Well, you didn't think you were going to get away without answering for cliches, did you?
[ It's still a somewhat canned response in the sense Mat still suspects Astarion's interest isn't just interest and he's going to be a git playing shell games about it. As a fellow shell game git, the art of saying little with a lot is neither objectionable on its own nor unappreciated. Dare he admit it, he's found it sporting fun, rousting a smile or two out of him over the course of their play.
The thing about games of such nature, though, is most of the time they're only really fun if everyone is on the same page. A bit of a blend of hypocrisy and self-awareness in action: he hasn't so much as uttered the word ta'veren, would not claim it, would pretend not to know it, but if he felt an inkling someone were only interested in a Q&A regarding the part of him he had not asked to be or could do anything about, that really had nothing to do with him besides its benefit or disadvantage to others, he'd have bit a vampire on the tail and scampered off long ago.
It's possible he's off the mark as far as presumptions go, but in this he doesn't mind being the side pressed to show a little more of his hand. ]
I can entertain conversations for all sorts of reasons, and I wager more than two reasons exist to talk to you, but...
It was something of a scientific inquiry, yeah. There's a lot of grey area between mindless beasts and substance to someone with a name that has too many vowels and sounds like something you'd name a duke's donated statue. Or a constellation. Or something else grandiose.
[ Or a Forsaken, tbh, but let's keep the Asmodeans and the Astarions in their separate corners... ]
ty, btw, accidentally deleted my first subject line 🥹
[ It's still a somewhat canned response in the sense Mat still suspects Astarion's interest isn't just interest and he's going to be a git playing shell games about it. As a fellow shell game git, the art of saying little with a lot is neither objectionable on its own nor unappreciated. Dare he admit it, he's found it sporting fun, rousting a smile or two out of him over the course of their play.
The thing about games of such nature, though, is most of the time they're only really fun if everyone is on the same page. A bit of a blend of hypocrisy and self-awareness in action: he hasn't so much as uttered the word ta'veren, would not claim it, would pretend not to know it, but if he felt an inkling someone were only interested in a Q&A regarding the part of him he had not asked to be or could do anything about, that really had nothing to do with him besides its benefit or disadvantage to others, he'd have bit a vampire on the tail and scampered off long ago.
It's possible he's off the mark as far as presumptions go, but in this he doesn't mind being the side pressed to show a little more of his hand. ]
I can entertain conversations for all sorts of reasons, and I wager more than two reasons exist to talk to you, but...
It was something of a scientific inquiry, yeah. There's a lot of grey area between mindless beasts and substance to someone with a name that has too many vowels and sounds like something you'd name a duke's donated statue. Or a constellation. Or something else grandiose.
[ Or a Forsaken, tbh, but let's keep the Asmodeans and the Astarions in their separate corners... ]
I had to know where the bar was set.