◇ VII.

[hawkeward]

[A: ACTION | Around town | Mint]

[No matter who you are, whether or not she knows you, and as long as you're legal - Hawke might approach you at some point today with a devilish grin on her face and a raised eyebrow. HAAAAY BABEH. :3c]

Nice weather we're having, isn't it? Very snowy. And cold. But as long as you have someone to keep you warm...

[B: ACTION | 918 Bilko Boulevard | White Daisies | For Fenris (but his housemates are welcome to tag as well!)]

[Sometimes Hawke likes to swing by the 'Danarius' household to visit Fenris (and, previously, Bethany's drone), have a drink, and read some books with him. This is one of those times - except today, there are some daisies growing in the hedges out front. WELP.]

I found some more... quality literature for us to go through. [Naturally, she has a few cookbooks tucked under her arm. :|a] Perhaps we could turn this into a cooking lesson, hmm?

[C: ACTION | Grocery store | Milkweed]

[After getting a good whiff of some milkweed, Hawke finds the urge to flirt with and kiss everyone in sight, as well as her cute little crush on Fenris, diminished, replaced with a great desire for milk. She can be found in the dairy section, holding a gallon of milk in her hands and frowning at it.]

I know everyone says "don't drink the milk," but does that actually have any weight to it? Is it really poisoned, or is this just some bizarre anti-dairy propaganda? Inquiring minds want to know!

Comments

A:

[3wayforjustice]

[In accordance with his last outing, to obtain everything ever for his newfound, feline friend... the local mage is on his way back into the house when he hears her.]

It's not any colder than Fereldan ever was... is it?

[hawkeward]

...Not as far as I remember, no. That doesn't make staying warm any less important, though.

[HAY ANDERS HAAAAAY. :3 ...He may not notice much change in her behavior, to be fair.]

[3wayforjustice]

[NOPE. Not really. Not yet anyway.]

Unfortunately, someone has to go out and look after things. Cat things.

[hawkeward]

Oh, have you found everything the little beast needs?

[She saunters closer, smirking. Personal space, what is that.]

Don't forget to look after Anders things, too. But I suppose I could take care of that for you.

[3wayforjustice]

I think so. Though... I'm not certain why he'd need a box of sand.

[He blinks, but doesn't pull back.]

'Anders things'?

[hawkeward]

...Strange. If anyone can solve that little mystery, though, it's certainly you.

[She slowly runs her hand up his arm and stop at his shoulder, giving it a good squeeze.]

The cat is not the only one who has needs, of course.

[3wayforjustice]

Your faith is incredibly appreciated.

[It doesn't take a genius to figure out what she means. But he's sort of thrown by the timing.]

This... seems somewhat forward. Even for you.

[hawkeward]

What do you mean? I've always been very assertive. [She's still not moving. Hi Anders hiiii.] Especially when there's something I want.

[3wayforjustice]

So you have...

[He quirks an eyebrow.]

And that would be...?

C:

[fthisgetmecigs]

[Helllllllo lady. Have a minted up grocer sliding up to you. Badou leans casually against one of the shelves nearby.]

Well, y'ain't supposed to drink the milk outside your door in the mornin'. The ones in the store are fine though. But enough of that. Don't think I've seen ya around here before? And I see a lot of folks while I'm working here.

[hawkeward]

Oh, is that it? What a relief.

[Hawke places three gallons in her cart before turning and looking Badou over. The flirting doesn't strike her as odd; she doesn't know him, for one, and... she just can't turn off her swag. :V]

I tend to leave the purchase of food to the drones - such dutiful children, once you offer them a few silver. Perhaps they do take after their dear old make believe mother, after all.

[fthisgetmecigs]

[Girl, you're sooooo fine. Or maybe that's the mint still.]

Y'know I think you should come 'round more often. Gets kinda borin' here with just drones comin' in and all and it'll be nice ta have some conversations with an attractive lady like yourself. [Oh yeah. He is totally the man.]

[hawkeward]

[Hawke raises her eyebrows. WELP if this guy wants to flatter her, he can be her guest. She won't complain.]

Popular no matter where I go, it seems. It's a curse, really.

[fthisgetmecigs]

Curse fer everyone else maybe, 'cause you've got the kind of look that can cause a distraction, y'know? Can't imagine t'trouble you can cause at a construction site.

[He's rusty at this flirty flirty thing.]

[hawkeward]

Oh, how kind of you to say so. [Her voice is just dripping with sarcasm.] Do you say this to all the girls, or am I just particularly lucky?

[fthisgetmecigs]

[You're so pretty Badou almost let the sarcasm slide. Almost. But his retort doesn't have the usual bite to it.]

Well, if y'rather I say it's because you're downright hideous, I can do that too. Geeze, can't a guy give some complements to a lady? 'Sides, I only say it to t'attractive ones.

[hawkeward]

Very well, I'll take your word for it. Lucky it is, then! [She smirks, waving a hand at him dismissively.] My name's Hawke, by the way. Isn't it proper manners to introduce yourself to a pretty lady?

B

[unasked_for]

[Fenris gives Hawke a long, somewhat skeptical look. He's been outside the house once or twice today, so he's been hit by the daisies, too - but Hawke tends to bemuse him regardless of any other emotions, and now is no different. The only hint of his newly discovered crush is that he's actually smiling the tiniest bit.] I'd suggest this being a clever ruse to get me to cook for you, save that you clearly have never tried my cooking. [Fenris spent years running from Danarius, and occasionally had to forage and cook when he couldn't steal or buy (usually with stolen money) already-cooked food for himself. A kind person would call it 'serviceable'; a less kind, more accurate person would call it 'charred'.]

[hawkeward]

[Hawke can't help but notice that she really likes seeing him smile like that. She's never liked him being so broody all the time, of course... But unlike before, where she had resolved to support him despite their differences - right now, under the influence of the daisies, she wants to continue to make him smile, and make him happy.]

You can't be much worse than my mother. Or Sandal. But no, no ruse involved - I can cook just fine on my own, thank you.

[unasked_for]

Then why cooking? It seems a strange choice. [Then a thought hits him.] Oh, yes, I hadn't told you. [He moves to a table and picks up a book - Hawke will recognize it as A Slave's Life, the Book of Shartan that she'd given Fenris back in Kirkwall.] I received this not long ago. We could continue it, unless you're resolved to see me cook.

[hawkeward]

Oh! [Hawke brightens at the sight of the book. It's a much better read than the millionth recipe book she's discovered, that much is certain.] Curious though I am about your cooking ability, no, that will do just fine. Shartan is a touch more interesting than apple pie. Shall we, then?

[unasked_for]

Gladly. I've been practicing on my own, you know. [There's almost an eager note in Fenris' voice as he says this, as though he's looking for Hawke's approval - not something he normally feels the need to strive for, though of course he appreciates her respect and approval when he does happen to get it. He almost flinches at the tone, because there's something in it that reminds him of Orana - that anxious-to-please attitude of someone whose first thought is the pleasure of someone else.

Of course, his reasons for wanting to please Hawke are extremely different from Orana's wanting to please whoever she happened to be serving. It's merely an...unfortunate association. But not so unfortunate, he privately notes, that he doesn't still hope Hawke approves of his efforts.

He also doesn't mention that he's been practicing reading this book from where they'd last left off, either; he doesn't mind rereading parts he already knows, not if he's reading them with Hawke. They have plenty of book left to go, but he wants to draw it out as long as possible, all the same.]

Please, sit. [He gestures to the sofa, even as he flips the book open and begins rifling - carefully, thanks to his sharp gauntlets - through the pages, looking for where they'd stopped last.]

[hawkeward]

[Hawke does as she's told, and sits (as close to Fenris as possible, of course), leaning toward him eagerly. Teaching him how to read gives them something that they can share and enjoy together, without the hassle and possible danger of killing things. And the fact that they are making use of her gift to him makes it all the better - knowing that he still appreciates the gesture makes her happy and fills her with warm fuzzies.]

Have you? That's good; I'm glad. [To show it, she gives him a small, very fond smile before gesturing for him to begin.]

[unasked_for]

[Fenris' answering smile is equally small - it is Fenris, after all - but equally fond, though he finds himself dropping his gaze quickly. Maker's breath, next thing he'll be blushing.

He finds the place he last remembers leaving off with Hawke - some pages back from where he himself had last worked his way to, while he'd been defending Anders with the resurrection machine broken - and begins to read. His progress is still a bit slow and halting, but he's made great strides since they first began.

Of course, since Hawke is actually from much further in their timeline than Fenris, she may remember them having been a lot further in the book than this.]

[hawkeward]

[Hawke starts to nod along as he reads, but as Fenris goes on, that little smile of hers turns into a confused frown. It's been a while since they last read together, of course, but she can recall that they were much further along than this.]

Hold on, Fenris-- [She holds out a hand to stop him, causing their fingers to brush together for a moment - and then pulls away awkwardly. Okay, Hawke, act cool, you are not going to going to score any points like this.] We were well past this chapter, weren't we?