[ By some other means, Gale says, as if there's any subtlety to it at all. Even as strange as it feels to be on the receiving end of someone's generosity, Astarion can't help but huff out a laugh. Dry, amused. A little charmed, despite himself. ]
Gale, if you wanted to play the daring rogue and his helpless victim, you only needed to say so.
[ An obvious jest, only meant to fluster. He gave up on enticing hopeless romantic Gale to play anything of that sort a long time ago. Right around the time Gale professed that he preferred taking their walks in silence, probably. ]
What will you need to complete it? [ Because if not for some external roadblock, Gale would have already finished. He's irritatingly clever that way. Quoting Gale, he adds, ] A rogue of my considerable talents might be able to procure it for you.
[ Embarrassingly, he flushes at the joke right on cue, which is certainly the rather rich wine going to his head. He sets his glass down primly. ]
Well, chiefly a vampire. If I may beg your assistance in that regard, we may verify that the theory is truly sound.
Assuming that it is, we’ll need to find something to... amplify the spell. So that it will sustain itself. [ His face falls. ]
My... former abilities have not as yet returned as I had hoped.
[ Tara has guessed, naturally, but he has not said the words out loud to anyone else. It feels like admitting weakness, acknowledging some sort of defeat. ]
[ Gale looks like a sad puppy abandoned in a box on the side of the road. Astarion can't begin to relate to what magic is to Gale—more than a tool, more than a passion; a religion—but he has to fight his own face falling all the same. Gods, is this empathy he's feeling? He's gone soft. Unlike Gale, however, he does manage to hide his own frown. With feigned nonchalance, he waves a hand. ]
It's only a matter of time, I'm sure.
[ He isn't sure. Gale wasn't only affected by the tadpole, but the orb, too. Something that powerful siphoning away one's magical abilities — it can't be easy to get them back. ]
Besides, you've already more than enough arcane talent to come through. [ Dryly: ] And that's me saying so, so it must be true.
[ Astarion isn't in the habit of giving out undeserved praise. Sometimes, he isn't even in the habit of giving out deserved praise. There's no one on this planet more devoted to magical studies or more annoyingly clever than Gale. (If there were, he might have gone to them instead of showing up at Gale's door pleading for help. The very thought of what he's done is humiliating, tempered only by the knowledge that Gale was already working on it.)
Leaning back in his chair: ] I'm not particularly well-versed in wizardry — despite your endless jabbering. [ The dig is less sharp than it might have been, back when they'd first met. It's wry, almost amused at the memory of Gale's nattering on about magic. ] But I can't imagine magical amplifiers like that are just lying around.
I am touched you retained enough for even that much optimism.
[ Hardly warranted at all, but Gale finds it curiously doesn’t matter. He’d not been seeking comfort exactly, only for Astarion to understand his current limitation, which was only fair given the task before them. That he had offered it in his own way anyway is a small, unexpected balm of warmth. ]
Oh! Yes. I do have leads, of course, but most are outdated by some years. Unfortunately not everything of use can be learned from a book. [ Gale says it as if this reality of the world greatly disappoints him. ]
But perhaps you can assist me in that. [ Astarion has always been better at more practical forms of investigation. Gale does love watching him work. ]
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no subject
Gale, if you wanted to play the daring rogue and his helpless victim, you only needed to say so.
[ An obvious jest, only meant to fluster. He gave up on enticing hopeless romantic Gale to play anything of that sort a long time ago. Right around the time Gale professed that he preferred taking their walks in silence, probably. ]
What will you need to complete it? [ Because if not for some external roadblock, Gale would have already finished. He's irritatingly clever that way. Quoting Gale, he adds, ] A rogue of my considerable talents might be able to procure it for you.
no subject
Well, chiefly a vampire. If I may beg your assistance in that regard, we may verify that the theory is truly sound.
Assuming that it is, we’ll need to find something to... amplify the spell. So that it will sustain itself. [ His face falls. ]
My... former abilities have not as yet returned as I had hoped.
[ Tara has guessed, naturally, but he has not said the words out loud to anyone else. It feels like admitting weakness, acknowledging some sort of defeat. ]
no subject
It's only a matter of time, I'm sure.
[ He isn't sure. Gale wasn't only affected by the tadpole, but the orb, too. Something that powerful siphoning away one's magical abilities — it can't be easy to get them back. ]
Besides, you've already more than enough arcane talent to come through. [ Dryly: ] And that's me saying so, so it must be true.
[ Astarion isn't in the habit of giving out undeserved praise. Sometimes, he isn't even in the habit of giving out deserved praise. There's no one on this planet more devoted to magical studies or more annoyingly clever than Gale. (If there were, he might have gone to them instead of showing up at Gale's door pleading for help. The very thought of what he's done is humiliating, tempered only by the knowledge that Gale was already working on it.)
Leaning back in his chair: ] I'm not particularly well-versed in wizardry — despite your endless jabbering. [ The dig is less sharp than it might have been, back when they'd first met. It's wry, almost amused at the memory of Gale's nattering on about magic. ] But I can't imagine magical amplifiers like that are just lying around.
no subject
[ Hardly warranted at all, but Gale finds it curiously doesn’t matter. He’d not been seeking comfort exactly, only for Astarion to understand his current limitation, which was only fair given the task before them. That he had offered it in his own way anyway is a small, unexpected balm of warmth. ]
Oh! Yes. I do have leads, of course, but most are outdated by some years. Unfortunately not everything of use can be learned from a book. [ Gale says it as if this reality of the world greatly disappoints him. ]
But perhaps you can assist me in that. [ Astarion has always been better at more practical forms of investigation. Gale does love watching him work. ]