peacocks and pretty things.

Someone was eagerly awaiting a meal…

He held the knife in his hand and gave it a once over with his eyes.  It had seen better days, rusty handle and all, but it was still perfect for the job it was intended for.  He tossed it low in the air, flipping it once and reaching for some of the vegetables and setting about dicing them to bits.

As he did so, her cheerful voice asked of his origin…

Oh…

"Well," he started, clearing his throat, seeking the right words carefully.

"I’m…no, I’m not from around here.  I’m actually…from further east.  About two weeks travel by sea if winds are favorable.  I’ve only been in Fereldan about a month or so.  Frankly, as crazy as things are getting, I don’t know about staying here much longer.  What with Darkspawn and…pickpockets…"

He looked to her, grinning and cocking an eyebrow.

Icy blue irises hung on him for a long moment as her expression gradually softened. Suddenly, however, her brows shot up and she nearly gasped. "I've entirely forgotten to start ze water!" Her words were strained with her movements as she lifted herself from the ground. She emptied her water skin into a heavy pot before heaving it over the fire. After securing it on the mechanism that suspended the basin over the flame, she twisted around to face the caravans and shouted. "Salvator, would you bring me some spices? ...And some'sing to drink?" 

Niki then sat once more, returning to the matter at hand while she waited on her bandmate. Taking one peeled spud from the neat pile she'd placed them in, she began dicing it into bite-sized pieces upon a stained wooden board that wore the Gnawed Noble Tavern's logo.

"He’s got his boot up our poopers!"

"You smell like chicken nuggets."

"I honestly don’t know if you’re fucking with me right now."

"The goose only cooks in broth…"

"I swear if you guys don’t shut up, I’m gonna drive this car off a cliff!"

"I thought it was a turkey! I swear to God!"

"We don’t have…this money."

"Ya big dumb piece of shit."

"Ssssshhhut up."

"Excuse me, can we please discuss this out on the terrace?"

"Shove off, ya hosers!"

"Tell me that my dreams can’t be achieved!"

"I mean, I wonder what Thomas Edison’s friends said when he invented the English muffin."

"I saw two people porking in there!"

"She’ll kill me!"

"Yeah, you won’t be saying that after I kill you."

"Why don’t you grab onto your milky little dick and get the fuck out!"

"Rule number ten: Fuck the rules, let’s party!"

"Between you and I, there was an invisible fabric of respect…but you have torn it asunder!"

"I am not a cry baby!"

"I take my coffee the same way I take my women: Strong. Black. And proud."

"Nothing, I, uh, thought I saw a potato…"

"I’m gonna go rub one out and call it a night."

"Hanukkah is my favorite character from the movie ‘Star Wars’" 

"I AM NOT A TURKEY!"

"Oh yeah? Well this balloon is going to kick your ass, right now."

"Stupid question but, what is a book?"

"Do you mean the entire time she was talking about the baby deer, she was lying?"

"I’m gonna look one more time for that baby deer."

"I’ve got two words for you, brainwave…’So’ and ‘what’"

"I don’t think I’m overstating anything when I say that I’m really mad."

"That was wrong of me and I’ll be the first person to admit it."

"I’ve got so much wood I should be a forest right now."

"Holy shit! World peace. Awwwlright!"

"I’m livid! I am filled with rage! I am so peeved!"

"Fuck that shit, I wanna talk about Zots and Crambles, yo!"

"Out of our way girls. It’s asparagus season."

"Oh, I can believe it.  Any language that isn’t your own is rather hard to grasp at times.  Elvish is strangely flowing, Orlesian, even moreso, and Qunlat is so…jagged, harsh at times.  But once you find that little corner of it, you pick up quickly.  At least…I did.

"And staying with that clan was actually a great experience.  I can’t say what led to it was but I can say that I’ll always be grateful to them for it."

Her furrowed brow and her terse tone along with her thick accent made for a strangely lovely combination.  He raised his glass and smirked.

Returning to the conversation, the bard regarded Atticus in a quizzical expression, though her features didn't hide the coyness behind it. "Mysterious man, you are, hmm? And why can't you say 'ow you ended up wi's ze Dalish, I wonder..."

When she introduced the larger fellow, Papa, however, he felt decidedly intimidated.  When Niki pranced over and pecked him on the cheek, though, he figured he was alright.  She addressed the band, introducing him.  Cricket thanked him, Papa nodded and left, and the rest of the band grunted.

Charmed, I’m sure…

With her prompting, he followed her to the fire, removing his bags and setting them on the ground before him.  He dropped to one knee and started pulling things out one at a time, taking inventory of all he’d bought.  He turned to her and before he could say a word, he saw her as she removed her mask.  Her face donning a Cheshire grin, he felt his eyes widen slightly as he finally was given a chance to see her face.

…Wow…

He looked to the fire, clearing his throat and then stared down at the food they had procured.

Having to take a moment to decide on how to actually respond, the woman glanced around the fire. It appeared as though someone had already set out her cooking supplies! Though it looked like a nice gesture, it was certainly meant only to quicken her pace. A quiet laugh escaped her as she sifted through various bowls, knives, and boards. 

"'Ere!" Leaning drastically forward, she stretched out an arm to hand Atticus what clearly had been the cover to a beautifully bound book, one jagged edge suggesting that it had been forcibly taken. Though the leather was stained and had been cut into countless times, "The Chant of Light" could still be made out if one looked close enough. With the makeshift cutting board, she passed over the better of two knives - sharp enough, certainly, but the handle was rusting.