TLV: IC Contact

[sixfeetofdirt]

Careful; I bite.

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[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion brushes his fingers lightly against Jacob's sleeve, barely tracing the line of his arm.

"I can't wait to forget that whole wretched affair."

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

"Yeah," he agrees. "Wish I could forget it. Still have goddamn nightmares about it." He leans into his touch, just slightly.

"For a place that's supposed to be healing, they sure do like to pile on the trauma."

[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion laughs lightly.

"Is it? Supposed to be healing? I've not heard that."

Because, yes, he's feeling somewhat distanced from the old trauma but the Admiral keeps finding sources of new trauma!

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

He runs a hand through his beard with a hesitant smile. "Yeah, that's what this whole rehab thing is about, right? Healing?"

[sixfeetofdirt]

"I have no idea. John occasionally says things about 'being happy' and 'making different choices' but he's never talked to me about healing."

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

He shrugs. "Neither does Norton. But maybe that's because there's nothing they can do for us." He looks over with a grin, his fingers still combing through his beard. "We are well and truly fucked."

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Oh, you finally noticed?"

Astarion grins back.

"What does Norton talk to you about, anyway?"

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

He shrugs and Mae finally brings the ball over, so he takes it from her and throws it again. "My brothers sometimes. Talked him out of killing the vampire who attacked one of his boyfriends. About how shit my life was."

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Sounds like fun," Astarion drawls. "Which vampire and which boyfriend?"

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

"I don't know," he shrugs. "I don't know if he ever figured it out. The boyfriend was - uh - Rawne." He chuckles.

"That fucker has been asking for it, though."

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Mm. I think I've spoken to him once or twice? Phenomenonally dull. I hope for Norton's sake he's better in bed than he is in conversation."

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

"I nearly shot him the first time I met him. Stupid idiot."

He puts his hands in his pockets.

[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion laughs quietly, and gives the ball another little redirect which makes Mae bark at it before haring off across the deck.

"Whatever did he do to deserve that?"

He assumes, naturally, that it was deserved. Jacob's judgement is flawless.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

He laughs again, taking a packet of crackers from his pocket to open and snack on. "He said outright that he wanted to kick my ass. So I met him on deck and wanted to see how far he was willing to go."

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Gods below. You should have shot him. Some people just don't learn any other way."

Has Cazador said something similar to him? Yes, probably several times! Oh well.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Unfortunately, it's a sentiment Jacob also agrees with. "I would have, but Saga stopped me and tased the fuck out of him to drop him, so - it would have been cowardly and stupid to try again. But uh - he hasn't fucked with me since."

[sixfeetofdirt]

Astarion blinks at Jacob. Saga is evidently being the fun police in this story, but-

"She dropped him how? What was that word?"

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

"Taser. Uh, little box with electricity." He shows him the size with his hands. "You can shock someone and they usually just drop."

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Ahhh. I can do that with magic," Astarion says brightly. "Though a knife is generally more fun if I want someone 'dropped'."

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

"Knife leaves marks," he points out. "Taser does but - not obvious ones."

[sixfeetofdirt]

"I suppose that's important sometimes. We don't really have - what do you call it? 'Forensics'. Though necromancy can be helpful in solving murders."

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

"I was more thinking that it kept your clothes clean," he laughs, but necromancy sobers him right up.

"Do you talk to the dead?"

[sixfeetofdirt]

"I have done," Astarion says quietly. "Even if you're not magically trained, you can use spell scrolls - that is, scrolls imbued with the magic to cast a particular spell, once. I myself don't know any necromantic spells, but I've used a scroll to question a man about his death."

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

"Jesus..." he says with a sigh. "What was that like?"

[sixfeetofdirt]

"Strange," Astarion says. "It's a very...limited form of necromancy. The body is animated, the memories within the mind can be used to answer questions, but the soul is still gone. There's no true intellect remaining. It's the difference between being able to read a book and question its author, you might say."