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

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

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.

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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?"

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.

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."

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?

"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."

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?

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."

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-!!

"Gobo! Gobo, come on, it's safe, seriously!" Lexi exclaimed, as she wrapped her arms around his middle. "Dude, I can't skip a day of work, I'll never hear the end of it."

He kicked his legs, and it sounded like he was objecting heavily in his language. Still, a Fraggle only weighed so much and despite his struggling, he would be simple enough to get set up in the passenger seat. He looked around quickly, his breathing short. This was not going to be fun-!

All while setting him into the car, Lexi was saying, "Dude, it's okay! I'm a good driver! Stop kicking!"

She was a good driver, too. It had even surprised Uncle Donald and her brothers, how well she'd taken to it. Once she'd buckled Gobo's lap belt, she placed a very hesitant hand on his shoulder. "Just breathe. You'll be okay."

And then she removed her hand from his shoulder to start up the car, pulling out into the street.

Ohhh and now it was moving! He pulled his legs up into the seat, and tried to remember what she said about breathing. Just breathe, it'll be alright, breathe...

The next time she checked on him, he'd be curled into a little huddled ball, as much as he could manage, his tail tucked around him and the poof flared out completely.

Man, she hated being reminded that she had a heart- What could she do that might make him less freaked? She didn't really know much about Fraggles; just that they liked to steal vegetables and that apparently their idea of something valuable was- Oh!

Without a word, she reached over briefly to turn on the car's stereo, starting up a song.

He didn't seem to react much at first, then his tail jolted up. After a moment or two, it started thumping on the seat to the beat of the song. Progress...?

After about an hour of music-fueled picking up and dropping off meals, Lexi pulled over into a nearly-vacant fast food joint parking lot.

She turned the car off and turned to look down at Gobo. "See, it wasn't so bad, right? I saw your tail going with the music."

Gobo had at least enjoyed the music, though the rest of the car ride, notsomuch. This was evident by the look on his face when they stopped, which seemed woozy and uncertain. When Lexi leaned over and opened the door, he all but slumped out of the car, managing a couple steps before falling over into a furry, motion sick heap.

Lexi got out of the car after him, and when she walked around to Gobo's side of the car and saw that pile of fur, she paused for a moment, just watching him.

"...Hey, Gobo?"

He held a hand up, making the "OK" symbol with his fingers. Then that same arm fell limply back down to the asphalt. He'll be okay, just give him a minute to breathe clear air and be on non-moving ground.

Lexi crouched down beside him, looking thoughtful. She knew what she was going to do, and she hated it; she had an opportunity here! This just wasn't fair, and she blamed Unca Scrooge - rough though he was - and his family here. They really had been making her softer and softer over the years.

"Look, you're not going to come back to garden at the Manor, right?"

Taking in a deep breath, he pushed himself up from the ground and held his head a moment. He hiccuped, inhaled again and held it for a few moments, then let it out slowly. Glancing up at her, he nodded. Right, he won't come back. Promise.

"Then we're good," she said with a sigh. "I'll tell Unca Scrooge the garden's safe, and you're free to go."

He sat up a bit straighter, looking at her in surprise. Getting to his feet, he looked off across the parking lot, then back. He can go? Really?

Lexi nodded, her smile growing. "Yeah, yeah, you're free from your debt. Just... Try not to get caught at whatever place you rob next time."

He smiled brightly, tail curling up and waving some. He said something, and the words weren't understandable but the gratitude on his face made it perfectly clear: Thank you!

Turning tail, he dashed off across the parking lot, to where a small woodsy area lined the edge. He dove forward into a shadowy spot between two trees- had that mound with a hole always been there? -and disappeared from sight, poofball tail and all.

After he'd vanished down the hole, Lexi had to chuckle. Maybe she'd missed out on a chance for... Something, but she hadn't really been sure what she could have got out of Gobo - he was so unfamiliar with so much.

And hey, it had been kind of a fun afternoon, even if this place just kept getting weirder and weirder.

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