#Astarion woke up very confused as to why the life was suddenly being squeezed from him

[invinciblerodent]

so i just realized that I had a hard save just before the end of the ritual in my Astarion romance game, and that I could see for myself the whole entire ascension dialogue, without needing to rely on whatever can and can't be shown on youtube

................ yeah, I don't............. like it

and that's not a surprise, i knew very well that I wouldn't (a butt or a tit being censored doesn't change that), I've seen most lines if not the whole scene uncensored and as-is before, but having your own fleshed-out character be there, it kinda changes things a little bit.

in that it feels objectively much worse altogether. to me. like i didn't understand how people could see this as anything other than a humongous red flag before, and now i understand it even less.

the whole.... demeanor he has now, and that line about having "earned his body", and the repeated dismissal of the PC's very realistic and honest anxieties with an "I'm so powerful, it'll be fine".....? just...... eugh. yuck. slimy. gross. do not want.

just how close Iona was to this happening too, that's probably what makes my brainstem prickle the most. how easy it would have been for her to just... let him convince her that this is all for the best, and stay convinced until it's far too late already.

this guy may be wearing Astarion's face, but whoever he is*? fucking hate the prick

(*yes i know it's him just with his worst fears reinforced and his worst qualities amplified, but for the sake of the expression? it does feel like a stranger is wearing his face, and that stranger suuuuuucks)