Disclaimer: Characters are belonging to Larian Studios and Baldurās Gate 3
Pretadpole. Moonrise Towers, a meeting of the Dead Threeās Chosen. Mild tension as the plan continues.
Enjoy ~
āI still fail to see why you insist on animity, Draela,ā Kethric begins, leaning over the table towards me. āItās not doing you any favors.ā
I laugh. āItās easier for me to keep them in line if they donāt know what purpose I serve, if they remain at a distance and fearful.ā
āAnd they should fear you,ā Enver agrees readily.
Ketheric shakes his head. āBut how do you expect them to continue to revere you as they should, without knowing how pivotal of a role you play?ā
I lean back, steepling my fingers together and take a deep breath. I try to remember that we are only a couple of months from the beginning of the end. Yet I am so tired. I cast my eyes to Enver, watching as he works his fingers against his palm, clearly fighting the stiffness in them from all of his correspondence. He will have to take his leave soon to return to Baldurās Gate and I am itching to join him, torn between feeling like I need to be here to keep the elder brain functioning properly as well as Kethricās little minions in check and taking care of temple matters as well as causing further panic in the name of the Absolute. The Banite catches my eyes and smiles guiltily, stilling his hand.
āI prefer some intrigue and mystery, old man. Besides, I doubt your own followers would feel comfortable knowing they remain a heartbeat from death in my presence. I work best in the shadows, and thatās where I will remain.ā
āFor now, my dear. But you will need to embrace the light at least a little when the time comes for us to rule together,ā The tyrant gently reminds me.
āI think we are both looking forward to you taking the centerstage with us as your counterparts, Gortash,ā Kethric is quick to respond, and I nod. Kethric has always been a reluctant participant in our partnership, more so since Myrkul brought back his daughter who is disgusted by him. I try to find empathy for him but I simply donāt have it in me. Only an old fool would expect his daughter, whose faith is so strong in an opposing god, to be grateful to be by his side and join him. Especially after all these years sheās lost.
Gortash lets loose one of his famous political smiles, the smile that charms dozens and dozens of elites, and strikes fear in many more. I say very little else for the rest of the meeting as the two hash out intricate details over and over again. The same things we have discussed a hundred times over, with only the tiniest variants that change nothing.
I have been struggling to sleep lately, tucked up in small quarters. Kethric had offered to move Balthazar out of his hole for me, but contrary to popular belief, I prefer sleeping in clean quarters and without the stench of the undead flooding my nostrils. My father visits me while I sleep, visions of a future of rivers of blood and gore, carcasses of the dead piled like mountains on his altar, for him. He wishes for quicker progress, but we are stalled for the time while we track a new lead on something that may prove to be our undoing if we cannot locate it.
I watch my lover as he talks, gesticulating as he goes. I think about what those hands, those fingers, can do to me. What mine can do to him. Suddenly I find myself standing, my hand on his shoulder, freezing him mid-sentence. He looks up at me, concerned. I blink down at him, equally as surprised. I quickly catch myself and turn towards our third. āI think we are done for now, Kethric. That will be all.ā
āButāā Kethric begins, and my grip tightens on Gortashās shoulder.
āYou heard the lady, Kethric. We can continue in the morning. Itās late,ā Gortash crosses himself, putting his hand on mine.
Kethric stands, fixing me with a glare. āFine. But thisāā he gestures to the two of us, āneeds to not interfere with our plans.ā
āItās just sex old man,ā I retort to his back. āI have told you before I can assist in finding you a suitable replacement if you are interested.ā
āIām not.ā He opens the door to leave, looking back at us once more, āyouāre both being foolish.ā
Kethricās words echo in my head long after he is gone, long after Enver and I have exhausted ourselves with one another. I lay tucked into my loverās side, listening to him sleep soundly, longing for that sleep myself, wondering just how foolish I truly am.
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A weekly support group for the gluttons for punishment sub fandom of @drakewalkerwhipped ongoing soap opera that is Autumn Blues and special shout out to her little devil in disguise @nikkisha16. Here we can rant/rage/vent/and theorize over this weeks chapter and past chapters.
Dialogue: Who is worse? Drake or Liam? And what was up with Amber's attitude? Know she is behind the juicy T.E.A and gotten the biggest story of her career but this really can backfire on her due to libel.
Description:Ā Todayās the due date of the baby. But nothingās happening. Jaelaās trying to relax while Drake canāt keep still-- much to Jaelaās annoyance.Ā
Note:Ā This is just fluffy because why not. This is in regards to theirĀ pregnancy with Lia, who (if you read the Fatherhood series), decided to take her sweet time to appear into the world. Masterlist is found in my bio.Ā
Sheās barely awake before Drakeās in her face, still a sleepy blur, before heās asking her, āIs it time? Should we go to the hospital?ā, hand on her stomach, peeking out from under her tank, as it does with most things now that werenāt a dress. She shakes her head, guiding his hand to where their child is currentlyāand happilyāpushing against her with their foot.
āTheyāre pretty content where theyāre atā¦ā She yawns, rubbing her eyesābut she didnāt miss Drakeās pout, the disappointment clear on his face, dark circles under his eyes. Heās been getting such little sleep, looking over things heās read a million times in the baby books when she wakes up to use the bathroom time and time again in the middle of the night.
āBut⦠itās their due date todayā¦ā
The sadness in his voice is unmistakable, but Jaelaās not surprised. Heās been more than ready for the last two weeks, barely leaving her side and checking in with her every time she made a face or muttered something about her body hurting. And it did.
āItās just an estimationā¦ā she reminds him, shifting under the covers, rolling on her back and starting to sit upāthough Drake helps with that and adjusts the pillows for her. Jaela smiles and leans back, hands on her very round stomach. As much as she wants to meet this child, Jaelaās trying to be mindful that sheāll waitātheyāll come on their own time. No need to rush them. āThe baby will come when they come, Walker.ā
Drake sighs, then kisses her stomach before her, setting his hand over hers. āIām just so impatient. I want to meet them. Hold them. Love them,ā he says, nearly glowing himself. She could melt right there, the sincerity in his words and voice so clear, eyes full of love. Chance hops on the bed and trots over to Jaela, head resting on her lap, right by the bump. Itās a common occurrence, sometimes the baby offering a kick hard enough to surprise him. Together the chuckle, petting him. āSee? Even he wants to meet them. Heās impatient too.ā
āNobody more than you,ā Jaela says with a click of her tongue, nudging him. She glances down when she feels the baby shift. The doctors said they were in positionāand it was just a matter of time. But⦠thereās no pain, no water breakingānothing. Just a slowpoke child, and an antsy husband, and dog, apparently. And the staff. Everybody, really. All except her. āThat said⦠I suppose I can try to speed things alongā¦.ā
Drake grins. āWeāve still got a whole day and night to go. Theyāve got plenty of time to be born on their due date. Andā¦ā The way his voice drops to the delicious husky timber that sends shivers every time, even if itās the middle of the night and she wants sleep, lips against her ear in the lightest of touchesā āIāve got just the thing to startā¦ā
Chance quickly vacates the bed when his hand slips under her waistband, lips finding hers, tongues meeting without a moment to waste.
Well, she might as well take advantage of the sex for now.
*
āDrake!ā Jaela gulps down water, face warm from the eggs. The very spicy eggs. To too spocy eggs. āH-how much cayenne and hot sauce did you put in hereāoh my godā I am not eating theseāā
She was starving after the sex, and since Drake decided to take the past few days off of work to prepare for the baby, heās been making her breakfast. And today it was a spicy nightmareāand sheās only just begun to enjoy eggs since the pregnancy. But not these. Drake chuckles, replacing her plate with another one, the scrambled eggs looking a far less dangerous shade of red. āThey say spicy foods can help speed up labor, thatās all.ā
Jaela glares at him, taking a bite of decidedly less spicy eggs. āDrake, this baby is going to come when they want to come. And burning off my tongue is certainly not going to help. Do that again and Iāll murder you.ā He rolls his eyes at her playful threat and takes his seat at the table, watching her carefully, as if the babyās going to be born the second he looks away.
āIām just impatient, thatās all, Abdi. No more crazy spicy foods. But you can bet Iāll make anything that has a liberal amount of spice to it. I just canāt wait to see you hold herā¦ā
āOr him,ā Jaeal replies with a smirk. She truly doesnāt care what the baby isāsheās just happy to be a mom after almost a year of trying and failing. But heās been insistent on their gender.
Drakeās eyes sparkle, smile wide as Jaela feeds Chance some toast. Sheās soft to the puppy eyes now. Pregnancy did that to herātheyāll both be going on diets after this baby comes. āItās a girl. I told you from when we first found out. I just know it.ā
Heās never stopped going on about thatāalways believing that itās been a girl. Hana and Max guess a boy; Liam agrees with Drake; and Liv says the best part about not knowing was having such a feeling of joy when youāre surprised, and so happy that the baby is thereāand besides, why gender a fetus? But⦠Drake was convinced. āWell⦠if the baby is a girl⦠weāre going to have to figure out a name. We still havenāt agreed on a girlās name.ā
āWeāll figure it out when sheās here,ā Drake shrugs, mouthful of toast. āI personally like Emily.ā Jaela wrinkles her nose. Drake cocks an eyebrow. āWhat? Itās cute. Itās a good, classicāā
āItās boring. We are not naming our daughter the most basic name in existence. Sheās the daughter of Duke Drake Walker and Jaela Abdi-Walker of Valtoria. Letās make it something special, something worthy.ā
Drake laughs. āYou have a point. Then, how about Madeliāā
She knows itās a joke, that sparkle in his eyes there, but Jaela still tosses bits of eggs at him, smiling herself. If itās a girl in there⦠sheās sure theyāll know the moment they see her. Why rush and assign a name that doesnāt fit?
*
Finallyāsheās alone. Thank god. And she doesnāt even believe.
Drakeās been following her all morningāand frantically cleaning and organizing any room theyāre in⦠even if heās already cleaned it the day before. Sheās been walking around to try and get this child to come out on time because if anything, aside from wanting to hold them and love them after the hell it took to get here, she wants Drake off her back, watching her like a hawk. At least when the baby is here, thereās a reason for him to follow her around. But this? Sheās pregnant, not helpless.
She sighs, reaching the gym, phone connecting to the stereo. She convinced Drake that the bushes should be trimmed, so that got him away and she (barely) managed to change into tennis shoes, already wearing leggings and one of Drakeās old, too big shirts since they had no obligations. She worked until last week, until Liam nearly forced her to relax and made sure that all of her obligations were handled and covered. She could work today. Butā
āJaela!ā gasps Drake, entering the room. Jaela groans, music just started, but keeps walking going to the exercise ball, sitting on it. She sure as hell didnāt want to use any of the machines. āI thought youāā
āIām fine, Drake. I just came down her to do a little workout on the ball.ā Does bouncing on it count? Although, itās her due date and the baby has no signs of wanting to make their grand entrance, so Jaela assumes that she makes the rules now. In the mirrorās reflection, Drake looks at her, worried, while she looks like a ball herself bouncing on the ball, hands on the sides of her stomach, braids high on her head, some slipping out. She looks like a swollen mess and he simply looks like a worries mess.
She sighs as he comes behind her, hands on her shoulders, massaging them. Well, this part of him being around her isnāt bad. āThat should help, right?ā
āMmhm.ā It does feels good, even if she just wanted to listen to some music alone. āMaybe. Itās worth a shot and it wonāt tire me out that much.ā And I wanted to be left alone but⦠āAnd theyāll come when they come, Drake. Trust meāwhen I go into labor, youāll be the first person to know. I promise.ā
Worry melts from his face, looking at her tenderly in the mirror. āI know. And Iām sorry Iām⦠overbearing? I just⦠after everything we went through, I want them and you to be safe. Soā¦ā Damn the shoulder massages feel good. Jaela looks up at him, smiling.
āYouāre already being a protective father.ā Jaela touches his hand, still bouncing on the ball. It helps her back, too. Been a damn lifesaver this whole time. āYouāve been a father since we found out. Before, really. Theyāre going to be so lucky, you know. Nothing bad is ever gonna happen to them.ā
Drake chuckles, thumb circling her neck just right. Maybe they can get back to the having sex part of trying to urge this child to Earthā¦.āThatās right. Iāll make sure of it.ā
It is annoying to have him follow her around but⦠Jaela sighs happily, meeting his eyes in the mirror. Thereās worse things he could do than want to wait on her hand and foot, truly. She can handle him. Itās just out of love.
*
āOh my god. Drake. What the fuck. Stop cleaning!ā
Jaela watched him in a twenty-minute span clean the counters twice. Dusted all surfaces twice. Fluffed pillows twice. She just wanted to watch some trashy TV and read a book in peace with her feet upānot hear Drake mutter about dust and how the pillows look lopsided over and over. But thatās all heās been doing all morning, following her around room by room (allowing for a two-minute gap before his arrival), watching her with worry.
Itās been a week since the due date⦠and the baby seems more determined than ever to stay in there. Aside from the one close callābut the cramps stopping and the baby was back to normal, stretching in there. Even if theyāve been a bit quiet since the early hours of the morning and Jaelaās been brushing off light pain as Braxton Hickās, or signs of far too early labor. For too early to go to the hospital for and to have Drake whining to her about how they should go there. So, sheās quiet about it, just wanting to relaxāand not telling him that she knows the baby will come soon. Even if soon meant three days from now.
She wants peace. And he is the opposite. Heās annoying, really.
Drake turns, shocked, jaw dropped. āJaela, Iām just cleaning forāā
āYouāve been cleaning for weeks now, Drake,ā Jaela says, stern, petting Chance, always by her side. Her brows are furrowed and she frowns, glaring at him, voice sharp. āYouāre nesting worse than me and youāre not the one with a seven poundābut really feels like thirty poundābaby in you who is taking their sweet time to come out. I want some peace and quietāas weāll never get it againābut I canāt with you around here.ā
Is she being harsh? Sheās too annoyed at her husband, looking like a wounded puppy, to care.
Jaela starts to stand, and Drake rushes to help, but she waves him off, pulling herself up, wincing at the sharpness in her back. Hand on her lower back, one on her stomach, Jaela looks up to him, eyes narrowed. āJae, Iām just trying to helpāā
Thatās an idea. āYou know what would help me,ā Jaela says, waddlingāmore or lessāto the kitchen, where their keys are. Drake and Chance follow. āIs you going to work.ā She tosses him the keys, triumphant in her idea.
Drake frowns himself, holding them up, inspecting them as if theyāre a foreign object. Granted, they havenāt left the duchy in over a week. Walked every inch of it together for a date⦠most nights in a row. But still. Theyāve been on lockdown, just waiting for baby Abdi-Walker to say hello. āHowā¦? I donāt want to leave you alone, Jaela.ā
Jaela groans. āJust for a few hours, okay? Go to the palace, have a whiskey, answer some emails, sign some papers and then come back to me? Let me just⦠be⦠in peace? Can you please do this for me?ā she pleads, going to him, hands on his chest. Drake caresses her stomach, resignation across his face. He canāt resist her when she pleads, batting her lashes, asking for a favor. āLike I said, I promise youāll be the first one to know if Iām in labor and⦠and I highly doubt in the three hours that youāre gone Iāll be having a baby. Just a little break? Talk to Liam? Do something productive that isnāt wiping the counters to an early death, please?ā
And like magicāof courseāDrake sighs in defeat and kisses her tenderly, rubbing her stomach. āFine. A few hours. Then Iām here until I return to work after the babyās born, understand? And Jaelaādonāt be a martyrāif anything happensāā Their eyes lock, his tone serious. Jaela knows in those chestnut eyes she hopes their child will have that he means it. āYou call me, okay? Call me and Iāll be here to help you and weāll be off to the hospital to have a baby. Understand?ā
āMmhmmā¦ā She smiles wide, kissing the tip of his nose. āI do. Now⦠get to work. I need to catch up with some Housewivesā¦ā She taps his ass when he turns, rolling his eyes, and she giggles, happy for the peace and quietāand settling dustāto come.
Although, an hour later, when the pain is constant her water breaks the second sheās out of the shower, all she can mutter is, āWell, shit.ā
Disclaimer: All characters and rights belong to Pixelberry Studios.
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The next chapter will be posted next week but this post is going to be Extra special because its an.....
ASK THE AUTHOR POST
So @drakewalkerwhipped will be answering your questions of all things AB, and other stories she has graced us with. So get your most thought provoking questions posted!
š„š„AUTUMN BLUES SUPPORT GROUPš„š„š¤¬š¤¬š”š”š¤¬š¤¬š”š”š¤¬
A weekly support group for the story Autumn Blues written by sub fandom icon @drakewalkerwhipped. This a place to rant/rage/vent/and theorize over both current and past chapters.
Dialogue: The shit has hit the fan. Drake is now seeing the devastation of his actions in his family, his wife is angry and in pain, his kids are pissed and indifferent and he doesn't know what to do other than leave. Thoughts anyone? As usual discussions for current and past chapters.
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The weekly post where we, gluttons for punishment meet to vent/rage/theorize of the ongoing saga written by the demon queen @drakewalkerwhipped with season three she is joined by her devil's advocate @nikkisha16. And yes it's too early to call for them to be burned at the stake.
Dialogue: Once again we all knew this would happen now its been confirmed. So what will Crystal do? Since she never had any sense to listen to her parents, and now we understand why. Will she tell Drake? How will he take the news? Is there hope for Drake and Jaela? What will Jaela do if Liam sees the picture she sent to Drake? Most importantly of all, who is Jaela?
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A weekly support group post for the ongoing soap opera written by @drakewalkerwhipped and @nikkisha16 as her little shoulder devil for season three. Here we can rant/rage/vent/and theorize over current, past and future chapters.
Dialogue: Well everyone is at a low point right now. Why would Drake get in an argument with Liam with the kids present? Jaela is so broken that she hasn't left her room, abusing her medication, and right now she has given up. So Amber realized that money was worth more than friendship especially when her friend is in a very vulnerable situation. Was it worth it?
š„š„AUTUMN BLUES SUPPORT GROUPš„š„š¹š¤¬š”š¤®ššæš¢šš
A weekly support group for the Autumn Blues Subfandom created by @drakewalkerwhipped and her devil in sheep's clothing @nikkisha16. This is a place to come and rant/rage/vent/and theorize over current and past and future chapters.
Dialogue: How far can a woman be pushed before she begins fighting back? We have seen Jaela be pushed further to the point where she is abusing meds but she hasn't been pushed to her true breaking point. So what will it take?