These free cam videos hit differently 😍 Poor guy is missing Tav and trying to pretend he isn't staring out the window all day hoping this is the day she comes back.
@@iamkittybg3 ugh can you imagine his reaction if Tav just runs into his arms, and goes "stop pretending, I missed you too!" 😭 He'd probably try to play it down but inside he'd be glowing.
@@Nakumiya I'd beeline straight to him and have every bit the same energy Dame Aylin had when she's reunited with Isabel. When she tells you to get lost because they need to make up for lost time. We're going down to the river... Maybe we'll be back. Maybe not. Meanwhile Withers: Thy wheel of fate turns ever to the DARK! 😂
I imagine he's spent his time fancying up the palace for wifey, going into a rage because his consort still ain't home and destroys the joint... then goes back to decorating, lol. Palace needs to be in tip top shape when his treasure returns after all. Lolol.
I'm sad that the game doesn't have an option to answer him something like: "Sorry, love, I didn't know that if I go with Karlach, the game will end like this and won't give us a dialogue where I can take you with us!" and another option: "It was cool with Karlach, of course, but take me back to the palace right now, I want to be only with you!" 😭😅
@@iamkittybg3 agree, I mean tav is literally written to be at least a bit offended by AA's attitude. There should be options for people who can navigate his personality successfully without bashing heads with him and sound too obedient. In the sense that he thinks he has control, but so do you. I personally don't really like to appeal to anyone's morals in this game and don't like it when characters judge my decisions, and with Astarion I just vibe along, I don't take any sides or steer him in aby particular direction. Yet you still have to take a side in some conversations. Like, do you want to be good or evil? I say neither. Though sentencing 7 thousand souls to hell after witnessing house of Hope can feel difficult
@@mysryuza I agree, Tav made a rash decision😏 she 100% wants to go back to Astarion, but she doesn't know how to say it because the developers didn't give her that opportunity 😭
I'm glad Larian cleared up any doubts that AA was supposedly a monster obsessed with his partner and wanted to control him at all costs. So much love in these dialogues.
I agree. ❤️ All I see in this dialogue is that Astarion misses Tav very much and is waiting for her at home, gluing wallpaper in the palace (parties, yeah, sure. He was gluing wallpaper and hanging curtains so that Tav would like it😆).
I recently got this dialogue myself then rolled back the save since I prefer finishing the game with my character by his side. I also spoke to Withers to finish up the party whilst he was in bat-form so that I had this cute lil bat holding his wine glass. I highly recommend talking to Withers as soon as he transforms into a bat to finish up the party for the cuteness. xD
@@iamkittybg3 It is absolutely worth it. Unfortunately I can't post photos in RU-vid comments but I have a really cute photo of Batstarion holding a glass of wine xD
Yeah, I could never do this myself. Astarion seems so much happier in both routes with a lover by his side. He sounds like he's trying so hard to convince himself that he's fine without his consort in the beginning of the conversation. I also don't think he can control them at all either so all he can do is hope they return of their own volition someday.
He is definitely happier when Tav is by his side. I also think he is just trying to convince himself that he is fine and throwing parties (but in reality I think he is exaggerating to show that he is fine in front of Tav). 😅 I think he just missed Tav while he was in his palace and waiting for her to come home. In any case, he admits how much he misses her. 🥹The main thing is that he can't control her and make her come back, which only further proves the bride/groom theory, where the vampire really can't control them.😏
Ngl I could totally see my Durge pulling him close and whispering “I missed you too babe~” after figuring out that’s what Astarion is indirectly saying 😂 my rogue had proficiency and expertise in insight so I imaging he’s especially attuned to reading Astarion like an open book
@@iamkittybg3 I love that!!! You would think after spending an entire adventure together your character would become adept at reading their love interest, ya know? Like I feel like in act three you should have advantage on any insight checks you make to read your partner
I can never bring myself to leave him ❤️ (sorry Karlach, spawn or ascended I’m staying with him) I wish Ascended Astarion didn't have the slightest bit of insincerity in his tone when he says “I’m not some controlling monster” I don't see him as a controlling monster but Larian seems to want me to see him that way, it's very strange. Good character development happens over time not from just one choice (the choice to complete the ascension or not) it's strange how different he seems in the ascended route. Astarion and Gale are the only two characters who I know to take a complete 180-degree turn from who I knew them to be and it feels strange, it's hard to roleplay with that too, choosing their “bad/evil route” when I know they are going to be completely different from their act 1 & 2 selves. 😕
@@empressofdestiny I agree, in the third act the writing of the characters feels completely different and is very different from the first and second acts
@@iamkittybg3 I feel like they rushed the 3rd act, I think they had a different direction for the story in the 3rd act and then changed it to meet the release date. I feel they cut a lot of content, an explorable Upper City for one. I always thought it was strange to enter Cazador’s Palace from the servant's entrance in the lower city.
I can see how he’s a natural leader in the end, despite being a slave for 200 years. He can keep calm and he’s a reasonable listener. If he goes off to lead the rest of the vampire spawn in the end, he cares to make sure they don’t do stuff like kill gnomes 😂
**My Tav looking out of her palace window at the dawning sun wrapped up in the finest satin sheet body sore from battle and the Hedonistic night promised, while Astarion lazily watches from their bed with his arms propped behind his head tracking her with his eyes... Her: I wonder what I could have done to help her and Wyll...😮💨🤔 Him: 🙄...and it shall remain a wonder, Darling. You are Mine. 😒 Karlach has Wyll. (Scoffing) You have done enough "saving" and " helping". Now, come back to bed my love. For the next decade, that window is as about as far as I want you to stray from me and the only attire I'll allow on that perfect body are those sheets...and myself... of course. 😈😏
@@raelaurenmccoy803 roughly the same scenario with my Tav. 🥹❤️ So, everything you just saw in this video is not canon for my Tav, she is not leaving Astarion 😭😅
I'm a spawn enjoyer, but Gods giving me a chance to AA girlies and protecting their kinks and preferences from idiots opened a new world and perspective for me Thank you , AA girlies, love you all
Thank you for calling people with another bondaries, preferences or just abusive relationship experience idiots, I guess?? You can love fictional toxic jerks, it's okay (I personally am, so I don't blame you), but calling another human being idiots for another taste?? You just sais "fictional character is more important than living person" that way. It reminds me situation when someone described his abusive relationship and said that it has a lot in common with AA/Tav relationship, and someone said "don't bring your experience in fiction".
Honestly, that's one of the things I like most about the ascendent route. As sweet as Astarion is if he remains a spawn, a big part of me wonders how much of him is still pretending. Like his dream just got squished mere hours ago and we're supposed to believe he's totally fine with it after the graveyard scene? Evil as Lord Astarion is, at least he has the confidence to he his true self and his lover can either take him or leave him(it's obvious he wants them by his side forever but he won't force them).
@@britt6184 I definitely agree with you there. Especially since we know that he's not masking after he Ascends. He makes it very clear that he wants you by his side. Without the theatrical flair. Just simple and plain. I have everything except YOU by my side. I just went through Ascension again and I hate that so many dialogue options are to be argumentative with him. As well as those who help him Ascend, willingly bend the knee (accepting his dominant role in your relationship and also you are trusting him with your submission) you do all of this before he turns you to suddenly become judgemental and steeped in toxic feminist energy about being his Spawn when he specifically tells you that he gave you his blood and that you will feed off of him. Also, not taking into account that the bond goes both ways. He's willingly bound himself to you too. (Sorry I went on a tangent) But, some people act like they need the little bouncy ball with the closed captions in bold text. 😩 Glad I found the table in the fandom that has comprehension skills.
I think people on both sides of the argument tend to get it wrong. Liking AA isn’t inherently bad, but it’s really concerning to see people excusing his behavior. Most of AA’s traits and behaviors are that of an abuser. If you recognize that, I’m not yucking your yum, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying that as a part of fantasy. But I get really concerned for women who try to excuse it-this is exactly the trap irl victims and survivors of abusive relationships fall into, making excuses for increasingly restrictive and controlling behavior. “But look, he’s good because he did _this_ for me. He let me do _this._ ” I just can’t tell who’s enjoying this responsibly and who’s exhibiting frighteningly permissive behavior. Even if you’re an AA enjoyer, it’d be irresponsible to ignore that side of the sub-fandom. But on the other side, lots of anti-AA people go about confronting this horribly. Shame and harassment are the LAST thing fans like this need, not to mention grouping _all_ AA fans as somehow horrible demographic. What’s the point of making people feel bad, but to inflate one’s own ego?
I would like to clarify a few things. When I defend AA or say that in my playthrough he doesn't abuse my Tav, it concerns my roleplay. I roleplay a couple like AA/Durge, the reference for which is Nadja and Laszlo from "What We Do in the Shadows" (TV series). In my roleplay, AA and Durge are the same crazy couple, they are obsessed with each other and love each other, and I choose the answer options in which Astarion does not abuse Tav. The game allows you to do this. At the same time, I agree that you can roleplay the victim, there are many more answer options for this. But I enjoy my roleplay and I cannot understand the hate towards such roleplay as mine. By the way, I perfectly understand the character arc and that this is his evil path, but I do not understand why I cannot roleplay his love with Tav and enjoy it. We are all adults here. I understand that this is fantasy. I don't like that they are trying to apply the morals of modern society to a medieval RPG game set in another realm. I am just having fun in a computer game with multiple outcomes, and people come to worry about me and my real life. I am trying to protect my roleplay, because AA haters clearly do not respect it. At the same time, for other playthroughs, I often choose the spawn path and I like it too and it suits other roleplay. Maybe we should be worried about people who worry about what playthrough and roleplay someone has in a video game?
I want to add that I have not met any people among AA fans who would like or want abusive relationships in real life, or who confuse the game with reality. At least not on my channel. And I am not looking for this in real life too. But even if we assume that someone would like it, it is simply none of our business. We are all here to enjoy the content of the game and Astarion, and not to pry into someone's private life with advice and worries.
His increasingly restrictive and controlling behaviour....i am sorry...what? It is good that you are genuinely (really?) concerned about people if they do not agree with you. Most of AA's traits and behaviors are that of an abuser? Which ones? The ones where he gets mildly irritated if you tell him things that are just not true as an excuse to dump him? I have thoughts on what it says if people expect him to just stand there and go "Oh right, yes you are correct"...but, luckily, there are chatbots a-plenty for people who want to RP abusive AA...
@@iamkittybg3 Yeah, that’s fine. I got caught up in another comment thread at like 6 am and made this comment based off of it, but I really should’ve made my own post on another platform. I think it’s an important discussion that needs to be had, but not in an environment where everyone’s already on the defensive.
@@SquirrellySkeptical I’ll try to tldr this: abusers use a kind mask to lure in victims, but show their true colors when they’re angry. They try to get more and more power over you, which gives you more chances to upset them. If you can’t (accidentally) upset your partner and not expect to feel emotionally or physically safe with them, that is an abusive relationship, no matter how much you try to-or even succeed in-avoiding upsetting them. AA is a legit fantasy where the mask abusers wear is actually real. He loves you, and he’s possessive over you-powerlessness and safety are two sides of the same coin, and possession feels like intense love. It is a tempting fantasy I understand and don’t shame people for. My concern is that, _I’ve seen_ women irl who don’t understand kink and fantasy power play, who enjoy these forms of media uncritically. I’m not trying to shame anyone, I just think this is an important conversation to have, given how serious the topic is. We’re all adults here, but adults can be stupid. That’s okay, and that’s why we need to look out for each other.
hah.. well, another reason for me to keep him a spawn. i didn't go with Karlach though, i sent Will with her. but this.. nope, thanks, we'll find another way for him to walk under the sun.
@@iamkittybg3 please remind me in 2 days, if I forget to answer. I checked it being in romance with Astarion and Halsin. I could hug Halsin and he said that maybe I could visit him some day. With Astarion it was like I wasn't in romance, I suppose. He just said he was used to shadows and so on. But for pure experiment I think I should break up with Halsin first and then go with Karlach and then check on Astarion in epilogue.
Ive been curious about AA myself currently working through my second playthrough. My first play i unfortunately didnt understand all the necessary checks (for good/neutral) to get Astarion affinity high enough to romance. Seond play through ive figured it out and already romanced before the end of act 1 😊. Now im just deciding to go AA or spawn route. I feel like woth some of the cut scenes for AA someone at Larian must have read alot of Alpha/Dom vampire romance books but missed the nuance and made AA seem like a jerk instead of a more complex character.
You can create a save just before the ritual scenes so you can try out both. Also if you check out Kittys recent video about RP with Ascended Astarion you'll see he's really not a jerk at all.
@@roguetaco5487 Yeah, the Kiss Fiasco, I call it. My character's face twisted in fear for something she willingly consented to. 😩 Then, they change it and even though it's improved there were alternatives that would have worked (as shown in mods) that can convey the affection he has for his Consort without him looking like a prick to who is now his spouse. This uproar was due to a lone writer spinning a narrative and the "SpawnOnlyFans" that are condescending and judgemental if you chose ascension, being upset because Ascended Astarion has more content and dialogue. I say, give it a try at least once but while you're playing pay attention to his normal tone of voice when he's not flirting or being flamboyant and snarky. When he speaks in his past and his trauma. It's the same tone he speaks in after he Ascends. No frills. Does he say some stereotypical "villain" things at times? Yes, but this is his Evil route and not the Bad ending like so many others like to believe it is. Just like Shadow Heart becoming a Justiciar and Gale choosing the crown are theirs. But (gasp) God forbid we let Astarion Ascend! This comes from people who raid the Grove to get Minthara instead of just knocking her out to get the sex scene with her at the goblin party...but I digress...
@@KuroPhinaI genuinely can’t place how you can look at all the AA dialogue and not determine he’s a jerk. He’s a complex, very interesting and well written jerk, but a jerk nonetheless. It’s not even in subtext, it’s in the text right in front of your face 😭
@@KuroPhina The first one that comes to mind is the succeeded wisdom check during the “on your knees” scene where it’s revealed, and I quote “He will always see you degrading yourself if you continue to be with him”. Second that comes to mind is the break up scene. And I should say, no wanting to break up with him does not make you a jerk. One of THEE red flags in relationships is not feeling like you have a way out, or the person manipulating you into staying in the relationship despite you not wanting to anymore. And after you’ve broken up with him, he eventually *admits* that you made the right choice by breaking up with him because, quote “I would’ve ruined your love, used your trust until you were *nothing*.” And these are just a couple of lines of the AA romance that show this. Once again, it’s not even in the subtext, he outright says it. AA is a very well written and thought out character, how Astarion can turn into an even more power hungry and manipulative vampire than he already was, how his fears absolutely consumed him until there’s barely anything left of the heart he once had. I just find it sad and even worrying when people completely misunderstand the narrative that was put right in front of your eyes. Once again it’s cool if you like him and the toxicity he brings and want to be an evil power couple with him, or if you just want to explore that part of him, it just gets weird when people are like “No this is a totally cool and healthy thing to do in a relationship!” like they’re in denial of what is literally in front of them 💀
I know this is only for scientific purposes, but how could you leave him all alone? 😭 Poor Astarion, trying not to let it show just how badly he missed you. Even as an all-powerful vampire lord, he’s still so supportive.
@@Callidus7SSM I would never have left him if I hadn't been asked to film this dialogue. 😭😅 Honestly, I definitely miss the "I've helped Karlach enough, take me home to the palace" option here, followed by a hug with tears 😭
He could always join Tav in the hells. It's not like the dude can't fight. Put that +10 necro damage to use. He's just sitting around hosting parties. Plus, they are really close to fixing the engine, the sooner they get it fixed, the sooner everyone can go to the parties.
@@iamkittybg3 This would be extremely cruel given she went back on the grounds that you agreed to come with her. It makes more sense for him to come with Tav and Karlach, than for Tav to abandon Karlach after talking her out of dying.
@@iamkittybg3 I just got to the part where Karlach says, "If Shadowheart needs a rest, we carry her." I could never leave a friend like that hanging. Astarion's lips are eternal.
Out of curiosity, when do you decide to go with Karlach? Like it after the big fight? I wanted to ask cause if I have to decide and then do a bunch of stuff before getting to the epilogue party I might not have the energy to do that in my own playthrough just to see what happens =)
@@DogsShouldVote oh, it happens after you defeat the brain in the epilogue. There's a scene of Karlach and you can choose to go to Avernus with her or send Wyll with her (if he's the Blade of Avernus) 🙂
Wait, was this after patch 7? I finished my honour mode before it and thought I'll make Karlach the flayer to see a different outcome, but I messed up the dialogue and didn't get the chance then felt bad since Wyll became a duke and went with her to Avernus as a friend to not see her die. At the party Astarion (spawn) acted like we never had a relationship.
@@Lazy_flower_as-alwasy That's right! He misses Tav so much and it's so obvious! He just doesn't know what else to say to get her to come home to the palace. 🥹❤️
I mean I don't wanna kinkshame - I get being into extremely toxic and terrible unhealthy FICTIONAL relationships - but it's extremely concerning to see people act like he isn't controlling or manipulative when he very very clearly is
I view Astarion after Ascension in the lense of a villain type character. I knew how he was going into the game so I made it so my first character who I romanced and ascended him with was also of a villainous nature. However, just because a character is a villain doesn't mean they can't fall in love. Trust me when I say that if Astarion was truly as awful as you believe, then I would think so too. The concern is not needed and certainly not wanted because we Lord Astarion enjoyers all(at least I hope that's the case) know not to pursue a villain type/abuser in real life.
I feel like if he was female and mostly enjoyed by a male player base they'd be less of this "I'm concerned for you" mindset that goes around a lot. There's a lot of fictional villains that are popular amongst male audiences but nobody bats an eye. When women enjoy a villain, somehow we don't know any better? I know how to separate fiction from reality, I don't view the AA romance as this "terrible" thing because I'm not comparing it to real-life standards of relationships. It's fiction. It's roleplaying an evil vampire couple.
So know i feel bad. Like my Frind who writes stroys made me a astarion FanFicon and the wohl plot is that he doesn't accend for hes own good.... Worst I CAN'T MAKE HER TO REWRITE BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST FINSHD. I just gonna try to forget this whole viedo
@@iamkittybg3 Оставляя такие комментарии, вы не только портите себе настроение, но еще расстраиваете фанатов АА, которые подписаны на вас. А так же поддерживаете распространение этой шизы, которую несут хейтеры, все эти потоки желчи и выдумки про Лорда.
Am I the only one who thinks he's really manipulative in the beginning ?The "I let you do things because I wanted you to see the world, make mistakes, etc before you'll return to me" "look, if I were that possessive, you wouldn't be able to leave in the first place". Usually, AA doesn't really give me the impression he manipulates Tav/Durge (except for specific lines) but here, this feels a bit cringe. 😬
Of course he manipulates to bring his love back home to the palace. I don't see anything bad by the way, he is clearly sad without her. Well, at least this dialogue shows that he does not control her
@@Plaid_pants_panterhuh? Not sure how this is abuse you know nothing dnd vamp lore 😂 please educate yourself and stop being such a victim its a video game
