Hazelnuts and plaid

[Theta "T" Roidmet]

"Well we don't have any Clan guards. I know some that are friendly enough, but..."

[Varric]

"The Lord Hand is close enough to count," Varric offers absently. "Not enough by himself though..."

Zevran raises a hand, looking around at everyone else. "That is news to me. Did anyone else know this?" Lux shakes his head, though in truth, most of his focus is on his brother. 

[Theta "T" Roidmet]

"I thought there was a moratorium on more clan?" 

[Zevran]

"Marian decided such, yes," Zevran says in a too neutral tone, his negative view on that rather clear.

[Theta "T" Roidmet]

"So the Lord Hand doesn't count. So we're back to trying to find the best among the Guard."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Marian was the one who declared the moratorium and the one who declared the Lord Hand close enough to count. Therefore, the Lord Hand should count."

[Theta "T" Roidmet]

"Seems like an awful lot to put on her when we don't know her state of mind but fuck me, right?" mutters T. 

[Varric]

"Pretty sure the best foot forward is to start trusting the Clan to decide who can be Clan, not just Marian," Varric says a touch sharply. "We all have our roles, sure and true, but none of us are any less Clan than the others."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Except T," suggests Helene, quietly. 

[Zevran]

Varric pauses a moment, glancing at Zevran. The merikos drow, in turn, purses his lips and considers T for a moment, then has an equally long silent but meaningful glance with Lux. "T and Rosalie-- and her boy, of course-- are the two I would have invited in, had I felt that I could," Zevran finally announces quietly. "Both have show more than loyalty, more than kindness."

[Helene Dakesh]

"And yet this one grows concerned. T has been... at odds with Zevran and with Varric, who are more Clan than she is."

[Zevran]

Zevran flinches, head lowering. "...and what of me, given that Merrill w- is more Clan than I, who had been even more at odds with her?"

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene shakes nir head. "No. That is invalid. There is Clan, and there is near-Clan, and there is not-Clan. You are Clan. T is near-Clan, as is the Lord Hand. These are the only distinctions that matter."

[Varric]

Varric finally pauses in his pacing to look at Helene. "Not to dispute your categories-- though I'm curious as to where they came from-- but the point you're making is no longer applicable. Zevran just invited T in. Rosalie too, if I'm not mistaken. So if she was near-Clan as you put it, she's Clan now. Assuming she agrees of course."

[Theta "T" Roidmet]

"I agree," she says instantly.