Blood from Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"Let's get inside before Dad has a heart attack," grumbles Carver, not really wanting to hear about Liz's 'walk'. 

[Marian Hawke]

"Yeah, just us," confirms Liz. 

[Bethany]

Beth scoffs. "Please. Like he's not already watching us or something. Probably knew Liz was back before Hunter did." Still, she does move to the back of house along with the others. "Sister chat later, maybe tonight," she adds to Liz firmly, moving closer to slip an arm around her big sister.

[Marian Hawke]

Liz nods, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. Okay."

[Carver Amell]

Carver pats Hunter, then, nodding. "Go find Aveline, give her the all-clear?" he asks the canine, as he heads into the house. He'd left a note earlier at the guardhouse, saying he'd send Hunter if Liz turned up for dinner and to drop by if she didn't hear from them. 

[Helene Dakesh]

As they enter, a relieved Helene is pouring water into glasses, adding ice. "Ah. Splendid. Dinner is ready," they say, smiling at Liz. 

[Varric]

Varric slips into the room then, a slight look of surprise and relief on his face that fools none save perhaps Silence and even that is only because the mabari was dozing under the table. "Welcome home, apprentice mine. Hope you're hungry. Beth made pasta and... meatballs for dinner." He wrinkles his nose a little, still unsure what he thinks of the too aptly named dish. 

[Bethany]

"Just us for tonight- Merrill and Jass at still at Blossom. Evidently, they found one of the treants there and are attempting to coax... him, it, them? to talk." Beth frowns, unsure of how to address a tree with a mind that is often portrayed as the counterpart to dryads.

[Marian Hawke]

Liz nods, taking a seat at the table. She folds her hands in her lap, trying not to let them shake. You can do this. Keep your head up. 

"I see."

[Carver Amell]

Carver plops into the chair next to Liz, putting himself physically between her and the front door, frowning but silent.

[Bethany]

Beth gives Carver a warning look, making sure he sees that she saw what he did there. "Anyway. Let's eat!" She claps her hands, voice bright and perky enough that it mostly hides the worry in her eyes. 

[Tethras Clan]

Dinner is... well, the food is tasty. Filling and warm, even if Varric grumbles good naturedly as the oddness of 'thin strands of almost bread' and 'couldn't even come up with a real name, just a compressed description.' The dinner itself is a bit tense, Beth doing her best to keep conversation going. Varric assists with that, in large part explaining his grumbles. Eventually however, the meal begins to wind down. Which means its time to start talking...

[Carver Amell]

Carver's the one who breaks the silence first, who can't wait any longer as Helene is gathering up the dishes: "Where were you? Did you really just run off to have sex?"

[Marian Hawke]

"No," says Liz quietly, glancing down at her glass, but keeping her voice firmer than usual. "I went to the Temple to pray."

[Bethany]

Bethany swallows her first (and got Zevran? Good prayer) and second (well at least you had a good idea when you scared Carver to death) to instead speak her third. "And what did you pray for?"