Blood from Stone [AU]

[Jassinth]

"Fear always chases. Always. No matter how you run, no matter where you hide, fear will always find you," Jassinth murmurs softly, leaning against the door frame. "You need to face it down."

[Marian Hawke]

"Easy for you to say," she says, her voice bitter, though there's not much harshness to it. 

[Jassinth]

"It is always easier to stare fear down when it is not your own, that is very true. And I do not know... the shape of your fear. Carver has said some, mostly in the way of warning me away from certain words or actions," and to have someone a step removed to unburden himself to, "but I do not know what you have gone through. Still, hard or not, the point remains."

[Marian Hawke]

"Everyone has a breaking point," she says dully. "If you had been through what I have been through, you would be a wreck."

[Tethras Clan]

"Agreed." Merrill shrugs a little.  "I took I risk that I knew had a better than even chance of killing me just because my boyfriend shouted at me. Shouted something really mean, but still. It was just words. I couldn't have lasted a single day of what happened to you." Perhaps the worst of it is that she doesn't look... disappointed or ashamed to admit she's less than Liz. Instead, she sounds... resigned.

[Marian Hawke]

"I think..." 

Liz shudders. "If I didn't have family, if I didn't have somewhere to go, if all I had was Cindy's words rattling around my head for hours all alone.... I don't know that she'd have needed to shout."

[Jassinth]

"Family is very important. There are very, very few animals that can survive by themselves. And none of them with souls."  Jassinth shifts uncomfortably. "I am sorry if I seem to be... diminishing what you have gone through. Such is not my intent. You are Carver's sister and a personable enough sort, for as little as I know, you that I wish you well. More, I wish you better than you have."

[Marian Hawke]

Liz nods a little, looking down. "I... Thank you. I fear I am... It's just, I know my family wishes me to be better than I am, but I am not and cannot be."

[Jassinth]

Jass frowns. "That seems... why not? I mean... you seem so very certain on that belief. Why?"

[Marian Hawke]

"I have been trying," she whispers. "It's just not good enough. I'm exhausted. I want to rest. I am done."

[Tethras Clan]

"Perhaps you have just been trying wrongly? I mean, Cindy's real great but she's not a healer or anything and she's not doing so great herself and she was your only real support for most of the time you've been trying 'cause you have a bunch of secrets and stuff and maybe if you let other people help we can help more or differently and it'll help."

[Marian Hawke]

"I can't, Merrill. I'm so tired, and Varric says I can't-- that I have to be my own... guiding force, on top of everything else. I have nothing left for healing."

[Tethras Clan]

"Then... find some new energy?" Merrill blinks a few times, head tilting to the side. "What makes you happy and excited?"

[Marian Hawke]

"I... what?"

[Jassinth]

"I think what she means is that if you are too focused on healing and suffering, then... of course you have no energy, no motivation. You need to devote some of your time to being happy."