( ic inbox ) deer country

[cryptograms]

Comments

un: agentmothman | text

[zib]

Hello, is this Stanford Pines?

My name is Dib Membrane. I'm a paranormal investigator and inventor, and I've been told that I should go to you for advice in regards to something I am considering building here.

un: stanford | text

[cryptograms]

[ Ford has no idea who this is, but he already approves from the username alone. The 'paranormal investigator and inventor' part is just an exciting bonus. ]

That's correct! Pleased to meet you, Dib.

What can I help you with?

text; late october

[entreats]

You have been invited for Ruby Rose's birthday party!

The party will be held at the house Ruby lives in over in the Gaze district. [ There's an address included, or just general directions, along with the time the party starts. ] Feel free to dress up or not - you know Ruby won't mind either way. You're also free to bring a present if you want to. If you want to bring one, but you're having trouble thinking of what to get her, you can ask me, I guess.

.. Or Oscar. Actually, ask Oscar.

[ Please don't make her talk to people. ]

Let's do our best to make it fun for Ruby. She's had a really crappy time around this time last year, and I know she would love to be surrounded by her friends.

( ooc: the log for the party can be found over here! )

Christmas Delivery

[lightthedarkness]

[Wrapped up in a bright red and white box is a plate of bought snowflake cookies and a black and gold tea set with, not unsurprisingly, four cups.

Attached is a note with a little rabbit doodle:]

Happy Holidays!
Love,
Usagi

Voice

[frogfear]

[It's not that she doesn't believe Ozpin, even though he was clearly trying to resist telling the entire truth, but she still wants to check in on Ford and make sure he's fine. Besides, she needs to warn him about the dangers of letting vampires drink from him. She assumes he has little to no experience with them, and simply doesn't realize what could happen.

She sounds worried and downright stressed when she reaches out.]

Hey... You're okay, right? You're not. You know. Dead or dying or a vampire or anything.

[Because this is a totally normal thing to ask and absolutely does not sound like it's coming out of nowhere.]

voice

[cryptograms]

[ To have someone make sure he's not dead or dying is a normal thing to be asked when you're Ford Pines. The only puzzling part is that he's not immediately sure what prompted the question, as things have been fairly uneventful as of late.

To have someone ask if he's a vampire is entirely different, and feels entirely too pointed. There's a startled silence from Ford's end before he finally finds his words again. ]

I'm fine, Willow. Where is this coming from, exactly...?

TEXT| UN: RandomResident

[onekindsoul]

Hello!

This is a concerned citizen, A Random Resident.

I'm contacting you to conduct a survey to ensure you are managing having a fun and safe time in he city of Trench.

Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions. Circle one.

1. Have you been in contact with your ex-partner in the last 3 months?

YES or NO

2. Was it a fully consensual experience where you were able to get past the differences that led you to break up in a strange nightmare like world?

YES or NO

3. Has his dental care increased immensely over the months that have passed?

YES or NO

4. Do a few of his teeth appear to long and sharper?

YES or NO.

5. Did he bite and feed off you?

YES or NO

6. Did you do this in a love conquers all sort of way or did he creep up on you in an alleyway and attack you sort of way?

YES or NO

7. Are you going to let him do it again?

YES or NO

8. Is all of this entirely too personal?????

YES or NO

9. Do you need help? Be it professional therapist or a body guard?

YES or NO

Thank you for your time completing this survey. You will find 1 candy bar at your doorstep as a thank you for your time.

You're Pal, Random Resident.

1/?

[cryptograms]

[cryptograms]

[cryptograms]

[ Why does it seem like everyone knows his business lately? Did Willow tell her? Did Ozpin? Whatever the case, he's far, far, far from thrilled about the situation.

He also just can't say nothing, because if he just stays quiet then this definitely isn't going to be the last he hears about it. ]

[cryptograms]

[ He can't believe he has to do this, though. Why couldn't she just decide this was boring old people business? ]

I appreciate your concern, Ruby, but I'm fine.

You can keep the candy bar.

text | un: portopia1983

[forwantofahorse]

Ford. This is me speaking to you not as a player in your campaign, but as a friend.

Please for the love of fuck get better taste

1/3

[cryptograms]

[ Why does this keep happening? ]

hello shannon

yes i understand

you really shouldnt worry yourself

i appreciate your concern but ive dealt with much worse in the past

Text

[frogfear]

[Just a totally casual conversation, nothing to see here.]

Hey, I was reading something earlier that made me think of something you might find interesting. Did I ever tell you about vampire dens at home? Not the ones that were just vampires hanging out, doing vampire things in, but the kind that they'd invite humans into too?

[cryptograms]

Willow.

You're the third person to contact me about Ozpin today.

You can just get right to the point. It's okay.

voice | un; glitch | Several days after Glitch left

[glitchinthesystem]

Hey, Ford.

So. If you're getting this I'm gone. Probably not the greatest thing to hear or maybe it is, I don't know your life.

I wanted to say goodbye as well as one who just returned to the sea could but I guess that's how things go. Not like we ever expected anything good to end up happening to me anyways, right?

I don't have a lot I can leave you except I hope you take care.

I liked the weird supernatural stuff you talked about a lot when I hung out.

Try not to hide in your lab, you won't help anyone that way. So uh.

Take care.

-Glitch

Early May

[ghostharasser]

THE BANJO HAS LANDED

1/?

[cryptograms]

The banjo...?

text; a few days after all the monsterfication sets in

[terribibble]

You were right. My blood froze up into a big old slipping hazard all over the floor. I'm giving you one good 'I told you so', so make it count.

text;

[cryptograms]

[ Ford won't actually say 'I told you so' because it's no fun when someone calls his shot, but: ]

See? It's easy to tell with the right method.

memshare broadcast

[bolstafir]

[The image that flickers onto Ford's Omni is that of a large, nearly building -- but not one Ford is likely to have ever seen before. A nervous-looking man stands on a sort of dais as Qrow walks in alongside several teenagers.

The man--Leo--starts to act more and more squirrelly as the conversation continues, apparently uncomfortable with both the number of teens present and the fact that they are armed. Qrow, the one adult in the group, looks increasingly impatient with the pleasantries and cuts them off with a crabby demand to know whether or not they would be receiving support from "the council", but Leo doesn't get the opportunity to answer before one of the teens notices a little black bird perched on a railing, and calls it to it as her mom.

Qrow fires a shot to see if he provokes a reaction; indeed, the bird touches down on the ground and becomes a woman -- one that looks practically a mirror image of him.

"If you're going to shoot me, shoot me. That was insulting."

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You've been scheming, little brother," she responds, that particular cadence to "little" that might be recognizable to one familiar with having a twin, "Planning to attack your own sister."

He doesn't deny the accusation, yet all the same, he looks shocked, turning to face the man on the dais as though betrayed.

"Leo, what have you done?!"

The woman answers for him; he remains silent, as though ashamed. Qrow makes one last ditch attempt to get her to reconsider, to work together--we can beat Salem, he entreats--but she won't have it.

"All that time spent spying for Ozpin, and you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem."

It's Ruby that interrupts, then, with her own impassioned speech about the impossible things they've all accomplished because they weren't alone.

"Work with us. At least I know we'll have a better chance if we try together. ...Please."

All the woman has to offer in response is contempt. "You sound just like your mother."

And then she opens a portal behind her, a fireball launched at Ruby before four figures emerge from it. Three of Salem's minions and a fourth unknown. A fifth steps in from behind to close the door behind everyone, lock them in.

(This was all a trap. Leo is a traitor...and so is your sister.)

"Sorry, brother. Sometimes family disappoints you like that," drawls her voice, dripping ice and poison.

(There's the familiar burn of exertion in your muscles as your blades clang and clash in deadlock, refusing to lose ground but failing to gain any -- but the more painful burn is in your chest. You were a fool for hoping she might ever come around. Did you ever really know her at all?)

"We're not family anymore."

"Were we ever?"

Maybe not. Maybe it was stupid to have thought they could've built something better than what the bandits had to give them.

"I thought so, but I guess I was wrong."]

[cryptograms]

[ Ford had managed to avoid any unexpected hijinks with the Winter Mourning ritual last year, so this time it takes him by surprise. The simple act of viewing another person's memory isn't that strange to him, at least, but the contents of this one are...

Hm.

While Ford has never thought of Qrow as being particularly private before this point, he can't help but remember how cagey he'd been about certain things, how reluctant he was to let Ford know about his (mathematically fascinating) Semblance. Which means he's pretty sure Qrow wouldn't be completely thrilled about Ford seeing this, especially not given the nature of the memory, which means he doesn't want to hide the fact that he's seen this, which means Qrow gets a voice message later that day. ]

Qrow, do you have a moment?

text | un: first | july 12th

[necrolord]

[ Sometime after the deadly showdown, after washing up to heartbreak and to Augustine's absence, God— pacing jittery circles in his house, scrubbing the bare phalanges of his fingers through his hair, gnashing his fucking teeth while Pyrrha tries to keep a leash on him— indulges in the ancient self-soothing technique of shitposting at all the friends you've lost. ]

So no session on Friday, then?

[ Ha ha ha.

He doesn't expect a reply. ]

[cryptograms]

[ why is he like this

Ford is at least back in his body again, but he still leaves John on read until he's had a chance to drag himself downstairs and put something that bears at least a passing resemblance to food in his mouth. Then, finally. ]

No, there's not.

I'll tell Sayo.

text;

[terribibble]

[He is doing this over text because like hell is he doing it over video. With text he can dip a lot easier, and he's still not sure he won't have a heart attack and die.

It's just that after the previous month he has... questions? Concerns. Concestions. And, unfortunately, he is only aware of one person that he thinks might be able to answer them.]

Stanford, I have a somewhat personal question I'd like to ask you if you don't mind.

[cryptograms]

[ ... Hm. That's... a question alright. The lack of details is a little concerning, but Fiddleford isn't a bad person. Ford's sure it'll be fine. ]

Of course. What's on your mind?

[Text] username: justanadventurer

[aetherweaver]

Hello. I know you don't know me but a man named Xerxes Break told me you might be able to help.

He said that you do a lot of research into magic and related areas, and I'm wondering if you've ever heard of a device call an aetherometer? I'm looking for one to use in my research.

[cryptograms]

[ Break recommended someone seek him out...?

He's pretty pleased to hear that, actually. ]

That's correct.

I can't say I've heard of an aetherometer, but can you explain what it does?

[ Measures aether, presumably. ]

If I know what it's designed to detect, I may be able to replicate it.

Text; UN: Godisstilldead Misfire

[in_loveless_memory]

After I listed everything Shinonome-sensei has taught in addition to what I've gleaned from books and my own interests, I was able to narrow down where I wanted to start with sciences. If the School of Mutter doesn't do literature and philosophy, I'll see how I can get those, too. Continuing English seems... well, not silly but not a priority since this place translates everything and I was fluent before coming here.

What do you think? Is that too much to start?

un: stanford

[cryptograms]

[ This message is obviously not meant for Ford, but it's on a subject he enjoys so much he doesn't even try to stop himself from replying. ]

You won't have trouble finding philosophy and literature at the School, given Never Mind's inclinations. And second language skills are still useful to have whenever there are translation problems, though if you're comfortable with English already it may be worth pivoting to Japanese or Spanish instead.

By the way, I don't think this message was meant for me.

[ Though man, there's something familiar about that username. ]

un: KICKIKICKCICKICKCICKIK

[strongroots]

i dont know what im supposed to do
accept hes never going to change? this is the best its going 2 get?
its better than getting mad all the time
but
then i have to hear about everything he does with everyone else
i should change my u/n then he wont see me on the network

us: stanford

[cryptograms]

In my experience, the city will never let you avoid someone for very long.

un: Hadron | "the city will never let you avoid someone for very long" - ford pines 2022

[terribibble]

Why did you not tell me that reefer could trigger beasthood. I feel like that would have been a very sensible thing to tell me, specifically.

1/3

[cryptograms]

[terribibble]

Merry [wait no] Hanukkah. If you want your present you're going to have to come get it, I'm not going to Gaze.

[Nailed it.]

[cryptograms]

[ ... Oh, huh. It is that time of year. Without Mabel around to try to submerge the entire house in glitter he'd lost track. ]

I don't mind. I have some things to grab from Prufrock anyway.

[ He did not get Fiddleford anything in exchange, but he's always been more of a birthdays guy anyway. ]

I won't be interrupting if I head over there today, will I?

a letter...left by birb on his windowsill when it's left open at some point.

[bolstafir]

[It's a plain envelope, unadorned but for Ford's name on the front.]

Hey Ford,

This is probably a huge mistake and I'm almost definitely going to regret it, but you know how Trench is. Better this than getting set on fire or chopping myself into bits on your doorstep or something fucked up like that.

Anyway it's totally fair if you just end up burning this and not dealing with it, but if you do bother to read the whole thing: 1) sorry in advance 2) thanks, owe you one.

Oz will never admit it in another couple thousand years, and he'll probably kick my ass for doing this -- hell, I'd kick my own ass if I could -- but I know he misses you. He keeps doing that thing he used to when he was stressed out in Remnant where he'd just quietly stare out his window and barely notice anyone else coming in, and you already know this place is practically retirement for us.

Part of it might be his new powers -- he's mentioned having gotten help from you before, but I know it's complicated, and he never asks us even though I wish he would. [that bit is AGGRESSIVELY scratched out]

For what it's worth, he does know he fucked up really bad. I think that's why he's so fucked up about it, because he was probably the happiest I've ever seen him when you guys were together, and I've known him since I was seventeen. And I know it's hard to even think about giving him another chance as long as he doesn't take the first step to apologize properly, but I think he's terrified to try to meet you halfway because he doesn't think you'd want to see him there. I don't think that's true, and if it is just tell me to fuck off and we can pretend this never happened, but if it isn't

I just wanna say I get it. When I first got to Deerington I thought I never wanted to see his face again, and when I did I almost punched him in it. He'd lied to me too, for decades. He abandoned us when we needed him the most. But he's changed, I swear. He kept a promise that he could've easily broken and I wouldn't have even blamed him for it, knowing how long he'd been trapped living without escape. He was honest with me when he went back home to the war and everything got worse, even though he could've lied about it like before and I wouldn't have known any better.

He's really trying. I think he's gotten it into his head that the way to make up for what he did is just to leave you alone forever, even though I've told him he should really just apologize already and see what actually happens. Last time we talked, he basically left it on an "I'll think about it if there's ever an opportunity", which in Oz-speak is more like, "I think I would actually literally become a squid on the spot if I had to be that vulnerable and he doesn't want me back", which I think is kind of a dumbass move because it's only gonna get harder the longer you guys don't talk about it.

Anyway, I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. I guess, if you've still got feelings for him and you're open to hearing him out sometime, you know where to find us.

~Q

[cryptograms]

[ Oh boy. This letter is... a lot? Yeah, a lot. It's a lot, and Ford very strongly does consider following Qrow's advice and just burning the damn thing. It would certainly be more expedient and less agonizingly awkward than trying to respond. He should definitely burn it.

But... he doesn't. He sits on it instead, turning the words and the situation and the prospect of interacting with Ozpin normally again over in his head. He has to admit, there's something there in Qrow's words. He doesn't want there to be something there, but there is, and it gnaws away at him while he sits alone in his empty house, suddenly missing the sound of his family more fiercely than he has in months.

Qrow doesn't get a response to his letter for days. And then one day while he's out and about, be it as a crow or a human, he will hear a sharp whistle from maybe half a block away - and in case that's too easy to dismiss, it's followed up with: ]

Qrow!

[ And there's Ford Pines, looking like he's trying very hard to not look grim. ]