TLV: IC Contact

[sixfeetofdirt]

Careful; I bite.

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[sixfeetofdirt]

"Don't be pathetic," Astarion says, and then chuckles darkly. "As if you have a choice. Gods below."

He takes another sip of brandy, red eyes dragging down over his cock.

"...I told the whole ship it was unremarkable. My mind hasn't changed."

later in the port

[greatoldjohn]

John's been messaging him at least once a day since they made port and it's at this point when he feels enough is enough. And worst of all, it's enough that he's going to try and venture out into the city with his 'disguise'. It's not really much, just an illusion that he looks like a human, like the JD some people have seen; charter magic wasn't hard and he's had very little to do other than read and try to shop when he can get someone to go out with him given his lack of a partner and his general unwillingness to see Arthur in person. Or... this other!Arthur.

Fuck it, he hates it.

Anyway, he heads out, 'walking' along to go and find Astarion, following his masks's directions, in a fowl mood from any number of things but especially from being ignored.

[sixfeetofdirt]

To be fair (fairer than he deserves), Astarion only ignored him out of pettiness a couple of times. Since then, he's gotten distracted and has been ignoring everyone equally. It turns out that if you're not fighting monsters or wading through rivers of death, this port is quite a bit of fun.

The local magic comes to him easily enough. And money is even simpler to come by, or at least it is if your moral compass was demagnetised before you can even remember.

He's shopping for boots when John finds him, but obviously he's got half an eye out for the version of his warden that he recognises.

[greatoldjohn]

It's all still ignoring!!!

...but John's not exactly the type to- well, he is the type to hold grudges, but mostly the kind that make him be petty and reference things well past the point of reasonableness.

Anyway, it seems that his 'disguise' is good enough to fool the elf because he walks up to where he's peering at the boots and glances over with very flat golden eyes.

"Were you ever going to answer?"

The voice is unmistakeable, though.

[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion blinks, once, at the familiar voice coming out of the unfamiliar face. Then he recovers.

"You would be informed if I were dead, and you evidently knew how to find me," he points out. "It doesn't feel like I needed to. Did you ever find Arthur?"

[betacuck]

"Thank you," Roman says, and it's a bizarre answer to being told his cock is merely adequate, but with the way Astarion's eyes slide down it he feels like he's being appraised.

His hips shift up, unable to look away from the other's face, that perfect jaw--where there should be jealousy there's only awe.

[sixfeetofdirt]

"I wonder," he murmurs, watching him almost unblinkingly. "The kind of wealth and power you had - did you pay people to do this for you? Take your money to tell you how very, very little value you really have? Or were you too much of a coward for that?"

[greatoldjohn]

"Yes," and he sounds very grumpy on that one, "he went overboard so he's a native citizen, like a breach. He's... fine."

His shoulders sink.

"And for all I know, you could have been tortured or captured or injured somewhere. It doesn't tell me those things."

[sixfeetofdirt]

"And yet. If you were genuinely concerned that I was injured or tortured or captured, it took you quite a while to catch up with me," Astarion observes.

[greatoldjohn]

That's getting a very flat look.

"I don't think you're an idiot, or unable to take care of yourself. I've checked and your marker has kept moving. I didn't say 'I thought that happened', but it could happen and I'd have no way of knowing. And you're just being a dick right now and I don't know why."

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Oh! That's just my personality, darling," he says blithely. "Since you've found me, did you want something?"

[greatoldjohn]

"No, it isn't," he says with a tired sigh, "I want to to know how I hurt you and why I hurt you. I want to know what upset you about what I said. And I want to know if this is how we're going to do things from now on."

[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion looks baffled at being accused of not being a dick, but recovers quickly.

"You neither hurt nor upset me. Don't worry your shockingly handsome little head about it."

[greatoldjohn]

That's bullshit, in his humble estimation, but just saying that won't help. Wait, 'shockingly handsome'? What the-

"Then why have you been ignoring me? Why did you stop answering me?"

[sixfeetofdirt]

"I was annoyed with you and I've been busy." Even now he's not paying him much attention, or doesn't seem to be. "Anyway, I assumed you'd be busy tracking down your other half."

[greatoldjohn]

Okay, finally an answer.

"Why didn't you just say that?" grumbled just a little. He shakes that off. Breathes out. "And I found out where he was on the post. Then it was just a matter of avoiding him. It sucks, but I'll see him when we're back on the boat."

Sigh.

"Why are you annoyed with me? Or why were you annoyed with me?"

[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion glances at him.

"Hazard a guess."

This isn't rhetorical. He'd actually like to hear him take a stab at it.

[greatoldjohn]

He considers that for a moment before he breathes out.

"You think I dismissed your opinion and your feelings regarding the idea that inmates contribute to our shared living space?"

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Close," he permits. "It's actually that you contributed to the conversation with whatshisname at all. It wasn't necessary."

[greatoldjohn]

"Lots of things aren't necessary." Grumble. "Why did me contributing to a conversation make you angry?"

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Because it wasn't necessary. And because it felt distinctly like I was being talked over," he says crisply. "Did you continue your conversation privately?"

[greatoldjohn]

"That wasn't my intention." A pause. "Which doesn't change how I made you feel. I'm sorry."

He nods, however. Nodding. So weird. New!

"I did, but mostly just to make sure that it was set that you wouldn't smell or be asked to work."

[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion considers this. Then holds out a hand.

"Show me."

[greatoldjohn]

He nods, and then he'll sort through the posts until he gets to the posting. Then he'll lift it up and offer it to Astarion. He didn't say anything he minds Astarion reading.

He thanked him, he told him he wasn't going to punish Astarion for his opinions or his choice to speak up, and that he does think it's important to keep the place clean. Nothing more or less.

[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion glances through the conversation. Scrolls down and then back up.

"'I think it'll help him'," he reads out loud, then spits out a high laugh and tosses the device in John's general direction. "Fascinating. Well, you know I'm no more dead than usual. I'll be sure to make some kind of a live-sounding noise the next time you contact me."