Blood from Stone [AU]

[Isabela]

Bela grunts, sleepily, as she's jabbed. Then his tone seeps into her sleepy brain and she swallows, eyes snapping open. Her hand slips down between the mattress and the bed frame, coming up with a knife she tucks up the sleeve of her nightgown. "Mmm?" she asks, pretending to be half asleep until she can suss out the situation.

[Tethras Clan]

"Liz, sunrise." Zevran takes a deep breath, the air shuddering out of him. "You need to to come out of sub head. Now."

[Isabela]

Something's gone wrong with the scene. Bela sits up, now, dropping the act. "Zevran, take a walk, I've got her," she says gently, touching his arm.

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran nods jerkily. Slipping into auran, he mutters, "she called me m-m- that." Without waiting for her reply, he slips out of the room uncaring of his nudity.

[Isabela]

Isabela hisses in sympathy, but she trusts Zevran to come back, moving to sit beside Liz. Gently, she strokes the sub's back, talking her around, trying to pull her out of subspace. 

By the time he comes back, Liz is curled up on the coverlet, a blanket draped over her, sobbing into the pillow as Bela rubs her back. "She's in a bad way," she says gently, without looking up. "Please tell her you don't hate her."

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran crosses to the bed, leaning one hip on the edge of the bed. Gods. I... I handled this badly. I hate... that word, I truly do. I don't even like it in the apprentice-mentor sense but I should have- it's just been so long and I wasn't... "Liz... Liz, can you hear me, mon cher ami?" he asks softly, reaching out to gently stroke her arm.

[Marian Hawke]

"I'm sorry," she whispers, shivering. "I just wanted... I just wanted..."

[Tethras Clan]

"I know. I... making breakfast for us was a lovely thought. It was. I just... I just would have prefered having breakfast with Liz, not Pet." He takes a moment to gather his words as he continues to stroke her arm and shoulder. "Do... do you know what you did to upset me?"

[Marian Hawke]

She shakes her head, just a little. "Please don't throw me away," she whispers. "I want to stay with you." 

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran hisses softly. "Liz, do not fear for that. I was... hurt, yes, but I still care for you."

[Marian Hawke]

"I'll do better," she promises. "Tell me what I did, I won't do it again. I, I want to stay with you. I'll do whatever you like, just please keep me." There's an odd level of earnesty to that last plea, a subtle clue she means more than just remaining good friends and fuckbuddies.

[Isabela]

Isabela continues to gently rub Liz's back, hoping to impart comfort into the girl. She's so fragile, still. I forget sometimes.

[Tethras Clan]

"Lis, I need you to take a few deep breathes. Focus on good things and find your safe place. Alright? Can you do that for me? We'll sit right here with you, promise. Just try and center yourself again."

[Marian Hawke]

Liz takes a few, shaky breaths, trying to find something good to think of, a safe place to be -- but her first thought is of Cedric, and then she bursts into fresh tears. Finally, she manages to think about her father's study, her favorite math books, at peace, shutting out the world, and she starts to get a handle on herself. 

Slowly, the tears dry. Keenly ashamed of herself, she wipes at her dry eyes once more and says softly, "I'm sorry. I'm  a mess this morning."

[Tethras Clan]

"It happens. I..." Zevran licks his lips. "There were more than a few mornings when I woke, sobbing or screaming. Others I woke a danger. I..." He hesitates, looking over at Isabela, unsure of how much she would be comfortable with sharing about his terrible days, much less her own.