Rufus Catch-All

[misstrust]

Comments

Week 6: Saturday

[soulus]

[Later, Rufus drops by the employee lounge. Rupe accompanies him, but quickly bounds forward to pad up to Dorothy with an inquisitive stare. How is she doing?]

[misstrust]

[ Sorry for the barrier, Rupe.

But Dorothy smiles at him. She's clearly exhausted, but the smile's warm enough. ]

Hello, Rupe. Hello, Rufus.

[soulus]

[Unable to cross the invisible threshold, Rupe sits down on the floor instead, still watching while Rufus strides the rest of the way over to them.

Hello.]

[misstrust]

[ The absolute worst, she can't pet the wolf on her last night of being alive.

Dorothy just kind of sighs at this tragic realization, but then falls quiet as Rufus steps closer and tilts her head up a bit to peer at him. ]

[soulus]

. . . We fulfilled one term of our agreement . . . but another will have to give in its place.

[misstrust]

Well, we both expected that. I can't live if I'm found guilty.

[ And Dorothy had known that as well as Rufus had. ]

[soulus]

Is there anyone here who's innocent?

[misstrust]

Probably one or three of us.

[ Which isn't saying much, but she shrugs lightly. ]

It stopped being about morals from the very beginning, anyway.

[soulus]

. . . With this, all teams should have cleared their requirements.

[misstrust]

Which means we're one step closer to ending this for good.

[ Dorothy's quiet for a few more seconds. ]

But it looks like our agreement is going to come to an end here.

[soulus]

No.

The requirements were to retrieve the removed. You will still be alive to pay me once the Realm has stabilized.

[misstrust]

A temporary postponement, then?

[ Communication might be difficult, from what she's learned of it between the dead and the living. ]

[soulus]

I have agreements on that side as well.

[misstrust]

... Well, goodness! Knowing that, I don't feel very special at all now.

[ She is absolutely not being serious. ]

[soulus]

That has nothing to do with it.

[She knows that, too.]

[misstrust]

Permit me my theatrics, at least for a bit tonight.

[ This punk. ]

Even if it's only a temporary thing, I am still going to die tomorrow in some undoubtedly gruesome fashion.

[soulus]

It won't be the first time you've died . . .

[misstrust]

Yes, and back then... well, you were the first to die, so you wouldn't have known.

[ How absolutely terrified and devastated Dorothy had been at the time. ]

I'm not looking forward to having an audience of familiar faces for it, either.

But I suppose I also have no right to complain.

[ She did this. She accepted it. And she's been reassuring everyone who's visited her that she's fine with it, in the face of upset expressions, hopeful wishes and tears. ]

[soulus]

[None of them has the right to complain.]

Would you prefer that we look away?

[misstrust]

If I thought that people would, yes.

[ But she very much doubts they will. ]

[soulus]

. . . Then I will avert my gaze.

[misstrust]

... Thank you.

[ Hopefully this doesn't make people think Rufus is an asshole for refusing to even look at Dorothy dying tomorrow ]

[soulus]

I'm merely following your request. There's nothing to thank.

[misstrust]

It's not a term in the agreement and it's not something you're asking payment for.

So yes, I think "thank you" can still apply.

[soulus]

Why don't we make it a mutual agreement?

In exchange for my turning away, please do not look back.