Lunch Dates and Dress Shopping

Lia paid attention to how he took his tea. Something about being raised in the kitchens, reminding her that people liked when they were remembered, and if she ever hosted him for tea personally, it would be a nice little personal touch to add to the encounter. After all, she would be back in Tevinter quite frequently over the next few months as she worked with the University's knowledge transfer project. It seemed to be going quite swimmingly at the time, and after the cat cult murders, well, she didn't think it was going to be broken off any time soon. And she felt certain that she wanted to make friendships somewhere where she..

Where the shadows on the walls didn't have her scrambling back to her library for fear of the LaRues, or losing her family again, or anything else that went along with her home in Orlais. It was her home, would always be her home, but she had so much fear of the place, and here in Minrathous she was just a visiting academic, not part of a family feud, or ... plots. Here, she was making friends, growing.. it had come late in life, but she finally felt like she could stand on her own two feet. Even I've heard of her creations back in Orlais, once the barrier fell, she tends to be very exclusive with her clientele, I was surprised when I received the invite.

A three tiered platter was delivered with an assortment of luncheon cakes and sandwiches, Lia had ordered for a full tea service already, and she used the tongs to move a green leafy sandwich down to the small plate in front of her, fingers working on breaking the already small sandwich into a smaller bite. I like that, 'beauty speak for itself', sort of preferring the dressing not to outshine the person. I swear if I have to wear another frilly high necked collar I'll scream, they're so uncomfortable.

She allowed her hand to be taken easily, her fingers wrapping around his even as she wiped the other hands fingers on her napkin to make them clean before her other hand joined their clasped ones. His words made her cheeks flush, before she was hiding her grin behind a raised hand, head turned before she looked back over. You flatter me, but I appreciate you undertaking this task with me. I want to make sure I cast no embarrassment on the Universities programs, nor on our mutual friend, as it was he that brokered his arrangement. He was warm, she noticed, the entire place was warm, a far cry from home. And she did so very much like to be warm, to feel warmth suffuse through her. And Je suis sûr que tu ne me laisseras pas envie, after all. Someone with as much command of Orlasian rarely does.. She lifted her bite of sandwich relishing the small bit for it's complex flavorings. I am the first appointment after the lunch hour is over, so we have more than enough time to enjoy tea and sandwiches before we undertake our task. She gave his hand a thoughtful squeeze. Nothing too immodest though, I am unmarried, not a widow who can wear certain styles a little more freely. And while I don't care about impugning my self, I do about my House and our friend. I'd not see them shamed because I wore something scandalous.

@Enzo Pavus