[ACCIDENTAL VIDEO]; UN: [USER NAME NOT SET]

[demonicbeauty]

[The feed springs to life without warning, as so many of the share memories have been doing, lately. At first it's mostly a wash of shadow and golden firelight, difficult to pin down to an exact time or place or person.

That changes as a mirror appears. A little girl is standing in front of it. She can't be terribly old. Maybe ten. But she's unmistakably green. It's Ariadne, no question. Skin the color of the underside of a maple leaf. Hair blue as candy floss, pulled into a tight braid over her shoulder. Little girl or adult, she has the same look of wonder in her gray eyes. Like she's completely fascinated with every single thing she encounters.

Right now, that wonder is her reflection.

An older--impossibly beautiful--woman appears at her side. She seems to be Human, with pink skin and black hair. She puts a hand on Ariadne's shoulder. Very, very carefully. Her voice is equally gentle.]

How do you feel?

[Ariadne looks at her in the mirror.]

Tired, mostly.

[The woman nods.]

Yes, that's to be expected. Does it hurt?

[Ariadne frowns.]

A little.

[She turns, looking back over her shoulder to keep her eyes on the mirror. The back of Ariadne's dress is stained with blood. Two long lines of it, running down each of her shoulder blades. She gasps, looking more startled than hurt. The other woman holds her steady.]

There will be scars. But they'll fade. In time. And you'll be able to pass for a Human, once you've healed. We'll survive. Together.

[Uncertainly, Ariadne wraps her arms around the woman's waist, burying her face against her side. The woman strokes her hair lovingly, as the memory fades.]

Comments

audio; bluebird69

[venatoris]

[ what is this. ]

Wait, you're not human?

[demonicbeauty]

[The message catches Ariadne entirely by surprise. She takes a moment, then realizes what's happened.

Oh. Oh, this isn't good. This is...bull excrement!]

My memory!

I didn't realize that it was--

[Wait a second.]

Of course I'm not Human. I never have been. You know that.

...don't you?

[venatoris]

This is a memory?

Uh -- no. Definitely didn't know that.

[demonicbeauty]

I...I told you! The first day after I came back.

[Now she's all turned around.]

I thought I did. When I found the journal. I sniffed it out.

[venatoris]

I just thought you had a really sharp nose.

Huh. Imagine that.

[demonicbeauty]

...it wasn't a problem before.

[She gives the camera a very serious look.]

It's not a problem now...is it?

[venatoris]

No, of course not.

[ Not anymore, anyway. Might've been once upon a time, but. No. ]

Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

I don't think I have ever seen you in your natural form before.

[Also Force alive, she'd had her wings cut off but they'll get to that in a minute.]

Is this a happy or sad memory for you?

[demonicbeauty]

[Ariadne is slow to respond. Mostly because she's been hiding from the fact that this video went live. But eventually, she knows, she's got to reply. And it's Maul, after all. He's her friend. In a peculiar sort of way.

Still, when she gets on the feed, she looks a bit meeker than usual.]

Savage says my natural form is more appealing. I don't think I ever realized you hadn't seen it, though.

[She bites her lips together a moment.]

But to answer your question...I'm not sure. I guess it's a little happy and a little sad at the same time.

[survivalthroughhate]

If you ever made a post about it, I must not have been paying attention.

[Contrary to popular belief, Maul doesn't pay attention to everything that goes on with the network.]

I can see why it would make you sad because you lost your wings. But why was it happy as well?

[demonicbeauty]

Because it meant I got to play Human.

[Ariadne shrugs, looking a little sheepish.]

Humans can do so many things that Alastrians can't. I wanted to be a part of that.

[survivalthroughhate]

Hmmmm, that's something I don't quite understand.

[Humans were the majority species in the galaxy, mainly due to their adaptability and prolific numbers, but they were never the end-all, be-all. There was twenty million other sentient species around and so the concept of 'blending in' was a foreign one to Maul.]

[demonicbeauty]

You're lucky, in that way, Maul. You come from a place with so many different species.

I guess it's more complicated when there are only a few. As it is, the prejudices can be ugly. When people let them be. The Elves and Humans have a long history of hating each other. The Daruc used to be xenophobic. The Nysgods are so rare most people think they're just myth.

And my people...

[She shakes her head.]

People like to come up with excuses to hate us. It makes it easier for them to...do hateful things.

Video: UN - Runeseeker

[onerthes]

...did... you have to remove something to hide among humans?

[She sounded a little sick. Hadn't they spoken to this topic once or twice in the past? She couldn't remember, but this reminded her so much of covering the forehead to hide the third eye, only more violent, more painful. It was tragic in her mind.]

[demonicbeauty]

[It's a few hours before Ariadne responds.

Partly, because she's run off to Dean. And partly because...well...this whole memory thing is a bit embarrassing. She never intended anyone to see that. Of course, she knows it's an accident. Everyone's memories are floating around right now.

Maybe she just hoped it wouldn't happen to her.

At any rate, she looks terribly apologetic as she gets on the network to reply.]

Um, yes. My wings. It was a long time ago.

[onerthes]

That's... [She swallowed.] That's awful, even if it was a long time ago. I'm deeply sorry that it was something you faced in your world. Nobody should have to go that far.

Still, I'm also sorry that we saw such a private memory.

[demonicbeauty]

I should be the one apologizing. You shouldn't have had to see that.

[And she's being genuine about this. It's not good manners or saying what she knows people want to hear.

She really means it.]

It's not a very pretty sight.

[onerthes]

You hardly need to apologize for being forced to see this revealed on your behalf. [She sighed and smiled.] You are always so deferential and polite. It's a good quality, but this isn't your fault.

And no... it isn't, but you are mostly well now I hope, yes? Here, you are safe among us, or as safe as any of us ever are in Trench anyway.

[demonicbeauty]

It's strange, really.

Aside from the pain, I never had any regrets about my choices. About having the procedure. Not until Deerington. Not until I was living among people who wouldn't have cared about my wings.

Video; un: lothrat [Private]

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Very very quietly-]

I was afraid that was what you meant. By 'trading' to be human.

[demonicbeauty]

[A few hours later. After Dean. After reconciling with the fact that her memory is just...out there...Ariadne responds.

She sounds...tired.]

I'm sorry you had to see that, Ezra.

[ezra_of_lothal]

I'm sorry it got put on display.

[And that it happened at all. But he suspects that she would feel like...pity, to her.]

[demonicbeauty]

I suppose I should have expected it.

[A vague gesture.]

So many memories are being shared out...

[ezra_of_lothal]

It's...not kind. That they're getting shared without our consent. Or knowledge, really.

[demonicbeauty]

Yes, but...

I don't think it's personal.