She continued running for what felt like hours, never looking back for even a fraction of a second to see if he was still following her. What started out as a mild drizzle had by this point evolved into a torrential rainstorm, with the street's only source of illumination being a few dimly lit lamp posts that flickered on and off at random intervals.
Eventually, the woman couldn't go on any longer, and for a brief moment took the opportunity to rest against a nearby phone booth. She shivered from the cold, cursing herself for not bringing something warmer than the long dress she had worn for the party. She glance back down the street to see if her pursuer was still there, and at first it looked as though she had finally given him the slip. How long had he been stalking her for? Was this the same guy she found staring at her from across the street a few days go? No, that other man looked different. He was small and wiry, almost fae-like in appearance. The man stalking her however was much bigger, bulkier and all around significantly more intimidating.
Just then, to the woman's horror, she saw him. Casually walking in her direction without a single sign of having lost his breath like she had done. He was dressed in a long trench coat and fedora hat, similar in many ways to the detectives you found in old 1940's crime thrillers. But whilst this man might have looked vaguely like detective, the woman could tell just by the way he walked that there wasn't something right about him. He just didn't seem... Natural. In any way, shape or form.
Having mustered up her strength, the woman turned away from her slow pursuer and ran down the nearest alleyway, hoping to lose him in the mazelike narrow passages. To her horror though, she wasn't long until she found herself face-to-face with a dead end. Resisting the urge to cry out in frustration, the woman hid behind the nearest trash bin she could find, praying that the man following her would give up and search elsewhere. Much to her surprise though, he never showed up. She never saw his shadow, or even heard any of his footsteps. Had he really just walked past the alleyway without bothering the follow her? Had he even been following her to beging with, and this was all just a contrived coincidence?
Eventually, she mustered up the courage to get out from behind the bin, cautiously staring out into the street to see if he was just waiting for her. There wasn't a single sign that he had been following her to begin with. Satisfied, she sighed deeply to herself and allowed herself to calm down...
...It was at that point that she felt his hand clutch her shoulder.
She tried to scream, but was immediately silenced as his other hand clutched her mouth. He spun her around, confirming her suspicion. How had he followed her here?!? How did she get behind her without her knowing?!?
The man stared down at her, his feral eyes boring into her own as a wicked smile formed on his lips, revealing a pair of vicious fangs tha
No... Nonono, this isn't working at all.
((Ruby Forrester continued from Down in the Alley))
"Fuck." exclaimed Ruby, desperately trying to resist the urge to slam her head repeatedly onto her laptop's keyboard. A nearby Chinese waiter was somewhat startled by her sudden cursing, prompting the wannabe author into hastily assuring him that everything was fine.
In was a Saturday afternoon, and for the past fifteen minutes or so Ruby had been sitting at a table in her favourite Chinese buffet, casually working on her novel as she waited for her friend Regan to eventually show up. It was a pretty neat place, with lots of fancy decorations and some of the most polite waiters she had ever met in her life. That said, the music they put on were usually cheesy pop bands that hadn't been popular since the 1980's, and the food wasn't exactly the best Chinese cuisine to be found in Seattle. But it was reasonably cheap, and whilst it was far from perfect the food was still considerably better then all the junk food she had been eating for a past few days.
Right now though, all Ruby had on her plate so far were some prawn crackers and a few spring rolls, one of which she quickly munched down on as she continued rereading the last few paragraphs she had written. To say that Ruby could be a somewhat critical person at times would be something of an understatement, and nowhere was this more true than when it came to her own work. To Ruby, what sounded like a cool and scary scene in her head just looked cliche and downright terrible on paper. Reading over what she'd written thus far, she was shocked to think that she ever thought it could have possibly sounded any good to begin with. "He just didn't seem... Natural. In any way, shape or form." Jesus Christ, even Stephanie Meyer could write something better than this. C'mon Ruby, if you really want to become a successful author, then you've seriously got to start upping your game...
Of course, there were other reasons for why she was currently working on her novel. Ones which she had been desperately trying to avoiding thinking about for the past several days. It had been roughly a week or so since Brian's birthday. Roughly a week since that fateful night. For the most part, it had been pretty fun. She got to hang out with all her friends, play bowling, share drinks and funny jokes. Even Shiro eventually managed to crack a smile and join in the laughs. Not even the crappy band they ended up listening to could ruin what was otherwise a perfect night out.
No, for the most part, things were fine right up until Ruby returned to Brian's place. That's when things started to get... Awkward.
Just thinking about it was making Ruby cringe. Ever since then, she and Brian hadn't spoken all that much. Sure, they said hi whenever they bumped into each other, and on occasion they would chat about something inconsequential before moving on to do other stuff. Other then that, they didn't spend nearly as much time together as they used to. They hadn't even kissed since the fateful night in question, not that Ruby was complaining.
Instead, Ruby spent most of her time either working on her novel or hanging out with Regan, trying as best as she could to keep her mind off things. In some ways, it was actually quite nice spending more time with Regan for a change. Other than Brian, Regan was without a doubt one of Ruby's closest friends, and over the past week the two of them had spent a lot more time together than they usually did. Whenever Regan was around, Ruby could almost completely forget about the awkward night and actually relax for once. She wasn't sure why, but Regan just happened to have that effect on her. She was even beginning to consider telling her how she really felt about her relationship with Brian, although every time she found herself in a situation where she could do so she just didn't have the courage to open up.
Who knows... Speaking of which, where is Regan anyway? I thought she'd be here over ten minutes ago...
A week or so later...
Part 2 of Brian and Ruby's backstory (Private)
A week or so later...
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Sister Grimm†
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((Regan Flagg continued from Down in the Alley))
Honest, she had intended to reach the Chinese restaurant much sooner. Like, much much sooner. In fact, she'd even left home, like, twenty minutes early. Last thing she wanted to do was keep Ruby waiting, after all. And she had made her way across town fully intending to be show up early. But, there was the comic book shop. Her favorite. Well, one of them. Honestly, she'd forgotten that it was on the way. She hadn't even brought extra money. What she had brought, more than enough to pay for lunch, evaporated in the face of the scores of comic books. It had, after all, been a while since she'd stocked up, so there were some new and wonderful things in stock, plus a few things she'd been looking for some time yet. Time flew and money burned, and before she knew it, she was late. Some cursing aside, she finished up in the store and hurried to the buffet and the hopefully still waiting Ruby.
By the time she did reach the buffet, her forehead was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and she was gasping lightly from unwanted physical exertion. Of course it was her own fault, at least until she found someone else to blame. Until then, she couldn't really point the finger at anyone else. Of course, Ruby was still waiting for her. It wasn't like she was expecting anything else. Ruby was a great friend, smart and focused.
Regan slid into the seat across from her friend, a broad grin plastered across her face. "Hey buddy, sorry I kept you waiting. Unforeseeable interruptions, I think they say. Well, someone says. Maybe the President. Someone important, I guess, to be a They." She shrugged, and dropped the bag of the comics on the table in front of her. Ruby had her laptop open in front of her, food arrayed around it. "If it makes you feel any better about me being to late, I got a really good haul. Some new stuff, and some stuff I'd been looking for." She opened up the bag and splayed out the comics on the table in front of her. "Okay, in no particular order." She held a Batman comic and a Spider-Man comic, one in each hand. "Okay, Spider-Man Noir and Year One. Year One is, you might have guessed, about his first year at Batman. Really good. Frank Miller before he went nutso. It's a little older, from, I think, the late 80's. This one," She said, raising Noir a little higher while settling Year One back on the table. "This one is takes Spider-Man and put him in 1920's New York. Marvel did a whole line about this, doing it with X-Men, Luke Cage, Punisher, Deadpool, and a few others I think. "
While she told Ruby about Deadpool and his adventures in fighting the Skrulls, she considered the changes that had taken place since last weekend. Not really so much between the two of them, of course. If anything, they'd gotten closer. Which, okay, was a change, but not really the nebulous sort of change she meant. Ruby and Brian change, she meant. In that, Ruby was spending more time with Regan than her boyfriend. She might have assumed something had happened that night after the concert, but that was just guessing. It would have made a sort of sense, she guessed. If they weren't, you know, dating. It seemed an awfully short time for the relationship to go sour after how chummy they seemed when she last saw the two together. She'd considered asking, once or twice. Curiosity and all. But, even as much of a motormouth as she was, she knew when to keep her mouth shut.
To be honest, she wasn't complaining. It meant being with Ruby more often, so that was nice. Part of her remembered how her stomach had turned when she saw them kiss. That part of her felt, what, a sense of smug satisfaction? She couldn't explain it, didn't want to try and explain it or indulge it, or even consider it anymore.
She finished going over the Secret Six when she reached the last two, both, coincidentally involving Catwoman. "Okay, coming close to the end, here." She held up two more comics, the first Batman: Hush, the second Gotham City Sirens, with Catwoman standing front and center on both covers. "Okay, this one, Hush, is about Batman fighting a new villain that he doesn't really know anything about, one who manages to work his way on Batman's personal life at the same time. Personally, I like the subplot about Batman and Catwoman finally getting together. The art in it is really, really good. The other one is about Batman's women. Well, his female enemy women. Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman. They, I dunno, go on adventures or something." Regan flashes a grin a Ruby, nodding at the cover. "I mean, really, I just bought these for Catwoman."
She stops, blinks, realizes what she said. A faint blush colors her cheeks. Setting the comics back onto the table, she coughs into her hand before stammering out a question. "So, uh, how's the story going?"
Honest, she had intended to reach the Chinese restaurant much sooner. Like, much much sooner. In fact, she'd even left home, like, twenty minutes early. Last thing she wanted to do was keep Ruby waiting, after all. And she had made her way across town fully intending to be show up early. But, there was the comic book shop. Her favorite. Well, one of them. Honestly, she'd forgotten that it was on the way. She hadn't even brought extra money. What she had brought, more than enough to pay for lunch, evaporated in the face of the scores of comic books. It had, after all, been a while since she'd stocked up, so there were some new and wonderful things in stock, plus a few things she'd been looking for some time yet. Time flew and money burned, and before she knew it, she was late. Some cursing aside, she finished up in the store and hurried to the buffet and the hopefully still waiting Ruby.
By the time she did reach the buffet, her forehead was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and she was gasping lightly from unwanted physical exertion. Of course it was her own fault, at least until she found someone else to blame. Until then, she couldn't really point the finger at anyone else. Of course, Ruby was still waiting for her. It wasn't like she was expecting anything else. Ruby was a great friend, smart and focused.
Regan slid into the seat across from her friend, a broad grin plastered across her face. "Hey buddy, sorry I kept you waiting. Unforeseeable interruptions, I think they say. Well, someone says. Maybe the President. Someone important, I guess, to be a They." She shrugged, and dropped the bag of the comics on the table in front of her. Ruby had her laptop open in front of her, food arrayed around it. "If it makes you feel any better about me being to late, I got a really good haul. Some new stuff, and some stuff I'd been looking for." She opened up the bag and splayed out the comics on the table in front of her. "Okay, in no particular order." She held a Batman comic and a Spider-Man comic, one in each hand. "Okay, Spider-Man Noir and Year One. Year One is, you might have guessed, about his first year at Batman. Really good. Frank Miller before he went nutso. It's a little older, from, I think, the late 80's. This one," She said, raising Noir a little higher while settling Year One back on the table. "This one is takes Spider-Man and put him in 1920's New York. Marvel did a whole line about this, doing it with X-Men, Luke Cage, Punisher, Deadpool, and a few others I think. "
While she told Ruby about Deadpool and his adventures in fighting the Skrulls, she considered the changes that had taken place since last weekend. Not really so much between the two of them, of course. If anything, they'd gotten closer. Which, okay, was a change, but not really the nebulous sort of change she meant. Ruby and Brian change, she meant. In that, Ruby was spending more time with Regan than her boyfriend. She might have assumed something had happened that night after the concert, but that was just guessing. It would have made a sort of sense, she guessed. If they weren't, you know, dating. It seemed an awfully short time for the relationship to go sour after how chummy they seemed when she last saw the two together. She'd considered asking, once or twice. Curiosity and all. But, even as much of a motormouth as she was, she knew when to keep her mouth shut.
To be honest, she wasn't complaining. It meant being with Ruby more often, so that was nice. Part of her remembered how her stomach had turned when she saw them kiss. That part of her felt, what, a sense of smug satisfaction? She couldn't explain it, didn't want to try and explain it or indulge it, or even consider it anymore.
She finished going over the Secret Six when she reached the last two, both, coincidentally involving Catwoman. "Okay, coming close to the end, here." She held up two more comics, the first Batman: Hush, the second Gotham City Sirens, with Catwoman standing front and center on both covers. "Okay, this one, Hush, is about Batman fighting a new villain that he doesn't really know anything about, one who manages to work his way on Batman's personal life at the same time. Personally, I like the subplot about Batman and Catwoman finally getting together. The art in it is really, really good. The other one is about Batman's women. Well, his female enemy women. Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman. They, I dunno, go on adventures or something." Regan flashes a grin a Ruby, nodding at the cover. "I mean, really, I just bought these for Catwoman."
She stops, blinks, realizes what she said. A faint blush colors her cheeks. Setting the comics back onto the table, she coughs into her hand before stammering out a question. "So, uh, how's the story going?"
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Having mustered up her strength, the woman turned away from her pursuer and ran down the nearest alleyway, praying dearly that she'd be able to lose him in the...
Oh, god fucking damnit, this sucks.
Ruby leaned back into her chair and groaned, her eyes staring at the sealing as she furiously pondered as to how on earth she could possibly make what she'd just written sound even remotely original or interesting.
Usually, whenever she found herself in this kind of situation, she'd just get up and go for a walk in order to get her thoughts straight. Of course, she couldn't really do that right at that very moment without looking as though she was trying to avoid paying her bill, so all he could really do for now was stare blankly at her screen until she came up with something astounding. Or until she blinded herself from staring too long at a computer screen. Whichever came first.
Thankfully though, just as she was about to give up and go grab another plate Regan Flagg finally showed up and sat down in the chair opposite, carrying with her a huge stack of comic books and graphic novels. A warm smile found itself on Ruby's face as she watched Regan make her way towards her table, in stark contrast to the bitter frown she was wearing just mere moments ago. Whilst she had been hoping Regan would've arrived a little earlier, Ruby was way too happy to see her to feel the least bit annoyed about it. Besides, it wasn't as if she had spent hours waiting there or anything. And even if she did, she probably wouldn't be that offended by it, seeing as by this point she had gotten very used to Regan's tendency to get easily distracted by comic books and rock music.
"Hey. Nah, don't worry about it... Here, I bought you a lemonade whilst I was waiting." said Ruby, motioning to the class she had place on Regan's side of the table.
From that point on, Ruby allowed Regan to dominate the conversation for the next couple of minutes as she showed off her large comic collection. In all honesty, Ruby was never really as interested in comics as Regan was. Sure, she did make an effort to keep up to date with Scott Pilgrim and The Walking Dead, and her bookcase still housed an impressive collection of manga from the days when she used to be obsessed with anime. But when it came to superhero comics, Ruby was always somewhat indifferent about the genre. Apart from Batman and Deadpoll, superheroes were never really her thing. Not that it really mattered though. She just liked listening to Regan talk, regardless of what the subject matter may or may not be.
A few minutes later, Regan finally got to the last few comics, specifically a pair of graphic novels which she apparently only bought because they had Catwoman in them. After briefly pondering for a moment what exactly was so special about Catwoman, Regan quickly shifted the conversation over to Ruby's story. Oh, yeah, that's right. I was writing a few moments ago wasn't I?
"Uh... Slowly. Well, not necessarily slowly, just... Well, you know what it's like when you come up with an idea that sounds awesome and original in your head, but when you put it into practice you suddenly realise that it's actually complete and utter..."
Ruby quickly stopped herself mid-sentence. Whilst Ruby would be the first to admit that she had a tendency to swear just a tad too often, whenever she was around her best friend Ruby always made an effort to keep the f-bombs to an absolute minimum. Not that she thought Regan would think any different of her if she did so, it's just that she just didn't like doing so full stop.
"...Well, you get the idea. I don't know, I'm just having something of a creative lapse at the moment, you know? Hell, the only reason I'm writing at all right now is because I..."
She stopped herself mid-sentence again, this time for completely different reasons. Shit, nearly dropped the ball there. Better change the subject...
"Uh, anyway, I'm gonna go grab a plate. Here, feel free to give it a read if you want." she said, quickly turning the laptop around to face Regan as she wondered off to the buffet.
Christ, that was close... Maybe I should just flat out tell her now and get it over with. It's not as if I... No, nevermind, I'm here to hang out with Regan not whine about my personal life.
After filling her plate with a diverse array of Chinese food, including noodles with sweet-and-sour sauce and a peking duck roll, Ruby finally returned to her seat.
"So, uh, any thoughts?"
Oh, god fucking damnit, this sucks.
Ruby leaned back into her chair and groaned, her eyes staring at the sealing as she furiously pondered as to how on earth she could possibly make what she'd just written sound even remotely original or interesting.
Usually, whenever she found herself in this kind of situation, she'd just get up and go for a walk in order to get her thoughts straight. Of course, she couldn't really do that right at that very moment without looking as though she was trying to avoid paying her bill, so all he could really do for now was stare blankly at her screen until she came up with something astounding. Or until she blinded herself from staring too long at a computer screen. Whichever came first.
Thankfully though, just as she was about to give up and go grab another plate Regan Flagg finally showed up and sat down in the chair opposite, carrying with her a huge stack of comic books and graphic novels. A warm smile found itself on Ruby's face as she watched Regan make her way towards her table, in stark contrast to the bitter frown she was wearing just mere moments ago. Whilst she had been hoping Regan would've arrived a little earlier, Ruby was way too happy to see her to feel the least bit annoyed about it. Besides, it wasn't as if she had spent hours waiting there or anything. And even if she did, she probably wouldn't be that offended by it, seeing as by this point she had gotten very used to Regan's tendency to get easily distracted by comic books and rock music.
"Hey. Nah, don't worry about it... Here, I bought you a lemonade whilst I was waiting." said Ruby, motioning to the class she had place on Regan's side of the table.
From that point on, Ruby allowed Regan to dominate the conversation for the next couple of minutes as she showed off her large comic collection. In all honesty, Ruby was never really as interested in comics as Regan was. Sure, she did make an effort to keep up to date with Scott Pilgrim and The Walking Dead, and her bookcase still housed an impressive collection of manga from the days when she used to be obsessed with anime. But when it came to superhero comics, Ruby was always somewhat indifferent about the genre. Apart from Batman and Deadpoll, superheroes were never really her thing. Not that it really mattered though. She just liked listening to Regan talk, regardless of what the subject matter may or may not be.
A few minutes later, Regan finally got to the last few comics, specifically a pair of graphic novels which she apparently only bought because they had Catwoman in them. After briefly pondering for a moment what exactly was so special about Catwoman, Regan quickly shifted the conversation over to Ruby's story. Oh, yeah, that's right. I was writing a few moments ago wasn't I?
"Uh... Slowly. Well, not necessarily slowly, just... Well, you know what it's like when you come up with an idea that sounds awesome and original in your head, but when you put it into practice you suddenly realise that it's actually complete and utter..."
Ruby quickly stopped herself mid-sentence. Whilst Ruby would be the first to admit that she had a tendency to swear just a tad too often, whenever she was around her best friend Ruby always made an effort to keep the f-bombs to an absolute minimum. Not that she thought Regan would think any different of her if she did so, it's just that she just didn't like doing so full stop.
"...Well, you get the idea. I don't know, I'm just having something of a creative lapse at the moment, you know? Hell, the only reason I'm writing at all right now is because I..."
She stopped herself mid-sentence again, this time for completely different reasons. Shit, nearly dropped the ball there. Better change the subject...
"Uh, anyway, I'm gonna go grab a plate. Here, feel free to give it a read if you want." she said, quickly turning the laptop around to face Regan as she wondered off to the buffet.
Christ, that was close... Maybe I should just flat out tell her now and get it over with. It's not as if I... No, nevermind, I'm here to hang out with Regan not whine about my personal life.
After filling her plate with a diverse array of Chinese food, including noodles with sweet-and-sour sauce and a peking duck roll, Ruby finally returned to her seat.
"So, uh, any thoughts?"
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Sister Grimm†
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- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
Regan arched an eyebrow. "You write, like, all the time, I'd have figured you'd have a couple trilogies under your belt by now. I mean, maybe not literally. Or maybe literally. I dunno. That you'd be finished with this one at least. It's the werewolf one, right? Or vampire. Or was it mummies? I think it was vampire, but you should totally write one about mummies! When was the last time you read a book about mummies? I guess zombies might count, since they take the best bits about mummies and multiply them by, you know, however many zombies are running around. Shambling. Maybe running. Running is scarier, but shambling is more mummy-like, I guess."
Regan paused for a breath, and belatedly realized that this was the part where she was supposed to offer support and solidarity. "I mean, I'm sure what you have so far is awesome. I'd say it has to better than Twilight, but that sort of sounds like an insult, which isn't really what I'm going for. So, at least it's better than Twilight, but not in an insulting way. I mean, if you write a vampire book these days. everyone is going to compare it to Twilight. Except me, since I like you too much to compare anything you do to Twilight. How about Dracula? You like that one, right? That's a good thing to be compared to, right? I mean, that's like the granddaddy of vampire stuff, back when vampires weren't all David Bowie."
When Regan stopped for another breath, Ruby offered a halfhearted explanation and excused herself to resupply on food, stopping only to turn her laptop around so Regan could see what she'd written. As Ruby departed, Regan reached across the table to pull the computer closer, scanning over the word document. Now, most of her experience was with comic book writing. Aside from some big names, Alan Moore coming to mind, it wasn't finely crafted prose. Again, a generalization, but her appraisal wasn't much more than 'would I buy this book?'.
Her attention was somewhat divided, as she tossed around the excuse Ruby had given her. What was that all about? She guessed it had something to do with Brian, but it could also have been any number of things. Maybe her Xbox broke. It didn't have to be something...she didn't want to say catastrophic, because that was really reserved for explosions. Bad? It didn't have to be something bad? Well, Ruby would probably argue a game console breaking as bad, but okay. Broad, but good enough.
As Ruby returned and retook her seat, Regan turned the laptop around and passed it back. "I'd read it. I mean, if you're looking for insightful criticism, I could probably make something up, but that would take a little while. I'd buy this, though."
" You know what?" she said with a grin, "I'd buy several copies,and arrange them as sort of a book fort." She paused, pondering this. "Well, if it was going to be a decent fort, I'm need a lot more than several copies. I'd probably end up needing about, I guess, a hundred or so? I don't know, I've never built a fort before. But, Fort Dracula, or Fort whatever you end up naming your vampire, it would stand the test of time. Or until my dad makes me tear it down." Regan leaned forward, propping her elbows in front of her. She grinned again, this time in triumph. "Should I say he can try to make me tear it down? I'll be the one in the fort!"
Regan leaned back, realizing that she'd probably lost Ruby having gone off on another tangent. She coughed into her hand, feeling a little embarrassed. Just a little. "But, yeah. I'd read it." She sat there in silence for a moment, torn over following up on what Ruby had said. Then, after another moment of consideration, she threw caution to the wind. "So, what's up? The only reason you're writing so much...? Your Xbox didn't break, did it?"
Regan paused for a breath, and belatedly realized that this was the part where she was supposed to offer support and solidarity. "I mean, I'm sure what you have so far is awesome. I'd say it has to better than Twilight, but that sort of sounds like an insult, which isn't really what I'm going for. So, at least it's better than Twilight, but not in an insulting way. I mean, if you write a vampire book these days. everyone is going to compare it to Twilight. Except me, since I like you too much to compare anything you do to Twilight. How about Dracula? You like that one, right? That's a good thing to be compared to, right? I mean, that's like the granddaddy of vampire stuff, back when vampires weren't all David Bowie."
When Regan stopped for another breath, Ruby offered a halfhearted explanation and excused herself to resupply on food, stopping only to turn her laptop around so Regan could see what she'd written. As Ruby departed, Regan reached across the table to pull the computer closer, scanning over the word document. Now, most of her experience was with comic book writing. Aside from some big names, Alan Moore coming to mind, it wasn't finely crafted prose. Again, a generalization, but her appraisal wasn't much more than 'would I buy this book?'.
Her attention was somewhat divided, as she tossed around the excuse Ruby had given her. What was that all about? She guessed it had something to do with Brian, but it could also have been any number of things. Maybe her Xbox broke. It didn't have to be something...she didn't want to say catastrophic, because that was really reserved for explosions. Bad? It didn't have to be something bad? Well, Ruby would probably argue a game console breaking as bad, but okay. Broad, but good enough.
As Ruby returned and retook her seat, Regan turned the laptop around and passed it back. "I'd read it. I mean, if you're looking for insightful criticism, I could probably make something up, but that would take a little while. I'd buy this, though."
" You know what?" she said with a grin, "I'd buy several copies,and arrange them as sort of a book fort." She paused, pondering this. "Well, if it was going to be a decent fort, I'm need a lot more than several copies. I'd probably end up needing about, I guess, a hundred or so? I don't know, I've never built a fort before. But, Fort Dracula, or Fort whatever you end up naming your vampire, it would stand the test of time. Or until my dad makes me tear it down." Regan leaned forward, propping her elbows in front of her. She grinned again, this time in triumph. "Should I say he can try to make me tear it down? I'll be the one in the fort!"
Regan leaned back, realizing that she'd probably lost Ruby having gone off on another tangent. She coughed into her hand, feeling a little embarrassed. Just a little. "But, yeah. I'd read it." She sat there in silence for a moment, torn over following up on what Ruby had said. Then, after another moment of consideration, she threw caution to the wind. "So, what's up? The only reason you're writing so much...? Your Xbox didn't break, did it?"
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A faint smile found itself on Ruby's face as Regan spoke, her hands subconsciously putting her laptop away as she listened to what her friend had to say about her project thus far.
Admittedly, other than the part about using copies of her story to make a makeshift fort, Regan's response didn't come as that big a surprise. After all, Regan never really struck Ruby type of person who would flat out tell anyone that their project sucked, regardless of whether or not it actually did or whether the person was a close friend or an unknown acquaintance. Whenever Ruby was looking for genuine feedback, she would ask people she didn't particularly know in order to get as unbiased an opinion as possible. That, or she was pressed for time she'd ask Mallory. Still, positive feedback was still positive feedback, regardless of who it was from. And frankly, right now she was just happy to listen to Regan talk, regardless of how tangential she got as time went by.
Inevitably though, once Regan had finished rambling she quickly turned the conversation back to the sentence that Ruby had stopped herself from finishing.
Damn. So much for hoping she wouldn't bring that up...
"Oh, nonono, nothing like that. It's just..." she said on impulse, only to stop when she suddenly realised that she hadn't actually thought up a good excuse. She could have just gone along with Regan's assumption and say that her Xbox had died on her, but she'd already screwed up that excuse, and suddenly contradicting herself would just make Regan even more suspicious. If she had enough time, she could probably think of some minor annoyance that she could exaggerate. Or hell, she could even make something up completely on the spot, although that could easily devolve the conversation into a Fawlty Towers sketch.
Nevertheless, just as Ruby was about to tell Regan that she was trying to enter a writing competition she'd read about the other day, a thought suddenly occurred.
Why shouldn't she just tell Regan the truth?
It wasn't as if she was making it any better by distracting herself like this. Hell, if anything, all this was achieving was making her more frustrated. But at the same time, she didn't feel ready enough to confront Brian and talk about it properly with him. But what was stopping her from talking to Regan about it now and getting an outside opinion? Come to think of it, what was stopping her from talking to Regan about her true feelings about Brian? In all the years she had spent with him, she had never revealed her true feelings and concerns with anyone. Not even her closest friends or family members. It hadn't really been until recently that she was beginning to truly consider talking to someone about it.
And if there was anyone outside her family she'd want to discuss it with, it would have to be Regan. After all, Regan wasn't just another one of her friends. They were more than that. Hell, even describing them as best friends sounded a tad too mild. In many ways, she probably felt much more comfortable around Regan than she did around Brian. So why shouldn't she just share her thoughts with her right there and then?
"...Well. The thing is, I... Jeez, how am I going to put this, um..... The truth is, the only reason I've been writing at all recently isn't because I've got more spare time than I used, or because I've suddenly felt really inspired to finish this novel or something. Quite the opposite actually. I can't come up with a decent sentence at the moment without staring at a blank computer screen for several hours. No, the only reason I'm writing at all at the moment is... Well, as a distraction."
She stopped for a moment, briefly considering whether or not she should reveal anything more. After all, once she started there wasn't really any way of turning back without leaving Regan feeling even more curious than before.
"The thing is, for the past week or so, there's this thing that has been really bothering me. Well, I guess you could say it's been bothering me for a good couple of years now, but it's only been recently that it's REALLY started to bother me, if you catch my drift."
She considered changing the subject again, her mind torn between carrying on and stopping right there and then. Of course, by this point she had made it reasonably clear that Brian had something to do with this, given how it was only a week or so that they all got together for Brian's birthday.
"And, well, for the most part I haven't really spoken to anyone about it. Not even family, and especially not Brian. And for the most part, it's not been that big a problem, but recently I've... Well, I feel as though I should....."
Great, now I'm the one whose rambling.
"...Regan, can you... Can you keep a secret? I've wanted to tell someone about this for... Well, years to be perfectly honest, and I guess now's as good a time to tell someone about it. Finally get it off my chest, you know?"
She paused again for a few seconds, which was just long enough for some doubt to seep in.
"...If you don't mind, that is. I mean, if you'd rather I just kept quiet about it and forget I ever brought it up, I wouldn't mind. It's not really that big a deal anyway, really..."
Admittedly, other than the part about using copies of her story to make a makeshift fort, Regan's response didn't come as that big a surprise. After all, Regan never really struck Ruby type of person who would flat out tell anyone that their project sucked, regardless of whether or not it actually did or whether the person was a close friend or an unknown acquaintance. Whenever Ruby was looking for genuine feedback, she would ask people she didn't particularly know in order to get as unbiased an opinion as possible. That, or she was pressed for time she'd ask Mallory. Still, positive feedback was still positive feedback, regardless of who it was from. And frankly, right now she was just happy to listen to Regan talk, regardless of how tangential she got as time went by.
Inevitably though, once Regan had finished rambling she quickly turned the conversation back to the sentence that Ruby had stopped herself from finishing.
Damn. So much for hoping she wouldn't bring that up...
"Oh, nonono, nothing like that. It's just..." she said on impulse, only to stop when she suddenly realised that she hadn't actually thought up a good excuse. She could have just gone along with Regan's assumption and say that her Xbox had died on her, but she'd already screwed up that excuse, and suddenly contradicting herself would just make Regan even more suspicious. If she had enough time, she could probably think of some minor annoyance that she could exaggerate. Or hell, she could even make something up completely on the spot, although that could easily devolve the conversation into a Fawlty Towers sketch.
Nevertheless, just as Ruby was about to tell Regan that she was trying to enter a writing competition she'd read about the other day, a thought suddenly occurred.
Why shouldn't she just tell Regan the truth?
It wasn't as if she was making it any better by distracting herself like this. Hell, if anything, all this was achieving was making her more frustrated. But at the same time, she didn't feel ready enough to confront Brian and talk about it properly with him. But what was stopping her from talking to Regan about it now and getting an outside opinion? Come to think of it, what was stopping her from talking to Regan about her true feelings about Brian? In all the years she had spent with him, she had never revealed her true feelings and concerns with anyone. Not even her closest friends or family members. It hadn't really been until recently that she was beginning to truly consider talking to someone about it.
And if there was anyone outside her family she'd want to discuss it with, it would have to be Regan. After all, Regan wasn't just another one of her friends. They were more than that. Hell, even describing them as best friends sounded a tad too mild. In many ways, she probably felt much more comfortable around Regan than she did around Brian. So why shouldn't she just share her thoughts with her right there and then?
"...Well. The thing is, I... Jeez, how am I going to put this, um..... The truth is, the only reason I've been writing at all recently isn't because I've got more spare time than I used, or because I've suddenly felt really inspired to finish this novel or something. Quite the opposite actually. I can't come up with a decent sentence at the moment without staring at a blank computer screen for several hours. No, the only reason I'm writing at all at the moment is... Well, as a distraction."
She stopped for a moment, briefly considering whether or not she should reveal anything more. After all, once she started there wasn't really any way of turning back without leaving Regan feeling even more curious than before.
"The thing is, for the past week or so, there's this thing that has been really bothering me. Well, I guess you could say it's been bothering me for a good couple of years now, but it's only been recently that it's REALLY started to bother me, if you catch my drift."
She considered changing the subject again, her mind torn between carrying on and stopping right there and then. Of course, by this point she had made it reasonably clear that Brian had something to do with this, given how it was only a week or so that they all got together for Brian's birthday.
"And, well, for the most part I haven't really spoken to anyone about it. Not even family, and especially not Brian. And for the most part, it's not been that big a problem, but recently I've... Well, I feel as though I should....."
Great, now I'm the one whose rambling.
"...Regan, can you... Can you keep a secret? I've wanted to tell someone about this for... Well, years to be perfectly honest, and I guess now's as good a time to tell someone about it. Finally get it off my chest, you know?"
She paused again for a few seconds, which was just long enough for some doubt to seep in.
"...If you don't mind, that is. I mean, if you'd rather I just kept quiet about it and forget I ever brought it up, I wouldn't mind. It's not really that big a deal anyway, really..."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Fiori. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
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Sister Grimm†
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
One would assume, because of her motor mouth, Regan would have the patience of a speed-addict hopped up on coffee or something equally impatient. It was a fair assumption, she guessed. At least, she understood the direction it was coming from. Not to say she had the patience of a saint or anything, but she wasn't exactly impatient. In fact, there were times when she could be really patient. Like when she was trying to figure out how to play a new song, or waiting for Ruby to spill the beans. Those were just a few examples, but you got the picture. Really though, if it involved Ruby, Regan probably could muster the patience of a saint. Best best bestest friends and all.
Well, how much patience was a saint required to have? Is it measurable in any way? Like, how would someone even go about doing that? She'd have to mull that over later, once the risk of her train of thought derailing into a nuclear power plant wasn't an issue. Just to put a lid on it for now, she was going to assume they measure patience with cellos or something.
Pride at catching and stopping her rambling so early aside, Regan felt more than a little flattered Ruby was willing to confide in her. Obviously, whatever she had to say was important. Like, really really important. Important I'm-not-even-telling-my-parents important. So, yeah, flattering. And a little intimidating, to be honest. Like, if it was really that important, could she really be trusted with it? Remember the whole motormouth thing? Yeah, not really conducive to secret keeping. That thought alone almost made her suggest Ruby keep her secret to herself. After all, it'd probably be better, safer, for everyone. Scatterbrained Regan wouldn't be privy to top-secret information, Ruby would be secure knowing her said top-secret was safe. Yeah, probably best for all involved.
But finding out what Ruby had to say, it was just so tantalizing. And flattering! Flattering most of all, along with some heart-warming that Ruby trusted her that much, but also really really tantalizing. Like, what was Ruby kicking around that was so secret?
Curiosity aside, Regan really hoped that Ruby wasn't about to reveal that she was a serial killer or something. And not just because that would probably make her the next victim. She tried to think if there had been any little warning signs that might clue her in. Unexplained blood stains, people going missing soon after meeting Ruby, constant access to various knives. Nothing came to mind, but that didn't mean it wasn't possible. In that documentary, people probably didn't think Jason was a serial killer until the police found his mummy (Get it?) and a bunch of dead teenagers. Well, the mummified mommy probably was a prerequisite, since Regan had met Ruby's parents a bunch of times. Not mummified, the either of them. Regan really liked Ruby, so finding out she was a serial killer and getting murdered by her would really suck.
The only other possibility was something involving Brian. Amateur detective that she was, it was the only thing that made any sense. A broken Xbox wasn't the issue, and Ruby hadn't seen Brian for a couple days now. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions, but it seemed elementary (my dear Watson). But, that theory sort of fell apart when Ruby mentioned that it had been an issue for a couple years. Regan thought they'd only been dating a couple months now. It was possible she was mistaken, but she didn't think she was.
So there were her options. Serial killer, or Brian. You know, phrased like that, it seemed pretty crazy. Crazy enough to be true, maybe? Historians always say truth is stranger than fiction. Ergo, the stranger the theory, the more likely it was to be! Right on, she was awesome at this detective stuff. Less awesome was the realization that if she was right, Ruby was a serial killer. You know what? She was going to assume it was something to do with Brian. Maybe they were fighting over couple stuff. That really wasn't Regan's area of specialty, so she'd leave it at that. Unless Ruby asked her, then she'd make stuff up.
She realized that she was rambling again, despite her best efforts to do otherwise. So, there it was. Could Ruby trust her with whatever secret she had? Obviously, Regan wouldn't tell anyone intentionally. But she knew when she got into one of her tangents, she didn't really think about what she was saying. The best she could hope for was that whatever secret Ruby had, it was about something Regan would never bring up in conversation. Like, flamingos or paint, or something. Chances were pretty good Ruby's secret wouldn't be about flamingos or paint, though. It was probably a relationship. Single as she was and had been, it was still something Regan wouldn't get to in conversation, so it might work. Probably. More likely than not.
So, Regan offered Ruby a smile. "You can trust me. All the build up, I'm expecting something pretty Earth-shattering, though." She paused, looking at the table for a second before looking back up. "Have I mentioned how misunderstood I think serial killers are, by the way? If that's relevant to your secret, keep it in mind. If not, I guess just ignore it."
Well, how much patience was a saint required to have? Is it measurable in any way? Like, how would someone even go about doing that? She'd have to mull that over later, once the risk of her train of thought derailing into a nuclear power plant wasn't an issue. Just to put a lid on it for now, she was going to assume they measure patience with cellos or something.
Pride at catching and stopping her rambling so early aside, Regan felt more than a little flattered Ruby was willing to confide in her. Obviously, whatever she had to say was important. Like, really really important. Important I'm-not-even-telling-my-parents important. So, yeah, flattering. And a little intimidating, to be honest. Like, if it was really that important, could she really be trusted with it? Remember the whole motormouth thing? Yeah, not really conducive to secret keeping. That thought alone almost made her suggest Ruby keep her secret to herself. After all, it'd probably be better, safer, for everyone. Scatterbrained Regan wouldn't be privy to top-secret information, Ruby would be secure knowing her said top-secret was safe. Yeah, probably best for all involved.
But finding out what Ruby had to say, it was just so tantalizing. And flattering! Flattering most of all, along with some heart-warming that Ruby trusted her that much, but also really really tantalizing. Like, what was Ruby kicking around that was so secret?
Curiosity aside, Regan really hoped that Ruby wasn't about to reveal that she was a serial killer or something. And not just because that would probably make her the next victim. She tried to think if there had been any little warning signs that might clue her in. Unexplained blood stains, people going missing soon after meeting Ruby, constant access to various knives. Nothing came to mind, but that didn't mean it wasn't possible. In that documentary, people probably didn't think Jason was a serial killer until the police found his mummy (Get it?) and a bunch of dead teenagers. Well, the mummified mommy probably was a prerequisite, since Regan had met Ruby's parents a bunch of times. Not mummified, the either of them. Regan really liked Ruby, so finding out she was a serial killer and getting murdered by her would really suck.
The only other possibility was something involving Brian. Amateur detective that she was, it was the only thing that made any sense. A broken Xbox wasn't the issue, and Ruby hadn't seen Brian for a couple days now. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions, but it seemed elementary (my dear Watson). But, that theory sort of fell apart when Ruby mentioned that it had been an issue for a couple years. Regan thought they'd only been dating a couple months now. It was possible she was mistaken, but she didn't think she was.
So there were her options. Serial killer, or Brian. You know, phrased like that, it seemed pretty crazy. Crazy enough to be true, maybe? Historians always say truth is stranger than fiction. Ergo, the stranger the theory, the more likely it was to be! Right on, she was awesome at this detective stuff. Less awesome was the realization that if she was right, Ruby was a serial killer. You know what? She was going to assume it was something to do with Brian. Maybe they were fighting over couple stuff. That really wasn't Regan's area of specialty, so she'd leave it at that. Unless Ruby asked her, then she'd make stuff up.
She realized that she was rambling again, despite her best efforts to do otherwise. So, there it was. Could Ruby trust her with whatever secret she had? Obviously, Regan wouldn't tell anyone intentionally. But she knew when she got into one of her tangents, she didn't really think about what she was saying. The best she could hope for was that whatever secret Ruby had, it was about something Regan would never bring up in conversation. Like, flamingos or paint, or something. Chances were pretty good Ruby's secret wouldn't be about flamingos or paint, though. It was probably a relationship. Single as she was and had been, it was still something Regan wouldn't get to in conversation, so it might work. Probably. More likely than not.
So, Regan offered Ruby a smile. "You can trust me. All the build up, I'm expecting something pretty Earth-shattering, though." She paused, looking at the table for a second before looking back up. "Have I mentioned how misunderstood I think serial killers are, by the way? If that's relevant to your secret, keep it in mind. If not, I guess just ignore it."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Sister Grimm.
Despite her current mood, Ruby couldn't help but let out a brief chuckle at Regan's comment. "Duly noted... But yeah, anyway, um....."
She sighed. Well, this was it. There wasn't going to be any turning back now. Sure, she could always just make something up on the spot, but that would have kind of killed the entire point of what she was about to do in the first place. For once, Ruby wanted to be completely 100% honest about her feelings towards Brian. Not just to Regan, but to herself. She'd spent far too long hiding behind lame excuses and putting on fake smiles.
After quickly checking one last time that there was nobody she knew was in the vicinity (After all, the last thing she needed was for someone like Miranda fucking Millers overhearing what she was about to say), Ruby took in a deep breath and finally began.
"I... I don't like Brian." she said, waiting for a few seconds to let what she said set in before she suddenly realised how badly that sentence could be interpreted.
"Wait, nonono, that's not quite what I meant... I mean, I LIKE Brian. But I don't like like him, you know? I like him as a friend, but I don't actually... Well, y'know, love him. Well, I guess you could say I love him in a more platonic sense of the word, but I don't..... Whatever, you get what I mean."
She paused for a moment, thinking her next sentence through more thoroughly to avoid stumbling over her words again.
"And, to tell the truth, the more I've thought about it the past few month the more I've slowly begun to realise that I don't think I ever truly loved him that way in the first place."
She paused again, considering whether or not this would be a good time to let Regan reply, when she realised that it was pretty obvious what question was on Regan's mind right now. So before she could get a chance to say it, or whatever she was going to reply, Ruby beat her to the punch.
"Now, I know what you're thinking: If I never loved Brian, then why the heck did I agree to go out with him in the first place? Well... To be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly too sure myself. Back when me and Brian first started dating, I think I was too young at the time to really understand the full implications of being in that kind of relationship. I mean, I was a girl, he was a guy and we were already pretty damn close friends at that point. So when Brian finally asked me out, I kinda just went 'Sure, why not?' and went with it. It wasn't really until much later that it hit me like a ton of bricks that I didn't actually feel the same way towards Brian that he felt towards me."
At that point, one of the waiters walked up to their table and asked Regan if she wanted a drink. Once the waiter was gone, Ruby took another deep breath and continued.
"Anyway, where was I... Oh yes, that's right. Like I was saying, it wasn't really until the two of us had been going out for a while that it really started to hit me that I just didn't feel all that... Well, attracted to him. I mean, whenever we kissed, it just never really felt... Right. I dunno, I don't think it's Brian's fault or anything, but I just can't say I ever really felt the same way about him that he feels about me..."
She paused again for a moment longer, biting her lower lip as she thought back to all the times Brian ever told her that he loved her, and how she had replied by putting on a smile and telling him that she felt the same.
"I mean, I guess that's part of the reason why I've never told him. Don't get me wrong, I've been meaning to tell Brian the truth for years now. Not just because I don't want to be in that kind of relationship with him anymore, but because I want to see him be with someone who would actually love him back, you know? It's not been fair of me to keep leading him on like this, knowing full well that I'll probably never feel that way about him. And god knows, I've tried to kid myself into believing I did, but there's just no denying the fact that I just..... Don't."
For a brief moment, Ruby could have sworn that she felt a tear brewing near her left eye. Whilst she was unsure whether there really was one or if it was just her imagination, she wiped her eye anyway just in case.
"But, well, I kept telling myself that I had to wait until the right opportunity to ask. After all, I couldn't just flat out say that I never loved him in the middle of the street or something, could I? I had to pick the right moment. Wait until the right time before finally letting him know the truth."
She scratched the back of her head, her eye's subconsciously darting about the room just to make sure nobody had sneaked in whilst she wasn't looking.
"And, well, lets just say that I've been waiting for that right moment for the past couple of years now."
For the first time in minutes, Ruby finally let herself relax a little. After all, she'd been rambling for god knows how long by this point, and it was about time she let Regan say something.
"I'm, uh, sorry about dumping all this info on you in such a brief amount of time. I've been meaning to tell someone about this for ages now, and... Well, it's been nice to finally be open about this for once."
She sighed. Well, this was it. There wasn't going to be any turning back now. Sure, she could always just make something up on the spot, but that would have kind of killed the entire point of what she was about to do in the first place. For once, Ruby wanted to be completely 100% honest about her feelings towards Brian. Not just to Regan, but to herself. She'd spent far too long hiding behind lame excuses and putting on fake smiles.
After quickly checking one last time that there was nobody she knew was in the vicinity (After all, the last thing she needed was for someone like Miranda fucking Millers overhearing what she was about to say), Ruby took in a deep breath and finally began.
"I... I don't like Brian." she said, waiting for a few seconds to let what she said set in before she suddenly realised how badly that sentence could be interpreted.
"Wait, nonono, that's not quite what I meant... I mean, I LIKE Brian. But I don't like like him, you know? I like him as a friend, but I don't actually... Well, y'know, love him. Well, I guess you could say I love him in a more platonic sense of the word, but I don't..... Whatever, you get what I mean."
She paused for a moment, thinking her next sentence through more thoroughly to avoid stumbling over her words again.
"And, to tell the truth, the more I've thought about it the past few month the more I've slowly begun to realise that I don't think I ever truly loved him that way in the first place."
She paused again, considering whether or not this would be a good time to let Regan reply, when she realised that it was pretty obvious what question was on Regan's mind right now. So before she could get a chance to say it, or whatever she was going to reply, Ruby beat her to the punch.
"Now, I know what you're thinking: If I never loved Brian, then why the heck did I agree to go out with him in the first place? Well... To be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly too sure myself. Back when me and Brian first started dating, I think I was too young at the time to really understand the full implications of being in that kind of relationship. I mean, I was a girl, he was a guy and we were already pretty damn close friends at that point. So when Brian finally asked me out, I kinda just went 'Sure, why not?' and went with it. It wasn't really until much later that it hit me like a ton of bricks that I didn't actually feel the same way towards Brian that he felt towards me."
At that point, one of the waiters walked up to their table and asked Regan if she wanted a drink. Once the waiter was gone, Ruby took another deep breath and continued.
"Anyway, where was I... Oh yes, that's right. Like I was saying, it wasn't really until the two of us had been going out for a while that it really started to hit me that I just didn't feel all that... Well, attracted to him. I mean, whenever we kissed, it just never really felt... Right. I dunno, I don't think it's Brian's fault or anything, but I just can't say I ever really felt the same way about him that he feels about me..."
She paused again for a moment longer, biting her lower lip as she thought back to all the times Brian ever told her that he loved her, and how she had replied by putting on a smile and telling him that she felt the same.
"I mean, I guess that's part of the reason why I've never told him. Don't get me wrong, I've been meaning to tell Brian the truth for years now. Not just because I don't want to be in that kind of relationship with him anymore, but because I want to see him be with someone who would actually love him back, you know? It's not been fair of me to keep leading him on like this, knowing full well that I'll probably never feel that way about him. And god knows, I've tried to kid myself into believing I did, but there's just no denying the fact that I just..... Don't."
For a brief moment, Ruby could have sworn that she felt a tear brewing near her left eye. Whilst she was unsure whether there really was one or if it was just her imagination, she wiped her eye anyway just in case.
"But, well, I kept telling myself that I had to wait until the right opportunity to ask. After all, I couldn't just flat out say that I never loved him in the middle of the street or something, could I? I had to pick the right moment. Wait until the right time before finally letting him know the truth."
She scratched the back of her head, her eye's subconsciously darting about the room just to make sure nobody had sneaked in whilst she wasn't looking.
"And, well, lets just say that I've been waiting for that right moment for the past couple of years now."
For the first time in minutes, Ruby finally let herself relax a little. After all, she'd been rambling for god knows how long by this point, and it was about time she let Regan say something.
"I'm, uh, sorry about dumping all this info on you in such a brief amount of time. I've been meaning to tell someone about this for ages now, and... Well, it's been nice to finally be open about this for once."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Fiori. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
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Sister Grimm†
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
((So, I think this is really, short, or at least shorter than I'd like. If I have enough time, I'll go back and edit some of the internal dialogue and whatnot, but, you know, the other stuff it solid. Set, even.))
So, that was unexpected. Like, how does someone even respond to that? Better question, how does someone respond to that and not sound like an asshole? No, really, she was asking. Nailing a response was pretty important. 'The heart wants what the heart wants'? No, too contrived. 'There are other fish in the sea'? Also contrived, and not really appropriate to the context. Ruby was thinking of a nice way to ditch Brian, not the other way around. Well, she could save that one in case she ever had a nice heart to heart with Brian. So, what the hell so she say that wasn't an unhelpful platitude? It was tempting to try and say something from a comic book, but that was an awful idea for too many reason to even elaborate on. Chief among them being the idea that Ruby probably didn't want a joke. So, what the hell should she say? Again, this was some heavy stuff, she needed to answer with something equally heavy, something deep and insightful. Yeah, right.
Regan opened her mouth, caught herself, and closed it. She stopped, disregarded whatever it was that she was going to say, and really thought about the next thing she was going to say. Slowly, halting in that she was carefully picking and choosing the words as she went, Regan said, "I'm...glad you trust me enough to tell me all this." Okay, good start. Classic friend stuff. Now, deep and insightful, deep and insightful! She opened her mouth again to continue and came up blank. Nothing that fit the criteria of 'deep and insightful' came to mind. It was just 'The heart wants what the heart wants', 'The heart wants what the heart wants' over and over again, which, coincidentally, was maddeningly unhelpful. Careful consideration decided that awkward silence wasn't really any better, so what the hell? "The heart wants what the heart wants!" Regan blurted to her immediate regret and shame. She hunched in her seat, offering a bashful smile.
"I mean..." Deep breaths, slow down and think, "I mean, if you don't really love him, no one can blame you for wanting to split. I mean, not split in just running off, split with Brian. He'll understand, right? You tell him how it is, he'll get it. He'd want you to be happy, just like, just like you want him to be happy. If you don't tell him this stuff, you won't be happy, and eventually Brian will be unhappy about your unhappiness and it'll all explode in a big explosion of...unhappy, I guess." She paused, briefly mulling over how badly that last sentence fell apart before deciding to press onward. She smiled at Ruby, trying her best to convey sympathetic. "Brian's a cool guy. I'm not saying that to, like, guilt you or anything, I mean that he'll understand. He'll want you to be happy."
A smaller, less benevolent and consoling part of her, wondered what Ruby meant when she said that the kisses never felt right. She was embarrassed to admit that part of her, as conniving and self-centered as it was, felt an odd thrill at that, a thrill she was making no effort to explain. Like everything else conjured up by the dark corner at the back of her mind, she did her best to put it on ignore. Indulging, even considering what that part of her mind was thinking would lead to nothing good. She was here for Ruby right now. That was all. That meant she was keeping with the understanding friend bit. Anything else could wait.
Now that the conversation had reached a lull, Regan leaned back in her chair. She felt reasonably confident in her consolation. "I mean it, though. On everything, really, but that you trust me enough to tell me all this in particular. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it." She smiled, reaching across the table and taking Ruby's hand. "And I mean it when I say that Brian will understand. It'll be awkward and uncomfortable, yeah, but he'll understand. And down the road, he'll appreciate you being honest with him too." For a few moments, Regan said nothing, satisfied with a job well done. She was pretty sure that all her own stuff, too, not something she stole from a family sitcom. So that was pretty awesome.
Her smile faltered when she realized that she was still clutching Ruby's hand. She hastily pulled away, slinking back into her chair, embarrassed. She felt a blush coloring her cheeks, and she quickly ducked her head. So, that was pretty fucking awkward. How about some levity now? Regan mumbled something, the words 'Spider-Man', 'Dave Grohl', and 'window wipers' being the only words muttered loud enough to be audible. Holding her hand against her forehead, her elbow braced on the table, face still colored from the blush, Regan mumbled, "Did I mentioned 'm getting a tattoo? Tattoo's?"
So, that was unexpected. Like, how does someone even respond to that? Better question, how does someone respond to that and not sound like an asshole? No, really, she was asking. Nailing a response was pretty important. 'The heart wants what the heart wants'? No, too contrived. 'There are other fish in the sea'? Also contrived, and not really appropriate to the context. Ruby was thinking of a nice way to ditch Brian, not the other way around. Well, she could save that one in case she ever had a nice heart to heart with Brian. So, what the hell so she say that wasn't an unhelpful platitude? It was tempting to try and say something from a comic book, but that was an awful idea for too many reason to even elaborate on. Chief among them being the idea that Ruby probably didn't want a joke. So, what the hell should she say? Again, this was some heavy stuff, she needed to answer with something equally heavy, something deep and insightful. Yeah, right.
Regan opened her mouth, caught herself, and closed it. She stopped, disregarded whatever it was that she was going to say, and really thought about the next thing she was going to say. Slowly, halting in that she was carefully picking and choosing the words as she went, Regan said, "I'm...glad you trust me enough to tell me all this." Okay, good start. Classic friend stuff. Now, deep and insightful, deep and insightful! She opened her mouth again to continue and came up blank. Nothing that fit the criteria of 'deep and insightful' came to mind. It was just 'The heart wants what the heart wants', 'The heart wants what the heart wants' over and over again, which, coincidentally, was maddeningly unhelpful. Careful consideration decided that awkward silence wasn't really any better, so what the hell? "The heart wants what the heart wants!" Regan blurted to her immediate regret and shame. She hunched in her seat, offering a bashful smile.
"I mean..." Deep breaths, slow down and think, "I mean, if you don't really love him, no one can blame you for wanting to split. I mean, not split in just running off, split with Brian. He'll understand, right? You tell him how it is, he'll get it. He'd want you to be happy, just like, just like you want him to be happy. If you don't tell him this stuff, you won't be happy, and eventually Brian will be unhappy about your unhappiness and it'll all explode in a big explosion of...unhappy, I guess." She paused, briefly mulling over how badly that last sentence fell apart before deciding to press onward. She smiled at Ruby, trying her best to convey sympathetic. "Brian's a cool guy. I'm not saying that to, like, guilt you or anything, I mean that he'll understand. He'll want you to be happy."
A smaller, less benevolent and consoling part of her, wondered what Ruby meant when she said that the kisses never felt right. She was embarrassed to admit that part of her, as conniving and self-centered as it was, felt an odd thrill at that, a thrill she was making no effort to explain. Like everything else conjured up by the dark corner at the back of her mind, she did her best to put it on ignore. Indulging, even considering what that part of her mind was thinking would lead to nothing good. She was here for Ruby right now. That was all. That meant she was keeping with the understanding friend bit. Anything else could wait.
Now that the conversation had reached a lull, Regan leaned back in her chair. She felt reasonably confident in her consolation. "I mean it, though. On everything, really, but that you trust me enough to tell me all this in particular. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it." She smiled, reaching across the table and taking Ruby's hand. "And I mean it when I say that Brian will understand. It'll be awkward and uncomfortable, yeah, but he'll understand. And down the road, he'll appreciate you being honest with him too." For a few moments, Regan said nothing, satisfied with a job well done. She was pretty sure that all her own stuff, too, not something she stole from a family sitcom. So that was pretty awesome.
Her smile faltered when she realized that she was still clutching Ruby's hand. She hastily pulled away, slinking back into her chair, embarrassed. She felt a blush coloring her cheeks, and she quickly ducked her head. So, that was pretty fucking awkward. How about some levity now? Regan mumbled something, the words 'Spider-Man', 'Dave Grohl', and 'window wipers' being the only words muttered loud enough to be audible. Holding her hand against her forehead, her elbow braced on the table, face still colored from the blush, Regan mumbled, "Did I mentioned 'm getting a tattoo? Tattoo's?"
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Sister Grimm.
So then came the inevitable silence.
Not that it was unexpected. Honestly, Ruby had no idea how the heck she would react if she was in Regan's place. It was so much information to dump on a person in one sitting. Maybe even too much, come to think of it. Whilst Regan did eventually say something, the awkward silence had lasted long enough for those lingering feelings of doubt to show up again in full force. What if Regan misinterpreted what she was trying to say? What if Regan thought she was a horrible person for lying to Brian for so long? What if Regan thought she was a complete weirdo or something for not having a crush on a guy like Brian despite being with him for so long? All these thoughts and many others flooded her head before Regan finally broke the silence.
Much to Ruby's relief, Regan reacted more-or-less the way she hoped she would. Instead of awkwardly changing the subject or making up some excuse to leave, Regan was actually making a very good effort to comfort her. And for the most part, she was doing a damn good job at doing so. Seeing as this was the first time she'd ever told anyone about her true feelings towards Brian, it actually felt really good to finally get some feedback from someone other than her subconscious. And it was really good feedback too, exactly the kind of stuff she was hoping Regan would say.
However, in a way, that was also the reason why it didn't comfort her as much as she hoped it would. After all, she had pretty much considered everything Regan was telling her. She knew deep down that Brian wasn't the kind of person to hold a grudge, and that whilst things may be awkward at first over time the two of them would grow too look back at it and laugh.
But at the same time, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Every time she wanted to, she'd always come up with some excuse to delay it even further. She was just too... Well, for lack of a better word, scared. Sure, it would only be awkward at first, but at the same time she felt as though every fibre of her being wanted to avoid that awkward moment for as long as possible. So as a result, despite her best intentions, Regan's words of wisdom did little to fuel Ruby's desire to finally tell Brian the truth. And whilst she was definitely thankful, she knew deep down that it wouldn't be enough to convince herself to actually take action.
That is, until Regan took Ruby by surprise by reaching her arm out and clutching Ruby's hand.
It was such a simple gesture, one which most people probably wouldn't think much of. Yet, at the same time, there was something about it that felt genuinely special. Something that made every word that Regan said sound twice as convincing than it did before.
And, for reasons Ruby had yet to figure out, it made her feel warm inside. She looked straight into her best friend's eyes, a warm smile finding itself on her face. Whilst she always knew that she and Regan had some kind of special connection, it wasn't really until that point that it occurred to Ruby just how close the two of them really were. In some ways, Regan was probably more than just her best friend. She was... Well, Ruby wasn't exactly sure what she was to her. Like a sister maybe? No, that didn't sound right, it was something else. Something different. Something that made Regan different to every other girl or boy who Ruby had ever been friends with before. Something that made Ruby wish that this moment would last forever. Something that made Ruby want to hold her close, and make sure nothing bad would ever happen to her.
It was almost as if...
Ruby's train of thought suddenly screeched to a hault when Regan pulled her hand back, her cheeks turning red. Despite the serious nature of their conversation, Ruby had to stop herself from laughing as Regan tried to change the subject. There was always something about the way Regan got embarrassed that brought a smile to her face. She could never really put her finger on what exactly, but there was something about it that never failed to cheer Ruby up.
"It's okay Regan, really. You have no idea how much this makes me feel better..." she said, reaching her arm out and petting Regan on the shoulder.
"I've been keeping this secret to myself for so long, you cannot believe how great it is to finally have someone else to talk to about it. And you know what, you're completely right. There's pretty much no way I can tell Brian this without it ending up as one of the most awkward moments of my life. But once I have, then that's it. I can get on with my life without that bothering me any more, he can go out with someone who'll give him the love and attention he deserves and the two of us could go back to being friends like we used to be."
The more she spoke about it, the more determined to finally go through with this she was beginning to get, to the point that she reached into her jacket's pocket to grab her mobile phone.
"In fact, I think I'll let him know tonight before I start to change my mind. I'll just send him a quick text..."
She suddenly stopped mid-text when it suddenly occurred to her how that sentence could easily be taken out of context.
"...To let him know that I want to speak with him in person, that is. I'd rather discuss this kind of thing face-to-face. You know, like actual human beings."
Once she'd finished her text and quickly proofread it, she sent it off to Brian and put the phone back into her jacket pocket.
"There, done. Now I just need to wait for him to text me back and we can finally sort this out."
She sighed to herself and leaned back into her chair, staring up at the ceiling above her.
"God, it's going to be weird being single again... Wonder if I should just skip dating altogether until I go to college. It's not as if I'm going to be in any rush to leap back into another relationship, right?"
As she got back up to face Regan again, another thought struck her.
"Besides, I can't actually name a single guy at school I'd actually want to go out with. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a real crush before. At least, I don't think I have. Maybe I did but didn't realise it at the time? I dunno, whenever you've had a crush on someone, did you definitely know that you did at the time or was it something that didn't occur to you until much later?"
Before Regan could reply, Ruby suddenly remembered why the two of them were there in the first place, and quickly changed the subject entirely.
"Actually, nevermind, forget I asked. As glad as I am to get all that stuff out of the way, tonight's meant to be about us, not Brian, or anyone else for that matter. Just you, me and two plates of Chinese food. Speaking of which..."
On that note, she grabbed her duck roll and took a bite out of it, regretting not having done so sooner when it was more fresh.
"Now then, let's hear more about these tattoos..."
((Ruby Forrester continued elsewhere...))
Not that it was unexpected. Honestly, Ruby had no idea how the heck she would react if she was in Regan's place. It was so much information to dump on a person in one sitting. Maybe even too much, come to think of it. Whilst Regan did eventually say something, the awkward silence had lasted long enough for those lingering feelings of doubt to show up again in full force. What if Regan misinterpreted what she was trying to say? What if Regan thought she was a horrible person for lying to Brian for so long? What if Regan thought she was a complete weirdo or something for not having a crush on a guy like Brian despite being with him for so long? All these thoughts and many others flooded her head before Regan finally broke the silence.
Much to Ruby's relief, Regan reacted more-or-less the way she hoped she would. Instead of awkwardly changing the subject or making up some excuse to leave, Regan was actually making a very good effort to comfort her. And for the most part, she was doing a damn good job at doing so. Seeing as this was the first time she'd ever told anyone about her true feelings towards Brian, it actually felt really good to finally get some feedback from someone other than her subconscious. And it was really good feedback too, exactly the kind of stuff she was hoping Regan would say.
However, in a way, that was also the reason why it didn't comfort her as much as she hoped it would. After all, she had pretty much considered everything Regan was telling her. She knew deep down that Brian wasn't the kind of person to hold a grudge, and that whilst things may be awkward at first over time the two of them would grow too look back at it and laugh.
But at the same time, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Every time she wanted to, she'd always come up with some excuse to delay it even further. She was just too... Well, for lack of a better word, scared. Sure, it would only be awkward at first, but at the same time she felt as though every fibre of her being wanted to avoid that awkward moment for as long as possible. So as a result, despite her best intentions, Regan's words of wisdom did little to fuel Ruby's desire to finally tell Brian the truth. And whilst she was definitely thankful, she knew deep down that it wouldn't be enough to convince herself to actually take action.
That is, until Regan took Ruby by surprise by reaching her arm out and clutching Ruby's hand.
It was such a simple gesture, one which most people probably wouldn't think much of. Yet, at the same time, there was something about it that felt genuinely special. Something that made every word that Regan said sound twice as convincing than it did before.
And, for reasons Ruby had yet to figure out, it made her feel warm inside. She looked straight into her best friend's eyes, a warm smile finding itself on her face. Whilst she always knew that she and Regan had some kind of special connection, it wasn't really until that point that it occurred to Ruby just how close the two of them really were. In some ways, Regan was probably more than just her best friend. She was... Well, Ruby wasn't exactly sure what she was to her. Like a sister maybe? No, that didn't sound right, it was something else. Something different. Something that made Regan different to every other girl or boy who Ruby had ever been friends with before. Something that made Ruby wish that this moment would last forever. Something that made Ruby want to hold her close, and make sure nothing bad would ever happen to her.
It was almost as if...
Ruby's train of thought suddenly screeched to a hault when Regan pulled her hand back, her cheeks turning red. Despite the serious nature of their conversation, Ruby had to stop herself from laughing as Regan tried to change the subject. There was always something about the way Regan got embarrassed that brought a smile to her face. She could never really put her finger on what exactly, but there was something about it that never failed to cheer Ruby up.
"It's okay Regan, really. You have no idea how much this makes me feel better..." she said, reaching her arm out and petting Regan on the shoulder.
"I've been keeping this secret to myself for so long, you cannot believe how great it is to finally have someone else to talk to about it. And you know what, you're completely right. There's pretty much no way I can tell Brian this without it ending up as one of the most awkward moments of my life. But once I have, then that's it. I can get on with my life without that bothering me any more, he can go out with someone who'll give him the love and attention he deserves and the two of us could go back to being friends like we used to be."
The more she spoke about it, the more determined to finally go through with this she was beginning to get, to the point that she reached into her jacket's pocket to grab her mobile phone.
"In fact, I think I'll let him know tonight before I start to change my mind. I'll just send him a quick text..."
She suddenly stopped mid-text when it suddenly occurred to her how that sentence could easily be taken out of context.
"...To let him know that I want to speak with him in person, that is. I'd rather discuss this kind of thing face-to-face. You know, like actual human beings."
Once she'd finished her text and quickly proofread it, she sent it off to Brian and put the phone back into her jacket pocket.
"There, done. Now I just need to wait for him to text me back and we can finally sort this out."
She sighed to herself and leaned back into her chair, staring up at the ceiling above her.
"God, it's going to be weird being single again... Wonder if I should just skip dating altogether until I go to college. It's not as if I'm going to be in any rush to leap back into another relationship, right?"
As she got back up to face Regan again, another thought struck her.
"Besides, I can't actually name a single guy at school I'd actually want to go out with. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a real crush before. At least, I don't think I have. Maybe I did but didn't realise it at the time? I dunno, whenever you've had a crush on someone, did you definitely know that you did at the time or was it something that didn't occur to you until much later?"
Before Regan could reply, Ruby suddenly remembered why the two of them were there in the first place, and quickly changed the subject entirely.
"Actually, nevermind, forget I asked. As glad as I am to get all that stuff out of the way, tonight's meant to be about us, not Brian, or anyone else for that matter. Just you, me and two plates of Chinese food. Speaking of which..."
On that note, she grabbed her duck roll and took a bite out of it, regretting not having done so sooner when it was more fresh.
"Now then, let's hear more about these tattoos..."
((Ruby Forrester continued elsewhere...))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Fiori. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.