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"You're a virgin?" Isabela exclaimed incredulously, earning a deep blush from Bethany Hawke who attempted to hide it by turning and perusing through a rather large display of fine Orlesian silk scarves.

Isabela had brought up the idea of window-shopping to the few women in the group (sans Aveline since they really didn't get along all that well) mere days before and the normally tomboyish Marian Hawke, thinking the idea was a fleeting fancy, agreed with a roll of her eyes and a chuckle. It wasn't until Isabela knocked on the door to their Lowtown apartment at an ungodly hour that morning with a cheery, and very excited, Merrill in tow that Marian fully realized the implications of her hastily given promise. White as a sheet, she hurriedly, and very poorly, attempted to feign ill. Bethany, not one to miss a chance to enjoy her elder sibling's discomfort in realm of femininity, called her bluff and both siblings were out of the house well before a quarter of a candle mark had passed.

"It wasn't as if … I just haven't found …" Bethany stumbled over her words, trying to think of a way to explain herself. She was given a few more seconds to think up a suitable answer when a runner jogged up to the stall the two women were at.

"Serah Hawke?" the runner panted. He couldn't have been more than 10 or 11 years old.

Bethany smiled and pulled a few coins out of her purse. Marian had gotten quite the payday on the last job she completed for the Viscount. They had to save a good deal of it for the expedition into the Deep Roads, but her sister's dreams of being a successful and wealthy explorer didn't stop her from bestowing a nice cut to each of her companions including her little sister, much to Bethany's pleasant surprise. It made her feel on more equal ground with the older and stronger Hawke sister.

"I'm Bethany Hawke, but if it's for my sister, Marian, I will gladly bring it to her." Bethany said, giving the boy a soft smile. She exchanged the note for the coins, earning herself a big grin. She imagined he didn't get tipped too often from the mail recipients in Lowtown.

The boy bowed and jogged off, leaving the women relatively alone again.

Bethany slipped the note into her belt purse and turned back to the rack she was looking through before the boy's interruption, hoping that Isabela forgot the topic of their previous conversation.

"There hasn't been anyone?"

Apparently she hadn't.

Isabela continued, "I find that hard to believe. You're gorgeous."

Bethany's eyes widened and she turned her head slightly so she could see the other woman in her peripheral vision. Isabela was distracted looking at a pair of blue silk shoes with little yellow beads.

She finds me attractive? Bethany thought nervously, wondering worriedly why the seemingly nonchalant admission set little butterflies off in her stomach. Well, more worried about why the butterflies didn't worry her more than they did, which was very close to not much at all.

Isabela went on, not noticing Bethany's surprised glance toward her, "There was no striking gentle farm boy eager to tend to your untilled fields back in Lothering?" The pirate snickered at the mental image she just produced.

A thought formed, "Or was it, rather, not the lack of eager farm boys, but instead the lack of eager farm maidens … " she raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Bethany giggled nervously, not entirely sure how to answer the question, "Well, I … umm …"

"Isabela!"

Both women turned to see Merrill excitedly dragging a bewildered Hawke towards them by the hand. Every buckle in the taller woman's heavy armor had at least one or two bows in a bright pastel color tied onto it. There were quite a few buckles.

Bethany's hand flew to cover her mouth as she tried desperately not to collapse from near hysterical laughter. Isabela was in a slightly more composed state and managed to choke out a choppy joke about presents and unwrapping them before submitting to the same uncontrollable laughter as her other shopping companion.

Hawke's mouth open and closed a few times, not entirely sure if she should just kill them or stay silent and hope for a sudden, Kirkwall-dooming apocalypse. She was on the verge of bursting out with a sarcastic, defensive comment, when she noticed the eager look on her elf companion's face. Hawke clenched her teeth, biting back her retort. She would swallow her pride if she knew not doing so would hurt the little elf's feelings. Merrill might be a blood mage, but she was probably the sweetest person Hawke had ever met. Although she still wouldn't stop her from planning an incredibly elaborate prank with Varric later, possibly involving fake love letters and a seedy alleyway …

No, Isabela might actually enjoy that. And mother would kill me.

Desperate to hear their opinions, bouncing on the balls of her feet, Merrill started to exuberantly explain the logic behind the new additions to Hawke's armor, "The man selling the ribbons was so nice and they looked so pretty and I really wanted to get something for Hawke since she's been such a good friend … ". Merrill continued, much to the embarrassment of the woman standing next to her, "… and don't the blue ones match her eyes perfectly? Hawke has such pretty blue eyes," she finished wistfully.

Having gotten herself under control for a short moment, Isabela giggled, "They do, Kitten." Isabela sauntered over to Merrill and hugged her from behind, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Though I wonder, have you been gazing deeply into our dear leader's eyes, sweet thing? Is that when you noticed the color?"

Merrill's ears turned a delicious shade of red as she tried to come up with an answer to satisfy her pirate friend. Isabela just grinned and kissed her cheek, gushing, "You are adorable!" She lowered her voice to a whisper again, "And I don't think our dear Hawke would mind all that much."

Merrill turned in her arms, her eyes wide, hopeful, "You really think so? I mean I'm a blood mage, and, you know, " she lowered her voice, deprecatingly, "an elf."

Isabela giggled and winked, "Silly Kitten, wait and see." She tweaked Merrill's nose and strolled over to the scarf rack the Hawke sisters were currently going through. Well, Bethany was going through it and Hawke was scowling at the note the boy handed to her sister earlier.

"What do you think of this one?" Bethany had pulled out a royal blue patterned scarf and looped it around her neck.

Hawke shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer. She'd never worn a scarf in her life; they had a tendency to slip off during battle. Plus she really didn't want her neck to stand out any more to an opponent than it already did.

Isabela cocked her head thoughtfully and turned to the rack, pulling out a bright red scarf. She held it up to Bethany's eyes and grinned. She deftly undid the loose knot Bethany had made with the blue scarf she currently wore and wrapped the red one around in its place.

"Much better, the red brings out the gold in your eyes. Plus then I get a new bandana!" Isabela winked, earning a blush from the younger girl, and tied the blue scarf in a tight knot at the ends and pulled it around her curly dark brown mane.

Bethany pouted, frustrated with only being on the receiving end of Isabela's flirtations the majority of the time. Her eyes narrowed evilly, a thought forming. Hmm, I might be inexperienced physically, but that doesn't mean I don't pay attention.

The mage, wanting to get a one up on the rogue before she left, grinned mischievously and grabbed a slightly longer scarf of the same color off the rack. She sauntered up behind Isabela, who was currently trying to find a pretty scarf for Merrill, pressed up against her back and looped the scarf around her waist, her fingers purposefully brushing up Isabela's hips as she did so. She tied the scarf off to one side, holding the older woman's hips tightly against her own, and leaned in to whisper softly in her ear, "Only if you get this one to match."

Isabela, caught by surprise, which never happens, grinned wickedly.

"On that note, ladies, it's getting a little late and I promised mother I would help her with lunch." Bethany waved and quickly turned, heading into the crowd.

"I'm beginning to see your little sister in a very new light Hawke," Isabela turned and roamed her eyes over Bethany's retreating form.

A small look of disgust formed its way on Hawke's face, "Eww, Isabela, lets put an emphasis on the 'little sister' part of that sentence."

Isabela snickered, "I'll just be sure to keep our activities to myself then." She started sashaying in the general direction of the Hanged Man before turning around quickly, "Try the light green one Kitten."

Merrill looked between the two fabrics she was holding - the light green and a mustard colored yellow - a look of concentration wrinkling her brow. She pouted a little, muttering, "But the yellow is so … sunshiny …"

Isabela turned again, a glazed, distracted look in her eye and a mischievous smirk teasing her lips. Hawke really didn't want to know what thoughts were now occupying the promiscuous pirate's mind.

Merrill looked up from the scarf she finally decided on, "Is it because it's getting bright out? Is that what Isabela meant by seeing Bethany in a new light? I don't think she looked that different," Merrill piped up, a crinkle reforming in her brow as she tried to figure out the reasoning behind the direction the recent conversation just took. She looked up at the sky. Yes, definitely sunnier out.

Hawke chuckled and rubbed her face, wavering between being completely grossed out with Isabela's new fascination with her sister and not really caring because of the distraction her current, and very adorable, company provided and the knowledge that Bethany was old enough to make her own decisions regarding future bed partners.

Thinking about the note she just received, Hawke tilted her head towards the general direction of Hightown, "Want to go speak to a potential employer with me, Merrill?" The elf grinned and nodded exuberantly, starting to lightly skip away from the stand, the new scarf looped around her neck.

The stall owner voiced a protest. The three women had walked away with four of his scarves and didn't pay. Hawke quickly calmed her and handed her enough to pay for all of the merchandise and then some.

Hawke turned and started walking towards Hightown, calling out to Merrill who was headed in the wrong direction. Merrill fumbled and bashfully jogged over to join her.

Hawke looked up at the sky, thoughtfully.

Maker's breath, I hope Bethany makes good decisions.