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(no subject)

Who: IT'S A GAME MINGLE GET IN THE VAN
Broadcast: If you want!
Action: All of it!
When: Second half of the month.

[hey everyone! how's it been going? how's medieval-fun-time-world treating you? anyone pillaged and burned anything yet? got kicked out of the castle? been planning expeditions? registered for jousting? busy angsting for the last two weeks on your ship?

this is a mingle for everybody, whether they're hiding in the volcano, out and about in the city, or up on one of those random random stations where you can get quirky souvenirs.]

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[ Hawke has no room to judge who people are "traveling" with, so although he acquires sort of a knowing twinkle for a second, he has nothing to contribute on the subject. ]

That is true. Varric can drink his body weight in liquid and still sink a bullseye from miles off. We should all be so talented. If you use a bow as a focus, do you have to be firing arrows for it to work?

[ Look, this still sounds really weird to him. And you can't smack things in the face with a bow! ]

[ it's not that she feels like he might judge her, more that... well, they were lovers, and then they weren't, and just saying "friend" seems inaccurate, and-- well, it's just complicated ]

I don't, actually! I carried arrows anyway, just in case, but with some practice I actually managed to just shoot... well, magic, more or less.

[ She's pretty proud of herself, clearly. ]

Maker. That sounds dreadfully overcomplicated for a simple fellow such as myself. I suppose you'll have to continue bearing the weight of manual dexterity for this family. Such as we are.

[ 'Complicated' is why this is not a romanced Hawke, so ...probably later for that. Someday! Just not this one. ]

Leaves me free to carry on being the big lummox who hits people with sticks! Everyone goes home happy.

[ Steffa tries to hide a smile behind her hand, attempting (and failing) to keep a straight face. ]

It is a burden I will bear, for the... honor of the Amell name.

[ Yeah, they're all big doofass fuckups in one way or another, aren't they? Not much honor to be had there. Ah well. ]

Speaking of the big lummox of the family, though, it just occurred to me that I don't actually know your name. I can't very well go on calling you "Hawke" when you're my cousin, it's ridiculous.

[ It's been literal years since anyone called him anything else, so the ?? that creases his brow is less nonsense than it otherwise might be. ]

Garrett. I can't promise to answer unless you shout it a few times, but there you are.

Garrett, then. And you can call me Steffa, if you like. It's what they called me at the Circle when it wasn't serious and I wasn't in trouble.

[ It's called a nickname, Steffa, you know that. ]

Ah, but Stephanie's fine, too, though. If you'd rather. Not.

[ awkward bb ]

[ Hawke, excelling in either diffusing awkwardness or compounding it, emits one of his warmer laughs. ]

Why wouldn't I? Have you been up to some serious trouble I'm not aware of? If so, why wasn't I invited? Barely met and you're slighting me already.

[ Steffa laughs, and shakes her head, the awkwardness of the moment dispelled like smoke in the wind. ]

The most serious trouble I've been "up to" is having dance parties with Hiro in Krista's library. He has the most amazing little box that plays all sorts of music from his world, it's wonderful.

[ Wait, wait. Just a second. ]

There's a library? Where?

[ Yes, Steffa, that is like the single word he picked up, because Cousin Lummox is also a big lummoxy nerd. You try getting new reading material in during wartime. ]

Edited 2015-04-02 04:55 (UTC)

[ No, she definitely gets you. They were not exactly rolling in spare money to use on books.

Cousin Lummox can join her in geeking ]

Oh! Krista, our captain, she's started collecting books from whoever can pick some up, to make a library in her personnel room for the fleet!

It's still very small, but it's so nice to have books on hand.

[ Awwwww yis. ...wow it's really obvious they have ancestry in common, isn't it. Not necessarily a liking for reading itself, but an upbringing that encourages it. Hawke's schooling was considerably less formal; one thing the Circles did have going for them was access to so much literature. ]

Anything I'd know?

[ Mostly curiosity for its own sake, but he also can't help wondering - even if he doesn't ask directly - if The Tale of the Champion is still circulating via Varric. Enormous hole through the center or not. It does function as a m...ostly authorized biography, albeit one full of lies. ]

[ Mostly authorized and full of lies. Steffa should tell Varric her story and let him embellish to his heart's content. It would probably be more interesting than the real story. So Steffa thinks. ]

No, mostly things people picked up on the moons we visited before we came here, I think. There's a few non-fiction books that won't be much good away from the moons, and a rather surprising number of romance novels of dubious quality, among other things.

[ She's already read half of them. ]

[ Yes, most people do find 'saving the entire known world' pretty boring, it's true.* ]

Really.

[ One of Hawke's passive abilities covers INTENSE AND THOROUGH TEASING with two syllables and a single raised eyebrow. ]

Any in particular you'd recommend?

[ ....in fairness that would probably score points with Anders. ]

* no it isn't

Edited 2015-04-03 20:08 (UTC)

[ Hush, it was mostly mud and sleeping in tents. Boring.

She smacks him lightly on the arm, turning a little pink. ]

Don't you take that tone with me, I am quite good at picking out quality romance novels. There was quite the trade in them in the apprentice dorms in the Circle.

[ And she's only a tiny bit ashamed. ]

There are a few that are worth reading, though. I'll make a list for you when I get back to the ship.

I'm given to understand a lot got traded in the Circle dormitories.

[ No face has ever been straighter. Which is hells of irony on many levels. Also, it's totally Anders' fault Hawke knows this. ]

You know, I think I'll take you up on that.

[ Seriously, what could be better. NOTHING, that is what, don't even start. ]

There were many things to trade, yes.

[ she sounds and looks so prim as she says that. Goodness. That probably means she has some idea what you're thinking of, Garrett. ]

I'll make sure to put some of them aside, then. You can come by any time to borrow them, just be sure not to spill anything on them or rip any pages.

I ...honestly can't decide whether I want to ask if you've ever lent one out and gotten it back with the pages sticky.

[ LOOK, THAT SETUP WAS LIKE A BLINKING BULLSEYE. FROM THE GIRL WITH THE MAGICAL BOW. ]

I made him replace it. Took him almost every favor he'd curried at that point, and it never happened again while I was there, at least.

[ IT WAS INTENTIONAL. A+ TARGET PRACTICE, COUSIN.

Also we're not going to discuss the fact that p much everyone who was in on the black market romance novels was dead within a handful of weeks of her leaving. ]

Goodness. You sound like a member of the merchants' guild.

[ Literally all he knows about them is that they are a] ruthless and b] super dwarfy. He claps a hand over his chest, endlessly theatrical. ]

I'll be sure to return any borrowed materials in pristine condition.

Edited 2015-04-06 22:33 (UTC)

Do you know how hard it was to get those smuggled in? He deserved it.

[ she leans up and kisses his cheek on a whim ]

Good. I trust you won't disappoint me.

[ Hawke doesn't visibly startle; he almost never does any more even when it would be the 'correct' autonomic response, but he does reach up a hand reflexively to touch his cheek with the pads of his fingertips. Just for a second, but enough to be notable. ]

With such swift and terrible retribution within view? I wouldn't dare.

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