DEERINGTON | Inbox

[neverstudied]

[art is by wolfnoir]

"This is Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghostbuster. Or ex-Ghostbuster, I guess, but that depends on how ya look at things. Not like we've been short on ghosts to bust in this place. Leave a message."

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[yodelling]

[Good job, Venkman, you won at a thing!!]

Yup. Woody's Round-Up. It was real popular in the late fifties. It was a national phenomenon and everything. Woody's got the whole series on videotapes back in the house- they showed up in his blessing basket.

[You know. If you ever wanted to watch the glory. The toys won't judge.

Oh. Well. That's sure a reaction she's going to remember. Sure is. ]

Yeah? You got somebody special?

[neverstudied]

Really? Maybe I'll check them out sometime, if you're alright with it.

[Jessie can definitely hear the barely-disguised excitement in his voice.

Conversely, his tone at her remaining question is harder to decipher- carefully even, like he's fielded similar questions enough times to have all his answers memorized.]

Hey, maybe. But a gentleman never kisses and tells, ya know?

[Not that he's ever been considered a gentleman in anything but the broadest sense of the term.

But really, he's a public media figure in the 80s. He's very used to deflecting the relationship thing. And yeah, he likes Jessie, and he's already trusted her with a lot, but full trust is hard to come by with Venkman. Not even his partners know everything that goes on in his head, and that's how he prefers it. And this is just something too important for just any friend to know about.

Until he either learns to let his guard down in Deerington, is fucked up enough by Deerington's effects to fuck up and let something slip, or he really, really trusts Jessie, she's not getting that answer from him.

Of course, she can also come to her own conclusions and probably be entirely right about them.]

[yodelling]

We sure are. Heck, Woody would probably insist on it- make you snacks and everything. He loves that show.

[She likes it just fine, but then she's been part of the Woody's Round-Up collection for decades and the shine comes off it after you're boxed up with it for long enough. At least she doesn't seem too put out by him not telling her. ]

Fair enough, you keep your secrets. Whatever makes you happy.

[Look. Look. It took her and Buzz ten entire years to get their shit together- and if anyone had asked her about him back then, she probably would have given much the same answer as Peter has. Feelings are tricky beasts.

Of course, she will still come to her own conclusions when she hears Ray talking about him enough- but Jessie's a good, respectful friend who won't just openly point that out. Venkman is gloriously safe. ]

[neverstudied]

As soon as we're back in Deerington, then.

[It's kinda nice, making plans for the future like this. And ignoring the fact that there's no guarantee that they're not trapped on the Titanic for the rest of their lives.

And honestly, the fact that she's not pushing almost makes Venkman want to tell her anyway. There's a tinge of relief in his reply.]

Thanks, Jessie. [He even got the name right this time!] I'm glad you've got Buzz with ya. Sounds like you two are lucky to have each other. Especially here.

[And yeah, he's still a bit bitter that he's just got Ray here, and not the other two, but he tries not to let the wistfulness leak into his voice. He is happy for her, and he's grateful that he's not alone.

On the bright side, the fact that there's only two Ghostbusters here means Jessie'll probably never find out the whole sordid truth until it's spelled out for her. Sure, him and Ray is easy enough to figure out if she's observant- him and Ray and Winston and Egon, though... There's a bombshell for another day.]

[yodelling]

You got it.

[It's nice to hope that they'll see Deerington again. Jessie never thought she'd miss the dang place, but it's for sure the lesser of two evils.]

We are! I know I'd be lost without him. Here or back home, honestly. He's a keeper.

[That sure would be quite the thing. At least toys don't tend to stress out all that much about social conventions. There's one good thing about technically not being people and that's that they don't really judge actual people all that much. ]