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i want to live (all origins)

STANDING ON BUSINESS!

Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai wins the Emmy for best actor and actress for the FX series “Shogun”. 

"Heep! Heep! Hooooooo!"

Source : Variety & The Hollywood Reporter

Until We Wake

Pairing: Gale/Tav

Warnings: Talk of death, afterlife, angst.

Word Count: 1000 words

A/N - I wanted to try and write something different, and move away from my usual overly-descriptive style.

I hope you like it <3

You are dead.

It was easy in the end. Like taking off a coat you’d been wearing too long.

There’s no confusion. You know you are dead, and it’s okay…Was okay? Is okay? Time is strange here. Slippery.

You are sitting at the edge of a great lake. Well, not really sitting, not really by a lake, but that’s how it feels. There is no sunshine, but you can feel the warmth of it on your—skin? No, not skin. There isn’t any skin. There isn’t a body at all. You just… are.

It’s nice, actually.

“God?” A voice, though not a voice, fills the space around you.

“Erm, no. Sorry. There may be one around somewhere, though,” you reply.

You sense a kind of exasperation.

“No,” it says, more insistently. “Which God is yours? Who did you worship?”

“Oh!” That’s funny. If you had lungs, you would laugh. “I didn’t really worship one.”

The silence that follows is heavy.

You’ve probably given the wrong response and are now going to drift here for eternity in silence. That doesn’t seem so bad. There’s peace in it.

“But, uh, I felt close to Selûne. I knew her daughter, actually. Aylin? I saved her once—no, twice! From an eternal cycle of ritual torture and sacrifice. Twice!” You pause, waiting for the weight of your heroism to settle in. “Can you write that down? Are you writing things down? I don’t really know how this works.”

“I am not writing things down.”

“Right. Okay.”

More time passes—seconds, hours, centuries. It is hard to tell. If experience has taught you anything, it’s that you should probably be a little hesitant about listening to mysterious entities who appear in your unconsciousness. But, for whatever reason, you have no doubt that you’re safe.

“Who are you?” you ask.

“Nobody.”

“Oh.” Another eternal pause. “Sorry, I don’t know what that means. I know you don’t have a body. I don’t either. What I meant to ask is... what’s your purpose here?”

“To help”

“Ah.” You think about that. It feels distant, though, like the thought isn’t entirely yours. “Can Withers bring me back? He usually does.”

“No. Not this time.”

That’s alright, you realise. Everything ends.

“Can you tell me how you died?” the voice continues, unhurried.

If sadness existed here, you would feel it.

“I failed somebody. I couldn’t convince him he was deserving enough to live. He sacrificed himself. I stayed with him.”

“Gale Dekarios,” comes the response. Even now, even here, the sound of his name warms you.

“Yes! That’s him! Have you met him? Is he here too?”

“He is not.”

You pause, a moment of confusion or relief, it’s hard to say. Perhaps he’s with Mystra.

He had followed her order, hadn't he? He had used the orb. Perhaps he was cradled back in her starlit palm. Perhaps he was finally fulfilled.

“He’s probably with his Goddess,” you say, matter-of-factly.

“He forgot his Goddess. At the end, he thought only of you.”

Right. He had said something like that once. On a boat he had built out of hope and stardust. It felt like a lifetime ago. You wish you had said more to him—something different. You should have been more convincing, made him see he was more than magic, more than martyrdom. He was kind. Funny. So very human.

Not anymore.

“Will I see him again?”

“Maybe”

This voice that’s not a voice is not hugely helpful. It feels distant. Somehow big and small. Like many voices, or none, all at the same time.

“I let him down,” you whisper, though no sound leaves you.

“He forgives you.”

What do they know of Gale? This mysterious spectre. Maybe it’s just your own thoughts, your desperation, trying to clutch at forgiveness. Maybe death has splintered you into fragments of yourself whispering back and forth. Maybe the afterlife is nothing more than talking to yourself in the quiet, with no one left to answer. A conversation in circles, where you are both the call and the response.

“You loved him" they say. It isn't a question.

“I did. I do. I always will.”

It's lucky you don't have a heart. It would be in splinters.

“Would you like to try again?” The voice offers.

Your thoughts pause, grasping at the idea. “You mean, go back? To the start? Is that possible?”

“Sometimes. Under certain circumstances.”

A chance to try again. At what? Saving Gale? Having a better life? A better death? Eventually finding your way back to this place, with no regrets holding you back?

You would like that.

“Will I remember this?”

“No.”

“Will he?”

“No.”

You could have had this conversation hundreds of times before, or perhaps it is the first and only. It is impossible to know.

“Ok. Yes, please.”

You can feel the pieces of yourself starting to come apart, like threads of a tapestry being unspooled by the oldest and gentlest of hands.

You reach out for those delicate, golden threads on instinct, but they slip away, and it is hard to know whether you are letting go of them or they are letting go of you.

Scratch the Dog. Karlach’s laughter. Night Orchids. Sunlight on scarred skin. Homemade cookies. Gale. Magic. A kiss.

You try to hold them tighter.

“How do I know I won’t make the same mistakes all over again?” you ask.

“You don’t,” the voice that wasn’t a voice says.

A silver sword. A man with horns dancing. Pipe smoke and bear fur. Taverns and temples and soft touches. Gale.

You’re trying to hold so many of them, you have to let others go. What is your name again? How old are you? Who were your parents?

Moonlight through shadow. A boat on make-believe water. A hand in yours. A purple dagger.

“Will I still be me?” You’re no longer sure what that means.

“That depends.”

The lake that wasn’t a lake, the warmth that wasn’t the sun, all of it begins to fade. You feel yourself pulled away, or maybe pulled together. You aren’t sure which—you just know you’re going somewhere, somewhen.

The voice speaks a final time as everything ends. As everything begins.

“Who are you?”

he’s autistic. he’s bisexual. he’s the smoothest motherfucker you’ll ever meet. he’s a loser. he’s a 35 year old man. he’s babygirl. he’s brooding. he’s a ray of sunshine. he’s an optimist. he’s passively suicidal. he has knee problems. he’s a househusband. he’s a powerful magical being. he’s a recent divorcee. he’s a slut. he’s a canon munch. he’s a romantic. he has an ego the size of the sun. he’s the most insecure man you’ll ever meet. i didn’t say his name but you thought of him didn’t you

Astarion doodles~

my silly little fanfic about my disaster bisexual, her wild spiritual journey, and her chaotic love stories with a wizard and a vampire reached 500 hits on ao3! 🎉

i appreciate every person who has even glanced at a chapter of this story. i’ve been writing for my entire life, but self-doubt and working 24/7 has kept me from committing myself to my writing. this story has been me making a genuine effort to try and push myself to write a story through its completion and im proud of myself, even if it is just a fanfic. it’s given me motivation to finish the original screenplays and stories that have been sitting neglected on my laptop, only getting my attention every 4 months.

thanks y’all :)

Like Real People Do, Chapter Fourteen

Gale Dekarios x Named! Tav

Chapter Synopsis: It's time to take the fight to Ketheric Thorm. The battle at Moonrise leaves Seraphina with as much joy as it does despair.

18+ | MDNI

Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Four and a Half. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine. Chapter Nine and a Half. Chapter Ten. Chapter Eleven. Chapter Twelve. Chapter Thirteen.

Read on ao3.

Word Count: 5.7k

Notes: Oops, I took a hiatus. Shout out to anyone who endures this long ass chapter! I also can now safely say this fic will definitely not end on Chapter 16. But it also can't end on an odd number because that would irk me lol.

Learn more about my Tav, Seraphina.

Chapter Fourteen: Condemn the World

“Someone please blast the one casting this spell!”

Seraphina could barely make out Shadowheart’s shout over the yells and screams that filled the room. She coughed and winced as she rapidly blinked her eyes, struggling to see through the cloud of darkness that was cloaking her in cold and forcing acid into her lungs. She yelped as she bumped into someone who quickly grabbed her arm.

“Love, is that you?”

“Gale, follow me.”

With Gale clinging to her, Seraphina forced her way out of the blackness, her vision clearing. The assault on Moonrise had become a chaotic bloodbath. The bodies of Absolutists and Harpers littered the floor. Arrows rained down from the rafters. The stench of blood was overwhelming, and the air was full of steam from ice magic and raging fires. 

The glory of battle made Seraphina’s blood run hot.

“Tormentum!” She yelled, launching magical projectiles at the absolutist concentrating on the Hunger of Hadar cloud. A ray of frost from Gale quickly killed the warlock.

A roar came from behind her, and in a blur, a blonde elf sprinted past her, bringing down his warhammer on a cultist. Seraphina liked seeing Vadan in action again. He was a formidable warrior, if not slightly reckless – just like he was being right that moment.

Seraphina let out a choking sound as she leapt forward and used her shield to bash a cultist that was sprinting towards Vadan. The barbarian spun around and crushed the person’s skull.

“You still don’t pay attention to your right flank,” she huffed.

“Everybody keeps a cleric around for a reason,” Vadan smirked. His playful expression suddenly dropped. “Duck!”

Seraphina dropped to her knees and Vadan swung his hammer at the enemy behind her. At that same moment, she sent a witch bolt towards a paladin emerging from the central room of the Tower.

“It’s nice to see you don’t hate me,” he said, yanking her to her feet. “Still saving my hide after all this time.”

“Don’t get it twisted. I resent most things about you,” Seraphina replied. She shut her mouth immediately. Either the heat of battle, with the risk of annihilation, had made her bluntly honest or Astarion’s sharp tongue had rubbed off on her.

She zapped the paladin again and her eyes scanned the room. She relaxed as she saw that Gale was fine and skillfully freezing a few Absolutists to death.

“Just be smart,” Seraphina said quickly. Without hearing his reply, she sprinted away towards Wyll, touching his shoulder with a murmur to heal some of his wounds as he blasted at two archers on the rafters. As one was sent flying to the ground, the other dodged an eldritch blast, shooting an arrow down. Seraphina grunted as the arrow grazed her, slicing through her armor.

As she looked up, prepared to summon a spiritual weapon to maim the man, the shadows behind him shifted. Astarion leapt from the darkness, lodging his dagger in the archer’s throat. His body tumbled down, a sickening crunch ringing out as he met the stone floor.

“Harpers! We have them on the back foot. Push forward!” Jaheira shouted. The Harpers responded with a thunderous yell and, like a wave, began to close in, forcing the cultists to retreat into the main room of the Towers.

Leading the charge was Vadan. As she watched him rush forward, her skin quivered. Her chest tightened. Time seemed to slow down. An Absolutist had suddenly turned, now facing Vadan, and he was raising his sword. Slowly, ever so slowly, Seraphina could see the divine magic beginning to imbue his weapon. She forced air into her lungs as she lifted her hand and pointed at the paladin. 

Bend his luck she commanded, calling out to the Weave and Tymora.

She felt the Weave twist under her control. There was a slight flash on the sword. But then it lit up fully with a blinding white light. And the paladin swung. Bile rose up in her throat as she watched the smite come down onto Vadan. As his chest caved in, a cry escaped Seraphina. But he still stood.

She blinked and time was normal again as Vadan stumbled back, raising his hammer, but the paladin swung again. With the second smite, Vadan’s body crumbled to the ground. As soon as he fell, Karlach swung her axe up, slicing through the paladin’s jaw and face, killing him.

“Vadan!” Seraphina yelped. As she fell to her knees next to him, she croaked another pained sound. His eyes were wide, but unseeing. His breastplate was destroyed, and she could see into his inner chest cavity.

“No. No. No no no,” she chanted as she pulled out a healing potion. She could feel and vaguely hear the soldiers and her own party rushing past her. The fight seemed to vanish for a moment as she focused in on Vadan’s body in front of her. Her breathing quickened as sobs shook her body. 

“Come, cub,” Jaheira’s voice drifted in and out of Seraphina’s ears. “There is a battle to be fought yet.”

“We can’t leave him here. We have to help him.”

“He is gone. He will not rise again.”

“Then I must pray for his soul,” Seraphina choked out.

“You will die if you stay here,” the druid insisted. “Battle is not the time for mourning the fallen, lest we join them. Come. We must finish this.”

The sorcerer looked up, taking in the carnage around her, and looked back down at Vadan’s body in front of her. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hands to his chest.

“Lady Luck, I commend this brave soul to your care. Vadan bravely embraced risk and faced the unknown,” she murmured quickly. “Though the dice have fallen and his journey here has ended, I trust your favor and the winds of fortune to carry Vadan to your side, where he may bask in your eternal light.”

She cursed herself for forgetting the full prayer, but…there was no time. Jaheira yanked on her arm again and Seraphina looked back once more before her feet carried her up the stairs, after her companions, and towards the roof of Moonrise. 

Numbness was all she felt as they battled Ketheric Thorm. Even as they whittled him down with the great help of Dame Aylin, it didn’t feel like they were winning. It felt like Beshaba herself had intervened when the General disappeared with the aasimar. 

Seraphina gazed down into the amalgamation of flesh and tendons that extended down, down, down into the tower, a menacing pinkish glow emanating out of the abyss. If any of them had any hope of survival, there was only one path forward. There was no choice.

She had jumped headfirst into the Hells to challenge an archdevil. This would be no different. A Hellwhisper didn’t run from danger. She didn’t run from it. Not from the danger that threatened her life, the life of her friends, and all the Sword Coast. Not from the evil that had taken Vadan’s life.

She turned back to her party and dropped to her knees, shaking several potion bottles of out her pack.

“Drink one of these. All of you. We’re going in after him now.”

x x x

“Oh hells,” Seraphina muttered. She clutched her lucky coin and recited a prayer to Tymora. If she was even still listening.

“I’m starting to realize it is a horrible idea to keep following you around,” Astarion chimed in.

“If you all had helped me locate a crèche, perhaps we wouldn’t be here,” Lae’zel whispered.

“Can you all shut your traps? That’s Gortash up there!” Karlach hissed.

Even as their party bickered and tried to determine the best strategy, there was one voice Seraphina didn’t hear. She turned, searching for her love, and her body went cold as she found him standing off to the side, his face painted with distress as he clutched his chest.

“Look at that crown,” Gale murmured. “It radiates with power unlike anything I’ve ever seen. To have it…to hold…if only I could…”

“Gale?” Seraphina approached him, placing a hand on his arm.

He shook his head, not looking at her.

“This is it. I must do as Mystra commands.”

Seraphina’s eyes widened as fear coursed through her. No. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

“Gale, no. You can’t do this. You’ll kill all of us!”

“What choice do I have? This isn’t just about Mystra or myself; whole worlds hang in the balance.”

Seraphina grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down closer to her. She wasn’t going to let him die. They weren’t going to die today. They couldn’t.

“Forget all of that. Listen to me: You can choose me. You can choose us, and we’ll find a way to end this together,” she pleaded.

“And if we don’t?”

“Then we’ll fail and die together, but at least we did it on our own terms. At least it was a choice we made, not one that was demanded of us by the gods. But we’ll try. We will.”

Gale squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead against Seraphina’s, his jaw clenched. Tears welled in her eyes.

“Please. Please, Gale. I love you. I love you enough to keep living and keep trying.”

“I love you too,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “More than myself. More than Mystra.”

He leaned back, lifting a hand to cup her face, his thumb caressing her cheekbone.

“You’ve shown me so much already,” Gale said. “I’ll trust you. Even if I condemn the world, I choose you,” Gale said. She grabbed his hand that held her face and squeezed it.

“Then let’s do the impossible,” she whispered.

x x x

Though they had done exactly that, it didn’t feel right.

Even as all her companions stood around her, alive and well, if not battered and bruised, something felt off. They had returned to camp, drinking and laughing and their victory, while bodies sapped of their warmth and souls, including Vadan’s, laid under freshly dug mounds of dirt.

She sat away from the celebrations, gazing off into the darkness near the river. She filled her goblet again, the bottle that she’d snuck away for herself nearing its end. She thought of Vadan’s doting parents, his goofy and adorable little sister, and his twin. Oh, gods, his twin. She wondered if Almar felt it when Vadan’s soul left this plane.

She’d buried comrades before, but never someone that she had thought she would be with until her last day. Someone that a part of her still loved, even after everything. He’d died and her luck hadn’t been enough to save him. Did she even have any luck at all? Beshaba’s offer crept at the edges of her mind.

And then Gale’s chuckle reached her ears. He wasn’t dead. He hadn’t blown himself and their entire party up at the command of a cruel goddess. He chose to believe in Seraphina and the hope that they could find another way. That counted for something. 

Seraphina let out a shaky breath and wiped the tears from her face.

“Drinking by yourself is hardly a proper way to enjoy a victory.”

The tiefling jumped as the High Harper sat down next to her.

“I needed time alone,” Seraphina replied.

“Your wizard is waiting for you. Even if you’re not there, he makes up for it with how much he goes on and onabout you,” the druid laughed.

Sweet, sweet Gale. She should be wrapped up in him right now, but he deserved better than to suffer her moping.

“I have a confession to make, if you can endure someone’s company at the moment,” Jaheira said. Seraphina glanced at her.

“I...I was happy for Vadan when he told me that he had found love. Admittedly, I already had my suspicions when he kept asking for the same Tymoran cleric to be given clearance to accompany him on his missions,” the half-elf chuckled. “I traveled with the one I loved. There is hardly a better feeling than fighting side-by-side and then getting to rest together when the sun sets.”

Seraphina nodded, turning to look over her shoulder at her companions. Her eyes drifted towards Gale, flushed from the wine and laughing with Karlach and Halsin. He seemed lighter, almost bouncing on his feet. They would get to rest together tonight…at some point.

“But then the reports began to pile up. The reports that the cleric was getting my Harpers, including Vadan, injured with their wild magic surges. You see, Vadan had failed to mention that little detail.”

Seraphina stared into her goblet, watching the ripples in the wine. She would never forget those adventures. She thought her and Vadan were invincible. She was so naïve. 

“But he swore that you were worth the risk. Not just for him, but for the Harpers as a whole. He said that you were resilient, powerful, and determined to vanquish evil wherever you found it. He told me that his wild love could serve us well.”

Seraphina’s stomach churned. She could hear Vadan’s voice now.

“My wild love,” he chuckled as he cut away the vines that had entangled him after she had a wild magic surge. 

“My wild love,” he murmured as he kissed her awake, sunlight streaming in through a gap in the tent.

“I believed him until the…incident in the Dessarin Valley,” Jaheira continued, bringing Seraphina back for a minute.

Seraphina immediately drained her glass, forcing her body to focus on the function of swallowing, on the warmth that that the wine was spreading through her. Focus on blinking. Focus on breathing. Anything to keep from remembering the blood on her hands.

“Are you listening, cub? Do you remember?” Jaheira asked.

The tiefling gulped.

“I wouldn’t be able to forget it,” Seraphina replied bitterly. The memories began to swim behind her lids. 

Flashes of the brutal battle in the Valley, fighting off cultists attempting to summon powerful entities from the Elemental Planes. She was there again, horror and fear piercing her heart as a wild magic surge sent out a wave of necrotic magic from her body. Harpers collapsed around her, some dead. She watched Vadan fall again in her mind’s eye, the veins in his body turning a sickly black and green as the magic nearly consumed him. The image shifted and suddenly it was his cold, dead body on the floor of Moonrise.

“Why have you come to talk to me, Jaheira?” the sorcerer said much more sharply than she intended.

“Because after you nearly wiped out an entire squadron of my Harpers, I told Vadan that you were no longer allowed to travel with us. I told him that he should leave you before you got him killed,” Jaheira took a sip of her wine. “He took his leave for the wedding and then suddenly, he came right back. Told me that I was right about you. But now, after today…”

Seraphina refilled her glass and looked over, expecting to see disgust and hatred on the druid’s face, only to see…admiration.

“After today, I see that I was wrong. I misjudged you and I could not have been more wrong. You have slain Ketheric Thorm and, without hesitation, you are marching on to slay the rest of the Chosen of the Dead Three. I…I apologize for leading Vadan away from you,” Jaheira murmured. “I feel as if I robbed you two of happiness. Maybe you wouldn’t even have a tadpole in your head if you had married. Maybe he wouldn’t have fallen today.”

Seraphina looked over to Gale again. This time, his eyes flicked up and he met her gaze. His smile grew, lopsided and silly, and he winked at her. She sighed, feeling overwhelmed by the thread that was pulling her towards him, as if she needed to by his side.

No. She did need to be by his side. They never would’ve met if Vadan hadn’t left her. If she hadn’t been in Yartar that fateful day, the mind flayer ship wouldn’t have taken her to the beach where she met the man that made her soul feel more peace and confidence than she ever thought possible. The man who needed her as much as she needed him. Everything had led to this moment.

“I appreciate the apology, Jaheira, but there really is no need. Vadan and I…our relationship served a purpose for both of us. We changed each other. We made good, bad, and ugly memories together,” Seraphina replied. “But I’m glad that he didn’t come to our wedding that day. I was angry for a long time. Hells, if you had said that to me a few months ago, I probably would’ve snapped.”

Her and Jaheira chuckled.

“But I ended up right where I needed to be,” Seraphina continued. “And I suppose Vadan did too. He was…he was a fierce warrior. A man who would give a stranger the clothes off his back. He died trying to destroy the Absolute today and we will march on in his memory.”

Jaheira lifted her goblet.

“To Vadan,” she smiled sadly.

“To Vadan,” Seraphina repeated. They both took a sip from their glasses.

“Now, let’s get you away from this gloomy shore,” Jaheira said. She stood and held down a hand to the cleric, pulling her to her unsteady feet.

“As much as you mourn tonight, you should celebrate those you have by your side,” Jaheira continued. She smiled as she shooed the younger woman away.

Seraphina blinked rapidly to try and clear her vision and made her way over to the fire. Gale smiled at her as she approached, and he set down his goblet before wordlessly and firmly grasping her waist and pulling her close to him. He hummed happily as she melted into his touch. His forwardness was a welcome surprise. She didn’t want to take the lead. She wanted him to take her hand and guide her out of the despair she was in and towards pleasure or sleep in his arms.

“I thought I was going to go mad if you stayed away any longer,” Gale whispered, his breath tickling Seraphina’s ear. His hands glided across her body, his arms now fully wrapped around her and encasing her against him. She could feel the thud of his heart against her cheek, echoing all around her.

Suddenly, Gale leaned back, shaking his head.

“Gods, I forget myself. I’m sorry. How are you doing?” he asked, his eyes no longer half-lidded and hazy, but wide with concern. He lifted one hand and brushed her bangs away from her face.

“I…I’m alright,” Seraphina murmured.

“Truly? Are you sure? If you want to talk about what happened or about Vadan, I understand. My ears are here if you have need of them.”

Seraphina nodded. Of course he was attempting to check on her, as if he wasn’t on the verge of self-destruction mere hours ago. She didn’t deserve him. She pushed herself onto her toes and pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes.

“Thank you, Gale,” she sighed. “Maybe another night, but tonight I just want to be with you and think of nothing else.”

Gale pulled away and looked at her skeptically. As much as she adored how he cared for her, his concern wasn’t what she wanted right now. Seraphina softly grabbed his face and kissed him. His lips immediately began to move against hers, gently, like she was a glass that he was afraid of shattering.

“Hey! Get a room you two!”

Something bounced off Seraphina’s head and she separated from Gale to see a stale bread roll on the ground. Karlach had her arm raised, prepared to launch another. 

“Let them have their moment, Karlach,” Wyll laughed. “Things could’ve ended quite horribly for all of us today.”

Karlach sighed.

“Fine. Fine. At least someone is having some serious fun tonight,” she said.

“Oh, you don’t have to go to bed alone, Karlach,” Astarion commented.

“Are you offering, Fangs?”

“Ha! No, but I was going to remind you about that ‘old eye’ you said Withers was giving you.”

A tug on her waist.

Seraphina turned to Gale, who nodded towards his tent.

“Join me?” Gale asked. Though his smile was gentle and sweet, the way that his eyes darted to her lips and his grip on her waist betrayed his true desires. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a flutter between her thighs.

“Of course,” Seraphina whispered.

Without another word to the others, the two slipped away and into Gale’s tent. He immediately dispelled the darkness with a quick casting of dancing lights, the tiny orbs bouncing near the roof, casting everything in a blue glow.

Seraphina wrapped her arms around Gale’s neck and pulled him close. Gale rested his hands on her hips, his head going to the crook of her neck. She heard him inhale deeply, his nose and lips ghosting across her skin.

“How nice it is to simply be here with you,” he whispered. 

“Mmm,” Seraphina hummed. “I couldn’t agree more. You’re alive and that means the world to me.”

They stood there for a moment, their hands wandering over each other’s bodies, aimless beyond the simple goal of touching the other. Her hands carded through his walnut and silver hair, gently massaging his scalp. One of his hands rubbed up and down her torso while the other repeated the same motion down her spine. Then, the hand on her spine crept to the base of her tail and began to softly stroke the appendage.

A small squeak left Seraphina’s lips as Gale applied more pressure on the underside of her tail. She felt him smile against her skin as he fully wrapped his hand around it, his thumb now making circles over the topside.

“Someone’s been studying tiefling anatomy,” she said breathlessly, her chuckle turning into a gasp as he suddenly squeezed her tail and began to leave hot openmouthed kisses along her neck and collarbone, making her knees weak.

“I may have read up on the topic while I was teaching myself a bit of Infernal,” Gale murmured, raising his head and kissing her cheek. “One should always take the time to know and understand their lover’s body. Though now is the time for putting my knowledge to the test, hmm?”

“Yes, a bit of hands-on experimentation is in order.”

He pulled away and lifted her chin, his thumb brushing her lower lip.

“Tydd py smiz haf silz,” Gale whispered, his tongue clumsily wrapping around the harsh, guttural sounds, but Seraphina understood what he meant. It was incredibly endearing, and a shudder ran through her.

Tell me what you want.

“Yaf,” she replied. 

Gale smirked as his hand moved from her chin to her jaw and he pulled her into a kiss that was all too brief. 

“Yaf mijy py las vorv oaryjyrpary, ph wsyyz Syriemuli. Wmiz va haf silz ul zmuw papylz?”

You have me now and forevermore, my sweet Seraphina. What do you want in this moment?

Seraphina bit her lip.

“I want to feel your skin on mine, ph wsyyz aly. I want you to kiss me until you’re the only thing I can think about,” she moaned as his hands squeezed her ass, pulling her against him. He grunted as she rolled her hips against the bulge growing in his trousers.

“Then allow me to provide,” Gale pressed a kiss to Seraphina’s temple before slowly and carefully helping her down onto her back on his bedroll. She noticed his hand tremble as it glided down her thigh and she took it into her own hand, kissing each of his fingers.

“You don’t have to be nervous. We can just go to sleep if you wish,” Seraphina murmured.

“No. I want this. I want you,” Gale said quickly. His gaze darted behind her, and he cleared his throat. “It’s simply been some…some time since I’ve been with someone on this plane.” 

She smiled against his hand.

“We can go as slowly as you wish. We’ll only do what you desire,” Seraphina whispered.

Gale’s eyes found hers again and she squeezed her thighs together at his smoldering expression, his chest quickly rising and falling as he nearly panted.

“I died today and instead here I am,” Gale smiled. “With you, the most incredible person I have ever been so lucky to meet. I want to feel everything with you tonight. If you truly indulge my desires, we’ll be in this tent for a tenday.”

She bit the inside of her cheek. How was it even possible for him to believe that? Seraphina struggled to push her thoughts away as Gale’s nimble hands pulled off her clothes. Her racing thoughts halted for a minute when she removed Gale’s soft, satin purple shirt.

Her hands moved of their own volition, pressing on his chest with her claws grazing through the soft layer of hair that trailed down into his trousers, over his well-defined stomach. Gale groaned at her touch.

“Gods, look at you,” she whispered, her hands moving back up and passing over his nipples, making Gale hiss. “You’re so handsome, Gale.”

“I never expected such a compliment to be directed my way, but who am I to argue with your impeccable taste?"

Gale softly caressed her neck, his own hands traveling over her chest and torso.

“I can hardly compare to you,” he said. She squirmed under his reverent stare and touch.

“Your beauty is beyond description. I don’t believe a statue or painting could capture it all,” he continued breathlessly. She moaned as Gale’s hands continued their path, his fingers delicately gliding over the ridges that curved around the underside of her breasts.

“How could you say that about me?” she murmured. Gale’s eyes snapped up from her torso to her face, but she refused to look at him. 

“How couldn’t I?”

“The horns…my eyes…all of it. I’m the type of thing that parents talk about in stories to scare their children,” she grumbled. “I’m an omen. A monster. A devil.” He grabbed Seraphina’s chin and pulled up, forcing her to look at him.

“You could never frighten me,” he whispered. “One look from you is enough to make me shiver, but that tremble doesn’t come from fear.”

With one hand, he grabbed one of hers and guided it to the bulge in his pants. They both gasped and he rolled his hips into her palm.

“See and feel what you do to me. You are the most beautiful person I have ever met. The most gorgeous being in all the planes. No one could compare – divine, devil, or mortal,” Gale murmured. He moved her hand from his crotch and pinned it to next to her head.

“You are not an omen. Don’t you dare describe your light and goodness in such a way,” he continued, kissing her. “Your soul is capable of so much love, more than I ever thought possible or considered myself worthy of. The fact that we lay here together now and aren’t reduced to ashes is proof of that. The city of Elturel is on Toril again because of you and all that you are capable of.”

Gale kissed Seraphina’s forehead, one hand carefully stroking the area where her horns began to protrude from her head.

“I am so lucky that it was you by my side in that colony. Had it been me alone or with anyone else…” he started and then shook his head. “I should fall to my knees and thank the Smiling Lady that our paths crossed. But she has nothing to do with how amazing you are, so I will worship you instead.”

He pressed more adoring kisses to the freckles that dotted her skin as he crawled backwards, settling on his stomach as he gave her a wicked look from between her legs.

“Name your desire, my love,” Gale said. Even as he sat there, sinfully looking between her dripping cunt and her eyes, she blushed from his sweet words. 

My love.

She began to speak, and a whine escaped instead as he nipped the inside of her thigh. His tongue quickly swept over the small injury, and he proceeded to softly suck on the spot, certain to leave behind a bruise. The thought of how many love bites and bruises she would have come morning sent a shiver down her spine.

“My love, I must hear you tell me what you want,” Gale smiled up at her.

“I want your tongue on me. In me. Please,” she whimpered.

“Hold your legs, dearest,” Gale instructed, and Seraphina quickly complied, gripping the backs of her knees and pulling her legs back. Gale’s brown eyes swam with hot desire as he gazed at her cunt. He took his thumbs and parted her lips, a sigh escaping both Gale and Seraphina at the motion.

“You are perfect in every way,” he breathed, pressing his lips to the backs of her thighs, inching closer and closer to where she wanted him. Seraphina heard him utter something and, suddenly, a familiar bubble of Silence formed around them.

“I think our friends have heard more than enough,” Gale said gruffly. He looked into Seraphina’s eyes as he licked a long stripe up her folds, both letting out low moans as he began to circle around her clit.

She moaned as she fell apart beneath his tongue, allowing pleasure to wash away – or at least cover up – the pain from the day. Tears and stars alike swam in her vision as Gale continued lapping at her, his tongue swirling and sucking at her clit, two curled fingers pumping in and out of her.

“You taste divine,” Gale mumbled as he briefly pulled away from her. “The most intoxicating, sweet nectar that has ever touched my tongue.”

Time became a blur as she laid back and allowed him to devour her. The ringing in Seraphina’s ears from her rushing blood blocked out the rest of Gale’s praise as she came again and again under his touch, crying out his name.

“Gale, please. I need more,” she whimpered while he crawled his way up from between her legs, his lips and beard coated in her slick.

“I will never leave you wanting. I swear that to you.”

He quickly tossed his trousers aside and Seraphina got onto her knees, reaching for his cock, but he stopped her hand.

“I want to be inside you more than anything else in this moment,” Gale explained, kissing her. “I cannot endure another second not being completely wrapped up in you. There will be time for that later.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Seraphina said.

Gale gently pushed her back onto the bedroll and he held onto her thigh as he slid inside her. He let out a deep guttural groan as she gasped.

“Oh hells…you’re so…warm,” he moaned.

“Is this your first time lying with a tiefling?” she asked, biting her lip.

“Yes – ah – I’ve never felt anyone like you,” Gale squeezed her hips and clenched his jaw. His eyes flew open again. 

“I love you,” Gale gasped as he slowly began to move.

“I love you too,” Seraphina breathed, her hands moving from his shoulders to tangle in his hair, pulling him down and capturing his lips in a searing kiss. 

He wrapped both of his arms around her waist, simultaneously squeezing her into a tight embrace and forcing an arch into her back. At that angle, each thrust from Gale brushed against her clit, pushing whines and gasps out of Seraphina. He moaned as her wet, warm walls clenched around him, pulling him in deeper.

She dragged her claws down his back and Gale gasped, his entire body shivering as he suddenly gave a hard, deep thrust, his head dropping to her shoulder.

“Do that again. Please,” he murmured against her skin. Seraphina obliged, slightly digging in her nails and tracing down his spine, and Gale moaned as he continued to thrust into her. 

He pulled away, rubbing his hands up her torso, over her breasts, and across her arms. He intertwined their fingers and pressed her hands into the ground. Seraphina sighed happily and squeezed his hands, wrapping her legs around his waist. She whimpered as he began to thrust harder, but he didn’t quicken his pace, still pushing in and pulling out so, so slowly, as if he was memorizing every unique ridge. Each delicious, slow drag of his cock sent shockwaves from her core.

“You feel so good,” Seraphina moaned. “Please don’t hold back. Give me everything.”

Gale moaned at her words, and he started to thrust faster.

“Everything? Are you sure?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Seraphina grinned as he pulled another moan from her and his hands grabbed onto her hips.

“I don’t wear this ring because it’s pretty,” she said, tapping the ring on her right hand. “Give me everything.”

“You will have to tell me more about that enchantment later, but for now I will simply appreciate its existence,” Gale said. He rushed forward and kissed her deeply. 

They moaned desperately into each other’s mouths as they kissed and moved together, their hands and tongues constantly searching. Seraphina delighted in each sound Gale made as their collective pleasure crested, their simultaneous climax leaving them both gasping and whimpering as he filled her.

As they laid there quietly in the afterglow, Gale finally broke the peaceful silence.

“Sera, are you tired?”

Seraphina blinked up at him dreamily. 

“Not too tired to enjoy you again,” she whispered, trying to sound seductive through her hoarse voice. Gale instantly blushed.

“Oh! Well, I didn’t quite mean that,” he stammered but then he smirked. “Perhaps later. But I was hoping you might lend me your ear.”

“Any time.”

Seraphina listened intently as Gale enthusiastically lectured about the Crown of Karsus. She tried her best to pay attention to what he was saying, but she couldn’t help being distracted by the smile on his face and the brightness in his eyes.

He was alive. He was here and he was not dead on the floor of Moonrise or turned into nothing in the colony. He was talking about the future, even if it was just about getting to Baldur’s Gate and get his hands on an ancient tome. It was enough. He was enough. This moment, their sweaty bodies entangled, and their fingers intertwined, was enough.

I felt inspired

Actual roman epitaph for a dog

it’s kinda fucked up that you’re only an age for a year. I didn’t know how to be 23 yet, let me try again

no offense but if i exit out of a program that program should close. none of that running in the background shit.

isobel: hi i'm isobel. how are you

isobel's girlfriend: 𝕲𝖗𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘, 𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑! 𝕯𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝕬𝖞𝖑𝖎𝖓, 𝕾𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝕺𝖋 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕸𝖔𝖔𝖓𝖒𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝕾𝖊𝖑𝖚̂𝖓𝖊, 𝕭𝖎𝖉𝖘 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖂𝖊𝖑𝖑.

tav: isobel tell her to stop talking like that

isobel: talking like what. shes normal

the real quest reward for ‘save the artist’ is NOT that bugged ass painting. the real reward is gothic lighting that is perfect for smooching gale

SOUND ON.

#artists

BALDUR'S GATE III ꕤ locations [7/?] ⇢ Decrepit Village, the Underdark

Currently cackling over this line of dialogue from Gale

I’ve seen people joke about how Gale calls Tara both a cat and a tressym but gets upset when the player calls her a cat, but I’ve never seen someone mention this line 😭

Hi hi!

Welcome to my blog! It is 18+, minors do not interact. Call me Owl! My pronouns are they/them/theirs and I'm a nonbinary queer Black person living in the United States.

I write fan fiction for Baldur's Gate 3. While I currently have only written content for my original characters, I'm open to expanding out to do requests if anyone's interested! My masterlist. Archive of Our Own.

This blog, for now, is mainly dedicated to BG3. (with a focus on Gale and Astarion), but I have other interests that may pop up on the blog from time to time:

The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Game of Thrones

House of the Dragon

What We Do in the Shadows

Abbott Elementary

Miscellaneous films + tv shows

I try to keep this blog limited to my fandom content, but I'm a leftist with a deep love for humanity and hatred for capitalism, colonialism and cops, so don't be surprised if any non-fandom content pops up. Thanks for popping in to check out my weird little slice of the internet.

Like Real People Do, Chapter 13

Gale Dekarios x Named! Tav

Chapter Synopsis: As Seraphina starts on the path towards peace with how things ended with Astarion, Gale requests her company for a private conversation.

18+ | MDNI

Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Four and a Half. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine. Chapter Nine and a Half. Chapter Ten. Chapter Eleven. Chapter Twelve.

Read on ao3.

Word Count: 4.3k

Notes: I meditated on this chapter for way too long trying to perfect it. But here it is! I'm getting a clearer idea for the path of this fic and think it will conclude with Chapter 16 (possibly) so that I can move on to getting out some of the one shots and shorter pieces I have brewing in my mind.

Learn more about my Tav, Seraphina.

Chapter Thirteen: Put Your Sweet Lips On My Lips

Seraphina wasn’t sure how much time passed as she and Astarion talked, but eventually the chatter around the fire outside had died down, leaving just the sounds of their conversation to fill the silence at camp. He helped her finish her bottle of wine as they crafted enough potions and elixirs to fill an entire backpack. She was almost sad to see the vampire rise to leave.

“Sweet dreams, my friend,” Astarion smiled, and he exited the tent. Almost as soon as he was gone, she heard his voice again.

“What in the nine hells?” the vampire exclaimed.

“Astarion?” Seraphina called out, panicked, as she dipped her head through the flaps. She jumped as she looked up. Before her and Astarion stood…Gale, but not quite Gale. A magical projection of the wizard smiled at her, an aura of purple light surrounding the image.

“Hello! I am here on behalf of Gale of Waterdeep. He has a message that is designated exclusively for the ears of Seraphina Hellwhisper,” the projection said. Seraphina held back a laugh at the warped imitation of Gale’s voice.

“He really must stop letting these things wander around without warning any of us,” Astarion grumbled. “Well, enjoy your night, darling.” He turned and headed towards his tent.

“Goodnight, Astarion,” she said as she fully came out of her own tent and got to her feet. She turned to the projection. “My ears alone are present,” she said.

“Gale of Waterdeep wishes to extend you an invitation for a private conversation in a more suitable locale,” the projection replied with an air of playfulness.

Seraphina laughed.

“Alright then. Show me the way to this ‘more suitable locale,’” she smirked.

“Gladly! Simply follow yonder path and soon you will find him,” the projection said, gesturing into the woods surrounding their camp. As the image’s hand moved, a line of small, floating purple lights appeared, disappearing into the trees. She smiled and began to follow the path, the lights vanishing as she passed them. She tried to ignore the fact that she could feel Astarion’s gaze on her back as she walked away.

It would take time for things to feel normal between them. Just as it would take time for the feelings she had for Astarion to fully dissipate. Those thoughts were for later. She  was far too excited for whatever the wizard had planned.

Her body hummed in anticipation as the trees became less dense, the path leading to a clearing. She gasped as she took in how well-lit the clearing was, almost as if she wasn’t in the shadow-cursed lands at all. Seraphina looked up and she grinned at the aurora borealis hanging the sky, streaks of indigo, emerald, yellow, and blue replacing the all-consuming darkness that she had become used to in the last few tendays.

She looked across the clearing and there was Gale, sitting on a purple blanket with fireflies dancing around him. She watched in awe as more colors and stars appeared as his fingers carefully pulled at the Weave to construct the illusion above them. She walked over to him, and Gale’s head turned. He smiled gently at her as she sat next to him, close enough for their arms to touch. He was beautiful under this light, the purple and gold hues of the sky dancing in his deep brown eyes.

“You never cease to amaze me,” she said.

“I aim to please,” Gale smirked. He looked up and she did the same. “I do love this time of night. There’s an almost reverent silence that accompanies the peak of darkness, when you’d almost believe the dawn will never break,” the wizard mused, his voice breathy. “The cradle of eternity. The timelessness of lovers.”

Seraphina looked back at Gale, who was still gazing at the brilliant ribbons of light. She could see that the lines of his face seemed deeper, the bags under his eyes more prominent.

“You seem…more philosophical than usual. Did you need to get away from the curse for a while?”

“Oh, the curse is still present. It is simply concealed. Not a trick I can repeat often, but tonight is different.” Gale looked at Seraphina and the emotion in his gaze made her stomach flip.

As he opened his mouth to speak, dread washed over her as she felt what was coming next.

“This could very well be my last night alive. I wanted it to be under a canopy of beauty and wonder…and with company to match,” Gale said gently, smiling at her, as if he was attempting to banish the sadness that was beginning to grip her heart.

“I doubt that I can compare to a sight like this but thank you for inviting me here, Gale,” she replied.

For a few moments, they said nothing and simply gazed at the stars together. Anxiety crept up Seraphina’s spine like spiders. What were the right words to say to a man who was so resolute? She looked over at him and her heart skipped a beat.

“Is dying at Mystra’s command truly what you want, Gale?” Seraphina whispered.

“There are few things that are certain in this world, but death is one of them. Unlike death, Mystra’s forgiveness is not assured. I know Tymora may not be one to lean into punishments as swiftly as other gods, but surely you understand that. If you knew the end was near, would you not want to ensure it had meaning? When it means saving your soul from wandering the Fugue Plane for eons and you are redeemed in the eyes of the one you serve?”

“Gale…” Seraphina murmured. She gulped and clenched her fists. She was a hypocrite, and she knew it.

“I can understand. That is the consequence if I reject Tymora’s trial. But…but Tymora has never demanded that I die to serve her.”

“But you have been prepared to die for her. And you have,” Gale replied. “And what I witnessed…”

He paused and gulped, shutting his eyes. Suddenly, she felt the walls of Gale’s mind collapse as their tadpoles connected. She bit her tongue as she saw her own body burning through Gale’s eyes as they fought against the githyanki. Fear – the fear that Gale felt in that moment – coursed through her. Then, the connection snapped.

He looked up and met her eyes.

“Your faith has persisted. Your dedication shows in your fearlessness as we fight for our lives every day. Gods, not even just in the midst of battle. You dance between life and death any time you cast magic to heal one of us,” Gale continued. “I’m not like you. I’m terrified. Even with that fear, there is no point in running from the inevitable. Better to meet it, on my own terms.”

“Nothing is inevitable. Not when we face it together, Gale,” Seraphina said, reaching out and grabbing his hand. “You don’t have to die…not for a goddess who has treated you so horribly and now demands your death.”

Gale squeezed her hand. His thumb swept down across her fingers, over her long, curved claws.

“One moment with you could sate me for a lifetime and prise the fear from my heart. I’m so very glad you came to share this with me.”

“I want nothing more than to be by your side, Gale.”

The wizard said nothing, surprisingly speechless for once. Seraphina watched as his eyes darted around them, as if he was grasping for words to say. But she spoke first.

“Gale, there’s something you should know,” the tiefling said slowly. “When I said that Vadan left me without saying anything, that wasn’t…the whole truth. Vadan and I had been arguing for some time before the wedding. He…” she coughed and cleared her throat. 

“Take your time. I’m here,” Gale encouraged.

“My wild magic surges had hurt him before – nearly killed him once – and he didn’t want us to start our life together with such a huge danger lurking over us. He didn’t want to die and…he didn’t want me to die either. Though, in truth, I don’t think his ego would’ve allowed for a wife that surpassed him in any way,” she continued.

“He begged me to end my trial every day leading up to our wedding. The morning of our wedding, he asked me again. I said no. When he left the house that morning, I…I thought he would still come to the temple like a fool. He left the city with his family and, a tenday later, I received a letter from him apologizing for everything and swearing that, when and if I ceased being a wild mage, he would return to me for us to build the life we planned.”

“Seraphina…”

“That’s why I snapped at you when you suggested that I stop the trial. I was…taken back to those conversations and I took out my anger on you. That wasn’t right. I should’ve given you a chance to speak,” Seraphina said.

“I forgive you. I wouldn’t expect many people to have experience with being a Chosen. It is a deeply aspirational position. It’s the highest form of worship, at least for the most ambitious among the devout,” Gale replied.

“But is it worth it when the one you worship requests something monstrous of you? I’ve died twice now because of a wild magic surge. I’ve almost killed you. I don’t want to risk the lives of the people I love or my own,” Seraphina’s voice cracked, but she continued, strengthened by Gale’s touch and his intense, adoring gaze.

“I won’t do it, not for my family’s pride or for Tymora. I want to live,” she whispered. “I…I wish that you felt the same way. That you saw the value in your life that exists separate from Mystra, magic, or any of this chaos.”

“I want to live, Seraphina. If there is a way – any way – to save all that’s grown dear to me, I want to seize it,” Gale declared with conviction. “I know that…this,” his other hand gestured towards the sky. 

“This is all unreal, but I created it for you. You have given me so much to care about. You barged into my life and have destroyed almost everything I thought to be true. Seraphina, surely you must know that you’re…that you’re very special to me,” Gale murmured, his wide eyes vulnerable as his voice wavered.

Looking into his eyes, she felt that anything was possible with him by her side. She needed him to feel the same way, to possess the same utter confidence in defiance of all the odds before them that he could live. That they could both live on their own terms and not the ones the gods decided for them.

“I’m in love with you,” Gale whispered.

Gods.

“I’m in love with you too,” Seraphina murmured. Her hands went to his jaw, his beard tickling her palms. Gale leaned into her touch, briefly closing his eyes, before opening them again. His soft gaze hardened with resolve and determination. And he leaned in closer. When their lips touched, it was tender. Chaste. Loving. A bit clumsy and awkward. 

It was nothing like any of the kisses Seraphina had been fantasizing about for weeks, but it was real. And it was perfect.

For a moment, nothing else mattered. She was with him, and they could finally be freed of the restraints that had been present since they met. They could be here in this moment, together, under the stars and pretend that there was no cult, there were no tadpoles, and there was no imminent threat of death for either of them.

Gale sighed as his hands grabbed her waist, squeezing and pulling her closer. He pulled away, but not too far, settling his forehead against Seraphina’s. They opened their eyes and they both smiled before giggling.

“You’re out of practice,” she teased, one hand wandering into his hair, her fingers carding through his brown and gray locks.

“A fair assessment,” Gale chuckled. “I wish we had more time to practice together.”

Seraphina opened her mouth to speak.

“I must ask you something. It is a question that I have never felt that I was allowed to ask on account of our dire circumstances. But I want to know that your whole heart is here with me and if it’s not –”

“It is. I promise you that.”

He smiled at that, but then concern came to his face again.

“And what of Astarion? You two are…or were close. If that’s still true, I won’t ask you to be here. I fear that you are the only thing keeping his darkest urges at bay and I won’t destroy that or ask you to do so for this one night with me.”

She sighed.

“Astarion…he broke my heart. Whatever there was between us, it’s gone and I’m not quite sure if it was ever real. All that’s left now is friendship. I can’t be his keeper,” she said. “But this? Us? This is real. My heart is yours, Gale.” She kissed him again, a low moan from Gale making her heart flutter, before she leaned back.

Gale smiled at her as he rose to his feet, reaching out and pulling Seraphina to stand with him.

“You’ve already indulged me by coming here and sharing your company with me, but there is so much more I want to share with you, to show you,” he said wistfully, one hand clutching hers as his other one caressed her cheek.

“Show me,” she replied breathlessly.

“How about the perfect night in Waterdeep?”

Suddenly, a flash of white surrounded the two casters as the world around them began to shift, the blinding white shifting into a gentle purple haze. Seraphina smiled, ever impressed by Gale’s mastery of illusory magic, as the fog began to dissipate, revealing a grand library before her very eyes. The scent of parchment, sea salt, and sandalwood flooded her senses as she took a step forward only to be met with the soft creaks of wooden floors instead of the crunch of grass. 

“The scene is this: you and I stand in the room that is the center of my universe,” Gale said, walking through the magnificent space. “The sculptures, the paintings, the walls enlivened with the spines of a thousand books.” 

Seraphina walked over to one of the bookshelves, letting her fingers glide across some of those spines. There were almost more books here than in the temple back home. She smiled as she felt Gale’s eyes on her, and she turned to meet his gaze. He held his hand out to her, and she took it, pleased at the warmth that instantly flowed from him to her.

Gale smiled as he gestured with his other hand to the oak doors on the opposite side of the room. “And as we look out beyond the arches that lead to the terrace, we see the weary sun take its daily dive into the sea.”

The doors suddenly opened, and the cleric gasped as the most stunning view she’d ever seen appeared before her – beyond the balcony was a gorgeous bay, illuminated by the orange and yellow rays of the setting sun. Ships filled the harbor, sailing into dock and departing out over the horizon. Gale squeezed her hand before releasing it, striding over to stand at the railing, and he looked so natural washed in the sun’s light. The golden-brown tan of his skin made sense to her now.

“Gale…this is incredible,” Seraphina gasped, her mouth agape and eyes wide.

“Yes,” he grinned. “The city that you have only ever ‘passed by,’ a mistake that you should remedy with haste.”

“I can’t let a view like this slip past again,” she replied. Seraphina went over to the bench and sat, admiring Gale’s gentle smile as he looked out over the balcony.

“Gale,” she called out and he immediately turned to her. She patted the empty seat next to her and he quickly came over and joined her.

“My favorite spot. Many times, evening turned to night and back to daybreak once more while I sat here, lost in words.”

“Up all night reading? I had no idea I was in the company of such a rebellious spirit.”

“Allow me to live dangerously while I still can.”

She glanced over the balcony and into the library again before looking at him again.

“This is truly your home, Gale?” 

“Yes,” he said smugly. In their time together, she had developed an appreciation for his ego. It was earned. Through it though, she could see the sadness and longing in his eyes as he looked over his balcony and the beautiful scenery of the harbor of Waterdeep.

“I know that you haven’t visited Waterdeep, but I hope you do someday. I only wish that fate had been forgiving enough to allow me to show it to you,” Gale frowned.

“You still could, Gale,” Seraphina said. 

“Let’s not dwell on what can’t be,” the wizard shook his head. “Tell me about your home.”

Seraphina hesitated. She decided to allow him to change the subject.

“My parents’ house was cramped, but it was full of love. My parents had their room and then there were two rooms for the kids to split. I didn’t have my own room until I was fourteen. It got annoying sometimes, but I spent most of my time at the temple anyway. And then I left when I was sixteen. I’ve been on the road since then,” she said. She pursed her lips and picked at a thread on her pants.

“I make my way back to the Gate to see my family there when I can, but those visits are few and far between. My old room is for my nieces and nephews now. I don’t…have a space like this,” Seraphina murmured sadly, gesturing towards Gale’s library and balcony.

Gale looked out towards the water again. His hand clutched Seraphina’s, their fingers intertwined. For a moment, there was just the peaceful sounds of the waves, the calls of the seagulls, and the gentle wind. What would it be like to call a place like this home? 

The thought was…strange. The idea of a home was strange. The idea that she could convince Gale not to sacrifice himself seemed preposterous. But what if she could? What if she could and they could survive this crisis and come back to this tower together? To leave behind the worries of the world each day and come back to this slice of paradise together?

They would have to be lucky. It was through luck alone that they hadn’t already turned into mind flayers. They could get lucky again. She believed it. She had to or otherwise she would turn to despair.

“You deserve a place of peace,” he finally whispered. “My tower is yours. For you to return to if you ever tire of the road.”

Seraphina’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What are you saying?”

“The dead have no use for towers,” Gale replied firmly. “If you want it, after I destroy the Absolute tomorrow and myself with it, let this be your home. I’ll use a sending stone before we depart to collect the Nightsong to ensure that Tara knows my wishes.”

Tears welled up in the tiefling’s eyes.

“I won’t go to Waterdeep without you. You’ll be there with me. Please, promise you’ll be with me.”

With a frown, Gale turned to look at her again.

“I cannot promise you that, love,” he murmured. He reached for a book on the nearby table and placed it down on the bench between them. “What I can promise you is an unforgettable night, here with me now.”

Seraphina let out a sob and Gale’s hands flew up to cradle her face.

“Seraphina,” he said gently. He kissed her deeply and Seraphina held back a whimper tasting her own tears. His thumbs stroked her cheeks, wiping away her tears as she leaned into him. Gale pulled away and caressed her face with the back of his hand.

“Let us have tonight. Please,” Gale pleaded.

She gazed into his brown eyes. The gorgeous eyes that she searched for when she needed peace, that she needed to see to verify the safety of the person they belonged to as they battled their enemies, that lit up with pride any time he made her laugh or when he successfully said a few words to her in infernal, that sparked a fire within her when she felt their gaze travel over her lips and hips. The eyes that looked at her now with longing, devotion, and pure affection.

She would give him anything he asked for when he looked at her like that.

“Alright,” she sniffled. 

Gale smiled gently and he put his hand on top of the book.

“This one is The Art of the Night. It describes in vivid detail the first thousand nights of a newlywed king and queen,” Gale murmured. “They turned everything they did into an art. The art of conversation. The art of taste. The art of the body. I say we take a page from their book.”

“I think you may be the only person I’ve met who has tried to seduce me with a book,” Seraphina laughed, drying what remained of her tears.

“Then forget the book. We can be blank slates on blank sheets,” Gale whispered, his voice husky and low. “Shedding our past loves and hurts so that we can be delightfully new together. How does that sound?” 

Seraphina made a show of looking around the balcony and then into the library.

“Mmm. Sounds like a good time, but I don’t see a bed for us,” she hummed. “Unless you’d prefer for us to stay right here…”

She leaned down to sink to her knees in front of him when Gale gently grabbed her wrist.

“The stars will be our bed,” he replied. Seraphina’s eyebrow quirked. “Trust me.”

“You’ve already sent us somewhere beautiful, Gale,” she murmured as he opened the book. “There’s no need to impress me further. Please, let me taste you.”

He began to flick through the book, opening it to a section that showed an outline of a hand on each page, surrounded by texts and diagrams.

“I want to bond with you the way that gods do, intertwining our spirits in visions of the Weave. Why confine ourselves to the pleasures of mortal flesh? It is but one stitch in a vast tapestry,” Gale explained. “Let me show you more. If I only get one night in your company like this, let me give you an incredible memory.”

“Then show me everything.”

“Follow my lead,” he smirked. 

He placed his hand on top of one of the pages and, as it began to glow the faintest blue, Seraphina followed suit on the opposite one. Right away she tasted it – sweet rosewater – and felt it – her eyes closing as her soul was gently pulled away, away, away. When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer inside her own body. She looked down at her new, nude form and Gale – in his own astral form – smiled at her as his hand took hers.

Waterdeep melted away, replaced by the beauty of the vast expanse of space within the Weave. In every direction, there were hundreds of stars and galaxies. Seraphina gasped as Gale’s hands began to stroke up and down her sides, every sensation intensified, as he touched her soul.

“Gale,” she moaned as he pulled her closer, his lips brushing against her cheek, sending shivers to her core and through her entire body, before kissing her. He groaned as her hands caressed his shoulders, passed over his neck, and wandered into his hair.

Seraphina pulled away, leaning down to press her lips to his chest, in the middle of the orb marking. His moan reverberated through her form, and she wanted to hear it again and again. 

Gale cradled her face, pulling her back up to him to kiss her again. As she melted into him, she could hear his voice in her mind.

“When you wake, it will be back at our camp, back in our small, dirty, bloody patch of existence. But stay with me now.”

She let out a whimper as more hands began to touch her and move through her – on her waist, her back, her breasts, over her tail.

“There are endless worlds out there. Countless ways to declare love. Infinite ways to express it.”

Fullness unlike anything she had ever felt forced another moan from her as their pelvises intersected.

“Too much for one night…but we shall try.”

Seraphina could feel her very being becoming completely undone only to be rewoven with strands of Gale’s essence braided throughout her. She could feel her soul bonding with his, playing, laughing, and loving in the joyous sea of stars that was their bed tonight. All she felt was ecstasy and Gale’s tender adoration as their astral hands touched each other, their new forms converging and intersecting as their pleasure overwhelmed them.

Loving Gale was like magic for Seraphina – it came naturally, it was easy, it was where she felt at home, it was in her bones, and she didn’t know how not to do it. What they had was sacred and she would protect it with her life. Her future was murky, and death lurked around the corner, but she knew that she wanted Gale in however much life she had left.

To do that, she knew what she had to do. But that was for later. For now, she stayed there among the stars with Gale, allowing waves of euphoria to wash over her again and again at her wizard’s gentle touch. There, among the stars, where they felt alive and real with each other.

ALICENT HIGHTOWER and RHAENYRA TARGARYEN HOUSE OF THE DRAGON — S2E8: The Queen Who Ever Was