Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Another day in Kuvaq was coming to a close. While on any other evening the ritual of closing up shop and saying goodnight to your neighbours would be the norm, tonight there was an air of nervous energy in the town, making the citizens close their doors a little faster, and secure their locks a little tighter. Open flames were prematurely extinguished, hazardous chemicals hidden away in new places, pets and small children put into basements and told to  stay until the next sun rose. People kissed their loved ones like it would be their last, and those with more curiosity than fear headed to one of the two places open that night; Lonzo’s Bar.

The other place was Gizmo’s clinic.

While the older generation mused that it had been 10 years since their previous Mayor had up and vanished, most were preoccupied with the other dreaded anniversary that had fallen today. 

“Step aside! Certified adult coming through!”

Rufus burst open the swinging door of Lonzo’s bar, which promptly flew back into his face. After a moment, Toni carefully pushed open the door, holding it there as Rufus righted himself and wobbled in.

“Eyy Rufus, I see you're already practicing your drinking legs, haha.”

Lonzo grinned from behind the bar, waving them in. Most of the tables inside were already occupied, but two bar stools were free, with one having a little sign that read ‘Brfday boiee’ and had a wonky balloon drawn on it. Rufus happily pocketed that.

“No practice needed, I was born ready for this night! I just hope you’ve got enough to keep the drinks coming.”

“Oh don’t you worry, I ordered a nice big shipment especially for the occasion. So tonight, we drink!”

He thrust a fist into the air, and everyone lifted their drinks with a cheer. 

Everyone, except Gizmo, who was in the far corner, tapping at his glass of something clearly not alcoholic. 

“Whoo!” Rufus practically jumped into his seat, swinging his legs like a giddy child. 

Toni took the stool closest to the wall, leaning her back against it as she began to roll a cigarette. She glanced around the bar, observing the various Kuvaq residents, noting that Lotto was thankfully keeping to himself, while Wenzel seemed to be frantically writing something down. Everyone else was drinking and chatting, though eyes were clearly flicking to Rufus every so often. He did have a reputation already. 

“Let’s get this party started with some good ‘ol gnats piss.”

Lonzo filled up a glass and set it before Rufus, who only took a second to consider the liquid, before he threw his head back and downed the whole thing. When he dropped the glass back to the table, his whole face scrunched up.

"Yurrk! Adults really chose to drink this!?"

Lonzo chuckled, "It's not about the flavour, it's about when you stop tasting it."

“And how long will that take?”

He looked at Toni, whose eyes widened in consideration. She stopped rolling her cigarette and turned to Lonzo.

“This is all on a tab right? Which he can pay when he gets a job?”

“Yeah, tonight is a special night, so keep drinking and celebrating! Everyone is waiting to see the outcome.”

She frowned at such phrasing, but didn’t comment further as Lonzo handed Rufus another glass. She was just glad she wasn’t paying.

“Aww, why the squat and ugly face Wenzel? Did someone put actual piss in your glass? HA!”

Wenzel looked miserable, not even daring to try to match the speed of Rufus’ drinking. They’d been there for hours. Once yet another drink was downed, his face scrunched up again, like it’d done every time he finished a glass. 

“YURRK. When did you say I stop tasting it? Is it soon? Please say it’s soon, or give me something else, because BOY this is bad.”

Lonzo stared at him with a measure of awe, “I didn’t think it would come to this.”

Toni had been keeping her own drinking low, having fully expected to be the only responsible one besides Gizmo, but after countless drinks, Rufus was in no more of a state than he usually was. If anything, he was maybe a bit more reasonable in his rambling. He’d been throwing back gnats piss like they were glasses of clean water,  rather than if they were the most effective way to get drunk in this part of the Three Quarters. Some residents in the bar were looking quite depressed, and others were on the edge of their seats as Lonzo searched through his shelves. 

“I was saving dis for the end of the world, but it looks like you need it more than me right now friend.”

From behind a slat of wood, Lonzo pulled a clear bottle with a green label. At first glance it seemed empty, but the slight jostling, a perfectly clear liquid sloshed at the neck of it. 

“Oooh, pretty.” 

He sat it on the table, and it drew all eyes in the room. Conversations stopped, breaths were held. Gizmo stood from his seat and approached the bar, all signals on medical alert.

“You know what you’re dealing with here, correct? Ninety-Six percent. ”

“Yes, but look at the boy. This is a case of go hard, or go home. And there are a few people here still not ready to go home.”

The flowy green writing read ‘ Polmos Spirytus Rektyfikowany’ , which Toni couldn’t translate, but something in her gut said it was bad news by the way Gizmo stared long and hard at the bartender. Rufus just rolled his eyes. 

“Look, at this point I’ll drink anything to get rid of that awful taste.”

Rufus picked up the bottle and spun off the cap, moving to take a swig, just as both Lonzo and Gizmo flinched.

“Wait, not the bottle-!”

“Rufus stop!”

He downed half of it before his shoulders came up to his ears, and he took a breath-

“Ugh that burns! ”

-then swiftly downed the rest of the bottle. 

Everyone waited. 

“...Okay, I don’t get it. What is everyone's hang up on this stuff? Is it like, self torture? Cause you gotta really hate yourself to be drinking this all the time.”

And the room sighed. Gizmo took Rufus’ wrist and counted his pulse, then flicked a small light into his eyes.

“Hm, all seems normal. Toni, I’d appreciate it if you could keep an eye on him for the rest of the evening. As for the rest of you,” He turned, with only the slightest hint of smugness in his voice, “Pay up.”

Rufus blinked the bright spot from his eyes, “Pay?”

Toni sat up with the realisation, “Wait, you were all taking bets? On what?!”

“On how much he’d drink before he’d wander off and destroy the town.” Lonzo put his head in his hand, using the other to fish out a few notes. The remainder of the room followed suit, all waving it towards Gizmo. Toni grumbled at the ridiculousness of it all, fixing the town's service provider with an accusing look. 

“And what was your call?”

“That nothing would affect him.”

Wenzel pulled himself upright, “You’re a doctor, surely that's cheating!”

“Knowing someone isn’t cheating, and I just happen to know exactly what kind of medical dosages I have to use to get any kind of result on him.”

Reluctantly the bets were gathered, and most began to wander home. Rufus looked disappointed that his birthday celebration was over already, but a small peck on his cheek from Toni brought his smile back. As she held the door open for him again, Gizmo put a hand on her shoulder.

“But seriously, I have no idea what that last drink will do to the human body. Please keep an eye on him, maybe ask that he sleep at the clinic so we don’t have to drag him.”

Chapter Text

“Rufus, where are you going?”

“For a walk. Don’t you walk? Walking is good for you. You should walk more.”

Toni glared, though it was more playful than malicious, “Are you calling me fat?”

“What? No. No no no. Eh, maybe a little. I don’t know. I’d have to try pick up something heavy. Then pick you up. Compare. If you were fat, it’d be cool to carry you around though. Show how strong I am.”

Toni watched as his hands danced about with his words, like he was conducting some band only he could see. Their evening of drinking had been highly anticipated by Rufus, his excitement to finally enter ‘the adult world’ bubbling in the days leading up. Though the event hadn’t gone down as planned, he still seemed to be keeping up his spirits, the alcohol having simply caused him to ramble more as they left Lonzos. 

“Man, do you ever wonder why wombats have such BIG noses? Like, imagine how much you could SMELL with a nose that big.”

“We shouldn’t go too far, I’m getting tired, and Gizmo said we could crash in his clinic-”

“Wait. Wait wait wait, idea. There’s somewhere I wanna show you.”

He dashed back to her side and linked their fingers, before almost jogging away towards the town's gate. 

“Rufus...”

“I know you’re gonna love this! You’ll see it and your eyes will be like ‘POP’ and your brain ‘Whooosh-Pshow!’ and you’ll be all, ‘ Oh Rufus you’re the smartest, coolest, bravest, most daring person to ever exist ’ and then you’ll-”

There was an audible clack as his mouth snapped shut. Momentarily concerned, Toni put herself next to Rufus in order to look at him, but he still just had that massive goofy smile stretching his cheeks.

“Hmm? What? What’s up? Can’t get enough of my good looks? They are quite hypnotising.”

She snorted, “Like I’ll ever be able to forget a stupid face like yours, no matter how hard I wanted to. It’s going to haunt me forever.”

“OH do you believe in ghosts? I think the idea of something I can’t see following me is terrifying, but it’d also be sooo cool to be one cause you could get through any door or like possess someone and make them do a silly dance. Ha, I’d probably haunt Wenzel and throw his stuff around to make him think he was crazy.”

Through several more wild tangent rambles and with the fading town lights behind them, Toni still found herself smiling. Rufus was a wild, unpredictable menace that had started numerous disasters, yes, but he was also… exciting. No one else in town had any ambition or drive to be more than just another junk trader or mine worker. They repeated their same lives day in, day out, timed by the call of the Organon cruiser, with little change. But then Rufus comes by with a new idea, a wild opinion, a crazy scheme to get what he wants, and he drags everyone else into it. The thrill of something so fresh and new, it felt worth a few broken items and maybe a bit of fire.

A hand clamped over her eyes.

“Eyes, close ‘em! Nice and tight, no peeking.”

“We’re still walking though, is it safe?”

“Safe? Psh, trust me, I know this place like the back of my han- AH!”

The hand slipped from her face, and the warmth beside her disappeared, though she tightened her grip on their linked hands, and it all quickly returned.

“Hand. I was saying hand. My feet are a little lost, but trust my hand.”

He gave hers a reassuring squeeze. The one over her eyes squeezed too, which was less reassuring, but gave her a small laugh. After wandering up a semi steep incline, he brought them to a stop and let go, stepping away.

“Aaaaand open!”

He was in front of her, massive grin on his face and hands stretched up towards the sky. She followed his gesturing upwards, to where her eyes fell upon the glow lighting up the night sky. There were enough junk hills here to block out the lights from settlements, making the shine raining down on them even more radiant. 

Elysium loomed high above.

“Well, pretty amazing spot don’tcha think? Perfect view, no distractions.”

He turned and wandered to the edge of the junk, taking a seat and letting his legs dangle, leaning back to bathe in the blue glow. Finally pulling her eyes from the ethereal city, she moved to sit beside him. 

“I’m gonna go there one day, ya know? Get away from all this trash and junk and idiots, go somewhere where I belong. Oh, you can come too if you want.” He moved and bumped their shoulders together, “I’m sure I can change a few of my plans to handle two people. You might have to be lighter though, depending on when I get around to trying to lift you.” 

She laughed, “Thanks for the offer, but bring up my weight again and I’ll punch you.”

“Okay, got it. No more talk on that. Zipped, shutting up, no mentions about your monstrous as-”

She punched his ribs.

“Ow, right, right. Actually shutting up, riiight... now.”

Silence graced them, and they both got lost in the sight of the city floating high above.

“So, you’re an adult now, right?”

He leant further back, “Man I hope so, or I’ll have to drink all that nasty stuff again. Yurrk!”

“Then it doesn’t seem right that an adult should be living in the orphanage.”

She eyed him when he didn’t reply, finding him absently chewing on his tongue. 

“Maybe you could stay with me? Once you have a job you can pay a little bit of rent, and save the rest up to get your own place.”

He sat bolt upright, “Really? Stay? With you? Really ?”

“Sure. It’s pretty quiet having a place to myself. And maybe… we could get to know each other a bit better.” 

She leant over and delivered another peck to his cheek, though this time she lingered. Even in the coloured glow, she saw him turn a shade of red. With a sudden burst of enthusiasm he jumped to his feet.

“WOO! I-! I’M-!”

He swayed on the spot, face scrunching.

“I’m…!”

“Rufus?”

“Yes. Rufus.”

He doubled over, and threw up. Toni jumped to her feet, and once she was out of the disaster zone, she carefully reached out to rub his back. 

“Uh, happy birthday?”