The Winter's Queen [Magus AU]

[GamesMaster]

"ARE YOU SATISFIED, VARRIC TETHRAS?" the listener -- Mileen -- wonders. 

[Tethras Clan]

"Wish I could find out what'll happen to Zevran, to Carver and Isabela and even that girl, T, but... yeah. I can be content with this," he says after an endless moment of thought. "My girl's at peace and... Nyra will figure herself out."

[GamesMaster]

"THEN, IF YOU ARE READY, STEP FORWARD TO RECEIVE YOUR REWARD." There's a sense of a satisfied smile behind the words, though he can't make out the face any clearer. 

As he steps forward, he finds a door, standing just a little ajar, waiting for him to step through. 

[Tethras Clan]

Varric gets to his feet and turns to the door before pausing. "Thank you," he says without turning around. "I know, I know. It wasn't a favor or anything, it was a bargain. You needed a job done and you paid me for it. But still. Thank you."

[GamesMaster]

"YOU ARE WELCOME." There's a faint undercurrent of... surprise to the voice, as well as gratitude.

As he pushes the door open, he finds himself... in another room? This is a familiar room as well -- not his old living room, but his office. He's entering from the door, allowing him to take in the scene before he quite walks in. There is someone, someone he can't quite make out, in the chair where he usually sits behind his desk...

And someone very, very familiar, curled up in a blanket on the loveseat. "Did I do it well enough?" Hawke asks, her voice a tiny, broken shell. "Did I ruin everything, trying to-- trying to do what I did?" 

[Tethras Clan]

"No," Varric says, voice rough and barely a whisper.  He coughs, trying to regain speech. "No," he repeats, louder this time. He heads for her, slow and careful. "Everything is fine," he lies without hesitation, without guilt. "It got a little rough, but we... I fixed things. It's okay, daughter. You can rest."

[Marian Hawke]

She looks up, rubbing tears from her eyes. "Papa?" She whispers, pain and guilt plain on her face. "I tried to save you, I tried so hard... I don't remember what came next but I... I don't think it was...."

[Tethras Clan]

"Nothing all that important," Varric tells her. "Not anymore. It's fine now. Right here, with you, aren't I? What more could I want?"

[Marian Hawke]

The dam breaks; she stumbles off the loveseat, sobbing as she throws her arms around him. "I love you," she whispers.

[Tethras Clan]

He gathers her tight to him, eyes closing as the feel of her, warm and safe, fills his soul. "Shhh, shhh. It's okay, daughter," Varric murmurs. "It's alright now. It's all alright. You're safe now. We're together and you're safe again."

[Helene Dakesh]

"That can't be good."

Helene Dakesh of Clan Tethras had been an oracle for a very long time. As a result, there had been times where they had failed. Times where they had done all they could, and things turned out poorly anyway. Times where they regretted ever taking up the calling. Times where they wondered if they had the right to live, when so many had died.

But things had gotten better since then. There had been many, many days where Helene knew they were accepted. They had a home, and a Clan. There was hope of a better future. There was always hope.

Helene pounds on the door to the Captain's Quarters aboard the Siren's Echo. "Zevvy! Bela! There's news!" 

[Tethras Clan]

It takes a few moments for Zevran to get the door. He answers wearing his by now near legendary tight leather pants and overcoat. He's added to his tattoos, the simple lines of ingrained magical ink joined by mundane depictions. Twisting vines of flowers bedeck the lines. Each petal is a snowflake or shield, all of which are in shades of ocean blue. It's hidden by his coat, but there's a mountain on his back, the foot of it covered in tea leaves and scrolls.  Perhaps it would seem... dramatic or morbid to some, but for him, it allows him to grieve and remember them without devoting his life to it.

He smiles faintly at Helene, then, with a mischievous grin, he lunges for the oracle and scroops them up to spin around. Pecking them on the lips, he smiles at them. "Morning, mon sage questeur."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Yes yes," they say, wriggling to get down. "But-- there's news! I found Hawke! I know where to go!" 

The faint indulgent smile proves they don't really hate this, not to mention the part where they kissed back. But they do seem to want to be put down now that Zevran's had his fun. 

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran carries the into the bedroom so he can set them down on the chair by the desk. "Oh?" he asks, moving over to the bed to nudge Isabela awake. "Cap'bella, notre Helene has news," he singsongs.

[Helene Dakesh]

"The good news is, Hawke is alive. This one confirmed his twice-lived status, and the white hair looks really good on him. The bad news is, I lost track of him as he was heading into the Elemental Plane of Air, so we're going to have to find a way in."