Elminster talked a lot and pompously, but I didn't feel a deep emotional connection between them.Perhaps it was only in a letter after his death that he allowed himself to vent his emotions.
I think so too. Elminster, Tara and Mystra herself seem like very rational people - using the word loosely - to me, who might show righteous anger at times but are overall not very emotional or affectionate. Tara clearly loves Gale but she is also very proper, she gets furious at Mystra after Elminster stabilises the orb, but her way of dissuading Gale away from the command is to remind him to "use his head" and one of the ways the dialogue can end is that she reminds Gale that they wouldn't want to cause a scene. None of them seem to share Gale's more playful side or his joyful enthusiasm for magic, nor do they seem well equipped to help with his emotional needs - or willing to accept his darker notions. "Patched up and pushing on" seems to be very on brand for all of them, very no-nonsense.
I was wondering, if Gale is your Tav's friend, does he also have an option to check in on his mental well-being? I was very surprised the first time around, that his conversational romantic topic isn't concerned with the state of the relationship at all but purely asks about how he is feeling.
