Varric and Rahne, backdated to 12/22/15
Dec. 22nd, 2015 06:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
om_liar posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
om_mainVarric's attempts at being a not-terribly-secret Santa are foiled, but it doesn't matter much to him, as long as Rahne is happy with her gift.
It was a couple days before Christmas, but a Tethras had places to be on the holidays. Sadly, the school wasn't one of them. Appearances and all that. Apparently, being a mutant didn't preclude Varric from the Tethras family Christmas and New Year's Celebration. But part of him was glad. He was a bit worried he'd be an outcast from the family.
Still, Varric was playing Santa Claus. Rahne didn't seem like she had much, and he had taken notes on their little trip into New York together. He'd found a good deal on a fixed gear bicycle from a little bike shop just outside of the city, and he'd gotten a few extras for it. He'd put down a little extra for a nicer coat of paint, a nice, vibrant and happy-looking yellow, and he'd gone to a craft fair to find a nice, sturdy hand-woven basket to attach to the front. He'd also sprung for a more comfortable seat, so that she could ride it for longer without getting sore.
He just hoped she liked it. Of course, wheeling it down the hall of the girls' dormitory probably looked a bit strange, but hardly anyone was up on this hour, especially considering that classes were out. Still, he was a bit worried that he may have already missed Rahne. But that was what the tag was for, which read "To Rahne, from Your Short Secret Santa."
Rahne couldn't sleep. It was almost Christmas, and she felt especially alone on today of all days. Family gone, country gone, and nearly all of her friends were gone away from her, and here she was on this holy morning, alone and with nowhere to go. So, of course, she heard the commotion in the hallway. She pulled her robe tighter and stepped into her slippers, padding to the door to peek out and see what that odd noise was.
Varric was kneeling at the back wheel of the bike; it had been squeaking a bit, despite the WD-40 treatment he'd given it when he first rolled it out. He sprayed some on the back gear, and gave it a little roll back-and-forth to work the grease in. There. All ready for its new owner. He gave the seat a fond pat while looking at the bike and smiling. This was going to make Rahne very happy. Hopefully. He heard the door open, though, and smirked up the small crack in the door. "Not the quietest jolly old elf around, then, huh?" he asked.
Rahne tilted her head to the side. "Varric?" It was a bit of a clumsy and empty utterance, but it was a godforsaken hour of the morning. He was about the last thing she'd expected to see when she opened the door. Especially accompanied by a bicycle.
"In the flesh," he said, giving a somewhat dramatic bow while keeping a steadying hand on the seat of the bike. "Came to drop off your Christmas present, before I drive home tomorrow."
Rahne perked up, surprised. She touched her fingers lightly to her chest. "My--this is for me?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" he asked, smirking. "Figured you might enjoy it, at least once it warms up around here," Varric admitted.
"I just didn't--" She felt her lips tremble, and covered them with her hands. "I wasn't expecting anything." From anyone.
"Well, glad it's a pleasant surprise, then, Rosie," he said, warmly. At least, hopefully it was a pleasant one.
"I dunnae know what to say," she told him, behind a sniffle or two. "I've never had something so nice for Christmas."
That was both a point of pride and sorrow for Varric. She deserved better than what she'd been dealt so far. "No need to say anything, Rosie," he said, smiling. "Just hope you enjoy it."
She took a hesitant step outside her door, stopped for a moment, and then rushed toward Varric. She gave him as massive a hug as she could. "Thank you."
It almost toppled the bike over, but Varric managed to just make it gently lean against the nearby wall while he hugged back. "You're welcome, Rosie. Merry Christmas," he said, sincerely. He was just glad to be able to make one person this deeply happy.
Rahne sniffled, trying not to drip tears on Varric's shoulder. She didn't pull away, not wanting her face to be seen red and scrunched with crying. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
"It isn't about repaying anything, Rosie," Varric soothed, giving her a gentle pat on the back. "Just want you to have yourself a merry Christmas, is all."
Rahne rubbed at her face with the heels of her hands as she stepped back from him. "I just can't believe you thought of me. Because I'm so..." She sighed, and traced her finger over the handlebars of the new bicycle. "I'm quite a wallflower."
"You have your own way of standing out. Besides, how could I forget our fun little trip into the city together?" Varric grinned.
She smiled at her feet. "It was rather a grand adventure, wasn't it?"
"Sure was, Rosie," he said, smiling at her. "And with any luck, between you, me, the Boss 9, and your bike here, it won't be the last one for either of us."
Her hands clenched where they were resting on the bike's handlebars. "Promise?" she asked quietly.
"You bet, Rosie. It'll be great. Maybe sometime, I can take you to Kirkwall. It isn't far, and it's a nice little place. There's an old, old church in Kirkwall that I think you'd like. I mean, it was recently restored, but they kept the same aesthetic. Plus, a lot of the buildings in the Hightown area have that nice rustic feel to them."
Rahne nodded, looking reserved. "I think I'd like that."
"Sometime after the holidays, then," Varric said, grinning just a bit. "Always wanted to show off my hometown." Kirkwall wasn't the best of places, Varric knew, but it was practically his. He checked his watch. "Anyway, I need to get heading out soon so that I get home on time. I'll see you when I get back, Rosie. Maybe we'll have ourselves another adventure, then."
Rahne flipped up the kickstand and prepared to roll the bike into her room. "Have a merry Christmas, then," she said.
"You too, Rosie," Varric said, smiling. "I'll drop by when I get back. Hopefully we won't get snowed in anytime soon."
"I'm looking forward to it." She smiled to herself. He'd given her more than just the bike--he'd given her a new memory to cherish.
It was a couple days before Christmas, but a Tethras had places to be on the holidays. Sadly, the school wasn't one of them. Appearances and all that. Apparently, being a mutant didn't preclude Varric from the Tethras family Christmas and New Year's Celebration. But part of him was glad. He was a bit worried he'd be an outcast from the family.
Still, Varric was playing Santa Claus. Rahne didn't seem like she had much, and he had taken notes on their little trip into New York together. He'd found a good deal on a fixed gear bicycle from a little bike shop just outside of the city, and he'd gotten a few extras for it. He'd put down a little extra for a nicer coat of paint, a nice, vibrant and happy-looking yellow, and he'd gone to a craft fair to find a nice, sturdy hand-woven basket to attach to the front. He'd also sprung for a more comfortable seat, so that she could ride it for longer without getting sore.
He just hoped she liked it. Of course, wheeling it down the hall of the girls' dormitory probably looked a bit strange, but hardly anyone was up on this hour, especially considering that classes were out. Still, he was a bit worried that he may have already missed Rahne. But that was what the tag was for, which read "To Rahne, from Your Short Secret Santa."
Rahne couldn't sleep. It was almost Christmas, and she felt especially alone on today of all days. Family gone, country gone, and nearly all of her friends were gone away from her, and here she was on this holy morning, alone and with nowhere to go. So, of course, she heard the commotion in the hallway. She pulled her robe tighter and stepped into her slippers, padding to the door to peek out and see what that odd noise was.
Varric was kneeling at the back wheel of the bike; it had been squeaking a bit, despite the WD-40 treatment he'd given it when he first rolled it out. He sprayed some on the back gear, and gave it a little roll back-and-forth to work the grease in. There. All ready for its new owner. He gave the seat a fond pat while looking at the bike and smiling. This was going to make Rahne very happy. Hopefully. He heard the door open, though, and smirked up the small crack in the door. "Not the quietest jolly old elf around, then, huh?" he asked.
Rahne tilted her head to the side. "Varric?" It was a bit of a clumsy and empty utterance, but it was a godforsaken hour of the morning. He was about the last thing she'd expected to see when she opened the door. Especially accompanied by a bicycle.
"In the flesh," he said, giving a somewhat dramatic bow while keeping a steadying hand on the seat of the bike. "Came to drop off your Christmas present, before I drive home tomorrow."
Rahne perked up, surprised. She touched her fingers lightly to her chest. "My--this is for me?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" he asked, smirking. "Figured you might enjoy it, at least once it warms up around here," Varric admitted.
"I just didn't--" She felt her lips tremble, and covered them with her hands. "I wasn't expecting anything." From anyone.
"Well, glad it's a pleasant surprise, then, Rosie," he said, warmly. At least, hopefully it was a pleasant one.
"I dunnae know what to say," she told him, behind a sniffle or two. "I've never had something so nice for Christmas."
That was both a point of pride and sorrow for Varric. She deserved better than what she'd been dealt so far. "No need to say anything, Rosie," he said, smiling. "Just hope you enjoy it."
She took a hesitant step outside her door, stopped for a moment, and then rushed toward Varric. She gave him as massive a hug as she could. "Thank you."
It almost toppled the bike over, but Varric managed to just make it gently lean against the nearby wall while he hugged back. "You're welcome, Rosie. Merry Christmas," he said, sincerely. He was just glad to be able to make one person this deeply happy.
Rahne sniffled, trying not to drip tears on Varric's shoulder. She didn't pull away, not wanting her face to be seen red and scrunched with crying. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
"It isn't about repaying anything, Rosie," Varric soothed, giving her a gentle pat on the back. "Just want you to have yourself a merry Christmas, is all."
Rahne rubbed at her face with the heels of her hands as she stepped back from him. "I just can't believe you thought of me. Because I'm so..." She sighed, and traced her finger over the handlebars of the new bicycle. "I'm quite a wallflower."
"You have your own way of standing out. Besides, how could I forget our fun little trip into the city together?" Varric grinned.
She smiled at her feet. "It was rather a grand adventure, wasn't it?"
"Sure was, Rosie," he said, smiling at her. "And with any luck, between you, me, the Boss 9, and your bike here, it won't be the last one for either of us."
Her hands clenched where they were resting on the bike's handlebars. "Promise?" she asked quietly.
"You bet, Rosie. It'll be great. Maybe sometime, I can take you to Kirkwall. It isn't far, and it's a nice little place. There's an old, old church in Kirkwall that I think you'd like. I mean, it was recently restored, but they kept the same aesthetic. Plus, a lot of the buildings in the Hightown area have that nice rustic feel to them."
Rahne nodded, looking reserved. "I think I'd like that."
"Sometime after the holidays, then," Varric said, grinning just a bit. "Always wanted to show off my hometown." Kirkwall wasn't the best of places, Varric knew, but it was practically his. He checked his watch. "Anyway, I need to get heading out soon so that I get home on time. I'll see you when I get back, Rosie. Maybe we'll have ourselves another adventure, then."
Rahne flipped up the kickstand and prepared to roll the bike into her room. "Have a merry Christmas, then," she said.
"You too, Rosie," Varric said, smiling. "I'll drop by when I get back. Hopefully we won't get snowed in anytime soon."
"I'm looking forward to it." She smiled to herself. He'd given her more than just the bike--he'd given her a new memory to cherish.
