WHERE Overlook Hotel • WHEN backdated to after this during her Overlook excursion WARNINGS Character Death, mentions of previous Character Death, mentions of body horror, description of death and killing, general hotel shenanigan's
In a sense, Hawke knew it had been coming. She'd been doing nothing but giving the damned (all puns intended) place shit since she'd gotten there with Dan. But honestly. Ancient Evil needed to be taken down a notch at times, and she was ready and willing to do that. The problem was Ancient Evil tended to take that personally. So when one moment she'd been trailing behind Dan, and the next she'd turned a corner and lost sight of him she hadn't been surprised.
Exasperated and a bit tired? Sure. Not surprised though. Ancient Evil always had such a delicate ego. The problem was she recognized the halls. Underground. Dilapidated. Strewn with books and papers covered with blood. And a painting. She knew this place. It was the room of all her nightmares. How many years was it now? Five? Six? Yet it still felt like she'd been there the other day, and she doubted it would ever go away.
She'd been expecting the same bullshit the Fear Demon had tried, giving her visions of Anders and Beth with that damned sun brand on their foreheads and forcing her to fight them. She'd said she'd seen spiders to the Inquisitor, but she'd lied. But when it came to things she feared, both that and this was high on her list so maybe she should have expected it.
She sighed and lowered her sword. Only one way forward. The woman wearing the tattered wedding gown stood at the end of it. She still looked just like the last time Hawke had seen her. How she still saw her, in her worst dreams. Pale and gaunt, stitches covering her neck and hands and moving with that odd half step gait that showed the muscles had long since atrophied. Dead and dying, as ever.
She let the tip of the sword rest against the floor, heart clenching. There was a long silence before she said, "Mama." The woman that was not Leandra Hawke, not anymore, turned to her and made shuffling steps towards her direction. "Marian," it croaked and Hawke closed her eyes. Leandra sounded like herself. Just made of dust and decay, like the voice had not seen water in years. "Marian," she heard again. "This is your doing. Your fault. You could have said, you could have warned. You were supposed to protect me, protect us all.. Your fault, all of-"
"I know," Hawke snapped and opened her eyes. "It is! I didn't hold the knife to you, but I know I-" she trailed of and shuddered. Anders told her, so many times, how it hadn't been her fault. But really, all she'd ever have had to do was mention the flowers and her mother would have known. Would have never been fooled by a pretty smile and charming words. Hawke would never let go of the idea this was her fault. "I didn't keep you safe. I didn't keep any of us safe."
The woman that wasn't Leandra Hawke shuffled forward, setting a wrinkled and far to cold hand on her cheek. Hawke bit back her tears and hung her head. "Marian. You doomed the world." Now she did cry, leaning into the touch. "I know mama." She was hugged by something that wasn't breathing anymore, and stank of lilies. And as long as she lived, Hawke would never forget how a blade sounded when it hit the flesh of those you loved, or how easy it slid between ribs and sinew. The long dead woman shuddered, and looked down. Hawke's sword was nestled between her ribs, and she crumpled. Hawke caught her, like she had before. "I know it's my fault Mama. But you died. Twice, and then you had rest. And every day, I wake up knowing all I had to do was tell you. Not go to those mountains. That's on me. But you died. Be with Da', mama. And Carver. Tell 'em I say hi."
She rose, then turned around and smashed one of the tables this place had used with her sword, before hacking at the walls. It didn't help, nor did the screaming, but she felt better. "I'm going to find your heart you shit! You'll regret touching her." She didn't know if the hotel heard her, she didn't care. "Whatever heart you have, I'm going to rip it to shreds with my teeth." When she was done she set her sword into it's scabbard and put the helmet of her armor on. "I hope you burn," with that she turned and went to find Dan.