#to maximize the slow burn potential hehe

[swordmaid]

like to me shri'iia will not register her crush as a crush because she has never liked someone in that way before. she recognizes love as an all encompassing form of devotion, one that you fully throw yourself onto. love is something that consumes you entirely and it is what she felt towards lolth - absolute devotion and reverence. i think an attraction that comes in gradually and quietly is something that come unnoticed, and she won't recognize or even realize that she's crushing so bad and she likes watching him laugh or she's very happy that he uses the poisons she's been giving him. hag romance is a slow burn bc she doesn't realize that she likes him LMFAO. meanwhile astarion has been noticing how their relationship has been developing into something that was only physical into something a bit more genuine - or as genuine as two charlatans can make it to be - and he's also realizing his attraction is running deeper than just physical attraction, and now he's starting to feel bad at this whole thing because she's starting to mean something to him and he never intended that - but that doesn't mean he doesn't want it either.