#t marian

[the-heart-of-the-beast]

Secret Santa - [for Marian]

"An'why should I even agree ta'this plan'ov yers?" The large man's yellow eyes narrowed on the tall, curvaceous brunette across the kitchen island from him, watching as she finished wrapping the gift she'd called him there to deliver.

"Because you like me." She said simply, green eyes flicking up to meet his. She chuckled as she secured the bow. "Make that face all you want, I know it's true. You wouldn't have come over when I called you otherwise."

He rolled his eyes, sipping at the beer he'd been offered. "What're ya doin' callin' strange men ya met in bars anyway? Ain't'cha married that fiancé ov'yers by now?"

"I have." She held up her left hand and wiggled the fingers. "And I can assure you he's not worried about who I'm calling, nor should he be. I'm as committed as it is possible to get. Besides, you aren't here for me, as I've already explained. You're here to deliver a gift." 

With that she finished off the bow and slid the small, cylindrical package across the island, retrieving her own beer in her now empty hand. He glanced at the gift for a moment before picking it up with a grumble and finishing off his own bottle.

"Fine. I'll deliver it." 

"Deliver it and stay for a drink if she offers it." She chuckled again at the near-growl that came in response, saying louder: "you won't be sorry!"

An hour later Dastan found himself knocking at a Lowtown apartment door and cursing whatever it was about the brunette that made her impossible to say no to. At first there was no response, leaving him to believe no one was home, but as he turned to leave the door opened behind him revealing a petite woman with piercing blue eyes.

"Oh, hello?" She said, recognition and confusion warring on her features as she attempted to discern why he was there.

"Delivery." He mumbled the word at first, then cleared his throat and forced himself to repeat it, extending his hand forward to reveal the present. "I got a gift to deliver from Mrs. Cousland-Amell." 

"Well, alright." Marian smirked, eying him as she extended an arm to accept the present and tearing away just enough paper to reveal what was inside it. Her eyes widened and she stifled a laugh, glancing back up to her gruff delivery-man. "Won't you come in for a drink?"

He sighed and dropped his head, remembering his promise to the brunette. "Yes ma'am."

When he'd stepped through the door, Marian's smile widened. "Happy Satinalia, Elissa." She whispered, shaking her head and shutting the door.

[absolutioninflame]

The Hours - [Anders and Marian]

It had been a good morning. Had being the operative word. And even the arrival of his first guest hadn't been the thing that spoiled it. No, it'd actually been the thing that took a normal day and made it better. But then Nathaniel had gone from relieved and surprised to concerned and critical, and their happy reunion had soured as quickly as it had begun.

"I'm not saying you're wrong, Anders." The way Nathaniel said his name sounded like an accusation, and he forced himself to adjust his volume and tone to prove he meant it otherwise, "I've never said you were wrong. I just believe there are ways to go about it that don't involve turning yourself into a martyr for a crowd of people you don't even know." 

Anders glared back at his friend, temper flaring, "Some of us weren't lucky enough to be given exposure to the world, Nathaniel. And just because you don't know someone, doesn't mean they aren't worth your time." 

"Don't put words in my mouth! You know me well enough not to believe for a second that's what I was implying." He hissed this out, pointing an irritable finger in his friend and former lover's face, "You are playing a game you cannot win, and when they find you, they will execute you --publicly-- to make an example... they will--"

"They won't find me." Anders shrugged it off, rolling his eyes and standing to move out from behind the front partition. 

"I found you." Nathaniel stopped him with a hand on his bicep, fingers digging in, nose inches away from the other man's.

The mage glared back, his own slow-burning fuse smoldering, "You're a ranger, Nathaniel. I don't expect there are many people you can't find if you put your mind to it, except --of course-- for Elissa." 

With a rough sound of frustration, the archer yanked the other man in, but slung him off just as quickly, stalking a few paces away in fury, "If you want me to leave, just ask, don't pick a fight. It's tacky. Always has been." 

"I'm not saying don't come back..." 

Anders never got to finish the request. Nathaniel started moving the moment he opened his mouth again, throwing his hands up and slamming out of the front doors. He sighed, dropping his face wearily into his hands and rubbing away at the growing headache behind his eyes. He never heard the sound of anyone else entering. 

[elissaromildecousland]

We Can Never Do Nice Things - [Elissa and Marian]

It had been a little over a week since Elissa and Marian had taken the first tentative steps toward repairing their friendship. They'd spoken regularly since then and met a couple of times for lunch; things were tentative, but they were both there and committed and there was endless relief to be found in that alone. 

Plans were made to meet for a fancy dinner at one of Hightown's newest restaurants. It gave them both a chance to dress up and get away from their normal routines and a place to go where they wouldn't risk running into any number of their friends and family who would shift the focus of the evening away from the thing that currently needed their attention. 

The dinner itself was delicious, and the conversation was easy and fun, and far lighter than any they'd ever had before. Elissa needed this, and she could tell looking across the table at her friend that Marian needed it to. For the first time in a long time she felt as though she had finally figured out what was important, and what she needed to do to hold onto it. She was not foolish enough to believe it would be smooth sailing from here on out, but she was confident that she'd learned enough from her past mistakes to weather any coming storms with far more grace than she would ever have managed before. 

"Oh no you don't!" Elissa smirked, reaching over to grab the bill their waiter had delivered to the table before Marian's fingers could connect with it, "I told you this was on me! I'm the one who wanted a reason to show off my new shoes, so I'm going to foot the Hightown bill."