Mantis shrimp - Cassarric

It begins with an offhand comment.

“She’s quite beautiful, isn’t she? SeekerCassandra.”

At first he doesn’t think much aboutit. It’s not a secret that she has admirers, a small flock of shy recruits andeven a handful of wizened soldiers watching her unleash hell on the courtyardpractice dummies, young and weathered faces alight with a mixture of awe and fear of the Maker.He’s teased her about it on a number of occasions, if only to get a rise out ofher – that incredulous splutter, and that shock-red flush of hersharp-boned cheeks, neither reaction due to the fact that he’d dare suggest herdesirable, but rather that it should be true, which, given her smitten audience, isn’t really that hard to believe. Although, honestly? Varric hadn’t givenit much thought.

‘Hadn’t’ of course being the problem here.

And the comment that does it is such an innocuous thing – caught in passing one day, it’s picked up by earsused to stealing slivers of gossip from crowded taverns, and it’s nothing thathe hasn’t heard before. Hell, compared to the shit sifted through the Skyholdrumour mill, lewd bets and speculations regarding everything from girth tostamina (things no one needs to know, really), a comment on Cassandra’slooks is downright chaste.

But chaste be damned, the comment sticks, and with even more persistencethan that one remark he’d caught praising Tiny’s…not-so-tiny attributes. But shit, what he wouldn’t give now to have that thought at the forefront of hismind, and not this – whatever the hell this is, this sudden and weird fascination withthe Seeker, who he’s never offered so much as a second glance. Although to be fair, Varric suspectshis former dismissal might have had something to do with his firstimpression of her being somewhat stained by the fact that she’d threatened to have him strung up by his ankles (and not in the fun way). And he’d been a little too preoccupiedtrying to keep her off Hawke’s back to take much note of whether or nother cheekbones really could cut glass.

Now, though, it’s suddenly all he canthink about, the sleek angles of her face and the strong jaw tapering to her sharp chin, and – okay, she’s notunattractive, he’ll give her that.

Of course, there’s a fine line here, as is always the case with extremes, like begrudging acceptance and deep-in-your-gut recognition of fact. And it doesn’t take him long to realise that he’s long since crossed the line when it comes to his impression of the Seeker.

Admitting it, though? Hell no.

Czytaj dalej

10. “Please don’t make me socialize.” For Cass & varric?

Half the time it wasn’t so bad being Viscount. Well, more like twenty-five percent of the time. Unfortunately for Varric this day fell under the other seventy-five percent. 

He’d had dealings with builders and contractors, the Merchant’s guild, and next a dinner meeting with some envoy from Orlais. Currently he was sequestered in his room after he had finished dressing, head in his hands and the start of a nasty headache building behind his eyes.

There was a knock at his door, and he groaned.

“Don’t make me socialize, Bran,” Varric all but whined. “I can’t kiss anymore ass today. Just tell them I’ve died.”

He heard the door open, and Varric had a sneaking suspicion that meant he wasn’t off the hook. Though he was surprised when he wasn’t met with Bran’s exasperated sigh, but rather a throaty laugh.

“You sound rather hale for a dead man. If not a little tired.” 

Varric snapped his head up, though he regretted it slightly when his temples throbbed, and stared at Cassandra.

“You’re not Bran.”

“I am not Bran,” she agreed, shutting the door. She leaned back against the wall, yanking off mud stained boots. 

“I have dinner scheduled with an envoy,” he told her. As if that would somehow change the fact she was there. 

“I am aware. I have news from Orlais and Divine Victoria.” 

“You do?” Varric blinked owlishly as she moved further into the room. 

“Yes. Though I have only just arrived, I thought perhaps a bath would be in order before dinner. If you would be so accommodating, Viscount?” 

Finally Varric’s brain finally started processing what was happening, and the reality she was there. He grinned at her widely. “Draw you a bath? Hell, Seeker, I’ll wash your back myself.”

She laughed and bent forward, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I would expect nothing less.”

Feeling better than he had all day, Varric wound his arms around Cassandra’s waist and yanked down onto his lap so that he could kiss her properly.