A reincarnated Varania meets Fenris again AU. Fenris is still an elf while she's a human. He has flashbacks of deja vu. Only his hands has tattoos and has a normal family with a brother and parents in this AU. I've decided to have this setting in Singapore, esp for library system and the kiosks etc. otherwise most of them look like ingame, bringing in Josephine and Leli too
Tags: girls from DAI, ?zev got beth, Aveline, Isabela varric ;) and he knows them but he's quiet
Shortforms guide: dw= don't want ur=your [symptoms of migraine vs aneurysm, going with migraine. It can last 4 to 72 hours. Nausea, blurred vision –work on the ending
(I've put the tags up)
He brushes her arm when they collide, and gasps- flash of a memory that she collapsed before him and his clawed-gauntlets covered in horrid blood. Her face was obscured by some kind of mist, though he made out scarlet hair and a yellow dress. She had sharp elven features. Another side of him snarled: You sold me out, now you have no chance at all! Then she slumped over.
"Wait! Do I know you from somewhere?" His voice is much louder than he intends. The dark haired human girl is shorter than he is, in flats and a checkered blouse. His stack of books scatter loudly to the floor. Feeling a sense of vertigo, Fenris wonders if this place is real or an illusion.
"No I don't think so. I'm sorry, I didn't look where I was going." She bends down to help pick them up. She can't help studying his distinctive pale hair, if it is a natural hue or dyed and subtle pointed ears. He has a deep voice that does not match his youth, matched with sharp elfin features and leaf green eyes. He looks smart in the stark black Librarian uniform.
He murmurs a hurried thanks and rushes off clutching the books tightly.
The girl is a regular at this library, often doing research for her university lessons. Over the next few days, he can't help observing her, even if he is busy doing paperwork, giving briefings to older folk how to use the IT search catalogues and reminding people not to be too noisy. Then one day, while he is at the counter scanning the barcodes of books, she said, "Hi this is strange, I want to borrow this but my card says it's invalid?"
"Sure let me check it. Can I have your ID?" Fenris said, concentrating on the screen. When he touches her ID before reading it, She's your sister Varania- a whisper. He blinks in disbelief while the computer loads her loan records. His hands become clammy with sweat. Who said that? Beside him, the chair is empty, his partner is on roving duty.
He coughs to clear his throat a few times before he can speak, maintaining his public composure. He checks the chemistry reference book out on the magnetic surface. "All right, it's done. It is due in three weeks' time on the 24th." He clips the receipt and hands it over.
" Thank you, Mr…." She notices his nametag and slowly enunciates "Fenris. That is a rare name indeed!" She has a nice smile and warm eyes.
"Welcome." He attempts a smile back. She blushes red and heads over to the entrance. The elf casts his gaze out to the glass doors and more people exiting and entering. Much later, then Fenris brings his attention back to the keyboard- Oh no this is her ID! Varania Summers. How can I forget? Right away, he starts tracing her contact details. Unfortunately Anders interrupts in a panic, "Fenris do you have the keys to the spare meeting room? I can't get it open." Anders has just joined as a maintenance staff and panics easily. "Someone messed up the passcode again."
"Let me find it, then I'll come." Just as he has finally located the keys, some toddlers who have been running amok start bawling and they tell him their mummies can't be found. "Here they are. The code is on the tag, Anders." He asks them where they were last seen, and has many more problems to solve.
An hour before closing time, Fenris finally has some time to take a break. Ah he had forgotten to return her ID. Yes most people would ask why his name was like that, well his parents wanted to be special and name him after the Norse myths. He presses the phone.
Varania feels her phone buzzing. Her ID is missing and she has just noticed now it's not in her usual purse, nor in her other pockets. Crap, now I've to retrace where I've been, the lecture theatres, canteen, garden? I've been to so many areas today! Need to check my timetable, she rifles through her file.
She can't get that elf's striking features out of her mind, why did he give her such a piercing stare? She presses 'answer call' "Hello?"
Fenris' voice is in her ear, soft and deep. "Is this Miss Varania Summers? I am sorry, I have your ID. Do you wish to collect it now, or come back tomorrow?" She feels her racing heart patter to normal.
"Ah I thought it's lost! No problem, I'm coming over right now, when does it close?"
"Not until 9pm. Fine, I will wait for you." She cannot fathom why there's a highly delicious thrill at the thought of Him waiting for her! Am I crushing on him? Stop, he must be attached already being so hot! She runs all the way there, before going in she sees his pale hair through the glass. Varania combs her hair and touches up her makeup.
"Hi! I had been looking for that, and then you called." He apologizes again, holding her ID out with both hands. This time when she touches him, there's no vision or premonition. "No problem, I should have checked first. Ah your hands! They're nice markings."
Oh even though his shirt is long-sleeved, the vine-like art patterns adorn both his hands to his fingertips. "Yea. A ritual." All elven clans held this traditional ritual of marking Rite of passage, especially since he always fell ill and his elders deemed the gods' protection a necessity. Perhaps he had pleaded with his father not to do it, but they wouldn't listen to an eight year old youngling. If only he could have chosen to have it in a less exposed area. Some days, he wears gloves but his skin gets allergic to the heat and sweat.
She has not left yet and earnestly waits for him to continue. "Family tradition. I didn't want it but no choice."
"Oh I see. When my friend had one done, he kept screaming. And that scared me from making any… I'm glad yours is fine. Did it hurt a lot?"
"I don't remember. A long time ago." Fenris tucks them into his pockets, frowning.
"Sorry, I don't mean to pry. Thank you, hope to see you again soon! Take care." Varania blurts, before realizing ah why did she talk so much? Fenris opens his mouth but is speechless. Near the exit, she waves to him and he nods slightly.
Fenris stifles a yawn, not really listening to what they are gossiping about- Bethany, Varric and Leliana. He can't wait to sleep on his off day tomorrow, with these weirdly lucid dreams haunting him. Perhaps he had played too many rpgs, Skyrim these weekends, that he was killing a person with the very same name. But his sorrow is so painfully etched in his chest that he'd be soaked in sweat and having to swipe tears from his wet face. After the sixth consecutive deja vu, he calls his mother. "Did I have a sister before?"
"No, we just have you and your brother, Fen. What's wrong, are you getting sick?" His mum has an Ocd-tendency to get overprotective. He quickly reassures her that he's not. As a child, he suffered poor health that he would be stricken with fever for longer than most elves. Thankfully, after nursing and loads of tonics and supplements those days were history. He will always be eternally grateful to his loving family.
"Mum, I just have these recurring dreams of a woman. It felt so real. " She reminds him to go for a medical checkup. "I'm not feverish. No it can't be Isabela's friends, I don't drink that much anymore." Ever since he broke out in rashes…. Hoping to ease overstimulation, Fenris changes his routine of playing games and being online to quiet reading and watching bbc documentaries. Mostly he lives alone now, as his roommate is away on some course.
He sleeps more soundly and tries to forget about worrying, yet meetings with that particular girl keep happening!
She delights in coming whenever Fenris is on shift. Isabel pretends to act hurt when Varania notices him speaking to some visitors and excuses herself. "Heyy you are just going off to leave me alone. I wanna chat him up too."
"But it's not like that, I have a problem with my account. It keeps freezing up!" she denies and approaches him from the side. But she loses the chance to talk to him. He is frowning in concentration as the customer complains repeatedly how the aircon temperature should be tweaked as she has joint aches, that young people don't understand and can he handle the books for her. "I am sorry but I have no access to that. If you stay nearer to the doors it won't be as cold." And then he speaks in another dialect to her friend. Varania smiles.
When he has settled them, his eyes widen when he sees her waiting. "Hey, how long have you been waiting there? What's the matter?"
She waves her hands merrily. "It's fine, I know you're busy, Fenris. I can wait. It's an issue with a workshop I want to attend, I can't sign in. It lags." What if he gets annoyed and directs her to someone else?
"Today is quite… challenging. Thank you for being patient, come. I'll go through it with you on the kiosk." He explains to her every step on the touch screen monitor. Varania admires the deep baritone of his voice and how soft his pale hair is. "I think it should be fine now, the receipt will print. Hm why didn't you ask the other staff? They know this well too."
She scans his face for irritation, but he is being calm. A small smile. "Oh. I like speaking with you. Next time I can, who're they?"
He chuckles and his ears are slightly red. "So long as they're in the black uniform, that's Sebastien with brown hair. The people in green are maintenance or in training like Anders. They may not know. Josephine and Leliana are nice too."
Hm that Sebastien didn't speak clearly before. Haha but I can't possibly scare him that I wish to monopolize him. From the corner of her eye, she notices Isabela coming over. "Hello handsome. That day, I found this card slotted in one of the books."
Fenris observes it."I see. Then I've to catalogue it. Thanks. Anything else?"
"We w-" Sensing she'd say something out of place, Varania elbows her. The other girl coughs. Varania does hope to ask him if they can meet outside. She curses Isabela internally who is now hitting him up. Fenris is professionally focused, he does not smile. But knowing her she won't give up easily.
(middle separate)
Fenris doesn't want her to ask him repeatedly anymore. "You don't have to keep thanking me. It is my duty to help you and customers. I'd do the same for anyone." He takes out his black and silver casing mobile.
"But it's so cool that we get to learn something, and talk like this! Oh when we bumped into each other you asked if you knew me. Why?" Varania tries not to sound too hyper.
He chews his lip. No he cannot possibly talk about that. "I forgot. All right I've just texted you. Please don't tell other people."
"Yeay no problem! I promise. What kind of apps do you have? Some can really save time…" The girl offers to show him, and he watches, smiling. It is nice to relax with someone who's outside of his small social circle.
Weekday, 5pm National Hospital
Fenris wakes up and finds himself in a foreign green -walled room. He's too weak to move and can't keep his eyes open. Why does everything look blurry?
"You fainted. Don't move, you need more rest." Aveline's deep voice, somewhere to the right. The new clothing feels weird and chafs his skin. His shoes are gone.
"Don't tell… family." He whispers, managing to touch her hand. Such a monumental effort, and his lips are so dry.
"I didn't. But they have to know. That Panadol didn't work." The motherly coworker supports him to sip some water. "You're on drip, remember not to climb out of bed on your own. Don't worry, we'll take care of everything." She says more things but he's too drugged to listen.
Ave watches his chest rise and fall, covering his thin arm under the blanket.
Bethany pops in. "Is he alright? I got a shock hearing the news."
" won't talk to anyone outside of family. For now it's good that he's getting quiet rest. The nurse said it's best he not be too agitated." Bethany frowns, a heavy loom of guilt in her mind. Fenris regularly met her, and mentioned he didn't have appetite. Just before he passed out, she had noticed him taking out an emptied strip of Panadol. The others had been chattering so they seldom heard his soft voice.
The next day, he hears his phone vibrating in the drawer. It's late morning, and his energy has returned but his hand shakes. He knows he won't be able to reply that quickly. Not yet visiting time.
a text from Varania: oh no u ok? Y in hospital?
F: Tired, waiting for doc.
V: Others said u din eat much yest. Have u told ur folks?
He blearily remembers hearing Donnic taking his mobile and doing all the arrangements. Dreading how his mother especially will get emotional, he had protested but they ignored him. Said it was necessary procedure.
Pausing, he taps.
F: Not wat I want. They nag me : (
An incoming call from her: I want to come see you today. Does it hurt?
He needs to think through the hazy cloud to find words. "Er, no pain. I took half day. Then- woke up here. No need."
"Please let me know which hospital you are in, Fenris! After class, my friend's sister said some people were crowding around , but I didn't know was this serious.
Her voice wobbles. He doesn't understand why she's this upset. They've known each other barely a month.