deercountry | (closed) march catchall

[ The past few months Ange has very much been like a frog in a pot of slowly boiling water. The only difference being that the girl very much realised that the water was starting to boil. It was like the world was getting worse and worse around her. More dangerous things happening, and more of those things happening to the people she's close to. It feels like she's nearly witnessed Ruby die so many times over the past few months that it feels unbearable.

And this month isn't better. It's like she's seen Ruby starting to wither in front of her eyes - and where will that end? Will Ruby just get worse and worse until she's weak enough that whatever is draining her will just kill her?

That can't happen. Ange can't let it happen, and it feels like it will happen for sure unless she does something here.

She knows just what to do, too.

For the first time in what feels like months, Ange feels eerily calm as she steps into their shared bedroom, watching Ruby lie there on the bed, looking as drained as she has seemed for days now. ]

Ruby.

[ Despite the calm that has come over her, Ange speaks the name with fondness. Nothing could take away her affection for Ruby, after all, not even with the corruption that's growing in her veins, her eyes having taken on a faint golden hue already as she moves to sit down on the bed, right next to where the other girl is lying. ]

It must hurt. [ To be that drained. Especially for a girl like Ruby, who is usually so bright. So full of life. The opposite of what Ange is seeing right now.

She reaches out, placing a hand on the other's cold cheek. ]

You'll let me help you, won't you..?

[It was hard to predict what was going to happen in Trench from one month to the next. Most of the time Ruby didn't try, she was almost always ready to face a challenge head on. Except this month she found herself without the energy to rise much less go out and protect the people she cared for.

It hit her especially hard because the cold blood that ran through her had merged with the abilities she carried from home. Her aura, the physical manifestation of her soul had been linked to those powers. And for reasons Ruby explain for the life of her- It felt like that very force was being drained from her body. Like she was being pulled out from her own body.

It leaves her bedridden on the worst of days or going about her day like a shadow of herself on the best. The bright and vibrant young woman is hardly there and only manages to come out in spurts.

There's a slow blink when Ange enters the room but hardly a reaction beyond that when Ange first enters the room and approaches. Her head turns slightly in her direction as she feels the touch on her cheek. There's a hint of recognition in her eyes but a hint of struggle too. Like it's taking her a little longer than normal to piece together what the other girl is saying to her.]

Ange? I...

Of course. Anything you say.

[ It hurts to even see the other like this. It feels.. wrong. This isn't what Ruby is supposed to be like. It's like this place is slowly taking everything that makes Ruby.. well, Ruby away from her.

And Ange hates to see it.

It's why she's glad for the other agreeing, even though she figures Ruby has little energy to do anything else. But she wants to make sure they're on the same page about this. Ange doesn't want to do anything to hurt Ruby, she just--

She wants to keep her safe. It's why she gently shushes, leaning closer to press a gentle kiss against her wife's lips. ]

Don't worry. I'll make it all better.

[ As she softly says that, almost more a whisper shared between them than anything louder than that, Ange slowly pulls her face back.

Not her hand though. It still rests on Ruby's cheek, mostly with the palm, the fingers moving a bit further into Ruby's hairline, where Ange remembers she pressed her fingers against the other's skull before to create their bond. ]

If you don't have power right now, then.. you can have some of mine. [ Her hand starts glowing golden as she says it. ]

[Ruby didn't exactly have a lot of options at the moment. But odds were even if she did, she would still trust Ange to make the right choice to get them through a situation. There wasn't anyone in this world that she trusted more than her.

Ange's feels dulls and a little hollow in her current state. More like there was nothing in her own body than the other way around.]

I'm counting on you...

[It's all she can manage before Ange's hand starts to glow with power. There's a sudden warmth there that she can feel. It penetrates through her body and it starts to fill the spots left vacant.]

[ Ruby is counting on her.

Which means there's only one option for Ange here - which is to fulfill the other's wish. To give Ruby power while she doesn't have any for herself thanks to this dumb place. And thankfully that's something that Ange can do, right? After all-- she's a witch.

It's something she's been reminding herself of more recently than she usually does. She's a witch. If she dislikes this place or what it's doing to the people she loves, she can do something about it.

Which is what she's doing right here. Slowly but surely Ruby will feel Ange's power flowing into her - that golden magic that Ange always uses. It spreads before surging through Ruby, and Ruby may feel the bond she already has with Ange being pulled even tighter. No longer just bound together by the magic of this place, but also by Ange's own magic.

Ange herself has never used her magic in this sort of way though. It only further feeds into her corruption, changing the girl's appearance. Her eyes are starting to glow a perfect golden, and similarly coloured feathers are starting to grow out of her hair. ]

Be my furniture, Ruby.

[ The entire room is lit up with that golden magic at this point, more and more golden butterflies floating in the air around them. ]

And then I'll create a place just for us. A place where we can be safe. I promise you that as the golden witch, Ange-Beatrice.

[Whatever had gripped and pulled at Ruby's cold blood powers had managed to sink enough that it was pulling at her soul- her aura. On everything that made her who she is. What still remained had been shattered and fragmented. When Ange's power's began to flow into her it mostly sealed away whatever had been pulling at her strength, however it was in position to heal on it's own. Which is where Ange's power came in, it sealed the cracks in her own strength, filled and replaced what had been broken and drained.

A pale golden light enveloped Ruby- and when it cleared she had taken on the appearance of one of the seven stakes that normally served the golden witch. Her expression looked more peaceful and content now. But there was something vacant in her good eye. Like something that should be there just wasn't. Her skin was more pale but it was seemed only noticeable if someone looked closely.

Ruby lifted a finger and gently touched one of the butterflies as it flew past.

Then her attention turned to Ange.]

...I gladly accept this role, Ange-Beatrice. My golden witch.

[ She did it.

Sure, Ange figured that she could, or that she at least had a chance, which is why she went for this in the first place, but.. she really did manage to save Ruby. Look at it, the girl is standing right in front of her, as if nothing happened to Ruby in the first place. Sure, she's dressed like one of the stakes, but.. that's just what a witch's furniture looks like, right? It's only proper.

And it's not like Ange ever really hesitated to be close with them either. And this-- this is the same. Because it's her wife standing in front of her, looking perfectly okay - Ange doesn't seem to notice anything off, even though other people would - and so all she can do is lean in, pressing her lips against Ruby's own.

As she does so, the rest of her appearance shifts too. It already started a moment ago, when she was pushing her power by feeding so much of it into Ruby, but now Ange's clothes change into a golden feathery dress, befitting of a witch.

When Ange pulls away from the kiss, her eyes are an empty glowing golden hue, but the corners of her mouth are turned upward. ]

Are you ready for the next step then? My furniture.. my Ruby.

[Ruby melts into the kiss. What greater gift could furniture ask for then the affection of the one they serve?

She let's her arms wrap around Ange to keep them both steady as they kiss- But she doesn't push forward or hold her any closer. That wasn't for a servant to decide for after all.

When they part she smiles softly and nods to her witch. Her expression unchanging at the change in her appearance. Like she wasn't phased- This was just how it was meant to be.]

Always, my golden witch. Whatever you wish.

Alright. Then..

[ Ange leans in to go for another kiss, apparently entirely not worried about taking the lead here despite her usual tsun-fits and shyness. But this time a little bit more happens in the kiss. While their lips meet, the world around them seems to shift and change. First little by little, starting at their feet, but then it spreads. The familiar interior of their house is slowly taken over by something different, a world moving out from their joint limbs, the love Ange feels burning in her heart right alongside the corruption fueling all of it.

After all - they always said as much in magic. It takes two people to create a world. If Ange were to do this by herself, it'd just be a delusion she made up. But the fact that Ruby is here with her, believing in this world - that's what makes it real. It's not just Ange's world, but the world Ruby will share with her as her furniture.

The kiss lasts moments, maybe even minutes, but when Ange pulls away there's nothing left of their house. They didn't move, but it's like they're no longer standing inside there. Instead they're standing in the middle of a sea of golden roses, surrounded by a hedge maze at its edges. The sky hanging overneath is a deep purple, and golden butterflies flutter through the air all around them.

Ange seems rather pleased by this development, since a smile unfurls on her lips as she looks around them. ]

.. See. This is our world now. We don't need Trench anymore.

[Ruby is more than content to let Ange take the lead on this one. As that what's good furniture would do after all. She falls into the kiss and her eyes close as the new world starts to form around her.

Her belief in what Ange was doing wasn't just born of her new position. The small fragmented pieces of her that remained from the blood effects of this month all felt a sense of strength and pushed out in support of what Ange was doing. And it's there where the corruption took root in both what remained of Ruby and the magic holding her together.

When the world finishes taking shape she slowly opens her eyes and gazes over the world they had created. She then looks back to Ange and a smile forms on her lips to match her partner's.]

It's beautiful- It's perfect.

It's all we need.

[ Even with this new world entirely around them, Ange is now only staring at Ruby as they smile at each other. ]

I'm glad you like it.

[ .. even though, technically speaking, Ruby's opinion shouldn't really matter if they're truly witch and furniture. But while that might have twisted Ruby's mind a little more, it seems that not too much has twisted in Ange's mind regarding the bond that exists between them.

This is still her wife, and Ange still wants to make her happy. Nothing about that has changed. ]

The Pthumerians shouldn't get in here. [ There's a tiny pause, and then she lets out a small breath, almost a huff. ] Though I am sure they will try.

[ There's no way they'd just leave something like this alone, huh. It's just how they are. ]

But I will do my best to keep them out. And I need your help for that too.

[It's because no matter what world they are in, Ruby only has eyes for Ange. Now more than ever.]

How could I not? We made it. For us.

[Which honestly. Even if they were in their right minds would be something special. But as it stood Ruby couldn't see anything wrong with what they had done. Her wife had made this world for them, and Ruby would do all she could to protect.]

They're welcome to try. But with you at my side. With us working together. There's no way they'll be able to get through. I'll protect you and this world, my witch.

[ Ange reaches out after Ruby says that, her hands landing on the other's cheeks, resting there. ]

You're perfect.

[ She's only looking at Ruby now. The world can wait another moment, because first Ange just wants to soak in the other, in her presence. In what Ruby has become. ]

You really did turn out perfect.. I'm so glad. [ Especially since Ange didn't know exactly how this turned out. She would have been content with just being able to save Ruby, with just keeping her alive.

But Ruby is so amazing like this. Ange can't help but smile so widely as she looks at her right now, basking in it. ]

[Ruby just glows in the moment. What more could a wife, could furniture ask for but to be loved and appreciated by her witch like this?

She leans into her touch and ever so gently moves to let her arms wrap around the small of Ange's back pulling her in a little closer.]

You made me that way.

Just like before- You make me better than I was before.

[ She shakes her head, though it doesn't seem to be with any kind of dejection. Instead Ange opens her mouth to add: ]

I only brought out what was already there.

[ Which.. is more accurate than even Ange herself realises. It's not like she had any specific image in mind when she put her magic into Ruby, after all. It might just be amplifying some things in Ruby that were already there, 'helped' along by the corruption..

Especially since they might not only be the best things in Ruby. ]

You know.. I think we should celebrate our new world with some tea, first and foremost.

(closed) march catchall

for ruby

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