Talk:Mercedes Marten/@comment-70.197.224.101-20141226185336/@comment-3498155-20150101185301

I think it's possible to keep Mercedes as LI; I'm experimenting with lowering the affinity of several key problematic NPCs in my current playthrough, namely Aelinore, Madeleine, and Quina.

Quina at least isn't a problem - she leaves earlier (her final quests, Talent In Bloom -> A Parting Gift, are both done in Stage 4), so you can keep upping Mercedes' affinity afterwards. The other two are trickier, compounded by the fact that affinity is locked during certain quests (e.g. I think you can't lower Aelinore's affinity during her final quest, so you really need to fix it before accepting it). Assuming you don't have Liquid Effluvium (kind of a pain to obtain), I find it easiest to punch them a couple times after each quest.

Throwing Aelinore over the ledge of the walkway leading to her room apparently doesn't lower her affinity, or actually even kill her - I 'ported out (to flee the guards), then walked back into the castle... and there she was, greeting me as if nothing happened. However, unequipping your weapon then punching her in the face elicits that satisfying "affinity down" sound, so that works.