apuckalypse | folkmore IC contact

[wherever Casey is staying, he shall wake up to a letter the morning of the 13th, addressed to him in beautiful blue ink, all looping, graceful letters.]

My dear friend Casey,

I hope this day is finding you well.

How fortitudinous that our paths crossed inside Vasilisa's but a few days ago! I can hardly begin to imagine how my arrival would have gone without the kind reassurances and gentle promises of friendship you provided me with. I look forward to getting to learn more about one another. The world you've come from sounds most interesting. I should very much like to hear more about it someday.

My short time in this place so far has been spent mostly in Willow. I've been making myself familiar with the layout, the shops, the darling little daily market. There is still so much to learn of our new home - there are moments I fear it shall take me years to learn the full of it properly! - but I am much emboldened to be surrounded by such generous, warm individuals, such as yourself, so willing to welcome me without pause.

We simply must take tea in my new home at your earliest convenience. Let me know when you are available and we shall set a date. I eagerly await your reply.

All the best,
Rue ♥

[It takes a while for him to read it; his education definitely did not include how to read cursive or fancy handwriting. He's going to cherish the heck out of this, though. His first letter! On real paper! It's beyond precious, and the fact that Rue took the time to write him like this over such a casual comment is just… ah! It's so much! This place is so much.]

Rue I got your letter! Thank you!! It's so nice! I'm gonna write you back! Give me some time, okay? Oh and I'd love tea! Anytime you're free!

[Oh! It does warm Rue's heart to know he's received their letter.]

Certainly, my friend! Please, take as much as you need. Some of the fun is simply in the anticipation.

And of course. How does this afternoon work for you? Or tomorrow morning, if not today?

I can visit this afternoon, yeah. It's the address on the letter?

[That sure does make it easier to know where to go and where to send a response. Envelopes are so sensible!]

[the power of an epistolary phase!!]

That is correct. My cottage is still quite simply furnished for now, but I would be delighted to have you over.

Should I bring anything?

[He's never visited anyone's house before, and isn't sure what he could bring, but he's got time! What is house visit protocol!?]

Only yourself. I shall provide the snacks.

Okay. Thank you! I'll be there in a bit.

[Tea with Rue, tea with Rue-!]

[True to his word a responding letter does arrive a couple of days later. It's… rudimentary, which is obvious by the envelope alone. Both letter and address are written in blocky, elementary-quality printing, though the content itself is just fine. His hands lack the experience or coordination for handwriting versus texting, clearly. He's enthusiastic at least?]

Dear Rue,

I'm doing well, I think. It's hard to get used to seeing so many people. This world is so lively but it's also too quiet. I've never been on my own before, so the quiet is new.

I'm glad I could help you when you first got here. You really helped me too. I can't lie, I was a mess. But you were so nice and calming to be around. That's amazing, you know? You're amazing. Thank you for giving me some peace when I really needed it.

I haven't stayed in Willow yet. I'm trying to stay in all the different places before I figure out where I want to settle. If I can settle. I'm used to moving around a lot, I can't remember the last time we had a long-time home. How do you choose? There's so many options. I'm staying in a hole in a hill in Lapine right now. I like living underground, because it feels like my old place. But maybe it'll change. The sun is too bright for me still. I loved seeing your home though, and maybe seeing more houses will give me ideas of what it's supposed to look like. I don't know how to decorate yet.

Writing is hard. It takes so long! I think I like it, though. You really have to think about what you're writing. Thank you again for the letter. I'll keep practicing.

All the best! Are you supposed to end things a certain way?
-Casey

[This letter comes with a small package - dropped off at his residence and tucked into the mailbox, not even mailed - containing a booklet of nice quality paper and some fancy ink pens. Just a little something to help make the experience even better.]

Dearest Casey,

It pleases me deeply to hear that you are doing well, though I completely understand the sentiment of finding so much of this world too quiet. While I do mostly enjoy the silence, it can, at times, be almost overwhelmingly so. Those are always the moments where the absence of my husband feels the most pronounced.

I know we are new friends, but I hope you do not think me too forward to extend a paw and offer you temporary stay at my lodgings, if the loneliness of living on your own ever becomes too much. You shall always have a place with me.

Thank you for such kind words, dear. Truly, I am grateful I was able to bring even a little peace to you that day. It was quite the ordeal for all of us.

Truth be told, Willow reminded me most of my home, so the choice was easy to make. I also find the cottages there to be more spacious than any of the housing elsewhere. Most of it is made with humans in mind, naturally, so most spaces do not have ceilings and doorframes to accommodate my unusual height and frame. The cottage I've found may not be completely perfect - I still must bow my head to clear the entryway - but it is as near as I can hope for.

I can not overstate that any space you create for your own will be perfect however you wish to style it. A living space is as much a reflection of yourself as the clothing you choose to wear. So I look forward to seeing what you create. But, having said that, if you need a creative eye on bringing your space together, I am more than happy to offer my talents.

Letter writing does take some practice and upkeep! To be told, I have not written a proper letter since I left Faerie, so I do feel most out of practice. So this is a wonderful way to hone that skill all over again. Thank you for indulging me with these letters, even if there are quicker ways to communicate in this world. And as a small thank you for writing with me, I've enclosed some fine paper and ink that should come in handy with your practice. Please let me know how you like them.

As far as a closer goes, most letters end in a Complimentary Close. It is the part that immediately precedes the signature and it can be any manner of closer. The most common would be Sincerely or Cordially or Always, but you can be as creative as you like. Much like this:

Always your friend,
Rue ♥

[His next letter comes a little faster, and it's written on some of the new paper they gave him. Each paragraph switches to a different colour pen.]

Dear Rue,

Thank you for the package! These look so nice. I like the colours. I feel really fancy writing a letter with this.

Thank you for the offer to let me stay, too. You're not the first to do that either. People here are so nice and welcoming, I don't know what to say. When I did that public post, I had a bunch of strangers offer to take me out for food, or to bring me stuff they baked, it was amazing. I had no idea folks could be so generous. I don't know how to thank everyone, now. It feels kind of empty just saying it. Is there anything I can do for you, that might help you? I'm not good at a lot but I can clean and take notes. I've been told I learn stuff quickly.

I wonder if there's anyone who could modify the house to make it easier. I'm no builder, so I could be wrong, but changing a door wouldn't be too hard, would it? Just make the whole thing a little bigger. I'll think about my own decorations, but I'll hold off until I really settle. I don't want to end up moving again and having to cart whatever I got with me. I don't have portals for that!

If we both need the practice, I don't mind writing more letters. I'm happy for it, actually! It's sort of fun? A different kind of fun than I'm used to. I can tell just by looking that you know a lot more about writing than I do. Never had much of a chance to do handwriting before. Hopefully it isn't too hard to read. If it is, sorry! But that's what the practice is for I guess.

If you don't mind my asking, and sorry if this is a weird question: do you look the way you do because of this place, or how you were born? Because back on Earth there were a lot of mutants and yokai with animal traits, but not all of them started out like that, and Thirteen gave a lot of people different features, too. I didn't want to end up saying something that might bother you if she did something you didn't like. (Oh, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to. And sorry again.)

If that's too weird, how about: have you ever seen a cat? I saw one for the first time the other day! It let me pet it! It was so soft... I think I'd like to turn into a cat instead of whatever Thirteen did to me.

Let's see. Sincerely, until next time,
Casey

To my dearest, Casey,

Nothing could please me more than to hear that you are enjoying the small gifts I sent along. Please let me know if you begin to run out of anything. Next time, we can shop for new supplies together.

As for your concerns, I must ask only that you trust in the goodness of the world around you. I also come from a world where such one-sided kindnesses often seems impossible, but I assure you, a word of thanks is sometimes more than enough. It certainly is for me. I expect nothing from you besides, I hope, a mutual continued promise of friendship.

You make a very convincing point. It seems silly to put my paw down and refuse to allow others to help me in the very same breath that I have asked you to let yourself be helped as well, but I suppose my mind is still struggling to believe this cottage is truly my own. I do not know if this world is quite that cruel yet, but my previous quarters were a rented unit with roommates. Sometimes I can hardly believe that all of this space is truly my own. Clearly, I must change my mindset.

As for your lodgings, you need not rush, little one. As I have stated, if you need a temporary place to stay while you are finding your perfect home, you will always have space here with me. Among the fey, time is so much less of a demand. I find that it is only with humans where time begins to become a more pressing concern, but I promise, you have all the time in the world to search. And while you do, you shall never be without a roof over your head.

Believe me, I have spent the last few millennia becoming a master of making words out of chicken scrawl and your handwriting is nothing of the sort. And practice is only improving it.

Oh, I must apologize! I should have assumed my shape would be new to someone from such a particular world. No, this is my true form, unaltered by Thirteen. I was born an owlbear. What you see is my most authentic self.

(And for your extra question, yes, I have had many associations with cats over the years. They are quite dear, don't you think? If I was to take an animal companion, I think I should like a feline.)

Until next time, my friend!

Always,
Rue ♥

[Is he gonna tear up a little every time they call him dearest? Maybe. It's such a gentle way to start a letter. No one's ever called him that before.

The letter this time has a new address on it, a little closer to Rue's home- a house in Leshy.]

Dear Rue,

I'd love to go shopping with you. I bet you'd have all kinds of great advice on what materials to buy. I'm not sure I'd know where to start. But at least I have plenty of spoons for it now?

Oh, and you can definitely count on me to keep on being your friend! I'm happy to, as long as you'll have me. I'd be an idiot to say no, especially when you've been so nice, and have never done anything to make me think otherwise. I'm lucky to have you.

If you want any help with your house, just say the word and I'll be there. I don't know that much about construction, but I do know a few tricks on making a small space work better for someone really tall. Oh, speaking of! I'm trying out the treehouses in Leshy now. It's not bad, the area smells really nice. I'm not sure I like how open it is though it has great background noise- nature sound amazing! I've never seen animals like this! I can always hear people around, which makes it feel less lonely. It's close by the lake, if you ever want to try those swimming lessons.

You don't have to apologize at all. I just didn't want to pry into it if it wasn't my business. I've never met an owlbear before, but I could probably write a whole book full of stuff I've never heard of. I'm glad I can say I met one now. Is it weird to say I think you look really cool? You remind me of home.

Have you been to the cat cafe? They're so cute. I wanted to stay and pet them all day, but the coffee made me sick so I had to go home. Next time I'll have tea.

Always your friend,
Casey

[Ooh, that one does feel good to write. He'll remember that.]

[This letter comes along with another small gift. Delicately folded up and wrapped in magically color changing wrapping paper is a varsity jacket, completed with Casey's name displayed on the back, in a soft teal color. It is the same exact jacket that Peter and the turtles are receiving, just in his color and with his own name.]

My friend,

And how grateful I am to have your friendship! Please think nothing of it, but I have attached a small token of my affection with this letter. I did not take your measurements, but I have a fairly keen eye on such things. If it needs taking in, however, please do not hesitate to ask. I would be happy to adjust it however you need.

That sounds quite exciting. What is it like to live among the trees? Despite my wings, I find that I am much more comfortable on the ground, but I have always been curious. Do you ever fear you shall fall? Or is it quite safe? And what luck, there is a lake near my home as well, so we shall have plenty of swimming spots to take advantage of once we begin.

It is only weird if you say it is. But thank you, dearest, there was a time where I was ashamed of my wild appearance, but I have since grown to love my shape. It is unique and strange in a land of mostly humans, yes, but it is also striking and soft and beautiful. Which may sound vain to say of oneself, but I could not care less. If my appearance has been torn down by others my whole life, then I shall be the one to rebuild it myself. To be a reminder of home, however, is a compliment I shall always hold dear.

Thank you.

I have not even heard of a cat café! That sounds darling. Would you like to join me there soon? I would love the company.

Please be wary of the fog as of late. It can be easy to get lost within if you are not careful.

Your friend forever,
Rue ♥

Edited 2023-08-24 19:57 (UTC)

Dear Rue,

Thank you again for the jacket! It's so nice. I've never gotten clothes this nice before. I promise I'll always treasure it! I think it fits just fine, though I wouldn't know how it's supposed to look. Still, I don't think you should change anything about it, it's perfect.

It's a little strange being around trees at all, nevermind living in one. They didn't exist anymore in my world, but here they're so huge it's like they're from another planet. I'm not worried about falling so much, since I usually have my gear with me. My glove has a grappling hook, so I should just be able to catch myself. If not, I can probably roll and land safely enough that I wouldn't die or anything, so don't worry.

I don't think it's vain to say you're soft and beautiful. It's just the truth. My sensei used to talk himself up all the time (how he was big and strong and handsome) and some people said he was full of himself, but to me it just sounded like confidence. Life is hard enough already, there's no reason to be hard on yourself too. I think he'd tell you something like that if he were here. I'm sorry that other people couldn't see that before. But I'm glad you have lots of people around you now who can tell you you're beautiful!

Actually, I have met an owl person before, now that I think back. When I was little, Big Mama visited our base (she's a huge spider yokai, i don't know if that's her real name) and she had guards with her. One of them was a huge owl yokai. I think his beak was as big as my head! I don't think he ever so much as looked at me, but I hid in sensei's scarf until they left. He didn't have a kind face like yours.

I'd be happy to go to the cat cafe with you. It's not too far at all. And even if it was, it would be worth it! Call me biased, but I love cats now. I vote we go there next. I bet they'd love to sit on all your soft feathers.

You be careful of the fog too! I'm gonna wear my mask every time I go out…

Also your friend forever!
-Casey

[The whole bottom of the page is covered in hearts of varying colours and a variety of little emote faces. Mikey would be proud. …But mostly he's just practicing with the new pens.]

Casey,

Whether you think it's perfect or not, I'll measure it next time I see you. I want to make sure there is enough room in the shoulders for you to continue to grow, while still not being a hassle by slipping off of you too easily. I promise, if I do any alteration on it, you may watch, to make certain I change nothing else.

And please, if there's any other clothing or tailoring you need, you simply must tell me. As your friend, I want to help where I can, to make your life in this land as easy as possible.

Thank you, I am much relieved to know you shall be safe up there among the trees. Though I may beg that any meetings we have are here, safely on the ground. I do not think my reflexes will save me as easily as yours will save you. What grace I have been blessed with only applies to the solid ground beneath my taloned feet. I am certain I shall become quite the clumsy oaf if ever I followed you up into the trees.

Your sensei is just as intelligent as I am certain he's told himself. I'm grateful you had someone like that to learn from. He sounds like a lovely man and a wonderful mentor.

Have you truly? How marvelous! I have yet to meet another owlbear myself, but I have indeed met another owl person. They were a dear friend to me and I shall never forget how seeing her wings struck me with such a sense of awe the first time. To think it took so much of my life to meet another physically similar to myself, even if not exactly the same.

It may be foolish, but I hope to meet another owlbear some day. I know they are beasts, that most are aggressive and wild and will not recognize me as their own, but it is a dream I have had since I was a cub. Just one and I will be satisfied.

(I am deeply touched that you think my face is kind. If I may speak plainly, I think yours is quite kind as well. Your eyes especially.)

It is settled. The cat café shall be our next new adventure together. I look forward to meeting all of the cats with you.

On another note, I have been taking daily trips to the market and my pantry is simply overflowing. You must come over and take some of this food. I will pack it up nicely for easy transport, but I will hear no argument.

See you shortly,
Rue ♥

Dear Rue,

Instead of making you work while we're out and about, next time I come over, you can measure if you want. There's no rush. I did want to ask you, though, do you have any suggestions about what kind of clothes I should wear? We didn't really have fashion back home, so I don't know anything about it. I've just been buying whatever looks comfortable. I guess it's never mattered too much to me, since we just took what we could get, but it would be silly if I had a pro right here and I didn't ask for ideas. Especially when you seem to love it as much as you do. (You've done enough though, so if it's too much work on top of whatever commissions you've got, don't worry about it!)

The treehouses are okay, but I don't think I'll live here. I want to live somewhere that my friends can visit. Not sure if I'll try the apartments next or somewhere else. Should I go to Gram? We could be neighbours for a bit. :)

As for sensei, I'm sure he'd like to hear you say that himself. You should tell him, since you all know each other. What a surprise that was! The world is bigger and smaller than I thought it would be at the same time. Or should I say universe, since we come from all different worlds? I don't know how it works.

I hope you do get to meet another owlbear someday. And who knows, maybe they'll be nicer than you think. Even if they're wild, though, that's not so bad. There's good and bad versions of all kinds in the world, even humans. Especially humans, sometimes.

So, you gave me so much food along with everyone else who's been helping me that now my pantry's the one overflowing. Thank you! I'm really well taken care of. I can't cook or do much else yet, but I wanted to send you something back, so I took a couple of extra days to press some leaves and blooms from the taller trees around here, since you can't climb up high. I hope they look okay. And don't worry, they were about to fall, so I didn't pull them off. I've never seen the seasons change before, but I asked around and it sounds like autumn might be starting soon.

<3
-Casey

[Included is an extra package with a cardstock page covered in multicoloured leaves and pressed flowers, arranged in a manner that is not half bad, albeit rather basic, conveying an air of "first-try". Casey never got to experience the normal arts and crafts of childhood, so let's just say he's testing the waters. They're lucky he's not sending macaroni art.]

[Casey hardly has to ask. This petter is quite a bit thicker than previous, because within it, Rue has attached multiple pages of designs for Casey, basic little sketches of himself (very rudimentary) in all sorts of different styles of clothing (much more detailed). There is some Athleisure, some casual, and some cozy. In all, there's about a dozen different selections for him to browse through.]

My dear friend,

I have attached some sketches that came to me over the last day of what I think would look lovely on you. Please let me know if any catch your eye and I'll be happy to bring them to life. (Though I may make you the oversized sweater regardless, as it is both darling and very practical for the colder weather.)

And please you must take my most sincere, ardent thanks for this beautiful gift! The next time you do visit, you shall see that it is hanging in my window. What a beautiful spray of flowers and greenery. Perhaps the next time you feel like crafting another, we can try together. It could be quite a great deal fun!

Oh, you simply must let me know if you decide to give Gram a try, though I warn you, it shall be very hard to leave if I am visiting you daily! Can you imagine, being able to take tea together and chat every single day while tending to our gardens? I can hardly imagine anything so lovely as that!

Pray, you must forgive me, as we have spoken of your Sensei in past tense, I hardly realized that he was here among us as well. May I inquire as to who he is? Someone that I already know? I can hardly guess as to who that would be, it certainly can not be my new friend Fenris. None of how you have described them matches him in the slightest.

I will close this letter with another word of thanks. Thank you, Casey, for being my friend and being so open to trying all of these new experiences. I find your bravery refreshing, how willing you are to open yourself and try new things. Sometimes that can be quite terrifying, but I have never once seen you why away from the unknown. I am so grateful to know you.

Your friend always, through thick and thin,
Rue ♥

[This letter is accompanied by many of the sketches returned to them with a number in the corner of each. It seems he's ranked them in order of favour. He shows that he's particularly fond of althleisure and cozy, and items with either simple flat colours or repeating patterns. Without cutting into the drawings themselves, there are a few arrows pointing towards some of the features he likes. More rarely, there might be a comment of if a particular article or part would be hard to move in. He's still got the mentality of function over fashion, sorry Rue.]

Dear Rue,

I don't know how to respond to these sketches without looking greedy! I love all of them. I marked down my favourites, so maybe you could pick a few that you like most, or would be fun for you to make? I took copies and am going to use them for reference when I shop for clothes. This is really going to help a ton, thank you! You went above and beyond anything I could imagine. Please take your time, you must have a lot of work to do already.

Next time I visit I'll definitely bring more flowers and pressed plants. There's a lot of them in the forest, way too many to count. I'm not sure where I'll put them all. Someone suggested I make a book, so I might do that. I can't get over how colourful everything is. This place is beautiful. No wonder people like nature so much.

Tea with you all the time does sound really nice, actually. That would be a big point in Gram's favour. I still have some time in the treehouse, but I'll probably scout out some of the cottages next week. I'll let you know as soon as I'm there. Maybe you can show me around :)

Sorry for the confusion! I thought he might have told you already. Sensei is Master Leonardo. I'm from the future in his world, or I guess an alternate timeline now. Where I came from aliens called the Krang destroyed the world, so I was sent back in time so they could be stopped. And they were! Leo and everyone saved the world, so now there's a different future. It's just a habit to call him sensei still, because I always have, but I don't think he minds. At least, he hasn't told me he does. Is that weird?

Actually that's a silly question. Everything about what I just said is weird… but sensei is Leo, just a future version. (I don't know anyone named Fenris.)

Rue, you don't have to thank me for being your friend. I'm happy to do it, and it means I get to have you as a friend, too. But if you insist, then thank you for being my friend too! It's a lot easier to be brave when I have someone like you encouraging me to try. I've never seen anybody support the people they care about the way you do. If you ever need someone to stand with you and help you feel brave, don't hesitate. I know we'll all come running.

Thank you thank you thank you!
-Casey

My dearest,

You must forgive me the strange order of this letter, but I simply could not wait to address this particular topic with you. My darling Leo is the Sensei you have spoken so fondly of? And you are from a future point from beyond where he is from? I believe I understand. Well! I should think after this story you've lived through that desiring to call Leo your Sensei is hardly the weirdest part of it! I imagine you are just fine. He would say otherwise, if such a thing bothered him in the slightest.

I am not at all surprised with the descriptions you have given me to imagine that man as Leo, nor the idea that he and his brothers have saved the world before, but I can not begin to conceive how strange a situation it is for you, darling. I can only hope it is not too difficult to navigate. The boys do adore you so much, even with these strange time shenanigans in play.

Well! Let me try to get back to the rest of the letter now.

There is nothing at all greedy about wanting to present well and dress in the style you are most comfortable in. As someone who went without for dozens of years, I can promise you that such a thing should simply be a human right. But I must say I am most delighted that you enjoyed any of my designs! I will get to work bringing a few to life for you posthaste.

A scrapbook of dried flowers perhaps? That could be quite beautiful. I prefer them living, certainly, but I've pressed many a flower in my day. It is a simple enough process with wondrous results. If you decide you should like to start such a hobby, I only ask that you bring your book by on occasion, so that I may see the results.

You hardly even need to ask. I would be more than happy to give you the full tour. I think my faerie friends at the market would be delighted to meet you.

Your words honor me, Casey, and I am grateful to know that neither you nor I must face this new world alone, even if there are those we wish were here experiencing this all with us. So, instead of thanking you again for your friendship, I shall simply say that I am very happy to know you.

Be well my friend,
Rue ♥

[This letter arrives from a new address- a not-too-distant cottage in Gram, of course.]

Dear Rue,

I won't lie, it's been ha ~~pai~~ challenging. They're so kind and fun to be around, and they've taught me so much about what life should be like. They're the same people deep down, but they're missing so many memories. To me, they've always been there, as far back as I can remember, but to them we only met a month or so ago. It's like my whole family forgot who I am. Or more like, they're my family, but I'm not theirs. If that makes any sense.

Peter told me something similar, that they like me and all, and I hope that's true. I think it is. I want them to like me. I'd be too scared otherwise, I don't want to lose them again. But I worry sometimes I must seem like this weird kid they just met who knows them better than I should. Sometimes… it's hard to be around them. There's so many things I want to say to them, but none of it would make any sense. I don't want to bother them by acting like we're closer than we are, or to make them feel pressure to be something they're not. I said some things to ~~sensei~~ Leo that I probably shouldn't have when I first met him. He wasn't what I expected, and that's not fair to him. I want to do better. I'll try harder to make new memories instead.

[There's a gap here, and a shift in pen colour. A pause in the letter.]

That was a lot, now that I look up. I'm sorry to drop all of that on you. Should I have just started over? I couldn't lie to you, though. Please don't tell them I said all that, unless you feel like you have to. I can't imagine how it'd make them feel. I think it helped to write it down though, so… thank you.

Sorry this letter is kind of a bummer. Better news: I went ahead and found a book I think will work for the flowers. I haven't gathered too many yet, but it's a start. I might have to wait for a while, though- if fall is coming like people say, there won't be many flowers or leaves left. I'll save what I can and wait until spring. (Flowers come back in spring, right? I sort of remember hearing that.) The idea of normal seasons is so weird to me, but I'm excited to see what comes. Do you have a favourite season?

I didn't know you had faerie friends! I'd love to meet them. I've never met a faerie before. What are they like? Anything I should know? You probably noticed, but I'm in Gram now. It's really nice and peaceful here, I can see why you like it.

I'm happy to know you too, Rue. I'm really glad I got to meet you. I feel safe with you. I guess that's why I'm saying too much. Promise you'll tell me if I overshare?

❤️
Casey

My friend,

You never need worry about dropping a thing upon me. That is simply what friends are for, to help carry the burdens we all have, so that not a single one of us must face it completely alone. It is the same as you would do for me, as any of the turtles would do for you or I, and vice-versa. You can trust me with your feelings, Casey. I promise that that trust will never be misplaced.

Oh, I can not wait to see your flower book! With all of the lovely greenery in Gram, I doubt it will take you very long to fill it. As far as the flowers go, I suppose that most are meant to live only during the warmer months, but mine may just be touched with magic enough to keep them alive year round. And you are always welcome to them, naturally.

How on brand for me to say Spring, but I just love the way that nature recovers from the harshness of Winter, how it softens the land and brings forth such beautiful new blooms. It is a time of replenishment, of rebirth, it is the triumph of making it through the most difficult time of the year and thriving. There is a love and warmth and the beauty of new life in Spring, but I have also thought of it as courageous in a sense, a time to rest and recover after the fight through Winter, to emerge alive on the other side of the new year and find nothing but endless possibilities awaiting you.

But I digress, what do you think your favorite season shall be? If you are quite uncertain, I'm sure we shall discover that together, as they begin to change.

And Casey! I thought you must know, but you very much have met a faerie before: me. Had I not mentioned my association with the fey before this? You must forgive me, dear. I know that my shape suggests something wilder, but even if I was not born a fey, I am fey by the magic that brought me to sapience. The blood that runs through me is faerie, not owlbear, as I have been remade in the fey magic's acceptance. But! Having said that, of course I shall be happy to introduce you to my friends. We just may need to speak more on that specifically beforehand. There is much to know before speaking to a faerie.

You shall never make me uncomfortable with oversharing, but I promise you, if I feel such a way, I will let you know. Until that very moment, you must tell me anything that you like. You are my friend and I enjoy hearing from you, all the good and all the bad. Do not feel as if you need to shield a thing from me.

I find myself in anticipation of Autumn as it sweeps in closer to us.

Your friend forever,
Rue ♥

Edited 2023-09-12 04:59 (UTC)

Dear Rue,

I could fill this whole page with thank yous over and over and it still wouldn't feel like enough. Instead of wasting this nice paper I'll just say it once: thank you for always helping me. If I can grow up to be even half as supportive to people I care about as you are, I'd be happy. And of course I'd come running if you ever needed my support now.

I'm not sure what season I'll like best. There's things I'm interested about in each of them, and stuff I know I won't like. Probably the one I'm most curious about is winter. I want to see what snow is like, to do everything you can do with it like skating or sledding or snowball fights. I want to know what a "snow day" means! But I don't know if I'll like the cold. It was cold plenty of times back home and it just made everything harder. Maybe it feels different if you have a nice house to warm up in after. Oh, and hot chocolate! I've had it now, but I hear it feels different when you have it during a snow day. So I want to try that.

About the faerie stuff, I guess I just don't know enough about it to tell the difference! I don't know much about fey or faerie, are they the same? Or can you be fey and also faerie? And are there also fairies, or is that the same, just spelled different? I don't think my world had any of those, except in old stories. Even most of those were lost in my time. We had yokai and mutants and witches, mostly. Anyway, I won't forget that! Faerie and fey, got it. And now I know how to make flower crowns, so I can share and talk with more faeries in Gram. :) I hope they like me.

The trees are turning interesting colours. That means autumn's really coming, right? I might make a whole other book just for keeping leaves. I'm going to end up keeping so much stuff now that I have the space for it. I'd better pick where to live before I get too serious with all of that, though. That part's harder than I thought it would be.

Love,
Casey

My most dearest friend,

My greatest apologies on the delay of this correspondence! As you well know, things have been busy for us as of late, and it has only been a day or so since I've seen you in person, but still, I enjoy our letters too, enough that I'd love to continue them long after our writing practice has concluded.

There is nothing quite like a day out in the cold and then coming in to thick blankets and a warm drink. We shall have to plan for that once winter arrives. I can easily see that as something we invite the turtles and Peter too along with us, an afternoon playing in the snow with them sounds like quite the event. I imagine even I would be shaking snow from my feathers after that. Either way, I look forward to spending the next seasons with you as you experience them for the first time.

It is hardly your fault. I clearly have done an atrocious job at explaining. Yes, for the most part, such words are interchangeable, though I suppose that fey encompasses those within the Feywild who are not true faeries, as well as those associated with our magic from the Material Plane. It is rather complicated, isn't it? Having lived within it, I'd hardly realized how much it was to explain. But for the ease of conversation, I am both, though not by blood, only by magic.

As for the faeries in Gram, I'm certain they will adore you just as I have, but I will make proper introductions once I have coached you in the way of faeries. I like them dearly, of course, but most fey are tricksters by nature and will do anything to bind a human to their service. I do not sense such motive when I have spoken to them in the past, but that was between their own kind. I fear they may be very eager to strike an unfair deal with you. So, coaching first, then we shall make new friends.

If you need someone to listen through your pros and cons of each housing sector, I would be happy to hear your thoughts on all of them. You deserve a home where you will feel safe, that you can make into your own, and I fully support you no matter what you choose. Let it be known that I will make the trip however far just to come and enjoy your lovely company.

Chase your happiness always,
Rue ♥

Dear Rue,

You don't have to apologize, I didn't even get this letter until today. I was staying in the Tides a lot, instead of going back and forth. It's hard for me to go in the submarine, but I can't swim well enough to do the nymph thing. But I wanted to explore the city! Even after this long I still feel like I've barely seen any of it. It's so pretty and lively. It's too far away for me to actually do it, but I keep thinking, what an amazing place it would be to live.

A day out in the snow with everyone sounds really amazing. If we do that, we have to ask them to sing the snow day song. Sensei and Commander O'Neil used to sing the bits they remembered in December around the base sometimes, and I've always wanted to hear the whole thing.

You didn't do anything wrong with explaining! I should have asked more questions, but I didn't want to grill you on what you are. That felt kind of rude when we hadn't known each other very long yet. I think I understand the fey a little better now. Though you have me kind of worried! I'll try to be careful not to get tricked by any faeries... hopefully I don't trip up trying to make friends. But if you're both fey and faerie, does that mean you're secretly a trickster too? :)

Thank you for the offer to help me pick my home, and for all your encouragement. It means a lot to know you'll still visit me. And I'll visit you! I think I do want to pick a place that's close enough to everyone that visiting won't be too hard, though. I want to be around in case anyone needs me, if it's for a fight or just emergency blanket forts or something. It's always important to be on call for whatever's needed. At least that's how I grew up.

Always your friend,
Casey

a letter delivered, Aug 13th

text, same day

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Aug 15

Aug 16th

Aug 18

Aug 20th

Aug 22nd

Aug 24th

Aug 26

Aug 28th

Aug 31 (gasp i am LATE)

Sept 2nd

Sept 4th

Sept 7th

Sept 9th

Sept 11th

Sept 13th, pre-trial

Sept 19th

Sept 24th