#but the term virgin really in my opinion just means pure and wholesome lol

[imagineitdearies]

Do you write Astarion as asexual in Perfect Slaughter? Tyrus and him would be quite compatible in this regard then.

Hi anon! Buckle in, I love this topic so my answer is hella long 😂

Astarion is not asexual in Perfect Slaughter 😊 Perhaps not so evident because it's not in his POV, but he finds Tyrus physically attractive immediately in ch2, and imagines being intimate with him again (minus the obligation of their first encounter) by ch6! Of course, that all goes to hell in a handbasket by ch7 as we know, but even if it hadn't, I think Astarion both in bg3 and PS is great representation for people who may display as somewhat ace because they're sexually traumatized.

In PS, he's often forced to go out multiple times a month to whore his body and is at the same time being preyed upon at random by Cazador, so he’s getting way too many sexual encounters for all the wrong reasons and that trauma has somewhat suppressed his desires in the midst of falling in love with Tyrus, who is a safe haven from those obligations and horrors. But sometimes his attraction jumps out at him (ch12 or 17, anyone 😏) in moments when he feels uncommonly safe and loved, and in those cases we see more of what he'd probably be like once out of this terrible circumstance and with time to heal. He hasn't actively pursued sex with Tyrus because the act has terrible, visceral associations for him still right now (and due to his worries of manipulating and hurting Tyrus). He both desires it, and is terrified by it.

One of the reasons I really like pairing him with a demiromantic asexual but still sex-positive character is because Astarion gets the chance to be loved without physical attraction and sexual desire even coming into play at first. Tyrus is endeared to him right away, wants to be closer to him, and enjoys giving and receiving physical affection, all without sex coming into the picture on his end. But Tyrus being sex-neutral/positive means that one day, if and when they finally feel safe enough, Astarion can also enjoy the sexual intimacy he still desires in PS (and clearly does in bg3, too).

Basically, I'm showering our pale boy with every single goddamn thing that he says he desires in a partner in bg3. He wants a caring partner who doesn't think of him in terms of sex? I'll write it. He wants to wake up next to a handsome virgin every morning? I'll give him Tyrus 💙

Thanks for this question anon! Even if you got more than you bargained for, lol.