serial shipper

"no"

My Kataang heart was BURSTING

THE TEARS IN HER EYES. SHE WAS SO RELIEVED HE WAS OKAY. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH.

𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

Anxiety, Worry, Fear, Depression, Nightmares

The dark thoughts and fears that leave you awake at night. Stacked atop one another, weighing you down. Can also represent self-fulfilling prophecy (your negative thoughts creating the situation you fear will happen).

Edit: also want to add @ratchsellsfornax tag as well - “The card can also be interpreted as a sign to step out of the victim role and/or to seek help.” (forgot about that one thank you!)

I'm not a hardcore Chris and Leon shipper and mainly just see them as friends but the other interpretation is fine too, I love to see some creativity in the fandoms I'm interested in either way! but here's some gifs of some scenes that were edited, for the ones who do enjoy it so you can see and appreciate. I saw a re6 version of this once while scrolling so I just thought 'Why the hell not? Let me share this too then.'

Leon: …I’m super mad at you.

Chris: :( I know. I brought you something. *hands him Rose*

Leon: *holding blonde babygirl like precious treasure* nvm I’m good. I’m telling my handler I’m going on paternity leave. *walks away without bothering with anything else*

So, why bloodweave works? In my opinion, of course.

First of all, it is about emotional and intellectual contrast. Which means, Gale is a scholar, a romantic, a patient, expressive man. He talks things out. While Astarion is wounded and sarcastic. He’s used to hiding vulnerability behind control, charm and flirting.

And here’s the magic (☺️): Gale doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t try to “fix” Astarion. While others might see Astarion’s snark as hostility (or even frlirting), Gale sees through it, he reads the grief and fear beneath the surface. He’s one of the few who can answer cruelty not with fear, but with calm compassion. This is the case where a kind person isn’t weak, they’re resilient.

Also, Astarion needs someone who isn’t afraid of him, and Gale isn't. Remember how Gale reacts when he finds out Astarion is a vampire? He's excited. And he's immediately sympathetic.

Most people either fear Astarion or see him as a weapon/unusual sex toy. Gale is one of the few who can recognize the monster and still be there for him. He’s not naive. He knows the risks. He knows what vampires are. But he chooses to look deeper, not out of pity, but because he sees a soul worth saving. That's why I do not really like when people say that they can make each other worse. Sure, they can, but they can heal each other as well.

And as we know, Astarion is terrified of being loved, and he's terrified of being in love too. And Gale never demands love in return. He offers warmth without pressure. His presence is safe, but never suffocating.

With Gale, Astarion can learn (maybe for the first time) what it’s like to be seen and not used. To be wanted not for performance, but for presence.

But what about sexual/romantic tension? We do not see it much, yet it’s there.

Let’s not forget: they’re both control freaks in their own ways🤣Astarion controls with seduction, with charm and with dominance. Gale controls with words, logic, magic, insight. Now imagine what happens when either of them chooses to surrender — not in weakness, but in trust. That’s chemistry. That’s intimacy built on choice, not power or power imbalance. It’s not just sweet fluff, it’s push and pull, dominance and surrender, healing and hesitation. It’s a grown-up, layered romance that could crack you open like a spellbook bound in blood.

To me, they complete each other.

Astarion doesn’t need a savior. He needs someone who sees everything — the blood, the cruelty, the wounds — and still chooses him. And that’s Gale. He’s not blinded by Astarion’s looks and performance, he’s warmed by the soul beneath it.

And we know that Astrion isn't a good person, exactly. We know that. But that's exactly why he's compelling to Gale. Gale isn’t naive, he’s curious. He isn’t a moralist. He’s a seeker of knowledge, of magic, of people, of the unknown. He doesn’t idealize goodness. What interests him is motive.

He once fell for a goddess who used him. He’s been part of stories full of danger and ambition. And yet, he still chooses to stay open to the world.

Astarion isn’t just “bad.” He’s a paradox. A man with trauma and sharp edges, always walking a tightrope between freedom and cruelty. For Gale, that’s not a red flag, I assume. Gale knows what it’s like to live with dangerous power. Don’t forget that he carries a literal magical bomb inside his chest. He knows what it’s like to be a threat, even unwillingly. Gale doesn’t crave comfort, he craves depth, he also isn’t looking for a fairytale romance.

Astarion is a riddle wrapped in wit and trauma. He flirts, lies, tests boundaries and slowly, vulnerably, opens up. That isn’t a redemptive arc wrapped in fluff. That’s a challenge. And Gale? We all know that he loves a challenge😆