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[antivanstormcrow]

Zevran raised his eyebrows at the lovely woman who eventually entered the clinic.  He would have readily identified her as an assassin even as she seemed to have done him, had he met her elsewhere, but she was of a sort he had not encountered since he was still a Crow.  “A pleasure to meet you,” he purred, inclining his head courteously, before turning his attention to the plan Anders began outlining.  Normally he would have been more flirtatious, but having already gotten the impression that he and Anders were cut from the same cloth in that respect, he did not want to immediately place himself in the same category in the lady’s mind if they were to have to work together.

…

A surprisingly short time later, Zevran headed for the rendezvous point that Anders had specified, where they would pick up the vehicle.  Both man and van were already in place.

Philanthropic Opportunism || [Anders and Zevran]

[antivanstormcrow]

Zevran smirked at the question about poisons.  No, it wasn’t something people who were not Crows typically did, or at least not to any degree approaching members of the assassin’s guild.  However, some of the more important members of other guilds in the city did so occasionally, as well as a few of the nobles.  “Me in particular?  No, likely not,” (at least, not very often – he had had a few rivals make attempts before he was established enough that they knew better) “but when most of the weapons around one at any given time are likely coated with something nasty…”  He shrugged casually.  “It pays to be prepared, yes?”

The assassin laughed aloud when Alistair alluded to disruptive antics at stuffy noble parties, nodding conspiratorially.  “Stuffy parties deserve to be turned into more interesting events, yes?  You were doing them all a favor by giving them something to keep the gathering well in memory, I should think.”

Never mind that such things tended to provide useful diversions for any people such as Zevran who might be covertly ‘crashing’ the party at the same time.  He had an ample appreciation for that kind of distraction, and had even occasionally paid people to provide them.

Zevran grinned.  “Some sort of… what is the term?  ‘Flash mob,’ perhaps?  That could be a great deal of fun.”  And it wasn’t just the alcohol talking that was making him actually consider it.  There were benefits to knowing half the undercity and moonlighting at a nightclub.  “As for visiting Antiva, no, I would say not, unless you are a guild leader or political personage of some sort,” he chuckled.

Tavern Gossip || [Alistair & Zevran]

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“Perfect.”  Zevran favored her with a feline grin that lasted just a hair too long to be simply connected to his verbal response, and he drummed his fingers on the table lightly.

As curious as he was with regard to the details of Isabela’s somewhat perilous flirtation with qunari literature, it had been a long time since he had seen her, period, and the pirate was not the sort to sit back on her heels and watch the world move around her for long.  Perhaps there were more benign tales he could coax from her wonderfully sly lips.

“In the meantime, if I asked you to tell me a story about something else that has occurred since last we met, how likely would I be to get a detailed answer?” he asked, grin widening playfully.

A Familiar Face || [Zevran and Isabela]

[antivanstormcrow]

“Poison gets along well with very few people,” the Antivan laughed.  “It becomes marginally more agreeable when one intentionally builds up a tolerance – but only marginally.  They do not tend to be gentle, regardless.”  He grimaced slightly, recalling more than one occasion where he’d suffered through the diminished effects of poison that would have killed most non-Crows.  The ones that brought fevers were the worst, as those tended to come with a touch of delirium into the bargain.

He met Alistair’s suggestion of crashing a party with a look of untrammeled, devilish delight.  “Oh, that sounded quite serious to me!  I have heard many tales of the prudishness of Fereldan nobles, and I have no doubt it is a great deal of fun to tweak at that, yes?  Do you speak from experience with regard to such things?”

Zevran was, in fact, amply familiar with festivals – in his homeland, at any rate, as well as in Rivain, and even a few times in Orlais.  “Kirkwall is a rather dour place, I am sorry to report.  However, Antiva…”  A distant look glazed his eyes for a moment, and he smiled.  “Antivans take nearly any excuse they can get.  All of the holidays see the capital arrayed in even more color than usual, with the guilds competing to make the most impressive display or offer the most outlandish new wares.”  He chuckled, shaking his head slowly.  “I miss it terribly.”

Tavern Gossip || [Alistair & Zevran]

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It was a surprise to see the other elf offer to shake on it, but Zevran took his hand firmly with a corresponding nod.  “For the first week’s research, two gold sovereigns.  In a week, we may examine what I have found and negotiate some sort of stipend scheme for the ongoing monitoring, depending on difficulty and risk, which I will assess in the meantime.”

He smiled, inclining his head and preparing to go.  “If it suits your convenience, we may meet here again at the same time next week.”

Two Painted Elves Walk into a Bar || [Fenris & Zevran]

[antivanstormcrow]

“Of course!” Zevran agreed laughingly, with a nod toward his accurately-described, drop-dead sexy companion.  And of course, she was answering the question without really answering it again, but really, it was a sad testament to how much time he had spent away from Antiva that that was no longer how he necessarily expected things to go.  He was not concerned, however – it was looking more and more like he would have ample time to coax that tale from her in full.  Particularly if she wanted his help in writing the ending.

“I would suggest right now, but sadly while many people of interest do keep late hours, many more do not, and if we are to do the tour, you will want the lily to be in full bloom, yes?  Perhaps tomorrow in the early evening, for I do not play, then, or four days from now would also be acceptable,” he offered gamely.

A Familiar Face || [Zevran and Isabela]

[antivanstormcrow]

Zevran chuckled, the sound darker in its amusement than he was normally prone, and he inclined his head.  “It is my fond hope that my name is one that will never again be heard in connection to the Crows, but that hope is not one that I think especially realistic.  Yes – the possibility that they might be interested in me is precisely why I am interested in them.”  In the first year following his rather elaborate disengagement ruse, Zevran had half-expected a team to appear in Kirkwall at any time, and probably one led by his former partner, given the way the Masters typically did such things.  As time had progressed, that imminent expectation had settled into a quieter, though still nearly constant wariness, yet in recent months he feared he may finally have been getting just a little too comfortable for… well, comfort.

Such apparent contradictions were part and parcel of an assassin’s life, even when he in particular had been dealing as much in information as in death, of late.

“And yes,” he added with an amiable smile.  “Email would be excellent, and I will continue to do the same, with anything else that I can get my hands on, as it were, regarding your task”

Curiouser and Curiouser || [Keita and Zevran]

[antivanstormcrow]

Zevran chuckled dryly, a fond smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.  “Antiva is like a very dangerous woman in a silk gown – lovely, mesmerizing, all soft, fluttering smiles with steel underneath.  And sometimes poison.”  He smirked, and corrected himself.  “Actually, usually poison.  It pays to be thorough.  But as long as you do not upset anyone enough that they are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money to have you killed, in my experience it is harder to get into fights there, unless you include battles of wits and veiled insults.  Antivans are very fond of those.”

Accepting the fresh drink from the bartend, Zevran raised his glass in salute to his Fereldan companion before taking a long sip.  “There is a Queen in Antiva, and the title is hereditary, but it is not the sort of thing that is overly important, strangely enough.  She is a figurehead, with all the real power residing in the guilds and wealthy merchants.  Sharing a bloodline with someone claiming to possess a dragon for an ancestor is a strange qualification for true political power, I will entirely agree!  But I apologize, my friend, I did not intend to turn the topic to objectionable matters.  Tell me instead, what must I see or do, the next time I have cause to visit your country?  I recall it having a certain charm, but truth be told, did not have a great deal of time to enjoy it, while I was there.”

Tavern Gossip || [Alistair & Zevran]

[antivanstormcrow]

Isabela took a bit to answer, during which time Zevran assumed she was weighing her options, deciding how much he could likely help her and how much she trusted him to do so.  When she did speak… it took him a moment to place the text she named, but when he had done so…

“That is one of their religious texts, is it not?  You are referring to the original?” he asked, eyebrows shooting up.  “And if you are expecting to find it… decidedly other than in Qunari hands, then someone has liberated it already.  Oh, this is a tale I would dearly love to hear.”  Zevran grinned at her, leaning forward against the table with interest.

“And of course, I will show you around the dingy underbelly of the city.  It is decidedly less impressive than those you are used to, but it makes up in sheer size what it lacks in appreciation for the finer things in life.”

A Familiar Face || [Zevran and Isabela]

[antivanstormcrow]

x

[antivanstormcrow]

"No need for that. We’re not brutes. We’ll just shoot him."

[antivanstormcrow]

Zevran inclined his head, leaning back in his chair as he regarded Isabela.  There were a few directions they could go from here, and while he preferred the one where she actually told him what it was, precisely, she was looking for, he did not necessarily expect it.  The pirate queen was not one to simply put her needs in another’s hands. 

“Then we have an assortment of options on how to proceed, yes?  You can play the role of the haughty noblewoman associating with the riffraff to find something she needs – “ he grinned wickedly – “and tell me what it is you seek and let me attempt to find it for you.  I can simply put feelers out for qunari items on the black market and keep them active as long as you wish.  Or I can introduce you to some who would help you take a more hands-on approach, yes?  Though with this last, I would caution that given your relative lack of a reputation in this city, it would be better to send me to the largest criminal guilds, as I have open contact with them, much as they sometimes dislike me.”

Neither the Coterie nor the Carta were Zevran’s biggest fans, but he had relatively well-placed contacts in each who found it beneficial to be on friendlier terms with him.  Their masters reaped the benefits, too, much as they sometimes did not care to acknowledge it, and it kept him too useful to put much effort toward killing him.

A Familiar Face || [Zevran and Isabela]

[antivanstormcrow]

Music note

Anders - DT

Ringtone: Can’t Touch This - MC Hammer  >.>

[antivanstormcrow]

✆, ☎, ø

Send ✆ for a morning text

I hope you are not suffering too many ill effects from last night, my friend!

Send ☎ for a rushed text

There was a trio of antivan men in the HM earlier – are they still there?

Send ø for a late night text

Any interest in company?  It seems I have time to spend.

[antivanstormcrow]

♬

Keita - Dalish - (Grey Warden?)

Ringtone: ^___^

[antivanstormcrow]

♬

Alistair - HM (Theirin?)

Ringtone:  >.>  .>

[antivanstormcrow]

♬

BethanyH

Ringtone: I Shine - Infected Mushroom