[His heart is beating in his chest, elated (and afraid, like it always is— only distantly this time; only because as he feels that metal slip into his palm he realizes he has something to lose, now), trying to swallow around the shape of it while Leto tells him he’s free to do as he likes with those high walls. With sweeping floors and a somewhat damaged (yet beautiful nonetheless) ceiling that doesn’t leak with cold or invite in animals, and he wonders if that’d been fixed deliberately. If there was damage here before, and Leto made certain it wouldn’t bring misery to his friend.
'A room is the least of what I would offer you, and want nothing in return save you.']
...Fuck it.
[A little absent. A little dazed, still. Staring right past (right through) Leto as crimson eyes lift to trace the ceiling overhead, swept up in the sight of it all. Feeling it heavy on his shoulders in the best way possible.
—but right. Leto won’t understand unless he says it aloud, so, attention snapping back towards his companion at last (pale fingers curling around that key) he shakes his head.]
Fuck the damned flat.
[Concise.]
That place is vile. I pay tithe for a hole in stone walls with my damned weight in gold, to a letch that never fails to look disappointed by the process. [Astarion always suspected the man was eagerly awaiting the day when the pale elf couldn’t make his payments— more fool him, for Astarion’s no penniless city wretch.]
The only benefit of it is that the sea air rolling in from the port doesn’t carry the stink of Lowtown with it in that particular spot. And that it isn’t the Gallows.
It was exciting, being on my own for the first time since I left Cazador behind. [Truly, it was.
But it was lonely, too. And a different sort of danger than being an elf in Hightown.]
I’m done with that now. Had all the fun I could stomach.
[A pause, and then:]
Although I know you enjoy it as an escape from these walls. [A thought he turns over for a beat, now that the thrill is— not dying down, but leveling, in a sense. Feeling undeniably real at last.]
If you want to keep that as an option, have some other place to den yourself down, I’ll keep it, you know.
Happily.
[And it isn’t a placating offer. Nothing pitying or eager— just there. Knowing. Open as an outstretched hand: I won’t take this away from you in exchange for your gift.]
;v;
'A room is the least of what I would offer you, and want nothing in return save you.']
...Fuck it.
[A little absent. A little dazed, still. Staring right past (right through) Leto as crimson eyes lift to trace the ceiling overhead, swept up in the sight of it all. Feeling it heavy on his shoulders in the best way possible.
—but right. Leto won’t understand unless he says it aloud, so, attention snapping back towards his companion at last (pale fingers curling around that key) he shakes his head.]
Fuck the damned flat.
[Concise.]
That place is vile. I pay tithe for a hole in stone walls with my damned weight in gold, to a letch that never fails to look disappointed by the process. [Astarion always suspected the man was eagerly awaiting the day when the pale elf couldn’t make his payments— more fool him, for Astarion’s no penniless city wretch.]
The only benefit of it is that the sea air rolling in from the port doesn’t carry the stink of Lowtown with it in that particular spot. And that it isn’t the Gallows.
It was exciting, being on my own for the first time since I left Cazador behind. [Truly, it was.
But it was lonely, too. And a different sort of danger than being an elf in Hightown.]
I’m done with that now. Had all the fun I could stomach.
[A pause, and then:]
Although I know you enjoy it as an escape from these walls. [A thought he turns over for a beat, now that the thrill is— not dying down, but leveling, in a sense. Feeling undeniably real at last.]
If you want to keep that as an option, have some other place to den yourself down, I’ll keep it, you know.
Happily.
[And it isn’t a placating offer. Nothing pitying or eager— just there. Knowing. Open as an outstretched hand: I won’t take this away from you in exchange for your gift.]