ruevealing | folkmore inbox.

[It is a new sensation, to feel such small, featherless hands sweeping across their face to brush away tears. And no matter how futile it may be, Rue still tips into the touch, their own massive paws rising up to curl over Casey's hands.]

It means so much to me that you and I have always had such ease in speaking our minds, even in our own personal moments of struggle.

[His smile wobbles a little, but holds fast, his hands turning to hold theirs back.]

I'm glad for it, too. Maybe if I was better at lying, I'd hide more, but I could never pull it off. And sensei was so good at reading people he always knew if something was bothering me. It was just so much easier to admit everything than dance around it forever. And you deserve to share yourself freely, too. After everything.

[He looks down, pensive for a moment.]

...I know that... sometimes it can feel like a burden, to share your problems with other people. But even if it is [because some problems are so, so heavy no matter how much love exists to lighten to load] if they care about you, it's worth it, right? That's... what I think they don't believe, yet.

[His words certainly were not intended to hurt, though to hear Casey might be more willing to lie to them if he was more capable leaves a strange ache in Rue's chest behind. Do they stick their beak into everyone's business more than they should? Is it coming off too overbearing, even for a parent?

Another stray tear or two get lost against the feathers of their face, but Rue quickly blinks the rest back.]

Healing does not always take the most logical path. I know Leo and Peter still struggle with their hurts, but you and I and the rest of the family will be there to remind them of their strength and how dearly loved they are, and support them however best we can.

[For however long they must. Rue knows all too well that some things just do not heal with time.]

And darling, though you do not have to share every problem or burden with me, I hope that you know none are too heavy for me to help you carry. No matter what, if you will allow me, I will be there.

[It was more of a generalized lying-as-concept, a what-if, not personal. If he was better at lying, he'd have taken after his dad more and been a master of BSing through his problems. But he's not, so the world gets his honesty, for better or worse. Sorry, Rue.

He does consider their words, brows furrowing like he's trying to puzzle his way through them.]

I know... I already told you way more than I thought I ever would, back when we were still getting to know each other. At first it felt kind of weird, that I was able to open up to someone like that. Most of what I shared, I never had to, back home. The people I would've told already knew.

[His family knew and shared his grief in the deaths they'd witnessed. They understood hunger, his inexperience, longing for more. The wonder he felt at what the world could or should be like. Through that act of sharing, Rue became his family that much faster. At this point they knew things that he couldn't even share with the turtles. It helped that what he shared didn't generally hurt Rue the way it would them. Or... at least not the same way, with some aspects of it. He truly hopes that the hurt isn't too much. They don't seem to regret hearing him out, they never have.

Now isn't the time to doubt them on that. They say he's not a burden, and he trusts them.]

Now it's... kind of second nature. I know I can trust you to hear me out, and... help me through it. If it's advice, or comfort, or whatever else- you're always dependable. You're kind and caring, and... [He shifts a little, fingers curling around their claws.] I think they're missing out. I'm... all things considered, I'm a lot more stable than I otherwise would be, thanks to you.

[He's not sure what he'd be like, but the word 'mess' comes prominently to mind. He would be a giant mess.]

[Their talons curl around his hands gently, still framing their own face.

It's strange. Logically, it makes sense that Rue has played such a pivotal role in Casey's development in this world. They've been right there for those big moments, been patient and understanding and happy to listen to everything Casey has ever been willing to tell them. They've wiped away more tears than they can count, but have also laughed at least double that alongside of him. They've helped him to learn to embrace his past while never losing sight of the beautiful future ahead.

And all of it has been such a joy for them, to not only have this young man in their life, but to be able to watch him grow and find his confidence, to figure out his sense of style, his passions. To find people he cares for, hobbies he's interested in, and maybe even to rediscover a reason to hope all over again.

But even after all of that, to think Casey sees them in such a way, it feels surprising to Rue, in a way even they struggle to articulate.

Their paws squeeze around his hands.]

I appreciate your words, but you never needed me, Casey. You would have gotten right back to here even without me. But - [a gentle hitch, their big eyes are shining and maybe just a touch still wet.] But I'm still so very glad that you didn't have to. That we could be there for one another. That you did not have to confront all that you've had to face alone.

You trusting me as much as you have is one of the greatest blessings of my life, Casey Jones.

Edited 2023-12-19 06:20 (UTC)

[That easily musters a shy smile from him, visibly pleased for the high praise. It feels a little strange to be accepting it - aren't they meant to be talking about Peter? - but he can't say he's unhappy with the slight derail. Even if they're a little tearful, Rue looks pleased. It's nice to see them happy again.]

Well... I'm glad for that. It's not always trust easily given, but you earned it! So don't sell yourself short, either. I might not have needed you to survive, but... I think I needed you to help me live. And- to learn that there's a difference.

[So much of his life has been spent focusing only on the former. It's so, so nice to experience the latter this much, and with such excellent teachers, too. He could've learned a lot from Leo and the others, and of course he has, but who guided him through the salon, the spa, through silly romance musicals and so many forms of self-care? Who let him cry with them and talk on and on about the family he's lost, share stories that would surely make the past versions uncomfortable to hear? That was all Rue. It could only be Rue.]

You're so important... please, don't ever forget that. I'm really glad you're here. It wouldn't be the same without you.

[If Casey's goal was to stop Rue from crying, he's frankly doing an awful job at it.

The owlbear sniffles and cries quietly, leaning forward to bump their forehead affectionately into his, but there is no mistaking their tears as anything but the trembling emotion of their utter happiness. Even after the fear left behind in Peter's hurried scramble away, they feel light at Casey's words. To be held in such esteem, to be thought of as important like that, it takes Rue's breath away.]

I don't know what to say. It means so much to me that I've made any difference in your life, but the way you speak, it feels significant in a way I didn't anticipate.

[For Rue, they have always felt blessed to be included in these boys' lives, an honor they never could fully pay any of them back for. All of them gave Rue a reason to keep going on, even in their immense heartbreak, a reason to open their heart and trust again, even when that felt so utterly impossible in the wake of Hob's betrayal. Rue has spent so long feeling grateful for the chance to be involved in their lives, that they maybe forget how important a piece they've been for all of the boys too.

To hear Casey say it is startling.]

I never felt important to anyone until I met all of you boys.

You're always important, then. Because you're stuck with us.

[They're not going anywhere. Even if some of them are confused or stubborn, even if sometimes they panic and run away, even if they can't let themselves be adopted for one complicated and understandable reason or another. They'll come back. Rue's provided a home, a nest, a fixed point. For Casey, Rue is a base. You always know where the base is, no matter how far you wander. The base means safety, security, shelter. The base is where your family is.

When things go bad, you run back to base. He goes to Rue. Same thing.]

How important are we to you?

[It sounds like a self-serving question, but he does have a purpose, honest.]

Believe me, I will follow you boys anywhere. I have no fears there.

[Whether that is to remain in Folkmore, to return to New York, or to journey on forward to another realm entirely, Rue will be right there following at their heels, dragging Hob behind them.

But then Casey asks the most important question and the owlbear doesn't even hesitate in answering.]

In the life I lived before, I was completely untethered. An honored member of a court I had no love for, raised in a place that never once felt like home, with fae who never felt like family. I thought of myself as orphaned, forever drifting between parties so that I never had a single moment to myself to realize how I felt like a stranger within my own home. After thousands of years of wanting nothing but family and connections, I found I was still bound to no one, adrift with nowhere to land.

And then, out of pure luck during a Bloom, I met Hob and finally I had a single tether to cling to, someone who understood, how lost and aimless and alone I'd felt the whole of my life. And then I lost him too.

But in the wake of that, I realized my connections with Donnie and Leo and Peter had grown stronger than I ever thought myself capable of, and then there was you and Raph and darling Hunter. Then suddenly, I had not one but six ties stretching back to me, a cottage of my own but one that I could share with each of you, a place made into a home by all of the love you all brought into it.

[It's a very roundabout answer, but Rue feels the history is important. Rue did not grow up like the Hamatos or Casey, deeply loved and cared for. For many a millennia, Rue was just simply alone.

Their talon hooks gently under Casey's chin, angling it up just enough where Rue can meet his gaze. It must be no surprise that they are radiant in their joy getting to answer this.]

You all are my heartbeat, my every happiness, the very reason the sun rises each day in my life. There is nothing I wouldn't do for any of you. I can not think of a single thing more important.

Edited 2023-12-22 09:01 (UTC)

[Rue returning to New York with them admittedly makes the idea of going back there far less daunting. Leo, Donnie, and Raph want to go home and see the rest of the family, but Casey doesn't have a home there, and the family aspect is nebulous without this place and the memories made here. Rue and all the connections gained in this world could make it a home, if they all go together.

He listens to their words with wide eyes - though he was clearly asking for it, placing such a question at their feet to be considered - his mind spinning with how much of an answer it was. It takes him a long moment after they finish to remember what the heck he meant by that question.]

W-well... think about all of that, and imagine it's us feeling it instead of you. A lot of us have lost people, or been isolated, or gone through terrible things. We came from different worlds, different timelines. Now we're connected to you, and to each other. It's... overwhelming. So we don't always handle it like we should. And maybe sometimes we freak out and have to run away, or we have to think about it before we let the connection stick. And...

[He trails off, quiet for a long moment.]

...And, I forgot where I was going with this. [A fluster rushes to his cheeks, and he covers his face with his hands.] Everything you said was too good! I should've gone first! Um- I just wanna say we love you!

[It is a kind sentiment to think of their own feelings reversed, but Rue can't quite believe it entirely.

They know their place in their children's lives and they have happily accepted it. With the exception of Hunter, the rest all have families of their own who they would return to in a heartbeat if given the chance. Rue knows it is not the same for them because for Rue, they have no one else. Their children will always be first.

But really, they do not mind coming second. It is such a great honor to rank at all in their lives, to be able to share anything with them, to be part of their family and be allowed to call them sons.]

I know you're right. And, if I have not been clear, I must say that I do not blame Peter for his reaction. It - [a gentle pause, their talon slipping away from where it was curled under Casey's chin, beak clacking together thoughtfully. they do not like to admit it, but they want to be as honest as possible]

It only hurt me briefly, that is all. I want the best for him, whatever that ends up being.

[But they will beam and brighten at that slightly bashful reaction from the son cuddled up with them right now.] Forgive me, I didn't mean to steal the spotlight like that. It is one of my very few flaws. But know that the love that you each shower me in daily is so deeply returned. I'm honored to be a part of all of your lives.

[Even a brief hurt sucks, but maybe there's no helping it. What Rue feels, what Peter feels... both are valid. Doesn't make it necessarily right - a lot of what Peter said isn't all that healthy, he thinks - but he feels what he feels and that's that. They can only work with, and around those feelings, until or unless they change.

With a quiet sigh he lowers his hands and slumps against their side instead, arms sliding around them. Brief hurts get long hugs, that's the rule.]

It's hard... not being able to do more. When there's no easy cure or fix for this stuff.

[Especially when he wasn't actually supposed to hear any of that. Even if his excuse is a good one!]

What should we do?

[There will be zero complaining from Rue at being gifted that long hug, the owlbear all too eager to return it with enthusiasm, pecking a kiss into Casey's hair.]

We give him space to calm down and brush away any lingering embarrassment he might feel. And then, I suppose the best thing we can do is simply show him we love him. Prove our words with action, without overstepping the way that I already have.

[They can see it now more clearly. It doesn't make what happened any less surprising and hurtful, but Rue will know better than to make the same mistake again.]

Peter will get there. We just have to keep proving that his trust in us is worth it and that we are all here to support him.

[He nods slowly. That's the sensible option, going slowly and carefully to avoid a repeat of that panic. Meeting him on his level and working on his fears at a gentle pace. It's more what Rue and Leo can do than the rest - they are the closest to him - but as his friend, Casey can try to do his part, too.]

If you need me for anything, please tell me? I'll be there right away. If not me, at least someone... you carry a lot on your own already.

[Leo would be the best candidate, admittedly, but he can't volunteer anyone else, only himself. Rue deserves support too, and there are definitely things he can do.]

[Rue hardly knows what to do with that offer, it surprises them.]

Casey, you are so generous and caring. [The best of them all, Rue thinks, so young and so wounded, but still so good.] But I promise, I am just fine. Shouldering anything with you boys is never a burden. I am only taking enough to help you all breathe easier.

[Their wings settle around Casey like they always do, long feathers trailing down his back, engulfing him in their soft warmth as Rue squeezes him.]

What Peter needs is friends too. Not just this family that has elbowed their way into his life, but friends willing to have fun with and do different teenage activities together. Peter and I can have fun, certainly, but it's impossible to erase how much more of a parent than a peer I am. And Leo and Peter can do things certainly, but Leo is his partner, it paints the whole interaction differently.

If you do not mind it, maybe offering to hang out more often with planned activities might be good for him.

[He shakes his head at once.]

I don't mind at all! I like hanging out with Peter. He's really nice, and it's fun... he doesn't even get annoyed when I ask a million questions.

[Nobody does, technically, but Peter tends to get the bulk of his dumb inquiries about past/modern Earth, since he lived the human-on-the-surface life. He has insights even the turtles wouldn't be able to provide.]

[Even wrapped up in their arms, Casey can probably tell his parent is squinting above him.]

Has anyone gotten annoyed with you for simply seeking clarification?

[Casey's eyes widen. He can smell danger in the air.]

Um. No?

[And they relax just as easily, right back into the cuddle.]

Good! I'd be terribly cross if anyone had. Asking questions is never something to be shamed for.

But either way, I'm glad. If that's the case, just keep going forward with how you've already been spending time with him. That's the best way to remind him that he doesn't have to face this alone, he has an entire community, ready to lift him up.

[Thank goodness, his nonexistent critic is spared their wrath. And at their continued suggestion, he smiles brightly.]

Yeah... yeah, got it. Okay. Teamwork!

[They can do this together. Smash those anxieties, collectively. It'll work out somehow, surely. They all deserve to be happy.]

Want to stay over? We can have dinner, and Hunter'll want to see you when he's up. You're always hosting us, we can finally return the favour.

[oh!!!!

Rue pulls away just enough to beam down at Casey, as if afraid they might have misheard him.]

Truly? Are you certain he wouldn't mind?

Not at all! He'd be happy for sure. He loves the heck out of you too.

[He's not subtle about this. Neither of them are, really. Any time spent with Rue is a good time.]

[It's true. Their boys are fairly obvious in all things, but Rue adores it.]

Then I would be delighted to stay. I can not remember the last time I was a guest anywhere. I hardly know what to do!

You don't have to do anything. Just let me do it all! I learned from the best already!

[He's gonna host the heck out of this. You will be soooo hosted.]

[Rue can not wait! To sit back and see exactly what Casey has learned from them, their heart may just burst!

After the earlier hurt with Peter and the hunt from before even that, a touch of easy conversation and good companionship would be a perfect way to spend their day. And Rue can think of no one they'd rather spend time with.]

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