[ Clever as he is, Gale should have anticipated this. Only then he’d have to attribute greater worth to his person — to the value Astarion places on him and their relationship, whatever it may be.
As it stands, the rebuke shocks him into alertness, eyes wide and jaw slack. ]
I — of course. [ They’re sort of a “we,” aren’t they? As much as they’ve ever been. ] I didn’t — I don’t know what there is to say.
[ It all seemed so final, that night, faced with a choice to live whatever life he has left and forsake Mystra, or die and win eternal forgiveness. Elminster had made a point to remind him how a human lifespan is nothing to a goddess.
He should be grateful, to be Chosen again after his folly.
Looking at Astarion, he feels anything but. Gale doesn’t think he’s seen his hackles raised since they grew close, as though the steadiness of their intimacy was sanding down his harsh edges. Now, there’s a snarl tucked at the corner of his mouth, at odds with the damp sheen of his eyes. Because of you. The ache in his chest strikes sudden and true, entirely unrelated to the orb. Gale’s expression twists downward, even as he scrounges for the words to explain himself. ]
I was trying to find a, a, a [ He snaps his fingers, as he finds the word. ] silver-lining. [ quieter, his eyes evasive. ] I’m not certain Shadowheart conveyed the particulars of my situation. [ Mustering all his courage, he meets Astarion’s gaze. ] Let me explain, please.
no subject
As it stands, the rebuke shocks him into alertness, eyes wide and jaw slack. ]
I — of course. [ They’re sort of a “we,” aren’t they? As much as they’ve ever been. ] I didn’t — I don’t know what there is to say.
[ It all seemed so final, that night, faced with a choice to live whatever life he has left and forsake Mystra, or die and win eternal forgiveness. Elminster had made a point to remind him how a human lifespan is nothing to a goddess.
He should be grateful, to be Chosen again after his folly.
Looking at Astarion, he feels anything but. Gale doesn’t think he’s seen his hackles raised since they grew close, as though the steadiness of their intimacy was sanding down his harsh edges. Now, there’s a snarl tucked at the corner of his mouth, at odds with the damp sheen of his eyes. Because of you. The ache in his chest strikes sudden and true, entirely unrelated to the orb. Gale’s expression twists downward, even as he scrounges for the words to explain himself. ]
I was trying to find a, a, a [ He snaps his fingers, as he finds the word. ] silver-lining. [ quieter, his eyes evasive. ] I’m not certain Shadowheart conveyed the particulars of my situation. [ Mustering all his courage, he meets Astarion’s gaze. ] Let me explain, please.