Rufus Catch-All

[misstrust]

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[soulus]

[He was definitely walking by with no reason to be here. But Rufus doesn't turn away when Dorothy appears on the other side of the doorway, and it's the utter lack of shame that keeps him standing there in spite of his bloody appearance.]

. . . You've stabilized.

[misstrust]

I'd like to say there was no real risk...

[ But. Well, that would have been a lie. Even now, she's aware one leg is trembling. Getting up may have been a mistake.

Oh, well. ]

... Won said you were tended to... [ when she asked ]

How are you feeling?

[soulus]

[That Soo-won, saying unnecessary things.

Rufus glances at Dorothy's trembling leg.]

I'm stable as well.

[misstrust]

[ He sees nothing. ]

Good.

[ Sincerely, even as she breathes out. ]

I know I might have... made things more difficult for you.

[ A minor understatement. ]

[soulus]

What do you mean?

[misstrust]

... If we were meant to hang all along in order to leave, I forced you to stay much longer than you should have.

[ She hadn't thought to ponder what it meant. She'd panicked.

She won't even mention his hands because honestly, she also feels bad about it. ]

[soulus]

Are you talking about the classroom? That wasn't the auditorium.

[For all they know, the conditions could have been different then. He won't fault her for it.]

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy's quiet for a long moment-- and then shakes her head carefully. ]

There's probably no use in thinking about it now. In the end, we all made it back.

[ In various states of mess. ]

[soulus]

. . . Yes.

[His gaze drops again to her leg.]

Thinking about it now would be pointless.

[misstrust]

Then let's not think about it.

[ From the way she says it, it's probably all she's been asked about since she woke up. What happened. Why it happened. If she was fine.

Dorothy opens the door a little wider. Stop looking at her leg, Rufus. ]

Come in?

[soulus]

[Frankly, he should go. There's no reason to accept her invitation.

On the other hand, it's here or back to his assigned room that he shares with someone else until curfew. There are worse options. After another protracted moment of staring, he takes a step inside.]

[misstrust]

[ Truth be told, she's a little surprised. But then something softens in her gaze and she lets him all the way in before she closes the door behind them and just sort of... hobbles back to prop herself against a tree with a whole lot of careful maneuvering. It's a wide tree, there's room enough for him to also plop down if he feels like it.

She's never felt this exhausted before, but it makes sense, she supposes. Trauma is one thing. But blood loss on top of it just makes everything more difficult.

Not that she'll say that. And she highly doubts Rufus will, either, even though she'd seen for herself what he'd gone through. ]

[soulus]

[He won't say it, but he's been dizzy ever since they woke up in a circle of their respective blood. It's an affliction they must have all shared before returning to town. Unfortunately, there's no way to acquire blood here for a quicker solution. The lightheaded sensation comes and goes now, and this is one of those moments where he's at the cusp as he follows Dorothy.

Silently, he joins her at the base of the wide tree. Standing for long periods of time right now is ill-advised. At least he can sit here where it's quiet.]

[misstrust]

[ He can indeed. Dorothy is very quiet, for a variety of reasons, first and foremost because she thinks they both probably need it right now.

She's... talked quite a bit, more than even she's wanted to. And she doubts that Rufus has been left in peace after being tended to, whether he's wanted that or not. If nothing else, maybe this is all she can really do for him.

So she's silent for quite a long time, slumping just a little as the dizziness swamps her yet again. Still, she needs to talk to him. In just a moment, she thinks. ]

[soulus]

[A moment passes, then another when he tilts his head back to rest against the tree. His eyes remain open, if lidded. There's nowhere in the Realm where he can allow himself to truly drift. But, for now, this will do.]

[misstrust]

[ There's more silence for a bit.

And then, finally, Dorothy speaks. ]

I need to tell you something. You might already know, granted.

[soulus]

[He blinks slowly at the painted ceiling.]

What is it?

aaagh notifs

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy closes her eyes. ]

My Leader told me they had remembered something-- that there's a way to bring back the dead.

But it apparently involves more murder.

let them hang

[soulus]

Why is that?

[misstrust]

I don't know. I asked how I was expected to believe that and they told me that there was no point in explaining it if I didn't trust them and left.

... But they also suggested I ask my "friend" about it, without any further indication of who they were referring to.

[soulus]

. . . Is it that hard to believe?

[misstrust]

.. I think you probably understand by now that it's not exactly easy for me to trust.

[ A pause, and she opens her eyes again, glancing down at her palms. ]

But maybe part of it was just that I didn't want to believe that's what it would take.

[soulus]

Anything is possible with the right deposit.

[misstrust]

Did you already know about it?

[ Then again, most things don't really faze Rufus on an outward level and probably a few levels beyond that. ]

[soulus]

No. But I do know that life isn't priceless.