Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

"So.... you would give up eternity for a chance to make her life better? Even though it would mean you couldn't be with her afterwards?"

[Carver Amell]

"Yeah? Obviously?"

[Tethras Clan]

"No, not obviously," Aveline snaps. "Even if you accept the incorrect premise of you having no value, your sister likes you. Loves you and wants you around. So you denying her that for all eternity is both stupid and cruel." 

[Carver Amell]

"She'll have Marian," he says simply.

[Tethras Clan]

"She could have both of you! She would want both of you."

[Carver Amell]

He flinches, looks away. 

[Tethras Clan]

"No, don't look away, face it," Aveline snaps at him, sounding pissed. "Don't flinch from your pain, or your fears. Face them down, start them in the eyes and admit to it!"

[Carver Amell]

He lifts his eyes, meeting hers. "I'm nothing. I'm worthless. I can't make Beth happy and I don't understand why. She loved Marian more than she's ever loved me, and I let Marian die. Is that what you want to hear?" His voice is remarkably even, only cracking at the end, when he speaks of his sister's death directly.

[Tethras Clan]

"I'm useless, arrogant, a tin shield. I let my fiance die, alone and unnoticed, not thirty feet from me. He's the only person I've ever loved aside from my parents and I couldn't protect him. I did my duty, followed orders and did my job and he died for it." She smiles thinly. "We're both wrong, you now, me then."

[Carver Amell]

He holds her gaze for a moment longer, but he does look away first. "I guess," he mumbles, shifting his weight. "What should I do to learn to fight?"

[Tethras Clan]

Aveline looks at him for another long moment before deciding to let him think it over for now. "You need to devote the time. I get that you have other things going on, but real skill takes time and dedication to learn. If you're not willing or able to give it... then it won't happen."

[Carver Amell]

"But I can't do all day every day. I just can't. And when, I tried to suggest to Recruit za'Frane that I could do a few days a week, but he got mad at me."

[Tethras Clan]

"It doesn't have to be all day, or everyday. One or the other could work. Four hours a day all week, or eight hours thrice a week," Aveline replies, ignoring the bit about Private za'Frane for now.

[Carver Amell]

Carver opens his mouth to bargain down to four hours thrice a week, but stops. I'm not allowed to help with the brothel. So I guess I don't have to worry about that part anymore. "I guess I could make thrice a week work."

[Tethras Clan]

"You guess?"