Chapter Text
Stelle
Nub
N
Umby
Topaz
Huh?
Aventurine
Oh? What’s this?
Stelle
Ubbbm
Topaz
[Attachment: Topazconfused.sticker]
Aventurine
Haha
Friend, are you feeling well?
Stelle
NUM
Topaz
What??
Aventurine
Hmm…
Numby?
Topaz
What about Numby?
Aventurine
Send a picture of them to our friend here.
Topaz
Okay…?
[Attachment: Numby.jpg]
Stelle
horay
nummy
Umb um
Topaz
Aventurine, are you punking me right now?
Aventurine
Never! That’s just Stelle.
Topaz
Mind clueing me in, then?
Aventurine
Care to wager?
Topaz
Zero
Stelle
CHEEP
Aventurine
She’s in delirium!
Topaz
Okay, but why?
Aventurine
Unclear, but it’s nothing dangerous if she’s asking for Numby pictures instead of help.
Say, Stelle, what are you doing right now?
Stelle
Bored
[Attachment: Stelle.png]
Topaz
Woah
You don’t look so good
Aventurine
How rude! You have no taste.
No worries, Stelle. You look just as beautiful as ever!
Stelle
[Attachment: PomPomlike.sticker]
Topaz
Nonono I didn’t mean it like that!
I’m sorry Stelle, I meant that you look really pale
Are you okay?
Stelle
How tp stop hedache
Aventurine
Minimize your screentime and refrain from doing strenuous activities.
Stay hydrated and rest in a dark, quiet room.
Stelle
thx phone
Aventurine
You are very welcome! Thank you for contacting the Stoneheart hotline!
Stelle
[Attachment: PomPomheart.sticker]
Topaz
…are you serious right now?
“Stelle?”
Himeko stands in the doorway, head tilted and brow raised as she looks pointedly at the girl, who is sitting against the counter.
“What are you doing up?”
Stelle very obviously hides her phone behind her back with a lopsided grin.
“Himeeee! Miss’t youuu!” She breaks off into endless snickers.
Himeko glances at an open cabinet door and shakes her head affectionately. “You rolled out of bed just to get your phone? You’re addicted.”
She helps Stelle up, slinging an arm around her shoulder, and guides her back to the bed.
“Ow,” is what Stelle says as she lays her head down on the pillow.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be texting for hours at a time.” Himeko points out, offering Stelle the Watchmaker’s hat in exchange for her phone. She falls for it hook, line, and sinker, plopping the hat over her eyes and giggling.
(“Clockie-tocky,” she mumbles. “Tick-tock…”)
Himeko looks at her texting history and chuckles. “Of course.”
Stelle
Hello. This is Himeko from the Astral Express.
Topaz
[Attachment: Topazshocked.sticker]
Hello, Miss Himeko!
Aventurine
Miss Stellaron was caught, then?
Stelle
She’s been quite sneaky with her phone lately.
Rest assured, she is well on her way to a full recovery.
Topaz
Is it the flu?
Stelle
Concussion.
Aventurine
No wonder her head hurts.
Topaz
At least she’s okay.
Thank you for letting us know.
Stelle
Thank you for indulging Stelle.
You aren’t the first she’s tried this with.
Aventurine
And I doubt we’re the second or third, either.
Stelle
Indeed, you are not.
The conversation ends there. The next morning, though, Himeko finds an anonymous delivery of snacks and supplies has been made. There is a note scrawled in fancy handwriting that says: A care package for our dear friend.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Welt
How is everyone doing?
March 7th
Dan Heng and I are at a snack stall!
Dan Heng
We’ve finished speaking with Miss Bailu. She estimates the cure will be ready in a few days.
Himeko
Good to know.
I’ve tracked down Stelle’s attackers. They were thrown in their local jail for a different case.
I will be heading there shortly to meet with them.
March 7th
[Attachment: March7thangry.sticker]
Get ‘em, Himeko!
Dan Heng
What about everyone else?
Pom-Pom
Pom-Pom is cleaning!
Welt
Sunday?
How are you and Stelle?
Sunday
Come back soon plz
Skdkdjdkfjkl
Welt
Oh?
March 7th
Huh?
Dan Heng
…
Himeko
Stelle, give Sunday’s phone back to him.
Sunday
Dis is Sundae
I luv Robin
She so cool
Her songs r awsmoe
Apfjvndkekt
March 7th
[Attachment: March7thstare.sticker]
Sunday
I apologize.
It seems that Miss Stelle is feeling much better than we thought.
Welt
What do you mean?
Dan Heng
What did she do?
Sunday
As per your instructions, Mr. Yang, I confiscated her phone.
But when she heard the ringtone going off on mine, she asked who it was, and naturally, I told her the truth.
She leapt out of bed, took my phone from my hands, and fled through several cars.
March 7th
What???
She’s supposed to be SICK!
She was texting us and you couldn’t even catch her?
Sunday
She is extremely nimble.
Himeko
No worries.
Did you manage to wrangle her back into the infirmary?
Sunday
With the conductor’s help, yes.
Welt
Are any of you injured?
Sunday
No.
She threw the hat at me again, though.
March 7th
We need to find a better place to put those…
Sunday
I am allowing her to take my phone again so she can send you all a brief message.
March 7th
Okay…
Sunday
hi
Sorry
I wilb not do again
Dan Heng
I doubt that.
Sunday
Miss u
Come back soon
Plz
I luv u guys
Himeko
We love you too, Stelle.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Stelle
Booooooo
an
Rap
Boothill
The fork?
Rappa
Ninja Stelle?
Stelle
Hi
Boothill
Uh
Howdy
Rappa
Greetings!
Stelle
whatre you doin
Rappa
We are on a mission! It is of paramount importance- top secret- but I know that Ninja Stelle would never betray us!
We are searching for the great boon of dreams!
The elixir of happiness!
The elusive light of the ancient ninjas…
Boothill
I’m buying her some muddle-fudging SoulGlad
Rappa
Indeed!
Stelle
Ooo
Can I hav sm
Boothill
Well, where the fudge are ya?
Stelle
train
Boothill
Easy pickings
Anything else?
Stelle
hungy
Smng
Yummy
Swessert
Boothill
The fudge?
Stelle
Fudg
Boothill
Girl, are you alright?
Stelle
Evyone ask me dat
Wanna
Woosh bam swingggg
Stuck and bord wahhh
Boothill
Son of a nice lady…
I didn’t get a lick of that.
Rappa
Aha! The Baseball Bat Ninja is truly incredible! To speak to us in code…yes, this must be an unprecedented emergency!
Boothill
The fork it is.
Rappa
Come, Lord Silvergun Shura! We must not leave our sister ninja in her time of need!
Worry not, Ninja Stelle! We will aid you as your trusted ninja allies!
Boothill
Aw fudge, why not.
See ya soon
Stelle
Wait!
Everything’s fine, Stelle is fine!
Rappa
Say no more, Ninja Stelle! Do not be afraid!
Your allies are on their way!
Stelle
Please don’t tell me you’re actually coming over
[This message has failed to send.]
Hello?
[This message has failed to send.]
Dan Heng is gonna be so mad at me
[This message has failed to send.]
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“Stelleeeeee,” cries March, sliding to her knees in front of the girl’s bed.
“Maaaaaaarch,” Stelle echoes.
“You’re gonna get me in so much troubleeee…!”
Stelle smiles and pats her head. “Soft~”
“I had one job, and that was to make sure you don’t get into any more trouble! For one more day! You couldn’t wait one more day!”
Bailu’s cure was nearly finished. The rest of the Express was relaxing, and March had been assigned to take care of their patient. She had truthfully been neglecting her duties, disembarking for an hour to take some pictures. Then, upon her return, she had walked in on Stelle hiding under a blanket, the light of her phone (which had been locked in the now-open top cabinet) very clearly shining through the fabric.
“Neh.” The culprit unapologetically pokes March’s cheek.
“I’m so done with you,” she grumbles.
Stelle hugs her, clinging to her like a needy koala. “March~”
“Why can’t you be normal already? You’ve always been weird, but this is a different level of weird.”
“I love you guyssss…”
March blows a stray lock of silver hair out of her eyes. “You keep saying that.”
“I doooo!”
“Yeah, well, it’s not gonna stop Boothill and Rappa from coming over, is it?”
“Ehe.”
“What do you mean, ehe?!”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“We have arrived at our destination without incident!” Rappa gloats.
“Hello, Boothill. Hello, Rappa,” greets Himeko.
“Hello, Ninja of the Astral Express!”
“Howdy,” Boothill shifts his hold on a bag of groceries from one hand to the other. “Where the fudge is she, and what the fudge happened to her?”
“She’s in the infirmary,” says Himeko.
“She’s delirious.” Sunday replies.
“Never fear!“ Rappa brandishes her own bag, weighed down with its contents. “Myself and the Silvergun Shura have procured key supplies that will surely be of use to Ninja Stelle!”
“Thank you for your concern.” Himeko takes the bags from them, nodding in the direction of the infirmary car. “Follow me. I’m sure she’d love to see you.”
The door is already open when they get there. Boothill takes one look and whistles. “Holy forkeroni.”
A very displeased March is being cocooned by Stelle, who has dragged the girl up onto the bed with her. From the blankets and pillows strewn across the floor, it’s obvious that March had struggled in vain to escape her friend’s iron grip.
Stelle lights up when she sees the others walk in. “Hiiiii!”
Himeko just laughs. Sunday inches away from the scene- given how Stelle has “attacked” him three separate times now, Himeko doesn’t blame him- and March’s face contorts into an even cuter scowl.
“Hey, some help here?!” She exclaims.
Rappa clasps her hands together. “Honing your ninjutsu even at your lowest point…you are truly admirable, Baseball Bat Ninja!”
Stelle beams. “Rappa! Boothill!”
Boothill turns to Himeko, who has set the bags down on the counter.
“Alright,” he says gruffly. “What muddle-fudger did this to her?”
“It’s the side effects of a potion that was splashed onto her.” Himeko explains. “It leaves its victims in a drunk-like state. According to my sources, the time it takes to wear off depends on the person, but it seems like Stelle was just unlucky.”
“I’m suuuuper lucky,” drawls Stelle. “Aventureeee gave me his coinnnn.”
Rappa digs through the bags and takes out a SoulGlad. “Behold, Baseball Bat Ninja! An elixir procured just for you! And this,” she pulls out a box of candy. “Is the cherished sweetness you needed for your training! May it serve you well!”
Stelle finally releases March so she can take the candy. March scrambles to her feet and trips, nearly knocking into Sunday as she attempts to regain her balance.
“Why are you so strong?!” She complains. Stelle is busy replacing her with Rappa.
“You’re the bessssst,” she coos. “I love you guys.”
“I am moved by your words, Ninja Stelle!” chirps Rappa.
Boothill guffaws. “Good to muddle-fudging see ya, Stelle! And hey, if those shirtbags ever come ‘round to bother ya again, just let me know! I’ll beat the fudge outta those sons of nice ladies!”
“Be well as you continue your ninja training!”
“And enjoy the goods.”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Bailu
I knew she was delirious when I inspected her the first time, but wow.
It really didn’t wear off at all?
Dan Heng
It did not.
Thank you again for your help, Miss Bailu.
Bailu
You’re welcome!
The cure should kick in pretty quick once it’s administered.
Oh and I whipped it up pretty quick, so…I’m not entirely sure about the side effects
It’s a really potent sobering medicine, so it might give her a headache
And she might throw up
…
Was I too late?
Dan Heng
It was both
Bailu
Oops.
Dan Heng
Thank you for your help, Miss Bailu.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Stelle gets her bearings rather quickly, thanks to her family and the hot soup they give her.
“So, uh,” she manages after polishing off her second bowl. “What happened while I was out?”
Everyone looks at each other.
“…What? What did I do?”
Sunday takes Stelle’s phone from where it is lying on the counter. He hands it to Dan Heng, who hands it to March, who chucks it at Stelle, who yelps and fumbles to catch it.
“What was that for?!” She asks, bewildered.
“Check your phone.” Himeko states as Welt hands all of Stelle’s weapons back to her.
Stelle furrows her brow and checks her texting history. There is a long silence.
“Oh. Whoops.”
“Is that all you have to say?!”