"It certainly makes it less complicated to engage in a little exertion.
Can you swim?" he asks, as they pass a window looking out over the expanse
of glittering ocean.
Astarion's mouth pinches and he moves to pull away altogether - but Jacob
is already shifting closer, and it stops him from getting into any
self-defensive snits.
"Eh, it's a cultural thing maybe. An Earth-in-my-time thing. I only see it in old movies when the guy and his girl are strolling along some road together, all happy and - " 'In love' is what he was going to say, but he's not pushing that particular button, even in the context of a hypothetical. "- uh, and together. They always dress up, so - fancy."
He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I fucking knew you'd come back with that." He gets a playful nudge at that as they reach his cabin. Or rather, the cabin he's taken for himself.
"And you can stay right here if you want. Whatever we are, it ain't nobody's business but ours."
"Don't encourage her," he snorts, unlacing his boots and leaving them by the door. He flips on the lights and Mae looks up, tail wagging.
Jacob hadn't brought much from the barge - some spare clothes, food and treats for Mae just in case, and his own stash of protein powder that he keeps in a worn backpack on the floor. A small DVD player sits on the lesser-used pillow on the bed.
He takes his gun from the holster and sets it on the dresser, giving Mae a scratch as he does.
"We had a dog at our camp, when I was travelling," Astarion says, as he
extends his hand for Mae to sniff. "I don't really think he earned his
keep, but he was good for morale, I suppose. None of us disliked him and it
was essentially the only thing we all had in common."
Astarion hums and scritches across her jaw and behind an ear.
"I was travelling with several of the kind of person who would do that,
yes. We found him guarding his master's corpse, and after a day or so he
followed our scent and caught up with us."
He crosses the room and snakes his arms around his waist. "You know, we had some good plans, but if you want to go swimming, we can. And I can get us both back to the boat if it goes."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 07:38 pm (UTC)"Indeed. Just - loud noises and trees the wrong colour," he sniffs, rising to his feet and stretching a little. "Lead the way."
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Date: 2024-09-27 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 07:46 pm (UTC)"It certainly makes it less complicated to engage in a little exertion. Can you swim?" he asks, as they pass a window looking out over the expanse of glittering ocean.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 07:55 pm (UTC)He glances out the windows. "You been in the water? Still doesn't hurt you, even an ocean like this ."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 07:57 pm (UTC)"Not this water," he says. "Not yet, anyway. I've...tried swimming a little in the pool, but I hardly have your lifetime of practice."
He's working up to it? Kinda? It looks nice but he also doesn't want a sea monster to eat him?
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:00 pm (UTC)"So if you go, I'll come with. Save you from 'em," he adds more playfully.
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:06 pm (UTC)"Good," Astarion says, with feeling. "I have encountered more than enough tentacles in my lifetime already."
After a moment, he lets go of Jacob's hand in favour of slipping his hand through the crook of his elbow.
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:12 pm (UTC)He looks down to their arms and laughs. "What, are we fucking strolling now?"
But he walks a little closer to him anyway.
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:16 pm (UTC)Astarion's mouth pinches and he moves to pull away altogether - but Jacob is already shifting closer, and it stops him from getting into any self-defensive snits.
"...Not if you'd prefer not to."
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:21 pm (UTC)"I've never known this to be 'fancy'," he muses, arching his eyebrows. "What makes it fancier than holding hands?"
Surely holding hands is more intimate, if anything? Is it less fancy to be more intimate?
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:38 pm (UTC)"I see," Astarion says, sagely. "Well, I can certainly keep my distance, if you'd rather nobody assume that I'm your girl."
He casts him a sidelong smirk.
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:41 pm (UTC)"And you can stay right here if you want. Whatever we are, it ain't nobody's business but ours."
He opens the door to find Mae snoring on the bed.
"Some fucking guard dog..." he mutters.
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:44 pm (UTC)Astarion laughs, a high quick giggle.
"Come now, darling. Are your wordly possessions really in need of protection right now? She's conserving her energy, that's all."
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Date: 2024-09-27 08:50 pm (UTC)Jacob hadn't brought much from the barge - some spare clothes, food and treats for Mae just in case, and his own stash of protein powder that he keeps in a worn backpack on the floor. A small DVD player sits on the lesser-used pillow on the bed.
He takes his gun from the holster and sets it on the dresser, giving Mae a scratch as he does.
"She's lazy is what she is," he says fondly.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:57 pm (UTC)"We had a dog at our camp, when I was travelling," Astarion says, as he extends his hand for Mae to sniff. "I don't really think he earned his keep, but he was good for morale, I suppose. None of us disliked him and it was essentially the only thing we all had in common."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:03 pm (UTC)"You just picked up a dog along the road?"
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Date: 2024-09-27 09:06 pm (UTC)Astarion hums and scritches across her jaw and behind an ear.
"I was travelling with several of the kind of person who would do that, yes. We found him guarding his master's corpse, and after a day or so he followed our scent and caught up with us."
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Date: 2024-09-27 09:12 pm (UTC)He's glad, though.
"You would have left him?" He takes off his outer jacket and lays it on the back of the chair.
Mae scoots closer to him for more pets. She's very sneaky.
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Date: 2024-09-27 09:20 pm (UTC)Fiiiine. More pets may be happening. He was a soft touch around Scratch as well.
"He had a perfectly good pile of meat right there, darling, he would have been fine. But I...wouldn't have turned him away."
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Date: 2024-09-27 09:25 pm (UTC)He crosses the room and snakes his arms around his waist. "You know, we had some good plans, but if you want to go swimming, we can. And I can get us both back to the boat if it goes."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:30 pm (UTC)Astarion leans back into him, turning his head to kiss his jaw.
"No, I like your idea for the evening much more. I'd rather swim in the daylight, anyway."
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Date: 2024-09-27 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 10:14 pm (UTC)"Oh, do I want to see you naked and glistening amidst clouds of steam? Perhaps at close enough quarters that I can't possibly avoid touching you?"
He nips at his neck.
"Of course I want to join."
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