Blood from Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"Last time I saw you they told me you'd been showing up stinking drunk to see Mother," he snaps. "I have every right to be suspicious. I'm only protecting my family."

[NPCs]

"She's my family to, boy, the only family I've left. She's my twin sister and I won't-" Gamelan stops himself, taking a deep breath to calm down. "I wasn't stinking drunk. I... had been drinking, yes. I... not that you'd know or care, but that was the anniversary of my father's death. I didn't handle it as well as I... I was alone and I stumbled. Stopped myself in time to... try and reach out to my Lea as best I could."

[Carver Amell]

Carver looks away, shame rising in the back of his throat. "Next time, you come to me," he says, gruffly. "Mother's not well. You can't lean on her anymore. A real man doesn't burden his ailing twin with his problems, he goes to someone stronger."

[NPCs]

"You're a stranger, Carver. We've met what, maybe a couple dozen times, no longer than a day each?" Gamelan shrugs a little, glancing away. "Thank you for the offer, but I know my place." He clears his throat. "How is Lea? I know she's... not doing well this last week but..."

[Carver Amell]

"She's sold her soul," he says bluntly. "There's a pandemic of demon-infused tonics going around. We'll get it back for her. And I intend to have words with whoever sold out the patients by letting that through the checkpoint they'd set up. But she's not well and the demon's able to control her somewhat. This can be good for her, I think. She's made peace with some things that had been driving her. But we have to get her back first, before she can realize the benefits."

[Bethany]

Really Carver? Gods, we need to work on your bedside manner. As in, make one. Stepping out of the breakroom, Beth offers a wan smile to the horrified Gamelan. "Hello Uncle. Carver is... mostly accurate there. Devil, not demon, if that means a difference to you. And more specifically, the devil can whisper to her, silently, sometimes so subtly that it feels like your own thoughts. You know, like the darker thoughts we all have. 'Why not steal that, this merchant is rich, they'll never notice the loss really.' 'Fuck, I can call off work, I just don't feel like it today.' 'Why not just one more drink?' They can mimic that, to varying degrees. And it can inflame negative emotions, make you feel angier than you should over something, or madly jealous when you would normally just feel a tinge of it."

[NPCs]

"I-" Gamelan swallows a few times. "I... I see. Is she- can she- But she's still... still my Lea? Just.."

[Carver Amell]

"Yeah," he says, gentler. "I meant it when I said it'd be a kindness if you could sit with her while we sort this out. For whatever crazy reason, she loves you, drunkenness and all." His eyes flick to Beth on that last bit, with a soft smile.

[NPCs]

Gamelan frowns a bit at that, jaw tightening a bit. "Not much of that anymore actually," he says gruffly. 

[Bethany]

"Pardon?" Beth asks curiously.

[NPCs]

"Drunkenness. Since... since all of this," he replies, gesturing around him, presumably at the building. "Had a few stumbles but..." He jerks a shoulder. "Ain't easy."

[Carver Amell]

"Good man," says Carver, more heartily. 

[Bethany]

"...Carver's done the same." And now I'm worried that this sort of thing might be a family thing. Gonna have to watch for that... Absently, Beth reaches down t rub her stomach gently.

[Carver Amell]

Carver's eye twitches faintly -- he hadn't wanted to tell Gamlen about his weakness. But he nods anyway.

[NPCs]

"Good on you. Probably a lot easier, stopping that when you're still young and hale." And surrounded by family and friends, with a pocket full of coin and a nice house. "So where..." He trails off, looking past Carver. "Andstrate's heaving- ah, heart, girl, you're in the family way?"