Bits & Bobs (commissions closed)

Let’s play the biggest game of kick the can on the internet.

Ship Tournament, Round 2 — Match 15 / 15

Astarion/Gale

"They’re both so performative, but in opposite directions. Astarion performs confidence and seduction because it kept him alive. Gale performs competence and charm because he is terrified of being useless, dangerous, or unwanted. They’d annoy each other SO much at first because each one can see the other doing the act and thinks, gods, is that what I look like? But underneath all the vanity and sarcasm, there’s such a good emotional match. Gale is patient and romantic and wants to give love in tangible ways - food, words, magic, comfort. Astarion is wary as hell, but he also craves luxury and safety and attention so badly. Gale would make him feel cherished. Astarion would make Gale feel desired without worship involved, which is probably exactly what Gale needs after Mystra."

"gale choosing humanity over the crown, astarion choosing freedom over ascension, both of them stepping away from the huge tempting power-up that would make them “safe” by making them worse. there’s something really lovely in them building a smaller life after all that. and it would still be funny, obviously. astarion in waterdeep being dramatic about the weather, gale trying to introduce him to respectable wizard society, astarion immediately insulting three academics and charming the fourth. gale apologises with his mouth and looks proud with his whole face"

vs. Karlach/Wyll

"I mean, those two are almost implied in the Blade of Avernus, Karlach and Wyll traversing hells together ending. Karlach's dialogue about doing this with someone she loves is both in romanced Karlach ending, and if she's just with Wyll! Karlach was my first romance, and when I saw a non-romanced Karlach and Wyll epilogue for the first time, I just felt such a "it should've been me! Not him!" feeling that it's hard to say there's nothing there. Also, Karlach has been through tough times. She deserves a fairytale prince to sweep her off her feet - what companion doesn't, really, but still. Also, Karlach will stand up for Wyll when he gets too self-sacrificing, I'm sure of that, and he deserves that, too. They're dear to each other, is all I know, and they'd be good together. After they get out of Avernus, I'm sure they could have a good, comfortable life in Baldur's Gate, adventuring, and when needing a break, having a nice house in the upper city to belong to."

Regalia

Which is great! Let's get him percolating on how to weigh a close personal relationship against the lives of the people in Baldur's Gate, because that's where he's going next. See, by act three, the roles of ulder and wyll have reversed. Now ulder is the one potentially under the thrall of a malign influence, now ulder is the one who might be a threat to the city because of it, and now wyll is the one who has to decide what to do. To choose between his father and his city. To decide what risk to the everyday ordinary citizens of Baldur's Gate is worth it.

a few sessions ago, there were these cool masks lying unattended on a table in Auntie Ethel's teahouse lair. just sitting there, waiting to be worn! i am not one to pass up an opportunity.

now you might say, "sky, wearing masks a hag left for you to find sounds like a terrible idea" but actually it turned out great

naturally i am blaming it on an in-character decision and not the fact that i press buttons first and ask questions later. poor Mayhew, really earning that low WIS score 😔 maybe he'll learn restraint one day

sketch and chatter under the cut!

redrew the art meme that was going round a few weeks ago because “make it good later” has never been that aspiration to me, it’s even been enough to just not make the thing I really want to make in the past.

social ergonomics should mean looking at social structures and analyzing the outcomes they have re: human welfare, and then taking that information back to the design board and redesigning things to hurt people less.

commission for @aceofbasedesires, who requested an illustration of one of the scenes in @augentrust's fic The Bone That Has No Marrow! it was a huge pleasure and an honor to get to work on this, since i had already read that story and loved it to bits 🥰 please give it a read if you haven't yet!