Congratulations! You've been specially selected to take part in our first annual Secret Santa holiday gift exchange! 🎁
This year, you'll be giving a gift to Varian! Please try to find a nice gift for them by December 25th! And remember, Secret Santa always works best when it's a surprise!
We highly recommend you participate, as no one wants to suffer on the holidays!
Thank you, and enjoy the season! ☃️
[As usual, any replies will receive no response from Zodiac]
Hey, Will. It's Yuu. Since D&D is more than likely going to be a thing happening, there's something I wanted to ask.
Is there any sort of subject matter you absolutely do not want coming up at the game table? I'm mostly asking so I know what to avoid; I want everyone to have a good time when we're playing, you know?
I think the only thing I can think of is no sibling death? At least not for my character. I'll most likely be fine if it's another person's character but I can let you know if it's not?
[AS PROMISED. He is here ready to provide a birthday gift. And also the less-fun gift of opening up about his past. But you know, at least Will is gonna get a cool present out of it, which is more than most people get when they find out what Varian's deal is. ]
Hey, Will. When are you free? I've got your birthday present here for you.
[That's such an Athena kid thing to say that it amuses Will. Varian will definitely get along with some of his friends from home like a house on fire.]
Sure thing! See you in a bit Varian
[He'll just spend this time putting away his textbooks and making sure his homework is in his backpack.]
[It absolutely is. Varian and Annabeth would get on like a house on fire, and he and Leo would make ACTUAL fires. These are people Varian should absolutely meet that wouldn't cause any problems at all.
As promised, Varian isn't too long before he's knocking on Will's door. He has a carefully wrapped parcel tucked under his arm as he raises his other hand in greeting. ]
[Will opens the door once he hears the knock and grins.]
Glad you made it here safely! C'mon in.
[He steps aside to let Varian in, closing the door behind him. The apartment is honestly almost sterile it's so clean. Yet, there's a lot of little touches that make it Will's own. There are some hyacinths he's growing near the window, and there are some sun and sunflower decorations scattered around. Not to mention an entire bookshelf dedicated to medical science and Greek myths.]
Make yourself at home. Would you like something to eat or drink?
I found my way through the city without falling through any potholes or anything!
[Jokes! Jokes will ease the worry churning in his stomach. He knows he needs to talk to Will about this, that his friend deserves it- but he's still nervous. He always is. He doesn't know how well anyone would take it. He steps in, trying to push the stress down, glancing around his space.]
Man, this place is pretty nice. [He and Fern live like animals, wow. ] And I'm okay, thanks though!
[He doesn't think he can hold anything down if he tried. He holds up the gift.]
UH! Here you go, sorry it's late, but happy belated birthday!
Well, at least you didn't get hurt on the way, right? I'm supposed to be off the clock as a medic.
[Will is very much joking. He's never off the clock. Though, he can definitely tell that Varian's nervous about something. His friend has been acting weird for a while now, and he's not sure if the two are related. For now, Will stays calm and accepts the gift with a bright, sunny smile.]
Thank you! But, really, you don't need to apologize. It was my fault for not telling you in the first place.
[The demigod gestures for his friend to join him at the kitchen table to sit down. And so he can carefully unwrap his gift, just in case it's on the fragile side.]
Well, good, I wouldn't want you to work when you're supposed to be relaxing.
[The real joke here is the concept of Will EVER relaxing, of course. ]
I guess. I'm still pretty new to this whole...uh...actually having friends thing. Even if you had told me I'd probably have been stuck in some sort of experiment.
[Like he did with poor Eugene. He follows Will in, and once he opens it, he'll find a watch with assorted survival gear attached.]
I uh...didn't really know the best thing to get you so I figured why not something that might actually help out while you're out and about on field doing your medic thing.
[Will does laugh at that, though he does have the grace to look a little embarrassed. It's really hard to stop bein a workaholic.
Still, Varian's admission gets a small, sympathetic smile.]
Hey, it's a learning process sometimes. My boyfriend's pretty new to the whole friend thing too, but he's making progress. You can, too.
[He believes in you, buddy. Will's also touched by the gift. His happiness is absolutely sincere.]
Thanks! This will come in super handy! I mean, a lot of the Gates opening up lately have been in the wilderness. I'm guessing it's coincidence, but I'll need this if it keeps up. [He grins at him.] Thanks, Varian. This was really thoughtful.
Hey, you do plenty to help, and not just 'cause your inventions help me save lives. Gods know I needed a friend to help me settle in when I first showed up here. So, I think you're doing great.
[Varian's self-worth has been circling the drain recently- mostly because of everything going on with Zodiac and the knowledge that at some point he'll have to come clean to the people he cares about and tell them what he's been doing. He's pretty sure everyone will turn their backs on him for that one.
He rubs the back of his neck with a soft sigh.]
Hah, well. I'm glad to help with that at least. No one deserves to have to figure this place out alone.
[Will can see that something is taking a toll on Varian, but he's not sure what it is. He sets his present down, and puts a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. His concern is clear to see. Not as a medic, but as a friend.]
[Will feels that tension, and that's... familiar. He manages a small smile back, giving him a nod before taking his hand away. The blond gestures to the couch.]
I got plenty of time for your story, Varian. If you're willing to share, I'm willing to listen. Let's take a seat at the couch if this is gonna take a while.
[He walks over to take a seat.]
And I'm not gonna judge if you decide you need to get up and pace. Trust me, I totally get it.
[Varian nods, grateful for Will's offer and slow-and-steady approach to this. He really needs that right now. The whole thing is so overwhelming as is. He's done this enough times to not be utterly convinced that he'll be abandoned for it now, but he's still nervous.
He moves to take a seat, sucking in a breath. Okay. He can do this.]
Thanks. I uh- that means a lot. Okay- um. This gets complicated and a lot of it doesn't matter, but some background stuff you need to know. My world had a magical force called the sundrop- it fell to earth into a flower and had healing properties- our queen drank it while she was sick while pregnant. It's...not actually important but what is important is that it meant the princess, Rapunzel, ended up with the magical powers of the sundrop. Um...with me so far?
[He figures "inexplicable magical bullshit" is at least something Will is more used to than other people. ]
[Will listens, not even commenting on how nervous Varian is. It's clear to him that this is deeply personal, at least. When he's asked if he's following along so far, Will nods.]
Magic flower got made into some kinda medicine for Rapunzel's mom, and that magic got passed down to Rapunzel herself. That's a pretty familiar story in my neck of the woods.
[It makes it so much easier to deal with, honestly. Less...explaining. Will can fill in certain gaps here.]
Anyway. There's an opposing force called the moonstone. It landed in another part of the world and it was sending out these...magical rocks to find Rapunzel. We met when she came to me to see if I could help her understand the magic she had in her and...well, I noticed the rocks were reacting to her. She wanted to keep it quiet so I...agreed. But things started to get worse. The rocks started to take over my village- destroying houses, crops, everything.
[He still remembers them piercing the ground, ripping apart people's livelihoods.]
My dad went to the palace and I thought he was gonna ask for help but he...covered up what was happening. When I told Rapunzel, she promised she'd figure out a way to help- but we were running out of time. So I decided to run experiments on the rocks. My father forbade me from touching them, but our people were suffering, I- I couldn't just do nothing.
[Will's quiet as he listens to all of that. His heart really goes out to Varian. He can put himself easily into his friend's shoes.]
So you did it alone to help your people. People you loved and cared about. I'm guessing you thought that maybe by figuring out what they were, it could lead you to a solution to the problem. Right?
Yeah, exactly. No one else was doing anything- if anything, everyone was trying to pretend it wasn't happening, that-that people weren't suffering. I couldn't stand by and let that happen.
[Turns out Varian's stubborn anti-authority streak has ALWAYS been there. He clasps and unclasps his hands together.]
I'd made a chemical compound to test on the rocks when my dad found me. We- we had a big argument about it about me working on them against his orders, about him hiding stuff from me. I didn't see the rock reacting to the chemical until it was too late. But Dad saw it. He- he managed to push me out of the way, but it swallowed him up. It-it trapped him in this solid amber that was unbreakable as the rocks.
[He sucks in a shaky breath, trying to calm his breathing as the memories push at his mind. It's been years at this point and it still hurts just as badly.]
[Horrifying, even. It's all too easy to put himself in Varian's shoes, here. He's seen some campers lose a parent because of monsters. Sometimes even siblings.]
What happened?
[Because he's all too sure that something did happen. Probably something bad.]
[Even after everything that came after- and oh boy, did so much come after, nothing topped this for how much it broke him inside. If he'd just listened and done nothing...well, the black rocks would have probably destroyed the entire kingdom, but he wouldn't have gone through the agony of losing his dad. He wouldn't wish that pain on anyone after going through it himself. ]
There was a snowstorm. A big one. It turned out it was a demon in another form but...none of us knew that at the time. I begged Rapunzel to help save my dad, but she had to protect her people. The royal guards thought I was attacking her and threw me back into the snow. By-by the time I got back home, Dad was completely encased in the amber. I was too late.
[And no help came for him. He was left alone, he chews his lip- because after this everything becomes far LESS understandable.]
So I decided I had to take this into my own hands. No one else was there to help me. I figured maybe if I could get to the sundrop flower- or what was left of it- I might be able to use it on the rocks. If Rapunzel couldn't help me, then why not go to the source? But it was well hidden, I only found out it was still around and the location by drugging the guards with a truth serum.
[Will nods again. He's still understanding, at least so far. He can definitely see where Varian's coming from, and Will might've done the same thing if it'd been his mom.
This, though... this is getting familiar, at least in a way.]
You figured that since the rocks were attracted to the sundrop's power, it'd maybe reverse the effects of the amber and free him?
[Varian keeps casting worried glances Will's way. He doesn't know if his friend will hit a point where he'll let the disgust and anger slip in. He wouldn't be surprised if he did- he's done some pretty awful things. But at the moment there's only understanding, and that...helps. ]
Exactly. I um...I convinced Rapunzel to help me find the flower- we had to use this journal that had the map of the catacombs under the kingdom to find it and she was the only one who could get at it, being the princess and all. It was treason...to-to take the book, but she did it anyway. We got our way through and once I got to the flower I just...took it. I told her that I'd used her and escaped before the guards could find me. I knew she'd be in so much trouble and I just...didn't care.
[He was so focused on saving his dad that everything and everyone else just fell into the background. They were... expendable. ]
It didn't matter. The flower was dead. It did nothing. I knew I had to go to the only source of the sundrop's power that was left. And that was Rapunzel herself.
[Will continues to be understanding. He can see Varian's logic. He can imagine that his friend must've been both desperate and angry. Feelings that only got worse with that setback, at least as far as he can guess.]
She wanted to help you, even if it meant treason. I can certainly respect that.
[Honestly, he'd probably do the same thing she did. That said, Will can see that Varian is getting a little nervous.]
...She's a good person. Better than I could ever be.
[Though his tone is sad, it's not pitying- he's not looking for reassurance. It's a plain statement of fact. ]
I didn't know that then, though. I thought she wouldn't help me, so I...did something really terrible to make her come to me. I drugged Ruddiger with a serum to make him huge and set him on the capital city. While the guards were distracted with him, I... I snuck inside the castle and kidnapped the Queen. I knew Rapunzel would come to save her mother and she did.
[Because of course she did. She was a better person than him. Varian exhales slowly.]
I had an army of automatons I'd built ready for what few people were left after Ruddiger to fight them off, so only Rapunzel and the King got into my home. I managed to get the jump on them and trapped them with my alchemy. I... to make Rapunzel help me, I dropped the amber solution near her mother, to- if she didn't help me, her mother would have faced the same fate as my father.
[He grimaces, his shoulders tense like he's trying to recoil into himself.]
[Will won't argue it. Mostly because he knows, instinctively, it'd be inappropriate to do so right now.
Gods, but this is definitely lining up with things Nico has done before. It's not exact, of course not. Yet, his boyfriend has certainly done things he's lived to regret later because of his misplaced anger and a terrible person guiding him down a dark, selfish path. The son of Apollo looks... sad, but remains understanding. Empathetic. This is so much for one person to bear on their shoulders.
It's only going to get worse, too. He can see it in Varian's expression. His tone is gentle.]
[Varian casts a worried glance at Will, trying to judge his reaction. He's still with him, though, and that...helps. His friend hasn't abandoned him yet and that means the world. He closes his eyes, taking a moment to gather himself before continuing. ]
It didn't work. Her hair did nothing to the amber. I- I didn't know why. I was freaking out over that when Rapunzel and her parents escaped. I saw them hugging each other, just her together with her family and I snapped. I got into one of my robots and attacked them. I- [he looks at his hands again] I caught hold of the Queen and Rapunzel's best friend with it. I- I told her if I couldn't get a happy ending, then neither could she and started crushing them to death.
[He came SO CLOSE to ending the lives of two decent, innocent people and it makes him feel sick.]
Rapunzel stopped me, she accidentally figured out a connection with the rocks and used them against me. I- I'm glad she did. At least no one died. I was sent to prison where I stayed for a year. My uh...cellmate was an insurgent and he convinced me to help us escape and join his people. So that's what I did- when Rapunzel was away trying to understand her connection with the rocks, we escaped. One of his people had magic to wipe the memory of the King and Queen and I-I stepped in to control them, pretending I was their advisor- getting them to force their people into mines to gather minerals I needed.
[So let's add attempted murder and slave labour to his list of crimes, fun. He winces.]
I wanted to erase everyone's memories. To-to just...remove everything I'd ever done. I tried to take a stupid, easy way out.
[Gods above, Varian. Will can't just sit here with his friend in distress like this. As horrible as it all is, the older teen has been trying to atone for it. To make things right, even if it never will be. The demigod moves to sit closer to Varian, though he'll stop if it's unwanted, and holds out his hand.]
You don't have to, but... if you want, you can squeeze my hand when it hurts. I'm made of stern stuff, so don't worry about hurting me.
[He smiles a little at him.]
Or you can just hold it so you know I'm still with you.
[Varian was expecting all kinds of reactions from Will- mostly he was expecting to be called out, abandoned. It's never happened yet, people here have been astoundingly forgiving, but he expects it to happen ONE day.
He should have known better when it came to Will.
Still, he stares at the hand for a moment eyebrows raised like instead his friend grew another head on it. After a few more moments of confused uncertainty, he reaches out to take the proffered hand. ]
Um...thanks. It's- nearly done.
[Thank god.]
Before I could complete my compound, Rapuznel came home. It- it was while we were dealing with her that Andrew- he was my cellmate- let slip they- they never planned on following my plan. They were gonna use my compound to raze Corona to the ground. I- mass murder was NOT what I'd signed up for so I...turned against them. I finally decided to get on the right side of history.
[It took too long to get there and he knows it, but get there he did. ]
I um. I helped Rapunzel get onto the airship they were gonna use to drop the compound from. The plan was for me to neutralise it so it couldn't hurt anyone, but they caught us. Andrew tried to throw me off the edge of the ship- traitors to his cause paid with their lives, apparently. But I was saved and his people bailed- but not without damaging the ship beyond repair first.
[His hand tightens a little in Will's nervous, unsettled. No one has ever taken this part well. ]
I knew if the ship crashed, it would explode. But- but if I could use the compound under the burners it could get the ship high enough above the city before it exploded so no one got hurt. I- I told Rapunzel to get off the ship, to just let me do it. I wanted to fix the mess I made. And I- I didn't feel like I had anything left to live for...after everything.
[He was so very done. All he'd done for that last year was cause massive pain and damage to innocent people. He had nothing left anymore. A princess who the people were relying on sure trumped a convict who'd tried to destroy their kingdom, he thought. ]
Of course, Rapunzel wouldn't let me do that. She got me off the ship and used the magic of the sundrop to protect her when the ship exploded. Everyone survived it. She...on her journey out into the world, she'd figured out how to use her abilities to help my father. She got him out and he was...fine. I spent the rest of my days there doing everything I could to help the kingdom...her to try and make up for everything I'd done. Just...even out the balance, I guess. Until I got dragged here, anyway.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
UN: Zodiac; 12/1
Congratulations! You've been specially selected to take part in our first annual Secret Santa holiday gift exchange! 🎁
This year, you'll be giving a gift to Varian! Please try to find a nice gift for them by December 25th! And remember, Secret Santa always works best when it's a surprise!
We highly recommend you participate, as no one wants to suffer on the holidays!
Thank you, and enjoy the season! ☃️
[As usual, any replies will receive no response from Zodiac]
Secret Santa Close to Christmas
Attached in a card that reads:
'Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!'
In neat cursive.]
2/20; un: shadowy; text
Is there any sort of subject matter you absolutely do not want coming up at the game table? I'm mostly asking so I know what to avoid; I want everyone to have a good time when we're playing, you know?
no subject
I think the only thing I can think of is no sibling death? At least not for my character. I'll most likely be fine if it's another person's character but I can let you know if it's not?
no subject
And let me know if there's anything else you need!
no subject
Sure will! Thanks Yuu I'm looking forward to your campaign!
no subject
text: un: trienemybest
Hey, Will. When are you free? I've got your birthday present here for you.
no subject
I'm free right now! You caught me at a good time
Just finished up some homework I couldn't get to yesterday
no subject
[Some people might say that as a sarcastic joke, but Varian is absolutely serious about this.]
I'll drop by your place, now, okay?
no subject
Sure thing! See you in a bit Varian
[He'll just spend this time putting away his textbooks and making sure his homework is in his backpack.]
no subject
As promised, Varian isn't too long before he's knocking on Will's door. He has a carefully wrapped parcel tucked under his arm as he raises his other hand in greeting. ]
Heeey Will. I made it, uh...obviously.
no subject
Glad you made it here safely! C'mon in.
[He steps aside to let Varian in, closing the door behind him. The apartment is honestly almost sterile it's so clean. Yet, there's a lot of little touches that make it Will's own. There are some hyacinths he's growing near the window, and there are some sun and sunflower decorations scattered around. Not to mention an entire bookshelf dedicated to medical science and Greek myths.]
Make yourself at home. Would you like something to eat or drink?
no subject
[Jokes! Jokes will ease the worry churning in his stomach. He knows he needs to talk to Will about this, that his friend deserves it- but he's still nervous. He always is. He doesn't know how well anyone would take it. He steps in, trying to push the stress down, glancing around his space.]
Man, this place is pretty nice. [He and Fern live like animals, wow. ] And I'm okay, thanks though!
[He doesn't think he can hold anything down if he tried. He holds up the gift.]
UH! Here you go, sorry it's late, but happy belated birthday!
no subject
[Will is very much joking. He's never off the clock. Though, he can definitely tell that Varian's nervous about something. His friend has been acting weird for a while now, and he's not sure if the two are related. For now, Will stays calm and accepts the gift with a bright, sunny smile.]
Thank you! But, really, you don't need to apologize. It was my fault for not telling you in the first place.
[The demigod gestures for his friend to join him at the kitchen table to sit down. And so he can carefully unwrap his gift, just in case it's on the fragile side.]
no subject
[The real joke here is the concept of Will EVER relaxing, of course. ]
I guess. I'm still pretty new to this whole...uh...actually having friends thing. Even if you had told me I'd probably have been stuck in some sort of experiment.
[Like he did with poor Eugene. He follows Will in, and once he opens it, he'll find a watch with assorted survival gear attached.]
I uh...didn't really know the best thing to get you so I figured why not something that might actually help out while you're out and about on field doing your medic thing.
no subject
Still, Varian's admission gets a small, sympathetic smile.]
Hey, it's a learning process sometimes. My boyfriend's pretty new to the whole friend thing too, but he's making progress. You can, too.
[He believes in you, buddy. Will's also touched by the gift. His happiness is absolutely sincere.]
Thanks! This will come in super handy! I mean, a lot of the Gates opening up lately have been in the wilderness. I'm guessing it's coincidence, but I'll need this if it keeps up. [He grins at him.] Thanks, Varian. This was really thoughtful.
no subject
[And that he has another thing in common with Will's boyfriend, he guesses! Still, he smiles, pleased that this has gone down really well!]
You're welcome. I figured anything that helps keep someone alive out there is only a good thing, right?
no subject
[Will smiles at that.]
Hey, you do plenty to help, and not just 'cause your inventions help me save lives. Gods know I needed a friend to help me settle in when I first showed up here. So, I think you're doing great.
no subject
He rubs the back of his neck with a soft sigh.]
Hah, well. I'm glad to help with that at least. No one deserves to have to figure this place out alone.
no subject
[Will can see that something is taking a toll on Varian, but he's not sure what it is. He sets his present down, and puts a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. His concern is clear to see. Not as a medic, but as a friend.]
Is everything okay, Varian?
no subject
I um...came to talk to you about some stuff too. Stuff in my past. But only if you wanna hear it because it's...a lot.
no subject
I got plenty of time for your story, Varian. If you're willing to share, I'm willing to listen. Let's take a seat at the couch if this is gonna take a while.
[He walks over to take a seat.]
And I'm not gonna judge if you decide you need to get up and pace. Trust me, I totally get it.
no subject
He moves to take a seat, sucking in a breath. Okay. He can do this.]
Thanks. I uh- that means a lot. Okay- um. This gets complicated and a lot of it doesn't matter, but some background stuff you need to know. My world had a magical force called the sundrop- it fell to earth into a flower and had healing properties- our queen drank it while she was sick while pregnant. It's...not actually important but what is important is that it meant the princess, Rapunzel, ended up with the magical powers of the sundrop. Um...with me so far?
[He figures "inexplicable magical bullshit" is at least something Will is more used to than other people. ]
no subject
Magic flower got made into some kinda medicine for Rapunzel's mom, and that magic got passed down to Rapunzel herself. That's a pretty familiar story in my neck of the woods.
no subject
[It makes it so much easier to deal with, honestly. Less...explaining. Will can fill in certain gaps here.]
Anyway. There's an opposing force called the moonstone. It landed in another part of the world and it was sending out these...magical rocks to find Rapunzel. We met when she came to me to see if I could help her understand the magic she had in her and...well, I noticed the rocks were reacting to her. She wanted to keep it quiet so I...agreed. But things started to get worse. The rocks started to take over my village- destroying houses, crops, everything.
[He still remembers them piercing the ground, ripping apart people's livelihoods.]
My dad went to the palace and I thought he was gonna ask for help but he...covered up what was happening. When I told Rapunzel, she promised she'd figure out a way to help- but we were running out of time. So I decided to run experiments on the rocks. My father forbade me from touching them, but our people were suffering, I- I couldn't just do nothing.
no subject
So you did it alone to help your people. People you loved and cared about. I'm guessing you thought that maybe by figuring out what they were, it could lead you to a solution to the problem. Right?
no subject
[Turns out Varian's stubborn anti-authority streak has ALWAYS been there. He clasps and unclasps his hands together.]
I'd made a chemical compound to test on the rocks when my dad found me. We- we had a big argument about it about me working on them against his orders, about him hiding stuff from me. I didn't see the rock reacting to the chemical until it was too late. But Dad saw it. He- he managed to push me out of the way, but it swallowed him up. It-it trapped him in this solid amber that was unbreakable as the rocks.
[He sucks in a shaky breath, trying to calm his breathing as the memories push at his mind. It's been years at this point and it still hurts just as badly.]
I needed help, so I ran to get Rapunzel.
no subject
That's awful, Varian.
[Horrifying, even. It's all too easy to put himself in Varian's shoes, here. He's seen some campers lose a parent because of monsters. Sometimes even siblings.]
What happened?
[Because he's all too sure that something did happen. Probably something bad.]
no subject
[Even after everything that came after- and oh boy, did so much come after, nothing topped this for how much it broke him inside. If he'd just listened and done nothing...well, the black rocks would have probably destroyed the entire kingdom, but he wouldn't have gone through the agony of losing his dad. He wouldn't wish that pain on anyone after going through it himself. ]
There was a snowstorm. A big one. It turned out it was a demon in another form but...none of us knew that at the time. I begged Rapunzel to help save my dad, but she had to protect her people. The royal guards thought I was attacking her and threw me back into the snow. By-by the time I got back home, Dad was completely encased in the amber. I was too late.
[And no help came for him. He was left alone, he chews his lip- because after this everything becomes far LESS understandable.]
So I decided I had to take this into my own hands. No one else was there to help me. I figured maybe if I could get to the sundrop flower- or what was left of it- I might be able to use it on the rocks. If Rapunzel couldn't help me, then why not go to the source? But it was well hidden, I only found out it was still around and the location by drugging the guards with a truth serum.
no subject
This, though... this is getting familiar, at least in a way.]
You figured that since the rocks were attracted to the sundrop's power, it'd maybe reverse the effects of the amber and free him?
no subject
Exactly. I um...I convinced Rapunzel to help me find the flower- we had to use this journal that had the map of the catacombs under the kingdom to find it and she was the only one who could get at it, being the princess and all. It was treason...to-to take the book, but she did it anyway. We got our way through and once I got to the flower I just...took it. I told her that I'd used her and escaped before the guards could find me. I knew she'd be in so much trouble and I just...didn't care.
[He was so focused on saving his dad that everything and everyone else just fell into the background. They were... expendable. ]
It didn't matter. The flower was dead. It did nothing. I knew I had to go to the only source of the sundrop's power that was left. And that was Rapunzel herself.
no subject
She wanted to help you, even if it meant treason. I can certainly respect that.
[Honestly, he'd probably do the same thing she did. That said, Will can see that Varian is getting a little nervous.]
I'm still here with you.
no subject
[Though his tone is sad, it's not pitying- he's not looking for reassurance. It's a plain statement of fact. ]
I didn't know that then, though. I thought she wouldn't help me, so I...did something really terrible to make her come to me. I drugged Ruddiger with a serum to make him huge and set him on the capital city. While the guards were distracted with him, I... I snuck inside the castle and kidnapped the Queen. I knew Rapunzel would come to save her mother and she did.
[Because of course she did. She was a better person than him. Varian exhales slowly.]
I had an army of automatons I'd built ready for what few people were left after Ruddiger to fight them off, so only Rapunzel and the King got into my home. I managed to get the jump on them and trapped them with my alchemy. I... to make Rapunzel help me, I dropped the amber solution near her mother, to- if she didn't help me, her mother would have faced the same fate as my father.
[He grimaces, his shoulders tense like he's trying to recoil into himself.]
I thought that was fair.
no subject
Gods, but this is definitely lining up with things Nico has done before. It's not exact, of course not. Yet, his boyfriend has certainly done things he's lived to regret later because of his misplaced anger and a terrible person guiding him down a dark, selfish path. The son of Apollo looks... sad, but remains understanding. Empathetic. This is so much for one person to bear on their shoulders.
It's only going to get worse, too. He can see it in Varian's expression. His tone is gentle.]
What happened next?
no subject
It didn't work. Her hair did nothing to the amber. I- I didn't know why. I was freaking out over that when Rapunzel and her parents escaped. I saw them hugging each other, just her together with her family and I snapped. I got into one of my robots and attacked them. I- [he looks at his hands again] I caught hold of the Queen and Rapunzel's best friend with it. I- I told her if I couldn't get a happy ending, then neither could she and started crushing them to death.
[He came SO CLOSE to ending the lives of two decent, innocent people and it makes him feel sick.]
Rapunzel stopped me, she accidentally figured out a connection with the rocks and used them against me. I- I'm glad she did. At least no one died. I was sent to prison where I stayed for a year. My uh...cellmate was an insurgent and he convinced me to help us escape and join his people. So that's what I did- when Rapunzel was away trying to understand her connection with the rocks, we escaped. One of his people had magic to wipe the memory of the King and Queen and I-I stepped in to control them, pretending I was their advisor- getting them to force their people into mines to gather minerals I needed.
[So let's add attempted murder and slave labour to his list of crimes, fun. He winces.]
I wanted to erase everyone's memories. To-to just...remove everything I'd ever done. I tried to take a stupid, easy way out.
no subject
You don't have to, but... if you want, you can squeeze my hand when it hurts. I'm made of stern stuff, so don't worry about hurting me.
[He smiles a little at him.]
Or you can just hold it so you know I'm still with you.
cw: sucidal ideation
He should have known better when it came to Will.
Still, he stares at the hand for a moment eyebrows raised like instead his friend grew another head on it. After a few more moments of confused uncertainty, he reaches out to take the proffered hand. ]
Um...thanks. It's- nearly done.
[Thank god.]
Before I could complete my compound, Rapuznel came home. It- it was while we were dealing with her that Andrew- he was my cellmate- let slip they- they never planned on following my plan. They were gonna use my compound to raze Corona to the ground. I- mass murder was NOT what I'd signed up for so I...turned against them. I finally decided to get on the right side of history.
[It took too long to get there and he knows it, but get there he did. ]
I um. I helped Rapunzel get onto the airship they were gonna use to drop the compound from. The plan was for me to neutralise it so it couldn't hurt anyone, but they caught us. Andrew tried to throw me off the edge of the ship- traitors to his cause paid with their lives, apparently. But I was saved and his people bailed- but not without damaging the ship beyond repair first.
[His hand tightens a little in Will's nervous, unsettled. No one has ever taken this part well. ]
I knew if the ship crashed, it would explode. But- but if I could use the compound under the burners it could get the ship high enough above the city before it exploded so no one got hurt. I- I told Rapunzel to get off the ship, to just let me do it. I wanted to fix the mess I made. And I- I didn't feel like I had anything left to live for...after everything.
[He was so very done. All he'd done for that last year was cause massive pain and damage to innocent people. He had nothing left anymore. A princess who the people were relying on sure trumped a convict who'd tried to destroy their kingdom, he thought. ]
Of course, Rapunzel wouldn't let me do that. She got me off the ship and used the magic of the sundrop to protect her when the ship exploded. Everyone survived it. She...on her journey out into the world, she'd figured out how to use her abilities to help my father. She got him out and he was...fine. I spent the rest of my days there doing everything I could to help the kingdom...her to try and make up for everything I'd done. Just...even out the balance, I guess. Until I got dragged here, anyway.
voice | sometime after the April event