woofus

[bisouled]

Comments

[soulus]

[She speaks, and he listens. Once she's said her piece, there's a prolonged stretch of silence before Rufus slides a hand into one of his pockets.]

Please give me your hand.

[bisouled]

[ well, he didn't just brush her off, which is what she was expecting? So that's good. She knows he does listen to her, even if he doesn't always show it - and even if she's not sure he's getting the message she's trying to send. ]

Sure...?

[ despite her mild confusion, she holds a hand out for him to take without hesitation. ]

[soulus]

[He won't take her hand. Rather, his fist comes away from the pocket with a length of chain dangling from his grasp. He deposits the item in her palm and pulls his hand back to reveal a simple locket.]

Opening it will reveal whether what someone has said was the truth or a lie.

[bisouled]

[ no handholding for Fiora. At least she got a present. Her fingers close around it as she looks curiously at it, then him. ]

A gift from the Realm?

[soulus]

[His hand returns to his side.]

Yes.

I would like you to hold onto it.

[bisouled]

[ huh. ]

You're sure...? Why me?

[ it's Rufus, so she assumes there's a practical reason for this - he's not the gift-giving type. ]

[soulus]

You're more prone to voicing your suspicions than I am. The nature of this item suits you better than me.

[bisouled]

... I don't think we're having another trial, you know.

[ but her tone is light, and she smiles a little. does this mean he's accepting what she said? either way, it's not like him to give her anything. she doesn't really have a pocket to put it in, so she just moves to clasp it around her neck. ]

But thanks, Rufus. I'll think of a good use for it.

[soulus]

. . . How does your body feel now?

[bisouled]

[ glancing down at herself. ]

The same as usual, really... I haven't got a big hole in it anymore, at least.

[soulus]

Was the hole there when you regained consciousness after that night?

[bisouled]

... Well, it was, actually, but I think everyone had old injuries reappear that week. It didn't hurt or anything.

[ the graveyard suffered the same effects, rip. ]

[soulus]

I saw Kano's injury. His head was detached from his body.

[bisouled]

Ugh, don't remind me. He bled on my face like that.

[soulus]

[Why was he in a position where he could bleed on her face?]

Then you're ordinarily restored to your state upon arrival, rather than healed.

[bisouled]

[ fiora also wants to know why ]

Yeah. The next week, everyone was fine, including Dorothy and the others.

[soulus]

That's expected. The dead don't carry their injuries to the afterlife.

[bisouled]

I suppose you would know.

[ a little smile. she tilts her head. ]

That's in the past, though. You got us back.

[soulus]

What did I do?

[bisouled]

You were part of all this. Gathering enough nova to bring people back, or... whatever made it work. I know it wasn't easy.

[ he had to kill someone, for one. she's sure he's been working hard doing all sorts of other things, too. ]

[soulus]

Removals attract a different kind of nova that's used to bridge the way to the removed. This was why each team required two members to act.

[bisouled]

Right. And I know you're not on my team, but ... this could have all gone south so easily if everyone wasn't working together. Including you.

[ it's a bittersweet feeling, really. ]

I'm glad to be here, even if I'm pretty sure it wasn't worth all that pain and suffering.

[soulus]

What is a life worth, then?

[bisouled]

Aren't you the one who sells souls?

[ she says it a bit playfully... but she continues, shaking her head. ]

That's not a question I can answer... but I know my life's not worth two other people dying, and definitely not 12.

[soulus]

If you count the previous cycles, the total exceeds that number.