Rufus Catch-All

[misstrust]

Comments

[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.

[misstrust]

[ Yes, please don't bring it up. ]

It works out... I wanted to find out more about stabilizing the nova and just what options we still have. I can't pay you if we can't go home, after all.

And rather unfortunately for me, I can't interest you in the other type of physical favors. [ Which is fine. ]

[soulus]

[No, thank you.]

I have no interest in things without monetary benefits.

[misstrust]

Yes, I know.

[ Consistency is attractive too, she considers saying, but she'll resist. He'd likely just grimace at her. ]

I hope they give you what you need.

[soulus]

. . . I will relay any news about the stabilization of nova next time.

[misstrust]

Thanks. For now, I think we can focus on resting.

[ He was stabbed. ]

[soulus]

[She was also stabbed.]

Yes.

[He's not used to resting, but she's right. They're both feeble from blood loss (and, in her case, a broken limb), after all. His gaze lifts to the ceiling again, and his eyes slide shut. They should rest.]

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy is far too drained to even consider marveling at the fact that Rufus is choosing to stay instead of taking this as an opportunity to flee. But he's really in no shape to be running around anyway, and even as she thinks that, her own eyes are slipping shut and the tension drains out of her.

It's honestly not long before she drifts off, just like that, slumped against him. ]