#edgelord Astarion

[ladyofthecreeddraws]

It's self care to submerge yourself in a tub full of blood you didn't even work for and absolutely do not need, all inside a room full of wall-length mirrors. Obviously.

[y-rhywbeth2]

One of my favourite things about Durge is how complicated their relationship to 'their' body can be. Their blood is always referred to as Bhaal's blood. Any children they carry are his; their 'seed' and the children born from that is always referred to as his. Their flesh is his 'flesh.'

And it doesn't truly obey them, their autonomy is something between a privilage and a 'necessary evil' from Bhaal's perspective because some of that mortal free will is needed for them to be a useful pawn (godly non-interference politics and all). At any moment they could lose control of it as it ruins them again and again and again...

The body Bhaal is loaning them is a 'rotten skull' atop an 'unlovable carcass,' and it violates them. I just find myself thinking that if I were Durge and I'd been freed from Bhaal my first though to being told the life and body are 'mine' now would be I don't want it. I can't think of it as mine, I don't want to think of it as mine, I want it away from me. What did you think the point of dying was??

[bardic-inspo]

When Astarion goes "HA!" after disengaging 😎😏

When Karlach goes "YOINK!" when you tell her to grab something 🥰😄

When Shadowheart says "Bleed for me!" In a fight 😳😘 (need a panty drop emoji)

[jessalynny]

My fiancé started another run, and as per usual Shadowheart and Astarion were being extra catty— and then my hand slipped

[retromimic]

Astarion: So - in the spirit of theorical questions - if you had to take a bite from one of them, who would it be?

Tav: Are you really asking which of our companions I'd eat?

Tav: Usually people don't want to talk about it, but I'll be happy to share my expertise.

Astarion: ...your what.

[eff-plays]

I do think that Evil Durge and Ascended Astarion is fucking hilarious though. Like yaas bitches, flush your character development down the toilet! Have insane power struggles! Make each other worse! Kill each other!

It's literally so funny.

[fangsandfeels]

Jerra's journey in a nutshell

[renard-dartigue]

The Pale Elf.

[dark-side-blog3]

I don't play baldurs gate, and it seems so long I have no intention to watch a full playthrough.

BUT

That fucking.... Vampire elf thing... Is so annoying <3. Astarion is just so cute-- not like he's sexy, but he's cute in a different, sadder way. Like he's some abused toy with stitching hanging on for dear life.

HE's so fuckin... Loser coded. Like he is SO whiny and he is SO backhanded and he is SO pathetic and sad and tragic and he's so fucking cute with a poorly hidden soft side after he opens up to you and he's clearly using this facade to cope with his insecurities the poor thing, and his stupid giggle and uppity voice and he reeks of classism, and he has scars on his back, and he's so... RHAHARnnrrrnrnrhbgggrrr

I hate him. I need him. I HAVE to bite him please please please LOOK AT HIM ughhhnn I need to have him and give him treasures and coins and whatever he desires and I need to kill him

[vampire-caprisun]

[maya-kholin]

why do I love every wyll hair mod I see and hate every astarion hair mod I see

[ladyofthecreeddraws]

Post Bathorystarion bloodbath feat. C38, @aevallare's oc from her fic Gossamer, which you should go and read right now, because it fucks already.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Also on the elflore end of things: Beauty and life are inherently intwined in the elven philosophical outlook. And Cazador's interest in paintings is an odd one. Elves are obsessed with aesthetic and art because art and its creation is the whole purpose of life or something, but they don't do paintings because they're too transient and the pigment fades incredibly fast from an elven perspective.

'The primary reason this form of artistry isn't practiced among the Tel'Quessir is its rapid degeneration and transience. To most elves, art embraces life, and [pigment] barely lasts as long as an elf's adolescence, thereby rendering less than true art in their eyes.'

The other elven vampires seem to indulge in 'acceptable' artforms. Dalyria's obsession with medical science? Acceptable, especially since she's passionate about it. Violet, from behaviour and possible evidence in Reithwin, is a bard, combining the most prized artforms of magic and music. Astarion, whose primary animation is/was reading and quotes things seems to enjoy literature and poetry, which is also highly ranked even if it's a poor substitute for music. (Though vampirism actually warps the expression and creation of art into a sort of eerie and angry/sad thing (or mad science in Dal's case), so if they do create anything it's probably going to freak out any living elf who beholds it. I imagine Yousen is on a similar boat, gnomes value life and artistry and make it the heart of their culture just like elves do.)

Cazador has chosen the artform that 'dies.' Or he's bragging about how he can afford to keep having the paintings retouched or putting protection magics on them, either way keeping the 'dying' expression of life on life-support, inorganically trapped in a sort of undead-art in a way that's narratively appropriate for a vampire I suppose. I wonder if his spawn are judging him.

(The in-game stuff isn't actually this deep, but I have a shovel.)

[bardic-inspo]

I love that Astarion's initial reaction to Durge talking about murderous thoughts is "Aw, poor thing. You deserve a little murder. As a treat."

[strawbattyshortcake]

S O F T

Welp, time to meet the in-laws.

[dmbakura]

the dark urge and astarion trying to out edgelord each other