[audio] - backdated to the 6th, a few hours after Kloe's post

[angha_firebird]

[A frustrated, enraged scream is heard first--sounding mostly reptillian. Then deep, rasping breaths as Aara tries to calm down.]

This has to stop. These deaths... these attacks, they have to stop!

[A strangled whimper is drawn from Aara's throat.]

What good is this doing us? We could very well be all we have left.

[The blood. The countless,

Comments

[Text]

[sayhitobianca]

[Unfortunately, Birdie, most of them have little say about things like the headless bodies and the sickness.

But this'd catch his attention even if he hadn't been specifically named - he's been keeping an eye on her since she got nicknamed, and even more so since the thing with Kloe. He's on it almost immediately.]

You know I've always got time if you need it, Birdie.

Where to, assuming this is an in person kind of speaking?

[Audio]

[angha_firebird]

[A deep breath.]

I do need it.

[A pause.]

Please.

[Almost an afterthought.]

Yes, it is. The bower, if you think it's empty?

[Text]

[sayhitobianca]

[Normally he'd switch to audio here, seeing as she's one of the few he does that for on occasion, but there's not much point when they're just agreeing to meet elsewhere.]

Then you've got it.

I'll meet you at the bower.

[commentlog of lat proportions]

[angha_firebird]

[Aara arrived to the bower, looking skittish and upset and on edge. And needing of every kind of reassurance or touch of calm to her scattered thoughts and tumultuous emotions.]

Varric?

[commentlog of even more lateness]

[sayhitobianca]

[Yeah, she looks just about what he'd expected, from her journal entry. As slightly ridiculous - and vaguely troubling - as he thinks the whole Kloe thing is, Varric feels for her here. She's obviously not used to anything like the kind of violence that's been going on lately.

Which is good; he wouldn't want her to be. He also kind of wishes it could've stayed that way.

It makes his voice gentle when he speaks.]

I'm here, Birdie.

[angha_firebird]

[She jumped a little. She hadn't seen him. Then she made her way to where he was, shoulders hunched in a little instead of her normal graceful walk with straightened spine. Her toes curl conscientiously against the ground, as if wondering if she should stay or flee. Her hands twist together awkwardly, pressed against her breast bone.]

Varric.

[Apparently she still doesn't know what to say, so she comes to a halt before him, an arm's reach away. Perhaps she's waiting to see if he's angry with her, too.]

[sayhitobianca]

[Of course he's not angry with her. He thinks she could be handling things better, but then, that's true for the majority of his friends.

And right now, it doesn't look like she needs anyone else shouting at her.

Not that he's ever really the type to shout.

Instead, he tilts his head at the nearest seat.]

Come on. Sit down with me.

[angha_firebird]

[Almost hesitantly, Aara moves to do just that. After the first few steps to her chair Aara's breathing seems to become stronger. Her spine straightens a little.

She sat.]

I am sorry for bothering you...

[sayhitobianca]

[Varric sits next to her, shaking his head at her comment.]

You're not a bother, Birdie. And you're not disturbing me from anything important, anyway. I've got all the time in the world, here.

[angha_firebird]

Varric...

[She wants to curl up in his lap, like a child, but she supposed she wasn't a child any longer, and she didn't know how Varric would feel about that. So she stayed put, head down as she turned toward him as he sat beside her, the only thing she'd allow herself for a comforting touch.]

I do not understand it, Varric. I do not understand any of it.

[Her expression crumbles, and Aara desperately tries to hold back tears.]

He is your friend.

[And that had to stand for something, didn't it?]

[sayhitobianca]

It's complicated, Birdie. A lot of people got hurt, and a situation like that stirs up a lot of emotions.

[Death was death, whether or not it was permanent.]

And she's yours.

[His tone is gentle, because he doesn't want to upset her. But while he doesn't approve of what Anders did - mostly because it'd been stupid, and hadn't helped at all - he can appreciate the sentiment behind it. Kloe's got a lot of people angry at her.

But Varric's staying out of it as much as possible, for Zhaneel and Aara's sake.

And those held back tears are getting to him. Aara might not technically be a child, but that doesn't matter to Varric. He opens up his arms.]

Come here, Birdie.

[angha_firebird]

[Now the tears were falling, hot and continuously down pale cheeks. Kloe is Aara's friend. And Anders had even seemed nice when Aara accidentally came across him. It confused her.

Everything confused her.

But when Varric opened his arms to her, Aara couldn't prevent the small sob at the gesture. Launching into his arms, she buried her face into his chest and tightly wrapped her arms around him, curling tightly in on herself as she wound around him. She didn't bother holding back her sobs now. She just needed time to get it all out, and Varric's gesture of comfort was more than she could have asked for.]

[sayhitobianca]

[Varric isn't exactly used to people crying on him. Well, not under these circumstances. He's pretty used to having drunk, sobbing people stumble into him. But this is someone he's invited to come cry on him, and that's entirely different.

But she needs it, and he doesn't mind giving it.

He doesn't tell her it'll be fine, because that's not a promise he can make. It probably won't be fine. Something like this will happen again, and it will hurt all over again. The best you can do is deal with things as they come, and make the most of your time in between.

Varric wraps his arms around her, one hand gently stroking her hair as he just holds her, for the moment, silent.]