"I'm happy to hear that you found a good partner, and that they look out for you. I've been lucky enough to find a decent partner as well." Charles had helped to ground him in a number of ways, but they weren't really quota partners.
"Can I ask why you think you wouldn't have made any friends as a Dominant in the beginning?"
"Oh, because I would have thrown my weight around horribly and abused
whatever measure of power the city saw fit to give me," he says. He's
self-aware enough to know he wouldn't have handled the responsibility very
well. "I tend not to do things by halves, for better and for worse."
"I'm sure you're not the only person who would do such a thing." Thomas replies thoughtfully, considering Astarion's words. It would appear that he was a complex person, and Thomas was interested to learn more, if the other man was willing to tell him.
"Thank you for your honesty about it, Astarion. I don't know if many others would do the same."
"And I certainly wouldn't have done, until quite recently," Astarion
admits. "While I've been here, I've been compelled to tell the truth, show
my memories to near-strangers, be intimate in all the ways I've little
experience of. Every so often I'd just prefer to do it by choice."
"I have some experience of that too. Except for the memory sharing, I have yet to go through that." He sounds sympathetic, offering Astarion a soft smile. "Choice is how I would prefer it as well. But this place -" Thomas sighs, shaking his head. " - it can be unpredictable at times. That's why I'm glad to have good friends here."
"Friends," Astarion echoes, and huffs a soft laugh. "Do you know, before coming here I don't think I'd had anyone I could consider a friend? Not really. There were people I had no choice but to make myself tolerable to, but - that's hardly the same."
"The funny thing is, I know exactly where you're coming from. Except more people had to tolerate me than the other way around back home." He smiles ruefully, thinking about the people in the household, both servants and the family. "I could be a real bastard there."
"I think in your situation I would have used blackmail," Astarion jokes. "I don't doubt that you knew plenty about your masters that they would have preferred you didn't."
"Why, it's like you know me." Thomas smirks slightly. "I have used blackmail in the past - not just against my masters, but some of my fellow colleagues too."
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notfoul
no subject
Date: 2024-03-27 10:10 pm (UTC)"Can I ask why you think you wouldn't have made any friends as a Dominant in the beginning?"
no subject
Date: 2024-03-28 08:40 am (UTC)"Oh, because I would have thrown my weight around horribly and abused whatever measure of power the city saw fit to give me," he says. He's self-aware enough to know he wouldn't have handled the responsibility very well. "I tend not to do things by halves, for better and for worse."
no subject
Date: 2024-03-29 05:30 pm (UTC)"Thank you for your honesty about it, Astarion. I don't know if many others would do the same."
no subject
Date: 2024-03-29 08:18 pm (UTC)"And I certainly wouldn't have done, until quite recently," Astarion admits. "While I've been here, I've been compelled to tell the truth, show my memories to near-strangers, be intimate in all the ways I've little experience of. Every so often I'd just prefer to do it by choice."
no subject
Date: 2024-04-01 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-04-02 11:08 am (UTC)"Friends," Astarion echoes, and huffs a soft laugh. "Do you know, before coming here I don't think I'd had anyone I could consider a friend? Not really. There were people I had no choice but to make myself tolerable to, but - that's hardly the same."
no subject
Date: 2024-04-02 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-04-02 03:24 pm (UTC)"Really," Astarion says, amused. "I barely dare wonder how you remained in gainful employment, darling."
no subject
Date: 2024-04-02 03:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-04-03 05:52 pm (UTC)"I think in your situation I would have used blackmail," Astarion jokes. "I don't doubt that you knew plenty about your masters that they would have preferred you didn't."
no subject
Date: 2024-04-05 09:20 pm (UTC)His expression sobers after a moment.
"I'm not that man anymore though."
no subject
Date: 2024-04-06 11:07 am (UTC)Astarion nods, thoughtful, and then lifts his glass.
"A toast, then. To the - better men we've become?"
Or still in the process of becoming, perhaps, but it still rings true.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-07 04:01 pm (UTC)"To the better men that we've become." He repeats, tipping his glass against Astarion's before taking a sip.
"Thank you."