Hazelnuts and plaid

[Zevran]

Zevran laughs bitterly. "All of it? Marian was forced to hate us? To lie and hide from us? To cut us out of her life, break her vows, abandon and betray us over and over and then--" He breaks, shatters, falling against her as he sobs painfully.

[Isabela]

"She doesn't hate us, Zev. What I saw today in that jail cell wasn't hatred of us. I think she hates herself. She can't let us comfort her because she feels like she doesn't deserve it." She rubs his back gently, letting him cry against her. "We should have called Varric home sooner. We should have called all this off. We should have..."

[Varric]

Guess that's going around, Varric thinks bitterly as he tries to not watch Zevran's grief. Doesn't feel right to him, doesn't feel like he deserves the privilege of seeing the younger man's raw emotions like this, not anymore. Doesn't feel right to turn away either, to hide (running away) from the pain he had a hand in causing. So he slouches, awkwardly, against the far wall, baring witness as penance. 

Eventually Zevran's grief blows itself out, the raging storm leaving behind stagnant pools and ruins. And yet... "'ma 'bela," he prays, still rocking against her. "Tell me this can get better. Tell me-- Tell me--" Lie to me.

[Isabela]

"She didn't do it," promises Isabela. "We just have to figure out who did. And.. and Merrill can come back. Varric's paying for it, he's got a tab for any of the Clan that goes. We can put this back together. We can fix it."

[Varric]

Zevran tenses at Varric's name, something the dwarf notices almost despite himself. Mouth dry, he has to try twice before his voice actually emerges. "Least I owe, given--"

"Why are you here?" Zevran snaps. "Why come back?"

Flinching, Varric forces himself to not look away. Mostly. "Because-- because I need to fix--"

"It was your 'fixing' things that broke us all!"

[Isabela]

"That's not fair and you know it," snaps Isabela. "Nobody knew she was this fragile. And even if he'd have stayed you and Merrill might still be fighting."

[Zevran]

Both men double-take, surprised at her word. Not that she spoke up-- Isabela is many things, but 'shy' and 'passive' aren't among them-- but that she had defended Varric. "That-- He should still not have--"

"I shouldn't have," Varric cuts in, the curtness diminishing but not invalidating his admission. "She needed-- still needs-- to learn to stand without leaning on anyone, but I went far too far. I should have listened to you, gone with the month trip to Oiul village instead."

[Isabela]

"I still say it should have been fine. She's been doing that daft adventurer thing where she walks on a broken leg to stop us seeing her limp."

[Zevran]

"...she is a stubborn bitch," Zevran mutters, not quite agreeing.

[Isabela]

"She comes by it honestly, what with present company included," jokes Isabela. 

[Varric]

"I'm not actually her father," Varric grumbles. "And that 'blood tells' theory is bullshite anyway." He manfully ignores the snort from Zevran. "Isabela's right though. About getting through this. All of us, together."

[Isabela]

Besides, I met Carver. I know she comes by it honestly by blood, too. She lets the topic go, though, smiling at Zevran. "I figure, there's no coincidences in this world. Someone wants her broken and Merrill and Zev dead. And that means we need to find them, fast, before they can act again."

[Varric]

"Right. My best idea at the moment is getting ahold of M-- of the autopsy report. Find out if the two poisons are the same. Or even similar."

[Isabela]

"I'm not sure they've done it yet, to be honest. I was thinking about that as I put together the timeline. They would have had to move fast to save the babes. Autopsy would be a secondary concern."

[Varric]

That gets a frown. "Maybe so. Might have, given the high profile of the case but... Gods only know how bureaucracy will jump on something this bizarre." He hesitates, then exhales slowly. "I-- I don't think I-- I could do it. Not--" Not Merrill.