Rufus Catch-All

[misstrust]

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[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.

[misstrust]

... Right.

[ It's a little softer. ]

[soulus]

. . . We died as well. If not for that, we might still be there.

[misstrust]

I know. [ Even softer, and now one hand drifts to the mark around her neck, the one that's a perfect twin to Rufus'. ]

That's partly what made me decide to tell you-- that there was proof that there was a way to return.

[soulus]

[His gaze lowers from the ceiling to the branches of a nearby tree.]

We weren't the first ones to die on an expedition.

[misstrust]

Archer told me.

[ Now she just huffs, quietly. ]

It's been on my mind all week, what to do about it, and who to talk to about it. It's not just people wanting their memories back or someone's nova splintering now, but the fact that killing someone brings the dead closer to returning...

The motives are so varied now. And to tell me that to save them, I'd have to...

[ She trails off, eyebrows furrowing. ]

Really, why am I even here...

[soulus]

. . . You're here to compete. Everything else is an additional detail.

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy sighs softly-- and then just leans against him without preamble or dramatics. Because blood loss is a bitch. That's all. ]

What would I do without you to be so wonderfully pragmatic at me?

[soulus]

[Blood loss will do that. Rufus pauses, but doesn't otherwise react.]

I'm afraid I can't answer that.

[misstrust]

[ Hang in there, Rufus. ]

It was a rhetorical question. [ With a trace of a smile. ]

You've helped me out quite a bit this week... I'm going to need to start pulling my weight more.

[soulus]

. . . On which leg?

[misstrust]

[ The seriousness of which he says this prompts a rather sudden and startled laugh out of Dorothy, although she has to press a hand over her abdomen as the wound protests. ]

N-no, that... wasn't literal...

[soulus]

[That gets Rufus to look over at Dorothy. He lets her ride out the laughter in silence, seeming neither amused nor offended by her reaction.]

[misstrust]

[ She recovers quickly, though mostly just because it hurts to laugh. The leaning may just be a thing she doesn't move from now. ]

I meant... [ ouch ] ... more on an informative level. Obviously I can't return too many favors on a physical level.

[soulus]

[Perhaps wisely, he says nothing of her maneuver in the classroom that prevented him from hanging the first time. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was effective and bold.]

Information is worth more than physical favors here.