pullsneedles | (no subject)

(no subject)

Lucas rubs the towel on his head, drying his freshly-washed hair as he emerges from the bathroom. It's been a long day, but a good one. Somehow the sadness of approaching autumn is lessened by the bright mums ready for planting.

But tonight is a good night to settle in with one of his books, this time one with information on the Runaway Five. It seems like a good one to share with Duster.

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"Thanks," Autor says gratefully, as he changes into the new blazer. "Guppy managed to clean my face off--and good heavens, did that hurt!--but the rest of me is still... ugh."

He stands, shaking himself out. "I don't think I'll ever forgive Miss Ashida."

"Well, this'll get the rest," he goes, carrying a bucket of warm water and a clean hand towel. Then he sighs, "I never seen anybody hurt another like this here."

Sure, he's seen fighting and destruction, but he hasn't seen one patron hurt another like this before.

Autor lifts one shoulder in a shrug. "It... It happens," he says, with the words feeling empty. He dips the towel in the water and rings it out, applying it to his chin and neck with a soft sigh.

"I'm sorry I involved you in it, especially since you're already dressed for bed."

"You don't gotta be sorry about that. I wanna be able to help my friends."

All humans are intertwined, Autor, the Dark Dragon pipes up. Friends even more so.

Autor blinks at the Dark Dragon's comment, having forgot he was there. He inclines his head.

"All right. I appreciate it, both of you," he says, considering how lucky he is to have Lucas as a friend. "Now, how about those smoothies?"

"That was nice a you to bring those. You didn't have to."

But he accepts it, picking up a smoothie to drink.

"Y'don't think you're gonna see this person again, do you?"

Autor sighs, draping the rag across his shoulders. "I certainly hope not. They ended up in the cells for three days, and they probably still blame me for it."

"Well, that ain't fair at all. What'd you even do?"

Not that anything's worth an inkwell to the face.

Autor turns his head, nibbling on his bottom lip. "I... I baited them, like I said," he says, feeling terribly embarrassed by it and not knowing why. "I said some things that were rather unkind."

Lucas frowns a bit.

"Well, that ain't right, but neither is smashin' your face with an inkwell."

He sighs over the smoothie.

"I'm so tired of people hurtin' each other."

Autor frowns and reaches for his smoothie to give his hands something to do. He sips at for a bit before raising his head. "I'm sorry, Lucas," he says, fairly certain anything he could say wouldn't soothe the boy's hurts.

He nods.

"Well, everybody does stuff that hurts other people sometimes."

"Sometimes," Autor says, nodding, before changing the subject. "Say, what did you think of the wake? You had a decent turn out."

"I liked it," he says, sipping on the smoothie. "I was really surprised by that."

"I sort of expected it to be more somber," he admits, stirring the smoothie with his straw. "But I'm glad it turned out the way it did. It sure was kind of Sunshine to provide all that food for us."

"Well, there were some sad moments. But it's better that it wasn't too sad."

That is how memories are sometimes.

Autor nods, cradling his smoothie glass in his hands. "Duster and Enzo and I played music together and made some new memories."

"I heard that. Duster's awesome at bass, isn't he?"

"He is," Autor says, sipping at his smoothie. "He played an improvisation that just about... what's the phrase? Oh, yes, 'knocked my socks off'. I'm glad he's here in Milliways now."

Lucas reaches for the book on the desk.

"I am, too. And I'm glad I get to share all this Milliways stuff with him. I got this book on the Runaway Five since they were on my list of stuff to look up. I bet he'll like it, too."

"Runway Five?" Autor says, peering curiously at the book. "Who are they?"

"They were a band from some time in my world's past. I was dressed up as one of 'em for some holiday here, and that's how I heard about 'em."

"Ah, I see," Autor says, adjusting his glasses. "Perhaps Bar will have some recordings of them."

He takes another long pull on his smoothie. "How goes your research on the world past, by the way?"

"I already got some on my music player. I'm letting Duster borrow it right now, otherwise I'd show you.

"It's been goin' all right. This is kinda a break from some of the more heavy duty readin'."

Autor chews on his straw. "I see," he says. "Do let me know if there's anything I can do to help with that."