action ♪ we like to party

[merchantprince]

Who: Varric and maybe even you.
Broadcast: Communication is pretty spotty, but you're welcome to pick up the occasional words/phrases.
Action: Anyone on the way-station
When: Early January? I'm not looking for a specific date, just 'before he goes to the forest'.

[Varric appears to have an enthralled audience in this restaurant. He's got some Floot Loops cocktail thing in one hand, with a cute little fruity straw, and he's gesturing wildly with the other hand while he describes something or another. There are more drinks and plenty more food on the table behind him.]

—and then the thing exploded! Right in her face! She just reached up and wiped the blood across her nose, like facepaint. The rest of them turned tail and fled. Why the hell would they stay? Their leader was dead, and they had a pretty pissed-off mage wearing its blood like a damned war trophy.

The rest of that's in my book. Tale of the Champion. I don't want to spoil the whole thing for you all, so you'll have to wait until I find a publishing company out here. I'll take suggestions. And donations.

[He sips his drink. The aliens appear to be clearing out, however reluctantly.]

[ooc: Come have a drink! Or... a non alcoholic drink... with Varric.]

Comments

[got_it_memorized]

[Axel has been listening from a bit of a distance, lingering near the table, a bottle of Floot Loops citrus ale in one hand. It's really sweet... good thing he likes sweet. This Varric guy is quite the storyteller, it seems. How interesting. He wonders how much of it is true and how much is embellishment.

[When the story ends and turns into a sales pitch, Axel can't help but grin. He really likes something about his style. Approaching from the side, he grabs a nearby chair and spins it around to sit backwards, folding his arms over the back and grinning.]

Quite a story. Seems like you've seen a lot of interesting stuff. Do you go looking for trouble or does it just find you?

[merchantprince]

[Varric would offer him a drink but Axel seems pre-equipped with one. He's-- not expecting Axel to be so damn tall. Like, okay, most people are taller than Varric, whatever. But this guy? This guy is a motherfucking giant. He's nearly twice his fucking size.]

Shit, you're tall. Did they put something in your food?

[He takes another swig of fruity vodka pebbles whatever girly ass drink.]

Depends on the pay.

[That... doesn't really answer the question, but that's Varric for you.]

[got_it_memorized]

[Axel just grins when Varric comments on his height. He figured 'dwarf' meant he'd be somewhat diminutive, but Axel's used to people being shorter than he is. Maybe not this much shorter than he is, but hey, you can't judge a person by their altitude.]

Ate all my veggies as a kid; guess ma was onto something when she told me asparagus was good for me.

[He grins. The pay?]

You know, in my experience, trouble rarely pays high enough to really be worth it. [The Organization hadn't even paid him at all!] It can be fun sometimes, though, so I don't mind so much then.

[merchantprince]

[He chuckles. Yep, he definitely likes this guy.]

Guess so.

[Varric rolls his shoulders in an easy shrug.]

I'm not really the mercenary type. I just write down the story.

[got_it_memorized]

[Axel looks a little intrigued.]

So you're the bard, then? I guess every good troublemaker deserves someone to immortalize their antics.

[He takes a sip of his beer and then gestures at Varric.]

How many books have you written?

[catamite]

[by the way the shrimp of an elf stands from his seat to give a hearty round of applause, he's already a few Floot Loops deep into the drink menu.]

That was great!

[and then he just invites himself over, now that the story is finished, flouncing across the room with drink in hand.]

Man, I had no idea that dwarves would be such good writers.

[merchantprince]

[Everything this kid says sounds sort of racist, but he knows it's not quite like that. Dwarves are all dead on his world. It's a thing.]

I'm not a great writer because I'm a dwarf. [Gotta set him straight though.] I'm a great writer because I shut up and pay attention. You'd be surprised how many people just... don't.

You doing all right?

[catamite]

[he doesn't know any better, and stereotypes and racism kind of rule his life. he doesn't even think about it... obviously.

he's already moving on past the comment, and on past most of what the dwarf is saying. bouncing right along. maybe proving Varric's point a little bit.]

Oh, yeah I'm great! That story was amazing. How do you think up stuff like that?

[merchantprince]

[Someday this kid will be set straight. A little nudge here and there won't hurt him, though.]

You give me too much credit! That one was all true. ... Well, mostly. I may have embellished some details here and there for the sake of the audience, but the Champion is definitely a real person.

[He smiles, and the edges of his eyes crinkle.]

If it's a good story, there's probably a nugget of truth in it somewhere.

[catamite]

[his eyes go wide for a second, before he thinks about it and skepticism squints them up again.]

No way... There's no way that could've been a real story.

[of all the things that he falls for on a regular basis, this is the one he decides to be suspicious about.]

[onlyanapple]

[Where there is drink, Crowley can be found. He's currently enjoying some Floot Loops wine. Or, rather, as close to 'enjoying' as one can get when the drink tastes like it was designed to take out diabetics in one fell swoop. He;s been idly listening to the dwarf talk, swilling the concoction in his glass.]

Maybe you should get it sponsored by Floot Loops. They'd probably fill it with ads, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices like that.

[merchantprince]

[That wine looks disgusting as shit. At least this way, Varric is drinking it in a manner that's supposed to be sweet. Wine is... mmmmmmmm nope.]

Back home, we call that 'selling out'. And that's one thing I'm just not prepared to do. [His tone is grave, but then he adds:] If I sell out, they'll start making merchandise without me seeing a single sovereign-- and that's just bad business practice.

[onlyanapple]

[It is the worst wine ever. It is an affront to all wines everywhere.]

Can't have that, no? I mean, imagine how awful it would be if people's creative freedoms were ripped away by big corporations all the time.

...Oh wait.

[merchantprince]

I feel like I'm missing a little context, but our current situation seems close enough.

[He sips his drink.]

Never seen glasses like that before. They're pretty smooth.

[onlyanapple]

Trust me, if you don't get it, it's probably for the best.

They're called sunglasses, and yes, they are.

[wilder]

[He came on the waystation for a drink, and partly just to get away from the ship for a bit. It really just so happened to be the one that Varric was giving his story. He sat in one of the backtables, listening in. He has a melon flavored drink in his hands- it's not too bad, at least compared to the kerosene-crap they've had the past few months]

[He'll wait until the crowds start to clear before speaking up]

Heh- sure is nice to know you can go to any part of the universe and still nothing draws a crowd like something grossly exploding.

[merchantprince]

[Varric likely spotted him a while ago, but chose not to single him out. Kaneis was obviously waiting for a chance to reveal himself and Varric isn't the kind of jerk to jeopardize that unless he needs to.]

Oh, I know. That part is always a crowd-pleaser. It's even better when Hawke does it in public.

[wilder]

[Yeah like he want to interrupt storytime anyway. Besides, he was one that preferred to get an assessment of a situation before making his presence known]

You mean she goes to your storytelling sessions and makes things grossly explode in front of everyone?

Wow. Talk about not pulling punches with the special effects.

[merchantprince]

[Varric barks a laugh.]

Once or twice. Where there's a bar, there's a bar fight waiting to happen.

[wilder]

Ah, that'd sure do it.

I finished your book by the way. The romance one?

[blindoptimism]

[Nunnally had her chair parked near the entrance of the restaurant. The entire place had a bit of an adult vibe to it, and she didn't want to intrude... But when she heard the first part of Varric's tale, she couldn't help but want to linger by the doorway and listen to the rest. As the crowd disperses, she waits near the entrance for a bit before rolling her chair towards the dwarf]

That was a wonderful story. It was very thrilling!

[merchantprince]

[Varric has actually never seen a wheelchair before-- not like that, anyway. People who can't walk usually have canes, or crutches, or they just get carried everywhere. Wheelchairs. Chairs on wheels. Damn, he thinks, that's smart.

He smiles at her and takes a bow.]

Thank you, little lady. It's my life's work to tell stories.

[He sits back down.]

The food isn't that bad. I can order you something, and you can tell me a little about yourself. How about it?

[blindoptimism]

[hehe, charming but he seems kind. She laughs a little, raising a hand to cover her mouth, and smiles happily at the sweet offer]

Are you sure? I would feel guilty if I knew you had spent your hard-earned money on someone you only just met. And besides that, I don't know if my stories would compare.

[she does look really impressed by the idea of Hawke, and her mind is already buzzing with questions. But some hesitance shows on her face, as if she doesn't want to force him to keep talking about himself and Hawke if he doesn't want to]

[merchantprince]

[He tilts his head a little.]

What's the point of having coin if you don't spend it? Besides, this is what I like doing. [He sips his drink.] If you really have somewhere else to be, I won't keep you, but...

[He can tell she wants to be here.]

[blindoptimism]

Ah... well, if it's truly alright, thank you for your generosity.

[oh! but as she rolls her chair closer to the table, she pauses and realizes something]

But I should at least introduce myself first. My name is Nunnally Lamperouge. It's a pleasure to meet you.