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[demonicbeauty]

[She's not Padmé Amidala. Nor is she Jane Foster. It's just Ariadne, sitting on the wooden floor of her home, in front of an enormous, four-poster bed with a canopy of sheer, white fabric. Splashes of color occasionally hit her face and the background, as her homemade mobiles, flitting with broken pieces of colorful glass, catch whatever sunlight there is. Her long, long, long brown hair is hanging loose over her left shoulder, crinkled to show that it's just come undone from its braid.]

I...I've noticed that a lot of important holidays seem to be in the middle of the winter. And I guess it makes sense. The days are short, the nights are long, and everyone is cold and missing fresh fruits and vegetables. It raises the spirit to have something to celebrate and people to celebrate it with.

[There's a small smile. A memory or two from her days in Valeria.]

Back home, the New Year was the most important holiday. There would be parties and feasts and masked balls. Presents. Lots of music...

[And she misses that music. But Ariadne won't let herself stay sentimental for long.]

Last year, I learned about an Earth holiday. The one where the fat man breaks into people homes and leaves them gifts, instead of stealing stuff. Christmas!

[Makes no sense, but it's a lovely sentiment.]

I was hoping to maybe learn about some other holidays from this time of year. What do your cultures celebrate? Maybe we can find a way to all celebrate together. I'm still convinced that togetherness is the only way we're going to survive this place. And I...I know I'm not alone, feeling that way.

[A small shrug.]

So let's talk to each other more. When there isn't an emergency. Talk about some of the happy things, maybe. Tell me about the good stuff.

[Ariadne doesn't really know where to go from here, so she shrugs again.]

Anyway, that's all. Sorry to interrupt anything.

Comments

[laminae]

Nah, I don't hibernate.

[This isn't something he usually talks about, but he's happy to do so for Ariadne.]

I stick through it, even though it sucks. It used to be way more fun when I was human, but now I gotta be really careful about keeping myself warm enough so I don't freeze. And I need to use the parasol light Varian made me a lot more, since there isn't enough sunlight. I can't just rely on the ground for dirt either, I gotta have a bunch of potting soil stored up for food.

[In other words, it's really rough on him.]

[demonicbeauty]

Oh.

[She blinks in genuine surprise.]

I...I don't think I realized that you used to be Human.

[laminae]

Yup. Used to be human, and two swords. I became me when the swords merged.

[demonicbeauty]

I...

[A pause.]

I'm not sure I understand. You, you don't have to say more, if you don't want. But if you do want to tell your story, I'd love to hear it.

[laminae]

Nah, I don't mind. It's all weird and doesn't make a ton of sense, but I can do my best to explain it.

Sooo before I was Fern I was just two swords, one of 'em was cursed and made outta grass and the other was a sword who used to be human. There was a time loop and a time paradox and BOOM! Human to sword. Both of them were sentient, so when they combined their brains combined, sort of, and made me.

[demonicbeauty]

[All right. That's...a lot. But she's heard stranger. And enchanted swords are kind of normal in Valeria. Or at least, they were.

She nods. Sloooowly.]

But you're someone new? Not the human who was the second sword?

[laminae]

Nope. Both of the swords were sentient, even though the Grass Sword was only ever a sword. I'm both of 'em jammed into one body.

[demonicbeauty]

Does it ever get...I don't know...confusing?

[laminae]

All the time.

[Understatement of the year, he's basically been one long continuous existential crisis.]

[demonicbeauty]

I'm sorry.

[No pity. Just genuine sympathy.]

But, at the same time, I'm kind of glad. I mean, it means you exist, right?

[laminae]

[The energy is draining a little more from Fern's responses. As often as he explains this to people it never really gets easier.]

Yeah. Yeah, it does, so I guess it isn't all bad.

[demonicbeauty]

Not at all.

[She leans in, pretending to whisper.]

Especially for Varian.

[laminae]

[Ahaha the mention of Varian has him grinning and blushing a little.]

Y - yeah. He's the best thing to ever happen to me.

[demonicbeauty]

Good. Because he's pretty great.

[laminae]

Hah, yup. He's the best. I know I'm biased, though.

[demonicbeauty]

Bias accepted, Fern.

Just this once.