[Action]

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[When Blank returns to the hideout, it certainly doesn't look like it's been abandoned for a month. There's little to say who's been there recently but there's no dust and the little damage that was done during the attack's been covered or repaired.

Also? As he enters, he might notice that his knife is gone. He did have it just a second ago...

Ruby herself sits outside, perched on an undamaged part of the wall opposite the hideout. She hums to herself, using the aforementioned knife to peel an apple and pretending to have been there the whole time.]

Comments

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

R...Ruby?!?!

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[Ruby's attempting to pretend that this whole situation is entirely normal. Because otherwise it just isn't as funny. She's managing for the most part - acting is, after all, what she does - but she can't quite keep the delight out of her expression. After a month that's been blow after blow, interrupted only by sending Zidane a dress, knowing that Blank's home and safe is a welcome development.

She finishes peeling the apple and hacks a slice off, holding it out to Blank.]

Welcome home. Ya'll hungry?

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

Now there's a sight for sore eyes!

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[The knife falls to the ground with a clatter because knives and hugs are not usually a good combination. The attempt at nonchalance breaks and Ruby clings to Blank, caught somewhere between giggling and sobbing.]

Yer- Yer've missed a lot, yaknow. An' yer've been missed more.

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

What have I missed? Fill me in, Rubes.

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[Well she needed it for the apple! Okay, so she didn't need it for the apple, she has her own knife, but she needed to steal something! It's practically a rule!

The giggling stops and she suddenly clings a lot tighter, unwilling to speak for a few minutes. She tries to express everything that's happenned, starting to say things and then cutting herself off mid-word. When she does manage to say anything it's only because she's forcing herself to think of it as a line from a play and her lack of accent is conspicuous.]

We need to get back to Alexandria. Soon. Garnet- there was an attack and a lot of folks died and-

[She shakes her head, loosening her vice grip on Blank a little. Her voice lowers to a growl.]

Some sky-whore murdered her an' Zidane's in a bad way.

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

Woah~ Woah~ Woah~ ... Back up a little...



Dagger??! Someone murdered her?! When? How??!

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[She lets go of Blank to facilitate the whole backing away thing and then just nods.]

It were near a week ago now. Some- some Garden attacked Alexandria. And a woman from there attacked the castle with magic. The Lady Knight weren't there an' Garnet was-

[She shakes her head again.]

They caught her. They locked her up and stopped her from using magic. She best rot in there. But Zidane- he's-

-he might be on his way. I weren't sure he'd be able to get away from suddenly bein' king so I set off back here without him soon as I heard you were back.

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

Man... I should've been here for him... For all of you...

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[Ruby shakes her head.]

'less you can tell the future now you had no more way o' knowing than any of us did. You're back now, an' I'm sure it's gonn' do him a worlda good.

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

I guess you're right...

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

Ain't I always?

[She smiles. It's tired and strained, exhaustion starting to become visible through all the makeup she's so carefully used to hide it, but it's still genuine. Everything else might be falling apart but Blank's back and that makes it three of them against the world instead of just two. She gives a quiet laugh, hugging back.]

'Sides, ya'll were needed for yer important Terra stuff, weren't ya? I'm glad yer home and safe. I couldn'- if we'd lost you as well...

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

Hey! Takes more than Terra and Garland and all the other rubbish to keep Tantalus down!

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[Her what-if-ing cut of thankfully abruptly, 'what if Blank had been one of the ones who didn't come back' isn't a thought she wants to entertain right now, she laughs.]

Durn right it does! Zidane tol' me I'd been gone for a while. Thought ya mighta gone soft without the rest of us here.

[She runs a finger down the stitches on Blank's face, shaking her head.]

Ya know, I only arrived a day or so after you left. Thought for a while you'd tried to run off from me. [Her smile widens.] Ya'llre lucky yer cute. Else I might be madder.

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

Me? Go soft? As if!



More like you waited until I was out of the way before showed up! And I thought you cared...

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[It's probably not the first time and it's not like she wasn't half expecting it, Blank being a self-proclaimed ladies' man and all. She probably won't even react that badly. But there have been far, far better times to bring it up. She pouts a little when he backs away and then grins, laughing a little.]

Sure did! Ya caught me there!

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

You wound me, Rubes, you wound me bad!

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

[She gives her best horribly overacted evil laugh for as long as she can keep it up without it breaking into giggles overpowering enough to keep her from talking or even breathing all that much. When she does calm down and regain her breath there's a few sobs mixed in with the last of the laughing fit because damn she is an emotional mess right now. But Blank doesn't need to have to worry about that and she smiles once she's calmed down, hugging him again.]

Ya'll best not run off again. Else I'll not forgive ya next time.

[It's an empty threat, of course, and one she's used a lot throughout their time in Tantalus. Won't forgive him next time he suggests Cinna-in-a-dress would be a better female lead than her, won't forgive him next time he almost gets caught and scares her, won't forgive him next time he looks at another girl (this one was particularly laughable, considering that she was fairly sure she'd never been in a relationship with him in the first place). She even vaguely remembered a threat involving 'won't forgive you next time you get turned to stone by a weird forest.]

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

As if I'd ever run off and leave a pretty dame like you behind, Rubes!

[tantalusdame.livejournal.com]

Well good. 'Cause not forgivin' you ain't easy.

[It'd be no fun if it wasn't. And no-one in Tantalus is no fun.]

What was Terra like? Certainly didn't sound no fun.

[xredthespianx.livejournal.com]

Terra was a barren hell, seriously. It was just wasteland and monsters and downright terrible.

... Can't believe Zidane and Mikoto come from there...