#i read varric's DA2 codex entry for the first time tonight

[doodlingfoolishness]

Min Hawke bent down and picked up a small frame laying in the dust.  She flipped it over and found a hand-painted family portrait of what looked to be four dwarves, but the painting had clearly seen better days.  Its borders were coated with dark grime, and it looked like a few errant drops of blood had dried on the canvas.  She frowned, squinting at the details beneath the dirt.

She thought she could see Varric’s mouth on the stern-faced dwarf woman, and perhaps his eyes in the hooded gaze of the man.  A boy around ten glowered from the bottom of the portrait.  Bartrand?  If that were the case, then the towheaded toddler might be Varric himself.  He was the only one smiling among the dour bunch.  That seemed right.

“Well, Varric, Bartrand might not be here, but do you recognize this?”  She turned back to him, holding out the painting.  “Is this your family?”

Varric reached out and took the battered painting.  His mouth thinned into a narrow crease.  “Haven’t seen this in years.”

“So is that you?  The little boy with the smile?”

Varric laughed, a short, bark-like sound.  “Ah, don’t worry about it, Hawke.”  He shoved it into a pocket of his leather coat without another glance, and hefted Bianca over his shoulder.  “Well, it’s just like I thought.  Nothing here but dust.”  

He headed towards the door, puffs of fine dirt rising from the carpet with each step, and she knew that was all he was going to say about it.  She shook her head and followed him, feeling sad.