coreechi - Tumblr blog

[coreechi]

Hot Take: Astarion does NOT hate flowers. You just missed a few subtle hints through Act 1 and early Act 3.

Astarion's negativity is directed toward just about anything remotely pleasant as you move through early act three, starting the moment you leave Wyrm's Rock. First thing after Gortash's coronation he marvels near tears at the colors of the city in daylight. If you ask if he's alright, it pisses him off.

There's other instances I can't quite remember but he's a straight crank throughout early Act 3 and it took me several hours of gameplay to have a lightbulb moment about his newly crappier attitude.

He just spent the last two hundred years seeing everything in the overwhelmingly warm dim tones of indoor lighting via sconces, rushlights, and braziers, or the dingy blue gray of moonlight outside. Daylight colors are something he had more than a lifetime to forget and now that he has a chance to remember that vibrancy in his own home town, he knows he's going to have to forget it all over again either by death or by remaining a vampire spawn forever. The worm isn't going to live rent free in his head forever, and killing Cazador to ascend in his place likely feels like an insurmountable and impossible fight against a literal titan who could stomp him flat without a corm of effort.

He doesn't hate flowers, he hates EVERYTHING right now because it's all going away very soon and if he convinces himself he hates everything then he won't miss it when it's all gone again. He was denied this for two hundred years and he's PISSED at what was stolen from him and PISSED it's all going away again.

He behaved similarly in Act 1 about anyone besides him enjoying physical intimacy. Some of this content was cut, to my best knowledge, but the overwhelming majority of his dialog addressing the PC romancing anyone but him are negative or backhanded. This is for two reasons, I think. A: his Simple Plan just dissolved right before his eyes when you chose someone else which in his mind means he has zero safety net, and EVERYONE gets to enjoy sex (key wording being ENJOY, not simply having) except him... And it pisses him off.

He also gleefully interrupts the bug bear and the ogress, I think for the same reason as the above paragraph, being: If he doesn't get to enjoy intimacy neither do they.

He reacts with anger and disgust at anything he's being unfairly denied. Which... That's fair. His feelings are valid, but his reaction to it is pretty shitty and meanspirited.

The other companions I tend to keep in my party, (that is Lae'zel, Halsin, Karlach, and Wyll) however, are actually appearing to behave pretty patiently with him in Act 3 which I find interesting.

In the instance with the flowers Karlach doesn't bother trying to convince him otherwise of his opinion, she just tells him how they make her feel instead and rather than getting snippy or doubling down he more or less agrees to disagree. I also don't recall anyone disagreeing with Astarion during Gale's last quest tasks when he mentioned that he quit praying to gods who wouldn't hear him a long time ago but to be fair, I think the gods did everybody in this crew dirty and they all know it. It seems like they're consciously giving him the space to be mad about things, is what I'm saying.

Everyone I know including myself who crawled out of a long-term hot garbage situation kinda went wild for a bit with freedom, spoke poorly, behaved strangely, had extreme emotional reactions to things, and made some particularly terrible choices. I think that's just a part of recalibrating yourself, healing and learning how to be okay again.

Point is, I wouldn't conflate too many of the turbo-negative things he says with how he actually feels about anything. We certainly know what he says and what he feels are two very different things.

[coreechi]

Have you reconsidered embracing ceremorphosis?

[coreechi]

The post-game failspawn graveyard scene that lived rent-free in my mind. Then they went to the Elfsong and proceeded to lose ten rounds in a row.

Read more about those guys in here if you may... https://archiveofourown.org/works/52946215/chapters/133933714

[coreechi]

Astarion is so onboard with you murdering people until he realises you're not in control and don't actually want to, then he switches gears so fast.

Yay murder and mayhem! Wait... you're not having fun? Don't worry, I've got you, we'll beat this together, my bloodthirsty friend. Murder should always be a choice! Not for the murdered, obviously, but for the Bhaal Babe, definitely.

[coreechi]

i feel like we as a fandom sleep on the fact that a majority of bg3 is a bunch of city people and foreigners being thrown into an unfamiliar environment and having to live there/navigate it for like a month LMAO

long treks through rain, wind, heavy sun

biting bugs

baths in freezing cold creek water

boots getting stuck in the mud

someone waking up with a snake in their tent

failed attempts at learning to hunt or locate food and everyone getting hangry

accidentally eating poisonous plants

slipping/tripping/falling over various terrains

walking through spider webs

being sticky and sweaty from the humidity

aching backs and feet

taking a wrong turn and getting lost

scary animal noises in the middle of the night

everyone smelling like mildew, B.O, and dirt (a.k.a ten cans of BOUNCE THAT ASS)

i just feel like there’s some potential here

[coreechi]

Dark Urge

I need him to be a romancable companion... My Tav needs him. huge thanks and dedication to @dracobrooklyn for feeding me and brainrotting with me <3

[coreechi]

How about you doodle/draw Astarion on a clothes shopping spree, impossibly happy or teary or however you like, since he's had nothing of his own in 200 years

How about you doodle/draw Astarion just... Hugged. Loved. Cared for. Having his head patted. His ears caressed. Ticklish Astarion, maybe. JUST HIM. HAPPY.

How about you doodle/draw Astarion braiding beloved's hair (anyone, your Tav, Gale, Wyll, Halsin, a random Tav, Shadowheart even (I personally think they'd be besties and talking shit about everyone in camp in Elvish while they do each other's hair and nails))

How about you doodle/draw Astarion just sewing. Anywhere, any act, before or after the game. Just anytime.

How about- (I'm so sorry)

I loved the sewing idea and a little comic was born

[coreechi]

it's too dangerous to go alone take this~

[coreechi]

Gossip husbands Astarion and Averyll by the delightful @nadiezda

[coreechi]

i dont think this is about cowboys anymore raaaaa

yea im into bg3 now :)

[coreechi]

use your brain, Gale 🧠

[coreechi]

Reeeally liking these PaperMate felt tip pens I bought forever ago. About to buy a whole 20 pack.

Astarion featuring my perpetually sleepy girl Tav. I want to do a proper intro/ background to her but not sure how I want to present that.

[coreechi]

[coreechi]

chk!

[coreechi]

The prettiest vampire rogue

[coreechi]

Please don't do this to your friends.

[coreechi]

"Final preparations"

Finally finished this artwork, I can't even stress how much hours I spent on it and I'M SO DONE

The result is pretty good. So that makes me a bit happy