Under Darkness [AU]

[Marian Hawke]

"I'm not asking you for a puppy, Papa. I'm asking you for--" my life. My safety. Also, entry to that greenhouse. "Well. I guess there's nothing for it then." When he sees my body, he'll help, I think. I hope.

She turns, then, back to the fight, breaking eye contact. She takes in the scene, looking for the best place to break in; the day's grown darker as they talked, and lightning flickers in the clouds above. Marian seems to have pulled back from Zevran, holding him at arm's length, tears streaming down her face. "Please, no," she whispers. "I can't-- don't make me hurt you, don't make me do this, please..."

Abomination, on the other hand, seems stronger than ever. Vines have burst from the ground, entangling Champion and Aveline both, thorns cutting deeply into armor and scales; Abomination is reaching for her whip, unheeding of the thorns in her path, which seem to be growing over her weapon as fast as they grow over Aveline.

[Tethras Clan]

Varric cringes, his face tightening in pain. But his hands are steady, his fingers precise- and the pair of bolts hit Tethras true, one in each ankle, right at the back.

Zevran shifts from temptation to comfort. "Never, ma faucon partiel, never," he whispers. "Never ever force you, I swear it. Please don't leave us, please stay with us."

[Marian Hawke]

Abomination gives up on the whip, turning toward Aveline. Tethras collapses, barely catching herself with her good arm as she goes down. Marian closes her eyes, tears streaming down her face, unwilling or unable to stop Abomination behind her. The mage, seeing Zevran distracted, holds out a hand, summoning a ball of violet lightning into it: a swirling tempest it clearly intends to use against either Varric or Aveline. 

She starts, then, and the lightning vanishes as she struggles for breath, clutching at her throat. After a moment, she collapses, unconscious, slumped against Pet, who still holds the abandoned whip she used to strangle her sister. 

[Tethras Clan]

Varric stares a good long moment. "That happened," he announces, causing Zevran to twist so he can look over-

"Huh.

Aveline, mostly freed from the thorn vines, is the only one that doesn't hesitate. There's a shimmer and suddenly she's humanoid again, the vines collapsing around her suddenly much smaller form so she can rush over to Pet. "Haw- Little Hawke, you- you- thank you," she says almost reverently. "You saved us. You saved yourself."

[Marian Hawke]

Pet lowers her eyes and the whip both. "I did as Master commanded," she murmurs, her eyes darting up to Varric once, briefly.

[Tethras Clan]

"Tethras, stop her!" Varric sways a little, face ashen and drawn. Master. She... Hawke, at her core, must think of herself as a Tethras (Master.) at least a little..

Aveline's smile falters and her eyes tighten but she manages to keep her voice steady. Mostly. "I... you helped," she says firmly. "So thank you." She takes a deep breath. "Are you injured?"

[Marian Hawke]

Pet keeps her eyes on the ground. "No, Mistress."

Marian swallows. "Well. Good. Aveline, I believe Tethras needs healing." 

[Tethras Clan]

Aveline flicks her eyes towards Tethras for a second. "Zevran, do you have Marian secure?"

The merikos drow hesitates, staring into Marian's eyes for a moment. "Yes. Yes... we're fine."

"Little Hawke? Could you... could you do me a favor and watch Abomination? If she moves or starts to wake, shout for me, okay?" Aveline says very softly. "Can you do that for me?"

[Marian Hawke]

Pet nods. "Yes, mistress." She shifts her eyes from her feet to Abomination, watching her carefully. 

[Tethras Clan]

"Aveline, remember?" the paladin says weakly, reaching out to give Pet's shoulder a very gentle squeeze as she heads towards Tethras. Kneeling, she uses some vine- stripping off the thorns with her gauntlet first- to bind Tethras hands behind her back as she heals the merikos dwarf aspect. "Champion, you okay?" she calls as she works.

[Marian Hawke]

"Yeah-- I'm good," says Champion in that strained, 'I could use a heal' tone Hawke uses sometimes. 

Tethras smiles, looking up at Aveline. "It's alright, we're all on the same side now. That was the deal -- Papa's going to help."

[Tethras Clan]

Aveline raises an eyebrow- and checks to be sure the bindings are solid. "Just in case then," she says dryly as she uses a ranged healing for Tethras- half as effective that way, so it'll keep her alive and remove most of the pain without healing her completely. That done, she heads over to Champion to give her a full heal.

"Are you hurt?" Zevran asks Marian softly, eyes pained.

[Marian Hawke]

"Nope," she says, with a broad smile.

Tethras glances over to Papa, frowning. Alright, time to keep your promise...

[Tethras Clan]

"Alright, Champ, Aveline, get the aspects lined up a bit aways from the greenhouse," Varric instructs the group, finally gathering himself. Break down later (with a bottle), keep it together (weak) for now. Focus. "Once we're all secure, we can take another crack at the greenhouse. Speaking of- can you see it Marian?"

Zevran rolls off Marian, then offers a hand up. Meanwhile, Aveline moves to secure Abomination. Heavily. Thankfully, her mind still thinks that her standard combat kit should include ten lengths of magically strengthened silk ties for binding criminals.

[Marian Hawke]

Marian takes the hand, shaking her head. "What greenhouse?" There's a pause, then, "By you? But you're standing by yourself."