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

[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.

[undaunts]

... Okay.

[... She still has a lot to think about re: Hiro and what she's going to say (should she say anything?) and what she's supposed to do (how do you date?????) but she does feel better even so.]

... Sorry I tried to take you down with a pillow.

[flaredo]

... I'll forgive it juuuuust this once.

[ If just because this will eventually give her teasing material for days. ]

[undaunts]

And um...

[...]

Thanks. [...] Y'know, for the advice and stuff. I feel better.

[flaredo]

What are sisters for? I've got tons of advice for stuff like this!

... And you know, I bet Naoki'd be good to talk to, too.

[undaunts]

[She ducks her head at that, sheepish.]

I... don't know if I'm ready to talk about Naoki about this.

[She likes Naoki a lot, but Yang's on a completely different level when it comes to confiding in for embarrassing topics. Because she's always been there to confide in.]

[flaredo]

It's okay. This can be just girl talk.

[ Naoki himself would probably get flustered, come to think of it... ]