Hazelnuts and plaid

[Marian Hawke]

"Honestly just a change of topic. This is one of those things I can't be all that involved in, I fear."

[Varric]

The hells? What is going on with her (what did she ask nem about)? "The investigation in what's going on of late? Pretty sure you're not going to be to avoid being involved. Right up to your sadly lacking beard in fact."

[Marian Hawke]

"I mean if I'm running all over town poking my Sagely nose into things, it's going to cause a mess. Hence why Aveline and I are going to be gardening today and letting you do the dirty work."

[Varric]

"Right," Varric says slowly. He shakes his head slightly, then sighs. "Sorry, I'm pretty... off today, it seems. I think my first task is going to be to head back to the guest room and meditate for an hour or so. See if I can clear my head before I mess anything else up."

"Meditation meaning numbers or alchemy?" Aveline asks from down the hall as she slowly makes her way back to the living room. She's not quite yet at the 'waddle' stage, but she's close.

"Hadn't decided," Varric calls back. "I can do numbers if you're worried about, uh, more damages, that's not--"

"Opposite actually," she interrupts him. "I was hoping for some stomach soothers. Feels like there's too much acid in my gut."

[Marian Hawke]

"The blue one worked best for me for that," Marian points out. "The orange one caused constipation, which was doubly uncomfortable."

[Varric]

"I can do that," Varric says, something in him relaxing just a little. "I can do that for sure." He hesitates, then adds, "Helene, you, uh, you maybe want to help?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Of course," says Helene, with a smile. "I have no skill in alchemy but I am willing to learn and assist in any way possible."

[Varric]

"You know enough about the tools from rituals and the ingredients from spellcasting and herbal lore that you're more than qualified to act as an assistant to a master brewer," he assures nem. Clan. "And... honestly? It's been almost two years since I've partnered with anyone with crafting anything." He clears his throat, then adds in an almost curt tone, "missed it."

[Helene Dakesh]

"I would be honored to help break your dry streak," Helene says, with a broad grin. 

[Aveline Vallen]

Clearly feeling awkward at being so bloody obvious about his emotions, Varric just nods tightly, eyes on the far wall. 

"Shall we then?" Aveline asks Marian with a soft smile. "You're going to be getting a good workout, given that I'm pretty well stuck just supervising."

[Marian Hawke]

Marian drains the rest of her glass, then nods. "Alright. Let's get to it."

[GamesMaster]

The next hour and change is peaceful, even pleasant. Varric and Helene work on tonics for Aveline, something soothing and repetitive they are able to do. Meanwhile, Aveline and Hawke plunge into gardening, Hawke asking a million questions about the plants in an effort to distract herself from whatever it is she's trying not to think about. 

They're in the front yard when a messenger arrives, one bearing a note for Aveline. She's reading the message and trying to decide whether to reply when Hawke glances up, spying a child running into the street as a heavy coal wagon comes barreling down. She doesn't even hesitate before she darts forward, grabbing the kid and stepping onto the opposite sidewalk. 

When the cart passes by, she is gone. 

The note's contents? Anders passed away in transit to Nyra, but they can claim his body at the morgue once an autopsy is done. The immediate suspect is not poison but a highly infectious mold, so they're trying to determine if there's any spores still on him before they release his remains. 

[Aveline Vallen]

Aveline doesn't even have to shout or cry out to raise the alarm. Surging to her feet, Silence lifts her nose to the sky and howls. The next twenty minutes pass by in a blur, with only three thoughts having any permanence in the paladin's mind, though even they cycle through each other and uncounted other lesser thoughts.

My amata is gone, again, and I did not stop it.

I did not have nearly enough compassion for Hawke's hatred of being pushed to the side when danger nears.

What does this mean? What happens now?

Varric, Helene, and Beka trying to determine what happened, Zevran flying into a panicked, sobbing rage that only Isabela could reach through, Silence falling apart and the sudden, unexplained arrival of a semi-familiar foo dog... none of it is able to break through Aveline's shocked fog. When Wylde, having been already on her way to report in for, uh, 'care-taking duty,' arrives, the paladin is disturbingly compliant with the guard coaxing her into laying down. She doesn't fall asleep, she just lays there, staring at the wall as she fails to process.

[GamesMaster]

That's when a little bird flies in the window, landing on her cheek and turning into a token and a paper note that reads, "I'm safe, don't look for me, trying to get Merrill back. Hang in there." 

[Aveline Vallen]

Aveline stares at it for a long moment, utterly ignoring Wylde's diffident (though quickly growing more insistent) attempts to take the message from her. Without warning, she reaches down and whips the blanket off of herself, then, groaning, swings her legs off the bed. "Get Varric and Helene," she says coldly, the voice of a Bright's champion working herself up to a righteous crusade. "Now."