romdeau | a fishing date;

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a fishing date;

There were no impromptu trips to Sundermount, in fact. Merrill had holed herself up with the Eluvian, avoiding Hawke whenever possible. The Arulin'Holm stayed at the estate, locked away somewhere, and the Dalish woman didn't want to see or hear from Hawke without good cause. Which was understandable (upsetting, but understandable), and she let Varric and Isabela take over Merrill's undertaking. They'd update her whenever possible and she was infinitely grateful, though she knew things couldn't stay that way forever. Eventually, they'd need to talk, and that would happen when Marian was good and ready. For now, she wasn't.

First on her mind was Anders and his mage underground. He would disappear for days on end, surfacing only to work in his clinic where he would refuse to go on any errands. Too busy, he'd say, occupied with his patients and his manifesto. It didn't stop him from pressing worn papers into her hands at every opportunity, the bastard. Her desk was full of Anders' scrawl, damning evidence if anyone should walk in and ask about it. She'd been certain to lock them in the bottom drawer, out of sight and out of mind, but she couldn't put him off any more than she could push aside the trouble she had with Merrill.

With her hands full of Kirkwall's smaller troubles - bandits, a few raiders on the outskirts, and a blood mage or two - she had nearly forgotten her plans with Cullen until she returned one night to a note on her desk at the end of the week. Even such a simple thing was enough to brighten her mood considerably and she packed that evening, though she wasn't to meet him for two more days.

She used the time to tell only a few that she'd be gone from the city, that no one was kidnapping her, and that she'd be very cross if she came back to find Kirkwall burning in her absence. Only Isabela and Varric gave her a hard time for her attempts at discretion, asking for details and gaining nothing.

By sunset on the second day, she was down by the docks to meet him, a pack slung over one arm and her blades across her shoulders, her eyes on the ships and the few workers lingering around. She couldn't be too careful, even now.

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True enough. She looked over at the drooling mass of muscle and pup she called hers and nodded in agreement. "That's part of the reason why I leave him here. Not just blood mages, but spiders and Qunari and Maker knows what else. It would kill me to lose him." As figuratively as she meant it, there was truth to her words. Her smile was small. "Maybe we can get Sandal to enchant your collar to protect you, huh, boy?"

'Enchant' had him in a full-body wriggle of excitement and she chuckled quietly at the sight. He really was ridiculous sometimes.

She turned back to Cullen, side-stepping so she was in a better position to put both hands on him, fingers kneading at the muscles of his lower back. "But I'm curious about what I could ask you," she murmured quietly. She had said she wanted to know more about him, after all.

He could understand that. She had lost so much in this city already. Losing her dog, too, would be a severe blow. It wasn't necessary to risk him on the bigger things. She had competent friends who could help her with that. He chuckled at the dog's reaction to the proposal for his collar. "It's not a bad idea."

He gave a low approving hum and stuck the spoon back in the pot for another stir or two. "Find out," he offered, glancing over his shoulder. "The worst that will happen is I'll say it's something I'm not comfortable with. No glaring. Templar's honor."

"Probably. I'd need to shop around to find something appropriate. A shame there's no anti-blood magic rune out there. Wouldn't that make lives easier for so many people?" If anyone could ever enchant an item like that, it would be Sandal. He had a knack for achieving the impossible. She'd need to introduce him to Cullen.

She moved her fingers lower, thumbs working from the spine and outward, tempering knotted muscle. She smiled deviously. "I'm not certain what I could ask just yet. Especially right now." Her tone held promise as she held his gaze, hands working at his back. "But I'll let you know if that changes, certainly."

"That would all but put me out of a job. In the balance of things, I wouldn't complain." He chuckled. It was something he had no doubt had been tried. The Tranquil made excellent enchanters, and did as they were bade. He couldn't imagine that some of those orders wouldn't have been to try to devise something that prevented blood magic altogether or negated its effects in others.

"Oof. That feels good." He twisted a little to put her on top of a particular knot. He held the look, interest sparking in his gaze. "There is the matter of the cooking, yes. It won't take too long, I imagine." Cleaning and shelling the crabs might, though. "I won't be going anywhere very soon." He noticed steam rising in small curls at the top of the pot, the direct precursor to the boil. "Does it need to get going good before we put them in?"

"Not necessarily. You'd still have plenty to do. You would just have one less problem to worry about." She smiled. "Templars without jobs. Perish the thought. You'd be religious guards of the Chantry if you didn't have people to chase after."

Carefully, she rolled the knuckles of her one hand to accommodate where he wanted her, slowly turning her hand to knead where she could. "And there's the matter of cleaning, shelling, and eating our would-be meal," she teased. Going up on her toes, she glanced over his shoulder at the pot. "Another...two minutes at most, I think, and then you should be able to start putting them into the water. It's getting there."

"Chantry guard duty. I think I'd take a job as a city guard before letting myself be relegated just to that." He could not think of many things more dull or unrewarding. Many of the priests outright annoyed him, and too many books in one place made him sneeze.

He stood a little hunched over to enjoy the massaging then turned, his arms slipping about her waist. "Two minutes? However will we pass the time?" He leaned down to kiss her, more playful and affectionate than trying to start anything much. He remembered to hold the spoon out and away from her so he didn't drip any hot water or seasonings down her back.

"I'm sure Aveline would love to have you under her thumb, if so," she joked, grinning. "The guard get up to enough troubles outside of the city, you know. Even within city limits, they have things to do. You'd never be bored."

With a soft chuckle, she tilted her head up for the kiss, nose nudging against his. Her hands found his arms and her fingers rubbed circles into them just as she had with his back, her lips curled against his. "Seems you already thought of something," she murmured against his mouth, kissing him once more.

"Oh, I'm sure. I'd get all the choice assignments, too. Darktown, the Dust sector in Lowtown, Wounded Coast ambushes. The Guard-Captain would personally see to it." He had the strong feeling Aveline didn't like him at all, largely because most orders that came from Meredith's office went through him as the mouthpiece, and many of those orders interfered with those of the guard.

This was a much preferable focus. He smiled at her observation, the smile emerging between kisses and disappearing again when he pressed in. "Looks that way, doesn't it?" he murmured. It was nice not feeling the floor rocking beneath them or worrying about balance. He could focus solely on the press of her against him and how her lips felt in the soft caresses.

"She'd look after you," she assured gently, despite the teasing. "You can be the most ungrateful recruit, drag your feet and make her give you Darktown for your troubles, but she'd be right there looking after you." Hawke smirked. "She and I both would, much to your chagrin."

It was rather strange to be doing this without the feeling of anything moving beneath their feet. There were no awkward angles or odd twisting to be done here. It was much easier already to find him commanding all of her attention, strong arm around her waist and front warmed from the fire. She kept her kisses light and simple, an arm slipping around his shoulders.

"You can't say she wouldn't enjoy bringing me low. I know she wouldn't try to get me killed. She's not like that, but to take a Templar down a peg or two? Most definitely. As for you...most of the time I bet I wouldn't know you were there. If I did, I'd have reason to be grateful for it." It would mean things had gotten dangerously out of hand.

He enjoyed the relaxed affection and felt an extra little thrill when he thought of the possible Coterie shadow thinking he was there on business. It was a dangerous game they had played in the Rose. Time would tell whether they had played it well enough to keep rumors at bay, for a little while. He deepened the kiss, tongue teasing her lips parted to flick softly against hers. His hand at the small of her back pressed her in closer to him, flush from the hips up.

"You'd be surprised. I think she would enjoy proving the work and competency of the guard before wanting to embarrass or demean a Templar. If anything, she'd make it harder on you to prove her point." She smiled. "No, you wouldn't know I was there. If you did, I wouldn't be doing my job properly."

It was surprisingly easy to step as he bade her bodies flush and shared warmth trapped between them. It coaxed another fleeting smile, gone with parted lips and flicks of tongue. Her hand cupped the back of his neck in an effort to keep him close and she tilted her head to deepen the kiss and slide her tongue against his. All too soon, something else caught her attention and she pulled back just enough to leave a hair's breadth between them. "Your water's boiling, soldier."

"You know her better. I accede to your familiarity," he murmured, head tipping down very slightly and his smile in his eyes.

He was just starting to feel the tug of getting more serious about the kiss when she pulled back and spoke. He let out one soft chuff of laughter, not much more than breath, and nodded. "A Templar's work is never done." With a final caress of fingers at the small of her back he pulled away, set the spoon aside, and lifted the pot of crabs. He dumped them quickly into the water, the top foaming and hissing until it settled a little again.

"How long do they stay?" he asked, moving to draw the other half closer for when it was their turn.

Edited 2012-09-25 19:47 (UTC)

"Thank you," she murmured nearly against his lips, hand reaching up to brush against his chin.

She smiled slyly as they parted, hiding her reluctance to let him go. "Yes, poor you. I can almost guarantee it'll be worth it if everything turns out right." She took the now empty pot from him, leaning it on her hip briefly. "The water needs to get back to a steady boil but we just need to wait until as many as possible are floating on the surface. They'll be a bright color, too."

Hawke ducked away to refill the pot with cold water, bringing it back to set on the floor a small distance from the fire. "When they're ready, we'll let them cool in here to keep them from overcooking."

"That sounds like it's going to need our close attention. Pity that." A corner of his mouth quirked up slightly. Maker, he was getting bad tonight. Twice wasn't enough for you? he thought wryly, shaking his head.

He nodded understanding, watching the pot. A couple of the smaller crabs were already floating, the shells turning a brighter reddish orange as he watched. As unpleasant as they had smelled going in, he was surprised that they didn't now. In addition to the sharp scent of the spices, there was a seafood smell he always associated with good food. His mouth watered a little and he took up the spoon to give a little stir.

There was a brief chuckle from her and she tossed her gaze at the pot to distract herself. It was too easy for her to smile tonight. "The sooner they're finished, the sooner we eat. Eyes on the prize, Sera." Even if that statement held promise.

The smaller crabs caught her attention and she kept a close eye on them when they finally bubbled to the surface. "Those can probably come out in the next minute. Leave the rest in. It'll give them more room to come to the top."

"Always," he said with a touch of heat in his smirk.

He nodded again, finally truly turning his attention back to the task at hand. She made it difficult to stay focused. She had felt too good against him earlier. His lips still tingled.

He dipped the smaller crabs out when they were a deep red and plopped them into the cold water. A few of the others were starting to come up now. He could see the legs and flat bodies twirling lazily against the rapid boil. It was hard to believe that anything could go from looking so unappetizing to delicious in such little time.

She took the time to get out some dish towels, plates, and utensils, setting them on the table. Cleaning would come first, obviously, but then they could just as easily plate them. She hadn't the faintest idea what time it was, the shutters on the windows effectively keeping them in the dark save for the light of the fireplace. It wouldn't have mattered to her, though she had to remind herself that he would eventually need to take his leave before he was needed back at the Gallows.

When the first two crabs hit the water, the mabari was up and going over to the pot, looking into it curiously. He made no move to steal what was there, though it was clear his curiosity was piqued. He cocked his head to the side.

"Out of there," she said with a grin as she wandered over to check on the pot. She glanced over Cullen's shoulder. "Oh, but they smell good."

He smiled down at the dog as he came over for a sniff. He couldn't blame him. It was all smelling good enough that if he was by himself, he'd already be cracking into one of the ones that cooked the quickest. "They really do. I shouldn't have been so worried." The proof would be in the taste. He had a hard time imagining they'd smell that good only to taste awful.

"I'll have to stop by and make a point of thanking the cook who put that together for me." They wouldn't have done half as well if he had been given free rein of the spice cabinet and had to guess what might work.

As more floated to the top, he dipped them out and passed them over to the cold water pot. The more that came out of the boiling water, the faster the rest seemed to cook. By the time they were all done, he was stirring all the way to the bottom just to be sure he didn't miss any. He added in the other half of the spice mix and bent to lift the remaining crabs to pour them in. He had to jump back a little to avoid being splashed. "All right. I guess we start cleaning them now?"

"I wonder sometimes if cooking isn't more frightening than most other things in life. You ruin a good meal and you can go hungry. If you're too terrified to try, you'll be stuck with dried meat and hard tack." A lesson she and her siblings learned the hard way on multiple occasions.

"Where did you get it? I might have to go down there myself to thank them," she joked, stepping aside so he could pull out the rest of the crabs. When he went for the second batch, she picked up the pot of cooling crabs and set it on the counter. "And picking them apart, yes. This is the fun job."

She reached in and grabbed one of the top crabs, handing it to him. It was warm to the touch, nearly hot, but manageable. She grabbed another for herself. She flipped it over to expose the legs. "Grab here," she instructed, showing him the apron, "and break it off." There was a small hole where the apron had been when she finished, and she motioned for him to follow her to the basin on the counter. "This is the messy part. Put your thumb in the hole like this...and then lift it up carefully." It took a few moments for her to pull the carapace enough to get it free. It came away cleanly, of course, besides the innards that would always come with it. She smiled at the messiness of it all.

"I like dried meat." As for hard tack, least said best said seemed to be the way to go. "I do all right at a campfire, better when I hunt. They make us cook as recruits. They don't teach you much, though. I'm better at making huge meals for dozens of people than anything closer to individual portions, and you can expect it to be edible, not good."

He chuckled. "One of the Gallows' cooks helped me out. I said what I'd be cooking, not that I'd be sharing it."

He took the crab and leaned in closer to watch her. It looked simple enough. His fingers were quite a bit bigger than hers, not as dexterous. Still, the apron came away fairly easily. He closed the short distance to the basin and mirrored her actions. With a cracking sound, he worked the shell loose and off. "It's almost like a wrapped package."

"That's how I am. I can make meals around a campfire after hunting but don't ask me to make much else. Soups, stews, and anything that can roast on a spit or in a pan over an open flame." She smiled, the motion fleeting with embarrassment. "Orana and Bodahn do more than I can ever ask for by just handling most of the cooking. Saints, honestly."

A messy sort of package, truth be told. She set down what they wouldn't be needing, turning her crab over in her hand. "A little, yes." With a thoughtful hum, she raised an eyebrow. "I can never remember where these things are. I think they're... Yes, here." She pinched something rubbery at the side, pulling it out. "These are inedible too." They went into the basin. Then came the mouth, a little trickier. She worked her thumb around the mandible and cracked it off. "And this."

"I'd likely go hungry if I had to fend for myself in the city cooking, or I'd eat out too often and have trouble fitting my armor." He wouldn't have expected Hawke to be any better at it than he. People who worked the streets with their blades weren't stay at home types. They wouldn't last long in Kirkwall if they were.

He wrinkled his nose slightly. "They look inedible. I can't tell what those are supposed to be." He dug around inside the one he was working on. The texture was no better than how it looked. He wasn't as smooth working the mouth. His thumb nail was short and had a hard time catching. "No wonder anything with crab in it is expensive at the restaurants." If he had to spend this much time preparing something for someone else, he'd charge them for his labor, too.

Her laugh was almost too loud. "You would not. Meredith would work those extra pounds off of you. Send you up and down those fine Kirkwall steps several dozens of times. You'd be even more trim than you are now."

Hawke grinned and set hers down, moving to cup his with him. "Here, hold on." Though blunt, her nails were a little longer than his. She worked her thumb nail in to help him with the mandibles. "You can use a knife too. Just be careful. Those little things can fly out at you." She grabbed a handful of water from the pot and poured it into the opening she'd made with her fingers, allowing the water to wash out any of the remaining goo inside of the crab. "Give it another cleaning and..." She set hers down to go grab a plate, bringing it back for them. She took her crab and split it down the middle. "And there you go."

"You're probably right about that. What sort of message would a fat Knight-Captain send?" Meredith would not only send him up and down the steps, she'd chase him and beat him along the way.

He watched again and decided the knife was probably the best route for him to go. He didn't bite his nails. They just never stayed very long because he was always doing things with his hands or wearing gauntlets. The thumb nails in particular were very short. He fetched one of the knives she had out and returned to watch the rest.

"You make it look so easy." If he thought it smelled good before it was open, now that it was cracked, it was like ambrosia. He hurried to finish his, too, taking care as she warned.

"That the Templars take all kinds, obviously. You'd probably give the impression of having quite a bit of money if you could afford to eat in the city every day. Maybe more recruits would join?" The thought was too much; she was back to laughing as she discarded other pieces of the crab she worked on.

"You're doing fine," she assured him with a smile over her shoulder. "And you have the rest of them to practice on. You'll be a master in no time at all." She set both halves of the crab on the plate, grabbed the dish towel, and went to go check on the other pot.

She gave it a stir while she was there, just in case, then went back to his side to help him with the rest. They smelled heavenly, such a contrast from before. She cracked into the second one with ease.

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