Gale X Slate - Tumblr Posts

Whaaaat? Me? Love the wizard the most? Couldn't be. That doesn't sound like me at all.

Anyway heres Slate, her bf and their housemate flying cat Tara who is dreaming about her favourite food aka beholder jerky.

Summary: To Gale, cooking for others is a love language, though not always one which has been appreciated by others. To Slate, its a form of love and affection she's never experienced before.

Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games), baldur's gate 3 - Fandom Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Gale/Tav (Baldur's Gate), Gale (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Gale (Baldur's Gate), Tav (Baldur's Gate) Additional Tags: Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, Romantic Fluff, Angst, But only a little, Established Relationship, Cooking, Food, I will throw hands with Mystra, Act 2 (Baldur's Gate 3) Series: Part 2 of A Clean Slate

I understand the "I will die for you" ship dynamic, but what about the "I will not let you die, I will not let myself die- we will, at any cost, survive" kind of couple?

Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Gale/Tav (Baldur's Gate), Gale (Baldur's Gate)/Original Character(s), Gale (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Gale (Baldur's Gate), Tav (Baldur's Gate) Additional Tags: Marriage Proposal, Marriage, Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Morning Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Act 3, endgame spoilers, Romance, Cannon dialogue, adapted cutscene, Named Tav, Tiefling Tav, Rogue Tav, Idiots in Love, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, they're idiots your honour, but they're idiots in love, Implied/Referenced Suicide, but hes better now, Soft Gale Series: Part 3 of A Clean Slate Summary:

"Despite everything that's been against us, we’ve carved out a corner of existence for ourselves. And that's more than enough for me.” He pulled her in, holding her to his chest where she could feel the soft flesh of his chest, the slight tickle of his chest hair, and the gentle beating of his heart beneath it. “So, what's next then? Now that we don’t have an elder brain to kill?”

Slate and Gale have a sleepy morning after surviving the elder brain, and Gales thinking of the future.

Six of Swords

Slate and Gale

Upright: healing, moving forward, stability, escape, journeys, passage from pain

Reversed: feeling trapped, instability, abuse, unresolved issues, carrying baggage from your past

Had a lot of fun with this one! The symbols on the swords represent each characters abuser (Zhentarim for Slate, and Mystra for Gale). There are the obvious signs of the past sins committed (the blood on Slate's hands and Gale's orb), but the two characters are in a place of acceptance and healing together, moving on from past transgressions. This card usually depicts a boat on water, so I thought it would be cool to set the piece in the astral sea from their Act 3 romance scene!

Six of Swords

Slate and Gale

Upright: healing, moving forward, stability, escape, journeys, passage from pain

Reversed: feeling trapped, instability, abuse, unresolved issues, carrying baggage from your past

Had a lot of fun with this one! The symbols on the swords represent each characters abuser (Zhentarim for Slate, and Mystra for Gale). There are the obvious signs of the past sins committed (the blood on Slate's hands and Gale's orb), but the two characters are in a place of acceptance and healing together, moving on from past transgressions. This card usually depicts a boat on water, so I thought it would be cool to set the piece in the astral sea from their Act 3 romance scene!

Crude Imitations of Barriers

Having heard what has been asked of Gale by his goddess, Slate goes to check on him, and they both have to cross the barriers they have constructed to face the difficult questions. What are they? And what can they allow themselves to do next?

Crude Imitations of Barriers (2618 words) by CrabsWithSticks Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Gale/Tav (Baldur's Gate), Gale (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Gale (Baldur's Gate), Tav (Baldur's Gate) Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, What Are We, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Developing Relationship, Vulnerability, Touch-Starved Series: Part 2 of A Clean Slate

This was only meant to be a simple sketch...turned into something a bit more complex...

How dare you love me like you've never known fear? -Home to Me by The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

(aka Gale "Heart on His Sleeve" Dekarios x Slate "Emotions Hidden Away All Her Life")

Going insane over the new Gale smooches. The way when he teasingly kisses your cheek, he is so surprised when your character pulls him in for a deeper kiss, but then just relaxes into it. Like he's so surprised by how much you love him :')

Get loved and valued bitch.

Did I take Gale and Slate out on a lil date from one of my old saves....

Maaaaybe.

Left the other party members at camp, just the two of them in their non-combat clothing, and changed Slate's hair to be a lil more fancy. They're finally going for that romantic walk that she weave-beamed into his head in the magic teaching scene.

Going insane over the new Gale smooches. The way when he teasingly kisses your cheek, he is so surprised when your character pulls him in for a deeper kiss, but then just relaxes into it. Like he's so surprised by how much you love him :')

Get loved and valued bitch.

Put the Stars to Shame: A Gale x Tav playlist

Letter To An Old Poet by boygenius ~~ Last Words of a Shooting Star by Mitski ~~ Through Me (The Flood) by Hozier ~~ Dog Days are Over by Florence + The Machine ~~ Northern Attitude by Noah Kahan & Hozier ~~ First Light by Hozier ~~ Hello my Old Heart by The Oh Hellos ~~ Graceland Too by Phoebe Bridgers ~~ Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You by Stevie Nicks ~~ Home to Me by Devil and the Deep Blue Sea ~~ Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay ~~ Inkpot Gods by The Amazing Devil ~~ Fair by The Amazing Devil

Meta, commentary, and extracts for each song under the cut :)

Letter to an Old Poet

You’re not special, you’re evil / you don’t get to tell me to calm down / you made me feel like an equal / but I’m better than you, and you should know that by now

Slate has a lot of baggage in her life, coming from an abusive long term relationship with Malus and abusive parents, and escaping indentured servitude (read: slavery). Despite that, she has survived, though with deep scars. She has the same theme of ‘abuse’ as the other origin characters, except rather than breaking free of those toxic relationships, she is dealing with the aftermath of leaving abuse behind and how to survive beyond it.

Last Words of a Shooting Star

I always wanted to die clean and pretty / but I’d be too busy on working days / so I am relieved that the turbulence wasn’t forecasted / I couldn’t have changed anyway

From Gale’s perspective after being infected with the tadpole. With the orb, he wanted to be able to die meaningfully and in forgiveness, not in body horror ceremorphosis. Ultimately though, he was prepared to die, this is just an unexpected method. It could be worse- he is relieved that he is far from those he loves, and that his affairs are mostly in order. At least this way, he thinks, his death won't be as hard on Tara and his mother (they’ll think of me kindly / when they come for my things)

Through Me (The Flood)

Picture a man /... swimming out beyond the breakers / like he's done his life before / he feels a coming of the squall / will drag him out a greater length / but knows his strength, and tries to gather it / and he swims on

Following their abduction, Slate and Gale’s situation seems hopeless, and it seems foolish to waste energy struggling. Nonetheless, they join up with the rest of the party, gathering their strength to meet the oncoming storm. It may be impossible, but there is still value in trying.

Dog Days are Over

Happiness hit her like a train on a track / coming towards her, stuck still, no turning back / she hid around corners and she hid under beds / she killed it with kisses and from it she fled

Slate and Gale are both somewhat estranged from happiness. So, when they start to form a bond with the other, they instinctively try to push it away. Slate because she knows that you can only be betrayed by those you trust, and Gale because he thinks himself a dead man walking.

Northern Attitude

If I get too close / and I’m not how you hoped / forgive my northern attitude / oh I was raised out in the cold /… oh I was raised on little light

Slate hasn’t had an easy life, and while she does like Gale, she worries that she is too damaged to be with him. This song is her begging him to forgive her for keeping her heart walled off from the world, trying to assure him that she does love him, even if she can’t say it.

First Light

The sky set to burst / the gold and the rust / the colour erupts /... the sun coming up / like I lived my whole life / before the first light

A classic of Gale playlists (thanks Tim!). Gale letting in the flood of light that Slate is for him, letting himself see colour again. In one sudden moment he is realising what it means to love somebody who brings warmth to him life (unlike somebody we could mention)

Hello My Old Heart

Hello, my old heart / it’s been so long / since I’ve given you away / and every day, I add another stone / to the walls I built around you / to keep you safe

Slate starts to deconstruct the walls around her heart, opening herself up to Gale, and allowing herself to be vulnerable to him. She still isn’t convinced that it won’t end with her brokenhearted, but she is starting to think that even if it all ends in tragedy, the happiness from the good parts will make it worth the pain.

Graceland Too

No longer a danger to herself or others / she made up her mind and laced up her shoes / yelled down the hall, but nobody answered / so she walked outside without an excuse

This song is about loving somebody who is self destructive and mentally ill. One one side, it depicts the suicidal path Gale is being pushed down by Mystra and Elminster. On the flip side, it depicts the struggle for Slate of loving somebody who is suicidal. Ultimately, Gale chooses to find a new path.

Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You

Has anyone ever written anything for you? / in your darkest hours / have you ever heard me sing?

Gale to Slate. He knows the she hasn't had many people who have truly been on her side and there for her. Gale wants her to know that she is worthwhile, and that she is worthy of his love; that she deserves to have words and actions of love given to her.

Home to Me

How dare you love me like you never known fear?

Slate to Gale. This portrays Slate’s astonishment at how vulnerable Gale lets himself be. He seems to dive into their love without fear, despite the orb in his chest, despite the very real possibility of the world ending and their souls being destroyed. And despite all that, he is still choosing to love her rather than shutting out the potential of pain.

Something Just Like This

I’m not looking for somebody with some superhero gifts / some superhero / some fairy tale bliss / just something I can turn to / somebody I can kiss / I want something just like this

Slate doesn’t need Gale to be a god. She doesn’t need him to be Chosen. She doesn’t need him to be a powerful wizard. She only wants something just like this.

Inkpot Gods

And to those gods, I will speak bluntly / “we’ve an accord, if you ever touch or harm him / please rest assured that you might not fear a man / but to a woman, by the end, you’ll kneel and plea, ‘cause I’m more than what my mum told me to be”

An anthem to growing despite and overcoming trauma. As two highly traumatised people, Slate and Gale can’t fix mental illness with love, but they support each other, have the other’s back, and rejoice in recovery. Its also Slate's 'stay the fuck away Mystra' song.

Fair

He'll trip and she'll pretend not to have seen / Burying her head into his chest and clinging to the moment / "Where have you been?" she'll whisper/ "I've waited oh so long for you to come" / And as the stars above them hum and hear them / He'll turn to her and say, "That's what she said"

Slate and Gale travel to Waterdeep to start anew. Their love is strong and deep, and their bond has been tested time and time again. Yet, there is also beauty in the mundanity of love; in the everyday. This song has so many great lines it was hard to choose. I love how this song contrasts grand gestures of love (she promises to fight them all when it all becomes too much) and the day-to-day moments (you don’t need to pretend to be someone you’re not / ‘cause it’s not like I’ve never heard you fart and snore). Gale is a man of big, romantic gestures (conjure a beautiful starscape for your lover, intertwine your souls in the astral plane), but the everyday moments are just as beautiful and meaningful, and only become more so after Gale rejects godhood to remain mortal.

Devils You Know: A Gale x Tav Musician AU

Devils You Know (3723 words) by CrabsWithSticks Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Gale/Tav (Baldur's Gate), Gale (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Tav (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Gale & Wyll (Baldur's Gate) Characters: Gale (Baldur's Gate), Wyll (Baldur's Gate), Tav (Baldur's Gate) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Alternate Universe - Music, Modern Era, Abusive Relationships, not Gale and Slate though other relationships past and present, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drugs, Cancer, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Musicians, Gale is an ex music historian, Tav plays in a rock duo, Past Character Death, Trauma, Abusive Parents, Hurt/Comfort, Healing Summary: Gale left his home of Waterdeep to start over after his life fell apart. Unsure of what to do with his life, he moved to Baldur's Gate, opening up a record shop, hoping to hide from his past and the people in it. However, dragged out to a club by his friend Wyll, he stumbles across Slate, a member of a rock duo playing at the club. Life hasn't been kind to either of them, but maybe they can find a way to start over together.

mmmm Thinking Gale and Slate (my Tav) Hadestown AU thoughts..... Gale as Orpheus who could make you see how the world could be in spite of the way that it is....and Slate the street rat rogue who'd seen how the world was and when she fell, she fell in spite of herself in love with him.

And then the tragic finale. Gale, who despite his show of confidence doesn't believe he is worthwhile. Wonders why she would follow him into the cold and dark again. Gale, who doesn't trust the gods, because why would they let him win, why would they let her go. So he looks back.

It just works so well, and its so spicy...

Gale x Slate, Hadestown AU

Because Slate is exactly the kind of cynical bastard as Euridice at the start of the plan, and Gale has the right combination of hopeless romantic, overconfident and autism to go up to a woman and say this.

Who fell first? Who fell harder?

Who is the one who fusses the most? Does their S/O mind very much?

What is their love language?

Has either OC ever gotten a hickey off the other? What was their reaction?

What is something they like to do together?

Who would ask the "would you love me if I were a worm?" question? How would their S/O answer?

Who likes forehead kisses? Who likes hand kisses? Who likes neck kisses?

Who is the big spoon? Little spoon?

If there wasnt enough seats, how would they sit? One on the other's lap? One on the armrest? One on the floor in front of them?

Who plays with whose hair?

Who is clingy?

What is something their S/O does that makes them flustered?

What is something they find hot about their S/O?

What is something they argue about constantly? Is it a deep-seated issue or something small?

How do they comfort one another when the other is upset?

Who is the better caretaker? Does their S/O like being taken care of?

Who steals whose clothes? Does their significant other mind?

They've had a major blowout. How do they handle it?

How good are they are communication?

Who handles the spiders? Who screams directions in the background?

Who typically tends to initiate intimacy first (this can be a conversation, action or anything)?

What is something - either character - doesn't like about the other?

Who said "I love you" first?

Who kissed who first?

Do they have any pet names for one another?

Who gets jealous most often? How does their S/O deal with that?

Who tends to drive on long journeys? Who navigates?

Do they trust one another? Are comfortable discussing their fears with one another?

What's an insecurity they hold about their relationship?

Describe how one character would cheer the other up after a hard day.

How would they describe one another.

Can they communicate private thoughts whilst in company? If so, how?

Which one of them gives "that look" when they other is acting like a fool?

How do they address a problem in their relationship?

How does each significant other view any exes and former relationships?

What is something that would break their hearts?

Who is more likely to avenge their S/O if they were hurt or killed?

What would be their ideal evening in?

Do they dance? If so, who's better?

What is a song that reminds you of the OCs' relationship?

Who sings to the other? Are they any good?

Who teases who? What about?

Who gets up early? Who stays in bed late?

Who's more likely to bring the other coffee or breakfast in bed?

What's the worst thing the other can say to one?

If they were ever in a life or death situation, who risks their life?

If it ever came down to it, who is turning to the darkside to save the other?

If they ever had less that 5 mins to tell their S/O something before never seeing them again, what would they say?

Is there a word or gesture that makes either of them melt?

Who's the romantic?

Are there any characters who ship them?

Who cooks? Who does the dishes?

Who eats healthier? Who's got the sweet-tooth?

What's something that they don't really care for but tolerate because S/O has an interest?

Who spoils who? Does their S/O tolerate it? Do they secretly enjoy it?

Who tends to be the level-headed one? Who is feral?

Who reminds the other to wear a coat when it's cold out?

Do they hold hands?

Is there a spot they tend to kiss or caress habitual?

Are they willing to show PDA? If not, is there a reason?

How would they describe their S/O in one word?

How would outside characters describe their relationship?

How would they describe one another in bed?

Would they ever answer the above question if it was asked to their face? How would they react?

Who tends to take the lead in intimate encounters?

Have they ever been caught in the act? What would be their reaction if they were?

Have they ever done it anywhere questionable?

Who is more vocal? Who is more experienced?

If they were to go shopping, who holds the bags? Who decides where they go?

If they went out to dinner, who is paying? Would there even be a discussion?

If someone were to insult their S/O, how would the other handle it?

If someone flirted with or showed an interest in their S/O, how would the other react?

Who knows the other better? Why is this?

Who's more likely to bail who out of jail? Would they give the other one shit for it?

Which - if any - other famous ship's vibes do they emulate?

Are they soulmates? Do they believe in that?

What is something they would never forgive the other one for doing/saying?

Who has memorised the other's medical history?

Also, are they each other's first contact in an accident?

What tropes could be applied to this relationship?

Did they have a meet cute? Or was it a train wreck?

Make their relationship into a list of A03 tags.

Who gets frustrated more easily? Who does the other calm them down?

Have they ever almost lost one another? How does it effect their relationship?

Their S/O is tipsy. How do they handle it?

Who gives the best gifts? Who gives the more thoughtful? Who goes for expensive?

If they ever lost one another in a public place, how do they find the other?

What's the darkest secret they have ever told one another?

Would they ever consider marriage?

Would they ever consider starting a family?

Who likes kids more? Who can't stand them?

There's a puddle in one's way. What does their S/O do?

One has hurt their leg on a hike. How does their S/O carry them?

Their pet has caused destruction. Who puts the pet in jail? Who defends the pet?

Who gives flowers to their S/O? What sort of flowers do they like?

Who reads the newspaper? Who wants to see the cartoons?

How do they wake their S/O up? Is it difficult to rouse them?

Who would burn the world down for who?

Who gives off "they said no pickles" energy?

Make a meme of this ship.

You can ask me about: Nikolai/Misha, Alekks/Erika, Katya/Marina, Hadrien/Art

Gotta get that Yuri on Ice ring flare