#also if you read my tags I'm vaguely curious what got you thinking about mercury + the squad a week later

[silentspectres]

You mentioned Gale Wyll and Karlach having a positive influence on Mercury, would you elaborate? I am very normal about Gale

That's so fair, I have a friend who is also very normal about Gale (he constantly tells me about his need to relentlessly bully him <affectionate> + I am genuinely surprised how much he grew on me too)

thank you once again for being interested in my strange tiefling, by the way!! I love getting the chance to talk about Mercury

I wrote more than I intended so everything's under a read more!

For some background context: Mercury didn't do relationships of any kind before the events of BG3. They maybe held some people close when they were younger, but after a rather striking betrayal they suffered from, they cut people out. As a young rogue who was quickly getting used to underhanded tactics, this was easy for them to maintain, especially since things were much easier to do while fully anonymous (masked + cloaked) and solo. This habit carried over post-tadpole and it took several days once the full group of companions were gathered in camp for any single one of them to even know Mercury's name, which Mercury only offered up because they had previously made a deal with Shadowheart whenever they met again on the beach post crash. (I do have more context for this I can share sometime)

Mercury's isolationist attitude and well-guarded nature played a huge part in their early dynamics with everyone in camp. They kept to themself and humored the people they were traveling with (choosing to help them with their problems) only because they were smart enough to realize dealing with a mindflayer tadpole alone would be tantamount to death. It was well into late late act 1/ early act 2 before Mercury came around to actually caring about anyone in camp, and even though they had people who would freely call them "friend" by that point, they still kept their distance and mostly sat alone from the rest. (The isolated overlook in the camp at the mountain pass was a favorite spot of theirs) At this point, I think they spent a lot of nights reflecting on how they got tangled up in being involved with people again and being just generally upset that they actually care to have a stake in these people's lives and issues. It was difficult to grapple with the idea of accepting vulnerability in the form of caring about others and being cared about in return, especially because the main reason Mercury stayed away from interpersonal relationships was because relationships are messy and complicated and they invite the possibility in of being hurt. Trusting is not something that comes easy to Mercury, but they learn to exercise it.

So, Wyll, Karlach, and Gale were the largest contributing factors to getting Mercury to that point. I don't think any of them realized the effect they were having on Mercury (at least not the extent of it), especially since early on Mercury never spoke more than they had to and didn't even join the group at large around the fire whenever dinner was made more than half the time. They have darkvision - they're perfectly content to eat alone somewhere the fire isn't shining on them. Gale (resident camp cook) was never going to let them go without eating, though, so I imagine he tried to keep an eye on them whenever they did not join the group for food

And in general, it was little touches and nudges like that that softened Mercury. It's something that happened so gradually they didn't even consciously clock it as happening, otherwise they would've reinforced their walls and made more of an effort to keep others out. On an individual level, Wyll, Karlach, and Gale each offered something different that Mercury - ever the mirror they are, albeit one shattered and stained in crimson along the broken edges - ended up reflecting back.

Wyll struck a particular first impression with Mercury as they met him while he was play sparring with a tiefling child in an effort to teach him something of self-defense. Mercury encouraged the kid and treated Wyll with respect - not suspicion or coldness - pretty much immediately out the gate. They were more reluctant to hear him out about his father since they have a complicated history with the city and definitely had a harder time giving him the time of day about some of his heroic tales, but it never really stopped Wyll from treating Mercury as an equal or even favorably, and the turning point of their relationship (which could've definitely broken the tentative trust forever) was whenever Wyll confronted Karlach. Wyll chose to stand up for his principles - helping those in need, protecting those who are vulnerable - even in the face of losing his soul for it, and that left quite the impression on Mercury in the long run, especially because Wyll faced Mizora for a tiefling who clearly wasn't what she had been made out to be. Mercury needed a good role model like Wyll a lot sooner, honestly, but seeing that someone out there was still willing to fight for what they believe to be worth protecting in the world directly challenged Mercury's apathy toward others and set them down the path of wondering if things could be different than how their life had ended up becoming, if they just tried again

Karlach's influence is a lot easier and more straightforward. She didn't really do any one thing per se - she just was. She's loud and friendly and cares so much! All the time! She took one look at Mercury, asked, "Is someone going to be their friend?", and didn't wait for an answer. Their dynamic definitely feels like an older, tired cat (Mercury) begrudgingly putting up with an energetic kitten (Karlach). Her sincerity and the way that she lives completely differently than Mercury (to the fullest vs barely living at all, especially when you know the further context that Mercury absolutely didn't even want to be alive anymore during the first two and a half acts) wore down Mercury's defenses over time. She became one of Mercury's traveling companions at first out of necessity (between two rogues and a wizard, someone had to be the brawn), but she's as radiant as the sun itself and definitely made the trips more enjoyable. She definitely pushed boundaries the hardest, I feel, because she constantly tried to keep Mercury included, and her constant pressure to rope them back into group activities and mindlessly including them in conversation is 100% the reason they eventually started coming around willingly. It's like when you introduce a new cat to a household and have to have them sniff the other cats through a door, except with a strangle little tiefling who for some reason kept eating alone in the dark and is really good at pissing off gods.

This next part about Gale might be needlessly long and I'm so sorry about that, but he is, bizarrely, the catalyst of what finally broke down Mercury's resistance to being actually involved with anyone, and honestly he came to be who Mercury would consider their first friend of the group. (Friend in the sense Mercury returned the sentiment; Karlach's friendship was one-sided until Mercury finally warmed up to her fully and Astarion doesn't count because he + Mercury decided they just. couldn't be normal with each other for so long)

What sets Gale apart in particular is that he is extremely earnest. Mercury was off-put by him for a long time for a variety of reasons (found him in a rock, he speaks so much and is So weird about it, he is direct and honest) and to be completely honest, he was the companion Mercury trusted the least due to the fact he was so open and honest about things. Early on, Gale was by far the person who was the most talkative with Mercury and was the first to ever directly approach them for something, even if it was to cryptically tell them that he desperately needed to absorb magic from artefacts they find. Mercury obliged, tried not to ask too many questions, and somehow hours later they found themself still in conversation with Gale about one thing or another. I'm only slightly exaggerating - a lot of their early dynamic was Gale deciding he absolutely needed to tell Mercury something immediately and Mercury stood there listening to him speak, wondering why they're still listening and why he's telling them about how he fucked a goddess (which they think was a horrible idea + situation), and wishing he'd stop telling them about any new random topic of conversation that popped into his head. They thought he was so strange (as if Mercury isn't) and they didn't understand why he was so insistent to tell them virtually everything about himself, but yet they did always end up listening to him about it. This coupled with Mercury's distrust toward him for how earnestly he spoke about matters and his own feelings meant Mercury especially kept him at a distance - they humored him because it was easier than avoiding him, but they absolutely did not want to be dragged into his whole mess. And yet-

So, at this rate, in the transition of going into act 2 (the mountain pass/the underdark), not only had the party started to get along and grow closer with each other, but all the little influences of Gale actively seeking Mercury out as a conversation partner, Karlach making sure Mercury was included and treated with the same warmness and kindness as she did any of the others with no hesitation to the matter, Wyll providing insight to a way of living for others Mercury had never humored, Astarion starting to just barely come out of his shell (causing Mercury to start to realize he's genuinely really fun), and the others (Lae'zel/Shadowheart) starting to relax, too, in this group dynamic that is so foreign to them, had set Mercury firmly in the position of being comfortable. And they hadn't realized that, yet. That realization came later, when the first major crisis posed to one of Mercury's party members presented itself in the form of a wizened, old wizard: Elminster.

This is why Gale became the catalyst of Mercury realizing they had let themself become comfortable and start caring. Elminster showed up to send Gale a message from the goddess of magic herself - the very same goddess Mercury can't help but think has always taken advantage of Gale, regardless of if he does or even can see it that way - that said "you will be forgiven if you kill yourself for me." Mercury has always had an issue with the gods (for reasons I haven't quite pinpointed yet), and it genuinely upset them that a goddess would offer a convenient 'solution' to multiple issues she could solve herself if she really cared to, all the while masking punishment behind forgiveness, and Gale just accepting it like it's not only normal but the correct thing to do. It was the first time Mercury had felt protective over someone in a long time, which is something they didn't even know they had it in them to feel anymore, especially after years and years of survival instinct dictating that they must care about themself above all else. This, coupled with Karlach leveling with Mercury she's not so sure she'll make it because her engine has been actively getting worse, as well as Mercury realizing their previous discomfort over learning what Astarion's scars said didn't make them uncomfortable just because it read like an infernal pact, but rather because they actually personally cared about the position it put Astarion in, leads to Mercury having a looooong couple of days where they have to grapple with the fact they've gotten themself way in over their head and there's just no turning back now. At least they had plenty wine to keep them company.

I hope this sufficiently answers your question! I uh. didn't mean to write a whole essay, but I think about my character's motivations and growth over the story constantly and I'm always more than happy to ramble to anyone who wants to hear it!

Also as a bonus because you are normal about Gale, the awkwardness of Mercury not knowing how to deal with Gale early on (act 1 - early act 2) was only intensified later when Mercury realized Gale had fallen in love with them at some point? They had to sit down with him and level with him 1) that they would never be with someone romantically (that wasn't a lie at the time, they were genuinely blindsided by falling in love with Astarion) 2) please find someone who deserves you 3) have better taste and I think about that constantly because there's something so funny to me about Gale looking at Mercury, who is an absolute disaster of a person who can barely function socially, and deciding "yeah I'm into that"

#bg3 #bg3 tav #bg3 spoilers #answered #rhubarbtonapalooza #my ocs #bg3: mercury #mercury is getting their own tag now as a treat #silent speaks #also I am so so sorry I wrote like 2000 words but this is something I have thought about extensively #also if you read my tags I'm vaguely curious what got you thinking about mercury + the squad a week later #I'm for sure flattered I love Mercury a lot and I would talk about them 24/7 if asked more about them