#compilation of my thoughts on my playthrough

[mirror-to-the-past]

Here's some spoilers and discussion about my initial thoughts on Kingdom Hearts 2 below.

Nearing the end of my KH2 journey... I'd say this has probably been my favorite game so far, out of KH1, CoM, and now this. Overall, I'd say I like the composition of the story of CoM a tad more, but goddamn if the intro and outro haven't gone especially hard on KH2 (also has just generally been littered with several moments that have made the characters very endearing). And the gameplay... woo, actually is super fun. I love the love put into the reaction commands, and every fight is like a movie.

I got past the Roxas fight after like... 40+ tries, and was regretting immensely I decided to play in Proud mode. Never got frustrated at my boy, though- was just filled with respect, and it's seriously the best fight in the franchise thus far for me for giving well designed attacks that I felt were effectively telegraphed. I'm not quite sure how/why Roxas led Sora into what I assume was an internal battle, since he already seemed reabsorbed within Sora's being, but I can only assume Axel's sacrifice (since that happened right before this fight) must've reawoken him, in a way ("Tell me why 'he' chose you!") Poor Roxas has been having his life stolen. The Nobody dehumanization is such shit, dude. Roxas banging on Sora's braced keyblade over and over with that level of ferocity is fueled by such obvious rage that it's undeniable. God, he's living in my head unapologetically.

Meanwhile Xigbar was also... a fight. Less filled with respect, more frustrated about that one, lol. (I thought the sniper mechanics were pretty sick, though. Felt like I was doing Orbonne Monastary in FFXIV again). Can't help but assume several of these Organization members may maintain relevance in future installments in some way, since several seemed to have implied information/backstory that remained unrevealed prior to their disappearance (looking at you, Xigbar [casually referencing that there's been other Keyblade wielders before dying with zero explanation] and Saïx). The next game, 358/2 Days, looks like it's dealing with the Organization in what I assume is a prequel, so maybe backstory will be there?

Kairi and Riku have made my heart warm, and the whole trio's love for each other is honestly so sweet. I keep thinking about their reunion scenes and it's just... aaa, I feel crazy about it. When Kairi lowered Riku's hood and saw the face of Xehanort's Heartless and Riku looked so ashamed (then it cut away?? how dare), when Riku shielded Kairi with his body from Saïx's attack, when Kairi hugged Sora and said "this is real" because 😭 girl your abandonment issues and unachievable desire for constancy are making me feel things, and she's been struggling with the phantom sensation of forgetting someone she cared about for an entire y e a r, so having that confirmation... man. *Staring out to the ocean*

Felt so bad for her that Sora was so awkward about the hug she deeply needed, and didn't even realize the absence of the music until Sora reunited with Riku. 😂 And... oh my god, haha, that part got me. Not surprised that the Sixth Sense kid can pack a gut punch, ofc, he's got a long history of films making me weep, but like... "I looked for you! I looked everywhere for you!" While Sora was crying on his k n e e s and grasping Riku's hand like a lifeline was such amazing emotional payoff. Like, I've been joking with friends about Sora's unwavering "Riku, Riku, Riku" throughout the entire game, but damn if that didn't do a good job of making me invested via Sora, goddamn. I'm so happy my kid gets to see his silver haired punk again. And wowie, they're such a power duo? Their limit break "Eternal Session" is legitimately one of my favorite limit breaks alongside Vincent Valentine's "Satan Slam," from FF7 now. The synchrony of the dance where they pass off the weapons to each other, smooth as butter? Them going "back to back" between the different phases of their LB? (Which is adding to my evaluation of the poems from CoM I've had in the back of my head the entire damn game, by the way...) The clash of their keyblades, and the duality red-blue color scheme? Be still, my artistic heart, they're too much. For this, and the honestly impressive expression and facial rigging for what is a PS2 game, I want to give the animators a smooch.

All I want now is to know where tf Riku pulled Kairi's Keyblade from, and how she's apparently a chosen wielder too. Like, okay??? But where? How?

Oh, also would like Riku to see someone about his hand, that doesn't look too comfortable. My guy can be a badass all he wants, but if he doesn't drink his milk, put an actual cast around his wrist, and bit of work leave off from world-saving shenanigans, he's gonna be a certified hero with post-traumatic arthritis 10~ years down his little road to dawn. Apparently working for Ansem the Wise doesn't provide great health coverage.

[petr1kov]

here's the scene i've mentioned before where nemesis and melinoë talk about hypnos, for those who wanted to see it!

[tears-of-taelia]

This day still terrifies me. To my core. With the strange weather that happened before, I expected something to occur. I could have never predicted the magnitude of that event. I assume you're here to wake me up then? You want us to face that evil again? I'm… We're afraid... Of everything. Of everyone. I don't know what I'm supposed to do! WE DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!

[meanbossart]

Ask compilation: DU drow, Orin, Astarion, lore things and little fun facts.

Trying to make a dent in this dang inbox. As always, thank you so much everyone for your patience and curiosity! Sorry that it is straight up no longer possible for me to reply to everyone, but I will keep doing my best within reason. Enjoy!

Absolutely! I had a lot of requests for bottom Astarion on my patreon which is why I was kind of on a roll there for a minute.

Though, for the record - I am really not very invested in strict bedroom roles at all. Or clear and distinct dominant/submissive dynamics. So please don't overthink it whenever there's a switch, no pun intended.

You wanna know how often they smash? Man, I don't know, I guess fairly often considering their lifestyle post-game (very active, often on the road).

Assuming that everyone agrees that sex doesn't have to involve penetration, I'd say once every other day or less, really depends on the circumstances though. DU drow's libido is much higher than Astarion's, but he's not an animal and can hold off fine. Astarion is likely to be pickier in regards to location and how-recently-have-we-bathed status as well.

I keep meaning to draw him, but I have like... A million things I want to do 😂 so its rough!

BUT you will at least continue to see him in ANE! And I'm sure i'm bound to draw him again in the future.

[MORE UNDER THE CUT]

If you mean in his bhaalist "AU", where he has the red robe and the extra scars, I imagine he would have gotten it through killing Isobel.

I think as a changeling she probably has the ability to just... Transform her hair however she likes at will, right? And based on her attitude plus some lines we get from Sceleritas about her own former-butler, it sounds like she would be really opposed to being serviced in that way, to me at least.

I see her as pretty aggressively independent with the way she operates, which is another factor that sets her apart from DU drow, who really enjoyed lording over the other Bhaalists and making an errand boy out of Sceleritas, to the point where he practically depended on their help to function.

Neither! I wasn't willing to let anyone take either of my eyes in my first playthrough, LOL.

I have since always given the Volo eye to SOMEONE, usually Gale, but I don't consider that canonical. I don't think anyone was desperate enough to let mister frumpy-hat over there ice-pick their eyes out.

He did do them himself. It was a profoundly stupid display he got caught up in because of Gortash. Also, de-handment is kind of a theme in his life, at least inside his head.

I have a comic about it planned for the future ;)

What do you mean, that's canonical to the game and everything! He loves the cuck chair!

He is an angsty 29-year old in denial. Your interpretation is still perfectly accurate.

Hates the guy. Hates when Shadowheart Astarion people joke about him being the Drizzt of his generation. Hates the guy like literally any countercultural weirdo hates Taylor Swift or the Weeknd. If he saw him at the line in the grocery store DU drow would find a way to roll his eyes loudly just so he could notice being an asshole.

Stay tuned, I'm cooking 🧑‍🍳

If you're asking about game strats, badly, LOL. Pretty sure I died twice to her in my first run and it was a rough way of being thrown into "serious" DnD combat.

With the exception of a couple of encounters that just so happened to turn out SURPRISINGLY cinematic, I'm just realizing that I actually don't think too often about how most of the fights went in real-time! I imagine Autie Ethel's in particular wasn't one that DU drow went into of his own accord, probably rather at a companion's insistence. That's as deep as I've thought about that personally.

Now... Back to game strats. I personally try to get a surprise round on her however I can by sneaking and shooting an arrow or AOE in her general location, since she always stands on roughly the same spot while invisible. I have my companions spread about the arena so we can take her clones down as fast as possible, and as soon as I identify who the real Ethel is I just have the strongest martial characters wail on her until she begs to be let go. Hers is one of the few fights that is actually pretty dang easy at this point for me - and I SUCK at this game.

That would certainly take a while! But, Bhaalist DU drow does kind of have an end goal, actually.

That might also turn into a comic eventually, but it would a rough one.

He pretty swiftly disposed of her, DU drow doesn't like being talked down to, which Minthara very promptly does. Him (and I, by extension) had very limited exposure to her and she was just kind of a speck of dust in his story in particular. Though I have since grown to adore her character in my proceeding runs where I do recruit her!

I guess if he got an invitation and it wasn't particularly painful to arrive at the venue, sure! He would specially love to take Astarion to Gale's wedding ceremony and purposely upstage him at every at every opportunity, LOL.

Yes. He got pretty freaky with the pain-priest. This is gonna sound like a lie but I made him get naked for it without even knowing there was a buff to be gained (I didn't get it, unfortunately, I don't remember whether I failed a check or if I had camp clothes toggled on, so it didn't count as being truly nude). I wasn't taking the game very seriously and just doing dumb roleplay things to see what would happen, LOL.

And I consider that canonical. I think DU drow saw the opportunity to show off his physique And had a strange inkling that this was a practice he was... Somehow familiar with.

Imagine my joy when Astarion and Shadowheart start having a back-and-forth about my absurd display. That's when i knew those were my people, to be honest.

[galedekarios]

gale & his mother, morena dekarios

i thought it'd be nice to have a place to compile everything i could find about gale's mother, morena dekarios.

the first time you as the player get a vague mention about gale's parents is after saving mirkon, when gale brings up a story about his parents denying him a kitten when he was still a child:

Gale: One time my parents denied me akitten, so I summoned myself a tressym.

if you play a gale origin playthrough, you get a mention of her much earlier from tara, after she joins the camp.

this is a camp dialogue with its variants from act i:

Tara the Tressym: Well, if it isn't my favourite fellow himself. Player: How are things back in Waterdeep? Tara the Tressym: More or less the same - though news of some mad faction calling themselves 'Absolutists' is starting to trickle in. Tara the Tressym: I told your mother not to worry. That if they were anything to worry about, Baldur's Gate would handle things quick-sharp. Keep them from spreading their tendrils north. She still wants to know when she'll see you again, sir. I avoid giving any answers. But she misses you. Player: I miss her too. Tara the Tressym: I'll tell her. With my Cat Flap of Displacement, I can afford the occasional visit. I'd bring you along, if I could. Perhaps some day. - Player: I can't risk putting her in danger. Tara the Tressym: I know that, but she doesn't. She'd keel over if she knew just how you'd tried to manipulate the Weave. Or maybe she'd just say something like, 'My Gale always was one to make the impossible possible.' Oh, but she adores you. - Player: No more guilt trips, Tara. Please. Tara the Tressym: But then whatever will we talk about? Anyhow - I'm keeping my senses pricked for any sign of another item that might be of use to you. Hopefully something will turn up soon.

it's clear from the dialogue that gale's mother worries about him and loves him - adores him, really.

it also becomes clear that she doesn't know what happened to gale and that he nor tara has not told her.

another mention from act i, again from tara:

Tara the Tressym: Please tell me you've at least made inroads when it comes to finding someone to settle down with. Myself and Mrs Dekarios are starting to think you intend to die alone. Player: You've been visiting my mother? Tara the Tressym: Naturally. After you abandoned her, there was only me left to keep her company. She's very good company, though. Ah, the stories we've traded over toast and tea. You're a highly entertaining source of speculation. But speculation only goes so far! Tell me, Mr Dekarios - how have you been?

tara and morena are implied to have tea together regularly enough to trade stories about gale. tara is implied to be a sort of messenger between the two of them, likely after gale's isolation and subsequent abduction by the nautiloid, keeping morena informed, yet without revealing gale's secret and shame.

the devnotes also state that tara loves morena - high praise since other devnotes states that tara hates everyone except gale - and that she talks of her in an affectionate tone.

this is a dialogue in act ii after mystra has tasked gale to use the orb the moment he finds the heart of the absolute:

Tara the Tressym: Promise me, Gale. Promise me you'll find another way. Promise me you'll return home, when this is all over. Player: I can't make that promise, Tara. Tara the Tressym: You're going to kill me. And your mother. And then there'll be no one to mourn you when you've wasted yourself for no good reason at all.

i find it very interesting here in terms of other relationships that tara explicitly says that there will be no one to mourn gale except morena and her should he heed mystra's instructions and sacrifice himself. it speaks of the bond between tara, morena and gale - but also even more of gale's isolation and loneliness. we know from tara that she considers herself to be gale's only old friend and gale echoes as much. we also know that gale describes the dekarios family as the dekarios clan, that is "scattered" far and wide.

at the same time, the loud silence about gale's father becomes really apparent again. a while ago, i speculated about gale's father and i truly do still think that he abandoned morena and gale.

another snippet from an act ii convo, before gale reveals the details of elminster's letter to tara (or chosing to keep it to himself):

Tara the Tressym: I'm not one to pry. I'd rather make up all the juicy details myself over tea with your mother.

which again ties in with a similar line from act i, further cementing the fact that this is a regular thing between tara and morena.

still in act ii, tara says this if gale asks her if she'll still love him if he is a mindflayer:

Player: Will you love me when I'm a mind flayer? Tara the Tressym: Depends. Are mind flayers warm-blooded? If so, my prize napping spot on your lap won't be compromised. In which case, I suppose we could find an accord. And, of course, your mother would still think you a prince, no matter how many tentacles you had. And with a nautiloid, you may even manage to visit her more often.

again, gale's mother truly adores him. tara is utterly convinced she'd love him even if he'd turn into a mind flayer. at the same time, the dialogue again hammers home the fact that gale's been keeping his distance from his mother after he has acquired the orb.

the following lines are a compilation of some of tara's lines from act iii, all once again stating that she is a messenger between gale and morena, keeping morena informed about gale's well-being, while also looking after morena in gale's absence from waterdeep:

Tara the Tressym: You're almost at the end of this, Gale. You're nearly there. And not a moment too soon. Myself, I must away to Waterdeep. Your mother will be worried silly not to have heard from either of us - and now I can bring her the good news. When this is all over I'll be waiting for you, with a crackling fire and good book at the ready. Good luck, darling. - Tara the Tressym: I'm well past due to return to Waterdeep. I'm going to tell your mother that you'll be home soon. Don't make a liar of me, darling. - Tara the Tressym: I'll have to make up some good news for your dear mother, then. I'm going home, Gale. To look after Mrs Dekarios, and to remind you that there are people waiting for you in Waterdeep.

going back to companion gale, the next mention of gale's mother after saving mirkon, is from gale in an ambient with karlach:

Gale: I don't suppose you've any clue where we are in relation to Waterdeep? Karlach: From this distance between Elturel and Baldur's Gate, I'd say... a long way away.devnote Gale: Ah. That will make getting word to my mother rather tricky. No matter - what she doesn't know can't hurt her. Not at this distance, anyway.

it echoes the lines of dialogue that origin gale has, believing he endangers his mother with his condition and thus keeping his distance.

gale mentions his mother in an act iii dialogue after meeting tara on the rooftop of the open hand temple:

Gale: My tower in Waterdeep boasts an excellent kitchen and a wine cellar to rival Ondal himself. Not to mention a larder stocked with my homemade hundur sauce. Player: Hundur sauce? Gale: A Waterdhavian delicacy, spiced to leave exactly the right amount of heat lingering on the tongue, and served with that most sharp-toothed of aquarian residents, the quipper fish. I make it to my mother's recipe. It packs quite a wallop. As does she.

we know that gale's the designated camp cook from a conversation with wyll, and i think the conversation makes it fair to assume that gale's mother taught him how to cook.

still, maybe it's because i'm not a native english speaker and i might be missing some cultural context here, but the line "it packs quite a wallop. as does she." stuck out to me:

wallop. to hit something / someone hard.

this could mean that gale's seen her hit someone and packing quite a punch behind it. with what's been described of morena so far, i doubt it's because gale's ever been on the receiving end of that.

or perhaps it's less literal and more in relation to her seemingly larger than life personality that gale also hints at later, describing his mother as "intimitable" and "sometimes unavoidable". this description is from the following conversation that is currently sadly still bugged:

Player: So your last name is Dekarios? Gale: It is. Courtesy of my mother, the inimitable, dare I say it sometimes unavoidable, Morena Dekarios. It's been so long since I've used it. 'Gale Dekarios' cut a poor figure next to the wizard prowess of 'Gale of Waterdeep'. Player: Gale Dekarios... I think I like him more. Gale: You like to many things about me I'd have sooner discarded... Your generosity is quite wonderful. Gale Dekarios likes you too. Very, very much. Though let's keep his exitence between ourselves for now. - Player: Doesn't your matter mind? Gale: Oh, she's happy if I'm happy. Morena couldn't care one jot what I call myself. Tara's the real stickler for using it. Has done since I summoned her. I'd prefer you not follow her exmaple, if that's all the same to you. 'Gale' is more than sufficient. - Player: You're right. Just 'Gale is better. Gale: I agree. And on the plus side, if I get myself into any truly cataclystic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.

i love this banter so much and it makes me very sad that larian still hasn't fixed the issue of it not triggering. there's so much lore to explore here:

from gale dropping 'dekarios' in favour of 'of waterdeep', at first, to appear perhaps more grandiose, more suited to the ambitions he held when he was younger, to morena, apparently, not minding it, yet tara clinging to 'dekarios' (perhaps to keep gale's feet on solid ground as much as she could), to finally finding out that the reason that the gale we meet now is not using 'dekarios' still is because he doesn't wish to tarnish his family name should he indeed fall victim to the orb.

the last mention gale makes of his mother is during his act iii post final battle dialogue, in which he proposes to the player:

Gale: That being said, I wondered if you might consider accompanying me back to Waterdeep as a new member of the Dekarios clan? Player: Are you asking me to marry you? Gale: I suppose I am. Tara would be delighted. Not to mention my mother. But I'd be just as happy without such ceremony, so long as we're together.

this again mirrors what tara has been saying in her dialogue with an origin gale in act i: that morena and her were hoping he would find someone to find happiness with.

i think overall, even with only the very few bits and pieces we learn of morena, it's easy to tell that she truly loves and adores and cares her son, and that that love and care is clearly echoed back from gale to morena.

still, or perhaps more likely because of that love, gale keeps his secrets and his distance to morena because of the orb and the shame he feels he brought to his family.

it's all too easy to imagine that he wishes her to be proud of him and that he feels he has disappointed her and given her little reason to be proud of him in the same vein that he feels he has done with tara:

Gale: She'd [Tara] be most impressed by our efforts saving these tieflings. Proud, even. And I've given her little to be proud of recently.

anyhow, i hope i caught all mentions and that this was helpful to someone. 🖤

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Curious, do your Tav ideas work with dark urge too? Also cuddles! Have any cuddling head canons you’d like to share? :)

I honestly haven't seen enough dark urge playthroughs to say for certain. If anybody has a dark urge Astarion romance compilation they want to recommend me I'll take a look.

I will say I think Ace!Tav would be a very reluctant durge. I can't imagine them enjoying the violence and actively fight it at every chance, at least in how I characterize them in my brain.

As for cuddles, stand back, I'm about to ramble.

Let's be up front about this, both Astarion and Ace!Tav are touch starved as fuck

Astarion might have had a string of lovers, but we all saw what he looks like when he first got a hug; man doesn't know what to do with his hands, he hasn't been properly cuddled in centuries

Meanwhile Ace!Tav has more or less trained themselves to hold back on touching other people

When hugs and cuddles are tied to romantic connection, and romance is tied to sex, it's hard to get cuddles without something more being asked for

They had more than one relationship where they said yes to sex because what they really wanted was the cuddles after; it's a mess

So when Astarion and Ace!Tav finally get the whole truth out in the open about how they care for one another and that neither of them are particularly interest in sex, a whole new world opens up

It's slow going at first, neither are entirely certain what the rules are

Ace!Tav starts first, a brush of the hand here and head on the shoulder there

Slowly Astarion starts to reciprocate, squeezing their fingers and pulling them closer

One night they stay out late talking; not about anything in particular, just to enjoy each other's company and pass the time

Ace!Tav starts to get tired and says they need to go to bed...and, if Astarion wants to join them, he can, if he wants

Astarion just nods, any thought of words escaping him as Ace!Tav leads him to their tent

It's a bit awkward at first; Astarion is unfamiliar with this and honestly annoyed with himself that he's so clueless, his only consolation is that Ace!Tav seems just as unsure as him

Eventually they lay down facing each other, with Ace!Tav asking him if this was alright

He then takes the initiative, pulling them closer so his arms can wrap properly around them; he can feel their heart beat against his chest, echoing inside him like a memory

It's only then does he relax, knowing for certain that this really is all either of them want

After that, they hardly spend a night apart

Astarion may not need to sleep, but that's not going to stop him from cuddling with Ace!Tav until they do

They switch big spoon and little spoon

Some times Astarion wants to drift off to the sound of their heart in his ear and sometimes he wants to wrap them in his arms, knowing he's trust enough to keep them safe

In all honesty, Ace!Tav prefers to be the little spoon, but they can't deny there is something satisfying in being the big spoon now and again

Both of them had fallen victim to the cat in the lap rule; if one of them in laying on top of the other, they can't move for anything, no excuses

This starts to slowly extend to outside the tent as well

In actuality Ace!Tav is a very physically affectionate person, and Astarion is more than willing to indulge them

What better way to announce to the world, "this person is mine and I am theirs"

Hand holding, hand kisses, and playful nudges abound

It takes a lot of patience and communication to get to the point, but Gods does it feel right when they do

[revalition]

OCT 16 - PAIN THRESHOLD Shrug off the pain. They’ll have to hurt you more.

I love this guy a lot! even if he has some really questionable advice. I ended up dumping a lot of points into him in my first playthrough!

really simple drawings today, I've had a pretty bad headache all day. which you'd think would allow me to channel the pain threshold vibe better! but it really didn't. sadly the amount of love I hold for a skill doesn't necessarily correlate with how much effort I can put into drawing them (with a few exceptions lol). the one on the right was an old sketch I coloured... it was a relief I already had a halfway decent design for him haha

lots of quotes under the cut as usual!

pain threshold!!

fun fact - he does not refer to you as harry once. however he does call you: - pal - baby - son - buddy - man and none of these more than once. weirdo

PT also has the most anti-passives (passive failures) out of the skills, by a large margin. He has 31, second place has 19. He also has 3rd least passive checks.

quotes:

these two idiots!! causing mental and physical damage with their screaming... H/E coordination trying to reel it back in

<3 (this heals endurance!)

actual idiot skill

dudeee

he's so funny. he's fucking got this.

dying here

nooo

sigh

super normal.

he's a sad, sad guy

if you haven't been told yet that he has depression PT can figure it out for you!!! <3

sad PT in the final dream :(

this one too

he knows! he recognizes *fake pain*

dialogue after failing to save ruby... urgh

I really like this. 'A race to beat your own heart's pulse to some dark finish line.'

as always this is amazing.

:((( this is re: pawnshop roy

hehe

this one is always delightful. he has a sense of humour sometimes!

this whole scene was a mess, but this line in particular... I don't know, it just stuck with me. It's very vivid.

honestly, true

lol

sometimes these skills say some unhinged stuff, sheesh

poor guy, he's so sad

:(((

this one is brutal.

this guy has *issues*

ending it on this very important one!!! please look! during the last dream pain threshold tells you to pick the dialogue option that will cause her to leave and the dream to end... and volition tells you to keep dragging it on. hghh guys...

pain threshold is quite something. there are lots of instances of him telling you something painful feels good, or encourages you to do something that will hurt (both physically and emotionally). he also leads the finger on the eject button thought dialogue. My first playthrough I had FYS of 4 and I ended up dumping a ton of points in to PT cause I was fascinated by him. But I also had mega high volition cause I adored him too. they definitely did not have the same goals...

the first time I remember hearing from my personal PT, we were bowling and my wrist was really starting to hurt. and he was like, you should keep playing. thanks bro :/

anyway that's all. for tomorrow, physical instrument's design isnt super exciting to me, but I do have a bunch of good quotes picked. I can make a coach calling people a binoclard compilation...

[egg-emperor]

Sonic Frontiers 2 year anniversary!

So beautiful 🥰

It wasn't until my second playthrough of the game that I realized how much I actually love Eggman's portrayal in this game, when I finally understood it and didn't let fandom misconceptions make my mind up for me. I really love how this game perfectly delves into how egotistical, self-centered, and selfish he is and how that affects his view of everything, including love and family as he has an unsettling perception and terms and conditions for them.

There are a lot of great moments representing that, especially in the Egg Memos where we really get to explore his personal thoughts and feelings unfiltered right from his mouth! I also really like how they emphasized how much he hates working with Sonic and that it's only a desperate measure, again for selfish reasons. And how despite the respect and recognition of him being a formidable adversary, he'd be delighted for him to meet his demise hehe

And most importantly, how he's still evil as ever as he's constantly wishing that he could enact the evil schemes he planned for all throughout the main story and Final Horizon. His character in this game is heavily misunderstood by many as they say the opposite of the actual game and one of the writers but I love it exactly for what it is and it's become a lot of fun to analyze, especially for all the things that can be learned about Eggman's narcissism and psychology.

If you haven't seen or would like to rewatch my Frontiers Eggman cutscenes compilations, see the main story here, the Egg Memos here, and Final Horizon here!

[deconstructthesoup]

After watching the compilation of the new lines from the Leave The Cabin ending---specifically, the ones that get triggered when you apologize to her for hurting her and she responds with "hey, when we first met, I *insert what she did in your very first playthrough,* so we're even"---I decided that it should only be fair to do something similar to that for Slay the Professor...

But it's a little different, of course, because he thinks he deserves your anger. So, when you apologize, it goes a little something like this:

The Wizard: "When we first met, you showed me mercy, and I responded by taking a knife to your chest a thousand times. Now that you know what I did to you, why would you give me that same kindness?"

The Warlock: "You did betray me when we first met, but knowing what you know now, I think we can both agree that I deserved it. Don't waste your time with apologies."

The Creation: "You didn't hesitate to kill me the first time we met, and that was before you knew anything about me. Now that you know what I did to you, why should this time be any different?"

The Scientist: "The first time we met, you were so afraid of me that you didn't even attempt to end me, and I proved you right a thousandfold. Don't waste your time with apologies."

The Academic: "The first time we met, I broke you into pieces with my bare hands out of sheer, stubborn hubris. Now that you know what I did to you, shouldn't you do the same to me?"

The Archivist: "The first time we met, I slit your throat without a second thought. Don't waste your time with apologies."

The Doctor: "The first time we met, we beat each other to death, and I enjoyed it. Now that you know what I did to you, I'm surprised you're not trying to start our fight anew."

The Dragon: "The first time we met, I devoured you. I literally devoured you. That's worse than anything you ever did to me, so don't waste your time with apologies."

The Inventor: "The first time we met, I shot you through the heart, and all you had to defend yourself was a knife. Don't waste your time with apologies."

The Substitute: "You never even gave me a chance the first time. You were so worried about what I could be that your thoughts turned me into every possibility, every outcome all at once. Now that you know what I did to you, why even bother extending a hand?"

[chaotic-toby]

Reasons why I kin Ashley Graves!

... well, I wouldn't say kin, but here is a compilation of relatable moments with explanations!

1.

I felt this in my bones when I first watched a playthrough of the game. There is this girl at school who I despise with a burning passion. It seems like everyone likes her, and in my eyes, she stole my friend. My friend barely even notices me anymore; given, I did start distancing myself, but that is because I noticed that every time she was around, my friend would pay attention to the girl that I hate instead of me. Now, I'm not saying that my friends cannot have other friends, but I basically became the friend that you hang out with when your main friend wasn't around. That is exactly what happened.

Everyone likes the girl more than me...

Now I know in this scene, Ashley was being manipulative, but I like to believe that she was voicing her genuine thoughts, or at least something similar to how she actually feels about Nina. And I have definitely thought something similar to this about the girl I mentioned earlier.

2.

Again, I know she is being manipulative, but as I said before, I think she is being slightly genuine, and I've had similar thoughts. I know people do like me-- my family and the few friends and acquaintances I have-- but it feels like they are putting up with me out of pity or because they feel like they have to.

I cannot fathom people genuinely liking me for the person I am, especially since I am an awful friend who can't even be bothered to check up on their friends.

3.

Whenever something bad happens, I think I compartmentalize. I push it away and try to focus on other stuff, acting like the bad thing doesn't bother me or doesn't affect me. Which is probably why my family isn't as worried about me as they should be.

4.

Me to myself every day. What is wrong with me? I mean, there has to be something that pushes people away, that makes it so that everyone I know prefers to hang out with other people over hanging out with me. I am no one's favourite person, and I never will be.

Why can't I just be normal?

5.

Ahaha, my sister once gave me a ring that costed her 50 cents, and I wear it everywhere I go. I love the ring so much. Also, a week ago, my mom bought me a stuffed dog because it reminded her of me and because I was upset the day prior. She didn't have to buy me anything, but she did. So now, I cherish that stuff dog just as much as I do when it comes to my favourite stuffed animal.

I named the stuff dog William.

6.

This is just the same as the earlier examples. She is mostly being manipulative or something, but this is relatable so I'm adding it

(There was another image I wanted to add to this reason but then I wouldn't have been able to add the image for reason seven)

7.

Now this image-- this moment at least in Ashley's mind-- is super duper relatable to me. I cannot remember the last time I felt like I was a part of my family. My family has barely done anything to make me feel ostracized, but for some reason, I just do. I remember numerous times where my family were talking about this and that, and I would just sit there, not chiming in at all, just watching them have so much fun without me.

I remember one time, I was in my room folding laundry, and I could hear my family laughing in the living room. They were having so much. I couldn't see them since I was in my room, but in my mind, I imagined a happy family (though my family has been far from happy).

Another moment that happened months ago was when my sister and her husband visited to eat with me and my mother. My sister and mother were talking about the houses my sister was looking at (she and her husband were planning on moving from the house they were living in at the time). At first, I tried to chime in, but they kept... I wouldn't say ignore me, but I couldn't really keep up with the conversation, so I just sat back and scrolled through Pinterest for God-knows-how-long.

My family looked happy. To me, it was like I was watching them on a t.v. That I wasn't actually there.

So yeah, in Ashley's mind, no matter how hard she tries to sit the Pink bunny at the dinner table, it won't sit up. She doesn't fit in with the family of bunnies, which is relatable and how I feel half the time I'm around my own family.

[nadas-dirthalen]

love your posts!! what are your thoughts on the secret, post-credit scene we can unlock?

Hey friendo! Thank you! 💛 Lemme try to articulate my 2am thinking lmao.

My thoughts, right now, are a FUN tangle, hahaha. In my current (second) playthrough, I am making an effort to gather as many codices and mementos as I can, plus screencapping dialogue as I am able, because of that secret ending.

Something is happening with the Forgotten Ones/the Forbidden Ones — something that has me examining all mentions of both and evaluating the potential relationship between the two. That secret ending has Anaris and his ilk written all over it... somehow. I feel it in my bones, after doing Bellara's quest finale for the second time. The ADHD pattern recognition senses are tingling.

I'm thinking that BioWare are heading toward clarifying something I've guessed at: that the Fade is the sundered collective consciousness between all Titans. The Forgotten Ones and the Forbidden Ones would be similar, then: two sets of sundered (Titan?) spirits kept trapped. But trapped where, trapped how, and trapped by whom?

I keep coming back to this mural from Trespasser.

We can see a Titan having its spirit (middle) sundered (left and right). One half produces a golden orb, like we see Mythal and Elgar'nan using in the Veilguard murals. Those are the "vessels of dreams" that get referenced: the magical foci. That half (left) is also painted around emerald waters: that's Fade imagery. The other half (right) also creates an orb, this time surrounded by stone that signifies the Abyss. But that's odd, since that would imply that half of the Titans' spirits are still underground, in the Abyss.

Trespasser says the Forbidden Ones were forbidden from taking physical shape; the Forgotten Ones are trapped down in the Abyss and are (presumably) the piece of Titans responsible for the blight. Harding says in Veilguard (as well as Solas) that it was the Titans' twisted, maddened dreams that caused the blight. So I do think there is some weight to my interpretation of that mural, and it might not just be Titan hearts down below the Deep Roads, but pieces of their broken spirits, as well.

Maybe this (a haunting in Arlathan) is referring to that, subtly: that there are spirits in the Abyss that are missing their own dreams. It's hard for me to say for certain without devouring every memento to get more of a hold on what Veilguard is telling us about the Fade in relation to the Titans, and how exactly "having their dreams stolen" works with the existing magic system. (It does work, I just need to figure out the specifics!)

The only other thing I have to go on is the revenant "the Slaughtered Pillars" says "Light and song, stolen" as a piece of its combat dialogue. "Slaughtered Pillars" represents the slain pillars of the earth — the Titans. "Light" is used all across Dragon Age to refer to the Fade. Therefore, the Titans are lamenting the loss of the Fade, which suggests they were connected before the Veil.

See how I'm going around in circles? That's because I need more specifics! Right now, I'm just going off what caught my attention during my first ~100 hours in the game.

As one last piece: I swear I saw mention that it was Solas who banished the Forbidden Ones from having physical form, but I have to do a bunch of things like finding those notes and comparing them against previous mentions in Trespasser before I have a clear answer.

I need a lot of specifics, still, clearly!

It's one of the big topics I hope to cover in my "did I get it right" followup. Unfortunately, with the DA wiki not updating (or me being allowed to contribute/edit for some reason), it's going to take me longer to compile everything.

I hope this answer suffices for now!

[solavelyan]

i will

compile some thoughts. though tbh i'm not in a place to be terribly critical of this game right now, and may never be just because of the environment in which i played it. i'm also just... losing my stomach for Discourse and drama, so i'm concentrating on the positives

uh. maybe a list. full ending spoilers, tho, beware

I like how they handled Solas and his level of involvement. I wish we'd gotten more conversations with him, but considering his meddling with Rook's brain to keep them seeing Varric, I'm lowkey counting Varric conversations as "talking to Solas" or "Solas is directly involved". Having him there physically at the end was mega fucking cool

I've seen here and there that in The Missing, Varric is super cynical about Solas and it's a switch to have him insist on trying to speak to him in Veilguard. But I didn't read The Missing, and tbh Varric being the eternal forgiveness machine speaks more true to his character to me. Then again, I also generally think that if Anders is alive, Varric is prickly and bitter but also not about to let you, dear Inquisitor, know where he is or that they still talk

I wish we'd gotten a little more context of Rook and Varric's relationship, though. We know they've been working together for about a year, are clearly good friends, and Rook is so devastated by his death that The Everything happens. But in a game that is extremely blunt at all times, it did feel like it was missing a more explicit reference to "Rook" being Varric's nickname for them that stuck (which I'm pretty sure is supposed to be the case).

In general I feel like Veilguard isn't very accessible to people who haven't played Inquisition, at minimum. I honestly wish it had been marketed as a direct sequel to Inquisition rather than just The Fourth Installment, because I think that would've been more honest

Actually, speaking of marketing, Bioware's marketing can blow me because why was SO MUCH of the final sequence in the TRAILERS? The coolest parts of the game didn't get to be a surprise if you watched a TRAILER, and that's fucked up. Still extremely cool when you get there, but like, come on...

I have. So many feelings about Rook

(these feelings are positive)

Veilguard is Dragon Age by way of Mass Effect. The combat is very ME3/Andromeda, and the story structure is basically lifted directly from ME2 (positive). I LOVED Andromeda's combat, and Mass Effect 2 has a very tight and effective narrative scaffolding that served Veilguard well. It feels like Veilguard has ME2's bones, DA2's heart, and Inquisition's grandeur, and it adds up to a really good, character-driven narrative with some really wild boss battles

I like Rook a bunch. While I understand the complaints wrt roleplaying them, in that there's just less flexibility to do so, I generally prefer my custom protags to have the kind of "structure" that PCs like Shepard, Hawke, The Dark Urge, etc. have in them. It helps my immersion and gets me invested, and having bits and pieces of canon backstory to hang my details on is very satisfying for me

You can absolutely tell that Weekes worked on Mass Effect

Also I can't help but feel sometimes that Varric's bond with Rook is because Rook reminds him of Hawke, especially with "Rook" also being a bird name (a sneaky thing Varric would absolutely do and is fully my headcanon now)

Just. Augh. Rook! I loved my Rook! Francesca Ingellvar was a wonderful protagonist to spend so much time with, and I want so badly to play all of the factions because I got so much great Mourn Watch-specific content.

My Lavellan came out perfect. RIP to everyone else on this one, but as my playthrough was plagued with bugs, I feel like karmically I get to brag that Eala was perfection, and I felt like all of her dialogue was "in character". I was full "let these two be together" apologia in regards to Solas and Eala, and the ending I got because of it is, to me, the very best one

There were parts of things that definitely made me question the way they did previous worldstate stuff, just things where I felt like it would have been more naturalistic if we'd gotten to pick more stuff, and the choice not to consider who drank from the Well of Sorrows and do something cool with an Inquisitor who did it is baffling. I will be writing fanfic about it, I'm sure. Still, it's not really any kind of sticking point or dealbreaker for me, just something that makes me roll my eyes and go "...ok" whenever there's an awkward spot

I got a party member killed and I'm not sure if that happens to everyone?? But it was so satisfying and so good and I can't imagine the narrative complete without at least one death, even if it makes me sad that it's there

More obsessed with Solas now than ever my god what a cool character. I've watching the other endings, because I convinced him to voluntarily bind himself to the Veil (and he let Eala stay with him this time), and I fucking love them. I love that he accepts defeat if you trick him and that he has a full villainous breakdown if you brute force it. It's so in-character.

I hope there's a lot of bad ending Rook/Solas where they're trapped in the Fade together

(although honestly it might take me a while to play any of the other endings, trapping Solas in his own prison is just a little too heartbreaking for me right now. not that he doesn't deserve it and you know i love a good tragedy, I just don't have the stomach for that level of sadness right now)

I did Emmrich's romance with a Mourn Watch Rook and i recommend it, 10/10 it's like being god's favorite

I loved EVERYONE. They're all so good I honestly can't pick a favorite companion at this point if I tried. The effort and care put into fleshing them all out and actually building relationships with each other was great. I ended up getting Taash/Harding and Neve/Lucanis together (I CALLED NEVE/LUCANIS DURING PROMO I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT), and when I started Act 3, Harding died and Neve got kidnapped. GOD what a twist of the knife. So fucking good. I need to do a run where Bellara is kidnapped because I need to know what unique touches she gets when she's Blighted at the end

It really feels like this game was made for me, specifically, and I'm very glad I got to play it

[danielnelsen]

oh this was so non-specific. i’m finally playing botw lmao. got the emulator and the game running yesterday but it stopped to buffer every few seconds which made it completely unplayable, but it’s compiling someone else’s shaders now so hopefully i can run it properly now

finally got a wii u emulator working (couldn’t get a switch one working on windows 7) and managed to find someone who’s uploaded the full shaders so the game doesn’t stop every time i look at something new or do a new action

[meanbossart]

Lore Ask Compilation: "Every Other Question Is About The Drow's Dick" edition

Oh I LOVE Minthara, her dialogue is absolutely fascinating and in my opinion some of the best written In the game. Experiencing her in my Evil Durge playthrough without having been spoiled to her companion scenes prior was great - the amount of depth they managed to add to her, without it at all feeling forced or rushed, and considering how much less time she gets to develop at our side is really well done. While nearly everyone's quests had me immersed, she was one of the few characters who really made me pause and think about the things she had to say to me, what she truly meant by them, and what they meant for me as an avatar doing an evil run.

We have a lot of characters in this game that are meant to be full of wisdom and experience, who are meant to be the ones who say the right thing at the right time that inspires us to make the correct choices, but I don't think either Halsin or Jaheira (and I love Jaheira) made me feel like I knew so little about life quite as Minthara did.

And, of course, she's absolutely hysterical. 10/10 I wish she had a proper companion quest past being rescued but I understand why she doesn't.

[MORE ASKS UNDER THE CUT]

It doesn't connect to the urethra since the slit in on top, so he nuts and pisses normal.

Also you 100% are not sorry, stop lying to me.

Man, I thought a lot about this one because I play so fast and loose with the content the game gives us that I'm positive there must be SOMETHING I'm completely disregarding, but I couldn't think of anything! I've chosen to pick slightly less obvious interpretations to some lines and text but nothing that completely deviates from canon, I don't think. If anyone has noticed something I neglected to mention, feel free to let me know - not because I want to revise it, but just because I'm curious!

For the second part of the question, not really. Larian did a great job of giving us plenty of room to play around in the dark urge's background, I think I'm yet to see something that I find to truly "not fit" in the ample freedom they've given us. I have my preferences, of course - I'm shocked to find that most dark urge's are NOT big hulking beasts, for example - in fact that seems to be the minority by far, but I realize that I have my... Uh... Biases.

You can see a cute little divot through the fabric if you look closely LOL

And nah, I think his penis has seen enough sharp points for a lifetime.

Well.

Unless someone decided to add some bite-marks to it.

HMMM, I... Don't think so.

He didn't cry as a baby, he didn't cry as a child (and this isn't something I just decided on now - this is a major reason why his foster drow mother even kept him around) he didn't really cry growing up or at any point during the campaign. I think he is capable of it - sadness in him just tends to be far more confusing a feeling than anything else.

He will have emotional moments in ANE, whether or not that will culminate in crying is something you will have to wait to find out LOL

Astarion has noticed this and just took it as a character trait - the drow doesn't cry, he just gets confused, angry, frustrated or simply bottles it up. While he can be demanding of his emotional maturity, he isn't going to try and dictate how he should experience his own feelings. If it did happen it would definitely catch him majorly off-guard, perhaps even shift the perception he has of him to a certain extent.

Oh my god you just know they All managed to be utterly quiet about it for as long as humanly (and unhumanly) possible until like, I don't even know, halfway through the Shadow-cursed lands where one day Karlach finally turns back to the group around the campfire after a half-nude drow has strut past and she's like "SO

"DOES ANYONE KNOWS WHY HIS DICK HAS A SNATCH"

And Wyll is like :0... Karlach you can't just ask people that.

And then she pointedly turns to Astarion and starts trying to interrogate him on how it works while Gale covers his ears and Shadowheart is like:

This is gonna blow you guys backwards but he does not do those things in front of people and thinks its rude if you do.

HMMM Mostly physically but it's a little subtle. He really enjoys interacting with Astarion's (and previously Orin's) hands - kissing, holding, caressing. Touching hair and faces as well. He can engage in more overt physical affection but usually Astarion has to be the one to initiate.

A disarmingly earnest proclamation of love and adoration here and there as well - he isn't shy in the slightest to tell people how he feels about them, he just isn't constantly reminding them of it unless inspiration strikes.

Most of all I think he expects his loved-ones to see his care for them in his tendency to go out of his way to help them achieve their goals.

He went with them to the Shadow-cursed lands but I never helped him fix the curse, so he stayed behind when the gang went onwards to the city. DU Drow didn't really like him so it was good-riddance as far as he was concerned.

If he had come along and propositioned him during act 3 - uh, you know the really mean rejection line you have as a choice during that dialogue? Yeah, that one lmao.

Alas, DU drow is just monogamous. He could entertain group-sex with a partner for fun at the most, but not ever a third person in the relationship. And In my personal interpretation (but by all means - everyone else have fun with their poly arrangements!) of Astarion and his delivery of the "this is about Halsin" line, I also thought he was lying about being comfortable with it, so I write him as monogamous as well.

Nothing. Nada. Not a thing. Say what you'd like about Bhaal but he sure knows how sculpt them out of his murder-meat.

(Thank you!!!)

[lucrezianoin]

Welcome to my Wyllstarion propaganda! (text version)

This is a text version of my powerpoint Wyllstarion propaganda that you can find here. Each section is one of the slides.

The thread of wyllstarion video mentioned in the slides is here on twitter, plus the Wyll-about-Cazador-vid is here. I will post a new compilation of all their scenes soon here.

Currently if you want to watch a Wyllstarion playthrough you can check my bilibili, but I will reupload all with timestamps on youtube.

Also yes, Wyll does call his romanced player-partner "my star" and if that is not perfect for Astarion I do not know what is. And Astarion mentions "sweet" so many times (sweet = Wyll, but he also reveals he likes sweets) and Wyll deserves someone who is enamoured with his kindness.

(throws wyllstarion fanvideos at you)

Here is the text:

WYLL RAVENGARD Babe of Frontiers, heart of the gate Loves Baldur‘s Gate Hero at heart (and actual hero) Hates gods, as they never help people who are suffering Turns into a monster Has a whole thing about monsters who prey on innocent and how monsters populate BG looking like simple humans (politicians) Has to follow the orders of Mizora, who treats him like dog and calls him pup – he did what he could do to use these powers for good

ASTARION Mr Vampire Loves Baldur‘s Gate (same comment on it as Wyll, during House of Hope) Hates heroes (because no hero ever saved him) Hates gods Has a whole thing about the fear of turning into a monster Knows far too well the monstrous humans of BG (comments on some of his victims hurting him) Is Cazador‘s spawns and he is controlled by him, there is a whole dog imagery there (kennels etc.)

ASTARION ABOUT WYLL (All of these lines are directly from the game, my notes are in parenthesis. All the lines can be heard at this video thread on my twitter, the one I linked at the start of this post)

(Shadowheart asking Astarion whom he would drink from) Astarion: Ah! Wyll. No question. He's strong, fast, and righteous. I'm salivating already.

Astarion: Take Wyll, for example. A man of the people, very palatble, like a sweet cider.

Astarion: Wyll's the sort of prince-type I would have once dreamed of marrying. When I was about thirteen.

Astarion: Interesting. I always thought he'd taste a little too sweet. (keep in mind that playing as Astarion you can tell Halsin you have a sweet tooth, also Astarion will say „Wyll, get up you sweet fool!“ to a Wyll fallen in battle)

(Asking Astarion to be in OT3 with Wyll. For all the other characters but Halsin he says no, but for Wyll he says „Wyll would not want to“) Astarion: Come now, Wyll won't agree to that. He's stuck in the past, and that's coming from a vampire.

Astarion: You're looking well. It seems Grand Duking suits you.

(The next ones are Astarion about Wyll's horns:) Astarion: For what it's worth, I rather like your new look. It adds a sense of drama - a little more flair.

Astarion: Oh, you get used to them quickly enough. At this point you'd look strange without them. Besides, people care more about the good you've done than how you need your hats tailored. And you have done an awful lot of good, Wyll. During our time together and every day since then.

Astarion: Poor Wyll gave you the benefit of the doubt and it earned him a set of horns. Not that they don't look flattering on him. Almost everything does. Astarion: They do! Honestly, that man…

WYLL ABOUT ASTARION (Again my comments are in parenthesis)

(Astarion: Critical fail at charisma check to tell Wyll he is a vampire Wyll: luckily I am into that)

Wyll: A lesser man might sever that well-coiffed head from your neck. Good thing for you I'm not such a man. Besides - not even the Blade of Frontiers is immune to your not-inconsiderable charms.

Wyll: I'm half-inclined to sever it now, if only for your endless insolence. Good thing for you you're so godsdamned charming.

Wyll: Oh, the lad's quite the tease. But he's a charming sort of cad - well, most of the time.

Wyll: Astarion has a certain swagger, don't you find? An interesting fellow. Nice hair, to boot.

Wyll: The charming rapscallion that he is.

Wyll: I've missed you too. And your cunning tongue, of course. And did I mention your hair? I might have missed that most of all.

Wyll: By the stars' light and the moon's glow, it's so good to see you, Astarion.

Wyll: Oh, Astarion. I bet I'd find a touch of sweet under all that sour, if I digged deep enough.

(Wyll: Of course I should have seen Astarion was a vampire, he was so hot) Wyll: Elegant bearing, saucy voice - I should've seen it, the signs were all there.

THERE IS MORE! (For this section it is also all quotes and my comments only in parenthesis)

(Wyll about Cazador:) Wyll: Deep shadows have long haunted Baldur's Gate - and few loom so large as Cazador's. But I also know you can find light if you know where to look. And this I promise: you can always look to me.

(Astarion would love to marry a Grand Duke) Astarion: Power and prestige? Hail the Grand Duke indeed.

(The random outing they organize right in front of the others:) Astarion: Grand Duke Wyll Ravengard. Tell me, should I genuflect or merely bow? Wyll: Forget the bowing. I'd rather share a cheap brown ale and a hunk of fresh venison. You in? Astarion: I'll pass on the ale, but the company sounds delightful.

EVEN MORE Astarion‘s spawn ending is him becoming a hero adventurer – and what is Wyll‘s role, his life?? Being a hero! The Blade!

Astarion also asks Wyll twice about Cazador/killing vampires

Wyll would be the perfect target for his seductions because he is powerful (son of Grand Duke), he knows how to kill monsters, he is a hero

Wyll calls his romance partner „MY STAR“

Furthermore…. Astarion‘s fail-charm canonically works on Wyll!

EXHIBIT B Their romance scenes (the honest ones, in the case of Astarion, so skipping act 1) ALL involve hands. Wyll offering a hand (Wyll always offer, never take) and taking hands/offering hands for Astarion.

(The slides show 6 pictures from their romances: the dance where Wyll offers Astarion his hand, another one from the dance where he takes his hand; Wyll's hand offered kiss; Astarion's act 3 romance scene at the cemetery where he takes Wyll's hand; two pictures from Astarion's act 2 post-Araj scene where he takes Wyll's hands) (Not in the slides but Wyll not has another kiss where he offers the player his hand)

EXHIBIT C Think about the possibilities!!

Astarion being courted for the first time!!

Also Wyll having a thing for his nice cute monster romances and being seduced by a monster? Yes!

If Wyll is a Duke, Astarion can become one of the most powerful people in the city and he would love that

Also, Ascended Astarion and Duke Wyll have this WILD dynamic (I did not post the quotes here but check thread of videos)

Think about the comedic potential of Astarion and Ulder Ravengard interacting

And the angsty potential of Astarion becoming the husband of a Grand Duke and being finally in a position over who knows how many SCUMBAGS mistreated him

Think about Astarion‘s feralness and selfishness and how Wyll could actually benefit for being a bit more selfish

Astarion would never let Ulder forget what he did

And Wyll absolute need to BE NEEDED meeting Astarion‘s need to find a protector

There is so much more! I finished my time!

[transflynnscifo]

while i was compiling things for my video i completely forgot about these old screenshots

anyway in a playthrough prior to 2021, i quickly found that certain npc react differently to you depending on the character you've chosen to run on-screen with. this happened during my sidequesting in nam cobanda isle. i dont have the screenshots for that sadly (and there were a weird joke or two hidden in there, so try at your own risk)

but when i was playing in 2021, if my memory serves me right, i had flynn running around on my screen and decided to interact with this knight, which prompted a very funny response from them

poor guy.

i thought to myself in that instance: "IS THIS A UNIQUE INTERACTION?" so i naturally switched back to yuri. and yes, it truly was

there's totally other instances of the game reacting to your character if you have someone else other than yuri leading,

...just that it would take a lot of trial and error to record all possible examples (try as I might, i think ive only caught one instance of someone reacting to me running with repede, if at all... noone cares if a dog is trying to talk to you)

EDIT I LITERALLY HAD THIS ON HAND

knight's line in the day (flynn edition)