The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Marian Hawke]

"I--"

She stares at him, speechless, for a moment, doing math in her head. "I would have had to-- my answers would have had to be--"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Perfect," says Helene softly. "Or nearly so."

[Marian Hawke]

"...nearly?" squeaks Marian.

[Helene Dakesh]

"Two points missing in the history section. One point in geography. Four points in engineering. Perfect score in mathematics. Perfect score in spellcraft, religion. All answers perfect in the advanced arcana, unless they were blank." Helene reaches into nir satchel, handing over the detailed grade sheet with the breakdown. "Nearly perfect. Including the alchemy -- after review, a perfect score was given, thanks to Varric's deeper understanding of the alternative answers you provided in places."

[Varric]

"You actually beat me, if you don't count the extra points I had in the sections you didn't take," Varric admits. "I perfected engineering, but you got me by one in history and five in geography." He shakes his head slowly, amused. "Magic we tied with perfects in shared tests but you kicked my ass in religion, outsiders and non-Mundane realms. The benefits of an Alydrean education are pret-ty clear, yeah?"

[Marian Hawke]

"I-- I-- I beat---"

She swallows, then swallows again. Then takes a step back, reaching for the chair behind her, and sits down, hard, staring at them. Her face is pale, her hands shaking.

I beat... Varric? I got a higher score than.... Varric?!

[Helene Dakesh]

"Apprentice?" says Helene, fear sharpening nir voice. "Marian?!"

[Varric]

"Emotional overload- shock," Varric says quickly. "Marian, head down, deep, slow breaths. In and out, focus on maths. Divide by primes."

[Marian Hawke]

Marian complies, putting her head on her lap, breathing slowly. Her hands, however, continue to tremble -- or, not tremble exactly. They're in motion, a small, repetitive fluttering motion, one that grows only more exaggerated as she struggles to focus. Helene tugs on Varric's sleeve, indicates one of Marian's hands, and moves nir own, in a similar fashion. Quiet hands, ne mouths, not daring to say anything aloud that could be seen as a rebuke.

[Varric]

Varric nods slightly and reaches over to tap rapidly on nir arm. 'See also.' Kneeling next to Marian, he gently rests a hand on her back and rubs. "There we go. Just focus on the numbers in your head. All is well, just focus on the numbers."

[Marian Hawke]

"I-- I'm going to be amazing," she whispers, as she finally looks up, tears in her eyes. "I really am."

[Varric]

"Yeah, you really are. And on that topic... your alchemy test?" He shakes his head, smile still in place. "Where did you get the idea of using blinkdog fur of all things for a stoneskin potion? I actually had to test that one out to make sure but you're right in that it would work. Does some funky stuff to the taste and causes rapid hair growth, but given that the fur is rockhard and fades after the potion wears off... success in my book."

[Marian Hawke]

"I-- Tsisrora's law -- with the Alignment Substitution Principle, and the old Toukami classification system -- it predicted the substitution, but everyone ignores it because of Gregoir III, but he was wrong about the dragon-horn and he's wrong about blinkdog fur, maybe all his principles are flawed. I used s-something similar in the mutagen..."

[Varric]

Varric leans back, considering that. "Hmmm. I know his prohibition against griffon feathers in transmutation and sulfur in sonic elemental magicks is solid so not all of it but..." He rocks his head back and forth. "If blinkdog fur works, that means it's not just 'dragons are bullshit' so... yeah, his pattern and predicting is likely off. So he might not be wrong but he wasn't right for a good reason."

[Marian Hawke]

"Do you think-- in my  mutagen, do you think... phoenix feather? It's just, it's expensive, but on the other hand, it brings the fire in play to balance out the water-element from the nixie hair... the mixture might stabilize."