Inbox;

[flaredo]

"Heeey, you've reached Yang! Well, actually, you didn't reach far enough, 'cause I'm not here right now! But don't yang up! Just leave a message on this baby, and I'll get back to you soon enough, okay?"

[ Please specify VOICEMAIL, TEXT or CALL. ]

Comments

action; here i am again

[undaunts]

[So after this entire fiasco, and after the event comes to a close, Ruby goes to bed at her usual typical early hour (around 10 pm at the latest) because she is a growing girl.

And.

She goes to bed. It's totally fine. Now that the craziness is over, she can just sleep, and there are no libraries or zombies or weird acting books.

Though Hiro had been acting kind of odd too, right? He'd even said something weird though, like how Ruby would know when he was trying to be roma--

........................ Oh.

It clicks, quite suddenly, and then Ruby's burying her face in her hands because she doesn't know how to cope with this, because instead of making her feel awkward, it makes her heart beat faster (okay, that's a lie, it makes her feel awkward too, but what else is new), and she realizes that she kind of wants to know exactly what he meant by that and all of that is given voice with--]

Aaaaagh!

[Yes, seems legit. Eloquent too. Except then Zwei is barking because Ruby sounds distressed and yeah, they're being noisy tonight.]

action; oh my god

[flaredo]

[ You would think that, despite Yang's tendency to break down doors, she would at least be merciful with her own sister's door.

... And you would be right, but the door does rattle a bit on its hinges as Yang throws it open and charges in, ready to bring the pain. ]

Ruby?! What do I punch???

[undaunts]

[Yang bursts in and Ruby takes one look at her and launches her pillow at her face.

And wails--]

Why were you riiiight?!

[flaredo]

[ ... She'll answer that question in a moment. When that pillow isn't in her face and she isn't staggering back into the empty doorframe and falling over. ]

[undaunts]

[A beat.

There's a thud. And no response. And slowly Ruby looks up.

???]

Yang?

[flaredo]

... What did I do...

[ UUUUGH. She's just sprawled on her back now. ]

[undaunts]

You.... were right about things and I don't know how I feel about that because I wasn't ready for you to be right but I really, really think you were!

[Her voice speeds up in her panic.]

[flaredo]

... [ STILL ON THE FLOOR: ] Waaaaait a sec, is this about your crush?

[undaunts]

[Ruby proceeds to bury her face in her extra pillow.

And makes dying raptor noises.

GRAHAHFNAKLSD]

[flaredo]

... Okay, I'll forgive you for trying to take me down, because that's so cute!

[ Did she squeal, SHE DID. ]

[undaunts]

Guuuuuuhhhhh.

[says the pillow.]

[flaredo]

So what brought that on? Did you hold hands or something?

[ Spill. ]

[undaunts]

[Finally, she lowers the pillow.

And hesitates.

And timidly--]

Well... yeah I guess we did, but that's not weird, is it? [she kind of drags Hiro around by the hand a lot.]

But... he said...that there's not a lot he wouldn't do. [...] For me, I mean. And-- well, he said that I'd know if he was ever doing anything romantic...?

[....UGHHH.]

That's... Yang, what does that mean?

[also why does it make her heart pound.]

[flaredo]

... [ Low whistle. ]

Well, normally, it means you'd know because you'd be the one he'd be pulling romantic moves on.

[ BUT... HIRO... BEING SUAVE? HIRO? WHAT THIS???? ]

[undaunts]

[And, to the whistle:]

And what does that mean?!

[WHY.]

...Ughhh, this is... so much! Everything is so much!

[flaredo]

First of all, calm down! Deep breaths! Five of 'em, let's go.

[ Clapping her hands, CHOP-CHOP. ]

[undaunts]

But I--!

[...]

Okay.

[GONNA DO HER DEEP BREATHS NOW.

1.........

2.........

3.........

4.........

5.........]

[undaunts]

[.... and, more calmly and quietly:]

I feel a little lightheaded.

[flaredo]

Believe it or not, that's progress.

[ She pushes herself up now, stepping closer-- just to plop herself by her sister and ruffle her hair. ]

So, is it such a terrible thing that you like him?

[undaunts]

Yes!

[A beat.]

Well--no! I mean-- I don't know!

[...]

It's complicated.

[flaredo]

In what way?

[ Yep, go on. She'll walk you through this. ]

[undaunts]

I mean... he's my friend.

[That's really what it boils down to, right?]

And he really gets me, and I like being around him, and what if...what if this makes things weird?

[flaredo]

... I think, with everything the two of you have been through, admitting that you like the guy isn't going to end the world. I mean, you already liked him, right? The like's just a little stronger now, and it's not like that's weird.

[ Except it's like her baby sister's first crush, wow. ]

Naoki and I were friends before we were anything else, and falling for him... just kinda seemed natural, you know? Whether you want to say or do anything about it is up to you... but how you feel, there's nothing weird about it.

[undaunts]

It's... not weird?

[For once, her feelings are normal? That's a weird thought. But Yang's telling her that this is how it was for her too, and... that actually helps. It makes Ruby feel like all of this is less strange and uncomfortable.

She smiles a little, weakly and tentatively.]

...Yeah. I like Hiro a lot. I mean, I've always liked Hiro, but I just keep liking him more and more.

[flaredo]

See? It's just the next step. And Hiro's a good kid, too-- it makes sense you guys would get close.

Something like this? Your friendship's gonna be just as strong still, trust me.