UsuallyDyingInside
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Astarion's Vile, Complex Plan That Came Together by UsuallyDyingInside
Fandoms: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)
31 Jan 2026
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For the first time that either of them can remember, Astarion and Tav are happy. With the Netherbrain defeated and their worst enemies vanquished, they finally have time to live their lives like regular people. Sure, there are friends to visit, family to search for, and that whole pesky sunlight problem, but overall, life is good. Things are just about perfect until the day that a vampire shows up on the couple’s doorstep in broad daylight claiming to be Astarion. This version of the beloved vampire, though, went through with ascending.
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TLDR; Ascended!Astarion shows up on Spawn!Astarion's doorstep, scheming to steal his girl (Durge).
Main relationship: Spawn!Astarion x Durge!Tav
Main POV: Astarion (Spawn)
Occasional POV: Durge (Tav)
Guest appearance POV: Astarion (Ascended)Post-Game events based on Astarion's Nice, Simple Plan That Fell Apart
It's not necessary to read the first fic to enjoy this one, but it's there if you want to!Series
- Part 2 of Astarion Isn't the Best at Planning
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The Hooligans of Baldur's Gate by UsuallyDyingInside
Fandoms: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)
12 Apr 2024
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A decade before the "Heroes of Baldur's Gate" were abducted by Mind Flayers, many of them were just a bunch of kids living not-so-regular lives.
Karlach had not yet met Gortash.
Wyll had not yet sold his soul to save the city.
The Dark Urge (Tav) had not yet lost her memories.
Astarion and Shadowheart were... already not having a great time. (Sorry, but it's true)This fic will reimagine canon at this point in time, showing teenage/young adult versions of our favorite Baldur's Gate-based characters as they overlap for the first time in a jail cell rather than a mind flayer ship.
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Astarion's Nice, Simple Plan That Fell Apart by UsuallyDyingInside
Fandoms: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)
12 Apr 2024
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Astarion had a plan. A nice, simple plan: seduce Tav, sleep with her, manipulate her feelings so she'd never turn on him.
All she had to do was fall for it.
And all he had to do was not fall for her.Which is where his nice, simple plan fell apart.
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Exploring Astarion's POV throughout the game while romancing Dark Urge/Tav. Canon is followed in most cases, including with lines of dialogue from the game, but Act 2 and 3 break off from canon a few times in fun ways.Content warnings are listed ahead of the more intense chapters. Overall this fic (like the game) explores what healing from abuse looks like and has a lot of references to those themes.
Series
- Part 1 of Astarion Isn't the Best at Planning
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A Very Fine Day With Two Future Pirate Captains by UsuallyDyingInside
Fandoms: Our Flag Means Death (TV)
19 Dec 2022
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A knife cut through the air with deadly precision, burying itself deeply into the wooden side of the oar, mercifully missing Stede’s sleeve by inches. He could have fainted right there.
This was it. This was how he died. Tied to a boat, mid-humiliation.
Yes, that sounded about right.
When no other knife appeared, and Stede’s heart slowed enough to realize he wasn’t in fact dead (yet), he realized that someone was standing on the opposite shore.
Well, it wasn’t as though he could get much more dead than he already was. Why not be friendly, at least. Kindness had never hurt anyone.
No one besides him, at least.
“Hello there, good sir,” he called to the person watching him. “Did you mean to throw this knife?”
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Alternate history where Ed and Stede meet the day of the rowboat incident for the first and only time before the events of the show.
Recent series
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Astarion Isn't the Best at Planning by UsuallyDyingInside
Fandom Baldur's Gate (Video Games)
31 Jan 2026
- Words:
- 878,576
- Works:
- 2
- Bookmarks:
- 31
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From Ashes to Embers: Astarion by FridayPlease, WincestielFTTFWin
Fandoms: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)
19 Nov 2024
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PSST, I know this work is I N C R E D I B L Y L O N G, but I promise if you like angst, comfort, healing arcs and slow-burns, it's worth dipping your toes in. For the same story broken into three shorter stories which stack, try Rats to Radiance
Astarion's swirling thoughts were interrupted abruptly as they passed through a gate; they had moved into a shadier part of the market and his escort's grip had tightened less-than-protectively on his arm. Shit.
The vampire's eyes searched his face, a cold chill of fear running through him at what he found. Dumb though he was, the man knew something.
“I think your master would be very interested in knowing where his favorite slave is.”
Tav / Asterion slow burn, consent-focused. Starts ch 15.
Halsin / Astarion slow burn, healing focused.
Gale / Astarion platonic slow burn. Content starting ch.28
Rugan turns up in ch.52Heavy on growth and healing. Updated often. Comments appreciated <3
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Talking things through as a crew is easier said than done, and honest communication has never really been Stede’s strong suit. When it comes to Ed, he is willing to try.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 124,159
- Chapters:
- 8/8
- Collections:
- 2
- Comments:
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- Bookmarks:
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- Hits:
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Bookmarked by UsuallyDyingInside
11 May 2024
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Example and basic code for making some text hidden or optional on Ao3 using details and summary tags
Bookmarked by UsuallyDyingInside
25 Feb 2024
Bookmarker's Notes
How to code on AO3. So helpful. Thank you!
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Astarion finds himself alone in a tavern, scouting out his next mark to take back to Cazador. It is a night like any other in a long procession of years spent hunting fresh blood for his master. What he doesn't expect is the possibility that something, or someone, might be hunting him back.
This story takes place in an alternate universe where the events of Baldurs Gate 3 never happened.