#and it just isn't in any other game and datamines suggest it won't be in the upcoming sc/vi dlc either | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

not-so-lost-after-all · 12 days

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I saw some of your posts about how the game implemented the poly thing in regards to Astarion and I have to agree with you, the lack of dialogue in which Tav can tell him that he's enough, that they don't need another person in their relationship is glaring! I suppose they didn't include it because they didn't want to offend the fans who are for the arrangement, in case Astarion would've reacted too happily at the player telling him he's enough (realistically he would be VERY happy)? Either way, it's stupid. The whole thing is very badly done and I think the fandom should stop pretending Larian wrote this well and act like it's good poly representation. They didn't and it isn't. Yeah, some people will be offended if you tell them the truth, but this doesn't mean the rest of us should sweep the bad writing under the rug so we don't hurt some feelings. Clearly Larian intended to portray a healthy polyamory relationship in which all parties enthusiastically consented but I think in their desire to do so, they overwrote it inadvertently portrayed the type in which a partner agrees to this type of arrangement not for their own sake, but for their partner's. Oh and I love how these people guilt trip other fans, saying they're infantilizing Astarion for questioning how genuine he was about it or for not liking how the devs implemented poly, or accusations of hating real poly people, poly erasure and so on. If Larian wrote this well, most of the discourse surrounding this issue wouldn't exist.

Fans of this choice will chide you for having doubts and tell "it's normal for him to have insecurities, you just have to reassure him and it's all fine" and will also point to the dev notes saying Astarion is genuine about it except…you can even CONFIRM that his insecurities are true, that you have a problem with him NOT fucking you and he's still fine with it. What the fuck, Larian? Maybe I'm getting something wrong, but him accepting this kind of disrespect from his partner who outright tells him they care more about sex than him as a person is either a red flag which confirms he still has problems setting up his boundaries or again…bad writing. Not sure which is worse. Personally, I tend to believe it's both and after the new Mizora datamined lines in which the player CAN still manipulate him into forgiving the cheating I have to say it's quite clear that he can still be taken advantage of. Sorry, but a person who can healthily establish a boundary won't forgive his partner cheating on him, let's not pretend otherwise. It's GREAT that he's still confronting the player about what they had done, but it's not a good sign that he can forgive a cheater. Oh and let's not forget how before the datamined dialogue for the Mizora cheating many people used the fact that Astarion was seemingly okay with it and didn't have any disparaging reaction as proof of him being open minded about allowing the player to have casual sex with anyone…

Also, why the confidence about believing that Halsin will keep it at sex only when it's clear it's also about feelings for him. Yeah, he has prior experience with this, but is it really enough? It creates the impression that Tav is either lying to Astarion that their relationship with the druid will only be about sex or that Tav is lying to Halsin, therefore using him for sex only when clearly it's more than that for him since feelings are also involved on his part. Again, Larian didn't really think this through. Oh and it gets worse when nothing in the game suggests that Astarion even likes Halsin, if anything he talks about finding him annoying…

It's fucked up that that the Halsin conversation ends up with him agreeing with it no matter what you're going to say. People will probably say "well, Astarion is polyamorous, that's why he simply agrees with it"… well, for someone who's supposedly been written as poly from the beginning, he never brings it up on his own! It's always the player the one who does it. Since communication is so important, we should've had the option to discuss such matters at some point. What type of relationship he prefers to have with the player? Is it fine if the player only wants him? Maybe he would've told us he doesn't want to be in a monogamous relationship and that at some point he will seek out other partners on his own. Or I guess only Tav is allowed to have others on the side?

Now post-Cazador the whole thing feels less bad, but not by much. His impersonation of Halsin, the exaggerated laugh, the 'it's okay if things between us change' lines…sorry, it just puts you off. Not to mention it just doesn't fit into his romance arc, especially when he remains a spawn. He's in his first real relationship with a person he just confessed his love for and very importantly, he's just began to learn that sex can also be about having a loving, intimate connection with his loved one, and more than what he was forced to do, more than scratching an itch and you just prove the opposite by doing whatever you can to have sex with others. It's just bad. (and to ask bluntly, why do people act as if Tav will die if they go on without having sex for a while? oh the horrors!! Not everything has to be about sex all the time)

To argue that well, actually going poly is GREAT for Astarion and that he must be likely relieved about Tav having someone else to have sex with because it takes the pressure from him in the relationship to perform and now he has time to figure himself out…yeah, just stop. This is just coping and headcanon lol. He doesn't need his lover to fuck other people in order for him to figure what he likes, get real. Now I could be persuaded into thinking that in the future when he will have had more actual experience about what being in an actual relationship entails, he could be truly open to trying poly, but right now, to open the first and ONLY real relationship (that's a few months old!!) he has to poly seems a bit cruel from Tav's part. Had HE been the one initiating this, maybe it would've felt different. The only one getting anything positive out of this is Tav. I think it's silly to pretend otherwise. The same goes for the orgy as well (yes, he does consent to both, I'm not saying otherwise), it's bothering me a lot how a lot of people in the fandom think you NEED to take him to the brothel and have an orgy for him because, apparently, they say it's essential to his healing journey. I had someone tell me I'm a bad partner for not doing this with him, that I'm intantilizing and taking away his agency and freedom to choose…so, yeah. This is the BG3 fandom for you.

Regardless, people should of course feel free to do anything they like in the game without being judged or called a bad person, but those of us who feel uncomfortable about certain things shouldn't be dismissed as mere haters or bigots. Our criticism is still valid. It's funny how you can criticize the writers for pretty much everything you want except the horny parts of the game…now that's when people get really angry and come for your head.

Now this ask got so incredibly long, sorry about it! I'll just end this by saying I like your blog and agree with your takes about Astarion (oh and yes checking Astarion's tag on tumblr is a challenge in itself, sone of the stuff you can find there...ugh). It's just nice finding fans out there who aren't insane about him in a bad way and who don't praise every writing decision the devs made just for the sake of it.

Nonnie, yeah, it was long but it was apparently important for you to vent 🙂 I'm sorry if the sex positive crowd left a bad taste in your mind. I honestly prefer to stay in my small corner of the fandom and usually don't bother to argue or correct anymore. I've said many things you have mentioned myself and I'm probably done with this topic. It's pointless to be upset about what some people do with their barbies - but you should hold you ground when someone says something idiotic like that the brothel experience is "healing" and you should defo do it for him. The poly thing is so badly done I'm not even sure why he'd dismiss that option with Shadowheart in Act 3 if he's poly, to be honest.

#astarion

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ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 2 years

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i’ve never actually been scared of Merula but after reading the datamine for chapter 38 that might change… now i’m not sure if anyone is safe being around her anymore like she basically kidnaps Corey (and possibly also MC) without any warning. like if that actually is her at the end of the chapter, the whole langlock and kidnapping thing just come out of nowhere that’s enough to make me wary of her. i hate how nice and trusting MC is of Merula after her confession even if you choose to say you don’t forgive her cause now it seems like it’s backfired.

Trusting Merula is a dangerous game.

To an extent, it has always been, but especially now that we know about her status as The Hogwarts Mole. I think in terms of the main story's canon, MC has developed a degree of fondness for her over time. The game's dialogue suggests as much, that they consider her one of their friends, in spite of everything. But it draws the line there, letting the player decide if Year 7 MC still holds her accountable for everything she's done, or simply wants to believe in her ability to be better.

Letting her play the role of double agent was always a risk, it was always going to be playing with fire. Even if one assumes that her loyalty is assured, which is not something that we can just take as set in stone, (even if we ignore that she lied through her teeth about when R contacted her) that's still banking a lot on the belief that Merula can handle the double agent role against a force like The Cabal...and as much as I love her, yeah, no, she would blow it. She's not Snape. It's not clear at this point whether Merula was simply performing damage control and had no interest in turning on R, or if she genuinely wants to and has simply been playing by her own rules. The ambiguity of being uncertain about where she stands...that's scary.

Seeing her directly turn on MC and seemingly drop some degree of facade...that's scary too. And I think the reason the tone of that dialogue feels so frantic and anxiety-inducing, apart from the obvious lack of information and premise of Corey getting kidnapped...well, I think Merula is actually more stressed than anyone else in that scene, and her energy is reflected in the scene's tone. Merula is panicking. We don't entirely know why, because, among other reasons, we don't know what R has told her. What The Leader told her. But whatever it was, it's got her on edge, and it's not hard to see why. Her mission, as directly stated in Y6CH42, is to bring MC into R. Get them to join. That doesn't appear to be anywhere close to being possible, even now. And we just heard from Rakepick herself that failure is not an option for Cabal agents.

Curiously, it was Corey's arrival and their expressed intent to reveal sensitive information that made Merula snap. Now, maybe she figures that if MC discovers her deception, that she's still lying, that it will be the end for her. That MC won't take her back a second time. No third chances. That's possible, and maybe taking Corey hostage was her way of inducing some kind of leverage, scraping anything she can use to come back in a position of strength. It's not a wise move, but Merula isn't very wise in general, and she was freaking out.

But I think the more likely cause is that Corey knew sensitive information and was about to run their mouth. Even if Merula assumes that she can persuade MC to trust her again, regardless of if they find out she's still lying...there would be no way to take back what MC could learn if Corey told them. R is all about secrets. They don't want MC learning anything about them, apart from what they deliberately tell MC. But never mind MC, Corey could tell anyone. They know too much. They can't be allowed to run wild at Hogwarts, telling anyone who would listen that Verucca is Merula's aunt whatever it is that they discovered.

That said, I think it all comes down to exactly what it was that Corey discovered. And yeah, like I alluded to, it seems pretty clear that they found out who The Director really is, and specifically her connection to Merula. Not confirmed or anything, but all signs point to that being what Corey found out, and...hey, here's a question. How did Corey find out the truth about Verucca? Who would have told them that? Jacob? Moody? That weird OOC incarnation of Beatrice who passed information on Merula before? In what situation would they learn this before MC, as opposed to after them or at the same time as them? I suppose we'll find out soon enough.

#HPHM Datamines #Merula Snyde #Corey Hayden #HPHM Theory #HPHM Verucca #HPHM Analysis

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