Witches can be right, giants can be good... [CLOSED]

[demonicbeauty]

Who: Ariadne and Varian
What: Some unfortunate memory sharing
When: Forward dated to December 8
Where: Casa Disaster #25 Raccoon Alley - Cassandra District

Content Warnings: Backstory trauma, but will update as needed.

Ariadne's exploration of holidays in the multiverse had led her to an inevitable conclusion: People loved Christmas. And while she might forever call it the "fat-man holiday," in her head, she figured it was best to start following cultural norms and expectations. It was similar enough to the way the Elves celebrated New Years that she understood the basics, anyway: Singing, eating, offerings, family, and presents.

The 'presents' part was the easiest. After all, people loved getting presents. And she loved giving them.

Maybe she wasn't the best at making them. As they said, though, it was the thought that counted.

A cliche she actually understood.

Varian and Fern inevitably ended up on the list of people she wanted to visit. She decided there was nothing more important for the two of them than some of the soil around her orchard, soil which might hold scientific answers (which would please Varian) and keep Fern alive through the winter (which would please both of them). She found a large, hollowed-out antler that seemed festive--a bright blue ribbon around it helped--and filled it up with soil from her trees, before heading out to Cassandra to pay them a visit. There was a slight bounce in her step, despite the cold. And when she arrived at their front door, she gave a jaunty, little knock.

Comments

[demonicbeauty]

Her heart ached for him. Literally, she could feel it pounding in her chest, against her ribcage. Like a bird trying to break out of a cave. When she leaned against him, she was afraid he might feel it.

But she wanted to stay close.

"I'm so sorry, Varian," she said. The probabilities that the scene ended well for his father seemed, slim. There were perfect possible futures, of course. There always were. But the memory had decided to stop there and she wasn't going to pry into how things turned out.

That was up to Varian.

"But," she said, her tone brightening a little. "I get that it's a sad memory. But it's also kind of a happy one. I mean...your dad was clearly trying to protect you. Loved you enough to put your safety first. He told you to stay back."

[droptheious]

He doesn't seem to mind, he's deeply wrapped in his own grief, in the echoes of the memory. His shoulder sags at her comments. He can see what she's trying to do, but the self-loathing around this is pretty strong.

"I know, but that made it worse. He- he risked his life for me."

He closes his eyes, sucking in a breath as the memory fades and they return to the Disaster House hallway.

"He...he got out. But a lot happened between this and...him finally getting out. It took a year."

[demonicbeauty]

"He got out!"

The perfect possible future! Even when the odds were against it! Ariadne wanted to shake Varian. To loop her elbow through his and spin around the room in delight. To dance!

He got out!

But Varian wasn't celebrating that. He seemed to be lost in...that year? She supposed so.

She tried to temper her enthusiasm. But she put both hands on his shoulder. "It's okay, Varian. A memory can't hurt you. It can only give you strength."

[droptheious]

Varian would appreciate the tempered enthusiasm if he knew. He's glad his dad got out, of course, he is, more glad of that than anything in his entire life. But she would be right. That year was awful, a complete mess- and he's aware at this point it will likely dog him for the rest of his days. Still, he forces a tired smile.

"I don't know. They usually hurt me pretty good here," he exhales. "Usually just as I'm starting to find a way to move on from them, Deerington and now here just pulls them back up again."

[demonicbeauty]

"I understand," she said.

Well, only kind of. Somehow, she'd been lucky, when it came to all of the returns to memory. It had only happened to her once, and the memory itself hadn't really been a bad one. Ariadne had plenty of horrible, awful, haunting memories. But the one she'd shared?

...had been one of the better moments in her life.

"Moving on doesn't mean forgetting, though," she offered, trying as ever to put a positive spin on things. "I think it just means...learning from it."

[droptheious]

"Well, I did plenty of that. Learning, I mean," he exhales slowly. "I...I kind of had to. Rapunzel needed help and I...I needed to make up for what I've done."

Because that memory, oh that was only the starting domino- the one that caused the cascade.

"I did redeem myself, I was forgiven for all the hurt I caused. But- but forgiving myself is a lot...harder. I've never really worked that one out."

[demonicbeauty]

There were a number of people on Ariadne's team, back in Valeria, who didn't know how to forgive themselves. She watched the way they struggled. The way they wound themselves in circles. And the way they rejected any opportunity to be told that they were more than what they'd been.

So she didn't offer to help. She didn't tell him he was a good person. She didn't nag him to let go of the past.

She hugged him instead.

And whispered to him. "If you need to talk about it, I'm happy to listen."

[droptheious]

That simple sentence really does mean the world to him. So many of his (well-meaning) friends have tried to tell him to move on. To look forward instead of back, unable to realise just how impossible that can be sometimes. What a gulf that can be to cross. It's much rarer for him to come across people who don't push that point home.

When the hug comes, he does return it, a little awkwardly as always, but it ishappy about my past."

[demonicbeauty]

It's only when Ariadne breaks away that she realizes she's still holding her antler full of dirt.

She gives it a quick, momentary glance. The fact that antlers could be involved is...not beyond the scope of believability. But it doesn't matter how it happened. Not really. More that it happened.

And that Varian hasn't headed for shelter, yet.

Ariadne gives him a smile. "Happy Christmas, I guess?"

wow DW completely garbled and ate my tag -just gonna add it in here

[droptheious]

Varian really isn't surprised the antlers are part of the memory issue. That seems to fall into the standard for how Deerington was, so why not here too. He looks at it with a soft should have expected that kind of sigh.

"Hah, happy Christmas to you, too," he doesn't touch the antler again, noooo thanks. "But yeah, I mean, there's little happy about my past, but I'm willing to talk about it...sometime."

Not cool, DW

[demonicbeauty]

"Sometime," she said, giving him a nod.

She set the antler down on the nearest table, backing away from it. Just to be overly cautious. It was probably something to do with them both touching it at the same time. Varian would figure it out.

He was good at that sort of thing.

so very rude

[droptheious]

He really did appreciate the caution. As much as he trusts her with his past at this point, he knows delving too deeply into it now would only make his corruption worse- he has enough sense for that at least. He eyes it on the table for a moment, before turning his attention to her.

"Um...are you okay, anyway? In...general. I mean. Not counting awful memories."

[demonicbeauty]

She opened her mouth. And then closed it again. She wanted to say that, of course, she was. There was little to complain about, she had shelter, food, and even a few basic pleasures.

But then there was Sam...

"I don't know," she admitted. "I want to be. But I am a little worried about a situation involving another Sleeper."

[droptheious]

"Oh?"

It's not the oh of someone curious for gossip, but the oh of someone genuinely concerned for a friend. He shifts his feet awkwardly for a moment, not sure if he should pry or not.

"Do- do you wanna talk about it?"

[demonicbeauty]

"I'm not supposed to," she admitted. But in admitting that, she realized, she really did want to talk about it, quite a lot.

The whole thing was really weighing on her mind. Especially in light of the necklace that mysteriously turned up in her orchard.

She shook her head. "It's some sort of magical. Thing. I don't really understand. But he may or may not be missing his...soul?"

[droptheious]

"Well, that's okay, I'm pretty good at keeping secrets. If you need to get it off your chest."

Which clearly, she does. So he does his best to listen. This is...not really in his wheelhouse, but he'll try anyway.

"Oh, that's...not good. Did he lose it here or...home?"

[demonicbeauty]

Ariadne shrugged. "I don't know." It was possible Dean knew. And it was equally possible that Dean was grasping for an explanation, the same as the rest of them.

Anyway, she didn't entirely know which answer was better.

Which held out much hope. Hope that he would be...made whole.

She shook her head. "I shouldn't be bothering you with this."

[droptheious]

That's worrying. Where he lost it really does make a difference to if he can be helped here or not. It gave a clear path. He raises his shoulders in a shrug, offering a tired little smile.

"Hey, it's okay. You're my friend, and if it's bothering you, I'm more than happy to listen and...and see if I can help any."

[demonicbeauty]

That earned him another hug, like it or not.

Honestly, the fact that Ariadne now had friends she could hug was more of a balm than anything else. They were rare back home. But their numbers were beginning to get impressive here in Trench.

She pulled back, giving him a little smile. "Thank you, Varian."

[droptheious]

He returns the hug, exhaling softly into it, glad for it as much as his mind is racing still. The people he'd met in both Deerington and Trench had been a pretty solid reason to stay here- and this is further proof of that. The hug was exceptionally comforting - she was good at them.

"Hey, you're welcome," he returns the smile. "Anytime."