Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Varric]

"Would you have not left if upset before she said that?" Varric asks, tone carefully mild and faintly curious.

[Marian Hawke]

Hawke tenses, gripping Cindy's hand tightly. "I-- I--"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"She would have," cuts in Cindy smoothly. "She would remember that I love her and want her to be happy and would have taken care of herself for my sake. But it's easier for her if I say it up front."

[Marian Hawke]

Hawke nods, silently, still a bit tense.

[Varric]

"..still having trouble doing things for yourself?" Varric asks sadly.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Hawke hunches her shoulders. Cindy smiles gently. "It's alright. You don't have to. You can lean on me."

[Varric]

"For now," Varric says, a bit more firmly. "Crutches are fine while you're healing, but eventually you'll need to stand on your own."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"In your own time," she says gently. "There's no rush. You need to heal properly, not rush things. Alright?"

Hawke nods, mutely.

[Varric]

"Fair," Varric says evenly, making a note to have a private talk with Cindy. Soon. "So no questions or anything? Alright. I do have one for you: what should we call you? In general, what name do you want to use?"

[Marian Hawke]

Hawke tenses, chewing her lip. As Cindy opens her mouth, she squeezes the girl's hand, stopping her. 

A moment later, she takes a deep breath, then says, "M-marian. Unless I, unless I start to freak out. Then Liz."

[Varric]

"Alright," Varric says softly. "Thank you. Is... do you want to set up a... warning word? Something you can stay to let us all know to... soften things, to call you Liz?"

[Marian Hawke]

She shakes her head, taking a deep breath. "No, I-- I'll be alright. I can handle it. I can do this." I hope.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"And if you can't," says Cindy gently. "Tell us to stop, and we will. There's no shame in that."

[Varric]

"Absolutely. This is just the first of hundreds of dinners. If you need to step back for a bit or even leave to eat in here, that's fine," Varric assures his daughter.

[Marian Hawke]

Hawke takes a deep breath, then another. "Right. Okay. Okay. It's just one. I can do this."