(Untitled)

[fairytaleknight]

[OOM: Entr'acte: Borrowing a wheelbarrow.]

When Fakir pushes the bar door open, his right uniform sleeve pulls back, to show an arm wrapped in clean bandages. Fakir's left arm is also bandaged. There are probably bandages under his clothes, too, and he looks more than a bit pale.

But Fakir's here, after all. I didn't expect to come back.Fakir

Comments

[stilljustandrew]

It's the book that catches his attention as he passes, and he's leaning to try to make out the title before he even realizes that he knows the kid.

"--hi," he says, a bit belatedly. "Fakir, right?"

[fairytaleknight]

The book is the Brothers Grimm's edition of the Lays from the Elder Edda.

Fakir looks up as he turns the page. "Andrew. Hello." He doesn't smile, but at least he's greeted Andrew more or less politely.

[stilljustandrew]

That's ... promising! Right?

He starts to say something inane like been a while, and then he sees the bandages on Fakir's wrists, and stops.

(He can't tell, from this angle, how high up they go.)

[fairytaleknight]

"Oh, don't stare," Fakir says, irritated. "There was a battle. It's over. How are you?"

[stilljustandrew]

"Sorry," he says quickly. "... hang on, a battle?"

He doesn't remember Fakir being in circumstances that would require battle.

(Of course, battles can come without warning, pretty much anywhere.)

[fairytaleknight]

There were two battles, actually, or three, depending on how you count. Fakir just snaps, "Yes, and fortunately, it's over."

[stilljustandrew]

"Iiiii'm going to guess that means you don't want to talk about it."

[reallyaduck]

"Fakir! You're not supposed to be -"

The shout is followed by a crash; Duck clambers over the chair she's knocked over, then, feeling rather guilty, turns around and carefully rights it before launching back into her breathless discourse.

"I mean, it's great if you're feeling better and all but after you fell over in class like that shouldn't you be resting? - oh, Andrew! Hi!"

[fairytaleknight]

"I'm fine, Duck."

Fakir tries to scowl at her, but there's rather more fondness underlying his scowl than there used to be.

[stilljustandrew]

"Hey, Duck." Brighter.

He glances at Fakir, trying to ask wordlessly does she know?

[fairytaleknight]

Yes, Duck was present at the battle -- but at the time, she was Princess Tutu. Fakir refuses to betray Duck's secrets by answering Andrew's glance.

"I did not fall over in class," Fakir says instead. "I just... had to sit down."

[reallyaduck]

"You fell," insists Duck, and looks over at Andrew for help. "If people get badly hurt they're supposed to rest and stuff, right? I know if you're not supposed to take days off from practicing normally, but after you've almost died, then - then I think that's it's probably okay!"

[stilljustandrew]

"Almost died?"

Andrew looks to Duck, startled.

(And also fully aware by this time that she's much likelier to talk about it than Fakir, in his current mood.)

[fairytaleknight]

Fakir only leans his head back in his chair and raises his arms, bandaged palms up. It's as close as he'll come to admitting that Duck isn't exaggerating.

[reallyaduck]

"We fell and then there were all the ravens just attacking him and then he drowned and - well actually I dunno if the water was really real, but everything else, and -"

Duck breaks off abruptly, and shoots a guilty glance over at Fakir.

Andrew knows a lot already, but Fakir probably doesn't know how much Andrew knows, and anyway he doesn't know everything (she thinks - it's hard keeping track!) and . . . is she saying too much? Is he going to be mad?

[fairytaleknight]

The problem with allying himself with Duck is that the girl has no discretion whatsoever. Fakir sighs. "It's all right, you can talk about it."