justoscar | Inbox for Deer Country

Ange.

I'm downstairs in the library, just looking for some reading. What's going on?

Don't worry, it's nothing serious.

[ Considering it's October, Ange figures she might as well make sure to say that first, rather than omniously leaving him on read as she heads over...

But after she sends that, Ange goes move down to the library, entering the room and spotting Oscar there like he said. ]

Hey. It's just about..

[ Ange glances behind her for a moment.

She's pretty sure Ruby is out at the moment, but with that girl? You never know for sure. ]

It's about Ruby's birthday. I'm sure you know that the one she had last year was.. um. [ Ange frowns a little. How to describe 'I saw her trying to celebrate her birthday with weird pretend versions of all of you.. ] .. less than optimal.

[ The understatement of the year. ]

[Complete understatement.

Oscar set down the book he had found-- some tome about the medicinal uses of herbs-- and leaned back against the sturdy shelf to listen to Ange and try to ignore the way his heart felt like a stone in his chest at the memory of Ruby's birthday last year.]

Oh, I know,

[He replied with a heavy sigh.]

I had to ride Shortcake across town to get her outta there. It was like something from a very, very bad fairy tale...

[The memory was a blur. Between the insomnia, the injuries, and the high fever he had been running at the time, it was amazing that he recalled anything at all-- and had even managed to make it that far. He shook his head to clear the unpleasantness.

It was over. They could make it better.]

What kinda thing did you have in mind? I think being with the people she cares about will be huge for her-- and if you've got a good idea maybe we can find a way to make all of that happen.

[ It's not too surprising to hear that Oscar tried to help Ruby out in that situation. It's clear as day just how close the two of them are, after all. But even if it's not a surprise.. it's still just a relief - always a relief to hear how many people are looking out for Ruby.

When he continues on and does that suggestion though, Ange just nods. ]

That's what I was thinking. I don't think Ruby would care about some elaborate party as much as she'd just care about having her friends around. [ It feels like her. To Ange, anyway. ] So it'd be pretty easy to just have a party over here-- the house is big enough anyway.

[ And it's not like the party would turn out.. wild..

Or so she hopes. ]

And while I can certainly make sure to invite her friends, I guess we would need some decorations and food for a party, along with a birthday cake. And those are the parts I might.. um.

[ She pauses. Asking for help is still hard, though it helps that she knows Oscar is pretty kind. He wouldn't be the type to judge her for it.. ]

.. I might need some help with.

[Wild parties would always be a thing if Ruby was involved. The mansion being the location of such an event would only make the likelihood of such shenanigans worse. Ange would probably remember one such party happening in the mansion over the spring-- a bunch of them ended up with new piercings and dyed hair, Oscar included.

The master bath still bore the stains of their haphazard DIY dye jobs.]

I've got ya on the cake, Ange. And there's plenty of people here who can help with the decorating.

Just say the word, whatever it is, and we've got ya. Ruby deserves to have a good birthday this year.

Thank you.

[ Granted, it's all for Ruby's sake, so there's no way people around the house wouldn't help out when they all care about her. There's no way Oscar specifically would refuse when he cares so much about Ruby.

But it still feels right to thank him all the same. Ange can get polite when she actually tries to be - or just when she shows she cares. ]

That's all I want for her. Unless this month decides to suddenly go crazy after all and make things hard. [ Can't exactly celebrate a birthday when there's blood dripping down the walls, for example.

.. unless they would've made it a themed party. ]

...even if it does, we've got each other.

[After last October, where all of the disastrous affairs occurred because they all were acting on their own, Oscar stood firm on this.]

Ruby's birthday won't be as crazy as last year. Not if we have any say in it.

[ Ange stares at him before slowly exhaling. ]

I'd like to believe that.

[ But it's hard to put full stock into it. Not when they don't know the full extent yet of just how hard this place can strike. What if it starts killing off people again this month? There's no way Ruby would be able to enjoy her party if any of them had died. ]

.. but it's hard to trust in it so easily. [ Maybe that's just her own pessimism speaking, though. ]

I know.

[Oscar heaved a sigh as well before casting her an understanding look. Deerington had thrown them all through the ringer, and there as no reason to expect that Trench wouldn't.

That, and people were unpredictable at best.]

Ruby helped me at least trust that the right thing would happen... and if it didn't, that we would all be able to work together to put it right, even if we're separated.

I trust you, and the others in our house. That's more than enough to set the stage for things to go right this year.

[ There's a kind of cynical part of Ange that almost wants to ask if they didn't live together this way too around the same time last year - even if it was in a slightly different configuration, involving people who aren't here right now, and excluding some people like her who didn't live there yet. That it might not be enough to stop anything from happening.

But.. Oscar is right. She should have a little more faith, even if having faith is both difficult and terrifying in its own way. ]

I trust everyone too.

[ It's the first thing she tells him. Because she at least wants that to be clear - since it's true, no matter what. ]

I'm also trying to get more powerful and capable to help protect everyone. I guess we're all trying to do that in our own ways.

Yeah... we are.

[Oscar sighed-- feeling once more that perhaps he was more of a burden on his friends in the event of a crisis. As it stood, he was able to protect himself but offer little else in a full scale fight... at least, on the ground. The weapon Ruby had forged for him was a blessing, but Oscar was not even sure if he was skilled enough to be worthy of the weapon at times.]

We've just gotta support each other in our efforts, though. We're a Team, after all.

At least... I like to think we are.

I mean, I'm.. not really as used to the concept of teams as you guys are in your world.

[ Though even as she's saying it, she figures that it probably doesn't count as much for Oscar either - he hadn't gone to the same monster hunting school that Ruby and the others did, huh? Ange isn't even too sure if he got to be part of a team like that back home - she's never really heard him talk about it, at least.

But even if it might not exactly be like in the same sort of team structure as Remnant likes to have-- ]

I guess calling it being a team isn't all that bad, if the idea of helping each other out no matter what is the same.

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