milliways_bar | (no subject)

Bad thing about Varric Tethras' life: the people he has to deal with. He's a younger son of a noble family turned merchanters in a city where the Dwarven Merchants' Guild and the Carta can make life very, very miserable for merchant families that don't play the right games the right way. Good thing about Varric Tethras' life: the dwarf is very, very, very good with words. Sometimes better than his family is with money- and his family's usually pretty good with money. Ranking Carta members can be remarkably vain, and playing on that vanity can go far. Bribes don't always have to be monetary.

Did you know there was such a thing as a dwarven romance novel? And that a really good writer can put just about anybody he knows in the role of the ridiculously buxom and breathtakingly clever protagonist as she carves her way metaphorically and physically through the hidebound but remarkably lusty nobility of Orzammar?

Well, if you didn't, you might want to check out the rolls of parchment drying on the table where Varric is currently working. Or not, if you're the kind of human or elf or whatever-you-are who isn't into that sort of thing. Varric will probably be sociable either way, once he gets Mischa past the gate marshals and into the Proving Master's pants. It's a tricky paragraph. These things take a deft touch.

And, yes, he's had to produce this kind of bribe before. Some people require more maintenance than others.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Andrea hates people who read over your shoulder, so she never does it. Unless it involves a case and she's gathering information. Or if it's obvious the person is up to no good. Or if the person is writing a letter to her best friend. Or if she's out of her favorite reading material. Okay, so she does read over shoulders, she just tries not to be obvious about it.

"Wow, that's good!" Yeap, a paragon of sneakiness is young Andrea.

[OOC: Placeholder for now?]

"You're sure it's not too much? I was thinking I was laying it on a little thick," says Varric. He twists in his seat to glance up at the speaker. "It's only a first draft right at the moment. I can always tweak it as I go."

"Oh no," Andrea says hurriedly. "The use of fabrics to convey texture and passion is great. The use of food is a bit typical, but it is a classic of the genre."

"Of course, I've only just read the one page." By her tone of voice, she is obviously attempting to negotiate for more pages.

"Well, before you get too into it, you should be aware that this is going to be part of volume two," says Varric. "I did a short series featuring the same main character about a year and a half ago, so if you really wanted to get a good idea of what I'm trying to do here, that might be a better place to start. Interested at all?"