Stuck in a little place and wrapped around your little finger

[peaceonearth]

Ruby had found the night hag before it'd done too much damage. She hadn't even been surprised to see the creature. It was the right time of year for it with Halloween just behind them. It'd gone very well and it had been interesting enough (not to mention a little nostalgic considering the night hag was a Polish fairytale), but she'd ended up with a shoulder out of the socket. She'd tried to pop it back in without much luck and a great deal of pain. After a moment's consideration, she called Sam from the SUV.

"Any chance you can meet me at my apartment? I could use a hand with something." It's not just an excuse to see him.

The apartment was a relatively new development. As Sam had gotten older, he'd wanted Ruby around more (which was a good thing as far as she was concerned) and she'd wanted to be around more for things like his basketball games. Her house in Sioux Falls was a few hours away from where Sam lived and it wasn't a place she could take him. Not yet anyway. The apartment was neutral ground, filled only with memories and pictures from this life and these years. As soon as Sam had gotten a car, Ruby had given Sam a key. He had a bedroom there for nights spent over there and she'd made certain he knew he was welcome anytime whether she was there or not. She was gone quite a bit hunting but always returned every few days at least. She'd been gone for nearly a week this time.

When she arrives, Sam's car is already there. She gets out of her SUV, her injured arm hanging awkwardly at one side.

Comments

[talktogirls]

Sam had made time to hang out with his friends at a party, but with today being Halloween he was used to Ruby making at time point. He hadn't really worked on his costume because of that. He ended up dressing up as Clark Kent with non-prescription glasses and an open white button up dress shirt with the famous S underneath. When Ruby called he stepped out into the hall, happy to talk to her as if he hadn't just talked to her yesterday.

"Hello, Ruby... Huh. Right now? Of course you can have my... my, yes, um, a hand. What's at your apartment? Need help moving something?" It doesn't strike him as something that she would need help with, but his first guess isn't that something is wrong. There is an off feeling in his gut though when the call ends and he tells his friends he has to go and drives straight to her place.

She gave him the key but he drifted between waiting for her outside and in. He just so happened to be standing outside when she drove up. It didn't feel right to make himself comfortable without her there after the weird way the call made him feel. As soon as her vehicle slowed, he approached the driver's side with long strides and a concerned look behind his costume frames. He assesses the situation easily by noticing how Ruby had only been driving with one hand and how the other arm hung almost as if detached. He almost trips right over himself, but the urge to tend to her is greater than the part of him that is afraid to know what happened. He only just manages to stop himself from touching her shoulder and instead looks and motions his head to the door behind him.

"We should go inside and I'll do what I need me to."

[peaceonearth]

She's aware that he's at a Halloween party, but not what his costume is. She assumed at some point, she'd see him (she usually does on Halloween0; however, this hadn't been the plan. She'd expected that he'd call her when he got bored at the party or show up at the apartment sometime this evening. Unfortunately, things had gone a bit awry.

"Right now if you're not busy," she'd confirmed and because she didn't want to worry him she'd just assured him that she'd fill him in when he arrived. She definitely wouldn't have called him to help her move something.

Sam is a welcome distraction from the pain in her shoulder and despite that pain, she smiles when she sees him. "Nice costume," she tells him as she nods, following him to the apartment. She holds out her keys to him, just in case he doesn't have him on him so that he can unlock the door. Once they're safely inside she speaks again. "I wouldn't have called you, but I'm pretty sure I bruised the shit out of it trying to pop it in myself. You were at that party with your friends, right?" The apology for interrupting him is in her tone of voice if not her words.

[talktogirls]

Most likely he would have ended up at her apartment when things got late and the party atmosphere started to shift towards dancing and talking to other girls. Ruby's call was the best thing that could have happened, really. At least no one was really surprised to see him leave.

"Sure. I'll leave right now." Even in this life, no was something he didn't often say to her reasonable requests. She's never actually called him like this without explaining things so that alone is more interesting than thinking twice about staying at the party with his friends.

Her smile has a way of bringing him to smile back, but his lips form a tight line just as quickly. Sam is an empathic soul in this life just as he was in the last and her pain makes his own experience uncomfortable. His face turns a little red with her compliment. "Are you being facetious?" The time and place isn't right as far as he's concerned. Then again, he was never great with Ruby's playful words. He'd always be red in her presence. He takes her keys but doesn't need them. Once inside, he places them on the counter and asks her if she would like to sit for this. "You didn't interrupt anything important," he responds, knowing her meaning. "This is more important," he clarifies. She never needed to be sorry for asking him for help.

[peaceonearth]

That's always a good time to leave a party and a better time to come over to her house. His friends should be used to the way he and Ruby meet up.

Good or bad, Ruby likes that no isn't something Sam has ever really been able to tell her. She's never felt like she could or should bother him with something like this. However, he's getting older and maturing into Her Sam; it feels right and natural to go to him with things like this.

She loves making him blush like that both in this life and in the previous one. "No. I'm being honest," she tells him, reaching out with her good hand to tug at his collar. "It looks good." He's a pleasant distraction for her. She agrees that sitting is probably a good idea and chooses one of the high back dining chairs. She accepts his assurance that she didn't interrupt anything. "Do you mind taking my boots off first?" she asks.

While he does that and is appropriately distracted, she reaches up with her free hand and rips the collar of her tee-shirt all the way to the sleeve so that her bruised and out-of-socket shoulder is exposed as well as her clavicle and part of her breast. "Do you know how to do this," she asks him.

[talktogirls]

His friends are not surprised to say the least. They all have a pool bet when they'll finally get together even in good fun.

Deep down Sam knows Ruby would never ask him anything without seriously considering her options. He knows she wouldn't ask him something that goes against his morals (not lightly anyway.) That's why no will always be a hard thing to say to her.

It must remind her of better days to see him red while looking in her direction. He makes eye contact with her again when her fingers tug at his collar and he swallows. "Yeah? Maybe next time you should be there." Sam would love it if she did. He anticipates the chair she will choose and pulls it out for her while thinking back on how to set a shoulder. "Sure. Yeah. I guess you shouldn't do that yourself right now." He kneels down and loosens her laces on the first boot before slipping it off her small foot. Then he does the same thing with the other, but slowly his heart rate increases and his ears turn red.

Out of the corner of his eye he can see her move and he eventually looks up at her to see why she moved. His mouth opens to say something but it hangs open for a moment because there's more skin to see and a distant bone poking out of her arm. She's one part arousing, two parts concerning. "Well, I've never done it before, but I read how to do it during the First Aid class I took." She trusts him, right? Standing up, he asks permission before taking her wrist into his hand and bringing it straight out in front of her to see if the bone needed to be pulled forward or back.

[peaceonearth]

Ruby hopes Gus wins the pot. She likes Gus the most out of Sam's friends.

At this age, she wouldn't even ask him to do something that goes against his morals. Later, when he's more settled into them, she might do it if it's necessary, but she's hoping that in this life, she won't ever have to ask him to compromise his morals.

It definitely reminds her of better days, different days, and makes her realize that those days are fast approaching. There are so many things that make her realize Sam is slowly becoming Her Sam. "At the Halloween party?" She asks then responds "Next year, it's a date." She watches him as he kneels in front of her and undoes the laces on her boots.

Ruby holds Sam's gaze, watches him track both the skin showing and the damage done. "You needed to see my shoulder," she clarifies. "Good enough," she says in comment to his first aid class. She trusts him with her life and more. When he asks permission, her lips curve in a devilish smile. "You can touch me any time, Puppy" she winks at him. Yes, even injured Ruby can flirt with Sam; it's her superpower. She sobers a little as he pulls her arm out in front, biting back a flinch of pain. "I think you've got to push it back," she says. "I got thrown down on my stomach and it got pulled and twisted back."

[talktogirls]

Gus is an upstanding guy. Chances are Gus will win the pot because he is in the know.

Hopefully, neither of them ever end up in a situation where they have to go against everything they've ever done to make themselves better. Sam would do it just so Ruby wouldn't have to.

Yes, there are only a handful more months before Sam turns eighteen. Every night it seems he has a new memory show up in his dreams. Most of them are about Ruby, but not all. Some show him in the midst of a hunt with the imaginary friend he thought he had as a child. The pair relied on each other to make it out alive and close the case. Sometimes it was more peaceful and just Ruby, the guy and himself in these dreams. Last night he dreamed about himself complaining about Halloween. Right now there doesn't seem much to complain about. "Yes," he swallows. Sometimes he gets the feeling he shouldn't ask but then Ruby responds positively. "Okay. Next year it's a date." He has no reason but to smile while carefully removing her boots.

Sam slowly manoeuvres himself to the side of Ruby while holding her arm completely still. He did more reading and asking questions than he needed to pass the first aid course and one thing he was told was the different ways to set a shoulder. "It's fine," he says, clearing his throat. Who he needs to convince is himself more than her because he doesn't believe it anymore than he really means it. The image of her skin stays with him. "We can call my parents if you don't want me to do it," he offers. To be honest he is a little nervous about hurting her even for the better and he needs her to give him absolute assurance before snapping it back in place. His ears feel a lot hotter when she assures him he's fine to touch her and winks. "Be serious with me for a minute. How much does it hurt?" he chides her. Sorry, he's absolutely sure he can't handle turning fifty more shades of red. "Pull it, you know?" It sounds like it from what she describes but he needs to be sure to get this right. Once she confirms, he tells her on three and pulls it back in place while holding her arm steady for a minute to let the pain subside. He tells her to hold it against her stomach and he will find the first aid kid to make a brace for her.

"Did you kick butt in the end?"

[peaceonearth]

And Ruby was very glad that Sam did have someone he could tell, someone that he could talk to her about. He talks to her about most things, but he can't really talk to her about her and she knows that things are more than a little confusing right now where she's concerned.

They're ridiculous because she'd do the dirty work for him so that he doesn't have to.

Unfortunately, right now it's a struggle for Ruby not to fill Sam in on all those missing gaps. Jack had warned her though that poking at Sam's memories could cause them to all come flooding back too quickly. They all have to tread carefully. First Life Sam had hated Halloween, but this time around he's been given no reason to hate Halloween and Ruby is glad that he's gotten to enjoy it. She hopes that's something that continues throughout this life. He should always ask; at this point in his life, she can't always say yes, but if she has to say no she can at least tell him why. She's pleased that in this instance she can say yes though.

While Ruby didn't rip her shirt to fluster Sam, she'd be sulky if he weren't flustered by her skin on display. The other option had been to take her shirt off and since she's not wearing a bra (ever) that didn't seem fair to him at all. That's precisely one reason she trusts him. Sam always does the extra credit work. "I definitely do not want to call your parents. I trust you, Sam. You can do this." Honestly, she didn't know for sure he could get that red. "It hurts, but it's not the worst pain I've ever been in. It will feel better once you've got it back in place. I've had this happen before." She puts her free hand across her body on top of the injured shoulder and nods. "Pull it." She can't help the way her eyes flash black or the gasp of pain that hisses through her teeth when he puts the shoulder back in place then it all goes tingly and numb for a minute while she tucks her arm close to her body.

"There is a bonfire across town with a very dead night hag in it," she assures him as she stands up. "Let me try to change into something that doesn't smell like the morgue before you bind it up," she tells him as she moves toward her bedroom to find something she can put on with an injured shoulder. She'd like a hot bath honestly, but that can wait until later.

[talktogirls]

Sam doesn't keep secrets from her but yes, Gus is the only person he feels he can talk to about the things he just can't bring himself to talk to her about yet. On the other hand, he's received some good advice from Gus and shared some insight on how to survive real monsters with Gus.

They've always been a complicated pair. They work together.

It's probably harder for Ruby than it is for Sam. If he actually had all his memories returned, it would be harder for him not to break the social contract they must abide by; it would be harder still not to touch her shoulder or brush her hair behind her ears and tell her to give him the list of ingredients she needs to mend her pain the magical way or steal a kiss in the moment. Right now, he's exactly as a seventeen year old should be and suffering only from his infatuation with her. There isn't one hundred years of rock solid history in his head yet. In this life, he has every reason to see Halloween as magical. Ruby has been to every single one as far back as his memory serves. She said yes so the feeling he shouldn't have asked fades. He looks forward to next Halloween and it can't come fast enough really.

The other option would have more than guaranteed his eyes looking at her bare skin for two long and then not being able to look at her at all. Her ribbed sleeve was the better of the two options. There's work to do so he recovers rather quickly. Extra credit could be his middle name. "You have a lot of faith in me, but don't forget you promised to tell me why some day soon." It's just first aid now, but honestly he feels his parents could do more to help. He can only understand a little why she wouldn't want them involved. He's never really dated anyone because of his crush on her. He could actually go a little redder if given the chance. "It should feel better soon. Do you want anything else? A tylenol, some ice?" He winces at the same time she hisses through her teeth as a reactionary measure.

"It got what it deserved then," he sounds very sure of himself. The world they live in now is less messy than the one he first lived through, though. At the present time, monsters were ingrained in society just as people of color were and most followed the unspoken but written rules set up by Hunter Corp, formerly the efforts of regular hunters of America. His first thought is that she is asking for his help but it's clear she means to change on her own so he bites his bottom lip, eyes drop, and he nods. "Okay. I'll get the first aid kit while I wait. Try not to move it any more than you have," he warns. "I'll get you a tylenol and some tea too. I don't know if it will help. It might."

[peaceonearth]

She understands why he can't talk to her about her. It's not keeping secrets from her; it's having a different, unbiased point of view. Even though Ruby has never discouraged him from dating, she's hardly unbiased about his feelings toward her.

They always have been. They always will be. Complicated is part of why they work.

It's incredibly hard for Ruby, but she's got willpower in spades when it's important. This is important. Besides, what's a few years of willpower compared to the decades they'll have when willpower isn't necessary. All Ruby wants is for him to have the chance to be a normal seventeen-year-old. It was a big part of the plan when she, Sam, and Jack planned this out. All of that being said, she's glad that's he infatuated with her. She wouldn't have missed a Halloween, or a basketball game, or a science fair, or anything else he was involved in for the world. He doesn't know it now, but that was actually in the contract his parents signed (yes, Ruby made sure there was an actually legally and magically binding contract; she is a demon, after all).

She made the right call then. She doesn't want this to ruin the rest of their night. After all, Halloween isn't over. "I have more faith in you than I do in anything else, Sam. Don't ever forget it and I haven't forgotten. One of these days soon, I'll tell you." His parents might be more confident help, but she's got no doubt that Sam can fix her shoulder just as well as they would and if he can't, they'll deal with that later. "There's some tea in a glass jar in the cabinet there," she tilts her head toward the cabinet in question. "It has a cross on like a first aid cross. If you'd make me some of that, it'll help."

She doesn't think it's probably a good idea for him to help her change. It'll only result in awkwardness and frustration for both of them. She stands up, moving stiffly to avoid jarring her arm as she pads into the hall then the bedroom, the door shutting quietly behind her. It takes her a little while to get out of her jeans and she definitely could have used some help. The shirt is easy and gets tossed toward the trash can. When she comes out of the bedroom, she's wearing soft, baggy sweat pants and an oversized tee-shirt that's been washed a thousand times (spoiler: it's actually Her Sam's shirt). "Do you want to watch a movie?" she asks as she steps into the main room of the apartment.

[talktogirls]

No. He never has been discouraged from dating other girls by her, but she has always been there to listen when things didn't exactly work out. He has built up strong feelings for her over the years that make it hard to tell her.

Sam has none of the same willpower that she has in spades but a lot of that can be attributed to him being allowed to live his young life. Ruby has a way of making him flustered one way or the other. Sometimes it makes him bold enough to ask her to join him or the family for things as simple as dinner or events. Other times, he can't look at her straight. In a twisted way, he wouldn't be offended to know that she has a contract that binds his parents to allow her to see him because he can't imagine not being able to see her. When he was a child, he would often wonder why she didn't live with them because of how close he felt to her. Sometimes he still wished to see her on a daily basis.

That's one way to frame how Sam still is able to look her in the face. It's a good thing that Halloween isn't over yet. They're always together this time of year. "I don't always understand why me, but I don't wanna let you down either." Something in his gut tells him he couldn't live with himself if he ever did. "You know, it doesn't really feel like it's ever going to be soon enough." Frustrated doesn't quite underline the stink face he displays but he gets over it pretty quickly. His head turns to where she's telling him to look and he goes to the cabinet to fish out what she's referring to. "This? Are you sure? It smells awful but it looks like your basic tea." He adds while opening the container and sniffing it.

He figures she would take a while so starts with adding water in a pot to boil on the stove. There's the measurements to making a proper tea he learned from his father but he throws out a couple of steps to add more in the mix and little fresh lime and brown sugar in the flavor to cover up the smell and taste. He even tests it for taste and a surprised noise of disgust permeates the apartment. It's ready when Ruby comes out. Sam's adams apple quivers when he swallows at she's wearing. If the shirt were any looser, he was sure it would fall off of her. "If you let me finish with your arm, sure. Just not any horror movies." He hands her good hand the tea cup. "Careful. It's still hot." He sits next to her on the couch.

[peaceonearth]

Maybe a few years from now, he'll know how relieved she was every time those dates didn't work out. She reasoned that it helped both him and her feel better when she listened to him about them. Her feelings about him have changed and evolved as he's gotten older. She suspects they'll continue to change and evolve for a few more years at least. Regardless of the nature of her feelings, she was always passionate about them.

Ruby was always delighted when she was asked to join the. She always said yes if she could possibly make it. There are very few times she was forced to say no. One of these days she'll tell him about that contract and the details of it. ed into the apartment close by a few years ago because Sam wanted to see her every day. When he was younger, it was more natural to give his parents space and time with him. As he's gotten older, she finds it difficult to stay away for too long as well.

"You won't," she assures him. She sighs very softly and reaches out to brush his hair off his forehead with her good hand. "I know, Sam. I get impatient too." She gets frustrated and flustered as well. She's only just begun to let him see that in the last few months. "That's it," she confirms, smirking a little at his comment. "Magic rarely tastes or smells good."

She appreciates that he cares enough to try and cover the smell and taste. He might hear the bark of laughter from the hallway when he makes that noise of disgust. She didn't pick the shirt on purpose, not really. She picked it because it was loose enough to allow him to look at her shoulder without worrying about clothing getting in the way. She also picked it because it's comforting to her even though Sam's scent that once permeated the soft cloth has long since been replaced with her own. She's not sure if his reaction is a good thing or not, but she's not going to go back in the bedroom and change. "Deal. Romcom it is then," she declares as she settles into the sofa, where he can sit next to her and tend to her shoulder.accepting the cup of tea with a grateful smile.

[talktogirls]

A few years from now, he will also be relieved nothing came of those dates because his soul is so closely linked to hers. There isn't really a time in his life that he didn't know her as someone he could talk to about anything. The same could be said about his feelings for her even before his second time around the sun. As time continues to march on, the stronger his feelings have always gotten. Every time he saw her, she looked more beautiful than the last.

Sam always asked her every chance he got even if he knew she couldn't possibly make it. The underlying cause was because he wanted her to know she was welcome. The times she said no were just met with a phone call to keep her in the loop inside. Yes, sometimes the parents would make them let Ruby in as per the contract. He found it harder to keep his distance from her as he got older because of their odd connection. For some reason, he always felt she would support him in anything he'd do and listen. Another reason he couldn't stay away is because he wanted to be there for her problems and her life too.

He sighs because she seems so certain of the fact when he (still) carries a sinking feeling that he could. He's always had higher expectations of himself than most. "It's more than just being impatient, it's wanting to be let in the loop." He holds his palms facing upwards at neither of them in particular, leans into the way she brushes his hair around. "It's disgusting." He wrinkles his nose at it as if his comment were clear enough. "I can make you something else for the aftertaste." He might be asking if it's magic medicine that can be mixed with food.

He looks behind him when that laughter comes from down the hall, half about to protest that it isn't funny. Sam thinks against it though because Ruby's day so far has been pretty terrible from his perspective and he can allow her at least one small reason to laugh. Of course he isn't thinking that she picked the shirt on purpose but he recalls how Ruby once had an infamous husband in Sam Winchester (not as infamous as her now but). A part of him feels jealous, even conflicted that someone used to love her strongly and to this day she must still love that man strongly to still have those clothes. There is some upside to the fact he can wrap her arm in a sling without the fabric in the way. "Sure. But we have to order some real food to make it a proper movie night in." He makes a call to the local pizza place down the street and orders their half and half favorite to give her a chance to down the tea. The second he hangs up, he holds his hand out for the cup when she's done and dresses her arm securely and his fingers feel tingly when his touch hers. Sheepishly, he offers a smile back. "Is there one you haven't watched yet?" He turns to the TV.

Happy New Year

[peaceonearth]

The trip had started a few days ago with an 18-hour drive in Ruby's car. Most of it, she'd driven overnight with Sam asleep. She'd been planning this for months and had secured two (small) hotel rooms with an adjoining door in the middle of Times Square. It was the New Year before Sam turned 18 and she'd wanted it to be special. Their itinerary includes all of the required tourist things like the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, and several more 'must see's. It all culminates in watching the big ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve.

The weather is cold, but they're fortunate that the cold isn't bitter and it's nothing that they're not accustomed to. Besides, all the more valid (pfft) reason to snuggle up to each other.

Happy New Year 2222!

[talktogirls]

Sam had started out on the trip wide awake with a few things he wished to add to the itinerary. There was a full moon coming in the next day or so that would shine over the Rolling Hills Asylum and it would mean the world to him if they could add it in somewhere. He shared others on his list with Ruby but they weren't as high priority as that. As night fell, he moved the back of the electric SUV to sleep on the blankets Ruby had prepared. His heartbeat remained steady for most of his sleep yet it drummed faster when he dreamt. He remembered to thank her as he woke again and they reached the city.

Sam rubbed his gloves together for warmth while they waited for the Statue of Liberty ferry. They did come prepared against the cold but he found himself standing next to Ruby despite his better judgment. "I thought the statue would be bigger." He looks over to Ruby.

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[peaceonearth]

And Ruby had happily agreed to everything. They'll visit the asylum the night of the full moon. They'll probably have to get past security to get into it, but that's not a problem. An idea forms even as Sam talks about the asylum and how much he'd like to visit it. The other things get slotted into their itinerary. She'd left plenty of room for adding things. Occasionally, particularly when Sam's heart rate sped up, Ruby would glance back at him, but they've talked about the dreams and she knows he's probably having more of them than ever now. When he expresses his gratitude, she assures him that she's looking forward to this trip as much as he is.

Ruby has gloves on as well as a hat, coat, and scarf, but the cold doesn't bother her the way it does Sam. She slips her gloves off and reaches for Sam's hands. "Gloves off," she says then glances to the statue. "Yeah, but consider it was made in 1186 of copper and it's a little more impressive." Once he gives her his hands, she'll rub them with her own. A very long time ago when Jack had brought her back, he'd brought her back alive so she's got body heat to share.

When the ferry does arrive, Ruby releases Sam's hands, puts her own gloves back on. "Let's get some hot chocolate and find a seat," she suggests.

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[talktogirls]

It isn't his intention to add a breakin to the asylum on their list and he acts surprised when Ruby suggests that they do. Will they get in trouble? It's the first question he asks. But if Ruby can promise it won't hurt anyone, his desire to see what it is like inside will likely win. He smiles plenty after she agrees to the rest of his suggestions, growing four times as excited. There are more dreams than there were the first time he mentioned them to her. Almost every other night, he has a dream that plays out a new piece of their former life. In this dream in particular, they're dancing in the living room when suddenly a pair of girls giggle from the stairway and are told to go back to sleep. Sam is more aware in his dreams now that those girls must be the twins he's asked Ruby about. The dreams about them are looked upon as fondly as all those with Ruby. His dimples show with her assurance.

He didn't think about bringing a scarf, but he has a jacket and a beanie on too. The cold only seems to bother him as they're standing in place and not producing any new body heat. "Gloves, why," he asks, not able to see the reason behind it just yet. "You make it sound like you were there. Copper was hard to come by?" However, he listens to Ruby's demand to remove his gloves and pockets them. He holds his hands out side by side in front of her. He's not sure how but he notes that her hands seem less affected by the cold and partly assumes he is imagining things.

He turns to the ferry and back to Ruby when the horn goes off indicating its proximity to port, sliding his gloves back on. "I can find the hot chocolate and you can look for seats," he answers. She planned this whole trip herself; the least he could do in return is pay for a hot beverage.

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[peaceonearth]

She doesn't figure he actually wants to take an official tour, especially if he's wanting to see it on a full moon. She assures him that if she thinks they're going to get into trouble, she'll abort the plan and they'll do the daytime tour. She can definitely promise him no one will get hurt. She will have him fill his pockets with salt and she'll carry an iron weapon, just in case, but the asylum has never shown up on the hunter's network so if it is haunted, the ghosts are pretty friendly. Of course, she's going to get them in by telling the security guard that this sort of thing really gets her boyfriend going, doing some flirting and eyelash batting while promising in a breathy voice they won't touch anything at all. It'll be a different side of Ruby that Sam has never seen, mostly because it's completely a role. Nights like that weren't one-offs in their former life, but rather a commonplace occurrence. In a few months, the twins will be happy to re-meet him. They know what's happening and while they don't like being patient much more than Ruby, they're willing to wait to meet him until the timing is right (IE: his brain won't explode upon meeting them).

"Not there specifically," she assures him, "but alive at the time. Copper had to be handmined by actual people using dynamite and canaries in cages. It was dangerous as well as difficult to mine compared to the way they did mining just a hundred years later." He's not imagining things. Her body with the demon inside of it is pretty efficient at handling things like heat and cold. She also had gloves on mostly because she doesn't like the feeling of being cold and it helps her fit in.

"You've got a deal. I'll look for a couple near one of the big windows facing the statue." So they can see it when the ferry approaches. She sort of scares a couple of guys into giving up their seats, but by the time Sam gets the hot chocolate, she's sitting in one of the seats next to the window facing the statue. As soon as he's within a few feet of her, her attention moves from the statue to Sam (she heard his heartbeat speed up when he saw her across the space) and smiles. "In approximately 1825, whatever was left of my family migrated here and this would have been the first thing they saw," she points at the statue.

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[talktogirls]

The last daytime tour seems to be what Sam thinks is the best idea and they land on that. The promise that no matter what they do no one will get hurt also makes him agreeable. It is supposed to be haunted according to very convincing sources on the internet, but Sam holds a grain of salt for everything he reads. The flirtatious persona Ruby has mastered for getting her way if not one he's seen her use for bending the rules. Naturally, all he's ever seen is her bend the rules without thinking twice about it or stopping to ask for permission. To say he would be surprised (but attracted nonetheless to her behavior) is an understatement. When the time comes, the twins will find that he is more than excited to re-enter their lives.

He listens intently to the history behind copper and how people first mined it. "I never knew that," he voices honestly. There are just some things that were removed from high school history in the last 100 to 200 years in favor of a more relevant curriculum. "What were the mining conditions like a hundred years later?" He makes a mental note to read up about it later. History is his second favorite subject. Even so, he convinces himself that he must be imagining things. Ruby has never given him any indication that she is different in many ways other than just being a demon. When he was much, much younger, he already asked her the one question that matters the most -- is she hurting anyone else by being in a human body? The explanation she had given him told him he can trust her.

"We have a deal. I'll try not to be long." They part ways as the food court on the boat is in another direction. There are free candy canes at the end of the line when he pays for the hot chocolate and he snatches two to dip into each cup to add flavor. His heartbeat isn't the only thing to speed up when he spies her by the window; his footsteps pick up as well until he fills the seat next to her. He passes the hot beverage and glances towards the statue once again before locking his attention on Ruby, genuinely curious. "Sorry, you're family? I never really hear you talk about your family and I think this is the first time you brought them up."

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[peaceonearth]

She'll be glad they took precautions then once she finds out it is, indeed, haunted. She doesn't usually mind bending the rules because there's no one to worry about except herself. This time she needs to make sure that she doesn't get Sam in trouble as well as herself.

At this point, there's far too much history to teach. Education systems have to choose which things to teach and leave the rest up to parents or self-education. "Electricity-powered equipment came along mostly. Worker safety and unions took hold. It made things less dangerous and more efficient, though mining, when done by people, is always a little dangerous." There hasn't been anyone in this body with Ruby for a very long time. It's one of the reasons she keeps the body. Of course, there's the whole concept of not taking someone from their life, but selfishly, she likes being alone in her body. She likes not having to step into someone else's life or the drama that comes from stepping away from a life.

She takes her gloves off as he sits down and wraps her hands around the warm cup, inhaling the smell of chocolate (and Sam) in deeply. Hot chocolate is one of the perks to cold weather. It can be consumed at anything, but it's better when it's cold. She glances back at him and shrugs. "A very, very long time ago I was a teenager in Poland. I had a sister and parents. I tracked down their great a few times over-grandchildren, my nieces and nephews. I've never met them; they wouldn't understand how or why or what I am, but I still wanted to find out what happened to my sister after I died."

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[talktogirls]

Sam will tell her it should be fine after they pocket some things to prepare for that endeavor. However, Ruby isn't wrong. He's never been around a haunted house before where an untold number of ghosts can reside.

Ruby could teach him more than he's learned in school if she wanted. First hand accounts these days are harder to come by. "It's hard to picture all that. Everything is automated these days," he acknowledges. "I'm glad we have reservations to visit the pedestal. I thought we could see it up close." Ruby looks great in her current body, and selfishly at the back of his mind, Sam is glad she never changed to someone else. One of the things he's liked witnessing is how she's been growing her short hair out the last year or so.

Is it on purpose when her fingers brush over his before he releases the cup to her custody? His face feels like it becomes a degree or two warmer as a result. In any case, he settles with ease next to her and blows on his hot chocolate to cool it down before taking a sip. His favorite part about this hot chocolate is her company. He listens intently to her familial history. "Where are they now? Do you ever think about talking to them even if they don't know who you are?" He guesses she never did talk to them because he knows her well enough to recognize her body language suggests she watched from afar.

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[peaceonearth]

She'll give him a refresher course about the salt before they get to the tour. She can use salt; she does, but it stings like a mother so she tries to stick to iron. Not to mention that because she doesn't have a proper soul, the ghosts don't want much to do with her until they know she's trying to snuff them out permanently.

She probably will and she has given him little tidbits of history over the years based on his level of interest and his age. He's getting old enough that it's something she enjoys; it's having a grown-up conversation about her life rather than teaching really. It's not as if she can talk to many other people about the things she's seen and experienced. "Life is much easier for most people in first world countries now than it ever has been," she says in agreement with the automation comment. "Of course, now we're running out of resources like copper, but we generally manage to make things that work as well or better." She glances to the statue then to Sam. "You know she was originally bright copper colors. She's only green because of oxidation." Honestly, it's something she's pretty sure he knows, but it's interesting non the less. Little does he know that she's growing her hair out because he always liked it long so much.

It's entirely on purpose, partially done to watch him squirm, partially because she likes touching him and she can get away with a little more now than she could in the past. She takes a sip when he does, contemplating his question a moment. He's right, she's only stalked them from afar. "Scattered all over the country really but some of them ended up in Indiana, of all places. Some others in Pennsylvania. They lived in New York City for a couple of generations before expanding out." She shakes her head. "It wouldn't really accomplish anything and most of them are doing okay. There's one woman that looks the way I think my sister would have grown up to look like."

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[talktogirls]

That would be the best course of action. Besides it would be smarter and easier on them both to have him carry the salt. It's a positive for the tour if all the ghosts left them alone because of Ruby.

Sam's ears are always open for the tidbits she has given him over his lifetime. It's a bit of both for him; on one hand, he hears more about her life, and on the other, she's teaching him. If he's the only one she's ever told about any of this, it's one more thing to make him feel proud about having a real conversation with her. "You.. You think they will one day melt down the Statue of Liberty," he shares with her in a lower voice. It's not as if he's unaware that eventually the earth will cease to support life as past generations ensured that. The only uplifting thing is that humanity has gotten better at slowing it down by reducing harm. "Before we leave, we should take a lot of pictures. Just in case." A more positive spin on the current conversation? "I did know that...but it's hard to picture her the same color as a penny." He does like the length of it on her right now too.

Fortunately for her, she never has to worry about making him squirm too much that it all eventually stops as she always has a way about her that makes him squirm. He savors his next sip of hot, ears the whole time. Like her family history is something he wants to get to the bottom of. "No? You're not even the least bit interested in talking to them for some closure?" He looks deep into her eyes, watching her body language. "...It sounds like you want to. I mean, I would. Don't get me wrong. It's completely up to you.."

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[peaceonearth]

Well, there are plenty of proper souls on the tour, so there's no guarantee that the ghosts will stay away from the tour.

There aren't many people she can talk to about all of the things she's seen; there's not many that she cares to talk to either so while Sam isn't the only one, he was the first one in another life, and the girls have heard most of her stories. She's glad to share her life with him again. She considers that and shakes her head. "Not as long as America is a country. I guess maybe if it disbanded or was invaded and taken over, it might be." She's pretty sure that even if Earth is abandoned, they'll take things like the statue of liberty with them. They do love their symbols. "We should definitely take lots of pictures," she agrees. "I wasn't in America when it was brought over, so I don't have any personal accounts, but I've heard that she was the color of a shiny penny. I can imagine there was quite a glare." Eventually, with his memories, he'll realize that she's growing it out because he likes it.

It truly is something that she strives to do on a regular basis. It's partially his fault; he gives good squirm. She shrugs a little. "Anyone that I knew died a few thousand years ago. I don't even know where I'd begin with them." She hesitates. "I can't talk to them about my sister. They wouldn't care. I can't tell them anything true. I just...wanted to know that she--" Ruby sighs. "You studied the plague in school. It was killing everyone in all the villages around us. I knew some witchcraft, but not enough and not powerful enough to do anything except hex a cow to give sour milk. I wanted to protect my sister so...I made a deal. The spell I cast was supposed to protect everyone in our house from the plague. It was...more powerful than I expected. There's a very round spot in the middle of Poland that was never touched by the plague. Historians could never figure it out. They think we were just ahead of the curve on hand washing." She might be a little pleased with herself even if it was an accident. "Anyway, I just wanted to know that I hadn't sold my soul just for her to die of consumption or something."

Re: Happy New Year 2222!

[talktogirls]

To check off being hunted is on his list.

The bond they share now translates to him being able to feel like they share more with each other than most. He'll always have open ears with anything she wants to share. Sam's lips form a frown because he knows Ruby isn't necessarily wrong. He has pride in America but is woke enough to know American leadership isn't without its flaws. "Well, you're not wrong. We're not the most popular country in the world. I don't really know if other countries would want to try to invade us, but I can't say we don't deserve it." The idea of the Statue of liberty being on a spaceship would set Sam over the edge for the dumbest and most likely American thing to do. People mean more to him than symbols. He chuckles with her mentioning a glare from the statue in its original state. "We won't have any glare with the green," he affirms.

He could accept being partially at fault; he likes her company. He stops and listens to everything before he decides what to say in return. "You're amazing. I don't know anyone that's more selfless than you. Mr. Gosine never mentioned what that village was but it was... it was called Cracow, I think. If you don't think you can find your family now, or think you can talk to them, would you want to go visit where you were born instead. Is there anything you feel you still need to do for closure?"