video; un: ushiromiya (cw: mentions of house fires, arson, murder)

[entreats]

So for those not in the know, our house burned down last month.

[ What a way to open a post, right. And yet Ange manages to say it with something very close to a pokerface. Those who know her well may see something at its edges though. An annoyance that starts to bleed more and more into the girl's tone as she speaks on. ]

And not in the 'dumb accident' sense. No, it's because apparently it's socially acceptable in this place to come to someone's house and set it on fire, before bringing your friends inside to start murdering its inhabitants. [ Okay, yes. At this point it's not thiny veiled annoyance anymore. This is obvious annoyance that she doesn't bother to hide. ] And before anyone asks me if I'm alright— I'm fine. Totally fine. I mean, I half-turned into a beast back there, but it's clearly cool. It's fine.

[ It's clearly not fine. The sarcasm is thick.

Though Ange seems to realise that's not why she was supposed to make this message, and manages to snap herself out of passive-aggressive-ville for just long enough to sigh and sound a little bit more neutral as she speaks on. ]

Anyway, we want to rebuild the house, but that's obviously something we need help with. None of us are exactly architects.. I think. I've learned to not question weird Remnant hobbies. [ You never know what those Remnant people are capable of. ] Not to mention we'd need help with the actual physical rebuilding itself too.

We could use help from a lot of people, so if anyone would be willing to help, that'd be great.

Comments

[entreats]

[ Sorry, Shiro... At least he's not 'not mad, just disappointed' enough to not help, thanks, pal... ]

I didn't want to worry you. You already had enough on your plate. [ Like actual beasting. It made Ange's only barely contained before she could fully beast out situation feel a lot less significant in comparison. ]

I just used too much of my power trying to fight the culprit. It was either that or just straight up dying.

[shiro2hero]

Hey, it's not a bother. You're not a bother. And I'm going to worry either way.

[It's just a matter of when, really.]

What happened? Someone just broke in and went crazy?

[entreats]

I'm not sure of the exact details, given the chaos.

[ Which means Ange only discovered what was happening as it was already happening and rapidly escalating. ]

I assume they set our house on fire and then went in afterwards, because I saw them attacking people among the flames. I was-- [ Ange starts, and then pauses for a moment. She's careful to keep her tone neutral here, since she doesn't want to worry Shiro, but he knows her well enough to probably be able to catch on to the fact that she's not having the easiest time thinking back on it with the way she briefly cuts herself off to recover and speak on. ] I was a little preoccupied, since someone else had kidnapped Ruby in the middle of it all. So I had no idea where she was in the middle of all of it, and I couldn't find her or even really feel her across our bond, so I got a little.. frantic, thinking she might have died.

[ Frantic. That word is still an understatement. By far. ]

[shiro2hero]

Ruby -? Is she okay? And something was blocking you two? The bond?

[That's - honestly terrifying. That something could, somehow, block the bond between people. Block their bond. If it could happen to Ange and Ruby - it could happen to ... Not important. Not right now.]

[Maybe Ange didn't want to worry him, but he's going to worry anyway. That's just who he is. And besides, he can absolutely understand the kind of panic, the kind of frantic mindset that happens when someone you love may have died. Or... has died.]

I get it. I - really have to commend you for holding on to yourself. I never could.

[entreats]

[ She's quiet for a moment before replying. The moment isn't long, but there's still a noticable pause, because Ange truly has to drag herself into explaining. Not because she doesn't want to do so, but just because it's hard. ]

Ruby is alright. She's just.. I think it's since she was knocked unconscious. [ Ange didn't ask the other girl everything about what had happened, figuring that it can't have been a pleasant experience for Ruby either, but she does figure this much. ] So when I called out across our bond and didn't get a response since she wasn't conscious, it just.. felt like she wasn't there at all anymore.

[ At least it didn't mean their bond was broken, not even for a moment, but it had been really scary when Ange got so used to Ruby always instantly being there in her head when she needed it. ]

It's why I attacked the person who tried to burn our house down. They were already leaving at that point, but I thought they killed Ruby, and I was so.. so angry.

[ Especially with the Reckoning's influence hanging over them all on top of it. ]

I didn't want to let them leave before I made them pay. Except I guess that I'm the one who paid in the end, since I overused my powers until I almost turned into a beast.

[shiro2hero]

[He relaxes. Just a fraction, when Ange speaks again. At least Ruby was alive - at least she was okay. That's better than expected - if you had silence from your bond. He's honestly not sure he could have been as rational, at this point, if something silenced one end of their connection.]

[it just felt like she wasn't there at all]

I don't blame you. [Not even for a second.] I'm - I'm not sure I'd have reacted any differently.

[He hadn't reacted that differently, really. Back in Deerington. He'd lost all composure. He'd lost himself almost entirely.]

Almost - You said almost, Ange. You held it off. And that's impressive on its own.

[entreats]

.. someone stopped me.

[ That's what she mostly chalks it up to. Especially since she has no idea what would have happened if that person hadn't shown up. Maybe she truly would have lost her mind back there otherwise, alone and hurt. ]

I mean, don't get me wrong. I'd love to take the credit [ sure, Ange ] but I'm pretty sure it's just because he was there in time to call me back. Or if Ruby had been conscious, then.. I'm sure she would have stopped me thanks to our bond. That's why it feels so important to me to have people close to you in this place.

[ It's part of why she felt so bad when Shiro had been a beast. When Ange hadn't been able to do a single thing to call him back to himself, or even faintly make him hesitate. Ange believes so much in people being able to influence beasts through their relationships, she's seen it work out before, multiple times. ]

[shiro2hero]

I'm... not sure that would always be effective. For everyone.

[His partner was alive and well. He'd apparently run into people he'd known. And nothing had worked. Then again - if he hadn't been trying to hide the hurt from Adam, would it have made a difference? Would it have been like what happened to Ange?]

[Maybe it really was all his fault.]

You still had to pull yourself back. Want to come back. I - think that's part of it too.

[entreats]

[ Shiro, please.

Shiro, you do realise what you said just now has some really problematic implications, right. After all, that's almost like saying Shiro didn't want to pull himself back, and Ange isn't sure how to feel about that. It only gives her an increasingly more and more nauseating feeling in the pit of her stomach. ]

Of course I wanted to come back. [ She tries to keep her voice even though, swallowing and continuing. She can do this. She can be strong when she speaks. She's done this so many times already, right? ] I'd never want to leave the people I care about behind. Besides.. they'd only worry about me if something like that happened to me, and I don't want that either.

[ She doesn't ever want to be that kind of bother to them. ]

[shiro2hero]

[He probably doesn't realize that, no. And it's also probably not entirely true. A part of him hadn't wanted to come back, sure. The part that was agonized. The part tearing itself to pieces with loss.]

Yeah.

They really would. We really would.

[And Shiro can't bear to make trouble for anyone he cares about. Can he?]

I'm glad you're okay, Ange. I'm really glad. And - I'll be there to help with your house. Promise.

[entreats]

I mean, I kind of expected you to be first in line to offer help.

[ It's said softly though. Fondly. It's poking fun at him a tiny bit, sure, but in a good way. Ange thinks that the part of Shiro that's always so ready to help other people at the drop of a hat is admirable for sure.

And it also gives a good opportunity to shift the conversation away from all this stuff that's way too painful to think about. Over towards something lighter. ]

I could use the help from someone sensible. Ruby keeps going on about putting huge guns on the house, and I need more people to tell her that it's not exactly a great idea.

[shiro2hero]

[It absolutely does shift the conversation. It does so very well, in fact. Enough to where Shiro needs a minute to process that.]

Huge... guns?

Please tell me she's exaggerating.

[entreats]

Shiro, it's Ruby.

[ She pauses. Just to let that one sink in for a moment. ]

Does Ruby Rose ever exaggerate when weapons are involved? Or when anything ridiculous is involved, for that matter? [ The answer is no. Unfortunately.

Ruby is always genuinely up for these weird, weird ideas. Or terrible ideas, in this case. ]

[shiro2hero]

[The silence on Shiro's end is extremely telling.]

No.

No she doesn't.

I'll uh. I'll try and talk her out of any kind of guns.

[entreats]

[ Thanks for acknowledging the fact she's totally right about Ruby silently like this, Shiro.

And also-- ]

Thanks. I think I've lost my ability to get through to her on this one, so I'm solely counting on you. [ ANGE, DON'T PUT THIS MUCH PRESSURE.. ON THAT POOR "OLD" MAN'S SHOULDERS... ]

[shiro2hero]

...

Thanks, Ange.

[YEAH THANKS FOR THAT. SO MUCH.]