It's weird that Larian seems to show Astarion a lot of favoritism in terms of content and yet his companion storyline is such a side quest compared to all the others. As far as I'm aware he has no real connection to the mindflayers/Absolute other than the initial kidnapping/parasite insertion, which is - like - the bare minimum needed to have a connection at all.
His conflict with Cazador is such a random aside when you're in Baldur's Gate. It's like yeah I need to stop the other two Chosen, I need to solve this murder conspiracy, locate the Elder Brain, deal with Raphael, figure out what to do with the Crown of Karsus, and... oh yeah, I guess there's Astarion's thing to deal with, too.
It's hilarious, really, because it means while this one huge, world-ending event was going on there was also - by complete coincidence - an entire OTHER world-ending event happening just down the street that wasn't connected in any way. Not only is the Absolute's army on the march, but Cazador is trying to become the Vampire Ascendant at the same time and only ASTARION knows about it. Cazador is literally just some OTHER bbeg whose centuries-old plan happens to be coming to fruition the same week as the Chosen's.
I literally almost forgot to do his plotline because it had so little to do with the overarching conflict of the story. The only connection he ever really makes is with Raphael, who he needs ONCE for ONE minor thing and that's it. And Raphael isn't even that important to the Absolute plot, himself.
Astarion doesn't really have any connections with the Chosen, any other characters, any other antagonists, he's just kind of his own thing. Once you deal with Cazador he's just kind of along for the ride. Meanwhile, Wyll's father is integral to the Chosen's plan, Shadowheart has the plot McGuffin that can foil the Absolute, Lae'zel's people are sworn enemies of the mindflayers, and Gale wants the Crown of Karsus for himself, not to mention his Goddess is literally tasking him to deal with the Absolute.
Everyone else has a good reason to be there EXCEPT ASTARION. Like he's just there because he has a worm.
Anyway, rant over.
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Someday
Pairing: Diluc x G/n Reader
Warnings: Angst, reader has an (implied) panic attack, not proofread
Summary: Diluc regrets not clearing up the misunderstandings. Will you ever forgive him?
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Maybe it was the late hours that he stayed out for, or maybe because he didn’t give you enough attention. He didn’t understand. He would never understand.
- - - - - -
Dliuc reached a hand out towards you, in hopes that you wouldn’t walk out of the Dawn Winery. Grabbing your forearm, his pleas echo in the foyer.
“Y/N, please. Don’t go. Not like this,” he begged.
Your silence drowned out the hammering of your beating heart.
He would never understand the hours you spent, desperately waiting, praying, he would return. On cold nights like these, you would sit in you empty bed during the dead of night. Your lover gone without a trace, leaving you as he so pleased.
You would turn a blind eye, faithful to him and his love for you; but tonight, he returned disheveled.
The lull of rustling leaves and humming of crickets kept you awake tonight, and the creaking of floorboards made you anticipate Diluc’s return to your shared room.
As the mess of a man returned, he silently shut the door to your room and shimmied off his coat. You lay awake, a million thoughts running through your head.
“Where did you go,” you asked. Your voice almost a whisper.
Startling Diluc, his eyes go wide.
“Ah, Y/N, sorry for waking you,” he apologized.
“Diluc. Where did you go.” you asked sternly.
Brushing the sleep off your face, you get out of your bed and face him.
Standing on your side of the bed, and him standing on his, the silence creeps up his spine. All that separated him from holding you in his arms was the bead, and the ever growing pit out doubts in your mind.
Breaking the silence, you scoffed.
Grabbing your coat and a scarf, you haphazardly wrap it around your neck and slide on the coat, rushing out of the room.
As fast as your feet could take you, you make a run down the stairs to the foyer.
Diluc’s pleas were drowned out by your sharp intakes of air.
Tears welling in your eyes, you feel a familiarly strong hand grasp your forearm.
“Y/N! Let me explain!” he yelled.
Flinching at the sound, you refused to meet his eyes. Holding the front door handles for support. You could feel yourself starting to shake.
“Let go! What difference does this time make!?” you seethed, wrenching your arm out of his grasp.
“What are you even saying Y/N,” he gasped out. Was it something he said? Did the maids not treat you well?
The thought that his absence was the cause of all this didn’t cross his mind.
“Every damn time. Every fucking time. On nights like these I fear that something’s happened to you, and every time, you come back with no explanation,” you grit.
“I-,” he said, before you cut him off.
“-No. You’ve had your chances to explain. I’ve been worried sick. What was so dire that you couldn’t tell me where you were going? You couldn’t even muster up a ‘it’s a secret’ or ‘it’ll only be a while, don't worry’,” you choked out.
“Y/N, please. Don’t go. Not like this,” he begged.
“What is it that is so important that you tiptoe around our room in the dead of night. I thought you could share these things with me. I thought you knew that,” you sobbed.
Diluc was at a loss of words. If he knew sooner, he would’ve told you. It didn’t cross his mind.
As tears rolled down your face, he reached a hand out instinctively to wipe it away.
You swatted his hand away. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest.
Neither could meet the others eyes.
The damage was done.
Not a single goodbye left your lips as you walked out of the Dawn Winery for the last time.
With it, you buried the memories of the man you once would’ve given the world to if he so asked.
In the end, he still couldn’t find the courage to tell you.
Maybe you’d know someday.
Someday.
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