CADENCE.

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“Solomon…” The smile didn’t abate as he echoed the name. It grew in fact, white and gleaming as he reached over to shake the barman’s hand. “I’m Garrett. Garrett Hawke. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Charm, it seemed, this man had in spades, but guile, it seemed was absent at present. It sounded and looked sincere at least.

“Here your whole life, though?” One dark brow raised quizzically, “I don’t know if I could imagine what that would be like…” And honestly, he couldn’t. Not really. Looking about the place, it just seemed like… too much. Even disregarding the ‘activities’ and business besides the bar, the Blooming Rose was so… opulent. Lavishly decorated to the point of gaudiness. And then add in that there were so many people…

“Crowded, for one. Everyone here or there.” One side of his broad shoulders lifted in a shrug as he brought his glass up to his lips for a drink. “I’m a farmboy, myself. More used to not having neighbors closer than a half-mile. Kirkwall has been an… interesting introduction to city living.” To say the least.

“Did you never want to… I don’t know, get your own flat, or go exploring the Marches or anything?” He paused, and seemed to realize something, “I apologize if that’s too personal.”

hawke  .  the  name  rings  a  bell  .  he’d  never  seen  his  face  ,  but  he’d  heard  plenty  about  the  man  from  the  blooming  rose’s  patrons  ,  &  even  its  employees  .  he  was  the  talk  of  kirkwall  ,  &  for  many  reasons  both  good  &  bad  ,  it  seemed  .  solomon  finds  it  a  tad  easier  to  think  of  him  as  garrett  ,  instead  .  more  familiar  ,  like  he  was  a  person  instead  of  a  figurehead  .

‘  i  wasn’t  exactly  brought  to  life  on  purpose  ,  i’m  afraid  .  my  mother  was  a  working  lady  here  ,  &  i’m  simply  earning  my  keep  now  that  she’s  gone  .  ’    he  shrugs  half  -  heartedly  ,  as  if  he  might  benefit  from  a  drink  himself  .  too  risky  ,  though  .  madame  lusine  wasn’t  terribly  forgiving  on  that  front  .    ‘  it  isn’t  as  bad  as  you  might  assume  .  i  have  my  own  quarters  ,  &  i  do  normal  ,  mundane  jobs  to  keep  the  place  clean  &  the  customers  happy  .  not  everyone  comes  here  for  sex  ,  shockingly  .  ’

he  casts  a  wayward  glance  to  the  men  at  the  other  end  of  the  bar  ,  laughing  &  guzzling  down  drink  after  drink  .    ‘  don’t  apologize    ---    i’ve  had  far  more  personal  questions  asked  ,  even  just  over  the  course  of  today  .  ’    he  chuckles  as  he  offers  a  dismissive  wave  &  leans  back  on  his  heels  .

@faelissa / freyja

“Are you being serious? The Templar?” Athella near spat the word out, that was the extent of her pure and utter disgust of the concept. “You could do so much better than him. I thought you had eyes.” To be fair on her, that young Templar, Cullen, was not that terrible to look at, but he was just that– new, young, perhaps not so aware of the awful things his Order got up to. And more importantly, perhaps not yet turned so fully against their charges. “Where’d this interest come from, anyway? Do you even see him that much?”

the  moment  her  sister’s  expression  changes  ,  freyja  can  tell  she’s  made  a  mistake  in  admitting  the  faint  ,  but  no  less  present  attraction  to  her  ward  .  her  lower  lip  juts  out  in  a  pout  ,  eyes  gleaming  with  almost  puppy  -  like  imploration  ,  hands  whipping  down  to  rest  against  her  hips  in  contrast  to  the  rest  of  her  body  language  .    ‘  he’s  not  a  bad  person  like  you  assume  all  templars  to  be  ,  sister  .  he’s  noble  &  kind  !  ’

@faelissa / solomon

Athella leaned against the bartop, an arm across to rest against and her head resting against her hand, her empty cup long forgotten. Kirkwall was an odd place to be in once more; she barely remembered it from her childhood and this was the last place in Kirkwall she thought she would ever visit. The Blight a few years defeated, Athella was a hero now and even then at the bar she wore her Warden armour, mostly concealed by a cloak. The establishment grew a little quieter in the main room and so Athella just watched the barman with vague interest, trying to keep herself awake by the look of it.

“You must see all sorts come through here. Surely you’ve got some funny stories to tell.”

it’s  not  facial  recognition  or  even  the  concealed  crest  of  the  wardens  beneath  her  cloak  that  allows  solomon  to  take  a  guess  at  who  she  is    ---    it’s  the  quietness  of  the  room  &  the  eyes  turning  to  follow  her  ,  &  the  whispers  that  had  spread  across  kirkwall  at  the  first  sight  of  her  on  its  shores  .  the  hero  of  ferelden  .  the  address  seems  to  catch  him  off  guard  ,  &  he  blinks  rapidly  in  a  subtle  tell  .  he  smiles  anyway  ,  intent  on  being  cordial  regardless  of  the  admiration  threatening  to  overtake  him  .