Careful. I Bite.

🩸 Careful. I bite. 🩸

Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3

I'm back with artwork of another character from BG3 - this game has a chokehold on my life, I stg. I leaned into Ascended Astarion here for the aesthetic and vibes (this is my favourite jacket in the entire game) - but I very much respect and admire all nuances of this character and his journey throughout the game. I know people are deeply passionate about him and his story, so I hope I was able to do at least one facet of this remarkable character justice.

My IG: @sarah_rugg

3. Lord Astarion likes to bite his Consort a bit in public, most often not to the point of blood. A little nibble. Ears, neck, arms. The trend of this is impossible to trace and fit into an algorithm. Walking through the gardens of the upper city, dancing at a ball, choosing goods from merchants and he's: AUGH *bites*. Maybe it's dominance. Unclear.

ascended astarion in canon:

- experieng a rush of emotions, greatly heightened after centuries of vampirism and truama dulling his senses

- fearful of losing power, his consort, and anything that would threaten their connection

- emotionally reactive due to points one and two, causing him to lash out due to percieved threats

- deeply concerned with matters of consent, expressing pain should his consort take the contract with haarlep,

- has a similar disasociative reaction to sleeping w the drow as he does UA.

- expresses irritation you did not involve him in the decision to sleep w mizora (though i hear the UA version of his reaction is bugged)

- only exception to this is halsin, bc he doesnt see him as a threat and everyone involved is well informed of whats happening.

- expresses desire to engage in philanthropic persuits, ie helping w the rebuild process in baldur's gate. good is good, even if it just so happens to bolster his reputation

ascended astarion in fanon:

- wife-beating rapist that kicks puppies and blows up hospitals

The only thing that makes Ascended Astarion evily evil in the new kisses is Tav's reaction. Without that, he's a horny jerk. I mean, Astarion, who said that killing together brings you closer together UwU. Ascended Princess House of the Night Star. I love it. That I hate that my hardcore chaotic Tav looks like a frightened damsel in distress in the kiss she's approached.

I mean he walks up to Tav, who idk reads. He crosses his legs. Looks like a cat. And then: -- Darling, I've been thinking. I still do not like it. Would you stop it?

There's a conversation where he sulks three times and remembers to have some kind of patience. They find a solution.

Tav who, due to her tragic history, hates herself and hurts herself.

Lord Astarion, who goes nuts over it. His precious treasure... Turns out in the camp she was hiding it or there was so much incident and fatigue around - it wasn't necessary, there was enough pain. Which explained a few things to him, though. That's what it was...

Astarion worries: she's being tormented by something inside that he can't understand, control or somehow end.

Tav doesn't know how to deal with it, either. She worries that he worries. Tav can do what she wants in Faerun if she feels the need to. His spell will still heal her. They dance at the ball, Tav laughs, it's all right. They share all the pleasures in each other's arms. It's a strange unpleasantness might happen once a month.  

Still why did he do not like it so much? It had to be ended somehow.

Gifts, entertainment and his best caresses weren't working. Astarion was hurt that he couldn't solve the problem himself for the only person he cared about.

One day he came up with a compromise that if, he would do it himself with her. He knows body pain, how to inflict it and how to handle it. Or he'll be around.

Tav insisted it was sometimes and she needed some space at times like this. Astarion agreed. And she came to him very often.

So these two vampire have reached an incredible level of trust.

Astarion gets thrill when gives blood to his Consort and her heart starts beating because of him and stops, after a while, because of him. Completely his. Consort gets a thrill, too.