Rufus Catch-All

[misstrust]

Comments

[soulus]

. . . All right.

[He stands in place, waiting. To stay like this or move elsewhere in the room—the choice is Dorothy's. He won't push her around in here.

They could talk about it at length, but the past is the past. There's no changing it now. Sometimes, the quiet is better.]

[misstrust]

[ Rufus, who just got his private space invaded by someone who also just decked him, still letting her do what she wants. A good boy.

Rupe is best boy still, but that's fine. Dorothy will finally lift her head and move over to one of the beds to sit on the edge of it.

She's talked enough about it, she thinks. There's no changing what happened. ]

We've gotten closer to the end.

[soulus]

[His cheek smarts where she struck him, but a bit of physical discomfort is nothing to the humiliation she endured last week. Wordlessly, he moves to the adjacent bed, where Rupe watches Dorothy for a moment before climbing onto his feet and padding over to sniff her feet.]

Have you recovered your memories as well?

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy glances down at Rupe, then leans down just enough to offer him her hand before she tries to pet him. Hey, buddy. ]

Yes, by... going through twisted approximations of what seemed to be the memories from the others who had also died. [ Hence why she's scuffed up. ]

... I remembered the song, the day I died. The one you were able to recognize when I couldn't. It's strange, the things you sometimes don't realize you've lost until they return to you.

[ Beatrice had commented once that Dorothy always seemed to be humming it, even when she wasn't consciously aware of it. Apparently old habits died hard. ]

[soulus]

[Hello. Rupe tilts his head up to sniff at Dorothy's hand, recognizing her scent.]

Memories are sometimes all that remain. It's natural not to realize once you've forgotten.

[misstrust]

[ Stop calling her out that she talks to your master a lot, okay. But also once he's satisfied that he knows her, she'll rub an ear and then let him do as he pleases. ]

... Were you hurt, at all? When you were getting your memories back?

[ Well, he got punched by someone minutes ago, Dorothy. ]

[soulus]

[Satisfied by her familiarity and the rub, Rupe settles down on the floor next to Dorothy's feet. Perhaps she'll be able to sneak in a pet at some point.

The only visible damage on him is, in fact, the red splotch on his face from Dorothy's sucker punch. It will bruise.]

No. We were walking down a dark hallway when they started to return.

[misstrust]

[ This is truly the best boy right here, this tiny wolf with guns. ]

I meant more the process of finding the Leaders, but... [ Wow that mark sure is gonna bruise, huh. Amazing. ]

Goat's, ah. Aura told us that they were lost when he had us go through the pathway, and that you were all trying to find them.

Admittedly, I'm not sure what that entailed. [ Dark hallways, apparently. ]

[soulus]

It was an amalgamation of memories; most of them were influenced by the Leader we sought. I accompanied the group that found Swan.

[misstrust]

I see.

[ Dorothy hums a little, thoughtfully. ]

... By any chance, was there any mention of a virus?

[soulus]

Not in the memories.

Was there any mention of it in your journey?

Aren't you supposed to be asleep

[misstrust]

No, that was chaotic at best. But the removed were all discussing it before-- that the Leaders remembered that the problem in the Realm was apparently some manner of virus.

I was wondering if that might have had something to do with what happened to them... and how things have disappeared and reappeared this week.

[soulus]

I've heard about it.

It's been said that eliminating the virus may require more than a fight.

[misstrust]

Like generating more nova?

[soulus]

I don't know the details, but it's a possibility.

[misstrust]

I see. I'm sure we'll likely find out more details tomorrow, whatever they may be.

[soulus]

If there was enough nova to restore our memories . . . it may be time for the virus to appear.

[misstrust]

Do you have any experience with viruses?

[soulus]

This is the first time.

[misstrust]

Myself as well. It seems to be computer-related, and those really aren't a product of my time yet.

[ She says it a little dryly, because that just makes her sound old. ]

[soulus]

There are books on the subject here . . . but they're rather long.

[misstrust]

Have you read them?

[ Dorothy is not afraid of books, but they only have a few days left as is. ]

[soulus]

Yes. That's how I was able to dismantle the computer in the security office.

[misstrust]

That was you? Was it too much of a threat?

[soulus]

There was nothing threatening about it. I was merely experimenting.