Under Darkness [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

Smiling, Zevran spends the next half hour carefully, lovingly lavishing attention on Hawke. Every once in a while, he'll murmur a compliment or an endearment as he does so, just trying to make her feel cherished and loved. Eventually, however, they have to get out before their skin gets any worse. He dries her the same way,  from crown to toes. When he's finished, he leans forward and presses a single feather-light kiss on the cuts on her thigh. Shortly after, the pair are back in Hawke's bedroom, cuddling in one of the easy chairs as he reads to her again. Her leg is bandaged and their both wearing heavy cotton robes and thick socks for warmth.

[GamesMaster]

Soon enough, there's a sharp, perfunctory knock on the door. When Zevran answers, he comes face-to-face with one of the last people he expected to see: Anders, wearing a pleasantly bland smile and clutching a satchel. There's a haunted look in his eye, as though he's just come from -- but of course, he's just come from seeing Merrill. That'd make anyone look a bit pained. 

With him, thankfully, are two more familiar faces: Aveline and Beka. The mabari pushes her way past Zevran as soon as the door's opened, tail wagging as she heads straight for the figure curled up in the chair. 

[Tethras Clan]

Winter Alpha! Found her! Found Winter Alpha! Hi! As Beka nears Hawke, she slows, her ears drooping a little. Coming to a stop just in front of Hawke, the mabari whines soft as she peers up at the merikos elf with soulful eyes. Winter Alpha is hurting? Smell blood but little blood, healed blood. Nuzzles make good?

"Hey," Aveline says weakly to Zevran, who studies her intently for a moment before finally nodding.

"I'm glad you came," he says softly, eyes saying just as clearly, 'hurt her and I will make you suffer for it.

"Can we..?" the paladin replies. If I hurt her again, there's nothing you could do that would make me feel worse.

[Marian Hawke]

It takes Hawke several seconds to lift her head, to really register what's going on. When she sees Beka, she reaches out a trembling hand, slowly, and rests it on the mabari's head. She doesn't pat or ruffle the dog's fur; she just rests it there, comfortably. 

[GamesMaster]

Anders keeps smiling, letting Zevran and Aveline talk, but his eyes go right to Hawke. He watches this interaction with the dog, taking notes mentally, but he doesn't let the smile slip, not for a moment. That's worse than I was led to believe. She looks like she's having a depressive episode, I think, but I'll have to confirm with her it's not physical damage or... or something worse. It's likely too late for a Restoration, just like Merrill, but perhaps I can help with some alchemical tinctures or a Distillation, at least to cut through the fog. 

[Tethras Clan]

Beka chuffles softly, a pleased noise, at the touch. After a moment, she moves closer, resting her head in Hawke's lap. She tilts her head so one eye gazes at Hawke pleadingly for pets and her tail thocks softly at the ground. Stepping away from the door, Zevran moves back to Hawke. Kneeling next to Beka- and giving the mabari a quick stroke along her side- he says softly, "we have a few guests. Aveline and Anders. Do you mind if they come in and say hi?"

[Marian Hawke]

Aveline and Anders.

Anders.

Merrill sobbing: 'I want a baby with your smile!'

The defeated look in Varric's eyes as he slumped against the wall. The smell of alcohol, the look of him, disheveled and drunken, struggling to comprehend what was going on. 

The feel of a blade going through her gut.

Hawke jerks upright, alarmed, her breath hissing in through her nose as she struggles to gain her equilibrium once more. Her hand tightens on Beka's fur, cool to the touch. He's not like that anymore. It's not like that. He's good now. He's... he's better now.

A deep breath in. A deep breath out. She looks at Zevran, a question in her eyes. Before she gets an answer, though, she gives a tiny nod. 

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran leans in. "None of us will make you choose," he whispers. Even if I have to bury them. "Varric and I will never, ever let anyone take you like- like he did. You're safe, I promise. I won't leave you."

[Marian Hawke]

This time her nod is more sure, more confident. She trusts him. He can see it in her eyes: that unwavering trust, that surety that if he's said it, it must be true. Zevran will protect me. I am a good pet and he loves me.

[Tethras Clan]

"Je t'adore, ma voix dans le noir," Zevran breathes, pressing his lips to the back of her hand before rising.

Returning to the door, he says in a very low voice, "she is up for company but she... she is feeling rather lowly." He winces. "In more than one way."

"Understood," Aveline says quietly. "Anything... non-obvious to avoid?"

Zevran hesitates, trying to think of anything. What kind of things are obvious?

[GamesMaster]

Anders nods. "Is it alright for me to be here? I want to make a professional evaluation, see if anything in my kit might help her."

[Tethras Clan]

"That depends on you," Zevran says in a velvety voice. He smiles coldly. "I will... request that you not bring up any... distressing past events during your visit. And if you were to propose any stressful requests, I will stab you to death with your own severed cock."

[GamesMaster]

Anders swallows, turning a touch paler but keeping his smile on his face. "Understood entirely."

[Tethras Clan]

And now he's smiling, the expression warm and friendly. "Come in, come in. Actually, you have good timing, I was about to offer to make tea- could I interest the two of you as well? The dryad here have some marvelous blends."

Aveline murmurs a positive response, eyes locked on Hawke. Come to think of it, she hadn't so much as batted an eye when Zevran threatened to maim and brutally murder someone right in front of her. Hawke... Astea and Bastion have mercy, you look... "Am-mate?" she asks in a wavering voice, slowly moving towards Hawke as if afraid she'll vanish. Or attack her.

[Marian Hawke]

Hawke looks up at Aveline -- and through her, her eyes not meeting Aveline's, unseeing. A moment later, a faint smile tugs at the edges of her lips, as she lowers her gaze to the floor. Aveline. Aveline's here. Aveline came for me. She came back to me. She came for me after all. She didn't leave, not forever. I am a good pet, I am well taken care of. She will love me. She called me Amata -- she loves me. That's what that means. What do I-- I call her something, it was, there was something that means I--

"Mao--" she begins, her voice a rusty whisper. She takes a deep breath, tries again: "Maorai." She keeps her eyes trained on the floor, the one word all she can manage right now.