To folks being weird about them including this for Astarion’s storyline, please don’t. I’m somewhere in between Astarion and Halsin healing wise, and I definitely remember vividly being in that stage where I wanted to believe I could just pick right back up with being an adventurous person when it comes to physical intimacy, only to find myself not able to engage in the more satisfying to me mental aspects. It’s one of those steps in the healing process that is heart breaking but you kind of need to figure out one way (trying and it not being great) or another (abstaining until later? Idk, I took the trying route irl). It wasn’t wrong or abusive for my partners to support my attempts to heal, even if they didn’t work out. And it took me a while to accept where I was healing wise, so I even relate to him not wanting to talk about it afterwards. He’s still accepting that freedom doesn’t mean he’s automatically healed. Heartbreaking but… relatable. That said, Halsin is trauma recovery goals for me absolutely. Being able to remember without actually being triggered? Being able to fully and freely engage HOW ID LIKE TO instead of being fettered by trauma responses? Goals. I don’t know if I’ll ever get there 100%, we don’t get elven lifetimes irl, but his level of healing brings me hope.
I wish Astarion talked about it afterward, but I 100% understand why he wouldn't, or maybe even couldn't. You and I are not the same person, and I'm sure we've gone through different things, but I've gotten to Halsin's position, more or less. Sometimes it still happens, dissociating or being triggered, but it rarely happens now, and my awareness of myself and my mood is a big part of that. You can do it, too. I believe in you.
I still don't know how I'll react when it comes to trying to move forward with physical intimacy after everything, but it's nice to see different perspectives being shown in games. I reacted very much like Astarion in the past. Dissociating is the way I survive. But maybe one day I can be like Halsin. I hope you find peace ❤ You deserve all the happiness ❤
Yep, to me this is actually a step forward for him. It’s a good sign that Astarion is willing to try new things, even if they don’t work out well for him. Healing is not linear and rarely completely comfortable. The fact that he doesn’t melt down after or have problems with intimacy after speaks to him being able to cope with a bad experience with support.
@SavannahLogsdonBreakstone One, I'm so so sorry you went through traumatic experiences in your life. Two, I completely relate 100%. I'm working hard on the physical and mental aspects, but I disassociate and haven't figured out how to move past that. I truly hope you heal and you start to feel better. Everyone deserves happiness. 🩷 I'm rooting for you!
How can something be so hilarious and so gut-wrenching at the same time? All I want to do is wrap Astarion (And Halsin. I didn't expect that revelation at all) in warm blankets and keep him safe.
Same! I knew Halsin had a past but I did NOT expect to get the whole nine yards of it because a spicy adventure with him brought up memories of trauma. Astarion straight up dissociating was just... 😢
I really wish the game would allow you to stop and ask Astarion if he's okay and wants to continue once you notice he's dissociating. I've had this happen to me before too and if my partner hadn't stopped and asked me that I would have also just continued. Not because I felt forced, but because I was not all there and just going through the motions at that point. I think it would have been a fantastic moment for you to be able to just pull him out of the room and cuddle with him for awhile, make sure he's okay. Halsin is probably good enough to handle the two drow alone anyways.
since Larian often listens to their fans hopefully we can actually get more interactions like this in the future. there’s so many ways for them to update their already amazing inclusive storylines
Yeah. The initiation of this scene isn’t what makes me uncomfortable, it’s that there’s no checking in with Astarion as you go. I wish there was an option to at least say something to Astarion, ask him if he’s okay, ask him if he wants to stop.
I am astonished at how depraved the game can be with the explicit gruesome and sadistic murdering choices. I love the game but it's not good soul food.
@@MortyrianOn the contrary. Fresh Urin right from the source is very hygienic. So much so, that you can clean wounds with it (it has no healing properties, though). We learned that in microbiology, that Urin is a sterile fluid, just not fit to drink because it contains substances your body wanted to rid itself of. I find it gross, though, because i cannot stand that stench.
@@DraconiInfernalus Technically, you don’t force him to do this he does it on his own in this instance, which changes the context of being sad because he wanted to enjoy it, but his past will not let him as he cannot help but remember
I’ve only seen this scene with three characters and of them, two seem to have a bad time. Gale literally freaks out and leaves and Astarion disassociates. It’s sad and I’ll 100% be avoiding it in the future :/
Not gonna lie I feel so bad for Astarion and Halsin there, and I kind of wish we could just have those 2 pair up alone, as Halsin would probably be the best person to help Astarion with his trauma, since Halsin is already pretty far in the healing progress, while Astarion barely started it. When I'm gonna play the game I'm gonna be so vanilla with Astarion for real so he can be safe emotionally, physically and mentally.
aww poor astarion :( gives it the ol college try for you post graveyard scene but 200 years of recently realized sexual trauma is probably gonna make having causal sex a lot harder for him
This is became-Cazador Astarion so he agrees because he thought he'd be alright with it now that he's a powerful vampire lord. Afaik vampire spawn Astarion refuses if you already had the hug romance scene since MC helped him finally realize that he can say no.
As a survivor, Halsin is trauma recovery goals. He’s processed his trauma enough that he can remember without actually getting triggered, can enjoy things freely without triggers fettering the experience… I only hope I get to that point. Who knows if it’s possible in human lifetimes, but that he has done it makes me so hopeful for the future.
Between poor Astarion disassociating and Halsin's completely unexpected confession about his kidnapping and slavery experience directly afterwards...yeah I definitely felt bad about initiating this....BUT at the same time as someone who has gone through similar stuff I also appreciate the comments reminding people to not infantilize SA/trauma survivors and their choices. Part of recovering from trauma is learning how to navigate triggering situations and learning what you can handle and what you can't. It does make me feel bad he has a trauma response to this and because of that I'd never make me do it again. But it is a realistic portrayal of what trauma recovery looks like. Sometimes we DO genuinely want to try new things, step out of our comfort zone. And sometimes it is triggering. But we learn and grow and continue to try to find what we truly want, what makes us happy. I just really wish Tav had the option to actually acknowledge Astarion's feelings: to stop the act as soon as they notice his discomfort and immediately check in on him. It's really sad you can't even talk to him about it afterwards or ask him if he's alright. :( Don't get me wrong Larian did a fantastic job with the writing but I wish there were more opportunities for Tav to be a lot more sensitive and tender with Astarion in their relationship: more insight checks to try and sus out how he's really feeling behind the mask. Hugging him platonicly, giving him little forhead kisses, holding his hand, ect. Just simple little non-sexual touches of affection. He deserves it so much. ❤
The "shower of gold" line had me dying on the couch. I was in an xbox party with some friends and they asked why I was muted for a while. So I came to find this clip and send it to them as reference.
Yeah this was my first playthrough and the way my jaw was dropped and I was cackling the entire time. Also thank you Larian for giving us the lore of "drow sex magic" because of course drow have sex magic that makes too much sense but l o l d r o w s e x m a g i c
It makes more sense with the context given afterwards that Halsin was a Drow guest/slave/concubine for *THREE YEARS* Dude definitely stayed longer than he had to
As someone with sexual trauma, this scene rubs me in SO many ways. Especially reading the comments. Honestly had similar healing journey to Halsin and Astarion. Had my "hoe phase", and now Im trying to feel safe with my forever partner. Its so weird, but this game is just so personally special to me 🥺
I've been reading some comments here, and like, damn, can we talk about how awesome it is that this beautiful little fantasy RPG has given so many SA survivors some of the most relatable portrayals of associated trauma AND healing? I am still utterly floored by it. I could scarcely believe it as it unfolded in front of me while I played.
honestly I just want to grab Astarion and Halsin and just hold them tight. their traumas hit a little close to home, though not to Halsin's extent I understand the disassociation Astarion has all too well. I never got this scene and probably never will because I don't want to put them through that.
My character and Astarion had a foursome with the twins but evr since reading the last line I cant bring myself to do it again. Knowing that Astarion disassociates during the scene feels like he isnt really enjoying it that much and it makes ME SAD UGH
I don't know if this helps at all, but I also started dissociating the last time I tried bottoming. It's not that I wasn't enjoying myself and once we tried something else the rest of the experience was fine. Sometimes when you've experienced trauma you want to take that risk to give things another time. Sometimes it doesn't work out. But it doesn't necessarily spoil the whole experience and I would assume that most victims wouldn't hold that against their current partner or blame them. What I do wish is that when you noticed him dissociating that you could ask him if he's okay and needs to stop. I would have kept going too if my partner hadn't noticed, not because I would be forcing myself but because I was so out of it that I was just running through the motions.
On the one hand, I wish it were possible to check in with Astarion and pause things when he's uncomfortable. On the other hand, Astarion really, really does not like his vulnerabilities being exposed in front of people he doesn't know and trust. It's unlikely he'd ever admit to being uncomfortable in front of the drow twins--he doesn't know them, has no reason to trust them. He's pushing through because that feels less dangerous than letting strangers see him shaken. I've been there. It makes sense.
I disagree - Astarion voices his desire to give it a try and voiced his awareness that he can leave if he wants to. Healing is a journey and if he felt he was ready, we gotta respect that.
Here I thought the Dragon Age: Origins 4-some was the peak of implied depravity. I’m equal parts amazed and amused that this was not only written as an option, but that there’s voice-acting to go along with it! Well-played, Larian Studios! Bravo 😍
First time I see Halsin looking UP at someone lol Also, poor Astarion was dissociating the whole time :( I made the mistake on my first run of bringing him for sexy times at the drows’, but after learning his entire backstory i was like… god I don’t wanna do it to him.
I wish they had some sort of conversation with Astarion (like they do with Halsin) about what just happened. Especially after hearing the "miles away comment". I just wanna check in on my bitey boy and/or apologize.
It makes more sense with the context given afterwards that Halsin was a Drow guest/slave/concubine for *THREE YEARS* Dude definitely stayed longer than he had to
I wish Larian would uuuh have made (or patch in 🤔) more ace friendly options or you know, just the option to kiss and cuddle so we don't make Astarion dissociate, I don't want to hurt him jesus Imagine just being able to discuss boundaries and like, having a little get together instead, just cooking each other dinner and telling stories and then just cuddling all night 😭 would've been so good
I definitely wish I could have interrupted and asked Astarion to take a break, thank the drows for their time, and just cuddle the rest of the night. I want my boys to enjoy themselves, not force themselves into things they dont like!!!
Well you don't have to go to the brothel. There are options in his romance to just BE with him in the moment and sit there doing nothing and he respects it and is even thankful in some of the moments, like the one where you don't make him do the ritual and he shows you his old grave. There's the option in his romance where you can tell him you won't make him have sex or do anything unless he wants to. There's lots of Ace-ish moments. Take this from a Demisexual Ace who saved before every romantic opportunity for him and Gale and both their romances offered me plenty of Ace moments.
@@oldladytrexarmsAhh, glad I'm not the only one, I have a million quicksaves and then if it's a big cutscene convo I do a hard save and name it. I tried making him drink the drow blood for the potion but I just couldn't live with those cutscene choices after, had to reload and turn her down, no regrets! Now I get kisses whenever I want 😊 I also somehow glitched my game and now I have a poly Gale who also gives me kisses, so I run back and forth between them demanding/requesting kisses! 🥰
i think some people are taking this scene too negatively and not giving astarion enough credit or agency. look at it like this: he excitedly consents, knowing that he struggles with this sort of thing. he explicitly says he'll leave if he hates it - acknowledging that he HAS taken part when he didnt want to, but now he knows how to say no. he's clearly not perfectly healed, but nothing ever happens like that. there is going to be discomfort when you put yourself into experiences in attempt to heal, ESPECIALLY when it's something new/the first time in a long time. and the fact you can check in with him and tell him you're making sure he's okay really adds to this, imo. it's up to how you read it. i suppose i prefer to come at it from an optimistic point that relates to my own struggles and triumphs.
I definitely agree with you - if anything, doubting that Astarion knows how to say no and is just trying to please Tav is kind of not having any faith in him exercising his agency. It's a lot more hurtful to him to not trust his word than to simply be there when he stumbles into situations he doesnt yet realise he's not ok with yet :')
Also it's gross to see your partner disassociating during an act you know has been extremely traumatizing for them and not do anything. This was the perfect chance for them to allow Tav to pull him out, comfort him, and maybe re-engage but they didn't. It's not a positive scene. It's similar to when he was worried he wasn't fucking you enough (due to trauma) so you were going to fuck Halsin.
I agree. And to further add to the situation, AFAIK if you do this event to him BEFORE killing Cazador he DOES straight up tell you "I'm not comfortable with this yet"
Yeah, making Astarion do it is just the best way to understand you go to far with how sexual you want to be with him. He agrees, because it's easier for him to just go with the flow, but gods, he disociates with it while teasing and flirting during it, fuck... And he doesn't want to even talk about it, that's the worst to me, he doesn't scream at you or ask why, he's just... the same, he doesn't resent you for it because he's just so goddamn resigned about not having the choice. Also makes you wonder, how many times has he been hurt by you and put up the same facade to decrive you about him being fine ?
astarion at this point of the relationship realises how much his comfort means to you, especially if you did his route where he knows you see him at his core. to see everything he does as putting up an act for your sake is to undermine his character growth that he's done. which is why he mentions it at all in the first place (i'll run out if i dont like it) - he ends up dissociating because he bit off a bit more than he could chew, that's not the same as putting up with uncomfortable situations for your sake.
@@serpancakesyes thank u, it’s weird how people immediately switched from sexualizing him to totally infantilizing him. he clearly CAN say no in Act 3, and even advise you on not compromising your own integrity (like with the drow blood potion). healing from trauma isnt always straightforward and him disassociating here is still sad but it doesn’t mean his consent is meaningless or that you should keep him from doing things he wants to do himself.
@@maydays685 i feel somewhat responsible for the misunderstanding people have as im the one who uploaded this video possibly causing many to see this scene without properly considering the context of the entire route ive played through. so i hope my 2cents about astarion's journey of finding himself helps mitigate that, even a bit. he's allowed to try things and find out maybe its not for him. it'll be a bit sad like here, but that's all part of the process.
@@serpancakesyes thank you. I’m somewhere in between Astarion and Halsin healing wise, and I definitely remember vividly being in that stage where I wanted to believe I could just pick right back up with being an adventurous person when it comes to physical intimacy, only to find myself not able to engage in the more satisfying to me mental aspects. It’s one of those steps in the healing process that is heart breaking but you kind of need to figure out one way (trying and it not being great) or another (abstaining until later? Idk, I took the trying route irl). It wasn’t wrong or abusive for my partners to support my attempts to heal, even if they didn’t work out. And it took me a while to accept where I was healing wise, so I even relate to him not wanting to talk about it afterwards. He’s still accepting that freedom doesn’t mean he’s automatically healed. Heartbreaking but… relatable. That said, Halsin is trauma recovery goals for me absolutely.
@@serpancakes Very lucky. Or unlucky depending how you look at it. Do condoms exists in the realms? novelty or not, i doubt the Matron would have wanted to fall pregnant from a fairie.
@@serpancakes pegging for three years ? that would get old no? (i'm also very surprised Halsin was able to entertain them that long, that naughty little druid!🤣🤣🤣)
Sadly it seems to be impossible to get a just Halsin-drow foursome. At least I was unable to in my current playthrough. I'm romancing both him and Astarion (though he admittedly feels like more of a side guy).
@@sasori2425 I had him in my party. I tried both with and without Astarion - and only got the foursome option with Astarion. With just Halsin present, I could only hire the siblings one-on-one.
I did the 4some with halsin and it's funny. They ask him to become a bear and they say things like "so you're the infamous halsin" and you have the option to ride the bear like a horse would. But now looking back at it I regret because I never spoke to halsin after the scene and that's horrible of me.
Maybe he only says this if you've opened up your relationship, because when I went to the Drow twins he said he wasn't comfortable doing stuff like this yet.
This scene is really tough to analyse tbh. Like some people pointed out, it's heartbreaking that Astarion disassociates during the scene, I think most comments are infantalizing him and his agency to take decisions. After all, AFAIK if you trigger this scene before killing Cazador he straight up tells you "I'm uncomfortable, please don't make me do this" and he also straight up says "If I'm not comfortable I'll bolt"
I really wish we could have an intimate moment with astarion, for example when he’s seducing us the second time it would be great to use insight to see that this is Astarion’s way of coping, and as Tav does have a crush on him they don’t want to make him uncomfortable, instead they just want to hold him, comfort him to make him feel safe. I always play as a female and it would be great to see the male companions be vulnerable and non sexually intimate with Tav (hugs, cuddling, gentle kisses etc…)
Wait, you are in absolute darkness (probably via the darkness spell) and you can't see anything right? So how are you or anyone else 'looking' at anyone in the narration?
@@voronarin Except darkness is a dome/sphere so it extends outward around everything within 15ft. So unless you are reaching people from 15ft away and having sex with them like that, I am not sure it matters who it is centered on. Besides, the implication is to have everyone in total darkness to enhanced the experience otherwise why cast it.
i tried it with ascended astarion + halsin (in a "ascended timeline" separated file) but when i pay the drows 1K , nothing happen, they just go back in their rooms and ignore me lmao did they scam me or is that a glitch
Ah I was going to ask myself, I haven't yet moved on from the starter sorc robe yet. I need something magey, attractive and revealing for my hot drow, he needs to show off that body of his.
Moderating replies to this video as I didn't expect it to get so many views. I will keep comments relating to peoples personal experiences with trauma, as I think it's important to understand how Astarions scene has touched many of us. However those infantilising him and saying he doesnt want sex at all - those comments I will delete as that is simply non canonical. Not accepting debate on this. Be kind in the comments, be good to each other. On an unrelated note, here's a self plug. You may find my BG3 fanart over at @pancakesprince on twitter and tumblr.
Agh.. My tav girl is a half elf of medium height, when she stands next to Khalsin she is so small, but then I look at this guy and I just can’t imagine how HE HUGE OMG and no, I didn't know that height can be adjusted lol... I play from alpha @@dominika3762 🤣🤣
To folks being weird about them including this for Astarion’s storyline, please don’t.
I’m somewhere in between Astarion and Halsin healing wise, and I definitely remember vividly being in that stage where I wanted to believe I could just pick right back up with being an adventurous person when it comes to physical intimacy, only to find myself not able to engage in the more satisfying to me mental aspects. It’s one of those steps in the healing process that is heart breaking but you kind of need to figure out one way (trying and it not being great) or another (abstaining until later? Idk, I took the trying route irl). It wasn’t wrong or abusive for my partners to support my attempts to heal, even if they didn’t work out. And it took me a while to accept where I was healing wise, so I even relate to him not wanting to talk about it afterwards. He’s still accepting that freedom doesn’t mean he’s automatically healed. Heartbreaking but… relatable.
That said, Halsin is trauma recovery goals for me absolutely. Being able to remember without actually being triggered? Being able to fully and freely engage HOW ID LIKE TO instead of being fettered by trauma responses? Goals. I don’t know if I’ll ever get there 100%, we don’t get elven lifetimes irl, but his level of healing brings me hope.
I wish Astarion talked about it afterward, but I 100% understand why he wouldn't, or maybe even couldn't.
You and I are not the same person, and I'm sure we've gone through different things, but I've gotten to Halsin's position, more or less. Sometimes it still happens, dissociating or being triggered, but it rarely happens now, and my awareness of myself and my mood is a big part of that. You can do it, too. I believe in you.
I still don't know how I'll react when it comes to trying to move forward with physical intimacy after everything, but it's nice to see different perspectives being shown in games. I reacted very much like Astarion in the past. Dissociating is the way I survive. But maybe one day I can be like Halsin.
I hope you find peace ❤ You deserve all the happiness ❤
Yep, to me this is actually a step forward for him. It’s a good sign that Astarion is willing to try new things, even if they don’t work out well for him. Healing is not linear and rarely completely comfortable. The fact that he doesn’t melt down after or have problems with intimacy after speaks to him being able to cope with a bad experience with support.
@SavannahLogsdonBreakstone One, I'm so so sorry you went through traumatic experiences in your life. Two, I completely relate 100%. I'm working hard on the physical and mental aspects, but I disassociate and haven't figured out how to move past that. I truly hope you heal and you start to feel better. Everyone deserves happiness. 🩷 I'm rooting for you!
so, sleeping around is called healing now?
"There must be a sprinkling shower of gold first- AHEM! Coin." I KNOW THEY DID NOT JUST DO THAT LMAO
Lol
Aw hell naw😂
My thoughts exactly!
😂 LMAO
So I’m not the only one with a dirty mind 🤣😂🤣🤣
"Nature used all of its powers when it sculpted you, Astarion." Finally someone said that, I'm so agree!
Hello, so agree. I'm dad.
😊0
Programmers, artists, VA and everybody who worked in the game: THANK YOU :)
@@julianamizrahi2828 ++++++
@@리켈Likell😂😂😂
How can something be so hilarious and so gut-wrenching at the same time? All I want to do is wrap Astarion (And Halsin. I didn't expect that revelation at all) in warm blankets and keep him safe.
Right? Fuzzy blankets and hot coco for everyone! We are watching cartoons and healing from some trauma motherfuckers!
Same! I knew Halsin had a past but I did NOT expect to get the whole nine yards of it because a spicy adventure with him brought up memories of trauma. Astarion straight up dissociating was just... 😢
I really wish the game would allow you to stop and ask Astarion if he's okay and wants to continue once you notice he's dissociating. I've had this happen to me before too and if my partner hadn't stopped and asked me that I would have also just continued. Not because I felt forced, but because I was not all there and just going through the motions at that point. I think it would have been a fantastic moment for you to be able to just pull him out of the room and cuddle with him for awhile, make sure he's okay. Halsin is probably good enough to handle the two drow alone anyways.
since Larian often listens to their fans hopefully we can actually get more interactions like this in the future. there’s so many ways for them to update their already amazing inclusive storylines
Yeah. The initiation of this scene isn’t what makes me uncomfortable, it’s that there’s no checking in with Astarion as you go. I wish there was an option to at least say something to Astarion, ask him if he’s okay, ask him if he wants to stop.
*Hamster eating Banana
be a halfling romancing halsin and that'll be extremely accurate
@@serpancakes LMAO
*coughs to death*
I am so grossed out how the dude drow had to clarify what he meant by a "shower of gold." These workers have done/seen some shit
... i didnt catch that implication 😭 help
I am astonished at how depraved the game can be with the explicit gruesome and sadistic murdering choices. I love the game but it's not good soul food.
@@Mortyrian i like how youre implying golden showers are part of the "explicit gruesome and sadistic" bit. dont kinkshame, man
@@serpancakes I was referring to Blue's comment about being grossed out. Also kink shaming is a good thing when it's a gross unsanitary kink.
@@MortyrianOn the contrary. Fresh Urin right from the source is very hygienic. So much so, that you can clean wounds with it (it has no healing properties, though). We learned that in microbiology, that Urin is a sterile fluid, just not fit to drink because it contains substances your body wanted to rid itself of. I find it gross, though, because i cannot stand that stench.
Astarion seems to disassociate in all versions of this scene, really sad
thats why its so much better not forcing him to do anything like that again
@@DraconiInfernalus Technically, you don’t force him to do this he does it on his own in this instance, which changes the context of being sad because he wanted to enjoy it, but his past will not let him as he cannot help but remember
I wish we could stop the act when the dialogue mentions it, or even check in with him afterwards.
@@Floweramonyeah, I wish so too. They gave us so many options to uncover his softer side just to use it with no consequences...
I’ve only seen this scene with three characters and of them, two seem to have a bad time. Gale literally freaks out and leaves and Astarion disassociates. It’s sad and I’ll 100% be avoiding it in the future :/
Not gonna lie I feel so bad for Astarion and Halsin there, and I kind of wish we could just have those 2 pair up alone, as Halsin would probably be the best person to help Astarion with his trauma, since Halsin is already pretty far in the healing progress, while Astarion barely started it. When I'm gonna play the game I'm gonna be so vanilla with Astarion for real so he can be safe emotionally, physically and mentally.
Me, around 3 minutes in: Karlach’s blood burns, Gale’s is acidic… I wonder if Halsin tastes like a salad.
No, I bet he tastes gamey.
aww poor astarion :( gives it the ol college try for you post graveyard scene but 200 years of recently realized sexual trauma is probably gonna make having causal sex a lot harder for him
This is kind of interesting. Astarion just flat out didn't want to go with the drow twins in my playthrough. He said he wasn't comfortable with it.
This is became-Cazador Astarion so he agrees because he thought he'd be alright with it now that he's a powerful vampire lord. Afaik vampire spawn Astarion refuses if you already had the hug romance scene since MC helped him finally realize that he can say no.
@@leaxl08 Nope. My Astarion is still a spawn.
Astarion did not do the ritual in my playthrough.
he will do it after the personal quest
@@serpancakes Did you not have the hug conversation where he thanks you for not making him drink the girl's blood?
As a survivor, Halsin is trauma recovery goals. He’s processed his trauma enough that he can remember without actually getting triggered, can enjoy things freely without triggers fettering the experience… I only hope I get to that point. Who knows if it’s possible in human lifetimes, but that he has done it makes me so hopeful for the future.
It is possible 😊 promise.
As someone who is a csa survivor, it is possible. It took me 23 years(I’m 23), but very much possible
People all throughout history managed it quite well. So it's obviously possible.
Between poor Astarion disassociating and Halsin's completely unexpected confession about his kidnapping and slavery experience directly afterwards...yeah I definitely felt bad about initiating this....BUT at the same time as someone who has gone through similar stuff I also appreciate the comments reminding people to not infantilize SA/trauma survivors and their choices.
Part of recovering from trauma is learning how to navigate triggering situations and learning what you can handle and what you can't. It does make me feel bad he has a trauma response to this and because of that I'd never make me do it again. But it is a realistic portrayal of what trauma recovery looks like. Sometimes we DO genuinely want to try new things, step out of our comfort zone. And sometimes it is triggering. But we learn and grow and continue to try to find what we truly want, what makes us happy.
I just really wish Tav had the option to actually acknowledge Astarion's feelings: to stop the act as soon as they notice his discomfort and immediately check in on him. It's really sad you can't even talk to him about it afterwards or ask him if he's alright. :( Don't get me wrong Larian did a fantastic job with the writing but I wish there were more opportunities for Tav to be a lot more sensitive and tender with Astarion in their relationship: more insight checks to try and sus out how he's really feeling behind the mask. Hugging him platonicly, giving him little forhead kisses, holding his hand, ect. Just simple little non-sexual touches of affection. He deserves it so much. ❤
yes
Oh no I didn't know about Halsin trauma too, had bo idea about that... thought It was food memories in fact 😅
Our poor boys.
I love Astarions lil nervous gremlin laugh so much ❤
Astarion disassociating through it just makes me want to wrap him up in a blanket and hold him. It's so heartbreaking.
The "shower of gold" line had me dying on the couch. I was in an xbox party with some friends and they asked why I was muted for a while. So I came to find this clip and send it to them as reference.
😂😂😂
"shower of gold.... gold" god the developers truly know us
Yeah this was my first playthrough and the way my jaw was dropped and I was cackling the entire time. Also thank you Larian for giving us the lore of "drow sex magic" because of course drow have sex magic that makes too much sense but l o l d r o w s e x m a g i c
essek thelyss fanfic writers got notes
@@serpancakes I was about to ask where the shadowgast fans are at, but you beat me to it.
@@Kadel___ me who draws shadowgast pretty often and reads so much shadowgast fics: BOY do I KNOW drow sex magic
oh girl, larian is not the origin of drow sex magic… this is ed greenwood’s setting after all
It makes more sense with the context given afterwards that Halsin was a Drow guest/slave/concubine for *THREE YEARS*
Dude definitely stayed longer than he had to
Oh my god. I didn't talk to Halsin afterwards, that's fucking horrifying.
As someone with sexual trauma, this scene rubs me in SO many ways. Especially reading the comments. Honestly had similar healing journey to Halsin and Astarion. Had my "hoe phase", and now Im trying to feel safe with my forever partner. Its so weird, but this game is just so personally special to me 🥺
I've been reading some comments here, and like, damn, can we talk about how awesome it is that this beautiful little fantasy RPG has given so many SA survivors some of the most relatable portrayals of associated trauma AND healing? I am still utterly floored by it. I could scarcely believe it as it unfolded in front of me while I played.
In my game Astarion got jealous and said that he hoped I was not getting tired of him bc we didn’t go on dates.
omg i never expected the revelation of halsin...damn
honestly I just want to grab Astarion and Halsin and just hold them tight. their traumas hit a little close to home, though not to Halsin's extent I understand the disassociation Astarion has all too well. I never got this scene and probably never will because I don't want to put them through that.
Halsin being a sex slave for 3 years was lore I can firmly say I was not expecting.
6:35 WHEN I TELL YOU THIS GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS AND MADE ME MAKE UNHOLY NOISES - NEIL, BEHAVE 🥵
Halsin was raped for three years and were just gonna not talk about it? OK. Sure. Super healthy
My character and Astarion had a foursome with the twins but evr since reading the last line I cant bring myself to do it again. Knowing that Astarion disassociates during the scene feels like he isnt really enjoying it that much and it makes ME SAD UGH
I don't know if this helps at all, but I also started dissociating the last time I tried bottoming. It's not that I wasn't enjoying myself and once we tried something else the rest of the experience was fine. Sometimes when you've experienced trauma you want to take that risk to give things another time. Sometimes it doesn't work out. But it doesn't necessarily spoil the whole experience and I would assume that most victims wouldn't hold that against their current partner or blame them. What I do wish is that when you noticed him dissociating that you could ask him if he's okay and needs to stop. I would have kept going too if my partner hadn't noticed, not because I would be forcing myself but because I was so out of it that I was just running through the motions.
Absolutely love the way your Tav looks! He's so pretty!
On the one hand, I wish it were possible to check in with Astarion and pause things when he's uncomfortable. On the other hand, Astarion really, really does not like his vulnerabilities being exposed in front of people he doesn't know and trust. It's unlikely he'd ever admit to being uncomfortable in front of the drow twins--he doesn't know them, has no reason to trust them. He's pushing through because that feels less dangerous than letting strangers see him shaken. I've been there. It makes sense.
I disagree - Astarion voices his desire to give it a try and voiced his awareness that he can leave if he wants to. Healing is a journey and if he felt he was ready, we gotta respect that.
sad that he can´t enjoy it, but who could after 200 yrs pure trauma 🤔
"when you meet his eyes, theres a look about them that seems a million miles away" UAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH
Poor Halsin. God damn. ☹️
Astarion laughter
i love all of his laughs, it brightens my day
Here I thought the Dragon Age: Origins 4-some was the peak of implied depravity. I’m equal parts amazed and amused that this was not only written as an option, but that there’s voice-acting to go along with it! Well-played, Larian Studios! Bravo 😍
Jeez, EVERYBODY is simping for Astation! 😂
Shadowheart and I had a wonderful time with the twins and Halsin🤪
Yes! SH and Halsin are hot!
This game is so insane lmfao I love it so much
JFC I knew Halsin had a past, but gods... 😢
First time I see Halsin looking UP at someone lol
Also, poor Astarion was dissociating the whole time :( I made the mistake on my first run of bringing him for sexy times at the drows’, but after learning his entire backstory i was like… god I don’t wanna do it to him.
maaan, you are playing a completely different game than me :DDD I totally love that too, and your character vibe! XDD Larian studio is gold! :D
Nobody is talking about the guy's line about how "you need 5 for a proper orgy, otherwise it's simply a gathering"? It's hilarious
I-I- … oh my … it looks like my PS5 experience will be … interesting … this game really is quite … something.
astarion dissociating during this :( -he’s just like me frl-
WHAT I didn’t realize this game got down like that
THE GOLD SHOWER JOKE
OH MY GOD
I LITERALLY CHOKED
my gods your tav is GORGEOUS
3:15 That part made me so sad! Astarion seems like he's going to enjoy it but then gets that thousand-yard stare.
This is the horniest game that has yet to be made, and by most standards this is saying a lot!
I wish they had some sort of conversation with Astarion (like they do with Halsin) about what just happened. Especially after hearing the "miles away comment". I just wanna check in on my bitey boy and/or apologize.
1:40 Your character looks like he'd break her in half. Mercy.
too bad your dark vision won't help here...
well, the drows do have *superior* dark vision...
We the player dont have dark vision saddly
I walked up to them with Laezel, and she was not interested.
It makes more sense with the context given afterwards that Halsin was a Drow guest/slave/concubine for *THREE YEARS*
Dude definitely stayed longer than he had to
I wish Larian would uuuh have made (or patch in 🤔) more ace friendly options or you know, just the option to kiss and cuddle so we don't make Astarion dissociate, I don't want to hurt him jesus
Imagine just being able to discuss boundaries and like, having a little get together instead, just cooking each other dinner and telling stories and then just cuddling all night 😭 would've been so good
I definitely wish I could have interrupted and asked Astarion to take a break, thank the drows for their time, and just cuddle the rest of the night. I want my boys to enjoy themselves, not force themselves into things they dont like!!!
You can ask him if he's alright during. That probably helps. The guy has a lot of issues.
You probably wouldn't go to a whorehouse for that.
Well you don't have to go to the brothel. There are options in his romance to just BE with him in the moment and sit there doing nothing and he respects it and is even thankful in some of the moments, like the one where you don't make him do the ritual and he shows you his old grave. There's the option in his romance where you can tell him you won't make him have sex or do anything unless he wants to. There's lots of Ace-ish moments. Take this from a Demisexual Ace who saved before every romantic opportunity for him and Gale and both their romances offered me plenty of Ace moments.
@@oldladytrexarmsAhh, glad I'm not the only one, I have a million quicksaves and then if it's a big cutscene convo I do a hard save and name it.
I tried making him drink the drow blood for the potion but I just couldn't live with those cutscene choices after, had to reload and turn her down, no regrets! Now I get kisses whenever I want 😊
I also somehow glitched my game and now I have a poly Gale who also gives me kisses, so I run back and forth between them demanding/requesting kisses! 🥰
It breaks my heart that Astarion always dissociates in this scene 😢
i think some people are taking this scene too negatively and not giving astarion enough credit or agency. look at it like this: he excitedly consents, knowing that he struggles with this sort of thing. he explicitly says he'll leave if he hates it - acknowledging that he HAS taken part when he didnt want to, but now he knows how to say no. he's clearly not perfectly healed, but nothing ever happens like that. there is going to be discomfort when you put yourself into experiences in attempt to heal, ESPECIALLY when it's something new/the first time in a long time. and the fact you can check in with him and tell him you're making sure he's okay really adds to this, imo.
it's up to how you read it. i suppose i prefer to come at it from an optimistic point that relates to my own struggles and triumphs.
I definitely agree with you - if anything, doubting that Astarion knows how to say no and is just trying to please Tav is kind of not having any faith in him exercising his agency. It's a lot more hurtful to him to not trust his word than to simply be there when he stumbles into situations he doesnt yet realise he's not ok with yet :')
Also it's gross to see your partner disassociating during an act you know has been extremely traumatizing for them and not do anything. This was the perfect chance for them to allow Tav to pull him out, comfort him, and maybe re-engage but they didn't. It's not a positive scene. It's similar to when he was worried he wasn't fucking you enough (due to trauma) so you were going to fuck Halsin.
I agree. And to further add to the situation, AFAIK if you do this event to him BEFORE killing Cazador he DOES straight up tell you "I'm not comfortable with this yet"
Fr. It feels invalidating when people expect how a trauma survivor “should” act or accept.
Poor Astarion.
yall didnt have enough with a 4some 🤣🤣🤣greedy ppl
halsins the one who wanted in!!!!
@@serpancakes excuses, excuses GREEDY PPL 🤣🤣🤣
my poor boys.... 😭😭😭😭
Hmmm i could never get Halsin to come along. Maybe I'll try again.
What, really? There's a chance he's actually not up for it? Hmmm... I wonder what triggers it then.
Anyone getting scenes of the blonde girl surrounded sat on a couch? No? Just me?
Oh no, you’re not alone. =)
ASTARION APPROVES
I was thinking, the part "he's a million realms away" means that he is having an orgasm or he's having a flashback cause of the trauma?
trauma
i want to think he's having the O of his life or in subspace, but probably trauma
I'm assuming trauma bc in the same scene on his other path it gets said a little more on the nose
Definitely trauma. If you have high enough approval with him, he'll outright refuse to participate.
@@sagedynasty6811 how high does it have to be?
A shower of gold? wow.
Yeah, making Astarion do it is just the best way to understand you go to far with how sexual you want to be with him. He agrees, because it's easier for him to just go with the flow, but gods, he disociates with it while teasing and flirting during it, fuck... And he doesn't want to even talk about it, that's the worst to me, he doesn't scream at you or ask why, he's just... the same, he doesn't resent you for it because he's just so goddamn resigned about not having the choice. Also makes you wonder, how many times has he been hurt by you and put up the same facade to decrive you about him being fine ?
I dont think its that. He's just trying things again and not quite realising when is too much for him yet. This is a post-cazador scene.
astarion at this point of the relationship realises how much his comfort means to you, especially if you did his route where he knows you see him at his core. to see everything he does as putting up an act for your sake is to undermine his character growth that he's done. which is why he mentions it at all in the first place (i'll run out if i dont like it) - he ends up dissociating because he bit off a bit more than he could chew, that's not the same as putting up with uncomfortable situations for your sake.
@@serpancakesyes thank u, it’s weird how people immediately switched from sexualizing him to totally infantilizing him. he clearly CAN say no in Act 3, and even advise you on not compromising your own integrity (like with the drow blood potion). healing from trauma isnt always straightforward and him disassociating here is still sad but it doesn’t mean his consent is meaningless or that you should keep him from doing things he wants to do himself.
@@maydays685 i feel somewhat responsible for the misunderstanding people have as im the one who uploaded this video possibly causing many to see this scene without properly considering the context of the entire route ive played through. so i hope my 2cents about astarion's journey of finding himself helps mitigate that, even a bit. he's allowed to try things and find out maybe its not for him. it'll be a bit sad like here, but that's all part of the process.
@@serpancakesyes thank you. I’m somewhere in between Astarion and Halsin healing wise, and I definitely remember vividly being in that stage where I wanted to believe I could just pick right back up with being an adventurous person when it comes to physical intimacy, only to find myself not able to engage in the more satisfying to me mental aspects. It’s one of those steps in the healing process that is heart breaking but you kind of need to figure out one way (trying and it not being great) or another (abstaining until later? Idk, I took the trying route irl). It wasn’t wrong or abusive for my partners to support my attempts to heal, even if they didn’t work out. And it took me a while to accept where I was healing wise, so I even relate to him not wanting to talk about it afterwards. He’s still accepting that freedom doesn’t mean he’s automatically healed. Heartbreaking but… relatable.
That said, Halsin is trauma recovery goals for me absolutely.
my, my, i didn't imagined Halsin so naughty XD I'm surprised the Drows nobles take him as a sex slave rather than outright kill him. The size maybe?
He said he was a novelty, so I believe it's his size he's referring to, yes
@@serpancakes Very lucky. Or unlucky depending how you look at it.
Do condoms exists in the realms? novelty or not, i doubt the Matron would have wanted to fall pregnant from a fairie.
@@efaristi9737 pegging exists
@@serpancakes pegging for three years ? that would get old no? (i'm also very surprised Halsin was able to entertain them that long, that naughty little druid!🤣🤣🤣)
@@efaristi9737 im sure there will be a fanfic figuring this out
I did the 5 some with gale and halsin, that was definetly unexpected, didn't know Gale was in for it lol
Gale?? Holy hell
This makes me so sad. I can never have Astarion do this myself. It makes my heart hurt.
0:41 that little astarion's smile is hilarious
Sadly it seems to be impossible to get a just Halsin-drow foursome. At least I was unable to in my current playthrough. I'm romancing both him and Astarion (though he admittedly feels like more of a side guy).
What do you mean?
Just have Halsin in your party.
You are currently romancing Astarion of course the game is going to include him.
@@sasori2425 I had him in my party. I tried both with and without Astarion - and only got the foursome option with Astarion. With just Halsin present, I could only hire the siblings one-on-one.
I did the 4some with halsin and it's funny. They ask him to become a bear and they say things like "so you're the infamous halsin" and you have the option to ride the bear like a horse would. But now looking back at it I regret because I never spoke to halsin after the scene and that's horrible of me.
I've gotten it before, it's amazing. The use of wildshape happened, and the twins wanted him to turn into a bear and.. yeah. Gotta love the devs
2:55 you two need a room? 😳
Maybe he only says this if you've opened up your relationship, because when I went to the Drow twins he said he wasn't comfortable doing stuff like this yet.
Weird, my Halsin wasn't approved by the twins
This scene is really tough to analyse tbh. Like some people pointed out, it's heartbreaking that Astarion disassociates during the scene, I think most comments are infantalizing him and his agency to take decisions. After all, AFAIK if you trigger this scene before killing Cazador he straight up tells you "I'm uncomfortable, please don't make me do this" and he also straight up says "If I'm not comfortable I'll bolt"
Now I feel I wasted my gold seeing what interactions you get out of this, all I got were some underdark puns for about 30 seconds
I love this game 😂😂❤
The second player: What is happening, did I get a say in this? This is wrong. This is… WRONG ME WRONG ME WRONG MY BRAINS OUT!!!
I really wish we could have an intimate moment with astarion, for example when he’s seducing us the second time it would be great to use insight to see that this is Astarion’s way of coping, and as Tav does have a crush on him they don’t want to make him uncomfortable, instead they just want to hold him, comfort him to make him feel safe. I always play as a female and it would be great to see the male companions be vulnerable and non sexually intimate with Tav (hugs, cuddling, gentle kisses etc…)
Wait, you are in absolute darkness (probably via the darkness spell) and you can't see anything right? So how are you or anyone else 'looking' at anyone in the narration?
They casted darkness on player directly lol
@@voronarin Except darkness is a dome/sphere so it extends outward around everything within 15ft. So unless you are reaching people from 15ft away and having sex with them like that, I am not sure it matters who it is centered on. Besides, the implication is to have everyone in total darkness to enhanced the experience otherwise why cast it.
@@cloudstone123 I mean they cast darkness on you, not your character lol. And you probably don't have darkvision hehe
@@voronarin Actually that would make it worse in how they wrote it then. 4th wall breaking is supposed to be more obvious.
Yeah, I wondered that as well.
I have a glitch where my characters get stuck in their underwear after this and I have no idea how to fix it 😭
You are my hero! 😂
FIVE????
F i v e
i didn't know Tav can be bigger than Helsin. Hmmm... curious
How you do it? To be with Halsin - Astarion and do the orgy? How do you conviced them? (I am still on ACT 2)
You have to finish Astarions quest
i tried it with ascended astarion + halsin (in a "ascended timeline" separated file) but when i pay the drows 1K , nothing happen, they just go back in their rooms and ignore me lmao
did they scam me or is that a glitch
You're taller than Halsim? What
is it happening if you romance Astarion? i came here before ritual and Astarion didn't want to participate
where did you got these outfits?
Drow twins? I thought only one twin ever survived. Is it because the are Loviatari?
In terms of drow lore, it depends on the family they came from.
You're assuming every drow would follow the same cultural rules. there's reason these two are in Baldurs Gate, instead of in drow society
Drow twins not worshipping Loviatar are not really rare.
Correct. It’s why they ran away.
What outfit is that that your character is wearing? :D
Backless Extravaganza dyed white, alternatively Anarchic White Outfit shares the same model. Can be bought from clothing shops
Ah I was going to ask myself, I haven't yet moved on from the starter sorc robe yet. I need something magey, attractive and revealing for my hot drow, he needs to show off that body of his.
We’re is this I Must know 😮
THIS GAME IS SO HORNY!!!!
How did you make your Charakter that big?
It's body type 4!
@@serpancakes Thank you!
are you dating both astarion and halsin together to get this scene?
yes!
Moderating replies to this video as I didn't expect it to get so many views.
I will keep comments relating to peoples personal experiences with trauma, as I think it's important to understand how Astarions scene has touched many of us. However those infantilising him and saying he doesnt want sex at all - those comments I will delete as that is simply non canonical.
Not accepting debate on this. Be kind in the comments, be good to each other.
On an unrelated note, here's a self plug. You may find my BG3 fanart over at @pancakesprince on twitter and tumblr.
WHY YOUR TAV IS SO BIG BOI DA FAK ?
Have you not go through character creation body types?
Agh.. My tav girl is a half elf of medium height, when she stands next to Khalsin she is so small, but then I look at this guy and I just can’t imagine how HE HUGE OMG
and no, I didn't know that height can be adjusted lol... I play from alpha @@dominika3762 🤣🤣
I know what I am doing on my next playthrough.......😏😏😏😏