Under Darkness [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

"That's good. You are safe. And I'm pretty warm," the unknowing merikos suli says with a soft laugh. "Always have been for some reason. A quirk of growing up in Nyra probably."

[Marian Hawke]

Hawke whimpers. "Merrill..."

[Tethras Clan]

"Yeah..." Aveline says, tone somber again. "I know. She... she loves you. A lot. It's okay, to be loved. It's okay, amata."

[Marian Hawke]

She shakes her head. "Unforgivable," she whispers. Then, a plaintive whine: "How."

[Tethras Clan]

"Ah," Aveline says with sudden understanding. "I... Merrill is a wonder," she starts out, taking care with each word. "She... She needs you to love her." Which is a worry in and of itself but... a later worry. "Knowing you were... twisted into doing... what you did, makes it easier for her to deal with."

[Marian Hawke]

"Wasn't," she whimpers. 

[Tethras Clan]

"Yes you were Hawke. We saw it, in your mind, remember? We saw Jadan use magic to twist you," the paladin reminds her. "I know he... used words and... other things as well, but you would never have fallen like that without him using magic to force you along."

[Marian Hawke]

"I-- I hit her. Before It." She shudders, pulling free enough to start rocking back and forth.

[Tethras Clan]

"Before you met Jadan?" Aveline asks, needing to be sure what happened. At Hawke's awkward nod, she hides a wince. "What kind of hitting? I mean, I used to hit you, during training and spars. Not all hitting is bad."

[Marian Hawke]

"Sex hitting," she whispers.

[Tethras Clan]

"Did... did you talk about it first? Did she like it?" Aveline asks carefully. Then, quickly, "did Zevran know about it?"

[Marian Hawke]

"She liked it," she whispers. "I-- we didn't talk, after. After was.. gem."

[Tethras Clan]

"That... was a bit of a distraction," Aveline allows, making a mental note that something about the gem is prompting her to think of something... "Did you ever talk about that sort of thing with Zevran? Before or after?"

[Marian Hawke]

She shakes her head. "But-- Zevran did it," she whispers. "To Merrill. I got the idea."

[Tethras Clan]

"There we go," she says soothingly. "Zevran would never do something without Merrill's consent and enjoyment, not about sex. So that was fine. I... spanking, I would guess?" Aveline asks awkwardly, blushing noticeable. Which in turn makes her even warmer, not that Aveline herself realizes this.