Suddenly you lose your way and lose the thread, lose your cool then lose your head

[gobetween]

Gobo sat on the edge of his bed, turning the small trophy over and over in his hands. The fire in the fireplace had long ago dimmed to embers, but he didn't need the light to know what it said. Trophy for Seeing A Poison Cackler Without It Seeing Me. He ran his thumb over the lettering, then heaved a sigh. A sound broke the silence and he looked up, laughing gently as Wembley jerked with another big snore. It was late, he should get some sleep.

Except he... couldn't. Today had been weird enough, with the switcheroo that Wembley and the Wizard had pulled. But then there'd been that business with the Poison Cackler, and sure it'd been handled but now Gobo was sitting here, feeling... something. He couldn't tell what. It was like there was a hole missing in his head, but there was something about Poison Cacklers. There always was, they just kept coming up with him. His paintings during Paint A Song, that one nest he found once, coming across one, admittedly with Wembley and Boober, while hunting after Red, then the trophy and the encounter after. Sure, that Poison Cackler wasn't coming for him, but...

Shaking his head, he put the trophy aside and slipped out of bed. Rubbing his temple, he picked up a lantern and a blanket, wrapping it around him and walking out of the room. There was only one Fraggle who could help him now.

Comments

[funsnofun]

Gobo wouldn't even have to deal with waking Boober up, because he couldn't sleep either. He was chalking it up to the Poison Cackler showing up earlier... Sure, it wasn't the first time he'd had to deal with an awful monster, not even the first time he'd run into a Cackler--

Maybe it was because this one had been after Wembley- however circumstantially so. Being helpless when a friend was in trouble was so stressful! And he was always helpless, wasn't he? He wished was capable of being the friend that Wembley, that all of the others, deserved...

It was late enough - and thus quiet enough - that the sound of footsteps nearing his room startled him from his thoughts, and Boober bundled his blanket closer around him with a whimper. "H-Hello...?"

[gobetween]

Gobo paused, then walked forward and held the lantern up some.

"It's me. Gobo. Can I come in...? I.. need some advice."

[funsnofun]

Boober sat up quickly on hearing Gobo's request- Gobo needed his help? Maybe there was a chance for him to be a better friend, and it was right here and right now. ...Of course, the very notion made Boober feel sickly rather than hopeful. It was a lot of pressure!

"O-Of course, Gobo. What can I, um, do for you?" he asked, shifting over on his bed in case Gobo wanted a place to sit.

[gobetween]

Gobo walked over and set the lantern aside. Tucking his blanket up a bit more, he settled in beside Boober.

"Well... I've been unable to sleep. Ever since today, I feel like.. like there's something I'm supposed to remember. Except it's just- gone. Like it was never there in the first place. You ever know you're supposed to remember something, but you can't remember what you need to remember?"

[funsnofun]

"Yes."

The answer came out without Boober knowing it was going to, and it made him pause for a moment, thinking. But... Well, it wasn't about him right now, was it? Besides... He got the feeling he didn't want to know where that had come from.

"Sorry, uh... You can't remember something?" Boober asked, just to get things back on track. He scratched at his hair. "I don't know, Gobo, that could be some kind of amnesia... Iii better take a look at your eyes, okay?"

[gobetween]

He felt a sense of relief that Boober felt like this too, though there was a bit of concern over why. Then it was gone as he nodded, glancing at him.

"Sure Boober. Whatever you need."

[funsnofun]

"Alright, then... Look at me," he instructed, and when Gobo complied, Boober took a close look at his eyes, his hands on Gobo's face- for about ten seconds before he sort of went rigid. After that, he dropped his hands and stared across the room, looking troubled.

Something was wrong, and not just with Gobo's memory. He was upset? He couldn't explain it, just something deep in the pit of his stomach was suddenly churning. It was almost as if- But no, Sidebottom didn't know the meaning of the word 'upset', did he?

Maybe he was just coming down with something... How perfect. He took a deep breath, tried to set it aside for now - whatever it was - to return his focus on Gobo.

"Have you hurt your head at all recently?"

1/2

[gobetween]

Gobo looked at him in worry again, before shaking his head. "No, not that I'm aware of." He paused, and glanced off in thought, rubbing his chin. "But then again, if I have amnesia, maybe I won't remember hitting my head-"

He looked back, and in the instant glance he got, he saw Boober but then again he- didn't?? Maybe it was his worry or his lack of sleep but Boober seemed to suddenly be wearing layers of flashy clothing and his fingerless-gloved hand was reaching out for his forehead-

And then he blacked out, slumping limp to the bed.

2/2

[scaredsilly]

"Noooo no no NO!!" Sidebottom hopped up from the bed, took a moment to shake fully away from Boober, then started pacing the room in a state of extreme upset. "I fixed this! He shouldn't be feeling this way, NEITHER of you should be feeling this way!"

[funsnofun]

"Gobo--!!"

In that moment where Sidebottom was still shaking free, Boober was terrified, but then Sidebottom was there, and looking more like Boober himself than he could ever remember happening...

And suddenly 'terrified' wasn't a strong enough word. Sidebottom may be a pain, at best, but seeing him like this? It was somehow worse.

"Sidebottom, what is happening?!" he asked, in a pleading tone, as he leapt to his feet and grabbed his other side's arm.

[scaredsilly]

Sidebottom paused, looked over at Boober, then at Gobo sleeping past him. He sighed, remembering another night similar to this one, so many weeks ago. It hurt too much to repeat again. The weight was too much to carry, but he had to. ...Unless...

"Boober, Boober listen to me." He walked over and, even knowing how averse he was to this thing, grabbed his wrists and held on. "Something important happened in- in our and Gobo's past and it's been sealed away, but clearly it wants to be known anyway!" ...Unless he stopped lying to them. To everyone. "Gobo needs to know, and- and you need to know. It's scary but keeping this secret is driving me crazy and I can't keep this secret anymore! I tried to lock it away to keep you both safe but it keeps coming out anyway.

"Do you trust me, Boober?"

[funsnofun]

Of course he didn't trust Sidebottom. He never had, and he couldn't imagine he ever would.

But- This wasn't the Sidebottom he was used to. This was a desperate and frightened Sidebottom who was overwhelmed, and Boober knew how that all felt. And he said... He'd been trying to protect Gobo? And Boober himself? If that was true, it was shocking. He'd tried to keep them all trapped in a dream not long ago at all.

But there was honesty in Sidebottom's words. Boober knew fear and this was the real deal.

"What... What's the secret?"

[scaredsilly]

Sidebottom could've wept, but no now was not the time for tears. There would be enough for that later. Right now he had a long night ahead of him, and all of it in the next twenty minutes.

Knowing now that this had to be done a little at a time, he raised his hands and put two fingers on each of Boober's temples. As he spoke, memories would come filling back in; internally a small chest opened, letting light flow from a small grey orb and back into where they belonged in Boober's mind. Boober might sense more than see, but there was another glowing orb beside that one...

"Gobo, he's... He's not from here. Neither are we, and neither is Matt. We're from a kingdom called Slonce, that split off from the Rock a few cycles ago. We have... had," he gulped softly, "a king and a queen. I was the jester, and you, you were my me. And Gobo, he..." He couldn't talk, just let the image of a small infant in Gobo's colors speak for him.

Then the memories shifted, to chaos, screams, and a terrified flight. "Then the Poison Cacklers came. Their majesties entrusted me with getting the little prince to safety so they could save their people. I came to the Rock, to Matt, who promised to raise Gobo. I closed off any memories he might've had from that day, then I let you take over, taking your memories of it too."

Then the mental pictures blurred, shifting to present day, to strings of Gobo singing a melancholy song in a cave alone, to Sidebottom and Boober arguing, then to blackness again.

"But they started to come back, and I got scared. I got scared, alright?? Gobo wasn't supposed to know yet, we never heard from the kingdom. I told you, but you freaked out, no surprise," a humorless, bitter chuckle, "and then I promised to take the memories. To keep him, and you, safe until we knew more. But I guess it wasn't enough."

The chest closed but didn't lock. Boober's memories were emptied from it, but the golden-colored ones remained. Sidebottom sighed, closing the link and stepping back. He turned his head, watching Gobo, who had curled up on top of Boober's blankets and at least seemed to be sleeping sweetly. "I promised to keep an eye on him, and I haven't done a good job of it. I just hid. Who's gonna trust the jester to take care of a baby??

"I'm just gunk. You did all the real work." Sounding more like Boober than himself, he pulled his hat off and looked down, worrying the rim of it in his hands. "...And now you know. Again. Iiii- I don't know what to do."

[funsnofun]

To be the friend the others deserved...

It wasn't enough just to be fun, nor just to be bold. If it were, couldn't Sidebottom handle this on his own? And he clearly couldn't. Boober was feeling panicked, confused, floored, and-- Sympathetic. Towards Sidebottom. He'd really tried. He'd given up everything to protect Gobo. That showed so much caring, and - though he cared too - Boober knew that was something he would never be big enough, strong enough, to do. Not on his own.

Boober put his other hand on Sidebottom's opposite arm, so he was now holding him. He took a deep breath.

"You did the brave thing to start it all. That-That counts, a lot. And you love him..." Boober glanced over his shoulder at his sleeping friend. "...Just like the rest of us do. That counts even more."

He stepped back, sighing out as he let go of Sidebottom's arms. "I- You need to talk to him. He should know the truth. And then... Once he does... You can put me away again, and be you."

...Maybe it started with being a better friend to himself.

[scaredsilly]

"Gobo doesn't remember me." He sighed softly and looked over at Boober. "None of them do. I felt so bad after that dream experience, even if you and I ended it on a good note, that I made sure of that." He shook his head. "It won't matter, coming from me..." Then he paused and looked over again, turning Boober's way. "But it would from you. Boober, you and I are more than just you and I, we're we. I've been saying that since the start, haven't I? What if we did- this -together? We don't have to be after that, but this part could be. "For Gobo?"

[funsnofun]

Boober balked at the idea, at first, stammering with just sounds... How was he supposed to explain this? And poor Gobo was going to be--

Gobo, though... He did deserve to know the truth. If nothing else, he'd be able to stop feeling he'd forgotten something, right...? He'd have something new to deal with, but at least it would be concrete. Identifiable. Gobo was good at dealing with all sorts of things- He just had to know what those things were to do so.

Boober took off his hat, scrunching it up in his fingers, and nodded at Sidebottom. "For Gobo."

1/2

[scaredsilly]

Sidebottom heaved a relieved sigh. Taking Boober's hand, he placed his palm against the back of it and laced their fingers together. He reached out, and it was a single Fraggle's hand that gently shook Gobo's shoulder, releasing the spell that was keeping him asleep.

2/2

[gobetween]

Gobo jerked a bit, then moaned softly and uncurled himself from the blankets. He rubbed his eyes and moved to sit up, looking around him.

"Oh, gosh I'm sorry Boober, I must've fallen asleep on ya..."

[funsnofun]

He couldn't think too much about how it felt, now, to be himself and Sidebottom. How different it wasn't. He didn't have the time... But somewhere in the back of his mind, he did take note. However slightly.

But for now, it was Gobo who had Boober's attention. He shook his head with a shaky, uncertain, "No..."

Okay. He could do this. He had to do this.

"Gobo, I..." He sighed and sat down next to him. "...I think I know what you're trying to remember. And I can help you, but Iiiii- Well. It's a big thing. Are you sure you want to know?"

[gobetween]

"You know?" He sat up some, twisting toward him. "Yes! Yes, I want to know..!" He grabbed his arm, a desperate look on his face. "I don't care what it is, if it can help me then- then I want to know!"

[funsnofun]

He nodded- Wow, but it hurt to see Gobo so upset. So in pain. But he could fix it. They could fix it, together...

Boober scooched closer to Gobo, and - just as Sidebottom had done - put two fingers to each of his temples. He didn't know if it work, but he also did...? It was strange. He could see the chest, with that orange glow within, and it opened. The memories would come back to Gobo, while Boober provided the same story Sidebottom had told him.

[gobetween]

Gobo drew back some with a short, startled inhale. What was happening...? Boober? Magic? He wasn't sure about this-

Then his eyes opened and he stared ahead, seeing, watching all these memories. Feeling everything come to him. Come back to him. Even as young as- as he saw himself! -at the time, he could feel... feel it all be true.

Even before the memories were finished, tears were going down his cheeks, dripping unchecked off his face.

[funsnofun]

A few moves were made to hold Gobo, but they were all aborted, and for once, not because of germs or discomfort... But because Boober was genuinely unsure if Gobo would want to be held. When all was said and done, he settled for bringing his tail around to rest against Gobo's ankle.

"I- I'm sorry iiif... If I shouldn't have- I just thought- We just thought-" He shook his head roughly, and only about that point did he realize he was starting to cry, as well. "Well. I'm sorry."

[gobetween]

"No! No, I," he sniffed, bringing his hand to wipe at his eyes with his sleeves. "I'm glad you did. It's just a lot to take in."

He was quiet for a long time, sitting with his hands laced together, staring off into space. He started to speak several times, though nothing came out. At least, not until one small, uncertain, almost scared question.

"...Think we can find them?"

[funsnofun]

Boober sat there for a moment, wiping his eyes on his scarf and softly hiccuping. But once he was able to quiet down, he looked at Gobo and nodded.

"We're going to try."

[gobetween]

"Good. I want to." A little shudder through him, relief; he'd been truly unsure of what Boober would say. Sighing, he looked up toward the door.

"I don't know what the others are gonna say. I don't even know how to.. begin to tell them. I might... need to go to the- the old kingdom by myself anyway, just in case it isn't safe."

He was quiet, then looked around at Boober and, without another moment's hesitation, wrapped him up in a tight hug. "...Thanks." He couldn't even word why behind that, as much as he knew. It was too complicated, but he knew Boober would know, too.