[ Bastien doesn’t hide the flicker of disappointment. It carries into, ]

It wouldn’t be the worst thing, you know. We could—

[ Leave. He stops just short of being that selfish. ]

—find a place in Lowtown. [ The next best thing. ] We’d only have to be here to work. We could take assignments elsewhere sometimes. Orlais—you could see Alexandrie that way. We’d have time, we could start on what we want now. If you got out of that chair, your ass might unflatten. And I would still be so proud of you.

[ He musses the hair all his petting had smoothed back. Speech over. And it’s not as if he doesn’t understand ego. ]

But alright. Work. Give me something to help you with.