deercountry | December Catch-All

Varian doesn't like the anger swirling around in his head. It reminds him far too much of his sordid past, back when he lashed out against the people he loved the most. He doesn't want to be that person again. He never wants to be that person again. He notices Vyng freeze and he feels bad about it- but there's also a spike of irritation at the action. Unexplained and unwelcome.

"I...I think it's corruption," he doesn't think, he knows, he's been reading. "I...it's a thing that happens here. To us."

He picks at his skin, even if it doesn't do anything, it's just solid and unbreakable, like the rocks it reminds him of.

"I...I've been trying to figure out how to get rid of it."

"Corruption..."

Vyng gives a soft frown. He's actually aware of the process, even if his first-hand experience is (thankfully) limited. With as much time as he spends at both Gaze and the Sacred districts, it's impossible not to have heard about it. Now that Vyng is confronted with somebody suffering from the condition themselves, though, he can't turn away. Weird blood-type tension or not.

"Is that why you're here? You're looking for some kind of remedy?"

Varian learned about it from reading up. Seeing it happen to Usagi- having the near-miss himself when he first arrived here...well, he thought it was wise to educate himself a little on the subject. He's done enough reading to know that the real cure is looking after yourself, letting others help you. But everything feels so heavy right now. Dropping this on his friends feels...unreasonable. Selfish.

He catches Vyng's frown and the guilt comes anew. He's worrying the people he cares about and he can't do anything about it.

"Yeah...yeah," he chuckles humorously. "I'm not great with magic but...well, I'm getting kinda desperate. I'm ready to give their stuff a shot. See if it helps."

"Well, if you've got a couple hours to kill," Vyng says thoughtfully, "I've got some bones Glitch gave me back in the Dream. They're supposed to help with this kind of stuff."

Of course, he doesn't expect Varian to agree so readily. Between the blood-type weirdness, the self-destructive cycle corruption can create, and the fact this town attracts people who love putting themselves last? Yeah, he should probably find some way to sweeten the pot.

"Hard to know what it does in the Waking World, though," he adds with a small shrug...followed by a grin. "Maybe this could be like an experiment. For science. Whaddya say?"

"Oh, the uh...memory bones."

He's been in enough of them now to know what they mean and...well, he went into memories plenty back in Deerington, too. He never felt especially great after being in them, especially his own, but he's really not got any other choices here. If there's even a sliver of a chance it'll help, he should take it.

"I guess so...yeah," he rubs the back of his neck, Vyng doesn't know about his past and as much as no one has ever turned their back on him for it yet, he's still afraid one day it will happen. "I...should warn you my memories are not...great. I- I wasn't a very good person."

Vyng blinks in confusion. But then he remembers, oh yeah, everyone's been reliving past war traumas, and so that's obviously where Varian's mind would go first.

"No, not mem-bones," he assures him. After removing one of his satchels, he opens it up to reveal a set of earthy trinkets. "Dem bones."

Sorry, Vyng, this kiddo is always gonna head immediately to the Worst-Case Scenario every time. Once he realises he's wrong he blinks, then clears his throat, a little awkwardly.

"O-oh," he blinks at Dem Bones. "So they...they don't do the memory thing?"

"God no." There's a hint of laughter in Vyng's voice, though it's mainly directed at himself. "Reliving childhood memories is, like...the most stressful thing I can think of."

He'd much rather take a salt bath or meditate by himself somewhere. Or...do pretty much anything else.

"Nah, good vibes only," he adds. "You just listen to these chimes and chill out."

"I know right? I hate that Deerington did that so much."

Of course, Varian's still a kid himself- his worst memories aren't that old, in comparison. But oh boy are they rough.

"Okay. I'm...well, I'm willing to give it a try. Anything's worth a shot at this point."

"Sooo many awkward moments."

Think of all the repressed people who suddenly have to talk about their feelings. At this point, Vyng is pretty sure that's why this place drags up so much emotional baggage. But that's neither here nor there.

"Where do you think you'd feel the most comfortable? At home? Somewhere else? You wanna call someone?"

"Yeah, like, at least give people the chance to talk about this stuff of their own accord, Deerington!"

He says that like he willingly talks about his past on the regular and the little nudge from the town is why a lot of people have been made privy to his past.

"Home, probably, yeah. That or my little magic room," because that's a thing. "That's...probably a good idea. It's really safe in there, no one would bother me unless I wanted them in there."

"Magic room?" Vyng arches a brow, intrigued. "What, like an extra-dimensional space?"

"Yeah!!!"

Okay, despite all the horrible mess of the corruption, this does give him a reason to smile. He pulls out his math compass from his pocket to show it off.

"I got it at the end of November. I...I think it was a gift from The Tower. It opens up a pocket dimensional space that's all my own. You wanna see?"

Vyng peers down at the compass. Instantly, his eyes light up.

"Coooool..."

Pocket dimensional spaces weren't exactly common where he's from. But, somehow, his family still ended up with a Forever Tent of their own. He loves that thing, and he's genuinely happy (and, okay, maybe a little envious) that Varian has secret one for himself.

When he offers to show Vyng inside, he grins. "Heck yeah, I do. Let's go."

It's so very cool Vyng. Varian only accessed one pocket dimension back home and that was a whole damn bad time, and then he helped with the portal mess in the dream which was...super bad. But this? This is something good and genuinely helpful.

So, he wanders to the nearest wall, draws a WIDE circle in it and it opens up into a little portal- looking into his secret room. It's extremely cosy, with the fire roaring in the fireplace and the smell of wood and comfort food terminating from it. Varian steps inside, gesturing for Vyng to follow him.

"C'mon in. It's totally safe."

"Woahhhh."

Like a kid on Charles Eve, Vyng ventures closer to the entrance with a look of sheer wonder. But before he can fully step inside, he's interrupted by an insistent maa-aaa-aa! from behind.

"Oh yeah, ahahah..." He flashes the goat an apologetic smile. "Mind if this guy joins us?"

It's a totally cool room and Varian can't help but laugh at the goat's cries.

"Of course, he can," then, jokingly. "I'm gonna trust you to vouch for him in case he steals any of my beer or food."

Look, he remembers Milton from home. Goats can and will eat anything, he knows how it is!!

"You have beer?"

Because priorities. In any case, Vyng bleats a response to the goat, who appreciatively scuffs at the ground with one hoof and gives a low maa-aaa.

"He says he'll do his best," Vyng assures him with a grin (for whatever that's worth). But in any case, they both step over the threshold and follow Varian inside.

"I sure do! The sort of beer you get back home, too, so the best beer."

He's just going to be Obnoxiously German about the beer, don't mind him. But he's going to take that goatl-y word for it, leading them into his toasty, nice room. It's such a pleasant space. As promised, there's a corner in the room with big beer barrels and various food supplies.

"Cool, right? Pretty acceptable gift, as gifts go."

Please, Varian, be as obnoxiously German as you want. Vyng is so into this beer pad.

"Wow..." He gazes around the cozy decor, and a smile lights up beneath his eyes. "Your Patron Pthumerian is so cool. It's like a parent who gives their teenager their own room, but with infinite booze and food."

Amazing.

"Anyway," he adds. "This is the perfect place to chill out. Thanks for suggesting it."

"Right? I think he wanted to make sure I had a place to work free from distractions."

Because The Tower seems pretty keen on inventiveness and the like. Plus it WAS a good, safe place which he thinks is very needed when this place keeps trying to kill them all the time.

"Don't mention it. I'm glad I got it, and you're welcome to it any time. All you need to do is ask."

"Aw." Vyng's smile softens. "Thanks, buddy."

He reaches into his bag and pulls out a large, opalescent dragon scale. Its shimmery, mother-of-pearl surface reflects the fireplace's cozy glow. With both hands, he extends it to Varian.

"Grab a seat," he gently instructs. "And hold onto this."

He'll take a seat, reaching out to take hold of the scale, letting out a soft oooooh sound as he does.

"Wow, look at it! It's really pretty!"

"It is, isn't it?" he says with a fond expression. "My friend said it was a gift from a water dragon."

A gift to Vyng, specifically. But, like many things, he doesn't remember it. Or, rather, he never got the chance to live it before washing up in the Waking World. But that's a common tale among Sleepers, so he doesn't bother explaining that part. Instead, Vyng settles down onto the floor, folding his lanky legs beneath himself, and starts fishing for the bones in his bag.

"Really? That's amazing. Like...did they just hand it over?"

Look, dragons are a complicated business in his world. While people understood animals easy, it seemed less of a thing with dragons- added to the fact they were so elusive seeing one was a once-in-a-lifetime experience anyway and it created a lot of mystique.

He turns his attention to Vyng and the bones, easing himself carefully on the floor- always a tricky manoeuvre with the leg.

"Okay, so! Bones!"

December Catch-All

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