for ysera and astarion - 20, 26, and 30!
20. choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.
ooh, yes! i've been slowly putting together a playlist for these two, so i have a few songs to pick from, but right now i'd have to cheat a little and pick both "inkpot gods" by the amazing devil and "stargazing" by myles smith.
i love inkpot gods for them because they've both struggled so much with the trauma of their pasts, but how they want to overcome and be strong for one another.
please let her live just one more day / 'cause she is so much more than all her scars
this lyric especially really makes me feel some type of way, because both of them struggle with feelings of inadequacy that both of them can see through in one another but can't yet look past themselves. i love the idea that trauma always impacts but never defines someone completely.
stargazing is just a really beautiful song. the lyric that speaks to me the most is this one:
when i'm around you, how i come alive / when i'm without you, i can't help but feel so lost
both ysera and astarion are kind of... dormant, i guess you could say, at the beginning of their story. but through each other they bring out the best in one another and finally find the love and acceptance they both have been yearning for.
26. What are their vices?
i think, in astarion's case, it might be easy to think of his need to drink blood as a vice, but i don't consider it one. it's just something he needs to do to survive, and drinking ysera's blood specifically quickly becomes an intimate bonding activity for them both.
that being said, we all know that astarion is a thieving little gremlin, and despite ysera's protests he is absolutely not about to stop stealing fancy trinkets, especially if he can make the excuse that he's doing it to lavish her with tokens of his affection.
for ysera, the most obvious one that comes to mind is the way she lets fear rule so many of her actions. she's certainly no coward when it comes to battle, but in social and romantic scenarios, especially when she and astarion are just getting to know one another, she's so scared of hurting him that she makes things far more difficult for both of them. she needs a lot of time to regain her confidence.
30. Your OTP gets to pick out each other’s outfits; what is each wearing?
i think astarion would pick out a nice black dress for ysera, something that contrasts nicely with her eyes, that's shapely enough to highlight the parts of her body he enjoys the most, and preferably something he's made for her himself. she's not typically the type to wear dresses, so seeing her extra flustered would just be an extra little bonus. he is 100% going to tease her for extra effect.
while they're on the road, ysera is absolutely combing through every wardrobe they find looking for the nicest waistcoats and doublets and anything else she can find for astarion. that poor man hasn't had anything new or fancy in far too long, and she's gonna make sure he has options upon options upon options to pick from. she'd have her favorites for sure, but i think she'd be more interested in letting astarion choose what makes him feel the most handsome/confident.
