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Astarion scowled at the new item he bought for Halsin, turning it on the small table in his lavish little tent. It made him think of the druid, but now he felt silly because he had absolutely no occasion to have done something so kind. At least a holiday would have given him the opportunity to disguise his ridiculous sentiments as social obligation.
The freedom to make his own choices was quite frequently utter bullshit.
Now he had to fumble through passing off this sudden gift or pretend he wanted a small terrarium. Apparently, they were all the rage as an amazing and largely accidental innovation. It was a miracle Astarion found that self-contained ecosystem for sale at a merchant’s stand at all.
He would need another divine feat to get him to present Halsin with the gift. Unfortunately, the gods seemed most preoccupied with doing whatever let a cult form under their noses. Astarion held the glass jar up to the sunlight and let himself appreciate the way it dappled through the vibrant green leaves.
“Must I do everything myself?”
Lifting the Shadow Curse was as good a reason as any. After such a grim battle, complete with a thorough head-stomping for their enemy as a courtesy from Aylin, Astarion thought every last bit of energy had abandoned him. Isobel had better be grateful she was left out of the world-shaping battle. Something told him she would get exactly no rest that night (and only slightly more in the evenings to come).
He, however, planned to sleep to his heart’s content (inasmuch as he "slept" during his reverie as a high elf).
First, he would finish his minor task. Beginning with an attempt to glide over to the former Archdruid’s tent—pointedly ignoring the knowing look from their newest druid and heroine to Baldur’s Gate—Astarion resolved to be done with this gift business.
“Here,” he offered, holding out the terrarium. “I understand we spend most of our time up to our eyes in nature, but I thought, since there’s no such thing as too much greenery for you…”
The jar would speak for itself. Hopefully. Halsin was still there with the eerie child of the woods, Thaniel, but he had enough attention to spare for Astarion. Fortunate for them both, truly. He didn’t terribly want to hold onto the terrarium out of spite if he was insulted by being snubbed.
“A terrarium? Living plants in perfect balance, contained in their own enclosure yet capable of rejoining the natural world.”
“Yes. Of course.” Astarion did feel restless, shifting his weight to his back foot and glancing from the gift to the bear of an elf. “Are you going to take it, or should I assume you hate the thing?”
“I don’t hate it,” he teased, reaching out for the glass container. It was dwarfed by his calloused hands. Truly absurd, the way this man loomed large for an elf. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
“Ah, say nothing of it.” Astarion smirked, letting a fang poke out to get a reaction. The slow smile was not the response he’d expected. He certainly wouldn’t complain about that regardless. “If the others ever find out I’m capable of consideration, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Halsin laughed, and shockingly, that didn’t rankle him at all. Astarion almost would have preferred the irritation to whatever it was nestling into his chest at the sound.