Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

"That was... very strange," Zevran mutters. "Coquette and nice... ish... Melindre on the surface and Scale with bitchy, me-" He hesitates a second, then finishes, "mildly evil in that sort of way selfish people can be evil. Uncaring rather than actively cruel, I suppose." I... I cannot reveal such about her, not when I hide that same secret myself.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"She is my mother," the bright Coquette says. "She has never been cruel to me."

[Tethras Clan]

"..." Zevran stares at her for a moment. "Coquette, my dear, my lovely, my moonsilver haired fool... Lying is a very valuable skill, but it because a crippling hindrance once you start lying to yourself."  When Isabela doesn't react at that bit of hypocrisy, he frowns. "Nothing?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Wh-what? She-- my mother loves me," she protests. Tellingly, the dark Coquette says nothing.

[Tethras Clan]

"She said you deserved to be married to a monster," Zevran points out. Again, no reactions from the others. Frowning, he looks at them. "Hello?"

[Varric]

"Yes?" Varric asks, brow raising, then frowns himself- herself?- as she replays the last few seconds of conversation. "Okay, are we missing something?"

[Tethras Clan]

"...a moment." Focusing back on dark Coquette again, he pays careful attention to how he feels- and more importantly on that strange veil... thing he can interact with.

[GamesMaster]

It's clear with a moment of focus that the veil is tied to the images before him -- the images only he can see. 

[Tethras Clan]

"That... explains a fair bit," Zevran allows. It must be more than jut invisibility. Almost like... as if truth and comforting lies cannot be seen at the same time. Or coexist or something. But why don't they... Slipping back to Comfort, he clears his throat, noting as eyes slide over to him. "Can any of you feel a sort of... film or veil over everything?"

[Varric]

"No... I can feel a... weight, almost, like the sensation of being in enemy territory but..." Varric says after a moment's introspection.

[Isabela]

"What? No, none of that." She laughs. "I'm beginning to think I am superfluous."

[Tethras Clan]

"Morale," Zevran says promptly, the tease in his voice not matching the way he grips her hand.  His hand.

[Isabela]

Isabela gives his hand a squeeze. "Alright, so, recap?"

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran pauses a moment. "There's a... mirror of this... existence? This is Comforting Lies, where her parents- I assume, anyway, I didn't really get a chance to see her father on the other side- love and care for her. Then there's Dark Truth, where her mother is a selfish, shrewish bitch that pounces on every fault or flaw, even the ones that aren't there. Like expecting a merikos... elf to have the body type of a pureblood. Or her fiance being killed, even though he was the nasty kind of criminal. Also, Cindy aka Coquette is the Silver Scale, that masked hero bloke that we raised a few too many pints to. Remember?"

[Isabela]

"Oh, well done," she says approvingly. "I would never have guessed."