Video; UN: Cuddlebunny UN: Darkness UN: Trienemybest

[lightthedarkness]

[The video turns on and it’s Usagi, Varian, and… Maul? Yes, Maul, all in her living room. Usagi is sitting on her couch.

She waves to everyone with a bright and cheery smile.]

Hey everyone! Usagi Tsukino here! It’s October! And it actually hasn’t been awful! Isn’t that AWESOME?! [Both Usagi and her Omen, a margay cat seem excited, the cat letting out a happy chirp of a meow while Usagi pumps her fist in the air.]

Anyway! Even though we’re not all dead from starvation, insanity, or literally drowning in corpses, I know some of you are still struggling to get a good night’s sleep! Well!

May I present to you a really great solution to that problem!

[Usagi uses both hands to gesture to Maul.]

You all know him as… well I’m sure by many names, but this is Maul for those of you who don’t know him and for those of you who don’t call him nice things. Maul will be able to help you sleep!

And not by killing you! I should emphasize!

Maul, why don’t you explain!

[Maul looks rather grumpy and like he’d rather be anywhere but here. But he starts to talk in that whisper-soft voice of his slowly, sounding a bit reluctant as he does so.]

The Dark Side of the Force can be used in many ways. It’s not magic but spiritual energy, something many of you here fail to grasp. It’s not always dramatic like moving things around without touching them or breaking someone’s leg in two just by thinking about it. I can go into someone’s mind and use the Force to help quiet it down, making it pliable to the suggestion of needing sleep. Think of it as using deep meditation to allow your body and mind to rest. It is not painful and takes very little time in the grand scheme of things. Should you need me, I am at your disposal.

[Then he gets a familiar glint of anger in his eyes and his voice hardens.]

But if any of you want to take this opportunity just to tell me how it’ll be a cold day in hell before you take up my offer for help, you can save your breath. I won’t sit here and listen to your judgment--

[It’s at this point that Varian interrupts to keep Maul from digging himself into a hole. The boy himself looks marginally better than he did in his last network post. He’s still looking a little haggard and his skin’s still not a super colour - but there is a tiny improvement. He clears his throat, doing his best to save Maul from himself. ]

Uhhhh, what Maul is trying to say that as a sign of good faith that he’s trying to steer away from the...literally murdering people thing and that he wants to work on being a...uh functioning member of society here- he’s willing to help people out with their sleep problems.

[He knows this is a hard sell, rubbing the back of his neck.]

He helped me out? I mean… I know I still don’t look great, but at least I’ve managed to get some sleep? Which I haven’t really since I got here because...being a coldblood is just that fun. Yay. And I get a lot of you don’t trust him, heck, I didn’t- I’m one of the people he literally killed once.

[He pauses, clears his throat. This is going great.]

Um! But what I mean is, everyone should have a chance to prove themselves if they want to change- and no one’s gonna be able to do that if you don’t give them the chance to do that. Sooo, yeah, we’re willing to vouch for him- in the whole...sleep helping process. And that he really is trying to… well, make good here?

[Usagi is staring at the both of them in disbelief, having had to resist covering Maul’s mouth several times with the way he keeps insulting people. She lets out a sigh at Varian’s "recommendation" and wonders how both of them are THIS BAD at convincing people of anything.]

The both of you are terrible at this. [She clears her throat.]

In any case! Yes, that is… basically the idea here, and! Maul helped me out too! I was having a really hard time sleeping last month but he was very kind in helping me, using the method he just explained, to get some real sleep, oh! And I’m a Paleblood so this DOES work on other blood types since… it’s a mind thing, not a blood thing.

And… yes, we are also working on Maul not insulting people in every other breath but this seemed like the more important matter… so… ya know, baby steps, we’re getting there.

So please don’t hesitate to ask if you need help!


((OOC: Usagi is pink Maul is red and Varian is blue. All three are available for response))

Comments

[droptheious]

Ugh, of course, it is.

[Whyyyyy is there so much wizard magic? The only good thing it has made possible is Fern. ]

You're gonna be creeping around the whole house and jumping out of us, aren't you?

[laminae]

[Wow!! Wow!!!

How did Varian figure him out so quickly???]

Uh. Nooo. No way, I wouldn't do that to you guys.

[He absolutely would.]

[droptheious]

[However did he come to this conclusion? However did he figure out Fern's dastardly plans? Gosh wow.]

Uh huh. So you're not even marginally tempted to jump out at any of us while you're invisible for the fun of it?

[laminae]

[It's super rude, figuring it all out so fast![

Nope. No. Don't know where you got that idea. [He's really going to have to be careful about his extremely cool ambush pranks, if he actually wants them to work out.]

[droptheious]

[It's really not hard, boyfriendo.]

It's a mystery. Could be from knowing you for a year and a half. Could have something to do with that probably.

[He's watching you.]

[laminae]

Nah, you've probably just been staring at too many test tubes. That's all.

[That's totally what it is!!!]

It's not even worth thinking about anyways, 'cause I got something more important I want to talk to you about.

[Smooth, he is so smooth.]

[droptheious]

Uh huh, that's exactly what it is.

[Uh oh. Concern crosses his features for a moment, and he carefully shifts a little further away from Maul and Usagi.]

...What is it? Is something wrong?

Private;

[laminae]

No. Um, not really.

[He does switch this over to private, though.]

But uh, did you know Usagi has enough magic to make me human temporarily?

Private;

[droptheious]

[Varian...doesn't respond to that immediately. The concerns softens into...something else. His brow furrowing softly. He can already see where this is going and his stomach twists in uncomfortable knots. Fern's struggled with his personhood as long as Varian has known him- longer still that that, he knows. He knows the other boy never feels...enough like this, as he is. That he feels he'll find the answers to his problems in being what he once was a long time ago.

Varian strongly disagrees on that- Fern doesn't need to be anything or anyone but himself. But he'd promised he'd stick by Fern no matter what he ended up being. This isn't his choice to make. He doesn't even try to fake a smile at this news, he knows Fern would pick it up in a second, and he doesn't want to lie to him about this. Not ever. ]

...Is that something you want to... try?

Private;

[laminae]

[That Varian doesn't respond right away has Fern worried. He knows this is a touchy subject, and he can guess what his boyfriend's actual opinion is (read: the opposite of his own), so it's nerve-wracking to see that silence on his Omni. What if this was a stupid, terrible decision, and he's just blinded by too many of his own insecurities to realize it?

By the time Varian responds, Fern is feeling anxious and fidgety.]

I think so. I still don't feel like I really know who I am, and the plant thing is just - it's hard, sometimes.

I'm not gonna try and be Finn. I don't want that. But maybe getting the chance to be human and still be me will help?

Private;

[droptheious]

[Varian finds a place to sit, scrubbing his face with a hand. God, he hates this.]

I know who you are. I know exactly who you are and I haven't made that a secret.

[He's told Fern more than once how he feels- who he knows Fern to be. But him knowing that and Fern knowing that himself, truly knowing that, are two very different things. He understands that. He doesn't like it, but he does understand it.

The fact Fern isn't trying to be Finn is...something. Better. He exhales sharply. ]

I'm glad you're not trying to be Finn anymore. [It's important to say. ] But okay. Sure. If you think that'll help you, then I'll- I'll be behind you on this. Whatever you need. I love you and whatever you want... well, I'll help however I can. Whatever body you're in won't change that- that's...that's still true.

[He just desperately hopes this won't make Fern worse. Maybe he's right, maybe it'll make things easier for him. Maybe it will...fill some void that's clearly missing still. He doesn't know what the answer is, only that he's not the one who gets to choose it.]

Private;

[laminae]

[Fern is quiet in response to that. He's grateful Varian can feel that way about him, but he still doesn't, and that's the crux of the issue. He loves Varian's support and knows he can't keep on figuring himself out without it, and that's never going to change. He just... needs to take this step for himself, to try and understand himself.]

Th - thanks. It means a lot to me that you're with me on this. I don't want to do this alone, but I don't want to make this some big thing in case it doesn't work. [Or makes him worse, though he doesn't think he needs to say that out loud. He doesn't want to worry a ton of people on the off chance this goes completely south. Usagi and Varian knowing seems like more than enough. Baby steps!]

I'm gonna be completely open with you about it all, okay? So if I start feeling weird or whatever, you don't need to worry that I'm gonna try and keep it to myself. I promise.

[No mental vaulting everything.]

Private;

[droptheious]

Of course. I'd never abandon you for anything, Fern. You're not gonna be alone for any of this, okay? No... no matter what it is you eventually decide.

[He desperately hopes this means Fern can find some peace in himself. See himself the way Varian's seen him from day one. A brave, selfless (if stubbornly reckless) person. Someone worthy to exist just like anyone else.

He manages a smile this time, it's weak and tired, but it's there. He's holding him to that promise. ]

Thank you. Please do, I don't- I don't want you to suffer from any of this.

Private;

[laminae]

I know. [The fear is still there, of course, because it's hard not to be afraid of someone you love leaving you when you have an enormous abandonment complex. But he trusts Varian, he rationally knows Varian won't leave him.]

Hopefully that won't happen. [He doesn't sound particularly convinced of this, though.] I'll let you know when it's done. Then we can... I don't know, see how things are.

Private;

[droptheious]

I really hope it won't, either.

[Fern's been through so much. He understands that this is... well, it's their chance to live a new life. It's only fair Fern gets to see what his option are to live it. ]

We'll work it out from there- one step at a time. [A pause, then gently, because he knows Fern needs to hear it right now:] I love you, okay,? No matter what happens, I always will. We'll... we'll figure this out together.

Private;

[laminae]

[Hearing that does give Fern a little boost of confidence, enough that it's noticeable in his tone. Thank you, Varian, for knowing your boyfriend well enough to be able to figure out what he needs in a time like this.]

I love you, too. I know we will.