Like Real People Do, Chapter 2

Like Real People Do, Chapter 2

Gale Dekarios x Named! Tav

Chapter Synopsis: Seraphina is catching feelings for the wizard and the vampire, oops.

Learn more about my Tav, Seraphina.

Includes dialogue directly from BG3.

It became a nightly ritual of sorts. Every night, just as Seraphina was finishing her prayer, Gale would approach her. Whether it was to spar again or to simply talk about books, the events of the day, or to exchange stories about their homes, Seraphina started to expect Gale’s company to finish off her night. 

“You have several brothers and sisters? Ah. I guess that confirms my suspicions.”

Seraphina quirked an eyebrow. “What suspicions?”

Gale gazed out to the water and cleared his throat before turning to look into her orange eyes. “A little over a year ago, back home in Waterdeep, I had a few drinks with a set of tiefling twins at a tavern. They mentioned Tymora quite a few times as they regaled their tale of slaying fiends in Dis. I believe their names were – ”

Seraphina felt warmth fill her chest. “You met my older brothers, Kyakos and Mavus.” Seraphina distinctly remembered exactly what adventure would’ve contained the Waterdeep stop for her brothers. 

They came back reeking of the Hells and with several treasures to share, including one they specifically picked up in Waterdeep to give to Seraphina for her approaching special day. The gold locket, engraved with a cursive ‘H’ on one side and the Hellwhisper family crest on the other, hung at the end of a long necklace, the chain nearly reaching her waist. They said it would be another reminder of who she is, no matter where she goes or who she shares her life with.

She frowned as she thought of how much she missed them and her entire family.

Gale grinned. “So, you are a Hellwhisper. A descendant of the infamous Zephyrus?”

She hesitated for a moment. So far, everyone had only exchanged their first names. Sharing her last name felt oddly intimate within this group. But she had nothing to hide.

“Yes, I am. We’ve been storm sorcerers and servants of Tymora for generations, but I guess you already learned that from whatever book you read about Zephyrus in,” Seraphina stated proudly, tilting up her chin. Being a Hellwhisper wasn’t something that she was ashamed of, but the family name could certainly cause a stir in some groups of people, namely the staunch Tymorans that had exiled her family for the assumptions they made about the actions of her ancestor, the first Hellwhisper. 

Nevertheless, she carried the name with pride. As she gazed up at Gale through her bangs, she saw a flicker of mischief in his eyes.

“Except for you, I take it,” Gale replied. Seraphina blinked at him. “With your wild magic.” She instantly wilted. 

“Um, yes and no. It’s a long story.”

“One you are not obligated to tell, but I do quite enjoy talking with you,” Gale said. “Though I can tell it’s a sensitive subject for you. I understand how hard it can be to discuss a condition that you may feel less than proud of. But I hope you know that you can talk to me about anything that your heart desires.”

Seraphina looked at him carefully. His big, brown eyes were welcoming, and he seemed genuinely interested in knowing more about her story. He had trusted her with the nature of his need to consume magical items. She might as well throw him a bone in return.

“It’s…it’s a condition that I should be happy to have,” Seraphina murmured. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the coin of Tymora that she always kept on her and began to idly play with it between her hands as she spoke. “I wasn’t always like this.”

Gale nodded, urging her to continue. 

She sighed. “I was born a storm sorcerer. I was…normal my entire life until I received my trial from Tymora. She changed my magic. All of the priests at the temple I grew up in and my parents told me that it would test my faith in Tymora, my faith in luck, and proving that I’m unafraid to take risks. To receive a Trial from Tymora is an honor and rare. To pass it, is to become her Chosen. But, it’s been hell. I’ve been like this for two years and I don’t know what to do to prove myself to Tymora and end this test of hers. I used to know, understand, and control magic like it was one of my own limbs. Now…I’m tired of constantly being afraid of blowing up.”

Seraphina’s voice cracked and she cleared her throat, pushing back the tears that threatened to escape. She felt a hand, firm and warm, settle on her shoulder. She turned and saw Gale looking at her with pity and sympathy. 

“It may sound ridiculous, but I can understand more than you think,” Gale responded. “Though, being a goddess’s Chosen comes with just as many drawbacks as it does blessings. For what it’s worth, I think you are handling all of this with extreme courage. Your fear has never been apparent in any of the conflicts we have encountered so far. At least, not to me. You’re the personification of bravery.” 

Seraphina swooned, positive that blush would be flowering across her cheeks if it wasn’t for her red skin.

“Well, thank you. I do still have faith in Tymora. And in myself and the magic that flows through me. It may be less under my control now, but luck has to be on my side,” Seraphina flipped the coin she held. 

“I think I had quite the stroke of good luck to have ended up by your side in this wild quest,” Gale laughed. Seraphina giggled in return and as their laughs died down, she became all too aware that Gale’s hand had drifted from her shoulder to her upper back, tickling the tips of her black and red hair. She drank in the gentleness of his face, the delicate curve of his lips and the wrinkles that surrounded his soft eyes.

She wondered if Gale would still taste of the firewire they had indulged in with dinner that night. 

Seraphina snapped out of it and realized she was staring at Gale’s lips. She looked up at him and realized he was looking at hers as well. Just as a flood of courage came over her and she started lean closer, Gale sat back, pulling his hand away suddenly as if he’d been shocked.

“We should get some rest,” Gale said, standing up. “I wish you a good night.” He smiled and began heading to his tent.

“Good night,” Seraphina sweetly replied.

She sat there for a moment before rising and beginning to head to her own tent. 

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, she thought. She wanted to smack herself in the face. But she had to smoothly recover because she knew who was going to approach her soon. It was as she was getting ready to go to bed that Astarion always appeared with a seductive gaze and honeyed words to ask to bite her. 

Every time, she said yes.

Seraphina came back to reality and turned around, expecting to see Gale. She frowned as she saw that he wasn’t there. She pocketed her coin, saying another quick prayer to Tymora. She stood and walked towards the campfire, only to find Gale standing outside his tent. He was gazing at an illusion of a woman floating in his hand.

Seraphina walked closer and she hated the familiar tinge of jealousy she felt in the pit of her stomach. She wished that it was her face Gale was looking so intensely at, as if she was his central focus. But, as she continued looking, she realized two things – who the woman was, and that his look of reverence was too familiar for her to desire it. 

“That’s the deity you wizards adore. Mystra, right?” Seraphina said. Gale jumped and the illusion vanished as Seraphina came around to stand in front of him.

“Oh! My, you startled me. I…I was miles away,” Gale blushed. 

“I know that look,” Seraphina squinted at him. “You were praying to your goddess, weren’t you? I feel like an ass for interrupting with how respectful you’ve always been of my private time.” 

“Not praying. Not quite. I was just…practicing an incantation,” Gale responded. He was positively squirming. 

“No, there’s more to it than that,” Seraphina shook her head. “I know devotion when I see it.”  She had seen it on the faces of her family as they prayed to Tymora. She knew she probably had the same face whenever she gazed upon the pendant of her Lady Luck. 

Gale chuckled bitterly. “What can I say? She’s…she’s Mystra,” he said his goddess’ name with such loyalty, the awe and adoration absolutely dripped from his words. 

“Mystra is all magic. And as far as I’m concerned, she is all creation.” 

Seraphina shook her head again, laughing. Oh, wizards she thought.

“How narrow-minded. There are other gods, Gale, and magic goes far, far beyond Mystra,” She replied. Magic was not something she connected to a goddess. Magic simply was. It was in her blood and was expected of a Hellwhisper. It existed in the world and in people and was truly beautiful. She had obviously poked a nerve as Gale snapped back. 

“Pish posh. One might as well deny one’s mother’s womb as the cradle of life. You just don’t understand,” Gale rolled his eyes before his face softened again, his eyes returning to her gaze as if he was checking to see if he had offended her.

“Of course. I, a simple sorcerer, have no appreciation for the art of magic because I didn’t have to spend years studying it to understand it. Educate me, Gale,” She hoped that he would see that she was merely teasing, and her heart lifted seeing the small smile cross Gale’s face.

“Seraphina, I’d be happy to teach you some of the finer details of magic. I’ve been in touch with the Weave for as long as I can remember. It’s like music, poetry, physical beauty all rolled into one and given expression through the senses. I assume it’s the same for you?” Gale asked. 

Seraphina chuckled. “It’s less ‘music and poetry’, and more ‘I hope I don’t blow up’ as of late. But magic is interwoven within my very being. It comes to me as naturally as breathing. I worship it almost as much as I worship the Lady Who Smiles. I don’t know who I would be without it.” 

“Perhaps we could reach into the Weave and experience what it feels like together, as one. Or maybe a sorcerer like yourself has already had this experience countless times,” Gale offered. Seraphina tilted her head. 

“What do you mean?” She asked.

Gale smirked. “Let me show you.”

“By all means,” she smiled back. 

“Then follow my lead,” Gale circled her, and she bit her lip as he walked over and stood right next to her. She felt small standing this close to him as he towered over her. His scent of parchment, books, and sandalwood overtook her senses and she had to shake her hands to ground herself. 

As Gale walked her through the steps of what he had planned, Seraphina prayed that she wouldn’t have a surge of wild magic in the middle of such a nice moment. 

Suddenly, they were surrounded by familiar purple strands – the Weave. 

“You did it! You’re channeling the Weave. How does it feel?” Gale turned to her, his excitement evident in his grin. 

“Incredible! Though of course, I could have managed it by myself,” she elbowed him.  “You’re hard to please, aren’t you?” Gale chuckled. 

“Are you desperate to please me, Gale?” she whispered, raising an eyebrow. 

“It’s started to become a priority of mine,” Gale smiled at her, and he leaned closer. Their hands brushed and Seraphina resisted the urge to take his hand in hers. 

He was so close. All it would take was one step forward, standing on her toes with her chin tilted up, and she could close the rest of the distance between them. She pictured what it would be like to kiss him – tender and chaste. She would cup his ridiculously perfect face in her hands and deepen the kiss, opening her mouth to him. He would grab her hips and press their bodies together, his tongue swirling against hers as the Weave continued to glow around them. 

What would it be like to connect with someone, another spellcaster, within the Weave like this? Surely, ethereal and otherworldly. Seraphina was desperate for the explosive nature of that kiss, finally releasing all the tension that had been building up over the time they’d been traveling together. By Tymora she was desperate for any kind of contact with Gale. She couldn’t bear any more of the fleeting touches to her back, the grazes against her hand. 

She softly gasped as she realized that Gale could see everything that she was imagining, could feel the desire for him that had been occupying more and more of her thoughts lately. 

No, she definitely hadn’t done this Weave trick before. 

Gale’s smile fell. “I…I didn’t think…” 

Seraphina’s fingers grasped onto her trousers, preparing herself for rejection. She could feel his embarrassment, his surprise, and then…joy. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting…” Gale blushed profusely, and his eyes darted everywhere before looking back into her orange ones. “But it is a pleasant image to be sure!”  He relaxed as he continued, his voice dropping an octave. “Most pleasant, in fact. Most welcome.” 

Seraphina opened her mouth to speak, when suddenly the Weave around them evaporated. It was like a curtain had been lifted and they were no longer in their little slice of Heaven or each other’s emotions and thoughts, but back in this dirty camp, on this cold night, with a parasite hurtling them towards certain doom. 

Gale smiled at her. “Good night, Seraphina. I enjoyed sharing a moment of magic with you.” 

“G-good night, Gale,” Seraphina stammered. She clumsily made her way back to her tent, unable to feel her legs. It felt like all her blood had rushed to her head. She collapsed onto her bedroll.

Her mind was swirling. She hadn’t felt like this in so long, not since her early days of falling in love with the damned man who shattered her heart last summer. 

Vadan. 

Seraphina knew that it was past time for her to start mending her heart back together. The first step was to stop being afraid of even thinking of his name. The Seraphina from before Vadan would’ve already bedded a person or two in the party. That Seraphina would probably be flabbergasted that she hadn’t already slept with Astarion or Gale. 

Then again, that old version of herself would also be shocked that she was both traveling with and becoming almost friendly with a follower of Shar, one of Tymora’s divine enemies. That old Seraphina hadn’t seen Elturel be ripped from the ground of Toril and straight into Avernus. 

She had experienced raw attraction and crushes in the year since then, but no one had truly stirred her heart until now. Her growing crush on Astarion was easier to confront with his bold flirting, but Gale was an altogether different beast. A timid beast, but one she was eager to tame. 

She didn’t have time to ponder that thought more because there was a soft tapping at her tent flap. 

“Seraphina! I need your help!” Astarion hissed in a quiet tone, sounding frantic.

“Come in,” Seraphina sat up, suddenly alert instead of sleepy. 

Astarion stepped into her tent as she re-lit a few candles with flames from her fingers. She turned and gasped, frozen completely as adrenaline rushing through her at the sight of how much blood Astarion was covered in. There was a huge cut in his white shirt that revealed a wide, gaping gash across his chest. 

“If you can’t handle this, I will go wake Shadowheart, but I really need some help,” Astarion grunted as he collapsed onto his back. Seraphina came to her senses and rushed to his side, placing her hands just above his wound. 

“Te curo,” she chanted, a blue aura beginning to radiate from her hands. Astarion sighed in relief. 

“What happened?” Seraphina asked, moving her hands slowly from side to side as the magic continued to heal him.

“I was hunting a bear, which typically isn’t that big of a problem. This one just happened to be a cub. Its mother wasn’t very pleased when she caught me,” Astarion winced. “Lucky for me, my favorite cleric is awake.” 

Seraphina looked up from observing his wound to see him smiling at her. Even with blood covering his teeth and scattered throughout his hair, he was still devilishly good-looking.

“Your favorite cleric would appreciate it if you would communicate your hunger instead of running off to hunt bears,” she remarked.

“Are you just dying to hear me tell you how much I want you?” Astarion murmured. 

“I’d rather not lose our best archer and source of comedy,” Seraphina replied. She pulled her hands away as the wound finally sealed itself. “So did you get your fill?”

Astarion glanced at his chest and pulled himself into a seated position, pulling off the rest of his shirt and pressing it into a ball. “I’m not famished anymore, but I wouldn’t say no to dessert, darling,” he quirked an eyebrow at her. 

She rolled her eyes as she laid down on her bedroll, her chin high and her head tilted to the keep her horns out of the way. Astarion crawled towards her, placing both of his hands on either side of her head, and sliding his thigh between her legs. He pressed himself closer to her and, as his thigh pushed into the apex of her thighs, she felt heat begin to spread through her body. Her legs twitched and Astarion smirked as he finally leaned down and bit into her neck. 

Seraphina winced as icy pain shot out from where his fangs pierced her. Astarion shifted, one hand coming to hold the back of her head, and the other gripping her thigh. A soft gasp left her lips as she felt him grip her leg harder, digging his fingertips in. She could feel each gulp of her blood leaving her body and entering Astarion’s body. Seraphina reached up, placing her hands on the backs of Astarion’s shoulders and pulling him closer.

The roof of the tent began to blur in her vision, and she heard Astarion moan, the vibrations making her body hum and shake as he began to grind against her leg.

“That’s enough,” she breathed. Astarion fangs left her neck and he gasped, but he didn’t pull away. He licked the wounds, lapping up the small trickles of blood. She moaned as she felt his lips press against the bite mark.

One kiss. 

His lips ghost along her neck, moving up. 

A second kiss. 

Astarion leaned back, rising onto his knees. Seraphina bit back another moan as she watched him lick more blood off his now flushed and pink lips.

“Delicious as always, darling,” he purred. 

“I try,” she gasped as she attempted to sit up. Astarion pressed his fingertips to her chest and lightly pushed her back down.

“Get your beauty sleep,” he smirked as he picked up the tatters of his shirt. 

As quickly as he entered, Astarion slipped out of her tent and into the night. In the quiet aftermath, Seraphina could only hear the pounding of her heart and her own heavy breathing. With a wave of her hand, she attempted to send a gust of wind towards the lit candles. While the wind left her fingertips, she felt the all too familiar static of a wild magic surge flow through her body as vines exploded under her body, taking over the entire right side of her tent. 

Seraphina groaned and flopped her head back onto her bedroll. 

At least it wasn’t a mephit she thought as she finally lulled to sleep.

having a Tav that's supposed to be super happy-go-lucky and optimistic is so funny bc 99% of the player expressions are this

crying over a picture of a dog watching the northern lights

Normal vampire lord behavior.

Like Real People Do, Chapter 4.5

Gale Dekarios x Named! Tav x Astarion Ancunín

Chapter Synopsis: Gale is captivated by the wild mage that saved his life. He knows he's falling in love even though he's living on borrowed time and that's not fair to anyone.

Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four.

Read on ao3.

Notes: OooOOhhHH, it's a chapter from Gale's perspective. Definitely not required for the full narrative, but also definitely an itch my brain wanted to scratch.

Learn more about my Tav, Seraphina.

Chapter 4.5: Feels Like Magic

As Gale blinked awake that morning, he knew two things – it was early, and his body was still incredibly sore from the previous day’s conflicts. With it being so early, he was positive that he would be able to indulge in a soak in the river before anyone else woke up with questions about food for the day.

Slowly, wincing and huffing in pain all the while, Gale gathered his bathing oils into a small pouch and prepared to leave his tent. He nudged his head through his tent flap and blinked to adjust to the soft yellows and harsh oranges of the sun’s first rays. His shoulders had just crossed the threshold when Gale noticed the mortifying sight on the opposite side of camp.

There, past the ash of the long-dead campfire, was Seraphina, her crimson and onyx hair tousled, while Astarion had an alabaster hand delicately holding her cheek. Gale felt a blanket of dread cover him from head to toe as he watched Seraphina dreamily blink up at the vampire, like she was completely entranced. When he saw her push up and their lips touched, he wished the ground would swallow him whole as he quickly turned back into his tent.

Gale was wise enough to admit to himself that he had undeniably developed feelings for Seraphina and that it was an objectively quite foolish thing for him to have allowed this attraction to take root and consume his heart.

When that generous individual grabbed Gale’s hand from the other side of the portal, he could feel the Weave flowing beneath their skin, sharp and powerful as if he’d been shocked – unmistakably the arcane power of a caster. He wasn’t sure who he would see on the other side, but he wasn’t prepared for who he had to thank for saving his life in the slightest. The source of the powerful magic he’d felt was a petite tiefling woman with scarlet skin, hypnotizing bright orange eyes, and plump cherry-red painted lips surrounding a wide smile that made him blush.

If he was being honest with himself, Gale was enchanted by Seraphina from the moment he saw her. He took in her features as she scrambled to her feet after the force of pulling him out of the portal sent her tumbling. Instead of looking confused, disturbed, or angry, she just looked curious and amazed.

“Hello! I’m Gale of Waterdeep,” he proclaimed as he reached for Seraphina’s hand. He could feel magic crackling in the air around her and, as his hands closed around hers, it felt like he was holding a strand of the Weave itself – warm, familiar, safe. 

“Apologies, I’m usually better at this,” Gale pulled back, scratching his neck with one hand to try and replace the sensation that was flowing under his skin after touching her.

“At introductions?” the woman laughed, brushing dirt from her robes. 

“At magic,” he smiled. It was only now that he noticed the black-haired half-elf standing behind her.

“Well, I’m Seraphina…of Baldur’s Gate. Pleasure to meet you, Gale of Waterdeep,” the tiefling gave a little bow and seemed confident, but Gale knew from what he’d read of tiefling tail body language that she was nervous from how her red appendage curled inwards and nearly wrapped around her leg.

As startled as Gale was by being kidnapped by a mind flayer ship and being infected with a tadpole, it was somewhat comforting to now be taking on the task of finding a healer with other survivors. As they walked, Seraphina focused in on his use of portals, asking questions as quickly as an arrow loosed from an expert archer’s bow. “How did you make that portal?”

“How were you able to cast that while falling?”

“Did it require any material components?”

Finally, he interrupted. “You’re not versed in magic, are you?”

Seraphina paused and let out a sharp laugh as if she couldn’t believe he was asking it. “Magic runs in my very veins.”

Oh. Of course. She was a sorcerer. 

“Ah, well, my apologies. I should have asked if you’re studied in magic. Which you are not.”

Seraphina’s smile dropped into a scowl, and she rolled her eyes.

“What you wizards lack in social skills, survival capabilities, and pure arcane power, you make up for by being as insufferable as possible.” Seraphina picked up her pace and spoke again before Gale could reply. “Let’s look for more survivors of the crash.”

It hardly mattered that she wasn’t formally trained in magic as Gale quickly learned when they stumbled upon goblins attacking adventurers outside the Emerald Grove. The raw power that Gale felt was on full display as Seraphina eviscerated their foes. As if that wasn’t enough, this new ally continued to impress him over and over again. 

She showed remarkable bravery and diplomacy as she connected with Zevlor, urging him to ignore Aradin’s taunting, as she stepped between a crossbow and a goblin prisoner, and when she talked Kagha into releasing Arabella. She even reacted to Nettie’s poison attempt with almost odd patience, leaning into empathy and being understanding of Nettie’s stream of thought.

Seeing how level-headed and kind she was made it easy for Gale to tell a nugget of the truth about his condition. Of course, kind soul that she was, she jumped to offer her healing magic. Part of him expected an adventured traveler like her to be more upset at having to part with magical items, but she agreed to help him without needing convincing. Of course, naturally, she had a million questions, but Gale was grateful that she was able to control her curiosity. 

He didn’t have it in him yet to admit how dangerous he was. Gale knew his odds of removing the tadpole were higher with this group and, as long as the orb remained stabilized, he’d be able to keep himself from becoming a threat. At least, until the tadpole was removed and then he could find somewhere isolated to await his fate. 

There was also the very selfish desire to want to spend time with Seraphina. He was quite enjoying getting to spend every night deep in conversation with her, with only the moon and the stars as witnesses. After all, with how much she was sacrificing to keep him alive, the least he could offer her was good company, right?

As they traveled together and grew closer, Gale struggled to swallow a seed of insecurity as Seraphina shared anecdotes about her past, specifically past lovers whenever a random circumstance, place, or item reminded her of them.

A statue in the Grove reminded Seraphina of a druid lover from Amn who kept a similar fox statue in her tent.

A Selûnite necklace in a destroyed village made her recall a lover who followed the Moonmaiden so passionately that she refused to make love during the day. 

Alfira reminded her of a bard she used to travel with that wrote a new song for her every morning. 

Seraphina was an adventuring cleric by trade and wandered the Sword Coast and occasionally across Faerûn, accompanying parties on their journeys to bestow blessings from Tymora for safety and success. She had had dozens of loves in her travels, and she didn’t shy away from flirtation, which only made it harder to sidestep outright rejecting or accepting her advances.

Gale saw and felt her desire that night in the Weave and he was nearly ready to sacrifice the lives of everyone in camp, nearby in the Grove, and all the souls around them for just a few moments of kissing her and feeling her lips against his own. 

But Seraphina didn’t know the truth of him, his failure. If she did, she wouldn’t want him. Even if they miraculously removed the mind flayer tadpoles from their brains, with the orb, he wouldn’t be alive much longer. Why would she waste her time with and risk her safety for someone whose death was on the horizon? 

Despite his best attempts to stay focused, Seraphina very quickly became a distraction. As they took their walks together, he often found himself unable to look away from the sway of her wide hips beneath her blue and silver robes. Or he would face the embarrassment of being caught staring at her red painted lips as she spoke. Or he would do something stupid in the name of keeping her from harm.

When they were battling Auntie Ethel in her lair, Seraphina experienced a wild magic surge that polymorphed her into a sheep, making her unable to see the mine directly in front of her snout.

Gale’s arm was raised, prepared to send several magic missiles at Auntie Ethel and finish the fight until he saw sheep Seraphina stumbling in the direction of the mine. He felt as if someone was squeezing his heart from inside his chest as time slowed down. He turned and ran towards her, pushing her away from the explosive. In that second, Auntie Ethel, with a cackle, duplicated herself once again, her clones surrounding them in the lair.

“What were you thinking, Gale? Aren’t you the super smart one here?” Karlach scolded later as they stood over the hag’s corpse, the entire group exhausted and nearly beaten after the day they’d had. “Seraphina would’ve been fine. A soldier taking a hit happens, but it doesn’t mean we have to abandon our course.”

“We’re all okay, aren’t we? And Ethel is dead, so it’s fine,” Seraphina spoke up. “I’m quite glad Gale was thinking of me. Now, let’s go check on those people she had trapped here.”

She had saved Gale from needing to explain his actions. What would he have even said? What battle strategy pushed him to not take aim at the enemy? As they made their way back to the top of the hag’s lair, even with Seraphina safe in front of him, he could still feel the fear that had gripped him when he saw her nearly step onto that mine. He wanted to take her into his arms, but, while his body had been spurred to action on its own earlier, it froze now.

He was unable to speak to her for the rest of the day. As he handed her dinner that night, he avoided her eyes, but then she did the worst and best possible thing. As Gale kept his eyes on the bowl, she, with her hands that could eliminate as easily as they could heal, touched his hand, her fingers sliding up his wrist and under his sleeve. 

Gale could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

“Gale,” she said, and he wanted to hear her voice say his name a hundred more times.

He looked up and her amber eyes pulled him in, trapped in them as if it was a sweet honey trap that he fell for. 

“Yes?”

“Thank you for keeping me from blowing myself up today. Polymorph is really the most frustrating wild magic effect of all of them,” she laughed.

“Of course. I am quite glad that you are alright.” 

“Do you think we could talk tonight after everyone else goes to sleep? I would really enjoy some alone time with you,” she whispered. Gale could see every detail of her face – the way she blinked up at him through her lashes, the seductive smirk of her full lips, and the way her nails lightly ran along his skin as she grabbed the bowl and pulled her hand away. 

“Perhaps,” he smiled, knowing full well that he couldn’t talk to her tonight because if they were alone, surely the orb would erupt. He turned and ate his dinner on the other side of the campfire. He couldn’t keep talking to her, not until he got himself under control. He felt like he wouldn’t be able to speak to her without all the words he wanted to say pouring out of him. 

You are becoming so very dear to me.

I want to spend nearly all my time with you.

If we were not at risk of turning into mind flayers, if I was not already destined for destruction, if we had more time, I would show you every wonder all the planes have to offer.

You occupy my thoughts from the moment that I open my eyes to when they close for the night, only for my dreams to be filled with images of you. All that to say that you never leave my mind. You have enthralled me.

Gale was all too aware before he had even witnessed that intimate moment between Astarion and Seraphina that he wasn’t the only one in their little band of tadpoled misfits who was interested in their leader. It was hard not to notice that Astarion had been spending more time with her. He didn’t trust a single thing that the vampire said, but it was obvious his honeyed words had lured the wild mage straight into the predator’s jaws. 

“So, Gale, how is your hopeless pining going?” 

Gale’s head snapped to look at Astarion, his smirk looking even more smug than usual. They were standing in the goblin camp, surrounded by filth and debauchery. Seraphina, Shadowheart, and Karlach were giving their rapt attention to the performance of that poor kidnapped bard. Lae’zel and Wyll had wandered to bargain with a goblin trader.

Gale thought once again of the kiss he’d seen that morning. Did Astarion know that Gale had seen it?

“I’m not sure what you mean. It’s been more than a year since Mystra cast me out,” Gale replied.

Astarion chuckled.

“My dear wizard, I wasn’t talking about Mystra. Though the person I’m referring to is still quite magical.” The vampire wasn’t looking at him anymore. Gale followed his gaze, fully knowing where it was going, and he felt his breath hitch anyway as he looked at Seraphina. She was applauding the bard, a big smile on her face. 

“She is magical. I think many of us see that, but it seems you wasted no time in pursuing your quarry.”

“There really wasn’t much pursuit required. She enjoys pleasure, a good time, and embraces her desires. She’s a priestess, not a wizard after all.”

Seraphina turned on her heel and Gale’s retort died in his throat. Her face was that of sharp determination, her jaw set as she leaned forward and whispered to them.

“We have a bard, an owlbear cub, and a druid to save,” she declared.

Astarion scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You really insist on creating more unnecessary labor for us at every turn,” he complained.

Gale simply smiled at her.

“Lead on, my friend.”

Can we take a minute to discuss that GALE calls his TRESSYM a CAT which is the only context he’s given us for who she is, and then he goes on this eloquent diatribe about he and Tara’s favorite things like a man in love and then when we ASK him if he’s talking about his CAT, he gets OFFENDED and tells us she’s a TRESSYM when HE IS THE ONE who introduced her to us as a CAT?

Sorry. Just funky little things I’ve noticed in my play through where I’m romancing Gale.

Also also, I love Tara. She’s so sassy and perfect.