Care for a Dance, Serah
She was leaning against the wall. Not one much for the music or the dances that were common and popular in Orlais. Then again she had never been that good at dancing in Ferelden or Kirkwall either. Bethany had always enjoyed it though.
"Alone? When a party is going on. I am shocked Hawke."
Hawke rolls her eyes, though she wasn't sure if he saw the playful expression behind her mask. "I am a mage here under false pretenses. Not really the best time to be drawing attention to myself." Hawke says her voice light and teasing.
"Not even flirting with the dukes and duchesses. Something must be wrong." Varric says with the addition of a tsk at the end. This playful inquiry was one similar to many they have had in the past. It was his creative way of asking what was wrong. Granted it was clearer than some of his more colorful ways of asking.
"I'm not that much of a flirt." Hawke defends crossing her arms over the very flattering dress. She heard a noble's groan quietly escapes from nearby. She glances up to see him turn away with such speed that she was surprised his neck hadn't snapped. Hawke ignores it and looks back again at Varric who was shaking his head.
Coughing into his hand, Varric smiles back up at Hawke after noticing he had gained her attention again. "I have a few books and friends that say otherwise. Shall I write Daisy and Broody?"
"No." She says obstinately. She looks out at the dance floor. "Hey, have you seen where the food or drinks are? I've looked around but I haven't been able to find any."
Varric rubs his chin with an arrogant smile on his lips. He clearly had a joke in mind. He must have thought better of it though, because he simply shrugs and says, "I think the food is downstairs somewhere, but you may miss the dancing."
"Now that would be scandalous." Hawke looks around the hall. "It seems as if no one would notice. Care to join me ?"
"Free food. You know the way to a man's heart." He says as he takes her arm.
"Was there ever any doubt?"
He chuckles and the familiar sound causes Hawke to relax a little more. "None whatsoever." They walk pass the gossiping nobles and away from the main hall of the party.
It was nice. She hadn't seen much of Varric lately, even with her visit to Skyhold. Their meeting had been brief. Now they were walking arm in arm at an Orlesian ball. As odd as it was it made things feel a bit more normal.
"Finally. I thought I would starve in this dress." Hawke says, her tone ravenous.
"It's not the worse thing you could die in." Varric walks past the trays of food that had been set out to carry upstairs.
Hawke picks up a roll and eats with a lack of grace that would make anyone wonder if she had practice it. Which she had. It was the fastest way she could get food down and she had honed it as a useful skill. She used it often in Kirkwall when someone would pick a fight with her as she ate at the Hanged Man.
"Careful Hawke. What would someone say if they walked in and saw you like this?"
"If it was my mother then I may be scared. What can a few nobles do to me?"
"Kick you out of the party and away from the food." There was a mock gasp as a response. "And turn you into the authorities." Now a contemptuous snort.
"They can try." Hawke mutters as if it was nothing of her concern. In truth it wouldn't be much of a fight. Varric knew just what Hawke was capable of first hand.
The music became so loud that they could now hear it even from way down in the kitchens. Varric looks over at the direction it was coming from, through the floor above them. It was a lovely song they were playing, but around all those stuffy nobles it wouldn't be much fun. Still he had to give them some credit. They had great taste in food. He turns back to his plate only to stop and smile as he watches Hawke looking up as well. She was staring as if she could see the music, probably imagine how the nobles must be dancing to it. Well he knew what to do. Varric stands up from where he had sat down. He wipes off his hands on the corner sheet of the table before holding up a hand towards Hawke. Hawke slowly turns her head back to him with a smile on her face unmasking her look of disbelief.
"Care for a dance serah." Hawke wipes her hands clean on the other corner or the table before she stands up. She mocks a curtsy before giving him her signature smile.
"I would love a dance Mister Tethras." Hawke takes his hand and he rests the other around the lower half of her waist. They began ballroom dancing along with the music. They didn't have much room so Varric was careful to make sure that they didn't hit anything as they dance clumsily in a mock form of the nobles above.
"You know, I think we can do better than this." Hawke teases.
"Oh really? What are you planning Hawke?" Varric asks recognizing that gleam in her eyes. "Do you wish to have a different dance partner?"
Hawke's laugh fills the room before she stops their dance completely. "Never Varric. You're the best dance partner anyone could have. However I know plenty of better ways to dance."
"This isn't the hangman Hawke. I don't think the nobles play such music here."
"True but we can always imagine that we're back at the Hanged Man. We've had plenty of fun times there."
Varric nods, giving into the overzealous girl's wishes. He let's go of her and steps back as Hawke begins dancing to a fast upbeat song only she heard in her head. Her hair was in her eyes and she almost ran into the table but she was clearly have fun, and Varric had to admit he enjoyed the show. Or he did until he became part of it. Hawke grabs his hands and suddenly he was whisked away with her into that world with music only those magical ears of her crazy mind could hear.
"Dancing is no fun alone, Messer Tethras." Hawke says once again mocking the customs of those who were above their heads.
"I wouldn't dream of being left out of such a clearly fun time." Varric jests back.
They danced down there that way for who knew how long. It could have been a few minutes or an hour, he wasn't sure. He was actually having fun just dancing stupidly with Hawke. He could almost imagine them in the Hanged Man with all the drunks cheering Hawke and Isabella on as the two danced the way only they did together. Poor Merrill flung into things she didn't know what to do in. He lets himself relax, for once in his life without Bianca nearby.
"I never knew you could dance Varric!"
"There's many things you don't know about me Hawke." Varric says giving her a flirtatious look.
"Oh really, such as?"
"That even though I'm a dwarf I could still dip you." And dip her he could. Hawke was surprised at first and clings to his shoulders, but somewhere within that fall she had relaxed enough to let herself lean back even farther with her head almost touching the ground. Who knew she could bend so far back? He pulls her back up and Hawke grabs hold of the dwarf before lifting him up, spinning him, and dipping him herself. She had a very smug smirk on her face.
"Kind of like this?"
"Yeah, something like that."
She let's him go and falls back on her bum. He could hear the loud thump as she hits the cold wooden floors.
"You're going to wrinkle your dress Hawke."
"I don't think the company will mind." Varric shrugs and walks back over to the table. There was nothing to drink. He searches until he pulls a bottle of wine off of one of the shelves.
"Care for a drink?" Varric asks as he pours his own.
"I'm famished." Hawke was back onto her feet and was downing her own glass as soon as Varric had put the cork back on the bottle.
"Varric,"
"Hmm?"
"Is this going to end up in one of your books?" Hawke asks peering down at him from over the top of her glass. "Will this be just another story for you to tell?"
"Of course not Hawke, what do you take me for?"
"A storyteller."
"A handsome storyteller." Varric adds.
"With amazing chest hair." Hawke banters.
Varric nods. "Don't worry Hawke, storytellers don't tell all of their stories." They keep the best ones to themselves. Varric thinks with a mischievous smile on his face. Hawke matches his own before they said cheers, she put her mask back on, and they returned to the ball.