In which Cuthbert is nearly brained by a bird.

[saikamai]

Even on the island, where the fair weather made the days and weeks run together and blend, marked only, it seemed to Bert, by the disappearance of friends or one of the island's magical anomalies, he found that this time of year made him thoughtful

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[poison_lipstick]

Things with Cuthbert had been better lately. It had been strained for a while, though they'd managed to remain cordial, but the past few weeks the strain had been gradually lessening. Saffron was still genuinely fond of him, and she was pretty sure he was of her too. She wasn't sure, looking back, who had made the first move, but things had grown warmer between them, and Saffron couldn't deny that was a relief. She hadn't wanted to lose Cuthbert's friendship, not for anything, and it was nice to get that back. She still flirted, because it was as natural as breathing, but her manner with him was very much like the way she'd been with Sam - a friend she cared a great deal about, but would never pursue.

The bird was a surprise, but Saffron stayed mostly composed, the only sign of her wariness a widening of her eyes as it flew toward her. She was a heartbeat away from ducking when it veered, flying off to the side, and she turned her attention to Cuthbert. "I see you have a new accomplice, Sai Mischief," she said, mouth quirking in an amused smile.

[saikamai]

"So I do," he said, catching up David on his glove and sweeping him away from Helen gently. "David, meet Helen. Helen, meet David. David, Helen enjoys dancing and pretending to coax free drinks out of me at her own bar. Helen, David enjoys field mice, served immediately. It's about time you met."

He flashed a proud grin at Helen, raising Davey a little higher up for show. The bird's orange eyes flashed, at once alert and terribly empty. "What'd'ya think? Hm?" Bert made a soft clicking noise against the roof of his mouth, smiling up at the bird. "Is she fair? Yes? Yes. He says yes, but not a field mouse, so that makes you considerably less interesting in his book. How are you, by the way?"

[poison_lipstick]

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, David," Saffron said, sketching a playful curtsy. "I suppose I'll forgive you not finding me terrible interesting, since I know your fancy lies elsewhere."

She smiled up at Cuthbert, the returned ease of their conversation still new enough to be somewhat relieving. "I'm just fine, sugar. Trying not to feel old, today." She leaned towards him a little, conspiratorially. "It's my birthday today."

[saikamai]

Bert's expression melted from surprised to reproachful. "Helen, why didn't you say anything? Man Jesus! ...I could pull something together at the club! Why would you keep quiet about a thing like that?" He looked at her with mild, amused suspicion. "It isn't really that you feel old, is it? 'Cause the very notion's preposterous."

[poison_lipstick]

"No, not really, but I don't need a fuss," Saffron said with a little laugh and a shake of her head, then added teasingly, "Besides, the island doesn't equip you with the means to give me the level of gift I'm accustomed to."

[saikamai]

Barely taking his eyes off her, Bert nudged David off his arm and the bird took off. He was overjoyed to have the hawk back with him, but at the moment, it was all a bit surreal and muscle memory was taking over. Besides, David's senses would be overwhelmed with all the new sights and smells and sounds of the island, and Bert would have to be a cruel master indeed not to grant Davey the right to explore.

He extended his arm to her with an easy smile. "Everyone needs a fuss," he said, but his usually bravado had melted away, replaced by a funny, earnest tone. "And what do you mean by that?" An amused grin pulled at his mouth, full of understanding. "You were spoiled, huh?"

[poison_lipstick]

Saffron returned Cuthbert's smile as she took his arm. "You could say that," she replied. "I've had my share of finery. Though I've had to change my definition of what I consider 'finery' a little, since I've been here."

[saikamai]

"Doubtless," he said. "But I think that's one of the best parts of the island, personally. Doesn't mean much coming from me, I guess, as I had nothin' to look forward to but a life living off the land anyway... but still. Makes people the focus of things. Speaking of."

He looked at her suddenly, stopping in the path. "I had an idea I wanted to talk to you about. It's about the club. Well, sort of about the club. Lloyd's been a bit... well... I don't think he's feeling his best," he explained, preferring to leave it at that. Though Bert was dying to air his thoughts about Lloyd with someone, it wouldn't do to talk about it before he'd made some attempt to talk to Lloyd first... which he just didn't seem able to get his courage up for. "So I was trying to think of something that might cheer him up, you know, and I had an idea for a party at the club."

[poison_lipstick]

Cuthbert stopped so suddenly that Saffron tightened her grip on his arm, her eyes widening just a touch in surprise. She'd noticed the difference in Lloyd, but hadn't pressed him to talk about it, figuring he would when he was ready. She was pretty sure it had something to do with Flagg, though.

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea!" she said, a bright smile spreading across her face at the suggestion. "What did you have in mind? Something private, down in the Speakeasy? Or a party anyone could come to?"

[saikamai]

"I wasn't really sure," he said, perking up a little from her enthusiasm. "I didn't even think of the Speakeasy, though, that'd be nice. I'll have to think on it. But I thought, you know, it wouldn't hurt. When everyone went home... we went to Gilead, and Lloyd came along with us, and things turned out sort of miserably for him there." Bert felt troubled, and vaguely guilty over the whole thing, and confused as to where Lloyd's loyalties with Flagg... with Marten lay, exactly.

The whole thing, was, well, to borrow something from Lloyd's phrasebook, a complete mindfuck.

[poison_lipstick]

"I noticed he's been different since coming back from that," Saffron commented. She didn't miss much normally as it was, but it was even harder for her to miss the change in someone whose bed she visited with some regularity. "I haven't wanted to push him, but I've been worried."

[saikamai]

Bert felt suddenly choked up all of a sudden-- and gods, that was stupid-- but he hadn't even realized how worried he'd been 'til he'd said so aloud, and to hear that Helen had noticed it too, and it wasn't just Bert building on the strange distance they'd had since the test, was tough.

"Me too," he said, and it was even more dismaying to hear how he sounded: just like a little kid. He felt as if something had just... possessed Lloyd, somehow, stupid as that was, and it was hard to define when the change had started to happen. Easy to blame Marten, but wrong, too, Bert thought. Impulsively, he wrested his arm free of her and slid it around her shoulders instead, in a half-hug as they walked. Bert liked women for all the swaggering reasons he'd tout around the the campfire with Alain and Sandor and Lloyd, but he also felt comfortable with many of them in a way he didn't with men. Never before the island, but that was the way of it now.

His mother had always told him he was a soft touch, and his mother was rarely wrong. Besides, Cuthbert had some evidence, like the way his heart was baying like a wee cayote over a friend he hadn't even lost yet. Over a friend he still saw twice a week at least and carried on as if there were nothing wrong.

"Do you think..." He hated to ask, but all the same... "I don't know, Helen. Do you think you know why? Do you think you could find out?" he asked, his voice low.

[poison_lipstick]

Yes, Cuthbert was definitely worried also; Saffron could tell by his expression and the set of his shoulders, by the way he wrapped his arm around her. She reciprocated by slipping an arm around his waist, comfortable and easy.

"I can definitely try," Saffron replied. She hadn't questioned him much as of yet, but Lloyd had a habit of being a little loose-lipped when he was relaxed and post-coital. "I think I can find out something, at least."