Under Darkness [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

"Anything you want done for your first meeting with him? Morning, evening, over a meal... who else do you want there? Aveline's going to insist mind you, but anyone else?"

[Marian Hawke]

She rakes a hand through her hair. "I'd like you to be, but you probably shouldn't if it's going to go well. The same for Zevran."

[Tethras Clan]

Varric purses his lips, then shrugs. "Yeah, fair. Though... if you want, I could be there anyway. Just, you know, invisible."

[Marian Hawke]

Hawke snorts. "And when an invisible something puts him on his ass, we're back to not going well. No, I'll handle him myself." 

[Tethras Clan]

That's my- "That's my girl," Varric says proudly, giving himself a mental hard stare at almost forgetting to say the words instead of just thinking them. "Anything at all I can do to make it easier on you though? Want a staff in the room or something? Actually, do you want one in general? Just to feel... I dunno, better able to protect yourself and such?"

[Marian Hawke]

"No," she says quietly. She makes the next move in her opening, knowing he's setting up well to defend against it and not caring much. "It wouldn't help. If I need protection, I have Aveline."

[Tethras Clan]

"Not really about needing it, just... knowing you can." Varric glances at the board and moves his piece. He won't play badly, that'd be an insult and he knows it, but he can handicap himself by only allowing a mental three count for each move.

[Marian Hawke]

But I can't. Not really. I know myself better than that, better than I've been pretending to be. Here, she moves... well, wrong. Not an illegal move, but one that belongs to a better opening rather than the one she's been doing. Almost as if she's distracted, though by all external intents she's staring right at the board, as if distracted from the conversation at hand by the game.

[Tethras Clan]

Varric reaches out, puts his hand over hers. "Hey. Talk to me?"

[Marian Hawke]

She starts a bit, glancing up at him. "Hmm? Sorry, what's up?"

[Tethras Clan]

"What were you thinking about just then?" She's more out of it than I realized...

[Marian Hawke]

"Oh, just how I was going to dig out of this hole," she says, gesturing to the board. "It's fine to be unarmed. Like I said, Aveline's all the weapon I need."

[Tethras Clan]

"...alright, I'm be more direct. I'm worried you might get too used to depending on us for everything and not want to get some indepence for yourself," Varric confesses.

[Marian Hawke]

Hawke folds her hands in her lap, glancing down. "Alright," she allows. "But... not yet. I'm not... just not yet. Not until the nightmares subside."

[Tethras Clan]

"...what was it about?" he asks quietly.