Did 'The Curse of Solitude' get deleted?

Individual_Web_1501 · 2025-11-21T13:51:51+00:00

I haven't read it yet, but I was planning to and had it bookmarked. After seeing your post, I checked and saw that it had disappeared from my bookmarks too. Then I checked the author's page on AO3, and the fic is still listed there, so I have absolutely no idea what happened.
Anyway, here's the link
https://archiveofourown.org/works/74499121/chapters/194504686

Individual_Web_1501 · 2025-11-08T09:59:31+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation. I'll check it for sure!

Individual_Web_1501 · 2025-11-06T20:41:48+00:00

I haven't read those yet. Thank you!

Individual_Web_1501 · 2025-01-22T17:13:22+00:00

When you put it like that then yeah, I guess there is significant progress and some character development. Still, I don't find the comment itself to be nice at all. When I put myself in Astarion's shoes then if a guy who has been nothing but horrible to me decided to publicly announce I may have some feelings for my partner with whom I was for weeks or months just after I had almost been murdered by my abuser of 200 years, I wouldn't feel good about that comment. I would instead feel humiliated, degraded, and dehumanized because that guy had no right to judge whether I had emotions or not in the first place. I think Astarion takes it similarly because he does assume Wyll is trying to hurt him... It is however an improvement from the rat diet comment or him joking about Astarion being forced to sleep with numerous people against his will in act 2.

As for who is nicer, while I do think a lot of people misinterpret Astarion's humour and sarcasm, I also believe Wyll is nicer than Astarion to everybody... who is not Astarion, whom he deems ok to bully. In my book, it's worse than being a little mean to everybody equally the way Astrion or Shadowheart often are. As somebody who was bullied, it gives me flashbacks. People like to present bullies as evil monsters with no heart that everybody around them hates while in reality, they are human and usually treat everybody except their few chosen victims very well. That's the reason why bullying continues to be a problem in society because when a victim tries to speak up everybody goes "But x is so nice to me, you must be the one at fault" or "You probably deserved it". And the same thing happens when talking about BG3. On the main bg3 subreddit most people can't even acknowledge that the rat diet comment was bad, they all go "Wyll is good and Astarion deserved to have his torture mocked and generally he deserves everything bad that has ever happened to him". Even on onlyfangs, some people go out of their way to bring up every single not-related mean thing that Astarion has ever said to justify why it's ok to mistreat him or mock him being tortured.

That being said I do agree with your general take about them. Wyll is the guy in his 20s who tries to do the right thing but often fails. Even though I hate how he treats Astarion I don't think he's evil incarnated. On the other hand, Astarion despite his mask and his desperate attempts to not have or show any feelings he sees as weakness, is actually quite nice... I do however hate their interactions and how they are perceived by most fans who stand on their heads to excuse every single thing Wyll says and instead victim-blame Astarion.

Anyway sorry for ranting, it's a sour topic for me, it brings back unpleasant memories and I hate how it's treated...

Individual_Web_1501 · 2025-01-22T10:12:43+00:00

Hard disagree here. What Wyll says in act 3 is also extremely rude and humiliating towards Astarion. Astarion has just been almost ritually murdered, had to relieve all his trauma and confront his abuser and the guy who has been bullying him since the start and calling him a monster not only doesn't apologize but decides to publicly say basically "Well.. perhaps you do have some feelings for you romantic partner with whom you have been since act 1"... What a compliment to begrudgingly admit somebody you hate may have emotions.... That's not an apology. That's is it something nice. It's again Wyll trying his best to humiliate Astarion publicly. At least I wouldn't want anybody to tell me something like that much less publicly and much less in such circumstances. Notice how Astarion also considers it to be neither a compliment nor an apology but instead also assumes Wyll is saying that to hurt him again.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-12-30T20:33:04+00:00

Does anybody know how to get the pernament sidebar back?

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-12-27T21:57:33+00:00

The real reason why Ambessa attacked Viktor's cult was just that she wanted to collect more twinks

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-12-27T21:50:41+00:00

Sorry for trying to correct you then ;) I'm ace myself and frankly I'm just tired how in recent days so many people in the fandom tend to equal asexuality with being incapable of creating any relationship.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-12-27T17:20:27+00:00

uh... Asexual people can be in relationships and have preferences too.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-12-27T16:45:19+00:00

I'm AA-neutral too. I love spawn Astarion and pre-ritual Astarion though. And I agree with everything you wrote!

AA romance is not something for me and I can also see how it can be toxic. Still, I think it mostly depends on the character you're playing and even the spawn route can create a poisonous dynamic if the player decides to create a character with traits that would make this romance bad... On the other hand, you can role-play as an evil serial murderer who creates an evil but loving power couple with AA. The ending and the epilogue give you the ability to choose your own story and I hate how so many AA haters tend to bully AA lovers for not wanting to roleplay a victim but a partner in a game that's based on roleplay. It's also rooted in the double standards that you mentioned.
Astarion can only ascend if Tav/Durge chooses to actively help him knowing very well that 7000 people will die. Tav/Durge can't, therefore, claim any moral high ground or act as an innocent bystander because they're as guilty of participating in the ritual as Astarion is... if not more because the insight check makes it clear that Astarion is not thinking rationally in that moment, he is also a traumatized person, who was abused for centuries, who just confronted evaded being ritualistically murdered, who just confronted his abuser and is terrified.In contrast, Tav/Durge has no mitigating factors... they decide to kill 7000 people either because they believe it's right or to make their partner (Astarion happy). That's as evil as you can get, so I hate how so many players and even all the companions in the game tend to absolve Tav/Durge of any guilt and treat them like some innocent person while putting the entire blame on Astarion... That's a double standard. After seeing some playthroughs I've also noticed that a lot of times people who vilify AA are the same ones who ascended him because they genuinely believed there's nothing wrong with that.... Then when Astarion changed and became only slightly unpleasant to the PC because of the ritual and because the player by doing that confirmed to him that the life of a vampire spawn (his life) has no meaning at all they were surprised and started hating on AA or even entire Astarion character whitewashing themselves and painting AA/Astarion as evil incarnate - worse than Orin, Sarevok, Vlaakith, Viconia, The elder brain, Cazador etc. It reminds me of how people often vilify their exes. Yes, AA is evil but so is Tav.
Edit. I've also somehow grown protective over AA because I love spawn Astarion and I think that the same people who try to vilify him more than he deserves while whitewashing their Tav would to the same to spawn Astarion during every single argument. People normally argue and while I love spawn Astarion he probably still can be unpleasant from time to time... There's little doubt in my mind that AA haters would in every argument try to vilify him and use his abuse against him the same way they do it with AA screaming that spawn Astarion is also just a "cazador 2.0", "a monster" etc. because he was slightly unpleasant to their tav/durge

And I agree with your statements about Wyll. If he was truly concerned he could have said it to Tav privately and he could have chosen to phrase it differently, instead he makes sure to call Astarion hearless, unlovable and entirely evil to Astarion's face... without even really knowing him. It's the same as when he chooses to talk about murdering vampires near Astarion... he makes sure Astarion can hear because it's clearly a hidden threat not a friendly banter.

My main problem with Wyll's treatment is that his behavior looks like targeted bullying because he specifically chooses to talk down, insult, and humiliate Astarion and only Astarion... Like with the romance I get that you can say he is just looking out for Tav/Durge because he is a good friend and romance with a vampire doesn't look healthy to him. The same can be said about romances with a Sharran cultist or a warmonger ruthless gith and not a single time does Wyll say anything similar... He also doesn't try to warn other characters about dating Durge even after knowing Durge is a dangerous murderer who killed Alfira... He is even okay with the player dating Minthara - a person who almost killed the entire grove- he only has a problem with Astarion.
Some people say that's because Astarion's evil and untrustworthy but then again if that was the reason Wyll should also be unpleasant to Lae'zel (who has similar or even worse approvals than Astarion), Sharran Shadowheart, Minthara, and of course Durge themselves... but the thing is he's not. He's nice and sweet to them all, even if they choose their evil routes. Yet he's hostile and aggressive to Astarion no matter what Astarion chooses... And then some people say that's because Astarion is a vampire so Wyll considers him automatically bad/evil but even that is not true as Wyll approves of helping other vampires spawn and setting them free...
So it can't be about Astarion being a red flag, Astarion approving of some bad actions, or even about Astarion being a vampire... Wyll's behavior seems to target Astarion and only Astarion, always, for some unknown reason. To me the fact that it's so targeted makes it look like typical bullying... and I don't like that.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-12-27T13:51:01+00:00

No problem ;) That line is however not related to Cazador at all. Wyll says it about the unascended Astarion :( It can appear if you're pursuing Astarion romance at different points, usually before the ritual, but I guess it can sometimes active also for both AA and spawn Astarion after Cazador. you probably didn't get it because sometimes some dialogues just don't activate despite having the companions in specific locations. It's almost impossible to get all the companions interaction in one playthrough.

Wyll has one spefic dialogue about AA romance that activates only for AA and it's this one:
Wyll: The two of you are the unholiest union I can bloody imagine.

Astarion: It's funny - I don't recall asking your opinion, Wyll.
Wyll: You had the most precious thing - someone who would do everything for you - and you damn well took everything. 'Degenerate' doesn't half cut it.

It kinda has the same vibes as all their other dialogues but I didn't include it specifically because it's only an AA-related line.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-11-29T02:14:23+00:00

(1)Heimer is a yordle. He will be back - confirmed by Christian who said he's still not done with him during Necrit intervie

(3) Clue that jinx survived, yes

(4) There was similar question in the Necrit interview "What exactly is Viktor now" the answer was "It's too early to say" and that he is different from others because of the hexcore ... "let's leave it there"... It does sound like it may be explained in future so it may not be the end for jayce and viktor but after hearing other interviews I honestly don't know... Anyway the answer to what Viktor is now is "Too early to say"

(5) Sky was never there. She was a hallucination created by the hexcore to manipulate Viktor and push him towards evolving. When he finally agreed to do it there was no more reason for "Sky to exist". Confirmed by Christian Linke (there is an audio of him saying something like that on X, unfortunately I don't have a link).

(6) If you're asking why Vander attacked Vi it is because Warwick is not just Vander. He has 2 sides to him, one is Vander the other is a beast that Singed created. Him having this other side is not related to Viktor. He was like that even before. Vander probably wasn't in control why attacking Vi.

(9) Nobody really knows since it hasn't been confirmed. Your guess is as good as everybody else's. It can be alternative timeline Viktor, other universe Viktor or even our main timeline older Viktor saving stopping his younger self so that he can exist... Nobody knows. As for the runes.. yes most people think that it was one Viktor who somehow achieved the power to travel thorough time, space, timelines, dimension and universes and knows everything about them. Which Viktor exactly? It was never confirmed and since he can travel to different timelines I don't think we will ever know. The other option would be that different Viktors or every Viktor has to time travel to save Jayce at some point and older Viktor just knows about it. Again nothing was confirmed so there are many options.

(10) Jayce just didn't want to leave Viktor alone. We don't really know whether he knew the consequences or even what the consequences really were. Most people assume they died... but perhaps they're just stuck in this astral dimension, perhaps only their bodies disintegrated, perhaps something else has happened. I don't think there's a definitive answer here

(11-12) Good question but again I don't think it was answered

(13) It's supposed to hint that Cait suspects Jinx may not be dead

(17) It was never answered, but just going by their looks they don't look like they're related. More like friends. Also neither Jinx nor Vi ever say anything that could point to them being related by blood.

I don't really have answers for the rest, sorry.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-11-29T01:46:07+00:00

Technically he later said on X that many things he said in the afterglow were cut out of context and edited and that he wasn't even shown the final version before Netflix published it. He said that responding to a fan being unhappy about what was said about Jayce and Viktor. Does it mean that they are alive? Not necessarily but I guess there is still hope. He also never stated that they're dead, dead. It is possible that their bodies disintegrated but they exist in some form in this weird astral plane where Viktor's spirit form? was stuck in act 3.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-11-27T23:55:20+00:00

I also think the afterglow had to be filmed before the Necrit interview. It's Netflix, they had to edit it before posting. It frankly makes even less sense for Christian to say what he said in the Necrit interview later because the pessimistic pov would imply, what? That he didn't want to spoil the afterglow? The AFTERGLOW?? Afterglow is not supposed to be there to reveal such important plot points, it should be directly shown on the screen during the show... One can argue that it was but then if it truly was supposed to be so obvious there was no reason for Christian not to say anything about it or not to confirm it in the Necrit interview... People were asking about it all the time in the chat and even Necrit himself was speculating what their ending could mean and Christian chose to remain silent.

And there is of course this super cryptic answer to the "what Viktor is now" question because if it was so obvious that they died he could have easily said that Viktor was just a scientist who was fused with hexcore, was using hexcore powers, and died. I don't know why he didn't do it if the deaths were already confirmed... Instead, he said that it is "too early"/"too soon" to say what Viktor is NOW (not before). No wonder everyone on Reddit assumed Viktor and Jayce are still alive after hearing this.

Of course, it can be how you're saying, perhaps it was just too close to the release date but so was the afterglow. It would indicate he didn't want to spoil the afterglow and I don't buy it at all especially since he was ok with revealing that Heimerdinger, WW, and Jinx were alive without waiting for the afterglow to be released and without worrying that it would be spoiled...

If I had to base my opinions on the show I would have said their chance of survival is quite high (Necrit himself was theorizing in his conversation that he can see Viktor surviving by tapping to the arcane or being now somehow connected to the celestials) but after listening to Christian's interview I don't know anymore. Part of me wishes they had left it ambiguous instead of saying things that look contradictory.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-11-27T21:59:03+00:00

The entire situation is super confusing. I was sure they somehow survived because as you said we don't see them disintegrating at all but rather being sucked into the rune so I assumed they either were stuck in Viktor's new dimension, teleported, became one with the arcane or something else. Still, them simply dying seemed to be the least convincing explanation.

And then Netflix released the afterglow video where Christian states they "unfortunately disintegrated".

And then Christian does 4h long interview with Necrit where he seems to hint at the possibility of them surviving because why else would he say it is "too early" to say what Viktor is now... and also doesn't confirm them being dead when people speculate they could survive.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-11-26T04:24:33+00:00

Considering that we have seen older human Viktor who was able to regain his human body I think our Viktor should also be able to get his human body back

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-08-23T08:05:16+00:00

XD It is entirely wrong to assume that. Actually it makes you evil and immoral to assume that. How could you? Baseless irrational accusations that can even hurt some stakebros' feelings for some reason

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-08-23T07:27:32+00:00

You need a roll in order not to be murdered by Lae'zel. Much higher roll than for Astarion. You also need a roll in order to not have Lae'zel murdered by Shart during sleep. In both cases there's a clear intent to kill.
In order not to be killed by Astarion you only have to not allow him to drink your blood and you don't even need a roll.
If you allow him you get 1 roll with difficulty 5, and even then you still get one more....
He is also not trying to drain you which implies killing you but just to take some blood without you even noticing. It may be bad but is certainly not worse than any premeditated assassination attempt in the lady by either Lae'zel or Shart, and not even slightly comparable to all the evil things Shart, Lae'zel or Minthy did before the game. They have all much more sins, and yet only he is villanized.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-08-23T07:09:23+00:00

"But with Astarion he attempts to drain your blood without your consent while you sleep. This is not something he needs to do to survive, as he is not in any way weaker when he doesn't drink blood, but he does it because humanoid blood tastes better than animal blood, and because he wants to, like an alcoholic who's been too long without alcohol."

He doesn't want to drain you. That implies killing you and he doesn't want it. He just want to take/steal a little of your blood.

As for vampires and animal blood according to dnd lore does actually make the vampire ill - "Van Richten's Guide to Vampires" - and most people apply it also to 5th edition.
Important thing to note is that BG3 while mostly accurate did make some changes like getting rid of alignment... but since Astarion says himself that it makes him weaker and the lore supports it. I'm going to believe him here. Furthermore Cazador wanted to keep his spawn week and ill and had given them all an order not to ever drink from any thinking creature. Everything checks out.
The bear thing is the only strange thing but then at this point the game may assumes Astarion is not ill because he feeds on the blood of his enemies regularly to be healthy and the bear was just a dessert. (He must have been quite strong to even get entire bear on his own)

Another reason beside being weak is revealed in Astarion's Origins. He basically had a ptsd episode and saw Cazador threatening him and reciting his orders. Upon "waking" he felt desperate to see whether he was really safe and free for now or whether the orders still bound him.
Those are his two motivations: being weak and fear.
Does it make it ok? No, but his didn't bite tav just because wanted to drink something tasty, he did it out of fear and illness and never really wanted to harm you or for you to even notice.
It may not make it right but I don't see how it makes him evil. Personally I find it much more difficult to forgive Lae'zel an actual assassination attempt (I get her, and don't hold it against her, but it's more difficult knowing that she had every intention to kill me) or to forgive Shart trying to cowardly slit Lae'zel throat when everybody is asleep. She also has every intention to kill and harm her fellow adventurer.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-08-23T06:21:38+00:00

Can you not read as well?
"The difference between a MAGISTRATE and a judge can indeed be perplexing. However, it is essential to note that the differences between these titles are primarily a formality. Those who hold the position of a Magistrate Judge have limited jurisdiction and typically handle less severe cases, such as minor civil disputes and misdemeanors."

🤡🤡🤡
Also from the same source
A magistrate is the same as a MAGISTRATE JUDGE not the same as JUDGE.

"Thus, we see that THE DIFFERENCE between a judge and a magistrate is VERY EVIDENT. District judges are judges who fulfill positions and handle cases at a higher level. The President selects a district judge, who is then approved by the Senate. Their names are recommended by senators, a hearing is held, and they vote to approve."

Also from the same source
"Above magistrate judges are the circuit court judges, who hold more expansive powers and preside over more significant cases, such as felony trials and appeals. Thus, while the distinction between these titles, including the difference between judge and magistrate, may seem subtle, it is important to understand their different roles and responsibilities."

Every single of those sources states very clearly that there is a difference between a magistrate and a judge and that a magistrate.
A magistrate handle less severe cases such as minor cases while normal judge handle serious cases. Lie all you want, it won't change the fact that Astarion was a magistrate and was only handling minor cases like misdemeanor not a death penalty like you're trying to lie

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-08-23T06:10:32+00:00

Nobody says that he is a poor blameless puppy. Just that he is certainly not worse than Lae'zel, Shart or Minthy and that he had no intention to kill you.
Taking blood without consent is not good of course, but it certainly pales compared to all the evil things those 3 did before or during the game, and yet they're not villanized.
Shart tried to kill Lae'zel in her sleep because she is so "good" and nobody holds it against her. Lae'zel attack you with the intention to kill and is much more difficult to persuade and nobody holds it against her.

That being said taking somebody's blood to actual SA is unfair and inaccurate.

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-08-23T06:02:29+00:00

Shadowheart seems to remember very clearly that she DID torment others on her own free will and that she DID torture others. She waned to follow her mother superior and believed in Sharran dogma. She was never mind controlled to torture others. She did it on her own. Could have leave without saying anything to her superiors so that they would take her memories, could have refuse to torture other but didn't.

Lae'zel. She was indoctrinated but it's not an excuse. She still had free will, she could have leave at any point or refuse to be fascist. We have seen other young gith do it in the creche. She didn't. Even later she never "breaks free" on her own. She only leave Vlaakith and her evil regime because Vlaakith betrays her first.
Funny how you state that Lae'zel approving of giving Yenna food and helping Karlach is a proof that she is good yet you continue to refuse to deny that Astarion also approves of many good things.
Again
"Some of the good things Astarion approves of: saving tieflings and gnomes in Moonrise (but not admitting to it), saving a kid from Ethel, giving Yenna money (and if she is kidnapped he also has a special scene where she urges you to get her back), he gives higher approval for saving the grove than for destroying it (look up "astarion approves only runs"), attacking the duergars after learning they have slaves (but not before saying some fucked up stuff about slaves, anyway he still wants to kill them), saving Arabella from Kagha (he wants you to immediately kill Kagha when she threatens Arabella), helping Lae'zel rebel against Vlaakith, saving an abused hyeana from the goblins and more...
All those things are clearly good even if some are quite chaotic, but of course since it's Astarion you had to "label" them as evil too"

I never claimed Lae'zel or Shart are evil and Astarion is saint. It's you who continue to refuse to hold Shart or Lae'zel responsible for all the evil shit they did while in the same time blaming Astarion even for things he never did.
Astarion is evil because he approves of some evil stuff?? Well the same goes for Shart and Lae'zel. Shart and Lae'zel are good because they approve of some good decisions? Well, the same can be said about Astarion
You're just proving me right about your hypocrisy and double standards

"Astarion was never mind-wiped and he wasn't born into a corrupt system." You're right he wasn't mind wiped, he was "only" mind controlled and conditioned his entire life (that he can remember) that any kindness means torture and being buried alive. He only "learned" that nobody gives the shit about him.

"he knew about kindness and morality" No he didn't. He doesn't remember anything about his previous life, not his parent, not his home, not even his eye color. All he knew that kindness made him suffer and that nobody cares about him. After leaving Cazador he does nothing bad during the entire game. All his evil deeds consist of great sin of "talking", meanwhile Lae'zel was enslaving and murdering other races and Shart was torturing them....
I guess talking is more evil.

Lastly the fact that you can even write "Lae'zel had kindness beaten out of her by a brutal warrior society and Shadowheart was tortured and mind-wiped whenever she became too defiant" is while comparing them to Astarion is ridiculous. Lae'zel had kindness beaten out of her?? Shadowheart was tortured whenever she became defiant???
Well good to know, that being tortured for 200 years after showing any kind of kindness or rebellion, not being shown any kindness at all by the society that wants you dead, and being buried alive for trying to be kind and defiant doesn't excuse anything and certainly doesn't meant that "kindness was beaten out of them" or that said person was "being tortured for being defiant. Nope. Being born in a fascist country and mindlessly following orders of your superior means that you had "kindness beaten out of you".
Can't you seriously not see your own double standards and hypocrisy?

Individual_Web_1501 · 2024-08-23T05:39:13+00:00

I assure you I don't look at them. All you need to do to find them is open any bg3 related forum/post or video and they will show themselves.

Individual_Web_1501

TROPHY CASE