demonicbeauty | Deer Country Inbox

Araidne.. hey, it's Sam. Winchester. I saw your post on the network. Would you mind if I came by for some fruit?

[Did that sound as stupid as he feels saying it? Probably. Did he see her conversation with Dean on her network post? Yes. Is he reading into things when he shouldn't? Also probably yes.]

[Her voice is absolutely delighted. She's gotten way too fond of Winchesters. It's a problem.]

Sam! I'm so glad you're here too!

...wait, sorry. You're the Sam who isn't possessed by that thing, right?

[Ariadne* phone why

Aha! A speedy response. This pleases him. He's still getting to grips with everything going on but finding some familiar faces and usernaes is a comfort. He's hoping it might help him feel a little bit more normal.]

Ah, no, that's the little one. I'm just regular ol' me.

Right, right, right.

[It's still incredibly unnerving that he's a child now. But that's her problem and she'll deal with it. In her own way.]

Of course you can get some fruit. The pears are just ripening, they're perfect!

[A pause.]

I...um...I hope you can talk Dean into trying some. The way he eats...

[Yeah, the whole little and large situation is a doozy, that's for sure.

Sam snorts, he can't help it.]

I know, it's terrible. He won't listen. I'd say it's his 'I'm an adult and no one can stop me' rebellion but honestly he's always been like this.

And just who is he rebelling against? You?

Mm.. Our dad, probably. But he's been dead a long time, now.

My brother is a simple man, Airy.

Well, the dead have a way of living on in our heads.

[She speaks from experience here.]

But we need to keep trying. With Dean, I mean. Fruit is very good for you.

You're right on both accounts.

Speaking of good for you, I couldn't help but hear him giving you a lesson on the birds and the bees. How'd that work out for you?

[She's genuinely baffled.]

Birds? Bees?

I don't remember discussing either of those with Dean.

Wh- oh.

[A small, huffed laugh. It reminds him of Castiel a bit.]

I forgot how literal you are. It means sex. He was trying to give you a sex lesson.

Oh. That.

[She will never understand why humanoids dance around the topic so much. What are they so ashamed of?]

Well, Anakin told me that I shouldn't have the conversation with Dean. And he got kind of adamant about it...

Anakin? Why- oh.

Yeah I can see why that.. What a creep.

I could have a word with him. If he's bothering you like that it's not okay. You're not his wife.

[Well, aren't you a paladin? Ariadne smiles a little bit.]

I can't blame him for missing his mate. I'm sure if I had one and I ran into someone with his face, I'd be upset too.

Sure. But him dictating your actions because of that is gross.

There's a line there and he's crossing it. Do you see?

Of course I see.

[It's not her first encounter with snarly males. Just a strange and complicated one.]

I told him that Dean is my friend and he doesn't even know him!

Well why would he care if he's viewing you as his wife. Like he's got a claim on you.

Well. He doesn't.

I didn't think so. That's why it's gross.

[Sam sighs. This wasn't his plan in calling but it needs to be taken care of.]

Alright.. I'll make sure he doesn't bother you again. In the meantime if he approaches you, tell me.

Oh, no, Sam. I don't need you to do that.

I can handle Anakin.

Because you don't want to ask for help or you're comfortable dealing with him? Because I don't mind. I've dealt with a lot worse than for way less.

You sound like a knight. Like you want to charge to a maiden's rescue.

[Which is admirable. Don't get her wrong. A nice reminder of home, in some ways.]

But you don't have to. I'm just going to ignore Anakin.

I'm not trying to suggest you aren't capable, I've just seen it get dark with guys like that.

Ignoring him might not be enough and by then it could be too late.

So.. so he feels entitled to you. What happens when he gets sick of being ignored?

You don't really think he'd try to do something unchivalrous, do you?

He's a knight. Something called a "Jedi."

I think he would. I don't trust him at all.

And Jedi is just a religion. I wouldn't say he's a knight in the way you're thinking.

Oh...

[This is a troubling thought.]

How do you know Anakin, exactly?

He uh.

[Consider your words, Sam. Like he doesn't care about preserving Anakin's privacy. He cares about preserving his own credibility.]

He's a pretty famous figure back on Earth.

Edited 2021-09-16 02:14 (UTC)

Famous?

[This catches her off guard.]

I didn't realize...

It doesn't mean much, I'm just saying I don't trust him. And ignoring people who feel like you owe them something never pans out.

I'm not gonna make any decisions for you but I'm happy to talk to him man to man.

Thank you, Sam. I'll...I'll have to think about it.

[This is a lot. Her mother used to talk about being feuded over by snarly males, but this is an entirely different story.]

But, um, why don't you come around and get some fruit?

[He gives a little shrug and accepts her decision. After all, does he super duper want to get in a slap fight with Anakin Skywalker? No. Not really.]

Right.. the fruit. Yeah, I will. Are you up to anything now?

Nothing that can't wait.

The orchard is near the border of the Willful Machine. I've hung a red banner from the cinnamon tree, to help people find it.

[He smiles]

Right, well. I will head your way, then.

Ariadne decided to head outside to the orchard to wait for Sam. The things he was telling her were troubling, to say the least. But she wasn't sure she wanted to make the situation even more complicated than it already was. She felt for Anakin, she really did. His heart was no doubt in a great deal of pain. Although she'd never been in love, she had a sense of what it was like, from watching others. And she knew how fiercely it hurt to be apart from the person who completed you.

In theory, anyway.

Better to set all of that aside, she supposed. Focus on the things she could manage, the familiar.

Which happened to include her orchard.

Forever eager to please, she grabbed a ratty, old basket she'd picked up in town and started filling it with the best, ripest fruit she had on the low-hanging branches. By the time she picked up Sam's scent, she already had several lemons, pears, and nectarines ready for him. She raised her free hand, giving him a small wave and a very big smile. "Over here!"

[Sorry for the delay I was away with work!]

A friendly, familiar face was never a bad thing to see, either. Someone safe, (mostly), and trusted. Things towards the end of Deerington had been heavy and tense and violent, but sticking together had made existing just on the other side of bearable until they could all pick up the courage to try the door go on to the next great adventure. Whatever that meant.

Turned out it meant Trench, which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't all that bad.

Sam hadn't discussed it with his brother, or anyone for that matter, but he was sure there was a blip in the middle of the transition that brought him back to his own world. Things were different for him now, more different than they should have been, but he wasn't sure if something being wrong with him was an issue, or if saying something would be the actual issue, so for now it was best to carry on like business as usual.

And while his fruit mission carried an ulterior motive, here he was all the same.

Once she was in sight, Sam smiled and held up a hand in greeting, sauntering up with a cocksure aura he very rarely (if ever) held before.

"Ariadne, look at you right at home."

[<3]

The strange way he was walking didn't escape Ariadne's attention. But she knew that some people had a rougher arrival to Trench than others. Maul had been covered in lacerations and barely coherent. So she supposed it might just be some kind of limp. And she let it go.

"As long as there are trees, I'm always at home," she said. Which was partly true. And easier to say than expressing how difficult it was to reconcile the sense of permanence she was feeling in Trench, compared to Deerington. It was both a relief and...not. A guilt she was wearing on her shoulders.

But one that didn't alter her feather-light gait.

She trotted over to Sam, giving him a quick, one-armed hug. She was careful not to touch his legs, in case it might exacerbate his limp. "It's good to see you, Sam."

"Good to see you, too," he answered and returned the hug. It was brief but that was fine. He was never a touchy person and, to be honest, most of his physical contact with women was unwanted or ended horribly.

He didn't seem too bothered by that now. Maybe New Sam could move on from all that business.

"I hope I didn't stress you out earlier," Sam says as the hug ends and they break back.

"That wasn't my intention. That guy just rubs me the wrong way."

"I'm not sure he would ever have occasion to rub you," she said, figuring even as she said it that it was clearly an expression. She'd already made a fool of herself several times over with Sam alone, so she decided to push past it as quickly as possible. "Don't worry about him."

Smooth recovery.

Which probably explained why she was very, very quick to hold up the basket, bumping it lightly against his chest. "I've started putting together an assortment for you. Varian and Fern seem to think that there's something special about the soil around the trees that's making them a little bit stronger than the native ones, but we haven't figured out what it is yet."

And 'we' was being generous. Ariadne knew when soil was good or bad. But for the life of her, she had no means to determine why.

"The fruit tastes normal, though. I don't think there's anything unusual about it."

Very smooth. And moved over so fast he didn't have a chance to react.

Sam took the basket and looked at the fruit for a moment, noting their color and textures. They looked normal enough to him but the thing about the soil was interesting and tied into a few theories he'd already started to form about the transition from Deerington to Trench.

"Maybe it's not the ground that's making them strong."

"What do you think it could be?" she asked, tilting her head to one angle like a bird that had spotted something glistening. "Some sort of lingering connection to Deerington?" There was no denying they were the same trees. Every knob and knot was exactly as she remembered them. And they had the same scent of wood and chlorophyll and ozone.

She walked over to her nectarine tree--she called it "Jane"--and touched the bark, as if she could somehow absorb the answer through her fingertips.

"I never entirely understood why we'd sometimes receive gifts in Deerington. Someone told me it was probably Julia's doing. But she's gone, isn't she?" A fact that Ariadne lamented. It felt wrong to sacrifice her. Ariadne had strongly been opposed, but then...no one listened to her much.

"Yeah," Sam replied to both questions at the same time and followed towards the tree by a few steps.

"I mean, it's weird, right? That some things from Deerington followed us here? That was a dream and this isn't as far as we know, but things from there keep showing up. Our cabin appeared, my brother's car and horse. Your trees are living things and they're real now."

Which, okay, saying it aloud sounded more stupid than he intended but it made his point either way. Things that were created in a dream- whilst real to them- were actually real here.

"That doesn't sound like agriculture to me, that sounds like magic. And by all accounts there isn't much farming going on around this place."

Just in Feed and even then it sounded kinda dire.

Ariadne felt a little offended on the trees' behalf. To suggest they weren't real! But she understood what Sam meant. Even still, she patted Jane's trunk, as if to comfort her. It was all right. She was as real as she wanted to be. As real as she felt.

"A community can't survive without agriculture," she said quietly, a little line forming between her eyes. "Not with this many people."

Actually, she still wasn't sure how many people there were in Trench. It was so hard to keep track of people, given the way the streets were arranged and how the homes had so little in the way of markings.

Still. It was a lot.

Certainly enough for Sam to have questions about how people sustained themselves.

He gave the tree a look, briefly wondering if it, sorry she, could hear or understand him. Honestly, if the answer was yes he wouldn't have been all that surprised. Weirded out, sure, but given everything that was happening why not. Yolo.

"No, they can't. Which is weird, too, so how are they doing it? And, get this, the city is called Trench right, but the rest of this.. place? This world? It's called Deer Country. That can't be a coincidence. But what's the connection between here and Deerington besides the presence of Pthumerians?"

She shook her head. Although she'd very much enjoyed what little schooling she'd gotten, scholarship had never exactly been Ariadne's area of expertise. She could count the stars and wish for wings, but that wasn't the same as understanding the night sky.

Fortunately, Sam was a lot smarter than she was. "If anyone can figure it out," she said, bolstered by confidence, "it'll be you. And maybe that nice librarian lady."

Ariadne didn't know Evelyn well. But they'd been stuck in a house together. That had a way of making you believe in someone.

She leaned against the trunk of the nectarine tree. "Have you...seen any actual deer?"

Evelyn wasn't a bad suggestion, actually. She was incredibly clever, had access to most written records...somehow, and could be a real tiger when presented with a mystery.

A real tiger in general, including between the sheets, but that was neither here nor there.

Sam made a mental note to check in with Evie later and shook his head no to the question.

"Not yet, but I'm betting they're around."

It gave him an idea, though.

"Makes you wonder if Julia was here all along. She was half Pthumerian. Maybe this was her home world, or at least her mother's."

"It's possible," she said. "But then again, I like to think that practically anything is possible."

It was Michael who'd pointed out to her that the magic of her orchard derived from Julia. And he'd had an almost haunted expression at the possibility that she was somehow still around. Vaguely, Ariadne wondered if it was awe or guilt. Or some combination of the two. It was always harder to judge someone's reactions on a little screen. She much preferred what was right in front of her, what she could see and touch and smell, as needed.

"I never liked the fact that everyone wanted to end her life," she said. "It just felt so...pointless, I guess. But we're survivors, Alastrians. And I like to believe that as long as you're alive, whatever sadness lives inside of you can somehow be healed. You can find a way to happiness."

Sam nodded a little bit, feigning sympathy. He knew he should feel for the girl but right now he just... didn't. He didn't feel anything, actually. At all. He was just compelled to try to carry on as he was before and that old Sam would have given a crap about Julia Sodder.

"Well. She was already dead. It would have been worse to keep her in limbo without peace, right? Where I come from that's how you get ghosts. The dangerous type who go on to kill people."

She ducked her head slightly. "I suppose." Truthfully, she didn't know much about ghosts, other than the kind that occasionally showed up in Deerington, and she was quite certain they were different from the kind that lurked in the sacred places back home in Valeria. "But I like to think that if we'd awakened her, she could have returned to some sort of life."

Call her optimistic.

"It may have all been for nothing, though." She gestured around, encompassing the whole of Trench and her trees, herself and Sam. "If she's here now, in one way or another." Ariadne shrugged. "Or maybe I'm just desperate to find some kind of meaning in all of this."

Sam was under the impression that Julia had been dead for quite some time but he didn't make a point to delve into it. Julia sodder was dead, end of story, and he didn't care either way.

But he considered Airy's words for a moment. Her plea for purpose. That, he understood just fine.

"Well. I guess all you can do is try to honor her memory by making the best of being here. This is our home now and I'm okay with that.. It's all thanks to her."

"Exactly!" She was so glad that he understood. A lot of other people gave her optimism a sideways look of scrutiny. But having someone see things her way was something of a relief. "We have to make the best of things. The alternative is just feeling useless and sad."

Two feelings that Ariadne absolutely abhorred.

"And we need time to take pleasure in the simple things." She patted Jane's trunk again. "Like fresh fruit. Or whisky. If you're Dean."

Sam snorted. He'd heard about that and figured Airy was probably scarred for life.

"Well, my brother is a simple man."

Was that a cheap shot? Yeah but who cares, it's funny.

"And it's pretty much a tool of the trade. Most hunters are high functioning alcoholics."

But skipping right on along without giving pause for her thoughts on the matter. It's something the old Sam would never had said aloud despite his own long standing concerns.

"Speaking of simple pleasures, did Dean ever show you how babies are made?"

The shift in topic didn't form a through-line in Ariadne's mind and she blinked in surprise, taking a second to catch up to him. "I have a working understanding of Human reproductive cycles," she said.

Some people were unusually prude about it. Ariadne had come to understand that certain matters were considered sacrosanct or private in humanoid society. And she did her best to obey whatever social mores were imposed.

But she figured she could be frank with Sam. He certainly didn't seem to be embarrassed, talking about it.

"I'm more curious about sex. Everyone seems to like it very much. And I realize that one can lead to the other, but not necessarily. And certainly not among Alastrians." Their males carried their young. And there weren't any male Alastrians left of childbearing age. At least, as far as she knew.

"Well," he mused, nodding as she'd spoken.

"I think it's fun. Good for your body, good for your mind. Doesn't have to mean anything it's just..fun."

As if he didn't come out here with the sole purpose of having this exact conversation. As if this wasn't premeditated in the slightest.

"There's only one way for you to find out," Sam said, his tone more suggestion that fact.

"It doesn't have to...mean anything?"

Ariadne gave him a puzzled look. Yes, most humanoids were terribly cagey and cryptic about sex. But she was fairly certain that it had...meaning. There were certain requirements involved. Compatibility. Attraction.

Trust.

"That's...not the way I've heard it," she admitted. "From the way courtiers talk, it has some substantial consequences. It usually means a lot."

"Modern times," he answered with a little shrug.

"Don't get me wrong, it can mean things. It can mean a lot, but you have the option to decide that for yourself."

Ariadne had a great deal of opinions about the word 'modern' and how utterly meaningless it was, both in the multiverse, and back home. It was one of those words like 'unique' or 'interesting.' One that language had somehow failed to weed out, over centuries of evolution.

She shook her head slightly, smiling in spite of the silliness. "And how do you and Miss Evelyn see it?" she asked.

He was being chatty. She supposed she could get away with asking such a personal question.

Oh.. wow yeah.. Evelyn. Of course she would have known about that, they were all staying together at the end.

Sam bit his top lip for a moment before shrugging again. Old Sam would have some concerns about this situation. Current Sam does not. He's not even entirely sure Evelyn is here.

"Just fun. She was great but she went home when the dream ended."

And that pricked something inside of Ariadne's mind. The last time she'd seen Dean, he'd casually made a few mentions of Evelyn. As Sam's girlfriend. In the present tense. In the town of Trench itself. And she was quite certain he'd been referring to this Sam, not the one that was stuck as a child. The one who'd saved her from the dinosaur.

Something was...wrong.

But what kind of wrong? Ariadne wasn't sure. It could be a trick, like the sort Deerington used to play on them. Or something with Sam himself. Either he genuinely didn't know that Evelyn was here. Or else he was lying. And Ariadne wasn't sure which it was, since she hadn't been listening to his pulse.

Regardless, she was pretty sure that the word 'girlfriend' implied more than 'just fun.' But she would have to confirm that.

Absently, she twisted the tip of her braid around her finger. "You must miss her," she said, this time paying more attention to the beating of his heart.

One hundred and fifteen beats a minute. An ideal resting heart rate for a man his age in excellent condition. Not a trace of sudden jump, deception or regret. He wasn't lying.

Or if he were, he would have to care so little that it wouldn't affect him in any way.

Ariadne was right, of course, there was Something Wrong With Sam, but what proof was there, he was approaching her romantically? Was that so far fetched?

He nodded again to the question. Well, more of a statement.

"I do. But I think she'll be happier where she came from. So it's for the best."

Not lying. Well, that was something of a relief. But he hadn't sought Evelyn out? Something about that felt wrong. It felt so very unlike the Sam she'd come to know. He was a paladin, after all. Him and the other Winchesters. They were constantly falling over backwards for the people they cared about.

And she didn't believe for a second that Evelyn was hiding from Sam.

Who would hide from that face?

"Sam, I..." She shrugged. "Sam, I'm not so sure she's gone."

"No?" Color him surprised.

"Huh."

Unfortunately that's all it took for him to see his chances dwindle.

"So I'm guessing that means we're not gonna.." He tailed off and gestured between them.

Ariadne blinked. Once. Twice. And then rapidly, drawing against the trunk of the nectarine tree in such surprise that she cracked the base of her skull against it. "Wait. What?"

It took another second for her thoughts to catch up with her.

"Do you mean to say that you were just..." She couldn't even finish the sentence. Soliciting her?

Christ, could she have recoiled in horror any harder? Sam tried not to cringe outwardly, but he sure was inside. You would have thought he'd just whipped his dick out or something.

"Right."

He had to laugh. It was thin and breathy and short but a laugh all the time, hand slightly out in defense.

"I think. Maybe I just got the wrong idea. You were asking. We're both single. I thought you might want to.."

She relaxed a little when he laughed. But only a little. The whole thing suddenly felt warped. Like a mirror that had bulged in some places, while caving into itself in others. Everything felt just a little...off.

And when she thought about it, it had been off since she first saw him, walking that funny walk.

Now, here they were. He had lost his mate. And was propositioning her with a casual air. Humans weren't Alastrians. She understood that. They didn't mate for life and they weren't as psychologically linked to their mates. But she knew Sam. And she knew how very little time had passed. And how serious and thoughtful he was. The boy with the saddest eyes in all of Deerington.

It just wasn't...him.

She covered her uncertainty with a soft, gentle smile. "I understand now," she said. "When I said I wanted to learn about sex, you thought that meant by experiencing it?"

Ariadne was right on all accounts of course. Sam wasn't thrilled with the rejection, obviously, but there wasn't any need to be a dick about it.

Man. Talk about awkward.

"Well, yeah? Dean isn't single and usually.. that's how people learn this stuff."

She suspected that Dean was involved with...someone. If he wanted to discuss it, she supposed, he would. But that was besides the point.

Actually, sex was besides the point now.

All of her energy was directed at figuring out why Sam Winchester felt like someone else completely.

"I guess that makes sense," she said. "But I guess I should also explain that...Alastrians mate for life. And mating and sex aren't the same thing, of course. But I suppose I'm not the type to do something that, as you put it, 'means nothing.'"

"Ah. Right."

A beat.

"Yeah, no. I get that. I can respect that."

Well this went well.

Sam pressed his lips thin before gesturing with the basket of fruit. Mission critical, abort.

"Well I guess. I should probably get these back to Dean."

And maybe find a nice hole to jump into on his way.

A harder truth was that Ariadne did find Sam quite attractive. Dean had told her that finding someone pleasing to the eye was the first step to any sort of courtship ritual that might one day include sex. And Sam was beautiful. Especially his brassy, flowing hair.

But physical attraction couldn't quite overcome her sense of plain 'wrongness' over the whole situation.

Maybe it was just her. She would have to mull it over for a few days.

If nothing else, though, she wanted to make sure that she hadn't done irreparable harm to her friendship with Sam. If she was wrong. If it was just her being skittish. So she stepped forward and gave him another quick hug. "You're a very sweet man, Sam Winchester," she told him.

Even if he didn't seem all that sweet at the moment.

[Maul's heard about all about the drama goin on between the Winchesters, Anakin, and Ariadne from Sam himself. But he feels he should ask the woman herself what's going on, otherwise he's giving her no more agency than Anakin has been.]

Ariadne, can I ask you something?

[He sounds a lot more reasonable than he's been the last couple times they've spoken and certainly miles better than the feral Sith Lord she'd encountered when they first got here.]

[Ariadne hops on the network almost immediately. She's sitting on the floor, near one of the large windows of what's soon to be her herb shop. Her hair is loose, falling around her shoulders in waves.

Really, she has the look of someone who's been daydreaming and just snapped back to reality.]

Maul. Hello. Of course. Anything you like!

Has Anakin Skywalker been vexing you at all?

[Annoying and bothering seem like far too light for words to describe what Anakin has been doing to her, so vexing it what he settles on.]

[Oh wonderful. More Anakin drama.

Ariadne's been trying so hard to put the whole incident behind her, but it keeps getting scratched up.]

He...he's been a bit difficult lately.

...why?

Just confirming a pattern of behavior that seems to be growing worse. The farther he falls into the Dark Side, the more unstable he becomes.

[And if Maul is the one saying someone is unstable, they've got a one way ticket on a train about to fall off a steep cliff.]

If it becomes any more intolerable, be sure to tell me. I fear if he goes completely insane he may start mistaking you for his wife and take....extreme measures.

Yes, well.

[She hesitates, but only slightly. To be honest, she's never been entirely clear about how the Jedi...work. They're not supposed to form attachments, and yet Anakin has taken a mate.

It doesn't make sense, which she can only conclude to mean that Anakin is breaking the rules.

And it seems his choice is...known.]

I wouldn't say he's mistaken me for her in a while. But he has been a bit too protective lately. He tried to forbid me from seeing one of my friends.

[Maul shakes his head, the disapproval clear on his face.]

That's not being protective of you. That's being possessive. Would you like me to remind him you're not a possession he owns and can control?

You're the third person to ask me that.

[Ariadne shakes her head.]

I appreciate the effort, Maul. Really, I do. But I'm not the kind of person who likes to let other people fight my battles.

[Not that she expected this to turn into a battle. This is getting way more out of hand than she realized.]

Can you...explain what the "Dark Side" means, exactly? I've heard Obi-Wan talk about it, but it doesn't make sense to me.

You shouldn't also take on an opponent much stronger than you are. Skywalker has the Force on his side and few could stop him if he decides to do anything rash. If you do feel in physical danger from him, call me right away. Only Obi-Wan or I really have enough experience and power to stop him if he loses his way completely.

[The question comes as a bit of a surprise. Maul was used to people simply writing him off as soon as the words "Dark Side" leave his mouth, so to have someone curious about his personal dogma was different.]

The two sides, Light and Dark, are not equivalent to good and evil, though many think it is that simple. It is all about balance. The Light cannot exist without the Dark and so the two sides strive to be in harmony without ever fully reaching it. What I was taught is that the Sith believe the Force is to be used for their own desires and wants while the Jedi believe the Force should be used to help others and never for their own personal use. I believe Obi-Wan would refer to it as being selfish versus being selfless though I disagree with that interpretation as well. The Sith follow our passions. By giving into our emotions instead of disconnecting from them like the Jedi do, we believe we can find things like the power we crave, the Force freeing us from bonds that otherwise might tie us down. The Dark Side gives me strength. I can feel it all around me at all times and it helps to center me when I lose my way, allowing my anger and hate to flow through me and give me power and energy to achieve my goals. Does that make sense at all?

[Well, that doesn't sound very pleasant. But then again, she's not a big fan of the Jedi notion of shunning attachments either.

Surely, there must be some kind of middle ground?

Still, that's beside the point right now.]

And you think that switching over to this "Dark Side" is going to drive Anakin insane?

For one not used to it like I already am, the power you receive feels like a bolt of lightning being shot straight into your body. It's a heady feeling and can make a person drunk with the power. Absolute power makes it easy for a person to become corrupt.

[One had only to look at Darth Sidious to see where it could all lead at the extreme end of things.]

[She nods a little bit. Ariadne is intimately familiar with absolute power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Which is a problem if you're powerless.]

That's no good at all.

[Absently, she rakes her fingers through her hair.]

I have a funny feeling that if he does snap, his first target might be the Winchester boys.

I believe I spoke with one of them though he didn't give me his name. They seem to think they can handle him.

[All the way to believing they could take his lightsaber and wield it correctly, something Maul wasn't going to believe until he actually saw it happen.]

I believe they are cocky, arrogant, and far too overconfident for non-Force users. I don't know who they think they're going up against but I don't think they can subdue him if Skywalker goes after them, let alone kill him if the need arises. They'll look like fish after skinning when he's done with them.

[Thanks for that visual, Maul. Ariadne cringes, just slightly.]

They...have a tendency to do that.

Which is what worries me. They're my friends and I don't want them getting hurt.

I was that way once. You know what it led me to? Getting cut in half by Obi-Wan. I doubt either of them will survive something like that if it comes to it.

You know them better than I. Would they be open to an alliance with me?

[Maul's willing to work with whoever he has to if it comes to taking down Anakin.]

[She hesitates there. Under normal circumstances, she would say no immediately. Sam, at least, seems to be too much of a paladin.

But he isn't himself lately, is he?]

Difficult to say. Dean refuses to cooperate with almost anyone but...Sam...

[Sam is just weird right now.]

You'd have to talk to him.

I will. Most independent people are foolish but not to the point where they'll risk dying instead of temporarily allying themselves with another.

[Maul pauses.]

Keep yourself safe. If the worst happens, don't hesitate to contact me. If I can't kill him I can at least drive him off if he tries to hurt you or-- [He pauses, thinking of what the flower rats in Deerington had done.] --tries to keep you against your will or anything such as that.

[Simply, yet sincerely:]

Thank you, Maul.

[She bows her head.]

[He tilts his horned head forward in a sort of acknowledgment.]

I do what I can.

[Maul not might be very good at being a good person but he's the best one to call if someone needs to be killed. His talents will serve him well here if he has to go after Anakin.]

Ariadne. It's Dean.

Got any clue why Cas may have thought I gave you literal sex lessons and held a revenge orgy just to piss me off?

[Well, that's quite the beginning of a conversation.]

You did...literally offer to teach me about sex. On the network, remember?

[It's what got Anakin all snarly.]

I'm a bit confused.

[By...just about all of that sentence. And to her credit, she sounds baffled too.]

Does 'literal' mean something else, this time?

He thought I literally fucked you.

Which I didn't. I didn't even hit on you for Christ's sake. Did you say anything to him?

[ Because if Cas had just seen the network shit he would've realized it was entirely innocent. Probably. But Cas didn't mention shit about that so that leads Dean to believe something got said, that then got misconstrued and instead of talking like normal fucking adults, they did all..

this. ]

[She makes a noise. It's hard to parse if it's surprise, disgust, amusement, or some strange combination of all three.]

What? Of course not. Why would I lie about that? It was Sam who wanted to--

[Oh, she should not have said that...]

What?!

[This is what she gets for trying to live honestly, isn't it?

The gods are having fun with her today.]

Sam overheard us discussing sex and apparently thought that meant that I would be interested in copulating with him.

I mentioned it to Cas, but I certainly never would say anything to imply that you and I...

Dean, I'm sure you're very talented at sex, but you're like my brother.

[ yes. yes it is. ]

Sam. Sam Winchester. My brother hit you up to get laid?

[ and no one has told him about this? what the hell. what the HELL. ]

You mentioned it to Cas--of course I'm talented at sex, yeah--wait a minute. Brother?

[ There's a lot to parse in all these words. What the fuck. Like, he's glad she's finally considering him family but also hmph :| ]

[She can sense his frustration. And kind of shares it. But she's holding back half of the story and, really, so is he.]

Dean...what's a "revenge orgy?" And why would Cas want to "piss you off?"

[The words sound strange and alien coming out of her sweet little mouth. But she's trying here!]

What's at the root of this?

Man, Airy...

I don't even know anymore.

[A deep breath. She lets it out slowly.]

Evelyn, Cas, and I had tea the other day. Never once, in our entire conversation, did I say that you and I had sex.

[And that's the truth. Even if it's missing the parts about their concerns around Sam and his soul.]

What did Cas do?

He was under the impression that we had, for some reason. So he threw a big ass orgy at the house - our house, out of spite, cause he's petty like that.

Why would he...

[You can almost hear the light bulb click in her head.]

You're in a relationship with him. He got jealous!

...Why do you sound so damn pleased about that?

I'm not, I'm furious with him! How dare he try to hurt you!

[But a furious Airy is basically a fluffy, white kitten trying hard to be a tiger.

All the same, there's no greater crime among Alastrians than hurting your own mate. It just isn't done.]

He didn't--

[ well, yeah he did. but-- ]

He thought I'd done it first. It didn't used to be outta the realm of possibility for me. So I guess I can understand it.

[ Like. It sucked, and it's cute that she's mad on his behalf. People so rarely are. ]

Dean, I...

I am so, so sorry that he did that to you.

[And she rather wishes she'd been able to predict it. She might have chosen her words more carefully. But she was worried about Sam and she didn't think.]

And I'm sorry if I said something to...but I didn't...I would never...

Yeah, me too.

[ He's getting a headache. What is his life, what a mess. ]

I know you wouldn't. It's not your fault.

I fear it might be.

[She scowls, even though he can't see her.]

Dean, I didn't know...

I know, I know. It's okay, really. I mean it.

Dean...

What's a "revenge orgy?"

[ oh hell no ]

This kinda conversation is what got me in trouble to begin with.

That bad?

Bad enough.

Oh, gods.

[Headdesk. Possibly literally. There's a thump.]

I don't understand people's attitudes toward sex here. I really don't.

What, how casual it is?

Well. Yes. And no.

[She takes a deep breath.]

I never thought of it as something to be discussed in whispers, but Anakin seems to think it is. And then when I talk about it openly, Cas misinterprets what I was saying.

And then Sam--

[A beat.]

Please don't tell him I told you that he asked me. I think he was embarrassed when I said no.

It’s a weird subject, I guess. Depending on who you talk to. Everyone is different.

Sam really tried to get into your pants? That ain’t like him.

I...I know.

[A deep breath.]

It was out-of-character.

Yeah, that's not like Sam. He doesn't usually go trolling for sex.

I used to, but that was me. Not him.

[How much should she say about Sam? Probably not too much. He seems to have a bit of stress to deal with, at the moment.]

Well. I’m sorry Cas hasn’t noticed.

That you “used to,” I mean.

He's...

He's been through a lot. He used to have a lot more power but he lost it. It really messed him up.

That's no excuse for betraying your trust.

It's okay. I was mad, but I'm not anymore. We fixed it.

I'm glad for that.

Making connections is hard enough with...everything. We have to treasure the ones we have.

He's important to me.

I mean...I was mad enough to leave for a few days, but it sucked. It really sucked. I didn't like that.

Of course you didn't.

Love means you don't enjoy being apart. That's how it works, isn't it?

Yeah, I guess..

[ Wait. What did he just admit. ]

I mean--in general. I don't like fighting with Cas anymore. We fought a lot back home, it's exhausting.

Edited 2021-10-23 18:45 (UTC)

[She may not be smart, but she isn't dumb. Ariadne smiles. Just a little.]

Exactly. In general.

Yeah. In general.

Anyway.

How are you doing?

Oh. Well. The garden's coming along quite nicely.

[And a million things are going wrong between Anakin and Sam...]

That's not you Ariadne. How are you doing?

Shitty, or only sorta shitty? Anakin leaving you the fuck alone?

Really, everyone's just telling me to stay out of his sight.

[She shakes her head.]

No good ever came out of isolating someone.

Mmm, no. Sitting around at home or worrying about staying away from him every time you leave isn't gonna do you any good.

Want me to kill him?

What?! No!

[Seriously, Dean?]

No good ever came out of killing someone either!

Edited 2021-10-23 23:59 (UTC)

Eeh...debateable.

But I won't if you don't want me to.

Please do not kill anyone on my behalf.

Or...at all. If you can avoid it.

Don't worry, I'm not gonna go on a murder spree, I promise.

I appreciate that, Dean. Murder's no good.

Eeeh, again, debatable. But I'm not really in the mood for it.

[She shakes her head, but still manages to smile.]

And what are you in the mood for?

[ Sex, drugs, rock 'n roll. ]

A hamburger.

We really need some good restaurants here, don't we?

God, desperately.

I wonder who would be good at arranging that?

No idea. I couldn't run a business if my life depended on it.

But you do know how to cook.

Don't you?

Yeah. Course I do. Been cooking for Sammy my whole life.

Well, maybe you should teach some of the locals how to make hamburgers.

[It's a good distraction from...you know...murdering.]

Yeah...maybe. We'll see.

[ he doesn't sound convinced, but who knows. stranger things have happened. ]

I have every confidence in you!

Greetings, Ariadne,

For the time being, please stay away from Anakin. It seems he has fallen into a deep level of corruption.

[Unfortunately, Ariadne is the literal worst at texting. But she replies immediately.]

cORruption? Wht doessss that me an?

[ oh dear. ]

I'm not sure but it seems this environment encourages negative feelings coming to the surface. Like paranoia and fear.

qell we alr eady knew he wasssssssss paranoid

iSSss it worsse tha n befor e?

I believe so.

Just keep away for now.

wHAt can i Do to hlep?

[There has to be something. She can't just sit back and wait.]

Nothing at the moment.

what are You goi ng to do?

I will do my duty.

yOu're going to have to giv e me a better ansssswer than that

There are no answers at the moment. It will have to do.

pEople are going to g et hurt, arent they?

I will make sure it doesn't come to that.

yOu have to let me help sssssomeho w

I am sorry. But it is too much of a risk.

OBI-WAN!

My answer is final.

nEed I remind you that you are not My massster?

I never said I was. That doesn't mean I'll be accepting your help.

tHEn who will?

[Don't make her go to Maul. She really doesn't want to go to Maul.]

I have a plan.

[ well maul's plan. ]

And for now, that is what I'll use. If it changes, I will let you know.

Tell me wha t the plan issss

OtherWissse, I might accident ally messss it up, try ing to help. yOu know It could hppen

That is a strange way to put it, considering you were offering to help earlier.

i"m not jusst goi ng to ssssit in my room. ANd if I sssssssee ssomething alarming, I cant ignore it

All I'm asking is to keep your distance from Anakin for now.

FIne.

aNd if he comesss to me?

Then let me know as soon as possible.

i DOn't like thisss. nOT at all.

No one likes this. I have to prepare for the worst but also believe in hope. I do not want to take chances with people's lives.

I bElieve you. I do. It'sss jusst a little har d to do nothing

[ his tempers calms a little. he's tense and he knows he's taking it out on her. ]

It is. But for now, it will have to do.

dO you promisse? Only f or now?

For now.

aLL right

Hey.

Can we talk? Can--I come to you? Please?

[That is not the voice of a happy Dean. A sense of alarm immediately spikes in Ariadne's throat.]

Of course, Dean. You're always welcome.

Thanks, I just—

[ yeah no. something is definitely wrong. ]

I’ll see you in a few.

[She's already bracing herself for trouble.]

Oh, yes, of course.

I'll meet you out in the orchard. By the red flag on the cinnamon tree.

Sure.

[ Give him half an hour to cool his shit, use the lamp in front of his house to get as close as possible, then head over. He looks exceptionally distressed - and a solid five years younger. ]

[Ariadne is lingering under the cinnamon tree when she spots him. Or, more accurately, picks up his scent. Turning in his direction, she immediately picks up on something...different.

No wounds that she can see. His clothing is a mess, but that's not entirely uncommon.

There's something...something else.

Without hesitating, she walks over to the road, hurrying to meet up with him.]

Dean?

[ He hesitates a little, lingering a safe distance away because this is strange for him, knowing someone and yet not, relying on memories of another life, trying to grapple with what's real and what's just wisps of a dream. ]

Hey. Um -- how are you?

[She's deeply concerned. If the line forming between her eyes is any indication.

Unlike Dean, however, she's not one to hesitate.

She walks straight up to him and gives him a hug.]

You look like you need this.

[ He stiffens for a moment, because he's so rarely touched or hugged ( or was that other him who didn't like it, who didn't like being surprised with affection - or, more accurately, didn't know what to do with it after not having it for five years? ) -- but he immediately sinks into it, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck.

Fuck, he didn't realize how upset he really was. Not being able to talk to Sam, not really having anyone else...

It hurts. His heart hurts, and he's tired and maybe Cas is right - maybe they should just go home. ]

[She feels the way his attitude changes, his body stiff, then gentle. There's something going through his head right now.

Maybe something he needs to talk about. But she's not going to push it. Dean is still a snarly male, whether he lets her hug him or not.

Still, she lingers as long as she dares, before pulling back to arm's length, keeping her palms on his shoulders.]

Do you want to come inside? Sit down?

[Talk about it?]

[ She isn't wrong, there's a lot going on. He's...yeah. He's hurting. ]

Yeah, I think that would be nice. If you don't mind.

[Ariadne loops her arm through his elbow, gently leading the way into her little shop.

Past the herbs and the high windows from Deerington.

Up the spiral staircase.

And into her little nest above, a small room filled with pillows of every conceivable color, mobiles of colored glass drifting lazily in the breeze coming through one of the windows.]

Would you like some tea?

[ He lets himself be led, too mentally worn out to argue or do anything except go along with her.

And really - what he really wants is to drink himself into fuckiong oblivion so he doesn't have to think, but instead he finds himself nodding, taking in the area around him. It's pretty. Very her. ]

Yeah. Sure, thanks.

[She immediately goes to her little kitchenette. Dusty and unused though it is, she knows how to boil water for tea. She even owns a tea kettle, which is nothing short of miraculous.

She puts the kettle on, before turning to look at him again.

There really is something different about him. His face seems...almost like a smooth mask of his own face. Like a stone that a river's run over.]

I would offer you something to eat, but I don't have much besides bread and chocolate.

[ He feels like a zombie, a facsimile of who he was before. He feels strange in his own skin, and isn't sure how to process it. ]

...That's all you have for food? You should've told me, I'd have brought you something.

Well, it's not all...

[She gives him a timid, little shrug.]

I have plenty of fruit. But I don't think that's your favorite. Or has that changed?

No, it hasn't. Is this all you're eating? Bread, chocolate and fruit? That's it?

[ The focus is shifting straight to her as his concern rises. What the hell, Airy. ]

Somehow, I don't think you came here to talk about my diet.

[And while she's perfectly happy to let Dean steer the conversation, the last thing she wants is for it to become about her.

It's not about her.]

No, but now I'm worried about you. Are you getting enough? You know Sammy and I keep a full pantry.

[ Dean - endverse, anyway and now he supposes he, too - was a hoarder by necessity. An apocalyptic world rife with a raging virus and dwindling supplies? Yeah. Their basement looks like the canned section of a grocery store. ]

[She walks over to him, kneeling down on one of the pillows on the floor.]

Dean, I grew up in a rain forest. Right now, I have more food than I imagined existed, when I was a little girl.

And yes, I've seen your pantry.

Okay, but this doesn't seem like a balanced diet--

[ This, coming from mister cheeseburgers and pizza and apple pie. ]

So you know if you need anything, we got you.

[She smiles, tilting her head to one side.]

Of course I know that.

Why would I ever doubt you?

[ He flashes a smile, slightly tentative, lifting a shoulder in a tired shrug. ]

Just making sure. You worry me sometimes.

You're worrying me right now.

[What is going on in that head of his?

The tea kettle whistles on the stove, so Ariadne gets up to take care of it. She has a couple of mismatched mugs handy, quickly pouring two cups and adding the leaves to steep.]

What's troubling you, Dean?

I think, uh.

[ He rubs the back of his head, collapsing a little onto a pillow without grace. ]

I think Cas and I are done. Or--if we ever...were. I don't know what counts anymore.

[She nearly drops one of the mugs, gasping softly.]

No...

[And if she looks horrified, well. A part of it might be because she blames herself.

That stupid conversation. Why did she have to bring it up?]

[ He can immediately sense where her head goes, and he shakes his head. ]

No, it isn't your fault. It's ours. Mine. I wanted to...really see if Sam's soul was gone, and we screwed up the spellwork.

[ His face screws up, looking tired and drawn. ]

Remember the other Dean, the one who was here? The younger one, more of an idiot, kinda rude?

[Sam's soul? Well, that sends a chill down her spine.

She picks up the mugs and carries them over to Dean, setting them down on the floor.]

Yes, of course.

[ He stares down at the mug but doesn't pick it up. ]

I-- we both...shifted back into the original timeline. I'm...him, in a way. The other Dean. And Cas is...

Not a junkie anymore, let's put it that way.

[Wait. What?

Ariadne looks at him, a little line of confusion forming between her eyes.

Until something suddenly sparks with her.]

You...I thought that you looked...different.

Yeah, I'm about five years younger. Give or take a few months, I guess.

[ And he looks massively unhappy about it. ]

There aren't as many lines on your face.

[No offense.

She sits down next to him, gently taking his chin in her hand, turning his face toward the light so she can look him over.

Yes, fewer worries. Even if he seems incredibly worried right now.]

But you still remember everything? The life you had for those five years?

[ He lets her, expression tired, eyes red rimmed, like he's done his share of tear shedding before coming over here. ]

Yeah. I remember it all. It's...hard to pick apart what's real and what was...him.

[ Or if it was all real. He doesn't know. ]

[Poor Dean.

Her heart is aching for him. As is plainly evident on her face.]

Him?

The old me. The older me.

[ He looks down at the mug on the floor and reaches for it, not knowing what else to do with his hands, wrapping his fingers around it and falling quiet. ]

[She lets go, backing off, giving him his space.

Talking about yourself like it's another person? That can't be good.]

I'm not sure his memories are any less real.

I...can't tell. Because they're mine, and it's--

[ He doesn't know how to explain that he both is and isn't that guy. He was, but now he isn't, but he retains all of it, all those experiences, and it's..heavy. ]

I guess it doesn't matter. At least we didn't blow ourselves off the map with crappy spellwork.

Blow yourselves off the...what?

[Way too many figures of speech and metaphors in there.]

[ He smiles. ]

...Nothing. We're alive. That's the important part.

Well, it is important.

[But she stares down into the depths of cup, looking troubled.]

How are you different from him? Besides the five years...

I went back to the other timeline. The 'good' end, I guess.

[ It's not that good, in his opinion. ]

I lived out five years as him, then went back and...lived another year as...me. It's fuckin' weird, it feels crowded in my head.

A good end, though. That's...well...good, right?

[Still confusing. But it sounds a little better.]

Sort of. It's not that great, but we stopped the apocalypse, which was the goal.

[ He guesses. ]

But?

[There's got to be some kind of 'but' in this. One that would make Dean so miserable.]

It didn't just throw me back into the original timeline. It pushed Cas back, too, and he's--

[ Well. An angel, but Dean isn't outing Cas unless he wants to be. ]

Different. He was different, then. We weren't..as close. And it's put up a wall of glass between us, now.

Oh...

[Yes, that's a pretty terrible 'but.' And Ariadne is probably the worst person to offer any kind of advice.

The best she can offer is logic.]

Well, is he missing those five years too?

Yeah. He remembers them, all of it, like I do, but we're both...different. I keep sayin' that, I know, but I dunno how else to put it.

[ He holds his tea, but doesn't drink it. ]

He left the cabin. Said he didn't have a reason to stay because he doesn't sleep or eat, so he just left. He left me.

Oh. He's changed back into a...

[She makes a vague gesture that could mean a variety of things. Ariadne met another version of Cas. He was...

Well, he made her very uncomfortable.]

[ He lifts a brow, cause that's an interesting reaction. ]

Angel. He's an angel.

Right.

[Because the version she knew seemed to enjoy tactile sensation. Almost as much as an Alastrian.

Although she still hasn't figured out that wormwood thing.]

That's complicated.

[ Don't ask. That Cas was a mess, but Dean loved him, violently, and now it's gone. ]

A little, yeah.

[She takes a deep breath, slowly letting it out between her teeth.]

Still. You and your family don't exactly let complicated things intimidate you.

No...

[ It's true, they dont intimidate the Winchesters. ]

But sometimes they tear us apart.

Well, that's why I'm here. To put you back together if it does.

[She leans over to put her hand on his arm.]

I dunno if one person can do that.

[ He smiles, because goddamn, Dean - pull your shit together. What's wrong with you, getting all emo on people? You've got this. ]

We'll be fine, though. We always are.

I know.

[Which isn't exactly a lie. More like Ariadne trying to be comforting. She's always been good at both.

For now, she squeezes his arm, before pulling back.

And lets out a slow breath.]

Dean...what were you saying before? About Sam and his...soul?

Cas and I thought his soul was gone. Still do.

[ Considering their fight not so long ago, he's pretty confident that's the case. ]

[She hesitates. She swore that she would leave Dean out of it, that he had enough to deal with.

But if he's already there...]

Miss Evelyn and I were, uh, starting to wonder something along those lines as well.

You--what?

[ He looks confused, then annoyed, then relieved. ]

So it's not just me and Cas thinkin' he's acting weird.

No, he's acting really weird.

[She shrugs.]

I didn't want to say anything, didn't want to worry you.

[ He gives a bit of an exasperated look ]

When it comes to my brother - always worry me.

I'd hoped it was nothing, that we were letting our imaginations get away with us...

[Ariadne shakes her head.]

A missing soul is...a strong suspicion.

[ That's fair. ]

I get that. But I don't think it's unfounded this time. There's something really wrong.

So what do we do?

[Yes, Dean, she's joining your family in every way. And the look in her eyes better be a good warning that she's not going to sit this one out.]

I'm not sure yet, honestly. We don't really know where his soul is, but I have a bad feeling it's back home, in Lucifer's cage.

[ Which...is not great. At all. ]

Lucifer's cage?

[Slow blink.]

What's that?

The cage the Devil's locked in. Sam trapped him in there but he had to go in, too. It's -- complicated.

[ And fresh, for Dean. ]

[She exhales softly.]

I assume that cage is in your world?

[ He nods, dragging a hand over his face. He's tired, man. ]

Yeah. It is. Thankfully.

All right.

[She takes a quick sip of her tea.]

So how do we get it here?

That's the real question. I don't know. Cas and I were trying to confirm the whole lack of soul thing, and with how the spell went I think it's safe to say we were right.

But I dunno how to get it here without popping Lucifer out of his cage.

Maybe something to do with the water? We all arrived here by way of the water.

[As squids, it was strange. We won't dwell on that.]

Some way to summon it through the sea?

Yeah...yeah, maybe. I'm just not sure.

[ Being sure probably means reaching out to Cas, and he's not sure he's ready to do that yet. The idea of him still stings, the loss aching in his chest like a broken limb, throbbing in agony. ]

I think the first step is...really making sure that we're right. There's only one way I know how to do that, and that's to involve the angel.

[ Can't even say his name, can you. Coward. ]

[Ariadne winces a little.]

I think, if we're asking favors, we're going to have to get you two back on a first-name basis.

We've been at odds before. It isn't the first time.

[ Cas will do it, Dean just...has to ask and not yell at him for leaving him again. ]

[She exhales slowly.]

Do you want me to ask him?

I can do it, if you give me the right words.

No, it's fine. I'll get with him.

I have his crap anyway. He needs to get it out of the house since he doesn't want to be there.

Do you need me to go with you?

[It's a genuine offer. Not one oozing with pity.]

No...no, I think I'll be okay.

[ Probably. They'll likely fight like cats but he knows Cas gives a shit about Sam, at least, so he'll do it. ]

[She doesn't look wholly convinced. But she has to trust Dean. It's the only way to make sure that Dean trusts her.

She absolutely won't be sidelined in this. Won't be infantilized.

Won't be treated the way Obi-Wan is treating her.]

I have a friend: Varian. If we need to research or build or brew anything, he would be willing to help.

[ No...Dean doesn't want to sideline her. He just has to make sure of a few things, first. And Cas is the only one who can stuff a fist into Sam's chest and find out. Then they can go from there. ]

I haven't met him, but if he's a friend of yours, then I'm willing to give it a try.

I won't start anything until we're sure.

...and, I guess, until we know what we're going to do.

I'd appreciate that.

As soon as I hear something, you'll be the first to know.

[Ariadne nods, choosing to believe him for now.]

What about little Sam? Is he...safe?

He's probably the safest of the bunch. Living his dream childhood, really. Going to school, doing trig instead of sleeping in the backseat of the impala, wondering what gas station our next sandwich is coming from.

[Well, that's a relief.]

Does he know about what's going on?

Should he?

He doesn't, yet.

[ But Dean's being harassed in al ater dated thread, so. You know. ]

But he'll need to, eventually. This isn't his first rodeo.

If you need a safe place for him, he can stay here.

[She looks around the room. And gives him an embarrassed smile.]

I'll find a bed for him.

Nah, he's alright. There's nothing going on at the cabin that's dangerous. Sam's being a dick, but he isn't bringing it home.

[ And little Sammy is as protective of his older brother as Dean is of him. Dean knows that the kid won't go anywhere - he knows that because he wouldn't, if it were reversed. ]

Yes. I suppose Sam wouldn't be making advances on...himself?

[Then again, she's heard of people doing worse.]

[ Dean looks utterly horrified ]

Jesus, no. God, absolutely not.

[She nods again.]

I'm so sorry, Dean.

You shouldn't have to have problems piled on top of problems. It isn't fair.

Yeah...well.

I'm used to this kinda thing. It'll be alright.

Of course it'll be all right.

[Says the eternal optimist.]

That doesn't make it any easier to go through.

Ariadne, this is Castiel
Are Dean and Sam with you?

[Under other circumstances, she might try to text back. But her texting skills are awful. She knows it.

And if it involves Dean and Sam, it could be urgent.

So she gets on the video feed, looking wide-eyed and nervous right off the bat.]

No. None of them. Why?

[ Oh, video. Okay, sure. Cas switches immediately, too nervous to question why, when most people seem to prefer text. ]

I haven't heard from Dean in almost a day
I heard, also, that Sam had been hassling you
Have either of them contacted you recently?

[She shakes her head.]

No.

Dean said he was going to talk to you about ways to fix Sam. Did you figure something out? He promised me that he would tell me if he did. That he wouldn't go off and do something by himself.

[See this face? This is the face of someone who really wants to trust him, but is beginning to lose that trust.]

[ That's a familiar expression, to be sure. Cas can empathize. ]

No, he wouldn't have done something like that without me.

[ Wouldn't he, tho... Castiel doesn't entirely look like he believes the words before he refocuses. ]

When's the last time you spoke to him? Or Sam?

Um...I don't know? I guess when Sam decided to expose himself to me?

[She's dismissive of it because it wasn't the genitalia that bothered her. More just the fact that it was so out-of-character.]

A few days back?

Edited 2021-12-09 02:54 (UTC)

Sam doesn't make a point to seek Ariadne out, but he knows she is never far from her orchard. She can probably smell him a mile off but it's cold and windy, so he reckons his scent won't linger long enough to pick up right away and when she does, he'll be long gone.

He isn't sure what compels him to be there, they haven't spoken in a while, but he knows things are about to get tricky and just in case.. maybe..

Maybe he should do this.

Dean said he didn't think Sam had a soul.

Sam is beginning to agree with his his brother.

He doesn't care about it, not particularly. He doesn't even care about Dean that much except that survival here would be a lot more difficult without him and if Sam doesn't take some action to clear the playing field soon Dean won't stick around much longer.

Maybe it's a goodbye.. in a way. Or a hello. Or a cry for help. Maybe, just maybe, it is the last calling wisp of his soul attempting to fix the festering void behind his body's ribs.

Sam tracks through the snow in his heavy, steel capped boots, searching for the oldest tree in the very center. By all rights he trusts it to be the most sacred, and from his pocket he produces a small, silver charm bracelet.

He ponders why he's even out there, moving it around his knuckles like prayer beads. His fingers are numb but he knows the shape of every talisman without having to look. Crosses, stars, and triskelions amongst Enochian and human sigils.

Finally, his fingers stop on the one that feels right and he looks down. A petite, sunbeamed pentagram, the same as the tattoo on his chest, that feels warm despite the temperature.

This is it.

Sam unclasps the charm from the bracelet and threads it on to a length of cord he'd been carrying in his other hand before tying it to the lowest hanging branch of the tree.

It feels strange in his chest and he doesn't know why. This bracelet doesn't mean anything to him anymore. It's just junk. So why...

Better not to dwell. It's probably not that deep.

He takes a breath and casts a hope on the gleam of the silver in sunlight that when everything comes to a head with Anakin, the problem will be solved and he can move on from this whole clusterfuck of a situation. Put the dog back in his cage. Stop relying on a Sith lord for safety warnings.

A beat and he turns, stepping in his same footprints, and follows them back to the cobbled streets of town.

[Wrapped up in a bright red and white box is a plate of bought snowflake cookies and adecorative hair piece.

Attached is a note with a little rabbit doodle:]

Happy Holidays!
Love,
Usagi

[A few hours later, when Ariadne returns home, she spots the gift and makes a soft, delighted sound.

After reading the note, she hops on the network.]

Usagi! Thank you so much for the gift!

Awww yay! I'm glad you like it! I thought it would make you look even more beautiful!

That's...very kind of you to say.

[Although she might be a little more excited by the cookies...]

Do you celebrate the holiday with the fat man who breaks into houses?

I'm sorry, what?

Are... are you talking about Santa?

Right! Yes! The one who leaves gifts?

Um, sorta? Christmas isn't that big of a thing in Japan where I'm from, it's actually more of a "couples" holiday, but I like giving gifts to my friends and Christmas is a good excuse for my usually shy friends.

What's a "couples" holiday?

Oh, you know, like, a romantic holiday, a holiday usually celebrated by people in a romantic sort of relationship.

I see! We have something like that back home. It's called Aefie's Eve.

What do you do for Aefie's Eve?

Um...well, it's also a "couples" holiday. So I'm sure couples do all kinds of nice things.

[She shrugs. Having never been in a relationship, she can't say much.]

But there are some beautiful hymns we sing to Aefie. She's the goddess of love.

Oh! I have a goddess of love too! She's Venus or Aphrodite, both names work for her. She's the goddess of love and beauty!

Both love and beauty? She must be a very busy goddess.

She is. [Looking after Usagi and being in charge of all the senshi on top of trying to be an idol.] But she's amazing so she handles it.

It sounds like...

[Ariadne tilts her head.]

Like you know her. Do you?

I do! I know a lot of goddesses back home.

Oh! That's wonderful!

What's she like?

She's absolutely amazing, honestly. Brave and loving and willing to put pretty much everyone else before herself. She wants everyone to experience love and happiness, whatever that looks like for them. She's supportive and kind and there for you when you're going through really hard times. She's able to do anything she puts her mind to.

And gorgeous, absolutely stunning. [And literally the best teacher Usagi has ever had.] She teaches and leads by example, showing you what to do, how to do something, and she would never ask of you something she isn't willing to do either.

Sounds like everything you'd want a goddess of love and beauty to be!

She is. I'm so lucky that I get to know her!

I've never met our goddess of love.

She's...sort of standoff-ish. In fact, no one's seen her since long before my grandparents' time.

Edited 2022-01-09 00:46 (UTC)

Why did she disappear?

I...I don't know.

Sometimes, her daughter comes to court. She's our goddess of beauty.

Has anyone gone to look for her?

Honestly, I don't know.

I'm not sure were you go to look for a goddess.

Just ask her daughter!

Oh, well. I'm nowhere near important enough to approach the goddess Kallista.

[She laughs.]

Anyway, I wouldn't want to be rude.

Sure you are! Besides, maybe the goddess wants someone to go find her.

Maybe...

[Ariadne smiles faintly.]

Who knows? Maybe some day I can go home again. And I will ask.

And then the goddess will be so glad to have someone who asked about her, who showed concern for her.

I suppose they must get lonely. Same as the rest of us.

[At least, she's sure demi-gods do, based on the behavior she's seen from Kallista's children.]

Immortality sucks if you really think about it.

"Sucks?"

Does that mean..."isn't good?"

It definitely means "isn't good," yeah. If something sucks, it's awful.

Like...a mosquito.

They suck blood. And are kind of awful. At least when there are too many of them.

Even just one mosquito is awful, but yes! Exactly like that!

I'll try to remember that!

You're you so I'm sure you'll remember it fine.

I'm me?

[Who else would she be?]

What does that mean?

[A pause.]

I'm so sorry, I keep asking you that!

You don't need to apologize for wanting to understand.

And I just mean, you're you, you're amazing and smart and kind! You'll be able to remember it just fine.

[She laughs.]

I think that's a little generous, but thank you for the many compliments.

No, just honest. We've talked long enough that I know it's true.

You can tell something like that so quickly?

For some people? Absolutely.

Well. We're going to have to talk a lot then. I'll want to learn your secrets to doing that!

I won't say I'd mind if we did! The opposite, actually!

Then we'll meet again.

[Maul's fiendish delight in the holiday means he's once again broken into people's houses and used all the stealth he possesses to leave those he likes a gift or two. Sometimes, he even goes right down the chimney like a demented version of Santa Claus. However, given Ariadne's gift is a little fragile, Maul opts for leaving it on the porch with a note.]

I am told this sapling will grow into what is called an "avocado tree", producing a type of fruit which can be eaten. I hope it is suitable to your tastes. Merry Christmas, Ariadne ~Maul

[Ariadne calls Maul later in the day, after discovering the sapling. Her voice is warm and kind, as always.]

Thank you, Maul. That's so sweet of you.

What do you think I should name it? I'd love to give it a Zabrak name.

[Maul is glad she likes the gift and is touched she thinks enough of it to ask him for recommendations on names. Some might make fun of Airy for giving her trees names but Maul figures maybe it's a cultural thing for her. Plenty of people don't understand some of the things he does either that are steeped in Nightbrother tradition.]

Let's see....there's Carver, Wrath, Riot, Loathe, Daunt....do any of those sound good for the little fellow?

[Some of those are very violent names. And she understands that that's normal in Zabrak culture.

But it doesn't feel right for an avocado tree.

She gives it a moment of consideration.]

I kind of like "Riot." It can have a couple of different meanings. And cultivating gardens is like rioting against the world a little bit.

Very well then. [He tests out the name and how it sounds.] Riot the avocado tree.

[Hmmmm....]

Not bad. I think it will fit him.

It's perfect. Thank you, Maul.

I'm only sorry I don't have anything for you or Savage.

That's perfectly alright. Neither of us are used to gifts at all. I hadn't even known of this tradition before coming to Deerington, for we don't have it in our own galaxy.

Well, we'll have to start creating our own traditions.

Yes. I have discovered a few Earth ones that I enjoy. They do seem to like celebrating anything at the drop of a hat.

I like that.

When life is hard, you need excuses to celebrate.

I suppose that is one way of looking at it.

[Even if Maul with his dour personality isn't really able to do so at all.]

[She laughs.]

I'll make an optimist out of you yet, Maul.

[A pause.]

Well, not really. I would never try to change someone. It was only a joke.

[Maul gives a throaty laugh, an unusual sound given he doesn't often find cause to laugh around people.]

I understand completely. You can just add to the multitude of people trying to convince me as such.

Nah. I don't think I'm like any of them.

Perhaps. You do have a certain personality all your own.

[He couldn't imagine anyone else naming a tree or holding such stock by them but at the same time he likes it. The human beings here are varied but he misses the multitude of species that he could find no matter where he roamed in the galaxy. Airy being Alastrian and having such a different way of looking at things did ease the homesickness a little bit.]

Well, Maul, now that's just about the nicest thing you've ever said to me.

[She bows her head.]

Thank you.

[Hmph. He's getting soft the longer he's spent in these towns. Ah well. At least Airy does know there is bite as well as bark within him.]

You're welcome. Have a Merry Christmas, Ariadne.

Merry Christmas.

Ariadne, hey, it's Raleigh Becket.

I hope you're well, I just wanted to touch base about all the plant life this month. I'm assuming you've seen it. I think now is our chance to take advantage of seeds and seedlings. If we're gonna get any kind of harvest this year we need to be planting out now. The ground seems fertile, so we gotta move.

Call me back when you've got a chance. Let's make a plan.

Thanks

[Ariadne calls back a little while later. She sounds...miserable. But the kind of miserable where she's pretending to be all right.

She's pretending as hard as she can.]

Yeah. You're right.

We should...do that.

[Raleigh looks down at his Omni with a furrowed brow when she calls back. That.. huh.]

Ariadne? Are you okay?

Me? Oh. I'm fine.

[She's not a fine.]

Just a little sore...

Sore? What happened??

[She offers him a slight groan.]

Nothing!

[A pause. That sounds a little defensive, doesn't it?]

I mean, that's just it. Nothing happened. I just...feel like I fell out of a tree. A really, really high one.

[Sounds a bit sus, girl.]

Huh. Is there anything I can do? Cup of tea? Get a healer?

I'm not sure any healers here are familiar enough with Alastrian physiology.

[Which may be a bit of an excuse. But also true!]

But nothing happened it's just...for the last...couple of days? Everything hurts.

You're starting to sound like me.

[A playful chuckle.]

When did all this start? Beginning of the month?

Edited 2022-03-13 04:28 (UTC)

More or less.

Why?

I bet it has something to do with that. My powers have been weird since the first, just like that.

[Powers- HA. That's so wild to say.]

But...I don't have powers.

[Well, she has powers. But certainly not from Trench.]

The natives say I'm a waste of potential.

[It doesn't bother her. Really.]

That's bullshit.

[It's a kneejerk snort in response.]

You're not a waste of anything and the natives are..blood...racists. I hate all that anti warmblood crap. Rich coming from them who have shit all.

[It's not the worst thing she'd been called. But that probably doesn't matter much.]

What do you mean, your powers are weird?

[Humph. He wants to fight the locals over warmbloods and here you are redirecting him. So rude. Probably for the best.]

Well, I uh. I’m a coldblood? So it’s all fire and lightning. But since the first of the month I can’t access those abilities. What I can do, which is why I called you, is make things grow. Anything, seems like. You name it, it grows.

...anything?

[She may never even think the word 'Warmblood' again. This is way too distracting.]

With or without seeds?

Anything I can think of I’ve been able to sprout from a handful of dirt.

They’re growing now so we’ll see if they are what they’re supposed to be, but so far so good.

That's incredible!

[She's practically giddy. And they're never going back to talking about blood types.]

Oh, Raleigh! I can think of so many things we need!

[He is absolutely delighted. This has come at exactly the right time.]

Me too. I've started a few things but if you've got as list send it on over and I'll do what I can. Or I could come over and we could plant in around your trees?

Man, I wish I had a greenhouse.

Talk to Luke Skywalker.

He mentioned he might be able to build one. Perhaps we could share it?

Yeah, that would be good. Where do you wanna build-

-sorry, talk to who?

Luke Skywalker?

[Admittedly, the Skywalkers have a kind of bad reputation in town. At least, from her perspective. But Luke is really quite sweet.]

Sky-walk-er.

[Raleigh laughs with disbelief, short and slightly high.]

I.. ppbfh. I didn't realize he was here.

...

[She tries to piece it together, but the things she knows about Luke's world and Raleigh's are inconsistent.

Which basically leaves her with a question:]

What?

[He is not helpful, either.]

What.

Do you...know him?

Oh- no.. no, not personally. He's kind of a legend where I come from, though. Big fan of his work with the rebels.

Don't worry about it.

So you guys were talking about a greenhouse? Where do you wanna build it?

[Uh huh...]

We hadn't gotten that far. It seems like the fields or the Willful Machine would be best.

Willful Machine is built up unless you mean your place, which could work if you've got the space. I've got protected land if you don't mind the lantern journey to Feed.

Not at all.

The more space, the better, I would think.

Well, great. I was planning on building one anyway so I can't see there being an issue. I'll run it by Chuck but I'd love to get this off the ground as soon as possible.

[A small chuckle. Slightly guilty.]

I've got trays and trays of seedlings ready to plant out. Do you think you could spare a few buckets of dirt from your garden? Really cover our bases.

Of course.

[A pause. Nope, she can't let it go.]

I'm sorry. Luke is a legend?

[Damnit]

Uh well, kinda.

[He just. God he doesn't want to get himself into any kind of trouble, here.]

Well, I've just heard about.. his life. I guess. Pretty neat. All the stars.. and. Wars.

[She presses her lips together.]

"Legends" are usually dead...

Huh? Oh- no, not in this case. Happily Ever After, if memory serves.

Happily ever after?

[She's even more confused.]

I'm not sure how that doesn't imply...long dead. Is Luke dead in your time?

[Now she sounds genuinely anxious.]

No, no, it just means everything worked out in the end and it's all good. Don't think about it too hard, okay? It's all good.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

[She shakes her head, exhaling through her nose.]

It's only that he's a good friend. I don't like the idea of something bad happening to him, you know?

Totally, I get it. I didn't mean to scare you. It's all good.

Sorry for overreacting. I don't know what's wrong with me lately!

[Yes, she does. She just doesn't want to admit it.]

[There's a pause as Raleigh nearly, foolishly, asks if it's her time of the month. But he has a sister and he isn't stupid, so he chooses Option B. Might not be any safer, though.]

It's been a weird winter. I know a lot of people are struggling with corruption right now. You wanna talk about it?

Oh, it's not corruption. I promise that.

[Being Warmblooded, she's not sure it's even possible.]

I guess, I've just had a sort of epiphany lately. About how my life has changed. About I have more choices in Trench than I ever had back home.

[Phew! Relief. He isn't sure he's actually equipped to talk someone down from corruption, anyway. Not if his last conversation with Lance is anything to go by.]

Ah.. yeah, that's a big one. Just in general? Where you go, what you do?

Yes, all of that.

And even more!

Oh yeah? Like what?

I suppose I have the freedom to do "normal" things.

Like...go out dancing. Or learn new skills for the fun of it. Fall in love. Swim in the sea for no reason at all. And learn to bake...well, maybe I should stay clear of the kitchen...

What, no good in the kitchen? I could give you a couple tips if you want. I grew up cooking with my mother.

I'm a menace!

[She laughs.]

At least, according to the palace cooks.

[Laugh!]

That must have been a sight.

What was the castle like? White and gleaming?

More...purple. Purple and gleaming.

The granite and marble was ancient. More than a thousand years old. Quarried from a secret cavern that no one's been able to find for centuries. The only white was the marble on the floor. Oh! I loved those tiles! I used to practice walking them without touching the grout between when I was a little girl!

Secret purple marble quarries sounds like a helluvan adventure. I know what you mean, though, I did that too with cracks in the sidewalk.

There's a game like that. Do you have hopscotch?

No, I don't think so.

It sorta sounds like something you drink.

[Snort. He likes this. He likes conversations with Ariadne. About nothing and everything. It's easy.]

Yeah, it kinda does.

Well? You can't just leave it there.

What is hopscotch?

Oh- sorry. It's a game where you draw a numbered grid on the ground and throw a stone, then you hop on the grid but skip over the box your stone landed on.

I don't really understand it, but my sister used to make me play it with her.

I could show you some time?

I haven't played a game in...a very long time.

[Never mind that Jumanji is breathing down her neck.]

That could be very fun.

[Nope, fuck Jumanji. Raleigh ain't about that life, he saw the movie. Jack Black is funny but hard pass.]

Well alright then. When you're feeling better let's set it up. I'll teach you how to play corn hole, too.

Edited 2022-03-27 04:18 (UTC)

Does it involve corn? And...holes?

You're gonna love this. It does not involve corn at all. There are holes, though.

Just as well. We probably need to start thinking about planting corn, anyway. Not playing games with it.

[Another laugh. He can't disagree with that.]

That we should.

I guess.. I should probably get on that.

You're going to keep us all going, Raleigh.

I hope you know how much of a hero you are.

Pff- nah. We’re all in this together.

Besides, you’re helping me on this, don’t think you’re getting off the hook.

...hook?

[She looks a bit alarmed, turning over her shoulder.]

There's a hook?

Only in the metaphorical sense. Like how you'd catch a fish with a hook, you'd catch a person with an obligation or responsibility.

Another idiom.

I see.

Said the blind man to his deaf wife~

That seems cruel. His wife wouldn't be able to--

[Wait.]

Oh.

[Raleigh just laughs.]

Good bye, Ariadneee

[And he laughs until he hangs up.]

hey!!
Ezra and i were wondering if we could try and experiment with your trees
don't worry it should be safe
we just want to feed them energy from the earth
they should get a nice meal out of it, and if it hurts then i'll be able to tell and we'll stop
is that ok with you?

[Sorry, Fern. Ariadne might possibly be the worst at texting ever. But she tries.]

yOu want to f eed the treessss?
wI th you r powerssss?

[Oh Glob, she's trying. He can understand her text though, and that's all that matters.]

yeah!
well
with Ezra's powers

THere 'sss no ri ssssk to t he TRessss?

i don't think so
i don't think he's the kind of guy who'd want to do this if there was

no. I Guesss youre' right
aND i Trussst yo u

don't worry
we'll be responsible!

AT le assst tell Me how it goess !

will do :)

i"M ssorry, i Don"t kno ww hat that lasst word isss
ALthough, if you turn th e Omni to one sside it kindo f look sss like a sssssmi le

oh yeah sorry
that's what it's supposed to be
a smile

OH!
I Like it

yeah they're pretty cute

tHE cu tesst!

[ Here, enjoy this dainty music box hand delivered by a little Trench runner. When opened and allowed to play, it will play a few bars of Hey, Jude.

There is a note attached from Dean.

Happy Birthday. It's not much, but this was my mothers favorite song. Hopefully you like it too.

She used to tell me Angels were watching over me, but I always thought that was a bunch of bunk after she died.

Then people like Cas come along and you kinda wonder.

Anyway, hope you like it.

-Dean ]

[Ariadne calls almost as soon as she gets it. It's the right thing to do. Although she's a little delayed, entranced by the music box.

When the feed pops on, she's smiling so hard her cheeks might burst.]

Oh, Dean! This is so beautiful!

Thank you!

[ He nearly jumps out of his skin when his Omni chirps, pulling it close to flash her a little smile. ]

Yeah? It’s not too… I dunno. Cliché?

Cliché?

[She pauses to consider it.]

Well, not in my world, anyway. And if it is in yours, I wouldn't know.

[Thoughtfully, she turns the music box with one finger, examining it from all angles.]

We believe in angels too, you know. Although none of them were like Cas.

Cas is...special.

[ He's just a little creature, really. Dean misses him. ]

I'm glad you like it, anyway.

I've never gotten a birthday present before.

[She laughs. It's not a tragic thing. Just novel.]

I don't know what to say. Thank you. Again. Thank you.

Really?

[ It is kinda tragic, but Dean can't say much. Last time his brother gave him something, it was motor oil and a couple candy bars, so. He has no room to talk. ]

Well, first time for everything. You're welcome.

How else do people celebrate birthdays in your world?

As long as I'm here, I want to learn as many customs as possible.

Uh, sometimes people have parties. Sam and I never really celebrated very often. We'd have a beer or two, but nothing big.

[She wrinkles her nose a little.]

Well, I don't like beer much. But I'm sure I could find a substitute.

I might be able to come up with something you may like in the bar. You like sweet stuff?

Oh, yes. Very much.

[A pause. And she hurried adds.]

Not whisky!

[Nervous laugh.]

You had me try whisky once before.

[ he snorts a laugh. That sounds about right. ]

Didn't like it, huh?

...at least I didn't spit all over you?

Small blessings.

I'm at the bar if you wanna come have a birthday drink. No whiskey.

Your bar?

[She's already calculating a route...]

Yup. Just hanging out, it's a slow day.

Well, that's no good.

[A pause.]

I could...visit for a while. If you wouldn't mind it.

Sure, come on down. You're always welcome here.

[Her cheeks flush with joy. It's just so nice to be welcome.]

Should I bring anything?

Nah, just bring your beautiful self and we'll have a drink in your honor.

That I can do.

[A pause.]

Thank you, Dean.

[Maul leaves a rose bush on her doorstep. It is small and frail, like someone has not been taking very good care of it, but the few blossoms on it give a hint as to just how beautiful it will be in full bloom. Attached is a note in Maul's usual large and blocky script.

I felt this flowering plant very appropriate as a gift for your birthday. It is in rough shape and needs much attention and love, but I am certain it will become very beautiful with time. Consider it a thank you for putting up with me over the past year or so. ~Darth Maul]

[Ariadne has manners. She's immediately on the Omni, calling him back to properly thank him.

After all, it's a beautiful gift. A precious one.]

Maul, I'll never tell anyone this. But you are very, very sweet.

[Mau blushes a deep green, the contrast seen very clearly under his red-and-black toned skin. He certainly wasn't expecting her to say that.]

No, I am not. But I thank you for saying so.

[She bows her head. Partly in gratitude. And maybe a little bit to hide her smile.]

And thank you for the roses.

[Yep, that green blush is not going away anytime soon. He's never had to deal with this before, someone seeing that he has a pair of hearts beneath all the snarling and rage on the surface.]

Have you thought of a name for the bush yet?

I have. I've noticed that you and yours like to name things after verbs and nouns. Since the blossoms look like suns, I think I'll call her "Sunny."

[A pause.]

If that's all right.

I think that shall fit her quite well.

[It's a nice space-themed name, so he can't complain.]

It shall take me more time but I will create an artificial sunlight lamp just for her, in case we have any other months with no sun.

You're under no obligation.

[A pause.]

Although I'm quite sure she would be grateful.

["She," in this case, meaning both Ariadne and the plant.]

It's no trouble and it keeps me busy.

[Better to make something useful for a friend than being out there plotting the deaths of people who had insulted him in Trench.]

Well. That's very kind of you.

[One evening, with a soft rain falling, she might find a couple pots of green herb plants on her doorstep, along with an envelope containing a letter, written in Wesker's precise, almost calligraphic handwriting]

Ariadne my dear,

I thought you would appreciate and make good use of these. Allow me to present you with healing herb plants from my world of origin which turned up via a portal that opened up from it. Cultivate them carefully and make sure they have indirect sunlight and they're carefully watered. They originated in the shade in the forests of the Arklay Mountains, and they've bee. The leaves, dried and in capsule form or in a tincture help aid the healing and recover process for most physical ailments.

There aren't many people here whom I'd entrust this to. I hope you succeed in cultivating them.

Yours, always.,

Albert W.

[Obviously, Ariadne's quick to reply to the lovely gift.

How could she not?

She may not understand a lot about Albert or what he's saying half of the time, but it's such a sweet gesture. She can't help but feel touched.]

Albert, it's so beautiful. The plant, I mean! Really, I've never seen anything like this.

What's it called?

[The vid feed shows him at work in his kitchen, stirring something in a pot, while on a work top in the background, she may glimpse two more green herb plants, along with a tray of cuttings, under an ultra-violet plant light. He might look a little different: a shade shorter and a little slighter, though still his elegantly robust self.]

I'm glad you like them. Four plants showed up in the mouth of the portal and while I kept two for my own work, I knew the other two would thrive in your hands.

Locally, they were called simply 'the green herb plant' or 'the green healing herb'. Scientifically, it was called Herba viridiae arklayensi, which means simply 'the green herb from Arklay'

Herba viridiae arklayensi.

Well, that's a mouthful. I'll have to give them nicknames, for sure.

Name them as you will. There's something about naming a creature or an item which gives you a deeper sense of its place in your world. [He knows that well, after giving Greek mythological and alchemical names to some of Umbrella's terrifying creations.]

I think I'll call it "Renado." After a legendary healer.

[She pauses, taking in how different he seems.]

Have you been well, with the portals and all?

Edited (Spelling is hard...) 2022-05-03 15:36 (UTC)

Always good to use a name drawn from a legend: it helps to keep their stories alive. Do tell? I'm always curious toward people's stories from their worlds.

[He might glance around slightly; he's aware of the change about him, but won't call attention to it unless she asks.]

The same portal which brought these plants also let through something dire. First a few zombies came through, which were trouble enough. But something larger and more aggressive followed them. It tried to attack a young man who'd followed me from our world of origin and arrived here some months ago: I had to haul him onto a roof out of its way. But that left the creature still roaming about Lumenwood, attacking anyone who got in its way.

[Her eyes widen in alarm. She knows zombies. She's dealt with zombies. And truthfully, she doesn't really like zombies.]

Well, I'm glad you saved him!

But what happened?

[Because, clearly, there's more. And it's way more important than what little she knows of Renado, anyway.]

The creature, known in my world of origin as a Tyrant, had been built to be a one-being army. It took a contingent of Sleepers, some armed with magic, others with physical weapons, to take it down. [He draws in a breath.] People were harmed, some even died, including some who mattered to me. We destroyed it, but like any battle, it happened at some cost.

((OOC: The event is still unfolding, but there's been some plotting going on.))

Edited 2022-05-07 02:49 (UTC)

Oh...

[Her face crumples with deep, genuine concern.]

I'm so sorry. I...well, I know how strange this sounds but...I hope they come back.

I hope that they do as well. I am... not the most sympathetic man, I am cold and calculating, and I know that they will come back, when the sea is ready to give them back and they swim to our shore. My warrior spirit may have relished the battle. However, I cannot help feeling that I cursed it into this place.

[A pause, weighing the information he's considering.]

The truth of the matter is, I was one of those who shaped the Tyrant and made it what it was. Our aim was to make wars harder to fight, to leave nations and their leaders thinking twice of starting them in the first place, if they knew another realm had Tyrants among their warriors. We have enough hardships in this place. We didn't need any more.

[Well. That's a lot to think about.

Ariadne is quiet for a moment. Before delicately clearing her throat.]

And now that you've been a target of your Tyrant, do you regret creating it?

[He falls quiet himself, his head bent, again weighing his words with care before replying.]

I don't regret creating it, but I do regret that it couldn't have been perfected to avoid attacking non-combatants or those not armed with typical weapons.

For that matter, given what I became after my infection, I'm not much different from a Tyrant. I'm exceptionally strong and hard to kill; however, I retained my personality and intellect and my looks. [Maybe a tiny smirk at that last item on the list.]

[It's something. Empathy takes time to develop. Ariadne knows that.

She'll work on it.]

I would never call you a Tyrant, Albert.

[He reaches up, removing his glasses, uncovering his eyes, which have retained their feline pupils, but have reverted back to their original icy blue flecked with grey. Cognitive empathy falls within his capabilities, but his nature and what passed for nurture in his life made true empathy difficult for him to practice - or willingly embrace.]

I had a sense you wouldn't. Hence... why I admitted as much as I have. [It goes without saying that it does not come easy for him.]

[Her eyebrows quirk slightly at the change in his eye color. That's...unexpected. But clearly, he wouldn't be showing her if he was uncomfortable or embarrassed.

Which is probably what gives her the certainty to simply ask:]

What happened to your eyes?

Bausphomette is my patron, and it seems they've decided to remind me of who I was before I was enhanced, before I became what I am. My eyes are... the color which they were when I was still human.

[This is not easy for him to say, but it seems a time for that kind of conversation.]

[She considers it a moment. And then nods, as if making a decision.]

I think I like the red better.

Red is my favorite color.

[He looks into the camera, almost taken aback.]

You're the first to say that to me in all sincerity. It's... a bit hard to take in.

[He's accustomed to being the monster, being the one causing fear, and enjoying the sight of that fear in another's eyes... but someone saying they prefer his eyes as they had become...]

[Ariadne shrugs.]

I meant nothing by it. I don't have an agenda or anything.

...I'm sorry if it seemed that way.

Apology accepted. It's been my experience that when most people act that way toward me, they either want something from me... or as if they're trying to humor the monster.

But you're not most people.

[He's still not sure what she is to him. But he knows his heart is yearning toward her, though he suspects it may not be in the cards for them.]

No, I'm not. And some people aren't comfortable with that fact. The best I can do is try not to let it get in my way.

[A lesson almost everyone in Trench could stand to learn, but she's not the teaching sort.]

Thank you again for the plant. I promise to give it a place of honor in the garden. You can come and visit it. Maybe talk to it a little.

That's the most one can do, when you've embraced who and what you are, in spite of those who can't accept it. Or won't.

Kindness such as yours deserved a kindness in return. I know it shall be in good hands.

I promise not to be a stranger, either to your grove or its keeper.

Good.

[And she gives him a delighted, little smile.]

[He replies only with a small smile and a bow of his head before the connection cuts out.]

[ Flanked by two girls in flame colored robes, Sabé sat on the throne in a small starship in a large black gown with oversized black feathers fanning out from the back of the hood. Her face was made up with heavy white makeup, two red dots under her eyes, and a full red top of her lip with a stripe of red in the middle of the bottom. With all that makeup it would be easy to mistake her for another. That was the plan.

A blue holo-message played before her: "The death toll is catastrophic. I must bow to their wishes. You must contact me."

Stone-faced, Sabé watched the Governor's plea- the two girls at her side also masking their emotions perfectly- until it cut out. Her gaze swept over to a young man- a Jedi easily recognized to anyone who's been here for some time... even with his hair in a traditional Padawan's cut.

"It's a trick-" Obi-Wan insisted immediately as he stood and addressed her. "Send no reply. Send no transmissions of any kind."

The young decoy didn't get a chance to answer him as he left the room immediately, the door hissing shut behind him. All that was left in there were the three girls and their Captain of the guard. She couldn't help but worry about the state of the planet, even knowing that Governor Bibble was smarter than the Jedi gave him credit for.

"Well of course it's a trick! Does he think we're stupid?"

Sabé turned to look at her friend, Rabé, with a wisp of a smile tugging at her lips at the outburst. As Amidala, she had to shield her emotions and facial expressions to keep them as neutral as possible... but with everyone in the room in on the ruse, she could slip up just this bit.

They could do nothing but wait and fret at this point- books only posed so much of a distraction and as Amidala, she was expressly forbidden from leaving the ship. The Jedi knew that the girls were hiding something from him, but with as much care as they took she knew that he wasn't aware of exactly what they were up to- and it needed to stay that way. ]

[Ariadne watches the transmission a couple of times. First unexpectedly, then in shock, and then with a spy's eyes, analyzing the details. She's always been hungry for more information about that galaxy far, far, away. But this is something else entirely. She's only encountered something quite so vivid once before.

...in Obi-Wan Kenobi's memories.

But this clearly isn't from him. Their relationship is tenuous at best. And there's no mistaking that particular voice.

She debates whether or not she should say anything. But it's only right. She'd want to know, if the situation were reversed.]

...um...Sabé? What was that?

[ When Sabé checks the device, she makes a face- to see a memory projected so clearly to someone else... Of course she'd heard that these things were possible, but she hadn't anticipated dealing with them.

It takes all her strength not to slip back into Amidala's tone- the sonorous pitch that she'd developed with Padmé to make telling them apart more difficult when they spoke. But most importantly, she tried her best not to slip into that mask they'd built to keep people from reading their emotions.

Ariadne was trustworthy, she'd proved that to herself and Padmé. ]

This place's idea of a practical joke, I guess...

Ah... we were stuck on a planet, Tatooine, while our aircraft was broken. Because Padmé's life was in danger, I took her place as Queen.

Tatooine?

[Give her a second.]

I know that one! That's where Luke Skywalker is from. He told me about it. It has two suns!

[Which seems a little excessive to her, but who is she to judge?

Her excitement is short-lived, though. A frown quickly settles on her face.]

Was that...Obi-Wan?

[ She smiles just a bit and lets out a short laugh. ]

It does have two suns, yes.

[ Though- about Luke. She hasn't met him yet- and that's honestly on her being extremely anti-social in her grief. She'll set aside that knowledge for later and instead focus on the question presented:

Obi-Wan. ]

It was. This was somewhere around 15 years ago when he was still just a padawan. He and his master were sent to our planet to aid us when we were blockaded by the Trade Federation.

Is that when he cut Maul in half?

[Which is a sentence she never really expected to utter. But that's the way of these people from that world.

Full of the...unexpected.]

I've seen a little of it before but...

You know, you're very, very good at impersonating her. Padmé, I mean.

[It's beginning to make a bit more sense, how some people could so easily just accept that Ariadne wasn't her.]

That happened after this. On Tatooine they found Anakin and... [ She pauses for a half moment- Anakin's past isn't hers to tell, and she knows that if she'd grown up a slave she wouldn't go around advertising it. ] Brought him with us to make the plea to begin his training.

It's... when we returned to Naboo and tried to get back into the palace that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fought Maul.

[ There's a bit of pride that creeps up on her features at the compliment. She knows that she's good at it- there's been many times they've fooled people and only certain angles had given them away. ]

Thank you. We worked together a lot to make sure I could when I was recruited.

Recruited? Is this a common practice in Naboo?

[On Naboo? She's not sure of the grammar for planets yet. She didn't even know planets were a thing until about a year ago. Give her time.]

Is that how the government works? With...decoys?

Edited 2022-05-27 15:39 (UTC)

Yes? No?

[ It was... hard to explain- she pauses a moment to chew on her lip and thing about it. This memory was hard- it was hard to remember the meaning behind Bibble's message, to remember that Saché was being tortured in the camps back home when they were stuck on a planet in the outer rim that seemed to be nothing but sand.

Infinite sand.

And for the Jedi at the time to underestimate them, regardless of that being their entire purpose. ]

Our Queens are elected... and handmaidens a long time ago were recruited as security detail- until that just stopped being common practice. But the Captain of the guard when Padmé was elected was- ah... very vigilant. He made it his mission to bring the practice back into play. So five of us were recruited for our various skills, and mostly because we bore resemblance to Padmé.

[ She licks her lips and takes a deep breath. ] We changed our names to match hers, in solidarity. And we came up with several security protocols- one of which was my switching places with her. She and I worked on the public image of the Queen so that I could step into the role as needed. For her safety.

Well, that's all very...pragmatic.

[Although she can't help but feel like it's kind of erasing who those girls were. It's not her place to judge. But something about it feels...off.

Maybe just because she met Sabé first.

Or maybe because her experiences being mistaken for Padmé have been completely disastrous for the people around her.]

I've never heard of anyone electing a queen before, though.

I don't know if it's very common outside of Naboo.

[ Most Queens they've met have been so by birth or marriage as far as she's aware. ]

It's nice because there's no familial pressure to rule- it's really saved for those who are called to it. Padmé was a very popular Queen. They tried to change the law so she could run again... Of course she didn't allow that, she had too much respect for our government.

She really is extraordinary.

[And though she might be, Ariadne is not begrudging of the fact.]

And so are you.

She is.

[ Sabé smiles at that... to her, Padmé is the most extraordinary being in the galaxy. She's not perfect- neither of them are...

But to hear Ariadne tell her that she's also extraordinary... She pauses for a moment. She doesn't need to be extraordinary- she's been comfortable being second to everyone in her life: her brothers, her time at the conservatory, and most importantly to Padmé.

But she also doesn't want to burden Airy with any of this. So even though it's obvious the compliment took her by surprise, she manages a smile shortly after. ]

That's very kind of you, Airy.

[Airy has been known to say things just to be kind. But in this particular instance, there's something more.

She wants to learn more about Sabé. But just as you can't force a cat to let you pet its belly, she knows that Sabé is guarded.

Goes with the job.]

I know it wasn't your choice, but thank you for the memory.

[ Sabé's smile remains- though it's fragile now, as though it'll break any moment if she's not careful. ]

I'm glad that it went to you. [ A small pause before she elaborates: ] I trust you with it.

Oh! I won't tell anyone! I promise!

[ Oh!

Sabé manages a bit more of a smile as she shakes her head. ]

I know you won't- thank you. I really do appreciate it... and you.

[She bows her head.]

Listen, I told Padmé this, but I don't think I mentioned it to you. I'd...like to invite both of you over. To see my garden.

I thought maybe you might enjoy some plants that don't try to bite.

That sounds lovely. [ Her smile comes a little easier this time- it's easy enough to distract herself from the real reason they're talking when she has something like that to look forward to. ]

It would be nice to be around plants that aren't actively trying to murder us... which is something I never really had to worry about before finding myself here.

[Ariadne laughs.]

Well, I'll trust the two of you to find a time.

I'm...I'm always here.

Is there any time that works better for you, though? I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality.

Well, I suppose mornings are best. That's when the garden is quiet. And the sunlight just looks so pretty in the trees...

[ She smiles a bit more and nods. ]

I'll talk to her about heading over one of these mornings, then.

Wonderful! I look forward to it!

[The video shows Ezra, younger and more ragged looking, while he stares around a cavernous room with glowing geometric patterns. Part of the Jedi Temple on Lothal. "Whoa."

A gravelly voice that, at the time, Ezra didn't know who it belonged to, says, "Tell me. Why must you become Jedi? " Now, of course, Ezra knows this was ancient Master Yoda, speaking to him through the Force.

Ezra shrugs. "I don't know. I guess because Kanan believes I can."

"Ah. Kanan thinks you can. Hmm. And you?"

"Well, I'll become stronger, powerful."

"Ah. Power you seek," Yoda notes with mild disapproval.

"I'd make the Empire suffer for everything it did, for everything it took, for my parents! I... I wouldn't be helpless anymore!" Ezra replies, voice getting louder, and body language more animated.

"Ah. Jedi way is revenge? Teach you this, your Master did?"

"No. Kanan would never," Ezra snaps back, fiercely, stabbing a finger towards the ground in emphasis. "He's a good Master, a-a great Master!"

"Then why seek you revenge?" Yoda presses.

Ezra hesitates. "I don't."

"Hmm. Inside you much anger, much fear."

Ezra retorts, "I just want to protect myself and my friends."

"And this is why you must be Jedi?" Yoda asks.

"Yes, and not just them. Everyone. I'll protect everyone." Another beat of hesitation, while Ezra gathers his thoughts. "Before I met Kanan, I only ever thought of myself, but Kanan and the rest, they don't think like that. They help people. They give everything away, and I see it. I see how it makes people feel."

Yoda makes an approving sound, this time. "Feel, yes. How?"

"Alive." Ezra's voice drops softer. "They feel alive, like I do now."

"Good. Good. Ahead of you a difficult path there is, Padawan," Yoda decides. "A Jedi you may yet be."

While the padawan looks up, a glimmer of blue shines in the dark. He stretches up his hands, and a small blue crystal comes to rest in his palm. He doesn't understand why it's important, not yet, but what he feels is connection.

Joy.]

[Ariadne debates for some time whether or not to say anything. She understands now what's happening, that the network is sharing memories without permission. Some people, she also understands, might feel embarrassed or awkward about it. But as she watches the memory a third time...

Well. It doesn't seem like something to be embarrassed about.

So she decides to reach out to Ezra.]

Ezra...just so you know...I just saw a memory. And I think it was yours.

Um. Yeah. It seems to be going around. [He bites his lip nervously.] I just got one of yours, too. But - but a nice one!

...I know that doesn't necessarily make it better. You didn't get to choose. [Especially since he's sure the boy - Lief - had been family, and his guess is the boy is almost certainly dead.

He looks back through his Omni's log to see what she got and breathes out a sigh of relief.]

Oh, this is a good one. Heh. Aside from 15 year old me's anger issues.

[His expression blossoms into a smile.] I'm happy to share this one with you, Airy.

Oh. I. I have so many questions.

[And a part of her is genuinely afraid of what Ezra saw. Better to focus on him. Better to try to breeze by her own past.

A long shot, but she has to try…]

Whose voice was that?

[Ariadne did not want to talk about her memory. At least not right now. Got it. He won't push.

He keeps his smile bright, not minding questions.]

That was Master Yoda! He wasn't physically there - I'm still not sure exactly where he was. But I was in a place very strong in the Force, and I assume he was too, for us to make a connection across the galaxy.

When I was a little older and more trained, the next time we could talk, we had a connection strong enough that I saw what he looked like. He was about...three feet tall. And green! [He knows that would be of particular interest to her.] Clawed hands.

Long pointed ears - like....do your elves have ears like that? He was also really, really old. Somewhere about 900, I'm told. He was Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, for a long time. And I know he loved teaching the younglings. The kids barely past infanthood until they were old enough for more formal training.

Luke knows him better, actually. [At least in some ways. He... doesn't get the sense Yoda told Luke many stories about the Temple. Luke knew Yoda in his very final years.] Most of his training was with Master Yoda.

[Ezra certainly knows how to get her attention. Green? Clawed hands? And long, pointed ears, like the Elves? It's a truly fascinating picture.

Perhaps, in another universe, they could have been related!

Distantly. Like Alastrians and dragons.]

If he touched your life and Luke's life, then he must be someone very special.

...why did he speak that way, though?

[He laughs/]

That....I have noooooo idea.

Very interesting syntax.

[She could honestly listen to it and analyze it for days.

But it would only be speculation.]

What was the blue crystal?

[That's right, polyglot.]

It's a kyber crystal. It's...not quite alive or intelligent, the way people are, but it's, hmm, spiritually alive? Very attuned to the Force. It can act as a focus of the Force sensitive person's connection to the Force. Every crystal is a little different, and may or may not match, um, optimally with a particular person.

Once the oldest traditions for Force using sects, including the Jedi, is going to a place where there's a concentration of kyber crystal as a rite of passage. The Force acts in special ways in those sorts of places. Draws out hopes and fears. Shows connections. Gives visions to people not prone to visions most of the time.

Whatever your experience is, the idea is the ordeal can bring you to a crystal you're suited to.

That day, I'd already had visions of fears that felt completely real. Talking to Yoda was just the last bit.

Oh, and for Jedi, the kyber you get is traditionally the heart and focus of your lightsaber.

Every culture has some kind of coming-of-age rite of passage. I think this one seems kind of...

[She pauses to consider the right word.]

Well, there's something kind of beautiful about it. Growing up is all about hope and fear, isn't it?

[Said like some kind of expert, at the ripe, old age of twenty one...]

Does that mean that Luke and the others did the same thing too? Maul? Savage?

You know those three specifically? I honestly don't know.

Sith...do it differently, anyway. They, um, usually bombard their crystals with emotions meant to bend it to their will. 'Bleeding', it's usually called. That's what turns them their lightsabers red.

[She purses her lips. And then nods.]

That...that sounds like something Maul or Savage would do, yeah.

[He shrugs, helplessly, with a not-smile.]

Yeah. Crystals that have been bled like that can be...healed, too. I don't know exactly how it works, aside from, I assume, the general inverse? Acceptance?

I don't know.

It's still incredible to me that a living body can heal, let alone a crystal.

Huh. Objectively, I guess that is pretty amazing.

[She laughs.]

Do you still have your crystal?

Um. No. Not...that one.

Uh. Anakin shattered my first 'saber. Darth Vader, I mean. When I was sixteen.

[A small sigh. Once again, Anakin ruining things.]

So what did you do?

Well, my current one came from storage at the main Jedi Temple on Coruscant, with the Council's blessing.

Except I was there about 900 years before the Empire was formed. Uh. There were a couple of groups of aliens we were in contact with, in Temba. They claimed they couldn't send us all home, but sometimes they would send all of us to random places.

[She blinks, trying very hard to follow that.]

Oh.

That's either not official, or very, very official.

[He laughs.]

Right? Well, everyone at the Temple was very kind. They gave the strange group of Jedi refugees a lot of gifts.

Even if they were not quite sure what to make of Master Kenobi fussing over Padmé when she went into labor.

Well, as I understand it, for Humans, it's quite the ordeal.

It..can be, yes. He had good reasons to worry.

I've met Anakin.

[He closes his eyes and swallows.]

...yeah.

[He shakes pensive (with a hint of angry) moment off.]

At any rate, since Anakin wasn't there, and Obi-wan was, bystanders definitely made assumptions. Which was just a little funny.

[She tilts her head.]

I'm...not sure I understand what you mean.

[Welp.]

Well, it's only kinda funny because we went back to Temba he was definitely co-parenting with Padme. But a lot of people assumed he was the birth father, too.

Oh!

[She blinks.]

Yes, I can see how that would be awkward. As I understand it, Jedi aren't supposed to do that?

[He waggles hand.]

Eh. As far as I know, there's never been a hard and fast rule. And certainly not one of strict celibacy. The Grandmaster at the temple tried to offer Obi-wan congratulations, and she seemed like she was mostly curious and amused?

So I'd say...rare enough to be notable. Gossip worthy.

Obi-Wan doesn't seem like the type who would enjoy gossip. Much less being at the center of it.

Correct, and correct.

[She laughs softly.]

It could be worse.

A lady of the court once told me gossip is just a way to show that you care about someone.

Hmm, seems like that would depend on the person and their intent to me. But yeah, gossip doesn't have to be bad.

Yes.

That said, I won't be gossiping about your memory or anything. I promise.

Oh, I wouldn't mind. Not about this one.

But thank you.

[She just bows her head, smiling faintly.]

Hello, Airy. I've been thinking about you, I hope you're doing alright.

i
I THink
I thi nk I m ay be lone ly

Would you like some company? I'm free right now, I could swing by.

tHat woul d be nice, I think

Sabé was already getting ready by the time Ariadne had confirmed she should come over- she was probably going to make the trip regardless of what the other woman said. It didn't take her long to find her way to Airy's garden, but that's where she hesitated as she glanced from shop to orchard.

She made her way into the orchard first and took a deep breath in, enjoying the green air that reminded her of home.

"Airy?"

"Up here."

One of the boundary trees was a surprisingly sturdy oak. Perhaps it was a function of whatever magic that sustained Ariadne's fruit trees. Somehow, the oak had managed to reach almost to the second floor of the shop. There was a V-shape formed where one of the branches met with the trunk.

Ariadne was curled up in that bend.

She wasn't exactly surprised to see Sabé. After all, Sabé said she would come. More, she was surprised by her admission about being lonely. And over the network, of all things! Ariadne still didn't even know how to wrap her mind around being lonely. Her entire life, she'd been with some kind of family or other. It was only very recently that...well...

Ariadne's Omen, Windy, was out, flying in low circles around the tree, as if she would protect Ariadne. When Sabé arrived, Windy flew down to her, jabbing her lightly in the back with her little head, as if to shove Sabé closer to the tree. Windy was worried about Ariadne.

For good reason, maybe.

It only took her a moment to locate Airy as soon as she heard her voice. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully as she looked at the tree- and she was only brought out of her thoughts by Airy's omen nudging her closer with its head in her back.

"Alright- I'm coming up," she called out again, this time both for her friend and her omen to know. Sabé tried to push back the memory that the last time she was climbing a tree was when the plants in the jungle were trying to murder them... at least she was sure that these plants wouldn't do the same.

As soon as she was close, she found a spot where she could perch and let the silence hang in the air for a moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she finally asked quietly.

"All I've been doing is talking about it," Ariadne said, grabbing the branch with one hand and swinging her entire weight over the side.

It was a little harder for her to resent the jungle than most of the others. It had been almost like going home. And being able to flow through the trees like water around rocks and stones had been nice. It was something she could do. Almost without thinking. And it was a way for her to help others.

Back in Trench, she felt kind of useless. She certainly hadn't done Dean any good.

She landed on a lower branch, so she could sit closer to Sabé, meeting her eyes. With a stern click of her tongue, she held her hand out for Windy. "Bad girl," she admonished the Omen, as it came to land on her palm. "You need to stop pushing people around. It's not nice."

That was the difference between them, perhaps. Ariadne talked about her feelings and what was bothering her, whereas Sabé has hardly spoken of Padmé's death out loud... and when she has, she was always quick to push the subject aside.

"She was only looking out for you... I understand."

She's certain her own omen would be just as pushy if she allowed her to be.

"Do you want to talk about something else to take your mind off it?"

Ariadne nodded, as Windy hopped from her hand to her shoulder, settling there, nestled in the bend of her shoulder. Like Ariadne, she too craved touch and connection. She just was a bit more forward about going out and getting it.

Actually, Windy was a bit more forward about everything.

She was, perhaps, a manifestation of Ariadne's id. Still sweet, but more demanding than the woman herself.

"What should we talk about?"

Unfortunately for Airy right now, Sabé doesn't like to be touched or to touch others... it's not something she's easily comfortable with. It's probably why she's never been the greatest at comforting others or accepting comfort herself.

So it's not in her instinct to reach out to the other woman- instead she just hums a little under her breath.

"Hmmmm... well, I'd love to hear about your garden and orchard. The greenery reminds me a little of the gardens back home."

She hadn't heard much about Naboo. But everything she had heard made it sound kind of wonderful. Especially the part about the Humans sharing their planet with others, peacefully.

If the orchard reminded Sabé of Naboo, then it just sounded that much better.

With half a shrug, Ariadne pointed to the pear tree, dead center of all of the activity. "That's Sophia," she said. "She was my first tree in Deerington. Everything kind of starts with her, I suppose."

Sabé looked over at the tree, then back at Ariadne. "You were able to bring her with you from the other place?"

She'd heard a little about Deerington, though not much. Several people were there for a while before finding themselves here.

"I didn't know that was possible..."

"I don't know how it happened," Ariadne admitted. "Of course, if I had a choice, I would have brought her--all of them." She didn't want to make her other trees jealous. She did love them all, although it was obvious she had a special connection to Sophia, as the first.

Perhaps that was why inheritance was always passed to the firstborn.

She hadn't thought of that before...

Shaking the thought away, she gave Sabé a one-shouldered shrug, not wanting to disrupt Windy. "All I know is that when I arrived here, they were waiting for me. As if they wanted me to make this garden."

Sabé watched Ariadne as she explained- to the best of her ability at least. Just like there was already so much about this place that wasn't explained or didn't make sense, this just seemed to be another piece to that puzzle pile.

"I'm glad that at least one of them was brought here to you."

She smiled a little.

"And how lucky are we that you're sharing your gifts with us in the form of this beautiful space?"

"I'm not sure about gifts," she said, although it made her smile and flush slightly purple. There were so few things Ariadne felt any kind of pride about.

But her garden? It was definitely one thing.

She shrugged. "Anyway, I'm not sure people value it as much as I wish they could. Except for you, and Ezra, I suppose."

Her gift for gardening and creating this space- Sabé would certainly call it that. But she's also not one to push on the subject. Still- seeing Ariadne smile is something she's counting as a win right now.

"I think so many people here are stuck in survival mode," she mused. "We get used to routines and then they're disrupted by the chaos this place throws our way... and then we desperately try to get back into our routine. That can keep people from experiencing new or new-to-them places."

"Would you believe me if I told you that Trench was actually much better than the place that came before?" It was funny to think that Sabé and many of Ariadne's other friends didn't know Deerington. Perhaps that was an effect of the multiverse, but Ariadne found herself attaching to people quickly, integrating them into the fabric of her life.

Maybe she needed to stop doing that.

Losing Dean had ripped her apart.

On the other hand, Alastrians were pack animals. She needed that connection. She needed others...

It was all a great big contradiction!

"Deerington was...much harder. Especially Octobers. Those were the absolute worst."

"I want to believe you- but I'm having a hard time imagining it."

It was an honest answer. This place was... well, it was a lot. And Sabé was already overwhelmed by it. So at the suggestion that Deerington had been worse?

"What were the Octobers like?" she asked, genuinely curious. "I mean- only if you're comfortable sharing that."

Ariadne waved off Sabé's concern. She'd never encountered anything so terrible she couldn't talk about it.

Even if losing Dean felt close.

"There was no water. All of the water in the pipes, in the rivers, in the lakes...all of it was gone. Turned to blood. People would try to prepare ahead of time, bottling as much water as possible. But it sometimes didn't work. Also, the sun didn't rise. It was night for the entire month."

"Every October?"

Sabé didn't quite whisper it, but her voice was a little quieter. The water scarcity on Tatooine was bad, but it wasn't 'everything is now blood' bad.

"How did people survive? I mean, if preparing enough bottled water ahead of time sometimes wasn't enough?"

Was it like here, where death was only temporary? Even still, what a horrible way to go.

"There were also monsters." Which was to say, not everyone had to worry about surviving the month.

Ariadne's relationship with the temporary nature of death in the multiverse was complicated now. It had always been complicated. But doubly so now that Dean had failed to return.

Death was serious. It was always serious. And she felt guilty that, somehow, Deerington had let her view it with varying shades of seriousness.

Shaking her head, she looked out at her trees. "Fruit helped. There's a lot of water in things like lemons and pears."

Hey, Airy. [Ezra sounds...tired.]

Are you at Serenity. Can I can by?

[Huh. That's ominous.]

Of course, Ezra. You know you're always welcome here.

You don't even have to ask.

[Sheepishly-]

I know. I just wanted to make sure you're there and are in a mood for company and stuff. [Turning up ad Serenity being...empty of people just wasn't what he'd wanted, right.]

See you in a few.

All right.

[She is suspicious, but she'll still be waiting out by the pear tree when he arrives.]

He turns up a very few minutes later, only the fact that he is doesn't feel like moving faster than a defeated looking trudge slowing him down.

He offers her a fragile looking smile as he comes close.

"I'm sorry I haven't around been much. Still trying to get on top of everything I missed while I was, uh, not entirely present."

Ariadne never expected apologies, so she never knew how to accept them. What she did know was that Ezra had been through a lot. More than she could imagine. Some people got casual about death. Ariadne never could.

Without another word, she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him into the biggest possible hug that her five foot two frame could muster.

Which was surprisingly big.

He doesn't burst into full on tears; he does let out a very shaky near sob and wrap his arms around her too and just stand there for a while, breathing, and letting both of them take comfort from holding each other.

He was only a kid. Sometimes, it was easy to forget, since he was always so full of energy and certainty. But no one--no matter their age--deserved to go through the things Ezra had been put through.

That went for both the short- and long-term.

Ariadne stroked his hair gently. Comforting in all cultures, of course. But particularly meaningful for the Alastrians. "This place can be a lot to cope with, sometimes. But it's okay. I think."

He blows out another breath, closing his eyes.. "Yeah, technically. Just - both my housemates are down in..you know about the cocoon membrane things, right? I needed to get out of there, for a while."

There were a lot better reasons for Ezra to get out of that house, but Ariadne decided it was polite not to say so. Whatever her personal feelings were for the Jedi, at this point, they were just that. Personal.

"Come on," she said, touching his elbows before she pulled back, gesturing for him to follow her. "Come sit down." She perched herself on the steps leading up to the stoop of her shop.

Really, after spending the past few weeks digging through the remains of Dean's house, it was nice to feel...well. Like she was in a place to help again.

Her misery had been a different kind of cocoon.

Now, she was clearheaded. Now she could be of service to her friends. And Ezra was in need of...something.

He follows willingly, to sit next to her.

"Not sure talking about it will help," he murmurs.

"We don't have to talk about it," she said, reaching over to give him a pat on the knee. "We can talk about anything you want."

Her instinct told her that talking about it might help. But people had to arrive there on their own.

She'd gone around the same path over Dean, the last few months. Now, talking about him didn't hurt so much. A little. But not as much.

He murmurs, "I know things have been rough for you, too. Has there been something...good I've missed?" he asked, tentatively.

"Something good?" she asked.

It was funny that he should ask. Ariadne was just beginning to get back into the habit of seeing the good, where she could.

Which meant she had an answer at the ready.

"The pears," she said. "They've ripened quite nicely. If you like, I can bring you a few."

[Maul's been feeling the need to be sociable thanks to the blood effects on him this month. He's not one much for going out and mingling so instead he finds himself ending up at the gardens, wondering if the plants will work for the purpose of "company" that his Vileblood is making him seek out. He's grumbling in front of one of the trees.]

Well, that didn't work. Now what?

[She picks up his scent before she sees him, as she's making her way out back after drying some of the marijuana she's collected from Dean's cottage. Or what used to be a cottage, anyway.

Ariadne wipes her hands off on her apron, walking over to Maul.]

What didn't work?

[He swivels his entire body to face Ariadne, looking tense for a moment before he sees who it is and that energy evaporates from his body.]

I was seeing if the plants would count for the purpose of finding company. But it appears my blood seeks the company of other sentients and they will not work. Perhaps it is because they cannot talk back.

Trees are fantastic listeners, but no. They don't talk back.

[And she's not teasing about that. She's actually quite serious.

Ariadne believes in her plants.

Although, she wonders if this is more behavior that Savage would categorize as "soft." Hard to tell with him, sometimes.]

Of course, if you're looking for sentient company...well. I'm around.

[Maul thinks about that for a moment.]

Yes, you'll do.

[It's not meant as an insult despite the blunt words. Maul just is so socially awkward he doesn't really possess the ability to simply ask someone, 'Hey, do you want to hang out?' That's far beyond his current level of social skills.]

[Ariadne bites her lips together, to keep from smiling at that.

She dips into a polite curtsy.]

Well, thank you.

And what is it you'd like to talk about?

Friends talk about one another, yes?

[He's still a bit new to having them so Maul is still learning about these sort of things.]

How have you been as of late?

[Aw. He called her a friend. Kind of.

Ariadne smiles, folding her hands behind her back.]

Better than before, I think. You know. I still miss Dean but...he's still with me.

And you?

I am glad. You're not yourself when you're sad.

[Airy's got such a chipper attitude that it has been odd to see her so distressed after the departure of the Winchester brothers.

He shrugs as the question directed towards himself.]

I am still attempting to do better and behave myself. The results seem as if they are starting to be felt.

How do you mean?

[Go on, Maul. Brag about all the good work you've done.]

Well, it has been going on seven months now since I deliberately set out to kill anyone and almost the same amount of time for hurting someone without just cause.

[He considers the things that have broken that streak like trying to murder the Emperor having been completely justified given the circumstances under which it had happened.]

Edited 2022-10-18 04:00 (UTC)

That’s a pretty fair amount of time, Maul. It sounds like you’re really working on your restraint.

[Is she grading on a curve? Yes. Does she mean it? Also yes.]

We ought to celebrate. I would offer you some pears, but I know you don’t like fruit that much.

How would you celebrate an achievement back home?

[Maul is aware enough to know that not everyone is going to pat him on the head, give him a cookie, and then put a gold star on his chart just for doing the bare minimum of not killing everyone in a murderous rage. But he's glad for those that do, for it really is difficult not to obey an instinct that has been engrained into him since childhood, and he really is trying to do differently.]

Hmmmm, usually with a great hunt on Dathomir which would end in giving thanks to the Fanged God and Winged Goddess.

The Fanged God and the Winged Goddess. I don't think I've ever heard you mention them before.

[Which is fine. Not everyone wears their religion on their outsides. Not everyone even truly believes.

But now she's curious.]

What are they like? How do they expect to receive thanks?

They are the gods of my people. I'm not entirely sure if I believe in them any longer-- [He hadn't spent much of his childhood on Dathomir where they were worshipped and after the life he'd led believing in any gods was difficult.] --But my brother believes in them.

[He grins a little.]

The same way any god of Dathomir would: with blood, meat, and sacrifice.

[She shakes her head, although it's with fondness.]

Well, I'm not sure I have any blood or meat to sacrifice.

Maybe we could come up with an effigy of some kind?

We could use stones to represent them. Light for the Winged Goddess and dark ones for the Fanged God.

[She jumps at the idea, rushing over to a cluster of stones lining one of the paths.]

That works!

[Naturally, she begins collecting the light ones.]

[Maul smiles and gathers up a pile of dark-colored stones. He starts arranging them in a rough likeness of a round creature with wings and a tail.]

I suppose a rock garden wouldn't be out of place here.

Everything is out of place here. Which means that everything kind of fits in.

[Or, more appropriately, everyone.

Although, lately...she's been feeling a quiet ache. A loneliness that she can't get to abate, no matter how hard she tries.

Well, loneliness is self-indulgent. Which she doesn't want to be. So she starts to arrange her light stones like a V of birds, right beside his.]

Well-said.

[He looks over at the formation Airy is making and nods in satisfaction.]

This has helped me as well.

[Being around Ariadne had helped that urge which has made him want to seek out company.]

[She offers him a sweet smile.]

I'm always happy to help you, Maul. All you have to do is let me know.

You and Savage, of course.

You have done much for both my brother and I. I am.....grateful.

[He says the word awkwardly and then stands up hastily as if he feels he's said too much.]

I should be going.

[After he leaves, Ariadne will find herself feeling mentally refreshed having spent time in the presence of a Vileblood for some time.]

Hey, Airy.

So as not to spam all over Usagi's post -

I love you.

I don't say that enough to people.

Partly because there's only a couple of people I have any idea how they'd react. But.

I should say it sometimes anyway. Never know when you'll lose the opportunity to.

[Cue a very startled demon. There's an odd hesitation as she replies.]

Ezra? What are you...

Spam Usagi's...

[Oh. Oh. He saw that.]

Oh, gods. Ezra! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...

[To what? Why does she feel guilty? He just said he loved her! It's the kind of thing she wants. But this is all very, very strange.]

Um. I'm sorry. I'm confused.

[There's a beat of hesitation on his end. This is what he meant about reactions.]

Then...I'm sorry I'm for confusing you.

I just mean. You are loved.

I can't make you believe it. Make you feel loved. But I can try to communicate or demonstrate better.

[She pauses a moment.

And slowly, one can almost hear her begin to smile.]

I...I love you too, Ezra. You've become...very important to me.

[He truly hadn't expected her saying it back. Not everyone does, even people he knows love him, in their way.]

That's really nice to hear, Ariadne. Thank you.

Back home we...

Well, our biggest holiday of the year is New Years Eve. We exchange presents and have parties and dinners with family and friends.

[She pauses a smile in her voice.]

I think this is my present.

Way better than stuff, in my opinion. [He just got a gift, too, ok?]

But if you wanna celebrate New Years in a bigger way, I'm down for that, too.

...down where?

[Is there something happening down somewhere?]

[He laughs softly.]

Sorry, another turn of phrase. [Someday he will learn to be more literal with her.]

If you want to actually have a bit of a party, I would like to come. Help you set up, even.

Well, I don't know about a party but...

[She considers it.]

Maybe a gathering.

Smaller, less fancy?

Waaaaay less fancy.

I'm not sure I own anything that matches in the kitchen.

Well, I don't know much about fancy. Like, I get that there's time and places that can count for a lot.

Food and people are usually plenty for me.

Food and people.

[There's a smile in her voice.]

I think that's enough.

Then, anything I can do help, of course. If nothing else, I'll be there.

Well, let the people from your universe know, of course.

[A pause.]

Maybe not Anakin Skywalker...

Well. He didn't come to the last gathering I invited him to, and it was at his own house.

I can let other people know, sure.

[She laughs softly.]

Thank you, Ezra.

( While Peter isn't one to... Do Holiday Things, there is technically a part of him that reaches out. Not because the ancient demon king of Hell has much interest in holiday celebrations, but Paimon has learned that it's a time when many people Gift Things, and connection with others is of a special importance to his spirit. The energy is right for it, and so, towards the end of the month, he bestows little gifts to people.

Left on Ariadne's doorstep, wrapped carefully in thin cloth, is an odd little doll in the likeness of a deer, meticulously hand-crafted with an assortment of random bits and bobbles collected over time.

Set next to the doll, like a mysterious calling card, is a leaf — bearing Paimon's sigil delicately burned into it like filigree. )

[Delivered to Ariadne's door will be a hand made necklace and bakery bought cookies. Attached is a note:]

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS AIRY-CHAN!

I'm not sure if you know this holiday but even so, it never hurts to get a gift from a friend.

Hope you stay warm this winter!
Love you,
Usagi

[This year, Maul had decided to behave himself when it came to giving gifts, unlike in years past where he broke into people's houses rather like Santa himself did. All gifts are left on the porch or front step of the recipient's home for them to find in the morning.

He left Airy a bag of sunflower seeds designed to plant in a garden. It had taken a long while to find such an item but he felt it was worth it. He also included a sketch of her. Accompanying it was a note in blocky handwriting wishing her a Merry Christmas signed from Darth Maul.]

Deer Country Inbox

Voicemail; un: Wesson - mid September

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[ACTION] (But not the kind Sam wants...)

But what if it waaaas

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