Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"That's fine," he says, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you, both of you." He takes the belt then, standing so he can buckle it on right away.

[Varric]

Moving right along to avoid thinking about what Sunshine just said, Varric clears his throat and offers Beth a bundle of her own. It's a finely wrought chain, as thick as yarn, made in black metal woven with silver. "It's designed for your hair," Varric explains. "Not only will it help keep it out of your face while you're working, it enchanted as well, though yours enchances the mind, specifically your self of sense. Should help you focus your powers a touch easier."

[Bethany]

Bethany smiles warmly, getting up to hug him briefly. "Thank you dad," she murmurs. Very practical, even if it's somewhat pretty. Dad is such a dwarf. Stepping back, she turns to Carver. "I've my gift for you, if you want it now?" she asks hesitantly. 

[Carver Amell]

Carver nods. "Crap. Wait here," he says, turning to bolt back upstairs. Typical Carver.

When he comes back, however, he's got something bundled in both arms; as he dumps it on the table, she can see it's a light crossbow made of some gorgeous deep-red wood, with a howling wolf carved into the hilt. "It's like Dad's, kind of, a little," he says, blushing. "I thought maybe... since you don't want me following you around everywhere you go, when you use this to protect yourself it'll be like me protecting you even when I'm not there, kind of? Dad helped."

[Varric]

"Just with the gearwork and figuring out the draw-strength, he did everything else," Varric says firmly. "Paid for it all too." Mostly. Might have fudged some of the costs just at smidge.

[Bethany]

"Oh Carver," Beth says with a loving sigh. "Thank you. I love having you in my life, but yes, I do need some space sometimes. So thank you for looking after me this way." Two for two. I need more women in my life... "Here," she says, handing him a scroll. "Helene got me access to the records I needed for this one. I... I know you're happy with this family, with the family we made but... I though you might like this too." 

Inside the scroll is a parchment with an ink drawing of a regal but kindly looking male. Long hair, a scar on his right cheek and slightly pointed ears. The scroll itself is a lineage tree, going back from Leandra some dozen generations. Circled are two names, with the same name starred at the very top- Carver.  "Evidently, it's a family name. I wrote up the whole story about paladin Unity Maurevar Carver and how he saved our ancestor and become blood-brothers so Dovian- our ancestor- named his firstborn after him. Unity Carver was an adventurer, a hero, evidently."

[Carver Amell]

"A hero," he whispers, his fingers tracing the lines of the cheekbone. "Half elven?" he asks, noting the ears. 

[Bethany]

Bethany frowns a little. "Maybe? I wasn't able to find a clear indication. Could be part elf, but there are rarer races with pointed ears as well. But yeah, he was probably merikos elf, like... This was the best picture I could find, sorry."

[Carver Amell]

"Still. And-- and, here, another Carver? It's not just-- it's a family name," he breathes. "Mother gave us both family names, look here, there's a Bethany."

[Bethany]

"And there's a Marian as well," Beth says quietly, smiling at how pleased he is. "And you might have missed it but..." She taps up further, to a second Carver. "Look at his little sister's name. Lizzie is another common shortening for Elizabeth you know."

[Carver Amell]

"Ha! Mother's the only Leandra," he notes. "That makes us more Amells than she is." He grins, looking up from the paper. "Thank you, Beth. I love it. It's perfect. Heritage and a new start both," he adds, looking at the adoption papers again. "I will try to be who I was, and also be someone new."

[Varric]

"Well put son," Varric says proudly. "Speaking of which... you're both of age now... given any thoughts to what you want to do now?"

[Bethany]

"I'm going back to the brothel," Bethany says firmly, gearing herself up for an argument. "I'll continue to study in the afternoons, but I want to get back to helping."

[Carver Amell]

Carver winces. "I'm uh-- I've been meaning to mention, I think I'm going to drop out of school. Well, tutoring. I know Merrill loves working with Seeker Helene but I'm just... not."

[Varric]

"To be honest, Helene and I figured you were just about done. I'd like if you at least keep up with your reading. Try to get through at least one book every month. I won't check up on you or anything just... You're instinct and passion, not academics. That's fine. But it's not a bad thing to have a bit of both," Varric replies carefully, then turns to Beth. "You sure about this? It's public now, so it'll only be a matter of time before your association there, regardless of what kind it is, gets around. That's not something you can undo."