Jedao huffs a little, old aggravation he can't quite find the right shape for. But he's very relaxed, now, with his cuts throbbing in a low harmonious thrum, and Astarion's hand in his hair.
"Different things. My maker wanted power, and...a pet who would be reasonably entertaining forever. I'm supposed to be this tactical genius at warfare."
And, well. Astarion knows what he likes.
"After him...for a while I thought Shuos-zho just wanted to keep anyone else from using me, or to keep me from making trouble after I slipped someone else's leash. But really he wanted information." There's the bitterness, although quieter and plainer than it might have been otherwise. "Which I really should have guessed."
He's quiet for a long time. One of the baby goats jumps on top of the biggest tortoise and bugles proudly; the tortoise seems unperturbed.
"Some things about the...circumstances of my maker's death weren't my secrets to tell," he says finally. Which is almost as good as to say: he's taking a fall for someone, although not in the obvious way. He very much did kill Nirai Kujen.
"Oh, I don't really see myself going home," he drawls. "If the place
hasn't proven its appeal to me in the last two centuries, I don't really
see that changing."
"Well, I'd take almost anywhere which isn't on the brink of apocalypse. And not being hunted like a rabid dog for the mere act of existing would be nice, as well."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
"What did they actually want from you?" Astarion wonders aloud. "The people who...kept you."
They've talked about the fact that it happened, but not so much the why.
no subject
"Different things. My maker wanted power, and...a pet who would be reasonably entertaining forever. I'm supposed to be this tactical genius at warfare."
And, well. Astarion knows what he likes.
"After him...for a while I thought Shuos-zho just wanted to keep anyone else from using me, or to keep me from making trouble after I slipped someone else's leash. But really he wanted information." There's the bitterness, although quieter and plainer than it might have been otherwise. "Which I really should have guessed."
no subject
Astarion does remember the words over his head, from early in their acquaintance. Failed sex pet? Something like that.
"Information related to your tactical genius, or...?"
no subject
"Some things about the...circumstances of my maker's death weren't my secrets to tell," he says finally. Which is almost as good as to say: he's taking a fall for someone, although not in the obvious way. He very much did kill Nirai Kujen.
no subject
"I see," Astarion says mildly. It's not as if he cares about the minutiae. "You're going elsewhere when you're done here, I take it?"
no subject
no subject
"Seems like the wisest choice."
He lightly scratches his nails against Jedao's scalp, petting him in a way not unlike how he treats his cat.
no subject
no subject
"Oh, I don't really see myself going home," he drawls. "If the place hasn't proven its appeal to me in the last two centuries, I don't really see that changing."
no subject
no subject
"Well, I'd take almost anywhere which isn't on the brink of apocalypse. And not being hunted like a rabid dog for the mere act of existing would be nice, as well."
His needs are so few!