Rufus Catch-All

[misstrust]

Comments

[misstrust]

[ ... If he didn't want to tell her, she thinks he'd just say it was none of her business. So that's... ]

They just appeared, then? Or you clearly had an exciting night.

[soulus]

If I did, I don't remember it.

[Having established that, he ushers them back to the plush that Rupe has been chewing on all this time from the head first.]

You mustn't eat that.

[misstrust]

Oh, it's fine. He's just playing with it. Nothing more than a chew toy, after all.

[ Way to sound so nonchalant, Dorothy. ]

[soulus]

From the emporium?

There are better toys than this.

[misstrust]

No, it was a little something given to me for that scavenger hunt. Not really my cup of tea.

[ In fact, she'd really wanted to just chuck it into the river. ]

[soulus]

This is the reward?

[Evidently, he's yet to redeem his.]

I don't see the value.

[misstrust]

On that, you and I are in total agreement.

[ In fact, she's crooning now to Rupe-- ]

Why don't you shake it a little harder? There's a good boy.

[soulus]

[Rupe eyes Dorothy, drops the plush in his mouth, and bounds back to Rufus' side.

What a shame. Rufus wonders, though.]

Is it the same for everyone?

[misstrust]

[ Wow, Rupe. You let her down.

Dorothy eyes the soggy plush for a minute, then slowly picks it up (because the last thing she wants is to leave it there only for some well-meaning individual to wave it around and ask for the owner). ]

Something like that. Plush dolls of familiar people, it seems.

[soulus]

[Rupe is of the mind that he's chewed on the plush enough. He watches Dorothy from Rufus' side, unblinking.

As for Rufus, it takes a while for the answer to sink in. Once it does, he frowns.]

I see. That's someone you know.

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy stays (uncharacteristically) quiet for a moment or several, the plush dangling loosely from her hand as she gazes at nothing in particular. ]

So it is.

[soulus]

[There's a beat, then another when he offers curtly:]

If you dislike it that much, just get rid of it.

[misstrust]

That's what I've been trying to do. I just didn't want anyone seeing me trying to cram it into a garbage pail and with the way people have been encouraged to investigate, simply tossing it somewhere won't do me much good either.

[ Hence. Chew toy. ]

[soulus]

There's a stove in the kitchen.

[Immolate it.]

[misstrust]

Sharon practically lives in the kitchen.

[ And she's run into so many people there today. It's a problem. ]

[soulus]

I don't see the problem.

[misstrust]

... You don't see the problem with my flinging a doll into the oven in front of someone. You really don't see the problem?

[ Rufus... RUFUS. ]

Everyone else seems to have some kind of strong attachment to their gifts, I think me wanting to rid myself of mine so vigorously is only going to invite questions!

[soulus]

It will, of course. But you can ignore them.

[He's a man.]

[misstrust]

[ He sure is a man. ]

There are already too many hassles in this day to willingly give myself another one. Can't you just convince him to take it back as a toy?

[ Dorothy very clearly has it out for this poor doll to the point where she refuses to even look at it. Wow, what did it do to deserve this. ]

[soulus]

[The opportunity dangles in front of him and he seizes it.]

I will take care of it . . . for a price.

[He has no qualms with setting a doll on fire in front of Sharon.]

[misstrust]

[ Her hero(????)

By which I mean, Dorothy just studies him warily, because she's pretty sure they discussed the whole problem of not having money and-- ]

What price?

[soulus]

As the requester, I will allow you to decide before I accept.

[She knows better than him just how much the doll means to her, for better or for worse.]

Information is a valuable asset.

[misstrust]

You know that for the most part, we're largely in the same boat regarding what we know, right? And I doubt you're interested in anything about me before we were brought here.

[ Granted, it's not a flat-out no. ]

Of course, I could always educate you in something a little more pleasurable--

[ It's Rufus, though. ]

[soulus]

[True to her judgment, he makes absolutely no comment on that offer.]

It doesn't have to be now.

[He can add to her current tab.]

In the event you're unable to pay here, you can always make your payment once we've returned to our respective worlds.

[misstrust]

... Sorry?

[ Wait, what-- ]

Can you actually travel to other worlds? Or is that just you telling me that you're going to wait until I'm a soul wandering in the underworld...