Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Bethany]

Bethany snickers. "Meat it is. Probably chicken again, or pork. Beef and fish are too pricey in Nyra. We can talk over what ground we've made in regards to recruitment and... well, I have a lot more questions. Like... walk me through a good, uh, hour? What do you call it?"

[GamesMaster]

"A trick," she begins, and launches into another explanation -- this time with more enthusiasm. 


Don is surprisingly receptive to the idea; he's keen on it, as it could put the Bandannas on the map. Bethany asks him not to tell Carver it's her idea, so he funnels things back and forth between the gang and Beth himself. They split up, gathering clients, knowledge, and some initial funds to invest into this plan.

Morday comes quickly. Brianne manages to bring two girls with her: a kender, and a purebred catfolk. Don and Carver go one way and Ari and Beth go another, while Niko works the books and Steve and Djon guard the door.

The first few names on Brianne's list don't trust her enough to bite, and she worries they won't get many johns at all. Then Ari suggests they canvas one of the slum taverns where she's been propositioned before, and they head inside, where they score their first couple clients, letting them know the location and the passcode. Things are looking up; she might just pull this off.

So of course, that's when someone suggests they'd rather have Beth than her 'girls'. 

[Bethany]

"Sorry, I'm not on the menu," Bethany says brightly. "Thank you for the compliment, but you'll have to head to Cat's Cradle if you want to have a tumble."  Piss off, asshat. Why do people always want the thing they're not offered?

[GamesMaster]

"Or," he says, with a smirk, as he leans in close. Suddenly, there's a knife pointed at the underside of her chin. "You come with me all quiet-like, and I don't scar your pretty face," he says, his voice low and dangerous, a smile still on his face.

[Bethany]

"Move your dagger or I'll shove an icicle up your arse," Bethany says sweetly. Ari, now would be lovely...

[GamesMaster]

It's no good; she can't see Ari anywhere. The man grabs for her wrist, as if to stop her from making somatic gestures. 

[Bethany]

So she falls back to basics. When he'd reached for her wrist, his dagger had shift, just enough. A brief memory of Carver and her in Varric's backyard, the dwarf, face sober giving instruction. Shifting your weight is tempting, for leverage and power, but it's a warning. No need for it really- a soft blow that lands true is better than a strong one that's blocked. Thanks Dad, thanks brother.

And with that, Bethany kicks the asshole in the balls.

[GamesMaster]

His eyes widen, but he twists, letting her wrist go so he can react rapidly. "You bitch!" he snarls, and he brings the knife around. His instinct is to backhand her, but he has a knife in his hand, so he draws it across her face in one swift motion. 

[Bethany]

She yanks her head back, but not quite fast enough. A thin line of sharp pain slashes across her cheek, the tip of her nose parting a split second later. Panic flares in her heart, flashes of fire, pain and death veiling her vision. The temperature of the tavern dips sharply, a wind blasts around the pair and-

-and Bethany is moving. In the street. How did- when did I get here? How- weren't we in the tavern? Someone was... "Ari?" Oh, she's right here. She's holding my hand! And... pulling me along at a near run.  "What- how did we get... What's going on?" Why is my throat so dry? And my face is freezing...

[GamesMaster]

"Keep running," Ari growls, tugging her along through the streets. It's safer to move slower but we don't have time, we'll have to duck into Cattown. Why did I think she could handle herself for one goddamn minute while I took out the guard? Stupid. Should have gone for the boss first. But the guard had a sword, I'm sure it wasn't bonded. Stupid! 

[Bethany]

Bethany tries to gather her thoughts as they run a bit more. "What- what happened?" she gasps out after a few more minutes of running. "I- he tried to- he had a knife?"

[GamesMaster]

Ari doesn't answer at first, not until she tugs Bethany into one of the little bolt-holes the Bandannas use from time to time. "You hurt?" she asks, turning to look the girl over. 

[Bethany]

"I- I'm not sure- ah!" she gasps sharply as she probes at the strange lines of numb cold on her face. "Yes, that's- yes. I can't- what's wrong with my face?" Ari isn't a healer or anything, but she'd be able to clearly see the thin line across Bethany's face, one that seems to be scabbed over already with frozen blood.

[GamesMaster]

Ari nods. "You got cut, is all. Just a bit. It's fine now, scabbed over. Are you okay? I took down the bodyguard so it's just the one guy."

[Bethany]

"One guy?" Bethany asks, still probing at her face. It feels... it's cold, painfully so, but it doesn't feel- Oww! As she fiddles with some of the frozen blood on her cheek, it peels off, revealing unmarred skin underneath.