Lellandra wrote...
MICHELLE7 wrote...
Fhaileas wrote...
. Even Kaiden (my LI) was more upset at me for working with Cerberus, not caring that she was alive and had sacrificed herself to save the rest of the crew on that fateful day. The "email" Kaiden sends after that encounter almost seems like a slap in the face (Paraphrasing: "Hey sorry for venting at you like that, I had moved on but I still remember that "oh so special" night we shared, so good luck with your "suicide" mission and maybe we can "hookup" when you get back"). This almost selfish and ego-centric perspective makes it seem like he was more interested in the "lay" than any semblance of a meaningful relationship.
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Okay, I'll admit that the email was upsetting at first...but after reading it several times I got the jest of it. He essentially says seeing Shep at the colony threw him for a loop and he didn't know how to handle it. No he doesn't trust Cerberus but there was more to his reaction than just that. He tells you in the encounter he thought that the two of you had something, that he loved you and that your death put him through hell.
As for the night before Illos he says it meant 'everything' to him...that isn't just some sort of lay. Don't forget Kaidan(for those of us that played ME) doesn't get physical with someone unless he cares for them...which is why he makes the point of saying that the girl his friends set him up with on a date wasn't serious...he's letting Shep know he's not sleeping with her.
And I think that the last lines of the email may be a hint to the players. When he says maybe after everything has settled down 'maybe' they can get back together(something along those lines). I think that is a hint that you may be able to get back together(ME3 perhaps) only if you don't cheat(that's the maybe part)...it's conditional.
I'm not saying that it's still not a little disappointing. I would have liked to have had more interaction and a better outcome. You can talk to Kelly Chambers after the colony and reveal to her you care about your LI and you can also talk to Joker and he will refer to your relationship as one where the two of you were 'dating'. Nice touches even if it was a little weak.
I agree with Michelle on this one. I thought Kaidan's reaction was right on the money with his personality. I would have probably done the same if I was on his shoes. Kiss the man then slap him in the face and ask for some time to think.
To an extent I agree with both of you, I can rationalize his actions and understand them to a certain extent, but the failure of that dynamic lies in one of the central tenets of all successful relationships - empathy. Prior to the meeting all Shephard could think was Kaiden, almost pining for him, thinking that at least her stalwart companion, her best friend and her lover would be there for her, one of the very few people she had ever let her guard down against -- a bright ray of hope in the midst of this permeating darkness in her life. My Shephard would not have cared had he moved on and was seeing other people, she's intelligent enough to realize that her "death" and the intervening years will have changed the context of his life; however though physical situations might change, intimate emotional bonds are not severed quite so easily, especially in just 2 years.
In this regard Kaiden's reaction was throughly shallow and selfish, his lack of regard for what she had been through and how she had survived, his vituperation and denouncement of her as a lackey of Cerberus without even a thought for how this could possibly have come to pass, knowing full well the tribulations (sole survivor) Shephard had faced at the hands of Cerberus and how she had so passionately campaigned to bring them down for their heinous actions; knowing also the love, regard and respect she had for her crew and the numerous sacrifices she had made for them, for the galaxy at the cost of her own life. Could not Kaiden, her lieutenant (let alone her friend and lover) even attempt to rationalize things from her perspective being so intimately aware of the core beliefs, principles and passions that drive Shephard? Was the touted relationship that hollow and Shephard's love and regard for Kaiden "that" nonreciprocating?
And yes, the email did appear to be a clumsy attempt to make amends but it appeared to be more an overture of a guilty conscience. She's embarking on a "suicide" mission to battle the collectors - he knows this - would that really warrant such a casual response, taking for granted her chances of survival and the opportunity of a "segued" relationship.
All this and the multitude of other interactions that occur through out the game made me feel so detached from my character and I can't help thinking (from a role-play) perspective that it all felt surreal to Shephard too. And let's face it, the root of this "detachment" and "disillusionment" lies in the forced narrative that compels Shephard to act as she does in ME2. It just reeks of bad writing without having paid heed to the character development and narrative of the first game. From the story itself to the actions and re-actions of your comrades and NPCs from the original game, it almost seems that none of your pivotal actions had any "meaningful" impact and your role as a friend, lover, hero and savior of the galaxy was merely superficial.
Modifié par Fhaileas, 28 janvier 2010 - 03:30 .
, but he's also had to rewrite his life because of what he went through before. After working with Shepard, going back to working within the rules must have really sucked for him. That's rough.
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