Imprints in Stone [AU]

[GamesMaster]

Brianne shrugs. "Heat makes some cats crazy, I guess. I never did understand how that all works."

[Bethany]

Heat? But that's... "Wait, how did her sex-drive lead her to trying to assassinate some noble?" 

[GamesMaster]

"Oh! You don't know the first half?" she asks, tilting her head. "Okay. So. It all starts with this bitch Rosemary trying to bag herself a noble. She goes into heat with him, and he comes out of his real bad off, swearing he'll never fuck a cat again. He goes home to mommy, and mommy talks to mommy's lover, and mommy's lover is a goddamn Light, so now there's checkpoints and talk about harboring terrorists. Rosemary's dad tries to make it right, and it looks like she's gonna die from it and everyone'll be appeased. But then she doesn't die. So she tries to get revenge on the Light by attacking her kid. And she fails, but she gets away, and now nobody knows where she is to hand her over, so they're gonna tear apart Cattown looking for her."

[Bethany]

But then she doesn't die. Oh gods. Oh gods. "I... I see," Bethany says with a strained voice. "I... could you help get everyone together. We should all maybe talk this over. Just... quickly. If this was a Light's family, who knows how far the guard will go." I have to fix this.

[GamesMaster]

"Sure. Whatever you want. I'm just not planning to waste money hiding."

With that, Brianne gets the girls together, and they have a quick discussion. A few of them take Beth up on the offer to relocate, but most of them prefer to stay where they're comfortable. As the cats withdraw, the Shiny Cat battons down its hatches, and Beth heads for home to tell her father what's going on. 

When she arrives, she finds her father and Helene deep in census data, trying to trace the catfolk lineage from the outside. Helene is stretched out on the floor on their stomach, papers and scrolls all around them, while Varric works at the desk, looking over more pages of the same data. 

[Bethany]

Damn. And now I'm ruining their date night. Weird date but they like so- gah! Focus Beth! "Ummm, dad? I, uh, I kind of... well, I need help. I fucked up, bad, and..." Bethany can't help it- the fight with Don, not having Carver around, the growing distance with Brianne, the realization that she's never going to be truly, completely accepted by the cats, missing her other half, this raid, realizing she caused the crack-down, Don's confession... It's just too much and she bursts into tears.

[Varric]

Varric is up and holding her in a heartbeat, no words yet, just comforting noises.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene sits up, alarmed, crossing their legs into a more comfortable position. "Can this one be of service?"

[Varric]

"Hey, hey," Varric finally says after she's had a minute to vent. "We'll figure it out. Whatever happened, we can make it better."

[Bethany]

"I- I couldn't not help, I just- he was so worried about his sister and- and- but she went crazy, attacked a Light's son or something and now the guard are raiding everything touched by cats to find her. It's all my fault, I- I-I-" Bethany dissolves into tears again.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene frowns. "There is... trouble in Coalside?"

[Bethany]

Bethany nods, expression miserable. "The g-guard is raiding places. J-just checkpoints and- and arresting 'suspicious catfolk' for now but..." She hiccups.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene nods. "What are they looking for? This one is adept at divination spells, perhaps this one can assist."

[Bethany]

Bethany's gaze snaps around, hope blazing in her eyes. "Rosemary. She- she's the one that tried to- she's gone to ground, no-one can find her. If they had her, they'd stop- well, they'd lose their excuse for the raids and crackdown."

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene nods. "Is anything of hers available? Best would be body parts, blood, fur. Secondarily, things she has recently owned or touched or used. Relatives or those who know her well would also be useful."