[ The magic feels old, transformative. Iorveth breathes in the scent of moss and running water, instinctively soothed by the inexorable inevitability of nature, how small he is compared to its timelessness.
Only for a moment, though. Astarion's voice pulls him back to the here (?) and now (?), mostly because he hears it from a distanceー a very spannable one, but still. There's Astarion, across the river with his hair catching late afternoon light, nose turned up like a cat refusing to go into water.
Huh. The dryad, ever-patient, explains: "a test, not a trick. To see how strong this new, tentative bond between you two may be, may yet become." She spreads her arms, gently imploring. "To know each other is to approach each other, physically and emotionally. Answer my questions true, and you may find yourself in the embrace of the one you hold dear."
Iorveth, arms folded and head tipped, thinks it's all very twee, even by his wood elf standards. ]
I could approach him without answering your questions, [ he points out. Who's going to stop him? The log?
The nymph pauses as if she's considering whether or not it would be prudent to roll her eyes, but she doesn't. "Let's not waste time." Possibly the rudest she's ever been. Shut up and do the test, morons, in dryad terms. "Astarion: his curated exterior belies the tumult he holds in his heart. What is the eye of his storm? When does he feel at ease?"
A very personal question, right out of the gate. Iorveth raises his brow. ] I suppose I jump into the water if I'm incorrect.
no subject
Only for a moment, though. Astarion's voice pulls him back to the here (?) and now (?), mostly because he hears it from a distanceー a very spannable one, but still. There's Astarion, across the river with his hair catching late afternoon light, nose turned up like a cat refusing to go into water.
Huh. The dryad, ever-patient, explains: "a test, not a trick. To see how strong this new, tentative bond between you two may be, may yet become." She spreads her arms, gently imploring. "To know each other is to approach each other, physically and emotionally. Answer my questions true, and you may find yourself in the embrace of the one you hold dear."
Iorveth, arms folded and head tipped, thinks it's all very twee, even by his wood elf standards. ]
I could approach him without answering your questions, [ he points out. Who's going to stop him? The log?
The nymph pauses as if she's considering whether or not it would be prudent to roll her eyes, but she doesn't. "Let's not waste time." Possibly the rudest she's ever been. Shut up and do the test, morons, in dryad terms. "Astarion: his curated exterior belies the tumult he holds in his heart. What is the eye of his storm? When does he feel at ease?"
A very personal question, right out of the gate. Iorveth raises his brow. ] I suppose I jump into the water if I'm incorrect.