[He has to pause, to swallow against the panic he feels rising in his throat. His eyes flick away, lips pursed in a tight line, but he doesn't move, not yet.]
My back is hardly my most attractive feature. So why—what do you want?
[It's not the first time Gale's touch has strayed to Astarion's scars, or the first time they've drawn his focus. There must be something, some reason for it that Astarion can't see through the sharp memories of pain and feeling so powerless.]
no subject
[He has to pause, to swallow against the panic he feels rising in his throat. His eyes flick away, lips pursed in a tight line, but he doesn't move, not yet.]
My back is hardly my most attractive feature. So why—what do you want?
[It's not the first time Gale's touch has strayed to Astarion's scars, or the first time they've drawn his focus. There must be something, some reason for it that Astarion can't see through the sharp memories of pain and feeling so powerless.]