It’s really her experiences in BG3 that make her more sociable - the companions and Elturel tieflings are the first real friends she’s had in years. Through these connections (and her deep bond with Gale), she comes to realise she’s been shielding herself from feeling just how lonely she’s been.

Initially she’d get piiiiiiissed at Gale for throwing a fire spell at an enemy in her spike growth, but they learned to work together. He’d frequently use enlarge on her to buff her in fights, and she’d create water for his spells.

With the pair going long-distance for a bit. Gale goes to retrieve the crown & return to Waterdeep while Eya stays in Baldur’s Gate for a bit to help right some of her wrongs and rebuild the city. The time apart helps them even out to a more adult, healthy relationship when she eventually moves up.

This is PARTICULARLY true in how she approaches her relationship with Gale. He’s very much her first love, and she goes all in like a teenager would. It blinds her to the needs of her other companions since the pair get lost in one another. She realises this after the game, takes some time apart…

The only way her self-image changes throughout the game is that she realises how utterly lonely she was - her brain had never allowed herself to process that. Her relationship with Gale also makes her realise that she does want to put down roots and stop being a nomadic hermit.

After watching Shadowheart’s ordeal with her parents, however, Eya did decide to write to them again before the final fight to let them know she was alive and in Baldur’s Gate, facing some Big Stuff. They end up moving to Baldur’s Gate (even though Eya is in Waterdeep) and they reconcile.

She prefers to bathe in private, but there was a time prior to their relationship when she convinced Gale to join her. Once in a relationship, she’s not fussed when he joins her. He introduces her to fancy soap potions he’s made, or he sometimes uses prestidigitation (which she is NOT a fan of).

On the one hand, she likes to wear nice clothes to flaunt her new status and prove she belongs, particularly at events at Blackstaff. But then she also feels it’s wasteful to spend money on that. She feels guilt over not having regular employment like Gale, but she was quite burnt out post-game.

Love this pairing, love this sketch, love the way you draw the glowing purple on Gale!

Congrats on the 500! Here’s my Tav Eya with Gale.