Originally Posted by Sini
If you have a romance with Gale, he will leave you after talking to Gortash if it comes out that it was all your plan. His love for you can't have been particularly great, even if you are a "little lamb" Dark Urge who has forgotten everything and wants nothing to do with the previous life. I see Gale as a hypocrite. I'd rather be an "evil bastard" for Astarion, whom I freed with my plan. My Dark Urge always kills Gale.

Interesting, Gale, it turns out, can betray his beloved. While he himself was betrayed and abandoned by Mystra, and continues to suffer and reminisce about her regularly (in a friendly walkthrough). I wasn't deeply interested in other people's romances, except for a few videos of major scenes for curiosity's sake, but it's interesting, and the romance reveals additional facets of the companion's character that you might not realize in a friendly walkthrough. I noticed the hypocrisy in him too, and without the romance. He wants to kick Astarion out of the camp after finding out he's a vampire, while walking around himself with a bomb in his chest and consuming artifacts. If you give Shadowheart to Viconia, Gale shows himself to be cruel and indifferent to her fate. He threatens to explode in the second chapter, you run around him, convince him not to do it, like, you persuaded him, but if Tav/Du agree that Gale should explode - he'll immediately backtrack, he doesn't want to do it at all, he wants to be a “selfless hero” who is persuaded (though he can sacrifice himself and blow up the Brain in the finale, I don't know how exactly it happens, I've only seen the epilogue with the results of this decision). And, of course, his line in the finale towards the unfortunate Astarion who wasn't given the Ascension. It's almost as if Gale takes pleasure in Astarion's vulnerability and pain. Gale does react adequately to the Ascension, though; he now seems wary of angering Astarion (“He can also be a dangerous adversary”) and behaves politely (during the ritual itself, of course, yelling that he must not do so). I liked Gale at first as a companion - he's smart, he has interesting lines, but then I saw his cowardice, selfishness - I don't think these traits are bad in themselves, it's a consequence of survival instinct, but he's so moral, so eager to look good and behave accordingly, that as soon as “moral concepts”, as it seems to him, allow, - the meanness comes out. Hypocrite is a very apt and succinct definition of his character. Astarion never betrays his beloved, no matter what decisions you make in the game's storyline.

Originally Posted by Sini
I would also prefer it if this passage could be slightly modified if you reject the offer of other companions and choose Astarion. My Dark Urge is too evil for these companions, when I have them in the group, they complain constantly and I'm definitely not going to get any approval, flirting has already failed anyway. It doesn't fit into my game to flirt with them either. My Dark Urge has completely different things to worry about than flirting with everyone. My Dark Urge prefers to tease Astarion and be celebrated by Minthara.

Especially since the romance with Astarion flares up quickly and suddenly (only Lae'zel tried to seduce me before Astarion, all the others are active later, when my character already has Astarion in his thoughts exclusively), and flirting with others when my character and Astarion are already making love, when we are already together, except that we haven't indicated the relationship in any way, others can't interest me in any way. With other companions whose intimacy comes later, perhaps flirting with two in the first chapter looks more appropriate and realistic, but not in a romance with Astarion. Minthara is the perfect friend for Dark Urge, I agree. Shadowheart is also a nice character as a friend, and there's a good battle pairing with Lae'zel, but Minthara is the best, definitely.

Originally Posted by Sini
Sceleritas' hat lifts up a little and the cute little white bat face looks carefully out from under it and looks after the waving lady. The little bat turns and lifts the hat further with its butt and then crawls out from under it to jump onto the hat.

"She looked delicious Sceleritas. I would have liked to bite her finger."

What a cutie... I would love to hand him a finger. And give him a kiss on the forehead while he bites... <3

One life, one love - until the world falls down.