thranduil oropherion (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rowancrowned) wrote2015-03-22 06:02 pm
rowancrowned) wrote2015-03-22 06:02 pm
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That flicker of humor lingers a moment but is faded by the time he takes up the refilled glass and raises it half a degree. So just pride, then.
"I'll tell you what I said to Rutyer. It's my belief that the best way to see that place made secure is to finish the fight with Corypheus and see his powers in the Magisterium overthrown. As much as the island may be an able touchpoint in the North once cleared of Venatori, it's unlikely to be in the position of waging further wars of its own volition. It's in my own best interests that I remain where I am."
"I'll tell you what I said to Rutyer. It's my belief that the best way to see that place made secure is to finish the fight with Corypheus and see his powers in the Magisterium overthrown. As much as the island may be an able touchpoint in the North once cleared of Venatori, it's unlikely to be in the position of waging further wars of its own volition. It's in my own best interests that I remain where I am."
In the middle of the day, Edgard knocks on Thranduil's door. No response. He waits a moment, looks around to see if anyone's there. He's going to have to get that glass back somehow. He starts sticking something into the lock and wiggles it around for a bit. Just a bit more and then it clicks.
"... yes," he says. "She was correct to do so."
The fire is mostly embers so he sets the kettle down near them to at least heat the water; it isn't as if the tea is worth attentive preparation. That done, he takes the other chair.
"Did you have them? They would not have seemed... ordinary. They would have been remarkably clear."
The fire is mostly embers so he sets the kettle down near them to at least heat the water; it isn't as if the tea is worth attentive preparation. That done, he takes the other chair.
"Did you have them? They would not have seemed... ordinary. They would have been remarkably clear."
You weren’t there.
At the soirée, I mean. Not that I blame you, of course, but.
I suppose I’m just asking to...
[To what, see if he’s brooding? Sulking? Sad?
No, it’s too uncomfortable, that. He won’t wade so far into stupidity.]
Well. Just asking.
[And besides, he can’t exactly check on Gwen either, now that she’s clearly pulled back.]
At the soirée, I mean. Not that I blame you, of course, but.
I suppose I’m just asking to...
[To what, see if he’s brooding? Sulking? Sad?
No, it’s too uncomfortable, that. He won’t wade so far into stupidity.]
Well. Just asking.
[And besides, he can’t exactly check on Gwen either, now that she’s clearly pulled back.]
My lady made it clear I was not welcome at the Duc's estate.
( calmly. )
Since neither she nor the Duc de Coucy have rescinded the ban, I did not wish to be so rude as to presume I was wanted.
( visions of being turned away at the gate, and so on, on top of gwenaelle's clear wish to not have to see him. )
( calmly. )
Since neither she nor the Duc de Coucy have rescinded the ban, I did not wish to be so rude as to presume I was wanted.
( visions of being turned away at the gate, and so on, on top of gwenaelle's clear wish to not have to see him. )
A ban? She actually— [No of course that's how it must've played out 'good bye, we're done, piss off and never come back' etc, etc, etc. And while the sight of a catastrophic break-up is nothing new by Astarion's standards, he does imagine hers are more potent than most.]
She didn't ban me, shockingly. Probably should've considered the possibility before I went and got dressed up for the occasion, but...
[Mm. Lucky.]
So. If not swanning your way through the streets, looking like Kirkwall's golden ghost, what are you up to?
She didn't ban me, shockingly. Probably should've considered the possibility before I went and got dressed up for the occasion, but...
[Mm. Lucky.]
So. If not swanning your way through the streets, looking like Kirkwall's golden ghost, what are you up to?
Yes.
[ leaving it at that. ]
Work for the Division. Sparring. What one normally does.
[ leaving it at that. ]
Work for the Division. Sparring. What one normally does.
Sounds miserable.
[Does it count as fishing for a hint if it's also true?]
[Does it count as fishing for a hint if it's also true?]
Ugh.
[What is this feeling? It's awful.
To the Hells with it. He cuts the connection in revulsion the second it wells, as if it'll stem the tide.]
[What is this feeling? It's awful.
To the Hells with it. He cuts the connection in revulsion the second it wells, as if it'll stem the tide.]
...what.
[If he could sound any less enthused, it'd be a miracle.]
[If he could sound any less enthused, it'd be a miracle.]
Why did you ask?
[ a lilt of curiosity, but. he’s serious, not playful. ]
[ a lilt of curiosity, but. he’s serious, not playful. ]
Because I felt like it. [No darling, no honeyed words— by now he's done his damndest to reach out to Gwenaëlle, only to have the figurative door shut in his face.
The night air in Wycome is warm, balmy. The view of the ocean from an empty casino balcony is startlingly dazzling. It's still not doing much to soothe his mood.]
Is there anything else you'd like to know? Something more useless, perhaps?
The night air in Wycome is warm, balmy. The view of the ocean from an empty casino balcony is startlingly dazzling. It's still not doing much to soothe his mood.]
Is there anything else you'd like to know? Something more useless, perhaps?
Persistent. Troublesome—
You’re not letting this drop, are you
[He sighs, no doubt hanging his head in defeat. Graceless and irritated and tired.
Ellie and Fenris are far, his ally here is suspicious of him, he tried (and failed) to drag Gwenaëlle back to her senses to his own detriment, he’s currently playing at being a glorified slave, he’s just so— ]
I just wanted to be sure you were all right. And you aren’t. So hooray for us, we’ve all learned something horrible tonight.
You’re not letting this drop, are you
[He sighs, no doubt hanging his head in defeat. Graceless and irritated and tired.
Ellie and Fenris are far, his ally here is suspicious of him, he tried (and failed) to drag Gwenaëlle back to her senses to his own detriment, he’s currently playing at being a glorified slave, he’s just so— ]
I just wanted to be sure you were all right. And you aren’t. So hooray for us, we’ve all learned something horrible tonight.
No, ( he agrees, easy. ) It is one of my less flattering traits.
( after a moment: )
What other horrible thing did you learn?
( after a moment: )
What other horrible thing did you learn?
That she's no longer responding personally to my attempts to— [Another sigh. He's full of them tonight.] I have a feeling I'm just as banned, now.
[Anyway, if you're sticking around like a splinter under his nail:]
Amongst other things. [The veranda is quiet. He's so far withdrawn (and the noise from inside so loud) he doubts even the most capable of spies would have no way of overhearing him here.] The situation in Wycome is a touch more messy than I'd anticipated. And I'll be honest, pretending to be of Tevene origin isn't as fun as one might expect.
By which I mean not at all.
[But who's he going to huff about this to. Fenris? The man would be furious if he knew.]
[Anyway, if you're sticking around like a splinter under his nail:]
Amongst other things. [The veranda is quiet. He's so far withdrawn (and the noise from inside so loud) he doubts even the most capable of spies would have no way of overhearing him here.] The situation in Wycome is a touch more messy than I'd anticipated. And I'll be honest, pretending to be of Tevene origin isn't as fun as one might expect.
By which I mean not at all.
[But who's he going to huff about this to. Fenris? The man would be furious if he knew.]
( halting: ) You tried to- to-
( meddle seems the best word, and generously benevolent in its assumptions of astarion's motivations.
and then he remembers how this whole thing started. )
Leave her be. ( not a command. ) She- ( an exhale. ) let her decide her approach. Always. Tell me you have not been needling her.
( but back to what's got astarion down. )
No. Do they have you playing at enslavement?
( meddle seems the best word, and generously benevolent in its assumptions of astarion's motivations.
and then he remembers how this whole thing started. )
Leave her be. ( not a command. ) She- ( an exhale. ) let her decide her approach. Always. Tell me you have not been needling her.
( but back to what's got astarion down. )
No. Do they have you playing at enslavement?
I wasn't needling her! [He protests, scoffing sharp through even sharper teeth.]
I only asked her to reconsider. Once or twice. Or...
[What follows is a thin mutter. So very quiet.]
...slightly more than that, maybe.
I only asked her to reconsider. Once or twice. Or...
[What follows is a thin mutter. So very quiet.]
...slightly more than that, maybe.
Ah, ( suspicions confirmed. ) She loathes that.
( curious, despite himself: ) Who did she delegate to answer?
( curious, despite himself: ) Who did she delegate to answer?
Oh, that nuisance whose name I can't even bother to remember. The one that ghosts after her like her bloody shadow.
[He's never once made an attempt at pronouncing it, and he's not about to start now.]
[He's never once made an attempt at pronouncing it, and he's not about to start now.]
Guilfoyle, ( like astarion doesn't absolutely know it. ) Her protector.
Tell me more of what is happening in Wycome. What you are doing.
Tell me more of what is happening in Wycome. What you are doing.
[There are some people— even in Riftwatch— that Astarion wouldn't dare talk to about this. Missions are delicate things, after all. Glass little houses all their own, and the potential for someone to find themselves perfectly aligned to let told details slip is always high when you're an organization held together by nothing but Anchor Shards and glue and a little soft-spoken twine.
But Thranduil is one of a rarer few. And Astarion's voice drops as he settles against the balcony, witheringly resigned, now that he's out of conversational shields.]
I was sent here to get in close with the Duke and his social circle. The creme de la creme of this sprawling scene. More importantly, I needed to sniff out whether or not any Tevinter agents are here doing the exact same— ergo, no letting it slip that I'm not from around here. Being assigned our dear Loki d'Asgard as my partner, the cover story practically wrote itself.
I'm good at this sort of thing, you know. I've always been good at it. In fact, I enjoy it for the most part. [It's a powerful thing, to lie and be so sure of yourself in it. To know you're the one pulling the strings for a change.]
I just didn't expect it to be so....taxing, I suppose.
But Thranduil is one of a rarer few. And Astarion's voice drops as he settles against the balcony, witheringly resigned, now that he's out of conversational shields.]
I was sent here to get in close with the Duke and his social circle. The creme de la creme of this sprawling scene. More importantly, I needed to sniff out whether or not any Tevinter agents are here doing the exact same— ergo, no letting it slip that I'm not from around here. Being assigned our dear Loki d'Asgard as my partner, the cover story practically wrote itself.
I'm good at this sort of thing, you know. I've always been good at it. In fact, I enjoy it for the most part. [It's a powerful thing, to lie and be so sure of yourself in it. To know you're the one pulling the strings for a change.]
I just didn't expect it to be so....taxing, I suppose.
The differences between your home and Thedas being too deep a chasm to span easily, or something specific about the event itself?
( it's easy for him to pull details, to coax, to untangle. add to that the fact that he cares, genuinely, and his tone is curious, soft. )
( it's easy for him to pull details, to coax, to untangle. add to that the fact that he cares, genuinely, and his tone is curious, soft. )
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