Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"Merrill! You could have been hurt! Here, let her up, we'll go back to the tent and sit for a bit, make some tea?"

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill flinches, trying to hide her face but there's nothing to do so with. And Beth has her hands pinned, so she can't even just use those. "I- I just- y-you kn-kn-know wh-wh-what I am n-now," she mumbles brokenly.

[Carver Amell]

"Whatever that cunt says you are, you aren't," he snarls. "Not a witch or anything."

[Tethras Clan]

Bethany stiffens a little, but Merrill just looks confused. "...witch?"

[Carver Amell]

"Where we come from, that's the worst you can be," he growls. "People used to say it to Beth all the time, but she's not. She's a, a sorcerer or whatever, that's different."

[Bethany]

"In... in what was Golden Shores, witch didn't mean a person who'd made a pact with some non-mortal power. It meant demon-summoner. Demon lover. It meant foul and corrupt, evil." Bethany shudders a little, wrapping her arms around her stomach and leaning back on her heels. "I... I couldn't control my magic all the time when I was young and it... slipped sometimes. Never so much people saw, but enough they suspected. Magic was evil to most of them, unless it was divinely given prayer. If magic, then witch. If witch, then evil. Even the suspicion was enough that..." She swallows hard. "Carver and our sister Marian kept me safe then. I... she died keeping me safe. I won't be that weak ever again. I won't get-"

[Tethras Clan]

When Bethany cuts off, going silent, Merrill wriggles enough so she can sit up and embrace the human tightly. "I'm sorry you s-suffered like that. You're n-nice. You d-don't d-d-d-serve that."

[Carver Amell]

"You're nice too," he argues. "You don't deserve these things either."

[Tethras Clan]

"But I'm b-broken," Merrill whispers, flinching at her own words. 

[Bethany]

"Fuck that. So what if you're different? Carver can't focus without moving for more than five minutes at a time. Helene twitches a lot and never looks people in the eyes. Dad can't not know a thing and he's a bit paranoid. I'm attracted to females and- and sometimes I wake up at night, unable to move and just scream in my head for what feels like hours," Bethany says softly, unable to look at Carver at her admission. "So what. Doesn't make us evil. Doesn't make us- doesn't mean we deserve to be bullied and hurt."

[Carver Amell]

Carver looks away, blushing a bit. But... I am broken. And so is Seeker Helene. 

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill tries to find words, tries to figure out how to explain but... for one, she doesn't want to. Not really. As much as she feels it will hurt more when they finally understand and hate her if she gets used to them liking her, she can't force herself to really try and make that happen faster. And two, she's dissolved into wet, almost painful sobs as she clings to Bethany like a limpet. 

[Bethany]

Twisting her head a little, Bethany catches Carver's eye and gestures at him to get over here already.

[Carver Amell]

Carver doesn't need to be told twice -- he comes to embrace them both tightly. "Please don't let them hurt you anymore," he says softly. "If they try, come to me. Okay?"

[Bethany]

"And we'll teach you have to defend yourself. With magic or sticks or blade. And with words, because sometimes you shouldn't go right for violence," Bethany adds, giving Carver a mock glare. "Even if it is really satisfying to pop'em one."