Roleplay on Dolor with Ruby/Rodrick

Ruby slips quietly down to the hold, clutching an envelope in her hand. It's eerily quiet without any of the hammering or tinkering, and everyone off the ship.

She tiptoes over to Rodrick's desk that’s littered with gears and tools. Trying to find the least grease-covered spot, she tentatively sets the envelope down. On the back it says: "For Rodrick (and Friends)." She quietly hurries out.

Inside, the letter reads:

"Rodrick,

Might we speak later? Regarding your Young Swordfighter and Rhys' Competition, as well as Our Foxes quest,

I have a plan.

-RP

Rodrick, having returned from a salvage run to the clockwork dragon, spied the envelope and attempted to wipe his hands clean on a rag before admitting defeat, tossing it to the side. He carefully picked up clean paper and opened it, reading quickly. He smiled, and ran off, pausing just long enough to scrub his hands and face at the sink before changing out of his filthy clothes and into some that could be considered clean by his standards. He ran down the hallway, looking in each room that had an open door and knocking on each that had a closed one that he thought Ruby might be in. Eventually he found her in the kitchen, staring at part of the large stag from the hunting trip a few days ago.

She smiles as you enter. "Oh! Hiya Rodrick. How is the salvage going? You and Thorin findin' everything you need?"

"It's going kind of rough. That dragon is pretty destroyed. We're getting some pieces here and there"

"I know you'll be able to make somethin' fantastic from it. You always do."

She stares at the meat on the counter. "Any thoughts on what I can do with this? Rhys brought back so much. I have a plan for my rabbit..." She looks over at a stock pot full of roots. "But I've not worked with...larger game before."

Rodrick grins. "I don't... but Ruck would. Surprisingly, he's a hell of a cook!"

Ruby looks thoughtful. "I've only met Ruck... Once or twice I believe. A looong time ago..." She laughs, "It was an... Interesting first meeting."

Rodrick sits down at the table. "I... think I remember... parts. Maybe."

"Oh that's right. Well," she feels embarrassed, "It was before I really understood you all were... Individuals. I just knew you as, well, you, and getting used to everyone's... peculiarities. I was a bit, well, a lot more sensitive to magical things."

"I was visitin' with Mr. Karu, or going to, and he...." Her face falls a bit. "...He was having a seizure. I didn't know what to do... But then," she closes her eyes and chuckles, "You come running down the hall, but not you--I see a giant of a fellow, wearing your size pants, barreling down the hall to his rescue."

"Ruck knew just what to do to help. It was fantastic. Worked like a charm. At the time though I was... Scared. Terrified." She stares off as if remembering. "And I was a bit... rude, I think, because of it. Mr. Karu was displeased with that and drew his gun on me. I'm pretty sure if I said anything more, he would have...well..."

She pokes the roast with a knife, thinking. "He's a very protective little kitsune. And Ruck is a good-hearted fellow." She glances over and smiles. "I always felt like I owed him an apology for my reaction that day. I've learned better."

"Ruck is very much like a child at heart. He knows only what a young person would, but he always tries to do the right thing."

She nods, understanding what you mean.

"Would he like to help me cook? I've got even more meat available for him to carve up..." she grins.

"I'm sure he would at some point, but... I think we have something to talk about?" Rodrick holds up the letter.

Ruby's face loses a little color. "Right, um..." glancing around, she strains to hear for other people. "Could we... Go somewhere more private? Perhaps a walk, or?" She seems more fidgety than normal.

"Sure! We can go somewhere." Rodrick hops off the chair and starts putting away seasonings and spices to help Ruby.

"Thanks, I-I appreciate it..." She covers the meat with some salt. "It can sit for a bit to tenderize."

"Sounds like a good idea. I know Ruck always tenderizes his roasts for a while. Where would you like to go talk?"

"Where would be the most..." she's not sure of the right word. "Least likely we will be overheard?" She looks extremely uncomfortable.

"I know a place... I caught a glimpse of Rhys there the day the wolves attacked. It appears to be an old overgrown throne room..." Rodrick starts leaving the airship, heading that direction

Ruby follows after. "I... Went there a few days ago, and then brought Mr. Karu. There's another kitsune..." she grows quiet.

"Yeah, Rhys was able to solve the codex and unlock the box by the graves. There was a note to Balgor. Apparently the queen and he were friends, along with Nerezza, Saar, and others"

"Yeah... I'd never met another kitsune before. I was a bit surprised. She knew Balgor would be back, then?"

"I guess so. Rhys gave him the letter before coming to find you." Rodrick gestures down the pathway to the overgrown building. "It's that way, if I remember correctly."

"I see..." they head down the street in silence. After several minutes pass without event, Ruby asks quietly, "What would you say you know about me, Rodrick?"

Rodrick looks at Ruby, a pondering look on his face. After a few minutes, he opens his mouth and closes it, clears his throat before finally speaking. "Honestly I don't know a lot, Miss Ruby. I know you were one of the first people Mr. Luther hired. I know you have some tragedies in your past, but that's mostly because I recognize the look in your eyes. I know you try your best to find the best in everyone and everything, and that's a noble trait. I know you are the closest thing to a sibling I've ever had, and because of that, I'm honored to know you."

Ruby looks away, not wanting to show her face. Tears trickle down, and she tries to brush them away nonchalantly.

She sniffles a little. "You're right about a lot. I'd actually been with Mr. Luther for years as his personal assistant. I've seen teams come and go, and not had a great deal of attachment to them. To most people, really. Nature of the business."

"But then along comes his newest team of adventurous folk. All hand-picked by him; special. Except... Positively the strangest I'd met." She looks over at you with a half-smile. "Plucky, foolhearty, treasure hungry or filled with wanderlust. Bespeckled by horrors, loss...magic--which mind you, he wasn't supposed to deal in; policy, you know--even some that didn't even seem keen on being there..." She snorts softly, picturing Armella.

"Part of my job, Rodrick, was to review the teams with a practice mission before they ever went out. I had to report on how well they communicated... Teamwork skills... Emotional strength... Physical endurance..." She lets out a long sigh. "We would always disband or reorganize teams depending on those factors. But not this one." Her brow furrows. "And he insisted I came along... To keep an eye on everything. I never did that. I didn't want to do that. I argued with him a lot about it, actually... But... In the end, it's my job."

"Well Miss Ruby... I'm still not sure Mr. Luther knows what I am. I honestly think he believes he hired Rodrick, the crazy, flamethrower-toting tinkerer who builds automatons and machines

She laughs, picturing it. "I'm sure he does. Did..." she trails off. "I'm glad I came along. I'm glad... Of a lot of things."

"So am I, Miss Ruby... so am I. You have been able to talk some sense into this thick skull of mine. Why, if not for you... who knows what would be? I could be out terrorizing the church and its followers again simply for being ignorant and scared of magic for not understanding... simply for existing. That's what I was doing. Being a terrorist to them, just like they were to me. It solved nothing. It just caused more problems... but it took talking with you for me to figure that out." Rodrick looks Ruby in the eye, a happy look on his face as a tear rolls down his cheek. "I can't wait to introduce you to my wife and son."

Ruby looks down, meeting your gaze. "Yes... I... I'd really like that."

"Part of my plan involves visiting Alwyn again... I was considering where in the country we could go. Where we would have friends." She wrings her hands.

"And how we would deliver a message to Lenova safely..."

They both enter the first room of the building cloaked in soft grasses and moss. Sweet smells seem to press in from the flora and fauna.

 

"But I feel I must come clean about something. I've dreaded it... I feel like such a liar." She turns her face away to hide fresh tears. "I've wanted to bring it up before, but... I worried that sweet perception you have of me would change."

"What's the matter, Miss Ruby? Most things damaged can be fixed if given the opportunity in time."

"I'm...not Ruby Pennington."

She turns to look at you, fear and guilt and exhausted relief, almost, mingled on her face.

Rodrick looks at her, a blank expression on his face. He stays silent for a minute, eventually speaking. "...So?"

She stares back, not sure how to respond to that. "I... I dunno."

"A name means nothing. It's just what others call you. The names for all of my forms were just names we came up with. I was pondering between Rodrick and Bernard. To me, a name means nothing. It's who you are, not what you're called, that matters."

She's quiet for a time, and sits down on the grass. "But… I don't even know if this is who I am." She stares at her hands, still gloved and hiding the bite marks from earlier in the week. "Ruby was... an alias, yes. One of many I've used for my line of work. Usually for Luther."

"I made them each different, distinct, hoping they wouldn't be traced to one another. They have different lives… Different stories. Different likes and dislikes."

Looking at you with a very clear look in her eyes, she adds, "I used to be... really jealous of you, actually. Before I understood your... situation. Being able to transform so effortlessly seemed novel to me, even though it was magic. I..." She chuckles through some tears. "I had to try really hard to do what I do. Although I understand now it's more than that..."

"That's understandable. Magic makes things seem simple until the cost is seen." Rodrick sits down and pulls out a lump of cheese, a knife and some crackers. Cutting off a few pieces of cheese, he offers some of his snacks to Ruby. "So, do you know who you want to be?"

She hesitantly takes one, and holds it, contemplating. "I'm not sure yet... I just... I had a feeling I would need to explain it to everyone... eventually. Now that we're just vagabonds together." She watches him work and adds, "Thanks for understanding."

"Nothing to understand in my opinion, Miss... you do what you have to do to live. To survive. For you, that was creating different people within yourself." He nibbles on the crumbly cheese, then pops a cracker in his mouth.

She sighs. "I hope the others can understand as easily as you do." She eats her cheese, chewing it thoughtfully. "So... about this plan."

"Yes!" He claps his hands excitedly.

"One of my other--well, you know. She was used for a lot of the more... political meetings Luther needed me at. She had a unique set of..." Ruby wrinkles her nose. "Skills."

"She was very prominent in the upper social rings though, very well liked. She is an heiress to a private vineyard in Dewar, the Rosehip Vineyard."

"That could be useful..." Rodrick mumbles between bites of cracker and cheese. "Ragnar also has a pretty well-known firearms brand... he's known in Lenova to be a legitimate weapons dealer..."

"Oh, that's... that's fantastic." She considers their options.

"I was thinking... we need to get our ship into these countries. They knew our ship when it... departed. But now it does look decidedly different. I wondered, perhaps we could outfit it with a few... labels, if you will. Make it look like a new ship ordered for either of our businesses?"

She takes a stick and draws a small, crude map in the soft soil. "If we can at least get to Alwyn first... we can find out more about what's going on. Pick up the crystal there, maybe... in central..." She drops a rock there.

"It wouldn't be hard at all... paint some symbols on the sides, add some color to the sails... it wouldn't be a problem at all."

"Only issue I foresee..." She draws a line around the coast. "We will likely need paperwork. I can forge documents, and have before for us... but..." She trails off.

"I don't know what they need now to enter the country. I'd need a sample."

"Why would we need to forge documents if it was legitimate business? We could, maybe, come to the blockade or customs or whatever, and simply tell them we haven't been their way for a long while?"

"Perhaps... I've just worried about imports before. Big ticket items, like ships, can sometimes raise eyebrows. But perhaps we can make it work. If I'm on board as well, as... Eliza... It shouldn't be much of a problem." She looks uncomfortable but laughs a little despite it. "I just don't know how I'd feel acting as her around our team."

"Once we get some goods, we can make a trip to Lenova no problem. Get word to your family... even get them on board, then..." She looks over.

"Well, if it hasn't been destroyed, my shop should have some automatons and spare machines we could take to sell... Ragnar has some guns on board as well as supplies to make more, but not more than about a dozen. There's more guns back at the shop too, provided it's still there..."

"We will see how much has changed, I suppose..." She fidgets. "I'd like to see if we can find out what happened to Central... and Luther."

"And... my mother. She'll be in Dewar as well. I just don't want to bring trouble to her."

"We could always pack her and Mr. Luther up and bring them here..." He says with a chuckle. "Mind you, I'm not sure how well that would go over. Not many people like having their lives uprooted and planted elsewhere."

"That's true. But I'm sure this place might do her some good." She looks up and around the chamber, soaking in the peacefulness of it.

"I know that within a few weeks, those wolves will think twice about coming close to wherever my family decides to live... if you think Hikaru is a good shot with that rifle of his, you should see my wife with her crossbow!"

Ruby laughs. "I'd love to see it. She sounds like a very strong woman. She could definitely take those wolves on, I bet."

"They're magical too, actually--I'm not sure if you could tell from the... wounds."

"I haven't really been able to see them to tell. They're kind of in a tricky place to see." he teases.

She runs her hand through her hair, chuckling, then wincing. "I suppose that's true, good point."

She slips her glove off, and shows her healing wound, with snowflake-like patterns of bruising and cuts. "Since I'm coming clean to you about things anyway...  they seem to breathe out ice, frostbite, or something akin to that. They're much larger, too, maybe 400 pounds if I were to guess?"

"I wondered why Rhys was blocking the fight from us. I guess he was ashamed that he couldn't protect you and didn't was anyone to know... not that we can do anything to each other, mind you... well, other than burning or destroying one another's possessions, but that goes downhill really quick."

"Oh!" She exclaims, putting her hand to her mouth, "No no I don't want that at all. He really did protect me, I... There were a lot of wolves." She looks at her hand and smiles. "Actually, this one was just my fault. I only had two bullets left, and I didn't want to miss. And it was close... so, I stuck my pistol and hand in its mouth."

"Didn't want another repeat of when I tried to hit Firelord." She chuckles.

Rodrick laughs loudly. "Well, just so long as you're okay... I've always said scars tell better stories than ink any day." With that he lifts his shirt to show the shadow scars from Nerezza throwing needles at him.

"Ow..." She looks at your scars with curiosity mingled with empathy. "I suppose you're right. I'm on the mend for sure, just... hard to use my off-hand." She slips the glove back on.

"I've taken what you and Hikaru said to heart though, I've been practicing these last few months... usually with my little hummingbird gun in my room. I have a target I hide under my bed. Still getting used to the pistol though."

"That's good. Practice is what will save your life."

Nodding, she sighs. "If I can improve well enough to hit anything... heh. OH! But I caught that rabbit!" She beams. “I hope the stew turns out well.”

"Hey! great place to start! Rabbits aren't easy to hunt. fast and flighty! And as long as Rhys didn't convince you to drink any of that dang Mireshine... that stuff is vile, and I drink rocket fuel!"

She looks at you, concerned about the rocket fuel comment. "N-no, he didn't. He just drank a swig himself. His--your--injuries seemed worse for wear."

"Well, if any of us could take a beating, it's him... He's got some shadow form thing that makes him really strong..."

"It was... impressive. And terrifying." She chews on the words a bit. "He said he doesn't use it outside of the shadow place, usually. I could see why, it took a toll on him." She shivers.

Rodrick pales slightly. "Wait, he... used it? Here?!"

"Um...." She tries to think of what to say, but can't. Her eyes just give it away.

Rodrick pats himself down as if checking to make sure he's whole. "Well, unless I'm dead and this is all my death dream, I guess all is okay."

"Is it… would it be that bad if he did it here? The magic seems pure, he..." She trails off. "I think he wasn't keen on using it, normally..."

"Well, if anyone would know if it would be safe to use, it would be Rhys. He's studied magic for as long as we've been alive. He understands it. Knows it. He can feel it. Me, it's more like blindly reaching into a closet and hoping to grab a specific coat."

"Huh... I never thought of it that way." She thinks. "He... was pretty powerful though. He looked like--well, it reminded me of your dad. Probably the most like him that I've seen. He had wings, and needles... That's what saved me I think. He covered me and protected me, before another wolf could circle around to my throat. I could hear many whistling sounds in the air, and the last wolf howling as it ran away."

"After we came back from the hells, we were broken. Rhys was the one that clung to Nerezza the most. He spent the most time studying with him and learning about magic with him, while the rest of us just wanted to do our own thing mostly. Rhys was the form Nerezza liked most, probably. I can't say for sure."

"I'm... nervous about this whole hells thing, Rodrick." She looks over, fidgeting with her hands. "With the weapon situation, and Balgor."

"I understand. The last time I went there my mind shattered upon returning. The hells themselves aren't very fun, either... I'm nervous as well, but I made a promise to Hikaru. I gave him my word. I swore on my life that I would help him, and I intend to do whatever he needs... even if that means facing Asmodeus again."

She shivers at the name. "I just... I know why he's doing this. But I don't want to see anyone hurt. This place sounds like it swims with danger. And with what happened to you..."

"What happened to me happened because we cheated. We took a shortcut. We used a part of the crystal and forced it to work."

Ruby remains quiet. She thinks about that for a while.

"It would be like putting orange blossom tea in the pot and expecting raspberry to come out. It won't happen. It physically can't happen. But we made it."

"Right..." She looks up at the ceiling, out into the open air outside. "When we were on that mountain with Balgor, and... Nerezza showed up, he seemed... different. Balgor took that crystal from him, but... he gave it away. He seemed to be giving up on something... bigger. About Saar?" She looks back at you. "Is that why he used it--used you--to get to the hells? To find him?"

"It's close to that time of year again... close to the time of year... when Saar died. He always gets real sad and lonely around this time of year. He's always said he's older than time itself. He says that as long as there's been light, there has been shadow. His one true friend in that whole time was Saar."

"That sounds... very lonely.  ...What happened to Saar?"

"I don't know. He never talks about it."

She pauses. "After Mr. Karu and I visited here, I took him to the hall of heroes in the temple. Have you been there yet?"

"I... have not. Rhys may have, though."

"When we went there, we saw a tapestry of Saar. Perhaps we can go see it, if you're interested later." She furrows her brow in thought. "Nerezza cleaned Mr. Karu's sword... his katana. When we saw the tapestry, this picture of "The Whirlwind" it was called, he had a sword. Mr. Karu held his up. It looked identical."

"Nerezza always said that Saar was a mighty force and that he didn't need Nerezza's help to defeat Gideon... it just made things easier. I never really understood that. He'd say it quite often. Especially this time of year."

"Well... we found another painting, and an altar. Placing the sword there, the painting animated and showed Saar stabbing a great evil being through with the same sword. It looked like they were in the center of Terra, at the core. The leviathan was coiled around everything, dying."

"If it's the same sword, then how is it here?"

"I'm... not sure. It looks the same." She puzzles it over. "Mr. Karu said it's been in his family… forever. He didn't seem to know though if he's related to Saar. Would Nerezza be able to tell? Has he ever commented on that before?"

"I suppose it doesn't matter, he wasn't too bothered with much, aside from... well, his uncle."

"I'm sure Nerezza would know. He sought after Saar and his descendants for as long as I can remember..."

"He has? But he's met Mr. Karu before, multiple times..." She puzzles it over more.

"True, but to my knowledge he never thought to look among the kitsune."

"Hm... well, let's do our best to protect him. From this... hells business, and this revenge business." She shudders.

"Revenge isn't necessarily what he needs... justice for his family and to regain his honor is what he needs. He is just too angry and too young to see it as such, so he sees it as revenge."

"Yeah..." She contemplates your words. "I suppose there is a difference there. When... when do you know justice is enough?" She looks at you, something haunting her expression.

"Honestly, when I figure that out I'll tell you. Justice is a fairly new concept for me. Up until recently, I was out for vengeance as well."

She nods. "That's fair. I just figured I'd ask since you're so much older than me." She nudges you playfully.

"Hey now... Don't you know what they say about being nice to your elders?" he nudges you back.

"Yeah, yeah... Thank you for the snack. And the chat." She takes a deep breath, feeling a bit better. "I mean, you already knew I could disguise myself. Arabella and Sarah and all that... After that time as Arabella though, and the church, my mind kind of... it was hard to keep them as straight as I used to."

Rodrick chuckles. "Think of it this way... At least you don't have them literally talking to you in the same brain!"

She snorts. "I suppose that's true. Well... wait, do you all talk to each other?" She looks over, an eyebrow raised.

He shrugs. "Kind of? It's more like... thoughts? But they're in different voices, if that makes sense..."

"I think so... I run through my different voices in my head at times, to keep them fresh. I can kind of imagine if they were really other people." She grows quiet. "Do you think I should share with Mr. Karu yet? About... Ruby?"

"I'm sure he'd understand. I mean, he did grow up with me..."

"That's true... When did he first find out you could--well, there were more than just you? You found him when he was young, didn't you?"

Rodrick shakes his head. "Nope, he found me. I opened my door one morning to go get some breakfast and there he was, half dead and covered in all sorts of mud and filth. I got him all cleaned up and took him with me. Figured he was just another homeless orphan until he told me his story. Nearly broke my heart... Back then I was changing almost daily. I was running a workshop, selling automatons, firearms, alchemical items, and such... Well, In order to sell a firearm, I had to be Ragnar. Alchemy is Rolland's expertise, and none of them know mechanics quite like I do... Hikaru stumbled into my office shortly after I had shifted into Ragnar and looked confused. I quickly changed back and explained that I'm different, just like he is."

Ruby listens, enraptured.

"That was shortly after I started my vengeance crusade against the church... I was secretly building Firelord in the basement of my workshop."

She raises an eyebrow. "Even back then? The same Firelord?"

"Similar. Back then he was steam powered, and carried a large version of my flamethrower. He didn't use a sword either, that's a fairly new addition."

"I see..." She pictures a similar Firelord rampaging. "It's terrible what happened. What things the church has done..."

"There's good and bad everywhere I suppose, but..." She remembers the pictures from Wuxia as well, and quiets.

"Actually...." He starts rummaging in his bag, pulling out bits of wire and gears, pieces of pipe, nuts and bolts, and tools, and something that was probably at one point a sandwich before finally finding what he's looking for. "Here. I pulled this down from the wanted board back when I first saw them start to pop up."

He hands Ruby a wanted poster for Firelord. It shows a rudimentary drawing and description of crimes. She takes it carefully and looks it over, first at the picture and then at the list of crimes beneath it.

"I'm not proud of what I did back then, but I did what I thought I had to do... and it led me to where I am today."

She hands it back to you. "We are all in a better place today, I think."

"As funny as that seems though... on the run from the law, from a new regime, brain-eating monsters, assassins..." She cracks a smile. A good, genuine smile.

"You forgot trying not to blow ourselves up... or maybe that's just me." He jests back.

"That too! With all your new-fangled fuel."

"Well, I figure it's a race to see who'll get us into more trouble fastest... Me, blowing us up, Rolland, gambling and getting on people's wrong side, Ragnar being too friendly to the wrong person, Ruck drinking too much, Rhys being Rhys, Hikaru seeking revenge, the airship having another catastrophe, the church finding Armella, Azandar screaming a mountain down on top of us, Thorin piloting us into something, Balgor doing God of Slaughter things, Mutiger jumping off the airship and somehow taking all of us with him, Trident showing up and blasting my head off, or just getting struck by lightning... oh, or Nerezza intervening..."

"That's a lot of things that could go wrong! What about me?" She chuckles. "You left me off of our disaster list."

Rodrick gets a large, teasing grin on his face. "You could try and shoot something."

She laughs heartily. "You know, I have to agree with you." She pushes your shoulder back teasingly. "I'll get better someday."

"Keep practicing. Take lessons from Hikaru and Azandar... they're both pretty good shots."

She nods, then stands up. She holds her left hand out for you. "Shall we get back? I still need to figure out what to do with that roast." She smirks.

Rodrick grabs her hand and jumps up. "Sounds like a plan! I'm sure Ruck will have some tasty idea..."

"I'm sure he will! I'm excited to try what he comes up with. Perhaps Rhys can catch us some more large game..." She chuckles. "You could even barbecue some of it with your flamethrower."

"Yuck! You want barbecue, not burnt to ash..." he laughs as he speaks.

"True, true..." She leads the way outside.