Rufus Catch-All

[misstrust]

Comments

[soulus]

[Still hanging, the monkey pitches a vocal fit. He ignores it.]

The monkey is an inconvenience.

[misstrust]

Perhaps I should have offered to let you stay the night. Though it does seem like you would have missed out on a new friend otherwise.

[ A very vocal friend. ]

[soulus]

. . . It should disappear with the rest of the jungle on Monday.

[misstrust]

Ah. Then you should enjoy your time with it while it lasts.

[ Love your friend. ]

[soulus]

I don't enjoy it at all.

[misstrust]

Now, Rufus...

[ She can't even try to sound admonishing... she just sounds amused. ]

You can't tell me that you haven't made at least one friend by now.

[soulus]

Can I not? I've never been interested in making friends.

[misstrust]

The thing I've found is that, even when you don't have the interest, people will still reach out to you.

... If that glare of yours doesn't give them pause, of course.

[soulus]

[The monkey isn't deterred by his expressions. It has, however, given up on thrashing about in the air to look miserably between Dorothy and Rufus, who ignores it.]

. . . Their reaching out does not obligate me to reach back.

[misstrust]

I know.

[ She knows.

Also sorry, monkey, she can't see you and thus can't support you. ]

But I'll do it anyway.

[soulus]

[He stares. Even as the monkey swings onto his arm and scampers up to his shoulder to whine at him, he hardly notices. Dorothy just says these things.]

[misstrust]

[ She can't see him staring???

Rufus, are you there, she's just slowly tilting her head. ]

[soulus]

[The monkey fails to bring him back; Dorothy's motion, however, does.]

Please don't do anything unnecessary.

[misstrust]

[ To that, Dorothy snorts softly. ]

I promise not to offer myself as a sacrifice to keep you from being convicted for killing.

[soulus]

If I kill, I ask that you vote for my removal.

[misstrust]

That's fair. I'd ask for the same.

[soulus]

. . . Have you made a decision, then?

[He recalls her hesitation when they discussed motives the other day.]

[misstrust]

... Mm.

[ Her expression slips into one a little more sober, but also more resolute. ]

I have.

[soulus]

. . . As long as we are contracted, I will respect that decision.

[misstrust]

... You know, I think it's fine to have opinions, whether we stay contracted or not.

[ She pauses. ]

Though I don't intend to break it either. Not until it's no longer needed.

[soulus]

. . . I look forward to continue working with you.

[misstrust]

[ It's harder to get a grasp on what he is and isn't saying when she can't see him. Is he deflecting again? Is he using their contract to just let her know that he's not going to lecture her, regardless of her choices?

Then again, he didn't really have to say anything at all, and Dorothy sighs with a smile. ]

Same here. We've made it through another week; let's keep going.