A/N: i based Nero's new outfit off of Ezio's in Assassins creed 2...also, here is a picture i pieced together if you want a better understanding of what it looks like. it doesn't quite match the description...but screw it, i didn't make the picture till weeks after i posted the chapter anyway.
Link - .com/art/Le-Exio-without-a-cape-O-290503123
enjoy!
"Nero, pass me your dagger would you?"
Nero unsheathed and passed one of his daggers to Varric, an eyebrow raised in question. Ignoring it Varric held the blade in his fist with the sharp end pointing towards to ceiling and, the box held still in one hand, proceeded to bash the pommel of the hilt into the lock until it broke.
The dwarf shrugged as he handed the dagger back, "don't give me that look, it was pissing me off."
Nero chuckled as he re-wrapped the papers and got up from the floor, deciding he would look at them later. He stood behind Varric as the dwarf opened the box, frowning at the contents. Inside was a piece of paper written in a language neither of them recognized, a purse containing what amounted to 12 sovereigns, two keys on a ring and a small glass vial that was vibrating where it lay.
Varric reached in and, holding the vial in his hand, raised an eyebrow. "Well I'll be damned, if this isn't filled with your blood then I'm a Qunari."
"Great, now how do we destroy it?" Nero asked
"No idea," Varric handed Nero the vial. It stopped vibrating as soon as it was in his hand, shrugging, he put it in a pouch on his belt. "Take it to Anders, I'm fairly certain he told me he destroyed his phylactery. And he's a mage from the circle, if anyone would know how it would be him."
Nero nodded, he also pocketed the paper and keys and tried to give Varric the purse but Varric shook his head and pushed his hand away, "Keep it, I know you don't have any money and I think you have more right to it than I do."
Nero frowned and looked at the purse in his hand, "I want you to take it, for the expedition. If I am going then it's only fair I contribute something."
Varric sighed and accepted the purse from the other man, "how about this, I'll take half and you take the other half, buy yourself some clothes or something with it."
"Fine," Nero agreed, "But I hope you realize that I'm going to be hopeless when it comes to bartering, I don't think I've ever actually bought anything."
Varric held the door to the cabin open so Nero could step through and closed it behind them. "Seriously? I suppose I could come with you so you don't end up paying three sovereigns for a shirt."
"What's that? Are we going shopping?" Isabela asked with a large smile as her and Aveline joined the two men.
Varric laughed, "our dear Violet is in need of some new garments, don't you-"
"Oh, I love shopping!" Isabela squealed, "Are we going right now? Please say we're going right now."
Nero frowned, slightly overwhelmed by the whole idea, "I suppo-"
"Excellent!" she grabbed Nero's hand and dragged him through the foliage to the path back to Kirkwall, "I know just where to get what you need."
...
What felt to Nero like days later he was heading back to the mansion with Isabela, Varric and his now clothes. Aveline had excused herself when they made it back to the city, saying she had work to do, and ignoring Nero's protests that she should stay or take him with her as she left.
Nero felt shell-shocked as they entered the mansion and allowed him to lead them to his room to 'model' his new outfit at Isabela's insistence. The day had turned into a blur of merchants and multiple fabrics and trying things on and taking them off and trying them on again. Although he did find himself relatively pleased as he wore the results.
The tunic had three layers that had been sewn together to make one shirt. It started with two thin layers of fabric that were black with a green pattern at the hems. The bottom layer stopped at the waist in the front but went past his knees in the back and the front layer stopped just above his knees in the front and the back. Thankfully the layers had been cut after it reached the waist so instead of a constricting skirt the fabric had breaks in the center of the front and the back and at each side. Attached to that was what would have been a hooded, plain, black doublet if it had been separated, the sleeves were loose and had the same green pattern at the hems.
Isabela had insisted that he buy a Jerkin made of dark leather that had short pointed sleeves and only closed to about mid-chest where it rounded off around the shoulders. This gave ample room for the collars of the bottom two layers and the hood of the third to come through. Nero had insisted upon buying a chestplate, backplate and a pair of small pauldrons that had a lip where it was closest to the neck that would stop a blade from sliding right along it and cutting him. These were made of a dulled steel that would prevent reflection in the sun. He had also found greaves and gauntlets that were made of a similar dark leather as the jerkin and also had plates of dull steel sewn into them.
Over that he wore his own belt that held his scabbards and multiple pouches and Isabela tried to convince him to buy a cape that would 'just make it perfect' but he refused, saying he didn't have enough coin left, even though he did. Thankfully they had left the marketplace before Isabela could demand they buy him new pants and boots as well. The ones he already had were dark and had no holes, so Nero couldn't see any reason to replace them.
"Hmm," Isabella hummed when he presented his new wardrobe to her, "I may just have to stay to help you take it off."
Varric groaned, "keep it in your pants, Rivaini. I'm still here and have no intention of joining."
Nero laughed, "I'm surprised you don't find this too fancy to your liking. I feel posh, do I look smug? I feel like I should be doing something smug."
"Maker's breath, I'm too exhausted for this. I'm never going shopping with Rivaini again, especially when its not even for me. Show me to the door would you Nero? I don't know my way around this place, especially when its dark."
"But of course, Ser Tethras. Right this way." Varric snorted at Nero's dramatic bow and opened the door.
Isabela trailed after them, whistling at Nero as they walked down the hall. When they reached the entryway they found Fenris and Hawke coming in covered in blood.
"Varric!" Hawke smiled, "Just the man I wanted to see. I think it's almost time to pay your brother a visit." He tossed the dwarf a pouch and after a moment going through it Varric smiled and put it in his pocket.
"Perfect," He said, "This couple with what we found today actually puts us a sovereign over the fifty we needed. What did you do to get this much, Hawke?"
"Funny story that," Hawke then told Varric how they went to the Bone Pit to find that the miners had abandoned it because there was a dragon there and when they returned he was paid and given a half share of the mine.
While they were talking Fenris walked to where Isabela was adjusting Nero's collars.
"How did you manage to afford that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
Nero slapped at Isabela's hands, "Varric had heard of an abandoned shack near Sundermount, there was gold hidden there with some papers the hunters had left."
"Isn't it pretty, Fenris. His old stuff had far too many poorly patched up holes." Isabela chimed in, she stepped around Nero and tried to wrap her arms around him but he stopped her with a frown and a slight blush.
"They weren't that bad, they added character."
"It was ugly." She pouted.
Fenris hid a small smile and noted that the new look suited the man. His new clothes coupled with his new haircut made the elf aware of just how handsome he was. He pushed that thought away and turned to watch Hawke talk to Varric.
Isabela, tired of her touches being spurned by an increasingly embarrassed Nero, shrugged and went to put her attention to Hawke.
Nero sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ignore that he was embarrassed and at the same trying to figure out why. Isabela's attention had never seemed to bother him before.
Decided to ignore it all he looked sideways at the dirty elf beside him, "so, really?" he asked, "a dragon?"
Fenris shook his head tiredly, "I cannot say I ever thought I would have assisted in dragon slaying."
"Please tell me it wasn't just the two of you. Or should I be wondering instead how much of the blood on you is yours?"
Fenris scowled, "Hawke brought along the mage and the Dalish girl. It has been a rough day to say the least." Seeing Nero's look he snarled, "some of the blood may be mine, but the mage took liberty to fix it."
An awkward silence fell between the two, Nero was hesitant to bring up anything mage related due to the fight they had had. Before it could get more awkward he thanked Varric and Isabela for going out with him and said that he was going to do some reading. With that he headed toward his room, removed the belt, gloves, greaves and chest armor and settled himself into a chair by the fire with the papers beside him.
Hours passed as he read through letters insisting the hunt for him continue, receipts for provisions bought in other towns and cities, correspondence from people claiming to have seen someone matching his description. There were notes written by other hunters that stated where it was they had caught wind of him, what the locals said about him (mostly that he looked haggard, hungry and wasn't very talkative), and lists detailing where they stayed, who they spoke to and what they purchased. He passed through a few papers that had a rendering of how he looked when he was in the Imperium and a list that included his hair color, eye color, age, what he was trained in (conveniently excluding the whoring, he noted wryly), and similar statistics. The next page was a short, simplified summary of how he was created, signed by Esperance. He snarled as he stood and tossed that one in the fire, followed by the papers he had already gone through.