[ It might be weirder if he wasn't an elf, and didn't meditate for four hours a day for a long rest. But he recognizes it for what it is, this literal compliance with what he asked for.
Astarion doesn't feel awkward about nudity at this stage in his life either. So he takes the moment as it is given, gathering his thoughts. He looks down at vial in his hands and thinks about how it is they got here, how Xenk was so trusting.
That should make him want to manipulate him more. An easy target with a strong reward. But they had shared so much and Xenk understood some things that no one else could. And he was repaying him like this? All rote memory and going through the actions?
This is why he never stops to think about anything. It's too hard. There's too much. It makes his head hurt.
After a long moment, he closes his hand around the vial. ]
Xenk.
[ he says it to get his attention. To pull him back from his meditation. And then, when he has his attention again, he does something he's never done before]
I think we should stop. I'm sorry.
[ Not even really because Xenk noticed or commented on his scars. But because in so doing, Xenk broke the spell of the moment. The routine. The ease of throwing himself into it. He gave him a moment to really think about what he was doing. And in it...he found that he was going to regret this, because he values Xenk's friendship far too much.
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Astarion doesn't feel awkward about nudity at this stage in his life either. So he takes the moment as it is given, gathering his thoughts. He looks down at vial in his hands and thinks about how it is they got here, how Xenk was so trusting.
That should make him want to manipulate him more. An easy target with a strong reward. But they had shared so much and Xenk understood some things that no one else could. And he was repaying him like this? All rote memory and going through the actions?
This is why he never stops to think about anything. It's too hard. There's too much. It makes his head hurt.
After a long moment, he closes his hand around the vial. ]
Xenk.
[ he says it to get his attention. To pull him back from his meditation. And then, when he has his attention again, he does something he's never done before]
I think we should stop. I'm sorry.
[ Not even really because Xenk noticed or commented on his scars. But because in so doing, Xenk broke the spell of the moment. The routine. The ease of throwing himself into it. He gave him a moment to really think about what he was doing. And in it...he found that he was going to regret this, because he values Xenk's friendship far too much.
What a strange concept. ]