The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Marian Hawke]

Marian nods. "We... talked. The other day. Yesterday." Was it only yesterday? "She has some religious stuff to work out."

[Varric]

"Fair enough... she... Nice girl, probably the nicest soul I've ever met but... sheltered," the dwarf judges, not unkindly, as they walk to Marian's room. Once in private, Varric turns his back politely to allow Marian to change. "So... Bianca and Helene." He falters there for a moment. "I mentioned Bianca's an old friend. My best friend growing up. But... for a while... for a while, it was kind of... expected, even by the two of us, that we'd be wed."

[Marian Hawke]

"Makes sense," she admits, grabbing for a clean tunic, pulling it over her head. "Still planning on it?"

[Varric]

"No," Varric says sadly but firmly. "I... Bianca... we didn't end things well. When my father died, that left Bartrand as head of Clan Tethras. He convinced Bianca's clan, Dunswithe, that... that a stronger tie would be profitable. Bianca... Bianca did her duty without a struggle." Just a bit bitter there. "I was... less than supportive." He jerks a shoulder as if trying to brush off what must have been a painful fight.

[Marian Hawke]

Marian snorts. "Of course she did. What good does fighting do? You're either ready to break with your family and burn your bridges, or you're not. Just like Carver." 

She glances in the mirror, then, reaching for her long hair to braid... and pauses, frowning. Do what scares you. Instead, she reaches for her belt knife, moving to stand before the little mirror and considering her hair. 

[Varric]

"She had more options than that," Varric says sharply. "She could have at least tried to see if she could fight the betrothment. She could pushed for a delay, could have traded in some favors- between the two of us, we had more than a little pull. Hells, she could have at least had the guts to tell me herself." That last is said in a low voice, a wound barely scabbed over despite the years. He sucks in a slow breath, trying to steady himself. 

[Marian Hawke]

"Delaying the inevitable? It's torture, day in day out. And facing it's worse. Submission isn't always bad. There's strength in it, if you can find it."

Nodding as she bunches her hair together, she makes that first cut: holding the bulk of it in one hand, she hacks it off with one quick motion, letting it drop to the floor. Awkwardly, she shifts her grip, trying to even out the cut with only her knife, no proper scissors. 

[Varric]

"But sometimes you win," Varric counters. "Sure, it ca- what was that?" he asks, hearing the sound of the hair being cut but unwilling to turn around and risk seeing something he honestly doesn't wish to.

[Marian Hawke]

"I'm facing my fears," she says, with a smirk. Damn, still uneven. It's going to have to be shorter than I'd have liked.

[Varric]

"...are you facing them with clothes on yet?"

[Marian Hawke]

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

When he turns, he can see the hank of hair on the floor. Her hair is currently lopsided, but there's a couple inches between even the longest bit of it and her shoulders -- a radical change. 

[Varric]

Varric blinks twice, then shrugs. "You want me to even that out? Not that I've cut a lot of hair- just shaving myself really- but I can at least see the back of your head," he offers.

[Marian Hawke]

She offers him the knife, nodding. "Yeah. Don't go too short -- but make it attractive. I'd hate to disappoint Tanna."

[Varric]

"That'd be the friend?" Varric asks curiously as he moves around them. "Hmmm." Always a methodical one, the dwarf doesn't get cutting but instead fusses with her hair, figuring out how out how it lays and such before he starts hacking more off.  "Sides are shorter than the top so far- you want it even all around or was that intentional?"

[Marian Hawke]

"I was trying to get it a little longer in the back, more like the nape of my neck, and then shorter on the sides, tapering up?" she offers. "But I think I went too short already. And yeah, that's her."