[Gonna be real, chief; Astarion’s only partially listening to your fish mansplaining. As Elsword gives him the lowdown, he’s primarily focused on carefully making his way back towards the riverbank, making a face at the resounding squelch his boots make once he’s on dry land again.

They’re good boots, wonderfully stitched and meticulously maintained, but he has been wearing them a bit thin with all the travel. Even so, that doesn’t make the sudden appearance of a hole somewhere in the structural integrity any less devastating.]

Well, I suppose I should count myself lucky you came along when you did; I would have been lost without you. [It sounds sincere, but given the circumstances he’s not exactly about to balk in the face of charming this guy to get him what he wants. Especially not with the way his throat seizes painfully at the first proper scent of the other man’s blood.

Gods, he could go for some red right now. Wine tasted of nothing to him these days, but at least it gave him something to drink.]

Do you specialize in spear fishing yourself, little hero?