Astarion twitches a smile, then rolls onto his side to look at Jacob.
"...it was stupid, and reckless, and utterly futile. It accomplished less than nothing. And I wouldn't have thought less of you if you'd just walked away."
The kiss is entirely unexpected, but there's a knot that seems to unclench in his chest. Everything had been futile in his goddamn life, so to have one thing go right, mean something to someone, makes the whole thing almost worth it.
"I'm sure that when I gave it to you, it was with the condition that I'd never seen it in my life," he says, lightly teasing. He rests a hand on Jacob's waist. "So I would say you lost your dagger. Commiserations, darling."
He closes his eyes, the rhythmic movement soothing.
"The vampire hunters?"
He snorts. "Christmas is when people celebrate the birth of the son of a god who was also a god himself. They put a lot of pagan shit in it, like a tree, but do gift giving."
Apparently, following God wasn't enough to dissuade him from manipulating a string of young women into murdering their predecessors. But he can imagine not every deity in every pantheon would disapprove.
"Following someone you can see and talk to seems the better choice."
Jacob's not entirely sure that was the Voice. He's fairly certain that was his brother's own crazy fucking schemes, but the Voice only said that he would need to unite the brothers. It didn't say a damn thing about not bringing in some random sister/wife substitutes.
"And he's right. He's right, even if he is fucking crazy. The Collapse will happen, sooner rather than later. It's better to be prepared for it since we can't just fight it."
"I - I don't know. It's not a choice I thought I'd have to make," he admits, pulling the blankets over the both of them to ward off the chill in his bones.
"I don't know anything but that world. Maybe I'm too old to know any others."
"Maybe you ought to start shopping around," Astarion suggests. "Everyone here has their own home worlds, and I'm sure some of them aren't in existential peril."
He keeps his eyes closed, even as he moves closer to him.
"Yeah, where else do you think those pointy ears are gonna fit in?" he wonders, mostly teasing because it feels good to fucking laugh after a week of absolute hell.
"Oh, as if mine is the only world with elves," Astarion tuts. "Besides, it's incredible what people will just...overlook. I was wandering around with red eyes and fangs for days before I admitted I was a vampire, but - I was out in the sun, so nobody thought to suspect."
"I do have a few ways to make you feel better, but they don't work as well if you're half asleep," Astarion says, with a bit of a purr in his voice that makes his meaning clear. "I'll let you rest."
There's a part of him which would like to stay. Here, or really anywhere which doesn't feel like it's been tainted with Cazador's presence. But then he thinks of lying in bed with John Gaius, letting things get too far, and -
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2024-06-16 06:57 pm (UTC)Astarion twitches a smile, then rolls onto his side to look at Jacob.
"...it was stupid, and reckless, and utterly futile. It accomplished less than nothing. And I wouldn't have thought less of you if you'd just walked away."
He leans in to kiss him fleetingly.
"But I...I still like that you didn't."
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:02 pm (UTC)He slings an arm around Astarion's middle.
"I uh - lost your dagger, though."
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:04 pm (UTC)"I'm sure that when I gave it to you, it was with the condition that I'd never seen it in my life," he says, lightly teasing. He rests a hand on Jacob's waist. "So I would say you lost your dagger. Commiserations, darling."
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:12 pm (UTC)He breathes in with a shiver, his muscles aching. "According to the pirate, I have my choice of wardens who will freely hand 'em out."
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:27 pm (UTC)Astarion smiles, thumb drawing slow circles through Jacob's shirt.
"You do. The Belmonts both gave me weapons for Christmas, and I didn't even ask. I don't even know what Christmas is, really."
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:34 pm (UTC)"The vampire hunters?"
He snorts. "Christmas is when people celebrate the birth of the son of a god who was also a god himself. They put a lot of pagan shit in it, like a tree, but do gift giving."
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:44 pm (UTC)"The vampire hunters," he agrees, in a wry tone which communicates his keen awareness of the irony. "Are those gods you follow?"
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:46 pm (UTC)Which seems like a close enough correlation.
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:51 pm (UTC)Apparently, following God wasn't enough to dissuade him from manipulating a string of young women into murdering their predecessors. But he can imagine not every deity in every pantheon would disapprove.
"Following someone you can see and talk to seems the better choice."
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Date: 2024-06-16 07:54 pm (UTC)"And he's right. He's right, even if he is fucking crazy. The Collapse will happen, sooner rather than later. It's better to be prepared for it since we can't just fight it."
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Date: 2024-06-16 08:03 pm (UTC)"Do you intend to go back to that...inevitability, when you're done here?"
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Date: 2024-06-16 08:05 pm (UTC)"I don't know anything but that world. Maybe I'm too old to know any others."
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Date: 2024-06-16 08:10 pm (UTC)"Maybe you ought to start shopping around," Astarion suggests. "Everyone here has their own home worlds, and I'm sure some of them aren't in existential peril."
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Date: 2024-06-16 08:13 pm (UTC)"What about you, huh?"
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Date: 2024-06-16 08:28 pm (UTC)"Existential peril," he says, very dryly. "I don't really plan on going back."
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Date: 2024-06-16 08:31 pm (UTC)"Yeah, where else do you think those pointy ears are gonna fit in?" he wonders, mostly teasing because it feels good to fucking laugh after a week of absolute hell.
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Date: 2024-06-16 08:44 pm (UTC)"Oh, as if mine is the only world with elves," Astarion tuts. "Besides, it's incredible what people will just...overlook. I was wandering around with red eyes and fangs for days before I admitted I was a vampire, but - I was out in the sun, so nobody thought to suspect."
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Date: 2024-06-16 08:51 pm (UTC)"I'm sure it was because you distracted them with your winning fucking personality."
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Date: 2024-06-16 09:07 pm (UTC)"Oh, something like that," he says lightly. "Are you about to drift off on me?"
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Date: 2024-06-16 09:13 pm (UTC)"You gonna leave?"
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Date: 2024-06-16 09:30 pm (UTC)"I do have a few ways to make you feel better, but they don't work as well if you're half asleep," Astarion says, with a bit of a purr in his voice that makes his meaning clear. "I'll let you rest."
There's a part of him which would like to stay. Here, or really anywhere which doesn't feel like it's been tainted with Cazador's presence. But then he thinks of lying in bed with John Gaius, letting things get too far, and -
Best not.
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Date: 2024-06-16 09:35 pm (UTC)He does pull the last of his energy and places a gentle kiss to his cheek.
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Date: 2024-06-16 09:37 pm (UTC)Astarion graces him with a brief smile, and slides out from under the blanket without disturbing it overmuch.
"Feel better soon, darling. And - thank you. For what you did."
And then he's gone.