3rd Floor Common Room, Sunday Morning

[rebelseekspizza]

ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ, ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ

The words had been following Dante around. Sometimes he swore he could catch sight of his own face but with different angles, in the corner of his eyes, in the mirror. It was weird. Too weird even for booze.

So eventually he'd gotten out of bed and stumbled into the common room to get some food. Maybe a change of scenery would stop it from following him around. Except there it was again, conveniently spelled out in fridge magnets in front of him.

ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ, ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ

"What is your problem," he muttered.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[good_for_six]

Speaking of booze, Isabela had gone back to the coping method for enduring unwelcome situations and inconvenient feelings she'd developed very early in her marriage and wandered into the common room with a half-empty rum bottle in one hand.

As she collapsed on the couch

YOU BITCH, I CAME BACK TO HELP

joined the existing writing.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I've been trying that," Dante said, pointing in her general direction - it was meant to be at the booze, but he had his head half in the fridge already. "But you can't drown this one."

[good_for_six]

If she couldn't it wouldn't be for lack of trying.

"That mean you don't want any, Dante?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"I got plenty in my room," Dante said, giving her a thumbs up.

He came out of the fridge holding something that looked vaguely like cheese. "Thinking I might need stronger stuff."

[good_for_six]

"I'm not sure you can get stronger," Isabela said, frowning at her bottle. "This is already the stuff tastes like burning." The hangover was going to be murder, but at least it'd be feeling like shit on he own terms and she'd take that trade-off.

[rebelseekspizza]

"What I'm talking about isn't liquid."

He kicked the fridge shut. "'Course, I'd have to be off the island for that."

[good_for_six]

"Colour me intrigued." Isabela, no. She took a healthy swig, coughing at the burn. "Good luck doing that."

What she wouldn't give to be able to sail the Call right now.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante, don't get Isabela anything stronger than alcohol. Please.

"Might try to fight my way out later today," he said, shrugging, and shoved the cheese in his mouth. "Getting bored of this party."

[good_for_six]

It would not end well.

"Let me know if you do," she said. "I could do with a change of scenery."

And because that was just asking for trouble, the wall along one side of the common room faded into one made of stone blocks carved with unfamiliar lettering, and a tall, statuesque woman, hair white and skin inhumanly pale, horns growing back from her temples, picked a double of Isabela up by the throat and slammed her against the stone.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Sure, I'll--"

And then he actually jumped backwards, because that was pretty close, and also what the fuck?!

[good_for_six]

Isabela blinked, bottle frozen in place, as she watched the Qunari woman manhandle the other her.

"That's new," she managed.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante shot her a sidelong glance, eyes wide. "Uh, something that happened...?"

[good_for_six]

Isabela shook her head. "I think I'd remember that."

She had no love for the Qunari, but what few direct encounters she'd had with them had been civil...and none of them had been quite that disturbingly attractive.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Odd weekend, isn't it?"

She looked like Ringo, and her voice was Ringo's, but her tone was off, and that wasn't Ringo's usual smile. The eyes were way too cold for that.

[rebelseekspizza]

Yeah, that was weird.

Dante was draped all over the sofa at this point, but he took a moment to sit up - a little - and squint at her. "Fucking weird is the word I'd use for it," he said.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"That works, too." She looked around curiously, shifting her weight slightly on a pair of ATs that she hadn't worn since she'd gotten to the island.

"I've also noticed how relatively calm it seems to be in the dorms. The phrases are interesting," but didn't really bother her, "but no attacks or anything here."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I guess," Dante said.

He lifted his chin at her feet. "You wearing those things indoors?"

Was it a safety measure, maybe? Kinda like how he was wishing he could keep Ebony and Ivory on him inside?

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo glanced down. "Never know when I might need them."

She looked over at him curiously. "I would have thought you'd have something handy to defend yourself with, too."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I am something to defend myself with," Dante retorted, which was true, at least. "Getting antsy?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Not really," she answered, sounding utterly calm, like she actually meant that. "If something comes up, I'll deal with it."

"You?" Antsy, Dante?

[rebelseekspizza]

"Same," Dante said.

You know, it didn't sound as defensive as it usually would've, from Ringo. That was weird, too. "You all right?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Of course," she answered smoothly, again without any hint of defensiveness. "Why wouldn't I be?"

[rebelseekspizza]

Now he shrugged, because what else was he gonna do? Ringo was being off, but that wasn't Dante's business. "Fuck if I know," he said. "Been killing any of those things out there?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I have had to defend myself once or twice, but it hasn't been a problem." You know, in case you were worried, Dante.

She knew that you weren't.

"Not enough of one to keep me from going about my business, anyway."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Right."

Dante studied her for a minute or so.

"What've you been doing?"