When they arrived at the Hanged Man, they climbed the sticky staircase towards Varric's suite. When she stepped through the archway, Hawke leapt to his feet with a wobbly grin and flushed cheeks and stepped forward clapping Jennifer firmly on the shoulder, she closed one eye in a wince and smiled. "What's going on?"
"I've bloody dn it! Hat's wot!" He draped an arm around Jennifer's shoulder's hugging her tightly from the side.
Varric covered his face with his palm and sighed. Jennifer looked from the stout dwarf to the tall man with tree-trunk like arms and quirked a brow giving a half smile. "What's he on about?" She jerked a thumb in Hawke's direction, Sebastian momentarily forgotten.
"A've got 'nough coin fer the Deep Rods esspe- erxpe-" He paused frowning at the word.
"Expedition." Bethany offered helpfully.
"Right! Expedition I've been affer." He grinned again at Bethany and wavered, leaning heavily on Jennifer. "Fank you, sister."
"Don't mention it." She rolled her eyes and smiled apologetically at Jennifer.
Jennifer recalled a conversation with Anders explaining the Deep Roads. She looked at Hawke and sighed. She ushered the lumbering oaf to a chair next to Varric and Hawke grabbed a fistful of coin and stroked it lovingly along his cheek. "When are we leaving?" Jennifer asked, fighting the urge to laugh at the tall man cooing at the coins strewn before him.
"Bright n'erly t'marra!" He cooed again at the coin before delicately placing a single coin at a time within his purse.
Jennifer quickly looked at Sebastian with a smile of remorse before he stepped forward, placing his hand on her shoulder, his thumb rubbing along the soft skin. "It's alright, I have things I must do before we confront the Harrowmont family." He pulled away giving a courtly bow, that seemed to suit him nicely before replying. "I'm afraid I must take my leave, I bid you all success on the expedition into the Deep Roads and may you all return safely." He smiled at Jennifer before retreating through the archway and down the steps, the slight clink of his armor echoing as he left. Holy crap balls sometimes I forget he's a prince…
She rolled her eyes at the obnoxious laughter as Hawke cradled his coin in his large hand before taking a seat next to a very chipper Merrill, across from Isabela who was filling Hawkes mug with ale as he looked away, and next to a rather stoic Fenris, who peered at Jennifer through his snowy white fringe and holding a metal wine glass in his right hand gingerly.
She smiled at him as he looked away, and took the chance to admire him while his gaze was elsewhere. Why the heck are all these males so freaking attractive?! There should be laws against this, seriously.
As Merrill and her fell into conversation Isabela filled a mug with more ale and slid it to Jennifer who drank from it cautiously.
-ooo-
"So there is blood magic in your world too?!" Merrill asked excitedly before she took a long swig from Jennifer's mug. Her ears were tinged with a heavy blush and Jennifer wanted to pinch Jennifer's cheeks at how adorable she was.
"Well, not blood magic necessarily, there are rituals we perform that are powered by blood, but the only thing they are used for are what we call love spells. In my world magic is there to create circumstances that can lead to the outcome you desire, but you are the one who has to take the chance and make the right decisions and know when the situation has arrived." She smiled as Merrill gaped at her.
"So no one looks down upon you for using your own blood to power a spell?" Merrill pointedly glared at Fenris who took a sip from his wine glass innocently.
Jennifer giggled. "Actually they whole situation is very similar to here, people think of mages as evil. There are several religions within my world, the most vocal being Chrisitianity. They have a sacred text known as the bible, but within it states that magic is evil, so those who practice magic are looked down upon. We are not persecuted to the extremes that were, but it's harder to get a job, or find true love, when you live in a community where a big percentage are very devout in Christianity."
"Magic is evil, it gives people a power over others they have no right to have." Fenris stated simply and Merrill sputtered at him though her words slurred due to heavy drinking and the argument fell short.
"Perhaps here it is more substantial and those with the ability are more susceptible to taking advantage of it. Though there are those who take the exact opposite too far as well, leaving the mages persecuted as well as those not born with the ability to wield it." Jennifer gazed at Fenris with a smile. "If more people became tolerant, and not so fearful we would be able to get along peacefully. Though there will always be those that aim to take extremes." Jennifer sighed. "Perhaps there is no happy ending or the perfect utopia." She placed her chin in her hands as she propped her arms on the table, feeling very melancholy.
Merrill peered down at Jennifer with a worried expression. "Jennifer? What is it?"
Before Jennifer had realized, tears were falling down her chin and pooling on the table's surface. "Ugh, look at me. Feeling homesick just a little and I fall to pieces." She gave Merrill a watery smile, wiping at her face. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." She grabbed her mug and stood. "Who's up for round three?" She asked, a shiny smile placed on her features.
"More like round twenty for my brother." Bethany replied eyeing her brother.
Hawke, who was now face down on the table, lifted his arm with all fingers extended. "I'll h've you know, tss only round five." His hand fell onto the table with a heavy thunk and Jennifer burst in to laughter. She left the room quickly making her way down the stairs to the blonde bartender, Corff. She took a deep breath and ordered a watery whisky. As she waited, her chest ached and more tears fell down her face. She laid her head on the table and sniffed, the pungent air, filled with piss and ale filled her nostrils, grounding her. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and she looked up with bloodshot eyes at deep mossy green orbs.
She stood quickly, wiping at her eyes and turning away. "Ugh, I don't know what is wrong with me. I've just been far too emotional lately." She turned back to Fenris with a grin. "Sorry, you didn't have to come down here and check on me. I'm alright I promise."
Fenris looked at her skeptically and nodded. "Don't give me that look, elf!" She exclaimed in mock anger. "I'm still mad about what you did to help me not be tranquil anymore. You are so not off the hook." Jennifer poked him in the chest, grabbing the whiskey bottle from Corff and stomping up the steps. Fenris' lips twitched upward and he bounded up the stairs two at a time after her.
Jennifer stepped into the room swinging the bottle high into the air, "I've got whiskey!" Isabela cheered and collided with Jennifer in an overbearing hug before snatching the bottle from her hands and swaying merrily back to the table. Jennifer tilted her head back and laughed before resuming her seat at the table. They drank for hours, when Anders arrived, Jennifer quickly looked away, ashamed from her actions in the morning, but as he passed by her, she gripped his arm and murmured quickly. "I'm sorry about earlier. I should have thought about it more clearly."
Anders smiled, his eyes crinkling around the corners before taking his seat between Varric and Bethany. When the evening was dying to a low murmur of conversation and Hawke was officially dubbed 'too intoxicated to think' the members of his rag-tag band of misfits slowly left the Hanged Man. When Fenris made mention of his departure, Jennifer quickly turned to Bethany, gave her a peck on the cheek saying she would help escort Fenris home and bounded after him.
She caught up with him just before he left the pub and she smiled. "Mind if I join you?"
With a shake of his head they leisurely made their way through the empty market of Lowtown, taking the first steps towards Hightown, Jennifer's foot slipped, "Ack!" She exclaimed as she twisted her body to avoid the embarrassment of falling face first onto the steps and landed on her rump instead. She hissed through her teeth and cringed, rubbing her backside. "Holy son-of-a- that freaking hurt!"
As she moved to stand her muscles in her legs seized and she fell again. "Lovely."
Fenris was at her side and offered her a hand up. "That was… graceful." His lips twitched again.
Jennifer glared at him. "Shut it, elf. " She grumbled and accepted his hand, her muscles screamed in protest but she managed to stand, straightening her back and stretching her legs. "You just better be glad I didn't die of embarrassment. You try explaining to Leandra how I died from rosy cheeks and a bruised posterior."
Fenris laughed heartily, a sound that initially scared Jennifer, having never heard it before, then became contagious and sent her into peels of giggles along with him. His laughter is to DIE for… he should laugh more often.
She smiled at him as they continued up the stairs, albeit cautiously.