Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"W--well someone has to, and I am not telling Mother about this!"

[Bethany]

Well, at least he's not completely forgotten I'm his twin, Bethany thinks bitterly. Opening her mouth to sass him back, she instead asks, "do you hate me now?" in a tiny, lost voice.

[Carver Amell]

"What? No way! If I hated you I'd tell everyone straight off. I just don't want you to get burned! It's, it's painful and, and humiliatiing!"

[Bethany]

Bethany turns over to look at him, really look at him. And sees his eye. "Oh Carver," she whispers sadly, empty of tears. Squirming around, she moves to hug him tightly.

[Carver Amell]

He sighs, but a moment later he hisses, pulling back. "Sorry," he mutters. "My arm."

[Bethany]

Something.. throbs isn't right, that's a pain word mostly and the feeling in her chest doesn't hurt. Twitches is too small and shivers too cold. Before now, before this, all of her magic had felt cold, even the fake fire. This... this felt more... solid. No, not solid. Unwavering. Comforting. Like Carver or Marian. Or maybe even Varric, a little. That part of her, deep inside her chest, flexes and that feeling pours out of her into him.

And his arm stops hurting, his eye stops aching. Bethany sighs, then sags against him with a soft, sleepy sound.

[Carver Amell]

"What-- what did you do?" he whispers, horrified, but he cradles her close anyway, unable to risk pushing her away. 

[Bethany]

"You were hurt," Bethany slurs. "Not allowed."

[Carver Amell]

"Are you-- are you okay? Do you need a--" do you need a healer to heal you from healing me? It's almost funny. "A nap?" 

[Bethany]

"Just sleepy," she assures him, nestling her head against his shoulder. "La'a, ma'win," she says, slipping into their toddler twin speak. It's been a lot time since he's heard her say that phrase- that sort of thing is for babies after all. But right now, she feels the need to tell her twin she loves him.

[Carver Amell]

"La'a," he whispers, pressing a kiss to her temple. 

[Carver Amell]

Carver keeps working on Bethany over the next few days, trying to convince her to give up 'witchery'. Again and again she refuses him, and as he only talks about it in hushed whispers when nobody's around, he doesn't have that many chances to push her. 

With the number of kids they have in the class, it's a couple weeks before it's his turn to stay late again. He figures he won't have to worry until then -- but only a few days later, as he's leaving the classroom, Fred and Maurice fall in line to either side of him, herding him into the woods by linking arms with him. 

"Alright, alright, knock it off," he mumbles, as he pulls free. "What?"

"We just wanted to play with you, Carver," says Fred, with a snicker.

"Yeah. We felt bad for you, not having a father around to teach you all the fun games," smirks Maurice.

Carver glares at them, but he knows better than to protest. He crosses his arms. "I'm not afraid of you."

"No, you're afraid of me," says Joey, stepping out around from behind a large tree. In one hand he wields a metal fire poker -- and the tip is red hot, having been held in the flames he'd stoked back there. 

Carver's eyes widen, and he takes a step back -- only to find two solid boys behind him, blocking his exit. "H-hey! What's--!?"

"You didn't learn your lesson," sneers Joey. "You tell that sister of yours I saw her sneaking out last night to go talk to her witchy little familiar."

"Sh-she doesn't!" stammers Carver. "She's not like that!" 

Joey lowers the poker, pointing it at Carver's face as the boys grab for his arms. "She sure won't when she sees what I'm going to do to your face."

[Varric]

"Nah."

That's all the warning any of the four get before Joey's hand suddenly sprouts a crossbow bolt. It enters rights below the wrist, more or less cutting it clean off. Which, incidentally (though Varric would confirm with a straight face that it was planned) causes the poke to fall, red-hot point down, onto Fred's foot. Figuring things should be equal at this point, Varric fires a second shot that removes Maurice's right ear.

"New game. Run fuckers. Run and pray."

[Carver Amell]

Turns out, bleeding and screaming doesn't stop any of the three of them from running as hard and fast as they can. 

Carver, on the other hand, recognizes the voice. He stumbles backward as he is released, landing on his ass; he doesn't get up, instead wrapping his arms around his knees. He expects Varric to give chase, and he doesn't care right now if the dwarf kills all three of them. He shivers, taking a few moments now that they're gone to be afraid. 

Bethany. Want Bethany.

[Varric]

Varric doesn't bother to chase the little shites- small town and they're idiots, won't be hard to track them down later if it seems prudent. Instead, he moves to stand a few feet in front of Carver. "Hey. You're probably in shock, hard to think and talk. But can you tell me if they injured you?" Didn't look like they did, not more than maybe some bruises on his arms where they grabbed him, but... it's a place to start if nothing else.