bolstafir | deerington inbox

[After getting Emerald pretty fucking drunk late last month and finding a certain something out, it had still taken her the better part of a month to track him down on the network. Qrow wasn't exactly the most ... public of figures, was he? She could appreciate that.

But, one day. He'd get a text message rather out of the blue.]

So, "Tai." Needed to have a little chat.
Well, in so far as I ever have a chat with anyone.
Got a favor you could do for me, "Tai" and I'm pretty sure you'll say yes.

[By the by, Qrow, you're "Tai" now until you introduce yourself properly, because she can be a snarky one.]

[Varian's not always the best at reaching out to people, but as honest as he and Ruby try to be with one another, he knows this whole... month has hit her hard. He's been worried about her, and more to the point, he understands that... a whole lot of everything will have been dumped on her family in one fell swoop. He doesn't know how much Ruby's clan knows about what he's done. He's pretty sure up-front asking if they know he tried to kill her probably isn't wise. He'll just... ease into this. ]

Uh... hey. How are you guys holding up? I checked up on Ruby already, but I figured I'd better check in on you guys too. There's no way last month could have been easy for any of you.

[On the 15th, sometime after talking to Ruby, all three of them having been de-aged, there was a package left on the doorstep of Qrow and Clover's place with a big note in pink letters with smiley faces all over it. The doorbell has been run, but by the time anyone gets there, they've scampered off with a silent giggle.]

Rubes said you liked these so I got you as many as I could find!
Hope you like them. I worked really hard to get them!

-Neo

[Uh. She might have pilfered someone's stand full of purple grapes to get this many, because there are easily ten bunches of grapes in a basket here. At least. Neo ... was a very precocious crook in her youth.]

RUBY??

HERE??????

CHEETOS!?

[...she vaguely remembered something about leaving a basket full of stolen grapes on Qrow's doorstep the other day with a note that she wanted him to have all the grapes.

She was going to just pretend that day never happened, thank you very much. However, early into September a gift basket of her own had shown up on her counter, and... well... yeah.]

Qrow, when you have a minute I want to talk.
I have something I want for you to have.
This is actually a little important.

Hey, Qrow. How're you holding up?

[ His words are calm and steady...but Vyng doesn't bother hiding the quiet concern behind his question. ]

Uncle Qrow did you find her
Did you get Ruby out

Hey, Uncle Qrow.
Are you doing okay?
Just checking in.
Pretty dangerous lately.

Hey.
Welcome back.

So other than "not good", how's it going?

[ Gerry, all told, is doing much better now that October is over. He’d been in a near-constant state of panic all month, doing his best to avoid the blood and all the memories that came with it. There’s a lot he doesn’t remember from the month — he spent most of it in an exhausted haze of fear — but he does remember that someone saved his life. Gerry thinks he heard the man (who is also a bird?) call himself Crow, and the Qrow on the network seems to be a close enough match.

Gerry wasn’t up for much heartfelt thanks when Qrow met him. He wasn’t exactly present for most of the encounter. But Gerry knows now that if Qrow hadn’t found him, Gerry would most likely be dead. So it’s better to thank him later, rather than never. ]

Hey this is Gerry you saved my life last month
Just wanted to reach out and say thanks since I probably didn’t thank you properly then, sorry about that
Also wanted to make sure you survived the month alright

So thank you and I hope you’re alive

[ This small pocket of a moment was in stark contrest to the first half of the month. Here they were safe, warm, and everything was still. It almost made up for the fact they were both both sick as dogs.

Clover wriggled under the pile of blankets until his back was pressed up against Qrow's, needing the feeling of wiry muscle and the warmth of physical contact. The sounds of his shifting in bed was soon followed by the tap tap tap of his thumbs on the screen of his fluid. ]

imagine if you could drop your body off at the gym and pick it up when it’s done. 🤔

[He's more than aware that Qrow died. Ruby having a complete emotional meltdown clued him in pretty heavily on that one. Still, this is Ruby's family, not his. He's left them be to deal with their own wounds- work through their own stuff. But he'd be remiss if he didn't check up on Qrow- especially with Yang gone.]

Hey. Checking up on you. October was pretty awful, huh?

[Left outside the house is a dark blue basket. Inside is an associate of tea, chocolates, a box of lemon drops, a bottle of wine and a copy of Charles Dickens, Christmas Carol. A blue Tardis-shaped card attached to the basket says, 'Santa' in silver marker.]

Hey.
It's your niece.
The green one.

I'm sorry.

[ Gerry has felt strange all month: like his body isn't really his, like he shouldn't be here, in a deep, existential sort of way. It's a strange feeling, but not necesarily a painful one. Still, it's a little too much like being bound to the skin book, and Gerry does his best not to dwell on it.

It helps to actually use his body -- to do things that are grounded in physical reality. Or, at least, whatever passes for physical reality in Deerington. That's why, about a week into February, he followed up with Qrow about the combat training offer. Thankfully, Qrow accepted.

Now, he's standing outside Qrow's home, a bit unsure of himself. He doesn't really know what to bring to this sort of thing, so he's settled on his most sensible boots and his favorite lighter. Gerry gives the front door a polite little knock, and waits. ]

Edited 2021-02-19 16:12 (UTC)

...Uncle Qrow.
Is there like a card out there that says “Sorry, I ruined our first date and didn’t tell you my school’s headmaster was in my head?” Or do you think I should I make one?

Oh-Hey again Oz.

Just so you know. I kind of accidentally called a couple other people about the whole pogo stick thing before I got it right.

So if anyone asks you about that or James wanting your cane up his butt.

Just feel free to explain it was an awkward misunderstanding or something.

Have a good day!

Edited 2021-03-05 02:12 (UTC)

[ INSISTENT RINGING.

In fact, if he doesn't pick up the call the first time, she's just going to keep calling. Relentlessly.

And when he picks up, whether it's after the first call or after later ones, there's no other way to describe Ange's tone other than downright panicked. ]

Where's Ruby?

Hey. I, um. Look, I'm sure I'm probably the last person you want to hear from, after everything. But... I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I, uh, wasn't exactly in my right head. I'm okay now - all back to myself. Thanks for trying to help stop me.

Hello,

My name is Mako. We haven’t spoken before. Ruby put your name forward as someone who might be willing to keep a cache of food stocked in your home. We can’t be sure that the dream is going to hold together, or that the usual food sources will be reliable for much longer. I have a list of the basics that you’d need to keep, if you can.

Thank you.

Hey. Again.
I met up with Yang the other day and she finally managed to... you know, get me out of my cave a little.
I don't know if you wanted to meet up in the real world while we still have the chance.
To talk about things.

Hey, bird brain ;>

A couple of things!

One, we all hunkered down and waited for this inevitability. Waking up is just half of the things with dying. Especially when it was because of my own mistakes and I never deserved the second chance I had with you.

Second, please don't blame yourself.

Keep the pin. It's lucky, just like you.

Third! Okay, so this isn't a couple of things.

Tell Ruby she is more than the world(s) she wants to save. She can't keep thinking she has to be hurt to be good. Tell Glitch there's more out there, and that I'm sorry. We should have gone fishing for real. Tell Winter she never had to throw herself on the sword to wield it. And James, well, James needs time. And tell Vyng it was never his fault.

And if any of my team show up. Remind them that we're friends, and I miss them.

And lastly.

Keep going, I know you can.

I love you.

Edited 2021-03-27 16:16 (UTC)

[ It's not easy to type with one hand. So he settles on sending a voice because he did see this.

A few of their conversations stick out in his mind, how Qrow was trying to look after Yang and Ruby now that their dad was gone, the fact he was probably still struggling with Clover being gone. He wouldn't be surprised if the man was struggling with going back to the bottle to cope. But, he a part of him feels obligated to tell Qrow this if only to relieve whatever potential burden there is. ]

Hey. So. You don't need to keep an eye on me. I know Ruby and Yang kinda take precedent if Maul comes down on our heads because of me. So. Yeah.

Just keep them safe. I'll be fine.

[ It has been a long day. But at the end of it, Ozpin has a text to send. ]

James knows.

He received the information more gracefully here than on Remnant.

[ That is to say: there was a great deal of shouting, but no one was shot. ]

Still, it seems best that you be aware.

[ To keep an eye on him, he does not finish, because it is the sort of thing that has always been implied. Perhaps it is no longer a given, anymore. Perhaps Qrow is no longer his spy. In this moment, though, it feels as though that easy synergy is still between them: members of a team, allies on a battlefield, but now Qrow has all the intelligence on the board.

There is something rather freeing about being able to discuss his moves like this. Freeing or messy, but most likely both. ]

[ Ozpin has spent two full months politely ignoring the blue morning glories in his study. Certain birds have made that difficult, but he tries to simply keep the plants alive and not dwell overmuch on their color or origin. Not dwelling does not really rank among Ozpin's more prominent skills, but an effort is made.

It's considerably more difficult when he comes home to find his study utterly blanketed in red flowers. There is only one person in his life who has made a fuss about morning glories, and who would take amusement from inviting himself into Ozpin's space to rearrange things as he finds more suitable. The message is received loud and clear, but he's not going to permit it that easily.

Red is not only Stanford's color, and this avenue of cruelty is simply too easy. ]

Really, Qrow. I have greatly enjoyed the pleasure of your company these past weeks, but as we have discussed at length, I am already involved in a relationship.

I am flattered, truly.

Text: UN - IceCream

text: un: trienemybest

8/15 - Action

text : during ruby's latest post-death break in

Text: UN - IceCream

voice | un: cariboy (backdated to the evening of Qrow's hike with Jon)

text; un: bottlerocket; backdated to murder cave rescue

Text UN: RadRidingHood Shortly after Clovers post to the network group chat

post-death

text; un: pageburner