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

[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.