Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene shakes their head, silent, adding more shadow under one piece. 

[Varric]

"Can... is it really that hard to accept that I might not be bothered by your quirks?" Varric asks softly.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene gives a small, mute nod. 

[Varric]

"You're an oracle specialized in fact seeking and research- you have a few truthing spells, right?" Varric asks after a moment. "Cast'em. I can probably resist them, but I'll let it work." And they'll be able to tell, of course, at least with some types of spells.

[Helene Dakesh]

"Th-th-this one can c-cast truthing, yes." It takes a few tries for them to find the rhythm of the words for their spell once more, but cast they do, finishing with a formal bow. 

[Varric]

Helene can feel Varric start to throw off the spells and then, visibly, almost painfully, allows the spell to take affect. "This is..." Uncomfortable, painful, terrifying, nerve wracking, strange... "working. You can ask... what you need right now."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Tell me what you think of me," they whisper. "Of my... of my deficiencies."

[Varric]

"Bit of a mix. Some academic curiosity, as I haven't knowingly interacted with someone with your condition. That's fairly minor though. Mostly... concern. It hurts you. Causes you trouble and I don't know enough to help, to fix it. I loathe not having enough information to make the proper plan for what I want. Some frustration, that I can't help, yes, but also that you struggle giving that information, or information on what's bothering you at any given point. However, it doesn't frustrate, annoy or bother me more than, say, Carver's hot temper, Beth's willfulness or... hells, I'd rather deal with ten hours of the worst I've seen of you than ten minutes of my brother's sullen bullshit." Varric scratches his jaw, a touch surprised at how easy that was to say, to admit. "It's just part of your character, who you are."

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one has... had fits where... this one hurts themself," they admit. 

[Varric]

"Which is also worrying, but no more than... someone that has seizures. Or muscle spasms," Varric replies promptly. "Or- do you mean, like how some people will punch a wall to vent emotional turmoil?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one has been known to... to bash this one's head against things," they whisper, ashamed. 

[Varric]

"For what purpose?" Varric asks slowly. "And to what severity?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one... it is hard to explain. This one has not been seriously harmed, but this one has... thus far, these fits have been in the presence of healers."

[Varric]

"Can you try? An honest attempt is enough, even if you can't entirely get to the whole of it."

[Helene Dakesh]

"They are-- this one is-- this one-- noises are-- there is--" 

They make a small, frustrated noise. "This one is under the effect of this one's own spell. This one cannot, this one is struggling to, this one-- words are complicated and, this one... No," they finally admit.