When it's nice and bright, and it brings delight, let your heart choose right

[moneymatters]

Scrooge huffed as he wandered through the garden, picking up another scattered leaf. This went into a basket he was carrying, which was already full of torn and chewed stems, roots divorced from their vegetables, and other torn leaves left behind. Spotting something in the soil, he bent to examine a clear print left among the other, more smudged ones he had been seeing.

"Ah-hah. I had a feeling." Standing back up with some effort, he resumed his cleaning. "Goin' to have to set some bigger traps..." And other such mutterings under his breath, most not repeatable in this post made for the reading of mixed company.

Comments

[gobetween]

The plant had indeed retreated below, as if it'd gotten a rope tied to it and yanked away. It left a gaping hole in the dirt, a minute or so after which the plant- sans vegetables and most of the leaves -was shoved back up through to the surface.

An adjacent one trembled, shaking up its whole length.

[getrichquick]

She made a little growling sound in her throat and made a grab for the next moving plant.

"Oh, no you don't!" She gripped it firmly with both hands and tugged it back up. "Get back here, Fraggle!"

[gobetween]

The plant briefly pulled further into the ground as the creature on the other end struggled against Lexi's hold. A few moments of straining- then the plant shot out of the ground with a great explosion of dirt.

And hanging onto the end of it, blinking wide eyes at her, was a furry creature with a big nose and a long tail, looking quite surprised at being pulled up.

[getrichquick]

Lexi was quite pleased with herself, and poked the creature in the stomach.

"Alright, fuzzy, you're caught," she said, her beak curling in a smirk.

There was just one problem, one she wasn't too keen on letting the Fraggle see: She had no idea what to do next.

1/2

[gobetween]

He flashed her a sheepish grin, then looked past her and then down at the ground. His head snapped up to her and then he let go, dropping and starting to run away, though he didn't get more than three steps before he was suddenly yelped back by the tail with a sharp yelp.

2/2

[moneymatters]

Scrooge was on the other end of that, and he pulled the Fraggle up the entire way, holding him by the tail.

"Got you, you little blighter!" A bit of a shake, not enough to hurt him but at least to make his point. "Do you know the damage you've caused??"

[getrichquick]

"O-Okay, Unca Scrooge, I think he gets it," Lexi snickered, before looking thoughtfully at the Fraggle. He seemed to be reacting, in a way, at least. She held out her hands. "Let me see if I can talk to him? I think he can understand us..."

And if he could understand what she was saying, Lexi was certain she could talk her way through this.

1/2

[moneymatters]

He huffed slightly, and all but shoved the Fraggle into Lexi's hands.

"Alright. Just take it somewhere far past my property." Leaning down, he poked him in the stomach with a glare. "And if you come back-!"

A slash across his throat, then he yanked up the empty basket off the ground and stomped off back to the manor.

2/2

[gobetween]

He gulped a bit and nodded quickly, though if Lexi looked she'd see quite the glare given at Scrooge's back. Then the Fraggle shifted and looked up at her, frightened and worried all in one.

[getrichquick]

Lexi chuckled a bit, and started making her way out of the garden, the Fraggle still in her hands.

"That's Unca Scrooge," she explained, glancing down at him. "He's a bit rough, but I'm sure you and I can come to some sort of agreement here. You talk, Fraggle?"

[gobetween]

A minor unsure look, and he glanced aside before looking up at her, making a so-so motion with his hand. That came with a couple spoken words, just as uncertain, but whatever language that was it wasn't English. It was rough and musical all in one, with a touch of an accent even if Lexi wouldn't pick up on it. Sighing a bit, he shrugged and looked away.

[getrichquick]

While there was something intriguing about the sound of that language, any curiosity took a back seat to frustration at the her inability to understand it. But hey, it was just a hiccup. Not a true obstacle.

"Still, we'll figure something out - my name's Lexi, by the way. And you know, Fuzzy, we do have a problem here. Unca Scrooge may have overreacted, but let's face it... You're a thief," she stated casually.

[gobetween]

He rolled his eyes, muttering something in his strange little language. Then he glanced back at her. Definitely didn't want to stick to the thief thing, so maybe a little subject change was in order.

"Gobo." A pause, then he put a hand on her. "Lexi." It was a little thick on the X, but he managed it; he put that same hand on himself. "Gobo."

[getrichquick]

Lexi quirked a brow and smiled gently down at him.

"So you're smarter than you look... Hello, Gobo."

[gobetween]

He smiled proudly at that, bobbing his head a little.

[getrichquick]

Okay, that was cute.

"So Gobo... Obviously, you're going to have to find a new place to get your food. I mean, Scrooge is good for his word. But he also never forgets a debt. You're going to have to find a way to pay him back." She smirked as she shifted her hold on Gobo to a one-handed one, her free hand tapping the tip of her beak.

"What do Fraggles have access to that's valuable? You live underground, right? That's what Unca Scrooge said. Any access to jewels, or rare minerals?"

[gobetween]

A light noise at the minor juggling around, and he looked down at the ground then at her. You know Lex, he can walk...

At her question, he rubbed his snout in thought, then shook his head. No, no jewels or minerals.

[getrichquick]

She followed his glance, then sighed and set him down - but she was going to keep a close eye on him.

"Okay, well, what do Fraggles have that's worth something? What's valuable to you guys?"

[gobetween]

For just a moment, he did think about trying to take off again. But, her question had him pause, and he looked up at her. How to answer that...? Ahah.

One hand reached into a pocket and he pulled out a weathered, but cared-for harmonica. He waved it a bit, then put it to his mouth and, closing his eyes, played a short song.

[getrichquick]

Music, huh? Of course. It could never be easy, could it?

She crouched down once he'd finished, with the slightest of smiles. "So, that kind of thing, huh? Well- I guess you could try busking. Uh, playing for donations from people on the street. But let's face it, you'd draw more attention for how you look than what you play." A beat. "Not that you sounded bad, I just- Nevermind. Look, I don't think you can pay him back like that. Some kind of labor is probably going to be your best bet, Gobo. Ooh, but that's right, Scrooge doesn't want you back on his property..." She sucked in air through her teeth, feigning distress.

"Oh! Well. I guess you could do something for his dear niece, though."

[gobetween]

He idly tapped the harmonica on his other hand as he listened to her. To judge by that rather confused look on his face, most of that flew right over his head. He did try to communicate something at one point, though. The harmonica was slid away into its pocket again, and he put his hands on his chest, shifted one to make an "X" mark, then walked his fingers away and to the side with a flourish at the end.

Promise to let him go and he'll never come back, how does that sound?

[getrichquick]

"Yeah, I don't think so." Lexi rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't really know you yet, but if it was me, I'd be back. I would just let go of the plant next time someone pulled the other end."

[gobetween]

Gobo scoffed slightly with a roll of his eyes, grumbling audibly. He waved a hand toward the manor, then pointed at his mouth. So he was hungry, so what?

[getrichquick]

She had to laugh at that. A little snark went a long way with Lexi.

Still, they had one problem with, she realized as she checked the time on her phone, another soon coming up.

"Okay, here's the thing - I need to make money today. We'll reach an agreement later, but for now, you're coming with me. Do you know what a car is, Gobo? 'Cause we're gonna deliver some food in mine."

[gobetween]

He gave her a rather confused look, shaking his head a little. Still, he followed her as they headed toward her car, though when he saw it he let out a startled noise and tried to scramble away. Get in the car?? Oh no he's not-!!