You Say Jump

Chapter 6: Varian, part 1

Hugo is observant.

He knows how to read people, analyze the little details that they themselves don't notice; he's been trained to sum situations up and find out how to take advantage of others before they can take advantage of him. He knows how to play innocent to gain pity, to play dumb so he can be underestimated, to make himself practically invisible until the right time to strike appears.

He knows people. Or at least he thought he did... because then, like a chess piece in his game of cards, there's Varian.

Even after he finally managed to get on the same team, Hugo could not for the life of him figure out the guy's type. Half the time he was just as much the optimistic, goody-two-shoes "friendship solves everything" idiot Hugo assumed he would be, but other times he was as untrusting as a hardened criminal.

"Are you ever gonna tell us why you own so many earplugs?" he drawls, walking backwards alongside the other boy. He's found that generally acting like he doesn't care / is better than them gets on Varian's nerves the most, so that is how he opts to behave. It works out, because he doesn't, and he is.

The items in question are just coming out of Varian's ears: the ritual he always has for when they journey through crowded places. After visiting the Neserdnian marketplace, their group is back down to the normal four people and a rickety wagon making its way down the worn road.

Varian doesn't even look up from what he's doing as he replies evenly, "I hate the sound of your voice."

"Oh, that's smart," Nuru pipes up. "Can I have a pair?"

"I should probably have a pair," Yong admits. Hugo looks at the youngest incredulously (from the other two this sort of insult was to be expected), and Yong hurries to add, "Not because of you, Hugo! For hearing-safety, y'know, because... fireworks." He gestures to the sticks of dynamite in his pack with a sheepish grin. Hugo rolls his eyes.

Varian's raccoon leaps up onto his shoulders and Varian smiles sweetly at the creature (bleh) before reaching into his pack and withdrawing the thing he has his nose stuffed into at least 90% of the time: his mom's journal.

"Now where were we... Ah yes," he mutters to himself, then raises his voice. "I did some decoding earlier, and my mom says that the Earth Kingdom trial is all about recombining known elements into new substances. Sounds like a challenge for the power of alchemy, if I ever heard one!"

"Well then it's a good thing we have the best alchemist in the seven kingdoms in our midst," Hugo says. A pregnant pause. "It's me."

Varian scoffs, deigning to send him a brief, unimpressed look.

"Admit it, Stripes, you wish you had my skills."

"I wish I had your skills," Varian blurts, before going red to the tips of his ears and sputtering, "I mean, I don't– ugh, shut up!"

Hugo snickers.

His initial game to appeal to Varian had been to play up his 'remorse' for double-crossing them at the Fire Trial– usually hero types were eager to rescue. But Varian had rejected that, up until Hugo outright begged, "Don't you believe in second chances? Come on, at least let me try to earn your trust." And Varian flinched. Though he'd said, "Fine," it had sounded like anything but.

Master of observation that he is, he quickly caught onto that: Varian automatically does what people ask. Hugo assumes it's an impulse since Varian's such a goody-two-shoes and has a whole self-sacrificing hero complex going on.

For example, what happened earlier that afternoon:

They pass by others on the road occasionally, since they're not the only people to ever travel between the seven kingdoms after all. Hugo usually ignores them because he couldn't care less, but the others he's traveling with are obnoxiously friendly. On this occasion they passed by a pair of middle-aged guys who offered brief conversion.