[It's been about a week since Ruby just stopped showing up at school. During that time there was no answer on her Fluid. The first couple days days made sense because she physically incapable of answering at the time. Being completely encased in spider webs makes it hard to get at your pockets.
After that she just needed some time to take stock of herself and slowly reach out to those close to her. Being left alone and trapped with only her thoughts had left her demoralized. She needed to do something to get her mind off it.]
Hey Luna. I don't know how but I fell super behind on all my schoolwork. Are you busy this weekend? Mind giving me a hand?
[Who is this person and what have they done with Ruby Rose?]
[ Luna indeed has noticed Ruby's absence from school. The first day had earned a gently exasperated sigh of disapproval that she's skipped out. But as time went on, she'd grown a little worried. Ruby ditching school isn't a new thing, but it felt extreme, even for Ruby's standards.
When she finally gets a text, and it's... asking about homework -- Luna knows something's not quite right here. Much like Peter, Ruby isn't particularly a fan of schoolwork, never mind wanting to catch up with it. ]
Of course I don't mind helping you with schoolwork. I'm absolutely free to help you with it over the weekend, any time.
But are you alright? You missed a lot. That's not like you.
[It was certainly an extreme that she certainly wouldn't purposely do without good reason. School work here wasn't her worst enemy but if it didn't interest her than the odds of it getting done dropped significantly.
She was shaken. She needed to get her mind off what had happened and she thought the best way to do it was to reach out to some friends.]
That'd be great. Thanks. I don't have anything happening this weekend either.
I'm okay. I think. I just needed a couple days to cool off.
Kind of goofed up got myself stuck in some weird place. I think they call it the Great Sleep? Not exactly my finest moment.
Is there any subjects you need help with in particular? Just so I can organise my notes and things to go over with you. [ Luna hopes you're ready for this, Ruby. You're friends with a Ravenclaw, after all. She means serious business when it comes to study time. But at least it'll definitely be distracting. ]
I understand. Even I'm like that too, sometimes. You're not really much good without it, you know?
The Great Sleep, yes. I've been there. Just the once, though. I thought it'd be a nice break from all the orc fighting. But what happened? How on earth did you get stuck there?
History or science really. I struggle enough with those on a daily basis without the added benefit of falling behind.
[She is only sort of prepared for this.]
Sometimes you need to know when to take a break and recharge. I think I had definitely hit that point.
[It's not like she's been playing a very delicate game of "avoid all the people who want me dead." for the last few months or anything. It was starting to catch up with her, even if she felt like she was making progress with those people.]
Yeah. This was my first time too. I was just trying to explore a bit and than come home. I found this weird spider monster thing and it... Well jeez this is embarrassing coming from all my trained warrior talk. But it caught me off guard, I panicked and next thing I knew I was stuck in a web. And I dropped the dream catcher that you're supposed to use to get out of there.
It was my first time in and I didn't really know how things worked.
Oh, that's fine. They're not my favourite subjects, but they're very interesting. Chemistry's a bit like Potions Class for me back home, just a lot of different ingredients and less magic.
But yes, I'll gather my notes and things for you and we can go over them together! It'll be fun! Maybe you can come over instead of going to the library, you can have snacks that way.
[ Luna might get anxious with snacks in the library, but she's totally okay with it in her own home. Besides, there's also a giant husky that will want to be petted by Luna's friend, too. ]
I understand that, it happens. But it's good you realised for yourself. you do need to take care of yourself too sometimes, Ruby.
[ As for whatever went down in the Great Sleep. Luna can only falter a little at Ruby's text: Uh oh. She... thinks she knows what she's talking about. ]
Chemistry isn't so bad. Weirdly enough it's kind of like baking so it makes enough sense to me. Just how things work here and how big this world is kind of throws me through the wringer.
That's like the best idea ever! :D I'll supply the snacks and you can bring the notes, deal? Less townspeople around to distract us too.
[The fact that she has a reputation for getting into trouble for bringing snacks to the library flies right over her head.]
I think I'm starting to learn I've got limits here. They suck, but maybe their more important than I give them credit for.
[That gets her attention. No one else she's talked to has known anything about the spider she ran into. This is a lead she didn't have.]
Yeah, actually. Are they common in there or something? No one else seemed familiar with it when I asked about it.
Chemistry being like baking doesn't sound all that weird. That makes sense, actually. It's quite a good way of looking at it. But I do get that, I'm still trying to work things out too. I'm still unsure as how tee-vees function, really.
That sounds like a good deal to me. Deal!
[ Ruby. Please. Think of the books. ]
Deerington has a terrible habit of doing that, I'm afraid. I don't recall getting quite so worn out back home.
[ Luna is... now in a difficult position here. Because Fern is her friend, but he... doesn't seem to be aware of the green demon, per se. But Ruby's her friend, too. ]
Not exactly. He's not really part of the Great Sleep, he's just there sometimes apparently. I've only met him once before.
Oh. Well we have TV's back where I'm from. They're a little different here but I was an expert at them back at home. I could show you how you how they work. As thanks for helping me out.
Snacks are still included too.
[So many pages with chocolate fingerprints on them]
Ugh. It's the worst. My Aura is all kinds of wonky. It drains faster and I can only use it on a spot at a time. It's a pain.
[Ruby reads over Luna's next response curiously. She tracked with what she had already gathered about this thing. The fact that Luna seemed to know a bit more about it gave her more questions. Was she one of the people it had wanted to protect?]
Did it try to attack you?
Did it say you were any sort of danger? Or that someone was trying to hurt you?
I'm sorry for all the questions. I was left with a few when we met.
They do technically exist back home for me too, only wizardkind don't... use them. We do have the wireless, though! For music or talk-shows.
But that would be nice. I find the stick with buttons on it quite tricky sometimes. And I'm glad snack are still included in the deal. :)
[ Luna has nightmares about this. ]
I get that sometimes too. Spells not working the first time. There are ways around it? Although I'm not really sure about them. I've heard they're a little dangerous?
[ The gem Vira-Lorr had gotten, she means. Beneficial, but risky.
And.... Luna is now Worried. What on earth is going on with Fern and Ruby? Enough to make the green demon react like this? Only... asking Fern about him isn't... going to be possible. ]
No, he was quite civil. I stayed with him for a bit and I was absolutely fine. And he didn't suggest I was in any kind of danger or trouble.
No, no. It's alright. Why? What did he say to you?
I guess TV isn't all that great when you have crazy magical powers, huh? That makes sense.
Oh! Well that's a plus. We have something like that too for communication along with those. It's broken at the moment but we're trying to fix it.
Sure thing. It's the least I can do as thanks, really. You'll be a pro with a full belly in no time :>
[This is why she'd be better off trapped in the great sleep.]
Oh. This is actually the first I've heard of that. How dangerous are wtalking it?
[That... Was not the answer that Ruby had expected. She can't help but mull it over briefly. Was Luna one of the people that it was trying to protect? Was it because of Luna's healing magic the month before? ...Did it have something to do with their run in back in March? Either was possible and that troubled Ruby more than she could imagine at the moment.]
I see. Well in any case I'm glad you're alright. I'd rather be spooked by the spider than have any of my friends go through that.
[Ruby debates briefly for a moment whether she should go into more detail. If it was friends with Luna this could be opening a new bag of trouble that she didn't want to drag her into. The chat box [...]'s a briefly as she finally decides just being honest is the best approach.]
It said I had hurt people. That it was it's responsibility to stop me. I didn't tell me who it meant, so I'm just trying to figure that out. Maybe set things right somewhere along the line.
Honestly, I think it's fascinating! Muggles are ever so clever and creative? I kind of wish we did have tee-vee.
Ours is more just for broadcasting, more than anything. That's very interesting though. We mostly just use owls.
[ There's a few other ways to communicate, of course. Some a little faster. But owl post is very much the normal way of communicating with others, even if it's not the swiftest. It depends on the owl, really. ]
There's a gem you can get that helps stabilise your powers, helps them work properly. It's very painful to do, probably the worst pain you've ever felt in your life. I've heard it kind of... pushes itself out of your face. My friend said the gem came out of her third eye.
But the gem has to be kept safe, it's very bad if it's ever broken. I don't know what happens exactly, but it's really not good.
[ Luna is not sure she even wants to know, considering. But Vira-Lorr made it clear on how bad it would be should it break. ]
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Ruby. [ She wants to go find the green demon again, question him on this. She doesn't know what to do. Outing Fern isn't going to help anything, but it feels like she's keeping secrets from Ruby. And she hates that.
But maybe she can still help Ruby sort it out? It's the least she can do. ] Maybe it's worth thinking about things that have happened here. Is there anyone you've upset in Deerington?
Well you'll just have to enjoy it here while you can. And who knows? Maybe one day you will have it back in your world too. I can't say I know much about why you guys use all the secrecy there, but maybe one day you'll be able to live without all of that.
We can still do that locally without the towers, but it's impossible to get it beyond the kingdom it's being broadcast from.
Owls? That's actually a really neat idea. It sounds more reliable than our local mail at least. Grimm don't attack animals most the time.
[She reads over the next bit with interest. Sure it sounded painful and risky, but if her powers worked more reliably the odds of her running into a situation where gem could break would be a whole lot lower. ...Not to mention having her aura actually work properly would be a great plus.]
That sounds super gross and kind of awesome. Oh! I think I've talked to the lady with three eyes before. She seems nice enough.
So kind of a double edged sword to get it? That makes sense. I might do a bit more research and think about that.
It was my own fault. Exploring on my own probably wasn't a great choice.
[Ruby considers how to answer the next question. She had been making an effort to not keep her ever changing list of enemies a secret. But she had been doing it for so long that it still didn't feel right to get anyone else involved. She pushed those feelings aside for now.
That time in the great sleep had given her ample time to come with a growing list of people that could either want to get back at her, or people that she may have hurt that would have someone willing to go out for revenge.]
Like four or five people?
I guess there could be more if there are more things like that thing? People or things holding taking care of a grudge for someone else.
I
Well I may have made some enemies while I've been here.
It's just safer now, for everyone involved. Muggles being unable to deal with wizardkind. I don't know if they'd ever be able to deal with it, not on a large scale like the entire world.
It's pretty useful, yes! And it would, considering Grimm. And owls can go pretty much everywhere, too. They know exactly where they're meant to go. They're very clever.
[ Luna's been unsure about it, in all honesty. It would be very useful, having the gem. But part of her wants to be careful. She's already died here in Deerington, she's loathe to do it again. ]
Vira-Lorr, yes. She was the one who first told me about the gem. I know of a couple of others who've gotten it too. And yes, very much a double-edged sword. It's worth at least looking into, but I do strongly advise caution with that one.
[ Luna might already know Fern is likely to have some kind of conflict with Ruby, considering the green demon's actions against her, but this is... worrying. Of course, she knows that she's likely made some enemies of a sort with her own actions, especially with Waverly's death but... her heart can't help but sink a little at this. ]
Oh, Ruby. That really isn't good. [ It isn't said as an admonishment, more of a worry than anything else. The next question comes very tentatively, if Ruby does mention Fern - she can at least work out what's going on from Ruby's end. Fern isn't... one to talk about things a lot. ] Who? Which people?
I understand, I do. It's just kind of sad in it's own way. Not that my world is any better position. We have our own issues that we have to work through.
I think we're on the right track but it's kind of a wait and see how things play out.
Oh that's so cool. Your world was so cool to make up a mail system like that! Gosh. I kind of want to give it a try here. I know we have the delivery dogs but it'd still be cool to get mail by owl.
[Being careful unfortunately was not one of Ruby's strengths. If there was something that could make her more capable of keeping someone else safe was worth it in her eyes. Even if it put her own safety at risk, that was life she had signed up for.]
I'll look into it. I wont jump the gun until I get more specifics. If I do get one I promise I'll be careful.
[Ruby's chest tightened the more she delved into this topic. She was getting better at it but she hated involving people in all the grudges being held against her. She didnt't want any revenge trips or cycles starting if anything were to happen to her. She knew Luna likely wouldn't be one to go down that path, but there were others that made the concern very real.]
I know. I'm working on it. I swear. It's just a bit of a mess.
I've mentioned Neopolitan to you before. Well there's another girl Emerald. Both of them are from my world and have a bone to pick with me because of stuff back home.
Some weird cloaked guy named Reaper. I kind of got on his hit list for some texts. I did not know he was a crazy person at the time.
A plant guy, Fern. I think we're mostly in the clear now? But he's spent the last couple months really wanting to kill me.
And the weird Green Demon thing and whoever it thinks I've hurt.
I have a feeling it's like that in a lot of worlds, unfortunately.
Owls are so common, so I guess it's quite a clever way of doing things? Non-magical people don't really notice something like an owl flying about, I suppose. But it's not a terrible idea to try out!
[ Well, if anything. Luna can only approve of Ruby not just... diving right into it and immediately acquiring one. Research is absolutely important. ]
Maybe ask Vira-Lorr about it, she might be able to give you more information about her experiences with it. I'm sure there's others here who've gotten it too. It might be worth asking the network about them.
[ Oh, dear. Well, it... makes sense that the Grass Demon had attacked her and finds her a threat of sort. If Fern had been hostile towards Ruby and with the Grass Demon being a part of Fern..? Yeah, that explains a lot.
But this also makes her worry, because it's not the first time she's known Fern to be antagonistic towards others. There was everything with him and Peter, the fact Fern had tried to kill him. And while, aside from somewhat frown-worthy behaviour and attitudes towards her best friend, Fern hasn't tried to hurt Peter again. But it makes her wonder... is the demon simply echoing Fern's feelings? Or is the demon that's part of Fern responsible for Fern's hostilities?
It doesn't make sense. The green demon had been so... relaxed with her. No anger, no attempts to harm her. But then again... Paimon isn't like that with her either, as violent as he can be, too. Demons seem... to be fans of hers, apparently. But... maybe she can try to communicate with the green demon again. It's something she can think on. Maybe... she should ask K, he's pretty close with Fern. Maybe he knows about the demon. ]
I suppose I can try to keep an eye out for those other people you've mentioned. But I know Fern. He's a friend of mine.
Yeah, I don't really doubt that. In my world we have to find a way to work together. We don't really have a choice.
I kind of love it a lot. It's cute. We might have to give it a try here. It sounds like it might be fun to have a pen pal, even if we can just use the fluids or delivery dogs.
[Ruby is absolutely awful at looking after herself in a crisis. Her leadership tactics tended to favor her team and the people around her taking priority over her own needs, but that was just built in with the philosophy of being a Huntress. She was slowly getting better. It just took baby steps.]
I think I'll do just that. I'd be a heck of a lot more effective if my aura and semblance were running at full power. So it's pretty tempting to look into.
[Ruby was aware that Fern had tried to attack other people before. She was wary enough not to take that lightly but it was hard to avoid him completely when he was friends with people who were close to her. For the most part she had just shouldered his hate until Varian, Usagi and Amara had stepped in to talk the problem out with Fern.]
I just wouldn't recommend getting tangled up with the other ones if you can avoid it. I'm working on trying to end things with all of them peacefully. I just need a bit more time.
It's complicated. I guess I reminded him of someone from home that he doesn't like. Someone named Finn. I don't really know all the details.
He's also has or had feelings for my boyfriend. That's what really sort of set him off? They've talked since then. I think they've worked things out since then? I don't really talk with Fern to know exactly how he feels about how this all played out.
I have to say, I'm quite fond of the delivery dogs, really. They're just as good as owl post. They're all very good boys and girls.
[ You have no idea how much fussing her delivery dog will get when they come to deliver things to her.
And she can agree with that, being at full power in Deerington is desperately needed sometimes. Even Luna's magic faltering has cost her at times. But she's glad Ruby's just... going to do her research, at least. ]
I'm certainly not going to go around picking fights with people, so there's no need to worry about that. But I can just keep an eye out on them. And if you do need someone to fight them...
[ Luna's down for some battling. ]
Oh, Finn. I know who you mean.
So, it's kind of complicated to explain but Fern... used to be Finn. And still kind of is Finn, but not. He's still a pretty big part of who Fern is as a person. In all honesty, I'm still trying to get my head around it. It's a lot.
[ Not to mention she's not entirely sure why Fern would... hate Finn. He seemed quite nice in the memory: but she's seen how much Fern looks like Finn. ]
Varian, right? The boy with the blue in his hair? I didn't know Fern had feelings for someone. He's certainly never mentioned it.
Okay. That's true. I wouldn't trade them for anything honestly. They get along super well with Zwei too. I just thought it would be cool to experience mail by owl.
[Ruby breaths a sigh of relief. She's had a few people try to involve themselves in these feuds and it had left her a little on edge that it could happen again. While she didn't think Luna was the type to do that it was nice to have it confirmed.]
It's relieving to hear that, but it's a pretty funny mental image to think of you on the warpath.
I don't want you to go out of your way, but if you see them around maybe just be wary?
I'm trying my very best to end these without fighting. I don't know if I can but I have to try.
If I do need the help, I'll let you know. I appreciate it a whole lot.
[She would always take another ally over an enemy.
She mulls over the information about Fern and Finn. It was the most she had really received about either of them in the last couple months. Except for updates about how much Fern wanted to stab or hated her. It wasn't any less confusing than anything else she had heard about them, but it was a step in some direction.
...But if Fern used to Finn than what had changed him? Was it just because of the grass body? Had it been a name change to explain that? Was it something like with Oscar and Ozpin? Two souls inhabiting one body? Something else entirely? She really didn't have a clue and thinking things like this through wasn't really one of her strengths.]
I'm going to level with you. That's super complicated and I don't blame you for not fully getting it.
I sure as heck don't get it.
But it's a little more than I knew before. Maybe it'll make more sense later.
Maybe there's something Finn did that Fern regrets?
[She's just throwing out ideas at this point. Fern's thought process is still very much a mystery to her.]
Yeah! Blue in his hair, kind of scraggly, nuts about alchemy. That's Varian.
[It's real love when you trash talk your boyfriend.]
It might be a sore spot considering things turned out? I know him and Varian had a fight around then. They've patched things up mostly but I'm sure it hurt regardless. Maybe that's why he hasn't brought it up? I can't say for sure, Fern and I don't really talk.
Huh. Yeah. I guess jealous would be the right word for it. I don't really know where we stand now. I don't know if it's a was or still is. I know he's not looking to run me through at the moment?
But of course, I can do that. At the very least. I do hope you can resolve things peacefully, fighting's awfully tiring. But sometimes fighting has to be done. And I'll be there if you need me.
[ A young witch she might be, but this one's duelled Death Eaters and won. Sure, there'd been a little luck potion thrown in but... yes, it's not her first time in a fight if she needed to be in one. ]
There's a lot to it. Fern is just... very complicated. And I think it explains why he is the way he is sometimes.
I'm not sure if Finn's done anything Fern regrets, he seems to mention him in quite positive light.
[ But if Fern's capable of jealousy over this with Varian and Ruby, is he jealous of Finn somehow? It makes her wonder. ]
I believe I've seen him around in school. He's an alchemist? That's brilliant!
[ Alchemy is also a thing in her world. So really, she's intrigued. ]
That's understandable. Fern's quite sensitive like that, so I'm sure it probably does hurt a little still. He's not always so keen to get into personal things, and I have no right to pry if he doesn't want to tell me things.
I had something similar with Peter a little while ago. There was a fight, a few of us were involved. Peter, Fern, Louis, Mr Coldwater and me. Fern still doesn't like Peter but he's definitely not actively trying to hurt him anymore. He seems to back off, but he's still a little cold.
I know, I know. It's just... It's home stuff and I'm trying really hard not to get everyone dragged into it here.
But I appreciate it. A whole lot. You'll be the first I call if I need help.
[She really appreciates the support Luna.]
Yeah! He's been around there. Oh? You know about Alchemy? You really send him a message sometime. I'm sure he'd love to talk to shop with someone who knows at least something about it.
[Hmm. That conflicts a little with what she's heard. But it could be that Fern really is just complicated like Luna said.]
Complicated sounds like it might be putting it lightly. But yeah. I mean I think I get him at least a better now.
I can't say I blame him for being sensitive about it. I'm sure it's hard to have feelings for someone but no real outlet for them.
I've noticed that with him and personal things. I may have done my fair share of prying and it hasn't been great experience. I don't recommend it.
Oh. Louis had mentioned that. I had no idea Peter was the one that happened with. That does sound awfully familiar. I'm glad you're all alright. Fern included in that.
I'll take a step in the right direction over nothing.
It might be 'home stuff' but you're also a Sleeper, too. You're one of us. But it's understandable.
Whenever you need me. :)
[ Honestly, that's what friends are for. ]
Not much. It's an elective class at my school, but it only runs if there's enough interest from students. But there's pieces here and there I've read. It'd be nice to find some more things out! I'll keep that in mind.
[ And honestly? Alchemy is difficult. It's a NEWT class for a reason. So someone here in a Deerington who studies it actively? That's impressive. ]
Sometimes it's best to let Fern tell you things in his own time, although sometimes it means he won't ever tell you things. It's just how he is. [ Something difficult to accept about him, but Luna just... has to accept that. She tries her best not to pry too much. Only when it's important. ] I still don't really know what it was about. But yes, it was... quite awful. No one died though, fortunately.
I- Okay. That is a good point. It's just weird that it's could come to that at all. Or that even managed to follow me here in the first place. Like what are the odds?
I appreciate that so much.
[Luna's just a good friend and good people all around.]
Oooooh~! Do just that and if you need help getting a hold of him, just let me know.
I got that impression. I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting for him to tell me anything. I think I'll be lucky if I get a hi sometime in the next year.
But if he gets along with you and Varian than I'd say that's what counts. I can't think of better friends than you to. Maybe it'll help him down the road.
Louis didn't have any details except for the fact that it happened. So maybe that's just another story you'll just have to wait on.
I'm glad you're all okay though. That's what counts at the end of the day.
The universes can be quite strange like that. I think they have a poor sense of humour.
[ Luna also suspects that in due course it might follow her here, too. ]
Knowing Fern, I think getting him to say hello to you would be a massive improvement. A few months ago he mostly just avoided Peter or glared at him the whole time we stayed under one roof for a while.
[ Living at Ben's could be... a little awkward. Fern never really spoke to Peter (that she's aware of) but there was a couple of tense moments at the dinner table. ]
But, yes. Maybe. Fern needs help from people, just like anyone else. He can be really nice and a good person, I've seen it.
It's fortunate there hasn't been another incident like that, but yes we were alright. I don't think any of us will know, it's between him and Peter. Boys can be... quite dumb, sometimes.
[ Because Peter hasn't even really wanted to talk to her about it, either. Both he and Fern are really good at this whole 'avoidance' thing. ]
It could happen? One day? You never know. Ouch. That kind of sounds exactly like what's happening with me and him right now. Except we don't share house together. I definitely can't picture us doing that.
He's friends with you, Varian and a handful of other people I know and care about. So I don't doubt that for a second. I just landed on the weird sharp and prickly side of him and don't know how to get off it.
Jeez. You can say that again. Maybe it would be worth it if I reached out to Peter and ask him? It kind of sounds like we're in the same boat, maybe he'll be a bit more willing to talk about it?
I'm grasping at straws here but it's worth a shot?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Text UN: CrescentRose
After that she just needed some time to take stock of herself and slowly reach out to those close to her. Being left alone and trapped with only her thoughts had left her demoralized. She needed to do something to get her mind off it.]
Hey Luna.
I don't know how but I fell super behind on all my schoolwork.
Are you busy this weekend?
Mind giving me a hand?
[Who is this person and what have they done with Ruby Rose?]
text; un: quibbler
When she finally gets a text, and it's... asking about homework -- Luna knows something's not quite right here. Much like Peter, Ruby isn't particularly a fan of schoolwork, never mind wanting to catch up with it. ]
Of course I don't mind helping you with schoolwork. I'm absolutely free to help you with it over the weekend, any time.
But are you alright? You missed a lot. That's not like you.
What happened?
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She was shaken. She needed to get her mind off what had happened and she thought the best way to do it was to reach out to some friends.]
That'd be great. Thanks. I don't have anything happening this weekend either.
I'm okay. I think. I just needed a couple days to cool off.
Kind of goofed up got myself stuck in some weird place. I think they call it the Great Sleep? Not exactly my finest moment.
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I understand. Even I'm like that too, sometimes. You're not really much good without it, you know?
The Great Sleep, yes. I've been there. Just the once, though. I thought it'd be a nice break from all the orc fighting. But what happened? How on earth did you get stuck there?
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[She is only sort of prepared for this.]
Sometimes you need to know when to take a break and recharge. I think I had definitely hit that point.
[It's not like she's been playing a very delicate game of "avoid all the people who want me dead." for the last few months or anything. It was starting to catch up with her, even if she felt like she was making progress with those people.]
Yeah. This was my first time too. I was just trying to explore a bit and than come home. I found this weird spider monster thing and it... Well jeez this is embarrassing coming from all my trained warrior talk. But it caught me off guard, I panicked and next thing I knew I was stuck in a web. And I dropped the dream catcher that you're supposed to use to get out of there.
It was my first time in and I didn't really know how things worked.
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But yes, I'll gather my notes and things for you and we can go over them together! It'll be fun! Maybe you can come over instead of going to the library, you can have snacks that way.
[ Luna might get anxious with snacks in the library, but she's totally okay with it in her own home. Besides, there's also a giant husky that will want to be petted by Luna's friend, too. ]
I understand that, it happens. But it's good you realised for yourself. you do need to take care of yourself too sometimes, Ruby.
[ As for whatever went down in the Great Sleep. Luna can only falter a little at Ruby's text: Uh oh. She... thinks she knows what she's talking about. ]
It wasn't a green spider monster, was it?
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That's like the best idea ever! :D I'll supply the snacks and you can bring the notes, deal? Less townspeople around to distract us too.
[The fact that she has a reputation for getting into trouble for bringing snacks to the library flies right over her head.]
I think I'm starting to learn I've got limits here. They suck, but maybe their more important than I give them credit for.
[That gets her attention. No one else she's talked to has known anything about the spider she ran into. This is a lead she didn't have.]
Yeah, actually. Are they common in there or something? No one else seemed familiar with it when I asked about it.
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That sounds like a good deal to me. Deal!
[ Ruby. Please. Think of the books. ]
Deerington has a terrible habit of doing that, I'm afraid. I don't recall getting quite so worn out back home.
[ Luna is... now in a difficult position here. Because Fern is her friend, but he... doesn't seem to be aware of the green demon, per se. But Ruby's her friend, too. ]
Not exactly. He's not really part of the Great Sleep, he's just there sometimes apparently. I've only met him once before.
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Snacks are still included too.
[So many pages with chocolate fingerprints on them]
Ugh. It's the worst. My Aura is all kinds of wonky. It drains faster and I can only use it on a spot at a time. It's a pain.
[Ruby reads over Luna's next response curiously. She tracked with what she had already gathered about this thing. The fact that Luna seemed to know a bit more about it gave her more questions. Was she one of the people it had wanted to protect?]
Did it try to attack you?
Did it say you were any sort of danger? Or that someone was trying to hurt you?
I'm sorry for all the questions. I was left with a few when we met.
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But that would be nice. I find the stick with buttons on it quite tricky sometimes. And I'm glad snack are still included in the deal. :)
[ Luna has nightmares about this. ]
I get that sometimes too. Spells not working the first time. There are ways around it? Although I'm not really sure about them. I've heard they're a little dangerous?
[ The gem Vira-Lorr had gotten, she means. Beneficial, but risky.
And.... Luna is now Worried. What on earth is going on with Fern and Ruby? Enough to make the green demon react like this? Only... asking Fern about him isn't... going to be possible. ]
No, he was quite civil. I stayed with him for a bit and I was absolutely fine. And he didn't suggest I was in any kind of danger or trouble.
No, no. It's alright. Why? What did he say to you?
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Oh! Well that's a plus. We have something like that too for communication along with those. It's broken at the moment but we're trying to fix it.
Sure thing. It's the least I can do as thanks, really. You'll be a pro with a full belly in no time :>
[This is why she'd be better off trapped in the great sleep.]
Oh. This is actually the first I've heard of that. How dangerous are wtalking it?
[That... Was not the answer that Ruby had expected. She can't help but mull it over briefly. Was Luna one of the people that it was trying to protect? Was it because of Luna's healing magic the month before? ...Did it have something to do with their run in back in March? Either was possible and that troubled Ruby more than she could imagine at the moment.]
I see. Well in any case I'm glad you're alright. I'd rather be spooked by the spider than have any of my friends go through that.
[Ruby debates briefly for a moment whether she should go into more detail. If it was friends with Luna this could be opening a new bag of trouble that she didn't want to drag her into. The chat box [...]'s a briefly as she finally decides just being honest is the best approach.]
It said I had hurt people.
That it was it's responsibility to stop me.
I didn't tell me who it meant, so I'm just trying to figure that out.
Maybe set things right somewhere along the line.
cw mentions of eye/body horror
Ours is more just for broadcasting, more than anything. That's very interesting though. We mostly just use owls.
[ There's a few other ways to communicate, of course. Some a little faster. But owl post is very much the normal way of communicating with others, even if it's not the swiftest. It depends on the owl, really. ]
There's a gem you can get that helps stabilise your powers, helps them work properly. It's very painful to do, probably the worst pain you've ever felt in your life. I've heard it kind of... pushes itself out of your face. My friend said the gem came out of her third eye.
But the gem has to be kept safe, it's very bad if it's ever broken. I don't know what happens exactly, but it's really not good.
[ Luna is not sure she even wants to know, considering. But Vira-Lorr made it clear on how bad it would be should it break. ]
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Ruby. [ She wants to go find the green demon again, question him on this. She doesn't know what to do. Outing Fern isn't going to help anything, but it feels like she's keeping secrets from Ruby. And she hates that.
But maybe she can still help Ruby sort it out? It's the least she can do. ] Maybe it's worth thinking about things that have happened here. Is there anyone you've upset in Deerington?
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We can still do that locally without the towers, but it's impossible to get it beyond the kingdom it's being broadcast from.
Owls? That's actually a really neat idea. It sounds more reliable than our local mail at least. Grimm don't attack animals most the time.
[She reads over the next bit with interest. Sure it sounded painful and risky, but if her powers worked more reliably the odds of her running into a situation where gem could break would be a whole lot lower. ...Not to mention having her aura actually work properly would be a great plus.]
That sounds super gross and kind of awesome. Oh! I think I've talked to the lady with three eyes before. She seems nice enough.
So kind of a double edged sword to get it? That makes sense. I might do a bit more research and think about that.
It was my own fault. Exploring on my own probably wasn't a great choice.
[Ruby considers how to answer the next question. She had been making an effort to not keep her ever changing list of enemies a secret. But she had been doing it for so long that it still didn't feel right to get anyone else involved. She pushed those feelings aside for now.
That time in the great sleep had given her ample time to come with a growing list of people that could either want to get back at her, or people that she may have hurt that would have someone willing to go out for revenge.]
Like four or five people?
I guess there could be more if there are more things like that thing? People or things holding taking care of a grudge for someone else.
I
Well I may have made some enemies while I've been here.
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It's pretty useful, yes! And it would, considering Grimm. And owls can go pretty much everywhere, too. They know exactly where they're meant to go. They're very clever.
[ Luna's been unsure about it, in all honesty. It would be very useful, having the gem. But part of her wants to be careful. She's already died here in Deerington, she's loathe to do it again. ]
Vira-Lorr, yes. She was the one who first told me about the gem. I know of a couple of others who've gotten it too. And yes, very much a double-edged sword. It's worth at least looking into, but I do strongly advise caution with that one.
[ Luna might already know Fern is likely to have some kind of conflict with Ruby, considering the green demon's actions against her, but this is... worrying. Of course, she knows that she's likely made some enemies of a sort with her own actions, especially with Waverly's death but... her heart can't help but sink a little at this. ]
Oh, Ruby. That really isn't good. [ It isn't said as an admonishment, more of a worry than anything else. The next question comes very tentatively, if Ruby does mention Fern - she can at least work out what's going on from Ruby's end. Fern isn't... one to talk about things a lot. ] Who? Which people?
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I think we're on the right track but it's kind of a wait and see how things play out.
Oh that's so cool. Your world was so cool to make up a mail system like that! Gosh. I kind of want to give it a try here. I know we have the delivery dogs but it'd still be cool to get mail by owl.
[Being careful unfortunately was not one of Ruby's strengths. If there was something that could make her more capable of keeping someone else safe was worth it in her eyes. Even if it put her own safety at risk, that was life she had signed up for.]
I'll look into it. I wont jump the gun until I get more specifics. If I do get one I promise I'll be careful.
[Ruby's chest tightened the more she delved into this topic. She was getting better at it but she hated involving people in all the grudges being held against her. She didnt't want any revenge trips or cycles starting if anything were to happen to her. She knew Luna likely wouldn't be one to go down that path, but there were others that made the concern very real.]
I know. I'm working on it. I swear.
It's just a bit of a mess.
I've mentioned Neopolitan to you before. Well there's another girl Emerald. Both of them are from my world and have a bone to pick with me because of stuff back home.
Some weird cloaked guy named Reaper. I kind of got on his hit list for some texts. I did not know he was a crazy person at the time.
A plant guy, Fern. I think we're mostly in the clear now? But he's spent the last couple months really wanting to kill me.
And the weird Green Demon thing and whoever it thinks I've hurt.
Those are all the ones I can think of off hand.
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Owls are so common, so I guess it's quite a clever way of doing things? Non-magical people don't really notice something like an owl flying about, I suppose. But it's not a terrible idea to try out!
[ Well, if anything. Luna can only approve of Ruby not just... diving right into it and immediately acquiring one. Research is absolutely important. ]
Maybe ask Vira-Lorr about it, she might be able to give you more information about her experiences with it. I'm sure there's others here who've gotten it too. It might be worth asking the network about them.
[ Oh, dear. Well, it... makes sense that the Grass Demon had attacked her and finds her a threat of sort. If Fern had been hostile towards Ruby and with the Grass Demon being a part of Fern..? Yeah, that explains a lot.
But this also makes her worry, because it's not the first time she's known Fern to be antagonistic towards others. There was everything with him and Peter, the fact Fern had tried to kill him. And while, aside from somewhat frown-worthy behaviour and attitudes towards her best friend, Fern hasn't tried to hurt Peter again. But it makes her wonder... is the demon simply echoing Fern's feelings? Or is the demon that's part of Fern responsible for Fern's hostilities?
It doesn't make sense. The green demon had been so... relaxed with her. No anger, no attempts to harm her. But then again... Paimon isn't like that with her either, as violent as he can be, too. Demons seem... to be fans of hers, apparently. But... maybe she can try to communicate with the green demon again. It's something she can think on. Maybe... she should ask K, he's pretty close with Fern. Maybe he knows about the demon. ]
I suppose I can try to keep an eye out for those other people you've mentioned. But I know Fern. He's a friend of mine.
[ And she hates to ask but: ]
Why did he want to kill you?
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I kind of love it a lot. It's cute. We might have to give it a try here. It sounds like it might be fun to have a pen pal, even if we can just use the fluids or delivery dogs.
[Ruby is absolutely awful at looking after herself in a crisis. Her leadership tactics tended to favor her team and the people around her taking priority over her own needs, but that was just built in with the philosophy of being a Huntress. She was slowly getting better. It just took baby steps.]
I think I'll do just that. I'd be a heck of a lot more effective if my aura and semblance were running at full power. So it's pretty tempting to look into.
[Ruby was aware that Fern had tried to attack other people before. She was wary enough not to take that lightly but it was hard to avoid him completely when he was friends with people who were close to her. For the most part she had just shouldered his hate until Varian, Usagi and Amara had stepped in to talk the problem out with Fern.]
I just wouldn't recommend getting tangled up with the other ones if you can avoid it. I'm working on trying to end things with all of them peacefully. I just need a bit more time.
It's complicated. I guess I reminded him of someone from home that he doesn't like. Someone named Finn. I don't really know all the details.
He's also has or had feelings for my boyfriend. That's what really sort of set him off? They've talked since then. I think they've worked things out since then? I don't really talk with Fern to know exactly how he feels about how this all played out.
I did say it was complicated.
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[ You have no idea how much fussing her delivery dog will get when they come to deliver things to her.
And she can agree with that, being at full power in Deerington is desperately needed sometimes. Even Luna's magic faltering has cost her at times. But she's glad Ruby's just... going to do her research, at least. ]
I'm certainly not going to go around picking fights with people, so there's no need to worry about that. But I can just keep an eye out on them. And if you do need someone to fight them...
[ Luna's down for some battling. ]
Oh, Finn. I know who you mean.
So, it's kind of complicated to explain but Fern... used to be Finn. And still kind of is Finn, but not. He's still a pretty big part of who Fern is as a person. In all honesty, I'm still trying to get my head around it. It's a lot.
[ Not to mention she's not entirely sure why Fern would... hate Finn. He seemed quite nice in the memory: but she's seen how much Fern looks like Finn. ]
Varian, right? The boy with the blue in his hair? I didn't know Fern had feelings for someone. He's certainly never mentioned it.
So he was jealous of your relationship?
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[Ruby breaths a sigh of relief. She's had a few people try to involve themselves in these feuds and it had left her a little on edge that it could happen again. While she didn't think Luna was the type to do that it was nice to have it confirmed.]
It's relieving to hear that, but it's a pretty funny mental image to think of you on the warpath.
I don't want you to go out of your way, but if you see them around maybe just be wary?
I'm trying my very best to end these without fighting. I don't know if I can but I have to try.
If I do need the help, I'll let you know. I appreciate it a whole lot.
[She would always take another ally over an enemy.
She mulls over the information about Fern and Finn. It was the most she had really received about either of them in the last couple months. Except for updates about how much Fern wanted to stab or hated her. It wasn't any less confusing than anything else she had heard about them, but it was a step in some direction.
...But if Fern used to Finn than what had changed him? Was it just because of the grass body? Had it been a name change to explain that? Was it something like with Oscar and Ozpin? Two souls inhabiting one body? Something else entirely? She really didn't have a clue and thinking things like this through wasn't really one of her strengths.]
I'm going to level with you. That's super complicated and I don't blame you for not fully getting it.
I sure as heck don't get it.
But it's a little more than I knew before. Maybe it'll make more sense later.
Maybe there's something Finn did that Fern regrets?
[She's just throwing out ideas at this point. Fern's thought process is still very much a mystery to her.]
Yeah! Blue in his hair, kind of scraggly, nuts about alchemy. That's Varian.
[It's real love when you trash talk your boyfriend.]
It might be a sore spot considering things turned out? I know him and Varian had a fight around then. They've patched things up mostly but I'm sure it hurt regardless. Maybe that's why he hasn't brought it up? I can't say for sure, Fern and I don't really talk.
Huh. Yeah. I guess jealous would be the right word for it. I don't really know where we stand now. I don't know if it's a was or still is. I know he's not looking to run me through at the moment?
So that's progress???
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But of course, I can do that. At the very least. I do hope you can resolve things peacefully, fighting's awfully tiring. But sometimes fighting has to be done. And I'll be there if you need me.
[ A young witch she might be, but this one's duelled Death Eaters and won. Sure, there'd been a little luck potion thrown in but... yes, it's not her first time in a fight if she needed to be in one. ]
There's a lot to it. Fern is just... very complicated. And I think it explains why he is the way he is sometimes.
I'm not sure if Finn's done anything Fern regrets, he seems to mention him in quite positive light.
[ But if Fern's capable of jealousy over this with Varian and Ruby, is he jealous of Finn somehow? It makes her wonder. ]
I believe I've seen him around in school. He's an alchemist? That's brilliant!
[ Alchemy is also a thing in her world. So really, she's intrigued. ]
That's understandable. Fern's quite sensitive like that, so I'm sure it probably does hurt a little still. He's not always so keen to get into personal things, and I have no right to pry if he doesn't want to tell me things.
I had something similar with Peter a little while ago. There was a fight, a few of us were involved. Peter, Fern, Louis, Mr Coldwater and me. Fern still doesn't like Peter but he's definitely not actively trying to hurt him anymore. He seems to back off, but he's still a little cold.
So... yes, I believe that's progress.
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It's just... It's home stuff and I'm trying really hard not to get everyone dragged into it here.
But I appreciate it. A whole lot. You'll be the first I call if I need help.
[She really appreciates the support Luna.]
Yeah! He's been around there. Oh? You know about Alchemy? You really send him a message sometime. I'm sure he'd love to talk to shop with someone who knows at least something about it.
[Hmm. That conflicts a little with what she's heard. But it could be that Fern really is just complicated like Luna said.]
Complicated sounds like it might be putting it lightly. But yeah. I mean I think I get him at least a better now.
I can't say I blame him for being sensitive about it. I'm sure it's hard to have feelings for someone but no real outlet for them.
I've noticed that with him and personal things. I may have done my fair share of prying and it hasn't been great experience. I don't recommend it.
Oh. Louis had mentioned that. I had no idea Peter was the one that happened with. That does sound awfully familiar. I'm glad you're all alright. Fern included in that.
I'll take a step in the right direction over nothing.
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Whenever you need me. :)
[ Honestly, that's what friends are for. ]
Not much. It's an elective class at my school, but it only runs if there's enough interest from students. But there's pieces here and there I've read. It'd be nice to find some more things out! I'll keep that in mind.
[ And honestly? Alchemy is difficult. It's a NEWT class for a reason. So someone here in a Deerington who studies it actively? That's impressive. ]
Sometimes it's best to let Fern tell you things in his own time, although sometimes it means he won't ever tell you things. It's just how he is. [ Something difficult to accept about him, but Luna just... has to accept that. She tries her best not to pry too much. Only when it's important. ] I still don't really know what it was about. But yes, it was... quite awful. No one died though, fortunately.
[ Silver... linings... ]
That's a good way of looking at it!
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Okay. That is a good point.
It's just weird that it's could come to that at all. Or that even managed to follow me here in the first place.
Like what are the odds?
I appreciate that so much.
[Luna's just a good friend and good people all around.]
Oooooh~! Do just that and if you need help getting a hold of him, just let me know.
I got that impression. I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting for him to tell me anything. I think I'll be lucky if I get a hi sometime in the next year.
But if he gets along with you and Varian than I'd say that's what counts. I can't think of better friends than you to. Maybe it'll help him down the road.
Louis didn't have any details except for the fact that it happened. So maybe that's just another story you'll just have to wait on.
I'm glad you're all okay though. That's what counts at the end of the day.
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[ Luna also suspects that in due course it might follow her here, too. ]
Knowing Fern, I think getting him to say hello to you would be a massive improvement. A few months ago he mostly just avoided Peter or glared at him the whole time we stayed under one roof for a while.
[ Living at Ben's could be... a little awkward. Fern never really spoke to Peter (that she's aware of) but there was a couple of tense moments at the dinner table. ]
But, yes. Maybe. Fern needs help from people, just like anyone else. He can be really nice and a good person, I've seen it.
It's fortunate there hasn't been another incident like that, but yes we were alright. I don't think any of us will know, it's between him and Peter. Boys can be... quite dumb, sometimes.
[ Because Peter hasn't even really wanted to talk to her about it, either. Both he and Fern are really good at this whole 'avoidance' thing. ]
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It could happen? One day? You never know. Ouch. That kind of sounds exactly like what's happening with me and him right now. Except we don't share house together. I definitely can't picture us doing that.
He's friends with you, Varian and a handful of other people I know and care about. So I don't doubt that for a second. I just landed on the weird sharp and prickly side of him and don't know how to get off it.
Jeez. You can say that again. Maybe it would be worth it if I reached out to Peter and ask him? It kind of sounds like we're in the same boat, maybe he'll be a bit more willing to talk about it?
I'm grasping at straws here but it's worth a shot?
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