[ where is he?! It doesn't matter. Truthfully, Fiora is still shaken by what's transpired here this afternoon, but she's doing a good job of not showing it; it's better to focus on protecting the others, and she figures she may as well start with someone who's already been in danger. ]
[He's cleaned up since the investigation. While the scratches are still open to air, he's at least washed the dried blood off the edges. They really don't resemble cat scratches; they're much too thick for that, and look more like someone raked their fingers across his face, tearing skin.
But he doesn't look bothered as he stops in the middle of the road at Fiora's call.]
[ she seems to be walking back from the bridge past the rail station when she spots a certain Mr. Popular from tonight - at which point her eyes widen as if she's just remembered something she'd forgotten before she starts walking right towards him. Her expression is still a little sad, but she's schooling it into something more scolding as she approaches. ]
See? I told you that you'd get in trouble! Things looked really dire there for a while.
[He's enjoying the tranquil solitude of night when Fiora approaches, shattering the peace instantly. After all that, she still has the energy to scold him.]
[At some point during his regular exploration, he revisits the VR Room—only, this time, Fiora is there. Has she conjured a scenario, and if so what is he seeing upon walking inside? Regardless of whether or not she's tinkering with the system, he regards her coolly with his hands in his pockets.]
[ she has, although it's more just a reflection of what she's thinking about than a purposeful projection - he'll find himself outdoors, in a town situated above a lake in a large circular valley. There's an odd mixture of high technology and low, with enormous white cannons arcing over a town that looks more like it's made of rubble and scrap metal. High up in the sky, past the clouds, there's somehow even more land arching far, far above the town, continuing up and up until it's out of view, like an enormous tower.
... Of course, all those details are pretty blurry, since she's not focusing. The immediate scenery is a house in said town. Fiora's sitting on top of one of those barrels in front, looking at her PHS, when Rufus comes in. ]
Rufus? [ a beat; then she frowns, although she looks a little amused nonetheless. ] Don't I even get a "hello?"
[ here's hoping Rufus is in his tiny-ass pod room, because that's where Fiora's going. She'll knock on the door, politely, before calling out in a tired voice: ]
[ judging by the fact that her hair is still wet, she was probably not only watching the fish but swimming with them recently. At Rufus's voice, she perks up, turning around where she's sitting. ]
Um... Mermaids? Where's this coming from, all of a sudden?
[ they're in the inn. where?? not important. what is important is that Fiora is here, and she's three seconds away from poking him in the back before she remembers she'd zap him if she did that. Alas. She should have taken one of the animal graspers. ]
Rufus! You did good today. [ she's probably close enough to give him an emotion share, though - she is very tired, and that undercurrent of fear is still there, but she's trying her best to stay positive, and there's some bright amusement that's also in her voice as she holds something out to him. ] I have something for you.
[On the surface, Rufus is as indifferent as ever. The anger he's always carrying also churns unabated in the depths of his heart. But it's later in the night and their proximity unearths something else: they're both tired.
He looks down at the proffered cookie. After a moment or two passes in silence, he takes it.]
all that can really be said in her favor right now is that she's both used to seeing injury thanks to growing up during a war and used to building a fire and camping out under the stars. Everything else is horrible. In truth, the stress is great enough to make her start feeling dizzy, with her poor blood flow and everything else, but there's no time to worry about herself when Rufus has no skin on his hands. ]
Rufus... [ she wishes she was a medic like Sharla; as it is, she's nowhere near qualified to handle an injury of this magnitude. That doesn't stop her from hovering around. If he's not already sitting, she's going to try and make him. ] You know that we all got a painkiller in the bag at the start of this? I still have mine - have you taken any?
[He sits at her behest, and rather easily at that. His attention is divided as he looks down at his bandaged right hand. He did take some painkillers earlier, but those can only do so much for nerve pain.]
[Not long after trial, Rufus seats himself at the edge of the bank near the top of the waterfall. Rather than take in the gorgeous scenery, however, his gaze is fixated on the screen of his PHS. Beside him, the monkey makes noise every time the water strikes stone and splashes onto it.
He lifts his head at the first sound of approach that isn't the monkey's antics.]
[ it's not easy to climb up here, so she didn't think she'd see anyone else, let alone Rufus, and the surprise is clear on her face - for once, she wasn't searching him out. ]
Rufus... I didn't think I'd see you up here. What are you doing?
[ as usual, Fiora looks tired, though perhaps a bit more than usual tonight - she can't even muster up another smile at the sight of him accompanied by that monkey. ]
[Outside in the northern town, he looks up at the gun shop's sign with his expression shadowed by his hair.
Should Fiora approach, Rupe, who's been trotting circles around his owner, will twitch his nose, sit upright, and turn his head in her direction. Rufus' attention, however, will remain on the sign as if his mind has been wandering for some time.]
[ has Fiora ever actually met Rupe?? Not in any of our threads, so it's happening now. In fact, she thinks it's that monkey again at first - but it is extremely obvious it's not the monkey as soon as she gets closer. ]
Oh! Who's this? You've got such a cute friend with you!
[The impromptu meeting arranged by Claude has been over for some time. Crossing the bridge on his return trip from the northern area, Rufus' gaze falls on Fiora at the riverbank. The last time he saw her, she was in the middle of a debate with a handful of participants.]
[ she's sitting quietly to the point where it would be easy to mistake her for being asleep; however, she moves slightly at the sound of Rufus's voice, glancing over to look at him. She looks tired, as usual, though there's no doubt that the trial and the ensuing discussion have made her more exhausted than she normally is. ]
For now. [ there's a bit of an expectant look in her eyes, though it's muted. ] Have you come to tell me how stupid I'm being?
[ Fiora's quite certain he falls on the opposing side of her, here; he's made it quite clear that he's willing to do whatever it takes to get out of this place. ]
[ it takes a bit of time to find him out here in the woods; fortunately, it's a peaceful, easy hike, and Fiora has the benefit of having an animal companion with both keen ears and a sharp nose. The bunnit appears first, hopping down the trail and wielding a branch it must have found on the way there in its tail, and Fiora follows soon after. ]
Rufus! There you are. I've been looking for you, you know!
[Rufus and the wolf turn around at the bunnit's appearance, regarding it with the understanding that this must mean Fiora is nearby. Predictably, she appears not long after.]
[ time for a sleepover with her best buddy, rufus wilde.
compared to the last time they met, Fiora seems a little more mellow, although it may just be due to the time of day. The garden's almost as pretty at night as it is during the day, and there's something nostalgic about sleeping out under the stars, gazebo notwithstanding. And she can't lie: she does feel a little more secure having Rufus around. She's resting against the wall of the gazebo, her bunnit half-asleep on its side next to her. ]
I wonder why they're making us all sleep over here tonight? We'd better not wake up talking in funny accents, I swear.
[Rufus sits inside the gazebo itself with the wolf seated on the floor next to his feet. Just like the previous night they spent curfew together, Rupe isn't with them.]
[ there was one person in particular Fiora was looking for when she came back - one person who was noticeably absent. Normally, she wouldn't worry about it. Rufus keeps to himself, and he's never been particularly sentimental; even now, she's not sure he even cared she was gone. That's fine. What's not fine is not seeing him after everything she saw just getting back here.
She checks a few places she thinks she might find him - the kitchen, the station - before she ends up at his room, and by then, she's beginning to stress about him. So there's no knock, provided the door is unlocked; she just opens the door hastily, looking around for him. ]
[It's unlocked, if only because he just got back after they managed to miss each other all this time. Fiora barges in, and Rupe's ears perk up where he sits on the floor by the bed while Rufus, seated on the edge of said bed, lifts his head.]
[ it's late at night by the time she shows up at Rufus's door - not where she planned to show up, exactly, and nothing either of them had discussed, but it's where her feet end up taking her. Right up until the end, he's the one she finds herself going back to. This time, she knocks; she's got a scroll of some kind tucked under one arm, and looks a lot less ill than she had after the fight earlier. ]
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week 0, friday night
[ where is he?! It doesn't matter. Truthfully, Fiora is still shaken by what's transpired here this afternoon, but she's doing a good job of not showing it; it's better to focus on protecting the others, and she figures she may as well start with someone who's already been in danger. ]
I want to talk to you.
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But he doesn't look bothered as he stops in the middle of the road at Fiora's call.]
What is it?
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week 0, saturday night
See? I told you that you'd get in trouble! Things looked really dire there for a while.
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If it was dire, it wasn't my doing.
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Week 1, Tuesday
Shall we exchange memories?
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... Of course, all those details are pretty blurry, since she's not focusing. The immediate scenery is a house in said town. Fiora's sitting on top of one of those barrels in front, looking at her PHS, when Rufus comes in. ]
Rufus? [ a beat; then she frowns, although she looks a little amused nonetheless. ] Don't I even get a "hello?"
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week 1, saturday night
Rufus? Are you there?
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Yes. What is it?
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Week 2: Tuesday
Are there mermaids?
rufus wtf
Um... Mermaids? Where's this coming from, all of a sudden?
[ she sounds amused... ]
don't @ him
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week 2, saturday night
Rufus! You did good today. [ she's probably close enough to give him an emotion share, though - she is very tired, and that undercurrent of fear is still there, but she's trying her best to stay positive, and there's some bright amusement that's also in her voice as she holds something out to him. ] I have something for you.
[ it's a cookie ]
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He looks down at the proffered cookie. After a moment or two passes in silence, he takes it.]
What did I do?
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week 3, thursday
all that can really be said in her favor right now is that she's both used to seeing injury thanks to growing up during a war and used to building a fire and camping out under the stars. Everything else is horrible. In truth, the stress is great enough to make her start feeling dizzy, with her poor blood flow and everything else, but there's no time to worry about herself when Rufus has no skin on his hands. ]
Rufus... [ she wishes she was a medic like Sharla; as it is, she's nowhere near qualified to handle an injury of this magnitude. That doesn't stop her from hovering around. If he's not already sitting, she's going to try and make him. ] You know that we all got a painkiller in the bag at the start of this? I still have mine - have you taken any?
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I don't need it.
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Week 3: Saturday
He lifts his head at the first sound of approach that isn't the monkey's antics.]
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Rufus... I didn't think I'd see you up here. What are you doing?
[ as usual, Fiora looks tired, though perhaps a bit more than usual tonight - she can't even muster up another smile at the sight of him accompanied by that monkey. ]
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Week 4: Tuesday
Should Fiora approach, Rupe, who's been trotting circles around his owner, will twitch his nose, sit upright, and turn his head in her direction. Rufus' attention, however, will remain on the sign as if his mind has been wandering for some time.]
anime...
Oh! Who's this? You've got such a cute friend with you!
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Week 4: Saturday
Have you finished?
Re: Week 4: Saturday
For now. [ there's a bit of an expectant look in her eyes, though it's muted. ] Have you come to tell me how stupid I'm being?
[ Fiora's quite certain he falls on the opposing side of her, here; he's made it quite clear that he's willing to do whatever it takes to get out of this place. ]
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week 5, tuesday
Rufus! There you are. I've been looking for you, you know!
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What is it?
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week 5, thursday
compared to the last time they met, Fiora seems a little more mellow, although it may just be due to the time of day. The garden's almost as pretty at night as it is during the day, and there's something nostalgic about sleeping out under the stars, gazebo notwithstanding. And she can't lie: she does feel a little more secure having Rufus around. She's resting against the wall of the gazebo, her bunnit half-asleep on its side next to her. ]
I wonder why they're making us all sleep over here tonight? We'd better not wake up talking in funny accents, I swear.
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We may end up sneezing all day.
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week 7, friday
She checks a few places she thinks she might find him - the kitchen, the station - before she ends up at his room, and by then, she's beginning to stress about him. So there's no knock, provided the door is unlocked; she just opens the door hastily, looking around for him. ]
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You've returned.
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week 7, saturday
Rufus? Are you there?
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What is it?
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