well he’s just being exceptionally gayly worried about him, there’s a lot of gently brushing of hair over his ear and frowning at his wounds healed or not ]
[ he feels like he’s going to keel over!! he should be less worried i guess he’s probably astarion get clocked a few times. gale played this game on tactician. ]
[ i wonder if karlach played on honour mode… it’s finnne. he’s definitely better than he was when he first got back from wherever he’s been. the most obvious of his injuries, the stab wound on his throat, is scarred over at this point.
he’ll dig around in his pocket and pull out the small wooden box that was tucked away in his flower bouquet. if gale looks inside he will see… a rock! with googly eyes. ]
Don’t shake it. It makes you dizzy. [ speaking from experience… ] Laudna has an eyeball.
[ he has commentary on how immediately receiving this that astarion's first instinct was to shake it, but out of an abundance of LOVE and DEVOTION he won't mention it at this very moment. maybe later. he will take it, not shake it, and then take a look at look at it for a second before putting it aside. ]
I see. I suppose it's good you did your homework? I'm very proud of you.
Accidentally. [ that feels right somehow. he did his homework accidentally. ] I’ve heard about the body parts, but I wasn’t aware of the relevance of other items found on these… nasty little fog journeys.
[ he is so tired, and a little empty feeling as well. like an emotional dissonance between how he felt where he was and what happened, and how he feels being back here, healed up and adjusting to how things actually are. ]
But there we go. Rock with eyes. I suppose I should let Karlach and the others know.
[ hello sweet tara. scratch is probably somewhere. we keep forgetting our scratch. sadly both his legs are injured, but one less than the other so she can paw at that one. ]
"Dear Karlach -- a fucking rock--"
[ imagine. ]
Yes, well. I won. She didn't. She shouldn't have had a crown or any accolaides, they were mine. [ that's not explaining ANYTHING.
absently, he's shifting to take hold of gale's hand and idly turning it back and forth, fingers touching his pulse point and pressing their fingertips together almost absently. ]
[ gale easily lets him take his hand. he still definitely has a pulse, probably even a slightly healthier one than he did before the orb was gone. bringing the hand up to kiss the back of his knuckles, which is apparently becoming his go-to move. ]
[ he definitely seems more relaxed again, when he can clearly feel that pulse. gale can be a total sap, he'll allow it, even if the whole casual, meaningful touch thing is-- baffling. mind bogling. he's still getting used to it, but much like all of this, that's not a bad thing. he doesn't hate it. ]
The crown was awarded to the winner. So, yes. Fairly important.
[ it’s said with a edge to it — like frustration because, gale, it’s the contest! what else would it be? but also he doesn’t know. isn’t actually clear how or why he was there, he just was and he knew he had to win. ]
[ it's okay laudna will explain later and then gale still won't understand. reaching over to cup his cheek in a hand, running a thumb along his cheekbone. ]
It's alright, it doesn't matter now. [ not the winning. whatever the explanation is or was is sort of beyond the point. ] You are free, Astarion. Remember? At least, for a measure of freedom allowed by being trapped with me in a death cult.
[ i'm not sure even they understand it's just very important that they won. that he won. and laudna didn't. ]
... Oh yes, the joys of freedom within the confines of a murder cult. I forgot how delightful that was. [ he leans into the hand though. grumpy, a little sore. but alive and back here with him (for now). ]
[ goes with this and huffs when he tucks his head into gale's shoulder. the us of the word does get the emotional equivalent of "!" out of him, but it doesn't come with a negative emotion. something a little bewildered and wondering, maybe. but not negative. ]
...
Yes, that'd be a better plan. More comfortable that here, anyway.
[ yeah it's kind of the "or what" of I love you's, where it's more affectionate than the full, unfiltered declaration and has some plausible deniability behind it. he is not trying to rush anything along that doesn't need to be rushed.
he'd been planning on getting up but he stays where he is for a moment, kind of enjoying the closeness. ]
And don't tell Laudna, but I do think you are quite beautiful.
[ NOT THE OR WHAT. unfortunately astarion is dead like six hours later so that’s a spanner in the works for the let’s not rush things front. but right now he’s not and he’s quietly processing that single word somewhere in the corners of his mind.
it is nice though. he’d been expecting gale to get up, but when he doesn’t move astarion can’t really complain about it. surprisingly. ]
I was definitely the most attractive person there. [ zero restraint. ] A … couple of our dead were there as well, actually. Caelus and Marina.
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well he’s just being exceptionally gayly worried about him, there’s a lot of gently brushing of hair over his ear and frowning at his wounds healed or not ]
Are you alright? Really.
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gale is being very sweet, and it's a shame that astarion's kinda shaking his head every now and again and looking a little distacted. ]
The wounds are fine. The swamp side effects are going to give me a bloody headache.
[ he will lean on him though. ]
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putting an arm around his shoulders carefully. ]
Should we maybe find somewhere you can lay down?
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I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I'm not about to keel over though, don't worry about that.
[ also: ]
I think I found the bloody rock.
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The rock? Oh— The rock! Yes? Do go on.
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he’ll dig around in his pocket and pull out the small wooden box that was tucked away in his flower bouquet. if gale looks inside he will see… a rock! with googly eyes. ]
Don’t shake it. It makes you dizzy. [ speaking from experience… ] Laudna has an eyeball.
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I see. I suppose it's good you did your homework? I'm very proud of you.
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[ he is so tired, and a little empty feeling as well. like an emotional dissonance between how he felt where he was and what happened, and how he feels being back here, healed up and adjusting to how things actually are. ]
But there we go. Rock with eyes. I suppose I should let Karlach and the others know.
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I can at least transcribe for you, if you'd prefer to rest?
[ dear karlach, i found a rock ]
Would you mind telling me what happened? You seemed quite incensed with Laudna.
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"Dear Karlach -- a fucking rock--"
[ imagine. ]
Yes, well. I won. She didn't. She shouldn't have had a crown or any accolaides, they were mine. [ that's not explaining ANYTHING.
absently, he's shifting to take hold of gale's hand and idly turning it back and forth, fingers touching his pulse point and pressing their fingertips together almost absently. ]
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And this crown is ... important?
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The crown was awarded to the winner. So, yes. Fairly important.
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[ please explain the concept of a beauty contest. ]
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[ it’s said with a edge to it — like frustration because, gale, it’s the contest! what else would it be? but also he doesn’t know. isn’t actually clear how or why he was there, he just was and he knew he had to win. ]
I had to win to get away, to be free.
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It's alright, it doesn't matter now. [ not the winning. whatever the explanation is or was is sort of beyond the point. ] You are free, Astarion. Remember? At least, for a measure of freedom allowed by being trapped with me in a death cult.
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... Oh yes, the joys of freedom within the confines of a murder cult. I forgot how delightful that was. [ he leans into the hand though. grumpy, a little sore. but alive and back here with him (for now). ]
I'm tired.
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I know, love. [ dont drop that right now gale. ] We should go find somewhere a little more comfortable maybe?
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...
Yes, that'd be a better plan. More comfortable that here, anyway.
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he'd been planning on getting up but he stays where he is for a moment, kind of enjoying the closeness. ]
And don't tell Laudna, but I do think you are quite beautiful.
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it is nice though. he’d been expecting gale to get up, but when he doesn’t move astarion can’t really complain about it. surprisingly. ]
I was definitely the most attractive person there. [ zero restraint. ] A … couple of our dead were there as well, actually. Caelus and Marina.
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and maybe part of the hesitation on moving thing is that he is questioning whether he can half-carry him or not. probably? hopefully? ]
I see. And you'd like for me to tell you that you are prettier than them as well, I take it?
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with his 8 strength? that’d be hilarious. they’re going to shuffle and fall all over the place. ]
… [ thinking. ] Well, I’ll allow Marina to be on a par with me.
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[ wow maybe he is growing as a person. anyway he will actually stand at this point, hauling him up too. ]
Ready?
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well, he's being hauled up!! there he goes. luckily his arms and such are healed up, so he doesn't hurt himself in the process. ]
As I'll ever be, darling.
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