I think that, It's an AA kiss more for Spawn Fans. Comfort - Spawn Astarion. Devil Stuff - AA (f8) – Comfort. Repeat. Developers make AA the way most of the target audience wants to see it. Most of the target audience is Spawn Astarion. That's not AA's target audience. That's the conundrum we have here. "That's right Larian, you made him more terrifying he's the way he should be, abuse and horrible because he's evil now"
Yes. So that this large part of the audience can rejoice in how right they are. So that for all the arguments about Astarion feeling bad, the sun, the hunger, his true nature, his own decision, it could all be easily leveled with another, "Ah ha ha! Look what a toxic abuser!" The Larians need to make him an abuser, they need to make it so that everyone who won't give up the ritual will shut up once and for all. And don't do any variants of healing from vampirism, it's complicated and a waste of resources. It's easier to punch the Tav who dared to truly love Astarion in the face. Yeah, most will just never ascend him. Another part of the audience will enjoy being dominated. That small part that will never accept Astarion burning and wants to see a real, free Astarion, will quit the game - that's a negligible loss at all, considering all the number of players in BG3. Can be neglected. It's probably better to quit than to break yourself to this new version of "romance", I've tried, better not to, it's clearly not a "healthy" approach to yourself.
Originally Posted by LiryFire
1) A lot of people feel extremely worthless and insecure, lonely, like no one really cares for them at all. It's a very deep wound that hurts and it's difficult to overcome even in perfectly loving, healthy and supportive relationship with a good partner, and even with therapy. So fantasy about a vampire, being obsessed with you so much that he is ready to do absolutely anything just to be with you for forever is really comforting. Also, you don't have to think too much about your imperfections, because for him you like a center of his vampire heart. Besides, you sympathise with him - it's like a selfcomfort mirror, i love this monster despite everything, so in a way, i accept myself despite any flaws i see in me.
Yeah, I too felt like Astarion could accept the Tavs as real too, just as they are. It was the best love story ever - total acceptance in return for total acceptance. Except I never thought of him as a monster, because I loved everything about him, all his features, everything I looked at.
Originally Posted by LiryFire
2) Safety. When the world around you feel like a wilderness, full of monsters, it feels like only the most terrifying loving monster can protect you from it. He is powerful and protective, and i am so precious to him, that he will set the world on fire just so i would be safe.
And I want to give him that security in the first place. My Tav would set the world on fire to keep Astarion safe. I guess that kind of love deserves punishment from the world and Tav is suggested to start with herself.
Originally Posted by LiryFire
4)Independence. Spawn ending is very terrifying for anyone who has issues with feeling safe and independent, because some of us prefer violent power fantasies over "we have each other and that's all that matters", second of all, this ending also has some shady co-dependency undertone to it that can be triggering for some people. I love Spawn Astarion a little bit more more than Asc and yet my heart stayed absolutely broken after running away from the sun scene, and i hate that he is so dependent on Tav. Larian owes me some emotional refund after this.
I hadn't seen anything scary before, rather the opposite. "We have each other, and that's all that matters." I loved that Tav could prove her love to Astarion, that he could be himself, relax and trust Tav. Tav, who never wants to leave, who wants to always be there for him, the option of becoming Astarion's spawn isn't scary in any way, it's even gratifying because it's an opportunity to prove to someone who "trusts no one" that it's okay to trust. And Astarion will never betray or abandon Tav, the bond is mutual, and he won't want that either. I can't separate the "two Astarions" and say who I love more because it's the same person. With strength and capabilities or vulnerabilities and weaknesses, he just changes his behavior to fit the circumstances. Next to Spawn Astarion is emotionally hard on an empathic level, I start to suffer for him and it's too painful love mixed with deep guilt, hatred for the world and feelings of helplessness. Next to Ascended, it was easy, free and fun. Early on. From his playfulness, his haughtiness, his aristocratism, and his returned sense of self. "The little vampire on the winning side" had turned into "The Ascended Vampire is on your side-you have nothing to fear!"
Originally Posted by LiryFire
5) SA trauma: it wasn't even seen as possibility for healing way by writer, but it is for some. Asc Astarion feels like he is the most powerful creature in the world, and he is fully controlling everything that happens between him and Tav, so finally, it's a kind of situation where there is no chance of him being abused again. It's one of the reasons why some people become Doms in BDSM-dynamic relationships: finally, full control of the process and a partner, who trusts then enough to fully submit, trust issues is also big deal in Astarion story of healing. I find idea that that only Subs can enjoy Asc Astarion a little bit naive. Because, well, some news for you: Doms like it too because they understand why he is so eager to be a top
That one! I, too, always thought that being able to control Tav was a kind of therapy for Astarion.
