Ghost Story

[Aveline Vallen]

"Being an adult does mean making hard choices sometimes," Aveline agrees, a wan smile forming. "But that doesn't mean that the results are good or acceptable. It doesn't mean that you aren't hurt by what you did. That it doesn't cost."

[Carver Amell]

"If my Mari had to do what you went through -- even a little of it -- the thought makes me ill," admits Carver. "This shouldn't have happened to you. To any of us. What we had to endure, as a family, was atrocious enough without adding rape on top of it. Marian, I'm.. I'm so sorry."

[Marian Hawke]

Marian's cheeks burn as she looks down at her toes. "Yeah, well. That's life. I'm fine. It's fine. It's all in the past."

[Aveline Vallen]

"By a year or so, from your perspective," Aveline points out. "That's not long at all for traumatic experiences. Carver still has scars that bleed on the lightest touch and he's had decades longer to heal." Granted, much of that is him refusing to get help for so damn long.

[Marian Hawke]

"Well I'm not Carver," she grumbles. "I'm fine. And even if I wasn't, I don't know you. I don't need your advice."

[Carver Amell]

"Alright," agrees Carver. "You don't have to talk to Aveline. But please talk to someone. Me. Varric. Whoever you trust."

[Aveline Vallen]

"My apologies, you're entirely correct. I-- I'm sorry. You reminding me so much of our children, feeling like family so rapidly, doesn't mean I have the right to-- to treat you as I have."

[Marian Hawke]

"Fine," says Marian, turning back toward the stairs. "Anyway, I need to get work done."

[Varric]

Varric drops his invisibility spell as he snatches up a paring knife to continuing trimming the remaining two-fifths of the whisper reed needed for the general health tonic he'd staged. And she'll arrive in three... two... "Well you're not stomping or snarling curses under your breath, nor crying so... went well?" he asks as she crosses the threshold, though he keeps his eyes on the rapidly moving blade. 

[Marian Hawke]

"Yes. No. I don't know. He's changed," she admits. "He apologized. But then the whole thing went sideways. I should have kept my mouth shut."

[Varric]

"Sideways is better than straight to the hells," Varric offers, tossing a quick glance over at her. "What happened?"

[Marian Hawke]

"I just mentioned some shit I shouldn't have. Or, I don't know. It got an apology from hiim so maybe I should have, but the whole discussion became about me or whatever. He was begging me to talk to someone about it but I don't need to."

[Varric]

Varric's only response is a very loud snort that is loaded with disbelief. 

[Marian Hawke]

"What? I know it's kind of only been a year but it's also kind of been fifty years since it happened. I'm fine. I'm over it. So what, I had to make some hard choices, but I did it and it didn't work and it's not important whether it was rape or not."

[Varric]

Varric carefully sets the knife down. Varric slowly turns around to face Marian. Varric takes measured steps so he stands in front of her. Varric chooses his words with deliberate care.

"You're important."