It seems some UA fans got pissed at your analyses and by you pointing his answer to Tav asking him to not mess up. It's the moment during the graveyard scene, when he answers with "I will endeavor to please".
According to them:
he and Tav are just teasing each other like couples usually do
it's meant to be sarcastic and if you don't get that, then you just don't understand sarcasm
he was a juuust a little bit annoyed but essentially, this is not a negative dialogue option
They are also blaming the Russian localization of the game and even seem to imply that Russian fans like yourself are using online translators that don't translate everything properly, which is why you failed to understand the intent behind this line. And behind most other lines too. They truly seem to believe everyone is either an idiot or someone who doesn't understand the English language well enough to decipher this game.
Wow. That's what couples do, right? I mean, after something like, "I had to punch a hole in the coffin and claw my way through six feet of dirt. Then when I finally broke the surface, retching up dirt and congealed blood, Cazador was waiting." His so-called “partner” “teases” him, a survivor, right after he recounted one of his most difficult and violent memories. A memory of suffering followed by 200 years of torture. And afterward, Tav “teases” him. When Astarion tried to open up, told this “partner” of their value to him, their importance in his life. And the response was, “Then don't mess it up.” This kind of “teasing” is normal, when it's said by some evil boss in a game to their minion. Where's the “teasing each other”? I think the display of emotional abusive behavior here is clearly one-sided, Astarion tolerates it and then replies: “I will endeavor to please.” This acceptance of the attitude of such a toxic devaluing partner, the desire to please the new abuser - for a survivor with the trauma of two hundred years of slavery, this is really something that is painful to watch.
Just look at his face at that:
An important sign of emotional abuse is the other person's behavior that makes you feel bad, like you just can't be yourself. “Then don't mess it up” = “You're capable of messing it up”. And command - don't be yourself, be as I demand. It wouldn't even occur to a loving partner that their loved one could “mess up” anything, they accept them completely and love them simply for what they are. Just imagine being “teased” like Tav does about Astarion and doing it after you've opened your soul. I think in many of the line choices for Tav, the writers have done a very good job of showing a toxic partner, and “Then don't mess it up” is one of them. Speaking of “exploring toxic relationships”, if you fill the dialogs of the in-game LI with the kind of lines that are offered for Tav in the Astarion romance - the feeling of being in a toxic relationship would be conveyed quite well. Indeed, such a character would make the player immediately want to break up with.
Also one of the main signs of emotional abuse is a partner treating you too critically or judgmentally. “Then don't mess it up” - devaluing Astarion's feelings, his personality. Humiliation and devaluation in a relationship is one form of abusive behavior, also characteristic of female abusers. Tav we can have any gender, granted, and Astarion is pansexual, and it has nothing to do with the gender of the player, I just want to cite this article for the sake of point 7. Pay attention to point 7 of this article and evaluate the line, “Then don't mess it up”, how similar is it to the examples of abusive statements given in this article?
10 Signs You're the Husband of an Abusive Wife
Domestic abuse is an allegation that is commonly raised within the family law setting, however, what defines domestic abuse is often confusi
Quote:
“7. Treating you like a child or servant
“You never do anything right.” “You’re such a slob.” “I have to check your work, or it may not be done right.” These may be regular comments you hear in your marriage, and they may be signs of an abusive relationship. If the husband told the wife, “You can’t do anything right,” it would be used as evidence of abuse. Why is that different when coming from the wife? Treating a spouse with such disrespect is a sign of abuse”.
“You never do anything right.” and “Then don't mess it up.” The first one has a direct semantic meaning and the second one has an inverse meaning. In the first case, the partner is devalued directly, while in the second case, Tav hints to Astarion that he has clearly “messed up” some things in the past.
Russian localization of the game is fine. Good localization, no dubbing, Astarion's voice is Neil's original voice. If they mean those cases, when the game is localized with voice acting in another language and, because of that, intonations, acting are lost and this or that line can be perceived a bit differently - no, this is not the case of BG3. Tav has no intonation and no voice, and the level of English required to understand Tav's lines is clearly not above A2. Tav's lines are mostly short sentences, and I didn't see an abundance of compound and complex sentences or any complex language constructions that would require the player to have a C level of English. Astarion's lines are more interesting, richer and more complex, but nevertheless, English in BG3 is not English in Disco Elysium and the game does not require professor-level knowledge.
And while we're on the subject of idiots who don't speak English well enough, let's remember the regular tantrums about Astarion calling us “pet”.
Yes, it may come as a slight surprise to a non-native speaker of English upon first playthrough, if such an address to beloved ones has never been used in their country (at least in the form of its literal equivalent). But it is enough to delve a little into the history of the word to find out that in Britain the address “pet” used to be often used as an affectionate address to loved ones and children. The word “pet” is short for French “petit” from which we also get the English word petty. “Pet” is a term of endearment because a beloved, is often thought of as small, as in “You're my little darling.” By the way, Astarion uses this petty word “little” a lot (and it's very cute): “little love”, “little Bhaal-babe”, “my sweet little spawn”, “my little treat with their cheeks all flushed”. And in Act 2, Astarion referred to himself as “little vampire on the winning side” (in a conversation about the ritual, a response to Tav's line, “Raphael said it was lethally diabolical.” Astarion playfully replies: "Doesn't it sound delightful? For the lucky little vampire on the winning side?")
In casual, affectionate language, "pet" can be used as a term of endearment for a loved one, similar to terms like "darling" or "sweetheart". It can also refer to the act of cuddling or caressing, often between romantic partners. While "pet" as a noun can refer to an animal companion, in this context, it is used as a descriptor for a person, implying fondness and intimacy. In the past, the term "pet" used in relation to lovers did not necessarily imply ownership or a power dynamic, but rather conveyed affection and endearment, similar to terms like "darling" or "sweetheart". It signified a cherished and beloved individual, often used in a playful or affectionate manner. In historical usage, "pet" was a common term of endearment, indicating fondness and closeness between lovers. It was used interchangeably with other terms of affection like "darling," "love," or "sweetheart," highlighting a loving and cherished relationship. While "pet" was used broadly, certain regions in England, like the North East, still use it as a common greeting, demonstrating its persistence as a term of endearment.
“Pet” is an obsolete (but still used in some regions) and common address to beloved ones in Britain in the past. When I learned that “pet” was common in the past, now used less often, only in some regions, the address took on additional meaning for me - Astarion is a nobleman and “ancient” words and expressions are more than appropriate for him in general. And between his past life as a magistrate and his present life there are 200 years of terrible tortures, for these 200 years he as if “fell out of the world” and I find it very interesting and perfectly suitable for him, when Astarion's words and addresses remind something of the words of a man who lived 200 years ago in Britain.
Alright, if I am an idiot unable to overcome a language barrier of such great complexity, I will quote the words of someone who is a native English speaker:
@murderenjoyer:
"I'd like to add that, in the graveyard scene, if Tav tells Astarion something like "don't mess up this time" (a very cruel, callous line), Astarion doesn't get mad. He doesn't stand up for himself.
He says, "I aim to please."
That's not the line of a free man. That is the concession of a slave. He's just traded one master (Cazador) for another (Tav). Surely Tav is a better choice than Caz, that can't really be argued, but a master is a master all the same.
Earlier in the game, if Tav pushes against his boundaries (pressuring him to drink the freaky drow's blood, pressuring him to have sex), he breaks up with them the following day. But, after being denied his freedom, he regresses on that self-determination. He slips back into a slave's mindset - being insulted isn't met with offense. He simply promises to be a better servant, to follow directions more accurately.
If Tav insults AA (calling him like Caz, physically harming him - the kick), he reacts with offense and anger and ultimately leaves them. He stands up for himself, he asserts respect as a requirement to be in his life. If he is disrespected, he ends things.
People point at this and call it "proof" that he doesn't truly care for Tav. As if love can be defined by how much abuse (emotional and physical) a person is willing to accept from their partner. As if him leaving upon being verbally and physically abused is somehow wrong and proof of evil."
In my opinion, excellently explained. And hopefully not too “many letters” to be read and understood by connoisseurs of sarcasm.
By the way, Ascended Astarion never uses any devaluing sarcasm, no devaluing remarks can be heard from him at all. From him, I've heard only this:
“You are perfect, every time”.
“You were already perfect before. It's hard to improve.”
“Terrifying and brilliant.”
“I'm so lucky I crash-landed next to such an intelligent creature as you.”
“I always knew you could do it. I always knew that together, we could do anything”.
AA talks about his feelings openly and hides nothing behind jokes. He is not shy to declare his feelings in front of everyone: “And good for them to see us, side by side, flourishing.”
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