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"... and then I said, I said--" Marian spoke between chortles, trying to get the words out while bleary from drink and trying to consume even more of Isabela's questionably sourced rum.
"Marian Hawke! What in the Maker's name are you doing at this hour?" Leandra asked, her mouth twisted about in that oh-so-familiar frown of disapproval. Rather than quail, however, it always made Marian smile. If she got Mother to make that face, then she was on the right track.
"Having a party, clearly!" she retorted, gesturing with her bottle at all her friends, well all her friends except Aveline. Isabela lounged like a cat on one of the garden chairs, while Fenris perched on a stone bench, as far away from Anders as he could get. Anders, meanwhile, was enticing local stray cat to come over to him, even though Merrill had half-passed out on Dane. Varric sat easily in the chair next to Marian. "Our dear neighbors objected to having riff-raff in the area, and I thought they should know some real riff-raff!"
Leandra sighed.
"It's good that you can amuse yourself, daughter," Leandra bit. Bitter since Bethany had gone to the Circle. Not like Marian could have stopped it. Better not to think of that.
"Well Mother, sometimes to be amused a lady must take care of things herself," Marian said with as much aplomb as she could muster.
"Couldn't agree more!" Isabela cheered, saluting with her tankard. Fenris didn't say anything, but Marian caught his half disgusted, half amused snort.
"You know--" Anders started, smirking, but then Merril lifted her head off of the dog, some of her alcohol fog clearing.
"Oooooh, what's that mean? Why are people laughing? Did I miss a dirty joke again? I'm always missing those," the girl complained.
"Don't worry about it, Daisy, I'll catch you up later," Varric assured her.
"Oh, that's nice, thank you," Merril said, and then faceplanted back onto Dane, the dog apparently perfectly content to be used as a bed. With all this support from most of her friends, Marian grinned up at her mother, undeterred by scowls and maternal disapproval.
"Joke if you like, but it is rather late. What will Aveline say if our neighbors call the guards on you?" Leandra asked sharply.
"Um... probably that I owe her community service, which means beating seven shades of shit out of her guards to toughen them up," Marian countered.
"I'm going to hold you to that, Hawke," Aveline said, stepping out the back door of the house. Marian, startled, fell out of her chair. "And I think its time for this party to be over."
There was a chorus of goodbyes, Fenris slinking away first, while Isabela and Varric helped Merril up, then to some bushes, then back out of the house. Anders took his leave, and Marian tried to escape in the commotion as well.
"Hawke, are you trying to get away? This is your house," Aveline said, crossing her arms over her chest, but not glaring. Aveline didn't glare at her. No. Just had all the softness of stone.
"Um... thought I could make it?" Marian tried.
"I'll give you points for the attempt, but I expect you at the training grounds tomorrow morning, bright and early. And sober," Aveline ordered. Leandra had already left in a huff. Marian didn't even sigh.
"Yes, Aveline." Marian trod back into the house, and Aveline got under her arm, helping her up the stairs.
"Oh, and Hawke?" the guard captain asked as Marian flopped into her bed. Marian made a small questioning noise and blinked up at her friend. "You're not wrong."
Marian blinked, then realization hit her, and she laughed. She laughed so hard she nearly threw up, and Aveline laughed with her.
"One of these days, they're going to find out you have a sense of humor. Then what will you do?" Marian asked. Aveline merely shook her head as she pulled a blanket over Marian before leaving the room, closing the door softly behind her.
"Ah, it's a good thing I'm funny," Marian said to herself in the darkness, and promptly passed out.