Isabela's POV

Hawke and I slid mutely into the Shelby. I stuck the key in the ignition, but didn't bother to turn it yet. After a few long moments of awkward silence, I decided to speak. Surely something had to be said about what just happened. "Well... That was-"

Cassandra cut me off, her face still a mix of shock and humiliation. "Informative?"

"Yes, let's go with that." I cleared my throat and brought my concubine back to life. But we weren't even a block away when I felt the need to apologize. If anything, it would break the uncomfortable quiet. I glanced over at my girlfriend as she sat stock-still in the passenger seat. "That was completely unintentional. I truly didn't know there was a Dungeons & Dragons tournament going on upstairs, or I wouldn't have dragged you up there."

"I just hope that ginger kid is alright…" She rubbed her forehead in contemplation, and although I was slightly concerned, I felt the need to calm her down. The last thing I wanted was my rugby player having another panic attack.

"He might need to get a refill on his inhaler, but he should be fine." I assured her. You'd think someone called 'Oghren the Dwarven Berserker' would be much less feeble.

Another long silence extended as we sat at a red light. Hawke heaved a defeated sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced at me from her peripherals. "And what have we learned today, Isabela?" Her tone was maternal and slightly irritated, which coming from anyone else would have been insulting. But she was obviously trying to make a point, so I gave in.

"The Black Emporium's bathroom is downstairs, behind the romance section. Not on the second floor. The owner also hosts a D&D event every Sunday from 11 to 5." I informed her coldly.

"…And?" She asked teasingly.

I looked sideways at her, noting her arrogant raised eyebrow and pursed lips. "Nerds are prone to vasovagal episodes and acute asthma exacerbations when seeing two women kiss." I gave a weak smile, wondering how I ended up on the defensive.

Cassandra just shook her head and snickered at me. "I would not call that kid's incident 'acute', and I was aiming for 'offering your girlfriend sex will not get her out of the stacks any faster'. But… that's neither here nor there." She placed a hand on my thigh, a kind of 'it's ok', and I felt much more relaxed. Relationships (at least, real relationships) were completely new to me and I wasn't sure if the bookstore would be Hawke and I's first and only public appearance as a 'couple'. As much as I feared the long-term ramifications of the term, I was instinctually just as afraid of ruining it.

"In my defense, you spent over an hour in the Science Fiction section. And that clerk kept staring at me…" I shuttered at the thought. Creepy old fart.

"You mean the owner, 'Xenon the Antiquarian'? I'm guessing he very rarely has female customers, let alone a lesbian couple trying to find a restroom for an impromptu make-out session." She pinched the skin under her hand and I swatted her away.

"You know, you should be thanking me." I stuck my tongue out at her as we approached another light.

Hawke scoffed loudly, shooting me an incredulous look. "For what? Waiting to rip off my clothes? Don't worry; I'm plenty grateful that none of those pizza-faced perverts saw me less than fully-covered." She adjusted her clothes nervously, plucking a stray hair off of her sleeve.

I gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous. I meant for your discount. You can't really beat half-off." I reached over to playfully scratch under her chin and it was her turn to swat at me.

"I would have gladly paid full price! I'll never be able to step foot in there ever again." The winger groaned, sinking back in her seat and looking utterly trounced.

"Come on. It could have worse. I could have been in a state of undress. That'd of given them quite a show." Hawke put on her 'war face' and growled. I'd have to put all twenty of those twerps in a coma! No one sees Isabela naked but me. "I'll pay for lunch." I cooed as I ruffled her hair. I gave a quick toothy grin, which only swung her from angry to annoyed.

"Really 'Bela? We get caught sucking face by an entire room full of socially awkward teenage boys, and that's all I get in return?" She whined, clearly frustrated.

I reached over to lace our fingers together before placing them on the shift knob, my hand on hers. "How about a cookie? Would Cassandra like a cookie?" I offered her in a mocking tone, batting my eyelashes for good measure.

"…Sure." She sighed heavily, releasing a long breath.

I squeezed her hand tighter before leaning over to give her a quick peck on the cheek, hopeful that I rectified the situation. "Now, buck up Hawke! Varric's going to give me Hell if we're tardy."

We silently completed the journey to the café. Varric's favorite spot wasn't at all close to campus and generally unassuming; usually only discovered by locals, grad students and a handful of professors. It was cozy, had great coffee, and a fresh-baked pastry selection three times the size of the lunch menu. The décor was basic, mostly light wood, but it had lousy elevator music in the background. Luckily, you didn't come for the tunes. You came for the tastes and scents. The place didn't just smell like food. No. On a windy day, you could tell what was cooking from a mile away. Fortunately, the executive chef and head pâtissier were both retired Frenchmen, so the scent was pure heaven.

As I led my new girlfriend past the dessert displays and to our corner table, Varric flagged me down from behind his tablet. Paranoid as he was, he sat with his back to two walls, dressed in his modest brown and red garb. "Rivaini! Hawke! Come on; take a load off." He took a moment to tuck his device away in his messenger bag while I took my favorite spot. The one that put me in-line with the pastries.

My rough-and-ready rugby player stood beside her chair, but waited to take a seat. She held her hand out to Varric, her face almost apologetic. "Before I sit down, can we just start over? We met on weird terms and I want to make it right." He glanced confusedly at me before shrugging and shaking her hand. "Hello. I'm Cassandra Hawke. I'm 19. I play rugby for Kirkwall. My favorite color is red. I enjoy long hikes in the woods. And Isabela is my girlfriend." I blinked up at her, my interest peaked. Huh. I could have sworn she was at least 20… That explains the teenage hormones!

The dwarf cleared his throat and sat up straight, adjusting his brown leather jacket. "Alright. I'm Varric Tethras. Age unimportant. I got my master's in Economics from Kirkwall, and am now working on a bachelor's in English. My favorite color is gold. I enjoy high profits and good stories. I also live above Isabela. And by above, I mean there is a thin barrier between her bedroom and mine. A thin, thin barrier." He tilted his head down and looked up at her as he sipped his coffee. If I had not known him better, I'd of thought he was angry.

"Oh, Christ on a crutch!" Cassandra huffed as she plopped down in her seat, immediately burying her face in her palms.

"Would you like to re-re-introduce yourself now, or can we just move on?" Varric asked callously. He wasn't pissed, or he would have told me. In reality, he was having giving Hawke a hard time just for the fun of it.

"Give the girl a break, Varric. She didn't know." I gave him a single look, telling him to back down. He and I could go back and forth all day joking and tossing playful insults at each other, but Hawke would need some time to develop that kind of kinship with everyone's favorite compulsive liar.

Varric stroked his stubbled chin and smiled devilishly at me. "From what I heard, she knows a lot of things! Intimately! One might even say 'biblically'…" He nudged my arm with his elbow and I had to fight not to crack a smile. Poor thing had no idea what she invited herself into this morning!

My winger groaned into her hands. "Kill me… Just kill me." She pleaded to no one in particular.

"Don't worry about him. He's clearly green with envy." I placed a tender hand on her shoulder and tilted my head to my old friend. "Aren't you, dwarf?" I reasoned with him to show a little leniency, staring deep into his brown eyes. Don't scare off the new kid.

"Hung over, exhausted, maybe a little head-achy. Jealous? Not so much." Varric just shrugged and gulped down some more coffee, clearly giving me a hard time for accidentally keeping him awake.

"What can I say? Hawke's good in bed." I expressed plainly.

He scoffed loudly as he set down his mug. "Good? Don't insult the girl! I thought you were faking until you started speaking Spanish!" He broke into a series of throaty chuckles and I rolled my eyes at him.

Hawke immediately perked up and sat straight in her seat, looking at me. She seemed somewhat taken aback and impressed, the slightest of smiles curling the edges of her lips. "You speak Spanish?"

"Si. Et français." I beamed back as I took her hand, bringing her knuckles to my lips just to leave them there. I softened my eyes as they made contact with hers, genuinely content to have her with me. She still looked surprised, but I must have done something right, if the red hue of her cheeks was any indication. I have such an intellectual boner right now! I actually have a hard-on for Isabela's brain… And shit, her entire body is amazing too. Who the Hell is this woman?!

"Alright. But seriously Rivaini, I called my contractor this morning about sound-proofing. And I'm sending you the bill." Varric held his palms up in defeat, and I looked back over while allowing our joined hands to settle on the table.

"Yes, yes. And I'll try and shoot you a warning text the next time I have Hawke over. Now let's trudge forward, shall we?" I looked from my friend to my lover as they sighed in unison.

Cassandra nervously straightened the napkin to her left, though I didn't notice it to be askew. "So… Mr. Tethras. Isabela tells me you're a financial advisor. That sounds… interesting." I squeezed her hand encouragingly and we both looked to the ex-mobster in the corner for a response.

"It's mostly a lot of phone calls, spreadsheets, hours spent looking at stock trends; that sort of thing. But keeping the upper echelons' wallets stuffed has its rewards. The pay is great, I can vacation whenever I want, and I get to meet a lot of influential people. But don't call me Mr. Tethras. I'm not my father." Varric shrugged with a slight grin. I distinctly noticed that was the Spark Notes version of his vocation, but said nothing.

"I bet you get out of a lot of traffic tickets." Hawke chuckled with an awkward smile.

Oh, here we go… "Ha! I practically run this town, Hawke. Being an advisor means knowing peoples' secrets. Off-shore accounts, messy divorces, separate apartments for mistresses, trust funds for secret children, etc. If someone does something… undeserving toward me, I could have their reputation ruined with the push of a button." He hit his fist on the table with a thud, catching the attention of a few patrons and busboys.

"But really, he's quite humble!" I laughed anxiously, hoping unsuccessfully to break the sudden tension. My new girlfriend looked actually frightened, and her hand clasped mine. I'm going to kill you, dwarf!

"What else did Rivaini tell you?" Varric stared at her menacingly and my chest rumbled.

Cassandra cleared her throat and started playing with her ear piercings. "Just that you both came up from Florida after her husband died. And after that… family business." She glanced over at our hands before looking back at him. "Why do you call Isabela by her last name?" She tilted her head in obvious curiosity.

"Because she threatened to kill me after I called her Mrs. Verduzco. Her husband was-" The dwarf waved his hand in the air, as if looking for a word.

"She knows, Varric. Hawke knows everything." I gazed at him seriously, effectively cutting him off.

He nodded back at me and tented his fingers. "Well, then… Since you know all about me, tell me more about yourself, Hawke."

What is there left to say? "Um… I'm from Ohio. I've got two younger siblings…" The winger appeared a little lost, so I decided to help her out. Anything to loosen her death-grip on my hand.

"Cassandra is a History/Government double major. She has plans to become a Congresswoman." I informed him politely, knowing the mention of politics would smooth things over between the two.

"Then I'll have to send you an invite to my next poker game." Varric offered Hawke with a smirk and a salesman's pointed finger.

"Poker?" She looked at me through her peripherals, silently asking if he was serious.

I smiled warmly at her. "Varric hosts a monthly poker night at the Hanged Man, with his most exclusive of clients in attendance. It's a great way to make powerful allies. The kind of people that would skyrocket any career path."

"Oh. That's very… Thank you, Varric." Hawke sputtered nervously, her baby blue eyes only meeting his brown set fleetingly.

"Don't thank me, sweetheart. I'm a sore loser. And I always cheat." We all chuckled at that, mostly because it was true. I was just glad the stress was mostly gone, and the circulation was returning to my hand. Varric drank the last of his coffee before smiling at the newest member of what would become our trio. The Three Rogue-keteers, if you will. "I think we're going to be the best of friends. But be forewarned, I like to tell stories. If you don't give me something to tell, I'll make something up." He noted with a tilted head and shaken finger.

The moment Hawke tensed again, I kissed the back of her hand and placed it on my cheek. "Don't worry, gorgeous. He's pretty harmless. Just don't skimp on the details if he asks you a question, or the next time you walk into his bar you'll get nothing but awkward stares and giggles." Varric just shrugged, knowing full well the truthfulness of my statements. I had some personal experience, after all.

She looked hopefully at me, her usual 'wolf eyes' looking much more innocent than I had previously come to understand as normal. "Ok… Can we have lunch now?"

"Yes, of course." I rolled my eyes and she took back her hand. "Tell me what you want and I'll go put the order in." I gestured toward the chalkboard above the register and the winger barely scanned it. I, of course, already knew exactly what Varric and I were having. We are nothing if not predictable.

"Surprise me?" Hawke asked with a sheepish smile.

"That, I can do." I slid out of my seat and hooked her chin. With a kiss and a wink, I walked toward the cashier. I was still within earshot and took the time while 'looking over the menu' to eavesdrop on my old friend's interactions with my new girl.

Varric jumped right into it, just like I knew he would. "Well, well, well. You've got Rivaini wrapped all around your finger, don't you? Or is that plural?" I heard the tell-tale sounds of his tablet being set back on the table and I had to stop myself from laughing. The man's insatiable!

"Are you asking about… what I think you are?" Hawke was trying to whisper as I selected her lunch.

"Details, Hawke. Spill them."

Hawke was looking suspiciously over to where I was standing, but I pretended not to notice, and took up eyeing the desserts behind their glass display. "Won't Isabela get mad?"

"Where do you think my best stories come from? She's great with descriptions."

"But... This is kind of public, don't you think?" I snickered quietly at that as I put in our order. Little did she know that this eatery, that was called 'La Ville Haute Café', was in the process of being bought up by none other than Varric himself, and would become 'Bianca's' within the month.

"I guess so." The dwarf cleared his throat loudly in my direction before putting his device away again. "Why don't you take my card? Like I said, Hawke, I would like to be your friend."

"I don't understand. What do you get out of this?" If he doesn't play nice, he'll get to learn whether or not he holds his arsenic as well as his liquor.

"I'm in the business of making connections. And not pissing off the pirate. So long as she's batting for your team, I'll be right there with her. Also, a budding politician is always good to know. You're going to be a big deal one day, Hawke; that much is obvious." I've also come to that conclusion, somewhere between the girlfriend agreement and the mind-boggling sex.

"You're not going to… ruin me if we break up? Not that I'm expecting that or anything-"

"You and I can be civil. Unless, of course, you hurt her. Then we'll have serious problems. But I don't think we have anything to worry about. You're too geeky and shy to be a real threat. Even if you're built like a Valkyrie. I mean, you're freaking huge!" Having heard their serious conversation turn into harmless banter, I went about picking up some pastries to go along with our meal.

Of course I'm big compared to a dwarf. "You should see my friend Aveline. She makes me feel shrimpy! Flips tractor tires for shits and giggles. It's actually kind of scary to watch."

"I'll be calling you ladies the next time I need furniture moved around!"

"I should bring my team by the Hanged Man sometime. Oh, and my roommate! You'll like Merrill. I call her Daisy; Isabela calls her Kitten. She's sweet. Just no… sex talk around her. Or Aveline. Makes them really antsy." You could say that. A young busboy politely placed our dishes on a large tray for me and put the bill on Varric's tab before obediently following me to the table, despite no such requests being made. I wasn't going to argue, of course; that would be rude to a young man whose only mission was to get a nice view of my ass as we gingerly walked to my table. Give the people what they want, I always say.

"Well, who am I if not a gentleman?" Varric beamed at Hawke as I made my way over.

I settled into my chair and pointed an accusatory finger at the dwarf. "You're not kidding anyone, Varric. You'll slather your charms on the shortest and stockiest of Hawke's teammates, and you know it."

"Am I such a foregone conclusion?" There was an awkward silence as the young man placed our dishes on the table, wordlessly setting each in front of its rightful owner. I tucked a 10 into his apron and gave him a wink. Out of my girlfriend's purview, obviously. The boy blushed bright and quickly retreated toward the kitchen. "Alright, I see your point. But I'll make sure to ask your girlfriend before wooing her entourage." Varric licked his lips, awaiting the taste of his croquet-monsieur. Personally, a ham and cheese is a ham and cheese, no matter what country it originated from. In contrast, my order was variable. On weeks we carpooled, I would order a bottle of red and snack on a meat and cheese platter, but since I was driving today, I had to have my alcohol in meal-form, and ordered coq au vin.

"Good idea. She's seen all of them naked." Hawke looked up from her steak frites long enough to fix me with an incredulous stare. "What? You share an open shower room, do you not?" I spread my napkin over my lap, ready to move through my entrée and get to the buttery croissant nirvana that I had set aside for the end of my meal. This was not to keep myself from judgment by my companions, but merely a tactic born of necessity. Once you hit the pastries, you may as well say goodbye to useful calories.

"Yes, but I sound like a pervert when you say it like that." She squirmed slightly in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with my insinuation, harmlessly intended as it was.

Varric coughed between bites. "Hey, I don't pass judgment. Rivaini likes them a little freaky. I mean, Fenris, that guy is a little strange." He snickered at me before seeing Cassandra nearly choke on a fry.

She stared wide-eyed at me, her body pensive. "Guy? I know you were married to a man, but-"

The dwarf quickly waved her down, looking somewhat shocked himself. "Isabela didn't mention she's an equal opportunity booty call?" Now would be a good time to shut up, Varric! I had to clear my throat loudly in the hopes that he would allow me to elaborate for myself.

"What the dwarf means to say is that variety is the spice of life, and I prefer my sex particularly spicy." I explained as professionally as possible, trying not to embarrass her with further perversions.

"Ah…" The winger tucked her hands in her lap and inhaled deep, suddenly looking extra pale. I wanted to ask her if she was nauseous, but I had a feeling that would only make the situation worse.

"Lose your appetite?" Varric joked as he continued to tear into his meal. I rectified his attitude with a kick to his shin. He grunted, but said nothing.

She looked warily at her plate, sucking down her ice tea as if it was essential for life. I regretted not mentioning my proclivities in the interest of full disclosure, but I had kind of assumed it was obvious. Why didn't Aveline say anything? Having emptied her glass, she shot my old friend a brief glance. "I'm just… mulling that over."

I reached over to tuck a few stray hairs behind her ear, capturing her attention. "I wasn't intending to be secretive, Hawke. Feel free to ask about my past escapades. I'm not ashamed to say I've done it all." I shrugged it off. It's not as if I'm going to lie. Sex is sex. Cathartic and exciting, but nothing more.

"Wow, this is weird…" Hawke let out a breath so long that I thought she would deflate before turning her gaze back to her meal. She quickly decided to dig in, avoiding the conversation. Later… maybe. Let's just survive lunch.

"I wouldn't be too concerned, kiddo. Rivaini never introduces me to her conquests. And from what I heard, she won't be looking for a new plaything any time soon." Varric was attempting to come to my defense, but the gesture was lost on me. This is your fault. If you ruin this weekend, I'm going to have your liver for supper. With some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

"Would that be considered eavesdropping or voyeurism?" I slighted him between bites, allowing my eyebrow to rise to a threatening level.

He brushed me off with a grin. "Don't act bashful with me, madam. It doesn't suit you. That dress is nice, however." Varric's eyes roamed slightly, eliciting a growl from beside me.

Cassandra must have noticed his wandering gaze, and stabbed her steak with excessive gusto, looking at the man directly for the first time. "Eyes up, buddy." The temperature in the room seemed to drop, and I shivered slightly before deciding to save the dwarf from himself. You've got to tread lightly for a while. My woman can and will crush you.

"Oh, please, sweetness. It's only fair, considering how often I stare at his manly torso." I smiled at her, and then back at him. You're welcome! Hawke's body relaxed and Varric feigned insult, bringing his hand to his mouth.

"I am a person, not an object!" He informed me accusingly.

My girlfriend leaned toward me to whisper into my ear. "Women are into the chest hair?"

"Are you kidding? I'd pay a hefty sum to run my fingers through it." I chuckled light-heartedly, before staring at the aforementioned wantonly.

Hawke peeked over at the aim of my affection and shook her head, face scrunched in disgust. "I'd rather not…"

Varric placed a hand over his heart and laughed. "I won't hold it against you. You're dating the second best chest on Earth." He tilted his head toward me, and I couldn't help but smile warmly at him.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Varric." My winger's hand immediately found its way to my knee, causing me to modify my statement. "Alright, not everywhere." The young woman had a smug smirk on her face as her hand began to drift upward. I quickly cleared my throat and pushed away my near-empty dishes. "Look at the time! Hawke, don't you have… that thing to go to?" Work with me, kid.

"You don't want to eat your croissant first?" I looked down at the pastry, them back at her, then back at the pastry. This is so not fair… With a groan, I picked up my dessert. As amazing as it tasted, I was finding it hard to enjoy. Hawke's thumb was drawing small circles on the top of my upper thigh from under the table, and I had to fight to finish my food.

The dwarf must have caught the tension in my body, and set down a forkful of cake. "You alright, Rivaini?"

I fixed him with an awkward look. "Yes. Just… preoccupied. I have a long week ahead." Help me! I gestured to my girlfriend with my eyes, and he nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'd hate to keep you ladies from your activities." With that I quickly stood, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles on my dress. "Hawke, I'm glad we could have this little chat. You have my card, of course, just in case you need anything."

She slid out of her seat and met him with a smile. "Yes. It was nice to see you under less dire conditions." She swiped her chocolate chip cookie off of the table before turning toward me.

"Varric, as always, lovely to see you." I bent down to press a friendly peck to his cheek, and took Cassandra's hand. The dwarf gave a quick wave goodbye as we exited. Once we made it to the parking lot, I pulled Hawke aside for a quick chat, leaving her to lean against a light post. "Where in 'keep it civil' did getting handsy under the table make sense?"

She just smiled at me and bit into her cookie. "You didn't pay for lunch." She spoke with her mouth full.

"So you were getting even?" She nodded, looking utterly proud. We did have a deal. I did violate it. "So your plan was to get me all riled, knowing that I wasn't going to risk another PDA incident today? That's cruel."

The rugby player finished off the rest of her confection before continuing to walk toward the car. I followed as she began to examine my assessment. "Your version sounds like a conspiracy. Wouldn't it be easier to assume that I just want to have sex? It was you who said that there would be no further intimacy until after lunch. Isn't it possible, probable even, that I cut our meal short to hasten that timeline?" I stood slack-jawed as she slid into the passenger seat of my '66 Shelby. Cheeky, brilliant, bitch. She played my own terms against me! Because now, if she wanted to have sex, she already has me at least partially aroused, and practically unable to say 'no'. And if she doesn't, she gets payback for the incident at the bookstore. Check and mate!

I hopped into my concubine and took a deep breath. "There should be prisons for evil geniuses like you. Maximum security, with really big walls and the constant sounds of ABBA on full blast." I started up the car, and she chuckled at me.

"Now that,Isabela, would be cruel." I quickly drove Cassandra back to her dorm. I wasn't really mad, per say. She played with the radio, complaining about there being too many country stations and not enough classic rock. And by the time we pulled into the side parking lot of her building, I was barely registering anything above a mild sense of irritation with myself for falling to her trickery. But then, wouldn't I do the same to her?

"Here we are." I left the car running, because if I killed the engine, there would be no possible way I wasn't going to end up in her dorm room, letting all of the young women know how to say 'don't stop' in a dozen languages. At the top of my lungs, no less. "Look, Hawke. I wasn't lying to Varric earlier. I truly do have a long week ahead of me, so we won't be seeing much of each other, if at all." I turned toward her with a slight frown on my face. Surely I would have preferred to have her around, especially in the early stages of… whatever we had going, but reality was getting in the way. And I actually kind of enjoyed my studies. I met a lot of interesting people, got to do a study on maltose (and incidentally ended up drunk as a skunk), and took classes in everything from 'The History of Piracy' to 'Dairy Management'. After all that had happened with Luis, school was the first thing that was actually mine. My choice, my grades, my knowledge, my friends; all to do with however I saw fit. I loved learning and I loved the atmosphere. Everybody loves college. 'Best years of your life', they always say. My sixteen year old self never dreamed of anything this exciting.

The young winger just smiled back at me and cradled my jaw with one hand. "No worries, 'Bela. I only live to serve." She leaned forward for a kiss, and before I knew it, things grew heated. Hawke could go from 'Ms. Right' to 'Ms. Right Now' in the blink of the eye, and the combination put my passion through the roof. I cursed the space between us, and with every touch of the tongue I considered giving in to my depravity and just crawling into her lap. Fuck propriety! But before I could make a move, she broke the contact, leaving us to catch our breath. "To be continued?" She tried to take back her hand, but I held it there, swiftly closing the distance again. It was rough and possessive, reminding Hawke that she was mine, no matter if I was around or not. My other hand sought out her breast, and I allowed it to linger there as our lips dueled. This time I pulled away completely, and turned back to the steering wheel.

"Text me?" I shot her an arrogant grin as she righted her shirt.

"Mm. Definitely." She licked her lips and smiled before giving me a peck on the cheek and promptly exiting the vehicle, her bag of books in hand. As I watched her walk away (somewhat uncomfortable, might I add), I pulled out my phone. I waited for Hawke to enter the service door before sending her a final message. "Now we're even! See you this weekend Champ. ;) "

Author's Note:

1. Someone asked for more Varric. And who am I not to pay homage to the Paragon of Manliness? There will be plenty more, I assure you.

2. It may seem a little out of character, but the Isabela I envision is very sentimental. She simply doesn't know how to be. There will be a lot of super-fluffy moments. However, she will still be just as crass, licentious, and laissez-faire as the Dragon Age character.

3. There will be tension points and angst and all the lovely drama that comes with our Pirate Queen... eventually. I'm just laying down some foundation first.