Angel: Someone suggested that I do Titanic with Harmony and Varian acting as the leads, and as soon as I saw it, I was like 'oh my gosh, yas!' Yes, the series is set in the 1800s, but still. That movie ABSOLUTELY would showcase Harmony and Varian's relationship. Why didn't I say that Jack and Rose influenced Varian and Harmony's relationship too when I got asked this?! Especially since Titanic is one of my favorite movies.
I LOVE this idea, so much, thank you to the guest who sent me this.
Dang it, if I didn't do Leo and Amy from TMNT already with Titanic, I would've definitely written this movie with Varian and Harmony in it. But oh well...
So, I'm not going to do the entire movie here, that would be insane. I'm only gonna do the parts where the two meet for the first time since that seems more simple. For this AU, Gothel is Harmony's mother and Rapunzel exists as her sister. Frederic and Arianna don't exist for the sake of the AU. I have nothing against them, but Arianna would definitely not act like Ruth and I don't want to do that to her character.
Let me know if you want to see romantic scenes from Titanic with Varian and Harmony in it!
Summary: On the ill-fated voyage of Titanic, Varian the third-class artist meets Harmony, a first-class aristocrat.
Out before the deck of Southampton stood the great, luxurious Ship of Dreams, the Titanic. Hundreds of people surrounded it as the deck was bustling with energy. People were either boarding, saying goodbye to their families on the deck, or were settling into their rooms. The staff were checking people in or loading cargo. The people on board were excited to be voyaging on the grand ship to New York City. The ship was claimed to be unsinkable, so of course people would do anything to board, including a poor artist named Varian Ruddiger.
Little did they know that the large ship would be the downfall of many...
Out on the poop deck, Varian sat on a bench in the sun. He had managed to get onto the ship by winning two third-class tickets in a poker game. Titanic's wake was spread out behind him to the horizon. His knees were pulled up, supporting a leather-bound sketch book, one of his few possessions that meant any value to him. Art was only a hobby, as his true passion was alchemy. But he could never afford the tools necessary to most experiments. He drew rapidly, but used careful strokes. A man and his daughter stood on the lower rung of the rail. She leaned back against his stomach, watching the seagulls.
The sketch Varian was doing captured them perfectly, with a sense of peace and childhood. Varian was good, and he knew that, but he wished he could do more alchemy...
Eugene, his other friend who he gave the second ticket, looked over Varian's shoulder. He nodded appreciatively with a smile.
Lance, another third-class passenger, watched as a crewmember came by, walking three small dogs around the deck. One of them looked like the ugliest creatures in the entire world. "Typical," Lance scoffed on them. "First class dogs always come down here to do their dirty business."
Varian looked up from his sketch. "It's so we know where we rank in the grand scheme of things."
"Like we could forget," Lance muttered, reaching out and offering his hand. "Lance Strongbow at your service."
"Varian Ruddiger," Varian greeted as they shook hands.
"Lance!" Eugene blinked in recognition. "I can't believe you're here!"
The two hugged and the 20-year-old glanced up at them. "You two know each other?"
"Yeah! Varian, this is Lance. Remember, we grew up together," Eugene grinned, wrapping an arm around Lance.
"Oh! Wow, I can't believe I get to meet you! Eugene's told me a lot about your adventures," Varian gestured to his friend.
"Good things, I hope," Lance nudged him and then pointed to Varian's sketchbook. "Do you make any money with your drawings?"
Varian didn't answer as he glanced across the deck. At the aft railing of the B deck promenade stood a 17-year-old girl with brown hair and blue bangs. She was in a long yellow dress and white gloves.
He was unable to take his eyes off the girl who looked like an angel. They were across from each other, about 60 feet apart, with the deck like a valley between them. It was as if she was literally higher, with him being lower. She stared down at the water. Her unique hair was tied up in a bun, her fair skin shining brightly in the light like a thousand diamonds. She was beautiful, like moonlight against the valley.
He watched her unpin her sun hat with a white bow and it came off. She looked at it and then tossed it over the rail. It sailed far down to the water and was carried away. A spot of yellow in the vast ocean...Varian could tell from this action that she didn't want any part of being first-class. He was intrigued by her as she looked something out of a painting.
Eugene nudged Lance and they saw Varian looking at the girl. They both grinned at each other.
He stared at her, not wanting to blink in case she disappeared out of sight. She was focused on the breeze of the ocean, but she wasn't enjoying it. She looked sad and lost despite the fact that she should be excited. She looked towards the poop deck and locked eyes with Varian. He was caught staring, but he didn't want to look away. She did, but then she turned back to him. Their eyes met again and it felt like they were in two different worlds joining together.
Then Varian saw a blonde man with an arrogant look on his face. He came up behind the girl and took her arm. She jerked it away in anger and they started to argue quietly. He really wanted to know what they were saying. The girl stormed off and the man went after her, both of them disappeared along the A deck promenade. Varian still stared after her, though, despite the fact that she was gone. And he probably wouldn't see her again...
"Forget it, Goggles. Pigs will fly before you get her attention," Lance jerked a thumb to where the girl left. Eugene elbowed him and he rubbed his arm.
Later that night, the girl herself was sitting with stuck-up first-class people in the dining saloon for them. Not all of them were terrible, though. There was her sister, Rapunzel, who was more well-behaved but not out of her own volition. Their mother, Gothel, was forcing the younger sister, Harmony, into marrying Trevor the 3rd, a man with many riches. Because Gothel had ran out of money, she ordered the brunette to be married as soon as the voyage was over. She was very sure that it would help the family financially for the rest of her lives.
The only problem was that Harmony didn't want this marriage, but she couldn't exactly say that. Trevor was known as an absolute abusive excuse of a man who used intimidation and scheming to get what he wanted. Of course she didn't want to marry him, but if she didn't do it, she wouldn't be able to pay for Rapunzel's art school. Gothel had literally forced her into this by saying Harmony would ruin Rapunzel's chance of a future if not for this marriage.
But she hated him, he disgusted her.
Trevor and Gothel laughed as they were sitting with other people Harmony could care less about. Ladies, dukes, royalty. But she would rather be anywhere else. She stared at her plate, not listening to anything they were saying.
"Harmi, I know it's boring, but it'll be over before you know it," Rapunzel whispered to her, and that almost caused her to snap.
It'll be over before you know it.
That basically described her life. She never asked for any of this...she never got to be the free-spirit that Rapunzel was at home. The only reason why she wasn't acting like it now was because their mother would say 'Be proper in front of company for Mumsy.' Both of them hated that rule, but bit their tongues so as they wouldn't have to do much.
Harmony was so tired of the parties, boats, riches, polo matches...it was always the same kind of people in the same kind of environment. And the worst part was she couldn't even tell Rapunzel WHY she was even getting married. Trevor had his eyes set on her, not Rapunzel. If she went back on the deal, she wouldn't be able to give her sister a life she deserved. Her sister had been taking care of her ever since she was born and was more of a mother than Gothel ever was. She would gladly give her life up and be trapped in a loveless marriage if it meant that Rapunzel could break out of this life.
And art school was the only way to do that...giving Rapunzel her dream was the best thing Harmony could do for her.
But now...looking at what her fate was in the future...it was too much too fast.
She was now running across the deck, her skirt slightly picked up. She let out a small sob as dinner had taken a toll on her. All of the people except one; all they talked about money like it was the most important thing in their lives. Her future didn't matter to many, and with each step she took, she felt more and more trapped. She looked disheveled as her hair was flying behind her. She had been crying, tears streaming down her face. But she was also angry with other emotions she was feeling...hate, desperate, longing of freedom. But freedom might never come...
A strolling couple was pushed to the side as she bumped into her and they looked back in shock.
Varian was laying down on one of the benches, looking up at the stars. He was thinking about alchemy while examining his goggles. They were a gift from his father years ago, and he had never gone anywhere without them since. His family didn't have much, but he was just grateful to hold onto his dream. It was the only passion that kept him optimistic for the future.
New York might actually give him that chance...
His peace was disturbed by fast clicking of heels next to him. He looked up and recognized the blue bangs in the brown hair. It was the mystery girl, the one he saw from his deck at lunch time. They were the only two on the stern deck, except for the Quartermaster twenty feet above them.
Harmony didn't see Varian behind her, but to him she definitely looked different in a concerning way. He sat upright and scrambled onto his feet, running after her.
The girl ran across the fantail, which had been deserted at this point. Everyone else was still at dinner. Her breath hitched in sobs several times as she tried to suppress them. She slammed against the base of the stern flagpole once she reached it. She clutched onto it, panting heavily. It felt like something wanted to escape her, but it didn't want to come out. Probably because it was scared to come out, just like she was scared to live the rest of her life in chains...
She stared out at the black water and then slowly stepped forward. She started to climb over the railing and had to hitch her dress up. Climbing was difficult this way because all of her dresses were usually long and extravagant.
Wearing them made her want to tear them off. Every single time.
The girl made sure that no one had come after her. She turned her body and got her heels on the white gunwale, her back to the railing. She faced out towards the black water. 60 feet below her, the propellers were churning the Atlantic into white foam, and it would be the last thing she'd ever see...
Harmony stood like a figurehead in reverse, below her the huge letters of 'Titanic.'
She leaned out, her arms straightening. She looked down in a hypnotic state, into the vortex below her. Her hair and dress were being lifted by the wind of the ship's movement. The only thing that could be heard was the wind. Varian stood right behind the girl as he had finally caught up with her. He sighed in relief, but he had to do something.
"Don't do it," He spoke up cautiously.
She quickly whipped her head around upon hearing him. She focused her eyes on him for a second, and he could see the pain of her eyes and dry tears on her cheeks.
"Stay back! D-Don't come any closer!" She stammered, trying to sound bigger than she actually felt.
"Come on...just give me your hand, I'll pull you back over," Varian slowly stepped over to her, reaching his hand. He stared her into the eyes, hoping that she'd reconsider. Her tear-stained face...her refusal to listen...he wondered just who hurt her, what drove her to this.
"No! Stay where you are! I mean it!" She yelled at him and he froze. "I'll let go," She threatened and he put down his goggles. He gestured that he'd put them down and he slowly got closer, placing them down near his left foot.
"...No you won't," He stated confidently, confusing her.
"What do you mean no I won't? Don't presume to tell me what I will or will not do. You don't know me!" She snapped at him, wanting him to just go away.
"Well...you would've done it already," He pointed out and she bit her lip. "Meaning that there's somebody out there who will still miss you." He was hoping to make her reconsider. She was a stranger to him, yes, but even he knew that she needed saving more than anything besides death.
Her eyes widened as she knew that Rapunzel would. It was only until just now that she remembered her sister. Varian noted her change in expression and deduced that she still cared for someone, probably on this ship. Meaning that he could get her to stop.
"...You're distracting me, go away!" She shook her head rapidly, turning back to the water.
"I can't," He insisted to her, looking at the back of her head. "I'm involved now. You let go, and I'm gonna have to jump in after you," He started taking off his jacket and she looked at him like he was crazy.
"Don't be absurd...you'll be killed," She told him plainly, wondering why would he risk his own life for hers. Only one person had to go over, and she wasn't worth giving up his own life. She already had to give up her own emotionally and mentally.
"I'm a good swimmer," Varian stated as he started to take off his left shoe.
"The fall alone would kill you. The impact due to the propellers would-"
"Kill you with the slightest touch," They both finished at the same time, shocking them both. Harmony paused and then looked away. One of her hidden passions was inventing, but because of her background, Gothel never allowed her to do anything related to it. But she would still read science books that her sister snuck in for her, and she even gave Harmony a tool kit for her last birthday. If there was one thing that was dead long before this arranged marriage, it was her dream to become an inventor.
"It would hurt," Varian agreed with her. "I can't say it wouldn't. But to be honest, I'm a lot more concerned about that water being so cold," He slipped off his left shoe and she glanced back down at the water. It was as if something changed as she stared back down at the foam. He glanced up at her since she was silent and then she looked back to him.
"...How cold?" She finally asked him.
"Freezing. Maybe a couple of degrees over," He theorized with a small shrug, taking off his right shoe. She just stared at him and he figured that he was getting somewhere. "You ever, uh...you ever been to Wisconsin?"
She turned to him again after she had looked out to sea. "What?" She questioned with a perplexed look.
"Well, they have some of the coldest winters around. I grew up there in Chippewa Falls. I remember when I was a kid, me and my father were ice-fishing out on Lake Wissota..." He then took her dress, hair, and clothes, and assumed that she had never done it. She didn't seem to be a Wisconsin girl or anything close to it. "...Ice-fishing's where-"
"I know what ice-fishing is!" She snapped furiously, a bit peeved that he assumed the worst. She read up on snow, she knew the sports in every single state with snow. She scoffed in slight disdain and he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry. You just...seem like kind of an indoor girl."
"I'll have you know that my sister and I actually LIKE the outdoors," She quipped in a smooth tone.
"Your sister, huh?" Varian raised a brow. "How would she feel if you suddenly disappeared?"
Harmony paused and seemed to be thinking about it. It would be selfish to deny her sister her dream just because she wanted to escape her current life...
"Anyway...I fell through some thin ice. And I'm telling you..." Varian glanced down at the water below. "Water that cold...like right down there...it hits you like a thousand knives stabbing all over your body. You can't breathe...you can't think...at least not about anything but the pain. Would your sister really want that for you?"
She glanced back at him. "Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in there after you. Like i said, I don't have a choice," He removed his outer shirt, staring into her eyes again. "I guess I'm kinda hoping you'll come back over the rail and get me off the hook here."
She seemed to be reconsidering, as...she didn't want to make her sister miserable. And this man...there was just something about him that stood out...he wasn't judging her for her class or anything...he seemed to actually care.
"...You're crazy!" She narrowed her eyes, huffing a bit. Something just seemed to be holding her back from both jumping and listening to him.
"That's what everybody says, but...with all due respect, miss, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship here," He leaned in a bit, a gentle look in his eyes. "Come on...g-give me your hand. You don't wanna do this..." He carefully reached out his hand from behind and she looked at his gloved hands, which she finally noticed. They looked worn and overused, with some scratch marks on them. But behind them, she could notice...that he had a passion for whatever he wanted to do. Something she hadn't felt from someone in a long time...
She stared at his gloved hand for a long time and then reached out, slowly taking it. He grasped her hand firmly in his as she slowly turned around to face him. She took in his face. He had beautiful blue eyes, his hair in a ponytail as she admired his freckles. As he looked into her eyes, he saw that they weren't full of pain anymore, but a small glimmer of hope.
He sighed in relief at her decision. "I'm Varian Ruddiger," He introduced himself.
"Harmony DeWitt Bukater," She told him, slightly out of breath. Probably because she was trying to calm herself down.
"I'm gonna have to get you to write that down," He told her and she giggled softly. "Come on," Varian urged her gently and she nodded. She slowly started to climb up, but she slipped thanks to a flimsy material from her dress. She screamed as she fell, dangling from the railing. He held onto her hand tight, but her body was flailing around.
She looked up in fright, wondering if she was going to die. "Come on!" He started to pull her up, but because of her panicked movements, she went back down and he almost went over the railing. "AHH! HELP! HEEEELP ME!"
Some officers heard her screaming and ran off to go investigate. "Please help me!" She screamed up at him.
"Listen! I've got you. I won't let go," He promised her and she looked up at him, feeling safe. "Pull yourself up, come on!"
She did so and he pulled as hard as he could. He finally managed to get her halfway back up the ship. The officers were running as fast as possible. Varian hugged her hips once she was at face level with him and she hugged his neck tightly. He managed to pull her up over the bow and they both fell.
The officers arrived on the scene...and unfortunately Varian was in trouble. Because Harmony was breathing heavily with some of her skirt hitched up, showing her leg. And with some of his clothes already off, well...
Varian looked between the officers and the girl, wide-eyed as he realized how this looked.
"Stand back!" One of the officers screamed before he could explain himself. "And don't move an inch!"
He slowly stood up, hands in his pockets. Harmony would've spoken on his behalf right then if she wasn't already scared out of her mind from earlier.
"Fetch the Master of Arms!"
The next thing Harmony knew, she was sitting on a bench wrapped in a blanket. She was handed a cup of tea while Varian was handcuffed nearby. Neither she or Varian had spoken ever since they were both found, because neither of them knew what to make of it. It was a compromising position they were found in, and it'd be hard to explain what actually happened.
"This is completely unacceptable!" Trevor the Third was ranting at the officers. Harmony looked up at him as he sauntered up to Varian. "What made you think you could lay your hands on my fiancé?"
He paused upon hearing that, glancing at Harmony. She stared into his eyes as they looked empty, and it was because of that word. He could tell that this girl didn't want anything to do with him, but it wasn't his business to ask. Her business was her business, and she hopefully had other people to open up to.
"Look at me, you filth!" Trevor shook him angrily and he directed his eyes back on the spiteful man.
"Trevor," Harmony finally spoke up in a warning tone, but went unheard.
"What do you think you were doing?!" Trevor pushed him a little and he didn't bother to fight back, since he couldn't. And Varian himself didn't care to respond to how the man was acting.
"Trevor, stop!" Harmony rushed over before Trevor could do anything. "It was an accident!"
Trevor turned to her incredibly. "An accident?" He asked in disbelief.
"It was!" She insisted to him, Varian just staring. "It was stupid, really. I was leaning over and I slipped," She then stared at the man in front of her. "I was leaning far over to see the...uh...uh...uh...the, um..." She spun her finger around, trying to find the right word.
"Propellers?" Trevor raised a skeptical brow. He knew that the girl was very smart and knew what they were, so clearly there was more to this than a simple accident. But he'd deal with that later and not embarrass themselves further. Varian bit his lip, trying not to smile at how the girl was acting very convincing towards the officers. He could tell she was intelligent.
"Propellers, and I slipped! And I would've gone overboard, but...Mr. Ruddiger here saved me, and almost went over himself."
"She wanted to see the propellers!" Trevor laughed a little. "My silly little goose."
Harmony glanced away so that she wouldn't have to look at him. She already knew that he wasn't buying it, but she would rather take the fall for someone who saved her life than for him to be blamed on it.
"Like I said, women and machinery do not mix."
She gave a sour look at the officer who spoke, and Varian did as well. Being an inventor in their time right now was very rare. All women were expected to do was cook, clean, and provide for their husbands. But not her, or her sister. They just wanted to be themselves, and Harmony would rather do anything else than to just be a wife. She wanted to do great things in science...
As for Varian himself, he respected women who wanted to go into that route. He didn't find it disgraceful, he found it admirable, which was saying a lot for their society. Women who boasted their wealth, not so much, and he rather disliked them. But this girl in front of him was a different case.
"Is that the way this went down?" The Master of Arms asked Varian.
He looked back at Harmony, who gave him a pleading look to just go with it. The last thing she wanted was for an attempted suicide to get around. It would just anger her mother and inform her sister that there was more to the marriage than she was letting on. Varian's gentle look in his eyes assured her that he wouldn't tell anyone and she silently breathed in relief.
"Yeah. Yeah, that was pretty much it," He said to the officer and Trevor.
"Well, the boy's a hero then. Good for you, sir. Well done."
He turned to Harmony and smiled, earning one in return. Trevor turned the girl over to him, rubbing her arms. "You must be freezing. Let's get you inside," He wrapped an arm around her as Varian was uncuffed, about to drag her away.
"Perhaps a little something for the boy?"
They stopped in their tracks, Harmony turning to Trevor expectantly.
"Of course...uh, Mr. Lovejoy, I think a 20 should do it," Trevor replied, a bit of reluctance in his voice.
"Heh...is that the going rate of saving the woman you love?" Harmony looked at him bravely and he looked back at her. She was using that to her advantage, because 20 dollars meant nothing for everything he had done.
"...Harmony is displeased," He stepped a bit towards her and she tightened her grip around the blanket. "What to do...? I know," He walked up to Varian. "Perhaps...you could join us for dinner tomorrow evening. To regale our group with your heroic tale."
"Sure. Count me in."
"Good. It's settled then..." Trevor then turned away, a look of contempt on his face. He didn't want anything to do with Varian, but a good deed was a good deed. He then ushered Harmony away, who gave him one last look.
Trevor's butler turned to him and looked down. "You'll want to tie those."
Varian looked down to see that his shoes were untied. "It's interesting. Young lady slips so suddenly and yet you still had the time to remove your jacket and your shoes..."
He left, leaving the young budding alchemist with one problem...
He definitely didn't have anything to wear.