a soft, wistful smile tugs at aerith's lips as the name varric passes her thoughts, and a pang of longing threads her chest. oh, how she has missed him ... missed all her friends. for so long, she was nothing but the breeze of a wind in their lives — able to watch, barely able to intervene, never able to reach out. now, with her hand steady against robin's cheek, she feels everything differently. and yet, she knows, as she suspects @anoffering does too, that varric has always known this is where robin needed to be.
❝ you cut your hair. ❞ she says, sounding surprised by her own observation. their long, flowing strands once rivalled her own, perfect for endlessly braiding — now, more than half gone. aerith tilts her head, lips thinning in playful deliberation, as though weighing if she approves or not. in truth, they could do anything, change anything, and her admiration would remain unwavering. in her eyes, robin is still as beautiful as she remembers.
her mind drifts for a heartbeat, recalling the last time she saw them with panic etched into their face, tears catching at the corner of his eyes as he pleaded against the inevitable. ❝ uh-huh. ❞ her nose scrunches, suspicion flickering. surely, there's more to the story than he's telling. but before she can press further, robin leans in, resting their forehead against hers, and she exhales softly. ❝ i've missed you too ... and i'm sorry too. ❞ she blinks polished emeralds up to him, as rough calloused hands cradle her face. ❝ can you ever forgive me? ❞
forgive her, for what they had witnessed, for the cruelty of kirkwall, for the moment the knight-commander meredith struck her down upon the steps of the chantry, while robin rushed in with fruitless attempt to rescue her. how could she ever explain that some things were inevitable, that she had never intended for him to see it all? yet, here they are now, amongst the most unexpected of reunions. ❝ i never wanted you to see ... not at that very moment, at least. ❞ her fingers trace the path of tears that once fell, alongside the memory of how they had held her across his knees. ❝ ... is that why you really cut your hair? ❞