It's even off for an audience that imagines themselves in Astarion's place. It's probably a big slap in the face for them. (Sadists are the small part that headcanon) Astarion realizes that ritual is an evil act. But he wants to do it anyway. It will be a dream come true and dreams must be paid for. And so the deed is done. A dream come true, he had help. No matter what, now we've done it together. For those who associate themselves more with this character than with Tav, it shows that no matter what shit you do, if you have the faithful person by your side, who trusts you completely, is open to you - everything will be fine and fun. Also such people realize, they are not perfect. Living with them can be destructive... Decadence. But this person is just like me and wants it all? You care a great deal about this person. And in reality, people like that can't take everything for objective reasons, lol. That's why there are s\m d\s with clear rules. There are no rules for Vampire Lord Astarion. He doesn't let go, that's where the darkness comes in. But a man like that wouldn't be pleased to see a victim-Tav in his face anyway. At all. That's why Astarion gets so triggered when he's called a Cazador. He has a temper, he has darkness in him - but it's different. He is not dictated by anything other than his personality. That's why he's letting Tav and Karlach go. It makes him feel better if Tav's into it. That's why Astarion says "live your best life, even if you don't appreciate it" - it shows how he is even in the illogical Angst-Tav line. More fun for such people is a faithful spouse who understands and trusts. An evil kindred spirit. Face victim-Tav is wrong on just a few levels.
