The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Haliel Lightsong]

"Not Bastion or Astea," Haliel says, tone more... moderate, though her hands are still tightly fisted. "Astea has never given up on having you back and Bastion welcomes anyone that wishes to atone, no matter their previous sins."

[Marian Hawke]

"then... then I'll start there," she whispers. "I-- this feeling is-- I hate it. I hate it."

[Varric]

"How do you want to go about it?" Varric asks carefully. "It looked... it looked like you were about to jump Shiny, though whether it would be to grovel at her feet or... do stuff, I couldn't tell."

[Zevran]

"Both, starting with her feet," Zevran says sagely.

[Marian Hawke]

"I wanted her to be My Lady, to teach me and remake me. That can't happen. I need... I don't know. A temple? Where are we headed?"

[Haliel Lightsong]

Haliel shivers a bit, not looking very comfortable with that- and very uncomfortable with the kernel of appeal in that image. "Nyra," she says. "Two or three days out. Maybe... maybe we should... books. You should- well, you might already know- if you could pick any deity to accept you, who would it be?" Well, that sounded like about three or four different ideas competing.

[Marian Hawke]

"...books. Temples," she agrees. "Nyra has several, I can... see which one resonates most? Maybe-- what would be the best god for, for what I did to save Rick?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"That depends entirely on why you did it, App-- Miss Hawke. Was it out of protectiveness or devotion? Then Vangal. Because he's a child? Then Ciren. Vengeance? Junon. Duty to the family? Bastion. Duty to society? Naugrix."

[Varric]

"Or... If it was for love of a child, an innocent... then Astea. Or Ciren or Bastion or- there aren't really Bright deities that would not praise you richly for that act. Many of the Twilight deities as well. But..." Varric trails off, studying Marian.

[Haliel Lightsong]

"Love," Haliel agrees softly.

[Marian Hawke]

"I didn't even know the-- I didn't do it for the baby," she admits. "I didn't know the baby. I wasn't sure what was going on. Only.. only..."

Only Bartrand was hurting someone like he'd hurt me and I couldn't let that happen. Only this was Bianca, someone who mattered a lot to Varric, and he deserves to be happy. Only this was devils and there was a baby involved and nothing devils ever do with babies ends well. Only Bianca sounded like she was dying and I wanted her to live. Only I couldn't let it end that way. Only Varric's already been through so much, with the rock slide and Helene and all my bullshit, and he deserved better than to lose Bianca. And I don't regret an instant of it, seeing him with baby Rick.

"Only, maybe it was about life, a little, and love, a little. And maybe... maybe I just wanted things to end well and if I had to die to make that happen it was worth it," she admits, looking away. 

[Varric]

Varric smiles faintly. "Get over here and say hello already," he says gruffly, in that tone that Marian, Helen and Haliel have all learned isn't his normal gruff tone, but rather him overing for having emotions. "Helene pointed out that there's a chance the ritual might be still lingering and try to finish if you touch, so we have to hold of on that, but you can come over and see him just fine."

[Marian Hawke]

Oddly enough, to Lightsong's practiced eye, Marian seems ever so slightly relieved to hear there's a reason not to touch the baby -- or, more likely, that Varric isn't being reckless, that he's taking reasonable precautions. She creeps forward, hesitnatly, peering over his shoulder down at the little bundle. 

"...oh, aren't you precious," she whispers, awestruck. "Hi little one. Hi."

[Varric]

Rick stares up at her- more than likely just at the noises she's making but who cares about reasons when a cute baby is staring at you? He's got a very dwarven appearance, at least to his head, as the rest is covered by blanket. Varric's blue eyes, broad features- for a baby- and a wispy tuft of reddish-blonde hair. He also has slightly tapered ears, but much shorter than even a merikos elf's, and stubby little horns. Not curved ones, pointy ones, rather like a baby goats. When he yawns, he shows another hint at his altered ancestry in the form of a forked, black tongue. "Good kid really. Far as we can tell, perfectly healthy. Fusses of course, and I cannot wait to get to Nyra were I can just buy milk instead of dealing with those..." He slips into orcish for the next word, "blighted goats but he's got a good temperment."

[Zevran]

"He dotes on the babe," Zevran faux-whispers.