In one of these Mythic villages, on the south side of a rocky snow-capped mountain, lay a cottage resting beside a freezing stream surrounded by the thick, dark overgrowth of the forest. Ivy could be seen growing on the crumbling stone walls, cobwebs in the windowsills, and flowers of all kinds bloomed in the moist earth around it. At first glance, the old house might seem abandoned... But I assure you, there was life living in there.
If you took a tiny peek through the slightly lop-sided front door, you'd see a young, red kangaroo; blissfully reading an old time-worn book while comfortably sitting on an equally ancient (but well kept) couch.
And if you moved your eyes to the right slightly, you would've seen two white kangaroos, peaking around the corner from the kitchen at their red sister, trying not to utter a sound. They might've given each other a slight nod before carefully tip-toeing their way to where the younger kangaroo was.
Now, let us watch this unfold, shall we?
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???: What are you doing, Ruby?
The kangaroo looked up to see the two boyish faces staring at her with bright blue eyes. She gave them a cold look and turned her eyes back down to her book.
Ruby (red kangaroo): Isn't not obvious? I thought you were smarter than that, Kevin.
The first white marsupial gave a slight chuckle and folded his arms. His look-alike copied him, almost simultaneously.
Kevin (white kangaroo - hood): Oh, it's quite clear, my dear sister... but isn't that, like, the 100th time you've read that thing?
Ruby: No.
???: Ah! So you've read it more than a hundred times!
Ruby rolled her eyes, but refused to look at anything other than the words on the pages in front of her.
Ruby: I'm afraid your math is incorrect, Devin. Now go away and stop bothering me.
But the two brothers didn't move, and persisted to stare at Ruby.
Devin (white kangaroo - vest): We can't do that, sis. Because we have something important to tell you!
Ruby: Mm-hmm. Sure.
Kevin: Really important!
Ruby: Just spit it out already.
Kevin gave his twin a slight nod, and both of them turned deadly serious in an instant. Kevin stepped forward, and announced to his younger sister...
Kevin: We both think you have too much time on your hands.
Ruby raised an eyebrow, this time lifting her head up a bit to look at them. The twin's expectantly waited her reaction to their concern.
Ruby: ... Is that a bad thing?
Devin groaned while Kevin face-palmed, making Ruby grin slightly. Making her elder siblings frustrated was always something she could enjoy.
Kevin: Don't you have anything better to do than reading old books by the hour?
Ruby: Well, what else is there to do? The Darkon's have moved, there's no school until Grandma gets back from Kirida, there's nothing interesting to do in the square or night-markets... and did I mention that the Darkon's are no longer here?
Devin: But surely you're interested in other things besides books? Like, playing the organ or going for nature walks in the haunted forests next to our charming village?
Ruby: May I remind you that we no longer have an organ, and I only go into the woods for alchemy ingredients; I never stay long enough to enjoy myself!
Devin: Well, that explains a lot.
Ruby: Explains what a lot?
Devin: Why you have no friends! You're so dull and grumpy all the time that no one wants a pal like you - you're already an old nasty lady at age fifteen!
Ruby felt herself growing hot with anger as the twins sniggered at Devin's conclusion. In a rage, she snapped the book she was reading shut, and threw it at Kevin's head. He easily caught it and tossed it back to his sister, who grudgingly caught it again.
Kevin: Why'd you throw it at me? Devin's the one who said it, not me!
Ruby: As far as I'm aware, you're both one and the same. As long as I hurt one of you, I hurt both of you.
And so saying so, Ruby got up and jabbed the book into Kevin's stomach. She started to storm up the stairs and to her room, but the twins (realizing that they might've hit a nerve) tried to stop her.
Devin: Where are you going?
Ruby: To the house of king Mortimer the second-and-a-half.
Kevin: That's no longer an actual place.
Ruby: .. I'm going to lock myself in my room until Grandma comes back.
Ruby reached the top of the stairs and to her door as Kevin threw an offer at her.
Kevin: Wouldn't you rather come outside and play some frostball with us? That sounds so much more interesting than being stowed away in your bedroom all night!
Ruby: No.
Ruby turned the handle to her door and swung it wide open. Her elder brothers tried again to bribe her out of going into the solitary confinement of her room.
Devin: Aw, come on, Red! We promise we won't go too soft on you! We'll even let you be captain if-
Ruby: What did you think I meant when I said no? I'm not interested in your offers of free bruising and crushed feet. Thanks, but no thanks, you jerks!
Devin: What if-
Ruby slammed the door shut, creating a loud BANG which shook the house slightly. The two brothers looked at each other, shrugged hopelessly and trudged outside to join their friends for a game or two before dinner.
*****
Meanwhile, Ruby slumped down onto her bed and grumpily stared at the floor, not caring about the world around her. At that moment, she hated her elder twin brothers so much she felt like crying... But she didn't, because she knew that wasn't going to help.
Instead, she kicked a stack of books down, destroying a cave of cobwebs and disturbing a slumbering red spider on top of the pile. The arachnid gave a startled snore of surprise and fell onto the floor near the angry kangaroo's feet. The spider briefly dusted itself off before jumping onto Ruby's bed and sleepily rubbed it's eyes.
???: Hi. Uh... I can't help but notice that you wrecked my lair. So... are you going to explain to me why you ruined my perfect den of awesomeness?
Ruby: No. Go away, Fang.
The spider sat down on the springy mattress and took a deep breath.
Fang (red spider): Ok, then... What's ailing you, kid?
Ruby: The world.
Fang: Yeah, I feel you. The world hates me a lot, too.
Ruby: That's because you're a spider. You're automatically loathed.
Fang: Yes, well... Enough about me. Why do you hate the world right now?
The red kangaroo sighed and picked up a pillow to hug. It was nice to talk about ones feelings to someone (even if it was a spider).
Ruby: My brothers, for one thing. I get that it's practically their job to annoy me, and I admittedly do it to them sometimes too, but... I wish they'd just leave me alone sometimes, y'know?
Fang nodded solemnly, and stared into her blue eyes with all the seriousness he could muster.
Fang: Oh, yes. I often wish they'd stop eating my leftover sandwiches from over the week! They have no idea how much hard work I put into hoarding those lunch scraps! It's ridiculous how inconsiderate those two boys are!
Ruby rolled her eyes and continued, ignoring Fang's comment.
Ruby: They just really frustrate me sometimes. Actually, a lot if I think about it.
Fang: At least they're not your sisters. Just imagine how horrific those two would look in dresses! It's enough to send shivers down my spine...
Ruby: You don't have a spine, moron!
Ruby chucked the pillow she had at Fang as hard as she could, but the red arachnid skillfully dodged it and scurried back to her side the next instant.
Fang: Anything else you want to declare besides my idiocy?
Ruby sighed again and hugged her knees, rocking back and forth as she let out the rest of her problems.
Ruby: I guess I'm just a little lonely as well. Ever since Pandora moved to Hushedloh, I've had to no one to hang out with! Well, no one that I particularly like, anyway.
Fang: What about Milky? Don't you like her anymore?
Ruby: Sure I do! But she's family, and I want someone outside the DeathDancer tree... That may or may not sound selfish, but that's how I feel.
The Vampire stopped rocking for a second to pick up an adventure book, and stared dully at the cover.
Ruby: I envy the characters in my books. They always seem to have brilliant adventures into the unknown with friends by their side, battling deadly beasts and outwitting stupid villains! (And sometimes rescuing the occasional royalty, but that's beside the point.) It would be so cool to have something like that happen in my life one day...
Fang thought for a moment and then jumped down from Ruby's bed and dashed into a nearby hole in the wall, disappearing from sight. Ruby gave a huff of annoyance and gazed off after him.
Ruby: Looks like he didn't understand what I was trying to get at... Oh well. That's what I get for talking about my feelings with a spider.
Ruby opened the book she was holding, and started reading it's contents, not knowing what her little pet spider was scheming until it was too late...
Awesome! Love the new designs!
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