MARIAN MAID.

"Drinking. I'm drinking." That was all Marian wanted to do. Was that so much to ask? Just one drink in peace. Marian sat her glass down on the bar, the liquid sloshing slightly but not spilling. "Marian."

Sally closed her eyes tightly and cursed under her breath as she noticed the crossbow in the woman's hand before her. Suddenly she wished she'd listened to Doc's constant demands for her to just stay inside. "Please, I don't want any trouble. I'm not hurting anyone." Sally tried to never intentionally do that. After her days as a fledgling, she wanted to be better.

Something looked... off about this vampire. It could have been the scarring, but Marian wasn't sure. "I wouldn't shoot you without reason." There was an edge of defensiveness in her tone as she lowered the weapon. "What are you doing out here if you're not looking for trouble?" That's all anyone seemed to do at this time of night.

Henley's eyes stayed glued to the crossbow in the other woman's hand as she stepped forward, and she couldn't help but to roll them at Marian's response. Truthfully, the sight of the weapon didn't exactly scare Henley. She'd put her fear of death long behind her. "I'm not one of the bad ones, so you can put that thing down."

"Well, thank goodness for that. My arm is getting tired." That was a lie. Marian had been conditioned from childhood to increase stamina and durability. She'd learned the hard way that she could go hours locked into position. "It's interesting you said one of the bad ones." Her father would consider a good supernatural to be an oxymoron. "Do you really believe you're good?"

"You people just love to use the word supernaturals like it's a bad thing. We are who we are. No amount of pitchforks and torches are gonna change that, sweetheart."

"I don't think I'd ever go as far as to call it a good thing." Marian shot back. "You can be who you want to be. I obviously can't change that. I can, however, step in when you get out of line. Do my job." It was all she had outside of her mother at this point. "We haven't used pitchforks in a long time, Nico. Your immortality is showing."

"I can see where you're coming from," Marian acquiesced in an attempt to meet him in the middle. "It's just different here. A different culture, a different way of looking at things. The type of training that I went through — that Duke Nighy went through as well — it's far less forgiving or accepting."

The sight of Zoey Spencer always came with the possibility that Jack wouldn't be far behind. Jack himself wasn't guaranteed to be an issue; it was when he was trying to gain supporters that people began to act out. It meant, in short, the possibility of a headache. "No. It's a peaceful night so far. We should keep it that way."

"You do know that wandering around the woods at night is stupidly dangerous... Right?" Henley didn't think it had to be said out loud, but she was feeling snarky. It was rare that she wandered into anyone else this late at night while out in the forest.

Marian was off duty. While she always considered herself a hunter, her officer duties were more strictly regulated to her shifts. Anything that happened in the woods would be considered personal and not professional. Stopping to adjust the crossbow she carried, Marian sighed once. "It seems like you all have the same three catchphrases and vague threats you like to say once it gets dark. Tell me, do supernaturals share a script? It needs a bit of work, I'm afraid."

Robin Hood (1973) — 35/365

Adria for Byrdie.

It wasn't often that Marian had time to read. She was more often on duty than she was off, which usually didn't bother her. What did bother her was when people interrupted the little time that she had. Before responding, she finished the sentence she was reading. "Enjoying it may be an over exaggeration. It's research." There wasn't need to share anything more than that.

Sirens were new. Marian was extremely well versed in vampires, werewolves and casters. With them, she knew what she was getting into. They were problems, sure, but problems she could handle. Sirens hadn't been in Walt's Landing when she had arrived in the States, and now it felt like they were doing a crash course on the species. Tossing a few bills down on the bar, Marian nodded at the bartender to signal she was paying for the siren's drink. Marian herself would remain sober. "I bought you a drink, you answer my questions. Sound fair?"

"My employees know better than to attack an innocent like that." Actually, they didn't. Nico didn't exactly make any efforts to stop them as long as they were careful. Otherwise, people like Marian started to stick their noses into his business. His jaw was clenched as he thought over how he was going to handle the transgression, but he kept a calm tone when he spoke again. "However, I am sorry to hear that."

"Right. I'm sure you are." There was a zero percent that Marian would believe anything that came out of the mouth of Nico's mouth. Duke had warned her about him, Otis, and Peter Banning when he began training her to be a sheriff. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind telling them to knock it off, would you? Just to be safe."

"Don't get your stakes in a twist. We both know you can't touch me."

"Why's that? Because Peter Banning is your boss? You know he doesn't actually have any power outside of your Lost Boys, right? The laws do apply to him."

"I don't want to hurt you." That much was true. "But I will if you give me no choice." Being a Hunter was just who she was. It had been all Marian knew for a long time. This vampire didn't look hostile, though. If anything, she looked like the comment had hurt her feelings. "Look," Marian ran a hand through her hair. "It's been a long night. That's all. I'm not trying to start anything. Promise."

“Well,” she chuckled wryly, unable to contain her bemusement, “I’m afraid, pet, that this particular business of mine is all that. However, nobody comes in here without a reason. You seem troubled, my dear. Something the matter?”

"Pet." The word was repeated drolly. Something was definitely the matter, but it wasn't anything she could get into with Leota Toombs of all people. How could she explain the her childhood love — the man she still loved — had been ripped out of reach? She couldn't have him back without giving up everything she had, and Marian wasn't sure she could do that. Instead of revealing any of that, she shook her head brusquely. "Only trouble I have is how many vampires are attacking humans at night now. I doubt you could help with that?"

"Oh, there's no need to get all worked up, I'm sure that whatever is happening can have a resolution." Diana spoke calmly in spite of her surprise, "Fear not, no claws no fangs will be necessary, but if you wish a helping hand?"

"I'm not worked up. Trust me, you'd be able to tell." The crossbows would be out if so. "A helping — no, no. I'm fine. I highly doubt you want to handle wolfsbane."