"Square one?" Hawke asked, eyeing Jennifer with suspicion.
Jennifer smiled. "I've been trying to practice magic within my own world for years."
"'Your own world'?" Anders asked, folding his arms and quirking a brow.
"Yep, I assume it's safe to say, 'I'm not from around here.' Well, this realm. That place I mentioned before, Texas, that's where I'm from. A little city called Baytown. It's on this big continent called North America." She eyed the three before her and smiled.
Bethany smiled and stepped forward. "Do you know how you got here?"
Jennifer shook her head. "Not a clue. I was in this car, it's kinda like a horseless buggy, and we crashed into another car, I hit my noggin and the next I knew I was laying next to you, in that room over there wondering what the hell was going on." Jennifer bobbed on the balls of her feet, the night dress brushing her bare legs, she looked down. "Oh… where are my clothes?" Jennifer pushed passed Bethany, Hawke and Anders and headed towards the room she had awoken in.
"They were soiled and torn. I tossed them away." Bethany called.
Jennifer peered around the archway leading into Bethany's and her mother's bedroom. "Erm, then what am I suppose to wear exactly?" She blushed as she gazed at her night dress. "I can't exactly walk around the city looking like this."
Anders covered his mouth to hide his snicker but instead it came out as a snort. Hawke grinned, at her. Bethany turned back to glare at both men who then found their boots to be very interesting. "That's alright, you can borrow something of mine until we can buy you new clothes."
Jennifer looked at Bethany then looked down at herself. "Uh, not trying to offend. But I'm a tad more… plump then you are. Will anything of yours fit me?"
"Er, we'll find something, I'm sure." Bethany replied.
-ooo-
They did find something, barely, with Leandra's help. She had arrived shortly after Anders left to return to his clinic. He was adorable in Jennifer's opinion. His stubbled chin and feathered pauldrons were at odds but only seemed to add to his appeal. Hawke was attractive as well with his thick black hair and ice blue eyes, his warrior's build was appealing but Jennifer never had attraction to so many muscles. He was nice though, in a stern and joking sort of way. He had escorted Anders down to his clinic, apparently Darktown was dangerous.
Bethany was sweet and well educated, much like Jennifer's older sister, though they never got along, Bethany seemed to be full of understanding and not judgement. Leandra was wonderful, she was kind and beautiful in her age, and she instantly started fretting and doting upon Jennifer as if she were her own. It made Jennifer's heart swell, no one would have thought twice about calling the authorities if I ended up in the middle of their living room unconscious.
They finally decided on a dark green linen shirt and bodice, and a long skirt from Leandra, followed by high boots that just barely touched her knees. The shirt was a little more fitted than Jennifer was accustomed too, her chest swelling over the very edge of the low cut neckline, the bodice didn't help with that either. By the time she was finished dressing, Hawke had returned, calling for Bethany, and it was around noon, they were going to see their friend who was a member of the guard of the city, Aveline.
A little hesitant, Jennifer stepped forward and asked. "May I please come with you? I won't be a bother, but I would like to see more of the city. It's like a dream come true. I've never been out of the country, and now I'm not even in the same world. Oh please, please please!" Jennifer gave her best, widening her eyes and protruding her lower lip.
Hawke laughed boisterously and Bethany giggled. "I don't see why not." He replied. "We are only going to the Viscount's keep." Jennifer danced happily for a moment before smiling brightly at Bethany.
"Onward!" Jennifer declared and pushed the door to the hovel open letting in the warm golden sun. "Oh! Such a pretty day!"
-ooo-
The trek to the keep was uneventful, but Jennifer didn't mind. She stared in awe at the buildings the streamline architecture and the wares of the market, more than once she had to run to catch up with Hawke and Bethany when she paused too long at one of the awning covered stalls. They entered into the keep and it was crowded. Guards stood watch in steel plated uniforms at the entrance to the barracks. They paused looking around before Hawke smiled and turned towards a post to the right. They cameupon a tall woman with bright copper hair and full metal armor. Remind me not to meet her in a dark alley… Jennifer thought. Hawke walked up behind her. "Aveline!" He exclaimed with excitement.
"Hello, Hawke." She responded nonchalantly.
"That's it?" Hawke quirked a brow.
"What? Oh right, it feels like we just talked." She smiled. Hawke only shook her head. Aveline smirked and then looked at Jennifer. "Who's this?"
"This is a…. friend. Her name's Jennifer. She, erm, popped in on us yesterday. She's never been to Kirkwall, thought I would show her around." Hawke explained, placing a hand on Jennifer's shoulder.
Jennifer awkwardly bowed. "Nice to meet you."
Aveline smiled, making her face light up and the lines of a harsh battleworn woman, disappear. "Likewise. Have you known Hawke for long?"
Jennifer shook her head, "No, only for a little while."
Aveline nodded with a smile that slowly faded as she tilted her head to the side, signaling Hawke to follow her. "I've been following you. Information is one of the few perks of this job. Watch out for Bartrand. He's a son of a bitch."
As they talked privately Jennifer looked around the main room of the barracks. "This is so, amazing!" Bethany smiled at her. "Do you come here a lot?"
Bethany shook her head. "No, only when Aveline might have something useful for us to do."
"Like a job?" Jennifer inquired.
With a nod of her head, Bethany stepped closer to Jennifer, speaking softly. "Under the table things. Kirkwall's in a bit of an uproar. The Knight-Commander's tight hold on the mages here seems to cause a few…problems for people in Kirkwall."
"Ooh, hush hush. That is fascinating!" Jennifer smiled.
"Thanks Aveline!" Hawke walked back to Jennifer and Bethany. "New job, Aveline needs some help with an ambush somewhere off on the Wounded Coast."
Jennifer lifted her hand high in the air. "I'll help!"
Hawke looked at Jennifer with suspicion. "Erm, I'm not trying to be funny, but it's not exactly going to be a walk in the park."
They began making their way towards the exit of the keep. "Oh, I know. You won't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself."
Hawke scoffed. "What can you do?" Then he absently rubbed a sore spot on his head when he remembered the incident from earlier in the morning. "Besides wallop unsuspecting victims with fire pokers."
Jennifer laughed heartily and bounded up ahead. "Lots of things. Don't judge a book by it's cover!" She bounded out of the tall double doors and towards the first step when a, what Jennifer could only explain as a dwarf, called out to Hawke.
"Hello, Varric, what brings you here?" Bethany smiled.
"Always looking for a story, Sunshine. I'm assuming the two of you came to talk to Aveline?" Both nodded and Varric turned his hazel eyes to Jennifer. "And whose this lovely creature?" He bowed to her with a flourish uncommon to the dwarves Jennifer had read about.
"This is Jennifer, a friend of the family's." Hawke explained.
"How do you do?" Jennifer smiled.
"A friend? Hawke, I'm hurt. Here I thought I was your only friend." Varric said with a jubilant chuckle.
Hawke placed a hand on his chest and pouted. "You know you'll always have a special place in my heart Varric." They both laughed and Varric reached into his coat pocket retrieving a letter.
"For you messere, received a missive from Athenril this morning, stopped by Ol' Gamlen's place but your mother said you had left for the keep, so here I am." He handed the letter to Hawke and he opened it scanning the contents within.
With a groan he crumpled the missive and tossed it behind him. "I already told her no more jobs. You would think I was the only person that ever worked for her." They descended down the steps with Varric in tow. When they finally made their way back to Lowtown the sun was riding low in the sky. They made their way down the main stairs and found the market's stalls had already closed for the evening. Out in the center however was a lone dwarf, his back turned towards them. Hawke approached, grinning. Before he could even get a word out, and arrow whizzed by, grazing Hawke's cheek. He lifted his fingers pulling away with blood on their tips. He looked in the direction where the arrow had originated and smirked. "Oh look! We're under attack!" He pulled his sword free from it's well worn scabbard and charged at the thug decended onto the ground below.