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emmafrostyyy · 6 months

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y'all sleeping on Astarion/Lae'zel bc this moment is so...the way the flippant demeanor drops and he doesn't hesitate to call her out for sticking with her version of Cazador like their relationship is so underrated fr...

sitting down writing this bullshit like let me peel it like an onion a bit and elaborate why this pairing is fascinating to me

It's really interesting how during the most cathartic, life-altering moment in Astarion's questline, the reactions of the other companions are more about the moral wrongness/guilt of sacrificing innocent lives. Lae'zel doesn't do that and instead relates to his hurt.

She knows what's he's feeling, the lack of control, the unfairness of being powerless for too long. This is a woman who just found out her entire life purpose was built on lies, discarded and hunted by her own people after outliving her usefulness, and groomed to basically die for an insane power-hungry lich queen. She knows all too well that power isn't always real freedom. Her first instinct is to empathize with Astarion to steer him away from his hate and resentment.

Astarion/Lae'zel is so interesting to me because they're such a classic "can we make each other worse or make a better person out of the other?".

They both have genuine appreciation for violence and respect each other's ruthlessness. Astarion was used as a weapon of seduction while Lae'zel was of warfare. Sex with people is meaningless and not real intimacy for them, and while both have little understanding/experience of interpersonal relationships beyond the physical, they still feel and love very deeply. They have no frame of reference for things like friendship and warmth, but they badly want all of that and more, even if they don't know it yet.

In-game they can sleep with each other, which is basically the foundation of the normal Tav/Astarion romance. Lae'zel saw him during combat and got horny, who knows. Astarion who's used to luring people with his charms, takes up Lae'zel's blunt offer because she's a strong hardened warrior that can provide protection and be a worthy ally, and he doesn't know how to say no. Navigating the complications between one who wants to be seen beyond as a sex object, and one who comes from a totally alien culture with no concept of love/family/connections and only sex is honestly really compelling to me. It's a transactional, mutually beneficial thing with no emotional expectations. Once you get past the skeevy rockiness of their early relationship, I really like the idea of them slowly seeing something past the exterior and realizing they may have harshly misjudged the other, an unspoken friendship blooms, and in comes the realization that they are essentially loners longing for kindness and a comforting touch in the most desperate of situations.

Lae'zel is prideful, direct, has no sense of courtship talk, and doesn't hold back her thoughts the slightest--she's not sweet/agreeable and what you see is really what you get, which I imagine would be disarming for Astarion who's used to vacuous flattery and has difficulty trusting others. But she's also insanely protective, passionate, loyal, and an initiator-- every romance scene is triggered by her first and she's always showing effort towards her relationships, which would mesh well with Astarion who does need someone to nudge him.

She doesn't purposely suppress her feelings, she's just simply at loss at how to express them sometimes due to her wildly different upbringing. She stops the sparring match you agree to and an easy vulnerability slips instantly out of her: "I don't want to hurt you. I want to protect you, and for you to protect me." and "Thus far I've taunted you, devoured you, battled you. Now I want more than anything to soothe you." are romantic as fuck and Astarion of all people really needs to hear that tbh.

Astarion is also someone who struggles with reinforcing his boundaries, and a key theme in Lae'zel's romance is that she encourages and wants you to challenge her and learn to stand your ground. It's not gentlest method, but hey, relationships are about having to make an effort to learn each other's language.

I think he also would take pleasure "educating her on the matters of Fay-run" (I believe there's a whole banter with him teasing her and teaching her pet names) and would get a kick out of coaxing Lae'zel out of her shell with her shyness at showing public affection, and making her blush. Also it simply would be fucking funny to see Astarion who's used to easy seduction, trying to pass a persuasion check just to get a smooch and generally having to work to earn regular kisses from Lae'zel lmfaooo

Lae'zel also initially struggles to see her chains as chains. When she learns about Vlaakith's betrayal, she copes instantly through denial and shuts it down. Astarion is NOT having it and calls her out, he knows her well enough to recognize that she would value blunt honesty above all.

I imagine he also despises her lack of self-preservation, the way her entire identity is tied to duty and being in service of others, and doesn't understand her desire to still help/liberate the people that want her dead and are hunting her down. He wants to make this duty-bound soldier realize that looking out for herself, and putting herself first may not be the worst thing in the world.

They're so similar to each other but are also polar opposites in some ways that make a more equal, balanced romance I think. It's not a simple, one-sided, feel-good "she/he can fix her/him" fantasy because both of them have to earn each other's love, actually cut through the other's flaws, and actively motivate each other to be better versions of themselves.

They're not at all the other's ideal guiding hand. It's rough, jagged, and imperfect, but that's how healing goes. It's so far from being the healthiest relationship -- but even if their belief systems differ, their moral compass does often align. I imagine it's a slight relief for them to have a partner where there would be less shame and judgment when they expectedly, occasionally slip up and fall into their bad habits.

Also, man, the "You showed me the betweens and beyonds. Beyond war and peace, beyond passion and obsession, most importantly, you showed me freedom.", "First you were my wound, now you were my cure.", "But you saw something else in me - someone else I could be. Someone who could break the cycle of power and terror that started centuries ago.." lines really hit hard when applied to them.

Of course, they can also make each other worse, feed into the other's negative traits that will bring out the worst part of themselves. It's this duality of their pairing that is very interesting to explore, the way it can steer in either direction because it's an intense, fraught relationship at its core.

#when he gets called by omeluum “child of the dark” and her “child of the stars” like yeah..the squid man is being literal but he Gets It fr.#lae'zel #astarion #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 meta #astarion ancunin #astarion x lae'zel #lae'zel x astarion #the rarest of rarepairs they dont even got a ship name...this is so tragique we need to discuss the pathos and potential of this pairing #bg3 lae'zel #bg3 astarion #also im a sucker for stoic knight/court darling trope and whatever variations of it yeah #bloodbruise

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teecupangel · 10 months

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As ‘Desmond can steal/touch his ancestor when he’s Bleeding’ idea more or less can be seen as gen, I figured this absolutely AltDes version (as I sorta hinted on in the alternate POV) should have its own post instead.

The AltDes version has definitely been started by the wonderful @thedragonqueen1998

Oh, i just imagine Altair waiting for the spirit to return to him after the whole thing with the apple went down, only to never feel him again. Maybe he'd use the apple to get answers? Could defo lead to altdes if you want comfort. ^^

My reply:

Yeessssss. Let's end this with Altaïr finding a way to keep Desmond in his timeline and maybe a big scene of Desmond holding onto Altaïr's red sash for one last time before he dies and Altaïr just grabbing his hand while the Apple glows and dragging him to his timeline

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From @thedragonqueen1998

oh, im just imagining Desmond going up to the Eye and he sees Altaïr standing there, with his back turned and he holds onto the sash before he puts his hand on the device. He doesnt know if hes screaming as theres only the burning pain, the intense heat, the pure whiteness, the.. feel of fine silk in his left hand.

Altaïr has made sure to keep the Apple on him, so that if the spirit returns he could hopefully anchor it. Maybe he could finally ask some questions without it dissapearing? But its been months. Where as the spirit visited every few days, theres been nothing now. Maybe he should finally put it to rest? Hide away the Apple from anyone seeking to use i-

The spirit, its back. He makes sure to make very slow moves to pull out the Apple while the spirit holds his sash.

He cant mess this up, it might be months if not years until he can get another chance to anchor Desmond to him. With the Apple in his hands he tries to link the spirit to him. To communicate with it. Thats when the screaming starts. Altaïr freezes, these arent just screams of pain, its a death call. Is this how it died? He desperatly wants to turn, to comfort the dying creature, but he cant risk it. The Apple says its 47% done with "uploading memory".

What that means, Altaïr does not know, but the Apple has never failed in granting him his wishes, though understanding the information is another matter. He doesnt know if its been seconds, minutes or hours listening to the horrid screams, to smelling burnt flesh, before they stop and the Apple says "Memory Transfer Complete. Starting Body Transfer. Body Damaged By 20%, Repairs Can Be Done. Proceed?" Repairs? Does it mean saving the spirit? If so, "Proceed".

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Addition from me

Malik did not understand this entire ‘spirit’ business that Altaïr has built in his mind. He had never felt anything strange whenever he was with Altaïr. If anything, the bureau in Jerusalem felt more haunted than Altaïr himself but, even if Malik has no real concrete explanation to the disappearing cups and small items in Jerusalem’s bureau, he also wouldn’t be able to stop it from being concluded as being ‘I forgot where I put it’.

Nonetheless, Altaïr stresses that the spirit is real and his obsession with this spirit of his that is named Desmond was simply another facet of Altaïr’s personality at this point. It was his deepest secret, only told in confidence to Malik because he needed a ‘sounding board’ to talk over his theories and plans.

Malik would have suggested he get a cat but he feared that making Altaïr a cat owner would either make a very spoiled and fat cat or a neglected wild cat that would get its treats elsewhere while its owner forget its existence.

So he tried to be this quiet sounding board, even ready to simply look over the reports given to him as part of his duties as Altaïr’s Keeper when he starts to hear all these… tales of a time far beyond them, machineries that Altaïr explains but left Malik reeling and feeling quite foolish for not understanding, of this… Animus.

Malik had thought Altaïr had gone mad. That whatever power had driven Al Mualim mad when he held the Apple had taken hold of Altaïr by tempting him with what he desired more than power itself.

Knowledge…

And a connection beyond what mortals usually have.

Malik had never thought of Altaïr as being a romantic but he was a man who liked to make dramatic entrances and exits. Cyprus would be a testament to that and, really, it was just as well that Altaïr did not do anything too stupid when he went to Cyprus. (Although a temporary alliance with a Templar woman had been risky and Malik was just glad said woman had told Altaïr that she was leaving Levant to travel elsewhere.)

Malik didn’t want to deal with that kind of headache. Malik had been ready to tell Altaïr that perhaps the Apple had been faking it but then Altaïr showed him these… ‘post its’ that Desmond supposedly left and…

The materials themselves were nothing Malik had seen before. The words he used in English were strange but his Arabic was fluent.

And looks eerily like Altaïr’s, both in the way it was written and the words used.

Perhaps that was what made Altaïr snap.

The insinuation that this Desmond didn’t exist. That Altaïr had made up this person, a person who, from Altaïr’s own description and the little papers Malik had seen, looked and sounded like the kind of person that Altaïr would fall in love with.

Kind but as lonely as him, understanding of Altaïr’s own faults and still believing in him…

Malik had feared that Altaïr would do something drastic.

He had plans already written up and was about to start preparations in secret to keep Masyaf and the Brotherhood running while he tries to get into the bottom of this entire Desmond thing.

Altaïr was slowly unraveling because Desmond hadn’t been contacting him. Just quietly visiting, Altaïr had called them.

It felt like this was the prelude to something big in Malik’s eyes.

Make Altaïr desperate for any communication, make him desire to ‘hear’ from Desmond once more… Altaïr was primed to do something stupid and Malik believed that the perpetrator had to be that damn Apple.

So Malik went to Altaïr’s private studies to finally confront him and, if need be, knock him out so he could drag him away from the Apple.

But, when he got there, he found Altaïr holding an unconscious man in his arms.

A man wearing clothes that Malik had never seen before… And a right arm charred and black with golden lines lightly glowing underneath the cracks…

“Malik…”

Malik realized…

“I did it. I anchored Desmond to me.”

… that perhaps that spirit that has been tempting Altaïr this entire time had been one of the olden ones that had created the Apple itself.

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And more ideas from @zero-saito and @thedragonqueen1998

From @thedragonqueen1998

@teecupangel oooh, thats so hood! Malik would be so suspicious of Desmond, thinking hes tricking or manipulating Altaïr, but also cant help but like him. How he makes Maliks tea exactly how he likes it, how he pushes Altaïr into taking breaks and how he treats the novices. How could a being that made the accursed Apple be so pure and good? Did it take the darkness within it and store it into the artifact? Or something else? The being, Desmond, talks very little of it. For what reason does he share such wonderous "future" ideas, but will not tell of where to find more artifacts, of their uses and purpose? Malik can only hope it is for a good reason.

From @zero-saito

@thedragonqueen1998 @teecupangel I love all of this ‘spam’ 😍 this is great!! Yes to suspicious Malik but also Desmond is so sweet he can’t be mad for long. Also altair finally calming down and stop simping over a ghost! Wait! Malik finding out that desmond was haunting the bureau and either asking for the stuff back or an explanation. Desmond having puppy eyes that break Malik like Kadar used to

From @thedragonqueen1998

@zero-saito god yes, Desmonds puppy eyes are lethal! And he feels so guilty cause his hoard didnt travel with him. And he cant help stealing more to build another. He's like a dragon, gotta hoard everything!

From @zero-saito

@thedragonqueen1998 he has to steal things from altair and Malik the old fashioned way but he might still be able to steal from ezio and Connor the usual way. He will miss his family mementos after all

From @thedragonqueen1998

@zero-saito oh, didnt think about him keeping his Bleeds. :O i cant really think of anything else to add though XD im out of ideas here.

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I got you, guys XD

Desmond wasn’t sure how Altaïr had done it and Altaïr himself was still studying it but his reasoning for studying it was more on the side of making sure Desmond stayed anchored to him. Desmond was sure that there was no way for him to return to his time, not when Altaïr had taken him just as he was about to die, his last memory the sound of his own voice telling him in a robotic sounding tone that the Solar Flare has passed and that it was dispersing the remaining 10% of the shield.

Desmond didn’t know if dispersing the shield was even a good thing but he had fate in the Assassins (his friends) that they would figure something out if it didn’t.

Oh, and about Juno too.

But Desmond was going to ask Altaïr’s help on that front too once he was satisfied that Desmond wouldn’t be thrown out of his time at all.

Honestly…

Desmond was sure that only Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton would be able to do that anyway since it was highly possible the ones he could connect with were the only ones who could use the Apple that way.

Between the two, Ratonhnhaké:ton wouldn’t even know it was an option because he would throw the Apple into the sea as soon as he received it, knowing the danger that it possessed.

Ezio wouldn’t even think about asking the Apple such things. He had always been wary of the Apple’s power and it took Machiavelli pushing him for weeks for him to even ask the Apple where Cesare was. So… yeah, Ezio was highly unlikely.

And…

Even if they do…

Desmond was sure he and Altaïr would end up trying to contact one another to find a way to bring Desmond back.

It would be nice to see Ezio or Ratonhnhaké:ton. To be able to talk to them and to tell them everything but…

Desmond wanted to stay in this time.

He wanted to stay with Altaïr.

So the moment he saw their backs as another Bleeding Episode hit him, he gave them a letter that explained his situation.

Desmond couldn’t believe he didn’t think of it before.

Not like there were any papers lying around that Desmond could use in any of the hideouts he’d been. They mostly kept everything in their laptops, computers and other gadgets. Any paper lying around would be important that Desmond couldn’t take or part of Shaun’s corkboard which he also couldn’t take unless he wanted Shaun to start slapping his hand like a mother batting her child’s hand before the child could take a cookie.

Here in Masyaf though…

Malik was okay giving him as many pieces of paper as he wished.

He knew Malik was still wary of him and Desmond wasn’t surprised.

Hell.

He’d be more surprised if Malik wasn’t wary of him at all.

Still, Desmond was pretty sure that he was slowly whittling Malik’s suspicion of him since he had been more than forthcoming about everything.

Also…

Malik did see the small treasure hoard that Altaïr’s (and Desmond’s) room had in the corner, filled with a lot of strange items that Desmond was more than happy to explain to Malik.

He would forever miss his hoard back in the 21st century but it was fine. He knew the others wouldn’t mind helping Desmond have a new one.

He… was still not sure if he should laugh or be offended that Malik had thought he was an Isu.

But that was fine.

Masyaf…

This place…

This time…

It was peaceful.

And he knew the pitfalls that would come.

Desmond was confident that Altaïr and Malik would listen to him once he explained it all.

But for now…

He just wants to relax for a bit.

And let himself be consumed by the peace and happiness he felt.