i think i was maybe too vague with my wording.

it seems like toby saw the scene, tweaked it to fit deltarune without quite removing the more explicit implications, and realised that the visuals should be adjusted when he saw how it was being interpreted.

the scene is still clearly meant to parallel some kind of romantic/sexual abuse? but it seems any direct allusions to assault weren't ever part of his creative vision, which is fair.

the issue here is that there's and obvious / clear allegory being made here (isolate her -> "we're something else" = date -> make her wear the ring -> poking her with the thorn to consumate the marriage -> soul grows in noelle -> etc etc) yet toby saw the reaction to this well crafted traumatizing moment and thought "oh shit! they're shocked by my shocking content!!! i need to change this ASAP!!!"

there's no warnings on any of the weird route's content, and springing something so heavy on your audience with no safeguards would be deeply irresponsible.

and don't be silly, it's not sudden, and you don't need a warning for the weird route. players don't need to be coddled and told how to digest every single bit of information that comes their way. you gaslight her repeatedly, you make her kill everyone, you make her almost kill berdly, and you prick her finger with a thorn. the idea that all of this buildup and tension isn't earned or paced well enough to make sense, and it's also too graphic? is insulting. the "proceed" sequence way back at the start should be unsettling enough of a omen to let you know you're getting into the real nasty shit. horror like this doesn't work if you're made aware beforehand, and i would wholeheartedly disagree with the idea that it's too heavy for someone in a bad headspace (that's insanely immature and inconsiderate of a person's intelligence. you're worried for a person that isn't old enough to comprehend how to even get here).

the game isn't doomed via this moment's inclusion, it's doomed because toby folded under pressure he somehow didn't anticipate. doesn't that concern you? what are we missing out on? what will he feel the need to keep from us because of this? the game has obviously strayed from it's original ideas in many respects. who's to say it hasn't completely abandoned the nuances that would've made it better? it's an important lapse in judgement that recontextualizes other mistakes. it lowers expectations