faderift | [CLOSED] You hate my bad behavior

"Allow me to rest, for one," he answers immediately, as dry as he can possibly make it. "Though I suppose you would have one less outlet for those same proclivities of yours as well, wouldn't you?"

"You've had more than enough rest for the entirety of Thedas since the dawn of its inception, my very tired resident Emperor." Scoffed out dismissively with a roll of his eyes for good measure. Honestly, the Ascian and his strange, adopted cat might very well manage to keep the same hours of consciousness if Astarion had to hazard a guess.

"And as for the latter detail, don't let it go to your pretty little head...darling."

Not actually biting, that scolding. Not unfond, either.

"I'm sure I'd find someone else willing to do their damndest to satisfy my appetite."

"And yet somehow, being around you makes me feel as if I need another century's nap."

More sarcastic, not entirely biting, and he keeps his horse relatively close to facilitate conversation. If he truly wanted to, he could easily fall back or skirt to the side for some distance, force Astarion to raise his voice.

"As I have said before and will doubtless say again, mine is hardly the ego you need worry over, my dear vampire." His tone matches Astarion's easily enough. "Besides which, you are mistaken if you believe I have already done my damnedest."

He will make no promises about going too far in the future, though.

Edited 2021-12-15 06:52 (UTC)

Just when Astarion thinks the Ascian will opt for haughty dullness, he continues to bite back.

Good. It'd be awful to see this run any other way.

"Is that so? Still clutching a card or two up your sleeve?" For effect, Astarion leans back in his saddle to tug at his own sleeve with one gloved finger, eyebrows lifting. "I can hardly wait."

But that, of course, will have to wait. Spurring into a diligent pace at last, it'll be the last thing said to one another for quite some time while on the road, aiming to meet their deadline before something potentially disastrous takes place. By the time they reach Antiva, the shine has worn from them both: hair slick with melted snow, the smell of the outdoors clinging.

When Astarion pulls himself from the saddle, it's with the faintest puff of a sniffling inhale, like a dog catching wind of a scent.

"Hm."

"-what is it."

Ever attentive in situations such as this, of course he catches that, glancing over to Astarion as he carefully slides from his own horse and takes the reins in hand. It's not a method of travel he favors, not like this-- he feels a little tired from the travel, a little cold, a little worn already (a little appreciative of the quiet on the way), but he'd quickly become more alert on reaching their destination. Much as he would like to bathe before they do anything here... well. There may or may not even be time for that.

"You're certain you want to know?" He asks, with all the gravity of a deadly secret laid bare, his eyeline shifting to meet Emet-Selch's own— one hand still on the reins.

Well. That could either be something actually serious, or he's being led on. Either way, he awaits it with the same level gaze, not yet releasing his own reins; not until the horse is safely left wherever they're being kept, while here.

"If it is of any import, then yes, I expect you will tell me... and if you are entertaining yourself, get on with it so we may then get to work."

Astarion's subsequent grin is fanged, spreading slow with a sort of unexpected amusement (and an even more unexpected amount of pride, given that the Ascian'd somehow managed to predict the future in its most basic sense.

"A bit of both, possibly. Depends on what you define as import." Astarion confesses, clicking his tongue before tethering the reins he'd been clutching fast.

"We reek, darling. There's no chance of success if we meet with our dear Lady like this."

"Then let us remedy it," he says, leading his horse onward. "Time will, naturally, be of the essence-- we ought to find ourselves lodging regardless, as we've little idea how long this will take. I don't know about you, but I do not care to make the journey back without rest, even should our dealings prove swift."

“If you want to spend more time with me, you only need to ask.” Honey-sweet, those words. More breathlessness than enunciation. Possibly made all the more grating for it, too.

Or charming.

Depends on who’s listening.

“Riftwatch will always come second to you, after all.”

"And second to other things as well, I should think. If you truly wish to be in my good graces at this moment, then stop flattering me and find a bath."

He does want to stay here if they can manage it, yes, but he's far more in the mood to deal with the sweat from the road (and then their mission) before he entertains charm. They're here for work foremost, after all.

"Your wish is my command."

A flourishing bow, and he's drawn away from Emet-Selch and the horses both, disappearing into busy evening streets. The city is alive (especially) at this hour, lanterns peppering the waterside view like thousands of golden stars, the air thick with sea salt and the richer scent of ale. There's no small amount of conversation to keep the Ascian busy in the time it takes Astarion to return, beckoning him to a cozy little place that's...well, not really up to either of their standards, but warm and clean(ish), and with the promise of a hot meal for sale whenever they like, provided they notify the barstaff downstairs.

Astarion drops onto the secondary bed, sprawling.

"Bath's across the hall. Apparently they keep the water hot using dwarven runes." Said before he lifts a hand to scratch at his own chin.

"...I think it's just a lie, and they're using the kitchen fires to heat stone through the upstairs flooring, but who's really to say."

He does keep himself busy, with careful idle chatter-- never saying too much about himself or his business here, or where he's come from, while not asking questions pointed enough for these things to stand out. Not the most useful of talks, but enough to just begin to form a picture of the people here in what time he has.

Regardless, it's something he sets easily aside when Astarion returns, though where Astarion sprawls-- he's busy putting things away, organizing them in a practiced manner, finding what he will need.

"They may heat it however they like," he says, "so long as it is warm enough." Whatever they might advertise, he's currently more concerned about the results of their methods, retrieving the spare clothing he'd brought along in preparation.

"Only here to solve one mystery, then. Understood."

He rolls onto his side, then, studying Emet-Selch more fully in the dim light.

"How many missions have you done so far? Do you even remember?"

"A handful," he answers with a wave of one hand. "But, admittedly, not many which required traveling further afield. I believe this is the farthest I have gone yet."

"And they've all gone to plan? No terrible mishaps? No attempts at framing you for anything that might go awry?"

How many friends does the Ascian truly have aside from Astarion himself. How many people let themselves come in close, knowing what he is. What he's done.

"None thus far. I can only assume that any so inclined would not be quite so bold-- or simply refuse to work with me to have the opportunity."

He shrugs, at that. Yes, he still always has an eye over one shoulder, assuming others may be biding their time... but he is less on edge than he was at the beginning. Watchful, but somewhat less paranoid.

"Hm."

Absent, that sound. As thoughtful as it is inconclusive. Soft as featherdown besides, let out from where he's draped across meager bedding.

"So then you must be doing well in the eyes of our fastidious leaders, what with all those completed goals tucked against your palm."

"I should certainly hope I am in better standing, given that I have assisted at least one of them personally."

He's helped neutralize an explosive with one of them, he thinks he had better be doing well in their eyes after keeping the entirety of the Gallows from going up in burning red, thank you very much.

"Now, what is it that you're getting at."

“Just trying to get the scope of it. How things might go over if we somehow miss detecting a nasty little curse— or vice versa.” Admittedly a possibly for failure lurks within any assignment.

This one in particular, though, rests much higher.

“Nobles are undeniably finicky. If she decides, no matter how in the right we are, that we’re simple thieves here to ruin her. Well.” His lips purse, head tilting to one side as he waves a few fingers ditheringly in midair.

“Riftwatch might not be happy with the results.”

"I rarely take you for one so worried over the possibility of failure."

Said with an arched brow, still watching him. Evaluating, maybe.

"Of course I am aware of the risks. I do not engage in such undertakings without this being so, and had I weighed it likely to result in both failure and an adverse impact, I would have refused to attend."

Ah. That look is telling.

Astarion’s attracted too much focus.

He counters it by glancing away, sinking listlessly into performative innocuity: posture lax and rounded, tone seemingly uncaring.

“Maybe I’m just worried about you, my darling.”

He continues watching, for a moment-- before he exhales a sigh.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you are." Idle, dismissive. "Worry less about the undesirable results, and more about achieving better ones. I am going to go and bathe."

Whatever prompted all this, he doubts Astarion will simply say, and so he doesn't ask now. They still have their work, and things to take care of before it truly ensues.

The door shuts behind Emet-Selch as he leaves.

Two days later, the door to the Lady Sibilla‘s estate slams shut behind them without so much as a parting word spoken by the staff.

Astarion’s tongue clicks against the back of his teeth, a kind of mild, almost spectating sort of sound— as if they hadn’t just been thrown out.

“Well.” He starts, glancing over their unarrested yet entirely unharmed selves.

“That went well.”

(It did not go well.)

Edited (phone don’t be a jerk) 2022-01-04 11:56 (UTC)

It did not go well.

Emet-Selch maintained his composure well enough while inside, but after the fact--

He's already walking off at a brisk pace, not all the way to furious but certainly steaming.

"Then we will reevaluate," he says, curt. Evidently he's not considering this a full failure just yet.

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