Ghost Story

[Carver Amell]

"You didn't even know her," he growls.

[Varric]

"No, I didn't," Varric agrees with a nod. "Even with the death dreams being from the point of view of those that were there- Marian, Silence-- and feeling their emotions, she still wasn't my family." He rubs his chest again absently. "That death anyway."

[Carver Amell]

"If you saw it, you'll know how horrific it was, objectively speaking. But it was my soul, my better half."

[Varric]

That part I understand. "I-- Why did you blame Marian? I can't understand-- I get why the Bitch did. But I don't understand you. Marian was your sister too. Not your twin, no, but she was still your sister. Why did you two hate each other so much?"

[Carver Amell]

"After my twin died, I was a wreck. Catatonic, for a time. I wet the bed, I had nightmares. Mother told me it was Marian's fault and I was in a state where I believed her."

[Varric]

Aveline growls softly, a habit she'd picked up from Carver (and the mabari, but mostly her husband). "Not how I'd put it, but agreed," Varric says drolly. "Do you still blame her?"

[Carver Amell]

Carver lets out a long, slow breath. "I suppose I don't, really. I haven't thought about it in years."

[Aveline Vallen]

"We can talk about it tonight, in private," Aveline says softly, then winces with a glance at Marianne. "Ah, though perhaps after another talk."

[GamesMaster]

"Yes," says Marianne, in a voice that could curdle milk. "A talk."

[Carver Amell]

Carver winces. "So. Do we need to find a place to stay?"

[Varric]

Varric hesitates, a look of consideration forming. "Can she fight?" he finally asks, nodding at Marianne.

[GamesMaster]

"I can," she says, narrowing her eyes. "Why?"

[Varric]

"Actually fight, not just hold your own in a bar scuffle?" 

"Yes, Carver and I have both trained her. She's not an adventurer or a champion, but she's fit enough to at least survive until help comes or she an escape," Aveline says, frowning herself.

"Good enough then. House is getting better, but it's been haunted for fifty years and stalked by a demon for perhaps nearly that long. The demon is banished, but that sort of thing lingers. And I've run into a few other fun surprises: phase spider, couple of carrion crawlers in the barn, some hostile spore fungus in the basement, a dire rat or five."

[Carver Amell]

"We can all hold our own," says Carver. "My wife and I are both ex-guard, part-time adventurers."

[Varric]

Varric studies them for another moment, then nods slowly. "Fine then. There's only two rooms with a bed at the moment, but there's a sofa that I've used for naps and reading. Comfortable enough, if not a lot of room to roll around or the like. Safest plan would be to move that into the second bedroom but not sure if you'd all be comfortable with rooming together."