Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"Merrill?" he asks, looking up at her face. "What kind of hurt? Like, being sick or?"

[Tethras Clan]

"I'm s-s-sorry," she stammers, voice a whisper, body trembling. "P-p-please don't h-h-hate me."

[Carver Amell]

"Hey, hey! I'm just -- I just wanted to understand, I'm sorry, I'm really stupid sometimes, I don't, I don't know what you mean. Please tell me?" He hunches his shoulders, hanging his head, looking like nothing for all the world so much like a whipped dog.

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill licks her lips, her desperate need to make sure her crush, her hero, likes her by answering him, helping him, warring with her equally desperate need for her crush, her hero, to not think she's a mooncrazed freak the same as everyone else. Every Marethari thinks I'm weird a lot of the time... "I just..." She swallows thickly. "H-hurting... m-my body. Dis-dis-diiiissstracts! from my he-heart h-hurting. A little." Sometimes, for a little way anyway. 

[Carver Amell]

Carver doesn't look disgusted or alarmed -- instead, he leans forward a little, interested. "That works? Can you teach me?"

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill blinks a few times, confused. "I... maybe? I guess, you just... scratch yourself? Just... just a little. Thorns work well because they burn and itch but don't cut deeply. But, umm..." She falls silent. I can't. I can't tell him, of all people, that it's wrong. That's it's sick and twisted and shameful. But... I can't let him do it, he's better than that. "But, umm... they can get infected. So, umm, maybe you shouldn't try it," she manages to say.

[Carver Amell]

Carver looks at his lap. "I don't... sometimes I... sometimes I just..." He flushes, faintly. "It, maybe, if I... if I'm careful."

[Tethras Clan]

Nononononono. I have- I have to- "With me! I mean..." She falters. Wait, that won't work, he doesn't live here. He... doesn't live here. He's leaving. I don't... he'll leave. What do I do when... "You'll need a healer," she whispers. "It's dangerous if you don't... have a healer."

[Carver Amell]

Carver nods. "Okay. I can do that. I know healers." He pauses. "Wait, are you a healer? That's so cool."

[Tethras Clan]

"...I healed your hands?" Merrill says slowly. "Right? They are healed, right? Do they still hurt? Oh I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have tried to help, I'm s-such a f-f-f-f- u-useless r-r-"

[Carver Amell]

"Oh! Hey, you did! Neat!" He looks down at them, then back up at her face. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry, please don't cry. Please?"

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill starts crying, then jolts as she hears a loud huff from waist-level. Looking down, she sees the mother mabari staring up at them. The canine huffs again, then starts herding them both to the blanket den Beth set up for her and the puppies. "Umm, okay?" the elf asks, confused and startled out of her breakdown. "I... think she... well, she wants us to go sit down but..."

[Carver Amell]

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I'm not-- I'm bad with people, I'm sorry, I'm just, I'm rubbish at this, I'm..." Carver babbles, following Merrill toward the den. 

[Tethras Clan]

"I'm bad with people too," Merrill confesses as they're both nudged into sitting down. Moments later, puppies are placed in their laps, the mother giving them both pointed looks. "Spirits and animals are much easier to understand and talk to."

[Carver Amell]

"Animals are the best," he agrees, cradling the male pup gently. "Dogs particularly."