Being a Halsin fan is....a unique experience in that you're frequently prone towards running into all sorts of taunts and insults from being called "mentally ill" for liking him because people assume you're into his "deviant behavior" to hearing that there's only "7 romances" because he doesn't count, to hearing that he's a sex pest, constant reminders of how players kill him in a feedback or fan thread about him, him being seen as fit for only being left as "Orin bait" by a few Astarion fans (who hate him because they see him as a sex pest) when I'm meanwhile turning Astarion down only to run into Astarion canonically admitting that he sees Tav's denial of consent as a "dire mistake to be corrected":
Or, frequently running into complaints as to why he's there when Jaheira is around for the Druid role (he was around first so it's clear why they're not acknowledging that).
"He's just fanservice that didn't need to be there! Why can't we have Alfira?!"
"We could have had a werewolf instead of him?! Wasted opportunity!" (Fans datamined that and discovered that Helia was dropped long before they added Halsin so it wasn't a toss up between them that fans think)
"He's a cheater trying to get you to cheat!"
Ironically, another fan found a post that not only was this wrong, Shadowheart and Astarion approve of the player sexually harassing a married NPC:
His point and click lines have still not been fixed despite requests to address them for months now.
Requests for more depth from his days in Early Access has not happened.
Pleas to Larian to please fix the writing that has him making fans uncomfortable has only just now been addressed but the damage has been done.
I see all these moments that get other characters amusement and affection while seeing Halsin vilified for stuff that doesn't even happen. I see acknowledgement that Gale's Weave scene was a bug, Wyll's dance scene where you couldn't avoid him trying to kiss you as "not a big deal" (until they were corrected) and I agree, that's exactly what they were: unintended side effects of poorly thought out writing/coding/scripting.
And yet, Halsin's presence has to be justified every step of the way.
There is so little sympathy for this character. So little sympathy for fans of this character. It even feels like Larian wrote him off when their attempt to make him a companion backfired.
I'm not even sure why fans want more romances added when this one ended with such hostility. I'd rather they fix and expand on the current romances like Wyll's, Minthara's and, yes, Halsin's (he does count as a romance).
drop this sunflower🌻into the inboxes of the blogs that make you happy! lets spread a little sunshine ☀️
You're too kind!
rolling in bed thinking about halsin
his softness and his kindness. how he carries the burden so others don't have to. how he offers help and guidance to those asking. how he places others before himself.
halsin and his view on life itself. how he managed to survive the most brutal blows a life could offer. and not come out all bitter. how instead of guarding his heart, he opens it willingly.
and yet, how he carries the sorrow. the grief. the odd little fragments of survivor's guilt. how he feels the sharp edges of torn threads. the connection that was once there. the people that are now merely ghosts, only alive in his memory. his family, his mentors, all those he could not save.
i'm thinking of that halsin. and him saying
"I never thought I would outlive her."
collection of useful things tumblr has taught me:
even if you can't fall asleep, laying down with your eyes closed will still rest your body
you don't have to brush your teeth standing up
you don't have to do any chore standing up, from dishes to showering
you don't have to shower with the lights on
if you can't brush your teeth, flossing and a tongue scraper gets rid of plaque and bad breath
if you can't do that, mouthwash kills a lot of bacteria
eating "unhealthy" food is better than eating no food
you can make the same meal everyday for however long you still want it
some pills come in syrups or chewables if you can't swallow them
kids nutritional shakes can be a quick way to get fuel if you can't eat/don't have time
if walking hurts/exhausts you on a regular basis, canes and rollers are for you, no matter how young you are
we have free will—if doing something "out of the ordinary" makes life easier for you, do it
Ok, so I've never been able to get out of my head the thought of companions who have to tie Durge up every night as a safety precaution while whoever Durge romanced gives them an affectionate kiss at night on the forehead before saying goodnight.
Because then it means any bandit who is dumb enough to try to attack them will get to see not only the companions armed but one particular tied up person in their camp fish flopping out of their bedroll while shouting, "Let me up! I can help!"
While said companions are saying, "No! You're not allowed to disembowel like last time!"
Wondering how many would want a Shadow Druid version of Halsin written....
https://stopproject2025comic.org/
"The trannies should be able to piss in whatever toilet they want and change their bodies however they want. Why is it my business if some chick has a dick or a guy has a pie? I'm not a trannie or a fag so I don't care, just give 'em the medicine they need."
"This is an LGBT safe space. Of COURSE I fully support individuals who identify as transgender and their right to self-determination! I just think that transitioning is a very serious choice and should be heavily regulated. And there could be a lot of harm in exposing cis children to such topics, so we should be really careful about when it is appropriate to mention trans issues or have too much trans visibility."
One of the above statements is Problematic and the other is slightly annoying. If we disagree on which is which then working together for a better future is going to get really fucking difficult.
I'm convinced that polyamory is nature's way of granting mercy to Halsin's lovers who have severely underestimated his unholy sexual stamina.
Abolish Tesla.