The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Bethany]

"Oh! Right, those. Yes. Umm. I'm not entirely sure what... mood balancers? She can get... depressed. Moody and... tired, I guess. But all the time tired, not just sleepy either. Weary, worn and... empty." Bethany shivers a bit. 

[Marian Hawke]

"I don't know which ones specifically," begins Bells. "But she and M-- Leandra both take mood enhancers. Ah, uplifters of some type, tonics meant to give energy and cheer. She's been on them for years, and Leandra longer, at least a decade and a half."

She blushes, faintly, glancing to Beth. "I snoop, some," she admits. 

[Varric]

Varric purses his lips. "Those... could be it, if the healer prescribing them was an ass. Or didn't care. She's going through mild withdraw, which is... not a good thing, if she already has low moods." He glances at Lightsong. "And it isn't a disease, just a brain chemical imbalance so magic is... not that great at fixing it. Too finicky, you'd need a personalized ritual or full-blown, direct aid from a deity to get it right. Stock spells and prayers can mitigate it, a little, but not fix it. And can make it worse, if done wrong or chosen poorly. After so long of getting alchemical tonics, magic would be... gods be damned complicated, to say the least."

[Bethany]

Beth pales the more Varric talks, hand coming up to cover her mouth, until she looks nearly ready to be sick.

[Marian Hawke]

Marian hesitates, staring at Bethany. "...Miss Bethany?" she asks, in a slow, cautious tone. She knows something. Something she's not sharing.

[Bethany]

"I- I was just- I just wanted to- to-"

[Haliel Lightsong]

Moving past the others, Lightsong approaches Beth and takes her hands gently in her own. "Miss Beth? Take a deep breath. You have had a very terrible night, after a far longer time of darkness. But you are safe now, and among friends and... those who wish to help. What happened?"

[Bethany]

"..she was getting worse. I just wanted... I wanted her to smile again. A real, honest smile. So I... I tried to find a way to help but... I figured... if you can't cure the problem, treat the symptoms." Across the room, Varric whispers a pained oath. "Tears to Wine to unfog her mind. Invigoration to wipe away the fatigue she always has. And then Good Hope to push back the despair, just for a few minutes every day."

[Marian Hawke]

Marian looks at Varric, a silent plea in her eyes. "We can fix it?" she says, trying -- failing -- to sound confident.

[Varric]

Varric frowns, mind working furiously. "...yeah. The withdraw... well, that should even out in the worst sometime in the next week or so. Her brain chemistry won't snap back to base for a good while yet, but a proper alchemical regime can help with that. Best thing, however, is getting her away from sources of stress, worry and conflict. She needs to be somewhere she can feel safe, unpressured and able to figure her shit out without someone ordering her to stay in line."

[Marian Hawke]

"It... won't be that easy," says Bells, hesitantly. "Just because she's safe now doesn't mean she'll... feel safe. Or... it's hard to change all the rules overnight. It doesn't go away just because you move. And-- and, for that matter, what did she take tonight that got screwed up? That'll be in her system too, won't it?"

[Varric]

"Granted," Varric allows. "And this is a pretty bad case, given..."

[Bethany]

"It... it wasn't a mistake," Beth admits, fresh tears falling, at Varric's look. "She... she- she loves Jadan, I don't understand why but she does and he- she saw him try to-" Her throat closes up and she starts shaking as she finally has to stop hiding from what he tried to do to her. What he did do to her. "To- He-" 

[Haliel Lightsong]

They're gone now, but Lightsong easily recalls the marks on Beth's fair skin. "Do you... do you need any... medicine of you own?" the paladin asks quietly. At Beth's blank look, she winces and continues moe baldly. "Do you need womb cleanse?"

[Bethany]

Face twisting into pained despair, Beth just crumbles against the aasima. Great, wracking sobs shake her body and she just... weeps.