Blood from Stone [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

"Yes you do. I've seen you want to be yourself, to be a person. Most of the time, you are. You just don't realize it because it's so natural to do." He hesitates a moment. "And it is not wrong to be submissive, to wish to give up control and just accept what is. But... to me, it is wrong to live that way. Submission is a trust and a gift, but also a burden. And not just to the submissive."

[Marian Hawke]

"I want... I want to be wanted. To be desired. To be coddled and pet. To be seen and to be accepted. I want grand promises we can't keep and I want to fight for them anyway. I want to be owned. I want to belong. I want to be needed."

[Tethras Clan]

"You have much of that already," Zevran points out. "You are wanted and desired, by myself and many more. You are pet and pampered by your Dad and sister, and in a different way by me again. Your family sees you, as much as you let them. And they are rather accepting, I think, no? Needed and belonging... grand romantic gestures and promises... that is... scanter on the ground." He doesn't comment on the last remaining. 

[Marian Hawke]

"I don't.. I don't trust it. How can I? How could anyone want....this? Me? how can I be desirable? Wanted? At least... at least for my body, when you... I can at least provide that. But the rest? How can they...?"

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran sighs a little, bowing his head. "Because you are funny and clever. Because you keep trying. Because you still, despite everything that was down to you... you love. You want to help people and care for people. I understand that you struggle to accept what I am saying. That even as I say it, there are voices in your heart that whisper that I am lying, that I am trying to be kind or that I just don't see or understand how bad and wrong and broken you are." He reaches up to run his fingers through her hair, just a featherlight touch. "I wish I knew the words the tone, the action, that would convince your innermost doubts. But I am not so clever as that I am afraid."

[Marian Hawke]

"And you.. do want me?" she asks, quietly. "You promise?"

[Tethras Clan]

"Regardless of whether you mean sexual want or romantic... yes. I swear in Ciren's name and... and on the broken chains that freed me. I want you."

[Marian Hawke]

"Okay," she whispers, swallowing. "Okay. Let's go home."

[Tethras Clan]

"Quite so." He flashes a grin. "Would you care to wager on whether your, ah, tuiste will have made it home? I noticed Helene slipping off with a rather large book before dinner and they had their research face on for most of dinner..." As he rambles, he rises to his feet so he can offer her a hand up. And hopefully I get a chance to discretely slip off and talk to Beth...

[Marian Hawke]

Liz takes his hand, letting him tug her to her feet. She listens to his rambles, interjecting more and more as they walk, seeming to be more at ease by his normalcy than his concern. 

This is... okay. I am okay. We're okay.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene, all aflutter with excitement, tosses open the door to their home, heading up the stairs two at a time. Not finding Varric in his bed, in their shared bedroom, they come back downstairs, checking his study, then the kitchen. Still not seeing him, and now frowning somewhat, they head into the parlor, where Beth and Don are enjoying a lazy breakfast.

"Good morning. This one is looking for this one's husband?" they ask, frowning slightly.

[Bethany]

"He's not in bed still?" Beth asks, sounding startled. "Silence cued me that he got home at like four in the morning. I... did he leave again?" Her last question is more a verbal musing really. Dozing under the table, Silence twitches an ear but doesn't move. She's been rather sluggish the last month or so... I should have Merrill give her an in-depth look over.

[GamesMaster]

Don's ear twitches faintly. "Strange. Should we go looking for him?"

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene hesitates, then shakes their head. No, no, I would have received warning if he were in danger. "This one had news but... this one can share with the pair of you first."

They take a deep breath, smiling broadly. "This one has decided to change this one's pronouns. From now on, in place of They and Them, this one would like to use the Celestial pronouns Ne, Nem, Nir, and Nemself."

[Bethany]

Beth blinks a few times. "Ne, nem... those are..." She squints a little as she dredges up the exact meaning of the rarely used words. "Oh! Right, Those are for sapients without gender of any kind. That's... really accurate."