She sends him a message to meet her in the Enclosure, to expect to do some hiking.
When he gets there, it'll be to the banks of a dark river so wide it would take ten minutes for even a strong swimmer to make it across, swift moving and warm, a thick Amazonian canopy of trees overhead. There's a wide, flat barge tied up to the sandy bank, and a twilit sky visible through the few gaps where the leaves don't reach.
She did string up some lights on poles - dim enough not to ruin their night vision - around the edges of the barge. She did not warn him that Astarion would be there too, or that there would be a large hole cut into the center of the boat with a net secured in it - a receptacle for anything monstrous they might want to keep track of once it's caught.
He doesn't bring Mae with him, letting her hang out with Saga instead. So he's by himself when he opens the door and takes in the scenery with a tilt of his head. Hiking in the goddamn rainforest doesn't seem like something Rosita would cook up, he thinks, but his attention quickly changes to the river and the Barge on it.
"What's all this?" he calls out, watching the lights as he trots over to the bank of the water.
It isn't that he forgot his birthday, but it is so insignificant to him that he hadn't given it much thought. Honestly, he didn't expect anything from them except, well, maybe a dinner and a show, but - this is enough that it takes him a moment to process.
"Shit," is what he says as he takes her hand and walks aboard, kissing her and then pulling Astarion into one. "You two went all out for this. I - thank you."
Astarion smiles against Jacob's lips, cradling his jaw with his hand for a
moment. This had been his idea and he was worried about it dropping like a
dead weight, worried about Jacob thinking he was being mocked in some way.
The relief settles in like a balm.
Rosita steps back out of the way, winking at Astarion. See? Everything is fine.
"Do I have the right date," she mutters not-so-under her breath, but it's teasing as she reaches down to pull the mooring rope and pick up a pole to shove them off the bank.
He slides an arm around Astarion's waist and kneels down next to the hole in the middle. "So what's the plan?" he asks with no small amount of excitement in his voice.
"Well, hunting monsters, naturally," Astarion chuckles. He strokes a hand
through Jacob's hair. "And we made you dessert for later. But I think we
can be flexible - you really ought to get what you want."
He chuckles, looking up to Astarion and then Rosita. "Mm, you two really did think of everything." He stands up to survey the equipment they have and picks through the bait. It smells awful. Jacob just grins wider.
"God, this is perfect," he repeats to himself, still in absolute awe of what they created for him. For him of all people.
"Take us out towards the middle," he says, dipping his fingers in the water just briefly.
"Careful there," Astarion murmurs. "I might be the only real maneater
here, but these things might still give you a nasty nip. I'm sure you've
got things you'd like to do with your hands later."
Rosita sets to gamely doing as he asks, easier now that she has the water to help.
"We certainly do," she tacks on, because maybe she's not a literal maneater, but she's had her moments. "We have time. You get to drive the pace tonight."
"I'm not in a hurry," he assures them, playfully flicking a bait worm onto Astarion's shoes before sitting cross legged a little ways from the edge so he can take one of the poles and bait his hook.
"Not with this or anything. But yeah, I do want to use my hands. A lot."
She's still grinning when he makes it over to her and she shrugs.
"I'm kind of making it up as I go," she admits. Not a lot of rivers in Texas, after all. She trades the pole off to him anyway after showing him how she's using it to push them along the bottom when they start to drift.
"Don't worry. You'll get fish guts on you again soon," he promises and stands up. "Take us out there. Over the middle where the current drops off again. I'll spread some bait there in the big belly of the water and see what I can find. Y'all gonna help?"
"Throwing bait out to see what I can see. Maybe I can net something good," he explains, planting his feet firmly. "You want to hold the pole for me?" He smirks, glancing past her at Astarion. "I know your pole handling skills are top notch."
"Lifetimes of practice," Astarion drawls, but checks that their slow drift isn't going to take them anywhere untoward before sauntering over. "It's all the wrist. Is it really just a matter of holding it?"
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timeasmymeasure
[Backdated to March 27]
Date: 2025-04-16 03:24 am (UTC)When he gets there, it'll be to the banks of a dark river so wide it would take ten minutes for even a strong swimmer to make it across, swift moving and warm, a thick Amazonian canopy of trees overhead. There's a wide, flat barge tied up to the sandy bank, and a twilit sky visible through the few gaps where the leaves don't reach.
She did string up some lights on poles - dim enough not to ruin their night vision - around the edges of the barge. She did not warn him that Astarion would be there too, or that there would be a large hole cut into the center of the boat with a net secured in it - a receptacle for anything monstrous they might want to keep track of once it's caught.
Re: [Backdated to March 27]
Date: 2025-04-16 01:54 pm (UTC)"What's all this?" he calls out, watching the lights as he trots over to the bank of the water.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-16 04:08 pm (UTC)"Can't you tell?" Astarion calls, pleased laughter in his voice. "We watched hours of your monster programme for verisimilitude."
They did not.
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Date: 2025-04-16 06:45 pm (UTC)"Surprise," she adds, grinning at him. "We left out the mosquitoes, though. Don't walk in the water. There's a maneater out there somewhere."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-16 06:48 pm (UTC)"Surprised that you even watched that show without me. Which I doubt you did. What the fuck is this all for?"
He isn't fazed by the mention of a maneater; that's part of the thrill. He absolutely keeps his boots out of the water.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-16 07:55 pm (UTC)Astarion looks to Rosita with a look that's mostly affectation but maybe five per cent genuine concern.
"You do have the date right, don't you?"
no subject
Date: 2025-04-16 08:00 pm (UTC)"Yes," she answers without any hesitation, nudging Astarion's shoulder on her way past to help Jacob up onto the deck.
"Happy birthday," she tells him, leaning up for a kiss.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-16 08:03 pm (UTC)"Shit," is what he says as he takes her hand and walks aboard, kissing her and then pulling Astarion into one. "You two went all out for this. I - thank you."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-16 08:08 pm (UTC)Astarion smiles against Jacob's lips, cradling his jaw with his hand for a moment. This had been his idea and he was worried about it dropping like a dead weight, worried about Jacob thinking he was being mocked in some way. The relief settles in like a balm.
"It's our pleasure. Happy birthday, love."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-16 08:21 pm (UTC)"Do I have the right date," she mutters not-so-under her breath, but it's teasing as she reaches down to pull the mooring rope and pick up a pole to shove them off the bank.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 10:24 am (UTC)"Well, hunting monsters, naturally," Astarion chuckles. He strokes a hand through Jacob's hair. "And we made you dessert for later. But I think we can be flexible - you really ought to get what you want."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 04:38 pm (UTC)"Maybe two. If you can catch it, I have an oil drum grill back there to cook something to go with the dessert."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 04:44 pm (UTC)"God, this is perfect," he repeats to himself, still in absolute awe of what they created for him. For him of all people.
"Take us out towards the middle," he says, dipping his fingers in the water just briefly.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 04:51 pm (UTC)"Careful there," Astarion murmurs. "I might be the only real maneater here, but these things might still give you a nasty nip. I'm sure you've got things you'd like to do with your hands later."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 05:03 pm (UTC)"We certainly do," she tacks on, because maybe she's not a literal maneater, but she's had her moments. "We have time. You get to drive the pace tonight."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 05:07 pm (UTC)"Not with this or anything. But yeah, I do want to use my hands. A lot."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 05:10 pm (UTC)Astarion is only slightly dramatic about making a disgusted noise and kicking the worm off the toe off his boot.
"Show me what to do so we can take turns," he asks Rosita, strolling over to her.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 05:44 pm (UTC)"I'm kind of making it up as I go," she admits. Not a lot of rivers in Texas, after all. She trades the pole off to him anyway after showing him how she's using it to push them along the bottom when they start to drift.
"You just don't want fish guts on you."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 05:50 pm (UTC)"Of course," Astarion says serenely, changing their direction with care. "I'll have you know I've handled worse things than fish guts."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 06:01 pm (UTC)She crosses to Jacob, giving the edges of their vessel as wide a berth as she can, peering down at what he's doing.
"Show me what you're doing."
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 08:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 08:23 pm (UTC)"Lifetimes of practice," Astarion drawls, but checks that their slow drift isn't going to take them anywhere untoward before sauntering over. "It's all the wrist. Is it really just a matter of holding it?"
no subject
Date: 2025-04-19 11:19 am (UTC)"This is why I don't get along with fishing very well. It's too passive." She's too impatient.
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