varienne
Originally written in April 2019. Backstory for Varienne. Not Very Well Written <3 but posting it here anyways. Lore!!!!
Varienne
Originally written in April 2019. Backstory.
As an orphan born in Valpool, he had no name. His birth mother was a prostitute, whom, not having the money nor the will to raise the child, left him behind, hoping that someone would take him off her hands; be it raising him or killing him. Barely surviving, he was taken in by a human woman. She named him Sylk, and she began to raise him the best she could.
Life was quite alright for the two; her job as a washerwoman making a meager amount, but it was enough to feed them both- it wasn’t enough to curb all their hunger, but it kept them alive. The two lived a rather quiet life. Even though there were the few days where they’d have to skip meals, the two lived together happily.
As a teenager, Sylk was a rather rowdy, and played outside alot, even though his mother warned him about the dangers. Despite his mother’s warnings, he ventured out often anyway, He had quite a few acquaintances, and life was going rather well for him, despite a few bar fights that he got into every once in a while. One friend, which he was particularly close to, was named Varienne. Varienne was from a rather well off family, and despite the difference in birth, the two became very close.
Sylk often found himself being fawned over by women and men alike, due to his rather surprisingly good looks. He eventually used this to his advantage by taking a job up at a brothel, and realizing how much he could improve his mother’s life with the money he could make, he began to sell himself in secret, keeping it from her; hiding the money and funneling it into her savings little by little.
Varienne was against this job and line of work, telling Sylk that he shouldn’t be doing that kind of job; but Sylk refused to listen, accusing Varienne, telling him that he would never understand because he didn’t have to worry about money or working at all. Because of this fight, the two stopped talking and drifted apart. Eventually, Varienne stopped visiting Valpool entirely. This saddened Sylk very much; but he kept going. He still had his mother, after all.
Sylk’s job gave him quite an amount of money to spend, which he mostly gave to his mother, the rest on nice clothes and food. It continued this way for a couple of years, until Sylk’s mother died of disease. In mourning, and with nobody else that cared for him, he began to cope by doing nothing but work. This became a normal for Sylk-- drink a bit, work at night, sleep during the day. His self destructive behaviour continued, until one day, at a bar, he met a familiar face.
It was Varienne. The two ended up talking, and eventually confessed to one another, incredibly drunk. The next morning, the two woke up in Sylk’s home, ass naked.
After that, the two began to live together, happily; Sylk quitting his job at the brothel and getting a job as a barkeep instead. Varienne gifted Sylk one of his family heirlooms (much to Sylk’s protest), a ring, which Sylk kept in a drawer in their house. They found solace in each other. Varienne’s family disapproving of their relationship didn’t matter; they were happy, and the two made preparations to move out of Valpool. Life was all sunshine and flowers for the duo.
But in Sylk’s life, things never last.
One day, after a particularly long night of working, he returned home, expecting Varienne to be waiting for him.
The door was unlocked. Weird. Perhaps he had just forgotten to lock it.
“I’m hoooome!”
Silence. He glanced into the kitchen, suddenly nervous, as he saw the drawers all over the floor and food strewn everywhere.
“Varienne?”
No answer.
He slowly stepped through the hallway, noticing the paintings missing. Turning the corner into their bedroom. Sylk’s blood suddenly ran cold, a shrill scream escaping his mouth.
His beloved lay dead, murdered on the bed, blood splattered over every wall.
No evidence, no suspects; the only thing of note being that the ring Varienne had gifted him was missing, and that whoever murdered him must have had a grudge.
Sylk gave up looking for happiness. He hated murderers. He hated thieves. He hated that they couldn’t find who killed the only person who ever cared. He hated that they never really tried to, since murders in Valpool were quite commonplace.
The self destructive behaviour he’d quit continued, he drank like there was no tomorrow, he slept with random people for money, and just felt sorry for himself. He reverted back to his old ways, indulging himself in pleasures of the flesh and ignoring everything else. Eventually not having enough money to drink and eat, he began to sell off furniture in his home in order to pay expenses.
The days continued into months, and the months into a year.
He kept doing this, until the only thing left was Varienne’s work desk. Sadly, he began to push the desk out, only to find an old letter dated to back when they’d been separated the first time.
Dear Sylk,
He read on, confused,
I know that we are not on good terms right now, but I cannot bear to be apart for any longer. You were there for me when my family pressured me, and I want to be there for you, lest anything happen. You are the person I consider my best friend, and the one I care about the most- not only as a friend, but as someone that I love. I would like naught but to make up and be able to talk to you again.
The letter was unfinished, but it was unmistakably Varienne’s handwriting.
Reading it over once more, he suddenly got some sense knocked back into him, and decided to impulse visit Arccaster, the place Varienne and he had been planning to move to.
However, upon arrival, he was promptly arrested by the police and thrown into jail for public indecency and fighting the police officer that stopped him on the street.
“Hey, this was okay in Valpool!”
“Well, it ain’t here. What’s your name, kid?”
He places his arms behind his head, grinning.
“..it’s Varienne.”
Varienne is incredibly non-trusting and tries not to get close to other people, lest he might lose them once again. Despite this, he often flirts with others and has way too many one night stands. Perhaps it is because he craves intimacy, but is afraid of commitment and loss. He's a real piece of work.
He can hold his liquor rather well, and can easily drink anyone under the table. Many of his scars come from bar fights, which he joins for fun often.