#the word average is about twice what the actual hard in hightown codexes are

[redinkofshame]

Kirkwall Noir

I tried to combine traditional Noir with Hard in Hightown to bring us Varric Tethras, Private Eye. These thirteen codex-sized chapters are filled with drugs, sex, violence, and old timey slang. I’ll be posting one a day on tumblr, and then I’ll post them all at once on  AO3. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Chapter 13

Thing slowed down after that, just a little. The coppers threw a big funeral for the boys in blue that had gone down during the drive by, claiming they had been killed in the line of duty. Apparently I’d made a clean sneak of it, because no one came calling with questions. Just to be safe, I moved out of my flophouse and into my office.

With Marigold’s information I was able to find Athenril, the smuggler that lead the lyrium distribution of Hightown. After that, with the help of the Hawke twins, I was able to finger a few of her lackeys.

Then came the waiting. The best bet was to make my move after the next shipment. It was almost two weeks before the next Qunari ship came in. I staked out the Police Captain’s house, camera in hand, biding my time.

It took nearly two days of watching, but wouldn’t you know it: the day after the ship pulled in to port an elf named Tallis paid old Jeven a visit. I recognized her from her little talks with Athenril, though I suspected she actually worked for the Qunari. Either way, she went into Jeven’s back entrance with a heavy package and left without it some time later.

Film tucked away in my briefcase, my cane and I limped away from my stakeout position…

… and Directly into an ambush. I stepped into a plaza and found myself surrounded. A dozen heeled men poured out from the alleys and doorways.

No, not just men — cops, all of them.

Then Jeven strolled out. “Well done, Mr. Tethras. You’ve stumbled upon a case worthy of a real detective,” he sneered. “Too bad you won’t live long enough to collect!”

I was stuck— no cover, no time to pull out Bianca… I braced myself, squeezing my eyes closed. A few moments later when I was still alive and didn’t hear any gunfire I peek one eye open, then the other.

I was still surrounded by officers, but those officers were surrounded by other officers. Jeven’s men held up their hands as Aveline’s men pressed barrels to their backs.

Officer Valen herself strolled into the plaza. “It’s over, Jeven. Throw down your weapon.”

He hesitated, and she leveled her own gun at him.

“I said drop it!”

With a growl he did.

And, with that, it was over. She cuffed him, and read him his rights. Aveline made a successful coup over the corrupt cops of Hightown.

“You were following me? How did you know?” I asked her.

“Ask her,” Aveline answered, nodding to a figure walking into the scene.

It was Marigold, of course. I should have known. “I told her to keep an eye on you after the next ship,” she explained with a shrug. “Just in case. Sorry they took so long for them to get here.”

“What made you so sure I needed help?” I asked.

“Well, I wasn’t sure you would, but I figured this was the most peaceful resolution. If you’d come forward with the evidence first…” She shrugged. “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

I shook my head. She looked so guilty I just had to pull her in for a kiss. “Thank you, Sweetheart. You saved my life today.”

She smiled that perfect smile of hers. “I couldn’t just leave you, after you decided to go through with this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s not as if you’ll get paid for this, right? I don’t imagine Dulci will be happy with the information I heard Officer Valen found in Jeven’s office...”

I sighed. Yeah, I had thought of that. This was why I always asked for half up front.

After a few moments of watching cops dragging other cops away, she said. “I already talked her in to giving you a reward. It ought to keep you in business for a couple more months. It’s not much, but it’s the least she can do after you making the biggest drug bust of the decade!”

I pulled her in tight, arm around her waist. “I bet it’ll go a lot farther than that with you as our new accountant,” I said with a grin, and kissed her soundly.