Hazelnuts and plaid

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"Probably. She was kind of a bitch. She ran off and became a bandit after all, I'm guessing she killed if she had to. Money's good enough, she'd probably do it." A pause. "You asked about magically-enhanced poisons. She can't do them either. No arcane skill."

[Varric]

"That because of a lack of potential, education or time?"

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"Potential. You know us cats." Referencing, of course, the familiar argument that catfolk are less likely to be mages than other races.

[Varric]

"Tested or racism?" Varric asks, showing he's clearly aware and just as clearly not one to accept that 'commonplace knowledge.'

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"I have all my alchemists tested. Just in case."

[Varric]

That actually gets an approving nod. Having magic is no hindrance to brewing... unless you don't know you have magic and infuse even a speck of the wrong thing at the wrong time. "She ever mention anyone with moderate or better talent, in a personal way? Possibly arcane but probably divine."

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

He snorts. "Never heard her mention someone who wasn't a cat. No guarantee but..."

[Varric]

Varric hums softly, nodding at that as he ponders. "About her having any friends or even close to that among your other works..." he brings back up now that he's given Niko some more context.

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"I don't know if they were friends, but only one of my workers had magic besides me. And she doesn't do poisons. Guess it could have been a collab. How complicated was the magic? First school?"

[Varric]

"Third circle minimin," Varric replies, shaking his head. "And that if ti was a ritual instead of a simple cast. On par with your typical, such as such can be, individually targeted curse."

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

Niko shakes his head. "No. Too complex for Tabi, she's had no training. I could have done it. Nobody else in my shop, working alone or together." 

[Varric]

Varric scowls, mulling things over. Well, that just about makes this entirely a bust. "Great. When was your last memory evaluation?" he asks, preoccupied by his thoughts.

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"My last what?"

[Varric]

"Memor--" He breaks off, shaking his head. Right, a bit (he's young) of paranoia doesn't mean he's as careful as you. "Memory evaluation," he repeats. "To check for holes or modifications."

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"Who'm I going to trust to examine my memory? No way. I stay out of anything that's going to get me in that kind of trouble."