Yeah, that's what he always does. You -- or we -- could even ride him all around the beach while we're there but he always knows how to just nap and relax too. Okay, we'll be there soon!❤️❤️❤️❤️
You can get a ride all around the beach from him. I'm not even sure if he gets tired, at least not easily, he just enjoys cat naps whenever his company is too busy with everything else.
[She could have said 'and all across the sky too' but she'll leave that as a surprise.
Derpy is a fast tiger, especially when he can travel across the sky, so he doesn't need to watch out for any traffic on the streets. Of course there are all of those air busses in Nightwake, so they'll watch out of for them and everything else. But it's still so much faster than dodging everyone down on the streets.
So it doesn't take Rumi very long at all to reach Solarpeak with Derpy. She just so happens to be wearing a similar outfit as the last one, that Zoey may remember her wearing back home. They might be the first ones of the three of them to arrive, thanks to Derpy, but either way she dismounts the tiger near the ice cream shop and pets him, waiting for Zoey to reach them too.]
[Zoey slid her notebook into her bag, careful as if it were something fragile. The leather cover was warm from being in her hands all day, and she could still feel the press of her pen strokes inside—inked confessions she hadn’t meant to write. She chewed her lip, hesitating. A part of her wanted to leave it at home, to pretend the song didn’t exist. But another part—the restless, secret part—insisted she had to show Rumi.
Her mind wouldn’t stop racing.
What if Rumi thinks I’m being stupid? What if she says it’s dangerous, that I shouldn’t even have written it? What if she’s right?
It took her a little longer since she'd stopped a few times, and was walking on her own. But not too long after Rumi arrived hopefully Zoey rounded the corner and spotted them. Waving as she walked over.]
Heeeey, hope you haven't been waiting long. He's sooo cute!
[Rumi doesn't mind waiting at all, she uses that time to give all the cute affection to Derpy, who definitely doesn't mind waiting like this at all either. Not that she even needs to wait for that long but even so, that's on her for coming here by riding the tiger. It's not even her first time coming to the beach in that style, though last time it may have been going back to the apartment from this beach on Derpy's back with Jinu... Or at least that was the last time, when they didn't have anyone else with them and that was "way back" when there was all of that stuff with freezing / frozen hearts going on. After that they've also been here while little Rumi was around too.
She's genuinely very curious to see the song as surprising, and on the other hand not surprising at all, it is that Zoey has written a song for him. About him? Both? But she's trying not to think about it too much before she'll see it and hear about it from Zoey.
Anyway, Rumi waves right back to Zoey as soon as she sees her.]
Hey! No, not at all, we just got here too. He really is the cutest!
[Out of all the tigers and animals, ever, that is, and after all of that waving, Rumi will of course greet Zoey with a friendly, soft, gentle and tight hug as soon as she can. Derpy will also cuddle his head against the girls while they hug.]
[Zoey melts a little into the hug, feeling Rumi’s warmth and the steady, reassuring pressure of her arms around her. Derpy nudges his head into the curve of their embrace, his soft rumble vibrating through them, and Zoey can’t help but let out a small, nervous laugh.]
Totally the cutest.
[She still loved the hoodie that had his little face on it. After a moment Zoey pulls back just enough to meet Rumi’s eyes, her hands clinging to the strap of her messenger bag with her notebooks. This had actually been the third song she'd written since arriving, and there were already a half dozen notebooks that continued a mixture of lyrics and ideas. Zoey just hadn't really had the courage to share them yet with everything, and still adjusting. Not until they were perfect.]
We have to get a cone for him too.
[Alright she might be stalling a little, trying to put it off just a few more moments.]
[Rumi also melts into that hug a little, or maybe even more than that, letting it last a while longer than she may have originally intented to since hugs here always feel so amazing. Not that hugging with Zoey doesn't always feel amazing even without all of the touch energy stuff from this world added into it. Also real tigers may be unable to purr, but Derpy is a magical / supernatural / demonic tiger, he can totally purrr and he's already doing so as he nudges the girls.]
The most adorable. Guess we'll have to share our mascot with the Saja Boys...
[Saying that as if Derpy isn't originally Jinu's anyway. Then they can have even more hoodies with Derpy on them too! Rumi smiles at Zoey as soon as Zoey pulls back from the hug like that. She doesn't need to worry about anything, like sure Rumi may have her opinions but she's also not going to judge at all here -- that'd be one hell of a thing for her to do considering everything, that she's doing behind their backs in their home world in her time. Oooor with what she said about how much she trusts Jinu, which they can also talk about here if Zoey wants to... ]
Yeah, let's definitely get one for him too. Do you want to get that and the shakes first? Then we can focus on the song and everything else, while we already have them? Though we can always get more ice cream later too.
[A little more stalling? Rumi can roll with it, she gets it. And besides, it sounds nice, eating all that ice cream while reading and talking and whatever else.]
[They'll claim Derpy just like with a hoodie, it might have been Jinu's but now it was fair game for Rumi too which totally meant for Zoey and Mira as well. Zoey trusted Rumi completely, but her songs were still pretty personal. Mainly she was a bit nervous because she probably should have spoken to Rumi and Mira about agreeing to write a song for the embodiment of death before just accepting.
But shakes would totally make it better right? No one could be too upset or mad with something cold and sweet in their hand.]
[Yes, they will and Derpy loves all the Huntrix girls too already, so why would they even start "fighting" like which group gets to keep him as a mascot? More Derpy for everyone, when they'll share it and both sides make merch too -- and this is all assuming Saja Boys continue in any way here. But why wouldn't they do that too? Anyway, yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah, there's no denying that Rumi won't be like Zoey should have talked with them first in a case like that. But surely everything will be just fine.]
On this beach, where it's just eternal hot summer day almost all the time? They sound perfect. My treat since you'll let me see your amazing lyrics as a treat, okay? Feel free to take two or more too if the flavors tempt you that much, though really, we can always get more later.
[Rumi laughs a little and grins at Zoey. Because speaking of flavors -- she walks closer to the ice cream shop, Sugar Galaxies, and stares at all the advertisement of its flavor selection on the outside of the shop. Wooooooooooooowwww, yeah, if she didn't have clear favorites in mind for today? This could take forever, there's basically anything, that anyone could ever dream of + saying they can mix them together too.
Derpy on the other hand sees a big A-frame sign of giant bowl of banana split and tries to sniff it at first, then he starts reaching out with one of his paws. Rumi rushes a few steps to make sure the sign stays up and gives a laugh at the look on the extremely excited tiger's face.]
Okay, okay, you clearly want that. I'll get that to you.
[He looks so happy about that. Also also, he knows how this works, he's been following both Rumi and Jinu, and Rujinu everywhere, so he suddenly changes his form into a cub once again. Zoey might have seen him in that form too while little Rumi was still here, or then not, maybe this is her first time seeing that cub appear from a giant magenta smoke cloud. Well, first time or not, it will never ever stop being adorable. He can come with the girls to the shop now, right? Yes, yes he can.]
[Zoey’s eyes go wide as the magenta smoke clears, leaving behind the tiny striped cub looking far too pleased with himself. She bites down on a smile, but it breaks through anyway, soft and helpless as she watches him pad in circles like he’s showing off his new size. The oversized bell on his collar clinks faintly with each step, a sound almost too delicate for something that had just been a towering, purring presence a second ago.]
You’re… ridiculously unfair. How am I supposed to focus on anything when you look like that?
[She crouches down automatically, messenger bag slipping a little against her shoulder as she wiggles her fingers toward him. He barrels straight into her hands, tumbling and rolling before flopping against her knees with a chirrup that’s definitely not tiger-like, but Zoey can’t bring herself to care. Her heart squeezes tight, full in a way that almost makes her dizzy. She scratches behind his ears with both hands, hair falling forward as she laughs.]
Alright, banana split for the baby prince. Guess we don’t get a say anymore.
[Zoey glances up toward Rumi, her cheeks flushed both from crouching and the weight of the moment. She tugs lightly at the strap of her bag again, grounding herself, and the familiar nerves buzz back in like static under her skin. The lyrics in those notebooks suddenly feel heavier, sharper, like they’re burning a hole straight through the canvas bag and into her. But Rumi’s grin is so steady, so sure, and Zoey feels her chest unclench just enough.]
I… um. After the shakes—if you still want—I can show you the song. I mean I have like three so far, but there's the one I need some feedback on. Actually two, maybe, I'm not sure the other one's ready for a Rumi look over.
[Her voice comes out softer than she means, but she doesn’t look away. Not this time. Even if her stomach does a little flip as she says it.]
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YES PLEASE!! 😻💖 Omg omg that would make it 100x better!
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See you in a few!
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[She could have said 'and all across the sky too' but she'll leave that as a surprise.
Derpy is a fast tiger, especially when he can travel across the sky, so he doesn't need to watch out for any traffic on the streets. Of course there are all of those air busses in Nightwake, so they'll watch out of for them and everything else. But it's still so much faster than dodging everyone down on the streets.
So it doesn't take Rumi very long at all to reach Solarpeak with Derpy. She just so happens to be wearing a similar outfit as the last one, that Zoey may remember her wearing back home. They might be the first ones of the three of them to arrive, thanks to Derpy, but either way she dismounts the tiger near the ice cream shop and pets him, waiting for Zoey to reach them too.]
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Her mind wouldn’t stop racing.
What if Rumi thinks I’m being stupid? What if she says it’s dangerous, that I shouldn’t even have written it? What if she’s right?
It took her a little longer since she'd stopped a few times, and was walking on her own. But not too long after Rumi arrived hopefully Zoey rounded the corner and spotted them. Waving as she walked over.]
Heeeey, hope you haven't been waiting long. He's sooo cute!
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She's genuinely very curious to see the song as surprising, and on the other hand not surprising at all, it is that Zoey has written a song for him. About him? Both? But she's trying not to think about it too much before she'll see it and hear about it from Zoey.
Anyway, Rumi waves right back to Zoey as soon as she sees her.]
Hey! No, not at all, we just got here too. He really is the cutest!
[Out of all the tigers and animals, ever, that is, and after all of that waving, Rumi will of course greet Zoey with a friendly, soft, gentle and tight hug as soon as she can. Derpy will also cuddle his head against the girls while they hug.]
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Totally the cutest.
[She still loved the hoodie that had his little face on it. After a moment Zoey pulls back just enough to meet Rumi’s eyes, her hands clinging to the strap of her messenger bag with her notebooks. This had actually been the third song she'd written since arriving, and there were already a half dozen notebooks that continued a mixture of lyrics and ideas. Zoey just hadn't really had the courage to share them yet with everything, and still adjusting. Not until they were perfect.]
We have to get a cone for him too.
[Alright she might be stalling a little, trying to put it off just a few more moments.]
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The most adorable. Guess we'll have to share our mascot with the Saja Boys...
[Saying that as if Derpy isn't originally Jinu's anyway. Then they can have even more hoodies with Derpy on them too! Rumi smiles at Zoey as soon as Zoey pulls back from the hug like that. She doesn't need to worry about anything, like sure Rumi may have her opinions but she's also not going to judge at all here -- that'd be one hell of a thing for her to do considering everything, that she's doing behind their backs in their home world in her time. Oooor with what she said about how much she trusts Jinu, which they can also talk about here if Zoey wants to... ]
Yeah, let's definitely get one for him too. Do you want to get that and the shakes first? Then we can focus on the song and everything else, while we already have them? Though we can always get more ice cream later too.
[A little more stalling? Rumi can roll with it, she gets it. And besides, it sounds nice, eating all that ice cream while reading and talking and whatever else.]
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But shakes would totally make it better right? No one could be too upset or mad with something cold and sweet in their hand.]
That sounds like a good idea. We might need them.
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On this beach, where it's just eternal hot summer day almost all the time? They sound perfect. My treat since you'll let me see your amazing lyrics as a treat, okay? Feel free to take two or more too if the flavors tempt you that much, though really, we can always get more later.
[Rumi laughs a little and grins at Zoey. Because speaking of flavors -- she walks closer to the ice cream shop, Sugar Galaxies, and stares at all the advertisement of its flavor selection on the outside of the shop. Wooooooooooooowwww, yeah, if she didn't have clear favorites in mind for today? This could take forever, there's basically anything, that anyone could ever dream of + saying they can mix them together too.
Derpy on the other hand sees a big A-frame sign of giant bowl of banana split and tries to sniff it at first, then he starts reaching out with one of his paws. Rumi rushes a few steps to make sure the sign stays up and gives a laugh at the look on the extremely excited tiger's face.]
Okay, okay, you clearly want that. I'll get that to you.
[He looks so happy about that. Also also, he knows how this works, he's been following both Rumi and Jinu, and Rujinu everywhere, so he suddenly changes his form into a cub once again. Zoey might have seen him in that form too while little Rumi was still here, or then not, maybe this is her first time seeing that cub appear from a giant magenta smoke cloud. Well, first time or not, it will never ever stop being adorable. He can come with the girls to the shop now, right? Yes, yes he can.]
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You’re… ridiculously unfair. How am I supposed to focus on anything when you look like that?
[She crouches down automatically, messenger bag slipping a little against her shoulder as she wiggles her fingers toward him. He barrels straight into her hands, tumbling and rolling before flopping against her knees with a chirrup that’s definitely not tiger-like, but Zoey can’t bring herself to care. Her heart squeezes tight, full in a way that almost makes her dizzy. She scratches behind his ears with both hands, hair falling forward as she laughs.]
Alright, banana split for the baby prince. Guess we don’t get a say anymore.
[Zoey glances up toward Rumi, her cheeks flushed both from crouching and the weight of the moment. She tugs lightly at the strap of her bag again, grounding herself, and the familiar nerves buzz back in like static under her skin. The lyrics in those notebooks suddenly feel heavier, sharper, like they’re burning a hole straight through the canvas bag and into her. But Rumi’s grin is so steady, so sure, and Zoey feels her chest unclench just enough.]
I… um. After the shakes—if you still want—I can show you the song. I mean I have like three so far, but there's the one I need some feedback on. Actually two, maybe, I'm not sure the other one's ready for a Rumi look over.
[Her voice comes out softer than she means, but she doesn’t look away. Not this time. Even if her stomach does a little flip as she says it.]