right. We should have been ghaik days ago. Letâs not press our luck now when we are so close to a cure.â
---
I was struggling with this chapter because of the focus on the Githyanki, and not on Gale. We'll have to bear it a little longer because I am hoping to reveal some fun changes from the OG Plot in these next couple of chapters. Then we'll be back focusing on Gale and his Part Two storyline.
hyperfixation please stay with me long enough to complete the project. hyperfixation do not fade. hyperfixation finish what you started for the love of god
Previous Chapters: Chapter One 1/2 , Chapter One 2/2 , Chapter Two
Characters: Gale Dekarios, Lae'zel, Astarion, and F!Tav: Copper
Tags/Warning: Gale's POV, Nondescript mentions of throwing up/being sick. Argument between Gale and Copper aka Lover's Quarrel. Gale gets called a couple of names but he sort of deserves it. Approx: 2600 words
Summary: Gale is in a bad mood from the event that happened last night. In the monastery library he finds an interesting book and then has a fight with Copper.
---
Sleep was elusive last night and Gale found himself being woken up not long after he finally nodded off to sleep. Turning to his side, he refuses to register the other person's presence and burrows himself further into his blankets for comfort. Heâs not ready to face the others after yesterdayâs incident by the stream. But after a couple of seconds, Gale is then greeted with a rough kick to the side and a grumpy Githyanki glaring down at him.
âGet up istik. My patience is running thin and I already gave you the polite courtesy of being gentle.â Laeâzel growls. âNext time it won't be my boot to your gut.â
âAlright alright!â Gale says moodily, as he throws off his covers and sits up in a hurry. âGood morning to you Laeâzel.â He greets her, looking up at the displeased young woman. âWhy am I blessed with your presence so early in the morning?â
âYou have slept in and the camp needs sustenance before we head out to seek the zaith'isk,â Laeâzel answers bluntly.Â
Gale chooses to rub his temples instead of giving a good glare at the Githyanki warrior. He can feel the irritation deep in his bones from the lack of sleep and being asked to cook when he is in the mood to do nothing.Â
âI was under the impression that we needed to camp out here for a couple of days to allow Copper to recover her strength. Canât somebody else take up the cooking duties for today?â
âStrange, you are usually particular about cooking,â Laeâzel observes. âYou are incorrect, however.â She adds quickly, tapping her foot in impatience. âWe are heading out once morning preparations are over. The captain is already awake and started her day a couple of hours ago. You are the one being slow. Lazing around and holding up the party.â
Gale stops mid-stretch and looks up at the news. âCopper's up and ready for travel, already!? She should still be dealing with the effects of the orb attackâŚâ
---
Gale dresses in his traveling clothes and wanders out of his tent. Looking around, several of his companions were up and moving around. Only Astarion and Karlach appeared to be sleeping while everybody else waited for him to start the morning meal.Â
Over by Wyll, Gale spots Copper chatting with the young warlock. It gives Gale a pause and he watches intently as the monk instructs Wyll about something with his rapier.Â
âCopper was at deathâs door yesterday! Why is she up and acting like nothing happened?â Gale questions, stopping himself from walking over and checking on the woman. Instead, he turns towards the campfire, intent on ignoring her.
---
It appears Copper was intent on ignoring him as well. Gale doesnât know if he should be happy or angry about this fact. He was the one to ask for space. But it was very hard to see Copper acting fine when Gale was tormented all night by the orb attacking her.Â
By the time they got to the monastery, Gale was grouchy. His companions picked up on his sour mood and decided to leave him alone to explore the dilapidated library. Hoping the books would fix his attitude while they searched the upper floors for Dawnmaster Vassidâs remains to give back to Burnside and Peran.
Wandering through a library, even one so destroyed like this one, did bring Gale a sense of peace. Books were always a source of comfort for him and he took great pride in how much of an avid reader, even for a wizard, he was. Browsing the dusty and worn shelves, Gale felt a little like his old self.Â
âSee, thereâs nothing wrong with living just for my scholarly pursuits and acclaim.â Gale thinks as something odd catches his eye on the shelf next to him. As he wanders over, Gale sees the telltale sign that somebody tried to put an enchanted lock on a storage nook.Â
âOh, fun! Whatâs in here? Hopefully, something interesting that somebody deemed important enough to lock up.â Gale gleefully ponders as he easily breaks the spell on the lock with a flick of his wrist.Â
What lay inside looked quite disappointing but Gale picked up the soft cover book and flipped through the mismatched pages anyway. He knows he shouldnât judge a book by its cover but he was starting to question why this patched-together book was locked up in the first place. Gale guesses he should just be grateful the tome wasnât some long-dead monkâs wanking material. Something he has accidentally stumbled upon once or twice in the past.
Just when he is going to give up and go back to perusing the shelves for a more engrossing find, a sentence about the Weave catches his eyes and Gale starts devouring the words.Â
He becomes lost in the handwritten pages of a long-dead monk theorizing that through meditation one could connect to the inner meridians of the world bypassing the Weave altogether to manifest magical effects.Â
For a wizard, this sort of thought was forbidden. The Weave was Mystra and Mystra was the Weave. You cannot do magic without both. Oh course, Gale knows about raw magic but to use it without Mystra as the conduit was volatile and deadly.Â
There's a reason that the Weave is synonymous with magic in Faerun.Â
But this book is theorizing a whole new magic system outside of Mystra. The monk claims magic flows through channels much like Ki flows through the body. That magic is the life force of Toril and the Weave only gathers that life force into a net that gets saturated for arcane use. Connecting to the magical channels directly is dangerous for mortals but with practice, a person could become one with the earthâs magic and produce even stronger results than wielding the Weave.
The author Sol Gaspard even went into great detail about acclimating the body to connect to the worldâs magical meridians and the results of his experiments. Gale must have been reading the heretical manifesto, for at least 45 minutes before he gets rudely interrupted by Astarion swinging an arm around his shoulders and jostling him around.Â
âHey, what do you have there?â the vampire leers down at the book. âI bet it's more interesting than the pile of rubble we found, looking for a long-dead skeleton.â
âHey let go!â Gale complains, pulling away from Astarionâs grasp. âItâs nothing you would find interesting.â He quickly stashes the makeshift book into his bag, glaring at the pale man. âRemember you only read for show?â
Astarion scoffs and shakes his head in amusement. âWhatever, Iâll just take a peek at it later. For now, your girlfriendâŚoops I mean your ex-girlfriend, you know the non-otherworldly one is prepping us for going down into the Githyanki Creche.â
Gale feels the hairs on the back of his neck bristle at the mention of exes.
âUrgh, Copperâs treating us like little kids going on a field trip.â Astarion whines not noticing Galeâs discomfort. âGoing over and over again about how we need to be on our best behavior while in the creche.â
âOnly a safety leash, like the ones a parent uses for rambunctious toddlers, will keep you out of trouble,â Gale moodily mutters. âIâm pretty sure, Copper will give you some candy or some shiny trinket if you behave yourself.âÂ
He swings his bag over his shoulder, not caring if he hits the other man or not before he dashes towards the exit before Astarion can retort. The pale elfâs comments about âgirlfriendsâ put Gale back into his horrible mood and he wants to get away from the annoyance as fast as possible.Â
Outside the library door, Gale jumps around a corner to hide down a side hallway, hoping Astarion will take the most direct route back to the group. After a minute of waiting in silence, Gale decides heâs safe from vampiric company. He begins to move, strolling at a more leisurely pace, taking the back hallways to the staircase where his team is meeting up. Â
Gale is halfway to the staircase when he sees a familiar head of auburn hair, hiding in a shadowy area of the hall. Copper appears to just have lost her lunch and is trembling, leaning into the wall for support. She doesnât even notice Gale watching her and that fact puts him on edge. Copper is usually very aware of her surroundings but sheâs currently not in the right mind frame to be her usual vigilant self.
That fact equally thrills and distresses Gale. He finally got confirmation that Copper was in fact dealing with the aftermath of the orb attack and all of Galeâs worry was worth something. But that also meant Copper was unwell.
Gale knows what it feels like for the orb to feed on you and his sympathetic nature kicks in over his better judgment to keep his distance. He approaches Copper and lays a gentle hand on her back to comfort her as she dry heaves. She flinches from the touch and looks up startled. There is a flash of fear in her eyes that quickly calms but then grows cold.Â
âOh, itâs you.â Copper says apathetically, shrugging off Galeâs hand and stepping a few paces away from him, adjusting herself to make it seem like she wasnât just puking her guts up. âI wasnât expecting anybody in this corridor.âÂ
âI wasnât expecting to be down this corridor either.â Gale awkwardly chuckles, noting the distance she put between them and scolding himself for the small flare of irritation that smoldered in his chest. âBut somebody sent an annoying messenger to bring me back and I decided to take the long way around.â
âHeh, sounds like you. Not afraid to inconvenience anybody.â The monk grumbles nonchalantly but the words set Gale further on edge.
âOHHHH, Iâm sorry for being such an inconvenience to you! With my condition and all. I bet it was terribly inconvenient for you to lose all those precious magical items.â Gale bites back. âBut remember I NEVER once asked you to heal me! You always approached me, asking to help!âÂ
âI never metâŚâ Copper quickly retorts, sweat pouring down her face either from being sick or from nerves⌠âIâm just noting your otherâŚparticularities.â
âLike what exactly?â Gale sneers, all his crummy feelings still roiling around under his skin. Making him more agitated, more angry. He never wanted the orb to hurt anybody and now Copper is complaining about him being difficult and needy.
âI donât think this is the best timeâŚâ Copper waffles, her eyes darting around as she tries to back out of the situation. âWe should head back to the group.â
âNo, this is the perfect time to say whatâs on your mind!â Gale interrupts, bullying his way into this conversation, ready for the cut that can end his attachment to this woman. âIt seems like you kept some of your opinions hidden from me and I would like to know them before I donât get any more unexpected surprises.â
Copper gives him a tired glare. Irritation simmering behind her grey eyes but Gale just raises an eyebrow, stubbornly not moving until she finally gives in with a huff.Â
âBig-headed. Self-absorbed. know-it-all. Who thinks they know better than everybody else.â She haphazardly lists. âAnd youâre a little long-winded.â
Gale was prepping himself for more of a fight but Copperâs words gave him a pause. He was expecting more negatives about being weak, a burden, and dependent on others. But the flaws Copper gave were nothing new for him to hear. How many times has a teacher or colleague called him arrogant? And long-winded is just synonymous with Gale.
Copper doesnât notice she already knocked most of the fight out of Gale as she gets more personal.Â
âWhy are you even here, Gale?â Copper asks tiredly, the exasperation sinking deep into her words. âYou made up âourâ mind about needing space but now you are invading mine.âÂ
Without waiting for a response. Copper tries to shove her way past him but he grabs onto her arm to prevent her from going.Â
âBecause I know how it feels for the orb to gnaw at your soul,â Gale growls out in frustration.
Even barely holding Copper, he feels how weak she is from the orb attack. He could tell her usual vitality was lacking because, on her best of days, Gale wouldnât be able to physically keep Copper immobile like this if she had the mind to move. Her skin also felt hot and sweaty to the touch, in a sickly way. Like a fever that hasnât broken yet.
âYou shouldn't be here. You should be back at camp, curled up in your bedrolls waiting for the pain to pass.â Gale says sternly, trying to cover up his concern.Â
âYou donât know meâŚyou canât tell me what to do.â Copper says defiantly as she yanks free from his hold but proceeds to wobble and collide with the wall. She clings to it for support and Gale is annoyed with the antics. Itâs like dealing with a child or a very drunk person. Hell even Tara on her off days can be this infuriating.
âWhy, are you so stubborn?â He grunts and he pulls Copper upright.
âGaleâŚlet go of me.â Copper whines. âWe need to get going. Witherâs said we all have to go otherwise âitâ won't work out.â
âIt? What is it? Freeing ourselves of the tadpoles?â Gale half yells, struggling to wrangle this woman.
âWithers said we need to be together...but weâre supposed to be apart from each other. Thatâs what GaleâŚyou said.â Copper was half talking to herself and half to him. Delirious from the fever.Â
âI know, I know.â Gale hushes her. âBut letâs get you presentable for the others first. You donât want them to know you are sick, right?âÂ
Copper gives him a weak hazy glare that confirms his suggestion.Â
Gale conjures a small rain cloud to fill the nearby cracked vase as he soaks his handkerchief in the water, dapping the cool cloth on Copperâs heated skin.Â
After a few minutes, her heavy breathing starts to slow down as he carefully wipes along her face and neck. Watching the soft rise and fall of her chest. Thereâs a desire to follow Copperâs neckline downwards and touch the swell of her rosy breasts that are peeking out of her loose robes. But Gale tempers the urge down with irritation. He grumpily sticks to cooling just her face off, half wishing he kept to his principles of staying away from Copper so he wasnât stuck in this temptation now.Â
Trying to back peddle to more practical not horny terms, Gale was about to summon a small wind spell to help break the fever when Copper suddenly grabbed his well-behaving hand.
âThatâs enough,â she orders. Staring at him with clear eyes. âWe need to get going. The others are waiting.â
Gale pauses and takes in the woman. Her coloring was back to normal and her temperature is definitely down from where it was before. Heâs still not pleased with Copper pushing herself but Gale decides not to complain because heâs not one to talk about pushing forward with a monstrous orb still living in his chest.Â
With a flick of his wrist, he dispels his charms. âLetâs mosey then.â
Copper is awkward. Unsure what to do with herself after Galeâs tender care. She almost tells him âthank youâ but stops herself and frowns. Gale just shakes his head as they quickly settle back into the routine of ignoring each other.
My partner and I just beat Honour Mode with my Dark Urge Bard and their Storm Sorcerer!
Details on the run below.
Ari my Dark Urge is a College of Lore Bard. Her charisma is ridiculously high (she even deceived the Emperor) and she was the talker of the team. She also provided support with afflicting status ailments on to enemies and healing allies.
Ari romanced Shadowheart and tried to romance Halsin but his scenes didn't really work out. Shadowheart was changed to a Life Domain Cleric and was the main healer.
My partner was the damage dealer with his storm sorcerer and Lae'zel who stayed as a fighter but had an extremely powerful throwing build.
The hardest fight was the Githyanki Inquisitor since we were still had low level weapons and spells. Otherwise we were very selective with our Act 3 fights.
We accepted Raphael's deal to get the Orphic Hammer. Sided with Gortash and avoided fighting Cazador. At the end we had Gale blow himself up.
These choices didn't sit well with me but once my partner and I got into Act 3 we really wanted the golden honour mode dice.
In the end, it was very surprising how a lot of these choices didn't seem to matter at the end. We got no reaction to Gortash's fate and Raphael didn't make a peep about the Crown of Karsus being blown up by Gale. I felt really bad for Astarion living alone and hiding from Cazador still. But at Wither's party I promised Astarion I would still kill Cazador so that helps a little.
I'm going to take a small break from Baldur's Gate but once I am back. My partner and I will do another Honor Run with Copper. This time we will fight the hard fights and hopefully get everybody a happy ending.
yousharknotpass
gracieabrams
turnnoffyourmind
gummygunk
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