Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Helene Dakesh]

Lonely. Uncomfortable. "This one is well. This one has been making a study of Founder Beauregard and the immediate descendants of that line."

[Varric]

Poor (kid? lad?) soul. Sweet, kind, helpful and earnest and all anyone can seem to notice is the awkward and weird. "Yeah? That's a defunct line, isn't it? Title's held in trust, I think. Find anything interesting?"

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene nods. "Most feel the line went extinct entirely with the death of Dika Beauregard, but in actuality, his great grandfather Sten was the second trueborn child. If the firstborn was disinherited only materially but his descendants were not specifically disinherited, his descendents would have a secondary claim status, and any who could trace their lineage back to that brother could in theory assume the title. However, the brother vanished from the record soon after, making such claims difficult to prove. There is a theory that--" 

Here Helene stops, cheeks darkening, and bows. "Ah, sorry, this one apologizes for, this is surely not as interesting to you as it is to this one." 

[Varric]

Varric cocks his head. "Didn't realize I was looking bored- I'm a bit of a historian myself, remember. I think I've even heard of this before. Something about the elder son changing his name and such after being disinherited, starting a new life sort of thing?"

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene nods. "That's the most common theory -- made harder to track down by the fact that his name was stricken from the family records after he was disinherited. But there is a minority faction that feels strongly that if he had re-entered Nyran social life, married, and procreated, we would have been able to find him by now. And a minority faction within that minority that feels that there is a good reason why we have not found him: because he, upon leaving his father's house, re-entered Nyran society as a she. When I encountered this theory I knew just where to look, and I think I have identified her and her children, but I cannot find the proof required. It is maddening. I have not slept in... some time." 

[Varric]

Varric whistles, though he carefully keeps it very quietly done, given their location. "Yeah, that would do it," he admits. "Tell you what- why don't we grab something to eat in the cafeteria and you can give me the full scoop. Maybe telling it to someone else will shake something loose. And then you can sleep on it." Be good to submerge myself in something completely separate and different than my problems (Carver/Beth/Marian) for a bit. A nice, academic issue sounds great.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene, realizing what they just said, flushes a bit and examines his face. "This one wonders if you might... have an opinion on people who do such things?" they ask, carefully. 

[Varric]

"...start a new life? Personally, I'd want revenge," he admits with a slightly rueful smile. "But I can see just wanting to start over and live free of past bullshit." Varric pauses, seeing Helene's expression. "...that's not what you meant, is it? Oh. The he to she thing?" He shrugs, trying to not make a big deal of it. "Don't see why it matters. To more than the person in question I mean."

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene swallows, something like pride and relief welling up in them as they nod. "Good. Then, let us commence study -- and obtain nourishment."

[Bethany]

Humming softly, lost in her head as she finishes getting breakfast on the table, Bethany doesn't really notice her menfolk taking their seats. Cooking has always been a soothing, almost meditative thing for her and breakfast is the best meal. It's quiet and still. The kitchen, the house, is hers. Not that she minds having Carver and Varric show up, given that they're pretty consistently appreciative about her work. Which is nice. 

And kind of new, unfortunately. 

Finally noticing the pair, greetings are exchanged and everyone gets busy eating. Just polite chit-chat for the most part, though Bethany notices that Carver seems... introspective, which is unusual. And Varric seems distracted. Kind of like I am... I need to figure out how- and when- I'm going to tell Carver about.... damnit, we really need to come up with a better name than the Bandana's Brothel. And maybe Carver can figure out how we're going to keep it from Varric. Or if we should.

[Varric]

As they're finish eating, Varric stops Bethany before she can rise and start clearing the table. "Before you head off, I have some... I have some of your things. From Golden Shores."

[Bethany]

"Oh," Bethany says in a tiny voice.

[Carver Amell]

Carver looks at his plate. "He gave me mine last night."

[Varric]

"I... There was some random stuff, like some pans and such but I didn't bother with anything like that," Varric says a touch gruffly. "I managed to find your jewelry box, some of your books you had at my place and, rather strangely, a pair of shoes." Completely untouched for some reason. "Your box... didn't hold up that well, the varnish caught, but some of the stuff in side was salvageable. Found some coin too, and some expensive home goods. A leather jacket I think is Carver's, might fit Beth now, some good cooking knives." As he speaks, he starts pulling Beth's things out of his magical bag.

[Bethany]

Bethany takes the silk bundle he offers first, unwrapping it with trembling hands to see a few trinkets. Most of her jewelry must have warped too badly to be worth saving- pure gold or silver would be fine, but most of her things were junk alloys with tin in them. An Astean medallion made of basalt, a pair of silver earrings Carver and Marian had saved up to get her, a copper and bronze ring cast to look like branches... and half a ceramic heart, singed by soot and cracked in half.  A soft gasp, filled with pain, slips from her lips and her eyes well up.