Stone's Throw

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene has sat nerself down on the little sofa under the window; if he was much longer ne was going to pick up the novel ne left on the windowsill last week, but he pays attention quickly enough. "What are you reading?" ne asks. 

[Varric]

"Diplomatic message," Varric explains with a shrug. As a Light, there's a lot of information he's not supposed to share with anyone, even his spouse. He does anyway, sometimes, but he at least prefers to start with less information. "There's only three Lights that can read Protean without a ritual and no-one wants to let the Lich anywhere near diplomacy again so..."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Ah," says Helene, with a nod. There are many days in ner work at the Temple of Alydra that ne simply cannot discuss either, and so ne does not feel taken aback when Varric has similar considerations. 

"Have you considered my proposal at all?" asks Helene. "We can talk of other things if you need more time."

[Varric]

"I've read it over," he admits after a small pause, likely to bring up the relevant thoughts. "I had some questions..."

[Helene Dakesh]

A small smile. "This one is prepared to answer."

And answer ne does. Ne is open about the pieces ne hasn't figured out yet about the ritual, though there's more that ne has considered that didn't make it into ner notes on a few points. Ne knows the shortcomings of ner ritual design and is eager for Varric's input on those places that could use shoring up. Ne isn't rushing into this, not like before; this has been thought about for years. 

And it all started because of Varric, actually -- because he's convinced that ner being double-cursed is no fault of ner own, and that ner age curse is unrelated to being so young when swearing service. That Alydra would be pleased, not pissed, if ne managed to circumvent some of the downsides. 

[Varric]

"You've laid a very solid foundation," Varric admits after a while. "But... you didn't really write down anything about your reasoning and motivation for doing this in the first place."

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene looks at ner lap. "It has always been a source of... unease, that I could not engender offspring. This one thought it would never be possible, and so, never brought it up, but raising our adopted children has rekindled that desire in this one."

[Varric]

"Oh." Varric is quiet a moment, then he admits, "I had no idea."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Well, of course. I did not tell you." A pause. "I did not speak of this desire to anyone, in fact. Until now." A bit of a fidget. "Is it... alright? Would that be acceptable to you? To have a baby?"

[Varric]

"...in the abstract, yes for sure. We've raised children, and we've helped raise grandchildren from infancy so I feel confident in estimating what raising a child from infancy would be like," Varric replies in a measured tone and pace. "I am... concerned about you being pregnant. I am... uncomfortable with..." He falters there, wincing. 

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene stills. "With me being pregnant?"

[Varric]

"No, not-- well, uncomfortable in the worried sense, yes, but not-- not otherwise." Varric shakes his head, eyes drifting to the side. "With you... getting that way."

[Helene Dakesh]

"...ah." Helene takes a deep breath. "This is... this one does not expect Varric to participate in the, ah, pregnancy-obtaining. This one was asking for permission to seek outside aid for this purpose."

[Varric]

He winces again. "...that too," he mutters awkwardly.

[Helene Dakesh]

"Ah." A pause. "If you cannot abide this one seeking out such behavior, then this one will not."