@wilteddreamsofbaldursgate 's Reblog Got Me Cackling So Badly I Just Had To Draw This

Based on an anon ask about how my Durge and Astarion first met! If you want to read my comics WITHOUT Minsc, Boo, Withers, and the Strange Ox ruining everything then you can join as a free member on my patreon to see the goods. 🖤

"I already hear the world whispering in sweet surrender."

This vampire has standards. And a stylist.

weird anon being summoned here.

So I recently watched Bones and All (hope you’re familiar with it, I’d feel bad spoiling it in case you aren’t but are interested in it!) - and I’ve been unable to stop thinking about the ending. Do you think that, when Tav‘s life was coming to an end and they’d ask Astarion for it, would he do a bones and all on them and feed from them one last time, draining them dry? Personally, I think my Tav would see it as a last goodbye, giving him a chance at savoring their blood/the memory of feeding on them one last time while also slipping away rather peacefully (judging by how the narrator frames it during bite night when you don’t stop him, it isn’t very painful and you just drift off.). I’ve been torturing myself with the mental image of Astarion being extremely emotional while trying to honor Tav‘s last wish, trying to savor that connection one last time while also grieving immensely and maybe struggling with a sense of guilt for a few days now.

anon you're going to kill me. i've never seen that movie but this is so fucking sad

i know in my heart that astarion would absolutely hate doing it, but if tav asked i think he would.

another funeral rite i can see him doing is keeping a vial of tav's blood somewhere, like in a pendant or something. the vampire version of keeping a lock of someone's hair. or have it preserved as a gem for a ring

uhm

Welcome to drunk Batstarion adventures

After seeing that bug in the epilogue where you can get Astarion in his bat form with a glass of wine-this was necessary.

Have Batstarion mlem mlem mlem on his wine aaaand

a sequence of misfortunate events. UGH, red wine is so hard to get out of white fur 🦇

It’s no secret Astarion hates himself. Like he deals with a lot of insecurities and self loathing. He just puts on an act of self confidence and narcissism to properly play the role of sexy vampire.

But I think a lot of people miss when he Ascends this gets so much worse. Not only does he still think he’s only good for sex and has nothing to offer beyond that. Now he’s a monster, not by force but by choice. He choose to become a monster. Now he’s expanded his act from sexy vampire to evil sexy vampire. He’s playing the villain because that’s what he thinks he is. And as we know he’s really not that great at acting.

I think it’s interesting everyone always talks about seeing through Astarion’s facade but when it comes to him ascending they’re so quick to fall for his act all over again.

There’s the line “if you stay with him he will always see you as degrading yourself” in his post ascension romance scene. A lot of people interpret it at face value as he hates and looks down on Tav. But I think it’s miss understood because he could never hate Tav as much as he hates himself. Infact I’d say he has Tav put up on the highest pedestal. He sees them as the kindest most caring person in the whole world. He adores them and holds them in the highest regard. That’s why them wanting to be with him so much they would even put themselves beneath him is the ultimate degradation. It’s also why he feels he has to turn them because he doesn’t believe there’s any reason they’d choose to stay with him of their own free will while at the same time he can’t bare to loose them. He can’t wrap his head around the idea that you could actually love a monster like him.

If you say you want freedom in the reunion party he panics. Why would you want freedom? To leave him? You want to leave him? Why? When he’s given you the only things he’s good for; luxury and sex. That’s the only reason you choose him in the first place. He’s desperate to make Tav happy. With out Tav he has nothing. He is nothing.

He hides his hurt and insecurities behind that mask of the villain, behind his facade of power and dominance. Under it all he’s still the frightened spawn cowering in the kennels. And there’s no one he’s more desperate to hide this from than Tav lest they realize their mistake of caring for him and leave.

Another gameplay and again I have a scene that I've seen many times and still love it. BG3 has many beautiful scenes, but this is my favorite. It's also my favorite romance scene I've had in a game romance. ❤️ Why do I love this scene so much? ❤️ Let's analyze 🥰.

Note: the scene I am analyzing is the version after defeating Yurgir.

~ I really appreciate romance scenes that are not based on erotica. There is zero erotica here and it is not necessary to show the emotions and feelings of the characters. I think that this scene is very romantic in its own way.

~ Beautiful portrayal of the character's trauma and his attitude towards himself. Astarion has very low self-esteem, he believes that he is not able to offer anything to another person except a passionate night. He is very surprised when Tav hugs him - someone sees in him something more than a one-night sex partner. Also he is not used to this type of touch - touch without any sexual contention from someone who really feels something for him. At first he is paralyzed, he doesn't know what to do next. Later he is calm, relaxed, you can see that he needed this hug.

~ Here we have the real Astarion, without the mask. An elf who has been broken, who doesn't know how to be with another person, he is confused and lost.

~ Neil's acting, his voice breaking when Astarion says that he doesn't know how to be with another person, although he really wants to. By the way I love about Neil that from his voice we can tell when Astarion is putting on a mask and when he is sincere.

~ I consider this scene (and the entire Astarion romance) to be a huge reward for the player. Astarion is in "survival at all costs" mode and he is not interested in others. But you're the only person he's interested in, also he wants to have with you serious relationship. You showed him kindness, interest in his problems. Someone finally listened to him after over 200 years. It's very sad, but also very beautiful.

To all the people from Larian who were involved in this scene - thank you ! You did a great job and one of the most beautiful romance in games ❤️.

Happy 🦇

on twt: https://x.com/skeptical_lynx/status/1805026144649175542?s=46&t=EuBiJuFrpmM7JiLiuDbaCA