More Normal Things

More normal things

I'm seeing a pattern

I want to ask how you feel about Halsin's ending. Specifically the part where he doesnt invite the player to go with him. Not to give vampire on main, but I sit around wondering if he even wanted the player to come at all since he didnt actually invite them or even hint about it or anything. Which is also kind of weird to me because he's been pretty straight forward and honest with the player up to that point so I cant help but wonder if maybe he was trying to break it off. Roaming free and all that you know?

I don't think it's about roaming or not being committed to you, though of course Halsin does have a different way of defining relationships. If you put the pieces together from the rest of his scenes, especially his solomanced epilogue, you notice a few things.

Halsin has severe abandonment issues; multiple times near the end, you can suggest leaving (whether disbanding your group or dumping him as a partner) and he will sadly lament that it was inevitable. A lot of people with abandonment issues start getting so used to being left behind that they start doing the leaving first, feeling like it might hurt less if they do it.

Similarly, Halsin says in his solomanced epilogue that he never thought the player would want to go with him; "you could have done anything, gone with anyone... yet you chose me." He also looks utterly stunned when you tell him you do want to go with him, but also overjoyed when you assert that yes, that is what you want.

With both of those things taken together? Due to his idolization of you and his abandonment issues, he thought it was impossible that you could ever want to stay with him. He just genuinely never thought it was possible. So he made the step of leaving, of building a future for himself, under the assumption that you, the savior of Baldur's Gate, would want to stay in the city to enjoy the parades and feats in your honor rather than start a brand new life with him. If you tell him you want to part ways, he sadly tells you it was always meant to be, and that he is still grateful for having met you; if you tell him that of course you're coming, he is stunned, but immediately accepts the idea as soon as you reassure him that this is what you want.

So all that to say? He wanted to join you more than anything- he just never dared think you would actually want him, too. ;-;

Had someone look me straight in the eye and call me a “real life omega boy” because I’m a man who can get pregnant, when I was talking with people about abortions and mentioning that trans men are so often blatantly excluded from this convo as a man who wants to carry his own child one day. I felt so gross and fetishised. She was acting like it was so funny and was super weird about it . imagine having that much brain rot.

How Halsin’s “once you get to my age” conversation not long after he finally recruited as a party member SHOULD have gone if you were an elf and could call him out on not being old.

Because as a drow my Tav should be allowed to call him out and tease him over it

(My Tav, but written pretty generically and without any gender indicators for Tav so knock yourself out)

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“You didn’t answer the part about lovers” you say as you fold your arms. Halsin held a certain level of fascination to you. Maybe it was his sheer size, maybe it was his confidence, or his willingness to just listen. Maybe it was because you truly could not get a read on him.

He had been frustratingly dodging most questions about himself until now, softly smiling and telling you ‘there will be time for questions later. I must keep my focus on the task at hand’ and now somehow managed to tell you an incredible amount and nothing at all at the same time.

“I’m 350 years old. Of course there have been lovers. Just because I love nature doesn’t mean I’m betrothed to it. Though sometimes, nature needs reminding…” he trailed off.

Another redirection, talks of the past while not acknowledging that the question was about the current and offering an interesting tidbit instead. You recognized what he was trying to do, but unfortunately his smirk while speaking about nature alluded to an all too good to pass up story.

“Hold on- nature needs reminding of what exactly?” you ask.

“Well, I didn’t pick this scar up in battle. I was in wildshape, only I forgot it was the season when bears are particularly social. A she-bear claimed me as her own- and did not appreciate being spurned” he said.

Less riveting than you hoped, but still interesting. And certainly not enough to convince you to drop the question.

“Don’t leave me hanging- is there someone in your life right now?” Simple. Direct. Surely no way to dodge it again.

“Right now? I bed down alone, I’m afraid” he answers. There’s a small drop in his voice, not sorrow, but, disappointment?“Perhaps once I talk less of curses and parasites, my fortunes will improve”.

It was not quite the answer you were expecting. A clear answer this time, but something in the way his words hung in the air felt off.

You look over his face, searching for some glimmer of information but are met with the same relaxed but stoic expression he used when he was done talking about a subject.

“Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn’t even think to ask” you change the subject, hoping to find any bit of interesting information from him.

“Hmm, I suppose you wouldn’t be shocked to learn I love animals and nature? I know, I know; well-trodden territory. Well, let’s see… I whittle in my spare time, and I’ve something of a sweet tooth- though everyone’s very amused when I say I like honey”.

A smile plays on your lips, you genuinely could not tell if he was avoiding saying much and choosing to give you obvious answers purposefully or not.

“Whittling? What do you make?” you ask, fishing for anything you could.

“Ornaments, utensils- and ducks. I like ducks”.

New information gained and yet nothing new truly learned.

“So you turn into a bear and you like honey?” you repeat back to him, “A little on the nose”.

“I like what I like. Once you get to my age you realize there’s little point in denying yourself, so long as other’s aren’t affected” Halsin replies.

“Your age?” you laugh, in the grand scheme of elven lives Halsin was young still, only a few decades older than yourself despite speaking as if he was at least 800. “And how old do you think I am?”

Halsin flashed a quick smile, brief but betraying a lot of emotion. The sort guilty smile you offer when you’re caught.

“My apologies. I don’t encounter too many full elves these days” his face relaxes, not his usual careful composure, but a true relaxation. “No, I supposed 350 is young still, and sometimes I need reminding of that too. You get used to seeing life on the scale that the others see. People treat you as old and you start to believe it, or at least you let them make their assumptions about you”.

“So ‘old, wise Halsin’ is an act?” you tease.

“I am wise!” he laughs, a truly deep laugh that rumbled from his chest. A laugh that spreads into a sense of warmth within you. “If I wasn’t then you wouldn’t have come to my grove seeking my knowledge and skills!”

“I was told to seek out the old, wise archdruid of the the grove and imagine my surprise seeing an elf, only decades older than myself acting as if he was as least twice his age!” You laughed back, unable to keep his laughter from spreading to you. “Though I suppose I can keep quiet and let you continue this front, if you can keep up with me, old man, because I very much so am still young” you tease.

“You’ll find I’m more than able to keep up with anything you’ve got, don’t let me fool you into thinking my size is just for show. I think you’ll find I’m more than capable of going all day and night” the tone that crept into his voice let you know that he very much knew why you were asking if he currently had a lover earlier.

TAKE MY MONEY

yes they were turned to stickers