The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Helene Dakesh]

"This shell, this life is..."

Helene bites back whatever she was going to say. 

[Varric]

''Go on.'' He keeps his tone coaxing, not stern, trying to avoid triggering that... slave mindset again.

[Helene Dakesh]

"intolerable," she whispers, and there is something small and broken in her tone.

[Varric]

Varric takes a slow, shakey breath, then lets it out just as slowly. "Then... Then it sounds like you need to change something. Sounds like... Like you need a new way of dealing with...things. Graybeard went to a lot of trouble to have me rescue you when he could have just sent some random Seeker over with a message. Stands to reason that they wanted us to meet for more than just that."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Change something," she repeats dully.

She sits up, then; she slips off one shoe, pulling out a small bundle of napkin. She unwraps the parcel partway, offering it to him.

In it is a small, sharp, bit of metal. Judging by the way it's cut a slit in the bottom layer of the cloth napkin, and was clearly used to cut the napkin into a strip to wrap it, it's razor sharp. Capable of doing damage -- but not really usable as a weapon, not for long. One slash maybe, before one of the minders could have gotten it from her.

If it was used on a minder.

"This one was planning... This one wasn't going to probably but... Seeker Renaud kept looking at this one..."

[Varric]

His gorge rises and the dwarf has to grip the fabric of his trousers tightly for a long minute. "I... don't entirely blame... That would be... Horrible. Beyond words. But. Maybe... Not that. Something better."

[Helene Dakesh]

"What?" Asks Helene, quietly, intently. "What options exist?"

[Varric]

"Well... there's how I deal with... Bad days. I mean. Low sample size, admittedly, but low cost and no known damage caused. So there's that."

[Helene Dakesh]

"How?" She whispers

[Varric]

"Well... Mostly it's rest and a isolation. Dark, quiet. Soft, tight clothes. Heavy wool blanket. Letting myself read, brew, grumble, whatever I need. Having someone that... that cares be around. Not... hovering, watching and judging. Just.. around. Making sure food is available. Fresh clothes, reminders to bathe, to sleep. Reminders that someone cares. I fall back on maths a lot. Numbers never change or lie or... They have patterns and reason in every line, dot and curve." He shrugs, glancing away from the discomfort born from talking about something so personal. "And... eventually, you're ready to come back and... do whatever. Work or whatever."

[Helene Dakesh]

"No-one cares for this one," Helene whispers. "An apprentice exists," she adds, as if in question.

[Varric]

''And she did seem pretty worried about you. A little... miffed about how long you were planning to be gone, but that probably has no small part of it tied back to being worried about you. And...'' Varric clears his throat. ''Hells. You think I stage exciting breakouts and hide in temples for just anyone?'' Maybe not remind her about killing Ren-Ren just yet.

[Helene Dakesh]

"Ye-es?" offers Helene, hesitantly. 

[Varric]

''No.''

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene looks down at the sketchpad. "This one finds your motives... inscrutable."