Nevin reached up slowly and gently squeezed one of Eteri's hands, before carefully moving her back. His face was a study in emotional changes - confusion, then amusement, followed by almost pain, and ending on quiet contemplation. Instead of replying right away, he turned around and checked on the chicken - it needed a bit longer. He stirred it up before replacing the lid on the pan. That done, he moved over to the table and spun the chair around, dropping down into and staring at Eteri.
The cat girl fidgeted under the continual stare, until Nevin finally cleared his throat, and spoke. His voice was soft and calm, but laced with - with an emotion he couldn't quite place.
"You would be surprised how important blood is, Eteri. If I wanted to, with yours, I could copy that power of yours. I could pull souls from their bodies myself, for a time. Or I could see souls like you do. It isn't just a matter of collecting the blood - I am a blood mage, I can use that blood. And I was not offering my full soul, just a part of it, something for you to carry with you. You seem calmer when you are touching me, and I thought that with a piece of my, admittedly bloated, soul, that peace would be easier to obtain even when you aren't here." He shook his head slowly, and leaned back in the chair.
"And for me, blood from you would be important even if I could not use it in other ways. Only one other person has offered their blood to me, and I treasure it as a memento of our close friendship. Yours would be much the same." He was not going to talk about other ways to thank people, not now, not when the conversation had taken such a serious turn. No, instead his eyes were locked onto hers, watching for her reply.
