The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Carver Amell]

She knows.what will happen. She knows it won't be pleasant. But what can she do? She considers saying no, arguing, causing a scene, but it feels like too much work. She's done enough already just palming her tonic instead of taking it.

She turns, listlessly, showing Beth her distant, empty gaze.

[Bethany]

Aside from a soft sigh not much louder than a normal breath and closing her eyes ever so briefly, not much more than an extra long blink, Beth doesn't react. Sadly she's becoming used to that look. "Thank you," Bethany says quietly. "Car... this isn't working. Something needs to change. Soon."

[Carver Amell]

"I know," she whispers. "But I don't want it to change. I want to stay like this, as long as I can."

[Bethany]

"You... like this? Being like this? Gods, Car... can you not remember being happy anymore? When we were younger?"

[Carver Amell]

Carol looks away, biting her lower lip. "It's not... I didn't mean... I meant, with you, and with Jadan. I don't... I don't want to lose you too."

[Bethany]

"But... if you could not... feel like this... wouldn't trying things be worth the chance of being legitimately happy again?" Beth reaches up to wipe her eyes angrily, annoyed that she's crying about this. Again.

[Carver Amell]

"I can't, Beth," she whispers. "I just can't."

[Bethany]

"...if you promise not to tell- anyone- then..." She steps closer, lowing her voice to a whisper. "Then... then I can- for just a few minutes- take out the sadness and... grey."

[Carver Amell]

"You... you can?" asks Carol, a glimmer of hope coming into her eyes. 

[Bethany]

"It... it isn't a cure. It... it just treats the symptoms really and it- well, they, it has three parts- they- well, are kind of aren't common and they're limited but..." She takes a deep breath. "Sorry, I just.. This is my ace, my last trick and I've got a lot riding on it. I... can cast. I mean, you know I can heal and turn invisible but that- that was me, not an item." Given their mother's private opinion of arcane magic...

[Carver Amell]

Carol nods. "I thought you might... its not... uncommon, in Nyra. It's not even... Mother is wrong." She shakes her head. 

[Bethany]

"That's putting it mildly," Beth mutter sourly, then shakes her head. "Anyway. Step one is, umm, well, magicked wine." Slipping a hand into the neck of her blouse, she pulls out a small pouch. "Intradimensional pouch. The enhanced will sharpens the mind and increases focuses. I can make it last just over an hour. Then I have another spell that suppresses weariness for the same amount of time, giving you your energy back. Then the last spell fills the target with a deep well spring of Hope. But that one only lasts seven  minutes or so. And I can only do it twice a day, tops, if I don't cast any of my other best spells."

[Carver Amell]

Carol stares at her. "Beth... you're... and there's no side effect? It's not like the tonics?"

[Bethany]

Beth shakes her head. "Well. The wine is still wine, but you only need a few mouthfuls for it to work so... just... stop there. And when the invigorating spell ends, the weariness will come back like coming of a major sugar high. But like I said, it'll only last six, maybe seven minutes? The Hope part I mean. The lack of tiredness and mental keenness will last for over an hour but... it's temporary. Please remember that. It isn't a cure. I just... I just learned the Hope spell this week and... I thought... I wanted to talk to you for real."

[Carver Amell]

She shrinks back a bit, studying Beth's face. Wanted to talk to me for real? So this... this conversation isn't real to her? I'm not real? She always could see right through me -- can she see how empty and fake I feel, like I'm just going through the motions, like I'm not this person she sees in front of her? Will her magic change me, make me someone else? Or just... make me the person I appear to be? And does it matter? If I can fit in, if I could be this person Mother wants me to be, isn't that better than this wretch I appear as?

"Alright," she whispers, holding out her hand. "Give me the wine."