Hazelnuts and plaid

[Nox]

"Wonderful," Nox says, beaming. "I've got some dough already rising that's ready for its first kneading. If you could work on that, I'll get to work," he pats the bag over his shoulder. "Prepping the next batch."

[Marian Hawke]

"Great!" How does all this work? What does the dough need? Needing... needing... needles? Maybe something to do with needles? She grins, following after Nox into the kitchen before pausing. "Oh, right! While we're here, I wanted to give you something. Hang on just a second," she says, ducking back out of the kitchen. That will buy me a few minutes only.

[Nox]

"Wash your hands when you get back," he calls after her. Nox sets the bag of flour down and starts filling the kitchen bin with it. She's trying too damn hard to be cheerful and light-hearted. Always trying to avoid being a burden.

[Marian Hawke]

"Close your eyes," she says when she returns, wrapping one arm around his waist and putting her chin on his shoulder. "I want to surprise you." When he complies, he feels something around his neck loosely, jewlery of some kind, and a bit of fumbling with the clasp as she puts it on him. He barely has time to wonder why she bought him what feels like a heavy necklace when he feels a sucking sensation, a whooshing, and then he's in a room of bright red, nothing but red, distantly able to hear if he really truly focuses. 

"--drink this," Hawke is saying. 

"Yes," agrees his voice -- his voice! 

Then there is nothing.  Nothing but red. 


When Lux comes down to check on his brother, he finds Nox's body sprawled across the kitchen floor, unconscious and foaming a little at the mouth. 

[Varric]

Varric paces back and forth, nearly vibrating as Helene finishes yet another ritualized divination, this time to ensure that there's no curse component to this poisoning. If it wasn't for Voice having Delay Poison potions in every room (should have gotten them Neutralize-- no, might have fizzled) then Nox would be-- Dammit! (donate Neutralize, both best) Should have been faster. He scowls briefly, then smoothes it over out of concern for Lux. The tiefling is rocking back and forth, Rosalie's arms around him, as he watches Helene work with raw hope and fear pouring off him. Whatever this was (different poison, faster to hit, slower to kill), it's some nasty shite. This isn't just--

Seeing Helene sit back on nir heels, Varric whirls in place and just barely pulls back a barked demand into an urgent question. "What's the verdict?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"No curse," Helene says, sitting back just a touch. "Just an ordinary poison. Neutralize should help. His reserves are sapped, he'll sleep a while afterward."

[Varric]

Needing to not focus on Lux's muffled sob of relief, Varric nods curtly. "Good. That's... good. Do you-- do you think a standard strength potion is enough?"

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene nods. "This was a quick and dirty job. Nothing too insidious about it."

[Varric]

That gets a somewhat thoughtful frown. "Really? It was actually just unrefined nightshade tea? Nothing else to it at all?" At nir nod, he starts to pace again, this time more thinking than seething. "That doesn't make any damn sense. Even if this was more or less impulse, there's a half dozen things an alchemist or even herbalist could do to easily double the effectiveness. Even one half as good as the one that made the first toxin."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Perhaps we were meant to find him?" wonders Helene aloud. 

[Varric]

Varric hums softly. "Distraction? Fucking with us? What do you think?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"A distraction perhaps. We should be extra vigilant."

[Varric]

Varric nods again, eyes closing briefly as he tries to center and think. "Alright. Helene, can you," a bare hesitation, "perform Psidium Cogitationes ex Conscientia and Quaerite in Mente Rarescit Obumbratio?" Ther chances of Lux-- or Rosalie for that matter-- knowing that those two rituals are used to detect foreign mental influence and recently altered memories are very, very low, he figures. 

[Helene Dakesh]

"On all of us?" asks Helene, a little startled. "Of course, such a thing is possible."

[Varric]

"Oh, no, sorry. just Nox. Maybe Lux, just to be sure," Varric says with an easy laugh. "Probably fine, I'm sure, but you did touch him and you're not trained for... taking care of this kind of emergency," he explains when Lux looks at him with concern.