[ Bastien smiles, not so much relieved as feeling foolish for being nervous, and shakes his head.
Although, ] I think I used to. Not directly, but more like—you know how sometimes you will think someone is better looking than you—
Theoretically. [ He taps Byerly on his chin. ] If you can imagine yourself in the shoes of someone who is not the most beautiful man in Thedas. Then you might think someone is better looking than you, deep down, but on the surface you think, please, he is nothing special. His nose is crooked. And look there, I think that is a boil. And if he says to you he is better-looking, that is worse, but if he says you are better-looking, that is also worse, because clearly he’s an idiot or humoring you or both, so…
[ It’s only now that he realizes he just, in this very conversation, brought up inbred droolers. ]
no subject
Although, ] I think I used to. Not directly, but more like—you know how sometimes you will think someone is better looking than you—
Theoretically. [ He taps Byerly on his chin. ] If you can imagine yourself in the shoes of someone who is not the most beautiful man in Thedas. Then you might think someone is better looking than you, deep down, but on the surface you think, please, he is nothing special. His nose is crooked. And look there, I think that is a boil. And if he says to you he is better-looking, that is worse, but if he says you are better-looking, that is also worse, because clearly he’s an idiot or humoring you or both, so…
[ It’s only now that he realizes he just, in this very conversation, brought up inbred droolers. ]
Maybe sometimes I still do that.