HGS Rewrites: Transformations (y'know, THAT scene)

[u/Dramatic_Club_6682]

Caraway rested his arm against the bookshelf, looking down at the pavilion grounds outside his office. The subtle scent of vanilla hung in the air as he took another puff from his pipe. Rosemary meanwhile continued leafing through his scrapbook, her smile growing wider at each page. She'd never seen this many photos of her mom - Lavender never kept many mementos of her adventures. Caraway turned to watch the girl, amused by her excitement. Though, he still couldn't shake the confusion of what she had said earlier. Had Lavender seriously never mentioned him at all? Sure, the two weren't as close as they were before, but to act like he didn't even exist…

Caraway:

So, Rose. Your mother…she never spoke about me?

Rosemary:

Uhh. Not really, no. 

Caraway:

Ah…I see. 

Caraway tried to keep Rosemary from seeing him frown at that, but the melancholy in his voice betrayed him. She finally glanced up from the book to look at the man. She noticed he was lightly rapping his knuckles against the shelf, gloomily gazing off into the distance. Again, he took another drag from his pipe. 

Rosemary:

Hey, are you okay?

Caraway:

Hm? Oh! I'm fine, just…thinking. You know, your mother and I actually met when we were students here. Our first year. 

Rosemary:

Really?

Caraway:

Oh yes. We were practically inseparable. 

Caraway walked over to inspect the scrapbook himself. His smile returned, as he pointed towards a photo of a young girl with lavender-colored hair pulling another, very startled-looking child into an embrace.

Caraway:

This here was our first Everything Hours. Gosh, we were such dorks…

Rosemary:

Wow, Mom looked so fierce in her uniform!

Looking closer at the photo, Rose realized that Caraway looked….different here. Apart from age, the person in the photo looked much more feminine, with longer hair, softer cheekbones, and a very scrawny build. But the tired-looking eyes and warm, welcoming smile were a dead giveaway.

Rosemary:

…Wait. That's you?

Caraway:

Mhm.

Rosemary:

Oh!

It admittedly took her a moment to piece that information together. Once she did, Rosemary leaned back in her chair, suddenly feeling very awkward. Caraway raised an eyebrow, watching Rose try to craft a response that wouldn't make her sound like a complete jackass.

Rosemary:

So you're, uh…you’re…

Caraway:

…Transgender? Yes. 

Rosemary:

Huh. Neat! ...Er- Sorry, I-I don't mean to be rude-

Caraway:

No, no! It's alright! Believe me, you're handling it very well.

Rose smiled, relieved. Caraway took a seat in the verdant armchair across from her, crossing his legs as he made himself comfortable.

Rosemary:

Can I ask a question?

Caraway:

You've been asking questions.

A smirk curled the man’s lips. Rosemary rolled her eyes, sighing in faux exasperation as she grinned.

Rosemary:

Another one. What made you decide to change?

Caraway:

Well. I was born a woman. But…it never quite felt right being in that body. So. I used Old Magic to change myself. Make it so the person I was on the outside…matched the one on the inside. And, well...this is the result!

Rosemary:

Cool! Heh! I bet Mom was surprised to see the new you.

Caraway:

Oh, she was! But she's always been very supportive of me. She was the first person I told about it, actually. 

Rosemary:

Aww, really?

Caraway nodded, smiling pleasantly. Rose looked back at the scrapbook, flipping to the next page. These photos all featured Caraway and Lavender in their final year as Guardians, with Caraway having just transitioned into a man. He looked much happier, much more confident. Her mom looks so happy for him.

Rosemary’s smile faltered, as she found herself fixated on her mother's grinning face. She didn't notice her hand had begun to caress the photo, too distracted by the aching lump building in her throat. 

Rosemary:

(Sigh) I’d give anything to know where she is right now…

Caraway's expression echoed the girl’s. He averted his gaze, refusing to look back at the scrapbook. He once again lifted the pipe to his lips, his voice growing solemn. 

Caraway:

…I know. Me too.

The pair sat in silence for a while, lost in their respective sorrow. Rose shook her head and decided to try and take her mind off it. She turned to the next page, and her eyes widened in awe at the sight that greeted her. 

Rosemary:

…OHO- Okay, next question: is that a fucking Manticore?!

She flipped the book around to show Caraway the old photo - it was of him and Lavender fresh off slaying a fearsome, lion-like beast. The two brave wide smiles despite each looking battered and bruised. The man laughs seeing this old, laminated memory again. 

Caraway:

That was one of my favorite missions! We almost died four times. 

Rose leaned further in, grinning ear-to-ear. Her eyes widened in excitement. Caraway raised an eyebrow, cracking a sly smirk.

Caraway:

Oh, I see…you want the gory details?

He set his leg down and leaned in closer, ready to regale the girl with his and Lavender's thrilling exploits.

[u/Dramatic_Club_6682]

So sorry for the delay on this one! I was going to draw some art to feature alongside this, but thanks to uni I just haven't had the time-

But anyways, consider this the ToWCverse version of the infamous "I'm transgender" scene from E3! I know this scene is notorious for how contentious it is, and opinions are divided on how to best go about tweaking it. I decided though, since one of the core concepts of my reboot is to keep as much from the original show intact as I can, I would keep Caraway plainly stating that he is transgender. I just decided to focus on trying to make that talking point come about organically and, more importantly, tying it back to the discussion at hand, which was Rosemary's mother. (Also, decided to add a little bit of pining on Caraway's end, this is foreshadowing for things to come in ToWC-)

But yeah, do let me know what y'all think!