Deerington inbox

[droptheious]

FROM: SUBJECT: FERN Ooo slang part the second FERN i think we just shared electrons, because i'm feeling a covalent bond between us LANCE Pidge, I need your help. I gotta send a meme to Chloe but ... DIPPER Hey Varian. You know those crazy alchemy bombs you used... PETER Hey Varian, this is Peter. Um, Peter Graham. USAGI Soooooooo~ How'd the date go? MAKO Varian— Checking in. SHIRO i think one of us put a chicken patty in my toaster EDDIE Hey. We need to talk. MELIUS 𝐻𝒾. 𝐼 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝒾𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈 𝓌𝑒𝒾𝓇𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓉 EDA Hey, kid. I... owe you an apology. LUZ Valentines MAUL I have a proposition for a project I think you'll be interested in USAGI I LOVE YOU FERN DUDE you still have your bandana! BUZZ Morning. I heard from Fern you wanted to go out into the blizzard. FERN dude your profile changed USAGI Ruby told me about the breakup. GLITCH Varian, I'm gonna go live somewhere else for now MAKO A "nerd" is somebody smart... MAUL Gifts FERN heeyyyy quick question FERN Christmas is coming up!!! CHLOE god who the FUCK ever thought emojis were a good idea??? KRISTOFF Varian,It's getting colder so I thought you could use this FERN heyyyy Variable RAPUNZEL okay not to put you on the spot but... EDA Potion time NEO Dude, I can mine antidote shit here! GLITCH Got this in my basket. EDA hey smart kid TEN Hallo ADAM Hey, k-- uh, Varian. I just wanted to check in USAGI I'm sorry I worried you and fainted on you yesterday. AMARA i lived, bitch NEO Debatably good news, asshole USAGI Hey Varian! It's Usagi OSCAR I'm sorry, Varian. Tell me what you need FERN a dark past huh MAUL Varian. I am in great need of your assistance FERN Varian VARIAN I CAN EAT FOOD USAGI How much moon essence do you have? USAGI VIVI-KUN, VIVI-KUN GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT! RICHIE well I promised FERN A TOTALLY INCOMPLETE LIST OF OOO WORDS 'N SLANG GLITCH VARIAN ARE THERE BUGS IN THE WATER?! USAGI To help with restless nights and the... VIRA-LORR Little alchemist. I have a gift for you. MARTIN Hi, Varian. This is Martin. I wanted to reach out... USAGI Hi Varian, sweetie! I have a question for you. GLITCH varian I need to talk to you. it's important. USAGI I need you not to panic after what I tell you. FERN dog you have so many vests IRONHIDE HONK HONK USAGI ... I'm sorry I couldn't help you better, Varian EMERALD Hey, V. Not that I care that much or anything... FERN tell me when you're alive FERN Varian i stabbed two people AMARA hey weirdo i have something for you FERN is the Rapunzel in town your Rapunzel? PENNY Salutations!! You do not know me, but my name is Penny Polendina YANG Hey, is this Varian? I think we've met once before. FERN hey can we talk FERN you told ruby MAUL Surviving another year is always an occasion worth celebrating USAGI Hey I wanted to apologise USAGI VARIAN-KUUUUNNN!!!! FERN birth MAUL Look what just arrived for me. KATHERINE Do you want to get paid to make more purple goo things? FERN ok i know you're good with plants but what about animals FERN dog interested in means girls or guys

TO: SUBJECT: USAGI So. Maul dropped by, he's got his memories back. ADAM I'm worried about Shiro FERN Hey handsome OSCAR You've been weirdly quiet lately FERN Guess what I haven't told you lately? USAGI Hey. I'm back from the dead and I feel like trash. FERN I made meatloaf that may or may not poison us! Emerald Hey. I know you probably don't want to talk to anyone right now... BELLA Hey Bella. You've dated someone who's a different species to you right? BILL Hi, Fern mentioned you were interested in interdimensional portals... FERN Aw, your pictures are nice! KURT Hey. Are you around? RICHIE Is it just me or is Eddie acting weirder than usual? QROW Hey. Checking up on you. EDA Hi Eda. Hope Ruddiger found you okay. GLITCH Hey. What happened between you and Maul? LUNA Luna- I uh... I think I need your help EDDIE So hey, I finally worked out how to replicate the Antidote OSCAR So, I noticed Ozpin has shown up. ROGUE Hey, I managed to replicate the Antidote KURT Hey. We're back. None of us are dead. QROW Uh... hey. How are you guys holding up? PETER You gave Ruby the haunted dolls GLITCH Hey, Bud. Sorry I tried to murder you with a robot KURT I'm probably the last person you want to talk to... JON I'm sorry I attacked you JON Stay away from Fern. FERN Hey you still haven't got me those baking ingredients FERN Okay so the Betties are upping their war... USAGI Hey. So. Update. NEO You tried to bury her alive? SERIOUSLY? USAGI Emotions are really difficult FERN OH MY GOD YOU HAVE ONE TOO FERN Okay this better be to Fern this time. WYNONNA So guess who got into the fridge and ate literally everything in there.

code by cawaii

Comments

[clickclickbloom]

[She can handle that. It's the first thing she had to grab onto when her mind started to pick up it's fragmented pieces. She can wait a little.

She feels a ghost of a smile play at her lips hearing him chuckle. The memories of carrying through town after Kurt's attack were more clear, but just just hearing that relief made it and all the other events she had experienced a little easier to bear.

She lets him pull her in and eases in to get a little more comfortable. One arm moves to wrap around his back and keep him close. She thinks on his words briefly and eventually responds.]

I wouldn't leave you. Not like that.

[droptheious]

[He knows there's a very good chance she could leave him, that this town can just rip people away and none of them has any say in it. He wants to believe she could fight against anything, have faith that nothing could ever defeat Rybt Freakin' Rose, but experience in this town had taught him not to hope for such things.

His arms tighten just a little more. ]

Not if you could help it. I know.

[clickclickbloom]

[Ruby was well aware there were a lot of factors she couldn't control in the town. She couldn't stop if she was suddenly pulled out and sent back to her own world. But... If it was something she could fight against or had any will to prevent, she would.

She just lets herself ease into his grip, she was still feeling awfully vulnerable after what had happened. She was content to let him hold on tight for now.]

Yeah, I know you wouldn't either.

Thank you.

For being here now and all the times you've been there before.

[droptheious]

[He's certainly not planning on letting her go any times soon. That had frightened him. It was a completely different way of losing her he hadn't anticipated. Now he knows it's possible, there's a heavy, uneasy feeling in his chest. ]

Of course. I couldn't ever abandon you if I had any say in it. [Another little squeeze, his breath a little uneven, he's fighting back tears.] I love you so much.

[clickclickbloom]

[She feels the way he's shaking, the unsteadiness in his breathing. Her memories of the last couple weeks still felt hazy. But bits and pieces kept flooding into her mind. The pain was clear what had caused all this was something she could still picture as if it had just happened. Yang, Qrow, Varian, Clover... All that loss was right there. But the way she stumbled through town, either as a Deer or through her fits of crumbling sanity were vague but terrifying little images in her mind.

She knew it was something out of her control but she had not meant to let herself get lost by the towns influence quite like that, to hurt him like that. But she was could take solace in the fact that he had pulled her out of it.

So she holds on in a mix of trying to provide some comfort that she was back, and fear that she had nearly been lost herself.]

I know you wouldn't... You're pretty great like that.

[She hears him fighting back those tears and she starts to shed a few herself.]

I love you too. More than anything.

[droptheious]

[It takes him a few more moments of desperate clinging before he finally lets go of her. He doesn't move far, his hands still stay on her arms, if she wants more hugs, he sure won't deny her that. He sucks in another breath, a little more steady now. ]

Welcome back. Are you- do you need anything?

[clickclickbloom]

[She certainly isn't eager to let him go either. She relaxes her grip with his but just continues to hold on him. To assure him that she's back and she's not going anywhere, and also to assure herself that he was there to ground and hold her in place from wavering like that again.]

It's good to be back.

[There was a lot of pain that came with being back but she was Ruby Rose, she would stand up and fight against that pain as she always did. She just needed a little time.

She goes quiet and thinks on that question for a little, she looks to him with tear stained cheeks and manages a smile.]

...I think you made a promise, but only if you're up to it.

And maybe we could choose a different one.

[droptheious]

[Despite everything- despite all the fear and sadnesses and general feeling of falling into an abyss he's been dealing with for the last few weeks- that comment does make him laugh. It's not a proper one, it's tinged with sadness. But it's there.]

Well. I did promise.

[He reaches out to carefully wipe those tears away with his thumb, before leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. ]

Okay. Ladies choice. Whichever you want.

[clickclickbloom]

[Hearing him laugh, even if it wasn't quite right, still put her heart at ease. It helped refuel that hope in her heart that they'd end up in a better situation than what they were in right now.

She'll accept that hand wiping away those tears but once he moves to lower his hand she'll reach up and take his in hers. She's pale on a normal day but it's more extreme with how tired and worn out she is, it just makes the way her cheeks flush at the kiss all the more apparent.]

You did. And we both take those pretty seriously.

[She thinks on her answer briefly. Then decides on the perfect song.]

That first one you sent me, over the fluid.

It was nice. ...If you still remember the words.

[droptheious]

[He sees the blush and one of his own creeps across his cheeks. He clears his throat before they get stuck in an awkward feedback loop again.]

Yeah, they're important. And I still remember you've got it.

[And lo, she'll get a lovely rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Which is not as fancy a birthday gift as the rose he made her, but it still very much comes from his heart.]

[clickclickbloom]

[At least Varian managed to escape it becoming yet another awkward feedback loop, because Ruby was just going to fall face first into this one. The song might not be as fancy as an awesome exploding rose but she'd have a hard time picking out which one meant more to her.

She leans in and cuddles up against him as best she can without causing any sort of irritation to his leg. She was still incredibly aware of just how precarious his situation was, it was part of what sent her off the deep end. Her fingers eventually move from just holding onto his hand to finding their way to slide between his fingers as she just kind of melts on top of him as he sings.

She was tired and worn out but this was something nice and relaxing that she so desperately needed at the moment. She appreciated it more than anything.]

[droptheious]

[He doesn't mind her cuddling up, he's pretty glad for it, honestly. He's been so worried about her steadily deteriorating state, having even the smallest flicker of normalcy means the world. He wraps one arm around her holding her close- the hand holding hers squeezes hers gently, content to thread their fingers together.

When the song comes to an end, he heaves out a soft sigh, resting his chin on the top of her head. ]

Little better?

[clickclickbloom]

[She's just going to take in all the comfort that he's trying to provide and hold it close to her heart at the moment. His soothing voice, being this close, the feeling of his fingers between hers, they're all things that she grasp onto and they do wonders to ease the burdens that were weighing on her mind. She hadn't thought there would be a month worse than July but she had found it.]

Yeah. Worlds. Honestly.

[And she wasn't lying, things were awful but it felt lighter and easier to bear.]

You?

[Look. She knows she was the one who had lost her mind, but she could guess just how worried he must have been.]

[droptheious]

[He leans back on the bed against the pillows, brining her carefully along with him, just to get a little more comfortable- though he'd be lying if having her so close didn't feel nice. Having her near made it easier for him, too.

Still, he doesn't answer her question right away. He'd been so scared for her. People are getting to breaking point or past it, or they're dead or hurt and he lost a goddamn leg and he has no idea how to process any of that without crumbling. So he doesn't. He exhales softly. ]

I'm getting there. Work in progress.

[clickclickbloom]

[She lets him pull her along with him. She lets herself fall against him and her arms wrap around him looking to provide comfort just as much she was searching for it right now.

They had been both through so much this month. She didn't blame him for not being okay but she wanted him to know she was still there to help through this.]

We'll get there, together. I know we will.

I know it wont be easy, but we will.

I promise.

[droptheious]

I'm gonna hold you to that.

[He tries to keep his tone light at least- to try and fight against the darkness that's been hounding all month. He's so tired of it now. He just wants one good thing to come out of this mess.

And then he remembers, and a brief smile flitters across his features.]

But hey. You know what?

[clickclickbloom]

You better.

Literally and figuratively.

Because it's going to happen... and you're pretty warm right now.

[Look. She's tired and she's very okay with them just spending a moment together at the moment. It had been an awful month but she could appreciate how it was ending off.

She looks to him a little curiously when he asks that question, a little confused that she might have missed out on something.]

[droptheious]

Oh, now I understand the cuddling. It's just to steal my bodyheat. I'm onto your sneaky game, Ruby Rose.

[And yet he's not about to let go of her. His smile widens as he moves to rest his chin on her shoulder. ]

The slippers worked.

[clickclickbloom]

You'll never stop me either. I'm entering barnacle mode now.

[To prove her point she gently clutches onto him with her hands and one leg moves to wrap around his waist. She's not going to shift him around to get the other around him with leg the way it is, so he'll have to make do with pseudo barnacle mode.

She blinks in surprise and glances down at her feet. And she was indeed wearing her slippers at the moment. She takes a moment to let it sink in just what that means, then her silver eyes shift back to meet his and she smiles playfully yet softly.]

You know why that is, right?

[droptheious]

[Oh wow, he wasn't expecting this level of clinging and it pulls a soft, surprised laugh out of him. ]

Oh no, barnacle mode, my one weakness, how did you know?

[He doesn't make any attempts to escape and when she turns to look at him with those silver eyes of hers his breath catches, just for a moment. He returns the softer smile, just...breezing past that yup. ]

I'd love to hear your theories.

[clickclickbloom]

[They've both been through a lot. She is pretty sure she has earned the right to cling tonight. Or is it today? It's hard to tell with the endless night at this point.

She just incredibly glad he's there and they are both as safe as they can be. She can't help but laugh along with him, hers has that mock villainous tone it though.]

I've been watching you for months now. You're weakness to hugs was easy to pick up on, not to mention you lack muscles to actually lift me off.

[She's teasing of course and she pokes him in the cheek with her nose to add to it.

She settles in and at least makes the attempt to look like she's thinking about it.]

Well... I know I feel safe around Mr.Fluffers, but I don't see him around here today.

And I don't think feel safe around your dirty clothes... So that's off the table.

So I guess after ruling out all the options. I must be feeling pretty safe around you.

[droptheious]

Oh, I see how it is. Very sneaky of you - taking advantage of my weedy physique. Dastardly.

[And yet he makes no effort to lift her off, so who really wins here? He gives a lopsided smile at the nose poking because that's hecking adorable right there. The smiles only grows as she lists the things it's obviously not. ]

Well, that is some flawless deduction work there.

[His tone becomes a little softer as his arms tighten around her, just a little. This means more than he can put into words. The thought she hadn't felt safe around him had been eating at him for months. It fed into his feelings of unworthiness, that he wasn't as good a person as he was trying to be. The slippers working again was like a weight lifting off his chest.]

I'm really glad.

[clickclickbloom]

That's right and now you're caught in my fiendish trap.

[Maybe they both won this round? Because she certainly isn't letting go of him. She watches his smile grow and it helps ease some of the pressure she's feeling off her shoulders.]

I've been hanging around with a real science wiz the last few months. I think I picked up on a thing or two here.

[She matches his grip around her, just to ensure him that she wasn't going anywhere. It hadn't been easy for her once she understood just what those feelings were. It hurt not being able to change them despite knowing the circumstances, and knowing it had been hurting him as well. ]

Me too, sorry it took so long.

[droptheious]

Oh dang, so I made my own metaphorical bed here. How tragic.

[He lets out a slow sigh against her cheek, closing his eyes and just... treasuring the moment. Just for a second. Letting it just be without chancing kicking over any emotional beehives.]

It's not your fault. Took as long as it needed to.

[clickclickbloom]

Yup. And now you're being held in a literal one.

[She feels his breath against her cheek and leans into slighly, letting her cheek press in against his. She's more than happy to give them both the moment.]

Maybe, but it wasn't yours either. I'm just glad I don't have to take the bus anymore. Save a few dents in the vespa too.