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[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.

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I'm honored to be thought about in connection to him.

[And she likes to think that he's off having some wild and exciting adventure. Hopefully with Jack.

Ridiculously in love.]

He's a good man.

[A pause, thoughtful yet with a fleeting smile.]

'One of the best people I have met in any world. And I say this as someone who can take some time to warm to others. He got past my defenses so deftly, I couldn't resist him. I'm relieved that I didn't try to.'

[By implication, the same applies to her.]

Well, we definitely have that in common.

[A pause.]

I mean...being grateful to have met him. And Jack too. His mate.

[He lifts his head slightly, shaking it, a twist of a smile curling his mouth.]

'Ah, yes, the charming Captain Harkness. I crossed paths with him as well. He seemed to dislike me from the moment we met. I suspect he thought I had ill intentions toward his spouse, when it couldn't be further from the truth. The Doctor and I may not have seen things from the same angle. However, he mattered to me more than most people in Deerington. He was among the first to meet me, and he was one of the last I saw before I quit the place.'

[A pause, then he types slowly yet precisely.]

'He was here in Trench, for a short time. But the sea called him back. I wish him well in his travels. But my heart would beat easier if he had settled here.'

I hate to say it, but I'm glad he's gone.

[She shrugs.]

I can't imagine how painful it would be to be separated from your mate. I know my parents wouldn't have survived it.

[Alastrians are romantic by nature. They mate for life.]

[He looks into the camera, breathing in and out audibly before tapping a reply.]

'Well-stated. Though if I might speak freely - even in my silent state - his absence leaves an empty place at the table in my heart.' [A pause and some very careful typing.] 'He was as a father to me. I barely knew my own and another usurped his place. The Doctor stepped in and filled the void.'

[She's quiet for a moment, before giving him a small dip of her head.]

Well. Being separated from a parent. That's another kind of awful pain. One that I can...

[It's not about her. She shuts her mouth a moment, before continuing.]

I'm sorry. You must be in a lot of pain. I shouldn't have said what I said before. I apologize.

[Some thoughtful typing.]

'One that you know or understand too well? You have my full understanding.' [A small pause] 'And I also fully accept the apology, though you needn't worry. You couldn't have known about the dark places in my history. I keep it well-concealed, except for a few who've gotten inside my defenses.' [A small smile.] 'You're very good at that.'

"Good at that?"

[A flash of concern crosses her face.]

I don't mean to come off as if I have some kind of ulterior motive. I promise you, I don't.

[Which, admittedly, is still new to her in some ways. It's getting easier and easier to be herself, but herself was a spy for a very, very long time.]

[His smile is meant to look reassuring, but the dark glasses probably undercut the effect.]

'I didn't think you were trying to. You have too kind of heart and too gentle a touch. If it's a consolation, my defenses need broaching, particularly in a place like this. They say that connections with others reduced the chances for Corruption, but someone like me needs more than that. One thing that The Doctor showed me, I may have guarded my heart too well all these years.'

Oh, well, I can understand the importance of connections.

[She nearly makes a face, before remembering that Obi-Wan isn't in this conversation for her to scold.

Yeah, she's still pretty mad at him.]

In Alastrian culture, the three kinds of love are considered essential to surviving.

[An appreciative nod, then more typing.]

'I have heard of four loves in my world of origin. but I'm curious to know how your people have defined these loves?'

[She ticks them off on her fingers.]

The love between parents and their children. The love between friends and family. And...uh...sexual love, of course.

'The same as three of the four loves, though one philosopher in my world of origin added the fourth, which is the altruistic love for ones neighbor, which compels one to help them, even at a cost to oneself.'

[A thoughtful pause, then some careful typing.]

'It has taken me some time to learn the value of that fourth love. I've only had a passing familiarity with the first two you listed. The third I've not had much use for.'

[Off link, Cypher makes a noise of objection. Wesker looks patiently in the Omen's direction.]

'I apologize. It's a personal matter I don't choose to discuss, however, Cypher seems particularly curious about that one. I don't know why, either.'

[Ariadne rather likes that fourth sort of love. Of course, her mother would hate it. Which makes her like it all the more.

She'll have to remember that.

But before she can comment, she hears Cypher somewhere back there. And has to press her fingertips to her lips, to keep from smiling too much. He's by far the most opinionated Omen she's ever encountered.]

No need to apologize. I'll admit, I don't know anything about the third one either. Except that, for some reason, it makes snarly males behave like buttheads.

[And she is oh-so-proud of herself for using the word 'buttheads.' It's new to her vocabulary.]

[Smirking, he lifts his head slightly as if rolling his eye behind his dark lenses.]

'You aren't wrong. I have an older sister in my world of origin, and while she's more than capable of defending herself, many is the time she let me step in and drive off an especially persistent would-be suitor. Sometimes I merely had to approach the individual to send him fleeing.'

[He smirks dangerously as these words spool from the text-to-speech application.]

[That look makes her a little wary. But he's been ill. Best not to take it too seriously.]

Well. I suppose it's the duty of a brother to be over-protective.

I had ten, at one point, although they never got the chance to protect me much.

'Even better when the brother is younger. I already had the prerogative to be a gadfly to her would-be suitors. All of whom she found unwelcome, as she would describe herself as wedded to her work.'

[A pause, a raised eyebrow.]

'Ten brothers. Quite a family. I'd ask as to why you hadn't the luxury of their defense, but I suspect that's a less than pleasant experience?'

"Less than pleasant."

I guess that's one way to say it.

[She smiles bitterly, but then shrugs. Nothing she can do about it. And she refuses to let herself get weepy.]

'One can't change the past, you can only change how it shapes the present and the future.' [A pause, and he might roll his eyes again.] 'That sounded like one of those pseudo-deep thoughts one finds on the Omni. I should allow myself some rest.'

"Want me to call out for some soup?" [Cypher asks off-link.]

'I'd appreciate that.'

No. I think it's a good thought.

[Ariadne gives him a warm smile.]

And I'm glad that Cypher is taking good care of you. But if you need anything he can't provide, please don't hesitate to let me know.

'If you wish to come by and make sure that I'm still breathing, there's a blue lamp outside my front door, which is also unlocked. The soup shop Cypher is trotting out to always makes plenty and I'd be happy to offer you some.

'My house isn't hard to find: I'm in the northern part of Lumenwood, and it's the tall, broad grey-white house with the red and white wheel in stained glass over the front door. I can send you the coordinates, if you wish?'

I wouldn't want to interrupt you while you're healing but...

[She offers him a little nod.]

I would like to visit. When you're feeling up for it.

'Perhaps some time closer to the turning of the New Year?'

[In the background, Cypher trots by, wearing a weasel-sized long black leather jacket and weasel-sized wrap-around mirror shades and heading for the foyer.]

If you have the strength for it, I would be delighted.

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