Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran gives Isabela a 'well fuck' look, then quickly rushes to Cindy. Well, the mirror of her. Which... If the blood can come out, then... "Things are not well, mon amie, we need you to wake up and talk sense to your alter ego," he says urgently, gently slapping her cheek.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy blinks, looking through him. "Everything ends," she says quietly. "Even heroism. Even family. Even life." 

[Marian Hawke]

As Cindy speaks, a ripple echoes outward from the mirror, subtly changing things. As it hits the outlines, there's an echo of a scream in the distance, and both outlines shatter. 

"Everything ends," echoes in Marian's ears, and for a moment, hopelessness and despair wash over her. The twins... Beth and Carver... they saved me but... what did it cost them?

[Tethras Clan]

"So?" Zevran asks with a shrug. "Just because things end does not make the time before that worthless." He scoffs a little. "And as one that is not yet ended, I would ask you to get your head out of your ass and help us!"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"There is nothing left," she whispers, and another wave of hopelessness washes out from the mirror. Each of the delvers begin to fade, their hands and legs becoming see-through, the world around them becoming darker.

[Marian Hawke]

No. No! NO! 

Marian's head snaps up, and she glares at the Scale, pointing to him. "That's my family," she snarls. "You can't have them! They did nothing wrong! That's not justice at all!" 

As she shouts, the Scale's mask begins to emit a soft, blood-red light. He pulls back, reaching for the shadows, but they won't come -- he brings the light with him now. 

[Varric]

The Scale doesn't get a lot of time to work on it either, as it's hard to fiddle with a mask with you have crossbow bolts in your shoulders. And the back of your knee. "You're probably the aggressive and passion aspects of Cindy, so killing you would be bad. Probably. But less bad than letting you kill my daughter so I would suggest you not push me right now," Varric says softly, the barrel of Bianca pressing into the base of the Scale's skull. "Drop the rapier and kick it towards Marian."

[Tethras Clan]

"As point of fact, there really is," Zevran counters. "Your girlfriend, for one. Us, for another. Perhaps not as important to you as what you have lost but I'll thank you to not kill my family," the merikos drow says grimly, finger rubbing together despite the tacky feeling of Isabela's blood slowly drying on them. "Your birth parents, your partner... yes, they're all assholes of the highest order. But they're dead or gone now so it's time to start healing."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Let him win. He was the good parts of me anyway," says Cindy, from the mirror. 

The Scale hisses, fingers tightening on the rapier. "There is no surrender," he says, his voice a shadow over granite.

"Wait," says Cindy, looking up -- not at Zevran, but at Varric and the Scale. Both of whom find themselves unable to move. "Wait." 

[Tethras Clan]

"The best part of you? You mean the part of you that murders people? Killing slaver and rapist, huzzah, but killing Helene? Marian? Isabela? No. Fuck that and fuck you if you're so damn stupid to think that- that monster is better than a person," Zevran says coldly.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"You invaded my mind. You came into his home." When she speaks, there's an echo underneath, a dark, gravelly voice, almost like granite. "I have always been the Scale. I have only ever been the Scale. Everything else is an illusion. A disguise."

[Marian Hawke]

Odd thing about the doubled voice: it emits from both bodies at once, both the Scale and Coquette, though the proportions are reversed: more granite with a hint of sweetness from the Scale's body.

"Even me?" whimpers Marian, staring in horror at the mask. "Was I a disguise?"

She steps closer to his frozen form, reaching up to gently stroke the edge of the masked face. 

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy flinches when Marian touches the Scale, the largest motion Zevran's seen from her. "You were a means to an end," she says, and flinches again.

[Marian Hawke]

"No," says Marian softly. "I've been a means to an end before. And I've been loved. This... this really felt like love. If you don't want me anymore, say so, but don't tell me it wasn't real."

[Tethras Clan]

"Point of order? We didn't invade, you invited us," Zevran cuts in. "And you were not always the Scale. I refuse to picture a baby wearing a mask and speaking in the gravel voice. No, you are simply afraid, a hurt, wounded young woman hiding behind a mask because you cannot abide the thought of your love for Marian being betrayed as you have been betrayed before." He sighs, his rush of anger over the stabbings dulling as compassion and understanding rise. "I... cannot say I entirely blame you. It hurts to have family betray you. But it is worth the risk," he finishes quietly, looking at Isabela with soft eyes.