Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Bethany]

"Bu- w-why, we're not, please don't shout," Bethany pleads.

[Marian Hawke]

"I would like an explanation!" snaps Marian, still shouting.

[Carver Amell]

"It's just a little after school job," snarls Carver. "Nobody needs to know about it!"

[Varric]

Just as Bethany is about to trying begging once again, she feels a soft, gentle touch on her shoulder. She jolts, turning to see Varric there, shaking his head. "Go ahead and sit in the living room. I'll handle this."

She frets at her lip for a moment, then meekly slips out of the kitchen. Moving silently, Varric gets out two very heavy cast-iron pans, then slams them together as hard as he can only a few feet from the still arguing pair.

[Marian Hawke]

Both of them jump, turning to face him with near-identical expressions of fury. 

[Varric]

"Sit. Your. Asses. Down. Now," Varric commands them both, eyes hard and glittering, and jabs a finger at the table. "Not a word! Sit."

[Carver Amell]

Carver hesitates, moving a couple steps toward the table on instinct. 

[Marian Hawke]

Marian glares at the dwarf, hands balled into fists, ready to fight to defend her siblings.

[Carver Amell]

Carver, seeing Marian ready to fight, turns and squares his shoulders too, lifting his head higher. 

[Varric]

Not bad for a pair of kids. "I said to sit down. Then we're going to discuss this, like rational, civilized beings instead of screaming and shouting at each other." He pause a moment, then very deliberately adds, "unless you prefer scaring your sister?"

[Carver Amell]

Carver's shoulders slump, and for a moment he looks purely miserable. Bethany. She hates when we fight. Hanging his head, he heads for the table and sits. 

[Marian Hawke]

Marian's not so compliant. She gives him a long, hard look before she goes to the table, sizing him up. 

[Varric]

Varric studies them for a moment, then nods. "Good. You two want anything to drink? I got... water... creamer... tonic water and...wine." Can kids drink wine? Non-dwarven ones? Meh, I can cut it with water, it'll be fine.

[Marian Hawke]

"Water is fine." Marian keeps staring at him, waiting. 

[Varric]

Varric glances at Carver, who just shrugs. "Water it is," he says, shaking his head. He gets out some glasses and fills them from the tap. "So... Carver, how about you start. Explain to your sister here what happened, so she can form an opinion based on actual fact, instead of speculation."