In the nightstand, a couple of wide shallow jars with three wicks each. He
sets them down on the top and conjures a flame to light them, bringing in
the scent of citrus and cardamom. He dismisses the flame and steps back to
take off his shirt.
She smiles, and peels off to look for something she can use for lotion instead, dropping her outer layers off to one side and kicking off her boots, shedding her knife and gun.
"Alright, cariño - get comfortable," she bids him.
"She knows a hot mess when she sees one," Rosita teases, affectionate, as she eases onto the bed too, rubbing her hands together to warm them before reaching to pick up where she left off, even though he won't care as much as someone with their own body heat would.
More seriously: "Maybe she sensed the worm thing."
"That didn't even occur to me," Astarion says, grimacing. "It's not impossible. One of these days I should convince Gale to put together a Speaks With Animals potions so I can ask her."
He's already relaxing, unwinding under her steady hands.
"Why am I even surprised anymore that that's a thing?" she chuckles, focusing on what her hands are doing as she works down one side of his neck and the shoulder on that side, then the other.
It always feels nice, having someone trust her like this. It feels nicer when it's Astarion.
"Don't tell Jacob. He'll forget how to speak to people if he finds out he can talk to Mae."
"Elements of both," Astarion murmurs. "Elves grasp magic extremely easily.
Some are born with magical talent. Others gain it through dealings with
gods or devils. Wizards-"
He shivers, voice stumbling, as she moves over sensitive scar tissue.
"Wizards like Gale learn to harness magic through study."
She smiles behind him; he's not someone that loses focus easily, and it's gratifying to be the cause. She makes sure she circles back at least once to hit that spot again, though she keeps the motion of her fingers, her hands and wrists and arms as she switches between them sometimes, smooth and even.
"Maybe I'll have to talk to him too, then. You know how I feel about new skills."
Another kiss, light but sweet, between his shoulderblades and then she's low enough that she can get a better angle by swinging one of her legs over both of his.
"Finding any reason to go on at all, really," Astarion sighs. "He resents
the Admiral for keeping him here and offering him a second chance he
doesn't want."
"He already has one. A tressym, rather - a highly intelligent magical
creature, shaped like a cat with wings. I asked the Admiral to return her
to him for Christmas."
"...I think he might be," Astarion admits. "It's...difficult. I've seen
the man he can be at his best, but I can't harp on that. Comparing him to
some other version of himself won't do him any good."
Something in her that became stronger at the end of the world, that learned that only the purely practical matters when the chips are down and her back is against the wall, thinks he's going to die soon anyway then. She ignores it, working her thumbs in small circles hand over hand down his spine.
"I'm glad you know that. Nothing quite like not even living up to your own deeds in another life." She speaks from experience. "He's lucky to have you."
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-06 12:08 pm (UTC)"I did, too. Erskine is a poor substitute."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-06 12:11 pm (UTC)"I can't imagine. You must be stressed."
He closes his eyes, sighing in pleasure.
"...Mmm. That's good."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-06 12:19 pm (UTC)"Seems I'm not the only one there, either. Want me to make a real go of it?"
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-06 12:44 pm (UTC)"I'd like that very much," he murmurs. "Would the bed be easier?"
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-06 01:37 pm (UTC)She digs in one, two, three more times with her thumb, then kisses him again before she has to get up so he can do the same.
"I didn't bring any candles this time."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-06 01:59 pm (UTC)"Mm - I have some."
In the nightstand, a couple of wide shallow jars with three wicks each. He sets them down on the top and conjures a flame to light them, bringing in the scent of citrus and cardamom. He dismisses the flame and steps back to take off his shirt.
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-06 02:41 pm (UTC)"Alright, cariño - get comfortable," she bids him.
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-06 05:22 pm (UTC)"Certainly."
He stretches out onto his front, arms folded under his head. Aylin meows at him and comes to curl up on the pillow next to his head.
"She's started grooming me since I've been gone," he reports, trying to sound aggrieved but missing the mark by an embarrassing distance.
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 01:10 am (UTC)More seriously: "Maybe she sensed the worm thing."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 08:23 am (UTC)"That didn't even occur to me," Astarion says, grimacing. "It's not impossible. One of these days I should convince Gale to put together a Speaks With Animals potions so I can ask her."
He's already relaxing, unwinding under her steady hands.
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 02:03 pm (UTC)It always feels nice, having someone trust her like this. It feels nicer when it's Astarion.
"Don't tell Jacob. He'll forget how to speak to people if he finds out he can talk to Mae."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 03:12 pm (UTC)Astarion laughs softly.
"Druids learn the spell as a matter of course," he murmurs. "They can talk to trees as well, I think? Absolutely absurd."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 04:06 pm (UTC)She kisses the peak of his spine at the base of his neck, moves down to the long muscles of his back, fingers attentive over the scarring left behind.
"Is the magic from your world the kind that anyone can learn? Or does it have to be something people are born with?"
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 04:12 pm (UTC)"Elements of both," Astarion murmurs. "Elves grasp magic extremely easily. Some are born with magical talent. Others gain it through dealings with gods or devils. Wizards-"
He shivers, voice stumbling, as she moves over sensitive scar tissue.
"Wizards like Gale learn to harness magic through study."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 04:15 pm (UTC)"Maybe I'll have to talk to him too, then. You know how I feel about new skills."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 04:20 pm (UTC)"I do. And I'd like to hope that if he retains any enthusiasm about anything at all, it's magic."
Who knows? Maybe having a student will pull him out of his funk slightly.
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 05:10 pm (UTC)Another kiss, light but sweet, between his shoulderblades and then she's low enough that she can get a better angle by swinging one of her legs over both of his.
"Is that the issue? Finding some enthusiasm?"
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 05:14 pm (UTC)"Finding any reason to go on at all, really," Astarion sighs. "He resents the Admiral for keeping him here and offering him a second chance he doesn't want."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 05:17 pm (UTC)Rosita is just going to go ahead and assign herself co-warden.
"Have you tried getting him a cat?"
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-07 05:20 pm (UTC)Astarion chuckles softly.
"He already has one. A tressym, rather - a highly intelligent magical creature, shaped like a cat with wings. I asked the Admiral to return her to him for Christmas."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-10 12:36 pm (UTC)Very little about Faerun makes sense to her.
"Did she help?"
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-10 03:41 pm (UTC)"I think she's bullying him into getting out of bed in the morning," Astarion suggests. "That may very well count."
He could easily be lying in his own filth for days on end otherwise.
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-14 10:42 am (UTC)"He's that bad off?"
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-14 12:22 pm (UTC)"...I think he might be," Astarion admits. "It's...difficult. I've seen the man he can be at his best, but I can't harp on that. Comparing him to some other version of himself won't do him any good."
Re: Spam
Date: 2025-07-17 09:20 am (UTC)"I'm glad you know that. Nothing quite like not even living up to your own deeds in another life." She speaks from experience. "He's lucky to have you."
Re: Spam
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